National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- Data derived from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) shows that Black Friday (Nov. 25) had the most background checks for firearm purchases in a single day (129,166), with a 32 percent increase over the previous NICS high from Nov. 28, 2008.

Federal law requires FBI background checks on all individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers.

In an interview with USA Today, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane attributed the record growth to a “burgeoning awakening of the American public that they do have a constitutional right to own guns.”

These statistics represent the number of firearm background checks initiated through NICS. They do not represent the number of firearms sold. Based on varying state laws and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale.

“More citizens lawfully exercising their Second Amendment right to carry a firearm, coupled with a growing awareness since the Supreme Court’s decisions in Heller and McDonald that the Second Amendment protects an individual fundamental right to keep and bear arms, helps to explain the continuing rise in sales of firearms and firearm-related products throughout the Untied States,” said National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane.

“Clearly, Black Friday was a big day for both the firearms industry and our nation’s law-abiding gun owners.”

NICS Firearm Background Checks — Friday, November 25, 2011

Total NICS Checks—129,166 (highest day ever) 32.01 percent over Friday, November 28, 2008

Federal Checks—81,609 (highest day ever) 26.69 percent over Friday, November 28, 2008

POC State Checks—47,557 (4th highest day)

Other Records

NICS Contracted Call Centers—69,497 (highest day ever) 16.30 percent over Friday, November 28, 2008

NICS E-Check—11,953 (highest day ever) 119.76 percent over Friday, February 11, 2011

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

Southwick Associates

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. --(Ammoland.com)- While recessional concerns continue to plague many sectors of the economy, the future looks good for the companies that supply America’s hunters and shooters with the primary tools of their activities—rifles and shotguns.

In a survey conducted by HunterSurvey.com, more than 40 percent of sportsmen said they intend to purchase a new rifle in 2011, while nearly a quarter of them anticipate buying a shotgun.

“This is great news for firearms manufacturers. While we know many people who want a new firearm won’t actually get around to buying one, the level of interest among active hunters and shooters is shows there is still strength in the market,” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com.

“Continued increases in NICS background checks and excise tax collections show the firearms sector is performing much better than the overall economy, and it looks like growth might continue in the near future.”

The news bodes well for our nation’s gun makers and dealers, many of them small businesses that provide jobs for tens of thousands of Americans. When asked by HunterSurvey.com what hunting and shooting products they planned on purchasing in 2011, 41.1 percent said their purchases would include a rifle and 23.9 percent will buy a shotgun.

Additional key items sportsmen intend to purchase throughout the remainder of the year include bows (14.9 percent) and muzzleloaders (9 percent). More than 55 percent expect to buy some type of optics including scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and/or rangefinders.

Those who hunt, fish and target shoot are invited to participate in the surveys conducted on HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com. Each month, participants who complete the survey are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.

About AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com:
Launched in 2006, AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com help the outdoor equipment industry, government fisheries and wildlife officials and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends. The information above represents only a small sample of the vast amount of data collected from the complete survey results and available to government agencies, businesses, the media and other interested parties. Results are scientifically analyzed to reflect the attitudes and habits of anglers and hunters across the United States.

Gun Buyers Place Your Bets - Frank Talk About Guns *Pic Armslist.com

Frank Brownell - Brownells.com

Des Moines, Iowa --(Ammoland.com)- This is a most interesting time of year – those of you farther south of us here in the middle of Iowa in the middle of the Mid-West have already seen good indications that spring is actually going to happen.

I saw dog wood and red bud and pansies and azaleas when in Florida a couple of weeks ago at the Gator Nationals in Gainesville. (NHRA drag races – another passion of mine, shared by lots and lots of you folks out there!!) Up here, we’re just seeing daffodils starting out of the ground, and another major rain/ice/snow storm promised for the weekend!

As we head into the end of March, these last three months are traditionally the time in our industry to make many of your inventory and product commitments for 2011. It’s also the time of year when you probably have a good bit of your annualized/dating buying done – or about done. Depending on the supplier, a good many give you until the end of the first quarter to wrap that up. So you’ve probably already figured out what you want and have the order in place.

That being said, let me lay a few thoughts on you. What you probably do in your buying model is what we generally do here. We take last year’s number of units sold of an individual product, compare it to the deals the manufacturers are offering us this year, and place our bets. Not quite as bad as spending time in Reno or Vegas, but almost. Frequently, you’re betting on your “gut feel” about what is going to happen.

What you probably haven’t done is to actually try to figure out who your customer is, what they really are interested in for the up-coming year, when they are going to want to have it on your shelves for them to come in and buy, where they are actually going to use that product you want to sell them, and why they are getting involved in that particular product, shooting venue, hunt or event anyway.

