Buffalo Soldier Stories on Urban Shooter Podcast

Urban Shooter Podcast

Upper Marlboro, MD --(Ammoland.com)- The month of February 2012, I plan to provide a little black history knowledge here on the Urban shooter podcast.

Actually it’s a series on American history sub-categorized as black history. Knowledge alone is not power. It is what we do with knowledge that gives us power.

Gun control is based on Racism. American patriots know and fight against it, usually with those that should be our allies.

The black person in America has always been a part of the gun rights argument. like it or not, it is, what it is. I have discovered that if a person uses the terms “gun violence” or “black on black” crime there is a high probability they are parroting, misinformed,conditioned or purposely misleading others against self defense for “other” people.

Violence is force employed to do damage. the free, law abiding people I associate with in the gun culture do not advocate violence. Gun ownership does not equate to murderess intent. I own a few guns and I don’t want to kill anyone. And why do some sensationalize and promulgate, “black on black“? Why the self hate? Why the prejudice?

Those that don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it.

As a kid, I used to think history was boring. Now I understand that I am a part of history. The story of gun control in America is like that.

In the following weeks I hope to share some tidbits on:

• The Deacons of Defense
• dr. Ossian Sweet
• The buffalo soldiers
• Black American revolutionary war soldiers
• Personalities in the civil rights era that were a catalyst for the Gun Control Act of 1968
• The Old west Cowboys and outlaws
• Gabriel Prosser
• Nat Turner
• Harriet Tubman
• Frederick Douglass
• Richard F. Williams
• Dred Scott
• Cruikshank
• Otis McDonald

So stay tuned to this great blog and more from your friend and brother from another mother, the Black Man with a Gun.

Rev. Kenn Blanchard

Kenn Blanchard of Black Man with a Gun

About:
Kenn Blanchard is a contributor to AmmoLand Shooting Sports News and Producer of the Urban Shooter pod cast. In addition Kenn Blanchard is a pro-gun media producer & marketing professional that helps small businesses by providing information, entertainment , inspiration and support to the sport shooting community through blogs, voice -over, pod-casting and professional speaking. Visit: www.kennblanchard.com

Pop Culture Pacifist - Making the World a More Dangerous Place

Student of the Gun

LUVERNE, AL --(Ammoland.com)-  During a recent outing to an indoor shooting range I encountered a fellow shooter and the subject turned to concealed carry and using a handgun for personal defense.

My practice sessions tend to be far from the normal stand and shoot affair and after observing me for a while the gentleman asked where I learned to shoot and what I did for a living.

I mentioned that I regularly taught courses at the range in question and he remarked that he indeed had a “concealed carry license” though he never carried. “I got it just in case” was his remark. He went on to comment that “I’m not trigger-happy” and “I don’t want to have to hurt anyone.”

My comment was simply that “Someone out there wants to hurt you. You just haven’t met them yet.”

While the casual reader might think that a callous or even snide remark, the fact of the matter is that from practical stand point my comment was right on the money. Right now, at the very moment you are reading these words there are people on planet Earth who would happily kill you.

The only reason that they haven’t done so is because you are separated by great distance and they cannot get you in their sights.

I spent 17 years as an Ohio State Certified Peace Officer. During my time spent with a badge I frequently encountered criminals, bad guys who I had previously arrested, in the aisles of the local grocery or big box store. My wife learned early on in our marriage that if I pointed someone out during a shopping trip we needed to move to another area of the store. The last thing I wanted to do was encounter some maggot I’d arrested a month earlier while my family was present.

For the naïve in the audience; no, the bad guys don’t go to jail and stay there after the police catch and arrest them. Vermin arrested for vicious felonies will bail out of jail and spend months on the street before ever going to trial. Even if they are convicted our broken justice system sees them back on the street much sooner than most citizens would imagine.

What’s my point in all this?
It’s simple, every time you leave your home and go out in public you are brushing elbows with felons. You just don’t know it.

After returning home from the range I posted the comments made by my new shooting acquaintance on an Internet forum and was deluged by additional postings from gun people. A couple of “reasonable” folks made the point that many citizens simply could never fight back against an attacker, particularly with a firearm. I conceded that life is full of choices. One choice that many people make is to be completely unprepared to defend themselves against criminal aggression. It is, however, a choice.

Far too often, when the subject of violent crime comes up, the ‘reasonable and rational’ members of society attempt to position themselves on the moral high ground. These people will make statements such as “I could never harm another human being” or “violence only begets violence”. That is very true. If you attempt violence on me or my family you definitely will beget some violence in return.

Words, nonetheless, are cheap. All people (felons exempt) want to be seen as reasonable and rational by their peers. But words are meaningless to the predatory element of society. The career criminal, social bully and deranged drug-user pays no heed to how reasonable and rational your friends might think you are. These creatures will take from you want they want up to and including your life.

The pop culture pacifist, the man or woman who prides themselves in telling others that they would do no harm to another ‘human being’ is a coward.

Yes, a coward.

Would they truly rather submit to a predator and be murdered than fight back? By their public statements these PC pacifists are saying that they would rather have their spouses widowed, their children orphaned, and their families left to deal with tragedy than to take up arms to defend their lives. That is the height of selfishness in my book.

Adding insult to injury, the PC pacifist is not satisfied to set themselves up as willing victims. These cowards push their poisonous rhetoric on all those they encounter. Any friend or co-worker who might mention owning a gun or thinking about purchasing one is barraged with accusations of paranoia. The friend is accused a being a “kook”, “gun-nut”, or “trigger-happy”. Yes, gun friends, these are all pejorative terms.

Finally, what is most insidious about the ‘do no harm’ crowd it that by their purposeful inaction they are doing harm to others in society. That’s right. Basic human psychology shows that acceptance of any type of behavior effectively reinforces that behavior. Total submission to a thief, robber, rapist, or murderer serves to REINFORCE that behavior. To believe that a rapist will be so overcome with remorse after having violated you that they will turn from their evil ways is the height of naïvet’e. That kind of thinking is delusional. The felon who successfully victimized you will be emboldened and more likely to attack a good citizen.

For those faithful in the audience, those with a firm belief in a Devine Higher Power, you should realize that your daily existence, your very life is a gift from God.

To passively discard that life and willingly cast it away as worthless is an insult to your Maker and the highest affront.

Before I conclude this piece, with all the aforementioned considerations addressed, I firmly believe that even the most public pacifist; those who have staked out their spot on the moral high ground are merely speaking from blind ignorance and a failure to comprehend real world consequences. When the Grim Reaper presents itself in form of a deranged sociopath set on taking their life, the moral elite will claw and scrape to stay alive.

Unfortunately for them, the ability and wherewithal to stop a vile predator does not magically appear and manifest itself during the moment of crisis. The unprepared fall to the way side and their lives are forfeit to fate and the non-existent mercy of the attacker.

Left with nothing but disbelief, the pop culture pacifist departs from the land of the living and is left with nothing but a surprised look on their face. Life is full of choice. Choose wisely.

Paul Markel © 2012

Follow Paul Markel at Student of the Gun.com and PaulMarkel.com. Look for Paul’s new eBook “Student of the Gun; A beginner once, student for life.” On sale now at BN.com and Smashword.com

Springfield XD-S .45ACP Handgun

AmmoLand Gun News

Las Vegas, NV --(Ammoland.com)-  Four days at SHOT Show 2012 in Vegas was hardly enough time to see every one of the thousands of exhibitor booths on the show floor.

I was able to peruse a good amount of the products however, and this is a quick round up of my top picks.

Handgunner Backpack
It seems like I am forever in search of the perfect range bag which I am convinced does not exist. I currently use a combination of two small, very average range bags that are manageable to carry but require two trips from the car and have a small number of deep pockets where keys, safety flags and earplugs seem to go missing on a regular basis.  When I saw the new shooting backpack in the G.P.S. Wild About Shooting line displayed in the new product area at SHOT Show, I knew right away it was worth a closer look.

Called the “Handgunner Backpack”, the bag has a large front pocket on the lower portion that zips open to reveal a four handgun foam storage cradle that removes for cleaning or to simply transfer to a gun safe after the range visit.  The cradle holds small to medium handguns in a vertical position by the trigger guard.  The pocket is reinforced to protect your handguns and the top of the compartment is also reinforced to hold ammunition and keep it from sagging into the lower area that holds the storage cradle.

Each of the side and top pockets are labeled with pictures to indicate what items are stored in them. GPS calls it their Visual ID Storage System.  Pocket identifiers include eyes, ears, keys,binoculars, targets, staple gun… you… get the idea.  Everything is easily accessible and has a place.  The bag will be available in black only and easily sits on the back for quick transport on a range trip.  A rain cover is also provided to protect the bag if you get caught in a downpour.

As time at the range is precious, I like my range bag to be orderly.   I don’t want to spend time looking for my staple gun when the wind starts blowing. This bag fits the bill and it also is a free standing platform to work from on your bench.

The Handgunner will retail for $119.99 and be available in the Spring. (www.goutdoorsproducts.com)

Springfield XD-S .45ACP Handgun
I was fortunate to have the chance to try out some of the new products at Range Day as well before the Show started.  There were so many fantastic guns to see but at my last stop I fired the XD-S at Springfield Armory’s tent.  The next two items on my personal wish list are a small, concealable firearm, as well as a .45 caliber pistol.  The XD-S is a slim, single stack frame pistolin .45 ACP which may just fit the bill for both of these items.

The XD-S is a polymer frame, striker fired gun and is the smallest pistol available in the Springfield Armory XD family.  It includes many of the features of the XD.  A compact pistol is essential for someone with my petite build to conceal, but small pistols can be painful on the hands to shoot.  The small frame of the XD-S fit my hand well and was fairly comfortable to shoot.

Some of the statistics on the XD-S: Overall width 1”,overall length 6.3”, overall height with magazine 4.4”, 5 +1 rounds, and it weighs in at 29 ounces.  A few of the other features include a picatinny rail system to accept lights, lasers etc,two interchangeable backstraps for customizing your grip and easy disassembly as with the XD.  If you are in the market for a concealable pistol with these specifications, it is worth a look.

There are plans for a model in 9mm to be available in the summer. (www.springfieldarmory.com)

Sun Devil Colored AR15 Uppers & Lowers
As a person who enjoys building  AR15s, one of my personal show favorites were the colorful matching flat top upper and lower receivers by Sun Devil Mfg.  Not a new product, but the first time I had seen them and they are quite striking in person.  The hard anodized finish comes either in satin black or colors that are so deep and true that that it adds an almost classy look to your AR15 even in the bright pink.  I would definitely consider the deep blue to add some fun to my AR without getting into brightly colored plastic furniture.

See their website for pricing and other details www.sundevilmfg.com.

Sticky Holsters
It is difficult to stop here, as there were so many great choices depending on what you were looking for. I was hoping to find some new accessories and gear for women, but unfortunately I found nothing particularly new or interesting.  And my search for a holster that works well with female clothing and a petite frame brought me up empty again.  Sticky Holsters is a possibility to try out,the female representative at the booth said she carried comfortably for three days wearing a skirt on a show floor (not at SHOT Show), and that is a good endorsement.

The holster works with compression and sits inside the waistband or pocket. www.stickyholsters.com

As usual almost all the products for women included pink earmuffs and shooting glasses and pink camouflage clothing.  I did try out the Mini Ztek shooting glasses by Pyramex and they were very comfortable.  I wear Smith and Wesson youth glasses and if you have a small face or need glasses for a child, the Mini Zteks are a good fit and have soft, non-slip rubber tips over the ears and they come in several colors as well.  The representative in the booth said they are having a particularly hard time keeping the pink color in stock.

Of special note in the clothing department is Prois hunting clothing for women.  Prois makes very attractive and quality clothing and many of the styles come in smaller sizes as well.  They also have a few shooting shirts in their product line.  (www.proishunting.com)

As a big Under Armour fan, I had to make a stop by their booth.   I am not a hunter, but the selections from UA almost made me want to be. Although almost everything displayed was in a camouflage pattern (it is hunting clothing after all), the clothing fit the company’s image of good looking, comfortable sport wear, particularly my favorite, the hats.

About Shari Spivack;
I am a wife, mother and firearms instructor who has my own passion for shooting, teaching and continuing to educate myself with all types of firearms in a safe and responsible manner. It is always my pleasure to talk to other women gun owners – please feel free to email me at Shari@shootstraightnj.com

Rock River Arms Fred Eichler Series Predator .223 Rifle

Rock River Arms

Colona, IL --(Ammoland.com)- Rock River Arms, Inc., an industry leader well-known for producing a full line of high-quality AR15-style rifles, components, parts, and accessories introduces the Fred Eichler Series Predator .223 rifle, representing further growth in RRA’s expanding line of high performance hunting firearms.

Fred Eichler comments, “I am extremely excited to get this new predator gun out in the field. Rock River Arms is known for their high-quality rifles and I’m honored to have been selected to have my own series. After extensive in-the-field development, I am proud to attach my name to such an excellent product. I look forward to spending more time in the field with my Rock River Arms predator rifle.”

The Fred Eichler Series rifle was strategically designed to be lightweight for running and gunning.

The 16” mid-length stainless steel barrel has been cryogenically treated to increase the shooters accuracy and aids in cleaning the firearm. The RRA free-float handguard has a full length Picatinny top rail and 2.5” rails at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock for lights, lasers and bi-pods. The unique CNC coyote track design adds not only flare but functionality as it helps dissipate heat. The forged A4 upper flattop allows attachments for scopes, night vision and red dot sights. The rifle equipped with a chromed RRA National Match two-stage trigger with a Parkarized non-reflective surface on the trigger shoe. Other great features include winter trigger guard which accommodates winter or tactical gloves and an over molded pistol grip.

It also has a low-profile hidden gas block and RRA’s custom muzzle break with directional porting which reduces muzzle lift and recoil. The Fred Eichler Series rifle is available in either the RRA Operator Stock or RRA 6-position Operator CAR Stock.

The Fred Eichler Predator .223 is available in a two-tone black-tan finish. Each Fred Eichler Predator .223’s comes with one-twenty round (10 round where restricted by law) magazine, hard case and owners manual.

Fred Eichler Series .223 Predator Rifle Specifications

• Caliber: .223
• Barrel length: 1:8 twist, 16” mid-length Stainless Steel cryogenically treated barrel
• Gas Block: Low-profile hidden gas block
• Trigger: Chrome, RRA National Match two-stage trigger trigger group with Parkerized non-reflective surface on trigger shoe
• Trigger Guard: RRA Winter Trigger Guard
• Handguard: RRA free float w/full-length Picatinny top rail and 2.5” rails at 3, 6, 9 o’clock position
• Pistol Grip: Over molded pistol grip
• Stock: RRA Six position or RRA Operator stock
• Includes: one 20-round magazine (where legal), hard case and owner’s manual

Rock River Arms Fred Eichler Series Predator .223 Rifle

For more information on the complete line of production AR15 style rifles and accessories, contact: Rock River Arms, 1042 Cleveland Rd, Colona, IL 61241 Phone: (309) 792.5780 Fax: (309) 792.5781 www.rockriverarms.com

Ken Pfau (center), who has led FNH's immense support of 3-gun, celebrates with Mark Hanish (left) and Tommy Thacker following the 3-Gun Nation Championship Finale in Las Vegas.

3-Gun Nation

Las Vegas, NV --(Ammoland.com)- For most folks, winning the 3-Gun Nation Championship Finale meant one thing—holding up that big check for $50,000 from Leupold Tactical Optics and NBC Sport Network.

However, for this year’s finalists, a pair of teammates came in with an entirely different plan.

Tommy Thacker and Mark Hanish are splitting their collective 3GN Championship purse, a check for $50K, a Brownells check for $2,500 and a Barrett MRAD rifle package complete with a Leupold Mark IV and a BORS system. The first and second place prizes combined for a value of approximately $60,000.

And if that isn’t remarkable enough—they’re giving a big chunk of that haul away to charity.

Thacker and Hanish, in the name of Team FNH USA, will donate $10,000 to both the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charity FNH USA has worked with extensively, as well as the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a favorite charity of 3GN Host and Team FN member Mark Wills.

“We have informed Barrett of our plan to share the first and second place prizes, and make the $20K total in donations to SOWF and CMNH from Team FNH USA,” Hanish said.

“Tommy and I were blessed to be at the top of the 3-Gun Nation Finale, and we feel Team FNH USA can do more good by selling the MRAD and using the money to help some great charities. Besides, it would be impossible to split the rifle, and difficult to arrange visitation with both of us living in opposite ends of the country!”

Barrett's Brian James (left) and Brownells' Pete Brownell (right) present 2nd place prizes to Mark Hanish.

The all-FNH final, for Team FNH USA, in effect realized a dream the team members had shared since the company went “all-in” in its support to the game, including its key role as a sponsor of 3-Gun Nation.

“Mark and I decided as soon as it was nailed down that I was in the big show we would split it if we went one and two (in either order),” Thacker said. “We have been a team from the start and there was no reason to move away from that. I was happy with it, as Mark was the one person I didn’t think I could beat in the Shoot-Off format. He is very tough in Shoot-Offs.”

