GENIE OUTDOORS NEWSLETTER August/September 1995 Issue edited by John Marshall (Paladin) J.MARSHALL2 on GEnie TABLE OF CONTENTS: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COLLECTOR'S NOTES ON THE 1903 SPRINGFIELDS by John Marshall 9509A NRA NEWS by the NRA Staff 9509B QUOTES ON GUNS by the Founding Fathers 9509C Forward: Just as a comment! You may notice that this issue of the GEnie Outdoors Newsletter is a bit abbreviated, and combines two months into one issue. As many of you know, I've been in the process of moving into a new residence, and it has been extraordinarily time-consuming. Finding time to write for the newsletter has been difficult, but I hope that you'll bear with me. In this issue, I've tried to give you another collector's item - the full scoop on the many service variations of the Model of 1903 Rifle. For those of you who love or may fall in love with this fine rifle, I hope you'll find the text and the pictures of value. Also, we have some scoop from the NRA, and some comments from the Founders that leave no doubt where they stood on the subject of guns and the true meaning of the Second Amendment to our Constitution. I hope you'll print out these quotes and show them to those who feel that the Founders never intended what they clearly meant in the Second Amendment. I want to urge each of you reading this newsletter to consider writing an article or two on a subject of interest to you - the deadline for submitting articles is the 15th of each month for the following month, and I do welcome any and all contributions. It's mighty lonely when you have to write this newsletter all by yourself! You can upload your ASCII text file to me via E-mail; I can format it to suit the newsletter style very easily once I get it. Thanks for your support, and pleasant reading. John Marshall --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9509A COLLECTOR'S NOTES ON THE 1903 SPRINGFIELD by John Marshall ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *1903 *SPRINGFIELD *U.S. MILITARY *LONGARMS *MILITARY RIFLES Very few military arms have achieved the status of "classic," but surely the U.S. Model of 1903 Springfield rifle stands head and shoul- ders above most of its counterparts in this distinct grouping. Its clean lines, accuracy and power are legendary, and it served this country well from World War I right on through WW II, Korea, and in its A4 version, even into the Vietnam war. It was the last of our manually-operated battle rifles to remain as a standard service rifle in one form or another even as semiauto and selective-fire weapons became established. Once ubiquitous and available on the surplus market cheaply, the 1903 Springfields have, in the last 10 years or so, seemed to have dried up on the market. Pristine as-issued military specimens have skyrocketed in price, and even arsenal-reconditioned examples are sought after and command increasingly higher prices. After WW II, when 1903s became very available on the surplus market, tens of thousands of them were sporterized into excellent hunting rifles. Restocked and scoped, 1903s served the nation's hunters and target shooters quite well. The only problem was that these particu- lar rifles were lost forever to future generations as collector's items in their original military form. The present scarcity of prime military 1903s is due in no small part to this sporterizing "blitz" following the war. Whole books (some excellent ones) have been written on the 1903, its variations and accessories, and I won't attempt to match their de- tailed information in this article. I do want to cover a bit of the history of the 1903, its major battle-rifle variations, and then give you a "quick reference" list of features to look for the next time you spot one or more of these rifles on your dealer's rack or at a gun show. The 1903 had its beginnings in the fire and smoke of the Spanish- American War, when the majority of our troops were equipped with Krag-Jorgensens and Trapdoor Springfields. In this war, we faced Spanish troops in Cuba who were equipped with the then-new Mauser rifles, which could be reloaded with five rounds quickly via a strip- per clip. Our Krags had to be loaded in an awkward manner by feeding individual rounds into a side-loading magazine, and the old Trapdoors, of course, were single-shot. The blistering firepower afforded by the enemy's Mausers was a lesson not lost on our military, and they soon sought a new rifle that could use the Mauser clip-loading system. Several prototypes were fabricated at Springfield Armory in the early 1900s, and what finally emerged was the Model of 1903. The early production rifles were equipped with a ramrod bayonet, reminiscent of the one used on the Model 1888 Trapdoor Springfields. This didn't last long after this device came to the attention of President Teddy Roosevelt, who called it the poorest invention he ever saw. Practi- cally as soon as these words left his mouth, the 1903 was redesigned to accept a new 16" blade bayonet. At about the same time, the original 1903 ammunition was redesigned to better fire the improved spitzer bullets. Accordingly, almost all of the early 1903s were recalled to be fitted for the blade bayonet, and their barrels set back and re-chambered for the new .30/06 cartridge. Sights were also re-calibrated at this time for the new round, which had a longer effective range. The Model of 1903 Magazine Rifle was our standard service rifle during WW I, heavily supplemented by the Model of 1917 "Enfield" which was actually used in greater numbers during that war. Still, the image of the doughboy with a 1903 in his hands lingers on as an icon today. It was interesting that in that war, we faced Mauser rifles again, this time with a spin-off of that design, for which we paid the Mauser company quite a sum of money in patent rights and royalties on their clip design. Both Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal pro- duced 1903s for the war effort. Between the wars, the 1903 established itself as THE target rifle of the '20s and '30s, and the Marine Corps, in particular, placed great emphasis on training at extended ranges with this rifle. Marksmanship was IN and all services made proficiency with the '03 a point of pride. A new modification of the 1903, the 1903A1, with a pistol- grip stock came into service, and many '03s were upgraded to the new stock shape. In 1936, the services adopted John C. Garand's semiautomatic rifle as standard, but the 1903 remained in service in large numbers as produc- tion for the new rifle was ramped up at Springfield Armory. When WW II broke out, the old '03 was still in the hands of the majority of our troops, and it went to war once more. As the war progressed, Remington and the Smith-Corona Typewriter Company made many thousands of "economized" 1903s, and a new model, the 1903A3, with a receiver sight and many stamped components came into being. Remington also produced the 1903A4, a sniper rifle based on the '03A3 with a scoped sight. That 1903A4 rifle had the distinction of serving our troops through the Korean War and even, occasionally, during the Vietnam War. Thus, the 1903 rifle lingered on in service through a span of well over 50 years officially, nearly 70 years unofficially. 1903s can still be found in the inventory of service units even today, primarily for drill units. However, the heyday of the 1903 is now over, gone into the mist of distant battles fought, won, and lost. It served us well, and it is now up those of us who collect to preserve those that remain as relics of a bygone age for future generations. As keepers of our military arms heritage, it serves us well to know a bit about each of the major variations of the 1903, so that we can identify and preserve original specimens. I'll first go through each military variation in a little detail, and then at the end, I'll give you a "pocket guide" that you might want to print out and keep for use at gun shows, etc., giving the prime "look-for" points on each varia- tion. 1. Rod-bayonet 1903 Rifle. The very first of the 1903 clan is one that you will seldom encounter, because almost all of these were converted to the later versions. The original 1903 outwardly resem- bles its later counterparts, but is distinguished primarily by the rod bayonet housed under the barrel. The forward band incorporates a stacking swivel, but of course, no bayonet stud. The front sight has two lightening holes drilled through it, and the rear sight is very similar to late Krag sights, having a curved ramp and sliding open notch. The smooth buttplate incorporated a slightly smaller-diameter butt trap cover than later '03s, about the same size as used on the Krag. All were chambered for the .30/03 cartridge, which featured a 200-grain Krag-type roundnose bullet at a velocity of either 2400 fps or (later) 2300 fps. The cartridge case of the .30/03 is identical to the later .30/06 except for a slightly longer neck. All early complete 1903 rod-bayonet rifles were produced at Springfield Armory, but it is believed that Rock Island Arsenal produced some early-style parts. All metal parts except for the casehardened receiver were blued; some early bolts were polished bright like the Krag bolts, but this apparently was changed early in production. Rod-bayonet '03s should have a script-initial cartouche in the left of the stock, dated "1903" or "1904." A correct rod-bayonet rifle can be fired by push- ing the trigger FORWARD; this was corrected in later alterations. The stock had grasping grooves but no stock bolts; the upper handguard had no rear-sight-protecting "hump," and extended farther forward than on later models. 2. 1903 Rifle with modifications of 1905. This rifle was altered to take a new 16"-blade bayonet. Interestingly, the 1905 bayonets will fit the earlier Krags and the later M1 rifles. The first bayonets made had a locking plunger like those on the Krag, but this was quick- ly changed to the familiar under-handle pushbutton. The modification was accomplished with a new front band with a bayonet lug and stacking swivel. At about this time, a new rear sight was fabricated, the Model of 1905, which replaced the ramped, Krag-type. It resembles the familiar standard '03 .30/06-calibrated sight, except that it was set for the .30/03 ballistics. The rod-bayonet model's distinctive two- hole front sight was replaced with a pinned-blade front sight with no holes. There were no recoil bolts in the stock. The handguard incor- porated a "hump" to protect the rear sight somewhat. Interestingly, a 1903 with the modifications of 1905 is even rarer than the original rod-bayonet '03, because new modifications were forthcoming, and this model was in production/revision for only a short time. These arms were made at both Springfield and Rock Island. 3. 1903 Rifle with the modifications of 1906. When the new .30/06 cartridge was adopted, previous .30/03 rifles were recalled once again, the barrels set back, and rechambered for the shorter-necked cartridge. The rear sight leaf was changed; the one used with the .30/03 was calibrated to 2400 yards, the new leaf was calibrated for a maximum range of 2850 yards. 4. 1903 Rifle as made 1906-1908. These are rarely found today in unaltered condition, due to the many rebuilding programs to which all 1903s were subject through the years. The main feature to look for is a lack of any stock bolts (recoil lugs). Stock sides were flat rather than rounded, and the handguard's hump was flat, with no milled-out cut in the center. These handguards also lacked the inter- nal metal clips found on later ones. Rear sight windage knobs were smaller, checkered, and had a single groove. Receiver markings were script style and were smaller than on later rifles. Finish from the factory was blue. Serial number range runs from 270,000 to about 350,000 for Springfield, and up to about 65,000 for Rock Island. In February, 1908, a single stock bolt was incorporated at its weakest point, just behind the trigger guard area. Most Rock Island cartouch- es contain dates, while no Springfield stocks after 1905 were dated. There is an exception, and a weird one - "JSA/1899." Inspector J. Sumner Adams stamped a few Springfield stocks with one of his old Krag stamps for some unknown reason - perhaps he had misplaced the correct one for a while, who knows? It's a bit of trivia that confounds present-day collectors until it's known. 5. 1903 Rifles as made 1908-1910. As production of the 1903 Rifle continued, a few more manufacturing changes were made, giving collec- tors a new category to collect. The windage knob became larger (.575" vs. .45"), still grooved and checkered. Receiver markings became larger, and used block (no serif) letters, starting around 1908. Serial numbers under 450,000 at Springfield and under about 180,000 for Rock Island. Single stock bolt. Not discussed here, but in this era, some '03s were fitted with the strange-looking Warner and Swasey Model of 1908 scopes, using a receiver mounting bracket, and a slight- ly different stock configuration to accommodate the bracket. These were the first "sniper" '03s. 6. 1903 Rifles as made 1910 - April, 1917. The stock, instead of being straight-sided on the left side, dipped and sloped as it ap- proached the receiver area. The handguard hump now had a milled-out cut in its center, and added metal clips. The stocks had a milled-out groove in the bottom of the buttrap, to accommodate a wooden spare parts container which was to be issued in lieu of the oiler and thong with every other rifle. In 1910, a checkered buttplate became stand- ard. In 1914, the windage knob was no longer grooved. All rifles were blued. An improved Warner and Swasey scope sight, the Model of 1913, was fitted to some rifles around 1916. This was to be the standard "sniper scope" of WW I. In 1913, production of the 1903 at Rock Island ceased, as well as production of 1905 bayonets there. From 1914 to 1917, only Springfield was in production. Some rifles in the 1915-1917 era will be found with the Ordnance "flaming bomb" mark and the initials "N.R.A." stamped on the floorplate housing just behind the front receiver screw. These were rifles sold to members of the National Rifle Association through the Director of Civilian Marksmanship. Beware of fakes. Rifles of this and previous eras saw some use in the Philippines and in the Mexican expedition of 1916 carried out by Gen. Pershing. 7. 1903 Rifles as made during and a little after WW I, April 1917 - 1919. Production of the '03 began again at Rock Island in February of 1917. Springfield increased production. Early WW I troops had the '03 exclusively, but as previously mentioned, soon began to get the 1917 Enfields in increasing numbers as production ramped up on this rifle. Some production shortcuts were established on the '03. The buttplate reverted back to the uncheckered style, and serrations on the trigger were eliminated, also; previously-made parts were incorpo- rated if on hand. A 1917-produced '03 can have checkering or not. In early 1918, the straight-down bolt handle was swept to the rear a bit. This is a good way to distinguish the early bolts from the later ones. At almost the exact same time, an improved double-heat treatment was applied to receivers. A second stock bolt was added in either late 1917 or early 1918. In 1918, the contour of the handguard hump was changed slightly to a less concave shape. A most important change was in the finish of the rifle. Early '03s up to this point were blued (actually called "browning" in the service) by a rust process, which was time-consuming. This gave way to Parkerizing sometime in 1918, which was a distinctive black color through the addition of a black dye in the solution. Some parts were still blued, so a mixture of blued and parkerizing parts may be correct on rifles of this era. A gray or gray-green parkerized finish is definitely not of this era, and was probably applied later in rebuilding/refinishing. Barrels were marked either "SA" or "RIA" and with the month and year of manu- facture. Barrels marked "AV" with a WW I date are replacements made by the Avis company. In addition to the W&S 1913 scope sight, some '03s of this era were equipped with Winchester A5 scopes by the Ma- rines and the Army for sniping and training use. Serial numbers for WW I rifles made at Springfield ran to about 1,050,000, while the RIA rifles ran to about 347,000. The improved double-heat treatment began at about serial number 800,000 at Springfield, and at about number 320,000 at Rock Island. Firing early single-heat-treatment rifles is not recommended today; blowups have occurred, and the re- ceivers were considered brittle. While it probably can be done safely with a properly-headspaced bolt, the risk is always there. For those seeking an '03 that served in the "Great War" of 1917-1918, it's probably best to seek a rifle produced no later than the middle of 1918; rifles made after that date probably didn't make it overseas until the Armistice of November 11, 1918. A quick way to see if the rifle was refinished is to inspect the bolt hole in the receiver. It was reamed after finishing on original rifles - those that have been reparkerized will show parkerizing in the bolt hole. 8. 1903 Mark I Rifle. This was the first "official" variation of the 1903 rifle, and was made for the then-secret Pedersen device, which was intended to convert '03s into semiautomatic rifles firing a .30 caliber pistol cartridge very similar to today's .32 ACP. The Mark 1 incorporated the following changes from a standard '03: A slot was milled in the left receiver to act as an ejection port. The receiver of the rifle was marked "Mark I" on the line above the serial number. The stock had a slight dip under the ejection port on the receiver. A special cutoff was utilized which locked the device in place, and which had a slot in the end of the cutoff's spindle. The trigger and sear were also unique to the Mark I, having a lever to trip the Peder- sen device's sear. This variation was only made at Springfield Armory, and barrel dates can be found from late 1918 to early 1921. The Pedersen devices were never used in WW I, and were almost all de- stroyed in later years. Most of the Mark I rifles were converted back to normal '03 configuration with standard parts, but still re- tained the ejection port and special receiver marking. Original Mark I rifles with all the parts and retaining the original black parkeriz- ing are quite rare today. I'm fortunate to have one in my collec- tion; wish I had a matching Pedersen device! 9. 