As part of its big Christmas Season Sale, Midsouth Shooters Supply has discounted RCBS products — the line-up of green-colored Presses, Reloading Kits, ChargeMaster Scale/Dispensers, Case Prep Centers, Tumblers and more. We’ve checked around, and right now you’ll find some really great deals on RCBS equipment at Midsouth. For example Midsouth has the Rock Chucker Supreme Press at $169.99 with FREE Shipping. That’s over sixty bucks less than some other sellers charge. And you can get the ChargeMaster Link Powder Scale/Dispenser for just $269.99, $22 less than the current Amazon price.
Image Courtesy NSSF. This story is based on an NSSF Article.
‘Tis the season of gift-giving (Christmas Day is 8 days hence). Perhaps you’re considering giving a a first rifle to your grandson or perhaps a carry pistol to a spouse. When making a gun gift to a friend or family member, however, there are some very important legal considerations. Also the rules on firearms gift transfers vary from state to state. Bottom line here — you need to know the law BEFORE you deliver that shiny new firearm to a family member, close friend, or relative.
The first thing to remember if you’re thinking about giving someone a gun is that … it’s a gun! You already know that ownership of a firearm brings with it some serious legal and ethical obligations that other consumer products don’t. So let’s look at some questions you may have about giving a firearm as a gift.
Image Courtesy NSSF
The first question you have to ask is whether the intended recipient can legally own the firearm where he or she lives. With more than 20,000 different gun laws on the books, even the kinds of firearms that law-abiding citizens can own vary from place to place. For example, juveniles (under age 18) generally speaking are precluded by law from possessing a handgun. Check out the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) website for an overview of local laws and, whatever you do, don’t forget that you can never under any circumstances transfer a firearm to someone you know — or have reasonable cause to believe — legally can’t own one. That’s a federal felony, so be careful.
There’s no federal law that prohibits a gift of a firearm to a relative or friend who lives in your home state. Many states — including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington State and the District of Columbia — require you to transfer a firearm through a local FFL-holder so an instant background check will be performed to make sure the recipient is not legally prohibited from owning the gun. Maryland and Pennsylvania require a background check for private party transfer of a handgun. And yes, Oregon has new restrictions due to the passage of Ballot Measure 114 (though a State Judges has issued an injunction blocking some provision BM 114). There are exceptions, so it’s important to check the law of your state or ask your local firearms retailer.
Consider a Gift Card Instead of Direct Gift
The ATF recommends that if you want to give someone a new firearm, rather than going to a gun store and buying the gun on your own, consider instead purchasing a gift certificate/card from your favorite gun retailer. Then give that gift card as the present. That way the recipient can choose the exact gun he or she wants, and there’s no question about who is “the actual buyer of the firearm”, which is a question any purchaser must certify on the Federal Form 4473 at the time of purchase. The Gift Card option avoids any “straw purchaser” issues.
And right now you can earn a “bonus” for giving a gift card. Brownells is running a promotion. For every $100 you give in Brownells Gift Cards you get a $25.00 gift card for yourself. That’s essentially a 25% Bonus for your generosity. You can have the Brownells Gift Card mailed directly to the lucky recipient. Or, if you’re running low on time, you can have electronic Gift Card sent via email. CLICK HERE for details.
Intra-Family Transfers and Antique Arms
What if you want to give “Old Betsy,” your favorite old deer rifle, to your son or daughter as a college graduation gift? Again, in some states, there’s no law that says you can’t, but many states require even intra-family transfers to go through a licensed dealer. Remember, you can never transfer a firearm directly to another person who is a resident of a different state. In that case, you must transfer the firearm through a licensed dealer in the state where the person receiving the gift resides.
Using a gift certificate from a firearms retailer near where the recipient lives might be a good solution. Be safe and check with an in-state FFL dealer before you give any firearm to a friend or family member.
The International Hunter Education Association (IHEA-USA) now offers low-cost online Firearm Fundamentals courses for gun owners. The new IHEA-USA online training program provides separate online courses for Rifles, Shotguns, and Handguns, each priced at $12.00:
These programs were developed by the IHEA-USA to meet the nationally growing demand for accessible firearms safety education. These courses were crafted with input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state hunter education staff, volunteer hunter education instructors, and professional hunters.
