GUNTRY of Maryland is hosting the first Tactical Industry Weekend on October 8-10, 2021. Presented by Six Eight Training Group and RYKER USA, this mini-Expo is a weekend-long event for industry professionals, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. The main focus is on defensive firearms — pistols, semi-auto rifles, and shotguns. There will be plenty of the latest Black Rifles and accessories on display. This is an opportunity to check out/demo new gear at a state-of-the-art shooting center with vast indoor range offerings along with sophisticated computer-controlled simulator rooms. Participating vendors will have products for demo and purchase.
Vendors at the event will include: MantisX, RYKER USA, Roger That, Six Eight Training Group. Special Operations Recruiting Battalion, UNIT Solutions, Wilder Tactical, U.S. Law Shield, and Vertx.
About GUNTRY of Maryland GUNTRY of Maryland is in a league of its own. The 64,000 square-foot facility is the premier shooting and training facility on the East Coast. It features 34 indoor live-fire shooting ranges, a fully immersive state-of-the-art simulator, on-site gunsmithing services, and a full-service café. The facility has garnered more than 100 five-star reviews>
“Building an expo where consumers can meet face-to-face with industry professionals, manufacturers, retailers, and media to try their hands at new gear and learn about personal defense is how we convey our commitment to the right to bear arms,” said Ron Holmes, USMC MSgt (Ret.), Director of Training and Product Development for RYKER USA. “We are especially thankful to have U.S. LawShield as an important partner in promoting awareness of self-defense as we educate law-abiding gun owners.”
According to P.J. Hermosa, CEO of U.S. LawShield, “We expect the first annual Tactical Industry Weekend at the renowned GUNTRY Range of Maryland to be a stellar success.”
On October 1, 2021 the National Rifle Association (NRA) held its Annual Meeting of Members in Charlotte, North Carolina. This meeting was hastily organized after the cancellation of the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston slated for September 3-5, 2021. The Annual Meeting of Members preceded the NRA Board of Directors meeting. This year marks the 150-year anniversary of the founding of the NRA.
The major news from the meeting is that Wayne LaPierre, who turns 72 next month, remains in charge of the National Rifle Association. LaPierre was re-elected as Executive Vice President/CEO by the NRA Board of Directors. LaPierre has held the NRA’s top position since 1991.
Texas Attorney Charles Cotton Is New NRA President
Charles Cotton was elected NRA President. Cotton is an attorney from Texas. He is a competitive action pistol shooter and a life member/consultant with the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA). Cotton is also the founder of the Youth Action Pistol League, a program for junior shooters. He has served on the NRA Board of Directors for well over a decade, and was previously the NRA First Vice President.
“It is the honor of a lifetime for a guy who grew up hunting and plinking to become president of this 150-year-old organization – and serve our 5 million members in their fight for the Second Amendment”, stated new NRA President Charles Cotton.
1/22/2021 Interview with then NRA First VP Charles Cotton regarding NRA Bankruptcy Filings.
Cotton is now President of the NRA.
Other important new NRA executives taking office are Lt. Col. Willes K. Lee (ret.) First Vice President, and David Coy Second Vice President. Retaining their offices are NRA Secretary/General Counsel John Frazer and NRA Treasurer Sonya B. Rowling. Jason Ouimet was re-appointed as Executive Director for the Institute for Legislative Action and Joseph De Bergalis, Jr., Executive Director, General Operations.
This Sunday, 10/3/2021, we recommend tuning into Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk® Radio, the original nationally-syndicated radio talk show about guns and the shooting sports. This week’s radio show focuses on Smith & Wesson’s decision to relocate to Tennessee. Tom interviews S&W President/CEO Mark Smith. In addition, Sunday’s show will include a lengthy, informative segment on airguns.
Tom Interviews Smith & Wesson President/CEO Mark Smith
This Sunday, Tom is joined by Smith & Wesson’s President and CEO, Mark Smith, to discuss the just-announced headquarters and operations move from Massachusetts to a brand-new facility in Maryville, Tennessee. Due to current anti-gun legislation being considered in Massachusetts, Smith said “… for the continued health and strength of our iconic company, we feel that we have been left with no other alternative.” S&W’s new headquarters will be located in Partnership Park North in Maryville, TN, in the greater Knoxville area. Production of semi-auto pistols and rifles will be moved to Tennessee, but revolver production will remain in Springfield, MA (for now). S&W plans to break ground in Tennessee by the end of the year, and plans to complete the operational move by mid-2023. An artist’s conception of S&W’s new plant is shown below.
News Report from Tennessee explains reasons for S&W’s relocation to Tennessee
Airguns for Target Shooting and Hunting — Pyramyd Air
Also this week, Tom Gresham talks with Tyler Partner of Pyramyd Air about the growing popularity of airguns. In the video below, Tyler covers some key basics about airgun shooting, stressing the affordability of shooting pellets pushed by air. You can buy 500 pellets for under $20.00. Compare that to the cost of commercial ammo these days ($0.50 to $1.00/round for 9mm pistol ammo), and you can see why airguns are becoming very popular.
Listen on Radio or Stream via your Internet Connection
This broadcast airs Sunday, September 3, 2021 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Eastern time on 270+ radio stations nationwide. Listen on a radio station near you or via LIVE Streaming.
NOTE: Past podcasts can be heard online via the GUNTALK PODCAST Site and Apple iTunes. The Gun Talk podcast archive has many informative shows. Check out this August 1, 2021 episode which offers smart Long Range Shooting Tips.
“The IRS has no place delving into Americans’ wallets, especially when it is a means to access what is in their gun safe.” — Larry Keane, NSSF
A little-known provision in the new spending plan pushed by the Democrats in Congress would allow the IRS to directly monitor ALL personal banking transactions in excess of $600.00. One concern is that this would allow the IRS to determine who buys and owns firearms, creating what would essentially become a “back-door gun registry”.
National Shooting Sports Foundation Sr. VP and General Counsel Larry Keene notes:
“The prospect of a government agency monitoring every $600 expense is deeply concerning. When that prospect is also being brought by an administration bent on enacting gun control by any means and proposed for an agency with a poor track record of securing taxpayer privacy, it is a recipe for disaster.”
Why Gun Buyers Should Be Concerned about IRS Proposal to Monitor Purchases above $600
By Larry Keane, NSSF Senior V.P. of Gov. & Public Affairs, Asst. Secretary and General Counsel
The Biden administration’s plan to fund a multi-trillion-dollar spending plan includes having the IRS snoop into every American’s bank account to examine transactions that are $600 or greater. This alarming proposal has implications far beyond the government looking to extract tax money. It is also a potential way for the Biden administration to track who is purchasing firearms.
________________________
Not Just Taxes, But Purchases
The Biden administration proposes that banks and credit unions report every transaction at the $600 threshold to counter tax cheats. That’s got privacy advocates howling. It is especially concerning for the firearm industry and its customers that the government would collect information that could potentially include firearm purchases. While many firearms sold might not meet that $600 reporting requirement, a significant number would. It threatens to become a back-door gun registry.
Treasury Sec. Janet Yellin balked at the notion the government is intruding on financial privacy, explaining the IRS already has “a wealth of information about individuals,” citing examples such as the W-2 form filed for a person’s job, but said the IRS needs more information on “higher-income individuals who have opaque sources of income … not low-income people.”
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) grilled Yellin over the proposal in a Senate hearing:
“There are obvious privacy concerns for all Americans here and this represents a dramatic new regulatory burden for community banks and credit unions in Wyoming and elsewhere”, Sen. Lummis said. “Do you distrust the American people so much that you need to know when they bought a couch? Or a cow?”
… Or a gun.
Do You Trust the IRS?
The proposal is being met with fierce resistance, as it should. The IRS has already proven to be untrustworthy of personal information. The agency has been weaponized for political overreach before. The Department of Justice (DOJ) settled a lawsuit in 2017 brought by dozens of conservative groups after the IRS unfairly scrutinized the tax exempt status of organizations based on political leanings under the Obama administration, while President Joe Biden was vice president. That was the 2013 scandal in which then-Acting Director of Exempt Organizations at IRS, Lois Lerner remained defiant when called before Congress.
