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August 12th, 2009
 If you were to guess the percentage of Americans who favor Right-to-Carry laws, what you would you say? 30%? 40%? Remember there are more people living in liberal “blue states” than in conservative “red states”.
Well, you may be surprised, but over four-fifths of Americans support Right-to-Carry Laws. A new poll shows that 83 percent of Americans support laws allowing handgun carry by citizens who have passed background checks. The poll also revealed that support for Right-to-Carry crosses party lines, with 86% of independent voters and 80% of Democratic voters supporting Right-to-Carry.
Conducted by Zogby International and The O’Leary Report, the poll looked at Americans’ opinions on some key issues related to the Second Amendment. One of the questions asked: “Currently, 39 states have laws that allow residents to carry firearms to protect themselves, only if they pass a background check and pay a fee to cover administrative costs. Most of those states also require applicants to have firearms safety training. Do you support or oppose [such a] law?” 83% of respondents said they would support such Right-to-Carry laws.
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August 11th, 2009
Do you frequently need to trim lots of cases, but can’t afford a powered trimmer such as the $280.00 Gracie machine? For manual trimming we like the L.E. Wilson units, and now there’s an upgrade that promises to increase the efficiency of your Wilson trimmer.
Sinclair Int’l has introduced a new Carbide Cutter Upgrade Kit that installs in place of a standard Wilson case trimmer cutter and crank handle. Very hard and ultra-sharp, the carbide cutter cuts quickly on contact without grabbing and leaves a nicely finished, square case mouth that is ready for deburring. With the carbide tip and larger, more comfortable handle, you should be able to trim cases more quickly, with less effort. The carbide cutter should also hold its edge longer than regular tool-steel cutter tips. The upgrade kit (item 05-4600) costs $69.95 and works with all Wilson case trimmer models (excluding 50 BMG).
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August 11th, 2009
This time of year, many of our readers are traveling far and wide to shooting events, including the National Championships at Camp Perry. Security is vital on those long trips when you’re hauling lots of guns and shooting gear. A custom, high-end Benchrest, F-Class, or High Power rifle can cost upwards of $4000.00. And that’s without optics, which can run another $2000.00 per rifle. If you’re transporting three or four match rifles with premium scopes, you could be hauling $16,000 worth of firearms. Bring along a rangefinder, Co-Axial rest, spotting scope, and chronograph, and that could push the total closer to $20,000.
 How do you safeguard that kind of investment? One of the best storage systems available is the TruckVault, built in Washington state. TruckVaults are custom-fitted, locking storage cabinets that fit in a pickup truck bed, SUV, or station wagon. Various designs are available, including a waterproof “Extreme Series”. Both single-drawer and multi-draw layouts are offered with lengths up to 60″ overall, and top-load capacity of 2000 pounds. A variety of interior configurations are available.
For transporting scoped match rifles, we suggest TruckVault’s “Magnum Line”, which has two drawers with 10.5″ of vertical clearance. This offers two primary sliding compartments (on roller casters), plus smaller storage boxes where you can keep valuable gear securely out of sight.
TruckVaults carry a big price-tag. SUV models start at $1485, but expect to pay closer to $2000.00 for a unit with all the bells and whistles. That’s serious money, but you have to balance that against the cost of the firearms and accessories you are transporting. If you spend much time on the road with a pricey collection of guns, optics, and accessories, a TruckVault may be a wise investment. This editor first saw a TruckVault on a Chevy Suburban belonging to an Arizona gunsmith who does work for the military. It was not unusual for him to haul $50,000 worth of Class III weapons. For him, the TruckVault was an essential security feature. For more info, visit TruckVault.com or call (800) 967-8107.
