November 12, 2026
Thursday Bulletin – November 12, 2026
Executive Director’s Message
From Richard Pearson
The Midterm Elections are over and gun-owners took a bruising. Once again, we have lost more pro-gun seats in the Illinois House and Senate. Illinois isn’t the only state where this has happened. For years, I have been warning gun-owners rights groups everywhere that they too were going have this happen.
Gun-owners in Arizona, Minnesota, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are now facing anti-gun legislatures. I would expect Texas to suffer the same fate in 2032. As my friend Jeff Folloder, President of the Texas State Rifle Association, told me, “Texas isn’t as Texas as you think it is.” Things are no better at the national level.
So, what is to be done? Gun-owners have to stop being down-trodden. Law abiding gun-owners are the best people in Illinois. Look at yourself and your friends and be proud. In Illinois, the crime rate among FOID Card holders is so low that it must be measured in real numbers, not percentages. When these numbers are put into percentages they so low some people can’t pronounce or comprehend them. Be proud of that!
Law abiding gun-owners are also one of the first lines of defense for their fellow citizens. Look at the statistics. Legally armed citizens stop more incidents of crime and attacks from crazies than the police do. Be proud of that and tell everyone. People don’t know that fact.
Then, of course, there is the matter of defending the nation from enemies, Foreign and domestic. Nobody likes to hear about that, but it is important to remember. This nation has willfully allowed people in this country who want to destroy it. Even worse, the government paid groups to help get these people into the United States.
My fellow gun-owners, it is time to get organized and fight back. Time is short – the 2028 Presidential Elections are only 23 months away and the fight for Second Amendment rights is more important than ever!
Get in the fight and stay in the fight! Join the ISRA and support 2A rights in Illinois – CLICK HERE.
I want to thank all the members that have logged on and activated their new account on member.isra.org . If you haven’t completed this yet, please do so today!! Life members are already active and just need to log in. CLICK HERE to activate or CLICK HERE to log in.
This system allows you to have choices as to how your renewal happens. You now have the option to receive paper statements, emailed statements, or an automatic renewal. You only need to store a credit card on file if you choose to do automatic renewals.
Once you’re logged in, you can update your demographic information, sign up for classes at a discounted rate, and participate in the community page! This new system has a lot of options that we will be rolling out in the coming months including blogs and online learning opportunities! Please call or email the office if you are having difficulty at (815) 635-3198.
Bill Baltas, ISRA F-Class Rifle team, won High Senior at the 2026 NRA F-Class Long-Rang Nationals. Bill competed in Mid-Range and Long Range at Ben Avery Range in Arizona against the top F-Class shooters in the US. Bill finished 11th overall, taking the Senior Award with a 1395-75X. Excellent job!
Congratulations Bill!
A Chicago 911 call reiterates why you need to be your own first responder.
In the Gresham neighborhood, a woman was raped at gun point. At 12:21pm, she called 911. At 1:13pm, she was transported to the hospital. The police showed up to make a report at 2:13pm, nearly two hours later. It seems the police district was on “Radio Assignments Pending” – translated, that means we don’t have anyone to answer the call.
Let’s face it. You are on your own. In Chicago, there is a 1% chance this guy will ever get caught and convicted. If he is convicted, he will might spend a couple of days in jail before he’s out on the street again.
For those of you who are ” a little slow on the uptake”, YOU are your own first responder. Get a gun and get training. Do I need to go over that again or have you got it?
Stand with the ISRA in our continuing quest to protect our 2A rights here in Illinois and across the U.S. For more information on how you can help, call the ISRA office at (815) 635-3198, or e-mail us at member@isra.org today.
Not an ISRA member? Join the ISRA and support 2A rights in Illinois – CLICK HERE.
The Supreme Court of the United States is in session and we should start hearing some oral arguments from them on cases in early December (Tuesday, December 1st or Wednesday, December 2nd, probably).
