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Brownells makes it very easy for any shooter, experienced or not, to convert his Ruger Mini-14 into a tricked-out rifle that meets your exacting wants and needs. The first step in this customization process is to determine what I am going to use the rifle for. Foremost, I wanted this rifle for varmint hunting, particularly night-time hunting. My secondary use is for self-defense purposes at home.

Trophy-class specimens of whitetail deer, Stone's sheep, Dall's sheep, desert sheep and grizzly bears are becoming more common afield, based on newly compiled records by the Boone and Crockett Club. However, trophy records are declining for caribou.

For the past five years, the National Shooting Sports Foundation has surveyed federally licensed firearms retailers across the country to find out what products are the biggest sellers and who is buying. NSSF has just issued the latest version of that report from an online survey conducted last month. The data shows which types of firearms and ammunition were most popular in 2012, and at the same time allows retailers to compare their businesses to that of other gun stores across the country.

Gun Reports - News

Illinois: Statewide Handgun Registry
and Ammunition Tax Bills Filed

(GunReports.com) -- Two bills assaulting Second Amendment rights have been filed in Illiniois. House Bill 5167 seeks to impose a punitive tax on firearm ammunition purchases. House Bill 5631 would force law-abiding handgun owners to comply with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed statewide handgun registry scheme.

HB 5167 would impose a 2% surcharge on firearm ammunition purchases in Illinois. This bill would create the High Crime Trauma Center Grant Fund and requires the 2% surcharge to be deposited into this Fund.

HB 5631 would amend the Firearm Owners Identification Act to include registration of all handguns, with a tax of $65 to be paid on each handgun for initial registration and a $25 tax for renewal every five years. This bill would prohibit any person in Illinois from carrying or possessing a handgun without a certificate of handgun registration, and make the transport or possession of a handgun without this registration a Class 2 felony.

Additionally, HB 5631 penalizes law-abiding firearms owners further by making it a Class A misdemeanor for the failure to report to local law enforcement that a registered handgun is lost, stolen, missing, or destroyed.

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Reader Comments

Ah-Rahm Emanuel & Michael Bloomberg made from the same Nasty-mold using the same nasty thugery. Czars-all the way.. WHY-WHY-WHY do the MEEK people in these cities put up with these individuals (they don't deserve to be classed as people.)Can't these goons be voted out of office, or are the lambs too-afraid. I know Emanuel was in ca-hoots w/obama.

Comment by: Jayr | February 23, 2012

Ah-Rahm Emanuel & Michael Bloomberg made from the same Nasty-mold using the same nasty thugery. Czars-all the way.. WHY-WHY-WHY do the MEEK people in these cities put up with these individuals (they don't deserve to be classed as people.)Can't these goons be voted out of office, or are the lambs too-afraid. I know Emanuel was in ca-hoots w/obama.

Comment by: Jayr | February 23, 2012

First thought is that if the people of Illinois don't fight this... they get what they deserve. On second thought, if HB 5167 and 5631 pass, it sets a precedent that could be used to pass similar draconian laws in other states. Come on people of Illinois, don't you care about your rights and your freedom? Haven't you heard about the Second Amendment or the McDonald and Heller cases? Obama and Emanuel are not gods, and they can be defeated!

Comment by: sidehack | February 23, 2012

Illinois was voted the most corrupt state in the nation,Chicago voted the most corrupt city in the nation. Any questions ? Our prisons are full of our ex govenors and politions. The UNIONS control the elected officials in Chicago. Dead people vote in Chicago so it can always be minupulated to fit who they want in office.Down state has no sayso in anything in Chicago so they suck us DRY. We want chicago to seecede!!!!!

Comment by: wardo | February 23, 2012

Illinois folks will simply buy ammo in neighboring states, if they don't already. This bill will also create jobs: Printing counterfeit tax stamps, as there will be high demand.

Comment by: Mister E | February 23, 2012

Illinois is a case study in corruption and crime in the same class as Mexico. Like the average Mexican is the pawn of rich, powerful, corrupt government officials, the average Illinois resident is a pawn of the Chicago rich, corrupt, and powerful government officials. I know that we have heard from folks in down-state Illinois that they have no control over their destiny.....the same way that the average Mexican has no control. I can't help but reason, though, that if a grassroots political movement could be mounted by upstanding, concerned Illinois residents, something could be done to rid the state of its grip of totalitarian governance.

