Originally introduced with the GLOCK 22 (.40 caliber), and the GLOCK 17 (9×19) models, GLOCK’s newest generation pistol, the Gen4, brings revolutionary design changes to the world’s most popular pistol, centered around ergonomics and the recoil spring assembly. New to the Gen4 family for 2011, GLOCK has unveiled GLOCK models 26 (9×19), G27 (.40 caliber) Gen4 models.

With any Gen4 model, the most noticeable difference you will see is that the basic grip size is smaller compared to the previous generation designs, due to the fact that the new generation offers a multiple backstrap system that allows the user to change the circumference of the grip to fit their individual hand size. The grip which has a new Rough Textured Frame (RTF) surface designed to enhance grip traction, offers three options: a short frame version, medium frame or large frame that are easily changed and secured with a single pin. The trigger mechanism housing has also been dimensionally adapted to fit in the smaller sized grip space.

The magazine release catches are also significantly enlarged and reversible for the left handed shooter. To utilize the swappable magazine release feature, the Gen4 magazines have two notches cut on both sides of the magazine body, allowing users to switch access of the catch to the left or right side of the pistol with no additional parts.

Internally, the original recoil spring has been replaced with a dual recoil spring assembly, which noticeably reduces the recoil while simultaneously increasing the life cycle of the part. The slide and barrel shelf have been resized due to the larger diameter of the spring assembly. The front portion of the polymer frame under the slide has also been widened and enlarged internally in order to accommodate the dual assembly.

“GLOCK, Inc.’s dedication to perfection has made GLOCK the chosen firearm for many Law Enforcement agencies around the world.” said Gary Fletcher, Vice President at GLOCK, Inc. “The new Gen4 models are just another step in GLOCK, Inc.’s commitment to producing the best firearm for U.S. Law Enforcement, Military and the law-abiding citizen.”

The Gen4, just like any GLOCK pistol, has the same tested “Safe Action” system, durable exterior finish, cold hammer forged barrel, durability, reliability and lightweight that have made GLOCK firearms famous. All GLOCK pistols are backed by the GLOCK Limited Lifetime Warranty and world-class customer service and support that is second to none in the firearms industry.

About GLOCK, Inc.

GLOCK, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of pistols and accessories. GLOCK’s superior engineering has produced a pistol with only 34 parts and a rugged polymer-frame, providing industry-leading reliability shot after shot. GLOCK is renowned for its pistols which are safe, featuring three safeties; simple, offering a low number of components to provide reliability; and fast, with no encumbering parts to slow the speed to fire. This combination makes GLOCK pistols the first choice among consumers and law enforcement, with 65% of agencies nationwide choosing to carry GLOCK. Austrian-engineered, the company has manufacturing facilities in the United States and Austria. Based in Smyrna, Ga., GLOCK, Inc. is an advocate for our nation’s law enforcement and military personnel, as well as all citizens’ Second Amendment right to bear arms. For more information, please visit www.teamglock.com.

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Nearly 3 out of every 4 recreational shooters and hunters in America owns at least one handgun according to a recent survey conducted by HunterSurvey.com. Of particular significance, however, is the finding that the handgun owners who don’t already possess a concealed-carry permit, about 40 percent said they intend to apply for one within the next 12 months. This strong interest in obtaining concealed-carry weapon (CCW) permits could mean a real demand for training and CCW-related accessories and firearms in the coming year.

“I see a real growth opportunity for qualified firearms instructors and shooting facilities in providing the training that many states require in order to secure a CCW permit,” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com. “Interest in CCW could also generate quite a market opportunity for companies that not only make handguns suitable for concealed carry, but also for manufacturers of accessories that serve that same market, such as holster and ammunition makers.”

February 14, 2011

A new report calls “The 90 Percent Myth,” which refers to the number of illegal guns in Mexico coming from the United States, “more political rhetoric than empirical fact.”

We couldn’t agree more. NSSF has been trying to stamp out “The 90 Percent Myth” ever since ATF misstated the number in testimony at a congressional hearing in 2009. A prompt clarification issued by ATF couldn’t put the proverbial genie back in the bottle. Unfortunately, “The 90 Percent Myth” has been widely promoted by Mexican officials and wrongly cited in U.S. news stories, although a Fox News study of the “90% statistic” noted “that number’s just plain wrong.”

In a report issued last week, the independent research group STRATFOR has corroborated what NSSF has been saying for some time about firearms recovered from drug cartels in Mexico: that it is erroneous and grossly misleading to say that 90 percent (a rounded up number) of the firearms recovered in Mexico came from the United States.

