Be sure to thank our elected officials!

Tomorrow House Bill 937 goes into effect. This legislation is nothing but positive for North Carolina citizens. It increases the penalties for illegally using a firearm, clarifies definitions, preserves the privacy of those with a CHP, and requires sheriffs to periodically review PPPs for validity. I think it only fitting I publicly thank those who made this possible.

The bill sponsors:
Schaffer;  Burr;  Faircloth;  Cleveland;  (Primary)
Arp;  J. Bell;  Blust;  R. Brawley;  Brody;  B. Brown;  Ford;  G. Graham;  Hager;  Hollo;  Horn;  Jeter;  Jones;  Jordan;  S. Martin;  McNeill;  Riddell;  Samuelson;  Shepard;  Speciale;  Starnes;  Szoka;  Torbett;  Whitmire

Those who voted for the bill in the House:
Arp; Avila; Bell, J.; Blackwell; Blust; Boles; Brawley, R.; Brawley, W.; Brody; Brown, B.; Brown, R.; Bumgardner; Burr; Catlin; Cleveland; Collins; Conrad; Davis; Dobson; Dollar; Elmore; Faircloth; Ford; Fulghum; Hager; Hardister; Hastings; Hollo; Holloway; Horn; Howard; Hurley; Iler; Jeter; Johnson; Jones; Jordan; Lambeth; Langdon; Lewis; Malone; Martin, S; McElraft; McGrady; McNeill; Millis; Moffitt; Moore, T.; Murry; Pittman; Presnell; Ramsey; Riddell; Ross, S.; Saine; Schaffer; Setzer; Shepard; Speciale; Stam; Starnes; Steinburg; Stevens; Stone; Szoka; Tillis (SPEAKER); Torbett; Turner; Warren, H.; Wells; West; Whitmire; Younts

Those who voted for the bill in the Senate:
Allran; Apodaca; Barefoot; Berger; Bingham; Brock; Brown; Brunstetter; Cook; Curtis; Daniel; Davis, J.; Goolsby; Gunn; Harrington; Hartsell; Hise; Hunt; Jackson; McLaurin; Newton; Pate (CHAIR); Rabin; Rabon; Randleman; Rucho; Sanderson; Soucek; Tarte; Tillman; Tucker; Wade

And finally a thank you to Governor McCrory for signing the bill on July 29.

At one point in time I wondered if our elected officials might be using law-abiding gun owners as a political tool with this bill and thankfully it turned out that was not the case. If I happened to offend anyone with my thoughts I suggest you put on your big boy pants and realize this is just a blog. 😉

Even more important would be to take note of those who voted against the bill. These are the people who don’t get it and if they cannot understand this legislation it stands to reason there is other legislation they simply should not be representing you on.

Against in the House:
Adams; Alexander; Baskerville; Bell, L.; Brandon; Brisson; Carney; Cotham; Cunningham; Earle; Farmer-Butterfield; Fisher; Floyd; Foushee; Gill; Glazier; Goodman; Graham, C.; Graham, G.; Hall, D.; Hall, L.; Hamilton; Hanes; Harrison; Holley; Insko; Jackson; Lucas; Luebke; Martin, G; McManus; Michaux; Mobley; Moore, R.; Pierce; Richardson; Terry; Tine; Tolson; Waddell; Wilkins

Against in the Senate:
Blue; Bryant; Clark; Davis, D.; Ford; Graham; Kinnaird; McKissick; Nesbitt; Parmon; Robinson; Stein; Walters; Woodard

If these are your elected officials remember to thank them when their election time comes with a ticket home.

Carolina Brewing Company Oktoberfest to the rescue!

It should come as no secret I have been jones’n for a Märzen lately. What I really had in mind was a Spaten Oktoberfest. Since we were out and about yesterday I figured I would hit a local grocery store and that store is not known for having a large selection of craft and import beer. Sure enough the well was dry so on to another grocery store on the way home which would normally be able to scratch my itch. Nothing there either so I drug my wife to a third store. There they did have some examples of Märzen and even had a Spaten Optimator doppelbock, but really had nothing quite like what I was looking for at the moment. I was just about to settle on Sam Adams as the best of what was there when I spied an old favorite, Carolina Brewing Company Oktoberfest! It was quite nice to have a local brewery scratch the itch. Now there Oktoberfest is tasty, but tends to be more bitter than the style mandates. I don’t really have a problem with that and it was awesome to see that beer on the store shelf just awaiting my purchase. I whipped out my glass and poured the beer. I only had one last night because I was staying up late to watch boxing and didn’t want to get sleepy. I plan to rectify that tonight during the series finale of Breaking Bad! 😉

