The 2019 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 25-28, 2019. At this event, the NRA’s 148th annual convention, you’ll find 15 acres of guns and gear. There will be plenty to see and do — you can talk to hunting outfitters, attend seminars, dine at banquets, listen to top national political leaders, and enjoy country music concerts. If you’ve never been to an NRA Convention before, it’s worth going — just to see all the rifles, pistols, optics, and shooting accessories. Everything else is a bonus. The venue is the Indianapolis Convention Center at 100 South Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, IN 45225.
Register NOW to get your badges and credentials mailed to you for free. Avoid waiting in lines. It’s smart to register in advance. Admission is FREE for NRA members, their spouses and up to 5 children (under 19). The credentials give you full access to the exhibit hall for all three show days.
The much-loved Shilen SWAP MEET will take place in Ennis, Texas on Saturday, March 23, 2019 from 8:00 am through 2:00 pm CDT. This will be at Shilen’s new, bigger and better production facility. If you are looking for some great bargains on gun gear, and are near the Dallas-Fort Worth area, definitely mark this date on your calendar. The Shilen Swap Meet is one of the best events of its kind, and Team Shilen will even deliver a complimentary lunch to attendees.
No Vendor Fees, No Entry Fees, and FREE Lunch!
Team Shilen says: “Shilen is excited to host this year’s Swap Meet in our new location. We hope that you will come and see the new building and bring lots of stuff to sell or trade with others.” ANYONE can come and ANYONE can be a vendor. There are NO entry or vendor fees and we will persevere rain or shine. There will be gun stuff everywhere –buy and sell as much as you like. There will be free lunch, as always.
SHILEN SWAP MEET HIGHLIGHTS
Watch Barrel-Making. A Shilen crew will run barrel-making machines from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. Watch precision barrels being made. The techs will answer all your questions about the process.
Sign up for Door Prizes — Shilen Merchandise. There will be multiple drawings for free or discounted Shilen apparel or merchandise. Go to the sign-up table to be entered in the drawings, which will be held at 9 am, 10 am, 10:30 am, 11 am, and 1 pm.
Get Shilen Barrels and Actions at Huge Discounts. Shilen Barrels, Actions, and Barreled Actions will be sold at huge discounts on Saturday. “Swap Meet Barrels” were originally ordered by Shilen customers throughout the year, but orders were canceled or customers changed their mind on contour, chamber, etc. These barrels were placed back in stock for resale. When Swap Meet Time arrives any such barrels still remaining in stock are sold at huge discounts. NOTE: These barrels are in NO WAY factory “seconds” or any lower quality. The warranty on these barrels is the same as any other Shilen barrels.
Sell Your Own Gear. At the Shilen Swap Meet, you can Bring Your Own Table (BYOT). Register to sell anything gun-related: presses, reloading gear, stocks, triggers, scope rings — you name it. Vendor Space is available on a first come-first served basis, starting Saturday morning at 7:00 am. Email or call Shilen for more information. Email: comments@shilen.com. Call: 972-875-5318.
TIPS for Visitors: The SWAP MEET wraps up at 2:00 pm. The best stuff sells fast, so if you are looking for something particular get here early! Keep an eye on the Shilen’s Swap Meet page for a preview of Vendors and the products they’ll be selling.
Chris Cheng, Top Shot TV Season 4 Champion, worked at Google from 2007-2012. A self-taught amateur turned pro, he beat 17 competitors to win the title of Top Shot, a $100,000 grand prize, and a professional marksmanship contract with Bass Pro Shops. After his Top Shot success, Cheng left Google to pursue a new career in the firearms industry. He is the author of Shoot To Win, now in its Second Edition (2018). The book is available from Amazon for $19.99 (or $14.99 Kindle). You can also get an eBook version for $14.95 through Google Play with a free sample.
What is pretty remarkable, given the current state of “political correctness” in our nation is that Google invited Cheng to discuss his book at a Google Authors event. Here is the video of that interview.
Chris explains: “Google invited me back to discuss the 2nd Edition of my book Shoot to Win and it was an honor to become a two-time Google @Authors talk guest.
Given the political climate and anti-conservative accusations levied on Google and other tech companies it was notable I got invited. But more notable was that Google employees voted on authors they wanted to come speak and my name floated to the top. It goes to show that Google is trying to balance things out and bring more divergent perspectives and increase intellectual diversity.
In the talk we discussed sacrifice, hard work, and the focus required to win at life. We also discussed my advocacy for gun rights, gay rights, and freedom and how there are folks who want gay people and gun people to not exist on this Earth.
The only way we’re going to find our way out is if we have more respectable, civil dialogue to find solutions. It isn’t about agreeing on everything, but finding common ground and moving quickly where we agree.”
After winning the Top Shot Season 4 title, Chris Cheng left his job at Google to pursue a new career in the firearms industry. Cheng now travels the country speaking professionally and sharing his passion for the shooting sports. He is a Certified Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun Instructor. Cheng also serves as a Member of the NSSF’s Outreach and Inclusion Committee where he represents LGBT and Asian interests.
