Thursday Bulletin – February 8, 2024
Executive Director's Message Richard Pearson |
CONCEALED CARRY LESSONS Recently in Georgia, a thief tried to steal a firearm from a concealed carry holder. The thief physically attacked a conclealed carry holder, and was trying to steal his firearm. In the end, the thief died at the scene. But this incident brings up a very important point, which is: If you’re in a physical confrontation with a criminal, not only can no one get there in time to help you, you also cannot escape. If you take a concealed carry class, either that class or another class should teach firearm retention. Get your concealed carry license and get more training. FEDERAL JUDGE FINDS GUN FREE SCHOOL ZONE ACT CONSTITUTIONAL On January 31, 2024, US District Court Judge Susan P. Watters published an opinion on the motion to dismiss the Gun Free School Zone (GFSZA) case in Billings, Montana. She found the GFSZA to be constitutional, on the grounds that the Montana law does not meet the requirements. The person charged, Gabriel Metcalf, had reason to carry a firearm
for his own defense and that of others outside his home in Billings, Montana. His home is across the street from an elementary school. The school was not in session while he was carrying outside his home. This case has been covered extensively in the media, and is an excellent test case to challenge GFSZA law. In short, you have the opinion from a judge who had to reach and
stretch to find any historical cases similar to the GFSZA, so the judge created her own interpretation of the historical record for her findings. The Racist History of Gun Control ISRA Board Member Tom McDonald highlights the racist history of gun control and how it has been used against Illinois minority communities in the latest ISRA video posted to YouTube. Please subscribe to our social media and YouTube content to stay up to date on the latest developments. Just click the logos below. TOP MANUFACTURERS OF .22LR SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOLS Semi-automatic pistols dominate the handgun market in the United States. There are ten major manufacturers of revolvers in the United States who made more than ten thousand revolvers each in 2021,
which is the latest year on record where the ATF has published the numbers. There were three top producers of .22 pistols. Ruger led the pack with an astounding 212,946, Keltec came second 98,200, Smith & Wesson 94,852. There are numerous other manufacturers of .22 or smaller caliber pistols in the USA. The top eight manufacturers made over 85% of them in 2022. WINCHESTER .400 LEGEND Winchester has recently come out with a new hunting round designed to meet the specifications of states who allow straight-walled cartridges to be used for big game hunting. Previously these states only allowed shot gun slugs to be used for deer and black bear hunting. With the passage of the
straight-walled cartridge bills in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and a few other states, ammunition companies have stepped up to fill the gap. There were plenty of straight-wall cases out there, but the law set restrictions on case length. Which means, traditional straight-walled hunting rounds like the .405 Winchester, .444 Marlin, .4570 and others could not be used. The first of the
new straight-walled cases, the Winchester .350 Legend and Remington .360 Buckhammer, jumped in to fill the gap. There were also some existing cartridges that qualified like the Bushmaster .450. All these cartridges were very good. The Winchester .350 Legend and the Remington .360 Buckhammer produced far less recoil that shotgun slugs, making them a good choice for young hunters and people with smaller stature. The recoil of rifle slugs was a barrier to some people. The new Winchester .400 Legend
is designed to fill the gap between the .350 Legend, .360 Buckhammer and .450 Bushmaster. The Winchester .400 Legend has a mild recoil and can reach out to 300 yards for deer and 200 yards for wild hogs and black bears. Ammunition supplies for the new Winchester .400 Legend exists now, but won’t become plentiful
until the summer. For those looking for a good deer rifle, the Winchester .400 Legend looks to be a good choice. Winchester, Savage, Ruger, Mossberg and others are already producing rifles in the Winchester .400 Legend caliber. Ruger is producing a rifle in 350 and 400 Legend with adjustable stocks. The adjustable stocks would be perfect for young people, ladies and people of smaller
stature. The adjustable stock helps you attain proper eye release. This is something you should consider for the fall season. I personally can see a brand new rifle chambered Winchester .400 Legend in my future. PORTUGUES MAUSERS ARE AVAILABLE For those of who like to collect Mauser rifles, Zanders
Sporting Goods, a large Illinois firearm wholesaler has received a shipment of Portuguese M/937A rifles. These are actually German K98K rifles. These complete with WWII bayonet and cleaning kits. These rifles have matching numbers on all parts, except for the cleaning rod. Zanders does not sell direct to the public, but you can have your firearm dealer order one from them. If you are a die-hard Mauser collector, this is your chance. Volunteers Are Needed for the ISRA Volunteering for the ISRA is the best way to make a difference. I know our cause is one you believe in, and one of the best ways to help that
cause is to volunteer. Our greatest strength is in our numbers. Little gets done by one or two people acting alone. Coordinated volunteering amplifies the efforts of those banding together and makes volunteering more effective. A side benefit of volunteering gets you involved with like-minded people and builds strong relationships and new friends. Volunteering for the ISRA provides a
resource that money alone cannot buy: The people needed to get the job done to accomplish the goals we set out to achieve. Volunteering provides valuable services so the limited funds that we have available can be spent in the areas where needed. Below is our volunteer form. There are a variety of essential areas that we need volunteers to fill. They are listed on the form. If you are able to volunteer, please fill out this form and return it to the ISRA office as soon as possible. You may email it to member@isra.org, fax to 815. 635.3723, or you can send it snail-mail to: P.O. Box 637, Chatsworth, IL 60921. We will be accumulating these forms over the next few months, although we will be utilizing them as soon as we can. When activities are planned in your area that you are interested in, we will notify you prior
to the event in plenty of time to prepare. This may not happen perfectly, but we will make every effort to make it happen. Richard A. Pearson, Executive Director Mike Huber, Assistant Executive Director Click here to download & print this application. Or go to: https://isra.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ISRA-VolunteerApplication_FINAL.pdf Sponsorships for IGOLD Are Available We are now offering sponsorships for IGOLD. We have 4 different sponsorship levels to choose what’s best for you, your company or your
organization.
