NSSF Bullet Points | Online News Service

November 19, 2012

Vol. 13 No. 44

This Week:

Industry News

SHOT Show

Government Relations

Retailers/Ranges

NSSF Research

Senate Puts Off Sportsmen's Act Vote
Until After Thanksgiving

VOTE EXPECTED ON MONDAY, NOV. 26 . . . The U.S. Senate last week was unable to agree to waive certain procedural rules to allow a vote on the widely supported, bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2012 (S.3525). That vote is now expected on Nov. 26 after senators return from the Thanksgiving recess and following one more procedural vote. S.3525 is the most important package of measures for the benefit of sportsmen in a generation and is supported by some 46 pro-sporting organizations. NSSF remains optimistic that with continued support from hunters, target shooters, gun owners and sportsmen the bill will get a vote on Monday, Nov. 26, and pass the Senate by a large bipartisan margin. Be ready on Nov. 26 to call your U.S. senators to ask them to vote YES on the Sportsmen's Act of 2012, S.3525.

Industry News

BLACK FRIDAYS BIG FOR FIREARM SALES . . . If history holds true, firearm sales on the day after Thanksgiving--Black Friday--will surely hit record territory, based on federal background check activity. The single biggest day for background checks was Black Friday last year. Black Friday of 2008, which followed the election of Barack Obama to his first term as president, produced the most background checks ever at that time. See the NSSF Blog post.
SMITH & WESSON: STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED SECOND QUARTER SALES . . . Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: SWHC) today announced that preliminary second quarter sales were about $136 million, up 48 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Sales surpassed the company's previous guidance range of $130 million to $135 million. The company said the increase was driven by continued strength in orders across its product lines, including M&P branded products such as pistols, modern sporting rifles and the new Shield.
FREEDOM GROUP SALES UP 20% IN THIRD QUARTER . . . Freedom Group Inc. today announced that third-quarter sales were $237.9 million, up 20 percent from $198 million for the same period last year. Net income was $16.1 million, compared to $2.4 million in the third quarter of 2011. Based in Madison, N.C., Freedom Group's brands include Remington, Bushmaster, DPMS/Panther Arms, Marlin, H&R, NEF, Dakota Arms, LC Smith, Parker, AAC, Barnes Bullets, EOTAC, INTC and Mountain Khaki.
OUTDOOR CHANNEL TO MERGE WITH INTERMEDIA OUTDOORS . . . Outdoor Channel Holdings (NASDAQ:OUTD) on Friday announced it will merge with InterMedia Outdoors. InterMedia controls The Sportsman Channel and publishes 15 outdoor magazines and 20 websites, including Guns & Ammo, Petersen's Hunting and other popular titles. The merger will create InterMedia Outdoor Holdings Inc. ("IMOH Inc."). Read more about the merger.
GUNBROKER.COM HITS $2 BILLION IN SALES . . . GunBroker.com announced it reached $2 billion in cumulative merchandise sales on Nov. 10. The popular auction site has steadily grown by more 265,000 new users per year the last several years, cementing its position as the 636th largest U.S. website according to Quantcast, and the third largest "Shopping and Classifieds -- Auctions" site, behind eBay and eBay Motors, according to Hitwise's rankings.
FMG PUBLICATIONS PRESENTS CHECK TO NSSF FIRST SHOTS . . . During the 2012 39th Annual Meeting and Expo of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), Russ Thurman, publisher and editor of Shooting Industry Magazine, presented NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti with a check for $47,000 that was raised for NSSF's First Shots program during the 2012 Shooting Industry Masters held in July at the Rockcastle Shooting Center, Park Mammoth Resort, in Park City, Ky. Owned and operated by FMG Publications, the proceeds of the Shooting Industry Masters are specifically earmarked by FMG Publications to support NSSF's First Shots program. The 2013 Masters will be held at the Cody Shooting Complex in Cody, Wyo., July 19 to 21.