“When Tommy and I both made the final round, we had already won!” added Hanish. “We accomplished what we had set out to do, which was to represent FNH to the best of our abilities and make it an all-FNH Finale. I was focused and determined through the opening bouts, then the Finale felt like another day on the range shooting with my teammate and one of my best friends. After Tommy had won the Finale, I was truly ecstatic for him. He is a great shooter and an even better individual. Tommy has put more into the sport of 3-Gun than anyone over the past couple years, and he truly deserved to come out on top.”

Like most 3-gunners, Thacker and Hanish each have full-time jobs that limit their practice time, making their Shoot-Off runs against an extremely deep field even more impressive. For Thacker, the difference-maker came through focused practice and visualization techniques. Thacker found a “coach” in longtime friend AJ Williams, built shooting boxes like those used in past 3GN Shoot-Offs, took a guess at what the Shoot-Off stage might comprise (guessing wrongly, we might add), and then went through two focused practice sessions that forced Thacker to relearn the way he approached the Shoot-Off, building a base on accurate, one-for-one shooting and building speed from there.

“I stretched and visualized what the run would be, how I would approach it and how it all would play out,” Thacker said of his final practice run in Virginia. “True to form (Williams) would not let me go at it on the first run; instead it was a smooth approach going one-for-one on every target. After that first run I looked at AJ and told him I had a 26-second run in me and I was going to get it today. At that point he said he was ready when I was. I visualized a fast run with all the footing and hits, stretched and asked for the timer. AJ started me with the timer and off I went, one-for-one on the shotgun, one-for-one on the rifle, two misses quickly made up on the pistol and it was over. I looked back at AJ for the time and he was laughing, my first thought … the timer didn’t work. Well, he was laughing at the time. I shot a 25.36, which is more than 2.5 seconds faster than my best run to that point.”

Thacker then knew he was ready, and after limited but dedicated Shoot-Off practice rounds he didn’t touch a gun again until the competitor practice session in Las Vegas the morning of the Finale.

“I packed up and didn’t touch a gun until the Wednesday practice session,” Thacker said. “Total rounds less than 350, lots of visualization and prayer not only for myself but I prayed for all of the competitors along the way and one last time just before the event. I asked that every competitor have the ability to shoot to the best of their game for the finals. I knew I was ready and I wanted everyone to perform at the highest level.”

Despite intense work schedules, limited practice time and the immense hype surrounding the 3GN Finale, Hanish and Thacker stood out in Las Vegas—not for winning, but in their demeanor all day on Wednesday. After viewing both competitors in their morning practice session, and again interacting with the other competitors leading up to the main event, both of the FN shooters were extremely calm and confident with the largest payday in the history of the sport on the line.

“At the highest levels of competition, especially in the Shoot-Off format, the advantage is gained through mental preparation and conditioning,” Hanish said. “I was very calm during the event because I am confident in my abilities. I had no worries about matching up head-to-head with anyone on the shotgun and pistol, my only concern was the rifle portion. All of the 3GN Shoot-Offs boil down to the rifle, and getting into a good position with the rifle can make or break your run. I stepped in the box knowing that I could win every run by shooting to my ability. I also had an advantage in having more Shoot-Off experience than everyone in the field (outside 3GN) with the possible exception of Mike Voigt. I have previously won the top 16 Shoot-Off at the USPSA Nationals, and the American Handgunner World Shoot Off Championships. Having 15 years of high level Shoot-Off experience was definitely a huge advantage.”

“I was completely stress free,” Thacker added. “I wasn’t shooting for the money, that money wasn’t mine. If I won it I was splitting it up anyway, so there was never any pressure there. I wanted the title, I wanted to prove that I am one of the best shooters out there and that is exactly what I did. Under adverse conditions all season and having an extremely demanding job, wife and four children waiting in the wings, I did it. I accomplished in one season what some will never do, and I did it with prayer, giving, caring and compassion for everyone around me, not by being a paid full-time shooter. My job is not to shoot, it is to keep new products fresh and innovative and making sure that deliveries are on time so our salesmen can deliver them to the market place.”

The 3GN Finale capped what, at times, had been a difficult season for both Hanish and Thacker. After posting some of their worst career finishes early in the 2011 season, each competitor rallied, in his own way, and came into the 3-Gun Nation Championship shooting his best 3-gun of the year. Their late-season runs set-up for interesting stories to watch heading into next season’s highly anticipated 3GN Pro Series.

Team FNH USA's Mark Hanish was pumped up following an early-round victory at the 3GN Championship.

“I am very excited about my 3-Gun future,” Hanish said. “I worked extremely hard to be better prepared physically for 3-gun shooting. I am over 50 pounds lighter than I was at the start of the season. My physical conditioning has paid huge dividends over the course of the year, and now some focused practice and preparation should make for a great 2012. The challenge for Tommy and I is getting the time to dedicate to be prepared for the matches. Many times we shoot a match, pack up the gear, only to open it the morning of the next match—sometimes a month later. We have different roles for FNH, but we are both focused on our primary job responsibilities.”

“What a wild ride this year was for me,” Thacker said. “I have had several of the worst finishes I have ever had in 3-Gun. Several that I was very surprised I even made the top ten and at least one that I didn’t. My work schedule has been terrible for the last six months and I couldn’t give up helping the team with whatever it was they needed. I didn’t turn that off until the final match when I knew that I had to put work aside and focus on the match. It was my time and I had to give it one good shot to prove my talent to myself. I still made sure the team had what they needed but not like the past. I pointed fingers and basically said there is your stuff don’t ask me anything else.

Thacker and Hanish proved to be a powerful combo in 2011. Can they repeat in the 2012 Pro Series?

“Honestly I thought that the Shoot-Off could very well be my last 3-Gun event, Thacker continued. “With the FNS launch and a lot more involvement in the corporate side of FNH USA, I was thinking that shooting would have to take an even further removed second stage than before. For those who know what I do and how I show up and shoot matches, you think how can you get even further removed and still compete. Well, that was my issue, so I had already decided that I could finish up the Shoot-Off in style and go out exceeding my goal of making the top 16 for the year. Now I am more confused than ever. I am at a tough spot right now. Do I keep on like I am or get serious about the sport and put some real effort into it, now that’s a good question…TBD.”

Come March, look for Tommy to be right back in the mix at Ancient City for the first event of the 2012 3GN Pro Series. Just like the all-FN final, for the blue team, it’s all part of the plan.

CCal Bergsma with a Pending Illinois State Record.

Boone and Crockett Club

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Trophy whitetail entries from 2011 hunting seasons are beginning to pour into Boone and Crockett Club headquarters.

But while the sporting world waits to see which states are hot, or not, producers of giant bucks, North America’s overall robust trend in whitetail entries is a story for all conservationists to celebrate.

B&C historical records show that trophy whitetails are up 400 percent over the past 30 years.

“It’s worth remembering where America’s favorite big-game species stood not so long ago, at the brink of extinction, said Ben Wallace, Club president.

“In 1900, less than 500,000 whitetails remained. But habitat programs, research, science-based management, regulations and enforcement, all led and funded by hunters, brought this game animal back to extraordinary levels. Today there are more than 32 million whitetails!”

The Boone and Crockett system of scoring big-game trophies originated in 1906 as a means of recording details on species thought to be disappearing. Over time, these records evolved as an effective way to track the success or failure of conservation efforts.

As North America’s whitetail herd has grown, numbers of big bucks also have risen.

• For the period 1980-1985, hunters entered 617 trophy whitetails into Boone and Crockett records.
• For the period 2005-2010, the total jumped to 3,090, an increase of 400 percent.

During this 30-year span, many states and provinces saw percentage gains much greater than the continental average (see data below). For example, trophy whitetail entries from Wisconsin have risen 857 percent. In Illinois, the increase is 896 percent. Ontario went from a single entry to a whopping 41—a 4,000 percent gain!

Six states and provinces had zero entries in 1980-1985. For 2005-2010, they combined for 48.

Boone and Crockett offers two premier ways to trace and detail historic conservation developments, not just with whitetails but many other species as well.

A book, “Records of North American Big Game,” offers detailed tabular listings for trophies in 38 different categories of game. Each entry includes the all-time entry score, date harvested, location of kill, hunter and owner names, and selected measurements. At 768 pages, the book retails for $49.95.

A searchable online database, called “Trophy Search,” is another exceptional resource. By buying an annual subscription, users can sort B&C archival data in infinite ways to identify national as well as local trends. An annual subscription is $50.

Boone and Crockett Club Associates receive discounts on both items. Order online at www.boone-crockett.org or by calling 888-840-4868.

The list below includes state-by-state rankings for whitetail entries during the period 2005-2010, plus comparative data from 1980-1985.

B&C Trophy Whitetail Production, 2005-2010
(Typical and non-typical trophies combined)

1. Wisconsin, 383 entries (1980-1985 rank 3rd, 40 entries)
2. Illinois, 299 entries (1980-1985 rank 6th, 30 entries)
3. Iowa, 224 entries (1980-1985 rank 2nd, 59 entries)
4. Ohio, 215 entries (1980-1985 rank 14th, 16 entries)
5. Missouri, 214 entries (1980-1985 rank 9th (tie), 25 entries)
6. Kentucky, 199 entries (1980-1985 rank 9th (tie), 25 entries)
7. Indiana, 195 entries (1980-1985 rank 16th, 14 entries)
8. Kansas, 181 entries (1980-1985 rank 4th, 35 entries)
9. Minnesota, 172 entries (1980-1985 rank 1st, 76 entries)
10. Saskatchewan, 147 entries (1980-1985 rank 7th (tie), 27 entries)
11. Texas, 132 entries (1980-1985 rank 12th, 19 entries)
12. Alberta, 115 entries (1980-1985 rank 7th (tie), 27 entries)
13. Nebraska, 78 entries (1980-1985 rank 18th (tie), 12 entries)
14. Oklahoma, 48 entries (1980-1985 rank 22nd (tie), 7 entries)
15. Ontario, 41 entries (1980-1985 rank 42nd (tie), 1 entry)
16. Arkansas, 40 entries (1980-1985 rank 34th (tie), 3 entries)
17 (tie). Michigan, 39 entries (1980-1985 rank 17th, 13 entries)
17 (tie). Mississippi, 39 entries (1980-1985 rank 18th, 12 entries)
19. North Dakota, 31 entries (1980-1985 rank 31st (tie), 4 entries)
20. Pennsylvania, 26 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
21. New York, 25 entries (1980-1985 rank 28th (tie), 5 entries)
22. South Dakota, 24 entries (1980-1985 rank 20th (tie), 8 entries)
23 (tie). Georgia, 23 entries (1980-1985 rank 5th, 31 entries)
23 (tie). Maryland, 23 entries (1980-1985 rank 28th (tie), 5 entries)
25 (tie). British Columbia, 19 entries (1980-1985 rank 24th (tie), 6 entries)
25 (tie). Maine, 19 entries (1980-1985 rank 11th, 20 entries)
27. Virginia, 17 entries (1980-1985 rank 22nd (tie), 7 entries)
28. Tennessee, 15 entries (1980-1985 rank 20th, 8 entries)
29. Colorado, 13 entries (1980-1985 rank 42nd (tie), 1 entry)
30. Idaho, 11 entries (1980-1985 rank 24th (tie), 6 entries)
31 (tie). Massachusetts, 8 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
31 (tie). Quebec, 8 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
33. Delaware, 7 entries (1980-1985 rank 42nd (tie), 1 entry)
34 (tie). Louisiana, 6 entries (1980-1985 rank 28th (tie), 5 entries)
34 (tie). Manitoba, 6 entries (1980-1985 rank 15th, 15 entries)
34 (tie). Washington, 6 entries (1980-1985 rank 31st (tie), 4 entries)
37 (tie). Montana, 5 entries (1980-1985 rank 13th, 17 entries)
37 (tie). Alabama, 5 entries (1980-1985 rank 34th (tie), 3 entries)
37 (tie). North Carolina, 5 entries (1980-1985 34th (tie), 3 entries)
40 (tie). Connecticut, 4 entries (1980-1985 rank 38th (tie), 2 entries)
40 (tie). New Hampshire, 4 entries (1980-1985 rank 38th (tie), 2 entries)
42 (tie). New Jersey, 3 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
42 (tie). New Brunswick, 3 entries (1980-1985 rank 24th (tie), 6 entries)
42 (tie). West Virginia, 3 entries (1980-1985 rank 34th (tie), 3 entries)
45 (tie). Mexico, 2 entries (1980-1985 rank 24th (tie), 6 entries)
45 (tie). Wyoming, 2 entries (1980-1985 rank 38th (tie), 2 entries)
45 (tie). South Carolina, 2 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
45 (tie). Nova Scotia, 2 entries (1980-1985 rank 31st (tie), 4 entries)
49 (tie). Oregon, 1 entry (1980-1985 rank 38th (tie), 2 entries)
49 (tie). Rhode Island, 1 entry (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)

About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair-chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Mont. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.

Colt Agent Pistol With Crimson Trace Lasergrips

Colt Manufacturing Company

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. --(Ammoland.com)- Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC has teamed up with Crimson Trace Corporation for the first ever Lasergrips, grip-integrated laser sight emblazoned with the Colt logo, which is now standard on the Colt New Agent pistol.

This compact, lightweight Colt 1911 series pistol with wrap-around, front activation laser sight, gives shooters increased accuracy and confidence in their shot placement.

“The Colt New Agent is an excellent choice for a concealable pistol for personal protection,” said Joyce Rubino, Colt’s Vice President of Marketing, “With the addition of Crimson Trace® laser sights, New Agent shooters can be increasingly confident that their shots will hit the mark.”

The upgraded New Agent model 1911 weighs less than 24 ounces and measures 6.75 inches in length. While possessing the power and protection of a full sized pistol, this compact model is a great option for concealed carry. Colt’s New Agent offers a seven-round magazine capacity in .45 ACP and an eight-round magazine capacity in 9 mm Parabellum.

The carbon steel slide is finished in matte blue and the lightweight alloy frame is black anodized. The New Agent’s trigger is skeletonized aluminum with a 3-inch bushingless barrel.

The New Agent’s traditional double diamond grips have been replaced with black, wrap-around Crimson Trace grips made of a polymer and rubber combination. With the Crimson Trace laser sight and trench style sighting system in lieu of iron sights, the New Agent has a snagless draw, adding to the capability of this pistol.

Highly visible at self-defense distances, the red laser comes factory-zeroed at 50 feet. The unit may be fine tuned by the user for their choice of ammunition, via integral windage and elevation adjustments. When the pistol is held with a natural firing grip, the instinctive, front-activation laser is initiated.

“We’re thrilled to offer this quality Colt pistol paired with Crimson Trace’s popular laser sight to give shooters a product combination that will increase shot confidence,” said Rubino.

About Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC
Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC is one of the world’s leading designers, developers and manufacturers of firearms. Colt pistols, revolvers and rifles have been marketed, distributed and sold to law abiding, responsible citizens in the United States and throughout the world for 175 years. Colt operates its manufacturing facility in West Hartford, Connecticut. For more information on Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC, please visit www.coltsmfg.com.

About Crimson Trace
Crimson Trace is the World’s only manufacturer of grip-activated laser sights, which are employed by military, police and civilian users across the globe. All Crimson Trace products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in the USA. For more information, visit www.crimsontrace.com.

DPMS Tactical Precision Rifle

DPMS Firearms

St. Cloud, MN --(Ammoland.com)- DPMS Firearms, (“DPMS”), continuing their commitment to customer service, has responded to numerous customer requests for a lighter, enhanced version of the previous DPMS Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (“SDMR”).

The new TPR (Tactical Precision Rifle) is built for long-range accuracy and features a 20-inch, bead-blasted, 416 stainless steel heavy barrel (HBAR).

Other features include a M111 Modular Free-Float rail system, an AAC Blackout flash suppressor, B5 Systems – Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMOD) stock, Magpul Original Equipment (MOE) grip and trigger guard.

The DPMS Tactical Precision Rifle combines long-range precision and tactical adaptability and is chambered in 5.56 NATO. Suggested retail is $1349.00.

For more information on DPMS rifles, please visit http://www.dpmsinc.com

About DPMS Firearms:
DPMS Firearms, (“DPMS”) is an industry leader in providing quality AR-style rifles, components and accessories. No other company offers more styles or configurations of AR rifles. DPMS provides choices for high-power and small-bore shooters by offering rifles and assemblies chambered in 204 Ruger, 223 Remington, 5.56×45 NATO, 243Winchester, 260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.8×43 SPC, 30 Remington AR, 308 Winchester and 338 Federal. More information about the company can be found at www.dpmsinc.com.

Magpul® is a trademark of Magpul Industries Corp.

Mossberg 464 ZMB Lever-Action Rifle

Mossberg

North Haven, CT --(Ammoland.com)- The latest craze in the realm of shooting competitions, zombie-themed fun shoots, has a new player on the field in 2012 – the Mossberg ZMB Series including a specialty lever-action .30-30 Win rifle and 12-gauge pump-action shotguns.

Initial offerings include the 464 ZMB lever-action rifle, 500 ZMB 8-Shot pump-action shotgun and 500 Chainsaw ZMB 6-Shot pump-action shotgun.