Come to IGOLD!
Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day
– Private Bus Scheduling – Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day (IGOLD) will be on Thursday,
April 18th this year. If your gun club, gun shop, hunting group and/or organization is thinking about bringing a bus to IGOLD with your members, NOW is the time to plan it. If you are bringing a bus, please let us know by April 1st. The ISRA must pay for your bus parking in advance. Please
notify the ISRA Office and speak with Shirley at 815.635.3198 Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4pm. You can also email Shirely at shirley@isra.org. Please put BUS NOTIFICATION in the subject line. We will update you on IGOLD as we get closer to the date. Tidbits
February 9, 1942 – Daylight Saving Time Is
Instituted. Originally it was called “War Time”. It was popular in the cities, but farmers didn’t like it very much and were very much opposed to it. On the farms, the cows didn’t have a cow clock to turn back, and the dew did not evaporate any earlier. But on the other hand, farmers did have an extra hour before sundown. The hired hands enjoyed it, because they got home to dinner while there was still sunlight. We still have Daylight Savings Time, and it looks like it’s here to stay for at least a little while longer. Every year bills are introduced to change daylight saving time, but it hasn’t happened yet. February 9, 1971 – Satchel Paige Inducted into The Baseball Hall of Fame. Leroy “Satchel” Paige was
the oldest baseball player to ever pitch the game. He pitched his last game when he was 59 years old. I always love what he said about age. He said, “Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” February 10, 1962 – US & Soviet Spy Swap. The swap occurred trading Soviet Colonel Rudolph Abel, for an American spy pilot, Francis Gary
Powers. An American student, Frederic Pryor was released by East Germany on the same day. The film “Bridge of Spies”, released in 2015, talks about this very incident. It is worth watching if you have a couple of hours. February 11, 1945 – The Yalta Conference Ends. The leaders of the big three Allied leaders, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin,
worked on plans for the rest of the war, and for after the war. President Roosevelt was very weak as it was only two months before his death. It wasn’t until much later that the American public found out that Churchill was dealing behind the back of the American president. Churchill promised much of Eastern Europe to the Soviet Union exchange for Greece and a couple of other
countries. It turned out to be a bad deal for the United States and the rest of the world. February 12, 1809 – Abraham Lincoln Born in Hodgenville Kentuc1ky. From such humble beginnings, Abraham Lincoln studied and tried to improve his mind. Every day he went from writing on a slate as a child, to president of the United States. He is one of the most
admired presidents we have ever had. February 14, 1884 – Future President Theodore Roosevelt’s Mother and Wife Die. They died only hours apart on the same day. This is a devastating loss to Roosevelt. Because of this double tragedy, Roosevelt abandoned politics in 1884 and headed west to the Dakota Territories. There he worked as a rancher and became the
sheriff. In 1885, a disastrous blizzard destroyed his cattle herd. By 1886, he was back in New York resuming his career in politics. It was in the Dakota Territories that Roosevelt learned that the real marksmen in this country were in the west and the Midwest. How did he
form the rough riders? He looked to the west and Midwest and the south for good marksmen. When he became president, he made sure that marksmanship skills were left up to civilians, not the U.S. military. 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. Our NRA Basic Pistol Class Open to the public. Scheduled for March 24, 2024, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm., at the ISRA Range. Limited to 10 students. The cost is $75 (ISRA member) and $150 (non-member).
Class covers instruction on firearm safety, rules, ammunition types, and proper instruction of semi-auto pistols and revolvers. Topics include firearm selection, shooting fundamentals, firearm maintenance and cleaning. Instructors: Mandi Ehler, Mike Cialdella & Jeff Marienthal. To register, contact ISRA Office at 815.635.3198 or mailto: member@isra.org We are glad to announce that we will have an M1 Maintenance Class scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL. We have a highly qualified
instructor, Larry Collinson, who has been with Springfield Armory for a long time. Mr. Collinson is an expert on the M1 Rifle. You will learn to take apart, clean, reassemble, and maintain your M1 Garand Rifle during this class. The class size is limited to 32 people. The cost is $65 (ISRA member) and $110 (non-member). Lunch will be provided. If you have special dietary needs, you will need to provide your own lunch. There will be no walk-ins allowed. To register, contact the Office at 815.635.3198 and talk to Mel or Shirley. You can also e-mail them at mel.hitchens.isra@gmail.com or shirley@isra.org. If you are interested in taking this class, it is filling up quickly, so please register soon. 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! 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. 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 16 – 18 Tinley Park Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Show, Tinley Park Convention Center, Tinley Park 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 Mar 2 – 3 Belleville Gun & Knife Show, Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, Belleville Mar 2 – 3 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds, Kankakee Mar 8 – 10
Illinois Deer Classic, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria Mar 10 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles Mar 16 – 17 Peoria Gun & Knife Show, Exposition Gardens, Peoria Mar 23 – 24 Springfield Gun Show, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield Mar 23 – 24
Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton |
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