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American gun maker, firearms in mass media
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)
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)
'Burden of Proof' Should Be on Gun Suspects, Say Cayman Police
11 October 2011
Cayman Compass (Cayman Islands)
Cayman's top cop is advocating a major change in the way the 'burden of proof' is applied in court with regard to firearms possession cases.
Expanding and clarifying comments made on the subject by Governor Duncan Taylor last month, Police Commissioner David Baines said Friday that what's being reviewed with the attorney general's office now is essentially a "reversal" in the burden of proof for people found in possession of unlicensed guns in their homes or vehicles.... (GunPolicy.org)
Major Seizures of Guns Mainly Firearm Dealer Imports - Australia Customs
14 September 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
December 23, 2008
Sydney
Huge haul of weapons including:
Assault rifles: Steyr F88, Norinco SKS, Marlin 60 and ADI SLR L1A1
Handguns: Beretta 92FS and Remington 870 Wingmaster
Shot guns: Mossberg 500A
Teargas
16cm rifle silencer
Pistol scope
Megatron Transformer
December 8, 2009
Sydney
980 rounds of FMJ green tip M855 Penetrator armour piercing bullets
July 25, 2006
Brisbane
Steyer tactical scout elite .308 calibre rifle, with telescopic sight
May 30,... (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)
Cayman Island Man Gets 9yrs Jail for Possession of Unlicensed Gun
11 July 2011
cayCompass.com (Cayman Islands)
Richard Joseph Parsons, 22, was sentenced on Thursday to nine years' imprisonment for possession of an unlicensed 12-gauge Remington shotgun. Defence Attorney Kerrie Cox told the court Parsons found the gun and kept it because there had been a shooting in his neighbourhood and his own residence had been burgled twice.
He submitted there were exceptional circumstances in this case that would not require the court to impose the otherwise mandatory minimum sentence of... (GunPolicy.org)
Judges Giving Gun Rights Back to Americans with History of Mental Illness
2 July 2011
New York Times
PULASKI, Virginia — In May 2009, Sam French hit bottom, once again. A relative found him face down in his carport "talking gibberish," according to court records. He later told medical personnel that he had been conversing with a bear in his backyard and hearing voices. His family figured he had gone off his medication for bipolar disorder, and a judge ordered him involuntarily committed — the fourth time in five years he had been hospitalized by court order.
When... (GunPolicy.org)
Influence Game: Gun Manufacturers Battling over US Military Rifle Market
25 May 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
WASHINGTON - For nearly a decade, Colt Defense went without a lobbyist. The legendary gun maker based in West Hartford, Conn., had an exclusive deal to provide combat rifles to the U.S. military and didn't need a hired gun looking out for the company's interests in Washington.
Times have changed. After buying more than 700,000 Colt M4 carbines, the Defense Department has started a search for the rifle's successor, giving Colt's competitors the long-awaited chance to... (GunPolicy.org)
US NRA Board Member: 'Turn Up Heat' Against 'America Hating' Obama
2 May 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
Rocker Ted Nugent got a standing ovation at the all-powerful National Rifle Association's annual meeting when he urged members to 'turn up the heat' on guns.
He said pro-gun supporters need to speak up more and win the public relations battle.
Mr Nugent told the crowd of more than 2,300 on Sunday: 'You need to fix everybody in your lives to be absolutely pro-gun.
'You need to talk guns all the time. You need to talk hunting all the time.
'The gun community should be... (GunPolicy.org)
Utah First US State to Adopt Official State Handgun: Arizona Aims for 2nd
17 March 2011
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
Utah is the first state in the country to have a state-designated firearm, after Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation recognizing the Browning M1911 as the official gun.
"The governor has said previously, and still feels, this isn't about a gun," said Herbert's spokeswoman, Ally Isom. "It's about honoring John Moses Browning and paying tribute to the man as an innovator and entrepreneur and someone who has given a lot to the state of Utah."
The measure, HB219, adds... (GunPolicy.org)
Utah Senate Approves M1911 Semi-auto Pistol as 'Official State Firearm'
10 February 2011
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
The Utah Senate passed legislation Thursday that would make the Browning-designed M1911 — a sidearm carried by U.S. military since World War I — the state's official gun.
"This is a substantially historic firearm," said Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Eagle Mountain. "As Utahns, we can claim a connection to its inventor and designer that no other state can claim."
In designating the gun, the Senate added a recognition that firearms in the wrong hands have been the source of... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Assault Rifle, Handguns Seized from Canadian Federal Police Officer
21 December 2010
Surrey North Delta Leader (British Columbia)
A Surrey RCMP officer has been charged with 15 criminal offenses, including breach of trust, possession of property obtained by a crime and multiple firearms offences.
Const. David Clarke, an RCMP member with four-and-a-half years service, was formally charged late Monday, and made his first appearance in court Tuesday morning.
All 15 charges relate to offences that allegedly took place in Chilliwack. Police were alerted to it on Oct. 1, 2010.
"These situations,... (GunPolicy.org)
Michigan Gun Dealer Acquitted on Federal Charge 'Linked to Extremists'
13 December 2010
Daily Telegram (Michigan)
ADRIAN, Michigan — A federal jury has acquitted firearms dealer Walter L. Priest of Adrian of a felony rifle charge that Priest said he believes resulted from legal sales to members of a local militia group involved in federal raids earlier this year.
Priest's attorney said the jury in Detroit took less than three hours to return its verdict on Thursday.
Priest, 53, had been accused of illegally possessing a rifle with an altered or obliterated serial number.... (GunPolicy.org)
More US States Add Youth-only Hunting Seasons, Encourage 12yr-olds to Shoot
1 November 2010
USA Today
HELENA, Montana — When Knox Semenza headed into the Highwood Mountains of north central Montana with his father last month, he had visions of shooting his first mule deer buck.
Knox, 12, a first-time deer hunter from Great Falls, Mont., took advantage of the state's first youth-only hunt, a special two-day deer season open only to hunters ages 12 to 15 who had passed a hunter safety course and were accompanied by an adult mentor who is not hunting.
A few minutes... (GunPolicy.org)
Remington Deny World's Most Popular Bolt-action Rifle Fires On Its Own
28 October 2010
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
PORTLAND - The Portland Police Department's special reaction team has stopped using its Remington 700 sniper rifles, because one of them started firing unpredictably and a network news report said similar problems elsewhere have caused injuries and prompted lawsuits.
A program on CNBC last week highlighted several reports that Remington 700 rifles -- a mainstay for the U.S. military, law enforcement and gun enthusiasts -- had fired when the trigger had not been... (GunPolicy.org)
Deaths, Injuries and Lawsuits Raise Questions about Popular Gun's Safety
20 October 2010
CNBC News (USA)
The manufacturer of the world's most popular hunting rifle has been wrestling for decades with a critical safety issue, and at least twice considered a nationwide recall of the gun, according to corporate insiders and internal documents revealed in a ten-month CNBC investigation.
But the Remington Arms Company has never alerted the public to the internal concerns, and insists the gun is free of defects, despite thousands of customer complaints.
The controversy over... (GunPolicy.org)
In Kennesaw, Georgia it is Compulsory - Everyone MUST Own a Firearm
16 October 2010
Mirror (UK)
The manicured lawns and pristine sidewalks offer a gentle hint of small-town America.
But behind the net curtains in this city there's an arsenal of weapons big enough to take on an army.
Every householder - from the old lady who runs the sweet store to the teacher down the road - is armed to the teeth.
Welcome to Kennesaw, Georgia - otherwise known as Gun Town USA - where if you cross a threshold to commit a crime you could be filled full of lead.
Here a unique law... (GunPolicy.org)
Remington Model 700 Rifle 'Unsafe,' Under Fire: CNBC Airs Investigation
14 October 2010
NBC News (USA)
On Wednesday, October 20th at 9PM ET/PT, CNBC will air, "Remington Under Fire: A CNBC Investigation," reported by Senior Correspondent Scott Cohn.
The Remington Model 700-series rifle — with more than five million sold — is one of the world's most popular firearms. Famous for its accuracy, the rifle is now the target of a series of lawsuits alleging that it is unsafe and susceptible to firing accidentally.
This CNBC piece examines allegations that the Remington... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handgun Permit Holder Shoots Doctor, Mother, Self at US Hospital
17 September 2010
Baltimore Sun / AP
Paul Warren Pardus spent restless nights with his ailing mother at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and when he believed doctors had failed her, the 50-year-old shot her physician before killing his mother and himself.
Pardus was a fixture in the room since last week, after his 84-year-old mother, Jean Davis, was brought there for surgery related to cancer treatment. While speaking to Dr. David B. Cohen around 11 a.m., Pardus pulled a semiautomatic handgun from his waistband,... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'Garden & Gun' Magazine Draws Wrath of NRA for Turning Down Ad
10 August 2010
Folio (USA), Blog
Recently, the National Rifle Association's member magazine America's First Freedom took Garden & Gun to task for not accepting an ad from the organization. The NRA claimed it was a politically-motivated decision that doesn't stand up for a demographic Garden & Gun claims to serve. According to Garden & Gun, the magazine has a policy of not accepting political ads of any stripe.
"We regret that they chose to write about us without checking their sources with us and were... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippine Gun Lovers Celebrate Newly Elected President as 'One of Us'
31 July 2010
Agence France Presse
MANILA — Standing amid an array of foreign assault rifles and local shotguns at one of the Philippines' largest shopping malls, firearms aficionados celebrated the rise of the nation's new president.
Benigno Aquino, who took office on June 30, is an avid sports shooter and clips on YouTube show him using a semi-automatic pistol with great skill at a target shooting competition.
"The feeling is that he is one of us. He also inhales gunpowder," said Johnmuel Mendoza,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Senator Champions Remington in US Army M4 Rifle Contract
28 June 2010
Observer-Dispatch (New York)
Remington Arms and other manufacturing companies are now eligible to compete for the U.S. Army's contracts for M4 rifles – a change that could lead to a boost in business at the Ilion plant, officials said Monday.
Jim Rabbia, the Ilion plant manager, said Remington Arms is interested in applying for the work. Such contracts could require the production of thousands of units per month and result in the company hiring new workers in Ilion to meet the demand, he... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Handgun Ammo Microstamping Bill Dropped for Lack of Support
16 June 2010
Press & Sun-Bulletin (New York)
The controversial "microstamping" legislation that could have effectively ended the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic pistols in the state was pulled from the Senate calendar Tuesday after supporters failed to garner the 32 votes necessary to pass.
As they came to the end of the roll call, leaders asked for the bill to be "laid aside," which means that it is still a threat.
Nevertheless, Sen. Jim Seward, R-Oneonta, lauded its demise, particularly as it pertained... (GunPolicy.org)
Remington Hopes Bill Will Send More Revenue to US Military Gun Makers
23 April 2010
WKTV-TV News (New York)
ILION, New York - Remington Arms could be getting a new multi-million dollar contract if new legislation is passed in Washington, D.C.
Congressman Michael Arcuri was in Ilion on Friday to introduce a new bill called the "Small Arms and Innovation Act." According to Congressman Arcuri, bill will allow company to compete for additional federal defense contracts. Currently, just a few companies are making firearms for the military.
Arcuri said a bill will help companies... (GunPolicy.org)
As US Gun Ownership Falls, Arms Industry, Gun Lobby Recruit Children
28 November 2009
Guardian (UK)
In the distance, there is snow on the ridges of the Rocky Mountains, but down here in the plains of Colorado there is only dust and sweat. In a layby just south of Denver, Texas Marshal is standing in the sweltering heat preparing for the showdown. He tips back his black felt bronco hat, pulls out his .45 Colt revolver and gives the barrel a slow, deliberate spin. Five brass bullets sink into the chambers and the gun goes back in its holster, ready to draw, his hand... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun, Ammo Sales Peak on America's Rising Fear of Crime, Terrorism
16 November 2009
Times (UK)
Smith & Wesson, the famed American gunmaker once owned by Tomkins, the British conglomerate, expects to nearly double its annual sales in the next three to five years as demand for its firearms soars in the recession. It is not alone.
All over America demand for firearms and ammunition is rising amid concerns that rising unemployment, which passed 10 per cent this month, will lead inexorably to higher rates of crime. Fears of terrorism have also helped to lift demand,... (GunPolicy.org)
Sturm, Ruger Post-Obama Sales Up 60%, Profit Up 83%, Crash to Follow
10 November 2009
Motley Fool (USA) / MagicDiligence
Sturm, Ruger & Company (RGR) is a firearms manufacturer that makes and markets four different kinds of firearms: rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers. The company also produces investment castings for third-party sale when there is excess capacity not needed for its own products. Products are sold mainly to independent wholesale distributors, who then resell to retailers primarily in hunting and sporting markets. Ruger is basically a U.S.-only company, with less... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Dealer Convicted for Illegal Possession, Import
22 October 2009
Tri-City News (British Columbia)
The former owner of a Port Coquitlam gun store received two years' probation and a 10-year firearm ban for illegally possessing a prohibited weapon without a licence.
