FixNICS: U.S. Senate to Address Firearms Background Checks

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Action Alert! Contact your senator today and ask them to vote “YES” on Senate Bill 2135 that will make the National Instant Criminal Background Check System more complete. You can contact your two U.S. senators by calling (202) 224-3121 and following the prompts or can email them using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.

The firearm industry and hunting organizations have united to support legislation to address deficiencies in the background-check system for the purchase of firearms. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was established 20 years ago to prevent those prohibited by law from obtaining a firearm. Unfortunately, the NICS system depends on states and the federal government to provide updates to the database, which has not always been done effectively.

To address this issue, the National Shooting Sports Foundation launched its Fix NICS initiative in 2013 to encourage and assist states to submit all appropriate disqualifying criminal and adjudicated mental health records. While the effort to Fix NICS has yielded a 200-percent increase in records submissions, the work is not done yet as many states still do not submit all appropriate records that would disqualify individuals from legally purchasing firearms.

Senate Bill 2135 provides incentives for states to submit up-to-date information to NICS and punishes agencies that fail to do so, while also holding the federal government accountable for including and processing those records in the background check system.

The “Fix NICS” act could be voted on in the U.S. Senate as early as this week.

All sportsmen want to make sure firearms are not sold to criminals and those with serious mental health problems. Please call your two U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to support S.2135. Read more

Gun Control

SIG SAUER Introduces 300 Win Mag SIG HT Hunting Ammunition

Newington, NH   – SIG SAUER, Inc. is now offering a 300 Win Mag round in its line of SIG HT™ premium-grade, copper hunting ammunition. This accurate hunting round features an all-copper bullet that delivers deep penetration and consistent 1.8x diameter expansion.  The 165gr 300 Win Mag bullet has a muzzle velocity of 3,110 fps with muzzle energy of 3,543 ft-lbs, making it an excellent choice for medium-sized game such as deer.

“The 300 Win Mag is such a popular caliber with hunters, we wanted to add this round to our environmentally-friendly SIG HT line,” said Bud Fini, Executive Vice President of the SIG SAUER Ammunition Division and Special Projects.  “All SIG HT offerings feature our proprietary, high-performance all-copper bullet which is now available in 300BLK, 223 Rem, 308 Win and 300 Win Mag loadings with additional chamberings to be added in the months ahead.” Read more

Ammunition

Federal Adds 300 Blackout to Power-Shok Copper Line

Federal Power-Shok Copper provides the same freezer-filling consistency of original Power-Shok with a non-lead bullet. The accurate, hollow-point copper projectile creates large wound channels, and the Catalyst lead-free primer provides the most efficient and reliable ignition possible.

  Features & Benefits
• New 120-grain 300 Blackout
• Lead-free copper bullet construction
• Hollow-point design expands consistently
• Accurate, reliable performance
• Large wound channels and efficient energy transfer to the target
• Federal brass
• Catalyst lead-free primer provides the most efficient ignition Read more

Ammunition

New World’s Record Bighorn Sheep Officially Certified by Boone and Crockett Club

MISSOULA, Mont. (March 1, 2018) – A special Boone and Crockett Club judges panel today declared a ram from Montana as the new World’s Record bighorn sheep. The four-member panel of senior Boone and Crockett Official Measures re-scored the ram’s horns and determined the final score to be 216-3/8 points B&C, surpassing the current World’s Record – a ram that scores 209-4/8.
Special judges panels are convened to declare new World’s Records by confirming an official entry score. This ram’s entry score accepted on February 8 was 216-3/8.
“This ram is significant for many reasons,” said Justin Spring, the Club’s director of Big Game Records. “One of many things worth noting is that since the Club’s current scoring system was adopted in 1950, this is only the fifth World’s Record bighorn, and three of these have been declared since just 2001. If anything, we’re now seeing what nature and sound wildlife management are capable of producing in the wild.”
The panel scoring took place at the world headquarters of the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), located in Bozeman, Montana. On hand were B&C officials, Montana State Governor Steve Bullock, and Wild Sheep Foundation President and CEO Gray Thornton.
“Here in Montana, we have a rich history of bringing diverse groups together to preserve and protect wildlife habitat and public lands,” said Governor Steve Bullock. “This is truly a Montana conservation success story.”

Read more

Hunting

Modern Fish Act Takes Major Step Toward Becoming Law

Alexandria, VA – February 28, 2018 – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation overwhelmingly approved S. 1520, the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017 (Modern Fish Act). This legislation calls for critically important updates to the oversight of federal fisheries, including adding more tools to the management toolbox, improving data collection techniques, and examining some fishery allocations that are based on decades-old decisions.

The Modern Fish Act was introduced in the Senate in July 2017 by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). It has since received strong bipartisan support from 12 cosponsors representing coastal and non-coastal states alike. In addition, a broad coalition of organizations representing the saltwater recreational fishing and boating community has endorsed the Modern Fish Act and highlighted the importance of updating the nation’s fisheries management system to more accurately distinguish between recreational and commercial fishing. Read more

Fishing

Alpen Optics Closes Doors After 22 Years of Business

GW:  After having met Vickie on numerous occasions at outdoor media events, I can say categorically that the industry is losing one upbeat representative and strong supporter.  She has been a loyal corporate sponsor of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, and no doubt, we’ll miss her generous contributions to the organization.  I’ll remember her kindly as I peer through my Alpen spotting scope in the years to come.  Wishing you nothing but the best in the future, Vickie.

“It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.” — Earnie Harwell

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – Alpen Outdoor Corporation (Alpen Optics) will be ceasing all operations and closing its doors effective Feb. 28, 2018.

Many factors, including family health issues, a difficult business climate, competitive dynamics and factory production challenges have led owners Tim and Vickie Gardner to this tough decision.

