Canadian Firearms Journal - January 2004 by NAftional Firearms Association

Lever Action Safety page 12

What is Fast Draw? page 16

Fast Draw Targets & Timing Equipment page 18

Plan to Register Criminals - Not Duck Hunters page 25

$2.95 Can $2.95 U.S.

Our Government is a very powerful entity. It does a lot of things. It controls what will happen in this country.

Are you on the Internet?... ...Yes?

Have you Visited the

NFA Website?

§ The new National Firearms Association Website is now fully operational on the new hosting service.

www.nfa.ca § Since the registration deadline Canadians have been voting their opinion of firearm registration by visiting www.nfa.ca § The NFA website averages approximately 10,000 hits per day which will translate to over 3.6 million hits in the next year.

The one thing in this country that is more powerful than the government is the people! If you have been watching what your government has been doing and disapprove, remember you have the power! The government won’t change without a push from its people. Join together with your fellow Canadians and let the government know that you’re paying attention. Let the government know what you want it to do!

Write Your Member of Parliament! A handwritten letter is the most effective means of conveying your concerns to the government. It lets them know that you’ve taken the time to personally write to them because the issue really does mean that much to you. The Government realizes that most of us have busy schedules and can’t find the time to write and let them know when we’re upset about something that they’ve done. Due to this fact of life our government tends to use a ratio to determine how upset the public really is. 500 signatures on a petition is seen as 1 angry person and 499 people who didn’t want to look foolish when faced with an issue that they really didn’t know much about until the petition was brought to them. 500 signed form letters is seen as 500 angry people. 500 personal, handwritten letters is seen as 250,000 angry people because we usually get support from the people around us before we sit down and start writing. Even with the support of our peers, most of the letters that get talked about don’t get written.

Visit

www.NFA.ca & find out what other gun owners already know.

You can send a letter postage-free to your MP, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, the Opposition Justice Critic, Garry Breitkreuz, MP, or any other Official within the government simply by addressing your letter to:

House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 1A6

Tel: (780) 426-4866

Phase IV

Fax: (780) 426-4867

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.40 165 gr WinClean ................................$145.

38 Spl 125 gr WinClean ..........................$127.

.357 Mag 125 gr WinClean .....................$200.

45 ACP 185 gr WinClean........................$187.

44 Mag 240 gr WinClean ........................$270.

9mm 124 gr................................................$48.

38/357 158 gr ..............................................$56.

.40 165 gr ....................................................$56.

.40 180 gr (limited time special)...........$47.

.40 190 gr (limited time special)...........$49.

45 ACP 200 gr ...........................................$68.

44 Mag 220 gr............................................$69.

Cowboy Action Lead Projectiles 125 gr RN .357...........................................$32.

158 gr SWC .357........................................$35.

255 gr FP 45 ............................$47.

Note: This pricing is off sales ammo only.

Canadian

Firearms Journal

re you interested in Fast Draw? The people here at the National Firearms Association sure are, so we’ve decided to dedicate this edition to just that. We started out with Alanna Blinn on the cover. For those of you who don’t know her, she’s one of our Canadian Fast Draw champions. Turn to page 19 to find out a little more about her in an article written by Darrel Blinn. As you flip the pages this month, you will find a lot of information on Fast Draw, from “What is Fast Draw” on page 16 to an article about the special targets and timing equipment used for the sport. If you would like to know a little about some of the legalities that have come up in regard to the sport of Fast Draw, check out this edition’s Legal Column, “Fast Draw and the Law,” on page 14. As you may have guessed, the National Firearms Association is about more than just the sports that firearms owners enjoy. It is also about the political and legal issues that arise because of it. To find out what our politicians have done to the law regarding air guns, turn to page 15.

Wondering about your insurance coverage? Many policies have changed due to September 11th. Our own David Tomlinson has provided an informative article on page 15. Just so you don’t get bogged down with all the serious stuff, we’ve ended on a light note. As usual, this month’s “Last Word” is sure to be a big hit. Find out for yourself on page 29. If you would like to write something for a future edition, please do so. Some of the topics we would like to feature in future magazines have been gathered together on page 24. We’re having a writing contest. If you’d like some National Firearms Association merchandise be sure to write, and if your article makes the cut, then we will be sending something special off to you!

Have a great read! Nicole Greenwald

Mission Statement The National Firearms Association is an alliance of Canadians dedicated to preserving our firearms heritage. Along with safe and accountable ownership and use, we strive for practical and cost-effective legislation that respects the rights of law-abiding Canadians. The National Firearms Association works to educate Canadians regarding firearm issues.

Inside this issue Regulars The President’s Column ...............................................................6 James M. Hinter Vice President’s Column ............................................................10 Wally J. Butts Legal Corner...............................................................................14 David A. Tomlinson Canadian Firearms Heritage.......................................................20 Gary Kangas Point Blank.................................................................................22 James M. Hinter Members’ Letters..........................................................................8 Hot Gear .....................................................................................13 The Last Word ............................................................................29 W. J. (Wally) Butts Events Schedule .........................................................................28

On the Cover Anyone who could believe “nice guys finish last’ has never met Alanna Blinn. Alanna Blinn is one of the nicest people anyone could hope to meet. She is a winner in every sense of the word. Alanna is one of the true ambassadors of Canada’s Recreational Firearms CommunityTM.

Features Lever Action Safety....................................................................12 David A. Tomlinson The Ludicrous Airgun “Fix” ......................................................15 David A. Tomlinson What is Fast Draw? ....................................................................16 Darrel Blinn

Caution! Technical data and information contained in this magazine are intended to provide information based upon the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions. They do not detail the comprehensive training, procedures, techniques, and safety precautions that are necessary to properly carry out similar activities. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals before attempting any similar activities. No specific reloading data will be published or provided upon request.

The contents of the Canadian Firearms Journal are copyrighted and may be reproduced only when written permission is obtained from the publisher.

Fast Draw Targets & Timing Equipment ...................................18 Darrel Blinn Alanna Blinn ..............................................................................19 Darrel Blinn Insurance - Do you Know your Coverage? ...............................21 David A. Tomlinson Sharon Smith Letter ...................................................................23 Writing Competition...................................................................24 Plan to Register Criminals - Not Duck Hunters ........................25 Garry Breitkreuz

by James M. Hinter

President’s

Column Levels of Gun Control

ithin Canada’s Recreational Firearms Communityä we have developed several levels of “gun control”, some of which are supplemented by federal legislation, some which are supplemented by provincial legislation. There should be a balance between legislation, regulation and common sense. Sadly, there is not, and that is usually what results in the heated debate over “gun control”. Here are my thoughts on what will constitute a good firearms control system. First, a firearms control system must be retooled and re-titled as a “Crime Control Program”. Governments should not be focusing their efforts on the law-abiding citizens who own and use firearms. Period. They must concentrate their efforts on the criminal use of any and all weapons, be they knives, clubs or firearms. They must focus efforts to reduce smuggling of weapons of any kind. They must focus increasingly scarce resources where it can make the greatest impact on reducing crime. There must be strong mandatory penalties, with existing laws enforced and not plea-bargained away, for criminal activities involving weapons.

Volume XIV Number 1

Restricting the ownership and use of firearms by law-abiding Canadians should never be an issue for any government. Yet, we have at present a federal Liberal government that has invested thousands, millions and now billions of dollars into in a failed program. This program is designed to make it look like the federal Liberal government is combating crime. Does it, in your view? Foremost this means that the number of police officers in Canada fighting street gangs and organized crime will have to increase. This does not, however, mean that massive increases are going to be required in the number of police officers. For example, in Toronto, there is a massive increase in the number of handgun crimes. There are countless OPP officers sitting behind desks in Orillia pushing paper in the office of the Chief Firearms Officer. Making the decision that fighting crime happens when police officers are on the frontlines – and not behind a desk pushing paper — will put far more police out where they are really needed. This is the first step. Next, let us look at what is needed in the Recreational Firearms Communityä to make sure that new shooters come in safely. Should there be a “firearms safety course”? While there are some people

James M. Hinter

who are adamant that we don’t need any training or courses, I think that in our entire history there has always been some form of safety training. In the past seven months, I have been teaching the federally mandated Canadian Firearms Safety Course. The vast majority of the students I have taught have had no experience handling firearms. For many students, their firsttime handling of a firearm, or even seeing a real firearm, is in the “safety course”. The reason for this is that circumstances have changed over the past twenty years. Part of that change has been that “father to son” teaching about firearms has largely gone. This means that there should be some form of a safety course. The Canadian Firearms Safety Course and Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety courses were developed with help from the International Hunter Education Association, National Firearms Association, Firearms Safety Education Service of Ontario, and the Nova Scotia Hunter and Firearms Safety Education Instructor’s Association. Are the CRFC and CRFSC “perfect”? No, they are not. But, they are a great introduction to a new shooter — I call them “Firearms 101”. The National Firearms Association has started, through its Edmonton Learning Centre, to offer the Canadian Firearms Safety course, and the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course.

