NSSF SHOT Business -- August/September, 2018

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

A TAXING SITUATION: HOW THE NEW IRS CODE IMPACTS YOU Pg. 40

The Super Consumers

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE FYI

GOOD STUFF

Retailers need to “pitch” rather than simply “catch” Pg. 22

Sig Sauer pairs a reddot to a specific firearm platform Pg. 44

SHOOTERS WHO GO LONG INVEST IN SERIOUS GEAR THAT HELPS THEM HIT TARGETS WAY OUT THERE. TO CONNECT WITH THIS SPECIAL GROUP, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY REALLY NEED

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#SIGSUPPRESSORS

SIGSAUER.COM

SHOT BUSINESS AUG./SEPT. 2018 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 5

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THE SUPER CONSUMERS F-Class shooters are in a different realm altogether. BY DAVID E. PETZAL SO, YOU WANT TO SHOOT FAR? The name of the game is accessories—and plenty of them. BY WAYNE VAN ZWOLL A TAXING SITUATION The IRS just made businesstravel deductions more complicated. BY MARK E. BATTERSBY

NEWS UPDATE Intuit’s financial services for firearms businesses don’t add up; online retailers can now collect sales tax; and the pushback on social media in the Brownells case.

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FROM THE COUNTER A gun shop owner grows his small store in stages to become one of the largest independent firearms retailers in the state of Maine.

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RETAILER TOOLBOX If an ATF visit is due, make sure your records are current and accurate.

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EDITOR’S NOTE Those who go long need specialized advice.

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NEWS BRIEFS Vista Outdoor’s new strategic vision; CRKT’s Forged By War knifedesign program helps veterans; Aguila Ammunition adds to its rimfire hollowpoint ammo line; and Badland’s Approach FX camo debuts.

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FYI Retail consultant Miles Hall tells you how to make your business “pitch perfect.”

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FIRING LINE Smith & Wesson’s M&P 10 may be an unlikely big-game rifle, but it gets the job done.

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UNDERCOVER SHOPPER Great upland access

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awaits in Kansas—and so do a few hot deals on 20-gauge doubles.

GOOD STUFF Sig Sauer pairs a pistol to a reflex sight.

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WHAT’S SELLING WHERE

NEW PRODUCTS Gatorz shooting glasses; Mossberg’s 590 Shockwave.

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COVER PHOTO BY TIM IRWIN

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EDITOR’S NOTE

NSSF

Way Out There Long-distance shooting continues to grow

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hen I first began big-game hunting nearly 40 years ago, using smoothbore shotguns and Foster slugs for whitetail deer in my state’s hardwood forests, a long shot was 75 yards. When I graduated to a rifled shotgun barrel and slugs specifically designed for the same, I saw ranges move out to 150 yards. Later, with bolt-action rifles, I gradually inched toward 200-yard shots. And in the past couple of years, I’ve taken big game at well over 300 yards out West.

I’ve got friends who now shoot competitively at double and triple that distance. Obviously, the gear used there isn’t the same as you’d take to the deer woods, which gives retailers a golden opportunity to capture a share of a hot market. But as David E. Petzal and Wayne Van Zwoll—both long-distance shooters par excellence—caution in a pair of articles in this issue that examine the trend of long-distance shooting, to cash in you really need to understand what is going on.

Petzal (“The Super Consumers,” p. 28) examines the phenomenon of F-Class shooting, a highly specialized affair in which most of the participants use the kinds of custom rifles that shooting-sports retailers don’t carry. But his real point is that a knowledgeable retailer can win the business of this shooter by stocking appropriate accessories. And by knowledge, he doesn’t mean just a passing acquaintance with F-Class. “If you have ideas about tapping this market, you or someone on your staff must be familiar with F-Class.

It’s a different world, with different problems, solutions, fads, and tribal customs. It will not help if you’re one hell of a sporting clays shooter.” The payoff ? This is a

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group with money to spare.

Van Zwoll (“So, You Want to Shoot Far?” p. 34) focuses on a broader group of long-distance shooters. These are the folks who will buy firearms from you, as well as optics and other accessories. But, again, you must understand the game. If you don’t bother to find out what these people are doing, and how they do it, you can’t win their business.

The other major feature this month is “A Taxing Situation” (p. 40), by Mark E. Battersby. An expert in tax law, Battersby examines the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and explains how changes in the tax code affect certain aspects of your business—namely, attending trade shows such as the all-important SHOT Show.

One big change concerns nonreimbursable expenses incurred by your employees. In the past, these employees could deduct those expenses (subject to certain limits) on their itemized tax returns. They can no longer do that, so you might have to make an adjustment here to keep them happy.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Slaton L. White, Editor

SLATON L. WHITE, Editor James A. Walsh, Art Director Margaret M. Nussey, Managing Editor David Maccar, Senior Editor David E. Petzal, Shooting Editor Judith Weber, Digital Content Producer CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Larry Ahlman, Barbara Baird, Scott Bestul, Philip Bourjaily, Christopher Cogley, Jock Elliott, Shannon Farlow, Tim Irwin, William F. Kendy, Richard Mann, Peter B. Mathiesen, Brian McCombie, Tom Mohrhauser, Robert Sadowski, Robert F. Staeger, Peter Suciu, Wayne Van Zwoll Anthony Licata, Group Editorial Director Gregory D. Gatto, Executive Vice President ADVERTISING: 212-779-5316 Jeff Roberge, Publisher Katie Logan, Southern Sporting Goods Sales David Hawkey, Northeast Sporting Goods Sales Amanda Gastelum, Integrated Marketing Director BUSINESS OPERATIONS Tara Bisciello, Financial Director MANUFACTURING Kelly Kramer Weekley, Associate Production Director Melissa Beckham, Production Manager BONNIER Chairman, Tomas Franzén Head of Business Area, Magazines, Lars Dahmén Chief Executive Officer, Eric Zinczenko Chief Financial Officer, Joachim Jaginder Chief Operating Officer, David Ritchie Chief Marketing Officer, Elizabeth Burnham Murphy Chief Digital Revenue Officer, Sean Holzman Vice President, Integrated Sales, John Graney Vice President, Digital Operations, David Butler Vice President, Public Relations, Perri Dorset General Counsel, Jeremy Thompson

SHOT Business (ISSN 1081-8618) is published 7 times a year in 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 26, issue 5, Copyright © 2018 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 064702359. SHOT Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All correspondence should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed 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 email SBZcustserv@cdsfulfllment.com, in the U.S. call toll-free 866-6154345, outside the U.S. call 515-237-3697, 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 6364 Harlan, IA 51593.

SEPTEMBER

2018 CMO SUMMIT

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nssf.org/cmosummit

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

NSSF is inviting all

Jack Uldrich: A leading futurist and bestselling author who helps organizations gain the critical foresight they need to create a successful future.

our industry’s CMOs and leading marketing professionals back to Ponte Vedra Beach for a jam-packed agenda you won’t want to miss. Network with your industry peers and hear from experts covering the latest trends in digital marketing, real-time data, the challenges of social media, the future of media consumption and much more!

Beth Gregg: An expert in mobile and data-driven advertising with more than 20 years in leadership roles at Leo Burnett, Fortune Magazine, Businessweek, Electronic Arts and DataXu.

What people said about the first ever CMO Summit last year...

Jon Gordon: Author of five bestselling books, whose principles have been put to the test by Fortune 500 companies, pro and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits.

Solid, relevant marketing strategies from well established marketing professionals.

Maria Dockery Femme Fatale ARMS This event was well prepared and filled with speakers and materials needed to engage the gun industry in our evolved digital epoch.

Scott Pilkington, President & CEO Pilkington Competition Equipment LLC

It was well attended by companies from the entire spectrum of the industry which offered a ton of opportunities for networking.

Chris Wood, VP Sales & Marketing Tactical Walls

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club Resort • Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

THE FIREARMS INDUSTRY TRADE ASSOCIATION

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NSSF.ORG

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NEWS BRIEFS NEWS

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O UT R E AC H

Vista Outdoor is refocusing its strategic vision, and part of the process is exploring options for selling Savage Arms.

Vista Outdoor Adopts New Strategic Vision

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ista Outdoor Inc. announced a strategic business transformation plan earlier this year designed to allow the company to focus resources on pursuing growth in its core product categories. The plan is a result of a comprehensive strategic review that began last fall.

“Our review identified product categories that are core to the company’s long-term business strategy,” said Vista Outdoor chief executive officer Chris Metz in a press release that was issued with the announcement. “We believe future investment should focus on categories where Vista Outdoor can achieve sustainable growth, maximize operaThis product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources.

tional efficiencies, deliver leadership economics, and drive shareholder value.”

As a result of this evaluation, and with support from its board of directors, Vista Outdoor will focus on achieving growth through its market-leading brands in ammunition, hunting and shooting accessories, hydration bottles and packs, and outdoor cooking products.

Strategic reviews such as this are common in publicly held corporations, which have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to maximize value.

What got the attention of the shootingsports community was the announce-

ment that Vista was exploring options that would ultimately lead to divesting itself of Savage Arms. Upon hearing this news, the internet erupted with unfounded speculation, chiefly that Savage was ceasing production. Not so.

The same great Savage products that retailers sell today will be available tomorrow.

“We have no intention of stopping production,” Metz told me recently.

“Savage has great management, great people, and great product. But we do not have unlimited funds for every brand in our current portfolio.

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NEWS BRIEFS

That’s why we decided to focus on our core businesses.”

Compared to the behemoth known as Federal Premium Ammunition, Savage is a much smaller enterprise.

And to effectively compete against, say, Ruger, it needs to broaden its product line past the long arms for which it is known.

“Savage wants to get into handguns,” Metz said. “It’s half the market and half the profits, but we simply don’t have the funds available to do that.”

Given that Savage is only 7 percent of Vista’s revenue, letting it go is the smart move. Under new ownership, Savage can receive the investment it needs to compete more effectively.

Still worried about Vista’s overall commitment to the shooting-sports community? Don’t be. This strategic

review will allow Federal Premium to grow exponentially.

“We’re really an ammo company,” Metz said. “Federal Premium is the world leader in ammo production. We manufacture billions of rounds per year, and we will be investing in more sophisticated equipment in our factories and will bring more innovation to those factories over the next several years.”

So, just who is the man who made this decision? He’s a hunter and shooter like us, one with twin 16-yearold sons who received their huntersafety certificates when they were nine years old. He’s a father who wants to pass on these great American outdoor traditions to the next generation. And the decisions he is making now at Vista Outdoor will help do just that. —Slaton L. White

Aguila Releases Hollowpoint .22 Ammo

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he wait is over for Aguila Ammunition customers who have been looking forward to the company’s launch of hollowpoint ammunition. Texas Armament & Technology (TxAT) and Aguila Ammunition recently released their new rimfire hollowpoint products.

“This product line has been a long time in the making. We’ve worked hard to make sure we’re strategically delivering premium new products, and we’re excited to get this new line to our customers,” says John Domolky, director of sales for Aguila Ammunition. “The new rimfire hollowpoints will feature strong penetration and expansion, and will be offered in high-velocity and copper-coated options. With prices beginning at just under three dollars a box, we believe this is an incredible value for varmint and small-game hunters.”

Aguila Ammunition is one of the largest rimfire manufacturers in the world, and is one of the few manufacturers that have kept up with the growing demand of rimfire ammo.

“In order to grow, Aguila has remained adaptable and customer-

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

focused,” says Domolky. “We remain open to new product ideas to stay relevant in the market. This, in turn, creates loyal customers. Launching the hollowpoint rimfire line is a perfect example of Aguila keeping up with customer demand.”

The new line is manufactured in five variants, including .22 Interceptor (40-grain copper-plated), .22 Subsonic (38-grain lead bullet), .22 Super Extra (38-grain copper-plated), .22 Supermaximum (30-grain copper-plated), and .22 Super Extra (38-grain nickel-plated). (aguilaammo.com)

Bits & Pieces Vista Outdoor Welcomes Joshua Waldron Joshua Waldron is the new president of Blackhawk!

Waldron’s responsibilities include finance, operations and manufacturing, sales, and marketing, For the last decade, Waldron was the co-founder and chief executive officer of SilencerCo, a firearm sound suppression company.

Trijicon Inc. to Acquire AmeriGlo Trijicon Inc., global provider of aiming solutions for the hunting, shooting, military, and law enforcement markets, recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire AmeriGlo, a leading supplier of U.S.-made night sights.

“The AmeriGlo brand is a natural fit for us,” says Stephen Bindon, Trijicon president. “This purchase will further enhance Trijicon’s ever-expanding product and brand portfolio while increasing our manufacturing capacity.”

Chris Carlberg Joins Walther Chris Carlberg has joined Walther as vice president of sales. He will lead all sales direction, planning, expansion, and execution for Walther handguns in the United States.

“His approach will help drive sales not only for Walther, but for our valued distributors and dealers,” says CEO Adam Blalock.

NEWS BRIEFS

Springfield Armory Pairs Up With Trijicon The Springfield Armory TRP 10mm RMR is now available with a Trijicon Ruggedized Miniature Reflex (RMR) sight milled into the slide of Springfield Armory’s elite-production 1911.

The Trijicon RMR mount features an integrated rear tritium sight that allows a lower onethird co-witness of the front tritium sight post.

Springfield Armory chose Trijicon, a proven leader in rugged red-dot optics, for its ability to stand up to the power of the formidable 10mm round. The sight is crafted from 7075-T6 aluminum to mil-spec standards and has a patented shape that absorbs impacts and diverts stresses away from the lens, increasing durability.

“We’re very pleased to partner with Springfield Armory on the

release of the TRP 10mm with Trijicon RMR. Consumers will be very pleased with this winning combination,” says Chuck Wahr, Trijicon vice president of sales and marketing.

“A strong optic that mirrors the robust yet finely detailed qualities of the TRP line was crucial in determining what red-dot we decided to offer our consumers,” says Springfield Armory CEO Dennis Reese.

“Easier targeting and sight acquisition makes a difference in the seconds when it matters most, and we are proud to offer the Trijicon RMR on our 10mm TRP.” The 5- and 6-inch-barrelled TRP 10mm RMRs feature forged National Match frames and slides precision-fit to matchgrade, stainless-steel, fully supported barrels.

Frames and slides are

Black-T-finished to withstand heavy use and harsh environments.

The front strap and mainspring housing are checkered in Posi-Lock for a firm yet comfortable hold. A TechWell Magwell/Grip System allows for rapid mag changes under stress without adding any more bulk to the contour of the gun. Once the ambidextrous safety lever is flipped, the Springfield Armory Gen 2 Speed Trigger, calibrated to a crisp 4.5- to 5-pound pull, provides a clean break. Recoil is managed through extra mass in the reciprocating assembly and frame, making the power of the 10mm round easy on the operator. Each TRP 10mm RMR is shipped with two 9-round magazines.

SRP: $2,507–$2,558. (springfield-armory.com)

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The recoil of Springfield’s TRP 10mm RMR is managed through extra mass in the reciprocating assembly and frame, making the power of the hefty round easier on the operator.

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NEWS BRIEFS

Michael Rodriguez is a combat veteran who turned to knife design as a way to help heal the wounds he’d received in service to his country.

Profound Impact By their very design, knives are made to be tools of survival.

There are times, however, when the survival aspect comes not from using the knife, but from creating it. It was exactly that kind of survival purpose that gave rise to CRKT’s Forged By War program.

Michael Rodriguez is a combat veteran who turned to art as a way to help heal the wounds he’d received in service to his country. Not long after he got out of the hospital, he took a forging class from Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical, and a bond between the two quickly developed. Although Rodriguez was an accomplished artist, he didn’t see himself as a knife designer and wasn’t convinced he

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could create a tool that would be useful to anyone.

“Ryan asked me if there was a knife I wished I’d had when I was in combat,” Rodriguez says. “I told him there was, and he said, ‘Well, then, make that knife.’”

In that moment, the seeds of the Forged By War program were planted.

Seeing the successful result that occurred when Rodriguez applied his practical combat experience to the knife-design process, Johnson recognized the potential of getting other veterans involved and approached CRKT with the concept.

“It was such a good idea that I don’t even remember having any meetings to dis-

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

cuss whether or not we should do it,” says Douglas Flagg, vice president of marketing and innovation at CRKT. “It was more like, ‘How can we do this?’”

The basic foundation for the Forged By War program came back to the challenge that Johnson originally posed to Rodriguez: Design the knife you wish you had when you were in combat. And that’s exactly what each of the veterans who are involved in the program has done.

“These knives truly are purpose-driven,” Rodriguez says. “They’re made by modern warriors and designed based on real time, real experience, and real wisdom.”

The beauty of the pro-

gram, however, is that the veterans who are designing these knives aren’t just putting their combat experience to use by creating tools that have very practical applications in the field. They’re also seeing that their experiences have an extremely valuable purpose, even after their tours of duty are over.

“Profits were never the motivation for the Forged By War program,” Flagg says.

“Our goal was to help veterans by taking the designs they wished they had in the field and developing them for the retail market. The biggest benefit, though, has been the excitement and joy when the veterans see their knife design in a retail shop.

The reaction is priceless!” (crkt.com) —Christopher Cogley

Big Horn Goes Big

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he Big Horn Armory AR500 in 500 Auto Max is now available to big-game hunters, big-bore aficionados, and law-enforcement professionals. The gasoperated AR500 is designed and produced by Big Horn Armory and is based on a DPMS-style AR .308. The lightweight aluminum receiver features grooves cut into the front of the mag well for a confident grip, and additional grooves in the front of the trigger to allow a finger rest. All steel parts have been salt-bath nitrite-finished for corrosion resistance.

“All we do at Big Horn Armory is design and make bigbore guns,” says Greg Buchel, president of Big Horn Armory.

“Using the .500 S&W magnum cartridge as our springboard, we wanted to bring back the concept of hunting using bigbore cartridges for the simple reason it puts game down immediately, regardless of the bullet’s construction or speed.

As hunters ourselves, our goal is to bring game down efficiently and ethically.”

Big Horn Armory’s 500 Auto Max is a rimless version of the .500 S&W, with the same ballistics. The cartridge can be topped with any .500-diameter bullet between 200 and 700 grains. The rifle also features a 1:24 twist 18-inch barrel, adjustable gas block, full Picatinny rail, M-Lok forend, adjustable buttstock, flash suppressor, five-round magazine, and a hard plastic case. SRP: $1,999. (bighornarmory.com)

Big Horn Armory’s A500 in 500 Auto Max is chambered for a rimless version of the .500 S&W, with the same ballistics.

The popular Smith & Wesson M&P pistol is part of the company’s new rebate program.

S&W LAUNCHES MILITARY APPRECIATION PROGRAM Smith & Wesson Corp. recently announced that Smith & Wesson and Thompson/ Center Arms have established a new military appreciation program. Named “Thank You for Your Service,” the program offers eligible United States Armed Forces personnel a discount on qualifying Thompson/Center and Smith & Wesson firearms purchased from June 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018.

This program applies to all active-duty, honorably discharged, retired, or disabled members of the U.S. Armed Forces or Reserves.

James Debney, CEO of parent company American Outdoor Brands, says, “We are proud to offer a discount on some of our most popular firearms to those who have served and those who are currently serving in

our Armed Forces. We are forever grateful for their service.”

The following firearms categories and discounts are included in the “Thank You for Your Service” program: $100 on any new, qualifying M&P rifle; $75 on any new, qualifying T/C Venture or complete T/C Encore Pro Hunter pistol, rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader; $50 on any new, qualifying M&P pistol, T/C Compass, T/C Triumph, or T/C Triumph Bone Collector; $25 on any new, qualifying Smith & Wesson revolver, T/C T/CR22 rifle, or T/C Impact! muzzleloader. All rebates will be issued on a Smith & Wesson prepaid MasterCard.

To participate in the program, customers must complete and submit the online rebate form at smithandwesson rebates.com

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BADLANDS UNLEASHES APPROACH CAMO Never known as a company to “take it easy,” Badlands is releasing the second pattern in the Badlands Approach camouflage series, dubbed Approach FX, along with a new apparel line for 2018.

Designed using a hardwood color palette that features Badlands Adaptive Coloration Technology, Approach FX is extremely effective concealment for Midwest or Eastern hunting, as well as for the Western or Southern hunter.

Not content to merely add a new pattern option to the Badlands lineup, an entirely new apparel collection will accompany the launch of the Approach FX camouflage pattern. The 2018 apparel lineup in Approach FX will include six base layer/midlayer pieces; eight outer-layer jackets, ranging from fleece to fully waterproof pieces; four outer-layer pants, including silent fleece and waterproof pieces; two glove options in Approach FX camouflage; and multiple accessories, including neck gaiters and hats. In addition to the more than 20 new apparel pieces, the majority of Badlands packs and binocular cases will now be available in either Approach or Approach FX camouflage. (badlandspacks.com)

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The premium S60V blade is the foundation of the G1-002. Gerber finished the spear-point blade with a polished and full fine edge, presenting a marked departure from the original Mark II’s blade.

Gerber Unveils New G1 Gerber, a leading manufacturer of knives, tools, and equipment, is introducing the latest edition of the G1 Series of custom knives, the G1-002. An industry pioneer, Gerber has been crafting worldclass knives and tools for decades and first introduced the G1 Series last year to showcase the craftsmanship, design, and skill that are ongoing components of the brand’s robust American manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon.

Each year, Gerber plans to introduce a new addition to the G1 portfolio that will showcase elevated materials, processes, and technologies. The series serves to fuel the future development of production-caliber products, serving a large market of both professional and recreational users. As the second edition in the G1 Series, the G1-002 pays homage to a Gerber legend, the Mark II combat knife. The G1-002 is a distinct combination of premium materials and processes, buttressed by collaborations with two innovators in the knifemaking and shooting industry—Zev Technologies and Blackpoint Tactical.

The G1-002 is not only a remake of the heralded Mark II, it’s an overhaul.

Featuring an S60V blade, a custommachined handle from Zev Technologies, and a multi-mount Kydex sheath from Blackpoint Tactical, the G1-002 is both “a functional tool and a collector’s item,” says Karrson Koivisto, product manager at Gerber.

“First introduced in 1966, the Mark II is recognized as the benchmark for combat knives and stands as a piece of battlefield and knifemaking history.”

