The current Coronavirus Pandemic may be the most significant event to impact the United States since World War II. The majority of Americans are now “sheltering at home” under State Executive Orders. Across the nation, schools, shops, restaurants, and countless businesses are closed. The virus continues to spread at an exponential rate in the USA, which now has more confirmed Covid-19 cases than any other country on the planet. Yes, according to official statistics, we have more persons infected than does China, where this scourge originated. (However, there is considerable evidence that China may be deliberately under-reporting COVID-19 infections and deaths).
For obvious reasons, this Pandemic has Americans concerned about their safety and their security. As a result, citizens across the country are purchasing firearms. There are lines outside the doors of some gunshops. The rush to buy guns has led to a historic spike in NICS firearms background checks.
Record Number of FBI Background Checks for Gun Sales
According to MSN News, “With most of the nation in isolation to halt the spread of coronavirus, officials are seeing a spike in gun sales….the FBI has seen a 41% increase in background checks compared to this time last year.” According to the FBI, 3.7 million background check were run by the FBI in March.
Click Image to Go to MSN to Watch Video (then Click Speaker icon for audio).
And Fox News confirms that we are seeing a huge spike in gun sales and background checks: “The FBI ran more than 3.7 million gun background checks on Americans under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in March, smashing the previous record as Americans armed themselves amid growing fears about the coronavirus pandemic. The NICS system ran 3,740,688 background checks in March, which is 33 percent higher than the previous record of more than 2.8 million, which was set in February. The February numbers were a 34 percent uptick from the same time in 2019. March’s background check numbers marked a 41 percent increase over March 2019.”
About the Numbers — There is NOT a 1:1 correspondence between NICS checks and gun purchases, because not all background checks involve an actual purchases. For example, some States run NICS checks for carry permit applications. It is estimated that at least 2.3 million March 2020 background checks were for firearms transactions.
Shooting Industry Magazine just released its April 2020 Issue. This contains a comprehensive summary of notable products showcased at SHOT Show 2020. You can access the entire April 2020 issue for FREE. Past monthly issues are free to access as well. This is great for our readers who are stuck at home under government orders. There are over FIVE YEARS of FREE back issues (back to January 2015). That’s a huge trove of FREE Gun-centric content to read while you’re stuck at home.
Dozens of interesting new products are showcased on the Shooting Industry Magazine New Products Page. There you’ll find rifles, pistols, shotguns, optics, powder, bullets, tools, accessories, and more. Here are some of the notable products we found on the New Products Page.
Nikon offers eyepieces with reticles for its flagship Monarch Fieldscopes. Eyepiece reticles help spotters call shot corrections with precise click values (MOA or Mils).
Using a spotting scope seems simple. Just point it at the target and focus, right? Well, actually, it’s not that simple. Sometimes you want to watch mirage or trace, and that involves different focus and viewing priorities. Along with resolving bullet holes (or seeing other features on the target itself), you can use your spotting scope to monitor mirage. When watching mirage, you actually want to focus the spotting scope not on the target, but, typically, about two-thirds of the distance downrange. When spotting for another shooter, you can also use the spotting scope to watch the bullet trace, i.e. the vapor trail of the bullet. This will help you determine where the bullet is actually landing, even if it does not impact on the target backer.
In this video, SFC L.D. Lewis explains how to use a spotting scope to monitor mirage, and to watch trace. SFC Lewis is a former Army Marksmanship Unit member, U.S. Army Sniper School instructor, and current U.S. Army Reserve Service Rifle Shooting Team member. In discussing how precision shooters can employ spotting scopes, Lewis compares the use of a spotting scope for competition shooters vs. military snipers. NOTE: You may wish to turn up the audio volume, during the actual interview segment of this video.
This handy cleaning mat features a parts diagram for AR-platform rifles. This padded, absorbent 36″ x 12″ AR15 mat costs $18.99 at Amazon.
With a large percentage of Americans stuck at home under Coronavirus lockdown orders, there is time to attend to many maintenance tasks — including cleaning your firearms. Here are some quality benchtop pads that can help with the cleaning process for all types of firearms — pistols, rifles, and shotguns.
While we normally use a gun cradle or Caldwell gun vise when cleaning or adjusting our rifles. But there are situations, such as when working on a barreled action, when it’s nice to use a pad that lies flat. Many work pads are too small — they’re nothing more than oversize mouse pads. Here are three gun pads that are big enough to work well with rifles and/or barreled actions.
