OFCC Picnic

Went to the Ohioans for Concealed Carry picnic today.  It was the first time I've open carried other than at a gun range. Felt strange--my subconscious kept trying to tell me there was something wrong with my holster, I needed to fix it--kind of like having my fly open.   No soccer moms this year.

I got a couple of ideas for different holsters, and won a box of .380.  Speakers were OK, food was fair. Nikki Goeser was great for the first 20 minutes--I'm not going to tell her to shut up though, all things considered, she is doing well for herself and for gun rights.

Brady Rank

I was looking at the Brady Campaign's ranking of state gun laws. Like many anti-gun propiganda, there is a lot of deceptive wording. I decided to fisk Ohio's version. Brady indented, my comments in regular text:

ASSAULT WEAPONS
Are there limitations on assault weapons? No

Ohio - No state restriction on the sale or possession of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons. Assault weapons are as easy to buy as hunting rifles. Congress and President Bush allowed the federal assault weapons ban to sunset in 2004. See also: Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines

"Assault weapons" are as easy to buy because there is not a meaningful distinction between them. The expired ban covered things like grips, bayonet mounts, launchers for grenades (grenades remained tightly regulated) and flash hiders, and nothing that made them more dangerous.

BALLISTIC FINGERPRINTING
Must handguns be ballistic fingerprinted prior to sale? No

No state requirement that gun dealers or manufacturers provide police with sample bullets/cartridges or digital images of bullets/cartridges prior to the sale of a handgun, ballistic fingerprinting, which would assist police in tracing bullets at crime scenes to the guns that fired them.

Ballistic fingerprinting has proved to be nearly entirely useless in the two states that require it. In many years, only one case even used it, and was likely solved before the database was consulted. It does require registration, like many of these laws that the Brady Campaign thinks are needed.

CHILD ACCESS PREVENTION - CAP
Are gun owners held accountable for leaving guns accessible to kids? No

No state requirement that gun owners take responsible steps to prevent children from gaining easy access to their firearms. Gun owners are not held accountable for leaving loaded guns around kids, even if a young child shoots themselves or someone else with a gun left in plain sight.

Ohio can and does find people guilty of relevant charges when they neglegently allow children access to guns, although there is not a specific law covering guns. Most of these laws would effectively make it illegal to keep a gun ready for self defense in the home--this is part of the Heller supreme court decision.

CHILD-SAFETY LOCKS
Must locking devices be sold with guns? Partial

Ohio - Requires a licensed gun dealer to "offer" to sell a child-safety lock that is appropriate for the firearm being purchased, at the time a gun is sold. The law does not require the gun buyer to actually purchase, or use, the child-safety lock. Child-safety locks cost as little as $10 and could save lives if sold with firearms.

Not sure they are correct here. Every gun I have purchased at a dealer has come with a lock. One pawn shop I have seen has a sign that says all guns, even those being redeemed from pawn must have a lock, and if the customer does not have one they will provide one for $3.

CHILDPROOF HANDGUNS
Are only authorized users able to operate handguns? No

Ohio - There is no state law mandating that all new handguns be sold with 'personalized' handgun technology that would only allow the authorized user to operate the firearm. Childproof handguns play an important role in helping to prevent unintentional shootings among children and to deter suicides among minors.

This may be the biggest misstatement on the list of laws the Bradys think are a good idea. To the best of my knowledge, no guns are available with this technology. Although similar laws exist, they have the restriction of "when such technology becomes available" and are not in force yet.

GUN DEALER REGULATIONS
Must gun dealers adhere to state licensing and/or oversight systems? Partial

Ohio - No state laws exist requiring firearm dealers obtain a state license to sell firearms. Licensed dealers must report to law enforcement any firearm that is stolen from their inventory.

Federal dealer requirements still apply, as do the state laws for running a business. No idea what they think will be gained by having a separate state gun bureaucracy.

GUN MANUFACTURER ACCOUNTABILITY

Do cities have authority to hold gun makers legally liable? No

Ohio - State law forbids city and county governments from taking any legal action to hold gun manufacturers accountable, even when they act irresponsibly in the way they design, market or distribute weapons. No other industry enjoys such special immunity for irresponsible conduct. Individuals are also prohibited from filing certain lawsuits against the gun industry to hold them accountable for wrongful conduct.

Because of nuisance lawsuits,(example: suing Glock for irresponsible distribution when a gun they sold to police wound up in criminal hands) a relatively recent federal law would preempt any state law that allowed this. No other industry has had the repeated attempts to claim that they are responsible for being successful.

GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE
Are background checks required at gun shows? No

No state requirement that a Brady criminal background check be done on people buying guns at gun shows if they are sold by "private" individuals or gun "collectors." Gun shows can operate on a "no questions asked, cash-and-carry" basis, making it easy for criminals and even juveniles to buy as many guns as they want at gun shows, including assault weapons. No records are required to be kept on gun show sales by private individuals or gun collectors, making it almost impossible for police to trace such weapons if they are used in a crime.

The loophole is that the rules at a gun show are just like the rules everywhere else. It is illegal to knowingly sell to a juvenile or criminal, regardless of where. Dealers have to follow the same rules as in their own shops.

