C A N A D I A N. December $4.50. Youth Mentors - Preserving our Firearms Heritage!

Transcription

1 C A N A D I A N December $4.50 Firearms Journal Youth Mentors - Preserving our Firearms Heritage! Political Activism & New Firearms Media Wanted...Guns or Else! - CFO Under Fire! Fully Committed On All Fronts: Canada s National Firearms Association

2 Greeting from Head Office Happy Holidays from Head Office! We are starting the New Year full of enthusiasm, optimism, and with many ideas to make 2011 the best year ever for Canada s National Firearms Association. Early February will mark the start of our long-awaited court challenge over the RCMP s right to unilaterally reclassify a modern semi-auto sporting rifle such as the Norinco Type-97A. Check our website for updates on the proceedings and to make a donation! We need your help! Although the planned Canadian Firearms Summit, previously scheduled for this December, has been scrubbed, we have faith in the concept and hope to host a similar event sometime in We re also in the process of planning our next AGM as well. This year, why not plan your vacation around the Annual General Meeting and stop by for a visit? Last year s AGM was a great success and we look to 2011 to be even better. Finally, if you are hosting a gun show in 2011 and would like the NFA to attend, or are interested in helping to man the NFA table at your local show; please drop us a line so we can put your it on our schedule or add you to our volunteer roster. In closing, thanks to one and all for your past & future support; and from everyone here at head office, please have a safe and happy holiday! Bev, Megan, Ted & Diane 2 December

3 On The Cover Canada s recreational firearms community is aging. New shooter recruitment is critical if we are to preserve our firearms heritage. Introducing kids to the shooting sports in a fun, safe and ethical manner is critical to both the future of our sport and the preservation of our rights as law-abiding gun owners. Please consider becoming a mentor to youth in your area. Contact your local gun club, provincial hunting org or similar group and volunteer your time in this exceedingly important initiative. Photo: Jeff Helsdon Mission Statement Canada s National Firearms Association exists to promote, support and protect all safe firearms activities, including the right of self defence; firearms education for all Canadians; freedom and justice for Canada s firearms community, and to advocate for legislative change to ensure the right of all Canadians to own and use firearms is protected. The contents of the Canadian Firearms Journal are copyrighted and may be reproduced only when written permission is obtained from the publisher. Inside This Issue Regulars From the Editor s Desk... 4 Sean G. Penney Members Survey... 5 NFA Exerctive President s Message Sheldon Clare Vice President s Column Blair Hagen Letters to the Editor Preserving Our Firearms Heritage Gary K. Kangas & Branko Diklitch Politics & Guns The Rule of Law, The Police and the Common Man La Police en Politique Tyler Vance From The NFA Bookshelf Hawken Rifles - The Mountain Man s Choice Wm. R. Rantz The International Front Public Health and Gun Control Gary Mauser Legal Corner Sean & Grayson Penney Team NFA Update Grayson Penney Member s Soapbox Jon McCormick Old Western Armoury The Life and Guns of John Wesley Hardin - Part 1I Jesse L. Wolf Hardin The Last Word Grayson Penney Features Youth Apprenticeship: Introducing Kids to the Shooting Sports in the Right Way Jeff Helsdon The New Face of Firearms Media Mike Dixon Shooting Like a Girl Oleg Volk December 3

4 From The Editor s Desk As 2010 draws to a close, we cannot help but look to the future with optimism. As we were putting the final touches on this issue of CFJ, we learned that the Conservatives had won 2 of 3 federal by-elections, including the long-time Liberal bastion of Vaughn. Will 2011 see a metro-toronto breakthrough for the CPC? We can only hope, but the recent win by Julian Fantino and Rob Ford, as mayor of Toronto, would indicate that even urban voters are growing discontented with the status quo. In keeping with the future theme, in this issue we look to the broader issue of recruitment and more specifically the place kids and female shooters will play in this quest. New contributor Jeff Helsdon writes about his involvement with youth mentoring programs that aid kids in becoming safely involved in hunting activities and the shooting sports. My co-editor, Grayson, touches on some of the same material in his column the Last Word, while past contributor, Jon McCormick, hops up on the Members Soapbox and offers his view on the issue of kids, guns and zero tolerance in our schools. Long-time photo contributor and writer, Oleg Volk joins us this issue with the story of several very talented female shooters. Hopefully, those reading these words will look to these two amazing women for inspiration and introduce their wives, daughters, sisters and mothers to the shooting sports. Many of you, who have recently visited our web page, will notice the distinctive F logo off to the side. Thanks to a dedicated volunteer, the NFA is now on Facebook and we are working to improve both our website and RSS feed. Check back often to see the improvements. In this connection, we welcome another new contributor, Mike Dixon, to the CFJ fold, with his article on New Firearms Media and the role Internet forums, podcasts and video sharing sites has played and will continue to play in our push to protect our rights as law-abiding gun owners Our regulars are back once more, with Bill Rantz hitting the NFA Bookshelf with his review of Hawken Rifles. Gary Mauser returns with his fascinating essay on public health and the issue of gun control; while Gary Kangas, and new writing partner Branko Diklitch, offer up their own ingenious approach to preserving our firearms heritage by putting vintage firearms back in action. You handloaders out there will be sure to appreciate this one! Perennial favourite, Jesse Hardin, returns with Part II of his take on the life of notorious badman John Wesley Hardin in this issue s Old Western Armoury, and I weigh in with another edition of Legal Corner. Owners of S&W MP rimfire rifles will want to check this article out! My co-editor, Grayson, also checks in with TEAM NFA members and provides us with another fascinating update as to what this trio of talented competitors have been up to for the past couple of months. For one team member, the past two months have been life-changing! You ll have to check out the update to find out how. Popular and controversial commentator, Tyler Vance returns this issue for a twofer at the request of our Quebec directors; first with a full French language translation of Tyler s previous Politics & Guns piece, and then with his regular English language column. We d originally planned on running a police & guns trilogy, but response has been so overwhelming that we decided to revisit another aspect of the issue. Recent revelations concerning a provincial CFO has certainly raised more than a few eyebrows across the country. Getting back to pure politics, National President Sheldon Clare discusses his recent trip to San Francisco to attend the annual gun rights policy conference hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation; while VP Blair Hagen provides his analysis of the terrible private member s bill offered by NDP MP Charlie Angus. Once again, the progressives totally miss the boat. Also, to better service our members, we ve included a short survey in this issue to help us better assess what services are most important to you. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey and return it as soon as possible. We will randomly draw for three NFA SWAG bags consisting of a selection of NFA merchandise, including hats, shirts, tote bag, etc To get you name in the draw, you need to send back your survey! Finally, on behalf of my co-editor and I, along with everybody here at Canadian Firearms Journal, I would like to extend our best wishes to you all for a happy and safe holiday season. Merry Christmas everybody! 4 June/July December

