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Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- ACTION ITEM: We need to act on the following bills:

SB 245, Senator Obenshain’s bill that provides that nothing in the Emergency Services and Disaster Law shall be interpreted to limit or prohibit the possession, carrying, transportation, sale, or transfer of firearms, is going to be heard in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee on Monday, January 23, 45 minutes after the Senate adjourns.

To send an email to YOUR Senator automatically, click on the link below: http://tinyurl.com/7gnhykx

HB 139, Delegate Cole’s Constitutional Carry bill – allows concealed carry without a permit in most places. Permits will continue to be available.

To send an email to YOUR Delegate automatically, click on the link below:

http://tinyurl.com/7c9ptfj

NEW BILLS – ANTI-FREEDOM

• HB 1179, Delegate McClellan, makes it a crime if the theft or loss of a firearm isn’t reported within 48 hours of when the victim notices his gun is stolen. As if the victim hasn’t been punished enough by having his gun lost or stolen, the State would pile on by charging him with a crime!
• HB 1226, Delegate Torian, gives public universities and colleges the power to ban firearms, including those carried by Concealed Handgun Permit holders. This will only encourage more attacks like Virginia Tech experienced in 2007. We need to allow those with permits to be able to defend themselves, not make them more helpless.
• HB 1257, Delegate Sickles, creates a new crime for someone openly carrying a handgun in a public place who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is already a crime to be in a public place while intoxicated. This is just another attempt to give gun owners “special treatment.”
• SB 648, Senator McEachin, creates a new crime for someone openly carrying a handgun in a public place who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is already a crime to be in a public place while intoxicated. This is just another attempt to give gun owners “special treatment.”
• HB 1275, Delegate Kory, requires that a training course for a concealed handgun permit be a handgun course. Safety training for long guns is applicable to handguns, too. Also, hunter safety training is acceptable and that usually involves long guns. The training requirement should be kept broad.

NEW BILLS – PRO-FREEDOM

• SB 563, Senator Ruff, a cleanup bill that makes some technical and minor changes to the concealed carry code. Drafted by VCDL.
• SB 612, Senator Black, long guns background checks are to run through the federal NICS system, bypassing the Virginia State Police. Handguns checks continue to be run through the State Police. There are a series of bills to take away background check from the State Police due to recent dismal performance caused by understaffing.
• HB 1223, Delegate Hope, allows concealed carry with a permit and **open carry without a permit** at GAB, but no other weapons as defined in the concealed carry laws (nun-chucks, switchblades, etc.)

CASTLE DOCTRINE UPDATE
On Wednesday evening a subcommittee of the House Courts of Justice heard Delegate Habeeb’s HB 14, a Castle Doctrine bill that provides civil immunity (but not criminal) if someone unlawfully enters another’s dwelling and makes an overt act towards a person lawfully in that dwelling. The bill was modified to make the Commonwealth Attorneys happy – it made it clear that the civil immunity would not become part of the jury’s instructions and that it would clarify that it would have no bearing on criminal aspects of the case.

The bill was passed by for now as the subcommittee lost its quorum when one member had to go to testify on a bill in another committee.

HB 14 (and three other Castle Doctrine bills: HB 47, HB 48, HB 925) will be heard on Monday in the Criminal subcommittee of the House Courts of Justice 1/2 hour after the House adjourns. VCDL continues to stand NEUTRAL on the Castle Doctrine bills.

For VCDL’s analysis of Castle Doctrine in Virginia, see: http://tiny.cc/b6snt

For a listing of all gun bills and VCDL’s position on them, see our legislative tracking tools at: http://www.vcdl.org/static/2012leg.html

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

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By Philip Van Cleave

Kahr P380 Pistol Black

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- This is the first of a series of three handgun reviews based on some guns that I purchased most recently. (Your mileage could vary, of course.)

My previous experiences with pocket .380 ACP handguns was not good in the recoil category. After purchasing a Kel-tec .380 some years ago, I quickly realized that to break in that gun without my trigger finger killing me due to the sharp snap of that very light and small handgun, I would need the help of others.

I went to the range with 150 rounds of ammo and would tell other shooters, “Hey – this is my new Kel-tec .380 – want to try it out?” Then I would provide them with as much ammo as they wanted and would let THEM deal with the snappy recoil! After an hour or so my gun was broken in and, just as importantly, I was none the worse for wear.

So when I went to the range with my brand new Kahr P380, I brought along my 150 rounds of ammo and was prepared to let everyone at the range “try” my gun. I figured I would fire a few shots just to see how bad it was going to be for everyone else.

BAM! BAM! BAM!
Much to my total surprise, although the gun was extremely light and small, the recoil was totally tamed – tamed to the point that the gun was actually FUN TO SHOOT! I selfishly put all 150 rounds through the gun without sharing it. And I could have kept going had I brought more ammunition!

The accuracy was superb and, unlike many other small .380s, the gun had real sights on it. You can even get night sights for it.

Kahr P380 Handgun

I own quite a few Kahrs and I know that the polymer ones need a few hundred rounds to break them in due to tight tolerances. The P380 was no exception. There were occasional jams during the break-in period, but those are but faint memories now. During the break-in, the Kahr seemed to have a preference for Magtech ammo.

The P380 works exactly like its bigger brothers, including the slide locking back on the last shot, a slide release, a drop safety, a fully supported chamber, and a Browning-type lockup. Oh, and it has a fantastic trigger, especially for a gun that size. Magazine capacity is 6 + 1.

The gun disappears in my pocket and is so light I can easily forget that I am carrying it. I don’t carry a .380 very often, except when either I must carry light and/or extremely discretely or if I want to carry a backup gun. The Kahr P380 is my clear choice for such times.

Here is a link to the Kahr web page for the P380: www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-P380.asp

Up next: Sig-Sauer P250

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

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