Californians have one more day left before Long Gun Registration takes effect. Starting on January 1, 2014, every long gun sold in California must be registered in a permanent State government database. With the threat of registration looming, Californians are lining up in record numbers to purchase rifles and shotguns. At many gun stores, sales of long guns are up 30-50% compared to last year, as Californians try to “get their guns” before mandatory registration takes effect.
Under current law, a Californian (with no criminal history) may purchase a rifle or shotgun, subject to a 10-day waiting period. At least in theory, once the background check was approved, the gun store owner could destroy the sales record. However, that will change under the terms of AB 809, passed in 2011. AB 809 mandated that, starting in 2014, California shall maintain a permanent record of all new long guns purchased within the state.
Under the new law, each new long gun must be registered. A state firearms registry will track the make, model and serial number of the gun, as well as the person who owns it. In effect, long guns will be treated like handguns, with every gun sold being recorded for all eternity in a state database. According to CBS News: “Previously dealers would destroy personal information on long gun owners after a background check had been completed. Now they’ll register those purchases with the state.”
The new law also imposes new restrictions on the sale of previously-owned long arms (i.e. rifles and shotguns). Now, every time a long gun changes hands, the firearm must be added to the State firearm registry. Previously, nearly all long gun transactions needed to be carried out through an FFL, however, there was no additional registration requirement. After January 1, 2014, when a long gun is transfered via the FFL, it must then be registered. CBS News states: “Guns currently in existence, including heirloom weapons that have been handed down from one generation of family members to the next, will have to be registered for the first time when they next change hands.”
The updated Second Edition of the Cartridge Comparison Guide is now available. The Cartridge Comparision Guide is the product of many years of labor by Andrew Chamberlain, a Utah-based hunter. Andrew says his Guide “compares every factory available cartridge from the 17 calibers up to the 50 caliber cartridges”. (Sorry, most wildcat cartridges are not covered.) Chamberlain’s Guide also compiles cartridge data from major ammunition manufacturers such as Barnes, Federal, Hornady, Norma, Nosler, Remington, Sierra, Swift, Weatherby, and Winchester. It shows the optimal velocity achieved for each bullet weight and calculates bullet energy, recoil, and powder efficiency.
The Cartridge Comparison Guide provides data for thousands of cartridge/bullet/velocity combos. Charts provide cartridge ballistics including downrange energy. The Second Edition adds 90 more pages devoted to ballistics. The Cartridge Comparison Guide offers a firearms lexicon, plus Appendices covering Cartridge Selection for Game Animals, Bullet Selection/Design, Bullet Expansion, Wound Channel Characteristics and more. In the Second Edition, there is expanded coverage of factory-loaded hunting ammo. The book now provides “100% coverage of all handgun and rifle cartridges produced in the USA by at least two minor factory load sources or one major factory load source.”
New Content in Second Edition of Cartridge Comparison Guide
The Cartridge Comparison Guide (2nd Edition) costs $32.95 plus shipping and tax. This is more pricey than the $24.99 First Edition (which is still for sale), but the latest Cartridge Comparison guide offers considerably more content. Here’s what’s new in the Second Edition:
Addition of Shotgun Ammunition (Both Slug and Shot loads).
Momentum Calculation for all Rifle, Shotgun and Handgun loads.
Integration of Shotgun Slug Ammunition with Center Fire Rifle Data Tables.
Factory Load Summary Added (Shows manufacturers and loads produced).
One factory load and one hand load for every bullet weight available in each cartridge.
Over 90 pages of additional ballistics content (roughly 35% more than in First Edition).
Award-Winning Content
The Cartridge Comparison Guide has been awarded the POMA Pinnacle Award for Excellence. (POMA, the Professional Outdoor Media Association, is the trade association for outdoor writers).
Great Resource for Hunters
The Cartridge Comparison Guide’s author wanted to help hunters select the “right cartridge for the job.” Chamberlain states: “This started as a personal project to gather information on the more popular cartridges commonly used for hunting. I began comparing cartridge performance, versatility, bullet selection, powder efficiency, recoil generation vs. energy produced, standing ballistic data for different environments, etc.” Chamberlain adds: “I wanted to find the best all-around performing cartridge and rifle that a guy on a budget could shoot.”
