FRI | DECEMBER 6, 2024

"No Lowballers," presented by GunBroker.com, a history-adjacent podcast that delves deep into the back stories of the shooting and firearms industry, has officially been nominated for the 2024 Gundie Awards in the Best Podcast category.
NSSF® filed an amicus brief in support of Smith & Wesson, Inc., with the U.S. Supreme Court in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., et al., v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Smith & Wesson, Inc., and other industry members, petitioned the Court to reverse the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit’s decision to allow the frivolous lawsuit to proceed.
The Second Amendment Foundation has filed an amicus brief with the Washington State Supreme Court in a case challenging the state’s ban on so-called “large-capacity” magazines and its legal action against Gator’s Guns, a Washington state firearms retailer. The case is known as State of Washington v. Gator’s Custom Guns, Inc.

The Second Amendment Foundation has filed an important amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the firearms industry in its defense of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which is being attacked through a lawsuit against gun manufacturers by the Mexican government.
The final day for exhibitors to secure a spot at the highly anticipated Industry Day at the Range is Friday, December 6, 2024. With an impressive lineup of industry professionals, media, influencers and buyers, this event is the perfect opportunity to showcase your products and connect with over 2,000 key players in the firearms and outdoor industry.
DeSantis Gunhide introduces new holster fits for the Springfield Echelon 4.0C. The holsters, the #137 Slim-Tuk and the #195 Veiled Partner, are optics-compatible.

Safariland® announces the release of Echelon fits for the Incog X Inside-the-Waistband (IWB) holster. The addition of these new fits allows for ideal concealed carry of the Springfield Echelon and newly released Echelon Compact handguns for everyday carry (EDC) and duty use.
NSSF® is sending this update to notify members of a nationwide preliminary injunction which has been issued blocking enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”), and its reporting requirements.
NSSF® praised the San Diego County Superior Court’s decision to grant summary judgment in favor of Smith & Wesson, Inc. under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). The court decided Tuesday that Smith & Wesson, Inc. is not responsible for the horrendous criminal acts committed by a deranged murderer at the Chabad of Poway, in Poway, Calif., on April 27, 2019.

X-Vision Optics announces its partnership with Hicks Inc., a premier wholesale distributor serving the outdoor and sporting goods industries. This partnership will provide more opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts to access X-Vision Optics’ premium products through a wider network of retailers.
Liberty Safe, in partnership with Tractor Supply Company, announces a donation of $188,000 to Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled military personnel and first responders.
Silencer Central announces it has broken ground on a new warehouse and distribution center located adjacent to its headquarters building. The new 60,000-square-foot facility will house state-of-the-art inventory and distribution lines for all Silencer Central products, as well as research and development infrastructure, including an indoor shooting range.
Liberty Ammunition, the leading manufacturer of self-defense ammunition, is partnering with Odle Sales on a nationwide basis.
Lyman Products is pleased to welcome Tom Ricks as the Director of Sales & Marketing for Lyman and all of the Lyman family of brands.
S&W is seeking candidates for District Sales Manager in the territory of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

The Firearms Policy Coalition announced the filing of an important merits-stage brief with the United States Supreme Court in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., et al. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, which seeks to stop Mexico’s attempts to impose its gun control preferences on Americans through frivolous litigation.
Bear Creek Arsenal is now offering bolt action style uppers and rifles compatible with AR-15 lowers, now available in the powerful .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster. These new products are designed to seamlessly integrate with AR-15 lowers.
Aesir Brands, the maker of Hang-AR, maker of innovative firearm storage solutions, introduced the new STEALTH Gun Mount. It’s the latest addition to the Hang-AR system lineup. This device utilizes the M-LOK attachment of any platform gun or rifle to vertically hang the firearm in the owner’s preferred location. The STEALTH Mount features a quick attach/detach functionality or the setting screw can be applied for the mount to run full-time on the rifle.

