American Defense Enterprises

Starbuck’s says its (open carry) legal and they are not going to take a corporate anti-gun position.  For the record, I was a Coffee Bean guy (I like one of their ice blendeds a little better).  I am now a Starbuck’s guy — besides, they have cute bears and yummy egg salad sammiches.

Here is Starbuck’s statement, issued today:

Mar 03, 2010
Starbucks Position on Open Carry Gun Laws

SEATTLE, March 03, 2010 – We recognize that there is significant and genuine passion surrounding the issue of open carry weapons laws. Advocacy groups from both sides of this issue have chosen to use Starbucks as a way to draw attention to their positions.

While we deeply respect the views of all our customers, Starbucks long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged. We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve. In this case, 43 of the 50 U.S. states have open carry weapon laws. Where these laws don’t exist, we comply with laws that prohibit the open carrying of weapons. The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores.

At the same time, we have a security protocol for any threatening situation that might occur in our stores. Partners are trained to call law enforcement as situations arise. We will continuously review our procedures to ensure the highest safety guidelines are in place and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement.

We have examined this issue through the lens of partner (employee) and customer safety. Were we to adopt a policy different from local laws allowing open carry, we would be forced to require our partners to ask law abiding customers to leave our stores, putting our partners in an unfair and potentially unsafe position.

As the public debate continues, we are asking all interested parties to refrain from putting Starbucks or our partners into the middle of this divisive issue. As a company, we are extremely sensitive to the issue of gun violence in our society. Our Starbucks family knows all too well the dangers that exist when guns are used irresponsibly and illegally. Without minimizing this unfortunate reality, we believe that supporting local laws is the right way for us to ensure a safe environment for both partners and customers.

An NRA certified instructor who was giving a CCW class to three students in Orlando, Florida accidentally shot a student in the foot.  The bullet first went though a table before hitting the student in the foot.  Thankfully the student in doing well, but the NRA, who prohibits ammunition during these classes, said they had no problem revoking the certification of an instructor who is breaking the rules.  Unfortunately the accident also prompted the church that was serving as a venue for the class will not be hosting any more similar events.

Remember basic firearms safety rules people and accidents like this will not happen.

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

Thanks Col. Cooper!

Arizona’s Senate voted to approve legislation that allows for every adult to carry a concealed weapon.  Sen. Russell Pearce drafted bill SB 1102 because he believes that laws that prevent law-abiding citizens from carrying concealed weapons are ignored by criminals.  He has a point.  It seems kind of silly for someone who is going to rob and kill to say “hey, carrying a concealed weapon is against the law.”

We’ll keep you updated on how this progresses.

I saw this come up on an advertisement and thought they did a pretty snazzy job, so, I am reposting the info here…

MyGunPurses.com

Most purses I have seen look like crap, these on the other hand, look pretty good, here are a couple of their models:

Two things to consider:

1. I know sweet f-all about style, so, if all their models are ugly, I wouldnt know the difference
2. If any guys buy their fanny-pack models, they deserve the ridicule they receive!

Rod Tuason, a Palo Alto cop, decided to post on facebook  “threatening to kill anyone he found openly carrying a handgun, even if that person was carrying it legally.” (Story at CNET)

“…and if it weren’t for the Blackberry my pappy that I always kept in my breast pocket, that bullet would have killed me!”

Thanks to TheFirearmBlog for the link to this story… basically some dumb ass managed to get his clothing caught up in his .32 pistol and discharged it through his coat and at his girlfriend.

When the round struck his GF, the Blackberry stopped the bullet with only minor bruising as a result.  I wish they mentioned which firearm the gentleman had…

I found this video over at WDTN.

For the silly NAA mini revolver…  A tactical Laser!

Saw this… seemed of general interest.

We forgot to mention this during last Saturday’s class…

The San Diego Reader has a nice piece on open carry in San Diego.

Worth the read.  For that matter, it is probably worth participating in an open carry exercise before our fine friends in Sacramento close the “open carry loophole”.  For those not in the know.  It is legal in California to openly (not concealed) carry an unloaded pistol thruout the state except in expressly restricted areas (e.g., within 1000 ft of a school).  Since the rules are complex, I wouldnt just jump on this without getting really well informed.  http://opencarry.org/ is probably a good place to start.

Dont blame me if you accidentally end up violating the law and get arrested…  For that matter, dont blame me if you DONT end up violating the law but you still get arrested.