In cooperation with the NRA Office of Disabled Shooting Services, Pyramyd Air is offering $224.00 off the Air Arms S400 MPR air rifle for qualifying shooters with disabilities. Disabled shooters and Adaptive Shooting groups can obtain the Poplar-stocked S400 MPR for $750.00 with FREE Shipping. This gun normally retails for $974.00.
How to Get the Discount — Call Vanessa
Disabled shooters wanting an Air Arms S400 MPR air rifle should contact NRA Disabled Services Director Vanessa Ross. Call Vanessa at (703) 267-1495 or email disabled-shooting@NRAhq.org. Vanessa will provide a Promo Code good for the rifle discount. In addition, there is a second discount code providing 10% off an entire Pyramyd Air order. You cannot combine two promo codes on a single order, so use the second promo code for a separate order if you want to purchase pellets, targets, rifle cases, and other accessories.
Pyramyd Air S400 MPR Specifications
Though it weighs only seven pounds, a good thing for disabled shooters, Pyramyd’s S400 MPR is a quality air rifle with features similar to imported “name brand” air rifles. This breechloader has a 12-groove barrel and a walnut stock, which comes in right-hand, left-hand, or ambidextrous versions. An adjustable rear diopter sight and front sight with insert come with the gun. The S400 MPR has a 5-way adjustable trigger. You can adjust height, forward or rear placement, rotation of trigger blade, first-stage length, second-stage pull weight and placement of the trigger pad. NOTE: The cocking bolt is NOT adjustable for position and is on the right side of the gun.
NRA Disabled Shooting Services Director Vanessa Ross comments: “We are extremely grateful to Pyramyd Air for their commitment to the disabled community and offering a cost-effective way for individuals to get into the competitive game. To learn more about the NRA’s disabled shooting program visit www.nrahq.org/compete/disabled.asp.
On July 1st, the NRA and NRA-ILA sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee opposing the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In the letter, the NRA explained that “throughout her political career, [Kagan] has repeatedly demonstrated a clear hostility to the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution”. CLICK HERE for PDF file with full text of the NRA/NRA-ILA letter.
Highlights of NRA and NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) Letter
As [Kagan] has no judicial record on which we can rely, we have only her political record to review. And throughout her political career, she has repeatedly demonstrated a clear hostility to the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
As a clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall, Ms. Kagan said she was “not sympathetic” to a challenge to Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns and draconian registration requirements. As domestic policy advisor in the Clinton White House, a colleague described her as “immersed” in President Clinton’s gun control policy efforts. For example, she was involved in an effort to ban more than 50 types of commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms — an effort that was described as: “taking the law and bending it as far as we can to capture a whole new class of guns.” And as U.S. Solicitor General, she chose not to file a brief last year in the landmark case McDonald v. Chicago, thus taking the position that incorporating the Second Amendment and applying it to the States was of no interest to the Obama Administration or the federal government. These are not the positions of a person who supports the Second Amendment.
During her confirmation hearings last year, Justice Sonia Sotomayor repeatedly stated that the Supreme Court’s historic Heller decision was “settled law”. Even further, in response to a question from Chairman Leahy, she said “I understand the individual right fully that the Supreme Court recognized in Heller’.” Yet last Monday in McDonald, she joined a dissenting opinion which stated: “I can find nothing in the Second Amendment’s text, history, or underlying rationale that could warrant characterizing it as ‘fundamental’ insofar as it seeks to protect the keeping and bearing of arms for private self-defense purposes”. We would also note that both Heller and McDonald were 5-4 decisions. The fact that four justices would effectively write the Second Amendment out of the Constitution is completely unacceptable.
Ms. Kagan has repeatedly declined to say whether she agrees with the dissenting views of justices Stevens, Breyer, Ginsburg and Sotomayor, which leaves unanswered the very serious questions of whether she would vote to overturn Heller and McDonald or narrow their holdings to a practical nullity.
Any individual who does not believe that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right and who does not respect our God-given right of self-defense should not serve on any court, much less receive a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. Justice Sotomayor’s blatant reversal on this critical issue requires that we look beyond statements made during confirmation hearings and examine a nominee’s entire body of work.
Unfortunately, Ms. Kagan’s record on the Second Amendment gives us no confidence that if confirmed to the Court, she will faithfully defend the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms of law-abiding Americans.
In McDonald v. City of Chicago, the most important Second Amendment legal case since D.C. v. Heller, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution applies to States and local governments. This will allow plaintiffs to proceed with their legal challenge to a Chicago law banning handgun possession. Justice Alito wrote the High Court’s 5-4 decision.
