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August 18, 2014

Vol. 15 No. 32

Hunting Works For America Adds Another Chapter

COLORADO IS NEWEST STATE . . . Hunting Works For America last week added a state chapter in Colorado. Hunting Works For Colorado joins Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin as the ninth state to be included in the award-winning Hunting Works For America program. The newly formed Colorado partnership already has more than 70 partner organizations. Hunting Works For America, through its state organizations, is an initiative that brings a broad range of stakeholders together in order to educate the public and elected officials about the importance of hunting. Shooting sports organizations, conservation groups, businesses and other non-traditional hunting entities such as chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, and other trade associations have come together to form Hunting Works For Colorado and share their interest in the economic impact of hunting. Becoming a member of HWFCO is free of charge. Visit www.HuntingWorksforCO.com.

    Government Relations

  • NSSF RESPONDING TO ATF PROPOSED RULE ON GUNS LOST IN SHIPPING . . . The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is requesting comments on a proposed rule change to require federally licensed firearms retailers (FFLs) to notify ATF and local law enforcement when guns they ship become lost in transit. This rule change was first proposed in 2000. NSSF opposed it then and opposes it now. ATF lacks statutory authority to impose this requirement since Congress only mandated reporting of lost or stolen guns when "in inventory" of the FFL. It makes little practical sense to impose this burden on the shipping FFL since the receiving FFL is in better position to know that a firearm ordered was not received. NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Larry Keane explained the industry's position to CNN Money. NSSF is responding to the proposed rule change on behalf of the industry and urges individual members to do the same. Instructions can be found at the end of the Federal Register posting of the new proposed rule. NSSF will continue to keep you informed.

  • NSSF CAUTIONS ON CALIF. DEPT OF FISH & WILDLIFE OUTREACH . . . NSSF is urging California retailers not to respond to California Department of Fish and Wildlife requests to discuss availability of non-lead alternative ammunition for hunting. NSSF is finalizing a study that includes analysis of alternative ammunition supplies, the impact of increased demand and economic impact of implementing AB 711, which bans the use of lead ammunition for hunting. The results will be presented at the Fish and Game Commission meeting on Sept. 17. NSSF has serious concerns about the apparent conflict of interest of Fish and Game Commission President Michael Sutton, delivering a formal letter asking that he remove himself from involvement in the drafting of regulations to implement AB 711, as well as any other issue related to lead ammunition because he is Executive Director of Audubon California and Vice President of Pacific Flyway.

  • SUPPRESSORS FOR HUNTING IN FLORIDA GET NSSF STRONG SUPPORT . . . As many other states have done, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is considering adopting regulations to allow the use of suppressors in hunting, a proposal strongly supported by the NSSF in a letter sent to the commission last week. NSSF has long supported efforts to promote the use of these hearing-saving devices. Read the NSSF Florida letter. You can learn more about the issue of suppressor use in NSSF Fast Facts, Benefits of Using Suppressors for Hunting and Shooting.

  • VISIT GUNVOTE FOR 2014 ELECTION INFORMATION . . . With November's local, state and federal elections fast approaching, NSSF would like to remind all its members and the shooting public about our GUNVOTE initiative. Simply go to nssf.org/gunvote for up-to-date news on political races important to our gun rights. You'll also find RSS feeds to Senate, House and Governor races, as well as links for voter registration, absentee voting information, polling places in your area and more. We also encourage all our members to download the free GUNVOTE button for use on websites, blogs and marketing materials. Don't Risk Your Rights—Get out the GUNVOTE.

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

Legal

  • FEDERAL JUDGE UPHOLDS MARYLAND GUN LAWS . . . A U.S. District Court judge has upheld Maryland's 2013 highly restrictive law outlawing modern sporting rifles and limiting magazine capacity to 10 rounds. NSSF was a plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking to overturn this state law. Judge Catherine Blake concluded in her 47-page ruling that the law serves the government's interest in protecting public safety without burdening the Second Amendment right of "law abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home." Read a news account of the decision. NSSF is currently reviewing the decision and considering its legal options, including possible appeal.

