Buckeye Firearms Foundation

by Jim Irvine

The Ohio Gun Collector's Association (OGCA) returned to the I-X Center in Cleveland on October 15-16, 2011, for their first event in almost 10 years. The huge crowds that packed the show Saturday made it obvious that they had been missed. As is typical, the show was less crowded on Sunday, but a vendor I bought some supplies from indicated he was actually selling more on Sunday than he did on Saturday.

by Larry S. Moore

The Ohio Gun Collectors Association (www.ogca.com)(OGCA) is the largest gun collecting association in the world. They are also second to none in the promotion and protection of our Second Amendment rights. The OGCA recently continued this tradition by presenting checks to the Butler County Sportsmen Club and the Buckeye Firearms Association.

by Larry S. Moore

"Be prepared to play an active role in your rescue" and "If you are not cheating then you are not trying hard enough" were two of the key points driven home by Dave Spaulding. It wasn't about the make, model, caliber or type of gun used but the mindset and skill of the person with the gun. The Buckeye Firearms Foundation fund raising seminar was held Saturday 8/6/11 outside Xenia, Ohio at the Greene County Fish and Game Association (http://www.gcfng.com/).

Spaulding set the tone in the brief classroom session. He presented the critical aspects of mindset and what it takes to win on the street. He next outlined the requirements of how to build the skills to win. Spaulding places a lot of emphasis on mastering basic skills first and then building on those skills. It was quickly out to the ranges to put into practice the principles discussed in the classroom.

While the above two themes, which Spaulding repeated throughout the day, stuck in my head, the coaching on the range sealed the deal for me. The class was anxious to get to the range and put the words into action. I can assure you that I was also somewhat apprehensive about the range time. Would I screw up? Would I measure up? How well would I execute the drills and remember previous training. Fortunately, part of the class dealt with the reality that the concealed handgun license holder is often "the moderately trained person." Switching from my sport of trap shooting and my passion for deer hunting with a handgun to combat tactics for street survival all employ different skill sets and even some direct opposite skills. In short, I am the person that needed this training.

by Aaron Kirkingburg

Over the weekend of July 29-31st a group of 30 adult volunteers ran a youth shooting event out at Dillon Gun Range. Both firearms safety and marksmanship skills were learned by 50 youth participants, ranging in age from 11-17. Boys and girls from the Licking county area received instruction in proper marksmanship skills, the basic rules of safe gun handling, the importance of conservation, and much more. Area Boy Scouts and American Heritage Girls in attendance were given the opportunity to meet all their requirements for both Shotgun and Rifle merit badges. First, Second and Third place trophies were awarded in both Rifle and Shotgun disciplines. Among the many marksmanship ratings that were earned over the weekend, there were two Marksman 1st class and three Sharpshooters awarded in rifle, and one Marksman 1st Class in Shotgun.

Thanks to sponsor Buckeye Firearms Foundation, as well as a Step Outside grant from the ODNR, and the help of a some local businesses, participants enjoyed the weekends shooting activities without the normal cost of ammunition, targets, and range fees.

Despite temperatures hovering in the mid to high 90's, punctuated by occasional thunderstorms, both attendance and moral was high. Most of the registered attendees camped from Friday evening, till Sunday around mid-day. Those youth attempting to complete their goals on the range had the opportunity to receive instruction and attempt to get their qualifications done until 11:30 when we shut down the firing lines. The persistence and dedication exhibited by these kids is remarkable. Seeing the sparkle in their eyes when they get that qualifying target, or break five clay birds in a row cannot be described with words. Giving these kids the opportunity to have a great time while learning safe gun handling along with marksmanship skills, ensures that under no circumstances will the "guns are bad" crowd ever hold sway over them in the future. NRA Marksmanship Qualifications along with the opportunity to earn merit badges and trophies, appeals to the widest variety of active youth out there. Marksmanship rockers and the competition for top shooter give them the motivation to continue shooting year after year, even after any initial goal may have been achieved.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation is making a donation of $1000 to the legal defense fund of Canton, Ohio concealed handgun licensee William Bartlett, who was subjected to horrific civil rights violations by a police officer.

Watch the video and see the officer, Daniel Harless, abuse and threaten the licensee during a traffic stop last month. The abuse included repeated threats to EXECUTE the licensee.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation-supported civil rights lawsuit against city alive and well

On Monday, Sept. 27, 2010, Buckeye Firearms Association informed readers about the arrest of five members of Wisconsin Carry Inc., a state firearms rights group in Wisconsin, who were legally open carrying in their local Culvers restaurant when a dreaded "man with a gun" call was made to the local police. We announced an effort by the Buckeye Firearms Foundation to help the Wisconsin five pay for legal fees to fight the charges against them, to which BFF had already committed $2500 in matching funds.