GUNS AT WORK
Are businesses forced to allow guns in the workplace? No

Ohio - There is no state law forcing employers or businesses to allow guns on their privately held property.

What they are objecting to in other states is giving employers the right to decide what is allowed inside employee's locked cars. I have mixed feelings here, because I am sympathetic to property rights, but I also think employees retain rights inside their cars.

GUNS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES
Are colleges/universities forced to allow guns on campus? No

Ohio - There is no state law forcing colleges/universities to allow guns on campus

I am actually surprised that they do not grade this one a partial--there is a law that requires campuses to allow concealed carry license holders to store their guns in their cars.

JUVENILE SALE
Is it illegal to sell handguns to anyone under 21 years of age? Yes

State law makes it illegal to sell handguns to juveniles under the age of 21 by unlicensed sellers. Under federal law, only federally licensed dealers are prohibited from selling or delivering handguns or ammunition for handguns to any person under the age of 21. A strong state law is needed to stop unlicensed persons from selling handguns to those under the age of 21.

This question is misleading-- makes it seem like some states allow minors to buy handguns. Federal law makes it illegal to sell to juveniles under 18.

LARGE CAPACITY AMMUNITION MAGAZINES
Are there limitations on large capacity ammunition magazines? No

Ohio - There is no state law restricting the sale or possession of large capacity ammunition magazines that can fire 30, 50 or even 75 rounds without reloading. Ammunition magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds of ammunition are considered large capacity magazines. These types of ammunition magazines are available for any firearm capable of accepting a detachable magazine, including assault weapons and semi-automatic handguns.

This should actually be a partial. Ohio law considers any gun that can shoot more than 31 rounds without reloading to be a machine gun--this makes a gun with a 30 round magazine subject to all the rules and restrictions of a machine gun, and effectively illegal for most people. You can posses the magazines, but you cannot use them. 10 rounds is an arbitrary limit from the expired 1996 assault weapons ban, and includes the vast majority of police and military handgun magazines. (I may have the exact number wrong here, it is around 30)

LICENSE OR PERMIT TO PURCHASE
Is a license/permit required to buy handguns? No

No state requirement that handgun buyers obtain a handgun license or undergo any type of safety training prior to buying a handgun.

True. However, the NICS background check still applies.

LIMIT BULK PURCHASES
Is there a one-handgun-per-month limit on sales? No

No state restrictions on gun-trafficking such as a limit on the number of handguns that can be purchased at one time. Gun traffickers can easily buy large quantities of handguns at gun stores and resell them on the street to criminals.

...in violation of federal law. Dealers are required to report multiple sales.

LIMITS ON CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMITS
May police limit carrying concealed handguns? No

Ohio - State law forces sheriffs to issue concealed handgun (CCW) permits to any applicant who can legally buy a gun and has minimal "training." People can carry hidden handguns in cars and into neighborhood parks, playgrounds, restaurants, shopping malls, etc.

Apparently the Bradys prefer a system where the rich and powerful can get licenses, and minorities cannot. Ohio has one of the strictest training requirements in the US.

Interestingly, this is what they have to say about California concealed carry law:

Police chiefs and state sheriffs "may issue" permits that allow people to carry concealed weapons if police believe it is in the interest of public safety. Anyone so approved by local law enforcement must undergo safety training in the legal and safe use of the weapon and there are limits in where they may carry such weapons.

Although licensing is discriminatory in most areas of California, there are far fewer restrictions on where the licensed can carry.

MICROSTAMPING
Must new semi-automatic handguns be sold with microstamping technology? No

Ohio - There is no state law requiring new semi-automatic handguns be fitted with microstamping technology, which would engrave on each fired bullet casing microscopic identifying markings that are specific to that firearm alone. This technology would provide law enforcement with another investigative tool to better solve gun crimes and apprehend armed criminals.

No state actually requires microstamping yet. California has postponed adoption because the technology does not work. Most microstamping laws have been proposed by the company that owns the patents.

PREEMPTION - LOCAL GUN LAWS
May municipalities enact law stronger than the state's? No

State law does not allow local cities or counties to enact local gun laws to regulate firearms that are stronger than state law or that fill loopholes in state law.

For example: some local jurisdictions restrict assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, hold adults responsible if minors have easy access to guns, require a handgun identification card, require gun dealers to be licensed and restrict Saturday night specials.

Preemption prevents a patchwork of often incompatible local laws. Before Ohio had preemption, one of my guns was legal for me to carry in Cincinnati but not Toledo, and one legal in Toledo but not Cincinnati. A traveller with a license would have to research laws in each town before each trip.

RECORD KEEPING
May police maintain gun sale records? No

State law forbids police from keeping any record of gun sales. Police are prohibited from maintaining gun sale records that could be used for gun tracing and criminal investigations. The state has no way of knowing whether people who bought guns in the past have become criminals and are no longer allowed to possess firearms. The lack of gun sale records also makes it very difficult to identify and prosecute gun traffickers or gang members that buy guns in bulk and resell them on the street.

It also makes future gun bans and confiscation more difficult. Registration again.

