Good Guy Gets Top Job.Pete Brownell is the NRA’s new President. Pete was elected as NRA President by the NRA Board of Directors on May 1, 2017, capping off the 146th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Atlanta. Pete succeeds Allan D. Cors to become the 64th President of the NRA.
We applaud Pete Brownell’s election as NRA President. Your Editor has met and talked to Pete. He is a smart, hard-working, sincere, and focused individual who genuinely loves the outdoors and the shooting sports. He is “one of the good guys”, a true leader in our industry, who also cares about the average gun owner, and who has a clear vision for the future.
“It’s an honor and privilege to serve the 5 million members of the National Rifle Association of America”, said Brownell. “I’m a proud NRA member from day one who grew up with a passion for guns, our rich hunting heritage, and a passion to strengthen our Second Amendment.”
Brownell, whose entire life has been dedicated to the outdoors and shooting traditions, is the CEO of Brownell’s Inc., his family’s namesake business. Pete became the third Brownell to run the business when he assumed day-to-day operations from his father Frank, 72, who remains chairman of the board. Under their leadership, Brownells grew ten-fold from a “niche-specific supplier” of gunsmithing tools to an international company offering firearms, parts, ammo and accessories to shooters, hunters, gunsmiths and retailers worldwide.
Pete Brownell has already given years of service to the NRA. First elected to the NRA Board of Directors in 2010, Pete has served as chairman of the Membership Committee. Pete “rose in the ranks”, being elected as the NRA’s Second Vice President in 2013, and as First Vice President in 2015.
LaPierre, Powell, and Cox Retain Other NRA Top Leadership Roles
At the May 1st NRA Board of Directors meeting, the Board re-elected Wayne LaPierre as NRA Executive Vice President. Upon his re-election, LaPierre then reappointed Josh Powell as Executive Director of NRA General Operations, and Chris W. Cox as Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action.
Story based on report by Jason Brown in NRABlog.com.
According to Military Times, the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is considering replacing the 7.62×51 NATO in semi-auto sniper rifles with a mid-size 6.5 mm cartridge. The two leading candidates are the 6.5 Creedmoor and the .260 Remington. These 6.5 cartridges would deliver a flatter trajectory, better long-range ballistics, and reduced recoil compared to the 7.62×51 NATO (aka .308 Winchester). While the .260 Rem enjoys a case capacity edge over the 6.5 Creedmoor, in the real world, performance is similar — both cartridge types can push a 130gr bullet to velocities around 2900 fps. (See Sierra 6.5 CM Load Data.)
“Major Aron Hauquitz told Military Times Tuesday that SOCOM is in the preliminary stages of exploring a sniper rifle chambered in the 6.5 mm caliber. The two commercially available rounds being evaluated are the .260 Remington and the 6.5 mm Creedmoor.
Research shows that both rounds will ‘stay supersonic longer, have less wind drift and better terminal performance than 7.62 mm ammunition’, SOCOM officials said.
‘We’re purely in the exploratory phase’. Hauquitz said. ‘We’re trying to see if we can take a weapon that is 7.62 and give it greater range, accuracy and lethality.'”
The SOCOM representative indicated that test rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor and/or .260 Remington might be issued to test teams later this year, but there was no issue date in place yet. Hauquitz said the 6.5 mm exploration came out of preliminary results of the Small Arms Ammunition Configuration study, which assesses commercially available ammunition and new ammo technologies.
SOCOM Also Considering Polymer Cartridges
The Military Times report also revealed that SOCOM is considering polymer-cased rifle ammunition, with the goal of reducing load weight. SOCOM’s research shows that a polymer-cased mid-sized 6.5 mm cartridge could be one-third lighter than conventional brass-cased 7.62×51 ammo. That means the next-generation 6.5 mm ammo could “come in at 5.56×45 mm weight ranges”. While SOCOM is seriously looking at this new option, polymer-cased ammo will NOT be required for SOCOM’s new semi-auto rifle. In other words, if the polymer ammo is not ready, that “would not delay potential fielding of a 6.5 mm rifle” according to Maj. Hauquitz.
The Second Amendment Foundation, joined by several other groups and individuals, has filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in California, challenging that state’s laws prohibiting the possession, use or acquisition of so-called “large capacity magazines,” calling the state’s bans on magazines “hopelessly vague and ambiguous.”
Joining SAF are the Calguns Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, Firearms Policy Foundation and six individuals including one retired California peace officer. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
The lawsuit raises a constitutional challenge to California Penal Code § 32310, as recently amended by Senate Bill 1446 and Proposition 63, and Penal Code § 32390 (the “Large-Capacity Magazine Ban”). Collectively those laws require Californians to relinquish, forfeit, or destroy lawfully-obtained full capacity magazines. The penalties for non-compliance are severe. The lawsuit alleges that if these measures are enforced as applied, they would “individually and collectively prohibit law-abiding citizens from continuing to possess, use, or acquire lawfully-owned firearms, in common use for lawful purposes such as self-defense (inside and outside the home), competition, sport, and hunting.”