All three guns have the lime green “ZMB” logo proudly emblazoned on the receiver and boast the most highly-desired zombie-slaying features.

464 ZMB Lever-Action Rifle – Based on the time-proven, Mossberg 464 lever-action platform, this rifle has quick-adjusting, tactical-style 6-position synthetic stock; Picatinny tri-rail forend with rubber ladder rail covers; durable black oxide receiver; compact 16 ¼-inch barrel with removable A-2 style flash suppressor; adjustable 3-dot fiber optic sights; front and rear sling swivel studs; six-round total capacity; matte blued metal finishes; and drilled/tapped receiver with scope rail included.

500 ZMB Persuader 8-Shot Pump-Action Shotgun

500 ZMB 8-Shot Pump-Action Shotgun –At the core of this ZMB Series gun is the 500 Persuader. This 12 gauge, 3-inch pump-action has a standard full-length black synthetic stock; tactical Picatinny-compatible tri-rail forend; extended mag tube for 8-round total capacity; 20-inch cylinder bore barrel with bead sight; matte black metal finishes; drilled and tapped receiver; sling swivel studs; and handy black padded sling. This versatile 500 platform can easily be customized for your individual needs.

Mossberg 500 Chainsaw ZMB Series 6-Shot Pump-Action Shotgun

500 Chainsaw ZMB Series 6-Shot Pump-Action Shotgun –This 12 gauge, 3-inch 500 Cruiser has distinctive, chainsaw-style forend grip; ergonomic pistol grip stock and tactical tri-rail forend with integral full-length bottom rail and removable side rails. Pistol grip and forend are molded of durable synthetic with matte black finish. Better balance and ease of maneuverability are achieved with the compact 18 ½ inch stand-off barrel with single white dot sight. Other standard features on the 500 Chainsaw ZMB include matte black metal finishes; drilled and tapped receiver; sling swivel studs; padded sling; and 6-round total capacity. Completing this full-featured package is a laser and light combo.

Be the envy of everyone at the range with a Mossberg ZMB Series gun!

ZMB trademark is used under license from ZMB Industries, LLC.

About O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.
Founded in 1919, O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. is the oldest family-owned firearms manufacturer in America, and is the largest pump-action shotgun manufacturer in the world. Leading the way with over 100 design and utility patents to its credit, and standing as the first ISO 9001 Certified long-gun manufacturer, Mossberg is considered to be one of the most innovative firearms manufacturers in U.S. History. For more information on commercial, special purpose, law enforcement and military shotguns, rifles and accessories, please visit their website at www.mossberg.com.

SIG SAUER SIG551-A1 10in Short-Barreled Rifle

SIG SAUER

EXETER, NH --(Ammoland.com)- To meet the increasing interest in short-barreled rifles, SIG SAUER has introduced a line of factory-built SBRs for the consumer market.

“Interest in short-barreled rifles has never been greater,” said Jeff Creamer, SIG SAUER Director of Product Management. “What used to be primarily a military or law enforcement configuration is now being sought by the consumer market.”

As barrel and gas system length is reduced, reliable function can be compromised. Purchasing a factory-built SBR designed from the ground up and fine-tuned to be a short-barreled system greatly increases reliability and function.

SIG SAUER has previously offered complete short-barreled upper receivers for their SIG516 rifles, but this is the first time complete rifles are to be offered in SBR configurations.

Preferred by entry teams and CQB specialists for greater maneuverability in tight places, SBRs deliver significant ballistic performance over pistol-caliber weapons. With the growth of the suppressor market, SBRs have also seen increased interest from those who want a suppressed rifle without introducing additional length.

The Factory SBR Program will offer shortened variants of all SIG SAUER semi-automatic rifles, from the .22LR SIG522 to the 7.62 NATO SIG716. Each platform will have a SBR-tuned gas system to ensure maximum performance and reliability.

SBRs are available in Classic, Patrol and SWAT configurations, giving the user a wide variety of options. All NFA rules do apply; so please see your Class III firearms dealer for ordering information.

For more on SIG SAUER, please visit www.sigsauer.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SigSauerInc.

SIG SAUER Short-Barreled Rifles
Platform Twist Length Configuration

• SIG516 1:7 7.5″ Patrol
• 1:7 10″ Patrol
• SIG522 1:16 10″ Patrol Classic
• 1:16 10″ Patrol SWAT
• SIG551-A1 1:7 10″ Classic
• 1:7 10″ SWAT
• SIG556® 1:7 10″ Patrol
• 1:7 10″ Patrol SWAT
• SIG556xi™ 1:7 10″ SWAT
• SIG716 1:10 12.5″ Patrol

SIG SAUER SIG551-A1 10in Short-Barreled Rifle

About SIG SAUER, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is the largest member of a worldwide business group of firearms manufacturers that includes SIG SAUER GmbH in Germany and Swiss Arms AG in Switzerland. This global network of companies gives SIG SAUER a world-class firearms knowledge base, unparalleled design expertise, and extensive manufacturing capacity, enabling the company to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions and the needs of its military, law enforcement, and commercial markets worldwide. SIG SAUER is an ISO 9001: 2008 certified company with over 500 employees. For more information on SIG SAUER, any of its products, or the SIG SAUER Academy, log on to www.sigsauer.com.

SIG SAUER 1911 FullSize Fastback Nightmare Pistol

SIG SAUER

EXETER, NH --(Ammoland.com)- With the introduction of the 1911 pistol in 2006, SIG SAUER has been building the finest, production 1911-platform pistols available.

By combining modern refinements in the classic American design, SIG SAUER has created 1911s that are as accurate as they are combat- reliable.

This innovation is continued with the new Fastback series of 1911s. SIG SAUER engineers have redesigned the frame and mainspring housing to create a proprietary rounded backstrap, giving the Fastback a distinctive look and advantage for concealed carry.

Available in a full-length 5” barreled version and a 4” carry model, the Fastback’s smooth grip lines won’t protrude against cover garments or push into the ribs when carried concealed.

The all-stainless-steel Fastback frame has been re-engineered from the ground up to reduce its grip signature, while still maintaining the same feel and control of the original 1911 platform.

Initial offerings include the 1911 Fastback Nightmare, using natural stainless controls, grip screws and barrel bushing against the deep black of the durable Nitron  finish. The look is finished off with Hogue double diamond black G-10 grips and low-profile SIGLITE  Night Sights.

Unchanged 1911 features include the match-grade sear, barrel and trigger components for which SIG SAUER 1911s are known. A skeletonized hammer and trigger with an overtravel adjustment screw are also left in natural stainless.

The Fastback Rosewood comes with a natural stainless slide, and a Nitron finished stainless steel frame, Hogue Rosewood double diamond grips and SIGLITE Night Sights.

SIG SAUER 1911 Fastback Nightmare Pistol Specs

For more on SIG SAUER, please visit www.sigsauer.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SigSauerInc.

About SIG SAUER, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is the largest member of a worldwide business group of firearms manufacturers that includes J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Blaser GmbH in Germany and Swiss Arms AG in Switzerland. This global network of companies gives SIG SAUER a world-class firearms knowledge base, unparalleled design expertise, and extensive manufacturing capacity, enabling the company to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions and the needs of its military, law enforcement, and commercial markets worldwide. SIG SAUER is an ISO 9001: 2000 certified company with over 370 employees. For more information on SIG SAUER or any of its products, or the SIG SAUER Academy, log on to www.sigsauer.com

American Guns Cast with the My Gun Culture team At SHOT Show 2012

My Gun Culture

USA --(Ammoland.com)- SHOT Show is an experience. You get to meet lot’s of interesting people. And get mugged by them.

Tuesday evening, I was strolling through the Sands expo complex with the rest of the My Gun Culture literary assault team, minding our own business, when suddenly I found myself in a choke hold. OK, so I was in condition white. It was SHOT Show and I was arguably on the safest real estate on the planet at the time. Gimme a break. Anyway, a voice whispered in my ear “Give me all your money!”

If it wasn’t for the fact that I was surrounded by 61,000 gun totin’ folks I could have been the next story on CSI Las Vegas. That and the fact that the mugger was none other than Rich Wyatt of Discovery Channel’s American Guns.

You see, we had the opportunity to interview 3/4 of the Wyatt family earlier in the day. Apparently, Renee Wyatt had to stay home and mind the business so Rich, Kurt, and Paige could go to Vegas and blow the family nest egg at the craps table. And I must have offended Rich in the process, hence the threats on my life. But all ended well.

Let’s review our discussion earlier in the day:

My Gun Culture: Rich, Can you tell our readers how on earth you ended up owning a gun business? Did you start from scratch or buy an existing business?

Rich: In eighth grade in English class in Connecticut I wrote a report about this gun shop I got right here, right now. And then I followed my dream and went out and went to gunsmith school, and became a gunsmith. My Dad told me not to do it. Then I realized I couldn’t make enough money being a gunsmith. And then they wouldn’t let me play with machine guns, so I went to the police department. Then all these things kept happening in my life and next thing you know now I got the gun shop. I couldn’t make enough being a one gunsmith, one shop so I got 7 full time guys fixing guns. I’ve got lots of guys doing wild things – sales, training, buying / selling, and building guns. Now we have something that’s producing the income that my family needs for us to get by.

My Gun Culture: So just to clarify, did you start Gunsmoke or buy an existing business?

Rich: I started Gunsmoke. I’d worked with other shops and I had done different things. I worked with Colonel Jeff Cooper you know. Colonel Cooper was my mentor and I couldn’t believe I got a chance to meet him. I couldn’t believe I got a chance to teach with him. And so Gunsmoke was started originally to teach classes with Colonel Cooper when he left the facility he was at in Arizona. But anyway, we needed to set up a corporation to do that, so that’s how Gunsmoke got its legs. Colonel Cooper and I traveled, we hunted in Africa, and our families were great friends. You know Gunsmoke started basically in the back of a Suburban loaded up with Galco holsters and books. Finally, I was like we need a building to put all this junk in, so we went out and got one. And it just kept growing from there. And then I was like, wow we got all this stuff, we need a TV show! So we got a TV show. And now we’re just rockin’ it and having a good time!

My Gun Culture: So your business Gunsmoke is famous for being able to build a gun from a block of raw metal. If we walked in with a 20 pound block of cheese, could you fabricate a fully automatic Cheese Wiz dispenser?

Rich: We will make you the finest sandwich you’ve ever had! It will be the best grilled cheese you have ever, ever eaten. And besides that, it will be an artistic feat beyond anything any chef has ever prepared.

My Gun Culture: So Paige, I’ve got something in common with your dad. We both have beautiful daughters and that is a big , big problem for a dad to have right? It’s kind of thing when a prospective date comes over to the house that most dads make it a point to be cleaning the shotgun on the kitchen table or whatever. Given that your dad is, umm, a bit more tactical than average, and builds barrage weapons and cannons and the like, how does he kick it up a notch?

Paige: Just having the TV show already gives guys a little bit of fear because it’s not mysterious. They don’t wonder…”Does your dad have guns?” It’s more like, “Oh crap, your dad has guns!” There’s no question about the fact that he’s fully loaded. Guys do get nervous and I have to explain to them that it’s OK and he’s a normal guy besides the fact that we own a gun shop. Guys get scared, but he’s pretty nice if they pass they test. I don’t really know what the test is as I have to leave the room! There’s little things that guys have to do to pass…

Kurt: Yeah, like be a guy!

My Gun Culture: Who’s worse when it comes to grilling your dates? Your dad or your brother?

Rich: Paige is very lucky because Kurt’s bought his own place and lives on his own. And so he’s not there, but he does make celebrity appearances in case I’m having a little trouble with one of these guys and then he handles the heavy lifting.

Kurt: I’m the cleanup crew.

My Gun Culture: Kurt, I went to high school. I definitely did not have a single engraving class in high school. Ever. I had English, Geometry, and classes like that. So tell us how you learned to engrave guns.

Kurt: I had always doodled on paper and messed around with that kind of stuff. I never actually thought that I would come up with a career out of it. I did plenty of art classes in school, but obviously nothing geared toward engraving. It was actually dad’s idea. He asked if I had ever seen any engraving and would I be interested in it? I said sure – absolutely! He packed me up and shipped me off to school for it. The rest was history. I fell in love with it as soon as I actually started engraving. I took a basic engraving class out in Kansas. It was a great, great experience for me, and I love doing it.

Paige: There is one thing about engraving. I did try to engrave my name once. I couldn’t even do a straight line. It is extremely difficult and he does a great job.

My Gun Culture: Ok so we need a secret scoop for our readers. Judging from my own experience, I’ve run tools right through my hand. Have you ever done that?

Kurt: I’ve not yet put an engraving tool through my hand but I’ve definitely screwed up!

Rich: And he’s messed up some engraving too!

My Gun Culture: The SHOT Show is all about business – everybody’s doing deals. We happen to have at our house – hold on to your shorts here – we have an extremely rare and valuable Mosin Nagant. It’s got to be worth 90 bucks at least. It’s my son’s, but he’s away at college, so I’m thinking about maybe offering you a trade. I saw you build that custom sniper rifle that was over the top with the flames. I’m kind of thinking I want one with a World War II Midway battle scene on it with Zero’s and Corsairs in a dogfight over the Pacific.  So what do you think? Even trade?

Rich: Even trade? Yeah, we’ll do it.

Kurt: In dad’s famous words, so how do you want to take care of the balance?

My Gun Culture: So while we’re on the topic of barters and trades, what’s the craziest trade deal you ever did?

Rich: I traded a guy for a live rattlesnake one time, which could be illegal in some states so I won’t say where I did it. Then I shot it and made it into a belt. That was a weird trade. But my best trade is going to be my  next one.

My Gun Culture: We’ve got an ongoing debate going on in our office and maybe you guys can help settle it.We’ve had all sorts of industry figures weigh in on this. Is the MK19 Automatic Grenade launcher appropriate for home defense? My wife worries about the blast radius but I like the horsepower. Thoughts?

Rich: Here’s the problem. The only reason I wouldn’t use it for home defense is that it’s too difficult to move around in the night.  I want to be able to get that gun on somebody so my home defense gun would be an 870 shotgun. Because everybody ‘comprendes’ a 12 gauge!

My Gun Culture: We don’t want to make you feel bad, but Top Shot Champion Iain Harrison recommends a 105mm Light Gun, which the British army uses.

Rich: Well I’ll tell ya what, while Iain’s whipping that thing around I’ll have 5 or 6 shots off with my 870. It’s not he who has the best guns that wins, it’s he who hits the first that wins! And that’s gonna be me! The best gun is the gun you’ve got with you.

Kurt: Anytime anybody comes into the store and asks about a home defense gun we whip that pump action shotgun out and rack the slide and they say ‘All right, I understand!”

Paige: If it’s for your wife, at least make it pink!

My Gun Culture: It looks like everyone in the family carries a 1911 from the pictures I see. Can you each tell us about yours and what makes it special?

Rich: Of course! First of all, I carry the coolest 1911 on the planet. It’s got flames on it, it’s got skull and crossbones that Kurt engraved, ivory stocks, Jeff Cooper slim line pistol, dehorned, Novak sights, you know – everything. It’s a great gun. And I also carry a 5 shot Smith & Wesson revolver just in case I need to fill my other hand.

Kurt: 1911 full size 5 inch with a Galco holster and also a 5 shot .38 with a Galco holster. Mine’s tricked out just like dad’s but a little bit different and that’s the great thing about a 1911 is that you can customize the heck out of them. Mine’s got all the same stuff that you need to make it a fine fighting firearm, but I did the custom engraved grips and I’ve got the two tone going with high polish so it’s nice and bright and it looks cool too. Same deal with the secondary firearm. Of course we customized that too – lighter trigger, bob the hammer, all that good stuff.

Paige: I have a little different 1911. Mine is a Colt Defender. It’s a 3 inch barrel instead of the full size. I had to prove to my dad that I could carry the gun. It took a while – I had to pass  tests again, so I haven’t been able to really do anything to it yet. I’ve got new stocks, safety, dehorn. Mine is a bit smaller for me as its easier to carry on my hip.

Rich: One last thing. A lot of people ask and see us and say “Hey, your gun’s cocked…” Duh! That’s how it’s meant to be carried. And then a lot of people ask “How is Paige allowed to carry guns?” What do you live in a communist state? This is America we live in! She’s our daughter, on our property – it’s legal for her to carry guns. And if you can’t figure that stuff out man, grow up.  Let’s not let people think that it’s OK not to carry guns. It is the best to carry guns. If you’re not carrying a gun right now, it’s a tremendous mistake!

We would like to thank the Wyatt family – all four of them – for tolerating our invasive and rigorous questioning. They were good sports – and quite entertaining!

About:
Tom McHale describes himself as a conservative gun-totin’ bible-clingin’ literary assault dude who enjoys finding humor in just about anything. His web blog My Gun Culture is an irreverent, twisted look at gun news bordering on the ridiculous. It covers shootin’ stuff, loud noises, defending your own, the occasional mall ninja, and about 200 years of the American way. “These are the (partially) true stories of… My Gun Culture” says Tom. Visit: www.mygunculture.com

FNH’s Tom Thacker's Victory In 3GN Championship Brings Largest Payout In 3-Gun History - Photo by Tim Walsh seanchaicom.com

3-Gun Nation

LAS VEGAS, NV --(Ammoland.com)- Before the largest crowd ever to watch a 3-gun match, and with the largest payday in the history of the sport on the line, eight of the country’s top 3-gunners stepped to the firing line at the Clark County Range here January 18.