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August 11th, 2009
Grafs.com is currently offering Prvi Partisan .223 Remington brass at very attractive prices. 100 cases cost just $22.99, and that includes shipping (but not the $4.50/order handling charge). Bulk orders of 500 or 1000 cases are even less. This is boxer brass, fully reloadable. The PRVI brass is very good brass for the price. We have tried it in the Prvi Partison loaded ammo as well as in reloads. The brass holds pressure well and is more weight-consistent than some brands of domestic .223 brass. This is a good choice for large-quantity varmint loads.
NOTE: Some lots of Prvi Partisan milsurp 5.56×45 loaded ammo have arrived in the US with crimped primer pockets. When reloaded, those cases may require prep with a primer pocket swager to ease primer seating. The unloaded, new .223 Rem brass sold by Graf & Sons is UNPRIMED and has not been crimped, so you should have no difficulty seating primers.
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August 10th, 2009
The NRA National High Power Championships has commenced at Camp Perry. Among the early events was the M1A Match. Relatively new, the M1A match was organized in 2007 by the NRA and Springfield Armory to encourage use of the M1A, an M14 derivative that was the weapon of choice for rifle competition for a number of years. With competitors lured by substantial cash prizes plus Springfield Armory gun give-aways, the M1A Match has proved hugely popular, attracting hundreds of shooters, including many of the nation’s top marksmen.
Any configuration of the M1A is allowed in the Match, with the course of fire being 50 shots at 300 yards on the MR-65F as follows: 5 sighters; 20 shots slow-fire, prone; 10 shots rapid-fire, prone; 10 shots rapid-fire, kneeling or sitting; 10 shots slow-fire, standing.
Winner of the 2009 M1A Match was Thomas Rider, whose 484-15x score beat runner-up and 1st Place Civilian Nick Till (482-17X) by two points. Rider earned $2000.00 in prize money for his victory. Fritz Hemplemann (478-16x) was second place Civilian, while Creedmoor Sports General Manager Dennis DeMille was third place Civilian (476-21x). Emily Windmassinger of the USMC earned the High Service Award with an impressive 480-20X. In the video below you can see M1A competitors, including DeMille (0:13, 0:30, 0:42 second marks), in the standing stage.
CLICK HERE for complete M1A Match Results | This report courtesy the NRABlog.com.
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August 10th, 2009
Report by LARRY BANEY
The 2009 Williamsport World Open, held in mid-July, enjoyed a record turnout. The club welcomed 164 shooters from nine states all over the eastern half of the country, and from as far away as 1000 miles (Georgia). Even with new rules being applied for 2009, the match ran smoothly and was a great success.
New, Less-Restrictive Rules Attract More Shooters
The new rules in the Heavy-Gun class, which now allow muzzle brakes and have fewer restrictions, seemed to encourage more shooters to participate in both classes. The few remaining limits prohibit “return to battery guns” and rifle/rest features that obstruct upward or rearward movement. Restrictions were eased in the 17-lb Light Gun class as well. Now there are no limits on stock shape or attachments. This may have also encouraged shooters from other clubs to attend, resulting in the largest field of shooters in World Open history.
The weather was not typical for a Williamsport World Open weekend and had its share of very nice and very tough shooting conditions. Saturday was nearly totally overcast with no mirage and moderate temps that topped out at about 74 degrees. Wind was light at times and gusty at times, but definitely more cooperative in the afternoon for the Heavy Gun match. That is rare for a match at Williamsport. It often looked like we were going to get rained on, but it held off just long enough to get the match finished.
 Sunday was a much more typical Williamsport match day. It was sunny and topped out in the low 80s with a few passing clouds and low humidity. Mirage conditions were much worse than Saturday but did settle down for the last few relays of the day. The wind was a bit trickier on Sunday and hit some relays pretty hard.
Mark King Crowned 2-Gun Champion
The 17-lb Light Gun (LG) class had 153 shooters, while the Heavy Gun (HG) class had 147. Of those shooters, we had 13 women and 5 juniors. Pennsylvania Gunsmith Mark King shot great to earn “Top Gun” honors as the 2009 World Open Two-Gun Combined Champion. Mark shot a 6mm Dasher in both classes. Kathy Salt won the HG Overall, while Tilden Kuhns won the LG Overall. Matt Dienes finished first in HG Group, while Joe Salt topped HG Score. In LG, Paul Chackan won Group and Tilden Kuhns had the best overall Score.
Superlatives of Note
Even though there were some nice conditions at times, only two perfect ‘100’ scores were fired all weekend: Dan Stonebraker did it with a 6.5-284 in LG and Ed Nazy nailed a ‘100’ in HG class. The ten shots that scored Nazy’s 100 pointer also proved to be the smallest HG group at 4.355 inches. The smallest group in LG class, measuring 4.803 inches, was fired by Lacy Baney with a straight 6mmBR. Even with the weather, 6mm chamberings accounted for the smallest LG groups. The top 10 LG scores were also dominated by 6mms, with a 30 Cal and 6.5 Cal thrown in. The big 30 Cals produced most of the smallest HG groups and top HG scores, with a couple 6mms and a 6.5mms in the mix. Mark King, the Two-Gun Overall Champion, won “all the marbles” shooting the small 6mm Dasher in both LG and HG.
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August 10th, 2009
 Respected shooting sports journalist Jim Shepherd and Gun Talk Radio host Tom Gresham have teamed up to produce a new show, Guns & Gear, for the Versus Country cable network. Guns & Gear premieres Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 3:00 pm Eastern time on Versus. The first episode, which focuses on hunting with AR-platform rifles, will feature new products from from Kimber, Nosler, Springfield Armory, Smith & Wesson and Olympic Arms.
Every Guns & Gear episode will cover interesting and innovative new shooting products, showcased via range sessions and real-world field tests, combined with in-studio interviews with product engineers. Celebrity host Tom Gresham promises to deliver the “inside scoop” on the latest and most interesting gear for target shooters and hunters.
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August 9th, 2009
The National Trophy Rifle Matches are a series of competitions held at Camp Perry between the Smallbore Championships and the High Power Championships. Trophy matches include Team Competition, Individual Matches, Junior Events, Vintage Military Rifle Matches, Garand matches, and the prestigious President’s Rifle Trophy Match.
In what may be the biggest single rifle event in the United States, Mark Laramie out-shot 1262 service rifle competitors to win the historic President’s Trophy Match with a 390-13X Aggregate score. Tucson (AZ) teen sensation Tyler Rico finished a close second, just two points behind, scoring 388-15X. Only 15 years old, Rico is the youngest shooter in the history of the President’s Trophy match to place second. He is also the youngest-ever recipient of the Distinguished Rifle Badge, which he received at the 2007 National Matches.
Traditionally, the top finisher in the President’s Trophy Match receives a letter of congratulations from the President of the United States. The tradition began with Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, a renowned advocate of rifle training, who wrote a congratulatory letter to that year’s trophy winner. The cut-off for this year’s President 100 was a 283-4X. The “President’s 100” will also receive President’s 100 medallions and certificates.
The President’s Trophy Match current format, adopted in the 2007, pits the top 20 competitors from the 30-shot qualification round in a shoulder-to-shoulder contest at the end of the match. The qualifiers fire an additional 10-shots in prone at 600 yards, and this final score is added to their qualification score to determine the winner. Shooters faced blustery wind conditions all day, and a change from sunshine to overcast skies in the middle of the final. Despite the conditions, Laramie outlasted second-place finisher Tyler Rico and perennial challenger U.S. Army SFC Grant Singley, who finished third. Entering the final, Laramie was in the lead with a 296-10X qualifying score, and went on to shoot a 94-3X to win by two points over Rico and SFC Grant Singley. Both Rico and SFC Singley shot higher scores in the final than Laramie, but could not overcome Laramie’s early lead.
Complete National Trophy Match Ranked Results | National Trophy Match Photos.
