Mexico,United States
Tennessee Gun Collector, Drug Dealer Blows Whistle on US-Mexico Trade
Scripps Howard News Service (USA)
8 March 2010
The U.S. boss of a violent Mexican drug cartel who admitted ordering a hit on someone who ran afoul of him has been a busy man since authorities nabbed him and 34 kilograms of his cocaine at the border. He's traveled to Williamsport, Pa., to accompany his son on a Little League baseball trip. He's attended his sister's graduation from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He's vacationed with his family in Panama City, Fla.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Landmark One-handgun-a-month Sales Limit Faces Reversal in Virginia
Washington Post
4 March 2010
RICHMOND,Virginia - The latest and most significant effort to repeal Virginia's gun laws faces a critical vote on Thursday, when senators will consider a measure that would undo the state's landmark one-gun-a-month law. Democrats, who control the Senate, will try to kill the legislation through a newly formed subcommittee that they stacked with anti-gun lawmakers. Republicans and other gun rights advocates have protested, saying... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Collector, 'Paranoid' Security Guard Kills Police Officer in California
Associated Press
27 February 2010
FRESNO, California - The man who authorities say killed one law enforcement officer and wounded two others in a gunbattle at his mobile home was a paranoid private security guard who kept a gun collection and told his wife he would rather die than go to prison, authorities said Friday. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer identified Rick "Ricky" Ray Liles, 51, as the shooter and said he had been taking medication for depression and probably... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Deputy Killed in Gun Battle with Firearm Collector
New York Times
25 February 2010
SAN FRANCISCO -- A California sheriff's deputy was fatally shot and two other officers were wounded Thursday morning when a fire investigation in rural Fresno County turned into a gun battle and standoff between law-enforcement authorities and an unidentified suspect. Thursday night the suspect was found dead by a SWAT team from the Fresno County sheriff's office at the scene of the standoff, the suspect's mobile home in the tiny... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto Lawyer Loses 30 Handguns to Thieves, Police Remove 170 More
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
23 February 2010
Toronto Police seized about 170 firearms from a Toronto lawyer's downtown home following a break-in, but believe dozens of handguns have been stolen. And investigators fear those guns may already be in the hands of dangerous thugs. Toronto Police say they were called to a fourth-floor apartment on Isabella St., near Church St., around 7:30 a.m. Monday by someone who was looking after the place while the resident, lawyer... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
North Carolina Collector of Assault Weapons Also a Convicted Murderer
ABC News (USA)
19 February 2010
SALISBURY, North Carolina - Authorities have arrested and charged a convicted felon who had a large number of guns at his home in Salisbury. Investigators with the Rowan County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) received a tip that Jessie Sexton was a convicted felon and had several firearms at his home on Jacob Bost Road. Assault rifles, shotguns, handguns, rare and collectible guns... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Texas Gang Smuggled 340 Guns from Houston to Mexican Drug Cartels
CNN
18 February 2010
HOUSTON, Texas - John Phillip Hernandez and a friend walked into the Collector's Firearms gun store in Houston, Texas, to buy a cache of weapons. Hernandez was wearing sunglasses and a dark T-shirt with the words "I Am the Scene" scrawled across the front. It was April 28, 2007. Collector's Firearms was one of two gun stores they visited that day as part of a scheme to arm Mexican cartels across the border, according to federal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Judge's Ruling Ends Seattle's Short-lived Ban on Guns in City Parks
Seattle Times
12 February 2010
The rule banning firearms in Seattle parks was tossed out Friday by King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer, who said the city cannot pre-empt state law. The city now has 30 days to remove the 116 metal signs, which are about 1 by 1-½ feet in size and show a handgun inside a red circle, with a red line crossing out the gun. In all-capital letters there is the warning: "FIREARMS PROHIBITED." Assistant City Attorney... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Arizona Mulls Dropping Training, Background Checks for Hidden Handguns
Daily Sun (Arizona) / Capitol Media Services
2 February 2010
PHOENIX, Arizona - A Senate panel agreed Monday that any Arizona adult should be able to carry a concealed weapon without special training or background check. The 4-3 vote would create a major loophole in the existing laws that require those who want to have a hidden weapon to undergo special training. This includes classes on when people can legally use deadly force as well as marksmanship. And it also requires a background... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Loophole Allows British Arms Dealers to Sell Deactivated Machine Guns
Birmingham Mail (UK)
25 January 2010
As long as you have the cash, you can snap up a deactivated weapon -- because the law currently classes them as metal ornaments. But those with the know-how and the tools can easily reactivate them to fire live ammunition. Guns on display at the shop have included a Russian Kalashnikov AK-47 machine gun, a British-made World War II era Sten machine gun and a German Luger hand gun. The Mail found the fearsome looking... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Sales Soar, Gun Shows Thrive, But Motivation Worries Some
Kansas City Star (Missouri), Opinion
24 January 2010
Walking the talk of valuing diversity can lead to some unusual places. Brian, a regular at monthly meetings of a diversity coalition in Overland Park, talked me out of going to church one Sunday in June and into riding with him to a gun show at the KCI Expo Center in the Northland. I grew up with guns, and this place was very familiar to me. Dad still has the six-shooters his father carried every day to work as a railroad... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
'Obsessed' Gun Owner Found with 30 Illegal Firearms, Bombs in Yorkshire
Yorkshire Post (UK)
15 January 2010
A home-made collection of bombs, guns and knives, this is the arsenal found hidden at the Yorkshire home of a bus driver who was a member of the British National Party. [Photo] Locked away in an untidy attic bedroom, the cache, assembled over 10 years by former soldier Terry Gavan, was so large it took police and counter-terrorism experts six days to complete a forensic survey of the house. Gavan was jailed for 11 years... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fatal Gunplay in Maine Sex Dungeon Goes to Trial
Associated Press
13 January 2010
PORTLAND, Maine - A gun collector who introduced several weapons into sexual play with two other men contends the fatal shooting of one of them in Maine last spring was an accident. The trial has shed light on a dungeon in a South Portland home filled with sex toys that three men used as a drug-fueled escape from reality. Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese (mahr-KAY'-zee) told jurors the focus should be on the handling... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disgruntled Worker Kills 4 in St Louis Workplace Shooting
