Past F-Open Class National Champion (and Forum Member) Larry Bartholome, has authored an authoritative article on the 2011 F-Class National Championship held last fall in Lodi, Wisconsin. Larry writes: “With a wind tunnel for a range, and rain that canceled the final team match, only the strongest stood on the winners’ podium when the Championships ended”. Larry provides a day-by-day guide to the match, with complete results for both F-Open and F-TR classes. You’ll find Larry’s article in the February 2012 edition of Shooting Sports USA.
You can read, for FREE, the digital version of Shooting Sports USA. CLICK HERE to read Larry’s article (pp. 20-22). Along with the report on the F-Class Nationals, there are many other items of interest in the February edition of Shooting Sports USA. You’ll find a 14-page 2012 Event Calendar that covers NRA competitions all across the country.
In addition, this month’s edition features a well-written, 4-page Guide to Field Target Competition by Jock Elliot. Field Target is a form of outdoor silhouette shooting using high-tech PCP Air Rifles with high-magnification scope. Check out the special Marauder Hybrid bullpup used by Team Crosman member Ray Apelles in the photo below. These high-end rigs are not cheap. A “full-race” Open Class Field Target rifle can cost up to $3000.00 with another $1000.00-$3000.00 for optics.
Top Shot fans, mark you calendars. The fourth season of Top Shot on the History Channel begins in one week. The Season 4 premiere airs Tuesday, February 14 (Valentine’s Day) at 10:00 PM Eastern. The selection of firearms (and other weapons) should be even more interesting this season. And, with a bigger budget to play with, Top Shot’s producers are ramping up the level of challenges. Season 4 begins with the biggest twist in Top Shot history: two competitors are sent packing immediately after a surprise shoot-off in the opening minutes of the first episode. Later, two shooters get a taste of WWII combat as they fire an M1 Carbine from a motorcycle sidecar and attempt to stay in the game. Colby Donaldson returns as host.
Here are Video Profiles of Three Season 4 Competitors (others at link below):
Michelle Viscusi (U.S. Army Nat’l Guard MP, serving with the Border Patrol)
The NRA Competitive Shooting Department is promoting a trivia contest on its Facebook page. Once every couple of weeks, the Competitive Shooting staffers gather round, decide on a question and pick a prize. Correct answers are put in a hat and winner is picked.
The last winner, Pennsylvanian Robert Berl, correctly answered that Michelle Gallagher won the 1,000 yard Any Sight Match (Band of Brothers Match) at the 2010 National Long Range Championships.
If you submit a correct entry in this week’s contest, you can win a valuable prize. This week’s question is: “Who was the winner of the inaugural 1979 Bianchi Cup?” Once you’ve figured that out, send an email to compadmin@nrahq.org by 4:00 pm ET on Thursday, February 13 and you can win a 2011 MidwayUSA & NRA Bianchi Cup Gift bag. Inside the bag is a 2012 Bianchi Cup brochure signed by John Bianchi himself and 2011 Bianchi Woman’s Champion Jessie Harrison.
In the future, Virginians will enjoy the restored freedom to purchase multiple handguns within a 30-day period. The Commonwealth is repealing provisions of § 18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia restricting handgun purchases to one-a-month. After passing the Virginia Senate (21-19), legislation (HB940, SB323) overturning Virginia’s present one-handgun-a-month restriction is now on its way to the desk of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. As Gov. McDonnell has said he will sign this legislation into law, we can expect the one-gun restriction to soon be a thing of the past in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“We are pleased that the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have recognized the importance of repealing one-gun-a-month, legislation that rationed the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Virginians,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “We look forward to Gov. McDonnell’s signature on this very important bill.”
Hunters and the Sundance Film Festival are two things you normally don’t hear in the same sentence. On Sunday that changed when a short documentary film about a group of female hunters from South Carolina won the prestigious film festival’s Shorts Audience Award, and earned director Maria White a $5,000 prize. The 13-minute film, “The Debutante Hunters”, directed by Maria White, was the audience favorite among 700 short films submitted to the Festival. The film tells the story of women and why they hunt. Director White had the idea for the movie after going on a hunt: “This was a world I wanted to explore, where a woman can be feminine, a mother, a daughter, and still be a total bad-ass.”
The short film, set up for internet streaming by Yahoo.com, has been viewed over half a million times, garnering 50,000+ votes from movie fans. Director White revealed that she hopes to develop the short film into a TV or cable series, using the additional eleven hours of footage she has compiled.