Comment by: canovack | February 23, 2012

Isn't the paper trail of any purchased firearm a sort of national registration. If you puchased one legally we all know how easy it is to trace it to you.

Comment by: playhookie | February 23, 2012

Clearly they are still trying to find ways to duck Second Amendment compliance. Downstaters - make trips outside the state to buy BIG loads of ammo. You can bury a lot of it for later use. There are instructions online if you're not sure how to bury it safely.

Too bad none of them are reading this.... Well, since the population mass is in Chicago, it's those folks who are the problem. They get what they deserve for the way they vote or don't.

Comment by: david b | February 23, 2012

It would seem that the state of Illinois does not want allow it's voters to protect themselves, unless you are part of the elected criminals in Chicago. I do not understand that the rest of the population of the state can not out vote on city. The answers seems simple to me, the citizens sould excercise their priorites and vote against these people. The second possiblity is that all businesses that get their lively hood from firearms, move out of Illinois. Third option is for everyone who purchases a gun or anything that is made in Illinois should boycott those products in hopes that the Illinois government feels the pinch of less funds.

Comment by: Stephen H | February 23, 2012

I have religiously boycotted everything about Illinois since my experience with the Illinois State Police back in 1998. For two hours, I argued Second Amendment rights with two cops, and by the end of that time, I won. They let me keep all of my firearms, including the ones that I was wearing concealed. That said, I don't envision spending time arguing with cops about my rights any time I go into any state, so Illinois can take a flying leap into the s--t house as far as I'm concerned.

Comment by: canovack | February 23, 2012

I agree with the person who said they deserve what they got by electing R.E. so bend over, pay up, and smile. The resident thugs in Chi-town are certainly exercising their second amendment rights...by shooting the resident law abiding citizens who arent allowed to and fear prosecution. I know firsthand how they feel. I live in NJ and its only slightly easier to own firearms here (you can forget carry though!!) There is a strong voice here and it is growing stronger but at a snails pace (it seems). However IMHO something is wrong when the sheep living in Chicago, NYC, Boston, (insert your city name here), keep electing the same pols over and over, and expect something different. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

Comment by: tonyc613@optonline.net | February 23, 2012

They are ridiculous. When I was working out there - long term temporary - I had to have a State Police investigation (photo, fingerprints, background) just to bring a shotgun into the state to hunt some fat fox squirrels when the season opened. (For you lifelong southerners - they are 3x the size of the greys you normally see.) Without that big investigation, you are illegal if you're in possession of any gun. And there are NO handguns permitted in the state - or weren't at that time - period.

Is it a coincidence that they have some of the largest groups of NAZIs in the nation? I wonder.

Comment by: david b | February 23, 2012

It's a shame the political populace of any large capital city in any state dictate the laws and control the purse strings of tax revennue for everyone else in the state. Most people simply don't have the option of packing up and moving out when city hall screws them over. Never assume all the people of any state are of one political persuasion or another as that's simply not true. I've lived all over the nation in my many years and know better. Yes david those fox squirrels are like the wolly mammoths of the rodent family.

Comment by: playhookie | February 24, 2012

As an Illinois resident I take offense to criticism of the state as a whole. The public sector unions and welfare mamas (and a bunch of dead folks)vote these thugs in in Chicago and the population imbalance ensures that the rest of the state has to suffer under the unjust laws from the liberal gun-grabbers in the paved over upper right hand corner. Remember, our latest jailbird governor hardly ever set foot in Springfield, he was always in the real seat of power here, "Da great city ah Chicagah," as Richard J. Daley characterized it. The rest of us are fighting the thugs in the city as best we can, even though we are seriously outnumbered. There are lots of honest, law-abiding folks in IL,NJ,CA etc. who have to live under the draconian laws of the liberal elite.

Comment by: jwash111 | February 24, 2012

Well, if I offended any 'down-staters' I apologize. My comment wasn't to say the people there are all ridiculous - I meant the laws. I was in Bloomington when I worked there and most of the folks I met I liked. But some of the laws are just crazy - and I thought that what I went through just to have a shotgun was excessive to say the least.

