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June 23rd, 2009
 The NRA has released the latest edition of the Club Connection, a publication aimed at helping shooting club managers run their programs more effectively. This issue of the Club Connection, available as a free, downloadable .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) file, has many useful articles. Highlights include:
– Answers to Common Club Range Liability Insurance Questions.
– An NRA-endorsed Credit Card program that can reduce processing fees by 30%.
– Guide to the NRA/Winchester Marksmanship Qualification Program.
– Explanation of how to apply for the NRA Range Grant Program which offers qualifying clubs up to $5000.00 per year in direct funding.
– NRA Business Alliance programs (Fedex shipping etc.).
If you are involved in running a shooting club or gun range, you should definitely download the Club Connection. The information in this issue could save your clubs hundreds of dollars annually, and improve your insurance coverage for club members and guest.
This report courtesy the NRA Blog. Forum member Tim B. notes that: “I just wanted to brag a little. That fine-looking young man on the cover of the Club Connection online magazine is my son Carl. PHoto taken last year at the Camp Perry Junior Pistol Camp.”
June 22nd, 2009
 Smith & Wesson announced a recall of Model 22-A pistols, with serial numbers UBW0000 – UBW9999; UBY0000 – UBY4104. Smith & Wesson “has identified a condition that may exist in certain model 22-A pistols. … We have determined that the slides of certain pistols manufactured from August 1, 2008 to February 19, 2009, may not meet the design specification. This can create a situation where insufficient headspace exists, creating a risk of unintended discharge.” If you have one of the problem 22-A units: STOP USING YOUR PISTOL AND RETURN IT TO SMITH & WESSON AT ONCE.
CLICK HERE for Photos of Breakage Suffered by Defective Pistol
NOTE. This recall applies only to 22-A pistols manufactured from August 1, 2008 to February 19, 2009. Affected pistols fall within the following serial number range: UBW0000 – UBW9999; UBY0000 – UBY4104.
Free Return Shipping Offered
To receive a UPS pre-paid shipping label for your pistol CLICK HERE or contact Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-331-0852.
June 19th, 2009
Brownell’s new, enhanced website is now “live”. The new site is easier to navigate, and “how-to” features such as the Gun-Tech articles/videos are more accessible. Featured Products and New Products are now located “front and center”. The search function is much more user-friendly. Brownell’s has even created an animated TUTORIAL explaining all the new features. CLICK HERE to watch the tutorial.
Better Product Organization and Display
To make it easier to find products by type, all products are grouped into nine tab-linked classes on the home page: Rifle parts, Handgun parts, Shotgun parts, Magazines, Shooting accessories, Gunsmith tools, Optics, Gun cleaning, and Books & videos. With one click you can now access all the optics, or all the videos for sale. Product images can be enlarged with a simple click and many include 360° viewing options.
Customer Product Ratings
We really like the fact that customers can now rate, review and comment on products. You can also get your questions answered through the interactive Answerbox feature.
Informational Content More Accessible
The GunTech and Shopping areas are now more heavily linked to make the videos, articles, cheat sheets, instructions found under GunTech easily accessible from the product pages. Products are also now accessible from the GunTech pages.
June 18th, 2009
 Hurt by a big reduction in sales and burdened by overwhelming debt payments, Seattle-based Eddie Bauer Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EBHI) filed June 17 for bankruptcy protection. It then took only a day for the troubled outdoor retailer to be grabbed by a NY-based private equity firm, CCMP Capital Advisors LLC.
CCMP has agreed to take over Eddie Bauer in a $202 million deal. CCMP plans to eliminate most of Eddie Bauer’s long-term debt, and has pledged to keep most of the retailer’s 371 stores open. According to Eddie Bauer representatives, CCMP will retain the majority of Eddie Bauer employees.
Until the deal is finalized, Eddie Bauer will operate under Bankruptcy rules. Eddie Bauer said it hopes to operate business as usual during bankruptcy court proceedings and has asked for court approval to continue paying vendors and workers. The company also said it intends to honor customer gift cards, returns and loyalty program points. In its bankruptcy filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. declared total assets of $525.22 million in April vs. total liabilities of $448.9 million.
