ThinkingAfield.org

Escort’s FieldHunter Youth Shotgun Offers Exceptional Combination of Performance and Value

September 15, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

Rogers, AR (September 14, 2022) – HatsanUSA, the exclusive U.S. distributor of Escort Shotguns, is proud to showcase the Escort FieldHunter Youth. This pump-action shotgun is engineered for youth and smaller framed shooters of all levels.

The FieldHunter Youth is a 20 gauge, with a 3-inch chamber that can handle a variety of shots, including steel (with specific chokes). The included multi-choke system includes five chokes (F, IM, M, IC, CYL). The versatility of multiple size chokes, plus the capability to shoot 2 ¾ in. to 3 in. shotgun shells, makes it the perfect youth shotgun for every hunting adventure, including upland birds, small game, waterfowl, and turkey. A migratory plug can be installed for 2+1 capacity and removed for a complete 4+1 capacity.

To ensure durability, Escort has designed the FieldHunter Youth with a synthetic polymer stock and forend that features textured grips, and an aircraft-grade aluminum alloy receiver is fully anodized that sports a well-designed 11mm groove for optics mounts. The chrome-plated, 22-inch barrel pulls everything together utilizing a 7mm checkered and ventilated anti-glare rib ending with a classic brass bead. Read more

Firearms

FPC Files Lawsuit Challenging New York “Sensitive Location” Handgun Carry Bans

September 15, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

BUFFALO, NY – Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced today that it has filed a new Second Amendment lawsuit challenging New York’s “sensitive location” handgun carry bans in public parks, public transportation, and all private property without express consent. The complaint in Boron v. Bruen can be viewed at FPCLegal.org.

“Collectively, New York’s ‘sensitive location’ and ‘restricted location’ designations, and Defendants’ enforcement of them, are a de facto ban on the fundamental, individual right to bear arms in public virtually everywhere,” argues the complaint. “Indeed, asked by reporters where New York carry license-holders would be able to legally exercise their rights after enactment of S51001, New York Governor Kathy Hochul could only affirm that New Yorkers have their Second Amendment rights to peaceably carry for self-defense on ‘[p]robably some streets.’”

“New York’s so-called ‘Bruen response bill’ is a hastily assembled wish list of gun control enacted by a legislature whose world view had just been rocked by the Supreme Court,” said FPC Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “When single-party majorities enact poorly drafted, ill-conceived and unconstitutional legislation, FPC Law will step up and challenge them in the courts, as we have today in the Western District of New York.” Read more

Gun Control

Federal Ammunition Awarded 5-Year, $114M Army Contract

September 15, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

ANOKA, Minnesota – September 15, 2022 – Federal Ammunition has been awarded a 5-year contract to produce the United States Army’s 5.56mm training ammunition valued at $114 million dollars. AA40 5.56mm frangible ammunition is used by the U.S. military branches in rifles and carbines chambered for this caliber for training.

“This contract is historic,” said Jason Vanderbrink, President of Federal Ammunition. “It is the largest government contract awarded to Federal in its 100-years of operation and speaks volumes to the trust the United States military has in our American workforce assembling the best products for our servicemen and servicewomen.” Read more

Ammunition

Bear Creek Arsenal GENES1S

September 13, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

Sanford, NC – Bear Creek Arsenal®, an industry leader in AR-style rifles and components, announces the release of their first full-size handgun with the all-metal, GENES1S. Chambered in 9mm, the GENES1S adds the durability of 7075 T6 Aluminum and other valuable features to the tried-and-true striker-fired design.

The GENES1S comes with a 4.5” threaded Bear Claw fluted barrel made from 416R stainless steel, allowing for both tight groups and longer barrel life. It is also suppressor-ready with standard threads and a protective cap. Attaching flashlights, lasers, and other accessories is just as easy with the M1913 Picatinny rail underneath the slide.

The all-metal lower half of the GENES1S was designed for a comfortable and ergonomic feel in the hand, featuring aggressive stippling, a wider trigger guard, trigger safety, ambidextrous mag release, and a flared magwell for faster reloads. Read more

Firearms

Wildgame Innovations Spark 2.0 Combo

September 13, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

Serious hunters don’t have time to mess around, and neither does the new Spark 2.0 Combo trail camera from Wildgame Innovations. With hunting season coming up fast, the Spark 2.0 is ready to roll…right out of the store and onto your favorite scouting tree.

The Spark 2.0 is the latest Wildgame Innovations camera to deliver hard-hitting performance without busting a hole in your wallet. Better yet, the Spark 2.0 Combo comes with everything you need right out of the box, including eight AA batteries and a compatible SD card so you can quickly set up and capture the big ones before it’s “game on.”