With the famous Las Vegas strip illuminating the desert sky as the backdrop, the sport of 3-gun formally announced its arrival to the shooting industry, major media outlets and a national television audience.

And then one team stole the show.

Team FNH USA’s Tommy Thacker defeated teammate Mark Hanish in the final round of the 3-Gun Nation Championship Finale, sponsored by Brownells, to become the 2012 3-Gun Nation Champion, winning an unprecedented $50,000 from Leupold Tactical Optics and NBC Sports Network.

“Unbelievable,” Thacker said, trying to put the enormity of the moment into words. “The only thing I could think is I am so blessed and everything happens for a reason. The only thing I could think is to thank God. When you think about everything that happened, I don’t know how else to describe it. Coming into this, I knew everything was right. I was in the zone more than I’ve ever been, and after the first run, I knew I was going to win this thing.”

“On behalf of FNH USA, we would like to congratulate Tommy Thacker and Mark Hanish for their outstanding performance during the 3-Gun Nation Championship,” said Ken Pfau, FNH USA Senior Vice President for Commercial and Law Enforcement Sales. “Since joining Team FNH USA, both Tommy and Mark have demonstrated time and time again that they are superior marksmen. Their dedication to the sport of 3-gun contributed to their success in this final match and showcases FNH USA’s commitment to the sport of 3-gun.”

Leupold Tactical Optics and the newly launched NBC Sports Network teamed up to sponsor the $50,000
Cash Prize, the largest cash payout in the history of 3-Gun competition.

Thacker stormed out of gate with an opening round win over Phil Strader, getting off the eight-target shotgun station first before widening the gap with a strong rifle run across six steel plates. Thacker struggled on the 12-plate pistol rack before pausing for a moment, taking a breath, and regaining his composure to finish strong and advance to the semi-finals.

“I was pretty amped up for the first run,” Thacker said. “I was listening to the music trying to stay in the groove and relax. I was thinking ‘don’t let this stuff get to you. It’s a mental game now. Your skill set is not going to change.’ I played it over and over in my mind; I knew what I had to do.”

There, Thacker met up with Jeff Cramblit, a skilled 3-gun veteran who looked strong in his opening-round run. But Thacker again was dialed in and pulled ahead on a strong rifle run, building a lead he maintained through the pistol rack and on to the stop plate, setting up the Championship showdown with Hanish.

Team FNH USA's Tommy Thacker with his parents (center) and runner-up Mark Hanish (left). Photo by Patrick Kelley multigunmedia.com

For Hanish, the opening round began with a win over one of the game’s toughest young competitors, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Tyler Payne. Hanish jumped out to an early lead with a blistering shotgun run, while Payne ran his shotgun dry and was forced to reload from the staging box, helping Hanish build a huge lead early in the run. Hanish remained steady throughout the rifle and pistol arrays and was first to the stop plate to advance to the semi-finals.

There, Hanish met up against SureFire’s Mike Voigt, one of the most dominant shooters in 3-gun history. Hanish again jumped out with a fast shotgun run, while Voigt suffered a catastrophic mistake when he inadvertently left a shotgun popper standing. Not noticing the fault until after abandoning his empty shotgun and running halfway to the rifle position, Voigt scrambled back to the shotgun, made quick work with the rifle, then charged into the pistol rack at a furious pace. However, the lead was too much to overcome, as Hanish knocked over the stop plate to advance to the finals, setting up the showdown with his teammate, co-worker and friend.

Team FNH USA's Mark Hanish capped a brilliant run through the 3GN Championship with a 2nd place finish. Hanish took home $2500 Cash courtesy of Brownells as well as a brand-new Barrett MRAD Rifle with a Leupold Mark IV Optic and the BORS Sighting System. Photo by Patrick Kelley multigunmedia.com

“I was happy and excited for Mark to be there,” Thacker said. “At that point, it was win-win. I had nothing to lose. Mark was my greatest fear coming into the competition. It basically came down to what I had visualized.”

In the best-of-three final round, Thacker again looked dominating in the first bout, staying even with Hanish on shotgun and surging ahead on rifle before finishing strong on MGM’s Propeller plate rack, a wicked spinning target mechanism that tested the competitors’ accuracy and timing.

“After the first run, everything was in slow motion,” Thacker said. “When I got to the end and knocked down the stop plate on that first run, I knew I couldn’t be beat. I knew there was nothing going to stop me.”

After a brief break in the action, Thacker and Hanish again stepped to the starting box as the crowd noise began to build with each moment ramping up the anticipation. The horn screamed before each competitor hurled themselves toward the shotgun station. Hanish, as he had the entire night, leaned into the shotgun and ripped off rounds in seemingly one continuous bark of the SLP. Thacker dropped down with an FN SCAR into a barricade supported position and surgically fired Federal Tracer ammunition through the night, with fiery explosions bursting on disappearing rifle steel. And then for a moment, two Propeller plate racks spun in near slow motion before Thacker’s final plate stuck into the sand. Thacker then transitioned to the stop plate, squeezed the FNS trigger, and the bullet found it’s mark as the crowd erupted.

“When the stop plate fell on the last run and I knew that I had just become the 2012 3-Gun Nation Champion, I bowed my knee to give glory to God for my victory,” Thacker said. “Philippians 4:13 says ‘I can do all things though Christ which stregtheneth me.’ I am a true testament to that. My faith and mental preparation was the key to the victory.”

For finishing second, Hanish was awarded a Barrett MRAD rifle fitted with a Leupold scope and BORS system, along with a check for $2,500 from Brownells.

Mike Voigt's 3GN Championship run ended in a third place finish and $5,000 payday from Timney Triggers.- Photo by Patrick Kelley multigunmedia.com

Before the final run, Mike Voigt overcame a pulled leg muscle to narrowly edge out Jeff Cramblit in what was arguably the most heart-stopping bout of the night. For his third place finish, Voigt received a check for $5,000 from Timney Triggers. Cramblit’s fourth place finish netted him a $2,000 check from Stag Arms, along with a Stag Arms 3G Competition rifle.

Cramblit advanced to the semi-finals with an opening round win over Rustin Bernskoetter, one of the game’s brightest new stars. Voigt’s tournament began with a victory over Taran Butler, one of 3-gun’s most dominant Tactical Optics competitors.

For advancing to the 3-Gun Nation Championship Finale, Butler, Bernskoetter and Strader will each received a check for $2,000 from DoubleStar, while Payne earned a $2,000 payout from Shooters Connection.

The Las Vegas payouts totaled $67,500, with an additional $15,000 in product value. In all, 3-Gun Nation paid out more than $150,000 in cash prizes on the 2011-2012 3GN Tour.

The 3GN Championship Finale, sponsored by Brownells and sanctioned by NRA Sports, was the culminating event of the 2011-2012 FNH USA 3-Gun Nation Tour, Presented by SureFire. Spanning 10 major 3-gun events all across the country, more than 1,500 competitors earned scores toward the 3GN Standings. From there, the top 50 competitors qualified to the 3-Gun Nation Championship in November, a one-day Tactical Optics-only match that comprised the deepest field of 3-gun talent ever assembled. The top 16 shooters then battled in an elimination Shoot-Off, with the Final 8 advancing to the Las Vegas Rumble On the Range.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE:

• • Las Vegas Review-Journal Video
• • Las Vegas Review-Journal Photos
• • NRA Blog
• • Ammoland
• • NBC Sports Network

Bersa Thunder Ultra Compact PRO Pistol

Eagle Imports

Wanamassa, NJ –-(Ammoland.com)- Eagle Imports, Inc., importers of the popular Bersa line of firearms unveil the Bersa Thunder Ultra Compact PRO pistol series with upgraded features.

This lightweight compact, service-grade handgun, available in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP is built to perform just like its popular big brother but as a comfortable concealed carry version.Bersa UC PRO

Like the full-frame Thunder PRO, the Ultra Compact now also features an improved Browning Petter barrel locking system ensuring smooth reliable feeding and ejection. Ideal for right or left hand shooters the Thunder PRO UC Series has ambidextrous features such as the safety, slide and magazine release. Additional features such as anatomically designed polymer grips and an extended slide release all make this compact pistol one comfortable carry.

The frame is machined from a lightweight alloy with an integral Picatinny rail for the addition of tactical lights and lasers.

The Bersa Thunder Ultra Compact PRO is the perfect carry for personal protection or as a professional back-up handgun. For more information visit www.bersa.com.

Bersa Thunder UC PRO Specifications:

• Model: TPUC9 TPUC40 TPUC45
• Caliber: 9mm .40 S&W .45 ACP
• Action: DA/SA DA/SA DA/SA
• Capacity: 10+1 or 13+1 10+1 7+1
• Barrel Length: 3.25” 3.25” 3.6”
• Weight: 23 oz. 23 oz. 27 oz.
• Length: 6.5” 6.5” 6.8”
• Height: 4.75” 4.75” 5.1”
• Width: 1.45” 1.45” 1.45”
• Frame Material: Alloy
• Slide Material: Stainless Steel
• Sights: Interchangeable SIG SAUER Type
• Finish: Matte Black or Duotone

Like all of Bersa’s exceptional products, a Lifetime Service Contract comes with every Bersa BP UC Pro. See it to believe it at Bersa. Visit Eagle Imports, Inc. and Bersa at SHOT Show, January 17 – 20, 2012 at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. Booth 2610.

Wounded Warrior Josh Olson Headed to Paralympic Games

United States Army Marksmanship Unit

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --(Ammoland.com)-  Showcasing courage, determination and inspiration, USA Shooting has announced the nomination of Sgt. 1st Class Josh Olson of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit to the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Team contingent on the approval of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Olson is the first active-duty Soldier to be nominated for the Paralympic Games and first active-duty servicemember to ever be nominated to compete in shooting sports at the games.

Olson qualified for the team based on the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) two-part qualification system for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. On Jan. 15, the IPC announced that the U.S. earned a second participation slot per the minimum qualifying score (MQS) allocations. At the 2011 IPC World Cup in Sydney, Australia, Olson finished sixth in R3 (Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone). Earlier that year, he finished seventh in R6 (Mixed 50m Rifle Prone) at the IPC World Cup Alicante and eighth in R6 at the IPC World Cup USA held on Fort Benning.

Deployed to Iraq in 2003 with 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Olson was struck with a rocket-propelled grenade while on patrol, resulting in the loss of his right leg from the hip down. After spending 18 months at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Olson received his assignment to the USAMU.

During his time at the USAMU, Olson has become a pioneer and advocate for Wounded Warriors. He has led the effort to establish a Paralympic team at the unit, enabling wounded warriors deemed able to continue to serve on active duty to showcase the Army in support of recruiting and accessions while enhancing its overall combat readiness through the unit’s robust marksmanship training program.

“Sgt. 1st Class Olson is a trailblazer for our Army,” says Lt. Col. Dan Hodne, commander, USAMU. “His unique Army story speaks volumes of the notion of ‘ability’ rather than ‘disability,’ and exemplifies professional Soldiers who all must be ‘Army Strong.’”

Josh Olson

Olson is also heavily involved with “Operation Proper Exit,” where he aids other veterans recovering from injuries sustained during combat by visiting their place of injury in Iraq. In honor of his service and dedication to the country, Olson was awarded the Purple Heart from former President George W. Bush.

This is Olson’s first Paralympic Games nomination–he just missed the threshold in 2008, but has been a member of the National Paralympic Team for five years.

“I want to thank my family and friends for all the support, understanding and sacrifice; my coaches for the instruction and world-class mentorship; and finally, the U.S. Army for providing the opportunity to continue to serve and represent the USA on the world stage,” said Olson.

Consideration for the expansion of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit for Wounded Warriors deemed able to continue to serve on active duty as marksmanship instructors and Paralympic shooter/instructors is currently ongoing as part of the Army’s “Total Army Analysis.”

About USAMU:
The USAMU enhances the Army’s recruiting effort, raises the standard of the Army’s marksmanship proficiency, and supports the Army’s small arms research and development initiatives in order to raise the Army’s overall combat readiness. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, Michael.Molinaro@usaac.army.mil or www.USAMU.com.

Retired FWP employees, freed from the institutional FWP muzzle, tell that FWP-tolerated wolves are turning the Montana landscape into a biological desert...

Montana Shooting Sports Association

Missoula, MT --(Ammoland.com)- The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is reported to be running out of money because of decreased hunting license purchases, and is considering asking the Legislature for license fee increases.

This is the first obvious symptom of something known as agency “death spiral” for FWP.

Over the past two decades, FWP has come to focus on wildlife and biology, when it should have been focused on fish and game.

This includes FWP’s shocking tolerance and support for large predators. FWP’s total, willing, even eager cooperation with fostering excessive populations of large predator has long been predicted to end in a financial crash for the agency, as word unavoidably spreads that there is no game left to hunt so there is no reason to buy a license.

For too long, FWP leaders have leaned on the scales of public policy by making excuses for the devastation wrought upon game herds by large predators, by fudging game counts and census numbers, and by blaming any game population declines that could not be covered up on climate change, sunspots, lazy hunters, or aliens – anything but the truth.

This coverup culture has been fostered by senior staff, always near retirement, who knew they’d be long gone from the hot seat when the FWP financial bus blundered off a cliff.

If the overall FWP attitude had not been so Hell-bent on “ecosystem management,” “biological diversity,” “natural balance” and other similar catchy but terminal “green” ideas destined to end hunting, FWP managers would have predicted the current agency financial crisis years ago. Nobody at FWP noticed or cared several years ago when the editor of the NRA’s nationwide American Hunter magazine published a feature article about his fruitless elk hunting trip to southwest Montana, a trip where the only tracks he saw were wolf tracks. Nobody at FWP noticed or cared about the other hundreds of warnings from Montana citizens.

Worse, those warnings were even ridiculed by FWP in mad pursuit of its own elite agenda.

The stock mantra from FWP managers has been: We’re the professionals. We know best. The outcome that concerned citizens predict will never come to pass. The “evidence” of crashing game herds citizens offer is just “campfire stories” and is without merit because it doesn’t come from paid FWP “professionals.”

Yet when retired FWP employees, freed from the institutional FWP muzzle, tell that FWP-tolerated wolves are turning the Montana landscape into a “biological desert,” FWP dismisses such comments summarily.

For the last two decades, FWP has been busy digging a hole for itself. As it sees daylight disappearing around the edges of the hole, it still won’t quit digging.

Of course, the obvious solution for the bureaucratic-bound and reality-disconnected FWP will be to announce,

“We’ve been managing wildlife for the general public (including the non-Montana public) for years. Now we need the general public to pay the bills.”

FWP has so fouled its nest by wasting the Montana hunting resource on predators and inadvisably removing hunters from the economic equation that it will now go to the Legislature asking for relief, including increased fees that hunters simply won’t pay to access a vanishing resource, and, ultimately, asking for tax increases on the general taxpayer seeking a bailout from the results of its bad decisions.

You can bet that when FWP approaches the Legislature demanding an allowance increase as a reward for having flunked Econ 101, MSSA and thousands of Montana hunters will be there to say “Absolutely no way.” FWP has not only ignored the many warnings from Montana hunters, it has mocked and disrespected them. Also ignoring a state law requiring it to control large predators to protect game herds, FWP has bulled its way down a path surrounded with warning signs.

What FWP needs is not more or alternate sources of money, but a total change in attitude and culture. Until that happens, let FWP starve! It is not serving Montana.

About Montana Shooting Sports Association:
MSSA is the primary political advocate for Montana gun owners. Visit: www.mtssa.org

Media Day at the Range, SHOT Show 2012

Guns & Tactics Magazine

Las Vegas, NV --(Ammoland.com)- Guns & Tactics Magazine presents a recap of Media Day at the Range for SHOT Show 2012.

Filmed on location at Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club in Boulder City, Nevada.

Featuring: 5.11 Tactical, Armalite Inc., Beretta USA, Caracal, Core 15, Dodge, EOTech, Franchi, KRISS, Predator Tactical, RAAC Firearms, SAR Arms, SWORD International, Springfield Armory, Steyr Arms, Strike Mark Targets, Surefire, and Sweden Entry Tools.

Starring:

• R. Lee Ermey
• Matt Burkett
• Evan McNamara
• Chris Spears
• Rob Leatham
• Jae Gillentine
• Brian Martin
• Joshua Haarbrink
• Paulo Rubio

To inquire about a video production project for your brand or business, simply send us a message at www.gunsandtactics.com

Wilson Combat Develops Match-Grade Custom AR-15 Barrels

Wilson Combat

Berryville, AR --(Ammoland.com)- Wilson Combat, a leader in AR-15 parts, rifles and accessories since 1999 announces a line-up of custom, match-grade AR-15 barrels in numerous, popular calibers and multiple profile configurations geared towards the amateur or professional AR-builder alike.

Wilson Combat is quickly becoming the recognized leader in high quality custom AR barrels and now we have over 40 different variations of barrels that span 6 popular calibers that are sure to meet the needs of your AR project.

