Smith & Wesson Profits Soar

Times are good for Smith & Wesson, the well-known pistol-maker which also recently starting retailing AR15 type rifles, shotguns, and hunting rifles. Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:SWHC) recently reported first-quarter profit increased 39 percent compared to the same period last year. The company credited strong firearms sales as well as its acquisition of Thompson/Center Arms. Firearm sales were up 55.2 percent in the quarter. Handgun sales at retail locations rose 41 percent.

We are pleased to record the success of Smith & Wesson as it expands its product line to include long guns. The addition of another major rifle manufacturer is a good thing for the shooting sports. George Gardner of GA Precision has built some tactical rifles using the new T/C Icon action. And Carl Bernosky (photo below) won the NRA High Power Nationals at Camp Perry using a AR15 platform with a Smith & Wesson M&P15 lower and John Holliger match upper. This was the first time a semi-auto AR15 won “all the marbles” at Camp Perry in the High Power division. (AR15s of course are the mainstay of Service Rifle matches.)

High-Tech Gear at HPS Target Rifles Ltd.

HPS Target Rifles Ltd. in the UK offers some of the most advanced rifle components and accessories you’ll find anywhere. HPS specializes in precision shooting gear and accessories for smallbore, benchrest, and long-range shooters. HPS is an authorized dealer for RPA actions and sights, Musgrave Actions, and Lothar Walther barrels. Click HERE to download a 35-page color brochure with everything from reloading components to complete rifles. You’ll find quite a few items not carried by any American vendor.

HPS offers a wide range of accessories for Highpower and Free Rifle shooters including adjustable hand-stops and butt-plates, plus System Gemini Stocks. You’ll find sights, buttplates, and accessories for Anschutz and other European precision competition rifles. HPS also produces some unique high-end equipment such as the System Gemini Test Rig (shown in photos). This is a transportable return-to-battery testing device that takes human error out of the aiming process. The Gemini Test Rig is offered in both rimfire and centerfire (fullbore) versions.

JFK's Garand Up for Auction

Rock Island Auction Company (RIA), one of the nation’s leading firearms auction houses, is conducting a Premiere Collector’s Firearms Auction this weekend (Sept. 8, 9, & 10) in Moline, IL. Among the many valuable items for sale is President John F. Kennedy’s Garand rifle, issued to then Senator Kennedy by the Army’s Director of Marksmanship.

It is estimated JFK’s Garand will fetch $50,000-$100,000 at auction. That’s too rich for us, but it’s fun to view photos of the rifle and the associated historical documentation. Click Here to view the auction. Note: hundreds of other items are up for sale in the next three days. If you are interested in bidding, you can do so by telephone or by sealed online bid. All the 3227 items up for auction, including many classic Winchesters, are listed in this online auction database.

Bernosky Wins NRA High Power Championship

Pennsylvanian Carl R. Bernosky won top honors at the 2007 National Rifle Association High Power Rifle Championship Matches held at Camp Perry, Ohio, from August 6-10, at the Centennial Camp Perry Matches. A shooter with over 30 years of experience on the firing line at Camp Perry, Bernosky has previously won this prestigious award seven times.

To take first place and win the title of High Power Rifle champion, Bernosky posted a score of 1787 points and 89 tie-breaking hits called Xs. He was awarded the prestigious Mumma Trophy for his achievement. Second place went to David Tubb of Canadian, Texas, with a score of 1779-86X. Tubb also won second place in the National Match Rifle Championship. Third place went to Ronald L. Zerr of El Paso, Texas, who posted a score of 1776-75X. Zerr also took third-place honors in the National Match Rifle Championship.

Bernosky, in addition to winning the overall high power rifle championship, took titles this year as NRA Match Rifle Champion and Civilian Champion for his score of 1787-89X. Bernosky also took top honors in the following categories: Vandenburg Cup Match (798-47X); Nevada Trophy Match (598-28X); McCann Trophy Match (600-38X); Member’s Trophy Match (199-11X); Scott Trophy Match (200-17X); Erdman Trophy Match (588-23X); and Marine Gunner D. I. Boyd II Memorial Trophy Match (1187-51X). Bernosky was shooting a semi-auto AR15-platform rifle with a Smith & Wesson M&P lower, John Holliger match upper chambered in 6mm Hagar*, 26″ Krieger barrel (+ 6″ bloop tube), with a Geissele two-stage trigger. We are told this is the first time in Camp Perry history that the High Power Championship was won with an AR15 style semi-auto.

In discussing his wins, Bernosky said “I’ve been shooting over 30 years and I’ve shot this high power championship match 13 times. I have now won it eight times during those years”. When asked about the rainy weather-canceling matches, he remarked, “You can’t do anything about the weather, and the officials did a good job of getting in as many matches as they did. Everyone had to shoot in the same conditions, but maybe the sun did shine on me a little bit better.”

David Tubb was back at Perry after being absent last year, and in addition to his second-place finishes in both the National High Power Rifle and National Match Rifle Championships, David won numerous other contests, including the following: Clarke Trophy Match (393-17X); Crescent Cup Match (193-3X); Centenary Trophy Match (600-40X); Air Force Cup Match (200-14X); and the Rochester National Defense Contingent (RNDC) Trophy Team Match as both captain and individual team member with a team score of 1981-103X and an individual score of 495-27X.

Mark A. Del Cotto, a name familiar to competitive riflemen, won the Crowell Trophy Match. The Lexington, Kentucky, native shot a 200-20X to take home the title.

