Many of our readers travel far and wide during summer months, both on family vacations and to participate in shooting matches. When transporting firearms across state lines, it is vital to understand the laws that apply in each jurisdiction. Moreover, all of us need to stay informed about gun laws in our home states, since new laws are passed every year.
Indiana attorney Brian Ciyou has created an outstanding resource, Gun Laws by State (2012 Ed.) (GLBS), that explains firearms laws in all 50 states. Ciyou’s gun law treatise, available in both book and online (web) formats, covers state laws as well as key federal laws that apply in federal buildings, airports, National Parks, and school zones. There is a handy Reciprocity Map showing which states recognize concealed weapon permits issued in other jurisdictions. GLBS covers Reciprocal Carry for all 50 states, Constitutional Law, Federal Statutory Law, Use of Force, Criminal Provisions, Civil and Criminal Liability, Preemption, Federal Property Rules, and Interstate Transportation.
Amazingly, you can access all this important legal information for FREE on the GLBS website. Click on an interactive map to quickly review gun laws in any state. Navigation links provide quick access to particular topics, such as rules for Airline Travel, Amtrak, National Parks, and Federal properties. The web version of Gun Laws by State is updated regularly, and Ciyou even provides a GLBS Gun Laws Blog with current “news and views” on gun regulations nationwide. This Editor regularly references the Gun Laws by State website. I suggest readers bookmark the site, and consider buying the book if you frequently travel with firearms outside your home state. The printed book version costs $19.95, while a digital eBook is $9.95. Click here to purchase GLBS books.
Story by Lars Dalseide forNRAblog.
Last year, the National Firearms Museum received a shipment from Sagamore Hill — the ancestral home of President Theodore Roosevelt. While Sagamore Hill undergoes renovation, the National Parks Service was kind enough to lend a portion of the estate’s collection to the NRA Museum. That collection now is on display under the exhibit named Trappings of an Icon.
“Basically it tells you about the life of Theodore Roosevelt,” explains Senior Curator Phil Schreier (in photo above in coat). “Hunter, Statesman, Soldier. In the first case we have two firearms from his hunting career. First an 1886 Winchester rifle known as the tennis match gun because he used winnings from a tennis match to purchase the gun.”
The second firearm in the opening case is a suppressed Winchester model 1894 rifle. A favorite of the President’s when clearing the grounds of the local, pesky critters. Schreier explains: “Archie Roosevelt wrote that his father liked to shoot varmints around Oyster Bay with this gun so he wouldn’t disturb the Tiffany and Du Pont families that lived near by.”
For more on the opening of this special Theodore Roosevelt collection, tune in to Curator’s Corner on NRANews and SiriusXM Satellite’s Patriot AND Patriot Plus.
Sebastian (“Seb”) Lambang of SEB Coaxial is donating the first-of-its-kind production MAX rest as a prize for the IBS 1000-yard Nationals. This is a very generous donation, as the standard MAX front rest will retail for over $1000, and this special prize edition features a special “high-bling” fully polished base. The match directors will determine whether the rest will be awarded to the overall Two-Gun champion or whether, instead, the rest is offered as a door prize, giving all match attendees a chance at winnning.
The SEB MAX rest employs a counter-balancer design with tuned weights on a forward facing shaft. This allows the MAX to work smoothly with guns up to 110 pounds overall. Seb notes: “I will send the rest with a set of counterweights (with various slip-on ‘rings’, to accept gun weights ranging from 40 to 110 pounds). I will also include an ammo-holder set and clock-holder as well.” The complete MAX rest weighs about 44 pounds.
Seb hopes to get feedback on the MAX rest from shooters attending the IBS 1000-yard Nationals: “Any shooters [at the 1K IBS Nationals] can try the rest and I would love to hear how it works and what you think. Or just put your gun on the rest top/front bag, ‘play’ the joystick, adjust the slip-on rings back & forth, use the appropriate ring(s). You will easily determine the correct weight/ring positions once you try the rest. With the correct ‘tuned’ counterweight, the force required to push the joystick upward is the same as the force needed to push downward. And no matter how heavy your gun, with the correct counter-balance weight, the force needed to move the joystick should be the same …effortless.”
