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March 29th, 2009
Spc. Tyrel Cooper of the USAMU won the individual championship at the South African Bisley Union (SABU) 80th Anniversary Match. For the past two years, Ty has been one of the best long-range shooters in the world. In 2008 he won the Target Rifle Overall Aggregate at the Spirit of America Match. Congrats to Ty for outstanding shooting in South Africa!
Shooting in very challenging wind conditions, the host South Africans took first place in both the Invitational 8-man team match (score: 2314-209v) and the SABU Int’l Anniversary 12-man team match (score: 3516-350v). The United States 12-man team finished second with a 3469-303v score. Reporting on the Anniversary Team Match, Walt Walter reported to the NRA Blog: “At 800 meters, South Africa extended their lead in ‘very very difficult’ wind conditions. Almost all of the time allowance was used with sighters from later firers being fired early to assist the coaches with their wind calling. Once again, South Africa used their local knowledge to increase their lead with some excellent shooting and equally good wind calling. Going back to 900 meters, the wind remained just as tricky and with the South Africans averaging solid 70s scores, they finished an impressive 49 points of the USA.”
| Individual Ranking |
TEAM Ranking Anniv. Match |
1. Ty Cooper (USA) 208-20v
2. Alwyn McLean (Ireland) 208-15v
3. Jane Messer (England) 207-25v
4. Andy Wilde (England) 206-22v
5. David Luckman (England) 206-20v |
1. South Africa 3516-350v
2. USA 3469-303v
3. England 3461-293v
4. Ireland 3442-274v
5. Wales 3419-255v |
Note: In South Africa, the “v”-count is equivalent to the “X”-count in North America.
March 28th, 2009
 In an official press release dated March 10, 2009, the National Park Service (NPS) announced its intention to ban all lead bullets, lead-containing ammunition, and lead fishing tackle in the lands under NPS control. National Park Service director Dan Wenk stated: “Our goal is to eliminate the use of lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle in parks by the end of 2010. We want to take a leadership role in removing lead from the environment.”
Well, it looks like the NPS was not prepared for a firestorm of criticism. This week it back-peddled, issuing another press release stating that there would be no actual lead ban affecting the general public.
National Park Service Clarifies Lead Ammo Policy
Faced with pressure from groups representing hunters and anglers, and criticism from some politicians, the Park Service has disavowed its stated policy to ban lead ammo and lead fishing tackle by 2010. Now the Park Service is saying that it was “misunderstood”. Last week the Park Service issued a “clarification”, stating that the proposed lead restrictions would only apply to Park Service employees and projects. Duly chastened, the NPS pledged to seek input from hunters, anglers, and other interested parties. No future ban on lead ammo or tackle will be imposed without “public involvement, comment, and review”. Here are the key points in the latest NPS release:
“1. Nothing has changed for the public. We are simply announcing the NPS goal of eliminating lead from NPS activities to protect human and wildlife health.
2. We will work to clean our own house by altering NPS resource management activities. In 2009, we will transition to non-lead ammunition in culling operations and dispatching sick or wounded animals.
3. In the future, we will look at the potential for transitioning to non-lead ammunition and non-lead fishing tackle for recreational use by working with our policy office and appropriate stakeholders/groups. This will require public involvement, comment, and review.”
March 25th, 2009
 The United States National Rifle Team, supported by the NRA, has traveled to South Africa to participate in the South African Bisley Union matches and their national championships, held at Bloemfontein, South Africa, March 26 – April 4. This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the South African matches. This will be a fullbore competition for Target Rifle class and F-Class at distances from 300 to 900 meters. There will also be a series of .303 club matches as well as Junior matches.
The team is led by Team Captain Dennis Flaherty of California; Vice Captain Dan Simpson of New Hampshire; and Vice Captain Tom Whitaker, also from California. SFC Emil Praslick III, U.S. Army, will function as Head Coach during this tour. Ian Cheesman and Robert Steketee round out the team officers with Ian as Adjutant and Robert functioning as the South Africa Touring Trip Team Adjutant.
During the first week there will be individual matches culminating in a 12-man team match to determine the top National team in the 80th Anniversary matches. After an overnight in Johannesburg the Team traveled to Bloemfontein on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will be training days with the individual matches to begin on Thursday, March 26th.
CLICK HERE to download 80th Anniversary Match Schedule and Info Forms.
This report is courtesy the NRA Blog and H.J. “Walt” Walter, NRA Board Member.
March 24th, 2009
The Sportsman’s Warehouse chain of outdoor stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past weekend. In papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware, Sportman’s Warehouse declared assets of $436.3 million versus outstanding debt of $452.3 million. Under Chapter 11, a company is protected from creditor lawsuits while it works out a plan to repay its debts during reorganization.
