The 2014 Gift Buying Guide for Firearms Enthusiasts
You had all year to shop. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday have all come and gone. Now December is upon us and you still haven’t finished your holiday shopping for the firearms enthusiasts in your life. With the 2015 GunLink Holiday Gift Buying Guide, you will have to come up with another excuse than forgetting a gift to avoid visiting your in laws for Christmas.
The Gift of Gun Rights
One easy, and always appreciated, gift for any hard-to-shop-for gun lover is an NRA membership. It’s the gift that keeps on giving all year by helping to protect our Second Amendment rights. Membership comes with other benefits as well, such as a choice of publications sure to satisfy any shooter, including American Rifleman, American Hunter, and America’s 1st Freedom. Membership also gets you in to the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, which is always a great experience for any firearms enthusiast. Click here to save $10 on an annual NRA membership for that special someone (or yourself).
Something EVERY Shooter Needs
If you know what kind of firearms your recipient owns and enjoys shooting, Continue reading
Video: Veterans Day – Honoring All Who Served
From NRA Life of Duty
Every year on Veterans Day we celebrate those who have served in the military and armed forces. While we recognize and admire their selfless dedication and unbelievable courage, may they also see every handshake and thank you, flag and parade, tribute and acclaim as an affirmation of their nation’s faith and steadfast resolve; that “we the people” are behind them always.
Honoring Those Who Served on Veterans Day 2014
Stores and Restaurants Offer Meals and Discounts to Veterans as Tribute
Veterans Day 2014 will be next Tuesday, November 11th. This day marks a special time when we honor those who have served our country. Many of our veterans have returned home to a heroes welcome while, disgustingly, others returned home only to have their countrymen turn their backs on them. Some remain out in the field fighting to keep our country – and the world – safe while countless others made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation and did not return at all.
November 11, 1919, was first declared Armistice Day by president Woodrow Wilson, who said of the holiday that marked the anniversary of the end of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918:
To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.
Seven years later, a concurrent resolution was passed to honor the day with appropriate celebrations. Later, in 1938, Congress declared the day to be a legal holiday. Thus, the day was remembered as Armistice Day until 1954, when Congress changed the language to observe “Veterans Day” – a day on which all veterans would be honored, not just those who fought in WWI.
The tradition continues today as a day of remembrance when flags are placed on graves, parades fill city streets and businesses serve those who served our country. Below are some of the many businesses, restaurants and stores offering meals, discounts and more to our veterans. Note that, in most cases, to receive this benefit you will need to be in uniform or present a military ID or DD-214 and not all locations may be participating.
If we missed any, feel free to add them in the comments section below. Continue reading
Happy Independence Day
Happy Independence Day, GunLink-ers!
As you celebrate on this long weekend by grilling out, watching fireworks, enjoying a cold one, spending time with your family or whatever else you do, take some time to remember what you are celebrating and what made it possible.
It isn’t just “The 4th of July” – some arbitrary date that means pyrotechnics, a day off from work and big sales. Independence Day marks the anniversary of the Second Continental Congress’s 1776 adoption of the US Declaration of Independence, severing our ties from British rule and paving the way for Americans to enjoy the rights and freedoms that they have today.
Throughout the years, generations have fought and died to preserve what our forefathers built for us. Take a few moments over the weekend to recognize and remember those sacrifices and to pass along those ideals to someone else.
Although John Adams was off by two days when he wrote to his wife Abigail of the July 2nd approval of the Resolution of Independence, his words still ring true:
The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.
Have a safe and happy Independence Day, from all of us here at GunLink!
Spring 2014 Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot and Gun Show
The bi-annual Machine Gun Shoot at Knob Creek Gun Range in West Point, Kentucky is coming up in just a couple of weeks. The three-day event, held this year on April 11, 12 and 13, draws attendees from all over the globe to the gun range outside of Louisville. Attendees can witness the spectacle of several day and night shoots as dozens of full-auto weapons sling tons (literally) of lead down range. In addition to spectating at the reserved main firing line of NFA collectors and enthusiasts, attendees can rent machine guns to shoot, compete in a number of shooting competitions and find great deals at the gun show which features hundreds of dealers and individuals from all over.
General admission for the event is $15/day for adults and $5/day for children under 12. On-site camping is also available starting at $20 per person. Unlike in past years where attendees would have to worry about the weather causing issues with vehicular access to the range, the new bridge makes it virtually impossible to get flooded out. Please note that Saturday April 12 coincides with the the Kentucky Derby Festival kick-off celebration in Downtown Louisville, so plan for traffic and accommodations accordingly.
Find the full schedule for the spring 2014 KCR Machine Gun Shoot here. View Spring 2013 KCR Machine Gun Shoot photos here and watch the videos below. Continue reading
Happy New Year 2014 From the GunLink Family
To all of the GunLink readers, followers, visitors fans, friends and +1ers, thanks for a great 2013 and here’s hoping for an even better 2014. We met and talked to new people, made new friends, learned new stuff and we hope to see all of that continue in the new year.
There is a supposedly-Chinese curse that says “May you live in interesting times” and, as far as our Second Amendment rights go, we certainly are. 2013 saw a number of 2A gains as well as some losses and renewed pushes for gun control fueled by anti-gun zealots desperately trying to “not let a tragedy go to waste.” While you’re making your new years resolutions, consider adding something to your list to help protect the right to keep and bear arms. Whether it’s organizing a local group for grassroots action, contacting your representatives using a tool like POPVOX, or supporting pro-2A businesses and avoiding anti-2A businesses, many small steps put together equals a lot of progress.
Don’t forget that 2014 starts off with a bang for firearms enthusiasts. At SHOT Show, the big trade show for the shooting, hunting and outdoor industries in January, the latest and greatest technology from all the big companies will be on display and GunLink will be there to cover it for you (note that SHOT is industry-only). If you’re the outdoors type, you’ll have an opportunity to see some new gadgets and gizmos for yourself at the Great American Outdoor Show in February. Then, in April, you’ll have a chance to connect with other RKBA supporters at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, where you can see some of what you missed at SHOT.
Have a safe, happy and prosperous 2014, GunLink-ers!
