		
		    GEnie Outdoors Roundtable Newsletter
			    February, 1995 Issue
			  edited by John Marshall
			   (J.MARSHALL2/PALADIN)

This issue marks the start of a new system for cataloging articles.  Each
article is preceded by a unique number, such as "9502A."  The number
refers to the year and month of the article, and its placement within the
newsletter.   Thus, "9502A" tells you the article is in the February, 1995
newsletter, and that it's the first article in the series.  The table of
contents will refer you to the article number; you can search for it with
many word processing and text reading programs.

Also, each article has a "Keyword" line preceding the text of the article.
Each key word is prefaced by an asterisk.   In this newsletter, searching
for the keyword *FLINTLOCK will take you directly to an interesting article
by Jim Funderburg, for example.    

I hope you enjoy this issue, and bear with your fearless editor as he packs
baggage to move to Phoenix, Arizona!    Take care!

   John Marshall


			     TABLE OF CONTENTS
			     -----------------

9502A THE COLLECTING OF GUNS                            John Marshall

9502B FLINTLOCK MUZZLELOADERS                           Jim Funderburg

9502C FROM THE CZ-75 TO THE EAA WITNESS                 Mark Freburg

9502D THE RUGER 10/22: 30 YEARS LATER                   John Marshall

9502E NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION NEWS                   NRA Staff 


    *********************************************************************


9502A THE COLLECTING OF GUNS by John Marshall
      ----------------------

*COLLECTING *GUN SHOWS *GUN BOOKS *GUN VALUES

It has been said that Man is an accumulator.   Something in our nature 
drives us to acquire things, and as firearms enthusiasts, it is  natu-
ral for us to want to put together a collection of guns, limited  only 
by  our  imagination,  our desire, and wallets,  and  (sometimes)  our 
spouses!

Probably  no  other  field of collecting lends itself so  well  to  an 
interesting multiplicity of types, sizes, shapes, finishes, makers and 
periods.    Gunmaking  dates back over four hundred years,  and  since 
that time, literally millions upon millions have been made, used,  and 
collected.    In the early period of firearms, Europe, Italy,  England 
and Spain were the hotbeds of development, but after the discovery  of 
the New World, some of the greatest advances were in North America.

Because  so  many periods and types of firearms are available  to  the 
collector,  there  is at first an initial desire on the  part  of  the 
fledgling collector to assemble a collection of "everything  interest-
ing."   One soon discovers, however, that assembling a  collection  of 
only one type, maker, period or system is an incredibly daunting task, 
and  unless one specializes in the collection, one simply  becomes  an 
accumulator rather than a collector.   An accumulation of  "everything 
interesting"  would  fill warehouses.   In fact, I know  of  only  one 
person  who  actually did this; a fellow by the name  of  J.M.  Davis, 
whose accumulation of firearms over a period of decades is now  housed 
in a museum in Claremore, Oklahoma.   He managed to acquire an amazing 
variety  of  firearms,  from matchlocks to the  most  modern  weapons, 
choosing  to settle many business debts owed to him in  firearms,  and 
picking  up  everything  he could back when guns  were  plentiful  and 
cheap.   His  collection is in a rather large building, but  even  his 
prodigious effort could not assemble specimens of everything!

So,  sooner or later, one discovers that to have a comprehensive  col-
lection,  one  must  specialize in something.  In my own  case,  as  a 
former  Army officer and student of U.S. military history,  my  choice 
was  a  natural one - to put together a collection  of  standard  U.S. 
martial  arms.   This has been done laboriously over a period of  over 
30  years, and I know that my collection will never be  complete;  re-
straints of budget and availability will surely bring my efforts to  a 
close, and I will need another lifetime and a small fortune to have  a 
complete collection.

Yet,  gun collecting need not be only for the wealthy with  plenty  of 
time and means; impressive collections can and have been built  around 
a minor theme involving commonly available and inexpensive firearms of 
the  modern  era.   Few of us can afford or put  together  a  complete 
collection  of all the varieties of Colt Single Actions, for  example, 
yet it is within the means of most of us to assemble a nice collection 
of Ruger firearms, since the Sturm, Ruger company has only been around 
since  1949.   Even as we speak, certain specimens of  Ruger  firearms 
are  escalating in value rapidly, and in the future, heirs of  a  com-
plete  or  nearly complete Ruger collection will  have  an  incredibly 
valuable  assemblage  of firearms.   Imagine the collector  who  could 
have  bought Sam Colt's early efforts and continued to do so over  the 
span of, say, half a century.   A similar opportunity presents  itself 
now with Rugers.

  I know one collector who acquired small derringers at modest  prices 
for  years, combing gun shows wherever he went.   Today he has a  most 
impressive collection of immense variety, but with a strong theme.

 A  collector  here in El Paso has put together  the  world's  largest 
collection  of M1 carbines and accessories; it has been  displayed  at 
the annual NRA meetings to great acclaim.   He is no millionaire,  yet 
his  collection  easily fills a small ballroom and is  displayed  with 
great  taste and imagination, winning prizes across the  country.   He 
simply started out early, putting his collection together a piece at a 
time, and never neglecting an opportunity to acquire another  specimen 
that  filled a hole in his collection.   Even he doesn't  have  every-
thing  related to the M1 carbine; a few years ago he acquired  a  rare 
carbine case from me; I only parted with it because I had two of  them 
which  I had picked up in Arizona many years ago.   So it is; part  of 
the thrill of collecting is finding something you don't have that fits 
your  collection, and after getting it, you press on in the quest  for 
another item!

  Guns can be greater investment opportunities than blue-chip  stocks, 
yet  I know few collectors who are in it for the money.   Sure,  thou-
sand-dollar  profits  can be made almost overnight from  the  sale  of 
rarities acquired for smaller sums, and there are few collectors  that 
don't brag about "killings" in a trading or selling deal.   To mention 
just  one  example, I wandered into a pawn shop  in  Phoenix,  Arizona 
years ago, and found a Browning Hi-Power pistol with unusual markings.  
I  got it for a reasonable price, and wrote the NRA with a drawing  of 
the  crest  on the top of the slide.   I was informed it  was  a  rare 
Lithuanian  contract  pistol, made for only a short  time  before  the 
Soviet  Union  overran Lithuania prior to WW II.   The  NRA  expert  I 
wrote  was quite amazed that I had one, and wondered how it ever  made 
it  into  this country.   A short while later, I sold  it  at  several 
hundred percent profit to a collector who wanted to wave it under  the 
nose  of noted Browning Hi-Power collector William Drollinger, and  it 
resides in his collection today.   I can only imagine what HE paid for 
it!

  While such "deals" present themselves from time to time, as I  said, 
most collectors aren't in it for the money, but for the romance.    It 
is said that when you hold an old gun in your hands, you are holding a 
piece  of  history.  "If only this gun could talk." is  the  commonly-
heard  phrase.   In my collection, there are rifles that were held  in 
the hands of our soldiers from the time of the Mexican War in 1836  up 
to  the  present  day.   By holding any of these  specimens,  you  can 
imagine  the uniforms, the battles, and the men who braved enemy  fire 
years ago.   Holding a .45/70 trapdoor Springfield, I can almost  hear 
the 7th Cavalry drum and bugle band playing "Garry Owen" as Custer and 
his men mounted to engage their enemy at the Little Big Horn.   When I 
hold an 1861 rifled musket, I think of my own great-grandfather engag-
ing the Confederates on the raid at Saltville, Virginia in the  winter 
of  1863-64, and of his long march back to Kentucky when he froze  his 
feet,  a rifle similar to this one probably slung from  his  shoulder, 
the weight of the rifle causing him great pain as he put one  tortured 
foot in front of the other.    My great-great-grandfather was probably 
issued an 1842 musket when he served on the frontier fighting  Indians 
during his hitch in Texas from 1849 to 1854; I have one of these  long 
beauties  in my collection, in a condition such as he would have  been 
issued.    In my collection of photos, I have one of my uncle  holding 
an  '03 Springfield during Officer Candidate School during WW  II;   I 
remember a visit of his to my home some years ago before he died, when 
he  knowingly and carefully opened the action of an '03 in my  collec-
tion, and remarked that it really brought back memories for him.

  So  for me, it's not the money, it's the romance, the  history,  and 
the mental images that my collection inspires in me, and I'm proud  to 
preserve  these pieces of history for future generations.   It's  said 
that  we  never really own a collection, we are simply  the  temporary 
custodians of one, and this is largely true.  Gun collecting is  ideal 
in  that it embraces subjects which combine the qualities  of  beauty, 
fine  craftsmanship,  historical  importance,  fascinating   interest, 
mechanical novelty, and established values.

  Novice  collectors sometimes despair because the traditional  fields 
of gun collecting have become very expensive - percussion Colts  being 
one example.  In this field, specimens that were once commonplace have 
become exorbitantly pricey, selling for thousands of dollars.   I urge 
them to remember that just as these Colts were once inexpensive,  more 
modern  guns  are today much more reasonable and  will  appreciate  in 
value similarly in years to come.   It is still possible to  assemble, 
for  example,  a nice collection of military 1911 and 1911A1 .45  pis-
tols, with only a few specimens pricing themselves out of the means of 
mere mortals.   All of these pistols have been made, and there will be 
no  more, so now is the time to put them in inventory, to  be  enjoyed 
now  and sold in your golden years for a very nice profit.    A  basic 
collection of only 8 pistols will cover, for example, those issued  to 
Army infantry units over the years:  A 1911 Colt, a 1911  Springfield, 
a  1911  Remington-UMC,  a 1911 A.J. Savage-slide, a  1911A1  Colt,  a 
1911A1 Union Switch and Signal, a 1911A1 Remington-Rand, and a  1911A1 
Ithaca.   Start  adding accessories such as holsters,  cleaning  kits, 
etc.,  and soon you'll have a collection worthy of prizes in gun  show 
competition.   It's  not hard to do now, but in 20 years,  the  finite 
supply  of these historic pistols will dry up, and you'll be the  envy 
of future collectors.  

  Given the knowledge, how do you build a collection?   Easy.  Get out 
there  and  start looking!   Go to every gun show in  your  area,  and 
travel to some that aren't in your area.   Browse through pawn  shops; 
I've  already told you of one find I've had in such shops;  I've  made 
others.  Frequent your neighborhood gun store; it's amazing what kinds 
and  varieties of guns "walk in off the street" at such  stores.   Let 
your fellow collecting friends know of your interests.  I have a "want 
list"  filed  with many of my friends and acquaintances,  so  if  they 
encounter something I want, I can be alerted.

  It's axiomatic in the collecting field that condition is the primary 
factor,  other  than demand and authenticity,  in  determining  value.  
Always go for the best condition firearm you can afford; you'll  never 
regret  it later when it comes time to sell, if you want to.   At  the 
same time, don't pass up a less pristine specimen if you seldom see an 
example  of  a particular gun.   Buy it now, and if you  find  one  in 
better  condition later, you can trade into it or sell  the  less-nice 
one to help recoup the cost.

