Log In | Become a Member

December 8, 2014

Vol. 15 No. 48

NSSF's Hunting Works for America Adds 10th State

OREGON IS NEWEST STATE CHAPTER . . . The National Shooting Sports Foundation is proud to announce that the Hunting Works For America footprint has grown yet again with a new chapter in Oregon. Hunting Works For Oregon joins Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Utah, Colorado and Wisconsin as the 10th state to be included in the award-winning Hunting Works For America program. Through its state chapters, Hunting Works For America 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 Oregon and share their interest in the economic impact of hunting. Read more from NSSF's Chris Dolnack on the NSSF Blog.

SHOT Show

  • JUST A FEW WEEKS LEFT FOR EARLY-BIRD SHOT SHOW REGISTRATION FEE . . . The 2015 SHOT Show is just six weeks away, and that means there are just a few more weeks left for everyone planning to attend to take advantage of the early-bird pricing NSSF introduced this year. By applying to attend SHOT Show now, NSSF Member Buyers and Manufacturer Reps pay $35 and other qualifying non-buyer attendees pay $175. All attendees must complete their application to attend before Jan. 13, 2015, to receive this special pricing. After that date, registration fees will move to $70 for NSSF Member Buyers and Manufacturer Reps, while all other qualified attendees will incur a registration fee of $350. Anyone interested in becoming an NSSF member must have their application to member services by Jan. 15 for NSSF member pricing to apply towards SHOT Show registration fees. To ensure you receive your early-bird discount, go to shotshow.org/apply and complete your application.
  • SHOT SHOW MOBILE APP NOW AVAILABLE . . . The 2015 SHOT Show mobile app is now available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. It is also available as a web-based app for Blackberry and Windows devices. Learn more about the app and download it on your device at shotmobile.com.
  • SHERIFF CLARKE WILL ATTEND 2015 SHOT SHOW . . . Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. will be attending the 2015 SHOT Show in Las Vegas this January. Sheriff Clarke has received national media attention as a strong proponent of the Constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and their families. He has no patience for criminal activity and is never afraid to take on the anti-gun narrative. Watch a video of Sheriff Clarke.
  • ADDITIONAL SPEAKER ADDED TO 2015 SHOT SHOW DIVERSITY PANEL . . . NSSF is pleased to announce that Marily Haley, manager of highly popular Shoot Smart ranges in Texas, has joined the list of speakers educating today's retailers on the issues of diversity during the 2015 SHOT Show special Diversity Panel. Haley brings a wealth of front-line, bottom-to-top retail experience to the panel's discussion. Read the full blog post.
  • IMPORTANT DECEMBER DEADLINES . . . December is a hectic month for nearly everyone in the firearms industry. Retailers are dealing with fast-paced seasonal sales, distributors are working to fill last-minute orders and meet yearly quotas, and all of us are making plans for the month-end holiday visits with family and friends. On top of all of this, SHOT Show preparations are in full swing, so be sure to stay ahead of December deadlines.

Read the SHOT Show Blog for all of the latest SHOT Show news.

