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July 4th, 2013
 It’s easy to think of fun, sun, and relaxation over the 4th of July weekend. Ball games, picnics, and fireworks may be foremost in our minds on July 4th, but we should take the time to contemplate the real significance of this day.
The Founding Fathers launched an incredibly risky and radical undertaking in 1776 — breaking away from English rule, and challenging the forces of the British Empire, the most powerful political entity the world had ever known.
Study the Revolutionary War, and you’ll learn that America’s bid for independence was a “long-shot” endeavor — the odds of success were poor. On the battlefield, our revolutionary armies were defeated many times by the British, and Gen. George Washington himself believed the Revolution was a lost cause on many occasions. In celebrating the 4th of July, we should honor the courage and dedication of those who fought for independence. We should also take time to consider the principles set out in the Declaration of Independence itself. Have we, as a nation, remained faithful to these tenets?:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
[W]hen a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Click Here to learn more about the history of the
Declaration of Independence.
July 3rd, 2013
 Here’s a news item of importance to all our readers who have an FFL or who may process firearms transfers. The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has announced that the current E-Check system will be upgraded to version 2.0, effective July 16, 2013. Among a host of new features will be the elimination of the digital certificate and the ability to access NICS E-Check using any computer and browser. Target date for deployment is July 16. FFLs currently using the E-Check system should plan to re-register on (or after) July 16, 2013. You can register at the NICS E-Check Web site: www.nicsezcheckfbi.gov.
Benefits of Using New E-Check System
You will be able to access NICS E-Check using any computer or browser.
Added customer protection against identity theft.
Added safeguard against theft of license number and codeword.
Ability to retrieve NICS background check results 24/7.
Ability to retrieve background checks initiated on E-Check or at the Call Center.
Ability to print completed NICS background check search requests.
The availability of messages regarding NICS operational status.
No hold times waiting for the Call Center.
No hold times waiting for a NICS Representative to review a transaction.
What is NICS?
The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was established to aid FFLs in determining whether or not the transfer of a firearm would violate state or federal law. Mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 and launched by the FBI on November 30, 1998, NICS is used by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to instantly determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to buy firearms or explosives. Before ringing up the sale, cashiers call in a check to the FBI or to other designated agencies to ensure that each customer does not have a criminal record or isn’t otherwise ineligible to make a purchase. More than 100 million such checks have been made in the last decade, leading to more than 700,000 denials.
How NICS Functions, Step-by-Step
July 2nd, 2013
 The International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) has a great new product for iPad users. The ISSF now offers a multi-media “eZine” optimized for Apple tablets. The free, downloadable ISSF Magazine covers competition shooting around the globe. You’ll find match reports, interviews with shooters, and coverage of the gear and ammo that win matches. Packed with plenty of photos and videos, ISSF’s iPad magazine is rich with interactive content. The latest issue features 15 videos, 35 articles, and over 400 photos. That’s quite a package… and it’s all FREE (just download from the App Store). Each magazine is “self-contained” when downloaded. That means, once you download an issue, you read it start to finish, even without a live web connection.
The ISSF plans to release six (6) iPad magazines each year, covering the full range of ISSF shooting disciplines. The ISSF iPad magazine is now available to download for free from the Apple App Store. To get the ISSF Magazine App, click the App Store button on your iPad, then search for “ISSF News” in the App Store. To learn more about the ISSF’s eZine for iPad, watch this video from ISSF:
Preview Free ISSF Interactive Magazine
Gary Anderson Praises ISSF’s New Digital Magazine
ISSF Vice-President Gary Anderson states: “I’m from the old generation, but the App is perfectly easy for me to use. I encourage everyone to download the new App and use it. I think they’re going to find that this is the best new way to get information about ISSF competitions and ISSF activities. Everyone who is interested in shooting should take advantage of this.”
July 1st, 2013
McMillan celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Gale McMillan, founder of the McMillan companies, began producing fiberglass stocks on his kitchen table in 1973. Gale was also a great barrel-maker and a top competitive benchrest shooter. Today McMillan has become one of the most respected brands in the firearms industry. While the company has expanded its product line and is known throughout the world, the core of the McMillan’s business philosophy — quality products, exceptional customer service and a commitment to the growth of the firearms industry — remains the same. View 40-Year Timeline.
Story tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
July 1st, 2013
Story by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog
The first shots of NRA’s National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry were fired back in 1907, more than a century ago. On July 8, the National Championships open again, commencing with pistol disciplines. Next come the smallbore matches, followed by High Power competitions.
 Running from through July and August, the the National Rifle and Pistol Championships are actually a collection of several individual competitions; Pistol, 3-Position Smallbore Rifle, Prone Smallbore Rifle, High Power Rifle, Mid-Range High Power Rifle and Long Range High Power Rifle. It all begins on July 8th at 10:00 am. That’s where Lieutenant General John S. Crosby, U.S. Army retired, will open the Championships by taking the traditional “First Shot” on the Rodriguez Range.
