LearnAboutGuns.com

Before each of the major hurricanes this year, I’ve seen people arrive at this site after searching for “hurricane gun”, and similar terms.  At first I attributed this to people worried about the wrongful gun confiscation after Hurricane Katrina, but upon further review it seems that was not what people were looking for: Read the rest of this article »

I recently read about a few vocal gun owners that have become disillusioned with the NRA, and are suggesting that people join other pro gun organizations instead of the NRA.  Basically, their complaints are that the NRA is overly concerned about raising money for itself, or that it does not do enough to protect the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.  I happen to disagree with these complaints, however there is a much bigger issue at play - the need for unity in the pro gun right cause: Read the rest of this article »

When gun rights are debated, I see entirely too much emphasis placed on hunting and “sportsmen”, rather than on self defense: Read the rest of this article »

When I mention home invasions as a reason to have a gun, I’m usually thinking of home invasions such as this or this.  However there was a quite unusual home invasion, in which dinner ingredients were the weapon used by the perpetrator: Read the rest of this article »

Although anti gun rights laws are often associated with Democratic or liberal politicians, the idea of gun rights actually fit in with liberal values. Read the rest of this article »

When debating gun rights, I’ve had people suggest that the NRA is some evil organization whose goal is to profit from the shooting of innocent people.  This is flatly untrue hyperbole.  As discussed below, the NRA and other such pro gun rights groups are made up of millions of law abiding citizens who have come together to defend the constitutional right to own a gun. Read the rest of this article »

A video clip showing John McCain’s runing mate Sarah Palin firing a so-called “assault weapon“: Read the rest of this article »

Joe Biden, the running mate of Barack Obama, is one of the most anti gun rights politicians in Government, although Biden falsely tries to pass himself off as pro gun: Read the rest of this article »

When discussing gun ownership rights and laws, I’ve heard some people argue in favor of magazine capacity restrictions, features of ordinary firearms, and limits on the number of guns one can own, (incorrectly) asserting that such restrictions won’t harm law abiding citizens.  I’ve previously discussed, from a technical standpoint, why such restrictions would not affect criminals, and would leave law abiding citizens confused about the law, and with guns that are less safe and less suitable for self defense.  This article, however, addresses the deeper problem with arbitrarily restricting gun rights on the basis that a citizen doesn’t “need” a particular magazine capacity, feature, or quantity of guns. Read the rest of this article »

I was preparing to write an article discussing Barack Obama’s extensive anti gun rights record, but found this excellent post on the subject.  Simply put, Obama, like Joe Biden, is as anti-gun as it gets. Read the rest of this article »

George Dance as written a a great article addressing Libertarian presidental candidate Bob Barr and his support of gun control laws.  I must say I’m quite dissapointed to learn the extent of Barr’s gun control legislative history.  Read the article here.

Gary Reed has written a great article addressing the use of terms such as “assault weapon” and “Saturday night special.”  Here is one of the more humerus quotes:

“Hometown Herald - A pair of assault thugs stole a Ford Saturday Night Special Crew Cab and drove it through the front door of the Saturday Nyte Special 99 Cent Store. They attacked the ATM with an assault crowbar, but the shop owner drove them off with a small self-defense assaultin’ pepperbox revolver.”

This video clip is one of the most compelling personal accounts about guns and self defense that I have ever seen. Texas state representative Dr. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp’s parents were killed by an insane gunman while her gun was out in the car - left there because of the laws restricting concealed carry at that time. She gives some very moving and bold testimony about the REAL purpose of the Second Amendment: Self defense, and how the gun control laws only served to leave her family defenseless.
Read the rest of this article »

As I’ve previously mentioned, crime in England has skyrocketed since their passage of strict gun control laws.  The criminals still shoot innocent citizens, and gun smugglers bring illegal guns into the UK just as illegal drugs are imported.  The criminals who are willing to commit violent crimes such as murder are just as willing to violate a relatively minor gun control law.  Tired of seeing law abiding citizens at the mercy of criminals, Graham Showell decided to do something: Read the rest of this article »

The video clip below shows how quickly a magazine can be reloaded, even by those who are relatively new to firearms (such as these cadets). Further proof that the “assault weapons” bans are ineffective and simply another way to whittle down the Second Amendment. Read the rest of this article »

In this video clip, Paul Helmke (president of the Brady Campaign) disavows the 1994 “assault weapons” ban on the Lars Larson show, then appears on national television days later and urges for a reinstated assault weapons ban. Read the rest of this article »

As Press Democrat reports, depressed Iraq war veteran Corporal Matthew Jensen called 911 for help.  The police arrived and eventually took him to the Veteran’s Administration for treatment.  However, the officers discovered a deactivated 1940’s-era SKS rifle on floor, which Matthew had taken from a dead Iraqi sniper and brought back as a gift for his father.  The rifle’s firing pin and mechanism had been removed, rending it inoperable, however the California state prosecutor decided to charge Matthew with a felony violation of California’s “assault weapon” ban law: Read the rest of this article »

In this video clip, Congresswoman McCarthy went on TV to argue in favor of gun control, but didn’t even know what the so called “assault weapon” feature she wanted to ban looks like or does.  When asked what a barrel shroud did, she first dodged the question, then incorrectly stated that criminals frequently use weapons with such a feature, then made a wrong guess as to what a barrel shroud does and where it goes on a gun.  It is simply ridiculous, ignorant, and embarrassing to have strong opinions about guns (or any other issue) unless one is familiar with the issue.  It is even worse to be a member of congress who introduces legislation to ban an object, without even knowing what the object is or does. Read the rest of this article »

As the Sun Times reports, the illegal gun possession case against Drew Peterson will now proceed.  Drew Peterson, who is suspected in the disappearance of his wife Stacy, was charged with possessing a rifle whose barrel was a fraction of an inch too short.  Allow me to explain the injustice here: Read the rest of this article »

There is a lot of misinformation out there about gun control, gun rights, self defense, “assault weapons,” and the like. This article is intended to briefly set the record straight: Read the rest of this article »

As the Mercury News reports, two male high school students at  Pinole Valley High were arrested on suspicion of possession of an illegal “assault weapon“, possession of a machine gun, bringing a firearm onto school grounds, being a minor in possession of live ammunition, being a minor with a concealed weapon, being a minor in possession of a firearm with prior conviction, a probation violation and marijuana transportation. Both of the arrested students have previous gun and ammunition possession arrests or convictions on their records, police said.  The gun that was brought to school was reportedly a fully automatic AK-47. Read the rest of this article »

Sound suppressors, sometimes referred to as “silencers,” are legitimate tools that have gotten a bad reputation in movies and in the law. The fact is that sound suppressors don’t truly “silence” guns, but can serve a legitimate and peaceful purpose. Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve seen increasing talk about the “benefits” of making gun manufacturers liable for criminals that misuse their guns, and thought it would be a good topic for an article

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Within hours of the Supreme Court declaring that handgun ownership is a basic right, the city of Chicago was sued over their handgun ban. I’ve previously discussed why such handgun bans won’t work, and how criminals will just ignore the gun control laws. I’ve also discussed how rights such as gun ownership, free speech, and the right to a lawyer cannot be legislated away by a city, state, or federal government. That same reasoning applies here, and is not included in this article to avoid redundancy. Instead, I’ll address the comments by Mayor Daley and Chicago’s chief of police Jody Weis: Read the rest of this article »

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has declared the Second Amendment protects the right of an individual to keep and bear arms, striking down the (failed) District of Columbia handgun ban. This article discusses what exactly the court held, and what that means for American gun owners: Read the rest of this article »

With more and more Americans supporting the view that gun ownership is an individual right protected by the Second Amendment, gun control groups such as the Brady Campaign are losing ground.  This is giving rise to a new tactic Read the rest of this article »

I recently received an email from a gentleman named Jon, regarding my use of terms such as “assault weapons” and “gun control” on this site.  Jon stated that he believed I should use terms such as “politically incorrect guns” instead of “assault weapons,” and to similarly frame the “gun control” issue in a more pro-guns manner.  I wholeheartedly agree with Jon’s statement when it comes to discussing gun rights in person or on TV, but the internet is a different story: Read the rest of this article »

In cities such as Chicago and London, which already have strict gun control laws, there have been “gun violence” protests organized by anti gun groups.  These usually take place after a criminal violates the gun ban laws and commits a crime.  Unlike protests designed to focus the attention of political leaders on a governmental policy (such as involvement in wars or civil rights), these protests seem to be without purpose.  Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

Two of Philadelphia’s unconstitutional gun laws were struck down by Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Read the rest of this article »

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is proposing several anti-gun rights laws as the answer to gang violence. These laws won’t affect gang members, who are already willing to break the laws against selling drugs, committing murder, and being felons who unlawfully possess guns. Read the rest of this article »

Joining the NRA is a great way to help protect our 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms. Normally, a 1 year membership is $35, but you can join here for $25 - That is a $10 discount. Read the rest of this article »

I have previously discussed how the bans on so called “assault weapons” only ban cosmetic and safety features of guns that are not true military style guns anyway, while not reducing crime or even being rationally related to crime.  Now I’ll address the fact that criminals simply don’t tend to use these so called “assault weapons”, which makes banning them even more pointless. Read the rest of this article »

Recently, I have heard politicians talking about what they consider to be “reasonable restrictions” on gun rights. These restrictions are often anything but reasonable, so I thought it would be a good exercise to compare what society would be like if we treated other fundamental rights the same way that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution’s right to keep and bear arms is treated Read the rest of this article »

The Remington 7600 is a pump action rifle, available in a variety of calibers. Its action is similar to that of the Remington 870 series shotgun, making this rifle easy to transition to for those familiar with pump action shotguns. The pump action nature of this rifle also exempts it from some of the more stringent gun bans, which is (sadly) something that must be considered by some law abiding gun owners these days. My review of the Remington 7600 is below. Read the rest of this article »

Porting, which refers to the addition of holes near the end of a shotgun’s barrel, can be a good addition to your home defense or sporting shotgun.  There are some drawbacks as well, and this article addresses both. Read the rest of this article »

SB-1007, which is being considered in Illinois, would ban a variety of gun that have been around since the 1800’s - hardly the guns which criminals prefer or would even be caught dead with. Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned previously, a ban on standard capacity magazines is being considered.  The anti gun groups that incorrectly call such ban “reasonable restrictions” are now actively spreading misinformation, in a last ditch attempt at influencing the Illinois state legislature. Read the rest of this article »

Guns ownership and sporting use is a special hobby like no other.  And I’m not only speaking about the unique fun and physics that go along with responsible firearms use -  Whether you are interested in hunting, target practice, or collecting, firearms as a hobby require something that almost no other hobby requires: Read the rest of this article »

I recently read an excellent letter to editor of the Tifton Gazette by a gentleman by the name of Keith Perry.  Mr. Perry addresses Read the rest of this article »

Lawfully purchasing a gun online requires only a little bit more work than purchasing most other items online, and this extra effort can be worth the price savings.  Other times, the exact firearm that the buyer wants might not be available locally, especially when the gun in question is no longer in production, or is a high demand item that is in short supply.  This article describes the relatively simple process of legally purchasing a gun online. Read the rest of this article »

In response to the shootings of over 30 people in a 48 hour period, Chicago’s Mayor Daley will arm the police with M4 Carbines.  These machine guns’ rate of fire is upwards of 700 round per minute in 3 round bursts. Read the rest of this article »

The Illinois state legislature is currently considering a ban on standard capacity (> 10 rounds) magazines. The highest penalty carried for violations would be Read the rest of this article »

Having discussed how firearms are the great equalizer, enabling a 90 pound grandmother to defend herself against a 250 pound home invader, I thought it would be proper to discuss which guns are best for those sensitive to recoil. Read the rest of this article »

Politicians and anti gun groups often speak about “reasonable restrictions” or “common sense restriction” on gun ownership. More often than not, these “reasonable restrictions” are anything but reasonable, given the fact that Read the rest of this article »

Anti gun politicians and special interest groups have tried to argue that the Second Amendment should be limited to protecting guns with a “sporting purpose”. In other words, the anti gun groups believe that law abiding citizens should only be able to own guns designed for hunting or target practice, rather than self defense Read the rest of this article »

The federal government had an “assault weapons” ban from 1994 until 2004, and many state and local governments have enacted or considered enacting their own “assault weapon” bans. These bans make illegal many safety and utility features of guns, while not serving to prevent crime Read the rest of this article »

Gun terms defined:

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Welcome! This site is dedicated to preserving the individual right of law abiding citizens of the state of Illinois, the United States, and the world as a whole to possess firearms for self defense as well as sporting purposes. I created this site after recognizing the growing threat to our right to keep and bear arms, and hope to both dispel the myths surrounding guns and “gun crime“, as well as to provide useful information to those who already support firearms rights.

I also hope to persuade those who don’t currently support gun rights, through the use of polite and well reasoned arguments, including information about why I have a gun. I firmly believe that polite debate, which focuses on the issues and facts rather than on personal attacks and hyperbole, is what we as a society need when it comes to issues such as gun rights.

Information that may be helpful to people who are new to guns is available here too. This includes information on selecting a firearm for home defense, selecting the ammunition for home defense, firearms maintenance, legally purchasing a gun online, safe and responsible gun storage, reviews of various guns and accessories, etc.

I also have taken a few moments to address myths about gun stores and their customers for those in my demographic (African American).

Another goal of this site is to encourage my fellow firearms rights supporters to do their part to protect gun rights. This includes joining the NRA, the ISRA, and taking further action to help safeguard and expand our gun rights. Without the involvement of gun owners in the political process, the anti gun groups will succeed at taking away our gun rights.

Those who have a gun related question that is not already addressed by this site are encouraged to contact me, and I will likely be willing to write an article addressing the question. I’ve tried to write articles addressing many of the questions I can think of, however I’m certain there are many areas I have yet to address. Since the goal of this site is to “learn about guns,” feel free to ask away.

The Gun related book store and DVD store contains the books and DVDs which I recommend.

The discussion forum is a place to discuss and debate gun rights, self defense, various firearms, and related issues.  And  don’t forget to read the disclaimer and copyright notice.

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Contact the Author - If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions for this site, or would like to have a polite and civil debate about firearms rights, I can be reached by email.

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Help Protect Our Gun Rights - You can participate in the political process to protect our 2nd amendment rights.

How-To Guides and Other Info - Getting started with responsible and lawful gun ownership in Illinois, along with technical information about guns, cleaning guns,