2016 SHOT Show

Winners of 16th Annual Outdoor Sportsman Awards Announced During SHOT Show

Star-Studded Ceremony Included Appearances by GOP Presidential Frontrunner Donald Trump, Willie Robertson, John Fogerty, Taya Kyle, Eva Shockey, Kristi Lee Cook & More

SHOT_6414Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel, part of Outdoor Sportsman Group – Networks, announced the winners of its 16th Annual Outdoor Sportsman Awards Powered by RAM. The ceremony was held in the Venetian Theater on Thursday during the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) and Conference in Las Vegas. The show was streamed live online and viewers were able to follow along through the networks’ respective social media platforms using the hashtag #OutdoorSportsmanAwards.

The OSAs were co-hosted by Michael Waddell of Outdoor Channel’s Realtree Road Trips with Michael Waddell and Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector, and Tom McMillan of Sportsman Channel’s MCMILLAN.

The awards show began with an introduction by Jim Liberatore, Outdoor Sportsman Group – Networks President and CEO, who then set the stage for a special appearance by GOP presidential frontrunner and business magnate Donald Trump.

The night included performances by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Fogerty, former lead singer for Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Kristy Lee Cook, former American Idol finalist and co-star of Sportsman Channel’s The Most Wanted List.

Many guest presenters were on hand to give out awards as well: Taya Kyle, wife of late U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most prolific sniper in American history and frequent Outdoor Channel guest star; Krissy Wejebe, daughter of late legendary angler and Spanish Fly star Jose Wejebe; Willie Robertson, star of Duck Dynasty and Buck Commander protected by Under Armour on Outdoor Channel; Eva Shockey co-star of Outdoor Channel’s Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures; Louie Tuminaro, host of Outdoor Channel’s The Gunfather presented by Brownells; Jana Waller, star of Sportsman Channel’s Skull Bound TV; David and Karin Holder of Outdoor Channel’s Raised Hunting; National Rifle Association Vice President Pete Brownell; and Bass Pro Shops Director of Conservation Rob Keck.

In total, 17 Outdoor Sportsman Awards were presented during the ceremony. Two were awarded for the Fan Favorite Host(s) category, one going to Michael Waddell, Travis “T-Bone” Turner and Nick Mundt, the stars of Outdoor Channel’s Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector, and the other going to Tim Wells of Sportsman Channel’s Relentless Pursuit.

Outdoor Sportsman Awards went to the following winners…

  • Best Overall: Trev Gowdy’s Monster Fish
  • Best New Series – Outdoor Channel: GunnyTime with R. Lee Ermey
  • Best New Series – Sportsman Channel: Huntin’ Fool
  • Best Deer Hunting: Crush with Lee & Tiffany
  • Best Big Game: Driven with Pat & Nicole
  • Best Bird Hunting: Arrow Affliction presented by Mossy Oak
  • Best Fishing: Trev Gowdy’s Monster Fish
  • Best Shooting Sports: NRA All Access
  • Best General Interest: MidwayUSA’s Gun Stories
  • Best Comedy: The Reluctant Outdoorsman
  • Best Commercial: Minn Kota – Ulterra
  • Best Graphics: Drury’s THIRTEEN
  • Best Show Open: Bow Madness
  • Best Sound Design: Arrow Affliction presented by Mossy Oak
  • Best Videography: Hunt Masters
  • Fan Favorite Host(s) – Outdoor Channel: Michael Waddell, Travis “T-Bone” Turner and Nick Mundt – Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector
  • Fan Favorite Host(s) – Sportsman Channel: Tim Wells – Relentless Pursuit

GLOCK Celebrates 30 Years in the United States

30th Anniversary MGThis year marks the 30th anniversary of the introduction of GLOCK pistols to the U. S. market. GLOCK, Inc., was established in the United States in 1986 and revolutionized the firearms market forever.  GLOCK pistols are now the sidearm of choice for over 65 percent of the law enforcement agencies across the U.S., and they are used in more than 50 elite military units worldwide.

“When I brought the GLOCK 17 to America in 1986, I could not have imagined or predicted the success GLOCK enjoys today,” said company founder, Gaston Glock. “Our pistols are the choice of millions for personal and home protection and target shooting.”

GLOCK has launched a year-long 30th Anniversary celebration. GLOCK has commissioned a limited edition of thirty hand-engraved G17 Gen4 pistols to honor groups and organizations that have contributed to the overall success of the company in the U.S.

SHOT_6492Each of the thirty pistols has been uniquely by one of five Master Engravers who have been certified by the Firearms Engravers Guild of America (FEGA) to commemorate the relationships cultivated during the company’s thirty-year history. The exclusive pistols will be presented throughout the year to exceptional individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the success of GLOCK.  The engraved G17 Gen4 pistols carry a limited production serial number and come with a certificate of authenticity signed by Mr. Glock. The pistols will be presented throughout 2016.

