10 « April « 2024 « Daily Bulletin

teslong borescope digital camera barrel monitor

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April 10th, 2024

Shooting Industry Adds $90 Billion to U.S. Economy Annually

Firearms Industry Economic Impact Rises 371% Since 2008
The total economic impact of the firearms and ammunition industry in the United States increased from $19.1 billion in 2008 to $90.05 billion in 2023, a 371% increase, while the total number of full-time equivalent jobs rose from approximately 166,000 to over 384,437, a 131% increase in that period, according to a report released by the NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association.

On a year-over-year basis, the industry’s economic impact rose from $80.73 billion in 2022, to $90.05 billion in 2023. The firearm industry has broader impacts throughout the economy. It supports and generates business for firms seemingly unrelated to firearms, such as banking, retail, accounting, metal working, and printing among others.

Shooting Industry Generates $11.8 Billion in Tax Revenues
The firearm and ammunition industry paid over $10.90 billion in business taxes, including property, income, and sales-based levies. An additional $944 million was paid in Federal excise taxes, which directly contributes to wildlife conservation. The combined business and excise taxes adds up to a total of $11.8 billion in tax revenue!

NSSF gun ammunition shooting sports industry economics tax revenue jobs

“Our industry is a vital economic contributor to every state and every community. These are companies employing men and women from all walks of life and they prove daily that the American firearm and ammunition industry is strong”, said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “This industry proudly provides the means for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights, enables them to hunt and is the primary fiscal force behind wildlife conservation in America. The growth of the firearm industry equals more jobs that add to our local economies, averaging $67,500 in wages and benefits, up from $65,000 reported last year. Since 2008, federal business tax payments increased by 353%, Pittman-Robertson excise taxes on firearms and ammunition that support wildlife conservation by 168% and state business taxes by 215%.”

Firearms and Ammunition Industry is Vital Part of America’s Economy
Companies in the United States that manufacture, distribute, and sell firearms, ammunition, and hunting equipment employ as many as 154,611 people in the country and generate an additional 229,826 jobs in ancillary industries. These include jobs in supplying goods and services to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, and those that depend on sales to workers in the firearm and ammunition industry.

The annual Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report provides a state-by-state breakdown of job numbers, wages and output covering direct, supplier and induced employment, as well as federal excise taxes paid. CLICK HERE to get the full 7-page NSSF report (PDF).

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April 10th, 2024

Henderson V3 Machine Trims and Chamfers Cases Efficiently

ultimate reloader henderson G3 trimmer gavin gear

Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com recently tested the impressive Henderson Gen 3 (V3) Trimmer. There is a full write-up on Gavin’s website, and you can watch Gavin’s 18.7-minute video review below.

Gavin states: “I met Todd Henderson at SHOT Show and it’s clear that quality control and customer experience are extremely important to him. The Henderson Gen 3 case trimmer is built on an adjustable tri-trim 3-way cutter with different pilots to accommodate different case necks. Three way cutters trim to length and chamfer the inside and outside all at once. This trimmer has a 1700 RPM spindle and a custom DC motor made in the USA. It is made of billet aluminum and has a taper-lock cutting head and is consistent to 0.002″” at least with the same brand of brass. The collets are Brown & Sharpe style collets and are interchangeable with Forster case trimmer collets. Henderson currently offers four collets, and one is supplied with each machine.”

Gavin explains the trimming process: “I had some 6mm Dasher brass I’ve fired a few times and wanted to take down 5-10 thousandths. The Henderson trimmer works much like a milling machine. You do not need much torque because of the way the taper works.”

The Henderson Gen 3 trimmer delivered outstanding cartridge length consistency after trimming: “I was careful to ensure my trimming process was as consistent as possible. I measured the first ten cases I ever trimmed on the unit and found a standard deviation of 0.00047. The extreme spread is actually less than advertised. This trimmer is fast and easy to use and most importantly, returns consistent results.”

ultimate reloader henderson G3 trimmer gavin gear

F-Class John Review of Henderson Gen 3 Trimmer

Our Editor F-Class John has also reviewed the Henderson Trimmer. He liked the product so much he purchased one, and he uses it regularly now to trim his .284 Win cases for F-Open competition.

John liked the precision of the Henderson trimmer and the overall design of the machine, which offers good ergonomics and very precise alignment of the cases. Cycling is smooth and positive, as you can see from the videos. Fit over the pilot was fine for John’s .284 Win brass, but he notes that other users may need to expand their case necks appropriately to fit their pilot.

