by admin | Aug 7, 2016
August Update
Iowa Firearms Coalition
Iowans-
There’s less than a week until the start of the 2016 Iowa State Fair. This major event draws more than a million people to the East side of Des Moines. With approximately 100,000 people passing through their gates each day and relatively tiny number of armed security personnel the Iowa State Fair is also Iowa’s largest gun free zone, making it an area ripe for crime and victimization.
Last week a panel of Iowa lawmakers reviewed the Iowa State Fair’s gun free zone policy, but decided to take no action to overturn the ban. Speaker after speaker testified against your right to defend yourself and to protect your loved ones. The Iowa Firearms Coalition was the only pro-Second Amendment organization to testify in favor of repealing the Iowa State Fair’s ban on the lawful carry of firearms. Our testimony is on the website, and so is a perfect example of why you should be able to carry at the Iowa State Fair.
IOWA STATE FAIR MOB VIOLENCE
BEAT WHITEY NIGHT
3 OFFICERS INJURED
The Iowa Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee may have decided against taking any action but that does not mean the issue of State Fair Carry is dead. We expect to see this brought up during the 2017 legislative session. In all honesty though, unless we can flip the Iowa Senate repealing the Iowa State Fair gun ban will be tough. Not impossible, but tough. As will passing laws like Stand Your Ground, Constitutional Carry, or repealing Iowa’s ban on supervised youth handgun shooting. That’s why it’s imperative that you get involved this election cycle and do more than vote.
We’re working extremely hard to flip the Senate, but we need your help. Our campaign and election division, IFC-PAC, is mobilizing Iowans around the state to end the Gronstalling in the Iowa Senate and pave the way for the a legislature that is committed to protecting and enhancing the Second Amendment. When you’re ready to go to work for the Second Amendment sign-up to volunteer with IFC-PAC or make a donation to help us flip the Iowa Senate!
Finally, we’re very excited to announce that Jack of West Chester was the winner of our July AR15 Upgrade Giveaway. Jack won an 13” Geissele Automatics rail and ALG Defense ACT trigger for his AR15. This month we’ve partnered with Vortex Optics to giveaway their newest red-dot optic the SPARC AR. There are multiple ways to enter, and you can gain bonus entries for referring a friend. We’ll be giving away the Vortex SPARC AR at the end of this month, but every week we’re selecting a random winner and mailing them small prize from our IFC swag bag.
Click HERE to enter.
More updates to come. Thank you for continuing to support the Iowa Firearms Coalition!
Iowa Firearms Coalition is an entirely volunteer, grassroots, Second Amendment advocacy group. Responsible for bringing uniformity to Iowa’s Concealed Weapons Permitting process, IFC’s members work to protect and enhance Second Amendment rights in Iowa. An affiliate of the National Rifle Association, the IFC actively seeks to foster and promote the shooting sports. Sign up for our email list for the latest on Second Amendment issues in Iowa. You can support our work by becoming a member, or making a donation.
by admin | Aug 14, 2014
[cp_special_text color=”black” size=”large”]This week in St. Louis:[/cp_special_text]
A young man is dead. Protesters are rioting. And honest, law-abiding citizens are being forced to re-think how they are going to protect themselves and their families.
It’s hardly surprising (but still fascinating) to hear that when a community is on the edge of martial law, gun shops are seeing a sharp increase in sales. As noted below in the St. Louis Business Journal gun shops are seeing an uncharacteristic spike in sales during what is usually one of their slowest parts of the year.
Whatever your opinion is on the death of Mike Brown, the protesters, or the police response in Ferguson, Missouri, one thing transcends all sides of this argument. When there’s a legitimate threat of violence to one’s family, or one’s self, people overwhelmingly turn to firearms to defend themselves. We’re hoping these new gun owners remember to get proper training, and have an honest discussion about firearm safety with their families and those surround them.
As always, we hope and pray for a peaceful resolution. No one wants to see anyone hurt unnecessarily, be it the protesters, the police, or innocent bystanders.
With that said, I can’t help but wonder what Everytown for Gun Safety or Moms Demand Action would suggest a homeowner do when faced with mob violence on their front doorstep…
Gun stores see sales spike in wake of Ferguson riots
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2014/08/12/gun-stores-see-sales-spike-in-wake-of-ferguson.html
For the past two days, Steve King has been “unbelievably busy” at his gun store, Metro Shooting at 11434 St. Charles Rock Road. King said business spiked 50 percent as local residents respond to the violent events taking place in Ferguson.
“We’ve sold a variety of handguns, shotguns and AR-15s (a semi-automatic rifle),” King said. “All of the sales are having to do with home defense.”
King, who owns the store that has 17 employees and 2013 revenue of about $2 million, added that customers have ranged from new firearm buyers to those upgrading their current arsenal. He said both black and white individuals have purchased firearms at his store over the past few days.
“Usually it’s pretty slow through the summer, but this has been a huge spike for business,” King said. “People are hunkering down because those events are taking place too close to their own home … in some cases, a half a mile away. Lots of people are afraid.”
Officials at Mid America Arms, at 8205 Gravois Road, have seen a similar increase in business. Owner Al Rothweiler had to break away from his jammed-packed store this afternoon to talk to the Business Journal.
“We were closed Sunday and Monday, but today, sales have been brisk, and the store is full of people,” said Rothweiler, who estimated that his sales were also up 50 percent Tuesday compared with a typical day in August. “Everyone who bought today mentioned something about Ferguson.”
Before this week’s spike, Rothweiler said August had been a slow month for the $3.5 million business, but he doesn’t expect the spike to continue.
John Ham, public information officer for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Kansas City division that includes St. Louis, said he has not heard or seen any increase in firearms purchases for the area. Calls to the FBI requesting firearm background check statistics were not returned.
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