  How  do  you determine value?   Again, thankfully,  there  are  many 
books  on the market that will help you.   In American  antique  arms, 
Flayderman's  Guide  is issued in a new version every few  years,  and 
I've seen many guns in my collection escalate fairly rapidly in  value 
over the years.   The Blue Book of Values chronicles the current going 
prices  of more modern arms.   These are but two references  that  are 
commonly  available.   Simply checking the asking prices  for  certain 
firearms in the Shotgun News, issued three times month, can be helpful 
to  you.   Ultimately, of course, the price of any gun  is  determined 
not by what the owner is asking, but what the buyer is willing to pay, 
and  what the owner will accept.   Asking price and selling price  are 
two different things, as anyone who has ever seen me operate at a  gun 
show can tell you.   I'm NEVER happy paying "list price" and I will do 
everything I can to make a deal more acceptable to me.   Of course,  I 
will  sometimes encounter the time-honored phrase "I've got more  than 
that in it."  Sometimes it's true, and sometimes it's a ploy, but I do 
expect  to be stonewalled every now and then.  Often  such  situations 
can  be alleviated with a trade - a firearm in which you  have  little 
invested, but which may be worth more to the seller of the firearm you 
want.    I once obtained a coveted firearm by arranging no  less  than 
four  trades  at a gun show; each successive trade bringing  more  and 
more  eventual  value to the owner of the firearm I wanted!    My  net 
outlay was within my budget, and the seller got what he thought was  a 
fair deal in trade.    Of course, cash always talks, and I often  make 
a  stop at an ATM before I go to a gun show, so that I can lay  green-
backs  on  the table to tempt a reluctant seller.   The sight  of  the 
cash on the table often beats any other technique in getting a  seller 
to  sell  at a price you want.   The phrase "What's  your  rock-bottom 
cash price?" often works wonders in bringing the price down to a level 
with which you'll feel more comfortable.

  My  advice to beginning collectors is simple - choose your field  of 
collecting  carefully, and then realize that knowledge is power.   You 
must know what to look for before you look for it, or you will  inevi-
tably  get stung.   I know, it's happened to me, and it's happened  to 
every collector: that specimen you bought is spurious, not  authentic, 
or  built from parts.   How do you get that knowledge?  Well, you  can 
ask more experienced collectors, but the real answer is to buy  books.  
Thankfully,  the  collector market has spawned some  really  excellent 
books that cover almost every firearms collecting field.  The rule  of 
thumb is "buy a book before you buy a gun."  Some of the books  aren't 
cheap,  but  you'll recoup the cost for every  spurious  specimen  you 
avoid  because  you'll know what you're looking for, and  you'll  know 
values.   Small details that escape the unknowledgeable can mean large 
differences  in value.   I once found a Mark 1 Springfield '03  (modi-
fied for the once-secret Pedersen semi-auto device); it was sold to me 
by  an  individual who had no idea what the slot in the  side  of  the 
receiver was for, and who didn't know that all of the Pedersen  device 
modifications to that rifle were intact as originally manufactured.  I 
knew what the slot was for (ejection port for the Pedersen cartridge), 
and  I also knew that most of the Mark 1s on the market  were  re-con-
verted  with  standard '03 parts so they could be  issued  as  regular 
rifles.   I  got the rifle priced as a standard '03;  I  was  inwardly 
grinning  as  I bought the rifle, and outwardly grinning as  I  walked 
from the show with it in my hands.

  My  favorite gun show technique is to be religiously present at  two 
times: early on the first day and late on the last day.   In the first 
instance, the objective is to nail down guns before the owner has  the 
opportunity to gauge value by comparable pieces for sale at the  show, 
and  before  someone  comes along to inform him more  accurately   (or 
sometimes  inaccurately) on what he's got.   The best deals  are  made 
before the first cup of coffee on opening day.    Good deals can  also 
be  made as displayers at a show are closing up shop on the last  day; 
some  are in the mood to sell almost anything at a good  price  rather 
than lug a specimen home again.

  Another  piece  of advice I would give you is that when  a  specimen 
that  would fit into your collection turns up and it's authentic,  buy 
it.    Sure, haggle over price, but go home with it, even if it  means 
foregoing some of life's other little pleasures for a while (how  much 
does that pack of cigarettes every day add up to over a year?).   Why?  
Because  you  may never see another one, and even if you do,  you  can 
compare  quality  and trade up if necessary.    Years ago, I  had  the 
opportunity to buy a Model 1865 trapdoor Springfield in decent  shape; 
it  was  the first Allin conversion of a muzzleloader to  caliber  .58 
rimfire.    The  Second model 1866 and later trapdoors are  much  more 
common,  and I knew this was a rarity - BUT I didn't have the cash  at 
the  time  and  I passed it up, thinking I could  afford  another  one 
later.   I have never since seen one at a gun show, and specimens I've 
seen  advertised over the years  have escalated in value so much  that 
it  will  take more than dipping into my savings account  to  purchase 
one.    Of course, if it means taking food from your kids'  mouths  to 
consummate  such  a  deal, it shouldn't be done, but if  you  have  to 
stretch a little to add that elusive piece to your collection, do  it, 
and  rest easy that you've made a nice investment and you'll have  the 
firearm to enjoy as part of your theme.

  I'm  sometimes  asked  why I collect guns, and I'm  sure  every  gun 
collector has encountered this question.   Some will say gun  collect-
ing  is like a disease or an addiction in that you can't shake it  and 
you never tire of it, but I think it's as natural now to me as breath- 
ing.   Why NOT collect guns?   Consider:

Mechanical  appeal:   Few  things besides guns  have  such  mechanical 
ingenuity  in them.  The problems of overcoming the problem of  repeat 
fire alone have given rise to many, many types of actions and systems.

Artistry:   Few things besides guns have such beauty - the fine  lines 
of  Kentucky flintlock; the graceful shape of a single-action  pistol; 
the  mating  of walnut and blued metal into a meaningful  whole  in  a 
military  arm, to list but a few examples.   Even the modern  "assault 
rifle"  has a beauty of its own in the complex lines and shapes  which 
reflect its functioning parts. 

Romance:   What can have more romantic appeal that the vision  of  two 
gentlemen  facing each other in a code of honor dispute that would  be 
invoked  by  a cased set of dueling pistols?   Or the vision  of  some 
shady  lady  of the last century tucking a derringer like the  one  in 
front of you in her bodice?   Or the image of that dogface soldier  of 
WW  II  toting that M1 Garand against the Axis in the  battles  across 
Europe?

History:   It's  said  that our nation was formed  with  firearms  and 
continues  to  be shaped with them; the history of our nation  is  the 
history of our nation's wars, from the Revolution to Operation  Desert 
Storm.    You hold history, literally, in your hands with old  rifles, 
pistols  and shotguns of military heritage.   When you hold that  Colt 
Single Action, remember that Wyatt, Virgil, and Doc faced the  Cowboys 
at  the OK Corral with similar guns.    I myself am reminded  that  my 
maternal  grandfather carried a similar revolver when he rode  shotgun 
for the Wells Fargo stage between Bisbee and Tombstone, Arizona in the 
latter years of the last century.   

Why NOT collect guns?


9502B FLINTLOCK MUZZLE-LOADERS by Jim Funderburg              
      ------------------------

*FLINTLOCKS *MUZZLE-LOADING *BLACK POWDER

    The majority of contemporary muzzle-loading firearms 
are of the percussion caplock style.  In the January 
Newsletter I offered some maintenance tips on keeping that 
percussion front-stuffer smoking.  A few additional 
comments are offered for the flintlock ignition system.
    Historically the flintlock is much more interesting - 
at least it is to me!  The percussion lock ignition came 
into limited use by the second decade of the 1800's.  In  
1842 the first US military percussion longarm was adopted.  

It was replaced by cartridge ignitions shortly after the 
Civil War (also called the War of Northern Aggression, or 
more simply just "The Warah" in the part of Mississippi I 
come from).  The flintlock, on the other hand, was the 
principal means of firearm ignition for nearly two 
centuries - from mid-1600 until supplanted by the 
percussion!  Flinters even saw duty during the Civil War.   

They were still the favorite of the Mountain Men, long 
after the percussion lock was otherwise dominate.  A comment
attributed to a mid-1840's mountain man was, "if God 
wanted guns fired by 'caps", He woulda littered the ground 
with caps instead of flint."  I, unfortunately, cannot 
find a proper attribution for that quote.
    
    The most common error I see made by new flintlock 
shooters is to use too much priming powder.  Flintlocks - 
also called flinchlocks - require holding steady on the 
target while the powder in the flashpan ignites the gun.  
More priming powder means more flash, and longer lock 
time.  The priming pan needs to be filled to the BOTTOM of 
the flash hole.  Black powder (BP) exposed to the air, 
unlike BP contained in the barrel, burns rather than 
explodes.  If the powder in the pan covers the touch hole, 
the powder must burn down to that level to ignite the 
charge in the barrel.  Another consequence of too much 
priming powder is it creates a larger - more flinch 
inducing - flash, which means more soot, too.  Less is
best.
    
    How to position a flint in the jaws of the cock is 
another common question.  The "hammer" is properly called 
a "cock"; however, hammer is universally recognized, too.  
I try to shape the flint, and position it in the jaws, to 
minimize the distance between flint contact with frizzen 
and opening of the pan.  Working with an unloaded and
unprimed gun, watch where the sparks are thrown.  They 
should drop directly into the pan from the area just above 
the base of the frizzen.  A shower of sparks from high on 
the frizzen is useless if they are cool - or "out" - by 
the time they reach the priming powder.
    
    Learning to shoot a flintlock requires learning to 
ignore the priming powder flash.  In teaching others to
shoot centerfire revolvers, I have often used the 
technique of loading for them, and putting a few empty 
hulls in the cylinder.  When the hammer falls on one of 
those empties, the shooter reacts to the recoil that 
wasn't there, and the diagnosis of flinching is confirmed.  

With the flintlock, a similar technique can be used, except 
you know the gun isn't loaded.  Prime the pan, establish a 
sight picture, and pull the trigger.  When the smoke 
clears, are you still looking at the target?  This is a 
self-regulated activity.  Unlike with the revolver, which 
requires someone to trick load the cylinder, this only 
requires being honest about what the sights looked like.
This kind of "dry" firing is the most effective technique 
I have found to learn to tolerate the distraction of the 
flash.  Oh, yes, always wear eye protection.  

Additionally, I favor wearing a forehead protecting cap
or hat.
    