At the Portland headquarters, Gerber engineers provided insightful design, informed engineering, precise machin-

ing, and first-class execution to bring the G1-002 to life. The team then turned to Zev Technologies—an innovator in high-quality firearms components for pistol, rifle, and AR platforms—for a uniquely functional custom-machined handle with a Cerakote coating.

Blackpoint Tactical was recruited to build a custom Kydex sheath fit for an undeniably legendary blade.

All aspects of the G1-002 were meticulously considered, sourcing firstclass materials and leveraging both the master craftsmanship of Gerber’s manufacturing facility, as well as the expertise of two premium partners. Proudly designed and made in the USA, each of the 100 hand-built G1-002 knives underwent a laborious multi-stage process, accumulating dozens of hours in production, processing, and assembly.

Each knife is hand-assembled, doubleinspected, and serialized for collection.

The premium S60V blade is the foundation of the G1-002. Gerber finished the spear-point blade with a highly polished and full fine edge, presenting a marked departure from the original Mark II’s blade. Zev Technolgies applied a machining pattern inspired by its renowned stippling, typically applied to Glock pistols, resulting in a unique aesthetic and supreme grip. Blackpoint Tactical heeded the call for a custom Kydex sheath with vertical or horizontal belt carry options and boasting click-in retention. Proceeds will benefit the Special Operations Care Fund (SOC-F), which provides medical, financial, and other support to SOC-F members and their families in ways that are often not met through other sources. SRP: $400. (gerbergear.com)

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GSM Outdoors is known for providing technologically advanced accessories for the hunting and shooting sports.

Sentinel Capital Acquires GSM

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entinel Capital Partners, a private equity firm that invests in promising companies at the lower end of the mid-market, recently announced its acquisition of GSM Outdoors, a leading provider of technologically advanced accessories for the hunting, sport shooting, and outdoor enthusiast markets.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Grand Prairie, Texas, GSM has a broad portfolio of innovative hunting and sport shooting

products. GSM’s industryleading brands include Stealth Cam, Walker’s, Cyclops, Western Rivers, American Hunter, HME, and Bullseye. GSM sells through a diverse mix of channels, including online retailers, sporting goods stores, mass merchants, outdoorsmen retailers, farm and fleet stores, and distributors across the U.S. and Canada.

“GSM has an extremely passionate, talented, and committed management team that has built a strong platform of coveted brands,”

says John Van Sickle, a partner at Sentinel. “GSM is an industry leader and innovator, and is driving growth through developing innovative, high-quality products.

GSM is positioned as a vendor of choice with leading retailers and has a highly engaged consumer enthusiast following. Importantly, GSM’s management has created a culture of success and has positioned GSM as a consolidator of choice in the large and highly fragmented hunting and sport shooting accessories market.”

LENA MICULEK TAKES TOP HONORS Lena Miculek and the USA Ladies Team recently had big wins at the 2018 Shotgun World Shoot, held in Châteauroux, France.

Now a three-time cham-

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pion, Miculek took top honors in the Ladies Category. Fellow Team USA members Dianna Muller, Dakota Overland, and Rebecca (Becky) Yackley finished in sec-

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

ond, third, and fourth places, respectively.

Born into a dynasty of professional competition shooters and competing since she was eight years old, Miculek estab-

“We are very pleased to partner with Sentinel as we execute the next phase of our growth,” says GSM CEO Eddie Castro. “We have an incredibly committed and competitive culture, and are passionate about our brands and the customers we serve.

Our enthusiast end-user base is loyal and growing. We plan to leverage Sentinel’s extensive experience investing in specialty consumer businesses and making add-on acquisitions to continue our strong growth trajectory.”

(Gsmoutdoors.com)

lished her domination with her first major championship at the 2012 IPSC Shotgun World Championship.

Just like her father and mother, Miculek’s go-to shotgun is the Mossberg 930 JM (Jerry Miculek) Pro. (mossberg.com)

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Intuit and Quickbooks Fumble With Firearms Businesses

I

ntuit, the maker of Quickbooks, an online business accounting platform that processes credit card payments, has proven itself to be not very intuitive when it comes to firearmsrelated businesses.

The California-based company is spinning in circles after being questioned about

the recent denial of service to two firearms-related businesses. Honor Defense, the Georgia-based handgun maker, and Gunsite Academy, Arizona’s premier firearms training facility, found themselves at a loss for financial services when Intuit shut off their accounts recently. Intuit stopped, reversed, and even

LIBERTY FIREARMS INSTITUTE JOINS NSSF’S FIVE-STAR RANGE FAMILY Located in Johnstown, Colorado, a town of nearly 10,000 just 41 miles north of Denver, Liberty Firearms

Institute opened in May 2016. This exceptional, family-owned and -operated facility sprawls over 100,000 square feet.

Firearms shooters can take advantage of 52 lanes

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across six bays that permit shooting at 25, 50, and 100 yards, while archery shooters have an eight-lane 45-yard range. There are pro shops for both sports, and for firearms enthusiasts, there’s an abundant selection of rental firearms, including a selection of full autos and the range’s biggest draw, its .45-70 Gov’t. five-barrel Gatling gun.

An intense focus on firearms education and community safety is immediately clear to anyone who visits Liberty Firearms Institute. Numerous classrooms equipped with smartboards are where a wide selection of classes—

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held money that was in transit from customers—and they did so without warning.

Now, Intuit is offering competing reasons as to why these things happened.

Gunsite’s Ken Campbell told the New York Post they were dumped because Intuit believed they were selling firearms directly to customers. That’s not the case, of course. Gunsite completes all sales through FFL dealers and conducts NICS checks, but Intuit didn’t accept the explanation.

The same happened with Gary Ramey, president of Honor Defense. Funds were frozen and his company had to scramble to recover money from its customers. “Small

from youth firearms education and concealed carry to advanced tactical skills and specialty curriculums for women and families—take place. Classes are provided by world-class instructors from Liberty’s professional in-house training company, Makhaira Group, with the occasional guest instructor brought in for special sessions. There is onsite firearms storage for the range’s members via 262 fortified personal safes that are further secured in the facility’s built-in vault room. As an added method of security and safety to their patrons, Liberty Firearms Institute requires a one-time background check and safety video for anyone using the facility for the first time.

business is the backbone of America, and financial institutions are infusing personal bias into their decisions,” Ramey says.

Intuit’s Heather McLellan says that companies agree to the terms of service, and if they can’t operate within the agreement, they reach out to them to explore solutions or work to transition them off Intuit’s service. McLellan says its banking partner, J.P. Morgan Chase, requires all sales to be done in person.

But that’s not true. A very reliable source tells us that J.P. Morgan has denied Intuit’s blame-shifting excuse and is not pleased. You would think that Intuit would be better at making things add up.

Online Retailers Can Now Collect Sales Tax

T

he U.S. Supreme Court ruled recently that states can now force online retailers to collect sales tax, even if that retailer lacks a physical presence in the state in which the sale originates. The ruling addresses the vexation of brickand-mortar retailers who always charge sales tax due to their physical grounding, as well as governments that complained they were missing out on billions in potential revenue.

South Dakota will be the first state to begin collecting sales tax on online sales, with a number of others expected to follow suit. “It is imperative that retailers consult with their business accountant as soon as possible to make the necessary software adjustments,” says John McNamara, NSSF Senior Director, Retailer Services.

BY AUTHOR HERE

PUSHING BACK ON SOCIAL MEDIA: THE BROWNELLS CASE Brownells is a well-known supplier of firearms accessories, gun parts, and gunsmithing tools.

Visitors to the company’s YouTube page in June were greeted with an all-too-familiar statement.

Yet another channel had been shut off without warning. That’s it. End of conversation. Nearly 69,000 subscribers were just out of luck.

At least, that’s what the minders at YouTube expected. They didn’t expect the business to issue a social media call to arms.

Gun owners and rights supporters quickly pushed back. They were heard, and in less than two days Brownells’ YouTube channel was back up.

So, what was Brownells’ offense? YouTube’s notification only said, “This account has been terminated for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines.” This despite Brownells’ having passed a content standards review as recently as March.

Brownells spokesman Ryan Repp told the Des Moines Register it wasn’t clear what warranted the shutdown, noting that the company had received warnings from YouTube over its 10 years of hosting the channel, but each complaint was overturned.

Repp added, “It sure appears to be a systemic bias against the firearms industry.”

YouTube’s move left even the founder of Ars Technica and former Wired editor Jon Stokes scratching his head. He’s plugged into all things in the tech world, and he couldn’t make the connection to any community standard that would have possibly posed a hazard.

Stokes tweeted, “I gotta say something else about this. Brownells is like the stodgiest, oldschoolest, non-tactical, non-‘assault rifle,’ oldhunting-guy brand in the gun world. When your platform has summarily executed Brownells, you’ve just gone too far.”

UPDATE

Bank Lobbyist Hired to Further the Fight N

SSF is stepping up efforts to push back against industry discrimination in the wake of moves by Citigroup, Bank of America, and other companies to deny various financial services to firearms-related businesses. NSSF hired Will Hollier, of Hollier & Associates, to work with Congress against “discriminatory banking actions against [the] firearms industry,” according to a federal lobbying disclosure form filed May 1.

U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) criticized the banking industry for discriminatory practices. Sen. Crapo sent letters to both Bank of America and Citigroup questioning their use of market power to

withhold credit to customers and companies they disfavor. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter to both banks demanding answers as to why the policies were adopted.

NSSF Helps Ranges, Retailers Work With Customers to Prevent Wildfires

W

ildfires have many causes, and during these summer months, NSSF is urging shooters and hunters to not be one of them.

Our “Help Prevent Wildfires” infographic, pictured here, contains sobering facts about the scale and costs of wildfires.

NSSF reminds shooters and all outdoor recreationists to be mindful of their surroundings and actions to avoid being the cause of a wildfire. Precautions

include: ➤ Being aware of restrictions on shooting in fire-prone areas. ➤ Not using tracer rounds, exploding targets, or ammunition that is steel-jacketed or contains steel-core components.

➤ Knowing

that a vehicle’s hot exhaust system can ignite dry vegetation. ➤ Making sure all campfires are properly extinguished.

NSSF asks all shooting ranges and firearms retailers to share this fire-prevention infographic with their customers and others in the outdoors community by displaying it at cash registers and check-in counters. It is free to download in an easy-to-print 8.5-by-11 format at https://bit. ly/2JY6sDE.

© 2018 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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by author UPD ATETH E COUNT FROM ER here

howell ’ s indoor range & gun shop , gray , maine

Growing In Stages

L

ocated just 15 miles north of Portland, Maine, Howell’s Indoor Range and Gun Shop is a 27,000-square-foot FFL that sells a mix of archery, soft goods, and firearms—the latter of which dominates the mix. This retailer stocks an average of 2,000 firearms.

About half of this inventory is pre-owned and another 150 units are set aside for rentals. Expanded in 2016, the new facility also boasts twelve 25-yard shooting lanes.

There are, on average, 10 full- and five part-time employees. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

GREASE AND SKEET

Although founder Howell Copp began his career in his father’s auto repair shop, a talent for skeet shooting ultimately took him down a

➤

different road. He quickly found that traveling and competing in the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) was more attractive to him than oil changes and bodywork.

