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June 29, 2015

Vol. 16 No. 26

Weak Bloomberg Study Draws Unfounded Conclusions

A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health makes the spurious claim that Connecticut's 10-year old handgun permit-to-purchase law kept the state's firearms homicide rates (FHRs) lower than it otherwise would have been. To get to this unfounded conclusion, the authors, all from the anti-gun Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, created a set of assumptions that perfectly match their desired conclusion, cherry-picked years and fished for convenient variables. Full story.

Government Relations

• NORTH CAROLINA SUNDAY HUNTING BILL GOES TO GOVERNOR . . . The Outdoor Heritage Act (House Bill 640) to allow Sunday hunting on private land, sponsored by State Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-4th), has passed the North Carolina State Senate by a 33-15 vote after it was approved by the House on an 88-26 vote on June 18. The bill now heads to Gov. Pat McCrory where it awaits his signature. The legislation will give sportsmen in North Carolina the opportunity to hunt with firearms on Sundays on private property as of Oct. 1. North Carolina is one of only 11 states where hunting on Sunday is restricted or prohibited due to antiquated "blue laws."

• FOUR 'PINOCHIOS' FOR SEN. MURPHY . . . The U.S. Senator from Connecticut, Democrat Christopher Murphy, has earned himself "four Pinocchios" from Politifact (the most possible on its scale) for his comments in a speech that there has been one school shooting on average per week, 128 in total, since 2012. The source for Murphy's claim is a previously discredited report by the anti-gun, Michael Bloomberg-funded Everytown. "Lawmakers have a responsibility to check out the facts in the reports they use, especially ones that come from advocacy groups," notes Politifact.

• LEGISLATIVE AND LEGAL ROUNDUP . . . In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill repealing the state's 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases. The use of suppressors for hunting in Maine will become legal later this year, making that state the 37th to legalize the use of firearms suppressors for hunting and at shooting ranges. Read NSSF's Government Relations Update for more.

Retailers/Ranges

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• ASSISTING CONSUMERS WHO HAVE BEEN DENIED/DELAYED BY NICS . . . The FBI and ATF have informed NSSF that both agencies have been realizing a higher-than-normal volume of calls by consumers who have received denials or extensive delays from the NICS system. Find out more.

• ATF Q&A . . . Many great questions came in on our 24/7 NSSF member compliance hotline last week. The first question covers whether an employee who becomes prohibited from possessing firearms can continue to be employed by an FFL. The second question covers how to legally complete an ATF form 4473 if the person is unable to fill out the form due to illiteracy or a physical disability.

• SEMINARS SLATED IN MICHIGAN AND NEW YORK THIS MONTH . . . Two NSSF Retailer Education Seminars are scheduled this month: July 14 in Detroit, Michigan, and July 21 in Buffalo, New York. All firearms retailers in these regions are encouraged to register to attend.

• POLICY MAKING — NOT JUST FOR WASHINGTON . . . NSSF's team of FFL compliance consultants covers many topics during a retail site consultation visit. One that seems to catch many by surprise, though, is that of needing to have your store policies in writing. Read more.

• DID YOU KNOW? . . . Whether your business is a small town five-person operation or a 500-person enterprise with multiple locations, hiring the right people is key to your success. A prominent employment screening company offers NSSF members a substantial discount on employee background checks. Learn more.

Research

• UPDATED NSSF REPORT ON FIREARMS-RELATED INJURY STATISTICS . . . NSSF has posted its latest Industry Intelligence Report on firearms-related injury statistics.  No password is necessary to access this important report bearing positive news about firearm safety, a topic NSSF and the firearms industry has long been dedicated to improving through programs such as Project ChildSafe, safety literature brochures and safety videos for schools. View and download.

• ANNUAL NSSF FIREARMS RETAILER SURVEY REPORT AVAILABLE . . . This annual report provides insight from hundreds of firearms retailers nationwide on a variety of factors such as sales margins, net profits, inventory and all-important trend data on customers. Learn more.