The truth is that less than 12 percent of the guns Mexico seized in 2008 have been verified as coming from the United States. The proof can be found in the U.S. government statistics.

According to a June 2009 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, “some 30,000 firearms were seized from criminals by Mexican authorities in 2008. Of these 30,000 firearms, information pertaining to 7,200 of them (24 percent) was submitted to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for tracing. Of these 7,200 guns, only about 4,000 could be traced by the ATF, and of these 4,000, some 3,480 (87 percent) were shown to have come from the United States.

“This means that the 87 percent figure relates to the number of weapons submitted by the Mexican government to the ATF that could be successfully traced and not from the total number of weapons seized by Mexican authorities or even from the total number of weapons submitted to the ATF for tracing. In fact, the 3,480 guns positively traced to the United States equals less than 12 percent of the total arms seized in Mexico in 2008 . . . .”

Yes, nearly 90 percent of firearms that were recovered and able to be successfully traced by ATF were found to have originated in the United States (that’s 3,480 out of 4,000), but why should that surprise anyone? The United States has a very good system for tracking firearms through serial numbers and purchase records (some countries don’t track them at all). Mexico submitted for tracing only those firearms that it believed, due to their serial numbers, would likely trace positive. The vast majority of guns recovered in Mexico are not sent to the U.S. for tracing at all because their markings, or lack of them, show they do not come from here.

A number of handguns—the top three are 9mm, .38 and .22 caliber—and other sporting firearms have been smuggled across the border, but the STRATFOR report notes that the drug cartels increasingly prefer military weapons instead of sporting arms. Military-grade equipment such as hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenades, automatic rifles and light machine guns are certainly not readily available in this country from firearms retailers. These types of firearms and military ordinance are coming from someplace other than the United States.

The STRATFOR report points out where the guns are flowing from:

•“Most of the military ordnance used by the Mexican cartels comes from other sources, such as the international arms market (increasingly from China via the same networks that furnish precursor chemicals for narcotics manufacturing), or from corrupt elements in the Mexican military or even deserters who take their weapons with them. . .

•Some of these seizures have included M60 machine guns and hundreds of 40 mm grenades obtained from the military arsenals of countries like Guatemala. . .

•Latin America is awash in weapons that were shipped there over the past several decades to supply the various insurgencies and counterinsurgencies in the region. When these military-grade weapons are combined with the rampant corruption in the region, they quickly find their way into the black arms market.”

While Mexican president Calderon is to be applauded for cracking down on the drug cartels and the rampant and systemic corruption in his country, blaming the United States and its Second Amendment freedoms for Mexico’s violent crime will not help solve Mexico’s problem. STRATFOR’s report argues that Mexico’s political leaders have attempted to deflect responsibility for dealing with the cartels: “According to the Mexican government, the cartel wars are not a result of corruption in Mexico or of economic and societal dynamics that leave many Mexicans marginalized and desperate to find a way to make a living. Instead, the cartel wars are due to the insatiable American appetite for narcotics and the endless stream of guns that flows from the United States into Mexico and that results in Mexican violence.”

This argument, of course, implies that U.S. guns laws and the firearms industry, specifically firearm retailers along the border, are to blame, yet it’s those same retailers who cooperate regularly with ATF investigators by providing information that can help bust the illegal firearms traffickers. Also, the idea that there’s a steady flow of newly purchased firearms bound for Mexico doesn’t square with the fact that in 2008 the firearms successfully traced to the United States were, according to ATF, originally sold at retail, after a background check, on average 14 years earlier.

We urge you to read the full STRATFOR report, which ends by dismissing “The 90 Percent Myth”: “It is important to recognize that, while the United States is a significant source of certain classes of weapons and ammunition, it is by no means the source of 90 percent of the weapons used by the Mexican cartels, as is commonly asserted.”

Monday, February 14, 2011

PHOENIX – What better way to spend a Sunday than on the back of a motorcycle enjoying Arizona’s landscape, all while benefiting sick and injured wildlife? Riders are invited to participate in the family-friendly “Bikers Soar for Wildlife Poker Run” on Feb. 20. The fundraiser helps with the care and rehabilitation of animals at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center, and is hosted by the Wildlife Center’s Auxiliary.

