VOLUME 20, NUMBER 7 DECEMBER 2012
NSSF
GOOD STUFF: TENZING PACKS ARE BUILT FOR BIG-GAME HUNTERS PG. 46 FIRING LINE: BENJAMIN ROGUE AIRGUN DELIVERS MAJOR-LEAGUE PERFORMANCE PG. 26
SHOOTING, HUNTING & OUTDOOR TRADE
THEY’RE ACCURATE, THEY’RE LETHAL, AND THEY’RE HERE TO STAY P. 32
ATF INSPECTION HOW TO DEAL WITH THE ATF “RECONCILIATION FACTOR” PG. 42
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PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT
How do you make a Savage rifle even more accurate? Well, as the adage goes, you can’t kill what you can’t see, so you include a Nikon 3-9x40 BDC reticle scope, mounted and bore sighted. This unique reticle can be ballistically matched to your exact cartridge using Nikon “Spot On” Software. Coincidentally, the price of the New package is “Spot On” too. See your favorite Savage dealer for details. SAVAGEARMS.COM
Spot On is a trademark of Nikon Corporation
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S H OT B U S I N ES S
❚
DECEMBER 2012
❚
CONTENTS
VOL. 20, ISSUE 7
Departments 28
2
Alternative ammo measures up in the field
5
NEWS BRIEFS Duff wins Ladies Open; Redring’s new sight; GunSpec reboots to version 2.0
24
FYI How smartphones are changing the face of retailing
Features
26
FIRING LINE Crosman’s Benjamin Rogue takes airguns to another level
32 38 42
28
UNDERCOVER SHOPPER Coyote guns
32
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ALTERNATIVE BULLETS As the accuracy
and performance of non-traditional bullets improves, customers may ask you about them. Here’s the scoop BY WAYNE VAN ZWOLL
A TAXING SITUATION Government agencies are looking for more
revenue. Guess who comes into their sights? BY MARK E. BATTERSBY
WHEN YOU ARE INSPECTED An ATF inspection is no cause for
worry, as long as you keep precise, accurate records. Here are some tips to help you work with the ATF to keep the process as painless as possible BY HARRY MCCABE
NSSF Update 17 FROM THE NSSF SHOT
19
NEW-MEMBER RATES
SHOT SHOW U. NEARS CAPACITY Reserve your
20 21
NSSF DELIVERS VALUE
Show revenue pays yearround dividends
18 COVER: LUKE NILSSON
EDITOR’S NOTE
18 19
seat at the table now
#GUNVOTE CAMPAIGN
Industry educates voters RANGE REPORT Publication gets its own website
22
46
GOOD STUFF Tenzing’s
48 56
WHAT’S SELLING WHERE
Retailers and ranges can join NSSF for less
FROM MY SIDE OF THE COUNTER Retailer seminars
in central Illinois
TZ 2220 pack is perfect for big-game spot-andstalk hunters
NEW PRODUCTS
E. Arthur Brown Co.’s Ruger 10/22 Keylock Scope Mounting Base; Streamlight’s ProTac HL; Fairchase’s Nose Jammer
56
during SHOT Show
YOU SHOULD KNOW Lead
not chief cause of bird deaths DECEMBER 2012 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 1
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editor’s note
nssf
Terminal Performance Building better bullets
W
hen something becomes a political football, facts can get distorted. Such is the ongoing debate about traditional ammunition. Anti-hunters have latched onto the issue, using dubious science to argue for a ban on lead bullets. It’s a bogus issue—a Trojan horse to advance their own political interests. NSSF has addressed the topic many times; for an overview go to nssf.org/ factsheets/PDF/TraditionalAmmo.pdf. That said, alternatives to lead do exist. As contributing editor Wayne Van Zwoll says in his comprehensive look at alternative bullets (page 32), Randy Brooks, founder of Barnes Bullets, invented the all-copper X Bullet 20 years ago for one reason only—to give hunters a better bullet for big critters such as brown bears. Over the years, other manufacturers have followed suit, using a variety of materials, including copper, tungsten, bronze, and zinc. As Van Zwoll notes, this new ammunition performs at a very high level, but it can be a difficult sell for two reasons. First, lead alternatives tend to be expensive, and consumers are already in a lather about the escalating cost of ammo. Second, the technology and materials used to manufacture alternative ammo tend to be confusing—for retailers and consumers alike. Van Zwoll can’t do anything about the cost of ammo, but his article should help you understand the finer points of alternative ammunition, which should help you better serve your customers. One key point: Bullets that use gilding materials (a copper alloy that consists of 95 percent copper, 5 percent zinc) tend to be longer than traditional bullets. That’s because gilding metal weighs less than lead, and the only way to get the mass necessary for good performance is to lengthen the bullet. That, in turn, means the cartridge carries less powder. The
remedy is to make the slug lighter. You can ease your customers’ concerns by telling them they won’t have to worry about terminal performance. These bullets do the job. David E. Petzal, Field & Stream’s longserving rifles editor, told me, “I’ve found that 225-grain Barnes Triple X Bullets do everything just as well as 250-grain conventional slugs do in my beloved .338s.” I’ve used the Winchester E-Tips as well as the Federal Premium Vital Shok with a Barnes Triple-Shock X
Bullet. Both performed at a very high level. And Federal Premium’s brandnew Trophy Copper Vital Shok ammo recently garnered a Field & Stream Best of the Best Award. Simply put, the stuff works. Need we say more?
slaton L. White, Editor
shooting, hunting & outdoor trade
sLaton L. White, editor
Margaret M. nussey, Managing Editor david e. Petzal, Shooting Editor david Maccar, Assistant Editor Maribel Martin, Senior Administrative Assistant James a. Walsh, Art Director Judith Weber, Production Manager Contributing editors
Larry Ahlman, Barbara Baird, Scott Bestul, Philip Bourjaily, Chris Christian, Christopher Cogley, David Draper, Jock Elliott, Doug Howlett, William F. Kendy, Mark Kayser, Peter B. Mathiesen, Brian McCombie, Tom Mohrhauser, Robert Sadowski, Robert F. Staeger, Marilyn Stone, Wayne Van Zwoll
eriC ZinCZenko, executive Vice President adVertising: 212-779-5316
gregory d. gatto, Advertising Director Paula iwanski, National Sporting Goods Director brian Peterson, West katie Logan, Sporting Goods Sales elizabeth a. burnham, Associate Publisher, Marketing & Online Services ingrid reslmaier, Marketing Design Director
business oPerations
tara bisciello, Business Manager
ConsuMer Marketing
robert M. Cohn, Consumer Marketing Director raymond Ward, Senior Planning Manager barbara brooker, Fulfillment Manager
ManufaCturing
Laurel kurnides, Group Production Director barbara taffuri, Production Director
bonnier
Chairman, Jonas Bonnier Chief executive officer, Terry Snow Chief financial officer, Randall Koubek Vice President, Corporate sales, John Driscoll Chief brand development officer, Sean Holzman Vice President, Consumer Marketing, Bruce Miller Vice President, Production, Lisa Earlywine Vice President, information technology, Shawn Larson Vice President, Corporate Communications, Dean Turcol Publishing Consultant, Martin S. Walker general Counsel, Jeremy Thompson
SHOT business (ISSN 1081-8618) is published January, February/march, April/ may, June/July, August/September, October/November and december by bonnier corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695, and is the official publication of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Flintlock ridge Office center, 11 mile Hill road, Newtown, cT 06470 (203-426-1320). Volume 20, issue 7. copyright © 2012 by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. All rights reserved. editorial, circulation, production and advertising offices are located at 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695 (212-779-5000). Free to qualified subscribers; available to non-qualified subscribers for $25 per year. Single-copy issues are available for $5 each. Send check, payable to NSSF, to: SHOT business, c/o NSSF, 11 mile Hill road, Newtown, cT 06470-2359. SHOT business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All correspondence should be accompanied by a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. requests for media kits and advertising information should be directed to Katy marinaro, bonnier corporation, 625 N. michigan Ave., Ste. 1270, chicago, IL 60611. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. For customer Service and Subscription questions, such as renewals, Address changes, email Preferences, billing and Account Status, go to: shotbusiness. com/cs. You can also call 386-246-0188 or write to SHOT business, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016 For editorial inquiries, write to Slaton L. White, SHOT business, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016 rePrINTS: e-mail reprints@bonniercorp.com. POSTmASTer: Please send address changes to SHOT business, P.O. box 422494, Palm coast, FL 321422494.
2 ❚ Shot BuSineSS ❚ december 2012
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Know that you always have an edge
Dependability and confidence come standard with every FN firearm. For more than a hundred years, we have defined, refined and perfected the art of gun making in order to put the perfect gun in your hands today. Gain the Distinct Advantage with FN. Learn more at www.FNHUSA.com
www.fnhusa.com
Distinct Advantage
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One Industry. One Voice.
National Shooting Sports Foundation®
F
or over 50 years, our mission has never wavered. Promote, protect and preserve our hunting and shooting sports. We are the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association of the firearms, ammunition and shooting industry. Whether it is in the field, on the range, in Washington, D.C. or 50 state capitals, we stand proudly as your voice.
H
elp us make your voice louder and stronger where it counts. Now more than ever, it’s time to become a NSSF member. To join contact Bettyjane Swann at (203) 426-1320 or bswann@nssf.org.
The future of your business depends on it.
Scan this QR code with your Smartphone for to watch our membership video
WWW.NSSFMEMBERSHIP.COM
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e d i t e d b y d av i d M a c c a r
Bits & Pieces
news briefs news
❚
promotions
❚
awards
❚
outreach
Jessie Duff won the Ladies Open in Germany.
Gearhog’s Daily Outdoors Deals
Gearhog recently announced the official launch of its website, Gearhog.com. The site offers daily deals on hunting, shooting, and other outdoor related products. After signing up as a member on the website, users will receive daily e-mails about new deals. “The popularity of daily deals sites has really taken the world by storm, and we’re absolutely thrilled to now have a site catering to shooting, hunting, and the outdoor world,” said Clayton Whipple of brownells. Virtually all daily deal websites work within the same “everybody wins” framework. in this case, Gearhog.com gets the user traffic, brands get their products to the masses, and consumers get the discount.
Gun desiGned by simon Child from The noun ProjeCT
Minox Taps Pestilli For Northeast Sales
minox usA has hired Vincent A. Pestilli & Associates as its sales agency in the northeast. This move completes minox’s overall strategy to aggressively expand and better service its dealer network. “With the addition of Vincent A. Pestilli & Associates, we have expanded our sales force to include another great agency to properly service our everexpanding network of dealers and distributors,” said matt suuck, sport optics manager for minox usA. “We are excited to add this experienced group of salespeople to our already outstanding sales force.” “We look forward to working with a high-quality optics company like minox,” said Vincent Pestilli, of Vincent Pestilli & Associates.
Jessie Duff Wins NRA World Action Pistol Championship
In a come-from-behind victory, Taurus Shooting Team captain Jessie Duff took the Ladies Open title at the 8th annual competition held in Germany. “Dropping 12 points in the Practical event and being four points behind the leader, I was feeling rather defeated right out of the gate,” Duff recalled. “I still had another event to shoot that day. After a short time to gather my thoughts, I decided I didn’t come to Germany to give up.” Duff harnessed that determination and cleaned her next two events, plates and barricades. It made a dent, but on the last day of the event, she was still four points behind the leader. Duff knew this was where she had to step up if she were to have any chance at the championship. When she stepped to the line to shoot for the U.S. Ladies, she shot 8 points down. “I realized I had given it everything I had and that’s what I asked of myself. I couldn’t change anything now,” said Duff. This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources.
“When they brought our targets over to be scored officially is when I realized I had pulled ahead by one point.” Duff has earned multiple world and national champion shooting titles in five different shooting disciplines, and is the captain of Taurus USA’s shooting team. “Jessie’s determination and positive motivation are just a few of the qualities that portray her as a true champion,” said Mark Kresser, president and CEO of Taurus USA. “She is not only our champion—she is the world champion in action pistol. We are humbled to have her as our team captain.” december 2012 ❚ SHot BuSineSS ❚ 5
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news briefs The Redring’s reticle automatically adjusts its brightness based on light intensity.
2012
Christmas
Catalog
O
ur 24-page Christmas Catalog is packed with our most popular products loved by gun enthusiasts everywhere, plus new items – including reloading gear. You’re sure to find the right gifts for the shooters on your list!
brownells.com 800-741-0015 Source Code: DU6
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Redring Introduces Rib-Mounted Shotgun Sight to U.S. Market Redring USA is bringing a new shotgun sight concept to the American market after success in Europe. Unlike traditional sights, the Sweden-made Redring allows the shooter to immediately take fast and instinctive shots with both eyes open. This sight is not designed for aiming, but instead for fast shotgun shooting. The Redring sight was developed for use on any shotgun with a rib, with a reticle that helps beginners and seasoned shooters achieve better target aquisition on moving targets and hit more targets successfully. The Redring gauges the backlight of a sight picture and adjusts the ring intensity accordingly. On a dark background, like at early morning or dusk, the ring (or reticle) light is weaker, and in bright sunlight, the ring is more visible. The sight is also an effective rangefinder. The size of the ring on the target is equal to the shot diameter at 65 feet (20 meters). The shooter is able to tell instantly if the target is in shooting range or if it’s too far away for a sure shot. The low-profile sight mounts quickly and easily on the rib of the gun, eliminating the need for a rail, and does not need
to be calibrated or sighted-in. The Redring comes with recoil-absorbing mounts for shotguns with a rib width from 5 to 11.5mm. Because the anodized aluminum sight is lightweight, there is no discernible effect on the overall weight or balance of the gun. An energy-saving shut-off function automatically powers down the sight after 4 hours of continuously being on, saving the battery power. The shutoff function can also be programmed to fit the shooter’s time afield or on the range. Redring provides shooters with feedback on the correct sight alignment every time, increasing shooter success for competition, hunting, or just plain fun. Patrick Flanigan, an eight-time world record holder in Xtreme Sport Shooting, found using the Redring improved his scores. Flanigan, a star of numerous television programs such as Hot Shots, Impossible Shots, and his own program, Shell Shocked, is an advocate for the shooting sports. Redring, through its sponsorship of Flanigan, is working with him to promote the sport to new shooters through education and events.
ReDRING SPeCIFICATIONS:
battery: weight: Length: width: Height: Material: srP:
AAAA 1.5V, Approx 300 hrs. of life. Auto shut-off after 4 hrs. 134 g (4.726 oz.) excl. mounts, 192 g (6.773 oz.) incl. mounts 134 mm (5.275 in.), mounts included 44 mm (1.732 in.) 45.7 mm (1.779 in.) Anodized aluminum $899
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Auto Ordnance donated this Thompson 1927A-1 “Tommy Gun” to Big Hearts Under the Big Sky.
Auto ordnance Supports Big Hearts under the Big Sky
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LAR-15LH LEF-T ELITE OPERATOR-L /
WITH HALF QUAD, FREE FLOAT MID-LENGTH HANDGUARD
LH1276
NEW for 2012 5.56MM NATO CHAMBER / 16 INCH, CHROME-MOLY, 1:9 LH TWIST BARREL / FORGED A4 LEF-T UPPER RECEIVER / FORGED RRA LAR-15LH LOWER RECEIVER / RRA TACTICAL MUZZLE BRAKE / RRA TWO-STAGE TRIGGER GROUP / RRA WINTER TRIGGER GUARD / AMBIDEXTROUS CHARGING HANDLE AND MAGAZINE RELEASE / STANDARD LH SAFETY SELECTOR / RRA OPERATOR CAR STOCK / ERGO SUREGRIP PISTOL GRIP / RRA HALF QUAD, FREE FLOAT MID-LENGTH HANDGUARD / 8 POUNDS/37 INCHES / 1 MOA AT 100 YARDS / INCLUDES MAGAZINE, CASE, MANUAL AND RRA LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
MSRP:
$1050
SPECS
Auto Ordnance. along with the family of firearms that also includes Magnum Research Inc. and Kahr Arms, recently donated a Thompson 1927A-1 to the Big Hearts Under the Big Sky organization. Founded in 2008, Big Hearts Under the Big Sky (BHUBS) is a charitable organization that works in partnership with the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. Its mission is to provide outdoor adventures in Montana to U.S. servicemen and women, children with lifethreatening illnesses, and women fighting breast cancer. Providing hunting and other outdoor experiences to qualified candidates requires a group effort. BHUBS has teamed up with other charitable organizations to help achieve its mission. Four national charities have also stepped up to help: the Catch-a-Dream Foundation, the Wounded Warrior Project, Casting for Recovery, and Hunt of a Lifetime. The donation from Auto Ordnance is in keeping with the theme that parent company Kahr Arms started several years ago, to demonstrate its patriotic pride in U.S. troops as well as other Americans who are fighting life-threatening personal battles at home. BHUBS plans to put the Thompson 1927A-1 up for auction at an upcoming fundraising event in April. The Thompson 1927A-1 is the timehonored original “Tommy Gun,” reproduced in a more modern, semi-auto version. The frame and receiver are machined from solid steel or aluminum and the wood is genuine American walnut. The .45-caliber carbine features a 16½-inch finned barrel, and the donated model includes a 30-round stick magazine and a 50-round drum magazine for the true Tommy Gun experience.
LH1278
LH1277
TACTICAL (LH1278) AND ENTRY (LH1277) OPERATOR-L MODELS ALSO AVAILABLE LEFTIES REJOICE AT www.rockriverarms.com
11/13/12 1:41 PM
news briefs
GunSpec, a shopping comparison site for the firearms industry, has launched GunSpec.com v2.0. The site is the first shopping comparison engine dedicated to the firearms industry. Gunspec’s search features allow buyers to scan multiple retailers at the same time to find the products that they are looking for. The new version provides end users with additional offerings and more robust product search features. GunSpec has expanded its list of firearm category offerings and created new categories for clothing, hunting gear, knives, and emergency preparedness products. The big news for firearms retailers is that they still have a choice of uploading their catalog offerings with a free trial, to take advantage of the industry’s first firearms, parts, and accessories-only shopping search engine site. Retailers can also boost their web store presence by taking part iGunSpec’s new premium ad placement program, a costper-click advertising program that
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GunSpec.com has updated its website, strengthening its search features for higher functionality.
enhances the retailer’s catalog offering for a lower cost than traditional shopping engine providers. The site has also beefed up its capabili-
ties for retailers to include automated product data feeds, inventory, and reporting. “GunSpec v2.0 is a direct result of our open communication line between our end users and GunSpec,” says company president Dennis Bella. “We also intend to provide the same experience that retailers were accustomed to prior to the firearms advertising ban introduced by the Internet’s two largest search engines. End users wanted more offerings and retailers wanted greater visibility and brand building. With v2.0, GunSpec answers and makes the experience for both buyer and seller even better.” Currently, the GunSpec crew is finetuning GunSpec’s search capabilities and speed with additional enhancements to be announced in the near future. GunSpec is now actively recruiting retailers to participate in their new programs. To set up a free trial with GunSpec and try out all the site’s features, retailers should contact info@GunSpec .com.
M16 designed by nadav barkan froM The noun ProjecT
GunSpec Launches Version 2.0
11/13/12 4:22 PM
on the Move new promotions and recent hirings in the industry
Jason Harris
bushnell has hired jason harris as product manager for Primos. harris will manage the Primos product lines, including Trigger sticks, double bull blinds, electronic calls and other hunting equipment.
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Kristine Gittins
benchmade knife Company has named kristine Gittins as the new vice president of finance. she will oversee all financial and accounting policies and procedures at benchmade hQ in oregon City.
otto Weigl
Col. otto Weigl (usmC, ret.) has been named senior vice president for government affairs for freedom Group, inc. he will develop and implement fGi’s political engagement strategy with elected officials and key policymakers.
Rachel Hohman
hohman has been hired as an account coordinator for swanson russell. hohman previously served as an intern. she holds a degree from unl in advertising and public relations, with an emphasis in digital media.
Scott Rothenberg
rothenberg joins Taurus as sales director with an extensive sales background in the industry for the past 14 years. he will be meeting key clients and implementing strategic sales plans.
11/13/12 1:41 PM
news briefs
Anchored in the tactical market and grow- agency that drives sales by increasing the ing rapidly in hunting, fishing, and outquality and quantity of brand visibility. door retail, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools Founded in 2001, Pale Morning Media has has selected Pale Morning Media as their offices in Vermont and Maine, and suppublic relations agency of record, effective ports a growing roster of brands in a immediately. diverse array of outdoor and lifestyle “As impressive as the SOG story has markets. been over the last 25 years, the brightest “SOG is an ideal partner for Pale moments for the brand are just around Morning Media,” said Drew the corner,” said Nando Zucchi, SOG Simmons, president of Pale Morning vice-president of marketing. “With a Media. “Within their core community, they strong foundation of classic designs and are legendary for quality and innovation. the impending debut of some new collec- And to new audiences, SOG’s design briltions and innovations, SOG and its retail liance and simple practicality is so immedicommunity are understandably excited ately apparent that people never forget the about the future.” first time they pick one up.” SOG Specialty Knives & Tools is known To learn more about SOG Specialty worldwide for blending uncompromisKnives & Tools, visit sogknives.com. ing tactical performance with sleek modern design. The SOG product collection includes folding knives, multipurpose tools, and a deep assortment of fixed blades. Led by founder and designer Spencer Frazer, SOG owns more than 50 design patents, including SOG Assisted Technology, which makes it easier and faster to open a folding knife ambidextrously, and SOG Compound Leverage, which provides multi-tools with greatly increased clamping strength. Launched in 1986 with a commemorative fixed blade design—inspired by the Vietnam SOG military knife—SOG’s significant collection of industry awards ranges from its first in 1988 (Blade magazine named the SOG Tomcat “Overall Knife of the Year”) to its most recent in 2012 (SOG SOG Assisted BladeLight/Folding earned a Technology makes it Field & Stream “Best of the easier and faster to open Best” award). a knife with one hand. Pale Morning Media is an independent consulting
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jusTin APPenZeller
SOG Knives enlists Pale Morning Media
11/13/12 1:41 PM
RMEF, Partners Honored with National Reclamation Award The Pennsylvania Department of Environ mental Protection (DEP), the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and its partner organizations received national recognition for restoring land impacted by past coal mining operations. The groups received the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclam ation and Enforcement’s 2012 National Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award for the Dents Run Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project in Benezette Township, Elk County, Pennsylvania. “RMEF worked for decades to conserve and enhance wildlife habitat in Penn sylvania,” said David Allen, RMEF presi dent and CEO. “This project is an example of our longterm commitment to ensure quality habitat exists for elk and other wild life in the Keystone State.” The Pennsylvania Game Commission, with help from RMEF and other partners, purchased a 1,359acre tract known as State Game Land #311 near the town of Benezette in 1990. Covered by a thick
deciduous hardwood forest, it was also dot ted with abandoned strip mine sites. Using innovative technologies, the DEP and its partners began the Dents Run Restoration Project in 2002 and wrapped up work in March 2012. They remediated dangerously steep highwalls, water impoundments, mine openings and hundreds of acres of barren, unstable, acidic mine spoil, creating more than 320 acres of additional habitat for Pennsylvania’s growing elk herd and restoring a stream to support a healthy wild trout population. “This award recognizes the innovative approach DEP, our partners in industry, local grassroots groups and sister govern ment agencies used to restore water quality in Dents Run and create habitat for the state’s elk herd,” said DEP Deputy Secretary for Active and Abandoned Mining John Stefanko. “This effort restored a native trout stream and enhanced the rangeland for Pennsylvania’s growing elk herd in one of the state’s most scenic areas.”
Pennsylvania elk populations can enjoy 320 more acres of habitat, thanks to the RMEF and the PA DEP.
RMEF funding for the project totaled more than $115,000. To date, RMEF and its partners have completed 281 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Pennsylvania, protecting or enhancing 14,772 acres of habitat with a combined value of nearly $22 million.
The Right Data For the Right Price From the Source You Trust. Lyman's trusted data, the most popular calibers, low retail price and a display that sells the product for you. Featuring Lyman's trusted data for the most popular cartridges at a savings, Lyman Load Data booklets are the perfect add-on for any reloading sale. These booklets cover all popular brands of powder, primers and bullets, even all current Lyman moulds as well as popular Lee, RCBS and Saeco moulds. In addition, “Accuracy Loads” and “How-To-Reload” instructions are also in each booklet. Delivered in a handy point-of-purchase wire display rack with six each of all twelve booklets. The pre-assembled rack can stand on the counter or be easily wall mounted. Six-pack refills of each booklet are also available. These handy, very complete booklets cover: • 12 Gauge • 16/20/28/.410 Ga. • Semi-Auto Pistol • Popular Revolver • Varmint Calibers • .24/.25/6.5mm • .270/7mm • .30 Caliber • Old Military Cal. • .338/8mm • Classic American • Big Bore Calibers
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NEW!
11/13/12 5:33 PM
news briefs
Magnum Footwear Hires Weinstein PR Magnum Footwear, a division of Hi-Tec Sports and a leading maker of tactical and uniform footwear, announced it has hired Weinstein PR as its public relations agency in the United States. The company will manage all aspects of Magnum’s public relations in the U.S., including product publicity and corporate
communications. Weinstein PR is already representing Magnum’s sister brand, Hi-Tec Sports. Magnum originated as a single product in 1982 from Hi-Tec Sports, which was best known at the time for creating the lightweight hiking footwear category that the world knows today. The boot, the Hi-Tec Magnum, was created when
the FBI training center in Quantico, Virginia, demanded a lightweight, athletically built black tactical boot. Hi-Tec answered the demand with a boot constructed from sports shoe materials. In 1983, demand grew and the Magnum brand was born. Now distributed in more than 100 countries, Magnum attacks the marketplace with comfort, technology and value in uniform footwear and apparel used by law enforcement, military, fire/rescue, emergency medical, and service agencies around the world. “Magnum is an exciting, authentic performance brand,” said Weinstein PR President Lee Weinstein. “We look forward to helping more workers and women and men in uniform discover all Magnum’s features and benefits.” Weinstein, a former Nike communications veteran, founded Weinstein PR in 2007 in Portland, Oregon and the Columbia Gorge. The only Oregon member of PR Boutiques International, Weinstein PR specializes in communications strategy and public affairs. Emily Petterson, formerly of Columbia Sportswear, will head the Magnum account for Weinstein PR.
SHOT Awards Nominees
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The nominees for the 2012 SHOT business Awards are: Retailer of the Year: Sportsman’s Warehouse; North Atlantic Sportsman; carter country. Distributor of the Year: ellett brothers; Lipsey’s. Sales Representative of the Year: randell Pence, ruger; Todd binsfield, birchwood casey. Range of the Year: Sim Trainer; Top Gun Shooting Sports; duncan’s Outdoor Shop; Lead Valley range; rockcastle Shooting center. Company/organization of the Year: cabela’s; Keystone Sporting Arms; USA Shooting; Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation commission. Person of the Year: Kim rhode; Paul ryan; Georgia Pellegrini; Trevor baucom.
11/13/12 1:42 PM
WCC Keeps Manufacturing Tethered to American Shores
West Coast Corporation’s manufacturing processes and employee policies make “Made in the USA” a profitable proposition.
ellite program of outside contractors for jobs that can be done independently. “They are experienced former employees who are not able to work full-time,” Paugh says. “We call it ‘homesourcing,’ and it’s a great way to utilize skilled workers in specialized areas.” But all that efficiency would not be worth a plugged nickel if WCC didn’t design and manufacture products that outdoorsmen value. The company’s roots date back to t’s no secret that many American businesses have thrown in the 1948, when entrepreneur Ray Lummis saw that railroad switchmen towel when faced with less-expensive imports. Rather than tryneeded a safer way to carry their keys—the dangling key chains of ing to stay competitive here, they simply outsource the product the day could catch on equipment as they mounted and dismounted line to a low-cost provider, wherever it may be. But California-based moving rail cars. Thus begat the famous Key-Bak key reel, soon an West Coast Corporation, makers of Key-Bak and T-Reign retractessential accessory for workmen and security staff everywhere. able tethers, has gone a different route—and stayed in the U.S. Applying the same proven, time-tested system to the outdoors, “We knew that with ingenuity and dedication we could win the WCC created the T-Reign line of retractable gear tethers in 2009. outsourcing battle,” says company president Boake Paugh. “One big Each features a durable, waterproof polycarbonate case, a rugged factor is that we are an employee-owned company, so we all have a Kevlar cord for quiet, smooth extension, and a universal gear attachstake.” Paugh is all-in as well: His father began working for WCC in ment to secure the gear. From there, a wide range of options means the early 1970s and then bought the company in the mid-1980s. there’s a T-Reign retractable gear tether to meet every need, includPaugh says the first step to meeting imports head-on was the ing an innovative locking system available on the large and XD modacquisition and modification of sophisticated equipment designed els. Attachments include a belt clip, a carabiner, and a Velcro strap. specifically to meet WCC’s unique requirements. For example, the “With appreciation for the hunter’s essentials, we consider our insert molding system, which now allows for quick changeovers of retractable gear tethers to be the accessory to protect their necessimolds. “This lets us do custom molds at globally competitive rates.” ties,” says Randy Martin, sales director for the T-Reign outdoors High-tech molding machines that have robotic arms with sepamarket. “Our goal for the hunter: Never lose your gear again!” rate parts can run overnight and on weekends, unattended, which T-Reign models are available in three configurations: The large helps reduce labor costs and utility bills. model has a 48-inch cord with 10-ounce retraction force, the mediBut it’s far more than sophisticated equipment. It’s also ergonom- um gear tether has a 36-inch cord with 6-ounce retraction force, and ic application of the skilled workforce. “For the small model has a 24-inch cord with example, production specialists are trained 4-ounce retraction force. SRPs range from to carry out every step in the process from $15.95 to $24.95. The latest addition is the It’s far more than the initial stage to final completion of any ProCaseT, designed to protect handheld sophisticated model,” says Paugh. “They may start at the electronic gear such as rangefinders, GPS equipment; beginning, but then move on to fill another units, digital cameras, and cell phones. task.” This is more than an efficient use of These cases sport the medium tether. it’s ergonomic manpower; it also avoids burnout and physiWest Coast Corporation is determined to application of the cal problems caused by repetitive functions prove that “Made in the USA” is more than a on a full shift. slogan; it’s a statement that American ingeskilled workforce. Another efficient use of personnel is a satnuity and dedication is alive and well.
