August 23, 2010

Vol. 11 No. 34

This Week:

President Signs Excise Tax Bill Into Law

MAJOR VICTORY FOR FIREARMS INDUSTRY AND CONSERVATION . . . The president last week signed into law the Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010 (H.R. 5552). The bill passed the House of Representatives at the end of June by a vote of 412-6 and cleared the Senate by unanimous consent on Aug. 5. The legislation will allow firearm and ammunition manufacturers to pay the federal excise tax on a quarterly basis, just as other industries do. The firearms and ammunition excise tax is a major source of funding for wildlife conservation in America. The signing of HR 5552 into law is a victory for America's firearms industry, sportsmen and conservation advocates everywhere. Read more.

Industry News

RUGER, OLIN MAKE FORTUNE'S 'FASTEST-GROWING' LIST . . . Two companies in the firearms and ammunition industry made Fortune magazine's list of the 100 fastest-growing companies for 2010. Olin Corp., maker of Winchester ammunition, is listed at No. 40. Gun maker Sturm, Ruger & Co. is listed at No. 67. See this year's full list of companies.
FREEDOM GROUP NAMES CHAIRMAN, REPORTS 2Q RESULTS . . . The Freedom Group has named former SPX Corp. executive John Blystone as chairman of its board of directors. The company last week also reported second-quarter results. Based in Madison, N.C., the Freedom Group of companies includes Remington, Bushmaster, DPMS/Panther Arms, Marlin, H&R, NEF, Dakota Arms, LC Smith, Parker, AAC, Barnes Bullets, EOTAC, INTC and Mountain Khaki.

Mark Thomas, NSSF managing director, marketing communications, speaks at the POMA conference.

NSSF INFORMS, WINS AWARD AT POMA . . . In its brief five-year history, the Professional Outdoor Media Association has firmly established itself as a top-tier organization for outdoor communicators. At POMA's recent business-focused annual conference in La Porte, Ind., members kept abreast of the fast-changing media environment by attending seminars on the use of social media and multi-media tools. At a shooting-day luncheon, NSSF addressed 100 media members and corporate partners on key issues that included the recent petition to ban traditional ammunition and the continuing effort to promote accurate information about modern sporting rifles. Communicators were encouraged to use NSSF as a resource for their stories. POMA honored NSSF with its Diamond Cornerstone Award for supporting the organization since its inception and for co-sponsoring the POMA/NSSF Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator Award. Only three other corporate partners have earned this award.
ALPEN OPTICS GARDNER WINS POMA AWARD . . . Vicki Gardner, vice president of marketing for Alpen Optics, received the Professional Outdoor Media Association's Betty Lou Fegely Emerald Cornerstone Award for her volunteer service to the organization.
BROWNELLS SETS 2011 GUNSMITH CAREER FAIR DATES . . . Brownells Fifth Annual Gunsmith Career Fair will be held April 15 and 16, 2011, at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, in Des Moines, IA. The industry-exclusive event is expected to draw more than 200 attendees and 40 employers. Attendees and exhibitors are encouraged to register and book their rooms early.

Legal & Legislative

CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING TO ENHANCE DOJ BORDER STRATEGY . . . Congress has passed the Border Security Appropriations Bill, providing $196 million for the Department of Justice to surge federal law-enforcement efforts in high-crime areas along the Southwest Border. As part of the $196 million, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will be allocated funds for the establishment of seven Project Gunrunner Impact teams (GRIT). These teams are comprised of special agents and industry operations investigators targeting firearms trafficking along the Southwest border. Read more.
BORDER CONCERNS SPUR INCREASED INTEREST IN CONCEALED CARRY . . . Enrollment in concealed-carry classes along the Rio Grande is on the rise, reports Texas news station WOAI. Instructors are attributing the increase to the possible threat of cross-border violence.
NEVADA LAUNCHES APPRENTICE HUNTING LICENSE PROGRAM . . . Nevada has launched its apprentice hunting license program, which was approved by the state legislature last year. The program, similar to apprentice programs launched in other states, is aimed at attracting more youngsters to hunting. It is also part of the Families Afield initiative of NSSF, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and National Wild Turkey Federation, which has helped 30 states enact laws aimed at providing more opportunities for new hunters.
LAWSUIT FILED OVER CHICAGO GUN-RANGE PROHIBITIONS . . . The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Chicago's new ordinance, asserting that "by banning gun ranges open to the public . . . under color of law," the city is depriving citizens of their right to keep and bear arms in violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Representing SAF and its co-plaintiffs are Alan Gura and David Sigale, who teamed up on the landmark case, McDonald v. City of Chicago. Joining SAF in the lawsuit are the Illinois State Rifle Association, Action Target Inc. and three individual plaintiffs, including a retired Chicago police detective.

News of Note

STEEL CHALLENGE CROWNS 2010 CHAMPIONS . . . K.C. Eusebio and Jessie Abbate took their third men's and women's Steel Challenge titles, respectively, at the World Speed Shooting Championships. Joining them in the winner's circle were Phil Strader for the Iron Sight Rimfire title and 17-year-old Ryan Leonard for the Open Rimfire Pistol event. Abbate also captured the Lady's Open Rimfire title. Julie Golob was top woman shooter in the Iron Sight Rimfire competition.
ARIZONA GAME AND FISH ACQUIRES LAND FOR RANGE . . . The purchase of the 160-acre Foster Ranch property in Coconino County by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will provide the site for the Northern Arizona Shooting Range. The property meets the three objectives the commission sought to achieve in selecting and acquiring a site for the range. Read more.
N.J. BEAR HUNT COULD SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY . . . The Daily Record reports that New Jersey's scheduled six-day bear hunt in December should be a money-saving bargain for the state's residents. "In all likelihood, this hunt will save the taxpayers a tremendous amount of money," said Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Dave Chanda. "Calls to local police as well as to our staff are expected to decline, and we can all spend our time doing other critical wildlife management rather than spending countless hours responding to black bear complaints." Chanda added that, "the cost to taxpayers will be zero. All of the cost to administer the hunt will be paid by hunters."
FLORIDA SEEKS INPUT FOR BEAR MANAGEMENT PLAN . . . Framework for a bear management plan in the state has been put forth by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The draft, which includes input from multiple stakeholders, does not change the current protected status of black bears in Florida, but does include the possibility of hunting in the future. The public may comment on the proposal until Oct. 1.

Video

GUNSITE TIP: 'THE PRESENTATION' . . . In NSSF's latest Shooting Sportscast video, Gunsite Academy's Charlie McNeese demonstrates the academy's method of drawing from the holster. Called "The Presentation," it's a five-step process that will get you out of the holster and on target safely, quickly and accurately. Watch all of NSSF's videos on YouTube or download them on iTunes. Play Video

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.

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.

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