Top of PageGun Policy News
Asserting a right to bear arms, or gun rights
Brazil, the Worlds' 4th Largest Arms Manufacturer and Exporter [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Tanslated summary: Brazil, fourth largest exporter in small arms and around 4,5 million arms exported in the past five years.]
De maneira pouco transparente, governo incentiva crescimento da indústria. Ênfase é nas armas leves: Brasil é 4º maior exportador mundial. Levantamento inédito do Exército revela que nos últimos 5 anos, exportamos 4,5 milhões de armas.
Uma pequena lata metálica, arranhada e atirada ao chão, gerou o primeiro vexame diplomático... (GunPolicy.org)
Glock: The Rise of America's Favourite Handgun
27 January 2012
New York Times, Book review
You rarely pull a gun to start a conversation, but when I recently told an in-law that I was writing about Glock pistols, he improvised a research project. Reaching beneath his jacket, he quickly unholstered, unloaded and handed me his Glock 9 millimeter — this was in Kentucky, land of permissive concealed-carry laws. "I always carry this, and I always will," he said before giving me a primer that could have been used in a promotional video for both the pistol and... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama, US Congress Share 'Abject Failure' to Repair Gun Control Laws
26 January 2012
New York Times, Editorial
House members were moved to tears on Wednesday when Representative Gabrielle Giffords handed in her resignation because, she said, she needed more time to heal from the grievous gunshot wound she suffered last year at the hands of a would-be assassin. The rarest of Congressional events — a display of genuinely bipartisan tributes — was the parting gift from her colleagues along with unanimous approval of Ms. Giffords's bill to fight drug trafficking along the... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Gun Owners Upset at Attempt to Stop Patients Carrying Firearms
19 January 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
Florida-bound, Canadian snowbirds may feel a little safer – or not – knowing that if they wind up in hospital, the patient beside them might just have a Glock machine pistol tucked under his pillow.
Muggers beware.
It's the latest legislative shoot-out in the long-running saga over what the framers of America's Constitution meant by the "right of the people to keep and bear Arms".
In Florida, it's against the law to pack a pistol to school or take your rifle to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Dealers on Mexico Border Must Report Multiple Sales
18 January 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A ruling by a US judge on tracking the sale of high-powered firearms in states on the southern border is a step forward for authorities trying to legislate against the flow of guns into Mexico.
Federal Judge Rosemary Collyer upheld an order made last year by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The ATF asked more than 8,000 gun dealers in Arizona, Texas, California and New Mexico to report sales of multiple semi-automatic rifles to one... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Up? It's a Beat-up Story: Real US Industry Figures Suppressed
9 January 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
The media has been awash this holiday season with stories about a "dramatic increase" in gun sales in the United States. CNN, for example, declared, "December holiday shoppers were not just interested in buying the hottest electronics and toys--they also were purchasing record numbers of guns." USA Today claimed, "Along with millions of Kindles, Angry Birds and gift cards, Santa left a record number of guns under Americans' Christmas trees." Reuters gushed about "16.5... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Europe,United States,Thailand
Firearms Only for the Rich: Bangkok Guns 'Like a Louis Vuitton for Guys'
2 January 2012
CNN
If you have an itchy trigger finger while visiting Thailand it may be difficult to purchase a gun, but wealthy foreigners and Thais who live here can now enjoy their weapon of choice thanks to the recent lifting of a ban imposed in Bangkok last year.
Tourists can, however, buy custom-made leather holsters and other accessories at the estimated 80 weapons stores along Burapha Road, just east of the Sala Chalerm Krung Royal Theatre, where the vast majority of Bangkok's... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Numbers of US Gun Checks, Sales for Christmas
1 January 2012
Telegraph (UK)
According to the FBI, over 1.5 million background checks on customers were requested by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in December. Nearly 500,000 of those were in the six days before Christmas.
It was the highest number ever in a single month, surpassing the previous record set in November.
On Dec 23 alone there were 102,222 background checks, making it the second busiest single day for buying guns in history.
The actual number... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Group Raises $200 Million a Year, Aims to Unseat Obama
29 December 2011
Bloomberg (USA)
A toaster that burns the National Rifle Association's logo onto bread fetched $650 at an auction last month, just one reflection of the money-making power in the gun group's brand.
The NRA, which began as a grassroots organization dedicated to teaching marksmanship, enters the 2012 election season as a lobbying, merchandising and marketing machine that brings in more than $200 million a year and intends to help unseat the incumbent president. From 2004 to 2010, the... (GunPolicy.org)
In North Carolina, 2,400 Hidden Handgun Permit Holders Had Convictions
26 December 2011
New York Times
Alan Simons was enjoying a Sunday morning bicycle ride with his family in Asheville, N.C., two years ago when a man in a sport utility vehicle suddenly pulled alongside him and started berating him for riding on the highway.
Mr. Simons, his 4-year-old son strapped in behind him, slowed to a halt. The driver, Charles Diez, an Asheville firefighter, stopped as well. When Mr. Simons walked over, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Go ahead, I'll shoot... (GunPolicy.org)
Ending the Flood of Illegal Guns in America - Wall Street Journal Opinion
23 December 2011
Wall Street Journal, Opinion
Historians have long debated who was the first person to call the U.S. Senate the "world's greatest deliberative body." Soon we may ask who was the last person to believe it. Our dysfunctional Congress has repeatedly failed to perform its duties under the Constitution to pass a budget, to advise and consent on presidential nominations, and, perhaps most tragically, to curb illegal handgun violence.
In New York, we've recently seen only too dramatically the consequences... (GunPolicy.org)
Racing to Lowest Standard, US States Slacken Controls on Hidden Handguns
20 December 2011
USA Today
JACKSON, Miss. – A Mississippi resident who receives a concealed carry permit and takes an eight-hour course can now carry a gun on college campuses, in bars and in courthouses.
As of this summer, Wyoming residents need no permits for concealed weapons. And in Indiana, private businesses must allow employees to keep firearms in their vehicles on company property.
Those and other recent changes on the state level represent a growing shift toward loosening state gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Investigation: US Illegal Gun Buyers Have an Easy Time Online - Time
16 December 2011
Time (USA)
Easy firearm sales over the Internet, through classified sites like Craigslist, may be to blame for a significant amount of the nation's gun crime, thanks to a loophole in federal firearm regulations that some private arms sellers are taking advantage of, according to a new investigation released Wednesday.