I
december 2012 ❚ SHot BuSineSS ❚ 13
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news briefs
Range & Retail Development Workshop DVD Package now Available
The very successful nssf indoor range & retail development Workshop held in st. louis in june has been captured on a nine-disk dVd package that includes all presentations, panel discussions and materials provided to seminar attendees. The dVd package is an essential tool for anyone exploring the idea or that is currently in the planning stages of opening an indoor range/retail business. it provides a roadmap of resourceful information and guidance from industry professionals. Their years of experience as indoor range/retail owners, manufacturers and veterans in other segments of the industry will better prepare someone to navigate around the potential obstacles indoorrange/retail developers and owners may face. knowledgeable industry reps share a wealth of insights on topics that include: Choosing your location/demographics; Public relations/Community relations; Planning/Zoning/ Permitting; bank relations; Profit margin vs. markup; business case/business planning; Architectural aspects/build out; General contracting/hVAC; lead-management practices; store infrastructure; operational expenditures; insurance; staffing/Training; and more. The cost for this nine-disk package is $350 for nssf members, $695 for nonmembers. orders can be placed at nssf. org/ranges/workshop/orderdVd. cfm on the nssf website. if you have any questions or problems with placing your order, contact Ann siladi at asiladi@nssf.org or by phone at 203-426-1320.
Who is Acme united, and Why Should You Care? Ever heard of Acme United Corporation? Most outdoorsmen haven’t, but they should. It’s the entity that brought a pair of venerable knifemakers—Camillus and Western— back to life. Acme United owns several diversified companies that specialize in various types of cutting tools suitable for gardening and construction use. Camillus and Western have long histories in the U.S., but both suffered from a variety of intractable problems before Acme stepped in and bought both at a bankruptcy auction in September 2007. It did so because the primary business of Acme is the manufacture of cutting instruments, and it believed in the power of these two brands. Though Acme will continue to import various models of hightech steel knives (as do most major brands), Rick Constantine, vice president of marketing, says several fixed-blade Camillus models are now completely made in the U.S. The Western brand began business in 1896 as Platts & Sons Cutlery in New York. Founder Charlie Platt spent nearly three decades making knives for Northfield Knife Company in Connecticut. His sons continued the business, and in 1911 H.N. Platt moved the plant to Boulder, Colorado, where it became Western States Cutlery. Western flourished, and even provided special fighting knives to elite military units in
World War II and Korea. In 1984 the Platt family sold the company to Coleman, who later sold it to Camillus Cutlery. Camillus began life around 1873 when Adolph Kastor began importing German knives into the U.S. The fledgling company soon began producing knives in a facility in Camillus, New York. Camillus produced many types of cutting instruments, from scalpels to fighting knives, before it closed in February 2007, taking Western with it. But now both are back. Acme’s management and overall knowledge of the cutlery business will help it reintroduce these two great old brands to a new generation. “Camillus is a historic and trusted brand, and the Camillus team is 100 percent focused on building the brand so it exceeds our customers’ expectations,” says Constantine. “We’re launching a new line of knives that boast innovation, exotic steels, and true craftsmanship next month at the 2013 SHOT Show.” Constantine also says the Western brand will continue to provide high quality knives and cutting tools focused on home, hunting, and sporting applications. He believes the reestablishment seems to be working, as both brands are “currently the fastest growing cutlery companies in the U.S. and feature incredibly aggressive pricing.” Good news for sportsmen. (800835-2263; camillusknives.com)
Western and Camillus knives are being manufactured again after a five-year absence, thanks to Acme United Corporation.
14 ❚ SHot BuSineSS ❚ december 2012
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from the nssf
by ChrIs DoLnACK, nssf sr. VP & Cmo
u p d at e
from tHe nSSf
SHOT Show: The Event That Keeps on Giving The show is a few days long; its impact is year-round
W
hen more than 60,000 industry members converge on Las Vegas and, more specifically, the Sands Expo and Convention Center, in January for the SHOT Show, they will gain the immediate benefits of the grandest show for the shooting, hunting, and outdoor trade. Many other benefits, however, result from SHOT Show revenue. Much of the funding that propels the National Shooting Sports Foundation, owner and sponsor of SHOT, to fulfill its mission comes from the SHOT Show. “Promote, protect, and preserve hunting and the shooting sports” is the mission of the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting, and shooting sports industry, and NSSF invests in hunting and the shooting sports to do just that. Participation in the SHOT Show generates as much as 80 percent of the funding for NSSF programs. One such effort is a proactive government relations program to guard your rights and business interests. Today, for example, NSSF continues its multifaceted campaigns against legislation that would enact microstamping, ballistics imaging, and limitations and outright bans on traditional ammunition. One visible result of its efforts this year was New York’s deactivation of its costly ballistics imaging program, which never contributed to the solving of even one crime. In addition, NSSF invests SHOT Show revenue in customer-recruitment campaigns, such as Families Afield and First Shots. The former has actively remedied legislative barriers preventing family hunting participation, and the latter has offered newcomers the opportunity to learn firearms and firearms ownership fundamentals at member ranges, while actually experiencing the fun of shooting under the careful supervision of qualified instructors. Other NSSF investments of SHOT Show revenue in hunting and the shooting sports’ future come in the form of the
Hunting Heritage Partnership (HHP) Grant program, the Range Partnership Grant program, the Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative (CSSI), and the Boy Scouts of America Challenge Grant program. HHP awards grants to state and regional wildlife management agencies to create hunter access and opportunity. The Range Partnership Grant program funds new marketing approaches to put more shooters on the firing line at shooting facilities. CSSI helps strengthen existing collegiate varsity and club shooting programs, and it aids in the founding of new ones. The Boy Scouts of America Challenge Grant program funds and equips BSA Councils with shooting equipment while directing their spending to NSSF member retailers. In the long run, the entire hunting and sport shooting industry benefits from the revenue produced at the SHOT Show, and the greatest beneficiaries are the members of NSSF. NSSF’s government relations actions led to the passage of legislation that preempted the frivolous lawsuits that nearly crippled the industry. The law allows the manufacturing industry to concentrate its
The entire hunting and sport shooting industry benefits from the revenue produced at the SHOT Show.
resources on constructive research and development, rather than on unwarranted legal defense. NSSF’s successful efforts on behalf of firearms and ammunition manufacturers to gain uniformity with other industries in the schedule of PittmanRobertson excise payments alleviated much paperwork and debt, freeing manpower and money for further R&D. First Shots has demonstrated that participants come back to the introductory range to shoot and to make purchases. The Boy Scouts grants can be used only at NSSF member retailers’ businesses. NSSF research gathers information, including customized market surveys, that help businesses better understand industrywide trends as well as local demographics. At SHOT Show, formal educational opportunities present themselves through SHOT Show University and Retailer Seminars. Throughout the year, in different parts of the country, Retailer Education Seminars give FFLs a better understanding of ATF compliance requirements. Planned meetings, like the Indoor Range and Retail Development Workshop held in St. Louis this past year, give start-up businesses a practical education. These many activities of NSSF are only a sampling of the programs that are funded, in great part, by the revenue generated at the SHOT Show, a four-day event in January that’s success is felt throughout the year.
Chris dolnack
NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer december 2012 ❚ SHot BuSineSS ❚ 17
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SHOT Show University Quickly Approaching Full Capacity
A
lumni of SHOT Show University, the full-day session of presentations to help the firearms retailer improve his business skills, know the value of this annual, but ever-changing program. Many, in fact, not only attend SSU each year as the warm-up to the big show, which begins the next day, but they also enroll members of their staff. If you’re a firearms retailer planning to go to the SHOT Show next month and you’ve never attended a SHOT Show University, then this year’s stellar lineup of topics and speakers should be enough to make you a “student” once again. Don’t dawdle in registering, however, because this annual sell-out is getting close to reaching capacity. Taking place a day before the show floor opens, the Jan. 14 university kicks off with an insight to the state of the industry, as seen by James Debney, president and CEO of Smith & Wesson. It will be followed by marketing, compliance, retailing, customer service, and communications experts who all understand the special
Scheduled as always for the day before the the SHOT Show floor opens, SHOT Show University will be educating retailers for its twelfth year. Seats to this always-popular program are filling up fast.
challenges faced by the firearms retailer. “This year’s lineup of classes will bring a new level of education and interaction,” said NSSF managing director, business development, Randy Clark. “Keynote addresses coupled with strategic breakout sessions will leave each firearms store owner/manager with unparalleled training and education to operate his or her business more effectively.”
You can read about the speakers and their programs at shotshow.org. Registration for SHOT Show University can be done when registering for SHOT Show credentials. Already registered? Go to the SHOT Show registration page, where you will find directions to “Edit Your Registration,” allowing you to register for SHOT Show University. The cost is $150 for NSSF members, $250 for nonmembers.
online #gunvote Voter education Campaign Receives industry-wide Support Hunters, shooters, and other firearms owners voted in prodigious numbers in the November election, which was the desired result of the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s #gunvote campaign. Anchored by the nssf .org/gunvote website, the campaign’s aim from the outset was to encourage qualified citizens to register, become educated about the candidates and their positions on important issues, encourage their friends and family to do the same, and then, finally, to vote. The website offered guidance on how to register, where to vote, how to obtain an absentee ballot, and other helpful information. It gave
information on specific races and provided articles and other documentation indicating where the candidates stood on relevant Second Amendment issues. NSSF recognized the support of the entire hunting and shooting sports community in promoting the website. “It seemed that no matter what shooting- and hunting-related website that I went to for information, I saw the #gunvote button, which was a link to NSSF’s #gunvote website,” said Larry Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of NSSF. Keane oversees NSSF government relations programs.
In addition to the website and an extensive e-mail outreach, a significant factor in the voter education effort was a direct-mail campaign, emphasizing the battleground states. Social media proved to be an effective vehicle for communicating the NSSF messages sent in conjunction with the #gunvote campaign. “Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were very powerful tools in getting the #gunvote message out to the masses,” said Bill Dunn, NSSF managing director of marketing communications. “It was astounding to see so many people spreading the word and sharing #gunvote messages through social media, and many of our messages went viral thanks to their help.”
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Range Report Goes exclusively Digital, Gets its own Website The Range Report, NSSF’s quarterly magazine for shooting facilities, now appears exclusively as a digital edition. It can be viewed at a new website, rangereport.org, where visitors will find the most recent edition in both flip-page and printable PDF formats. In addition to the current digital edition, the website also provides a variety of other features, including past issues in digital format, instant access to specific features and departments, and a direct e-mail link to the magazine’s editor. In addition, range- and target-shooting-related businesses can find a link to information on advertising in The
Range Report and advertising sponsorship opportunities both on the website and in the monthly free newsletters distributed to more than 10,000 members of the shooting range community. “One of the great features of the new website is a list of range-related news items, with links to the articles and telecasts,” said Glenn Sapir, NSSF director of editorial services, who serves as the editor of The Range Report. “A daily visit to the website can help range owners and operators stay on top of relevant news that may not only be of interest but also of real value to them.”
NSSF Offers Special New-Member Rate for Retailers, Ranges To celebrate 35 years of the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s SHOT Show, NSSF is offering retail/range memberships for as low as $35. This membership offer—available now through the 2013 SHOT Show—will provide those that haven’t experienced what NSSF membership is all about an opportunity to do so. NSSF’s benefits for retailer members include a 24-hour FFL hotline, access to ATF compliance consulting with former ATF officials, access to NSSF research, and a lot more. Range members are entitled to some of these same benefits and a wide array of range resources. “You can’t pass up this deal,” said Bettyjane Swann, NSSF director of member services. “NSSF membership provides you with information and resources, net-
working and training, continued education opportunities, and discounted products and services. This one single investment can give you an invaluable competitive edge.” Not only does membership in NSSF help businesses grow and succeed, but it also helps NSSF fulfill its mission of promoting, protecting, and preserving hunting and the shooting sports. Anyone interested in joining NSSF can do so by visiting nssfmembership.com. Retailers and range personnel planning to attend the 2013 SHOT Show can also take advantage of the offer while registering for the show. For questions about NSSF membership, contact Samantha Hughes at shughes@ nssf.org or Bettyjane Swann at bswann@ nssf.org.
Meet Compliance Consultants at SHot Show Retailer members of NSSF are invited to attend a free 90-minute reception to meet four former ATF officials who serve as NSSF’s FFL Compliance Consultants, available to visit member’s businesses and assess their level of ATF compliance, conduct reviews of internal controls over firearms and record keeping, and train them and their staff to be prepared for an ATF compliance inspection. The cost for the program can be $2,000 to $3,000, but NSSF believes so strongly in the importance of this work that it subsidizes the fees; member retailers pay only $499, and all members who sign up during the reception will receive this service for $399. One lucky retailer, drawn at random, will receive an in-store consultation at no charge. The reception will be on Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the NSSF Member Lounge, located in the Lido Ballroom on Level 3 of the Venetian Hotel. For more information about the reception or to sign up for an on-site consultation, contact Patrick Shay, NSSF director, retail development, via e-mail, pshay@nssf.org, or telephone at 203-426-1320.
Wally Nelson, one of NSSF’s FFL Compliance Consultants.
© 2012 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SHOT Business®, SHOT Show® and all other trade names, trademarks and service marks of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation’s prior express written permission. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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U P D AT E
NSSF Delivers Value Technology Helps Maximize SHOT Show Experience
ONE MEMBER’S EXPERIENCE
S
HOT Mobile, the SHOT Show application for iPhone and Android cell phone users, and the My Show Planner online aid can help SHOT attendees plan their schedules in the most logistically wise way possible. It will help them navigate the show floor, keep track of appointments, and find new products and services, among other conveniences. The response has been very positive from those who availed themselves of these services in 2012, and even more SHOT Show participants are expected to make use of them for the 2013 show. The free app will be available before the show in the Apple App Store and Google Play. You can find a link to the My Show Planner at shotshow.org.
Member: Scott Foster, president Business: Catskill Mountains Firearms, LLC Kerhonkson, New York
Description of Business: “Catskill
Mountains Firearms (CMF) is a small FFL with a different attitude. This is not just a business to us; it’s our passion! After retiring from New York City government and moving to our vacation home in Upstate New York, I decided this is what I want to do with the rest of my life. We carry lots of handguns, and we stock self-defense and hunting long guns. We love to do transfers, take special orders, and provide personal service.”
Experience with SHOT Show planning and navigational aids: “As
a new FFL, 2012 was my first SHOT Show, and I knew it would be challenging. I used the My Show Planner several weeks before to lay out the important stops for me. I didn’t make appointments to see vendors because I wasn’t sure of the timing, and I didn’t know how long I’d need to spend at each booth. The free mobile app came in handy in the mornings when I’d get to the show early, pick up SHOT Daily, and compare it to what I wanted to do for the day and make my changes.”