Many precision-oriented shooters are discovering that the “middle ground” in cartridge size is optimal for the 100gr to 115gr match bullets. With a mid-sized cartridge, you can run these pills faster than a 6BR or Dasher, without giving up much, if any, accuracy to a 6BR or BR Improved. The most accurate 600-yard rifle at this Editor’s local club is a 6-6.5×47. It can shoot as tight as a 6BR past 300 yards, plus it offers better ballistics, pushing 105 Bergers at 3140 fps.
If you’re considering a mid-sized 6mm cartridge for your next rifle, you’re probably wondering WHICH mid-size 6mm cartridge is best. We are often asked “what’s the difference between the 6×47 Swiss Match, the 6XC, and the 6.5×47 Lapua necked down to 6mm?” All three cartridges have 30° shoulders and fit a .308-sized boltface. However, alone among the three, the 6mm-6.5×47 has a small primer pocket and small flash hole. The 6×47 Swiss Match (made by RUAG), and the 6XC (produced by Norma), have a large primer pocket and large flash hole, just like a .308 Winchester.
Forum member DesertLefty has provided a line-up photo, with 6mmBR and .260 Rem cases provided for comparison. As you can see, the three mid-sized cases (6x47SM, 6.5×47 Lapua, and 6XC) are very similar. The Swiss Match has the longest neck, while the 6XC enjoys the highest capacity. But performance is very similar among the three cartridges (with the 6.5×47 necked down to 6mm). The same powders, (particularly H4350, Reloder 17, and IMR 4007SSC) work well in the 6×47 SM, the 6XC, and the 6-6.5×47 Lapua. The parent 6.5×47 Lapua case is rated at 63090 psi, while the new CIP rating for the 6XC is 63844 psi (4400 BAR). Both the necked-down Lapua brass and the Norma-brand 6XC brass can hold stout loads. Though the 6mm-6.5×47 has slightly less powder capacity than the 6XC, max velocities with 105-108gr bullets are quite similar. However, you should not substitute loads from the 6XC directly to the 6mm-6.5×47 or vice-versa. Because of the different case capacities and primer sizes, you should work up loads separately for each cartridge.
Two Sandia National Laboratories engineers, both hunters, have developed a patented design for a laser-guided bullet. The 4″-long laser-guided projectile has made hits at ranges up to 2000 meters. No this is NOT an April Fools’ joke. The projectile shoots from a smooth-bore rifle and uses small, movable fins to adjust its trajectory. The fins are controlled by micro-sized actuators in response to signals from a tiny, onboard laser-sensor. Plastic sabots provide a gas seal and protect the delicate fins while the projectile is in the firearm’s barrel.
Click Here for Video News Report on Sandia-developed Guided Bullet
Sandia researchers Red Jones and Brian Kast (and colleagues) have invented a dart-like, self-guided bullet for small-caliber, smooth-bore firearms that could hit laser-designated targets at distances of more than a mile. “We have a very promising technology to guide small projectiles that could be fully developed inexpensively and rapidly,” Jones said. Researchers have had initial success testing the design in computer simulations and in field tests of prototypes, built from commercially available parts, Jones said. While engineering issues remain, “we’re confident in our science base and we’re confident the engineering-technology base is there to solve the problems,” he said.
Sandia’s design for the four-inch-long bullet includes an optical sensor in the nose to detect a laser beam on a target. The sensor sends information to guidance and control electronics that use an algorithm in an eight-bit central processing unit to command electromagnetic actuators. These actuators steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to the target.
Fin-Stabilization — Like on a Guided Missile
The guided projectile is shot from smooth bore barrel with no rifling. While conventional bullets are spin-stabilized, Scandia’s guided bullet doesn’t spin in flight. To enable the guided bullet to adjust its trajectory toward a target and to simplify the design, the spin had to go, Jones said. As on most guided missiles, fins both stabilize and steer the projectile. But on this projectile, the fins are tiny — just a few millimeters tall.
The bullet flies straight due to its aerodynamically stable design, which consists of a center of gravity that sits forward in the projectile and tiny fins that enable it to fly without spin, just as a dart does, he said. The four-inch-long bullet has actuators that steer tiny fins that guide it to its target.
Projectile Flies at 2400 fps — More Speed Is Possible
Testing has shown the electromagnetic actuator performs well and the bullet can reach speeds of 2,400 feet per second, or Mach 2.1, using commercially available gunpowder. The researchers are confident it could reach standard military speeds using customized gunpowder.
