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NSSF YouTube Channel Tops 10 Million Views
 OVER 56,000 SUBSCRIBERS . . .Reaching a new milestone, NSSF's YouTube Channel has surpassed 10 million views, with more than 3.7 million views coming in 2013 alone. The channel also added 28,000 new subscribers in the past year to reach a new high of more than 56,000 overall. The site features a library of 300 videos that provide expert instruction on target shooting, hunting, gun maintenance, competition shooting and safety, with the goal of encouraging more people to head to the range or afield. NSSF encourages the use of its videos, with attribution. Read more.
2014 Industry Summit
 GEORGIA'S TWO-YEAR COMMITMENT FOR INDUSTRY SUMMIT . . . The Georgia Department of Economic Development, the state's sales and marketing arm and lead agency for attracting new business investment, will commit $225,000 in support of the NSSF Industry Summit and toward sponsorship messages on the NSSF website. This unprecedented sponsorship agreement will be an effective vehicle for the State of Georgia in reaching its goal of building mutually beneficial relationships with industry manufacturers. The sponsorship will give Georgia a major presence at the Summit venue in Springfield, Mass. Register and learn more about featured speakers at the Summit website.
 PANEL DISCUSSION WITH JOURNALISTS EMILY MILLER AND KATIE PAVLICH . . . NSSF's 2014 Industry Summit will feature an hour-long dialog with two pro-Second Amendment journalists -- Emily Miller of The Washington Times, and Katie Pavlich of Townhall.com and a Fox News contributor. Because a better-informed firearms industry is a more effective one, the program will help familiarize participants with Miller and Pavlich's work, so that we can help them gain readers and viewers in the battle for public opinion even as we learn from them how to more effectively overcome the arguments of anti-gun activists. That two young women are such successful journalists, while both are active in the shooting sports, helps dispel the media myth that defending gun ownership is the domain of middle-aged and older men. NSSF Public Affairs Director Mike Bazinet will facilitate the discussion.
- REGISTER BY MARCH 31 FOR EARLY-BIRD DISCOUNT . . . Register by March 31 to get early-bird pricing on registration. Fees will rise after that date, so we encourage you to register today to participate in the process of building a positive future for target shooting, hunting and the industry. The NSSF Industry Summit is slated for June 9-11 in Springfield, Mass., and registration is open to individuals representing hunting and shooting sports organizations, conservation groups, wildlife agencies and the firearms and ammunition industry. Register Today.
Industry News
- RUGER TO AUCTION FIRST-PRODUCTION-RUN RUGER AMERICAN RIMFIRE RIFLES FROM MAYODAN, N.C., FACILITY . . . Production began ahead of schedule at the new Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 220,000-square-foot facility in Mayodan, N.C., and the boxes of the first 1,000 rifles were affixed with a special “First Production Run” sticker. Five of those rifles are being auctioned off, with all proceeds going to local charities and services. Learn more about this auction.
- GUNBROKER.COM CELEBRATES FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY . . . March 15 marked the fifteenth anniversary of GunBroker.com, the world’s largest online auction site for firearms and accessories. Growth has been steady, as the company last year recorded nearly $1 billion in sales and cemented its position among the 400 largest U.S. websites. Six years ago the company logged its one millionth registered user; that number now exceeds 3 million, one of several GunBroker.com milestones.
SHOT Show
- FEDERAL COURT HITS ‘FAIR GUIDE’ WITH $9 MILLION JUDGMENT . . . The Federal Trade Commission has announced that a federal court has banned the Slovakia-based company Construct Data, which produces Fair Guide and Expo Guide, from the trade show directory business and entered a $9 million judgment against them. SHOT Show exhibitors have been warned countless times over the past few years of the company’s deceptive and misleading trade show directory scams.
Government Relations
 NSSF CONGRESSIONAL FLY-IN HELPS ENSURE INDUSTRY IS HEARD . . .Firearms industry leaders who have attended the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Annual Congressional Fly-Inspeak highly of the opportunity it provides to make their priorities and concerns known to our federal lawmakers. This year the event is being held April 2-3. Participation is limited to presidents/CEOs (or a senior staff member of their choosing) of voting members and supporting manufacturer and distributor members. The NSSF Congressional Fly-In provides a unique opportunity to meet directly with senators and representatives to explain legislative priorities and outline the significant economic impact our industry has on their districts, states and the nation. For more information: 2014 National Shooting Sports Foundation Congressional Fly-In.
