Obama's Power Grab to Ban Ammo in Full Swing. Only YOU Can Stop Him!

In a familiarly troubling pattern, the Obama administration’s wanton crusade against the Second Amendment marches on.  You must act NOW if we are to stop them in their tracks!

In an attempt to suppress the acquisition, ownership and use of AR-15s and other .223 caliber general purpose rifles, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) is moving to ban a whole class of common rifle ammunition with a radical reinterpretation of a nearly 30-year-old law regulating so-called “armor piercing” ammunition. The BATFE’s new “Framework” would prohibit the manufacturing, importation, and sale of M855 ball ammunition, one of the most popular cartridges for the AR-15, the most popular rifle in America.  The Obama Administration's repeated attempts to outlaw the AR-15 and other firearms have been unsuccessful, so they're attempting to do what they see as the next best thing--ban one of the most popular types of ammunition the AR-15 uses.

Urge Your Lawmakers to Sign the Congressional Letters to ATF!

In an effort to thwart BATFE's attempted action, NRA has worked with U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to draft letters to BATFE expressing the lawmakers' opposition to the proposed framework. Use our online tool to strongly urge your lawmakers to sign the letters and protect our Second Amendment rights by putting a stop to this action!
WRITE YOUR LAWMAKERS

To thwart BATFE's attempted action, NRA has worked with members of both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to draft letters to BATFE expressing the lawmakers' opposition to the proposed Framework. Efforts in the House were led by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.  To read a copy of the House letter, please click this link.  Efforts in the Senate were spearheaded by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  To read a copy of the Senate letter, please click this link.  NRA would like to thank Rep. Goodlatte and Sen. Grassley for their leadership and quick action on this critically important issue.

NRA will be submitting its own detailed comments to BATFE in opposition to the ban and is continuing to work with Members of Congress on legislation that will put a stop to this abuse.

It cannot be overstated--gun owners and other affected members of the public must act now to help ensure BATFE does not get away with this latest attempt to deprive Americans of ammunition for their favorite rifle and to squeeze ammunition markets between converging bans on both lead and non-lead ammunition.

BATFE is accepting comments on their proposed ban and will consider all comments received on or before March 16, 2015.  Please be sure to submit your respectful comments in opposition to the ban.

Comments will only be considered by BATFE if received by March 16, 2015. They may be submitted in any of three ways:

1. Via email at APAComments@atf.gov (follow the instructions at the link for submitting comments).
2. Via fax at (202) 648-9741.
3. Via mail to Denise Brown, Mailstop 6N-602, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Enforcement Programs and Services, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 99 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20226: ATTN: AP Ammo Comments.

For more detailed information on how you can submit your comments to BATFE online, please click this link.

Finally, please contact your U.S. Representative and urge him or her to sign Rep. Goodlatte's letter, and please contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to sign Sen. Grassley's letter to OPPOSE BATFE's proposed "armor piercing" ammunition Framework.  To contact your lawmakers by phone, please call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or click here to Write Your Lawmakers.

Stop ATF's Ammo Ban: Urge Your U.S. Representative to Sign Congressional Letter to ATF on Proposed Ammo Ban

As NRA has been reporting since the night the news broke, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) is moving to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding gun owners with a drastic reinterpretation of a nearly 30-year-old law regulating so-called “armor piercing” ammunition. So draconian is BATFE’s new “Framework” that it would prohibit the manufacturing, importation, and sale of M855 ball ammunition, one of the most popular cartridges for the most popular rifle in America, the AR-15. Not coincidentally, the AR-15 is among the firearms the Obama Administration has unsuccessfully sought to outlaw. If they can’t ban the pie, so the thinking apparently goes, they might at least get the apples.

In an effort to thwart BATFE's attempted action, NRA has worked with U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to draft a letter to BATFE expressing the lawmakers' opposition to the proposed Framework. To read a copy of the letter, please click this link.  

According to the letter, “The idea that Congress intended [the ‘armor piercing’ ammunition law] to ban one of the preeminent rifle cartridges in use by Americans for legitimate purposes is preposterous.” It goes on to state that the law “should be construed in accordance with the American tradition of lawful firearms ownership, as protected by the Second Amendment.” This includes due consideration of “the many legitimate uses Americans make of their firearms including target practice, hunting, organized and casual competition, training and skills development, and instructional activities.“ The letter concludes with several pointed questions for B. Todd Jones, BATFE’s director, including why the agency bypassed the Administrative Procedures Act in proposing such a radical change to its prior interpretation and enforcement of the law.  