IHEA-USA Firearm Fundamentals include modules on firearms safety best practices, responsibilities as a firearms owner, safety in the home, storing and transporting firearms, specific information on safe handling of types of firearms, ammunition, locks and safes, range safety and etiquette, firearms care and cleaning as well as introductions to using firearms for hunting and sport shooting. The course also teaches new firearms owners about Pittman Robertson funding and how their purchases contribute to wildlife management in America.
“It made perfect sense for us to address general firearms safety for the thirteen million new firearms owners coming into the marketplace over the last two years … we believe that all new firearms owners can benefit from these introductory training modules”, states IHEA-USA Executive Director Alex Baer.
The Firearm Fundamentals course also offers all participating states the opportunity to introduce new firearms owners to hunting, local ranges, sport-shooting, and other firearms-related activities in their states upon completion of the course. For more information on IHEA-USA programs and initiatives, contact sponsorship@ihea-usa.org.
Report by Dean Weingarten
November of 2022 had the second-highest number of National Instant background Check System checks for November. Only November of 2020 had a higher number. The number of gun sales for November was the fourth highest on record, with about 1.49 million gun sales. Last year, 2021, edged out this year with 1.51 million sales, while 2020 had 1.92 million sales and 2016 had 1.62 million sales, as estimated using the FBI figures for gun sales from the NICS system. NOTE: In the chart, lines are for 2021 while bars are for 2022.
In NICS, there are categories for long guns, handguns, other guns, and multiple gun sales. The estimate of sales for the month is arrived at by adding the long gun, handgun, and other sales with 2.5 x the multiple sales figures. The estimate is consistent, and does not include NICS checks for permits or permit re-checks, which have come to dominate NICS in recent years. Of about 2.75 million checks total for November of 2022, Illinois permit checks and Kentucky permit rechecks to total .717 million, over 25% of the total checks done! The permit checks and rechecks are not charged for by the federal government. The permit and permit rechecks are what are fueling the increases in overall NICS checks. Thus, the raw NICS numbers are not a reliable indicator of firearm sales.
The November sales figures bring the NICS gun sales to about 15.51 million so far in 2022. December is usually a good month for gun sales. This correspondent predicts 1.8 million firearms will be sold through the NICS system in December. If that happens, the total for 2022 will be 17.3 million firearms.
To acknowledge those who consistently score well in the John C. Garand Match with As-Issued M1 Rifles at designated Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) competitions, the Garand Collectors Association (GCA) has designed a new GCA Master Marksman Program.
The GCA Master Marksman Program will get underway in January 2023. Like the CMP’s established Distinguished Badge Program, the new addition will work on an Achievement Award point system, based on performance at designated CMP events. To participate, a competitor must be a current member of the GCA. Individuals may even join the day of the match through the GCA website in order to be considered a valid member. Only As-Issued M1 Garands may be used.
“The GCA is grateful to enjoy a cooperative association with the CMP, whose administrative efforts are essential in making this new award a reality,” the GCA said in a statement.
M1 Garand Springfield Armory July 1941 production. Facebook photo by Shinnosuke Tanaka.
Get Garand Master Marksman Points at Major Matches
The first Master Marksman points will be awarded at the 2023 Western Games, held in Phoenix in March.
Annual events featuring GCA point competitions currently include:
CMP Western Games (Arizona) – March 10-19, 2023
CMP Eastern Games (North Carolina) – April 28-May 7, 2023
CMP D-Day (Alabama) – June 6-11, 2023
CMP National Matches (Ohio) – July 2023
CMP New England Games (Vermont) – Sept. 16-24, 2023
CMP Talladega 600 (Alabama) – November 2023
Competition Rules for the John C. Garand Match (Course A: 30 rounds) will be followed as defined in the CMP Games Rifle and Pistol Competition Rulebook. Those who fire in re-entry events will only be able to use their highest score as points. Points will be awarded based on cut scores and presented as gold (10 pts), silver (8 pts.) and bronze (6 pts) levels. Competitors must reach a total of 40 points overall, with one gold and one additional gold or silver required. All other points may be bronze or greater.
