ACLU, NRA Affiliates Join Forces In Texas: The actions of several district attorneys in continuing to prosecute law-abiding citizens who carry handguns out of sight inside their vehicles, without CHL's, has prompted an unexpected alliance between the Texas affiliates of the NRA and the ACLU. Now, critics of the district attorneys are backing legislation that would sidestep such issues. A bill before the Texas House would treat personal vehicles like homes, where people are entitled to keep handguns without a license. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/us/politics/05guns.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=us&pagewanted=all --- Missouri May Dump Pistol-Purchase Permits: The House agreed Tuesday to get rid of a state law requiring people to obtain permits from their local sheriff before they can get a handgun. Supporters say the state process simply duplicates the checks already required by federal law. Sponsoring Rep. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, said only about a dozen states still have state-level requirements beyond the federal ones. http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/17021032.htm --- Bill To Raise Nevada CFP Fees Dies In Committee: A bill that backers said would have protected Nevada's exemption from a federal gun law failed on a 6-6 vote Friday in the Assembly Judiciary Committee over concerns that it would be vetoed by Gov. Jim Gibbons because of his stated opposition to fee increases. Under the measure, the fee for an application or renewal for a concealed weapons permit would increase from a maximum of $60 to as high as $125. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Mar-24-Sat-2007/news/13374130.html --- Meanwhile, In Utah...: The Salt Lake Tribune editorializes for Utah CFP fees to be raised to cover the actual costs of processing the permit applications, emphasizing that the majority of Utah CFP's are held by non-residents. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5579029 --- It's By The Children: All handguns stored in Maine would be required to have trigger locks under a bill drafted by Portland middle school pupils and presented at a legislative public hearing on Monday..."Passage of this bill will make Maine a safer place from accidental deaths and shootings," said Lennie Schwartz. http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=148224&zoneid=500 --- Louisiana Rally For RKBA: About 60 people packed into Lorant's Sporting Goods today for a Second Amendment rally. They listened while National Rifle Association officials, U.S. Sen. David Vitter and U.S. Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal, both of Louisiana, spoke about recent gun legislation and politics. http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070404/BREAKINGNEWS/70404028 --- Ed Koch Rats Out Rudy Giuliani: "Rudy, who had supported gun control as mayor, but now seeking the support of the Republican anti-gun control ranks, says his support for controls only related to New York City. Not true, since he supported the Brady Bill, which applied gun controls to the entire nation...He spoke in favor of a licensing system for gun owners that would require trigger locks and firearms training, and he lobbied Congress to outlaw most military-style assault weapons..." http://blogcentral.jpost.com/index.php?cat_id=7&blog_id=60&blog_post_id=1002 --- Mitt Romney, Lifelong Hunter: To hear Mitt Romney talk on the campaign trail, you might think the Republican presidential candidate had a gun rack in the back of his pickup truck...Yet the former Massachusetts governor's hunting experience is limited to two trips at the bookends of his 60 years: as a 15-year-old, when he hunted rabbits with his cousins on a ranch in Idaho, and last year, when he shot quail on a fenced game preserve in Georgia. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20070404-1055-romney-hunting.html Related Commentary: http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article-3640--0-0.html --- Oops, Wrong House: A California man, armed with a knife, who attempted to sexually assault a female homeowner when she returned home, was fatally shot when the off-duty deputy sheriff was able to reach her service pistol. http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=26253 --- California Man Arrested For Shooting Car Thief: A south Sacramento man who told police he was defending his property was arrested early Wednesday after shooting a teenager who was allegedly trying to steal his car, authorities said..."What we try to stress to people is that deadly force, the use of a firearm, is never justified under any circumstances to protect property," said Sgt. Matt Young of the Sacramento Police Department. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17952308/from/RS.1/ --- Los Angeles Joins Anti-RKBA Campaign: The Los Angeles City Council went on record Wednesday in support of four state gun-control bills dubbed the "Shooting Victims Bill of Rights." One of the bills, introduced by Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, would require all new semiautomatic handguns to be equipped with microstamping technology by the start of 2010. The technology marks a gun's make, model and series number on spent shell casings. http://www.nbc4.tv/news/11522079/detail.html --- Quebec To Seek More Firearm Restrictions: Premier Jean Charest's minority government hopes to pass a new gun-control law when the legislature resumes early next month...The bill aims to limit to the use of restricted firearms, such as the semi-automatic weapon used by Kimveer Gill during his shooting rampage at Dawson College last fall. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=6d2f2dae-fb4e-4a69-a1af-ef7fc8c6552d&k=84204 --- Remington To Be Sold: Remington Arms Company, Inc. the only manufacturer of both firearms and ammunition for Hunting, Law Enforcement/Security, Government & Military applications in the United States, announced that it will be acquired by an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. as part of a definitive agreement between Cerberus and RACI Holding, Inc. for an estimated value of $370 million (which includes the assumption of all of Remington Arms Company, Inc.'s approximate $252 million of funded indebtedness related to the Revolving Credit Facility, 10.5% Senior Subordinated. http://www.pr-inside.com/remington-arms-readies-for-3rd-century-r86354.htm --- From A Recent Law-Enforcement Bulletin: CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUNS The continuous reloading and chambering of the same round may cause catastrophic failure in semiautomatic handguns. Current Information - The Security Force at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, recently reported on the catastrophic failure of a semiautomatic handgun when it was fired. The internal explosion caused the frame to break while the slide and barrel separated from the weapon and traveled down range. No one was injured in the incident. An investigation revealed that security personnel were repeatedly charging same round of ammunition into the chamber. Technical personnel at Glock, Inc. advise that repeated chambering of the same round may cause the bullet to move deeper in the casing, further compacting the propellant. When a normal cartridge is fired, the firing pin hits the primer, igniting the propellant. When the propellant burns, the gas pressure drives the bullet out of the case and down the barrel. However, if the propellant has been compacted, the pressure may increase beyond the gun's specifications, causing the weapon to break apart. Sigarms, Inc.'s personnel confirm that reloading the same round five or six times will cause problems, noting that reloading the same round even once will void their warranty. Both manufacturers stress that the prob-lem is not with the gun, but with chambering the same round repeatedly... (I don't believe that the powder needs to be compacted for this phenomenon to occur - it should only require that the available space inside the case be reduced.) -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .