NSSF Bullet Points Articles

Good News for Idaho Shooting Ranges

Michael Brown of the Idaho Sports Shooters Alliance points out that on July 1 an enhanced range protection law went into effect, for which he credits his organization, NRA-ILA and supporting lawmakers. The new law's provisions allow a club to, among other things, add members and activities, or allow law enforcement use of a range, without concern for having exisiting protection from noise-related lawsuits stripped away because of a "substantial change in use." Also, clubs that are considered a non-conforming use under local zoning codes will not lose that status because, for instance, they raise their berms or make other safety improvements. The new provisions will help keep ranges open in the face of increasing development, said Brown. Read the improved range protection law.

'What's Wrong With This Picture'

David Petzal, Field & Stream magazine's newly named full-time rifles editor and author of its online Gun Nut blog, provided an interesting look at a recent issue of The New York Times following the Supreme Court's Second Amendment ruling. Read Petzal's blog entry.

Audit Faults New York City Police For Losing Track of Guns

According to a New York City audit released last week, and reported in the New York Times, nearly one out of three handguns and rifles that had been turned into the New York City Police Department could not be accounted for. "Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg's time, energy, and of course the taxpayer dollars he controls, would be better spent investigating his own missing firearms instead of harassing law-abiding, federally licensed firearms retailers from out of state," said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane.

NSSF to Host CSF Briefing on Excise Tax Reform Bill

NSSF will host a Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) breakfast briefing on July 16 on recently introduced legislation (HR 6310) to reform the way in which the Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax (FAET) is collected. HR 6310 will allow the firearms and ammunition industry to pay the FAET on a quarterly basis, the same payment schedule as every other industry that supports conservation. Currently, firearms and ammunition manufacturers must pay the FAET bi-weekly. This change will provide more money to support state wildlife restoration programs through the Pittman-Robertson Trust Fund. Changing from the current bi-weekly to quarterly schedules could free as much as $22 million annually for manufacturers to invest and contribute to industry growth, which in turn, would expand the FAET base. NSSF expects a Senate version of the bill to be introduced soon.

In One Year, Pennsylvania Youth Shoot Doubles in Size

In just one year, the number of youths competing at Pennsylvania's annual Scholastic Clay Target Program championship event doubled, reports The News-Item. About 40 squads, or 200 young trapshooters -- up from 20 squads last year -- took part this past weekend at the event in Elysburg. "I think what happens is the kids who are doing it tell their buddies, and it kind of snowballs," said Greg Lucas, SCTP volunteer state director. Across the country, the story is similar as the popular NSSF program continues to grow each year. Learn more about SCTP, upcoming competitions and more at www.nssf.org/sctp.

D.C. Officials Weigh Keeping Semi-Auto Pistols Illegal

Following the recent Supreme Court decision that ruled the Washington, D.C., handgun ban unconstitutional, officials in the District of Columbia are attempting to circumvent the high court by outlawing semi-automatic pistols in reluctant acceptance of revolvers. "The D.C. ban of semi-automatics is unjustified," said Smith & Wesson's Paul Pluff. "With all the safety features and reliability of today's semi-auto pistols, they have become an integral component for personal protection. With the adjunct of higher capacity revolvers and quality speed reloading devices, semi-automatic capacities should not be the excuse for the ban of these personal protection firearms." NSSF, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Heller case that was cited during oral arguments and in Justice Scalia's opinion, will continue to fight any ban on firearms ownership for law-abiding citizens.

NSSF to Sen Obama: 'Where do You Stand on Gun Bans?'

Following the recent landmark Second Amendment ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, the National Shooting Sports Foundation sent presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) a letter, dated July 4, asking whether he believes laws in his hometown of Chicago that ban law-abiding citizens from having firearms, including handguns in their homes, violate the Second Amendment. Read the Letter | Press Release

Help Your Customers Track Olympic Shooting Events with USA Shooting

To help industry and consumers follow the progress of the U.S. Olympic team during the 2008 games, USA Shooting has developed a Web site that will provide easy access to the latest news, athlete profiles and scores. But it needs your help to get the word out about the Web site. To help, USA Shooting has developed a graphic that can be easily uploaded and placed on a company's Web sites. "We only have this chance once every four years to celebrate our sports and our athletes as they compete in the Olympic Games," said Buddy DuVall, USA Shooting's director of marketing. "The games offer a huge opportunity for the shooting industry. The positive stories about the shooting sports that result from our participation will surely inspire future Olympic dreams and help provide a better understanding of our sports with the general public. We just want to make sure these stories and competition updates are easily available to anyone with an interest. With industry's support, we can do just that." Learn more about the campaign.

Sights on Beijing: A Look at America

With the 2008 Olympics just weeks away, Bullet Points each week will offer a brief look at the U.S. Olympic team shooters headed to Beijing. This week are the air rifle and air pistol shooters.

Nevada ACLU Supports Individual Right

The Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has declared its support for interpreting the Second Amendment as an individual right to keep and bear arms, a move putting them at odds with their national headquarters which is vehemently anti-gun and continues to hold the Second Amendment as a right of the government. The decision by the Nevada affiliate follows the U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Washington, D.C. et. al. v. Heller) affirming that the Second Amendment does indeed protect the rights of individuals to own handguns.