Tom
Special Revolver Commemorates Landmark Heller Decision
By Tom Gresham
Sometimes things work out, and in this case, it's a home run! Three weeks ago on my Gun Talk Radio Show, I offered the idea of a presentation gun to be given to the six original plaintiffs in what started off as the "Parker" case, and then became the Heller case. That's the case where the U. S. Supreme Court ruled on July 26 that the Second Amendment is, in fact, an individual right, and the court threw out the total handgun ban in Washington, DC.
I'd love to say it was my idea, but I got the suggestion from a listener and Truth Squad member. I liked it, so I picked up the ball and ran with it.
Now, only three weeks later, it's reality. Even better, you can buy one.
On Sunday, July 20, I'll announce on the radio the new "D.C. vs. Heller" revolver from Smith & Wesson. It's the alloy frame model 442, which is a hammerless J-frame (the small frame) in .38 Special. It's very lightweight, with rubber grips. It's a perfect self-defense revolver.
Before I get into the details, let me tell you how it came about. I initially thought that a revolver was the way to go because Fenty, the mayor of D.C., has stated that the city will not allow anyone to register semi-auto handguns. The city classifies autoloaders as machine guns, which tells you how much they know about guns. Clearly, semi-autos are the most popular type of handgun being sold, so there is nothing unusual about them. Of course, this means is that the District will be sued...again...and will lose. Fenty should be impeached for wasting public money. But, I didn't want the six people who stood up to claim their Second Amendment rights to have to wait, so we went with a revolver.
I began the conversation with Smith & Wesson, and they immediately said yes. They didn't even know what they were committing to, but they liked the idea. A week ago my son, Ryan, and I were shooting video at the S&W plant for Gun Talk TV, and we met with Tom Taylor and Paul Pluff to discuss it. Tom suggested that rather than making just six of the guns, that they make a special gun and offer it for sale to everyone. A share of the revenue would be used to fund the lawsuits which are ongoing right now.
So, that's what we are doing. A portion of the sales will go to the Second Amendment Foundation, which has been instrumental in not only the Heller case, but in funding legal scholarship on the Second Amendment over the last 20 years. SAF filed suit against the city of Chicago (which has a ban just like D.C.'s) within minutes of the Supreme Court decision on Heller.
Click Here to view photos of the special Model 442. You can see the neat laser engraving with the scales of justice, the date of the decision (June 26, 2008), and the words "D.C. vs Heller" on the scale. Note that the side of the scale holding "Heller" is weighted down -- the winner! There's also an engraving saying "The Right to Keep and Bear Arms" on the revolver.
The black finish on this gun takes laser engraving very well, and the engraved parts show up in a satin-silver finish. It looks great!
The revolver will be available for sale in early fall -- right around the corner. Honestly, I can't think of a better gift for yourself or someone in your family to note this critically-important blow for gun rights. I wouldn't claim that this will be a collector's item -- I don't think it will -- but it's going to be something special to have in future years.
I'm happy to have been able to push this through. Here's a big attaboy to the men and women who worked on this case for so long, and to the six D.C. residents who put their names on the lawsuit. Talk about having the "no shrug" attitude we talk about on the radio! They wouldn't take it anymore.
Listen in to Gun Talk for more information. We'll have Tom Taylor from Smith & Wesson and Alan Gottlieb from the Second Amendment Foundation on at 2:10pm Eastern time, July 20.
As we get more information about ordering this special revolver (expect a street price in the $450 range), I'll put it out on the air. You can buy a special gun and help continue the fight for gun rights. Not bad, indeed.
-- Tom Gresham
I'm hoping that SCOTUS is "peeved" that their decision is being questioned / ignored by these idiots and hope they are FORMALLY put in their place (maybe a little jail-time).