In a probe of illegal online firearm sales conducted by the City of New York, undercover investigators found that 62% of private gun sellers they interacted with... (GunPolicy.org)
NYC Mayor Cites 'Rampant' Illegal Internet Gun Sales, Targets CraigsList
14 December 2011
Reuters
NEW YORK - Almost two thirds of a sample of private online gun sellers in the United States were willing to sell a firearm to someone who could not pass a background check, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Wednesday.
Bloomberg, who is leading a national campaign against illegal guns, said a national investigation into online gun sales by private investigators hired by New York City uncovered a "vast and largely unregulated market for illegal guns."
The... (GunPolicy.org)
US Handgun Production, Imports Double in 4 Years: Women Lead Trend?
11 December 2011
Sydney Morning Herald, Bloomberg (USA)
NEW YORK -- Robin Natanel picks up a compact black pistol, barrel pointed down range. Gripping the gun with both hands, left foot forward, she raises the semi-automatic and methodically squeezes off five shots. The first one creases the left edge of a red bull's-eye on a target 7.5 metres away. The four others paint a 7.5-centimetre pattern around the first. If the target were a person's head or heart, he would probably be dead.
Natanel is a Buddhist, a self-avowed... (GunPolicy.org)
Soaring Gun Ownership 'Getting Out of Control' in Australia's Largest State
11 December 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Soaring gun ownership in NSW is expected to soon exceed levels prior to the federal government's 1996 buy-back program.
Figures obtained by The Sunday Telegraph show there are 188,885 people on the NSW Police Firearms Register, just short of the estimated 200,000 licence holders pre- the Port Arthur massacre, which triggered changes to gun laws.
NSW Greens described the increase as "alarming" and gun control groups warned that more and more firearms would end up on... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Off the Table as US Congress Feels Heat from Influential NRA
8 December 2011
Guardian (UK)
Mexico's drug cartels have for years armed themselves courtesy of America's love for guns.
Many Americans, wedded to their right to own guns under the second amendment of the US constitution, are viscerally opposed to stronger laws to curb weapons trafficking, out of fear that it may prove to be the thin end of a wedge that they say will result in the government confiscating all firearms.
Some are wedded to their guns out of fear of crime. Others see them as a... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Oppose Gun Lobby Push to Slacken Law, Reduce Gun Limits in Japan
7 December 2011
Japan Today
TOKYO — Farmers in rural areas have been reporting increasing damage to their crops by wild boar, deer and other animals. To make firearms more accessible, a bill that would loosen the currently tight restrictions on hunting rifles has been proposed in the Diet. But, the Sankei Shimbun (Dec 4) reports, the police remain adamantly opposed to changes in the law.
According to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in 2009, crop damage from... (GunPolicy.org)
Want an Illegal Gun? Go to a Gun Show, Says Tennessee Gun Show Promoter
5 December 2011
Tennessean (Nashville)
Let there be no doubt: Bob Pope is a gun-packing Republican. The sixth-generation Tennessean is a Newt Gingrich-supporting Second Amendment advocate who ran gun shows for 25 years.
But he said his buddies in the Tennessee Firearms Association are irritated by his one-man campaign to close the so-called "gun show loophole," which he claims allows murderers and thieves to buy stolen guns.
"If I was going to buy an illegal gun, I'd go to a gun show and buy it," said... (GunPolicy.org)
Industry Group Says US Gun Sale Checks Hit All-time High Last Weekend
3 December 2011
AFP
WASHINGTON — US firearms sales reached a record 129,166 during last week's Black Friday that kicked off the holiday shopping season, a 32 percent increase from the previous all-time high, officials said.
The FBI confirmed the jump from the last peak of 97,848 weapons sold during Black Friday of 2008, telling AFP that "we do not have an explanation for the increase."
The figures, first reported by USA Today, are based on the number of background check requests for... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Nuts Need Fear, Conspiracies, Obama to Hate, Flourish, Raise Money
1 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
PHOENIX — When it became clear in the early fall of 2008 that Barack Obama, son of a Kansan and a Kenyan, would be the 44th President of the United States, many citizens rushed to their gun shops, stocked up on ammo and camo, and tried to fortify their nests with all manner of lethal weapons.
Though he had said nothing about gun control in the campaign, Obama, to a certain kind of person, appeared to be a grave threat to the Second Amendment. He was urban —... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Afghanistan,United States
Conspiracists Chatter as Secretive US Company Buys Up Gun, Ammo Makers
26 November 2011
New York Times
SCARBOROUGH, Me. - Lined up in a gun rack beneath mounted deer heads is a Bushmaster Carbon 15, a matte-black semiautomatic rifle that looks as if it belongs to a SWAT team. On another rack rests a Teflon-coated Prairie Panther from DPMS Firearms, a supplier to the United States Border Patrol and security agencies in Iraq. On a third is a Remington 750 Woodsmaster, a popular hunting rifle.
The variety of rifles and shotguns on sale here at Cabela's, the national... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handguns: US Lawmakers Vote for Lowest Common Gun Safety Rules
26 November 2011
Economist
One question that worries many visitors to defensivecarry.com, a website devoted to the delights and pitfalls of life with a hidden gun, is whether their "concealed-carry" permits will be valid outside the state in which they are issued. Can they take their guns on holiday with them? Can they pack them in their checked bags for a flight? What if their plane is diverted to a spot like New York, which makes it exceedingly difficult to carry a gun? And if they cannot bring... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Police Protests, Blind American Man Legally Holds 12+ Handguns
25 November 2011
New York Times
ROCKAWAY, N.J. — Judging by what the authorities say about him, Steven Hopler has really been testing the limits of the Second Amendment.
Mr. Hopler, 49, who lives on a winding road here, is once again fighting for his right to keep and bear arms despite having been totally blind for most of his adult life. He has repeatedly persuaded judges to let him keep his collection of more than a dozen handguns, but doing so has been more complicated since 2008, when he was... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Treads Warily, Democrats Mute in America's Gun Control Minefield
25 November 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — They are fuzzy about some issues but the Republican presidential candidates leave little doubt about where they stand on gun rights.