5 WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! AN IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL NFA MEMBERSHIP SURVEY REQUEST In order to provide the best value to our membership we urgently require feedback from all of our members to effectively represent, protect and fight for your Canadian firearms rights. We need to know what benefits are important to you and how the NFA can best use your membership fees and donations. You can help us by filling out this short membership survey below, and mailing it TODAY to the NFA or you, your family and club members can also fill it out on-line NOW at 1) Your Canadian Firearms Journal (CFJ) is mailed with Canada s Outdoor Sportsman magazine 6 times a year. Please circle the answer that best applies to you. I read the Canadian Firearms Journal 1 Always 2 Sometimes 3 Rarely 4 Never I read The Canada s Outdoor Sportsman Magazine 1 Always 2 Sometimes 3 Rarely 4 Never 2) Currently the NFA covers the mailing costs of both publications and pays a subsidized subscription rate to Canada s Outdoor Sportsman for members to receive both publications. Please check only one of the three statements that would best apply. I would prefer to continue receiving both publications paid by my NFA membership fees. I would prefer to receive only the Canadian Firearms Journal and have the NFA use the savings for other important firearms rights programs. I would prefer to receive the Canadian Firearms Journal and be given the option to continue to receive Canada s Outdoor Sportsman Magazine at discounted subscription rate of $1.75 per issue equal to an additional $10.50 a year. (A savings of $14.50 off the regular rate) 3) Please answer the following statement with either a true or false response. If I no longer received Canada s Outdoor Sportsman magazine with my Canadian Firearms Journal I would not renew my membership. True False 4) As a not for profit organization with an all volunteer, elected executive, comprised of members just like you, from across Canada, we are looking at ways to reduce mailing costs and maximize effiency. Please answer the following questions with a yes or no response. I would prefer to receive my yearly renewal by a secured to help save cost rather than have it printed and sent by mail. YES I would prefer NO I would prefer to be mailed my renewal Would you be willing to receive other information and updates on important firearms issues or NFA matters by . YES NO Thank you for providing your feedback regarding this valuable information that will help the NFA make some important decisions as to how you and other members would like to see your membership fees managed. Please complete the survey, fill out the information below, enclose this page in an envelope and mail it to the NFA Box 52183, Edmonton, AB T6G 2T5 First Name Last Name: Membership No Respond to our survey and WIN 1 of 3 fantastic NFA Swag bags! Address City Postal Code If you would like to receive your membership renewal and other communications by please print your address clearly in the space provided. Check out our website at for our newest membership benefits from Uniglobe GEO Travel offering exclusive travel discounts to NFA members. Go to the member s section and enter your membership number to find incredible savings from the city closest to you. Don t forget our hotel and car rental savings. Now you can become a friend of the NFA by joining us on Facebook. YES, I would like to be contacted by to save costs address Please note: The Canada s National Firearms Association is a not for profit organizations and abides by all the privacy laws and rules. While you may receive additional marketing and general information from the National Firearms Association, our members information is protected. We do not sell or provide list information to private, corporate or government organizations. December 5

6 President s Message Looking Toward a New Paradigm by Sheldon Clare In September, Gary Mauser and I represented Canada s National Firearms Association at the Second Amendment Foundation s and Citizen s Committee on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms annual Gun Rights Policy Conference; this year held in San Francisco, California. There, Gary and I joined approximately another thousand or so firearm rights activists; representing organizations from all over the United States. In addition to the larger nationallevel orgs such as the SAF, GOA and NFA, etc., there were representatives from related advocacy groups such as Concealed Carry on Campus, Knife Rights, the Pink Pistols, as well as a broad cross-section of various state and community shooting organizations, and many other American civil rights organizations. There were many big names in firearms rights present to support the event. Speakers included Paxton Quigley, Massad Ayoob, Alan Gottleib, and many other pro-civil rights activists as well as lawyers, representatives from the media, and politicians and supporters from both the Democrat and Republican political parties. It was a completely open event, with strategy and policy on the floor for all to participate in. It was an inspiring event and it got me to thinking about why we don t have this sort of collaborative meeting of the best and brightest in Canada? Many of these groups clearly have differences in their goals and methods and some are clearly in competition for members and resources nonetheless, they were capable of putting aside their differences, at least publicly and focusing on common goals. What I saw in San Francisco was open co-operation and collaboration, as well as many people and a lot of money to support activism. Collaboration between firearms organizations is always a topic for discussion, and on the face of it one would think that it should be a nobrainer. After all, don t all gun groups want the same things recognition of the right of armed self-defense, fewer restrictions on firearm users, more freedoms, less bureaucracy and regulation? In short, don t we all want more respect? Well yes, and unfortunately no. Canada s National Firearms Association wants to change Canadian firearms law in a fundamental way. To achieve that change means that we need to challenge the laws that are in place and the regulations arising from them and to have what has not worked completely repealed. We are not satisfied with compromises or part measures such as merely eliminating the so-called long-gun registry. Major changes mean confronting sacred cows and exposing flaws. It means making political connections and working to get people elected who support our collective goals. Compromise positions from firearms organizations have contributed to both gradual and dramatic erosion of our civil rights around the ownership of firearms. Compromise positions mean that we give up something and our opponents gain something it certainly doesn t work the other way. That is not to say that change can t happen in steps, but be wary of firearm activists that make their living from an endless fight for minor changes. These types are usually more afraid of competition from other groups than they are interested in achieving real change. Canada s NFA wants real change and with your help we will continue to get it. In that respect, the Firearms Act as composed of Kim Campbell s old Bill C-17 and the Liberal s Bill C-68 must be repealed. In its place we need minimal laws that limit access of bad people to dangerous things. What we don t need is more law that treats Canadians with disrespect and makes them into criminals for paperwork offences. Legal firearms in the hands of responsible firearms owners have never posed a significant risk to the public safety, but unfortunately Canadian law presumes otherwise and forces a reverse onus upon gun owners to disprove the official government position that we are dangerous. President...Continued on Page 21 6 December