Value of NSSF membership: “Although
I’m a member of several national and local sportsman and industry-related organizations, none supports me and other retailers like NSSF. That’s the organization’s primary job, in my mind, and it does its job very well. I really appreciate getting NSSF’s e-mails and digital Range Report magazine—and I like the open communication with the staff that is available. We attended SHOT Show University and learned a lot. To me, the membership sticker alone is worth the cost of membership, so I can display it and show my support for our industry organization.”
Interested in NSSF Membership?
Promoting the great American tradition of hunting and shooting is what the National Shooting Sports Foundation is all about. For our members, it’s more than a sport; it’s a way of life. Join the more than 7,000 companies and individuals who have already discovered that NSSF Delivers Value! To learn more, visit www.nssf.org/join or call 203-4261320 for Bettyjane Swann, NSSF director of member services (bswann@nssf.org), or Samantha Hughes, NSSF member services coordinator (shughes@nssf.org).
20 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ DECEMBER 2012
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from the nssf
b y J e f f P o e t, P r e s I D e n t, J Ay ’ s s P o r t I n G G o o D s
u p d at e
from my Side of tHe counter
Don’t Miss the Retail Seminars at SHOT
Valuable class time doesn’t end when SHOT Show University lets out
A
s the trade association for the firearms industry, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) commitment to firearms retailers is an ongoing mission. NSSF consistently provides continuing education and training in the retail environment. As we all know, the retail landscape is constantly changing. Firearms retailers need to take advantage of every opportunity to keep on the cutting edge of the retail sector. SHOT Show University is a top-shelf educational format that the NSSF offers the day before the show begins. NSSF also goes on the road with its Retailer Education Seminars throughout the year in major cities. In addition, NSSF has videos on its nssf.org website that give stores additional training opportunities. Another area of further education and training, one of which I take advantage, is the retail seminars that are offered at the SHOT Show. NSSF schedules training seminars throughout the week at SHOT. The classes that are offered are very timely and always relevant to firearms retailers. The presenters can run the gamut of seasoned professionals, including actual store owners/managers who are dialed in to the specific challenges of a firearms retail business. The topics are fresh and current, so they always give me take-away ideas that I can immediately implement in my stores. Classes typically run for an hour, so they don’t take me away from the show floor for a long period of time. NSSF keeps the registration cost to an absolute minimum for each class, and it allows the option of registering for individual classes or signing up for all of them at a bargain rate. In addition to providing the core education, NSSF also provides refreshments. The total experience offers a great way to take a short break and get your batteries recharged at the same time. Registration is very easy. You can simply sign up for the classes online while you are registering for the SHOT
Show, or you can revisit the registration page if you have already registered for the show but not for these Retailer Education Seminars. Some of the classes that have been offered in the past have been particularly worthwhile for me. For example, last year one of the classes that was offered was “How to Manage the Relationship with GunBroker to Benefit Your Retail Store.”
One of the benefits of enrolling in these classes is that they are limited to a maximum of 100 in the audience. This is advantageous to the attendees because it offers a small-scale format, allowing everyone the experience of a relatively small classroom environment. Each retailer receives the teachers’ attention in such a format. Another benefit of these seminars is
The topics are fresh and current, so they always provide take-away ideas you can immediately implement. Classes typically run for an hour, so they won’t take you away from the show floor for a long time. The class was taught by several store owners who utilize GunBroker to enhance their business. The information that was presented was extremely beneficial to all of the attendees, and it provided suggestions that I could put to use in my stores right away. Other class titles have been “Competition,” “Hire Smart for Winning Results,” “Loss Prevention,” “Store Security,” “Store Financials,” “How to Write a Business Plan,” and “Co-op Advertising,” to name a few. Each of these classes is specifically designed to give the retailer the maximum amount of information in a very condensed format.
the opportunities they present to network with other retailers. In each of the classes, time is slotted for a question-andanswer period. Hearing the questions and then the answers from the presenters can be very helpful, and the additional follow-up comments from the others in the class provide me with insights from other professional firearms retailers. As you are registering for SHOT, explore the lineup of classes that NSSF is offering the retailers at the 2013 show. No doubt there will be at least one class that will benefit you. You’ll find the experience very worthwhile and of help to you in running your business. december 2012 ❚ SHot BuSineSS ❚ 21
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from the nssf
by steVe sAnettI, nssf PresIDent & Ceo
Yo u S h o u l d K n o w
Threats to Birds Lead not among chief causes of bird deaths
W
The National Shooting Sports Foundation has opposed a lawsuit filed by the California-based Center for BioDiversity (CBD) and others, which would force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to violate Congress’ specific exclusion of ammunition from the EPA’s jurisdiction and ban all traditional ammunition and its components under the Toxic Substance Control Act. CBD cited as reasons for its lawsuit the effects of ingestion of lead by some birds, resulting in their deaths, and claimed that traditional ammunition posed a health hazard to humans who ate game taken with it. First, while it is undisputed that any rap-
tor can sicken if fed enough lead, other sources of lead, a naturally occurring element, exist. Proof that individual birds are dying as an unintended result of the use of traditional ammunition, to the exclusion of other sources, is shaky at best. Secondly, bird populations, including raptors such as bald eagles, are literally soaring. To that point, sound wildlife management principles must manage bird and animal populations as a whole, not by the incidental mortality of some individual birds. For to do otherwise would lead us down the philosophical road to prohibiting the taking of individual birds by hunters, which is indeed the stated goal of some of the more
Causes of Bird Mortality lead ingestion is surpassed by many other causes of bird mortality.
LOSS OR DESTRUCTION OF HABITAT 33.3%
DOMESTIC & FERAL CATS 16.7% POWER LINES ES 5.8%
PESTICIDES & POLLUTION 2.4% V VEHICLE CCOLLISIONS 2.0% CCOMMUNICATION T TOWERS 1.7%
COLLISIONS WITH BUILDINGS, GLASS... 31.7%
LICENSED HUNTING 1.3% LEAD INGESTION 0.7% **OTHER 4 4.5%
*other causes include wind farms, oil spills, wastewater pits, urban light, by-catch, disease, weather, starvation, mining-claim markers, natural predation, and natural causes.
extreme animal rights organizations. Finally, never has a case of any human suffering adverse health consequences as a result of consuming game taken using traditional ammunition been documented. To keep some perspective on the whole question of bird mortality caused by human intervention, using figures provided by some of the very groups that are advocating a total ban on traditional ammunition in the name of protecting individual birds, here is what we see: ➔ About a billion birds are killed by habitat destruction. ➔ About a billion (yes, billion) birds are killed annually in collisions with buildings and structures. ➔ About 500 million birds are killed by cats. ➔ About 200 million birds are killed by power lines and towers. ➔ About 72 million are killed by pesticides. ➔ About 60 million are killed by vehicle collisions. ➔ About 40 million are killed by licensed hunters. ➔ Finally, the smallest category: those birds claimed to have died from lead ingestion from all sources, not just ammunition. So the next time one of your uninformed friends, relatives, or acquaintances starts talking about hunters or their ammunition wiping out bird populations, tell them it’s just not so. Finally, ask them how much they’ve paid for conservation lately. Hunters and shooters pay about a billion dollars a year to conserve all species, game and non-game alike.
pie chart sources:usFWs Migratory Bird Mortality report 2002; aMerican Bird conservancy (aBcBirds.org); siBley guides; nssF
ildlife conservation is all too often steeped in emotion, rather than scientific facts. We have seen this exploited by antihunting groups and others who want to see a total ban on the sale and use of traditional ammunition (containing lead components).
22 ❚ Shot BuSineSS ❚ december 2012
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FYI
BY SCOTT BESTUL
M-Commerce
The future of retail? You’re probably holding it in the palm of your hand
I
’ve made enough “I’m too dumb for a smartphone” jokes to slow a wi-fi connection, but cracking wise about mobile devices nowadays is just plain stupid. Mobile devices like the Android, Blackberry, iOS, and others are not only an integral part of the culture, they’re also going to transform how stores conduct business. That’s right, folks—people don’t just use those skinny little things to text their friends and play Angry Birds. They’re researching items and shopping with them. (Does the term “QR Code” sound familiar?) And savvy retailers can exploit the technology to nab customers, increase sales, and—perhaps most important—run their stores more effectively, according to Natasha Chater, marketing/communications manager with Celerant Technology (celerant.com). Celerant, a New York– based firm, offers systems designed to help store owners literally run their shops through a mobile device program. “Mobile devices are becoming increasingly standard for retailers, and we’re predicting an 80 percent use within the next three years,” she says. “They’re simply a more efficient and economical way to do business.” I’m a veritable knuckle-dragger who’s still getting comfy with e-commerce, but Chater had little trouble convincing me of Celerant’s potential. “We offer an array of wireless applications that run in a Web browser compatible with most mobile devices,” she says. “Consumers are really embracing m-commerce to research, compare, review, share, and buy products. But the majority still prefer visiting a brickand-mortar retailer. Our Mobile POS system not only increases satisfaction for consumers who enjoy using their mobile device, but it helps retailers run their business faster and more efficiently.” For proof, Chater pointed to some of the top functions of the Celerant package for retailers: INVENTORY APPLICATIONS: Use a mobile device to price-check items, perform transfers, complete a physical inventory of every item in the shop, create markdowns, and re-ticket items. WAREHOUSE APPLICATIONS:
Perform warehouse location transfers,
Smartphone, Smart Shop
Does mobile POS seem too Trekkie for the shooting sports? Maybe we’d better get with the program. According to recent findings by Retail Systems Research, 57 percent of retailers say delivering information to store-owned mobile devices is “potentially valuable technology.” That number is up 21 percent from research conducted just the previous year. Other surveys prove even more telling: Nearly 16 percent of retailers use mobile inventory and price lookup currently, and projected use of mobile devices by retailers is expected to rise by as much as 35 percent within the next year. These figures suggest that deciding if you should adopt a mobile device program in your store is not nearly as important as the questions of when and which one?
track physical inventory in the warehouse, and create Transfer Picks. CLIENT PROFILING: Access and edit customer information, review customer purchase history, and review customer preferences and purchase statistics. PURCHASE ORDERS: Make purchase orders, create a purchase order entry, perform purchase order receiving, and handle case receiving. COMPLETE A SALE ON THE FLOOR:
Celerant applications loaded onto a tablet PC can scan an item, accept payment, and create a receipt. Ideal for sidewalk/tent sales and trade shows where conventional tills can get clunky. BACK-OFFICE APPLICATIONS:
Away from the store, command mobile applications allow you to perform backoffice functions on the fly. SALES APPLICATIONS: Armed with a Mobile POS unit, sales staff can verify inventory availability, provide product details, access customer information, and provide an updated price. Associates may never have to say “I don’t know” to a customer again. ENVIRONMENT APPLICATIONS:
M-commerce can reduce the need for paper by e-mailing receipts to a customer’s mobile device, creating a “greener” and cleaner store. Naturally, there are similar benefits for customers who have come to rely on their mobile devices. CUSTOMERS CAN SCAN CODES on tagged merchandise and retrieve product information, including current pricing and similar or related items that can be added to the sale. WITH AN E-MAIL ADDRESS in the store database, customers receive news of upcoming sales, promotions, newsletters, and special events. INTEGRATED “LOYALTY PROGRAMS” allow customers to check their
rewards balance or activate a gift card. SINCE STAFF ISN’T LIMITED to making a sale at the register, m-commerce shoppers can buy an item right in the aisle, letting them “line-bust” if they’re in a hurry or the store is extremely busy. CUSTOMERS CAN SCAN ITEMS on the floor to create registries or gift lists for themselves, making life easier for folks who want to give the perfect present. These are only a hint of the assets of m-commerce. This much seems certain: Mobile devices have the potential to revolutionize how people shop. Will you be ahead of the curve or behind it?
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FIRING LINE
BY JOCK ELLIOTT
The Benjamin Rogue uses state-of-the-art electronic controls for precise operation.
Precharged Powerhouse
T
The Benjamin Rogue takes airguns to another level entirely
he moment I pulled the trigger, I knew the Benjamin Rogue was no ordinary air rifle. Indeed, it isn’t. The Rogue is a powerful, precharged pneumatic air rifle that can launch .357-caliber lead bullets with as much as 300 foot-pounds of energy. When the shot goes off, the Rogue pushes into your shoulder with recoil similar to a 28-gauge semi-automatic shotgun. And, unlike other air rifles, the muzzle wants to lift. This is not a rifle for plinking; it’s a big, hairy beast that can kill game as large as hogs and coyotes. Introduced two years ago at the SHOT Show by Crosman Corporation, the 4-foot-long Benjamin Rogue is a sixshot repeater that weighs 9.5 pounds without a scope or bipod. It features an MSR-style buttstock that can be extended or collapsed via a release lever. The Rogue is electronically controlled, and this system includes a digital pressure display and an electronic valve that precisely meters the amount of air used for each shot. On the left side of the receiver, you’ll find the electronic control center, which has an LCD readout and three buttons for making various selections. The shooter can choose medium or high power and select the weight of the bullet he will be shooting, and the electronics will adjust the Rogue’s valve system for optimum performance.
The tan-and-black forestock has a Picatinny rail on which to attach accessories. Above the forestock is the air tube. Undo the screw-off cap, and underneath there is a male foster fitting for filling the air reservoir to 3,000 psi. Above the air tube is the barrel, which is shrouded and has baffles to quiet the report. The receiver has a 3/8-inch dovetail for mounting a scope. In the middle of the receiver is the breech,
which has a slot for accepting a six-shot rotary magazine. The bolt and bolt-activation lever are on the right side of the receiver, along with a hatch for two AA batteries to power the electronics. The power of the Rogue is impressive. Shooting 145-grain Nosler bullets, it delivered, on average, 182.2 ft.-lb. of energy at the muzzle (753 fps average). That is roughly 50 percent more power than a .22 rimfire—some 10
Selling Tips
times the energy of most air rifles sold in the United States—with sufficient oomph to punch a hole through a cinderblock. After a magazineload (six shots), the air pressure drops to about 2,000 psi, and the reservoir needs to be refilled. Considering the power it generates, the Rogue is—thanks to its shrouded barrel—surprisingly quiet, roughly as loud as a subsonic .22 rimfire. The accuracy of the Rogue is exactly where
Since the Rogue is truly a hunting implement, make sure the customer understands it is not appropriate for casual backyard plinking. Given its inherent accuracy (and lack of factory sights), you’ll need to sell the customer a scope as well as bases and rings. He’ll also need charging accessories. Benjamin recommends the new 90-cubic-inch Benjamin Charging System for its precharged pneumatic (PCP) airguns, which includes a restricted flow manifold for gradual and controlled filling of the Rogue. Finally, given the rifle’s weight and the tendency for muzzle lift, recommend a bipod as well.
it needs to be. Shooting off a bipod at 50 yards, I put five 145-grain Nosler bullets into a group that measured 1.4 inches from edge to edge. That’s just a hair over 1 inch, center to center. Crosman offers a variety of ammunition for the Rogue, including a 95-grain hollowpoint, a 159grain roundnose, and flatnose rounds in 127grain and 170-grain. With the sample I tested, I got the best results with the Nosler bullets. The Benjamin Rogue is a far cry from your granddad’s Crosman pellet gun. It is, however, an excellent choice for the hunter or pestcontrol professional who needs to hunt or deal with coyotes and other large pests in an area where the discharging of firearms is not allowed. SRP: $1,299. (800-724-7486; crosman.com)
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undercover shopper
Buying Dog Downers In Central Illinois
I
It’s easy to find a predator gun, but hard to find a store clerk who knows his (or her) business
’ve had great luck finding farms where the owner only cared about hunting whitetails during the shotgun season. This leaves the lengthy bow season open for the picking—cheap. While I haven’t found a farmer who didn’t want a few extra greenbacks in his pocket for the privilege, offering to eliminate coyotes has drastically reduced the price. Asking me to shoot song dogs ranks right up there with forcing me to eat Grandma’s cherry pie, so I wondered why the farmer didn’t just get a gun and start poppin’ away—until I started shopping the local stores. worker about which gun he would recommend for coyotes. “Any .223,” was the reply. “There you have it,” he said. “The rifles are over there. Just look at the tags, and let me know if you want to buy one.” The kid walked back to the group…and I walked out of the store.