Rick Perry and Rick Santorum go pheasant hunting and give interviews before heading out. Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain speak to the National Rifle Association convention. Michele Bachmann tells People magazine she wants to teach her daughters how to shoot because women need to be able to protect themselves. Mitt Romney,... (GunPolicy.org)
Laws Restricting Hidden Handguns Weakened, Eliminated in 22 US States
15 November 2011
Mother Jones (USA)
Ever thought about stashing a loaded Glock in your jacket and carrying it into a bar for a little extra protection? In Ohio, thanks to a new state law, you're now free to do so. All you need is a permit.
Ever since Ohio implemented a "concealed carry" law in 2004—allowing the possession of a hidden, loaded handgun in public—changes in state legislation have made it increasingly easy for people to carry guns around. This year, Ohio lawmakers decriminalized having a... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Destroyed in Australian Gun Buybacks Now Replaced with Imports
13 November 2011
ABC Radio National - Background Briefing, Transcript
Gun clubs report lots of new members, hunting is cool, and handguns are gangland chic. The hundreds of thousands of guns destroyed in buybacks since Port Arthur have been more than replaced by new ones. But guns are highly political and the national system for monitoring gun ownership is a mess. Reporter, Ian Townsend.
Ian Townsend: There may be more guns in Australia today than there have ever been. In the past 16 months in Queensland alone, nearly 50,000 guns—such... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Pressure Makes it Easier for US Felons to Legally Own Guns
13 November 2011
New York Times
In February 2005, Erik Zettergren came home from a party after midnight with his girlfriend and another couple. They had all been drinking heavily, and soon the other man and Mr. Zettergren's girlfriend passed out on his bed. When Mr. Zettergren went to check on them later, he found his girlfriend naked from the waist down and the other man, Jason Robinson, with his pants around his ankles.
Enraged, Mr. Zettergren ordered Mr. Robinson to leave. After a brief... (GunPolicy.org)
Moscow Bans Airgun Ammo in Attempt to Enforce Firearm Registration
13 November 2011
Moscow Times
Ammunition for air guns has disappeared from the city's specialized stores, apparently on verbal orders from a police force that has long frowned upon people buying — and often abusing — non-lethal firearms.
Although officially blamed on red tape, the disappearance of the ammunition is actually part of an Interior Ministry campaign to ban air guns across the country, Izvestia reported Friday.
Such an unofficial ban would amount to abuse of power, a pro-gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,El Salvador,Mexico,United States,Honduras,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Latin American Leaders Demand International Action on Arms Trafficking
11 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The 2011 Ibero-American Summit, held in Asuncion, Paraguay in October, was criticized for its failures, but leaders used the platform to call attention to the global arms trade and demand international cooperation on more effective measures to fight weapons trafficking and organized crime.
At the close of the summit, the member countries issued a separate and special declaration (available in pdf format here) defining public security as a precondition for economic and... (GunPolicy.org)
Harvard Researchers Warn of 'Harmful' Law to Gag Doctors on Gun Risk
10 November 2011
Boston Globe
Florida lawmakers caused a stir among the medical community this summer when they passed a law prohibiting doctors from asking most patients about whether they have a gun at home. Many pediatricians in particular were outraged, saying proper storage of firearms is a critical child safety issue.
The National Rifle Association supported the law, saying such questioning invades people's privacy.
The law hit a roadblock in September, when a federal judge granted an... (GunPolicy.org)
Military Suicides: Gun Lobby Feeds on Fear, Relies on Dividing Americans
8 November 2011
New York Times / Opinion Blog, Opinion
Of all of the lobbying organizations that feed off fear, and rely for their funding and power on dividing Americans, one of the worst is the National Rifle Association.
The NRA never misses a chance to misrepresent the positions of people who advocate reasonable gun control, to make Americans afraid that the government wants to take away their right to defend their homes and their loved ones, and to turn any attempt to have a sensible conversation about guns into an... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama's A-G Blames Congress for 'Losing Battle' in US-Mexico Gun Running
8 November 2011
Guardian (UK)
The Obama administration has warned that the US is "losing the battle" to stem the flow of weapons from American guns shops to Mexican drug cartels responsible for tens of thousands of killings.
The US attorney general, Eric Holder, told a Senate hearing that Congress is in part to blame because of its hostility to gun control, even going so far as to try and block federal law enforcement agencies from requiring gun shops to report multiple sales of automatic... (GunPolicy.org)
Pentagon Warns Gun Lobby Move Heightens Risk of Soldier Suicide
4 November 2011
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON - Top military officials are speaking out against a new law backed by the National Rifle Association, which they fear will increase the danger of suicide among US troops.
The measure prohibits commanders from being able to "collect or record any information" about private firearms owned by US troops living off base.
The Army's No. 2 officer, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, expressed concern this week that this law amounts to a prohibition on commanders engaging in... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Lobby, Far Right Pushing for More Lenient Gun Laws
29 October 2011
al Jazeera, Opinion
If you are looking for the literal embodiment of dysfunction in US political culture and the institutions that serve it, look no further than the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the deadly and divisive role it plays in shaping the political agenda. Specifically, the radically and reliably dishonest, dangerous and deranged legislation they foist upon the American people day in and day out through their purchase of most Republican and many Blue-Dog Democratic... (GunPolicy.org)
Cowboys, Gun Dealer Calling the Shots for Bob Katter's Political Party
27 October 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Little has been made of the links between Bob Katter's new political party and shooting interests but the website of the gun-dealing millionaire who is the party's senior vice-president gives an insight into the thirst for bloodsports of some of its backers.
For Rob Nioa and some of his like-minded friends who helped to finance Katter's Australian Party, including Queensland Gun Exchange owner David Auger, bagging a rare animal such as a scimitar-horned oryx is a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Group Asks Maverick Federal MP to Explain Pro-Gun Stance
27 October 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Anti-gun campaigners have called on maverick Federal MP Bob Katter to explain his Australia Party's policy towards firearm laws.
The party denies being solely focussed on giving gun owners and dealers better rights, but The Australian has today revealed the gun links of key officials and backers, including Mr Katter's son-in-law, Rob Nioa, president of the Australian Gun Dealers Association.