7 Message du Président Regard vers un Nouveau Paradigme En septembre dernier j ai assisté à la conférence sur les politiques des droits des armes à feu présenté par les Second Amendment Foundation et Citizen s Committee to Keep and Bear Arms à San Francisco, Californie. J étais accompagné de Gary Mauser, nous représentions l Association Canadienne des Propriétaires d Armes à Feu. Nous nous sommes retrouvés parmi des milliers de militants des droits en matière d armes à feu qui représentaient des organisations de partout aux États- Unis. À part les organisations de niveau national telles que la Second Amendment Foundation, la Gun Owners of America et nous même, plusieurs autres s y trouvaient : Entre autre, la Concealed Carry on Campus (port d arme dissimulées au campus), Knife Rights (droit aux couteaux), les Pink Pistols (pistolets roses), plusieurs organisations communautaires et d États représentant les sports de tir et d autres organisations de droits civils américain. Plusieurs têtes d affiches des droits des armes à feu appuyaient l événement et ont donné leurs allocutions respectives. On a pu voir Paxton Quigley, Massad Ayoob, Alan Gottleib et plusieurs autres défenseurs de droits civils, des avocats, des représentants des médias et des politiciens sympathisants des 2 partis, soit des Républicains et des Démocrates. Il s agissait d un événement où les politiques et les stratégies étaient diffusées librement et tous les participants étaient invités à fournir leurs idées. Cette démonstration de collaboration fût extrêmement inspirante et je me suis demandé pourquoi n aurions nous pas ce genre de réunion entre les différentes organisations Canadiennes? Comme au Canada, les différentes organisations américaines qui étaient présente ont des objectifs différents et des méthodes de fonctionnement différentes, il y en avait même qui sont en compétition directe pour l allocation des ressources et le recrutement des membres! Mais malgré tout, ils ont été capables de mettre leurs différences de côté et de se concentrer sur leurs objectifs communs. J ai été témoin d une franche collaboration, de la présence de beaucoup de militants et de beaucoup de ressources financières pour soutenir la cause. La collaboration entre les organisations pour la défense des droits en matière d armes à feu est toujours un bon sujet de discussion qui pourtant ne devrait pas en être un, car tous les groupes ont les mêmes objectifs : La reconnaissance du droit à la légitime défense armée, moins de restrictions sur le dos des propriétaires d armes à feu, moins de bureaucratie et de règlements. En résumé, nous voulons tous être mieux respectés, non? Président...Suite page 21 Sheldon posing with American author, self-defence instructor, and firearms rights activist, Massad Ayoob. December 7

8 Vice President s Column Bill C-580: NDP Smokescreen Blair Hagen, National VP Communications Bill C-580, introduced by NDP MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay), is a private members bill that proposes amendments to the Firearms Act. Bill C-580 was born out of the controversy over another private members bill, C-391 introduced by CPC MP Candace Hoeppner. Candace Hoeppner s bill proposed to end the long gun registration component of the Firearms Act, fulfilling part of the promise of the Conservative Government to begin much needed firearms law reform. To the surprise of many, Hoeppner s C-391 received wide bipartisan support from Liberal and NDP members of the House of Commons, in recognition of the failure of the 1995 Liberal C-68 Firearms Act. Liberal and NDP members from ridings with strong firearms ownership have been receiving complaints and pleas for assistance for years from constituents who have been targeted by Canada s misdirected firearms laws and the federal firearms bureaucracy. The successful second reading vote on Bill C-391 threw a scare into the leadership of the Liberal and NDP parties. The gun control lobby has successfully co-opted firearms policy in these parties for years, and there is a large anti gun constituency in the Liberals and NDP that demands that the 1995 C-68 Firearms Act be maintained and expanded, despite its colossal failure and offense against the civic rights of millions of Canadians. In response, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff ordered a whipped vote on Bill C-391. Therafter, Liberal Public Safety Committee member MP Mark Holland (Ajax-Pickering) introduced a motion before the House of Commons that Bill C-391 should not be allowed to go for a third reading vote. As predicted, the results of this vote was extremely close, with the NDP holding the balance of power. Although NDP leader Jack Layton declared that any vote on C-391 was to be a free vote for his members, the gun control lobby, political police chiefs and other anti gun activist groups undertook a campaign to pressure both the Liberal and the NDP to prevent a successful vote on C-391, and achieve a retention of the failed long gun registry. Bill C-391 was defeated by two votes in this motion, and both of those votes came from the NDP. The way the NDP defeated Bill C-391 and made it possible for the long gun registry to live another day is this: NDP members in weak ridings that were won by a small vote margin who had promised their constituents to vote to end long gun registration were allowed to do so. NDP members in strong ridings who had won by a large vote margin were told to vote against this effort to end long gun registration, and they did claiming that the support of the political police chief organizations for the registry had swayed their votes. However, the political conniving of the NDP on the C-391 vote damaged their political brand and resulted in dropping poll numbers as many constituents in NDP held ridings recognized the betrayal. In an attempt to quell the controversy and arrest falling support in these ridings, NDP MP Charlie Angus has introduced his own private members bill. Bill C-580. There are several key components of Bill C-580 that should be of great concern to the firearms community. Far from being a compromise as promised by Angus, Bill C-580 actually ratchets up the firearms regulatory and enforcement environment on the firearms community Bill C-580 purports to extend a first time exemption from criminal charge for failing to register a non restricted long gun. How nice for Mr. Angus to realize that universal long gun registration failed to be achieved by the Liberal government that introduced it. Unfortunately Mr. Angus confuses firearms licensing with registration, for failing to produce a registration is already punished by a fine under the current legislation. Failure to hold a valid firearms license is a Criminal Code offense, and this does not change under C December

