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I’m Really Into Leather…
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If Insider readers haven’t figured it out by now, your humble correspondent is a leather freak…in a good way.
Cartridge belts, rifle slings, rifle scabbards and — especially holsters. I spent more than 20 years doing essentially one-at-a-time orders for a small but faithful clientele. However, having hung up my leather tools, I can now simply drool over the genuine artwork one finds from today’s true craftsmen. And for this Insider installment, I had the good fortune— nay, call it a ‘distinct honor’ — to recently interview three guys who, in my humble opinion, best represent what is a true art form from a relatively small fraternity of leather craftsmen. |
Kennedy, Risch introduce bill to protect small firearm businesses from discrimination
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and 16 colleagues in introducing the Equal Shot Act, which would prohibit the Small Business Administration (SBA) from discriminating against lawful firearm-related businesses.
“Big Government officials in Washington should never be able to punish small business owners just because they support the Second Amendment. The Equal Shot Act would protect Louisiana’s firearm businesses from out-of-control bureaucrats trying to pick winners and losers based on politics,” said Kennedy. |
Bruen and the Founding-Era Conception of Rights
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Thus far, no scholar has answered the rights-revisionist critique of the conception of rights Bruen assumes. But the critics of Bruen’s methodology are mistaken. By describing the text as a “mere placeholder,” they overlook Campbell’s own descriptions of how the Founders understood the role of the text. By accusing Bruen of undercutting democratic governance, they misunderstand Bruen’s methodology. And by disparaging Bruen’s historical analysis because it assumes that rights generally operated as trumps on government action, they overstate the extent to which constitutional rights were seen as regulable by legislatures. On each of these points, Bruen’s methodology is not only grounded in the Founding-era conception of rights; ... |
CA: East Bay police: Woman fatally stabs boyfriend, says she acted in self-defense
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A woman fatally stabbed her boyfriend in a Hayward apartment Saturday morning in what she told officers was an act of self-defense after he assaulted her, police said.
Officers responded to calls about a loud argument at an apartment on Depot Road near Industrial Boulevard around 9 a.m. Callers reported hearing items being thrown in the apartment, police said.
When officers arrived, they found a 25-year-old woman in a stairwell. She told them her boyfriend had assaulted her and that she stabbed him in self-defense.
She was taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation and was not arrested, police said. Inside the apartment officers found her 30-year-old boyfriend unresponsive with a stab wound. |
Why Byrna Could Be the Top Defense Stock to Watch Now
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Byrna's products, including handheld personal security devices, shoulder-fired launchers not requiring firearm licenses, and self-defense aerosol products, among other items, have a broad appeal to both law enforcement customers and private individuals looking for innovative ways to protect themselves.
A key factor in Byrna's appeal is its use of so-called "less-lethal" products, an alternative to traditional self-defense tools. One can look at two recent sales for evidence of growing demand for Byrna products. First, there's Byrna's July 4th holiday promotion, in which web sales surged 18% year-over-year (YOY). |
UK: King Charles Carried a Concealed ‘Black Blade’ During His Scotland Visit — but Not for Self Defense
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King Charles's hidden dagger is known as the skene-dhu, which is often paired with a traditional Scottish dress. As reported by GB News, a skene-dhu is a small knife tucked into the sock, with just the top showing. The name comes from Scottish Gaelic 'sgian' meaning knife, and 'dubh' meaning black, or another way of saying hidden. It’s purely ceremonial today and legal to wear in the UK when it’s part of full Highland dress, though there are a few exceptions. Charles paired the skene-dhu with a full kilt, in a Royal Stewart variant tartan, with other Highlander accoutrements including a sporran pouch and long red socks. |
CT: Wolcott Fatal Triple Shooting Ruled Self-Defense, Police Do Not Expect To File Charges
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As the fight escalated, David Sr. shot Michelle in the leg, knocking her to the floor. David Jr. ran inside to stop his father from hurting her further, but David Sr. fired again, killing Michelle, police said.