Whether you are punching holes in paper, hunting or building rifles for tactical applications, we have a match-quality barrel that can take your AR accuracy and reliability to a new level of performance.

Wilson Combat Match Grade AR-15 barrels are precisely crafted of the finest American-made 416R rifle rated steel on computer-controlled equipment to our exacting list of technical specifications. These proven barrels feature a hand-polished bore and feedramps and then complete a rigorous final inspection process that ensures your new barrel will meet your most demanding expectations.

All barrels feature crisp CNC markings, precision target grade muzzle crown and a chamber and gas port optimized for long-term reliability. Barrels are available conventionally or polygonal rifled in several configurations.

Starting at $249.95, All Wilson Combat AR barrels are available in a matte bead-blasted stainless finish or your color choice of our famed Armor-Tuff® finish. Barrels are available in .204 Ruger, .223 Wylde, 5.56 NATO, 6.8 SPC-II, .300 Blackout and 7.62X40 Wilson Tactical calibers.

Wilson Combat Custom AR-15 Barrels

Learn more about our array of AR-15 barrels and our complete line of custom handgun and long gun parts and accessories at www.wilsoncombat.com.

GSG-9 Handgun

American Tactical Imports

ROCHESTER, NY –-(Ammoland.com)- American Tactical Imports, a worldwide importer of firearms, has unveiled the list of new products for 2012 that will debut at SHOT Show.

ATI’s unparalleled collection of new products is sure to please every attendee at the show—offering everything from rifles to handguns, historic firearms to AR parts, ammo to accessories and much, much more. There will even be a celebrity appearance at this exhibit.

Launching two new models in the popular GSG brand, a new ATI line of rifles and handguns in 9mm, .45 ACP and .22lr, there are firearms here for every application. With so much to offer, the ATI booth has quickly become THE must-stop destination for the 2012 SHOT Show.

Make room in your schedule to spend some time at booth # 16538 to see what ATI is bringing to the table. And if you have registered for Media Day at the Range, you will be among the first few shooters to try these new products out.

Here’s a look at what you can expect to see:

ATI-15 Rifles
ATI has partnered with Head Down Products of Powder Springs, Georgia to offer a full selection of hi-end billet rifles as well as a more economical forged rifle selection, all loaded with industry leading technology and features. Available in two configurations—the HDX and Scout models.

GSG-9 Handgun Suppressed

GSG-9
The GSG-9 handgun will be the first of its kind in the GSG lineup. It has a barrel length of 3 7/16 in, an overall length of 7 inches and a height of 5 ½ inches. The frame is constructed of Zamak-5 zinc alloy. The GSG-9 is chambered in .22 lr and weighs 31 oz. It has an ambidextrous safety, threaded barrel, Tac rail, and front and rear slide serrations for better grip.

GSG STG-44
The German Sport Guns .22LR STG-44 is the newest addition to the exciting line of GSG firearms. Designed to precisely imitate the WWII Sturmgewehr, the GSG STG-44 features a weight of 9.5lbs, a 17” barrel, an overall length of 37” and real solid wood furniture. It is available with 10 or 25 round capacity magazines.

FX45 Thunderbolt SS and Thunderbolt E 1911s
The FX Series from American Tactical gives you performance well past the price and the Thunderbolt is no exception. Every FX Thunderbolt already includes the following premium features: adjustable 3-dot combat sights, ambidextrous safety, aggressive grip checkering, beveled magazine well, tactical accessory rail, compensated barrel (blued only). Now you can choose the Thunderbolt Enhanced with barrel porting for less felt recoil and quicker follow up shots, or the Thunderbolt Stainless with all the great original features but in a corrosion resistant SS finish.

ATI Thunderbolt Enhanced 1911

ATI fxTH-Stainless 1911

FMK 9C2 LE Compact Pistol
The new FMK 9C2 LE Pistol has been engineered considering the special needs of Law Enforcement personnel. The slide features a tactical matte finish to reduce reflection. It uses a standard dovetail design for the included 3-dot or fiber optic sights, which can be interchanged with any standard after-market product. The 9C2 LE also incorporates a lightweight fast-action trigger with a drop-free magazine for speed loading. The barrel is engineered to sit low for superior point-and-shoot accuracy and reduced muzzle flip.

Ted Nugent Brand Hi-Performance Hunting Ammunition
Pierce Munitions, LLC of Buffalo, NY has entered an exclusive agreement to manufacture the high performance hunting ammunition for avid hunter and music legend Ted Nugent. The Ted Nugent Brand will be available for retail distribution exclusively through American Tactical Imports, Rochester, NY. Ted Nugent will be appearing at ATI’s booth #16538 at SHOT Show in promotion of the new ammo.

The Nugent Brand will offer the most popular calibers of hunting ammunition. They plan to produce handgun hunting ammunition in .357 magnum, 10mm, 44 magnum and 45 Long Colt as well as various hunting rifle ammunition from the .223, 308, 30-30, 243, 30-06, 270, 300 Win Mag and the 50 cal. BMG. Each caliber will be available with various projectile options.

ATI Omni Lower Receiver
The Omni is a multi caliber, reinforced polymer AR15 lower. It is designed after a mil-spec lower and is compatible with current AR15 lower parts kits. It will come in either a stripped lower variety or a complete lower assembly including stock and parts kit. The Omni should be available starting in early Spring 2012 with MSRP of $129.95.

Tac-Grip products
Tac-Grip tactical grip enhancers were designed for military and law enforcement use to enhance the grip for weapon control and retention in adverse conditions. They apply easily over factory grip plates and are available for AK47, AR-15 and many popular models of Beretta, Glock and HK firearms.

Dealer Accessory Display Rack
The rack is stocked with over 15 types of ATI accessories and includes 3 each of the following: the AR Wrench, Folding Rear Sight for AR-15, claw style scope mount for GSG-5, AR-15 carry handle, M4 Quad Rail, Fixed Rear Sight, Tactical Accessory Kit, Vertical Folding Grip, Offset 45 Degree Rail Mount, Aluminum Vertical Grip, 91/30 Accessory Kit, Rail MT QD Sling Adaptor, Rail MT Sling Adaptor with Bipod MT, flip up front and rear sight combo, flip up front sight and the rubber buttpad for M4 stock & AR-15/M16.

Rack and fixtures are included. This package has a total MSRP value of $1864.95. Products are subject to change, stop by ATI’s booth # 16538 for more information and dealer pricing.

B&D Launchers with Adaptor
B&D launchers are made of 6061 aircraft grade aluminum and 4140 hardened steel. They can handle 37mm ammunition including flares, smoke and pyrotechnic rounds for civilian use and batons, CS gas, rubber pellets and other less-than-lethal options for law enforcement and military. As of 2012, all launchers purchased will also include the 26.5 mm adaptor.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see these products first-hand at the 2012 SHOT Show. Come by ATI’s booth #16538 to see the industry’s best new products.

For more information regarding this product available from American Tactical Imports, please visit www.americantactical.us

Barrett MRAD Rifle

Barrett Firearms

Murfreesboro, TN --(Ammoland.com)- Barrett, a company world renown for providing high-end firearms, optics, ammunition and training, is honored once more with a Golden Bullseye Award from an NRA Publication.

In 2010, the Barrett Model 98B was named the American Rifleman, Rifle of the Year. Now for 2012, Shooting Illustrated honors the new Barrett MRAD bolt action .338 Lapua Magnum rifle with the same prestigious title.

Winners are chosen by a seven-member committee consisting of editors, graphic designers and veteran NRA Publications staff, representing more than a century of collective experience in shooting and hunting for the purpose of acknowledging the finest products available in shooting sports.

Barrett MRAD Multi-Role Adaptive Design Long-Range Rifle

To qualify for consideration for a Golden Bullseye Award, the MRAD met the following criteria:

• Recently introduced and available to consumers prior to the selection for the Golden Bullseye Awards
• Used/tested by a staff member or regular contributor to the magazine and/or affiliated media
• Reliable in the field, meeting or exceeding the evaluator’s expectations
• Innovative in design and function•Readily perceived as a value to the purchaser
• Styled in a manner befitting the shooting and hunting industry, and perhaps more importantly, its enthusiasts

“The Golden Bullseye Award honors our winners for bringing to market products remarkable in their utility to shooters and hunters,” said Joe H. Graham, Executive Director of NRA Publications. “The award is a symbol of excellence and innovation in firearms, accessories and related equipment.”

The MRAD offers a more portable marksmanship solution capable beyond 1500 yards. Additionally, the MRAD is the Barrett submission for SOCOM’s Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) Program in which the MRAD meets or exceeds all of the key thresholds proposed and has caught the attention of discerning clients who appreciate this rifle’s ultimate accuracy and operational enhancements. The MRAD follows in the tradition of the Barrett M107, where durability and ruggedness meet precision and accuracy.

Barrett will be presented with the Golden Bullseye Award for 2012’s Rifle of the Year at the 2012 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday, April 13th, 2012. In addition to the trophy, the Barrett MRAD will be featured in an editorial overview of the Golden Bulleye Awards in the April issue of American Rifleman and American Hunter and the May issue of Shooting Illustrated.

Barrett is a family owned and operated company specializing in .50 BMG rifles. Barrett manufactures rifles, ammunition, optics and other related accessories for civilian sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military and over 63 foreign allied militaries worldwide. For more information please go to barrett.net/press or contact the above listed.

First ever Krink AK Pistol available in the United States

K-VAR

Las Vegas, NV --(Ammoland.com)- K-VAR announces the first ever Krink AK Pistol available in the United States!

This Arsenal Bulgaria 5.56 NATO caliber Pistol has never been in the US before and will be on display at K-VAR’s booth.

K-VAR now has the VEPR available for distribution.
The VEPR comes from the famous Molot factory in Russia and will be available in multiple calibers and in three Styles, The VEPR, The Super VEPR and the Pioneer VEPR. These high quality and accuracy of these rifles are well known.

K-VAR now has the VEPR Rifles for sale in the USA

Zastava Rifles and Pistols are now at K-VAR
Zastava of Serbia has a 160 year history and are famous for the manufacture of the Mauser Bolt action rifle. K-VAR now carries the hunting rifles based on the Mauser bolt action. We have 29 different styles and calibers ranging from .22 caliber all the way up to the “big boy” 458 caliber. We also carry 4 Zastava Pistols

Zastava Rifles and Pistols are now at K-VAR

K-VAR is now provides the largest assortment of AK style rifles in the United States!!
AK rifles from Arsenal of Bulgaria, Saiga rifles from Izhmash of Russia, VEPR from Molot of Russia and Arsenal Inc with rifles made right here In Las Vegas gives K-VAR the bragging rights for the largest assortment you can fine of high quality, factory warrantied AK rifles.

Visit our booth #11218 on the second floor of the Sands Convention Center.

About us
K-VAR Corp. is the largest supplier of Brand New, Quality AK-47 and AK-74 parts and accessories in the United States. All our spare parts are Brand New, authentic, and factory matched for stamped or milled receivers. As you know, the incredible design of the AK makes it a cinch to interchange parts with other AK variants. Visit: www.k-var.com

HK45 Compact Tactical Pistol

Heckler & Koch

Las Vegas, NV --(Ammoland.com)- The HK45 Compact Tactical builds on the tough, military lineage of the Heckler & Koch HK45 series of handguns to devise the ultimate operator’s pistol.

The HK45 pistol series (compact and full-size models) were chosen as the first firearms made at HK’s American manufacturing facility so it is only fitting that a modified variant would be adopted as the new pistol of a major U.S. special operations unit.

The HK45 Compact Tactical (CT) is the closest a civilian can get to that military pistol.

The HK45 CT comes standard with a threaded barrel, 10-round magazine with extended floorplate, and replaceable grip panels to adjust the feel and grip circumference of the pistol to suit individual hand size and shooting preferences.

The HK45 pistol series were originally developed as candidates for the U.S. military’s next generation handgun competition so there is little wonder that the HK45 CT is so well-suited for military, law enforcement, and security use. An HK proprietary internal mechanical recoil reduction system reduces the recoil forces effecting the weapon and shooter by as much as 30%, improving shooter control during rapid firing and prolonging component service life. An “O-ring” barrel means better slide-to-barrel lockup and enhanced accuracy.

The HK45 Compact Tactical uses all HK45 magazines, from 10-rounders to the smaller 8-round magazine. A Picatinny MIL-STD-1913 rail for mounting lights and accessories is molded into the polymer frame of the HK45 Compact Tactical.

The HK45CT can also be converted to nine different kinds of trigger firing modes including HK’s enhanced double action only “LEM” (Law Enforcement Modification) mode and the “decock only” mode found on its special operations counterpart. Suggested retail price ranges from $1,392 to $1,461 (depending on trigger firing mode selected).

About:
Heckler & Koch is the world’s premier small arms systems company and a major supplier to global military, law enforcement agencies, and civilian shooters. An international company with a manufacturing presence in Germany and the USA, Heckler & Koch is a transformative leader in design and manufacturing. Heckler & Koch provides technologically advanced firearms, logistical support, training, and specialized services with the highest standards of innovation and reliability to its customer base. Heckler & Koch’s well-known range of products include the USP series pistols, MP5 submachine gun, the MP7 Personal Defense Weapon, the G36 weapon system, HK416 rifles and carbines, and the recently introduced HK45 and P30 series pistols. US WEBSITE: www.hk-usa.com

BARRETT Thirtieth Anniversary One of One Tribute Rifle

Barrett Firearms

Murfreesboro, TN --(Ammoland.com)- A lifetime of accolades paves the way for Barrett’s thirtieth year in 2012.

Currently, seventy-three allied governments have accepted Barrett Products, however, Barrett is best known for their flagship rifle, the Model 82A1 (.50 caliber) which was adopted by the U.S. Army as the M107.

To celebrate their 30th year Barrett has crafted a one-of-a-kind rifle patterned after their new M107A1 .50 caliber. The rifle glows deep silver from its completely nickel teflon coating. Barrett will announce their special plans for this tribute rifle later this year.

The humble beginnings of Barrett are just as unique as their products. Ronnie Barrett, a twenty-seven-year-old making his living as a professional photographer, was inspired to make his own shoulder-fired .50 caliber rifle while photographing a gunboat for a client. With no engineering education, Ronnie Barrett hand-drew, what he believed would one day be a working firearm.

Being a longtime gun enthusiast and having a general understanding of how firearms worked was just enough to get things started. With help from a couple of friends with machining experience, this dream may have never left Ronnie’s gravel-floor garage.

In the past thirty years, Barrett has branched out and become known for not only firearms but also ammunition, optic accessories and training. Currently, U.S. and international commercial markets, Law Enforcement agencies and over 73 friendly governments have accepted Barrett products.

Barrett is still privately held by Ronnie and has been joined by his son, Chris, and daughter, Angela, who also play key roles in making sure the Barrett legend continues to grow.

BARRETT Thirtieth Anniversary One of One Tribute Rifle

About:
Barrett is a family-owned and operated company specializing in high performance rifle systems and accessories. Barrett manufactures rifles, ammunition, optics, and other related accessories for civilian sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and over 63 foreign allied militaries worldwide. For more information, go to www.barrett.net.

Colt Defense Modular Multi-Caliber LE901-16S Rifle

Colt Defense

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. --(Ammoland.com)- Colt Defense LLC, one of the world’s leading designers, developers, and manufacturers of rifles and carbines, will bring to market the highly anticipated LE901-16S modular, multi-caliber rifle.

The Colt LE901-16S was built with both the tactical professional and modern sportsman in mind.

This rifle will be offered in black, with other finishes available later in the year, and has superior accuracy. This modular rifle can be easily changed from .308 Winchester (7.62×51 NATO) chambering to .223 Remington (5.56×45 NATO).

“This is an exceptional rifle for a wide variety of shooters due to the interchangeability in caliber,” said David Ridley, Vice President of Colt Defense, LLC, “With a simple swap of the upper receiver shooters can switch to the caliber they need for the shot they want to achieve.”

In the classic .308 Winchester (7.62×51 NATO), the LE901-16S is chambered perfectly for a tactical professional’s sniper shot, civilian shooters’ target practice or a hunter’s big-game shot. With a simple swap of the upper receiver and buffer system, this versatile rifle’s chambering can be changed to .223 Remington (5.56×45 NATO) and transition into a law enforcement officer’s tactical weapon of choice or a small game hunter’s standard carry.

The Colt LE901-16S rifle weighs only 9.4 pounds and measures 37.5 inches with the stock extended. It has an effective range distance of 700 meters and a rate of fire between 700 and 950 rounds per minute when configured for .308. Exceptional accuracy comes by way of the free floated, 16-inch, chrome-lined barrel and one-piece monolithic upper receiver.

All operating controls on the LE901-16S are ambidextrous, including the magazine release, bolt catch and fire control selector. The monolithic rail covers the fore end and is suitable for mounting the shooter’s choice accessory in addition to the back up iron sight (BUIS) offered standard on the rifle. The LE901-16S features a black Vltor buttstock and comes with two black 20-round Magpul PMAGs.

