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Countdown to SHOT Show
 REGISTER BEFORE JAN. 13 AND SAVE ON REGISTRATION . . . Three, two, one — Happy New Year! Now it's time for the next countdown: two weeks until the firearms industry's annual main event, the SHOT Show, opens its doors in Las Vegas. If you haven't already registered, the Jan. 13 early-bird deadline is only a week away, so don't miss out on this significant savings opportunity. NSSF-member buyers and manufacturer reps using this discount pay $35, and other qualifying non-buyer attendees pay $175. After Jan. 13, 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. To take advantage of the early-bird registration discount, go to shotshow.org/apply and complete your application.
 NEW: CATCH THE LATEST NEW PRODUCTS IN THE SHOT SHOWCASE THEATER . . . This year, exhibitors will be releasing new product announcements and demonstrations to the press and buyers during 15-minute special presentations in the Sands Showroom of The Venetian. The SHOT Showcase Theater will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Any registered SHOT Show attendee is welcome to watch the announcements and learn about some of the year's most exciting product releases. Click here to RSVP.
- SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY NEARLY SOLD OUT . . . Be ready for 2015's retailing challenges by letting NSSF help you with classes geared for the specific needs of firearms retailers. We have world-class retailers who will share their secrets on promotions, inventory management, store layout, managing cash flow, marketing and website design. SHOT Show University will also have sessions devoted to strengthening your ATF compliance regimen, honing your management and leadership skills and addressing store security. All classes are designed to make you the best retailer possible and arm you to meet the challenges of the upcoming year. For more information on SHOT Show University 2015, click here.
 SHOT SHOW 2015 AUCTION GUN, KNIFE ANNOUNCED . . . A Ross Tyser-designed Bowie knife and a first-ever Hornady rifle will be the headlining items at the 2015 SHOT Show annual auction. The Hunting Heritage Trust administers the SHOT Show auction, held by GunBroker.com, for NSSF. Both auctions are taking place right now at GunBroker.com. The rifle will also be on display at the GunBroker.com booth #15147 at SHOT Show. Bidding for both items closes at 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 23, the final day of the show.
- FEW SPOTS LEFT FOR MARKET RESEARCH 101 SEMINARS . . . Expand your understanding of industry market research. NSSF is offering two "Market Research 101" seminars during the 2015 SHOT Show. Each seminar will cover current and historical industry indicator figures and trends. Topics include NICS, excise taxes, hunting license sales, firearm production and imports along with the most current consumer research, sentiment and buying trends to improve your knowledge and allow you to make better informed business decisions in 2015. Attendees will receive a flash drive with the latest industry research. For additional information on these informative seminars, click here.
Read the SHOT Show Blog for all of the latest SHOT Show news.
Government Relations
 114TH CONGRESS CONVENES TUESDAY WITH GOP IN CONTROL . . . The victors of November's mid-term elections in the U.S. House and Senate will be sworn in Tuesday as the 114th Congress convenes at noon. Republicans will control both houses for the first time since 2006, and will have the largest majority in the House since 1946 with 246 members. In the Senate, Republicans will hold 54 seats. Despite some grumblings over the weekend, John Boehner is expected to be re-elected as Speaker of the House and Senator Mitch McConnell will be the new Senate Majority Leader. This bodes well for the firearms industry's legislative priorities, including the Sportsmen's Act, which passed the House overwhelmingly but stalled in the Senate due to gun control amendments being proposed.
Legal
- APPELLATE COURT DISMISSES SUIT TO BAN TRADITIONAL AMMO . . . The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has upheld the dismissal of the latest lawsuit brought by anti-hunting groups petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue regulations banning ammunition with lead components. The refusal by the EPA to consider the petition was challenged by the anti-hunting petitioners in federal court in 2013. NSSF joined the lawsuit on the side of the EPA to ensure that interests of industry and hunters were properly represented. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the EPA had properly dismissed the petition filed under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals heard the case in late October.
- NEWTOWN PARENTS' SUIT 'PROCEEDS UNDER FALSE PRETENCES' . . . Fordham University Law Professor Nicholas J. Johnson, an expert in firearms law and history, has offered a detailed critique of the lawsuit filed against Bushmaster by some of the family members of those killed in the December 2012 Sandy Hook School shooting. Johnson writes: "The complaint actually reads more like an attempt at healing than a serious legal claim. To that extent, I am sympathetic. But the strictly legal issues and theory of recovery to be gleaned from it deserve comment."
ATF
- NSSF MATCHES ATF REWARD IN HAWAII FIREARMS THEFT . . . The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and NSSF are offering a combined reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Dec. 18, 2014, theft of 17 semiautomatic handguns from Blue Water Hunter in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. This reward is part of the ongoing national cooperative initiative between the NSSF and ATF in which NSSF matches ATF reward in cases involving the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms retailers.
