NEWS

Shooting USA Covers the International Revolver Championships

This week, Shooting USA on the Outdoor Channel features coverage of the International Revolver Championships and the continuing rehabilitation of a much-abused Remington Model 700. In shooting tips, Jerry Miculek offers suggestions for faster target acquisition to improve your times in revolver competition.

GLOCK 21 SF in Competition at the Tactical Shooting Academy

Dave Sevigny of the Team GLOCK Shooting Squad completed a string of victories using GLOCK's newest model, the G21 SF in .45 ACP. After winning the High Industry title at the IDPA Nationals last September, the Team GLOCK captain won the IDPA Georgia State championship, USPSA Area 3 championship and the Inaugural TSA "Street Gun" Nationals in October.

USAMU Soldiers win shooting matches

Soldiers of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit have scored major victories recently, including Action pistol competitor Pfc. Daniel Horner's top finish in the Tactical Division National Championships of the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA).

Personal Defense TV Shows Close Quarters Tactics

Most deadly encounters occur close up. Join Tom this week with Gunsite's Chris Weare to demonstrate the two main things they teach students in their close quarters class, and how to handle a situation if those fail. All that and more on Personal Defense TV, this week on the Outdoor Channel.

Sierra Announces Infinity Ballistic Software Upgrade

Sierra announces the newest version of their world famous Infinity ballistic software. While making Infinity fully compatible with the newly released Windows Vista, we have also taken the opportunity to improve some functions and add a few new features.

Guns and Ammo TV Features "Retro" Revolver

Shooters are by and large a nostalgic bunch when it comes to firearms, and a major handgun manufacturer is filling the void that now exists amongst modern handguns available by offering a "retro" revolver that is chambered for the .45 ACP. It's a modern day classic and sets the stage for a classic question: auto versus revolver? Only on Guns & Ammo Television, only on the Outdoor Channel.

Dozen A Day Give Away From Carbon Express

Carbon Express, the leading innovator of high performance carbon arrows has revamped its Carbon Express Website to better serve the needs of its consumers. To celebrate the re-launch of the site Carbon Express will be giving a dozen arrows away every day for 2 weeks to visitors who register their new website and register.

American Rifleman TV Visits Taurus U.S.A.

This week on "American Rifleman Television," on the Outdoor Channel, Managing Editor Chad Adams is on assignment in Miami at Taurus U.S.A where he highlight's Taurus' American-made product lines, plus a special look at the new .45/.410 Judge revolver.

Portland Ad Agency Launches Crimson Trace Campaign

Portland, Oregon based Advertising Expedition has launched a new print ad campaign for Crimson Trace Corporation and their laser aiming devices.

Bushnell Yardage Pro Laser Rangefinder Riflescope Selected as 'Editor's Choice' By On Target Magazine

The Yardage Pro laser rangefinder riflescope from Bushnell Outdoor Products has been awarded a 2007 Editor's Choice Award from On Target magazine. The Yardage Pro 4-12x42mm laser rangefinder riflescope from Bushnell® offers hunters and target shooters three tools in one compact package.

Beretta USA Donates Autographed Matched Pair Of Stampede Revolvers To Children's Charities

Beretta USA Corporation partners with Texas Motor Speedway by donating a very unique matched pair of autographed Beretta Stampede revolvers to be offered at the auction during the Beretta Celebrity Clay Shoot with the proceeds being donated to the Speedway Children's Charities.

FEATURE

Trick or Treat

Last week, Sturm, Ruger & Company (NYSE: RGR) stock took a licking in the marketplace after Ruger officials admitted their revitalization plan wasn't quite on the rails the way they had envisioned. Yesterday, Smith & Wesson Holding Company (SWHC) received a similar spanking after earnings came in below analysts' expectations of 12 cents a share. Notice there were earnings, they just weren't the earnings the market analysts expected. Rather than 12 cents, earnings were a nickel less. In exchange, Smith & Wesson Holding Company took a big tumble, losing nearly 40% (39.67) in heavy volume with more than 14 point seven million shares changing hands.

The fall began at the opening bell, with the first trade at $13.75, quite a change from Monday's close at $20.09. Smith & Wesson officials say the cut in expectations were due to lower than expected demand for rifles and shotguns. Since the acquisition of Thompson/Center Arms last year, Smith & Wesson has been more dependent on consumer markets, with the company's progress over the past year having already doubled the stock price.

With yesterday's news, however, analysts say a slowdown in hunting and consumers postponing sales will continue to hurt the stock value. Market followers say the "adjustment" to Smith & Wesson's near runaway performance over the past year was inevitable, and long-term the company's health is not in question.

Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Fred Thompson is making his bones with the firearms community. He has issued a statement regarding his position on the United Nations and their campaign to regulate "small arms" globally. We don't have a favorite in the Republican primary candidates, but it would seem former Senator Thompson from Tennessee has taken a page from the playbook of another plain-spoken Tennessean Senator, Senator Davy Crockett. Rather than paraphrase, we'll let you read Thompson's comments for yourself. FYI, we'll run the comments from other candidates when (if) they ever make a definitive statement on firearms, the Second Amendment and litmus-test issues with shooters.

That having been said, Senator Thompson:

"Last year, the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights declared that international human rights law requires all nations to adopt strict gun control laws. These "minimum" provisions are much more restrictive than any of those on the books anywhere in the U.S. and would almost certainly violate the Second Amendment of our Constitution.

Besides concluding that all nations are obligated under international human rights law to control the small arms and light weapons to which its civilian population has access, the UN report remarkably denied the existence of any human right to self-defense, evidently overlooking the work of Hugo Grotius, the 17th century scholar credited as the founder of international law, who wrote, "It is to be observed that [the] Right of Self-Defence, arises directly and immediately from the Care of our own Preservation, which Nature recommends to every one. . . ," and that this right is so primary, that it cannot be denied on the basis that it is not "expressly set forth."

There is another disturbing aspect to this call for international global gun control. Throughout modern history, the forced disarmament of people by its government has often been accompanied or followed by that government's commission of often massive human rights abuses. In fact, no genocide in the 20th century occurred when the victim population still possessed small arms, legally or illegally, with which to defend themselves.

So now the UN wants to disarm civilians? Where was the UN when the massacres in Rwanda occurred? What did the UN do to protect the victims of ethnic massacres in Bosnia? Disarming civilians under the guise of international human rights law will only lead to more such genocides by ensuring that civilians can never defend themselves! It would be funny if it weren't so perverse.

Thankfully, the Framers of our Constitution recognized this potential peril to our liberty, and enshrined in our Second Amendment the more basic right of self-defense. The U.N. can say what it likes about other countries' citizens' possession of small arms being a violation of human rights law, but so long as the United States is a sovereign nation governed by its Constitution, its words will have no effect here. And I am glad for it."

As always, we'll keep you posted.
-- Jim Shepherd