Editor's Report

Terror Attack in the French Quarter Drives Home the Need for Citizen's to be Armed and Prepared

It seems to happen so often these days that it hardly surprises us anymore. A crazed person uses a weapon (gun, knife, car, bomb, cigarette lighter, fists and feet) to act out on their own deranged view of the world. Many would have us believe that if only we banned the lawful ownership of firearms all the violence in the world would disappear. Of course, this is nonsense. There is evil in the world and removing one's ability to defend against evil does not make one safer. In fact, it is absolutely the opposite. Evil does not crawl back in the evil hole when citizens are unarmed. We know that.

Unfortunately, politicians don't seem to care about that. In 2024 your LSA helped to pass permitless carry in Louisiana (so called, constitutional carry). However, New Orleans and Lafayette attempted to end-run the new state law by trying to declare non-school property as being gun-free zones. 

If you missed the details, here is a recap.

In July 2024, New Orleans officials sought to undermine Louisianans’ Right-to-Carry through political gamesmanship.  New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick intended to designate a police station in the heart of the French Quarter a “school” to curtail the Right-to-Carry within 1,000 feet of the building and frustrate the ability to carry in the popular downtown area. Lawmakers rejected repeated pleas from police and city officials to exempt New Orleans entirely or to carve out the French Quarter and other areas well-known for alcohol-fueled revelry.

It was clear that New Orleans officials intented to thwart the will of the state legislature by enacting firearm restrictions the legislature repeatedly rejected. Louisiana has a strong state firearm preemption statute that prohibits political subdivisions from enacting their own carry restrictions. Adding to the brazenness of this conduct is that in 2024 the legislature did address actual illegal carry in the French Quarter by other means.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill wasn’t amused by New Orleans’ attempted end-run of state law. Murrill issued the following statement on the matter:

I’m working hard to help keep New Orleans safe, but the City cannot avoid state law by unilaterally designating police stations ‘vo-tech locations.’ You cannot just “designate” yourself a vo-tech school. Among other implications, if it was one (it’s not) the police department would be under the jurisdiction of a board of supervisors for higher education, and it would be subject to other oversight requirements. I have no specific plans yet, but would caution the NOPD that it will likely be subject to civil rights lawsuits under Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act if it arrests people pursuant to its made-up designation, which is clearly not legal or effective. I certainly hope the NOPD isn’t violating people’s rights by making up their own rules, which is why the Department is under a federal consent decree.

In August 2024 anti-gun elected officials in Lafayette liberally interpreted state law to infringe on your Second Amendment rights in an attempt to curtail the Right-to-Carry in Downtown Lafayette. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette declared that the Science Museum in Downtown Lafayette and contracted private hotels used for student housing are “school property” to create more firearm-free zones across the Lafayette Parish. If these firearm-free zones were enforced, most of Downtown Lafayette would be off-limits to the recently enacted constitutional carry lawf rustrating the ability to carry in the popular downtown area for law-abiding citizens.

Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet announced the Lafayette Police Department would enforce a 1,000-foot firearm-free school zone around the University of Louisiana Lafayette Science Museum. Mayor Boulet deferred to the university’s declaration that the museum is part of its campus and, thus, a firearm-free zone. The university operates the museum, but the City of Lafayette owns the building.

In response, the Louisiana Attorney General tweeted the following on X:

The law on Gun-Free School Zones is narrow. The Lafayette Science Museum downtown does not fall under it. I want to thank Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet for directing the @LafayettePD_LA to refrain from taking actions against law-abiding individuals on the basis of violating this improperly posted gun-free school zone.

It is doubtful that an armed citizen could have substantially reduced the impact of the killer who used his truck to mow down innocent citizens in the early morning of January 1, 2025. But, it does demonstrate that those who wish to commit evil must be dealt with quickly by the virtuous. Never let the government disarm you and leave you at their mercy.

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Stories from the Field

Think All Garand En Bloc Clips are Interchangeable? You'd Better Think Again!

by Danny MacGreggor

Three separate times over several years I have forfeited at LEAST 80 points in a rapid fire string during a GSMM [editor's note: GSMM = CMP-sanctioned Garand, Springfield, Vintage Military and Modern Military match] because I had an en bloc loaded with eight rounds that would go partially down into the mag well of my Garand… and, well, that’s it! It goes down just so far, wedges in, won’t go down, and won’t be pulled out. Each time this has happened, I have researched, experimented, and “thought” I found the problem and the solution. But then at some point down the road, after many successful firings and matches, the problem popped up again. After being sure that I had found the problem… twice... it happened again at the Palo Alto Rifle and Pistol Club match in December 2024 GSMM. It has been a progressive revelation process. But I now have multiple ways to know if I will have the problem and I have quantifiable numbers to back it up.