The number of active hunters in the USA has declined in recent years. That’s not good for wildlife management programs, which are supported, in large part, by hunting fees. Perhaps more importantly, the declin in the ranks of hunters weakens the base of support for the Second Amendment. Hunters are key to the future of firearms rights in America. We support efforts to increase the number of hunters, through mentoring and training programs.
The NRA’s American Hunter magazine has compiled a comprehensive list of hunting mentor programs, state by state. This is followed by listing of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide hunter training. If you know individuals looking to get a start in hunting, check out these resources.
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing(Barrett) has been awarded the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) ASR (Advanced Sniper Rifle) contract for with its MRAD (Multi-Role Adaptive Design) rifle system. The SOCOM ASR contract is worth nearly fifty million dollars. The ASR contract was announced by the U.S. Dept. of Defense on March 11, 2019.
Guns.com reports: “The $49.9 million five-year, indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract announcement is slim on details other than that is for the ASR program. The program itself was identified in SOCOM’s FY19 budget justification book as part of an effort to continue ‘development of enhanced capabilities to improve performance’ of ‘individual sniper weapons to engage out to 1500 meters’.” A key requirement was the ability to shooter multiple calibers and cartridge types.
USSOCOM announced in 2016 it needed a modular, multi-caliber bolt action sniper rifle capable of converting between 7.62x51mm, .300 Norma Magnum (NM) and .338 Norma Magnum (NM). The gun needed to be able to change barrels easily in the field with minimal tools. The Barrett MRAD is designed with precision and modularity in mind. As produced for SOCOM, the MRAD will be designated the Mk21. The new MK21 MRADs will be built at Barrett’s Christiana, Tennessee factory, with production to be completed by March 2024.
Interestingly, this is the first time in U.S. history that both a father and son have designed an official military-commissioned rifle system. Father Ronnie Barrett developed the successful .50-Caliber M107 and now son Chris Barrett has succeeded with the Mk21 MRAD.
“This feels like the highest honor I could ever achieve professionally — to have a rifle adopted by the U.S. military, and especially USSOCOM,” said Chris Barrett. Father Ronnie Barrett added: “I remember Chris telling me that ‘this is what all precision rifles will look like one day!’ and he was right. However, aesthetics is not all that makes this rifle. As his development persisted, he was able to achieve more than I ever thought possible. I genuinely believe this is the most accurate [multi-caliber sniper] rifle in the world.”
Last year Dick’s stopped selling ARs and raised the long gun purchase age to 21. Now, in 2019, Dick’s is removing hunting gear from 125 of its stores, 17% of the total.
Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), a company that has sided with anti-gun forces, is hurting. The DKS stock price dropped 11% yesterday on news that overall sales have declined significantly. Moreover, Dick’s leadership continues to follow a gun-averse path, announcing that hunting gear, including firearms, will be taken out of roughly 125 stores. That’s a major shift in focus for Dick’s. After all, it is estimated that there are over 11.5 million active hunters in the United States. Getting rid of hunting gear in 125 stores alienates a significant part of Dick’s customer base.
In 2018 Dick’s took major steps in response to the gun-control lobby. Dick’s stopped selling AR-platform rifles, and imposed a minimum age of 21 years to purchase ANY and all firearms, not just handguns.
Dick’s Sporting Goods to Remove Firearms From 125 More Stores
Continuing to pursue the tightened gun policies that initially drove its stock down, Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) has announced it will remove hunting gear from about 125 stores. The change, expected to begin August 1, will affect about 17 percent of the company’s stores. The announcement, coupled with continuing declines in same-store sales since 2017, is being credited with a nearly 11 percent decline in stock price yesterday. Dick’s closed at $34.45 on the NYSE, down $4.28/share.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Ed Stack, Dick’s CEO and major shareholder, stated that hunting gear (and rifles) may be removed from even more stores (beyond the 125) next year. Notably, Stack is clearly siding with gun-control forces. The Shooting Wire observed: “Stack was one of four CEOs to sign a letter supporting a gun control bill recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has also joined the business council of Everytown, the [Bloomberg group] that advocates for gun control.”
One of our Forum members, Jason Peterson, pulled off a remarkable accomplishment at an NBRSA 600-yard match last fall. Last October, at the Rogue Valley SSA range in Oregon, Jason set no less than FOUR new NBSRA Score Records: Light Gun 6-Target Score (30 shots), Heavy Gun 6-Target Score (60 shots), Two-Gun 6-Target Score (45 shots), and Two-Gun 12-Target Score (90 shots).
