The Enemy Within – Marion Hammer’s Revised NRA History
On January 15, Marion Hammer, NRA past president and a current member of both the Board of Directors and Executive Council, published an outrageous editorial on Ammoland Shooting Sports News warning of current and past threats to the NRA, and listing a slate of candidates she supports for the upcoming NRA Board of Directors election.
Marion is free to endorse any Board candidate she likes. But in her endorsement she can’t rewrite history to suit herself, nor can she expect to cast aspersions on the motives of good people without challenge
In her screed, Ms. Hammer carefully avoids naming names, but anyone who has been paying any attention at all to NRA politics – past and present – knows exactly whom she is referring to.
She begins with muddy praise for the stalwart NRA members who staged a revolt at the NRA Members’ Meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1977. It was the night when the members wrested control of the NRA from a hidebound and self-perpetuating management and put the Association on the road to being the premier defender of the human right to armed self defense. Then she jumps forward to 1997 to talk about an attempted “coup” by a group of “dissident malcontents,” but fails to mention that both actions were staged by many of the same people, and for many of the same reasons.
I put “coup” in quotes in the second instance because the group that she claims was staging the “coup” was actually the duly elected Officers and Directors attempting, unsuccessfully, to exercise their fiduciary responsibility against actions by paid staff and key contractors with multimillion-dollar contracts.
The 1997 fight was not a coup; it was a mutiny.
In contrast to Cincinnati, the prize in 1977 was not the heart, soul, and destiny of the NRA, but control of the organization’s checkbook and prudent management of its resources. The goal in both instances was to give the members control over their NRA. The 1997 action included First Vice President Neal Knox, Second Vice President Albert Ross, and a majority of the NRA Board of Directors.
But, history is written by the victors, so the attempts of the Board of Directors to demand fiscal accountability from their hired staff was later reported as a “coup.”
The core issue was how the NRA’s PR company, Ackerman McQueen, was drawing millions of dollars a month from the organization and improperly controlling NRA staff. The Board directed Wayne to sever ties with Ack-Mac, and Wayne promised to do so, then claimed to have done so, by bringing in a new PR company called Mercury Group. The “new” PR company turned out to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Ack-Mac, with all of the same players in all of the same positions, still bleeding the association of the same millions of dollars. Continue reading
Sticky Holsters Unveils New EDC Products for SHOT Show
Just in time for SHOT Show, Sticky Holsters is unveiling a bevy of new products for Concealed Carry EDC.
We have been reviewing Sticky Holsters for years now, since we were first introduced to them by a GunLink Forum member. Since then, we have tried out and reviewed a number of their products, including their standard holsters in a variety of sizes, as well as their Super Mag Pouch, and the custom ECR-compatible holster for Viridian’s C5L compact light and laser.
We have had great experiences with Sticky Holsters’ products over the years and are happy to have them come on board with us as a SHOT Show Coverage Partner this year. Operations Manager, Eric, sent us over some details about the latest products coming out of the Sticky Holsters shop and we’re excited to get the opportunity to see them first hand at SHOT Show next week.
Sticky’s new products aren’t necessarily directly pistol-holster related but, rather, geared more toward the EDC stuff that you might lug around if you are packing heat already, like spare mags, tourniquets, a knife, etc.
The first set of new products are their Mini Mag Sleeves and Pouches. As you saw in our review of the Super Mag Pouch (SMP), we generally used that product for double-stack pistol mags like those for the G19 and G17. Using the SMP for single-stack mags, like those for the XDS45, was passable, but not ideal since they didn’t fill out the pouch enough and we worried about the possibility of the magazine sliding out at inopportune times. Trying to use the SMP for tiny mags, like those for the .380 ACP Ruger LCP, was nigh impossible. This is what we wrote at the time: Continue reading
Sticky Holster Viridian ECR Draw
Video of Viridian C5L Enhanced Combat Readiness (ECR) draw from custom Sticky Holster with ECR compatibility. ECR allows for the light/laser to turn on when the weapon is drawn and turn off when the weapon is reholstered.