So, how did I get here, what caused the problem, how do I avoid it, and why is there nothing published out there about this even being an issue? I can answer all of the above EXCEPT for the last question of why this isn’t out there for all to know about and avoid. As a matter of fact, I brought this subject up while taking the GSMM Master Instructor Training at Talladega CMP under none other than the famed Gary Anderson, and he had never heard of it. I had to prove it to him physically, and even then I got the distinct impression that he believed I had made some sort of bootleg modification to the clip or ammo that was causing him to witness something he had never seen or heard of… and yet, there it was in his own hands exhibited not only in my Garand, but in three others as well. The loaded clip went down partially and acted like it was tack welded in. It was obviously a problem caused by the clip and it would manifest with his Lapua dummies, my LC Match 72 dummies, Lapua fired brass, LC Match fired brass, and with HXP fired brass(*). HOWEVER, I could make that same en bloc clip work just fine by loading it with 8 pieces of fired HXP brass (**); but not ALL HXP fired brass! More on that as follows.

So, how did I get here? In short, it is my love for HXP surplus ammo sold in bandoleers that got me here. HXP is great ammo! My Garand and my '03 variants all love the stuff as this is the ammo they were built to shoot. The HXP shoots very accurately and functions flawlessly. And for a while there, it was very cheap and easy to get.

The next question is, what caused the problem? First, let me start off by stating that there are two types of Greek made HXP ammo out there. They shoot identically… BUT… BUT… they have different style extractor cuts. One style has an extractor cut that is traditional and matches commercial and all US made standard SAAMI extractor cuts. The other style has an exaggerated extractor cut for some ill conceived reason. I say ill conceived because this ammo was designed for use in battle, and as such, it should function universally under all conceivable battle scenarios in all Garands in all combinations. As discovered by my hapless misadventures, it has a scenario that could cost a soldier his life due to a jammed up rifle. Do not stop reading here and think that the brass is the only culprit. Secondly, and most importantly, the en bloc clips that the exaggerated extractor cut ammo comes in WILL NOT WORK WITH STANDARD SAAMI EXTRACTOR CUT BRASS!!! This includes other HXP brass that has the “normal” extractor cut.

Ok, so you now know “something” about what caused the problem. So did I. So, how did I fall into this trap a third time and how do I avoid ever falling into the same trap again? The first time that this happened to me, I figured out that the extractor cut types were an issue… i.e., the ammo/brass. I isolated that variable, and as luck would have it, things went back to normal. But luck is fickle, and when it happened again, I determined that not only did I have to use the right brass, but I also had to use it with the right en bloc clips. You can use the large extractor cut brass perfectly well as long as you use it with the en blocs it came with. You can also use the “normal” extractor cut brass as long as you DO NOT use it with the en bloc clips for the large extractor cut brass. I determined that the en blocs that work with the large extractor cuts had a deep stamped delta/triangle bearing the stamp “JMO” and whatever date of manufacture.

Those clips with what I call the “YIELD” sign (Delta/triangle) became off limits for use with standard cut brass. My life at the GSMM was all well again. And then came the December 2024 GSMM at Palo Alto Rifle and Pistol Club in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. I was gobsmacked when what seemed to be an unknown anomaly unique to only me, but that I had totally conquered, not once, but twice, came back and bit me yet again. I could imagine Gary Anderson standing over me and shaking his head, thinking, “What has this knucklehead done to defeat the flawless reliability of the Finest Battle Implement Ever Devised?”

So, what happened to cause episode number 3? It turns out that there were AT LEAST two manufacturers of en bloc clips for the large extractor cut HXP brass and I did not know it. Hence, I had loaded some of my “normal” extractor cut rounds into one of those en bloc clips that did not have the “YIELD” sign stamp. This en bloc had some faint alpha numeric stamping that was definitely NOT a triangle. And yet, these clips would function only with the large extractor cut brass. Going through my stash of en bloc clips, I found several of these. I culled all of the YIELD sign clips and all of these particular alpha numeric stamped clips (very similar to marks on all of my other “normal” clips) that would only work with the large cut brass.

