Thursday Bulletin – January 4, 2024 
 

The message has been well received with over 66,000 views since New Year's Day!

The New Year brings a new era in Illinois Gun Control. January 1st was the deadline for the forced registration of commonly owned firearms. The ISRA remains committed to fighting this unjust law, and we will need the help of every member, their families, friends, and fellow gun owners in Illinois to prevail. 

Please subscribe to our social media and YouTube content to stay up to date on the latest developments. Just click the logos below.

Stand Strong & Thank you for being a member! If you are not already a member, please join today. We need the support of every gun owner in Illinois.

According to the Illinois State Police, only 1.2% of the 2.4 million FOID card holders registered their firearms by Monday’s deadline. 

Historically, registration has led to confiscation, and as an individual gun owner, you chose the best option for you – and we respect that decision. 

And although Gov. Pritzker has said that firearms will not be confiscated, that does not stop the next legislative session from taking action and voting to confiscate our firearms. 

As we’ve mentioned before, the ISRA remains on the front lines, and we’ll continue to stand up to Gov. Pritzker in the courts and in the media and fight against this unconstitutional law that made law-abiding gun owners criminals as of January 1, 2024.

With that being said, the ISRA is presently leading the charge as a named plaintiff on two cases and we’re playing a supporting role in an additional five more – totaling 7 cases dealing with constitutional issues and on behalf of law-abiding gun owners in Illinois. 

Here are the updates on the court cases:

•        Harrel v. Raoul - we are preparing an appeal to the United States Supreme Court where we are asking the Supreme Court to declare Pritzker’s gun ban unconstitutional. We believe the Court will rule in our favor. 

•        Meyer v. Raoul - a case that addresses 18, 19 and 20-year-olds having a right to bear arms. We are awaiting a ruling on this case. A trial may be rescheduled if necessary, but hopefully recent and favorable rulings on this issue in other Courts will have a positive effect on the rulings in our case.

•        Miller v. Smith - the Department of Children and Family Services Rules prohibits firearms on the property of a day care center. We are awaiting instruction in light of the Bruen standard. 

•        Schoenthal v Raoul - which is a case that bans concealed carry firearms on public transportation. Summary Judgement Motions are due on January 31st. The ISRA supports one’s right to defend yourself anywhere, and that includes while riding on public transportation. 

•        Levine v. UL LLC - where a Plaintiff was fired for allegedly storing their concealed carry firearm in their locked vehicle in accordance with state law in the company parking lot. We are awaiting instructions from the Circuit Court.

•        Atkinson v. Garland - this case deals with a non-violent federal felon who was denied the right to own a firearm despite a 24-year clean record. The case is currently in District Court. 

•        People v. Brown - which deals with Ms. Brown who owned a firearm because she feared for her life at home, but did not have a FOID card, the White Country Circuit Court ruled that the FOID card was unconstitutional in the home. The Illinois Supreme Court vacated that ruling and we are now before the Circuit Court once again and we believe that the ruling will stand and that the FOID card is unconstitutional in the home. We’ll be going back before the Illinois Supreme Court for a third time. We’re prepared to take this all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. 

Rest assured, the ISRA will not rest until our right to bear arms is restored in Illinois. 

If you are currently a member, you are supporting these efforts, and we thank you. If you are NOT a member of the ISRA, now is the time to join. We need the support of every firearm owner in Illinois. 

You’ll be hearing a lot more from us in the coming weeks and months ahead.  Please like and subscribe to us on social media and on our YouTube Channel to stay up to date on the latest developments.

Biden’s State Allies Identified: Democratic Lawmakers Pushing ‘Safer States’ Agenda. The names of nearly a hundred Democrat state legislators from 39 states who attended the White House conference held by the Office of Gun Violence Prevention in December, amounts to a roster of gun control advocates.  

Second Amendment supporters should start paying attention now to pre-filed gun control bills and compare the names of the sponsors of those bills to these representatives from Illinois that attended the conference: Representative Justin Slaughter, Representative Bob Morgan, and Representative Maura Hirschauer. 

Joe Biden’s goals for 2024 are being pushed at the state level. The administration’s eight-page “Safer States Agenda” includes the following recommendations, which will likely be showing up in one form or another as legislative sessions begin or resume in January:

1. Establish a State Office of Gun Violence Prevention
2. Invest in Evidence-informed Solutions to Prevent and Respond to Gun Violence
3. Strengthen Support for Survivors and Victims of Gun Violence
4. Reinforce Responsible Gun Ownership
5. Strengthen Gun Background Checks
6. Hold the Gun Industry Accountable

T-Mobile To Fine Text Providers for Sending Messages About Guns. 