Government Relations

  • CALIF. FISH & GAME COMMISSION BEGINS PROCESS TO BAN TRADITIONAL AMMO . . . As expected, the California Fish and Game Commission last week began the formal process, likely to be completed in April, to approve regulations to implement AB711, the state law banning the use of traditional lead component ammunition in hunting. Commission President Michael Sutton, whose paid employment by the Audubon Society and Pacific Flyway project had been repeatedly challenged by NSSF for its clear conflict of interest under state law, finally decided to recuse himself for the vote. Once formally adopted, the initial regulation phase-in will begin in July 2015. The vote came the same week that NSSF was able to confirm that a federal official acted to withhold the results of a key study on blood lead levels in California Condors until after the state legislature voted to approve AB711. The report shows the current ban on traditional ammunition did not result in lower blood lead levels in condors. NSSF opposed AB711 and since its enactment has been seeking more time before implementation to allow the industry to develop more alternatives and increase supply of non-traditional ammunition. We will continue to keep you informed of developments.
  • HOUSE COMMITTEE RELEASES 'OPERATION CHOKE POINT' REPORT . . . The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform this afternoon released its eagerly awaited report on "Operation Choke Point," concluding "…legal and legitimate businesses are being choked off from the financial system." The report finds, "Confidential briefing documents produced to the Committee reveal that senior DOJ officials informed the Attorney General himself that, as a consequence of Operation Choke Point, banks are 'exiting' lines of business deemed 'high-risk' by federal regulators" and, further, "The experience of firearms and ammunitions dealers — one of the most heavily regulated businesses in the United States — is a testament to the destructive and unacceptable impact of Operation Choke Point." NSSF worked closely with members of the committee and staff to encourage a thorough investigation. The results are in and they reveal a disturbing inability to distinguish between legitimate, regulated businesses and enterprises that could fairly be deemed "high risk". Read the report. NSSF supports HR 5758, the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act of 2014, introduced by U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), as a way of ensuring fair treatment for the firearms and ammunition industry.
  • SENATE APPROVES DUCK STAMP PRICE INCREASE . . . The U.S. Senate last week approved legislation to increase the Federal Duck Stamp price from $15 to $25, the first increase in 23 years. The bill, which NSSF with more than 30 other hunting and conservation groups worked to pass, had already been approved in the U.S. House so now goes to the President's desk. Proceeds from stamp sales are used to sustain waterfowl habitat. Since 1934, when the program went into effect, some $800 million has been raised to protect more than five million acres of habitat. The additional funds will benefit duck hunters across the country. Read the Denver Post column about the benefits of this action.
  • SOME WELCOME RECOGNITION FOR THE PITTMAN-ROBERTSON ACT . . . The Pittman-Robertson Act sets an excise tax of 10 to 11 percent on the sale of guns and ammunition that has been paid by manufacturers at the wholesale level for 80 years. Proceeds protect game species and their habitats, helping bring deer and elk back from the brink in areas in the East. But the funds also have provided refuge to many non-game species, like the Karner blue butterfly, as science writer Christie Ashwandan explains in How Skyrocketing Gun Sales Are Helping to Conserve Butterflies, one of the best articles we have seen in some time on this genuine American success story.

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

Legal

  • ILLINOIS CITY RESPONDS IN SUIT AGAINST ITS MSR BAN . . . The City of Highland Park has filed its response brief in the Seventh Circuit Court, arguing in support of its complete ban of modern sporting rifles and standard capacity magazines owned by millions of law-abiding and responsible gun owners for lawful purposes, including self-defense in the home and recreational and competitive target shooting. The city snubs its nose at the information NSSF provided in its friend of the court brief, contending that cosmetic features of MSRs look "criminal" and somehow make them more dangerous. These innovations allow for accurate and reliable handling and use of firearms by their owners and pose no risk to the public. If the city was truly concerned with advancing public safety, its time and resources would be better spent looking for real solutions to stopping actual criminals rather than imposing unnecessary, arbitrary restrictions that only serve to infringe upon the fundamental Second Amendment rights of honest, hardworking taxpaying gun owners residing in the city. There likely will be a reply brief filed this week, so we will keep you updated on this case. Read the response brief.

ATF

  • ATF ANNOUNCES PERSONNEL CHANGES . . . The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has announced some personnel changes and reassignments. Arthur Herbert, Assistant Director (AD)/Enforcement Programs and Services (EPS) has retired. Deputy Assistant Director (DAD)/EPS Marvin Richardson is now Acting AD/EPS. Curtis Gilbert is now DAD/EPS, moving over from Field Operations (FO). Andrew Graham will be the sole DAD/FO for Industry Operations (IO). NSSF has also learned that Jim Burch, AD/Public & Governmental Affairs (PGA) will be leaving in January to head up the Police Foundation. No replacement has been announced for Burch. Seattle Director of Industry Operations (DIO) Janet Van Haelst has retired. Her replacement will be former Explosives Industry Branch Chief Will Miller. Atlanta DIO Jeannette Compton and St Paul DIO Mary Jo Hughes have announced their retirements. No replacements have been announced for those posts.