The Eddie Bauer company was started in 1920 by Eddie Bauer, an avid outdoorsman (and former stock boy). His business grew rapidly when he offered an “unconditional guarantee”, something very rare at the time. Bauer called his guarantee “his creed” and it became a cornerstone of the Eddie Bauer business.
History of Eddie Bauer Business.
June 17th, 2009
Victoria Croft, the national manager of Collegiate & School Programs for the NRA, has announced a new program that could make its debut as early as next year: the NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship.
This new championship would be geared toward ALL collegiate rifle shooters, encompassing NRA College Rifle Clubs, Varsity Rifle Teams, NCAA Rifle Teams, ROTC and independent shooters. Currently there is no championship for NRA College Club participants, Varsity Rifle Team participants, or independent college-age rifle competitors. Croft said this would give them the chance to be represented.
New Rifle Championship Triples Participation Levels
Presently, the NCAA Championship invites only 48 NCAA rifle shooters to participate each year. The proposed NRA championship will triple championship participation and help foster collegiate rifle programs across the nation. Qualification for the Championship would be determined through NRA Collegiate Sectionals.
 Funding for this championship would come from the NRA Foundation, the same program that funds the NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships and the ACUI Clay Target Championships. The proposed Intercollegiate Championship would include a training summit similar to the one offered at the NRA Junior Air Gun Championship.
The NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Championship will also teach college shooters about various NRA programs and let shooters demonstrate their skills in front of peers, families, coaches, and university administrators. “This program has been a long time coming,” said Victoria Croft. “So much of the rifle community is already excited, and we have only just started planning for it.”
Story and photo courtesy the NRA Blog.
June 16th, 2009
The American Knife and Tool Institute (AKTI) recently warned Americans of a U.S. Customs’ proposal to re-interpret the Switchblade Knife Act of 1958. The USCBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) has proposed a new standard that would bar importation of any knife with “release-assisted” opening. AKTI fears this could be applied to a wide variety of commonly-used knives including those with a finger stud or thumb-hole to allow one-handed opening.
Customs proposes to criminalize modern assisted-opening knives by defining them as “switchblades” under federal law. AKTI cautions: “The U.S. Customs’ proposal indicates it is directed at only the importers of assisted-opening knives. However, the language used in their revocation document is so broad and uses virtually every term ever applied to any knife that opens with one hand. We fear that they are attempting to bypass the will of Congress and that once they succeed in getting assisted-openers defined as switchblades, they could move against all folding knives. These include multi-tools, traditional pocket knives, one-hand openers, and assisted-openers.”
To learn more about this issue, visit the AKTI website. The AKTI has prepared form letters you can send to your legislators. You can also write directly to USCBP at:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Office of International Trade, Regulations and Rulings
Attention: Intellectual Property and Restricted Merchandise Branch
Mint Annex, 799 Ninth St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20229
June 16th, 2009
Google has launched an innovative, web-based search function that delivers a wealth of information in data-rich tables. Now when you search you can get more than just a list of websites. Called Google Squared, the new system delivers a collection of search results in a chart (table) format. The chart will contain a variety of different clickable entries, such as article titles, photos, product descriptions, and prices. Google Squared returns a huge amount of information and data from a single search.
Link: www.Google.com/squared
While Google Squared can search virtually any topic from Astrophysics to Zoology, we’ve found it can be very useful when researching firearms subjects or searching for shooting products. Shown below are the results of a search for “Spotting Scope”. By default, data is grouped in six columns. However, Google Squared allows you to add other data columns, and Google can even “intelligently” suggest choices for additional columns. In this example, Google suggested Eye Relief, Magnification, Exit Pupil, Lens Coating, and Prism System — all important optical parameters. That’s pretty smart! You can also delete any column of data if it’s not needed.
Google Squared can also be used to research a particular product or do price comparison searches. Shown below are the Google Squared results for “RCBS Chargemaster”:
Google Squared is still in the development stages, but it promises to be a useful tool for veteran web users. Give it a try, and see how it performs for you.
June 15th, 2009
John Loh of JJ Industries has generously donated a complete front rest to be sold at the World Benchrest Championship (WBC-10) held at the Krokodilspruit Range in Pretoria, South Africa, June 22-29, 2009. Proceeds from the sale will be used to defray the expenses of the USA Benchrest Team. The rest will be on display at the World Championships next week, and sold to the highest bidder.
