Good to see another one of the Chicago suburbs give up on the futile gun bans. Hopefully if enough suburbs give up on gun bans then the leaders of the Communist Party of Illinois will give up their hold on Chicago.
Updated 7/29: Morton Grove repeals landmark gun ban
July 29, 2008
By Nick Katz nkatz@pioneerlocal.comMorton Grove trustees Monday threw out the village’s historic handgun ban.
But Trustee Georgianne Brunner, the only one to vote against the repeal, said she may be back with a proposal to require Morton Grove residents to register guns with the village.
The 5-1 vote repealing the 27-year-old ban on possession of handguns in the village came in a packed council chamber while news cameras clicked and a large number of reporters scribbled.
Unlike the usual village board meetings, Monday’s was covered by radio, television, daily newspaper and national wire service reporters as the village joined some other Chicago suburbs that have or plan to repeal similar bans.
Morton Grove gained national attention in 1981 when the handgun ban, the first in the nation, was approved during a series of contentious meetings that brought out both supporters and opponents of gun control.
The measure, challenged by local lawyer Victor Quilici, withstood a court challenge and was upheld by a U.S. Court of Appeals. The U.S. Supreme court declined to hear an appeal of that decision.
But in a June 26 ruling in a Washington D.C. case, District of Columbia v. Heller, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld, in a 5-4 vote, the right to have handguns at home for protection. It also said that regulations such as requiring that guns be disassembled or have trigger locks are unconstitutional.
The NRA-ILA Site Updates also chimed in on this subject
After court ruling, towns rush to repeal gun bans
In 1981, this quiet northern Chicago suburb made history by becoming the first municipality in the nation to ban the possession of handguns. Twenty-seven years later, Morton Grove has repealed its law, bowing to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that affirmed homeowners` right to keep guns for self-defense.
Related posts
Assault Weapons Ban Confusion (0)
Heller yeah… (0)
U.S. Supreme Court Oral Arguments McDonald v. City of Chicago (0)
Ammunition Accountability (2)
Positive Gun Story… (0)
Fox News is reporting Heller is back at it. Heller and two others filed a federal lawsuit against Washington DC for having overly restrictive gun regulations, now that the gun ban has been overturned.
Gun Ban Plaintiff Dick Heller Files New Lawsuit Against Washington, D.C.
Monday , July 28, 2008
WASHINGTON —AP
The plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned Washington’s 32-year-old handgun ban has filed a new federal lawsuit against the city.
In a complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court, Dick Heller and two other plaintiffs allege that the city’s new gun regulations still violate rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
The lawsuit cites the District of Columbia’s unusual ban on firearms that carry more than 12 rounds of ammunition, which includes most semiautomatic handguns.
The suit also claims that the city’s regulations make it all but impossible for residents to keep a gun ready for immediate self defense in the home.
The Supreme Court struck down Washington’s handgun ban June 26. The D.C. Council passed emergency legislation July 15 in an effort to comply with the court’s ruling.
Related posts
Assault Weapons Ban Confusion (0)
Another one Bites the Dust (0)
Assault Weapons Education (1)
Positive Gun Story… (0)
I did not think I would live long enough to see the day… (0)
This is Part III in a series, to read this series from the beginning see: Choosing a New Gun Part 1 and Choosing a New Gun Part 2
I acquired a couple of 40 S&W caliber handguns to try out. The first was a Springfield XD Sub Compact, the second was an H&K P2000 (standard size). Both of the guns had a good feel to them in grip and in balance.
First up was the Springfield XD 40 SC
I ran a target out the the 7 yard line and put a few test rounds through the gun. For a target I used an Alco Transitional Target I [TRS-I US Treasury Silhouette 14" x 20" Blue], for ammunition I used CCI Blazer Brass.
Observations
The Springfield XD had no mechanical issues, fed, fired and ejected every round on cue. The gun was very loud, most of this is due to the 3″ barrel, so be prepared for a rather loud report if you decide to shoot an XD compact.
The grip was a little short, but this was cured with the addition of a Pierce Grip.
First 9 rounds fired out of the gun put a 5″ group on the paper. (4″ group if you do not count the one flier round).
Results
I ran another hundred or so rounds through the gun to try out different drills, such as weaver, strong hand, and weak hand. Overall the Springfield XD performed well, with the exception of the loud report.
Next up was the H&K P2000 40
I ran a target out the the 10 yard line and put a few test rounds through the gun. For a target I used a USPSA cardboard target, for ammunition I used CCI Blazer Brass.
Observations
The HK P2000 had no mechanical issues, fed, fired and ejected every round on cue.
The grip felt a bit small in diameter, but this was cured by changing out the backstrap to the larger size.
First 12 rounds fired out of the gun put a 4″ group on the paper at 10 yds (removing the flier towards the bottom the group becomes a 3″ group).
Results
I ran another hundred or so rounds through the gun to try out different drills, such as weaver, strong hand, and weak hand. Overall the P2000 demonstrated good performance and accuracy.
Related posts
Choosing a New Gun Part 2 (0)
Choosing a New Gun Part 1 (0)
Assault Weapons Education (1)
Assault Weapons Ban Confusion (0)
You guns belong on foreign battlefields… (0)
This week I was at the indoor range shooting and noticed a couple of other people who were there shooting wearing a particle mask (dust mask). This piqued my curiosity as I wondered why these people were wearing dust masks.
Shooting for Lead Poisoning Even with all the education about lead-based paint, lead poisoning is still found in children. One often unrecognized source of lead is indoor shooting ranges where the air can be contaminated with lead dust.
Inhaling air containing lead dust can result in high blood lead levels. The dust can also be brought home on clothes. This can cause secondary lead poisoning, particularly in young children. The highest blood lead levels the Baltimore City Health Department ever recorded were in an attendant who regularly swept up in an amusement park shooting gallery. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0816/is_n10_v9/ai_6885050)
The shooting-team coach was asymptomatic for lead exposure; in January 2002, he sought BLL testing from his health-care provider after reading about potential lead exposure at firing ranges. The BLL test result of 44 µg/dL was reported to EPHP in accordance with the Alaska lead surveillance system, which requires laboratories to report all BLLs >10 µg/dL. An epidemiologic investigation by EPHP revealed that the man was the chief range officer and shooting-team coach for firing range A, which was used primarily by adolescents. In February 2002, EPHP tested BLLs for all seven members of the shooting team, who were aged 15–17 years. The mean BLL was 24.3 µg/dL (range: 21.0–31.0 µg/dL). BLLs for 14 nonshooting family members were significantly (p<0.05) lower (mean: 3.5 µg/dL; range: 1.0–7.0 µg/dL) (Table). EPHP advised parents of the team members that their children should discontinue use of the firing range.
Range A, an indoor firing range, was used by the shooting team on school property in a multipurpose building that also housed a hockey rink. A utility fan located near the bullet backstop ventilated the range; no formal range maintenance protocol was observed. An environmental evaluation performed in May 2002 by an independent environmental and engineering consulting firm concluded that the range and its ventilation system were contaminated with lead dust. Three months after their initial testing, the four shooting-team members available for retesting all had lower BLLs; their levels declined from 29 to 16 µg/dL, 23 to 11 µg/dL, 22 to 16 µg/dL, and 21 to 14 µg/dL (retest mean: 14.3 µg/dL; range: 11–16 µg/dL) (Table). Range A was closed for 1 year, during which time the building was renovated, and a new ventilation system was installed.
This study indicates the problem is not so much in the shooting activities but rather in the ventilation system of the indoor range. I checked recently with the indoor range I normally shoot at, I was glad to find out that the range has a high quality negative pressure ventilation system. This evacuates the lead dust and other contaminants to reduce ingestion.
For those who are the belt and suspenders type, you may wish to wear a particle mask. Just make sure you use a mask that will be effective. Lead dust is not mitigated with a regular particle mask, a HEPA mask required to protect against lead dust.
Respirator: If you are creating lead dust or fumes while working, you can breathe in the lead particles and get lead poisoning. A HEPA respirator prevents you from breathing in dust that may contain lead, but it will not stop fumes. This is not the same as the thin particle mask that many construction workers wear. The difference is that this has a HEPA filter that traps even the smallest lead particles and it should fit your face snugly with no gaps where air can get in around the mask. Some people cannot wear a respirator for medical reasons.
Related posts
Man arrested carrying weapons at hotel where Speaker Pelosi was staying. (0)
CHL / CCW and Law Enforcement (0)
Assault Weapons Ban Confusion (0)
U.S. Supreme Court Oral Arguments McDonald v. City of Chicago (0)
The Patriot Shop — Gun Free Household sticker (0)
This is Part II in a series, if you have not read Part I it can be found here Choosing a New Gun Part 1
Searching the Internet for information is a bit like getting on a telephone “party line” and asking for an opinion. I spent several hours researching the various calibers for a carry gun and finding a lot of opinion, conjecture, and supposition.
There were several interesting sights offering various bits of data, mixed with conjecture. One of the best quotes I found during the research was on The Box O’ Truth
People often say, “I think…”, “I suppose…”, “I bet…”, when discussing facts like penetration of ammunition.
There is only one way to know how much a certain round penetrates.
You must shoot it into a medium and see for a fact.
Results found: 9MM penetrates slightly more (one additional sheet of plywood) than 45ACP
I visited several other websites that had were of the same opinion (9mm fast, 45 slow). A few websites, however, proclaimed the 40 S&W as a good mix of the two.
After a couple more websites, with ballistics results, I started to understand Ayoob’s comments about ”Morgue Monsters and Jello Junkies.” There was a seeming endless, sometimes contradictory, stream of data available.
.40 S&W 155 grain Federal Hi-Shok JHP, 1/7/91:
Test Gun Barrel Length Velocity Bare Gelatin Clothed Gelatin Penetration Expansion Penetration Expansion Glock 22 4.5″ 1167 fps 13.75″ 0.61″ 19.50″ 0.51″ .40 S&W 165 grain CCI/Speer Gold Dot JHP, 11/17/97:
Test Gun Barrel Length Velocity Bare Gelatin Clothed Gelatin Penetration Expansion Penetration Expansion SIG P229 4″ 1076 fps 13.05″ 0.65″ 15.80″ 0.60″ .40 S&W 165 grain Federal Tactical HydraShok JHP, 2/27/97:
Test Gun Barrel Length Velocity Bare Gelatin Clothed Gelatin Penetration Expansion Penetration Expansion H&K USP 4″ 1007 fps 13.85″ 0.62″ 15.15″ 0.64″
After all of the reading and research, I decided it was time to get a 40 S&W caliber firearm and go to the range.
Related posts
Choosing a New Gun Part 3 (0)
Choosing a New Gun Part 1 (0)
Assault Weapons Ban Confusion (0)
You guns belong on foreign battlefields… (0)
The 5th Amendment rights vs. police investigations (0)