Store A
Store C
take a look at this one. It will do everything you want and bring you in a couple hundred bucks below what you said you could spend.” That’s a guy making you feel good about parting with hard-earned dollars. Instead of trying to upsell me, he found a gun that was perfect for riding in the back seat of a ranch truck. James also suggested a Henry lever-action .22 Mag., saying, “This gun is a ton of fun, and because it has iron sights, you won’t have to worry about banging up the optics, so you can carry it in the cab of a tractor. Best of all, you’ll save a ton on ammo.” It about killed me to have to walk away without making a purchase on the spot.
Store B After my experience at Store A, the bar was set pretty high, but I had faith in this big-box sporting goods store. At the gun counter I saw four employees gathered around one customer and his wife. They even brought him a chair to make him more comfortable. It was great service for that guy, but after 10 minutes of impatient toe tapping, I still hadn’t been helped. I finally intruded and persuaded one young man to leave the gaggle and help me. I asked for a good coyote gun. He replied, “Coyotes aren’t all that much. I guess any gun would work.” I asked for a specific recommendation, and he hollered at another
This is one of my favorite little gun shops in town. I was really pulling for this one (in an unbiased way). I walked back to the line of long guns that stretched the length of the store and around the corner. I was sure that this store would have great new and used options, and I was ready to find a gem hiding in the pile. I asked for a recommendation for a coyote gun for my farm...and the guy behind the counter replied unenthusiastically, “Well, anything in .223 or .22-250.” I told him my starting price range of $500, he pointed to a Remington costing a few hundred more. When I didn’t jump, he pointed to a couple of rifles closer to my price range, and then thanked me for checking them out and walked away. He never once asked if I was interested in putting one of the guns in my hand so I could look through the glass. I pressed for an ammo recommendation before he left.
pixel pushers
My first store was really all I needed. I walked to the counter and an employee, James, immediately greeted me, asking how I was doing, and how he could help me. I explained that I needed a gun for shooting predators on the farm. He walked me over to the long guns and asked my price range. I told him I could go $500 comfortably, and maybe more for the right gun. James immediately grabbed a Savage priced at $489, checked the action, and handed me the scoped rifle. He then asked which caliber I preferred, and listed all of the popular calibers the Savage was offered in. I asked about the trigger and if it had an Accustock, and James answered immediately—grabbing a more expensive Savage with the features I had asked about—and began comparing the two. When I handed back the Savage, James offered a Howa and a Browning, going through the same details with personal stories about his experience shooting each one. He could see I was undecided, so he asked what kind of predator shooting I planned to do. “Just the odd song dogs around the farm,” I said. James immediately grabbed a Savage Axis topped with a Bushnell scope, saying, “Here, 28 ❚ Shot BuSineSS ❚ december 2012
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undercover shopper He replied, “Either the Hornady or Winchester, hollowpoint or ballistic tip. The Hornady is more expensive, though.” And with that, he left me. I guess cleaning the counter was more appealing than making a sale.
Store D Having had little luck with the big-box stores, I was a bit sus-
picious walking though the door of Store D. I proceeded to the gun counter, and the employee politely excused himself to get another customer’s gun from the stock room and promised to get someone to help me. A very elderly, slightly hunched woman tapped me on the shoulder a minute later to ask if I needed help. I almost declined, but figured I might as well play the
cards dealt. I explained what I needed and asked for a recommendation. She smiled, looked around, and took me over to the long guns. She admitted never hunting coyotes herself, but knew her husband owned guns in .223, .22-250, .204, and .25/06 that he used for coyotes. She then went on to show me several models in the aforementioned calibers and led me to the ammo, going
through a half dozen or so options well suited for small game. I was blown away, to say the least. I can’t say she knew in-depth details on many of the models she showed me, but at least she recommended several appropriate calibers, put each gun in my hand, and knew which ammo selections to pick from—and she had to be in her 70s. Not the winner, but a close runner up!
how’d they Do? Customer Service
Product Knowledge
Product Availability
Outstanding! Warm and friendly greeting that was inviting. really listened to the customers.
The salesman handed me at least five different guns, highlighting the best features of each and explaining how each would best serve my needs.
Great supply of guns, but i would have liked to have seen a better selection of predator ammo…or at least one dedicated load, anyway.
Four guys dedicated to one customer— great for him, bad for the rest of the shopping world.
“Any gun will kill a coyote” and “a .223” simply don’t cut it as recommendations.
in all of my spare time waiting to be helped, i noticed a half dozen great predator guns—some in calibers i would have preferred over .223.
Friendly, no pressure, but the clerk immediately went for the upsell and never tried to place the product in my hand to feel the gun or look through the scope.
Discussed at least a couple of calibers and different ammo selections that would be preferred for varmints.
hundreds of possibilities, including combo guns, old military rifles, etc. The only problem was that the employee never bothered to bring out any of these options.
Both attendants were friendly and attentive, acknowledging customers as they arrived or passed by.
The saleswoman admitted early on that she was not a shooter herself, but nonetheless displayed an amazing amount of knowledge— she deserved to be working at the gun counter. When faced with a question she couldn’t answer, she pulled out a cell phone and called her husband for advice.
The selection of new guns was adequate, but the ammunition supply was outstanding.
store
A
store
B
store
C
store
D
SCOrIng SyStem: Outstanding:
Very Good:
Average:
Winner: store
A
James at presley’s Outdoors had firsthand knowledge of the product and insight not only into what would work, but which gun would work best for my particular situation. Beyond that, he went the extra mile, looking for solutions that would save me money and keep me from overbuying. service like that creates customers for life. Presley’s Outdoors 1510 W. Garfield Ave. Bartonville, il 309-697-1193 shoppresleys outdoors.com
Fair:
poor:
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what
to Know
about
Bullets
AlternAtive AccurAte? LethAL? AffordAbLe? buLLets without LeAd beAr cLose scrutiny, but they’re here to stAy.
R
photo credit
andy Brooks, founder of Barnes Bullets, was glassing a hill for bears in Alaska when it occurred to him that bullet failures on tough animals all involved lead loss. In that “Aha!” moment, he realized: “To prevent lead loss, I just had to eliminate the lead.” Back at his Utah shop, Brooks built an all-copper bullet with a small nose cavity to initiate upset. “There was no lead to fragment or slip from a jacket,” he says. “If the bullet stayed in one piece, I was sure it would penetrate.” The following spring, he went back to Alaska and killed a brown bear with that handmade bullet. He named it the X-Bullet because the nose peeled into four petals, forming an X. Brooks and his wife, Coni, bet their business on the design, and took the X-Bullet with them on safari in 1992. “Coni used her .338 Winchester with the 225-
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FeDerAl
.30/06 SPRinGFieLD
the trophy Copper bullet design delivers consistent expansion.
grain X-Bullet to kill 62 animals, all but one with the first shot,” he says. Shooters, however, noted that the unalloyed-copper X-Bullet fouled bores more quickly and stubbornly than the gilding metal (copper/ zinc) of jacketed lead bullets, and the then-available coatings were only able to partially remedy the problem. So Brooks machined three grooves in the shank to decrease friction and give the rifling lands “somewhere to push the displaced copper.” The result: lower pressure, less fouling. In 2003, this new bullet became the TSX (Triple-Shock). It delivered the deep penetration and near 100 percent weight retention of the X-Bullet, but with better accuracy and less fouling. The Tipped TSX followed, along with the MRX bullet with a tungsten-based Silvex core. Now available in more than 60 configurations, from 45-grain .224 to 750-grain .577, the Triple-Shock has replaced the X-Bullet in the Barnes line. It also appears in ammunition by Federal and Norma. Brooks emphasizes that he developed lead-free bullets to give hunters better bullets, and “not for any other reason.” As he notes, in the 1980s, when the X-Bullet first appeared, the unproven allegations now being made about lead ammunition weren’t on anyone’s radar. But in recent years, the use of traditional bullets made with lead has drawn some public attention. For example, on July 1, 2008, California instituted a ban on ammunition made with lead in the parts of the state that were deemed California condor range. The ban resulted from con-
cerns that lead residue in hunter-harvested animals could poison California condors scavenging on carcasses.
A LEGACY OF LEAD For centuries, lead has been the near-ideal bullet material. It is dense, malleable, and relatively cheap. The advent of smokeless powder in the 1890s hiked bullet speed, which presented manufacturers with a design issue. To maintain performance, jackets of copper alloy kept fast bullets from losing their shape and shielded bores from lead smears. Early jacketed softpoints were blunt, with lots of exposed nose lead, so they’d open readily at modest impact speeds. But they came apart when pushed fast. To remedy this, Charles Newton developed a spitzer bullet with a wire nose insert to control expansion. In addition, Newton’s bullets had paper insulation between jacket and core to keep cores from melting from barrel friction. Before World War II, the Western Tool and Copper Works manufactured a smallcavity hollowpoint bullet that drove deep in heavy game even when fired from the .30 Newton or the .300 H&H Magnum. DWM had a “strong-jacket” bullet, its long, narrow nose cavity lined with copper tubing and capped. Remington’s Bronze Point featured a bronze peg in the nose cavity to start expansion. Winchester’s Precision Point had a gilding metal cone over the bullet tip and locked into the jacket proper. Then Peters developed the Protected Point. A cone capped its flat-topped lead core, the front third of
which wore a “driving band” under the jacket to control upset. There was just one problem: A Protected Point bullet took 51 operations and three hours to make. A less costly design, minus the driving band, became Winchester’s Silvertip. As velocities climbed, bullet makers tackled the problem of core-jacket separation. The Peters InnerBelted and its successor, Remington’s Core-Lokt, were designed with cores that would stay put. In 1947, after failing to take a moose quickly, John Nosler fashioned a bullet with two cores, the H-Mantle. A dam of jacket material protected the heel against breakup. In the 1980s, Texan Jack Carter developed his Trophy Bonded bullet, distinguished by a thick, ductile jacket chemically joined to a lead core. Swift’s bonded Scirocco features a streamlined profile with a conical polymer tip. The Swift A-Frame shares the Partition’s two-core design. Bullets for tough game are commonly touted as “controlled expansion” bullets. But truly, all expanding bullets are designed for specific upset. Some unload their energy quickly, disintegrating in the lightest game. Others are built to break big bones and maintain their integrity in long wound channels. All bullets begin to expand at about the same time—on impact, when the force on the nose is greatest. Bullet designs are distinguished by the rate and degree of bullet upset as well as weight retention.
SOLID CHOICE Currently, three lead-free bullet designs predominate:
photoS BY LUKe NiLSSoN
ALTERNATIVE BULLETS
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bronze and brass solids, copper or gilding metal hollowpoints, and sintered metal bullets with a jacket. Your customers will likely focus on these. The bronze (Woodleigh) and brass (Barnes) solids for big-bore “stopping” rifles are an alternative to steel-jacketed lead-core bullets. They’re designed to drive through an elephant’s skull without deforming, so they penetrate deep. I found a Norma-loaded Woodleigh in the flank of a cow elephant that was facing me at 16 paces when she took that .375 bullet between the eyes. The solid-copper hollowpoint is more versatile, an alternative to lead-core softpoints. It might be made of unalloyed copper (Barnes), but it can also be of gilding metal (Winchester, Nosler, and Hornady). Winchester and Nosler have collaborated over the last couple of decades to come up with “CT,” or Combined Technology, products co-engineered to sell under the Winchester label. The E-Tip is a leadfree Ballistic Tip look-alike. Conceived in 2007, the gilding-metal E-Tip now appears in 13 Winchester loads, from 130-grain .270 to 200-grain .338 Magnum. Nosler catalogs E-Tips as handloading components. “E-Tip’s design is best suited to bullets of at least .25 caliber,” says Glen Weeks, for years a centerfire authority at Olin’s plant in East Alton, Illinois. “We chose an alloy of 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc because it’s as malleable as copper, but won’t foul bores as readily.” The Lubalox coating further reduces fouling.
WinCHester .30/06 SPRinGFieLD
Currently, three lead-free bullet designs predominate: bronze and brass solids, copper or gilding metal, and sintered metal bullets with a jacket.
Weeks claims that the design of the E-Tip allows it to drive as deep and retain as much weight as any of the manufacturer’s traditional jacketed bullets. He also says that the E-Tip will deliver the kind of accuracy hunters are accustomed to from traditional rounds. I tend to agree, as the groups I achieved with E-Tips in a .30/06 matched those of traditional hunting bullets. Such accuracy, says Weeks, is due to E-Tip’s one-piece design. “More components mean more variables,” he says, and a consequent loss of accuracy. Another asset of the E-Tip is a nose cavity that extends below the ogive. The bullet yields to acceleration by
“bumping up” into the rifling. In flight, E-Tip bullets are ballistic champs. Their sectional density is lower than that of traditional lead-core bullets, so they’re longer for any given weight. E-Tips also have very sleek profiles. A 180-grain .30/06 E-Tip exiting at 2,750 fps clocks 2,099 fps at 400 yards. Compare that to 2,082 fps for svelte 180-grain Accubonds started at the same speed. Thank the E-Tip’s .523 ballistic coefficient. As for terminal performance, E-Tips open reliably but zip through ballistic gelatin as if it were Crisco. They won’t pancake under stress. “That’s good,” Weeks points out. “A bullet gains
the e-tip uses a copperzinc alloy designed to reduce barrel fouling.