Several other charges against Shahriar Tavazoie and his common-law wife Maryam Behagh were stayed by the Crown.
Tavazoie and Behagh, who operated Sureshot Hunting and Tactical on Prairie Avenue in PoCo, were arrested in February and initially charged with importing firearms knowing it is unauthorized... (GunPolicy.org)
Washington Snipers' Gun Dealer Can't Trade, But His Shop Still Sells
28 September 2009
Associated Press
SEATTLE — A Tacoma gun shop linked to the D.C. sniper case isn't getting its firearms license back.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez ruled Friday the government properly revoked the license of Bull's Eye Shooter Supply, where John Allen Muhammad and teen accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo obtained weapons. The judge's ruling dealt with Brian Borgelt and Charles Carr, doing business as Bull's Eye Shooter Supply.
A Tacoma gun shop called Bull's Eye Shooter Supply LLC,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Buys 9 Billion Bullets as 'Obama Effect' Drives Fearful Gun Owners
23 September 2009
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Bullet-makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.
Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation —... (GunPolicy.org)
Louisiana Holds '2nd Amendment Weekend' Sales Tax Holiday for Guns
5 September 2009
Los Angeles Times
ATLANTA — Happy 2nd Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday, everyone!
An observance of that name is underway this weekend in Louisiana, thanks to a law signed by Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal in July. It decrees that each year, on the first Friday through Sunday in September, shoppers in the Bayou State shall be exempt from paying state or local taxes on firearms, ammunition or hunting supplies.
The law was sponsored by state Sen. Robert Marionneaux Jr., who said in a... (GunPolicy.org)
To Meet 'Skyrocketing' Demand, US Will Sell 9.5 Billion Bullets This Year
30 August 2009
Los Angeles Times
There's a bull market for bullets.
Stacks of ammo, once piled high at gun shops across America, have dwindled. Prices paid by consumers for much-sought-after Winchester .380-caliber handgun bullets have doubled. At weekend gun shows, trailers loaded with boxes of ammunition are drained within hours.
Budget-pressed police departments, which can't be caught short, have increased their orders just to be safe, and the U.S. military, fighting two wars, has seen its need... (GunPolicy.org)
Colt Loses Monopoly on M4 Assault Rifle, US Army Takes Design Rights
6 July 2009
Army Times (USA)
As of July 1, the Army has taken control of the design rights to the M4 carbine from its sole maker, Colt Defense LLC. Translation: With an uncertain budget looming, the service is free to give other gun companies a crack at a carbine contract.
The transition of ownership of the M4 technical data package marks the end of an era and Colt's exclusive status as the only manufacturer of the M4 for the U.S. military for the past 15 years.
In late November, Army senior... (GunPolicy.org)
Camping? Don't Forget to Bring Your Gun: Obama Relaxes Park Gun Law
30 May 2009
Miami Herald, Column
Like many other Americans, every time I take my family to a national park I find myself thinking: Wow! If I only had a gun ...
Now, thanks to Congress and President Obama, all of us will soon be able to carry loaded firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges. Even concealed weapons will be allowed, for those who have state permits.
It's about time. The one element that's been missing from the outdoor experience in Yellowstone and Yosemite was the adventurous... (GunPolicy.org)
New York State Pays Gun Maker Remington Arms $2 Million to Stay Afloat
2 April 2009
Herkimer Evening Telegram (New York)
HERKIMER, New York — In an attempt to show county commitment to keeping the Remington Arms plant in the village of Ilion, the Legislature on Wednesday authorized spending up to $2 million for future equipment purchases by the firearms manufacturer.
The budgetary impact of the amount serves as sufficient proof of legislator loyalty.
The size of the allocation totals roughly 25 percent of the county's contingency fund, according to County Administrator James... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Weapons, Submachine Gun, Handguns Seized in Jamaica
16 March 2009
Jamaica Observer
Police in St Andrew South seized 10 firearms and recovered 77 rounds of ammunition during raids conducted in several hot spot communities in that division since the start of this month.
Among the seizures the cops mentioned were an M15, a Remington, and an SK assault rifle, while an Intratec Submachine Gun, several 9mm pistols, revolvers and home-made firearms completed the haul.
Deputy Superintendent Lennox Harper of the Hunts Bay Police Station could not say exactly... (GunPolicy.org)
Alabama Mass Shooting Re-ignites America's Assault Weapon Debate
15 March 2009
Montgomery Advertiser (Alabama) / Gannett Newspapers
Last week's horrific killings in south Alabama put the state in the crosshairs of the ongoing national debate about gun control.
An e-mail from five gun-control organizations arrived at the Montgomery Advertiser less than 24 hours after Michael Kenneth McLendon, 28, of Coffee County killed 10 people and himself in an hour-long bloody spree last Tuesday afternoon.
He was armed with a semi-automatic SKS rifle, a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, a shotgun and a .38-caliber... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Montgomery Advertiser (Alabama) / Gannett Newspapers
Panic Buying of 'Pre-ban' Guns, Ammo Merely 'A Blip' in US Gun Market
5 March 2009
LewRockwell.com (USA), Web page
Since Obama's victory in November, Smith and Wesson and Ruger, the only two publically traded US gun makers, have experienced major increases in their stock prices. Ammo manufacturers are running 24/7 attempting to keep up with demand. Military-pattern semi-automatic rifles, including AR-15's and AK-clones are expensive, stocked-out, or both.
Are these price increases "gouging," as some would say, or are they a natural response to the forces of supply and demand? If... (GunPolicy.org)
BC Gun Dealer Surrenders Submachine Gun, 'Armour-piercing Ammo'
3 March 2009
Chilliwack Times (British Columbia)
Sgt. Rob Tan of the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team stood just 10 metres away from a dummy made of coiled fire hose that was wrapped in a vest of body armour and he repeatedly fired .223-calibre bullets out of his C7 rifle.
The shooting wasn't a training exercise, it was a demonstration of the power of some of the guns currently in the hands of criminals on the streets of the Lower Mainland.