Another familiar name at this year’s competition was Gunnery Sergeant Julia L. Watson of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Watson took the Woman Champion and Service Champion titles in the National High Power Championships with her score of 1762-55X. She also won second place and took the High Woman, High Reserve, and High Marine titles in the National Service Rifle Championship. In addition, she won the Navy Cup Match with her score of 200-7X.

Story and large photo © 2007 National Rifle Association, used by permission.

Brownell's Offers AR-Specific Catalog

Brownells just released its first-ever “All AR” catalog, featuring parts and accessories offered for ARs in .223, .308 and other calibers. Customers can receive a free Brownells AR-15/M16 Catalog #1 by calling 1-800-741-0015 or visiting http://www.brownells.com.

As with other Brownell’s catalogs introduced this year, the new AR-15 catalog includes “dream guns” — images of customized ARs with various accessories and aftermarket products. The full-color catalog offers more than 2000 products including barrels, optics, buttstocks, magazines, tools, triggers, flash suppressors and more. New products featured in the catalog include Brownell’s Tac Mags, Pentagon Lights, 9mm uppers and conversions from Rock Rivers Arms.

“From varmint hunters to law enforcement professionals, to competition and home defense, the popularity of AR-15/M16 rifles continues to increase,” said Frank Brownell, company president. “The AR platform grows in popularity every day. Our gun techs receive calls every day from customers asking how to best customize a black rifle for their specific needs.”

Landmark Gun Rights Case Headed to U.S. Supreme Court

In the case of Parker v. the District of Columbia, the plaintiffs, including a retired police officer, sued to overturn the District of Columbia law that prohibits residents from owning handguns, even if the guns’ use is confined to one’s domicile. The plaintiffs argued that D.C.’s ultra-restrictive gun laws violated plaintiffs’ rights to “keep and bear arms” under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The D.C. statute bars residents from keeping handguns in their homes and also prohibits the carrying of a gun without a license.

In March 2007, the Federal Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down the District of Columbia law on constitutional grounds. This was a signficant ruling that shocked the mainstream media. The Appellate Court ruling also created the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court would be asked to rule on the case. In its ruling, the Federal Court of Appeals declared:

“…[W]e conclude that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. That right existed prior to the formation of the new government under the Constitution and was premised on the private use of arms for activities such as hunting and self-defense, the latter being understood as resistance to either private lawlessness or the depredations of a tyrannical government….”

Parker vs. District of Columbia–Full Case History | News Story on Appellate Court Ruling

On September 4th, the District of Columbia asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the decision of the Federal Court of Appeals. If the Supreme Court takes the case, it could lead to the high court’s first direct ruling on the Second Amendment since 1939. The court would be asked to interpret the Second Amendment, and squarely determine whether the Second Amendment protects citizens as individuals or whether the right to “keep and bear arms” is “collective”, meaning it applies only to a militia or National Guard.

There remains the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court will refuse to hear the appeal, in which case the decision of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals would be final.

FREE Downloadable Fun Targets

In addition to the dozens of FREE downloadable targets you’ll find on this website’s TARGET PAGE, we’ve located some interesting fun targets from other sites. Click the links above each set of targets to download your favorites.

AccurateShooter.com Fun Targets:

MyTargets.com Fun Targets:

GlockFAQ Fun Targets:

John Nosler Honored with Pioneer Award

The NRA has named John A. Nosler the winner of the inaugural NRA Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award. “Mr. Nosler was the unanimous choice of an eight-member selection committee, acting on behalf of NRA members nationwide”, said NRA Publications Executive Director Joe H. Graham. One of the world’s foremost innovators in ballistics and bullet design, Nosler invented the Partition and other custom bullets. He pioneered the premium bullet category that has been widely adopted by big-game hunters, and has influenced bullet manufacturers worldwide.

If you’ve wondered how the Nosler Partition came to be, “In the fall of 1946, a stubborn, mud-caked Canadian moose failed to go down, despite a well-placed shot from John Nosler’s 300 H&H. On the way home from that trip, John started thinking about a way to make a bullet that would perform well every time, no matter what the size of the game or the shot angle. Over the next year, he experimented with bullet design, finally settling on a unique, dual core bullet that was really the first Partition®. The following fall, John and his friend, Clarence Purdie, both killed moose with one shot using John’s new bullet. After a few years of production on lathes, John developed the impact extrusion method of manufacture [that] produced bullets with extremely concentric jackets[.]” (From Nosler.com.)

To learn more about John Nosler and his bullet designs, get your hands on Going Ballistic, a “Professional Memoir” told by John Nosler to outdoor writer Gary Lewis. With over 150 photos, and many fascinating accounts, this book is available from Sun Publishing for $24.95. CLICK HERE to read a short sample from Chapter 11, “Penetration and Expansion–The Need for a Better Bullet”.

The John A. Nosler Endowment of The NRA Foundation, funded by Nosler Inc., sponsors the NRA’s Basic Rifle Training Program.

Revised ATF Transfer Form 4473 Required as of September 1

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has given notice that, effective 9/1/2007, all federal firearms licensees must use the revised Firearms Transaction Record Part I – Over-the-Counter (ATF Form 4473).

“In the immediate aftermath of the tragic events at Virginia Tech in April, many questions arose about whether the person responsible was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm and how the shooter passed the background check required before purchasing the two firearms used,” said ATF Acting Director Michael J. Sullivan. “ATF is clarifying this form in an effort to make it clear that any person who has been found by a court board or other lawful authority to be a danger to self or others is prohibited from purchasing a firearm or ammunition.”

The form clarifies the question regarding “mental defectives” and incorporates the definitions of this term set forth in the regulations, 27 CFR 478.11. The revision also incorporates certain provisions of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-162) by adding “tribal offense” and “Tribal Law” to the definition of Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence.