Firearms Industry Releases 2018 Midterm Election Scorecard

NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries, released its 2018 Congressional Scorecard in advance of the upcoming midterm elections to assist voters when deciding which incumbent candidates, based on their voting records, are most likely to support their ability to purchase firearms and to exercise their Constitutional rights.

The scorecard is an assessment of several years of voting records on 10 key issues affecting firearms, ammunition, hunting and the shooting sports. It can be found by visiting www.nssf.org, then clicking the tabs for Government Relations and then Legislative Action Center. The voting records include such issues as concealed carry reciprocity, expanding access to public hunting lands and votes on Supreme Court nominees.

The score reflects the voting record and is not an endorsement of a particular candidate.
“The National Shooting Sports Foundation is following a practice similar to that of other trade associations that report on how candidates voted on issues impacting their ability to conduct the lawful commerce in arms and encouraging participation in hunting and the shooting sports,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Government and Public Affairs. “It was clear in the last presidential election that the ability to freely exercise Second Amendment rights and fully participate in the shooting sports was a deciding factor for many voters. Members of our industry, gun owners and sportsmen and sportswomen are strongly urged to participate in this election and should be fully informed of how their prospective Members of Congress vote on the issues impacting their livelihood and recreational activities.”

The scorecard is an extension of NSSF’s #GUNVOTE® voter education campaign. #GUNVOTE allows voters to enter their information and find out who their candidates are, where they stand on firearms-related issues and steps to cast a ballot. NSSF urges all voters, “Don’t Risk Your Rights” and visit www.gunvote.org. Read more

Firearms

Michigan: more than 21 million fish stocked in 2018 means great fishing opportunities

Rainbow trout, chinook salmon, steelhead and seven other species and one hybrid were among the 21,116,476 fish – weighing a combined 333 tons – stocked in Michigan’s public waters so far this year.

DNR staff made 381 trips to nearly 800 stocking sites including Great Lakes, inland lakes and rivers. Eighteen specialized trucks traveled 103,618 miles and 2,619 hours to deliver the valuable cargo.

The number and type of fish stocked varies depending on stocking requests, hatchery rearing assignments, and the source and temperature of each facility’s rearing water. Michigan has six state hatcheries and two cooperative hatcheries that together produce the species, strain and size of fish requested by fisheries managers. These fish are delivered at a specific time and location to ensure their survival and success. Read more

Fishing

Michigan leaders in environmental and outdoor education honored for efforts

At the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education annual conference earlier this month in Port Huron, 10 alliance members were honored for their work. Outgoing alliance board president Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck said these award-winners have “devoted hours and careers to promoting environmental literacy in Michigan.”

Each year, five award levels are open to competitive nominations, including the two highest honors: the Julian W. Smith Outdoor Education Award and the William B. Stapp Environmental Education Award. This year’s winners include: Read more

Wildlife

SAF Joins California Groups Suing Riverside County, Sheriff Over CCW Policies

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation has joined in a federal lawsuit challenging Riverside County, California and Sheriff Stanley Sniff over the county’s handgun carry license policies, which plaintiffs assert are unconstitutional.

Joining SAF in this legal action are the Calguns Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, Firearms Policy Foundation and Madison Society Foundation, and a private citizen, Arie Van Nieuwenhuyzen, a legal resident alien who lives in Riverside County. They are represented by Attorney George M. Lee of Seiler Epstein Ziegler & Applegate, a San Francisco law firm.

“This is not the first time we’ve been involved in a legal action on behalf of a legal resident alien,” noted SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyzen came to this country decades ago and has lived in Riverside for more than 30 years. While he retains his citizenship in The Netherlands, he has raised a family here and operated a business. He is a productive member of the community. Read more

Gun Control, Self Defense

Timberwolf Large 10mm/45ACP Polymer Frame


Priest River, ID: Lone Wolf Distributors announces the pre-sale of new Timberwolf Large 10mm/45ACP polymer frame.

For the past few years, Lone Wolf has been talking about the release of a 10mm/45ACP sized frame in their Timberwolf polymer frame line. According to a recent email release from Lone Wolf: “the time for talking up “vaporware” has passed!” The new Timberwolf Large frames have come to fruition and they are now accepting pre-orders while they wait for the final patent process to take effect.

Based on the Glock platform, they are compatible with any G20, 21, 40, or G41 slide and incorporate enhanced ergonomics, including an ultra-low bore axis, and a true 1911-style grip angle. Also, Lone Wolf touts the new Timberwolf Large frames as only being fractionally larger overall in grip circumference than a Glock 17 frame. A “9mm-sized frame”, but with a major power upgrade! The new frames are being sold either bare, bare + parts kit, or fully built, with a starting MSRP of only $124.95. Read more

Firearms

GLOCK Defeats SIG SAUER’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction in Patent Infringement Case

GLOCK refers to media reports discussing pending patent litigation between SIG Sauer, Inc. and GLOCK GmbH.

In January 2018, SIG Sauer, Inc. (SIG) filed a patent infringement suit together with a motion for a preliminary injunction against Glock GmbH (GLOCK Austria) in the Commercial Court Vienna, Austria.

SIG´s motion requested the court to prevent GLOCK from manufacturing and selling some of its most popular pistol models. SIG´s motion for a preliminary injunction was dismissed by the court because GLOCK successfully proved that SIG´s patent is invalid. SIG did not appeal this important ruling, so it is a final decision.

The remaining case in the Commercial Court Vienna is currently stayed because GLOCK filed a motion for a declaration of invalidity of the disputed patent with the Austrian Patent Office in April 2018.