Sportsman’s Warehouse currently operates 29 stores, including four stores in its home state of Utah. “Sportsman’s Warehouse is another retailer victim of the worldwide global recession,” Rourk Kemp, the company’s chief financial officer (CFO), stated in Bankruptcy Court papers. Last year, Sportsman’s Warehouse announced a deal to sell 80% of its operations to a Canadian agricultural cooperative. However, that deal basically fell through, precipitating this Chapter 11 filing.
Stores to Remain Open During Reorganization
Sportsman’s Warehouse does not plan to liquidate or go out of business entirely. According to CFO Kemp, Sportsman’s Warehouse intends to continue its normal business. It will keep its remaining 29 stores open, having already closed 23 stores and sold 15 others. It will also continue to pay employees’ wages and benefits and honor customer service policies, such as returns, exchanges, credits and gift-cards.
New Financing Source
To help pay the bills during reorganization, Sportsmans’ Warehouse announced it has secured, from G.E. Capital Corp., $85 million in financing. These funds will be available to the company while it is under the Chapter 11 protection.
March 21st, 2009
Brownell’s offers a financial and insurance services package designed expressly for gunsmiths, gunshops, and small-to-medium-sized firearms businesses. The program leverages Brownell’s business relationships to provide more affordable services for smaller companies. Brownells Business Advantage (BBA), provides reduced-rate credit card processing, property/liability insurance, and discounted UPS 2-day and Next day shipping. With card processing rates as low as 1.38%, the BBA program could save a gunsmith hundreds of dollars a year. Most other credit card processsing services charge 2.2-2.8% per transaction. A 1% card processing fee reduction will save you $10 on every $1000.00 of customer spending. Brownell’s business partner for credit card processing and Visa business cards is the First National Bank of Omaha.
$50.00 to Join, Plus $25.00 per year
Initial membership in the Brownells Business Advantage costs $50 with a $25 annual renewal fee. Questions? Send email to BBA [at] brownells.com or call Jo Ann at 641-623-5401 Ext. 5447.
CLICK HERE for VIDEO Explaining BBA Benefits
March 20th, 2009
Weaver Optics has unveiled its new, upgraded website: www.weaveroptics.com. The new site is easier to navigate, and you’ll find much more complete information on all Weaver riflescopes plus useful charts showing the correct ring/mount sizes for various scope/rifle set-ups.
NEW Weaver Website Features
• Complete scope detail: Each scope category shows available finishes and reticles in a simple, clear presentation.
• Mount charts: Quickly and easily find the right mount for your firearm; then browse the ring options for the right solution to your mounting needs.
• Online purchase: “Buy now” option lets you purchase scopes, mounts, and accessories through an approved, secure third-party online store.
NEW Gunsmith Work Center
Weaver’s new website also features a section just for accessories. There we found a cool new product, Weaver’s new Gunsmith Mounting Center (item 849725). This innovative product combines a gun vise with an integral vertical pegboard for tool storage. The gun vise has dual padded jaws that slide on 30″ rails to accommodate all types of long arms. Measuring over two feet tall, the pegboard offers plenty of room to hang tools and cleaning gear. The unit also has a flat platform behind the vise rails, plus a handy 12″x19″ parts tray up front.
• Footprint size on workbench: 34″ wide x 18.5″ deep x 30″ tall
• Pegboard panel sizes: 8″ x 26″ (2) 20.5″ x 26″ (1)
• Parts tray size: 12″ x 19.25″
• Vise adjustment range: 0.5″ – 3.25″
• Vise vertical adjustment range: 2.75″
March 20th, 2009
Across the country, Americans are purchasing handguns in record numbers, and Smith & Wesson is riding this wave of gun buying. S&W reports that its pistol sales rose a whopping 45.7% in the third quarter of 2008. Due in large part to the rise in handgun revenues, Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:SWHC) reported Thursday that it posted a third-quarter profit of $2.4 million, or 5 cents a share, compared to a loss of a loss of $1.8 million, or 4 cents a share, a year ago.
The company’s third-quarter results easily beat Wall Street estimates. For the quarter, pistol sales jumped 45.7 percent during the quarter while net product sales rose 25.9 percent. Said CEO Michael Golden, “While our hunting business continues to suffer in the current economic environment, the market for hunting rifles in a healthy economy is a sizeable one. In addition, this portion of our business produces barrels for our tactical rifles, products that are clearly in very high demand right now.”
March 18th, 2009
Over the past few days, there has been a storm of controversy surrounding sales of surplus U.S. military cartridge brass. The concern arose because DOD Surplus, LLC had announced to wholesale brass purchasers that future shipments of spent cartridge cases would have to be “mutilated” and sold as scrap metal. (DOD Surplus, LLC sells surplus brass under a contract with the Department of Defense.)