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ALTERNATIVE BULLETS WinCHester .308 Win.
frontal area at the expense of shank, which you need to ensure penetration. A big nose plows a wide, but short, wound channel.” An E-Tip doubling its diameter creates a cavity deeper than one produced by frangible or flattened lead bullets. “E-Tips need more impact speed than most lead-core bullets to upset perfectly,” he says. “But at long range, we get expansion with the remaining velocities of most cartridges.” In Africa, I hunted with a pal who used a .30/06 with 180-grain E-Tips to take outstanding kudu and gemsbok bulls, each with one bullet. No lead-core projectile could have performed better. Last year, Winchester followed its E-Tip with the Power Core 95/5. A gildingmetal hollowpoint, it lacks the E-Tip’s polymer nose and Lubalox finish. In crosssection and performance, however, it is much the same. (It performs so well that Field & Stream awarded it a coveted Best of the Best Award.)
lighter than lead, matching lead-bullet weight would make GMX bullets too long. (In order to make up the weight lost by using lighter materials, manufacturers need to fashion a longer bullet, which can cut down on the amount of powder that can be used, so they utilize a lighter bullet.) But the GMX is designed to drive deep with negligible weight loss, so lighter, faster bullets still penetrate. In tests, GMX bullets expand at impact speeds down to 2,000 fps. “We get 99 percent weight retention in ballistic gelatin, at velocities as high as 3,400 fps,” says Millard. “All we lose is the plastic tip.” The GMX looks like Hornady’s SST and flies on nearly the same track. But the shank has two cannelures to reduce bearing surface. They give displaced metal a place to go, keeping pressures in check. The GMX’s nose cavity also differs from the SST’s. An .11-inch parallel-sided tunnel up front, it tapers to a point even with the base of the
ogive. Expansion stops there. The next logical step at Hornady was to marry the GMX shank with the soft polymer tip of FTX bullets in LeverEvolution ammunition. Hornady engineer Dave Emary told me such a union had been arranged early on, to give lever-gun buffs a lead-free option. Called the MonoFlex (MFX), this new bullet (announced in 2011) resembles an FTX. Like the GMX, the MFX features cut, not rolled, cannelures. Because of its lighter material, the .30-caliber MFX for the .308 Marlin Express weighs 140 grains, 20 grains less than its leadcore counterpart. Also, the nose cavity differs. “Lead grips soft polymer stems tightly,” says Emary. “And hard tips can be secured in gilding metal. But copper allows soft tips to slip. The longer MFX stem bottoms out in a deep cavity, which helps ensure full upset.” Emary adds that because the MFX intrudes deeper into the casing than does a
DRIVE DEEP
the Razorback Xt uses a copper bullet expressly designed for hogs.
Hornady announced the GMX bullet early in 2009, first as a 150-grain .308 component. The GMX (for gilding metal expanding) is 95 percent copper, 5 percent zinc, “the same as what we’ve used for decades in bullet jackets,” confirms Jeremy Millard, who headed the project. Cut from wire and swaged to tight dimensional tolerances, GMX bullets cost roughly 40 percent more than lead bullets. The price of lead has risen, but it’s still a fraction of the cost of copper, which has climbed to record levels. Because gilding metal is
Hornady’s GMX (gilding metal expanding) bullets weigh less than their lead cousins, requiring less powder to propel. They’re designed to drive deep and keep their weight.
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traditional bullet of the same weight, it can’t be accelerated as quickly. “So 140-grain MFX bullets exit about as fast as 160-grain FTXs,” he says. The MonoFlex costs a little more than the FTX, partly because it’s made of more expensive material, but also, according to Emary, “because it requires more burnishing at the end to remove tiny scratches.” I’ve taken two elk with MFX bullets in .308 Marlin Express loads. They performed beautifully.
UNDER PRESSURE Sintered metal—particles fused under pressure— forms the core of a third type of alternative bullet. Winchester’s Ballistic Silvertip comprises a gilding metal jacket around a compressed-copper core that disintegrates in animals. A polymer tip has a stepped peg securing it to the jacket. Space around the peg below the jacket mouth delivers the effect of an open hollow nose. The 35-grain Ballistic Silvertip bullet is loaded in .223 and .22/250 ammunition to 3,800 fps and 4,350
fps, respectively. Nosler’s Ballistic Tip is essentially the same, and the firm’s colorcoded tips allow quick diameter identification. The Barnes MPG (MultiPurpose Green) and Varmint Grenade employ cores of powdered copper and tin. The MPG is available in weights to 140 grains (.308) for deer-size game. Hornady’s .204 and .224 NTX bullets are tipped hollowpoints with sintered cores. Alternative varmint bullets have practical advantages over traditional bullets. First, a reduction in recoil. Second, since a 35-grain spitzer leaving in a blink doesn’t bounce the barrel as hard as would a 55-grain bullet, shooters can the see target reaction to bullet impact. Third, in rocky places, there’s a reduced chance of ricochets. A new entry in the alternative bullet game is DRT, Dynamic Research Technologies. Its roots run to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where, during the 1990s, Harold Beal worked on frangible metal cores for .45 ACP service ammo. Fast-forward to 2005,
The Barnes MPG (Multi-Purpose Green) employs a core of powdered copper and tin. It’s available in weights to 140 grains (.308) for deer-size game.
when John Worrell and his son Dustin developed machinery to make bullets using Beal’s patents, under license. DRT builds bullets with compressed-metal cores, primarily copper and tin. “We’ve used tungsten too,” Dustin told me during a visit to his Missouri digs. “On a Texas hunt, we took 11 nilgai with our 79-grain .223 tungsten bullets.” Heavier than lead (and more costly), tungsten bullets offer more thump within practical length limits. I’ve used .223 DRT bullets to take deer. Bullet-weight retention is negligible, as bullets revert to dust. Exit holes are rare, but wound channels are long enough to destroy vitals on quartering deer. DRT’s 170-grain .45-caliber muzzleloading bullet is of similar design. A thin tin cap tops the sintered core at the base of a generous nose cavity. “Body fluid initiates upset,” says Dustin. “We control it with the cap.” Two deer I shot with this bullet, driven to just over 2,000 fps by 85 grains of Black MZ powder, died quickly. DRT .30-caliber bullets have killed brown bears. Dustin points out that DRT makes one of very few sintered-core bullets for tough game. So, where does that leave the retailer? For most hunters, traditional ammunition made with lead-core bullets is hardly out of fashion. But as the accuracy and ballistic performance of alternative bullets made with other metals continues to improve, you will see a growing interest in this category. The result is simply more choices, and more chances to sell. What’s not to like?
tHreAts, reAl & nOt
Banning lead bullets may seem like a painless way to protect condors, but only to the uninformed. Unlike waterfowl, which pick up spent shot with grit in shallows fronting waterfowl blinds, condors don’t seek grit. They also lack muscular gizzards to aid in digesting or assimilating lead. Then, too, the relatively small deer in most condor habitats seldom stop rifle bullets, and hunters carry their carcasses from the field. California Fish & Game records show that deer harvests in condor country were higher in the 1950s and 1960s than they are now, but there’s no evidence of epidemic lead poisoning in condors then, when all commercial hunting bullets had lead cores. Many lead sources in deer range, from paint to discarded batteries and lightbulbs, have nothing to do with hunters. And some condors treated for lead poisoning in recent years foraged in areas not open to hunting. Still, litigation on the leadbullet front will probably spread. A condor study proposal at Portland State University included these objectives: 1) Conduct biological assessments for re-introductions in Oregon; 2) Eliminate lead in condor release sites. So much for objective research. Calls for lead-free bullets come from the same quarters that object to hunting. Threats to condor populations by spent bullets have yet to be proven, but threats to wildlife and sport hunting is a copper Trojan horse. For more information, go to nssf.org/factsheets/PDF/ TraditionalAmmo.pdf.
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TAXING SITUATION As the government looks for more revenue, guess who comes into their sights? BY MARK E. BATTERSBY
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e’re now well into the fifth year of a moribund economic cycle. Firearm sales are soaring, but many retailers remain caught between the cost of acquiring stock and consumer resistance to higher prices. At the same time, state and local governments are in a fearsome revenue crunch and are trying to plug the gap with new taxes and fees (in reality, taxes that aren’t labeled taxes).
ØYSTEIN W. ARBO, FROM THE NOUN PROJECT (MONEY); PIXEL PUSHERS (ILLUSTRATIONS)
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s a retailer, you have no doubt dealt with a variety of taxes, most commonly property, sales, income, and excise. What you may not have dealt with is more aggressive collection and enforcement of these taxes, as well as more aggressive enforcement of the many other rules and regulations that affect the proprietors of a shootingsports business. Battling city hall, the county, or the statehouse over zoning issues, property tax assessments, and tax bills can be an expensive and frustrating experience. Fortunately, our tax laws contain a number of unique tax breaks and more routine deductions that can help you reduce the cost of those battles. Here’s a quick guide that can help you assess which fights to choose.
ZONING ISSUES
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lthough many shooting-sports retailers are “grandfathered” (exempt) from changes in zoning laws, those changes can effectively slow plans for expansion, seriously eroding the retailer’s customer base and otherwise impact the business’s bottom line. Unfortunately, the U.S. Tax Court has denied a tax deduction for a decrease in property value resulting from government restrictions or zoning laws. Adding insult to injury, the cost of challenging zoning laws must be capitalized, rather than deducted, as an immediate expense. Potentially even more painful are eminent domain laws, which are increasingly being used to take property away from its current owners. Although any gain that results is taxable, a firearms retailer does not recognize gain after involuntary conversions (i.e., theft, destruction, or condemnation) so long as the converted property is replaced with property that is similar to, or related in use to, the property that was lost or taken. IMPROVEMENT TAXES
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ny tax that is, in reality, an assessment for local benefits, such as streets, sidewalks, and similar improvements, is not deduct-
ible by the property owner—except where it is levied for the purpose of maintenance and repair or of meeting interest charges on local benefits. According to the tax rules, it is up to the taxpayer to show an allocation of amounts assessed for different purposes. PROXY AUTHORITIES
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ocal governments are increasingly delegating power to such entities as civic-betterment leagues, associations, and historical districts that have the power to demand improvements or compliance with new rules, regulations, and building codes. These entities may also levy special assessments. Fortunately, a unique rehabilitation credit is available equal to 20 percent of qualified rehabilitation expenditures (QRE) for certified historic structures, and 10 percent for QRE for other than historic structures. BARRIER REMOVAL
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his is good news for any firearms retailer that makes the premises more accessible, whether voluntarily or at the urging of local, state, or federal lawmakers. You can choose to deduct up to $15,000 of the cost of removing certain architectural and transportation
barriers for handicapped or elderly persons instead of capitalizing and depreciating such costs. LOBBYING
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here is no longer a tax deduction for attempts to inform, educate, or influence lawmakers. That means you can’t deduct the cost of lobbying to promote or defeat legislation or to influence the public about the desirability or undesirability of proposed legislation—even though the legislation may affect the viability of your business. This prohibition, however, does not apply to in-house expenses that do not exceed $2,000 for a tax year. Lobbying expenses pertaining to local legislation remain taxdeductible. INTANGIBLES
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hen it comes to those irksome licenses, permits, and other business necessities, many fall within the category of “intangible assets.” Because neither a value nor a predicted “life” can be placed on most intangible assets, they are rarely tax-deductible. Fortunately, Section 197 of the Internal Revenue Code allows the cost of “intangible” assets “acquired” by a firearms retailer to be deducted or amortized over a 15-year period.
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Among the Section 197 assets are licenses, permits, or other rights granted by a governmental unit or agency. Also included are patents, copyrights, formulas, designs, or similar items acquired by a business. Legal expenses are generally immediately tax-deductible, even if they are primarily for the purpose of preserving existing business reputation and goodwill. However, while the deductibility tests are substantially the same as those for other business expenses, they clearly preclude a current deduction for any legal expense incurred in the acquisition of capital assets—including zoning changes, leases, and other intangible assets. PROPERTY TAXES
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espite all of the attention focused on income taxes, it is the bill for the tax on the property owned or leased by many retailers that is the biggest, and most difficult to manage, expense. According to the Council on State Taxation, a Washington, D.C., think tank, American businesses shell out more on property taxes than for any other type of state or local taxes. Challenging the property tax assessor, while often thought to be difficult and time-consuming, does offer the potential for major savings. Even better, once reduced, the savings generally last year after year. Many firearms retailers, though, are renters. But just because the business rents its shop doesn’t mean that property taxes should be ignored. In the Northeast, for example, studies show that property taxes range from 15 to 25 percent of the total rent paid by most businesses. All property taxes are ad valorem (based on the value of the property). Since so many variables enter into the equation, it is rare that the assessor and the property’s owner will agree on a value. Thus, armed with a few facts about the property, it is relatively easy to review and question the tax assessor’s record for the property.
In other words, if you do 45 percent of your business in state A and 55 percent in your home state of B, that doesn’t mean that 45 percent of your firearms operation’s income will be taxed in A and 55 percent in B. Depending on the rules in each state, the retailer might wind up paying slightly more or less. In fact, depending on the rules in each state, you could wind up paying state tax on less than 100 percent of your income. NEXUS
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Despite the focus on income taxes, American businesses shell out far more on property taxes than for any other type of state or local taxes.
ACROSS THE LINE
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he firearms retailer that does business in more than one state faces an interesting challenge. The state that the retailer calls home generally wants to tax every dollar of income. Every other state in which a company does business wants to tax income earned in their state. Does that mean paying taxes on the same income twice? Fortunately, only rarely does anyone wind up paying tax on the same income twice. “Rarely” is the operative word here, because the way states handle the problem is not uniform.
ith states looking for new revenue without having to raise taxes, they are increasingly—and more aggressively— asserting nexus. (In general, “nexus” means a connection. In tax law, it describes a situation in which a business has a presence in a state and is thus subject to state income taxes and to sales taxes for sales within that state.) If you do business in one or more states, you may have encountered this. A recent survey by BNA, an independent publisher of information and analysis products for professionals, found that 30 states impose tax for an entire year on any business with income tax nexus. In fact, all but five states maintain that an employee who telecommutes from a home located within their borders is sufficient to create income tax nexus for an out-of-state employer. In several instances, the courts have backed states’ assessing taxes on out-of-state businesses based on the nexus created by an outside salesperson’s visits. As state and local governments get more aggressive about creating, and collecting, new streams of revenue, it’s important to constantly assess your options. In some cases, it makes sense to simply pay up. In other cases, you’ll be rewarded for fighting back. But before you decide on “fight or flight,” consult with your tax professional for the best course of action.
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When You Are Inspected Knowing what you have—and don’t have— to provide to an ATF industry operations investigator is only part of optimizing an inspection experience
alamy
By Harry MccaBe
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When You Are InSpected
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hortly before I retired from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) at the end of June 2012 as the deputy assistant director for field operations, I dealt with the entire congressional delegation of one of our largest states to respond to questions raised by one of their constituents who is a federally licensed firearms retailer. The retailer was inspected by ATF earlier in the year, and no violations were cited. A couple of months after the apparent close of the inspection, the ATF industry operations investigator (IOI) returned to the store and requested a complete printout of the retailer’s acquisition and disposition (A&D) records. The retailer refused to provide the printout, and the IOI simply left the store.