To learn more about 30 years of GLOCK in the United States and how to win one of the limited edition pistols, visit 30th.glock.com.

SHOT Show Range Day 2016

SHOT16range_6157The NSSF’s Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) opens today and, as it is every year, the start of the show is preceded by SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range outside of Las Vegas in Boulder City.

With more than 170 exhibitors and over half a million rounds fired, Industry Day bills itself as the largest, most influential one-day event in the hunting and shooting industry.  The event provides the opportunity for outdoor media and buyers to get hands on, live-fire experience with the newest firearms and products that will hit the market in the upcoming year.  It is the perfect chance to see what is coming down the pipe and, as we have in past years, the GunLink team took advantage of that opportunity at the 2016 Range Day so that we can share the latest and greatest with you.

One of the new products at Range Day that is sure to create some buzz came from Kimber.  Long known for their fine bolt-action rifles and 1911 pistols, the company is carving a path into new territory:  the revolver market.  Enter the Continue reading

Viva SHOT Show!

Welcome to Las VegasThe GunLink team has descended Las Vegas, Nevada – soon to be joined there more than 60,000 industry professionals – to learn about the latest and greatest developments in the shooting, hunting, and outdoor trades.  The event, of course, is the National Shooting Sporting Foundation’s SHOT Show.

We will be walking the lanes and popping off rounds from the newest firearms to hit dealers’ shelves (or ones that haven’t even hit the shelves yet) at SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range.  Then, it’s off to scour the 630,000 square feet of exhibit space at SHOT Show proper to hear about the industry’s latest innovations directly from the 1,600 exhibitors in attendance.  By the way, if you happen to be one of those exhibitors, check out this great opportunity we have for you in the GunLink directory.  We even plan to carve out some time to pop in to the winter Army, Navy, Military Expo again this year, which partially overlaps with SHOT.

We know that you love firearms and gear almost as much as we do, so we will be telling you all about what we find right here, as well as on the GunLink Forums, where you can join the discussion about what we’re covering and give us suggestions about what you want to see.  We will also be giving live updates the entire time on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to watch the show unfold.  It’s the next best thing to being there which, we have to admit, is pretty amazing!

Changes to ATF eForms are Underway – Now to be Called FEAM

eForms Changing to Firearms and Explosives Application Module (FEAM)
Liason says system wont be ready in time to demo at SHOT Show

ATFeformsAs a BATFE eForms valued custome(what, you don’t have your frequent buyer’s card?), we received an update email today to notify us about some changes that are coming in the system.

The first change that you will notice is the name.  No longer will it be called “eForms.”  Rather, it will go by the new moniker of “Firearms and Explosives Application Module (FEAM)”.  This change, the BATFE says, is to emphasis that FEAM is more than a “fillable form”.

A Business Process Module

The advisory maintains that, instead of just being a form, the system is a “business process module” and gives a list of minimum the functionalities, listed below.  Although it doesn’t explicitly say as much, reading between the lines might lead one to believe that the changes are, in part, to pave the way to accommodate (or not) the requirements of ATF 41F (nee 41P).  It also sounds like they may be scrapping all of that hard work that they had been promising was underway toward the reboot of the eForms Form 4 functionality.

  • Auto assignmentAll applications will be immediately upon submission assigned to an examiner for processing.  I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  It seems like it could slow down some applications if it immediately goes onto the desk of a slow or grumpy examiner versus working its way through the queue to land on the first available desk.
  • Auto approvalSome forms, like the ATF Forms 2 and 3, if they meet certain pre-determined criteria will be automatically approved by the FEAM system upon submission.  This generally sounds like a good thing, as it could cut down on the amount of time buyers spend waiting for custom-built NFA items to hit the registry from the manufacturer or for the transfer to their local dealer to go through so they can start waiting on their Form 4.
  • Internal controls and performance measurement reportingATF has a full audit trail of every application received with date and time stamps for every step in the process. Digital signatures can be used to lock down portions of the form to ensure the security of the data and the authenticity of the submitter.
  • Improved business processes with automatic Records Management & Retention, as mandated by the Office of Management and Budget.
  • Electronic Signature (for submitter and ATF personnel)provides enhanced authentication, validation and improves processing and approval.  From an individual viewpoint, this doesn’t sound like that meaningful of a change; particularly barring the absence of a mechanism for users to submit fingerprints and photos – which will soon be required for all non-SOT users.
  • Enhance Industry satisfaction: user-friendly interaction.  Aww, look… the BATFE is humble.  To be honest, the eForms interface couldn’t have got much worse.  It looked like a hello world website from the ’90s.  But it suited its purpose as an online fillable form.
  • FEAM provides the Application Program Interface (APIs) needed to update the existing ATF back end databases, to allow for the batch submission of multiple forms using one computer session.  Yahtzee.  Bulk forms.
  • Improves efficiency for the Enforcement Programs and Services staffForms can be automatically routed, evaluated and tracked so that final determinations can be made in a consistent and expeditious manner.

