shooting industry - 2014 03 (mar)
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Shooting Industry - 2014 03 (Mar)TRANSCRIPT
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Increasing Percentage:Gun Laws Too Strict
Industry To California:“No” To Microstamping
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MARCH 2014 VOL. 59 NO. 03
SHOOTING INDUSTRY® (ISSN 0037-4148) is published monthly by Publishers’ Development Corporation at 12345 World Trade Dr, San Diego, CA 92128. Periodical Class Postage paid at San Diego, CA 92128, and at additional mailing offices. Subscription $25 yearly in U.S.A. Single copies $3 (except for the December SHOT SHOW issue, $25). Change of address: Four weeks notice required on all changes. Send old address as well as new. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: SHOOTING INDUSTRY® 12345 World Trade Dr, San Diego, CA 92128. PRINTING SERVICES/PREPRESS: Democrat Printing Company. CONTRIBUTORS submitting manuscripts, photographs or drawings, do so at their own risk. Material cannot be returned unless accompanied by sufficient postage. PAYMENT will be made at rates current at time of publication and will cover reproduction in any or all of the editions of SHOOTING INDUSTRY®. OPINIONS expressed in bylined articles or columns are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or its staff. Copyright© 2014 by Publishers' Development Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any portion of this magazine without written permission is prohibited.
10 Industry To California: “No” To Microstamping
13 Remington Supports Special Forces Trust
14 FMG Presents NSSF $211,000 For First Shots
18 Streamlight Announces Recycling Results
21 NSSF, SIG SAUER Expand HAVA Support
21 Winchester Ammunition Honors Ahern Group
22 Newsmakers
INDUSTRY NEWS
6 Letters
52 Index Of Advertisers
46 New Products
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
COLUMNS
Index Of Advertisers
24 PERSONAL DEFENSE MARKET Massad Ayoob
Boost Sales With Little-Known Features
26 OUTDOOR MARKETPLACE J. K. Autry
Duck Commander Calls-In Incredible Sales
30 ARMS & THE WOMAN Lisa Parsons-Wraith
Personal Defense Is A Priceless Gift
32 BACK BLAST & OTHER HOT GASES It Wasn’t The Fashion Police That Got Him
54 INDUSTRY WATCH Russ Thurman
Increasing Percentage Of Americans: Gun Laws Too Strict
Attracting, Keeping This New Demographic Key To
Growing Profits
By Carolee Anita Boyles
38
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34
Commander Gilmore
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TODAY’S RECREATIONAL SHOOTER
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Sales Off To A Good Start, But Hard Work Is Still Needed
By Russ Thurman
Sharpen Your Retail Knife Sales
By Pat Covert
38Sales Off To A Good Start, But Sales Off To A Good Start, But
Hard Work Is Still Needed
By Russ Thurman
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www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 5
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[email protected] TO THE EDITORThe Real World
I am always impressed with how well you take my ramblings and add focus and coherency (“Honest Evaluation A Must! De-cember 2013).
As I looked through the December issue, I am reminded of all Shooting Industry provides: Industry updates, the Buyer’s Guide, best practices — it is all there, quick and easy to review.
I did have my button pressed by the suggestion that manu-facturers should move out of states unfriendly to the industry (“Dealers Prepare For The Challenges Ahead”).
Next to the ammo debate, this issue runs a close second in the head shaking I give. In a perfect world, we would all raise a metaphorical hand to the states that are “unfriendly” and wave the appropriate finger as they watch the tax base and jobs go else-where. However, there are multiple problems with this approach.
First, who is being hurt? Is it reasonable to expect office staff, assembly and production employees, shipping and receiving clerks and the maintenance staff to leave homes and families in order to “stick it to the state”? This expectation is not simply a choice on the part of the manufacturer. It is an expectation of sacrifice that impacts more than the company owners and senior managers.
Question: Has anyone making this demand looked at the cost to move? What is the cost for new factories, moving equipment, relocating employees or training new hires, identifying new sup-ply channels? Can the company afford to continue production at one location while getting the new facility operational? Worse
yet, can they afford to stop all production for a period to make the move? What of the old property? Can it be easily sold? This is not simply “Pass Go, Collect $200” and “Constructing a Hotel on Park Place.” This is the real world. Based on a company’s financial condition, the cost of moving could be more damaging
Read Ron Buschmann’s article “Honest Evaluation A Must!” in SI Digital December 2013. Visit www.shootingindustry.com/digital-editons and click the cover’s “New Business Year” headline. SI Digital readers, click the “Hot Link” logo.
©2014 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 013014
F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N, C A L L Y O U R R U G E R D I S T R I B U T O R T O D A Y.
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©2014 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 013014
F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N, C A L L Y O U R R U G E R D I S T R I B U T O R T O D A Y.
N E W P R O D U C T S F O R 2 0 1 4
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market. The only full-line manufacturer of American-made firearms, Ruger offers consumers over 400 variations of more than 30
product lines. For more than 60 years, Ruger has been a model of corporate and community responsibility. Our motto, “Arms Makers
for Responsible Citizens,” echoes the importance of these principles as we work hard to deliver quality and innovative firearms.
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LETTERSthan these proposed boycotts.
Then there are the logistics to consider. During my time as a commercial lender, one of the most frightening plans a client could share was an “intent to move.” And that was when the action was necessary to support growth and improved efficiency. They rarely made the move on time and on budget. If they could afford delays and overruns, it was less of a concern. How-ever, I never once had a client move solely on principle. God bless them if they could make that decision, with all the pitfalls, and survive. The odds would likely be an “anti-gun win,” because “gun-rights supporters” would effectively put a gun manufacturer out of business — by their demand for such a move.
There are some obvious options. We should look at our own situations before making demands of others. Mr. [Al] Hoff-meyer (Hoffmeyer’s Firearms & Sporting Goods, Grass Valley, Calif.) might want to consider the fact many dealers will not ship to California for the precise reasons he uses for his “Buying Standard.” If a manufacturer should be expected to move “to a friendly state where they will be appreciated,” why does this not include everyone in our industry? Should manu-facturers in gun-friendly states boycott dealers in California, New York, etc.?
In terms of economic impact relative to individual companies in other sectors, our entire sporting arms and ammunition in-dustry is very small. New York, Connecti-cut, Massachusetts and Illinois are among the states with the most restrictive gun laws, yet still are home to a “who’s who” of American gun manufacturers, in name, legacy and volume. I worry over our ten-dency to rabidly attack our own with little or no consideration to the impact on the greater whole.
I could list dozens of ways to support our rights and industry. I can promise you not one would involve demanding a sacri-fice of anyone I would not be personally willing to make.
Ron Buschmann, OwnerShooter’s Supply & Law Enforcement Equipment Co.Louisville, Ky. 9
We should look at our own situations before making
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Strategic Armory Corps has acquired McMillan Firearms, man-ufacturer of tactical and hunting rifles. The sale does not include McMillan Fiberglass Stocks or McMillan Merchant Solutions, which will continue to be operated by McMillan Group Interna-tional.
“The acquisition of McMillan Firearms is consistent with our focus on acquiring the highest-quality manufacturers of premium firearms,” said Mark Johnson, Strategic Armory Corps CEO. “This transaction provides the perfect product line complement to the ArmaLite and Surgeon Rifles product lines, and will allow us to more effectively serve the needs of the custom bolt-action
rifle enthusiast.”“Both Ryan [McMillan] and I will continue on as long-term
consultants with McMillan Firearms. We are proud of our heri-tage and are confident that Strategic Armory Corps will continue to build the highest-quality firearms for our valued customers,” said Kelly McMillan, McMillan Group International president.
Strategic Armory Corps is based in Phoenix, Ariz. In July 2013, the company acquired ArmaLite Inc.
www.mcmfamily.com
In January, the firearms industry sent a clear message to Califor-nia: “Microstamping doesn’t work. Manufacturers can’t comply. We’re suing you.” Reinforcing the message, Ruger and Smith & Wesson announced they would not include microstamping on their firearms.
On Jan. 9, the NSSF and SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Am-munition Manufacturers’ Institute) filed a lawsuit on behalf of its members against the State of California challenging the state’s mi-crostamping law.
The law, enacted in 2007, became effective in May 2013. It requires all semiautomatic pistols not already on California’s ap-proved handgun roster to include microstamping. To comply, fire-arms manufacturers must microlaser-engrave a gun’s make, model and serial number on two distinct parts of each gun, including the firing pin. The theory: The information would be im-printed on the cartridge cas-ing when the pistol is fired.
A twist in the law, seen as a move to eliminate all new pistols for sale in California, is its applica-tion to firearms already on California’s approved list. If a manufacturer updates a firearm that’s on the list, it must include microstamping features to be recertified.
“There is no existing microstamping technology that will reli-ably, consistently and legibly imprint the required identifying in-formation by a semiautomatic handgun on the ammunition it fires,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior VP and general counsel. “The holder of the patent for this technology himself has written that there are problems with it and that further study is warranted before it is mandated.”
Keene points out that a National Academy of Science review, forensic firearms examiners and a University of California, Davis study reached the same conclusion. Technical experts in the fire-arms industry also agree.
“Manufacturers cannot comply with a law, the provisions of which are invalid, that cannot be enforced and that will not con-tribute to improving public safety. As a result, we are seeking both
declaratory and injunctive relief against this back-door attempt to prevent the sale of new semiautomatic handguns to law-abiding citizens in California,” Keene said.
Ill-Conceived LawRuger and Smith & Wesson followed the announcement of the
NSSF lawsuit with strong statements, indicating they would not adopt microstamping.
“Ruger is committed to its customers in California. Unfortu-nately, the ill-conceived law requiring the incorporation of micro-stamping technology into semiautomatic pistols is forcing Ruger pistols off the Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale in California,” Ruger said in a statement. “We are working hard to serve our cus-tomers in California and will do all we can to fight this draconian
law.” The statement said Ruger
has continued to submit pistols to the independent test lab for testing, and those pistols meet all the requirements of Cali-fornia that were in effect when the pistols first appeared on the roster — everything except microstamping.
“We have been informed by the lab that the California DOJ (Department of Justice) will not even consider these ‘new’ pistols for inclusion on the roster unless they satisfy the microstamping regulations, which numerous stud-ies have found unworkable. Until microstamping is repealed, we expect that Ruger pistols — some of the safest available — will continue to be forced off the roster,” the statement concluded.
Smith & Wesson also said all of the company’s semiautomat-ics are at risk of eventually falling off the roster, except the M&P Shield and SDVE pistols. S&W says the two pistols are expected to remain on the California roster since the company does not plan to make changes to them. That would require recertification, in-cluding the microstamping requirement.
“As our products fall off the roster due to California’s interpre-tation of the Unsafe Handgun Act, we will continue to work with
Boost Sales With Little-Known Features — pg. 24
Continued on page 12
INDUSTRY NEWSIndustry To California: “No” To Microstamping
Strategic Armory Acquires McMillan Firearms
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10 MARCH 2014
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“There is no workable microstamping technology today, and Ruger believes that
California’s microstamping regulations make compliance impossible.”
— Michael Fifer, Ruger CEO
CQP 7MA15
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IN“No” To Microstampingthe NRA and the NSSF to oppose this poorly-conceived law, which mandates the unproven and unreliable concept of microstamping and makes it impossible for Californians to have access to the best products with the latest innovations,” said James Debney, Smith & Wesson president and CEO.
Debney said the company will do its best to support its custom-ers in California with state-compliant firearms.
“In these challenging times we hope you will support Smith & Wesson and all gun manufacturers in our fight to make the Unsafe Handgun Act about safety. We also encourage you to support the NSSF’s lawsuit and other efforts to stop microstamping before it impacts your constitutional rights,” Debney said.
On Feb. 1, Michael Fifer, Ruger CEO, filed a declaration in sup-port of the Second Amendment Foundation’s lawsuit challenging
California’s microstamping law.“There is no workable microstamping technology today, and
Ruger believes that California’s microstamping regulations make compliance impossible. … As it appears infeasible to comply with the California DOJ microstamping regulations, Ruger does not have any ability or plans to incorporate microstamping in its semi-automatic handguns, and cannot forecast when, if ever, it would be able to do so,” Fifer said.
To view the NSSF/SAMMI lawsuit and the Ruger and Smith & Wesson statements/documents, visit the websites below:
www.nssf.org www.ruger.com www.smith-wesson.com
Revision Military has won a competitive bid to supply the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) with its new, lighter-weight Batlskin Bullet Resistant Plates. The contract in-cludes five additional option years.
“We are extremely proud that, after several years of research and development on this program, Revision’s bid has been select-ed to supply Canada’s soldiers with plates that exceed the highest industry standards and the company’s rigorous quality assurance plans,” said Jonathan Blanshay, Revision Military CEO. “This
contract will be fulfilled at Revision’s Composite Centre of Excellence in Mon-treal, providing the DND with a made-in-Canada solution.”
Revision currently supplies the DND with Ballistic Eyewear (both spectacles and goggles) and helmets.
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Remington Arms Co. has named Spe-cial Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) as its primary military charity. The SFCT provides support and services to the U.S. Army’s Special Forces (Green Beret) com-munity and their families. Remington will provide products and resources for SFCT programs and fundraising events.
Remington launched its SFCT partner-ship with a $100,000 gift as the presenting sponsor at the annual Green Beret Family Awards Dinner in October 2013 in Wash-ington, D.C. The proceeds of the dinner funded scholarship programs, family emer-gency assistance and veterans’ support.
“Finding a military charity that shared our values and could benefit from our fi-nancial assistance and resources was im-portant. Through this partnership, we can make a meaningful difference for our spe-cial forces warriors, just as they have for our country,” said George Kollitides, Rem-ington chairman and CEO.
“With Remington by our side, we look forward to making today a better day than yesterday for the Green Beret community, filling some of the gaps that are not funded by our government,” said David T. Guern-sey Jr., SFCT executive director.
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Remington Supports Special Forces Trust
Proof Research has reached an agree-ment to acquire Performance Polymer So-lutions (P2SI). Proof Research manufac-tures carbon fiber and match-grade steel rifle barrels, composite firearm compo-nents and complete rifle systems.
P2SI’s product portfolio includes pro-prietary, high-performance resins, state-of-the-art structural prepregs and high-durability adhesive materials.
“Bringing P2SI under the Proof Re-search umbrella positions us uniquely in the industry,” said Pat Rainey, Proof Research CEO. “We now have start-to-finish control over every component and material that goes into our carbon fiber-wrapped barrels, as well as the ability to continuously develop game-changing new products.”
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INFMG Publications presented the NSSF a
check for $211,000 during the SHOT Show State of the Industry Dinner, Jan. 14. The money was raised during FMG’s Shooting Industry Masters and is designated to help fund NSSF’s First Shots Program.
“It’s an honor to present this check to NSSF to support this important industry program,” said Randy Molde, FMG Pub-lications VP of business development and Masters chairman. “First Shots is vital to ensuring new firearm owners get started correctly and safely and fully understand the responsibility of owning a gun. First Shots also helps us infuse and grow our ranks. We at FMG Publications will con-tinue to support this key NSSF program.”
“We at NSSF, and especially those in-volved with our First Shots program, can’t thank FMG Publications enough for this incredible show of support!” said Steve Sa-netti, NSSF president and CEO.
Molde also thanked the industry for its support of the Shooting Industry Masters, including the record-setting 53 sponsors for
the 2013 event in Cody, Wyo. “The generosity and support from the
people in our industry is astounding,” Molde said. “The folks who attend the Masters understand the importance of sup-porting programs to preserve the future of the shooting sports. We could not hold the Masters without you. We thank all those who support this industry-only event.”
Now in its 12th year, the Shooting In-dustry Masters has raised money to sup-port NSSF programs since its first match in 2003. For the past five Masters, that money has been designated for First Shots. At the 2013 Masters, FMG raised a record-setting $70,000 for First Shots. More than 300 shooters from throughout the industry took part in the two-day event.
The 2014 Shooting Industry Masters will be held at the Indian River Shooting Range in Sebastian, Fla., July 18-19. The event is co-hosted by Indian River County and the Treasure Coast Sports Commission.
www.shootingindustry.com/masters
FMG Presents NSSF $211,000 For First Shots
Randy Molde (second from left), FMG Publications VP of business development, and Russ Thurman (left), Shooting Industry Magazine publisher/editor, present a $211,000 check to Bob Scott (second from right) NSSF Board of Governors chairman, and Steve Sanetti (right), NSSF president and CEO.
Many MidwayUSA Foundation shoot-ing teams will see an increase in their team endowment accounts following the most recent donation from Larry and Brenda Potterfield. The $160,492 matching gift will be divided among the 29 teams that received donations into their endowment accounts in the month of November. Every general donation made to a MidwayUSA Foundation shooting team is matched 2:1
by the Potterfields.MidwayUSA Foundation Inc. is a non-
profit charity that helps communities and organizations raise funds to support high school, college and other youth shooting teams and activities. It currently serves over 1,500 teams through its Team En-dowment Account Program.
www.midwayusafoundation.org
Potterfields’ Donate To Youth Shooting
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Hand Primer Ad Trade_Layout 1 11/7/13 8:44 AM Page 1Smith & Wesson is restoring the veteran’s memorial flagpole in front of its headquarters.
Smith & Wesson Restores Memorial Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. is sup-
porting the Springfield, Mass., commu-nity’s veterans and military families, and helping the community to pay tribute to its fallen heroes by funding and overseeing repair and restoration of the historic Roo-sevelt Avenue Veteran’s Memorial flagpole.
The company unveiled its plans at a fall 2013 press conference at its Springfield headquarters, joined by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. The memorial flagpole, lo-cated on a roadway median directly in front of the Smith & Wesson campus, was erect-ed in 1931 as part of a Veteran’s Memorial. A severe storm in 2011 leveled the flagpole.
Smith & Wesson will sponsor a com-plete restoration of the flagpole and base. The base of the flagpole, which is inscribed with wars dating up to World War I, will be updated to include subsequent war dates in honor of those who served after World War I.
The company plans to complete the res-toration, as well as maintenance and repair of the adjacent portion of the Memorial, in time to host a rededication ceremony on
Memorial Day 2014, the anniversary of the Memorial’s original dedication in 1932. Smith & Wesson expects to pay about $200,000 for the restoration and repair project.
“Over the course of our 162-year his-tory in Springfield, we have maintained a special relationship with those who have served in the armed forces. They are our employees, our neighbors, our friends, and they are integral to the values and the fabric of our community and our country. While nothing we do compares with the sacrifices made by these heroes and their families, we are honored to have the opportunity to rec-ognize them and give back in some small way,” said James Debney, Smith & Wesson president and CEO.
Smith & Wesson says it also will partner with local nonprofit organizations dedicat-ed to improving the lives of veterans of the armed forces and their families, and will be making additional announcements of those plans soon.
www.smith-wesson.com
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Redding’s Cast Iron FoundationAll things of quality are built on a solid foundation [foun-dey-shuh n] That very word,refers to the basis on which something stands, the support upon which all else iscrafted or constructed. Only a quality foundation will allow the building of anythingwhich has real strength and value over time.The foundation of the highest quality reloading tools like presses, powder measures,case trimmers and lubrisizers is cast iron. Its high strength and natural bearingcharacteristics, make it ideal for both heavy duty and high precision tools wherestrength and durability as well as “rock solid” stability are required.Redding uses only American Cast Iron components produced by a family ownedcustom foundry in Pennsylvania. The material in our castings is specific to our pro-prietary formulation for the finest grain structure yielding a combination of high strengthand its ability to produce an ultra-fine machined finish. This combination has notchanged in over 40 years and while there are less expensive possibilities from aroundthe world, Redding products have developed a reputation for quality and durabilitythat we believe is worth preserving.We also believe in preserving American jobs of customers just like the ones in your shop today. That iswhy we strive to maintain our position as a 100% American Made company by buying our raw materialsand components, and by making our products here. This solid foundation represents a differencewhich is easy for you to demonstrate to your customers. Share these facts as your customer looks toyou for guidance in their reloading equipment purchases and feel good knowing that you are helping tocreate Red, White and Blue Jobs when you sell Redding Green Products.Redding Reloading Equipment, 1089 Starr Road, Cortland, NY 13045
Streamlight Inc., along with several of its U.S. distribution part-ners, recycled close to 3,500 pounds of rechargeable batteries dur-ing the third quarter of 2013 — totaling nearly 6,800 pounds for the year. The recycled batteries included Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride and Small Sealed Lead batteries.
Streamlight and its distributors are partners with Call2Recycle, the only free rechargeable battery-recycling program in North America. The program helps businesses care for the environment through its rechargeable battery collection program.
“Streamlight is proud to do its part in ‘going green,’” said Ray
Sharrah, Streamlight president and CEO. “Once again this year [2013], Streamlight and its participating dealers have joined thousands of U.S. businesses in serving as bat-tery collection sites in a collective effort to maintain a healthy and safe environment for our communities.”
www.streamlight.com www.call2recycle.org
Streamlight Announces Recycling Results
In mid-December, NSSF announced its membership had topped 10,000 — an all-time high for the industry’s trade asso-ciation. NSSF members include manufacturers, distributors, feder-ally-licensed firearms retailers, shooting facilities, outdoor media publishers, industry associates and individuals. Special member categories include Voting Members and Supporting Members.
“NSSF membership continues to climb because more industry-connected companies, organizations and individuals are aware
of the many ways NSSF works to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shoot-ing sports,” said Chris Dolnack, senior VP and chief marketing officer. “Such growth empowers NSSF to speak with a single, pow-
erful voice on behalf of industry inside the Beltway and in state houses across the country.”
Dolnack pointed out NSSF members benefit from many ini-tiatives in the areas of government relations, communications, firearm safety, increasing participation in the shooting sports, the SHOT Show and discounts and benefits related to their business.
“The more member support we have, the more we can help sup-port and protect their businesses and their customer base,” Dolnack said.
Additional information on membership is available on NSSF’s website.
www.nssf.org
NSSF Reaches 10,000-Member Milestone
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 19
IN
Manta has been awarded a contract to produce extreme rail protector components for the U.S. Marine Corps’ new Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR).
The Manta M27 IAR kit is available to the Marines in both black and flat dark earth, and National Stock Numbers have been issued for all components.
The components provided by Manta for the M27 IAR consist of a One Vertical Grip Sleeve featuring a Micro-Pocket that will accept a pressure pad from a laser or a light, one Micro Pocket Switch Holder that hous-es and protects a pressure pad from heat and external hazards, and two Manta Cross Clips to help manage and route wires.
The M27 IAR kit also includes two 6-inch Low Profile Wire Routing Rail Guards which mitigate heat and the IR sig-nature, while allowing a Marine to manage wires within the grip.
www.mantarails.com
Manta Awarded USMC Contract
HPR Ammunition has named Schooler Associates its 2013 Rep Group of the Year. According to HPR, Schooler achieved and exceeded the goals outlined for the year, based on sales in territories, product deliv-ered as well as purchase orders. Schooler Associates was presented a Scottsdale Mint Silver KILO Stacker.
“Such an award is unheard of in this in-dustry and we are always proud to have the title of Rep Group of the Year, but getting this type of appreciation is over the top. Our team is truly dedicated to serving HPR and building partnerships with our customers,” said Mike Schooler, company principal.
“We have been very impressed with the quality of work, customer service and professionalism that the Schooler Associ-ates group displays,” said Ryan Nicholas, HPR’s national sales director. “We are looking forward to a great 2014 and an in-crease in supply to help meet the ever in-creasing demand.”
HPR Ammunition also named Kevin Roberson, of Schooler Associates, its Sales Rep of the Year for 2013, and Tim Richard-son, of H&G Marketing, its Rookie of the Year Sales Award for 2013.
www.hprammo.com
HPR Ammunition Names Top Sales Reps
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Steyr Arms announces it began full operations in its newly acquired 33,000-square-foot headquarters complex in Bessemer, Ala., on Jan. 2. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Steyr Mannlicher and the sole importer of Steyr, Merkel and Anschutz sporting firearms.
The new facility includes warehouse and manufacturing space, office space, a state-of-the-art firearm testing range and a firearms showroom. The company says the showroom is “the largest and most encompassing display of Steyr, Merkel and Anschutz fire-arms anywhere in the world.”
“As we near the 150th anniversary of Steyr Mannlicher in 2014, I can assure you that they [parent company] truly recognize the
importance of our American consumers, and not only do they understand the significance of our specific needs, they are working to meet them,” said Scott O’Brien, Steyr Arms CEO. “We have a lot of great products that we will introduce in 2014 to celebrate our 150th anniversary, and quite frankly, our new offerings are truly going to take many by surprise.”
www.steyrarms.com
Steyr Arms Begins Operations In New Complex
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 21
INNSSF and SIG SAUER have announced
expansion of their support of Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA).