“This ride is a wonderful way to enjoy a day with your family in Arizona’s great outdoors and help raise money for wildlife rehabilitation,” says Sandy Cate, coordinator of the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center. “The whole family is sure to have fun with a variety of activities, including the poker run, plus wildlife exhibits, a live band and a raffle for prizes.”

Riders will enjoy 100 miles of scenic Arizona, beginning at Arrowhead Harley Davidson at 16130 Fountain Center Drive in Peoria and ending at Pioneer Living History Village at 3901 W. Pioneer Rd. in Phoenix. Pioneer Living History Village is a reproduction of an old Western town from the 1800s. Throughout the route, riders will stop at designated locations to collect a playing card, with the best hand of five cards winning a prize at the end of the ride. Even the non-riders in the family can partake by joining riders after 1 p.m. to enjoy the activities at the final destination.

The tax-deductible cost to participate is $30 per rider or $35 per rider and passenger, with lunch provided to all registered riders. The first 300 registrants will receive a free event T-shirt and ride pin. Registration begins at 8 a.m. For more information and to register, visit the Wildlife Center’s volunteer auxiliary website at azwildlifecenter.org/events or call (623) 587-0139.

Founded in May 1983, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center treats more than 1,000 sick and injured animals annually, and provides wildlife education to local schools and outreach to community groups. The center’s mission is carried out with a small budget from the state’s Heritage Fund, making fundraising an important contributor to the care of the animals.

Note to media: Wildlife photos are available by contacting Public Information Officer Lynda Lambert at (623) 236-7203. Live shot opportunities with wildlife and Wildlife Center volunteers also are available upon request.

The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is adding special destination tours to its Deer Steward courses in 2011, including Jeff Foxworthy’s Georgia farm, Dr. Grant Woods’ Missouri “Proving Grounds,” and a 9,000-acre QDM Cooperative in Minnesota.

The Deer Steward Certification program is a multi-level personal educational experience designed to offer landowners, hunters and natural resource professionals an opportunity to learn from the world’s top experts about Quality Deer Management (QDM). The first two Levels are actual courses, and Level III is an application process; all three need to be taken in succession.

Each course follows the Four Cornerstones of QDM. Level I courses include nearly 20 presentations over a two-day period, followed by an optional half-day field trip; Level II courses involve more hands-on experience. Attendees will learn techniques on aging deer jawbones; taking soil samples and interpreting soil test results; determining acreage of food plots and calibrating equipment; population surveys; forest and early succession habitat management; analyzing harvest data; making property maps; and much more. Level III status is the recognition of those who have given back to the whitetail resource over a long period of time.

QDMA’s Deer Steward certification program has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from graduates. Last year, the fourth year of the program, brought the total number of graduates to more than 400 individuals. Past students now hail from 34 states, three Canadian provinces and one of the United States’ Virgin Islands; a map is posted on QDMA.com and shows the number and level of graduates represented in each state or province across North America (visit www.QDMA.com/programs/certify)

2011 Dates and locations:

Level I Courses:
March 11-14 – Ottertail, Minn. at Thumper Pond Resort (Field Tour: Hudalla Farms and 9,000 acre “Rivers Edge” QDM Co-op)
April 15-18 – Pine Mountain, Ga. at The Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens (Field Tour: Jeff Foxworthy’s personal farm, “The Beloved”)
May 13-16 – Branson, Mo. at Barrington Hotel & Conference Center (Field Tour: Dr. Grant Woods’ “The Proving Grounds” and Special reception: Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge)

Level II Courses:
June 10-13 – Bogart, Ga. at QDMA National Headquarters (Field Tour: University of Georgia deer research facility)
June 24-27 – Hillsdale, Mich. at Sit n’ Bull Farm

To register, call 800-209-3337 or visit www.QDMA.com and click the REACH Program link and then the REACH Certification link.

Contact: Matt Ross, QDMA Certifications Program Manager (mross@qdma.com or 518-280-3714).

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds lists two birds under the category of “Seriously Reduced” (as in population numbers): peregrine falcon and whooping crane. Both have received the benefit of human compassion and are being brought back from the brink of extinction. The crow-sized peregrine falcon has been introduced into the city lifestyle high atop skyscrapers – far from its natural habitat of open country settings – where it plunges at speeds up to 180 miles per hour snacking on problematic pigeons. Beyond cool!

The whooping crane on the other hand has been assisted by humans on a much more elaborate level. People dressed up like big, white birds raise the young cranes and use two techniques to help them survive. One method releases young birds directly into populations of wild whooping cranes; the other method involves training cranes to follow costumed pilots flying ultralight aircraft to their wintering grounds down South. It has been a monumental undertaking and monumental success, considering that only 21 whooping cranes existed in 1944 but have grown to an estimated 400 in the wild with the help of mankind.

