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A Month for the Record Books
BACKGROUND CHECKS ON GUN SALES MOST EVER IN NOVEMBER . . . Background checks on the sale of firearms reached record levels during the month of November, pointing to a spike in sales for the month. Data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) show a 42 percent increase in November firearm purchaser background checks. A total of 1,529,635 checks -- the highest monthly total ever -- were reported for the month, up from 1,079,923 in November 2007. Federal law requires FBI background checks on individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers. The NICS increase coincides with an increase in federal excise taxes reported by firearms and ammunition manufacturers, another key economic indicator for the firearms industry. Trends such as excise taxes and NICS data are strong indicators of sales patterns; however, they are not actual sales. There is no data source that captures firearms sales by month. View full chart.
STEP OUTSIDE
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E-MAIL AN INVITATION TO HUNT AND SHOOT THIS SEASON . . . For those last-minute shoppers struggling to find a gift, there's always the gift of hunting and shooting. Through www.stepoutside.org, visitors can now deliver that gift in the form of an invitation to go hunting or shooting by sending an e-mail postcard. Visitors to the site can choose from nine photo-illustrated cards that showcase various types of hunting and target shooting. After choosing a card, you simply fill in a personalized message and enter the recipient's name and e-mail address. The postcard is then automatically sent to your hunting or shooting partner's inbox. A program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, STEP OUTSIDE is based on the premise that men and women who are passionate about hunting and shooting owe it to the future of these activities to introduce them to newcomers. To date, the program has been a key element in exposing hundreds of thousands of newcomers to the outdoors.
In the News
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NEW RULE LIFTS BAN ON GUNS IN NATIONAL PARKS . . . Under a new rule set to take effect in January, visitors to most national parks and wildlife refuges will be allowed to carry concealed firearms, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced Friday. The new rule will allow gun owners to carry if they have a permit in the state where the national park or refuge is located. The decision to overturn the 25-year ban was hailed by Second Amendment supporters. Read the Department of Interior's news release.
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ANTI-GUN MAYORS GROUP RELEASES 'STUDY' . . . The Washington Post reported on a study by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition claiming that "states with lax gun laws had higher rates of handgun killings, fatal shootings of police officers and sales of weapons that were used in crimes in other states." Though the firearms industry was never called for comment by the reporter and therefore never given an opportunity to correct the many misstatements and fallacies in the report, NSSF did submit a letter to the editor of the Post.
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PRACTICAL SHOOTING GETS TV ATTENTION . . . Conway, Arkansas-resident Matt Mink wears the colorful, sponsor-messaged shirt of a race car driver, KATV reports, but Mink is a member of the USPSA, not NASCAR. USPSA, of course, stands for the U.S. Practical Shooting Association, and the Little Rock television station set out to fill in viewers on an aspect of shooting of which they probably weren't aware, and expert shooter Mink proves to be a perfect subject and spokesman for the sport of practical shooting.
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VENISON DONATION . . . One of the most selfless acts hunters can do for their community is donate venison from the deer that they harvest to feed the needy. After a questionable study regarding the health factors involved in venison from deer killed by traditional ammunition, the federal Centers for Disease Control ran its own study, which gave venison a clean bill of health -- and the National Shooting Sports Foundation has addressed those results on its new blog. An article in the Poughkeepsie Journal highlights the welcomed efforts of one unified group of sportsmen, typical of hunting groups across the nation, that are making a difference in their community because of its venison-donation program. Despite the exhaustive federal study, Minnesota has adopted an expensive procedure of X-raying donated venison, at a cost of 30 cents a pound, before it is distributed!
SHOT Show
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PRESS CONFERENCES AT SHOT SHOW . . . Media representatives planning to attend the SHOT Show should consult the press conference schedule for Press Conference Room 313 during the show. NSSF Director of Industry Research and Analysis Frank Briganti will lead two press conferences providing the latest research in two key areas. At the first, on Thursday, Jan. 15, from noon to 1 p.m., Briganti, along with Southwick Associates, will cover the buying trends of consumers in a session called, "Current Profile of Today's Hunter and Target Shooter." At the second, on Friday, Jan. 15, from 9 to 10 a.m., Briganti will address the "Future of Hunting and Shooting" and provide media with research presented to industry leaders at the NSSF Shooting Sports Summit, distributed free of charge, and detail the goals of Task Force 20/20. Free snacks and refreshments will be served at both. View the up-to-date press conference schedule.
