Americans of all walks of life are purchasing more pistols, rifles, and shotguns than ever before. Based on NSSF-adjusted FBI background check (NICS) records, American purchased 10,791,275 firearms in 2011. That’s an all-time record, and a 14% increase over 2010. Gun sales hit a new high in 2011 after a decade of steady increases (see chart). In 2002, ten years ago, slightly less than 7,000,000 firearms were sold. The 2011 sales figure represents a 54.1% increase over 2002 sales. And the NICS figures are conservative, because they do not report multiple gun sales made with a single background check.
Gun Ownership Becomes More Universal
The increase in gun sales over the last ten years reflects growth in the ranks of gun owners. A significant percentage of recent sales have been made to first-time gun owners. And more women are arming themselves. Gun ownership is becoming more universal, not limited to the traditional groups of male hunters and sportsmen. A recent Gallup Poll found that: “47 percent of American adults currently report that they have a gun in their home or on their property”.
First-time buyers and women are driving the spike in gun sales. USA Today reports: “Some gun industry analysts attributed the unusual surge to a convergence of factors, including an increasing number of first-time buyers seeking firearms for protection and women who are being drawn to sport shooting and hunting.” Confirming that view, Bloomberg.com states that more women, liberals, and Democrats are buying guns. Multiple factors are at work according to CNBC.com: “Uncertainty in a presidential election year. Warriors returning from the battlefields. The comeback of the hunter. These are just some of the reasons… why firearms makers are ringing in 2012 like gangbusters.”
Gallup Gun Ownership Poll Summary
“A clear societal change took place regarding gun ownership in the early 1990s, when the percentage of Americans saying there was a gun in their home or on their property dropped from the low to mid-50s into the low to mid-40s and remained at that level for the next 15 years. Whether this reflected a true decline in gun ownership or a cultural shift in Americans’ willingness to say they had guns is unclear. However, the new data suggest that attitudes may again be changing. At 47%, reported gun ownership is the highest it has been in nearly two decades — a finding that may be related to Americans’ dampened support for gun-control laws. However, to ensure that this year’s increase reflects a meaningful rebound in reported gun ownership, it will be important to see whether the uptick continues in future polling.”
The NSSF adjusts NICS data by subtracting out NICS purpose-code permit checks used by several states such as Kentucky, Iowa and Utah for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions of firearms sales and transfers on new and used handguns and long guns. For more NICS info visit the NICS website.
Ruger is introducing a new USA-made bolt action rifle, the Ruger American Rifle (“RAR”). By external appearances, it looks like a Tikka T3 with a Savage Accutrigger. It even has a barrel nut just like a Savage! With a polymer-type synthetic stock, the RAR is light-weight — just 6.25 lbs. with a free-floated, hammer-forged 22-inch barrel (no optics). The RAR will be very affordable — MSRP is just $449.00. Obviously, Ruger hopes to compete with the Savage and Stevens lines of hunting rifles.
Three-Lug bolt, Barrel Nut, and Rotary Magazine
The RAR has some interesting design features. The bolt has three lugs (like a SAKO) with a 70° bolt lift. The action features a full-diameter bolt body and dual cocking cams for easy cycling (watch video below). And yes the RAR uses a barrel nut (like Savage) to secure the barrel to the action (and set headspace). Notably, the RAR comes standard with a rotary 4-round detachable magazine. The receiver comes drilled and tapped from the factory, and scope bases are supplied (but not pre-installed).
Built-in V-Blocks and Adjustable “Lawyer Trigger”
One notable feature of the RAR is a built-in bedding system with twin V-blocks. Ruger’s new patent-pending Power Bedding™ system employs stainless-steel bedding blocks fitted into the stock to positively locate the receiver. You’ll also notice that Ruger has adopted a new Savage-style trigger with a blocking tab on the trigger shoe. This new “Marksman Adjustable Trigger” is user-adjustable between three and five pounds. A tang safety, which can be placed “on safe” while the bolt is cycled, is complemented by a passive, trigger-mounted safety (similar to Savage’s Accutrigger).
It appears that, like the Tikka T3, the RAR has a single action length, designed to handle both medium- and long-length cartridges. Chamberings available initially are: .243 Win (1:9″ tw); .308 Win (1:10″ tw); .270 Win (1:10″ tw); 30-06 Springfield (1:10″ tw). Capacity is four rounds for all chamberings.
In this video, Ruger President/CEO Mike Fifer previews the new Ruger American Rifle…
Target Shooter Magazine has released its web-based January 2012 Issue. The FREE January Issue features handy reloading guides (written by Laurie Holland) for two very popular cartridges: 6mmBR Norma, and .308 Winchester. If you shoot either of these chamberings, you should read these latest installments of Laurie Holland’s Handloading Bench series. For the January issue, Laurie also authored Sorting a Savage Part 1 which covers the Savage-actioned .223 Rem that Laurie shot in the European F-Class Championship. Savage shooters will find useful tuning tips.
Gear and Optics Reviews
Other good articles in January’s Target Shooter Magazine include a comprehensive review of the Lyman DPS 1200 III powder dispenser, and an excellent article about riflescopes by Gwyn Roberts. Gwyn explains the many choices in reticle design, and he discusses the pros and cons of adjustable front objectives vs. side-focus scopes.
If you haven’t sampled Target Shooter Magazine yet, you should. The hardware photography is high quality and there is something for everyone — from Benchresters to Tactical shooters. You can view the 92-page December issue for FREE at www.targetshooter.co.uk. Target shooter also has an iPad/iPhone friendly version that can be downloaded.
Zeiss Sports Optics has introduced a new “Duralyt” line of affordable hunting scopes — all made in Germany. The new 30mm CONQUEST Duralyt line-up has 1.2-5×36, 2-8×42 and 3-12×50 models. All three premium German-made Duralyt riflescopes are available with illuminated reticle #60 or non-illuminated reticle #6. The illuminated versions are great for low-light hunting, but they are much more costly. Illuminated model MSRPs run $200-$300 more than the unlit versions.
The CONQUEST Duralyt scopes are nitrogen-filled to remain waterproof and fog-proof. The illuminated reticle #60 features an extremely fine red dot in the center of the crosshairs. When turned off, the dot disappears and it looks identical to reticle #6). The daylight-visible illuminated reticle #60 was developed using fiber optic nanotechnology that produces the finest illuminated dot in its class –- covering just 0.3 inches at 100 yards on 12x magnification.
Duralyt prices, starting at $949.99 MSRP, are affordable when compared to other premium 30mm, European-made optics. Michael Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, states: “The CONQUEST Duralyt represents the best value for a European-engineered riflescope. These riflescopes feature the mechanical precision that you expect from ZEISS, large fields of view, incredible daylight illumination and image quality that is absolutely outstanding for this class.”
Conquest Duralyt 1.2-5x36mm #60
wide field of view for dangerous game and tactical applications. $949.99 MSRP; $1,249.99 with illum.
Conquest Duralyt 2-8x42mm #6
Light, compact, best magnification choice for most hunting. $999.99 MSRP, $1299.99 with illum.
Conquest Duralyt 3-12x50mm, #60
50mm objec. for xlnt low light performance. $1049.99 MSRP; $1,349.99 with illum.
Here’s something that can save you lots of time and aggravation on a varminting trip. This little $110 gizmo is great for varmint hunters and any one who needs to make a quick shot in shifty wind conditions. Instead of the traditional 1/4-MOA hash marks, the Kenton windage turret features markers corresponding to the wind drift your ammo will encounter at various distances (with 10 mph full value winds). You just dial the distance.
Custom-Calibrated Windage Knobs
Kenton Industries’ Tuned Windage Compensator (TWC) has built-in windage marks for 10 mph cross-winds at 100-1000 yards. How do they do that? Well the knobs are calibrated either for specific calibers/loads, or they can make custom knobs using your observed field data. The knobs can compensate for various wind speeds (2-20 mph) and angles (15°- 90°), by applying some simple conversion ratios. As a general rule, with a “full-value”, i.e. 90°, crosswind, the wind drift will go up or down in direct proportion to the change in windspeed. That means, for example, a 10 mph crosswind will push the bullet twice as much sideways as a 5 mph crosswind.
Two versions of Kenton’s TWC knobs are offered. The $109.95 TWC #1 features calculated ballistics for standardized factory ammo for the caliber and barrel length you specify. The $109.95 TWC #2 feature customized windage settings based on bullet BC, environmental conditions, elevation, and ballistic information you provide.