Shooters nationwide, fearing that surplus U.S. military brass would no longer be available, protested loudly to members of Congress and Department of Defense officials.
We are pleased to report that the “mutilation” requirement has been rescinded, and vendors such as Georgia Arms and GI Brass will continue to sell reloadable surplus cartridge cases obtained from the U.S. military.
 How the Controversy Arose
The Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of all the branches of the military, collects fired shell cases. Rather than sell surplus brass directly, the DOD has disposal contracts with DOD Surplus, LLC and Government Liquidation, LLC, two private companies. These companies aggregate and sell the brass in bulk to wholesalers, primarily through online auctions.
DOD Surplus, LLC had notified Georgia Arms that future lots of surplus brass would be subject to a NEW multilation requirement, effectively rendering the brass useless for reloading.
Where did that “mutilation” requirement come from? Was this some evil, new directive from the White House? Apparently not. Here’s what happened. Surplus brass has been handled under a “DEMIL B” product category. Prior to 11/2008, DEMIL B items required no mutilation for sale to the public. That policy changed last November, but several exemptions (waivers) were granted. Expended munitions brass was covered by a waiver.
After the new administration took office, some new manager, probably in the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), eliminated ALL exemptions for DEMIL B products. Why this was done, we don’t really know. It appears no consideration was given to the impact on the shooting industry. But this elimination of the DEMIL B brass waiver was communicated to DOD Surplus, LLC last week. DOD Surplus, LLC, in turn, told its purchasers that milsurp brass would have to be mutilated (rendered unusable) from here on out.
Surplus Brass Now Re-Classified DEMIL Q, so No Mutilation Required
Yesterday, March 17, at 5:15 pm a letter cosigned by Senator Tester (D-MT) and Senator Baucus (D-MT) was faxed to the Department of Defense asking DOD to reverse its new policy requiring destruction of fired military cartridge brass. That joint letter, combined with thousands of email messages sent to Washington, convinced the DOD to reverse the recent change in surplus brass policy.
At 5:30 PM on the 17th, the DOD faxed Senator Tester’s office announcing that the policy requiring multilation of surplus brass had been rescinded. Specifically, surplus military cartridge brass has been reclassified as a “DEMIL Q” product (not “DEMIL B” as before). DEMIL Q requires no product mutilation unless the item is sold to a foreign country.
BOTTOM LINE: Stocks of U.S. Military surplus cartridge brass will continue to be offered for sale, via wholesalers, to the general public. Problem solved. As announced by Georgia Arms: “DOD Surplus, LLC, has rescinded its prior directive that ALL small arms spent casings be mutilated rather than recycled. This was a huge victory for common sense and we would like to thank each and every person who made an effort and played a role in correcting this mistake.”
March 17th, 2009
The 36th Annual IWA & OutdoorClassics trade show, the European equivalent of our SHOT Show, came to a successful close yesterday, March 16th. The 3-day exhibition, largest in Europe, drew more exhibitors than ever before — 1,132 from 53 nations. The 2009 event also set a new high in the number of IWA visitors, estimated at 32,000. The largely confident mood at IWA (despite the economic crisis) was tempered by concerns over the school shooting in Winnenden.
Despite the world economic downturn, IWA exhibitors observed that sales and orders remain strong. “With an export share of 80 per cent in some cases, it was feared before the start of IWA that the economic crisis would bring the industry a drop in sales in 2009 after a number of good years. But this has not been confirmed [yet]; the exhibitors are very satisfied with the course of the exhibition,” says Olaf Sauer, President of the Verband der Hersteller von Jagd-, Sportwaffen und Munition (JSM). Klaus Gotzen, General Manager of JSM, adds: “The strength of the industry lies in the high quality and innovativeness of its products. The great response from the visitors and the record number of exhibitors show that the industry is closing ranks to face the global challenge”.
For more information about the IWA arms show, visit the IWA Web Site, or download this official Survey of IWA Exhibitors and Visitors from the 2008 exhibition. The Video below shows many of the exhibits at the 2009 IWA show. (Note: there is a soundtrack so turn down your speakers if you’re at work.)
March 17th, 2009
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and your Editor is Irish, so I figured we’d better offer some diversion on this “Green Tuesday”. According to legend, St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. Click the link below for an online flash game where you help Larry the Leprechaun wallop some snakes. Use the up/down and left/right arrow keys to control the Leprechaun. Grab 4-Leaf Clovers for bonus points. PS: You may want to turn the sound down… it drives you crazy very quickly.
CLICK Here for Lucky Leprechaun Flash Game
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