5 THINGS YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT HUNTING … Recognizing that the connection between hunting and conservation can seem counterintuitive, NSSF has developed a series of infographics to help the public better understand hunting and hunters. In truth, the values of today’s socially and environmentally conscious society are closely related to that of hunters’.
| NSSF GOES TO WASHINGTON … An extensive schedule of visits to U.S. Representatives and Senators is on the docket for a full roster of NSSF member industry executives at this week’s 10th Annual Congressional Fly-in. NSSF teams will underscore the importance of the industry’s economic impact and cover a variety of topics important to the protection and promotion of American’s shooting sports and hunting traditions. |
| JUDGE GORSUCH CONFIRMATION VOTE THIS WEEK … The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee sent Judge Gorsuch’s nomination to be the next Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court to the full senate along a straight party line vote. The Senate is expected to vote on the nomination this Friday. Majority Leader McConnell is expected to invoke the so-called “nucluear option” to overcome a Democrat filibuster. |
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
- The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources quickly approved the NSSF-supported Sportsmen’s Act of 2017 last week. Similar legislation was agreed upon by both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate late last year, but stalled in a joint House-Senate conference committee.
- The Georgia General Assembly approved House Bill 292, legislation that would make pro-gun reforms to the state’s firearms laws, including protecting the state’s firearms industry from discrimination in provision of business services.
- Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership say suppressors are the best medicine to prevent hearing loss from the sound of gunfire. Read the blog post from the NSSF’s Larry Keane.
- Visit NSSF’s Government Relations section for more.
RESEARCH
- The March 2017 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,356,929 is an increase of 5.2 percent compared to the March 2016 figure of 1,289,670. NSSF members can log in to view more data.
- Visit NSSF’s Research section for more.
RETAILERS?RANGES
- Two months into the Trump Administration, the shooting sports industry’s sales dynamic continues to evolve. Some firearms dealers are experiencing a new retailing curve that’s remarkably different than previous years. Here is one retailer’s perspective From the Counter.
- Hunter Simmons, COO of Simmons Sporting Goods, has joined NSSF’s Retail Advisory Council.
- ATF Q&A: More great questions came in on our 24/7 NSSF member compliance hotline last week. One question asks about replacing a lost 4473 form.
- Read more of NSSF’s latest Retailer and Range news.
NEWS OF NOTE
- ACUI opened its 49th annual Collegiate Clay Target Championships in San Antonio, Texas, last Friday with 828 student athletes from 85 schools — 120 more students than at last year’s event.
- Shooting ranges around the country are inviting recreational shooters on April 19 to mark the 242nd anniversary of the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” and the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in 1775.
- The United States Concealed Carry Association will present its annual expo April 7 to 9 in Fort Worth, Texas.
- The National Rifle Association has announced the inaugural NRA Personal Protection Expo Aug. 25-27, 2017, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee.
- The new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, has slated its grand opening on National Hunting & Fishing Day, Sept. 21, 2017.
- Philip Barrett is the new chairman of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Board of Directors. A hunter and conservationist, Barrett is also vice president of finance for Chick-fil-A.
- Washington Post, GOP USA, Fatherly.com, The Motley Fool and many other news outlets across the country included NSSF in their coverage in recent days. Popular topics included firearms safety, “smart guns” and more.