Hoytuan Pierce. (Photo: Chicago Police Department)

A convicted felon was sentenced to 7 years in prison Wednesday for firing a gun near Wrigley Field after the Chicago Cubs won the 2015 National League Division Series.

According to a Justice Department news release, 33-year-old Hoytuan Pierce fired the handgun the night of Oct. 13, 2015, during a dispute with several people on Clark Street near Wrigley Field. The area was still crowded with baseball fans, as earlier that evening the Cubs had beaten the St. Louis Cardinals to clinch the National League Division Series.

No one was injured in the incident, but due to a previous felony conviction, Pierce was not legally allowed to possess the gun.

Pierce pleaded guilty last year to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and was sentenced Wednesday to 84 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo.

“Gun-related deaths and injuries have taken an immeasurable toll on the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois over the past couple of years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Cornelius Vandenberg said in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The defendant’s actions on October 13, 2015, showed a blatant disregard for the safety of those around him.”

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Over 700 Civil War-era pieces of unexploded ordnance have been destroyed from a construction site in Western Pennsylvania (Photos: U.S. Army)

Ongoing construction this year in Lawrenceville near the location of the historic Allegheny Arsenal has kept Army explosive ordnance disposal teams busy.

Live Civil War-era cannonballs have been popping up since March resulting in a response at first the Pittsburgh Police bomb squad, then a more lingering military presence.

Elements of the 192nd Ordnance Company from Fort Bragg, North Carolina and the 55th Ordnance Company from Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, transported some 700 items from the construction site to Fort Indiantown Gap, a Pennsylvania National Guard base with a live-fire range and facilities for demolition.

Officials advise the public should keep in mind “the 3Rs” — Recognize, Retreat and Report — when encountering potential unexploded ordnance.

“While we are often called up to dispose of unexploded ordnance, this operation was slightly unusual due to the age and volume of the munitions,” said Capt. Dan Dellorusso. “We’re always happy to help members of the community.”

Officials advise the public should keep in mind “the 3Rs” — Recognize, Retreat and Report — when encountering potential unexploded ordnance.

Authorities stress these items are not souvenirs

“Regardless of the munition’s age, these items are not souvenirs and have the potential to harm you,” said the Army in a statement.

Founded by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department near Lawrenceville in 1814, Allegheny was active through the Civil War period making everything from cartridges to harnesses for artillery horses.

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A small range of rifles is affected by this recall but due to the nature of this problem all RPR owners should check their guns for safety.

The post Ruger Precision Rifle Safety Recall – Uncommon but Crucial appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

The hiveGrip offers shooters better grip ergonomics on the SW22 Victory. (Photo: Tandemkross)

Aftermarket accessory maker Tandemkross unveiled a new SW22 Victory upgrade, announcing the hiveGrip, a wraparound rubber grip.

Designed for competitive shooters who struggle with the SW22 Victory’s rounded, stock grips, the hiveGrip allows users to have a better purchase on the pistol while shooting in rain or with gloves. The pistol grip is flexible and features a textured surface for better control.

The grip comes in two styles — all black and black with red accents. (Photo: Tandemkross)

Ergonomic finger grooves offer shooters better hand placement, aiming to improve accuracy while the low-profile design serves up an ideal fit. Made from a patented impact and vibration dampening material, the wrap-around hiveGrip installs easily and can be removed for cleaning and firearms maintenance.

“We’re proud to be able to release the “hiveGrip” for the SW22Victory,” Tandemkross Product Development Director Jake Wyman said in a press release. “The unique design of the wraparound grip for this pistol was exciting to produce and we are very happy with the results.”

Available in black or black with red accents the hiveGrip is currently in stock through Tandemkross with a base price of $39.99.

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FLIR has expanded its product line with the ThermoSight Pro Series thermal weapons sights. These sights attach to a MIL-STD/1913 picatinny rail, and would be perfect for hunting feral hogs or predators at night.

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The Mesa Long Range rifle boasts capabilities designed for long range hunters and precision shooters. (Photo: Christensen Arms)

Christensen Arms continues to build upon its product lineup, introducing a new long range, precision rifle in the Mesa Long Range.

Designed for both precision shooters as well as long range hunters, the medium Palma stainless steel barrel is mated with an adjustable carbon fiber composite, long-range stock. The combination aims to give shooters an ergonomic yet sturdy platform.

“The new Mesa [Long Range rifle] fills the gap between the Mesa and our dedicated long range precision rifles, the ELR and BA Tactical, and at a great price,” President of Christensen Arms Jason Christensen said in a statement.

The Mesa will initially come chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, 7MM Rem. Mag., .28 Nosler and .300 Win Mag.