For more, check out our Sticky Holsters review thread on the GunLink Forums.
ATF Seeking Public Comments on Bump Stock Regulations
Consumers, Retailers, and Manufacturers Asked to Weigh in on Machine Gun Classification
Presumably prompted almost exclusively by (or, at least, jumping at the “convenient” excuse of) their use in the October 1, 2017 attack on Route 91 Harvest Festival concert in Las Vegas, the BATFE is now seeking comments from the public regarding new regulations, potentially including reclassification as machine guns, on firearm accessories known as bump stocks.
Share your Comments with the ATF Now
In the wake of the attack, which has since spawned no shortage of conspiracy theories thanks to the dearth of officially released details, there was a brief initial outcry calling for increased regulation before quickly fading from the news. Some of those calls even came from unexpected sources, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and businesses who make their money by renting fully automatic firearms to tourists.
Now, the Department of Justice is contemplating a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would interpret the statutory definition of “machinegun” in the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) to clarify whether bump stocks, fall within that definition. Before issuing such an NPRM, the Department and ATF are soliciting comments from the public and industry regarding the nature and scope of the market for these devices, giving citizens the opportunity to weigh in on the topic.
The request for comments was published in the Federal Register, and can be seen here (excerpts are below). Comments can be left via the regulation’s page on the Regulations.gov website or left directly here. Gun Owners of America have produced a summary of their two main points: that 1) Bump Sstocks do not fall within the definition of “machine gun” under the NFA and 2) ATF has no Constitutional or legal authority to ban or regulate bump stocks.
Share your Comments with the ATF Now
Below are excerpts from the Request for Comments in the Federal Register: Continue reading
Franklin Armory to Release new Non-NFA Short Barreled… Thing
Reformation – Redefining Firearms
Innovative firearms manufacturer, Franklin Armory, has brought another out of the box idea to the firearms industry. Known for their ground breaking American made products such as their Binary Firing System, F17 series rifles, and the XO-26, Franklin Armory has changed the industry once again. The new products are part of the Reformation line of patent pending NRS firearms, and the first SKUs in the Reformation line include a non-NFA configuration with an 11.5″ barrel and a conventional stock as depicted below:
Having already received approval as a non-rifle from the Chief of the Firearms Technology Division, Reformation will be shipping without any onerous NFA paperwork required.
Franklin Armory President, Jay Jacobson, noted, “The patent pending technology employed in Reformation will create a whole new market segment that will not require NFA approval.”
For more discussion on the new Franklin offering, and other SHOT Show offerings, join us in the SHOT Show board of the GunLink Forums.
SIG SAUER Introduces the P365 “Ultimate Concealed Carry Pistol”
SIG SAUER, Inc. introduces the new High-Capacity Micro-Compact P365 – the ultimate concealed carry pistol. This revolutionary striker-fired 9mm pistol offers the perfect balance of capacity and concealment with unrivaled shootability and ergonomics. The P365’s patent-pending, narrow-neck, modified double-stack magazine holds 10 rounds in both the flush-fit and extended versions, plus one in the chamber, for a full capacity of 11 rounds – nearly a 50 percent capacity increase over pistols in its class. An optional 12-round extended magazine equips this micro-compact pistol with full-size 13-round capacity, allowing you to carry more, everyday – 365 days a year. The P365 is also smaller and lighter than most other pistols in its class, measuring 1-inch wide, 5.8-inches long, and 4.3-inches tall with a barrel length of 3.1-inches. It weighs just 17.8 ounces with an empty magazine.
The unique grip design and higher grip to bore axis reduces perceived recoil and makes the P365 as comfortable to shoot as many mid-sized pistols. The grip is fully-textured polymer with a slim-line rail that will accommodate SIG light or laser accessories. The stainless-steel slide comes standard with front and rear serrations for easier slide manipulation, as well as SIGLITE® night sights for faster sight acquisition under all lighting conditions. Continue reading