Canadian Firearms Journal

www.nfa.ca

Why? It is actually very simple. For a new shooter to obtain a firearms licence, he or she has to pass the firearms course. The exams can be challenged, or he or she can take the course and pass the exam. The Canadian Firearms Safety Course is the first step for a new shooter. The numbers of students today with no firearms experience has increased dramatically. To not encourage new shooters is the utmost in folly in my opinion. We have to do everything we can do in order to encourage new shooters. We have to make sure that all the new shooters are trained to the best of each of our abilities. In the Canadian Firearms Safety Courses we are offering in the National Firearms Association Learning Centre, we have added time for extra “firearms handling section” of the course. In the restricted course, this has translated into our course running about an hour, on average, longer than the four hours mandated for the course. The nonrestricted course has averaged even more

than an hour longer as well, as we invest the extra time into more opportunity for students to handle firearms. Over the past generation, we are seeing firearm ownership drop. The father to son, or daughter, uncle to niece or nephew, which was once the first introduction by a young person, has for the most part, been replaced by the Canadian Firearms Safety Courses. Think on that for a moment. Reflect on how many other traditional activities in our communities have been replaced by “organized activities”. As a child, I used to play ‘pick-up’ street hockey. When was the last time you had to drive slower to let the kids move the net to the side of the road to let you drive by?

shooting clubs, and finally to each one of us as a firearm owner. As firearm owners, we are not going to receive any federal funding for our activities. Speaking for the National Firearms Association, we would not accept it. As the users and advocates of responsible firearms ownership and use, it is not up to anyone but us to make the next generation of shooters the best-trained and most enthusiastic firearms generation. Ladies and gentlemen, we have our tasks ahead of us!

Organized team sports and ‘sports camps’ have replaced many of the pursuits as they were done in the past. Hockey, golf, soccer, tennis and many other sports have changed their approaches and grown. In the shooting sports, we have many groups offering special programs, but we have to start working to expand that effort. That falls to firearm instructors,

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Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

Members’ Letters Mr. Hinter, I am very encouraged by NFA’s newly announced theme “More New Shooters, and More Shooters Shooting More.” Attracting more people to shooting sports is very important to the long-term viability of our sport. I would like to introduce you to a new organizatio which will create more safe shooting opportunities in Southern Alberta. Southern Alberta Firearms Education Society (SAFE Society) was created from discussios of four Lethbridge-based clubs: Chinook Country Shooters Club, Lethbridge Fish and Game, Lethbridge Fish and Game Handgun Club and the Lethbridge Revolver Club. The common goals which culminated in the birth of SAFE Society were the enhancement of firearm education activities and the creation of more safe shooting opportunities. As an Alberta-incorporated society and a CCRAregistered charity we will build and operate a Firearm Education Centre / Indoor Shooting range in Lethbridge. Should you have any suggestions or would like additional information, please send me an e-mail at ccsc@shooter.org or give me a call at (403) 382-3593. Sincerely,

Allan Friesen President Southern Alberta Firearms Education Society 8

Volume XIV Number 1

My father is buying a house from a lady. The woman’s husband died before the gun registration deadline. She does not have an FAC (possession license) and the guns haven’t been registered.

Does the NFA liability insurance cover me if I am hunting with an unregistered rifle or if I do not have a firearms licence?

If she is the Executor of the estate, and she probably is, that is a perfectly legal and normal situation. She is in legal possession of the estate, and the firearms are part of the estate. As Executor, she is exempt from any requirement to have a firearms licence or any registration certificates.

Therefore, if a person does not have a PAL or POL, or if he has a firearm that is not registered, he is apparently a criminal who is violating Criminal Code section 91(1) or 92(1). That, in turn, voids any insurance that he might use to cover the cost of an accident.

She wants to “give” the guns to my father as part of their house deal. Is it possible to still register these guns? Yes. The government is so desperate to how public acceptance that it is not prosecuting anyone who tries to register. The guns will have to go in my name, since I have the appropriate PAL for acquiring the guns. What do I have to do at this point, or is it best to refuse the firearms? The guns will have to be transferred FROM “the estate of (his name)” to you, by the Executor, as part of the distribution of the estate. That is done by calling (800) 731-4000 and finding out what rules they are using this week. For quite a while, such transfers went through routinely; but recently they started demanding a document proving that the Executor is actually the Executor.

No. The problem is not with the insurance policy. The problem is that insurance companies do not have to pay if the claimant was engaged in a criminal act at the time of the accident.

I wonder if you could provide me with some guidance on the process of selling a firearm legally. It is an antique revolver (140 years old). The gun is a Merlin and Bray Fire Arms Company, New York, N.Y. cartridge revolver. It is in the original box with directions on using the gun. It has a 5 bullet capacity cylinder and the caliber is greater than 22. I would guess around 30 - 32. On the cylinder is the inscription “ patented July 12.1853 & July 21. 1863”. On the butt of the handle is the number 3473, which I assume is the serial number. The gun is in excellent condition. If this firearm is rimfire (chisel-pointed firing pin, aimed at the RIM of the cartridge in the cylinder), then it is an “antique firearm.” No licence is required to buy it; it does not have to be registered; and if it is registered now, the registration certificate is meaningless trash. It PROBABLY is one of these. If it is centre-fire (round blunt-pointed firing pin, aimed at the CENTRE of the cartridge in the cylinder), AND is in .32 calibre, then it is NOT an “antique firearm.” It is a “restricted firearm” if it is in .32 centre-fire calibre, AND has a barrel longer than 105mm/4.14”, and is a “prohibited firearm” if the barrel is SHORTER than that. It PROBABLY is NOT one of these. The label on the barrel is PROBABLY “Merwin and Bray,” not “Merlin and Bray.” Merwin and Bray bought firearms from various makers, had them marked “Merwin and Bray,” and sold them. Later, Merwin was a partner in Merwin, Hulbert & Co, which operated in the same pattern.

Canadian Firearms Journal

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Our Club has been approached by a group of the local paintball players and are inquiring if, as a registered member with the NFA, would the NFA Insurance cover an injury which may result while playing paintball at an authorized location? The Town Council is willing to allow the use of an old municipal dump sit, now under an official gravel lease by the town, for use by the local players provided that a minimum of $2 million liability insurance be in place. What requirements, if any, would there be of the Club, the Town and the paintball players themselves in order to be covered under the NFA insurance blanket? There is a little-known problem with paintball. A paintball gun is a “firearm” as defined by Crinimal Code section 2. It is then taken out of the “firearm” class for everything to do with the Firearms Act and for some of the Criminal Code by Criminal Code section 84(3). However, it is not taken out of the class “firearm” for the purposes of several offences — including CC s. 87, which is the offence of “pointing a firearm” at another person. Therefore, it is technically a criminal offence to point a paintball gun at anyone. The police get around this nonsesical situation by ignoring paintball eents — but an insurer who finds out about the situation may well refuse to pay a claim on thegrounds that what the individual did was done while committing a crime, which invvalidates insurance coverage. This is not a situation that can be easily resolved, because it will take a change in the feeral Criminal Code to do it. While we wait for that, the situation is that no liability insurance coverage is valid if the insurance company decides to sve itself money by not paying the claim, and that is legal for the insurance company to do.

Questions?

Letters should be directed to the Editor. Legal and political questions should be directed to the NFA Legal Department. Letters must include the Name, Address, and Phone Number of the sender.

www.nfa.ca

Firearms Journal The Official Magazine of the

National Firearms Association Published by the National Firearms Association Graphical Editor .................................................creativeeditor@nfa.ca Nicole Greenwald Text Editor...............................................................wordsmith@nfa.ca Robin Leech Planning Coordinator ..................................................freedom@nfa.ca Gary Kangas

National Executive President - Jim Hinter...................................................(780) 439-1394 president@nfa.ca VP Communication - Wally Butts ................................(519) 586-3019 natvpc@nfa.ca National President of Finance - Randy Coombes ........(780) 439-1394 coombes@nfa.ca

Provincial Contacts British Columbia ............................................................bcpres@nfa.ca Sheldon Clare (250) 563-2804 Alberta ........................................................................coombes@nfa.ca Randy Coombes (780) 439-1394 Saskatchewan .................................................................skpres@nfa.ca Dan Lupichuk (306) 332-3907 Manitoba .......................................................................mbpres@nfa.ca Don Adams (204) 334-6666 Ontario ...........................................................................onpres@nfa.ca Bill Rantz (705) 385-2636 Quebec ...........................................................................pqpres@nfa.ca Phil Simard (514) 365-0685 Nova Scotia............................................................................................ Dave Udle (902) 567-3600

Do you have a question? Something you want clarified? Please send us a letter or an e-mail. We would love to hear from you.

P.O. Box 52183 Edmonton, AB Canada T6G 2T5 e-mail: editor@nfa.ca

Canadian

New Brunswick...................................................................................... Harland Cook (506) 459-7416 Newfoundland ............................................jgpenney@nf.sympatico.ca Sean Penney (709) 598-2040 Cathy Keane (709) 368-3920 Publication Sales Agreement 40050578

National Firearms Association Box 52183 Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2T5 www.nfa.ca

Canadian Firearms Journal

Tel: (780) 439-1394 Fax: (780) 439-4091 nfainfo@nfa.ca

Volume XIV Number 1

by Wally J. Butts

Vice President’s

Column

To Go or Not To Go Wally J. Butts en years of the Federal Liberal government has produced an arrogance that is unsurpassed – unsurpassed in my memory, anyway. The government, under Jean Chretien has treated your tax dollars as though they were for their own personal use and gain. The payoffs to friends, the hidden slush funds, and who knows what other abuses have shown that the Liberals are not fit to govern this country.

want him to scrap it, to cut losses and run, while the true Liberals believe that it still has some merit, even though there is no evidence to support that conjecture. If he gets a minority government, a motion by the opposition to scrap the registry will put him on the spot. However, if the conservatives win a minority government, could they, on the other hand, muster enough support to scrap the registry without going down to defeat.

The Conservative Party has a new leader, and his strong mandate across the country will allow Stephen Harper to get on with preparing for the next election. The party is finally acting as a coherent group, and is building the election team in preparation for the next election. Whether it will be in the spring or in the fall is anyone’s guess.

If such a motion was put forth by the Conservatives, would the Liberals take the chance of defeating it, and further erode any rural support that they might have left? If the Liberals were in a minority position, it would be advisable for them to support a motion to scrap the registry, and they could then fully blame the opposition.

Things like the HRDC boondoggle, the now-two-billion dollar gun registry, the hundred million or so for un-needed airplanes, along with the Adscam mess, have Paul Martin between a rock and a hard place.

Whatever course the government takes after the election will rest solely on the outcome of the election. Either way, I believe that Canadians are plainly fed up with the Liberal arrogance and corruption, and will say so at the polls.

Does he call an election now, hoping that he has enough credibility left to win; or does he wait until the fall, and take the chance that even more scandalous material will surface. Only he and his pollsters know for sure what the choice will be.

In Ontario alone, in the federal election of 2000, there were 27 or so ridings where the combined vote of the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance would have defeated the liberals had the right-of-centre parties been united. In the upcoming election, I will predict that the NDP will make an overall gain across the country of around five percentage points. Those points will come from the Liberals,

He will have to make changes to the gun registry. Many of his fellow Liberal MPs 10

Volume XIV Number 1

not the Conservatives. In short, if the NDPers gain five points, at least forty ridings would go to the new Conservative Party alone in Ontario — if they hold their vote from last time. Across the country, such a scenario would spell disaster for the Liberals.

Jean Chretien has treated your tax dollars as though they were for their own personal use and gain. The payoffs to friends, the hidden slush funds, and who knows what other abuses have shown that the Liberals are not fit to govern this country. With the additional Liberal “memberships from nowhere” scandal in British Columbia, combined with an erosion of Liberal support in Alberta, it could well be that the Conservatives will sweep the west, with the exception of a few seats in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. These would go to the NDP. In Quebec, most of the Liberal support has leaked back to the Bloc, mainly because it doesn’t want to be known as being party to the Adscam scandal. In the rest of Atlantic Canada, the Liberals may barely hold their seats, but gains can be expected there by the Conservatives as well.

Canadian Firearms Journal

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If we add it all up, the Conservatives could gain ten seats in the west, forty in Ontario, and four or five in the Atlantic Provinces. That would add 45 to their current 70 or so. Any further erosion of Liberal support would add to this total.

the 105 seat range, and the Conservatives would garner possibly 115 seats.

The Liberals, on the other hand, will lose a few to the NDP in the west, and some in the Toronto area. My guess is that the NDP will gain six or seven seats. The total Liberal losses would therefore be about 65 seats. That would drop them to

We National Firearms Association members can help make this happen by getting involved in the next election. We will never get rid of the gun registry if the Liberals win another government. Changes, maybe, but it will remain.

www.nfa.ca

Reality is that the Conservatives could form at least a minority government. The Liberals would be the official opposition.

So now is the time to look up your new Conservative candidate and volunteer your time, talent, or treasure. It feels great to win, and we are on the verge of our biggest win yet.

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

by David A. Tomlinson

Lever-action Safety A hunter from Levin, New Zealand, killed his friend while hunting. He was using a lever action rifle, one of the modern versions with a pushthrough safety catch, or cross bolt safety.

He wasn’t using the cross bolt safety. Like many old timers, he was using the half-cock as a safety. He is now serving five months in prison for careless use of a firearm — carelessness that caused the death of his friend and hunting partner. To understand what happened, one needs to understand how the full-cock notch and the half-cock notches work. Two parts are involved — the hammer, and the sear. The sear is simply, in most cases, the top edge of the trigger. When the hammer is in either the halfcock or the full-cock position, it is always trying to rotate around the axle that holds it in the firearm, because a spring is pushing it. The sear stops the hammer from rotating for as long as it is engaged with one of two notches in the front edge of the hammer. When the sear is pulled forward out of contact with the hammer, the hammer is free to rotate, or fall forward. Pushed by the spring, it rotates at high speed. The front face of the hammer hits the rear end of the firing pin, and if there is a cartridge in the chamber, the gun fires. In theory, pulling the trigger will not allow the hammer to rotate if the sear is engaged with the half-cock notch. That is because the sear is blocked from moving away from the hammer by the shape of the half-cock notch; it is a U-shaped pocket, and the front face of the U holds the sear against the hammer. If that works as it should, half-cock is reasonably safe. Unfortunately, as a gun gets older, safety systems tend to break or wear — and either one can make halfcock a very dangerous position indeed. If the front face of the U breaks off, for example, then pulling the trigger will cause the sear to move forward and 12

Volume XIV Number 1

release the hammer. True, the hammer only moves about half the distance that it would if it were rotating from a full cock starting position — but that is usually enough to fire a cartridge when the hammer hits the firing pin. Safety devices are usually tested before each use of the firearm by engaging the safety, and then pulling the trigger (with an empty firearm). If pulling the trigger on an empty firearm (with the safety device in the “safe” position) will not fire the action, it is a safe bet that pulling the trigger on a loaded firearm will not fire it either. Unfortunately, this test is dangerous when it is applied to the half-cock position on a lever-action rifle. The sear is trying to break its way out of that U-shaped notch, and it is putting stress on the front face of the notch. It’s rather like bending a bit of wire back and forth until it breaks. Keep pushing on that bit of metal that forms the front edge of the U and, sooner or later, that bit of metal is going to break, and from that moment on, the “safety” device is no longer safe. It has become a deadly danger. When the tip of the sear is engaged with the full-cock notch, it is not in a Ushaped pocket. It is sitting on a flat shelf, and pulling the trigger will cause it to slide forward off the shelf. As soon as it is no longer engaged with the shelf, the hammer starts rotating to fire the gun. This is normal — you want the gun to fire when it is fully cocked and you pull the trigger. Breaking off the front face of the Ushaped notch makes the gun work as if it were on full-cock when it is actually on half-cock. In the New Zealand case, the report is not clear enough to determine what happened beyond the shadow of a doubt. It is clear that the hunter was not using the newstyle push-through cross-bolt safety, which would have positively locked the hammer in one position. He was relying on the half-cock notch.

The possibilities: A twig brushed against the hammer and swung it out of the half-cock position, back toward the full-cock position. When the twig snapped away, the hammer rotated toward the firing pin. When that happens, the hammer is supposed to be caught by the half-cock notch — safely. In this case, that did not work — for any one of several possible reasons. The hammer struck the firing pin, the gun fired, and the hunter’s partner died. A twig brushed against the hammer and swung it out of the half-cock position, all the way to the full-cock position. The sear engaged with the full-cock notch, and the hunter was, from that moment forward, carrying a firearm that was both loaded and cocked. A second twig — or careless movement of the hunter’s trigger finger — pulled the trigger, and the gun fired. The hammer was in its half-cock position, but the front face of the U-shaped notch had broken away. The hunter, relying on that U-shaped notch, absent-mindedly pulled the trigger. Instead of the comfortable feel that comes when you feel the trapped sear run up against that front face, the trigger operated as if the hammer were in the full-cock position. It moved out of engagement, and the hammer rotated, firing the gun. The hammer was nearly in the half-cock position, but the tip of the sear was not in the U-shaped pocket. Instead, it was sitting on top of the outer upper lip of the U. In that position, the trigger, sear and hammer work as if the firearm was fully cocked. It is rare — but it happens. I hope that I have made the situation clear. Relying on the half-cock notch is not safe. If your lever-action rifle has a manual safety, use it. If it does not, do not carry that rifle with a live cartridge in the chamber. Always set a safety, but do not rely on it.

Canadian Firearms Journal

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Case Neck Ball Micrometer

For individuals who are interested in testing hearing amplification in the field, but don’t want to make a large investment just to try it — Walker’s Game Ear is offering the Ultra Ear®. This low-cost hearing-amplification system is lightweight, and can be used in either ear. It also provides a mild compression circuit to help muffle muzzle blasts.

You get state of the art precision with the new Lyman Case Neck Ball micrometer. This Ball Micrometer measures the neck wall thickness to 0.0001 inches for sorting brass cartridge cases. It is a must if you want to get the best accuracy possible. It has a ratchet stop and spindle lock, as well as a padded wooden storage box.