The rifle comes equipped with a Tungsten-Cerakote finish, seamless side-baffle muzzle brake, skeletonized bolt handle and an oversized fluted bolt knob. Weighing less than 10 pounds, the rifle is prepared to shoot less than 1 MOA.

Christensen Arms says the Mesa Long Range is due to hit dealer’s shelves within the next two to three months with a MSRP of $1,595.

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Eric with IV8888 shows off the snappy sequel to Ruger’s now-classic LCP line. A gun that is set to see regular service in his household.

The legacy “Lightweight Compact Pistol” topped .380 pocket carry evolution when it came out at the 2008 SHOT Show and in the past eight years has been consistently updated.

Now, the hammer-fired LCP has been rebooted, keeping most of the good things it brought to the table in the first place, but adding some definite improvements that are not just cosmetic — especially when it comes to the sights and trigger.

Eric does point out the pocket pistol was finicky on ammo types, however, so keep that in mind.

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Vikki Towns-Perez is set to serve five to 10 years in the state penitentiary after purchasing several handguns for her now-murdered nephew. (Photo: WPVI)

A Pennsylvania woman will serve up to a decade in prison after pleading guilty this week to buying firearms for her nephew who was barred from gun ownership.

Vikki Towns-Perez, 36, of Chester, was sentenced to five to 10 years by a Delaware County Common Pleas Court judge on Tuesday, as reported by the Delaware County Daily Times. Her negotiated plea included six consolidated third-degree felony counts of selling a firearm to an ineligible transferee and one count of the same charge as a second-degree felony.

According to Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan’s office, Towns-Perez bought at least nine handguns between February 2012 and May 2013, to include several Kel-Tec 9mm semi-autos. Although she purchased them under her own name, the guns were for her nephew, who she thought to have been convicted of numerous crimes. In each case, Towns-Perez pocketed $150-200.

Five of the handguns went on to be recovered by authorities after being used in felonies. One was tied to a drug-related homicide.

“We know that the vast majority of the illegal guns on the streets used for violence and crime are a result of straw purchases,” Whelan said. “In the case of Vikki Towns-Perez, she purchased these guns without any regard for the law, knowingly giving them to an individual she believed to be a criminal.”

Towns-Perez, an unemployed mother of four and one-time nurse’s assistant, was sentenced under the state’s Brad Fox Law which mandates a mandatory five-year minimum prison term.

Fox, a Plymouth Township police officer and Marine, was shot in the head by a felon who had illegally purchased a gun through a third party. Following his death, lawmakers in the state passed a new law to provide tougher penalties for those who lie during otherwise legal gun transactions to obtain a firearm for someone who is prohibited from possessing one. The law was first used in 2014.

Towns-Perez’s nephew, 23-year-old Ka’Ron Ingram, was shot and killed in an unsolved homicide in 2015.

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A Marietta, Georgia, woman last week shot and killed a man she says came into her house and threatened her and her children with a gun.

The post Mother Fatally Shoots Five-Time Felon: ‘He shouldn’t have brought his a** into my house’ appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

The proposed measure is about whether you can carry a loaded, concealed weapon across state lines, and it’s triggered an explosive political debate, especially in New York.

Intruders beware: Thirty-two teachers and staff in Mad River Local Schools are now armed and ready to kill.When school gets back in session Monday, each building will have a number of the trained staff members who are able to access hidden gun safes, the combinations of which are known exclusively to the individual staff member and the superintendent.

Fairfax said he would be willing to consider requiring insurance for gun ownership, wants universal background checks and a return to Virginia’s one-handgun-a-month law. Gov. Bob McDonnell signed a repeal of the law in 2012.

Once again, it’s the Second Amendment to the rescue.A mass stabber cutting into three victims in Seminole, Florida, was apparently stopped dead in his tracks when his fourth target pulled out a gun.

The Czech Republic filed a lawsuit on Friday against a new European Union directive tightening gun ownership, aimed at limiting access to semi-automatic and other weapons after deadly Islamist attacks in western Europe.

Let's say, for a moment, that all the rifles in citizens' hands disappeared today. What would be the easiest way for some hoodrat to get a “scary rifle," not only with all the features Feinstein hates but with a giggle switch and a hi-cap mag to boot? I have that answer for you.

The post How Easy Is It to Steal an AR from a Police Cruiser? appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

ATF Firearms Specialist Richard Vasquez is surrounded by a cache of firearms in the gun vault on March 5, 2010, at the ATF National Tracing Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Eight out of 10 guns recovered in Haiti last year can’t be sufficiently traced, according to a federal report published this week.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released international tracing data Wednesday for Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean gathered through the agency’s National Tracing Center.