REGISTRATION
Are all guns registered with law enforcement? No

No state requirement that gun owners register their firearms, though they are required to report lost or stolen guns. Police do not know how many guns are in the state or where they are. The lack of registration data makes it more difficult for police to trace guns used in crime, identify illegal gun traffickers or hold gun owners accountable for their weapons. There is no state system to automatically identify and disarm felons and other prohibited people who bought guns legally in the past, but later committed a crime or otherwise became ineligible to keep possession of their firearms.

...although it remains illegal for the new felons to posses guns. Registration is a necessary requirement to confiscation.

REPORT LOST/STOLEN GUNS
Are firearm owners required to report all lost or stolen guns to law enforcement? Yes

Ohio - State law requires all firearm owners to report lost/stolen firearms to law enforcement. This requirement helps to keep illegal guns off the streets by removing the excuse used by gun traffickers that "lose" their firearms.

I am not sure if this law is true. Also not sure what it should accomplish unless accompanied by registration.

SAFETY STANDARDS
Are there consumer safety standards on guns? No

No state requirement that handguns meet any basic safety standards. No requirement that guns be sold with a child-safety lock or a built-in �personalized� lock to prevent unauthorized use. No requirement that handguns have loaded-chamber indicators or magazine safety disconnects that could prevent unintentional shootings. The state Attorney General is authorized to independently establish handgun safety standards, but has not done so.

Generic child safety locks are not very useful-I have not heard of anyone using one more than once. I have never heard of built-in personalized locks--that is what a gun safe is for. People are more likely to understand that you do not point guns at people no matter what than they are to understand each individual gun's loaded chamber indicator.

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIALS
Are there limitations on 'junk' handguns? No

No state restriction on the sale of Saturday night specials or "junk" handguns. No requirement that handguns meet any safety tests such as a drop-safety test or a firing-performance test. No restriction on the sale of snub-nosed handguns that are very small and easy to conceal.

The junk standards have little to do with quality--Many high-quality polymer framed guns have to get trivial modifications in order to avoid the federal imported "junk gun" standards. Most of these standards have nothing to do with accuracy, reliability or safety--examples are dimples on grips, adjustable sights and grooves on triggers are all things that make a gun "less junk". Most states allow concealed carry, so there is a legitimate purpose for small, easy to conceal guns.

SHOOT FIRST
Is deadly force allowed to be a first resort in public? No

Ohio - The state does not allow the use of deadly force as a first resort in public.

Another misrepresentation of "stand your ground" laws. Most of these allow deadly force when attacked by someone committing a felony, but do not allow you to shoot first in ordinary situations. Most of these laws also include a clause that prevents criminals or their families from suing after legitimate self-defense.

UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS
Are background checks required on all gun sales? No

Ohio - No state requirement that criminal background checks be done on all firearm sales. People buying firearms at gun shows, swap meets, or through newspaper or internet advertisements are not subject to a background check. Criminal background checks are only required if the buyer goes to a federally-licensed gun store - all other sales are not subject to the background check.

Universal background checks are effectively gun registration. I think "only required at a federally licensed gun store" is intended to be deceptive--all gun stores are required to be federally licensed.

WAITING PERIOD
Is there a waiting period on gun sales? No

No state requirement that there be a waiting period for gun sales beyond the "instant check" in federal law. Police are not given any additional time to run a criminal background check to make sure the gun buyer is not prohibited from acquiring firearms. There is no "cooling off" period to help prevent crimes of passion.

Extra checks? Is there anywhere that does more of a check than the NICS system? If the check cannot be performed instantly, the government has three days to perform it.

I have not understood the point of a cooling off period--It is only even potentially effective in a very narrow range of circumstances--someone hot-headed enough to think that shooting someone else is a good idea, but rational enough to gain control of himself before the waiting period ends, who does not have access to a gun, who has not ran into serious trouble with the law before.

Tourists and gunfire

I'm still going back and forth to middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania for work. The travel is already old, but the money is good. Stopped at a rest stop on I-80, and heard gunfire--Spaced out with a second or two between shots, rather than gunfight or Hollywood rate of fire. I thought "must be a gun range behind those woods...wonder how often it freaks out the tourists" A couple minutes later, I overheard an older looking guy on his cellphone calling 911 to tell them about the gunfire. A worker at the rest stop was walking by and told him there is a range behind the woods. There were only a couple of vehicles in the parking lot, and I'm pretty sure his was the one with New Jersey plates...

I found bulk .22!

On my way home from an interview, I stopped at a local gun shop and found bulk .22 in stock!

...at more than twice the price I paid last time I bought it, for 50 fewer rounds. Ouch.

Airsoft shot timer

I've played around with the idea of practicing with airsoft and a shot timer. I've got a cheap plastic spring-air Sig 226 replica, and a handful of XD holsters that I'm not going to use for anything else. The Airsoft fits the XD holsters well.

The first problem is that airsoft is nowhere near loud enough to trigger the shot timer. However, the timer can pick up the sound of the pellet hitting cardboard if the timer is close enough. Clipped to the back of the cardboard turns out to be close enough...