For more information call, 1-800-424-1069, or visit www.walkersgameear.com.

Pachmayr 22 Rimfire Action Proving Dummies Pachmayr products has come out with a 22 rimfire action proving dummy. These rimfire dummy rounds are the exact size of 22 Long Rifle rounds, and will function smoothly in 22 Long Rifle Handguns and Rifles. They are not designed as snap caps. However, they are ideal aids for teaching the safe loading and unloading of firearms. For more information, call (860) 632-2020.

www.nfa.ca

“For more information, visit www.lymanproducts.com.

Lightseeker Rifle Scopes The new Lightseeker XL models use larger erector lenses than do conventional rifle scope designs. This allows brighter images in the great outdoors. Lightseeker XL rifle scopes incorporate European style, quick-focus eye piece, and are among the most durable scopes with exceptionally thick tube walls and strong reticules. For more information, call 1-800-877-0155.

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

by David A. Tomlinson

LEGAL CORNER David A. Tomlinson

Fast Draw & the Law (which may be a steel plate, or a balloon, or some other kind of target) in the least possible time. Is a Fast Draw revolver a “firearm” as defined by Criminal Code section 2? Yes, it is. It must be registered to the person who has it (either by ownership or by borrowing both the firearm and the registration certificate from the owner). An authorization to transport (ATT) is required before the person who is the holder of the registration certificate can take it out of his dwelling house.

ast Draw is an interesting game. The contestant must use a singleaction revolver, but may use anything from a .32 calibre to a .45 calibre version. Many modifications to the standard firearm “as manufactured” are allowed, for those who try to increase their speed by some form of alteration of the firearm. There are many other alterations that are not allowed. The firearms, in competition, use wax bullet cartridges. The wax bullets come out of the firearm somewhat slower than the lead or jacketed bullets used by the same firearms in real_bullet competitive shooting in other disciplines. In Fast Draw, the object of the competition is to draw the handgun, fire it, and hit a target

Volume XIV Number 1

It is a “firearm” because even the wax bullets can injure at close range, and the firearm is not altered so that it cannot fire conventional cartridges with real bullets. Therefore, all laws and Regulations regarding “restricted firearms” (or “prohibited firearms” if the handgun is in .32 calibre) apply. Fast draw competitions are often authorized for locations that are fairly public — sportsman’s shows, for example. This is a mater of trust, because the issuer of ATTs has no worries about the owner behaving himself in accordance with the rules of Fast Draw. Seeing a Fast Draw competition in a place filled with spectators is a remarkable demonstration of the difference between what the law regards as dangerous to society, and what reasonable people regard as dangerous to society. While Fast

Draw imitates the actions of Fast Draw artists of the nineteenth century, what today’s Fast Draw participants are doing is a sport. Almost all shooting sports are developed versions of some activity of the past (or even of the present) in which shooting was or is done for a serious purpose. Some sports and their ancestors are: Olympic slow-fire pistol — derived from practice for dueling. Olympic rapid-fire pistol — derived from combat use of handguns in war. Trapshooting — derived from duck hunting. Skeet shooting — derived from upland bird hunting. PPC — derived from police use of revolvers. IPSC — derived from police and military use of handguns. The list goes on and on. It is, however, often difficult to “gentle down” a firearms control bureaucrat so that he or she regards the sport as a sport, and not the firearm as a menace to society. Fast Draw has been remarkably successful at getting firearms control bureaucrats to regard their sport as an innocent pastime that is not a danger to the public. In my view, other sports should take notice and learn from Fast Draw clubs and individuals. We need more tolerance for the shooting sports.

Canadian Firearms Journal

www.nfa.ca

by David A. Tomlinson

The Ludicrous

Air gun “Fix” That is Now Part of

the Criminal Code...

ne ludicrous error in the new law clearly demonstrates the gross incompetence of the writers.

Many years ago, a muzzle velocity of 500 feet per second (later converted to 152.4 metres per second) was chosen as the dividing line between “firearms” and firearm-like devices that are exempt from all the legal requirements of the Firearms Act. An exempt device requires no FAC (then; licence now) to purchase, no registration certificate, and no authorization to transport. Non-exempt “firearms” require the first two documents, and non-exempt handguns require the authorization to transport. That dividing line was chosen, apparently, to exempt almost all air, gas and spring guns. The government’s experts refused to consider the National Firearms Association’s repeated submissions that a muzzle energy figure should be used (for valid technical reasons), rather than a muzzle velocity figure. The muzzle velocity figure in the law became a problem some ten years ago, when manufacturers began producing lightweight pellets by substituting aluminum and plastic for lead. Using the lightweight pellets, many air, gas and spring guns began to routinely exceed the limiting muzzle velocity — disqualifying every such gun for the exemption. Each became, therefore, a “real firearm,” requiring the owner to be in possession of a licence covering that class of “firearm”, a registration certificate for that particular “firearm” and an Authorization to Transport certificate. That was a requirement of law that the Registry had either been ignorant of, or had been ignoring, during the initial ten-

www.nfa.ca

year period that the pellets were on sale. Once it was brought to the Registry’s attention, the Registry formally adopted a Policy to deal with the problem: “Administrative Policy #14: Air, Spring or Gas firearms which are identified as capable of discharging 177 calibre pellets, shall be tested for velocity, if required[?], to establish whether they are ‘Deemed NonFirearms’ under Part III of the Criminal Code of Canada, section 84(3)(d)(i) and (ii). Breech loading — Air, Spring or Gas shall be tested with all standards of ammunition that the firearm is capable of discharging [emphasis in the original]. In the case where the firearm feeds only from a cylindrical magazine or other type of feed device, only those pellets which will feed through the feed device shall be tested. When tested the results for record shall be those results which achieved the highest velocity of the test ammunition. Ammunition standards for velocity testing shall, as a minimum, include both “Lead Waisted Pellets” and “Laser Hawk, Hyper-Velocity Pellets.” Many air, gas and spring guns, unable to shoot lead pellets over 152.4 mps/500 fps, are now able to exceed that limit by using the lighter “Hyper-Velocity Pellets,” or “HVPs.”

dated 2000-03-06, we found “Administrative Policy #14,” above. The other papers supplied through the A to I Act demand are very, very amusing. The Registry’s discovery that HVPs “converted” large numbers of air, gas and spring guns to “real firearms”, requiring the licencing of their owners and their possession of registration certificates for the guns could not have come at a worse time. The Canadian Firearms Centre (CFC) was bogged down, unable to issue all required licences by the 01 Jan 2001 deadline — and now the Registry was saying that the CFC would have to issue another half-million licences to airgun owners.

Spokespeople for the Department of Justice said, again and again, “no such policy exists” and “no such policy has been adopted”.

So — the CFC managed to get illegal orders given to the RCMP’s Registry — orders that blocked the Registry from administering and enforcing the clear requirements of the Criminal Code.

That was untrue. In a recent batch of Access to Information Act papers received by the NFA, in “STANDARD ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY AND PROCEDURES,” Chapter 1, Change 3,

In a letter dated 17 May 2000, Cpl. L Cyr of the Registry sent a letter to the O[fficer] I[n] C[ommand] Access to Information and Privacy, RCMP Continued on page 17.

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

by Darrel Blinn

What is Fast Draw?

he sport of Fast Draw was born from the Hollywood-created myth of the Western Gunfight. During the 1950s and early 1960s, the TV Western reigned over the airways. Shows such as Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Have Gun Will Travel and The Rifleman, etc., were top-rated and had huge audiences. Studios promoted their stars as the fastest guns in Hollywood. Hugh O’Brien, who portrayed Wyatt Earp, was the first to make this claim; he hired a coach and challenged other Hollywood stars. Soon the art of Fast Draw became a hobby to many celebrities — Clint Eastwood, Glenn Ford, James Drury, Sammy Davis Jr. Jerry Lewis, just to name a few. Dee Woolem, a trick-shooting stuntman, is considered the “Father of Fast Draw”. While working at Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California as a “train robber”, he developed the first Fast Draw timer. He held the first organized Fast Draw contest in 1954. From that small

beginning, Fast Draw Clubs began to spring up across North America, with National and World Championships being held in places such as Tombstone, Arizona, Deadwood, South Dakota, and here and now Bearspaw, Alberta. Fast Draw is speed shooting out of holsters on your hip (single-action revolvers); you don’t actually aim the gun but point it. The guns and the holsters are highly modified. A Fast Draw gun is created from a single-action revolver, usually a Ruger 357-3 screw (old model, no transfer bar). Colts are also used, but not as widely as the Ruger. From this we remove the stock barrel, and replace it with an aluminium barrel bored out to .45 calibre. We then remove the cylinder and bore it out to a 45 calibre. This is done so you get can the maximum 45 load of gunpowder for blank competition. For the “thumbers” in the sport, they use a thumbing hammer which would be a stock hammer or one that was slightly

Membership Application

modified. For the “fanners” the hammer is removed and turned up approximately 3 th /8 s of an inch so the hand can slap it back. The frames can be shaved to lighten the gun, and the trigger guard can be modified to allow the shooter easier access to the trigger. What is the difference between Fast Draw and Quickdraw ? Quickdraw is what law enforcement agencies taught their agents (FBI &CIA) back in the 1920s and 1930s. Quickdraw is the function of drawing a double action revolver from a shoulder holster to quickly draw and shoot at your target and make the hit or kill. The idea was to hit what you were aiming at and make it count.