In mid-December NSSF announced it was donating $10,000 to HAVA on behalf of the entire NSSF membership. The NSSF said the donation was made instead of print-ing holiday cards for its 10,000 members.
“Many of our companies’ leaders are ex-military, and an increasing number of our members are appreciating the enormity of the task of veteran rehabilitation and the positive contribution that the indus-try is making through HAVA — now the shooting sports industry’s best statement of America’s ongoing commitment to our disabled veterans and their families,” said Steve Sanetti, NSSF president and CEO.
“NSSF, as the industry leader, was an early supporter of the HAVA idea that the shooting sports industry should make a strong statement in support of those Ameri-can heroes who have suffered serious inju-ries in defense of freedom. Their financial support is pivotal for us, but more important is their help in educating our entire industry
about the cause,” said Tom Taylor, HAVA chairman.
SIG SAUER is committing a portion of sales from the company’s new SB15 Pistol Stabilizing Brace to HAVA. Designed by a veteran, the SB15 allows those with re-duced upper body strength to enjoy shoot-ing pistol versions of the AR-15 platform.
“HAVA has been at the forefront of helping American servicemen and wom-en get back into the shooting sports, and we’re huge supporters of this effort,” said Bud Fini, SIG SAUER VP of marketing. “We’ve seen firsthand the positive impact from getting these veterans back to the ac-tivities they love, and we’re just thrilled to be able to help this program.”
“SIG SAUER has been a supporter of HAVA, going back to some of the first range events,” Taylor said. “We’ve always thought the SIG brand was a perfect fit for the wounded warriors we serve. And now they are a HAVA sponsor at the highest level with financial support, firearms, vol-unteers and a product that is functional for disabled shooters.”
www.honoredveterans.orgwww.nssf.org
www.sigsauer.com
NSSF, SIG SAUER Expand HAVA Support
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Winchester Ammunition has named the Ahern Group its 2013 Commercial Sales Agency of the Year.
“The award is a tribute to the hard work of Ahern Group in reaching key retailers and distributors with new Winchester Am-munition products,” said Brett Flaugher, Winchester Ammunition VP of marketing, sales and strategy.
The Ahern Sales group represents sales of hunting, shooting and law enforcement products in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.
“We are very honored and excited to
be receiving this award from Winchester,” said David Puckett, Ahern Group president. “Our customers have grown accustomed to the consistent innovation and the legendary excellence for which the Winchester brand is known. This year’s demand for ammuni-tion has been one of the most exciting, and we are committed to continue investing in our future in order to meet the respect and satisfaction that Winchester Ammunition and our customers deserve.”
www.winchester.com www.aherngroupllc.com
Winchester Ammunition Honors Ahern Group
Representatives from the Ahern Group celebrate being named Winchester Ammunition’s 2013 Commercial Sales Agency of the Year.
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INDUSTRY NEWSMAKERSLiberty Ammunition Announces Executive Management
Liberty Ammuni-tion announces a new management team in key positions. The new team is formed under the leadership of Steven C. Torma, president and CEO. Torma joined Liberty in Spring 2013, pre-
viously having held positions at General Dynamics where he served as vice presi-dent and general manager.
“The new management team brings a wealth of expertise in best business prac-tices, ordnance manufacturing, quality as-surance, finance and sales and marketing. The new level of leadership is bringing a clear and focused strategic vision that will make Liberty Ammunition one of the in-dustry’s leading full service ammunition companies,” Torma said.
Additionally, Liberty Ammunition an-nounces Kathleen Long as CFO, bringing with her over 20 years of accounting and finance experience.
Matthew Phillips joins Liberty as the new VP of sales and marketing, focusing on growth in personal defense, law en-forcement and military ammunition sales through distributor and retailer channels.
Joseph Homko is the new senior direc-tor of manufacturing and has over 25 years experience in the manufacture of military ordnance with senior-level responsibility.
James Edwards is Liberty’s new qual-ity manager, responsible for the develop-ment and implementation of quality, safe-ty and security process for the production of the commercial ammunition line.
Otis Technologies Names CEO, Executive Appointments
Otis Technology announces the ap-pointment of Leonard Puzzuoli to the po-sition of chief executive officer. Puzzuoli succeeds Otis founder, President and CEO Doreen Garrett in this role. Puzzuoli had served as chief financial officer at Otis since 2009.
“We are pleased and excited to have Len in this key lead-ership role. We wel-come the strengths he brings in financial leadership, strategic planning and posi-tioning the company
for continued growth,” Garrett said.Otis also announces Harold Philbrick
as vice president of operations. In this role, Philbrick will be responsible for leading the manufacturing, warehousing, quality assurance and materials teams. He previously held the position of director of operations and has been with Otis since July 2009.
Additionally, James Brooker has been appointed vice president of engineering, research and development. He leads the R&D team in Otis’ Phoenix, N.Y.-based Engineering Center of Excellence. Brook-er has been with Otis Technology since September 2009 and formerly held the po-sition of director of engineering.
Ellett Brothers Announces VP Of Sales
Ellett Brothers an-nounces the promo-tion of Jeff Pugh to serve as vice presi-dent of sales.
“Jeff has worked hard his whole career and is very deserving of this promotion,” said Chuck Walker, United Sports Companies CSMO.
Pugh has over 18 years of shooting and marine industry experience with Ellett Brothers in a range of positions. Prior to his employment with Ellett Brothers, he spent many years building a foundation of knowledge and hands-on experience as a gun and archery dealer and successful competitive archer.
Blue Book PublicationsAppoints President
Adam Burt has been appointed presi-dent of Blue Book Publications. He as-sumes this position in addition to his ongoing role as head of business develop-ment, a position he has held since 2012.
Burt will lead an ongoing shift in the overall business to strategic digital content delivery, high-value online subscription services and drive further revenue growth.
“We are very pleased to make this appoint-ment and to see Mr. Burt flourish in his new role, and we’re looking forward to seeing the impact his leadership will have on our business. This appointment marks the start of our strategic evolution into the digital world, and signals a commitment to deliver high-value information and ser-vices to our growing customer base,” said Thomas Stock, Blue Book Publications CFO and board chairman.
Bushnell Outdoor ProductsHires Assistant Product Manager
Bushnell Outdoor Products announces Zach Fleer has joined Bushnell as assis-tant product manager for trail cameras. In his new role, Fleer will assist with trail camera product de-velopment as well as product line management for Bushnell, Primos, Simmons and Tasco trail cameras.
Prior to joining Bushnell, Fleer held positions at W.L. Carter Co. and Midway USA.
“With the continued rapid growth in the trail camera market, we’re excited to bring Zach Fleer aboard to help us main-tain our industry leadership,” said Jordan Vermillion, Bushnell product director. “Zach’s product management experience, background in our industry and passion for the outdoors make him a great fit for our team.”
Fleer holds a bachelor’s degree in Fish-eries and Wildlife from the University of Missouri.
Southwick Associates Hires Business Development Director
Southwick Associates announces the hiring of Nancy Bacon as director of busi-ness development. Bacon has 20-plus years of industry experience developing and implementing market research to sup-port product development and strategic initiatives.
Her primary responsibilities will be working with clients to evaluate their stra-tegic information needs, develop research methodologies and techniques to meet the defined business objectives and ensure the
S. Torma
A. Burt
H. Philbrick
Z. Fleer
J. Brooker
L. Puzzuoli
J. Pugh
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 23
successful execution and application of the project results.
“Nancy brings significant experience and abilities to the Southwick team,” said Rob Southwick, Southwick Associates president. “Her unmatched knowledge of how the hunting and shooting industry works and market research background will benefit our clients, helping them un-derstand their markets and opportunities to increase their sales and revenues. We’re excited by her addition to our team.”
Prior to joining Southwick, Bacon held positions at Leupold & Stevens, Inc. and Blount International, Inc.
GSMAppoints Marketing Manager
GSM has promoted Ben Smith to mar-keting manager. Smith will be responsible for media budget management, product distribution to key influencers, as well as communicating the brand message to the industry. Smith will also continue his sales responsibilities with several key accounts for the company.
“Ben is very passionate about the out-
doors and has in-depth product knowl-edge and experience in the field from his many years spent hunting and scouting in his home state of Wisconsin. He has been a true asset to the GSM team and we feel he will excel in this position and help drive our brands to the next level,” said Doug Mann, GSM vice president of product development and marketing.
Fighter Design Announces CEO
Fighter Design announces the hiring of Damon Helton as CEO. Helton previ-ously held positions at 5.11 Tactical, where he worked for five years developing the military and government direct programs. Helton is a former U.S. Army Ranger and a five-tour combat veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Damon has already taken the company to a new level since he signed on. He’s a
great American pa-triot and a great leader. As our CEO, he blends together years of combat and industry experience to bring focus to the ambitious goals of Fighter Design and our new product line. Damon also maintains great relationships in the community and will be overseeing the recruitment campaign for 2014,” said Adam Slank, Fighter Design founder and president.
Strategic Armory Corps Announces New President
Strategic Armory Corps has hired John Spurrier as its new president and chief operating officer. Spurrier most recently served as the president and chief executive officer of Kriss USA.
Spurrier has previously held several different management positions at CISCO/Scientific-Atlanta and is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 9
D. HeltonB. Smith
INM
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You likely have customers who don’t think they need a light or light/laser unit to go on the integral sight rail of their pistols. However, whatever they think about the importance of identify-ing and hitting their target in the dark, you might want to remind them a light protruding forward from under the muzzle creates stand-off capability.
I know a police officer whose life was saved in a close-range death battle because of this feature. The suspect shot him several times and he went down. The officer drew his department-issue .40, and returned fire effectively. Badly wounded but still able to fight, the gunman fell on top of the cop with his stolen pistol still loaded, and still trying to murder him.
The cop rammed his own pistol against the man’s head, and
pulled the trigger three times. Not until the last shot did he feel his antagonist go limp. The officer recovered from his multiple wounds, thanks to his indomi-table will, a Safariland ballistic vest that stopped the bullets and a Streamlight TLR-1 light at-tached to his service pistol. He was using the exact same make and model pistol as the Midwestern officer mentioned earlier, whose gun wouldn’t fire at press-contact distance. In the South-
You’re not a firearms retailer for too long before you run into the customer who is unhappy because the gun he bought from you didn’t have the features its manufacturer promised it would. “This was supposed to have a ‘butter-smooth’ action, but it’s rough as a cob!” (Funny how the customer didn’t notice it when he handled the gun in the shop.) Or, “The manufacturer guaran-tees MOA accuracy, but this thing can’t keep all its shots in a dishpan!” (Amazing how often that turns out to be the customer’s fault, and not the gun). I’m sure you have a few more similar comments you can add.
Let’s look at an opposite phenomenon — the firearm or re-lated personal-defense product, which has a feature the manufac-turer didn’t advertise. This provides you an opportunity to let the customer in on a “secret feature” to give him or her a personal-protection advantage.
From a retailer’s point of view, three good things come of that:
Boost Sales With Little-Known Features
Massad AyoobPERSONAL DEFENSE MARKET
You have an important selling point your competitor on the other side of town doesn’t know about, which clinch-es the sale for you instead of for him.
At no cost to you or your gun shop, you’ve “sweetened the sale” with added value, the value in this case being tactical. Customer appreciation. Added value. Things that keep customers coming back to you instead of going to the competition.
The most important factor: The “hidden advantage” you’ve shared with the customer and put in the custom-er’s hands, may literally save the customer’s life one day.
Many people on both sides of the gun shop counter aren’t aware of “stand-off capability” — yet it can mean the differ-ence between life and death. Semiautomatic pistols are the most popular defensive handguns today. Most of them are designed in such a way that, if the muzzle has to be pressed against an assail-ant who is trying to commit murder, the barrel/slide assembly is pushed rearward — out of battery — and the pistol will not fire.
I remember one case in the Midwest where a cop was down on the ground, being beaten to death, and desperately tried to shoot the assailant. He couldn’t. By pressing his service pistol against the man, the barrel/slide assembly was pushed out of battery, and nothing happened when he pulled the trigger. Only something close to a miracle saved his life.