ISRA continues fighting for Illinois gun owners through litigation involving gun and magazine restrictions, concealed carry, firearm regulations, FOID issues, the rights of young adults, suppressor restrictions, and other Second Amendment issues.
These cases require attorneys. They require legal research, briefs, appeals, filings, experts, and years of determined work. That work costs money — and we need your help to keep doing it.
Help Fund ISRA Litigation Efforts.
Every contribution helps ISRA continue defending the constitutional rights of law-abiding Illinois gun owners. To make a contribution to ISRA Litigation efforts today, CLICK HERE.
Want to see the other legal battles ISRA is fighting? Visit ISRA Litigation page HERE.
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Thank you for standing with the ISRA as we defend the rights of law-abiding Illinois gun owners!
Veto session is on the way and we are still waiting. We will keep you apprised of any news on legislation as we become aware of it
The up-coming 2026 veto session dates for the Illinois Senate are:
November 17th, 18th, 19th and December 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
You can find downloadable PDF versions of the House calendar HERE and the Senate calendar HERE to view all the legislative session deadlines.
The ISRA maintains a list of the most important bills under consideration in the Illinois State Legislature; the most current list is always the ISRA Legislation Page. Click and follow along!
When anti-gun politicians pass another restriction, Illinois gun owners need an organization prepared to challenge it.
When a lower court refuses to follow Supreme Court precedent, we need to keep appealing.
And when a major Second Amendment case reaches the United States Supreme Court, ISRA needs to be there! However, it costs much more to force a correction in the courts than it does to prevent offending legislation from happening in the first place!
STAND WITH ISRA.
Help us continue the legislative fight for Illinois gun owners in Springfield.
To make a contribution to our Legislative efforts today, CLICK HERE.
Not an ISRA member? Join the ISRA and support 2A rights in Illinois – CLICK HERE.
For more information on how you can help, call the ISRA office at (815) 635-3198, or e-mail us at member@isra.org today.
Send us your hunting pictures at member@isra.org! They don’t have to be deer – they can be ducks, pheasants, moose or whatever. We will have a random drawing from your entries for a $50 Boyt Harness gift card and a few other prizes on February 2nd. Good luck out there!!!
We offer 18 different shooting leagues. Some are weekly and some are monthly, and all of them are fun. There is no better place to learn new things and for camaraderie while you improve on your marksmanship skills. It’s a great place for you to shoot!
For more info on Classes, Leagues, Special Events and more,
go to the ISRA Range Calendar – CLICK HERE.
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
Livingston County – This meeting is being reorganized to better engage area ISRA members. More information will be posted when available.
Madison County – 1st Wednesday of the month – Piasa Armory, 625 Lewis and Clark Blvd., East Alton, IL; Doors open at 6:15pm; Meeting starts at 6:30pm
Northwest Suburban – Algonquin/Dundee area – This meeting is being reorganized to better engage area ISRA members. More information will be posted when available.
South Suburban/Cook County – 2nd Thursday of the month – Barraco’s Pizza, 13445 S. Cicero Ave, Crestwood, IL; Doors open 6:00pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm; Buffet is $20.
Will County – 3rd Wednesday of the month – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” ~ Thomas Payne
Enter now to win an Ithaca World War II Era M 1911 A1 U.S. Army 45 Auto –
Drawing on December 17, 2026!
CLICK HERE to order tickets online!!
Ticket prices:
1 Ticket – $20
3 Tickets – $50
8 Tickets – $100
25 Tickets – $250
60 Tickets – $500
The Illinois State Rifle Association is a 501(c)4 non-profit organization, donations to Illinois State Rifle Association are not tax-deductible. Prize must be claimed within 90 days of drawing.
Ithica M 1911 Raffle Printable Order Form
Please Read The Fine print:
For other questions or information on this raffle, CLICK HERE or contact:
ISRA – PO Box 637 – Chatsworth, IL 60921
(815)635.3198 or E-Mail: member@isra.org
“Money can only buy happiness if you spend it on freedom.