“It is an honor to fire a shot at Perry.” — Dennis Willing
There’s something special about Camp Perry,” said Dennis Willing, Director of NRA’s Competitive Shooting Division. “There is more than a century’s worth of shooting sports history out there on those fields. It’s a tradition every shooter aspires to.” Willing should know. For almost 35 years, Willing has been involved in the National Matches in one way or another. He’s shot in both the Pistol and High Power Rifle Championships, served as a Match Referee and was Chairman of the NRA Board of Director’s High Power Committee. He also holds four Distinguished Shooting Medals in Pistol, Rifle, PPC Revolver, and PPC Semi-Automatic Pistol.
National Championships Schedule
The first Championship is Pistol. Made up of thirteen separate events — including the .22 Caliber Fire Rapid Fire, the Center Fire Timed Fire and the .45 Caliber Slow Fire — the Championship begins on July 9 and ends on the 13th. The rest of the Championships are as follows:
Smallbore 3-Position Rifle: July 17-19
Smallbore Prone Rifle: July 20-25
High Power Rifle: August 5-9
Mid-Range High Power Rifle: August 5-9
Long Range High Power Rifle: August 10-14
If you’re signed up to shoot in the National Championships, we wish you good luck. If you can’t compete this year, visit NRAblog.com which will provide daily stories from Camp Perry with a team of reporters.
Watch Slide Show from 2012 NRA Long Range Championship
June 30th, 2013
 A study commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reveals that most first-time gun buyers are active in one or more shooting activities and that women purchase their first firearm predominately for personal defense. The study is based on online surveys of consumers aged 22 to 65 who bought their first firearm during the spring of 2012. Key findings include:
— The majority of first-time buyers (60.3%) tend to be active, using their gun once per month or more, with one in five reporting usage of once a week or more.
— Target shooting is by far the most popular shooting activity among first-time gun owners. 84.3% of respondents used their firearms for this purpose, followed by hunting (37.7%), plinking (27.4%), practical pistol shooting (17.3%) and clay-target shooting (14.6%).
— First-time gun owners who have participated in hunting (53.2%), practical pistol shooting (46.3%), clay-target sports (44.0%) and gun collecting (42.4%) said they want to increase their participation in these activities.
First-Time Buyers Acquire Guns for Defensive Use as Well as Sporting Use
The top-ranking factors driving first-time gun purchases are home defense (87.3%), self-defense (76.5%) and the desire to share shooting activities with family and friends (73.2%). Women, in particular, are highly focused on personal defense and self-sufficiency.
Fear of Gun Bans Motivates Older Buyers
Older first-time buyers–the 55 to 65 age group–indicated concern that firearms may no longer be available to them was one of many reasons for their purchase. [Note: The surveys were conducted in March and April of 2012, before the recent wave of anti-gun legislation. We expect that, if the survey was taken in 2013, all age groups would express concerns about restrictions on sales of firearms.]
Many Buyers Make Repeat Gun Purchases
Most first-time buyers purchased their guns through local gun shops (43.6%) and mass retailers such as Walmart and Cabela’s (33.6%). First-time gun buyers spent an average of $515 for their first gun and nearly as much as for accessories ($504). Apparently, one gun is not even for many buyers. Nearly a quarter of first-time buyers bought at least one more firearm within the first year after their first purchase spending more, on average, on the later purchase.
June 28th, 2013
On Saturday, June 29, 2013, just two days before Colorado’s new anti-gun laws go into effect, Magpul Industries will give away 1,500 30-rd AR-platform magazines. Magnul is giving away the magazines as a protest against the new legislation. The give-away will take place at the “Farewell to Arms” event to be held Saturday in Glendale, Colorado. The event is being sponsored by Free Colorado, a non-profit organization advocating for the rights of gun owners. New Colorado laws take effect on July 1st limiting magazine capacity to 15 rounds. Magpul announced:
 Attention Colorado
Come on out and join the festivities at Infinity Park in Glendale, CO, this Saturday, June 29, celebrating FREEDOM on the last weekend before the unconstitutional mag ban takes effect, and get your last shot at purchasing PMAGs. We’ll be there, and we’ve ponied up a LOT of PMAGs. The first 1500 attendees through the gate over the age of 18 will receive a free Magpul Gen M2 MOE 30rd magazine featuring either the Free Colorado or Boulder Airlift design, courtesy of Magpul Industries Corp. Proceeds from mag sales go towards the legislative and legal fight for Second Amendment rights in CO. There will be food, live music, and a helo-borne aerial delivery of PMAGs. Get tickets and pre-purchase PMAGs at: www.freecolorado.net.
