December 5, 2011

Vol. 12 No. 48

This Week:

Hunting Safety Data

SHOT Show

Industry News

Government Relations

Record Black Friday for Background Checks

MOST SINGLE-DAY CHECKS IN NICS HISTORY . . . Data derived from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) shows that Black Friday (Nov. 25) had the most background checks for firearm purchases in a single day (129,166), with a 32 percent increase over the previous NICS high from Nov. 28, 2008. Federal law requires FBI background checks on all individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers. In an interview with USA Today, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane attributed the record growth to a "burgeoning awakening of the American public that they do have a constitutional right to own guns."

    View full-size chart.

  • NOVEMBER NSSF-ADJUSTED NICS BACKGROUND CHECKS UP 16.5% . . . On the heels of Black Friday's record-breaking NICS transactions, the FBI released background check statistics for all of November 2011. NSSF-adjusted NICS figures show an increase of 16.5 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure for November 2010. This marks the eighteenth straight month that NSSF-adjusted NICS figures have increased when compared to the same period the previous year. Read more.

  • GUNBROKER.COM POSTS 25% CYBER MONDAY GAIN . . . GunBroker.com reported a 25.4 percent increase in 2011 Cyber Monday sales activity over 2010, signaling a strong final month for online sales of hunting and shooting sports equipment. Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is considered one of the busiest online shopping days of the year.

Hunting: One of the Safest Activities

    View full-size chart.

  • STATISTICS SHOW HUNTING SAFER THAN GOLF AND MOST OTHER SPORTS . . . Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: Hunting with firearms is safe; in fact, hunting with firearms is one of the safest recreational activities in America. With hunting season in full swing across the country, NSSF has compiled data that shows hunting ranks third in safety when compared to 28 other recreational pursuits, ranging from baseball to wrestling. Hunting with firearms has an injury rate of 0.05 percent, which equates to about 1 injury per 2,000 participants, a safety level bettered only by camping (.01 percent) and billiards (.02 percent). For comparison, golf has an injury rate of 0.16 percent (1 injury per 622 participants), while tackle football topped the list of activities with an injury rate of 5.27 percent (1 injury per 19 participants). Read NSSF's full news release and spread the word.

SHOT Show

  • SHOT SHOW JUST 6 WEEKS AWAY . . . Believe it or not, NSSF's 2012 SHOT Show is only six weeks away. The industry's annual main event returns to Las Vegas Jan. 17-20 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center. If you haven't already done so, get registered, make travel plans and sign up for all of the show's offerings at shotshow.org. Keep up with the latest show news by reading the SHOT Show Blog and the show's e-newsletter, the SHOT Show Blast.

  • BUDWEISER RETURNS AS PRESS ROOM SPONSOR . . . Budweiser returns as official sponsor of the press room at the 2012 SHOT Show. With more than 2,000 members of the press attending the show, the SHOT Show Press Room is host to the largest gathering of outdoor media in the world. Read NSSF's news release.

Industry News

  • COLT TO OPEN FLORIDA FACILITY . . . Colt's Manufacturing Co. announced it will open a new, 16,000 sq. ft. facility in Kissimmee, Fla., enabling the company to expand into new markets and business lines in parallel with the firm's existing 100,000 sq. ft. facility in Connecticut. Gov. Rick Scott said that 63 engineering and manufacturing jobs would be created by Colt over the next three years.

  • SMITH & WESSON REACHES DEAL IN PATENT INFRINGEMENT DISPUTE . . . Smith & Wesson and its Thompson/Center Arms business announced they will settle a patent infringement complaint with Traditions Sporting Goods Inc. and its parent company, Ardesa S.A. Under the terms of the agreement, Traditions and Ardesa have agreed to a multi-year license agreement, allowing them to use certain Thompson/Center Arms muzzleloader rifle technology. In exchange, Smith & Wesson has agreed to dismiss all infringement claims asserted in the complaints. Further details and financial terms of the settlement are not being made available.

Government Relations

  • NSSF AT REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CONFERENCE . . . NSSF last week attended the Republican Governors Association Annual Conference to address pressing issues that impact the firearms industry on the state level. NSSF met with numerous governors to discuss attacks on traditional ammunition, removing the prohibition on Sunday hunting in some states and other topics that warrant executive office assistance. Over the years, NSSF has developed a strong working relationship with the RGA and will look to continue to educate governors and their staffs on the firearms industry's legislative matters.

  • NSSF, MCGUIGAN RECOGNIZED AT NASC ANNUAL MEETING . . . Jake McGuigan, NSSF director of government relations/state affairs, attended the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses Annual Meeting last week in Pennsylvania to discuss legislative issues such as traditional ammunition bans, Sunday hunting prohibitions and microstamping with members of sportsmen's caucuses from around the country. This event provides a great opportunity to discuss issues affecting the firearms industry on the state level and is also a chance to foster strong bi-partisan relationships. At the event, McGuigan accepted awards presented to NSSF and himself for their continued support of NASC and for their contributions to legislative successes throughout the Northeast.

  • JUDGE APPROVES NEW JERSEY BEAR HUNT . . . A New Jersey appeals court ruled Thursday that a planned bear hunt can continue, rejecting a legal challenge by anti-hunting groups. In an opinion handed down in state Superior Court, Judge Philip S. Carchman allowed the hunt to continue because the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's bear management plan is based on sufficient scientific evidence, The Wall Street Journal reports.

News of Note

  • NSSF MEMBERS: LOOK FOR ELECTRONIC RENEWAL NOTICES . . . NSSF membership renewal notices will be sent via email in the coming weeks, so members should keep an eye on their inboxes.

  • WALL STREET JOURNAL: 'WOMEN PULLING THE TRIGGER' . . . "The vegan, the yoga instructor and the former Peace Corps member mingled with other women at a recent retreat in upstate New York, sharing advice: Keep both eyes open when firing a shotgun," begins an article in The Wall Street Journal last week. Read the article, titled "Women Pulling the Trigger."

  • NSSF SUPPORTS TREAD LIGHTLY! CAMPAIGNS . . . Non-profit Tread Lightly! has provided nearly 1,700 free interpretive panels to land-management agencies for placement on existing public land kiosks at trailheads and other recreational sites. NSSF, Yamaha and the U.S. Forest Service are among the program's sponsors. Each panel utilizes images and messaging from Tread Lightly!'s "Respected Access is Open Access" campaign as well as its new "RIDE ON Designated Routes" campaign. Some 10,000 smaller posters were also printed for placement on kiosks or inside information centers and ranger stations. Learn more.

NSSF History Snapshot

Throughout its 50th anniversary year, NSSF each week is spotlighting various moments from the Foundation's history.

  • YOUTH AFIELD . . . More than 600,000 apprentice hunting licenses have been purchased since 2004 when Families Afield was launched to encourage states to lower age barriers to youth hunting. Thirty-two states have passed such youth-friendly hunting legislation. The program is a partnership of NSSF, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and National Wild Turkey Federation. Learn more at nssf.org/50.

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NSSF's Mission

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

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


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COPYRIGHT © 2011 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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