City Seizes Gun Club

The Outdoor Message (Northboro, MA) | 3/04 | Yacino

[pabianice]

The Springfield (MA) Revolver Club is being prevented from using the building which has been their headquarters since before 1924. It has been believed for many years that Smith and Wesson gave the property and original test range to the City of Springfield with the understanding that it would be used for the continuation of pistol shooting.

The property is administered by the Park Department and was named Wesson Park in honor of Walter Wesson, one of the original park commissioners. A park department publication states, "Wesson is remembered in a little known corner of park land off Wilbraham Road at the corder of Roosevelt Avenue which was acquired after his death and is very appropriately occupied primarily by an indoor range used by the Springfield Revolver Club." However, there is no written record of stipulations on the use of the land. The city has prevented continued use of the range for over a year and there is little expectation of returning.

As the club, one of the oldest in the U.S. and home of several Olympic medalists and many winning teams, may consider making some of their equipment available to assist another club (sic). Equipment includes bullet traps, target carriers with turning and timing mechanisms, and steel plates.

For additional information, contact club president Les Prentice at 413-783-6775 or Kldnx@arrl.net

[pabianice]

City of Springfield, MA

Mayor Charlie Ryan

413-787-6100/6101

Parks and Recreation

Administration (413) 787-6440

bhouldson@springfieldcityhall.com

[xm177e2]

There are a lot of Springfields in America... this one just happens to be in Massachussetts.

[XRdsRev]

Home to the Springfield Armory which produced millions of weapons for the United States Military from the 1700's on.

[skip2myloo]

ping

[skip2myloo]

And Smith @ Wesson, Dan Wesson and others.

[JamesA]

"MOLON lABE"

[DoctorMichael]

"...There are a lot of Springfields in America..."

....and this is the one where I grew up.

"....this one just happens to be Massachussetts...."

....and the reason I now live in Virginia.

[Militiaman7]

Typical North Eastern commie-liberal behavior.

[Defender2]

MA, figures, most politicians there are run by this organization:

http://www.dsausa.org/



demoCommiecRATs = one truly sad, bad Freak Show!!!!

[bobo1]

"City Seizes Gun Club"

I pray daily that the people will seize back their government from these worthless Marxists that are in control now.

Blessings, Bobo

[Mulder]

Didn't government jackboots try to seize some stuff a couple of hundered years ago up there?

And didn't the outcome make them regret it?

[Pontiac]

Sounds like it is time to dig up a rabid lawyer.

Just like the Dims would.

If you don't like the way the government is run, run to the courts.

It is the way the liberals fight. Take them to the mat with their own tactics.

[Travis McGee]

They'll probably lease the building for $1 a year to the "Gay and Lesbian Youth Outreach Club."

In today's PC America, guns are evil, and gays are great.

[Tamzee]

The members must just be heartsick over this happening :-(

[Mulder]

They'll probably lease the building for $1 a year to the "Gay and Lesbian Youth Outreach Club."

They'll just raise taxes on give them a million dollar grant.

In today's PC America, guns are evil, and gays are great.

What passes as modern "culture" is truly disgusting.

Somewhere out there, Longarm is thinking about this very subject, prompting him to handload some more .30-06 for the rifle his daddy left him....

[Travis McGee]

No doubt.

[SevenDaysInMay]

"However, there is no written record (remaining -ed.)of stipulations on the use of the land."

This is abuse of power, not lawful government.

American fascists are moving to make firing arms inconvenient or illegal by all means available to them so that 2nd Amendment practicioners can be condemned for lack of "regulation", aka skilled practice, circa 1770's.

Dallas recently violated the written terms of a man's gift of land for a city park decades ago, for its natural ecology hardwood forest, when Dallas announced its changed use to a pay for play golf course, closing the forested park, the absolute condition of the gift, including a clear reversion clause.

The man's heirs complained, then sued the city to take back the land. The fixer judge ruled that the heirs did not have standing to sue because no property interest was bequeathed to these heirs, therefore they had no ownership interest in said property. Catch 22 sham court ruling.

Lesson: (1) Government is fixed, "compelling State interests" is a judicial cancer spread to every jurisdiction. (2) For any gift, if not unconditional, include an ownership interst (see qualified lawyer) to heirs so they may have standing to uphold the purpose of said gift. (3) Remeber that bigger and bigger government is controlled by corruptable power brokers if not corrupted socialists, enjoying "sovereign immunities" perks which we law abiding citizens can not imagine, but pay for.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Sounds like it is time to dig up a rabid lawyer.

Try 1924 or thereabouts. If the land was deeded with proper covenants and a clause indicating that the land reverts to the descendants if it is ever not used for the shooting range - those restrictive covenants "run with the land" and are restrictive in perpetuity. But it sounds like Mr. Wesson couldn't imagine the anti-gun fanaticism of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and he forgot the ounce of prevention.

[Gringo1]

I think all the gun manufacturers should move here to the south or to the western states....god knows how much taxes they pay to be treated like crap. We would welcome them with open arms.

[Dec31,1999]

Mayors of cities should start ignoring the red tape and passing out CC licenses. What could be more of a "Civil right" than the right to protect one's home and family from attack?