The Wandering Minstrel

There are still a few days before the California State Senate Public Safety Committee considers AB 962 (is AB for Ammunition Ban? maybe so) . . .

From the NRA-ILA:

As we reported last week, Assembly Bill 962 was scheduled to be considered today by the Senate Public Safety Committee. The bill has been rescheduled and will be considered on Tuesday, July 7.

Sponsored by Assembly Member Kevin De Leon (D-45), AB962 would make it a crime to privately transfer more than 50 rounds of ammunition per month, even between family and friends, unless you are registered as a “handgun ammunition vendor” in the Department of Justice’s database. Ammunition retailers would have to be licensed and store ammunition in such a manner that it would be inaccessible to purchasers. The bill would also require purchasers submit to fingerprinting, which would be kept in dealers’ records and subject to inspection by the Department of Justice. Lastly, mail order ammunition sales would be prohibited.

Please continue to contact the members of the Senate Public Safety Committee and respectfully urge them to oppose AB962. Contact information can be found below.

SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE:

State Senator Mark Leno (D-3) – Chair
(916) 651-4003
senator.leno@senate.ca.gov

State Senator John J. Benoit (R-37) - Vice-Chair
(916) 651-4037

State Senator Gilbert Cedillo (D-22)
(916) 651-4022

State Senator Loni Hancock (D-9)
(916) 651-4009

State Senator Robert Huff (R-29)
(916) 651-4029

State Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-6)
(916) 651-4006

State Senator Roderick Wright (D-25)
(916) 651-4025

When all the (D) votes above are counted, this measure will most likely be passed on to the next committee or to the Senate. I would be surprised by any other outcome. I will also be surprised if the Senate does NOT send it to Ahnold’s office. Don’t forget the Govenator signed the ludicrous micro-stamping law and who knows what he’ll do with this one?

It’s time for us (that’s you and me, California citizens) to get on this now and in the future. We also need to support the California Rifle and Pistol Association and the NRA when they challenge this nonsense in court.

According to Mr. Completely, you should “Get Your Registration and Reservations in ASAP.” They have blocked out rooms for Wednesday the 9th, through Sunday the 13th. Damsel and I have already made our hotel reservations and continue to plan the trip. We’re going to drive from the Los Angeles area and plan to make some touristy stops going and coming.

As for the GBR-IV event, we’re looking forward to meeting other attendees, participating in the events and activities, and, of course, winning one or more of the door prize drawings. Ride Fast and Shoot Straight has a rundown on some of the events and prizes.

A quick update to getting a Nevada CCW permit: We won’t have enough time to get through all the hoops required for a permit - however, we think that open carry may be do-able. I’ll continue to do the research, but this is on the OpenCarry.org website:

Nevada is a traditional open carry state with complete state preemption of firearms laws. However, Clark County (Las Vegas) is grandfathered so as to continue a “Deadly Weapons” registration scheme. Fortunately, Nevada law exempts travelers to and through Nevada from these registration requirements for 60 days.

Open carry seems to be allowed in vehicles and on one’s person as long as the weapon is visible. We’ll continue to evaluate this option.

Cross-posted from Cap’n Bob & the Damsel.

I didn’t get around to the one-year D.C. vs. HELLER anniversary which happened last week, so while it’s still June, I’ll mention it now. Happy Heller!

Later, we hope to be acknowledging a similar SCOTUS decision in the Chicago Gun Case. We’re not sure when the court will be hearing that case.

I am totally amazed (well maybe not, given the craven congressional leadership) that more than half of the House of Representatives went against the will of people of the United States and voted in favor of this piece of “shit” (quoting John Boehner).

As usual, Charles Krauthammer nails the problem . . .

Krauthammer’s Take on the Waxman-Markey bill:

Look, this bill is so bad it’s almost indescribable. It starts with what we heard Eric Cantor say. In principle, it’s a carbon tax. And to do it — which is probably the largest tax in American history — and to do it in the middle of a recession is quite insane.

But secondly, even if you accept that we have to do a carbon tax because there is an emergency in the climate, even so, what we have — the bill that we have today is an abomination — 1,200 pages, as you said, with a 300-page amendment dumped on people this afternoon today.

And it involves so many concessions to constituencies, to coal companies in states, to all kinds of favorite constituencies, that it’s a mess, and it undermines the idea of a cap and trade, a system in which the market will regulate carbon emissions.

As a result, in the final analysis, it gives money and carbon credits to utility companies on the condition that it does not raise rates on people’s electricity.

But if that is the case, then it undermines the entire argument in favor of this, which is to induce the reduction in the use of energy. If there are no rises in rates, there’s no incentive to reduce emissions, and the whole purpose of the bill is undermined.

Oh, and by the way, how can you call that thing on your face a nose, congressman Waxman? Rhinoplasty gone bad, maybe?

After the shoot today, I disassembled and cleaned all the guns and whatever else I could find that needed some cleaning. This clickable image shows most of the parts and items that got some cleanin’ up today.

One of my distant relatives borrowed my new SOG knife the other day to cut up some watermelon. I know, my bad for letting her use it, but there wasn’t anything else available and the Better Half cleaned it up for me. Today, I cleaned and lubed it with some CLP and it’s good as new.

As for the firearms, the parts here are from “Little Boy” (the Glock 26 9mm), the security gun (Remington 870 Express magnum 12 Gauge) and “Jerry Lee” (S&W 686 .357 magnum). Everyone is now nice and clean and either put away for next time, or within reach for “just in case.”

When I went to one of the local sporting goods outlets today, I was surprised to see eight boxes of .45 Auto ammunition on the shelf. I got the clerk to sell me half of them. They were not particularly cheap, either.

As a hedge against the shortage of ammunition, I add to the stockpile when funds and ammo are available. I scored some 9mm reloads a couple of weeks ago and some .357 magnum the week before. Now, while I don’t want to hoard ammo for the sake of having it on the shelf, I do want to be able to head off to the range on a regular basis for target practice as well as having an adequate supply of personal protection rounds, just in case.

In the clickable image to the right, you can see from top to bottom, lock box (valuables, not necessarily firearms related), handguns (various), handgun ammunition, long guns (4 shotguns, 2 12 and 2 20 gauge), Fat Man and Little boy (and magazines), 20 gauge shotgun cartridges and 12 gauge shotgun cartridges.

This was parked outside the local supermarket this afternoon - a really nice and shiny Harley-Davidson Road King. Inside the store I remarked to the Better Half, “I bet I know who owns that nice Harley.” I gestured toward a rather large individual making a purchase at the salad bar; he was wearing a leather vest with a large “Harley-Davidson” logo on the back and his wallet was fastened to a large, looping chain tethered to his belt.

I’m pretty sure I was right. Clickable image.

Target practice using Winchester 45 Auto 230 grain jacketed hollow point personal protection ammunition, that is. This is one of the magazines for “Fat Boy” loaded with 10 JHP rounds.

Due to a quirk in the ammo supply, these are the only .45 ACP ammo available at the local shooting range. Other sporting goods outlets in the area have Mother Hubbard’s Cupboards when it comes to .45 ammo.

So be it. We’re going to shoot these the next time we head over to the range.