Associated Press
8 January 2010
ST. LOUIS,Missouri - Police on Friday revealed details of the horror inside a plant where a shooting spree left four dead and five injured -- bullet-sprayed walls, trembling workers and a suspect armed with four guns and a fannypack full of ammunition. The head of homicide for St. Louis police said authorities still do not know why an employee of ABB Inc. opened fire at the plant, killing three co-workers and wounding five others... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Licensed UK Gun Collector Gets 5yrs for 'Aladdin's Cave' of Illegal Firearms
Telegraph (UK)
30 December 2009
A pensioner who was found with an "aladdin's cave" of more than 50 firearms, including a home made cannon, has been jailed for five years. Roy Bennett, 71, was living in a farm cottage Heywood, near Rochdale, when he amassed the guns. He pleaded guilty to nine firearms offences at Bolton Crown Court last week. In March this year, officers from Rochdale CID executed a search warrant at Bennett's home. Bennett had... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia Man Regrets Trafficking, Wants Gun Dealers Accountable
Philadelphia Inquirer, Column
20 December 2009
Reading my colleagues' recent investigation, "Justice: Delayed, Dismissed, Denied," you may have noticed a theme in the criminal cases that stall and die in Philadelphia's crazy court system: guns. Specifically, guns that their owners had no earthly right possessing, given their age or rap sheets. Today, I introduce you to a guy who put guns in criminals' hands. I'll call him "Jerome," because now that he's served 4½ years... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Assault Rifle Maker Applauds Bill, Utahns 'Entitled to Any Gun They Want'
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
19 December 2009
Alex Robinson wants his assault rifles on foreign battlefields and Utah gun racks alike, so a proposed Firearms Freedom Act exempting local-only sales from federal regulation isn't a game changer at his Salt Lake City machine shop. Then again, Utah is gun country. Armed self-defense true believers see life and death in every constitutional affront. Many applaud a message bill that would preclude federal regulation of any guns made,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illinois Governor Candidates on Hidden Handguns, Assault Weapon Ban
Chicago Tribune
12 December 2009
The Associated Press recently asked candidates for Illinois governor questions about gun-control legislation. Here are highlights of their answers: QUESTION: "Would you sign or veto legislation banning the sale and possession of semiautomatic assault-style weapons in Illinois?" REPUBLICANS -- Adam Andrzejewski: "Would veto a ban on semiautomatic 'assault weapons' in most circumstances. It comes down (to)... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Disciplinary Action Against 46 Indian Army Officers Selling Service Weapon
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
3 December 2009
Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that action had been initiated against serving and retired army officers for selling/disposing of firearms illegally. "Sriganganagar District Collector (in Rajasthan) provided a list of officers who sold their non-service pattern weapons (NSP). The list included two major generals and two brigadiers," he said. A non-service pattern weapon is one for which... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Washington State Gun Show Dealers Feed Weapons to Mexican Cartels
Yakima Herald-Republic (Washington)
17 November 2009
YAKIMA, Washington -- ATF agent Jessie Summers tried to deal with misconceptions before he talked about the illegal gun trade in Central Washington. "We're not here to take anybody's guns," he told a group of city and law enforcement officials from across the state gathered at the Yakima Convention Center. "The image of us being jackbooted thugs doesn't hold water." Not that Summers is worried so much about public image... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Clear Majority of Canadian MPs Vote to Scrap Long Gun Registry
CanWest News Service
4 November 2009
OTTAWA -- MPs voted by a clear margin Wednesday to repeal the federal long-gun registry, signalling for the first time since the program was adopted 14 years ago that it is headed for the scrap heap, despite police assertions that it saves lives. A private member's bill, sponsored by Conservative backbencher Candice Hoeppner, had the backing of all the Tories, from Prime Minister Stephen Harper down, and enough Liberal and New Democrat... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Police Chiefs Say 'We Lose the Long Gun Registry at Our Peril'
Globe & Mail (Toronto), Opinion
3 November 2009
The House of Commons will vote today on Bill C-391, which is intended to eliminate the need to register rifles and shotguns. This private member's bill will require the destruction of more than 8,000,000 firearms records. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police strongly opposes it. The chiefs believe the elimination of Canada's national firearms licensing and registration system for rifles and shotguns will make Canada less... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California 'Gun Collector' Gets Prison Term for Illegal Machine Gun Sales
Contra Costa Times (California)
30 October 2009
A federal judge sentenced a 69-year-old Crescent City man this week to serve 18 months in prison for illegally dealing machine guns. According to a press release from the United States Attorney's San Francisco office, Donald E. Nuss pleaded guilty in June to illegally dealing in firearms, admitting selling five machine guns over a one-year period. According to the release, Nuss also admitted to converting two semi-automatic rifles... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Sales Soared 2-3 Fold Post-Obama, But Bubble May Be Bursting
New York Times
22 October 2009
Cerberus plans to float the gun maker Freedom Group soon. It better hurry. President Obama's election victory sent weapon sales -- and the valuations of firearms producers -- higher. Falling backlogs hint that sales could plunge. This gun bubble may backfire. Two sparks set off this speculative burst. First, fears of economic calamity inspired sales of weapons. The assault-rifle-style autoload SR-556 is useful for shooting varmints... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Ex-wives, 156 Illegal Guns in Quebec 'Hell Hath No Fury' Saga [Francais]
La Voix de l'Est (Quebec)
20 October 2009
Translated Summary: Judge denies bail 'without hesitation' to trucker/gun collector caught with 84 smuggled, unregistered, prohibited firearms, noting the accused threatened to blow up the police tipster's house if she reported the guns, as well as the 72 boxes seized for which matching firearms could not be found. The man left Switzerland to avoid paying spousal support to an ex-wife. GRANBY, Quebec -- Le tribunal a refusé hier... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Show Footage Exposes Deadly Lawlessness, Lies of US Dealers
Daily News (New York)
8 October 2009
Mayor Bloomberg is sending every member of the U.S. Congress a DVD of a new reality show called "Gun Show: Undercover." The three-minute, 35-second DVD is produced by Bloomberg, who hopes to shame Congress into finally closing the "gun show loophole" that puts guns by the thousands in the hands of violent criminals. The DVD features hidden-camera footage of a city-funded undercover investigation into out-of-state gun shows... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Collector Gets Guns Back, Shoots Man, RCMP Seizes 43 Firearms, Again