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FIREARMS RETAILERS: DON'T MISS SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY . . . SHOT Show University, NSSF's series of educational seminars on topics most requested by firearms retailers, is a full-day opportunity to learn from the experts and network with fellow retailers, NSSF staff and others. In 2008, SHOT Show University experienced a record year attracting a sell-out crowd. So don't wait to reserve your spot. Schedule | Make Reservations Now
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VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR HUNT.FISH.FEED EVENT AT SHOT . . . The Sportsman Channel (TSC) and Safari Club International Foundation's (SCIF) Sportsmen Against Hunger are hosting a Hunt.Fish.Feed at the Salvation Army in Orlando the day before SHOT Show opens on Wednesday, Jan. 14 -- and they are seeking volunteers from SHOT Show attendees. Local SCI hunters are donating venison to provide a home-cooked meal to those who are less fortunate in the Orlando area. TSC and SCIF need volunteers to help prepare, serve and clean up in two separate shifts. A continuous shuttle service will be provided from the Orange County Convention Center to the Salvation Army site. Learn more.
Shooting, Hunting & Conservation
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RIFLE COACH BRIGGS TO BE FETED . . . More than 100 people from all over the world will be coming to Fort Benning on Dec. 13 to honor Frank Briggs upon his retirement. Briggs has been a U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit coach who coached the International Rifle Team and formerly served as head coach of the International Pistol and Service Rifle teams. He was the first director of Olympic Shooting Programs for the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
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STATE SPORTSMEN'S CAUCUSES HOLD FIFTH ANNUAL SUMMIT . . . State legislators and leaders from the hunting, fishing and conservation communities, along with experts on the national scene, convened in Clinton, S.C., last week for the fifth annual National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses Sportsman-Legislator Summit. The largest gathering of sportsmen legislators in the U.S. provided a venue for education and interaction among state policy makers and the hunting and fishing community.
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RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY HELPS YOUNGSTERS COPE . . . Sportsmen again showed their desire to help those less fortunate when the Ruffed Grouse Society three years ago began Under Broken Wings (UBW). This is a program that reaches out to youth with physical challenges. On this year's hunt, 13-year-old Brittany Zebrasky of Hartland, Wis., who has been fighting a brain tumor since age 5, was invited and all expenses were paid to participate in the society's annual National Grouse and Woodcock Hunt, in Grand Rapids, Minn. Brittany bagged her first grouse. "She is an inspiration to us all," said UBW board member Jim Hayett, who helped guide Brittany on her hunt. "Not only has she been back in the hospital three times since the hunt, but she found time to shoot a nice buck during the Wisconsin bow season."
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ELK FOUNDATION TO FEATURE WINCHESTER MODEL 70s, 1911 PISTOL . . . With another strong lineup of guns -- highlighted by Winchester Model 70s and its first official 1911 pistol -- the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is again featuring firearms in its fundraising for elk habitat work in 2009. Nationwide, more than 500 Elk Foundation banquets and fundraisers will offer auctions, raffles and games for prizes including rifles, shotguns and handguns. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, the Elk Foundation has conserved or enhanced 5.4 million acres of habitat for elk and other wildlife and restored elk to long-vacant parts of their historical range.
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BLM SCRAPS WYOMING ENERGY LEASES FOLLOWING PROTESTS . . . The Bureau of Land Management abandoned plans to develop 50,000 acres of big-game winter range and migration corridors, sage grouse habitat and native trout waters in southwest Wyoming by withdrawing them from its Dec. 2 lease sale. The federal land-management agency took no action on an additional 150,000-plus acres included in the protest from groups led by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
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