9 There are many otherwise law abiding firearms owning Canadians who never applied for a firearms license, or have inadvertently allowed their firearms license to expire. They re still criminals under Bill C-580. C-580 is also a gun ban bill, as evidenced by this proposed amendment: 4. Section of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (2): (3) The Governor in Council may make regulations requiring a manufacturer or importer to provide information for the purpose of establishing that the thing in question is reasonable for use in Canada for hunting or sporting purposes. Sounds reasonable? Think again. This sporting test amendment to firearms legislation was used in the UK and Australia to ban and confiscate every semi automatic rifle and shotgun in private hands in those nations. You may not like your neighbour s AR-15 rifle or think it is practical for the type of hunting you do, but it s clear that Angus s purpose here is to facilitate prohibition and confiscation of the new generation of semi automatic firearms that are so popular today with new members of the firearms community. Furthermore, this facilitates the arbitrary classification or reclassification of firearms by the firearms bureaucracy, so essentially a firearm becomes illegal and prohibited from import or possession in Canada because they say so, no other criteria than that. Canada s convoluted and broken firearms regulations already provide for much of this, but Angus s bill merely streamlines the process. But also, and this is very important, we need to have gun policy in this country that ensures that guns are not able to get into the country and end up on the black market, guns that should never be classified as sports hunting guns, which are now getting in through some of the loopholes in the system, a gun such as the Ruger Mini-14. That is not something that a legitimate duck hunter or farmer would need - Charlie Angus, MP, Timmins - James Bay. The promise to ban the Ruger Mini 14 is interesting. The Mini 14 is a.223 calibre semi automatic rifle popular for defence, varminting, and hunting within the capabilities of the.223 cartridge. Thousands are sold to farmers, coyote hunters, varmint hunters and even Atlantic Canadian sealers every year. They re tough, robust, well-made firearms that are affordable to the working man, so why does Angus single out the Mini 14? My guess is crass political opportunism. The Mini-14 was the firearm used in the 1989 Montreal slayings of 14 female engineering students by deranged gunman Marc Lepine and it has remained a thorn in the side of the Canadian gun control movement ever since. Angus s Mini 14 ban is payback to the gun control lobby which has been demanding a ban for decades on this and all other semi automatic rifles, nothing more. How shallow. It doesn t stop there. Those of you who have had to deal with firearms in the estate of a deceased loved one know how difficult it is to work through the myriad of byzantine firearms regulations associated with this. Angus wants to relieve you of this pressure by having the firearms seized outright from the estate by replacing the current reasonable time limit for dispersing the estate, with a mandatory 90 day limit. As many know, an estate comprising a large number of firearms takes much time to clear, and it takes months if not years to retrieve estate firearms from police who consider such things a very low priority. Angus s bill would mean estate firearms could be forfeited and destroyed by deliberate bureaucratic inaction. C-580 magnanimously promises to protect the privacy of personal information contained in the registry, but provides for the release of that information to anyone in the interests of public safety. Furthermore, it allows military and police to share important information with the Canadian Firearms Program, including mental health concerns. Essentially the assertion here is that military and law enforcement personnel pose an even more significant risk to public safety than regular folks if they own firearms, and there must be extra measures available to take them away. How patently offensive! Angus also promises to end the fee for registration of non restricted long guns, but keep it for restricted and prohibited firearms. Why on earth would the firearms community support an illegitimate fee for the transfer of private property, especially one that has not been in force for the transfer of any firearm for several years? So Bill C-580 doesn t actually fix anything at all. It bans guns, imposes more useless gun control regulations, and MP Charlie Angus thinks you and the rest of the firearms community are too intellectually limited to notice any of this. Charlie Angus himself looks like the fool for this effort. Bill C-580 is trash and enjoys no support from the firearms community. None. It is doubtful that Bill C-580 will get to second reading. It is a smokescreen to deflect criticism from the NDP for saving the long gun registry. The firearms community of Canada is now a large and sophisticated block of educated voters. Until the NDP and Liberals learn this, and learn from the mistake of the C68 Firearms Act, the firearms community will continue to support the Conservative Party of Canada. And that is just Canadian Gun Politics December 9

10 Letters to the Editor Dear NFA, I m new to the shooting community and was wondering if you could settle a question for me and my buddy. He s also a newbie. We purchased some NRA B27 targets at a gun show in Washington State recently. At the range today another shooter rushed up to us while we were engaged in safe shooting practice using the same targets and became extremely irate; shouting at us that such targets were illegal and obscene. He threatened to call the police on us. Discretion being the better part of valour, my friend and I opted to remove ourselves from what was becoming a very volatile situation in our opinion. I asked a police officer I knew after the incident about the targets and he agreed that they were illegal. More experienced shooters I ve spoken with tell me differently. Who am I to believe? Bill M. Hello Bill, Sorry to hear about your unfortunate encounter with what we, in the shooting community, call a Range Nazi. You did the right thing by extricating yourself from the situation if you believed it was becoming too heated. I would suggest you contact your club s executive and lodge a complaint against the individual in question concerning his behavior. I would also seek clarification of your club s list of acceptable target standards. Some clubs expressly forbid certain types of targets or materials, so it may be possible that such targets are not permitted at your club. That said, targets such as NRA B27, B34 and B29 targets are merely silhouettes with a head and a neck and are commonly used in competition such as PPC. In legal terms, none of these are illegal under current Canadian law. A number of Canadian retailers sell even more realistic photo and 3-D targets that are popular in tactical training and competition scenarios. Just like your B27 targets, they are perfectly legal. However, it would be advisable to ensure that you are compliant with your club s rules. In this politically correct world, many club executives now frown upon certain types of targets for fear of causing offense and potentially attract negative press on their club. - Editors Dear NFA, I m a life-long military surplus collector. I ve been extremely worried about the approaching implementation of the United Nations marking scheme that the former Liberal government signed up for. Implementation will almost certainly mean the end of importing inexpensive military surplus rifles. I know the Conservatives delayed implementation before, but that deadline is fast approaching once more. What is going to happen? Is my hobby doomed? James S. Hello James, Canada s National Firearms Association has been working this issue tirelessly since its inception. Through the efforts of selfless execs such as Blair Hagen, Sean Penney and Sheldon Clare and NFA representative to the Canadian Firearms Advisory Council, Professor Gary Mauser, I am happy to report that implementation has been delayed until 2012 We continue to work this issue strenuously, and hopefully before the next deadline we will have succeeded in returning a majority Conservative government to Ottawa - one that will put this matter to rest once and for all. - Editors Dear NFA, I m currently a serving officer in the Royal Navy but will shortly be retiring to Canada. My wife is Canadian and I am in the process of becoming a landed immigrant, with the ultimate aim of acquiring full Canadian citizenship. My wife and I already own property in Newfoundland, including a small farm, and we plan on making our home there. I understand from neighbours that coyotes are a real problem in the area. Since I plan on raising sheep, I will necessarily require access to firearms in order to protect them. My wife s family is also keen on introducing me the joys of moose and partridge hunting, so I hope to purchase an appropriate hunting rifle and shotgun in short order. 10 December