Gun Control Australia president John Crook today said it was a "disgusting... (GunPolicy.org)
Number of US Women Who Say Household Has a Gun Hits Record High
26 October 2011
Los Angeles Times, Blog
The number of U.S. women who say their household possesses a gun is at a record high. A Gallup poll on Wednesday said 43% of American women reported a gun in their home or somewhere on their property. That number is up seven percentage points, from 36% in 2010.
Men were even more likely to say their household has a gun. This year 52% of men reported a gun in their house or on their property -- also seven points higher than in 2010, when 45% said so.
The gender gap is... (GunPolicy.org)
Bill to End Canada Long-Gun Registry Will Destroy Data Already Collected
25 October 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper has acted to kill any attempt by a provincial or future federal government to recreate the doomed long-gun registry.
In a surprise move aimed at putting a bullet in the registry for good, the Conservative government bill tabled Wednesday orders the commissioner of firearms to destroy "as soon as feasible" records related to 7.1 million long-barreled guns collected over the past 15 years.
If passed, Bill C-19 would, as promised,... (GunPolicy.org)
Taiwan Gun Group Joins Global Fight to Keep and Bear Arms
25 October 2011
Taipei Times
The Taiwan Defensive Firearms Association (TDFA) earlier this month became a member of the International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR), a global gun rights association working to protect and expand the ability to keep and bear arms around the globe.
In a press release, IAPCAR said the TDFA was joining 16 other groups from nine countries on five continents that represent millions of firearm owners and citizens concerned about civilian... (GunPolicy.org)
US Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Bill, 'That's Not Liberty, More Like Lunacy'
24 October 2011
New York Times, Opinion
Between the struggle to fold a sport jacket so it doesn't wrinkle, the 45-minute wait on a security line if I'm flying, the price of gas if I'm driving and the worry either way that I left the coffee maker on, I thought I was pretty well versed in the inconveniences and stresses of domestic travel.
Hardly! Things could be much, much worse, namely if I were a gun owner with a permit to carry a concealed firearm in my home state and an itch to do so in any other state I... (GunPolicy.org)
'Gun Fight' Over the US Constitution
18 October 2011
BBC News, Editorial
I've just read a fascinating book about one of the big issues in America which divides the US and most puzzles us British: America's gun laws.
Gun Fight by Professor Adam Winkler (full disclosure: a freebie) is intriguing in these partisan times, both because it is a very balanced, objective book and because the author makes the case for a middle way.
He argues for a ground somewhere between an attempt to ban all handguns from cities and the contention that stopping... (GunPolicy.org)
Walmart Tightens Controls Over Gun Sales Despite Less Stringent US Law
14 October 2011
Webster-Kirkwood Times (Missouri)
A decision by retail giant Wal-Mart in July to strengthen its oversight of gun purchases has drawn criticism from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and plaudits from groups such as the Million Mom March against handgun violence.
Wal-Mart has ordered its stores to wait until a Brady Law criminal background check on a purchaser is complete before selling guns to that purchaser, no matter how long the check takes. Currently, under federal law, gun sales can take place... (GunPolicy.org)
Japan,United States,Philippines
Philippines Needs Stricter Gun Control Laws - Opinion
11 October 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
Joke only: A Llama is a handgun.
But a Llamas is an AK-47.
* * *
Because of the AK-47 found in the vehicle of Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas when it figured in an accident on Edsa (Llamas was away in Switzerland), the talk at the Kapihan sa Manila at the Diamond Hotel last Monday centered on guns in the hands of civilians.
And the guests were all well qualified to talk about guns: brand-new PNP chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome,... (GunPolicy.org)
California to Ban Open-Carry of Handguns, Retain Info on Long Gun Sales
11 October 2011
San Francisco Chronicle
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Jerry Brown has outlawed the open carrying of unloaded handguns in California, signing a bill late Sunday night that makes the practice that had been popular with some gun rights advocates a misdemeanor in the state.
The bill, AB144 by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge (Los Angeles County), will take effect Jan. 1 and was backed by law enforcement officials throughout the state who said the practice created a public safety... (GunPolicy.org)
At Urging of Police, California Bans Open Carrying of Handguns
10 October 2011
Los Angeles Times
Sacramento— With the announcement early Monday that he had outlawed the public display of handguns in California, Gov. Jerry Brown bucked a national trend toward more lenient firearms laws and placed himself in the political cross-hairs of the state's 2nd Amendment activists.
Brown, the owner of three guns, said in a statement that he signed a bill banning the open carrying of handguns at the urging of law enforcement officials, who included Los Angeles Police Chief... (GunPolicy.org)
Ban Gun Silencers, Scrap Australian Hunter Body, Say NSW Greens
10 October 2011
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge has backed a state government decision not to allow the use of gun silencers, saying it's proof the NSW Game Council should be abolished.
The Game Council was set up by the former Labor government in 2002 as a statutory authority to regulate hunting in the state.
The Shooters and Fishers Party had asked the government to allow the use of silencers by licensed shooters and hunters, with the Game Council submitting a report backing the... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Founding Fathers, Towns Once Imposed Strict Gun Control
9 October 2011
New York Times, Book review
In "Gunfight," his provocative, highly uneven new book about the fight over gun control, the constitutional law professor Adam Winkler writes that "gun rights and gun control are not only compatible; they have lived together since the birth of America." He argues that "despite the controversy over the meaning of the Second Amendment, Americans have always had the right to keep and bear arms as a matter of state constitutional law. Today, nearly every state has such a... (GunPolicy.org)
Church, Lobbyists Sue to Compel US Churches to Allow Hidden Handguns
8 October 2011
New York Times / AP
ATLANTA — A legal battle is brewing in Georgia over whether licensed gun owners should be allowed to carry firearms to churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship.
The United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta, heard arguments last week on a lawsuit brought by a central Georgia church and the gun rights group GeorgiaCarry.org claiming that a state law banning firearms in places of worship violates their constitutionally protected... (GunPolicy.org)
India,Russia,Germany,United States
India's Unlicensed Gun Market Thrives on Smuggled, Home Made Firearms
5 October 2011
First Post (Mumbai)
A 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot dead by his 12-year-old neighbour while they were playing cop and thief in West Delhi earlier this week. On 24 September, 23-year-old toll attendant, Umeshkant Pandey, was shot dead by the driver of a white Bolero. His crime: he asked the driver to pay Rs 27 as toll tax.