Housed in a rugged, 3D-textured ABS thermoplastic polymer housing that secures to any tree or post with an included adjustable tree strap sporting alligator-style clips, the Spark 2.0 offers everything you need to record big bucks and log their movements in your hunting area. The advanced 18-megapixel image sensor captures still images in a 16:9 format for crisp, clear viewing on your mobile device or laptop. It also records 720 HD video to better monitor whitetail travel patterns. With a trigger speed under one second and a generous 70-foot detection range, the Spark 2.0 ensures reliable recording in the most challenging locations. Read more

Optics

LiteFighter Launches New Website

September 13, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

Roswell, Georgia (September 12th, 2022) – LiteFighter is the world’s largest provider of military tents. Now these durable, rugged, and easy-to-set-up, camouflage tents are available to all with the launch of LiteFighter’s new website. The LiteFighter website is divided up into two primary sections: Outdoor Gear and Military Sales.

Outdoor Gear – From their Recondo 1 Jungle Hammock to the Commando Field Trap, to the popular LF1 (1-man tent) to the 4 season CataMount 2, LiteFighter offers shelter systems that are not only going to withstand the elements but will also be the easy to set-up. Due to their origin and history in sheltering the U.S. Military, LiteFighter tents are designed for soldiers by soldiers, ensuring rugged durability.

Military Sales – LiteFighter offers the “Military Sales” side of the website to assist military customers request a quote, order through GCSS (Global Combat Support System) and look up products on the NSN (National Stock Number) Catalog. All the military products are made in the USA and are Berry Compliant. Read more

General

Knife Rights’ Ohio Knife Law Preemption Effective Today

September 13, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

Gilbert, Arizona – September 13, 2022 – Knife Rights’ Ohio Knife Law Preemption bill signed earlier this year by Gov. DeWine takes effect today. This is the culmination of years of Knife Rights’ efforts in Ohio.

Last year that resulted in the repeal of Ohio’s ban on manufacture and sale of switchblades. That bill also cleared up the vague, confusing, and too often abused, Ohio law regarding carry of any knife by defining a knife, razor or cutting instrument as a “deadly weapon” or “weapon” ONLY if it is used as a weapon. That change also allowed concealed carry of knives in the state.

Knife Law Preemption now makes those reforms applicable statewide. Numerous cities and towns in Ohio are no longer able to ban knives that are perfectly legal under Ohio’s statutes. It is a great feeling to be able to add another “green” state with which we are now finished to our map of accomplishments. Check it out at:KnifeRights.org/about/accomplishments

Cutlery

DNR proposes increase to Chinook salmon stocking in Lake Michigan

September 12, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

After decades of fish stocking decreases to balance the alewife and Chinook salmon populations, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeing good indicators that a modest stocking increase may be warranted in Lake Michigan.

To discuss this proposal and receive public feedback, the DNR will host a virtual meeting Monday, Sept. 19, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

“We have seen several years of good Chinook salmon growth and have a slight increase in the alewife biomass, or abundance of those fish,” said Jay Wesley, the DNR’s Lake Michigan basin coordinator. “Although the alewife biomass is a fraction of what it was historically, we have a good 2021-year class and have seen up to six-year classes of alewives in our fisheries surveys – that means there are up to six different age groups in the current population of alewife.”

A “year class” refers to all of the fish of any species hatched, either through natural reproduction or through fish-rearing efforts, during that year’s spawning period.

Wesley said that a recently run predator-prey model also suggests that Lake Michigan has a good ratio of Chinook to alewife biomass, which is one of many indicators used to inform stocking decisions.

“The proposed 54% increase from 650,000 to 1 million spring fingerlings is a modest increase compared to the estimated 4.5 million wild Chinook salmon in Lake Michigan,” said Wesley. “It will allow us to increase numbers at sites like Charlevoix that contribute to the entire lake fishery and reinstate stocking sites like Ludington State Park and Fairport.”

Meeting details Read more

Fishing

Gun Control Behind Our Backs

September 12, 2022 Glen Wunderlich

From Jim Shepherd

On Friday, another shot was fired – quietly- at the gun industry. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), voted to create a “special code” for gun stores to use when processing credit and debit card transactions. Proponents of the move are quick to point out that other business categories already have these categories.

That may be true, but this isn’t being done as a simple business move. It’s a calculated move to circumvent regulations preventing federal tracking of gun sales.

As described by Priscilla Sims Brown, the president and CEO of Amalgamated Bank (the bank that requested the ISO category) in her statement of support, the new category will allow Amalgamated to “fully comply with our duty to report suspicious activity and illegal gun sales to authorities without blocking or impeding legal gun sales.”

She also said “we all have to do our part to prevent gun violence.”

A couple of important points spring to mind: 1) where are the definitions of “suspicious activities” on a credit card, and 2) if she has a “duty to report” those suspicious activities, to whom would that report be given? Read more

Gun Control