Halifax Chronicle-Herald (Nova Scotia)
7 October 2009
The mother of an ATV driver who was shot early Sunday says the man accused of firing on her son should never have had his weapons returned to him. Rhonda Dixon is the mother of Jeremy Shand, 28, who was peppered with No. 4 birdshot while he and a friend drove all-terrain vehicles near a Carleton Village, Shelburne County, home. Ms. Dixon said her son is lucky to be alive and she is alarmed at how a man who once had his... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Home Invaders Target Michigan Gun Collector, Family, Steal 50 Firearms
Observer & Eccentric (Michigan)
7 October 2009
Information is being sought about four gunmen who reportedly robbed and terrorized a Westland family in their home for two hours. About 50 collectible guns along with an unspecified amount of cash and jewelry were reported stolen from the home located in the area of Ford and Newburgh on Saturday, Sept. 26. "The family was tied up and gagged. They are scared to death, they didn't want this to be public," Westland Sgt. Kevin... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Naked Canadian Gun Owner Charged with Shooting Passing ATV Rider
Halifax Chronicle-Herald (Nova Scotia)
7 October 2009
A man who says he fired a shotgun while two ATVs raced around him in his yard on the weekend gave his version of events Tuesday. Michael Goulden, 49, was stark naked when he jumped from his bed shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday and ran out of his house to confront some rowdy ATV riders. He soon ducked back inside his home but not to grab his trousers. He picked up his 12-gauge Winchester pump-action shotgun instead.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Naked, Licensed Canadian Gun Collector Shot ATV Rider, 43 Guns Seized
Halifax Chronicle Journal (Nova Scotia)
6 October 2009
YARMOUTH -- RCMP say a man was shot in the back while riding an ATV early Sunday in Carleton Village, Shelburne County. Michael Laurie Goulden, 49, appeared in Yarmouth provincial court Monday after he is alleged to have shouldered a 12-gauge shotgun and opened fire at close range on two ATV riders in the pre-dawn darkness. He is charged with assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, pointing a gun and careless... ( gunpolicy.org )
Denmark
500 Illegal Firearms Seized from Gang of Danish Gun Enthusiasts
Politiken (Denmark)
25 September 2009
Northern Jutland police have infiltrated a major network of allegedly illegal weapons dealers and have confiscated 480 guns, among others firearms that have been used in the ongoing gang war in Copenhagen. Dept. Chief Superintendant Frank Olsen tells TV2News that 11 men have been arrested, adding that the men have denied trading in weapons, but have said that they have a big interest in firearms. According to the police,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Collector Loses Dozens of Handguns, Rifles from Storage Unit
Roseville Press Tribune (California)
24 September 2009
Twenty-one -- and likely many more -- firearms were reported stolen from a Roseville self-storage facility this month, according to a police report. The weapons, including both handguns and rifles, were part of a relative's collection that the Roseville victims had stored at All American Self Storage on Taylor Road since January 2008. But the victims didn't discover the burglary until Sept. 10, when they went to check on the facility.... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Korea,United States
South Korea to Make Millions Selling US WWII Rifles to Gun Enthusiasts
ABC News (Australia)
23 September 2009
South Korea is planning to raise tens of millions of dollars by selling vintage US combat rifles to gun enthusiasts in the United States. The ageing M1 and carbine rifles were used by US troops in the Korean and Vietnam wars before being donated to the South Korean military. The rifles have been mothballed for years in military warehouses, but were occasionally used in drills by reserve soldiers. The defence ministry... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Korea,United States
South Korea to Sell 108,000 US Rifles Received for WWII - Back to USA
BBC News
23 September 2009
South Korea has come up with a novel way to boost its defence budget -- by selling a vast stockpile of old Korean-war rifles to collectors in the US. The guns were originally sent to Korea as military aid, and some were also used during the war in Vietnam. For more than five decades, they have been kept mothballed in warehouses. Most of those on offer are M1 rifles -- a weapon once described by US General George... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Thief Kicks in Door of Oklahoma Home, Takes 34 Guns Worth $23,000
KSBI-TV News (Oklahoma)
1 September 2009
"This is obviously something we are very concerned about having the guns in the wrong hands," said Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow, Oklahoma City Police Dept. Thirty-four guns stolen from this Oklahoma City home have police officers on edge. You can see how he got into the home, the owner believes the thief kicked in his back door and left 23-thousand dollars richer. "It is possible with this amount of guns they could be taking them... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Licensed Gun Collector Sold 121 Handguns, Machine Guns to NZ Gangs
New Zealand Herald
29 August 2009
The last act in laying bare John Noel Mabey's big lie occurred on Tuesday but the danger to the public will go on for years. After two years, Mabey, 45, finally admitted in the Thames District Court that the burglary in which he claimed his entire collection of 121 restricted firearms (pistols, machine guns and military-style semi-automatics) was stolen, was an elaborate fake. Not that anyone had believed him for long.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Machine Guns, 100 Illegal Firearms Taken from Australian Gun Traffickers
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
27 August 2009
Police raids and an undercover operation have netted more than 100 illegal firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition in a crackdown on an alleged Wollongong-based gun trafficking network. Three men -- Michael Zarakas of Fairy Meadow, Aristos Dionys of Mangerton and Andrew Kafizas of Wollongong -- face a total of 110 firearm trafficking charges between them. The trio appeared before Magistrate Paul Johnson at Wollongong... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Police Sting Cracks Alleged Australian Gun Trafficking Ring
Illawarra Mercury (New South Wales)
27 August 2009
Wollongong detectives posing as weapons buyers spent tens of thousands of dollars on machine guns and pistols to take down a group of alleged firearms traffickers operating in the Illawarra. The five-month investigation, known as Strike Force Bowl, featured six lead detectives from the Wollongong command and culminated in the arrests yesterday of three men, two from Fairy Meadow, aged 39 and 59, and a 55-year-old man from Cringila.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Machine Guns, Handguns Seized in Wollongong Weapons Cache
NSW Police Force, Media release
26 August 2009
Police in Wollongong have arrested three men over the sale and possession of illegal firearms, including a World War Two machine gun. Strike Force Bowl was formed in April to investigate the supply of illegal weapons within the Wollongong Local Area Command. Investigations over several weeks led detectives to seize a cache of 12 firearms, including: - A World War II Bren Light Machine Gun - A home-made machine... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Licensed Canadian Gun Owner Caught with 29 Firearms, Many Illegal
