Movement in the Right Direction

Under 18 USC 922(g), persons prohibited from possessing a firearm include anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year of incarceration, regardless of the sentence that was actually imposed.  It did not matter whether or not the offense involved violence, and no matter how long ago it happened. The law also prohibits gun possession by anyone who has ever been subjected to involuntary psychiatric treatment, even if that person was never deemed a threat to others.

That person who was legally banned from possessing a firearm had to seek relief from this ban / disability by applying to the Department of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. (ATF)

However, “in the early 1990s, Congress became concerned about the number of resources that ATF was using to adjudicate requests to relieve individual Americans from disabilities on their ownership of firearms. (“The Committee believes that the approximately 40 man-years spent annually to investigate and act upon these investigations and applications would be better utilized to crack down on violent crime.”). Congressional reports also stated that judging whether applicants posed “a danger to public safety” was “a very difficult and subjective task,” id., and that “too many felons . . . whose gun ownership rights were restored went on to commit crimes with firearms.”*

So, the agency you applied to for relief was officially banned from considering the application.  (Bureaucracy at its best!)

Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice recently introduced an interim final rule* that rescinds the delegation of that process to the ATF.

The authority to handle this issue has not yet been transferred to another branch of the DOJ.  Bondi considers this a first step to give the AG a clean slate to work with instead of trying to work around the ATF’s bureaucratic procedures.  Which makes sense since we are dealing with an ATF bureaucracy that has been dedicated to abolishing the 2nd Amendment.   

Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America said of this: "The [Justice Department's] decision to finally withdraw ATF's authority in this matter is an encouraging sign that this administration is serious about protecting the Second Amendment for all Americans."

The important thing is that we are seeing some tangible positive movement.

*Federal Register :: Withdrawing the Attorney General's Delegation of Authority

Click the link below  MARCH / APRIL Firing Lines

Ulster County  by Frank Riess

The anti gun left will use all means at their disposal to take away our 2A protected rights, including making the permit process bureaucratic, arbitrary and a whole lot more work than it should be.

Frank Reiss just wrote a letter to U S Attorney General Pam Bondi about this and we reproduce it below with his permission and some minor corrections.       

Attorney General Bondi

US Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530‐0001                                                                       

April 2nd, 2025
April 2nd, 2025
Owner Wallkill River Small Arms
2332 Rt 300
Wallkill, NY 12589
DOJ Investigation into California Gun Law Patterns and Practices Should be Expanded

 Honorable Attorney General Bondi,

The law‐abiding gun owners of Ulster County, NY need your help. We are aware of your recent action in Los Angeles County and need the same assistance. The Ulster County Family Court is acting in a way that directly opposes the Constitution of the United States and the laws of New York State. Their actions include but are not limited to:

· Pistol permits routinely take more than a year to obtain

· A judge has to sign an “amendment” to a pistol permit for a permit holder to acquire a new handgun

· Amendments have been routinely taking several months

· Permit holders have been summoned to a court room to testify as to why they need certain or additional firearms

· Permit holders have been told that they cannot purchase additional handguns until they complete more training

· Outright denying amendments for the purchase of certain LEGAL handguns

· HUNDREDS of permit holders have had permits revoked for missing a confusing and unclear recertification process that must be done via the internet

· Permit applicants are quizzed on the law until they get a question wrong and are then denied

· Judges seem to have taken pleasure in humiliating applicants and permit holders in their court rooms

· A judge is currently refusing to renew my NYS Firearm Dealers License over an issue she has with my renewal application. It is the exact application I have used three times. I had to hire an attorney to continue operations so I can feed my family.

My case is still pending.

The actions and missteps being taken by “acting supreme” court judges are harassment and obstruction of government administration. While not new, these anti‐gun actions have increased exponentially starting with the Bruen decision and have now reached a fever pitch with the second election of President Trump. In the past, letters and calls to supervisory judges in Albany fell on deaf ears. I pray that you might have more influence.