This leaves a second problem--The normal time between pressing the button and when the buzzer goes off isn't long enough to get to the "firing line" and positioned.

This is solved by using "par mode". I'm not sure exactly what it is meant to be used for (the instructions said it is rarely used anymore) but it gives a second beep, and measures the time after that. By setting the par time to 3 or so seconds, I get a total of 5 seconds to get positioned.

On the Pact Club Timer, modes are set by pressing both arrow buttons at once. One of the arrows sets the mode to instant, the other to delay. The next selection is "par time" mode--press the "go" button now if you don't want a par time. If you do want a par time, the arrow keys adjust the digit you are on, the "rvw" button moves to the next digit. I had to look this up, and it was harder than it should be to find--PACT doesn't appear to have the instructions on their website.

I'm more than likely going to make a proper pellet trap, rather than just a piece of folded cardboard. I'm also going to make it so I can use a semiauto bb gun, with protection for the timer--one drawback to the springair is that there's no way to do a doubletap. I'm also going to try to figure a way to push the go button remotely, without disassembling the timer.

Gun storage

Based on a recent post by James, I decided to do a post on gun storage.

There is a balance between cost, risk and accessibility for storing self-defense guns. I believe that merely hiding guns is irresponsible if they will be unattended. Adequate storage is relatively cheap, with a little bit of creativity. I'm not a fan of individual gun locks--they are great to keep young kids from getting hurt, but they don't do nearly enough to keep the guns from being stolen where the lock can be dealt with at leisure.

I don't yet own any long guns. I've got a pistol safe, mounted in a discrete location that makes it awkward to pry or cut. Most of our guns are stored there. (I'm being deliberately vague with specifics) Self-defense guns are stored loaded, recreational guns are stored empty. In my view, the risk of storing a loaded gun in a locked container is smaller than the risk of loading and unloading a gun frequently.

In the bedroom, I have a small digital-lock Brinks box, mounted and hidden. (Any portable lockbox should be mounted to something non-portable) It isn't as secure as the pistol safe, but it has the advantage of being quick access. The combination is more of a pattern--more digits than you might expect, but lots of repeat keystrokes, and I remember it by positions rather than number so I can do it in the dark.

With light, I can get my hand on a gun in the locked box in 4 seconds. about a second longer in the dark. If the first notice I have is when the attacker is already in the bedroom, even an unlocked container is likely too slow, but for most other circumstances, I can't think of anything faster with equal security. This box is primarily for my wife's convenience, and quick access is a secondary consideration. When I worked nights, she would often leave it open until I came home. If you are going to leave it open, I recommend putting your keys, cellphone or something you know you will take with you when you leave the house, to remind you to lock it before you go.

The guns are stored loaded, hanging from wooden dowels through their barrels, at an angle that leaves them easy to grip. The dowels are mounted to an angled hole in a piece of scrap plywood, which is in turn mounted to the box. I used fairly large dowels, and chucked them into a drill to sand them down to a caliber less than the gun barrel.
I also keep a few other things there--the hex wrench to tighten the belt clips on my holster, spare keys to things unrelated to guns, and the pocket holster for the Keltec.

90% of Mexican crime guns from US debunked

We've seen quotes implying that the ATF has confirmed 90% of recovered Mexican crime guns come from US sources. This is a perfect example of the "whisper-down-the-line" numbers used by anti-gun groups.

What was really said was that 90% of guns submitted for tracing were traced to a US source. What is ignored is that there are a lot of guns that obviously do not come from the US--These guns were not submitted. Guns made in or imported to the US have to have manufacturers or importers marks, making it fairly easy to determine that many guns do NOT have a US source.

If you include the total number of Mexican recovered firearms, about 17% were traced to the US. Honestly, that number surprises me, I would not have thought it would be that high.

Three percenters

Part of the purpose of the second amendment is to protect us against a government gone rogue.

This is a widely held belief among politically active gun owners--The argument is in defining rogue.

We've got the "three percenters" who think the current government is already rogue, and promise to respond to confiscation of their guns with armed resistance. The name comes from a claim that around 3% of gun owners will refuse to comply with a gun ban, to the point of armed resistance if necessary.

On the other hand, there are the people who say that Ruby Ridge and Waco prove that you can't stand up to the government, it will inevitably crush you.

Armed revolt is the nuclear option--its primary benefit is in deterrence. The balance of power is important--Small groups should not be able to stand against the government, but the government should not be able to stand against a majority who oppose it. The key here is majority. In order for armed revolt to be an honorable option, the government needs to have tampered with the election process severely enough that a majority voting for someone else isn't enough to unseat an incumbent. Corruption, Hanging chads, butterfly ballots, incumbent franking privelege are nowhere near severe enough.

Freedom of press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right to due process and to bear arms are all meant to work together to prevent such abuse by the government.

Media bias

Virtually everyone I've known, either in real life or on the internet who has first-hand experience with a newsworthy story says the media got it substantially wrong.

In some cases, it appears that they don't even try.

Compare this news story

Rocky River: Metroparks visitor settles dog fight with gun

with this version:

Dog Killed: Family Pup Shot Execution-Style While Walking With Owner In Metroparks.

