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August 4, 2014

Vol. 15 No. 30

Firearms Retailers Now Off 'Operation Choke Point' Watch List

http://nssf.org/share/images/Capitol_150.jpgIn a move prompted by NSSF's work and with assistance from the NRA in getting the issue addressed by key members of Congress, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) last week reported that firearms retailers are no longer on a watch list of businesses deemed at higher risk for fraud. The FDIC's list was compiled as part of the Department of Justice's "Operation Choke Point" and has now been withdrawn. Read More.

SHOT Show

  • http://nssf.org/share/images/Capitol_150.jpgNEW REDUCED SHOT SHOW FEES FOR NSSF BUYER MEMBERS . . . With ongoing pressure for increased gun regulation and restrictions, NSSF's government advocacy initiatives need more backing than ever. Your NSSF Member SHOT Show registration fees have a direct impact on our ability to continue our focused initiatives on Capitol Hill. To support all our current members in attending SHOT Show and encourage those who are not yet members to join and attend, NSSF is pleased to announce that in addition to each NSSF Member receiving one complimentary SHOT Show registration, qualified NSSF Member buyers can now register for 50 percent off the non-member rate. Click here for more information.

  • SHOT SHOW INDUSTRY DAY AT THE RANGE EXPANDS . . . Thanks to an expansion at the Boulder Pistol and Rifle Range, CMG Marketing & Events and Triple Curl PR & Advertising, working in conjunction with NSSF, have announced that several additional pistol and rifle shooting lanes, including some for full-auto use, are now available for exhibitors. Space also remains for shotgun, airgun, demo track, archery and non-shooting exhibitors. Held January 19, 2015, the day before the SHOT Show opens, the sell-out, invitation-only Industry Day at the Range provides professional media members of the outdoor press an opportunity to handle and test fire new products being introduced at the show. Exhibitors interested in registering for any of these newly available ranges should visit www.SHOTShowRangeDay.com.

Research

  • EXCISE TAX OBLIGATIONS UP 0.9% IN FIRST QUARTER . . . The latest Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Collection report released by the Department of the Treasury indicates that firearm and ammunition manufacturers reported tax liabilities of $201.0 million in the 1st calendar quarter of 2013, up 0.9 percent over the same time period reported in 2013. Additionally, using the latest tax liabilities reported as an indication of sales, a projection of $1.88 billion was generated for the 1st calendar quarter of 2014. Read more.

Rimfire Challenge

  • ARKANSAS' OLD FORT GUN CLUB TO HOST RIMFIRE CHALLENGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . Veteran shooting match facility Old Fort Gun Club, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, has partnered with NSSF as the hosting range for the 2014 NSSF Rimfire Challenge World Championship, to be held October 3-5, 2014. "Old Fort Gun Club's experience running organized competition makes them a perfect fit for hosting the biggest Rimfire Challenge event of 2014," said Zach Snow, Shooting Promotions Manager with NSSF. "In fact, Old Fort's recent registered Rimfire Challenge event was a huge success for them, with competitors attending from 10 states. The World Championships will only be that much better, and we couldn't be more excited about this partnership with the well-respected gun club." Read more.

  • TANDEMKROSS SIGNS ON AS BRONZE SPONSOR OF NSSF'S RIMFIRE CHALLENGE . . . NSSF is pleased to announce that New Hampshire-based firearm parts manufacturer and supplier Tandemkross has come on board as a bronze sponsor of the Rimfire Challenge. Tandemkross offers a wide variety of U.S. made parts, sights, optics, accessories and cleaning supplies for dozens of popular handguns, rifles and shotguns, many of which it manufactures in-house. Click here for full release.

Government Relations

  • MASS. GUN LAW WITH FIXNICS HEADS TO GOVERNOR'S DESK . . . After weeks of debate in both chambers, the Massachusetts General Assembly last week approved a package of firearms legislation, including NSSF-supported provisions to mandate reporting of all appropriate records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The action came as the official legislative session came to a close. H.437 now heads to Gov. Deval Patrick's desk for signature. NSSF testified in favor of the FixNICS provisions and worked closely with legislative leadership throughout the session. Massachusetts was a priority state in NSSF's FixNICS initiative. Many onerous sections of the bill affecting the industry were not included in the final version that achieved passage. Read a news account.

For more Government Relations news, read NSSF's latest Government Relations Update.

Retailers

  • ATF Q&A - MORE ANSWERS TO COMMON COMPLIANCE QUESTIONS . . . The questions keep rolling in on our members-only compliance hotline. Here are a couple of the great inquiries we received last week. The first question pertains to a person passing the NICS check after indicating they were a prohibited person, while the second question relates to customer who can't complete the 4473 form due to disability. Do you and your staff know the right answers? Click here to find out.

  • TIMELY RECORDING OF FIREARMS ACQUISITIONS . . . Timely recording of firearms acquisitions within the legally mandated time frames is required of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). No one wants an inspection to result in a violation due to an inadequate understanding of a requirement. Read more.

  • NEW ENGLISH OVERLAY FOR SPANISH FORM 4473 . . . Firearms retailers seeking for ways to better and more efficiently accommodate Spanish-speaking clientele have a new tool available to them. An English-language overlay to the Spanish Form 4473 is now available to NSSF Member retailers. Created by NSSF, this laminated overlay indicates to retailers and their employees which items on the 4473 need to be completed by the customer and what the correct customer responses should be. These overlays help to eliminate most errors found when completing the Form 4473, especially when translation to and from English and Spanish is a consideration. The NSSF provides this overlay free to its members. Members need only log into the members-only side of www.nssf.org/4473 and add the overlay to their shopping cart.

