To provide support for Ukraine during the current crisis, Vista Outdoor, through its brands Remington, CCI, Speer and Federal Ammunition, will donate one million rounds of ammunition to the Ukraine Armed Forces.

“The war in Ukraine has displaced millions of citizens and exposed average people to the horrors of war”, said Jason Vanderbrink, President of Remington, CCI, Speer and Federal Ammunition. “Supporting the relief effort is a crucial element of the global response and we are proud to do our part. It underscores how critical the Second Amendment is in America and highlights the importance of the ability of American Manufacturers to supply our allies with ammunition. We have long supported Ukrainian armed forces and we will continue to do so in this global cause to unite for democracy.”

Ukraine’s military has been a customer of Federal, CCI and Speer for years and this donation is meant to meet the call from President Zelenskyy for more ammunition.

Special Edition T-Shirts
Field & Stream notes: “On top of the ammo donation, Remington and Federal will sell special edition t-shirts… emblazoned with the Ukrainian colors and President Zelensky’s now-famous quote: ‘I need ammo, not a ride’. The company has pledged all profits from the shirt sales to refugees involved in the crisis through the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.” The revenue from the shirts will supplement Vista Outdoor’s ammunition donation.

Even with this large ammunition donation, Vista Outdoor says it will continue to run maximum production to provide other types of loaded ammunition to U.S. shooters and hunters.

Proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts sold on www.remington.com and www.federalpremium.com will go to Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund through the Global Giving program.

Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) Urges Support of Ukrainian Gun Owners
Ukraine is in crisis, but Alan Gottlieb, SAF founder and executive vice president, says American gun owners can help: “We’re calling on our fellow gun owners and rights activists to support Zbroya, the Ukranian Gun Owners Association (UGOA).”

UGOA is a member organization of the Int’l Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR), which SAF helped organize more than a decade ago. Now, more than ever, gun owners in Ukraine are in dire need of support, because civilian arms rights has never been more important in that nation.

“Our brother and sister gun owners in the Ukraine are fighting for their lives,” Gottlieb said, “and now is the time for gun owners across the country and around the world to step up and help them in their hour of need.” Contributions may be made directly to the UGOA. CLICK HERE to visit UGOA website.

When IAPCAR was founded, Gottlieb recalled, “We stressed the importance of civilian arms rights because when a nation is threatened with its very existence, responsibility for that nation’s defense invariably falls to the people, the patriots willing to take up arms and stand on the front lines of freedom.”

“If anyone wonders why the right to keep and bear arms is so important, they only need to watch the evening news for the answer. More than 200 years ago, our fledgling nation had to fight for its very existence. Times have changed, but for the people of Ukraine, the circumstances are very much the same. This young nation is battling raw aggression, and that fight involves our fellow gun owners. Help us help our friends and allies in Ukraine.”

EDITOR: I have visited Ukraine twice, and still have friends there in Kiev and Odessa. What is happening right now is tragic for the Ukrainian people, who suffered mightily in the 20th Century due to Stalin-caused massed famines, followed by Nazi oppression.

These sanctions will be carried out pursuant to President Obama’s Executive Order 13662 relating to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The OFAC sanctions include provisions banning the importation of rifles and shotguns from various Russian manufacturers. The Kalashnikov Concern, and Izhmash, manufacturers of Saiga rifles and shotguns, were specifically named in the sanctions. This means it will be illegal for American companies to import firearms made by these Russian manufacturers.

Writing in the Truth About Guns Blog, Nick Leghorn declares: “So the importation of new Izmash-produced firearms is now banned indefinitely in the United States. But that Executive Order definitely raises some questions for those currently in possession of a firearm manufactured by the now-sanctioned firearms companies. For example, can a gun dealer sell their existing stock?”

OFAC provides at least a partial answer to these questions in the OFAC Question and Answer section of the U.S. Treasury website:

Q: If I own a Kalashnikov product, is that product blocked by sanctions? Am I able to resell a Kalashnikov product at a gun show or other secondary market?

If a U.S. person is in possession of a Kalashnikov Concern product that was bought and fully paid for prior to the date of designation (i.e., no payment remains due to Kalashnikov Concern), then that product is not blocked and OFAC sanctions would not prohibit the U.S. person from keeping or selling the product in the secondary market, so long as Kalashnikov Concern has no interest in the transaction. New transactions by U.S. persons with Kalashnikov Concern are prohibited, however, and any property in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest is blocked pursuant to OFAC’s designation of Kalashnikov Concern on July 16, 2014. If a U.S. person has an inventory of Kalashnikov Concern products in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest (for example, the products are not fully paid for or are being sold on consignment), we advise that U.S. person to contact OFAC for further guidance on handling of the inventory.

Q: If I have Kalashnikov products in my inventory, can I sell them?

If a U.S. person has an inventory of Kalashnikov Concern products in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest (for example, the products are not fully paid for or are being sold on consignment), we advise that U.S. person to contact OFAC for further guidance on handling of the inventory.