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November 26th, 2010
We admit, we found it hard to believe that a State government would actually waive state sales tax to promote the sales of firearms. But it’s true. For two days, November 26 and 27, 2010, South Carolina will exempt firearms purchases from state sales and use tax. South Carolina will waive the state’s sales tax on purchases of handguns, rifles and shotguns Nov. 26-27 during its two-day annual “Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday”, first conducted in 2008.
Tax Holiday Today and Tomorrow
The 48-hour tax break on firearm purchases begins at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 26 and continues through midnight Nov. 27. The tax exemption also applies to any local sales and use tax. While gun purchases will be exempt, you’ll still have to pay tax on ammo and accessories though. The notice of the Sales Tax Holiday explains that ammunition, black powder, gun cases, gun barrels, gun safes, holsters, and hunting clothes etc. are NOT exempt.
CLICK HERE for details of South Carolina “Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday”.
We salute South Carolina. At a time when many states, such as California, are doing everything possible to discourage firearm sales, and make it difficult for gun dealers to stay in business, South Carolina is giving hunters and sport shooters a break. This recognizes the fact that shooters contribute significantly to the economy and to wildlife conservation efforts.
November 24th, 2010
 MidwayUSA just announced it’s own Black Friday Week Sale. The Sale starts today, Wednesday Nov. 24, and runs through Monday, Nov. 29th. You can save big on specially-discounted items. For example, tomorrow (Thursday) only, the new Pro Series Shooting Mat is marked down to just $29.99. You got that right — a deluxe shooting mat for $29.99. When it was previously on sale for $49.99 in October, we reported it was an excellent deal. At $29.99, it’s a steal.
CLICK HERE for Pro Series Mat specs and owner reports.
In addition to the special sale items, MidwayUSA is offering $15 off any $100 order for non-sale merchandise. Enter 151110 into the box titled, “Promotion Code” on the shopping cart page. This applies to online orders of regular price, in-stock products only (no gift certificates, no backorders, and this cannot be combined with other promotions).
November 22nd, 2010
 Smith & Wesson has introduced a limited edition of 500 engraved Model 27, .357 mag revolvers to mark the 75th Anniversary of the .357 Magnum cartridge. The very first of the 500, serial number SFY0001, will be auctioned on Gunbroker.com to benefit USA Shooting. “The proceeds of serial #SFY0001 will benefit not only our athletes but also our various shooting programs,” said Buddy DuVall, USA Shooting Team Foundation Executive Director. USA Shooting provides training facilities for American shooting sports athletes, and supports American shooters in international competitions. CLICK HERE to see the Gunbroker auction, which runs through December 19, 2010.
For those who can’t afford the first of the line, the remaining 499 special edition m27s should prove desirable collectibles. Constructed of carbon steel and built on a large N-Frame, this special edition six-shot .357 Magnum/.38 Special revolver features a 6.5″ barrel and a high-polish, blued finish. Across the revolver’s barrel, frame and cylinder, there is elaborate machine engraving replicating the hand-drawn artwork of Smith & Wesson engraver David Mishichak. The 75th Anniversary m27 comes with engraved square-butt walnut grips, pinned patridge front sight and a micro-adjustable rear sight. Only 500 anniversary models will be produced with a unique serial number range from SFY0001 to SFY0500. Each Model 27 will be shipped complete with a wooden glass top presentation case.
November 20th, 2010
 Bruno Shooters Supply has just received a big shipment of 205 and 210 standard Federal Primers. Both the 205s and the 210s are now sale-priced at $24.95 per 1000 (that’s a good price). Large quantities are available.
The Federal 205 (small rifle std) and 210 (large rifle std) primers are still sold out at many other vendors. So, if you need Fed Primers, here’s your opportunity. Other Federal, CCI, Winchester and Remington primers are available — please call Bruno’s at (623) 587-7641.
November 18th, 2010
The November 2010 digital edition of Shooting Sports USA has been released, and it’s definitely worth reading. The lead story explains the correct positions for 3-P smallbore and air rifle shooting. This is a well-organized, easy-to-understand article, packed with large photos from start to finish. If you are a three-position shooter (or want to be), you should definitely read this article.