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City: ____________________________________

Your children will also remember when you take them hunting.

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Get them involved in hunting and target shooting, You’ll be glad you did. And get them involved in an organization that protects your sport and right to own and use firearms.

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Your National Firearms Association Membership will help ensure the heritage is passed on. The National Firearms Association... Canada’s firearm owners association. 16

Volume XIV Number 1

Prov:__________________ P.C.: ____________

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T Liability Insurance: ($5.95 / person) $5 million coverage _________________________________________

Total________________ T Check or Money order inclosed T Visa/M.C. T Renew by credit card for next year

Card # __________________________________ expires ________ Mail to: National Firearms Association Box 52183, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2T5

Canadian Firearms Journal

www.nfa.ca

That is Now Part of

The Ludicrous

Air gun “Fix”

the Criminal Code...

by David A. Tomlinson Headquarters, Ottawa. In it, he said: “You will find two attached reports. The first piece of correspondence is a letter entitled ‘Re: Laser Hawk, Hyper-Velocity Pellets’ which deals specifically with the application of a procedure in relations [sic] to pellet guns. The second report is entitled ‘Standard Administrative Policy and Procedures’ where the ‘Administrative Policy #14’ applies to air, spring or gas firearms which are identified as capable of discharging 177 calibre pellets.” We covered his “second report,” above, but the first letter is even more interesting. That letter is from Supt J A J Buisson, the Registrar and head of the Registry, to William Bartlett, Counsel, Canadian Firearms Centre, Ottawa, dated 00-0508. In it, Buisson says, “The following is to advise you of Canadian Firearms Registry policy regarding air, gas or spring firearms and Laser Hawk, Hyper Velocity Pellets. “As you are aware, earlier this year Laser Hawk pellets were made available for sale. [NFA: That is apparently either a deliberate attempt to deceive Mr Bartlett, or an amazing admission of ignorance and incompetence; lightweight pellets identical in effect to the Laser Hawk brand of pellets had been commercially available for at least ten years.] The manufacturer even advertises a 30% increase in velocity as compared with conventional pellets. Consequently, the air, spring or gas firearms no longer meet the standards set out in subsection. 84(3) of the Criminal Code in order to be deemed non-firearms for the purposes of the Firearms Act and certain offence provisions of the Criminal Code. “In the light of the above, the Firearms Identification Section (FIS) of the Registry found it had no alternative but to adopt a policy that reflects the current legislation. The policy is as follows: [see Administrative Policy #14 above].” Now let us go back to Cpl Cyr’s letter of 17 May 2000. His last paragraph says, “Supt Buisson has consulted with the Department of Justice on this matter, and it has been decided to request that these documents not be disclosed [emphasis in original] as per subsection 21(1)(c) [of the Access to Information Act].” Oh, what a mess. But — the law was quite clear. Unless one could prove that the “firearm” in question was not capable of firing any projectile at over 152.4 mps/500 fps, it did not qualify for the exemption. The CFC demanded that the Registry stop adding air, gas and spring guns to their Firearms

Continued from page 15 Reference Table (FRT) disk, and begin telling Canadians that all air, gas and spring guns could be possessed without licence or registration certificate — which is clearly contrary to law. When the Registry did what it was told to do by the CFC, it also began counseling people to commit a criminal offence (violating CC s. 22). The CFC apparently had no legal power to give orders to the RCMP, the Registrar, or anyone in the Registry — but did it anyway. In an attempt to “fix” that problem, the government’s experts wrote into the new law an amendment. They simply added the words “or at a muzzle energy exceeding 5.7 Joules” to the end of the existing provision [C-15B s. 4, amending CC s. 84(3)(d)(i)]. The bureaucrats say that this section means that as long as a gun fails to exceed both the muzzle velocity test and the muzzle energy test, it is not a “firearm.” They say a paintball gun does not exceed the muzzle velocity level, and an air gun does not exceed the energy limit, and therefore neither is a “firearm”. That may be what they intended it to mean, but the law now reads: 84(3) for the purposes of sections 91 to 95, 99 to 101, 103 to 107 and 117.03 of this Act the provisions of the Firearms Act, the following weapons are deemed not to be firearms: (d) any other barreled weapon, where it is proved that the weapon is not designed or adapted to discharge (i) a shot, bullet or other projectile at a muzzle velocity exceeding 152.4 m per second or at a muzzle energy exceeding 5.7 Joules.” The effect of that amendment, therefore, is not the effect that seems to have been intended. By using the word “or” between the old muzzle velocity limit and the new muzzle energy limit, that wording disqualifies a “firearm” for the exemption if it exceeds either limit. And you have to prove that it cannot, using any proectile, exceed either limit — which is impossible.

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

by Darrel Blinn

Fast Draw Targets & Timing Equipment unburnt powder breaks the balloon, and this sends a signal back to the clock. All targets have a light which the shooters react to after a set of commands. For example: “Shooter on the line, shooter set”. At that point, the shooter will let go of the firearm and wait for the light to come on before he or she can draw. The light is on a random delay system built into the clock of 2-5 seconds which keeps the shooter from anticipating when to draw. The clocks are digital and accurate to 1/1,000 of a second.

world records and titles one is Howard Darby and the other Alanna Blinn. In the United States there are probably 30-40 Fast Draw clubs, again with some of the top shooters in the world. Examples are Joyce Tryon of the Gunrunners, Arizona, Gil Guerra, Jr., and Bob Bussinger, The Wild Bunch, California, Linda and Jay Faughn, Desperadoes, Northern California, Ray and Ed Thielke, Jim and Susie Vonfeldt all from the Blackhawks, Oregon, the list goes on and on.

This is a short synopsis of Fast Draw and the equipment used in the sport. For more information you can check out Fast Draw at www.gunfighter.org.

here are various types of targets in the sport of Fast Draw. They range in size and shape. Some are metal and others are actual balloons called a balloon head. For the metal targets, we are using a wax bullet propelled by a shotgun primer; and for balloon heads, we are using blank ammunition. The metal targets usually have a sensitive speaker hooked up to the timing clock, and when the wax bullet hits the target it sends a signal to the clock stopping it. The balloon heads are set up so that a micro switch is activated when the

There are many clubs in the sport of Fast Draw throughout the world, more so in the US and Canada,. To name a few, we have the Thunderbirds in the Vancouver area with members in the likes of Nicole and Peggy Franks, who have many world records and titles along with one of the top shooters in the sport Bob Edmiston who also has the same. In the Calgary area there are 3-4 Fast Draw Clubs with a couple of them that have two of the fastest shooters in the world, with many

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If you would like an application please contact the National Office by phone at (780) 439-1394, or by fax at (780) 439-4091, or by e-mail at nfainfo@nfa.ca 18

Volume XIV Number 1

Canadian Firearms Journal

www.nfa.ca

by Darrel Blinn

Alanna Blinn

lanna graduated from Cochrane High School in 2003 with honours, receiving the Drama Award for highest mark and is currently enrolled at Mount Royal College in Calgary. She currently works part-time for the Calgary Flames organization. Just recently she was selected to compete for the prestigious title for the 2004 Calgary Stampede Queen and Princesses Contest. Alanna has been shooting for seven years, working her way diligently up through the classes, setting numerous world records, as well as winning several prestigious titles; she is definitely one of Fast Draw’s best. Her most recent world record made history in the traditional style of Fast Draw when she became the first and only woman ever to shoot in the 0.26ths of 1 second, with a blazing shot of 0.268ths of 1 second at 8 feet in 2003. She has also been busy the past several years contributing to community events, fundraisers and charities. These contributions and accomplishments were recognized by the Cochrane Chamber of Commerce when she was honoured with their “Ambassador of the Year Award” for 2002/2003. Through her Bearspaw Wild West group, she is able to thrill young and old alike with her skills and trick shooting as she cleans up the “bad guys” by saving the day as Li’l Miss Annie Oakley. Her Fast Draw skills allow her to contribute to many community events and functions, most importantly, fund raising for charity. She has been a regular participant for the past 5 years at the following annual events: Juvenile Diabetes Walkathon Bow River Raft Race - Celebrity Judge and official race starter. The race is organized by the Fraternal Order of Eagles and all funds raised go to the Diabetes Foundation.

