June is here and for many of us in the northern states that means finally being able to get out and to participate in outdoor activities. Of course that includes shooting, and this month the reminder is for the DPMS Outbreak Omega shoot June 23rd in Morristown, MN. For those that have never been, it is a multi-gun fun shoot with a zombie theme.

In order to preserve our shooting sports, 2012 will perhaps be the most pivotal year to date. It is never too early to start preparations for the elections, and the NRA's Trigger the Vote is a great place to start.

As the Second Amendment continues to gain momentum in the courts, gun rights continue to make progress and crime continues to drop, mainstream USA is getting more and more used to seeing safe and law-abiding gun-owners in person and in the media.

For a few ARFCOMMers in Michigan, a pro-gun demonstration has gotten quite a bit of national press in the last couple of weeks. Check out the article below from one of our own who was in attendance.

In order to start celebrating the Fourth of July holiday a bit early, we're starting our 10% off sale a bit early this year. Starting today you can use the coupon on the right for all your orders.

New t-shirt equipment will help us keep orders shipping in a timely manner, and the addition of women's and tall shirts will expand the choices. If these new shirts are not in at the time this newsletter goes out, they will be in the next day or two...

Enjoy the newsletter- keep your gun rights in mind while you're out enjoying your sport, and Happy Fourth of July to all!

We asked ARFCOMMer TheOtherDave to write up his experience with the demonstrations that recently took place in Michigan, and made national news last week including the front page of MSNBC. Thanks to Dave for taking the time to share his experience.

Birmingham Michigan Protest re: Sean Combs
by TheOtherDave

Monday, June 11th marked a day of protest in Michigan for Second Amendment activists. Members from Michigan Open Carry, Michigan Gun Owners, the Southwestern Michigan Volunteer Militia and AR15.com gathered to speak out on behalf of a person who had his Second Amendment Civil Right violated.

Sean Combs meeting to speak with protestors to explain what happened and thank us for being there for him.

In April of this year, Sean Combs, an 18 year old resident of Troy, Michigan was arrested in nearby Birmingham after police found him with a loaded M-1 Garand on a busy night in the city�s entertainment district. When the officer approached and asked for Mr. Combs� identification, Combs refused. Michigan is not a stop and ID state, criminal activity has to be afoot for a person to be compelled to give police their identity. Sean Combs was arrested and charged with Obstruction, Brandishing a firearm under Birmingham�s local ordinance, and Disorderly Conduct.

Sean Combs needed help.

The case has been winding it�s way thru the court with the city failing to respond to a Motion To Dismiss, so to date the charges against Mr. Combs still stand. The news coverage of the arrest has been substantial-Birmingham is a wealthier suburb in the Detroit area with a great night life-not the place most would expect to find a teen open carrying a rifle.

The stories caught the attention of several state gun rights groups and a rally was planned by Jeff Kroll or "Small_Arms_Collector" on AR15.com. The plan was for there to be a rally and a march thru town that would terminate with the group sitting in on the City Commissioners meeting to voice our concerns and put pressure on the city to change how the police interact with members of the public who choose to go armed.

When I saw the Hometown Forum posting for the rally, initially I was a little tepid on going to support Mr. Combs as I am not normally a fan of the open carry of firearms in public. But, I support the right of others to do so if they choose to. What made me want to attend was that Mr. Combs was carrying the only way he Legally could at the time (No CCW permit under 21 in Michigan), and the way extra charges were thrown at Mr. Combs to pressure him to make a plea deal.

While most will agree the arrest would have never happened if Mr. Combs had just knuckled under and given the officer his ID, the fact remained that he didn�t break any law at the time of the arrest. In the opinion of myself and others who came the rally, the Brandishing and Disturbing the Peace charges were also improper for several reasons:

1. The Michigan Attorney General wrote a letter to every Law Enforcement Agency in the state a few years ago specifically explaining that the open carry of a firearm by itself does not constitute Brandishing or Disturbing the Peace.
2. In Michigan we have a Firearms Preemption law that prevent local municipalities from writing firearm laws that are contrary or more restrictive than state law-which means Birmingham�s Brandishing A Firearm ordinance isn't worth the paper it's written on.
3. Mr. Combs had been in the same spot for an hour and a half before an officer saw and approached him. If there had been no complaint by a citizen or call requesting the police to come and remove Mr. Combs for creating some kind of problem, how can he be charged with Disturbing the Peace?