Barrie Examiner (Ontario)
20 August 2009
Barrie police cleaned a 44-year-old Barrie man's gun collection out of his downtown home, yesterday afternoon. Members of the criminal investigations and guns and gangs units seized nearly 30 firearms from 58 Caroline St. home around 1 p. m., after executing a search warrant. "This size of a weapons seizure is not common," said Sgt. Robert Allan. "This is absolutely the largest weapons seizure I'm aware of for Barrie police."... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Support US Veterans' Families, Educate a Marine: 'Buy an AK-47*' Promo
New York Times / At War, Blog
18 August 2009
You read that right. This week Arsenal Inc., an American manufacturer of Kalashnikov-style rifles, is beginning a promotion that will use proceeds from gun sales to try raising $250,000 to help families of American service members killed or wounded overseas. For at least several weeks, for every Kalashnikov that Arsenal sells, the company pledges to donate $50 to New England Warrior, a small nonprofit organization based in Massachusetts.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Police to Give 2 Weeks Notice Before Inspecting Private Guns in Finland
YLE (Finland)
16 August 2009
New gun control legislation may give police new enforcement powers. The Sunday newspaper supplement Sunnuntaisuomalainen writes that new legislation, under preparation, will allow the police to inspect the homes of gun permit holders without the need to establish suspicion of a crime. However, they will have to inform the permit holder of their intention two weeks in advance. Tougher gun laws being formulated in the wake... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fourth US State Limits Handgun Sales to One per Person per Month
Star-Ledger (New Jersey)
6 August 2009
TRENTON, New Jersey -- Gov. Jon Corzine today signed a controversial bill limiting handgun purchases to one every 30 days, a measure he said is aimed at slowing the supply of firearms to criminals. "While we are winning some important battles against violent crime, we must remain aggressive in combating illegal possession, use and trafficking of firearms in New Jersey," said Corzine, who signed the legislation on the steps of Trenton... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Becomes Murder Incorporated, Pandering to Fearful America
Bluffton Today (South Carolina), Opinion
29 July 2009
Angry voices attracted our attention. Up a long driveway, two men and a woman were in heated argument, a 6- or 7-year year-old child cringing nearby. We tried to "mind our own business," but it was too noisy and visible to ignore. One of the men jumped into a car, the other turned and ran into the house. "Ohmigod," we thought, "he's going to get a gun." The man ran out of the house brandishing something. The driver slammed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Battle Rages Over Move in US Congress to Close Gun Show Loophole
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)
18 July 2009
FORT WORTH -- Paul Smith loves guns, and he loves to collect them. Always working to update his collection, he took a Ruger .357 Magnum revolver and headed to a gun show last weekend, hoping to get $400 and find something better. "I like to trade and collect," said Smith, 68, a farmer from Loving who went to the Texas Gun & Knife Show at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. What he doesn't like is a bill in Congress... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
What Assault Weapon Ban? Loopholes Have Weakened California Law
San Luis Obispo New Times (California)
15 July 2009
On paper, California has among the strictest prohibitions of assault weapon-style guns in the nation. First passed in 1989 in response to a mass murder of elementary school children involving an AK-47, the state law bans the sale of weapons with certain militaristic features and bans other weapons and parts specifically by name. The law has been vilified by gun enthusiasts and heralded as an example to the nation by gun opponents.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Indiana Police Lieutenants Resign Over Theft, Sale of Seized Crime Gun
Warsaw Times-Union (Indiana)
13 July 2009
A Warsaw Police Department officer who recently resigned his lieutenant rank is being investigated by Indiana State Police. The Times-Union confirmed this morning that former WPD Lt. Joe Stanley is being investigated in connection with a gun that was confiscated during a WPD investigation. According to an official close to the situation, Stanley allegedly took a gun that was at the center of a stolen credit card case. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Indian Army Officers, Officials Trafficking in Illegal Guns, Firearm Licences
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
6 July 2009
Several serving and former army officers are involved in illegal sale of prohibited weapons and imported arms to criminals. Some arms dealers and Rajasthan government officials in the border districts of the state are also party to gun-running. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the defence ministry said the court of inquiry (CoI) into the circumstances under which some serving/retired army personnel sold/purchased arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Registration of All Guns Needed, Says Senior New Zealand Arms Officer
Bay of Plenty Times (Tauranga)
4 July 2009
The district arms officer says without firearms being registered in New Zealand there is no real control over them. Paul McLennan, who has been in the role 27 years, said registration of individual firearms -- scrapped in New Zealand in 1983 -- once kept holders of firearm licences accountable and responsible for their weapons. It also helped identify stolen firearms. Today, firearms are not registered and there is no restriction... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Jersey 'Stands Up to Gun Lobby,' Enacts One-Handgun-a-Month Law
Times of Trenton (New Jersey)
1 July 2009
It's encouraging to see that somewhere in the United States a legislative body is willing to stand up to the gun lobby, which has intimidated politicians at the national level from President Obama on down and in most of the states as well. It happened at the New Jersey State House in the wee hours of Friday morning, when the Senate gave final approval to a bill that would limit a handgun buyer to one purchase in a 30-day period.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Law Limits Buyers to Maximum 13 Handguns a Year in New Jersey
Philadelphia Inquirer
29 June 2009
TRENTON -- The New Jersey Legislature tackled more than 100 bills Thursday along with the state budget, in advance of lawmakers' summer recess. Gun-control advocates won a victory by the passage of a bill that could make New Jersey the fourth state with a one-handgun-per-month buying limit. Proponents say the bill will fight "straw" buyers who purchase guns legally and pass them on to criminals. The measure was... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexican Drug Cartels Shop for Guns in Arizona, Where Feds are Scarce
Arizona Daily Star
28 June 2009
PIMA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS -- Behind the rows of gun-filled tables at the back of the exhibition hall, a large red banner shines like a beacon: AK-47. Beneath the sign, Joeken Firearms owner Joe Cox does a brisk business selling the popular semiautomatic rifle at gun shows such as this one and at his store in Winslow. The rifle is fun to shoot and easier to clean than other rifles, and, perhaps more importantly, it carries... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Feds Seize 75 Weapons from Virginia Man Making, Selling Machine Guns