“What we see in the enactment of such laws,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “is continued erosion by the state of its citizens’ Constitutional rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment. When the U.S. Supreme Court incorporated the Second Amendment to the states via the 14th Amendment under the 2010 McDonald ruling, it automatically should have stopped this kind of prohibition.
“As we state in our lawsuit,” he continued, “this magazine ban fails to provide fair or even adequate notice to law-abiding gun owners of what they may do with their personal property without being subject to criminal sanctions. In effect, this ban amounts to a backdoor form of confiscation, in part, of bearable arms that are protected by the Constitution.”
“Enforcement of this ban,” Gottlieb concluded, “would immediately place thousands of law-abiding California gun owners in jeopardy of criminal liability and subjects their personal property to forfeiture, seizure and permanent confiscation, which is government taking, without due process or compensation. We cannot allow that to go unchallenged.”
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk Radio broadcasts live from the NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta, GA, this Sunday, April 30th, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm Eastern at the FN America booth, #2429. Show visitors are encouraged to stop by the FN booth to “watch” the radio show.
Guests will include Brownell’s Pete Brownell, Jason Parker (four-time Olympian turned Olympic Coach), Ashley Hlebinsky (curator of the Cody Firearms Museum), and FN America’s Tom Scott with details on the new FN 509 pistol.
Second NRA Convention Episode Will Air on May 7th, 2017
And since there’s always so much to talk about, Gun Talk will also be broadcasting from the Ruger booth, #3142, the day before, on Saturday, April 29th, from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm Eastern. That show will be delayed to air next Sunday, May 7th.
The 146th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits at the Georgia World Congress Center is open to the public and free for NRA Members. From April 28th through April 30th, participants can attend auctions, raffles and seminars, check out displays from 800+ exhibitors, and talk with other gun enthusiasts and shooters from all over the world. More information can be found at www.nraam.org.
In its 23rd year of national syndication, Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk® radio show airs live on Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM Eastern, and runs on more than 230 stations weekly. Listen live on a radio station near you (http://guntalk.com/stations), or via live streaming (http://guntalk.com/streaming). All Gun Talk shows can also be downloaded as podcasts at http://www.guntalk.libsyn.com, or Apple iTunes.
Do you carry a firearm for self-protection, or perhaps keep a handgun in a vehicle during trips? Then you should consider signing up for a new insurance/training program offered by the NRA. Launched this week, the NRA’s Carry Guard program offers up to $1,000,000 in insurance/legal protection. This is combined with a comprehensive training program.
The Carry Guard program offers a 24/7 hotline for members. You get immediate response to secure bail bonds, legal retainers, and counseling. Importantly you can choose your own attorney from a nationwide attorney referral network. Members get up to $1,000,000 in insurance-backed protection for legal fees and will receive emergency support services in case of a self-defense incident. Spouses of NRA Carry Guard members are automatically covered, as are family members who live with a Carry Guard member and defend themselves in the home.
Three levels of protection are offered, with affordable monthly payments. When you consider that the cost of defending a civil lawsuit could easily exceed $150,000 just in legal fees, it’s smart to have some kind of legal insurance plan.
Carry Guard Training
Carry Guard members can access a variety of video tutorials. In addition, CarryGuard offers three-day training programs that combine classroom sessions with range training. The focus is on the real-life scenarios you might face. “We apply those [gun-handling] fundamentals to real-life situations, self-defense tactics and techniques, low-light shooting, force-on-force Air Soft scenarios and more. Students are evaluated on a course of fire where only a passing score earns eligibility to move to the next level.”
If you have questions about the Carry Guard Program, consult the Carry Guard FAQ page, call 1-866-NRA-5050, or use the NRA’s Contact Form.
It’s Friday, which means the Exhibit Hall of the 146th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits opens today at 9:00 am! The big attraction will be the 800+ exhibitors in the Hall — including virtually all the big name firearms manufacturers, ammo/component makers, optics makers, and shooting accessory suppliers. Along with the exhibitors, there are seminars, workshops, special events, and celebrity meet and greets now through Sunday the 30th. Here’s a quick glimpse of what’s happening today:
Regular Daily Events
NRA Booth, Booth #1912 National Firearms Museum, Booth #457 Pyramid Air – Air Gun Range, Room B309 Wall of Guns, Second Floor Hallway
Special Events
NRA-ILA Leadership Forum (ticket required) Georgia World Congress Center, Hall A Doors open at 11:00am Event starts at 12:30 pm.
Click here for a complete list of seminars, workshops, and special presentations.
To see the full schedule, visit www.nraam.org. For more information on events, exhibitors, and exhibit hall hours, visit www.nraam.org or download the Mobile App.
Do your hands/wrists get tired when prepping scores of cartridge cases? There’s an alternative to the big, costly case prep centers that occupy lots of space on your reloading bench. Little Crow Gunworks has developed a $29.95 hand tool that makes chamfering by hand much easier. You’ve got to watch this Precision Prep Tool in action — click on the VIDEO below to see Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com demonstrate how it works.
See How Tool Head Spins With Arm Movement — Very Clever!