Gun crime has consistently been on the rise in India, and every few weeks, there is a new tragedy. An armed gang shoots a woman over a small piece of jewellery,... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Gun Control Not Linked to Homicide Rates - Study
5 October 2011
National Post (Toronto)
Criminal record checks, 28-day waiting periods, the long-gun registry: none has done anything to stem Canadian firearm homicide rates, according to a new study by an emergency-medicine academic.
"No significant beneficial associations between firearms legislation and homicide or spousal homicide rates were found," reads the abstract on the study, written by Caillin Langmann, a resident in the division of emergency medicine at McMaster University, and himself a vocal... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Gun Safety Double Standard - Lorne Gunter on Lost Police Guns
5 October 2011
National Post (Toronto), Opinion
Since Bill C-68 became the law of the land more than 15 years ago, one of the most common charges police have laid against gun owners has been for unsafe storage. The reason for this is that the federal firearms law is very unclear about what constitutes safe and unsafe storage.
Is it enough to have one's firearms locked away in a gun safe or must they also have trigger locks installed? How secure must the safe's lock be: strong enough to keep a thief out for two... (GunPolicy.org)
US Supreme Court Refuses to Rule on Carrying Guns Outside the Home
3 October 2011
Guardian (UK) / Reuters
The US supreme court has refused to consider whether an individual's right to own guns includes carrying a firearm outside the home – staying out of one of the nation's most divisive social, political and legal issues.
The justices let stand a ruling by Maryland's highest court that upheld a state law prohibiting the carrying of a handgun without a permit outside of one's home.
The court turned down the opportunity to define the reach of its landmark 2008 ruling... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lawmakers Push to Allow Carrying Guns on College Campuses
30 September 2011
USA Today
State lawmakers across the USA are pushing a growing number of bills this year that would legalize carrying guns on college campuses, according to groups tracking the trend.
This year, at least 14 states have introduced 35 bills that would allow students and faculty to carry concealed weapons on state colleges and universities or loosen restrictions on gun bans on campuses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Meanwhile, two states, Maryland and... (GunPolicy.org)
428 Police Guns Lost or Stolen in Canada, Says Pro-gun Group
30 September 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
A group opposing Canada's firearms registry says it has discovered that 428 guns have gone missing from police forces or other public agencies.
And Canada's National Firearms Association, which obtained the figure through an access-to-information request, said it suggests police are part of the problem of guns falling into the hands of gangsters and other criminals.
"It seems to me there is a little bit of a double standard here," NFA president Sheldon Clare of Prince... (GunPolicy.org)
Federal Agency Bans Gun, Ammo Sales to US Medical Marijuana Users
28 September 2011
New York Times / AP
HELENA, Montana — Firearms dealers in states that allow medical marijuana can't sell guns or ammunition to registered users of the drug, a policy that marijuana and gun-rights groups say denies Second Amendment rights to individuals who are following state law.
Federal law already makes it illegal for someone to possess a gun if he or she is "an unlawful user of, or addicted to" marijuana or other controlled substances. A Sept. 21 letter from the Bureau of Alcohol,... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines,United States,Asia,Japan
Stricter Gun Laws Needed to Stop the Massacre in Philippines
22 September 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
The shooting by a 13-year-old of his 17-year-old boyfriend in an SM mall in Pampanga is just another proof that we have very liberal gun laws and that we should have stricter gun laws to curb crime, as the Gunless Society keeps insisting. How can such a young boy have access to a handgun, carry it past the security guards of the mall and then shoot his boyfriend if we had adequate gun laws?
The same with the abandoned wife who shot her estranged husband in another SM... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Law that Limited Doctors' Ability to Ask about Guns Is Blocked
19 September 2011
Time (USA)
A federal court has blocked a new Florida law that limited the ability of doctors to ask patients if they had guns in the home. Judge Monica Cooke, a Republican appointee, rightly said that the law interfered with both doctors' right to free speech and patients' right to receive information.
The ruling, which came down last week, struck an important blow for freedom of expression. But it did something more: it dealt a rare setback to a gun-rights lobby that is... (GunPolicy.org)
The US Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act: 'Some Bad Ideas Refuse to Die'
18 September 2011
New York Times, Editorial
Some bad ideas refuse to die. Include in that category an extreme proposal percolating in the House to strip states of their authority to decide who may carry a concealed loaded firearm. This gift to the gun lobby, the subject of a hearing last week by a House Judiciary subcommittee, is nearly identical to a provision the Senate defeated by a narrow margin two years ago.
Every state but Illinois makes some allowance for concealed weapons. The eligibility rules vary... (GunPolicy.org)
Oxfam Praises Pacific Leaders for UN Gun Control Treaty Breakthrough
16 September 2011
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Lobbyists trying to control the international arms trade say Pacific Islands Forum leaders' commitment to a united voice on the matter is a remarkable achievement.
The leaders have thrown their support behind developing a common position on the International Arms Trade Treaty to be negotiated next year.
An Oxfam spokesman Luke Roughton says the hard work starts now.
"To figure out what they want out of the Arms Trade Treaty, how they want to achieve it, that they... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida to Scrap All Local Gun Laws – 'Pandering to the Gun Lobby'
15 September 2011
New York Times, Editorial
How low can the Florida Legislature go in pandering to the gun lobby?
Citizens might have thought the answer came earlier this year when doctors were banned from inquiring about guns in the household as a factor in their patients' welfare. A federal judge has blocked that, finding that a doctor's free speech hardly violates the Second Amendment. Now local officials must deal with another gun lobby outrage. They are scrambling to meet an Oct. 1 deadline by which they... (GunPolicy.org)
Judge Blocks Florida Law Enacted to Gag Doctors on Gun Safety
15 September 2011
Reuters
MIAMI - A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday blocked a Florida law limiting what doctors can say about guns to their patients, saying it violated free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke granted a preliminary injunction preventing the state and Governor Rick Scott, a Tea Party-backed Republican and former healthcare executive, from enforcing the Firearm Owners' Privacy Act with immediate effect.
The law took effect in June and... (GunPolicy.org)
US Law to Gag Doctors on Gun Safety Blocked by Federal Judge
15 September 2011
Associated Press
MIAMI — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked enforcement of a first-in-the-nation law that restricted what Florida physicians can say about guns to their patients, ruling the law violates the U.S. Constitution's free speech guarantees and does not trample gun rights.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke said it was important to emphasize "the free flow of truthful, non-misleading information within the doctor-patient relationship."