However, there are semiautomatic pistols that will fire in this situation. One is the Springfield Armory XD pistol, with a 4-inch or shorter barrel. The pistol’s long, full-length recoil spring guide under the barrel protrudes very slightly ahead of the muzzle. This keeps it from being pushed out of battery on a contact shot. The same is true to a somewhat lesser extent with longer-barrel XD and XD(M) pistols, since at certain angles off “straight in” they can still be pushed out of battery. Stand-off capability is also found in some subcompact 9mm pistols, such as the Beretta Nano and the SIG P290 series.
To demonstrate this to a customer, “dry-fire” by pressing the muzzle of the (carefully checked) unloaded pistol against some-thing firm (a book laying on the counter, for example) and pulling the trigger. The ideal device for this demonstration is the “Safe Direction” ballistic containment pad, which is designed to absorb bullets and is a great corollary sale item itself. It’s available from the Ravelin Group (www.ravelingroup.com).
The full-length recoil spring guide under the barrel of the 4-inch XD-45 Service pistol from Springfield Armory protrudes very slightly ahead of the muzzle, which creates a stand-off effect.
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Benefits Of Stand-Off Capability
pulled the trigger three times. Not until the last shot did he feel his pulled the trigger three times. Not until the last shot did he feel his
Accessories like the Streamlight TLR-4 light/laser unit adds stand-off capability to pistols by keeping the muzzle clear of contact.
Offer Life-Saving Accessories
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 25
ern officer’s case, the stand-off capability created by the gun-mounted light allowed him to finish the fight with a satisfactory conclusion.
For your customers who keep a 1911 as their bedside home companion, you may wish to offer the stand-off device produced for railed 1911s by master gun-smith and shooting incident survivor Dave Lauck (www.dlsports.com/1911-standoff-device.html).
Dave has lots of other good stuff for your gun shop, too. Finding a holster for your customer’s daily-carry 1911 that is equipped with Lauck’s device might be a problem, but for the never-holstered “bed-side gun” or “under the cash register gun,” this accessory can be a life-saver.
Of course, a revolver has built-in “stand-off capability” due to its design. A friend of mine is now safely retired af-ter a long and very dangerous career with the CIA, during which he was involved in multiple gunfights. In some of those, the attacker was so close he had to thrust his revolver into the antagonist and pull the trigger. Today, though he’s a credentialed gun expert who owns many fine autoload-ers, he still carries a revolver by choice.
Another friend was involved in a dozen or more shootings during a nearly 40-year career in law enforcement. In the first, he had to press the muzzle of his S&W Model 10 revolver into the chest of his op-ponent, and shoot or die. He shot. He only went to a semiauto when his department insisted. Last I heard, his personal prefer-ence was still a short-barrel Smith & Wes-son .38 Special.
Stand-off capability can be sold as one of several particular semiautomatic pistols. It can be sold as an accessory to a pistol the customer already owns. It can be sold as a very real and well-established advantage of the revolvers already in your showcase.
And, most importantly, it can save your customer’s life. 9
PDM
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Of course, a revolver has built-in
“stand-off capability” due to its design.
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If it seems like the Robertsons of Duck Commander fame are everywhere these days, that’s because they are. The contro-versy surrounding A&E’s decision concerning the popular
“Duck Dynasty” TV series served to create an even larger fol-lowing for America’s most popular duck-call family. The widely-publicized controversy led to greater sales for Duck Command-er-related products, like Mossberg’s recently introduced line of Duck Commander firearms.
“It’s been unbelievable,” said Tom Taylor, Mossberg VP of sales and marketing. “After the story about our new Duck Commander guns hit on CNN Money on Jan. 2, it was picked up by, I think, 47 Internet news services and 15 different TV shows, including ‘Good Morning America’. You have Mossberg TV commercials running on ‘Good Morning America’, that’s incredible.”
Taylor said he’s never experienced such wide-spread exposure of a new product.
“We couldn’t have planned our promotions of our new Duck Commander guns any better leading into SHOT Show. In about five days at distributor shows (in early January), we doubled our orders on Duck Commander guns,” Taylor said.
Mossberg’s Duck Commander guns, TV com-mercial and other related promotions can be seen at www.mossberg.com.
As a reminder, Mossberg dealers have un-til March 31 to sign up for the company’s Triple Crown Stocking Dealer program. For more information, email [email protected].
Other companies are benefiting from partnering with Duck Commander. Kai USA has released a series of Duck Commander everyday carrying and hunting knives in fixed-blade and folding styles, as well as a selection of machetes and accessories.
“Kai USA, Duck Commander and Buck Commander are all well-known for the quality and innovation of their products,” said Jack Igarashi, Kai USA COO. “That makes our partnership a natural fit, and we are very proud to be the Official Knife of Duck Commander and Buck Commander.”
Kai’s Pure Komachi 2 brand will also join with Duck Com-mander on a kitchen cutlery series, which will involve the wives of “Duck Dynasty.”
Prototypes of the first three to four knives in the series ap-peared at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas in January and will be
available for purchase by summer. Promotional displays and sales materials will be available to assist retailers in successfully merchandising these product lines. For more details, visit www.kalusaltd.com.
Undoubtedly, Duck Commander will continue to gain support in the firearms industry and among consumers — and we can ex-pect more partnerships and Duck Commander-branded products.
To stay up-to-date on all things Duck Commander, the Robert-sons have a new website at duckcommander.com.
“Duck Commander fans get a lot of cool new features with this website,” Brita Lewis, marketing strategist for Gray Loon Marketing Group, said. “My favorites are the duck-call compari-sons, duck-hunting resources and fan-submitted content. Visitors can even add their own recipes and photos to the site.”
For those new to duck hunting, the site also includes lessons on blowing and cleaning a duck call, a primer on duck species, a flyway map and information about duck-hunting laws and safety.
“The new site makes it easy to connect with family members on social media, and see where you can see them in person,” Stephanie Walker, Duck Commander website manager, said. “We want our fans to have something to look forward to when they come back to the website. New photos from fans are added daily.”
Duck Commander Calls-In Incredible Sales
J. K. AutryOUTDOOR MARKETPLACE
Columbia River Knife & Tool Celebrates 20th AnniversaryCRKT commemorates its 20th anniversary this year and un-
veiled a new look and feel for its brand at the SHOT Show. “From day one we put innovation and integrity first,”
CRKT Founder Rod Bremer said. “We made a commit-ment to build products that inspire confidence in hand.” The company boasts ambitious plans for this year — a new line-up of knives, tools and even a hoist design — and the new logo reflects the rebranding. The company hired Blue Collar Interac-tive to give the brand a fresh look and voice.
“We’ve been huge fans of CRKT for years,” said Tom Lehm-ann, creative director at Blue Collar. “It made the work that much
easier and that much more authentic. We told Rod from our first conversation that we wanted to craft a brand identity for CRKT that was as innovative as its products.”
Bremer said CRKT will continue to focus on introducing in-novative products in 2014 and beyond: “There is no finish line. You either keep moving forward with inspired new designs, or you perish.”
The Duck Commander line of branded firearms is featured on Mossberg’s website: www.mossberg.com.
Continued on page 28
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OMIn honor of Norma’s 110 years in the
ammunition industry, the company un-veiled a new Norma Reloading Manual Expanded Edition. This is Norma’s second reloading handbook for the beginner to the advanced handloader. This collectible volume has been updated with new car-tridges, components and recipes for avid hunters to dedicated target shooters.
The manual includes the history behind the Norma brand, as well as advice, and loads using Norma bullets and powders. It’s a solid go-to reference book that many consumers will want to keep on their load-ing bench.
Shoot Smart Indoor Range and Train-ing Center in Fort Worth, Texas, has re-ceived NSSF’s Five Star rating. Randy Clark, NSSF managing director, business development, found the range more than met the Five Star rating criteria when he visited the site last year.
“The facility offered everything for new and well-seasoned customers,” Clark said. “The store was impeccable in its standards for merchandising, range facil-ity, cleanliness and operations.”
Clark met with owner Roxanne Laney to discuss Shoot Smart’s operations, mer-chandising and marketing plans and over-
all business concept and then toured the facility. Before leaving, he enjoyed a man-agement staff presentation on the culture of Shoot Smart and a look into its future.
Congrats to Laney and the entire Shoot Smart team on becoming an NSSF Five Star Range.
www.shootsmartusa.comwww.nssf.org/ranges
Tacprogear recently introduced the re-chargeable Tiny Monster TM15 handheld searchlight, one of the most powerful and smallest units on the market. With 2,450 lumens of bright white light, the TM15 utilizes 3 CREE XM-L LEDs and boasts a burn time of up to 50,000 hours.
The Nitecore TM15 is designed for out-door activities and is constructed from ae-ro-grade aluminum that is hard-anodized to an impressive HAIII military grade for protection from corrosion and wear. The TM15’s thermal heat fins are designed to make the unit extremely stable in all types of weather.
The Tacprogear Nitecore Tiny Monster TM15 rechargeable handheld searchlight comes with its own charger, quality hol-ster, lanyard and a spare O-ring.
www.tacprogear.com
Norma Debuts Expanded Reloading Manual
Shoot Smart Earns NSSF Five Star Rating
Tacprogear Launches Handheld Searchlight
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Tiny Monster TM15
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Dealers, to win this prize bundle, visit www.shootingindustry.com/giveaway and complete a brief, four-question survey. You will automatically be entered to win. Entries must be received before May 1, 2014. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected.
The Stag Arms Model 3T-M features a 16-inch free-floated government profile barrel with a carbine-length gas system. It is chambered in 5.56 NATO and offers a 1/9-inch twist rate. The rifle is equipped with a Diamondhead USA 13.5-inch free-floating handguard, allowing for the attachment of rail sections or sling mounts. Included on the rifle are polymer DiamondHead aluminum flip-up front and rear sights.The 3T-M features a Magpul ACS buttstock and a Magpul MOE pistol grip.
The Trigger Knife Kit from Klecker Knives features all-plastic components, in 14 different colors, designed for young children to build their own folding knife and to learn about safe knife handling before using a real blade.
Diamondhead’s Diamond Flip-Up Polymer Sights are fitted with NiteBrite photoluminescent inserts and feature polymer/composite construction. The Polymer Front Sight features diamond-shaped Upper Housing and the Polymer Rear Sight features dual same-plane long- and short-range apertures, and a 0.5-MOA windage adjustment.
Dealers, to win this prize bundle, visit www.shootingindustry.com/giveaway and complete a brief, four-question survey. You will
The Stag Arms Model 3T-M features a 16-inch free-floated government profile barrel with a carbine-length gas system. It is chambered in 5.56 NATO and offers a 1/9-inch twist rate. The rifle is equipped with a Diamondhead USA 13.5-inch free-floating handguard, allowing for the attachment of rail sections or sling mounts. Included on the rifle are polymer DiamondHead aluminum flip-up front and rear sights.The 3T-M features a Magpul ACS buttstock and a Magpul MOE pistol grip. Diamond Flip-Up
Polymer Sights are fitted with NiteBrite photoluminescent inserts and feature polymer/composite construction. The Polymer Front Sight features diamond-shaped Upper Housing and the Polymer Rear Sight features dual same-plane long- and short-range apertures, and a 0.5-MOA windage adjustment.
Trigger Knife Kitfeatures all-plastic components, in 14 different colors, designed for young children to build their own folding knife and to learn about safe knife handling before using a real blade.
Trigger Knife Kitfeatures all-plastic components, in 14 different colors, designed for young children to build their own folding knife and to learn about safe knife handling before using a real blade.
Trigger Knife Kit from Klecker Knives features all-plastic components, in 14 different colors, designed for young children to build their own folding knife and to learn about safe knife handling before using a real blade.
13.5-inch free-floating handguard, allowing for the attachment of rail sections or sling mounts. Included on the rifle are polymer DiamondHead aluminum flip-up front and rear sights.The 3T-M features a Magpul ACS buttstock and a
The Trigger Knife Kitfeatures all-plastic components, in 14 different colors, designed for young children to build their own folding knife and to learn about safe knife
Diamondhead’s Diamond Flip-Up Polymer Sights are fitted with NiteBrite photoluminescent inserts and feature polymer/composite construction. The Polymer Front Sight features diamond-shaped Upper Housing and the Polymer Rear Sight features dual same-plane long- and short-range apertures, and a
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Gun store owners are in a unique position to give women the most precious of gifts — the ability to protect themselves. Some new products have come out recently in the non-lethal de-fense market, specifically for women. One of the most interest-ing things about these products is that they are trying to change the tone of women’s personal defense. In the past, many women have felt the marketing associated with personal defense made it seem like a negative and daunting task. As more women have gotten involved in the industry, the tone is changing to one of empowerment.