It’s also ironic that the Biden administration is prying into Americans’ private expenditures when it just surfaced that President Biden avoided paying $500,000 from earnings on speaking tours and book sales prior to his White House election.
Congressional Opposition
The attempt to track Americans’ spending on items $600 or more, which would include firearm purchases, isn’t sitting well with banks or lawmakers. The American Bankers Association wrote … that the proposal “implicates customer privacy and data security on a massive scale[.]” The letter added that the IRS already collects massive amounts of data it is unable to manage.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) published a column in The Hill, ripping the proposed reporting requirements as reckless and ripe for abuse:
“Given the IRS’s track record on data security, including a 2015 data breach, tasking the agency to secure additional taxpayer information from nearly every American is a complicated and hazardous gamble, and one the federal government isn’t historically capable of winning.”
What are the top-selling new rifles in the USA? You might be surprised — there are no Remingtons among the Top 5 bolt guns. In the bolt-action category, CZ has the top spot with its .22 LR CZ 457, followed by the Browning X-Bolt, Tikka T-3, and two Ruger Americans (centerfire and rimfire). We were a bit surprised to see that two rimfire rifles make the bolt gun top 5 — we suspect the centerfire ammo shortages may have influenced that. Interestingly two out of the Top 5 semi-auto rifle spots are also .22 LRs, with the venerable Ruger 10/22 being the second best-selling self-loading rifle, while the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 ranks fourth. To our surprise, the Ruger PC Carbine is the number one semi-auto rifle sold in the USA in September 2021. Unlike 2020, no AR-type centerfire rifles ranked in the semi-auto Top 5.
Shopping for a rifle? Your buying decision may be simplified by seeing what other consumers have chosen, as revealed by nationwide sales trends. You can now check firearms sales figures using “Gun Genius”, a data-crunching service of Gunbroker.com. On GunGenius.com you can select any type of firearm (handgun, rifle, shotgun) and see the top sellers for that category.
Here are the top-selling NEW bolt-action rifles and semi-auto rifles. On the Gun Genius site you’ll find links for gun specifications. There are also separate listings for used rifles.
Here are the FIVE top-selling NEW bolt-action rifles for September 2021:
Here are the FIVE top-selling NEW semi-auto rifles for September 2021:
Get Sales Rankings for Other Categories of Firearms
On GunGenius.com, in addition to the categories above, you can chose lever-action rifles, single-shot rifles, semi-auto pistols, revolvers, semi-auto shotguns, pump shotguns, and more. You can also filter for sales trends (upwards and downwards). Drill down to see detailed product specifications and current prices.
READ for FREE — Shooting Industry is now available in a digital format for FREE. There are free archives going back 14 years to December 2007.
If you want to stay current with trends in the firearms industry, and see important new product releases before they hit dealers’ shelves, you should check out Shooting Industry magazine. While tailored for firearms/outdoor gear retailers and industry professionals, this monthly journal also provides valuable info for all gun owners. We read Shooting Industry to learn about sales trends and current gun law issues. And every issue showcases NEW PRODUCTS. For example, here is a cool new CZ 457 LRP in the October New Product Feature:
Get FREE Digital Shooting Industry Magazines for the Past 13 Years
You can access, for free, 14 years of Shooting Industry back issues, plus all the recent 2021 issues. CLICK HERE for the current issue along with all issues for the previous three years: 2018, 2019, 2020. IMPORTANT — To access older issues, you much first launch a recent digital edition. That will give you access to the full 14-year archive, as explained below.
