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September 17th, 2013
Registration for the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s 2014 SHOT Show is now open for attendees. (Media and Exhibitor registration will open in the coming weeks.) The 2014 SHOT Show will be held January 14 through 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Sands Convention Center. While registering, attendees can easily add State of the Industry Dinner tickets, enroll in SHOT Show University and sign up for other educational offerings. CLICK HERE for Registration Page.
 Improved WI-FI at SHOT Show Venue
The Sands Expo & Convention Center recently completed installation of a new $1.6 million wireless LAN (WLAN) that Sands executives say will deliver seamless Wi-Fi coverage throughout the Sands Expo and Convention Center’s 2.2 million square feet of flexible exhibition and meeting space. That’s a good thing for media folks, but we can envision thousands of people bumping into each other as they walk around with eyes focused on their digital devices, sending “tweets” and scanning Facebook pages.
September 17th, 2013
 National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day) takes place on Saturday, September 28th. The annual celebration serves as a reminder that conservation succeeds because of leadership and funding from hunters, shooters and anglers. National, regional, state and local organizations will run thousands of “open house” hunting- and fishing-related events around the country. Events will include Fishing Derbys, Hunting Expos, Wing-shooting tournaments, and much more. An estimated four million Americans will participate. For information on NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org. To find an NHF Day event near you, click the link below.
National Hunting and Fishing Day Events (Listed by State)
September 16th, 2013
Story by Boyd Allen
While many top competitive shooters trickle their stick powder charges to a kernel or two, that would be impractical when loading charges for giant naval guns. You may be surprised, but the shells fired by the U.S. Navy’s massive 14″ and 16″ naval guns were also propelled by stick-type extruded powders. You couldn’t trickle these ‘kernels’ though — a single stick or ‘grain’ can be over 2″ long. Take a look…
In connection with a Benchrest Central discussion that drifted to the subject of powders used in large naval guns, I heard from Joe McNeil, whose father was involved in manufacturing those very propellants as a DuPont employee. Joe writes:
“My Dad worked for the DuPont company for over 40 years. Every time the nation went to war he was assigned to the gun powder plants which DuPont ran for the government for $1.00 per year! His last assignment was at the Indiana Ordnance Plant in Jefferson, Indiana from 1952 through 1958. He had a display case made of all of the different powders made at the plant and left it to me. That’s why I have a grain of 16″ gun powder. He took me out to the Jefferson proving grounds once when they tested the powder in a 16″ gun. We watched from a half-mile away but it left a lasting impression when they fired that gun. They actually had a set of rings they fired through to test the performance of the powder and shell. This was a truly fond memory of my Dad and his work.”
Here are some pictures of the gun powder “grains” made during the Korean War at the Indiana Ordnance Works where Joe McNeil’s father worked.
Above is the display case with the different powders manufactured at the DuPont plant. They include: 37 MM/AA, 75MM Pack Howitzer, 50 Cal. 5010, 20 MM 4831, 30 Cal. 4895, 76 MM, 3″, 5″, 90 MM, 4.7″, 240MM, 8″, 280 MM, 175 MM, 155 MM Howitzer, 155 MM Gun M.P., 8″ Gun M.P., 12″, 14, 16″. There are different-sized ‘grains’ for specific rounds.
September 16th, 2013
Recently, we profiled the all-new, bolt-action Ruger American Rimfire™ rifle. It’s modular, affordable (MSRP $329.00), and it will be offered in three rimfire chamberings: .22 LR, .22 WMR, and 17 HMR. Notably, the .22 versions can use all types of Ruger 10/22 magazines — that’s a huge plus for folks who already own a Ruger 10/22. After this new rifle was introduced, readers wondered how well it functions, and how the accuracy compares to the popular .22 LR bolt guns from CZ and Savage.
GunsAmerica Blog Review
 GunsAmerica, a leading firearms buy/sell website, managed to get hold of one of these Ruger American Rimfire rifles, chambered in .22 LR. GunsAmerica’s staff put the rifle through its paces at the range, and came away very impressed. The test rifle shot sub-inch groups at 50 yards with Federal Lightning and CCI Stinger ammunition. We expect the rifle would shoot even better with quality, match-grade Lapua or Eley rimfire ammo. CLICK HERE for full GunsAmerica Rifle Review.
Given the smooth-working bolt, crisp 3-lb trigger, and comfortable stock with built-in bedding system, GunsAmerica concludes that this Ruger delivers a lot of performance for the $329.00 price. GunsAmerica’s writers are probably right in predicting that the Ruger American Rifle will be a hot-seller, stealing market share from other low-to-mid-priced rimfire brands (such as CZ):
“With this one new rifle Ruger has propelled itself to the front of the pack of the bolt-action rimfire market[.] While there are other great rimfire bolt guns out there at affordable prices, nobody is going to dispute that the Ruger American Rimfire has leapfrogged the entire market. The rifle is superb, and missing really nothing. These guns are going to fly off the shelves….”