Interest in attending the rally on the various boards seemed low leading up to the planned date. The morning of the rally it was looking like a turnout of between 7 and 12 would be likely. The possibility for the rally attendees to be harassed or even jailed with the seizure of firearms seemed high for those who chose to go, but the risk seemed worth it. With the rally 40 minutes from my home I packed up my AR variant rifle, a handgun, and plugged the city into my GPS-I had never been to Birmingham before.

Pulling into a residential neighborhood a few blocks from where the park was located, I did a gut check before I got out of the car: Am I too early? Will the police be waiting for us? What if I am the only guy to show up? It was 4:35, time to go-so I pulled my rifle out, loaded it and started to walk. As the park came into view I got a sinking feeling as I saw two TV news vans and nobody with a protest sign or gun, but as I continued I saw 8 to 10 other people with weapons under a covered area.

Rally-Goers starting to assemble-no Sunshine patriots in this crowd!

They were the early guys with the most important job-making the hot dogs! A few newspaper reporters were milling around, taking notes and cameramen waiting for things to get rolling� and roll they did! By the time the rally ended 3 hours later we had gathered between 35 and 40 people with 1/3 carrying some form of long gun. The turnout was amazing, young, old, black, white, men, and women trickled in as they were able to leave work. We were also joined by a city resident who had heard what happened and didn�t like what the city was doing to Mr. Combs.

Many interviews were given and at one time there were four news vans and as many as eight reporters were there along with their cameramen-not a single police officer was seen anywhere.. Sean Combs arrived in time for the march, which was nice. None of us expected to see him given his legal predicament-he turned out to be humble and articulate, a Straight A student in school and track athlete.

Marching thru the city center.

At 7:00pm we decided it was time to start marching. There was a flurry of activity-food being put away, garbage picked up, and then silence as we left the park. As we worked our way thru the of streets to the arrest site, reporters swarmed the marchers as people in the clubs and restaurants looked out in interest. After photos were taken at the arrest site, the walk to the city building was a short one. We entered without incident and found a heavy police presence inside the meeting room.

It was short lived; most had come for the swearing-in of a new officer who started that day. It took a few hours to get thru city business to the Public comment session, but the time passed by quickly as reporters were still conducting interviews in the hallway. When the time to speak came several articulate people spoke and covered most of my talking points so I had to come up with something else. I approached and said that I just wanted to make a statement; I combined two quotes I love-I wish I knew who wrote them:

"The mark of a Great society is not how we treat each other, but how we treat our Fringe" and "Freedom means tolerating the views and actions of those around you, even when you disagree or are repulsed by them."

And with that the meeting was over. A handful of us decided to go get something to eat at a local diner before heading home. No problems with rifles in public that night.

Jeff Kroll (Front Left) organized the rally, it was a jovial affair with lots of laughs.

As I walked back thru town to my car, the news reporters were polishing up their 11 o�clock news pieces in the park in the dark. I didn�t ever think this rally would ever attract the attention it did so I tried to figure out why a teenager in an upper class suburb of Detroit carrying a rifle in public would warrant the attention that it had.

Then it dawned on me: Our event that day for Sean Combs was the first time in modern history Americans decided that Bearing Arms was an appropriate response to a Government that no longer recognizes the Civil Rights of the people they work for. When looked at reductively like that, the implications are astounding.

In the days following the rally the news coverage went country-wide, even my mother caught the story in Seattle.. So far, news coverage has been neutral to supportive, which leads me to believe that public opinion on Guns has changed-Guns are becoming Mainstream, which can only be a good thing for our rights in the future. I don�t know that we did much to help Sean Combs with the city�s prosecutor digging his heels in in the hopes of a plea deal from Sean, but the plan is to keep coming until the case has reached it�s legal conclusion. I understand Birmingham has a really nice fair coming up�.