It was the early 1980s when the 20-year-old Copp saw opportunity in a 24-acre property, located near his father’s body shop, that had been in foreclosure. He agreed to a high 10 percent mortgage at $789.22 per

month, set up some shelves, and opened his first store with just 28 guns.

His first employee was a part-time college student who did her homework at the front counter while he continued to work at his dad’s shop, coming in from next door whenever a customer dropped by. It took a few more years of crossing the lawn and driving a wrecker at night to pay the bills before he felt comfort-

able devoting himself fulltime to the new business.

Today, Howell’s has emerged as one of the larger independent bestpractices firearms retailers in the state of Maine.

THE RIGHT FINANCIAL PARTNER ➤ Howell readily admits his store expanded in stages over three decades, without the most sophisticated display and marketing planning.

Enlisting the aid of a small, local credit union helped Howell’s Indoor Range & Gun Shop arrange the multi-milliondollar financing necessary for expansion. The result is a new facility that offers a wide variety of new and used firearms, as well as a 25-yard shooting range with 12 lanes.

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by author here

“Our shop wasn’t as bright, as organized, or as clean as it could have been.

To grow beyond that stage, I knew the building had to change in a large way,” Howell says.

Howell contemplated expanding the store to become a much larger retail and indoor shooting facility.

The plan eventually grew into a 15,000-square-foot building—accompanied by a bank loan that dwarfed the financing he used to start the business years before.

Copp’s son, Adam, now the CEO, managed the expansion. With two years of planning and market research completed, there remained the challenge of financing.

“I thought a larger bank was what our company really needed,” Copp says. “It turned out that the large corporate structure made them less nimble and slow to respond. That gave us the feeling that our company was of little interest to them.”

The Copps eventually enlisted a small local credit union, believing they would have more skin in the game.

As negotiations moved forward, the Copps were convinced the local bank had the motivation to make the new operation a success.

“Our credit union pulled together the largest loan in their history, and we have never looked back. They understand our business, know our names, and appreciate what we bring to the community,” he says.

Even then, expansion meant meeting and exceeding the high standards required to implement best practices in the retail and range industry.

“I was always a build-itmyself kind of guy, and this was a different animal,” Copp says. The new build included engineers, architects, and contractors, an expenditure of more than $4 million, and an investment in long hours by Copp’s son.

“I would never have thought to expand in this way. It took a younger eye to see the value and scale of this project,” Copp Sr. explains.

SELLING RESPONSIBILITY, NOT JUST SAFETY ➤ Every firearm sold at Howell’s includes serious discussions with each customer regarding safe firearms handling, storage, and transport. Customers are encouraged to buy safes, lockable storage devices, and other safety accessories.

“We go through this with every FFL transaction in the

by peter b .

UPDATE

mathiesen

bility with the ownership of their existing firearms.

“We are frequently selling safes to older shooters who now realize they need to raise their safety game,” Copp adds. “Having all your firearms securely locked up at home is just one way we prove to the community that we are responsible gun owners.”

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE COUNTER ➤ Old-School Hard Work No one who gets into the retail business should expect an easy 9-to-5 existence.

Success takes commitment and vision. While a $100,000 mortgage doesn’t seem like much by today’s standards, Copp worked two jobs for several years to realize his dream. ➤ Controlled Growth A changing firearms retail landscape didn’t slow down this retailer’s decision to

needed to lead more veteran staff members to explore expanding into a new market. ➤

Selling Responsibility

Customers understand when they purchase a firearm at Howell’s that their purchase comes with a responsibility to the local community and to the shooting sports. Offering gun safes and providing information on the safe storage and transport of

When Howell’s transfers a firearm to a customer, it makes sure the new owner understands their responsibility to the local community and to the shooting sports to make sure all firearms are securely stored. store, regardless of whether you’re a first-time buyer or a long-time customer,” Copp says. “This is one of the many ways we present responsible ownership to our community.” An unexpected benefit is that the staff sees first-time shooters embracing their new obligation and old-guard customers demonstrating an increased level of responsi-

grow. Once the research showed the need, and with encouraging demographics, the company moved ahead. ➤ Generational Insight While a younger employee may not have the experience or management background to run an established business, he or she can bring value in other ways. A passionate, talented member of your staff may have the insight

firearms is good business.

“From the Counter” is NSSF’s timely industry perspective realized from firearms retailers across the country. Our goal is to identify and highlight innovative market strategies helping retailers compete more successfully. Lessons learned will be drawn from an array of regions with diverse market economies.

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by author UPD ATE T OOLBOX RETAILER

here

Death, Taxes, and ATF Inspections If an ATF visit is due, make sure your records are current and accurate

B

enjamin Franklin once said, “Nothing in this world is as certain as death and taxes.”

For federal firearms licensees (FFLs), we can add “ATF inspections” to the list of things that are certain.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has a goal of inspecting every FFL business at least once every five years; 9,790 inspections were completed in 2016. If you haven’t been inspected recently, it’s likely your time is on the horizon.

WHAT ATF IS LOOKING FOR ➤ During an ATF inspection, ATF Industry Operations Investigators (IOIs) work to determine whether an FFL’s records and conduct of business are in compliance with the Gun Control Act (GCA) and regulations found at Chapter 27, Code of Federal Regulations Part 478. These are found in ATF Publication 5300.4, Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide— 2014 (the White Book). Much of the inspection will involve the examination of records: ➤ The firearms Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) records (both electronic and physical bound books). ➤ ATF Forms 4473 files (Firearms Transaction Records). ➤ ATF Forms 3310.4, Report of Multiple Sale and Other Disposition of Pistols and Revolvers, which should be attached to the relevant Form 4473s. (In Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, ATF Forms 3310.12, Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Certain Rifles, will also be inspected.)

ATF FORMS 3310.11, FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEE INVENTORY THEFT/LOSS REPORT ➤

Before these records are examined and verified, the firearms inventory is also

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going to be inspected to determine that all firearms on hand are properly recorded in the required A&D record and that all dispositions have been properly entered. It is ATF’s current policy that IOIs will conduct a 100 percent inventory verification during compliance inspections. If the FFL is not in compliance with regulations or cannot account for all its firearms inventory, the ATF IOI will issue a Report of Violations, ATF Form 5030.5, which becomes part of the FFL’s record. ATF policy is for IOIs to cite all violations disclosed by the inspection.

MOST COMMONLY CITED VIOLATIONS ➤

ATF has posted information on the 10 most frequently cited violations in 2017 as follows: ➤ Transferee did not properly complete Section A, F 4473— 27 CFR 124(c)(1) ➤ Failure to timely record entries in bound record (Acquisition and Disposition Book)—27 CFR 478.125e ➤ Failure to complete forms as indicated in instructions (this violation is often cited when the licensee failed to properly complete a form, but there is not a separate regulatory citation addressing the omitted or mis-documented item)—27 CFR 478.21 (a)-(b) ➤ Licensee did not record on F 4473 the date on which

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NICS was contacted—27 CFR478.124 (c)(3)(iv) ➤ Licensee did not sign and date F 4473—27 CFR 478.124 (c)(5) ➤ Licensee failed to obtain and/or document purchaser’s identification document—27 CFR 478.124(c)(3)(i) ➤ Licensee failed to report multiple handgun sales—27 CFR 478.126a ➤ Licensee failed to properly identify firearm on F 4473— 27 CFR 124(c)(4) ➤ Licensee failed to contact NICS and wait stipulated time prior to transfer of firearm—27 CFR 478.102(a) ➤ Licensee failed to record the type, model, caliber, or gauge, and serial number of each complete firearm manufactured or otherwise acquired—27 CFR 478.123(a) I recommend that FFLs have standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place that document the practices the store uses for its day-to-day operations. These SOPs can also be used for employee training and internal management reviews. While not an absolute requirement, having SOPs available in writing and ensuring their steps are being followed will go a long way toward preparing an FFL for a successful inspection.

FOUR POINTS OF FOCUS ➤ Bound Book: ATF regulation 27 CFR 478.125 (e)

requires dealers maintain accurate and timely firearms acquisition and disposition record entries. The second most common problem cited

by ATF IOIs in 2016 was failure to maintain timely entries in the Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) record (the bound book). This means that a dealer is either failing to enter in a timely manner (or to failing to enter at all) firearms received into the bound book or, more commonly, failing to record disposition information in a timely manner. Recommended practices to minimize and detect bound book errors: Specific personnel, including a primary and a backup, should be assigned to log firearms into and out of the A&D record. FFLs that have firearms receipts and records maintained “by committee” are more likely to have record and inventory issues on inspections. FFLs need to make sure that information on all firearms received— new, used, consigned, and repairs—gets to the designated recordkeeper promptly.

Create standard procedures for the central collection of firearms dispositions (Forms 4473, shipments to other FFLs, repair returns, and consignment returns) for the recordkeeper, to ensure all dispositions are logged out.

Take inventory. Essential to

BY WALLY NELSON BY ,AUTHOR NSSF COMPLIANCE HERE CONSULTANT TEAM MEMBER UPDATE

A&D book accuracy, and therefore zero ATF violation citations, is the taking of a 100 percent serial-numberbased firearms inventory as often as possible. Many retailers take them quarterly.

Some with barcode-scanning technology are able to take them weekly. ATF regards unreported missing firearms from inventory as a particularly serious violation and a public safety problem.

Dealers who take regular inventories have no or very few missing firearms, especially during ATF inspections.

FFLs with computer-based records must have employees who know how to print out an on-hand report and the required A&D record. ATF will ask for these records.

FFLs that cannot produce them must get assistance from their software provider.

Form 4473 Errors (Paper Forms): The most commonly

cited ATF violations relate to the failure to properly complete ATF Form 4473, which is required by ATF regulation 27 CFR 478.124.

Recommended practices for the accurate completion of Form 4473: ➤ Have the customer carefully review Section A, before signing, to catch errors and omissions. ➤ Have the salesperson do the same before the customer leaves the store. ➤ If possible, and before the customer leaves the store, have a coworker or manager review the Form 4473. A second set of eyes should also review Sections B, C, and D for accuracy. ➤ Recording the NICS information at the time the call is made must be done as a matter of course. FFLs using NICS e-Check should print out the short receipt and file

it with the Form 4473 as proof of the check. ➤ When an initial NICS response is “delayed,” FFLs should always record the provided Missing Disposition Information (MDI) date and make sure all employees understand that the firearm cannot be transferred prior to that date unless NICS provides a “proceed” response prior to that date. ➤ Make sure “zero” is entered in block 29 on Forms 4473 where NICS is contacted but no firearm is transferred. Many FFLs miss this. ➤ Make sure “denied” Forms 4473 are signed by the person who completed Section B. ➤ The person posting the disposition in the A&D record should also review the Forms 4473 before filing.

Instructions on how to correct errors and omissions after the firearm has been transferred are on the Form 4473 and should be followed. ➤ Use the NSSF ATF Form 4473 Overlay Guide. It is a review template that indicates what items need to be completed and what the correct responses should be.

This template is available free to NSSF members through the Member Portal—just add the template to your shopping cart and check out. The proper and consistent use of this overlay guide should prevent or eliminate most Form 4473 completion errors.

Tips for Electronically Generated Forms 4473: Ink

corrections of errors and omissions detected after the form has been printed can be made on the form.

Print out and file forms where the NICS initial response was “delayed” and a transfer never occurred.