Sincerely and Grateful,
Frank Riess

Note:  Here is an artice on the Los Angeles issue to which that Frank Reiss referred.

A1898

Proposed Assembly Bill A1898 prohibits using toxic ammunition in the taking of wildlife.  It specifically says: Wildlife shall not be taken with the use of any toxic ammunition, including lead ammunition. Wildlife shall be taken using only any federally approved nontoxic ammunition.   (Emphasis added) 

It was cosponsored by Assemblywomen Linda Rosenthal (D-NY City), Dana Levenberg (D-Ossining), Anna Kelles (D-Ithaca) and Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburg).  Three down staters and one from Ithaca!

Dieter Kraemer researched some background information and suggests sending a letter to the cosponsors and the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee.  Here are some important facts:

Assemblywoman Rosenthal references the Humane Society of the United States, (HSUS).*  HUSIS has said, “…scientists consider the use of lead ammunition to be the greatest unregulated source of lead knowingly released into the environment in the United States...It incidentally kills millions of wild animals a year.”  (Yes, lead bullets do kill millions of wild animals.  Hunters will confirm that is the bullet’s purpose.) 

Activist Facts describes HSUS as: “…a radical animal rights group that inaccurately portrays itself as a mainstream animal care organization. The words “humane society” may appear on its letterhead, but HSUS is not affiliated with your local animal shelter.” 

HSUS includes a huge web of organizations, affiliates and subsidiaries. 

The American Institute of Philanthropy gives HSUS a “D” rating.  

David Wills the former vice president of HSUS was sentenced to life in prison for a conviction of child sex abuse charges. He also embezzled money from the organization.**

Paul Irwin (HSUS president from 1996 to 2004) founded the Humane Society of Canada (HSC) while claiming to live in Canada but he actually lived in Maryland.  Erwin was reimbursed $85,000 by HSUS for the purchase of a vacation home by the organization.***

HSUS executive John Hoyt lived rent free in a house that the organization purchased for him.****

When Wayne Pacelle became the CEO HSUS, he took HSUS in a radical political direction. In 1991, Pacelle told the Associated Press: “[I]f we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would.” Pacelle would later resign over sexual harassment allegations.*****

Humane Society of the United States has now changed its name to Humane World for Animals.

Does this sound like an organization that publishes reliable information?

Rosenthal also states that lead bullets are made from recycled car batteries. Technically possible but complicated and dangerous.  Does she have any evidence this is done by any manufacturer?  Importantly, does that make them more dangerous, more toxic?

Iowa State University conducted a study on wild Bald Eagles.****** Their conclusion is that very few are suffering from any kind of lead poisoning.  We now have more eagles in the US than ever before.

The use of lead-free ammunition in NY state should be on a voluntary basis, it should not be mandated by state law.   

*Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) | Activist Facts

**David Wills, ex-Humane Society of the U.S. vice president, gets life in prison - Animals 24-7

***Paul Irwin - Wikipedia

****HUMANE SOCIETY REFUSES TO CLEAN HOUSE – Deseret News

*****CEO Of The Humane Society Resigns Amid Allegations Of Sexual Harassment : The Two-Way : NPR

******Most Iowa bald eagles are not exposed to high levels of lead, according to new Iowa State University research - News Service

SCOPE Activities in March 2025

    SCOPE Chapter Visits. SCOPE officials recently visited the Schoharie and Seneca County Chapters of SCOPE, engaging in discussions about the organization's key priorities. The five main priorities highlighted were: synchronizing efforts with other 2A organizations in New York State, expanding membership both individually and within active chapters, educating politicians and the public about firearms legislation in New York, developing and promoting new firearms legislation, and supporting high school shooting sports through donations. The President also shared SCOPE’s strategic vision for 2025-2026, which includes developing a robust social media plan, creating a merchandise strategy, and certifying SCOPE range instructors. Additionally, the SCOPE Board of Directors approved of a significant donation to Gun Owners of America New York (GOA-NY) to support their lawsuit against the controversial ammunition background check law; and to the Firearms Policy Coalition lawsuit against the ban of body armor in New York State; reinforcing SCOPE's commitment to defending Second Amendment rights.