11 I ve already made enquiries with Canadian officials, but have gotten mixed advice as to what process is involved in my obtaining a firearms licence. Can you help? Capt. John K. Hello Captain, Citizenship status or residency is essentially a nonissue under current Canadian law. You may apply for a firearms licence the same as any Canadian. The only significant difference is that as a nonresident or pending landed-immigrant, etc., you will need to provide a police background report from your place of residence indicating good conduct for the past five years. As a serving British officer, a good conduct report from your MOD may suffice, rather than having to go through your local police. In some cases, depending on your current immigration status, the background check completed for your landed immigrant application may also suffice. I would suggest you call the Canadian Firearms Program at and ask for their requirements. You will also need to complete the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and pass the practical and written exams the same as any other applicant. You will then be permitted to file a CAFC 921 form: Application for a Possession and Acquisition Licence under the Firearms Act (For Individuals Aged 18 and over). - Editors Canadian Firearms Journal The Official Magazine of the National Firearms Association Editor... sean@nfa.ca Sean Penney & Grayson Penney Executive VP, Operations...info@nfa.ca Diane Laitila Accounts / Membership / General Info... membership@nfa.ca Legal Inquiries... legal@nfa.ca National Executive National President Sheldon Clare... sheldon@nfa.ca Executive VP, Communications Blair Hagen... blair@nfa.ca Treasurer Henry Atkinson...henry@nfa.ca Secretary Ted Simmermon...info@nfa.ca Regional Directors British Columbia - Yukon Sheldon Clare... sheldon@nfa.ca Blair Hagen... blair@nfa.ca Alberta NWT Out-of-Canada Ed Lucas... ed@nfa.ca Ted Simmermon... info@nfa.ca Saskatchewan Vacant Manitoba Nunavut Vacant Ontario Bill Rantz...bill@nfa.ca Henry Atkinson...henry@nfa.ca Quebec Phil Simard... phil@nfa.ca Stephen Buddo... steve@nfa.ca Maritimes Newfoundland & Labrador Sean Penney... sean@nfa.ca Creative Design by The AD Guys Angie Hutchison... angie@theadguys.ca Canadian National Firearms Association Box Tel: Edmonton, Alberta Toll Free Canada T6G 2T5 Fax: info@nfa.ca December 11

12 Preserving Our Firearms Heritage By Gary K. Kangas and Branko Diklitch INGENUITY PRESERVES OUR FIREARMS HERITAGE Preserving our firearms heritage takes on many forms. One of these strategies is the revival of obscure or obsolete cartridges. Branko Diklitch, renowned.577 Snider aficionado has again revived a strange little cartridge and is able to target practice with an Italian Glisenti revolver in 10.4mm Italian ordnance. The latter being a very short and very obsure 19th century cartridge. I will now turn over the narrative to Branko in the arts of reviving the arcane. Here is a little history to start with; in the early 1870 s the newly united Kingdom of Italy decided to replace its existing stocks of percussion and pin fire pistols with a modern center fire revolver. After trials a version of the Chamelot Delvigne design was settled on. The French Army Model 1873 is a more famous example of the same revolver. Several European countries adopted this design with various degrees of modifications. The Italian Army matched a Swiss inspired cartridge to their own Chamelot Delvigne pistol. Thus was born the 10.4mm Italian Ordnance cartridge and the Model 1874 Italian Ordnance revolver. moved to Italy with Glisenti of Brescia doing most of the manufacturing. This is why at times this model tends to be called the Glisenti. Many Model 1874 revolvers were still in service during WW1 and some examples were even around in WWII. A few more than likely came back to Canada as souvenirs, having been picked up by our troops during the Italian campaign in WWII. When it comes to reloading the 10.4mm Italian Ordnance round there is a bit of required R&D involved, especially now that proper components are no longer available from American suppliers such as Buffalo Arms. Since the latter company no longer ships brass, etc., to Canada, I was left with no other choice but to try and source my components locally. I hit every gun show I could, checked with area junk shops and metal recyclers (who buy brass) and had friends and shooting This is a robust, well built gun with a surprisingly simple and effective single and double action mechanism. Initially the Model 1874 was built in Belgium, but soon production 12 December

13 with a 7/16 punch is placed over the powder. The.424 bullet has the grease grooves filled with black powder lube made of beeswax and Crisco. buddies check their reloading rooms for any unwanted or forgotten brass they might have laying about. Unlike such well known cartridge as the.45 Colt there is nothing standard about the 10.4mm. For those of us that aren t mechanically inclined, there is hope; we just have to be lucky enough to have friends who can help. By the time I acquired my Model 1874 it had the barrel cut down from the original 6 inches to 4 and had a wide shotgun bead fitted as the front sight. At the range the modifications proved to conspire against my best attempts at marksmanship. Initially the bullets would not even print on paper. A little experimentation found that the revolver was hitting quite a few inches above actual point of aim. Using some Kentucky elevation, rather than windage, an I was comfortabley back on paper. The original cartridge was loaded with about 20 grains of black powder and a 180 grain hard-cast lead round nose bullet of.424 diameter. To reproduce this load I have been recycling damaged cases by cutting them down to the proper length of.890. Fortunately in my revolver the rim diameter and thickness are just about exact, so all this is required to rework the case is to trim the length. The 10.4mm Italian Ordnance does look like quite the oddball when one first takes a look and many might pass on by and not take up the challenge. However, with a little tinkering and perseverance, this odd-ball can be brought back to life. So next time you encounter a similar oddball firearm or cartridge don t be so fast to dismiss it. With just a little work it might prove much easier to put back in service than its hertitage and age might intially indicate. To the modern handloaders advantage, the Italians chose not to mess around with a heeled bullet. Those who have worked with heeled bullets know well that there is a special section of hell set aside just for this bullet design. The Italians, however, did not make things too easy. In selecting the.424 they chose an oddball bullet diameter. To overcome this, a machinist friend made me a.424 swaging die. I use an old Lyman grain mold for my bullets. This is a bit heavier than the original but readily available and has two deep grease grooves that can hold enough lube so there is no need to use a grease cookie. Ingenuity preserves our firearms heritage. As for reloading dies, I turn to the.44 special. All that is needed is to full length size the trimmed case and this leaves the neck ready for the.424 bullet. The seating die has been cut down by a quarter of an inch by another machinist friend. My version of the 10.4mm Italian Ordnance round is loaded with 15 grains of 2Fg Goex black powder. A.437 milk carton wad cut out December 13

