NSSF: Aiming for Accuracy

More Women Learning About Concealed Carry

With his story "Women Aim for Protection in Female-only Concealed Pistol Classes," Howard Meyerson of the Grand Rapids Press illustrates the growing interest among women in taking classes designed to teach safe and responsible handgun ownership. It's a trend that also can be seen in NSSF's First Shots program, where a recent study of program participants revealed that 74 percent of women who enrolled in First Shots classes were motivated by an interest in personal protection.

Watch the video, too, that accompanies Mr. Meyerson's story. The seminar he writes about was sponsored by the Great Lakes Outdoors Foundation.

Firearms Accidents Not a Major Factor in Health Care Costs

With some media stories about health care making reference to guns as a reason for rising costs, the National Shooting Sports Foundation reminds reporters and editors that fatal firearms accidents are at all-time lows and now represent less than 1 percent (actually 0.7 percent) of all accidental fatalities in the country.

Declines in accidents involving children have been steep. Between 1996 and 2006, accidental fatalities for children 14 years of age and under decreased by 61 percent, and by 77 percent going back to 1986, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

In a side-by-side comparison with other forms of unintentional fatalities, firearms rank far down on the list, well below motor vehicles, poisoning, falls, choking, drowning and fires.

These successes have come about through the promotion of the safe use and storage of firearms through voluntary measures, including programs such as Project ChildSafe and the practice of including appropriate gun-locking devices and safety literature with new firearms. These voluntary, firearms industry programs, along with ongoing firearms and hunter safety education efforts, are helping to continue the trend toward increased firearms safety and decreased firearms accidents.

Hunting with ARs--The New Paradigm

Ed Rasimus on his Thunder Tales blog draws attention to the rising popularly of hunting with AR-15-platform rifles. He calls it "The New Paradigm."

We agree. See NSSF's recently launched educational campaign on Modern Sporting Rifles, and pass on the fact card and the video on the campaign's Web site. A four-page insert runs in major sporting magazines such as Field and Stream, Outdoor Life and Petersen's Hunting this month and next.

Thanks to Say Uncle for the reference to Ed's blog post.

New NSSF Long-form AR-15 Educational Video

The National Shooting Sports Foundation's educational campaign on modern sporting rifles has added a new long-form video (long for the Web anyway, five minutes) to accompany its 30- and 60-second messages. The campaign is designed to reach a wide audience in the hunting and target shooting community, with emphasis placed on educating sportsmen whose preference for traditional-looking firearms can lead them to misunderstand AR-15-platform rifles and to even describe them as "assault weapons," which inadvertently lends support to elected officials and organizations who want to ban these rifles.

Some hunters or target shooters may not care to use AR-15-platform rifles. That's OK; we all have our preferences for certain firearms and the right to own the guns we choose. What's damaging to all gun owners, however, is when sportsmen label ARs as "evil" or "bad" guns because they look different from traditional rifles. In doing so they assist gun-ban initiatives that could affect the rights of others to own the type of firearm they prefer--AR-platform rifles--which are favored by younger hunters and shooters, precisely the group on which the future of those activities rests. Traditionalists should be aware that legislation that could ban AR-15-type rifles could sweep up traditional-looking semi-automatic rifles and shotguns (and even handguns) in its net.  

The campaign's four-page educational insert on the modern sporting rifle, which tracks how military rifles of a certain era became popular civilian sporting rifles, will hit in sporting magazines ranging from Field & Stream and Outdoor Life to Petersen's Hunting and Gun Dog, among others. The point is that today's modern sporting rifle is just another step in the long history of the military-to-civilian sporting rifle evolution.

For this campaign to have a widespread effect on changing attitudes toward AR-15-platform rifles and to clear up misunderstanding about them (for example, their operation is semi-automatic, not full automatic, with only one round fired with each pull of the trigger), the campaign needs advocates who are willing to correct individuals—your friends, reporters, elected officials—who are misinformed about these rifles. A helpful pocket fact card available at www.nssf.org/msr can assist that effort. Consider sending the fact card to your local, state and Congressional representatives. 