After that second visit to the store, the retailer contacted his elected representatives with concerns that ATF had requested the printout of the records for some nefarious reason, especially since he believed the inspection had been concluded a couple of months earlier. There was an expressed concern that ATF had requested the records for the purpose of computerizing them in an ATF database—something ATF hasn’t done and something that is strictly prohibited by law. After looking into what actually happened, I found that the IOI’s supervisor, while reviewing the inspection report, believed he needed better evidence that the IOI conducted a proper inventory and asked the IOI to get the printout. In the end, the situation was amicably resolved. ATF did an educational seminar for all federally licensed retailers in that area at which we answered questions about how ATF conducts inspections and, importantly, what records the law requires a licensee to make available to ATF during an inspection. We also answered questions about the incident that precipitated the seminar. One of my last official acts at ATF was to ensure that all of ATF’s IOIs received a written restatement of the agency’s long-standing policies related to reviewing and copying licensee’s records during an inspection. So, exactly what records and information are you as a licensee required by the Gun Control Act (GCA) and ATF regulations to make available to ATF during an inspection? What additional records is an ATF IOI likely to request? Why would an IOI ask you for records and information beyond what is required under the law? Finally, what options do you as a licensee have if you are asked to provide records that you are not required to give to ATF? These are all important questions that I hope to answer for you. To put this whole discussion in the proper context, some general information about ATF compliance inspections may be helpful. The law allows ATF to conduct one warrantless inspection of your inventory and records every 12 months for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the record-keeping requirements of the Gun Control Act and ATF regulations. The law also provides for other times when ATF may inspect your inventory and records, with or without a warrant, but let’s concentrate here on the annual inspection. Although inspections are allowed annually, ATF doesn’t actually inspect every licensee every year—nor would it make sense to do so. ATF uses certain metrics to focus its resources, so there is no way to anticipate if or when you will be inspected. That said, you do not want to risk your livelihood on a chance that ATF will never inspect you, because sooner or later you will be
inspected. To ensure that when you are inspected you pass with flying colors, you want to make 100 percent sure that your inventory of firearms is in complete agreement with your acquisition and disposition records, and that your ATF Forms 4473 are completely and accurately completed by both the purchaser and you. NSSF offers retailers a lot of compliance resources, including helpful articles such as “How to Pass an ATF Inspection with Flying Colors,” “Take Stock,” and “Sweat the Details.” These have appeared in prior issues of SHOT Business and are excellent tools and resources to assist you in making sure you are in compliance and well prepared when you are inspected. You can find these articles, as well as a variety of compliance aids, in the “Regulatory Compliance” section of the National Shooting Sports Foundation website. (Go to nssf.org and click on “Industry.”)
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hat happens when you are actually inspected? During a compliance inspection,
ATF’s IOIs physically inventory all firearms on-site and in approved off-site storage locations and carefully scrutinize your required records—all of them. For most of you, your required records (that is, those an IOI can demand to see) are all records and documents required by the GCA and the regulations in 27 C.F.R. Part 478. At the very minimum, ATF’s investigators will request your A&D records and your ATF Forms 4473. Other required records almost always inspected include reports of multiple handgun (in some instances, long gun) sales, theft or loss reports you have filed, and lawenforcement purchase letters. Importers, manufacturers, National Firearms Act licensees, and other “specialized” licensees have additional required records and documents that will be examined. When the IOIs inventory your firearms, the investigators will make a record of that inventory for comparison with your A&D records. While comparing the physical inventory to your A&D record, the IOIs will examine your A&D records to ensure every entry is complete and accurate. In addition, they will verify that every firearm inventoried has an acquisition entry and has not been shown as sold or transferred. They will also verify that every acquisition with no disposition is supported by a firearm they physically inventoried. A one-to-one correlation rules here: Every firearm acquired must either be in the physical inventory or have a documented disposition. If your acquisition and disposition records are maintained on a computer (which you are permitted to do provided the system meets certain requirements), the IOIs will ask you for a printout
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of that record. You are obligated to provide this (ATF Ruling 2008reviews are to ensure that the IOI correctly cited the violations 2). The IOIs may also ask you to print your “on-hand inventory” and that the photocopies secured by the IOI completely and to assist them in verifying the accuracy of the physical inventory accurately document the facts of the violations. Copies are they take. ATF Ruling 2008-2 allows you to provide the A&D purged from ATF files when they are no longer needed. record on electronic media rather than a paper printout. This is Whether you show an IOI records that are not required by the especially helpful (to you and the IOI) if you are a high-volume GCA, the NFA, or associated laws and regulations is completely retailer, because a printout could be hundreds of pages. Either up to you, and you should never feel obligated to disclose those way, the entire A&D record is necessary, even though it may go records. More importantly, you should never feel that your refusal back 15 years or more, because gun sales do not always follow a to provide non-required records to an ATF IOI may result in some neat pattern of “first in/first out.” You may have sold every firekind of sanction or retaliation by ATF. The ATF can impose sancarm you received in the last six months, but you may still have a tions, up to and including termination, on employees who violate gun you received 12 years ago simply because it has not found that policy, procedure, or conduct requirements. IOIs are simply trying one person who just cannot live without it. to complete their mandatory task of a 100 That firearm must still be shown in your percent reconciliation of your inventory and A&D records as an acquisition with no disrecords when they request commercial position (an “open entry,” in ATF lingo). So, records. If you believe the IOI is making upon the request of the IOI, you must furunreasonable demands, or if you believe the nish a complete copy of the A&D record, IOI is being anything less than fully profeseither printed or on electronic media. sional, request the name and telephone Any disagreement between the physical number of the IOI’s area supervisor and inventory and the A&D record must be reccontact that person immediately with your onciled so no firearms are unaccounted for, concerns. As a former director of industry nor are any firearms in inventory unrecorded operations (DIO) and ATF deputy assistant as an acquisition in the A&D record. The IOI director, I can tell you the bureau takes such cannot complete his or her inspection with matters very seriously. anything less than 100 percent reconciliation. The positive side to providing additional It is often during the reconciliation phase records or documents to ATF is fairly of the inspection that an IOI may ask you broad. First, doing so may enable the IOI to for commercial records or other docureconcile inventory discrepancies much ments that you are not specifically required faster, which means that they will complete by the Gun Control Act or ATF regulations their inspection more quickly and “get out to make available to the IOI. In reality, howof your hair” sooner. Second, providing ever, IOIs may “ask” you for any records or documents to ATF that support the disposidocuments they believe may assist them in tion of a firearm results in one less firearm determining your compliance with law and To you, it is money that that you have to report missing. That is regulations. How you respond to that important: Although ATF revokes fewer you can trace; to request is your decision. than 0.1 percent of the licensees it inspects You can legally decline the IOIs request, annually, the majority of those who get ATF, it is a firearm that but is that always the best business decision? revoked are revoked because of the licenscan be traced if it should ee’s inability to account for firearms or Clearly, a documented disposition is better for both you and ATF. To you, it is money other willful violations related to the A&D be used in a crime. that you can trace; to ATF, it is a firearm record. Last, but far from least, is that doing that can be traced if it should be used in a crime. So, IOIs try to what you can to assist ATF in accomplishing its job will go a long examine any and all available records that will show what actuway toward ensuring you have a strong, positive working relaally happened to a firearm that has no associated Form 4473 and tionship with the local office and the people stationed there. is not physically present. In sum, keeping close tabs on your inventory, being meticulous In addition to requesting records and documents that may not with all your required records (“sweating the details,” if you will), be required by law or regulation, ATF requires IOIs to photoand cooperating fully with the IOIs who are conducting an inspeccopy records and documents that are evidence of any violations tion of your business are all extremely important to you and to ATF. they cite. This is as much for your protection as for any other Doing all this offers the added benefit of making for shorter inspecpurpose. All inspection reports are reviewed by the IOI’s supertions with fewer violations cited—a win/win for all concerned. visor to ensure the IOI complied with ATF requirements. In the Harry McCabe is one of four nssf ffL CoMunlikely event that a revocation or other adverse action is recompLianCe ConsuLtants wHo are avaiLabLe to mended by the IOI, the reports are also reviewed by the director, nssf MeMbers for in-store ConsuLtations. industry operations (DIO), and by ATF attorneys. Those extra december 2012 ❚ Shot BuSineSS ❚ 45
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Good stuff
b y S l at o n l . W h i t e
Pack Light, Pack Right
Tenzing’s TZ 2220 pack is perfect for the spot-and-stalk big-game hunter
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aming a hunting pack company after one of the most famous mountaineers in history (Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay) is an act of either unmitigated gall or supreme confidence. Hunters who shoulder this internal-frame, 2,220-cubic-inch pack with adjustable shoulder straps will most likely think it’s the latter. The TZ 2220’s deep, well-thought-out main storage compartments and side pockets can store whatever is needed for a day afield—and then some. The editors of Field & Stream thought so highly of the pack that they honored it with a 2012 Best of the Best Award.
I carried the pack on two spot-and-stalk hunts this fall—a New Mexico elk hunt and a Montana mule deer hunt. It got dragged over volcanic rock, cacti, and wheat stubble with nary a scratch. This was no doubt due to the material with which it is constructed—something known as Dyneema, the trade name for an abrasionresistant gel-spun high-modulus polyethelene. In fact, Dyneema’s strength-to-weight ratio is about 40 percent higher than aramid (Kevlar), which is why the fiber is used to make personal armor and punctureresistant gloves. All I can say is this: After such tough duty, the pack still looks new. Dyneema also does not absorb water easily. I wouldn’t call it rainproof (and neither does the company, as Tenzing provides the pack with a foldout rain cover), but late in the afternoon on my muley hunt, we hit an intense snow squall. Though the pack quickly acquired a coat of wet snow, the contents stayed dry. Out of the box, the pack weighs only 4 pounds. The lightweight but sturdy internal aluminum frame helps distribute the load evenly from shoulders to hips, easing fatigue on a
Tenzing’s TZ 2220 pack helps spot-and-stalk hunters stay out all day with the gear they need.
long hike. The padded hip supports also boost comfort and fit, and the pack’s back pad is channeled to let air circulate—a nice plus on hot days. The TZ 2220 features 11 compartments and six specialized zip pockets, all of which
are intelligently laid out. For instance, I used the deep main pocket to store my binoculars while traveling. On the hunt, this compartment held my lunch as well as an extra base layer, a light fleece pullover, and a fleece neck guard for long sits
in chilly weather. Attached to the flap of the main compartment is a nice-size secondary storage area. Here, I used two smaller mesh pockets to store a first-aid kit, a flashlight, an extra knife, and optics cleanerwipes. A zippered mesh pocket was a nice place to stash extra AA and AAA batteries. A pair of open pockets on each side of the pack held two bottles of water and my energy bars, and the zippered pockets on the padded belt were ideal spots for two pairs of gloves, a fleece headband, and an assortment of chemical hand warmers. Two lower compression straps allowed me to attach a warmer jacket, if needed. Finally, the pack is fitted with oversize zipper pulls, which makes getting into a compartment a snap, even while wearing bulky gloves. And the zippers work smoothly under all weather conditions—a small point, maybe, but one that speaks to the overall quality of the pack. All in all, I was able to comfortably carry a lot of easily accessible gear on these all-day hunts and never felt burdened by extra weight. Available in Realtree Max-1 and Realtree AP camo patterns. SRP: $200. (tenzingoutdoors.com)
Selling tip
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he Tenzing line is the brainchild of Jay Robert, an Idaho big-game hunter who not only builds packs, but also has 20 years of retail experience. So, you can rest assured he knows how to put in features that hunters want—and you can sell. Place a pack in the hands of a customer, and then go over how the pockets are laid out. Let him feel the oversize zipper pulls. By the time he’s through, you’ll have a sale.
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W H AT ’ S S E L L I N G W H E R E
B Y P E T E R B . M AT H I E S E N
West
Gun, NVAccuracy Las Vegas
Nestled in metro Las Vegas, this small gun shop keeps a full-time gunsmith on staff and stocks nearly 300 firearms. Established in 1972, it bills itself as “one of the friendliest gun shops in Nevada.” Home defense continues to be a mainstay, with Russian Saiga 12 shotguns at the top of the list. “We continue to see steady demand on these kinds of rifles and MSRs. I don’t think that will be changing in the near future,” says counterman Jeff Hoskin. Other shotgun sellers are Mossberg 500 Combos and a few Remington 1100s. Handguns are in pre-Christmas demand, particularly Ruger P95 9mms and Smith & Wesson SW40VEs. MSRs are experiencing quick turns; DPMS and Smith M&P Sports pull the high numbers.
County CALake Guns, Lakeport
This rural shop stocks more than 250 firearms in 700 square feet. Rimfires sell well here, with Ruger 10/22s and Savage 93R17s garnering the most attention. A few Henry .22 lever-actions are also crossing the counter. Glocks in 9mm and .45 lead the handgun count, and numerous Springfield XDs are moving nicely. “Our handgun sales are dependent on California compliance, and that’s the main reason .380s aren’t popular. We just aren’t allowed to sell most of them,” says owner Cliff Rakic. MSRs are also selling: DPMS and Smith Sporters rule the roost.
Ponderosa ID Sports, Horseshoe Bend
Forty miles north of Boise on the Payette River,
Midwest Guns & NEHogie’s Sport, Auburn
In
business for more than 32 years, this small-town gun shop is located near the Iowa-Missouri corner of the state. It keeps an average of 500 to 600 guns in stock. Muzzleloading season has boosted traffic. “Our blackpowder hunts still get lots of participation, and they extend my deer-hunting selling season through December,” says owner Glen Hogue. T/C Encores and CVA Wolfs are clear leaders, though a few Savage Model 10 centerfires in .270 are also gaining attention. MSR turns are climbing. Rock Rivers and a few special-order DPMS .308s are crossing the counter at a rate of one per week. Handgun sales are excellent, with all things 1911 from Springfield and Remington posting the most turns. Several Ruger LCPs are also moving.
Sporting shotguns are still in demand. Browning Maxus and Winchester Super 3X semi-autos are attracting pheasant hunters.
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Keith’s Outdoors, Fort Dodge This
store stocks fishing, hunting, and soft goods as well as more than 200 guns. The Christmas rush is on, with a run on stocking-stuffer accessories like cleaning kits. “I’m still amazed at the traffic we get before Christmas. A lot of handguns are purchased as gifts,” says owner Keith Ekstrom. Smith Shields are selling as fast as this retailer can get them. Model 642s and Springfield XDSs in .40 are also doing well. Sporting shotguns are moving steadily, mainly Remington 870 Expresses and a few Browning Silver Hunters. At the rifle rack, MSRs are king, with DPMS and Rock
this retailer breaks 9,400 square feet into two stores: A “left wing” liberal display of Amish quilts, carved bears, and home décor, and a “right wing” conservative display of sporting goods, survival items, and 1,000 firearms. Although quilts are selling well, Glock 23s and Smith 637s sell better. Gun sales at this store may be at an all-time high. “I’m just amazed at some of the high-priced firearms I’ve sold this year, including a Barrett M82. There’s more cash around than most retailers realize,” says owner Cliff Harrison. Bolt-action rifles are slowing down, but Remington 700 SPSs in .308 and .300 Win. Mag. are redhot. Several MSR sales have gone to Colt and Bushmaster. Mossberg 500 Self Defense Combos are also moving at unprecedented levels for this store.
River seeing the most turns. Meanwhile, Savage 200XP Varmint Packages in .223 are selling as gifts.
NDOutdoorsman Inc., Fargo
Established in 1980, this store keeps an average of three employees busy selling a variety of general home defense products, rifles, and handguns. Demand for MSRs remains high here. “We’re selling one a day, and it’s been steady all year,” says manager Neil Nieman. On the rifle rack, DPMS, Colt, and Rock River are running neck and neck. Pre-Christmas handguns sales are brisk, with Springfield XDSs and 1911s in the lead and Glock 9mms close behind. Shotguns are still moving. Waterfowl and pheasant seasons helped the store move Remington 870 Expresses and Benelli Super Black Eagle IIs.