14 Politics & Guns by Tyler Vance The Rule of Law, the Police and the Common Man I had originally pitched a police & politics trilogy to my CFJ editors because I felt that there was enough material, and the issues varied enough, to warrant such attention. What I didn t count on was the response my little trilogy sparked. My inbox has been literally inundated with s from readers thanking me for the articles, while others have sent me links or clippings to other, related stories dealing with firearms, politics and police. Photo: Sean Penney Some I was aware of, others were wholly unfamiliar. However, I did discover one common theme through much of these additional stories and court cases. It was the de facto double standard that has developed in Canada related to the enforcement and prosecution of firearms offences. It is the responsible firearms owner in Canada who has been forced to bear the brunt of the worst excesses of the Liberal s failed gun control program and we have seen the unconstitutional burden of Reverse Onus imposed without debate upon formerly lawabiding gun owners. The presumption of innocence enjoyed by all other Canadians was simply thrown out like yesterday s trash by our former Liberal task-masters. As the new firearms bureaucracy has developed, we have seen the growing issue of double standards expand exponentially with it. The same can be said of the RCMP and the Quebec Surete and their stand-alone firearms control bureaucracy; especially in the years since the former assumed complete control of the gun control program in Canada. Time and again, we have seen serving police officers cleared of all gun-related charges they have faced; or seen them pled down to lesser charges. Where and when convicted, sympathetic judges have imposed extremely light sentences or conditions that no common Canadian gun owner could ever hope to receive. Then, you have the various provincial Chief Firearms Officers, who seem hell-bent on expanding their own petty dictatorships, just like their federal overlords, the RCMP. Not content with simply administering the bureaucratic processes involved in legally owning and using a firearm in Canada, over the past 15 years, CFOs from Newfoundland to British Columbia have been constantly pushing the envelope, going so far as to not only interpret the Liberal s Firearms Act, but to actually improve upon it by inventing and enforcing their own made-up firearms rules and regulations! Sadly, I m not making this up, nor am I exaggerating. All you have to do is ask any new RPAL holder who has attempted to 14 December

15 The rule of law in Canada is under siege right now and perhaps the worst transgressors are those holding positions of power, and whom we entrust to keep us safe. The double standard has to end, as does the admonishment to, Do as I say, not as I do. purchase a restricted firearm in the past decade or so. Like Ivory soap, there is a 99 & 44/100% chance that their CFO will have demanded that they produce documented proof of membership in a recognized club or shooting range before they would even consider approving any such transfer; despite the FACT that NOWHERE in the Firearms Act does this requirement ever appear in print! There is a good reason why not: legislators never wrote it and Parliament never passed it. Instead, this is an example of the arbitrary nature of Canadian firearms enforcement today. There is no legitimate rhyme or reason to require individuals interested in purchasing a restricted firearm for target shooting or competition to purchase and often exorbitantly expensive gun club membership that they may not even be in a position to use! You do have the option of standing your ground and refusing to produce a membership card; while demanding that the requested transfer be granted. Eventually, your CFO will back down and months later, the transfer will grudgingly be processed. However, you can count on your file being redflagged for all future transfers and it is an almost certainty that any future transfers, regardless of whether or not it is a restricted or non-restricted firearm involved, ALL will be referred to the province for final approval. I know this for a fact, because I found myself in just such a position a few years ago under a now deceased CFO. Gun owners have found themselves forced into a paternalistic relationship with their CFO s, much as the colonial peoples of Africa, Asia and South America were under their British, French, German, Dutch or American colonial masters who assumed the white man s burden to educate, reform and save their uneducated and backward charges from their primitive culture and upbringing. In our case it would appear that the Liberals, and their left-wing, progressive allies within the gun control bureaucracy, are hell-bent on saving gun owners and the public from themselves. In this connection, a wholly unbearable attitude of moral superiority has taken root in Chief Firearms Offices across the country; one that has seen the old saw, Do as I say, not as I do, become the unofficial motto of our firearms officialdom. A clear example of this is PEI Chief Firearms Officer Vivian Hayward. A recent photo of her and two other employees of P.E.I. Chief Firearms Officer Vivian Hayward (center) clearly demonstrating the Canadian gun control bureaucracy motto of Do as I say, not as I do. her office showing the Chief Firearms Officer posing with a prohibited HK MP-5 submachinegun, finger on the trigger and the weapon at the ready. A male subordinate flanks her on the right, striking a gangsta pose, with arms crossed at the front, wielding a Colt 1911 pistol and revolver. On the left, Ms. Hayward is flanked by a female subordinate holding a sawed off Ruger 10/22 rifle, a prohibited weapon under Canadian law. Both employees are pictured with their fingers on the triggers of their weapons. Even more disturbing is the fact that all three were photographed standing in the back of a pick-up truck filled with what I presume to be seized firearms, most either restricted or prohibited in class, and not a single one trigger locked or safely stored as required by Canadian law. Even more disturbing is the fact that the P.E.I. CFO office is located in a strip-mall. A wider angle lens would have shown that Ms. Hayward and company s truckload of prohibited firearms was parked just feet from a candy store on the left and to the right, a local bar and the Magic Wok restaurant. Ignoring the obvious breaches of Canadian gun laws related to safe storage, transportation and common sense, not to December 15

16 There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots. What is it? Distrust. -- Demosthenes, (384 B.C.-322 B.C.) mention complete disregard for basic safe gun handling (ACTS/PROVE) what I found most appalling about this photo was the underlying threat it represents. Its leak to Canadian gun orgs comes at a time when we re seeing an organized search & seizure campaign being carried out by police agencies in large metropolitan cities such as Toronto. Remember Operation Safe City and the seizure of thousands of firearms from honest gun owners who had failed to renew their firearms licenses in a timely fashion? Given the option of turning their guns over to the police for destruction, or face criminal prosecution, these paper criminals, overwhelmingly opted to give-up their property for fear of the police. Is this the type of Or Else Ms. Hayward and her gun-wielding cohorts were referencing? The facts are, had an ordinary citizen attempted to replicate the same photo for which the Chief Firearms Officer of P.E.I. posed, there would have been immediate panicked phone calls to the RCMP, an immediate gun call would ve been transmitted over the police band and an Emergency Response Team would ve been rolling for what the law enforcement community had dubbed a high risk takedown. Mr. Johnny Canuck, average gun owner, would ve very shortly thereafter found himself facing multiple automatic weapons in the hands of heavily armoured ERT operators and the prospect of having his face jammed into the asphalt of the strip mall parking lot with a 200lb. cop kneeling on his neck; while another handcuffed him. He could count on a slew of criminal charges ranging from unsafe storage of a firearm, to possession of a firearm dangerous to the public good, to pointing a firearm and everything in between. He d be looking at serious jail-time and a legal defence bill that would run into the tens of thousands of dollars. When questioned about the photo and the message it sends to Canada s millions of law-abiding gun owners, a spokesman for the P.E.I. Department of Justice stated that from their perspective there were, no safety or legal issues with the photo. Indeed. This blasé attitude and complete dismissal of genuine safety concerns that every responsible firearms user should have, and which under our current gun laws enforces upon us a LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO OBSERVE AND OBEY said provisions under penalty of criminal prosecution, is simply outrageous! DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO OR ELSE! I guess for responsible firearms owners, we can interpret that institutional ethos as a genuine threat. Go to jail, face the prospect of having your legally acquired firearms seized by government agents, lose the right to legally own firearms in the future and face financial ruin attempting to legally counter the burden of reverse onus forced upon Canadian gun owners under the Liberal gun control scheme. As I was writing this column, I read with equal indignation of the case of veteran RCMP detachment commander, Sgt. Doug Smith, who stood trial this fall on several firearms charges, including a Criminal Code charge of careless storage of firearms and contravening related Firearms Act safe storage regulations. One of the firearms in question was a pistol that a member of the public had turned into the officer for destruction in 2004! Sgt. Smith explained that he had never gotten around to turning it in due to work and family problems. The rifle found in the Sergeant s closet, sans trigger lock, it was argued, should not have been considered a firearm, as Sgt. Smith had determined that it was inoperable; yet firearms technicians were able to successfully fire it later. Regina Provincial Court Judge Marylynne Beaton s final decision was to acquit Smith of the criminal charge, but find him guilty of the Firearms Act offence. He was handed a nine-month conditional discharge with an order that he perform 60 hours community service. In attempting to justify her painfully altruistic sentencing, Judge Beaton argued that while police officers should be held to a higher standard than civilians, Smith s personal problems merited treating Smith as an individual rather than a police officer. Directing her statement to Smith, the judge said of the RCMP commander, You are also a human being, and human beings make mistakes. Juxtapose the above cases with that of Burton, N.B., neighbours Brian Fox and Lawrence Manzer, both retired Canadian Forces members and victims of repeated break-ins and acts of vandalism of their property. Over the course of weeks and months, both men had found their homes and their lives essentially under siege by these unknown criminals. Repeated calls and requests for aid from local police and RCMP were rejected, as the offenses to that point had only involved property crimes. The loss of sleep, feelings of lack of safety and fear of leaving their loved-ones home-alone, was of little consequence to local law enforcement. The only hope Fox and Manzer had of bringing their living safety nightmare to an end was to catch the perpertrators red handed according to local police. Only then would the RCMP be justified in taking action, since there was little else they could do against minor property crime offenses. Matters came to a head last March when Fox discovered 16 December

