April 19, 2010

Vol. 11 No. 16

This Week:

Industry News

Legal & Legislative

News of Note

Jobs

Study: Modern Sporting Rifle Owners
Are Most Active Shooters

NSSF/RESPONSIVE MANAGEMENT SURVEY . . . The first comprehensive survey to look at ownership and use of modern sporting rifles reveals that 8.9 million Americans went target shooting with AR-style rifles in 2009 and that participants using this type of rifle were the most active among all types of sport shooters. "These findings underscore that modern sporting rifles are becoming commonplace in America and are among the most desired firearms by sport shooters," said Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. "Those who want to ban these civilian sporting rifles simply because they look like military rifles must acknowledge after seeing this study that AR-style rifles are exceedingly popular with millions of Americans. These rifles are our industry's high-tech, cutting-edge product -- rugged, accurate, versatile, fun to shoot and easily accessorized -- and they're here to stay." The survey showed that an estimated 8,868,085 people shot a modern sporting rifle in 2009, doing so on 22.9 days. Though more people shot other types of rifles (24 million) and handguns (22 million) than modern sporting rifles, they ranked below modern sporting rifle shooters in activity. Full Story

• STUDY FINDS 34.4 MILLION AMERICANS WENT SHOOTING IN 2009 . . . The statistics related to modern sporting rifles were part of a wide-ranging survey that revealed a new high-water mark for annual participation in formal and informal sport and target shooting. The study showed that 15 percent of the U.S. population, representing 34.4 million people nationwide, went target shooting in 2009. This number surpasses all other previous survey estimates of annual sport shooting participation. Read more.

Industry News

• SHOOTING INDUSTRY MASTERS . . . The 2010 Shooting Industry Masters is quickly approaching. This year's two-day shooting event will be held in Grand Island, Neb., at the Heartland Shooting Park on July 23-24. The match will once again be held in conjunction with the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence awards presentation, which will be held the evening of Friday, July 23, at the Holiday Inn Grand Island-Midtown. Members of the industry are encouraged to sign up a team. If you have not yet signed up, please download the Team Entry Form and fax it in today with payment. Proceeds from the event will help support NSSF's First Shots program. Learn more and sign up a team today at shootingindustry.com.

• NSSF ENGAGES BANK OF AMERICA ON ANTI-GUN LENDING POLICY . . . Despite being part of a massive Wall Street bailout and accepting billions of dollars in taxpayer aid, Bank of America is continuing its discriminatory business practices by refusing to lend money to firearms-related businesses, an industry that has never asked for or needed a bailout. NSSF is engaging BOA on this issue. Updates will be available on the NSSF Web site and to NSSF's Twitter followers.

• FOLLOWING JUDGE'S COMMENTS, OHIO RANGES ENCOURAGED TO REACH OUT TO NEW SHOOTERS . . . An Ashtabula County judge was recently quoted saying residents should "arm themselves" due to budget cuts that have resulted in the number of deputies patrolling the area being cut in half. NSSF last week encouraged shooting ranges in the area to reach out to local residents by hosting First Shots seminars in the area. NSSF's First Shots program is hosted by shooting facilities and provides participants with a comprehensive introduction to shooting. Attendees learn firearm safety, shooting fundamentals and local ownership requirements and take part in a supervised live-fire event. Learn more about how to host a First Shots seminar at your range.

• NSSF ANNOUNCES 2010 SCHOLARSHIPS FOR VOTING MEMBERS . . . NSSF is offering students attending college or vocational school during the 2010-11 school year the chance to win one of 20 scholarships of $1,000 value. Scholarships are limited to candidates seeking an undergraduate or vocational degree, and only current employees of NSSF voting member companies and certain family members of such employees are eligible to apply. A completed application with an accompanying essay of 350 words or less written on one of four identified topics concerning hunting and the shooting sports must be received by NSSF no later than June 30. Download an application for complete details.

Legal & Legislative

• NSSF AT WHITE HOUSE OUTDOORS CONFERENCE . . . NSSF President Steve Sanetti was among the conservation and outdoor recreation leaders who attended last Friday's White House Conference on America's Great Oudoors. "I was gratified that, in front of a diverse audience, most speakers and panelists, including President Obama, made favorable references to hunting as a legitimate recreational activity in America's great outdoors," said Sanetti. "The message is finally getting across that we have a legitimate place at the table whenever the future of America's wilderness areas and outdoor recreation is being discussed, and I am glad we are being recognized as responsible users of our nation's resources." In his remarks, the president drew a laugh by saying, "I will probably never shoot a bear," and added, "for the same reason families go outside for a picnic or campers spend a night in a national park, and sportsmen track game through the woods or wade deep into a river . . . few pursuits are more satisfying to the spirit than discovering the greatness of America's outdoors." Read the Presidential Memorandum.