According to ATF findings, federal authorities recovered 2,340 firearms from the top five reporting Caribbean nations in 2016: the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

“Firearms tracing provides valuable investigative leads, specific trend data for ATF and its international partners, and information on the movement of a firearm from the manufacturer or importer through the distribution chain in an attempt to identify its first retail purchaser,” the agency said in a press release Wednesday.

For 88 percent of the 206 firearms recovered in Haiti, federal agents couldn’t trace the guns to the original point of sale. Just under half of the traces initiated for guns in Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago ended in similar results. Nearly 84 percent of guns recovered in the Bahamas were traced to retailers in the United States, according to the ATF.

The report offered several explanations for the untraceable guns, including missing or incomplete paperwork provided by a federally licensed firearms dealer, obliterated serial numbers, or recovering guns “too old to trace.”

“The success of a trace result, whether domestic or international, relies upon the accuracy of the supplied firearm identifiers,” the agency said in the report. “The necessary identifiers for a trace include manufacturer, importer (if applicable), model, caliber and serial number.”

Caribbean traces spiked 72 percent over 2015, according to federal data. Pistols represented the vast majority of recoveries in every country except Haiti, where nearly 78 percent of all traces involved shotguns.

The ATF traced more than 364,000 firearms recovered last year in the United States and 129 other countries. Traces have increased nearly 28 percent over the last six years, according to report findings, though remain flat compared to 2015.

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Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum volunteers with Swedish Ljungman rifle brought in as part of the national firearms amnesty. (Photo: Phoebe Moloney/Lithgow Mercury)

While the first nationwide firearms amnesty since 1996 is bringing in thousands of illegal or unregistered guns to police, a firearms museum trying to save what they can.

The Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum opened its doors 20 years ago in the home of the historic Australian firearms works that made Enfield and Steyr rifles for the military. Staffed by volunteers, they are now working during the three-month National Firearms Amnesty to keep some of the more interesting pieces from the scrappers.

“A lot of the firearms being handed in have been passed down through families or just found in a property’s garage,” volunteer Kerry Guerin told the Lithgow Mercury.

Among the historic guns brought to the museum since the turn-in event kicked off last month are a Webley .455 revolver with three notches cut into the grips — reportedly used by a Gurkha unit soldier in World War I, as well as a Slazenger 1B sporting rifle with intricately carved stocks and a 1902 Winchester. Other weapons, saved from likely destruction if turned over to police, include a Swedish AB Ljungman rifle and an antique palm pistol.

However, the museum is not just seeking to expand their collection and is actively trying to work with Australians to legally retain their own firearms. As detailed in a post on their social media page, licensed gun owners can bring their unregistered firearm and have it registered on the spot while those without a license can leave their illegal firearm there while Lithgow helps them obtain a license and register it.

Australians found with an unregistered firearm outside of an amnesty period risk a fine of as much as about $213,000 U.S. and 14 years in jail. While a 2016 report holds there are 2.89 million legally registered firearms in the country in the hands of 816,000 license holders, as many as 600,000 unregistered guns are thought to be in circulation.

Australia held a nationwide gun buyback in 1996 following a mass killing known as the Port Arthur massacre, where a gunman murdered 35 people and injured 24. The measure led to severe restrictions on firearms including an outright ban on most semi-automatic and pump-action rifles and shotguns. During the enactment of the law, the government bought nearly 700,000 firearms from gun owners at a cost of $500 million.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan announced the current amnesty in June and is expected to run until September. Thus far about 6,000 firearms have been turned in without compensation in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state.

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With a selection that includes a rare Hanel SMG, a Johnson light machine gun, and a British proof-marked BAR, Rock Island has a truckload of fun stuff at their September auction. The event has well over 100 select-fire or otherwise full-auto Class III transferrable machine guns up for grabs. Here are some of the more exciting specimens we saw:

The bell of the ball would be this early WWII M1941 Johnson light machine gun in 30.06. These storied weapons, with their side-loading 30-round mags and folding bipods, were produced in small quantities but served with such elite groups as the Canadian/American 1st Special Services Force, USMC Raiders, and Paramarines. Estimated Price: $40,000 – $60,000 (Photos: RIA)

If belt-fed at 1,200 rpm is more your thing, how about this Gustloff Werke-Suhl MG42 machine gun complete with a 1944-stamped early wooden buttstock, post war Swiss folding tripod mount, side mounted variable power sight and linker/delinker tool. Estimated Price: $20,000 – $35,000

Although never adopted by the German military– who used the more common MP38 and MP40 sub guns– this WWII-era MP41 was manufactured by the C.G. Haenel company and was actually based on Schmeisser patents, so it is deserving of the moniker. This rare 9mm SMG is $30-45K.

