NSSF Bullet Points | Online News Service

July 15, 2013

Vol. 14 No. 27

This Week:

Government Relations

Introducing the All-New 'Where To Shoot' for iOS and Android

FIND RANGES NEAR YOU . . . Looking for a place to shoot? There's a new-and-improved app for that. NSSF has released an all-new Where To Shoot mobile app -- available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices -- that locates shooting ranges near you. Available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play, Where To Shoot puts North America's most comprehensive directory of shooting ranges in the palm of your hand. It also includes video tips for shooters, news and firearm safety information. Users can search by current location or zip code and find specifics about each range, including shooting activities offered, accessibility and contact information. The app also makes it easy to get directions to the range. The app is modeled after NSSF's popular WhereToShoot.org website and is updated frequently with range information in every U.S. state and Canadian province. New tips for hunters and shooters are also added regularly. Download the app through the links below or by simply visiting www.wheretoshoot.org on your iOS or Android device.

• iPhone and iPad: www.wheretoshoot.org/iOS

• Android: www.wheretoshoot.org/Android

RANGES: HELP SHOOTERS LOCATE YOUR RANGE . . . NSSF's all-new Where To Shoot mobile app allows prospective shooters to find and get to your range. NSSF manages a database of more than 10,000 verified ranges located in every U.S. state and Canadian province, all of which have been added by the ranges themselves. Don't see your range listed? Add or update your business today at wheretoshoot.org/List_Range.

Government Relations

NSSF LAWSUIT OVER CONNECTICUT'S RUSH TO MORE GUN CONTROL GETS NATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION . . . In the week since NSSF filed its federal lawsuit challenging the emergency certification exemption used by the governor and leadership of the Connecticut General Assembly to hurriedly pass strict new gun-control laws, the news media have shown keen interest. Initially, it was straightforward news coverage, but it has been followed by commentary ranging from the Hartford Courant to the National Review, which published perhaps the most insightful commentary.
SENATE JUDICIARY PANEL APPROVES JONES AS ATF DIRECTOR . . . Late last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve the nomination of B. Todd Jones to be ATF Director. The vote was straight down party lines. It is unclear at this time when Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will move the nomination to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE OVERRIDES QUINN'S VETO; NOW 50th STATE TO ALLOW CONCEALED CARRY . . . The Illinois State House and Senate voted last week to override Gov. Pat Quinn's amendatory veto of a legislative compromise aimed at satisfying a federal court deadline for legalizing the concealed carry of firearms by citizens. Illinois was the last state without some form of legal concealed carry.
HOUSE PASSES PROTECTION FOR HUNTERS CROSSING ARMY CORPS LAND . . . The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed HR 2609, the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2104. Included in the bill was an NSSF-supported amendment favorable for hunters offered by Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) that enjoyed bipartisan support. Simply put, the amendment will allow hunters to traverse Army Corps of Engineers-controlled lands with their firearms on their way to their intended hunting locales. NSSF is pleased this sensible pro-hunting amendment passed with bipartisan support and thanks the House members for their action.
KAHR ARMS, NSSF TESTIFY AT MASS. GUN LAW HEARING . . . Kahr Arms General Counsel Jim Borer and NSSF Director Government Relations, State Affairs Jake McGuigan were among the lead-off testimony providers at a well-attended public hearing before the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security held last week in Worcester. Some 100 Kahr employees of the companies plant in that city were also in attendance. Interestingly, proponents of additional firearms restrictions in a state that already has some of the toughest laws in the nation agreed with McGuigan's call for the state to take action to send its adjudicated mental health records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Massachusetts currently lags the nation in submitting such records. The next hearing in the series is scheduled for July 26 in Topsfield.
CONN. POSTS FAQ ON IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW LAWS . . . The Connecticut State Police firearms regulations unit has posted a FAQ document to address some of the questions dealing with the implementation and interpretation of the extensive new laws. Retailers and all firearms owners should take some time to become familiar with the guidance provided in this document.
REGISTER NOW FOR 12TH ANNUAL FIREARMS IMPORT/EXPORT CONFERENCE . . . In a year of big changes to federal import and export regulations, you can't afford to be on the sidelines. Register today for the Firearms Import/Export conference, hosted by NSSF and the FAIR Trade Group on Aug. 6-7 at the Renaissance Washington, D.C., Downtown Hotel, 999 Ninth St, NW.