    SCOPE’s Top Ten Most Egregious Firearms Legislation. With the start of a new two-year legislative period, new bill numbers were assigned to both existing and new firearms legislation. Currently, the New York State legislature is considering sixty-nine firearms bills that could potentially become law. In response to the influx of these sixty-nine bills, SCOPE (Shooter's Committee on Political Education) decided to form a committee tasked with analyzing and identifying the Top Ten Most Egregious Firearms Legislation in New York State. After weeks of analysis and deliberation, SCOPE narrowed the list down to their Top Ten Most Egregious Firearms Legislation. The bills include Assembly Bill A00929, A02229/S03562, S00418/A01774, S00658/A04085, A00346, S05813, A03376, A01210/S00362, S02158/A03021, and S01358. These bills are available for review on the New York State Assembly website and the document detailing SCOPE's analysis has been posted on the SCOPENY2A.org website, as well as shared with other 2A organizations throughout the state to ensure their members’ situational awareness. SCOPE officials are making plans to brief the majority and minority leaders in the New York State legislature, as well as senators and assemblypersons on SCOPE’s Top Ten Most Egregious Firearms Legislation.  

    Annual All Members Meeting. Coordination is underway for the Annual All Members meeting, set to take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the VFW Post 6778 in Palmyra, New York, from 0945 to 1200. We are thrilled to welcome Bobby Ann Cox as our guest speaker. A dynamic speaker and civil rights attorney from New York State, Cox has a distinguished history of suing government entities and recently secured a historic victory against Governor Hochul in a landmark lawsuit. The meeting will also feature a presentation on SCOPE's progress over the past year, as well as the organization's plans for the 2025-2026 period. In addition, elections for At-Large directors will be determined. Lunch will be provided for all members, followed by an afternoon SCOPE board of directors meeting.

    Updated SCOPE By-Laws. The SCOPE by-laws were updated in the last year and the updated by-laws will be voted on at the board of directors meeting on Saturday, April 26, 2025.

   Increasing Active SCOPE Chapters. In March, SCOPE officials visited the Tioga County Sportsmen's Association with the goal of boosting membership and exploring the possibility of starting a SCOPE Chapter in Tioga County. The visit proved successful in attracting several new members to SCOPE, though there was no interest from attendees in taking on the responsibility of leading a new chapter in the area. Despite this, the visit was seen as a positive step in expanding the organization’s presence within the county. Additionally, several other counties without SCOPE chapters have recently shown interest in activating a chapter.

    SCOPE continues to protect and restore the Second Amendment. We need your help. Please join us by volunteering your time by joining a committee or writing an article for the Firing Line.  Before the end of April, the annual All Members meeting will occur.  I hope to see you there.

John Elwood
SCOPE President

Gun Rights Are Not a “Culture War” Issue -They Are a Civil Rights Imperative  by James D. Tresmond, Esq.

In their endless quest to obfuscate, deflect, and trivialize, politicians and the media have taken to dismissing the right to keep and bear arms as just another front in the so-called “culture war.” This is a grotesque misrepresentation. To call the Second Amendment a “culture war” issue is to place it in the same category as petty political squabbles over pop stars, social media trends, and other frivolities that occupy the minds of our ruling class. Gun rights are not a “fad” to be debated alongside the latest manufactured outrage of the 24-hour news cycle; they are an unassailable pillar of individual liberty, as fundamental to a free society as the right to speak, to worship, or to seek redress against an oppressive state.

A “culture war” is, at its core, a manufactured conflict designed to inflame passions and distract the public while preserving the status quo. These skirmishes are waged not over principles, but over headlines. The right to keep and bear arms, on the other hand, is not a matter of mere ideological preference. It is the hard-won recognition of an existential truth: that power unchecked by the armed citizen is power inevitably abused.

The history of gun rights in America is not the history of suburban hobbyists or political slogans; it is the history of resistance against tyranny and a safeguard against systemic oppression. During Reconstruction, the disarmed freedmen of the South learned that their “rights” were nothing more than paper-thin promises when met with the iron fist of armed mobs and complicit state governments. Jim Crow laws went hand in hand with disarmament because those who seek to control and subjugate understand that an armed citizen is a citizen beyond their coercive grasp. The Second Amendment has long been the lifeline for those abandoned by the institutions meant to protect them.

Fast forward to the present day, and the lesson remains the same. The smallest minority in the world is the individual, and no right is more fundamental to preserving the autonomy of the individual than the right to self-defense. Those who would trivialize this right - those who would condescendingly lump it in with the day’s political entertainment - are betraying the very notion of civil rights. It is both appalling and unsurprising that the same politicians who wrap themselves in the language of “justice” and “equity” fail to grasp the cruel irony of advocating for an unarmed populace. An unarmed citizen is a subject, not a sovereign. And history has been unrelenting in its demonstration that disarmed populations do not meet happy ends.

This leads us to the so-called “gun rights champions” in the Republican Party - the same party that depends on gun owners every election cycle while treating them as disposable every legislative session. You know the people to whom I’m referring. They know who they are, too. The idea that Republicans can brush off the Second Amendment as a “secondary issue” and still expect gun owners to rally behind them is a delusion of the highest order. How often do we hear that it’s not the “right time” to push for pro-gun legislation? That we must “pick our battles”? That gun owners must be patient while courts slow-walk the most basic affirmations of our rights?

Gun owners are watching. They have seen the betrayals, the half-hearted advocacy, and the gutless surrender to media pressure. And let me assure these cowardly, calculating politicians of one thing: You will not win elections without the gun vote. You will not rally your “base” while treating their rights as an afterthought. And when the time comes for the midterms, when you crawl back to the podiums and make your feigned overtures to the people you’ve spent years dismissing, do not feign surprise when your applause is drowned out by silence.

A politician who treats the Second Amendment as a mere “culture war” talking point is a politician unworthy of office. A party that believes it can ignore gun owners and still win is a party that deserves to lose. And a media establishment that sneers at armed self-defense while enjoying the protection of armed security is a hypocrisy so glaring, it borders on parody.

Gun rights are not a political spectacle. They are not a partisan gimmick. They are the last line between liberty and subjugation, between self-determination and state control. Those who fail to recognize this simple fact will be discarded by history just as surely as those who have sought to erase this right before them.

Onward!

Bobbie Anne Cox will be the guest speaker Bobbie Anne Cox Attorney Bobbie Anne Cox will be the speaker at our Members Meeting on April 26th. She has described Kathy Hochul as an elitist Governor…and her lawless Department of Health. Bobbie Anne is a 2023 Brownstone Institute Fellow and an attorney with 25 years of experience in the private sector. She passionately defends and preserves the Constitution against egregious government overreach, defending citizens against tyrannical acts of heavy-handed government. Are you familiar with the NYS Department of Health (DOH) “Isolation and Quarantine Procedures” regulation?  You should be.  It’s another attack on our liberties by Governor Kathy Hochul and her administration Here is what Attorney Bobbie Anne Cox had to say about it in the American Thinker: “Imagine a land where the government has the power to lock you up because the unelected bureaucrats in the Health Department think that you might, possibly have a communicable disease. They don’t have to prove you are sick. They don’t have to prove you are a health threat to others…and you must stay there for however long they want. No time limit.” “No chance to prove that you aren’t actually infected with the disease. No chance to confront your jailers, see their supposed evidence against you or challenge their quarantine order in a court of law before getting locked up. And they can use law enforcement to help them carry out their forced quarantine… “ Sounds a lot like Red Flag laws (Extreme Risk Protection Orders) where your guns are taken away without “due process of Law.”  You know-that part of those pesky 5th and 14th Amendments that Kathy Hochul and the NY Legislature ignore, at will. Cox went to court and successfully got it struck down before it could become a permanent regulation; it does not exist today. However, the Appeals Court reversed the decision and dismissed the case because the plaintiffs did not have standing…Some of the plaintiffs were NYS legislators and they didn’t have standing!  The DOH is now free to reissue its dystopian regulation. There is nothing stopping the tyranny of the NYS Executive Branch and its unconstitutional DOH, now.  Cox also worked with Lee Zeldin to prevent the unconstitutional gerrymandering of the Congressional lines in New York State by the Democrats.  Cox formed Stop NY Corruption and with help from other members of NY’s Congressional delegation were successful in preventing that shameful political ploy to illegally retake the House of Representatives.  Cox again teamed up again with Congressman Zeldin and together with her organization, Vote NO on Prop One Committee, fought against the radical Dems that run NYS with their dishonest campaign to pass Prop 1. Bobbie Anne Cox has been a David versus Goliath fighter for our rights against the far-left assault on those rights, in New York State.  The Members Meeting will give you a chance to hear her stories, ask questions and develop a strategy to protect all our rights – especially our 2nd Amendment protected rights.                                                  _________________________________________________ Member Meeting RSVP FORM DONATE HERE