DryMate Gun Cleaning Pad
The DryMate Gun Cleaning Pad is a full 54″ wide x 16″. That’s four and a half FEET wide — longer than most rifles, so you have plenty of surface area for working. Conveniently, this product can be washed with soap and water. It is offered in three versions: Green, Blaze Orange, and Camo. We like the Blaze orange version because the bright color makes it easier to see small parts such as screws and springs.
Boyt Harness Counter Pad
The 48″ x 12″ Boyt Harness Counter Pad was originally designed more for display purposes than for serious work sessions, but we like this product. It is useful if you want to lay your gun on a bench to make small adjustments. The Boyt Counter Pad is nice and big, a full four feet from end to end. The back side is canvas while the top-size is a quilted cotton fabric.
Owner Reviews — This product has received high praise from buyers. Here are actual owner reviews:
Expensive… but worth every penny. I bought three of them because I want to have at least one always around. I use one for a shooting bench or tailgate mat and another for my primary gun cleaning workbench mat. Awesome for both purposes. This one was perfect for my array of needs. — Joe D.
This mat is great for cleaning guns and keeping your surfaces clear of oil or solvent. The mat has plenty of space for a rifle or handgun and the padding is thick enough[.] I would definitely buy again and have recommended this to my friends and family. — Safety Guy
I bring this to the rifle range with me every time, to rest my rifle on the table without worrying about scratches. It fits nicely in my soft rifle case. One side is a tough canvas material that doesn’t show scratches, and the other side is a soft fleece material that protects the finish of your gun. — MACPSU
Hoppes Gun Cleaning Pad
The Hoppes Gun Cleaning Pad is 36″ wide x 12″. That’s big enough for many barreled actions (unless you have a really long barrel). This pad has a non-slip nylon backing, and Hoppes claims that the “Soft acrylic material absorbs 8 times its weight in fluids.” This Hoppes Cleaning Pad is very affordable. It costs just $8.15 at Amazon.com with free shipping for Prime members.
Handy Cleaning Cradles from PMA Tool — Single or Double
For those tasks were a pad is not convenient, PMA Tool offers lightweight yet sturdy cleaning cradles that are handy, affordable, and easy to transport. PMA’s single-gun cradle, starting at $75.95, is ideal for benchrest rigs. It measures about 17″ in length and weighs about one pound. PMA also offers an excellent two-gun cradle for $119.95. Both single and double cradles secure your rifle(s) in a muzzle-down position that allows easy cleaning and prevents solvents from running back into the action. The front “saddle” and all contact surfaces are covered by thick silicone rubber padding which grips the rifle securely yet protects the stock and components from scratches.
What brands are favored by gun guys? Well here are the results of 2019 consumer surveys conducted by Southwick Associates. The surveys asked hunters and shooters to indicate their favorite brands for hunting and shooting product categories. This “Top Brand” list was compiled from 2019 internet-based surveys conducted through HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com websites.
In 2019, most frequently purchased brands included:
Top reloading powder brand: Hodgdon
Top reloading bullet brand: Hornady
Top Reloading Dies brand: Lee Precision
Top rifle ammunition brand: Federal
Top handgun ammunition brand: CCI
Top blackpowder brand: Pyrodex
Top scopes brand: Vortex
Top Reflex/Red Dot Sights brand: SIG Sauer
Top Scope Mounts brand: Leupold
Top shotgun brands: Mossberg & Remington
Top Trigger Assembly brand: Timney
Top Benches and Rests: Caldwell
Top Bipods brand: Harris
Top trail camera brand: Wildgame Innovations
Top Tree Stands: Big Game
Top Holster/ammo belt brand: Alien
Topline results of the Southwick Associates consumer tracking study are available in the Hunting & Shooting Participation and Equipment Purchases Report. This in-depth resource tracks hunting & shooting participation and equipment purchases for more than 100 products.
Vortex was the top Optics Brand in 2019 according to the Survey.
The list above is only a fraction of all hunting and shooting categories tracked by Southwick Associates. Along with many other product categories, Southwick Associates also tracks the percentage of sales occurring across different retail channels, total spending per category, average prices, and demographics for hunters and shooters buying specific products. Additional information tracked includes total days spent hunting and shooting, type of hunting, preferred species and where they go.
Full reports, with a wealth of information, are available from Southwick Associates, a market research firm specializing in the hunting, shooting, sport=fishing, and outdoor recreation markets.