Here are links for the most recent three issues — October 2021, September 2021, and Augusts 2021. Simply click each cover to read full issue for FREE:
October 2021
Top Stories:
Notable New Handguns
Shotguns — Defense/Sport
Women’s Hunting Apparel
September 2021
Top Stories:
Gun Safes
Black Powder Guns
Vintage Firearm Market
August 2021
Top Stories:
Home Defense Long Guns
Empowering Female Hunters
Trends in Used-Gun Sales
How to Access Magazine Archives Back to December 2007
Once you have launched the digital version of a recent issue, you can access the past 14 years of Shooting Industry back issues by using the ARCHIVE Button. First click on the MENU icon (three horizontal lines). Then click on the link for ARCHIVE. When you click on “Archive”, a list appears on the right. Scroll down to select any issue from July 2021 back to December 2007. Note: The index is divided, so some of the more recent Shooting Illustrated issues are found at the BOTTOM of the Archive, while others are at the top, or the middle. Be patient and look for “SIxxxx”
This lady can shoot! Lindsey Paul is now officially the top ELR ace on the planet. The talented Texan beat a large field of competitors, including many past KO2M Champions, all guys. We congratulate Lindsey on her outstanding performance, including 3 hits in 5 shots at the max distance, 2.0 miles (3520 yards). No other competitor had more than one hit at 3520 yards, and only four other finalists even had one hit at that distance. Lindsey was shooting a .375 CheyTac cartridge with Cutting Edge 400gr solids.
K02M runner-up Ryan Cheney was leading the field most of the event, being the only shooter to hit ALL his targets (without a miss) at 1692, 2097, and 2376 yards, along with 4 of 5 at 2727 — the best at that distance. But Lindsey came through spectacularly at the final 3520-yard distance. One observer noted: “Ryan had it in the bag before Lindsay got hot — three out of five at 3520 yards is HOT!”
This was an impressive year, proving that the ELR game continues to evolve, with ever-greater overall performances by the ranks of talented shooters. Match Directors posted: “Every year we get more hits at Two Miles and this has been the best ever — 3 of 5 from Lindsey and five shooters hitting the 2 mile target: Lindsey Paul, Ryan Cheney, Jay Dvorsky, Peter Renwick, and Curtis Roman”.
Here are Results from the K02M Finals held Wednesday, 9/29/2021:
FINAL RESULTS FROM 2021 KO2M
NRA Whittington Center, Raton, New Mexico
27-29 September, 2021
Congratulations to all shooters, spotters and teams that drove to Raton from all over the USA and even more to those that hit the targets. Special thanks to the sponsors that made the prize table possible.
A special mention to the King (Queen) of 2 Miles 2021 Lindsay Paul, along with Rei Hoang, and Jaclyn Bryan. [They] proved that women can be as good or better shooters than men. I hope that each year we have more and more women shooters.
Congratulations too for Ryan Cheney who shot so well that he nearly made it to King.
A special mention to all the spotters that drove their shooters to the targets and are always there in their shadow. They all deserve an applause.
We have proven the point, once again, that hits at 2 Miles are possible and not just luck.
Thanks to all for being at KO2M
King of 2 Miles Team
The Queen of 2 Miles Thanks Her Team and Sponsors
Here is Lindsey’s Report on her Achievement — being the first woman ever to win the King, oops, make that QUEEN of 2 Miles Competition.
“I don’t even know where to start! What a wild ride this year this has been. First and foremost thank you to my amazing guy Robert for being the best spotter I could ask for. He is responsible for making most of this happen with his great wind calls, corrections and support. Thank you to the rest of my team.
Jeff had tough conditions with shade on targets for his final round making spotting misses impossible but still finished with a super-respectable 6th place. Shane has come a long way in a short time and did great as well with a 19th place finish, just below the cutoff for the finals. I’m really proud of my performance as Robert’s spotter. He forgot to write down his dope for target 3 and I still managed to help him get on target and he finished in 26th. Jay we missed the hell out of you and hope you are back to 100% soon!
My Applied Ballistics PDM (Personal Drag Model) was nearly spot on out to two miles. Your contribution to shooting sports is beyond remarkable. We couldn’t do what we do without your support.
I was concerned about switching to an Accu-Tac bipod right before this match but I’m dang sure a believer now! I picked up a Nightforce scope of the prize table which was just what I needed as I was borrowing one. Thank you to them and all of the other sponsors who stepped up to support this match and the shooting community.
