Gun Rights Policy Conference 2022

 The last weekend of September, Second Amendment advocates from all over the nation met in Dallas for the 37th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC). 

The conference was hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) founder Alan Gottlieb and his wife Julianne Versnel. Video of the conference can be found here. The SAF has been at the forefront of litigation to restore the Second Amendment to full honor among the Bill of Rights. This is the first page of a long list of suits, many of which have been won. To quote Alan, "Winning back gun rights, one lawsuit at a time." In actuality, they usually have at least a handful of lawsuits going on at any one time.

Here are a few pictures I took at the conference:

Massad Ayoob, Jim Irvine, Juliannne Versnel, Alan Gottlieb, Stephen Halbrook, Mark Smith

These leaders have amazing resumes. Ayoob has been writing and training for decades. Irvine started the Faster program. (Created by concerned parents, law enforcement, and nationally-recognized safety and medical experts, FASTER is a groundbreaking, nonprofit program that gives educators practical violence response training.) Versnel and Gottlieb? Well, just check out the lawsuits mentioned above. Halbrook has done extensive legal research, providing reams of material for firearms rights lawsuits. His books provide tremendously good reading. Smith is further mentioned below.

With John Petrolino

John and I discussed the state of gun laws in New Jersey. Check out his book Decoding Firearms.

With Barbara and John Richardson, and Shane Thurston

John blogs at No Lawyers, only Guns and Money. Check it out. He Among other things, he keeps updates posted on the NRA legal troubles.

With Kyle Rittenhouse

Kyle was wrongfully prosecuted persecuted for exercising the natural right of self-preservation. Thank the Lord that the jury saw the truth and acquitted him. A nice young man who acted in a very responsible manner. I wish him the best. 

Yehuda Remer

From Yehuda's web site: 'I am a proud Jewish gun owner who believes that Jews should not be afraid nor hide their love of the Second Amendment and gun ownership.  

As I always say, "Never again means nothing if you are not willing to do something about it." '

Yehuda told me he remembers the Nazi's tattoos on his grandfather's arm. Unlike many modern day American Jews, he supports the MEANS to keep from being put in the cattle cars. As his T-shirt, available HERE, says > > > 

Mark Smith

Check out Smith's Four Boxes Diner 2A videos HERE.

Paul Valone of GRNC.ORG with his new book
Rules for Anti-Radicals.

The GRPC is scheduled each year around the end of September. The 2023 location has not been chosen yet. Sign up for emails from SAF to stay updated. Mark your calendar and plan to attend.

Young adults challenge age-restricted gun bans

When I was a child, I could go to the local Western Auto store and drool over the rifles that were right there in floor-level racks for me to touch. I even bought and used a lot of .22 ammo. 

But, legislators, governors, presidents, and judges have long disrespected the Second Amendment (2A), treating it as the red-headed stepchild of the Bill of Rights. As a result, reams of legislation and court decisions have arisen that have denied citizens their 2A rights one way or another. 

Among these was the Gun Control Act of 1968, signed into law by Lyndon Johnson (D). That law, in addition to other things, created a dealer network, and prohibited dealer sales of long guns and their ammo to those under 18; and handguns and their ammo to those under 21. Dealers were required to keep a record of ammo sales. Being under 21, I could not buy pistol ammo. When I went to buy .22's, I had to state on the form that they were for a rifle. 

That has always stuck in my craw.

Simon says "NO GUNS!"

 You probably heard about the mass shooter who was stopped in 15 seconds by hero Elisjasha Dicken. More details on the chain of events will surely be released as law enforcement completes their investigation. 

Simon Property Group, owner of Greenwood Park Mall, has long posted their properties against weapons. Depending on the state, their weapons ban may or may not carry the force of law. In Indiana, according to several sources, their ban does not carry the force of law; whereas Tennessee bans do, if properties are properly posted. 

In view of the fact that Mr. Dicken was almost universally praised for his heroic action and remarkable marksmanship, I reached out to  Mr. David Simon of Simon Property group, urging him to reconsider their ban. After receiving no reply to an email, I sent Simon a snail-mail letter, reproduced below.* To date, I have not received a reply from him. . . .

I decided to contact Simon Property Group through their web site to a) clarify their weapons policy, and b) ascertain if there is any thought to changing the policy. My correspondence, edited for brevity is included below.**

Memphis murders

 Memphis, with a long history of violence, has received national media attention for a shooting spree in which four people were recently killed and three wounded. 