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Ivan Daines’ Rodeo and Family Picnic Fundraiser- proceeds have gone to Cowboy Funds, Pine Lake Tornado Fund, Bull Riders Association, and most recently, the Mad Cow Disease relief fund for ranchers BC Junior A Hockey League — she helped raise funds for a Memorial Trust in memory of Jim McConagle of the Williams Lake Timberwolves killed in a car accident. Alanna drove eight hours in winter conditions to do a picture and autograph session, raising almost 1,000.00 in a 35-minute session, with all proceeds to the Trust. For the last five years she has participated in the Stampede Parade Prelude, entertaining the crowds pre-parade as well as appearing in numerous community parades in Calgary and area, and many small communities in Western Canada. Alanna is featured at the major western Sportsmen Shows where she demonstrates and promotes Fast Draw. She has also drawn the attention of television, radio, and print media. This attention has resulted in her appearing on national television - “MuchMusic” in 1999, “The Mike Bullard Show” in November 2002, CNN’s “Guy TV”, CBC’s “National Stampede Final Story” in 2002. Every local station has done a clip on her in the past 5 years,. She has been CTV’s MVP of the week as well as A Channel’s Athlete of the week. On national radio she has been featured on CBC’s “Sounds Like Canada” in March 2003. In the print mediashe appeared in National Post’s Saturday Night Magazine in October 2002. She has also appeared in all the local papers. Even with all this media attention Alanna remains very humble and is always, always willing to help. All who know her feel that this is what makes her a true champion; it is not all about winning titles and setting records.

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

by Gary K. Kangas, SASS #223, Life Member, Regulator

Canadian Firearms Heritage The West that Never Was

hen we think about heritage, the tendency is to link it with the far past. However, the near past can be part of the far past in our own minds. Such is the sport and art of Fast Draw. Fast Draw is based on the wild west of our imagination. Canada most certainly had a Wild West. Peace officers, cowboys, frontiersmen, whisky traders, trappers, buffalo hunters, ranchers, homesteaders, outlaws and aboriginal people inhabited the Canadian West. Few, if any, practiced what is now known as Fast Draw.

Gary Kangas Gary Kangas is a long-time member of the National Firearms Association and a lifetime firearm owner. Gary has owned firearms since age six, and his mother bought his first handgun. He is retired and devotes his time to writing articles on firearms and history for Guns & Ammo, Trails End, The Cowboy Chronicles, and others. Gary produces Wild West shows, and does consulting and firearms and prop rentals for movies, TV, and theatre. He is an active competitor in Cowboy Action Shooting, as well as a founder of the Western Canadian Frontier Shootists Society and mounted shooting. Gary and his wife Sybil live on a rural acreage with two horses, two cats, a dog, and a peacock.

Fast Draw grew from the myth of the Wild West, and it emerged in the early 1950s as a competition. Over time the competitions have gripped imaginations, so that myth and reality intertwine. Clubs across Canada hold regular competitions that pit the participants against the clock to determine who is fastest. The competitors use real firearms â&#x20AC;&#x201D; modified single-actiontype revolvers for speed draw and shoot. They use blank ammunition and have stringent precautionary controls to assure that the competitions are safe. These competitions are a marvel, leaving you in awe, when you observe the speed and precision with which these folk are able to draw and fire. These dedicated shooters are preserving and creating our firearms heritage.

Volume XIV Number 1

Canadian Firearms Journal

www.nfa.ca

by David A. Tomlinson

Insurance

- Do yYou Know Your Coverage?

f they are engaged in the shooting sports, individuals and clubs need insurance. For clubs, the law requires that they carry at least $2 million in liability protection. For individuals, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not he carries insurance — but being hit with a liability suit as a result of your sporting activities can ruin your whole financial situation if you do not have insurance. The legal fees alone can break you. In the aftermath of 9/11, several large insurance companies either stopped insuring shooting clubs, or changed the terms of their insurance policies to eliminate shooting insurance. I recommend that you compare the terms of your current insurance policy with those of the NFA terms laid out below — you may be quite surprised at what your current policy does not cover. The insurance currently offered by one of the other major suppliers of insurance to shooting clubs ($2,000,000 coverage with a $1,000 deductible for property damage or a tenant’s legal liability claim) has this to say: • “For this insurance to be valid, the member must have personal liability coverage as part of a homeowner’s, condominium owner’s or tenant’s liability package policy.” • “It is understood and agreed that with respect to Commercial General Liability Form LR02, this insurance does not apply to any archery operations, or any operations involving the use of firearms.” It is worrying that many people think their club insurance covers shooting and archery — but it does not, mainly

www.nfa.ca

because its latest insurance policy is different. Have you checked what it says in your current policy to see what you, and your fellow club members, are actually covered for? The National Firearms Association’s Liability Insurance program is either the best in Canada, or is one of the best. I’ll let you compare NFA LI to what you have today. NFA LI is provided by a company called Aviva, and it works like this: Each individual, or each individual member of each covered club, is covered for: • All legal hunting activities. • All legal bow hunting activities. • All legal range shooting activities. • All legal range archery activities. • All legal fishing activities anywhere in Canada or the continental United States. That’s pretty broad! Commercial general liability coverage is $5,000,000 with a $500 deductible for situations involving bodily injury, property damage, and legal expense at all demonstration, practice, training, and/or competition shooting events, and or other firearms activity sponsored by the club. Coverage for wrongful acts, errors, and omissions by Directors and Officers of the club is $2,000,000 with no deductible. Non-owned automobile liability coverage for the covered club is $2,000,000 with no deductible. A tenant’s legal liability coverage for the

covered club is $250,000 with a $250 deductible for any one premises. The landowner of a club’s range can be a co-insured at no cost to club or landowner. Event coverage: If the club puts on a shoot, a fee of $1 each covers visiting shooters for up to 14 days for the one event, with the money being sent to NFA after the event. Visitor coverage: A fee of $1 covers the visitor for the day, in the same way as event coverage. Names of insured persons and fees should be sent to: NFA, Box 52183, Edmonton, AB T6G 2T5. All names (no addresses) are kept in the NFA office, and not sent to the insurance company. Cost? A club pays $3 per member ($45 minimum) to affiliate with the NFA, plus $5.95 per member (no minimum) for the insurance. That’s right — the entire package costs the club only $8.95 per person! Cost? A direct-membership individual or family pays the relevant membership fee plus $5.95 per person covered for the insurance. If you send a cheque or credit card information to NFA, Box 52183, Edmonton, AB T6G 2T5, your coverage will run from the date of the postmark on the letter to one calendar year later. You can buy NFA Liability Insurance insurance over the phone by calling (780) 439-1394 with your credit card out and ready.

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

by James M. Hinter

Facta non Verba “Facta non Verba” translates as “Deeds, not Words.” The Chretien government saw the firearms issue as a political vote getter. They saw that they could use this issue in the large Toronto and Montreal urban markets as a “wedge” issue. They wanted urban votes. The Liberals used the mandate to waste a billion dollars of Canadian tax-dollars for what really was its own political partisan advantage.

This entire program was supposed to cost $2 million dollars.

Every Canadian and every firearm owner should look very carefully at any promise made by Paul Martin and the Liberals.

The federal Liberals spent almost $2.5 million dollars just to advertise the program and reward its friends.

Since 1995, this party, and this Prime Minister in particular, have fully and completely supported this program. A good first step for the federal Liberals would be to admit that its Firearms Act has been a costly and unneeded mistake. A better step for Canadians will be to clean house in the next federal election.

It likely means that if this strategy is to work, and if the federal Liberals are reelected, its promises would have the same value as its previous promise to “scrap the GST.” Do you remember Chretien saying that? I do!

Power at any price!

Not one Canadian firearm owner should believe any Paul Martin promise. EVER! Period!

Paul Martin has outlined 40 “first priorities” for his government.

The sad truth is that the federal Liberal party has forgotten that Canada is not the Liberal Party, and the Liberal Party is NOT Canada.

Maybe in his all-consuming goal to become Prime Minister, Paul Martin took too much of his time away from his job.

Canadians have seen billions of dollars wasted on programs that have done very little for Canadians. That a few friends of the Liberals have benefited massively is something the Paul Martin Liberals want you to forget.

Maybe this is the reason that, on his watch, spending at the Canada Firearms Centre and other government departments, was allowed to rocket out of control.

If the billions of dollars wasted in the Liberal’s futile gun control scheme had been shared among health care, more effective policing, border security against smuggling, and tax relief, Canada could have benefited.

Paul Martin also had a choice, and he made it.

Volume XIV Number 1

This means making sure Canadians will feel that Paul Martin is working toward a solution with “stakeholders”.

A re-elected Liberal government will likely meet with its “partners” in the Coalition for Gun Control, and after “long and detailed” meetings, come out to the media to say “Canada wants ‘gun control”.

There are no significant differences between this scam and the decision to spend all that ADSCAM money in Québec, “showing the flag” to “save Canada.”

I expect the federal Liberals, before they call the next federal election, will promise to revise this failed program, and will offer to scrap the firearms registry.

To be re-elected is the only real priority of the federal Liberals. To do this will mean finding ways to remove the billion-dollar boondoggle from the radar screens of voters.

Now, after the Auditor General presented a scathing report slamming the Liberal Firearms Program and the ADSCAM scandal, the only real goal Paul Martin has is to be re-elected.

Perhaps his inability to focus is an truer indication of how Paul Martin, as Minister of Finance, was so far out of touch with his own department that billions of tax dollars could end up being spent on programs without any real benefit to Canadians.

