LEARNING ABOUT HANDGUN OWNERSHIP . . . Asking questions about the difference between revolvers and pistols, ammunition types and magazine capacity, District of Columbia residents received an introduction to handgun shooting Sunday through NSSF's First Shots program at the Arlington-Fairfax Isaak Walton League shooting range in Centreville, Va. A classroom presentation covered topics such as D.C. firearm regulations, safety, grip, sight alignment and trigger control, and then it was on to the range where participants shot .22-caliber revolvers and pistols, always with a certified instructor by their side. "I'd definitely like to learn more about shooting because it's a nice way to spend a weekend," said one female resident. "Next time I'm going to bring my boyfriend." Two sessions of attendees included legislative staffers, sisters and a news reporter from the Washington Informer, an African-American newspaper in the District. "We were very pleased with this initial First Shots seminar for D.C. residents," said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. "It shows that District residents, after having their Second Amendment rights denied for over 30 years, have a strong interest in firearms ownership." A team of NRA-certified instructors led by multiple USPSA and IDPA champion Julie Goloski and chapter volunteer Tom Ciarula delivered a solid introduction that provided the knowledge and information for a safe and responsible start in handgun ownership and usage. Smith & Wesson and Taurus provided loaner pistols and revolvers and attendees received follow-up information and safety materials from all First Shots sponsors. Sunday's First Shots kicked off a series of upcoming seminars in the D.C. area. Learn more at www.firstshots.org.

Inside the Industry

2008 SHOOTING SPORTS SUMMIT VIDEOS . . . All of the video Webcasts from NSSF's 2008 Shooting Sports Summit are now posted online at NSSF.org/08summit, thanks to the help of MyOutdoorTV.com. Watch the keynote address by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and a number of signature sessions that were Webcast live during the summit. The Webcasts were sponsored by GunBroker.com.

MANUFACTURERS: BENCHMARK YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH . . . Have you ever wondered how well your business compares to the industry or to fast-growing companies in other industries? As a free member benefit, NSSF members will be able to benchmark their business practices to the business practices of other members and to a database of fast-growing companies. Growth Strategy Partners, a research-based management consulting firm focusing on the firearms, defense and security industries, has compiled a database of more than 600 fast-growing company benchmarks and created the Benchmarks for Growth Evaluation. They are offering NSSF members the free opportunity to benchmark their business practices to this proprietary database. NSSF is also interested in learning the aggregate results of this evaluation. This evaluation is first being offered to NSSF's manufacturing members, so watch your e-mail for the invitation arriving later this week.

INTERMEDIA OUTDOORS ACQUIRES BARRETT PRODUCTIONS . . . InterMedia Outdoors, Inc. (IMO) announced it has acquired Missoula, Mont.-based Barrett Productions, producer of outdoor, adventure and sports television. The transaction brings together two leading television production and content companies. In addition to television and radio interests, Intermedia Outdoors, Inc. owns a large network of hunting, shooting and fishing Web sites and 17 magazines, including Guns & Ammo and Petersen's Hunting.

Legislative

CALIFORNIA: URGE GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER TO VETO AB 2498 . . . NSSF is calling on California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to veto a bill that is inconsistent with prior legislation to increase and encourage individuals to take firearms training. AB 2498 would force all lawful residents seeking firearms training from an instructor that has a contract to provide firearms training to federal employees or employees of civilian government contractors to obtain a costly background check.

IN DEBATE, BIDEN BOASTS ABOUT GUN-BAN EFFORTS . . . On Saturday, Sen. Barack Obama selected Sen. Joseph Biden as his Democratic vice-presidential running mate. Sen. Biden needs no introduction when it comes to his stance on restricting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. In 1994, he worked to orchestrate the passage of the Assault Weapons Ban. Watch a video showing Sen. Biden boasting about banning guns. Read an analysis on the Sen. Biden selection by CQ Politics.

Shooting

U.S. SHOOTERS DOUBLE MEDAL COUNT FROM ATHENS . . . The 2008 Olympics drew to a close Sunday in Beijing. The U.S. Olympic team for shooting turned out an outstanding performance at the Games, earning six medals to double the medal count from Athens four years ago. Arguably the most successful showing for the U.S. in the history of the Olympic shooting competition, the U.S. Shooting team brought home two gold, two silver and two bronze medals and set a total of five new Olympic records. Look back at the shooting events from the Olympics at USAShooting.com and NBCOlympics.com.

STEEL CHALLENGE RESULTS POSTED . . . Complete results from this year's Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships are now posted online at www.steelchallenge.com. U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit shooter K.C. Eusebio won the main match at the championships, held this month in Piru, Calif. Eusebio won with a record time of 79.16, followed by B.J. Norris with a time of 80.84. Kay Clark-Miculek won the women's division with a time of 105.85.

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