NEXT, and MOST IMPORTANTLY… How do you/I determine which clips will certainly and reliably work with what brass type without physically trying to load a Garand with them? This is an important step, because some of the misfitted clip/brass type combinations will go down into the rifle ALMOST… read again… ALMOST, all the way, but not quite to the point of going into battery! The answer to the dilemma is measuring a clip loaded with 8 rounds (loaded rounds or empties), at two critical points shown in the attached pictures.

Measure here with calipers.

And, measure here with calipers.

Measure the loaded clip for width at a point just forward (as the clip would be oriented in the rifle) of the raised indexing nodule and again at a point just rearward of the very forward lip of the clip. A dial caliper with its wide jaws is best for this procedure. Any loaded clip with a width in excess of 0.968” is not going to go down fully into the mag well of the Garand. En bloc clips are not manufactured to the same exacting tolerance as the rifle. So, there will be variance. A loaded clip that measures 0.954” (the smallest I came across), will glide into the mag well effortlessly, whereas one at 0.968” will fit, but with some effort. If you put “normal”/USGI made/commercial/small extractor cut brass into a clip made for the large extractor cut brass, it will measure in excess of that 0.968” limit. In fact they will measure almost up to 0.995” and they will NOT seat to the bottom of the mag well, the bolt will not release, and you will likely have to awkwardly strip out two or three rounds from the clip before you can remove the the whole exasperating mess! And the stripped rounds are going to be deeply scratched and/or bent. It is not what you want to try to do while slung into the rifle during a rapid fire string. God forbid having to do it when the targets are shooting back at you!!!

I have exactly zero idea why this non-standard ammo/clip combination ever came into existence. I’m sure there was some sort of reason. It just wasn’t well thought out under ALL scenarios. I’m also quite sure that I cannot be the only one to ever have this type of malfunction. I was surprised to say the least that Gary Anderson and his colleagues at CMP were unaware of this. And to this day, I believe that Gary and company probably think that what I showed them was the product of some bastardized clip because I only gave him one sample. I really think it was regarded as something caused by something that I did. As such, I don’t think that you’re ever going to see anything in print about it from CMP.

Two last words of advice from someone who loves the whole GSMM program and has done pretty well at it when I can get everything in working order. When shooting your reloads in any vintage gun, use a “loaded ammo checker” available from several sources. Military brass in particular tends to spring back out as it withdraws from a sizing die. A Headspace Gauge IS NOT the same thing! A loaded ammo checker simulates a rifle (or pistol) chamber in all tolerances whereas a headspace gauge is deliberately bored oversize in diameter so that it is indeed measuring ONLY lengths. A round that is slightly over diameter will chamber, but it takes extra effort to close to full battery and that will slow you down in rapids with a bolt gun. Secondly, do the loaded clip measurement described above on all loaded en bloc Garand clips before you go to the line. It’s easy, quick, and well worth the effort.

As Paul Harvey used to say, “And now you know the rest of the story.”

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Eyes on the Anti-Gunners

McLaughlin Second Amendment Poll Shows that Public Believes President Trump and the Republican Party Best Protect Gun Rights

The Second Amendment Foundation has just released the results of a national survey it commissioned that reveals a majority of American voters believe incoming President Donald Trump and a Republican majority in Congress will better protect Second Amendment rights than Democrats.

The same poll, conducted by the internationally-recognized firm of McLaughlin & Associates beginning on Dec. 11, also says 76 percent of voters believe it is important to appoint judges to the federal courts who will “make it a priority to strictly follow the Second Amendment.” Only 15 percent say it is not important at all.

“The McLaughlin poll asked five pertinent questions about gun rights,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “and the results affirm what we’ve known all along. Trump’s return to the White House in January, coupled with GOP control on Capitol Hill, bodes well for rights which [sic] the current administration has tried to trample for the past four years.”

“Americans continue to cherish their Second Amendment Rights as the results of our recent national survey clearly show,” said Jim McLaughlin, CEO of the famous polling firm. “Overwhelming majorities of voters want their political leaders in Washington to defend Second Amendment rights (77%).  Furthermore, three out of four voters (76%) say it is important to nominate and confirm judges to the federal courts who will make it a priority to strictly follow the Second Amendment and nearly two-in-three voters (63%) think President Donald Trump will make it a priority to protect and defend the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. It is safe to say that Americans are clearly excited about the results of the November elections and the rights of gun owners remain very important to voters.”

