In these challenging times, with the specter of the Coronavirus pandemic, it can be difficult to see positive developments. Here we’re pleased to report how one gun industry manufacturer, holster-maker Versacarry, is doing its part to provide vitally-needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Versacarry is converting its production line to make masks and face shields for our health care workers, the brave men and women who put their lives at risk every day.
Versacarry is known for its quality leather handgun holsters, belts, and other firearm related products. In an effort to help with the fight against the COVID-19 virus that continues to affect thousands of people across the United States, Versacarry is converting its production facility from building holsters to producing face shields and face masks.
Justin Sitz, CEO/Owner of Versacarry told us: “When I saw and heard numerous reports that there was a critical shortage of face shields and face masks for medical and emergency workers, I knew that was something we could help with. I redirected our development engineers from working on new products for the gun industry to develop products and production methods… for the health care and emergency response workers.”
Remarkably, Versacarry was able to switch production in less than one week. The company will begin shipping face masks and face shields shortly. With weekly output expected at 20,000+ of each item, these will be sent to hospital personnel, EMTs, police officers, firefighters and others facing the COVID-19 virus on a daily basis.
For Health Care Workers — If you work for an organization that needs face masks and face shields, please contact Versacarry via this link: Versacarry.com/covid19.
For decades, the Kelbly’s Super Shoot has been one of the premier events for 100/200-yard benchrest shooters. The Super Shoot attracts the top benchrest competitors on the planet, including legends such as Tony Boyer and Wayne Campbell, and many other Hall of Fame PPC pilots. Hundreds of ace shooters from around the world would come to North Lawrence, Ohio each year and compete. There would be a sea of windflags, and scores of top shooters shoulder to shoulder on the long firing line.
Things will be different this year. Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Kelbly family has determined to cancel the 2020 Super Shoot. The next Super Shoot will be held in May 2021. Jim Kelbly issued this statement about the 2020 Event Cancellation:
Super Shoot 2020 Has Been Cancelled — Notice from Kelbly’s
Super Shooters,
After long weekend thinking about the Super Shoot, I have decided to cancel this year’s Super Shoot till May 2021. The new dates will be May 25 through 28, 2021. With COVID-19 turning the world upside down and quite possibly the worst to hit the USA will be in April this year, I think it is best to just cancel for this year. It is very likely that most travel bans both in USA and from foreign countries may still be in place in May. With the last 25 plus years of the Super Shoot being an International event, we would like it to end at Kelbly’s with the foreign shooters being able to attend the last Super Shoot at Kelbly’s.
I do not feel there is a good time this summer or fall to host the event with all other events in Benchrest shooting being postponed to June to October in the United States and in foreign countries as well. If we would hold the event later this year, it could conflict with other postponed matches and I really do not want to affect attendance at other matches. Our sport is struggling these last ten years and we must support all ranges still holding Benchrest matches.
The Next Super Shoot Will Be Held May 25-29, 2021.
I want to thank everyone that has contacted me with their opinions on this situation as it was appreciated and helped in my decision. I know I stated in previous email that I would wait till end of April to make my decision, but I felt a decision now was better for everyone to get travel and hotel arrangements taking care of.
I want to thank Wade Hull for working with me on this decision. Wade has generously decided to wait an extra year before he and his staff will take over Super Shoot. I also want to thank St. Louis Benchrest Club for helping Wade the first few years of hosting the Firearms Industry Super Shoot.
As far as those competitors that are signed up for this year’s event, we will just keep everyone signed up and with the same requests for next year as you had for this year.
As far as the shooters that have equipment here, we will keep your equipment here till end of 2021 if need be. We can help with export or moving the items to St Louis for 2022. For those that are interested in selling your equipment, I would suggest making up flyers for the 2021 Super Shoot to post on the For Sale board with sale pending at end of competition.
We would like to wish everyone a safe shooting season and ask you to support those ranges that are hosting competitions this year as long as you are healthy. Be smart and be safe.
The current Coronavirus Pandemic may be the most significant event to impact the United States since World War II. The majority of Americans are now “sheltering at home” under State Executive Orders. Across the nation, schools, shops, restaurants, and countless businesses are closed. The virus continues to spread at an exponential rate in the USA, which now has more confirmed Covid-19 cases than any other country on the planet. Yes, according to official statistics, we have more persons infected than does China, where this scourge originated. (However, there is considerable evidence that China may be deliberately under-reporting COVID-19 infections and deaths).
