Shortshots

Multiple-Victim Shootings: Were People Left Defenseless?
March saw three multiple-victim public shootings: the Atlanta courthouse attack that left four murdered; the Wisconsin church shooting, where seven were murdered, and a high-school shooting in Minnesota, where nine were murdered.

John R. Lott, Jr., a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and author of The Bias Against Guns and More Guns, Less Crime, has asked: What can be learned from these attacks?

He argues that the events require different responses, but he notes the common thread between them: The lack of an armed citizen response.

He wrote, The lessons from the courthouse shooting are likely...

S&Ws New Products 2005: Interesting Choices In Store
The January 2005 SHOT Show saw longtime revolver maker Smith & Wesson introduce a range of firearms products ranging from the Model 460XVR (eXtreme Velocity Revolver) to the extension of the 1911 pistol series. Strolling through the S&W booth brought on a feeling of extreme anti dj vu - utter surprise at the companys rebound from a few years ago, when gunowners were boycotting the firm.

But it seems time heals all wounds, and the 2005 new Smith products suggest the company is following an ambitious expansion plan.

Said Mike Golden, Smith & Wessons president and chief executive officer, We are actively exploring c...

Gun Makers, Gun Owners Win Two Major Victories in Illinois
Illinois gun owners won two large battles toward the end of 2004. In a closely-watched court case, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that firearms manufacturers are not responsible for Chicago street violence or of knowingly supplying guns to criminals. The city of Chicago sued 18 gun manufacturers, four distributors and 11 dealers - asserting the firearms industry is liable for causing a public nuisance - and demanded $433 million for health care costs and city emergency expenses.

And on the legislative front, Illinois lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to give new legal protection to homeowners who use a banned handgu...

Sporting estate fights zoning law that has closed its range; British violent crime figures spike.

U.S. Olympic Team Comes Home Light on Medals
It is no secret that USA Shooting had huge expectations for one of the most experienced Olympic Teams it has seen in a long time. With a goal of six medals going into the Games, USA Shooting wanted to reiterate just how strong this years team looked.

[IMGCAP(1)]But the Olympics are their own type of animal, one that cant be predicted or controlled. And although earning three Olympic medals - two gold and one silver - is a very successful showing for many countries, its an underachievement for the United States.

USA Shooting had a few blatant disappointments throughout the very intense eight days of Olympic competition in Ath...

Records Release: ATF Wont Supply Data on Illegal Firearms Use
Congress has stopped a federal agency from releasing records on guns used in crimes and may prevent their release in lawsuits against the gun industry as well.

[IMGCAP(1)]The congressional ban on public releases of firearms-tracing data, placed in the current Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives budget, has led the agency to conclude it cannot answer basic questions about gun crimes.

Because its information derived from licensed dealer records, we are prohibited from releasing that information, explained Gerald Petrilli, ATF chief in Denver. The ATF maintains a database of guns that have bee...

Legal Opinion: NRA Qualifies As Media Under Election Laws
Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association of America has announced that a formal legal opinion asserts that NRAnews can legally and lawfully perform as a news media company and, thus, qualifies for the media exemption from campaign finance-law restrictions.

In part, the opinion says:

We are of the opinion that NRAnews should be deemed a media company and therefore is entitled to distribute news stories, commentaries and editorials that both mention federal candidates and advocate the election or defeat of a federal candidate. Under the relevant campaign finance laws, media companie...

At Gun Tests, we evaluate firearms and give you a thumbs-up or thumbs-down rating based on how the guns perform. Wouldnt it be nice if you could find a shooting range as easily?

Gun-Suit Reform Law Progresses
Since October 1998, 33 cities and the state of New York have brought lawsuits against gun makers and retailers seeking to hold the companies responsible for the misuse of their products. More than 35 major private suits have also been filed since 1998. Funded with millions of dollars from George Soros, the Brady Campaign (and its predecessor Handgun Control) has paid for much of the legal costs behind these suits.

The goal has not been to win these legally weak cases but rather, with so many simultaneous suits, to bankrupt these companies through massive legal costs. Unfortunately, despite most of the city suits having been knocked out on pret...

Assaulting the 1994 Ban
With the first sniper trial of John Muhammad getting started, the one-year anniversary recalls the horrors and fear. There are also legislative attempts underway to ensure that it never happens again. Two Democratic presidential candidates, Congressmen Richard Gephardt (D-MO) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), have used the anniversary to introduce legislation demanding that the federal assault weapons ban be renewed and expanded before it expires next year. Lawmakers in Maryland are now requesting that over 40 different guns be added to the list of banned assault weapons. Legislators in other states are following suit.

[IMGCAP(1)]In the gun-control debate,...

CDC Advocates More Gun Studies
A federal review of the nations gun control laws - including mandatory waiting periods and bans on certain weapons - found no proof such measures reduce firearm violence. A task force of scientists appointed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted the review.

The CDC said the report suggests more study is needed, not that gun laws dont work. But the agency said it has no plans to spend more money on firearms study - good news.

Gun-rights advocates have said that the CDC should limit itself to studying diseases, and some have complained in the past that the agency has used firearms-tracking data to push gun control. In f...

The shocking murder of City Councilman James E. Davis has stirred New York Citys council to consider at least 11 new gun-control laws; Mayor Michael Bloomberg set new rules on guns at City Hall soon after the attack. Yet the vast majority of these rules would never have prevented Davis murder - and many would actually make future similar crimes more likely.

City politicians dont realize who will be obeying their new laws - mainly law-abiding citizens, not criminals. Remember: Davis killer, Othniel Askew, owned his handgun illegally, and brought it into City Hall illegally.

The mayors solution is to ban off-duty and former cops from carrying guns in City Hall. But why trust officer...