FN Awarded Army Contract for M240L Machine Guns, Titanium Receivers

(McLean, VA) FN America, LLC is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract, valued up to $49,973,579, to supply the U.S. Army with M240L medium machines and titanium receivers. The M240L, roughly 18-percent lighter than the M240B, was officially adopted in 2010 after a joint effort by FN and the U.S. Army to reduce the overall weight while maintaining performance and durability of the machine gun.

“The M240L is the product of a collaborative effort between FN, the Army and the individual soldier to further enhance the M240B to be more effective for the warfighter,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America, LLC. “The development saw the introduction of new materials along with new manufacturing techniques that have paved the way for the future generation of military equipment. I am extremely proud of the innovation and ingenuity that went into the development of the M240L and look forward to working with the U.S. Army to deliver against this contract.”

The joint efforts between FN, the Army to reduce the overall weight burden to the soldier resulted in a major leap forward in the materials and manufacturing methods for today’s machine guns. The M240L has been the cutting-edge for lightweight medium machine guns with an overall weight reduction of 5 pounds from the M240B without any impact to performance or longevity. The 18-percent weight reduction was achieved by incorporating titanium into the design, including the receiver, and introducing new manufacturing methods to adjust for the material properties. The M240 general purpose machine gun, derived from the FN MAG 58, was adopted by the U.S. military in the late 1970s, and has been in continual service since being introduced. Read more

Firearms

Michigan: 2022 Black Lake sturgeon season wraps within 36 minutes

2022 Black Lake sturgeon season wraps within 36 minutes; results announced

After only 36 minutes of fishing, this year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties) ended at 8:36 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 5. The season, which included spearing and hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 5-9, or until the harvest limit quota of six lake sturgeon had been reached.

Anglers initially were allocated a season quota of seven sturgeon, but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources set the harvest limit at six fish. This action helps accommodate the expected number of anglers and anticipate the possibility of near-simultaneous harvest of more than one fish.

There were 565 registered anglers, including a good number of supervised youth. According to the DNR, five sturgeon harvested were male and one was a female, ranging from 46 to 62 inches long and 23 to 67 pounds in weight.

      • The first fish was a 59.5-inch female that weighed 48 pounds.
      • Fish number two, the largest fish, was a 62-inch male that weighed 67 pounds.
      • Fish three was a 47-inch male that checked in at 25 pounds.
      • Fish four was a 57-inch male that weighed 45 pounds.
      • The fifth fish was a 46-inch male that weighed 23 pounds.
      • The sixth fish was a 56-inch male that weighed 35 pounds.

    Read more

Fishing

CCRKBA Rips Biden’s “Continued Lies” About Gun Rights

BELLEVUE, WA – Joe Biden went off-script again during his remarks to the media in New York City when he repeated two blatant falsehoods, one about the Second Amendment and the other about a federal law that prevents junk lawsuits against gunmakers, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

“When it comes to gun rights and the Second Amendment, Joe Biden is a recidivist congenital liar,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “The guy just can’t resist perpetuating a lie that’s already gotten him into trouble with the Washington Post Fact Checker, earning an embarrassing ‘Four Pinocchios,’ but he continues to misrepresent history and the right to keep and bear arms.”

In New York, Biden told reporters, “There’s no amendment that’s absolute. When the amendment was passed, it didn’t say anybody can own a gun — any kind of gun — and any kind of weapon.”

“The Second Amendment did not place limits on the kinds of arms people could own, nor did it say anything about who could own guns,” Gottlieb said. “Biden is making that up out of thin air.”

Biden also restated his hope to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a federal law that prevents junk lawsuits against the firearms industry. Gun makers can still be sued for such things as negligence, and Biden knows it. Read more

Gun Control

FPC Statement on President Biden’s Latest Attack on Gun Rights

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) released the following statement in response to President Biden’s latest attack on Second Amendment rights:

President Biden and his administration have cemented themselves as authoritarians on the wrong side of history, tradition, and the Constitution. His proposals announced today are another volley of shots aimed at undermining the fundamental right to keep and bear arms and putting more people in cages for exercising their rights. While Bloomberg-funded extremists spin their ban policies as mere “regulations,” Joe Biden clarified today what we all knew to be true: He does indeed want to take your guns.