Paulaner Salvator

So last night I decided to have the lone bottle of Paulaner Salvator I had left over from the last BJCP exam. You may recall in November of last year I was at a German restaurant and asked for one in their largest size and ended up with a liter. Well last night it was just the single bottle and it was as good as ever. I’m not a huge fan of steins because the whole lid thing gets in my way, but I was looking for something traditional to serve the beer in and that is what I chose. I’m sure everybody and their brother has had this beer by now, but it is always best if you can savor it’s malty goodness on draft. It is a beer that makes me think of Fall and Oktoberfest and now I’m jones’n for a Märzen! I may have to find some at the store later today so I can savor some tonight! 😉

How To Buy A Gun Online

I was talking to a friend who had never purchased a gun and who was under the misconception online purchases are evil and illegal it might be good to put up a blog post on just what it takes to purchase a gun online. There are two types of transactions, one between private individuals and one from online dealers. If the private individual resides in a different state the final transfer of the firearm will have to take place at an FFL. If the person is in the same state you will have to follow your state law in order to take possession. Keep in mind in NC you will need a PPP for a handgun. For today’s post I would prefer to detail online purchases from dealers.

So you’re looking at a website and spot a firearm you want. What happens next is actually pretty simple. Add the items to your cart and be sure to know what the shipping charges are, if any. I always like to scour the web to be sure I am getting the best possible price, you can always add it to the cart and never complete the purchase. Somewhere in the checkout procedure it will ask for your FFL information. I find it handy to have the FFL selected ahead of time. There is one in my area who accepts shipments without any notification. There is another who requires they be told of each and every shipment. The difference between the transfer fees of those two businesses is only $5 and the one who accepts shipments is already on file with most major vendors so I generally choose them for a single firearm delivery. Now if the FFL is not on file with the vendor you selected you will need to get a copy of their information to the vendor. Typically most FFLs will not give that information to you. They will however fax a copy to the vendor, mail a copy for you, or email a copy. This took me a little time to wrap my brain around, but once I understood the process it is smooth as silk.

To quickly recap:

• Order the firearm
• Checkout and provide FFL information
• Firearm is shipped to FFL
• Pickup firearm from FFL

There is nothing difficult nor illegal about purchasing a firearm online. The FFLs have been vetted by the feds and you will be vetted by the FFL according to all applicable laws. Those who say you can buy online without a background check are idiots.

If in doubt about the process speak with your FFL to be sure what you will need once the firearm arrives.

Golden Opportunity?

When I posted my wishlist a few weeks back I certainly left off a few items. Despite having nothing in common with the 1860 Henry I’ve always admired the Henry Big Boy rifle. I’d already had a discussion on .44-40 vs .45 Long Colt, but the Big Boy only comes in handgun calibers and is not available in .44-40, so the .45 Long Colt is the caliber of choice. Most factory loaded .44 Magnum rounds outperform the .45 Long Colt, but there are some factory loaded variants which are better in the latter and one can always reload. The other night my fortune cookie proclaimed, “Your golden opportunity is coming shortly.” I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant at the time I read it, but I now think I know. 😉

De Dolle Oerbier

I’ve posted before how De Dolle Oerbier is one of my favorites in all the world. Well last night I found that magical elixir on tap and my oh my was it tasty. I distinctly remember the first place I purchased that beer was in Buffalo, NY and we sampled it at a tasting while studying when I first took the BJCP exam. I don’t have it that often, but when I do it is always a treat. Finding it on draft last night was extra special and the flavor memory it created will stick with me a very long time!

Oktoberfest 2013

So Oktoberfest is in full swing now in Munich and for some reason my tastebuds are screaming for a nice Märzen. It’s one of those things which is on my bucket list, but knowing the crowds during the festival it may not be something which happens soon. This year it runs from September 21 through October 6 and with 14 tents it looks like it would be a hoot. I mean who wouldn’t want to be drinking liters of beer with these gentlemen?

RSO Course – Charlotte/Lexington Area

A little late with today’s post, I know you were missing me.

I have an RSO Course planned in the Lexington, NC area, on October 26. If you have interest, please let me know.

Letter to the Editor hits the mark

Today I happened to see a Letter to the Editor which is well worth your time to read and absorb. Enjoy!

