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December 23, 2013

Vol. 14 No. 50

From all of us at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a very prosperous New Year. Due to the holidays, Bullet Points will not be published next week. It will return to your inboxes on Monday, Jan. 6.

Americans Don't Think 'Universal Background Checks' Extension for Gun Shows Are Needed, Poll Finds

SEN. MANCHIN SAYS PASSING BILL WILL BE 'DIFFICULT' . . . Support for so-called "universal background checks" at gun shows is not what gun control proponents would like the general public to believe, according to the results of a national scientific poll of more than 1,200 Americans conducted in November by McKeon & Associates and released today by NSSF. After being informed that the vast majority of firearms sales at these shows are transacted by licensed retailers that already conduct such checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as required by federal law, only 40 percent of respondents said that extension of "universal background checks" to private transactions at gun shows are necessary. The poll results stand in contrast to the vague claim often reported in the media and attributed to gun control proponents without important contextual detail that 90 percent of Americans surveyed support "universal background checks." The Americans polled also said by a combined 74 percent margin that conducting background checks against an incomplete database was not effective at all or not very effective while 54 percent said that requiring background checks for transferring guns between friends and family members was not at effective at all or not very effective in reducing violent crime. The poll also discovered that 92 percent of Americans agree that the states should submit all records of persons federally prohibited from owning a firearm to NICS. On Sunday, POLITICO reported U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) as saying that rounding up the votes on Capitol Hill to pass a bill mandating universal background checks for gun purchases in 2014 is going to be "difficult."

SHOT Show

  • 2014 SHOT SHOW MOBILE APP NOW AVAILABLE . . . The 2014 SHOT Show Mobile app presented by ArmaLite is now available for download in the Apple App Store, Google Play and at shotmobile.com. The 2014 app places everything SHOT Show at your fingertips: educational sessions, events and appearances, discounts and rebates, product showcase and floorplans. Its advanced features will provide you with a truly personalized experience: create shortlists in the Show Planner, plan your agenda, request appointments and callbacks, take notes, create a SmartRoute and more.

  • SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY: EDUCATION FOR EVERY RETAILER . . . This year's SHOT Show University has classes for both firearms retailers and range operators. With tracks covering ATF compliance, marketing, range operations and retail operations, there is education for all segments of the shooting industry. Seating is extremely limited and only a few seats remain, so if you are interested, register today. Learn more here.

  • NOT TOO LATE TO BOOK AT VENETIAN/PALAZZO . . . For those who have not yet booked their hotel rooms for the SHOT Show, it's not too late to book a room at the show's headquarters hotels -- the Venetian and Palazzo -- at a significantly discounted rate. View availabilities here.

  • LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY . . . As we count down to a new year, the countdown to NSSF's 2014 SHOT Show is also well under way. In less than a month, the industry's annual main event returns to Las Vegas Jan. 14-17 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 following the show on Facebook and Twitter.

Government Relations

  • NSSF, RETAILER FILE SUIT AGAINST PLEASANT HILL, CALIF., GUN-CONTROL ORDINANCE . . . NSSF and City Arms East LLC today filed a lawsuit against the City of Pleasant Hill, Calif., and the Pleasant Hill City Council. NSSF and the local retailer are challenging the city's newly enacted gun-control ordinance on the grounds that it violates and is preempted by state zoning, firearms and labor laws. In addition, the ordinance authorizes unconstitutional warrantless searches and requires liability insurance for uninsurable willful or criminal conduct, as well as violates federal law governing the firearms industry. Read NSSF's press release.

  • CALIF. FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER ALSO FLYS AS AUDUBON DIRECTOR . . . The California Legislature this year passed Assembly Bill 711, the controversial measure to ban the use of traditional lead ammunition for hunting statewide, purportedly to save the California Condor population. Since Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law on Oct. 11, a potential conflict of interest has come to light. It turns out that Mike Sutton, the commissioner of the California Fish and Game Commission, will be implementing the legislation. But he is also the paid director of Audubon California, which lobbied for the legislation. NSSF is seeking an investigation and legal determination as to whether Sutton violated or is in current violation of any state law or policies.