GunBroker.com announces a new partnership with Credova, a leader in Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) financing solutions. This collaboration introduces a transformative approach to purchasing firearms and accessories, making it easier and more accessible for both buyers and sellers.
Rost Martin announced that the California Department of Justice has approved the sale of their California-compliant RM1C. On December 4, 2024, Rost Martin received confirmation that the RM1C pistol was added to the roster of certified handguns.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. announced the release of two new Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite rimfire pistols. Combining reliability and accuracy with an attractive and updated style, these pistols have a custom pistol look without the custom price.
Thanksgiving Day 2024, Meprolight® kicked off the Black Friday Sales event running until December 12th. The response has been strong. Don’t miss out on your chance to save 10% on the top red dot optics, self-illuminated pistol, rifle, and shotgun sights you have been looking at. Tier 1 products designed to help you acquire the target quicker and accurately put rounds on it faster day or night.
Luth-AR announced its latest giveaway for the month of December 2024. This month, participants have the chance to win a Lightweight Palm Handguard.The Lightweight Palm Handguard is designed to provide a comfortable and secure grip for the shooter, while also reducing weight and improving airflow to the barrel.
Target Sports USA is bringing back its 12 @ 12 Days of Holiday Deals for the 2024 season. Starting Monday, December 9th, Target Sports USA will unveil new deals every day at 12 PM ET.
Through December 2024, Luth-AR is offering a fantastic deal: purchase any MBA Buttstock or MBA Buttstock Kit and receive your choice of a FREE Chubby Grip® or Wing Grip™. The MBA Buttstock family is the original Modular Buttstock Assembly for the AR-15 platform, designed for maximum customization to suit your shooting style.
Target Sports USA announces its participation in the upcoming Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show (Booth #75221), held January 21-24, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) is streaming now the “Birds and Dogs Channel” presented by Wild Upland. This scheduled channel brings the excitement of the great outdoors to viewers’ screens all day, every day.
 

I’m not going to beat around the bush. Here’s what I’d like to see from a renewed NRA Competitions Division.

First, and foremost, the NRA needs to utilize competitions to activate more of its members. As NRA Past President John Sigler noted in his open letter the “NRA competitive shooters are the solid backbone of NRA and that it is the competitive shooting community that makes the rest of NRA happen.”

A renewed NRA Competitions Division needs to prioritize getting NRA members out to matches on a regular basis. More members shooting competition means a stronger membership base built on the foundation of the competition community.

It also means new members. The shooting sports are an obvious gateway to NRA membership. Once you get into shooting a local match you’re not competing but joining your friends in competition. And now you’re a joiner and joining those new friends as a member of the NRA is an obvious next step.

Second, by all means, put effort into the legacy competitions of Smallbore, High Power Rifle, and Precision Pistol, but don’t make these the be all, end all of the Division’s work. These are legacy matches and by legacy I mean they have an aging and dwindling shooter base.

There is also a financial and equipment barrier to entry that’s hard for new and younger shooters to meet. Growing these sports from older shooters isn’t a growth plan, it’s a maintenance plan to keep these off life support.

If the NRA can find a way to breath new life, i.e. bring in new, younger shooters, then great. But if not I wouldn’t go crazy putting too many budget eggs into this particular basket.

Third, while the NRA World Shooting Championship is cool and all, with just 213 competitors at the 2024 match it is a marquee event that I’m guessing is more for sponsors than NRA members.

By-the-way, the 213 competitors this year represent a whopping 0.0051% of the NRA’s membership (assuming 4.2M members).

To create value this match needs to grow. And I’m not talking 10 or 20 percent growth. I’m talking double the number of competitors. The goal should be to have 400 to 500 competing in 2025.

The problem with marquee events, though, is that they are complex and by their very nature self-limiting as to the number of competitors that can enter. So, again, not a solid growth strategy.

The marquee events need to at least generate marquee media coverage in local media markets around the country. It’s not much of a showcase of the greatest shooters if nobody sees the show.

As you can see, I’ve been thinking a bit too much about what a renewed NRA Competitions Division could mean since I wrote about the need for aggressive public relations from the Division. As the ‘NRA 2.0’ rebuilds its credibility, coffers, and, most importantly, staff morale, it needs to also rebuild its depleted Competitions Division.

It needs a new direction that doesn’t abandon the past but also doesn’t cling too desperately to that past. The glory days of NRA shooting events are far enough behind us that resurrecting them to their former glory is highly unlikely.

Competition shooting is not simply an individual sport. When you compete you take your place in a larger connected community of shooters. And it’s not just local clubs but a nationwide network of clubs. Competitive shooters are a vast but tight community with different disciplines but similar motivations.

This network of shooters, clubs, and competitions is vital to the NRA’s mission in promoting safety, recreational shooting, and Second Amendment advocacy. A message delivered at a local match can travel all across the country in a short time. A message that comes from NRA HQ on a vital issue is quickly amplified throughout towns all across America by the community of shooters.

The shooting community is a living, breathing grassroots machine and the NRA needs to nurture it with strong, passionate leadership – and the appropriate funding – of a robust Competitions Division.

If a newly stood up NRA Competitions Division, staffed with those passionate about growing the shooting sports and able to not get stuck in the past, can get thousands, tens of thousands, or even 100,000 NRA members out competing weekly or even monthly in a fun, engaging format the impact on the organization could be dramatic.

And its value to the industry, to gun owners, and to the preservation of our Second Amendment rights would be transformative.

– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network

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