Courtesy of NSSF

NEWTOWN, Conn. — Despite a weak economy, gun sales are continuing to increase amid concerns that incoming lawmakers will institute a new gun ban on law-abiding Americans. Data derived from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) show a 24 percent increase in firearm purchaser background checks for the month of December 2008 (1,523,426 checks) over December 2007 (1,230,525 checks). This increase follows a 42 percent rise in NICS checks for the preceding month, the highest number of checks in NICS history. FBI background checks are required under federal law for all individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers. These checks serve as a strong indicator of actual sales.

A recent poll of hunters and target shooters by Southwick Associates Inc., in which 80 percent of respondents said they expect it will become more difficult to purchase firearms under the incoming administration and congress, explains the increase in sales.

“Sales of firearms, in particular handguns and semi-automatic hunting and target rifles, are fast outpacing inventory,” said NSSF President and CEO Stephen L. Sanetti. “It’s clear that many people are concerned about possible gun bans under the incoming Congress and are reacting accordingly.”

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the large increase in demand for firearms has led to a shortage of Form 4473s — the Firearms Transaction Record which must be filled out any time a person buys a firearm from a licensed retailer. As a temporary measure, ATF is allowing FFLs to photocopy the form 4473 in its entirety until they receive their orders from the ATF Distribution Center. NSSF has reminded retailers of the newly launched Electronic Form 4473 which is free and downloadable from the ATF Web site.

Final year-end NICS data reveals a total of 12,709,023 background checks reported in 2008, up 14 percent from 2007.

For more information on gun sale statistics, legislative issues and general firearm related questions, please visit the NSSF Web site at www.nssf.org — the media’s resource for all things about the firearms and ammunition industry.

Courtesy of NSSF

Following discussion with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) — the trade association for the firearms industry — and many industry members, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced yesterday a major new ruling authorizing federal firearms licensees to use electronic (computerized) acquisition and disposition records provided the software used satisfies certain ATF requirements set forth in the ruling signed by Acting Director Michael Sullivan.

FFLs will no longer need to seek a variance from the Director of Industry Operations to keep a computerized A&D book.

“NSSF would like to congratulate ATF, and in particular the leadership of Acting Director Sullivan, on helping to reduce the paperwork burden on industry,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “We look forward to continuing to work with ATF on other ways to utilize technology to aid America’s firearms manufacturers and retailers to reduce their paperwork burden while continuing to permit ATF to protect public safety.”

The ATF, at the urging of NSSF and firearms retailers, is expected to launch a voluntary E– Form 4473. This is a development which will save retailers time and greatly reduce the likelihood of entry violations

Courtesy of NSSF

NEWTOWN, Conn. — For many hunters, that 300-mile drive to deer camp may be put on hold this year. Unwilling — or unable — to spend more on gasoline than licenses and lodging, many hunters are checking out their options closer to home.

Recent surveys have shown that this is a national trend among American hunters. According to research conducted by Southwick Associates’ HunterSurvey.com, “40 percent of hunters indicated that rising gas prices will cause them to reduce their outdoor activities or reduce their travel distance.”

Realizing that gaining access to both public and private land can be one of a hunter’s most daunting challenges, some state fish and game departments have developed innovative programs to address the problem.

Pennsylvania, for example, provides the public with detailed maps that show areas accessible by local hunters. These include state game, forest and park lands, and national forest property, totaling over 3.5 million acres. Through a “landowner cooperator” program, an additional two million acres of private property have also been opened up to the state’s hunters.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) recently unveiled a state-of-the-art mapping program using Google Maps. It’s a user-friendly service especially valuable for those new to hunting or new to the state. “Every hunter knows scouting is key to success, and these Google Maps make it easy to start scouting at home,” said Matthew Keenan, ODFW’s Access and Habitat Program Coordinator. The map features state wildlife areas, national wildlife refuges and private lands open to hunting through the state’s Access and Habitat and Upland Cooperative Access programs. Each area even has a descriptive bubble that provides information about the principal species hunted, size of the area, access periods and special regulations.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), working with sportsmen and landowners, provides sportsmen access to private land and through private land to public lands with a program called “Access Yes!”

“The ‘Access Yes!’ program is an exciting opportunity to get sportsmen and landowners together to improve habitat, increase hunting access and benefit private landowners. An additional benefit is that landowners and sportsmen get to know and respect each other,” commented Jim Unsworth, deputy director for IDFG.

In 2008 IDFG has made 444,735 private acres accessible to sportsmen and access to an additional 381,310 acres of public ground by working with private landowners. “We are doing our part to keep our hunters hunting at home in Idaho,” said Unsworth.