Also at the hand of man, a senseless killing of one of the treasured cranes known only as 12-04 in Alabama on January 28, 2011 has garnered plenty of attention. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is investigating the death of the crane which was reported by an Alabama conservation officer at Weiss Lake, in Cherokee County. The magnificent bird was equipped with a radio transmitter and leg bands to help track its movements. This killing comes on the heels of three other whooping cranes killed late last year, while on their first migration but not as part of the ultralight aircraft-led migration effort.

Last spring, whooping crane 12-04 had paired with 27-05, the oldest Direct Autumn Release bird. The new couple successfully mated and had a late season nest with two eggs in Juneau County, Wis., south of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. One egg hatched and the pair raised the chick for several weeks until it disappeared, presumably taken by a predator — possibly a bobcat or coyote.

Crane 12-04 was raised in Wisconsin and was one which learned to migrate behind an ultralight aircraft flown by Operation Migration. According to the USFWS, the bird made its first migration to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida during the fall of 2004. It annually wintered in Florida until 2009. Since then it has spent winters on the marshes in and around Weiss Lake, Alabama.

Special Agent Jim Gale has asked for the support of the public, especially the fishing, hunting, and boating community who may have seen or heard about the killing on Weiss Lake to help prosecute whoever shot this crane. Gale, who is in charge of law enforcement in the service’s Southeast region said, “We are extremely disappointed by the killing of this whooping crane…This senseless killing has got to stop.”

With only about 100 such cranes in the eastern migration population, it’s easy to understand why a $6000 reward is being offered for information that leads to a conviction.

For more information about the reintroduction effort, visit http://www.bringbackthecranes.org

Minnesota DNR officials are asking landowners in a portion of southeastern Minnesota within roughly 10 miles of where a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) positive wild deer was found to assist with the agency’s disease sampling efforts.

Landowners who accept shooting permits will be allowed to take deer themselves or authorize additional shooters to take deer. There will be no tradtional special hunt because all the land in the surveillance area is private land that cannot be hunted without permission.

Population estimates indicate there are 6,500 deer in the CWD survelliance area, which stretches from Wanamingo, Zumbrota and Zumbro Falls southward to Kasson, Byron and Rochester. DNR, working with landowners, will harvest 900 deer within the survelliance area, 500 of which will be taken within a roughly five-mile radius of the confirmed CWD-positive deer. Each will be tested for CWD.

A deer feeding ban covering Dodge, Goodhue, Olmsted, and Wabasha counties will become effective Feb. 14. The feeding ban includes a wider area because the potential extent of the CWD infection is not known and one of the most probable mechanisms for CWD spread among deer is over a food source that concentrates animals.

Annapolis, Md. – The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) received laboratory confirmation on February 10, 2011 that a white-tailed deer harvested in Maryland tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). This is the first confirmed case of CWD in Maryland. A hunter in Allegany County reported taking the deer on November 27, 2010 in Green Ridge State Forest. Maryland is now one of 20 other states and Canadian provinces with CWD documented in deer, elk or moose.

“Our team of wildlife professionals has been preparing for this result for some time so we are well-informed and ready to limit the impact of this event,” said Paul Peditto, Director of DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service. “We have sampled intensively for this disease since 2002 and see this as an unfortunate but somewhat inevitable outcome. The good news is that our preparation and planning ensure a sound scientific foundation for our response to this single positive test result. With the continued cooperation of hunters, farmers, deer processors and landowners who have supported our monitoring effort, we will manage this deer disease consistent with the best available science and with minimal impact on our deer population and the people who enjoy these great animals.”

“Concerns over CWD should not stop anyone from enjoying venison,” added Peditto, who explained that only four species of the deer family are known to be susceptible to CWD: elk, mule deer, moose and white-tailed deer. Of these, only the white-tailed deer occurs in the wild in Maryland and there are no reported cases of transmission to humans or other animals.

As always, hunters are advised to exercise caution and never consume the meat of sick animals. Hunters are also advised to avoid contact with the brain, spinal column or lymph nodes of deer – all of which are normally removed during the butchering process.

