1. Require dealers to obtain an ammunition seller's license and to collect a buyer's thumbprint, name, drivers license, address, phone number and date of birth.
2. Make handgun ammunition inaccessible to customers.
3. Transfer of handgun ammunition must be done face-to-face.

Fine, #1 and #2 are just annoyances, but what about #3? Requiring handgun ammunition to be transferred in person effectively bans all mail order and Internet sales of handgun ammunition. Right now you can count the number of places where this is the law on one hand and the motivation put forward is to improve the enforcement of other laws and aiding investigations. As long as you can order ammunition through the mail, then criminals will be able to buy ammunition for the guns they aren't suppose to own. So if a criminal doesn't obey one law surely they'll obey this other law if we pass it. Right?

That's the ultimate problem with laws trying to control firearms and ammunition. The only ones who abide by the rules are those of us who are law abiding to begin with. Criminals can't own guns, but they still find ways to obtain them. Now criminals won't be able to buy ammo online, but does anyone believe they'll have trouble obtaining ammunition illegally for their illegally possessed weapons? The criminals go on breaking the law and the rest of us are saddled with more regulations, rules, hoops to jump through and higher prices. What would be next, a background check and 10 day waiting period for purchasing ammunition like we have with firearms?

Funny thing is there's nothing in the law about the components used to manufacture ammunition, those will still be available through mail order and the Internet. So even if this passes, criminals could order bullets, cases, powder, primers, dies and a nice progressive reloading press and assemble their own ammo. Actually that's what I'm thinking of doing. How backwards is this state that the laws they try to pass encourage individuals to think like criminals.

I'll be mashing my F5 button this weekend on this page: AB 962 Status

AN ACT EXEMPTING FROM FEDERAL REGULATION UNDER THE COMMERCE CLAUSE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES A FIREARM, A FIREARM ACCESSORY, OR AMMUNITION MANUFACTURED AND RETAINED IN MONTANA; AND PROVIDING AN APPLICABILITY DATE.

If you aren't too familiar with interstate commerce, I found this excellent analysis of the original purpose for the federal government's power of regulating interstate commerce. The power to regulate was not meant to be on the actual items themselves, but the imposition of tariffs by states on each other and with foreign countries. If State A imports widgets from State B and State C, it would be harmful to state relations to allow State A to impose a tariff on the goods from State B and not on State C. State B could retaliate on State A and C with its own tariffs. It doesn't matter what the widget is, it is the actual "commerce" and "trade" that needs to be regulated.

The federal government has developed lots of powers using interstate commerce as a justification. Let's look at the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. In United States vs. Lopez, the government argued it could ban firearms in schools because possession of a firearm there would lead to violent crime which would cause damages, increase insurance rates and then spread to the greater economy there by affecting interstate commerce. The Supreme Court struck this down in 1995 because it gave the federal government nearly unlimited power to regulate anything that might eventually lead to violent crime. The powers of the federal government are enumerated in the Constitution and the court found that possession of a handgun was not a commercial activity or even remotely related to one.

So what's all this have to do with Montana? The law Montana passed makes firearm regulations justified by interstate commerce moot. If the federal government wanted to impose a 50 cent tax on each round of ammunition, it would use interstate commerce as a justification because that ammunition could move over state lines. Remember, there is no enumerated power given to Congress that specifically gives it the power to regulate ammunition. The Montana law says that if the ammunition is manufactured, sold, possessed and used in Montana, then the federal government has absolutely zero power to regulate that ammunition.

This is big. Utah and Texas have similar laws going through their state legislatures. States are telling the federal government that they want them to go the hell away. This isn't just about firearm laws either. The DEA has been prosecuting people here in California for marijuana violations even though the state okay'd medical marijuana over a decade ago. A similar law passed here could say that all marijuana grown, sold and used for medicinal purposes in California is exempt from federal law. This isn't about what issues you agree or disagree with, this is all about state rights and fighting back against unenumerated powers held by the federal government.

I truly believe the founding fathers never intended the government to wield such far reaching powers and any movement back towards the idea of putting the federal government in a box and leaving everything outside that box up to the states is okay with me. It will be interesting to see what happens with these laws and how things go down in the Supreme Court when they're eventually challenged. Something tells me the bureaucrats won't cede their power quietly.

Let's take one hypothetical situation, tweak the parameters a few times and see what effect the different parameters have on the outcome of an event like a public shooting.

Constant conditions:

• 1 large room with 1 door and no windows
• There are 20 people in the room
• A man enters the room armed with two semi-automatic pistols and extra loaded magazines with the intent of murdering everyone in the room (public shooters are overwhelmingly male so that was intentional)
• The gunman has the element of surprise and has a pretty good idea about who will be occupying the room

Situation #1: All 20 people in the room are members of law enforcement armed with Glock 21 .45 semi-automatic pistols.
Result #1: The gunman enters the room and begins firing immediately. By the time officers identify the gunman as a threat and neutralize the threat, several of them have been struck.

Situation #2: All 20 occupants of the room are normal citizens. 2 of the occupants have concealed weapon permits and are carrying semi-automatic pistols concealed on their person.
Result #2: The gunman enters the room knowing that someone could potentially have a concealed weapon. He cautiously opens fire as he does not know who might be armed. Both armed occupants draw their weapons and neutralize the threat. Several occupants were struck including one of the armed occupants.