    As far as I know, none of the newer BP substitute
powders are suitable for flintlocks.  I have tried 
Pyrodex, and had far too many failed ignitions to 
recommend its use.   The BP substitutes have flash 
suppressants to make them behave like smokeless powder.  
Logically, they are harder to ignite with the diminutive 
sparks from the flint on frizzen, as compared to the 
hotter percussion cap or a robust modern primer.  
Certainly only FFFFg black powder can be depended upon for 
priming.
    
    Muzzle-loaders, especially flintlocks, are a delight
to try to master.  They offer still another avenue for
enjoying our shooting sports.

		



9502C   FROM THE CZ-75 TO THE EAA WITNESS  by Mark Freburg
	---------------------------------
	A Short History and Practical Applications For Today

*WITNESS *CZ-75 *SEMIAUTOMATIC *AUTOLOADERS *PISTOL *CZECHOSLOVAKIA

	Let me start out by saying that I am a huge fan of the John 
Browning-designed Model 1911A1 semi-automatic pistol.  Furthermore my
first choice in a fighting cartridge is the .45ACP.  I mention that 
so that the reader has a clear understanding of my prejudices right 
up front.  We've all got 'em; you may as well know what mine are.  
That said, I don't believe that one pistol or cartridge is 
necessarily the best choice for everyone and not everyone will share 
my enthusiasm for the M1911.  Fair enough.  I think there are plenty 
of options and I'm going to tell you about one of them, the Witness 
series of semi-automatic pistols from European American Armory of 
Hialeah, Florida.
	
	The EAA Witness is a clone of the well known CZ-75 pistol 
made by the Czechoslovakian firm of Ceska Zbrojovka of Prague and 
Uhersky Brod.  Some background on the CZ-75 is in order.  While some 
sources credit the CZ-75 to another company, Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka
of Brno, Ceska Zbrojovka is the current manufacturer.  Confusion 
exists due to the similarity of the two names even though they are 
two separate entities.  Additionally the two companies have over the 
years actually transferred production of certain pistols from one 
company over to the other company.
	
	The CZ-75 is an all-steel, selective single and double-
action, high magazine capacity, autoloading pistol.  The double- 
action is a bit unusual in that it uses what might be called a "push 
bar" instead of the more common draw bar.  This is said to 
contribute to the usually superior DA trigger pull on these guns.  
The CZ is a locked breech pistol and utilizes a form of the Browning 
dropping barrel operating system, specifically a "buttonhole," the 
kidney-shaped cutout below the barrel that was borrowed from the SIG 
P210.  Sometimes this is referred to as a cam operated system.  If 
you examine a Browning Hi-power alongside a CZ-75 the similarity 
between the two systems is clear.
	
	Caliber is 9x19mm and the magazine holds fifteen rounds.  
One somewhat unusual aspect of the CZ-75 is the fact that the slide 
rails ride inside the frame instead of vice versa as on most other 
semi-autos including the M1911 and the Browning Hi-power.  This 
contributes to accuracy, and that argument can easily be defended as 
the superbly accurate SIG P210 uses the same slide rail arrangement.  
It's actually another feature that the CZ-75 borrowed from the SIG.
	
	The CZ-75 safety is frame-mounted and blocks the sear which 
locks the hammer.  It thus does not drop the hammer like most other 
DA designs.  This allows the CZ-75 to be carried in Condition One 
(C-1, or "cocked & locked").  Those wishing to carry it in Condition 
Two (C-2, hammer down on a loaded chamber) like other traditional DA 
pistols must manually lower the hammer on a live round, a bit of a 
risky maneuver.  The original design for this pistol had a half cock 
notch despite some reports to the contrary but it was removed from 
the design early on to facilitate ease of production.  After reports 
of some unintentional discharges in the field the half-cock notch was
reinstated.  
	
	The CZ-75 is not an ambidextrous pistol but rather all 
controls are on the left hand side for use by right handed operators.  
The pistol's magazine intentionally did not drop free upon being 
released but the "magazine brake," a piece of folded sheet steel, was 
something easily removed by the end user.
	
	For years the CZ-75 had a mystique brought about by some 
unrelated circumstances.  As a member of the Eastern Bloc under 
control of the U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia's firearms were not 
importable to the U.S. and so the CZ-75 was known primarily by 
reputation as only a few pistols managed to find their way into this 
country.  It didn't hurt the CZ's reputation either when no less a 
personage than Jeff Cooper himself praised the design of the CZ-75.  
Cooper had a great deal of input on the ill-fated Bren Ten pistol and 
even a cursory glance at the Bren Ten shows distinct similarities to 
the CZ-75.  Some have even described the Bren Ten in print a "crude 
copy."
	
	Besides high capacity and C-1 capability, one other aspect of 
the CZ-75 that has always drawn fans is the ergonomically excellent 
shape of the grip frame.  I greatly admire the grip on the Browning 
Hi-power but I think the CZ-75 is comparable.  Some feel it is 
superior.  No matter, it is very good.

		SEND IN THE CLONES

	These and other circumstances inevitably led to the cloning 
of the CZ-75 much like the M1911A1 has been cloned for years.  
Licensed copies were made in Switzerland.  Ill-fated attempts to 
import them to the U.S as the AT-84 and later AT-88 failed but this 
was not due to any real problems with the guns.  The AT-84 I handled 
several years ago showed excellent quality as is usual with Swiss 
pistols.  Business problems and importing arrangements seemed to be 
at the root of the failure.
	
	Enter Fratella Tanfoglio of Brescia, Italy, a long 
established firearms manufacturer.  In 1984 they began production of 
a CZ-75 clone and these have been steadily imported to the U.S. ever 
since.  Oddly enough, two companies imported the early Tanfoglio 
pistols, FIE and Excam.  FIE called their pistol the TZ-75 while the 
less common Excam variant was called the TA-90.  They were the same
pistol with only the slightest cosmetic differences.
	
	Early Tanfoglio guns differed in one large respect from the 
original CZ-75.  The safety lever was moved to the slide where it 
acted on the firing pin to lock it rearward to prevent unintentional 
firing and at the same time dropped the hammer.  Other small 
differences included an extension on the lower forward edge of the 
trigger guard to facilitate the index finger forward hold that was in 
vogue during the 1980s.  Tanfoglio continued with the CZ-style 
magazine brake that prevented the magazine from falling free.
	
	Unfortunately the TZ-75/TA-90  became, with the slide-
mounted, hammer-dropping safety, just another of many high capacity, 
double action, 9mm autoloaders.  In the 1980s you couldn't have found 
a more crowded market and the Tanfoglio offering, though considered 
to be a fairly good quality product, just didn't thrive.  Tanfoglio 
saw the error of their ways and the later TZ-75, known as the Series 
88, saw the safety lever moved back to the frame.  This was a good 
marketing move.  Those people who wanted a pistol that could be 
carried cocked and locked but who were still interested in a high 
capacity pistol once more took a shine to the Tanfoglio product.

		THE WITNESS

	Just a few years ago FIE & Excam fell by the wayside for 
business reasons but the Tanfoglio pistol barely missed a beat.  
European American Armory Corporation was organized from the ashes of 
FIE and the Tanfoglio pistol was back as the oddly-named EAA 
"Witness."  In just a few short years the Witness line has thrived 
and multiplied.  
	
	Witness pistols are available in 9x19 (16+1) and .40S&W 
(12+1).  An only slightly larger-framed model is available in .38 
Super (19+1) & .45ACP (10+1).  (Because of the "crime law" passed in 
late 1994 the days of the high capacity autoloader are over, at least 
temporarily, but as I write this in December, 1994 there are still 
many existing new guns around.)  Tanfoglio has made .22LR conversions 
too and these may become available in the U.S. at a later date.  EAA  
has also advertised pistols in 9x21, 10mm and .41AE but these have 
never been readily available, if available at all in the U.S.
	
	In addition to full-size models there are also sub-compact 
models in all calibers.  The latest offerings include a "carry-comp" 
model, multi-caliber combo kits, and a basic competition model.  EAA 
now has a custom shop in Florida and models from mild to wild are 
available up to and including full house race guns.  In fact, the 
popularity of the Witness on the competition circuit has likely 
accounted for much of its widespread availability.  Today the Witness
& other CZ-75 clones like the Springfield P9 have aftermarket parts 
available for them in a variety and quantity greater than any other 
pistols out there.  The sole exception of course is the ubiquitous 
M1911.  Different from some companies, EAA sells many aftermarket 
parts themselves, all made by Tanfoglio.
	
	How does the Witness differ from its CZ-75 parent and from 
its older brothers the TZs and TAs?  The current Witness has dropped 
the extension on the trigger guard since finger forward shooting has 
lost its allure for most and the trigger guard itself is now more 
rounded.  The tang has been extended back and swept up for greater 
shooting comfort, imitating what many people have spent big money to 
have added to their 1911-pattern pistols, which of course require a 
separate part and often expensive machining of the frame to fit said 
part.  The frame-mounted, sear-blocking safety of the Witness is 
standard and a firing pin block has been added to the pistol, 
something the CZ-75 never had.  New specifically to the Witness is 
the addition of forward slide serrations.  I should also mention that 
the magazines of the Witness drop free as they should on a combat 
pistol.  No more magazine brake.  I read one report on the TZ-75 
where the writer claimed the magazine brake was a good idea because 
it prevented lost magazines.  Give me a break.
	
	It's interesting to note that Tanfoglio has hedged its bets 
and continues to make a limited production version of the Witness 
pistol in the 1980's slide-mounted safety version which EAA calls the 
Witness FAB.  Since EAA took over importation of the Tanfoglio line I 
have never seen an FAB in the flesh, or perhaps I should say "in the 
steel."
	
	Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and opening of 
former Iron Curtain countries the original CZ-75, still in 
production, has been imported in increasing quantities.  There is now 
an updated model called the CZ-85 which added ambidextrous safety and 
slide stop levers, although no ambidextrous magazine release.  Still, 
the Witness is the largest selling among the CZ-75 or its clones.  

		HOW GOOD IS IT?

	What's the bottom line here?  How does the EAA Witness stack 
up as against other modern fighting pistols?  How does it compare to 
the 1911 and the Hi-power, the two guns which all other C-1 pistols 
are inevitably compared to?  Although it has a DA trigger, I do not 
believe the Witness (or the CZ-75) appeal primarily to the those who 
want the traditional hammer-dropping DA pistol.  Those buyers are 
usually going to buy S&Ws, Berettas, SIGs and the like, hammer-
droppers all.  The Witness appeals, I think, to the traditional users 
of single action pistols.
	
	The Witness pistols have good and bad points but mostly good.  
I've examined many Witnesses in all calibers and have owned a .40S&W 
version for some time now.  Quality of the Tanfoglio pistols has 
never been higher.  After hundreds of rounds I am pleased with the 
reliability as it has been 100% in my pistol.  Handgun writer Dick 
Metcalf put a 9mm Witness through an endurance test some time ago, 
firing 10,000 rounds through his sample pistol over a period of 
several months.  Much like the indifferent owner might maintain his 
own pistol, Metcalf did not clean his Witness until its operation 
became sluggish.  This took several thousand rounds.  Overall I 
believe he cleaned the pistol only two or three times in over 10,000 
rounds, and minimally at that.  That speaks well for the reliability 
of the current Witness over the long term.
	
	The Witness pistols will shoot with the best of them, out of 
the box.  The inside slide rails contribute much to that, as I 
mentioned earlier.  Based on experience with my own Witness, I'd say 
that Tanfoglio reams and finishes their chambers very carefully.  My 
pistol has never so much as burped with factory ammo but it took a 
little fine tuning of the taper crimp to assure that the slightly 
oversize lead bullet I load would function correctly.  Once I figured 
out the amount of crimp my Witness required I was all set, it now 
functions perfectly with handloads.  So the precise chamber seems to 
contribute to accuracy as well.  I seem to do a little better 
shooting with this gun than with any other full-size autoloader I 
own.
	
	Okay, the Witness tends to be accurate and is extremely 
reliable.  What else?  The DA trigger is smooth enough but I really 
think the true DA auto buffs will want to buy a pistol with the 
familiar (to them) hammer-dropping, slide-mounted safety.  I know 
that any public service agency will want this feature as well, for 
better or for worse.  Does that leave the Witness out in the cold?  
Yes and no.  There won't be lucrative law enforcement contracts but 
for the individual inclined to prefer single action autos the Witness 
offers a lot.  I pretty much ignore the DA capability on my pistol 
and only use it in Condition One, just as I do an M1911.  There are 
in fact aftermarket triggers including ones offered by Tanfoglio 
through EAA that will actually convert the Witness trigger to single-
action only.  One particular aftermarket trigger replicates the exact 
length of pull of a M1911 with a long trigger.  Hey, that works for 
me.
	
	The current fixed sights are largish but not overly so.    
Since the original CZ-75 came out they have always had tall rear 
sights and I'm at a loss to explain just why this is.  It may have 
something to do with the barrel sitting farther below the sighting 
plane than is common.  The sight picture on the Witness is very good 
and duplicates the picture I see with the Novak lo-mounts milled into 
the slide of my Colt Government Model exactly.  The issue sights are 
well-rounded and don't present any sharp edges. 
	
	I've already mentioned that the magazine capacity of the 
forty is 12+1, but even when we finally see reduced magazines, 10+1 
won't be too shabby.  I am primarily a .45ACP guy but I feel well-
armed with thirteen, 180 grain, forty caliber Federal Hydra-Shoks at 
my disposal.

		WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT?

	Drawbacks?  Sure.  The greatest in my opinion is the 
placement of the thumb safety.  The M1911 has what I believe to be a 
perfectly placed safety lock.  It can be manipulated on or off with 
ease.  The CZ-75 and all her clones with the frame-mounted safety 
have the lever slightly too far forward.  It doesn't greatly lessen 
one's ability to push it down to "off" but it does make it quite 
difficult to place it up to "on."  In a tense moment after a shooting 
incident one needs to place his cocked and unlocked semi-auto pistol 
on safe and the Witness is a difficult pistol in that regard.  In 
fairness the Browning Hi-power as originally equipped had a rather 
poor safety set-up also; it was too far back and too short.  Genius 
that he was, John Browning apparently didn't understand the fact that 
safety manipulation was an integral part of the draw and firing 
strokes.  (I'm not alone in that opinion as Jeff Cooper has said the 
same thing.) ** Editor's note: in fairness to Browning, much of the design
of the Hi-Power pistol must be credited to Dieudonne Saive of FN, so 
the matter of the safety's design may or may not be a John Browning
"goof."  Mark agrees. **

Although aftermarket safeties for the Witness exist 
I've not tried them so I don't know how much improvement might be 
effected.  When FN extended the length of the Hi-power safety it 
improved that gun quite a lot, but the Witness safety has the 
opposite problem from the BHP with its safety is too far forward and 
changing the lever itself would accomplish little.  All of the 
replacement levers I've seen for the Witness have been quite wide for 
competition use and not practical for self-defense duty.  I should 
add that my judgements on the placement of the safety are clearly a 
subjective, as people with different size hands may consider the 
safety placement to be fine.  My hands are fairly large, yet the 
safety is poorly placed for me.  Enough said.
	
	Other problems?  Yes.  Although Tanfoglio has continually 
upgraded product quality the occasional rough pistol makes it to the 
shipping dock.  If one wants a Witness he ought to examine the very 
pistol he intends to buy.  Trigger pulls seem to vary quite a lot 
despite the good original design.  A friend bought a 9x19 Witness and 
the trigger was so poor he unloaded it immediately.  Perhaps not 
surprisingly he ended up with a CZ-75.  That wouldn't work for me 
because of my already-confessed prejudices.  I like the .45ACP, have 
learned to appreciate the .40S&W but I'm not a 9mm Parabellum fan and 
never will be.  It's easy to say that every gun maker produces a 
lemon now and then but it sure doesn't justify it.  The Witness buyer 
must check out the pistol he wants to buy carefully before reaching 
for his wallet.
	
	One other aspect of Witness pistols that seems to invite 
comment is the lack of a separate barrel bushing much like the 
Browning Hi-power.  Those who appreciate the ability to fit bushings 
to both gun and barrel as with 1911 type guns don't like the fact 
that you can't adjust the Witness (or BHP) for wear, although a 
slightly oversize aftermarket barrel will allow for that.  Remember, 
aftermarket parts are widely available for the Witness and other 
clones.

		TAKING THINGS APART

	The firing pin block on the Witness works as intended and 
doesn't cause problems in disassembly.  It can be compared to the 
firing pin block on the latest Hi-powers.  My understanding is that 
the Colt Series 80, the only 1911 pistol with a firing pin block, is 
difficult to disassemble and reassemble because of the added parts.  
This brings up another important issue.
	
	I'm very comfortable with the original 1911 because it can be 
detail stripped without tools.  The job is quick and easy and 
reassembly is simple as well.  This is not by any means the case with 
the Witness.  It is a truly modern design that is not meant to 
require detail stripping for routine maintenance.  I personally 
prefer to be able to readily detail strip my own guns, and the 1911 
gets my first vote based on this ability.  On the other hand the 
Browning Hi-power and every other popular combat pistol made today 
cannot be detail stripped with the ease and quickness of the 1911 
either.  Is there an upside to this?  I think so.  The 1911 must be 
detail stripped occasionally in order to get at hidden areas for 
cleaning and lubrication.  The Witness (and BHP and others) can be 
fully cleaned and lubricated without disassembly - they just don't 
have the same kind of hidden areas.  Does that negate the 1911 
benefit of ease of disassembly?  My head says maybe but my heart says 
no.  You can judge that for yourself.

		PASSING JUDGEMENT

	I believe the Witness line of semi-automatic pistols made 
today are excellent combat pistols and competitors like them for 
action sports as well.  They seem to offer something to everyone in 
terms of caliber, size and add-on options.  Even the hard core 
hammer-dropping DA fan is appealed to via the Witness FAB, though 
that one doesn't appeal to me personally.  I believe the 1911 or Hi-
power fan will really appreciate the Witness, especially if 
retrofitted with an SA-only trigger.
	
	Is the Witness a replacement for the 1911?  Not for me.  The 
1911 is a special pistol to me and to legions of others, for any 
number of reasons.  Frankly, my primary reason for preferring the 
1911 is the feeling of intimacy I get from being able to know every 
part and every nook and cranny of the pistol, and from the comforting 
.45 caliber bullets it launches.  While other pistols, including the 
Witness, are available in .45ACP, the 1911 was designed as a .45ACP, 
and really, the two are synonymous.  The 1911, one of the best 
fighting pistols ever, was not touched by the recent crime bill 
either, and this balances the scales more in its favor as other 
pistols give up magazine capacity.
	
	But don't let the foregoing detract you.  I really like the 
Witness pistol and my own .40S&W, 12+1 version allows me to "hedge my 
bets" somewhat, and brings me into the modern age.  Whether I want to 
be here is another story altogether.

Attached GIF file: The photo (WITNESS.GIF) depicts my box stock EAA 
Witness with the OEM rubber stock panels.

9502D THE RUGER 10/22: 30 YEARS LATER by John Marshall
      -------------------------------

*RUGER *10/22 *.22 AUTOLOADERS *RIFLES

Sooner or later, almost all shooters who enjoy .22 long rifle fun want 
to add an autoloader to their inventory of rifles.   The question that 
appears  most often on the computer services is "Which one  is  best?" 
and the answer invariably comes back: "Get a Ruger 10/22!"

The reasons for this answer, which is almost universal, are many,  and 
perhaps it's good at this point to examine this fine little rifle from 
the standpoint of its history and features.

Interestingly,  the 10/22 (By the way, "10/22" is a registered  trade-
mark of Sturm Ruger & Co., and with that acknowledgement we'll contin-
ue) began in concept as a companion piece to the old Ruger .44  Magnum 
carbine,  which  is no longer made.   Its offspring,  the  10/22,  has 
outlasted  it by far.  Design of the 10/22  began in early  1963,  and 
the rifle was introduced in mid-1964 to the public.

In order to maintain the clean lines of its big brother .44, the Ruger 
design  team wanted to do away with a magazine which  projected  below 
the  stock.   They also wanted a rifle which would be fast  to  reload 
with  extra  magazines, so they did not opt for  a  tubular  magazine, 
which  was conventional "clean lines" wisdom at the  time.    Instead, 
they borrowed a page from the Mannlicher-Schoenauer's design  concept, 
and  adopted a unique rotary magazine holding 10 rounds (the  "10"  in 
10/22).    Because  of its spiral spring, the magazine could  be  kept 
loaded  for extended periods, and because each round was pressed  down 
in  front of the preceding one to load it, there was no  hang-up  from 
the  cartridge  rims in feeding, a traditional problem  with  firearms 
designed  for the .22 long rifle cartridge.   Also, the feed  lips  of 
the  magazine  were solid metal rather than stamped, providing  for  a 
consistent  and  true feed path to the chamber from the  magazine.   A 
magazine  could  be  popped into place flush with the  bottom  of  the 
stock, and removed in a maneuver soon learned, placing the thumb  down 
into  the  release  lever and the forefinger into the  cavity  on  the 
opposite side, pulling straight out.

The  magazine  design is very interesting.  The  solid  steel  portion 
through  which the magazine is loaded with individual rounds and  from 
which the cartridges are fed into the chamber is called by the factory 
the  "magazine throat."  This component has the usual  retaining  lips 
and  ramp to control the movement of the cartridge, but  because  it's 
solid,  it's not likely to get out of sorts and start causing  feeding 
problems.    Most  feeding problems in .22 autoloaders can  be  traced 
directly to the magazine, but this one has been proven over the  years 
to  be  quite reliable in operation.   The development of  the  throat 
design was apparently a big challenge in the beginning because of  the 
complex shapes involved.   Although the mag looks like a little  black 
box,  internally  it's  cylindrical.  The  spring-loaded  rotor  which 
functions  as a magazine follower mounts on a centrally-located  pivot 
pin, very much like the Mannlicher-Schoenauer design.