Giant Cartridge Poster for Computer Wallpaper (1665×1080 pixels)
Here’s a great illustration of hundreds of cartridges and shotshell types. For dedicated reloaders, this would work great as desktop “wallpaper” for your computer. CLICK HERE for full-size image.
Legendary exhibition shooter Tom Knapp, “The Shooting Star”, passed away yesterday. Tom was an inspiration to generations of shooters and he will be missed. Tom performed some truly amazing feats, including tossing ten (10) clay birds in the air, and then hitting them all with ten separate shots in 2.2 seconds! Tom started performing for the public in 1987, and he gave shooting exhibitions around the world. He was also a popular “featured guest” on many hunting/shooting television shows.
Writing in Guns.com, Aaron Samsel states: “Tom Knapp was one of the finest exhibition shooters this world has ever laid eyes on — his talent with a shotgun was only rivaled by his showmanship, and Knapp deserves much credit for bringing trick shooting into the 21st century[.]”
When you buy a new Winchester firearm at retail between April 15 and April 30, 2013, you can receive a rebate of up to 8% of the purchase price to reimburse you for the state sales tax. That’s just like putting the sales tax right back in your pocket. See your Winchester dealer for more info. Starting April 15, 2013, you can download Rebate Forms at Winchesterguns.com. This offer is valid only on the consumer retail purchase of a new Winchester firearm purchased between April 15, 2013 and April 30, 2013.
Here’s an example: If you spend $1,000 on a new Winchester rifle or shotgun, and you pay an 8% sales tax, you’ll get an $80 reimbursement from Winchester Repeating Arms. To qualify for your sales tax reimbursement (up to a maximum refund of 8% of the purchase price as determined by the sales tax paid at time of purchase as documented by your dated sales receipt). If you live in a state with no sales tax you should submit your coupon (with valid purchase information) for special consideration.
Here’s the Fine Print: The Sales Tax Rebate Coupon must be filled out completely and returned to Winchester Repeating Arms with the supporting documents as listed, postmarked no later than midnight May 15, 2013.
Winchester Repeating Arms employees, Winchester Repeating Arms sales representatives, authorized Winchester Repeating Arms dealers and their sales staff, and members of their immediate families are not eligible for this promotion. Limited to one offer per person. Offer valid in the United States only. All purchasers must be citizens or legal residents of the United States.
In a video filmed during an “online town hall”, Vice President Joseph Biden told a questioner that a modern, semi-automatic firearm is not needed for self-protection or home defense. Biden told the questioner to buy a double-barreled shotgun instead.
V.P. Biden: “Katy, if you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun, have the shells of a 12-gauge shotgun, and I promise you, as I told my wife, we live in an area that’s wooded and somewhat secluded. I said, Jill, if there’s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here, walk out, put that double-barrelled shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house. I promise you who’s ever coming in is not [going to] — you don’t need an AR15. It’s harder to aim. It’s harder to use. And, in fact, you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun.”
The Vice President went on to say the government has to make some limits on the weapons people can buy. Otherwise, he said, the wrong people would have flamethrowers and rocket launchers and billionaires could buy “fully-loaded” fighter jets.
This NSSF article was originally published at NSSFBlog.com.
Skeet-Gate: Some Constructive Advice for the President — By Larry Keane
We here at NSSF were somewhat bemused over the controversy that sprang from President Obama’s assertion that he shot skeet on a regular basis, and the second wave of commentary that attended the White House release of a photo to prove it. There’s a reason we’re citing the New York Times coverage in the link above — we’ll get to that later.
The assertion came as no surprise to us, because NSSF sponsored and oversaw the renovation of the skeet field at Camp David. We provided one of the industry’s top facilities consultants, and donated tens of thousands of dollars of machinery, consulting and oversight to build the regulation field. We provided countless hours of shotgun and safety instruction as well. We were honored to provide this service for the office of the Presidency, and our investment appears to be paying off by recruiting new shooters. Welcome, Mr. President.
In the same vein, we can offer the president some constructive advice on his shooting. Mr. President, try leaning a little further forward into the shot to better manage recoil. Keep your feet about shoulder width apart, and put more weight on your leading foot. You appear to be shooting a gun with “neutral cast,” to wit, a straight stock. Since you’re shooting left-handed, you may want to look into a different stock cast to better accommodate you. And if you’re going to get a custom gun, make sure they measure your length of pull first. Proper gun fit makes an enormous difference in accuracy, and thus in your enjoyment of the sport.