Washington Post
27 June 2009
Federal agents raided an Alexandria man's home and seized 75 guns after he sold three machine guns to an undercover agent beginning in April, authorities said yesterday. John M. Walker, 50, was charged with illegally converting semiautomatic weapons into fully automatic ones, court records show. Fully automatic weapons are legal but heavily regulated. Walker was not a licensed dealer, according to Special Agent Mike Campbell of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fourth US State Limits Gun Buyers to One Handgun Purchase per Month
Star-Ledger (New Jersey)
27 June 2009
Handgun purchases in New Jersey would be limited to one per month after lawmakers gave final approval early yesterday to a controversial bill that had stalled for months and re-emerged in the rush before the Legislature's summer break. The measure, now before Gov. Jon Corzine, would make New Jersey the fourth state to limit a customer to buying only one handgun every 30 days, said gun control activists. Sponsors and supporters... ( gunpolicy.org )
France
400 Weapons, 5 Tonnes of Explosives Seized from French Gun Collector
Agence France Presse
17 June 2009
STRASBOURG, France -- French gendarmes said on Wednesday they had arrested a gun enthusiast who hoarded an arsenal of 400 weapons and 5.5 tonnes of ammunition, from assault rifles to hand grenades, at his home. Forty-nine-year-old Francis Rinck, who lives with his mother in eastern France, had amassed a huge stash of combat weapons, one third knives and two thirds firearms including machine-guns and assault rifles. Rinck,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed US Gun Dealer, Collector Loses 80 Machine Guns to Thieves
KPRC-TV News (Texas)
27 May 2009
HUFFMAN, Texas -- A burglar stole enough automatic weapons to equip an entire platoon, Harris County investigators told KPRC Local 2 Wednesday. Officials said 60 AK-47 assault rifles and 20 Mac-10 machine pistols are on the streets after they were stolen in a heist in Huffman. "I'm upset because that many guns got to the public where they could cause death or damage somebody," said Carl Poteet, the owner of Poteet Dirt... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia's Gold Coast Underworld Sells Guns 'At Any Pub Around Town'
Gold Coast Bulletin (Queensland)
16 May 2009
Jade Lacey thought it was cool to carry a gun. In fact he did it all the time -- even to dinner with his grandmother -- as did his younger brother Dionne who idolised him. After being found guilty of killing landscaper Kevin Palmer, the brothers are now sitting in a jail cell at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre, probably still ruing the fact that 12 members of the public didn't believe they fired their guns in self defence.... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Gun Checks Strict in Taranaki, Shooters Unlikely to 'Fall Through Cracks'
Taranaki Daily News
15 May 2009
Tough licensing regulations make getting your hands on a military-style semi-automatic rifle incredibly difficult unless you are a criminal. In which case, says New Plymouth gun dealer and owner of Ski and Sports Centre Jeff Horn, you live outside the law and are free to acquire one without going through the normal strict licensing procedures. Jan Molenaar shot and killed Senior Constable Len Snee and wounded two other... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Heeding NZ Gun Law Report Could Have Avoided Shooting of 3 Police?
Dominion Post (Wellington)
13 May 2009
The author of a major gun law review is frustrated his recommendations, which may have prevented Jan Molenaar's deadly shooting spree, are gathering dust 12 years after being written. Sir Thomas Thorp was appointed by the National government in 1996 to review firearm ownership in the wake of the Aramoana massacre, and similar tragedies in Australia and Scotland. His recommendations included a government buyback and banning... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
NZ Police, Gun Dealer Dismiss Gun Control, Urge Talk with Gun Owners
Timaru Herald (New Zealand) / NZPA
13 May 2009
South Canterbury police and licensed Timaru arms dealers are advising people not to jump to conclusions over firearms laws after Napier gunman Jan Molenaar's 50-hour siege. The arsenal of weapons found at Molenaar's house last week had sparked concerns about firearms laws and unlicensed owners. Gun safety advocate Philip Alpers has said the police have "no idea" how many guns are in the hands of unlicensed owners and described... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Time to Tighten Up Gun Control, Register Firearms in New Zealand
Nelson Mail (New Zealand), Editorial
13 May 2009
There are many questions raised by the Napier siege and some might never be properly answered. However, setting aside the possible reasons why Jan Molenaar lapsed into a murderous rage and why the danger signs weren't noticed or acted on, the fact that he managed to accumulate such a weapons collection without a licence to do so must give pause to even the most ardent members of the pro-firearms lobby. He didn't just have... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
American States' Gun Rights Promise the Next Constitutional Battlefield
Time (USA)
12 May 2009
AUSTIN -- The right to bear arms is famously and specifically referenced in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Alas, for advocates of the right, the language of the amendment gets tangled up in the regulating of militias and the interpretation of commas. Now a multistate movement is trying to find more robust constitutional support in another amendment, which makes no mention of weaponry at all. The 10th Amendment declares,... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
NZ Police Have Lost Track of Lapsed Gun Owners and Their Weapons
ABC News (Australia)
12 May 2009
ASHLEY HALL: Police in New Zealand admit they have no idea how many gun owners with lapsed licenses there are in the country who still have their weapons. It's been revealed that the gunman who shot dead one policeman and wounded two officers and a neighbour last week in Napier had 18 weapons inside his house and a massive stockpile of ammunition, and the former soldier also didn't have a current firearms license. New Zealand... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Police Have 'Lost Control' of Guns in New Zealand, Registration Needed
TV3 News / NZPA
12 May 2009
Police have "no idea" how many guns are in the hands of unlicensed owners, an expert on gun safety says. The arsenal of weapons found at Napier gunman Jan Molenaar's house following a 50-hour siege last week sparked concerns about firearms laws in New Zealand. Molenaar shot and killed Senior Constable Len Snee and wounded two other officers and a civilian when police conducted a drug search at his home last Thursday. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Questions Remain on 50,000 Non-complying NZ Gun Owners, Say Police
New Zealand Herald
12 May 2009
Thousands of firearms remain potentially unaccounted for despite a police campaign for lifetime gun licence owners to renew or hand weapons in. Police national manager operations Tony McLeod said nearly 50,000 people had not responded by the end of a campaign targeting lifetime gun licence holders to renew or surrender their weapons in 2002. The Government scrapped the lifetime licences in 1992 for 10-year licences after... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Was 'Anti-aircraft' Gun Seized in Mexico a Big Police Hoax?
