Industry Executives to Meet
with
Congressional Leaders
 NSSF VOTING MEMBERS HEAD TO WASHINGTON . . . The National Shooting Sports Foundation is hosting its annual congressional "fly-in" for executives from industry companies this week. These executives will meet with key congressional leaders on legislative and regulatory issues important to the industry. "For more than 200 years, America's firearms and ammunition industry has made products that have been part of our country's tradition of freedom, self-reliance and enjoyment of the outdoors," said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. "Making our industry's voice heard in the halls of Congress will help ensure that this great tradition continues and that our industry members can continue to grow their businesses and create good-paying jobs in their communities." Read more.
Industry News
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MARCH NSSF-ADJUSTED NICS BACKGROUND CHECKS UP 15 PERCENT . . . The March 2011 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 990,840 is an increase of 15 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 861,408 in March 2010. For comparison, the unadjusted March 2011 NICS figure of 1,437,709 is an increase of 11.3 percent over the unadjusted NICS figure of 1,291,618 in March 2010. The adjusted NICS data was derived by NSSF by subtracting out all NICS purpose-code permit checks used by several states such as Kentucky, Iowa and Utah for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. While not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide a more accurate picture of current market conditions. Questions concerning NSSF-adjusted NICS data should be directed to NSSF research at 203-426-1320 or research@nssf.org. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions of firearms sales and transfers on new and used handguns and long guns. For additional information on NICS or to view a complete set of the current monthly NICS reports, visit the NICS website. NSSF members may access historical monthly NICS reports in the Members section of nssf.org.
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SMITH & WESSON REBRANDS USR, ANNOUNCES R.I. POLICE DEAL . . . Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:SWHC) announced it has rebranded its wholly-owned perimeter security division, formerly known as Universal Safety Response, to Smith & Wesson Security Solutions. The company also announced last week that the Providence, R.I., Police Department has chosen to equip each of its officers with Smith & Wesson M&P pistols for duty use. The department has received 510 Smith & Wesson M&P40 pistols chambered in .40 S&W and has begun the transition process to the new side arm.
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END OF AN ERA FOR MARLIN FIREARMS IN CONNECTICUT . . . Marlin Firearms' history dates back to 1870 in New Haven, Conn. In 1968, the manufacturer moved into its 226,000-square-foot plant in North Haven. During the 1970s, more than 500 people worked at the facility. The last dozen rifles left the plant last Thursday, the New Haven Register reports, headed to Ilion, N.Y., which is one of three locations to which Marlin operations have been transferred. Marlin was sold in 2007 to Remington Arms Co., part of the Freedom Group of companies.
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 NEW FIRST SHOTS MANAGER JOINS NSSF . . . Tisma Juett once helped organize a First Shots seminar for a former employer, never dreaming that one day she would be overseeing this nationwide program. Now she is the new manager of First Shots, NSSF announced today. Juett takes the reins of one of NSSF's most important target shooter-development programs. First Shots introduces newcomers of all ages to target shooting with handgun, rifle or shotgun at participating shooting ranges nationwide. Read NSSF's press release.
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FREEDOM GROUP NAMES VP OF WHOLESALE/DISTRIBUTOR SALES . . . The Freedom Group Family of Companies announces that Jim Bruno has been promoted to vice president of wholesale/distributor sales. Bruno was previously a director of business development within Freedom Group, where he was responsible for developing and implementing various programs and sales initiatives that included dealer programs, buy group programs, range initiatives and merchandising efforts.
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INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY PROFILES SAMUEL COLT . . . Investor's Business Daily profiled Samuel Colt in its "Leaders and Success" section last week. "Colt gained fame so rapidly in the mid-19th century that the inventor and his products were the first from the New World to capture public, media, government and military recognition on an international scale," noted Robert M. Lee and R.L. Wilson, authors of "Magnificent Colts," which will be published this spring for the 175th anniversary of Colt's manufacture of his first revolver. Read the article.
Government Relations
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NSSF LAUNCHES WEBPAGE AND AD CAMPAIGN OPPOSING CT MAG BAN . . . NSSF has launched a website titled NoMagBan.com and released a 30-second radio ad to combat legislation that would ban the manufacturing and possession of all magazines (rifle, pistol or shotgun) capable of holding more than 10 rounds. This legislation (SB 1094) will be voted on in the Judiciary Committee in coming weeks, and legislators are looking to negotiate its passage. NSSF is continuing to encourage all gun owners and sportsmen to contact these legislators immediately and urge them to oppose SB 1094. There can be no compromise on citizens' rights to defend themselves and their loved ones.