You may also want to try out the semiautomatic shotguns that another one of our member companies donated to Camp David. These too come in left-handed versions, which eject the spent casing to your left, instead of to the right as is customary. No matter which way the case ejects when you shoot the semiautomatic, you’ll notice that the gun still only shoots one round per pull of the trigger, just like the over/under you’re shooting in the picture.
In fact, the semiautomatic shotguns are functionally identical to all the semiautomatic firearms that Senator Dianne Feinstein has proposed to ban in her sweeping new legislation, S. 150. We feel like we have to keep repeating that fact, because many of the media voices that consider themselves learned scholars on gun policy don’t even know the difference between a rifle and a shotgun, for heaven’s sake. Note that The New York Times article has a correction at the bottom of the page, because it originally said that you were shooting a rifle in the picture — a mistake quickly repeated by dozens of other media outlets. Many of these same media outlets have been quick to editorialize about which guns Americans should and should not be allowed to own, when apparently they wouldn’t know a rifle or a shotgun from a barn door. Go figure.
You’re wearing both eye and ear protection, which are required, but a shooting vest and some custom earplugs might make you more comfortable – those earmuffs can get clammy on a hot day. Finally, a note to the photographer: It’s better policy to stand directly behind the shooter on any active range, because it’s safer and besides, you can see (and snap, if you’re quick) whether he hit the target.
Gun owners, by the way, have only a few short weeks before we see whether the Congress puts a target on our Second Amendment rights. We urge you and all our elected lawmakers to know your target, which is the criminal misuse of firearms, not arbitrary limits on which guns and magazines law-abiding citizens can legally purchase. Don’t aim the gun of heavy-handed restrictions and regulations at anything you’re not willing to destroy, including the hundreds of thousands of jobs our industry provides. Did you know that new restrictions on gun and ammunition purchases will also damage wildlife conservation programs? That’s because our nation’s federal conservation grants are funded primarily by the excise taxes on gun and ammo sales.
So the outcome of this pending legislative debate is very important. And believe me, we’re watching that even more closely than the pictures of you shooting a shotgun at Camp David.
How would you like to be a salaried gunsmith for a major gun-maker’s USA operation? Here’s your opportunity. Blaser USA is looking to hire a gunsmith for its San Antonio, Texas sales and service center.
Candidates must have completed a recognized gunsmithing course, have “excellent communication skills”, be able to work in a “fast-paced” team-oriented business environment, and be able to work (on location) at regional and national shooting events. Duties include general gunsmithing, customer service work, and the following specific tasks:
Finish assembly of rifles and shotguns.
Inspects first piece samples from vendors.
Assembles firearms in accordance with customer specifications.
Repairs firearms for customers, sponsored shooters, and journalists.
Minor stock repair and wood-working.
Aligns sights/scopes and conducts test firings.
Documents problems on customer returns as required.
Inspects and sets out parts for repairs or product updates.
How to Apply
If you are interested in this position,
forward your résumé to:
Blaser USA Inc.
Laura Aldana
403 East Ramsey Ste. 301
San Antonio, TX 78216
email: info [at] blaser-usa.com
Story Tip by Edlongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has produced a GUN SAFETY Video that presents 10 fundamental rules of safe gun use. The video covers basic safe gun handling procedures, and it also explains how to transport guns safely, and how to secure them properly at home.
We know this stuff is familiar to most of our readers, but we recommend you watch the video as a refresher. Segments show how to safely unload different types of handguns and shotguns. That’s helpful for a rifle guy who may not have much familiarity with other types of arms. The video also explains how you can keep a handgun safe from kids and guests in the home, while still having quick access in an emergency. This video won’t win an Oscar, but it provides good, logical safety advice. If you help run a shooting club, you may want to embed the video into your club’s webpage.
25-year-old Peter Wilson of Great Britain earned the gold medal in front of the home country shooting a 188 out of 200. He is now Britain’s first shooting medalist since Richard Faulds won gold in the same event in Sydney 12 years ago. Sweden’s Hakan Dahlby finished second while Russian Vasily Mosin won bronze after a shoot-off with Kuwaiti Fehaid Aldeehani.