T-Mobile’s new terms of service policy will fine companies advertising guns over its network. The new policy only affects third-party text message providers such as Vonage and Bandwidth.com. The policy is not just firearms specific and does not affect peer-to-peer messaging between two or more individuals. 

The issue that is of particular concern for gun owners is that there are different gun laws in different states. Some states have magazine restrictions, while others ban certain types of firearms. T-Mobile's policy will hamper companies in their use of important text messages to their gun-owning customers.

Help Block ATF's Power Grab

H.R.6734 stops unconstitutional acts by the Biden Administration's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives whose new "rule" could prevent you from transferring a firearm to a friend or family member without having a Federal Firearms License.

This is a response by congress to ATF's illegal attempt to usurp the power of congress: No Federal funds may be used to finalize, implement, or enforce the rule proposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, entitled "Definition of 'Engaged in the Business' as a Dealer in Firearms", in the notice of proposed rulemaking 2022R-17, signed by the Attorney General on August 30, 2023, or any substantially similar rule. 

Click Here Now! 

to contact your representative and tell them to vote "YES" on H.R.6734!

2023 Deer Harvest Report

The first two deer firearm seasons of 2023 reported 76,232 deer harvested.

In Memoriam of Gaston Glock 

(July 19, 1929 – December 27, 2023)

Gaston Glock was an Austrian engineer and businessman. He founded the Glock company, and developed the Glock pistol in 1982, which became one of the most popular light firearms of the 20th century. 

Tidbits

January 4, 1847 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolvers to the U.S. Government. Prior to the 1840's, handguns were not the firearm of choice in America. Up until the Colt handguns, short-barreled handguns were impractical, although a handful of elites still insisted on using dueling pistols to settle disputes. 

When Samuel Colt began mass-producing his revolvers, that began to change. Colt patented his percussion-repeating revolver in 1836, and he later won a contract to provide the U.S. government for 1,000 of his .44 caliber revolvers. The pistols were known as the 1847 Colt-Walker. The 

These became the most powerful handgun issued to a military anywhere. The 44 caliber Colt-Walker was actually .457 caliber and could fire a conical bullet at 1350 feet per second. These revolvers used a 60-grain powder charge and had an effective range of 100 yards. 

It wasn’t until 1935 that Smith & Wesson introduced the 357 Magnum that the powerful Colt-Walker was eclipsed. The Colt-Walker was also known as ‘horse pistols’, because they were designed to be carried on horseback with a revolver on each side of the saddle. These revolvers could kill a horse at 100 yards. If you have one of these lying around in a drawer or someplace, the last Colt-Walker sold went for 1 million, 840 thousand dollars!

By the early 1850s, Colt revolvers were inexpensive enough to be a favorite with Americans headed westward during the California Gold Rush, looking for a powerful and effective means of self-defense in the Wild West. 

January 5, 1933 – The Golden Gate Bridge construction begins.  Speculators realized the value of the land north of San Franciso Bay if there was easy access to the city. Although the idea was hatched as early as 1869 to build a bridge at the narrow straits at the mouth of the bay, construction was delayed many years. 

It wasn't until May 27, 1937, when the construction was completed, and the bridge officially opened.  At the time, it was the longest bridge span in the world.

January 6, 1919 – Theodore Roosevelt dies. When President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt, then 43 years old, became the 26th and youngest president ever to assume the office. He was defeated when he ran for his 3rd term of presidency in 1912. 

Considered a dynamic and energetic politician, Roosevelt is credited with creating the modern presidency. As a young Republican, he held a number of political posts in New York state, and in 1898, was assigned as assistant secretary to the U.S. Navy. When the Spanish-American War began, he formed the famous “Rough Riders,” a volunteer cavalry that became famous for its contribution to the United States victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba. 

When Theodore Roosevelt was trying to form the Rough Riders, he first looked to the U.S. Army for good marksman, but he didn’t find any. Roosevelt knew because of his experiences in the west, that good marksmen were among the civilian population. He realized that marksmanship programs in the U.S. Military had always failed and because of this experience, Roosevelt decided to place marksmanship skills in the hands of civilians. In the Appropriation Act of 1903, Roosevelt established the National Matches and the Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice.  A state association in every state was formed, made up of mostly civilians who became the keepers of the flame of marksmanship skills. One of the first associations formed was the Illinois State Rifle Association. Theodore Roosevelt was the father of the Illinois State Rifle Association and many other associations throughout the United States.

