by Dean Rieck

When I needed a new belt holster for my Glock 17, I knew exactly where to look: Comp-Tac.

I'm not one of those guys who likes to collect three dozen holsters. I want one holster that suits my needs and will last forever. In this case, I needed a new holster for my full-size Glock, which I use primarily for training and fun shoots.

I've used a Kydex paddle holster from another well-known company for a few years, but I never liked it. There's no retention adjustment and I have to really yank to draw the weapon. Plus, the rivets are rusted, the plastic is thin, and I'm always worried it's going to break. I bought it because it's cheap and I guess you get what you pay for.

That's why I wanted to make a change. And I knew Comp-Tac was the right place to look. I knew this because last year, I took a 3-day class at Tactical Defense Institute and tested a Comp-Tac holster for my M&P9c, which I use for concealed carry. It performed flawlessly and I couldn't have been happier.

So of course I returned to Comp-Tac to get a holster for my Glock. I chose the belt holster because, while paddles make gearing up and down a little easier, having anything down your pants will eventually cause a little discomfort over a period of time. Plus, a belt holster provides more space between the body and the pistol grip for a confident draw stroke.

by Chad D. Baus

The Hill is reporting that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has emerged as a key player in Senate Democrats' battle to move legislation to impose a so-called "universal" background check gun registration scheme that would force law-abiding gun owners to get permission from the government before any private transfer of firearms, even among family members.

From the article:

McCain and Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) are at the top of a list of Republicans considered most likely to sign on to legislation expanding background checks after talks with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) stalled earlier this month.

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has signaled he will likely support the yet-to-be-finalized proposal he negotiated with Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to expand background checks to cover private gun sales, according to Senate sources.

by Jim Shepherd

For everyone who's celebrating California Senator Dianne Feinstein's "2013 Assault Weapons Ban" being omitted in the package of legislation being considered in the Senate, a word of warning: not so fast.

Sure, Sen. Feinstein's had a public come-apart over Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision to omit her signature piece of legislation from the Democrat's comprehensive gun bill, but that's only a skirmish. It is too-early to put this one into the record books as a win.

After all, it wasn't booted because anti-gun pols didn't want to pass it. It was bounced because plenty of Democratic Senate seats are going to be contested - in relatively conservative states - in 2014.

And Speaker Reid's decision wasn't to bolster his NRA rating, it was to protect his majority leader position. He'd sell out the NRA rating just as quickly as he pulled the proverbial rug out from under Sen. Feinstein. With her extreme measures off the board, he's still hoping to get some gun controls passed. As he'll undoubtedly say in the not-too-distant future, "hey, I got the extreme stuff out of the bills, we need to pass something here."

by Chad D. Baus

The Newark Advocate reported recently that firearms were reported missing after a break-in at Hebron, OH's Buckeye Outdoors.

From the article:

Officers were called to the store at 10:36 p.m. on reports of an alarm triggered by broken glass, said Lt. Larry Brooks, with the Hebron Police Department. Officers found several firearms missing from the store, Brooks said.

Newark and Pataskala police were called to assist in looking for the robber or robbers, bringing in K-9 units to search the store. The robbers were not located.

...The store does have a security system in place and police officers are looking into whether there is a video recording of the break-in, Brooks said.

Let's pretend for a moment that the gun ban extremists' "universal background check" scheme to license all law-abiding gun owners was already in place. Does anyone thing that these gun thieves would be sure to ask anyone they sell their stolen guns to to submit to a background check?

Of course not. If passed, so-called "universal" background checks would be nothing of the kind. Instead, they would be another regulatory burden that would only effect law-abiding gun owners and retailers completing legal transactions, with the ultimate goal of giving the Federal government the power to register all law-abiding gun owners.

The criminals, of course, would continue on as they always have.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman.

by Larry S. Moore

The US Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) recently held a legislative reception in Columbus. In addition to the USSA, the event was co-sponsored by the Buckeye Firearms Association. Buckeye volunteers attending the event included Linda Walker, Sean Maloney, Aaron Kirkingburg, Austin Force and this author. Also representing gun owners were several members of the Board of Directors of the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, including current President Jim Tekavec.

Sportsmen and conservation leaders from across Ohio converged on Columbus to meet with the legislators to discuss pressing hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation issues critical to the future of Ohio. Governor Kasich and the leadership of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources also attended the event.

Following the Pledge of Allegiance, led by ODNR Division of Wildlife Chief Scott Zody, Governor Kasich made some remarks to the group. The Governor noted the importance of legislators and sportsmen getting together to make their voices heard. Kasich commented, "Our natural resources are fantastic! We have to tell America what we have in Ohio. I don't think people understand all the great assets we have. Ohio is a great place to hunt and fish. There is so much more we can do to promote the outdoors. I see good common sense God-fearing conservative - and I don't mean Republican or Democrat - people here. This is what makes us great. The leadership in all these organizations is fantastic. You bring great joy with the love of all things outdoors but you also bring dollars to our state. That's why we have to reach out. I recently told our ODNR Director Jim Zehringer to think about it. The Lord created the creatures, the forests and the water. He wants it to be protected. The ODNR job is to manage it, ensure it grows and is healthy and successful. We need all your help. Sportsmen are not shy about expressing their views. You shouldn't be. You feel strongly about these things and are a bedrock of our state. I believe in what you are doing and your mission. I love the way you are great Ohioans and Americans. I'm proud to have the opportunity to be your Governor and tell the world what we have in Ohio."

by Chad D. Baus

The Akron Beacon-Journal is reporting that a recent Ohio School Board Association survey of school board members and superintendents found that about 40 percent felt safety measures at schools are not adequate.

