To ensure a safe 2002 World Cup, the National Police Agency (NPA) will introduce a one-month voluntary reporting period for owners of unregistered weapons, officials said yesterday. Owners of illegal weapons can report them to police stations during February, either directly, through third parties, or by mail. Police said civilians who make reports during the designated period will be exempt from punishment. Under the current law, owners of illegal weapons face... (GunPolicy.org)

RALEIGH, North Carolina — The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned the prison sentence of a man who received more time behind bars because he used a gun while committing the crime. The case marked the second time the state's appellate courts have questioned North Carolina's felony gun law, which allows judges to impose harsher sentences when a firearm is used. It also marked the second time the appeals court considered the prison sentence of Phillip Eugene... (GunPolicy.org)

ROYAL OAK — Squeezed into a single lane at Target Sports firing range, gun owner Jason Mace steadied the hands of Karen Green as she squeezed the trigger of a .45 Magnum. Range users such as Mace are getting used to tight space at area gun ranges, where the wait to get into a lane on one of the few indoor ranges in Oakland County can be as long as an hour. According to local gun range operators, more people in Metro Detroit are seeking firearms training a... (GunPolicy.org)

PIETERMARITZBURG — While animal rights groups like the SPCA have welcomed draft legislation aimed at controlling the spread of illegal weapons, hunters and recreational shooters are not completely happy with it. Under the new Firearms Act, initiated by the departments of finance, safety and security and the police, licences are no longer needed for weapons under the 5.6mm or .22-inch calibre. Licences are needed above this calibre and any weapon that has an energy... (GunPolicy.org)

Denver Post has long tried to steer a middle course through the bitter gun-control debate. We have consistently supported measures to make it harder for criminals to get guns, including the Brady Law itself and closing the gun show loophole that allowed private sales of firearms at public gun shows without the background checks required by the Brady Law. By the same token since 1994 The Post has supported efforts to replace Colorado's current crazy quilt of... (GunPolicy.org)