SAF, Defense Distributed Win Court Victory in 3D Gun Case

BELLEVUE, WA – The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously ruled that New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is “subject to the jurisdiction of Texas courts” in a First Amendment case brought by Defense Distributed, a Texas-based firm, and the Second Amendment Foundation.

The case revolves around plaintiffs’ distribution of materials related to the 3D printing of firearms. Defense Distributed and SAF contend Grewal’s efforts to prevent publication of the information online violates their First Amendment rights. Grewal has been fighting to stay out of Texas federal court in this case. He is one of nine Attorneys General to file suit in the Western District of Washington to enjoin the State Department from authorizing the release of Defense Distributed’s files. The opinion may be read here.

However, just before Grewal and his colleagues sued in Washington state, SAF and Defense Distributed filed their own legal action in the Western District of Texas challenging what they say is “select enforcement actions taken by the state Attorneys General.” Grewal, according to court documents, moved to dismiss “for lack of personal jurisdiction.”

“No one is above the law or the constitution, not even attorney General Grewal,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “If you trample on the First Amendment rights of gun owners trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights, you will be headed for trouble.”

In its ruling, the 5th Circuit noted, “Grewal’s conduct beyond sending the cease-and-desist letter confirms his intent to crush Defense Distributed’s operations and not simply limit the dissemination of digital files in New Jersey. Grewal’s enforcement actions are selective. Read more

Firearms, Gun Control

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is Upheld

Most native birds in North America are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which was passed in 1918 and upheld last week in federal court (Whimbrel photo by Paul Konrad).

Last week a federal judge upheld the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, halting attempted changes to the letter of the most important bird protection legislation ever passed. United States District Court Judge Valerie Caproni ruled that the legal opinion that serves as the basis for the Trump administration rollback of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) does not align with the intent and language of the 100 year old law. In her ruling, Judge Caproni found that the policy “runs counter to the purpose of the MBTA to protect migratory bird populations” and is “contrary to the plain meaning of the MBTA.”

The ruling makes it clear that the administration must halt its attempt to roll back the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Last week’s decision comes in response to a series of lawsuits filed in 2018 by eight state governments and several national conservation groups, including the National Audubon Society. To review Audubon’s news release, see https://www.audubon.org/news/victory-federal-judge-rules-administrations-bird-killing-policy-illegal You can also review the legal decision at https://nas-national-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/2020-08-11_mbta_decision.pdf

Wildlife

Secretary Bernhardt Announces Historic Expansion of Hunting and Fishing Opportunities on Public Lands

New hunting and fishing opportunities across 2.3 million acres at 138 national wildlife refuges and nine national fish hatcheries

SAGINAW, MI – Continuing the Trump Administration’s unprecedented efforts to increase recreational access on public lands, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced today at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge the historic opening and expansion of over 850 hunting and fishing opportunities across more than 2.3 million acres at 147 national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries. This rule is the single largest expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) in history.

“On the heels of President Trump signing the most significant conservation and recreation funding in US history, providing nearly $20 billion over the next 10 years to fix and conserve the American people’s public lands, the Trump Administration has now made an additional 2.3 million acres accessible to new hunting and fishing opportunities,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “We continue to take significant actions to further conservation initiatives and support sportsmen and women who are America’s true conservationists.”

The final rule opens or expands 859 hunting and fishing opportunities (an opportunity is defined as one species on one field station in one state). On top of last year’s expansion of 1.4 million acres for new or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities, this proposal would bring the Trump Administration’s total expansion to over 4 million acres nationwide.

“The Trump Administration and Secretary Bernhardt have made access to public lands for hunting and fishing and other outdoor recreation a priority beginning day one. Hunting and fishing are a part of our American history, and we continue to ensure we provide opportunities for these activities which epitomize our American heritage,” said Service Director Aurelia Skipwith. “Furthermore, we have maintained our commitment to promoting good government by reducing the regulatory burden by working with states to facilitate these outdoor activities.”

This rule increases the number of units in the Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System open to public hunting to 430 and those open to fishing to 360. The rule also formally brings the total number of National Fish Hatchery System units open to hunting or sport fishing to 21. Read more

Fishing, Hunting

National Shooting Sports Month Gains +ONE Gearbox Giveaway from Browning

NEWTOWN, Conn. – NSSF®, the firearm industry trade association, is pleased to announce that Browning has agreed to sponsor a “+ONESM” Gearbox Giveaway in support of 2020’s National Shooting Sports Month®.

Founded in Ogden, Utah, by John Moses Browning in 1878, Browning continues its storied legacy today with an expansive lineup of firearms such as the X-Bolt, A5 and Citori lines, as well as knives, firearm safes, ammunition, lighting products and hundreds of accessories for both hunters and target shooters.

The 2020 National Shooting Sports Month Browning’s “+ONE” Gearbox Giveaway, valued at more than $3,000, includes:

1 Citori CX over/under 12-gauge shotgun

1 Second Chance stag-and-ebony knife

1 Black/Gold shotgun case

1 Rumble USB-rechargeable lantern

1 Stoke 2.0 USB-rechargeable flashlight

1 Browning hat in Trapper Grey

1 Browning hat in Slope Loden

1 Browning Pastime-Skull hat

1 $500 certificate for purchasing Browning ammunition Read more

Ammunition, Firearms

Smith & Wesson Campaign to Support First-Time Gun Owners

SMITH & WESSON GUNSMARTS campaign set to inform, educate, and excite new gun owners

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Smith & Wesson announced today the launch of its new multi-media marketing campaign: SMITH & WESSON GUNSMARTS. The company’s new campaign is designed to welcome new gun owners into the firearms community and highlight key resources available to those who have just purchased their first pistol, rifle, or revolver.

Kyle Tengwall, VP Marketing, said, “As an industry leader, it’s our responsibility to help educate and inform those who have recently purchased their first firearm and help them to become confident, responsible members of the firearms community. As such, we’ve developed SMITH & WESSON GUNSMARTS – a resource that provides information on firearms training programs, industry information, and an educational video series hosted by experts in the firearms space. We hope that new and seasoned gun owners leverage this information to help them become confident and responsible members of the firearms community.”

As a cornerstone of the campaign, the company has released a new video series devoted to helping inform, educate, and excite those who have recently joined the firearms community. Hosted on YouTube, the SMITH & WESSON GUNSMARTS video series covers a comprehensive set of topics that takes the viewer from the basics of firearms safety through their first trips to the range – all in a simple, inviting manner. Read more

Firearms

CenterPoint Archery® 2020 Summer Rebate

INMAN, S.C. – August 18, 2020 – TrueTimber invites hunters to take advantage of the CenterPoint Archery 2020 Summer Rebate featuring the CP400 Crossbow available in TrueTimber Strata. With the purchase of a CP400 crossbow, buyers will receive a $100 rebate. Buyers who purchase the CP400 with Silent Crank in Strata will receive a $150 rebate. The rebate began July 1 and will run through September 30.

“We have worked closely with CenterPoint for some time now and love this opportunity for bowhunters to get this awesome deal on a crossbow in our Strata pattern,” said TrueTimber CEO Rusty Sellars. “CenterPoint has created a really great crossbow with the CP400 and pairing it with Strata creates a combination that will absolutely give hunters an advantage in the woods this fall.”

CenterPoint CP400

CenterPoint Archery has evolved in design and performance with the introduction of the innovative CP400 Crossbow. Utilizing licensed HeliCoil™ technology together with a custom designed riser, CNC-machines cam system and adjustable stock, CenterPoint Archery has raised the bar in crossbow design and performance. The CP400’s extremely narrow axle-to-axle width is an incredible 6-inches when fully-drawn, produces speeds of 400 fps and generates a knock-out punch of up to 142 fpe. This evolutionary design delivers amazing power and downrange accuracy. Read more

Archery

Primary Arms Optics SLx 1-6x24mm SFP Rifle Scope

PRIMARY ARMS OPTICS RELEASES NEW SLx® 1-6x24mm SFP RIFLE SCOPE WITH PATENTED ACSS® AURORA™ 5.56 M RETICLE

New Meter-Based Reticle Configuration for Popular SLx 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope

Utilizes Patented ACSS Aurora 5.56 M Advanced BDC Reticle for 5.56/.308/5.45/6.8SPC

Priced at $289.99

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Primary Arms Optics is proud to announce the latest addition to their SLx lineup: the 1-6x24mm SFP Rifle Scope with the patented ACSS AURORA 5.56 M Reticle. Customers who are accustomed to the metric system, your wait is over. This is the first variable optic to feature the new metric-based ACSS reticle, which provides the user with an intuitive holdover system with built-in ranging and wind-holds. Whether you’re engaging from point-blank to 800 meters, this optic will provide you the tools necessary to succeed at a price affordable to most budgets.

The SLx 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope is one of the most popular members of Primary Arms’ SLx line. SLx optics built Primary Arms’ reputation for innovation, reliability and value. All SLx optics undergo rigorous field-testing during development to best serve you in any environment, and this 1-6×24 low-power variable optic is no exception. This scope is renowned for its quality and value, offering high-quality glass with a brightly illuminated reticle for improved precision. This scope is waterproof, fog-proof, and durable enough for duty-use, and Primary Arms backs it with a full lifetime warranty and commitment to customer satisfaction.

The ACSS AURORA 5.56 M reticle is the perfect match for this optic, bringing ACSS’ innovative technology with meter-oriented measurements. Dimitri Mikroulis, creator of the ACSS reticle system, describes its benefits with clarity: “The ACSS Aurora 5.56 M is an advanced meter-based version of the famed ACSS reticle. ACSS Aurora 5.56 M enhances hit ratio with improved range estimation, wind holds, movement leads and a highly calibrated BDC for the 5.56 cartridge.” Read more

Optics

Rocky Mountain Introduces RM405 And RM415 Crossbows

Blistering speeds, exceptional features and extreme durability at an unprecedented price

Superior, WI – Continuing a reputation for providing sportsmen and women Rock-Solid Dependability™ at an unprecedented price, Rocky Mountain® is proud to introduce the new-for-2020 RM405 and RM415 crossbow packages.