The highly-polished prize-model MAX rest in the top photos is a one-of-a-kind, the first to be delivered to North America. Regular production starts soon. Seb tells us: “I will start to build the production MAX rests on first week of September, to be finished around late November-mid Dec 2012. I’m preparing 75 units on this run. About 40 units will be going to the USA, about 20 or more will be going to Australia.” Contact your SEB dealer for pricing and information.
The CMP Online Auction Programis used to sell very rare or otherwise unique rifles, receivers, and other collectible merchandise/parts. CMP usually has only 6-10 items listed for auction at any time. Items are normally listed for 10-14 days, with the bidding set to close on Sunday afternoons.
Log on to http://cmpauction.thecmp.org to learn more about the auction process and to see the current items up for bid.
Open today’s (8/22/2012) edition of USAToday, and you’ll find a full-page ad congratulating all members of the USA Olympic Shooting Team who recently competed at the London Olympics. The ad features the four shooter-athletes who earned three gold and one bronze medals in London. This advert was sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). The ad’s headline reads: “Congratulations To All Our Shooters on the U.S. Olympic Team” and continues, “Making history, setting records, showing the world the fun and excitement of the shooting sports: You’ve made us proud.”
“The National Shooting Sports Foundation is honored to be a sponsor of USA Shooting, and we are thrilled to draw even more attention with this ad to the fine men and women representing our sports on the world stage,” said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for NSSF, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry.
Four USA Shooters are featured:
Gold medalist Kim Rhode, who became the first American ever to medal in five consecutive Olympic Games and who set a new Olympic record and tied a world record in women’s skeet.
Gold medalist Vincent Hancock, who became the first skeet shooter to win that Olympic event twice and who set two Olympic records.
Gold medalist Jamie Gray, who set two Olympic records in both the final and qualification rounds of women’s 50-meter, three-position rifle.
Bronze medalist Matt Emmons, who added to his gold and silver medal tally from previous Games in the men’s 50-meter three-position rifle.
Download NSSF Where2Shoot App for iPhone
The NSSF’s USAToday Ad also gives readers an opportunity to download NSSF’s Where2Shoot App for the iPhone, which allows users to search for shooting facilities nationwide, watch video tips on hunting and shooting and keep up with news about the shooting sports. To learn more about USA Shooting visit www.usashooting.org.
You’ve heard by now that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate. Since Ryan’s selection as a VP candidate, the mainstream media has focused primarily on Ryan’s positions on government spending, health care policies, and debt reduction.
You may be wondering, where does Ryan stand on gun rights issues? In a nutshell, Ryan is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and he has lead efforts to protect the shooting sports and hunting. An avid hunter, Ryan is the former co-chairman of the bi-partisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. Ryan has received an “A” grade from the NRA for his overall voting record. Among other things, Ryan has voted to protect the right of hunters to use traditional ammunition and to prohibit suing manufacturers and retailers for the criminal misuse of firearms. He has also supported a national cross-state standard for concealed carry. Here are highlights of Rep. Ryan’s voting record in Congress, on matters relating to hunting and gun rights:
Voted YES to protect the right of hunters to use traditional ammunition.
Voted YES to prohibit suing manufacturers and retailers for the criminal misuse of firearms.
Voted YES to decrease background check waiting period from 3 days to 1 day for a firearm purchase at a gun show.
Supported national cross-state standard for concealed carry.
Opposed the gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington, DC.
Freedom Group, Inc. (FGI), is the “1000-pound gorilla” in the gun industry, a holding company that owns/operates gun brands Remington, Bushmaster, Marlin, DPMS, H&R, and Dakota Arms. FGI also owns Barnes Bullets, Eotec Optics, and AAC Suppressors.