In making this ruling, the High Court held that the Second Amendment applies to actions of State and local governments under the incorporation doctrine derived from the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Justice Thomas offered a well-reasoned concurring opinion arguing that the “Privileges and Immunities” Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment also demands that State and municipal governments not abridge citizens’ Second Amendment rights.
Now State and Municipal Laws Can Be Challenged on Second Amendment Grounds
In a decision written by Justice Alito, the Supreme Court ruled the individual right to keep and bear arms protected by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution applies to states and local governments. The court split along ideological lines in voting 5 to 4 to support the right of individuals to own handguns for self protection. The Second Amendment now carries “full sway” over state and municipal actions, as do most of the other protections enumerated in the Bill of Rights. In applying the Second Amendment to state action, the Court followed a familiar blueprint under which other rights have been applied to the states by virtue of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The case before the Court, McDonald v. City of Chicago, was filed in 2008 a day after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in District of Columbia v. Heller — in which the high court reaffirmed that the Second Amendment protects an “individual” right to keep and bear arms. The Heller decision, however, did not reach the question of whether the Second Amendment also applied to the states.
Immediately after Heller, several Chicago residents, including retired maintenance worker Otis McDonald, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the city’s long-standing gun ban. The Chicago-based federal courts ruled that the Second Amendment did not apply to the states and local governments, setting the stage for the Supreme Court to decide the question it left unanswered in its Heller decision.
On hearing today’s decision, Plaintiff Otis McDonald thanked the Justices: “for having the courage to right a wrong, which has impacted many lives long ago and will protect lives for many years to come.”
Steve Sanetti, President of the NSSF, which filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of McDonald, added: “Today’s ruling is a victory for freedom and liberty. All law-abiding Americans, no matter whether they live in a big city like Chicago or in rural Wyoming, have the same Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Constitutional rights don’t stop at state or city borders. Cities like Chicago and New York and states like California must now respect the Second Amendment.”
Credit: Thanks to German Salazar, Esq. for sourcing the text of the Supreme Court’s decision.
We are just three weeks from the start of the 2010 National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio. The National Championships, which have been held since 1907, draw more rifle and pistol competitors than any other shooting match in the Americas. The physical “playing field” is impressive — Camp Perry, situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, boasts the largest outdoor rifle range in the world.
The NRA’s Competitive Shooting Division has just released a “Welcome to Camp Perry” video, which covers the history of the National Championships along with pistol, smallbore rifle, and highpower rifle disciplines. This entertaining, professionally-made video shows the diversity of the competitions and the overall scale of this big, annual event. If you watch carefully, you’ll see cameos by champions such as Carl Bernosky. The video is highly recommended….
Registration, Programs and Entry Cards
If you want to compete at Camp Perry, it’s easy to register. Simply CLICK HERE to REGISTER ONLINE.
Note: Programs and entry cards for 2010 will only be mailed to those individuals who did not register online in 2009. Those who registered online may again do so for 2010 or they may request that a program and entry packet be sent to them. All others must request a copy of the National Matches Program by writing to:
Why is it vital to get more women involved in the shooting sports? Consider this: in recent state and federal elections there has been a significant gender gap in voting patterns. Compared to men, a much higher percentage of women (particularly unmarried women) vote for liberal anti-gun candidates. For example, 56 percent of women voted for Obama versus 49 percent of men. In recent years, anti-gun politicians have relied on this gender gap to secure electoral victories. If we want to reverse this trend, we need to increase the number of women who look favorably on Second Amendment rights and the shooting sports.
That’s why we were pleased to learn about a milestone reached by the NRA’s Women on Target (WOT) program which runs instructional shooting clinics for women. Women on Target Clinic Coordinator Elizabeth Hellmann recently revealed that the Women on Target program has passed the 50K mark: “As of [6/9/2010], more than 50,000 women have attended clinics… Please raise your coffee mugs and join me in saying, ‘Here’s to the next 50,000 happy customers!'”
The First Annual NRA National Gun Collectors Show & Conference was held in Nashville, TN, in 1996, and quickly assumed the title of “The Finest Gun Collectors Show in the Country”. The show is a program of the NRA’s National Firearms Museum. This year, the Museum has announced that the 15th Annual NRA National Gun Collectors Show & Conference will be held July 23-25 in Kansas City, Missouri.
At Collectors Show in Kansas City, there will be numerous awards handed out, including over $11,000 in cash prizes for the best exhibits. The event, which is open to the public, is hosted by the Missouri Valley Arms Collectors Association (MVACA) at the K.C.I. Expo Center, 11730 N. Ambassador, Kansas City, MO 64195. If you wish to be an exhibitor, contact MVACA Show Director Chuck Samuel at (913) 649-4248 ASAP. Sale/Trade tables are $90.00, while “Display-only” tables are $55.00 for 3 days. CLICK HERE for show information including Expo Center Map.