June 26th, 2013
 Bob Munden, one of the greatest trick shooters ever, passed away in December of last year. If you never had a chance to see Bob work his magic with a six-gun (or other firearm), here’s your chance. Tonight’s edition of Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots, features some of Bob Munden’s “greatest hits” from over the years. Before his passing, Bob was a regular on the Impossible Shots TV show.
On tonight’s episode, Munden flicks coins with his Peacemaker, making them spin like a top. Bob was famous for this and other tricks — like splitting playing cards in mid-air, and shooting the fletching off an arrow. Munden was famous both as a trick shooter and as a speed-draw specialist, with fast-draw records listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Air times for the Bob Munden episode on Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots are listed below. The show airs Wednesday Nights on the Outdoor Channel, and is repeated late Friday/Saturday:
Impossible Shots Wednesday:
Eastern Time: 2:30 PM, 7:00 PM
Central Time: 1:30 PM, 6:00 PM
Mountain Time: 12:30 PM, 5:00 PM
Pacific Time: 11:30 AM, 4:00 PM |
Impossible Shots Friday/Saturday:
Eastern Time: 1:00 AM SAT
Central Time: 12:00 AM Midnight
Mountain Time: 11:00 PM
Pacific Time: 10:00 PM |
June 25th, 2013
AmmoBammo.com, an all-new auction website for guns, ammo, and gear, has just opened for business. This new site boasts “no listing fees ever”. Unlike Gunbroker.com, AmmoBammo has a very simple payment structure. There is no “up-front” listing fee, and no membership fee. If an item sells, AmmoBammo takes 2.5% of the proceeds — no matter what the price. That makes it easy to figure out what it will cost to sell your gun or gear. If nobody bids, or the bids don’t reach your thresh-hold reserve price, you pay nothing. If your product sells, you pay a flat 2.5% final value fee. That seems reasonable to us. Read detailed terms of sale here.
To celebrate its launch, AmmoBammo.com is offering a special promotion. Now through July 15, 2013, AmmoBammo is Waiving ALL Fees on auction listings, including the normal 2.5% final value fee. So, for the next couple of weeks you can sell your stuff, and not pay a penny.
Since this site is brand new, listings are sparse to say the least. As of June 25, 2013 at 12:00 pm, not a single gun was listed for sale (though there were many ammo listings). Hopefully the AmmoBammo site will gain traction as more sellers list their merchandise in the weeks and months ahead.
June 23rd, 2013
 We are sad to announce the passing of Duane Capehart, a leading figure in the long-range shooting community. Duane passed away in early June, and is survived by his wife Pat. Duane was one of the game-changing Montana marksmen who smashed records at the Missoula Deep Creek range.
Duane was always ready to share his knowledge with fellow shooters, and he helped this website with many projects. His friend Tom Mousel tells us: “Duane was among a handful of guys that started 1000-yard benchrest here in Montana. The man was breaking records before most of us knew what ‘MOA’ was, and he remained competitive to the very end. He and his wife Pat were the backbone of our club for many years. I will miss you my friend.”
We are much diminished by Duane’s passing. Those who knew Duane are very saddened by this loss. Here are some remembrances from our Forum members:
Duane Capehart was a truly great Hall of Fame shooter and a noble man. I am grateful for the wisdom he shared with me. He was a great fellow shooter at the range, that he helped build, especially on those frosty mornings. He never hesitated to help a new shooter. He was a good friend and neighbor here in the Bitterroot. He will be long remembered. My condolences, Pat. — Greg R.
Duane and I shot together many times and always had lots of fun before, during, and after the shoots. He will be missed for sure by the 1000-yard community and especially by the Missoula bunch. God bless you Pat, our thoughts and prayers are with you. — Diane & Bill Shehane
I had the honor and privilege to shoot against and converse with Duane on three occasions, and also by phone[.] Duane was funny, witty, sincere, and a friend to everyone. He was one of the best 1000-yard shooters in the business. My heart and prayers go out to Pat, and all his family. — Donovan M.
I met Duane just four years ago. He welcomed me at Deep Creek and he and I spent many a morning before the shoots visiting about shooting, hunting, work and everything in between. People there always seemed to look up to Duane, and once you got to know him you understood why. I will never forget some of the shoots with him, he was an amazing shooter, several times while pulling his targets he would not even be on target with his sighters. But then the record target would go up and he would pull off a 98 or a 99, or even a 100. This did not just happen once either — Duane [was] simply an amazing guy! I helped him and Pat hook up their camper at the end of the August final shoot last year, shook his hand goodbye and he said “I will see ya in the spring young man”. Well that didn’t happen but I will always remember Duane and always be grateful that he was my friend. Happy shooting in Heaven Duane, and God Bless you Pat. — Wayne B.
Duane’s Dawn Patrol
Duane took this photo at the Deep Creek Range in March a few years back during one of his “Dawn Patrol” missions. Temperature? Duane said it was about 17 degrees! Now that’s dedication. Duane truly loved the shooting sports. He will be missed.
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