NRA will also be submitting its own detailed comments to BATFE in opposition to the ban and is continuing to work with Members of Congress on legislation that will put a stop to this abuse. 

In the meantime, gun owners and other affected members of the public must act now to help ensure BATFE does not get away with this attempt to deprive Americans of ammunition for their favorite rifle and to squeeze ammunition markets between converging bans on both lead and non-lead ammunition. BATFE is accepting comments on their proposed ban and will consider all comments received on or before March 16, 2015. 

Please be sure to submit your respectful comments in opposition to the ban. For more detailed information on the proposed ban and how you can submit your comments to BATFE, please click this link. 

Finally, please contact your U.S. Representative and urge him or her to sign Rep. Goodlatte's letter and to oppose BATFE's proposed "armor piercing" ammunition Framework.  To contact them by phone, call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or CLICK HERE TO WRITE YOUR LAWMAKERS.

Zero wait time for handguns proposed

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At a Glance

Wisconsin is one of 10 states, as well as the District of Columbia, which have laws requiring a waiting period to buy guns, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Waiting periods range from 24 hours to two weeks.

RACINE — State Sen. Van Wanggaard wants to get rid of the state’s 48-hour waiting period to buy handguns, a law supporters say gives people in emotional distress a needed cooling-off period.
Wanggaard, R-Racine, said the original intent of the waiting period was to give gun dealers enough time to complete a background check. Now that information is digitized and background checks can be done nearly instantly, a 48-hour waiting period amounts to a “time tax,” he said.
Handgun purchasers would still have to pass a background check to prove they can legally have a gun.
“An individual that is able to lawfully possess a firearm, they’re restricted — why?” Wanggaard said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Cooling-off periods

It makes sense to some — like Luann Simpson, program director at the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Racine County.
Simpson said NAMI isn’t necessarily opposed to the bill, but feels waiting periods can help tamp down impulsive behavior.
A suicidal person, for example, may be able to pass a background check and get a handgun. But if they had to wait a few days, they would have time to rethink or have a chance for an intervention, Simpson said.
“If I could pass a background check and get a gun immediately, I’m more likely to make that suicide attempt than if I had to wait three days to get a weapon,” she said.
A waiting period is also helpful for people struggling through a cycle of domestic violence, said Laura Cutilletta, senior staff attorney for the California-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
“If you introduce a waiting period into that cycle,” Cutilletta said, “you may save somebody’s life.”
Wanggaard doesn’t buy the argument that waiting periods help prevent violence. He asked rhetorically if the state should put waiting periods on buying baseball bats, razor blades, steak knives or other items that can be used to cause harm.
“If somebody has the thought of doing something, they’re going to use whatever is at their fingertips at the time they make that decision,” he said.

Dealers can still refuse

Ten states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring a waiting period to buy guns, according to Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The organization did not have statistics comparing states with waiting-period laws to those without them.
Wanggaard, a former police officer, said it used to take several days of digging through records to determine if someone could legally possess a firearm. Even then, the checks weren’t as thorough as they are now, he said.
He added that dealers still have a responsibility to ensure guns stay out of the hands of people who can’t legally possess them — like people with a felony conviction or some suffering from mental illness.
“If a dealership feels there is any issue, they just won’t allow the individual to purchase,” Wanggaard said.
The Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety has scheduled a public hearing on the bill at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the state Capitol.

The AR-15 vs. The .22 LR – What’s the Best Rifle For Survival?

in Rifle Reviews

When it comes to survival preparation, the more planning you do, the better. Tightening up your survival plans now is much better than being left defenseless and out in the cold later. And no good survival defense kit is complete without a smart and sensible firearm.
While many people choose to stock up on several firearms for their survival kits, others just don’t have that kind of money or the resources. That’s why we’ve tried to help you narrow down the rifle debate by taking on one of the largest firearms debates below. We are talking about the debate of the two most popular survival rifles, the AR-15 and the .22 Long Rifle.

So which gun is better for survival, the AR-15 or the .22?