The bullets — which are legal to own and which were shot out of a... (GunPolicy.org)
Recoilless Auto-shotgun Key to an Appalachian Gunsmith's Robot Army
23 February 2009
New Yorker, Vol 85, No 2
At the age of seventy-four, Jerry Baber has winnowed his primary interests in life to four subjects: shotguns, robots, women, and cars. When Baber is holding forth — his default mode of communication being the filibuster — his conversation tends to fall somewhere among these categories. Often his passions intersect, as in the question of whether or not a Corvette is an ideal car for picking up women. (It is.) Similarly, Baber might be discussing his love of robots... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Shows, Dealers, Citizens Supply Most Mexico Drug War Guns
27 November 2008
Federal Government, United States of Mexico, Fact Sheet
How does arms trafficking operate in Mexico?
According to the legal definition, arms trafficking consists of illegally bringing into the country weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives or materials that are reserved exclusively for use by the Army, Navy or Air Force, or that are subject to controls. This regulation is explicit in article 84 of the Federal Firearms and Explosives Act (Ley Federal de Armas de Fuego y Explosivos).
Based on investigations carried out... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Maker's 35% Sales Drop Kills Imports of Serbian Firearms
19 November 2008
B92 Radio/Tanjug (Belgrade)
KRAGUJEVAC, Serbia — U.S. gunmaker Remington has suspended until further notice its cooperation with the Zastava Oružje (Zastava Arms).
The decision came due the global financial crisis and the U.S. company's 35 percent sales drop, Zastava Oružje Director Rade Gromovic told Tanjug on Wednesday.
"Remington informed us that they cannot meet their contractual obligations and proposed that we continue exporting to the U.S. market via their partner, European America,... (GunPolicy.org)
Idaho Election Swings on Size, Purpose of Candidates' Gun Collections
29 October 2008
Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho — Democratic candidate Walt Minnick leads Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Sali by a seven-to-five margin in one of the most telling polls of Idaho's 1st Congressional District race: a tally of the two rivals' personal firearms.
In Idaho, gun ownership — especially in tight elections - can be a way for candidates to communicate shared values with residents, many of whom hunted before they could watch PG-13 movies.
Minnick owns seven guns: three pistols, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Ammo Maker Fears Iraq War Profit Slide, Aims for US Hometown Hunters
22 September 2008
Business Week (USA) Vol. 4100
In a recent TV ad for Black Cloud ammunition, a frantic flock of ducks darts around an orange sky as a heavy-metal guitar riff chugs ominously in the background. Cut to black. A slogan pops up, each word punctuated with a shotgun blast: Drop. Ducks. Like. Rain.
The spots, currently airing on Versus cable network, are remarkably brash for the otherwise moribund ammunition market. The goal for Black Cloud's maker, the $4.6 billion defense contractor Alliant Techsystems... (GunPolicy.org)
Visiting Columbine High: Gun Control Now a Silenced Issue in America
29 August 2008
National Post (Toronto)
The long, low halls of Columbine High School are lined with blue lockers and crimson history, decked with hand-drawn posters for Bible Study and the Knitting Club, cruised by laughing teens in Hollister and Aeropostale, then eerily silent when the classroom doors swing closed. We are nine years removed from the mass murder-suicide that happened here, and 10 miles south of a national political gathering at which the quieting of America's guns has never been... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seller Banned After Unrecorded Rifle Sale to New Zealand Reporter
17 August 2008
Sunday Star-Times (New Zealand)
A TradeMe user has been banned from the site in the fallout from last weekend's Sunday Star-Times investigation into the ease of buying a gun online.
Last week the paper bought a .22 rifle from a private seller through online auction site TradeMe with less than $100 cash, no licence and on the first attempt. The privately listed Remington bolt action rifle, similar to the one used to kill South Auckland liquor store owner Navtej Singh, was one of about 550 guns for... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shooter Killed 6 in Illinois: Here's the Real Story [Part 3 of 3]
16 July 2008
Esquire (USA)
[Continued from Part 2]
Halloween 2007.
Steve stands in his bedroom dressed all in black, with white gloves. He takes the Jigsaw mask down from his bookcase, carefully holds it to his left side, face turned toward him, a puppet, a piece of himself, his alter ego. White face, red-target cheeks, the sadistic killer-narrator from Saw. He and Jessica aren't going anywhere tonight. She's busy with work, and there's no love after his night away with "Tracy."
Everything... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shooter Killed 6 in Illinois: Here's the Real Story [Part 2 of 3]
16 July 2008
Esquire (USA)
[Continued from Part 1]
The following February, Thresholds, the agency that runs Mary Hill, decides to transition Steve out of the residential program into an SRO, a single-room occupancy. He has his own room now in a broke-down building, and they all share a bathroom. This is an even worse neighborhood. "His first night in the SRO was rough," says Jessica. "I remember him telling me about how he heard gunshots and someone was pounding on his door, thinking that Steven... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shooter Killed 6 in Illinois: Here's the Real Story [Part 1 of 3]
16 July 2008
Esquire (USA)
By the end, there is no night or day. No sleep. Just time, waiting.
He sits on the end of his bed in a broken-down Travelodge. Smokes a Newport. Stale smell of old cigarettes, of all the lives that have passed through this room. Across his lap, a Remington 12-gauge shotgun, the barrel sawed off. His hands on it, one on the stock, one on the barrel. He can't sit still, though. Always fidgeting.
Waiting. He's been in this room for almost three days, calling people,... (GunPolicy.org)
Delaware Man with 10 Loaded Guns, Assault Rifle Shoots at Police, Dies
9 June 2008
News Journal (Delaware)
The man shot and killed by a state trooper after a lengthy standoff south of Milford had ten loaded guns in his possession, police said Sunday.
Delaware State Police homicide detectives recovered the weapons from the home of Richard D. Redmond, a 52-year-old former California Highway Patrol officer who was killed early Saturday.
The guns found were: a Smith and Wesson 10mm Pistol, Glock 26 pistol, Glock model 17 pistol, Smith and Wesson .38 revolver, Bushmaster... (GunPolicy.org)
To Buy a Gun in Michigan, Mentally Ill Rampage Killer Merely Lied on a Form
22 April 2008
Detroit Free Press
Three days before he went on a shooting spree at the Troy office building where he had been fired, Anthony LaCalamita went target practicing at a local gun range, using a Remington shotgun, the kind of gun he then bought and used to shoot three of his former colleagues.
"He was normal customer, a nice guy, nothing out of the ordinary," said Roy Jihad, manager of Target Sports, a Royal Oak gun shop and range told jurors in the second day of LaCalamita's murder... (GunPolicy.org)
Shock, Anger, City/Rural Conspiracy Seen in Wal-Mart Gun Sale 'Blindside'
16 April 2008
Outdoor Wire (USA)
Across the shooting industry, a universal expression of shock, anger and surprise at Wal-Mart's announcement yesterday that it had agreed to a 10-point code of business conduct called the Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership.