Make sure “zero” is entered in block 29 where

NICS is contacted and no firearm is transferred. Some electronic programs default this field to “one.”

Failure to File Multiple Handgun (and Rifle) Reports:

ATF regards this as a serious violation. These violations often are cited at larger stores with numerous staff, especially those who do not recognize a customer another associate served earlier in the week. As with other common violations, this can be overcome by standard procedures. It can be as simple as asking a customer when they last purchased a handgun or maintaining a handgun log that is checked on each sale back five business days, or as sophisticated as a computerbased customer sales history check. Some computerized firearms records programs have the ability to alert the FFL when a report is required, and some even print out the ATF form. No matter how it is done, dealers need consistent procedures in place to identify multiple handgun (and rifle, where required) purchases that need to be reported.

HOW CAN NSSF HELP ME PREPARE FOR AN ATF INSPECTION?

In 2007, I began conducting onsite ATF compliance consultations at retailers as a member of NSSF’s

Compliance Consultant Team. Since then, I and my team members have conducted hundreds of onsite consultations, with the goal of helping FFLs to be in compliance during their ATF inspection.

Our compliance consultations entail a full day’s visit at the FFL premises by the consultant. During that visit, the consultant will review inventory practices, records, recordkeeping practices, and all related procedures for the firearms business. A confidential report is prepared for the FFL after the consultation.

The cost for this one-time consultation is much lower than what a store would spend to hire an independent consultant, as the NSSF generously picks up a majority of the tab for these visits. For those who are accepted into the Premium Retail Membership program, the initial consultation is provided free of charge, and future visits are heavily discounted.

NSSF also maintains a Retail Member hotline, which allows FFLs to call or email with compliance questions. Responses will be handled by NSSF. For more information on any of NSSF’s retailer memberships and programs, contact John McNamara, Senior Director, Retail Services, at jmcnamara@nssf.org.

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FYI

BY ROBERT F . STAEGER

Pitch Perfect Veteran retailer Miles Hall explains how to drive business through pitching

W

hen times are good, sometimes all you need to attract customers is an open door.

People already want what you’re selling, and you just have to stay out of their way.

Veteran firearms retailer Miles Hall calls this strategy “catching”: Retailers catch whatever business comes their way.

But there’s a better way to drive business, suggests Hall—one that gives the retailer greater control over his or her destiny via community service, media engagement, and maintaining a proactive stance. Or, to follow his metaphor, “pitching.”

Hall has four decades of experience to back him up. When

he and his wife, Jayne, opened H&H Shooting Sports in Oklahoma, in 1981, there were precious few resources they could draw upon.

So, they swore, once they got the business on its feet, they’d help newcomers start their own ranges and shops.

And they did, unofficially, for 40 years.

Now, after having sold

Former retail store owner Miles Hall is now putting his experience to work helping retailers improve their business operations.

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H&H in 2016, Hall has made it official, serving as a senior consultant for his son Stephen’s Hall-N-Hall Consulting. “We’d been doing it anyway, and just not getting paid for it,” he says.

Hall breaks down the difference between being a pitcher and a catcher into four easy steps:

1 Have a Servant’s Heart ➤ Your

entire approach starts at the top. “You must have the right spirit, philosophy, and culture in your organization,” says Hall. That culture will permeate every interaction.

For one thing, Hall advises you not to call your customers “customers”; they’re guests.

“You’ve invited them into your store,” he says. “Treat them with respect.” Likewise, employees are “team members.” The terminology emphasizes the mission of the enterprise (serving the guests) and the fact that the whole team is in it together.

2 Be a Teacher ➤ Whether

your guests are new to shooting or old hands, they look to you for information— everything from beginners’ safety gear to the specs of a specific product. It’s important not to talk down to them. “We’re teachers of the sport,” says Hall. “Most people are pretty smart—they just lack knowledge in this area. They’ve come to you to find out how to do things. We actually framed a quote to remind us: ‘Presume intelligence, but not knowledge.’”

3 Embrace a Larger Role ➤ Recognize

that you and your team are very important—not just to the success of your store, but to your community and to the

industry of which you are a part. It’s a great responsibility, but also a great opportunity. “The world is run by those who show up,” says Hall, “and, by God, we want to be the ones who show up.

“I don’t believe in ‘giving back’ to the community,” says Hall. “That statement implies that you are taking something out of the community in order to give back to it. Instead, we are actively participating.”

Regular community participation not only introduces your business to your neighbors, it also presents opportunities for media outreach. Merely having a store or a range will rarely be enough to drive coverage; journalists will want to know what you’re doing with it. Put your best foot forward.

4 Seek Out Help ➤ There

are people in the industry who can point out the hazards along the way. Get feedback from industry vets, and build an experienced team around you.

“When I started out, I thought I knew the answer to everything,” says Hall. “But as the years progressed, I realized that not only did I not know the answers, sometimes I wasn’t sure what the questions were.” Building a sharp team and seeking advice from mentors will help you identify issues before they become problems.

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BY SLATON L . WHITE

Smith & Wesson’s M&P 10 can handle multiple shooting disciplines with ease.

Bright Idea The M&P 10 Sport proves its worth in tough terrain

T

he Chinati Mountains in West Texas, just a stone’s throw from Mexico, arise in arid, tough terrain marked by steep ridges and canyons covered with a variety of sharp-spined cactus (including the aptly named devil’s head) and loose rock that slides all too easily out from under you as you climb up and down in search of the aoudad (Barbary sheep) that call this corner of hell home. The aoudad, an import from northern Africa, possesses keen vision, which it uses to warily eye any approaching threat. The animals are also surprisingly nimble and can glide easily over inhospitable cover that presents an imposing barrier to bipeds wearing camo. Their prime method of defense is simply to move up and over whatever precipice they are clinging to when they decide to remove themselves from harm’s way. As a defensive tactic, it’s quite effective. On our third day, I ranged one ram lolling in the shadows at 600 yards. When I looked through my binos, he was staring right at me. I lowered the glass and whispered something to the guide. When I lifted the optics back to my eyes, the ram was gone.

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So, obviously by now you know this hunt was a challenge.

To make it even more challenging, I was using a modern sporting rifle rather than the customary bolt-action. This bright idea was courtesy of Mike Faw, media relations manager at Crimson Trace Corporation (CTC), the laser sight manufacturer now owned by American Outdoor Brands (parent company of both CTC and Smith & Wesson, whose M&P 10 Sport in .308 was in my hands). The idea intrigued me. There’s no question the modern sporting rifle platform offers versatility.

That’s probably the prime reason for its popularity, as owners choose it for personal protection, target shooting, competition, and hunting. I’ve used ARs for 3-Gun matches and for hunting hogs out of blinds, but I had never thought about their use in a spot-andstalk big-game hunt.

Faw and I both collected nice rams, each taken at more than 300 yards. At that distance, bullet drop was 14 inches, requiring a solid rest and precise trigger control. But the barrel’s 5R rifling helped ensure accuracy, and I hit my ram solidly. Without getting too technical, 5R rifling uses a different configuration of lands and grooves in the barrel. Manufacturers who employ it say the

system improves accuracy and leads to less fouling as well.

I was pleased with the overall performance of the M&P 10 Sport. It not only was accurate, but was able to endure the dusty conditions. The one real drawback was the weight: With a scope, the rifle weighed more than 8 pounds, which is a bit of a burden to haul around when you’re sidehilling. On the other hand, the six-position telescoping stock allowed me to tailor the length of pull precisely.

I think you can unhesitatingly recommend this rifle for a wide range of shooting activities, including biggame hunting, which makes the rifle especially valuable for a shooter looking to do multiple activities with one gun. SRP: $1,049. (smith-wesson.com)

One accessory that I would recommend is the CTC LinQ, a wireless green laser and white light system controlled from the specially designed CTC grip.

Our rifles were so equipped because we thought we’d be able to chase coyotes in the evenings. We didn’t, but we did test the light and laser at night. That laser can be seen a long way off, and the light is plenty bright. This system would be a good fit for predator/varmint and hog hunters.

It would also work well as a personal defense option. SRP: $429. (crimsontrace.com)

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MADE IN THE USA

UNDERCOVER SHOPPER

Searching for a Sub-Gauge in Kansas Great upland access awaits…and so do a few hot deals on 20-gauge doubles

STORE A

OLD-SCHOOL SERVICE ➤A

small, higher-end shop on the west side of Wichita, this mom-and-pop will take good care of you, but come expecting to spend a few extra dollars. I wanted an affordable

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20-gauge over/under. As the years tick by, it’s nicer to carry a lighter gun afield, and they are more fun to shoot. There is less recoil, and 20s are just as deadly as a 12 with the right hunter behind the trigger. Most of the guns here were out of my price range (I

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was hoping to stay under $1,000), but the service was as good as it gets. The shopkeep and I had a long conversation about the upland bird populations in central Kansas, and he even pointed me in the direction of a few under-theradar public spots.

STORE B

BOX-STORE TEASE We needed a few items for camp as we rolled through Wichita, so while the boys went for groceries, I moseyed over to this big-box store and found a sweet Ruger 20. It had been awhile

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PIXEL PUSHERS

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oming to Kansas for public-land quail, a few roosters, and the elusive prairie chicken was a lesson in both patience and appreciation. Scoring on big coveys of bobwhites is typically no slam-dunk for newbies, but you will find a bevy of open prairie and are likely to run into few hunters if you do some homework. Now you just need the right over/under as you make your way through Wichita.

How’d They Do? Customer Service

Product Knowledge

Product Availability

���� The clerk was with another customer when I arrived but wrapped up quickly and was very polite.

���� It was a high-end shop, and I expected to find a clerk with a high degree of knowledge about shotguns. I was not disappointed.

��� Not great for a reasonably priced shotgun, but I knew that going in.

�� Okay once I arrived at the gun counter.

No one seemed too keen on chatting before that.

��� Not bad for a box store.

They were just a little lax in knowing the actual condition of the gun.

���� Very good. Plenty of usedgun options if you don’t want to spend big on a new over/under.

���� STORE Very good. The clerk pointed us to another shop that could help.

���� The clerk was extremely helpful in listing some other guns I had not thought of.

�� It wasn’t a good place to find the gun I was looking for. More of a rifle shop.

����� Lots of one-on-one STORE attention here, and there was plenty of help behind the counter.

���� The clerk was wellinformed and actually an upland hunter, so that was quite beneficial.

���� Plenty of inventory both used and new. And they can order just about anything you need.

STORE

A

STORE

B C

D

SCORING SYSTEM:

since I had seen one, as they are not in production anymore. Sweet-shooting guns, the first time I shouldered a friend’s Ruger and took it afield, I asked to buy it on the spot. Of course, he would not sell, and I had been looking for one ever since. The man behind the counter handed the gun over, and on close inspection there looked to be a hairline crack through the stock. I pointed out the flaw and the manager came out. It had been a trade-in for another gun, and they had missed it.

He offered a good price and pointed me in the direction

Outstanding: �����

Very Good: ����

of a gunsmith to re-stock the gun, but I wasn’t going to pull the trigger on damaged goods.

STORE C

LET’S MAKE A DEAL I always love a good trade, so we made a day trip over to Hutchinson to a quaint little store that sells guns and jewelry. They will swap gold and silver for cash as well as make you a dang fine deal on a firearm. The place didn’t have what I was looking for, but they did have a decent selection of rifles and ARs. If I ever get my wife to discard a few flashy rings, I wouldn’t

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STORE

Average: ���

hesitate to make a return trip for one of the many modern sporting rifles hanging on the walls. We chatted with the manager—and almost bought a reasonably priced wristwatch. Though their over/under inventory was lacking, the manager pointed us to another spot down the road, so off we went.

STORE D

GUN HEAVEN Mounts on the wall and hanging from the ceiling, and a full-body taxidermy of two bucks tangled in a fight for dominance made me feel like this was definitely going

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Winner:

D

Every store was helpful, but this place had the best selection, and many of the employees were passionate hunters. That gave them the leg up.

Plus, the inventory was the best of the bunch.

Heartland Outdoor 1 Heartland Dr. South Hutchinson, KS 67505 620-664-6103 heartlandoutdoor. com

Fair: ��

Poor: �

to be the last stop for a coveted over/under. The store had it all, from used guns to new, and the service and knowledge from the front door to the gun counter to checkout was impeccable.

There were high-end Berettas and Benellis on down to affordable Turkishmade models. I found a heck of a deal on a few different Browning 12-gauges, but they didn’t have the 20-gauge over/under I was looking for.

There were a few side-bysides I could have been happy with, but with bird season coming to an end, there was no rush to buy.

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SHOT BUSINESS AUG./SEPT. 2018

The Super Consumers F-Class shooters are a world apart. They will open their wallets, but only if you know what

By David E. Petzal • Photographs By Tim Irwin you’re talking about

The casual rifleman probably sends no more than 40 to 60 rounds downrange in a year. Not so with F-Class shooters; many shoot more than 1,000 rounds per year.

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what follows is not a business plan. I am not a businessman. It’s about a relatively small but supercharged segment of the shooting market of which you may not be aware, but should be.

It’s called F-Class. It was recognized and codified by the NRA in 2005, and is one of the fastest-growing groups of the shooting sports.

F-Class came along at precisely the right time. It coincided with the beginning of the boom in long-range shooting and with the growing numbers of retired men and women who had shot competitively but were now too old and stiff to twist themselves into the contortions that XTC (Across the Course) shooting requires.

The number of F-Class shooters is comparatively small; I couldn’t even find a reasonable estimate. But what I can tell you is that they spend money like there is no tomorrow and go at their sport hammer and tongs.

An example: My shooting club requires that in order to use the 600-yard range, you be vetted by firing 20 rounds at 100

The Super Consumers yards, 20 at 200, and 20 at 600, demonstrating that you can stay on the paper and not send bullets sailing over the backstop. The casual shooters who try this screech like fishwives at the thought of expending 60 rounds in less than 30 years.

By contrast, I asked some of the F-Class folks with whom I shoot how many rounds they send downrange between April, when the competition begins, and November, when it closes: Shooter A, 1,500; Shooter B, 2,500; Shooter C, 5,000; Shooter D, 3,000; Shooter E, 1,500; Shooter F, 1,700; and Shooters G and H (husband and wife), 4,500 each.

Think about that.

What It Is F-Class is prone shooting with a heavy target or tactical rifle.

F-Open can be shot with any caliber smaller than .35, though just about everyone uses a .223 or one of the 6mm or 6.5mm rounds. You need a target scope, a mechanical front rest, and a sandbag rear rest. F-TR, or F-Class Tactical Rifle, is limited to either the .223 or the .308. You have to use a bipod up front and a sandbag in the rear. A great many shooters use spotting scopes, but that’s optional.

A typical F-Class match consists of 20 rounds each at 300, 500, and 600 yards. This is considered mid-range. Or you can shoot the same program but at 800, 1,000, and 1,200 yards, which is longrange. Or you can shoot at just one or two yardages.

In addition, some clubs stage what are known as Any-Any matches, which are informal— not approved by the NRA— and can be shot with any rifle

below .35 caliber and any sight.

There are also AR-Tactical matches, which are for ARs that are not built for competition. I mention these two because many of the same people who shoot F-Class shoot these matches as well.

Many of the competitors are either retired or semiretired. In my group, the average age is probably a bit over 60. The oldest shooter is 82, and he is still one of the best.

The youngest is a very gifted

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A typical F-Class match consists of 20 rounds each at 300, 500, and 600 yards. This is considered mid-range. You can also shoot the same program but at 800, 1,000, and 1,200 yards, which is long-range.

13-year-old girl whose father buys her rifles, drives her to shoots, and competes himself.

The advanced age of most of these folks means that the mortgage is paid off, the kids have been put through school, the daughters are married, and now it’s time to spend their disposable income on things like rifles. The typical F-Class or F-TR rifle, with scope, costs between $5,000 and $7,000. Most of these guns are custom-built. Indeed,

if you ask an F-Class shooter what he’s running (“running” is the fashionable term for shooting in competition, as in, “I was running 175 SMKs until two matches ago, but now I’m running 185 Bergers.”—how they do love that word), he will not give you the brand name of a rifle. Instead, he will list the stock, action, and barrel, and possibly the trigger as well. And I don’t know a single F-Class shooter who owns only one rifle. Two is

the minimum, and three is more like it.

F-Class shooters buy in quantity. A pound of powder is meaningless. They think in terms of 5- and 8-pound tubs.

Primers? By the thousands.

Cases? By the hundreds.

Bullets? By the box of 500.

One of the best shots in my circle buys barrels half a dozen at a time. A hunting-rifle barrel will last a lifetime, but F-Class barrels, because they are shot so much and heated

so hot, are lucky to make it through a couple of seasons.

Where do they get all this?

Not at retail stores. They go to Brownell’s, MidwayUSA, Powder Valley, Natchez Shooters Supply, Creedmoor Sports, and half a dozen others. The average retailer, unfortunately, isn’t generally equipped, either with staff having intimate knowledge of the sport or the inventory required, to meet the demands of these niche

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The Super Consumers

Though serious F-Class shooters rely on custom rifles that most shooting-sports retailers don’t carry, they also use accessories such as premium optics, wind gauges, and ballistics calculators any retailer can add to his product lineup.

shooters and for this kind of supercharged consumption.

F-Class shooters are constantly swapping intel on who carries what. During the Great Powder Scare of 2014, I was frantically looking for IMR 4831, and could not find it to save my soul—or what’s left of it. I whined about this to a fellow shooter, who said, “IMR 4831? Call Powder Valley. They have it.” I did, and they did.

The demand for all equipment and components is so great that, if you go to the big mail-order suppliers at the height of the competition season, most of what you’ll see is “Out of Stock,” or “Can be Back-ordered,” or something of that sort. They simply can’t keep up.

If you have ideas about tapping this market, you or someone on your staff must be familiar with F-Class. It’s a

different world with different problems, solutions, fads, and tribal customs. It will not help if you’re one hell of a sporting clays shooter.

Here’s a classic example.

Maybe 10 years ago, before Nightforce Scopes came to fame and fortune, I saw half a dozen of them lurking in a dealer’s showcase with price tags that were double or triple what you’d ordinarily pay for a good scope.

“Huh? What this?” I asked.

Now, the dealer in whose store I was doing the ogling knew a ton about the gun business, but not about this particular end of it.

He said, “It’s got a returnto-zero feature. All you do is push down on the elevation knob and you go back to zero.” End of spiel.

This is not the way a Nightforce works, and today you wouldn’t have to push to sell it because they sell themselves, but what he should have said was: “Nightforce has been around for 15 years [as of 2005]. They build tactical and target scopes. A Nightforce costs so much because it’s the only scope with adjustments that are dead accurate and will stay that way. It’s probably the toughest scope you can buy. Fifty-caliber shooters love it. There are a couple of scopes with optics that are as good, but none better. The ergonomics are the best on the market. The return-tozero feature is for when you’ve messed around with the elevation so much that you can’t remember where

the hell you are and go into a panic. All you do, then, is screw down the elevation knob until it stops, and you’re home.”

If I had heard something like that, I would have reached for my wallet.

Now, I enjoy dealing with all the different companies, but it would be nice to be able to walk into a store and buy a box of 500 Sierra MatchKing bullets, or 300 Lapua 6.5 Creedmoor cases, or an 8-pound keg of IMR 4895. But I can’t. I can’t even find a retailer to sell me a quart of Shooter’s Choice bore cleaner. What they carry are little pissant bottles that are fine for once-a-year deer hunters but would not last me two weeks.

And there are a lot more people like me. Does this tell you something?

SHOT BUSINESS AUG./SEPT. 2018

F-Class is a different world, with its own issues and tribal customs. To sell to this customer, you must know what he does and how he does it.

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long-range shooting

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SO, YOU WANT

Hitting at distance requires an investment PAGE

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shot business

PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR

august/september 2018

TO SHOOT FAR?

in good equipment

By Wayne Van Zwoll PAGE

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long-range shooting

IN

fits shooters. But he prefers “practical precision rifle matches,” which emphasize marksmanship over hardware.

“Mid-price rifles now drill sub-minute groups.

Some nudge the halfminute mark. That’s more than enough precision to test your ability to dope conditions, steady a rifle, and execute a fault-free shot.”

Wood likes Howa and Tikka rifles for their from-the-box accuracy, adding that Bergara’s B-14 HMR and Ruger’s Precision Rifle are great buys, too. “Besides, smart money goes to optics, not rifles.”

You need excellent resolution to hit tiny targets riding a tide of mirage. “I

use a 6–24x50,” Wood tells me. “But it stays at 18X most of the time.

You can overdo magnification.”

The higher the power, the more violent your pulse appears. In strong mirage, the target becomes a blur.

Aiming then gobbles time better spent sending bullets. Delay tires your eyes and muscles.

If conditions change while you’re refining a sight picture, you set yourself up to finish a shot engineered for conditions long gone.

“You must have positive, repeatable W/E dials,” Wood says. “I prefer adjustments in mils, and a crosswire with ticks in mils. Other

shot business

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1822, St. Louis drew tradesmen to equip trappers probing the frontier West. Jacob and Samuel Hawkins, their surname changed from the original Dutch “Hawken,” built rifles that came to define a type—a plain, half-stock .50-bore with a slowtwist barrel of soft iron.

Flint ignition prevailed until about 1840.

A Hawken had legendary reach. Francis Parkman told of killing a pronghorn at 204

paces, and watching another hunter drop a bison at nearly 300.

These days, 300 yards is, for many shooters, point-blank range. A cottage industry in rifles, optics, and loads has emerged to promise hits at four-figure distances. Shooters have landed bullets on targets 2 miles away. Longrange matches feature targets spanning a mere minute of angle, where bullet drop totals several feet! The cost of gearing up for such events can be daunting. Or not.

“Some long-range competition rewards intrinsic accuracy,” says Bill Wood, whose shop, RW Outdoors, in Sheridan, Montana, out-

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Hill Country Rifles based this .270 on Remington’s classic 700 action, the heart of many long-range rifles.

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Bergara’s mid-priced, mid-weight Hunting Match Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor is an ideal longrange choice.

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A buttstock with adjustable comb and length of pull, as seen on this Bergara, is a useful feature for any long-range rifle.

shooters prefer minutes.” (See sidebar, opposite.) He doesn’t advise a trajectorymatched dial “because at extreme range, a change in environmental conditions can affect your zero.” He concedes that, to 500 yards or so, “dial-

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long-range shooting

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The 6.5/.284 was a pioneer in distance cartridges.

ing the distance” can help you make a firstround hit. Wood uses a Picatinny rail with 20 minutes of “gain” (i.e., tilted up in the rear) to keep the elevation dial near the middle of its range.

What about cartridges? The 6.5 Creedmoor is justly popular, according to Wood.

“Ballistically, a long .264 match bullet is a champ. To get equal performance at distance from a .30-bore cartridge, you’d need a very heavy bullet that, driven to useful speed, would kick much harder than the Creedmoor.” He notes that factory ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor seems inherently accurate: “I get 4-inch groups

at 1,000 yards.” Other good choices, less widely chambered, are the 6.5x47 Lapua and the 6mm Creedmoor. “You don’t need a magnum for long shots. You want a bullet that fights drag.”

When I interviewed him, Wood was organizing a long-range match with 110 steel plates out to 1,400 yards. “I keep most between 400 and 800. That’s far enough to test marksmanship while putting top scores within reach of anyone who can afford an $800 rifle and a scope of about the same price.”

Firing at distant game can reduce hunting to shooting. Long pokes risk crippling hits. Such ethical enigmas don’t apply to steel-plate

events like the Vortex Extreme Challenge, held near Tremonton, Utah. Paired competitors take turns as spotter and shooter at each target station. Hiking between, they log 7 miles. While placing depends mainly on marksmanship, a quick step adds points in this timed match.

“You won’t fire a perfect score,” says Vortex’s Mark Boardman, as he takes the entry form for me and my partner.

“But you’ll have fun!”

In the Challenge, shooters draw for their start time. They can use any position and any rest they can carry. Most fire prone over a bipod.

There are no sighting shots. Officials at each

the second two points.

So it went. When we came upon one of just two targets inside 200 yards, we licked our lips.

Then we were told to shoot it off-hand. The next, at 185 yards, was smaller. Sitting or kneeling was the rule. At the last stop, we each had a choice. We could fire thrice at a 500-yard target for a point per hit, or at the 780-yard gong, three points per. If we felt lucky, we could designate the plate 1,720 yards away. A mile. Six points for that. Shading into 9 o’clock drift, I put three shots on the 780yard steel. The last of 26 bullets, but still a long hike from the finish.

And, yes, we had fun!

To hit at long range, and to sell riflescopes for long-range shooters, you must understand minutes and mils, units commonly used in riflescope adjustments. A minute, short for minute of angle or MOA, is a measure that subtends 1.047 inches at 100 yards. It’s usually rounded to an inch.

Because it is angular, a minute spans half an inch at 50 yards and 3 inches at 300. The common “click” value on riflescope dials is ¼ minute. So, a move of one graduation shifts bullet impact ¼ inch at 100 yards.

Mil is the abbreviation for milliradian, an angular measure spanning 1/6400 degree, or 3.6 inches at 100 yards, 3 feet at l,000. A .1-mil click on a dial delivers impact shift of .36 minute at the target. On a mil-dot reticle, a mil is the measure of each space between dots (each typically ¾ MOA) on a crosswire. To use a mil-dot reticle as a rangefinder, divide the target height in mils at 100 yards by the number of spaces subtending it. The result is range in hundreds of yards. Example: A deer 3 feet at the shoulder or a plate 3 feet in diameter (10 mils at 100 yards) appears in your scope two dots high. Divide 2 into 10 and you get 5; the target is 500 yards off. You can also divide the target size in yards by the number of mils subtended and multiply by 1,000 to get range in yards. In this case: 1 divided by 2 multiplied by 1,000 equals 500.

In variable scopes with a rear-plane mildot reticle, range reads are accurate at one magnification—usually the highest. Frontplane mil-dot reticles serve at any magnification because dot spacing stays in constant relationship to the target.

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station tally scores.

The first station, with four plates 200 to 1,200 yards out, tested our zeroes and efficiency.

Load, aim, fire, find the next target, spin the dial, load, check conditions, aim, fire. The 8-minute window held us to a target a minute. We finished fast, but I missed easy shots. We picked up and marched to station #2, a mile off, up and over “widow-maker hill.” A single plate was barely visible at 1,000 yards out, high in the sun’s glare. Wind at the target also proved stronger than at the line. I whiffed twice. My last 6.5mm bullet struck.

One point. A first-round hit would have netted three points, a hit with

Minutes or Mils?

shot business

A light, crisp, and consistent trigger pull helps you hit because it allows you to fire without disturbing the rifle.

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JUSTIN APPENZELLER

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ICON BY CREATED BY RFLOR FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

Recent changes in the tax code may affect your convention plans

BY MARK E. BATTERSBY

Attending industry events such as the SHOT Show, or consumer shows such as the Great American Outdoor Show, are good ways to gain know-how, find new suppliers, and network with others in the shooting-sports industry. Best of all, Uncle Sam, in the form of our tax laws, is willing to pick up the expense of attending many of these events. Bottom line: The shootingsports business can deduct all non-extravagant “ordinary and necessary expenses” for attending businessrelated meetings, conferences, shows, and other events.

Within certain limits, allowable expenses include travel, lodging, meals, and associated out-of-pocket costs.

Unfortunately, many deductions for show attendance previously claimed on the personal tax returns of attendees were temporarily suspended byy last December’s Tax

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social, or similar activities primarily for the benefit of employees.

Meal Planning Although the TCJA appears to have wiped out many show-related expense deductions, some remain, at least for a gun shop or firearms business. If, for example, business is conducted during the meal, a deduction may be available. Of course, a deduction of 50 percent of the cost of meals incurred while traveling away from home on business is still possible.

While the tax law limits the business meal deduction to only 50 percent of the expense, the rules in this area contain quite a few gray areas. If, for instance, the business foots the bill to take employees to a conference, the full amount of their meals is deductible by the business.

The 50 percent rule applies only to the business owner.

If a meal immediately precedes or follows a substantial business meeting, 50 percent of the cost can be still deducted—as long as it was not “lavish or extravagant.” Let’s say the business provides meals in a hospitality suite at a convention with the clear intent of generating business; the cost is usually deductible. Other meals outside of this that were paid purely for goodwill purposes may not qualify as “directly related” to the business. Under the TCJA, meals during business travel and meals at a seminar or conference are 50 percent deductible.

Mixing Business and Pleasure Generally, taking extra days for a mini-vacation won’t result in the loss of the showattendance deduction. The tax rules permit a deduction for the total travel costs when the main purpose of the trip is attending a convention,

trade show, or conference.

However, when combining a vacation or side trip with convention attendance, spending more days on business than on pleasure is a good rule.

Lodging expenses cannot be deducted for personal days, but purchasing a reduced-fare ticket requiring stay-over days means lodging costs for stayover days are permissible.

When mixing business with pleasure, round-trip travel is fully deductible if more days are spent on business than on pleasure. Days spent traveling are usually considered business days. When traveling by car, the standard mileage deduction for the year of travel can be used. The standard rate for use of a car, pickup, or van is up a penny from 2017 to 54.5 cents per mile for business travel.

When friends, family, or other guests accompany an attendee to a show, convention, or conference, only the

Those Dreaded Receipts While receipts for expenses of $75 or less are not required, when attending a trade show, meeting, or conference, a copy of all charges, as well as a copy of the convention schedule/ agenda, can help prove it is relevant to the shootingsports business. Although the business may not be

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required to keep all receipts, it doesn’t hurt to do so. In fact, whenever business expenses are claimed, it’s usually a good idea to keep detailed records and receipts for everything. They often serve as a reminder of a deductible expense, especially where the payment was in cash. Also keep in

mind that while there is no overall dollar limit on the amount that can be deducted for the expenses incurred attending a trade show, costs that are “lavish and extravagant” cannot be deducted. What’s more, everyone is limited to a deduction of only 50 percent of the cost of meals.

ICON CREATED BY DEV PATEL FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

Cuts and JJobs Act (TCJA), the same bill that put a big bigger crimp in the meals and enter entertainment deductions deductions. The CJA eliminated, at least until TCJA 2026, the deductibility of some itemized deductions on the tax returns of individuals.

Targeted were miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the former 2 percent floor.

That means unreimbursed employee business expenses (including expenses for travel, lodging, meals, entertainment, continuing education, and others) can no longer be claimed.

Fortunately, many of these deductions remain available for use by shooting, hunting, or firearms businesses— including sole proprietorships. On the other hand, no deduction will be allowed for entertainment. Unchanged is the 50 percent deduction for business meals and the 100 percent deduction for expenses incurred for recreational,

business-related portion of their expenses can be deducted. In other words, deducting the cost of the family’s hotel suite is a no-no. Instead, deduct the cost of a single room.

If a bona fide business purpose exists for the individual’s presence, a tax deduction might result. Incidental services, such as keeping notes or assisting in entertaining customers, are not enough to make the expenses deductible. In general, the travel expenses of someone accompanying an attendee can be deducted if that person is an employee of the business, has a bona fide business purpose for the travel, and would otherwise be allowed to deduct the travel expenses.

Higher Bar Anyone clearing the hurdles created by our lawmakers, and with the proof to support it, may be able to deduct the entire cost of the convention, show, or conference trip (subject to the usual 50 percent limit on meals) and minus any personal expenses incurred. However, the rules are tighter if the event is held outside the North American area as defined by the IRS or on a cruise ship.

In order to deduct the expense of attending a trade show or convention held outside the North American area, the firearms business must show that the event, such as the International Arms Fair in Lausanne, Switzerland, or the IWA in Nuremburg,

Germany, is directly related to the firearms operation, and it is as reasonable for the event to be held outside the North American area as it is to hold it within the North American area.

Cruise ship conventions are subject to an even higher bar.

First, the cruise ship must be a U.S.-registered vessel. Second, the ship must make all of its ports of call in the U.S. or U.S. possessions. Finally, the tax law limits cruise ship convention deductions to only $2,000 per year. And, don’t forget, you will also need a signed, written statement stating the total days spent on the ship and how many hours were devoted to business each day, as well as a signed statement from an officer of the sponsoring group or organization confirming both the scheduled activities and the attendance of the participant.

Business First To recap, as with the travel and lodging expenses of other business trips, the primary reason for attending a show, meeting, or conference must be business-related in order to qualify for deductions. If the trip is simply a disguised vacation, business travel expenses cannot be deducted. However, that 50 percent deduction for business-related meal expenses may be permitted.

Discussing business with a current or potential client or customer over a meal or drinks has long been an accepted business practice—

Shooting-sports retailers who travel to industry trade shows need to understand the new tax guidelines.

and a tax-deductible expense.

With the TCJA no longer allowing deductions for many common business expenses that would qualify as entertainment, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) has found it necessary to ask the IRS for guidance.

The AICPA has asked the IRS for “definite assurance” that business-meal deductions are not limited under the new tax law. The AICPA has specifically requested the IRS confirm that meals taking place between a business owner or employee and a current or prospective client that aren’t lavish and that give the taxpayer a reasonable expectation of income or business benefits will still be allowed.

