Bullet Makers ‘Working Overtime’ in US

By MARY FOSTER

AP

NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 23) – American bullet-makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can’t keep up with the nation’s demand for ammunition.

Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation — even though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.

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Judi Bottoni, AP

The National Rifle Association says Americans typically buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition a year; in the past twelve months, that number has jumped to roughly 9 billion rounds, according to the gun rights group.

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Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before.

“That is going to cause an upswing in ammunition sales,” said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association representing about 5,000 members. “Without bullets a gun is just a paper weight.”

The shortage for sportsmen is different than the scarcity of ammo for some police forces earlier this year, a dearth fueled by an increase in ammo use by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We are working overtime and still can’t keep up with the demand,” said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based Remington Arms Company, which makes bullets for rifles, handguns and shotguns. “We’ve had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It’s a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business.”

Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition a year, according to the National Rifle Association. In the past year, that figure has jumped to about 9 billion rounds, said NRA spokeswoman Vickie Cieplak.

Jason Gregory, who manages Gretna Gun Works just outside of New Orleans, has been building his personal supply of ammunition for months. His goal is to have at least 1,000 rounds for each of his 25 weapons.

“I call it the Obama effect,” said Gregory, 37. “It always happens when the Democrats get in office. It happened with Clinton and Obama is even stronger for gun control. Ammunition will be the first step, so I’m stocking up while I can.”

So far, the new administration nor Congress has not been markedly antigun. Obama has said he respects Second Amendment rights, but favors “common sense” on gun laws. Still, worries about what could happen persist.

Senate OKs guns on Amtrak

By Andrew Taylor

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The Senate voted yesterday to permit Amtrak passengers to transport handguns in their checked baggage.The provision, approved 68-30, seeks to give Amtrak train riders rights comparable to those of airline passengers, who are permitted to transport firearms provided that they declare they are doing so and that the arms are unloaded and in a securely locked container.

“Americans should not have their Second Amendment rights restricted for any reason, particularly if they choose to travel on America’s federally subsidized rail line,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R., Miss.), who offered the amendment.

Wicker’s amendment would deny Amtrak its $1.6 billion taxpayer subsidy unless it changes the gun policy.

Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) voted for the amendment. All other Philadelphia-area senators voted against it.

Amtrak’s current policy, put in place after the 2004 bombings of passenger trains in Madrid, Spain, prohibits the carrying of weapons, including firearms, on its trains.

Before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Amtrak allowed firearms if they were separately secured in locked baggage or carrying cases. After 9/11, it added restrictions on the carrying of weapons; after the Madrid bombings, it banned them.

Yesterday’s vote was the latest in a string of victories for gun-rights activists in the Senate. Twenty-seven Democrats, including Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, voted for the amendment, many from Western or Southern states. Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who aligns with Democrats and is one of the chamber’s most liberal members, also voted yes.

Opponents of a policy change, such as Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D., Ill.), say it would be too costly and burdensome. “Amtrak doesn’t have the security infrastructure, the processes, or the trained personnel in place to ensure that checked firearms would not be lost, damaged, stolen, or misused,” Durbin said.

The chief author of the underlying transportation-appropriations bill to which the amendment was attached, Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.), said implementing the policy would be too costly.

Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said he “doesn’t have problems with people transporting guns on trains so long as steps are taken to make sure they’re secured and properly stowed.”

The bill still must be reconciled with a House-passed one than does not contain the Amtrak gun-rights provision.

Virginia Railway Express passengers can now carry firearms on the train — at least in Virginia.

Date published: 9/19/2009

By KELLY HANNON

WOODBRIDGE

–Virginia law required the Virginia Railway Express Operations Board to yesterday reverse a policy that banned passengers from carrying firearms on trains.Passengers will now be allowed to openly carry firearms on VRE trains in Virginia, and carry concealed weapons if they have a permit to do so.

“People can carry firearms, therefore you can carry them on the train,” said Dale Zehner, VRE’s chief executive officer.

However, Virginia law would not apply once VRE trains cross the Potomac River into Washington.

When riders contact Zehner about carrying firearms onto trains, he reminds them that they must comply with D.C. laws if they ride into the city.

“It’s interesting, a lot of them don’t know that,” Zehner said.