To help run this large enterprise, FGI recently promoted Scott Blackwell to the position of FGI President. Blackwell previously served as FGI’s Chief Sales & Marketing Officer. Blackwell has worked in the firearms industry for the last 15 years. After leaving Beretta, Blackwell started as President of Bushmaster Firearms in 2006, becoming Remington President of Sales and Marketing in 2007, rising to FGI Chief Sales Officer later that year, and finally becoming the FGI Chief Sales and Marketing Officer two years ago.
“Scott’s leadership, institutional knowledge and strategic thinking make [Blackwell] a natural fit as President,” said George Kollitides, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FGI. As FGI President, Blackwell will oversee all revenue, branding, marketing and communications for FGI.
Blackwell stated: “Since 2006, I’ve been fortunate to have a leading role in the development and expansion of FGI,” said Blackwell. “To become President of FGI, representing the tens of millions of hunters, shooters, gun owners and first responders who use our products every day, is a life’s dream. With a company history almost as old as the Republic itself, I understand the importance of not merely passing along our legacy, but improving it. We are more than a gun company; we are a defining part of American culture. This is our path forward, and as President of FGI I look forward to guiding us there.”
Breaking News from Camp Perry – Based on preliminary score tabulations, David Luckman of Great Britain is the 2012 NRA National Long Range Champion. Luckman finished with a 1246-74X.
As reported on NRABlog.com, Luckman topped a very competitive field, with a strong final day showing: “After a practically perfect performance in today’s Palma Individual Trophy Match (449-31X), it appears that David Luckman of the Great Britain Rifle Team will be crowned tonight as the NRA’s 2012 Long Range High Power Rifle Champion. A veteran of the International Long Range Rifle world, Luckman’s list of accolades includes the 2010 World Individual Long Range Rifle title as well as seventeen consecutive UK Grand Aggregate crosses.”
David started shooting with Sedgemoor Target Shooting Club. He became an Atheling in 1994 and has since toured with the GB team to Canada, the USA, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. A truly great marksman, in 2010 Luckman shot 4 international matches in four consecutive days (National, Kolapore, Mackinnon and Australia) without dropping a single point.
David works for Clerical Medical in Bristol as an Actuary. In his spare time he is an avid sports player and qualified tennis coach. He competes in triathlons and half marathons as well as enjoying mountain biking, surfing, swimming and other sports.
Story based on Reports by Lars Dalseide for NRAblog
Clear skies, calm winds, and superior marksmanship combined for a host of record-breaking performances at the NRA Long Range Championship yesterday Monday, 13 August, at Camp Perry. NRABlog editor Lars Delsaide reports: “Today was a day in which records were set. Records so significant that a few competitors requested their targets be brought up from the pits. Not one record. Not two records. But more than a dozen Long Range Rifle records. One small clarification — today’s record-breaking performances resulted in three new National Long Range High Power records. So why did I say that more than a dozen were set? Because the standing records to which I’m referring were broken multiple times today.”
The records started falling in the Doc Aiken match. The previous high Doc Aiken record was 199-8X, set in 1998 by John Jackson. Amazingly, that record was topped by nine shooters before Great Britain’s David Luckman recorded the highest score of all, a 200-13X, which will be the new record.
Luckman ended the day with yet another entry in the record books — the new high mark for the Sierra Trophy. The Sierra Trophy is based on the combined scores of the Doc Aiken Match and the Andrus Memorial Trophy match. The existing Sierra Trophy record was 400-19X set by Robert Gustin a decade ago. On Monday, Norman Anderson topped that with a 400-22X, and then Brit David Luckman raised the bar even higher, setting a new mark of 400-23X. Well done David!