"This case concerns one of our... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'Gun Murder Capital of World' as 6 Shot Dead in West Virginia
8 September 2011
Charleston Gazette (West Virginia), Editorial
CHARLESTON, West Virginia - A troubled young Morgantown man, barely beyond teen age, used two rifles and a pistol in a stunning murder rampage Tuesday. After writing weirdo notes on Facebook, he killed five at a farmhouse near Morgantown, then wounded a service station worker in Roane County, then killed himself in Kentucky.
His bloodbath was just one of several gun killings in Wednesday's news. On the same day, a pistol-carrier pleaded self-defense after gunning down... (GunPolicy.org)
New Yorkers Vent Frustation at Washington, Obama's Lack of Gun Control
7 September 2011
New York Times
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's efforts to stamp out gun violence in New York were challenged over the Labor Day weekend by a spate of shootings: Bullets flew at house parties, along parade routes and across stoops and street corners.
By Monday's close, 13 people had been killed and 67 injured in 52 shootings since early Friday. The toll stunned veteran police officers, leading some to wonder if violent crime, which has declined across the city for many years, was rising... (GunPolicy.org)
Why the US Firearm Industry Secretly Loves Obama: More Gun Sales
5 September 2011
Bloomberg (USA)
Rick Perry's emergence as the front runner for the Republican Presidential nomination would seem like a coup for the gun industry. The Texas governor's enthusiasm for firearms rivals Yosemite Sam's. He has an A+ rating from the Texas State Rifle Association and packs a laser-sighted Ruger pistol when he jogs. Last year, he famously shot a coyote that threatened his dog during a run. To commemorate his act of valor, the manufacturer, Sturm, Ruger & Co., produced a... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Refusal to Curb Gun Traffic to Mexican Cartels the 'Real Scandal'
1 September 2011
Washington Post, Editorial
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced Tuesday that Kenneth E. Melson, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), would step down from his post. Also announced was that U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke of Arizona would resign.
In Washington parlance, both men had become "distractions" because of their roles in the now-discredited "Operation Fast and Furious." The Phoenix-based effort was intended to slow the illegal flow of... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Almost Alone in Not Registering Most Guns, Should Change
31 August 2011
New Zealand Herald, Editorial
According to Crown prosecutor Scott McColgan, "getting illegal firearms off the street, under any circumstances, can only be good". He was, therefore, keen for a manufacturer of methamphetamine to get a reduced prison sentence in return for handing over 15 illegal rifles and guns. Judge Roy Wade agreed, and William James McFarlane had his sentence cut from 16 to 14 years when he appeared recently in the Auckland District Court.
But Mr McColgan was only half right.... (GunPolicy.org)
Judges Across America Rule Against Further Relaxation of US Gun Laws
27 August 2011
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON — The 2nd Amendment's "right to keep and bear arms" is proving to be a right to keep a gun at home, but so far not a right to bear a loaded firearm in public.
The Supreme Court breathed new life into the amendment when it struck down strict handgun bans in Washington and Chicago and spoke of the "inherent right of self-defense."
But to the dismay of gun rights advocates, judges in recent months have read those decisions narrowly and rejected claims from... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooters Party Angry at NSW Government's Refusal to Relax Gun Laws
26 August 2011
ABC News (Australia)
The Shooters and Fishers Party has fired a warning shot at the New South Wales Government, by voting against it on several key issues in State Parliament.
The party's two Upper House MPs are upset the Government will not back its bill to relax gun laws.
Their anger is so great a sign has been placed on the door of the party's Parliament office telling Government staff to go away.
"Government emissaries and personnel do not knock. Unsolicited door-to-door selling is... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Lets UN Do 'Dirty Work,' Drafting Onerous New Gun Ban Treaty
24 August 2011
Politico (Washington DC), Opinion
Not long ago, the gun control advocates Jim and Sarah Brady visited the White House. President Barack Obama reportedly told them that he was working on new gun control schemes "under the radar."
It's been said that guns have two enemies — rust and politicians. Rust never sleeps, and neither do those who would seek to restrict our constitutional rights. So let me tell you about a meeting you weren't invited to, where those people were planning an attack on our rights... (GunPolicy.org)
400 Failing Court Cases Suggest US 2nd Amendment Ruling May Be 'Hollow Victory'
15 August 2011
Washington Post
A funny thing has happened in the three years since gun-rights activists won their biggest victory at the Supreme Court.
They've been on a losing streak in the lower courts.
The activists found the holy grail in 2008 when the Supreme Court's 5 to 4 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller said the Second Amendment guaranteed an individual right to own a firearm unconnected to military service. The court followed it up with McDonald v. Chicago two years later,... (GunPolicy.org)
Drop the 'Stray Bullet' Euphemism: Bullets Go Where Gun Owners Fire Them
15 August 2011
Kansas City Star (Missouri), Letter
KANSAS CITY - Is it possible that The Kansas City Star's news staff could see to it that the newspaper stops referring to "stray" bullets?
Bullets are not dogs or cats with wills of their own. There are no "stray" bullets. Bullets go where the Second Amendment "patriots" point the guns from which the bullets are fired.
Blair Lane's killer may be stupid or simply incompetent as a shooter, but he nonetheless intentionally fired a gun pointed in a direction he intended,... (GunPolicy.org)
In America's Gun Battle, Both Sides Have Distorted History and the Law
9 August 2011
Atlantic (USA)
The Ku Klux Klan, Ronald Reagan, and, for most of its history, the NRA all worked to control guns. The Founding Fathers? They required gun ownership — and regulated it. And no group has more fiercely advocated the right to bear loaded weapons in public than the Black Panthers — the true pioneers of the modern pro-gun movement. In the battle over gun rights in America, both sides have distorted history and the law, and there's no resolution in sight.
THE... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Tries to Kill New Law on Reporting of Multiple Gun Sales
9 August 2011
USA Today, Editorial
Martin Johnson had a nice little business going in 2008 and 2009. He'd leave home in California and buy dozens of guns in Arizona, where the gun laws are much looser, using an Arizona driver's license to pretend that he still lived there. Back in California, Johnson sold the guns to his neighbor, a convicted felon who couldn't legally buy guns at all. The neighbor sold some of the guns to his buddies, none of whom was a legal buyer, either.