As NSSF President Steve Sanetti has said, "We ask everyone who values their gun ownership rights to correct misunderstandings about the use and operation of these modern sporting rifles. If we let misinformation go unchecked, we only assist those who would ban ownership of these and other types of semi-automatic firearms, like your duck-hunting shotgun. We can't let that happen."

Report: New Women Shooters Say They're Interested in Personal Protection

From NSSF's weekly e-newsletter Bullet Points:

The National Shooting Sports Foundation's First Shots program has helped introduce thousands of first-timers to shooting at their local ranges. Nearly half of these participants have been female. A new report from NSSF shows a snapshot of these new women shooters. For example, after attending a First Shots seminar at their local range, 47 percent of women have met their local requirements to purchase a handgun, 26 percent said they have already purchased a handgun and 58 percent said they are planning to purchase a handgun in the future. When asked what their primary reason for purchasing a handgun would be, 86 percent said personal protection.

Read the rest of the Bullet Points e-newsletter.

Bullet Points is sent free of charge to subscribers each Monday and provides a roundup of news related to the firearms industry, the shooting sports and Second Amendment. To receive Bullet Points weekly subscribe here.

The Necessity and Pleasure of Owning Firearms

Two major newspapers this week have published stories that accurately capture the varied reasons why people choose to own firearms.

In The Washington Post yesterday, reporter Christian Davenport does a good job of showing how difficult it is to purchase a handgun in Washington, D.C., even after the U.S. Supreme Court, in District of Columbia v. Heller, struck down the city's longstanding ban against handgun ownership. It took Davenport four trips to the police department, two background checks, being fingerprinted, taking a five-hour class and passing a 20-question test--a total of nearly 16 hours--to purchase his handgun. Certainly, no one can claim that it's "too easy to buy a gun" in this city. About 550 D.C. residents so far have endured this purposely prohibitive process to become handgun owners, with many more, no doubt, unwilling to put in the time to overcome such a significant barrier to ownership. In the process of exercising his Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, the reporter overcomes his apprehension about handling a firearm, discovers the enjoyment of shooting and wrestles with his feelings about whether to keep his newly acquired handgun in the home to protect himself and his family. Read "Get a Gun in D.C.--Do You Feel Lucky? and watch the video that features a segment filmed at Maryland Small Arms Range, Inc.

Today in The New York Times, Caitlin Kelly, author of the book "Blown Away: American Women and Guns," leads off her story, "For the Stressed Business Owner, a Range of Pursuits to Revive the Spirit," with a woman contractor who finds that shooting trap is a way to renew her energy in these challenging economic times for small business owners. “You’re not thinking about anything else, and when I come out of there I feel refreshed,” said Diane Slovak of Connecticut. NSSF assisted the author in finding her subject. Read the story and see the author's blog.

Educating Reporters Two at a Time about AR-15 Rifles

Dear Amanda Lee Myers and Terry Tang,

As Associated Press reporters, I know you want to "get it right."

However, it's utterly incorrect to say an AR-15 rifle is an "assault weapon," as is done several times in your story yesterday headlined, "Man carrying assault weapon attends Obama protest."

An AR-15-style rifle is not an assault weapon.

An assault weapon is a fully automatic firearm--a machine gun that, as long as the trigger is depressed, will continuously fire until the magazine is empty. Fully automatic firearms have been severely limited from civilian ownership since 1934.

An AR-15-style rifle, on the other hand, functions as a semi-automatic. It fires only one round with each pull of the trigger--just like countless other semi-automatic firearms that millions of Americans own legally for hunting, target shooting and self-defense. AR-15s are among the most popular firearms selling today and can rightfully be called today's modern sporting rifle.

Granted, AR-15-style rifles look like military rifles, such as the M-16, but as good reporters it's important that you not confuse the way AR-15s and military weapons function. Unless you deliberately want your readers to be confused about this issue, which is exactly what groups wanting to ban these types of firearms are after--confusion--you should not promote misinformation by using in accurate terms.