SHOT Show

RETAILERS HAVE QUESTIONS. SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY HAS ANSWERS . . . Offered each year on the day before the SHOT Show opens, SHOT Show University is a day of seminars specifically tailored to the needs of those in the firearm retail business. This year's lineup of classes will bring a new level to attendees for education and interaction. Keynote addresses coupled with strategic sessions will leave each firearms store owner/manager with unparalleled training and education to operate their businesses more effectively. The 2013 SHOT Show University, with a theme of "The Retailer's Playbook," is set for Monday, Jan. 14. If you haven't already done so, get registered today. Read about one retailer's take on the value of SHOT Show University and NSSF membership, as published in SHOT Business magazine.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT: FIRST OF A FOUR-PART SERIES . . . Social media has transformed the way companies market through trade shows. No one knows this better than renowned trade-show industry consultant and thought leader Traci Browne. The author of "The Social Trade Show" has graciously provided a series of blog posts that will be posted on the SHOT Show Blog-- and in the Exhibitor Resource Center at shotshow.org -- each week for the next four weeks in advance of the 2013 SHOT Show. Be sure to visit the SHOT Show Blog each week for a chance to win a free copy of Traci's book. This week's post: Five Reasons for Including Social Media in Your Show Marketing Mix.
SHOT SHOW MEDIA BLAST . . . Media who are registered for the SHOT Show should keep an eye open for the second issue of the new SHOT Show Media Blast newsletter scheduled to arrive in their inbox on Tuesday. The newsletter contains media-specific information related to both SHOT Show and SHOT Show Media Day at the Range. If you missed issue No. 1, read it here.

Government Relations

ELECTIONS OVER, MORE OF THE SAME IN WASHINGTON . . . As the dust settles on the 2012 election, it's clear that the status quo reigns in Washington, D.C. Read the NSSF PAC's Post-Election Report to learn more about the impact the elections will have on America's firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, your business and our firearms freedoms, and how you can get engaged.

Retailers/Ranges

HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF FROM NSSF; DEADLINE NEARS . . . NSSF has made $125,000 available in dedicated aid for business loss or damage resulting from Hurricane Sandy to qualifying member companies located in federally declared disaster areas, with emphasis on providing relief to store-front federally licensed firearm retailers and shooting ranges. "We want our member companies to know that their trade association stands with them in these challenging times, and that this assistance is another benefit of membership," said NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Chris Dolnack. Applicants for relief should contact Cathy Walker at NSSF at 203-426-1320. See the relief application form online. Deadline for submission is Friday, Nov. 30. Read the blog post.
JOIN NSSF FOR $35: BENEFITS, SERVICES AND DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBER RETAILERS . . . To celebrate 35 years of NSSF's SHOT Show, NSSF retail/range memberships for a limited time are as low as $35. Retailers can take advantage of this offer while registering for the show or by visiting nssf.org. In addition to all of NSSF's retailer-specific benefits -- including access to ATF compliance consulting, FFL Hotline, NSSF research and more -- NSSF offers a slew of research that benefits retailer members, such as Customized Market Reports (CMR)--tailor-designed market templates prepared specifically for a business' trade area to aid in building well-targeted marketing efforts that ultimately improve business. In addition to the popular CMRs, reports on buying trends and participation and the annual Firearms Retailer Survey Report are particularly helpful. See more offerings from NSSF Research at nssf.org/research.

NSSF Research

FIREARMS-RELATED INJURY STATISTICS REPORT AVAILABLE . . . Did you know that unintentional firearm-related fatalities are at historically low levels? The NSSF Firearms-Related Injury Statistics Industry Intelligence Report provides figures from sources such as the National Safety Council and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NSSF members that log in at nssf.org/members may access additional reports by clicking NSSF Industry Research and then Industry Intelligence Reports.

News of Note

THE WILD TURKEY--SYMBOL OF CONSERVATION SUCCESS . . . The supermarket turkey that will be the focus of Thanksgiving celebrations nationwide is only a distant relative of the wild turkey, a species that almost did not survive in its native land. Connecticut, for example, reportedly had no wild turkeys left as early as 1813. Read about how the species made an amazing comeback nationwide in NSSF's Symbols of WSFR's 75 Years of Success--a series about Wildlife and Sports Fish Restoration initiatives.
STORM-DAMAGED WILDLIFE REFUGES FACE FISCAL CUTS . . . The damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy on wildlife refuges from Maine to Virginia has focused attention on significant budget cuts to the Interior Department just as plans are being considered to protect refuges from the effects of climate change and rising sea levels, according to a Washington Post story.
USA SHOOTING'S GARY ANDERSON WINS IOC AWARD . . . Gary Anderson, president of USA Shooting and two-time Olympic gold medalist ('64 Tokyo, '68 Mexico City), was honored with the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Order last week. The award, the highest bestowed by the IOC, is presented to individuals for distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement. Read more about Anderson's success as a competitor and as an administrator.

Jobs

FIREARMS INDUSTRY JOBS . . . 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 website and see how we accomplish this mission.

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