For obvious reasons, this Pandemic has Americans concerned about their safety and their security. As a result, citizens across the country are purchasing firearms. There are lines outside the doors of some gunshops. The rush to buy guns has led to a historic spike in NICS firearms background checks.
Record Number of FBI Background Checks for Gun Sales
According to MSN News, “With most of the nation in isolation to halt the spread of coronavirus, officials are seeing a spike in gun sales….the FBI has seen a 41% increase in background checks compared to this time last year.” According to the FBI, 3.7 million background check were run by the FBI in March.
Click Image to Go to MSN to Watch Video (then Click Speaker icon for audio).
And Fox News confirms that we are seeing a huge spike in gun sales and background checks: “The FBI ran more than 3.7 million gun background checks on Americans under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in March, smashing the previous record as Americans armed themselves amid growing fears about the coronavirus pandemic. The NICS system ran 3,740,688 background checks in March, which is 33 percent higher than the previous record of more than 2.8 million, which was set in February. The February numbers were a 34 percent uptick from the same time in 2019. March’s background check numbers marked a 41 percent increase over March 2019.”
About the Numbers — There is NOT a 1:1 correspondence between NICS checks and gun purchases, because not all background checks involve an actual purchases. For example, some States run NICS checks for carry permit applications. It is estimated that at least 2.3 million March 2020 background checks were for firearms transactions.
What brands are favored by gun guys? Well here are the results of 2019 consumer surveys conducted by Southwick Associates. The surveys asked hunters and shooters to indicate their favorite brands for hunting and shooting product categories. This “Top Brand” list was compiled from 2019 internet-based surveys conducted through HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com websites.
In 2019, most frequently purchased brands included:
Top reloading powder brand: Hodgdon
Top reloading bullet brand: Hornady
Top Reloading Dies brand: Lee Precision
Top rifle ammunition brand: Federal
Top handgun ammunition brand: CCI
Top blackpowder brand: Pyrodex
Top scopes brand: Vortex
Top Reflex/Red Dot Sights brand: SIG Sauer
Top Scope Mounts brand: Leupold
Top shotgun brands: Mossberg & Remington
Top Trigger Assembly brand: Timney
Top Benches and Rests: Caldwell
Top Bipods brand: Harris
Top trail camera brand: Wildgame Innovations
Top Tree Stands: Big Game
Top Holster/ammo belt brand: Alien
Topline results of the Southwick Associates consumer tracking study are available in the Hunting & Shooting Participation and Equipment Purchases Report. This in-depth resource tracks hunting & shooting participation and equipment purchases for more than 100 products.
Vortex was the top Optics Brand in 2019 according to the Survey.
The list above is only a fraction of all hunting and shooting categories tracked by Southwick Associates. Along with many other product categories, Southwick Associates also tracks the percentage of sales occurring across different retail channels, total spending per category, average prices, and demographics for hunters and shooters buying specific products. Additional information tracked includes total days spent hunting and shooting, type of hunting, preferred species and where they go.
Full reports, with a wealth of information, are available from Southwick Associates, a market research firm specializing in the hunting, shooting, sport=fishing, and outdoor recreation markets.
After the NRA cancelled its 2020 Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Nashville, TN, there were grave concerns about the NRA losing support…and members. NRA leaders were worried that the cancellation of the much-anticipated NRA convention in Music City might lead to a mass exodus of members.
In fact, just the opposite occurred. A quite remarkable thing has happened. With the nationwide fears over the Coronavirus pandemic, American adults of all ages, all walks of life, and all political persuasions are now rushing out to buy firearms. And these new, first-time gun owners are signing up by the thousands with the NRA. Many of them are young, urban, and otherwise “liberal”. Some are avid CNN watchers who tweet “Orange Man Bad” and think AOC is cool. But they want their guns, and they want them now.
These new young/urban gun buyers are mad that they can’t get their guns “right now”. Believing the “fake news” from CNN and other anti-gun mainstream media, they thought they could get guns without background checks or waiting periods. Millenials and Gen-Xers, raised on instant gratification, can be “triggered” by waiting periods.
Millenials and Gen-Xers Join NRA Ranks in Droves
In recent decades the NRA has become less diverse, which the majority of its members being older, conservative “red state” males. Now that is changing, with a wave of new gun-buying by younger, urban populations, male and female, of all ethnic groups. It seems the interest in self-defense sweeps across all age groups, even Millenials and Gen-Xers. And remarkably, the new NRA sign-ups cross party lines.