 

Legal

  • JUDGE TEMPORARILY STAYS ORDER STRIKING DOWN D.C. GUN CARRY BAN . . . Two days after striking down the District of Columbia's long-standing total ban on carrying handguns in public, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at the request of the city last week agreed to temporarily halt immediate implementation of its ruling. According to the court's order, the District has 90 days in which to write new law that is consistent with the ruling. The court will decide in late August whether to grant the District's request to extend the stay even longer pending possible appeal of the decision.

  • N.M. APPELLATE COURT DISMISSES SUIT AGAINST SAVAGE ARMS . . . A New Mexico state appellate court has dismissed a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit against Savage Arms on the grounds it is barred by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). The suit was filed by the estate of a female college student fatally shot by her neighbor during a home invasion. The rifle used in the tragic shooting was made, distributed and packaged by Savage Arms with a gun lock. During the commission of the crime, the neighbor found the rifle in the student's apartment and pried open the lock. On appeal, the decedent's estate attempted to fight off a PLCAA dismissal by claiming the shooting resulted from Savage's actions in providing the gun lock, not the criminal acts of the neighbor. The court rejected the argument finding that while the complaint focused on the lock, the crime and resulting harm to the decedent was caused by the criminal misuse of the rifle. Further, the court found the lock did not constitute a "qualified product" under the PLCAA. The law firm of Pisciotti, Malsch & Buckley represented Savage Arms. Read the Court dismissal Order.

Members

  • DID YOU KNOW? BENEFITS COME WITH NSSF MEDIA MEMBERSHIP . . . Professional writers, photographers, broadcasters and videographers are an important component of the shooting industry. But did you know that, as a professional media member of the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry, your Media Membership with NSSF comes with significant benefits? Most media who attend SHOT Show, for instance, know that NSSF offers its Media Members easy and complimentary access to the SHOT Show press room and business center. But did you know that Media Members also have access to a property casualty insurance program, receive discounts on NSSF research compendiums and other literature, and have a special members-only shopping cart available to them online? They even get a discount at an office supplier. Join now, media professionals, your benefits are waiting.

Industry News

  • RUGER REPORTS SECOND QUARTER RESULTS . . . Sturm, Ruger & Co. (NYSE:RGR) reported second-quarter sales of $153.7 million, compared to $179.5 million for the same period last year. Ruger noted that the estimated sell-through of its products from independent distributors to retailers for the six months ended June 28 was the second highest in the company's history, exceeding the estimated sell-through from the first half of 2012 by 10 percent. New products represented $57.1 million or 18 percent of firearm sales in the first half of 2014.

  • ATK SPORTING GROUP SALES UP 57 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER . . . ATK (NYSE:ATK) reported that first-quarter sales in its Sporting Group -- which includes ammunition for law enforcement, military and sporting applications as well as firearms, optics, reloading gear and sport-shooting and tactical accessories -- were up 57 percent to $564 million compared to $358 million in the same period last year.

News of Note

  • YOUNG MOTHER'S ARREST HELPS ILLUSTRATE GROWING GUN OWNER DIVERSITY . . . After her Philadelphia home was robbed twice within one year, Shaneen Allen, a young mother of two, decided it was in her family's best interest that she buy a gun for protection. She did not, however, take the necessary notice of the disparity in laws between her home state and neighboring New Jersey, where she was arrested for having the firearm she owned legally in Pennsylvania. The number of women purchasing guns has been on the rise. More often than not, they are citing self-defense as their motivation. Read NSSF's Larry Keane's blog post on the growing diversity of the gun-owning public.

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  • HOW TO CREATE AN FCPA COMPLIANCE PROGRAM . . . Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) carry the prospect of significant prison sentences. Standards have been set for preventing and protecting non-compliant behavior. Can you answer a series of questions about what your organization does to limit the risk of non-compliance? Read the latest advisory for tips on answering those important questions. Orchid Advisors is an endorsed compliance information provider for NSSF members.

  • HUNTERS STAY UP TO DATE WITH IHEA-USA . . . With early bird and some big-game seasons just weeks away, hunters across the country are scrambling to get licenses and gear in order in preparation for those precious opening days. As dates, hunting zones and bag and tag limits change from year to year, part of that preparation should always involve a review of the newest regulations where you're planning to hunt. You can stay abreast of many of these changes by subscribing to the quarterly newsletter from the International Hunter Education Association-USA. You'll also receive important weekly updates by subscribing, so you stay in the know, legal and safe. To subscribe to the IHEA-USA newsletter, click here.

  • USFWS RELEASES NEW REPORT ON TARGET SHOOTING BY HUNTERS . . . The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program released an addendum to the 2011 National Survey of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Associated Recreation entitled "Target Shooting by Hunters and Their Use of Shooting Ranges: 1975, 1991, and 2011." Target practice is a common activity for shooters preparing for hunting season. View the report and findings. This research was funded by the Wildlife Restoration Program, which is supported by excise taxes paid by industry manufacturers on firearms, ammunitions and hunting equipment.

  • JAMES BRADY DIES AT 73 . . . We were saddened today to hear of the death of James Brady who, as press secretary to President Ronald Reagan, was severely wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on the President. Mr. Brady went on to become a prominent gun-control advocate. While we did not agree with him on most issues, the firearms industry does support the retail, point-of-purchase National Instant Criminal Background Check system that was put into effect in 1994 following the passage of the Brady Bill. We extend our sincere condolences to the Brady family.

  • AUDIE MURPHY REVOLVER ON DISPLAY AT CODY FIREARMS MUSEUM . . . The Buffalo Bill Center of the West has announced that Audie Murphy's .45 caliber Colt Model 1905 Bisley Flattop target revolver -- a gift from western film legend Gary Cooper -- is now on display in its Cody Firearms Museum. Dr. Jim and Marilyn Phillips of Bakersfield, California, have generously loaned the firearm to the Center for a period of one year. Read more.

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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