This popular Tips and Tricks Video has been viewed over 1.2 milion times on YouTube.
About the Garand Collectors Association (GCA)
Since its beginnings in 1986, the GCA and its members have worked diligently to expand knowledge on the M1 Garand, to preserve its history and to encourage and assist others in collecting the historical rifle. The GCA has also worked closely with the CMP since 2000 on sorting/grading M1 Garand rifles and encouraging competitive and recreational firearm safety. Learn more at TheGCA.org.
Outside of the Master Marksman Program, the GCA will continue to donate generous funds to the winners of the John C. Garand Matches as well as the semi-auto category of the Vintage Team Sniper Matches at major CMP competitions, regardless of GCA membership.
The December 2022 issue of Shooting Industry (SI) presents an early look at new-for-2023 products. This issue offers the first installment in SI’s 2023 New Product Showcase with items from 60 brands, including CZ-USA, Federal, Hornady, LEE, Ruger, Savage, SIG Sauer and more. The upcoming January 2023 and February 2023 SI issues will have additional New Product Showcase features.
Along with the New Product Showcase, the December 2022 Issue of Shooting Industry has many other articles of interest. There’s a good preview of SHOT Show 2023, along with an analysis of the reloading product shortage — why brass, powder, and primers are in still in short supply. For FFLs there is a helpful article explaining how to prepare for ATF inspections. CLICK HERE for FREE December 2022 Digital Edition.
PICK SIX — Six Notable New Products
Here are six notable new items from SI’s December Issue New Product Showcase. CLICK HERE to see more products from the December 2022 Showcase.
MDT XRS CZ 455 Chassis
The MDT XRS CZ 455 chassis is a PRS-style chassis for the popular CZ 455 rimfire rig. Each XRS chassis is constructed from a full-length CNC machined core of 6061 aircraft grade aluminum with high-strength textured polymer surface panels. The chassis employs a precision aluminum V-block bedding system that fits the CZ action well. This chassis can be enhanced with other MDR accessories, including MDT XRS weight-compatible fore-end, enclosed fore-end, and MDT XRS TIMBR kit. The XRS chassis features a detachable grip system, with both an angled grip and a vertical grip included.
Savage Impulse Mountain Hunter Straight-Pull Light Rifle
Savage’s Impulse Mountain Hunter is a light-weight, straight-pull hunting rifle with an aluminum action. Reduced weight is a boon for big-game treks. The key feature on the Impulse Mountain Hunter is the PROOF Research carbon fiber-wrapped stainless steel barrel with muzzle brake. Other features include: user-adjustable AccuTrigger; removable, multi-positional bolt handle; one-piece 20 MOA rail; adjustable LOP; and two-position tang safety. Impulse Mountain Hunters with 22″ barrels are offered in .308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win, and .30-06 SPRG. Longer 24″-barrel versions are sold in 300 WSM, 6.5 PRC, 28 Nosler, 7mm Rem Mag, and .300 Win Mag chamberings.
EAA MC P35 OPS Optic-Equipped Pistol
EAA Corp. has a new 9mm handgun with a host of upgrades. The new EAA MC P35 OPS pistol features an EAA FAR-DOT red dot rear sight (factory installed), fiber-optic front sight, G10 grips, extended beavertail, straight trigger, beveled mag well, plus a integrated accessory rail. The red dot is directly mounted to the pistol and does not require an adaptor plate. The pistol is compatible with various Holosun optics.
Mantis BlackbeardX Training System
The Mantis BlackbeardX system combines the MantisX and Mantis Blackbeard training products. BlackbeardX goes beyond a shot timer — it includes motion-based analysis of the user’s efficiency in a high-speed, multi-target engagement. It analyzes the user’s economy of motion across multiple dimensions, giving real-time feedback on where and how they can improve. BlackbeardX connects to the existing MantisX App via Bluetooth. This Blackbeard X system offers a new capability called “dynamic shooting analysis”.
NEW Kiger-9C from Anderson Manufacturing
The Kiger-9c is the first-ever handgun produced by Anderson Manufacturing. This 15+1 striker-fired pistol features a modern-designed polymer frame, with over-molded front and rear slide rails. The slide and barrel are DLC-treated for corrosion resistance. Other features include Picatinny rail and texturing on both frame sides. The new Kiger-9c is compatible with most GLOCK 19 Gen3 aftermarket components.