The tropical diseases he had contracted during his travels likely caught up with him, and he died at the age of 60 on his estate Sagamore Hill, overlooking New York’s Long Island Sound.

January 6, 1942 – FDR begins the largest arms buildup in US history. Committed to war in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. needed to reassess its military preparedness, especially because its Pacific fleet was decimated by the Japanese air raids. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced to Congress that he was authorizing the largest armaments production in the history of the United States. 

That first year of the supercharged production schedule would result in 45,000 aircraft, 45,000 tanks, 20,000 antiaircraft guns, and 8 million tons in new ships. 

January 8, 1790 – President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address.  He addressed the assembled Congress in New York City. During the address, Washington hinted at his support for the controversial idea of creating a standing army without making an overt request.

He urged federal influence over domestic issues as well. These national goals required a Federal Post Office and Post-Roads and a means of public education, which the president justified as a means to secure the Constitution and our Second Amendment, by educating future public servants in the republican principles of representative government.

January 9, 1952 – President Truman warns of Cold War dangers. In his 1952 State of the Union address, President Harry S. Truman warns Americans that they are “moving through a perilous time,” and calls for vigorous action to meet the communist threat.”

The Illinois State Rifle Association

is the home of marksmanship in Illinois

At the Range
Click here to view the entire calendar. All classes and events are open to the public & all range members, unless otherwise noted.

Range Schedule This Week

1-06 - Range Workday – 8:00-4:00

1-09 - Air Gun Practice – Range 12 (Indoor Range) – 5:00-8:00

1-10 - F-Class Indoor League – Clubhouse/Range 12 – 10:00-2:00

Winter Wars Registration – Walkins Welcome

Our first big event of the year is Winter Wars on the 13th of January, held at the ISRA Range.  Registration is from 8 am – 9 am, the match begins at 9 am and runs until 5 pm. 

This is a fun time to commemorate the winter battles and the rifles used in them. These would include, but not limited to 1903 and 1903-A3 Springfield Rifles, 1917 Enfield, M1, M1 Carbine and M1As. Non-US Rifles would include Enfield SMLE Rifles, SVT-38/40, SA80, Mosin Nagant, SKS Rifles, AK Rifles, KAR98K, and other miscellaneous rifles. This is the perfect time to dig those rifles out of the closet and have some fun with them. There will be hot coffee and chili for all. Come out and enjoy the fun. 

Walk-ins are welcome. The registration fee is $30. Please bring 40 rounds of ammunition per battle with you.  Full details of the event are in the latest Illinois Shooter newspaper. 

For more information, email wnbilotta@comcast.net. Late registration is at 8-8:30 am, Safety briefing starts at 8:45 am, First shot is at 9:00 am. 

You must be present for the 8:45 am safety briefing to fire the match!

Please print this downloadable form, fill it out and mail to:

The ISRA Range is located at 1589 N 7000w Rd, Bonfield, IL 60913. 

The ISRA Range offers great classes and leagues 

for shooting enthusiasts!

Interested in joining a league?

Just show up 15 - 30 minutes early.

Range memberships are available.

A day at the ISRA Range is always a  great day!

Thank you for being a member!

If you are not an ISRA member,  join today!

Donate: https://isra.org/support-us/

Visit www.isra.org

Upcoming Meetings: https://isra.org/isra-activities-and-events/

Upcoming Range Events: https://isra.org/the-range/#range-calendar

Upcoming Gun Shows

While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate – 
sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.

Jan 13 – 14   Belleville Gun & Knife Show, Bell-Clair Fairgrounds, Belleville

Jan 13   Davenport Gun & Knife Show, Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Davenport

Jan 14   Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles

Jan 20 – 21   Dubuque Gun & Knife Show, Grand River Conference Ctr., Dubuque

Jan 20 – 21   Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds

Jan 27 – 28   Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton

Feb 3 – 4   Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington

Feb 10 – 11   The Quad Cities Gun Show, QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island 

Feb 11   Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles

Feb 17 – 18   Central Illinois Gun Collectors, Sangamon Co Fairgrounds, New Berlin, www.cigca.net 

Feb 24 – 25   Decatur Gun & Knife Show, Decatur Conference Center, Decatur