USCCA Announces Dates for Concealed Carry Expo 2021
The USCCA has announced the dates for the 2021 Concealed Carry & Home Defense Expo – a three day consumer show for those interested CCW, self defense, and home protection.
The event, scheduled (COVID restrictions permitting) to be held April 16-18, is headed back to Nashville and will be at the downtown Music City Center.
The Concealed Carry Expo gives attendees the opportunity to meet face-to-face with manufacturers of their favorite firearms and gear – something not possible at the industry-only SHOT Show held in January. There, they can ask questions and get hands on experience with the latest firearms and get some news about what’s coming next.
While general admission attendance costs $15-20, USCCA members get into the show for free. In addition to the exhibit hall, the expo also features a series of seminars covering topics including Women’s Introduction to Handguns, Intruder Awareness, Church Security, Close-Quarters Shooting, and Family Firearms Safety. At previous USCCA Expos that the GunLink Team has attended, the show floor even offered a live-fire shooting range to try out just-introduced handguns.
For more details, visit the official USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Expo website at https://www.usccaexpo.com/
Make Plans to Attend the 2021 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits
With the dates for what would have been the 2020 National Rifle Association Annual Meetings & Exhibits (NRAAM) having come and gone with nary a shooter, hunter, outdoorsman, or Second Amendment supporter to be seen, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing cancellation, sights are now set on the 2021 show, slated to begin one year from today.
The NRA noted that they “did not reach this decision lightly” and “were ultimately guided by our responsibility to help ensure the safety and well-being of our NRA members, guests, and surrounding community.” Continue reading
Brownells Becomes Title Sponsor for The 2019 Tactical Games
Today Brownells announced its 2019 title sponsorship of The Tactical Games, a series of exciting “battles” designed to test America’s best warrior-athletes in a combination of two-gun shooting and military-style training, with elements of both Strongman and CrossFit competitions mixed in.
The first two installments of The Tactical Games 2019 schedule are set for February 23 and 24 at the Merdian Public Safety Training Facility in Meridian, Mississippi, and Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet, Texas, on March 16 and 17. More 2019 dates will be announced soon.
Former U.S. Army Green Beret Tim Burke co-founded The Tactical Games, bringing to bear his more than 21 years of experience in U.S. Special Operations as well as his career as the head of a law enforcement counter-terrorism unit.
“The Tactical Games provide an immediate, no-nonsense metric that either validates or challenges your training methods and conclusions. It is the only sporting event of its type available for open enrollment,” said Burke. “If you work with or carry a gun for any reason, why wouldn’t you compete at The Tactical Games?”
Among athletes scheduled to compete this year are John “Tig” Tiegen who helped defend the American Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and Tes Salb, well-known NRA editor, pistol instructor and pentathlete.
Both men and women are welcome to compete in The Tactical Games. Mens’ classes are broken down into Elite, Intermediate (based on PT scores) and Master (45 years of age and older). Currently, all women, regardless of age or PT score, compete in the women’s division.
Participants do not need to have a military or law enforcement background to enter, but should be in good physical condition and have a reasonable familiarity with firearms. To learn more or to sign up, visit www.thetacticalgames.com.
Legally Armed In Detroit Offering Free Shooting Class For Women in Detroit
Legally Armed In Detroit, a gun rights advocacy group, has announced that it will provide a free firearm shooting lesson at a southeast Michigan target range for 800 women interested in learning more about firearms and personal protection.
There will be no charge for the Firearm Instructor’s safety briefing, the usage of a firearm, ammunition, and range time. Participation is 100 percent free for all attendees. No prior firearms training or experience is required of the women who desire to take advantage of the lesson. Further, experienced women merely desiring to improve their marksmanship skills are also welcome to attend.
The free shooting lesson offer was the brainchild of Rick Ector, an NRA Approved Firearms Trainer, after seeing a local television newscast of a young woman’s body being discovered on an east-side Detroit street seven years ago.
This year’s event will be the seventh consecutive year it has been conducted. In the first year only 50 women were trained. However, last year the event grew sufficiently to teach almost 600 how to safely operate a pistol.
This year’s goal is 800 trained women over the day-long event. It is only with the cooperation of Ector’s fellow Firearm Instructor colleagues and supporters across social media that this event could even be attempted and safely conducted.
Ector believes that there are many women in the state of Michigan who are curious about firearms and their role in self-defense but are reluctant to investigate due to fears. He said, “If giving women a free lesson by a credentialed professional translates into women just trying it, it’ll be a productive use of my time.”
The ladies FREE shooting event will be held on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at the Top Gun Shooting Sports Gun Range at 22050 Pennsylvania in Taylor, Michigan. FREE Advance Pre-registration is required for participation. Interested ladies should visit the Facebook event page for more info.
Vice President Pence to Speak at the 2018 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum
The National Rifle Association (NRA) Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today announced that Vice President Mike Pence will keynote the annual NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on Friday, May 4, in Dallas, Texas. The event kicks off the 2018 election cycle and will feature a powerful lineup of pro-freedom speakers.
NRA-ILA executive director, Chris Cox, says of Pence’s appearance, “It’s an honor to have Vice President Pence address our members in Dallas. He is a lifetime supporter of the Second Amendment and he has a long a record of fighting to defend our freedoms. Now more than ever we need principled people in public office who will fight to defend the Constitution. Our members are excited to hear him speak and thank him for his leadership.”
Both the NRA and President Trump, who has appeared at previous Leadership Forums during the NRA Annual Meetings, have taken heat recently for their support of certain gun control measures, such as placing restrictions on firearm accessories including bump-stocks, which the ATF had previously determined did not fall under their purview.
The NRA-ILA Leadership Forum takes place Friday, May 4, 2018 from noon to 3PM. The lineup of speakers includes NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre; NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox; Hon. Mike Pence, Vice President; Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas; Sen. John Cornyn, Texas; Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas; Gov. Pete Ricketts, Nebraska; Rep. Richard Hudson, North Carolina; Mark Geist, Benghazi Survivor; Diamond & Silk, Social Media Personalities; Dana Loesch, NRA Spokesperson; Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA Founder.
More details are available on the NRAAM website. While the NRAAM is free to attend for current NRA members and their immediate family, the Leadership Forum requires an additional paid ticket.
SHOT Show 2018 is Just Around the Corner
What will the largest firearms industry trade show bring us this year?
The biggest show of its kind in the industry is just over a month away, with the 2018 iteration of SHOT Show going on from Tuesday, January 23 through Friday, January 26 in the Sands Expo center in Las Vegas. Not only will our team be there to cover the latest and greatest firearms and gear innovations from the show floor, we will also get to share our hands-on experiences with guns and gear again during the invite-only Industry Day at the Range from Boulder City the day before the show officially opens.
Be sure to keep an eye here on the GunLink Blog, as well as the GunLink Forums for news leading up to, during, and after the show, and follow us on our social media outlets, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for live updates, photos, video, and more. Sign up now for a free GunLink Forums account to join in the discussion during the event, share your opinions of what the past year of development is bringing to the industry, and to let us know what you want to see more (or less) of in our coverage.
Our week-long coverage of the much anticipated annual event is made possible in part by our coverage partners, who we thank for their involvement and support of new and evolving media platforms. We greatly appreciate their help in fostering the new environment which allows immediate access to the latest from the industry rather than having to wait for news and rumors to trickle through the traditional print timelines or wait longer still for products to hit shelves before laying eyes on them. Continue reading