Colt Defense Modular Multi-Caliber LE901-16S Rifle

With its simplicity of use and versatile chambering, Colt Defense’s LE901-16S is a prime weapon choice for tactical operations, big-game hunting, and small-game shots.

About Colt Defense LLC
Colt Defense LLC is one of the world’s leading designers, developers and manufacturers of small arms weapons systems. The Company has supplied rifles and carbines to military, law enforcement and individual customers throughout the world for 175 years. Our subsidiary, Colt Canada Corporation, is the Canadian government’s Center of Excellence for small arms and is the Canadian military’s sole supplier of the C7 rifle and C8 carbine. The Company maintains manufacturing facilities in West Hartford, Connecticut and Kitchener, Ontario. For more information on Colt Defense LLC and its subsidiaries please visit www.colt.com.

SIG Sauer Adaptive Carbine Platform

SIG SAUER

EXETER, NH --(Ammoland.com)- The SIG SAUER Adaptive Carbine Platform (ACP) allows any handgun with an accessory rail to be quickly modifi ed into a personal defense weapon or carbine style firearm.

Regardless of the brand, most pistols equipped with an accessory rail can be mounted to the ACP without the need for modification to the base gun.

Fabricated from solid aircraft-grade aluminum, the ACP sports M1913 rails at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions with a full-length top rail at the 12 o’clock position. Compatible accessories such as lights, red dot sights and lasers can be mounted for additional functionality.

The ACP brings Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) features to almost any handgun.

The ACP offers law enforcement or executive protection that are looking for the quick deployment of a carbine or SMG, but with the controllability of a handgun, the ACP offers everything in one package. An integral hand stop permits the user to get a forward grip without the danger of covering the muzzle. The integral quick-detachable sling mounts allow an ACP-equipped pistol to be carried on a sling for fast access.

The new SIG SAUER ACP allows the shooter access to the pistol’s frame mounted controls, providing an easy training transition and familiar manual of arms. The ACP is also compatible with most sound suppressors.

The ACP is available in three models:

• BASIC ACP – This basic model allows for fast, easy conversion and works with most railed pistols.
• ACP-Enhanced – The Enhanced version includes the new SIG SAUER MIL-GRADE Mini Red Dot Sight, a quick detachable sling swivel and a Single Point Bungee Sling.
• ACP-LE – This National Firearms Act-regulated military/law enforcement model features a top folding shoulder stock. Civilian purchasers must comply with the requirements for registering a short-barreled rifle.

FEATURES

• Machined from Aircraft-Grade Aluminum
• Swappable Folding Charging Handle (Left or Right)
• M1913 Top Rail with Three Additional Rail Sections at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock
• Designed to Work with Railed SIG SAUER Handguns and Most Railed Pistols
• Easily Insert and Remove your Handgun into a Long-Range Stabilized Platform
• Accepts 1913 Compatible Accessories Such as Optics, Lights and Lasers
• Shooter Retains Full Access to all of the Host Pistol Controls
• Integral Hand Stop and Quick-Disconnect Sling Swivel
• Compatible with Most Suppressors
• ACP – LAW ENFORCEMENT PLATFORM
• ACP – ENHANCED PLATFORM
• BASIC ADAPTIVE CARBINE PLATFORM

Click the video for more information on this exciting new pistol accessory that allows any handgun with an accessory rail to be quickly modified into a personal defense weapon or carbine style firearm.

Click HERE to view the SIG SAUER ACP – Adaptive Carbine Platform in action.

About SIG SAUER, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is the largest member of a worldwide business group of firearms manufacturers that includes J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Blaser GmbH in Germany and Swiss Arms AG in Switzerland. This global network of companies gives SIG SAUER a world-class firearms knowledge base, unparalleled design expertise, and extensive manufacturing capacity, enabling the company to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions and the needs of its military, law enforcement, and commercial markets worldwide. SIG SAUER is an ISO 9001: 2000 certified company with over 370 employees.

Taurs 25PLY Pistol

Taurus Firearms

Miami, FL –-(Ammoland.com)- Taurus is revolutionizing concealed carry with the 22PLY and 25PLY. These new compacts are extremely small and lightweight.

The Taurus 22PLY and 25PLY in polymer frames make the already light guns into super-light guns weighing only 10.8 oz.

Both models feature a blowback action and tip-up barrel design for the added convenience of not having to rack the gun before shooting. The reverse fish-scale serrations on the slide add to the sleek look of the gun.

The extended magazine base and full body contouring provides a larger, improved and more comfortable grip. The trigger guard is designed for added finger purchases.

The magazine release is conveniently located on the trigger guard for quick changes. Taurus is constantly mindful of safety and has incorporated the magazine disconnect and a manual safety on the 22PLY and 25PLY.

22/25 PLY Specs

• Caliber: .22 LR or .25 ACP
• Action: DAO
• Frame: Polymer Frame with Steel inserts
• Barrel: Tip-Up barrel (for convenience and safety)
• Finish: Matte Black or Stainless Steel
• Sights: Front/Rear –Fixed
• Weight: 10.8 oz.
• Capacity: 8+1 (.22 LR) or 9+1 (.25 ACP) Overall
• Length: 4.8” Grips: Polymer

Taurs 22PLY Pistol

About Taurus:
Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc. is proud to be the U.S. importer of all Taurus brand firearms manufactured in Brazil and to be the manufacturer of the model PT-22, PT-25, PT-732 and PT-738 pistols made here in the US. Taurus International services all Taurus brand firearms under the LIFETIME REPAIR POLICY as well. For additional information about Taurus, visit www.taurususa.com. High-resolution images are available at www.taurusdownloads.com.

Armalite AR50-A1 Rifle

ArmaLite Inc

Geneseo, IL – -(Ammoland.com)- ArmaLite, Inc. is pleased to announce that its new 2012 catalog is now available on line:. http://tiny.cc/dtc4o

The new catalog features the latest in ArmaLite’s fine quality firearms and accessories including many new third party items from top level manufacturers like MAGPUL and TRIJICON.

You may also order a hard copy of the ArmaLite catalog by calling 800-336-0184 or by visiting http://tiny.cc/omgnt and following the instructions.

Armalite Arms 2012 Catalog

About:
ArmaLite has one of the broadest product lines in the firearms industry. We manufacture and sell semiautomatic rifles in a variety of calibers including 5.56mm and 7.62mm, long range super-accurate bolt action rifles in calibers including .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua, and 50 BMG, and classic 9mm pistols.Visit: www.armalite.com

Free Americans Buy 10,800,000+ Guns in 2011 ~ Message Don't 'F' with USA

AmmoLand Gun News

Manasquan, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Recent statistics released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) report that for nineteen straight months, and that includes all of 2011, American men & women bought over 10,800,000 plus firearms.

This number based on the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System, better know as NICS, and is the adjusted NICS data derived by the NSSF research division subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks used by several states such as Kentucky, Iowa and Utah for carrying concealed weapon (CCW) permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases.

The final number, of 10,800,000, is considered conservative by experts because the this number does not account for the multiple purchase of guns at the same time or the guns bought and sold legally, person to person by US residents, which rightly so, do not require a back ground check.

Ten Million new gun owners, in just 2011, should be a wake up call to our current President who continues to play dumb that his hate of bible clinging, gun toting American Values, like hunting & owning guns will not be tolerated. His and Eric Holder’s “under the radar” plan to sell guns to evil Mexican Gun Cartels in an effort to set up the Second Amendment as the fall guy now has ten million people angry at him.

If just one current Presidential candidate (Ron Paul aside..) could prove his sworn support for the Second Amendment, and the constitution for that matter, and rally our forces behind him he would be swept into the white house on a massive wave of support. Can you, lol.. say Ted Nugent?

So what does 10,800,000 look like?
The guns purchased by American men & women in 2011 is more than one gun for every active duty military member in the worlds fourteen largest armies combined.

• Russia     Russian Federation    1,027,000
• North Korea 1,106,000
• South Korea 687,000
• Vietnam 455,000
• India 1,325,000
• China 2,285,000
• Iran 523,000
• United States 1,468,364
• Republic of China 290,000
• Brazil 327,710
• Pakistan 617,000
• Egypt 468,500
• Cuba 49,000
• Ukraine    129,925
• Above Total = 10,758,499
• *Source Wikipedia: http://tiny.cc/tl4d8

If you assume an average length of each gun as two feet that would be 4090 miles of guns.  That is fourteen times the length of the Grand Canyon and all most twice as long as the Mississippi River and 17,280 times higher than the Empire State Building.

I could not find a picture of 10,800,000 guns but here is what 10,800,000 firecrackers look like:

Hello, I am an Ammo Horder?
So let assume each new gun owner buys 2000 rounds of Ammo (a single brick of 22lr is 500 rounds and my kids can burn that up in an afternoon) , times that by our conservative estimate of 10,800,000 firearms your get 21,600,000,000…that is Billion with a “B”.

That is a lot of lead and other raw materials and you wonder why we are paying so much for Ammo these days? And I see no let up in sight because if you are like me you think to yourself that when the liberal news media reports that some guy is stopped at the airport with “1000 Rounds on him”.. that dude was almost out of ammo?

Ammunition retailer Frank Brownell of Brownells.com, predicts “[2012] will most assuredly be another year for the growth of ammunition sales. An astronomical year of ammunition sales” .

This is the one sector of our national economy that I would agree to a Federal Stimulus package, maybe each US family can get a tax credit to purchase 10,000 rounds of ammo as a part of emergency preparedness program.

Speaking of America Industry
American gun manufacturing is one of the first and last great US industries.

It was Eli Whitney, yeah the guy who made the cotton gin, who was one of the first manufacturers in the world to carry out standardization of manufactured parts.

As early as 1798, Eli Whitney had turned his talents to the manufacture of firearms. He had established his machine shops at Whitneyville, near New Haven, CT and it was there that he worked out the principle of standardization or interchangeable parts.

Standardization is the foundation of all large-scale production. Manufacturers produce separately many copies of every part of a complicated machine like firearms on an assembly line. Standardization also allowed current owners of guns to order and replace any broken or lost part, taking it for granted that the new part would fit easily and precisely into the place of the old.

In effect the manufacture of firearms is the spark that brought to life American Manufacturing and it is that same industry today that still makes almost all its products in the USA, using raw materials, machinist and labor to turn out some of the best made products on earth, namely Guns. Guns made by American workers in American factories for American consumers.

Guns and Freedom
Guns and gun ownership represent the core of elements of freedom and of the constitution. Without the Second Amendment there would be no protection for all the other god given rights we are reminded of in our Bill of Rights. Just as we teach our children the value of voting or free speech we should also be teaching them.. get ready, aim and fire, repeat.

I am glad to see so many of my fellow Americans decided to exercise their right to keep and bear arms over the last year and I hope we continue to see record growth in gun ownership in the year to come. America, Hell Yeah!

Santa Deliverers 1.5 Million Firearms For Christmas

AmmoLand Gun News

Washington DC - -(Ammoland.com)- Making a Christmas list is always fun.

And I remember as a kid listing things in order, putting the gift I would most like Santa to bring at the top of list.

One year that was a bicycle, another year a certain type of BB gun, and another year a video game system.

Throughout other years the number one gift request varied but was always the one thing on my list I went to bed dreaming about on Christmas Eve. And although such is to be expected of a child, it seems that a lot of adults now go to bed on Christmas Eve dreaming of what Santa might bring them as well: especially when the number one thing on their list is a Walther .380 or a Glock model 27 or a Springfield XD subcompact 9mm, all of which are splendid guns for concealed carry permit holders.

As a matter of fact, judging from sales receipts and FBI reports regarding sales for December 2011, it seems that Santa delivered at least 1.5 million firearms for Christmas.

Not only is this news in light of the fact that it required the FBI to do a record setting number of background checks in a month – 1.5 million in December alone – but also because it continues to highlight what has been a growing trend among people of all walks of life: namely, folks are less and less trustful of government’s ability to keep them safe.

In early December I had a post on Big Government in which I pointed out gun sales on black Friday had already shattered records. On that day alone, the FBI had done 126,166 background checks for firearms sales. Moreover, an obvious trend on that day was the growing number of women interested in firearms for personal protection. My observation then, which has not changed now, was that the freaks who have been paraded out in Obama’s #OccupyWallStreet movement, the blatant civil unrest that has been fed by Obama’s ongoing class warfare rhetoric, and the violence (sexual and otherwise) that has marked both has reminded us that our safety rests in our own hands. As a result, a growing number of women who want to be safe scratched clothing off the number spot on their Christmas lists and instead wrote “a Smith & Wesson BODYGUARD .38 Special” or “a Sig Sauer P238 .380.”

Of course men bought and received the lion’s share of guns for Christmas, and outside of hunters, the majority of these sales were driven by the same concern – personal safety. After all, what better way to keep yourself and your family safe than to have a firearm that can be used to repel and if need to be, to kill, a household intruder, carjacker, or other criminal who is intent on doing harm to you?

Therefore, when all was said and done Dec. 23 became the second largest single day for gun sales (second only to black Friday) with 102,222 background checks performed.

A timely example of how this return to taking responsibility for our own lives played out right before my eyes over the Christmas break. I was fortunate to go shooting with a couple of friends, a husband and a wife, and the wife had never shot a gun before in her life. The husband had purchased a Ruger .380 LCP, a Glock model 27, and a Smith & Wesson Governor revolver. We shot each weapon repeatedly until Mary settled on the one she was most comfortable operating.

As we were packing up her husband said: “Okay, this gun will be in your nightstand, ready to go if anyone breaks in when I’m not home.”

America is the land of the free, and that freedom was exemplified on Christmas as Santa did his part in bringing us guns we can keep and bear for self-defense.

AWR Hawkins

About:
AWR Hawkins writes for all the BIG sites, for Pajamas Media, for RedCounty.com, for Townhall.com and now AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.

His southern drawl is frequently heard discussing his take on current events on radio shows like America’s Morning News, the G. Gordon Liddy Show, the Ken Pittman Show, and the NRA’s Cam & Company, among others. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal (summer 2010), and he holds a PhD in military history from Texas Tech University.

If you have questions or comments, email him at awr@awrhawkins.com. You can find him on facebook at www.facebook.com/awr.hawkins.

Ruger SR22 Pistol

Ruger Firearms

Southport, CT --(Ammoland.com)- Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to announce the new Ruger SR22 pistol, the do-it-all .22 pistol for the shooter who appreciates style and demands reliability.

The SR22 is a rugged, scaled-down version of a full-sized pistol, perfect for plinking, target shooting and small game hunting. The lightweight SR22 has modern styling and is fun to shoot while using inexpensive rimfire ammunition.

“Ruger has built a solid reputation for excellence in rimfire pistols with the Mark III™ and 22/45™ product families, and the new SR22 will contribute positively to that reputation,” said Chris Killoy, Ruger Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“This pistol is feature-packed and an incredible value – consumers won’t find a similar product with everything the SR22 offers at a comparable price. It functions with all types of .22 LR ammunition for extreme reliability; once rimfire enthusiasts pick it up, they won’t want to put it down,” he concluded.

The SR22 has light double-action and crisp single-action trigger pulls. Its external hammer is designed with a rounded spur for easy cocking and single-action shooting.

The SR22 features a polymer frame and two interchangeable (no tools required) rubberized grips with angled serrations, allowing shooters to select either a slim or wider palm swell option.

The aerospace-grade aluminum slide has serrations on both front and rear for better grip and slide manipulation. The easy-to-use underside Picatinny rail features multiple cross slots for variable mounting of most popular accessories.

Ruger SR22 Pistol

The 3-dot sight system has a fixed front sight and a rear sight that is adjustable for both windage and elevation. A reversible blade allows shooters to select two white dots or a solid black blade.

Other SR22 features include a stainless steel replaceable barrel, an ambidextrous manual thumb safety/decocking lever, ambidextrous magazine release, plus a visual inspection port to determine the load status of the pistol. The SR22 includes two finger grip extension floorplates that can be added to the magazine for comfort and grip. Each SR22 is also shipped with two 10-round magazines and a soft case.

Ruger SR22 Pistol

For more information on the new SR22 pistol chambered in .22 LR, or to learn more about the extensive line of award-winning Ruger firearms, visit Ruger.com or Facebook.com/Ruger. To find accessories for the SR22 or other Ruger firearms, visit ShopRuger.com.

Taurus 445 Ultra Light Revolver

Taurus Firearms

MIAMI --(Ammoland.com)- Miami, FL –-(Ammoland.com)- Taurus, a leader in the innovation and manufacturing of firearms, announces the availability of their new 405 Revolver and 445 Ultra-Lite Revolver.

The 405, Taurus’ first revolver chambered in .40 S&W, features a lightweight frame that weighs just 29 ounces. Included with the 405 Revolver are stellar clips for quick and easy loading and unloading.

The new 445 Ultra-Lite answers the call for a revolver in the popular .44 Special round. The 445 features an Ultra-Lite frame that weighs only 22 ounces. This lightweight revolver is an aggressive wheel-gun that delivers superior accuracy and stopping power without the heft or bulk of most large caliber revolvers.

Each revolver’s barrel measure 2 inches, with an overall length of 7 inches. Both 5-shot revolvers are available in a blue or matte stainless finish and are outfitted with Taurus’ exclusive Ribber Grips that reduce felt recoil and ensure a more positive hold.