1903 Rifle as made post-WW I, 1921 - 1939. Very few rifles were produced during this period, as the vast stocks left over from WW I were sufficient for the reduced-size services. Most produced were practically identical to WW I-era rifles. Some Rock Island receivers were used, although Rock Island ceased production in 1919. You may find RI receivers with SA barrels which are correct for this period and which are not "parts jobs." During this period, most early single-heat-treat receivered rifles were recalled, to be replaced with later receivers. In 1928, Springfield switched to nickel steel re- ceivers, abandoning the double-heat-treatment process. Not all early single-heat-treat receivers were replaced, so there are still a few around, but they are rare. 10. M1903A1 Rifle, 1929 -1939. This was the second "official" varia- tion of the 1903 rifle, and it was simply a 1903 rifle with a pistol- grip stock replacing the "Type S" straight stock. This improved "Type C" stock had no finger grooves, but did have two stock bolts. Very few rifles were originally made as A1s, but the A1 stock was applied to a number of earlier rifles. During WW II, an A1 stock was produced which could be applied to either the 1903 or the 1903A3 rifles; these were cut for the 1903 handguard ring in front of the receiver. This stock was originally intended for National Match rifles. The handguard's hump was not nearly as pronounced as the earlier '03 stocks. Technically, any '03 with a Type C stock is an M1903A1, but very few were originally made this way. Original 'A1s will have an inspector's cartouche in the stock, a serial number above 1,285,000 and a barrel date of 12-29 or later. Most original-rifle stock rifles will have the "SA/SPG" cartouche of SA inspector Samuel P. Green. WW II type C stocks are fatter, and as mentioned, have the cut for the A3 handguard retaining ring. As a sidebar, the Marine Corps developed an improved type of front sight blade, and which was manufactured at Springfield right after WW I. It's higher than the standard sight, and required a special sight cover. It was interchangeable with the standard sight blade. The Marines fitted many rifles with this blade, particularly for match use. Since these are so easily interchanged, it's difficult to tell if a particular rifle was in the Corps or simply later fitted with this sight. 11. National Match 1903 Rifle, 1921-1940. While not strictly a service rifle, this variation bears mentioning if only because of the interest it has generated among collectors over the years. In 1921, it was decided to produce a specially-tricked rifle built from scratch to be a superb target arm for the National Matches. The NRA and DCM had to lobby Congress for the modest funds to do this! There were 28,907 of these rifles made, and 25,377 rifles refurbished to NM specs. The impending threat of war stopped the use of skilled manpow- er necessary to make them. I can't begin to cover all of the hand- work involved in making these rifles, but here are some of the high points: Polished bolt with serial number engraved on top of bolt. Bolt hole and feed ramp polished in the receiver. Checkered butt- plate. Serrated trigger. Star-gauged barrel (carefully inspected with a precision gauge in the form of a star) with a small "star" mark like an asterisk stamped on the muzzle. Type C stock after 1929, with drawing numbers in the stocks and handguards. Closely-fitted parts. Specially-tuned trigger. Some NM rifles may have been drilled and tapped at the Armory for Lyman No. 48 receiver sights. NM parts were available for years, including polished bolts, so beware of fakes. Best bet is to have a documenting government bill of sale for the rifle. 12. Remington 1903 Rifle, 1941 - April 1942. As WW II began, it was determined that the old Rock Island '03 tooling might be taken out of storage and used once again to produce the '03. Remington Arms pro- cured the tooling, and made preliminary designs to produce the rifle for the British, with certain changes made at the request of the British government. However the Brits soon found other sources of rifles, and these modified guns were not needed. In late 1941, the U.S. government asked Remington to start producing '03s as the need for weapons looked to be increasing. The first Remington '03s made on Rock Island machinery came off the line in September, 1941. The first few were blued, but production models had the standard black parkerizing of WW I. Serial numbers of Remington '03s began at 300,000,000 so as not to duplicate Springfield or Rock Island numbers. The old RI tooling was very difficult to use, as it had become quite worn, and did not accommodate production changes made since the end of WW I. These first Remington '03s were virtually identical to the Springfields of the '20s and '30s, and had very high quality in spite of the problems with the tooling. While this was fine, the govern- ment wanted production to outweigh cosmetics, so some non-essential finishing was soon eliminated, and certain tolerances were widened. 13. Remington 1903 Rifle (Modified) Dec. 1941 - December 1942. As production ramped up on the Remington '03, many production shortcuts began to be taken. Most noticeable was the elimination of the light- ening cuts in the rear sight base. Some stamped components began to replace earlier milled/forged ones. Newer parts were interchangeable with older ones through careful Ordnance Department monitoring. In March of 1942, this rifle was designated officially as the "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903 (Modified)." Some other notable changes were undished windage/elevation knobs, the elimination of the gas escape hole on the right of the receiver, the elimination of the bolt stop and its seat in the receiver, the drilling through of the rear guard screw hole in the receiver tang, different milling of the cut- off seat, a stamped lower barrel band, a stamped band spring, a stamped lower sling swivel, a stamped upper sling swivel, magazine follower and extractor, and finally, a stamped trigger guard assembly. All of these changes took place gradually, so 1903 (Modified) rifles may be found with or without any or all of the changes. Stock finger grooves were eliminated. Some rifles were fitted with the so-called "scant" pistol-grip stocks. It seems Remington had some 1/2 million stock blanks left over from the aborted British contract, but had a mandate from the Ordnance department to produce pistol-grip stocks. As made from the straight-stock blanks, there just wasn't enough material to make a full pistol grip, so a smaller, rounded one was devised - as such, these "scant" pistol-gripped stocks were officially M1903A1s in the service. They were ugly, but utilitarian. Some collectors refer to these bastardized stocks as "the warthog stock." The black dye in the Parkerizing was eliminated, giving a nondescript pale parkerizing which was functional but ugly, and the polishing-out of machining marks was soon dropped, also. The cost of production was a drop in cosmetics and quality, and these rifles were far from the finely-made original 1903s as made by Springfield and Rock Island. 14. Model 1903A3 Rifles as made by Remington and Smith-Corona, Dec. 1942 - Feb. 1944. In 1942, it was determined that no further produc- tion shortcuts could be taken with the standard 1903 rifle, and that to speed production, a new model might be necessary. The main item that could be speeded up was the complicated rear sight assembly of the 1903. It was replaced by a receiver sight very similar to that used on the later M1 carbines. The new weapon was designated as the "U.S. Rifle, caliber .30, Model of 1903A3." The first of this breed was delivered by Remington in December of 1942. Only 23 parts of the original pre-1941 '03 remained unchanged in this rifle. For some unknown reason, the receiver was stamped "U.S. Remington/Model 03-A3." This did not match previous practice which included the full "Model of" designation, and used a hyphenated A-designation which did not match official nomenclature. Model numbers in U.S. service rifles are never hyphenated (1903A1, M1, M14, M16A1, etc.). By the way, the 1903A2 was actually a subcaliber device used as an insert in artillery weapons; it was not a service rifle. The requirement for a pistol- gripped stock was soon dropped, and Remington developed a modified S- style straight stock without finger grooves for this rifle, although you can find original A3s on occasion with original "S", type "C" and "Scant" stocks. This later 1903A3 stock was also inletted for the original '03 rear sight assembly as well as the handguard ring, so it could be used as a replacement stock for any '03 rifle. Early ones had pins instead of stock bolts, but these were found wanting, and later ones had the bolts. A stamped and welded buttplate assembly was utilized, with pressed-in checkering. In mid-1943, a larger trigger guard was used, for better use with gloves. In late 1942, two-groove rifling was authorized rather than the standard 4-groove rifling. This cut barrel production time by 50%, and accuracy was considered satisfactory. In 1942, negotiations were underway with High Standard Manufacturing Company to produce the 1903A3 as an additional source. High Standard wanted to manufacture only barrels, and contract out the rest of the components to the L.C. Smith & Corona Typewriter Company, because High Standard was already up to its neck in war production. It was then decided to let the contract directly to Smith-Corona, and in February, S-C was given a contract for 100,000 '03 (Modified) rifles. As the '03A3 became de jour, the contract was changed so as to call for production of the '03A3. S-C was given a separate serial number block to use to distinguish its rifles from those coming from Remington. Both firms received additional contracts, and production from both firms reached over 1 million 'A3s. High Standard made most of the barrels for Smith-Corona, even though most were marked "S-C." Most Remington parts were marked with a small "R," but S-C did not mark any of its smaller parts with a letter. The rifles as made by Smith Corona and Remington were virtually identical in every respect. Smith Corona only made the 1903A3 rifle during its tenure as an arms manufacturer. The last M1903A3 was made in February of 1944. 15. Model of 1903A4 (Sniper's), as made by Remington. As WW II began, the Army didn't have a standard sniper rifle, although some work was beginning on attaching a scope to the M1 rifle. In order to fill this gap, the War Department asked Remington to design a scoped weapon based on the 1903A3. This they did, and the resultant rifle was essentially a 1903A3 with no iron sights, fitted with a Redfield "Junior" mount and a Weaver 330C scope. This scope soon acquired the military designation M73B1. Later in its service life, after the war, some M84 scopes were utilized on this rifle. The bolt handle was altered to clear the scope, and the otherwise standard "C" stock had a bolt handle clearance cut in it. Interestingly, although the rifles had the designation "Model of 1903A4 (Sniper's)," the receiver rings were marked with a left-offset "U.S./Remington/Model 03-A3" designa- tion, visible when the scope mount was installed. This was so that 'A4s judged not sufficiently accurate for sniper use could be re- converted to '03-A3s. The milling cuts for a front sight were present in the barrels, but the barrels had no front sights. The M903A4 was about the only sniper rifle used during WW II, as the M1C sniper weapon was introduced very late in the war and was used in very limited numbers only in the Pacific Theatre. The 'A4 was also used in Korea, and even in Vietnam. As late as December 1970, an official Technical Manual was printed for this arm. It was the last of a long line of proud rifles that served our nation well for about 70 years, and is a prized collector's item today. There were essentially 15 classifications of the 1903 service rifle useful for collectors to recognize, but only six "official" types, the 1903, the 1903 Mark I, the 1903 (Modified), the 1903A1, the 1903A3, and the 1903A4. As promised, here is a "thumbnail" reference list for your use as you prowl the gun shows, giving the primary identifi- cation points. I suggest you use your word processor to make a copy of this text, delete all the foregoing, and then print out this quick reference. ********************************************************************** QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE 1903 SPRINGFIELDS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ compiled by John Marshall, Aug. 1995 1. ROD-BAYONET 1903. Rod bayonet, curved rear sight, two-hole front sight. Straight full-length handguard. Caliber .30/03. Serial num- bers to about 74,500, beginning with #1. Almost all later converted. Very rare in original condition. Value good - fine $10,000 to $20,000. Restored-to-original condition specimens $1,500 - $4,500. 2. 1903, with alterations of 1905. Rear sight graduated to 2400 yards. Ramrod channel plugged. Still in .30/03 caliber. No stock bolts. Flat handguard hump. Straight bolt handle. Serial below 270,000. Value good - fine $3,000 to $9,000. 3. 1903, with alterations of 1906. Rear sight graduated to 2850 yards, Barrel set back and rechambered to 30/06 caliber, no stock bolts, straight bolt handle. Length 43.25". Serial below 269,000. Value good - fine $700 - $2,750. 4. 1903/1905, with alterations of 1906. Altered from previous 1905 configuration. Barrel set back and rechambered or replaced with date of 1906. .30/06, rear sight graduated to 2850 yards, no stock bolts. Serial below 270,000. Value good - fine $600 - $2,000. 5. 1903, Made 1906 - 1908. Serial number 270,000 - 350,000, to 65,000 for Rock Island. Case hardened action. Blued barrel and parts. Straight bolt handle. Flat-top handguard. Single stock bolt introduced 1908. Value VG - fine $700 - $2,250. 6. 1903, Made 1908 - 1910. Large windage knob, measuring .575". Block lettering on receiver. Serial numbers 350,000 to @ 450,000; 65,000 - 180,000 at RI. Flat top handguard. Single stock bolt. Value VG - fine $700 - $2,250. 7. 1903, Made 1910 - 1917. Handguard has milled cut, straight bolt handle, one stock bolt. Stock curved on top on left side rather than straight. Serial numbers @ 450,000 to 635,000, above 180,000 at RI. Value VG - Exc. $750 - $2,000. 8. 1903, made 1917 - 1921. World War I-era rifles serial numbered to 1,050,000 at SA, 347,000 at RI. Uncheckered buttplates became stand- ard, unserrated triggers, also. Parkerizing introduced with blacken- ing. Double heat-treating above serial 800,000 at SA, 370,000 at RI. Bolt handle bent rearward at about 800,000 serial #. Blued, not parkerized lower barrel band. Two stock bolts. Value 1917-1918 dated VG - Exc. $875 - $2,500, 1919 - 1921 dated $600 - $1,850. 9. 1903 Mark I Rifle. Made for Pedersen Device. Look for ejection port in left of receiver, Mark I receiver stamping. Most refitted with standard 1903 parts. Look for screw slot in cut-off spindle for original Mark I cutoff. Black Parkerized (can be smooth from wear). Found in serial number range 1,030,000 - 1,200,000. Barrel dates usually 1919 or 1920. Rare in unaltered condition. Value, as issued, VG - Exc. $475 - $1,250, altered to 1903, $275 - $650. 10. Post-WW I 1903 rifles, 1921 - 1939. Parkerized. Checkered buttplates and serrated triggers found again. Swell of handguard longer and larger, barrels dated 1921 to 1927, mostly. Two stock bolts. Serial numbers past 1,050,000 are post WW I, 1921 production on from about 1,200,000 to 1,300,000. Most rifles in later period made from on-hand parts, little actual production. Excellent quality in this era. Value VG - Exc. $700 - $1,850. 11. M1903A1 Rifle, 1929 - 1939. Full-pistol-grip stock with no finger grooves. Original A1 production rare, most were 1903s retro- fitted with A1 stocks. Original A1 stocks were not cut for the 1903A3 handguard ring; later WW II jobs were. Original A1s, Value VG - Exc. $425 - $1,400. WW II restocked A1s bring somewhat less, $350 - $1,000. 12. 1903 Rifle as made by Remington, 1941 - April '42 - Identical to late RIA manufacturer, black parkerized, made on RIA tooling. Look for Remington receiver marking. NO stamped parts, lightening cuts in the rear sight base. Value VG - Exc. $400 - $900 13. 1903 (Modified) Rifle, made by Remington, 12/41 - 12/42. Numerous production shortcuts, most noticeable being lack of lightening cuts in rear sight base. WW II-style non-black Parkerizing. Some stamped parts, increasing in number as production continued. Value VG - Exc. $350 - $850. 14. 1903A3 Rifle, as made by Remington and Smith-Corona, 12/42 - 2/44. Economy version of '03, stamped parts, receiver sight, stock can be pinned or bolted, scant or straight grip; Remington parts marked with "R", S-C parts unmarked except for barrel, barrel actually made by High Standard. Value VG - Exc. $275 - $650. 15. 1903A4 Rifle, as made by Remington. Receivers marked as 'A3s, offset to the left, scopes Weaver 330C/M73B1, later rifles had M84 scope. Redfield Jr. mount, no front sight. Full-pistol-grip "C" stock with bolt clearance cut. Value VG - Exc. $650 - $1,800. ************************************************************************ In reflection. I did a quick check (not completely accurate, I'm sure) of the major categories and the number produced, and here's how it breaks out: Springfield '03, total receivers made: 1,592,563 Rock Island '03, total receivers made: 445,000 Remington '03 and '03 (Modified): 348,085 Remington 1903A3s: 707,629 Remington 1903A4s: 28,365 Smith-Corona 1903A3s: 234,580 ---------- Total: 3,356,222 Rough Rarity: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Total Springfield: 47.5% [Total Mark I 101,775] ( 3.0%) Total RIA 13.3% Total Rem. '03/'03 Mod. 10.4% Total Rem. '03A3 21.1% Total Rem. '03A4 .8% Total Smith-Corona '03A3 7.0% Figures don't total 100% due to rounding... If you are interested in learning more about the classic 1903 series of rifles, I can heartily recommend several books: "The Springfield 1903 Rifles" by Lt. Col. William S. Brophy "A Collector's Guide to the '03 Springfield" by Bruce N. Canfield "The '03 Springfields" by Clark Campbell "Flayderman's Guide, 6th Edition" by Norm Flayderman -------------------------------------------------------------------- 9509B NRA NEWS by the NRA staff ~~~~~~~~ *NRA *RKBA *SECOND AMENDMENT STANDING GUARD by Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice-President National Rifle Association of America To confuse you about NRA's leadership and fiscal health, some in the national media have circulated distorted, deceptive and downright false stories about the NRA's finances. So before they peddle any more misleading statistics and malicious theories, let's set the record straight. When the Board of Directors elected me to the helm of the NRA in 1991, our Association faced severe problems that genuinely threatened our future: * Lack of support for our members' interests in the defense of our Second Amendment rights in legislative and political arenas. * NRA membership had plummeted, even while millions of dollars were being spent to recruit members. * Millions more had been squandered to replace NRA's inadequate, obsolete computer system with yet another system that literally never worked. * Our overcrowded, crumbling 40-year-old Headquarters building - which was built to serve 250,000 members, not twelve times that number - was in danger of being shut down for asbestos, life-safety and disabled access code violations. * And our Association had fallen victim to a bureaucratic mindset and lack of vision that threatened to make us irrelevant to American gun owners. In short, NRA stood at the crossroads of its very existence. With the guidance and backing of the NRA Board of Directors, we set out to arrest and reverse that disastrous course. Today, I'm proud to report