It's a shame that you guys can't get enough voter organization to overcome the Chicago disadvantage - but I suppose if it bothered enough folks you would be able to do that. Also a shame that the city will apparently never be free of corruption, and voting irregularities there seem so rampant that one might say the 'city vote' will go the way the mayor's office says it will go.

Comment by: david b | February 24, 2012

New York City, Chicago, LA and all other cities that believe so fervently that honest citizens should not have any means of self defense (as opposed to the crooks, the cops, and hand-picked bodyguards of the elite) should be shunned. If there were a methodology to remove them from the union--a reverse secession, as it were--they should be kicked out and left entirely to their own sel-destruction.

Comment by: Visigoth52 | February 25, 2012

I think all legal gun owners should tell all the anti-gun (including the so-called president) that if they give up all their bodyguards and police protection and live for 5 years as we have to, then we might (and I mean might) think about (common sense - HA HA) gun laws.

Comment by: BigGrumpy1 | February 27, 2012

I'm on board with 'reverse secession'. It would mean we'd have to split up state turf of course - no reason the down-staters should be punished for Chicago. But that would give us the opportunity to excise the chicken-s*$t yuppies from California and keep the rest of the state too.

Comment by: david b | February 27, 2012

Echoing what others have already said, and as I've stated previously whenever the subject of Chicago and Illinois gun looniness comes up, they are getting exactly what they voted for. The pols do not elect themselves. For whatever reason the good people of IL have decided they want to live under tyranny.

Comment by: CHARLES S | February 27, 2012

HI

Comment by: gunshop24 | February 28, 2012

This will make me move out of this State!

Comment by: BlackPowderKeg | February 29, 2012

BlackPowderKeg - maybe it's a good idea. I could be wrong, and hope I am, but if it comes down to a federal gun confiscation effort they will likely base midwest ops in Chicago and move out from there. I've tried to think about how a confiscation agenda would work and I think Chicago would be a likely center.

Its already 'confiscation friendly', its got a huge airport for flying in foreign troops, and they'd be foolish to spread their front lines past armed opponents. If you move, you would at least be far enough away that you might still be armed when the fight starts. Behind the lines, you may be limited to sabotage - although that's a valuable job too.

Where I live they will likely move out of NJ and Boston - both anti-gun. NYC won't be an issue - they can be isolated and starved into submission by closing a few bridges and highways. Out west, I'm sure it'll come from a SoCal ops base.

Comment by: david b | February 29, 2012

If they take our guns david there's still women, Harleys', Jeeps and single malt scotch, maybe not in that order.

Comment by: playhookie | March 1, 2012

playhookie - once they have your guns, what makes you think they won't take all your women and whisky? I don't trust government now, do you? Why think they'll just stop with guns?

And you're assuming we gun owners won't all be in 're-education' camps. If government decides to take our guns, I don't think that is a safe assumption. At that point it's out of control - although arguably, one could say that already.

Comment by: david b | March 1, 2012

If they send me to camp it better be coed.

Comment by: playhookie | March 1, 2012

Maybe the counselors will have whisky for us too... Might be fun, eh?

Comment by: david b | March 1, 2012

I know Vietamese ex officers who were sent to camp to be enlightened after the war. After their enlightenment they moved here.

Comment by: playhookie | March 1, 2012

I know Vietamese ex officers who were sent to camp to be enlightened after the war. After their enlightenment they moved here.

Comment by: playhookie | March 1, 2012

Must have been a lot of that. I used to work with one, and there was one working as the maitre d' at a nearby restaurant.

Comment by: david b | March 1, 2012

Yeah, I recall that shortly after Saigon fell, Vietnamese Marshall Nguyen Cao Ky got a job driving a taxi.....I think in California.