Sub-MOA Accuracy at 1000m — No Matter What the Wind Does
Computer aerodynamic modeling shows the design would result in dramatic improvements in accuracy, Jones said. Computer simulations showed an unguided bullet under real-world conditions could miss a target more than a half mile away (1,000 meters away) by 9.8 yards (9 meters), but a guided bullet would get within 8 inches (0.2 meters), according to the patent.
The prototype does not require a device found in guided missiles called an inertial measuring unit, which would have added substantially to its cost. Instead, the researchers found that the bullet’s relatively small size when compared to guided missiles “is helping us all around. It’s kind of a fortuitous thing that none of us saw when we started,” Jones said.
As the bullet flies through the air, it pitches and yaws at a set rate based on its mass and size. In larger guided missiles, the rate of flight-path corrections is relatively slow, so each correction needs to be very precise because fewer corrections are possible during flight. But “the natural body frequency of this bullet is about 30 hertz, so we can make corrections 30 times per second. That means we can over-correct, so we don’t have to be as precise each time,” Jones said.
Projectile Becomes More Stable After Launch
Researchers also filmed high-speed video of the bullet radically pitching as it exited the barrel. The bullet pitches less as it flies down range, a phenomenon known to long-range firearms experts as “going to sleep.” Because the bullet’s motions settle the longer it is in flight, accuracy improves at longer ranges, Jones said. “Nobody had ever seen that, but we’ve got high-speed video photography that shows that it’s true,” he said. (See below)
Freedom Group Inc., owned by private holding company Cerberus Capital Management, has swallowed up another medium-sized gun manufacturer. This time the target (or victim, depending on your perspective), was Para USA, Inc., (Para). This is Freedom Group’s first acquisition of a pistol-only manufacturer.
Para is best known for a high-capacity pistol based generally on the 1911 design but with options such as a Light Double Action (LDA) Trigger and double-stack mags (though it makes traditional single action, single-stack 1911s also). Freedom Group acquired control of Para through an asset purchase agreement. For the time being, Para will continue day-to-day operations at its Pineville, NC-based factory, but we would not be surprised if the Para plant is eventually shuttered and Para production is moved to other Freedom Group facilities.
Founded in 1985, Para has a solid but not stellar reputation for handgun performance and design innovation. There are numerous fans of Para pistols, with many shooters attracted to a 1911-style design with a higher capacity (up to 14+1 in .45 ACP and 18+1 in 9mm). In recent years, Para’s designs have moved out of the the spotlight, as other manufacturers have produced 1911-style pistols in large numbers. Major 1911 builders now include: Kimber, Springfield Armory, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson. Remington Arms, another Freedom Arms company, successful launched its own 1911 last year.
What Are Freedom Group’s Real Intentions?
“We welcome Para into the Freedom Group Family of Companies,” stated E. Scott Blackwell, Freedom Group’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. “Para USA… is a perfect complement to our industry-leading family of brands[.] We look forward to deploying both human and financial resources to continue to develop and supply current and future handguns for consumers and our channel partners.”
Will Para-USA Production Be Moved?
“Deploying both human and financial resources” — well, that phrase could be read two ways. It may mean that the Freedom Group will pump resources into Para-USA. On the other hand, the Freedom Group may be contemplating moving jobs, machinery, and production assets. Mr. Blackwell concluded by saying: “We also wish to thank all [Para’s] employees for their continued dedication….” Notably, he did not say those employees will retain their jobs. Time will tell. It will be interesting to see if Para USA remains a viable brand in five years time, or whether it simply becomes the Remington pistol division. Think of the evolution of Bushmaster. After being acquired by the Freedom Group, all Bushmaster’s production was moved to Remington’s Ilion, NY factory.
How well do you know the key provisions of Federal firearms regulations? If you want to play the game, you better know the rules. Thankfully, you can access most important Federal firearms laws in one convenient PDF document, the Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has collected and published key federal firearms statutes in this 242-page, downloadable Reference Guide. The actual statutes and rulings are collected in the front of the document. There is an index on page 169 that will help you get answers to specific questions. NOTE: this Reference Guide came out in 2005. If you have serious concerns about compliance with Federal law you should check with the ATF directly to obtain the latest versions of federal statutes.