- RHODE ISLAND SETS FIRST HEARING ON ARRAY OF ANTI-GUN BILLS . . .The Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday, March 18, starting around 5 p.m. to consider numerous anti-gun bills. The most far-reaching bills are all introduced by State Rep. Joseph Almeida and include: a ban on all semi-automatic firearms; outlawing magazines over 10 rounds; and even advocating the confiscation of magazines greater than 10 rounds owned after Jan. 1, 2015. Almeida has been a longtime supporter of stripping away the rights of law-abiding citizens instead of focusing on criminal activity in the capital city of Providence. Ocean State residents should make every effort to express opposition to these bills as anti-gun groups have planned a press conference and are encouraging individuals from surrounding states to attend.
 SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR SIGNS FIXNICS BILL INTO LAW . . . Gov. Dennis Daugaard on Friday signed the NSSF-advocated HB 1229 into law. The act becomes effective on July 1, and will ensure that all relevant records from South Dakota, including those involving adjudicated mental-health cases, are submitted to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The passage of FixNICS legislation in South Dakota was a priority for NSSF, which took the lead in working for passage of HB 1229.
- ALASKA FIXNICS LEGISLATION ON THE MOVE . . . Alaska FixNICS legislation, HB 366, sponsored by House Majority Leader Lance Pruitt had a positive hearing before the State Affairs Committee in Juneau. The bill was voted out of committee and was scheduled to be heard today in the House Judiciary committee. NSSF will be testifying. The bill will allow the State of Alaska to submit mental-health records to NICS. Alaska is one of the priority target states in NSSF's nationwide FixNICS initiative. NSSF will continue to work for this legislation as it makes its way to committee hearings.
- PENNSYLVANIA BILLS ADDRESS PRE-EMPTION AND NICS . . . Pennsylvania HB 921 would replace the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) saving millions annually for the Commonwealth and citizens as well as unburdening retailers from unnecessary complications in the firearms purchase process. PICS has cost Pennsylvania at least $100 million since 1998, and a move to NICS would incur NO cost to gun owners, while the state police could no longer use PICS to maintain a database of gun owners. Another bill, HB 805, will strengthen the state’s pre-emption law and provide for the recovery of legal expenses incurred when municipalities enact ordinances, or continue to maintain them, in violation of the state's pre-emption law. NSSF will work to see that both of these bills are passed this year. We urge state residents to offer their support as well.
 NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATS MOVE MAGAZINE CAPACITY BILL . . . The New Jersey Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee last Thursday approved legislation that would reduce the capacity of magazines from 15 to 10 rounds. The bill, A2006, was approved by a 5-3 vote along party lines after a three-hour-long hearing. As we previously reported, there is a negotiated plan in play by New Jersey Democrats. The measure has the support of Senate and Assembly leaders, but the question is what Gov. Chris Christie will do when legislation reaches his desk. Last year, Christie signed several minor gun-related bills, but vetoed those most sought by gun-control advocates. NSSF will keep fighting this legislation.
- JUSTICE DECLINES TO INTERVENE IN SUNNYVALE MAGAZINE SUIT . . . U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy last week denied without explanationthe request of six California citizens to block enforcement of the City of Sunnyvale’s ordinance limiting the capacity of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds. Requests to block enforcement of the ordinance previously had been denied at the district and appeals court levels and it went into effect last Thursday. According to media reports, no magazine has yet been turned over to local law enforcement. The suit itself continues to move forward. In a separate legal action, NSSF and local plaintiffs are challenging the city’s onerous gun-control measures on the grounds duplicative reporting requirements imposed on federally licensed retailers are pre-empted by existing federal and state laws. Read the NSSF press release.
- CONCEALED CARRY APPLICATIONS SURGE IN CALIFORNIA . . . California sheriff offices are being flooded with applications for concealed carry permits propelled by the 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals ruling in February that served to ease the process for Californians to obtain the formerly hard-to-get permits. Now, law-abiding citizens need only to show a desire for self-defense rather than meet a stricter, arbitrary standard. California's 58 county sheriffs and the state's police chiefs are authorized to grant permits. Historically, the chiefs have largely allowed the sheriffs to handle permit processing.