Biden’s use of incendiary terms like “ghost guns” has one purpose: cause undue fear and obfuscate the truth, a cheap tactic to force his policy preferences on the People. And we see through it. Firearms Policy Coalition is committed to exposing anti-gun propoganda for what it is, and we will continue to open the eyes of our nation’s courts to the disingenuous strategies employed by unscrupulous lawmakers with regard to gun control the Second Amendment. Read more

Gun Control

Federal Ammunition Expands Its HammerDown Lineup

ANOKA, Minnesota –– Federal Ammunition is proud to announce three new loads in the industry’s only ammunition product line truly designed for optimal cycling and overall performance from the time-tested, lever-action rifle platform. Federal successfully launched Its HammerDown line in 2020, and now the company is expanding that product line’s options to include the 45 Colt, 35 Remington and 444 Marlin cartridges.

“Our goal for HammerDown was to deliver enhanced performance in any lever-action rifle. HammerDown provides the velocity and terminal performance required to be an effective and ethical hunting round for big game,” said Federal Ammunition Centerfire Rifle Product Manager Eric Miller. “With the addition of the 45 Colt, 35 Remington and 444 Marlin options to our lineup, that performance is now available to a broader audience of hunters and shooters.”

The velocities of all-new HammerDown offerings are customized to produce superior ballistics and terminal performance through lever-action barrel lengths. The construction of the molecularly bonded soft point bullets has also been adjusted for the best accuracy and expansion at those velocities. The geometry of each round’s case, bullet and cartridge ensures flawless cycling through tubular magazine and typical lever-action feeding systems. HammerDown is now offered in .45 Colt, 35 Remington and 444 Marlin in addition to the original loadings of 30-30 Win., 357 Magnum, 327 Federal and 44 Rem. Magnum. Read more

Ammunition

Bullet HP from Convergent Hunting Solutions

Euless, TX — Convergent Hunting Solutions offers predator hunters the ultimate package in the Bullet HP Kit. Featuring a Bluetooth electronic game call, Picatinny phone mount, full sound library, and camo carry bag. The new system is sure to help predator hunters call in more critters.

Created by professional predator hunter Byron South, Convergent game calls are made in the USA and deliver premium sound quality at an incredible value. Tested extensively from the piney woods of East Texas to the deserts of Northern Nevada, Convergent game calls provide the best sound thanks to industry-leading technology, effective volume control and unparalleled clarity of sound that’s sure to up your game.

The Bullet HP is Convergent’s flagship electronic call, and it allows hunters to pair a smartphone with the call up to 300 feet away. Unlike older calls with megaphone-style speakers, the Bullet HP features a conical design for premium sound quality in any environment. The call is Android and Apple compatible and allows for complete control of the unit via five different sound apps, including coyote, deer, hog, turkey, and crow. The unit offers a loud, clear sound and is powered by an integrated Li-ION battery with over 10 hours of run time. At just 2.9 lbs., the Bullet HP is easy to carry, features a built-in decoy and ground spike, and doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for your favorite music.

A fantastic value, Convergent offers the Bullet HP in a Complete Game Calling System that is perfect for run-and-gun situations; the system is incredibly lightweight and versatile. In addition, the weapon-mounted phone mount is ideal for AR-15-type rifles and puts call control at your fingertips with minimal movement, giving you the ultimate edge against coyotes and other wary predators. Read more

Hunting

onX Hunt Debuts Application Season Tools

Missoula, Montana — onX Hunt has partnered with three of the top hunting-related service providers in the industry to offer Elite members a comprehensive hub to help successfully draw hunting tags across the country.

As the influx of new hunters continues to grow, and hunting regulations get more complex, it has become harder for hunters to navigate the process and find success. With onX Hunt’s new application tools, Elite members can get expert assistance through exclusive partners.

Elite members now have complimentary access to Toprut, Huntin’ Fool and HuntReminder as part of the membership package. Combined, this gives onX Hunt users an immediate support system as they seek out hunting permits.