Fortunately, additional guidance is available from the IRS in “Publication 463: Travel, Entertainment, Gift and Car Expenses.” A copy of this publication is available at irs.gov/formspubs. This publication will be an invaluable resource, especially when you consider this sentence found under the “Directly Related Test” in the Entertainment section: “Business generally isn’t considered to be the main purpose when business and entertainment are combined on hunting or fishing trips, or on yachts or other pleasure boats.” Given the intricacies of the tax code, it would also be a good idea to seek professional help from a certified accountant or other qualified tax expert.

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GOOD STUFF

BY RICHARD MANN

When you pair a red-dot with a handgun expressly designed for that sight, magic happens.

Sig Sauer’s Reflex Revolution Evaluating the P320 RX and Romeo1

Until recently, though, there have been several issues with reflex sights on defensive handguns. They’ve been too large. They were not lifesaving reliable. They obscured the open sights. And, all too often, you had to have a gunsmith extensively modify your handgun to mount one. But with its new RX series of handguns, Sig Sauer has solved all these problems.

How so? First, let’s look a little deeper at the Romeo1 ($359.99). It adds less than an ounce of weight to your handgun. It has a molded glass, aspheric lens with highperformance coatings. It has a manual illumination control, and the 3-MOA dot remembers your last intensity setting. The CR1632 battery is easy to replace without disturbing zero. And the aircraft-grade, CNC magnesium housing is extremely strong. Finally, the sight is fogproof and waterproof to a depth of 1 meter.

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Maybe the coolest feature, and the one most important to someone considering it on a defensive handgun, is its motion-activated illumination. The unit instantly powers up when it senses motion and powers down when it does not. This ensures optimized battery life.

Now, you’re probably wondering, what if the dot is not visible due to a dead battery or malfunction? That’s where the Sig Sauer RX pistol line works into the equation. Sig Sauer offers P226 ($1,195– $1,413), P229 ($1,087–$1,636), and P320 ($597–$1,005) pistols with the slide milled to accept a Romeo1. More important, these pistols come with higher sights that co-witness with the Romeo1. So, if for some reason your dot is not there, you simply revert to the iron sights. The beauty of the RX line is that you get the Romeo1 sight with the base pistol for about $150 less than if you purchased it separately.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

To get an idea of how well one of these RX pistols could be trusted, I requested a standard Sig Sauer P320 Compact and a P320 RX Compact for test and evaluation. I ran several common defensive handgun drills to see how my performance with the reflex sight compared to my performance with the factory open sights.

At first, I shot faster with the open sights but more accurately with the reflex sight. In reality, this was to be expected; I’ve worked almost exclusively with open sights—professionally and recreationally—for as long as I’ve been shooting. However, the more I worked with the Sig P320 RX, the faster I got. At around about 1,000 rounds, my times with the RX were equal to those with open sights.

Customers considering a reflex sight, particularly those with little or no experience with them, need to understand there is a learning curve. After years of condi-

tioning yourself to shift your focus and look for sights, it takes some practice to learn to keep both eyes open, focus on the target, and press the trigger when the dot is where you want it.

To confirm the ruggedness of the sight, I did a series of torture tests, even throwing an unloaded P320 with the mounted sight into a mudhole and driving over it with a Jeep. Both pistol and red-dot functioned flawlessly afterward.

I doubt the old guard— those of us dipped in the discipline of open sights at an early age—will ever fully embrace reflex sights on defensive handguns. If you, like me, are a member of that fraternity, please consider that for the new-age shooter, the one looking for a tool that offers them the best chance of survival, there’s a lot of merit to Sig Sauer’s RX line. Don’t be afraid to sell it. (sigsauer.com)

PHOTO BY THE AUTHOR

T

he reason red-dot—or, to be more precise, reflex—sights work so well on handguns is because they allow the shooter to maintain target focus. You don’t have to switch focus from the threat to the front sight; you simply put the dot on the target and pull the trigger.

John Nagel Triple SCSA/USPSA “Grand Master” 27 State and Regional Titles 8 National and World Medals

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W H AT ’ S S E L L I N G W H E R E

Sporting UT Al’s Goods, Logan

Handguns continue to make quick turns. Sig 938s, Springfield XDSs, and M&P Shields in 9mm and .45 are crossing the counter in large numbers.

Employing 15 people and stocking more than 1,000 guns, this busy independent sells a long list of shooting accessories, fishing tackle, jerky, groceries, and gas. Although MSR numbers are down, the store continues to average two to three M&P Sport IIs or DPMSs each week.

Seasonally, deer and elk guns are just starting to turn. Savage Trophy and Axis rifles, primarily in .270, and Ruger Americans in 6.5 Creedmoor see the most interest.

“Our cowboy action guns may be the hottest they’ve been in several years,” said counter salesperson Anna Steen. Turns on lever-action rifles are high. Henry, CZ, and Marlin are posting nice numbers.

Gun Shop, IA Daryl’s State Center

Mossberg for the Shockwave.

Ammo stocks are strong across the board.

week, Smith M&P Sports and Ruger 556s are the top sellers in the MSR category.

Guns, MI Gary’s Muskegon

Little Joe’s Pawn & KS Gun East, Kansas City

Keeping about 300 new and used guns in stock, this small shop is located near the center of the state, 20 miles northeast of Des Moines.

Handgun sales are slightly off compared to this time last year.

That said, Ruger SR22s are performing extremely well. Sales of MSRs are flat, turning at roughly one per month. “There’s no question that our MSR numbers are down. However, special-order rifles are up in colors like white and turquoise. The white MSR went to a customer who loves Star Wars,” said buyer Dana Schoppe. Most sales are leaning in the direction of the Ruger 556.

The top-selling shotgun goes to

46

Fort, Big MT The Timber

One of the oldest independent retailers in the Western mountain states, this general hunting and fishing store keeps an average of 1,000 firearms inventoried behind the counter. This store forecasts an increase in handgun sales for the approaching fall and winter seasons. “Handgun sales are close to an all-time high because our local university now allows concealed carry,” said counter salesman Ryan Anderson.

Glock 19s, M&P Shields, and Ruger LC9s are at the top of the chart. Smith J-frame revolvers are gaining attention, and plenty of Springfield XDSs are also crossing the counter.

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

This 1,500-square-foot gun shop keeps 500 firearms in stock. “Although handguns are moving briskly this year, I can’t remember a time when we sold such a diversity of different guns in the late summer. This includes deer rifles,” said owner Gary Foster.

Savage Trophy combos and Tikka T3s are on the move. The most popular rifle this summer has been the Ruger Ranch .450 American, and anything available in 6.5 Creedmoor is selling well.

Turning an average of five per

Sportsman, OR The Florence

Located in a small town on the central Pacific coast, this family-run hunting and fishing store stocks nearly 100 firearms. It specializes in home protection, hunting firearms, and accessories. Ruger LC9s, M&P Shields, and Taurus Model 85s hold the high ground here. In addition, M&P 640s are making turns.

“Our customers are small-town locals. We see consistent sales that are rarely affected by politics,” said owner Bill Pinkey.

Keeping about 200 guns in stock, this family-run pawn and gun shop has two locations specializing in used rifles and handguns. Handgun sales are brisk.

Glock 19s and Smith Shields were firmly entrenched at the top of the new-gun list. Used Smith K- and J-frame revolvers are always in high demand.

“While we still move a number of higher-priced, compact-carry guns, if we want to move volume, the magic price point is $225,” said owner Paul Boyd.

BY PETER B . MATHIESEN

Guns, PA Bee’s Saltsburg

Maintaining more than 350 firearms in inventory, this small shop located on a gravel county road has two fulltime and two part-time employees.

They promote competitive pricing, and offer two-day service on many special-order guns.

“Summer sales have been strong across the board. While it’s great to have plenty of .22 ammo and guns, it’s the Kimber Micro that has just been one of the highest-demand sellers we’ve seen since the introduction of the Shield,” said counter salesman Mike McKnight.

Sales of hunting long guns are in high gear. Ruger Americans are posting the highest turns. Popular calibers include .308 and .270.

Glory Guns, NH Old Mason

With 1,200 guns of inventory in a scant 2,000 square feet of space, this retailer is located just 500 feet from the Massachusetts border. Handgun inventories are at an all-time high, motivating this store to hold a large, fall promotional sale. Sig P380s, M&P Shields, and Glock 19s are moving quickly.

“It’s tree rat season, and squirrels are falling out of trees all over New England. Combined with high handgun sales and plenty of .22s heading out the door, this has been one of the better summers,” said owner Dana Ryle.

Ruger 10/22s and Henrys lead in .22 sales, and bolt-action rifles are beginning to move.

Armory, Heber Springs Gun GA Autrey’s AR Fayetteville & Pawn, Heber Springs This tactical home-defense retailer in south suburban Atlanta has 15 employees and 12 indoor rifle and pistol shooting lanes. Handgun sales are steady. Glock is the hands-down leader at this store, but there is plenty of demand for 9mm M&P Shields.

“Sales are steady. However, we really can’t predict the future. We feel concerned that sales may not be as strong in the future,” said general manager Tommy Harper.

Sales of MSRs are up. Rock Rivers top the list. The sales on pre–deer season bolt-actions have tilted toward Ruger American and Savage Axis models in two calibers—.308 and .243

Located in north central Arkansas, this small, threeemployee store keeps more than 300 guns on hand. It’s all handguns for hot weather. Sales are sizzling for Kimber Micros, Glock 19s, Kel-Tec P-3ATs, and Ruger ELC9s.

But counter salesman Ben Parker notes a curious development. “Our sales of .40-caliber handguns have just fallen off completely. If it’s not a 9mm or a .380, we can’t turn it without a serious price drop.”

A few Savage Axis and Remington 700 BDLs have staked the high ground in bolt-action sales, predominantly in .270 and .308. MSRs are still holding their

Gun Shop, VT Parro’s Waterbury

Located in northern Vermont, this small-town gun shop holds 800 guns in 4,000 square feet and keeps five fulltime and three part-time employees hopping. August means hunting guns for this retailer, and Parro’s has created “Ruger Days” as a fall promotion. “We are so fortunate to have a wealth of knowledge from the local Ruger corporate and factory staff. We are in our 10th year, and our customers flock into the store for one Saturday in August to meet, greet, and buy Rugers,” said owner Henry Parro.

At the handgun counter, this shop is coming off of a used Glock police buy. Model 19s rule the roost, along with a mix in 9mm and 10mm.

own, with more than one turn per week, principally M&P Sport IIs. A few Benelli Novas, Remington 870s, and Mossberg 500s are also moving.

Philadelphia Gun MS & Pawn, Philadelphia

This Mississippi shop specializes in handguns. It keeps more than 300 firearms in stock to serve a rural clientele.

Glocks in .40 reign supreme.

The shop has also seen an increase in .22 Ruger Blackhawks.

“While .22 sales for plinking are strong, we have a high number of customers shooting clays and getting ready for dove season,” said buyer Richard Ray. Shotguns sales are robust.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

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47

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Birchwood Casey The new World of Targets Spoiler Alert Target from Birchwood Casey provides shooters loud and instant feedback.

Designed for rimfire shooters, the target is constructed of durable ¼-inch AR400 steel. The assembly stands 14.5 inches high and features two built-in legs with swiveling supports for maximum stability on a variety of surfaces.

Made in the U.S. SRP: $70.

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Magpul’s new bipod deploys quickly and easily.

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

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