Custom Elevation Knobs
Kenton also makes a $109.95 elevation-compensating TTC knob, that can be customized to your rifle. With this elevation turret, yardages are marked in 50-yard increments, and you can literally just “dial in your distance”. However, to work effectively the TTC knob must be tailored to a particular load (velocity and bullet). Moreover, actual bullet drop will differ with changes in altitude, temperature, and shooting angle — so it’s not as simple as it sounds, and you may need multiple knobs if you shoot a variety of loads. Kenton offers it TTC #1 model calibrated for standardized factory ammo. The TTC #2 is calibrated out to the maximum effective range of your cartridge based on bullet type, muzzle velocity, altitude, and temperature. Select the type of yardage format to be used. The #2 is recommended for wildcatters or for those who want to adjust to specific conditions. Lastly, a TTC #3 elevation knob is offered that relies on the purchaser’s actual recorded drop data from the field. The TTC #3 elevation knob will be calibrated based on the click-value or MOA you provide for each 50-yard increment.
Manners Composite Stocks has released a new series of folding tactical stocks, the MCS-TF (Tactical Folder) series. There are four TF versions: TF1 through TF4. These offer different fore-end and buttstock options, but share the same folding mechanism and hardware.
Tom Manners explains the new folding design: “The goal of this project was to create a lightweight, super strong folder stock, with a rock-solid hinge lock-up. We feel that we have got pretty close to that. The weights of the completed stocks are running from 4.5 to 4.8 pounds. If you run a mini chassis this will bring them up to about 4.9 to 5.3 pounds.”
Much work went in to the hinge design, which has been in development for more than a year: “We have created a simpler, lighter weight hinge, with … rock solid lock-up. The hinge is a combination of high strength chrome-moly steel and aluminum, which has been parkerized or hardcoated. It is manufactured by Badger Ordnance exclusively for us. The hinge itself is molded and cast into the stock shell. This means the shell wraps around the hinge, with no screws or attachment systems to become loose. The hinge design itself is very simple and basic; once closed, the back portion of the hinge wraps around and locks-up the front portion of the hinge to create a very solid system. To open [the hinge] all that is needed is a push on the checkered button on the left side of the stock.”
The Manners TF Series also locks back in the folded position, using a positive-locking steel pin. Tom explains: “In the butt, there is a push button on the right side behind the cheek, when it is depressed; it extends the locking mechanism out the left side of the stock. It is just a simple push of the button to close the system. Once closed, the button sits about .250” below the surface of the stock so that it can not be accidentally depressed. To open all you need to do is give it another push.”
Stock Specs and Options
All Manners TF-Series stocks will come standard with an adjustable cheek, full inlet, 1” Pachmayer Decelerator pad, and action pillars. These stocks will be offered with molded-in camo finishes or molded-in solid colors, with a textured surface in key areas. Available inlets include: All Rem-based actions, Winchester Model 70, Savage (and a few others — check website for details). These new TF series stocks will be on display at SHOT Show 2012 in Las Vegas. For more info, visit MannersStocks.com or call Tom Manners at (816) 283-3334.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
We wish all our readers a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year. We hope that, in 2012, you’ll enjoy your precision rifles, spending “quality time” at the range with friends who share your “addiction to accuracy”. We’ve made major upgrades to our Shooters’ Forum this year, and our audience is bigger than ever. We hope you’ll continue to enjoy our feature articles, our Daily Bulletin, our match reports, and our Free Forum Classifieds.
Forum Membership Grows 23%
We experienced big growth in our Forum this past year. Membership grew by 23% as member ranks swelled from just under 13,000 members to over 16,000 members! The Forum Classifieds section, with an effective seller/buyer feedback system, is more active than ever.
Rifle by Long Rifles Inc. (Chad Dixon), photo by Robert J Anderson.
Daily Bulletin Is a Big Hit
The AccurateShooter Daily Bulletin has become a “must read” for anyone interested in serious rifle accuracy. In the Bulletin you’ll find money-saving sale notices, timely match reports, and a host of reloading and accurizing tips. And the Bulletin has become THE source for exclusive “scoops” on new product and new shooting technologies. Eric Stecker of Berger Bullets says “You guys have become the ‘USA Today’ of the precision shooting market.” 365 days a year we offer a unique combination of shooting tips, gear reviews, industry news, and highlighted bargains and special sales.
Big Plans for 2012 — With Your Help…
In the months ahead we plan to release more Cartridge Guides, more Gun Profiles, and some major gear comparison tests. We also hope to do audio interviews (“podcasts”) with top shooters such as Carl Bernosky, Sam Hall, and John Whidden. And we’ll continue to offer serious field tests and inside “scoops” on the latest precision shooting products.
We need your support. For over seven years the site has relied largely on volunteer efforts by dedicated shooters. But as the site grows, adding new types of content and more sophisticated features, we need the assistance of professional gunsmiths, writers, and movie editors. Those guys don’t work for glory alone.
For the site to continue to deliver more cutting-edge content, we need to bring in paid helpers. Right now, the site reaches over 100,000 shooters every WEEK. If the majority of those users could provide a small donation every year, we could deliver more stories, more tests, more Gun of the Week features, and more videos.
In the past quarter about 50 site users have generously donated to the site. I want to again thank all those who have contributed (at any time). But that still leaves tens of thousands of users who access the site regularly without contributing.
Here’s our proposal. First, if you have used our FREE Classifieds to successfully sell your rifles or shooting gear, consider sending in a dollar or two from your sale proceeds. Second, for those who use the site regularly, consider donating One Dollar a Month. That’s less than the price of a cup of coffee and much less than many websites now charge for their “premium content areas”.
Consider this — what do you pay for a movie ticket these days? Probably $8.50 or more for 90 minutes of escapism. For a buck a month ($12 a year) you can help this site provide a YEAR’s worth of info, tests, and shooting news that you won’t find anywhere else.
How to Contribute
Making a donation to the site is simple and easy. Just click on the “Donate Button” at right. If you have a credit card, you don’t need a Paypal account to contribute. Any sum is welcome — donations need not be large.
Help Support this Site by Making a Secure Donation.
If you don’t like Paypal, you can send a check. Make the check payable to our Asst. Editor Jason Baney. Please list your Forum Log-In Name (if any), and mail the check to:
Serious shooters spend lots of time in the reloading room. If you want to produce great ammo, start with a good, solid bench with a very rigid working surface and plenty of storage space. Here we present three sets of FREE workbench plans. Any one of these bench designs can be a good winter do-it-yourself project for those with basic word-working skills.
Easy-to-Build Basic Bench
Simpson, maker of Strong-Tie fasteners, offers FREE Workbench Plans for a sturdy, 48″-wide bench with a pegboard backing and both upper and lower shelves. A complete list of fasteners and cut lengths is provided. For use as a loading bench with mounted presses, double-up the bench-top for extra ridigity. Without much difficulty, the plans can be adapted to build a wider bench if you prefer. The same downloadable document also contains plans for an 80″-high 6-shelf unit, a 72″-high heavy-duty shelving unit (with 4 shelves), and a 48″-wide heavy-duty table.
Corner Bench with Swinging Doors
The next design is rather unique — a corner bench with swing-out cabinets. This reloading bench is based on plans by M. L. McPherson as published in the October 1993 American Rifleman. The compact footprint that makes good use of corner space that is usually poorly utilized. This set of plans originally came from Ray-Vin.com. The folks who started Ray-Vin have retired, but you can still purchase many Ray-Vin products at SB Sales & Distributing.
Classic NRMA Bench with Cabinets
The last bench design is a large, versatile bench with a full set of enclosed overhead cabinets. A National Reloding Manufacturers Association (NRMA) design, this bench requires many hours to build, but it will house all your reloading gear and provide a very stable platform for your presses.This bench was designed to be as versatile as possible to meet the needs of most reloaders. However, the bench design can easily be customized. For instance, it can be made larger or smaller to meet space requirements or quantities of equipment and components. As it is currently designed, the work area is about waist-high for a 6’2″ person. This can be adjusted to fit your height simply by making the legs longer or shorter.
Currently, the NRA Blog is featuring “Top Stories of 2011″. Among these stories is an account of how Carl Bernosky earned his NINTH High Power National Championship. We believe Carl’s latest National Championship title, and his amazing skills with a rifle, deserve more ink. So, here, from the NRA Blog, is the story of Carl’s 2011 victory at Camp Perry.
Bernosky Gets His 9th Nat’l HP Title
This past August, Carl R. Bernosky of Ashland, Pennsylvania, shot his way to his 9th NRA National High Power Rifle Championship at the NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championhips at Camp Perry. A National Guard training facility on the shores of Lake Erie, near Port Clinton, Ohio, Camp Perry has been home to NRA’s national championships for 102 years. The matches, which take place during July and August, have become notorious for their harsh gusts of wind, sweltering heat and storms that come off the lake with little warning.
2393-160X out of 2400
This year, during the NRA High Power Rifle Championship, Bernosky posted a 2393-160x out of a possible perfect score of 2400, Bernosky took first place and won the prestigious Mumma Trophy. In addition to winning the overall high power rifle championship, Bernosky was also the NRA Match Rifle Champion. He won top honors in eight of the eighteen matches that make up the championship and placed within the top three in five others.