From what I've been able to figure out: A man with a concealed carry license was walking his lab puppy in the park. Another man was walking a rotweiller, apparently an adult dog. The rotweiller got loose--According to its owner broke loose chasing a small animal. The rotweiller attacked the lab puppy (confirmed by the police) and after unsuccessfully trying to break up the fight, the lab's owner shot the rotweiller twice.

In my admittedly biased viewpoint, the first story is a bit anti-gun, but it at least includes more of the relevant facts.

The second version is astounding in its bias. No mention at all that the rotweiller attacked the other dog, or even that the shooter had a dog--Making it sound like the gun owner shot a loose puppy for no good reason, then ran away. (it is more likely he ran due to his "duty to retreat" from a confrontation with the rotweiller owner) Old photos and video of the rotweiller as a puppy, making it appear that the dog was still that size.

It would have been reasonable to bring up the legality of shooting the rotweiller-It isn't a perfectly clear situation since the rotweiller was attacking another dog, but I think the lab's owner will be able to claim he was in fear for his own safety, making his actions legal.

(HT to David Codera)

Gun laws vs. crime rates

I'm experimenting a bit with Google Docs. This spreadsheet shows a couple of charts, comparing Brady Campaign gun law scores by state, with crime rates by state. A scatter chart with a correlation should show a pattern-Generally the points would be scattered around a diagonal line. In this case, they are very randomly distributed, indicating very low to no correlation between restrictive gun laws and crime. (This is slightly disappointing--I would have hoped to see strict gun laws associated with more crime)

Goofy laws

A group of 5 republican representatives wants to reintroduce the expired and failed Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. So what's the problem? Why do normal people need these weapons? What is wrong with this particular laws, and gun laws in general? We keep seeing calls for "reasonable restrictions" on guns--Always MORE laws than we have now, never removing some of the current unreasonable ones. These rules are more often than not broader than their titles would suggest. Fairly often a non-gun person just doesn't understand the details, or has been actively mislead. Sometimes a law is minor, doing little to either fight misuse or to inconvenience gun owners--but it is one more chip at the foundation. 

An example: This is a picture of a Springfield Armory XD-40, a handgun in the $450-500 range. The highlighted area is a critical feature of the gun, according to the Gun Control Act of 1968. Based on a law theoretically designed to combat Saturday Night Specials, this particular gun would not be eligible to be imported to the US if this feature were removed. The critical feature? A thumb rest. Makes the grip a "target grip", worth 5 points on the silly points system used to determine the "quality" of an imported handgun, and giving this particular model just enough points. Most modern handgun designs with polymer frames have similar problems with getting enough import points, since having a steel or "HTS Alloy" frame is worth 20- 27% of the total points. Glocks are imported with cheap adjustable sights, most of which are removed and replaced with standard fixed sights before sale. The smaller Glocks have grooved "target" triggers (as does the XD in the picture) 

 OK, what about registration? Is it OK if the government lets you have most guns, as long as you let them know what you have? Gun owners mostly believe that the second amendment is an individual right, allowing ordinary people to own at least semiautomatic versions of infantry weapons, and that the primary purpose is to make tyranny harder. Some think we will need to rise up against the tyrant soon, others (me among them) think that as long as we have the ability to rise up, we will never need to. This leads to the conclusion that before a government can become too tyrannical, it is necessary to disarm the citizens. Even if the disarming is done with the best of intentions by a currently benevolent government, it makes a later tyrant more likely. Registration is a necessary first step before prohibition. Prohibition isn't (quite) an inevitable result, but it is a common one--First registration is required for a certain type of gun, then no more are allowed to be sold. Finally, the existing ones are banned, and the registered owners are contacted to give theirs up. The people wanting to ban all guns shift their efforts on the "worst" of whatever is left. Criminals aren't going to register their guns, so what legitimate government purpose is served by registration? As a result, most pro-gun activists are against registration, whether explicit or back door. Back-door registration is a system that claims to have some other purpose, but requires registration--Microstamping, eliminating the "gun show loophole", some parts of "safe storage" laws all require registration. 

 The "gun show loophole"--The loophole is that the rules at a gun show are exactly the same as anywhere else--Dealers still have to do background checks, just the same as if they are at their store. In most states, this means that private owners can sell to each other without paperwork. Many of the proposals to end the "loophole" require all gun sales to go through a dealer--This will add $20 or so in cost to every private sale, as well as ensuring that there are records of who owns what. Gun shows are not a significant source of criminal guns. Criminals rarely buy their guns from ANY legitimate source--Instead they are stolen, or the criminal convinces someone with a clean record to purchase for them, known as a "straw sale". 

"One gun per month" laws are meant to combat straw sales--but also require records to be kept. Safe storage laws put the liability for a stolen gun on the listed owner. These are often accompanied by a requirement that stolen guns are reported shortly after the theft. Enforcement requires registration. Almost all gun owners will report stolen guns as soon as they are discovered. How do the authorities tell the difference between an unreported theft and an unreported (but legal) sale? These laws may also make it difficult or impossible to legally have a gun ready to defend a household. New York and Maryland both have a requirement to submit a fired cartridge from each new gun to be included in a database. This has been in effect for 7 and 8 years respectively. The data has been used in just one conviction in Maryland, with allegations that the case was already solved before the database was consulted specifically so there would be a "solved case". New York has yet to use the database in a conviction. It doesn't do any good to know that a particular gun was used in a crime without a way to cross-reference to an owner. 