Lindsay added praise for her competitors: “Congratulations to all the shooters, NRA Whittington Center is my favorite place to shoot but it can sure be challenging. Ryan Cheney made me work for it, congratulations man, you shot excellent! Rei and Jaclyn how awesome was it to have three ladies in the finals?! Congratulations to both of you!”
Lindsey Set a FCSA Cold Bore World Record in August 2021
Lindsey is definitely a top talent in the ELR game. Back in August 2021 she set a new FCSA Cold Bore World record at 1.5 miles (2464 yards). Lindsey posted: “WHAT A DAY! I set a new cold bore world record with 3 impacts at 2464 yds! I’m so thankful for an awesome team and my damn fine Alamo Precision Rifles .375 CheyTac. The 400gr Cutting Edge Lazers shined as usual!”
Big news in the gun industry. Smith & Wesson (S&W) announced today it will move its headquarters out of Massachusetts and relocate in Tennessee. In addition, a large share of S&W’s manufacturing operations will be transferred from Massachusetts to the Second Amendment-friendly state of Tennessee. Smith & Wesson will also shut down facilities in Connecticut and Missouri, in connection with the Tennessee relocation.
The main reason for the move was recent anti-gun legislation in Massachusetts. According to Fox News: “The legislation, if enacted, would prevent Smith & Wesson from manufacturing products that accounted for more than 60% of its revenue last year.” Specifically, pending bill SD. 2588 (“An Act to Stop Mass Shootings”) would bar the manufacturing of “any assault weapon or large capacity feeding device”.
When the process is complete, S&W will have just three manufacturing and distribution facilities in the USA. S&W will continue to make revolvers in Massachusetts, however, and S&W Operations in Holton, Maine will continue without change. Approximately 1000 S&W jobs will remain in Massachusetts after the move. But 750 jobs will be re-located to the new S&W headquarters/production center in Maryville, Tennessee. The move is slated to take place in 2023 at an estimated cost of $138,000,000 to build new facilities and transfer tooling/machinery.
Manufacture of most S&W semi-auto rifles and pistols will be moved out of Massachusetts.
Fox Business noted that restrictive, Democratic Party-sponsored legislation in Massachusetts is compelling S&W to leave: “Gun maker Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. will relocate its headquarters to Tennessee next year due to proposed firearms legislation in its home state of Massachusetts. The legislation, if enacted, would prevent Smith & Wesson from manufacturing products that accounted for more than 60% of its revenue last year.” Smith & Wesson was founded in Connecticut in 1856, and has been headquartered in Springfield Massachusetts for most of its 165 years of operation. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the “Smith & Wesson Revolver Company” in 1856.
A S&W press release cited these key factors in the decision to move:
1. Support for the Second Amendment
2. Business friendly environment
3. Quality of life for employees
4. Cost of living and affordability
5. Access to higher education institutions
6. Availability of qualified labor for its operations and headquarter functions
7. Favorable location for efficiency of distribution
Recently proposed legislation in Massachusetts, if enacted, would prohibit the company from manufacturing certain firearms in the state. Mark Smith, S&W CEO/President said:
“After an exhaustive and thorough analysis, for the continued health and strength of our iconic company, we feel that we have been left with no other alternative. These bills would prevent Smith & Wesson from manufacturing firearms that are legal in almost every state in America and that are safely used by tens of millions of law-abiding citizens every day exercising their Constitutional Second Amendment rights, protecting themselves and their families, and enjoying the shooting sports. While we are hopeful that this arbitrary and damaging legislation will be defeated in this session, these products made up over 60 percent of our revenue last year, and the unfortunate likelihood that such restrictions would be raised again led to a review of the best path forward for Smith & Wesson.”
Smith further praised Tennessee’s leaders: “The strong support we have received from the State of Tennessee… combined with the quality of life, outdoor lifestyle and low cost of living in the Greater Knoxville area has left no doubt that Tennessee is the ideal location for Smith & Wesson’s new headquarters. We would like to specifically thank Governor Lee for his decisive contributions and the entire state legislature for their unwavering support of the Second Amendment and for creating a welcoming, business-friendly environment.”
