Springfield Armory Releases .308Win Chambered Pistol SAINT Victor
Standard 9mm pistol on your hip not enough? AR pistols chambered for 5.56 still not quite there yet on firepower? Remington 700 bolt-action pistol just a little too slow for your taste? Springfield has you covered with their latest release – The SAINT Victor Pistol in .308.
As part of the SAINT Victor line, this pistol is loaded with premium components. Purpose built for defensive use, the SAINT Victor Pistol in .308 is a serious use firearm, featuring an HPT (High Pressure Tested) and MPI (Magnetic Particle Inspected) bolt to confidently handle a heavy round count schedule. From its Melonite finished barrel, to its pinned low profile gas block, to its crisp and grit free enhanced nickel boron coated, single stage flat trigger, the SAINT Victor Pistol in .308 adds a potent defensive platform to the SAINT pistol family.
This new SAINT pistol packs .30-caliber power into a 10.3″ CMV-barreled package that measures just over 28″ with the SB Tactical SBA3 five-position brace fully collapsed. Round that out with excellent appointments such as a BCMGUNFIGHTER Mod 3 pistol grip, 20-round Magpul PMAG Gen M3 magazine, a patented, rock solid, free float M-Lok handguard, and an SA 2-Piece Blast Diverter, and you have a pistol that easily tames the .308 cartridge while remaining handy and compact. Continue reading
Southeast: States Provide Hunter Education Course Options and Ease Restrictions during COVID-19 Pandemic
As the nation continues to adjust to social distancing requirements, some state fish and wildlife agencies are providing alternatives to hunter education course requirements while other states are easing access restrictions for anglers that were imposed due to COVID-19.
These waivers and revisions allow sportsmen and women to participate in hunting and fishing activities as long as the necessary social distancing requirements are maintained. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and conservation partners are promoting the #ResponsibleRecreation social media campaign that encourages people to hunt and fish while adhering to the Centers for Disease Control guidelines. In a related effort, CSF and other members of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners sent a letter to governors to encourage them to maintain open access for hunters and anglers.
Kentucky
The Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources altered the range day requirement for their internet-based hunter’s education course. In response to the COVID-related restrictions, a “virtual range day” has been instituted for those wanting to complete the hunter education course prior to May 15. A few different vendors offer an online hunter education course, including one that offers the course for free. Interested individuals can access the courses and the virtual range day here.
North Carolina
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) waived the field day component for their hunter education course for individuals who want to purchase their hunting license during the COVID-19 pandemic. The WRC offers three online hunter education courses, ranging from $13.00 to $29.00, as an alternative to the traditional classroom course. Upon successful completion, the hunter can print the temporary hunter education card to purchase their license. Those interested in this convenient alternative can access the online course offerings here.
Mississippi
In an effort to ease restrictions for anglers in Mississippi, Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Governor Tate Reeves issued Executive Order 1473, which allows the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) to reopen state lakes and state park lakes for fishing and boating on April 20. The MDWFP announced that bank fishing will also be permitted on these lakes as long as social distancing requirements are observed.
South Carolina
In similar fashion, Governor Henry McMaster granted authority to local governments or managing authorities to reopen public boat landings and ramps for launching and retrieving boats on April 17. Executive Order 2020-25 also clarified that while public access may be reopened for lakes, the rafting or beaching of boats is still prohibited for the duration of the State of Emergency.
With turkey seasons and fishing seasons underway across the South, CSF commends these efforts to ease restrictions for hunters and anglers during this time.
Ruger Responds to Pandemic with Support for Employees and Local Communities
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has made its people and the communities in which it operates a top priority during the tragic and unprecedented coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Ruger has undertaken a number of measures to help support its people and communities, and has placed significant efforts behind manufacturing resources to help the country at large.
“As COVID-19 has driven us into extraordinary times, we knew we must step up to help our employees, their families and our broader local communities,” said Ruger President and CEO, Chris Killoy. “Our Company values of integrity, respect, innovation and teamwork are more important than ever, and are surely guiding us through these times as we work together on doing what is best for everyone.”
As some local food pantries in our communities have closed or faced shortages, Ruger has set up its own food pantry for employees and is supporting other local food sources to help employees and families in need. Ruger employees have donated food, hard-to-get items and cash totaling over $11,000 to support this effort. Additionally, Ruger has provided two additional weeks of paid time off for hourly employees, as well as other accommodations for employees who are directly or indirectly impacted by this pandemic.
“Supporting our employees is the primary goal of our task force,” stated Sarah Colbert, Vice President of Administration and Chair of the Ruger Coronavirus Task Force. “Our focus is to keep our people safe and healthy; help take care of our Ruger families and local communities where we live and work; and keep us safely working for as long as we can.”
