NSSF Bullet Points | Online News Service

September 9, 2013

Vol. 14 No. 35

This Week:

Retailers/Ranges

Government Relations

Colorado Recall Elections in National Spotlight

COLORADO RECALL ELECTIONS ARE TUESDAY; CAST YOUR VOTE . . . National attention and money are being lavished on Tuesday’s recall elections of John Morse, the president of the Colorado Senate, and Angela Giron, who represents the city of Pueblo. Proponents of the recall have raised about $540,000, while opponents have collected nearly $3 million. Much of the cash has come from out-of-state New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has donated $350,000 of his own funds in support of the anti-gun politicians who now face the first recall elections in Colorado history. If you reside in the Colorado Springs district of John Morse or the Pueblo District of Angela Giron, your ballot could be crucial in recalling these anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment politicians, so please cast your vote at a location convenient to you.

Retailers & Ranges

NSSF'S PREMIUM RETAILER MEMBERSHIP OFF TO A GREAT START . . . NSSF’s Premium Retailer Membership has received a strong response from retailers across the country. The benefits of this membership are numerous, but at the heart of the program is an unlimited defense fund should the ATF undertake administrative action or judicial proceeding against a Premium Retailer Member of the NSSF. “The strong response to the program from our members has made it clear that the NSSF, the industry trade association, has exceeded the needs of the firearms retailer,” said Patrick Shay, director of retail development for NSSF. “Our retailers have come out full of praise for the program and its benefits.” For further information contact Bettyjane Swann, director of membership services, at bswann@nssf.org or Samantha Hughes member services coordinator, at shughes@nssf.org for registration or any questions.

Government Relations

ANTI-HUNTING BILL NOW GOES TO CALIFORNIA SENATE FLOOR . . . California Assembly Bill 711, the first proposed statewide ban on the use of traditional lead ammunition in hunting, vigorously opposed by NSSF and a coalition of hunting, sporting and labor organizations, now moves to the Senate floor. NSSF is closely monitoring legislative developments in Sacramento and continues to urge all hunters, target shooters and gun owners in California to contact their state senators to express opposition to AB 711. In addition, the California Assembly will be voting on several highly restrictive gun-control bills. These measures put the Golden State on a very slippery slope, noted a San Diego Union Times columnist. The following list of bills will be voted on by the Assembly in the near future. Please contact your Assembly member and ask them to oppose these bills:
- SB 53 (de Leon) Ammunition: purchase permits
- SB 374 (Steinberg) Firearms: assault weapons
- SB 396 (Hancock) Firearms: magazine capacity
- SB 567 (Jackson) Firearms: shotguns
- SB 755 (Wolk) Firearms: prohibited persons
LAST MASS. GUN-CONTROL HEARING IN BOSTON FRIDAY . . . Boston's Gardner Auditorium will be the venue for the final public hearing this Friday, Sept. 13, of the Massachusetts legislature's Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. The committee is looking at more than 60 bills to make firearms ownership more restrictive, although the state already has on the books some of the strictest measures in the nation. NSSF has launched a national campaign called FixNICS^SM to have states submit prohibiting records to NICS. Massachusetts ranks as one of the worst states in submitting records. NSSF urges all Bay State gun owners, hunters and target shooters to contact their state legislators to urge them to FixNICS and not infringe on their Second Amendment rights by passing new restrictive legislation.

Industry News

ATK TO ACQUIRE BUSHNELL . . . ATK announced last week it will acquire Bushnell, the global company known for its optics, outdoor accessories and performance eyewear. ATK reports it will pay $985 million in cash for Bushnell and anticipates completing the acquisition by third or fourth quarter of its 2014 fiscal year. Adding Bushnell allows ATK to expand its product offerings into key growth areas and will result in broad-based product offerings by ATK in commercial and security ammunition, sporting arms and accessories. Subject to regulatory approvals, ATK anticipates completing the transaction in the third or fourth quarter of its Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14). Bushnell’s projected sales for calendar 2013 are approximately $600 million. “The Bushnell acquisition is consistent with ATK’s focus on establishing leadership positions in our core markets,” said Mark DeYoung, ATK president and CEO.
SMITH & WESSON SALES UP 25.8 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER . . . Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:SWHC) reported Thursday that first quarter sales rose 25.8 percent compared to the same period last year. Said President & CEO James Debney, "Ongoing increases in our manufacturing capacity, combined with strong consumer demand for firearms, resulted in increased market share and higher sales of our most popular M&P products."
I.O. RELOCATES . . . I.O., Inc., a firearms manufacturer, has relocated to Palm Bay, Fla., because of a need for increased manufacturing space, an increased customer service department and additional space for a complete barrel-production line.