The pitch for the AR-15 as a top choice:
The AR-15 is one of the most popular survival guns on the planet. Essentially a semi-automatic version of the M-16, this gun is a great choice whether you select the classic Colt AR-15 or a variant model by a different brand.
One of the biggest things that the AR-15 has going for it is its ease of use and accuracy. It is a powerful gun but this does nothing to take away from its handling. It is a gun that almost anyone can learn to use and use well. Increased firepower is nothing if you don’t know how to use it.
Furthermore, the AR-15 is more than powerful enough to get the job done. Instead of standard cartridges, it is best to use metal-jacketed, lead alloy core bullets with a 10 grain hardened steel penetrator tip inside. Though more expensive, these bullets are far heavier duty and greatly improve the AR-15’s ability to puncture hard targets such as a steel helmet.
Finally, the AR-15 is a reasonably affordable option when it comes to a semi-auto rifle. The gun itself can be found for a reasonable price. Stocking up on the ammo is economical as well.
Check out the video below for a great breakdown on why some other survival experts feel this is a great option.

Now that we’ve given you the basic run down on the AR-15, let’s take a look at the other side of the coin with the 22.
The pitch for why the .22 is your best bet:
The .22 has been gaining steam in survival and self-defense circles as of late. Though it is very different than that AR-15, many people have made the claim that it is the best survival gun on the market.
Part of the reason that the .22 is such a popular survival pistol/rifle is that is just so versatile. It can be used for anything from self-defense to hunting large game to primary offense. In addition, numerous advancements have been made in the past few years including higher velocity bullets and higher quality .22 rifles and pistols.
Another excellent benefit of the .22 for survival is that almost anyone can use it. Despite being a powerful gun, it has very little recoil. Anyone, even a small child, can shoot the gun accurately and reload quickly. Better yet, ammunition for a .22 is very cheap and compact. This allows you to stock up on a whole lot of it without breaking the bank.
Checkout the video below for more information on why one of our favorite youtube channel hosts feels that the 22 can be a perfect survival caliber.

So Which is Best?
As far as these things go, both the AR-15 and the .22 are great survival options. It all depends on your personal preference and individual needs. Each gun will better suit different people. Let’s break it down depending on the category and also what we feel if we had to choose the only rifle we could grab one from our safe.
Winner on Cost:
The .22 Long Rifle wins on cost, as long as you can actually find ammunition. Picking up a rifle like the Ruger .22 can be a great option and will usually run you under 300.00 at any major retailer.Some stores will actually offer the Ruger 10/22 under 200.00.
The 22 rifle is one of the best choices around cost, availability of parts and ammunition (everyone has one) and mobility (easy to carry and store large amounts of ammunition).
Winner based on stopping power:
The AR 15 wins here as the caliber itself has a much higher velocity than the 22 LR. It’s used by most law enforcement agencies and the military for a reason.
Most people just starting out don’t realize that the bullet size of an AR-15 (.223 or .556 caliber) is actually about the same size as a 22 LR bullet. It has a lot more powder in the shell and packs a much bigger punch than the 22 LR, but it also costs significantly more than a .22 rifle both in the actual cost of the gun and the cost of ammunition to go along with it.
Wrap Up:
If you are looking for something that can act as not only a rifle that has stopping power for survival in an urban warfare position, the AR-15 is a great choice. It can be a little more expensive to equip with accessories like red or green dot sights, but it’s a great option for anyone with some experience shooting a gun.
If you are looking for something to take down small game and just need an entry level gun, the 22 rifle is an outstanding choice. Beginners should always start with a .22 rifle in our opinion but working up to an AR-15 is always a good choice if you have both the money and experience to handle one.
Bottom line is that there are dual rifle cases out there for a reason, and if you can afford both, you should have each in your arsenal readily available. But if you only gave me the option to pick one, I’m taking my Ruger 10/22 and I’m never looking back.

 

Gov. Greg Abbott: ‘I will make Texas the 45th State to Allow Open Carry’

During his 2015 State of the State Address, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made it crystal clear as to what his intentions are with respect to open carry.
“Let me briefly follow up on a word I mentioned a moment ago–liberty. In a single word, it encapsulates what the country stands for, what Texas symbolizes,” said Abbott, according to Breitbart News. “I will expand liberty in Texas by signing a law that makes Texas the 45th state to allow Open Carry.”
Abbott’s unflinching support for open carry is arguably a hot dagger in the eye of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, the Bloomberg-funded coalition that has been fighting tooth and nail to persuade restaurants and corporations to ban the open carry of firearms on their premises.
With an open carry law on the books, the hope is that the practice becomes more widespread and mainstream in the Lone Star State.

AR-15 Can Cannon

The Can Cannon is one of those AR-15 accessories that are totally non-essential while at the same time being a must have.
To quote DemolitionRanch, “Um, yeah this thing is awesome. If you own an AR15 you need to buy this now, and no one paid me to say that.”