This report courtesy The First Shot, the CMP Online Magazine
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August 9th, 2009
 A red dot sight can speed up target acquisition dramatically when shooting carbines, shotguns, or pistols at short ranges (where ballistic drop compensation is not an issue). Just put the dot on the target and pull the trigger. For older shooters who may have trouble focusing on both front and rear sights, a red dot makes the aiming process much easier. And for novices, who may have trouble aligning front and rear sights, the red dot gets them on target quicker and more reliably.
Where red dot sights are allowed in action pistol competition, they are almost universally used. If a red dot is compact enough, it can also work on a defensive handgun. However, a red dot is normally worthless when the batteries run down. Trijicon has solved that battery issue with its new Ruggedized Miniature Reflex™ (RMR), the world’s first battery-free mini reflex sight. The RMR uses light-gathering fiber optics and tritium for the display, so no battery is requried. The Tritium phosphor display works even in low-light situations, and is guaranteed to illuminate up to 15 years. The new RMR is extremely compact, measuring a mere 1.78″ L X 1.24″ W X1.03″ H and weighing in at only 1.22 ounces. This makes it small and light enough to mount on most handguns
 Trijicon, Inc.®, has been honored by the Firearms Marketing Group (FMG) for its innovative new Trijicon RMR™ Sight. The patent-pending Trijicon Ruggedized Miniature Reflex™ won the prestigious “Optic of the Year” award, chosen by 500 top industry executives, gun dealers and outdoor writers.
In addition to the fiber optic + Tritium RMR (no battery required), Trijicon markets a more conventional battery-powered version with LED display. Using a single CR2032 battery (with an auto-shut-off circuit), this can provide up to 17,000 hour of battery life. The LED display also adjusts automatically for ambient light levels. Both RMR versions feature a tough, 7075-T6 aluminum alloy housing. Rugged and reliable, the Trijicon RMRs (both versions) come with a lifetime warranty from Trijicon.
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August 8th, 2009
Tactical, Smacktical. FNH USA is trumpeting the “tacticality” of its new FN TSR “Tactical Sport Rifle”, but what we think they’ve created is a great hunting rifle for small deer, coyotes and other medium-sized game. The TSR comes in two versions — the TSR XP USA (.223, 7.62×39), and the TSR XP (.308 Win, .300 WSM). Both models feature a Win m70-type action with controlled feed, an olive drab Hogue over-molded stock with aluminum bedding block, and a one-piece steel MIL-STD Picatinny rail with built-in elevation. And yes, that nice rail is standard. The factory trigger adjusts from 3 to 5 pounds.
Compact 7.62×39 XP USA features 20″ Fluted Barrel
The smaller XP USA version, as chambered in 7.62×39, is most interesting to us. There are few other US-made bolt action rifles in this popular caliber. The XP USA features an ultra-short action and weighs 8 lbs., 11 ounces. (Why is that action based on the Model 70? Well, for starters, FNH now owns Winchester Arms and builds Model 70 actions in its South Carolina plant.) With a fluted, 1:12″ twist, hammer-forged 20″ barrel, this 7.62×39 looks to be a very handy, ergonomic, and versatile rifle.
We’ve used the Hogue over-molded stocks which feature a grippy, rubberized surface. Some folks don’t like the rubbery feel, but for field work, we’ve found the over-molded surface easy to hold and really secure in wet or snowy conditions. We like the idea of a very short action, combined with 5-round (7.62×39) or 6-round (.223) capacity, with hinged floorplate. We think the 7.62×39 is more than adequate for small deer. It’s hitting power rivals that of the classic 30/30, one of the most popular deer cartridges of all time.
If you prefer a bigger caliber, or detachable box magazine (DBM), you can order the medium-action TSR XP version in .308 with 4-round DBM, and either 20″ or 24″ barrel. Fitted with the longer barrel, the XP in .308 is a full pound heavier than the more compact 7.62×39 XP USA.
