[geeks] 1911A1 handguns

[Kurt Huhn]

"Michael A. Turner" <mturner at whro.org> wrote:

> 	I wanted to weigh in real quick on all the customizing and hot loads
> you guys are carrying. Personally I have a Concleaded carry permit for the

Actually, I don't carry my custom gun (it's tartget and home defense only). 
I can't carry in this state anyway, but if I did it would be a 4" revolver
or a 32ACP auto.

> 	1. If I loose the weapon to anyone (law enforcemnet, crack head
> stealing it, etc) I am not going to cry. If it is a carry weapon then it
> is

I almost bought a Llama Minimax for this very reason, but when I saw the
construction, fit, and finish I was immediately turned off.  bleagh...

> 	2. Legal ramifications. A person I trust with gun knowledge told me
> that carrying customized guns or ammo is a good way to go to jail even if
> the shooting was justified. He is a class 3 firearms dealer and a lawyer
> on top of that. I I was talking to him one day about what ammo I should
> carry in my gun, looking at all the interesting rounds out their. I was
> particularly looking at glazer safety slugs at the time. He told me to
> never carry anything but standard ammo as their have been several cases
> where a justified shooting, when it went to court, was ruled unjustified
> on the basis of the person doing the shooting was using custom ammo. The
> prosecuters said that this man left the house with custom ammo therefore
> he was looking for trouble and must have put himself in a situation were
> he had to shoot someone, based on the evidence that he had planned for it
> obviosuly by spending $100s on his weapons and ammo. Because he had planed
> to shoot someone, and had, the shooting was premeditated and therefore not
> a justified shooting. The jury bought the argument and convicted the guy
> of murder.
> 	   

This guy had a shit lawyer then, and one that didn't understand the reasons
behind handloading and the uses of various projectile types.  He also had no
idea how to defend his client and may have been nothing more than a public
defender.  This act (carrying handloads) is easily defensible, and has been
easily defended in the past - I refer to any of the many books, articles,
and publications written by Massad Ayoob.  There are others, but Mr Ayoob is
the most visible and highly respected.  Ayoob has also served as an expert
witness backing up defense of justifiable shootings many, many times - with
great success (near 100% if memory serves).

There is no law against handloads anywhere in this country - however, the
*civil* litigation is where this "maniac gun-nut looking for trouble" charge
is most prevelant.  In the case of civil litigation there is great risk
associated with using handloads - since civil lawyers are not bound by
criminal law rules of conduct.  A civil lawyer can attack you personally and
call you every name in the book, and get away with it.  A criminal
prosecutor can do no such thing.

That's one of the main problems I see with the story you were told - the
charge of being a pre-meditated crime is total bull.  The crimial law rules
of conduct for prosecutors are very specific in what is allowed and not -
and what you describe sounds like it was over the line.  More than that, it
further shows that, if this is indeed a true story, that the defense
attorney was a complete drooling idiot with no idea how to defend his
client.

I know there are other on list that are familiar with Ayoob.  Did I miss
anything here?

-- 
Kurt
kurt at k-huhn.com