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 SENATE TO VOTE AGAIN ON 1099 REPEAL . . . The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on a bill (H.R. 4: Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act) that would repeal the expanded and overly burdensome Form 1099 reporting requirements on small businesses, which was hidden in last year's health-care reform bill. NSSF fully supports repealing the 1099 reporting requirement because it will help protect firearms retailers and gun owners who would otherwise be forced to provide 1099 forms to vendors from whom they buy goods totaling $600 or more annually. This new tax reporting requirement is scheduled to take effect in 2012. Small businesses would need to issue hundreds or even thousands of forms each year, track cumulative payments to vendors and obtain tax identification information from each vendor. The "vendor" could be a gun owner who sells her used firearm to a retailer. President Obama has expressed his support for repealing this onerous IRS reporting requirement. Anti-gun Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), however, plans to offer an amendment to H.R. 4 when the Senate takes up the bill. If Sen. Menendez's amendment is passed, it will derail, at least for the time being, the repeal of the 1099 reporting requirement. If the Senate passes the Menendez amendment to H.R. 4, then Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) has filed an amendment (Amendment No. 161) to S.493. If amended, S. 493 would be identical to H.R. 4 as passed by the House and would then go to President Obama's desk for his signature. NSSF is encouraging all manufacturers, retailers, distributors and gun owners to contact their senators and urge them to support H.R. 4, as passed by the House (and to vote NO on Sen. Menendez's amendment) and to also vote YES on Sen. Mike Johanns' amendment No. 161 to S.493.
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ALASKA CONGRESSMAN REFUSES HUMANE SOCIETY AWARD . . . Alaskan Congressman Don Young refused an award from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Humane Society Legislative Fund that would have honored his work for animals in 2010. While capitalizing on the good work of local humane societies that shelter, spay and neuter animals, the HSUS does not own, operate or directly control a single animal shelter in the U.S., despite a budget of well over $100 million. "HSUS are hypocrites, plain and simple, and I will not join them by accepting this award," said Rep. Young.
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NEB. RESOLUTION ENCOURAGES SCHOOLS TO OFFER TRAPSHOOTING . . . Nebraska LR 20, a resolution issued by the Nebraska Legislature, encourages the school boards of every school district in the state of Nebraska, in conjunction with the game and parks commission, to voluntarily promote and include trapshooting as a high school sport.
News of Note
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 RECORD 50 COLLEGES COMPETE AT CLAY TARGET CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . Fifty colleges are competing right now at the ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships in San Antonio. The event, which wraps up today, featured 432 individual competitors, an increase of 26 percent from 2010 and a record high for the 43-year-old competition. The increase in participation can be partly attributed to NSSF's Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative, which provides grants to college shooting sports programs. Grant recipients that attended the event for the first time include Harvard University, Clemson University, Jacksonville University, Hillsdale College, Mississippi College and University of Vermont. Complete results are available at the ACUI website.
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U.S. TEAM TAKES GOLD AND SILVER AT WORLD CUP . . . Target shooters representing the United States took home three gold and five silver medals at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup Sydney in Australia, the most medals garnered by any nation. Read about the stellar performance of these USA Shooting Team athletes.
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 'TOP SHOT' FEATURES NSSF'S RYAN CLECKNER THIS WEEK . . . Ryan Cleckner, NSSF's government relations manager, will be the featured expert on History Channel's "Top Shot" on Tuesday. Cleckner served as a sniper in the U.S. Army's 1st Ranger Battalion during multiple combat deployments. He is also a sniper instructor and competitive shooter. Tuesday night's episode is titled "The 1,000-yard Shot." Here is the description from the show's website: "Marksmen face a supreme long-range test, the iconic 1000-yard shot. They will use the biggest gun ever used in Top Shot competition -- a Barrett 82A1 .50. Teams dissolve and it is every marksmen for himself."
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IDAHO NAMES NEW FISH AND GAME DIRECTOR . . . The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has picked Virgil Moore as the new director of Idaho Fish and Game (IF&G), the agency that manages wildlife throughout the state. Moore has been serving as deputy director of field operations for IF&G and has served as director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. He replaces Cal Groen, who is retiring.
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NEW LAW ALLOWS DOVE HUNTING SEASON IN IOWA . . . Gov. Terry Branstad fulfilled a promise and signed into law Iowa SB 464 that allows Iowa to implement a mourning dove hunting season for the first time in nearly a century. Similar legislation had been passed by the state legislature in recent years, only to be vetoed by Branstad's predecessor.
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