Viewpoints

Gov. Sonny Perdue is considering signing a bill that would allow Georgians to carry concealed handguns onto trains and buses and into restaurants that serve alcohol. The bill passed Georgia's General Assembly on the last day of the 2007-08 session. Under the bill, Georgians would not be allowed to carry concealed guns to athletic events, churches, political rallies or bars, but they could carry them onto trains and buses and into state parks, historic sites…

The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) has asked sportsmen to contact Meijer, a Michigan-based regional chain of retail superstores, and demand that it dissolve its partnership with the anti-hunting group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), in an online pet photo contest. Meijer refused a U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) request to abandon the partnership, said USSA senior vice president Rick Story. …

Some thoughts on the new 327 Federal cartridge. I read the recent article on the Ruger SP101 chambered for the new cartridge. I noticed the bullet diameter is 0.312 inch and the case length is about 1.2 inches. This sounds a lot like the 30-caliber carbine with a rim. After all, the 30’s bullet diameter is only .04 inch smaller and shoots a 110-grain bullet at around 1400 fps from a handgun. I love shooting my Ruger Blackhawk in that caliber. I realize the Blackhawk has a longer barrel. Out of a rifle barrel, the 30 Carbine is doing about 2000 fps. I’ll bet the 327 Federal would do about the same.

Some thoughts on the new 327 Federal cartridge. I read the recent article on the Ruger SP101 chambered for the new cartridge. I noticed the bullet diameter is 0.312 inch and the case length is about 1.2 inches. This sounds a lot like the 30-caliber carbine with a rim. After all, the 30’s bullet diameter is only .04 inch smaller and shoots a 110-grain bullet at around 1400 fps from a handgun. I love shooting my Ruger Blackhawk in that caliber. I realize the Blackhawk has a longer barrel. Out of a rifle barrel, the 30 Carbine is doing about 2000 fps. I’ll bet the 327 Federal would do about the same.

…Both candidates said they support and respect an individual's right to own guns, but the positions they endorsed -- an ‘assault weapons’ ban, expanded police access to federal gun-trace data, and keeping guns out of the ‘wrong hands’ -- are straight out of the gun-control play book.

…Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has worked to assure uneasy gun owners that he believes the Constitution protects their rights and that he doesn’t want to take away their guns.

…While Green Bay Packers fans continue to debate whether Brett Favre will ever come back to play, the iconic quarterback has just finished filming two new commercials that will debut nationally in a few months.

Volokh's compilation of state constitutional guarantees of gun rights is interesting reading – particularly Pennsylvania’s very clear language dating from 1776 and 1790.

…Are the two Democrat candidates misrepresenting their positions on gun rights to gain an edge in the Pennsylvania Democrat primary?

Gun manufacturing volume rose slightly from 2005 to 2006, BATFE records show. The ATF’s latest Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report (AFMER) provides valuable insight into the performance of individual companies and the type of firearms they produce. ATF embargoes the data for one year, so 2006 is the latest data available. Total firearms production in 2006 increased 3.3 percent, following a 4-percent uptick in 2005. Pistol and rifle production increased the most in 2006, while shotguns posted a slight increase, and revolvers a 14-percent decline. In 2006, Remington Arms Co. outpaced other U.S. firearm manufacturers by slightly more than 175,000 firearms to top the Gun Tests list of the Top 5 U.S. Manufacturers. This is the sixth straight year Remington has achieved the number-one ranking, making only long guns. With 603,279 firearms, Remington led Mossberg (425,761), Smith & Wesson (408,095), Sturm, Ruger (403,272), and Savage (122,438) in total manufacturing.

Gun manufacturing volume rose slightly from 2005 to 2006, BATFE records show. The ATF’s latest Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report (AFMER) provides valuable insight into the performance of individual companies and the type of firearms they produce. ATF embargoes the data for one year, so 2006 is the latest data available. Total firearms production in 2006 increased 3.3 percent, following a 4-percent uptick in 2005. Pistol and rifle production increased the most in 2006, while shotguns posted a slight increase, and revolvers a 14-percent decline. In 2006, Remington Arms Co. outpaced other U.S. firearm manufacturers by slightly more than 175,000 firearms to top the Gun Tests list of the Top 5 U.S. Manufacturers. This is the sixth straight year Remington has achieved the number-one ranking, making only long guns. With 603,279 firearms, Remington led Mossberg (425,761), Smith & Wesson (408,095), Sturm, Ruger (403,272), and Savage (122,438) in total manufacturing.

WASHINGTON -- As Moses, Charlton Heston thunderously rallied his people with the Ten Commandments in hand. The tablet of his political life was carved with something else - the Second Amendment.Heston was not just the public face of the gun-rights movement but a good deal of the fire in its belly during a transformational time in the decades-old debate. He lived to see Democrats running away from a cause they once embraced, scared…