Narcosphere, Web page
10 May 2009
Mexican federal police commander Gen. Rodolfo Cruz Lopez described a weapon seized last month from one of the nation's deadly "drug cartels" as a .50 caliber anti-aircraft gun that fires 6-inch armor-piercing bullets at the rate of 800 rounds per minute. The mainstream media coverage on both sides of the border trumpeted the capture of this Rambo-style machine gun as evidence of the increasing danger the drug-trafficking organizations... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Licensed Canadian Gun Collector Jailed, Loses Firearm Licence for Life
Kingston Whig-Standard (Ontario)
6 May 2009
A 65-year-old gun collector, whose illegal outing with several of his weapons last month had Ontario Provincial Police scrambling to detour traffic away from a section of Highway 7 near Sharbot Lake, has been released from custody. Raymond A. Fletcher was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty in Kingston's Ontario Court of Justice to unsafe use of a firearm, unauthorized transportation of a loaded Ruger handgun and illegal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Alberta Collector Loses Guns, Licence After Drunken Domestic Dispute
Red Deer Advocate (Alberta)
30 April 2009
A man involved in a five-hour standoff with the RCMP emergency response team (ERT) pleaded guilty to two charges and received a conditional discharge in Red Deer court Wednesday. Timothy McKay, 49, of Red Deer, was placed on probation for 18 months after pleading guilty to assault and careless storage of a firearm. A former hunter, McKay was also ordered to forfeit several guns and ammunition to the Crown and is prohibited... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Distrust of Obama, Fearful Americans Drive Record Spree of Gun Buying
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
27 April 2009
On the gun counter at Ace Sporting Goods in Washington County, customers are greeted with a picture of President Barack Obama next to the caption, "Salesman of the Year." The "Salesman of the Month" honor goes to Gov. Ed Rendell, whose picture is next to the president's. "Obviously it's a little bit of humor," said owner George Romanoff. "But any time our politicians start discussing gun control, it has the adverse effect... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Sydney Collector Surrenders Military Assault Rifles, Automatic Shotguns
NSW Police Force, Media release
19 April 2009
A collection of prohibited high-powered military-grade weapons, including fully-automatic assault rifles and shotguns, has been handed in to police during the State Government's Firearms Amnesty. Around 10pm on Wednesday, 15 April, lawyers for a local gun owner attended the Manly Police Station and presented officers with a large, locked metal box. When detectives from the State Crime Command's Firearms and Organised Crime... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Sydney Gun Dealer, Collector Gives Up Illegal Automatic Assault Weapons
Sydney Morning Herald
19 April 2009
An alleged illegal gun dealer charged by police over a hoard of military firearms, including the first AK-47 assault rifle seized in NSW, has used the gun amnesty to surrender more firearms. A solicitor acting for Allan Driver, 59, of Elanora Heights, stunned Firearms and Organised Crime Squad officers by surrendering six high-powered weapons and ammunition to Manly police on Wednesday. Police said the weapons were inside... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Laws Support, Gun Dealers Profit from Mexican Cartel Gun Runners
Washington Post
19 April 2009
PHOENIX -- It seemed a fortuitous alignment of justice and politics, George Iknadosian's trial beginning just as President Obama called for new attention to the flow of weapons from the United States to the drug cartels inside Mexico. The Phoenix gun dealer stood charged with selling hundreds of AK-47 assault rifles and pistols, and the case appeared airtight: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had secret recordings,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fear and Greed Have American Sales of Guns and Ammo Shooting Up
Wall Street Journal
17 April 2009
FAYETTEVILLE, Georgia -- The way Jay Chambers sees it, the semiautomatic weapons in his firearm collection might be the most promising investment in his financial portfolio. Like many gun enthusiasts, Mr. Chambers, a manager for a door wholesaler here, believes President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress soon will reimpose a version of an expired federal ban on the sale of so-called assault weapons. If such a law passes,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Dealer 'Horrified' He Sold Guns to Pittsburgh Cop Killer
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
8 April 2009
A gun shop where Stanton Heights ambush suspect Richard Poplawski bought weapons also sold the gun used in a 2000 shooting spree in Wilkinsburg in which three people died. Buddy Savage, owner of Braverman Arms Co. on Penn Avenue in Wilkinsburg, said Tuesday he sold Poplawski a shotgun and two pistols. Poplawski did not obtain the assault rifle found in his arsenal through Savage, the shop owner said. Braverman sold the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
400 Guns Seized from Pennsylvania Man 'Selling to Felons' for Years
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
7 April 2009
A Butler man accused of stockpiling a sizable cache of firearms and selling them on the black market received a break today in federal court. Instead of being sentenced to nearly six years in prison, as called for by federal guidelines, Curt Radovich will spend two years behind bars. "This is scary business, and not just because of recent events," said U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose, in an apparent reference to the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Sydney Police Seize Machine Guns, .50cal Sniper Rifle, Assault Weapons
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
3 April 2009
Among a stockpile of illegal weapons seized by police was a sniper rifle so powerful it could bring down a jet or penetrate a bulletproof car over two kilometres away, experts say. A sniper standing on Sydney's Centrepoint Tower using the .50 calibre rifle could take out the engine of a car near the Opera House or stop a bus on the Anzac Bridge, such was its potency, they said. Police yesterday showed off the weapons stash,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Suicidal Florida Gun Collector Wounds Cop with .50cal Rifle, Kills 2, Self
News-Journal (Florida)
26 March 2009
ORANGE CITY -- A standoff that began with the shooting of an Orange City policeman outside a home on East University Avenue ended late Wednesday when sheriff's deputies found the bodies of a man and woman inside, dead from an apparent murder-suicide, Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said. The body of a man believed to be Deltona bar owner Bryan Langford, 38, was found in the kitchen of the house with a gunshot wound to the head... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lawmaker Aims to Shut Gun Show Loophole at NY Antique, Flea Markets
Maine Antiques Digest (April issue)
22 March 2009
The sale of guns (firearms, rifles, or shotguns) at auctions, flea markets, or garage sales would be considered a "gun show" in New York, according to legislation cosponsored by Senator Eric T. Schneiderman (D-New York City) and Assemblywoman Amy R. Paulin (D-Westchester). "Realizing that guns are often offered for exchange as well as for sale or transfer in a range of places, this bill adds the word 'exchange' to the current statute,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Husband of 3 Days Shoots, Kills 5 Family Members, Himself in Cleveland
Cleveland Plain Dealer (Ohio)
14 March 2009
WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Thousands attend funeral for 5 killed in West 89th Street shootings. Thousands filled the modern sanctuary for the service, praising Jesus and shouting "Amen!" as the Rev. R.A. Vernon spoke about taking something broken and making it beautiful. "There is some stuff there is no answer for," Vernon said. Lechea Crawford, 30; her sister Rose Stevens, 25; and Rose's three children -- 5-year-old... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
Dad's Legal Handgun Killed 16, Storage 'Negligent,' Say German Police
Reuters
12 March 2009
WINNENDEN, Germany -- German authorities are looking into whether to press charges against the gun-collecting father of the teenager who went on a shooting rampage at his former school on Wednesday, killing 15 people. The motive for the attack by 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer remained unclear a day after the massacre in the southwestern town of Winnenden. The teenager, who neighbours described as a loner with a fondness for... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Owners Blast Potential Obama Assault Weapon Ban
Gainesville Times (Georgia)
9 March 2009
When the 10-year federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, sports shooting enthusiast Tyler Cooper bought his first AR-15, a semi-automatic civilian version of the U.S. military's M-4 assault rifle. The 21-year-old Flowery Branch man has since expanded his collection to include an SKS, a Chinese-made rifle similar to the AK-47, complete with 30-round magazine. "I have them for self-protection, but shoot them pretty... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Why Would Anyone Need the Equivalent of an M16 in a Canadian City?
Chilliwack Times (British Columbia), Column
6 March 2009
OK Chilliwack, this will not be popular, but in light of ongoing gunplay on the streets of the Lower Mainland I think it's time to say there is almost no reason for anyone other than the police and the military to have guns. I say "almost" because there are certainly paramilitary organizations such as border services who need to have firearms. And a shotgun or rifle is important for those who work in the bush (myself included at... ( gunpolicy.org )
Malta
Malta Has 90,000 Registered Guns: 80% of Homicides Involve a Firearm
Times of Malta
5 March 2009
There are about 20 registered guns, including pistols and machineguns, for every 100 people in Malta, according to statistics released in Parliament. In all, there are about 90,000 weapons registered, including some 12,400 pistols, excluding those owned by the police force. Among the registered firearms are 52,224 shotguns and 8,373 airguns. The number of registered pistols, revolvers, rifles, machineguns and sub-machineguns... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
Museum Director Sues South African Police Over Arms Raid, Arrest
Independent (South Africa) / SAPA
5 March 2009
PRETORIA - A museum director told the Pretoria High Court on Thursday that he was never asked for any documentation, and without any warning of his rights, was arrested and cuffed to his colleague. SA National Military History Museum director John Keene spent a second day in the witness box in court. He and two of the museum's curators, Richard Henry and Susanne Blendulf, are suing the ministers of Safety and Security and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Court Upholds 31-gun Seizure from Firearm Collector with Mentally Ill Son
Daily Review (California)
4 March 2009
HAYWARD -- When Hayward police seized Ed Barsch's extensive firearms collection three years ago, Barsch sued. He says his constitutional rights were violated and that he deserves compensation for the collection, which he valued at $33,000. Named in the lawsuit were former City Attorney Michael O'Toole, police Lt. Bernard Licata, police Capt. Darryl McAllister, and several police officers who entered Barsch's home. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Show Packed with Buyers, Gun Lobbyists in Fear of Obama
Rome News
21 February 2009
Travis Rosser of Esom Hill, Ga., came to Rome today packing, carrying on each shoulder a rifle he was hoping to trade. He was at the Forum with hundreds of others for the Eastman Gun show that continues today until 5 p.m. and will reopen Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rosser said he hoped one of the hundred vendors at the show would trade his two rifles, a Winchester .30-06 and a .22 1906 rifle, for something with a bit more firepower.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Firearms, Bullets Fly Off Shelves as Fearful Florida Gun Owners Stock Up
Sun-Sentinel (Florida)
17 February 2009
After a surge in firearms sales linked to political change in Washington, some South Florida gun dealers report an inability to meet the demand for certain types of ammunition. "People are hoarding," said Vito Servideo, whose Pompano Beach store, Only The Best, specializes in high-caliber weapons. Exploding off the shelves are rounds for military-style assault weapons. Curtis Soles of Davie's Tropical Firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US: 'Great Neighbour' Charged with Illegal Possession of Machine Guns
Telegram & Gazette (Massachusetts)
17 February 2009
AUBURN -- While local police will huddle with the district attorney today to figure out what charges to bring against the owner of a Rochdale Street house where 85 weapons, about 800 pounds of ammunition and two boxes of suspected explosives were confiscated on Thursday, Anthony Simulynas' neighbors said he was a very good man who has lived in the area for years. "I've known Tony for a long, long, long time," said Douglas Stewart,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lax Gun Laws, Firearm Trafficking, Drugs Go Hand in Hand in West Virginia
Associated Press
14 February 2009
