“Abstract:The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Act) requires a background check on an applicant for a firearm purchase from a dealer who is a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). During the permanent Brady Act period, from 1999 through 2018, background checks were conducted on over 237 million applicants for firearm transfers or permits. During this […]
Category: Firearm Public Policy
Air Travel with Firearms
There is an article in CONCEALMENT magazine, Issue 38, called “FLYING ARMED – Air Travel with Firearms” by Dave Merrill. Dave says: In this article, we’ll demystify the process, drawing from the collective hunders of times members of our staff has flown with firearms. I think the article is an excellent resource and has very […]
Hidden Complexity
I was reading some violent crime studies. One of them began with this sentence: “Gun violence is a public health problem.” It is a simple statement that hides an incredible amount of complexity. I do not know if the authors intended this or not. Let’s go through this sentence. First, the word “violence.” What does […]
The Intentional Measurement Swindle
This post has a long introduction – please be patient. After the introduction, I’ll show how it relates to gun rights and self-defense. However, you need to understand the methodology detailed in the introduction. Introduction I have a technology background. The term “balloon effect” is used when a fix is made to a complex system, […]
Complex Problems and the Myth of the Simple Cause
In the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of Tactical Life magazine, there is an article entitled “GUNS or DRUGS?” by Lee Williams. The main thrust at the end of the article is a call to conduct further research on Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of anti-depressants, and links to mass shootings. I certainly have no […]
Form 4473 Changes
There were some not-so-recent changes to Form 4473 that I’m finally getting around to discussing. Here is an excellent summary of the changes. My concern is questions 21.b and 21.c. Here are the actual questions from the source: “Do you intend to purchase or acquire any firearm listed on this form and any continuation sheet(s), […]
Statewide Criminal Defense Attorney Survey
A concealed carry permit holder murdered my cousin. The perp will be in prison for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, most people that keep track of these statistics are interested in blaming inanimate objects. I don’t blame the firearm. I do blame the person. I’m grateful that justice was served. I suspect that people […]
Intent Matters
A disturbing trend is present in a couple of governmental agencies. The National Safety Council (NSC) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list firearm violence statistics divorced from intent. Furthermore, the CDC seems to be heading in the direction of combining firearm injuries and fatalities into a single category: firearm injuries (fatal […]
Police Marksmanship: Violence Skill vs. Firearm Skill
In a previous post, I discussed the difference between firearm and violence skill. I want to expand on this topic here. The driver is the article “Hitting (or missing) the mark: An examination of police shooting accuracy in officer-involved shooting incidents,” for which the citation is at the bottom. This document costs money to download, […]
The CDC’s Web Page – Fast Facts: Firearm Violence Prevention – A Critique
Risk Management In one of my first blog posts, I talked about risk. Any self-defense tactic or methodology you employ is a risk management decision. However, where we get our information around risk is often suspect. Many of the providers of this information have conflicts of interest. We must sort through a lot of information […]