From the article:

Some 25 percent in the survey felt their school buildings do "not have proper safety and security measures in place" and another 14 percent were "unsure" if their security is adequate.

...The survey also found that three in five districts that responded have no resource officers. Resource officers primarily serve as a visible police force and deterrent, but they also serve as a liaison to the local police department and a mentor to children.

Fortunately, Ohio law provides boards of education a zero-cost way to provide increased protection for the students in their care. All a school board has to do is to authorize the people they are already employing - people who have concealed handgun licenses and who carry them responsibly everywhere else in their life - to carry when they are in the school too.

Despite having this clear, simple, easy solution that has been proven to work to stop mass shootings and minimize the body count, the Ohio Senate appears prepared instead to back a proposal that would place a huge new tax burden on Buckeye state residents.

By Dean Rieck

On Saturday, March 16, 2013, Buckeye Firearms Foundation held its annual Buckeye Bash.

More than 450 Second Amendment supporters gathered at the Villa Milano to enjoy fellowship, food, and an evening filled with auctions and raffles to raise money for the Foundation's educational activities, including the Armed Teacher Training Program, which has made news nationwide and around the world.

Click here to see photos from the Bash.

Keynote speaker Dick Heller delivered a rousing account of the events leading up to District of Columbia v. Heller, the landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense. Today, he continues to fight for our freedom through The Heller Foundation, an advocacy organization challenging infringements of our Constitutional Rights to ”keep and bear arms” while promoting youth education and firearms safety programs.

by Chad D. Baus

Fox News is reporting that the leader of the Democrat-controlled Senate has dropped a proposed ban on modern semi-automatic rifles from the chamber's gun-control package – dealing a blow to supporters of the ban.

Noting that the ban could still come up for a vote, the article stated that the sponsor of the measure, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA., revealed that Reid told her the proposed ban would not be in the initial package. Feinstein reportedly said she's "disappointed" with the decision, and is expected to nevertheless offer it as an amendment.

From the article:

...The move by Reid to cut it from the main bill signals a lack of congressional support for a proposal that would not only revive, but strengthen, the decade-long ban that expired in 2004.

The proposed ban passed was passed last week by the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with three other measures. The others dealt with providing more school safety aid, expanding federal background checks on potential gun buyers and helping authorities prosecute illegal gun traffickers.

Feinstein has led the gun-control charge since President Obama called for federal legislation in the wake of the Newtown and other mass shootings.

The assault weapons ban was the most controversial of the major proposals to restrict guns that have been advanced by Obama and Senate Democrats. Because of that, it had been expected that the assault weapons measure would be left out of the initial package the Senate considers, with Democrats hoping the Senate could in turn amass the strongest possible vote for the overall legislation.

According to the article, Feinstein said Reid told her there would still be a vote on her gun control proposal, which also includes a ban on standard-capacity ammunition magazines that carry more than 10 rounds. She was told there would also be a vote just be on prohibiting the magazines.

In The Connecticut Post's coverage of these developments, it is clear that the decision has been made among gun control groups to put all of their efforts into a national gun registration scheme branded as "universal background checks."

by Jim Shepherd

What does a law-enforcement officer do when the elected officials pass legislation that he knows is simply unenforceable? That's a quandry facing law officers in many parts of the country as feel-good but do-nothing anti-gun legislation continues to pass through state legislatures.

There have been several sheriffs speak out and say-clearly- they're not going to try and enforce unenforceable laws. The latest is Weld County, Colorado sheriff John Cooke. He's gone on record say he won't enforce the expanded firearms backgound checks the Colorado legislature passed last week-even if it is signed into law (as is expected) by Governor John Hickenlooper. Cooke said the same thing about the 15-round limit on magazines the legislature has also passed.

His reasoning is simple: the laws are unenforceable and, simply stated, "give a false sense of security." As he told the Colorado media "They're (the laws) feel-good, knee-jerk reactions that are unenforceable. Criminals are still going to get guns."

by Chad D. Baus

WDTN (NBC Dayton) is reporting that Ohio's Castle Doctrine law helped two Clark county brothers to be found not guilty after they were prosecuted for defending their lives when attacked by an armed robber.

From the article:

Jordan and Anthony Hottenstein were found not guilty of murder Wednesday.

Their lawyer, Richard Mayhall, successfully argued that the brothers had a right to shoot Jamez Hall during an altercation in July 2011.

"They were in their car and the evidence showed that a robbery was taking place. The judge told the jury that the defendant was acting in self defense," Mayhall said.

The Castle Doctrine says that your home or your car is your castle and you have the legal right to defend it.

In the Hottenstein case, authorities found a semi-automatic weapon with a round in the chamber on Jamez Hall at the time of his death.

"It's a tragedy, but there was evidence that the deceased had been talking with his associates that day about robbing the Hottensteins. So that, combined with the gun, made it very clear that a robbery was under way," Mayhall said.

Under Ohio's Castle Doctrine law, which took effect in 2008, if someone unlawfully enters or attempts to enter the owner's occupied home or temporary habitation, or occupied car, citizens have an initial presumption that they may act in self defense.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman.