Bad news for California gun owners. On April 23, 2020 Judge Roger Benitez of the U.S. District Court issued an injunction blocking California’s ammunition background check system. That injunction held for just one day. California’s Atty. General Xavier Becerra immediately sought an emergency stay of the injunction, and a two-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted that request late on Friday, April 24, 2020. So, as of today, April 25, 2020, the California ammo purchasing restrictions REMAIN IN EFFECT.
The Truth About Guns website noted: “The California judiciary giveth and the California judiciary taketh away. As we expected, the state filed an emergency motion to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the Judge Roger Benitez’s injunction be lifted.
Benitez’s injunction issued in response to a motion in Rhode v. Becerra, had stopped enforcement of California’s ammunition background check law. That injunction allowed Golden Staters to once again buy ammo freely and out-of-state retailers to ship directly to California buyers.
But late last night, the Ninth Circuit quashed the injunction. That means it’s back to asking state permission to buy .22 LR rounds for plinking or JHPs for personal defense. Ammunition Freedom Week turned out to last less than two days.
As we’ve said before, this case still has a long way to go. Watch this space.”
Look for a lighter barrel for your latest hunting or PRS/NRL rifle? Well there’s a new option on the market. Bartlein Barrels, makers of premium benchrest, F-Class, tactical, ELR and hunting barrels, is now offering carbon fiber-wrapped barrels. These will be available in a variety of lengths/contours, and multiple carbon colors. Bartlein posted on Facebook: “We are thrilled to announce that Bartlein Barrels is now offering carbon fiber-wrapped barrels! With the help of Mission Specific Worldwide LLC, another Wisconsin-based company, we will be offering these barrels in limited contours and calibers.
Bartlein’s Matt Buettgen told our Forum: “Bartlein Barrels is proud to introduce its new line of Carbon Fiber-wrapped barrels. We will start off with three (3) contours, the #4 Bull Sporter, #13 Rem Varmint, and the #14 M24/M40. Lengths will be 20″, 22″, 24″, and 26″ finished lengths in any twist you like including Gain Twist and Left-Hand Twists. And just to make it a little more interesting, there are four colors: Black, Red, Green, and white/black marble. For more information give us a call at the shop or check out our Facebook Page.”
Here is more information from George Gardner of GA Precision:
It’s been a hard thing to keep under wraps, no pun intended. But Bartlein Barrels is now offering carbon-wrapped barrels! We have been helping test these for a few months now and all I can say is they are very impressive. Same Bartlein accuracy and no point of impact shift at all as the barrel warms. Plus as a bonus, GA Precision will be offering colors: Red/Brown, Green and White. These colors really pop against the sunlight and accent various colors offered by composite and painted chassis stocks (see below). These color-wrap barrels are special order for 4-month delivery.
GA Precision already has good inventory of Standard Black Carbon barrels in all four contours in popular calibers and twists. See GA Precision website for details. These are available for immediate delivery.
NOTE: GA Precision currently offers FOUR (4) contours:
Bartlein #4 B Sporter | Bartlein #13 Remington Varmint
Bartlein #14 M/24-M40 | Bartlein 1.200″ Straight
Price is $700 + shipping for standard black carbon wrap, or $750 + shipping for colored carbon wraps.
Serious shooters know Bill Gravatt. He served as President/co-owner of Sinclair Int’l, worked with Creedmoor Sports for many years, then became President of the Capstone Precision Group (Berger, Lapua, SK, Vihtavuori). Bill guided Capstone through the successful acquisition of Berger Bullets by the Lapua Group, introducing new products and increasing product availability. His time at Capstone was marked by one success after another. Now that Bill has achieved his goals with Capstone (which he may continue to serve as a board member), he is returning to Creedmoor Sports in the role of Managing Director.
As the Managing Director of Creedmoor Sports, Bill will direct all operational and marketing activities for the company. Gravatt had worked for Creedmoor Sports as a consultant several years ago before taking over as Capstone President. Previously, Bill was President/Co-owner of Sinclair International, now owned by Brownells. Gravatt has over 27 years of experience in the shooting industry.
“I’m excited to re-join the customer-focused and talented team at Creedmoor Sports. Having served them as a supplier for three years, it’s good to be back in retail to directly serve our precision shooting customers”, said Gravatt.
“The entire staff at Creedmoor Sports is extremely excited to have Bill back! Bill’s leadership skills and commitment to customer satisfaction is second to none. Creedmoor Sports is committed to continuing our quest to be the leader in the precision shooting market and Bill is the right person for this journey”, said Greg Kantorovich, President of Creedmoor Sports.
Watch for Bill Gravatt Interview Soon
Last week AccurateShooter’s Editor conducted a wide-ranging interview with Bill Gravatt, covering numerous topics. We discussed trends in competitive shooting, development of new products and new cartridges, how to grow the shooting sports, and Bill’s goals at Creedmoor Sports. We hope to present this interview in early May. Stay tuned.
Breaking News April 25, 2020: There is a report that CA’s Attorney General has applied to the Federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for an Emergency STAY of the injunction issued by Judge Benitez blocking application of California’s ammunition background check system. We are working now to determine the status of the case.
Currently in California, citizens must go through a state background check to purchase ammunition — any ammunition. And for quite some time, California residents have not been able to purchase ammunition from out of state, unless the ammunition is first shipped to an approved California ammo dealer. All ammo sales must take place in-person through licensed ammunition vendors. This has all resulted in significantly increased ammo costs in California, and failure of the state’s computerized ammo check system has resulted in over 16% of legitimate purchasers being denied the right to obtain ammunition.
Now all that may change. In Rhode v. Becerra, Federal District Court Judge Roger Benitez has determined that the California ammo check system is fatally flawed and unconstitutional. On April 23, 2020, the Judge granted a temporary injunction which halts California’s ammo background check system and lifts California’s blockade of ammo imports from other states. Californians may now again purchase ammo directly from out-of-state vendors. READ Injunction Decision HERE.
Judge Benitez called California’s ammunition background check law “onerous and convoluted” and “constitutionally defective”. The Judge stated that: “The background check experiment defies common sense while unduly and severely burdening the Second Amendment rights of every responsible, gun-owning citizen desiring to lawfully buy ammunition”. Notably, the lead plaintiff in the case, Kim Rhode, is an Olympic Gold Medalist trap shooter, whose ability to obtain competition-grade shotshells was impaired by California’s “onerous” ammo purchase restrictions.
California’s ammo laws blocked sales to legitimate, law-abiding buyers about 16% of the time, the Judge noted. Moreover, in his 120-page Opinion, the Judge held that the state’s ban on importing ammunition from outside California violates federal interstate commerce laws.
As reported by the NRA-ILA: “The [court’s] Thursday’s injunction means the law cannot be enforced while the case is active unless the decision is stayed.”
Judge Benitez slammed California’s Ammo Check law: “The experiment has been tried. The casualties have been counted. California’s new ammunition background check law misfires and the Second Amendment rights of California citizens have been gravely injured.
These new laws are constitutionally defective for several reasons. First, criminals, tyrants, and terrorists don’t do background checks. The background check experiment defies common sense while unduly and severely burdening the Second Amendment rights of every responsible, gun-owning citizen desiring to lawfully buy ammunition. Second, the implementing regulations systematically prohibit or deter an untold number of law-abiding California citizen-residents from undergoing the required background checks. Third, in the seven months since implementation, the standard background check rejected citizen-residents who are NOT prohibited persons approximately 16.4% of the time. Fourth, the ammunition anti-importation laws directly violate the federal dormant Commerce Clause.”
This Video analyzes the decision in Rhode v. Becerra
Constitutional Rights Must Be Preserved Even in Times of Crisis
The Judge stressed that Constitutional rights should not be sacrificed, especially in these challenging times: “Law-abiding citizens are imbued with the unalienable right to keep and bear firearms along with the ammunition to make their firearms work….. Presently, California and many other states sit in isolation under pandemic-inspired stay-at-home orders…. Maintaining Second Amendment rights are especially important in times like these. Keeping vigilant is necessary in both bad times and good, for if we let these rights lapse in the good times, they might never be recovered in time to resist the next appearance of criminals, terrorists, or tyrants.”
How did California politicians react to their defeat in Court? Read comments from CA Attorney General Xavier Becerra and other state officials in Associated Press Report reprinted by NBC Los Angeles.
Sig Sauer Electro-Optics (SIG EO) is releasing a new line of SIERRA6BDX hunting scopes that combine relatively light weight with advanced features and up to 95% light transmission. We think hunters may see the advantages of a “smart scope” which offers ballistics and windage info in a relatively streamlined form factor with a 6X zoom ratio. These scopes calculate an aim point and wind hold-offs.