Hornady 7mm PRC Factory Ammunition
The 7mm PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) is becoming popular with hunters and long-range shooters. Hornady says the 7mm PRC “provides accuracy, consistency and long-range performance by delivering long, heavy-for-caliber bullets in a standard long action”. Hornady loads 7mm PRC amo with temp-stable, Magnum-speed propellants for consistent velocity and longer barrel life. Hornady 7mm PRC ammunition is offered in these types: Outfitter, 160gr CX bullet; Match, 180gr ELD Match bullet; and Precision Hunter, 175gr ELD-X bullet. A variety of reloading accessories and components are also available for the 7mm PRC.
Good news for Oregon gun owners — on December 6, 2022, Oregon Judge Robert S. Raschio signed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) barring Oregon State officials from enforcing anti-gun Measure 114 until a hearing is held on a preliminary injunction next Tuesday. The Order stated that Measure 114 threatens Oregonians’ constitutional rights: “Absent Entry of this Temporary Restraining Order, Plaintiffs will be deprived of their right to bear arms pursuant to Or. Const. Art. 1, Sec. 27 by being made unable to lawfully purchase a firearm [or have 10+ round magazines.] Deprivation of fundamental constitutional rights for any period constitutes irreparable harm.”
Counsel for Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) secured the TRO in state court, preventing the entire new Oregon gun control law from being enforced. Signed by Judge Raschio, the order bars the state from implementing any portion of the law until a hearing is held on a request for a preliminary injunction next Tuesday.
GOA and GOF have also signed onto an amicus brief in a similar lawsuit against this new law in federal court in OFF v. Brown, which also saw some progress today when a Federal judge stayed the permit-for-purchase system requirement for 30 days.
The new law, which passed as a ballot measure by a very thin margin, was scheduled to take effect December 8th. The measure failed in over 90% of Oregon counties, but passed due to concentrated Democratic party voters in Portland and a couple other urban areas.
Oregon Measure 114 would:
Ban magazines over 10 rounds.
Require a permit to purchase any firearm.
Require a training course, application fee, fingerprinting, and a duplicative background check to obtain the permit-to-purchase.
Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President, issued the following statement:
“This is an exciting victory for our members in Oregon as the clock was winding down on securing relief from the onerous and unconstitutional requirements this law would have placed on current and future gun owners. We look forward to continuing the fight.”
Sam Paredes, on behalf of the Board of Directors for the Gun Owners Foundation, added:
“We are grateful to Judge Raschio for his swift response to our request for a TRO on this draconian law, and we are fully prepared to continue the process as we request a preliminary injunction at our hearing next week.”
E. Arthur Brown Company, EABCO for short, is running a big discount good through today — $25 Off $250.00 or more orders. In addition, many items are on sale now through Christmas. We wanted to pass this on to our readers. If you have a Ruger 10/22, there are some great deals. In addition, EABCO offers pre-fit barrels for Remingtons, along with a handy REMAGE Pre-Fit Barrel Nut. Act soon, as the $25 Off $250 deal runs out today at 11:59 PM CT.
It appears that, under pressure from Democratic politicians and anti-gun lobbying groups, FedEx and UPS are now providing confidential information to the ATF and other Federal government organizations. There are suggestions that FedEx and UPS are recording shipping data, and also may be monitoring the contents of shipping packages. UPS has adopted rules that require gun stores to provide customer data and even make invoices. Likewise FedEx is asking gun shops to retain customer/content descriptions. The result of the these policy changes could be to “create a database of American gun purchasers”. That is a de facto gun registry, something that is forbidden under Federal Law.
Watch this video for details of new FedEx and UPS gun shipping policies:
The anti-gun polices were, apparently adopted in responses to threatening letters from Democratic Party U.S. Senators including Edward Markey, Dick Blumenthal, Cory Booker, Dianne Feinstein, and Chris Murphy.