Passengers contacted VRE staff to inform them that the firearms ban violated Virginia law, Zehner said, speaking to Operations Board members yesterday at a meeting in Woodbridge. Subsequently, VRE staff recommended the board change the policy to comply with state law.

Only D.C. residents can register a handgun in Washington, however, and the city does not issue carry permits, said Quintin Peterson, Metropolitan Police Department spokesman. So VRE passengers would not be allowed to carry firearms on the train once the train is in Washington, Peterson said.

Operations Board members voted to change the policy, although members expressed mixed opinions.

Operations Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman, an Arlington County supervisor, said he’s concerned that the change will send the wrong message, encouraging passengers to bring guns onto the train and possibly get into legal trouble in Washington.

“I think encouraging people to bring guns onto loaded trains is a stupid idea,” Zimmerman said.

Stafford County Supervisor and Operations Board Vice Chairman Paul Milde said he disagreed with Zimmerman “100 percent on this.”

Milde said there’s no evidence that allowing passengers to carry firearms will lead to an increase in violence, and that allowing firearms could lead to a decrease. “I don’t know that people feel like the government is capable of protecting them in all places at all times,” Milde said.

Recently, Old Virginia News did a 3 part story titled Taking a Firearms Safety Class and Proactive Shooters was featured in the story.

Check it out here! – http://news.oldva.org/

Second man charged after Salem gun show

Police say a gun dealer misled the investigator who was looking into a firearm discharge.

By Adriana Gomez Licon
  981-3114

Related

Previous coverage

• Man charged in Salem gun show mishap
• Man injured when rifle fires during Salem gun show

Police have charged a second man in the weekend gun show incident that injured one person at the Salem Civic Center.

David Jack Gold, 74, a gun dealer from Bland, is charged with obstruction of justice and recklessly handling a firearm, both misdemeanors, according to Salem police. He was replacing the stock on his military-style antique rifle with his friend, Thomas Raymond Allen, 53, when the gun accidentally went off and shot a wall, spraying concrete that injured Allen’s face, police said. He was treated at Lewis-Gale Medical Center and released the same day.

Lt. Mike Green said Gold gave the investigator handling the case misleading information about what had happened.

“This information caused the investigator to initially focus his attention elsewhere,” Green said. He said he could not go into detail.

Gold could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Gold could face up to two years in prison or a $5,000 fine or both if convicted. Allen was charged with a misdemeanor count of recklessly handling a firearm and could face up to 12 months in jail or a $2,500 fine or both if convicted.

Robert Steven Elliott, president of C&E Gun Shows, the event promoter, said Gold had been participating as a gun dealer in his show for 25 years. Dealers sign a contract that states they are not to have loaded guns in their booths and they are responsible for the actions of people behind their table, he said.

A security officer from C&E Gun Shows checked weapons at the entrance to make sure visitors were not bringing in loaded guns, Elliott said. But the company requires table holders to have their weapons unloaded and to place tags on them before the event gets started.

The company will host another gun show at the civic center in September. Gold has been barred from the show and C&E’s upcoming events, Elliott said.

Concealed arms reciprocity rejected by Senate

•  
  By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer Jim Abrams, Associated Press Writer
  WASHINGTON – In a rare win for gun control advocates, the Senate on Wednesday rejected a measure allowing a person with a concealed weapon permit in one state to also hide his firearm when visiting another state.

The vote was 58-39 in favor of the provision establishing concealed carry permit reciprocity in the 48 states that have concealed weapons laws. That fell two votes short of the 60 needed to approve the measure, offered as an amendment to a defense spending bill.

Opponents prevailed in their argument that the measure violated states rights by forcing states with stringent requirements for permits to recognize concealed weapons carriers from states that give out permits to almost any gun owner.

“This is no minor shift in policy,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., whose state requires people to be fingerprinted, get gun training and to undergo a federal background check before issuing permits. “It in fact would be a sweeping change and I think with some deadly consequences.”

The vote reversed recent trends where Republicans and gun rights Democrats from rural states joined to push pro-gun rights issues and block gun control legislation.

Congress this year voted to restore the rights of people to carry loaded weapons into national parks and the Senate moved to effectively eviscerate the tough gun control laws of the District of Columbia.