S&W’s Tennessee factory and headquarters construction will commence in the 4th quarter of this year and is expected to be completed by mid-2023.
You probably know by now that the NRA 2021 Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston was cancelled at the last minute. The big event, originally slated for September 3-5, 2021, was called off because of health concerns related to the COVID Delta Variant.
What you probably did NOT know, was that the NRA has rescheduled its official Annual Members’ Meeting for Saturday, October 2, 2021 in North Carolina. The rescheduled event is now set for a single day at the Sheraton/Le Meridien Hotel Complex in Charlotte, NC. Space is limited, but it appears registration is still possible for NRA members (with their membership number).
How to Register Online (NRA Membership Number Required)
To register for the event, you must first go to the NRA Annual Members’ Meeting Page, then click the blue button labeled “REGISTER NOW”.
Next, on the eTix Registration Start page that appears when you click REGISTER NOW, you must scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, until you see a green tab labeled “Register”. Warning — this may be blocked by the cookie permission pop-up. On most browsers the green tab was NOT visible until the cookie warning was removed.
WARNING: Do NOT click on the blue link at the top of the page labeled “NRA Annual Member’s Meeting”. That will take you to an eTix dead-end that says “No Tickets Available”.
IMPORTANT: You must Scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of the page. Look for the “Number of Registrants” and GREEN button labeled “Register”. It looks like this on a large screen:
or like this on mobile devices:
Then select the number of tickets and click the green bar. You will be prompted to insert your NRA membership number(s) for the tickets you want. This should be a NINE digit number per member (do NOT use the first three zeros that may appear on some NRA communications).
If you do everything right, you should see this page:
Hodgdon Powder Company, on 9/27/2021, announced that it would be shutting down the GOEX Black Powder production center at Camp Minden in Louisiana. This was the last remaining black powder factory in the United States. This could mean “hard times ahead for traditional muzzle-loading and BPCR shooting” (source: NAMLhunt.com). Here is the official announcement on the Hodgdon website:
“Effective immediately, Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc. has made the decision to cease manufacturing operations at the company’s Camp Minden, Louisiana site while evaluating strategic options for the black powder business.
The business will wind down operations while an evaluation process on the future of the black powder business takes place. Strategic options for the GOEX and Olde Eynsford brands of black powder, along with the manufacturing capabilities, will include a potential sale of the business. All affected employees will be retained through December 31, 2021 to assist in an orderly closing of the site and receive severance commensurate with their years of service to the company.
The Hodgdon Powder Co., Inc has been honored to have been a part of the GOEX Powder legacy and sustains a fond appreciation for sporting customers who have enjoyed shooting GOEX powders.”
Ironically, the GOEX logo states “The Tradition Continues”.
With this announcement, GOEX might be gone for good.
The closure eliminates the only domestic source of blackpowder in the United States. According to a company press release, Hodgdon will evaluate “strategic options for the black powder business”, including a potential sale of the company.
GOEX Powder has a long, storied history that starts in 1802 with the building of a blackpowder plant on the Brandywine River in Delaware by E.I. Du Pont de Nemours. Production expanded with the building of the Belin plant in Moosic, Penn., in 1912, and the facility supplied military blackpowder during both world wars, as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars. In the 1970s, the Belin plant was incorporated into the GOEX family, and production moved to Minden, LA, in 1997. [In 1969] GOEX was purchased by Hodgdon Powder Company [which] spent years updating equipment at the Minden facility, enhancing employee safety and blackpowder quality.
Despite Hodgdon’s efforts, the GOEX facility at Camp Minden has a history of manufacturing incidents stretching back to 1998, including a June 2011 incident where 1,000 pounds of blackpowder exploded. The latest incident at GOEX occurred on June 18, 2021, when an explosion required the evacuation of 15 employees inside the facility. Nobody was injured, but the plant observed a 24- to 48-hour waiting period to ensure that nothing else at the facility ignited.