AccurateShooter.com will offer a new FREE service for Forum members and readers — Barrel Break-In. Knowledgeable shooters know that it can take 150 rounds or more for a barrel to achieve peak accuracy during Phase I of break-in. Then you want to do a lengthy Phase II break-in process to smooth the lands and grooves for reduced bullet drag and maximum velocity potential. Overall, the optimal barrel break-in schedule encompasses 500 to 700 rounds of careful firing under match conditions with a precise, cleaning regimen between each shooting cycle.
Very few gun owners have the time (or money) to do a full 500-round barrel break-in. The cost in bullets and powder is significant, not to mention time spent at the range. Thankfully AccurateShooter.com’s talented team of shooters will take that burden off you. You send us those brand new high-dollar match barrels — we do the work, using those barrels in our matches and varmint shoots, all the while carrying out the critical Phase I and II barrel break-in processes start to finish.
Barrel Break-In Carried Out By Champion Shooters
Our barrel break-in procedure is done by some of the nation’s top shooters. Here is AccurateShooter System Admin Jay Christopherson performing barrel break-in on a customer’s barrel during a competition. Jay won the F-Open Division at the 2020 Berger SW Nationals. Put your brand new match barrel in the hands of champions, to have it broken in the right way!
To participate in the Accurate Shooter Barrel Break-In Program (ASBBIP), just send us your chambered Krieger, Bartlein, Brux, Lilja, Douglas or other custom barrel and our testers will shoot it for six months, dutifully logging how the accuracy improves as the careful break-in process takes place over time. We guarantee that when you get your barrel barrel back, it will be thoroughly broken-in and ready to use. Enjoy peak accuracy for many hundreds of rounds! Then you can send us a new chambered barrel and we can do the tedious barrel break-in process for you again. Just pay for the shipping — we do the rest!
NOTE: Program limited to premium match barrels of approved calibers/chamberings and contours. Barrels must be chambered for one of the BAT, Borden, Kelbly, Defiance, and Barnard custom actions used by our shooting team. We reserve the right to retain the barrels for use in Nationals-level shooting matches.
A decade ago, the Editors of AccurateShooter.com and a pantheon of legendary shooters first collaborated on Voodoo Accuracy, hailed as “the definitive print resource for precision shooting”. Now to mark the new decade, we are releasing an updated 666-page, full-color “Voodoo Two”, the Voodoo Accuracy Second Edition. Voodoo Accuracy II compiles the wisdom of today’s greatest Hall of Fame and National Champion shooters. With the Voodoo knowledge of the world’s ‘top guns’ in your grasp, you can and will shoot more accurately no matter what your discipline.
Why do Voodoo? Sure you can spend hours, days, months, heck even a lifetime measuring stuff with calipers and trickling individual powder kernels, but you’re not going to win the big matches without access to the closely-guarded Voodoo secrets of the world’s master marksmen. Remember, there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your reloading manuals!
Voodoo Accuracy II reveals the hidden shooting secrets of the greatest trigger-pullers of all time. Now you too can shoot like a legend! Find out how to win matches without ever practicing! Apply Voodoo reloading techniques with startling results! Voodoo Accuracy II contains chapters on all major forms of competitive shooting, from 25m air rifle to ultra-long range tactical competitions. Whatever your sport — point-blank benchrest, High Power, F-class, Silhouette, Palma, Multi-Gun, Biathlon, 1000-yard Benchrest — you’ll find invaluable Voodoo insights that will transform your shooting abilities overnight. We guarantee it!
Voodoo Accuracy II Chapter Highlights:
● Extreme Wind Calling — How to dope a hurricane.
● Barrel Break-In — Sure-fire 50-step, 1000-round method.
● Ogive Talkin’ — More incomprehensible Ballistology by Bryan Litz.
● Point-Blank Pointers — Feng Shui and the placement of Wind Flags.
● Why Weigh Charges? — How to throw perfect charges blind-folded.
● Powder Blending Basics — Have a BLAST with the Mix-Master method.
● For FTR, Size Matters — Six-foot-wide, servo-adjusting bipods by Danny Biggs.
● Hall of Fame Headgear — The effect of dorky hats on Group Size, by Tony Boyer.
● Barrel Tuning — Voodoo Methods demonstrated (results guaranteed non-repeatable).
● Tactical Gearfinder — Be the first on your block with the latest, overpriced Tacticool accessories.
● Voodoo Annealing — How to anneal by instinct (worrying about time and temperature is for sissies).
Here’s a sample from our chapter on the Joys of Abrasives: “We all learned as kids that shiny is good. Well it is. And more shiny is even better. Why settle for a bore that has anything less than a mirror finish? Just do a quick high-pressure bead-blast down your bore, followed by few thousand strokes with JB, and your bore will be perfectly slick and shiny. And you won’t have to waste any more time with those annoying lands and grooves that trap carbon and copper. They’re gone for good! Polish your bore to a mirror finish for the ultimate in barrel cleanliness.”
Order Your Own Copy of Voodoo Accuracy Voodoo Accuracy II comes in a handsome, large-format hardback edition for $49.99. There is also a special, limited-run letterbox edition signed by Hall of Famers so legendary we can’t even mention their names here. The letterbox edition, limited to 250 copies, will cost $1000.00. Think that’s too much? Well who can put a price on perfection? We guarantee that if you buy Voodoo Accuracy II you’ll win early and often, feeding your self-esteem while reducing your shooting rivals to whimpering, broken shells of their former selves. Remember, as Charlie Sheen said, it’s all about “Winning”! If you want to run with the Big Dogs, and strut your stuff on top of the podium, order your copy of Voodoo Accuracy II today!
After the NRA cancelled its 2020 Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Nashville, TN, there were grave concerns about the NRA losing support…and members. NRA leaders were worried that the cancellation of the much-anticipated NRA convention in Music City might lead to a mass exodus of members.
In fact, just the opposite occurred. A quite remarkable thing has happened. With the nationwide fears over the Coronavirus pandemic, American adults of all ages, all walks of life, and all political persuasions are now rushing out to buy firearms. And these new, first-time gun owners are signing up by the thousands with the NRA. Many of them are young, urban, and otherwise “liberal”. Some are avid CNN watchers who tweet “Orange Man Bad” and think AOC is cool. But they want their guns, and they want them now.
These new young/urban gun buyers are mad that they can’t get their guns “right now”. Believing the “fake news” from CNN and other anti-gun mainstream media, they thought they could get guns without background checks or waiting periods. Millenials and Gen-Xers, raised on instant gratification, can be “triggered” by waiting periods.
Millenials and Gen-Xers Join NRA Ranks in Droves
In recent decades the NRA has become less diverse, which the majority of its members being older, conservative “red state” males. Now that is changing, with a wave of new gun-buying by younger, urban populations, male and female, of all ethnic groups. It seems the interest in self-defense sweeps across all age groups, even Millenials and Gen-Xers. And remarkably, the new NRA sign-ups cross party lines.
A surprising number of new gun owners list themselves as Democrats, who remain hostile to President Trump. However, after buying guns and joining the NRA, many of these urban Democrats now say they support the Second Amendment and the right to “Keep and Bear Arms” (at least for themselves).
According to estimates received from the NRA sources, half of the new members are under 35 years of age, most live in urban metropolitan areas, and over 70% live in “Blue States”, some of which are being hit the hardest by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Why are young, urban Democrats joining the NRA? These new gun owners saw first-hand that Democratic Party-sponsored gun control laws have left them defenseless and vulnerable in a time of crisis. They are turning away from Beto, Biden and the Gun Grabbers.
One 27-year-old from Baltimore stated: “Look, yeah I was anti-gun, but with all the demands on police and first responders, I don’t see any option but to have a gun for self-defense. I’m still a registered Democrat, but yeah I’m joining the NRA because I know Biden and company will take the guns away.”
Record Numbers of FBI Background Checks for Gun Buyers
The FBI ran more than 3.7 million NICS firearm background checks 2020 in March, smashing the previous record as Americans armed themselves amid growing fears about the Coronavirus pandemic. The NICS system ran 3,740,688 background checks in March, which is 33% higher than the previous record of more than 2.8 million, which was set in February. The February numbers were a 34% uptick from the same time in 2019. Source: FOX News 4/2/2020.
Fears about the Coronavirus have resulted in a dramatic public opinion shift regarding gun ownership. Urban liberals and registered Democrats are now lining up to buy guns:
Currently gun retailers and FFLs in 42 U.S. states are being allowed to stay open, either because they have been declared “essential businesses” or because there is no Emergency Order in place. This is consisent with a recent “Guidance” issued by the Dept. of Homeland Security. In six states, gun stores and FFL operations have been ordered closed by Executive Orders. While in two states, California and Michigan, the situation is unclear because of inconsistent county-by-county policies or vague statewide orders.
These findings come from TheTrace.org, a gun control website that has published an interactive map, along with a state-by-state list of gun store closures policies. While we are no fans of TheTrace.org, since it definitely has an anti-gun bias, right now that website provides one of the more up-to-date summary of gun shop status across the country. Hopefully the NRA will provide its own map soon.
