Strong Industry Support Sought at Conference
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Strong Industry Support Sought at Conference





SEPT. 21 IN WASHINGTON . . . As the 2008 election approaches, the firearms industry is leading the charge to bolster National Rifle Association membership in order to maximize the influence of America's 80 million gun owners at the polls and in the halls of Congress and statehouses. On Friday, Sept. 21, and Saturday, Sept. 22, the "Celebration of American Values" Conference will be held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. Strong representation from the industry is encouraged. NRA conference organizers are seeking more than 100 representatives from the industry to attend. The event will feature several political leaders, including presidential candidates John McCain, Rudy Guiliani, Fred Thompson and Bill Richardson. A press conference will be held at noon on Sept. 21 announcing the NRA membership drive supported by the industry. The Celebration of American Values Conference is scheduled to begin Friday at 9 a.m. and continue to noon on Saturday. "I encourage our industry leaders to come to Washington, D.C., to ensure a strong show of support for the NRA at this important conference," said Doug Painter, president of NSSF. Those who would like to attend should respond to NRA at rclark@nrahq.org.

  • COLLEGE PROGRAM A 'WIN-WIN' FOR INDUSTRY . . . A first-of-its-kind program for students interested in getting into the business side of hunting and shooting sports is under way this semester at Montgomery Community College in Troy, N.C. NSSF provided an implementation grant for the program. Randy Clark, NSSF's managing director of program development, had the opportunity recently to see the program in action and said he was impressed with his visit to the college. "This program is a win-win for our industry," Clark said. "It not only helps students better position themselves in the firearms retail sector, but our retail sector will benefit by being better prepared to provide for our customers' needs." The new program's conception began with Larry Potterfield, president and CEO of Midway USA, at NSSF's SHOT Show. The two-year associate degree in business administration can be earned almost entirely online, though one gunsmithing lab course is held on the MCC campus.


  • CALIFORNIA MISCHIEF . . . Voting to ban ammunition and require microstamping of firearms sold in the state, the California Legislature was hard at work last week. Full Story


  • D.C. UPDATE . . . The District of Columbia last week filed its brief in support of its cert petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court ruling that struck down the city's 30-year-old ban on private handgun ownership. Should the Supreme Court take the case, D.C. v. Heller, it could lead to the first direct ruling by the high court on the Second Amendment since 1939. The likelihood of the Supreme Court granting review of the case is high because there is a split among the federal appellate courts and even between the federal and district courts of appeal within the District of Columbia, as to whether the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights provides an individual right to keep and bear arms or some type of collective right belonging to state governments. "We look forward to the Supreme Court accepting this case so the court can put to rest false interpretation of the Second Amendment that would deny Americans a civil liberty of equal importance to a free society as the First Amendment is," commented NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane.


  • PRESS BRIEFING ON NEW REPORT . . . The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation will hold a press briefing event Sept. 26 in Washington, D.C., on a new report based on the results of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation. Though early accounts in the news media about the USFWS report have focused on a downward trend in hunting and fishing numbers, the CSF report, titled "America's Hunters and Anglers: A Force As Big As All Outdoors," focuses on the economic powerhouse of hunters and anglers and how they compare to other sectors of the economy. The press event, which will be taped by Versus, will be held at 1 p.m. at the House Agriculture Committee, 1300 Longworth House Office Building. Industry leaders, including NSSF President Doug Painter, and government officials will speak at the event.


  • SCTP ON THE SPORTSMAN CHANNEL THIS WEEK . . . NSSF's Scholastic Clay Target Program will be highlighted on The Sportsman Channel starting this evening in the news section of the channel's original television program titled, "The Lodge." The show airs weekly Mondays at 6 p.m.; Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. (all times EST). If you don't already receive The Sportsman Channel, you can log on to the Web site free-of-charge this week to watch the show with the username "freetsc@yahoo.com," password "sports."