Like all Taurus firearms the 405 Revolver and 445 Ultra-Lite come standard with the unique onboard Taurus Security System® that allows users to securely lock the gun using an inconspicuous key-lock.

405 Revolver

• .40 S&W
• SA/DA
• Medium Frame Revolver
• 2 inch
• 7 inch
• Blue or Matte Stainless
• Fixed
• Ribber Grip
• 29 oz.
• $477-$523

445 Ultr a-Light

• Caliber:.44 Special
• Action:SA/DA
• Frame:Medium Frame Ultra-Lite
• Barrel Length: 2 inch
• Overall Length: 7 inch
• Finish:Blue or Matte Stainless
• Sights:Fixed
• Grips:Ribber Grip
• Weight: 22 oz.
• MSRP:$508-$539

Taurus 405 Revolver Stainless Steel

About Taurus:
Beginning as a small tool manufacturer in Porto Alegre, Brazil more than sixty years ago, Forjas Taurus, S.A. has become a diversified, international company celebrating its resounding success as one of the world’s leading small arms manufacturers. In 1941 the company produced its first revolver, and in 1984 changed the industry forever by offering customers an unqualified LIFETIME REPAIR POLICY™, posting record growth every year since. Taurus brand firearms manufactured by Forjas Taurus are imported into the U.S. and serviced by Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc. For additional information about Taurus, visit www.taurususa.com. High-resolution images are available at www.taurusdownloads.com.

NJ2AS Operation Establish Compliance Records First Victory for NJ Gun Owners

New Jersey Second Amendment Society

Manahawkin, New Jersey --(Ammoland.com)- The New Jersey Second Amendment Society (NJ2AS) has recorded its first substantial victory in Operation Establish Compliance with the reversal of Egg Harbor Township’s policy of requiring the signing of an unlimited release of information and liability waiver as a condition of processing firearms permit applications.

Operation Establish Compliance is the ongoing effort to force Municipal Police Departments to issue firearms permits in accordance with the law.

NJ2AS was only days away from filing a lawsuit challenging the additional form when Drew Parker, who serves on the Egg Harbor Township Zoning Board and is a member of NJ2AS, brought the issue to the attention of the Township Committee. The Committee immediately conducted a thorough investigation, led by Joe Cafero, ultimately concluding that the form was in use, and was, in fact, an illegal additional requirement. The Committee then acted quickly to stop the use of the form.

“The NJ2AS Board of Directors, Staff and all of our members applaud the actions of the Egg Harbor Township’s Township Committee and the cooperation of their Chief of Police.”, said Frank Fiamingo, President and co-founder of NJ2AS.

“We are grateful that they did the right thing, and in doing so, have avoided a costly lawsuit for both parties. It is encouraging to see such effective and responsible leadership at the local level. That’s the whole point of having a Second Amendment Society. So we can work together to resolve problems.”

NJ2AS has now shifted focus to another town with similar requirements.

“Our current, ongoing lawsuit, NJ2AS v. NJSP, seeking access to the New Jersey State Police Firearms Applicant Investigation Guide, has shown that we are willing to go to the mat.”, Frank Fiamingo went on to say.

“We will do whatever it takes to eliminate these illegal practices. As usual, we will provide updates to our efforts in Operation Establish Compliance as soon as they become available. Anyone can sign up for our free email alert system at NJ2AS.com.”

The New Jersey Second Amendment Society (www.NJ2AS.com) is the most relevant pro-gun-owner organization in New Jersey with thousands of members and supporters throughout the State, emphasizing education of the community and legislature, safety and skills training and properly distinguishing between criminals and the law-abiding in legislation and administrative practices.

About:
New Jersey Second Amendment Society – Our mission is to promote the free exercise of Second Amendment rights within the community and Legislature of New Jersey, to educate the community regarding the enjoyable, safe, and responsible use of firearms, and to engender a sense of camaraderie and fellowship among the members and their families. Visit: www.nj2as.com

Can the 2nd Amendment Survive Four More Years of Obama?

AmmoLand Gun News

Washington DC - -(Ammoland.com)- A politician is described as a “lame duck” once he or she has been defeated or announced their retirement, and is simply finishing out the remainder of their term in office.

And even after Nov. elections are over and a large number of Senate and House members are voted out, the lame duck Senators and House members are usually just that – lame.

But occasionally, they are fierce because the defeated office holder is bitter and has approximately two months to wreak havoc with his or her vote before leaving DC.

When this happens, ideologues will use the time where they’re completely accountable to voters to score points for their side. We saw this after the Nov. 2010 elections when defeated Senators and House members banded together in late Dec. to repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” so homosexuals could serve openly in the military. Yet as bad as this is, the opportunities for a lame duck office holder to attack our freedom grows exponentially when said office holder is in the White House, and when he’s an ideologue who hates private gun ownership, the right to self defense, and the 2nd Amendment.

And this brings us to a crucial point. Namely, that if Obama wins re-election in 2012, he will be awarded four years of lame duck status in which to do anything and everything he wants to lessen our ability to own and use guns.

He knows he won’t have to answer for it because he will not be running for re-election in 2016.

What would four years of a lame duck President Obama mean for gun owners?
The only way to know is to gauge it by the things Obama has done already. In 1995, when pursuing a state level office in Illinois, Obama “endorsed a complete ban on all handguns.” At that time, he also expressed his support for waiting periods for handgun purchases. A “waiting period” is a set period of time, usually 5 to 10 days, which has to elapse between the time an individual buys a gun and is actually allowed to take it home. In other words, customer “X” would pay for a gun on Monday of this week, but would not be allowed to pick it up at the store until Monday of next week.

(The foolishness of this scenario is evident when one considers what that waiting period might mean for a female who is being threatened by a violent criminal or sexual predator. She would have to buy her gun then spend the next week, the “waiting period,” hoping the criminal or predator would be willing to wait a week before attacking as well.)[or conversely the gun owner that already has been background checked and finger printed for multiple gun purchases in the past and now has to "cool off" for 10 days to own another gun]

As a state senator in Illinois, Obama supported a ban on the use of handguns for self defense: he literally supported laws that made it a crime to use a gun to defend yourself even if you did so in your own home. He also supported Illinois H.B. 2579, which prohibited law-abiding individuals from purchasing more than one gun a month; he opposed laws that permitted law-abiding citizens to carry firearms for self-defense (i.e., he opposed concealed carry permits); he supported a ban on “junk guns” (cheaper guns that poor people could actually afford to buy and use for self defense). And as a U.S. Senator, Obama supported the reintroduction of the assault weapons ban, a ban on high capacity magazines, and he voted with Ted Kennedy on ammunition bans (that included hunting ammunition).

Add to these things Obama’s assurances to his ardent followers that he’s working “under the radar” to pass more gun control and four years of lame duck status for him should make every gun owner nervous as a cat.

While I don’t pretend to know what working for more gun control “under the radar” means, I do know that there’s no limit to the damage that can be done by a man who hates guns, freedom, and the constitution as much as Obama does. (Especially if he knows he doesn’t have to answer to voters again.)

AWR Hawkins

About:
AWR Hawkins writes for all the BIG sites, for Pajamas Media, for RedCounty.com, for Townhall.com and now AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.

His southern drawl is frequently heard discussing his take on current events on radio shows like America’s Morning News, the G. Gordon Liddy Show, the Ken Pittman Show, and the NRA’s Cam & Company, among others. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal (summer 2010), and he holds a PhD in military history from Texas Tech University.

If you have questions or comments, email him at awr@awrhawkins.com. You can find him on facebook at www.facebook.com/awr.hawkins.

USA Shooting Nominates Eric Hollen to the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Team

USA Shooting

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --(Ammoland.com)- Eric Hollen (Colorado Springs, Colo.), the recently announced 2011 USA Shooting Paralympic Athlete of the Year, can now add another accolade to his resume.

In accordance with the U.S. Paralympics Shooting Team selection procedures, the quota that Hollen won from the 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Cup Sydney earns him a nomination to the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Team (pending approval by the United States Olympic Committee).

“I am so proud of Eric and all he has accomplished. Despite a long, hard trip, short acclimation time and the pressure of knowing it was the final opportunity to win a quota, he got the job done in Sydney,” said National Paralympic Coach Bob Foth.

USA Shooting's Eric Hollen

Hollen was an addition to the U.S. Olympic Training Center (OTC) Resident Athlete roster in 2011. At the IPC World Cup Sydney he won a bronze medal in P4 Mixed 50m Free Pistol. Then, in P1 Men’s 10m Air Pistol, Hollen shot 557 match points to tie three shooters, but was confident in his finals ability.

Coach Foth commented, “His finals have really come together and the competitive situation brings out his best.” Hollen fired 98.1 points in ten-shots to secure the silver medal. The historic part, however, came from the 2012 Paralympic quota that Hollen won along with the medal. This is the first-ever Paralympic quota won in USA Shooting’s history per IPC’s new quota distribution system.

An elated Hollen said, “I am so thankful to be part of such an amazing program and to the people who have helped me reach the next step to my ultimate goal-Coach Bob Foth, Coach Ray Arredondo, Sean McCann, Dave Johnson, Sergey Luzov and many more.”

Hollen”Eric is an Army Special Forces veteran who has taken advantage of the unique opportunities available as an OTC Resident Athlete-the amazing support and intangibles that come with being in a high performance environment with focused athletes,” emphasized Coach Foth.

Hollen will remain at the OTC in Colorado Springs, Colo., to continue his preparations for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. To request an interview with Eric Hollen, please contact USAS Media and Public Relations Manager Katie Yergensen at katie.yergensen@usashooting.org.

About USA Shooting:
USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. USA Shooting’s mission is to prepare American athletes to win Olympic medals, promote the shooting sports throughout the U.S. and govern the conduct of international shooting in the country. Check us out on the web at www.usashooting.org and Facebook.

Escort Waterfowl EXTREME Semi-Auto Shotgun Advantage Max 4 Camo

Legacy Sports International

Reno, NV - -(Ammoland.com)- Legacy Sports International announces that their new Escort Waterfowl EXTREME semi-auto shotgun models will now be dipped with Realtree camo!

We have teamed with Realtree now, for our camo patterns, and will continue to provide HiVis sights and Hevi•Shot choke tubes to bring you an exclusive, high performance EXTREME waterfowl and all-around hunting shotgun!

First, the Escort Waterfowl EXTREME features the addition of non-slip grip pads on the forend and pistol grip that give you a superior hold in all weather conditions. These grip panels look great and are strategically placed to give you the wet weather grip you need to control your shot.

Escort shotguns also have SMART Valve gas pistons that regulate gas blowback to cycle every round – from 2.75 inch range loads through 3.5 inch heavy magnums.

Escorts also have FAST loading systems that allow one-handed round changes without changing aiming position.

Adding Realtree Max4 and AP camo patterns make these shotguns invisible in the field. We are also offering a HiVis MagniSight fiber optic, magnetic sight to enhance sight acquisition in low light conditions. Also included is a Hevi•Shot MR waterfowl extended choke tube to round out the perfect hunting machine.

Finally, these shotguns are available in Left-Handed models at no extra charge!

All of this at half the price of other, similarly featured shotguns!

Escort Waterfowl Extreme Features:

• Realtree Max4 or AP Camo Patterns
• Fast Cycling, Gas Actuated Action
• FAST Loading System
• SMART Valve Cycling System
• Positive Trigger Guard Button Safety
• Magazine Cut Off
• Chrome Moly Lined Barrel Proofed for Steel Shot
• Fiber Optic Front Sight and Hi•Vis MagniSight Add On
• Synthetic Stock with Black Nylon Recoil Pad
• 4 + 1 Magazine Capacity
• Six Choke Tubes: Sk, IM, M, IC, F and MR Waterfowl
• Chambered for 3 Inch or 3.5 Inch Magnum Rounds
• 28” Barrel Length
• Sling Swivel Studs Attached

Escort Waterfowl EXTREME Semi-Auto Shotgun AP Camo

About:
Legacy Sports International, LLC is an importer of firearms and shooting accessories. Bringing in high quality, reliable and affordable products for shooting and hunting enthusiasts is the mission of Legacy Sports’ business. With well-respected brands including Howa and Puma rifles, Nikko Stirling optics, Escort shotguns, and Citadel handguns and shotguns. This is why Legacy Sports is known as “The Most Trusted Name in the Shooting Industry.” For more information contact: www.legacysports.com

Pennsylvania Prepares For Special Snow Goose Season

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are set to offer hunters the opportunity to participate in a snow goose conservation hunt designed to help stem the growth of continental snow goose populations.

Hunters must obtain a free snow goose conservation hunt permit and report cards from the agency to participate in the season.

The Snow Goose Conservation Hunt dates are from Jan. 26 through April 27 in the Atlantic Population and the Southern James Bay Population goose zones, and Feb. 27 through April 27 in the Resident Population Goose Zone. The daily limit is 25, with no possession limit.

To do so, hunters can access the “Snow Goose Conservation Hunt” page by clicking on the appropriate icon in the center of the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and then following the instructions. By completing the application online, hunters will be able to print off the permit and report cards and will not have to wait for the package to be mailed.

For those individuals with no online access, permits and the required report cards can be obtained by calling the Game Commission at the Harrisburg headquarters (717-787-4250) and asking for the Bureau of Wildlife Management. However, this process will require mailing the permit and report cards to the applicant, so allow a minimum of one week for processing and mail delivery to obtain a permit.

“Snow goose populations have reached levels that are causing extensive and possibly irreversible damage to their, as well as other nesting birds’, arctic and sub-arctic breeding grounds,” pointed out Kevin Jacobs, Game Commission waterfowl biologist. “For some populations of snow geese their nesting habitats can no longer support these large numbers. What’s more, these geese are beginning to impact fragile coastal marsh habitats and crops in Mid-Atlantic States and Quebec.

“It’s likely that North America has never had as many snow geese as it does now. The current population of greater snow geese that inhabits the Atlantic Flyway is estimated at more than one million birds, more than double the management goal of 500,000. They have become a huge and unexpected problem for themselves and other wildlife that shares the wintering and breeding grounds these waterfowl occupy.”

The quickest and probably most effective way for wildlife managers to respond to the problem is to allow additional hunting days – and new hunting methods – to reduce and stabilize snow goose populations. Therefore, as part of this Snow Goose Conservation Hunt, electronic calls and decoys are legal, and legal shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. Currently, all waterfowl shooting hours close at sundown, except for the September Canada goose season, and electronic calls are not legal for other waterfowl seasons.

Currently, the regular snow goose season, with a daily bag limit of 25 snow geese, opened on Oct. 25 and runs through Jan. 25 in the Atlantic Population and Southern James Bay Population goose zones, and until Feb. 25 in the Resident Population Goose Zone.

Participating states are required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor and assess hunting activity and harvest. That is why the Game Commission has created the free Snow Goose Conservation Hunt Permit.

“Along with this new permit, hunters must possess a general hunting license, migratory game bird license and a federal duck stamp (for those 16 or older),” Jacobs said. “The permit holder will be required to maintain records specifying hunting activity and daily harvest. All permit holders must submit a report, even if they did not hunt or harvest any birds, to the Game Commission no later than May 28. Failure to report by May 28 may result in loss of eligibility to participate in next year’s snow goose conservation hunt.”

Blue-winged teal for the pot.

Delta Waterfowl

Bismarck, ND --(Ammoland.com)- Somewhere south of Morgan City, La., on the fabled Atchafalaya River basin, Jeff Green is navigating his custom-made 30-foot Hanko boat with a sky lounge and 250-horsepower motor as he cuts a wake through an ancient bayou on his way to his family’s half-century-old duck camp.

Greg Green, Jeff’s brother, is along for the nearly hour-long ride, as are childhood friend Mitch McHugh and three guests.

If you cup an ear and listen hard enough, as the haunting cypress swamp blurrily passes by like a cinematic ode to the Blair Witch Project, you can hear the music throbbing through his speakers as the refreshingly cool January air slithers beneath your collar and spirals down your neck like an invisible amusement park ride.

Wish I was back on the Bayou.
Rollin’ with some Cajun Queen.
Wishin’ I were a fast freight train,
Just a chooglin’ on down to New Orleans.

Born On The Bayou;
Born On The Bayou;
Born On The Bayou.

The coolers on board — and there’s more than one — runneth over with oysters and shrimp and crab and bullfrogs and doves and God knows what other exotic wild protein whose every part will be hand-spun into delicacies that will tie your tongue in knots and make your stomach scream for more.

Indeed, for the outsider whose “green” palate isn’t accustomed to the riches of Cajun cuisine (or any other delectable concoction conceived at duck camp), buckle up. Your taste buds are about to be hijacked by a savory, oh-my-God gastronomical wonderland, food as mega-calorie pyrotechnic.

For the record, the duck hunters of South Louisiana, a hard-living, fun-loving, distinctly prideful bunch, love to kill “their ducks” perhaps as much as any waterfowling demographic in North America. But the duck camp experience that defines part of the coastal hunting culture neither begins nor ends with slapping the trigger and watching a green-winged teal, an American wigeon or a drake northern shoveler (affectionately called a flathead mallard in bayou country) tumble from the sky.