These programs, and similar ones in other states, have received significant funding from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, through its Hunting Heritage Partnership Program.

The NSSF helps sportsmen and women locate places to hunt at www.huntandshoot.org.

(Provided By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press WriterMon Apr 14, 6:29 PM ET)

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest seller of firearms, announced Monday it will toughen rules for gun sales, from storing video of purchases to creating an internal log of which guns they sell that are later used in crimes.

J.P. Suarez, the chief compliance officer for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., appeared with outspoken gun control advocate Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York to announce the changes at a gathering of Bloomberg’s group Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Changes to come at about 1,100 Wal-Mart stores selling guns include:

1. Creating a record and alert system to record when a gun sold at Wal-Mart is later used in a crime. If the purchaser of that gun later tries to buy another gun at Wal-Mart, the system would alert the sales clerk of the prior buy and could refuse to make the sale.
2. Retaining the recorded images of gun sales in case law enforcement wants to view them later as part of an investigation 3. Expanding background checks of employees who handle guns and expanding inventory controls.

Suarez said the tougher standards will come with some additional cost to the company. “The costs are, we think, part of what it takes to be responsible. Everything is not pain-free,” he said, adding that small sellers can implement many of the same rules. He did not say how long it would take to implement all the changes, but noted that software must still be created for an internal log of guns later used in crimes. Suarez said his company may receive some pressure from gun rights groups, but added, “This is not a signal that we’re getting out of firearms.”

The National Rifle Association denounced the company’s move. “I view it as a public relations stunt that stigmatizes law-abiding firearms purchasers exercising their freedom under the Constitution,” said NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre. He said that if politicians were serious about reducing gun crime they would worry less about legal sellers and buyers and get tougher criminal sentences for illegal gun dealers. “I honestly think it’s a corporation trying to curry favor with politicians as opposed to doing anything meaningful about stopping crime,” said LaPierre.

Wal-Mart sells only rifles and shotguns in its U.S. stores, with the exception of Alaska sites, which also sell handguns. Bloomberg urged other companies to join Wal-Mart in the initiative called the Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership. “We didn’t pressure them, they’re doing it because they think it’s the responsible thing to do,” he said.

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, had previously tried to establish a store in New York City but failed. The mayors’ gun summit also unveiled a new lobbying effort to close what they call the “gun show loophole,” which allows sales of firearms without background checks between private individuals at gun shows. Bloomberg founded the group two years ago with Boston mayor Thomas Menino to reduce the flow of guns from store displays into the hands of criminals.

The group, largely funded by Bloomberg’s personal fortune, announced it was spending more than $100,000 on television ads, starting Wednesday, featuring all three of the current main presidential candidates voicing their opposition to the gun show loophole. The ads will run in the home states of the three candidates — John McCain of Arizona, Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. It also will air across Pennsylvania, which holds its primary next week, as well as Florida, Maryland and Massachusetts.

The mayors group is trying to gather support in Congress to:

1. End the gun show loophole
2. Require gun dealers to perform criminal background checks on all gun-handling employees.
3. Close a so-called fire-sale loophole that allows gun dealers whose licenses have been revoked by the government to sell off their inventory without background checks.

4. Add those placed on the terrorist no-fly list to the list of people prohibited from purchasing a firearm.

 Citi Merchant Services and First Data Corp. have put the true meaning of “this is a hold up” to federally licensed firearms retailers, distributors and manufacturers. Banning these sales is a move which will severely limit available inventory of firearms and ammunition to military, law enforcement and law-abiding Americans.

As soon as I learned this I thought about what credit cards I owned and if any of them were from this company.  I will never own a card nor will I apply for one under these circumstances.

 Firearms distributor CDNN Sports Inc. got a first hand experience to the refusal transaction.  It amazes me that a credit card company could have the audacity to say no to federally licensed retailers, distributors and manufacturers.  If the law is trusting FFL licensees to uphold all aspects of policies and procedures, I have no clue why a credit card company is trying to ban sale of firearms.  Its not like we get on the phone and call all the criminals when we get a shipment and have them stock up on inventory……Oh yeah thats right we are banning videos with guns and songs about guns, but yet the hunting and fishing community have a lower rate of death by accident then doctors have with accidental deaths.

I am glad to know that the NSSF has stepped in and replied to this ridiculuos action.  To Read NSSF’s response to First Data just click on link.  If you would like to reply to them or voice your concerns you are welcome to go to www.nssf.org.

To voice your concern to Citi Merchant Services and First Data Corp., please call 303-488-8000 or toll-free 800-735-3362.

I would hope that there is enough turbulence about this topic that Citi Merchant Service and First Data Corp change their mind about our right to bear arms and our right to spend our money the way we see fit.

Always

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