There are currently three SIERRA6BDX riflescope models: 2-12x40mm, 3-18x44mm, and 5-30x56mm. All three have 1/4-MOA clicks. We think many hunters will prefer the 2-12x40mm optic which is the lightest at 21.7 ounces, as well as the least expensive at $1169.99 MSRP. Twelve power is plenty for a hunter. Designed “by hunters for hunters”, SIG’s new SIERRA6BDX riflescopes offer some very advanced features:
1. LevelPlex™ — a built-in Digital Level that displays rifle cant.
2. QuickBOND™ allows SIG BDX rangefinders to “talk” to the scope without needing a Smartphone App (30 yard range).
3. Digital Focal Plane BDX-R2 hunting reticle with wind holds and 194 LEDs.
4. KinETHIC™ display shows Kinetic Energy Transfer to target.
How the BDC System Works These scopes all feature SIG Sauer’s smart on-board BDC system which is user-selectable for cartridge (there are 9 options). Selection of the appropriate BDC is explained starting at 1:15 in the video below. You use the illumination control knob to select the right BDC for your cartridge. Then you manipulate the zoom control lever to “lock in” your choice. A wide variety of information is displayed in the illuminated reticle.
SIG states: “Our mission with the new SIERRA6BDX riflescope line was to bring all of the advanced features of the BDX 2.0 platform to a premium 6X zoom system. BDX 2.0 takes all of the advanced Applied Ballistics Ultralight and Bluetooth™ technology and adds simplified, and easy to use, functionality to get hunters and shooters on target with unprecedented speed and accuracy. The BDX 2.0 System is simple, fast, and intuitive — just connect the dot.”
This video explains how to use the “smart technology” in SIERRABDC6 Scopes:
SIERRA6BDX 2-12x40mm
Weight: 21.4 oz.
Adjustments: 0.25 MOA
Maintube Diameter: 30mm
Field of View: 52.5 ft. at 100 yd.
Reticle: BDX-R2 Digital Ballistic Reticle
Eye Relief: 3.9 in.
Waterproof: IPX-7
Battery: (2) CR2032
MSRP: $1,169.99
SIERRA6BDX 3-18x44mm
Weight: 23.8 oz.
Adjustments: 0.25 MOA
Maintube Diameter: 30mm
Field of View: 34.9 ft. at 100 yd.
Reticle: BDX-R2 Digital Ballistic Reticle
Eye Relief: 3.7 in.
Waterproof: IPX-7
Battery: (2) CR2032
MSRP: $1,299.99
SIERRA6BDX 5-30x56mm
Weight: 30.4 oz.
Adjustments: 0.25 MOA
Maintube Diameter: 34mm
Field of View: 21 ft. at 100 yd.
Reticle: BDX-R2 Digital Ballistic Reticle
Eye Relief: 3.7 in.
Waterproof: IPX-7
Battery: (2) CR2032
MSRP: $1,689.99
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) issued a statement yesterday, April 22, 2020, announcing the complete cancellation of the 2020 National Matches at Camp Perry — all rifle and pistol matches are cancelled. Sadly, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, and concerns about ongoing stay-at-home and social distancing orders, the CMP declared that there will be no Camp Perry National Matches in 2020:
Official CMP Statement about 2020 National Matches
After thoughtful consideration and reflection, the Board of Directors of the Civilian Marksmanship Program announces the cancellation of the 2020 National Matches at Camp Perry.
“This decision was not arrived at lightly, but was prompted by restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. These matches date back to 1903 and have been held at Camp Perry since 1906,” said Judith Legerski, CMP Board Chairman.
“The health and safety of our competitors, participants, vendors, military support, volunteers and staff members is of the upmost importance — overriding even the historical imperative of maintaining the continuity of the Matches,” agreed Legerski, with Chief Operating Officer Mark Johnson and Programs Chief Christie Sewell.
“We were unable to come up with a manner in which we could safely produce the Matches. Housing and pit duty were amongst the many insurmountable problems faced by the CMP Board,” Legerski explained.
The CMP looks forward to the 2021 National Matches at Camp Perry as the best marksmanship celebration ever! In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy at home, as we prepare for the new normal ahead of us.
All CMP operations have been shut down since mid-March and a full resumption of business remains undetermined. Full refunds will be made to those who have already registered.
Story based on Report by Dean Weingarten
The NICS numbers for March 2020 established new, all-time records for both the number of projected guns sales as well as the numbers of NICS background checks done in one month. In March 2020, 3,740,688 NICS checks were done, according to official FBI statistics.
The previous one-month NICS record was set in December of 2015, when 3,314,594 NICS background checks were done. In March of 2020, the FBI recorded 3,740,688 NICS background checks, 12% higher than the previous record. The number of NICS checks always exceeds that actual number of gun sales, because some checks are done for other purposes. The estimated number of recorded long gun, handgun, and other gun sales totaled 2,373,193 in March 2020, 7% higher than the previous sales record in December of 2015.
Guns Sales Driven by Pandemic Fears
According to MSN News, “With most of the nation in isolation to halt the spread of coronavirus … the FBI has seen a 41% increase in background checks compared to this time last year.”
Click Image to Go to MSN to Watch Video (then Click Speaker icon for audio).
Most Background Checks Were for Handguns
In March 2020, most of the purchases were for handguns instead of long guns. The numbers for March were: Handguns, 1,392,677 NICS checks, long guns, 758,073 NICS checks, other (mostly receivers, which could be made into either handguns or long guns) 79,129, and multiple 57,328. Multiple checks are multiplied by 2.5 to approximate the number of gun sales. Carry Permit NICS Checks Rising Faster
Notably, there has been significant growth in the number of NICS checks associated with CCW Carry Permit applications. NICS checks for carry permits and carry permit rechecks have been increasing much faster than checks for firearm sales. While states maintain their own databases for Carry Permits, NICS checks are done in connection with permit applications and renewals.
Total Guns in USA Close to 450,000,000
Using the figures available, there were about 430 million private firearms in the United States at the end of 2018. About 18.6 million have been added since then, putting the USA close to 450 million at this point. According to Dean Weingarten, the United States is on track to reach 500 million privately owned firearms by the end of 2024.
Did you know that target shooting (pistol, rifle, shotgun) represents a $16.9 Billion per year industry in America? Or that 20 million Americans enjoy target shooting regularly? In fact, target shooting-related spending contributes more than $46 million per day to the U.S. economy. Plus an estimated 329,000 American jobs are supported by target shooting in the USA. These and other remarkable facts were revealed in a 2019 NSSF report from Southwick Associates.
Not surprisingly, pistol shooting is the most popular form of target shooting, with 13.8 million handgun shooters. The number of rifle target shooters is about 12% less — 12.2 million enthusiasts. Just over 10 million people take part in shotgun sports, and 3.3 million shoot muzzleloading firearms.
Firearms Excise Taxes Support Conservation
Target shooting activities not only support local and national business, but the transactions generate vital revenues for federal, state, and local governments. In fact, target shooting generates, on average, over $14 million dollars per day in total tax revenues (i.e. federal, state, and local). Excise taxes on gun and ammo sales are also key to conservation. 2016, the total excise taxes returned to state wildlife agencies through fireams and ammunition sales totaled over $780 million.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) recently launched NRAWomen.com, a new, full-featured website dedicated to the fastest-growing group of firearm owners — America’s women. This new website serves the increasing number of female gun owners, huntresses, and competitive shooters. Female involvement in firearms is growing significantly. Consider these facts:
23% of American Women Own Firearms
Based on a Gallup poll of self-reported gun owners in 2011, 23% of women say they owned a gun compared to 13% in 2005.
There Are Now 3.35 Million Female Gun Owners in the USA
The National Sporting Goods Association recorded a 43.5% increase in female hunters from 2003 to 2013.
The new website will provide a wide range of information. Visitors to NRAWomen.com can learn the fundamentals of gun safety, find female-centric training, and hone a defensive mindset for confrontations that could require armed response. Huntresses and outdoorswomen will find free hunter education, skills training, and coverage of hunting adventures.
NRA President Carolyn Meadows stated: “For decades, the NRA has been dedicated to paving the way for female gun enthusiasts…. Whether your interest lies in personal protection, hunting, or gun collecting, NRAWomen.com will be your hub for all your firearm-related needs and news.”
“NRAWomen.com will serve as a comprehensive online resource for women who seek the knowledge, confidence and empowerment obtained through personal protection, the shooting sports, and an outdoor lifestyle”, said Doug Hamlin, NRA Publications Executive Director.
Broad Coverage of Self-Defense and Home Security
Self Defense and Home Security will be key topics on the NRAWomen.com website. Along with instructional articles, there will be feature stories on gun selection, and self-defense strategies.
