Kim Rhode, Olympic Medalist
Rhode wins more gold at Pan Am Games
Five-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode successfully defended her Pan American Games gold medal from 2011 in record-setting fashion in Toronto in July. Rhode, of El Monte, CA, set a Pan American Games record and tied the world record of 74/75 targets during Qualification. In the Semifinal, Rhode once again set a new Pan American Games record when she shot a perfect 16/16 targets. In the gold-medal women’s skeet match against Melisa Gil of Argentina, Rhode would only drop one of the 16 targets to pick up the second Pan Am Games gold medal of her career. In addition to her Olympic medals, Rhode has been a standout in other international competition beating the world’s best first at double trap, and when women’s double trap was dropped from the Olympics and other events, she moved on to skeet. At 13, Rhode won her first world championship title in women’s double trap, then, at 17, she went on to win her first Olympic gold medal in Atlanta in 1996. Rhode has earned more Olympic medals than any other shooter in history as well as three gold and a silver in Pan American competitions. By all indications, she will be shooting for another medal at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. (Photo courtesy USA Shooting)
LA mayor signs city magazine ban
In 60 days, there will be no such thing as a legally grandfathered civilian-owned magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds in Los Angeles, assembled or disassembled, because of the new city ordinance banning them all, even those that were previously legal.
The new law has been signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Attorney Mike Feuer, who drafted the law at the request of the City Council, reportedly contends that it is virtually lawsuit-proof.
However, that does not mean that a suit challenging the law will not be filed soon.
Magazines can be stored outside city limits, provided that they are not considered unlawful transfers.
MN revises list of legal non-res CPLs
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) has revised its list of out-of-state handgun carry permits that are now recognized as valid in Minnesota as a result of NRA-supported legislation passed by the state Legislature in 2015.
Minnesota now recognizes permits from: Delaware; Idaho (enhanced permit only); Illinois; New Jersey; New Mexico; North Dakota (enhanced permit only); Rhode Island; South Carolina, and South Dakota (enhanced permit only).
Unfortunately, following a long-delayed review the DPS announced that Minnesota will no longer recognize the following states due to changes in their carry laws over the last several years: Missouri; Texas; Wyoming, and Utah.
Most of the exclusions are because of other state’s issuing permits or people under 21, or because of differences in training requirements.
Taurus settles suit for $39M
Forjas Taurus SA, the Brazil-based firearms company, has settled a class-action lawsuit over an alleged defective safety that allows its semi-automatic pistols to discharge when dropped, for a cost of $39 million, according to Grandview Outdoors.
The lawsuit affects the following pistol models: PT-111 Millennium, PT-132 Millennium, PT-138 Millennium, PT-14 Millennium, PT-145 Millennium, PT-745 Millennium, PT-609, PT-640 and PT-24/7.
Company officials do not admit any wrongdoing, according to the report, but they have offered to inspect any of these pistol models if they are returned to the factory.
The class action lawsuit was brought in September 2014 by Scott County, IA, sheriff’s deputy Chris Carter. He asserted that his Taurus PT-140 PRO model discharged when it fell out of his duty holster during a foot pursuit. The pistol went off and the empty case remained in the chamber while the manual safety was engaged. Carter reportedly also alleged that Taurus knew about the problem, but did nothing to fix it.
Grandview also said court documents revealed that Taurus had to pay an Alabama man $1.2 million after his PT-111 fell on the floor and discharged six years ago. Additionally, police in Sao Paulo, Brazil reportedly recalled its .40-caliber Taurus pistols because they could also fire when the safety was engaged.
NJ okays expanded bear hunting regs
The New Jersey Fish and Game Council on Aug. 11 voted to expand the bear-hunting season, a controversial decision that wildlife officials say is nonetheless warranted to control populations in a state home to some of the largest concentrations of the bruins in the country, NJ.com reported.
Schumer, cousin repackage gun control agenda
Anti-gun New York Sen. Charles Schumer joined forces earlier this summer with his cousin, comedian Amy Schumer, to announce a new push for gun control that focuses on improving the National Instant Check System (NICS).