“It’s just a matter of getting your mind ready to shoot the shot when it’s there and just tweaking everything a little bit”, Bernosky said when I asked him how he prepares for each match. “You don’t have to be thinking about what you’re doing, it just happens.”
During his title run this year, Bernosky tied the National Record for slow fire standing from 200 yards — an extremely impressive accomplishment. The record, a 200-15x, was originally set by Gary Anderson in 1971 during the Navy Cup.
“When I shot that 200 with 15 standing, that was discipline. I didn’t shoot a bad shot”, Bernosky told me. “That was the best target I’ve ever shot, including practice”. Bernosky tied the record during the Crescent Cup, which has the same course of fire as the Navy Cup, and finally let us know that the record had been on his mind for a very long time. “Every time I shoot a standing, whether in practice or in a match, I'm thinking about that record. I always thought I could shoot that well”, Bernosky said. “It’s tough to do and it’s a great feeling to have done that”.
The record-tying match couldn’t have come at a better time. Tied for first, Bernosky was looking for a boost to have a great day of shooting and take sole possession of the lead. The Crescent Cup was the first of the final day’s three matches and Bernosky couldn’t have asked for a better boost. “When you enter the final day and you’re tied and you just stand up there and shoot a 200-15x, it doesn’t get any better than that…”, Bernosky said.
Having grabbed the lead after the excellent performance, Bernosky held on for the last two matches and won by three points — close. Congratulated by his friends and fellow competitors as he packed up, Bernosky left the firing line a champion.
Air Rifle and Air Pistol shooters of all ages are invited to participate in the 6th Annual 2012 Camp Perry Open, to be held January 13-15, 2012 at the CMP Marksmanship Center in Camp Perry, Ohio. This year’s match will include a three-position air rifle competition, an international air rifle (all standing) event, a pistol course of fire, and an optional clinic for juniors. The match will be fired on Megalink Electronic Targets linked to viewing monitors at each firing point.
Men’s and Women’s Air Rifle – The air rifle event is open to both men and women of all ages. It is a two-day precision rifle event where competitors will fire 60 standing shots in accordance with USA Shooting rules. A final will be held each day for the top open and junior categories. The finals will be held concurrently, so if a junior qualifies in both finals, they will be squadded with open final shooters. There is a limit of 110 shooters for this competition.
3×20 Junior Air Rifle – This event is governed by the National Standard Three-Position Air Rifle Rules, and participants must be juniors eligible in accordance with Rule 3.1. The match will include a 3×20 on 13 January 2012, with Finals for both sporter and precision at 7:30 pm on Friday. The Three-position competition is limited to 150 competitors. EIC award points will be awarded.
Register Soon — Don’t Delay Registration Deadline is January 1st, so you need to act immediately. Online Registration has been closed so you need to contact Katie Harrington. Send email to: kharrington [at] odcmp.com, or you can call Katie at 419-635-2141 ext 1131. Forms may be faxed to Katie Harrington at 419-635-2573.
First-time buyers and women are driving the spike in gun sales. USA Today reports: “Some gun industry analysts attributed the unusual surge to a convergence of factors, including an increasing number of first-time buyers seeking firearms for protection and women who are being drawn to sport shooting and hunting.” Confirming that view, Bloomberg.com states that more women, liberals, and Democrats are buying guns. Multiple factors are at work according to CNBC.com: “Uncertainty in a presidential election year. Warriors returning from the battlefields. The comeback of the hunter. These are just some of the reasons… why firearms makers are ringing in 2012 like gangbusters.”
Here’s something that can save you lots of time and aggravation on a varminting trip. This little $110 gizmo is great for varmint hunters and any one who needs to make a quick shot in shifty wind conditions. Instead of the traditional 1/4-MOA hash marks, the Kenton windage turret features markers corresponding to the wind drift your ammo will encounter at various distances (with 10 mph full value winds). You just dial the distance.
We wish all our readers a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year. We hope that, in 2012, you’ll enjoy your precision rifles, spending “quality time” at the range with friends who share your “addiction to accuracy”. We’ve made major upgrades to our 
In the past quarter about 50 site users have generously donated to the site. I want to again thank all those who have contributed (at any time). But that still leaves tens of thousands of users who access the site regularly without contributing.
Bernosky Gets His 9th Nat’l HP Title
During his title run this year, Bernosky tied the National Record for slow fire standing from 200 yards — an extremely impressive accomplishment. The record, a 200-15x, was originally set by Gary Anderson in 1971 during the Navy Cup. 
