May 3, 2010

Vol. 11 No. 18

This Week:

Industry News

Ranges & Retailers

Legal & Legislative

News of Note

New Report Shows
Industry's Economic Impact

TOTAL IMPACT: $27.8 BILLION IN 2009 . . . At a Capitol Hill briefing on Thursday, the National Shooting Sports Foundation released a newly commissioned report detailing the significant economic impact the firearms and ammunition industry has on the nation's and each state's economy. "During difficult economic times and high unemployment rates nationally, our industry actually grew and created 16,800 new, well-paying jobs," said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. "Our industry is proud to be one of the bright spots in this economy." The economic growth America's firearms and ammunition industry experienced last year was driven by an unprecedented number of Americans choosing to exercise their fundamental right to keep and bear arms and purchase a firearm and ammunition. This coincided with the continued decline in accidental firearm-related deaths (more than a 60 percent decrease in the last 20 years) and a continued drop in crime rates nationally. Read more and view full report.

  • NSSF CONGRESSIONAL FLY-IN A SUCCESS . . . NSSF last week hosted its third annual -- and most successful yet -- congressional "fly-in." Firearms industry executives met in Washington, D.C., with key congressional leaders on a number of legislative and regulatory issues important to the industry. "This was the best fly-in I've had the privilege to attend," said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. "Representatives from our industry were able to meet face-to-face with lawmakers about their concerns. NSSF also used the opportunity to highlight the immense economic impact our industry has in this country by releasing our recently commissioned Firearms and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report." Issues discussed at the fly-in included reforming the payment schedule for federal excise taxes, safeguarding the rights of sportsmen to continue to use traditional ammunition, improving the ability of U.S. manufacturers to compete in an increasingly global economy by removing export controls (not affecting national security) that impede business and seeking a comprehensive federal study of firearms microstamping -- an unreliable technology being promoted by gun-control groups. Industry executives were pleased with the results. "Attending the fly-in afforded me the opportunity to have our company's voice heard by important congressional leaders," said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF board member and O.F. Mossberg & Sons senior vice president and general counsel.

  • LIEBERMAN, OTHERS TO SUPPORT EXCISE TAX MODERNIZATION BILL . . . Sens. Joe Lieberman (I - Conn.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D - N.H.) and Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D - Texas) are the most recent lawmakers to pledge their support for S 632 and HR 510, legislation that will bring equity to the firearms and ammunition excise tax payment schedule. It is important that members of the firearms and ammunition industry continue to urge their senators and representatives to support S 632 and HR 510 -- pro-conservation, pro-business, bipartisan legislation. Learn more about this legislation.

Industry News

  • FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION EXCISE TAXES UP 27 PERCENT IN 2009 . . . According to the Department of the Treasury's most recent Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Collection Report, firearm and ammunition manufacturers reported excise tax obligations to be $439.5 million in calendar year 2009, up 27 percent compared to 2008. The report shows that $120.5 million was due in taxes for pistols and revolvers, $148.2 million for long guns and $170.8 million for ammunition. Compared to calendar year 2008, collections were up 33 percent for handguns, up 34 percent for ammunition and up 17 percent for long guns. Full Story

  • RUGER SALES, PROFIT UP IN FIRST QUARTER . . . Sturm, Ruger & Co. (NYSE:RGR) reported a 47 percent increase in earnings and an 8 percent rise in sales in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago. The company said its firearms unit production increased 3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 and 15 percent from the first quarter of 2009. "New product introductions, including the new SR9c pistol, remain a strong driver of demand, and products introduced since January 2008 represented $27 million or 39 percent of sales in the first quarter of 2010," said CEO Michael Fifer. Ruger also announced last week that C. Michael Jacobi has been named chairman of its board of directors.

  • GLOCK SEES SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN FISCAL YEAR 2010 . . . GLOCK Inc. says it experienced record sales in its 2010 fiscal year (April 2009 to March 2010). The company said earnings grew, sales were benefited by its newest generation in pistols and that it gained market share during the year. GLOCK also said it is expanding its operations in the United States with manufacturing and exporting of its U.S.-made products. Said Vice President Gary Fletcher, "Our current orders are very strong and we expect to maintain this momentum throughout fiscal year 2011."

  • RECORD QUARTER FOR WINCHESTER . . . Olin Corp. (NYSE: OLN), maker of Winchester ammunition, said its Winchester division achieved the highest level of first quarter earnings in its history, and the second best quarterly results ever, "reflecting the continuation of the stronger than normal demand that began in the fourth quarter of 2008." Winchester's first quarter 2010 segment earnings were $19.5 million, compared to $17 million in the first quarter of 2009.

  • ATK RECEIVES $372 MILLION IN SMALL CALIBER AMMO ORDERS . . . Alliant Techsystems (NYSE:ATK) has received orders totaling $372 million to produce 5.56mm, 7.62mm and .50-caliber ammunition for the U.S. Army Contracting Command in Rock Island, Ill. This is the first significant order in the second year of a four-year contract, with additional orders expected during this fiscal year. ATK operates the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) in Independence, Mo., where the rounds will be produced.

  • DESMARAIS NAMED NEW PRESIDENT OF NASGW . . . Maurice (Moe) Desmarais has been named the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers' new president, effective May 19. Desmarais brings to the job more than 25 years of experience in trade-association management.

