-=Continued from previous post=- 
Vol. 5, No. 7                                           2/20/97
                        NEW ATTACKS ON CMP
     In a recent letter to acting Secretary of The Army Robert M.
Walker, 23 U.S. Representatives, including rabidly anti-gun Rep.
Charles Schumer (R-N.Y.), have asked the Secretary to prohibit
the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) from selling M1 Carbines
in their program.  The CMP offers those who wish to take part in
their program the opportunity to purchase surplus M1 Garand
Rifles, and they wish to continue selling M1 Carbines to their
clubs, which they have done since 1985.  These firearms are
prized by collectors as a piece of American history, and can be
found in their cabinets and safes.  They are not on the streets
or often used  in crimes, as anti-gunners would have you believe. 
Ironically, the Iver Johnson M1 Carbine is specifically
"protected" under the 1994 Clinton Gun Ban.  In April of 1994,
prior to the vote on the ban on so-called assault weapons, Rep.
Schumer even went so far as to say in a "Dear Colleague" letter
that "[t]his bill (the Clinton Gun Ban) does not affect rifles
and shotguns used for hunting or legitimate sport."  Schumer went
on to say in his letter that "[t]he bill...explicitly exempts by
make and model 670 hunting and recreational rifles and
shotguns..."  It is this list that supposedly protects item
number 5 out of the 670, Iver Johnson M1 Carbines, and 17 out of
the 23 Members signing the letter to Secretary Walker voted to
exempt this firearm in 1994.  The other six were not yet elected
to office.  Of course, this hypocrisy is not surprising, as
history shows that anti-gun lawmakers work incrementally towards
their inevitable goal--a complete ban on firearms.  NRA is
working with pro-gun lawmakers to draft a response urging the
Secretary to fight wars, not law-abiding gun owners.  We will be
sure to keep you informed as this issue develops.
                         RUGER GENEROSITY
     William B. Ruger, Sr., an icon in American history and the
business community, has personally contributed one million
dollars to the National Rifle Association's National Firearms
Museum, NRA President Marion P. Hammer announced on Feb. 7 during
a meeting of NRA's Board of Directors.  Ruger, founder and CEO of
Sturm, Ruger & Co., has ensured an important piece of American
history and its legacy of liberty for future generations.  "I
feel the National Firearms Museum will tie together the history,
craftsmanship, engineering and design of firearms as an integral
part of the heritage of this country," said Ruger.  Ms. Hammer
stated , "With Bill Ruger's commitment and generous support, our
heritage of Second Amendment freedom will remain a living part of
our proud history.  He has taken it upon himself to help pass
America's torch of liberty, and the lawful firearms ownership
that forged our nation, to our children and their children.  I am
deeply moved by Mr. Ruger's commitment and, on behalf of all NRA
members and gun owners, deeply grateful."
             RALLY SHOWS WORLDWIDE SUPPORT OF HUNTERS
     On February 26th, the Masters of Foxhounds Associations
(MFHA) is planning a rally at Morven Park in Leesburg, VA.  To
show support of their fellow hunters in England, who are staging
a march in protest to the bill before Parliament to stop hunting
with hounds in Britain on March 1, a "beaconing" ceremony will
take place in Leesburg, as well as throughout the world, reports
the Feb. 18 issue of the Loudoun Times-Mirror. "Beaconing" is an
ancient English tradition of communicating danger from village to
village using bonfires.  Reminiscent of the lanterns used to
alert Paul Revere, those who attend these rallies are asked to
bring their own flashlights, candles, or other devices to
illuminate the danger of global efforts to ban hunting, and to
show support for not only hunting, but for all shooting sports,
fishing, and other outdoor activities.  For information on the
Leesburg rally, please call the MFHA at 703/771-7442.  If you
would like to see if there is a similar rally scheduled in your
area, please call the Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-8683.  We
can let you know who is the MFHA contact closest to you, and how
to get in touch with them, so that they can tell you of anything
happening near you.
                       MUZZLELOADER UPDATE
     In December, we told you about BATF's efforts to re-classify
certain "in-line" muzzleloading rifles as "firearms," and thereby
subject these guns to all the provisions of the Gun Control Act
of 1968.  Shortly after BATF made its intentions known in an
Industry Circular, Modern Muzzleloading, the manufacturer of one
of the affected muzzleloaders, went to court to block the
reclassification.  Although Modern Muzzleloading's initial
request for a preliminary injunction against BATF was denied, the
court today ordered BATF to provide more information on why they
are seeking to reclassify these firearms.  In essence, the court
found that Modern Muzzleloading has a plausible argument in
support of its contention that the muzzleloader in question
should be classified as an antique and that BATF has failed to
offer a sufficient explantion for its actions in this matter.
 
                       A LOOK AT THE STATES
ARIZONA: HB 2586, NRA-backed range protection legislation,
passed the House Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee 8-1.
It now moves to the full House for consideration.  Please contact
your State Representatives today at 602/ 542-4221 and encourage
them to support HB 2586.
CALIFORNIA: In a letter to the editor appearing in yesterday's
San Jose Mercury News, Assemblyman Don Perata announced plans to
push AB 23, an expansion of the "Assault Weapons" Control Act
(AWCA).  The proposal, currently in the Senate, could face a vote
as early as next week and would make a bad situation worse.  An
initiative by Attorney General Dan Lungren to confiscate guns
that were previously approved under the AWCA began in November. 
It is critical that members contact their lawmakers today at
916/445-0009 and urge them to vote "NO" on AB 23! 
CONNECTICUT: On Tuesday, February 24, the State Legislature's
Public Safety Committee will hold a public hearing on SB 315, the
NRA-backed Range Protection bill. SB 315 seeks to safeguard
Connecticut's ranges  by protecting them against certain noise
ordinances and nuisance actions aimed at shutting them down.
Please make plans to attend Tuesday's hearing at 11:00 a.m. in
room 2E of the Connecticut Legislative Office Building located at
300 Capitol Ave. in Hartford. 
PENNSYLVANIA: On Tuesday, February 10, the House Game and
Fisheries Committee unanimously reported out  SB 56, which seeks
to strengthen existing language in Pennsylvania's range
protection statute by ensuring that the courts adhere to the
original intent of the legislature -- that shooting ranges are
exempt from any adverse legal or legislative actions regarding
noise.  As long as they complied with any noise ordinances that
were in existence at the time construction began, existing ranges
are exempt from any ordinance that may be enacted in the future,
or nuisance lawsuits designed to close them down.  This bill now
goes to the House floor for consideration.  Please contact your
State Representatives at  717/787-2372 and encourage them to
support SB 56. 
UTAH: Good News! Thanks to your phone calls to lawmakers, the
sponsor has withdrawn SB 57 from further consideration.  For
details on SB 57 see Fax Alert Vol. 5, No. 6.  
=+=+=+=+
This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle
Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA.
This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is
available at: http://WWW.NRA.Org
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End of GENERAL-RKBA Digest 338
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