 MALONEY, MARKEY SEEK DATA TO SUPPORT ANTI-GUN VIEWS . . .One year after President Obama unilaterally overturned 17 years of Congressional prohibition against wasting taxpayer dollars for “studies” pre-designed to yield results gun-control supporters can point to, he recently earmarked $10 million to the Centers for Disease Control for precisely this purpose. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) praised the president’s earmark. More instructive and cost-efficient than commissioning new studies is the real-life experiences of the last two decades. Gun-related violence has plummeted and continues to do so. At the same time, the rate of firearm ownership is increasing and more firearms are in circulation now than ever before. Read NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Larry Keane’s blog post.
- MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS: THE STORY BEHIND THE STORIES . . .The full story of the misleadingly named anti-gun organization, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is a public relations nightmare of indicted mayors, massive resignations, billionaire-funded political advertising and civil liberties infringements. Read the Capital Research Center report.
ATF
 ATF FORM PROCESSING NOW TAKING EVEN MORE TIME . . . The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (ATF) Enforcement Programs and Services (EPS) Division hasposted a new chart for its form-processing times, and the latest information is not good. NFA Forms 1 and 4 are now taking 10 months to process. NSSF is working to get additional resources committed to EPS through the Congressional appropriations process. NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane issued the following statement: "The delays and lack of timely customer service, which grows worse every month, is significantly interfering with the ability of members of our industry to engage in the lawful commerce and grow their businesses and create more good-paying jobs here in America. It also infringes on the ability of law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights in a timely manner, and a right delayed is a right denied."
Hunting
 SUNDAY HUNTING COALITION WELCOMES POPE AND YOUNG CLUB . . . The Sunday Hunting Coalition, fresh on the heels of the successful NSSF-led effort to repeal the ban on Sunday hunting in Virginia, last week welcomed the Pope and Young Club to the impressive roster of coalition members. Founded in 1961 and based in Minnesota, the Pope and Young Club is one of North America's leading bowhunting and conservation organizations. Currently, 10 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia) have restrictions or prohibitions on Sunday hunting that date back to "blue laws" enacted in the 1700s. Visit the Sunday Hunting website.
 SUNDAY HUNTING MOMENTUM MOVES TO W. VIRGINIA . . . After the recent Sunday Hunting victory in Virginia, NSSF has shifted its focus a little further west to try to remove Sunday Hunting prohibitions in West Virginia. NSSF will seek to overturn the prohibition on Sunday hunting on private land in seven West Virginia counties this spring. On May 13, ballot initiatives will go before voters in Braxton, Calhoun, Gilmer, Lewis, Nicholas, Webster and Wirt counties. NSSF urges all sportsmen to get involved in this election and vote to allow Sunday hunting on private land. The “Sunday Hunting in WV” Facebook page is the first stop to get updates and offer volunteer assistance for the election. The first billboard is also up in West Virginia urging people to support the removal of the restriction.
- DALLAS SAFARI CLUB TO ASSIST FAMILIES OF FALLEN HUNTING GUIDES . . . The Dallas Safari Club (DSC) has recently launched the DSC Frontline Foundation as a way for hunters to give something back to the professionals who work, often at great personal risk, to make hunting adventures possible. The new foundation administers a relief fund, seeks donations and provides contributions to eligible professional hunters and their assistants who are seriously injured (or to the families of those who are killed) in the course of providing hunting services. Read the DSC press release.
- TEST CONFIRMS SECOND MARYLAND DEER WITH CWD . . . The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that a white-tailed doe taken by a hunter in Allegany County during the firearms season in December has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This is the second deer harvested in western Maryland that has tested positive for CWD. The first was reported in 2011. More than 7,500 deer have been tested in Maryland since 1999.
Retailers & Ranges
- COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT PROVIDES BEST PRACTICES GUIDE FOR RETAILERS . . . NSSF FFL Compliance Consultant Wally Nelson taps into his 33 years’ experience with the ATF to provide this best practices guide on filing your multiple handgun sales reports. Don’t let this simple bookkeeping process affect your next ATF inspection. Read more.
- RANGE REPORT PROFILES GUN CLUB AS EXAMPLE OF COMMUNITY ASSET . . . When the Naperville (Ill.) Sportsman’s Club observed its 75th anniversary, the community-minded shooting facility’s milestone was commemorated by official proclamation. This club’s civic actions have created a welcome place for itself in the heart of a city that now boasts a population of nearly 150,000. What can you and your facility learn from the profile of this club on The Range Report website?
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NSSF's Mission
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COPYRIGHT © 2014 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to email lists, Websites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. "Bullet Points®," "National Shooting Sports Foundation®," "NSSF®," and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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