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August 8th, 2009
Sam’s Club is offering one of the best deals in gun safes right now — a 60″ H x 30″ W x 22″ L Liberty Centurian safe for $688.00. That is the store pick-up price. The safe weighs 520 lbs. and has 23 cubic feet of exterior volume. Walls are 12 gauge steel and the safe is fire-rated for 30 minutes at 1200° F. The lock is a Sargent & Greenleaf electronic, one of the best units in its price range. This very same safe is sold by Liberty Dealers for $999-$1099.00. If you’re able to get this safe home on your own, this is an excellent value from a respected safe-builder. I’ve got a friend who purchased one of these safes and I helped him install it and set up this interior. I can assure you that you’ll have trouble finding more safe for the money. I consider it better than a $1000.00 Canon I used to own.
Note, you’ll have to call your local Sam’s Club for availability and exact price. If it’s not available at the closest outlet, try other nearby Sam’s Club stores (you can search for availability on the Sam’s Club website). Typically a Sam’s Club outlet will get a half-dozen of these and they’ll sell out in a few days. Also, we want to caution people that this safe, while far more secure than a typical “security cabinet” with a locking key, is a far cry from a serious 1500-lb commercial-grade safe. On the other hand this safe is just about the biggest size that can be easily handled by a couple non-professional guys working with a furniture dolly. The unit is delivered on a wood pallet — we recommend leaving the pallet on until you get the unit inside and positioned. Then remove the wood and bolt down the safe through the four holes are pre-drilled in the bottom (these are hidden by the carpet).
Here’s a review from a buyer who purchased this Liberty Safe at Sam’s Club: “We really shopped the competition prior to purchasing this safe. For the fire rating and the storage space, this was consistently $200-$600 less than many of the other membership retailers in addition to ALL sporting good stores (even the Mega stores.) The safe is packaged well and the instructions are pretty thorough also. The mechanics are as good as any gun-store-bought safe, better in most cases. The S&G lock is easy to program and use. Just be sure the lock handle is twisted all the way counterclockwise [after you close the door]. The modular interior is great. We store some paperwork, ammunition and of course firearms in the safe and there’s more than enough room. Sam’s Club is untouchable on the price of this safe. Do the homework yourself — it’s the best value for the money anywhere.”
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August 7th, 2009
The High Power Silhouette Championships at the NRA Whittington Center (Raton, NM) started Thursday morning (August 6th) with many Smallbore Silhouette competitors taking to their big guns for High Power. Match 1 went well but extreme afternoon winds were blowing silhouettes off the rails so Match 2 was halted. That means the remaining two High Power Hunting Rifle matches over the next two days will jump to 60 shots rather than 40 to close the gap. The top shooters in Match 1 were Joy Cox (35), Defending Champion Angustin Sanchez, Jr (34 – 9 turkeys), and Laura Goetsch (34 – 8 turkeys)
The High Power Silhouette Championships are similar in format to the Smallbore Silhouette Championships held earlier this week. The Standard Silhouettte High Power Rifle matches are shot in the morning with the Silhouette Hunting Rifle Class shot in the afternoon. The main differences between the disciplines are obviously the type of rifle (Centerfire vs. Rimfire) and the distances. For High Power, targets are set at 200 meters (chickens), 300 meters (pigs), 385 meters (turkeys), and 500 meters (rams), while in Smallbore, targets are set at 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters.
A variety of chamberings are popular in the centerfire Silhouette game, including the .243 Win, 6.5 BR, 6.5×47 Lapua, 260 Rem, 7 BR, 7mm-08, and the .308 Winchester. In selecting a caliber, shooters must balance between knock-down power and recoil force. A 6.5mm or 7mm bullet in the 130gr range running 2900 fps is just about ideal. You also need a caliber capable of serious inherent accuracy.
This report courtesy the NRABlog.com
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