  • SHOT SHOW ON 'FASTEST 50' LIST . . . For the fourth time in five years, NSSF's Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show has been named one of "Tradeshow Week" magazine's Fastest 50. The award honors the 50 fastest-growing shows in North America. This year's award was based on square-footage growth and percentage of growth between 2004 and 2006.


  • SHOT BUSINESS NOMINATED FOR PRESTIGIOUS FOLIO AWARD . . . Slaton White, editor of "SHOT Business" magazine, reports that the trade publication has been nominated for an Ozzie Award for "Best Feature Design" in the business-to-business under-100,000-circulation category. The first-, second- and third-place recipients of the Folio magazine-sponsored honor will be announced on Sept. 23.


  • SMITH & WESSON POSTS RECORD FIRST-QUARTER SALES, PROFIT . . . Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:SWHC) reported Thursday first-quarter profit increased 39 percent compared to the same period the previous year. The company credited strong firearms sales as well as its acquisition of Thompson/Center Arms. Firearm sales were up 55.2 percent in the quarter. Handgun sales at retail locations rose 41 percent.


  • GUN SALES UP AFTER MISSOURI GUN LAW CHANGE . . . Missouri gun shop owners and salespeople say sales are up at least 20 percent after a new law took effect eliminating a time-consuming permit process, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.


  • GUN DEALER SENTENCED FOR FEDERAL FIREARMS CONVICTION . . . One of Connecticut's largest firearms retailers has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for violating federal firearms laws. Earlier this year Frank D'Andrea, owner of Guns & Safes Unlimited in Milford, pleaded guilty to one count of a 12-count indictment brought against him by federal prosecutors for possessing an unregistered shotgun.



  • Rep. LOWEY ATTEMPTS TO INTRODUCE ANTI-HUNTING POLICY . . . The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance reports that Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, chair of the House Foreign Appropriations Subcommittee, added a statement to the committee report for the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that originated with the Humane Society of the United States. The additional language expressed concern about USAID to Africa that directly and indirectly supports hunting in its assistance programs and directed USAID "to provide no funds to programs that support or promote recreational, sport, or trophy hunting as a conservation tool."


  • FOREST SERVICE EASES RECREATIONAL SHOOTING PROHIBITION . . . The Second Amendment Foundation reports that the U.S. Forest Service has issued a memorandum to clarify the intent of an obscure regulation that the agency's personnel have been misinterpreting, thus prohibiting recreational shooting near forest roads.


  • U.S. WOMEN WIN RANDLE INTERNATIONAL RIFLE MATCH . . . The United States can now lay claim to the Randle Women's International Team Trophy, for the first time since 2003, as the U.S. Women's Team beat Great Britain and South Africa in a unique type of competition called "postal matches."


  • MAGAZINE FOR YOUTH SHOOTERS, HUNTERS . . . "Junior Shooters," a new publication from "Shoot!" magazine, has arrived on newsstands. It features articles about shooting and hunting for youths. The magazine highlights NSSF's Scholastic Clay Target Program and other efforts geared toward youth participation in hunting and the shooting sports. "Shoot!" donated 10,000 copies of the issue to NSSF that were distributed at SCTP's national championships this year.


  • FOUNDATION PRESENTS DONATION TO SUPPORT SCTP . . . The Big Game Hunters Foundation has presented a check for $5,000 to NSSF as a contribution with the hope that the funds could be used to help further the Scholastic Clay Target Program in Missouri. The donation continues a tradition of giving to the industry by the St. Louis-based organization.


  • KUDOS TO FRANK MINITER . . . Regnery Publishing released the latest in its best-selling "Politically Incorrect Guide" series with "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Hunting." The book, written by "American Hunter" magazine executive editor Frank Miniter, confronts myths put forth by anti-hunting groups and sets the record straight on many issues misrepresented in the mainstream media. It also references the positive efforts of NSSF and other groups, including the Families Afield initiative, and spotlights NSSF's www.huntandshoot.org as a resource for finding places to hunt.


  • INDUSTRY CAREER CONNECTION . . . The National Wild Turkey Federation is seeking a staff writer/public relations specialist. View job description at www.nssf.org/jobs.


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