Gun Rights News Linkfest

Here's some other news of interest:

[US] Big Boomers: Anti-gun VPC says "big boomer" handguns "threat to law enforcement". And they have a new "study" to prove it:

... “The gun industry has once again proven that it is willing to put profits over health, safety, and even national security,” VPC Senior Policy Analyst Tom Diaz, the study’s author, states. “The firearms industry is congratulating itself that ‘big boomers’ are ‘good for business,’ even while these guns are ending up in the hands of felons and drug dealers in the United States. One need look no further than Mexico—where these guns are smuggled in by drug traffickers and used to kill police— to understand the growing threat these weapons represent to U.S. law enforcement and security forces.”

The study traces the proliferation of various “big boomers” and the gun industry’s increased marketing of vest-buster handguns following the 2003 introduction of the first vest buster: the Model 500 S&W Magnum from Smith & Wesson. ...

[Illinois] More on Illinois fight for lawful concealed carry:

... Although such a change in Illinois law still faces a steep climb, the perception is that chances are better than they have been in many years. One reason for the improvement of the odds is the expulsion of Governor (ex-Governor, actually) Rod Blagojevich. Like many other grotesquely corrupt Chicago politicians, Blagojevich had a passion for citizen disarmament, and any carry law that reached his desk would have been vetoed just as fast as he could reach his pen. Governor Quinn has done little to make Illinois gun rights advocates believe that he will be a friend to gun owners, but he at least hasn't made onerous gun laws a cornerstone of his policies. So far, of course, the governor's willingness (or eagerness) to veto a carry bill has not been an issue, because no such bill has come close to passage (or even come up for a floor vote) in many years. One reason to believe that change may be afoot is that for the first time, the Illinois Sheriff's Association has passed a resolution endorsing armed self-defense for private citizens. ...

[Wisconsin] Handgun purchase fee increase proposed by Gov. Doyle:

It may become more expensive for Wisconsinites to buy a handgun, if Gov. Jim Doyle has his way.

The Governor's budget calls for raising the background check fee when purchasing handguns from $8 to $30.

The State Department of Justice asked Doyle to raise the fee to $13, but the Governor took it further. ...

[South Carolina] Bill to expand carry in vehicle:

... The law that the bill seeks to amend allows citizens to carry or 'stow' their guns in a glove compartment, console, trunk, a closed container, or in the luggage compartment of a vehicle. H. 3298 would add the phrase, 'or stowed under a seat.' ...

Comment: I'm not a fan of under seat stowage. The gun is usually hard to access quickly, and can end up skating around on the vehicle floor upon hard braking or aggressive vehicle maneuvering. The best place for a loaded gun is on your person.