This WBC-10 Special Edition rest is based on John Loh’s impressive, 18-lb JJ Ultra Front Rest, sold for $879.95 commercially. John has added some unique upgrades for this one-of-a-kind, 22-lb Special Edition. The center shaft is beefier, with a larger diameter. All the knobs (other than the bearing bronze rear adjuster) are crafted from machined aluminum. Loh front rests are already noted for allowing super-smooth and precise vertical and horizontal adjustments, and the larger center column makes this special unit even better. The rest comes with a 3″-wide Edgewood front bag fitted with a spacer block with bubble level. The side plates for the top bag are inscribed with “TEAM USA” and “World Benchrest Championships – South Africa 2009″ is engraved on the front of the base plate.
June 13th, 2009
 One of the more distinctive trophies awarded each year at Camp Perry, the DuPont Trophy is a European bronze casting which depicts a medieval military bowman with arrow drawn, ready for its flight. The trophy was donated to the NRA in 1923 by the E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company.
Each year, the DuPont Trophy is awarded at the Camp Perry National High Power Championships to the top Aggregate score of the Members’ Trophy, Scott Trophy, Coast Artillery Trophy, Army Cup, Navy Cup, Coast Guard Trophy, Marine Corps Cup, Air Force Cup, Crescent Cup, Appreciation Cup, Cavalry Cup, and Crowell Trophy Matches. Collectively, these matches represent a total of 240 shots.
Last year, the winner was then-Specialist Tyrell L. Cooper of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). Ty Cooper won with a score of 2362-101X. Cooper, who was recently promoted to Sergeant, started shooting High Power at the ripe old age of 14 and stands ready to face past champions like McMahon, Hooper, Watson and Demille.
 Listed below are the DuPoint Trophy winners for the past decade, along with their winning scores:
1998 SSgt Grant L. Singley, USA 2372-112X
1999 SSgt Julia L. Watson, USMC 2361-110X
2000 MSgt Harry D. Harrison, USMCR 2369-101X
2001 SFC Grant L. Singley, USA 2371-109X
2002 SFC Kevin McMahon, USA 2333-90X
2003 CWO Dennis Demille, USMC 2372-102X
2004 James C. Fox, 2366-80X
2005 GySgt Julia L. Watson, USMCR 2366-93X
2006 SFC Lance S. Hopper, USA 2366-114X
2007 Nick O. Till *1764-73X
2008 SPC Tyrell L. Cooper, USA 2362-101X
* Aggregate shortened due to weather
June 13th, 2009
The Int’l Hunter Education Association Foundation (IHEAF) and GunBroker.com announce a month-long, online auction of guns, hunting/fishing trips and other outdoor merchandise to benefit hunter education programs nationwide. The special auction, part of GunBroker.com’s Heritage Partner Program, is an extension of the Hunting Heritage Trust’s “Treasures & Traditions” program. The auction will be featured on the Gunbroker.com home page.
The auction includes:
• Specially engraved IHEA 60th Anniversary Golden Boy .22LR
• Firearms from Mossberg, Savage, Henry Repeating Arms and FN
• Seven-day South Africa Safari from Zingelani Safaris
• Alaskan fishing trip from Safari Club Int’l (SCI)
• Argentina dove hunt from SCI
• Two guided, South Florida fishing trips
• PSE “Deer Hunter Set” compound bow
• Sentry 24-gun safe
• 3-day NASCAR Pass to Talladega from Realtree
• Custom loaded Hornady ammo and Hornady range bags
• Variety of outdoor equipment from Bushnell
• Benchmade knives
• Columbia Sportswear layered hunting parkas
Hunter Ed Programs Serve 700,000 Students
Over 700,000 new students take hunter education classes each year. Chad Bisinger, IHEAF President, explains: “These classes are a vital link in introducing the next generation of outdoorsmen to safe gun handling and outdoor ethics. The proceeds from this auction will go directly toward making those classes more effective, helping classes better meet the needs of today’s students.” For more information on the International Hunter Education Association visit www.ihea.com.
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