our Association has been revitalized and rebuilt from the ground up. Since 1991, we've undergone the fastest, longest sustained growth period in our history, gaining more than a million members to set an all-time record in paid memberships. Instead of relocating for two years while our Headquarters was gutted and rebuilt - only to relocate again - the Association bought a new Headquarters which will serve NRA members well into the next century, all for about 30 cents on the dollar. We've strengthened and streamlined our entire infrastructure, with a computer system that works, and an inspired, visionary and professional staff that works even harder. And we've added nationally-acclaimed programs like CrimeStrike, Eddie Eagle and Refuse To Be A Victim . . . programs that answer the needs of Americans today. Did it cost money? Yes. Investing in the future always does. Will it break the bank? Not by a long shot. Today our Association has $52 million in cash and investments, plus some $25 million in other net tangible assets. We have a balanced budget. We're operating in the black. And by whatever yardstick you choose - politics, programs, fiscal integrity, membership or resolve - we're stronger, more viable and better prepared to protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms than we have been in decades, if ever. Look at our phenomenal, unprecedented success in the 1994 elections, and all our state legislative victories since then. President Clinton said it all when he blamed the NRA for changing the face of Congress. Look at all the new NRA programs that are touching the lives of millions of Americans. Or listen to the passionate support from the thousands of new members who join us each week. All of this momentum came with a price tag, and we paid it. Today, that sacrifice has been made. Because the alternative was unacceptable. Stagnation means weakness. And momentum lost is very expensive to regain. But growth means strength, as members like you are our greatest asset. Now we must stay the course. Our Second Amendment demands no less. =+=+=+=+ RIGHTS, RISKS AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FREE PEOPLE A Speech by Mrs. Tanya K. Metaksa, Executive Director National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action before the 17th Annual National Conservative Student Conference Young America's Foundation Friday, July 28, at 4:00 pm. As many of you know, my father was John Chamberlain, one of the founding fathers of America's conservative movement. This man, someone who William F. Buckley, Jr., and Whittaker Chambers called the dearest of friends, passed away this Spring ... but not without leaving all of us a legacy. It was in the 1940s when world events showed my father that individual rights were increasingly important -- all important -- in a world dominated by statism and "political" solutions. In a book review, he wrote an aside about this new conviction of his: "I have simply lived to see at least four major brands of statism tried out," he wrote. He mentioned Stalinism, of course, and Nazism. But he also wrote, "I have also been a witness (sometimes on the spot) to the destruction of vitality and initiative forced by socialist statism in Britain. And I have lived through eighteen years of New Deal and Fair Deal governments." He described his central values -- his politics -- as a movement, a constant struggle to, quote, rescue us from domination by the state-worshipping intellectuals and restore decentralized rule by the intelligent man. That was written decades ago -- I'm sure today that he'd include intelligent women! -- but that was his core sentiment -- his legacy to the American conservative movement -- his legacy to all of you. You young conservatives are all part of this never-ending movement, the constant swell of an ocean of people who want to protect freedom, limit government, safeguard rights and advance moral responsibility. That is what the 3.5 million members of the National Rifle Association of America are all about -- protecting freedom and safeguarding rights. But too many of your elders in the conservative movement are forgetting the simple arithmetic of our rights, so take out your mental pens to make an important mental note. This is the simple arithmetic of our rights: Rights plus responsibility always equal risks. Let me state the formula again: Rights, even when coupled with responsibility, always equal risks. NRA and gun owners nationwide exercised our rights last fall, and we took responsibility for our country's future by changing the face of our nation. NRA backed 276 U.S. Senate and House candidates. Of 276, 221 won. Of all candidates elected to the U.S. House, 224 were A-rated by the NRA. In over ten thousand races at the federal, state and local levels, 82 percent of NRA-backed candidates won. Does the name "Foley" ring a bell? Not anymore. Thanks in large measure to NRA, the first U.S. Speaker of the House to be unseated in 138 years lost. And today, a new man wields the gavel in the U.S. House of Representatives. On January 13th, one politician made it perfectly clear. He told the editorial board of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, and I quote, the NRA is the reason the Republicans control the House, unquote. That was probably the first and the last time I will ever agree with the man who uttered those words, President Bill Clinton. We exercised our rights. We did so responsibly. So, where's the risk? The risk is that you don't incur the admiration of your adversary, you incur his wrath. The risk is that our association -- and I hope that includes most of you -- have been under constant, sustained attack by Clinton, his agencies, his clones in Congress and his allies in the media elite. By exercising our rights with responsibility, we have incurred the wrath of what my father called "state-worshipping intellectuals." When you favor good government properly limited in power, you run the risk of being labeled anti-government. It happens to us, so it will happen to you. But the so-called anti-government charge is a dog that just won't hunt. And unlike Bill Clinton, I know, because I'm a real hunter. Consider: * NRA was involved in over ten thousand elections impacting every single level of government! That's not just pro- government. That is government! * Consider also that the majority of our members serve, have served or have a family member serving in the U.S. Armed Forces! That's a record I'll compare with the members of the Democratic Leadership Council any day. Anti-police? That's another non-sporting dog. It was NRA who invented police firearms training in 1916, and it's NRA whose ten thousand certified law enforcement instructors today work with over four hundred and fifty thousand law enforcement officers -- local, state and federal. NRA also buys a $25,000 life insurance policy free of charge for every law enforcement officer who joins. Since 1992, we have provided $450,000 in payments to the survivors of our law enforcement members who lost their lives in the line of duty. If you work out the figures, that means -- some law enforcement agency loses an officer, an agent, a sheriff or deputy every other month -- and so does NRA. NRA is more than firearms safety training. NRA is more than the fight to safeguard our rights. NRA is also about putting criminals behind bars. NRA is perhaps the only citizen organization that has worked for tough criminal justice reform and victims' rights in fifteen states in the first six months of this year alone -- from "Three Strikes You're Out" in Vermont to "Hard Time for Armed Crime" in Washington state. But remember the arithmetic of our rights. Even with responsibility comes risk. And the risk we've been running in the last few months is the steady rush of ridicule, innuendo and hatred pouring out of the White House and from the lips of politicians who want our rights and want our power all to themselves. To the best of our ability, NRA will not let that happen, not this year, and certainly not on election day in 1996. Rights plus responsibility yields risk. Have your elders learned that simple arithmetic? I'm afraid the answer is not all of them -- not yet. We have seen the Republicans in the Government Oversight and the Crime and Criminal Justice Subcommittees examine the tragedy near Waco, Texas, in 1993 which claimed the lives of four federal agents and more than eighty civilians. There have been brilliant inquiries made by members of this body -- by Bob Barr of Georgia, John Shadegg of Arizona, Ed Bryant of Tennessee -- just to name a few. Legally and ethically, independent of this panel, NRA conducted its own fact-finding inquiry. We were perfectly within our rights to hire the nation's foremost engineering analysis firm to look into the Waco disaster objectively. That firm, Failure Analysis Associates, is the team of Ph.D.s who uncovered the O- ring problem in the Challenger spacecraft disaster -- and discovered the ignitors placed on GM pick-up truck by NBC Dateline. Legally and ethically, through counsel, NRA asked the Subcommittee that, if the opportunity presented itself, would a firm, even if retained by an advocacy group, be permitted to x- ray the fire-damaged guns retrieved from the ashes in Waco? The Subcommittee queried the House ethics panel, and that panel's leading democrat, Jim McDermott, co-signed a return letter saying there was no ethical or legal problem. Failure Analysis made the trip to Austin -- but was denied access to the guns by an on-scene personal assistant to Attorney General Janet Reno. Why? This firm would have provided its scientific data for any other expert to duplicate. They would have explained their findings, whether they found one illegal gun or one hundred illegal guns. X-rays employ photons. Unlike politicians, photons move in a straight line and never, ever lie. Why was access denied? When the credentials of the Failure Analysis team were explained to Reno's aide, the aide visibly trembled. Why? The Democrats got away with murder in this hearing, allowing a British expert to falsely claim that CS gas posed no problem. Not so. Much of his testimony was linked with a British report that responded to criticism of British use of CS gas in Northern Ireland, and many believe that report itself was a political whitewash intended to soft-peddle gas effects. The fact is, the Congress didn't call the nation's premier experts on failures of a scientific nature -- like the use of ghastly amounts of a gas at levels that threaten health and life itself. Let me give you just a glimpse of what they found ... From the Model Five delivery systems on the tanks alone, the CS gas concentration in some rooms ranged from two to ninety times that required to deter trained soldiers on the first assault alone. Anyone hit directly by spray from the Model Five system would be affected immediately and potentially receive a dose resulting in systemic shock and conceivably death. In addition to tank delivery, a ferret round -- a gas grenade, if you will -- was fired into every window of the center. The methylene chloride used as a solvent in the gas reached 1.8 times the level immediately dangerous to life and health. The concentration level reached by firing just one ferret round was sixteen times the level required to deter trained troops. And all this was the scientifically calculated result of just the first of four gas assaults. And we taxpayers were attacking pregnant women and children, not trained troops. That gas led to incapacitation and death. Why didn't Congress hear those facts? Because Congress did not invite Failure Analysis to testify. The reason: fear of risks. These are our rights we're exercising; we're doing so responsibly, and we accept the risks -- because we know that America can keep score pretty darned well. Even if we only provided information, the way every other advocacy group provides information, we accepted the risk that we would be falsely accused of running the hearings. I'm here to tell you: If we really ran these hearings --if we really orchestrated these hearings as White House spokesman McCurry has accused, those hearings would be very, very different. What America had was an opportunity to put all the crazy conspiracy theorists out of business with the results of this hearing, but I'm afraid the crazy cottage industry will still be in business. What America had was an opportunity to discover that Waco was never, repeat, never a problem with law enforcement officers, but a problem of leadership -- and those leaders are still on the job, still being paid with your tax dollars. What America had was an opportunity on the order of Watergate -- only to end up with a tall glass of water. America wanted sustained questioning by the committee, if not counsel. But the five-minute rule was the best the majority could do. Indeed, the words from these hearings that might be remembered the longest are: "I think my time has expired." America wanted the truth, cut boldly from fragments of reports, lies, and cover-ups, but while the Republicans were the majority, the Democrats ruled. If the Democrats had run the Iran-Contra hearings like the Republicans ran the Waco hearings, Ollie North would be president of the United States. The problem was that the Republicans didn't understand the arithmetic of our rights -- that rights plus responsibility always yield risks. Always. So, when the risks started to loom, too many buckled. They appeared to want to be regarded more as ladies and gentlemen than truth seekers. If they think the press is going to hand out "fairness awards," they better not be holding their breaths. According to the Center for Media and Public Affairs, NBC Nightly News three nights ago gave the Waco hearings a whopping fourteen seconds of coverage. Fourteen seconds for the greatest loss of life in federal law enforcement history since Wounded Knee in the 19th century. The night before last was no better -- a few more seconds to cover the largest use of CS gas against a single target in the history of mankind. Let me close to talk about another father of Republicans, from whom we should all draw inspiration. Theodore Roosevelt was an NRA member and a great Republican, a man with an unshakable sense of ethics. The NRA and the Republicans are accused of somehow undermining law enforcement. In fact, we're just learning from Roosevelt's experience that the best law enforcement is always the best-led. Many of us think of Roosevelt as a great President, as a great soldier, and even as a great sportsman. But Roosevelt was also a law enforcement officer and leader. As a North Dakota rancher in 1886, Roosevelt served as a deputy sheriff and in arctic March weather, led a legendary boat chase for a group of fleeing horse thieves. And, in 1895, Roosevelt became president of New York City's Police Commission overseeing one of the most corrupt law enforcement agencies in the country -- so corrupt that criminals would return their booty to the Chief on request, because he covered up most of their crimes for them. So corrupt that a State Senate committee estimated the department raised twice as much money from graft as from tax dollars. So corrupt that, as Roosevelt said, "the New York police force was utterly demoralized by the gangrene ... the ward politician, the liquor seller, and the criminal alternately preyed on one another and helped one another to prey on the general public." Well, Roosevelt wouldn't take it. With reporters watching, he began an investigation. Three weeks later, the Chief decided to avoid the heat and light of Roosevelt's scrutiny. He resigned. Have we had any resignations since the Waco hearings got underway? Not a one, not yet. Roosevelt kept on going. He shut down even more graft by enforcing the city law that was supposed to keep the saloons closed on Sundays. The public outcry was intense. And with reporters in tow, he started prowling the streets at night, throwing policemen out of saloons and waking them up from naps. There were death threats, even letter bombs. Lots of risk, but this leader kept leading. He raised the department's physical fitness standards and marksmanship scores, built new police stations, even introduced a mobile "Bicycle Squad." In just two years, morale rose, and crime rates plummeted until New York had arguably the best police forces in the world. The best, because they were led by the best. Roosevelt was hated for what he started and loved for what he finished. Times change. Principles don't. Limited government is best. Freedom is worth protecting. Values are worth safeguarding. Laws are worth enforcing. And law enforcement deserves the best in leadership, so the boss's wrongdoing never endangers the rank-and-file officers and agents with a dangerous plan. Law enforcement deserves the best in leadership, so the boss's wrong-doing never tarnishes the badge of the rank-and-file officers and agents as committed to constitution as they are to the citizens they serve. Remember what my father grieved over -- the destruction of vitality and initiative by statism. Let's rescue vitality, and rescue initiative by exercising our rights and doing so responsibly. When we do, all of us -- here in this room and on Capitol Hill -- all of us will begin to relish the risk that always comes with the exercise our God-given rights. Thank you. =+=+=+=+ "Not for Praise, but for Principle" An address to the 17th Annual NRA National Shooting Coaches and Instructors Conference by Thomas C. Wyld Director, PR & Communications National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action Fairfax, Virginia, August 18, 1995 Thank you for being here for the 17th Annual NRA National Shooting Coaches and Instructors Conference. You, NRA-certified coaches and instructors, are the best kept secret in the National Rifle Association of America. So, who's keeping the secret? Certainly not the NRA, not the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, certainly not the PR staff of NRA. * Thousands of competitions annually. * More than thirty thousand certified instructors who reach hundreds of thousands of Americans. * More than ten thousand NRA-certified police trainers who reach more than four hundred thousand peace officers nationwide. Those aren't secrets -- they're part of the stories we tell about our Association every day. Indeed we routinely tell your story at every turn -- and, just as routinely, your story is turned down. One example. Just a few days ago, I was interviewed by, let's call it a prominent Washington newspaper, about a shooting accident that ended tragically in the death of a young man. In responding to the press, I listed the three cardinal rules for safe gun handling -- the same rules you, your competitors and your students live by. By repeating those three rules, I was urging the reporter to include them in the story. * Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. * Always keep the finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. * Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use. In this tragedy, the gun was not pointed in a safe direction, and the gun was loaded even though it was not ready to use. Tragically, a life was lost. But NRA's vital safety message