  • BIDEN GETS IT RIGHT WITH COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH . . . Vice President Joe Biden was front and center for the Obama administration's efforts to toughen federal restrictions on firearms. NSSF opposed those efforts. So, even if belated, we were pleased to see the vice president announce that the administration would now turn to working to improve the nation's fractured mental health system. NSSF has long held that policymakers need to address the common denominator of such recent tragedies as we witnessed in Aurora, Newtown and at the Washington Navy Yard. In a blog post, NSSF's Larry Keane makes the connection between mental health and our FixNICS initiative to help ensure people that could be a danger to themselves or others cannot access firearms. Read Biden Gets It Right (Finally).

  • TRIAL DATE SET FOR NSSF SUIT AGAINST COLO. GUN LAWS . . . A March 31 trial date has been set to hear arguments in a federal lawsuit in which NSSF and other plaintiffs are challenging Gov. Hickenlooper's strict gun-control measures (HB 1224 and HB 1229) that were passed and signed into law earlier this year. In a public effort to set a new tone for the upcoming election year in his state, Hickenlooper held a press conference last week saying he seeks more bi-partisanship. Democrat Hickenlooper is running for re-election next November. With the successful recall this summer of the State Senate president and leading gun-control proponent in the senate, opposition from most of the county sheriffs to enforcing the new laws, and the prospect of news coverage of a major court case challenging his gun-control agenda, we can understand why he may feel a bit nervous.

  • MICHIGAN ESTABLISHES FUND TO PROMOTE BENEFITS OF HUNTING . . . The Michigan State Legislature has created a fund to sell the public on the benefits of hunting. The Michigan Wildlife Management Public Education Fund will be paid for with a portion of higher hunting and fishing fees taking effect in 2014, receiving about $1.6 million a year from an already approved $1 surcharge on new hunting and fishing licenses.

News of Note

  • MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV DIES AT 94 . . . Russian firearms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov died today. He was 94. One of the most influential firearms designers of the past century, Kalashnikov is credited with more than 150 firearm designs, the most famous of which include the AK-47, AKM and AK-74 rifles.

  • GUNS.COM INTERVIEW WITH NSSF's DOLNACK . . . NSSF recently reaching its 10,000-member milestone provided the perfect opportunity for Guns.com's S.H. Blannelberry to reach out to NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Chris Dolnack for a fast Q&A on the work of the trade association, the state of the industry and, of course, the upcoming SHOT Show. Read the Q&A.

  • COLLEGE RANGES ON THE RISE . . . Colleges across the U.S. are starting shooting sports programs and building ranges. Young people from diverse backgrounds are gathering in clubs, varsity teams and informal shooting communities. NSSF's Range Report talked to leaders from colleges in various stages of building and operating new shooting ranges. From these discussions emerged common ideas, innovative approaches and hard-won insights that can save time, worry and money for others. Read more.

ATF

  • PROCESSING TIME INCREASE FOR ATF FORM 6 . . . ATF is telling NSSF that the volume of permit applications, combined with staffing shortages, has resulted in increased processing times for ATF import applications. Actual processing time for Form 6 Part I (ATF Form 5330.3A) is currently 12 weeks. ATF advises that requests for expedited processing will not be entertained except for permits associated with federal, state and local government agencies and evidenced by a government contract or purchase order, with an immediate need for imported products. Licensed importers should monitor approved permits for expiration dates and submit new applications well in advance of the 12-week timeframe. Applications to import new products should also be submitted with this timeframe in mind. New examiners are being trained to begin work after the first of the year. However, the existing backlog and a growing volume of imports of defense articles into the U.S. may result in continued delays in processing import permits. Importers should consider submitting ATF Form 6 via ATF's e-forms process. Submitting forms in hard copy typically takes four weeks longer than e-forms. Importers should also expect delays in ATF's issuance of International Import Certificates, ATF Form 4522. ATF is processing the certificates for articles on ATF's United States Munitions Import List. The Department of State and Department of Commerce recently took the position to discontinue processing IICs. ATF will continue to process IICs for permanent import of commodities falling under their jurisdiction. Processing time for International Import Certificates is currently 12 weeks and in support of an approved ATF Form 6.

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.


COPYRIGHT © 2013 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to email lists, Websites 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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