Versions of modern sporting rifles are legal to own in all 50 states, provided the purchaser passes the mandatory FBI background check required for all retail firearm purchasers.

If you would like an introduction to learning more about AR-15-style rifles at a target shooting range with a certified instructor, the National Shooting Sports Foundation would be pleased to arrange such a seminar, as we've done for hundreds of other journalists who now understand that AR-15s are not assault weapons.

Thanks for listening.

Making the Case for Sporting Firearms at the United Nations

As president of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, a Non-Governmental Organization member of the United Nations, Steve Sanetti today is addressing the U.N.'s  Open-Ended Working Group with the goal of explaining the legitimate uses of firearms and ammunition for sporting purposes and hunting by many millions of law-abiding persons worldwide, and urging that civilian firearms should be beyond the scope of any proposed U.N. consideration of fully automatic military firearms when its deliberations turn to small arms and light weapons as part of an International Arms Trade Treaty.

Mr. Sanetti is delivering the speech to approximately 300 delegates at United Nations headquarters in Manhattan. Some segments of the speech are provided here . . .

• Mr. Chairman and Members:

• Thank you for this opportunity to address the Open-Ended Working Group on behalf of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, an NGO member of this body and which serves to establish industry standards for safety, interchangeability, reliability and quality related to the manufacturing of sporting firearms . . .

• Sport shooting activities enjoy a deep heritage and broad appeal worldwide, and are rooted in centuries-old traditions built on safety, responsibility, marksmanship, competition, fair chase, respect for wildlife and respect for the land. That responsible civilians can, as they have for centuries, safely own, use and enjoy their personally-owned firearms is dramatically illustrated by the fact that despite an estimated nearly 300 million firearms in lawful private possession in the United States alone, firearms accidents are at an all-time low, accounting for less than 1 percent of all accidental fatalities in the country, dropping by over 42 percent in the last 20 years, according to the National Safety Council.

• Millions of sportsmen and women have a strong appreciation not only for the activities they enjoy, but also for the fine craftsmanship and industrial ingenuity that are hallmarks of the sporting firearms they use and collect for sport shooting. On a personal note, as an avid sport shooter and collector I can say that owning and using firearms for sporting purposes has enriched my life and given me untold hours of pleasure and shared good company . . .

• The world is constantly changing, and there are some who call for social and political reforms that increasingly threaten sport shooting and hunting. That is why I welcome the chance to speak to you on behalf of a responsible and law-abiding industry and for so many sportsmen and women throughout the world who share this passion.

• For as long as firearms have been around, they have been used for hunting and target shooting—traditional activities that are enjoyed with family and friends. The stories of successful hunting trips and competition medals won are passed down through generations and have created the fabric of the sport shooting culture around the world . . .

• The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute advocates the legitimate, safe and responsible use of sporting firearms, and the right of free passage of those firearms through member states . . .

• It is difficult in the limited time I have this morning/afternoon to capture the full value of hunting in the modern world, but I will try. Hunting is at the core of what makes us human, and contrary to what some may think, hunters celebrate wildlife and have done more to help conserve wildlife and habitat than any other single group in history . . .

• The economic impact of hunting supports more than wildlife conservation, however. Economic stimulus from hunting is visible globally, from small towns in rural America to small villages in African countries where a dependable, yearly food and revenue stream is vitally important. When wildlife is considered as a valuable commodity to protect and conserve, it works to prevent the illegal taking of game and the eventual devastation of species and their habitats.

• . . . In countries such as Namibia, a popular destination for hunters, the economic impact of hunting is substantial, amounting to well over 100 million Namibian dollars and totaling approximately 14 percent of the tourism sector . . .

• So in conclusion, I urge that this group consider carefully the benefits sport shooting and hunting convey to hundreds of millions of law-abiding citizens around the globe, prior to formulating any policies or directives which address our mutual goal of creating appropriate policies regarding the international transport and transfer of fully automatic military weapons. These important goals, both of them, can be addressed and obtained, so long as we all have a proper respect for the rights of law-abiding citizens of disparate cultures and lifestyles that must be allowed to co-exist if all of us are to enjoy the right to the pursuit of happiness, each in our own way.