was lost in that story, too. I told the reporter that if his readers believed that gun safety training is vital, they should join the club. That club's the NRA. That club's champions are you -- NRA- certified instructors and coaches. To this reporter and several others, we said, come to this conference. Attend NRA's open house on Saturday. Come see NRA Training Week. In the words of one reporter I spoke to, that story would be, and I quote, too sweet. So we've come to this in 1995. Good stories are "too sweet." The story about volunteers like you, working with people young and old, teaching safety, discipline, respect of self and others -- building in Americans the very traits that make our nation a great nation -- is a story that simply can't be told. But you will press on with coaching and training regardless of the press. Because you don't do it for praise or publicity. You do it, because you know it's right. And we in the NRA Institute for Legislative Action and all our members will press on, too, securing our heritage, safeguarding our rights, protecting freedom. We press on, despite the press, because we know it's right. Not for praise, but for principle. No presentation is complete without a slide show, so I'm going to show you some visuals. Slide number one. It's a picture of people like you celebrating on Election Night, 1994. I hope you see yourself in that picture, because you had lots of company and lots to celebrate. You and people like you were involved in over ten thousand elections -- I said it right -- ten thousand elections at the local, state and federal level. You and fellow NRA members achieved more than eighty percent success in November of 1994. This slide is not a picture of anti-government people. Getting involved in ten thousand elections is not anti-government. It is government. Slide number two. As you can see, it's a map of the United States. Since January of this year, you and your NRA have radically altered this map with Right to Carry -- legislation that enables law-abiding people like yourself to have a means to defend yourself and your loved ones while outside the home. Even TIME magazine tipped its hat to your NRA's enactment just this year of Right to Carry in Virginia, Utah, Idaho and Arkansas. A few months ago, it was signed into law by the governors of Texas, Oklahoma and Nevada. You've passed Right to Carry into law in North Carolina. You have improved the existing law in Florida. And you have extended Pennsylvania's Right to Carry law to the good citizens of the birthplace of freedom, Philadelphia. Because NRA protected freedom, NRA assured the safety of more and more Americans -- because the threat of violent attack doesn't end at our front door -- because, without freedom, there can be no safety. We're serious about freedom, you and I, and we're serious about safety. That's why, in the first six months of this year alone, NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, through its CrimeStrike Division, has worked toward criminal justice reform and victims' rights in fifteen states -- from "Three Strikes You're Out" in Vermont to the "Hard Time for Armed Crime" Initiative in Washington state. Think about that. Criminal justice reform. And victims' rights. In fifteen states. In just six months. By one citizens' group. Your's. The National Rifle Association. NRA is working for -- and passing -- Two and Three Strikes laws to ensure that repeat offenders are kept behind bars for life. NRA is working for -- and passing -- truth-in-sentencing to require violent criminals to serve eighty-five percent of sentences imposed. And we're working for -- and passing -- pre-trial detention of dangerous offenders, so predators don't get back to the streets before the arresting officer makes it home for dinner. And that brings me to my next slide. Slide number three: the revolving door. Catch-and-release may be fine for trout fishing, but a catch- and-release criminal justice system is no match for today's Billy the Kid. That's why NRA is lobbying for juvenile justice reform to ensure people who commit adult crimes do adult time. Slide number four. A picture of the U.S. Capitol. It was the scene last month of hearings into the tragedy near Waco, Texas, in 1993 which claimed the lives of four federal agents and more than eighty civilians. There has been a lot of talk about this hearing, and we want to address that talk with you today. Legally and ethically, independent of the Congressional panel, NRA conducted its own fact-finding inquiry. We were perfectly within our rights to hire the nation's foremost engineering analysis firm to look into the Waco disaster objectively -- and provide that information to the nation. That firm, Failure Analysis Associates, is the team of Ph.D.s who uncovered the O-ring problem in the Challenger spacecraft disaster -- and discovered the ignitors placed on a GM pick-up truck by NBC Dateline. With those kinds of credentials, you'd want that team on your side. And they were. Legally and ethically, through counsel, NRA asked the Subcommittee that, if the opportunity presented itself, would a firm, even if retained by an advocacy group, be permitted to x-ray the fire-damaged guns retrieved from the ashes in Waco? The Subcommittee queried the House ethics panel, and that panel's leading Democrat, Jim McDermott, co-signed a return letter saying ... no ethical or legal problem. So, Failure Analysis made the trip to Austin to x-ray the guns held in the Texas Rangers evidence locker -- but the firm was denied access to the guns by a Justice Department representative. Why? Slide number five: a picture of Attorney General Janet Reno's personal assistant, on the ground in Austin, the man who denied access. As you can see, the picture's fuzzy, but it's not because the camera was shaking. It was Janet Reno's assistant who was shaking. Because when the credentials of the Failure Analysis team were explained to this man, witnesses said, quote, he visibly trembled, unquote. Why? Why fear the truth? Because X-rays employ photons. Unlike politicians, photons move in a straight line and never, ever lie. This firm would have provided its scientific data for any other expert to duplicate. They would have explained their findings, whether they found one illegal gun or one hundred illegal guns. Why was access denied? When the CS gas plan was examined by the panel, Congressman Charles Schumer was right when he criticized the credentials of a Utah professor chosen to testify -- a man who had never made any calculations. The data was available. Failure Analysis examined that data and made those calculations. But there was fault elsewhere. A British expert seemed to say in his testimony that CS gas posed no problem. He, too, was wrong. Much of his testimony was linked with a British report that responded to criticism of British use of CS gas in Northern Ireland, and many believe that report itself was a political whitewash intended to soft-peddle gas effects. The fact is, the Congress didn't call the nation's premier experts on the scientific aspects of failures -- failures like the use of ghastly amounts of gas at levels that threaten health and life itself. Let me give you just a glimpse of what this firm found, testimony you never heard during the Waco hearings ... On the first gas assault, from the Model Five delivery systems on the tanks alone, the CS gas concentration in some rooms at the Branch Davidian Center ranged from two to ninety times that required to deter trained soldiers. Anyone hit directly by spray from the Model Five system would be affected immediately and potentially receive a dose resulting in systemic shock and conceivably death. In addition to tank delivery, a ferret round -- a gas grenade, if you will -- was fired into every window of the center. The methylene chloride used as a solvent in the gas reached 1.8 times the level immediately dangerous to life and health. The concentration level reached by firing just one ferret round was sixteen times the level required to deter trained troops. And all this was the scientifically calculated result of just the first of four gas assaults. That gas led to incapacitation and death. It's ironic that NRA was falsely accused of running the hearings, when NRA and Failure Analysis wasn't even asked to provide that information. I'm here to tell you: If we really ran these hearings --if we really orchestrated these hearings as my counterpart at the White House, Mike McCurry, had accused, those hearings would be very, very different. America wanted sustained questioning by the committee, if not counsel. But the five-minute rule was the best the majority could do. Indeed, the words from these hearings that might be remembered the longest are: "I think my time has expired." And if the panel's leadership thought the press was going to hand out "fairness awards," they were mistaken. According to the Center for Media and Public Affairs, NBC Nightly News one night gave the Waco hearings a whopping fourteen seconds of coverage -- and minutes to the coverage of OJ Simpson's socks. Fourteen seconds for the greatest loss of life in federal law enforcement history since Wounded Knee in the 19th century. The next night's fare on NBC was no better -- a few more seconds to cover the largest use of CS gas against a single target in the history of mankind. Take heart: Thanks to all of you, America learns gun safety from the NRA. While America learns nothing from NBC. But the Waco hearings have caused the Administration to move -- albeit slowly and grudgingly -- toward resolving another tragedy, that of Ruby Ridge, Idaho. I think it's quite clear that we wouldn't be seeing that movement had the NRA not insisted on hearings into Waco. Weaver's lawyer, Gerry Spence, summed up the government's 16 months of constant surveillance, 1.2 million dollar investment and its 11-day siege of a log cabin when Spence said, "You had federal agents come into a little county in northern Idaho, suspend state law and then say they had the right to eliminate anyone with a gun." Last year, the Justice Department's own task force sharply criticized the FBI's actions during the incident, immediately after the incident and after court proceedings. This task force concluded that the bureau's conduct, quote, contravened the constitution, unquote, and that criminal charges should be considered against those responsible. Taxpayers who footed the 1.2 million dollar cost of the Ruby Ridge tragedy must now fork over an additional 3.1 million dollars. Soon, perhaps, the advice of the Justice Department's own task force will be heeded, that criminal charges be brought against those responsible. Despite the savaging of NRA by the press, by the Charlie Schumers and the Bill Clinton's, the hearings into Waco and, soon, Ruby Ridge that NRA has called for consistently are starting to bear fruit. Justice is being done. The truth is coming out. NRA did the right thing -- not for praise, but for principle. True, the Waco House hearings were not what they should have been, but in anticipation of what they would reveal -- and partially did reveal, FBI director Louis Freeh demoted his deputy, Larry Potts. America is discovering what NRA has suspected all along. Waco and Ruby Ridge, fundamentally, were never, repeat, never a problem of law enforcement officers, but a problem of leadership. Maybe we think that way, because NRA and law enforcement go way back. It was NRA who invented police firearms training in 1916. It's NRA whose ten thousand certified law enforcement instructors today work with over four hundred and fifty thousand law enforcement officers -- local, state and -- you betcha -- federal. NRA also buys a $25,000 life insurance policy free of charge for every law enforcement officer who joins. Since 1992, we have provided $450,000 in payments to the survivors of our law enforcement members who lost their lives in the line of duty. If you work out the figures, that means -- some law enforcement agency loses an officer, an agent, a sheriff or deputy every other month -- and so does NRA. President Bill Clinton told the Cleveland Plain Dealer earlier this year, quote, The NRA is the reason the Republicans control the House, unquote. We didn't earn Bill Clinton's love, we earned his ire. That's what you're seeing play out in the press, in the last several months, and in the months to come. Why? Let's ask this man -- final slide of the morning -- a picture of Henry Clay, a truly great lawmaker of the nineteenth century. Let me paraphrase what Henry Clay said before the U.S. Senate on March 14, 1834. Those in power mark their victim and spread hatred of him -- to conceal their own abuse of power and their own encroachment upon liberty. So if Henry Clay were here today, and talked in today's vernacular, I think he'd tell us, don't be surprised when you see the cheap shots being taken at NRA. Henry Clay would chalk it up to human nature of those in power who see their power crumbling. Don't be surprised, Clay might say, when Clinton's allies in the media elite ignore the fact that, just last month, NRA recruited enough new members to fill the Houston Astrodome. Don't be surprised, Clay might say, when NRA has its most successful legislative year in 1995, and our opponents respond by slinging mud. And don't be surprised when they ignore the positive story all of you have written and continue to write in the hearts and minds of thousands of competitors and other shooters. We do it, because we know it's right. We do it not for praise but for principle. It was true on Election Day 1994. It will be true this fall when the House of Representatives votes to repeal the Clinton Gun Ban. It will be true on Election Day 1996, when NRA and the rest of America elect a President of the United States other than Bill Clinton. Thank you. =+=+=+=+ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For further information, July 24, 1995 call: NRA Public Affairs 703-267-3820 NRA ON CONNECTICUT COURT DECISION A decision based on political correctness, not constitutional correctness Fairfax, Virginia -- "From a court, the people expect a decision based on constitutional correctness. In Connecticut, they got a decision on political correctness." With these words, officials of the National Rifle Association of America criticized the Connecticut Supreme Court's review of a ban on certain firearms enacted last year. "NRA has said for years that the right to bear arms is under attack. The Connecticut Supreme Court decision removes all doubt," said Mrs. Tanya K. Metaksa, executive director, NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). "The court, in the most cavalier fashion imaginable, simply ignored the key arguments. To suggest, as the court did, that being able to own some 'weapons' satisfies this right is bogus on its face. That's tantamount to saying that one enjoys full First Amendment protection, provided you say only certain things. "Our argument was based on the Connecticut constitution which says 'every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state.' It is clear language. But the court said, as long as you have something, your right is intact. Not so," she said. "That decision means, your rights are up for grabs." Mrs. Metaksa continued, "No one should be surprised that certain jurists have an aversion to certain rights. And no one should sit back and say, because of that hostility, rights are not rights, people are not people and arms are not arms. If we buy into that illogic, we would have to agree with a Supreme Court which, years ago, was hostile to the civil rights provisions of the 14th Amendment and the idea that people of different races should be treated equally by their government. From roughly the 1890s until after the Second World War, the Supreme Court basically refused to enforce the equal protection provisions of the 14th Amendment and the voting rights provisions of the 15th. "Rights do not depend on the whims of legislators or the hostility of jurists." Mrs. Metaksa cautioned that this decision should be reviewed in historical context. As noted by Law professor William Van Alstyne in a recent Duke University Law Journal article, First Amendment jurisprudence did not begin in earnest until 1920. "No one would argue that there were no First Amendment rights in 1919," said Mrs. Metaksa, "so beware of those who claim that the Connecticut constitution doesn't mean what it says." In his article, Van Alstyne affirmed that the Second Amendment guaranteed an individual right of the people and compared NRA's work on Second Amendment issues today to ACLU's work on the First Amendment in the early 1900s. "At issue in Connecticut is a right exercised by half the households in the United States and advanced through legitimate political advocacy by millions of Americans," she concluded. "We believe the people will prevail on a matter confirmed by a wide array of legal scholars, that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right and that self-defense is indeed a civil right." -- nra -- =+=+=+=+ August 22, 1995 Mr. Robert G. Streeter Assistant Director - Refuges and Wildlife US Fish and Wildlife Service 1849 C Street, NW MS 670 ARLSQ Washington, DC 20240 Dear Mr. Streeter: On behalf of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), I appreciate having the opportunity to comment in support of the Service's proposed rule to add Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to the List of Open Areas for Hunting in Ohio (RIN 1018-AD31). The proposed rule states that this hunting program "is to be used primarily as a management tool for balancing the white-tailed deer population objectives with other wildlife objectives, thereby inhibiting this species from impacting the quality of vegetative habitat." It further notes that opening the refuge to hunting will relieve the refuge of expenses incurred in "responding to deer- vehicle accident and crop depredation complaints." Although the proposed rule underscores the historical role of hunting as a legitimate and viable wildlife management tool, we are concerned that the Service is not addressing hunting on its own merits as an acceptable recreational activity on wildlife refuges (See attached copy of our comments on adding Cape May National Wildlife Refuge to the List of Open Areas for Hunting in New Jersey). The justification in the proposed rule leaves the impression that the Service feels the need to apologize for opening the refuge to hunting. Given the restrictions the refuge intends to implement for the proposed hunting program, it would appear that providing for recreational hunting on the refuge even when not designed specifically to relieve an overpopulation/depredation problem would be appropriate and feasible. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and express our support for this rulemaking. Sincerely, Susan R. Lamson Director, Conservation, Wildlife and Natural Resources Enclosure =+=+=+=+ For Immediate Release: For More Information: August 24, 1994 NRA Public Affairs (703) 267-3820 GOVERNOR FORDICE RECEIVES NRA'S FIRST "DEFENDER OF JUSTICE" AWARD Fairfax, VA -- "The National Rifle Association of America, CrimeStrike division and 35,000 Mississippi NRA members are proud to present the first "Defender of Justice" award to Governor Kirk Fordice for his leadership in fighting crime in Mississippi," Elizabeth J. Swasey, CrimeStrike's Senior Counsel for Policy stated today as she presented the award to the Governor. In his first term as governor, Kirk Fordice helped pass a landmark prison construction bill that adds 5,500 new prison beds to the state's prison bed population. In addition to these new facilities and rules, Governor Fordice is putting prisoners to work, training them in construction and prison farming. "Violent criminals in Mississippi prisons will no longer live better than the law-abiding poor. There will be no TVs, no stereos, and no weights -- unless they are gotten the old-fashioned way, unless they are earned," said Ms. Swasey. Governor Fordice has also joined with Louisiana and Alabama to develop a criminal justice information system; he has abolished the confidentiality of a juvenile's criminal record and established a sex offender registry. Throughout the past two sessions of the state legislature, Governor Fordice has made sure that citizens will be protected from criminals by concrete and steel -- not mere campaign promises. "In establishing the "Defender of Justice" award, NRA CrimeStrike sought to recognize state governors, attorneys general, and legislators who understood the failures of the past, recognized the need for tough measures in crime fighting, and who demonstrated the political will to implement these measures now," stated Ms. Swasey. "Since its formation in 1992, CrimeStrike has identified 20 proven ways to cut crime in America. Mississippi has implemented almost all of them, and plans to address many of the others very soon," Ms. Swasey added. In 1994, CrimeStrike was active in six states. Now CrimeStrike is helping to make sweeping reforms in 18 states. CrimeStrike has been instrumental in reforming the nation's juvenile justice reform system, as well as being the first national organization to push for and pass the "Three Strikes and Your Out" initiative in Washington state. The CrimeStrike juvenile justice reform package was recently adopted by the American Legislative Exchange Council as model legislation for the 50 states. ## =+=+=+=+ NRA & LAW ENFORCEMENT: Ties That Bind By Craig D. Sandler, Director, NRA Law Enforcement Activities and Ron Keysor, Senior Editor, NRA CrimeStrike NRA's relationship with the nation's law enforcement community is an enduring one, reaching back through generations of lawmen and women. Thousands of officers belong to NRA, and they have held every office in the organization, including the NRA presidency. But self-serving political attacks on NRA have shaken many in the law enforcement community, and some officers still aren't aware of NRA's role, or its resolve in support of law enforcement that has only grown stronger. In the 1980s, NRA helped pass the landmark Law Enforcement Officers Death Benefit bill signed into law by President Reagan. And through the years, NRA has lobbied for forceful criminal justice reforms that most street police officers support. Annually, NRA honors a distinguished Law Enforcement Officer of the Year with a cash award and recognition at NRA's Annual Meetings. Nowhere has the long and valued kinship between NRA and law enforcement forged a tighter bond than in NRA's role as the leader and partner in police firearms instructor training and police competitive shooting. These are among the skills that spell the difference between officer survival and death, skills that save police lives. Today, some 10,000 officers - local, state, federal, and private security - hold NRA's nationally recognized certifications as law enforcement and private security firearms instructors. They will have contact with an estimated 450,000 other rank and file badge wearers in their agencies during the year. Thousands also hone their shooting skills in NRA-sanctioned police shooting tournaments at every level right up to the annual NRA-sponsored "World Series" of police shooting, the National Police Shooting Championships held annually since 1962. That event alone puts more than 500 officers, federal, state, and local, in head-to-head competition, serving as a forum for enhancing shooting skills and professionalism. In any week, NRA's staff of handgun, rifle, shotgun and submachine gun instructors fans out across the country, teaching week-long schools to officers who in turn teach their agencies' members safe and effective use of their arms. Experienced guest training officers from major police agencies around the nation supplement NRA's staff trainers. NRA instructors don't teach students how to shoot. Their students are designated by their departments as training officers, and they know how to shoot. NRA's role is to give them the program and teaching skills needed to teach fellow officers the skillful use of some of their most vital equipment, their firearms. The desirability of police training was a novel concept back in 1916, when Frank J. Kahrs penned a pioneering article in Arms And The Man, the predecessor to NRA's American Rifleman. Declaring the need for marksmanship training, Kahrs proposed a systematic program that included live-fire "at least once a month" and set forth a regimen that proceeded through slow- and rapid-fire training with the service revolver on silhouette targets. Just as NRA at its birth in 1871 faced inertia in efforts to win support for national marksmanship training for the country's soldiers and future soldiers - the very reason for NRA's creation - police firearms training was slow to gain acceptance. A 1920 NRA survey of cities with populations over 25,000 revealed only 13 with firearms training. This prompted the Army's National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP), the body that oversees the Civilian Marksmanship Program, to launch a "Special Police School" in conjunction with the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. NBPRP and NRA, with their long and collegial partnership in marksmanship training, then put together a program as part of the annual Small Arms Training School. It included a pioneering tactical course of fire called "Hogan's Alley," a running target course, and even judo instruction. NRA enhanced this Camp Perry police program in 1924 by asking police chiefs in every city of more than 10,000 to come Camp Perry to compete in the National Matches pistol phase. Ten police teams responded that year, the birth of NRA-sanctioned police competitive shooting that continues to this day. Within a year, Los Angeles Police Chief R. Lee Heath asked American Rifleman writer E.C. Crossman to assist in designing the LAPD's pistol range. In another landmark, LAPD introduced monthly pay bonuses for qualifying officers. Top shooters got $12.50 extra each month for their skills, a lot of money in 1925. Police departments across the nation were beginning to recognize the value of firearms training. NRA's commitment got a boost in 1926 with introduction of NRA's police qualification program that included indoor and outdoor competition and ranked competitors in Marksman, Sharpshooter and Expert classes. Shooting medals and brassards were offered to boost interest. By 1929, the Camp Perry police school and pistol matches attracted 140 officers and 17 four-man teams, and a police classification system was in place. That growing interest prompted NRA to establish a "Police Section" at headquarters the following year. The Camp Perry school and the spread of NRA-sponsored police training and competition had taken hold, and the 1936 victory of the Los Angeles Police Dept.'s team in the National Pistol Trophy Team Match proved a milestone in police competition. LAPD shooters were the first to wrest the team title away from the dominant military pistol squads of the day, and an era of widespread police competition arrived. It spawned the likes of six-time National Pistol Champion Harry Reeves, a Detroit police officer, and brought new vitality to police competition. The LAPD, Detroit Police, and U.S. Treasury Dept. were fielding top-flight pistol teams by then, as were other agencies. World War II brought an end to civilian activity at Camp Perry, and ammunition shortages curtailed competitive shooting. It wasn't until 1956 that the "Special Police School" was reinstated, with NRA staffers serving among the instructors. In 1960, NRA made its greatest commitment to law enforcement training, creating a completely new program, and for the first time offering certification as NRA Police Firearms Instructors. NRA was the only serious player in police training in those days, and its certification was quickly accepted and has remained the national standard. Then, as now, NRA trained only those individuals who would train their department's officers, gaining a multiplier effect with each trained officer sent back to his agency. Changing department assignments, of course, insures a continuous flow of new officers requiring instruction. NRA added a new wrinkle that stuck, as well. It began sanctioning police agency training and qualification programs, sharing its expertise. NRA continues to review and register police courses to enrolled agencies to this day. To enhance recognition for trainees, NRA also introduced police shooting brassards, insignia and uniform qualification bars. It began sanctioning police competition over practical or combat-type courses of fire on silhouette targets. By 1961, NRA could count 613 newly certified instructors and a growing number of officers firing over NRA-approved qualification courses and in sanctioned combat matches. The first NRA-sponsored National Police Pistol Championships fired over the Practical Pistol Course (PPC) were conducted by the Indiana University Department of Police Administration at Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1962. A policewoman from Columbus, Ohio. The following year, NRA introduced national classification for police firing over a modified PPC. While it was thought mostly small departments would participate, all of the New York City Police Dept.'s firearms instructors applied for credentials, among the 453 departments then enrolled with NRA. By the mid-1960s, NRA could count more than 2,000 certified instructors, and more strides were made in enhancing the police competitive shooting program. Among those on the staff of what was now known as the Police Firearms Instructor School at Camp Perry in the summer of 1965 was New York City Police Lt. Francis J. McGee, who over the next 25 years became the patron saint to NRA's police training efforts. NRA took a deep breath in 1967 and began offering instructor ratings to training officers for private security firms, then as now a major increment of the badge-toting community. The '60s saw other developments, including a new "Police Firearms Instructor Manual" and development of a training film. The 1970s saw growth and innovation, too. The NRA Police Distinguished Combat Badge was inaugurated in 1972, and the number of police classified competitors soon stood at more than 6,000 officers. The number of certified police instructors topped 8,000 when the upgraded NRA Security Firearms Program came on line in 1976 to enhance service to this growing need - there are five times as many private security officers as there are public law officers - and by the end of the decade there was a new police shotgun program and the number of local and regional instructor schools had blossomed to 18. NRA also began providing assistance for the National Law Enforcement Explorer Scout Pistol Championships, an involvement that continues today. A consolidated NRA Police Activities Division was created in 1979, with G.W. "Eliot" Ness as director. In 1982, it was renamed again, becoming the Law Enforcement Activities Division. The '80s saw the security officer training program further enhanced, and NRA added a rifle instructor development school. In 1987, NRA took on the job of training all 179 of the U.S. Customs Service's newly designated firearms instructors. That landmark year also saw the introduction of the law enforcement submachine gun instructors school. NRA also recognized the rapidly developing police switch from revolvers to semi-auto pistols by hosting several seminars on the conversion. Beretta, Glock, Heckler & Koch, SIG-ARMS and Smith & Wesson provided guns and ammunition for officers participating in the seminars. Still another significant training program, long range rifle, to help train special response or SWAT teams, came on line in 1988. As the 1990s have grown to middle age, the number of schools, as many as 50 in a year, and the number of trainees and instructors in all categories, grows. And rather than teaching "NRA's way" of shooting, today's instructors present all of the many accepted techniques. The police competition program, now with more than 6,000 competitors nationwide, continues to hone shooting skills and offers lawmen professional recognition, including "Distinguished" programs in both revolver and semi-auto pistol. While many commercial trainers have joined the police training field in recent years, NRA's cost for its week-long schools is roughly half that charged by private firms. And with its 10,000 certified police and security instructors, NRA remains the only nationally recognized certifying body. That certification is a benefit for officers both in the field and in the courtroom, for NRA enjoys a reputation as the authority in firearms training, safe use and handling. Currently, 1,247 agencies are enrolled in NRA's law enforcement program. NRA's commitment to law enforcement is historical and growing. NRA provides $25,000 in free insurance felonious death benefits for families of NRA-member law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, with more than $400,000 paid out to date. It also offers $1,000 scholarships for the children of member lawmen via the Jeanne E. Bray Memorial Scholarship Fund, named for the late Columbus police officer, shooting champion and NRA Director. In 1995, the Law Enforcement Activities Division conducted its first-ever tactical police shooting schools, "to enable the officer not just to survive but to win potentially lethal confrontations." The division also continues tried and proven efforts like the police body armor discounts and its technical information center, a clearinghouse and data base for information on police equipment and firearms-related training. =+=+=+=+ NRA-ILA CrimeStrike Bulletin 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 * August 22, 1995 * 1-800-TOUGH-11 * `Thrill Killer' May Get Parole Unless Oregon Citizens Fight Back NRA CrimeStrike seeks assistance from Oregon residents in blocking the parole of convicted murderer Jeffrey Lee Spoonire, scheduled for a hearing Sept. 14 before the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision. Oregonians wishing to sign or distribute petitions may call Project Coordinator Molly Anderson at 1-800-TOUGH-11. Thirteen years ago, from a bluff in Bend, Oregon, Spoonire spotted a passing jogger, Mary Ann Thomas Hoser. Out of curiosity, according to newspaper accounts, he shot her in the head. Mrs. Hoser revived enough to crawl down the road, where her husband found her dead. Spoonire, now 35, was dubbed a "thrill killer," convicted of Mrs. Hoser's murder, and sentenced to life in prison, with a 10- year minimum sentence, the most severe penalty then available. "He should not get out at all," said Deschutes County DA Mike Dugan. He prosecuted Spoonire back in 1982. Family members are opposing Spoonire's parole. Spoonire is the 15th murderer whose parole NRA CrimeStrike is seeking to block through a petition drive and news conferences with the victims' families. All of these "Keep Killers in Prison" projects have been successful except the case of Oregon's double murderer, Russel Obremski, who was paroled in 1993 despite a CrimeStrike lawsuit and petition drive, but who has since been returned to prison. "How can a system that even considers freeing a cold-blooded murderer be called a criminal justice system? It can't," said NRA Chief Lobbyist Tanya Metaksa. "We'll work with Mrs. Hoser's family to prevent Spoonire's parole, and with the rest of Oregonians to ensure this doesn't happen again," she said. ALEC Honors Colorado's Rep. Epps; OKs Two CrimeStrike Model Bills Colorado State Rep. Mary Ellen Epps was honored with the American Legislative Exchange Council's Criminal Justice Award at the non-partisan organization's annual meeting in San Diego earlier this month. Rep. Epps was cited for her leadership in sponsoring ALEC's model criminal justice bills dealing with intermediate sanctions and intensive supervision that were enacted into law in Colorado. Vice chairman of the Colorado Criminal Justice Commission, Rep. Epps also sponsored ALEC's model Citizens Right to Know: Pretrial Release bill and co-sponsored right to carry legislation that passed the Colorado House. NRA CrimeStrike was also recognized by ALEC with the council's acceptance of CrimeStrike drafts of model bills on violent and habitual juvenile offenders and for the creation of neighborhood restorative justice centers for non-violent juveniles. What's Going On Behind Bars? While some states are getting rid of weightlifting programs and putting inmates on chain gangs, Maryland is taking another look at live entertainment at state prisons after an Aug. 12 show by a three-woman band that had inmates trying to scale a courtyard fence in a "sexual frenzy." The incident occurred at the Maryland Correctional Training Institution near Hagerstown. Meanwhile, Connecticut State Sen. Kevin Rennie said he was outraged that Natural Born Killers, an R-rated film about a pair of lovers on a killing spree, was shown at a juvenile detention center, reports USA Today. Among the film's scenes: a prison riot. Death Penalty Fact Sheet Available With the continuing controversy over the death penalty, NRA CrimeStrike has available a fact sheet that puts the issue in perspective. To receive "Capital Punishment in the United States," telephone 1-800-TOUGH-11. Update: IL, CA Paroled Killers The body of 10-year-old Christopher Meyer, the suspected victim of paroled killer Timothy Buss, was recovered in Illinois on Aug. 15. The child's disappearance was reported here last week. Police said they would charge 27-year-old Buss with the murder. Buss, an early suspect in the boy's disappearance, was paroled in 1993 for the 1981 molestation and murder of a 5-year-old girl. In another case reported here earlier, a jury has recommended the death penalty for paroled killer William Suff, 44, who was convicted earlier for the stabbing and strangulation deaths of 13 California women. Sentencing is Oct. 10. Suff was paroled after serving just 10 years of 70-year sentence for the beating death of his 3-month-old daughter in Texas in 1973. "While every state, indeed, every county, has its Buss' and Suff's, the key is to get angry and fight for change, not give up," said CrimeStrike Senior Policy Counsel Elizabeth Swasey. "Nothing about crime is inevitable. Bad policy choices got us into this mess, and better ones can get us out of it," she said. FOR INTERVIEWS WITH SPOKESPERSONS, CALL 