Join the ISRA today.” ~ Richard Pearson
Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to start time.
*Every Thursday (unless otherwise noted) ISRA Precision Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
*** Please contact academy@isra.org for any training or class questions and check the ISRA Range for links to dates, times, descriptions of ISRA activities and events.
Click here for the Illinois Shooter – Fall 2026
If you would like to donate to us, please CLICK HERE.
Thank you for your support!
To Join the ISRA, CLICK HERE.
When George Washington was appointed Commander of the Continental Army, he had as many headaches as a commander could have. One of his major concerns was a lack of artillery. Without artillery, the Continental Army couldn’t win a battle, let alone lay siege to a city or fortification. If Washington couldn’t get artillery, it was game over.
In May of 1775, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys pulled off a surprise attack on Fort Ticonderoga and captured cannons and mortars – just what George Washington needed. The problem then was how to get them where he needed them and who would get the join done.
In Boston, there was an ardent patriot and bookseller by the name of Henry Knox. Henry, an imposing figure standing 6’ 3” and weighing 250 pounds at 25 years old, was highly intelligent and, some say, probably had a photographic memory. One of his financial mainstays, early on, was ordering military books for the local British officers. He loved to read those books himself, particularly the ones dealing with artillery and fortifications. Through this practice, Henry became a self-educated, military expert and the British paid for it all. He also had hands-on military experience, having joined the local militia at age 18. Later he would co-found and become second in command of the Boston Grenadier Corps.
George Washington needed someone to go to Fort Ticonderoga and retrieve as much artillery, mortars and supplies as possible. Henry Knox stepped forward an announced “I will do it.” So, on November !6, 1775, Knox, without rank, left for Fort Ticonderoga. The next day the Continental Congress appointed him a colonel in the Continental Army.
Winter had set in, making it easier to get the 60 tons of artillery, mortars and shot back for Washington’s use. All gun carriages and mortar beds were left behind, only cannon barrels, mortar barrels and shot were taken. Everything was loaded on to sleds to be pulled by 80 yoke of oxen and some horses though the snow and over frozen lakes and rivers. Each team of oxen and horses were assigned a man with an ax to cut away ropes and harness to prevent the draft animal from drowning should the ice break while crossing lakes and rivers.
It was a brutal 300 miles. Colonel Knox nearly froze to death on one occasion. But, despite the struggle, on January 24 or 25, Colonel Knox’s gun train made it to Farmington, Massachusetts. There, new gun carriages and mortar beds were built. They were then moved to Dorchester Heights, over-looking Boston. The British awoke that next morning and, much to their surprise, Continental Army cannons were in place, controlling the city and the harbor. The British, realizing that they were out-gunned, decided to leave. This shows the power of artillery.
Colonel Henry Knox became Brigadier General in charge of artillery but still many challenges for the General. The inexperienced soldiers of the Continental Army had much to learn. They were confusing the sizes of cannonballs, sending 4-pound cannonballs to units that needed 6-pound cannonballs. The size of the cannonballs were fairly close to each other. For example, a 4-pound cannonball was 3.10 inches in diameter, and a 6-pound was 3.5 inches in diameter. And, unfortunately, many Continental soldiers could not read or use a ruler correctly. One stack of cannonballs looked a lot like the next stack of cannonballs. General Knox was up to the task, however. He returned to Massachusetts and built an armory and cannon works in Springfield, as well as developing a supply system for getting war material to General Washington and other commanders, both correctly and on time.
Major General Henry Knox, with his cannons, his tactics and logistical organization, played a huge role in the British defeat at Yorktown. He became the last Secretary of War under the Articles of Confederation and the First Secretary of War under the new Constitution of the United States. Henry Knox was the Father of United States Artillery – another important thread in the tapestry of our founding.