Research

NEWEST SURVEY TRACKER AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS . . . The NSSF Survey Tracker is a monitoring service using an online panel of active hunters and target shooters. Sourced by Southwick Associates' online panel at HunterSurvey.com, each report features: Market Snapshot--purchases made in the past two months; Market Leaders--the top brands purchased in different retail categories; and Question of the Month--insight into opinions and attitudes of today's recreational hunters and target shooters. This edition posts Market Leaders for Targets and Handgun Ammunition and the top 5 types of handgun shooting performed in March and April. NSSF members may view, in addition to this latest edition, historical survey trackers by logging on to www.nssf.org/members and clicking on "NSSF Industry Research" and then on "Survey Tracker."

Ranges & Retailers

JULY RANGE REPORT IS ONLINE . . . Three new timely and helpful feature articles, a Q&A with the OSHA Lady, an Undercover Shooter visit to Vegas and insights on getting more people to the range, plus news items from NSSF and across the nation--they are all in the new, July edition of The Range Report, available at the Range Report website. There, you also can subscribe for free to receive the digital newsletter every month.
SHOT UNIVERSITY COMING TO LOUISVILLE AUG. 12 . . . SHOT University, the popular daylong business-building series of sessions presented the day before the SHOT Show floor opens, is being presented off site for the first time when it rolls into Louisville, Ky., next month. There, leading experts in the retailing field will present cutting-edge strategies to help you as a retailer grow sales while protecting your business. It will begin with a reception on Sunday evening, Aug. 11, followed by a full-day schedule of classes running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12. The following day will feature a free Retailer Education Seminar focused on ATF compliance. Cost for the entire event will be $199 to NSSF members, $299 to others. Furthermore, if you register before July 20, you can receive a $50 "early-bird" discount. Get more information on this exciting program and register.

News of Note

NUMBER OF INDOOR SHOOTING RANGES ON THE RISE . . . Demand by new gun owners for more places to enjoy target shooting has resulted in a doubling of indoor shooting ranges since 2010 in greater Charlotte, N.C., including the opening of the city's first public indoor shooting facility, according to a Charlotte Observer story. The ranges are catering to more women customers and are offering concealed carry and safety classes, and even corporate team-building events. The story cites NSSF research from the NSSF Retailer Survey Report and the NSSF First Time Gun Buyers Report.
RECAP OF USA SHOOTING TEAM'S WORLD CUP PERFORMANCE . . . The 2013 Granada, Spain, World Cup featured some stellar performances by USA Shooting Team members. Participating in the first World Cup competition of the year were 1,028 athletes from 78 countries, and Team USA distinguished itself with two medals, eight finalists and 18 top-15 performances. Read USA Shooting's press release that recaps the highlights.
APPLICATIONS FOR KEESLER SCHOLARSHIP FOR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AVAILABLE . . . The Janice & Paul Keesler Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications for scholarship assistance to New York residents who have been accepted into an accredited institution of higher learning to gain a degree in a facet of wildlife management. The award was established in memory of the founders of New York Sportsman magazine. You can read the press release announcing this 21st series of awards and learn more about the program and download an application online.
COAST GUARD ACADEMY HIRES FIRST FULL-TIME SHOOTING COACH . . . Richard Hawkins, former coach of a three-time U.S. National Shooting Team Championship winning team, has been appointed by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., as the academy's first full-time shooting sports coach. In addition to coaching, Hawkins has written several articles published in Shooting Sports Magazine, and he has conducted multiple shooting sports-related research projects that have been published in peer-review scientific journals. See the academy's press release announcing this hire.
PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO RETIRE . . . Carl G. Roe, executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, has announced his plans to step down next year. He will have spent more than eight years heading the state's wildlife management agency. A press release published by the Game Commission enumerates many of the agency's accomplishments under Roe's leadership.

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.

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