Congress has also ignored urgings from President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to revive a ban on military-style weapons that expired in 2004.

The concealed weapons measure, promoted by the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America, would have made a concealed weapon permit from one state valid in the 47 other states with permit laws. Only Wisconsin and Illinois have no carry permit laws.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the sponsor, said it would not provide for a national carry permit, and that a visitor to another state would have to obey the limitations of that state, such as bans on concealed weapons in restaurants or other places.

“Law-abiding individuals have the right to self-defense,” even when they cross state lines, Thune said, citing the example of truck drivers who need to protect themselves as they travel.

Opponents, however, said the 48 states with permits have a broad range of conditions for obtaining those permits: some such as Alaska and Vermont, give permits to almost all gun owners. Others, such as New York, have firearm training requirements and exclude people with drinking problems or criminal records.

New York Democrat Charles Schumer raised the possibility of his state having to accept gun carriers from states that have few or no restrictions. Thune’s proposal, he said, was “the most dangerous piece of legislation to the safety of Americans when it comes to guns since the repeal of the assault weapons ban.”

Thune shot back that if a person from South Dakota with a carry permit visited Central Park in New York City, “Central Park will be a much safer place.”

Other opponents said the proposal infringed on states’ rights, usually an important principle for gun rights groups. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said it would override the laws of 11 states — California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Rhode Island — and the District of Columbia — which do not allow carry permit reciprocity with other states.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., another sponsor, reminded his colleagues that the NRA and Gun Owners of America were scoring the vote, meaning it would be considered in their election evaluation of lawmakers.

NRA chief lobbyist Chris W. Cox said the last two decades have shown a strong shift toward gun rights laws. “We believe it’s time for Congress to acknowledge these changes and respect the right of self-defense, and the right of self-defense does not stop at state lines,” he said.

Gun control groups were strongly in opposition.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said Mississippi residents can get a permit without any training, including ever shooting a pistol on a range. These permit holders could carry firearms in New York City, where police have broad discretion to deny permits, or Dallas, where permit applicants must undergo at least 10 hours of training.

“It is critical to our efforts that people who enter our state abide by the laws of our state which have supported the progress we are making,” Newark, N.J., mayor Cory Booker said in a statement. “This is not a law that will in any way support our efforts to create a safer Newark.”

Man charged in Salem gun show mishap

Thomas Raymond Allen was helping a friend when an antique rifle went off at the Salem Civic Center.

By Adriana Gomez Licon
  981-3114

The man who was injured when an antique rifle discharged during a gun show at the Salem Civic Center on Saturday has been charged with a misdemeanor count of recklessly handling a firearm, Salem officials said.

Thomas Raymond Allen, 52, of Max Meadows was helping a friend who is a gun dealer replace the stock on the rifle when the military-style firearm went off, Lt. Mike Green said.

As a result of the discharge, concrete fragments were sprayed and caused superficial wounds to Allen’s face, city officials said. He was treated and released from Lewis-Gale Medical Center on the same day.

Allen faces up to 12 months in jail or a $2,500 fine or both if convicted.

Loaded firearms are not permitted at the gun show. An employee with the event promoter, C&E Gun Shows, checked guns at the entrance to make sure they were not loaded, said Carey Harveycutter, Salem’s director of civic facilities.

“The weapon in question did not come in through the front door of the civic center,” he said.

The rifle was brought in by one of the gun dealers, he said.

“The dealers are expected to come with all their guns checked,” Salem spokesman Mike Stevens said.

A Salem police officer and a lieutenant worked to secure the event, and a Virginia State Police sergeant and trooper were also at the civic center.

State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said event promoters are in charge of coordinating security procedures at private gun shows. State police are notified about gun shows so the Firearms Transaction Center is ready to handle the volume of criminal background checks.

Event promoters may request to have state police officers at gun shows.

Robert Steven Elliot, president of C&E Gun Shows, could not be reached for comment Monday. The next gun show hosted by the company at the Salem Civic Center is scheduled for September.

Between four and five years ago, there was another accident involving a firearm at the civic center, but no one was injured. A gun was being checked at the start of the show to ensure that it was empty and it accidentally went off, Stevens said.