The responsible-sounding Partnership is a creation of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns organization, the group founded and co-chaired by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In signing the document, Wal-Mart has dealt the firearms industry —... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Founders Didn't Foresee Bloodshed, Mass Murder on Campus
31 March 2008
Austin American-Statesman (Texas), Opinion
"Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? [T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of the government, but in the hands of the people." — Federalist Tench Coxe proposing the Right to Bear Arms in 1791
Today gun legislation is plagued by loopholes and lack of information, the power of the sword is, unfortunately, increasingly to be found in the hands of our children and mentally ill. Two centennials ago, Coxe could not foresee his beloved law... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Park Wardens Lost 21 Rifles, Shotguns in a Single Gun Theft
16 March 2008
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Thieves nabbed 12 gauge shotguns and scores of rifles in a massive heist at one of Canada's national parks, says a newly released document.
Parks Canada's inventory of items stolen from Manitoba's Riding Mountain National Park lists 21 guns — and the agency says the Mounties have recovered just two of them.
An official from Parks Canada says the weapons, stolen in November 2006, were not kept in special gun lockers or monitored by surveillance... (GunPolicy.org)
Serbian Arms Industry Expects to Thrive on Major Gun Making Deal with Iraq
10 March 2008
BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Beta News Agency, Transcript
The contract on exporting weapons and military equipment to Iraq, worth 236m dollars, which the Serbian arms trading company Jugoimport SDPR signed with the government of Iraq, is the most significant deal the Serbian military industry has made since the end of 1990, when a contract was signed with Kuwait about the exports of 175 domestically produced M-84 tanks.
The first instalment, adding up to 20 per cent of what the deal is worth, was paid into the accounts of... (GunPolicy.org)
Illinois May Need to Tighten New Law on Mental Health of Gun Buyers
18 February 2008
Associated Press
CHICAGO — Illinois lawmakers moved swiftly after last year's massacre at Virginia Tech to make it harder for anyone with a history of mental illness to buy guns, fortifying what were already some of the nation's toughest weapons laws.
But the new measure does not take effect until June. And whether it would have prevented last week's bloodbath at Northern Illinois University is far from clear.
Steven Kazmierczak, the 27-year-old grad student who bought an arsenal of... (GunPolicy.org)
Silence on U.S. Domestic Gun Terrorism: Let's Fight the Enemy Within U.S.
18 February 2008
Chicago Tribune, Column
If a man or woman campaigning to be the next president of the United States didn't have a detailed plan to fight foreign terrorists, we'd think he or she was wasting our time.
So why is it that we aren't demanding the Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and Republican front-runner Sen. John McCain have a plan to fight homegrown terrorists?
Why does it take the type of violence that occurred Thursday at Northern Illinois... (GunPolicy.org)
Outstanding, Polite Illinois Student Gave No Indication He Was Troubled
16 February 2008
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
DEKALB, Illinois — If there is such a thing as a profile of a mass murderer, Steven Kazmierczak didn't fit it: outstanding student, engaging, polite and industrious, with what looked like a bright future in the criminal justice field.
And yet on Thursday, the 27-year-old Kazmierczak, armed with three handguns and a brand-new pump-action shotgun he had carried onto campus in a guitar case, stepped from behind a screen on the stage of a lecture hall at Northern... (GunPolicy.org)
How a Top US Student Turned Into Mass Killer in Land of 270m Guns
16 February 2008
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
"At first everyone thought it was a joke," said one student. It wasn't. Within minutes, five people were dead and many more seriously injured.
On Thursday, Stephen Kazmierczak, a 27-year-old former student at Northern Illinois University, went on suicidal gun rampage. It was just the latest in a series of such attacks on the premises of US educational institutions.
Allyse Jerome, 19, a second-year student, said the gunman burst through a stage door in a lecture... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lawmakers Jump on Illinois Shooting to Urge More Guns on Campus
16 February 2008
State Journal-Register (Illinois)
A state lawmaker and congressional candidate says recent shooting sprees that killed people at Northern Illinois University and a Chicago-area shopping center might have had "different outcomes" if Illinois law allowed citizens to carry concealed firearms.
Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, has proposed the Family and Personal Protection Act, which would require individuals to complete a training course in handgun use, safety and marksmanship before they could get a... (GunPolicy.org)
Illinois Campus Killer Legally Bought 3 Pistols, Shotgun at Local Gun Shop
16 February 2008
New York Times
DeKALB, Illinois — The day after five students were gunned down in an afternoon science class on the campus of Northern Illinois University here, survivors struggled to manage their grief as the authorities released more details about the shooting and the gunman.
The few students who remained on campus began to formally memorialize the dead, and a silence fell over the university, broken only by the hum of news trucks and the activity of scattered police officers.
A... (GunPolicy.org)
Excellent Student, Ex-US Army Campus Gun Killer Had 'Boy Next Door' Face
16 February 2008
Chicago Sun-Times
DEKALB — Those closest to Steve Kazmierczak saw 2 sides — a gifted, dedicated student, but beset by behavioral problems
Steve Kazmierczak had gone more than a dozen years without talking to his godfather, Richard Grafer.
Until about a month ago. That's when Grafer got a call from his 27-year-old godson with the boy-next-door face.
"It was like he was reaching out for someone to talk to, someone he could confide in," Grafer said during an interview at his Des... (GunPolicy.org)
Illinois, Virginia Campus Killers Both Supplied By Same Licensed Gun Dealer
16 February 2008
Chicago Sun-Times
The Green Bay, Wis., gun dealer who sold Northern Illinois University killer Stephen Kazmierczak empty magazines and a holster for a semi-automatic pistol also sold a gun to the killer in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
"I was just shocked," said Eric Thompson, 34, whose company TGSCOM Inc. sells weapons over the Internet. "There are over 90,000 licensed dealers in the U.S."
Thompson's company sold a Walther .22-caliber handgun to Seung-Hui Cho, who... (GunPolicy.org)
Illinois Student Killer Legally Bought Shotgun, Glock Pistol A Few Days Before
15 February 2008
Northwest Herald (Illinois)
More about the shooter from Thursday's rampage at NIU, Stephen Kazmierczak, 27, who shot and killed five students before killing himself.
- Graduated from NIU in 2006 and was a graduate student at the university as recently as last year.