A surprising number of new gun owners list themselves as Democrats, who remain hostile to President Trump. However, after buying guns and joining the NRA, many of these urban Democrats now say they support the Second Amendment and the right to “Keep and Bear Arms” (at least for themselves).
According to estimates received from the NRA sources, half of the new members are under 35 years of age, most live in urban metropolitan areas, and over 70% live in “Blue States”, some of which are being hit the hardest by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Why are young, urban Democrats joining the NRA? These new gun owners saw first-hand that Democratic Party-sponsored gun control laws have left them defenseless and vulnerable in a time of crisis. They are turning away from Beto, Biden and the Gun Grabbers.
One 27-year-old from Baltimore stated: “Look, yeah I was anti-gun, but with all the demands on police and first responders, I don’t see any option but to have a gun for self-defense. I’m still a registered Democrat, but yeah I’m joining the NRA because I know Biden and company will take the guns away.”
Record Numbers of FBI Background Checks for Gun Buyers
The FBI ran more than 3.7 million NICS firearm background checks 2020 in March, smashing the previous record as Americans armed themselves amid growing fears about the Coronavirus pandemic. The NICS system ran 3,740,688 background checks in March, which is 33% higher than the previous record of more than 2.8 million, which was set in February. The February numbers were a 34% uptick from the same time in 2019. Source: FOX News 4/2/2020.
Fears about the Coronavirus have resulted in a dramatic public opinion shift regarding gun ownership. Urban liberals and registered Democrats are now lining up to buy guns:
Currently gun retailers and FFLs in 42 U.S. states are being allowed to stay open, either because they have been declared “essential businesses” or because there is no Emergency Order in place. This is consisent with a recent “Guidance” issued by the Dept. of Homeland Security. In six states, gun stores and FFL operations have been ordered closed by Executive Orders. While in two states, California and Michigan, the situation is unclear because of inconsistent county-by-county policies or vague statewide orders.
These findings come from TheTrace.org, a gun control website that has published an interactive map, along with a state-by-state list of gun store closures policies. While we are no fans of TheTrace.org, since it definitely has an anti-gun bias, right now that website provides one of the more up-to-date summary of gun shop status across the country. Hopefully the NRA will provide its own map soon.
On TheTrace.org’s Gun Store Closure Report you can see a grid-map with each state’s status indicated by a color. Blue means gunshops and FFLs are open, yellow means they have been ordered closed, pale gray means no order is currently in effect, and dark gray indicates the situation is “unclear”.
Click Image to Use Interactive Map
TheTrace.org lists the status of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with links to official Emergency Orders and relevant media reports. Here are status summaries for six states, based on information AccurateShooter.com has obtained:
Alabama
According to local media reports, Alabama gun stores remain open. AL Gov. Kay Ivey issued an order closing “non-essential business”, but gun dealers and FFLs were not among those businesses ordered to halt their operations.
Arizona
Currently there are no formal restrictions on the operations of gun store. But, it looks like gun rights will be honored. AZ Gov. Doug Ducey included “firearm and ammunition suppliers and retailers for purposes of safety and security” on a list of “essential services”.
California
Situation is in flux. CA Gov. Newsom stated he would defer to the decisions of local Sheriffs, so gun stores are open in some counties, closed in others. There is litigation in progress that could open all stores statewide. MORE INFO.
Florida
No gunstore closures yet — “Firearm and ammunition supply stores” have been included on list of “essential businesses”. However a stay-at-home order for four counties in South Florida — Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe — was issued by FL Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Pennsylvania
Gun stores are open, but may not be running full operations. According to TheTrace.org: “Governor Tom Wolf has issued guidance allowing gun dealers to operate on an appointment-only basis in order to ‘complete only the portions of a sale/transfer that must be conducted in-person under the law’. The governor’s original order shuttered gun stores, but he issued the revision after several Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices urged him to allow the shops to reopen.”
Texas
Gun shops and FFLs can remain open in the Lone Star state. After some localities attempted to close gun retailers via executive orders, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement that that cities and counties “may not regulate or restrict the sale of firearms”. Paxton said in his nonbinding opinion that state law prevents cities and counties from “adopting regulations related to the transfer, possession, or ownership of firearms, or commerce in firearms.” MORE INFO.