Just a few days earlier, Memphis jogger Eliza Fletcher had been brutally kidnapped and murdered. The suspect in this crime has additionally been charged in another woman's armed abduction and rape. It remains to be seen if there are other, currently unknown, victims.

Both suspects have been beneficiaries of Tennessee's sport fishing criminal justice system. By creating a system in which judges and parole boards repeatedly turn these societal predators loose on the public, legislators must take some responsibility for their actions.

But, Tennessee's legislature (and most other states') has also made it more feasible to carry a defensive weapon in public, either through shall issue permitting/licensing schemes, or permitless carry.

So, I encourage responsible adults to become your own first-responders. Start to carry a weapon of some sort. 

• Practically all knives* are legal in Tennessee (except where prohibited) . 
• Handguns** may generally be legally carried on the person or in a vehicle (except where prohibited).
• Consider pepper spray, too.

Any defensive weapon choice is a compromise. It seems that smaller and lighter handguns are becoming more popular; and they would be better than a snowball.

Arm up

Train up

Carry on

-------------

*Keep up to date on knife laws with Knife Rights app.

** See Handgunlaw.us or the Legal Heat app.

Are pro-life and pro-gun positions compatible?

 Absolutely!

Here's why -

Let's start with the Declaration of Independence, which is available to read HERE. 

The second sentence of the Declaration reads,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

 It mentions three unalienable rights:

1. Life

2. Liberty

3. the pursuit of Happiness

I will only discuss the first one here. It is relatively easy to define, and the other two can have  potentially unlimited definitions.

Life (noun): the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.1

Life in this discussion then applies to all human beings (men, mankind, humankind), wherever situated, at whatever age, from conception until natural death. The pro-life and pro-gun positions generally adhere to the following definitions:

Pro-life (adj): the belief that all human life is created equal regardless of size, level of development, education, and degree of dependency.2 

Pro-gun (adj): favoring the right to own guns and opposing legislation restricting this right.3

Why are the pro-life and pro-gun positions compatible? 

Commonsense gun laws

 My friend John Richardson over at No Lawyers - Only Guns and Money has an interesting take on "Commonsense Gun Laws" - - -

"The cult of personality known as Giffords is making an effort to get gun owners onboard with their organization. They are calling it Gun Owners for Safety. I think you even get a fancy t-shirt like the one below.

I think when you get down to it that I and most of my readers do actually support commonsense gun laws.

Here are some of the commonsense gun laws I could and would support:

Removal of suppressors from the NFA. (Read the rest of John's post HERE)

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

I have often wondered how Republicans seem to be so adept at snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory. Now I know.

Today (8/9/22) on Fox and Friends, I heard Dan Bongino say, "If you remember this you will never be disappointed. Most Republicans on Capitol Hill are really Democrats. 

However, no Democrats on Capitol Hill, NONE, are really Republicans!"

The same can be said for the State Legislature in Tennessee. . . . and other states (looking at you, Florida!).

Culture, Homicides and Violence

Who is more likely to shoot you, an NRA member or a member of the Crips?

The primary difference between these two groups is culture. NRA members tend to be law-and-order types, whereas Crips (or members of any garden variety American street gang) are rather indifferent or openly hostile to laws.

It is the adherence to a social norm – in this case, obeying or not obeying the law – that influences one’s probability to act violently, which in tern (sic) means using a gun to commit unilateral violence (e.g., not self-defense). . . .

Read the rest of this at GunFacts.Info by Guy Smith, and while you are there take a look at his other research.

The B8 target

 I think it is fun shooting at different sizes and styles of targets, but there are some practical reasons that go beyond fun. I had not thought of this aspect of the plain old B8, available free for printing HERE. You can use a quarter to make sure you are printing it to scale.

Here is a tactically relevant application for this target linked through The Firearm Blog:

B8

"Many renowned instructors are using the B8 target in classes, but do we understand why? In a recent IG live, Steve Fisher went over some reasons we use B8 targets. It is obvious that a target with set dimensions gives a standard. This standard allows us to track our score and therefore analyze our score to see improvement. We compare current to past scores with the same or similar conditions. However, the B8 does far more for us. . . . The B8 resembles sizes that have anatomical importance."

Continue reading HERE.

Ask Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett*

With the recent Supreme Court Bruen (New York gun case) decision, I thought it would be a good idea to check in with a couple of gents who were around when the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791. Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett agreed to a short interview.

LM: How old were you when the Bill of Rights was ratified?

Boone: I was about thirty-seven year old. We had fought the Redcoats and won our independence from King George. We started calling ourselves citizens, not subjects. That war had actually begun on April 13, 1775, over a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed. It started with the (British) government trying to confiscate our guns. General Gage had sent his troops from Boston to Concord, MA.  Our folks up there said,

Thank you President Trump

 In 2016 I opined* that the presidential election really wasn't about the next four years, but court appointments would have a lasting effect for decades to come.

Donald Trump won that election and appointed three justices to the Supreme Court.

Last week we got better than I had hoped in the New York gun case. The court recognized an amendment that is actually in the Bill of Rights.

Then the next day Roe v Wade was overturned. 

These would not have been possible if HRC had been elected.

I just wish Mr. Trump had not 

a) been such a lightning rod

b) given the ATF the go-ahead to ban bump stocks.

Even so, thank you President Trump for those court appointments.

*see also this.

Two steps forward, one step back

There were three significant steps taken this past week dealing with life and liberty- We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

First, in the New York gun case,* the Supremes declared Thursday,  "New York’s proper-cause requirement violates the Fourteenth Amendment by preventing law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their right to keep and bear arms in public." 

One Unconstitutional Law Implicates Many Gun-Control Regulations

 Laws can be interpreted many ways. We seek guidance from the court to know what is legal and what is not. The US Supreme Court has largely ignored the right to bear arms compared to the number of decisions the court has rendered in other areas. We don’t have enough decisions to draw a clear map of where our rights begin and end. The court recently issued an opinion on the right to bear arms in public. This case redefined the legal landscape and gave us a few rules to go by. Let’s look at the unanswered questions to see if we may draw further conclusions. (Read the rest of this insightful post by friend Rob Morse at Slow Facts.)

Let's apply the spirit of the militia clause . . .

 . . . to the reading of the Second Amendment . . . 

The headline in the Bucks County (PA) Courier Times says that we should apply the spirit of the militia clause to the Second Amendment. I see nothing wrong with the headline, but take issue with the writer's assertions. 

He claims, "In all the years I have been debating and discussing gun control, I have never heard the gun rights advocates refer to the first clause." That sort of statement is akin to my saying, "I have never heard it thunder in Montana." Well, I haven't, but that doesn't mean it hasn't.

 Then he goes on to state the logical fallacies that 

"we can't exclude children from bearing arms" and

CEO's calling for gun bans

 Here is a list of CEO's who are gun banners. Not surprisingly, it includes the CEO's of Dick's Sporting Goods and Levi's. Most of these I am unfamiliar with. 

Why is it that people can't understand that we have a criminal violence problem? IF they were able to ban production from today forward, there is something on the order of half a billion firearms extant in the United States. Those won't go away. 

And, btw, how well has their drug ban worked?

And, btw, how well did their alcohol ban work?

2022 Letter

Dear Members of the Senate:

We, the undersigned CEOs, represent American companies from across the country. Like you, we continue to bear witness to the toll of America’s gun violence epidemic and its impact on our communities.

Another reason Red Flag laws make no sense

 

As I mentioned in a previous post, Red Flag laws, also known as Extreme Risk Protective Orders, (often involving an ex-parte hearing), deprive a person of their legally owned firearms through governmental confiscation. 

This is followed by an expensive uphill battle to regain possession of the firearms.

There are several constitutional reasons that these are bad laws, but some practical reasons, too. When the G-men take a person's firearms, they have no reason or obligation to take his matches, charcoal lighter fluid, or gasoline.

They also do not take vehicles. We learned recently of a vicious multiple victim attack with a vehicle, and a vehicular attack on a woman and child in California, as reported by Fox News.

Screen Grab from Fox News report

What's to keep someone under a Red Flag ban from using a vehicle to do the same? Their good will?

Constitutional Carry bills introduced in 2022

UPDATE 5: Georgia (4/12/22) bill signed, effective immediately.

UPDATE 4: Florida bill is DOA this year. With RINO  friends, who needs enemies?

UPDATE 3: Indiana (7/1/22) got on board (gasp, it includes 18 year-olds*) March 21, 2022.

UPDATE 2: Ohio (6/13/22) became the 23rd state Mar 14, 2022

UPDATE: Alabama (1/1/23) became the 22nd state with Constitutional Carry Mar 10, 2022. 

The year 2022 sees several states having Constitutional (permitless) Carry (CC) bills introduced in their legislatures. These include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio. 

Most Democrats, their media mouthpieces, and an assortment of Rino Republicans can always be counted on to oppose passage of this type of legislation. They have repeatedly used the same old tired arguments that their comrades in other states have used in the past. 

They can be counted on to utter something like, “I support the Second Amendment, but . . .”

They can be counted on to add their military service history and/or

their pro-gun-but credentials to their argument:

“I served in the Marine Corps. I’ve shot everything from an M16 to an M2 .50 caliber machine gun and SMAW rocket launcher. I believe guns are important tools, can offer protection, and serve an important role in our recreational and cultural activities. I believe in the Constitutional right to own a firearm . . . My first gun was given to me when I turned 12. I know this culture. I respect it. I am a part of it.” says Alabama State Rep. Neil Rafferty(D) in AL.com.

But Mr. Rafferty fails in the above quote to mention the Constitutional right to carry a firearm. Perhaps he needs to read the Bill of Rights. Yes, the one that states Congress shall pass no law abridging his freedom of speech, or of the press to publish his opinion (Amendment I). Yes, that same Bill of Rights which states that the right to keep and bear shall not be infringed (Amendment II).

I am sure I could search for a few minutes and find similar opposition to Constitutional Carry in the other states where it has been introduced. But for the sake of brevity, I have seen the same old arguments in states where it has been brought up before. As a matter of fact, I saw the same arguments in Tennessee when permitted carry was first introduced. Then, when legislation was proposed to loosen the restrictions on permitted carry, e.g. carrying into a convenience store, carrying into a restaurant that serves alcohol, and carrying into parks; and in 2021, when a (pseudo) Constitutional Carry bill was introduced and passed.

Perhaps the reason these opposers of freedom fight so hard to hang onto the permitting system is their fondness for the good old antebellum days when white men could freely carry weapons, but slaves had to first get a permission slip from their masters.

Perhaps it is just about power; Do they see themselves as our overlords, and as such, resist every effort to share that power? As I wrote in Ammoland,

 

The problem with many of the elite who are in power these days is that they, like tyrants and petty potentates of old, think power should reside only in the hands of the ruling class.

If unchecked, this always leads to an increasing disparity of power, with this ruling class seizing more and more power from the citizenry.

There are a variety of carry requirements among the states,with some requiring permits, some requiring training, some not requiring training (GA), some allowing permitless open carry (AL, NC), others not; the results are always about the same - -

• Peaceable citizens, with rare exceptions, act responsibly when armed, whether permitted or not.

• The permitting process is a de-facto infringement on the right to bear arms.

• Bad actors with felony convictions or misdemeanor domestic violence offenses often continue to ignore laws and be ongoing bad actors.

• Bad actors, all too frequently, ignore gun-free-zone signs, and continue to kill and maim.

• Most legislators are accessories-before-the-fact, because they continue to mandate gun-free-zones for peaceable citizens, thus creating killing fields for mass-murderers as we have now seen in Florida.

Renting back our rights (to those of us who can afford it) through the permitting process is just one way of exerting their power. Voters need to show them where the power ultimately resides, and fire them.

*Eighteen year-olds who already have every other civil right under the law. They can go to war, vote, marry, and enter into contracts, etc. Good for them

Cooper jumps through the hoop

Click on the picture to look at her slo-mo video.

Moscow? Caracas? Snowstorm? Hurricane?

 No, this was the bread aisle yesterday at Wal Mart in Chattanooga. 

The weather was good, with a relatively short-lived rainstorm sweeping through a little later in the day.

What can we learn from this?

In Congress, July 4,1776

 From my friend John Richardson:

This is a document that I think every American should read at least once a year. As I said when I first started posting in the first year of this blog, it explains why we are citizens and not subjects.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, READ MORE HERE.

Pistol or Prozac?

Tucked away in the Blue Ridge of North Georgia, just below the Tennessee state line is McCaysville, GA. There are lots of things to do, ride the train, explore mountain towns and countryside, hike, fish, go rafting; and you should make a visit to McCaysville Drug and Gun a top priority.

I got to speak with Randy Richardson, and we discussed the short supply of firearms and ammunition. He said lever actions are almost non-existent. On the other hand, Turkish shotguns have been available, and his customers have been satisfied with them. 

I thought he had a surprisingly good stock of handguns for today's market. There was not a large supply of ammo on the shelves though.

Richardson practicing rules 2 & 3 of gun safety.

Richardson and I discussed the fact that he could sell long guns across state lines, but if he sells a handgun to someone from outside Georgia, he must ship the handgun to a FFL dealer in the buyer's state of residence.