The magazine design has proven to be so good over the years that Ruger 
adapted  it for use with the 77/22 (R) bolt action rifle.   The  maga-
zines  are interchangeable in .22 LR caliber between the  two  rifles, 
but  they are not identical.   The 77/22 magazine is flat on the  bot-
tom,  while the 10/22 mag has a more rounded contour.  Because of  the 
spirally-torsioned  coil  spring utilized, the magazine  can  be  kept 
loaded  for  extended periods of time with little concern  for  spring 
fatigue causing reduced feeding pressure on the cartridge que-up.

The  magazine will carbon up during extended firing, as all  .22  mags 
will,  but a brushing with a toothbrush is about all that's  required.  
Disassembly  of  the mag is not recommended, although it can  be  done 
with some patience and a good boilermaker's vocabulary.

The  method of attaching the barrel to the receiver was unique at  the 
time,  and  has since been carried over into the design  of  the  bolt 
action  77/22  (R) rifle.   The Ruger design team did  away  with  the 
usual  threads at the breech end of the barrel.   Instead, the  barrel 
is pulled in tightly against the receiver shoulder by two long  screws 
which lie beneath the barrel, via a V-block dovetail system.

To save weight and take advantage of Ruger's investment casting exper-
tise, the receiver is made of aluminum, as is the trigger guard frame.  
Both  of  these castings were carefully designed  with  ruggedness  in 
mind;  thin shapes were avoided, and there is mass where stresses  are 
concentrated.

The  breech mechanism is fairly conventional, based on the  tried-and-
true blowback system.  The breechblock is of sufficient mass to insure 
adequate  inertia, and the 10/22 will typically show no case  deforma-
tion that sometimes occurs in other rifles because of premature  open-
ing of the breech.   Further support against early opening is provided 
by  a hefty internal hammer, powered by a coil spring which is  guided 
by a strut.   The strut is pivoted to the hammer in such a way that it 
provides maximum spring force to the hammer at the moment of ignition, 
but as the breechblock retracts a little after firing, the pressure of 
the  hammer against the breechblock is reduced considerably;  at  this 
point  the  bore pressure is reduced quite a bit and  the  breechblock 
continues back with good inertia.   It's well-thought-out engineering.

The trigger guard is integral with the frame of the trigger mechanism, 
and  this gives the little rifle a  more solid appearance,  contrasted   
to the usual cheezy stamped loop of metal applied on many designs.

The rifle's receiver is drilled and tapped for scope mounts, and  it's 
provided from the factory with a dovetail mount for tip-off rings that 
can  be  screwed down on top of the receiver.   Factory sights  are  a 
fully-adjustable  open  rear, and a gold-bead front sight.     I'd  go 
with  a  scope  right away; the open sights are  serviceable  but  not 
anyone's choice for pinpoint accuracy.

Originally,  the  10/22 was provided with a walnut stock and  a  metal 
buttplate,  but in more recent years, these niceties have evolved into 
a stained hardwood stock and a plastic buttplate.  Finely-finished and
checkered  stocks have been made available, as well as  a  Mannlicher-
style stock that extends to the muzzle, as extra-cost options.

Complaints  about  the little rifle over the past 30 years  have  been 
few, and to the credit of its designers, it has withstood the test  of 
time very well, becoming one of the most popular of the .22  autoload-
ers.   It's quite reliable, accurate, and easy to maintain.

The  main  complaint with the rifle has been a  rather  heavy  trigger 
pull,  but this can be solved with some careful handwork or  a  custom 
trigger,  which can be obtained from third parties.    Although  reli-
ability is excellent, you will occasionally find a chamber mouth  with 
an inadequate chamfer.   This is an easy one to fix; just take a  very 
fine  grit  of sandpaper, and twist it up tight  against  the  chamber 
mouth  with your finger for 50 or so repetitions, giving  the  chamber 
edge a suitably rounded contour.

Accessories  abound  for the 10/22, and include custom  stocks,  flash 
hiders,  heavy barrels, etc., etc.   A number of companies,  including 
Butler and Ram-Line, have made high-capacity mags for the rifle, which 
come in capacities from 20 to 50 rounds.   Now illegal to  manufacture 
under  the new law which is a crime, millions of these mags are  still 
in circulation and even now are still in dealer inventory  everywhere, 
albeit  at  escalating prices.    Some 10/22s have been  "tricked  up" 
with  heavy barrels, custom trigger jobs, target stocks and  expensive 
scopes  for special shooting events, and they will print  groups  with 
the finest target rifles.   Changing out a barrel is something you can 
do  yourself with an allen wrench of the appropriate size, and  that's 
an  easy way to gain some accuracy if you substitute a  longer,  heavy 
barrel with match chamber dimensions.

Trigger work is best left to a smith who knows what he's doing, but  a 
hard  Arkansas  stone applied to the  sear/hammer  interface  surfaces 
carefully  so as not to alter the angle of engagement will  result  in 
some  improvement.   Polishing of the inside top of the  receiver  and 
the top of the bolt will help in smooth functioning, as will polishing 
the friction surface of the hammer where it rides under the bolt.

One  accessory which I particularly like is an extended  magazine  re-
lease,  which  allows you to take out a mag quite a bit  more  easily; 
these  are  widely available, haven't incurred the distaste  of  Sarah 
Brady,  are  cheap, and you can install one yourself  with  no  sweat.  
With  10-round  magazines  being the order of the day  until  the  new 
"assault rifle" high-capacity mag ban is proved unconstitutional under 
the  10th and 2nd Amendments, the ability to switch mags more  quickly 
is a good thing.

You can't go wrong with a 10/22, and 30 years of wide use have  proved 
that  over  and  over again.   It should be in  any  gun  enthusiast's 
inventory as a staple commodity.

9502E  NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION NEWS by the NRA staff
       -------------------------------

*GUN CONTROL *LEGISLATION *SECOND AMENDMENT *NRA

IGNORE SCARE TACTICS!

NRA Chief Lobbyist says women should make their own decisions about
gun ownership

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  "In its battle for the hearts of American women,
the gun ban lobby has forgotten that American women have minds, too.

"As women, we not only have the right and the obligation to make our
own decisions about safety and security -- we have the intelligence
to do so," said Mrs. Tanya K. Metaksa, chief lobbyist of the National
Rifle Association of America on the release of a Violence Policy
Center tract critical of women owning firearms.   

Mrs. Metaksa, one of the creators of NRA's "Refuse to be a Victim"
program, took particular issue with the tract's description that
"women who don't buy into the NRA's world view are in fact choosing
 to be victims."  

"Sheer nonsense," Mrs. Metaksa said.  "The message of our program is
`be prepared.'  The gun ban crowd's message?  `Don't be.'  NRA says,
`Make your own decision.  You're capable.'  The gun banners say,
`We'll make your decisions for you.  You're incapable.'  Whom would
you trust?"

According to the Dept. of Justice, more than 2,500,000  women were
victims of violent crime -- that's murder, rape, robbery, or
aggravated assault -- in 1992.  The NRA finds that unacceptable, and
is working on two fronts to cut crime.

First, the NRA offers an extremely successful self-defense course,
"Refuse to be a Victim," in addition to firearms training. "We do
this because unlike the gun ban crowd, the NRA believes women have
the right -- and the ability -- to make our own decisions about how
to defend ourselves," Mrs. Metaksa said.

Second, the NRA CrimeStrike Division actively lobbies for laws to
stop the revolving door of justice that heightens the risk of
criminal attack:  Every day in America, 14 people will be murdered,
48 women raped, and 578 people robbed by convicted criminals on
parole or early release.  Unlike the gun ban crowd, NRA CrimeStrike
worked to stop this needless victimization by helping pass the first
"Three Strikes, You're Out" law in Washington state, Truth in
Sentencing and prison construction in Virginia, tougher treatment of
violent juvenile criminals in Arkansas, increased prison construction
in Mississippi, and more funds for prisons in the Federal Crime Bill.
Plus, NRA CrimeStrike blocked the paroles of convicted murderers in
more than a dozen states.  If the Violence Policy Center truly cares
about cutting crime, it would have participated in these efforts --
yet their silence in promoting proven crime-cutting measures was
deafening. 

While NRA is both empowering women and attacking crime at its source,
the Violence Policy Center is busy attacking NRA.  The report claims
that NRA and gun makers have created "four myths" about
self-protection.  But the authors of the report promotes five myths
of their own.

First, they note that women are frequently victimized by persons they
know, citing a study showing that the vast majority of rapes involve
persons known to the women rather than strangers, and a study showing
that when women kill -- apparently in self-defense -- they more often
kill persons they know than strangers.  The facts refute their own
myth:  women can use guns protectively against strangers or
non-strangers.  And they do.  And, with manufacturers producing guns
designed for women, the domestic homicide rate -- family members
killing family members -- declined sharply throughout the 1980s and
into the 1990s.

Second, they claim that guns don't protect rape victims -- because
many potential rape victims are disarmed by anti-gun laws. 
Fortunately, more and more states are moving to allow adult women to
carry handguns for protection -- despite the efforts of the Violence
Policy Center and other gun ban groups to disarm the innocent.

Third, they pretend women haven't used a gun for protection unless
someone is dead.  "Preposterous!" said Mrs. Metaksa.  "In most
self-defense uses of guns, a shot is not fired - but a crime is still
thwarted, and a life is still saved."  The most recent, largest-scale
survey indicates upwards of one million protective uses of firearms
by women each year, mostly involving handguns.  

Fourth, they cite victimization surveys to show that guns aren't used
much for protection.  But those surveys were not designed to measure
protective value of guns or other items, but to measure
victimization.  And about a dozen surveys of protective use of guns
consistently show hundreds of thousands of protective uses of guns,
with the same recent large-scale survey showing nearly 2.5 million
protective uses of guns annually.  

Fifth, they pretend that gun availability increases the risk of
suicide -- belittling their own data which show that suicide rates
for women, and gun-related female suicides, peaked in 1971 and 1977
respectively, long before gun manufacturers began marketing to women.

"This Election Day, the American people sent a message: get and keep
government off our backs.  But Congressman Schumer and the Violence
Policy Center didn't get that message," said Mrs. Metaksa.  "If they
had, they'd realize that the way they've tried to repackage old
disinformation to frighten and disempower women is both astonishing
and pathetic.  They accuse NRA of trying to manipulate women's fear,
but the real manipulation women face is by those like Schumer,
Sugarmann and Glick, who push a myth of their own: the idea that
American women aren't smart enough to make informed decisions about
gun ownership."