Watch the video to see the Henderson trimmer in action. The dual, parallel horizontal support shafts provide precise alignment of the case as it moves inward toward the cutter blade. The Taper-Lock cutter provides a 14-degree inside chamfer and 30-degree outside chamfer. The trimming process is very consistent case after case, and the Henderson’s design captures brass shavings effectively.

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April 10th, 2024

NO-LEAD Cleaner is Effective and Great for Rimfire Rifles

Suhl Rimfire Benchrest indoor cleaning
We have used NO-LEAD Cleaner in rimfire benchrest rifles similar to this modified Suhl 150-1. It helped restore accuracy with minimal brushing.

Made by the same smart folks that created Wipe-Out™, and Carb-Out™, NO-LEAD Brushless Lead Remover™ really works. Honest. If you are an active rimfire shooter, or if you shoot cast lead-alloy bullets in centerfire rifles and pistols, you should try this product. We now use NO-LEAD in our rimfire benchrest rifles, and in some centerfire guns that receive a steady diet of soft-alloy cast bullets (90%+ lead). (With rimfire guns, you don’t need to use NO-LEAD very often — maybe every 300-400 rounds unless you have a real fouler of a barrel.)

If you’ve got stubborn lead fouling in a rimfire barrel, or on a pistol’s muzzle brake/compensator, you should definitely give this stuff a try. We don’t know how but it does soften lead deposits. The manufacturer says you don’t need brushes, but we found that a bit of brushing (after NO-LEAD application) can help remove more serious lead build-up.

Yes we were surprised to find a lead remover that really works. We tried a half-dozen other lead “cleaners” that promised to dissolve lead and most of them, we discovered, are nearly useless. There’s a reason for that, as the lead alloys used in bullets don’t react to typical petrochemical-based solvents. It took the Wipe-Out chemists over five years to perfect this water-based solution that really does dissolve lead.

NO-LEAD Cleaning Procedure — Read Carefully
NO-LEAD Lead Remover is a clear, red gel that is easy to apply. Just swab it in your bore (or on muzzle brakes) with wet patches or bore mop and let it sit for a few minutes. (The manufacturer says you can leave the NO-LEAD for up to 20 minutes, but that long of a dwell time does not seem necessary with our rimfire barrels.) When it contacts lead it will start to foam and you’ll see that the NO-LEAD solvent turns a pastel pink when it dissolves lead. The pink comes from the formation of lead oxide. After the recommended dwell time, simply patch out the dissolved lead deposits (you can also use a nylon brush for stubborn lead build-up).

NOTE: After cleaning, it is very important that you get all the NO-LEAD out of your barrel, and neutralize it. We recommend following the application of NO-Lead with Wipe-out or Patch-Out to neutralize the NO-LEAD, clear the bore, and remove residual carbon and copper fouling. If you don’t have Wipe-Out or Patch-out, flush the barrel thoroughly with Rubbing Alcohol or even a solution of Dawn dish detergent — then re-oil the bore.

Be Sure to Neutralize NO-LEAD After Use
Remember that N0-LEAD is a strong, slightly acidic chemical that needs to be neutralized after use. If you leave it on a nice, blued barrel for too long, it can harm the bluing. NO-LEAD will remove all the surface oils from the barrel bore. For this reason it is recommended that you neutralize NO-LEAD with Wipe-Out, or Patch-Out, which both contain effective corrosion inhibitors. If you don’t have those products, once you’ve flushed the NO-LEAD with something like rubbing alcohol, then follow with a gun oil. Caution: A petroleum-based gun oil will NOT, by itself, neutralize NO-LEAD. You need to neutralize first, then apply the corrosion inhibitor (or do it all in one step with Wipe-Out or Patch-Out).

Where to Buy NO-LEAD Lead Remover
NO-LEAD Lead Remover costs $18.55 for an 8 oz. squeeze bottle with a flip-top spout. This product is sold directly by Sharp Shoot-R Precision Products through Sharpshootr.com, or you can purchase NO-LEAD through many other online vendors. For more information, send an email via the Sharp Shoot-R Contact Form or or contact SharpShoot-R at (785) 883-4444. You can ask for Terry Paul, Sharp Shoot-R’s owner and the master chemist who developed the NO-LEAD formula.