SABRE Red is at the forefront of this movement with their new Safety Chick Kits created in partnership with Kathleen Baty. Baty is a stalking survivor who helped pass the first anti-stalking law. Baty is also an author, motivational speaker and television personality. She says her passion is to change the way person-al safety is marketed to women and to promote it as a lifestyle choice that is positive and empowering.
“Personal safety is not about living paranoid,” Baty said, “It’s about living smart. My mantra is ‘strength, courage and common sense.’”
Baty has spent years learning how to live smart and it is re-flected in the safety tips she offers on her website and on shows like the “Today Show.” She also shares her experience in her books, A Girl’s Gotta Do What a Girl’s Gotta Do and College 101, both written in an easily accessible tone and packed full of personal-defense information.
Her partnership with SABRE Red packages several personal-defense products in one easy-to-display place, and gives women a definite starting place for a proactive approach to their first de-fensive needs. There are two versions of the Safety Chick Kit. The first version contains SABRE Red pepper spray, a door wedge alarm and a personal alarm with strobe light, while the
second version replaces the pepper spray with peephole covers. Baty pointed out that revers-ing peepholes in col-lege dorms is a huge problem. Many young women have been em-barrassed by people looking at them through reversed peepholes, or even videotaping them, as FOX Sports sideline reporter Erin Andrews experienced.
A truly unique fea-ture of the Safety Chick Kits is the inclusion of drink coasters to detect two of the most com-mon date rape drugs. The directions for use are printed on the coast-ers, and it’s easy to use a straw to put a drop of liquid on the paper, which changes color if drugs are detected. This is one of those products every woman should have in her purse — not just college students. A friend in her 40s attended a large music festival and the bartender actually slipped some type of drug in her drink. Luckily, she consumed very little of the drink/drug before she noticed something was wrong, but the results could have been disastrous.
No one knows your customers’ needs the way you do, and many dealers may want to create their own kits designed specifi-cally for their clientele. For example, if the bulk of your female clientele are shotgun owners, a personal safety kit that incor-porates non-lethal defense for out-of-the-home situations and a
shotgun for home defense makes a lot of sense. If you already sell store logo items, these can be incorporated into the kits to help further promote your store. For example, fill a logo range bag with items that you think your female clientele need for per-sonal defense and offer them at a special bundled price. Not only will they make excellent gift items, they also will easily help to increase sales.
Also, take note of the fact that women are more responsive to personal defense products when they are presented in a positive, proactive light. Baty said, “Personal de-fense is a gift you give yourself,” and your customers are sure to be receptive to the idea when presented in this light.
Mace also offers a personal-defense kit with the focus on pepper spray. Their kit includes pepper spray, a pepper spray trainer with target and a per-sonal safety instructional DVD. The DVD is packed with personal-defense tips on the most effective way to use pepper spray.
Another personal-defense kit option comes from Safety Technology. Marketed under the Safe Family Life brand, they offer seven different safety kits tai-lored to specific needs such as their Ultimate Person-
Personal Defense Is A Priceless Gift
Lisa Parsons-WraithARMS & THE WOMAN
Get Creative With Safety Kits
30 MARCH 2014
Packaging several personal-defense items as a bundle creates an easy sale.
Kathleen Baty has partnered with SABRE Red to create popular personal-defense items for women.
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 31
Kahr Arms recently introduced value-priced, full-frame semiautos, the CT40 and the CT45, that are sure to appeal to budget-minded women. Kahr kept the best features from their TP-series guns and managed to put them into a budget-friend-ly package. The CT4043 and the CT4543 feature a full-size polymer frame with a stainless-steel slide and white bar-dot sight configuration. The CT4043 sports a 4-inch barrel, overall length of 6.5 inches, height of 5.13 inches and a slide width of .94 inches. It weighs just 21.8 ounces with the magazine, making it very slim, light-weight and perfect for concealed carry.
The CT4543 has a barrel length of 4.04 inches, overall length of 6.57 inches, height of 5.25 inches and a slide width of 1.01 inches. It weighs 23.7 ounces with the magazine, and both models have a 7+1 round capacity. The two models will retail at an affordable $499. 9
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al Safety Kit for Women or the Extreme College Survival Kit. All of the kits come with pepper spray, alarms, diversion safes and safety booklets focused on the kit’s specific theme.
Graduation season is right around the corner and every parent who is sending a daughter off to college or out to live on her own in the working world will want to purchase items to keep them safe. A lot of women think they don’t need a personal-defense plan, but if you can get the word out about these products, you are, as Baty said, “giving a girl street smarts before she has to learn the hard way.”
If your store has classroom facilities, selling personal-protection class gift cer-tificates along with personal safety items is a natural pairing. Make sure you ad-vertise all of the personal-defense options available to women on your website and during times of year when women are in transition, like the spring and fall. Even the holidays are a good time to get the word out about women’s personal safety. Many women may have had their first taste of living on their own and are now more receptive to taking a more proactive approach to their safety. Above all, forgo using scare tactics and instead promote personal defense as an empowering gift women can give themselves.
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But it was definitely his fashion — or lack of it — that resulted in 21-year-old Joel Donaldson being caught and arrested. You’ve seen these morons who wear their oversized trousers barely hangin’ on their butts so low that a yard of their underwear shows, right? And more than once you’ve asked yourself, “How could that guy possibly run wearin’ his pants like that? He can hardly walk without his drawers fal-lin’ off!”
The short answer is, they don’t run well at all. Joel allegedly slugged a woman in the chops at Court and Remsen Streets in Brooklyn, grabbed her expensive cell phone and then took off, well, waddling as fast as he could. It wasn’t fast enough. An officer who was di-recting traffic in the same area saw Joel trying to make tracks while spastically grabbin’ at his pants and fig-ured he was up to no good. As witness Arlene Williams told it, “He was zigzagging all over the place, but he couldn’t run because his pants was falling down.”
The officer tackled Joel, retrieved the stolen cell phone, and arrested him for various fashion violations (not really; dream on) and felony strong-arm robbery. The pursuing officer didn’t even work up a sweat.
It Wasn’t The Fashion Police Who Got Him
Commander GilmoreBACK BLAST & OTHER HOT GASES
Crime Just Isn’t For EveryoneYou know, here’s a message a life of
crime just ain’t for you. Police in Federal Way, Wash., reported the case of an un-identified 19-year-old who showed up at a pal’s apartment with a gaudy abdomi-nal wound. He said he’d been robbed and shot. Under some close questioning by re-sponding cops though, his story crumbled and the truth came out.
It turned out that the hapless lad had met a shady dude and made a shady deal for a handgun, apparently in order to use it to commit some shady deeds. He never got the chance. Walking away from the deal, within a very few minutes he managed to accidentally shoot himself in the gut.
Adding insult to critical injury, the gun turned out to be stolen from nearby Ta-coma. So a charge of possession of stolen property will be added to his woes. We’re pretty sure Dillinger’s career didn’t start out this way.
Blinded By The RimsHouston cops could hardly believe it.
Stupid crooks abound, of course, but at least most of them know better than to ply their trade under the eyes of a bunch of uniformed police officers. Twenty-year-old Johnny Deleon was collared in the act of stripping some fancy wheel covers off a Cadillac Escalade in the parking lot of a delicatessen in broad daylight. He was
pretty easily spotted by several of the ap-proximately 30 cops sitting inside of the deli, who were there planning a big cer-emonial event.
True, he couldn’t be expected to have seen all those cops inside. But since there were as many — or more — marked po-lice cruisers in the lot as there were civil-ian vehicles, you’ve gotta wonder if he was blinded by the sunlight bouncing off those shiny wheel covers — or just abys-mally stupid.
Robbers Getting Robbed — By RobbersYeah, we admit it: We love it when
stuff like this happens. Police spotted poor Larry Poulos staggering along a street in Arlington, Texas, bleeding profusely from a head wound. His chimes had been rung pretty good, but he was conscious enough to tell officers he had been attacked and robbed by two unknown suspects. Despite Larry’s obvious wound and dizziness, cops still smelled something wrong with his story and pressed further.
A friend of Larry’s basically corrobo-rated his tale, but the cops thought the friend was behaving a little squirrelly too, so they kept diggin’.
They finally verified that Larry was telling the truth about being robbed. They also found that the money taken from Lar-ry was a pile of cash he had hauled away from a credit union robbery earlier that
same evening. Larry finally got his ride to the hospital. After a patch was slapped on his gourd, he was arrested and got another ride to jail.
A Good Old-Fashioned Family Christmas
“Peace on earth and good will toward men,” huh? Well, not so much in one home in North Charleston, S.C. On Christ-mas Eve, sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance call at a residence and found a bloody, badly beaten man with some rather unusual stab wounds. The lady of the house, and we use the term “lady” kinda loosely, told officers the man had fallen and cut himself. He didn’t seem to be too willing to talk, but the blood pat-terns weren’t consistent with falling down, and falling didn’t explain why Helen Wil-liams, 44, had bloody hands and clothing. They separated the two, and the real story came out.
Helen had sent the guy out for beer but he returned empty-handed, telling her all the stores were closed because, you know, honey, it’s Christmas Eve!
You might say she took it like a man — a crazy, vicious man. She allegedly beat him and then stabbed him multiple times in the shoulder and chest with a ceramic squirrel. The unidentified victim was taken to a hospital and Williams was jailed and charged with criminal domestic violence.
Illustration by Nick Petrosino
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The squirrel was impounded as evidence. Authorities did not specify if the weap-
on was a dreaded “assault ceramic squir-rel” as opposed to a sporting squirrel, but the severity and number of the victim’s wounds would indicate it was of the as-sault variety. South Carolina is known for its lax assault ceramic squirrel control laws.
The Best Anti-Robbery Line Ever?An unnamed young woman was
stopped by a robber while walking near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. First, she told him she was a low-paid intern and had hardly any money. But he apparently figured a little was better than none. Then she explained not only was she a low-paid intern, but she was an intern with the NSA — that is, the National Security Agency — the government’s gigantic snooping-and-surveillance outfit. She explained to the crook that he might rob her, but within minutes the NSA would track him down, and it might not go well for him.
She said the guy just looked at her — and then ran away. He might still be hid-ing, and checking for black helicopters overhead. Quick thinking, miss!
So, Who Reviewed The Blueprints?The “Intempo” residential condomini-
um high-rise in the Spanish resort city of Benidorm created a big buzz of excite-ment among Europe’s jet-setters as it was going up. All the advertising and market-ing hype painted it as the vacation condo for the ultra-hip and super-cool. Buyers rushed in droves to hand over their money.
In response, the financing group decid-ed 20 stories wasn’t tall enough and they quickly (maybe too quickly?) super-sized it to 47 stories, making it the tallest resi-dential structure in the European Union. Ooohhh, it was exciting! Well, for a little while anyway.
A little glitch was soon discovered: There was no actual elevator shaft from the 24th floor all the way up to the 47th. Yep, that's right — no elevator. There simply wasn’t room for it in the hastily drawn-up design. So, how many rich people wanted to buy a condo where they would have to schlep up the stairs with their luggage, let’s say, 10 or 15 stories? Umm — that would be none. The project is bankrupt. Now it might be Europe’s tallest pigeon coop. 9
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Traditionally, recreational shooters have been older white males who were plinkers, target shooters and hunters who spent the off-season shooting tar-
gets to keep their skills in shape. Over the past decade, a whole new breed of young, enthusiastic recreational shooters has emerged. For this group, shooting is just one of many recreational activities they enjoy. To attract and keep these new shooters engaged, successful retailers are finding ways to compete with many other recreational ac-tivities such as skiing, snowboarding, biking and white-water rafting.
Dennis Rohman, general manager of P2K Range in El Cajon, Calif., said he saw this change begin taking shape 10 years ago.
“At that time, our average customer was a 60-year-old white male,” he said. “Now we have a much younger crowd, and the firearms they’re shooting are different.”
One of the things Rohman did to encourage change was to hire a younger staff.
“I hired younger people who came from non-shooting back-grounds because they were good at customer service,” he said. “I hired people from Nordstrom and Target and others with general retail backgrounds. I figured I could teach them about guns, but I couldn’t teach them to be nice.”
Rohman also added female frontliners.“Right now, my staff is 80 percent female,” he said. “I only
have four males on staff. Now we have a much higher percent-age of female shooters than we did in the past, because they feel comfortable coming in and talking to a female.”
In other areas of the country, the change in new customer de-mographics started later.