The Violence Policy Center's report describes the firearms industry's
message as "Try not to treat women like they are stupid."  But "that
is advice that Schumer, Glick and Sugarmann would do well to follow,"
Mrs. Metaksa concluded.

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NEAL KNOX REPORT
			The New Congress
			  By NEAL KNOX
     
     WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 2) -- Incoming Chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) today said in a taping of
the "Court TV" cable program:  "I don't expect (the Brady and
semi-auto laws) to be touched."

     That's wishful thinking by a guy who voted for both those
laws -- and who I once saw come down from his Judiciary Committee
perch to hug and be pecked by Sarah Brady.

     But Hyde said that if such legislation is introduced, it
will have a fair hearing and vote.  

     While I am confident that such bills can be forced out the
House, I'm not sure we can even pass them in the Senate, much
less survive a filibuster, or have them signed into law by Bill
Clinton.

     Clinton's first words after the election rout, were that he
would fight any effort to repeal either of the new gun laws.  

     And again today, he told the National League of Cities:  "I
will do all in my power to keep the next Congress from doing
anything that will jeopardize the ('assault weapons')ban."
     Fact is, he can do a lot.  But so can we.

     The new House, despite Mr. Hyde, is going to be much more
receptive to gun owners' concerns.  Forty-seven anti-gunners, 22
wafflers and 16 solid pro-gunners were replaced by a whopping 69
NRA-rated "A's," seven "B's" or unknowns, and eight "F's."  An
"A-rated" candidate is ahead in the remaining undecided race.

     On the basis of how departing House members voted on the
semi-auto ban, which passed 216-214 May 5, if every pledged
newcomer opposes it, and the questionable new Congressmen all
supported it, the same bill would fail about 184-250.

     The picture isn't as pretty in the Senate.  Eight Senators
who usually voted with the retired (Praise be!) Howard Metzenbaum
were replaced by seven "A's" and one "C."  

     Considering how the returning Senators voted on the semi-
auto ban (56-43), the net six vote shift after the election would
make it 50-50 -- allowing Vice President Al Gore to cast the
deciding vote for the ban.  

     There is little doubt that new Democrat Minority Leader Tom
Daschle (S. Dak.), who was picked today with one more vote than
Sen. Tom Dodd's son, Chris, (Conn.), would mount an unbreakable
filibuster on a stand-alone bill -- though the Democrats might
not be so quick to kill a popular-with-the-public omnibus
revision of the crime bill.

     The Republican "Contract With America" promises a vote on a
revised crime bill within 100 days.  The changes that incipient
Chairman Hyde outlined today -- "habeas corpus reform," 
exclusionary rule revision, and whacking out funding for social
programs -- would probably bring a Clinton veto whether or not it
had any gun law changes.

     So are we going to be locked in stalemated trench warfare
for the next four years?  Not necessarily.

     There's a lot that can be done, both in the way of educating
the public about the effect of gun laws -- through hearings on
what happened at Waco and in the Randy Weaver case, both of which
were in the name of "gun control" -- and in passing legislation
to repeal, or at least disembowel, the new gun laws.

     The chances of doing just that were considerably improved by
today's Senate Republican election of Trent Lott (Miss.) as
Republican Whip.  The former whip, Alan Simpson (Wyo.), soon-to-
be-Majority Leader Bob Dole's choice, has a near-perfect record
on gun votes, but, like Dole, he's a negotiator and deal-maker
rather than a confrontationalist.
     Mr. Lott, a solid pro-gunner who was House Republican Whip
before coming to the Senate in 1989, is a close ally to Sens.
Larry Craig (Idaho), Phil Gramm (Tex.) and new Speaker Gingrich -
- making a series of coordinated, imaginative legislative
assaults and maneuvers more likely.

     NRA is already meeting with these new leaders to plot
strategy.  It's going to be interesting -- and a lot more fun
than the battles that we've been fighting.
			       ---
     Send SASE for how the old Congress fared.  
			       ---
(Help Neal Knox defend the Second Amendment and begin receiving
the bi-monthly "Hard Corps Report" by contributing to the
Firearms Coalition, Box 6537, Silver Spring, MD 20906.  For
legislative updates call (301) 871-3006 [automated voice] or the
Bullet'N Board [computers] (703) 971-4491.  Email:
NEALKNOX@GENIE.GEIS.COM)


CONGRESSIONAL CHANGES

     Politically energized gunowners, angered by passage of two
major new gun laws by the 103rd Congress, achieved a net gain of
at least 35 seats in the House and six in the Senate, virtually
assuring that no new gun laws will pass in the next two years.  

     With Republicans in control of both Houses, and far
friendlier committee chairmen -- even if anti-gun Conservative
Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) heads the Judiciary Committee -- it may be
possible to at least partially overturn the defeats of the past
year, but it won't be easy (see "Nosecount").  

     In the most sweeping change in the Senate, Orrin Hatch (R-
Utah) will replace Joe Biden (D-Del.) as chairman of the Senate
Judiciary.  Sen. Hatch told Arizona firearms group leaders in
late October that if he became chairman, there'd be no anti-gun
bills coming out of Judiciary "until after the year 2000."

     President Bill Clinton, in his first comments on the severe
losses for his party, specifically promised to veto any repeal of
either the Brady Bill or the so-called "assault weapon" ban.

     President Clinton and Handgun Control Inc. both denied the
elections were a referendum on "gun control," but 31 of 36
defeated House incumbents had voted for the crime bill.  Not one
pro-gun incumbent targeted by HCI was defeated while 41 of 45
NRA-endorsed Democrats were re-elected -- and the losers were
replaced by equally pro-gun Republicans.

     A stunned Washington Post reported on Nov. 10 that "Exit
poll data showed that more than third of all voters who cast
ballots Tuesday said they supported the National Rifle
Association -- and two thirds of those voters cast their ballots
for Republican candidates."

     The same day The Los Angeles Times quoted Mike Casey of the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: "Those folks have
mastered the art of influencing Federal elections."  And retiring
Rep. Bill Hughes told The Richmond Times Dispatch "Their
grassroots effort is the best.  They are alive and well."

     One of the stranger events of this election were the anti-
gun incumbents who wrapped themselves in the Second Amendment. 
One was sued by NRA-ILA for using the trademarked "I'm the NRA"
theme in his re-election ads, though his opponent had NRA's
endorsement. 

     By contrast, Reps. Karen Shepherd (D-Utah), Jane Harman (D-
Calif.),  Mike Kreidler (D-Wash.), Peter Hoagland (D-Neb.),
former HCI lobbyist Eric Fingerhut (D-Ohio) and Arizona Democrats
Karan English and Sam Coppersmith (who ran for DeConcincini's
Senate seat) said they wore NRA's opposition, and Sarah Brady's
support, as "badges of honor."  All were defeated except Harman,
who is in a recount.
     
     It's going to take time to adapt to the new landscape on
Capitol Hill, where gunowners can again get investigations into
the growing reports of abuses by BATF and other law enforcement
agencies, including both the Waco and Randy Weaver outrages.

     Thanks to NRA-ILA's courageous all-out assault on Speaker
Tom Foley (D-Wash) -- who supported both Brady and the semi-auto
ban after years of claiming he opposed such laws -- he's no
longer in the Congress.  Since the Speaker controls the Rules
Committee, which determines what issues and amendments will be
brought to the floor, Foley's retribution could have been
devastating.

     Jack Brooks (D-Texas) will no longer be House Judiciary
Chairman -- or even a member of Congress -- because he infuriated
constituents by voting for final passage of the crime bill,
despite its ban on semi-autos.  That cost him NRA-ILA's
endorsement, given because of his active opposition to both the
Brady Bill and the semi-auto ban.  

     (Many Beaumont area NRA members were furious that NRA didn't
endorse Brooks' pro-gun opponent, Steve Stockman.  ILA decided to
formally stay out of the race in deference to his usual support
for gun owners and the near-certainty that his replacement as
chairman would be Charles Schumer [D-N.Y.] or, in the unlikely
event of Republican control, Henry Hyde.)

     Thankfully, Schumer will only be a minority member of the
Crime Subcommittee.  But he and Sen. Bill Bradley are trying to
put together hearings on parts of "Brady II" before the 103rd
Congress adjourns; there is zero chance of it being enacted, even
if it got to the House floor, thanks to a guaranteed filibuster
in the Senate.

     Howard Metzenbaum will be gone -- and his unanointed heir
son-in-law won't be there as his replacement.  

     Metzenbaum's probable successor as the Senate's leading
anti-gunner, Dianne Feinstein, has declared victory in her re-
election, but Michael Huffington hasn't conceded.  Huffington
wouldn't vote much better, but wouldn't be Sarah Brady's point
persons.  He is looking at voting by illegal immigrants, who
registered to oppose Prop. 187 sanctions against illegals.

Congressional Nosecount
     
     Gun owners made great gains in the Nov. 8 elections, enough
to block more gun laws, but clearly not enough to force an
outright repeal of the new laws on the books.

     Eight Senators who usually or always voted with the retiring
Howard Metzenbaum, were replaced by seven "A's" and one "C."  

     In the 435-member House, 47 anti-gunners, 22 wafflers and 16
solid pro-gunners who retired or ran for higher office (usually
successfully), were replaced by 69 "A's," seven "B's" or
unknowns, and only eight anti-gunners.  (One "A" vs. "F" race is
still undecided.)

     Based on how the departing House members actually voted on
the May 5 semi-auto ban -- which passed 216-214 -- and the
promised votes of the incoming members, the bill would have
failed 184-250 (if all the questionable votes went for the bill).

     However, if the fury of their constituents and the Nov. 8
election failed to affect the votes of returning Senators, the
Feinstein semi-auto ban -- which the Senate approved 56-43 --
would tie 50-50 in the new Senate, so Vice President Gore's vote
would pass it.

     That simple nosecount explains why Speaker-to-be Newt
Gingrich and other House members are eagerly talking about
repealing the "assault weapon" ban, but Senators Bob Dole and
Phil Gramm are more cautious.


Pro-Gunners Win Key
State Races, Statehouses

     With the new Congress unlikely to enact any new gun
legislation, anti-gun forces will be driven to the states to
pursue their agenda.  But the pickings there are going to be
significantly leaner than during the past two years due to the
defeat of dozens of anti-gunners and significant shifts in
leadership.

     The final ballot count in California isn't yet complete, but
close observers believe Republicans will take the Assembly --
which would mean saying goodbye to F-rated Speaker Willie Brown,
who would be replaced by A+-rated Jim Brulte.

     Republicans -- more likely to oppose gun restrictions than
Democrats -- took control of the Senates of Alaska, Connecticut,
Florida, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon and South Dakota, and will
control the Assemblies in Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington
and Wisconsin.

     Of equal or greater importance, 20 of 25 NRA-ILA-endorsed
gubernatorial candidates won or retained their mansions -- and
the ability to veto anti-selfdefense legislation.