They are a real drug store, so they can actually dispense Prozac to patients with proper prescriptions.

Just go there when you get a chance....

Masks for thee, but not for me

 We have heard of this in California having seen images of Governor Newsome attending a dinner while banning such for little people. We have seen New York Governor Cuomo going about unmasked while requiring masking for the little people. 

Now, despite an order* by the mayors, I have seen it in Bradley County, Tennessee. When I went into the courthouse for business with one of the county offices. the deputy at the door (nicely) ordered me to mask up. 

When I got in line in the hallway, everyone in line was masked. 

......But, when I got to the door of the office I was to do business with, having maintained 'proper' social distancing along the way, I saw that the employees in that office were unmasked. One lady had her mask on, but it was under her chin.

* EFFECTIVE JULY 7, 2020

A MASK IS REQUIRED INSIDE ALL COUNTY OFFICES

The Good Old Days

 From my friend David Cole:

With the election less than a week away, I think it is time for a final reminder of the importance of this decision regarding gun freedom. No matter how you personally feel about Donald Trump, there is no other choice if preserving the 2nd Amendment is important to you. There is no third way.

If you vote third party, or simply stay home (kind of the same thing), you are saying that there are other things more important to you than the 2nd Amendment.

Continue reading HERE.

Think Your Guns are Off the Grid?

In many jurisdictions, private sales are perfectly legal. Some gun owners are very careful to only purchase their firearms this way, in an attempt to stay away from the purview of officialdom. Maybe that’ll work, maybe not? Read the more at Ammoland.

The Emotional Beginnings of Everyday Pistol Carry

Everybody starts somewhere. If you drive a car or fly a plane, you had that first time behind the wheel; that first solo flight. If you are like me, there was a lot of excitement and maybe a little (read: a lot) of fear.

To me, carrying a pistol seemed strange at first. You see, although I grew up with guns . . . continue at Ammoland HERE.

Teaching New Gun Owners to Cheat and Survive

From my friend Rob Morse at slowfacts:
2020 is unusual. We added millions of new gun owners each month. Gun ownership has been increasing, but this year is remarkable. We bought firearms when government failed. We saw the police withdraw because of an epidemic. We saw courts put criminals back on the streets. We saw government officials overwhelmed by protests, riots, looting, and arson. We realized that we are on our own to defend ourself and the people under our care. Continue reading here.

Malum Probibitum

Gun laws make guns bad because someone says guns are bad.

The problem with gun laws is that they are Malum Probibitum, which is defined at Cornell Law School as “An act which is immoral because it is illegal; not necessarily illegal because it is immoral.”

Malum Prohibitum contrasts with Malum in Se, defined as “An innately immoral act, regardless of whether it is forbidden by law.”

Read the rest at Ammoland 

Running the Walther P22 Q Pistol, a Beginner’s Guide

A. Always observe the Four Rules.

• All guns are always loaded.
• Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
• Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target.
• Identify your target, and what is behind it.

B: When in doubt, refer to A.

The recent and ongoing global pandemic hysteria has caused many people to recognize that they cannot rely on the government to provide for their safety. Some states have released felons, including violent sex offenders, while some arrest peaceable citizens for failing to wear a mask. When these newly woke individuals go to a gun store they find the selection is limited. One available gun that was found in a store in California is the Walther P22 [Note California has its own state-specific pistol version.]. The new purchaser of one of these has a steep, but not impossible learning curve toward its safe operation.

Walther P22 Q Pistol

Walther P22 Q Pistol Right

The Walther P22 Q Pistol, like the historical Walther PPK, ...

Read more in my column at Ammoland.

Does Tennessee Already Have Permitless Firearms Carry, & Not Know It?

There have been numerous bills introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly in recent years designed to restore Constitutional/Permitless Carry in Tennessee. Dean Weingarten recently reported in Ammoland on the virus shutdown jeopardizing the 2020 effort. So far, these bills have never made it out of committee, in spite of having a Republican Super-majority since the 2012 election. 

Read more in my column at Ammoland.

Dred Scott: The Inside Story, by David Hardy

Here is my short book review on this book at Amazon. I recommend you read it.

Hardy writes this documentary in a way that is easy to read, while still covering the shenanigans that occur "at court" very well.

He notes in Taney's decision that citizens were understood to be able "to keep and carry arms wherever they went." If freed slaves were to be citizens, they could do likewise, and (my words) in effect would mess up the social order.