Oddly enough, this outline of “who, what, when, where and why” is the same one I learned in journalism school as the outline for the first paragraph of a properly-written news story. Strange, isn’t it? But totally appropriate for you to use this same, easy outline for looking at your customers and what they might be buying this year. Last month I talked about how we see the market might shape up for 2011 – that it “is a-changin’” and going in the direction of a new emphasis on personal and home protection. Now, you have to make the determination if that is what you see your local/area customers moving towards. Or maybe your customers are putting their emphasis somewhere else. So – if you haven’t done so, really spend some time on the floor visiting with your customers. To come up with useful answers, you are going to have to sit down with your cup of coffee, a legal pad and write down what you learned from those visits. You want to be able to fill in the template I mentioned above, and you’re going to need that information to do it.

What you find out might make you want to change your buying plan for 2011. We hit some “if’s” here in making those changes which may govern your flexibility with your dating orders. If your supplier sets his dating rules on gross dollars you spend with him, you may be able to change the mix of what you ordered within those dollars. If your supplier sets your limits on numbers of units purchased, you might have less flexibility to change your order once placed. However, you may have dating orders on no more than maybe 3 or 4 lines, so most of your buying is going to be done on an “as needed” basis. This allows you really good flexibility, so you can update your buying model as you work through the year, based on what you see moving off the shelves – or not moving, as the case may be.

Thus, it’s not too late to do that really in-depth analysis using the template above:

1. Who is your customer? Beginner, old, young, pro, active, learning, old-timer.
2. What gun do they shoot? Black powder (flintlock, modern, antique); center-fire rifle (several hundred choices here and lordy so many calibers); pistol (even more choices from wheel gun to auto to big caliber to .380’s); shotgun (again all kinds of choices – pump, auto, single barrel, side-by-side, over-under, but only a “few” gauges) to the odd-balls (maybe drillings or Super calibers, or “grandpa’s old ??).
3. When do they shoot or hunt? All the time, only during deer season, or duck season or pheasant season or prairie dog season, occasionally, only on a major out-of-country safari.
4. Where does your customer shoot? Range, out West, local farm field or woods, trap/skeet field, somewhere exotic.
5. Why does your customer own/use a gun? Pure pleasure, protection, harvesting food, perfection on the range, joy of the hunt.

Once you get a good handle on all the above – and be very specific with active customers in mind to whom you want to sell products as you fill out your template. Hopefully you’ll have a much better “bet” in place on the products you buy to drive your sales for 2011. Out of all of this effort you want to get a better cash flow, a better sales year, happier, frequently returning customers . . . and more dollars in your pocket at the stroke of midnight, signaling the beginning of 2012!

About:
At Brownells Everything is Guaranteed period! Forever, 100%, with no restocking fees. Brownells is the world’s largest supplier of firearm parts, gunsmithing tools, reloading equipment and accessories. Stocking more than 30,000 items, the company supplies armorers, gunsmiths, and shooters worldwide. All of their products are backed by a 100% satisfaction, unconditional, lifetime guarantee. For more information, or to place an order, call 800-741-0015 or visit Brownells.com

High Capacity Magazine Freedom Campaign

Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- JPFO today launches “The High Capacity Freedom Campaign”.

First, some background to highlight the hypocrisy and stupidity of a high-capacity magazine ban.

Imagine you bought a Glock 17 9mm pistol a year ago. Your purchase was legal and included two 17-round magazines. Now along come Obama and other “common sense” gun-grabbers with a ban on “high capacity” magazines.

The result?

Based on the so-called “Assault Weapons” Ban of 1994, a federal mandate declares that after a certain date, the manufacture, sale, or re-sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than ten rounds is now illegal. Such manufacture, sale or re-sale will be a felony. This is how AWB1 (and high-cap ban) were enacted.

Of course, there will be the usual exceptions for law enforcement and military purposes. But Joe or Jane Citizen will find themselves felons for selling their 17-round mag. Depending on how effective the gun haters are, Joe and Jane may even become felons for not turning in or registering their magazines.

Next imagine that you, with your year-old Glock, are somehow found in possession of a 17-round magazine. When it comes to guns in this country, the government says we’re all guilty until proven innocent.

How are you going to prove that you didn’t buy one of those high cap magazines AFTER the ban was instated? Do you have your receipt from the gun shop? Did you save your receipt from that mail order house that sold you a couple of spare magazines before the ban started? Even if you are innocent, this is going to cost you. You’ll be a front page star in the local paper, and your attorney will earn enough to send another kid to college for a year.

Remember, a “high cap” magazine ban was an integral part of the 1994 anti-gun law. Some States like California and New Jersey still enforce the high cap ban, albeit with oddly differing definitions of “high cap.”

In California, “high capacity” means more than 10 rounds, unless it’s a .22 “tube” magazine, which is exempt, or if you possessed it before the ban, in which case it’s grandfathered. In New Jersey, “high capacity” means 15 rounds, though such a magazine is illegal even if you possessed it prior to the ban and even if you have no gun to put it into. (in NJ If you own a high cap magazine, it is against the law to sell it, destroy it, posses it or turn it in, a complete catch 22 that makes you a felon)

Apparently in New Jersey, with 15 rounds you’ll be able to protect yourself and family from the cocaine addict gang that breaks into your home, but in California, 10 rounds will do the job.