     NRA-backed governors will be sworn in Arizona, Connecticut,
Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New
York, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.  The
outcome of the Alaska governor's race is still teetering.

     Texas governor-elect George W. Bush has said he will sign a
concealed carry law even better than the one defeated Gov. Ann
Richards vetoed last year (which was a significant factor in her
defeat).

     ILA also endorsed, and helped elect, numerous other
statewide candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general
and secretary of state (including in Florida, where an F-rated
supporter of gun bans lost his bid to run the office which
administers the state's carrying license law).

     One of the most significant shifts was Washington State,
which not only dumped six of its nine Congressmen (including
Speaker Foley), 27 Democrats lost state House seats.  That will
swap F-rated Speaker Brian Ebersole with A+-rated Clyde Ballard,
and make it possible to repeal much of last year's crime bill.

     The same kind of "A+" for "F" leadership change will occur
in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Illinois.


Referendums Defeated 
In Milwaukee, Kenosha

     The major Wisconsin cities of Milwaukee and Kenosha firmly
rejected handgun ban referenda by margins of 67-33 percent and
75-25 percent.  

     They join Madison, where anti-gunners lost such a referendum
two years ago.

     The Village of Shorewood, however, narrowly approved -- 54
to 46 percent -- a non-binding recommendation to the village
board to enact such a law next year.

     In Alaska, voters overwhelmingly approved -- 72 to 28
percent -- a provision clarifying and strengthening the state's
right to bear arms constitutional provision.

     Georgia gave even stronger approval -- 81 to 19 percent --
to a "Two Strikes You're Out" constitutional amendment requiring
violent offenders to serve mandatory minimum sentences and life
sentences without parole for a second violent offense.

     Oregon voters narrowly approved -- 51 to 49 percent -- a
measure to use bait to attract black bear, or use dogs for
hunting bear or cougar.

     Voters in Branch County, Mich., approved a referendum to
allow Sunday hunting.

NRA Draws Bead
On Semi-Auto Ban

     The NRA Board of Directors determined at its October meeting
to challenge the so-called "assault weapon ban" in several court
cases on various grounds including the Second Amendment.  

     The Supreme Court has twice declined to consider NRA-backed
Second Amendment challenges to the Morton Grove handgun ban
(Quillici, 1982) and the 1986 machine gun ban (Farmer, 1988).

     Nothing could be clearer than the equivalent provision in
the Connecticut Constitution which says, in its entirety, "Every
citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the
state."  Yet a state judge recently held that that provision did
not prohibit the Connecticut law banning so-called "assault
weapons."

     The NRA has spent a quarter-million dollars-plus supporting
that case, which is also backed by other gun groups.  The legal
team challenging the law includes some of the best talent in the
nation, including perhaps the foremost constitutional attorney in
the state.  

     Several attorneys with no Constitutional law experience are
attempting to raise funds to bring a Second Amendment challenge;
it would be sheer foolishness to bring anything but the very best
case possible.


Court Questions
School Gun Ban

     The rediscovered Tenth Amendment's reservation of
unenumerated powers to the states and the people -- basis of the
NRA-backed challenges to the Brady Law -- was before the Supreme
Court in another gun law challenge on election day.

     The case, U.S. v. Lopez, challenges Congress' authority to
prohibit guns within 1,000 feet of schools, part of the 1990
Federal crime bill.

     Solicitor General Drew Davis III claimed that the authority
came under the government's Constitutional authority to regulate
interstate commerce, like most other Federal gun laws.

     Alfonso Lopez is a San Antonio teenager who claimed to have
taken a handgun to school for use in a "gang war" -- the kind of
distasteful case that the Justice Department likes to use to
expand its powers.  

     During oral argument, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor demanded
to know why the law -- and "the general ban on assault weapons" -
- didn't violate the Tenth Amendment.

     And Chief Justice William Rehnquist asked what Congress
could not do under the broad argument that everything has some
vague connection to interstate commerce.  

     The Justice Department's answers seemed to satisfy only
Justices Stevens and Breyer, the newest member, whose emotional
words and body language revealed himself to be viscerally anti-
gun.

     The Court's decision should be handed down in late winter.


'Sniper Bill' A Hoax

     We've received several copies of "H.R. 5904," by Schumer, et
al, which supposedly would make unlawful the possession of
"Sniper Weapons" -- "bolt action rifles greater than .22
caliber."

     It's a hoax.

     The format of the bill is not the usual House typeface or
style.  Besides, Congress never reached that high a number.

     The bill is disinformation -- designed to get gun owners
stirred up about something which the anti-gunners are not doing,
so we pay less attention to what they are doing.


		     "WHERE'S THE AMMO?"
		 All the Trappings of Hoax 

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  In response to the media firestorm over a 
"manufacturer" and his "ammunition," the National Rifle 
Association of America observed the following:

     (a) The maker is not a maker -- and may never be;

     (b) The round in question has never been seen, much 
	 less evaluated, by competent authority; and

     (c) Contrary to USA Today and others, it cannot 
	 lawfully "hit gun stores Monday."

"This has all the trappings of a hoax," said Mrs. Tanya K. 
Metaksa, NRA chief lobbyist.  "What we have is an outbreak 
of mob journalism centering on the dubious claims of a would-be
manufacturer.  According to published reports, the "product" 
goes to market next week -- but the BATF has not even granted 
a license.  Neither the technical staff of NRA nor the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) has received a single 
cartridge to evaluate.  

"Experience dictates that it is unwise to base public policy 
solely on the basis of a manufacturer's dubious claims.  
According to published accounts, the "manufacturer" is a gun
control advocate.  That alone should prompt skepticism.   
Reports also indicate that he expects to market the product 
in January -- without having a federal license to do so.  That 
alone should prompt an entirely new line of inquiry:   

Who does he work for?

"NRA's position is clear:  we helped craft the prohibition 
against handgun ammunition designed to penetrate ballistic 
resistant vests by developing a sound, technically competent 
standard.  Only when the proposed product is evaluated can 
NRA comment on its conformance with the law and the 
prospective manufacturer's credibility."


The following are the prepared remarks of Joe Phillips, Director of
Federal  Affairs, NRA-ILA, on the issue of government violence and
the need for a  national commission.
     
-   -   -   -   -
     
    January 5, 1995
     
    Remarks by
    Joseph Phillips
    Director, Federal Affairs
    NRA Institute for Legislative Action
    at a Press Conference in Washington, D.C.
     
When the National Rifle Association of America and other
constitutional rights  organizations first joined together to urge
that President Clinton establish a  national commission to
investigate abuse of power on the part of federal law  enforcement
agencies, the date was January 1993.  
     
It is now January 1995.
     
The need for a national commission on government violence is now two
years too  late for too many victims, and President Clinton is still
not listening.   
     
There is often disagreement between NRA and the American Civil
Liberties Union,  another leading coalition member,  on a host of
issues ranging from the Second  Amendment to criminal justice reform.
But on the issue of government violence, there is agreement.  Federal
government power is being aimed at honest citizens,
the liberties of those citizens are being abused and the lives of
those  citizens are being threatened.    
     
I will give you just two examples of why this commission is too many
years too  late.  
     
At four o'clock in the morning of July 13, 1994, dressed in their
Ninja-style  outfits, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms stormed into the  bedroom of Monique Montgomery, aged 21. 
The BATF says it was looking for drugs  in the home of the St. Louis
woman, but it found none.   The BATF says it was  looking for illegal
guns, but it found none.  Instead -- after a investigation  that was
six weeks in the making -- it found a woman -- alone and deep asleep
-- in her bedroom.  
     
According to press accounts, two agents hit that bedroom with guns
drawn,  shields up and high intensity lights glaring.  The agents
claimed that they  knocked and announced themselves ... before
breaking down the woman's door.   Hearing such a commotion and being
startled as anyone would with such a bizarre  scene at four in the
morning, Miss Montgomery did what most reasonable  Americans would
do.  She armed herself with a firearm she lawfully owned for 
personal protection.  
     
The agents claim to have, quote, repeatedly identified themselves and
told her  to drop her weapon, unquote.   But this is the same BATF
which set the time for  the raid at four in the morning -- to
maximize the victim's disorientation.  So  the victim had no choice
but to be disorientated and confused.  And, according  to the BATF,
the agent, quoting again, didn't have any other choice, unquote,  --
but to shoot her.
     
And shoot her he did.  Four times.  
     
Long before Ms. Montgomery was released from the hospital after being
shot in  the chest and hip, the agent who shot her was back on the
job.
     
And now, quoting from a St. Louis Post-Dispatch  editorial, ATF
officials may  have perfectly good explanations.  But in the wake of
the Branch Davidian raid  in Waco, Texas, ... citizens have reason to
ask two more questions:  Did the  agents handle this raid the right
way?  Has the ATF learned any lessons in  patience?  Unquote.
     
The BATF must learn a lesson, not just in patience, but in
constitutional  rights.   Federal law enforcement -- like state and
local law enforcement --  exists to preserve and protect our
liberties as well as our lives.  The 3.5  Million members of the
National Rifle Association grow increasingly concerned  about the
cavalier attitude of many elements of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco 
and Firearms.   The signs of abuse of power are unmistakable.  It is
time for  Americans to read the signs and demand an accounting.  
     
But just as a national commission is too late to help Monique
Montgomery, it is  also too late for Louie Katona from Bucyrus, 
Ohio.
     
The Katona family is a poster family for Middle America.  Louie's
wife is a  devoted mother.  Louie himself owns a real estate agency. 
He was a part-time  police officer and a full-time community
contributor.  But he is also a gun  collector.  
     
Based on a trumped-up charge that he falsified certain BATF forms,
BATF entered  his home.  During the raid, his wife, Kimberly, became
understandably agitated  and upset.  An overzealous agent pushed his
wife against a wall.  Within hours,  Kimberly, then several months
pregnant, began bleeding.   She soon miscarried.  
     
Did BATF apologize to this family?  No.  Instead, BATF pressed
criminal charges  against Katona.  This past April, a judge threw the
charges out of court.  The  Katona family has civil action pending
against ATF.  
     
The reasons for the Constitution are many, but one primary reason is
to limit  raw government power that we have seen nearly destroy the
Katona family and  nearly kill Monique Montgomery.  
     
It is time to readjust the scales of power in this country.  Those
scales must  always weigh in favor of the people's rights, not the
government's power.  For  Monique Montgomery and the Louie Katona
family, the scales of power nearly  crushed them out.  We must right
that wrong.
     
For too many Americans, a national commission on government violence
is too  many years too late.  Let us not keep Americans -- or  their
constitutional  rights -- waiting any longer.  NRA joins ACLU, the
Citizens Committee for the  Right to Keep and Bear Arms, the
Independence Institute and others in urging  President Clinton -- one
more time -- to right the scales of justice.
     