- ATF ISSUES CLARIFICATION TO RULING 2010-10 . . . In response to inquiries asking whether Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs), or unlicensed machine shops, may engage in the business of completing, or assisting in the completion of, the manufacture of firearm frames or receivers for unlicensed individuals without being licensed as a manufacturer of firearms, ATF has issued a clarification to Ruling 2010-10.
For the latest Government Relations news, visit nssf.org/GovRel.
Members
 DID YOU KNOW? . . . NSSF members receive discounted pricing on dozens of industry and consumer research reports and special deals on literature. NSSF offers more than 100 products to its members in the Members Only Shopping Cart. To find out more and utilize this invaluable NSSF benefit, click here.
- NEW NSSF MEMBERS SAVE AT SHOT SHOW . . . Anyone interested in becoming an NSSF member must have their application to member services by Jan. 15 for NSSF member pricing to apply toward SHOT Show registration fees. For more information about NSSF Membership, visit nssf.org/join.
Retailers
- SHOT SHOW RETAILER SEMINARS . . . Though there's a wealth of knowledge to be gained by attending SHOT Show University, we understand that not everybody can commit to a full day of classes before the show begins. That's why NSSF also offers a variety of seminars throughout the show week. Without a doubt, issues regarding FFL compliance and NICS are top points of discussion with our retailers, so here are some of the retailer seminars focused around these topics.
 NSSF ANNOUNCES NEWEST SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY SPONSOR . . . NSSF is pleased to announce that NSSF Affinity Benefits partner iTech Digital has signed on as a Silver Sponsor of the 2015 SHOT Show University. A leading developer and integrator of cost-effective, high-definition video surveillance products, iTech Digital offers a wide range of products suitable to a wide variety of retail establishments both small and large, including customized solutions. Read more.
- ATF Q&A . . . Here are two of the many questions we've received last week about ATF compliance. Both questions have been asked before so we thought we'd highlight them again. The first question relates to finding a firearm that was originally listed as stolen. The second question relates to person with a disability and is unable to complete the 4473 form themselves; how do you legally proceed? Click on the links to find answers to these questions. 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.
Research
 NSSF-ADJUSTED NICS BACKGROUND CHECKS . . . The December 2014 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,624,524 is the second highest December on record for the 16-year-old system, with an increase of 7.5 percent compared to the December 2013 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,510,529. For comparison, the unadjusted December 2014 NICS figure of 2,301,386 reflects a 13.2 percent increase from the unadjusted NICS figure of 2,032,755 in December 2013. To learn more about last month's NICS report, log in to the member side of nssf.org.
Voting Members
 BOYT HARNESS BECOMES NEW NSSF VOTING MEMBER . . . NSSF is pleased to announce that Boyt Harness Co. has recently been approved as an NSSF Voting Member. Boyt Harness is the hunting industry standard for gun cases and firearm storage and transport. Boyt Harness operates several industy brands, such as Mud River Dog Products, Bob Allen Shooting Sport Accessories and Secure Vault, among other quality brands. NSSF members seeking voting member status should click here to read the qualifications and download the PDF application for submission to the NSSF Board of Governors. Questions? E-mail membership@nssf.org.
News of Note
- BERETTA USA/WILSON COMBAT HANDGUN PROJECT PROFILED . . . Interesting stories are plentiful in the firearms industry and are covered by an attentive trade media, but they don't often garner much ink or many pixels in the mainstream media. So it was refreshing to see the recent Arkansas Democrat Gazette article by business writer John Magsam get picked up by the Associated Press for nationwide distribution. Magsam chronicled the joint effort of Beretta USA and Wilson Combat to produce the 92G Brigadier Tactical 9mm pistol. Read the AP story. To his credit, Magsam regularly covers firearms and ammunition makers based in his state with an appreciation for their economic and employment impact.
- HUNTING CLUB INTRODUCES THE SPORT TO MORE PEOPLE . . . The Black Wolf Hunting Club founded by Eric Morris has the worthy goal of attracting more African-Americans to hunting. Morris and other experienced black outdoorsmen host beginners on deer hunts in Texas, rabbit hunts in Alabama and waterfowl hunts in Kansas, among other things. Read the Wichita Eagle story.
- ATA, SCTP ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP . . . The Scholastic Clay Target Program and Amateur Trapshooting Association have approved a plan to unify and strengthen their youth shooting sports efforts. Under the partnership, ATA membership will be required of all SCTP State and National Championship Singles participants, beginning in 2015. The trapshooting competitions at these tournaments will be registered with the ATA. Registration with the national governing bodies for skeet (NSSA) and sporting clays (NSCA) has been in place for SCTP competitors for several years. The partnership also includes funding to the SCTP by the ATA for scholarships and program operating costs. Read press release.
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.
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NSSF's Mission
"To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. "
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