News of Note

• RIO AMMUNITION OPENS TEXAS MANUFACTURING FACILITY . . . Rio Ammunition on Thursday inaugurated its new cartridge manufacturing facility in Marshall, Texas. The new facility encompasses nearly 105,000 square feet of manufacturing space that has added more than 40 new jobs to the Marshall community and the ability to double that in the years to come. Rio Ammunition is a subsidiary of Spain-based MAXAM Outdoors. Read more about the new facility.

• GUNTV/SPORTS SOUTH EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT . . . GunTV, the new live television shopping network launching this year, has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Sports South LLC, one of the largest firearm and related consumer goods distributors. Sports South will utilize its dealer network to distribute products featured on GunTV, the first live, on-air transactional firearms, munitions and related consumer goods sales network.

• NOMINATE YOUR PEERS FOR SHOT BUSINESS AWARDS . . . Each year at SHOT Show, NSSF's trade publication SHOT Business recognizes those in the firearms industry who work the most diligently to promote NSSF's programs and support our mission of promoting, protecting and preserving hunting and the shooting sports. To thank members for participating in these nominations, NSSF will award one lucky voter a complimentary first-class hotel stay on the Las Vegas Strip during the dates of the 2016 SHOT Show, January 19-22 (approximate retail value $1,350.00). Learn more.

• 2016 SHOT SHOW SELECTED FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYER PROGRAM. . . For the third year in a row, the NSSF's SHOT Show has been selected by the federal government's International Trade Administration (ITA) as one of just 23 trade events chosen to participate in the ITA's International Buyer Program in 2016. Read more.

• 2015-2016 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP IS NOW AVAILABLE . . . The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has made the 2015-'16 Federal Duck Stamp available for sale as of June 26. Long heralded as one of the best tools in conservation, 98 percent of duck stamp sales revenue goes toward the purchase and preservation of wetlands. Since 1934, more than 5.5 million acres of waterfowl habitat have been acquired for the National Wildlife Refuge System through duck stamp sales revenue. You can purchase your duck stamp here.

• OWAA'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE . . . At the Outdoor Writers Association of America's 88th Annual Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee, NSSF sponsored a luncheon at the combined Shooting Day/Breakout Day. NSSF representatives Bill Brassard and Jennifer L.S. Pearsall reminded more than 150 in attendance of the many resources NSSF provides to media, ranging from research to its media photo library and video library, and discussed NSSF's First Shots, Rimfire Challenge and Project ChildSafe programs along with issues such as "smart gun" technology.

• U.S. REP. JOLLY FEATURED GUEST AT PROJECT CHILDSAFE EVENT IN FLORIDA . . . U.S. Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) joined NSSF and members of law enforcement last Tuesday at a Project ChildSafe event in Pinellas County, to help promote firearm safety. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is now offering Project ChildSafe kits that include a cable-style gun lock at its two locations in Largo and Dunedin.

• REGISTER FOR ANNUAL IMPORT/EXPORT CONFERENCE . . . To help federal firearms license holders and other members of industry stay on top of federal laws and regulations that govern the import and export of firearms and related products, the 2015 Import/Export Conference, a joint presentation of NSSF and the FAIR Trade Group, will take place Aug. 4-5 at the Renaissance Washington, D.C., Downtown. Learn more and register today.

• NSSF IN THE NEWS . . . The Hill, Los Angeles Times, Tampa Bay Times, Daily Caller and many other news outlets across the country included NSSF in their coverage last week. Popular topics included "smart guns," Project ChildSafe, Sunday hunting and more. View a full wrap-up of NSSF in the News.

Jobs

• NSSF CAREER CENTER OPENS NEW DOORS . . . In its first month, the jobs.nssf.org site has accepted 160 searchable resumes, transmitted 226 job applications to the employers with job listings on the site and had over 11,000 visitors. NSSF's new online job resource is designed to help members of the firearms industry recruit qualified professionals and job seekers locate potential employers.

• FIREARMS INDUSTRY JOBS . . . Visit jobs.nssf.org for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Unmatched job listing exposure, easy online job management, résumé search and résumé uploading for job seekers gives NSSF members and non-members more opportunities than ever before.

NSSF's Mission "To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports." Visit the NSSF website and see how we accomplish this mission.

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