Buckeye Firearms supporters responded immediately. By the end of the following day, more than twice the original goal of $2500 was raised, and on Wednesday Sept. 29 a check for $7,500 was mailed to Wisconsin Carry Inc.

That same day, Wisconsin Carry, Inc filed a Federal lawsuit against the City of Madison and Madison Police Chief Noble Wray. (A copy of this lawsuit is available here.)

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported recently that prosecutors have dismissed disorderly conduct charges issued against the five gun rights activists.

From the article:

"The only disturbance created on that Saturday evening was by a mass of uniformed Madison police officers and squads arriving to investigate law-abiding citizens having dinner," said Christopher Van Wagner, a defense attorney hired by Wisconsin Carry, Inc. to defend the men.

According to Nik Clark, president of the group, the Madison City Attorney's office on Thursday informed Wagner and Wisconsin Carry of its decision to dismiss the citations against all five men.

While the bogus charges against these men have been dropped, our friends at Wisconsin Carry Inc. are pleased to report that their civil rights lawsuit is still alive and well.

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation has been joined by 17 other firearms rights groups in an amicus brief filed in a case now before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging laws that prohibit the carrying of firearms by law-abiding non-resident U.S. citizens in Denver, Colorado.

The case, Peterson v. Garcia, was filed by Washington state resident Gray Peterson, who cannot exercise his right to bear arms because Colorado statute prohibits the issuance of a concealed carry permit to non-residents, and does not recognize Peterson's Washington license or his Florida carry permit because he is not a Florida resident. Denver bans the open carry of firearms, leaving Peterson – who visits Colorado frequently – without any legal means of carrying a firearm for his personal protection.

"This is a case that affects citizens in at least 20 states and the District of Columbia," noted Miko Tempski, SAF legal affairs director. "We've been joined by organizations from 16 of those states in this brief, because they all have members who may travel to Colorado and face the same problem if they enter the City of Denver."

Joining SAF are the Buckeye Firearms Foundation (Ohio), Citizens' Rights Action League (Rhode Island), Commonwealth Second Amendment (Massachusetts), Connecticut Citizens Defense League, Calguns Foundation, Inc. (California), Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance (Minnesota), Hawaii Defense Foundation, Illinois Carry, Illinois State Rifle Association, Maine Open Carry Association, Maryland Shall Issue, Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation, Wisconsin Carry, Inc., SCOPE, Inc. (New York), Stillwater Firearms Association (Nevada), Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. and West Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. All are state-focused non-profit organizations dedicated to preserving, defending and promoting firearms rights.

Fairfax, Va. -- Today, the Cuyahoga County Court struck down the City of Cleveland's scheme of restrictive gun laws still on the books despite Ohio law, which clearly prohibits such municipal gun ordinances. The Court ruled in favor of gun owners in the National Rifle Association-supported case of Buckeye Firearms Foundation, Inc. v. City of Cleveland.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Brian Corrigan has ordered Cleveland to stop any enforcement of 19 separate local gun control ordinances, effective immediately.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation is the lead Plaintiff in the case, which was filed in early 2009. In the interim, Cleveland sued the State of Ohio in an attempt to have the state's firearm laws declared an unconstitutional usurpation of a city's home rule authority. In December 2010, the Ohio Supreme Court entered final judgment against Cleveland, ruling (for a second time) that the state's laws were valid.

The Cleveland ordinances invalidated dealt with gun registration, owner I.D. cards, assault weapon bans, limits on firearm dealers within city limits, possession of firearms in parks and other public places, seizure and destruction of firearms, storage of firearms, reporting theft of firearms and concealed carry of firearms.

Judge Corrigan wrote, "R.C. 9.68 clearly invalidates any and all municipal ordinances regulating 'the ownership, possession, purchase, other acquisition, transport, storage, carrying, sale, or other transfer of firearms, their components, and their ammunition.'" Judge Corrigan set July 7, 2011 as a hearing on Buckeye Firearm Foundations request for mandatory attorney fees. The Ohio Supreme Court has already upheld the validity of the mandatory attorney fee provision.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation, a 501(C)(3) dedicated to advancing and defending firearm rights, is pleased to announce our first gun show and auction.

There will be a huge number of guns plus shooting and reloading supplies, books, knives, and collectibles for sale.

When: Saturday, November 13, 2010, 10AM