Though not well-known in North America, Wilson is a world-record-holder who was one of the favorites heading into the event. In Tucson (AZ) earlier this year, at the ISSF World Cup, Wilson set a new world record, hitting 198 out of 200. Peter, a farmer’s son from Dorset, was the youngest Olympic Double Trap finalist by 13 years and only started shooting at school following a sporting accident which prevented him from playing cricket and squash. He left school a National Shooting Champion and was ranked world No.1 earlier this year before the Double Trap Olympic final.
Practice Makes Perfect
In an interview with The Telegraph, Wilson revealed: “I shoot at 80,000 targets a year. That’s what you do, get the movements ingrained, so when you’re faced with two targets to go in an Olympic final, you’re completely comfortable about what you have to do.”
During his rise to the top, Wilson got a little help from the 2004 Olympic Double Trap Gold Medalist, Ahmad Mohammad Hasher Al Maktoum, a member of the Dubai royal family. After Wilson’s support funding from UK Sport was cut in 2008, the Dubai Royal stepped in to help, providing free coaching help for the young Brit. As the result of budget-cutting by UK Sport, Wilson lost his training stipend. Somehow he had to come up with £10,000 a year to cover his shooting expenses. He tried to work in a pub as a barman, but found that the night shifts conflicted with his shooting practice. His parents instead funded him for a year while he tried to secure further funding. He has also raised funds, along with the rest of the British shooting team, by running fundraising events.
Annie’s grand-nieces got her gun and they got big money for it. About 100 items owned by sharp-shooting legend Annie Oakley and passed down to Oakley’s great-grandnieces were put on auction in Dallas recently. Auctioned memorabilia included Annie’s Stetson hat, many letters, and of course, a collection of firearms. The item bringing in the highest bid — $143,400 — was Oakley’s Parker Brothers 12-gauge shotgun. The total take on the auctioned Annie Oakley collection was nearly $520,000 according to Heritage Auction sources.
The collection of Annie Oakley guns and personal items was inherited by Oakley’s great-grandnieces from their mother, Billie Butler Serene, who died at age 95 three years ago. According to AP reporter Chris Sherman, one of the grand-nieces, Terry Holcomb, “remembers shooting the guns for target practice on Sunday mornings in California’s Santa Monica Mountains and wearing Oakley’s Stetson hat — which sold for $17,925 — for Halloween.”
In addition to the coveted Parker Brothers shotgun, two of Annie’s prized Marlin .22-caliber rifles fetched big prices at auction. One sold for $71,700 and the other for $83,650. The high-bidder for one of the Marlins had Annie’s grandnieces sign his catalog, and he told Holcomb that “his kids couldn’t wait to shoot” the historic rimfire rifle.
“Annie Oakley was arguably America’s first female superstar, touring the U.S. and the world in the late 1800s and early 20th century and demonstrating her legendary Wild West sharp-shooting skills.” Tom Slater, Historian for Heritage Auctions.
Californians have one more day left before Long Gun Registration takes effect. Starting on January 1, 2014, every long gun sold in California must be registered in a permanent State government database. With the threat of registration looming, Californians are lining up in record numbers to purchase rifles and shotguns. At many gun stores, sales of long guns are up 30-50% compared to last year, as Californians try to “get their guns” before mandatory registration takes effect.
The updated Second Edition of the 
Great Resource for Hunters
When you buy a new Winchester firearm at retail between April 15 and April 30, 2013, you can receive a rebate of up to 8% of the purchase price to reimburse you for the state sales tax. That’s just like putting the sales tax right back in your pocket. See your Winchester dealer for more info. Starting April 15, 2013, you can download Rebate Forms at 
How would you like to be a salaried gunsmith for a major gun-maker’s USA operation? Here’s your opportunity. Blaser USA is looking to hire a gunsmith for its San Antonio, Texas sales and service center. 
The 
25-year-old 
Annie’s grand-nieces got her gun and they got big money for it. About 100 items owned by sharp-shooting legend Annie Oakley and passed down to Oakley’s great-grandnieces were put on auction in Dallas recently. Auctioned memorabilia included Annie’s Stetson hat, many letters, and of course, a collection of firearms. The item bringing in the highest bid — $143,400 — was Oakley’s Parker Brothers 12-gauge shotgun. The total take on the auctioned Annie Oakley collection was nearly $520,000 according to Heritage Auction sources.