Meanwhile, the police can continue to carry their 17-round magazines. That’s another part of “common sense” gun control, right?

Question: Who is more likely to be on the front lines at the next Columbine or Virginia Tech, the police with their large magazines, or you and me with our 10-round limit? How many rounds do you want when you are on the front line? Is the policeman’s life more valuable than yours and mine?

Friends, as a Jew, I have a deeply ingrained distrust of any government that promises it will “protect me.” The history of the Twentieth Century teaches us that “gun control” registration schemes lead to political decisions to allow some populations to protect themselves while others are disarmed. Gun control is inexorably tied to malevolent citizen disarmament. See: “INNOCENTS BETRAYED”

JPFO’s answer to all of this? The “High Capacity Freedom Campaign” – “High Cap Freedom” for short.

What is High Cap Freedom?

JPFO now asks EVERY responsible American gun owner to, as soon as possible, purchase at least one high capacity magazine. Even if you don’t own a firearm that requires magazines, buy at least one “high cap” mag for a commonly owned pistol or rifle. (It may even be one of the fastest-appreciating investments you ever make!)

Why? Because we want the production of all those millions and millions of magazines in the “pipeline” before any ban can take effect.

The surge of orders from “High Cap Freedom” will quickly flood the manufacturers. You may not be able to get an original factory mag, but soon reputable accessory manufacturers will begin making them 24/7, and we’ll see new manufacturers enter the market. The result? More magazine choices, at better prices, for all of us. More accessory choices – and millions more existing high cap magazines in circulation before a ban can take effect.

Help JPFO launch “High Cap Freedom”. Go down to your gun shop and buy a “high cap” mag immediately! Get on the phone or your computer and place your order with an accessory mail order house right now!

Welcome to “High Cap Freedom”, Phase One.

There’s more to come… JPFO will soon reveal our greater strategy.

Get busy! “ Freedom is not a spectator sport.”

About:
Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership Mission is to destroy “gun control” and to encourage Americans to understand and defend all of the Bill of Rights for everyone. Those are the twin goals of Wisconsin-based Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO). Founded by Jews and initially aimed at educating the Jewish community about the historical evils that Jews have suffered when they have been disarmed, JPFO has always welcomed persons of all religious beliefs who share a common goal of opposing and reversing victim disarmament policies while advancing liberty for all.

JPFO is a non-profit tax-exempt educational civil rights organization, not a lobby. JPFO’s products and programs reach out to as many segments of the American people as possible, using bold tactics without compromise on fundamental principles. Visit www.JPFO.org – Copyright JPFO 2011

Total NICS Background Checks Report

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,074,757 checks in August 2009, a 12.3 percent increase from the 956,872 reported in August 2008.

So far that is roughly 9,076,205 gun bought this year! The total is probably more as NICS background checks may cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time.

This latest jump in background checks show that Americans are solidly in-favor of keeping firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens and clearly shows that proponents claiming the USA wants more gun control are blatantly wrong.

Gun Owners Say No to Gun Conrtol with their Wallets
The increased trend of Americans buying firearms at a record pace was once thought to be a one time fluke caused by fears of the new Obama administration expressed lust for more gun control. But now 10 months in and the wrongly named “fear buying” has now become the norm as law abiding US citizen exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear firearms by the millions every month with no sign of slowing down.

The bulk of the buying has been concentrated on the following types of guns or calibers:

• Semi Auto Handguns
• Revolvers
• Ar15s and all variants of the Black Rifle
• .50 Caliber

1.17 Guns for Each Person
Conservative estimates of legally owned guns in the USA put the number at 355,029,250 million guns in the USA. That is 1.17 guns for everyone in the USA and if you listen to the liberal press they are all assault weapons. God bless anyone who tries to invade the USA…

Crime Rates Falling
The most stunning in all of this is that we have not seen an increase in crime, murder rates have fallen across most of the USA and Americans have shown that they can be trusted with firearms ownership.  This is directly in contrast to what the national media and gun control supporters would have us believe.

Gun owners you are clearly the majority!

Total NICS Background Checks Report

National Shooting Sports Foundation

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 966,162 checks in July 2009, an 8.4 percent increase from the 891,224 reported in July 2008.

This latest jump in background checks follows the release of the Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Collection Report by the Department of the Treasury just two weeks ago.

The report noted that firearm and ammunition manufacturers paid more than $109.8 million in the first calendar quarter of 2009, up 43 percent over the same period in 2008.

About:
NSSF, founded in 1961, is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition and recreational shooting sports industry. It promotes the safe ownership and responsible use of products its members make and sell. For more information, visit www.nssf.org