17 It is when power is wedded to chronic fear that it becomes formidable. -- Eric Hoffer ( ) American author, philosopher, awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom three intruders on his property just before 3 A.M.. Fox and his son rushed outside to confront the intruders before they could get away, while Manzer, hearing the commotion ran outside to help his neighbour. On the way, he grabbed his unloaded shotgun and a fistful of shells; instructing his wife to immediately call the police for help. The intruders, who turned out to be a trio of teenagers, were easily subdued by the property owners. Manzer, recognizing that there was minimal risk of further danger from the cowed intruders, returned his still unloaded firearm to his home, locking it up, as per our safe storage laws. The police arrived shortly thereafter and arrested the teens; and one was fined for underage drinking. While no other legal action was taken against them, the spree of break-ins and vandalism plaguing the community stopped after this incident. The victims/heroes of our story, however, did not get off as lightly. The RCMP, who could do nothing to help the two law-abiding retired Canadian Forces members besieged by attempted B&E s and destruction of their property, arrested Fox some six days later, charging him with assault. His neighbour, Lawrence Manzer was subsequently arrested for pointing a firearm. Where is the justice here? Have we fallen so low that only serving law enforcement are worthy of such? It is unconscionable that the outlaws in our country, whether civilian or in uniform get off with fines and community service, while honest citizens, men who served Canada in our military, are treated worst than their tormentors and villains. Yet, such is the state of firearms law and self-defence law in Canada today. Even if the charges against Fox and Manzer are subsequently dropped or reduced, the fact is they should never have been charged in the first place. The rule of law in Canada is under siege right now and perhaps the worst transgressors are those holding positions of power, and whom we entrust to keep us safe. The double standard has to end, as does the admonishment to, Do as I say, not as I do. Space restrictions prevent me from expanding upon the many, many incidents of such double standards being applied in just the past few years alone. Suffice to say, their number is legion, when even a single incident is one too many. That is truly a sad state of affairs. Tyler Vance can be reached via at: tyler.vance88@gmail.com Chief Firearms Office The Chief Firearms Office s (CFO) mandate is to ensure public safety as set out in Section5 of the Firearms Act. The Chief Firearms Officer has the responsibility of administering the licensing requirements of the Act to individuals and businesses residing and operating within each province. Public safety, as defined in Section 5 of the Act, is the fundamental principle upon which all licensing decisions are made. The CFO is responsible for the following activities: * Issues, refuses to issue, renews or revokes firearms licences for businesses and individuals, authorizations to transport restricted and prohibited firearms, authorizations to carry restricted and prohibited firearms for purposes prescribed within the Act. * Approves shooting ranges. * Approves the transfer of prohibited and restricted firearms and other regulated items between individuals and businesses. * Conducts inspections of firearms licensed businesses and firearms shooting ranges to ensure compliance with the Act. * Attends court in relation to challenges to decisions made under the Firearms Act. * Prepares affidavits on behalf of police services for use in criminal trials and proceedings. * Maintains records in the Canadian Firearms Information System (CFIS) * The protection of public safety is the paramount goal of the CFO. The CFO achieves this goal through partnerships and the professional, rigorous enforcement and administration of the Firearms Act and Regulations. December 17

18 Running ahead of the dog, the pheasant felt pressured and took flight. The young hunter lifted the shotgun, led the bird and gently squeezed the trigger. A proud young hunter had just harvested his first pheasant. That scene has been repeated dozens of times in Southwestern Ontario at organized youth pheasant hunt days. Ontario Stewardship Councils organizations that are supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and are charged with educating landowners and the public about the importance of a healthy ecosystem in Elgin County, Perth County and Middlesex County have been organizing such events for five years. Elgin County s Youth Hunting Day, which is held at Fingal Wildlife Management Area near St. Thomas, was the first such event. Fingal Wildlife Management Area is a 700-acre property where pheasants are released for hunters, so it was a perfect site for the program. The Elgin event is set up with a morning and afternoon program that share a common lunch of pheasant. Elgin Stewardship Co-ordinator Mark Emery believes the pheasant lunch is an important part of the day to give a connection between the hunt and food. The event is set up with a variety of stations designed for apprentice hunters. It starts with a review of hunter safety. Participants then get a chance to trap shoot, attempt to judge distance and then move on to the hunt. The hunt itself is set up with the pheasants set in wire tubes under bales of straw. That doesn t mean the bird can t get out and run ahead, but it does give the young hunters a heads-up when there will be a flush. We basically took all the elements of a high-quality pheasant hunt and repackaged it for the kids, Emery said. For me, it shows a lot about character being around a kid 13 to 14 who can handle a firearm. That speaks a lot about maturity. Cameron McCurdy, 14, was among the participants in November He had been deer, turkey, grouse and rabbit Youth Apprenticeship: Introducing Kids to By Jeff Helsdon 18 December

