July 02, 2022

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Gun News

California data breach exposes concealed carry permit holders' personal information

A data breach at California's Department of Justice has exposed every state resident holding a permit to carry a concealed weapon, authorities learned this week.

The breach exposed permit holders' names, addresses and license types, but no social security numbers or financial information were compromised, officials said in a press release.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office said it learned of the violation from the California State Sheriff's Association after the state DOJ launched its "2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal."

"This unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable and falls far short of my expectations for this department," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press release.

"I immediately launched an investigation into how this occurred at the California Department of Justice and will take strong corrective measures where necessary," Bonta said.

Bonta's office announced the updated firearms data portal to improve transparency and information sharing for firearms-related data.

"Transparency is key to increasing public trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve," Bonta said. "As news of tragic mass shootings continue to dominate the news cycle, leaving many with feelings of fear and uncertainty, we must do everything we can to prevent gun violence."

The firearms portal allows access to certain information, but personal information about concealed carry weapons permit holders is not supposed to be visible.

After learning of the breach, the state DOJ disabled the dashboard site along with all related links.

The sheriff's office said it does not know how much time the information was accessible and warns some private information may have been posted on social media websites.

Featured Firearm

M-16 - 1963

U.S. soldiers in Korea armed with World War II-era semi-automatic M1 Garands and M1 carbines quickly found themselves outgunned. With the Vietnam conflict building, the Army knew it needed something better.

In 1969, the M16A1 replaced the M14 rifle to become the US military's standard service rifle. The M16A1's improvements include a bolt-assist, chrome-plated bore and a 30-round magazine.

The M-16 and its variants started the "modern sporting rifle" craze, and it remains in use by militaries all over the world. The AR platform remains very popular among civilian shooters today.

Did you know?

The father of the M-16

In the 1950s, the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation decided to branch out into small arms. By 1954, ArmaLite was the start-up division, intent on designing and manufacturing a new generation of small arms from its base in Hollywood, California.

Wanting to be taken seriously, ArmaLite recruited Eugene Stoner to become its chief engineer. Using his experience in the aircraft industry, he had been experimenting with using strong yet lightweight materials for firearms.

At ArmaLite, he started with the gas-operated AR-10, completing it in 1955. At barely 7 pounds, it shot 20 rounds of 7.62x51mm NATO and had anodized aluminum receivers and a fiberglass composite stock. To reduce recoil, the barrel was in line with the stock and the sites raised to eye level.

The AR-10 eventually evolved into the AR-15 which, after much field testing and more than 130 changes, gave birth to the the M16.


Thanks for reading,

The Editor

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