“For us, the market started shifting in August of 2011,” said Miles Hall, president of H&H Shooting Sports Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla. “This new audience started out shooting for self-defense but quickly found they enjoyed the sport. That
moved them into all the sport-oriented guns and accessories. This group is 47 percent female and 53 percent male. They’re in their mid-30s and ethnically across the board. They’re tech savvy and easily spend money once you’ve built some trust with them.”
Hall said his shooters are very diverse, from traditional Cau-casian shooters to African American, Native American and His-panic.
These new shooters are looking for new shooting games — beyond traditional target shooting — such as shooting at the zombie targets that were so hot last year.
“The zombie thing went really well for us,” Rohman said. “Now that fad is not as popular as it was, and the big thing is ARs, people think they’re really cool.”
This new group of shooters is also discovering some long-established shooting, with some new twists. For instance, the venerable .22 is seeing resurgence. These handguns and rifles are lightweight and easy to shoot and the ammunition is much less expensive, although .22 ammo certainly has been much less available or affordable for the past year than it generally has been.
“There are some really cool-looking and -feeling .22s that are similar to a 9mm or a .40,” Hall said. “Walther has a couple of sweet little pistols including the new PPK/S.22, and Smith & Wesson has the M&P22; both are nice semiautos that many women love to shoot.”
ATTRACTING, KEEPING THIS NEW DEMOGRAPHIC KEY TO GROWING PROFITS
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TODAY’S RECREATIONAL SHOOTER“I hired people from Nordstrom and Target and others with general retail backgrounds. I figured
I could teach them about guns, but I couldn’t teach them to be nice.”
— Dennis Rohman, P2K Range general manager
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 35
Embrace ChangeSmart retailers are also finding unique and creative ways to
reach out to new shooters.“We do a comedy show called ‘Guns and Grins,’” Rohman
said. “We find comedians who shoot, and we set up a stage on our 100-yard indoor range. We do it after the range closes, and we have dinner available for everyone. Each show lasts about two hours, and it’s just like any other comedy show you would have if you went anywhere else.”
Although the shows are not necessarily based around firearms, Rohman said, many of the comedians include gun humor in them.
“We advertise to everyone, so these shows bring people into the facility who are outside our normal market,” he said. “This has helped us create new customers. We get people who have never shot before. When they come out, they ask about classes and the First Shots program, so in that respect, the shows have been really good for us.”
Black Wing Shooting Center in Delaware, Ohio, has seen a phenomenal increase in its customer base because of the wide ar-ray of events the facility hosts.
“We do a lot of small corporate groups and fundraisers,” said Judy Stadtlander, corporate events manager for Black Wing Shooting Center. “We did a wedding for the first time last year and had an absolute ball. We also do bachelor and bachelorette parties. We have a roofing contracting association that does a little mini-convention and they set up booths. We serve them breakfast, lunch and dinner, and they’re here all day.”
(Top to Bottom) Guests of H&H are encouraged to visit the 4U Café — which is also available as a venue for corporate events. Frisco Gun Club caters to upscale shooters with luxurious accommodations and modern display cases. By hosting several comedy events throughout the year, P2K Range is able to reach people outside traditional consumer markets. Machine Guns Vegas targets a younger crowd, marketing itself as a sexy, sophisticated place to shoot.
Frisco Gun Club, Texas
P2K Range, California
Machine Guns Vegas, Nevada
H&H Shooting Sports Complex, Oklahoma
TODAY’S RECREATIONAL SHOOTERBy Carolee Anita Boyles
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One Las Vegas shooting range, Ma-chine Guns Vegas, is marketing itself as a combination of a sexy, sophisticated club and a shooting venue for visitors. Their ex-tensive website touts the “machine gun ex-perience,” and links it with other extreme outdoor adventures such as zip line and racing packages.
New stores and facilities also are be-ing designed specifically with recreational shooters in mind. Last year Shooter’s World opened in Tampa, Fla., offering 16,000 square feet of retail space and fea-turing four separate shooting ranges. Each of the seven lanes on the rifle range has an electronic “spotter” which transmits an
Each year, Black Wing Shooting Center in Delaware, Ohio, holds a summer camp to introduce kids to the shooting sports in a safe, supervised environment.
Shooter’s World, Florida
image of the target to the shooting stall so shooters can see exactly where they’re hit-ting the target.
Another new facility, the Frisco Gun Club in Frisco, Texas, opened in Decem-ber 2013, featuring more than 7,000 square feet of retail space, 40 shooting lanes and a training and conference room that accom-modates 100 people. The Frisco Gun Club was designed to provide a luxury experi-ence for upscale shooters, with amenities including a high-end restaurant. The club is promoted as the only gun club in Texas where guests can shoot the HK MP5 and MP7, firearms usually available only to the military.
Each rifle bay at Shooter’s World in Tampa, Fla., features an electronic “spotter.”
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 37
Black Wing Shooting Center, Ohio
Take Care Of The BasicsWhile you’re providing services for
today’s recreational shooters, don’t forget to cater to your traditional audience. And in truth, the excellent customer service and broad product selection these shoot-ers still demand are equally important to both groups.
“I don’t care about bells and whistles in a store,” said Randy Garvin, a shooter from Brandon, Fla. “I patronize dealers who know their stuff and are not too up-pity with newer gun owners.”
Denny Vasquez, a shooter from Col-lege Station, Texas, agreed.
“The shops I patronize are those that offer great customer service, maintain a good supply of products on hand for cus-tomers to check out before they buy, have knowledgeable staff who are shooters themselves and hold educational events for their customers,” Vasquez said. “These could be monthly days at the range, CHL (Concealed Handgun License) classes, youth or women shooting days.”
Keep Them EngagedServicing this new class of recreational
shooter can present a bit of a challenge, but it’s a challenge many dealers know is the key to success. Today’s recreational shooters are of utmost importance to the future of the industry. Creating new and interesting ways to bring these shooters in and maintaining practices to keep them engaged and coming back not only adds dollars to a dealer’s bottom line, but also helps to ensure the shooting sports will endure. 9
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Long guns will do well in the marketplace in 2014, according to a number of indicators. These include the volume of sales at the
NASGW Expo, SHOT Show and numerous distributer and buy-ing group shows. This is welcome news to manufacturers and importers of long guns and related accessories — and to dealers — since the firearms market softened significantly in the final quarter of 2013.
“Yes, we saw a decline in orders during the fourth quarter of 2013,” said Joyce Rubino, Colt’s Manufacturing VP of mar-keting. “However, for Colt, we are seeing our reintroduction of our rifle into the commercial marketplace is driving our brand. January is proving to be a good month for us as our brand is very strong in the rifle category.”
Rubino said the consolidation last year of Colt’s Manufactur-ing and Colt Defense also has helped drive sales.
“The response has been extremely positive. The market has been very confused by the separation of the two companies, es-
pecially with our reintroduction into the commercial market of our rifle platform. With the consolidation, we are a stronger com-pany going forward, with more energized resources and focus on the commercial market,” Rubino said.
For 2014, Colt has introduced additional models in its tacti-cal rifle line, including the LE6940AE-3G and LE6920AE, both chambered in .223 with 16.1-inch barrels. In addition, Colt has added a series of bolt-action rifles to its line. The M2012 bolt-actions, originally offered as special editions in 2012, are now part of company’s regular lineup.
www.coltmfg.com
No Panic OrderingDwight Van Brunt, Kimber Manufacturing VP of market-
ing and sales, says while orders aren’t what they were in 2013, there’s a positive aspect to what dealers are ordering.
“There isn’t the panic ordering like last year. There’s no fluff in this year’s orders. So while the volume of orders seems to be down — and this is what I’m also hearing from other manufacturers — the volume of real, legitimate orders is strong. So, it’s not really a negative, and Kimber is doing very, very well.”
Van Brunt said the adjustment in or-ders is “a touch of reality.”
“I don’t think 2013 can be expressed as a normal market by any stretch of the imagination and I think 2014 is going to reset to the proper — or new — normal, which is 2012,” Van Brunt said.
At SHOT Show 2014, Kimber intro-duced a new series of tactical rifles, with positive results, according to Van Brunt.
“I’m staggered by the buying interest
Kimber has received a significant number of orders for its new Advanced Tactical SOC, one of three new tactical rifles for 2014.
Colt’s rifles drew a lot of attention at SHOT SHOW 2014, and are contributing to the continued success of the Colt brand.
Jade
Mol
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www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 39
New for 2014 from Legacy Sports International, the Pointer 1000 over-and-under is available in 12-, 20-, 28-gauge and .410 bore. There is also a 20-gauge Youth model. All models are fitted with high-luster Turkish walnut stocks.
Ashbury Precision Ordnance has introduced the new SABER models for Savage’s 10 FCP and 110 BA rifles.
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 39
Ashbury Precision Ordnance has introduced the new SABER models for Savage’s 10 FCP and 110 BA rifles.
in these rifles and the amount of actual orders. The orders from individual dealers, the quantity the rifles are bringing in is very strong. We’ve really opened a new market with these rifles. It’s quite exciting,” Van Brunt said.
For 2014, Kimber discontinued all but one model in its tactical rifle line and added three upscale tactical rifles.
“We now have what are probably the finest tactical rifles on the SHOT Show floor in the Model 8400 Advanced Tactical II and the Model 8400 Advanced Tactical SOC. These are very high-end rifles that are set up for just about any kind of opera-tion, and tested to fire 1/2-MOA or less,” Van Brunt said. “It re-ally takes the game up to the highest possible level. I don’t think there’s another rifle that has made this type of impression on the SHOT Show floor. That is what dealers keep telling us.”
www.kimberamerica.com
Expanding MarketsA segment of the long-gun market that doesn’t receive a lot
of attention is long-range precision shooting. Ashbury Precision Ordnance, a company well-versed in long-range shooting plat-forms for the U.S. military, is focusing on increasing the market for this segment of shooting.
“We’re migrating our former DOD-targeted product and di-recting it at the long-range precision-shooting marketplace,” said Morris Peterson, company president and CEO. “We put millions of dollars into our patent work — we hold 16 patents on our pro-grams — and we’re looking to establish distribution channels and develop dealers.”
At SHOT Show 2014, Ashbury introduced new short- and long-action rifles in its SABER line for the Savage Models 10 FCP and 110 BA.
“Our rifles are fully modular and our Savage platforms are unique. Savage has such a huge legacy footprint. What we’ve done is bring modularity to a venerable name in the shooting sports market that usually doesn’t get a lot of attention from the
National surveys provide strong, encouraging evi-dence of a strong market for rifles and shotguns.
In NSSF’s “First-Time Gun Buyers” report of the 791 firearms purchased by new gun owners in 2012, 39 per-cent of them were rifles and shotguns. While, pistols were the top firearms purchased at 34 percent, the combined long-gun purchases indicate a significant customer base in new gun owners.
Interestingly, the survey notes while modern sporting rifles “are increasingly popular among gun enthusiasts, they are not among the top choices for first-time gun buyers.” How did MSRs/ARs rank among first-time gun buyers in the NSSF survey? Of the 791 firearms purchased, only 6.4 percent were in the category “AR Platform Rifle/Tactical Rifle.”
This provides strong evidence for sales of other long guns that are not in the “black gun” category.
The “First-Time Gun Buyers” report includes ad-ditional valuable information useful for those in the business of manufacturing, distributing and selling firearms. It is available in the “Research” section of NSSF’s website.
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tactical shooter. We’re looking at shooting from the mainstream perspective,” Peterson said.
To help expand its presence in the marketplace, Ashbury is conducting dealer-development workshops.
“We teach them what the tactical-market market is, how to accessorize it, and more important, how to develop the female shooters. We have one female sponsored shooter, Melissa Gillil-and. She’s doing a great job of spreading the word on long-range shooting, and taking the hard testosterone edge off the gun mar-ket — making it more approachable for women,” Peterson said.
www.ashburyprecisionordnance.com
Not Without Hard WorkWhile 2014 looks promising for the sale of long guns, it won’t
be without its challenges.“I think the first half of the year is going to be when every-
one is going to have to put their heads down and work hard,” said Gene Lumsden, Legacy Sports International CEO. “Dealers are going to play inventory very close to the vest. Many of them didn’t shut the valves off fast enough on a lot of the black guns [last year], and I think dealers are going to order a little less in the hunting side until they move that inventory. Then going into
the fall of 2014, they will start cranking that back up for the fall season with hunting guns.”