The Top 5 Turkey Guns for Under $500

Turkey season is right around the corner. Although you don’t have to have a shotgun that is dedicated to turkey hunting there are a few options that will help. When I am looking for a turkey gun I have a set of requirements. These are just my opinion on them and we know what they say about opinions! Here are the things I look for:

• 12 gauge 3” or 3.5”
• barrel length 24”or 26” for maneuverability
• Cammo or Matte finish
• Easy to mount an optic or rifle style sight

The 12 gauge should be self explanatory. Unless this is for a youth, a 12 is the way to go. I prefer a 3” shell to the 3.5”. I do not feel the longer shell and extra shot outweigh the cost of the ammo and the added recoil. Also, the shot tends to be moving a bit slower due to the added weight.
Turkeys have great eyesight, they see a lot better than we can. Cammo for the hunter is a must for hunting turkeys. I don’t think it is a must for your shotgun, but it can’t hurt. At the very least you want one that is not going to shine and sparkle in the sun like vampires in tween movies.
I prefer an optic or rifle sights on a turkey shotgun. These guns with the proper chokes are capable of taking a turkey out to 40 yards or a bit more. The head on a turkey is small and the bead found on typical shotguns really doesn’t cut it. We want a bit more precision here.
Here are 5 solid scatter guns that will do the job if you do your part. Some of the MSRPs will be over $500 but the street price is typically well under that.

The Mossberg 500 Turkey

The base model of the Mossberg turkey gun. Other stocks and triggers are available.

This one even has Turkey in the name! Mossberg makes two models of this gun, one with an adjustable trigger and one without. They come with a 24” ribbed barrel and are finished in Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity. Mossberg outfits these with adjustable fiber optic rifle style sights and they come with an extra full choke already installed. You can get different stock options if you are a fan of the thumb hole stock or an adjustable one similar to an AR. The MSRP is $496 and $538 for the adjustable trigger model.

The Winchester SXP Turkey Hunter

Winchesters pump turkey gun points like a rifle.

Winchester calls this “a shotgun that points like a rifle.” I shot one of these on range day at SHOT Show this year, and it does feel and point like a rifle. That is a good thing when talking about turkey guns. Winchester has these outfitted with adjustable fiber-optic sights and they are drilled and tapped for optics. The Turkey Hunter comes dressed in Mossy Oak Break-Up Country camo. The 12 gauge is chambered for 3.5” shells or shorter and has a 24” barrel. The MSRP is $519.

The TriStar Raptor ATAC Turkey

Yes it is ugly, but it is a lot of gun for under $500.

This is a turkey gun that is made in Turkey. With that logic you can’t go wrong! I reviewed a Tristar Raptor a couple of months ago and was rather impressed with the quality of shotgun you get for the price. This is the only semi-auto on this list to stay under our $500 limit. If the quality of the one I reviewed is the same across the Raptor line, this is a bargain. I will admit it is pretty damn ugly though. Hopefully not too ugly to scare away turkeys. Or maybe it will ugly them to death. The Raptor Turkey has a 24” barrel, 3” 12 gauge chamber and has a Mossy Oak Break-Up stock and forend. It also has a pistol grip, picatinny rail and adjustable sights. The MSRP is $489.

The Benelli Nova

The Benelli Nova is a great pump action shotgun.

This is not a shotgun that is marketed by Benelli to be used as a turkey gun. But we can pick a Nova that will fit our needs for under the $500 mark. If you have not worked the action on a Nova you should give one a shuck the next time you are in a store that has one. These are nice, smooth pump actions that are known for being strong and reliable. All of the 12 gauge Novas are chambered for 3.5” shells. The MSRP on the black synthetic is $449 and Real Tree camo is available for about $100 more. These will need the addition of a rail to get us the optics for busting turkey heads. There are a number of aftermarket options for this that are well under $100 bucks.

The H&R Pardner Turkey Gun

The H&R Pardner. Basic, but functional.

It is hard to beat the reliability of a single shot break open shotgun and the H&R is no exception. And what if you want something bigger than 12 gauge? The Pardner is available in 10 gauge if your shoulder is up to the challenge. The stock on the Turkey Pardner has a wood stock that is covered in a camo pattern and comes with a sling. They come with a bead front sight but are drilled and taps for bases. The best part is the price. A new H&R Pardner Turkey Gun can be had for right around $300.
So there are 5 solid turkey guns that will not break the bank.  Yes, I know I left some version of the venerable Remington 870 off the list.  Maybe that was blasphemy. What are your thoughts?