He then shot David Jr. once in the chest, authorities said.
David Sr. then turned the gun toward King, who was legally carrying a pistol. King drew his weapon and shot David Cote Sr. multiple times, according to Wolcott police.
Investigators said King acted in self-defense and is licensed to carry a firearm.
Wolcott police said they do not expect the State’s Attorney’s Office to file any charges, though they are still awaiting final confirmation. |
CA: Amid Rash Of Robberies, Armed California Jewelry Store Owner Fights Back Against Mob
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Jewelry store robberies that net hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and jewels are currently all the rage in California. In fact, according to a cbsnews.com report, such robberies are very common.
For example, in June, thieves got away with $1.5 million in gold and diamonds after using power tools to cut through the roof and safes of a family-owned jewelry store in El Monte. Another crew in Encino blowtorched their way through the walls at Encino Jewelry Mart, taking valuables from five different jewelers. The month before, crews hit jewelry stores in Glendale and Simi Valley, breaking in through the roof and ransacking the businesses. |
SAF Seeks Supreme Court Review in Young Adult Handgun Purchase Ban Challenge
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The Second Amendment Foundation and its partners have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for review in Brown v. ATF, SAF’s challenge to the federal ban that prevents adults aged 18 to 20 from purchasing handguns from licensed dealers.
SAF’s Petition for Certiorari highlights the circuit split that has emerged on the issue, with the Fifth Circuit striking down the law earlier this year in SAF’s Reese v. ATF case, while the Fourth Circuit upheld it in Brown. Joining SAF in the case are the West Virginia Citizens Defense League and a private citizen, Alec La Neve. |
Jewish Law Affirms Second Amendment Rights in America
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Recent discussions highlight how the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is compatible with Jewish law, allowing Jews to own firearms for self-defense. The argument is grounded in the interpretation that the right to bear arms is an individual right, as emphasized by the significance of punctuation in the amendment’s wording.
Author Bob Ryan outlines the historical context, citing the Shulchan Aruch, a key Jewish legal text, which supports the principle of self-defense. He also references recent trends among American Jews seeking armed protection in response to rising antisemitic violence, making a compelling case for why communities may choose to exercise their Second Amendment rights today. |
If You Are Crazy, The Court Can Take Your Gun Rights (temporarily)…
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The federal law at issue—18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4)—makes it a crime to possess a gun if you’ve been involuntarily committed to a mental institution. James Gould challenged this law head-on, saying it violated the Second Amendment on its face (that is, in every situation). He didn’t argue that it violated his rights specifically—he just said the entire law was unconstitutional.
The court disagreed.
The Fourth Circuit said the law can be constitutional in at least some cases—especially where a court has already found that someone was mentally ill and dangerous to themselves or others. That made Gould’s blanket “facial challenge” a no-go. |
VA: Hashmi a Radical on Abortion, Gun Control
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State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, the Democrats’ pick for Virginia’s Lt. Governor, has cultivated a social policy record more suited to San Francisco and New York City than the commonwealth she seeks to represent. From her attacks on the sanctity of life to her assault on Virginians’ Second Amendment rights, her agenda represents a direct affront to key principles that makes Virginia great—valuing life and the right to defend it. |
Supreme Court’s Failure: Path to Tyranny ~ & Why Armed Americans Must Care
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The recent inaction by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the people’s right to keep and bear arms isn’t just disappointing—it invites tyranny. When the Court refuses to protect a right so explicitly anchored in the Constitution, it risks turning once‑free people into subjects. And as the founding generation understood, tyranny compels rebellion.
If you’re new to this issue: the Second Amendment guarantees a natural, individual right of self‑defense. Landmark cases like District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) confirmed that Americans have the right to own functional firearms, especially handguns, for lawful purposes in their homes. |
OH: Yes, you can carry guns at county fairs, says Attorney General Yost
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has issued an opinion on whether county agricultural societies have the authority to restrict guns at county fairs, and it boils down to this: No, they don't.