Gun Store Shut-Downs Challenged by Legal Actions
TheTrace.org reports that State Executive Orders mandating gun store closures have been challenged in the courts: “In states that have ordered gun stores to close, enforcement of the orders is proving messy — and litigious. In Pennsylvania, gun-rights advocates immediately filed a lawsuit challenging Governor Tom Wolf’s order to close dealers. The state Supreme Court swiftly rejected the suit, but hours later Wolf’s office quietly updated its policy to allow gun dealers to operate on a limited basis. On the other side of the country, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he was leaving the decision to let gun stores continue operating in the hands of county sheriffs. And New Jersey’s unprecedented decision to eliminate access to its background check system drew multiple lawsuits.”
On Monday, March 30, the National Rifle Assocation (NRA) announced the suspension of all sanctioned matches until the end of April. Here is the NRA’s official statement:
Due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the NRA is unfortunately suspending all sanctioned matches through April 30, 2020. Any requests for sanctioning of new matches beyond April 30 are also suspended until further notice. As a result of this suspension, the NRA will no longer accept match fees or scores. The NRA will continue to monitor the situation and make additional statements as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds. [For more information] Please contact the NRA Competitive Shooting Division at comphelp@nrahq.org, follow the NRA Competitive Shooting Facebook page or monitor the Competitive Shooting Division website at Competitions.nra.org.
NOTE: At this time there are no plans to cancel the NRA National Championship Matches to be held at Camp Atterbury, Indiana during July and August 2020.
NRA Smallbore Championships — July 23 – August 5, 2020
NRA High Power Rifle Championships — August 9-15, 2020
NRA Mid-Range Rifle Championships — August 16-20, 2020
NRA Long Range Rifle Championships — August 21-25, 2020
Story based on 3/28/20 report by Ammoland.com.
The Department of Homeland Security has declared firearms manufacturers and retailers “essential businesses”. This is very important because many states, including California and New York, have issued Executive Orders which have shuttered gun stores and halted the operations of FFLs. The DHS statement should, hopefully, lead to changes in state and regional emergency orders requiring gun shops to close.
Legal Actions to Counter Closures of Retail Gun Stores and FFLs
On Friday, 3/28/20, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) joined forces with the NRA, California Gun Rights Foundation and several others in a federal lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. They are also alleged to be using the COVID-19 pandemic to close down gun stores.
Comment: In California, all the gun shops have closed, yet Marijuana Dispensaries and Vape Shops remain open as “essential businesses”. That shows you Gov. Newsom’s priorities — recreational drugs are good, while guns are bad. The California Governor is exploiting this crisis to harm the gun industry and put gunshop owners out of business. And in Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency order listed employees at marijuana shops, breweries and winemaking facilities as part of the essential workforce, but omitted firearm and ammunition retailers and distributors.
The same day (3/28/20) in North Carolina, SAF and FPC filed a federal lawsuit against Wake County Sheriff Gerald M. Baker for refusing to accept new applications for pistol purchase permits or concealed handgun permits until April 30, 2020, using the COVID-19 outbreak as justification.
Previously, the SAF filed a lawsuit challenging New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s order shutting down firearms dealers. In Kashinsky v. Murphy, the SAF is joined by the New Jersey Second Amendment Society in alleging violation of “civil rights under color of law” by shutting down firearms dealerships, preventing citizens and businesses from exercising their rights under the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.
This story is based on an article created by Dave Workman for Ammoland.com, which states: “Readers, please share this article with your state, local and federal representatives, police departments and sheriffs as well local firearms retailers to make them aware of the new guidance so we can get our local business back to work and fellow Americans the products they need to remain safe.“
Here are some gun-industry news highlights for the week. With the Coronovirus pandemic dominating the news, there have been some important developments. First, we are seeing a huge spike in ammo sales, along with significant growth in gun purchases. Second, groups are fighting State Executive Orders mandating closures of gun stores. Third, a number of gun accessory companies are gearing up to provide health-related products such as N95 masks and disinfectants.
Ammunition Sales Spike with Widespread Concerns Over Coronavirus Pandemic
The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) SCOPE data platform reported a 168% spike in ammunition shipments for the week ending March 14. For all of 2020 so far, ammo shipments are up 21%.
Ammo Sales up 168% Nationwide
During the week ending March 14, distributors shipped close to $10,000,000 worth of ammunition, representing a 168% bump above the 3-year average for the same week. In some states, SCOPE DLX shows up to a 600% growth in ammunition shipments. Overall, ammunition shipments are up 21% year-to-date (YTD).
Gun Sales Rising Significantly
Concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic continue to drive firearms sales as well. According to Chris Means, NASGW Director and President of Tactical Gear Distributors, ammunition was the first category to spike but firearms have been following, with high demand for carry guns are ARs. Firearms shipments were up 13.74% compared to the 3-year average for March 8-14.
