First up, both Ahab and Murdoc the Gun Pundit will be attending this year’s SHOT Show. I’ll be linking to the parts I find appealing to me, but you might find something you like that I missed, so be sure to check in with them.
To Ahab and Murdoc (hopefully you guys will get my trackbacks), you guys should hook up, seeing as how the show is HUGE and difficult for one person to cover without having to run past the booths.
In other news, it seems the gun bigot protest in Virginia was a flop, with the bigots being outnumbered by law abiding citizens who believe in the right to protect themselves three-to-one.
The reason I do not include the gun bigots in the “law abiding citizens†category is because at least one of them broke the law by assaulting a pro-Bill of Rights demonstrator.
You can also find an extensive report with photographic evidence that gun bigots are, in my personal opinion, ugly individuals at Sailor Curt’s blog.
Links found @ Uncle’s place
Why the first round of CCW renewals in Ohio are newsworthy is beyond me, but then again I have to remember to get used to scare tactics from the MSM on the subject of CCW.
The Licking County Sheriff’s Office is bracing for an influx of concealed carry license holders seeking renewals in the coming weeks, Sheriff Randy Thorp said.
In 2004 — the first year Ohioans were allowed to carry concealed firearms — 507 licenses were granted, Thorp said.
“It’s a very good possibility that all those folks — I would have to assume that at least a good number — are going to come back in and reapply,” he said.
Since the law’s passage April 8, 2004, Thorp said 1,245 people have received the official blessing of the local sheriff’s office to carry handguns, under certain conditions and restrictions, in public.
Thorp said almost four years in, concealed weapons have not caused any significant problems. He added he has not seen any increase in criminal activity that could be directly related to the permits.
Newark police Sgt. John Brnjic said concealed carry has not posed many problems for his department either, but he added it still makes officers uncomfortable.
When license plates are run before a traffic stop, Brnjic said other units respond when the driver has a CCW permit, just in case.
“The minute you hear ‘CCW,’ officers pay a little bit more attention,” he said.
Why they pay a little more attention, I have no idea, seeing as how the citizens applying for their CCW have to run an administrative obstacle course to get it. But this hit home hard when I read this because, as I’ve stated here in the past, the State of Washington also ties your CCW to your license to drive.
In fact, with just the touch of a button the officer can pull up every pistol you’ve ever purchased through an FFL in Washington State. When you buy a pistol from an FFL in Washington, an extra set of paperwork has to be filled out, with one copy being kept by the FFL, one going to the county the FFL resides in and one copy going to the State.
The State then copies that paperwork into their system and ties that purchase to your driver’s license. Purchasers that hold of out of state licenses not only have this info tied to their license here, Washington will send the info to the license issuing state.
I have contacted the SAF and the CCRKBA about this, and to paraphrase their response, this is a “throw away issue†to them, as they seem to believe that it is either too late or too hard to repair the damage.
The State calls it an “Officer Safety†issue and has refused to stop collecting this info. Which is why I haven’t bought a pistol from an FFL in years and why The State wants to pass legislation to make me go through an FFL when I buy pistols at gunshows.
Link found at Murdoc’s
Hmm. Wonder if an out-of-stater holding a WA CCW gets the reciprocity of notification from the holder’s home state? During a couple of recent traffic stops, I have had no issues with the officers although one officer noted my behavior (hands on top of wheel, ask permission to retrieve wallet, notify of intent to open glove box, …) and thanked me for same, mentioning that he knew I had a CCW permit. I did not actually hand it to him as I was not carrying at the time (was on school grounds). MT Law does not require holder to notify officer, but I generally do so, offering the permit along with the license, alerting to concealed weapon, and asking the officer how he wishes to proceed. Have not had issues in WY/MT/UT/CO/NM/TX with this procedure, but there is always a first time.