Omaha Chief of Police, John J. Pszanowski bought a 10-pack of early Colt-made Thompson Model 1921 submachine guns in 1930 just in case he ran into characters such as the Dillinger gang and apparently was very proud of these .45ACP Tommy guns– because this one is has a wealth of department marks. Think of it as character. RIA has no less than six NFA registered Thompsons up for auction, but this one is among the nicest of the litter. Estimated Price– $27,500 – $42,500.

If you want something less well-marked, there is this beautiful World War II U.S.-inspected Auto-Ordnance M1A1 for about half the price.

Marlin-Rockwell made a number of M1918 Browning Automatic Rifles (BARs) during World War I and this model, a true 1918 vintage example, escaped later modifications into the M1918A2 standard. Interestingly, it has British proof marks.

A product of the mind of firearms design wonk Eugene Reising, this Harrington & Richardson made experimental select-fire rifle (serial X26) is a 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifle is an improved M14 variant likely produced while the company was under contract to the government to produce the standard model. You aren’t likely going to see another one of these anytime soon.

If you want an actual factory original M14 battle rifle, they also have this H&R formerly used by the Department of Energy. Estimated Price: $22,500 – $35,000

For those who like to precision shoot but also like to have a fun-switch for if things get weird, how about this Heckler & Koch G3SG/1, which is an accurized G3 complete with a Schmidt & Bender 1 1/2-6x optic and functional three-position trigger pack. Ja! Estimated Price: $22,500 – $35,000

Though it is marked “United Defense Supply Company” this Model UD M.42 9mm submachine gun was actually manufactured by the Marlin Firearms company for contracts in WWII. Most went overseas and never came back, making these pretty scarce today. Estimated Price: $12,000 – $18,000

And now for something completely odd, how about an SWD Cobray M-11 subgun that has been converted to fire from a 50-round Calico Liberty helical magazine. It’s just $6-9K.

If something more modern is on your wishlist, they also have a half-dozen transferable select-fire M16s as well as a host of UZIs and MP5s. The auction is set to run Sept. 9-10.

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Smith & Wesson provides California residents with compliant M&P15 Sport II models. (Photo: Smith & Wesson)

Smith & Wesson announced M&P15 Sport II rifles are now available in California-compliant models designed to work alongside state regulations.

Chambered in 5.56mm NATO, the California-compliant variants include the Sport II and Sport II-Optics Ready rifles with 10-round magazines, a fixed stock and ambidextrous safety selector. Both rifles offer a durable Armornite finish on the interior and exterior of the barrel that resists corrosion.

“The M&P15 Sport II is a market leader in modern sporting rifles, and we are now offering the California market two new compliant M&P15 Sport II rifles,” said Jan Mladek, general manager of Smith & Wesson and M&P Brands, in a press release. “Known for a winning combination of price, features and proven performance, the M&P15 Sport II rifle is ideally suited for sport, recreation, target and protection use.”

The standard Sport II rifle comes standard with a Magpul MBUS rear sight and A2 front post and a price tag of $739 while the Sport II OR rifle is made to accept optics and features a Picatinny-rail gas block and top rail system for easier optics mounting. The OR version carries a price tag of $719.

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Thousands of guns lie on the ground before being destroyed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in 2012. (Photo: AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

Just over half of the guns recovered in Mexico in 2016 are untraceable, according to a federal report published this week.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released international tracing data Wednesday for Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean gathered through the agency’s National Tracing Center.

While overall traces for guns found in Mexico declined 24 percent over 2015, unsuccessful traces hold steady at 51 percent, according to report findings. Authorities traced more than 13,000 guns from Mexico last year, with just over 46 percent leading back to retailers in the United States. The remaining 2 percent traced back to foreign countries.

“Firearms tracing provides valuable investigative leads, specific trend data for ATF and its international partners, and information on the movement of a firearm from the manufacturer or importer through the distribution chain in an attempt to identify its first retail purchaser,” the agency said in a press release Wednesday.

The report offered several explanations for the untraceable guns, including missing or incomplete paperwork provided by a federally licensed firearms dealer, obliterated serial numbers, or recovering guns “too old to trace.”

“The success of a trace result, whether domestic or international, relies upon the accuracy of the supplied firearm identifiers,” the agency said in the report. “The necessary identifiers for a trace include manufacturer, importer (if applicable), model, caliber and serial number.”

Traces for guns recovered in Mexico have declined 41 percent over the last six years, according to report findings. Pistols represent half of the 13,452 guns recovered last year, followed by 3,585 rifles and more than 2,000 revolvers.

The ATF traced more than 364,000 firearms recovered last year in the United States and 129 other countries. Traces have increased nearly 28 percent over the last six years, according to report findings, though remain flat compared to 2015.

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