Keeping employee safety in mind, Ruger has reconfigured all locations to accommodate Federal social distancing guidelines at entranceways, on the factory floor and in common areas. Ruger has limited all non-essential access to its facilities, has embraced remote work wherever possible, and has professionally disinfected all manufacturing equipment and facilities utilizing a contracted service.
In an effort to support local communities, Ruger donated resources to hospitals, nursing homes, police, fire and first responder departments, including:
- 6,500 surgical masks
- Almost 5,000 safety glasses
- 700 Tyvek suits
- 200 shoe coverings
- Over 200 N95 masks.
Ruger also donated $6,000 in cash to local food charities and made its facilities and resources available to truck drivers and delivery personnel. Continue reading
NSSF PAC Achieves Unprecedented Support in 2019
More than $250,000 in contributions, 77 pro-industry legislators supported
The National Shooting Sports Foundation Political Action Committee, NSSF PAC, released its 2019 Year in Review report to members and industry partners announcing over $250,000 in contributions received during the last year. The contribution total represents unprecedented support for the NSSF PAC during an off-election year and places the committee in a strong position to support pro-firearm and ammunition industry legislators during the 2020 election year.
“NSSF had a tremendously successful 2019 and accomplished our mission to place member companies in the best position to be successful moving forward,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF PAC Treasurer and Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Public Affairs. “With the financial resources the NSSF PAC received from our friends in the firearm, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry last year, we look forward to working to elect even more pro-industry, pro-sportsmen and pro-Second Amendment allies to join us in Washington, D.C. after November’s elections.”
Highlights included in detail in the 2019 NSSF PAC Year in Review: Continue reading
Vortex Optics Awarded OTA for the US Army’S Competitively Solicited Next Generation Squad Weapon Fire Control (NGSW-FC) Prototype Program
For the last 18 years, innovation has meant everything to Vortex Optics. It’s meant our emergence as a leader in the sport optics industry. It’s allowed us to provide our customers the tools they need to pursue and protect what matters most in their lives.
But starting today, our dedication to innovation means something even more.
We’re honored to announce that the US Army – PM Soldier Lethality awarded Vortex an agreement to deliver the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Fire Control (NGSW-FC) Production Ready Prototypes for Soldier TouchPoint (STP) evaluations.
As a direct-view optic, the 1-8×30 Active Reticle Fire Control provides everything you’d expect from a variable-power, first focal plane riflescope. When augmented with an overlaid digital display, however, it provides features unheard of in a traditional small arms fire control.
“As a veteran-owned, non-traditional defense contractor, it’s very important to us that we listen to warfighters,” said Sam Hamilton, Chief Technical Officer at Vortex Optics. “When we learned of the soldier’s need for increased lethality out of their squad weapons—combined with the Small Arms Ammunition Configuration (SAAC) study, which proved that advancements in electro-optical fire control had the greatest potential to increase soldier’s lethality—we knew there was an important capability gap we could fill.” Continue reading
NSSF: Firearm Industry Economic Impact Rises 213% Since 2008
The total economic impact of the firearm and ammunition industry in the United States increased from $19.1 billion in 2008 to $60 billion in 2019, a 213-percent increase, while the total number of full-time-equivalent jobs rose from approximately 166,000 to over 332,000, a 100-percent increase in that period, according to a report released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearm industry trade association.
On a year-over-year basis, the industry’s economic impact rose from $52 in 2018 to $60 billion. Total jobs increased by 20,000 in the same period, from nearly 312,000 to over 332,000. The broader impact of the industry flows throughout the economy and supports and generates business for firms seemingly unrelated to firearms at a time when every job in America counts. These are real people, with real jobs, working in industries as varied as banking, retail, accounting, metalworking and printing, among others.
The firearm and ammunition industry paid over $6.74 billion in business taxes, including property, income and sales-based levies.
“Our industry continues to show the steady and reliable growth that is a hallmark of a healthy industry,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “The workers who comprise our ranks are the fabric of our communities. They produce the highest quality firearms and ammunition that millions of law-abiding Americans rely upon to exercise their fundamental right to keep and bear arms and safely enjoy the recreational shooting sports. This growth translates to more jobs that add to our local economies, averaging $55,200 in wages and benefits. In addition, since 2008 we increased federal tax payments by 162 percent, Pittman-Robertson excise taxes that support wildlife conservation by 79 percent and state business taxes by 116 percent.”
The Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report provides a state-by-state breakdown of job numbers, wages and output covering direct, supplier and induced employment, as well as federal excise taxes paid. Access the full report here.