BECKLEY, West Virginia -- Many West Virginians enjoy a peaceful existence, free from the violent crimes that plague big cities. But police and activists say West Virginia's few, if any, firearm restrictions can attract profit-minded inner-city drug dealers who bring their narcotics and inner-city violence with them. Last Wednesday, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence released its 2008 State Scorecards, rating each... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Convicted Handgun Collector Bemoans Latest Theft of 80 Legal Firearms
Toronto Star (Ontario)
13 February 2009
Gary Gordaneer collected guns most of his life -- but no more. He was given his first, a .22 repeating rifle, as an 11-year-old boy. By 62, Gordaneer had accumulated as many as 80 weapons, which he estimates were worth about $500,000. "Now, they're all gone," says Gordaneer, 65. Three years ago, thieves broke into Gordaneer's Mississauga apartment. They busted through the front door and jimmied... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
60 Weapons, 'Military' Firearms Taken from Drunk Michigan Gun Owner
Royal Oak Daily Tribune (Michigan)
11 February 2009
ROYAL OAK -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is checking dozens of firearms confiscated Monday from a house in the 3600 block of Greenway to see if the weapons are legal. Neighbors gasped as police toted out some large military-style weapons discovered in the house located near 13 Mile and Coolidge roads. The man who lives there reportedly called 911 and requested a "welfare check." Lt. Corrigan O'Donohue said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Carry Permit Holder Caught with Illegal Machine Guns, 100 Firearms
Telegram (Massachusetts)
10 February 2009
WORCESTER -- Heavy machine guns, shotguns, pistols, large boxes of ammunition and a how-to book on bomb making rested on the floor of a room in the Police Department yesterday. Police don't know why 54-year-old Paul D. Mateiko kept more than 100 guns and some explosives in his 184 Highland St. home. He hadn't shown any signs of aggression in the past, nor had he been arrested for weapons violations. Authorities discovered... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed US Gun Dealer Had Nearly 100 Firearms, Was Dealing Drugs
NBC-10 TV News (Rhode Island)
30 January 2009
PAWTUCKET, Rhode Island -- Police said they found nearly 100 guns in the home of a man arrested on drug charges. When police arrested 29-year-old Joab Coderre at his home in Pawtucket on Thursday, they found drugs and enough guns to supply a small army. Along with four pounds of marijuana and scales, police confiscated 93 weapons, including assault rifles, .357-caliber Magnums, a 9 mm Glock, collector rifles, and shotguns.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Rush to Buy Guns Includes More Women, Say Florida Gun Show Dealers
Florida Trend
28 January 2009
MIAMI -- It was a tough day for Victor Bean. Typically, a weekend in September would find 3,300 people at his Victor Bean Southern Classic Gun and Knife Show in Miami. But the threat of a hurricane had people in line at Home Depot and Publix, making for a very slow day for Bean, a friendly 49 year old. "When things are slow, we joke, 'Where's Bill Clinton when you need him?' " Many a true word spoken in jest. Two months later, Barack... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US NRA a 'Cynical, Mercenary Political Cult,' Would Rather Fight Than Win
Reason (USA) February issue, Book review
23 January 2009
Ricochet: Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist, by Richard Feldman, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 296 pages, $24.95. In September the National Rifle Association unveiled a $15 million advertising campaign urging voters in key states to "Defend Freedom" and "Defeat Obama." It declared that the Illinois senator "would be the most anti-gun president in American history." FactCheck.org, a nonpartisan project of the University of Pennsylvania's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama's Economic Stimulus Already Underway for America's Gun Trade
Statesman Journal (Oregon) / Florida Today
13 January 2009
Even without his economic stimulus plan, President-elect Barack Obama has already helped one segment of the economy: the gun business. The post-election bounce for gun sales comes from those who fear the Democratic president and the Democrat-controlled Congress might restrict gun ownership. Obama, a former professor of Constitutional law, believes the U.S. Constitution allows some restrictions on gun ownership, but also... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Opposition MPs May Have the Numbers to Scrap Gun Registry
Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal (Ontario)
10 January 2009
The Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance wants the region's MPs to get serious about scrapping the long-gun registry. And, they are ... Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty confirmed in an interview that "at the earliest" possible opportunity he would introduce a private member's bill in the House of Commons calling for the end of the long-gun registry. "It's all in the works," he said. "I've got it planned... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Mom Spearheads Campaign to Close US 'Gun Show Loophole'
Alexandria Times (Virginia)
9 January 2009
Like many other Alexandria moms, Abby Spangler's day begins by getting her family out the door amid all the craziness entailing every morning. But then her day promptly takes a radical turn from most of the rest of us as she juggles running her recently-formed organization Protest Easy Guns with practicing her cello concertos. From the time she arrives at the small office of Protest Easy Guns, she turns her attention to planning... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Show Loophole: Virginia Invites Criminals to Buy at Gun Shows
Daily Press, Editorial
26 December 2008
Earlier this month, the Virginia State Crime Commission danced back from an opportunity to help reduce crime. It declined -- let's hope temporarily -- to recommend that the General Assembly close the gun-show loophole. Loophole? Gun-rights advocates never tire of arguing that there's no such thing. There is indeed. Federal and state law require that people buying guns from licensed dealers undergo background checks. It's... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Gun Collector Jailed for Selling 30 Handguns, Machine Guns to Criminals
New Zealand Herald
18 December 2008
A gun collector who sold restricted firearms on the black market has placed the community at "grave risk" and created the potential for "long-term tragic consequences", a judge says. Coromandel collector John Noel Mabey was yesterday sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of selling pistols, military-style semi-automatic firearms, and restricted weapons to unlicensed people. The 30 guns Mabey... ( gunpolicy.org )
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