Champaign County prosecuting attorney Kevin Talebi had sought an official opinion from Yost on whether the Champaign County Agricultural Society is a political subdivision in regard to Ohio's preemption law on firearms (ORC 9.68). |
Protecting Hunting's Future: Exposing the Gun Control Playbook
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Politics—especially when individual liberty is at stake—are an endless struggle. Lazy, ideological minds return bad ideas to us over and over again. The falsehoods and logical fallacies from gun-control marketers are repackaged and sold again. For short periods of time, one might reasonably say that the advocates of freedom have “won.” But such victories can only be assured if our efforts are constantly renewed.
With this in mind, it is worth refreshing our acquaintance with the 10 biggest logical fallacies in the gun-control groups’ playbook—stupefyingly counterproductive ideas that are foisted upon gun owners, hunters and shooters year after year. |
FL: Florida Offers Tax Incentives for Gun Purchases
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According to EFE, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has launched a controversial tax exemption program to encourage gun purchases during the last four months of the year.
The announcement was made on Monday at an event about tax incentives for school supplies.
DeSantis, a Republican and staunch supporter of gun rights, dubbed the measure the “Second Amendment Tax Holiday.”
During this special period, from September 8 to December 31, 2024, the state will not charge sales tax on firearms, ammunition, or related equipment. |
Everyday Threats, Never Mind Permissions -- You Need to Defend Yourself
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Every day threats to our continued good health!
It is clear that the mass stabbing incident at the MI Walmart on Saturday was not the result of a foreign terrorist plot, nor a plot carried out by radical Islamists, nor, for that matter, a plot by malicious domestic political ideologues.
Rather, it was randomly perpetrated by a single EDP (Emotionally Disturbed Person) with a long and weary history, armed with a relatively small, inexpensive folding knife that one can casually purchase at any hardware store. |
OH: AG rules Ohio county fairs can't ban guns, but he also wants to settle some home rule questions
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Ohio’s attorney general has a warning for counties as fair season is in full swing: fairgoers can’t be banned from bringing in guns. And he wants the question about what local entities can and can’t do to come to the state’s highest court later this year.
The Champaign County Fair in western Ohio has long had a no-weapons policy. County prosecuting attorney Kevin Talebi asked Attorney General Dave Yost if the Champaign County Agricultural Society, which operates the annual county fair in Urbana, can ban open and concealed carry of firearms. |
Smith & Wesson M&P FPC in 10mm: Ultimate Hiking Gun?
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When Smith & Wesson introduced the 10mm variation to the M&P FPC lineup back in March, I was pumped to get my hands on one. Not only do I love PCCs (especially the folding ones), but ever since my first gun, I’ve enjoyed taking a Smith to the range.
We already reviewed the 9mm version to a glowing reception from our audience, so I was anxious to get its big brother chambering to the range. After a few months with the 10mm FPC, here are my thoughts. |
Trump Pick for 9th Circuit Judge Has Years-Long IDPA Membership
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It appears that President Donald Trump’s pick for a judge heading to the U.S. Ninth Circuit has a five-year membership to the International Defensive Pistol Association and, therefore, likely has some extensive experience with firearms. Eric Tung of California is Trump’s nominee as of the July 30 nomination hearings before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
Tung faced an hours-long interrogation during his nomination hearing. Tung was picked as a possible successor to the retiring Judge Sandra Ikuta, an appointee of President George W. Bush, who just recently penned the majority opinion against California’s unconstitutional scheme forcing background checks for all ammo purchases in the state. |
Budget Pistol Rigs With AIM Surplus
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Although it was about 30 years ago now, I still remember how excited I was to pull together my first handgun rig. A friend of mine had invited me to a local shooting range attached to a "cop shop" to try out his revolver. It was a snub-nose .38 Special that was loud and cantankerous to shoot, and I was hooked before emptying the cylinder down range for the second time.
Once the handgunning bug bites, folks rarely settle for owning just one. However, money was tight at the time, since I was working and going to school part-time. The cop shop had a display case full of law enforcement trade-in revolvers. |
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