The NRA Blog has complete coverage of the 2010 Bianchi Cup, held this week at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club in Columbia, MO. The Bianchi Cup is one of the most prestigious handgun competitions on the planet. This year, the 32nd Annual MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup features over 200 of the best pistol and revolver shooters in the world, from the USA and six other countries.
The match continues through Saturday, May 29th, but results from the first two days of competition are available on the NRA Blog. NRA Media Relations has also posted a collection of 2010 Bianchi Cup photos online. CLICK HERE to view Bianchi Cup Photo Gallery.
Musician Ted Nugent wowed the crowd at the 139th Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Charlotte, NC. Nugent offered some great advice on how to bring more folks into the shooting sports and how to change the attitudes of Americans who disapprove of guns and recreational shooting.
Nugent Says “Fix” the Anti-Gunners
“Fix them”, Nugent said. “You have a friend that doesn’t like guns? Spend an afternoon with them at the range. Your wife doesn’t like hunting? Take her to the woods until she lands her first deer. To paraphrase Uncle Ted, there’s no one out there who can’t be saved, we just have to fix them.” We like Nugent’s simple, pro-active strategies….
“[Nugent] was spectacular,” said an NRA member from New York. “Maybe more raw than some were expecting, but hey – that’s Ted. Might not like all the words, but the message is always on target.”
Bringing people to their feet time and again, The Nuge wrapped up the event with a handful of tunes and a plea for those who protect and serve. Be they firemen, policeman, or soliders, you should treat them. Treat them to an NRA membership. Treat them to a meal. Treat them to anything and everything because these are the people who protect our lives and freedoms so we should do everything within our power to protect them.
At the NRA Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC, Austrian pistol-maker Glock Gesellschaft mbH donated over $115,000 in cash and materials to the NRA and its programs. $50K went to the NRA directly, while Glock made separate donations of $50,000 to the NRA Whittington Center and $15,000 to the NRA Whittington Center Adventure Camp.
Located in Raton, NM, the Whittington Center is an important venue for competitive shooting. Every year it hosts major championships including the Spirit of America match. We tip our hat to Glock, particularly for its generous donation to the Whittington Center. Glock’s contributions will help the Whittington Center maintain and upgrade its range facilities, along with expanding its training and youth programs.
The 2010 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina May 14th – May 16th. If you can’t make it to Charlotte, tune in to Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk® Radio this Saturday. Tom will broadcast LIVE from the NRA Show (at the Charlotte Convention Center) on Saturday, May 15 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Eastern. Gresham will deliver his radio show from the Springfield Armory booth, #1803. All NRA Meeting attendees are welcome to stop by the booth and “watch” the radio show.
Guests will include Springfield Armory’s Rob Leatham with a big announcement, Mossberg, Corbon, Armed Citizens Network, Viridian Green Laser, and Hodgdon Powder. Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk Radio is in its 15th year of national syndication and runs on 94 stations, plus SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. Podcast versions of Gun Talk shows are available through Apple iTunes or the Gun Talk Archive.
How to Get the Discount — Call Vanessa
As a clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall, Ms. Kagan said she was “not sympathetic” to a challenge to Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns and draconian registration requirements. As domestic policy advisor in the Clinton White House, a colleague described her as “immersed” in President Clinton’s gun control policy efforts. For example, she was involved in an effort to ban more than 50 types of commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms — an effort that was described as: “taking the law and bending it as far as we can to capture a whole new class of guns.” And as U.S. Solicitor General, she chose not to file a brief last year in the landmark case McDonald v. Chicago, thus taking the position that incorporating the Second Amendment and applying it to the States was of no interest to the Obama Administration or the federal government. These are not the positions of a person who supports the Second Amendment.
In 
We are just three weeks from the start of the 2010 National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio. The National Championships, which have been held since 1907, draw more rifle and pistol competitors than any other shooting match in the Americas. The physical “playing field” is impressive — Camp Perry, situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, boasts the largest outdoor rifle range in the world.
Registration, Programs and Entry Cards
Why is it vital to get more women involved in the shooting sports? Consider this: in recent state and federal elections there has been a significant 
That’s why we were pleased to learn about a milestone reached by the NRA’s 
The 
Musician Ted Nugent wowed the crowd at the 139th Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Charlotte, NC. Nugent offered some great advice on how to bring more folks into the shooting sports and how to change the attitudes of Americans who disapprove of guns and recreational shooting.