Gustin Wins Wimbleton Cup
The Wimbleton Cup is one of the most prestigious trophies awarded at Camp Perry. Robert Gustin earned redemption this year winning the 2012 Cup, after losing out in 1985 due to a scoring error. Wimbledon is a slow-fire, Any rifle 1000-yard match. The record was established back in 2004 by Michelle Gallagher. Qualifying for the shoot-off with a score of 200-14X, Gustin shot a near-perfect 100-9X in the shoot-off to earn victory in 2012.
Gustin’s win was doubly sweet as the California shooter lost out on the Cup decades ago through bad luck. “Back in 1985, Bob thought he won the Wimbledon Cup,” explained Nancy Tompkins. “But they couldn’t find one of his shots in the shoot off. He was devastated. Later, after everything was finalized, they pulled his target and found an X they missed. My heart just broke watching it happen. So this is great.”
After California banned the sale and ownership of many semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, AR lower receivers were developed with devices such as the “Bullet Button” that required the use of a “tool” to remove magazines. These tool-activated ARs were deemed legal in California by state authorities. Now, when you go to a High Power match in California, you’ll see shooters using ARs fitted with bullet buttons. This has allowed California-based shooters, such as the National Champion California Grizzlies Junior Team, to continue to compete in matches, without having to switch to bolt-action rifles. That may all change soon….
SB249 Would Outlaw Many Current Semi-Auto Rifles and Mandate Confiscation
California Senate Bill 249, introduced by CA State Senator Leland Yee (D. San Francisco), renders bullet button-equipped ARs (and similar semi-autos) illegal. Yee’s SB249 changes the definition of what constitutes a detachable magazine for a semi-automatic firearm, potentially making an estimated one million semi-automatic rifles legally sold in that state “illegal to possess” as of July 1, 2013. Ironically, SB249 was originally an innocuous agriculture bill that passed in the California Senate back in May. But, by way of a sneaky amendment, Senator Yee turned the bill into a wide-reaching gun ban.
If passed, SB249 could force owners of currently-legal semi-automatic rifles to surrender their rifles or face confiscation. Though semi-auto rifle owners would be required to turn in their guns (or face imprisonment), SB249 has no provisions to allow reimbursement for the loss of valuable property. Worse yet, the bill doesn’t require a public notice program to advise owners of the change in state law.
This bill appears to be a knee-jerk reaction to media reports of recent shootings involving ARs. But in fact, the overall crime rate has declined in California while bullet-button ARs have been legal to buy and shoot. So SB249 serves no useful purpose. The NRA-ILA recommends that all Californians contact their state legislators and urge them to oppose SB249.
Many of our readers travel far and wide during summer months, both on family vacations and to participate in shooting matches. When transporting firearms across state lines, it is vital to understand the laws that apply in each jurisdiction. Moreover, all of us need to stay informed about gun laws in our home states, since new laws are passed every year.
Amazingly, you can access all this important legal information for FREE on the GLBS website. Click on an interactive map to quickly review gun laws in any state. Navigation links provide quick access to particular topics, such as rules for Airline Travel, Amtrak, National Parks, and Federal properties. The web version of Gun Laws by State is updated regularly, and Ciyou even provides a GLBS Gun Laws Blog with current “news and views” on gun regulations nationwide. This Editor regularly references the Gun Laws by State website. I suggest readers bookmark the site, and consider buying the book if you frequently travel with firearms outside your home state. The printed book version costs $19.95, while a digital eBook is $9.95. Click here to purchase GLBS books.
The 
Open today’s (8/22/2012) edition of USAToday, and you’ll find a full-page ad congratulating all members of the USA Olympic Shooting Team who recently competed at the London Olympics. The ad features the four shooter-athletes who earned three gold and one bronze medals in London. This advert was sponsored by the 
You’ve heard by now that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate. Since Ryan’s selection as a VP candidate, the mainstream media has focused primarily on Ryan’s positions on government spending, health care policies, and debt reduction.
As reported on 
Gustin Wins Wimbleton Cup
