NSSF: Aiming for Accuracy

Waterfowl Guns Tested in the N.Y. Times. That's Right, The Times!

In the newspaper's Styles section today, above the fold and above a story about yoga and with a headline of "For the Holiday Hunter-Gatherer" (echoing the eco-friendly nature of the paper) is a gear test on waterfowl guns. The Times’ treatment is not much different than you'd see in any hunting magazine.

The Times' story starts . . .

There are 2.3 million people in the United States who hunt migratory birds, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. And in many parts of the country it is duck hunting season. Waterfowl guns are now more versatile than ever, with features that let hunters use shells of various sizes and keep a tighter pattern to their shots at longer ranges.

Beretta, Browning, Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing, Weatherby and Tristar Sporting Arms waterfowlers are reviewed by Paul Hunt, a hunter and police sergeant from Massachusetts. Bill Lyons, chairman of the state's Ducks Unlimited chapter, explains why the shotguns are camo dipped. Bass Pro Shops in Foxborough handled the transfers.

View the story as a slide show online.

Do we think this is the start of trend at The Times? No, we don't.

But if it were, we say, watch out, Outdoor Life!

Attorney General Backpedals on 'Assault Weapons'

From NSSF's weekly e-newsletter Bullet Points:

ATTORNEY GENERAL RETREATS ON COMMENTS ABOUT 'ASSAULT WEAPONS' BAN . . . Attorney General Eric Holder is retreating on the comments he made in February to reinstate the so-called ban on assault weapons, The Hill reports. Back in February, Holder said, "As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons."

Subscribe to Bullet Points.

Media Story About Basic Gun Safety

When mainstream media covers a fatal firearms accident, rarely does a story mention how basic firearms safety could have prevented the accident, but that's what St. Petersburg Times' reporter Michael Van Sickler does in "Basic gun safety in Hillsborough County shooting could have saved daughter."

For a refresher on firearms safety see NSSF's brochure, "Firearms Safety Depends on You" or visit the Project ChildSafe Web site at www.projectchildsafe.org.

Thanks for Say Uncle for making us aware of the story.

New NSSF Video Helps Public, Media Understand the Firearms Industry

From NSSF's weekly e-newsletter Bullet Points:

NEW VIDEO EDUCATES PUBLIC ABOUT INDUSTRY . . . "For more than 200 years a unique industry in America has made products that have been part of our country's great tradition of freedom, self-reliance and enjoyment of the outdoors." So begins a new video produced by the National Shooting Sports Foundation called "Lock, Stock and Barrel: Understanding the Firearms Industry" and that is now available as a DVD free of charge or to view online at www.nssf.org. Designed to educate anyone who wants to know more about the history, operation and regulation of the firearms industry, the video is particularly helpful to those who hold misconceptions about the industry. "It's important that an industry that produces a product -- firearms -- that is at times a contentious subject in modern society should be understood and appreciated for the many positive contributions it has made for centuries," said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. "I believe that people who watch this video, perhaps at the local Rotary Club meeting or library, whether they own firearms or not, will come away with a new-found appreciation of our great industry." Potential audiences for the video are the general public, elected officials, teachers and students, local service groups and the media. Members of NSSF are encouraged to show the video to their employees and in their communities to promote a better understanding of the firearms industry. "Lock, Stock and Barrel: Understanding the Firearms Industry" is approximately 15 minutes long. Individual or multiple copies of the DVD are available at www.nssf.org/industryvideo.  Watch the video.

"AR-style Rifles Spurring Some Debate"

In a story of that title, outdoor editor Bob Frye of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review looks at the growing popularlity of hunting with AR-style rifles and whether states like Pennsylania, which currently does not allowing hunting with semi-automatic rifles, will eventually change their regulations. Read the story.

Also, NSSF President Steve Sanetti talks about NSSF's recently launched education campaign about "modern sporting rifles" in a Shooting Industry Magazine article.