Important Topics in the Q&A Section include:
Building of Firearm for personal use
Transfers of firearms
Out of state purchases of firearms
Rules for Shipment of firearms
Mailing firearms via U.S. Postal Service
Residency Rules
Curio and Relic Firearms
NFA Firearms Rules
FFL Sales at Gunshows
Special Rules for Gunsmiths, Pawn-brokers, and Auctioneers
Ammunition Manufacturing Rules
NICS Procedures
ATF Guide to State Gun Laws
Along with the Guide to Federal Regulations, the ATF offers a free downloadable guide to State Laws and Published Ordinances. The latest version we found online was the 30th Edition, drafted in 2009 and revised in 2010. This 526-page PDF guide covers all 50 states, and provides a “Ready Reference Table” to assist gun dealers and FFLs comply with all state laws when selling or transferring arms.
This is a very useful resource, but we remind all readers that they should check for updates or changes in state laws since this document was published four years ago. To aid in that task, the ATF’s State Law Guide has a complete list of state Attorneys General Offices with contact information. The ATF also provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions on its website. CLICK HERE for ATF FAQ. Other ATF Publications are available at http://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/.
Many readers will be driving across multiple states this spring and summer to attend competitions. Other shooters will be heading out of state for a game hunt or to spend a week in the prairie dog fields. For $13.95 you can purchase a state-by-state Traveler’s Guide to firearms laws. Written by a lawyer, this 68-page guide covers all firearms types and all 50 states. It even has info for Canada and Mexico. The latest edition of the Traveler’s guide, updated with 85 changes for 2012, has just been released.
The Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States has sold more than 900,000 copies since it was first released in 1996. The book’s author, Attorney J. Scott Kappas, has written numerous magazine articles and has appeared on television, explaining the unexpected pitfalls that shooters may encounter when traveling with firearms. Along with being an attorney, Mr. Kappas serves as a director on the Board of the Kentucky Firearms Foundation, and Kappas is a Class III firearms dealer.
The Traveler’s Guide is especially useful for shooters traveling in RVs and motorhomes. The American Rifleman Magazine declared: “This book is a must-have for truck drivers, motor home enthusiasts, campers and other travelers…easy to read and understand, well-organized and concise….” One reader from Texas adds: “I used to think that my RV was the same as my home when it came to gun carry….the Traveler’s Guide set me straight. Now I know my motorhome is subject to the same laws as any vehicle when it comes to guns.”
Past F-Open Class National Champion (and Forum Member) Larry Bartholome, has authored an authoritative article on the 2011 F-Class National Championship held last fall in Lodi, Wisconsin. Larry writes: “With a wind tunnel for a range, and rain that canceled the final team match, only the strongest stood on the winners’ podium when the Championships ended”. Larry provides a day-by-day guide to the match, with complete results for both F-Open and F-TR classes. You’ll find Larry’s article in the February 2012 edition of Shooting Sports USA.
In addition, this month’s edition features a well-written, 4-page Guide to Field Target Competition by Jock Elliot. Field Target is a form of outdoor silhouette shooting using high-tech PCP Air Rifles with high-magnification scope. Check out the special Marauder Hybrid bullpup used by Team Crosman member Ray Apelles in the photo below. These high-end rigs are not cheap. A “full-race” Open Class Field Target rifle can cost up to $3000.00 with another $1000.00-$3000.00 for optics.
The NRA Competitive Shooting Department is promoting a trivia contest on its 
In the future, Virginians will enjoy the restored freedom to purchase multiple handguns within a 30-day period. The Commonwealth is repealing provisions of § 18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia restricting handgun purchases to one-a-month. After passing the Virginia Senate (21-19), legislation (
Hunters and the 
If you’re considering a mid-sized 6mm cartridge for your next rifle, you’re probably wondering WHICH mid-size 6mm cartridge is best. We are often asked “what’s the difference between the 6×47 Swiss Match, the 6XC, and the 6.5×47 Lapua necked down to 6mm?” All three cartridges have 30° shoulders and fit a .308-sized boltface. However, alone among the three, the 6mm-6.5×47 has a small primer pocket and small flash hole. The 6×47 Swiss Match (made by RUAG), and the 6XC (produced by Norma), have a large primer pocket and large flash hole, just like a .308 Winchester.
The Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States has sold more than 900,000 copies since it was first released in 1996. The book’s author, Attorney J. Scott Kappas, has written numerous magazine articles and has appeared on television, explaining the unexpected pitfalls that shooters may encounter when traveling with firearms. Along with being an attorney, Mr. Kappas serves as a director on the Board of the Kentucky Firearms Foundation, and Kappas is a Class III firearms dealer.