It is highly likely that the Patent Office will grant GLOCK´s motion and declare the disputed SIG patent null and void because GLOCK proved during the preliminary injunction court proceeding that the SIG patent is invalid. Read more

Firearms

NMMA: Ups and Downs of Trade War Continue

It has been nearly a year since the trade war commenced, with the landscape changing almost daily. NMMA is encouraged by some developments, but tariffs on the recreational boating industry continue to take their toll.

In late September, with a deadline only minutes away, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico reached a deal to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The new agreement – officially referred to as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – was heralded by NMMA President, Thom Dammrich and NMMA Canada President, Sara Anghel as, “excellent news for the recreational boating industry and countless others that rely on the free flow of goods in North America.” Dammrich and Anghel also applauded President Nieto, President Trump, and Prime Minster Trudeau for striking the deal and called on all three countries to immediately review and approve the agreement. Read more

Fishing

Joe’s First Archery Buck a Good One

By Glen Wunderlich

Longtime friend, Joe Reynolds, had never taken a whitetail buck with archery equipment in some 20 years afield.  However, he did manage to get a doe with a compound bow and a shot that was so bad it was good.  The fatal shot, which was aimed for the typical kill zone of the lungs, was so far off target that it hit the neck and dropped the animal in seconds.  Apart from that one errant arrow and other missed opportunities, and including a careless moment with his crossbow landing him in the emergency room to get his thumb sewn back on, his archery hunting experiences had been rather uneventful.

As a member of the seasoned-citizen ranks, Joe made the switch to a crossbow, when they were made legal for general use in archery season.  The Parker bow would propel its bolts at 352 feet per second with impressive accuracy, but had yet to be tested on a whitetail deer; late afternoon with only minutes of available light remaining a week ago, that all changed.

The call came over the two-way radio, “I just shot a buck!”  He explained that the arrow had hit its mark at 42 yards and was confirmed with an audible “thwack!”  The lighted nock disappeared, as it entered near the shoulder and the potential prize accelerated in high gear and vanished into the woods.

We agreed to wait it out so as not to push the animal into the next county.  Gathering some flashlights and a field dressing kit, that had been assembled in advance, we set out to solve the mystery at 9pm.  Finding no clues at the scene of the incident, we began to search a perpendicular path of the deer’s flight, where Joe had seen it last.  Again, we found no sign.

Joe had a good idea of the approximate line the deer had traveled, so we used our lights in an attempt to locate a blood trail.  Evidence escaped us, as we continued the valiant effort – the effort to discover that red light at the end of the bolt.  Nearly an hour had passed before that blinking light got my attention on the ground ahead.  We had gotten our first clue.

The bolt had finally worked loose and most likely was separated from the deer in some brush but other than a few drops of blood on the ground, we had nothing else to follow.  We stuck to some well-worn trails and about 30 minutes later found more blood that had leaked from the wound channel.  I began randomly searching with the intense beam of an LED flashlight, when I saw the unmistakable white under-belly of the big buck.

We fastened the drag strap to the tall 8-point rack

Joe Reynolds’ Shiawassee County, Michigan Archery Buck

and began the arduous task of dragging Joe’s first archery buck into the open where it was loaded into the bed of a waiting truck. 

Had crossbows not be legalized in Michigan, I’m sure Joe’s archery hunting days would have been finished years ago.  But, the aid of a lighted nock, a modern crossbow, and a good dose of persistence had translated into a memory that will be replayed through the years.

Hunting

Winchester Repeating Arms Adds Sporter Model to the XPR Rifle Line

XPR Sporter Rifle

For hunters that prefer the appearance and warmth of a wood stock, Winchester Repeating Arms® has introduced a new Sporter model to the XPR® bolt-action rifle line.

The new rifle features a close-grained Grade I walnut stock with crisp checkering on the pistol grip and fore-end for a classic look and feel. A flattened fore-end profile provides added stability when shooting from sandbags or a rest.

At the heart of any accurate rifle is the barrel and the XPR Sporter does not disappoint. The top-quality chromoly steel barrel is button rifled and thermally stress relieved. A target-style crown protects the rifling. The action is precision bedded to ensure the barrel is free-floating.

The XPR Sporter comes in 12 popular calibers from 243 Win. to 338 Win. Mag. — including the 6.5 Creedmoor round. Barrel lengths are 22″ for short action calibers, 24″ for short magnum and standard long action rounds and 26″ for magnum calibers.

The XPR Sporter sells for an MSRP of $599.99. Read more

Firearms

Browning Offers Hunters Long Distance Accuracy with the New X-Bolt Pro Long Range Rifle

Browning X-Bolt Pro Long Range

The new Browning X-Bolt Pro Long Range rifle is built to offer hunters top accuracy at extended ranges. This bolt-action rifle features the exclusive Second Generation carbon fiber stock that has been designed for unmatched rigidity and all-weather stability, while reducing overall weight. Textured gripping surfaces and a right-hand palm swell aid in control and a Cerakote Burnt Bronze Finish is applied to the stock for added protection.

The barrel and receiver are stainless steel and feature a tough Cerakote Burnt Bronze finish for added resistance to corrosion. A spiral fluted bolt body and bolt handle are also included.

Combining pinpoint accuracy with mountain-friendly weight savings, the barrel is a heavy sporter contour in 26″ length. A proprietary lapping process enhances the bore finish for improved accuracy straight from the box. The barrel is free-floated and hand chambered. A recoil-reducing threaded muzzle brake is attached with 5/8″-24 TPI suppressor threads, and a thread protector is included for when the muzzle brake is not required. The target crown protects the rifling to preserve accuracy.

The X-Bolt Pro Long Range Rifle is available in eight popular calibers, including 6.5 Creedmoor, and has an MSRP of $2,099.99 – $2,179.99 depending on caliber. Read more

Firearms
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