Hacking Gun Registries

From 2A defenders’ standpoint, gun registries have been a no-no as they pave an easy path to gun confiscation.   

There is another issue; a digital file (and everything is now digitized) provides an inviting target for hackers.  This was demonstrated last week, when SCOPE wrote about Israel’s gun registry being hacked by Iran - and you can be sure that Iran will not use that information for the benefit of Israeli gun owners.

As further evidence-

In 2012, an interactive map showing the names and addresses of all handgun permit holders in New York’s Westchester and Rockland counties was posted on a newspaper’s website.  The map allows readers to zoom in on red dots that indicate which residents are licensed to own pistols or revolvers. That information could only come from a government registry.

And then there are government ‘oops’ moments.

In 2022, the California Department of Justice (DOJ)'s new Firearms Dashboard Portal was shut down after users realized their personal information, including full names, date of birth and addresses could be publicly accessed.

Gun control hackers now have an inviting new target.

Federal law and ATF regulations require a licensed firearms dealer (an FFL holder) to record various information when they receive a firearm and when they sell / transfer it.  This is information about the firearm (serial number, manufacturer, etc.) and personal information (name, address, etc.) 

These records must be available for ATF inspection during business hours.

To make things easier, there is online software that allows dealers to keep this information in an electronic book.

What could possibly go wrong with having every gun transaction on-line?

In addition, when the ATF inspects the FFL’s files, the FFL downloads the on line file to a thumb drive and the ATF agent leaves with that data; the bulk of the inspection happens back at the ATF office.

Is the ATF destroying these thumb drive records at the conclusion of the compliance check or keeping the information, either on the thumb drive or downloaded it to a central directory?  Is the ATF using this information as a short cut to creating a gun registry— in violation of 18 USC 926 (a)(3)?   

Digitizing the information makes it easier for everyone involved: the FFL; the ATF; hackers; government gun registry creators.

Realistically, there is too much personal information already out-there in the digital universe.  This creates even more targets for potential hackers and could be used directly against gun owners.  The gun grabbers are a part of the political left and we have seen how the left reacts to things of which they don’t approve – like Elon Musk’s Tesla.

The Trump administration and ATF Director Patel need to ensure that the none of the information on the thumb drive is transferred to a permanent file and the thumb drive is destroyed after the inspection. 

Could you fire a gun in space?

From the web site Mental Floss:

Could you fire a gun in space?

Technically, it should work just fine. According to BBC Science Focus, guns don’t require oxygen to fire. That’s because they already have an oxidizing agent in the sealed ammunition cartridge that can ignite the gunpowder. Nor is gravity needed to chamber a bullet: a spring forces that.

It’s not a lack of gravity that poses the biggest problem. Instead, environmental factors might prevent a space shooting. Extreme temperatures could cause the weapon to overheat and malfunction. If the weapon gets too cold, the firing cap primer might not go off; metal gun parts could lose their structural integrity, leading to jamming.