Duck hunting is the tie that binds. The experience is the confluence of several cultural happenings, but food doesn’t play second fiddle to any of them.

“This is South Louisiana,” said Greg Green, at the R.J. Marcell Memorial Boat Ramp in Morgan City, minutes before departing downriver to duck camp, “so get ready to have some fun.”

South Louisiana Culture
When Delta Waterfowl Communications Director Nigel Simms and I decided to travel to coastal Louisiana in January to sample the duck camp experience, neither of us knew what to expect. Aside from what I had read and heard over the years, I knew very little about the region’s history or culture. Delta Development Director Bryan King has spent eight years as a regional director in Louisiana, particularly in its southern coastal reaches where people either work on the water, play on the water or both.

“Food is everywhere in South Louisiana because it has been woven into the culture for generations,” he said, noting he nearly put on 20 pounds his first few months on the job before reigning in his eating habits.

“Duck hunters are a big part of it. I personally have never experienced another culture in the United States that celebrates not just what it has harvested in the field, but as importantly, what that harvest will become once it’s in a big black pot and, ultimately, on the plate.”

As King spoke, serving as our defacto tour guide/cultural anthropologist, we sat at the Atchafalaya Café in Morgan City, enjoying — really enjoying — a bowl of seafood etouffee, deep-fried okra and iced tea. And did I mention the po’boy with deep-fried oysters?

A significant portion of South Louisiana — particularly its rural areas — is dominated by Cajuns, descendents of Acadian exiles who first came to the region in the late 18th century from Nova Scotia. However, Cajuns have, over time, absorbed and been influenced by other regional cultures: German, Spanish, Anglo Italian, Native American, Slavanian and more.

“It really is a stew of ethnic diversity, and its shows through in the food and music and in the diversity of language and customs,” King said. “There’s one word to me that defines the lifestyle and culture of south Louisiana: hard. Most of the people I’ve come to know embody the word. They work hard, play hard, cook hard, eat hard, drink hard and hunt hard.”

King had arranged a day of hunting with the Green brothers, both of whom are members of the local Delta chapter, and soon we were at the boat ramp loading our gear and pushing off down the Atchafalaya. Minutes after we did, John Fogarty crooned wildly through the speakers, fresh air awakened our senses and civilization as we knew it waved adios in our wake.

Green Family Duck Camp, Louisiana

Green Family Camp
The first thing I noticed when we arrived at the Green family duck camp was the sign. It was pure Old Testament: “Trespassers will be stripped, beaten, violated and abused…cooked alive, eaten and the remains thrown to the dogs.”

Thankfully, we were welcomed guests, and all that was asked of us was to help unload the gear and settle in for a night of good, clean fun before the morning’s hunt.

“What y’all think of the place?” asked Greg Green. “It’s not the Four Seasons, but it will do, don’t ya think?”

The duck camp itself is constantly becoming. Or, as Jeff Green says, “It’s constantly under construction.” Over the years, the camp has been torn asunder by hurricanes and other calamities, only to be rebuilt, augmented and rebuilt again.

The camp might not be the Four Seasons, but it’s not a tree fort on stilts, either. The kitchen has a gas range and oven, a sink, a long, rectangular-shaped island and a sturdy table and chairs. The living room has couches, lounge chairs and a big-screen television. Bedrooms and a bathroom sit down the back hall. In front, there’s a screened-in porch, and out back, a wooden deck complete with a grill and a nice view. A large generator makes the entire camp rattle and hum. Consider, too, the camp itself and its accoutrements were, at one time or another, boated in from Morgan City.

“This isn’t like going to hunt a rice lease,” Jeff Green said. “This camp has been in our family for 50 years, and ever since I can remember we’ve been putting into it as much as we’ve gotten out of it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

By early evening, all of us were sitting around the table, eating fresh oysters and a shrimp-and-oyster spread with crackers and leisurely drinking a few adult beverages, a ritual played out countless times over the years. Music, of course, was playing in the background. (The Green brothers have been known to bring in live music for special occasions at duck camp.)

The stories were plentiful too, thanks to Greg Green, the self-described director of entertainment. He wasn’t lying either. There are bona fide characters in this world, and then there’s Greg Green, who speaks so fast, and is so outrageously funny, you burn calories just listening — and laughing.

Thank goodness too. Before long, he had prepared a spread of deep-fried, hand-caught bullfrogs with spicy mustard, among other dipping sauces. They were lip-smacking sublime.

Albert Einstein once said, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to vegetarian diet.”

That’s perhaps debatable. But Einstein obviously never visited a duck camp in South Louisiana and ate Greg Green’s deep-fried frog legs.

“Cold frog legs are good fried food for breakfast,” Greg Green said, still in entertainment mode. “If you boys don’t lik’em, I’ll go out and get ya a nutria.”

“Go to bed little brother,” Jeff Green instructed. “You need your sleep.”

A heavy, roof-rattling rain began to fall, and an eerie fog rolled in as we went to bed. Wake up: 4:45 a.m.

“My worst-case scenario is waking up too early,” Greg Green said.

We all laughed.

Ducks For the Pot
The Green brothers rose before the alarm went off. Coffee was quickly on the boil, and before long, we were out the door and roaring down the bayou.

The plan was for us to break into two groups, with Greg Green, King and I hunting from a platform blind already brushed with natural vegetation.

The air was see-your-breath cool and the sky was mostly clear, with nary a hint of wind. The decoys sat listless as the morning sunrise — a spectacular ball of orange bracketed by a faint shade of crimson — inched above the horizon. The freshwater marsh finally came alive, although the birds were MIA.

“We need some wind,” King said.

“We need some ducks,” Greg Green said.

As the morning wore on, the wind picked up. Soon, the ducks started to move.

“You have a lot of gun-shy ducks this time of year, but it’s only a matter of time before we work a few in close,” said a smiling Greg Green as he cradled his trusty 10-gauge like a newborn. “But I don’t need ‘em that close.”

True enough. A pair of wigeon came in from behind before swinging wide, roughly 45 yards from Greg Green. Two shots, two ducks.

“That’s two for the pot,” he said, laughing.

The action picked up quickly, with teal, gadwalls, shovelers, the occasional pintail and more wigeon vectoring in and around our spread.

“The thing about hunting these freshwater marshes in Louisiana is the number of species you see, day in and day out,” King said. “When you go hunt the flooded timber in Arkansas, your expectation is that you’re going to see and kill mallards. Not down here. It’s a gumbo of species, and I like that.”

During the 2010-2011 hunting season, Louisiana hunters filled their gumbo pots with 2.7 million ducks, the most of any state, and according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than all of Central Flyway states combined. That’s a per-hunter harvest of 30.6 ducks.

“We’ve had a good year,” Greg Green said. “The cold weather pushed a lot of birds down. You’ll get no complaints here. Who’d listen anyway?”

By noon, we had picked up our decoys and were headed back to camp with a nice mixed bag of puddle ducks.

“The gunning wasn’t heavy, but we did just fine,” Jeff Green said. “It was a good morning any way you cut it.”

Food, Family and Fun
We barely got off the boat and Jeff Green and McHugh were starting breakfast. The bacon sizzled in the pan and, of course, the eggs were eventually cooked in the drippings.

“Duck camp is about 75 percent cooking,” said Jeff Green, winking.

As we were eating, he fired up the grill with mesquite charcoal — he had a mess of doves he wanted to grill.

“I got a new concoction for you little brother,” Jeff Green said.

If bacon and eggs weren’t enough, he rolled out a long piece of tinfoil and placed the doves on it. He covered the birds with diced potato, onion, bell pepper and bacon, after which he splashed the dish with homemade wine and Coke, and liberally applied various spices. He formed the tinfoil into a tent and put it on the grill.

“Now we gotta give it some time,” Jeff Green said. “Time to clean some ducks.”

Beneath a peerless blue sky and the warming sun, in front of his family’s 50-year-old duck camp, Jeff Green plucked his ducks just like his Daddy used to.

“This place is about food, family and fun,” Jeff Green said. He has three daughters and a son. “I like bringing my kids out here.

It’s good for them. Kids who hunt and fish are less likely to deal and steal. It ain’t about killing, I’ll tell you that. It’s about spending time with family and friends. It’s about having a good time.”

“I’ve been hunting and fishing since I was a kid, and it’s just a way of living for us folks down here, and we’re proud of it,” added Greg Green. “I just don’t know no better.”

Tori McCormick is associate editor of Delta Waterfowl.

About:Delta Waterfowl provides knowledge, leaders and science-based solutions that efficiently conserve waterfowl and secure the future for waterfowl hunting. Visit: www.deltawaterfowl.org

Michigan DNR Applauds Federal Decision to Remove Wolves from Endangered Species List

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources today applauded the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to remove wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the federal endangered species list. The decision returns management of the species to the state level.

The federal delisting rule removing wolves from the endangered species list will be published in the Federal Register Wednesday, Dec. 28, and will take effect Friday, Jan. 27, 30 days after its publication.

Returning wolves to state management will allow the DNR to more effectively manage the species under Michigan’s highly-regarded Wolf Management Plan, which was created through a roundtable process involving interested parties representing viewpoints from all sides of the wolf issue.

“This is great news for the state’s wolf population and for Michigan citizens who have been affected by this issue,” said DNR Director Rodney Stokes. “Treating wolves as an endangered species, when the population has exceeded federal recovery goals in Michigan for more than a decade, has negatively impacted public opinion in areas of Michigan where wolves are established on the landscape. I firmly believe that the more flexible management options allowed under the state’s Wolf Management Plan will help increase social acceptance of the species while maintaining a healthy, sustainable wolf population.”

Once wolves are removed from the endangered species list, the DNR will continue to recommend nonlethal methods of control first, including flashing lights, flagging and noisemakers. In addition, the DNR administers a grant program that provides some funding to livestock owners with depredation issues for improved fencing and guard animals such as llamas, donkeys and Great Pyrenees dogs.

However, in cases where nonlethal methods are not working or feasible, DNR officials will now have the ability to kill problem wolves when appropriate. Under federal Endangered Species Act protection, wolves are protected from lethal control measures except in defense of human safety.

Livestock and dog owners in Michigan will also be able to legally protect their private property from wolf depredation once wolves are removed from the endangered species list.

The Michigan Legislature passed laws in 2008 to allow livestock or dog owners, or their designated agents, to remove, capture, or, if deemed necessary, use lethal means to destroy a wolf that is “in the act of preying upon” (attempting to kill or injure) the owner’s livestock or dog(s). These state laws will go into effect on Friday, Jan. 27, 30 days after the Final Rule is published in the Federal Register.

After the wolf is taken off the federal endangered species list, the animal will remain a protected species in Michigan. There is no public hunting or trapping of wolves allowed in Michigan. The DNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service will investigate and continue vigorous prosecution of any wolf poaching cases. Illegally killing a wolf is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, and the cost of prosecution. Reports about poaching can be made to the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-292-7800.

For more information on Michigan’s wolf population and to see the state’s Wolf Management Plan, go to www.michigan.gov/wolves.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Kahr P380 Pistol Black

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- This is the first of a series of three handgun reviews based on some guns that I purchased most recently. (Your mileage could vary, of course.)

My previous experiences with pocket .380 ACP handguns was not good in the recoil category. After purchasing a Kel-tec .380 some years ago, I quickly realized that to break in that gun without my trigger finger killing me due to the sharp snap of that very light and small handgun, I would need the help of others.

I went to the range with 150 rounds of ammo and would tell other shooters, “Hey – this is my new Kel-tec .380 – want to try it out?” Then I would provide them with as much ammo as they wanted and would let THEM deal with the snappy recoil! After an hour or so my gun was broken in and, just as importantly, I was none the worse for wear.

So when I went to the range with my brand new Kahr P380, I brought along my 150 rounds of ammo and was prepared to let everyone at the range “try” my gun. I figured I would fire a few shots just to see how bad it was going to be for everyone else.

BAM! BAM! BAM!
Much to my total surprise, although the gun was extremely light and small, the recoil was totally tamed – tamed to the point that the gun was actually FUN TO SHOOT! I selfishly put all 150 rounds through the gun without sharing it. And I could have kept going had I brought more ammunition!

The accuracy was superb and, unlike many other small .380s, the gun had real sights on it. You can even get night sights for it.

Kahr P380 Handgun

I own quite a few Kahrs and I know that the polymer ones need a few hundred rounds to break them in due to tight tolerances. The P380 was no exception. There were occasional jams during the break-in period, but those are but faint memories now. During the break-in, the Kahr seemed to have a preference for Magtech ammo.

The P380 works exactly like its bigger brothers, including the slide locking back on the last shot, a slide release, a drop safety, a fully supported chamber, and a Browning-type lockup. Oh, and it has a fantastic trigger, especially for a gun that size. Magazine capacity is 6 + 1.

The gun disappears in my pocket and is so light I can easily forget that I am carrying it. I don’t carry a .380 very often, except when either I must carry light and/or extremely discretely or if I want to carry a backup gun. The Kahr P380 is my clear choice for such times.

Here is a link to the Kahr web page for the P380: www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-P380.asp

Up next: Sig-Sauer P250

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Attention Lamestream Media - I am the Gun Lobby

FirearmsCoalition.org

Manassas, VA --(Ammoland.com)- To all of those “reporters” and pundits at ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, the New York Times and all the other Times, the Boston Globe, the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Arizona Republic, all of the Tribunes, Stars, and Ledgers;

Let me make something perfectly clear: The NRA is not the Gun Lobby.

Neither is the NSSF, nor the GOA, nor even The Firearms Coalition, nor the hundreds of grassroots and activist organizations or the thousands of local gun clubs.

I am the Gun Lobby.Whenever you talk about the Gun Lobby, you are talking about me.

All those groups and entities work for me, but they are not me, and they do not necessarily speak for me. My power does not derive from my personal wealth nor financial support from the industry that serves me. My power comes from the fact that I am one of tens of millions who understand that individuals have the right and the obligation to protect themselves from criminal assault, and that no one — not the government, not the media nor anyone else, has the right to decide what, when, where, or how I responsibly exercise that right and obligation.

We – each of us – are the Gun Lobby, and we’re not going away, We’re not backing down, and we’re not giving in – not one little bit.

It infuriates me when I hear “reporting” and editorializing about “the powerful Gun Lobby” and “the intransigent Gun Lobby” and sometimes even “the evil Gun Lobby,” as if we were a handful of rich fat cats in safari shirts sitting in a mahogany-lined room full of leather, stuffed animals, and cigar smoke plotting how to increase our profits by increasing crime. We are the people! We are the 80 to 90 million people in this country who own guns and the tens of millions more who do not own guns, but fully support our right to do so.

Unlike the anti-rights groups like the Violence Policy Center and the Brady Campaign, we do not get the bulk of our money from wealthy do-gooder endowments like the Joyce Foundation or wealthy individuals like Mike Bloomberg. I am the Gun Lobby and I get my money by working for it in factories, on construction sites, in small businesses, stores, shops, farms and ranches.

I pull the money I use to support or oppose candidates and to pay my professional advocates, not from tax dollars or union dues, but from my own back pocket.

Gun Banners & Freedom Haters
Unlike my opponents, I do not derive my power from friends in the media or from minions in state and federal offices. I derive my power from the volunteers I can muster and the votes I can deliver. I want little from politicians — mostly to be left in peace. If a politician disturbs my peace, I will do my best to fire them and hire someone else to do the job. That’s not bullying, or threatening, or undue influence, that’s the American ideal as expressed in the First Amendment — Americans expressing their will and support for the Constitution with our individual votes.

Unlike the Bradys and Bloombergs who advocate for regulation, limits, bans, and government controls over law-abiding citizens, I do not advocate government making any decision for any responsible individual. I do not advocate the arming of teachers or the arming of students, or the arming of anyone. Instead I oppose their being forcibly disarmed, and defend the right of all responsible people to make their own choices. I do not assume that thoughtful, responsible people will become heartless killers or mindless idiots because a gun is present. I reject the notion that “the trigger pulls the finger,” as some of my opponents have suggested. I trust responsible adult citizens to be responsible adults, and that trust has been proven consistently everywhere it has been given. I reject the idea that a sign on a wall or a policy in an employee handbook can, will, - or ever has - stopped someone intent on murder and mayhem from carrying out their criminal acts. To the contrary, I believe that such acts can and have been prevented and curtailed by responsible citizens who had the means and were willing to place themselves in harm’s way for the sake of others. I believe that it is wrong to disarm such people based on their job or where they happen to be.

I am the Gun Lobby
I am deeply rooted in the ideals and principles of this great nation. I am a true American and a true grass roots movement, not like the externally funded, Astroturf organizations that oppose me.

Certainly there are honorable and committed individuals who truly believe that guns are the problem, that guns cause crime and that giving the State a monopoly on violence is the key to establishing a peaceful and safe society. I know that those people are wrong.

I am many, diverse, and have varying levels of knowledge and understanding, but I am unified by a single individual truth: that no one has the right to make me helpless in the face of violence to myself, my family, my community, or my country.

Copyright © 2011 Neal Knox Associates – The most trusted name in the rights movement.

About:
The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates, Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org