48 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ DECEMBER 2012
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Preventative Medicine The benefits of Being an NSSF Retail Member National Shooting Sports Foundation®
F
irearms and ammunition retailers have it tougher than ever and their issues vary. Unfriendly laws. Aggressive competition. But retailers have a partner in the business. The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the voice of the firearms industry and a trusted resource for outdoor sporting goods retailers. By becoming an NSSF member, you are never alone. Some key benefits designed specifically for retailers include: • Comprehensive materials and guidance to maintain ATF/legal compliance with everything from a 4473 overlay to a new legal hotline just for retailers. • Discounts to help retailers grow from national brands such as Federal Express® and Staples® to cost savings for services such as credit card processing, employee background checks and telecommunications offerings. • Customized services and amenities at the industry’s leading trade event, the SHOT Show®. • Programs and partnerships to help recruit new customers such as First Shots®, Hunting Heritage Partnership® and the NSSF Range Grant Program. • Discounts on the industry’s benchmark research that gives retailers a competitive edge.
During this year when our industry will be challenged more than ever, your NSSF membership helps you grow your business and adds one more strong voice to our chorus. Contact Bettyjane Swann at (203) 426-1320 or bswann@nssf.org.
WWW.NSSFMEMBERSHIP.COM
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W H AT ’ S S E L L I N G W H E R E
East
All American PA Gun Shop, Williamsport
This small retailer of custom MSRs and modified shotguns has moved much of its business to special orders to increase profitability. Notable sellers include DPMSs, M&P Sporters, and Bushmasters. On the custom side, zombie-finished lowers from Spike Tactical are selling well. “Our sales aren’t what we saw during the election in 2008, but they have been steady,” says owner Frank Lowe. As for handguns, Kel-Tec P-3ATs and Taurus 738s top the list. Mossberg 500 tactical shotguns with in-house extras have been strong items for Christmas.
Blue Trail Range CT Gun Store, Wallingford
With more than 800 guns in stock and more than
South
Buffalo TX Sporting Goods, Buffalo Located 60 miles south of metro Dallas, this small storefront has kept an average of 300 firearms in inventory for more than 34 years. Small handguns are king; Ruger P89s and Taurus 709 Slim models remain in high demand. A few Smith Bodyguards are receiving regular turns. “Overall, our customers are price-point driven. That said, given the right circumstances, we do get them to trade up after they’ve been in the store several times,” says owner Archie Van Wey. MSR sales are brisk. Windhams, Bushmasters, and a few ArmaLite AR10s in .308 are turning. Deer season is keeping lower-end Remington 700s and Ruger 77 Hawkeyes moving, mostly in .270 and .30/06. Rossi Youth Rimfire Combos are a hot pre-Christmas item for this year,
120 outdoor shooting stations, this range has events for the entire family. There’s even a picnic area. Small-bore accessories are flying off the shelves, including gloves and shooting mats for young shooters. “Our youth shooting programs drive heavy Christmas traffic across the board. Whether it’s a starter gun or a case, this is an active time of year,” says manager and instructor Lenny Smittner. Camo air rifles are especially in demand, with new models from Anschutz crossing the counter. Compacts lead the pack at the handgun desk. Top sellers include SIG 380s, Walther PPKs, and Ruger LCRs. A few shotguns are also turning, mostly traditional Mossberg 500s and a few CZ over/unders.
This Hudson Valley shop keeps an
average of 400 guns in stock. All things .22 are exceptionally hot at this store before the holidays. Sales for Ruger 10/22s and SR-22s are especially brisk, along with Henry lever-action carbines and Ruger .22 revolvers. “Our store has stayed busy all year long; It’s hard to believe just how high the demand is for anything in .22-caliber this year,” says manager Christine Ryan. Although deer season is winding down, a few Savage 210F boltaction slug guns are still selling. MSR sales are steady: Stag Arms and Bushmasters hold the top two spots, followed by Smith M&P Sporters—all in .223. Sales of 1911s are hotter than usual. Colt Government Models and SIG 1911s are getting the greatest attention. Springfield XDSs, M&P Shields in .40, and Smith Bodyguards also enjoy fast turns.
as are cleaning kits and Nikon Monarch 4–16x50 scopes.
holding the top spot. Glocks, primarily in 9mm, are just behind.
NYPrecision Arms, Carmel
Direct Gold GA Outlet, Covington
Carrying a large variety of hunting, home defense, and fishing gear, this store, located 40 miles southeast of metro Atlanta, stocks 300 guns. It also does a brisk business in gold and jewelry. MSRs continue to move quicker than last year, and DPMS and Smith M&Ps are selling particularly well. “We see a steady demand for MSRs, and with our customer base, I don’t see it diminishing anytime soon,” says counterman Anthony Yates. Deer season is in full swing, and this retailer is moving strong numbers of Remington 700 BDLs and Savage Model 10s, primarily in .270. Handguns continue to move well, with Kel-Tec 380s and Ruger LCPs
Toys, TNTerry’s East Ridge
Keeping just under 100 guns in inventory, this small shop specializes in Cowboy Action gear. Ruger Vaqueros in .45 LC top the sales chart, but a few Ruger VAQ357s are also seeing turns. Other revolvers making turns include the Heritage Rough Rider in .45 LC and the Ruger Single Six 22 LR. “Our business is steady year-round and was never affected by the election,” says owner Terry Eisher. Lever-action rifle sales are up for Christmas, including the Marlin 1894 in .32/20 and the 1894 in .44 Mag. A few Uberti lever-action Silver Boy .22 carbines are also on order. El Paso Saddlery leather holsters are selling well as Christmas gifts.
50 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ DECEMBER 2012
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About $1 per shell cheaper than HEVI-Shot®. WWW.HEVISHOT.COM
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NEW PRODUCTS Streamlight ProTac HL (High Lumen) is a programmable lithiumpowered flashlight with a C4 LED that has a lifetime of 50,000 hours.
container of shampoo and body wash, a 16-ounce container of laundry detergent, a 2.25-ounce deodorant stick, and a 6-ounce vial of Nose Jammer field spray. Nose Jammer contains vanillin and other organic compounds that effectively jam, or overload, a big-game animal’s sense of smell. SRP: $39.99. (507-896-3138; nosejammer.com)
Stealth Cam
(Continued from page 56)
Streamlight Designed for maximum illumination applications, the new Streamlight ProTac HL (High Lumen) is the manufacturer’s first programmable, handheld, lithiumbattery-powered flashlight. Featuring Streamlight’s new TEN-TAP programming, the ProTac HL enables users to select among three programs to suit their preference or operating needs: high/strobe/low (the factory default setting); high only; or low/high. In addition to its high-lumen light
(600 lumen and 16,000 candela peak beam intensity), the ProTac HL provides a runtime of 75 minutes and a beam distance of 253 meters on the high setting. On the low setting, the light delivers 33 lumens and 800 candela over a beam distance of 57 meters, with 18 hours of runtime. The strobe setting provides 2.5 hours of continuous runtime. The ProTac HL features a C4 LED that is impervious to shock and has a 50,000-hour lifetime. The light is fabricated from 6000-series machined aircraftgrade aluminum with an anodized finish, and it includes a convenient multi-function push-button, tactical tail switch. This tail switch provides easy, one-handed operation of the light’s momentary, variable intensity, or strobe modes. The light measures 5.40 inches and weighs 5.6 ounces, and it features an anti-roll face cap and a removable pocket clip for attachment to a vest, belt, or pocket. The light also has an IPX7-rated design for waterproof operation to one meter for 30 minutes. Available in black, the ProTac HL Streamlight comes with a limited lifetime warranty. SRP: $130.
The Professional HD Camera is an ultracompact camera that now features the ZX7 Processor, designed to produce even faster trigger speed and ensure longer battery life. The 720P high-definition digital video now displays the running data stamp, and the processor also features Stealth Cam’s new Quick Set technology, which provides pre-set program modes to make the camera even easier to use. The new camera is DRONE-compatible, so the user can examine and assess the wildlife on his hunting land by utilizing the digital remote surveillance system. The Professional HD provides HD video at 30 fps with audio clarity, and camera can also be programmed to capture still images at 8.0, 3.0, and 1.3 megapixels, offering clean, crisp pictures. Capable of recording 5- to 300second adjustable video clips, the Professional HD is equipped with 54 infrared emitters for a 60-foot range and
(800-523-7488; streamlight.com)
Fairchase Products
Fairchase’s product line includes shampoo and body wash that masks the scent of a big-game hunter.
Fairchase Products, manufacturer of Nose Jammer’s “olfactory nerve overload” science system, is now offering its most popular products in one convenient package. The Pro-Pack contains a 16-ounce
The Professional HD trail camera from Stealth Cam provides high-definition video as well as still images.
52 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ DECEMBER 2012
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WITH EVERY TOUCH
of the trigger, Alliant Powder ’s new AR-Comp™ delivers high performance ignition. Whether you’re shooting fast action, high-volume or high-power, this target propellant for AR-style shooters delivers consistent performance every time. Count on Alliant Powder for optimum quality, Lot to Lot consistency and reliable pressures and velocities across temperature extremes. AR-Comp is available in 1 lb. bottle or 8 lb. canister.
Contact Dealer Services at 866-223-9388.
For more information visit alliantpowder.com.
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© 2010 ATK ISO certified.
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What if the person you need is not looking for a job?
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The Sight-Bloc, available from In-Range Supplies, is made of a patented composite material that can stand up to foul weather.
can record in either color or black and white HD. The rapid-burst mode shoots one to nine images per trigger, and the new five-digit LCD counter accommodates higher image counts during extended times in the field. The camera has a 64 MB built-in memory, as well as an SD memory card slot that accepts up to 32 GB. SRP: $269.99. (877-269-8490; stealthcam.net)
In-Range Supplies The Sight-Bloc, a multi-level 14-pound rifle rest, is manufactured from a patented composite made entirely from recycled rubber particles. Unlike sandbags, which often shift, leak, or absorb water, the Sight-Bloc provides a molded-rubber construction that will not freeze, absorb water, or decompose. It has been designed to always provide a stable and sturdy rifle shooting position. With portable metal gun rests, or with sandbags, it can be challenging to find the correct height to properly sight-in your rifle. The multi-level Sight-Bloc features two recessed rests that can accommodate various heights. It will also accommodate AR-15 platform rifles with 30-round magazines. The Sight-Bloc is currently being used by military and law-enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. SRP: $49.99. (877-423-1785; inrange supplies.com)
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U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 USC 3685)
The retractable natural brush on the LensPen optics cleaner helps hunters gently remove dust from the lenses of their binos and scopes.
Brush Research, Inc. The Flex-Hone—a flexible, drill-mounted component—quickly, safely, and thoroughly removes shotgun barrel damage that has occurred from oxidation and corrosion. The tool can also blend out scratches, and it removes the nicks and pits that cause plastic adhesion. The result is greater accuracy, reduced wear, and longer life for a shotgun. Standard barrel hones are 34 inches long and are available in 10-, 12-, 16-, and 20-gauge and .410 sizes. (323-
Nikon Sport Optics offers several models of authentic LensPen products licensed under the Nikon name, including the Nikon LensPen Pro Kit, which includes newly designed Original and MiniPro pens, MicroKlear, and FogKlear cloths, which all fit in a convenient carrying pouch. (877-608-0868;
1. Publication Title: Shot Business; 2. Publication No. 1081-8618; 3. Filing Date: 9/30/12; 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly Except for January and December; 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 7; 6. Annual Subscription Price: $25.00; 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Ofce of Publication: Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida 32789-3150; 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Ofce of Publisher: Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida 32789-3150; 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Eric Zinczenko, Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Ave New York, NY 10016-5695; Editor: Slaton L. White, Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Ave New York, NY 10016-5695; Managing Editor: Margaret Nussey, Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Ave New York, NY 10016-5695. 10. Owner: Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida 32789-3150; Terry L. Snow, P.O. Box 8500, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida 32790; 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Securities: None; 12. Tax Status (for completion by nonproft organizations authorized to mail at special rates): Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months; 13. Publication Title: Shot Business; 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Aug/Sep 2012; 15a. Total Number of Copies: 22,029 (Aug/Sep 2012: 21,999); b. Paid Circulation: (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 20,390 (Aug/Sep 2012: 20,434); c. Total Paid Distribution: 20,390 (Aug/Sep 2012: 20,434); d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541: 979 (Aug/Sep 2012: 994); (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS: 57 (Aug/Sep 2012: 0); e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 1,036 (Aug/Sep 2012: 994); f. Total Distribution: 21,426 (Aug/Sep 2012: 21,428); g. Copies not Distributed: 602 (Aug/Sep 2012: 571); h. Total: 22,029 (Aug/Sep 2012: 21,999); Percent Paid: 95.16% (Aug/Sep 2012: 95.36%).
lenspen.com)
261-2193; brushresearch.com)
LensPen LensPen helps hunters clean dust and fingerprints from scopes and binoculars through a simple two-step process. First, use the retractable natural brush to remove any loose dust. Second, if fingerprints remain, twist the cap off on the LensPen’s other end and use the carbon-impregnated cleaning pad to completely clean the lens. (The carbon compound used in LensPen products is similar to the one found in printer’s ink, which is why newspapers remain an effective way to clean windows, mirrors, and other glass surfaces.) The twist-action cap is a new feature introduced with the recent LensPen redesign. This new twist action is important for two reasons: It recharges the carbon on the cleaning tip, and it ensures that the cap won’t pop off. Other new LensPen features include a compact size and ergonomic design.
COMRADES IN FLIGHT affordable memorial ammunition - latest technology - reverently loaded and balanced - for handguns and rifles - choices of quantity & caliber - modifications do not affect primer or propellant
Comrades in Flight memorial bullets are the outdoorsman's choice to honor relative, friend or man's best friend. Free shipping.
comradesinflight.com Go to: www.ShotBusiness.com for free info.
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NEW PRODUCTS
E. Arthur Brown Co. Typical Picatinny and Weaver-style bases usually have too many key slots and are often machined with an old-fashioned sight groove down the middle. The result is a “sawtooth” appearance and a very minimal key slot engagement on your scope rings. But EABCO’s Ruger 10/22 Keylock Scope Mounting Base, which is manufactured from aircraft-grade aluminum, addresses these two drawbacks by optimizing the base for a precision fit. The slots are properly dimensioned, and the bevels fit rings and attachments with no slop. Finished in matte black or silver, the base mounts with four screws (included). The mount is available with or without rings. SRP: $29; with rings, $49. Also from EABCO, the new Slip-Over Ruger #1 scope mount solves the tricky problem of aligning an aftermarket scope base on a contoured barrel by using the factory pre-aligned rib as an alignment shim. SRP: $59. (320-8343000; eabco.com) (Continued on page 52)
56 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ DECEMBER 2012
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THE NEW DIMENSION™ BOLT-ACTION PLATFORM WILL CHANGE YOUR THINKING.
Introducing the frst bolt-action rife platform made
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© 2012 Smith & Wesson
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THE MODEL 1911 R1.™ A LEGEND IN TOP FORM.
The only thing
more American than a Model 1911 is one made by America’s oldest gunmaker. For more than 100 years, it’s defended freedom, served justice, protected families and dominated competition. And the Model 1911 R1™ marks our proud return to one of the greatest legacies in firearms history, with the finest blend of exacting craftsmanship and out-of-box performance available today.
©2012 REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, LLC.
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