 Silhouette Competition History
In addition to the position shooting story, the current edition of Shooting Sports USA has an excellent article by Jock Elliot on Metallic Silhouette shooting. Elliot covers the evolution of the sport from its origins in Mexico, to today’s popular rimfire and centerfire silhouette programs that attract thousands of shooters throughout the USA. Elliot explains the silhouette courses of fire and interviews top silhouette shooters including 11-year-old Mallory Nichols, the youngest master in the history of silhouette shooting.
Traveling with Firearms — Helpful Tips
Both competitive shooters and hunters can benefit from Shooting Sports USA’s guide to traveling with firearms, found on pages 9-10 of the November edition. There, you’ll find short reviews of recommended travel cases, plus travel tips from experienced shooters. Carroll Pilant of Sierra Bullets explains why he now marks his ammo: “I color code my primers with a Magic Marker. I was on my way to Brazil for the IHMSA match and TSA dumped all my ammo into a pile to weigh it. If they hadn’t been all the same loads, I would have been in trouble.”
In addition to the November issue, you can read previous editions of Shooting Sports USA. Click on the “Archives” tab at the bottom of the page, after you’ve launched the November issue in your browser. Visit ShootingSportsUSA.com to request a free Digital Edition of Shooting Sports USA each month.
November 18th, 2010
 Team SIG Captain Max Michel has made history with his recent Open Division Title win at the 2010 USPSA Area 2 Championships, held November 10-14, 2010 at the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club in Mesa, AZ. The Area 2 Championship was the final Area Championship of the 2010 season that Michel needed to win to become the first person in history to win all eight USPSA Area Championships in a single year. Michel competed against 151 shooters in the Open Division and finished with 1135.0241 match points, or 100.00%, to ensure his place in the history books.
About Max Michel
By anyone’s account, Max Michel, Jr. is one of the best shooters in the world. With three World Speed Shooting Championships (2009, 2007 and 2005), five USPSA National Championships (2009, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004), 2 US Steel National Championships (2009, and 2008), more than 30 USPSA Area Championships, and over 80 Major Championship wins, Max Michel has become a dominant force in the pistol shooting sports. As an international competitor, Michel has represented the United States in the last four International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Shoots and returned home each time with team gold medals. He will again represent the nation in Rhodes, Greece at the 2011 World Shoot and anchor the USA’s Open Division team. Max shot for ten years with the USAMU team before becoming Sig Sauer’s Team Captain.
This video profiles Michel and shows him competing with the USAMU, and later with Team Sig:
November 17th, 2010
by Steve Cooper, CMP Writer
 Having passed muster at the 2010 CMP Eastern and Western Games, the Vintage Sniper Match has been approved as the newest match to be held at Camp Perry in 2011, where the Sniper Match will be sponsored by Hornady Manufacturing. As it turns out, a top Hornady staffer excelled at the 2010 Western Games Sniper match, held recently at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. The duo of Hornady’s Dave Emary, 52, and Bob Schanen, 62, placed first (out of 14 teams) with an Aggregate score of 559-11X out of 600 possible. Emary fired 141-2X and Schanen 148-4X at 300 yards and the tandem fired matching 135s at 600 yards with Emary scoring five Xs. Glendale “Don” Rutherford, 58, and Brad Donoho, 26, finished second with a 547-7X Aggregate. Emary, chief ballistic scientist at Hornady Manufacturing, said he proposed the idea for the match several years ago as a way to include the popular vintage sniper rifles which, until now, had no official competition format.
 Vintage Sniper Match Course of Fire
The Vintage Sniper Match is a challenging prone slow-fire, two-person team event, fired at 300 and 600 yards using scoped vintage military rifles of the Korean War era and earlier. Both team members shoot and spot, alternating roles throughout the match. The event requires good communication and marksmanship in order to score well. After firing sighters at the 300-yard line, both team members fire 10 shots at a target that is exposed for only 20 seconds per shot. Targets are pulled and marked after each shot and the target rises again after a 20-second period. The team’s observer/coach may call out sight adjustments or “Kentucky Windage” corrections as needed prior to the following shot, until firing is complete.