Thank you.  

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	      NRA CALLS FOR CLINTON TO INVESTIGATE
	   ABUSES BY FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT...AGAIN!

     The NRA and other Constitutional rights organizations joined
together to urge President Clinton to establish a national
commission to investigate abuse of power on the part of federal
law enforcement agencies -- most notably, the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms.  The first time we implored the President
establish this commission was January, 1993 -- and now, two years
later, that call has still gone unheeded.  In the interim, dozens
of innocent people were slaughtered in Waco, Texas and Randy
Weaver's unarmed wife was shot and killed in Ruby Ridge, Idaho.
     
     Not only has President Clinton refused to act, his FBI
Director, Louis Freeh, is promoting the man in charge of the Ruby
Ridge raid.  According to the Associated Press, Freeh
"acknowledged at a news conference that [his] proposed letter of
censure for [acting] FBI deputy director [Larry] Potts ... would
not prevent him from 'enthusiastically' recommending that Potts
be promoted to permanent deputy director."   So much for justice. 
Please call the White House comments line at 202/456-1111, and
urge President Clinton to establish a commission to stop these
governmental abuses of civil liberties.

     MOYNIHAN STILL BULLISH ON BULLET BAN:  Exploiting the furor
surrounding the Black Rhino ammo hoax, Senator Daniel Patrick
Moynihan renewed his call for increased restrictions on
ammunition. In the Washington Post this week, Moynihan laid out
his agenda for 1995 when he called for "an energetic regime of
licensure, taxing and accounting" of ammunition.  The Senator
even went so far as to suggest this issue should serve as a
litmus test by calling upon the electorate to vote out of office
any lawmaker who does not support this proposal.  Members are
encouraged to contact their Senators and voice their opposition. 


     A LOOK AT THE STATES:  Shorewood, Wisconsin - the Village
Board retreated from a vote on a proposed handgun ban, which
would have required gun owners to render their firearms
inoperable and register them with the police or remove them from
the village entirely!  Members in the area may recall that this
measure passed as a non-binding referendum on Election Day, yet
this week, the Board declined to implement the measure, opting
instead to commission a "professional survey" of village
residents to gauge public support for the proposal.  This process
will likely take weeks to complete.  Newark, California - on
January 10th, the City Planning Commission will consider an
ordinance that would outlaw the sale and repair of firearms in
the home by licensed dealers.  The ordinance also blocks the
establishment within the city of any new businesses engaged in
retail gun sales.  Area members are urged to attend this meeting,
scheduled for Tuesday, January 10th, at 7:30 p.m., in City
Council Chambers.  St. Paul, Minnesota - the City Council will
soon consider an ordinance giving firearm dealers the same zoning
classification as pornographic bookstores.  This ordinance would
virtually ban firearm sales in the city by radically restricting
where firearm dealers could lawfully operate their businesses. 
As soon as the Council decides to meet, we'll notify our members
in the area via telephone and fax.  Stay tuned!

     NRA'S ELECTION SUCCESS CONTINUES:  NRA-PVF endorsed
candidates won three key special elections for open State Senate
seats last week: Dr. James Crase was elected in Kentucky Senate
District 15, Dave Kleis was elected in Minnesota Senate District
15 and Don Kramer in Minnesota Senate District 47 (Kramer was
endorsed in the primary; he defeated another "A"-rated candidate
in the General Election last week.)  Our hats go off to members
in these areas who went to the polls and supported these
candidates -- you made a difference!  

     WORTH NOTING:  NRA-ILA Research & Information staff recently
found there is no truth to the rumor that WAL-MART has been
contributing a portion of its profits to anti-gun groups.  And as
for clarification as to why its employees are asking purchasers
of ammunition what type of gun the ammo is for, WAL-MART says
they're trying to ensure that the customer is 18 years old if
purchasing rifle ammunition, and 21 if purchasing rounds for a
handgun.       
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			 NRA GRASSFIRE!
	     The Newsletter for NRA-ILA Volunteers

January 1995                                     Vol. 1  No. 1

		     NRA GRASSFIRE IS HERE!

   The NRA-ILA Grassroots Division is pleased to introduce its
monthly newsletter for NRA-ILA Volunteers -- NRA Grassfire!

   The information contained in each issue of NRA Grassfire will
keep you abreast of pending and late-breaking legislative and
political activities happening in Washington, D.C., and across
the country.

   NRA Grassfire is your link to NRA-ILA and will allow you to
learn of new studies, fact sheets, grassroots lobbying strategies
or other ILA activities. Materials are available to you without
cost.  

   We are hopeful that NRA Grassfire's monthly features
highlighting firearms-related activities at the local, state and
federal levels, as well as any new developments in the courts,
will help you defend our liberties and help us promote a
nationwide pro-gun agenda.

	     FORGING AHEAD WITH A PRO-GUN CONGRESS

   The NRA's top priority for the 104th Congress is to turn our
ballot box gains into pro-gun victories, as we work to repeal and
reform both the '94 crime bill & the Brady Act.

   Within the first 100 days of the new Congress, the Republican
leadership has vowed to introduce a new crime bill to rectify the
numerous shortcomings of Clinton's crime bill, which includes
both a gun and magazine ban.  As for the Brady Act, we'll work
with Congress to speed up the process by which states will be
required to be on-line with an instant check system.  For
sportsmen, we'll push to protect hunters from attacks by "animal
rights" extremists, and protect your access to national wildlife
refuges.

   And in the "Long Overdue" category, we'll work with our allies
to push for oversight hearings on federal agencies, such as the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) and Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  As you know, our tax
dollars fund CDC studies, which on almost every occasion promote
an anti-gun agenda.  As for the BATF, in light of the Waco and
Ruby Ridge travesties, hearings would help shed some light on the
abuses of power the BATF has been engaged in, and hopefully give
us a chance to pull in the reins on this rogue agency.

   Washington Whispers... Changes on the Hill and in the Clinton
Administration apparently will continue long after the November
8th revolution.  In the U.S. Congress, notorious anti-gun Senator
Paul Simon (D-IL) will not seek re-election in 1996, nor will
Senator Hank Brown (R-CO).

   They're cleaning out the cabinets in the Clinton
Administration!  First on the "hit-list" was gun-ban advocate
Joycelyn Elders who has been discharged as Surgeon General and
may be replaced by former U.S. Representative Roy Rowland (D-GA),
who retired at the close of the 103rd Congress.  Over at the
Department of Treasury (which oversees the BATF) Secretary Lloyd
Bentsen announced his retirement.  The leading candidate to fill
this vacancy is Robert Rubin, who currently heads Clinton's
National Economic Council.  Finally, at the Department of
Agriculture, Clinton nominated former U.S. Representative Dan
Glickman (D-KS) to replace outgoing Secretary Mike Espy.  You'll
remember that anti-gun Glickman lost his re-election bid to pro-
gun challenger Todd Tiahrt.

		      AROUND THE COUNTRY

   1995 will be an important year not only on Capitol Hill, but
in state legislatures nationwide as well.  With a new wave of
pro-gun legislators taking office from California to Maine, NRA
will be actively working to pass laws to strengthen our freedoms. 
Here's what you can expect in the coming year:

*   Passing reform legislation to allow law-abiding citizens to
carry firearms for self-defense.  
*   Passing firearms preemption laws to prevent local governments
from enacting their own "gun control" ordinances.  Preemption
laws guarantee statewide uniformity in gun laws and eliminate a
web of local regulations.

*   Passing range protection laws to ensure that shooting ranges
will remain open and will be protected from frivolous court
actions and local ordinances aimed at shutting them down.  

*   Pass instant check systems which will exempt prospective
handgun purchasers from the Brady Act's five-day waiting period.

   1995 could be a banner year for gun owners if we work together
to pass laws strengthening our Second Amendment freedoms.  And
we're counting on you to lead the charge!  For more information
on activities in your state, please call the Grassroots Division
at 1-800-392-8683.

		       FROM THE BENCH

   A federal court in Louisiana has struck down as
unconstitutional the Brady Act's requirement that local law-
enforcement officials conduct background checks on prospective
handgun buyers.  Similar decisions have been handed down in
Arizona, Mississippi, Montana and Vermont.  However, an opposing
decision has been handed down in Texas.  Several of these
decisions are currently under appeal.

   In addition to the challenges being filed against the Brady
Act, NRA is preparing a legal  challenge to the crime bill. 
Although the final strategy has not yet been determined, we will
keep you abreast of any developments.

	       HCI GOES NEGATIVE NATIONALLY!

   Handgun Control, Inc., (HCI) has kicked off a national media
blitz attacking NRA's defense of the Second Amendment.  The ads
feature HCI's Sarah Brady with former Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court, Warren Burger.

   Action Alert!  HCI's ads level a series of fallacious charges
against NRA, claiming we deliberately distort the meaning of the
Second Amendment.  We need your help to counter these attacks. 
If you see these ads or other charges being made in the broadcast
media, please contact the Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-8683. 
Let us know what was said, the name of the station airing the
broadcast, the time and date it appeared, and if an official NRA
representative had the opportunity to respond.  We're counting on
your help! 

		  GRASSROOTS STAFF ON THE ROAD

   In an effort to reach out and meet NRA members, volunteers and
gun owners across the country, NRA-ILA Grassroots staff will be
working in the NRA exhibit booth at the sports shows listed
below.  We will have packets of our fact sheets and other
materials available for you, so we hope you'll stop by the booth
and introduce yourself!

January 20-22     Ft. Washington, PA      Greater Philadelphia Sport
					  Show
January 19-22     Eugene, OR              International Sportsman's
					  Exposition
January 25-29     Seattle, WA             Seattle Sportsman's Show (1)
					  International Sportsman's
					  Exposition (2)
January 27-31     Chicago, IL             Chicagoland Sport Fishing Show
January 27-29     Syracuse, NY            Northeastern Sport Show

	       PLENTY OF "AMMO" ON OUR SHELVES

   The NRA-ILA Grassroots Division houses a vast selection of
valuable materials on all aspects of the "gun control" debate and
firearms-related issues -- your legislative and political ammo! 
This information is a must for all Grassroots Volunteers!  For a
sampling of these materials (quantities available free-of-charge)
contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-8683.

	       JOIN THE NRA-ILA FAX NETWORK!

   To receive weekly legislative and political updates via FAX
machine, call the Grassroots Division and join the NRA-ILA FAX
Network.  This service is absolutely free!

		    QUOTE OF THE MONTH

   "When the government fears the people, there is liberty.  When
the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
					       -- Thomas Jefferson.

NRA Grassfire
NRA-ILA Grassroots Division
11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA  22030
Phone: (800) 392-8683/Fax: (703) 267-3918
		
		Downloaded from GUN-TALK (703-934-2121)
		A service of the 
		National Rifle Association 
		Institute for Legislative Action
		Fairfax, VA 22030
 


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