 Micro-stamping means that the firearm must be designed to imprint a coded serial number on each ejected cartridge. To be effective, this requires registration. It also complicates manufacture--not all designs are amenable to micro-stamping, and it is trivial to defeat with simple hand tools. So far, micro-stamping is a patented technology, and it is unknown what the licensing terms will be, or if the terms will be evenly applied to all. 

 Ammo serialization means that each bullet and cartridge is marked with a number unique to that box of ammo, and sellers would have to record who a particular box of ammo was sold to. Some versions of these laws would require all non-serialized ammo to be destroyed within a certain time period. This would significantly increase the cost of most ammunition-more than likely .22 ammunition would more than double in price. 

 Buying from a dealer requires a NICS background check and ID. It is a felony to lie on the 2273 form, and the form asks you questions that determine if you are elegible. Even this law is mostly wasted--Less than 1% of failed background checks result in a law enforcement investigation and arrest. Either the background check is rejecting innocent people, or not enough people are being arrested. If we aren't going to use the laws we have consistently, do we really need more?

Family gun safety

Keeping guns while keeping your children safe takes a bit of planning, but doesn't require extreme expense or difficulty.

Childhood gun accidents are rare, and there are usually common contributing factors. If you pay attention to the details, you'll see things like drugs, prior police or children's services investigations, a convicted criminal living in the house, an unemployed boyfriend watching children from a previous relationship, subsidized housing or a trailer. (Most of these links fit multiple categories) Child accidents in stable middle class homes are even more uncommon, by a good bit.

Keeping children safe is relatively simple--you never leave a gun unattended even momentarily unless it is locked. Note that I don't specify loaded or unloaded. To do this while retaining a reasonable ability to use the gun for defense is a little harder, but still within reason. In general you trade access time for child-resistance.

The easiest and most effective method that I am aware of for handguns is to use a digital combination lock box or safe to store guns that are not holstered and under the direct control of an adult. You will need an extra 3 to 4 seconds to get the gun out. I have a small Honeywell box from Walmart in the bedroom, mounted to a wall and hidden. I have a larger Stack-On box mounted on high shelf in a closet as the main storage. If I were to start over, I'd get one of the smaller Stack-On boxes instead of the Honeywell. Either will do fine to keep a small child out, the Stack-on will slow a thief down a bit longer. Gun shops sell dedicated quick-access boxes, similar in concept, a bit sturdier, possibly a little faster to access. I'm told you should get the ones with a key backup--no personal experience.

If quick access is not needed, then a locking toolbox or locked closet are other options. Locking gun cabinets capable of holding long guns start around $80. Again, not enough to protect against a determined thief, enough to keep a child from getting hurt, as long as you do not leave keys around. Anything short of a full-sized fire-resistant gun safe should be attached to a wall or the floor.

If a handgun is used for defense, it remains loaded while locked up--There is little advantage to unloading for storage, and several additional risks. Negligent discharges are more likely the more a loaded gun is manipulated, and loading the same round of ammunition many times in a semi-automatic can result in the bullet being shoved too far into the case. When fired, the shoved-in bullet can create extra pressure, enough to burst the barrel and potentially injure the shooter. (Yes, you could just discard that round, but premium ammo is a bit expensive to do that often. It is OK to reload a round a few times--I partially empty the magazine, chamber the next round, then re-load the magazine)

Trigger locks are fine as extra protection for recreational guns, but aren't a good idea on defensive guns. They are slow to unlock, do not prevent theft, and they cannot be safely used on a loaded gun. I don't bother with trigger locks on my guns, since mine are stored in a locked container.

Be regular in your habits. If you carry, put the gun in a safe place as soon as you unholster. I don't have kids in the house, and don't lock my carry gun up when I take it off if I will be home with it--it becomes my "nightstand gun". However, I do put it in the same place every time. When I get dressed, or if guests come, I either put it back on or lock it up.

At some point when they are old enough to be curious children should be allowed to see your guns, unloaded and under close supervision to remove the mystery. Many gun owners have a dividing line--Once a child begins shooting a real gun (or in some cases an airgun) they are no longer allowed to play with toy guns, and must follow the four rules with all guns, even toys.

(Suggestions welcome in comments)

Answering various comments I've seen in regards to the Tennessee church shooting:

A gun would not have made a difference, it is insane to think otherwise

It is probably correct that a gun would not have helped in this peculiar instance, but there are special factors involved--Primarily the previously-mentioned hero, Greg McKendry. From what I know of the events, without him the tragedy would have been much worse. Heroes with enough balls to stand up against a shotgun while unarmed are in extremely short supply. Minor heroes brave enough to return fire when armed are much more common. I think I could be in the second category under some circumstances, but I don't see myself up to Mr. McKendry's stature.