Legacy reports a very healthy response to its 2014 new prod-ucts, including orders for the Citadel M1 in 9mm and a Howa/Zeiss Combo package. Lumsdum, however, has not ventured into black guns.
“Our business at Legacy is up tremendously and it’s not in the black-gun category,” Lumsden said. “We never were in the AR business; I just never wanted to go down that road. But our hunting rifles and traditional shotguns have done tremendously. I don’t see that changing.”
Lumsden, a 40-year veteran of the industry, sees a very posi-tive future.
“Business is very good. We have so many new shooters, the support for the Second Amendment is up in the mid-80 percent range, and the number of women shooters has really grown dur-ing the past few years. I think the new norm is 25 to 30 percent greater than it was four years ago, if not more,” Lumsden said. 9
www.legacysports.com
tactical shooter. We’re looking at shooting from the mainstream tactical shooter. We’re looking at shooting from the mainstream New for 2014, Ruger introduces seven models of the Ruger American Rifle with a Redfield Revolution riflescope.
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A Captive AudienceYour in-store traffic is a captive audi-
ence. Customers are in your store because they want to be there. This provides a dis-tinctive edge over online retailers, as you have an opportunity to show customers an array of knives and personally walk them through the benefits of each. Most knife manufacturers have countertop dis-plays and signage that can draw custom-ers to your cutlery. Knives are also great secondary sales if they’re not the primary purchase. The key is training your sales staff to make the knife sales pitch.
The Tactile ExperienceThe Internet, for all its benefits, cannot
provide your customer with the tactile ex-perience of handling a knife, nor the op-portunity of a real live salesperson to extol its benefits. This is a huge advantage for a primary or secondary sale. It does, how-ever, require your sales personnel to have a working knowledge of your various cut-lery products, just as with any other item in your store.
Guns and knives have a lot in com-mon — they both have a “business end,” and a central core revolving around steel and handle or stock materials for grip and comfort. Given the commonality of these
Brick-and-mortar retail stores have been increasingly challenged by online merchants for years, with most recent sales numbers in the U.S. showing a
near split between the two. Whether your firearms store is supplemented with an online outlet or not, storefronts offer distinct advantages over online shopping. With a little savvy, you can use these inherent benefits to increase your sales with little to no investment. For example, how are your knife sales? Great? Not so wonderful? Let’s look at how to increase your knife sales, even in today’s online-shopping environment.
Storefront retailers have the unique advantage of letting potential buyers handle a knife firsthand. Here, Randy Yerkes (right), of Mark Outdoor Sports in Vestavia Hills, Ala., points out the features of a knife to a customer.
Brick-and-mortar retail stores have been increasingly Savvy firearms manufacturers, such as Browning, offer retailers branded knives — like this Browning Hog Hunter — for garnering added sales.
Pat C
over
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www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 43
basic traits, it shouldn’t be a stretch for any good salesperson to easily expand his knowledge of knives.
You might also designate one person as your “go-to guy” for more in-depth in-formation on cutlery such as blade steels, handle materials and locking mecha-nisms. Chances are, you already have one person on your sales staff who is a knife expert. If others on your sales team need more information, they can call in the on-staff guru for support.
Cross-Branded KnivesIt’s a given — an overwhelming num-
ber of firearm owners also use knives. Firearms manufacturers recognized this decades ago by offering knives bearing their name alongside their main brand. Smith & Wesson, Heckler & Koch, Colt, Beretta and Winchester are just a few who participate in such cross-marketing, with prices ranging from highly affordable to top-shelf — and the selection runs the gamut from tactical and personal-defense to hunting and sporting knives. Brand loyalty is extremely high among gun owners, and you can use it to your advantage.
Many of your customers may not be aware they can purchase a knife sporting the logo of their favorite firearm. To edu-cate them, display these knives alongside their firearm counterparts. In your adver-tisements, include images of knives next to the matching brand of firearm you’re promoting. These simple techniques will boost your chances of selling more knives, and the time, cost and effort are nominal.
Mix And MatchToday, the retailer’s cutlery choices
in all genres of knives have never been greater. In the 1990s through mid-2000s it looked like the sizzling tactical/survival/personal-defense end of the cutlery mar-ket was going to swamp the hunting and sporting segment of the business. But that hasn’t proven to be the case. The latter has not only survived, but has experienced an upswing over the past several years.
If your store specializes in only one
Colt takes advantage of its rich history of legendary revolvers by offering traditional knives such as its period Damascus and Stag Clip Point fixed-blade. Colt knives are licensed by Smoky Mountain Knife Works.
Upscale firearm manufacturers like Heckler & Koch have joined the cutlery market by offering slick folders and fixed-blades manufactured by Benchmade Knives. The HK-branded Conspiracy model has a 3.60-inch blade and high-traction G10 handle.
basic traits, it shouldn’t be a stretch for any good salesperson to easily expand his
You might also designate one person as your “go-to guy” for more in-depth in-formation on cutlery such as blade steels, handle materials and locking mecha-nisms. Chances are, you already have one person on your sales staff who is a knife expert. If others on your sales team need more information, they can call in the on-
It’s a given — an overwhelming num-ber of firearm owners also use knives. Firearms manufacturers recognized this decades ago by offering knives bearing their name alongside their main brand. Smith & Wesson, Heckler & Koch, Colt, Beretta and Winchester are just a few who participate in such cross-marketing, with prices ranging from highly affordable to top-shelf — and the selection runs
Pat C
over
tPa
t Cov
ert
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of these major segments, there are plenty of knives in all bud-get categories to entice your customer. Keep in mind, however, many knives available in the cutlery market today are what can be called “cross-over cutters” — knives that are equally effective for a broad range of duties — from combat and survival to skin-ning and general camp tasks. You can cover a broad customer base with these knives.
The multi-tool is another segment of the cutlery market with broad appeal, and these tend not to be geared to a focused group of users, with only a few exceptions. Multi-tools are available in a wide range of sizes, and offering your customer a choice of each increases your chances of a sale.
Spice Up Your InventoryAbout a decade ago, cutlery manufacturers began ramping up
for the SHOT Show and today many use the show to showcase new releases — just like about every segment of the firearms in-dustry and its ancillary markets do. In addition, the Blade Show is held every June in Atlanta. This is the mother of all cutlery shows, and manufacturers also release an impressive number of new products at this event.
The Blade Show comes at an advantageous time for fire-arms retailers. With fresh “hot stuff,” you can spice up your current inventory and seasonally adjust new merchandise for the year ahead. If attending the show is not in the equation, you can still get informed.
Shooting Industry publishes an annual Blade Show review of the latest releases and you can check your favorite cutlery websites for updates on new releas-es around early June. Don’t let the dealer down the
street run away with potential sales by besting you in new cutlery releases.
Finally, if you have a website to supplement your retail store, you can optimize it to take advantage of knife sales. For instance, you’ve probably noticed those “If you like this, you may also like this” links that appear on specific product pages. There’s no reason why you can’t add a like-branded knife link to a firearms page. Small tweaks such as this not only create awareness of your knife inventory, but also increase your chances of an additional transaction. Think beyond what you’re doing now to promote your knives. Even small changes can increase sales — and your bottom line. 9
New for 2014, the Kahr Firearms Group introduced the Kahr Spyderco Delica4. The knife is promoted as, “the perfect companion to Kahr’s compact pistols.”
Creed XS(608) 269-2728www.shootingindustry.com/index
The Creed XS bow features a compact profile and is powered with SimPlex Single Cam technology. The Creed XS offers a brace height of 7 1/2 inches, a draw weight of 50, 60 or 70 pounds and a bow weight of 3.80 pounds. It features 80 percent let-off and draw lengths up to 30 inches. The bow is rated up to 321 fps and measures 28 inches from axle-to-axle.
DB15(877) 997-6774www.shootingindustry.com/index
Diamondback introduces the .223/5.56 DB15 pistol that utilizes a gas-operated system. The full-length, top-mounting rail permits placement of multiple optics, lights, lasers and other accessories. The DB15 Pistol is available with a 7.5-inch or a 10.5-inch 4140 chrome-moly melonite coated barrel with a 1:9-inch rate of twist. The DB15 Pistol is offered in black, flat dark earth or OD green with a cerakote finish.
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Email to:[email protected]
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SHOOTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE12345 World Trade Dr.San Diego, CA 92128
NEW PRODUCTSShooting Industry’s New Product section is designed to help dealers increase sales by highlighting the latest products to hit the market from a variety of manufacturers.
If you’re a manufacturer, importer or distributor with a new or updated product available to distributors or dealers, send the product information to us by providing a press release and a high-resolution image. If you have a new line of products available on a thumb drive or CD, mail it in. Product submissions are printed on a space-available basis at the discretion of the editorial staff.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/index to view products featured in all the magazines of FMG Publications.
DEALERS, ENHANCE SALES WITH THESE PRODUCTS!
TRU-SEE Reactive Targets(888) 887-8456www.shootingindustry.com/index
TRUGLO introduces a 5-Diamond design to its TRU-SEE Reactive Targets. Now in both green and pink, TRU-SEE Targets are self-adhesive and feature the ACCU-GRID Precision Sighting System allowing for .25-inch measurements. The targets feature a flat black finish with fluorescent green or pink background and are printed on heavy stock paper with self-adhesive backing.
300 AXIS Flipper(503) 655-6004www.shootingindustry.com/index
The 300 AXIS Flipper from Benchmade features an AXIS locking mechanism, a drop-point blade with flipper and ambidextrous dual thumb-stud opener. The Flipper offers a 154cm stainless steel blade and stainless steel liners with reversible deep-carry pocket clip. The 300-1 version offers blue and black contoured G10 handle scales and the 300SN offers brown and tan flat-textured G10 handle scales.
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Diamondback Firearms
from Benchmade features an AXIS locking mechanism, a drop-point blade with flipper and ambidextrous dual thumb-stud opener. The Flipper offers a 154cm stainless steel blade and stainless steel liners with reversible deep-carry pocket clip. The 300-1 version offers blue and black contoured G10 handle scales and the 300SN offers brown and
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 47
Tactical Mag Can(937) 890-7461www.shootingindustry.com/index
The Tactical Mag Can offers a protected method of storage for loaded magazines. Each magazine is individually secured in an upright position with ridged foam padding and the box features an O-ring seal and latching system. The Tactical Mag Can is tabbed for two padlocks, and features a foldable handle.
MTM Case-Gard
eVault Biometric 3.0 MICRO Pistol safe(877) 948-6723www.shootingindustry.com/index
Winchester introduces the eVault Biometric 3.0 MICRO Pistol Safe, which stores one pistol and features third-generation biometric reader technology. The reader can store up to 15 different fingerprints. The safe can be powered with an optional A/C power supply adapter or a 9-volt battery. It comes with a tie-down cable and two back-up keys.
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Monarch 7 8x30 Binoculars(631) 547-4200www.shootingindustry.com/index
The Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 Binoculars feature a compact design, extra-low dispersion (ED) glass and a wide apparent field-of-view. All lenses and prisms are multilayer-coated and the binoculars also feature a long eye relief design. The binoculars feature O-ring seals, rubber armouring and a fiberglass-reinforced polycarbonate resin construction.
DeadShot TreePod(877) 509-9160www.shootingindustry.com/index
The DeadShot TreePod supports any gun or crossbow, offering a multi-piece swing-arm system and a universal mounting plate. The multi-bearing swing arm system provides movement from extreme angles with minimal body movement. Additional bases are available to allow the rest to be used on multiple stands. Constructed of anodized aluminum and powder-coated steel, the TreePod weighs 15 pounds. The Caldwell DeadShot TreePod Add-A-Base is an additional support base constructed of powder-coated steel that allows the user to mount extra bases to more than one tree stand.
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(800) 628-9818www.fmgpubs.com
The American Handgunner Personal Defense Spring/Summer 2014 Special Edition includes all the latest and greatest personal defense weapons and tactics. Highlighted by the Mossberg 500 12-gauge and 20-gauge, the issue takes a look at Ruger’s Gunsite Scout and presents an investigation of the best personal defense items and actions for seniors. This Special Edition also features the giant buyer’s guide, which includes 96 pages of guns, knives, lights and more.
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G-Force DX Laser Rangefinder(800) 423-3537www.shootingindustry.com/index
Bushnell introduces the G-Force DX laser rangefinder. It features an E.S.P. processor, 6-power magnification and a 1,300-yard laser rangefinder. G-Force DX includes Vivid Display Technology (VDT) and Angle Range Compensation (ARCTM). Each lens is protected with RainGuard HD technology. The G-Force 1300 ARC laser rangefinder has a built-in tripod mount and includes a neck strap, carrying case and CR2 3-volt battery.