This is the first positive sample out of nearly 6,800 deer tested in Maryland since 1999. From 2002 until 2009 that sampling occurred statewide. In 2010, sampling efforts were focused on Allegany and western Washington counties due to the presence of positive cases in nearby West Virginia and Virginia. West Virginia first detected CWD in Hampshire County in 2005 and it was found in Frederick County, Virginia in early 2010.

“Maryland will continue to work closely with the wildlife professionals in our adjacent states to share information and coordinate response efforts. However, our primary goal is to ensure the public is fully-informed and knows what we know when we know it. We want to be certain that every interested Marylander understands this disease and recognizes that there is no risk to people, pets or domestic livestock. As in every other state with CWD, we will respond appropriately while ultimately learning to live with this disease with little impact to our wildlife or citizens,” Peditto concluded.

For more information on CWD in Maryland and the DNR Response Plan, please visit the DNR Website athttp://www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Hunt_Trap/deer/disease/cwdinformation.asp.

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A pair of peregrine falcons that took up residence at a lime manufacturing plant on the Ohio River in Pendleton County will have a new place to nest this spring.

“Last year we discovered that the female falcon had laid an egg on one of the ladder platforms on the side of a 150-foot silo,” said Nick Caggiano, operations manager for Carmeuse Natural Chemicals plant in Butler, Ky. “In late December our maintenance crew placed a nest box on top of a support structure for one of the lime belt tubes. We’re delighted to be able to provide a safer place for the birds to nest.”

Although peregrine falcons are no longer a federally listed species, they are still considered rare in Kentucky. They are managed and monitored closely by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Falcons historically nested on high cliffs. However, in modern times, they’ve been found nesting on high, man-made structures. The nest box at the Carmeuse plant is located in an isolated area about 120 feet off the ground. The nest box and the plant grounds are not accessible to the public.

“Once a pair of falcons shows up at a spot they usually nest there for life,” said Kate Heyden, avian biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “They start courting in February and there are usually eggs in the nest by April. The young leave the nest by late June, when they learn to fly.”

The female falcon is a local bird. “She was hatched in 2009 at the LG&E Bedford Power Plant in Trimble County,” said Heyden. “She has a black and red leg band that reads 25/H. We know she was one of four sisters.”

Heyden noted that it is unusual for a falcon less than two years old to nest. Last year, the bird and its mate successfully raised a chick hatched on the silo’s ladder platform.

Details about the falcon’s mate are unknown at this time. “He’s banded, so when we get a good look at him, we should be able to tell where he’s from,” said Heyden. “In addition to the peregrines raised in Kentucky, we do have some birds here from West Virginia and Ohio.”

Department employees built the new nesting box of marine-grade plywood to give it durability and resistance to the weather. They added a perch to the front then lined the box with pea gravel to simulate cliff rock. Carmeuse employees installed the box.

There are 13 known nesting pairs of peregrine falcons in Kentucky. Twelve of those pairs are nesting on the Ohio River between Louisville and Ashland. The final pair is nesting atop Frankfort’s tallest building, located near the Kentucky River.

Pigeons are a falcon’s favorite prey, but they also take starlings and songbirds. Falcons, which catch their prey in mid-air, can reach speeds of 200 miles an hour during a dive.

Young falcons typically hang around their nest sites for about a month after they learn to fly. During this time, they hone their hunting skills and share in the food their parents catch.

Then they go off on their own, on what might be best described as a “raptor sabbatical.”

“We know from sightings of banded birds that many of our young peregrines move up and down the Ohio River, probably searching for a place to establish a territory,” said Heyden. “But last year, we had one bird hatched in Jefferson County that showed up a month after fledging on a skyscraper in Michigan.”

Certain lots of recently manufactured 45 Auto ammunition may contain an incorrect propellant charge. Use of product from these lots may result in firearm damage and possible serious injury.

DO NOT USE PRODUCT FROM THE FOLLOWING LOTS:
38X628 through 38X765 38T401 through 38T414

If you have in your possession any 45 Auto with the following brand names and part numbers, check to see if your ammunition package contains the above lots: American Eagle® (AE45A, AE45N1, or AE45A250), ChampionTM (WM5233), GoldMedal® (GM45B), Hi-Shok® (45C, 45D) and Federal® Personal Defense® (C45C, C45D). Example below:

THIS WARNING APPLIES ONLY TO THE LOTS LISTED ABOVE.
If you possess ammunition from any of these lots, or have questions concerning this warning, please contact us at 1-800-831-0850 or 1-800-322-2342 and ask for Product Service. Federal will provide replacement product and will cover the cost of returning the affected product.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.