• Thank you.

Educate Your Community

Have you ever thought about giving a talk to your local Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis or other service organization to gain their appreciation for some aspect of hunting or recreational shooting? It's a great way to build understanding at the community level of our culture and activities.

One topic the average person probably knows little about (despite considerable efforts to make it known by NSSF and other organizations) is the connection between hunting and wildlife conservation--how game and non-game species alike have benefited from a remarkable system of hunter-funded support for more than 100 years.

You have a great story to tell. And what audience doesn't support protecting wildlife and wild places?

To assist in your presentation there are several new communications tools on the National Hunting and Fish Day Web site, such as a nicely produced, automated PowerPoint presentation, fact sheets about species and animal trivia games. (If public speaking is not your forte but you want to make the effort anyway, just show the presentation, which contains optional audio, and use the handouts.)

Another item that is offered on the Web site can serve as a conversation starter--wristbands that say Hunt. Shoot. Fish. Share The Pride. Their eye-catching color is sure to prompt a question from a non-sportsman co-worker or even a stranger, giving you the opportunity to explain that hunters generate $100,000 for conservation every 30 minutes, that land which is probably very close to where you live has been preserved for the enjoyment of wildlife by all because of the license fees and excise taxes paid by hunters and shooters, and other conservation facts that can foster positive attitudes about hunting and shooting.

Always on the fourth Saturday of September, National Hunting & Fishing Day is September 26 this year. No need to wait, though. You can give your presentation anytime because wildlife conservation happens year-round.

View the PowerPoint presentation.

Reaching Out to Outdoor Media

The writers, editors, publishers and TV/radio hosts that promote hunting and target shooting, and otherwise help publicize the image of responsible gun owners, remain critical to the future of our sports.

That's why NSSF makes it a point during the year to attend the major outdoor media conferences of such organizations as the venerable Outdoor Writers Association of  America, the relatively new and growing Professional Outdoor Media Association and  the largest regional group, the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, among  others. These annual conferences provide an opportunity for NSSF to network with media professionals and remind them to utilize NSSF as a resource for information and research on firearms, hunting, shooting, safety, legislation and wildlife conservation.

NSSF makes presentations to the membership on topical and sometimes contentious issues. Current topics include that the eating of game meat taken with traditional ammunition does not pose a health risk to humans, and that the  term "assault weapon" is a political, and inaccurate, term used by gun-ban advocates to describe what has become the "modern sporting rifle."

We want the media to base their articles, columns and shows on accurate information so that their readers can have a solid understanding of the issues that affect their right to own firearms and their use of them to hunt and target shoot without encountering barriers.

Some have said that the influence of outdoor media is in decline due to the economic challenges media outlets everywhere face. Perhaps that is true in print media, as newspapers shed outdoors coverage and, unfortunately, the jobs of those journalists who provided that content to an avid readership for so many years. But that loss is, to an extent, balanced by increasing online content in e-zines, e-newsletters and blogs and on video sites developed both by professional media and citizen journalists who report, comment and enthuse about firearms and their use.

No one quite knows where the future of information delivery is headed, as author and social media expert Paul Gillin told the audience at the NSSF Shooting Sports Summit last week, but no matter where it's headed those, like NSSF, who rely on that media to tell accurate stories about often misunderstood subjects--such as gun ownership and hunting--need to stay in touch with the individuals who provide the content. And not just by e-mail or text message.

Recently, Google CEO Eric Schmidt in a speech at Carnegie Mellon's commencement ceremony told graduates, many of whom were about to receive freshly printed degrees as computer scientists, to remember to turn off their computers and cell phones occasionally so that they could spend time on something even more important: building relationships face to face.

That is NSSF's goal at these media conferences. Over the years, we've found that it's the relationships with individuals who share a common passion for hunting and the shooting sports that endure and provide a stable center around which the outdoor communications world swirls.

NSSF will be attending the OWAA Conference, which begins this weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and will be at the POMA Conference in St. Louis next month, with attendance at other conferences to follow later in the year.