Situation #3: All 20 of the occupants are normal citizens. State law either prohibits all weapons in the building and the surrounding area or concealed carry is explicitly illegal everywhere. The gunman, who has premeditated the murder of everyone in the room, breaks this law when he pulls into the parking lot with the firearms.
Result #3: The gunman enters the room and begins methodically murdering the occupants of the room. The gunman is confident that he will not encounter armed resistance. Several occupants attempt to rush the gunman, but are killed before disarming him. After killing the resistive occupants, the gunman orders his hostages against the wall. He moves to each one and shoots them in the head. After making sure everyone in the room is dead, he turns the gun on himself.

1. Which situation sounds the most familiar?
2. Which situation is the most tragic?
3. Are gun free zones like a university safer than areas saturated with legally carried firearms like a police department?
4. Does concealed carry by law abiding citizens increase or decrease a murderer's effectiveness in carrying out a multiple victim public shooting?
5. Would someone intent on murdering innocent people go where he will meet zero armed resistance or where he might encounter armed resistance?

Common sense questions that have common sense answers.

The first acquisition was a Rossi Model 62 .22 pump action with hexagonal barrel, a late 70's reproduction of the Winchester Model 62. Should be a great little plinker.

Next, I had a .22 semi-auto on my list of guns to acquire. I could have just gotten a new Ruger 10/22, but talk about boring. My sister-in-law's friend had some inherited guns for sale and amongst them was a Remington Nylon 66 .22 semi-auto at a pretty good price. It was in very good shape and was definitely more unique than a 10/22.  It is tube fed like the Rossi so no need for magazines and the tube runs through the stock instead of under the barrel. Not sure how old it is, but I'm guessing it was made in the 70's.

I guess all I need now is a .22 lever action to complete my little .22 rifle collection. My last addition was a little more important because it will serve several roles. This 1977 Browning Challenger II .22 semi-auto pistol is perfect for my training and introducing new shooters to handguns. The light recoil lets the shooter focus on stance, grip, trigger pull and target acquisition while avoiding the development of a flinch and other bad habits. I expect this to be very fun gun to shoot. Because of the similar grip and single action trigger, the Challenger should provide good training for my eventual step up to Browning's other masterpiece, the 1911.

I'm planning on getting a membership at The Firing Line in Huntington Beach on Monday which will allow me to practice more often without breaking the bank. The guy's range trip is on for the 29th. If you haven't shot before and are even remotely interested in doing so, let me know. I'll make a standing offer of a free range trip to anyone who has not fired a handgun and would like to do so.

He tells a group of workers at a Pennsylvania glass factory that he wouldn't take away any of their guns even if he had the votes in Congress and just wants to keep them out of the hands of gang bangers and drug dealers (which the law already prohibits, funny how criminals don't obey the law) . The problem is he doesn't say anything about carrying in public and future gun purchases or other restrictions. Sure he might leave the guns I currently have alone, but what does the future hold? The best indicator for the future is Obama and Biden's positions in the past on gun control.

Obama quotes from OnTheIssues.org

Biden quotes from OnTheIssues.org

Wikipedia Position List

NRA Analysis of Obama's Record

Obama's votes in Illinois Senate

Obama quotes on gun control

Biden thinks gun owner should have head examined

Novak on Obama Gun Control Dance

Little bit of everything in there. The funny thing is Obama is starting to move to the center a little now that he doesn't have to compete against other Democrats. Previously, there was confusion about whether or not he supported the DC Handgun ban that was recently overturned. He now says he thinks the 2nd Amendment gives an individual right, but so far his voting record demonstrates he wants to limit and closely regulate those rights. Biden is definetely far to the left and this liberal thinks they should cover up his views on gun control because it might lead to a Democratic loss.

Stay on topic and please site references or statistics to back up any arguments like "banning handguns reduces crime". Gun control might not seem like a big deal, but there are plenty of people clinging to their guns and religion who take it very seriously. If you want an analysis on McCain and Palin positions I can put that together too.

So they check off that I have the trigger lock and receipt and hand me my gun. So now I have an unopened trigger lock and no lawful requirement that it actually be used. This is just one of California's wacky gun laws. They should pass a law saying all scooter/motorcycle sales (even private party sales) be accompanied with proof of ownership of a helmet, but then you don't actually have to wear one while riding. I don't see why I shouldn't return the trigger lock and reclaim my $22.

Off to Seattle tonight for a nice little vacation. I hit my one year with the county last week so I can actually use my vacation. Also, my promotion went throught last week so I'm now an Application Developer I.

I wasn't planning on getting much in the way of birthday presents, but I'm getting myself something that I just couldn't resist. Saw an older Rossi Model 62 .22 pump action rifle for sale on Calguns.net and the price was good. It's a remake of the classic Winchester Model 62, but those cost 3-4 times as much. The seller was local so we're meeting at Ammo Bros tomorrow morning. Should be fun and cheap to shoot, more details to follow.

• 2 SKSs
• 2 AR-15s
• 2 Ruger 10/22
• my Savage Mark II bolt-action rifle
• 2 black powder rifles
• 30-30 lever action
• .45LC lever action
• 3 shotguns
• 3 S&W .357s
• Glock in .40S&W
• Ruger in .45ACP
• Springfield XD in .45?
• .45LC revolver
• black powder revolver
• and Jason's sweet little Colt .22

Fun was had by all and we burned through most of our ammo. I shot everything except the black powder guns, but stuck to my .22 and .357 for most of the day. Probably shot 400-500 rounds of .22 and 100-150 of .357 and .38 special.

A .22 pistol is high on my list right now and I still want a Marlin 1894C lever action rifle in .357. I know I sound like a gun nut, but those are the only other guns I want except maybe a shotgun and a 1911. Pics of all the shooting fun is up in the gallery:

Burro Canyon Shooting

Heller High Water

NYT on the Heller decision