I have yet to hear of a legal civilian armed defender who has made a situation like this worse.

The Unitarian church has an anti-gun policy. It is possible that this influenced the shooter, (whose name will remain unmentioned and unremembered here if at all possible) or at least its choice of targets--These types of shootings take place disproportionately where guns are not allowed. (Which brings me to....)


You are blaming the victims
The blame lays 100% on the slime with the shotgun. There was nothing the U/U church did to deserve this--Neither their gun policies or their gay-rights policies are to blame. Additionally, this sort of thing is so rare that absent a specific threat, specific preparation is not warranted.

It is irresponsible to have guns around children

In the presence of children, guns must be either securely locked or under the secure, direct and continuous control of an adult. Most holsters qualify. Most purses do not. In a huge majority of children's gun accidents there are obvious contributing factors, including a criminal living in the house, a significant case file with Children's Protective Services and/or domestic violence. Injuries are rare, injuries in normal, law-abiding middle class homes are extraordinarily rare.

You are using a tragedy to further your agenda

"After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it."--William Burroughs.

This tragedy is no exception. The shooter used a hunting shotgun, apparently still equipped with a magazine artificially limited for hunting. "We aren't after your hunting guns"--What restrictions would have prevented this, without severely infringing the rights of the law-abiding? There is good and evil associated with guns. The good outweighs the bad, even if it is not as visible.

Greg McKendry was a Hero

Greg McKendry was a hero. He was the unarmed member of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church who stood up and protected fellow members from the creature who came to kill. Apparently he was the first to resist, shortly followed by others who tackled the creature and kept him from killing more.

I don't know much about Mr. McKendry, don't know how he lived his life. Based on his last seconds, I strongly suspect honorably. The world would be a better place with more like him, and it is a poorer world without.

Reluctant new shooter

I took a new shooter to the range Sunday, and nobody got hurt. This is pretty much despite her efforts... I've never had such a hard time getting someone to understand the concept of keeping a gun--A loaded gun even--Pointed in a safe direction. I told her "watch your muzzle" at least 6 different times in an hour or so, and she wasn't the only one shooting.

I won't be so patient next time (with someone else--I don't foresee a next time with her)-I'll tell whoever I take about this trip, and that if similar happens, I'll pack up and go right away. Once or twice from a new shooter I can understand and accept, since I was able to stop her before she pointed at someone. Much more than that is either unwillingness or inability to learn.

Balancing rights

Roberta X had a post on gun rights vs. property rights that finally helped me figure out how to justify my gut feelings.

I believe in both property rights and gun rights. My gut feeling was that in general, businesses shouldn't be allowed to ban guns from their parking lots, but I couldn't justify it with my views on property rights.

After reading Roberta's post, there are several things that are important and provide support for my gut.

First and most important is that corporations are not people, and the limitations on corporate liability come at a price of limiting corporate rights.

Second is that areas open to the public are different than private areas of a business, even if corporate owned. This includes to a lesser degree employee lots without access controls.

Finally, you retain property rights to your car, even when it is on someone else's property.

This boils down to a corporate owned public parking lot having virtually no rights to either ban guns or to search your car for them. A privately owned lot has a bit more rights, but they still can't search your car unless you have explicitly agreed--A sign saying "subject to search" is not an explicit agreement.

I think guns in corporate owned public areas not in a car are somewhat protected, but there are limited circumstances where they can be banned--bars and gun shows should be able (but not required) to ban carry. This needs to be with explicit assumption of liability, and at least some steps to minimize risk.

Corporate owned private areas, and individually owned public areas are where I think the balance tips toward the property owner. A corporation may ban guns from 'areas not open to the public without specific invitation'. Even here there are some areas where rights go the other way--They cannot restrict a trucker from having a gun locked in his truck (unless they provide storage) even if others in the area are restricted.

Why I carry

In my normal, day-to-day life, I am at a very low risk of being physically attacked. I think it unlikely that I will ever use my gun to fight back against an attacker. So why do I carry? I want to have the right and ability to carry, separate from whether I chose to carry on any particular day. This is as much political as personal--I'm more concerned with the right than the few times I go where there is a significant chance of attack. Concealed carry by decent people benefits society--Where concealed carry goes to "shall issue"*, crime goes down faster than average. This is probably due to concern by criminals rather than criminals getting stopped by license holders--This decrease starts with the enactment of the law, before significant numbers of licenses are issued. Getting the legal and practical ability to carry (Training, license and gear) is the hard part. Once that is done, the incremental cost of carrying on any particular day is very small. The risk that I'll need it on a particular day is also fairly low, but the penalty for guessing wrong could be very high. In many ways, it is the same as a smoke detector--If you thought you would need a smoke detector, you wouldn't stay there even if there were 10 of them. That doesn't mean you don't keep them in your own house. If I need a gun to go there, I don't go. *Shall Issue is when licenses are granted based on objective criteria, including a clean criminal record, often a training class. "May issue" is when licenses may be issued, but there is no requirement that someone meeting the criteria be issued a license. Instead you have to convince the Sheriff that you are worthy. In some cases, political affiliation, campaign contributions and being the appropriate race are the primary criteria.