1-800-TOUGH-11. =+=+=+=+ NRA-ILA FAX NETWORK 11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 1-800-392-8683 * Fax: 703-267-3918 Vol. 2, No. 38 8/25/95 FREEH FALL AT FBI FBI Director Louis Freeh, who came to Washington with a reputation for integrity, is extremely pained over recent allegations surrounding the FBI's mismanagement of the 1992 Ruby Ridge raid. In an August 23, Washington Post story, Freeh noted that above and beyond his personal torment over this situation, his own distress "pales in comparison to the anger and sense of frustration that something like this could happen." The "this" that Director Freeh is referring to is serious allegations that senior FBI officials involved in the Ruby Ridge tragedy covered up the truth surrounding what occurred at Mr. Weaver's cabin three years ago. Mr. Freeh has pledged "absolutely swift and firm action" to restore the public's confidence in the beleaguered agency. Additionally Freeh did concede that knowing what he knows now, he would not have promoted Larry Potts to the position of FBI Deputy Director earlier this year (Potts has since been suspended from the FBI). REYNOLDS UP THE RIVER?: On August 22, vehemently anti-gun Congressman Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.) was found guilty of multiple charges of sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice. Reynolds was also convicted on multiple counts of aggravated sexual abuse; solicitation of child pornography and obstruction of justice. All told, the maximum penalty for conviction on all charges is 75 years in prison. According to an August 25 Washington Post report, Reynolds plans to appeal the conviction, and is desperately hanging on to his Congressional seat, despite numerous cries from fellow Members of Congress to resign. Members of Congress do not have to resign their seats when convicted of a crime, but their colleagues can vote to oust them. Whether they'll oust him or not is yet to be seen. Stay tuned! A LOOK AT THE STATES: Mississippi: Primary runoff elections will be held on Tuesday, August 29. In those runoffs, NRA has endorsed Democratic Reps. Charles Waldrup in House District 30 and Joe Ellzey in House District 88, and Republican Sen. Brad Lott in Senate District 52. We hope members in these districts will make it to the polls on Tuesday and support these candidates who support our freedoms. Voter turnout in runoff elections is extremely low, so your votes will make the difference! SPECIAL NOTE: you may only vote in a party's primary runoff if you voted in that party's primary or if you did not vote at all in the primary. For example, if you voted in the Democratic primary in your district, you are not eligible to vote in the Republican primary runoff. HOT AIR ABOUNDS: On August 21, the California State Senate passed a resolution lauding former President George Bush's decision to resign from the NRA. The resolution was sponsored by Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles) who claimed "the NRA leadership was wrong and overstepped its bounds in attacking federal agents." The measure was passed by a vote of 21-13. One of the 13 Senators who opposed the proposal was Sen. Newton Russell (R-Glendale) who noted "before we rush to condemn the NRA in a blanket, we need to understand that the federal government is no lily-white organization." GUNS, CRIME & FREEDOM NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK & AUDIO TAPE: This national best-seller by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre is now available in paperback and on audio cassette. This sweeping defense of gun ownership explores and dispels the popular myths about gun control, crime, and the Second Amendment, and provides insight into the agenda of those who want to ban our guns. Guns, Crime, and Freedom examines the so-called "studies" and statistics often cited by gun control activists to back up their claims, and exposes them for what they are: pure anti-gun propaganda. Arm yourself with the facts - pick up your copy of Guns, Crime, and Freedom in paperback or on audio cassette at your local bookstore today. NRA OPEN HOUSE A SMASHING SUCCESS: Over 5,000 people attended the NRA's Open House on August 19! Members and their families -- from as far away as Alabama and Indiana -- were treated to a book signing by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre as well as a "Friends of the NRA" auction. The day's events served as a great way for the attendees to see NRA's new national headquarters and learn firsthand about many of the Association's new programs. Our thanks and appreciation to all who attended! GRASSROOTS GEARING UP IN NEW JERSEY: On Saturday, September 16, NRA-ILA will host a special grassroots/election seminar in an effort to enhance our activities for the upcoming November elections. The seminar will be held in East Brunswick, and is totally free. The meeting will provide you with helpful information on how you can help elect pro-gun lawmakers to office. To register for the East Brunswick seminar, or for additional information, please call Lee Maceira in the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-8683. Special Note: similar seminars will be held throughout the nation through the 1996 elections as well. Stay tuned! =END= =+=+=+=+ ============================================================ N R A G R A S S F I R E ! ------------------------------------------------------------ The Newsletter for NRA-ILA Volunteers August 1995 Vol. 1, No. 8 ============================================================ NRA-ILA INAUGURATES ITS 24-HOUR FAX INFO SYSTEM NRA-ILA is proud to announce NRA-ILA FaxLine -- a 24-hour information retrieval system, which will make most NRA-ILA alerts, fact sheets and brochures available by fax. To use the system, call (703) 267-3734 from your fax machine and follow the voice instructions. Within minutes you'll have the printed information you need! You pay only for the cost of the call. Right now you can get daily updates on the U.S. Congressional hearings on Waco via NRA-ILA FaxLine. So call (703) 267-3734 today and stay on top of the action! If you have trouble getting through, or if you would like more information on NRA-ILA FaxLine, please call NRA-ILA at 1-800-392-8683. HOUSE HEARINGS SUGGEST WACO COVER UP Missing Treasury records, reports "filled with falsehoods and distortion of the facts," and deception of the Department of Defense by ATF to acquire military equipment and training -- that's what's been uncovered in the initial days of Congressional hearings into the 1993 tragedy in Waco, Texas. As Committee co-chairman Rep. Bill Zeliff (R-N.H.) stated, "the truth is being sought and new facts are starting to come out." Those facts included: (1) ATF agents testified that they refused an invitation by David Koresh to come and examine his firearms long before the deadly raid; (2) testimony by legal experts showed that the search warrant needed to enter the compound was filled with "inflammatory language ... sloppy ...[with] factual inaccuracies"; (3) while ATF's request for military involvement hinged on a methamphetamine drug lab at the Mt. Carmel compound, a deputy sheriff from the area testified that "he had never seen and had no knowledge of any drug lab," and (4) an internal ATF document confirmed that pages of ATF's surveillance logs on the Branch Davidian compound were "torn out," and other documents attributed to an ATF agent fired for his role in the Waco raid (and later reinstated) were "destroyed." And in the latest sign of a cover-up, a Friday, July 21 Associated Press report stated that Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin called Rep. Bill Brewster (D-Okla.) and urged him, in Brewster's words, "to not ask any questions that would make the administration look bad." Former NRA Director Brewster spurned the Secretary's advice, saying "I told him I would ask my questions as I saw fit, probably a little more direct than that....we'll let the chips fall where they may." While these facts clearly prove the necessity of these hearings, it's been difficult for co-chairs Zeliff and Rep. Bill McCollum to keep the Committee focused, as the anti-gun crowd led by Reps. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John Conyers (D-Ill.) are doing their best to derail & discredit the investigation by diverting attention from the true purpose of the hearings to a non-stop NRA bash and blame session -- even going so far as to demand that NRA officials be subpoenaed to testify before the Committee! The hearings continue through Friday, July 28. For more information, call the NRA-ILA FaxLine at (703) 267-3734 and get your printed update in minutes! Or, for a complete transcript of the hearings, call the Federal News Service at 1- 800-969-3677. Let them know you're an NRA member and you'll get the complete transcript at a special rate! And speaking of Waco, a July 14-17, 1995 Washington Post/ABC News poll revealed that 56% of the public believes that the Congressional hearings on Waco are being held to investigate legitimate issues, while 67% believe the Whitewater hearings seek to embarrass the Clinton Administration. ATF UNDER SENATE SCRUTINY On Friday, July 21, the U.S. Senate held hearings on ATF which focused on racism within the organization, namely the "Good Ol' Boys Roundup," an annual lawmen's gathering, plagued with racist incidents, founded by a former ATF agent and attended (by invitation only!) by numerous federal agents. In a hearing which featured top-level executives from the Justice and Treasury Departments, very little was accomplished. FBI Director Louis Freeh, Assistant Treasury Secretary Ron Noble, and ATF Director John Magaw admonished those who attended the disgraceful event. And although he did not testify at this hearing, a July 20, Washington Times report stated that Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin has ordered his department's inspector general to conduct a "comprehensive and independent" investigation of the "Roundup." He also said he wants investigators to "take all necessary steps so that we can tell the American people this will not happen again." RUBY RIDGE STILL REARING ITS HEAD On Thursday, July 20, The Washington Post reported that U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Ut.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) will hold hearings on the 1992 government raid at Ruby Ridge. Specter's Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Government Information hearings will start on September 6, and will no doubt focus on the amended rules of engagement drawn up by FBI officials that allowed FBI snipers to shoot any armed adult on sight. Also, renewed allegations of a possible FBI coverup resurfaced when a senior FBI official admitted to destroying documents relevant to FBI's activities in the Idaho siege. No word yet on when Hatch's hearings will begin. Stay tuned! CLINTON'S AMMO BAN -- STILL LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR President Clinton has yet to find a sponsor for his bullet ban bill. But with the likes of Rep. Charles Schumer on the Hill, there's little doubt that eventually he'll find someone to sign on to this effort. Clinton's proposed ammunition bill calls for the Secretary of the Treasury to establish regulations by which to determine whether a projectile that may be used in a handgun is capable of penetrating soft body armor. The Secretary of the Treasury would also determine which body armor meets minimum standards for protection of law enforcement officers. The regulations would be promulgated after merely consulting with representatives of law enforcement, organizations representing the sporting use of firearms, ammunition and body armor industry, and members of the ammunition and body armor research community. This legislation also authorizes the appropriation of money necessary to develop and implement performance measures for armor piercing ammunition, and to issue regulations for performance measures for armor piercing ammunition. We'll keep you posted as to any new developments! THIS YEAR'S MODEL On June 27th, Rep. Major Owens (D-N.Y.) introduced his annual Second Amendment-bashing bill. For the past two sessions of Congress, Rep. Owens has introduced legislation calling for the abolishment of the Second Amendment. This year, however, he's trying a new tack -- H.J. Res. 98 -- which, rather than calling for the end to our right to keep and bear arms, calls for a constitutional amendment "clarifying" the Second Amendment. In its entirety, the one-sentence proposal reads as follows: "The right enumerated in the second article of the amendment to the Constitution of the United States shall be construed as a right of States and not of individuals." H.J. Res. 98 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for further review. Although it's doubtful this proposal will see any action in the 104th Congress, we'll keep you posted! ANTI-GUNNERS AMONG CLINTON'S "CRIME COMMISSION" SELECTEES On Wednesday, July 12, President Clinton announced the first six members of his 10-member National Commission on Crime Control and Prevention. Selected to chair the commission is Lee Fisher, a former Ohio state legislator and state Attorney General with a long anti-gun track record, now on the Board of Directors of the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, a wing of HCI. Also named was Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Professor of Public Health Practice and Assistant Dean of Government and Community Programs for the Harvard School for Public Health, who wrote in her 1991 book, _Deadly Consequences_, that firearms "make a person grandiose. Carrying a weapon makes most people feel important and strong. . . My own view on gun control is simple. I hate guns and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to own one. If I had my way, guns for sport would be registered and all other guns would be banned." Other selectees include Dennis Wayne Archer (mayor of Detroit), Paul Helmke (mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind., a longtime supporter of restrictions on firearms), Andrew J. Shookhoff (Juvenile Court Judge for Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson Cty.), and Esta Soler (Founder and Executive Director of the Family Violence Prevention Fund). STATE ROUNDUP Here is a quick summary of what's happened at the state level over the past month. For an update on legislation currently pending before your state, please call 1-800-392-8683. In Louisiana, legislators rejected calling for a July special session, during which they could have reconsidered bills which passed this session that Governor Edwards had vetoed -- including the NRA-backed right to carry reform bill. We'll look to come back in 1997 and pass this critical measure, after NRA activists work this year to elect a pro-gun governor who will sign right to carry reform into law. Two more states, Nevada and North Carolina, gave final approval to NRA-supported right to carry legislation in early July. This brings the number of states that have passed right to carry bills this year -- either establishing a "shall issue" system or reforming existing carry laws -- to 10. Now, a total of 28 states are considered to have fair, non-restrictive carry laws! In Ohio, the Senate approved right to carry legislation, sending it to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration this fall. On the House side, NRA-ILA and state activists will address amendments added to the bill which relate to training requirements and restrictions on carrying by individuals with permits. Meanwhile, the House approved instant check legislation to replace the Brady Act waiting period in the state. Senate Committee consideration will take place on this measure later in the fall. In Oregon, Governor Kitzhaber vetoed two NRA-supported reform measures: a bill which would have clarified and strengthened the state firearms preemption statute and shooting range protection legislation. As this went to press, it appeared as though a special session might be held at the end of July, during which state lawmakers could reconsider bills which the governor had vetoed. The governor did not veto legislation that will replace the state's 15-day waiting period on handgun purchases with an instant criminal records check system. It will become law with or without his signature and is scheduled to take effect July 1, 1996. He also signed legislation that increases the offense of hunter harassment from a violation (civil penalty) to a Class A misdemeanor. Attention NRA-ILA Volunteers! For your special preview copy of the NRA-ILA Victory Report From The States, a feature article that will appear in the September issue of NRA's official magazines, please call 1-800-392-8683. RIGHT TO CARRY: PRESIDENT CALLS FOR CHANGE AND GETS IT! President Clinton is always calling for "change," and you've been giving it to him. Before Clinton took office, favorable right to carry laws were in place in only 17 states with a total population of about 65 million Americans, or 25% of the nation. Since Clinton took office, 11 states have enacted new "shall issue" right to carry laws, and several others have improved existing "shall issue" statutes. As of today, right to carry laws are in place in 28 states, with a total population of about 115 million Americans, 45% of the country. NRA'S CREDIT RATING REALITY On July 18, newspapers nationwide jumped on a report by Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) claiming NRA is in dire financial straits. Truth be told: the D&B report was issued based on erroneous news reports and outdated information (1993). NRA does not routinely furnish financial information to D&B because, unlike other organizations, our business with banks and contractors is not dependent on that agency's rating. Our attorneys may look into the matter with D&B officials and possibly furnish current data to set the record straight. In the meantime, our relations with banks and contractors remains healthy, as one would expect from a 124 year-old organization, with some $49 million in cash and investments, which pays its bills on time. THE POLITICS OF CRIME OR THE CRIME OF POLITICS? On July 9, the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics issued a report claiming there was a sharp increase in gun-related violent crimes reported to the National Crime Victimization Surveys (NCVS) between 1992 and 1993. Once again, it appears that the Justice Department is using its resources to further the Clinton Administration's political agenda. Although the study's conclusion concerning guns that were actually used to shoot victims is probably accurate, its results are most likely tainted by victims' perceptions that criminals may have been armed during the commission of a particular crime, since the American public is subject to a pervasive message by the media that all criminals carry guns. Since only a tiny fraction of the NCVS data were released, precise analysis isn't possible, however, it reflects ill on the validity of this "study" that the FBI reports no similar increase in gun-related violent crimes. PRO-GUN ELECTION ACTION MANUAL NOW AVAILABLE Attention all NRA-ILA Volunteers! There is no time like the present