I do believe that our efforts and conduct that day helped pave the way for better interaction between armed citizens in the city and police. There is no place in an Open Society for activist prosecutorial conduct or an adversarial relationship between Law Enforcement and the public. In America we pride ourselves on a fair Justice system and competent, professional police agencies, there isn't any reason they can't coexist with people who carry guns however they choose to.

PFC Video

Pistol Competency Protocol : New drill for AR15.com users that showcases PFC pistol competency protocols.

In 40 seconds shooter will: 1) run 24 yards 2) fire two rounds center mass 3) run 12 yards while reloading 4) fire two rounds center mass and 2 rounds to the pelvis 5) run 6 yards while reloading and transferring weapon to support hand only grip 6) fire two rounds to the head support hand only... vitals are 5, rest is 2... for every second below 40, shooter will receive an extra point.

www.PFCtraining.com

Horner Assumes Top Spot in 3GN Pro Series Standings
by Chad Adams

U.S. AMU's Daniel Horner leads all competitors in the 3-Gun Nation Pro Series.

Colt's Clint Upchurch has produced two solid outings so far this season to earn a spot in the 3GN Top 10.

Coming off his overall match win at the Larue Tactical Texas Multi-Gun, U.S. AMU�s Daniel Horner is once again sitting atop the 3GN leader board, a very familiar place for one of the most dominant competitors in the 3GN Pro Series.

Taran Butler remains in second, while the season�s initial leader, Keith Garcia, dropped to third place. James Casanova and Kalani Laker traded positions in the new ranking, with Casanova assuming fourth and bumping Laker to fifth.

Greg Jordan jumped up to the sixth slot, while Clint Upchurch held steady at seven, followed by Burton Thompson, Patrick Kelley and Matt Burkett.

FNH USA's Tommy Thacker has started slow in 2012. A slow start in 2011 led to the title of 3GN Champion.

With the Top 30 headed to Las Vegas for the season-ending Rumble on the Range for a shot at the title of 3GN Champion and the $50,000 prize, this extremely deep Tactical Optics Pro Series field will be jockeying for position all season long. Sitting just outside the cut, at number 31, is defending 3GN Champion Tommy Thacker of FNH USA, trailing Andrew Daun by just over a point. Other notables currently outside the Top 30 include Tony Holmes, James Darst, Mike Voigt, Jeff Cramblit and Jerry Miculek, all of whom have only logged one score thus far.

For the entire 3GN Pro Series Standings, go to http://3gunnation.com/the_series/standings/s/overall_standings.

The next event on the 2012 FNH USA 3-Gun Nation Pro Series Tour, Presented by Federal Premium, takes place June 16 at the South River Gun Club near Atlanta, Georgia. A 3-Gun Nation-produced event, $10,000 will be on the line from Stag Arms, part of $26,000 in guaranteed cash payouts to the field. Also at stake are 3GN Pro Series points, as each competitor fights to remain in the Top 30 for a shot at a trip to Las Vegas during SHOT Show 2013, for a slot in the Rumble on the Range, where one winner will be crowned 3GN Pro Series Champion, taking home $50,000, provided in part by Leupold Tactical Optics.

Gov. Scott Walker

The NRA and gun owners remember their friends; and in his short term as Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker has been exactly that.

In his year-and-a-half in office, Walker has helped release over a decade of pent up frustration among gun owners in his state, as for years Wisconsinites had to watch much of the progress in state legislatures across the country pass them by.

Within months of taking office, Gov. Walker signed castle doctrine legislation, expanding protection for gun owners who defend themselves in their home, business or vehicle. Walker has signed pro-hunting legislation that reduces the cost of hunting many popular game species and institutes efforts to recruit new hunters. And Walker stood tall where two previous governors folded, by signing Right-to-Carry legislation that leaves Illinois in the embarrassing position of being the only state without any process at all for carrying firearms legally for self-protection away from one�s home or business.

So when a discontented few forced a recall election to remove Gov. Walker, NRA members stepped up in a big way.