“I want to express my love and gratitude to all the awesome friends I’ve made over the last 22 years,” Vickie Gardner, VP of STUFF and Marketing for Alpen Optics, said. “Just thinking of everyone gives me a big warm feeling, puts a gigantic smile on my face and leaves me with a bittersweet heart. I want to thank each and every one of you for your loyal support and love over the years. I guess Winnie the Pooh said it best, ‘How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.'”

Established in 1996, Alpen Optics has provided best quality optics, including binoculars, spotting scopes, rifle scopes and accessories at affordable prices to hunters, birders, wildlife watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Over the years, Alpen Optics has been presented a number of awards celebrating the optics top-of-the-line quality, durability, impressive design and affordability. Thanks to these qualities, Alpen has developed a loyal customers base that is truly valued and appreciated and will be deeply missed by both Tim and Vickie.

“It is now time to start a new chapter in our lives, and we sincerely thank you for your past support and friendship,” Vickie said. “Happy trails to you until we meet again. Love and blessings from Tim and Vickie.”

About Alpen Optics
Alpen Optics has won seven Outdoor Life Great Buy Awards (more than any other optics company), one Outdoor Life Editor’s Choice Award and one Field & StreamBest of the Best Award.

Optics

Michigan’s hand netting season opens Thursday, dip netting March 20

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers about netting seasons as we get closer to spring. The hand netting season opens Thursday, March 1, and closes May 31, while the dip netting season opens Tuesday, March 20, and also closes May 31.

The following species can be taken during both seasons: bowfin, carp, goldfish, gizzard shad, longnose gar, smelt and suckers. Waters open to hand netting include all Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and the St. Marys River including all tributaries to those waters from the mouth to a half-mile upstream. Waters open to dip netting include all Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula streams, except Designated Trout Streams.

All other waters are closed to these activities; visit michigan.gov/dnrdigests for full details.

The use of seines, hand nets and dip nets for minnows is allowed all year on all waters (except Designated Trout Streams and those waters closed to minnow harvest) while cast nets can be used for alewives, minnows, smelt and gizzard shad all year on the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and the St. Marys River.

For those interested in dipping for smelt later this spring, visit the DNR’s smelt dipping and fishing opportunities page online.

Fishing

Airgun Video Channels Feeling Anti-Gun Pressure

YouTube, Facebook are canceling, closing and suspending accounts that include shooting-related content. Airgun Wire editor Tom McHale says he’s getting “a continuous stream of reports on sites that are summarily shut down or have received ‘strikes’ that will ultimately lead to a permanent shutdown.” He’s following the story- closely- and will have a full report and suggestions for actions shooting enthusiasts can take in today’s edition of the Airgun Wire. If you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up for a subscription at http://www.airgunwire.com.
Gun Control

Dicks, Field & Stream Stop AR Sales, Call for “Common-sense Legislation”

Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS) along with its Field & Stream Stores have stopped selling AR-style rifles. The immediate cessation was announced yesterday by Dick’s CEO Edward W. Stack who also announced the stores would also no longer sell “high-capacity magazines or firearms to anyone under 21 years old. Stack also called for “common sense gun reform” along with regulations that would ban “assault style weapons,” raise the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21, and require universal background checks that included “relevant health information and previous interactions with the law.”
NSSF Responds to Dick’s Decision

We respect the right of all companies to make the decisions they believe are appropriate for their business. Nonetheless, we are disappointed by the decision of Dick’s Sporting Goods to stop selling modern sporting rifles at its 35 Field & Stream stores, to cease sales of certain magazines and to raise the purchase age to 21 for all firearms at all its stores. We note that the Dick’s Sporting Goods announcement acknowledges the vast majority of gun owners are responsible and law-abiding. Indeed, they are and should not be penalized for the actions of criminals.

Members of our industry believe that unauthorized individuals should never have access to any firearm, of any kind, at any time. On behalf of our industry, NSSF supports effective solutions to achieve that goal, which is shared by all Americans. NSSF strongly supports and calls upon Congress to immediately pass the Fix NICS bill – named after our program of the same name – to increase the reporting of all disqualifying criminal and applicable mental health records to the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database to increase the effectiveness of the system on which our nation’s retailers depend. We will continue our work on that vitally important initiative, as well our other programs that work every day to help enhance public safety, including Project ChildSafe, the Don’t Lie for the Other Guy anti-straw purchasing program and Operation Secure Store programs that we conduct in cooperation with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Gun Control

FixNICS: U.S. Senate to Address Firearms Background Checks

Action Alert! Contact your senator today and ask them to vote “YES” on Senate Bill 2135 that will make the National Instant Criminal Background Check System more complete. You can contact your two U.S. senators by calling (202) 224-3121 and following the prompts or can email them using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.

The firearm industry and hunting organizations have united to support legislation to address deficiencies in the background-check system for the purchase of firearms. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was established 20 years ago to prevent those prohibited by law from obtaining a firearm. Unfortunately, the NICS system depends on states and the federal government to provide updates to the database, which has not always been done effectively.

To address this issue, the National Shooting Sports Foundation launched its Fix NICS initiative in 2013 to encourage and assist states to submit all appropriate disqualifying criminal and adjudicated mental health records. While the effort to Fix NICS has yielded a 200-percent increase in records submissions, the work is not done yet as many states still do not submit all appropriate records that would disqualify individuals from legally purchasing firearms.

Senate Bill 2135 provides incentives for states to submit up-to-date information to NICS and punishes agencies that fail to do so, while also holding the federal government accountable for including and processing those records in the background check system.

The “Fix NICS” act could be voted on in the U.S. Senate as early as this week.

All sportsmen want to make sure firearms are not sold to criminals and those with serious mental health problems. Please call your two U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to support S.2135 Read more

Firearms
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