“This survey underscores the prevailing public perception that Democrats have become the ‘party of gun prohibition’,” Gottlieb stated. “The numbers also justify SAF’s commitment to defend the Second Amendment in our various court challenges, winning firearms freedom one lawsuit at a time.”

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Legislative Update

Another Anti-Civil Rights Democrat Quits: Dettelbach Departing the BATFE

The Louisiana Shooting Association is cheering the announced departure of Steven Dettelbach as head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and urges incoming President Donald Trump to appoint someone who will run the agency, not politicize it.

Dettelbach submitted his letter of resignation Dec. 20, and it becomes effective Jan. 18, just two days before Trump is sworn in as the 47th U.S. President.

That’s one less person Trump will have to fire after he takes office and it is one less gun prohibition lobbyist on the government payroll.

Since playing a key role in helping Trump win the November election, American gun owners and Second Amendment advocates have been urging him to make replacing Dettelbach a priority. Grassroots activists want an ATF chief who adheres to the Second Amendment, and who can tell the difference between the good guys and genuine bad guys.

We’re delighted to learn Dettelbach will be gone and that President Trump will be able to place someone in authority at ATF who can turn that agency around. The country needs someone at the ATF helm who will lead the agency, not weaponize it; someone who not only can define what an ‘assault weapon’ is, but also understands what it is not.

We are hopeful the next ATF director will straighten the record by telling Congress, the media and the gun prohibition lobby that modern semiautomatic rifles are not ‘weapons of war,’ and that there is not, and never was, a ‘gun show loophole. The next ATF director should know how to disassemble a pistol instead of trying to regulate it out of existence. He should lobby Congress for funds to revive restoration-of-rights procedures, and stop harassment of lawful, small business firearms retailers. He should be someone willing to visit a gun show rather than shut it down.

For four years the Biden-Harris administration has waged war on gun owners and the Second Amendment, with Dettelbach leading an ATF that helped make it happen. The next ATF director must be someone who recognizes law-abiding gun owners as allies, not enemies in the fight against crime, which is a battle we all want to win.

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News from the LSA

Annual Meeting of Members and Elections

Each year, the Louisiana Shooting Association holds its Annual Meeting of Members and the Election of one-third of the Board of Directors. This year's meeting will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2025 for 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Cabela's, 2200 W Cabela's Pkwy, Gonzales, LA 70737.

The current Board is composed of:

President: Daniel E. Zelenka, II (2025) 
Vice-President: Everett Baudean (2025)
Secretary: Dwayne Vidrine (2027) 
Treasurer: Jay D. Hunt, III (2027) 
Director-at-Large: Barret Kendrick (2025)

Directors:
Paul Angrisano (2025)
Michael Burke (2027)
James Davis (2027)
Ron Duplessis (2027)
Clifford Grout (2026)
John K. Laws, III (2025)
Joseph “Jay” Meynier (2026)
John Overton (2026)
George Petras (2026)
Dave Ramey (2026)

Alternate Director
1st Alternate: Bruce A. Lemmert (2025)

At the meeting, those Directors whose terms expire in 2025 will be up for re-election. There will be five Directors elected for three-year terms. We will also elect two Alternate Directors whose terms will be for one year. [Note, we currently have one Alternate Director resulting from the death of Buck Kliebert.]

Once the 2025 Board is seated, the Directors will elect from among the Directors the Officers of the Corporation who will serve for a one-year term.

If you are interested in serving on the Board and have been a member of the LSA (in good standing) for at least two years, please contact Dwayne Vidrine.

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Garand Raffle for Junior Shooters

Get your 2025 M1 Garand Raffle Tickets!

Tickets for the 2025 M1 Garand Raffle to Support Junior Shooting programs in the State are now available. The drawing will be held October 18, 2025. Winner need not be present to win.

All donations stay here in Louisiana and are spent solely on Junior Shooting programs.

Buy Raffle Tickets

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Future Events

The LSA maintains a calendar of events that may be of interest to gun owners, shooting competitors, and friends of the Second Amendment. To see a list of events, visit our Meeting/Events Information page.

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Join, Renew, or Donate

As you are no doubt aware, the LSA has a new enterprise system for maintaining our membership files and records. If you are confused on how to join or renew, follow this simple checklist below.

If you would like to donate to the LSA, please click here.

If you would like to donate to the Junior Shooting Fund, please click here.

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