FRI | APRIL 4, 2025

CSG Member B&P announces that their Team Shooters have again proven their skill and dedication by earning spots on the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) Sporting Clays Teams for 2025.
Team Berger’s Larry Bartholome showcased his world-class shooting prowess by winning the 2025 Western Wildcat Smallbore F-Class Championship. The event, held at the renowned Ben Avery Shooting Complex from March 19–23 brought together the nation’s top smallbore shooters in a grueling four-day competition.
Team Lapua’s Chris Simmons once again demonstrated exceptional skill and precision, securing the title at the Cavern Cove Shootout for the fourth consecutive year. Chris cut through 20-25 mph winds throughout the event and emerged victorious.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is calling a decision by Lake County, Ill., Judge Jorge L. Ortiz to allow a wrongful death lawsuit against Smith & Wesson to proceed “outrageous.”
Mission First Tactical announced that they will be exhibiting at the 2025 Spring CANCON Fully Suppressed Range Day & Gun Show, Friday, April 11th and Saturday, April 12th at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. MFT, a VIP Bag sponsor, is including an MFT CANCON branded Extreme Duty 30 rd. Magazine in each bag.
Maxim Defense announces their sponsorship and attendance at CANCON 2025, the premier suppressor and tactical firearms expo in Phoenix, Arizona. The event will occur on Friday, April 11th through Saturday, April 12th at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility.

If you’re looking to learn more about and try a variety of shooting sports, check out the following events hosted by Eaton County Pheasants Forever. Both will take place at the Capital Area Sportsmen’s League in Lansing, Michigan.
Dead Air will exhibit at the Kalash Bash TX 2025. As a Bronze Sponsor, Dead Air is proud to continue their longstanding support for the AK and FAL crowds, bringing top-tier suppressors, exclusive AK mags, and brand-new merchandise to this legendary event.
European American Armory Corporation (EAA Corp) announces its participation in CanCon 2025, taking place April 10th–12th at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona. This fully suppressed range day and gun show offers attendees a unique opportunity to demo suppressed firearms and engage with industry experts and celebrities.

Target Sports USA staff had the pleasure of welcoming Brantley Gilbert, renowned country artist, to their headquarters for a private tour. During the visit, Brantley filmed behind-the-scenes content, giving fans an exclusive look at Target Sports USA’s operations and commitment to quality.
DeSantis Gunhide® introduces the new Chek Mate® 2.0 Holster. The #228, Chek Mate 2.0® is an ambidextrous IWB holster with an integral magazine pouch, which is user-adjustable for tension.
Gunstores.com is kicking off spring with a new giveaway—this time featuring the Ruger RXM. This no-purchase-necessary promotion is part of Gunstores.com’s ongoing effort to engage with the firearms community and connect more enthusiasts with the gear they want.
Shell Shock Technologies, LLC. announced its Online Only Auction in support of its 1st Annual Legends and Heroes Shootout. The auction features an exclusive selection of military artwork, collector’s items, unique experiences, and signed sports memorabilia from MLB legends. Proceeds from the auction will benefit K9 Heroes 4 Heroes, which provides service dogs to veterans and first responders at no cost, and the NRA, which offers mental health services, career transition assistance, and critical resources to veterans and their families.
2025 marks a major milestone for Meprolight -- for 35 years it has provided cutting-edge technologies -- from its early innovations in tritium and fiber optics to today’s high-performance red-dot sights and variable optics.
The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) has filed a new Second Amendment lawsuit challenging Colorado’s new tax on firearms, parts, and ammunition that targets gun owners and their constitutionally protected rights.

The Firearms Policy Coalition announced the filing of a reply brief in support of its motion for preliminary injunction or summary judgment in Young v. Ott, a federal lawsuit that challenges Pennsylvania’s laws banning 18- to 20-year-old adults from carrying firearms for lawful purposes outside the home.
Firearm enthusiasts and professionals alike can mark their calendars for the official release of the Reptilia Rifle Case on April 4, 2025. Available in 36-inch Rifle and 30-inch SBR lengths, this case sets a new standard for firearm transportation and storage.
Kimber, Mfg., Inc., is providing consumers with the opportunity to own the new 2K11 in capacity restricted states. The 2K11 Stainless will now be available for purchase in the following states: Vermont, New York, Maryland, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Connecticut, Delaware.

The Rossi LWC (Lightweight Carbine) was built to deliver lightweight performance, caliber versatility, and unbeatable value. Now, Rossi USA is launching the Rossi LWC Folding Stock—available both as a complete rifle and as an easy-to-install accessory for current LWC owners.
The Armory Life Presents series of digital magazines are specially curated issues that feature themed content from The Armory Life, and each issue of the magazine digs deeply into its specialized subject matter with well-researched and informative articles and videos. The newest addition to the family of digital magazines is the Suppressors issue, just recently released.
The Second Amendment Foundation announced that Magpul has renewed their commitment to the organization as a Platinum-level corporate partner.
JK Armament announced an all-purpose .30 caliber suppressor, the JK 155 RPX .30CAL. Quiet and lightweight, the RPX .30CAL’s efficient baffles are bored to .36 caliber, so with just a quick end cap swap it can suppress 350 Legend, 338 ARC, 9mm pistols and carbines, and more.
CSG Member Fiocchi of America understands the dedication and passion behind the pursuit of spring gobblers. That is why serious turkey hunters demand much from their equipment and ammunition. Meeting these challenges and exceeding expectations are what Fiocchi’s Golden Turkey series shotshells are all about.
Remington Ammunition recently announced its Pull, Shoot, Save! Rebate, which offers consumers the chance to buy some of Remington’s best target loads and receive up to $50 back. This promotion runs through June 30, 2025.
Luth-AR is offering a limited-time promotion for customers looking to upgrade their AR setups. For a limited time, when customers purchase an MBA-1 Rifle Buttstock or MBA-3 Carbine Buttstock, they will receive a free Chubby Grip—a $24.95 value—at no additional cost.
Liberty Safe recognizes and thanks the countless American consumers who choose products made in the USA with a special offer.To show appreciation for their customers, Liberty Safe is providing a limited-time offer. By using the code MADEINUSA during checkout at libertysafe.com, customers can take advantage of an additional 5% discount on their full lineup of safes.
Federal Ammunition's Hit the Range rebate for Federal or American Eagle 223 Rem. and 5.56x45mm ammunition recently launched, and the promotion will run until June 30, 2025. Shooters can now buy their favorite training and plinking loads and get up to $200 back.
Federal Ammunition's Break Clays & Save rebate for Federal Premium High Over All (HOA) 12- or 20-gauge ammunition recently launched, and the promotion will run until June 30, 2025. Shooters can now buy some of Federal’s best clay target loads and get up to $50 back.
The Project ChildSafe Foundation has announced the winners of its annual Project ChildSafe Safety Sweepstakes that supports the Project ChildSafe® firearm safety education program of NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association.
Outdoor enthusiasts have a new reason to check their calendars every weekend. Sportsman Channel brings the excitement of the wild to primetime with Sunday Sportsman, airing every Sunday night from 8-11 p.m. ET.
 

Guns for Beginners: Finding a Trainer and Get Going

Owning a firearm for personal protection doesn’t just stop once you get it home. You owe it to yourself, your family and society to acquire the training needed to properly handle and successfully deploy that firearm should the need arise. So, where do you go for lessons? How do you find a qualified firearms instructor?

Begin by creating a checklist of what you want in a training class. For instance:

  • An indoor or outdoor range?
  • Both men and women in the class? How many?
  • Shooting from a bench or using a holster?
  • Distance from home?
  • How many days?

Next, do your research. Your friends are a great resource. Ask around and find out who you know that has received formal training. Find out where they went, what they liked about the class as well as what they didn’t like. Another great resource, although it may take you down the proverbial rabbit hole, is the internet. Ask in some groups you may belong to on Facebook or message online acquaintances who may have recently posted about a class they attended. Once you find a few instructors to consider, check out their social media posts, including comments made by others.

When you find a class or two you want to attend, email the instructor if you need more information. If allowed, drop by one of the courses you are interested in ahead of time and watch it for a bit to see how the course is run.

If you have the opportunity to see the firearms instructor in action, here are a few things to consider:

  • Safety: Does the instructor safely run a shooting line and explain the range rules? Will other eyes be watching the line?
  • Demonstration: Does the instructor explain and demonstrate the skill he is teaching and what he expects the students to do?
  • Teaching Skills: Are various teaching methods and techniques used to help the students succeed?
  • Student Performance: Is the instructor working with students on the line? Does he offer suggestions to increase students’ performance or does he just keep complimenting the targets regardless of what they look like?

Before Your First Class

You’ve vetted the instructor and registered for your first pistol course. Now what? First, read the instructor’s course description to find out what you need to bring to the class.

Here is a little more information on the usual items:

  • Pistol: A full-size, high-capacity gun with three magazines, as opposed to a compact, low-capacity gun, is much easier to train with, especially for a beginner.
  • Ammunition: Regardless of the amount required, bring a little extra. Although most instructors can judge the amount of ammo needed, it may vary depending on the students’ overall abilities. You want to have enough ammo to get you through the entire class.
  • Magazines: Sometimes magazines stop functioning correctly, and things break. If you have extra, bring them! You don’t want to end up with less than the instructor required and waste everyone’s time while you prep magazines.
  • Eye and Ear Protection: Make sure your eye protection meets or exceeds ballistic protection standards. Also, if you are training outside you should bring both clear and dark lenses incase the cloud coverage changes. As for your ear protection, I highly recommend electronic ears. Whether inside the ear or muffs, they make a huge difference when attending a class. First of all, being able to hear the instructor’s directions is a plus. Second, for those who need to remove their ear protection to listen, you will avoid forgetting to put it back on when the gunfire starts again … probably only one time though.
  • Belt: The belt you use with your holster has to be sturdy. It should fit tight against your body and keep your holster from sagging or riding up with the gun as you draw. Be cautious of standard leather and dress belts; they tend to wear and stretch.
  • Holster: Bring a holster that is conducive to the type of training you are attending. Your best bet is to find out what type the instructor prefers. A concealed carry inside the waist band (IWB) holster may not be the right choice for the class. You want your focus to remain on practicing new shooting skills, not struggling with a holster. A quality Kydex outside the waistband (OWB) enables you to return your gun easily, quickly and securely.

Besides the basic equipment the instructor recommends you to bring, here are some items you may also find handy to have in your range bag:

  • A pencil and notepad
  • An UpLula makes loading your magazines easy, fast and painless.
  • A billed hat will keep the sun out of your eyes, help avoid sunburn and hopefully block the brass ejecting from your neighbor’s gun.
  • Bring sunscreen, bug spray, layered clothing and rain gear if you are at an outdoor range.
  • Always carry quality meal replacement or energy bars, water and a drink to replace electrolytes. Staying hydrated and keeping your energy levels up to avoid accidents is essential.

Most instructors want only unloaded firearms in the classroom and many don’t even allow ammunition in the room. Arrive early enough to sign waivers, get settled in and find the restroom.

Remember, as a student, you’re there to learn something new. Practice in such a fashion that you’re training your muscles, neurological pathways, and brain. If you have a question, ask! If you need help, ask! Remember, it’s not the quantity of rounds you send down range, but the quality.

— Michelle Cerino, Shooting News Weekly

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