September 16th, 2013
Nikon has announced some attractive money-saving promos for scopes, laser rangefinders and binoculars. Our readers will probably be most interested in the special savings on BDC (Bullet Drop Compensation) Nikon scopes. To learn more about these promotions, visit NikonPromo.com. For more info on Nikon’s binoculars, riflescopes, rangefinders and spotting scopes, visit Nikonsportoptics.com.
BDC Riflescopes Instant Savings — Up to $100 Off
Starting on September 12, 2013 and running through October 27, 2013, the BDC Extreme Bonus Days promotion offers up to $100 instant savings on over 40 BDC riflescopes. These scopes’ BDC reticles allow shooters to quickly compensate for bullet drop at long ranges. This is very helpful on varmint-hunting safaris — you can use the hold-over lines rather than click elevation when moving back and forth between critters at different yardages.
 Laser Rangefinder Promotion — Up to $70.00 Off
Nikon’s id TECH rangefinders have ID (incline/decline) Technology that helps you make angled shots correctly. From September 16 through November 10, 2013, up to $70 instant savings is availble for four Nikon id TECH rangefinders: Riflehunter 1000, PROSTAFF 7, Archer’s Choice, and Archer’s Choice MAX.
Instant Savings on Nikon Binoculars
In addition to the BCC Scope and rangefinder promos, Nikon is offering promos on binoculars. Instant savings (up to $100.00) are available on Nikon Monarch binoculars are available from September 11 through November 17, 2013. Up to $20 off the budget=priced Aculon A211 10×42 binocular is available from From September 12 through October 27, 2013.
September 14th, 2013
 Criterion Barrels, producer of high-quality, button-rifled barrels (with a heritage of barrel-making from Krieger barrels) has opened a large new production facility in Germantown, Wisconsin. Over the past year, Criterion has hired many new skilled technicians to work in the new 72,000 square-foot facility, and new high-tech machinery is on its way.
Criterion reports: “To successfully meet with the recent industry-wide surge in demand, we have increased our production levels with the intent of fulfilling orders in the timeliest possible manner. To meet these manufacturing goals while simultaneously fulfilling our commitment to produce of some of the finest quality rifle barrels available, Criterion has successfully relocated its operations to a new 72,000 square-foot production facility. The phased transition from our Richfield workspace to the now fully-operational Germantown building was completed in November of last year.
Criterion has increased the number of its production personnel by more than 75% over the course of the last year… The purchase of new machinery will also serve to complete orders in a more efficient manner, allowing for improved material handling and reduced turnaround times[.] [R]est assured that Criterion Barrels, Inc. will continue to make all possible efforts toward streamlining and expanding our production potential while retaining the level of quality and precision that our customers have come to expect from our barrels.”
September 13th, 2013
 The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has awarded the Remington Defense Division of Remington Arms Company, LLC (“Remington”) – a $79.7 million dollar Firm Fixed-Priced contract to provide up to 5,150 Precision Sniper Rifles (“PSR”) and 4.6 million rounds of precision ammunition. This is a major business win for Remington Defense, which already captured the U.S. Army’s $28M contract for 3,600 XM2010 enhanced sniper rifle systems. The value of the PSR and XM2010 contracts combined approaches $108,000,000 — that’s some serious money.
The PSR is a modular sniper system with the ability to shoot multiple calibers with barrels of various lengths. It will be delivered as a complete package, with multiple barrels, magazines, muzzle brakes, and suppressors. Remington Defense will utilize two other FGI companies in the production process. Barnes Bullets will produce ammunition and Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) will manufacture muzzle brakes and suppressors.
The rifles delivered to USSOCOM will be very similar to the Remington Modular Sniper Rifle (MSR) Remington originally developed for the PSR contract competition. The MSR featured a beefy titanium receiver with the ability to handle multiple chamberings up to .338 Lapua Magnum. The MSR was designed from the ground up as a switch-barrel rig, with a floating handguard, and folding, adjustable buttstock. The whole system is modular. By exchanging bolt-face, barrel, and magazine, the gun can switch from .308 Win (7.62×51), to 300 Win Mag, to .338 Norma Mag, and to .338 Lapua Mag.
“We are proud to provide our military Special Operations Forces with top-of-the-line technology,” said George Kollitides II, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Group and Remington Arms. “This award not only represents a new era in precision sniper systems, but also proves that an American manufacturing company can … provide best in class weapons, ammunition, and suppressors to our troops defending freedom around the globe.”
September 12th, 2013
 Want to watch some very cool super-slow-motion videos of projectiles drilling bugholes and blasting through stuff? Then visit TheRock.Remingtom.com, a new website featuring Remington’s R&D Center. This new site showcases videos about Remington rifles, ammunition, and testing procedures.
Along with through the obligatory “macho-man” marketing hype (delivered by deep-voiced announcers), you’ll find some truly amazing high-speed videography. Many video sequences are captured with ultra-high-speed cameras running hundreds of thousands of frames per second. This allows stunning slow-motion playback.
Remarkable High-Speed Photography Shows Bullet Performance
You can see some amazing things — bullets busting concrete blocks, smashing through wood, drilling ballistic gelatin, and tearing through skin and gel (so you can see how bullets would perform in game animals). Our favorite sequence shows five shots forming a nice, clustered group — you can actually see the bullets fly into the paper target one after another. Here are some of the video highlights.
Five Shots with .30-06 into Paper (Slow Motion)
Driving Tacks — Hitting Nailheads with Bullets (Slow Motion)
Busting Concrete Blocks with Bullets (Slow Motion)
Hypersonic Boned Ammo Shot through Skin and Gelatin (Slow Motion)
Dances with Gel (Slow Motion)
Remington 700 Features — Action and Barrels (Nice Cutaway Drawings at 0:20″)
Story tip from EdLongRange. We welcome reader submissions.
September 12th, 2013
 For barrel cleaning, we recommend high-quality one-piece cleaning rods, with fitted cleaning-rod bore guides, and top-quality jags or brushes. However, in some situations, long cleaning rods and bore guides just aren’t practical. Hunters, who can’t pack long, one-piece cleaning rods, can benefit from an “field-expedient” solution that cleans barrels quickly and easily
For those situations where you can only bring a minimum of cleaning gear, Otis Technologies offers the NEW Ripcord breech-to-muzzle cleaning cord. The Ripcord is composed of heat-resistant Nomex fibers braided over a molded rubberized core/cable combo, with a helix-style cord profile for better cleaning.
Otis Rip Cord Features
- Breech-to-Muzzle function (pulls gunk out, not back into action).
- 10″-long section of aggressive cleaning surface.
- Helix shape engages rifling through the barrel.
- Rubber core pushes outward for better swab contact.
- Nomex® fibers act as brush to loosen and patch to capture fouling.
- Equipped with 8-32 threaded ends to fit all Otis cleaning components.
How the Ripcord Does Its Job
Otis explains how the ripcord works: “The Nomex material acts as both a brush to loosen and a patch to capture fouling particles. The molded rubberized core keeps the Nomex cleaning surface pressed against the bore and the helix shape helps engage the rifling throughout the length of the barrel. The Ripcord is simple and easy to use — just insert the longer, narrower end in the chamber and then pull it through from Breech-to-Muzzle. Because of the rigidity of the Ripcord™, there is no need to gravity feed it through the barrel.” The Ripcord retails for $14.99 and is currently available in .22/.223 caliber, .308 caliber/7.62mm, 9mm, and .45 caliber, with other calibers coming soon.
September 11th, 2013
Yesterday (August 10th), the California Assembly, on a 44-31 vote, approved SB 374, which bans the sale (or transfer) of ALL semi-automatic centerfire rifles that can accept a detachable magazine of any kind (no matter what the capacity). Californians who possess such rifles would be required to register them with the State, for a fee, prior to January 1, 2015. Since SB 374 has already passed the California State Senate, this bill, after conforming amendments in the Senate, is expected to go to Governor Jerry Brown for signature within a few weeks.
The scope of SB 374 is sweeping. It bans all self-loading centerfire rifles capable of using a detachable magazine, regardless of magazine capacity (or placement). The operative language of SB 374 with respect to magazines is an awkward double-negative. But the intent is clear — if a semi-auto centerfire rifle can accept a detachable magazine AT ALL, it is banned:
SECTION 1. Section 30515 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
30515. (a) Notwithstanding Section 30510, “assault weapon” also means any of the following:
(1) A semiautomatic centerfire rifle that does not have a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept no more than 10 rounds.
The way we interpret this, a semi-automatic with ANY kind of detachable magazine (even a one-rounder) would be banned. This would outlaw a wide variety of commonly-used hunting rifles fitted with flush-mounted 3-, and 4-round ‘pop-out’ magazines. This would outlaw the classic Remington 750 deer rifle, for example. It would outlaw M1 Garands which have an 8-round en bloc clip. And if you already own an M1 Garand, you would have to register it with the state government. (Under other legislation in the works in Sacramento, all ‘bullet button’ ARs would also be banned.)
Other observers read SB 374 the way we do — that it bans any and all centerfire rifles that can take a detachable magazine (of any capacity). Ammoland states that SB 374 will “eliminate the future sale, purchase, manufacture, importation and possession of semi-automatic rifles that can accept detachable magazines. No more mini-14s, no more ARs, no more M1s, and say goodbye to your Remington 750 for deer hunting. [T]he goal is clear – if it is a rifle and has a detachable magazine, then forget about owning one.”
California Legislative Counsel’s Digest
SB 374, as amended, Steinberg. Firearms: assault weapons.
Existing law regulates the sale, carrying, and control of firearms, including assault weapons, and requires assault weapons to be registered with the Department of Justice. Violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law defines a semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and other specified features and a semiautomatic weapon that has a fixed magazine with a capacity to accept 10 or more rounds as an assault weapon.
This bill would, instead, classify a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that does not have a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept no more than 10 rounds as an assault weapon. The bill would require a person who, between Jan. 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2013, inclusive, lawfully possessed an assault weapon that does not have a fixed magazine, including those weapons with an ammunition feeding device that can be removed readily from the firearm with the use of a tool, and who, on or after Januarry 1, 2014, possesses that firearm, to register the firearm by July 1, 2015. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
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