Members

2015 Industry Summit

  • WEBINAR DISCUSSING THE SHOOTING SPORTS INDUSTRY FOR 2015 . . . NSSF announced last week that U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance has signed on as a Silver Sponsor of NSSF's 2015 Industry Summit. Taking place June 1-3, in Savannah, Georgia, the Summit will work to share dynamic models of success that contribute toward the common industry goals of promoting hunting and target shooting, responding to threats to our success and exploring new avenues of opportunities for growth and recruitment. Read the press release.

Retailers

  • WASHINGTON'S I-594 INITIATIVE BECOMES LAW . . . I-594, which expanded background checks for gun sales, became law on Dec. 4 in Washington State. The ballot initiative was approved last month by 59 percent of voters statewide. The initiative requires background checks to be performed on all firearms-related transfers, with what defines a transfer being anyone's guess. The Spokesman-Review over the weekend published an editorial asking for clarification from the legislature on what exactly constitutes a transfer. This is one of the unfortunate consequences from the poorly crafted initiative. Back in March 2013, the ATF released a procedure to set forth the recordkeeping and NICS procedures for FFLs who transfer firearms between private parties. NSSF urges all FFLs in the State of Washington to please review these procedures before engaging in any transfers.
  • BUILDING ON THE CUSTOMERS YOU HAVE . . . One of the most important questions that retailers should ask themselves is, "Who are my customers?" If that sounds like a pretty general question, well, it is. There are all different types of buyers walking into your store every day. Learning to recognize those types and what, how and why they buy can improve your profitability and expand your customer base. Read more on the NSSF Blog.
  • BUSINESS EXPERT ADDED TO LIST OF SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY SPEAKERS . . . Tickets are selling quickly and the number of seats are dwindling for the 2015 SHOT Show University. Last week, Karl Stearns was added to the growing list of educational speakers for this premier event. Stearns will be focusing his presentations on Digital Marketing and Ecommerce. Learn more about SHOT Show University and sign up today.
  • ATF Q&A . . . With the busy holiday season come more great compliance questions from our NSSF members. Here are just two of the many questions we received last week. The first question relates to using postal abbreviations on the 4473 forms. The second question relates to selling of firearms that contain parts that, if assembled, would make them illegal to import. For the answers to these questions and other great questions from our members, click on the links above. Remember that the NSSF Compliance Hotline is provided solely for our members and is just one of the many great benefits NSSF Membership offers. View more information about joining NSSF at nssf.org/join.

News of Note

  • CODY FIREARMS MUSEUM NAMES CURATOR . . . Ashley Hlebinsky will take over the curatorial reins at the renowned Cody Firearms Museum of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. A Billings Gazette story notes that Hlebinsky is the first female firearms curator in the country. Hlebinsky, 25, assumes the position her mentor and museum curator Warren Newman held for many years before retiring.  A Pittsburgh native who previously worked at the Smithsonian Museum, Hlebinsky will oversee a collection of 7,000 firearms and 30,000 firearms-related artifacts.  In a statement, Bruce Eldredge, the center's executive director and CEO, said, "We have every confidence in Ashley's ability to carry out the plans for the Firearms Museum going forward." The museum will have a booth at the 2015 SHOT Show.
    content provided by
  • EXPORT LICENSING 101 — INTRODUCTION TO DTRADE . . . Previously, we promised to get into the nuts and bolts of exporting firearms and ammunition products as well as related technical data and defense services. The first step is to introduce you to DTrade. DTrade is the web-based portal used to apply for export licenses from DDTC. We have previously advised that if you manufacture firearms, firearms components, accessories or ammunition, you most likely need to be registered with DDTC. If you want to obtain an export license, you must be registered. Read more here. Orchid Advisors is an endorsed compliance information provider for NSSF Members.

Jobs

  • FIREARMS INDUSTRY JOBS . . . Visit 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.

Bullet Points NSSF
Current Issue NSSF.org
Archive NSSF Blog
Subscribe Join NSSF
NSSF on Facebook NSSF on Twitter