BATFE-MolonLabe-SHOTThe advisory also indicates that they had anticipated being able to demo FEAM v1.0 at SHOT Show this upcoming week, but – shockingly – they didn’t have it done in time.  Drats!  We had hoped to see something good when we stopped by their show booth this year.

We had hoped to be able to present the first iteration of FEAM at the 2016 SHOT Show. ATF performed an assessment of what was contracted to be developed for FEAM and what the contractor planned to deliver. At the end of the assessment, all parties involved felt that the product outlined in the current contract did not fully provide all the functionality that we expected, or that the industry requested. For these reasons we decided that rather than to continue on the current course, we would take the steps listed below to ensure that FEAM is a worthwhile investment for both the industry and ATF:

  1. Curtail the current development effort.
  2. Determine what is needed to sustain the existing eForms system, until the full requirements for FEAM can be determined and developed.
  3. Make the necessary changes to eForms to stabilize the infrastructure with the ever-increasing user population.
  4. Determine if we can re-introduce the Form 3 to the current eForms, through load testing and other system validations.
  5. Perform an assessment of the ATF and industry requirements for FEAM.
  6. Secure required funding for a new FEAM initiative, based on the revised requirements.
  7. Restart the FEAM initiative, to include industry participation during the requirements gathering and testing processes.

We look at this as only a minor delay. It is our intention to use this delay to acquire the tools and resources necessary to develop a product that will provide more functionality and a stable workflow process and infrastructure. All the work previously done on FEAM is not lost. It will be the foundation for the work that is yet to come.

SHOT Show is Just Around the Corner

Stay with the GunLink Team for Complete SHOT Show 2016 Coverage

shotshow-logoThe National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) SHOT Show 2016 is just two short weeks away, and the GunLink team will be there from the opening shots of the pre-show Industry Day at the Range until after the show ends to bring you complete coverage of the latest and greatest guns, gear, and more that is coming soon in the shooting, hunting, and outdoor fields.

Watch the GunLink Blog for detailed coverage of SHOT Show 2016 and participate by joining the discussion in the NSSF SHOT Show boards on the GunLink Forums.  For more frequent up-to-the-minute updates throughout the show, be sure to follow GunLink on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

SHOT Show crowd

The  38th annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show – SHOT Show – runs from Tuesday, January 19 through Friday, January 22 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.  This is the largest show of its kind, drawing tens of thousands of attendees.  The 2015 show drew approximately 64,000 attendees – second only to the 2014 show’s 67,000.  The heart of the show that brings such a massive crowd?  The 1,600 exhibitors who cover more than 13 acres of exhibit space to showcase their wares.

SHOT Show Media DayAt Industry Day at the Range on January 18 in Boulder City, we will have the opportunity to visit with manufacturers and see the latest firearms in action with some live-fire trigger time – which is always a “blast”.  Featuring over 170 manufacturers exhibiting, and over 500,000 rounds of ammunition shot, Industry Day is the premier shooting event in the industry, giving outdoor media and buyers the opportunity to shoot and test new products for the upcoming year.  This year’s exhibiting companies include firearms, ATV and truck demos, knife throwing, archery and more.

SHOT Mobile AppFor those of you lucky enough to be going to the SHOT Show to see it for yourself, there are a number of tools to make your visit easier.  Plan meet-ups, talk about what you’ve seen, get pointers, and more in the SHOT Show thread on the GunLink forums.  Find exhibitors, schedule meetings with vendors, take notes, and plan your show with SHOT Show mobile, available as an app for Android and iOS devices and as a mobile site for Windows and Blackberry devices.  This will, no doubt, make it easier to navigate the 630,000 square feet and 12.5 miles of aisles on the show floor!

Of course, all of this great coverage of the best new products that shooters care about wouldn’t be possible without our valuable partners.10713594-1424378571838

Brownells, and Pete Brownell in particular, has been among the earliest and biggest supporters of new media in the firearms industry – going so far as to host the New Media Meetup Lunch at previous SHOT Shows – in addition to offering an enormous selection of firearm parts and accessories.  Brownells has been Serious About Firearms for over 75 years – since 1939!

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