About the Data Tracker: NASGW SCOPE is an analytics platform for shooting sports manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. SCOPE DLX collects weekly shipment data from 20 leading distributors that represent demand from FFLs across the United States.
AR15s Are in High Demand Again — Sales are Rising
Gun Industry News — Coping with a Crisis
Legal Challenge to New Jersey Closure of Firearms Dealers
The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a lawsuit challenging New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s order shutting down firearms dealers in the Garden State. In Kashinsky v. Murphy, the SAF is joined by the New Jersey Second Amendment Society in alleging violation of “civil rights under color of law” by shutting down firearms dealerships, preventing citizens and businesses from exercising their rights under the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. Federal Judge Judge Shipp has set Friday, April 3 as the deadline for the state’s opposition brief to the SAF’s suit. This important Second Amendment case could have ramifications across the nation.
New York Shutters Kimber Manufacturing Plant in Yonkers NY
In related news, the Kimber Plant in New York state has been closed in response to executive orders. Due to the New York state decision to shutter non-essential businesses as part of the COVID-19 response plan, Kimber Mfg. Inc. has stopped production at its New York facilities. Production continues at Kimber’s new, state-of-the-art Troy, Alabama manufacturing facility.
NOTE: In many other states, firearms and ammunition production facilities, along with retail gunstores, ARE recognized as “essential businesses” and therefore allowed to stay open. For a state-by-state run-down, read the NSSF Covid-19 Information and Resources for FFLs.
Radians Donates 14,000 N95 Masks to TN Hospitals
Radians, manufacturer of quality safety eyewear and hearing protection for shooters and hunters, donated over 14,000 N95 masks to medical facilities in Memphis, TN. Wisely, in 2018 Radians added the N95 respirator to its line of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Radians CEO, Mike Tutor, said the N95 mask donation “represents Radians’ corporate responsibility to help during challenging times. With a worldwide shortage of respirator masks, we knew this donation would quickly assist first responders and health care workers [during] the COVID-19 crisis. The respirators will also be of service at COVID-19 test sites.”
Otis Technology Joins the Fight Against COVID-19
Otis Technology has partnered with Saint Lawrence Spirits to make, bottle and distribute hand sanitizer to first responders in desperate need during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Otis Technology began using its facilities — normally used to manufacture firearms maintenance products — to immediately begin manufacturing personal protective equipment.
Buy a Schmidt & Bender PMII Scope, and get a Tikka Tactical Rifle for $199.00.
Yes, you read that right.
Here’s the deal — if you purchase a Schmidt & Bender 5-25x56mm PMII riflescope from EuroOptic, you will receive a complete .308 Win Tikka T3X TAC A1 Rifle for just $199.00. Total Scope + Rifle Price is $3499.00. Effectively you save $1599.00. But you have to act quickly — this special Scope + Rifle Sale ends 3/29/2020 at 11:59 pm EDT.
Schmidt & Bender 5-25x56mm PMII FFP Scope
This is an ultra-high quality German-made First Focal Plane (FFP) scope with 0.1 MRAD Click values. The double-turn elevation turret offers a full 26 MRAD of vertical adjustment. The reticle is the excellent illuminated P4LF design. This 5-25x56mm scope boasts 3.54″ of eye relief plus 90% light transmission. In the FFP tactical optics world, this is as good as it gets. S&B PMII Scope Specifications HERE.
Tikka T3x TAC A1 in .308 Winchester
The Tikka T3x is the latest generation of the T3 rifle. The T3X boasts a 3-shot sub-MOA accuracy guarantee right out of the box (expect considerably better than that with your handloads). Great for tactical disciplines, this rifle features an adjustable 2-stage trigger (2-4 lbs.), and adjustable modular chassis. For this deal, the Tikka T3x is chambered in .308 Winchester ONLY with choice of 20″ or 24″ barrel. A factory muzzle brake is included. With the 20″ barrel, rifle weight is 10.8 lbs. and OAL is 39.8″. FWIW, owners realy like this rifle. One buyer posted: “This rifle can flat-out shoot! I have one in 6.5 Creedmoor and love it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.” The Tikka T3X A1 rifle retails for $1798.00 by itself, so this is a great deal. Tikka T3x Rifle Specifications HERE.
Ammunition Sales Spike with Widespread Concerns Over Coronavirus Pandemic