On TheTrace.org’s Gun Store Closure Report you can see a grid-map with each state’s status indicated by a color. Blue means gunshops and FFLs are open, yellow means they have been ordered closed, pale gray means no order is currently in effect, and dark gray indicates the situation is “unclear”.
Click Image to Use Interactive Map
TheTrace.org lists the status of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with links to official Emergency Orders and relevant media reports. Here are status summaries for six states, based on information AccurateShooter.com has obtained:
Alabama
According to local media reports, Alabama gun stores remain open. AL Gov. Kay Ivey issued an order closing “non-essential business”, but gun dealers and FFLs were not among those businesses ordered to halt their operations.
Arizona
Currently there are no formal restrictions on the operations of gun store. But, it looks like gun rights will be honored. AZ Gov. Doug Ducey included “firearm and ammunition suppliers and retailers for purposes of safety and security” on a list of “essential services”.
California
Situation is in flux. CA Gov. Newsom stated he would defer to the decisions of local Sheriffs, so gun stores are open in some counties, closed in others. There is litigation in progress that could open all stores statewide. MORE INFO.
Florida
No gunstore closures yet — “Firearm and ammunition supply stores” have been included on list of “essential businesses”. However a stay-at-home order for four counties in South Florida — Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe — was issued by FL Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Pennsylvania
Gun stores are open, but may not be running full operations. According to TheTrace.org: “Governor Tom Wolf has issued guidance allowing gun dealers to operate on an appointment-only basis in order to ‘complete only the portions of a sale/transfer that must be conducted in-person under the law’. The governor’s original order shuttered gun stores, but he issued the revision after several Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices urged him to allow the shops to reopen.”
Texas
Gun shops and FFLs can remain open in the Lone Star state. After some localities attempted to close gun retailers via executive orders, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement that that cities and counties “may not regulate or restrict the sale of firearms”. Paxton said in his nonbinding opinion that state law prevents cities and counties from “adopting regulations related to the transfer, possession, or ownership of firearms, or commerce in firearms.” MORE INFO.
Gun Store Shut-Downs Challenged by Legal Actions
TheTrace.org reports that State Executive Orders mandating gun store closures have been challenged in the courts: “In states that have ordered gun stores to close, enforcement of the orders is proving messy — and litigious. In Pennsylvania, gun-rights advocates immediately filed a lawsuit challenging Governor Tom Wolf’s order to close dealers. The state Supreme Court swiftly rejected the suit, but hours later Wolf’s office quietly updated its policy to allow gun dealers to operate on a limited basis. On the other side of the country, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he was leaving the decision to let gun stores continue operating in the hands of county sheriffs. And New Jersey’s unprecedented decision to eliminate access to its background check system drew multiple lawsuits.”
On Monday, March 30, the National Rifle Assocation (NRA) announced the suspension of all sanctioned matches until the end of April. Here is the NRA’s official statement:
Due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the NRA is unfortunately suspending all sanctioned matches through April 30, 2020. Any requests for sanctioning of new matches beyond April 30 are also suspended until further notice. As a result of this suspension, the NRA will no longer accept match fees or scores. The NRA will continue to monitor the situation and make additional statements as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds. [For more information] Please contact the NRA Competitive Shooting Division at comphelp@nrahq.org, follow the NRA Competitive Shooting Facebook page or monitor the Competitive Shooting Division website at Competitions.nra.org.
NOTE: At this time there are no plans to cancel the NRA National Championship Matches to be held at Camp Atterbury, Indiana during July and August 2020.
NRA Smallbore Championships — July 23 – August 5, 2020
NRA High Power Rifle Championships — August 9-15, 2020
NRA Mid-Range Rifle Championships — August 16-20, 2020
NRA Long Range Rifle Championships — August 21-25, 2020
Using a spotting scope seems simple. Just point it at the target and focus, right? Well, actually, it’s not that simple. Sometimes you want to watch mirage or trace, and that involves different focus and viewing priorities. Along with resolving bullet holes (or seeing other features on the target itself), you can use your spotting scope to monitor mirage. When watching mirage, you actually want to focus the spotting scope not on the target, but, typically, about two-thirds of the distance downrange. When spotting for another shooter, you can also use the spotting scope to watch the bullet trace, i.e. the vapor trail of the bullet. This will help you determine where the bullet is actually landing, even if it does not impact on the target backer.
The 
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