“The processes vary so much state by state, and often are confusing even to the residents,” said Dylan Dowson, Big Game Vertical Manager at onX Hunt. “By combining the power of onX Hunt with the expert guidance of our partners, Elite members will find it worlds easier to apply for the hunts they want, and see greater odds of success—both in the draw and in the field.” Read more

Hunting

New Garmin inReach Mini 2

Lightweight and compact handheld adds Garmin Explore app capability and navigation features so you can explore with confidence

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OLATHE, KS – Garmin® International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN), today announced the inReach® Mini 2, a compact satellite communication device with two-way texting and SOS capabilities1. Purpose-built to support outdoor enthusiasts of all skill levels, the lightweight inReach Mini 2 communicator provides up to 30 days of battery life2, as well as integrated location and situational awareness features such as TracBack navigation and Garmin Explore™ Mobile app compatibility. Explorers will feel confident knowing the inReach Mini 2 provides two-way text messaging, location tracking, and weather updates thanks to the global Iridium® satellite network. Additionally, should an emergency occur, inReach Mini 2 users can trigger an interactive SOS message to the Garmin IERCC, a 24/7 staffed professional emergency response coordination center.

“Whether on a casual afternoon hike or climbing a mountain on an extended expedition, inReach Mini 2 is the perfect choice for a rugged, ultra-light tool to help you stay connected with friends and family around the clock. Its compact size, robust location features, and significantly increased battery life add peace of mind to any trip without adding weight to your pack,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales. “Moments of communication can become critical on any adventure and the best plan is to always be prepared, which is why Garmin satellite communicators, like inReach Mini 2, have become trusted tools for anyone who ventures outdoors.” Read more

General

Anglers and Divers: Discover More, Faster with Raymarine and CMOR

Learn how to get the most out of CMOR Mapping’s remarkable high-resolution seafloor maps with Raymarine technology

The best diving and bottom-fishing spots are the ones that don’t show up on paper or digital charts and aren’t marked on commercially available fishing maps. They’re the forgotten wrecks, the isolated reefs, the ledges hidden between the contour lines — the kinds of places that take hundreds of hours on the water and countless dollars in fuel to find.

CMOR Mapping’s chartplotter-compatible bathymetry clearly reveals those spots. With resolution as high as one meter (each pixel represents a single square meter of bottom) and coverage of the entire bottom, anglers, divers and other treasure seekers can see every bump in remarkable detail. And just as important, they’ll see the areas of featureless underwater desert – areas where they don’t need to spend time looking – just as clearly. Read more

Fishing

NICS Checks Still Strong

By — Jim Shepherd

When the NSSF’s Adjusted FBI National Criminal Background System report hit yesterday, it didn’t take long to separate pessimists from optimists. If you are positively inclined, you noticed that there was a drop, but even with that, January 2022 represented the thirtieth consecutive month of more than one million NICS checks.

If you’re not so positively inclined (looking at you Wall Street), you only saw the 42 percent decrease compared to January 2021 (1,190,856 versus 2,052,130, respectively).

Without perspective, those numbers look like there might be an impending, cataclysmic drop in sales.

The adjusted NICS numbers don’t give much insight into what guns are still in demand, but it’s safe to say the small compact handgun (top) like this Mossberg are getting plenty of attention. At the same time, the modern sporting rifle (below) numbers may have dropped, but they’re still selling well across the country. OWDN photos.

However, as the old song by the Gershwin brothers goes, “it ain’t necessarily so…” (only music newbies think Bronski Beat originated the song). Last January was a very high bar to meet, much less top.

January 2021’s numbers included three of the top-10 weeks and one top-10 single day for the highest number of NICS checks on record.

So you’d be splitting pretty fine hairs to say that the industry’s hit a slump. A slowing, maybe, but not a slowdown. If you believe demand’s not there, you need to visit a retailer and check out both the gun cabinets and ammo shelves. We’re not out of the supply-and-demand woods by a long shot.

Of course, you need to recognize that the NICS numbers represent only the number of background checks, not the actual number of guns sold, nor any corollary between new/used units or sales dollars. There are also a number of states that have at least one qualified alternative permit that allows a permit holder to purchase from licensed dealers without a separate background check.

The NSSF’s Mark Oliva has a solid perspective on the numerology -and the inferences that can be drawn from them. “The NSSF Adjusted FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System report of 1,190,856 shows us that there is a continued interest in firearm ownership in America,” he says, “Everyone is looking for what the “new” normal will be coming off those outsized years of background checks for the purchase of a gun, January’s figure of nearly 1.2 million shows that America’s demand for lawful gun ownership continues at a healthy and sustainable pace. “

“Healthy and sustainable” – not a bad projection for any business. Now if the ammo could catch up…..

Firearms
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