How prepared is enough?

In the online gun community, preparedness for every situation is well-discussed. People of course advocate carrying a gun, but many also advocate carrying spare ammo for the gun, a backup gun, and sometimes spare ammo for the backup. A high-quality assisted opening knife is also a must, plus several classes at elite gun training schools. All this is used to fight your way to your trunk or armored saferoom, where you keep a bug-out-bag that has a combat rifle with at least 15 fully loaded 30 round magazines, and supplies to live for several days. If you take this sort of thing that seriously, you have not only crossed from prepared to paranoid, you are now spending your time preparing for disaster instead of living. If you are not law enforcement and there is any significant chance that you will need more than 15 rounds of ammo, you probably need to make some changes to your lifestyle. I'm not saying that everyone who trains hard is paranoid. If shooting is a hobby and training is part of that, it is no more paranoid than a race car driving school. So what is enough? A basic gun safety course, preferably with live fire--The NRA course that most Ohio CCW trainers use is a good start, although with 10 hours of classroom time, some extra should be covered. 2 hours range time is decent, if it isn't split with one instructor and 15 students. You should have some training or practice in fast "close enough" shooting--have someone else signal when to start, and shoot 5 fast shots at a paper plate (or even better an IPSC target) at about 7 yards. If you miss the plate (or A zone) often, you are going too fast. If your shots are all centered in the plate, you are going too slow. Working with a shot timer is an added bonus--Time does funny things, and what feels like half speed may drastically improve accuracy with a minor increase in time. "You can't miss fast enough to win". If you will carry, it makes sense to do some practice from the holster--This is hard to do with live ammo, because most ranges won't allow it. I really can't argue with that rule, there are lots of people who shouldn't draw and fire unsupervised. I'm lucky that my club range allows "known action shooters" to shoot from the holster. You can also get some benefit from practicing with an empty gun, or even better an airsoft or BB gun. If you get a chance to shoot IPSC, IDPA or even Cowboy Action shooting, you will learn a lot in a few matches. These are sports designed aroudn scenerios--you will draw, fire and move around on the clock, and your score is based on time, with time added for poor accuracy. Much beyond that should be considered only if it is fun--If it isn't enjoyable, you should look at other ways to improve your safety. For strict time and cost-effectiveness, I should get a car with airbags before I spend money on self-defense stuff--I've been in far more car accidents than violent assaults.

CCW class audit

My brother-in-law recently figured out he could get his CCW, despite a colorful past--None of his "youthful indiscretions" were serious enough for him to fail a NICS check, and from what he's told me, none should give him problems with a license. An added problem is that he grew up as a migrant, and can't read. We convinced my mother in law to go also--She can't read either, so my wife and I went along to help them with paperwork and such, even though both of us already have our licenses.

I found the instructor online. I'd talked with him briefly at his shop, and thought he would get along with my BIL. I'd explained the situation, asked about sitting in, and he said it would be fine. Day of class, it changed to us sitting in if there was still room.

He would be OK for someone who already knows what they need to and just needs the course certificate with minimum hassle, but he was not the right one for someone who needs to actually learn.

Misinformation:

Claimed it was illegal for a CCW holder to keep a loaded gun in a locked container under your seat. Ohio law says the container must be either locked OR in plain sight. I questioned this, read the part of the book that explained and he was all "I'm the expert here" about it. I didn't continue to argue, but he kept on the subject for a few minutes.

Was wearing a Concealed Carry badge to carry next to your gun. Technically legal, but the long-term gun guys I've talked to are about 95% against. Said that someone irresponsible wanted one, he refused to tell them were it came from. (Google search turned that site up as the first result)

Claimed that Extreme Shock was the best ammo ever, made out of powdered titanium (according to him). This ammo only does well when tested by people involved in selling it--In independent tests it is well below average, despite the cost of nearly $2 per round.

Said that carrying a gun where a business has posted signs against is only a $60 fine--Like a ticket. Advocated carrying a gun into a rest stop, despite the law, and didn't mention that it is a felony.

If he were injured by violent crime where guns were banned, or if a policeman violated his rights, "I would OWN them. I would OWN their ass!!!!" Probably 5 different scenarios caused him to say this, always at least twice.

A .22 will bounce around inside the body and cause more damage. (Um, no. )

Range time was mostly with a scoped .22 that malfunctioned often. He did have a variety of other guns of various calibers. The range was 25 yards--Not his fault, but fairly difficult to actually see what you are doing at that range. I got to shoot a Keltec PF-9, a gun I've been considering. Recoil was less than I expected, so I may get one later.

Gun cleaning was "Here's some Hoppes, oil and Q tips, go to it".. No explanation, no organization.

Maybe 6 hours was spent actually teaching. That is probably enough to cover the minimum course requirements, but since Ohio requires 12 hours of attendance, there is no reason not to use it.

I won't be recommending him over a random instructor advertised on a telephone pole.

Marko gets it right again:

The number of casualties at the site of an attempted mass shooting is usually determined by whether the gun used to stop the killer is already at the site, or whether it must be carried there in the holster of a police officer.

(Text by Marko, links mine)