Comment by: canovack | March 1, 2012

It's crooked as can be there today. You need to pay off everyone to get anything done. Even worse than Chicago

Comment by: playhookie | March 1, 2012

And to show their complete apathy for the second amendment, today in the Illinois house, the Democrats "walked out" as opposed to debating one or two gun bills on the agenda. Those people should be fined or fired or both. If these people are re-elected all hope for Illinois The Land of Lincoln??) is lost. The cherry on top here is the Illinois State police posted a web page (now removed) telling women that to avoid violent and or sexual assault at gunpoint they should learn how to defend themselves with a hair brush, pencil or keys. I agree that thes are all viable options...after your gun is empty, reloads exhausted and you've used the gun as a club.

California can celebrate as it has just received the best score by the Brady Center even though violent crime rose higher than it was in 2010. Congratulations California.

Comment by: tonyc613@optonline.net | March 1, 2012

I agree they should at the very least be heavily fined for nonperformance of duties. Once again the supreme court needs to rule on the Bill of rights superceding state law.

Comment by: playhookie | March 1, 2012

Gosh, one has to wonder (not) why that ISP web page didn't stay up. Perhaps it should have stayed. It may have motivated a very valuable discussion among IL women about self and family defense, and that may have changed the voting patterns. I would guess a concerted voting effort by women would probably completely defeat any agenda they decided to fight, as men don't get together over "men's issues" like women do over "women's issues".

Comment by: david b | March 1, 2012

Guess honorable mention goes to me and the fine state of NJ for making Brady's number two spot. Maybe if our politicians try harder next year we can take or at least tie for the primo spot (could'nt help the sarcasm)..

Comment by: tonyc613@optonline.net | March 1, 2012

It would seem to me that the voters of Illinois wish these restrictive laws, then doing as they have done, if not get their representatives and let them know what to do, or they get replaced next election. As for me I can do what I believe is right for me BOYCOTT ALL ILLINOIS PRODUCTS......

Comment by: Stephen H | March 1, 2012

A man canot always pack up and leave his home if some others in the state vote against his best interests. Most of us have hard to come by jobs and our first priority is to our families. Some of us do fight against this sort of tyranny so it's not fair to blanketly state,"they get what they deserve".

Comment by: playhookie | March 2, 2012

Just a question. What percentage of the state's population is represented by the Chicago area voting bloc?

Comment by: david b | March 2, 2012

I do not mean to criticize the good people of Illinois who are desirous of improving their lot and cannot just pick up and leave the state. That said, however, we should be reminded here that in Colonial America, it was also not possible for dissatisfied colonists to simply move to another nation. Those colonists did, however, unite and successfully throw off the bonds of tyranny. So it can also be in Illinois.

If the downstaters are really serious about reclaiming their freedoms and rights, I suggest that grassroots political organization can get the job done. Yes.....It is a big job, and Yes.....It will take dedication and effort, and Yes.....some agency with statewide reach must lead and coordinate this grassroots effort, and Yes.....such an agency already exists. That agency is the ISRA, Illinois State Rifle Association.

As many have seen me posit in this forum, if one is not a member of the NRA, one is not doing all that he/she can to fight for their rights. The same can, therefore, be said of the downstaters.....If they are not members of the ISRA, they are not doing all they can.

Our own Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) has accounted for numerous gun related legislative victories in Texas. If such a thing can happen in a state as large and diverse as Texas, it can likely be successful anywhere.

It will take work, commitment, resources, and time, but if a population truly wants to make change, it can be done.

Comment by: canovack | March 2, 2012

All of you who are saying that Illinois' residents deserve what they get for either voting or not voting a particular way are clearly ignorant of the circumstances. If one of the corrupt insiders looks to be losing, more dead people show up to the polls. Decisions are made in the state house completely disregarding their constituents, regardless of their campaign promises. When we say it's the most corrupt state and Chicago the most corrupt city, what do you think that means? It means the people don't get what they vote for and democracy is abused to serve the PTB. The welfare dependent in the city - which is the majority of Chicago's population, I might add, are instructed by either their unions or pamphlets in the state-service offices to vote for the corrupt ones in exchange for better benefits at the cost to the rest of us.

The only solution here is for the Producers and their ilk to remove themselves from the state and let it REALLY feel the crunch. This, of course, will just cause Illinois to demand more federal dollars, meaning that the other 49 states would need to pony up more.

I'm leaving this state first chance I get. I hear MI is nice this time of year.

Comment by: spectrm | September 20, 2012