November 12, 2025 – The U.S. Mint ended production of the penny, pressing the final one-cent coins in Philadelphia. The penny had been produced in the United States since 1793.
November 13, 1974 – Karen Silkwood is killed in a car accident near Crescent, Oklahoma, just north of Oklahoma City. Silkwood was a technician at Kerr-McGee Corporation which made plutonium pellets. She had been critical of the plant safety procedures.
She was found to be suffering from plutonium poisoning. It was determined that plutonium dust inside her protective glove caused the poisoning. Many think it was purposely put there. She documented the safety violations and was on the way to a meeting to expose the company to the public, but she was killed in a car accident.
Karen Silkwood hit a bridge. They found a mysterious dent in the back of the car that indicated it might have been pushed into that bridge. All the documents that she had with her on the way to that meeting were gone. Kerr-McGee was sued by her father and they paid a settlement. They closed the plant about a year later. Strange dealings.
This story also has an Illinois connection; Kerr KcGee had a rare earth processing facility in West Chicago, IL, in DuPage County that produced radioactive thorium and other materials. It was eventually declared a “superfund site” and cleaned up, but was argued about for decades.
November 14, 1832 – The New York and Harlem Company debuts the first mass transit attempt in the United States. It all began with a horse-drawn streetcar that operated between Prince and 14th Street in Manhattan. The cost was 12 ½ cents a ride. If you needed to stop the car to get off, you pulled the leather strap that was attached to the driver’s ankle. The name of the streetcar was “John Mason,” who was the president of the Chemical Bank and funded the creation of this first attempt at mass-transit.
November 15, 1777 – The Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. The patriot leaders were reluctant to form any government that might give too much power to the administration. The legislative section was only one house, the House of Representatives. Each state only had one vote.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was finally ratified on March 2, 1781. It was discovered to be mostly unworkable. In 1787, a constitutional convention was called to either improve or offer an entirely new system of government.
November 16, 1775 – Henry Knox, the Father of United States Artillery, leads a mission to retrieve much need cannons from Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
November 16, 1821 – William Becknell of Franklin, Missouri, arrives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with a load of goods, traveling over a route that would become known as the Santa Fe Trail. He made huge profits and returned to Missouri with his saddlebags loaded with Mexican silver. The next year he brought three wagon-loads of goods.
Spain closed the Santa Fe Trail to prevent American influences in the region. When Mexico gained independence from Spain, the trail was once again opened and trade began a new period. William Becknell is known as the father of the Santa Fe Trail.
November 18, 1883 – In Chicago, in 1883, American and Canadian railroads hold a meeting at the Grand Pacific Hotel and establish 4 time zones for the United States. Up until that time, every community had it’s own time. There were 144 known time zones and countless approximate times in various areas. This led to great confusion for passengers and scheduling nightmares for the railroads, causing many accidents. Finally, in 1918, the United States government adopted the 4 time zones that the railroad created. There’s a plaque located at 213 South LaSalle Street recognizing the location, the Grand Pacific Hotel, where the meeting to establish the 4 time zones was held.
“I am frequently asked if the ISRA sells our membership list. The answer is absolutely not.” ~ Richard Pearson
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate, sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.
Nov. 21 – 22, 2026 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Nov. 28 – 29, 2026 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association – New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Nov. 28 – 29, 2026 Sauk Trail Gun Collectors Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Dec. 5 – Dec. 6, 2026 Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
Dec. 12 – 13, 2026 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Dec. 13, 2026 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
Jan. 10, 2027 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
Jan. 30 – 31, 2027 Belleville Gun & Knife Show, Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, Belleville, IL.
Feb. 6 – 7, 2027 Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL.
Feb. 13 – 14, 2027 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association – New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Stand Strong &
Thank you for being a member!
If you are not an ISRA member, join TODAY!
Donate: isra.org/support-us/
Upcoming Meetings: isra.org/isra-activities-and-events/