19 hunting, but the Youth Hunt Day was his first exposure to pheasant hunting. Walking into the field, he was a little nervous at the prospect. His nerves didn t keep him from getting his first pheasant though. Mark Hopper is the father of two of the eight girls participating in the event. They had both been last year and had so much fun they wanted to come back. In fact, both had just made the volleyball team and missed part of a tournament to participate in the hunt even though they were given the option of not going. An idea is born Emery was the originator of the concept after tossing around ideas with a few members of his stewardship council in fall The idea was to discuss possibilities to address problems with retention of youth hunters and to work within the council s mandate of recognizing hunters contribution to conservation, nature education and involving the public in nature. They recognized hunters have a role in sustaining the province s natural resources and it is important to work on hunter recruitment. They said they liked the idea but let s see what else is out there, Emery recalled. He searched around and found there were no programs with a goal of education and putting more hunters in the field. Personally, waterfowl hunting is what got Emery interested in hunting. I had been to Pelee Island a couple of times pheasant hunting, he said. Waterfowl was my primary interest to get hooked on hunting. He saw pheasant hunting as the ideal medium to deliver the program. By using released birds and trained hunting dogs, the success rate is high, something that is important to build the enthusiasm of the hunters. In January 2005, Emery organized a planning committee in anticipation of the event. Robert Pye of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, who oversaw the group s Get Outdoors program at the time, was consulted for advice. The first hunt went off that November, with a lot of support from the community. We ve done it all through community involvement, Emery said. I ve never seen anything like it. He said volunteers take time off work to help out. Financial contributions from the Aylmer Order of Good Cheer, Ducks Unlimited and private sector firms have been consistent since day one. The concept quickly caught on. The stewardship council in Perth County launched a youth hunt at Hullet Provincial Wildlife Area, where there is also a pheasant release program, the following year. In 2007, the Middlesex Stewardship Council put a new twist on the program, hosting it at Gold Creek Game Farm. Essex County Stewardship council has also held a youth hunt in conjunction with an Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters affiliate club. The youth hunting concept has also spread within Elgin County. The National Wild Turkey Federation affiliate hosted a youth hunting day for apprentice turkey hunters. Emery would like to see the apprenticeship program expand across Ontario. To that end, the Elgin, Middlesex and Perth Stewardship Councils collaborated on a web site to assist other potential hunt hosts. Called the Youth Hunting Day Planning Toolkit, it is located on the Internet at www. youthhunting.ca We ve done a lot of documentation over the last five years of what went well, Emery said. With Middlesex and Perth, we could draw a lot of experience. The web site includes everything hunt planners would need to know. It starts from pre-planning, giving advice on choosing an appropriate site and ensuring the necessary insurance is in place. Then it guides organizers through determining the correct number of apprentices to aim for, seeking sponsorship, promotion, obtaining the necessary approvals and preparing pheasants for lunch. For event day, advice for setting up the various stations is organized. Templates for both event planning and budgeting are also on the web site. Hopes are to work with conservation organizations such as the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, National Wild Turkey Federation, Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and others to expand the program. Emery doesn t see these programs competing with the youth pheasant hunt, but complimenting it through the various seasons. He would like youth hunts for ducks, pheasants, turkey and deer to be in place five years down the road. Such a program would be an extension of the current apprentice program. ds to the Shooting Sports in the Right Way December 19

20 NFA Book Shelf HAWKEN RIFLES: - The Mountain Man s Choice Author John D. Baird Publisher Gun Room Press 95 Pages, 136 Black & White Plates Hard Cover with Dust Jacket By Wm. R. Rantz ISBN: HAWKEN RIFLES: The Mountain Man s Choice, originally published in 1968, was the first book devoted exclusively to the famous rifles produced by Jacob and Samuel Hawken and subsequent owners of the Hawken company. Original copies of the first edition are collector s items selling for hundreds of dollars. Fortunately, it has been reprinted many times to satisfy Hawken rifle enthusiasts who wish to know more about the history of this famous rifle and its makers. Jacob Hawken moved to St. Louis in 1807 and opened his gunshop on Main Street in Brother Sam moved from Ohio to St. Louis in The firearm business that they established went through a variety of owners until its eventual demise in 1915 when J.P. Gemmer closed down his shop and retired. Hawken started producing percussion muzzleloading rifles shortly after the invention of the percussion cap. These rifles were made in a variety of configurations but they tended to have a broad buttstock with a curved cheekpiece, set triggers and a heavy octagon barrel held in place by two barrel keys. The trim was made of plain iron as were the simple sights so as to not reflect light. Stocks were made of either walnut or maple and Hawken produced both full and half stocked versions depending on the customer s preference. These rugged rifles were carried throughout the west on a daily basis by both trappers and hunters. The result is that surviving Hawken rifles are rare and any specimens encountered reflect the difficult conditions in which they were used by the original owners. Purchasing an original Hawken would be challenging and very expensive. Black powder muzzleloading shooters from the 1960s to the present created a market for newly manufactured rifles which were soon to be referred to simply as Hawkens. These rifles were produced by a variety of companies including Thompson Center, Connecticut Valley Arms and Lyman. The degree of authenticity varied with both the manufacturer and the models that they produced. Many black powder hunters and target shooters were quite content with the resemblance of originality being offered. There were also shooters who wanted to own a highly authentic looking rifle but could never afford an original specimen. Those who did own the true Hawken rifles were unlikely to ever risk damaging such a valuable gun by firing it. As a result, smaller companies and even talented individuals began their quest to produce rifles with features identical to known Hawken specimens. Without HAWKEN RIFLES: The Mountain Man s Choice this task would have been virtually impossible. John D. Baird has compiled all the information that one would need to create an accurate copy of a Hawken. Close up black and white photographs of a variety of original guns allow for detailed inspection of each part of the rifles shown. Firearm experts, collectors and black powder shooters will find HAWKEN RIFLES: The Mountain Man s Choice a valuable addition to their reference library as it covers this subject in greater detail than any other publication. The painstaking research by Baird fills fifteen chapters and covers all known variations of the Hawken rifle as they evolved over the years of production. The current list price for HAWKEN RIFLES: The Mountain Man s Choice is $55 and it is available from the Gun Room Press. Check with your local book dealer and they may be able to obtain a copy. Wm. R. Rantz 22 December