NRA: Gun form won't deter... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Query Off Limits for Florida Doctors, Gun Injuries a Health Issue?
8 August 2011
New York Times, Letter
As a primary care physician, I regularly ask patients questions that many people would consider rude, inappropriately nosy or just irrelevant in polite conversation.
Do you wear your seat belt? How much alcohol do you usually drink? Do you use recreational drugs? Have you ever injected yourself with anything? Do you have sexual relations, and if so, with men, women or both?
Questions like these have long been a standard part of medical interviewing, and for good... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Show Loophole in Federal Laws, Hot Debate Continues in US
8 August 2011
Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
DAYTON — Two years after a local gun show was a target of a New York City investigation highlighting a loophole in federal firearms laws, local authorities arrested four men Saturday on a variety of weapons violations.
The operation targeted "private" or "occasional" sellers and buyers at Bill Goodman's Gun & Knife Show at the Hara Arena on Saturday. Under federal laws, licensed firearms dealers must conduct background checks on those purchasing weapons. Private... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway Killings Show Gun Control Only Affects Law Abiding Shooters
6 August 2011
New Jersey Local News, Opinion
Gun control results in giving control of guns to those who should never have them. The most recent, horrific example is in Norway, where last month a crazed citizen methodically killed 76 people. Everyone ran, including the unarmed police. The shooter, Anders Behring Breivik, acted as judge, jury and executioner — unopposed.
The unarmed citizens of Norway, where gun control prevails, assumed an incident of this nature would not — could not — occur. But the... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,El Salvador,Central America,Mexico,United States
US Gun Lobby, Congress Hamper, Slow Work of Feds' Gun Tracing Centre
5 August 2011
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
MARTINSBURG, West Virginia — No signs mark the outside of the hidden 1960s-vintage government facility in the bucolic countryside of West Virginia's panhandle.
Even the parking lot is obscured by black tarps lining a cyclone fence.
But just inside the warehouse-like brick building is the National Tracing Center, the epicenter of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' effort to combat and control illegal gun use.
When police need to trace a... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Canada,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
US Gun Lobby, Arms Makers Raise Alarm Over UN Global Gun Trade Process
5 August 2011
Fox News (USA)
A controversial U.N. proposed treaty aimed at regulating guns worldwide has been shrouded by confusion and misinformation.
Known informally as the 'Small Arms Treaty,' its detractors have charged the proposed agreement with secretly trying to take guns out of the hands of Americans and circumventing the 2nd Amendment.
While that is unlikely, a working draft proposal obtained by FoxNews.com contains language that some gun advocates say could have a real impact on... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica Debate on Relaxing Laws Governing Licensed Gun Possession
5 August 2011
Jamaica Observer, Editorial
There is merit in the arguments advanced by both sides in the current debate on relaxing the rules governing the ownership of licensed firearms, at the behest of Mr Errol Strong's Firearms Licensing Authority.
Those opposed make a strong case that ownership of a gun carries with it a great degree of responsibility and that licensed firearm holders are often the target of criminal gunmen eager to increase their armoury.
One teacher with whom the Observer spoke last... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,Brazil,Argentina,Australia,Mexico,United States,Canada,Africa,Sweden,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas
Canada Gun Lobby Influence on Foreign Policy: Arms Trade Treaty
3 August 2011
Embassy Magazine (Canada), Opinion
Canada has never been a strong supporter of international efforts to negotiate an effective Arms Trade Treaty. But in mid-July, it reversed its previous low-key but constructive role at the United Nations ATT preparatory meetings to become a potential treaty spoiler. All indications point to this change of heart arising from the domestic gun lobby's influence on Canadian foreign policy.
After years of preparation, member states of the United Nations will devote a month... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Fights Mexico Border Semi-automatic Rifle Sale Control
3 August 2011
New York Times / Reuters
WASHINGTON - The U.S. gun industry on Wednesday sued to block requirements that weapons dealers along the border with Mexico report multiple sales of semi-automatic rifles, escalating the fight with the Obama administration.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) last month ordered more than 8,000 gun dealers in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California to report such sales to try to stem the "iron river" of guns flowing to violent Mexican drug... (GunPolicy.org)
Iran,Canada,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
UN Global Arms Trade Treaty Could Dangerously Weaken US Gun Rights
1 August 2011
Albany Democrat-Herald (Oregon), Editorial
For five years the United Nations has been working on a comprehensive treaty to control the international arms trade. The last preparatory meetings were held in New York on July 11-15, and the organization is preparing the final version to be adopted and released for ratification by the member nations in 2012. The process represents a constitutional threat to Americans with, unfortunately, the support of President Obama.
The treaty seeks to control and restrict arms... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Norway,United Kingdom,Africa,Afghanistan,Mexico
Gun Trade Inevitably Leads to the Sort of Atrocity Inflicted on Norway
31 July 2011
Independent (UK), Opinion
In discussion of the atrocity in Norway last week, there is one subject which has been notable by the almost total silence about it: guns. In response to recurring massacres in American high schools and British villages, in response to footage from Africa and Afghanistan showing ragged, untrained young men brandishing automatic small arms, in response to a man coolly murdering dozens of youngsters in an hour-and-a-half, funfair-like shooting spree on a Norwegian island,... (GunPolicy.org)
For Mexicans, US Gun Industry Plays a Role in Mexico's Drug Violence
31 July 2011
McClatchy Newspapers (USA)
MEXICO CITY -- While a gunrunning sting known as Fast and Furious draws criticism in Congress for losing track of weapons that were smuggled into Mexico, Mexicans say the controversy confirms their conviction that the U.S. gun industry profits off of bloodshed south of the border.
As new details of the U.S. undercover operation emerged last week in congressional hearings in Washington, many Mexicans said the scandal demonstrates how easily crime gangs obtain large... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control in Canada: Crime and the Long-gun Registry
30 July 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
MONTREAL - There are two basic crime scenes when it comes to gun violence in Canada. One involves weapons that are traceable - sometimes using the $1 billion long-gun registry that is likely to be scrapped by the Conservative government this fall, as promised. The other - far more common - involves guns that are not traceable because they are not registered, the registration number was erased or the guns used to kill are never found.
