Gun Owners Need Not Apply?

Vol. 9, No. 47 - November 17, 2008

OBAMA'S JOB APPLICATION INCLUDES GUN OWNERSHIP QUESTIONS . . . If you want a job in the Obama administration and you own a gun, you may be out of luck. Here is Question No. 59 on the application: "Do you or any members of your immediate family own a gun? If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage." The question implies that there is a national gun registration, which is, of course, not true. "The question demonstrates that this administration does not truly respect the Second Amendment," said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. "It seems the message is 'Gun Owners Need Not Apply.'"

NOW YOU SEE IT . . . Last week, President-elect Obama's transition Web site, change.gov, posted the administration's agenda for curtailing Americans' Second Amendment rights and then, oddly, took down the information after just two days. An NSSF news release responded to the Obama agenda and pointed out that gun owners were right to be concerned about the Obama-Biden team, given their past anti-gun records. The Web site's original statement on semiautomatic rifles intentionally misled readers by referring to these commonplace firearms as "weapons that belong on foreign battlefields." Interestingly, that reference has been eliminated in the agenda that has been re-posted to the site under Urban Policy, although the intention to make permanent the expired 1994 Assault Weapons Ban remains, among other troubling gun-control measures.

Inside the Industry

FMG PUBLICATIONS PRESENTS $16,500 TO NSSF . . . FMG Publications presented a check for $16,500 to NSSF to support the STEP OUTSIDE program. The money was raised during a raffle at the 2008 Shooting Industry Masters three-gun competition. Russ Thurman, publisher of FMG Business Magazines and editor of Shooting Industry magazine, presented the check to NSSF President Steve Sanetti during the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers Expo in Atlanta." STEP OUTSIDE is a program that works and one we're committed to supporting. Its development of new shooters and the reintroduction of inactive shooters is important to the industry, because it translates to increased sales," Thurman said. With the 2008 check, FMG has raised nearly $55,000 through the Shooting Industry Masters, with all the money going to STEP OUTSIDE. "FMG has been a phenomenally good supporter of the STEP OUTSIDE program and other NSSF efforts to recruit and retain shooters," Sanetti said. "STEP OUTSIDE has been tremendously successful, and we thank FMG Publications. They are a great partner, and we hope the partnership continues for a long, long time to come." Sanetti also challenged executives throughout the industry to take part in the 2009 Shooting Industry Masters in East Granby, Conn. The competition, July 24 and 25, has been expanded to accommodate 50 teams. Details are available at www.shootingindustry.com, or from Elizabeth Jarrell O'Neil at 800-537-3006, ext 279.

NSSF CONTINUES SUPPORT OF SPORTSMAN-LEGISLATOR SUMMIT . . . For the fifth year in a row, NSSF will be the title sponsor of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses' annual Sportsman-Legislator Summit. This year's program, Today's Challenges & Tomorrow's Opportunities: Helping Legislators Secure Our Outdoor Traditions in a Changing Environment, is scheduled for Clinton, S.C., from Dec. 4 to 7, providing a forum for focused discussion and interaction among state policy makers and the hunting and fishing community.

A HOLIDAY WORTH CELEBRATING . . . South Carolina will waive the state's sales tax on purchases of handguns, rifles and shotguns Nov. 28- 29 during its first "Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday." The 48-hour tax break on firearm purchases begins at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 28 and continues through midnight Nov. 29. The tax exemption also applies to any local sales and use tax. The South Carolina Department of Revenue has posted a list of exempt and non-exempt items and answers to some of the most frequently asked questions at its Web site, www.sctax.org, under the "What's New" section.

CSF ELECTS MARK DeYOUNG TO BOARD . . . Mark W. DeYoung, ATK senior vice president and president of ATK Armament Systems, as well as a member of the boards of NSSF, SAAMI and the Wildlife Management Institute, has been elected to the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation's (CSF) board of directors. CSF has also announced the hiring of Jennifer Lundy as manager of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses and Lance Lemmonds as communications manager.

SMITH & WESSON FILLS LAW ENFORCEMENT ORDERS . . . Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:SWHC) announced it recently filled orders for its Military & Police (M&P) tactical rifles. Among recent shipments is an order from the Chicago Police Department to equip the city's officers with 275 M&P15 rifles. In addition, the Minnesota State Patrol also converted to Smith & Wesson firearms, receiving 90 M&P15 rifles.

GANDER MOUNTAIN REPORTS THIRD-QUARTER PROFIT . . . Outdoor retailer Gander Mountain Co. (NASDAQ:GMTN) announced preliminary third-quarter results on Thursday, reporting a profit of $700,000. The St. Paul, Minn.-based company said retail segment income was $3.6 million, compared to a loss of $5.1 million in the third quarter last year. Third-quarter sales increased 4 percent to $270 million, however; same-store sales -- or sales at stores open at least a year -- declined 6.5 percent compared to the same period a year ago.

SELL IT OR TELL IT IN THE RANGE REPORT . . . If you have a range-related product to sell, a service to offer or a job opening at your shooting range or sportsmen's club, list it in the classified section of The Range Report, the exclusive print magazine for NSSF's range division, the National Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR). Your message will reach a community of more than 7,000 ranges and over 30,000 readers and be posted to the classified section of NASR's Web site, www.rangeinfo.org.

Shooting

ELLER, RHODE NAMED USA SHOOTING ATHLETES OF THE YEAR . . . USA Shooting, the governing body of the Olympic shooting sports for the United States, has announced that 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Glenn Eller of Katy, Texas, and Silver Medalist Kim Rhode of El Monte, Calif., have been selected as the 2008 USA Shooting Athletes of the Year. Other Olympians receiving honors as Discipline Athletes of the Year were Matt Emmons of Browns Mills, N.J., for men's rifle, Jamie Beyerle of Lebanon, Pa., for women's rifle and Jason Turner of Rochester, N.Y., for men's pistol. Eller and Rhode's names will be submitted to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) for consideration for the 2008 USOC SportsMan and SportsWoman of the Year awards.

BOY SCOUTS SEEK RANGE SAFETY SUPERVISION . . . In celebrating its 100th anniversary, The Boy Scouts of America will include in the July 26 to Aug. 4, 2010, Jamboree its Shooting Sports Competition, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) is recruiting NRA-certified range safety officers and instructors for supervision. If you would like to participate, submit your name and a copy of your credentials to Jamboree Division Director John Alline. To learn more about becoming an NRA Certified Instructor, call 703-267-1430.

U.S. PISTOL TEAM WINS FOUR TITLES IN WORLD ACTION PISTOL CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . Hundreds of the world's best action pistol shooters competed at the NRA's sixth World Action Pistol Championships in New Zealand, and the U.S. team captured four titles. Doug Koenig won the Open Championship, Vance Schmid the Metallic Sights Championship, Bruce Piatt the Iron Man Championship and Helen Jeavons the Ladies Championship.

Hunting

PETA CALLS FOR 'UNDER-18' HUNTING BAN . . . The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) last week urged Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to support legislation that would ban hunting by anyone younger than 18, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance reports. PETA is attempting to exploit recent news coverage of a tragedy in which an eight year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his father, Vincent Romero, and Timothy Romans with a .22-caliber rifle. The organization claims that the violent act was fomented by a recent family prairie dog hunting trip.

Jobs

INDUSTRY CAREER CONNECTION . . . Visit www.nssf.org/jobs for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Employers: Log in to post a job opening.