Built around the combination of a high-performance single-piece OD green stock and a rock-solid limb system, the new RM405 kit comes loaded for bear and ready to work at a lean 7.40lbs. With the total uncocked assembly measuring 18.5” W X 35” L the performance-based system loads down a 200lb limb set to a narrow 14.5” in the cocked position – sending crossbolts down range at 405fps* with 139 ft-lbs. of bone-crushing kinetic energy. Performance doesn’t just come by way of fast projectiles. The RM405 features a DFS Technology (Dry Fire Safety) that auto engages when the bow is cocked, dual string suppressors and limb dampeners to reduce bow noise, a large stirrup for easy cocking and adjustable foregrip for a custom feel when shouldered. Each package also includes a red/blue Illuminated reticle 4X32 scope, rope cocking device, quick-detach three crossbolt side quiver, three PileDriver Carbon Express® crossbolts with practice points and rail lubricant to build a second-to-none value proposition at just $299.99 MSRP.

Stepping up the game from the RM405 the new-for-2020 RM415 isn’t to be outdone. 215lb limbs send crossbolts down range at a searing 415fps* with commanding accuracy and 146 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. Tied together by a premium set of strings the energy-efficient eccentric system spans 14.5” of power stroke, yet is easily cocked with a rope cocking device (provided with the kit) to effortlessly engage the integrated DFS Technology (Dry Fire Safety) trigger assembly. Sitting atop the one-piece molded camouflage stock is an ultra-bright fog proof, shockproof, and water resistant red/blue Illuminated 4X32 scope with a precision-etched multi-position reticle. At just 7.5lbs this performance-driven package is both lightweight and maneuverable measuring a compact 14.5” W X 35” L when fully cocked. A large stirrup, dual string suppressors and string dampeners round out the bow’s performance driven-features to provide additional ease-of-use and stealth whether at the range or on the hunt. The RM415’s Trail Ready to Hunt Kit includes a rope cocking device, quick-detach three crossbolt side quiver, three Carbon Express® PileDriver crossbolts with practice points and rail lubricant. An integrated rail lube storage area, sling studs and adjustable foregrip add to the bow’s already exceptional price-to-performance ratio. MSRP: $349.99 Read more

Archery

Remove All Doubt with GutCheck® Arrow Wipes

There’s no denying that modern archery equipment is making hunters more capable with each new technological development. Having faith in your archery equipment may be the single most important factor in determining a hunter’s success. When that pivotal moment finally comes together, when all of your practice and preparation are combined with being in the right place at the right time and you’re able to take that one shot at your next trophy, GutCheck® Indicators will be there with you to ensure your shot hits exactly where you want it.

There’s an indescribable feeling we experience immediately after shooting a big game animal. That remains true regardless of how much time you’ve spent in the woods or how many big game animals you’ve harvested. However, it’s never truer than when hunting with archery equipment. In those moments immediately after a shot an overwhelming rush of feelings and emotions can consume a hunter. Archery hunters all over the world have experienced this feeling. In those moments after seeing your game run off, it’s not uncommon to experience some level of question and concern about shot placement. “Is he down or should I wait?” “Did I hit it a little far back?” “Was it a lung shot or a gut shot?” “Should I back out until morning?” Now, thanks to technology from GutCheck® Indicators, your arrow can hold the answer for you as to where the animal was hit and offer some insight into appropriate next action.

Whether you’re hunting to add food to your family table or mounts to your wall, or a combination of the two, taking an ethical clean shot is always the goal. With arrow wipes from GutCheck® Indicators you can instantly confirm whether your shot placement made a clean pass through the vitals or through the digestive tract of the animal. With that important piece of information, hunters can determine whether it’s safe to pursue the animal or best to back out and wait for the animal to safely expire before beginning to track the blood trail. Take arrow wipes from GutCheck® Indicators with you on your next hunt and take away the guesswork. Read more

Archery

RMEF Bolsters Movement to Defeat Colorado Proposition 114

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation furthered its financial commitment to defeat a Colorado ballot proposal (formally known as Initiative 107) driven by environmentalists ignoring what is going on around them.

“We have said this from the beginning and nothing has changed. Using the ballot box to circumvent professional wildlife managers and create wildlife management policy is reckless. On top of that, now more than ever, it’s fiscally irresponsible,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “Proponents continue to push for millions in new public spending for a forced and totally unnecessary wolf introduction even though wolves are already confirmed on the ground and taxpayer money to fund it simply is not available.”

The Colorado legislature recently made a series of drastic spending cuts to deal with a $3 billion budget shortfall triggered by the coronavirus. Those cuts included $448 million from K-12 education and $493 million from higher education. It also made other significant cuts and cancelled four planned tax breaks even as legislators say the outlook for the state’s 2021 budget looks bleak.

“Dollars aside, a lot of people don’t realize the impact this measure would have on wildlife. Of the state’s 64 statewide elk and deer units that are already under population objective, 54 of those are west of the Continental Divide, ground zero for the proposed wolf introduction. Colorado’s outdoor industry would absolutely see a significant negative financial impact. It currently generates $1.85 billion annually,” added Weaver. Read more

Wildlife
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