Today, we still see vestiges of Taney's attitude in gun laws among the states. For example, North Carolina's pistol purchase permit requirement; and Tennessee's carry permit law being a modernized version of her antebellum slave codes.

Defending the Castle during Coronageddon

MAYBE you have thought about buying a home defense firearm, but haven't gotten a-

In view of the current worldwide pandemic, you may be ready to make the plunge, but don't know where to start.

Here are some ideas to consider if you are a newcomer. I am limiting this discussion to handguns and .22 rifles.

HANDGUNS - The double action revolver is the simplest to operate, but difficult to shoot accurately. The semi-automatic pistol is easier to shoot accurately, but they are more complicated and there are a variety of action types.

Double action revolvers - take your choice between Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Taurus, Colt, or ?

          Caliber - .38 special, .357 magnum, or .22 LR. If you get a .357, get .38 ammo which will have much less recoil. At this time, you get what is available. Make sure you can buy ammo for the gun you are purchasing. There are other calibers available, but in today's market, you may have to take what you can get. The .22 is the least powerful of these, but is better than a snowball, and easier to shoot.

Semiautomatic pistols - I suggest go for a striker fired pistol from Glock, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Taurus, or ?

          Caliber -  9mm is the most popular, but shelves may be bare. Once again, make sure you can buy ammo for the gun you are purchasing. .380 or .22 are also choices. There are other calibers out there, too. One issue with semiautomatic pistols is the fact that you really need to test the ammo to make sure it will function reliably in your pistol. So. . .

At this time, a revolver might be the better choice.

Note that smaller, lighter handguns in a given caliber will have more felt recoil. If the handgun is not going to be carried concealed, larger, heavier handguns would be easier to use in home defense.

RIFLES - The .22 caliber rifle can be relatively inexpensive, and there are many types to choose from. One of the most popular is the Ruger 10/22. It is a simple to operate semiautomatic. There are others, including its clone the Thompson Center T/CR22. The Marlin .22 is another choice which comes in several models. There are also bolt action and lever actions to consider.

If you can, get some dummy cartridges for whatever caliber you buy.

OK, you got your new gun and ammo, now what?

First - read the manual. It will instruct you on how to safely operate and clean the gun.

Second - memorize and follow Jeff Cooper's Four Rules of Gun Safety:

 Third - since we appear to be getting more and more into lock-down conditions, there may not be a chance to actually go to a range. Do some dry firing: With no live ammo in the room, practice operation and trigger pull with  dummy cartridges or an empty gun.

OTHER considerations -

What are the laws in your state/locality?

This includes laws on purchasing, storage, carrying, and transport.*

Equally important are laws relating to use of deadly force. 

How are you going to handle having a (loaded?) firearm in the home? Who will have access to it? How do you keep the little ones safe?

MAYBE its not too late. If you are going to do this thing, maybe now is the time.

- - - - - - - - - - - 

*For example, Tennessee law generally allows carrying in a vehicle without a permit, but currently requires a permit to walk across a parking lot.

COMMENTS WELCOME (just keep them G-rated)

Governor Lee's Constitutional Carry Bill of 2020

Here's my take on it. Note I only address Section 1:

AMEND Senate Bill No. 2671 House Bill No. 2817*

by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting instead the following:

SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1307, is amended by adding the following new subsection:

(g) It is an exception to the application of subsection (a) that a person is carrying, whether openly or concealed, a handgun and:

(1) The person meets the qualifications for the issuance of an enhanced handgun carry permit under § 39-17-1351(b) and (c). For purposes of this subdivision (g)(1), "qualifications" does not include completion of an application under § 39-17-1351(b) and (c);
COMMENT: If you could get an enhanced permit, then you don’t need one. Current law, however, TCA § 39-17-1351 states that you must not be prohibited from possessing a firearm in any other state. I read this that if some slave state, such as New Jersey, prohibits you from possessing a firearm, then you may not carry with or without a permit in Tennessee.

(2) The person lawfully possesses the handgun; and 

COMMENT: It would be better to strike paragraph (1) above, and start with this paragraph.

At the risk of oversimplification, it appears that Tennessee citizens and legally residing foreigners will be able to carry without a permit. Residents of other states will not (like Wyoming). You may carry everywhere except where it is prohibited. In typical Tennessee fashion, the legislature muddies the water.

But, I'll take it. It is a small step in the right direction.

As for the parts that enhance punishment for certain crimes, I have one thought. The criminals don't care. They often run from the police, adding an evading arrest charge. DA's plea bargain down. Judges give light sentences. Meh!