Our country has had more than fifty years of strict gun control laws, varying state by state, imposed on law-abiding citizens. The ideology that “gun free zones” and strict gun control laws save people is outdated and has been disproved by historical trends of murder rates and mass shootings. Nearly all mass shootings occur in “gun free zones” where the criminal does not obey the laws set by society. Despite gun free zones, strict gun control laws, and over 16 million licensed concealed carr...

We at DRGO spend a whole lot of time exploring gun issues every day. That includes research (such as it is), politics, advocacy, policy, and the occasional hobbyist item (because we are, after all, gun enthusiasts). And in everything, there is bias. There is bias in what we publish and talk about, too. We think guns are cool. They are rather simple but finely engineered little machines that nearly always perform their intended function. They are often heirloom material, in some cases demo...

Ed: An earlier version of this article appeared in the September/October issue of the Canadian Firearms Journal. Also see Dr. Mauser's August 2 DRGO article How Dangerous, Really, Is Lead Ammunition?] The campaign to ban lead ammunition for hunting is based on the far-reaching claim that there are no known safe blood lead levels (BLLs) for neurotoxicity, particularly for children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, Environment Canada, and the UK’s Food St...

The antagonism of medical leaders has infected too many physicians with disregard for the Second Amendment and the value of firearms. More than anything, DRGO’s purpose is to correct that. But addressing these prejudices, once established, is an uphill battle. Just as more, better speech is the best response to hateful speech, education and positive experience is the antidote to the toxic attitudes of hoplophobic academics. But when you aren’t inside the ivy-covered walls, it’s a big orde...

Lead—it's an ever-present element in the life of a firearms enthusiast. And, yes, over time lead exposure can become more of a concern, and eventually develop into lead poisoning. Lead poisoning consequences include high blood pressure, pain in the joints and muscles, difficulty with neurological and cognitive functions, mood disorders and more. Ingesting it is not a recipe for a good time, that's for sure. In the context of firearms, lead comes from many sources, some of them not-so-obvi...

Just when you thought the anti-gunners couldn’t get any crazier . . . If you happened to take a few minutes to peruse the “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America” Facebook page in an attempt to learn about the terrible events in Charlottesville recently, you might have been a little confused. Their page was filled with stories about “armed intimidation” and “armed demonstrators”.   (more…)

[Ed: How one delivers information can determine reception even more than the content.  Dr. Shaver shares his expertise here about how to do that well. It is beyond sad then to report that Ron suddenly passed away since our last contact just two days ago. He was looking forward to our publishing this today, and so we shall. Our prayers and best wishes go to his family now.] As a health care professional with an interest and expertise in firearms and the Second Amendment, you may be calle...

According to all of the junk mail I have been receiving lately, the American Academy of Pediatric’s annual meeting is taking place next month in—wait for it—Chicago! That's right, one of the most rabid anti-gun medical organizations is holding their national meeting in one of the most rabid anti-gun—yet rife-with-murder—cities in the U. S. One of the headlining addresses they are advertising for the meeting on Sunday is "Gun Safety: An American Crisis” by Gary Wheeler, MD, MPS, FAAP--C...