Instead, huge amounts of money were and are being squandered on what really was, and still is, a purely partisan political program. It is a program designed to appeal ONLY to Montreal and Toronto voters.

Perhaps they will offer a return to the previous FAC program.

Remember when Brian Mulroney said to John Turner, “You had a choice, Sir!”

The Department of Justice, and other government departments, have paid the Coalition for Gun Control and Wendy Cukier over $400,000.00 during the past several years. The federal Liberals signed a contract, worth over $380,000.00, with the Coalition for Gun Control to help the Liberals implement its gun control scheme. Now look at the $2 million dollars spent to advertise this program to Canadians.

Never forget, never forgive. Paul Martin, and his team of Liberal backroom “spin-doctors,” are working overtime right now to convince Canadians that the federal Liberals are somehow “new and different.” Mostly they all want one thing — political power — and that comes only by being re-elected. The National Firearms Association has been working for years toward effective firearm control programs that punish the criminal use of firearms, but that also respect the rights of Canadians to own and use our firearms. There is far too little in any federal Liberal’s deeds for any firearm owner, or any Canadian for that matter, to believe any Paul Martin Liberal promises. Mr Martin, an expression my grandmother taught me long ago comes to mind: “Your actions are speaking so loudly that I can’t hear a word you are saying.” YOUR deeds, not your words, are what Canadians will judge you by, Mr Martin. Jim Hinter National President National Firearms Association www.nfa.ca

Canadian Firearms Journal

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This is a copy of a letter received by the NFA from Sharon Smith, Mayor of Houston, British Columbia, to Prime Minister Martin. Dear Prime Minister Martin: On behalf of the Council of the District of Houston, enclosed is a resolution, concerning the National Firearms Registry. The Council of the District of Houston believes the National Firearms Registry is ill conceived, and represents legislation gone wrong, which contributes to a colossal waste of money. The District of Houston, along with many other local governments in rural areas of Canada, believes both the legislation and the National Firearms Registry should be abolished. The basis of the National Firearms Registry is incorrect. The problem is not with average law abiding Canadians (of which there are many), that are responsible firearms owners. It makes sense to many of us, affected by more serious issues (such as the Softwood Lumber issue, and the Mad Cow crisis), that there comes a time to cut the losses and use taxpayers money in a more effective manner in other areas of greater need. Yours truly, Sharon Smith, Mayor Houston, British Columbia

Motion to the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled We, the undersigned, elected representatives of the District of Houston, in the Province of British Columbia, draw the attention of the House to the following: That, the Federal Government committed to the taxpayers of Canada that the National Firearms Registry for long guns under Bill C-68 would cost no more than $2-million dollars; That, the Auditor Generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report submitted to Parliament on December 3, 2002 determined that the minimum cost of the Federal Firearms Registry for long guns will exceed $1-billion dollars; that an administrative review by a consultant for the Justice Department verified that the gun registry will cost an additional $541-million before being fully implemented, and another $1-billion to operate; and that these spending estimates do not include the cost of associated programs; That, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has recently announced that they believe that the Firearms Registry for long guns will cost the taxpayers of Canada at least $2-billion; That, the Auditor General of Canada determined that the Justice Department has consistently failed to provide both the Members of Parliament and the Auditor General with accurate information regarding cost overruns of the Registry; That, the Government has failed to provide any conclusive or verifiable evidence that the registration of long guns is preventing crime or keeping guns out of the hands of criminals; That, the money spent on the Firearms Registry for long guns would have provided MRIs for every hospital in Canada, or provided for the hiring of at least 10,000 police officers;

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That, municipalities across Canada are in dire need of funding assistance to assist with the provision of local services including public transit, the maintenance of local infrastructure such as roads, bridges, sewers, hospitals, and local law enforcement; That, eight Provinces, three Territories, police associations, police chiefs and police officers across Canada have withdrawn their support of the Firearms Registry for long guns; five recent public opinion polls have demonstrated that a majority of Canadian taxpayers support the abolition of the Firearms Registry in favour of spending on other national priorities; and that six provinces are refusing to prosecute charges associated with the Firearms Registry; Therefore, as elected representatives of the District of Houston, we call upon Parliament to abolish the unworkable National Firearms Registry for long guns and redirect the tax dollars being spent on the registry to programs of municipal infrastructure, health care, education, and local law enforcement. Mayor Sharon Smith Councillor Hank Buursema Councillor Joanne Dickenson Councillor Larry Dockendorff Councillor Dwain Erhardt Councillor Bonny Hawley Councillor Nick Powell

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

Do you have something to say? Would you like to see it in print? The National Firearms Association is having a contest. Write an article for our magazine on one of the topics listed below, and if your article makes the cut, you will receive an NFA merchandise package. E-mailed entries to us should be typed and spell-checked in MS Word or WordPerfect format where possible. Articles should be between 500 to 2500 words in length. Don’t forget to let us know your name and your full postal mailing address so that if your article is chosen, then we can get your merchandise package to you.

Any accompanying images will work wonders! If you want your photos returned to you, please include a self-addressed envelope. The Canadian Firearms Journal will accept submissions by e-mail or snail mail: National Firearms Association P.O. Box 52183 Edmonton AB T6G 2T5 or email: editor@nfa.ca

Topics: Youth and the Shooting Sports. The National Firearms Association is working with its Member Clubs and you to encourage young people to participate in our proud culture and heritage of shooting sports. We want articles from a youth’s perspective, or articles describing what you are doing for youth involvement.

Spring Bear Hunt and the Spring Turkey Hunt. Know any funny stories? Remember, you can change the names of people in the article if you want. We also want to hear about the gear you find most helpful in the field, and maybe a warning about the gear you’ve had the most problems with.

Fast Draw. We want to hear about the participants in this sport, both in Canada and the United States. Do you know something interesting about the equipment required? Have you been to a Fast Draw Competition? Have you been a Fast Draw competitor?

Law Enforcement. Enough said. Write an article involving law enforcement and firearms.

Museums. Many Canadians are collectors of everything to do with firearms, and some have collections of museum quality. We’d love to hear about any that may be in your neck of the woods.

Historical Reenactments. We want to hear what you’re reenacting, where your doing it and how. Let us know who your group is and why you’re so excited about your specific point in history.

Cowboy Action Shooting. We want to hear from the people involved. Let us know about the Cowboy Matches you’ve been to, or a shooting school near you where you can learn to be a better shooting competitor. IPSC and IDPA. Are you involved in this exciting sport? We want to hear from you or any Canadian Shooter who has excelled in this area.

Volume XIV Number 1

Are you ready for the Hunting Season? We want to hear about the latest gear, the latest news, and the tactics needed to ensure that the 2004 season is the most successful season possible! Caring for Firearms. We will be featuring the best methods to clean and care for firearms. If you’ve found a neat trick that has worked well for you over the years, let us know. Ammunition reloading is another topic that will be wrapped in with this one. Women and the Shooting Sports. The National Firearms Association is looking for women who are prominent in the shooting sports. Tell us your story. Additionally, we want to see articles on how shooting clubs are encouraging women to be involved. Shotgun Sports. Are you involved in Sporting Clays, Trap or Skeet, 5 Stand, Upland Game Bird Hunting, or Migratory Game Bird Hunting? Let us know what’s important to you, and some of the interesting aspects of this sport.

Canadian Firearms Journal

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by Garry Breitkreuz

Garry Breitkreuz’s

Plan to Register Criminals - Not Duck Hunters Below is a survey. Please fill it out and forward it to Garry Breitkreuz at:

Rm. 452-D, Centre Block House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

1. What do we want a gun control program to do?

❑

Better checks of persons, vehicles, and shipments entering Canada, and better checks of the bona fides of shippers and commercial carriers.

❑

Increase X-ray examination of packages mailed into Canada for smuggled firearms.

❑

Make it an offence to sell, rent, lease, loan, or give a firearm without first checking the toodangerous-to-have-guns registry (i.e., one call to a toll-free line where a real person who actually knows something answers the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

❑

Effective safety training and provincial certification for every person wishing to acquire and use a firearm (Note: firearm licensing and registration is under provincial jurisdiction).

❑

Require all persons to produce on demand from a police officer any firearms certification required by a provincial government for any firearm(s)they are transporting or using (i.e., a provincial hunting licence);and

❑

Provide the provinces, municipalities, police, and customs with the resources necessary to carry out all these functions effectively.

Goal: Keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them! 2. Who shouldn’t have guns in Canada?

❑

All persons prohibited from owning guns by the courts.

❑

All persons with an outstanding criminal arrest warrant.

❑

All persons with restraining orders against them.

❑

All persons with refused or revoked firearm licenses; and

❑

All individuals who have threatened violence.

3. How do we keep guns out of the hands of those in the “too Dangerous-to-have-guns” registry?

❑

Register and keep track of everyone in the toodangerous-to-have-guns registry so police will know where they live at all times.

❑

Vigorously enforce the terms and conditions of all paroles, firearm prohibition orders, bail restrictions, and restraining orders.

