THE DEMOCRATS’ BIG ANTI-GUN RALLY . . . In accepting her party’s presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton temporarily put aside her usual uncompromising gun control language, saying, “I’m not here to take away your guns …” Yet, Mrs. Clinton has called for an “assault weapons” ban and repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Guns.com writer Greg Camp called the convention “a relentless attack on American gun owners.” NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Larry Keane compares the Democratic and Republican parties’ platforms.
Government Relations
Visit gunvote.org to learn more about the campaign.
Gander Mountain has announced it will provide #GUNVOTE information to customers who visit their stores this summer and fall.
SIG SAUER has joined the effort with a $100,000 donation.
Hornady Manufacturing Company has committed $250,000 in support of #GUNVOTE joining the #GUNVOTE Chairman’s Club. Announced the day of Hillary Clinton’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, it is the largest donation the #GUNVOTE campaign has received to date.
HORNADY MAKES LARGEST #GUNVOTE CONTRIBUTION TO DATE . . . With less than 100 days until the Presidential election, NSSF’s #GUNVOTE voter registration and education initiative has received major support from leading companies in our industry. And more support is on the way. Stay tuned for major announcements.
STATE ROUNDUP . . . NSSF assisted in getting Massachusetts citizens to attend the GOAL Lobby Day Saturday at the State House to try to stop the unilateral action of Attorney General Maura Healey to ban all sales of modern sporting rifles. Indiana voters this November have the opportunity to approve Constitutional protection for hunting, fishing and trapping. In California, petitions have been certified allowing pro-gun supporters to begin gathering signatures for six questions to be placed on the November 2018 ballot.
Read NSSF’s latest Government Relations Update for more.
Retailers/Ranges
LEAD MANAGEMENT AND OSHA COMPLIANCE WORKSHOP COMING TO MINNEAPOLIS IN OCTOBER . . . NSSF will be holding a Lead Management & OSHA Compliance Workshop, October 16-18, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Registration for this event is now open to both NSSF members and non-members, and government agency officials are also encouraged to attend. Learn more.
RUNNING INSTAGRAM CONTESTS TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS . . . Though contests require some dedication on your part to administer, they can produce tremendous response. That response is truly where the real work on your part comes in, because now you have the opportunity to turn those entrants — many of which you’ve likely never interacted with before — into customers. There are a couple of guidelines to follow.
ATF Q&A . . . More great questions came in on our 24/7 NSSF member compliance hotline last week. One question asks if a licensee can return a consigned firearm to a different individual than the person who originally placed the firearm on consignment.
DID YOU KNOW? . . . Range members receive a substantial discount on a specialized fresh-air filtration system developed specifically for indoor ranges. These industry-leading ventilation systems work with 100-percent treated fresh air, rather than recycled and treated exhausted air, to provide a system that’s 100-percent OSHA- and EPA-compliant. Read more.
Research
NSSF-ADJUSTED NICS BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR JULY 2016 . . . The July 2016 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,210,731 is an increase of 27.9 percent compared to the July 2015 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 946,528. For comparison, the unadjusted July 2016 FBI NICS figure of 2,187,190 reflects a 37.6 percent increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 1,589,462 in July 2015. To learn more about last month’s NICS report, log in to the member side of nssf.org.
News of Note
‘DON’T LIE’ IN TEXAS . . . More than 2.6 million weekly media impressions will be delivered via billboards while 2,000 30-second radio spots air in the Midland-Odessa region of Texas as the Don’t Lie for the Other Guy public awareness campaign runs there through mid-August. “Don’t Lie” was developed more than a decade ago to raise public awareness about the seriousness of the crime of straw purchasing a firearm. The program also helps ATF educate firearms retailers to help deter such purchases.
WANT YOUR HOTEL STAY AT SHOT SHOW TO BE FREE? ENTER NOW! . . . NSSF has opened its annual nominations contest for the 2017 SHOT Business Awards. The contest was created in 2015 to better engage its members and improve feedback about those industry colleagues who most actively support the NSSF’s projects and mission. Enter here.
DDTC ISSUES GUIDANCE . . . The Department of State’s Directorate for Defense Trade Controls under ITAR regulations has provided guidance to FFLs on activities that do and do not require registration. The document points out that someone holding a manufacturing license isn’t necessarily required to register and pay the registration fee. For questions, contact the DDTC Response Team at (202) 663-1282 or DDTCResponseTeam@state.gov. NSSF will continue its effort to remove or reduce this overly burdensome registration fee especially for non-exporting manufacturers.
USA SHOOTING ATHLETES POISED FOR RIO OLYMPICS . . . Olympic shooting competition opens August 6, and we’ll be rooting for members of the USA Shooting Team, led by five-time medalist Kim Rhode and gold medalists Vincent Hancock and Matt Emmons, at the Rio de Janeiro Games. Learn more about our USA’s Olympic Shooting Team athletes and keep up with news and results of the competitions at USA Shooting’s new Olympic Fan Hub.
OWAA CRAFT AWARD WINNERS . . . The Outdoor Writers Association of America has announced the winners in its 2016 Excellence in Craft Contests. First-, second- and third-place honorees chosen in nine contests received cash prizes totaling more than $13,000. Winners were recognized at the Excellence in Craft awards banquet at OWAA’s 89th annual conference in Billings, Montana.
WISCONSIN EARNS REPUTATION FOR YOUTH SHOOTING PROGRAMS . . . The performance of Wisconsin squads and individuals at the 2016 Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program National Championships cemented the state’s standing as a national leader among youth shooting sports. The event, held July 9-16 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, drew 2,369 competitors from 34 states. Read more.