With targets 600 yards in the distance, shooters of vintage military rifles must rely on their observer/coaches and knowledge of shooting conditions to give themselves an opportunity to score well in the new Vintage Sniper Match. After the first 10 shots are fired the shooter and the observer/coach switch positions, make ready and repeat the same sequence. Upon completion of fire at 300, teams move back to the 600 yard line and fire the course again. Though non-scoped rifles will be permitted at the 2011 National Vintage Sniper Match, priority for squadding will be given to competitors with scoped rifles first. Marc Mustafa, 57, of Littleton, Colorado said he enjoyed the Vintage Sniper Test Match because “he likes to move.” Used to shooting elk across the canyons in his home state, Mustafa said the new match format is right up his alley.
Because the match was a test event, each team member was given 15 shots for record at the Western Games but that total will be reduced to 10 (20 total) in the official match in 2011. Achievement awards were not presented following the test match, but the top three teams were acknowledged for their efforts. A total of 14 teams participated and their results may be found on CMP’s online Competition Tracker. For complete results of the Vintage Sniper Test Match and all 2010 CMP Western Games matches, log onto the CMP’s Match Results Webpage.
November 17th, 2010
Larry and Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA have donated $1.6 Million to the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation to support youth shooting programs. The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is an educational-athletic organization that exists to introduce school-age youths to the clay target sports and to facilitate their continued involvement by providing, promoting, and perpetuating opportunities to safely and enjoyably participate and compete in a high-quality, team-based sport led by trained adult coaches focused on enhancing the personal growth and development of their athletes.
Larry Potterfield, CEO of MidwayUSA, remarked, “Teaching our youth about shooting and shooting safety will ensure a better future for America. Brenda and I are proud to partner with SSSF and their efforts to change the future by engaging youths through scholastic shooting programs.” Russ Arnold, Exec. Director of SSSF, added: “A donation like this from the Potterfields will go a long way in helping us achieve our mission of developing more young shooters, and furthering the future of our sport.”
November 15th, 2010
Olin Corp. (NYSE: OLN) has announced that its Winchester centerfire operations and approximately 1,000 jobs will be relocated to Oxford, Mississippi (Lafayette County). The company’s decision follows two failed ratification votes by members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, in which employees twice rejected a union proposal that would have allowed Centerfire Operations to remain in East Alton, Illinois. The company informed the unions in August that it was considering relocating operations to Oxford to enhance the competitiveness of its operations. The company engaged in discussions with union leaders over the past two months, but Olin’s final offers were rejected, so Olin decided to move its operations down South.
Olin’s relocation decision was influenced by an incentive package offered by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. According to Business Week, the Mississippi State Development Authority will give Lafayette County $25,000,000 “to build a new 500,000-square-foot building for Olin.” The new publicly-owned Olin plant will be built near the current Winchester facility in Oxford. Lafayette County is also “providing the site and site preparation work.” CLICK HERE for more details from Business Week.
November 14th, 2010
 Friday, November 19, is National Ammo Day, a day when gun-owners are encouraged to purchase at least 100 rounds of ammunition. National Ammo Day is an annual BUYcott event, a grassroots demonstration of the numbers of committed American firearms owners. There are an estimated 75 MILLION gun owners in the United States of America. If each gun owner or Second Amendment supporter buys 100 rounds of ammunition, that’s 7.5 BILLION rounds in the hands of law-abiding citizens!
Ammo Day is based on the principle that there is strength in numbers. Consider this — when politicians see the amount of tax dollars generated through ammunition sales those politicians will be less inclined to pass restrictive legislation. Likewise, when millions of lawful firearms owners “vote with their pocketbooks” on Ammo Day, it demonstrates that supporters of the Second Amendment are serious, organized, and willing to spend money to protect their rights. That’s something anti-gun politicians can’t ignore.
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