SHOT Show

SHOT SHOW STATE OF THE INDUSTRY DINNER ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCED . . . There have been some great performers over the years at the SHOT Show's annual State of the Industry Dinner, and we're excited to say that NSSF has locked up another great act for the 2014 event. Attendees fortunate enough to hold a ticket to the 2014 SHOT Show’s State of the Industry Dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 14, will be treated to an unforgettable performance by Penn & Teller. Tickets will be on sale soon. NSSF will alert its members via email as soon as they are. SHOT Show attendees will be able to purchase tickets when registering for the show.

Research

TARGET SHOOTER AND BOWHUNTER CONSUMER PURCHASE REPORTS AVAILABLE . . . NSSF's The Modern Target Shooter and The Modern Bowhunter reports have been updated and now contain three years' worth of consumer product purchase trend data. Each report features 2010, 2011 and 2012 data from the online consumer panels HunterSurvey and ShooterSurvey. The Bowhunting report covers purchases of more than a dozen products from broadheads to bows while the Target Shooter report provides data on everything from Shotguns to Safety equipment. These data-filled reports are available to NSSF members for $50 each and to non-members for $500 each. For additional information please visit the order page.

News of Note

CMP STILL VERY MUCH IN BUSINESS, MEDIA COVERAGE NOTWITHSTANDING . . . The leadership of the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has asked NSSF to help point out that it is still very much in business, despite some media reports to the contrary. Though the Obama administration has issued an executive order that 60-year-old semi-automatic rifles, the legendary M1 Garands and M1 Carbines of World War II fame, can no longer be re-imported into the U.S. for purchase by collectors and target shooters, unlike commercial entities CMP does not technically "re-import" its rifles, so its acquisition of these rifles is not affected. NSSF has asked ATF to provide details on the scope and breadth of the executive order, and NSSF will report on its findings. NSSF salutes the CMP for its incalculable contribution to the shooting sports and marksmanship over the many decades since its founding by an act of Congress in 1903.
TUNE UP FOR YOUR HUNT INDOORS AT NEW CENTER . . . Before taking that hunting trip of a lifetime, hunters can hone their skills by practicing with their own rifle and ammunition using dynamic hunting scenarios at the new Sportsman Shooting Center in Grapevine, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. America's first indoor hunting shooting center will have its grand opening Sept. 21. The center, which is operated by American Sportsman Shooting Center, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Aimpoint Holding, offers a 100-yard sighting tunnel, a live-fire cinema range and an interactive simulator, as well as an online reservation system at www.sportsmanshootingcenter.com. Read more.
WAYNE MASTERS, WILDLIFE RESEARCHER, DIES UNEXPECTEDLY . . . Wayne Masters, 68 of Tully, in central New York, passed away unexpectedly. Masters was well known for his research and articles on whitetail deer management. He had 30 years of experience as a wildlife technician for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and he was active as a sportsman/conservationist, having served as the president of the New York State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. You can read a tribute to Masters.
SHOOTERS WITH DISABILITIES BENEFIT FROM INSTRUCTION, THOUGHTFUL FIREAMS CHOICES . . . As more and more Americans enter the shooting sports, some of those new shooters will have disabilities. Writer Sal Foti recently talked about his own experience and offered some helpful advice when choosing a firearm for those have may have health or physical limitations.
A BLAST FROM THE PAST . . .The latest issue of SHOT Business covers today's airguns, which are high-tech, versatile and incredibly accurate. As great as the new product lineup is, don't forget that base model airguns are a terrific way to introduce target shooting to today's youth. As a blast from the past, take a look at some 35-year-old BB gun advertisements from Superman, Spiderman and even Disney comic books.

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

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