But critics quickly accused the Schumer’s of rebranding a worn agenda.
Schumer’s latest scheme is to reward states that enter data on mental illness or criminal convictions into the NICS system, while withholding funds from states that do not comply. According to Reason magazine, “This idea for hoovering up and centralizing sensitive information isn’t a new one, and it’s likely to founder on the rocks of opposition from gun rights activists and mental health professionals alike.”
This new push came in the wake of the theater shooting in Lafayette, LA, when it was revealed the gunman, John Russell Houser, had legally purchased a handgun despite a history of mental illness. He passed a background check.
Likewise for alleged Charleston church gunman Dylann Roof. He legally purchased a handgun some weeks prior to the shooting, despite having been arrested on drug charges earlier this year.
North Dakota CPLs notch new record
North Dakota’s pistol-packing population has more than doubled in less than four years, according to Associated Press, following a trend that has made news in states all over the country.
That’s due, in part, “to major crimes getting headlines,” threats of federal anti-gun laws and a dramatic rise in concealed-carry instructors teaching firearms for self-defense, state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said.
“I think people feel fairly safe in North Dakota,” said Stenehjem, the state’s top law enforcement officer. “People obtain concealed-carry permits for a variety of reasons and personal safety is one of them.”
For more than a year, Stenehjem’s office is seeing up to three dozen concealed carry applications per day, he said, with most coming from western North Dakota’s oil-producing region, and many from women. North Dakota has 38,898 people who hold concealed weapon permits, up from about 16,000 in 2011, State Bureau of Criminal Investigation records show. The data does not give a breakdown of the number of men versus the number of women who apply or receive permits, an agency spokeswoman said.
Leading the nation in population growth, North Dakota has a strong economy thanks to the western oil fields, which have attracted thousands to take up residence and given the state its largest population: more than 739,000 residents, according to the US Census Bureau.
North Dakota’s crime rate per capita last year rose 4.4% from 2013, due in part to a “worrisome” record increase in illegal drug activity, Stenehjem said.
S&W, Matt Light team for charity
Smith & Wesson Corp. has partnered with former New England Patriots player and three-time Super Bowl Champion Matt Light to raise money for charity through the auction of three special edition Performance Center revolvers.
Proceeds from the special edition X-Frame special edition X-frame revolvers chambered in the versatile .460 S&W Magnum®, which will be auctioned off at Gunbroker.com, will be used to support the Light Foundation and its continued efforts to provide unique outdoor learning experiences to children of different backgrounds.
The Matt Light special edition revolver will be available in a limited run of four firearms, three of which will be auctioned off online through Gunbroker.com. The fourth revolver will be auctioned off at the Matt Light Celebrity Shoot-Out later this year.
Each revolver package will include an autographed football helmet and a signed photograph of Matt Light. In addition, all three winners of the Gunbroker auction will be eligible to take part in a “Smith & Wesson Experience.” The experience will include an all-expense paid visit to Smith & Wesson headquarters to tour the manufacturing plant and enjoy shooting range time with #72 Matt Light and Smith & Wesson CEO, James Debney.
For more information on the special edition Matt Light revolvers, visit gunbroker.com. For more information on the Matt Light Foundation, visit mattlight72.com/light-foundation.
Kahr Arms holds grand opening in PA
Don’t forget that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2013 anti-gun SAFE Act cost the state lots of jobs, and is continuing to do so, and gun companies continue their exodus.
As a reminder, Kahr Arms held a formal grand opening event for its new 40,000 square-foot in Blooming Grove, PA, in August for about 200 guests, many of them federal, state and local officials.
The company broke ground on the building in May 2014 after purchasing a 600-acre business park for $2 million in 2013, saying it intended to expand and move its entire operation out of New York state.
Currently the corporate office crew is in the building, and research and development and the engineers will be moving to the Pocono Mountain area in the fall. By the end of 2016 manufacturing, currently in Massachusetts and Minnesota, will begin in the space.
The building also includes two underground, 100-yard firing ranges for the company’s own use.