• D.C. VOTING-RIGHTS MEASURE TIED TO FIREARMS FREEDOMS . . . Congressional leaders are poised to resurrect a D.C. voting-rights bill as early as next week, despite opposition from gun-control advocates and city leaders to an amendment that would eliminate most of the district's gun-control laws. The bill would give D.C. residents voting representation in Congress while ensuring, through an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding citizens living in the federal enclave.

• SUPPORT FOR FIREARMS FREEDOM ACT SPREADS . . . A growing list of states are joining the legal battle over federal gun-control laws, arguing that Congress can't regulate guns made and sold within a state. To date, seven states have filed amicus briefs in a lawsuit first filed by gun-rights advocates in Montana. The states, which include Utah, Alabama, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wyoming and West Virginia, argue that the U.S. Constitution gives them the right to control firearms-related activities inside state borders. Though this is a growing trend, there are serious reasons to question whether they will survive legal challenges -- chief among them is whether the Tenth Amendment or the Commerce Clause of the Federal Constitution will prevail. Past U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence on the scope of the Commerce Clause suggests the states have the harder legal argument.

• FCPA RANDOM AUDIT PROGRAM ANNOUNCED . . . The government is committed to aggressive enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Dickinson Wright's Global Compliance Practice has announced its new FCPA Random Audit Program -- a tool to ensure a company's compliance with FCPA requirements. Learn more.

• ALASKA FISH & GAME DEPT. RESPONDS TO NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MOVES . . . Following an announcement by the National Park Service that it is closing the taking of black bears and wolves on three preserves in Alaska, state authorities with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) noted their disappointment. "We have authority to manage wildlife populations, and these federal closures of state general and subsistence hunting and trapping are unjustified," said ADF&G Commissioner Denby Lloyd. "Allowing park managers to supersede state regulations based on undefined 'values' is an unwarranted and confrontational intrusion upon the state's management prerogatives."

News of Note

• GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR COLLEGE SHOOTING PROGRAMS . . . Collegiate shooting programs got a big boost from the industry in 2009, and they will again in 2010. NSSF through its Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative will award up to $175,000 in grants for colleges interested in starting a shooting sports program or expanding or maintaining its current club or team. Grant proposals are due by Sept. 17. Applications can be downloaded at nssf.org/college, where you'll also find resources on how to start or strengthen a shooting program or club at the college level. See how the 15 schools that received grants in 2009 are growing the shooting sports at their schools thanks to the support of the program.

• RECORD 40 SCHOOLS TO COMPETE AT COLLEGE SHOTGUN CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . A record 40 colleges and universities will compete Thursday through Sunday in San Antonio at the 42nd ACUI Clay Target Championships. The event added nine new schools this year. ESPN U will televise the competition at future dates, with sponsorship from NSSF. Air times will be announced in Bullet Points.

• DALE HALL NAMED DUCKS UNLIMITED CEO . . . Ducks Unlimited has named H. Dale Hall as that habitat- and waterfowl-conservation organization's chief executive officer. Hall is a former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is widely respected as a wildlife professional.

• USPSA AREA 6 CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . The U.S. Practical Shooting Association's (USPSA) Area 6 Handgun Championship was held Friday to Sunday at the South River Gun Club in Covington, Ga. More than 380 shooters from 28 states as well as Canada, Colombia and Jamaica competed. Max Michel of Team SIG won the open division title and Jessie Abbate, shooting for Atlanta Arms & Ammo, took the women's open title. Team EOTAC's Bob Vogel won his first limited division title at a regional match by topping a field of 111 shooters. Cameron's Custom Guns' Lisa Munson took top lady in the limited division. Team Glock won both production division titles with Dave Sevigny topping the field and Randi Rogers the top woman. The Limited-10 title went to Tod Litt of the Noveske shooting team. Smith & Wesson's Jerry Miculek took the revolver title. Clifford Bryant won single stack, while Julie Golob of Team Smith & Wesson won the women's single stack title. View local news coverage from the event.

• MORE HUNTING AND SHOOTING TV PROGRAMS . . . "Why are there more hunting, shooting and fishing shows on TV than ever? Not just more shows, but more channels, online content and personalities?" Mark Robichaux of Multichannel News, an online magazine that covers the cable TV industry, looks for answers to those questions and interviews the major players in his article about the increase in outdoor programming. NSSF provided the author with data on increases in hunting and shooting participation, as well the economic impact of those activities. See the latest research in the NSSF Newsroom.

Jobs

• INDUSTRY CAREER CONNECTION . . . Visit www.nssf.org/jobs for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Employers: Log in to post a job opening.

• MSI SEEKS PROJECT MANAGER IN FIREARMS/ARCHERY BUSINESS . . . Management Search Inc. (MSI) is doing a search for a project manager in the firearms/archery business for an injection molding manufacturer located in New York State. Contact mholmes@msi1.com for more details.

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COPYRIGHT © 2010 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, Web sites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. "Bullet Points®," "National Shooting Sports Foundation®," "NSSF®," and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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