Ranges and Retailers

  • NSSF TO AWARD UP TO $500,000 TO SHOOTING RANGES . . . To help public and private shooting facilities jump start their recruitment and retention efforts, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) will be awarding up to $500,000 in grants this year to ranges around the country. This is the third year that NSSF has distributed funding to qualifying ranges through its Range Partnership Grant Program. "These grants will help shooting range managers create new strategies to drive traffic to their facilities and, in turn, benefit the future of our sports," said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior vice president. The projects funded by the grants will also serve as pilot programs, which, if successful, can be used by other facilities. Shooting ranges interested in applying for a grant can learn more about NSSF's Range Partnership Grant Program at http://nssf.org/shooting/grants.

  • RETAILERS: NEW RETAIL SALES PLATFORM AVAILABLE AT NO COST . . . NSSF members have been looking for a way to obtain detailed information on retail sales of specific hunting and target shooting products such as firearms, scopes, ammunition, targets, decoys and apparel. NSSF is constantly on the lookout for new sources of data to help its members achieve that goal. SportsOneSource, an information and data services company with which NSSF has worked on various projects over the last few years, is building a new online retail point-of-sale (POS) reporting system that will be designed by and for manufacturers and retailers in the hunt, fish and outdoor lifestyle industries. Learn more.

Legal & Legislative

  • FAMILIES AFIELD BILLS PROGRESS IN VERMONT, LOUISIANA . . . A bill has been passed in Vermont and another is progressing in the Louisiana state legislature that capture the spirit of Families Afield, an initiative to break down barriers preventing mature youth from hunting under the close supervision of parents, family members and other responsible adult mentors. The Vermont bill, which will allow newcomers to try hunting under the close supervision of an experienced mentor prior to earning hunter education certification, awaits Gov. Jim Douglas' signature. Senate Bill 384, which unanimously passed in the Louisiana Senate and has moved to the House, also allows a new hunter to go afield before completing a firearm or hunter education course if the hunter is under the direct supervision of a parent, step parent, grandparent or step grandparent who has completed a hunter or firearm education course. Families Afield has been spearheaded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

  • BILLS WOULD REPEAL D.C. GUN LAWS . . . Federal lawmakers have introduced bills in the House and Senate that would repeal most of the local gun laws in Washington, D.C., The Washington Times reports. The bills would eliminate gun-registration requirements in the city and prevent the mayor and the D.C. Council from adopting laws prohibiting gun ownership. It would also bar city officials from enacting laws that would prohibit guns from being carried in public places (whether concealed or openly brandished), that would diminish the authority of the city's police chief to deny concealed-carry licenses, or that would prohibit city leaders from preventing guns from being taken into city buildings. NSSF supports the legislation.

  • NEW YORK LAW HELPS FIREARMS MANUFACTURERS . . . Gov. David Paterson's signature on a bill passed by New York's Legislature enacted into law a measure that allows manufacturers to possess firearm suppressors prior to securing contracts. The passage follows more than a year of lobbying by federal and state politicians, and its enactment will allow Remington's Ilion, N.Y., plant to be able to compete for federal Department of Defense contracts, said U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri.

News of Note

Photo by Yamil Sued

  • LEATHAM, GOLUB WIN SINGLE STACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . Rob Leatham of Mesa, Ariz., and Julie Golub of Glasgow, Mont., earned the men's and women's titles, respectively, at the U.S. Practical Shooting Association's (USPSA) Single Stack National Championship. For Leatham, it was the 16th consecutive single stack national championship, while Golub earned her 10th title, this one coming after a maternity time-off. The match, originated in 1944, is designed exclusively for the 1911 modern pistol.

  • NSSF MEETS WITH OUTDOOR MEDIA . . . At last week's Northwest Outdoor Writers Association's conference in Seeley Lake, Mont., NSSF sponsored a luncheon where it discussed topics of key importance to industry -- correcting confusion about AR-style modern sporting rifles, that eating game taken with traditional ammunition containing lead core components does not pose a health risk and the rise in target shooting and hunting participation. The 50-plus attendees were reminded to use NSSF as their go-to resource for research and industry positions related shooting, hunting and firearms-related stories. The NOWA conference was the first of many state, regional and national outdoor media organization conferences that NSSF will attend in 2010 to promote story coverage and accurate reporting about these priority issues.

  • BOOMING TURKEY POPULATION RUFFLING FEATHERS IN URBAN AREAS . . . USA Today ran a story recently on how a booming turkey population is "ruffling feathers" in urban communities. "Wild turkeys are following in the footsteps of deer -- an iconic American species that was nearly wiped out, only to come back in large numbers and thrive in predator-free suburbs. The bountiful turkey population is creating awkward interactions with people who have little experience with wildlife." Read the article.

Jobs


NSSF's Mission

"To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports."

Click here to visit the NSSF Web site and see how we accomplish this mission.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Find NSSF on:


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.

NSSF.org

Bullet Points Online

Archive

Subscribe

---------------------

---------------------

NSSF Blog

Covering issues affecting the industry, gun ownership and hunting and the shooting sports.

---------------------

SHOT Show Blog

Stay current on news and information about NSSF's SHOT Show -- the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry's largest trade show.

---------------------

Keane Insights

An NSSF blog that takes on firearms-industry-related public policy issues.

---------------------