With this tool, a natural motion of the forearm translates into rotary motion of the tool head (watch the video!). The tool-head holds four (4) tools: inside and outside neck chamfer tools, plus large and small primer pocket reamers. A hex adapter lets you use the primer pocket reamers with a power drill to remove the crimps on military brass.
Gavin Gear was impressed with this innovative device: “I’ll admit, I didn’t know how this tool worked until I tried it out, and it’s pretty amazing how something so simple can make such a big impact on a chore like brass prep. I’ve tried a lot of brass prep tools, and this is one smooth setup. I think the Precision Prep Tool is a good option for case prep chores, especially if you want to trim on the go, or sitting in your recliner watching TV.”
This is the first manually-operated case prep tool that puts four tools at your fingertips. Other single-head inline tools require the user to twist their wrist or rotate the tool in their hand. The PPT consists of a knurled solid aluminum handle with a bearing-mounted aluminum tool head. The tool head has four 8-32 tapped holes which accept case prep tools manufactured by most reloading companies. To use the tool, simply rotate your forearm in a clockwise motion to chamfer, deburr, or clean the primer pocket. Priced at $29.95, the tool comes in five (5) colors: Red, Blue, Green, Silver, and Black.
Are you feeling lucky? Well here’s your chance to win a gun. Brownells is giving away one gun each day from April 28th through the 30th. This three-gun give-away is being offered in connection with the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, Georgia. Brownells will have a large booth at the NRA Show, with VIP Guests including actor Lou Ferrigno and 3-Gun ace Janna Reeves.
In addition to the gun-a-day NRA Show promotion, this week Brownells is offering a special drawing for a high-tech IV 8888 AR-Platform rifle from Iraq Veterans. The IV 8888 rifle features high-end components such as carbon-fiber handguards and an Aimpoint optic.
The big NRA Convention in Atlanta is just two days away. The 146th National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meetings and Exhibits will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia from April 27-30, 2017. 80,000+ people are expected to attend this 4-day event which will feature dozens of seminars, workshops, and special events. There are still tickets available for many of the most important events at the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings. See links below:
GET EVENT TICKETS
Thursday April 27th
National NRA Foundation Banquet
Sponsored by Henry Repeating Arms, Century Arms and Kimber
Georgia World Congress Center Building B – 5 p.m.
Tickets start at $100 – Click here to purchase.
Friday, April 28th
20th Annual Firearms Law Seminar
Georgia World Congress Center – 8 a.m.
Tickets start at $50 – Click here to purchase.
NRA-ILA Leadership Forum
Sponsored by TownHall Media and Bearing Arms
Georgia World Congress Center Hall A3 – 12:30 p.m.
Tickets start at $10 – Click here to purchase.
When President Trump speaks at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on April 28th, it will be the first time a sitting president visits the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits since Ronald Reagan.
Sunday, April 30th
2017 National Prayer Breakfast
Brought to you by Fathers in the Field and sponsored by Trijicon and Universal Coin & Bullion.
Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center Grand Ballroom – 7 a.m.
Tickets start at $40 – Click here to purchase.
4th Annual NRA Women’s New Energy Breakfast
Georgia World Congress Center Room B405 – 9:30 a.m.
Tickets start at $15 – Click here to purchase
NAVIGATE THE CONVENTION HALL
In and around the Convention Hall there will be 15 acres of firearms, shooting and hunting gear, and other exhibits. There will also be an on-site airgun range. For more information about the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, including deals on hotels and airfare, show hours, exhibitors, maps, and much more, visit www.NRAAM.org.
“Involvement in the shooting sports develops … discipline, patience, self-control, and responsibility.” — Daisy President, Keith Higginbotham
Like many of our readers, your Editor got his first introduction to organized shooting sports through the Boy Scouts. At a Scouting summer camp I participated in competitive target shooting with both airguns and single-shot .22 LR rifles. That experience helped me earn my Rifle Shooting Merit Badge. That marksmanship badge remains one of the most popular non-mandatory Merit Badges. Since 2009, over 350,000 Rifle Shooting Merit Badges have been earned by young scouts.
Given the vital role Scouting plays in developing the next generation of shooters, we’re pleased that Daisy has agreed to partner with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). This agreement makes Daisy the official airgun of the Boy Scouts of America.
This partnership makes Daisy’s unique inflatable BB Gun ranges available to the BSA’s 274 local councils as well as BSA camp sites across the country. Instructors emphasize shooting safety rules and teach basic marksmanship, including breath control, trigger pull, sight picture and more.
Daisy President Keith Higginbotham stated: “Teaching the basics of marksmanship and shooting safety… continues to be at the core of our mission. Hundreds of millions of adults have been positively affected by Scouting, learning to become responsible citizens, developing character and becoming self-reliant. Involvement in the shooting sports develops similar traits, such as discipline, patience, self-control, and responsibility.”
Daisy Inflatable BB Gun Range
Daisy’s unique inflatable BB Gun Ranges can be deployed at Scout camps, and as well as hunting and conservation events. These mobile ranges allow instructors to teach young poeple gun safety rules and marksmanship skills. When set-up, the range measures 22′ 5″ long by 9′ 6″ wide by 8′ 6″ tall.
