Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Tullytown, PA– Kalashnikov USA , manufacturer of Kalashnikov style firearms, announces the company will relocate to South Florida. The new facility will include corporate offices and allow for manufacturing, warehousing and shipping functions to occur in one location. The move, which will take place over the next several months, will not affect the projected 2015 second quarter shipping of the new Kalashnikov USA firearms. Read more
NEWTOWN, Conn. – As part of an annual program that encourages youth participation in the shooting sports, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is once again partnering with Boy Scouts of America Councils. This year’s program makes available $100,000 in funding, double the amount of previous years. Successful BSA Council grant applicants can receive a portion of those grant funds provided by NSSF to develop or expand their troop activities in target shooting and marksmanship. Target shooting programs rank among Scouting’s most popular activities, teaching marksmanship, firearms and range safety, teamwork building and fundraising skills.
“Now in its fifth year, NSSF’s BSA Council Grant Program has an enormous impact in encouraging both local council leaders and their troop members to further their firearms safety education and sharpen their marksmanship skills,” said Samantha Pedder, NSSF Manager, Outreach and Diversity. “These grants continue the mutually supportive relationship the Boy Scouts of America have long shared with NSSF and they are yet another way NSSF is able to further its mission of promoting, protecting and preserving hunting and the shooting sports.” Read more
York, PA — Oakwood Control’s has introduced a weatherproof model of its Portable H-Bar Target System. This system was designed for professionals, as well as enthusiasts, that need instant feedback on long-range shooting in a portable package.
Part of Oakwood’s “open air” target family, the H-Bar scores live fires hits and misses in a large detection window. This allows shooters to use the target system at long distances without having perfect ballistic data and eliminates concerns with missing or damaging a traditional “box target”.
Oakwood’s target system utilizes a standard laptop, located at the firing line, and shows precise locations of hits and misses along with group size and center of the group location. All shot and group information can be displayed in inches, centimeters, MOA and MIL. Notes can be saved for each shot group and sessions can be stored and later retrieved for further review and analysis. Read more
Paso Robles, CA—In anticipation of this weekend’s Annual Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit & Auction, Weatherby is honored to donate specially engraved Chris Kyle Memorial firearms for the Sporting Clays Shoot on Saturday, May 2. The contributed firearms include four PA-08 Upland 12 Ga. shotguns. In addition, a Weatherby Vanguard® Sporter in .257 WBY Mag. will be awarded to the High Point Veteran of the Sporting Clays Shoot.
“The Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit & Auction is a wonderful event that honors a true American Hero,” said Adam Weatherby, Chief Operating Officer of Weatherby. “We are honored to be given this opportunity and recognize Chris Kyle, his organization and tremendous service to our country.” Read more
GW: Cool concept!
Interested in purchasing a gun? Want to test out a new pistol? You can do all that and more at the Concealed Carry Expo, this May 8-10, 2015, at the Washington County Fair Park in West Bend, Wisconsin. How? The USCCA is not only organizing an industry-leading consumer show, it’s bringing a mobile, live-fire shooting range to expo attendees.
The inaugural, family-friendly event is designed to celebrate the concealed-carry lifestyle and will include three days packed full of training seminars, products, retailers, and a special concealed-carry fashion show, along with the live-fire shooting experience. For a small fee, adult guests will receive shooting instruction and will have the chance to test out firearms provided by various sponsors, including FNH USA, Kahr, Robert’s Defense, Springfield Armory, and Walther.
Come out to hone your clay target shooting skills at the DNR’s Ortonville, Pontiac Lake, Rose Lake and Sharonville shooting ranges! The clay target throwers will be available on Sundays beginning May 3 through the month of August. The range staff will load the throwers for your pulling. The Dansville range will NOT have clay target throwers available.
The Ortonville and Pontiac Lake range hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Rose Lake, Sharonville and Dansville range hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last shot is fired at 4:45 p.m. The ranges are open Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, except for Dansville, which is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Read more
Breakthrough® Clean, is proud to announce that Brownells® is now carrying Breakthrough Military-Grade Solvent in the 2 ounce, 6 ounce, and 16 ounces bottles. Breakthrough® is a revolutionary new solvent that makes cleaning your firearm faster and safer than ever. Breakthrough’s state-of-the-art distillation process provides superior firearm cleaning products that are environmentally friendly, non-toxic and virtually odorless.
Currently, Breakthrough® is approved, qualified, and UTILIZED DAILY by the largest user of Firearm Cleaning Technology in the USA – The US Department of Defense! Read more
Otis Technology is proud to announce its sponsorship of competitive shooter Gia Rocco. At the age of eleven, she’s taking the competitive shooting world by storm.
Gia began shooting at the age of five with a pink BB gun. At age seven, she transitioned to a .22 caliber rifle. She’s been competing in IDPA, USPSA and Steel Challenge matches for the past three years and has made the podium in the junior division for several events including second place at the 2013 Texas State Steel Championships and third at the 2014 Smith & Wesson Steel Nationals.
Rocco is trained by her father, Adolfo “Spyder” Gallela, who instills the importance of firearm safety in every training. Gallela is a NRA firearms instructor as well as range safety officer. “We really appreciate sponsors like Otis – it gives us the freedom to focus on Gia’s training and take her skills to the next level,” states Spyder. He continues, “they’re helping her turn her dream into a reality.” Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
The most basic tenet of economics is that supply follows demand. Of course, government’s overt involvement and manipulation of demand through policies, decrees, or laws have ways of forcing spending in a certain direction in the name of what’s good for us, whether we like it or not.
Take the issue of the incandescent light bulbs, for example. It’s now illegal for manufacturers to produce incandescent bulbs over 60 watts, because the government says so. And, just last week I checked the price of a package of four, 60-watt bulbs and found that the price had skyrocketed to over $2 per bulb! Is it any wonder that compact fluorescent bulbs are becoming a reasonable alternative?
However, when the government makes an end run around the Second Amendment and decrees that certain ammunition or firearms are illegal, substitute alternatives are snubbed by those that understand the meaning of infringed. Demand is then born of threats and fear, as has been the case with government’s incessant attacks on the firearms industry.
Over the past few years, the firearms industry has shown remarkable growth in the face of an otherwise dismal fiscal picture. While government spending continues to outpace revenue, median household income is down some $3 thousand annually over the past 7 years, and manufacturing continues its slide downward, the firearms industry is booming.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation has released its Economic Impact Report for 2014 and it has the government holding its nose relative to how well wildlife conservation is being funded through the firearms industry’s payment of excise taxes under the Pittman Robertson Act.
An unprecedented number of Americans are exercising their fundamental rights by purchasing firearms and ammunition. The increased demand has resulted in a total of $863,696,528 collected in excise taxes in 2014. In addition, 263,223 jobs with average wages and benefits at $52,220 per individual were part of the picture this past year. In fact, over the past 2 years, the industry has created an additional 34,609 jobs.
Comparing year 2008 to 2014 shows the dramatic effects of what a growing industry looks like:
Sportsmen and women are providing a major source of funding for America’s wildlife conservation, and for that, we should all be thankful. It doesn’t take any political spin to comprehend the positive effects of genuine, private sector job growth that has resulted from the thriving firearms industry and how it relates to wildlife management.
Now, if I could only find some .22 rimfire ammo…
Winchester SXP (3½” Chamber) Shotgun Safety Warning and Recall Notice. There is a current recall on a limited number of Winchester SXP (3 ½” chamber) shotguns (also called the Super X Pump).
Winchester is in the process of contacting all affected owners directly. WINCHESTER SXP (3½” CHAMBER) SHOTGUN SAFETY WARNING AND RECALL NOTICE Winchester Repeating Arms has discovered that a limited number of SXP (3 ½” chamber) shotguns (also called the Super X Pump) may, under certain circumstances, unintentionally discharge while closing the action. Failure to return any affected shotguns for inspection and/or repair may create a risk of harm, including serious personal injury or death.
If you own one of the following firearms, please immediately contact our Winchester Consumer Administrative Center to find out if your firearm is affected and should be returned. Please be prepared to provide the serial number of your firearm. Read more