The writer of the Sept. 16 letter “Fearing the Fifes” compared concealed handgun permit owners to a combination of Clint Eastwood and Barney Fife – trigger-happy and incompetent – and stated that this caused her to feel “less safe” in public.

Recently, police in New York City shot at an unarmed man in Times Square and hit two innocent bystanders instead. Closer to home, a Charlotte police officer was arrested and charged after shooting an unarmed man 10 times.

Since there are more than 20 times as many concealed handgun permit holders as uniformed police officers in North Carolina, one would expect to read about an even larger number of similarly irresponsible shootings being committed by civilians licensed to carry concealed handguns. Yet these incidents are almost nonexistent, despite almost 20 years of concealed carry in North Carolina.

The simple truth is that someone is far more likely to be accidentally or negligently shot by a police officer than by a concealed handgun permit holder.

HEATHER RICHARDSON
CHAPEL HILL

 

Drunk and stupid is no way to go through life!

Last night after an enjoyable evening at a large outdoor concert venue my wife and I are walking back to the car in the crowd and all of a sudden an older intoxicated gentlemen I will dub “Captain Douchebag” decided he should announce his uneducated opinions to whomever was within earshot. I’ll back up a little, during the concert we were sitting at a private table and had eaten so much for dinner that neither of us was in the mood for anything alcoholic for fear we might start to doze before the end the concert. So we are walking back to the car completely sober and I had not had anything alcoholic to drink in over 24 hours, so other than being slightly fatigued from the events of the day I had my wits about me.

Back to the Captain, this person began to screech something to the effect, “Thank you North Carolina, on October first we can all carry concealed and shoot each other. Isn’t that great, let’s all carry concealed and shoot each other. Go ahead and shoot me.” The man who was probably in his late 50’s, and I was embarrassed he would get so intoxicated and decide to write checks with his mouth his butt could not cash and irritated at the sheer stupidity of his comments. He kept shouting about his views, over and over getting louder and more obnoxious with each subsequent statement. The more he screamed the more my blood began to boil. Finally he stated chanting, “Let’s all carry concealed and shoot people,” and this was the point I had reached my limit for his stupidity. As he was directly behind me walking across the parking lot I turned and told him he did not have the right to shoot anyone. He then cried, “What are you going to do shoot me,” and continued to shout and scream. As per normal as I was making my point I accentuated it by pointing my finger and what is somewhat hilarious is he was so close behind me he walked into my pointed finger. I think he got poked in the chest twice before I realized he was in my Kool-Aid and lowered my arm to stop touching him.

His buddy who had been slightly egging him on earlier was helping supporting him as they walked. Actually they were probably supporting one another as they staggered. Two drunk men nearing retirement wallowing in their own stupidity. After I told him, “You are a drunken idiot,” his friend realized what a fool the Captain was making of himself and said something like, “And you are the one talking to the drunken idiot.” As they walked away to their car the Captain just kept shouting and now his friend started yelling at him telling him to, “Shut the “F” up.” He continued to shout at the Captain to shut up as they walked away into the darkness. I really hope they decided to call a cab or sleep it off in the car. If they did drive I hope the police quickly apprehended them and took them downtown to spend the night in the drunk tank.

I should have heeded advice given to me long ago to not stoop to their level, but I was pulling a Popeye and was thinking “That’s all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more!” We will never educate the public when they are stupid and drunk. I don’t believe Captain Douchebag understands one cannot conceal with any alcohol in their system or while consuming alcohol. So anyone who attends a concert after October 1 they will have to be stone cold sober. The real problem will be people like the Captain who strive to instigate altercations through words and deeds. Luckily this old coot was simply drunk, disorderly, and stupid and not actually looking to start a fight. I feel as if I may have lost a couple of IQ point simply being in his presence.

I don’t know what the solution is for stupidity such as I witnessed last night, but with people like this walking around spouting nonsense it really drives home how important education is to a populace. Education really does not stop when one stops their formal education, if someone wants to have an intelligent conversation on a topic they first need to study the topic before they open their cake hole and also exhibit some semblance of intelligence. Unfortunately for Captain Douchebag all he knew was October 1 the law is changing which will allow concealed permit holders to conceal in places where admission has been charged. He did not take the time to understand what the requirements are to have a CHP. He also in his drunken stupor did not want to discuss the topic in a rational manner. I fear people such as this will never believe anything other than what they hear in the mainstream media. My final suggestion for him would be the next time he wants to play the role of the belligerent drunk he should stay home!