- Two of the weapons — the pump-action Remington shotgun and a Glock 9mm handgun — were purchased legally less than a week ago, on Feb. 9, authorities said. They were purchased in Champaign, where Kazmierczak was enrolled at the... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-NRA Board Member, Dealer Sold Assault Rifles to Cop Shooter, Got 5yrs
14 January 2008
Baltimore Sun
A Baltimore County gun dealer charged with illegally providing weapons to a man who died in a firefight with police last year has received a five-year suspended prison sentence and one year of probation.
Sanford M. Abrams entered an Alford plea today in Baltimore County Circuit Court, in which he did not admit guilt but conceded that the state has enough evidence to convict him. The judge then entered a guilty plea for unlawfully selling a restricted firearm.
The plea... (GunPolicy.org)
Remington USA Buys Marlin Firearms in Rifle, Shotgun, Ammunition Merger
27 December 2007
Newsday (New York) / AP
HARTFORD, Connecticut — Remington Arms Co. Inc. will acquire Marlin Firearms Co. in a deal that brings together two firearms companies founded in the 19th century that serve a range of customers from police to hunters.
Remington, bought by Cerberus Capital Management in April, manufactures guns and ammunition for hunting, law enforcement, security, government and the military. The privately held Remington reported third-quarter sales of $157 million.
A spokesman... (GunPolicy.org)
Wealthy US Gun Lobby's Main Target Is Members' Cash, Says NRA Insider
16 December 2007
Washington Post, Opinion
The bulletin came over the radio as I was driving home on Dec. 5: "Nine dead, five wounded in shooting massacre at an Omaha mall."
It was tragic news. But even as I lamented the lives lost, I was hearing the questions I knew would immediately arise as the two sides in the endless debate on guns in America squared off once again. "Why don't we ban all military-style rifles?", one side would ask, while the other would demand, "Why did the mall prevent law-abiding... (GunPolicy.org)
Vancouver Gang, Drug Sweep Nets Licensed Gun Owner With .50cal Rifle
22 November 2007
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Gang members appear to be lying low since a regional anti-gang squad hit the streets a week ago to suppress gang violence, the commander of the new police team said Wednesday.
Vancouver police Insp. Dean Robinson said the new Violence Suppression Team has checked almost 300 people in its first week and observed a noticeable absence of gang members in their normal haunts.
"They aren't as thick as they usually are in the places we would normally find them hanging out,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Brief Guide to the World's Best Known Guns and Major Gun Makers - BBC
12 November 2007
BBC News
The global trade in small arms is big business — 1,250 companies in at least 92 countries produce weapons, parts or ammunition. But who are the big players?
ARMALITE
Makers of the M4 and M16 assault rifles, which are popular with the US armed forces and soldiers from many other nations. The design was quickly bought by Colt.
Armalite weapons were also popular with the IRA, hence the republicans' long-time policy of the "Armalite and the ballot box", meaning... (GunPolicy.org)
Serbian Gun Maker 'Back to Old Glory' In Deals with US Remington, Others
6 November 2007
B92 Radio (Belgrade) / Beta, EM Online
KRAGUJEVAC — Zastava Arms plans 2008 exports to reach USD 20mn, the best result for the Kragujevac-based company in more than a decade.
The factory has, according to Danas newspaper, made deals to export infantry armaments, including rifles, automatic rifles and military equipment worth USD 15mn.
However, a new business arrangement is expected this month, worth some USD 3 to 4mn. A part of this contract will be with the countries that are seen as global hotspots,... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police Seize Submachine Gun, Handguns in 'Routine' Home Visit
30 October 2007
Chilliwack Progress (British Columbia)
A submachine-gun, a pistol fitted with a silencer and a three rifles were found among a cache of nine weapons seized at a Shaw Avenue home by Chilliwack RCMP officers investigating a stolen vehicle report Sunday.
"We'll never know what their intended use was, but obviously it was no good," Const. Lea-Anne Dunlop said yesterday.
"Anytime we can take one gun off the street it's a success," she said. "To take this many certainly puts a dent in criminal activity."
Three... (GunPolicy.org)
Wisconsin Has No Way of Preventing Felons Getting Guns, Licences
30 October 2007
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
Dozens of convicted felons in Wisconsin were issued gun deer hunting licenses in 2006 despite a state law that bans them for life from possessing firearms.
The state, meanwhile, does not prohibit felons from buying gun hunting licenses and makes no effort to monitor if felons are purchasing them, the Journal Sentinel found.
An analysis of records from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and Department of Natural Resources shows that at least 77 felons bought deer... (GunPolicy.org)
Baltimore Gun Dealer, Ex-NRA Board Member Faces 10yrs Jail in Gun Trial
17 October 2007
Baltimore Sun
The early-morning call from a Parkville condominium sounded dire. A woman said her estranged boyfriend had a rifle and was threatening to kill himself.
Officers responded to the scene after 2 a.m. on Feb. 18 and tried to persuade Keith J. Showalter to surrender, but he refused, according to a police account. The 25-year-old then came out of the building on Lowell Glen Road brandishing a Yugoslavian military-style rifle and fired seven rounds at police just yards away.... (GunPolicy.org)
To Attract Women, Girl Shooters, Wisconsin Gun Shops Sell Pink Weapons
23 September 2007
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
WAUKESHA — As Gary Goessner, his buddy and their two pre-teen daughters shopped the Gander Mountain store hunting department in Waukesha Friday afternoon, the two girls were immediately drawn to a rifle and a youth shotgun.
Buy a link hereBut it wasn't the firepower of the guns that attracted the girls' attention. It was a color: Call it blaze pink.
The .22-caliber Crickett rifle ($169.99) has a bright pink stock, and the Remington Express Jr. .20 gauge shotgun... (GunPolicy.org)
'Obsessed' Nevada Collector Left 3,800 Guns, 250,000 Rounds of Ammo
21 September 2007
Las Vegas Sun / Scripps News Service
It's Christmas Day, Jerry Darnell is about to die and he's at Wal-Mart buying rifles. Four of them.
Darnell's cousin finds these firearms in early January, when he travels to Pahrump, Nev., to make the after-death arrangements. Darnell had died of natural causes at 66.
His cousin finds the new rifles unwrapped, price tags affixed, packed in with the rest of the collection. A gun hoarder's last grasp, the end of the Darnell Weaponry Estate.
It's an arsenal, really,... (GunPolicy.org)
US/Serbia Gun Deal Under Cloud, Privately Funded by 'George Bush Himself'
10 September 2007
Tanjug / B-92 Radio (Belgrade)
KRAGUJEVAC — Zastava Arms and U.S. gunmaker Remington may have to change their cooperation deal, it was annouced Monday.
A recent change in the ownership structure of the U.S. company through whom Zastava Arms has been exporting hunting rifles for the past two years to the U.S., Canada and Mexico, might affect their partnership.
Zastava Arms workers' union said it was not yet known whether the business cooperation contract on exports in 2008 would be signed by... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Culture a 'Prescription for Mayhem' - Who Needs Assault Rifles?
2 September 2007
Oakland Tribune (California), Opinion
There is no other way to say it, our current gun culture is leading the country down a path to mayhem.
According to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Graduate Institute of International Studies, U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms — that translates to roughly 90 guns for every 100 Americans. Moreover, the survey estimates that 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States.... (GunPolicy.org)
Ammunition Shortages, Soaring Costs Bite Gun Owners Across America
31 August 2007
Ithaca Journal (New York), Column
If you are a shooter, the skyrocketing price of ammunition is hitting home every bit as hard as the gasoline pumps.
It's nothing new. The price increases began after 9/11, then were compounded by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — which pushed up overall demand — and growing industrial powers such as China and India, which either gobbled up or bid up the cost of raw materials.
Chinese and Indian rampant construction not only ate up prodigious amounts of raw... (GunPolicy.org)
Americans' Love Affair with Guns is Fairly Recent
1 July 2007
Huntington Herald-Dispatch (West Virginia), Opinion
The Second Amendment to the Constitution reads as follows: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
In his book "Frontier Violence: Another Look," W. Eugene Hollon writes that the murder weapon most preferred by Americans before the Civil War was the knife or the bludgeon. After the war, the weapon of choice was the gun. The change occurred for several reasons.... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Hot-selling Weapon is Now the 'Black' Assault Rifle
3 June 2007
New York Times
Last February, Jim Zumbo, a burly, 66-year-old outdoors writer, got a phone call at his home near Cody, Wyoming, from the rock star — and outspoken Second Amendment champion — Ted Nugent. "You messed up, man," Mr. Zumbo says Mr. Nugent told him. "Big time."
Two days earlier, Mr. Zumbo, a leading hunting journalist, outraged Mr. Nugent and many other gun owners when he suggested in a blog post that increasingly popular semiautomatic guns known as "black rifles" be... (GunPolicy.org)
About 200 US Gun Companies Share a $2 Billion Firearm Market
6 April 2007
Observer-Dispatch (New York)
ILION — Although Remington Arms Co. posted a profit last year after several years of losses, it still faces an increasingly competitive market, analysts said Thursday.
Cerberus Capital Management LP, which is buying Remington, said it saw "tremendous value" in the company.
"Cerberus sees tremendous value in Remington: a world-famous brand name, market-leading products, strong management team and an unsurpassed team of employees," said Peter Duda, spokesman for... (GunPolicy.org)
Remington Arms Long Gun Maker Sells to Private Equity Firm for US$370m
6 April 2007
Associated Press
ILION, New York — The $370 million acquisition of historic Remington Arms by a New York City-based private-equity firm has left this upstate community feeling somewhat unsettled — but also hopeful for a better future.
The 191-year-old gun maker was purchased Thursday by Cerberus Capital Management. Cerberus is buying Remington for about $118 million and taking on its $252 million in debt.
While Cerberus officials said they saw "tremendous value" in Remington, they... (GunPolicy.org)
We Should Admit That Hunting With Assault Rifles Can Harm Our Image
24 March 2007
Fremont Tribune (Nebraska), Opinion
When Outdoor Life icon Jim Zumbo recently made disparaging remarks toward semi-automatic rifles such as the AK-47, he touched off a powder keg of reaction that cost him many of his major sponsors and much of the high regard with which he was held in the sporting community.
For those unaware of the controversy, Zumbo stated, "(Hunters) don't need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with (assault rifles), which is an obvious concern."
Zumbo... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Enthusiasts Mobilize in Blogosphere in New Era for Grassroots
23 March 2007
Fox News (USA)
WASHINGTON — A massive and seemingly mobilized online community has sprung among gun rights advocates readying for any possible action by the Democratic-led Congress to limit an individual's right to bear arms.
While activity on gun issues has been light in recent years — no Million Mom march or action to renew the assault weapons ban that expired two years ago — an explosion of activity among Web loggers shows Second Amendment purists are anything but complacent... (GunPolicy.org)
American Love Affair With Guns is Not About to End Any Time Soon
19 March 2007
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
For almost 40 years, Jim Zumbo was one of America's best-known hunters and gun enthusiasts, a cult figure among the millions of Americans who have what amounts to an almost mystical relationship with guns.
Zumbo had his own cable television program, wrote a regular column for the hunting magazine Outdoor Life and was the recipient of sponsorships from the powerful National Rifle Association and clothes makers specialising in hunting gear, as well as the Remington Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lovers Banish One of Their Own Icons for Being Sensible
14 March 2007
Journal Gazette (Indiana), Editorial
It's official: Add gun control to the ranks of issues where no middle ground is permitted. The room for reasonable debate has been pushed out by gun-rights advocates. You're either with them or against them.
Jim Zumbo is now counted against them. An accomplished big-game hunter, a 40-year member of the National Rifle Association and a writer for Outdoor Life magazine for almost 30 years, Zumbo touched off a firestorm when he dared to suggest on his online blog that... (GunPolicy.org)
'Rabid' 2nd Amendment Supporters Shred 2 Gun Experts for Honest Opinions
8 March 2007
Austin American-Statesman (Texas), Column
Two gun guys — Jim Zumbo and Leon Measures — got their pink slips in the past week.
Zumbo publicly was gutted and quartered after he questioned in a web log if anyone should even own an AR-15 or other military style rifle, much less hunt with one. He lost his job at Outdoor Life magazine, lost an association with Remington and has been disowned by the National Rifle Association.
Measures, who teaches basic shotgun shooting with air rifles, was quietly uninvited... (GunPolicy.org)
American Outdoors Icon Didn't Have Chance Against Gun Zealots
8 March 2007
Spokesman-Review (Washington), Column
None of my outdoor experiences has left a more vivid memory than watching four coyotes, who were unaware of my close proximity, as they attacked a frantic fawn mule deer.
Within seconds after fleeing into the open, the young deer was hamstrung, eviscerated and brought down before my eyes. One coyote raised its bloody muzzle to the sunset and yodeled in triumph as the others began ripping into the still-twitching carcass.
Unnerving as it was, that attack was no more... (GunPolicy.org)
Reasonable Debate, Saner Gun Laws Pushed Out by US Pro-gun Advocates
7 March 2007
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (Indiana), Editorial
It's official: add gun control to the ranks of issues where no middle ground is permitted. The room for reasonable debate has been pushed out by gun rights advocates. You're either with them or against them.
Jim Zumbo is now counted against them. An accomplished big-game hunter, a 40-year member of the National Rifle Association and a writer for Outdoor Life magazine for almost 30 years, Zumbo touched off a firestorm when he dared to suggest on his online blog that... (GunPolicy.org)
Oregon Hunters Mostly Back US Outdoor Writer's Stance Against AR-15s
4 March 2007
Oregonian (Portland), Column
There is certainly no lack of support for Jim Zumbo in Oregon.
Last week's column about Zumbo following his comments on an Outdoor Life blog comparing AR-15s and other "black rifles" with terrorist assault weapons pulled the scab off a fresh wound.
Unlike the cyber backlash from gun enthusiasts that shot Zumbo out of the saddle, most of those who wrote The Oregonian were appalled (the word appeared several times) by the reaction of Outdoor Life, the National Rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Response to US Outdoors Hero's Views 'Astonishing in Its Fury'
4 March 2007
Register-Guard (Oregon), Editorial
Listen up, ladies and gentlemen. The Word of the Day is "zumbo." It can be either a verb or a noun.
As a verb, "to zumbo" means to annihilate the reputation of anyone who suggests that there is any class of firearm that doesn't directly contribute to the preservation of American liberty. As a noun, a zumbo is someone who commits professional suicide by saying something that angers the "pry my gun from my cold dead fingers" Second Amendment shock troops.
This... (GunPolicy.org)
Even Alaskan Outdoors Columnist Shows Some Sympathy for Jim Zumbo
4 March 2007
Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), Column
Gun writer Jim Zumbo www-shot-his-mouth-off and ended up in a raging, national blogoversy earlier this month. Now the 67-year-old shooting editor for "Outdoor Life" is out of a job.
All of this for penning these words in a blog on www.outdoorlife.com:
"The guides on our (coyote) hunt tell me that the use of AR and AK rifles have a rapidly growing following among hunters, especially prairie dog hunters. I had no clue. I call them 'assault' rifles, which may upset some... (GunPolicy.org)
Most-admired American Hunter Now Gun Zealots' 'Second Most Hated Man'
3 March 2007
New York Times, Editorial
A famous hunter and outdoorsman recently voiced misgivings about people who use assault rifles to kill prairie dogs.
Everyone knows what a prairie dog is: a chubby North American rodent that lives in a communal burrow and grows to be about a foot long. "Assault rifle" is a much touchier term. It is generally understood to be the kind of gun that soldiers use in wars and terrorists use on the evening news. But the gun lobby despises "assault rifle," considering it a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Outdoors Writers Back Fallen Colleague Against Gun Lobby 'Fanatics'
2 March 2007
Ithaca Journal (New York), Column
The biggest news in the outdoors world right now is the fall of Jim Zumbo, the world's most-famous hunter, who fell victim to the Pro-Gun Right's double standard in his ill-thought Feb. 16 blog on the Outdoor Life's Web site.
Associated with the famed outdoors publication for three decades and Hunting Editor since 1979, Zumbo had the audacity to say in print (actually, cyberspace) that rifles patterned after assault weapons had no place in hunting. He called them... (GunPolicy.org)
Hunting With Assault Rifles? US Outdoors Writer Zumbo Was Right to Scoff
1 March 2007
Post-Bulletin (Minnesota)
I canceled my subscription to Outdoor Life magazine this week.
I've been a subscriber for at least 15 years, and although I can't say I read each issue cover-to-cover, there were two writers I read religiously: Patrick McManus and Jim Zumbo.
McManus made me laugh, and Zumbo made me jealous. What a great life he had. Travel the world, hunting every big-game animal you could think of, and get paid to do it. Although it's unlikely I'll ever find myself facing a charge... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA's Bully Tactics to Silence Differing Views is Shameful - US Editorial
27 February 2007
Union-Bulletin (Washington State), Editorial
The leaders of the National Rifle Association are so obsessed with the perceived threat to the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms that they won't tolerate anyone who strays from NRA doctrine — even if it's one of the NRA's most famous and loyal members.
Jim Zumbo, a 40-year NRA member, has made a name for himself as host of a TV show about big game hunting in the West and as a writer for Outdoor Life magazine. He also had endorsement deals from gun... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Fosters Fear and Paranoia Among Gun Owners, Says US Gun Writer
26 February 2007
Corvallis Gazette-Times (Oregon), Opinion
Something very strange happened in the world of outdoor communication this week. One of America's best known hunting writers slipped and metaphorically cut himself — so a few thousand of his closest friends ate him alive.
Jim Zumbo, who made a name for himself — and developed a large following — writing about big game hunting for the past 40 years, was on a Remington Arms-sponsored Wyoming coyote hunting trip. He learned during a conversation with one of his... (GunPolicy.org)
Famed US Outdoors Writer Pans Assault Rifles, Gun Lobby Kills His Career
24 February 2007
Washington Post
SEATTLE — Modern hunters rarely become more famous than Jim Zumbo. A mustachioed, barrel-chested outdoors entrepreneur who lives in a log cabin near Yellowstone National Park, he has spent much of his life writing for prominent outdoors magazines, delivering lectures across the country and starring in cable TV shows about big-game hunting in the West.
Zumbo's fame, however, has turned to black-bordered infamy within America's gun culture — and his multimedia... (GunPolicy.org)
US Outdoor Life Writer Pans Assault Rifles, Loses Job, Sponsors
22 February 2007
Lake County News-Sun (Chicago)
There is a bit of a rift going on in the outdoor sporting world between hunters and gun enthusiasts, which sometimes are one in the same.
The raucousness started when longtime outdoors writer Jim Zumbo of Outdoor Life magazine posted a story online that said assault rifles — he also called them terrorist rifles — had no place in the hunting community, even suggesting that game departments ban them from the prairies and woods.
According to The Shooting Wire web... (GunPolicy.org)
Popular Assault Rifle Lookalikes Designed to Evade Canadian Gun Bans
12 February 2007
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario), Series
Its name alone evokes images of guerrilla resistance fighters or Iron Curtain military might. With its wooden pistol grip and distinctive banana-shaped magazine, the AK-47 is the world's most recognizable assault rifle.
From the jungles of Africa to the streets of Baghdad, the low cost, deadliness and reliability of Mikhail Kalashnikov's rifle have made it a favourite of conventional armies and insurgents alike.
Although the AK is prohibited in Canada, inexpensive... (GunPolicy.org)