The looming question as MPs get set... (GunPolicy.org)
Maker of Norway Massacre Gun Donates $280,000 to US Gun Lobby
29 July 2011
Sturm, Ruger (USA), Media release
SOUTHPORT, Connecticut -- Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to announce that it has donated $279,600.00 to the NRA as part of Ruger's "Million Gun Challenge to Benefit the NRA" campaign.
Ruger is trying to make history by selling one million firearms to the commercial market in a 12-month period, and is pledging to give the NRA one dollar for every gun sold during that time period with the goal of donating $1,000,000.
At the close of the first quarter... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds Made 'Colossally Dumb Decision' Allowing US Guns to 'Walk' Into Mexico
28 July 2011
New York Times, Editorial
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — perennially hogtied by the gun lobby's power over Congress — made a colossally dumb decision when it concocted a sting operation that let 2,020 high-powered weapons slip across the border into Mexico.
The goal of Operation Fast and Furious, begun in 2009, was to tolerate suspicious large-scale purchases of assault weapons on the American side of the border in order to track the guns all the way up the... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
US Senate Opposition Mounts to UN Arms Trade Treaty
26 July 2011
US News & World Report
Senate opposition is growing to President Obama's support for a United Nations effort that could bring international gun control into the United States and slap America's gun owners with severe restrictions.
At last count, 55 senators, including 10 Democrats, have signed letters to the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying they will oppose the Arms Trade Treaty . The treaty must win a two-thirds majority to win passage, meaning that approval appears... (GunPolicy.org)
Largest Settlement Against Gun Maker, Says US Gun Control Group
26 July 2011
Reuters
WASHINGTON - A firearms maker has agreed to pay $600,000 to the family of a shooting victim in what a gun control group said on Tuesday was a record settlement in such a case.
A company employee with a history of assault and drug addiction stole the gun later used to kill a man, according to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, whose Legal Action Project in 2002 brought suit against Kahr Arms over the incident.
The settlement on behalf of the deceased Danny... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,Mexico,United States
ATF Data Defy Theory, Tie US Gun Flow To Mexican Cartels
23 July 2011
San Francisco Chronicle
Washington -- The claim that Mexican cartels rely on huge stocks of military surplus weaponry from civil wars in Central America is the mantra of pro-gun organizations fearful that linking drug violence to U.S.-purchased weapons could lead to more gun control.
Though gun-rights advocates and at least one prominent U.S. senator ferociously stand by that politically charged theory, federal firearms data show only a tiny percentage originate south of Mexico's... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Police Minister Rules Out Supporting Guns in Australian Schools
18 July 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
The Police Minister, Mike Gallacher, yesterday ruled out supporting changes to gun laws in NSW and said the state government would not consider introducing shooting as a sport into the school curriculum.
This was despite the Shooters and Fishers Party saying they had received an indication from the state government that it would largely support their firearms bill, which includes allowing shooting as a sport in NSW schools.
The Shooters MP Robert Borsak said he had... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Adm. Took Significant Step for Gun Control at Mexican Border
17 July 2011
Los Angeles Times, Editorial
The Obama administration took a concrete step toward curbing the flow of semiautomatic weapons to Mexico last week when it adopted a new regulation mandating the reporting of multiple sales of long guns to federal authorities.
Under the regulation, some 8,500 licensed gun shops in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas will be required to inform the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a customer buys more than one semiautomatic that is .22... (GunPolicy.org)
Push for Shooting as a Sport in Schools in New South Wales, Australia
17 July 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
THE Shooters and Fishers Party has won the support of the O'Farrell Government to increase shooting as a sport in schools.
The gun control lobby and even some in the Coalition see the minor party's long-held ambition to get more guns into the hands of children as the price the government must pay for the support of Shooters MPs, Robert Borsak and Robert Brown. It relies on the pair to get its legislation through a hostile upper house.
At the top of their wish list is... (GunPolicy.org)
US-Mexico Gun Tracking Program Comes Under Congressional Fire
16 July 2011
Christian Science Monitor
ATLANTA - Busting a major gunrunning ring on the New Mexico frontier – and netting a mayor, a police chief and a town councilor in the process – would normally be a huge feather in the cap of embattled federal agencies under pressure to stop cross-border arms smuggling and corruption.
But instead, the resolution of the so-called Columbus 11 case in the historic border village of Columbus, N.M., has taken on a muted tone, primarily because of its potentially... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Mayhem Along Border, Obama Must Pursue Stronger Gun Control
13 July 2011
New York Times, Editorial
It is an open and deadly scandal that at least 70 percent of the weapons recovered in Mexico's bloody drug war originate in the United States, where shady gun buyers operate freely thanks to loopholes in American law. To its credit, the Obama administration has ordered the more than 8,000 dealers along the border to begin reporting multiple sales of AK-47s and other semiautomatic battlefield weapons to the federal firearms bureau.
Straw buyers have been easily... (GunPolicy.org)
New US Rule on Border Gun Sales is Drawing Both Praise and Criticism
12 July 2011
Fox News (USA)
The Justice Department's new policy on requiring all gun shops in four Southwest border states to report frequent buyers of semi-automatic weapons is drawing both praise and criticism.
Dennis Henigan, acting president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, is pleased with the new requirement.
"This new reporting rule will give law enforcement new capacity to interdict these deadly guns before they can be used against Mexican police and citizens."
But the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Rules Announced Amid Criticism of Flawed US Gun-running Operation
12 July 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In an effort to stem the illicit flow of weapons into Mexico, the Justice Department announced Monday that all gun shops in four Southwest border states will be required to alert the federal government to frequent buyers of high-powered rifles.
The new policy comes amid criticism of a flawed federal probe aimed at dismantling large-scale arms trafficking networks along the Arizona border with Mexico.
In the probe, called Operation Fast and Furious,... (GunPolicy.org)
New US Rules Require Dealers to Report Multiple Semi-auto Rifle Sales
11 July 2011
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Monday approved a new regulation requiring firearms dealers along the Southwest border to report multiple sales of certain semiautomatic rifles, a rule intended to make it harder for Mexican drug cartels to obtain and smuggle weapons from the United States.
Under the rule, dealers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas will be required to inform the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives if someone buys —... (GunPolicy.org)