Shooting on Earth	Shooting in Space
Gun will likely function in average temperatures	Gun could malfunction when exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures
Bullet will travel until gravity overtakes it, typically 1.5 miles depending on caliber	Bullet could travel indefinitely until striking a solid object
Recoil can be absorbed by body	Recoil could propel body backward

Suppose those problems are resolved. If a gun can successfully fire, what would happen to the bullet? If it’s not hitting a target, the shooter may never find out. On Earth, a bullet that doesn't strike a target will eventually be pushed down by gravity. Depending on the caliber and environmental factors, it could travel for well over 1 mile. Because space lacks gravity and its drag, however, there’s nothing stopping the bullet from traveling indefinitely, or at least until it makes contact with a surface.

The shooter would also have to contend with recoil. On the ground, gravity and planted feet help absorb kickback. In space, the astronaut-slash-gunslinger would be propelled backward after firing. This wouldn’t be rapid—probably less than walking speed—but it would put the shooter in motion, and they would need a counteracting force (like thrusters) or the wall of their spacecraft to halt their movement.

Note: Not mentioned – if the bullet flies too close to a large object, it could be deflected by that object’s gravity.  And if it flies too close to a sun it would burn up. 

The Also Rans

SCOPE recently published a list of the 10 Most Egregious Bills currently proposed in the NY Legislature.  There was a lively discussion to establish which 10 were the worst.  There were some deserving runner ups and we wanted you to see some of them.

A360

Requires a person to apply for a hunting license prior to the purchase of a shotgun or rifle. 

Additional requirements for all shotguns and rifles include taking a five hour gun safety course and exam, passing a shooting range test with 90% accuracy, providing notarized proof of a passed drug test and mental health evaluation, providing proof of purchase of ammunition safe storage depositories and passing a criminal background check.

A5817

Enhancing sentences for certain offenses involving weapons within 5,000 feet on or near school grounds.

S399 and A199

A Convertible pistol means any semi-automatic pistol that can be converted into a machine-gun solely by the installation or attachment of a pistol converter.  Any person, dealer, firm, partnership, or corporation who disposes of or who transports or ships as merchandise or who disposes of a convertible pistol is guilty of a class D felony.

All semi-automatic firearms are potentially convertible into an automatic, even if the technology does not yet exist. 

S4807

Relates to limiting the acquisition of a rifle or shotgun to one per ninety-day period.

S227 and A1777

A person who intentionally sells, distributes, or disposes of a three-dimensional printed firearm is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

S4277

The possession of 50 caliber or larger weapons is banned.

S5292

Prohibits the sale of a firearm, rifle, shotgun or ammunition on state property including state and county fairgrounds, and county, city and municipal property.  Designates offense as a class A misdemeanor.

S4388

Prohibits gun industry members from marketing firearms and firearm related products to minors; excepts instances where marketing is geared toward hunting purposes.

A1962 and S3385

Establishes violations for the failure to safely store rifles, shotguns, and firearms in the presence of a minor or a prohibited person; repeals certain provisions relating thereto.

S1985

Requires police officers to take temporary custody of firearms for not less than one hundred twenty (120) hours when responding to reports of family violence.  (was 48 hours)

A2084 and S1289

Establishes the office of gun violence prevention and the gun violence advisory council.

S2547

Establishes a minimum age to possess a firearm.

S1273

Bans openly carries a rifle or shotgun on or about such person.  “Openly carries" means to carry a rifle or shotgun in a manner that renders such rifle or shotgun, or any portion thereof, visible to others.   Exception for hunting.             

A1920

Prohibits entry to gun shows to anyone under twelve years of age.

A5105

A person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree when such person is not licensed as a gunsmith or a dealer in firearms with intent to manufacture and/or distribute such firearms pursuant to section 400.00 of this chapter and, knowing it is a ghost gun, such person possesses a ghost gun.

Since the legislature is in session. We fully expect there will be more introduced that are candidates for the top 10.