❑

Periodic inspections of the residences and property of repeat offenders listed in the toodangerous-to-have-guns registry for illegally acquired guns.

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

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phone (613) 992-47394 fax (613) 992-8676 e-mail breitg@parl.gc.ca

Other Measures or Comments: ______________________ _______________________________________________

Severe mandatory penalties for using a weapon in a violent crime (no plea barganing).

_______________________________________________

Severe mandatory penalties for smuggling weapons into Canada (no plea barganing).

_______________________________________________

Severe mandatory penalties for stealing a gun (no plea bargaining).

_______________________________________________

Severe penalties for violating the terms and conditions of paroles, bail, firearm prohibition orders and restraining orders (no plea bargaining). Severe mandatory penalties for any person entered in the too-dangerous-to-have-guns registry who attempts to buy, rent, lease, or borrow a firearm (no plea barganing).

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

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Events Schedule May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 15

June 11

August 6

Alberta Frontier Shootists presents their Spring Fracas. Central Alberta Call (780) 464-4600 or visit: www.compusmart.ab.ca/afs

National Firearms Association’s Canadian Firearms Safety Course Challenge. Edmonton, Alberta Call (780) 439-1394, Fax (780) 439-4091

May 15

June 18

August 15

The West Kootenay Marksmen are holding their annual Service Rifle Match. Rossland, BC Call Don Blair @ (250) 368-8678 Call Colin Kenning @ (250) 362-5048

National Firearms Association’s Canadian Firearms Safety Course Challenge. Edmonton, Alberta Call (780) 439-1394, Fax (780) 439-4091

May 16

Alberta Frontier Shootists present their Leather Slapper. Central Alberta Call (780) 464-4600 or visit: www.compusmart.ab.ca/afs

The West Kootenay Marksmen are holding an Old Time Revolver Match. Rossland, BC Call Don Blair @ (250) 368-8678 Call Colin Kenning @ (250) 362-5048 Call Bill Bradshaw @ (250) 362-5330

The West Kootenay Marksmen are holding their annual Service Pistol Match. Rossland, BC Call Don Blair @ (250) 368-8678 Call Colin Kenning @ (250) 362-5048

May 21 National Firearms Association’s Canadian Firearms Safety Course Challenge. Edmonton, Alberta Call (780) 439-1394, Fax (780) 439-4091

Fort Custer Battlefield Tours Presents the 128th Battle Anniversary Program SASS members only. Call Ellsworth Kincaid at (714) 281-4712 or e-mail shaws870@aol.com National Firearms Association’s Canadian Firearms Safety Course Challenge. Edmonton, Alberta Call (780) 439-1394, Fax (780) 439-4091

Nat. Defence HQ Rifle Assoc. & Nat. Capital Region Rifle Association’s 21st Annual Victoria Day Pistol Match. Ottawa, Ontario Call Alois Lazecky (613) 523-4933 e-mail aloislazecky@pc.gc.ca or page Don Moore (613) 364-0063 e-mail donrae@ncf.ca

June 26-27 The West Kootenay Marksmen are holding a Black Powder Rendezvous. Rossland, BC Call Don Blair @ (250) 368-8678 Call Colin Kenning @ (250) 362-5048

May 28 National Firearms Association’s Canadian Firearms Safety Course Challenge. Edmonton, Alberta Call (780) 439-1394, Fax (780) 439-4091

July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2

June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 4 National Firearms Association’s Canadian Firearms Safety Course Challenge. Edmonton, Alberta Call (780) 439-1394, Fax (780) 439-4091

National Firearms Association’s Canadian Firearms Safety Course Challenge. Edmonton, Alberta Call (780) 439-1394, Fax (780) 439-4091

July 18

June 6 The West Kootenay Marksmen are holding their annual .303 Service Rifle Match Rossland, BC Call Colin Kenning @ (250) 362-5048

Volume XIV Number 1

June 24 - 27

June 25

May 22 - 23

June 19

August 27 - 28 OFMF Convention and Annual General Meeting and Rendezvous is hosted by Northwest Region. Kenora, Ontario. Call Ken Maw @ (807) 548-6110 Call Ken Fralick @ (807) 934-6364 Call OFMF Office @ (705) 254-3338

September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 4-5 Cochrane Fast Guns is hosting the 6th Annual Canadian Fast Draw Championships. Cochrane Alberta Call Richard or Linda at (403) 932-3115, or Fax (403) 851-0330 or email: cochranefastguns@shaw.ca.

September 17 - 19 Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters presents their Women’s Outdoor Weekends Call (705) 748-6324 www.ofah.org

June 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 3-4, 2006 Join the 9th New Yourk Volunteer Cavalry Co. A. at Old Historic Fort Erie for the Battle of Ridgeway Fenian Raid. Call 1-877-642-7275 or (905) 871-0540

The West Kootenay Marksmen are holding a Great Merchandise Match and Barbeque. Rossland, BC Call Colin Kenning @ (250) 362-5048

July 30, 31, August 1, & 2 Alberta Frontier Shootists presents their Shootout at the No-Way Corral. Central Alberta Call (780) 464-4600 or visit: www.compusmart.ab.ca/afs

Canadian Firearms Journal

Are you wondering why your event isn’t here? Send it to the National Firearms Association: Box 52183 Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2T5 www.nfa.ca

Tel: (780) 439-1394 Fax: (780) 439-4091 nfainfo@nfa.ca

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by W. J. (Wally) Butts

Tales from the Hunt Camp...

...The Last Word

Shooting Donuts

ncle George considered himself to be a good wing shot, and diligently practiced at the trap range over the summer months. When fall arrived, he was eager to get out for ducks in the reedy marshes of the inner bay. The month of September featured only a small number of local ducks. As these ducks soon became decoy-wise, the early hunting was not really fruitful. The best shooting would be in early November. That’s when the northern flocks congregated on the bay to rest and eat before their continued migration south. When Uncle George got the call to go hunting the freshly-arrived northern birds, he was eager to go. The decoys were changed from puddle ducks to divers, and all of the gear was checked out. His hunting partner was also very conscious of his own shooting skills, and frequently reloaded his own ammunition. “You’ve just got to try my new loads,” he remarked to Uncle George. “I’ll bring you a couple of boxes.” Uncle George agreed, and the two hunters met for an

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early breakfast long before sun-up on the designated day. The half-hour boat ride in the inky darkness across the bay to the one of the weedy points sharpened the senses. But Uncle George was already daydreaming about the perfect doubles that he would score that day. They set the decoys in a classic wishbone pattern, with the landing “hole” in the centre, and waited for daylight. Shortly after legal shooting time, a small flock of bluebills cupped their wings and swung to land in the decoys. Both men rose as one, and each fired three times, almost in unison.

Two birds lay dead on the water, both taken by Uncle George’s hunting partner. “Nice shots,” he remarked to the other hunter. “Maybe I lead mine too far,” he said. The next flock produced exactly the same results. Uncle George was slightly perturbed that he had not scored a bird, while his partner had added two more to

Continued on page 30

Canadian Firearms Journal

Volume XIV Number 1

by W. J. (Wally) Butts Continued from page 29

Tales from the Hunt Camp...

Shooting Donuts

the count. “Looks like you’re a little rusty,” his partner noted. Uncle George became even more determined to catch up on the next group of birds. Two hens and a drake then visited the decoys, and Uncle George cut his lead a bit, but to no avail. Score another bird for his partner. “I don’t know what the problem is,” he mused, and on the next two birds, he lengthened his lead, again to no avail. His partner just chuckled, and added yet another bird to the pile in the bottom of the boat. By now Uncle George was disturbed and a bit angry. He tried shooting higher, lower, and even further forward, but his shot never touched a bird. By noon they had a full limit of birds in the boat, and it was time to pack up the rig and head home. Uncle George was thoroughly dejected by this time, and was even contemplating buying a new gun. “It just can’t be me,” he thought. “It must be the gun.” When all of the decoys were in the boat, his hunting partner remarked that Uncle George’s renowned shooting skills had gone south. “Why don’t you take a shot across the water?” he asked. “Have a look at your pattern before we go?” he suggested. So Uncle George loaded a single round, and fired across the water to check the shot pattern. At the sound of the shot there was nothing. No splash in the water. No shot pattern. Uncle George then realized that he had been had. His hunting partner had pulled of one of the greatest hunting jokes ever on Uncle George. The shells that he had given to the hapless hunter contained no shot. He had purposely reloaded a couple of boxes of shells with no shot. Uncle George was furious! Furious not so much because he hadn’t gotten any ducks, but furious rather that he hadn’t noticed the lack of weight of the shells every time he reloaded his semi-auto. When he realized the true humour of the situation, he laughed as loud as his partner. “You got me on that one,” he said. “You sure did! I’ve just learned to never accept someone else’s shotgun shells, especially those from you.” They both chuckled as they headed back to the boat ramp. Uncle George decided that the old shotgun wasn’t so bad after all. But the story would be retold for years to come, about how Uncle George went shooting ducks with empty shotgun shells.

...The Last Word

Volume XIV Number 1

Canadian Firearms Journal

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