  • BRADY CENTER LOSES APPEAL IN SUIT AGAINST ARMSLIST.COM . . . The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently upheld the dismissal of a wrongful death lawsuit backed by the Brady Center against the owner of Armslist.com and arising from the fatal shooting of a Chicago woman by a stalker. The handgun used in the tragic incident was advertised on Armslist and later illegally sold to the stalker by a private party. The Seventh Circuit rejected the claim that Armslist was negligent in allowing the handgun used in the crime to be posted on its online firearms marketplace or enabling consumers to use this legal service. The gun-control movement is expanding its "gun show loophole" argument in an effort to force a shutdown of online firearms marketplaces.

Members

  • DID YOU KNOW? MEMBERS CAN POST JOBS AT NSSF.ORG . . . Matching talent to the job remains a challenge for both businesses and employees. For those employers looking to maximize their recruiting efforts, the job listings page at nssf.org represents a dedicated space to advertise current job openings for those in the firearms industry. This is the second-most visited page on the NSSF site, one where job providers and seekers have access to employment information tailored specifically to our industry, thereby eliminating the work and frustration of cutting through the clutter of other, mass-employment Internet sites. Best of all, NSSF member companies may list job openings on this page free of charge by going to nssf.org/jobs, clicking on the "post job openings" link, entering their member ID number and filling out the necessary information. For more information, e-mail membership@nssf.org.

  • COMPLIANCE VISIT BENEFIT FOR PREMIUM MEMBER RETAIL DEALERS . . . NSSF's retailer Compliance Program is growing in popularity, as FFLs recognize the benefits of working side by side with industry compliance experts to avoid costly mistakes in paperwork, inventory keeping, and internal controls. On-site, in-person visits are just $499 for most NSSF members, but Premium Members are offered a complimentary on-site compliance visit as part of their membership package and dues. For more information on how to become an NSSF Premium Member, e-mail membership@nssf.org or click here and follow the links under the Premium Membership heading to discover all the benefits of the membership level and to download our online application.

Research

  • FIREARM RETAILER FINANCIAL BENCHMARKING REPORT . . . NSSF's 2014 Shooting Sports Industry Financial Benchmarking Report provides firearms retailers the opportunity to compare their business performance with companies similar to their own. Key performance measures include return on asset, asset turnover, cash cycle and inventory turnover and income statement and balance sheet breakouts, as well as 2011-2013 trend data. Click here to view a sample of the contents.

  • USITC FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION DATA FOR JUNE 2014 . . . NSSF tracks and reports monthly U.S. import and export units for several sporting arms, ammunition and optics categories from the U.S. International Trade Commission. See a complete breakdown of each category's June import and export data. NSSF members can access additional historical import and export data by logging in and clicking NSSF Industry Research.

Rimfire Challenge

  • WINCHESTER ADDS TO LIST OF RIMFIRE CHALLENGE AMMO ROUNDUP PROGRAM SUPPORTERS . . . In conjunction with the recent news of its Silver Sponsorship of the NSSF Rimfire Challenge, Winchester Ammunition has also announced its generous allocation of 600,000 rounds of ammunition specifically earmarked for the Ammo Roundup Program, an integral component of the nationwide Rimfire Challenge program. The Ammo Roundup Program serves as a fulfillment center for match directors purchasing ammunition for their events, thereby ensuring competitors have a reliable source of ammunition. Read more.

  • REGISTER NOW FOR RIMFIRE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP . . . Registration is now open for those wishing to compete in the Rimfire Challenge World Championship. Held at Old Fort Gun Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Oct. 3-5, the World Championships are an exciting and family friendly competition intended for all ages and skill levels. Originally developed by Ruger and formerly known as the Ruger Rimfire Challenge, the nationwide local matches and the World Championship focus on competition with .22-caliber rifles and pistols. The program was designed to introduce new shooters to the shooting sports and their first competitions in a fun and welcoming way and has met with exceptional success in recent years, with shooters traveling from out of state to attend many matches. The World Championship promises to capitalize on the Challenge's explosive popularity, but entries are limited. Click here to register now. For more information on the NSSF Rimfire Challenge and the World Championship, click here.

Ranges

  • HOUSTON RANGE GETS NSSF FIVE STAR RANGE RATING . . . Congratulations are in order for Athena Gun Club, the most recent recipient of NSSF's prestigious Five Star range rating. Located in the heart of Houston, Texas, this well-appointed range sets itself as a model for other shooting ranges, with a highly experienced staff with military and law enforcement expertise, a variety of classes that offer learning opportunities from beginner to advanced and specialty training, a vast array of rental handguns and long guns, onsite gun maintenance and 'smithing, event hosting, several membership levels that offer something for everyone's budget, and weekly specials such as its all-day Women's Appreciation Day held every Wednesday. For more information on the criteria for NSSF's Five Star range rating or to nominate your range, click here.

Retailers

  • ATF Q&A - MORE ANSWERS TO COMMON COMPLIANCE QUESTIONS . . . The compliance questions keep coming into our NSSF hotline. Here are two of the many we've received this week. The first question deals with imported firearms and how to properly record them in your A&D book. The second relates to properly completing the 4473 form during a pawn redemption. Get the answers to these and more questions.

Project Childsafe

  • NWTF PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR NSSF'S PROJECT CHILDSAFE . . . The National Wild Turkey Federation, in a press release last week, announced it has joined with NSSF's Project ChildSafe to promote firearm safety and the program's "Own It? Respect It. Secure It." campaign. NWTF called the partnership a "natural fit as firearm safety is of the utmost importance to NWTF and its Hunting Heritage Programs." Said Mandy Harling, NWTF Hunting Heritage Programs manager, "Project ChildSafe and the ORS initiative messaging will be integrated into our programs . . . to further reinforce the importance of firearm safety."

News of Note

  • Mike Owens Bruce Pettet
    OWENS, PETTET NAMED TO NSSF BOARD OF GOVERNORS . . . Mike Owens, President and Chief Operating Officer of Gander Mountain, and Bruce Pettet, President and CEO of Leupold & Stevens, have been elected to the NSSF Board of Governors and will each serve three-year terms expiring in 2017. Owens joined Gander Mountain in 2009 as executive vice president and chief operating officer and was named the company's president and chief operating officer in 2013. Pettet became chief executive at Leupold & Stevens in March of this year after serving as president and CEO of Collective International, owner of Airwalk and other footwear brands. Read press release.

  • SSG HORNER WINS CRIMSON TRACE M3GI FOR THIRD TIME . . . Staff Sergeant Daniel Horner, a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, took home the $10,000 first place prize for winning last week's third annual Crimson Trace Midnight 3-Gun Invitational while using Crimson Trace laser sighting equipment on all his firearms. Supported by NSSF and many other industry companies, this unique, highly regarded nighttime competition attracted more than 150 competitors and lots of media (see item below) to the Central Oregon Shooting Sports Association Range outside of Bend. More than $250,000 in firearms, optics and other shooting equipment was included in the event prize package. Full results will be posted at crimsontrace.com.

    Katie Pavlich, Townhall.com
  • MEDIA INTRODUCED TO 3-GUN AT M3GI . . . About 50 outdoor and mainstream media representatives got a taste of 3-Gun competition during the "media school" session at the Crimson Trace Midnight 3-Gun Invitational. Journalists arrived last week prior to the main competition so they could learn and report about 3-Gun—one of the fastest growing shooting sports in America. Media members received instruction from Jerry and Kay Miculek and Lena Miculek-Afentul, and that evening, in timed competition, used their laser sight-equipped pistols, rifles and shotguns on targets ranging from three-inch clay discs to three-foot tall metal silhouettes. Among those attending were Townhall.com's Katie Pavlich and Breitbart's AWR Hawkins. The media school was sponsored by Crimson Trace, Mossberg and Smith & Wesson.

  • http://nssf.org/share/images/Capitol_150.jpgSIGN UP FOR IHEA-USA'S NEWSLETTER FOR 'INSIDER' NEWS . . . The International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)-USA is producing a new quarterly newsletter designed to provide the outdoor industry with "insider" news about the hunter education program. It will also put a spotlight on industry partners that support hunter education and provide insight into opportunities for IHEA and the outdoor hunting and shooting sports industry to work together to help the hunter education program meet contemporary and future needs. Everyone in the industry is invited to sign up for the free newsletter. Read the latest edition here. The free subscription is available by going to "preferences" at the bottom of the newsletter. Hunter education is a vital and well-established gateway to participating in hunting and shooting. All industry members are encouraged to consider how you can support IHEA-USA.

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 © 2014 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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