On the media front, the NRA purchased hundreds of thousands of ads in print publications, and on the radio and TV, along with nearly 2 million pieces of pro-Walker mail. NRA also organized its massive grassroots network for canvassing and literature drops, and held rallies all over the state to inform voters and get them motivated for the polls.

The strategy worked.

With the help of NRA members Walker made history as the first governor to survive a recall election, capturing a comfortable seven point victory- all in a state that President Obama is counting on in November.

If Gov. Walker�s proven support for gun rights made it an easy decision for the NRA to throw its full weight into the race, his anti-gun opponent, former U.S. Representative and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, didn�t make it any harder.

As a congressman, Barrett was in lockstep with the Clinton administration. Barrett voted for the 1994 semi-auto ban and denounced a House move to repeal it two years later. He actively supported the incorrectly named Million Mom March. Going beyond the run-of-the-mill anti-gun schemes, in a bizarre move Barrett sponsored a legislative amendment requiring a study on the firearms industry and what he claimed was an industry practice of marketing guns to children.

As the mayor of Milwaukee, Barrett proudly called himself a member of the gun ban organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns, appearing at the group�s national rallies. In a remarkable show of elitist arrogance, Barrett touted on his gubernatorial campaign YouTube page an endorsement from MAIG�s founder, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who apparently thinks Wisconsinites should heed a metropolitan mayor attempting to influence a Midwestern gubernatorial election from halfway across the country.

Also in a display not only of anti-gun fervor, but also of a complete lack of business acumen, Barrett had the gall to disparage the NRA in the run-up to the NRA Annual Meeting in Milwaukee in 2006, which brought over 50,000 people (and their wallets) to the city.

The mainstream media seemed shaken by the recall results. MSNBC commentator Ed Schultz, who portrays himself as a populist, showed his true colors following the election.

In a post-election rant, a visibly upset Schultz scolded rural voters for not siding with the urbanite gun-banner Barrett. Schultz�s words harkened back to Barack Obama�s famous 2008 words on the campaign trail: "That�s right, President Obama brought this up years ago on the campaign trail when he said folks in rural areas cling to their guns and their religion and he was criticized for it. Example "A" right there." Schultz said, pointing to a picture of Walker. video

First, I�d like to thank Schultz for being so forthright with his disdain for gun owners. In the past, some of Shultz�s colleagues have hidden their hatred of armed self-defense.

In 2009 Rachel Maddow regaled viewers of the "Jimmy Fallon Show" with a story of her trips to the gun range, only to later explain, "I just don't think we should be allowed to bring [guns] home." In contrast to such muddled pandering, Schultz�s candor is refreshing.

Secondly, I�d like to thank Schultz for reminding voters why we must defeat Barack Obama in the fall. Obama is still the same politician who uttered those offensive words back in 2008, and unfettered by hopes of reelection, he will act on them.

There�s a reason Schultz was angry and frightened. Politicians and pundits know that the NRA and gun owners can make the difference in election season, and that the same gun owners who led Walker to victory in Wisconsin can mobilize to defeat President Obama in November. But victory isn�t a given. It will require the hard work and dedication of NRA members to inform their communities and to make sure all of their friends and family members are registered to vote.

To make sure your loved ones are ready to defend freedom this fall, be sure to visit the NRA Freedom Action Foundation�s Trigger the Vote Campaign at www.triggerthevote.org, and along with www.nraila.org for all of your gun rights news, for information on what you can do beyond voting to help make sure our freedoms remain that way.

The time to mobilize is now ARFCOM.Let�s show our passion and make this summer a prelude to the election cycle in September, October and November.

If you are like me and are fed up with the policy of someone saying that "I am bitter� and I cling to my guns and my religion." I stand to correct them and say that "I am PROUD and I do cling to my guns and my religion� and I always will!"

Let�s work on this together. IM me on the site and I will send you free-of-charge the NRA-ILA�s "I�m a BITTER Gun Owner and I VOTE" to show your disdain over this issue. Wear them proudly, post them at the Gun Club or hand them out at Pro-Gun, Pro-Freedom rallies.

Stay tuned to ARFCOM for more opportunities to become involved in the very near future.