Video Features on NRAWomen.com
Along with dozens of informative articles, NRAWomen.com features many instructional videos featuring skilled lady shooters and instructors, such as Olympic Gold Medalist Kim Rhode.
Free Sherpa Blanket for New NRA Lady Members
For a limited time, women who join the NRA will receive a free NRA-branded Sherpa Fleece Blanket gift. CLICK HERE for Special Offer with NRA memberships starting at $35.00.
In addition to offering current news relating to the firearm industry and gun rights, NRAWomen.com will spotlight women who stand up to political foes, shoot competitively, conserve wildlife, and protect their loved ones. NRAWomen.com is for female supporters of the Second Amendment, all of whom are welcomed into a powerful sisterhood of women with shared values.
Peterson Cartridge Company (“Peterson”) has released a lengthy, authoritative guide to the 22 Creedmoor cartridge, a popular wildcat based on the 6.5 Creedmoor or 6mm Creedmoor necked down to .224 caliber. We think the 22 Creedmoor would be a great long-range varmint cartridge, similar to the .22-250 Rem, but with a more moder, efficient cartridge design. In addition, some PRS/NRL competitors may turn to the 22 Creedmoor because it has less recoil and is flatter-shooting than the 6mm Creedmoor. In addition, .224-caliber match bullets are typically less expensive than heavier 6mm and 6.5mm projectiles. Less recoil, and less cost — what’s not to like?*
Along with load data, this article has specific sections dedicated to: Primers, Rifling Twist Rates, and Reloading Supplies. If you are considering building a .22 Creedmoor, we recommend you download the full Peterson .22 Creedmoor article, which is available in PDF format.
Peterson states, “Since its inception in 2007… the 6.5 Creedmoor has seen some pretty meteoric growth in popularity. That growth continues as of this writing, as the cartridge has now gone mainstream with hunters and shooters alike. As the popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor has increased, so has the number of wildcat cartridges based off of it. Some of those popular wildcat cartridges are the 6mm Creedmoor, the .25 Creedmoor, and now the .22 Creedmoor. This data sheet will cover the .22 Creedmoor.
To help our customers, and anyone else who shoots .22 Creedmoor, we decided to create this Data Sheet and distribute it. [In this LOAD DATA Document] you will find four (4) common bullets, and four (4) common rifle powders used when handloading the .22 Creedmoor cartridge. We then took the different bullet and powder combinations and loaded them up to the SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6mm Creedmoor cartridges, which is 62,000 PSI. [O]ur goal was to provide a wide spectrum of bullet weights and the powders used with them.
All of the following data was gathered by our ballistician in our indoor ballistics lab located in our factory in Pennsylvania. Although we were able to gather pressure and velocity data in our lab, we have NOT tested these loads for accuracy. Again, these loads are just designed to give shooters information regarding what velocity, a given bullet and powder charge combination, will produce the SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) of 62,000 psi.”
Sample .22 Creedmoor LOAD DATA
IMPORTANT — Pressures can vary significantly with different Cartridge Overall Lengths (COAL). In addition, ANY change to ANY load components — primers, bullets, brass, powder — can affect pressure. Always load conservatively. In addition, because of variances in bore dimensions, some barrels may show higher pressures than others. Again, always start with conservative loads, well below MAX pressures.
*Actually there IS a potential downside — reduced barrel life. We expect that a .22 Creedmoor running hot varmint loads would experience shorter useful barrel life compared to a 6.5 Creedmoor. This is based on what we’ve observed with .22-250 and .22-250 Ackley barrels compared to our 6.5 CM barrels.
Judge Benitez called California’s ammunition background check law “onerous and convoluted” and “constitutionally defective”. The Judge stated that: “The background check experiment defies common sense while unduly and severely burdening the Second Amendment rights of every responsible, gun-owning citizen desiring to lawfully buy ammunition”. Notably, the lead plaintiff in the case, Kim Rhode, is an Olympic Gold Medalist trap shooter, whose ability to obtain competition-grade shotshells was impaired by California’s “onerous” ammo purchase restrictions.
These scopes all feature SIG Sauer’s smart on-board BDC system which is user-selectable for cartridge (there are 9 options). Selection of the appropriate BDC is explained starting at 1:15 in the video below. You use the illumination control knob to select the right BDC for your cartridge. Then you manipulate the zoom control lever to “lock in” your choice. A wide variety of information is displayed in the illuminated reticle.