“UPS has since adopted new regulations that require gun companies to turn over customer data and allow UPS access to review and examine the shipper’s books and records and provide UPS with invoices for any firearms-related products. All coincidental, of course. This new policy gives UPS the unlimited power and discretion to examine and review any customer documents related to firearms sales.
FedEx now apparently demands that gun store owners retain documents about what specific items those shipments contain and make that information available to FedEx upon request. This would allow these companies to create a database of American gun purchasers and determine exactly what items they purchased.
Recently reported by AmmoLand News, UPS changed its policy surrounding unfinished frames and receivers and even told customers that if it found any packages containing the targeted items, or what the Biden Administration calls ‘ghost guns’, their accounts would be canceled, and the items destroyed.”
18 State Attorneys General Challenge New FedEx and UPS Policies
To counter these policy changes by FedEx, 18 state Attorneys General have sent letters to FedEx and UPS top executives. The letter from the Montana A.G. Austin Knudsen to FedEx asks whether information about gun owners is being provided to Federal agencies:
“FedEx now apparently demands that gun store owners retain documents about what specific items those shipments contain and make that information available to FedEx upon request. These demands, in tandem, allow FedEx to create a database of American gun purchasers and determine exactly what items they purchased.
Perhaps most concerning, your policies allegedly allow FedEx to ‘comply with …requests from applicable law enforcement or other governmental authorities’ even when those requests are ‘inconsistent or contrary to any applicable law, rule, regulation, or order’. In doing so you — perhaps inadvertently — give federal agencies a workaround to federal law, which has long prevented federal agencies from using gun sales to create gun registries.”
“December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy…”
Today, 80 years later, it remains important to remember what took place at Pearl Harbor, and to honor those soldiers, sailors, marines (and civilians) who lost their lives in the surprise attack. The tragic memory of Pearl Harbor reminds us that our nation should never be lulled into complacency. The world remains a dangerous place. The nation must remain alert to all dangers, and be prepared to respond to all threats, both known and unknown. As Wendell Phillips said famously: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
The Shooting Wire noted: “Today, as we live in another period of uncertainty … we owe our lives and success as a nation to the more than 16 million Americans who left their homes and traveled over the world to protect freedom.” According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, only about 240,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive in 2021. Today, it’s appropriate to remember them and the sacrifices they made for us.
This Editor’s father and uncle both fought in WWII, father in the Army, uncle in the U.S. Navy. A Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, my father took part in three landings — North Africa, Sicily, and the south of France. I still have his invasion armband — a treasured memento. Sadly, we lost my uncle in 2019, when he died at age 100. While in the Pacific, he served at the Tulagi Navy Base, where he knew Lt. (JG) John F. Kennedy. Of Kennedy, my uncle told me: “Jack? He was a good kid… and he loved his country.”
Thoughts on Pearl Harbor, by Dennis Santiago
When I think of December 7th, I remember it is the day my elders began the most difficult four years of their lives. I have seen in their eyes the fear, anger and resolve that come from experiencing what it was like to survive in territory occupied by the Empire of the Rising Sun. My mother had never heard of Pearl Harbor. For her, World War II began on the same day seeing the Japanese bomb a U.S. naval installation called Cubi Point, at the entrance to Manila Bay in the Philippine Islands.
My maternal grandfather never spoke of what horrors he had seen on the Bataan Death March or his years in the prison camps. When I look at my father, I think of my other grandfather’s memories of his son — my father — hanging off the side of a Japanese patrol boat in Subic Bay with an Arisaka pointed at him, forced to give up the catch needed to feed his family….
Time has passed but the poignancy has not faded. Each December 7th, I’m thankful my elders survived because I would not be here to muse about it, had they not. The echoes of their ordeal drive me deeply to make sure that such a thing will never happen again. Whether called the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere or some other name made up by the contemporaries of my day, the evil that lurks underneath those who believe their ideas justify the horrors they impose must always be confronted and defeated.
The first question you have to ask is whether the intended recipient can legally own the firearm where he or she lives. With more than 20,000 different gun laws on the books, even the kinds of firearms that law-abiding citizens can own vary from place to place. For example, juveniles (under age 18) generally speaking are precluded by law from possessing a handgun. Check out the 
Consider a Gift Card Instead of Direct Gift