to prepare for the 1996 elections. And to help you get ready, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division has put together its 1995- 1996 Pro-Gun Election Action Manual. Find out what you can do today to help elect pro-gun lawmakers to office, from volunteering for a candidate's campaign -- to organizing your club and fellow gun owners into an well-run political machine! For your free copy, call the Grassroots Division at 1-800-392- 8683. NRA OPEN HOUSE AUGUST 19th Join us at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday, August 19 for NRA's Open House! This free event offers guided tours of NRA Headquarters, our new range, the Petersen Guns & Ammo firearm collection, plus seminars and dozens of other activities. For directions, or more information on the event, please call 1-800-382-8683. ------------------------------------------------------------ H.R. 1488: "Citizens' Protection From Violent Crime Act of 1995." Violent crime in America has increased dramatically over the past 30 years and has become shockingly brutal and random in nature. H.R. 1488, "The Citizens' Protection from Violent Crime Act of 1995," seeks to control crime by increasing penalties for armed violent criminals and repealing restrictions on law-abiding citizens. H.R. 1488 recognizes that "the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees citizens the right to possess firearms. This right is grounded in the need for self- defense." H.R. 1488 will: o Restore to citizens their ability to defend themselves from violent crime by reaffirming their right to use firearms within their homes for self-defense. It also repeals the ban on so-called "assault weapons" which serves only to restrict law-abiding citizens from obtaining the firearms of their choice for defending themselves against violent predators. o Strengthen federal law in several ways to ensure that violent criminals who use firearms to threaten or harm others are severely punished. o Require the U.S. Department of Justice to establish a national armed violent criminal apprehension program designed to get the most dangerous offenders off the streets. Summary of H.R. 1488's Provisions: o Repeals the ban enacted in the 1994 Crime Bill on semi- automatic firearms and so-called "large capacity ammunition feeding devices" and extinguishes any liability, penalty or forfeiture incurred under those Crime Bill provisions. It also repeals references to semi-automatic firearms in federal gun crimes. o Reaffirms the right of a citizen who is not prohibited by federal law from owning a firearm to use a firearm within a home for self-defense purposes. Enables a person who is denied this right to bring a civil suit in federal court, seeking both damages, injunctive relief and attorneys' fees, against the person or government responsible for denying this right. o Creates a new federal crime for possessing, brandishing or discharging a firearm while committing a "serious violent felony or serious drug offense" punishable in state court. The mandatory prison sentences for using firearms in these circumstances, in addition to the sentence imposed for the crime of violence or drug trafficking crime, are five years for possession of the firearm, 10 years for brandishing it, and 20 years for discharging it. Second convictions carry penalties of 20 years for possession, 25 years for brandishing, and 30 years for discharging. This section also brings the current penalties in the federal law pertaining to the use of firearms in the commission of certain federal crimes into conformity with the penalties provided by this section. Finally, the section expresses congressional intent that federal law enforcement should not supplant state and local prosecutions of firearms related crime. This section is only intended as a supplement to such state and local efforts. o Establishes new federal mandatory minimum sentences for serious violent felons who possess firearms. Current federal law contains a 15-year mandatory sentence for possession of a firearm by someone with three prior convictions for serious crimes. This section would add a 10-year sentence for someone who has two prior convictions and a 5-year sentence for someone with one prior conviction. o Adds serious drug offenses committed by juveniles to the list of prior crimes punishable by the 15-year mandatory sentence for "armed career criminals." o Authorizes the federal government to detain prior to trial a violent felon charged with possession of a firearm. o Directs the Attorney General to establish within six months after enactment of the bill an "armed violent criminal apprehension program." Elements of the program include: 1) designating at least one federal prosecutor in every U.S. attorney's office to prosecute federal laws pertaining to armed violent criminals; 2) requiring that every U.S. attorney establish a task force within his or her federal district to coordinate with state and local law enforcement the apprehension of armed violent criminals; 3) requiring monthly reports from U.S. attorneys concerning the number of armed violent criminals arrested and prosecuted; 4) Congress summarizing the information received from the U.S. attorneys. The Attorney General may waive the requirements affecting U.S. attorneys in low-crime areas. Although debate on H.R. 1488 probably won't occur in the House until mid-fall, NRA-ILA continues to recruit co-sponsors to the bill. The more co-sponsors we get, the better our chances will be to pass this critical measure this year! Action Alert: please continue to contact your U.S. Representative at 202/225- 3121, and urge him to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 1488. If your Representative is already a co-sponsor, be sure to thank him, and urge him to lobby his fellow lawmakers to do the same! =+=+=+=+ The American Rifleman, September 1995 THE ARMED CITIZEN Studies indicate that firearms are used over two million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate imminent threat to life limb or in some cases property. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: "The Armed Citizen," 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030 Despite informing 69-year-old Mary Bradford that he didn't want to hurt her, the 6-ft., 300-lb. intruder had forced his way into the terrified woman's Indianapolis, Indiana, home demanding money and was rummaging through her kitchen in search of a knife. Bradford, who was able to retrieve her .38 from the living room, confronted the man, who pointed a butcher knife at her. Bradford fired a single shot, killing him. (The Star, Indianapolis, IN, 5/12/95) The sound of a hunting rifle being loaded was all it took to send a hungry intruder scurrying from a Brownstone, Pennsylvania, home. Despite a well-lit house, somebody jimmied locks, slipped through the garage, and made his way into Benny Pruden's kitchen, while the homeowner worked on a computer upstairs. Pruden heard the refrigerator open, but never had the chance to actually see his unwelcome guest as the criminal or criminals instantly fled at the sound of him loading his .308. A purse and briefcase taken from the home were found in a neighboring yard. (The New Era, Lancaster, PA, 4/6/95) A would-be carjacker picked the wrong Columbia County, Georgia, woman to victimize as she was preparing to go home after a long day at work. Carol Randolph was getting into her car when she noticed a strange man approaching her. She jumped in the vehicle and locked the doors as the bandit drew a semi-automatic pistol. Randolph had her own .38 and fired a single on-target shot through the car's side window at her attacker. The injured stranger fired one wild shot and fled the scene, only to be arrested by police the next day after he attempted to enter a home. (The Chronicle, Augusta, GA, 5/24/95) It took NRA Life Member Earl Tiller. 67, to do what others had been unable to as the Fresno, California, resident" actions led to the arrest of one of California's most-wanted fugitives Suspected of more than 15 home invasions and numerous robberies in which elderly residents suffered severe beatings, the thug dove through an open bedroom window and attacked Tiller and his wife in his typical fashion. Untypical was the ensuing struggle where Tiller shot the fugitive four times before the man fled the home. The criminal later turned up in a hospital where police arrested him in connection to the string of savage attacks. (The Bee, Fresno, CA, 6/14/95) When a teen bandit grabbed Mobile, Alabama, store owner Harold Lambert's gun from beside the cash register and pointed it at his head, the punk thought he had gotten the drop on him. The crook's bravado turned sour, however, when Lambert's wife, Marilyn, pulled her own .25 auto and aimed it at the gun-wielding robber. Backing out of the store, the bandit joined his accomplice standing guard outside, and fled, firing shots through the window. Pursued by Lambert and two other business owners on foot, the delinquents jumped in a car but were apprehended by police just three blocks away. (The Press Register, Mobile, AL, 5/4/95) "It was the easiest arrest I have ever made," said an Indiana state policeman. A teenage runaway had already stolen one four-wheeled ATV and hoped to steal a second from a Greenfield, Indiana, gun club. But when the trooper arrived on the scene, he found the young criminal begging 90-year-old club owner Dennis Kingen to put down his gun. "It was quite a scene. Here is this 90-year-old man with his oxygen tank holding an 18-year-old kid at bay with a handgun." (The Daily Reporter, Greenfield, IN, 6/5/95) Awakened by the sound of her barking dogs, a Clinton, Connecticut, woman inspected her house and found not only a screen missing from a kitchen window, but also a heavyset intruder standing motionless in her living room. The woman returned calmly to her bedroom where she retrieved her handgun. At the sound of her chambering a round into the pistol, the intruder unlocked the front door and fled the property. (The Register, New Haven, CT, 6/3/95) A Norfolk, Virginia, pizza delivery driver was sent to a high-crime neighborhood with another driver as a safety precaution and was still forced to defend himself and his fellow employee in a brazen robbery attempt. Overtaken by three hoodlums, the armed driver fatally shot one of his attackers as the other two scurried away at the sight of the firearm. (The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, VA, 5/20/95) Wilmington, Delaware, shopkeeper Dalton Waterman, 70, was shot during a robbery attempt two years ago and swore next time he would shoot back--he did. When a man stormed into his store and pointed a pistol at Waterman, demanding cash, the senior citizen reactively ducked behind the counter, drew his .38, and cut loose with a shot in the intruder's direction. Waterman missed his target, but it was enough to send the crook bolting from the store. (The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, 5/31/95) The three intruders entered a Chicago, Illinois, home and were stalking down the hall through the darkness when Robert Brown heard one of the housebreakers say, "Somebody's here, let's get him." Frightened but ready, Brown shot one of the thugs dead and was forced to wound another after the criminal attempted to attack the homeowner with a screwdriver. The wounded suspect and his unharmed accomplice then escaped the house. The injured crook was later arrested. (The Sun-Times, Chicago, IL, 5/9/95) The intruders should have heeded 71-year-old Kenneth Struhs' warning to leave after kicking in the door to his Emigration Canyon, Utah, home. Instead, the two men continued toward Struhs, forcing him to shoot one of them in the leg with a .22 cal. rifle. At the sound of the shot, both men tried to flee, but the injured crook collapsed on the porch where he remained until police and paramedics arrived. The arrested criminal had a lengthy criminal record that dated back six years. (The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 5/24/95) =+=+=+=+ The NRA Education Loan Program Affordable Student Loans: The NRA Education Loan Program makes it easier and faster than ever for you or any family member to get education financing up to $25,000 annually. This is a private, credit-based loan program for undergraduate, graduate and professional students enrolled in accredited universities and colleges, as well as for students enrolled in private secondary schools. You or any member of your family can borrow $1,500 to $25,000 a year, up to a total of $100,000, for tuition and other education-related expenses, including $3,000 for a personal computer to use for school. Quick & Easy: A 15-minute phone call is all it takes to pre-qualify for a NRA Education Loan. * Your complete application is processed in just 48 hours. * Your application is accepted any time during the year. * You pay no application fee. * Disbursements are immediate or can be delayed up to 90 days to meet your requested disbursement schedule. Low Monthly Payments: In addition to our competitive rates, you can repay the loan over 15 years or prepay early without penalty. Repayment of the loan principal can even be deferred up to four years while still in school. The NRA Education Loan Program can be used alone or in combination with the federally- guaranteed Stafford (subsidized and unsubsidized) and PLUS loans that we also offer. One Simple Phone Call: Our toll-free customer service network is staffed by Loan Service Specialists committed to helping students and families find the most affordable solution to their education financing needs. In just 15 minutes you'll find out whether or not you pre-qualify for the loan. Our Loan Service Specialists will guide you through the application process and will provide premier customer service throughout the life of the loan. To pre-qualify, please have the following information available for all parties to the loan: * Date of birth * Social Security number * Annual salary * Rent or mortgage payment To apply, call: 1-800-659-6771, ext. 640. The NRA Education Program: The purpose of the NRA Education Loan Program is to make education affordable to the families of our members. This program is available exclusively to current members of the National Rifle Association. The NRA Education Loan Program is one of the many benefits of membership. =+=+=+=+ FRIENDS OF NRA EVENT SCHEDULE Come join your friends at the next Friends of NRA event. Support your Second Amendment rights while having a great time meeting other gun enthusiasts and supporters. It's an event the entire family can enjoy. These fund-raising events begin with a banquet, followed by a live and silent auction for unique NRA merchandise, as well as other merchandise donated by local businesses. Half of all net proceeds raised stays within the state where raised to fund such vital projects as youth education classes, firearms training, range development, and wildlife conservation. The other half supports similar national projects. To get involved, contact the local person listed below. Or, you can call the Event Services Manager at (703) 267-1354. Don't miss out! ALABAMA Alabama (Lafayette) 8/12/95--Rockfence Cmte.--Branch McLendon, (800) 627-2006 Alabama (Enterprise) 8/17/95--Coffee County Cmte.--Brent Underwood, (334) 598-0014 Alabama (Eufala) 8/18/95--East Alabama Cmte.--Rodger Kott, (912) 334-7009 Alabama (Birmingham) 10/5/95--Central Alabama Cmte.--Shep Jones, (205) 870-9675 ARIZONA Arizona (Yuma) 9/22/95--Yuma Cmte.--Bill Baumbeck, (520) 726-1877 Arizona (Prescott) 9/23/95--Yavapai Cmte.--Dean Hall, (602) 949-5007 Arizona (Tombstone) 9/30/95--Tombstone--Big Ed Douglas, (520) 457-3616 Arizona (Flagstaff) 10/6/95--Northern Arizona Cmte.--Gene Schroeder, (520) 527-0968 Arizona (Tucson) 10/13/95--Old Pueblo Cmte.--Eugene Burns, (602) 326-0834 Arizona (Alpine) 10/14/95--Alpine Cmte.--Terry Concannon, (602) 339-4912 Arizona (Phoenix) 10/19/95--Old West Cmte.--John Doherty, (602) 944-1014 ARKANSAS Arkansas (Jonesboro) 8/24/95--Northeast Arkansas Cmte.--Steve Skillern, (501) 933-6479 Arkansas (Magnolia) 8/26/95--Southwest Arkansas Cmte.--Steve Rogers, (501) 234-2277 Arkansas (Springdale) 9/14/95--Northwest Arkansas Cmte.--Charles C. Farmer, (501) 751-4577 CALIFORNIA California (Palmdale) 8/4/95--Antelope Valley Cmte.--Fred Harkins, (805) 948-2304 California (San Bernardino) 8/5/95--Inland Empire Cmte.--Tom Miklesovic, (909) 889-9440 California (Fairfield) 8/8/95--Solano County Cmte.--The Shooting Gallery, (707) 449-4867 California (Buena Park) 8/12/95--North Orange Cmte.--Hayden Heal, (714) 282-8345 California (Bakersfield) 8/19/95--Kern County Cmte.--Daryl Amble, (805) 833-9438 California (Simi Valley) 8/26/95--Simi Valley Cmte.--Paul Mole, (805) 527-1090 California (Weaverville) 9/9/95--Trinity County Cmte.--Rene Mitchell, (916) 623-2843 California (Stockton) 9/13/95--Stockton Cmte.--J.P. Nelson, (916) 878-1133 California (Victorville) 10/20/95--High Desert Cmte.--Chuck Wolf, (619) 948-1817 California (Yreka) 10/28/95--Yreka Cmte.--Joe Ayers, (916) 842-4837 California (Madera) 10/28/95--Fresno-Madera Counties Cmte.--Dick Zachary, (209) 226-3280 COLORADO Colorado (Grand Junction) 10/7/95--Western Slope Cmte.--Robert Dyer, (970) 245-3142 CONNECTICUT Connecticut (Vernon) 9/29/95--Eastern Connecticut Cmte.--Leonard Bach, (203) 875-8355 Connecticut (Stamford) 10/26/95--Fairfield County Cmte.--Stan Siegel, (203) 853-0085 DELAWARE Delaware (Milton) 10/13/95--Sussex County Cmte.--Charlie Steele, (302) 645-8350 FLORIDA Florida (Brooksville) 8/5/95--Nature Coast Cmte.--Bill Gerland, (804) 796-7706 Florida (Orlando) 8/11/95--Central Florida Cmte.--Tim Alexander, (407) 299-4077 Florida (Jacksonville) 8/22/95--First Coast Cmte.--Thomas R. Ascher, (904) 731-3446 Florida (Gainesville) 8/25/95--North Florida Cmte.--Jeff Dissell, (904) 378-9231 Florida (Pensacola) 9/7/95--Florida Panhandle Cmte.--Boswell Smith, (904) 447-4807 Florida (Ocala) 9/14/95--Silver River Cmte.--Richard Irimia, (904) 486-4409 Florida (Pinelli's Park) 9/21/95--Bay Area Cmte.--Kent Dils, (813) 461-1892 Florida (Melbourne) 9/22/95--Space Coast Cmte.--Carolyn Scrosati, (407) 777-1395 Florida (Winter Haven) 9/30/95--Florida Ridge Cmte.--Doug Bohannen, (941) 293-5335 Florida (Ft. Myers) 10/3/95--Greater Ft. Myers--John Grgurich, (813) 936-6968 Florida (DeLand) 10/5/95--Volusia Area Cmte.--John N. Gregory, (904) 734-3044 Florida (Morriston) 10/14/95--Williston Dove Hunters Cmte.--The Quail Den, (904) 528-0557 Florida (Miami) 10/17/95--South Florida Cmte.--Wayne Sessions, (305) 445-9971 Florida (Boca Raton) 10/19/95--Gold Coast Cmte.--Jeff Wait, (407) 369-3427 Florida (Stuart) 10/20/95--Treasure Coast Cmte.--Glen Rubin, (407) 223-8160 GEORGIA Georgia (Griffin) 9/21/95--Central Georgia Cmte.--Bob Thompson, (334) 514-0274 Georgia (Dallas) 9/26/95--West Georgia Cmte.--Randy D. Garvin, (404) 947-0758 Georgia (Athens) 10/3/95--Northeast Georgia Cmte.--Eric Johansen, (706) 354-5052 Georgia (Waycross) 10/19/95--Okefenokee Cmte.--Steve Pope, (912) 283-8370 Georgia (Fitzgerald) 11/30/95--Ocmulgee Cmte.--Skeet Ewing, (912) 423-9801 IDAHO Idaho (Twin Falls) 8/18/95--Magic Valley Cmte.--Becky Hyde, (208) 324-7647 Idaho (Boise) 8/19/95--Treasure Valley Cmte.--Lynn Tominaga, (208) 343-6742 Idaho (Lewiston) 8/27/95--Lewis & Clark Cmte.--Loren B. Neill, (509) 758-8845 Idaho (Pocatello) 9/1/95--Pocatello Area Cmte.--Gary Tiede, (208) 226-2423 Idaho (Coeur d'Alene) 9/9/95--Lake Country Cmte.--, (208) 772-3894 ILLINOIS Illinois (Grafton) 8/25/95--Riverbend Cmte.--Joe Claflin, (618) 729-3232 Illinois (Bloomington) 9/8/95--East Central Illinois Cmte.--Mike Huber, (815) 964-1941 Illinois (Union) 9/12/95--McHenry County Cmte.--Rich Young, (815) 338-7757 Illinois (Rock Island) 9/15/95--Mississippi Valley Cmte.--Tom Thournout, (309) 762-8610 Illinois (Aurora) 10/5/95--Fox Valley Cmte.--Carl W. Kuhn, (708) 469-4650 Illinois (Rockford) 10/20/95--Winnebago-Boone County Cmte.--Dan Smyth, (815) 965-1016 Illinois (Libertyville) 10/25/95--Lake County Cmte.--Pete McCarthy, (708) 367-5718 Illinois (Elmhurst) 11/2/95--DuPage-Will Cmte.--Jim McBride, (708) 852-8105 INDIANA Indiana (Evansville) 8/4/95--Southwestern Indiana Cmte.--Brent Weil, (812) 464-9508 Indiana (Terre Haute) 8/16/95--West Central Indiana Cmte.--Mike Reed, (317) 832-3218 Indiana (Kokomo) 8/31/95--North Central Indiana Cmte.--Rick Bartley, (317) 453-0498 Indiana (South Bend) 9/7/95--Michiana Cmte.--Jack Armbruster, (219) 277-8330 Indiana (Spencer) 9/21/95--Big Walnut Cmte.--Jim Burnhans, (812) 339-4544 Indiana (Bloomington) 9/23/95--Sycamore Valley Cmte.--Mac Moulden, (812) 336-5575 Indiana (Batesville) 10/28/95--Southeastern Indiana Cmte.--Joe Rauch, (812) 623-2097 IOWA Iowa (Waterloo) 10/7/95--Northeast Iowa Cedar Valley Cmte.--Mark Scheel, (319) 277-7109 KANSAS Kansas (Wichita) 8/12/95--Heartland Cmte.--Dennis Hein, (316) 775-5722 Kansas (Great Bend) 8/19/95--Fort Zarah Cmte--Kevin Lockwood, (316) 792-5217 Kansas (Garden City) 10/12/95--Southwest Kansas Cmte.--Jeff Landgraf, (316) 276-6406 Kansas (Fredonia) 10/21/95--Sekan Cmte.--Lee White, (316) 378-2306 Kansas (Topeka) 10/28/95--Capitol City Cmte.--Jerry Marney, (913) 235-1585 KENTUCKY Kentucky (Paducah) 8/31/95--West Kentucky Cmte.--Elmer L. Henderson, (502) 554-0588 Kentucky (Ashland) 9/9/95--Northeastern Kentucky Cmte.--Victor Kersey, (606) 324-5563 Kentucky (Hickman) 10/7/95--Fulton County Cmte.--Paul L. Wilson, (502) 883-5005 Kentucky (Owensboro) 10/12/95--Big Rivers Cmte.--Bob Robertson, (502) 683-8851 LOUISIANA Louisiana (Delhi) 8/3/95--Northeast Louisiana Cmte.--Robert Harold, (318) 467-5998 Louisiana (Monroe) 8/17/95--Ouachita Valley Cmte.--Jim Brooks, (318) 345-1372 Louisiana (Metairie) 10/5/95--Bayou Cmte.--Diane Aguilera, (504) 737-1676 MAINE Maine (Augusta) 11/2/95--Kennebec Cmte.--Julian Beale, (207) 622-1157 MARYLAND Maryland (Hagerstown) 9/23/95--Washington County Cmte.--Jerry Mangan, (301) 791-2384 Maryland (Cumberland) 10/20/95--Allegany Cmte.--Lee Osmansky, (301) 724-1955 MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts (Randolph) 10/18/95--Greater Boston Cmte.--Carl Provost, (617) 938-1978 MICHIGAN Michigan (Traverse City) 8/18/95--Northwest Michigan Cmte.--Mary Lou Boyd, (616) 947-6881 Michigan (Lansing) 9/7/95--Capitol Area Cmte.--Doug Lamb, (517) 676-1909 Michigan (Mt. Pleasant) 9/9/95--Mid-Michigan Cmte.--Wade R. Williams, (517) 772-0832 Michigan (Midland) 9/13/95--Tri-Cities Cmte.--Glenn Duncan, (517) 894-6691 Michigan (Troy) 10/5/95--Oakland-Macomb Cmte.--Charlie Lidstrom, (810) 797-5453 Michigan (Gaylord) 10/14/95--Otsego County Cmte.--Rick Nedow, (517) 731-1000 Michigan (Hillman) 10/18/95--Montmorency Cmte.--Charles Manning, (517) 785-4148 MINNESOTA Minnesota (Bemidji) 8/17/95--Bemidji Area Cmte.--John Ahrens, (218) 751-3761 Minnesota (Duluth) 9/12/95--Lake Superior Cmte.--Dan Dunphey, (218) 525-1702 Minnesota (Medina) 11/29/95--Twin Cities Cmte.--Marilyn Bergum, (612) 421-5931 MISSISSIPPI Mississippi (Vicksburg) 8/10/95--Red Carpet City Cmte.--Ron Klages, (601) 636-2662 Mississippi (Meridian) 10/12/95--East Mississippi Cmte.--Wayne Stokes, (601) 693-4575 MISSOURI Missouri (Sullivan) 9/22/95--Meramec Area Cmte.--Ed Thurmond, (314) 927-5314 Missouri (Theodoria) 9/23/95--Bull Shoals Lake Cmte.--Judy Schnable, (800) 609-6711 Missouri (Poplar Bluff) 11/4/95--S.E. Missouri Cmte.--Tim Heuisser, (314) 785-6627 MONTANA Montana (Billings) 9/16/95--Billings Area Cmte.--Al Wambach, (406) 656-4844 Montana (Kalispell) 9/29/95--Flathead Valley Cmte.--Al Below, (406) 755-4867 Montana (Helena) 9/29/95--Capital City Cmte.--Bill Bigelow, (406) 656-4321 NEBRASKA Nebraska (Omaha) 8/18/95--River City Cmte.--Ward Parker, (402) 331-0609 Nebraska (York) 9/23/95--Crossroads Cmte.--Charles R. Jacobsen, (402) 724-2553 Nebraska (Grand Island) 10/19/95--Central Nebraska Cmte.--Joseph Kovarik, (308) 382-6545 Nebraska (Fairbury) 11/13/95--Southeast Nebraska Cmte.--Bruce Swartz, (402) 729-5201 NEVADA Nevada (Elko) 8/12/95--Elko Cmte.--Darlene Shaw, (702) 738-2666 Nevada (Las Vegas) 8/26/95--Southern Nevada Cmte.--Roy Lee, (702) 647-6807 NEW JERSEY New Jersey (Mt. Laurel) 9/19/95--Delaware Valley Cmte.--William Garland, (908) 295-8813 New Jersey (Cape May) 9/28/95--Cape May County Cmte.--Jerry Clark, (609) 729-0456 New Jersey (Bordentown) 10/12/95--Central Jersey Cmte.--Mark Drozdek, (609) 394-1749 New Jersey (Hampton) 10/13/95--Hunterdon Hills Cmte.--Irving Luizza, (908) 735-9375 New Jersey (Garfield) 10/26/95--Sons & Daughters of Liberty Cmte.--Robert Weiner, (908) 288-9350 NEW MEXICO New Mexico (Deming) 9/26/95--Ibex Country Cmte.--Howard G. Staub, (505) 546-3727 New Mexico (Truth/Conseqnce) 9/30/95--Adobe Hills Cmte.--Judy Dafforn, (505) 894-2173 New Mexico (Hobbs) 10/28/95--Permian Cmte.--Mark Stone, (505) 392-1226 New Mexico (Albuquerque) 11/9/95--Rio Grande Cmte.--Charles Weisleder, (505) 877-6128 NEW YORK New York (Johnstown) 8/24/95--Foothills Cmte.--John Brindle, (518) 773-4175 New York (Staten Island) 9/7/95--Staten Island Cmte.--Staten Island Cmte., (718) 390-8205 New York (Camillus) 9/7/95--Central New York Cmte.--David Simpson, (315) 488-8489 New York (Suffern) 9/15/95--Hudson Valley Cmte.--Marie Merla, (914) 358-1405 New York (Boonville) 9/23/95--Northern Tier Cmte.--Doreen Marks, (315) 942-5484 New York (Owego) 9/29/95--Southern Tier Cmte.--Mike Langton, (607) 648-4198 New York (Glendale) 10/19/95--Metropolitan Cmte.--Katherine O'Brien, (718) 821-1024 NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina (Lumberton) 9/22/95--Southeastern North Carolina Cmte.--Tommy Bryant, (910) 738-4840 NORTH DAKOTA North Dakota (Fargo) 9/20/95--Fargo Cmte.--Marilyn Bergum, (612) 421-5931 North Dakota (Dickinson) 10/28/95--Theodore Roosevelt Cmte.--Gary Mittlestadt, (701) 225-9508 OHIO Ohio (Ashland) 8/4/95--North Central Ohio Cmte.--Howard Glick, (419) 281-2556 Ohio (Newark) 8/12/95--Land of Legend Cmte.--Tina Waldren, (614) 345-8832 Ohio (Fremont) 8/15/95--Camp Perry Cmte.--Lori Ann Wood, (419) 332-0956 Ohio (Vandalia) 8/17/95--Miami Valley Cmte.--Friends of NRA Cmte., (513) 293-2950 Ohio (Perrysburg) 8/18/95--Northwest Ohio Cmte.--Dean Hinebaugh, (419) 867-1277 Ohio (Sandusky) 9/21/95--North Coast Cmte.--Gary Frankowski, (419) 627-8254 Ohio (Harrison/Cincin) 9/22/95--Tri County Cmte.--Bob Ford, (513) 922-1660 Ohio (New Philadlphia) 10/5/95--Tuscarawas County Cmte.--Chuck Matthews, (216) 364-5540 Ohio (Jackson) 10/7/95--Southern Ohio Cmte.--Friends of NRA Cmte., (614) 286-6158 OKLAHOMA Oklahoma (Woodward) 9/14/95--Northwest Oklahoma Cmte.--Rick Poage, (405) 254-3511 Oklahoma (Tulsa) 9/14/95--Green Country Cmte.--Haroldine Hines, (918) 743-5276 Oklahoma (Muskogee) 10/7/95--Indian Territory Cmte.--Dennis Moore, (918) 683-2047 OREGON Oregon (Hillsboro) 8/12/95--Northwest NRA Appreciation Day--John Gearin, (503) 359-5968 Oregon (Roseburg) 8/19/95--Douglas County Cmte.--Fred A. Dayton, (502) 672-5143 Oregon (Eugene) 8/26/95--Emerald Valley Cmte.--Jack Weinstein, (503) 688-8700 Oregon (Milwaukie) 9/15/95--Oregon Trail Cmte.--Mike Butler, (503) 678-2360 Oregon (Bend) 9/22/95--High Desert Cmte.--Todd Butler, (503) 389-9164 Oregon (Pendleton) 9/23/95--Blue Mountain FNRA--Tim McCormick, (503) 276-4439 Oregon (Albany) 12/2/95--Mid-Valley Cmte.--Deb Pitzer, (503) 928-2460 PENNSYLVANIA Pennsylvania (Hummelstown) 8/19/95--Greater Harrisburg Area Cmte.--Martin Rupert, (717) 566-8541 Pennsylvania (Franklin) 9/12/95--Verango County Cmte.--Fred Krizinsky, (814) 437-2147 Pennsylvania (State College) 9/13/95--Happy Valley Cmte.--William Sipple, (814) 238-2874 Pennsylvania (North Wales) 9/19/95--Bux-Mont--Jule Maurer, Jr., (215) 953-0443 Pennsylvania (Johnstown) 9/21/95--Conemaugh Valley Cmte.--John Heckman, (814) 536-4360 Pennsylvania (Greensburg) 9/26/95--Fay-West Cmte.--Wayne Kreinbrook, (412) 547-8229 Pennsylvania (Williamsport) 10/11/95--Susquehanna Valley Cmte.--Paula Nelson, (717) 435-3350 Pennsylvania (Belle Vernon) 10/17/95--Mon-Valley Cmte.--George Goettel, (412) 258-8494 Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg) 10/19/95--Tri-County Cmte.--Curtis Moorhead, (717) 752-2383 Pennsylvania (Langhorne) 10/24/95--Bucks County Cmte.--John Jones, Sr., (215) 750-7233 Pennsylvania (York) 10/26/95--White Rose Cmte.--Darwin Doll, (717) 755-5849 RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island (Johnston) 9/26/95--Narragansett Bay Cmte.--Bill Reilly, (401) 274-7132 SOUTH DAKOTA South Dakota (Mitchell) 8/23/95--Mitchell Cmte.--Chuck Summers, (605) 996-6698 South Dakota (Brookings) 9/22/95--Brookings Cmte.--Tom Raines, (605) 693-4086 TENNESSEE Tennessee (Cookeville) 8/10/95--Upper Cumberland Cmte.--Myron B. Stringer, (615) 526-2115 Tennessee (Alcoa) 8/17/95--Blount County Cmte.--Eugene B. Nicholson, (615) 579-3103 Tennessee (Chattanooga) 9/23/95--Chattanooga Cmte.--Dan Wiggins, (512) 274-9330 Tennessee (Memphis) 9/28/95--Memphis Cmte.--Jim Norris, (901) 867-8277 Tennessee (Knoxville) 10/19/95--East Tennessee Cmte.--Bob Wiest, (615) 966-4545 TEXAS Texas (Tyler) 8/3/95--East Texas Cmte.--Ken Wheeler, Jr., (903) 571-3072 Texas (Houston) 8/10/95--Houston Metro Cmte.--, (713) 268-2596 Texas (El Paso) 8/17/95--El Paso Cmte.--Bob Starkey, (915) 751-3030 Texas (Granbury) 8/18/95--Comanche Peak Cmte.--Bill Taylor, (817) 573-4195 Texas (Wimberley) 8/24/95--Hays County Cmte.--Terry Browning, (512) 847-5737 Texas (Victoria) 8/31/95--Mid-Coast Cmte.--Darren Hester, (512) 575-0655 Texas (Bryan) 9/9/95--Aggieland Cmte.--Marcus Hutka, (409) 847-2360 Texas (Deer Park) 9/14/95--East Harris County Cmte.--Jim McLean, (713) 470-8019 Texas (Amarillo) 9/16/95--Texas Panhandle Cmte.--Brad Powers, (806) 376-7223 Texas (Bryan-Collge St) 9/19/95--Brazos Valley Cmte.--Tom Davison, (409) 823-5244 Texas (Paris) 9/22/95--Northeast Texas Cmte.--Jerry Dudley, (903) 784-2508 Texas (San Antonio) 9/22/95--San Antonio Cmte.--Lloyd Kirkham, (210) 675-1672 Texas (Brownsville) 9/26/95--Brownsville Cmte.--Rey Garza, (210) 541-4914 UTAH Utah (Logan) 8/5/95--Cache Cmte.--Lloyd Johnson, (801) 245-4000 Utah (St. George) 9/9/95--St. George Cmte.--Dave Seely, (801) 673-1936 Utah (Price) 9/30/95--Price Cmte.--Ken Kirkwood, (801) 637-9585 VERMONT Vermont (Burlington) 10/20/95--Champlain Valley Cmte.--Burke O'Brien, (802) 862-5500 VIRGINIA Virginia (Charlottesville) 8/12/95--Blue Ridge Cmte.--Vicki Hale, (804) 974-1954 Virginia (Norfolk) 8/18/95--Tidewater Cmte.--Cal Nester, (804) 490-0918 Virginia (Victoria) 9/8/95--Southside Sportsman Cmte.--Anthony Pasciuta Jr., (804) 568-4651 Virginia (Accomack) 9/30/95--Eastern Shore of Virginia Cmte.--Brian Bloedel, (804) 787-1023 Virginia (Fairfax) 11/15/95--Fairfax Cmte.--Richard Addi, (703) 368-4053 WASHINGTON Washington (Oak Harbor) 8/5/95--Deception Pass Cmte.--Greg Roberts, (206) 679-4657 Washington (Bremerton) 8/11/95--Olympic Peninsula Cmte.--Frank Munroe, (360) 698-6867 Washington (Wenatchee) 9/30/95--North Central Washington Cmte.--Joe Hinkle, (509) 884-1458 Washington (Walla Walla) 11/17/95--Walla Walla Valley Cmte.--Fred McPherson, (509) 529-8329 WEST VIRGINIA West Virginia (Martansburg) 9/16/95--Eastern Panhandle Cmte.--Bill Wenitsky, (304) 229-9157 WISCONSIN Wisconsin (Waukesha) 8/24/95--Metro Milwaukee Cmte.--Jim Hunzinger, (414) 797-9631 Wisconsin (Hancock) 9/9/95--Mecan Springs Cmte.--Curt or Sandy Dollar, (715) 228-5151 Wisconsin (Wausau) 9/14/95--Northcentral Wisconsin Cmte.--David Jensen, (715) 355-5583 Wisconsin (Marshfield) 9/21/95--Tri County Cmte.--Don Lange, (715) 387-6609 Wisconsin (Wisconsin Dells) 10/18/95--Vacationland Cmte.--Fred Kaminski, (608) 254-8366 WYOMING Wyoming (Casper) 8/19/95--Casper Cmte.--Dean's Sporting Goods, (307) 234-2788 Wyoming (Cheyenne) 8/19/95--Southeast Wyoming Cmte.--Mark Lantz, (307) 634-5662 Wyoming (Thermopolis) 8/26/95--Big Horn Basin Cmte.--Grumpy's Trading Post, (307) 864-5500 Wyoming (Buffalo) 9/9/95--Big Horn Cmte.--Stephen Kozsek, (307) 684-5424 Wyoming (Laramie) 11/4/95--Laramie Cmte.--Joe Morotti, (307) 742-4451 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9509C QUOTES FROM THE FOUNDING FATHERS REGARDING GUNS by the Founders ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *SECOND AMENDMENT *RKBA *HISTORY *CONSTITUTION "And that said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress...to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms..." SAM ADAMS, in the Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, Aug. 20, 1789. "To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them..." RICHARD HENRY (LIGHT HORSE HARRY) LEE, writing in Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republic (1787-1788) "On every question of construction [of the Constitution] let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823, found in The Complete Jefferson, p. 322 "The whole of the Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of." ALBERT GALLATIN of the NY Historical Society, October 7, 1789 "...the people have a right to keep and bear arms." PATRICK HENRY AND GEORGE MASON, Elliot, Debates at 185 "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." THOMAS JEFFERSON, Proposal for a Virginia Constitution, 1 T. Jefferson Papers, 334 (C.J. Boyd, Ed. 1950) "As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms." TENCH COXE in "Remarks on the First Part of the Amendments to the Federal Constitution," under the pseudonym "A Pennsylvanian" in the Philadelphia Federal Gazette, June 18, 1789. "Last Monday a string of amendments were presented to the lower house; these altogether respect personal liberty..." Sen. WILLIAM GRAYSON of Virginia in a letter to Patrick Henry. "The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them." ZACHARIA JOHNSON, 3 Elliot, Debates at 646. "A free people ought...to be armed..." GEORGE WASHINGTON, speech of Jan. 7, 1790 in the Boston Independent Chronicle, Jan. 14, 1790. "The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." ALEXANDER HAMILTON, the Federalist Papers at 184-8 "The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able might have a gun." PATRICK HENRY, 3 Elliot, Debates at 386. "A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks." THOMAS JEFFERSON, Encyclopedia of T. Jefferson, 318 (Foley, Ed., 1967). "The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside... Horrid mischief would ensue were one half the world deprived of the use of them..." THOMAS PAINE, I Writings of Thomas Paine at 56 (1894) "Arms in the hands of citizens [may] be used at individual discretion...in private self-defense..." JOHN ADAMS, A Defense of the Constitutions of the Government of the USA, 471 (1788) "A militia, when properly formed are in fact the people themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms." RICHARD HENRY (LIGHT HORSE HARRY) LEE, Additional Letters from the Federal Farmer (1788) at 169. "What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty." Rep. ELBRIDGE GERRY of Massachusetts, I Annals of Congress at 750 (August 17, 1789). "I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials." GEORGE MASON, 3 Elliot, Debates at 425-426. "The right of the people to keep and bear...arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the people, trained to arms is the best and most natural defense of a free country..." JAMES MADISON, 1 Annals of Congress 434 (June 8, 1789). "Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation... Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." JAMES MADISON, Federalist Papers, #46. "Have we the means of resisting disciplined armies, when our only defence, the militia, is put in the hands of Congress?" PATRICK HENRY, 3 Elliot Debates at 48. "And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants." THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to William S. Smith, 1787, in S. Padover (Ed.), Jefferson, On Democracy (1939), p. 20. "Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American... [T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people." TENCH COXE, Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788. "Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in our possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" PATRICK HENRY, 3 Elliot Debates 168-169. "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." THOMAS JEFFERSON. "Oppressors can tyrannize only when they achieve a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace." JAMES MADISON. "Disarm the people - that is the best and most effective way to enslave them." GEORGE MASON. "Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword, because the whole body of the people are armed, and they constitute a force superior to any bands of regular troop(s)." NOAH WEBSTER. "The general (federal) government will tend to monarchy, which will fortify itself from day to day, instead of working its own cures." THOMAS JEFFERSON. "When firearms go, all goes - we need them every hour." GEORGE WASHINGTON. "Covenants without swords are but words." THOMAS HOBBES. "Whenever there is an interest and power to do wrong, wrong will generally be done and not less readily by a powerful and interested Party, than by a prince." JAMES MADISON. "I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion." THOMAS JEFFERSON. "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good." GEORGE WASHINGTON. "It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." DAVID HUME. "I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sud- den usurpations." JAMES MADISON "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined." PATRICK HENRY. "Those who would sacrifice Liberty for temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety." BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. "Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence... From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to insure peace, security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable." GEORGE WASHINGTON. "When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny." THOMAS JEFFERSON. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- And now, some quotes from two 20th Century leaders: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else..." THEODORE ROOSEVELT. "The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so." ADOLF HITLER. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** NOTE: These quotes were compiled by John Marshall, of Phoenix, AZ. Prodigy VFCM83A CompuServe 76366,663 GEnie J.MARSHALL2 (PALADIN) NRA Life Member ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright(C) 1995 by the Outdoors RoundTable and GEnie. 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