Jason was shooting a 6 BRA (6mmBR Ackley) Light Gun with Borden BRM action, LBR stock, and 1:8″-twist Krieger barrel. Bedding was done by Alex Wheeler. Notably, Jason’s father chambered the Krieger barrel — Thanks Dad! The load consisted of 108gr Bergers pushed by Hodgdon H4895. Writing in the NBRSA Magazine, Bill Johnston observed: “If my memory serve me right, this is the first time in Long Range History that 4 records were set at one match by the same shooter.”
Many of our readers carry handguns for personal protection, and many of those folks travel regularly through airports. It IS legal to take a handgun on an airline flight in checked baggage (if you follow the rules). But for goodness sake — declare the weapon as required by law and comply with all TSA and Federal regulations. Do NOT just toss your pistol in your carry-on and expect to board the plane. About 4,000 pistols were discovered in carry-on luggage in 2017. That can result in seizure and confiscation of the weapon, and just might land you in jail!
Gun writer Dean Weingarten recently wrote an article about handgun seizures at airports. Remarkably, in a single week (5/18/18 to 6/3/18), 97 handguns were found in carry-on bags at U.S. airports.
TSA gives a list of the pistols found. The list shows the make, model and caliber of most of the pistols. There were 93 pistols where the caliber was identified.
9mm pistols were still the most common, with 36 represented. .380 pistols, known in Europe as 9X17, 9mm Kurtz, or 9mm Corto, were the next represented, with 24 present. That is 70 pistols, or 75% of the pistols found. There were a smattering of other calibers. There were eight .40 caliber pistols, seven .22 LR rimfire, six .45 caliber, five .32 caliber, four .38 caliber, one .410, and one .22 magnum.
Most of the pistols were semi-autos, there were a few revolvers, and three derringers.
How does this happen? It is the principle of rare occurrences. While an event may be extremely rare for each individual, if enough individuals are involved, the occurrence of rare events becomes a statistical certainty. About 4,000 pistols were discovered in carry-on luggage in 2017. There were about 770 million travelers passing through TSA checkpoints in that year. That is one pistol found for about 194,000 passengers. Each passenger presumably went through TSA checkpoints at least twice, once going, once returning. Some passengers go through multiple checkpoints, depending on the route taken.
Let us use the 194,000 figure for simplicity. A person would have to go on a trip every day for 531 years, and only miss a pistol in their luggage once to match that percentage.
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, is just five days away. Why not plan a trip to the range with your buddies to celebrate. Here are two free Shamrock-themed targets to add to the fun. Shoot these Shamrocks and see if you have the “luck of the Irish”.
To help celebrate this traditional day of Irish pride, parades, and green beer, the NRA has created two (2) fun targets you can download, print, and shoot. Try out these free targets. Click each Irish target photo below to open a high-rez PDF file you can download and print.
The first target features a large four-leaf clover in the middle, with 17 other smaller three-leaf shamrocks around the outside. With five black bulls-eyes in the center graphic, that gives you a total of 22 aiming points for shooting fun. For added challenge we suggest you set this target at 100 yards for rimfire rifle and 200 years for a centerfire gun.
CLICK Below for Big PDF Shamrock Target
The second target offers the legendary Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. Along with a big bullseye on the pot, there are 15 shamrocks in gold circles, plus five small gold bars with tiny bullseyes. Those smallest bulls will be a challenge even at 100 yards. You’ll need a half-MOA (or better) rifle to “clean” this target, hitting the smallest red dots.
CLICK Below for Big PDF Pot of Gold Target
Whether you’re Irish or not, these targets will hopefully bring you a bit of luck. Click each image above to open a high-rez PDF file that you can print out. Then, this St. Patty’s day, wear your green, grab your gear, and head to range for some fun shooting.
Some interesting Drive Band bullets were on display at IWA Show.
IWA Outdoor Classics Exhibition Concludes for 2019
As we publish this in the USA, the IWA Outdoor Classics trade show is drawing to a close. Today marked the last day of the 4-Day exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany. IWA is a big event, drawing over 1600 exhibitors, as well as nearly 50,000 show visitors from around the world. Here is our IWA Day 4 report, with more images from the show. Photo Credit for IWA images: NuernbergMesse / Frank Boxler and Thomas Geiger, All Rights Reserved.
Yes they like big boomers in Europe too. Here is an Austrian Steyr-Mannlicher HS .50-M1 in .50 BMG.
These state-of-the-art, computer-controlled commercial loading stations were on display at IWA.
The sound of silence. The new German-engineered Blaser R8 Ultimate Silence features an integral silencer. The over-sized barrel functions as the silencer.
Some of the best specialized competition shooting coats and pants are crafted in Europe.
Zeiss, a German company, produces some of the best rifle scopes in the world.
Spirit of the Hunt — IWA Showcases Hunting Gear and Clothing
At its heart, the IWA Outdoor Classics event remains a showcase for hunting products. The aisles included collections of antlers, hunting gear, and traditional Bavarian hunting clothing.
Parting Shot — Crack Open a Cold One with a Stag-Horn
Here’s just what you need to open a bottle of good German lager — a stag-horn bottle opener. Prost!
