GunLinkBlog
Registration for 2016 NSSF Industry Summit Has Begun
If you are involved in the firearms industry, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) Industry Summit is an outstanding opportunity to sit in on some educational seminars that will help you continue to grow your business in a market that is constantly besieged by gun control advocates. NSSF, the firearms industry trade association, announced today that registration for the 2016 iteration of the Industry Summit is now open.
Taking place June 6-8 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, this year’s summit will provide attendees with the latest research related to the firearms and ammunition industry, hunting and target shooting, while delivering cutting-edge information from experts in their field. Those attending the summit are decision makers from all segments of the firearms industry, including firearms retailers, range owners, members of the conservation community and state wildlife agency professionals.
For more information on the 2016 NSSF Industry Summit, visit www.nssf.org/IndustrySummit. NSSF Members, non-members, governmental agency professionals and industry relevant guests are all encouraged to attend, and those registering to attend online will receive a discount. To register, visit www.nssf.org/IndustrySummit/Registration.
Matt “Axe” Axelson Tribute Rifle to be Raffled to Benefit Special Operations Wounded Warriors
Brownells, SOWW Partner to Raffle Axelson Tactical Rifle
We consider it an honor to have sat before the likes of true American heroes such as Marcus Luttrell and Ron Bellan and to hear the heartfelt words of Matt “Axe” Axelson’s family during SHOT Show 2016 as they came together with Brownells to announce the raffle of a rifle package to benefit Special Operations Wounded Warriors (SOWW).
The package includes the Axelson Tactical Rifle – one of only 99 built – serial numbered AXE01. The rifle is a semi-auto replica of the one that Matt was carrying on June 28, 2005, when he and nine other US Navy SEALs and eight Army Aviation Soldiers were killed in combat in support of Operation Red Wings – the events of which were depicted in the book and film Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. Continue reading
Connect with Local Second Amendment Supporters on the States Forums
GunLink Local Discussion Boards Get a Makeover
The shooting community, and Second Amendment advocates in general, have always been a relatively tight-knit group. It is always refreshing to see the camaraderie between the good, honest people from all walks of life who show up to big events like the NRA Annual Meetings or the biannual machine gun shoots at Knob Creek and Big Sandy or industry events like SHOT Show. That camaraderie is perhaps even more evident on a smaller scale such as on a competition circuit, shooting club, or informal get-together of friends participating in the shooting sports.
In the political realm, the phrase “grassroots” is often bandied about (despite its invasion by “astroturf” movements) because, realistically, concerned individuals working together to effect change is what brings about real legislative changes. This can be seen in gun-rights rallies, letter writing campaigns, and other local pushes to contact representatives to ensure that vox populi is heard. These days, it is easier than ever to connect, thanks to the internet.
The GunLink Forums has had state-by-state forums for a few years now. Those local discussion boards have served a number of purposes including, for several years, acting as an online rallying point for members of a national gun rights organization. During that period, the boards were largely limited to locating members in your area and chit-chat, even that of a local nature, was kept to a minimum.
The states’ forums have recently undergone another facelift with much of the old restrictions now removed. Under the new format, the local boards are open for any kind of discussion you like (within reason and within the general forum rules, of course). Open for discussion are all things relevant to members in your area, including shooting events, news, elections, firearm legislation, meetups, links to your buy/sell/trade listings in the GunLink Marketplace, and just about anything else.
To get started, visit the Get Local forums, or find your state below. Continue reading
SHhhhhhhOT Show 2016 – The Silencers of SHOT Show
The popularity of gun mufflers has exploded over the past few years thanks, in part, to efforts by manufacturer conglomerates, silencer demos and events, social media hash-tags that bring awareness (#SilencersAreLegal, #FightTheNoise), and the relative ease of procuring them – despite the blatantly unconstitutional restrictions placed on them by laws and BATFE rulings. There is even legislative action to make them even easier to procure – requiring only a 4473 instead of the tedious NFA paperwork and wait time (contact your reps!).
As such, it is no surprise that recent years at SHOT Show have seen an increase in suppressors in display, and the 2016 show was no exception. Continue reading
The New Tactical Optics of SHOT Show 2016
New Optics from Aimpoint, EOTech, and Vortex
There were several new tactical scopes on display at SHOT Show 2016, with three standout companies behind them.
Vortex’s US-made precision, red dot, and prismatic scopes
For precision shooters, Vortex was showing off their Razor HD AMG scopes. The Razor is a US-made first focal plane (FFP) scope that features apochromatic objective lenses, so the colors you see through the scope will remain true and the glass-etched reticle – available in MOA or MRAD versions- will remain in proportion to the target across the entire, substantial 6-24x zoom range. The constant reticle proportions and large, easy-to-use adjustment turrets will make this scope easy to use across a range of changing shooting conditions. All this comes with a price tag of around $3400.
Vortex also had a pair of tactical 1x scopes more suited for CQB, quick shots, and closer target shooting. Up first is the SPARC AR – an unmagnified AR-ready red dot. The new SPARC has a 2 MOA dot with 1 MOA adjustments and rear-facing digital brightness adjustments. It also includes an auto-off feature that shuts the unit down after 12 hours to save your battery – so no having a battle-ready rifle in your safe that is always-on and ready to grab and go. More good news: that battery is a standard AAA battery that is easy to find and easy on the wallet. That battery will net you anywhere between 300 and 5000 hours of run time, depending on which of the 10 brightness levels you choose. Continue reading
2016 SHOT Show Garners Rave Reviews
The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade ShowSM (SHOT Show®) rang up its second highest attendance total ever, attracting more than 64,000 industry professionals during a four-day run. Held at the Sands Expo Center Jan. 19-22, the SHOT Show also attracted a record number of buyers, sending a strong signal about the health of the firearms industry.
“We are ecstatic at the response to this year’s show,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “And we’re optimistic for a year of strong sales, shooter participation, business-to-consumer outreach efforts, safety education and technological innovation.”
This year’s SHOT Show offered several new features that were well-received. These included SHOT Show TV, which aired in more than 70,000 hotel rooms across the city, a new NSSF Members Reception and the SHOT Show NEXT Pavilion.
“It takes an in-depth knowledge of what our industry wants and where it wants to go to pull off a show of this size and have the vast majority of those attending state, unequivocally, that this is the best show they’ve attended in years,” said Dolnack. “That kind of positive response is the result of working hard to add value to the customer experience through new, innovative features.” Continue reading