Bushnell
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Gladiator 1911 .45 ACP Pistol(615) 595-9777www.shootingindustry.com/index
Maximus Arms introduces the Gladiator 1911 .45 ACP pistol. It features a custom high-ride beavertail grip safety, an extended slide stop, extended thumb safety and extended magazine release all with blended edges. Additional features include a flared magazine well, integral ejector and integral plunger tube and a tactical accessory rail. The Maximus Arms 1911 offers a Sprinco recoil-reduction system, ghost-ring adjustable rear site, fiber-optic front site and a lanyard loop. The Gladiator is constructed of 17-4PH steel.
KASPA VZT Turkey Scope(866) 223-9388www.shootingindustry.com/index
Weaver’s KASPA VZT Turkey Scope features a Vertical Zone Turkey reticle that allows hunters to make a more precise shot. The Micro Dot sight is suited for shotgun mounting and offers eye relief and rapid, both-eyes-open target acquisition. The 30mm tube has fully multi-coated lenses for clarity and light transmission, and scope caps are included.
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Silverado(941) 567-6178www.shootingindustry.com/index
The Silverado line of hunting ammunition is chambered in .223 Rem. and features a 55-grain, monolithic, deep-cavity, fragmenting hunting round. It offers a velocity of 3,000 fps and an accuracy rate of 1-inch at 300 meters. It features a stopping power of over 1,100 ft. lbs. and a fragmentation of up to nine pieces.
Liberty Ammunition
1911 Commander(585) 657-6338 www.shootingindustry.com/index
Turnbull Manufacturing introduces 1911 Commander-type pistols. The pistol is based on the 1920’s-era appearance of the 1911 pistol, and features a stainless steel 4.25-inch barrel and bushing with a carbon steel frame, slide, hammer, trigger and grip safety. The pistol features a Novak Tritium night sight.
Turnbull Manufacturing
Battlelink Minimalist Stock(267) 803-1517www.shootingindustry.com/index
Mission First Tactical introduces the Battlelink Minimalist Stock, a slide-on replacement for any original collapsible buttstock. Made from reinforced polyamide, the upper section features an enhanced cheek weld and an angled, non-slip rubberized buttpad, along with a Quick Detach Sling mounting point.
Cortex Flashlight(800) 950-6161www.shootingindustry.com/index
With a maximum output level of 675 lumens, the Cortex Flashlight from Gerber Gear offers a strobe mode and a low output mode. It’s powered by either three Lithium CR123 batteries or two AA batteries, and can utilize multiple power sources.
Mission First Tactical
Gerber Gear
line of hunting ammunition is chambered in .223 Rem. and features a 55-grain, monolithic, deep-cavity, fragmenting hunting round. It offers a velocity of 3,000 fps and an accuracy rate of 1-inch at 300 meters. It features a stopping power of over 1,100 ft. lbs. and a
With a maximum output level of 675 from Gerber
Gear offers a strobe mode and a low output mode. It’s powered by either three Lithium CR123 batteries or two AA batteries, and can mode. It’s powered by either three Lithium CR123 batteries or two AA batteries, and can
Turnbull Manufacturing introduces -type pistols.
The pistol is based on the 1920’s-era appearance of the 1911 pistol, and features a stainless steel 4.25-inch barrel and bushing with a carbon steel frame, slide, hammer, trigger and grip safety. The pistol features a Novak Tritium
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All advertisers are included in the all-digital edition of Shooting Industry.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com to subscribe to SI Digital. It’s free!
INDEX OF ADVERTISERSAdvertiser Page Advertiser Page Advertiser Page
Ambush Firearms 27
Ballistol 6
Crimson Trace Corp. 20
Crow Shooting Supply 21
Daniel Defense 56
Davidson’s Inc. 13A
Diamond Machining Technology 14
Electronic Transfer Inc. 5
Ellett Brothers 23
European American Armory 9
Falcon Industries 25
Fiocchi Ammunition 1
Galco Gunleather 19
Global Vision 19
Gum Creek 33
Gun Accessory Supply 15
Gun Storage Solutions 49
Interstate Arms Corp. 36
Joseph Chiarello & Co. 47
Kahr Arms 28
LaserMax 12
Lewis Machine & Tool 31
Luth-AR 49
Lyman Products 16
Maglula Ltd. 5
MKS Supply Inc. 47
MMC Armory 11
N82 Tactical 13
National Firearms Exchange 40
NSSF 41
Numrich Gun Parts 48
Outdoor Business Network 51
Patriot Ordnance Factory 17
Pearce Grip 48
ProGrade Ammunition 8
PrOlix 51
Radetec 13
Redding Reloading 18
Ruger 7
SAR Arms 45
Savage Arms 2
Security Equipment Corp. 13
Shooting Search 52
SHOT SHOW 37
SIG SAUER 3
SKB Cases 44
Springfield Armory 55
Sun Optics USA 48
Vision Engravers 31
Zanders Sporting Goods 33
MAKE SURE YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE COMBAT READY!MAKE SURE YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE COMBAT READY!
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Informative features on the ArmaLite AR-30A1, FNH USA SCAR 16S, Spring-field M1A Scout Squad and much more.
Daniel Defense M4 Carbine V2 giveaway.
2014 Buyer’s Guide — 128-page catalog of guns, knives, lasers and lights.
To order copies for your store, visit:www.gunsmagazine.com/combat
2014Winter/Spring Special Edition
www.shootingindustry.com MARCH 2014 53
IW Continued from page 54
Slide Fire Grabs Commuters’ Attention
In Search Of Outdoor Americana
NASGW Offers Business-Building Webinar
Leaving Your MarkA billboard beside a busy Chicago free-
way grabbed the attention of thousands of commuters in January. The same message from Slide Fire was displayed on a bill-board in Harrisburg, Pa.
Slide Fire placed the “Pure American” billboards in January, sending the message that modern sporting rifles are as Ameri-can as baseball and apple pie.
Not surprisingly, the billboards drew the ire of anti-gun organizations. Also not
surprisingly, the billboards attracted plen-ty of positive reactions.
Responding to media questions, Laura Shackelford, Slide Fire chief executive manager, said, “Our Second Amendment rights are ‘All-American’ and we have a First Amendment right to speak about them.”
www.slidefire.com
A new TV series is in search of “true pieces of outdoor Ameri-cana.”
“Without exaggeration, there are millions of decades-old tack-le boxes and half-filled ammunition boxes in the closets, attics and cellars of veteran fishermen and hunters that are worth hun-
dreds or even thou-sands of dollars,” said Bob Delfay, host of “Treasures and Traditions TV” and longtime industry veteran.
The show filmed its pilot in January at the Cincinnati Hunt-ing & Fishing Show, where the Apprais-er’s Choice was a ci-
gar box purchased at an auction for $10 that turned out to contain four fishing lures valued at $6,500 to $7,000.
Other episodes are being filmed at outdoor shows around the country.
“Treasures and Traditions TV will offer outdoor enthusiasts a free appraisal of their vintage items, including firearms, decoys, bows, arrows, knives artwork, you name it. We will share the most interesting items with the viewers of ‘Treasures and Tradi-tions TV,’” Delfay said.
“Treasures and Traditions TV” will debut on The Discovery Network’s Destination America channel with the first show air-ing on June 22 and 26, and the second episode airing June 29 and July 3.
For additional information, contact Bob Delfay at [email protected].
www.treasuresandtraditionstv.com
One of the most “it shouldn’t be a secret” business tools available is NASGW’s website, including its we-binars.
Featured on the organization’s web-site, the webinars cover a wide range of topics, including “How to Cross Sell To Your Customers” and “Arming Your Sales Team For Success.” In ad-dition, there is a vast amount of other information and articles available on the website to help you build your businesses.
The best way to learn about what business information NASGW is of-fering is to subscribe to the organiza-tion’s newsletter via www.nasgw.org. While you’re on the website, explore the benefits of joining NASGW. If you’re eligible, join this business-ori-entated organization.
www.nasgw.org
Manufacturers, are you looking for made-in-the-USA machinery that will give you more consistent engraving depth compared to other marking methods? If so, contact Vision Engraving & Routing Systems.
The company’s new 1624R Engraver/Router offers direct-parts marking for
traceability, branding and product enhancement. It
can handle both short- and long-run product ion cycles.
(888) 637-1737www.visionengravers.com
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INDUSTRY WATCH Russ Thurman
Increasing Percentage of Americans: Gun Laws Too StrictAre firearms less likely to be regulated in the future? That
could be the conclusion based on two national surveys that report more Americans say stricter guns laws are not needed.
But care should be taken before celebrating the demise of gun control.
A national poll by Reason-Rupe reports that 63 percent of Americans remain unconvinced that tighter restrictions on buying and owning guns are effective in keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals. In contrast, only 32 percent of Americans say stricter laws are effective in preventing criminals from obtaining firearms. The national poll was conducted in December 2013.
Interestingly, Reason-Rupe reports, the majority of Republi-cans, Democrats and Independents agree stricter gun laws would not be effective in keeping guns from criminals.
Of those surveyed, 70 percent of Republicans say stricter gun regulations would not be effective, while just 26 percent say they would be effective. Democrats are more divided on the issue. While typically supportive of increased gun control, more than half (53%) say tighter restrictions on buying and owning guns would not prevent criminals from obtain-ing firearms; 44 percent say they would prevent criminals from getting firearms. Of Independents, 65 percent don’t think tight-er restrictions would be effective while 30 percent think they would.
Changing Views In a second national poll, Gallup reports
the number of Americans dissatisfied with U.S. gun laws and policies has increased to 55 percent, up from 51 percent in 2013 and close to the high of 57 percent in 2001. The poll was conducted in January.
This can be seen as good news, regard-less of which side of the gun-control issue you’re on: pro- or anti-gun. In its report, Gallup says Americans may be dissatisfied with gun laws because they believe they should be stricter, or because they believe the laws are too strict.
Historically in Gallup’s polls, those who are dissatisfied leaned heavily toward wanting stricter gun laws. But not this year.
Gallup reports a sharp 16 percent increase in the percentage of Americans who want less strict gun laws. In 2013, the increase was 5 percent.
Just as important, support for stricter gun laws fell to 31 per-cent from 38 percent in January 2013. It’s important to note the 2013 Gallup poll was conducted shortly after the tragic Sandy Hook school shooting in December 2012, and in the midst of the White House-driven campaign for more gun control.
“Americans have become more dissatisfied with gun laws over the past year, but this is attributable to a greater percent-age who say gun laws are too strict, rather than not being strict enough. Americans’ changing views could set the course for fu-ture gun law debates and legislation,” Gallup concludes.
Battles To Be Fought Sounds great, doesn’t it? Let’s also add the significant increase
in the number of gun owners, increasing evidence of favorable at-titudes about gun ownership, strong upticks in recreational shoot-ing, plus hunting is making a comeback.
It must be time to break out the party hats and champagne and celebrate the end of gun control. Yes, I know, silly.
However, when the industry isn’t facing an all-out attack at the national level, many in our ranks relax. That is ill-advised. However, it’s happened too many times in the past: While we’re inside celebrating our great victories, anti-gun commandos are outside slashing our tires.
At this very moment, there are well-funded anti-gun/anti-in-dustry groups whose full-time job — and fervent goal — is to make gun ownership so restrictive it becomes a footnote in our history, and in doing so, puts the industry out of business.
They are also not deterred by national polls that favor gun owners or less-restrictive gun laws. Such reports serve to moti-vate, rather than discourage them.
Yes, if you’ve read these pages of Shooting Industry at any-time in the past two decades, you’ve heard all this before. You will hear it again in the future: Fighting anti-gun/anti-industry battles is an everyday part of doing business in America today.
Fighting these battles isn’t just the “job” of the NSSF or the NRA, or other organizations on the frontlines. All of us are on the frontlines: in our communities, our states and our nation. In early 2013 a call to action sounded across the industry in response to the significant attacks from the White House, Congress, gover-nors and others throughout the nation. However, once the nation-al attacks subsided, the urgency subsided. That’s a mistake. There are battles to be fought.
To learn what you can do in this fight, visit the “Government” section of NSSF’s website.
www.nssf.org/govrel
Industry Watch continued on page 53
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54 MARCH 2014
Smith & Wesson continues to call for action with this message on www.smith-wesson.com.
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