FRI | SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Acknowledging the votes weren’t there for confirmation, the White House has pulled the nomination of David Chipman to head the ATF. "Glad to hear reports the White House is taking my advice and pulling the terrible nomination of David Chipman," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell tweeted. "Absurd that a vocal opponent of Americans' constitutional rights was ever picked to run ATF. This is a win for the Second Amendment and law-abiding American citizens.” In a statement, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) said “I’ve been opposed to David Chipman leading the ATF from the start. He’s an anti-Second Amendment, gun-grabbing radical that should not lead the agency that regulates firearms.” “The defeat of David Chipman is a victory for all Americans who value the right of self-defense,” said Young Americans for Liberty senior spokesman Eric Brakey,” “Chipman has called for a total ban on private ownership of commonly owned firearms—like the AR-15—while defending the ATF’s use of military-grade weapons to massacre American citizens. President Biden should have never nominated this rabid activist on the payroll of Bloomberg-funded anti-gun groups to lead the ATF in the first place.” “I want to thank every gun owner and concerned voter who contacted their Senators and helped us stop this dangerous nominee from being confirmed,” said the Second Amendment Foundation’s Alan Gottlieb, "This is a great grassroots victory for the Second Amendment. Gun rights lobby 1, Biden gun ban lobby zero!”
Congratulations to Team Lapua’s Keith Trapp winning the F-Class Target Rifle (F-TR) category of the Delaware State Long Range Championship. Shooting is .308 chambered, 700-platform rifle, Keith won the High-Master class.
Registration is now open for the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s 12th annual Dixie Double Air Rifle and Air Pistol Competition, set to fire Nov. 4-6, 2021, at the South Competition Center in Alabama.

Safariland CADRE, Julie Golob won titles at the NRA Steamboat Challenge Action Pistol Regional and Wyoming State Championships in a back-to-back match weekend hosted by the Otto Road Shooting Range in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Remington Ammunition congratulates multiple Team Remington members for impressive performances over the summer shooting season, culminating recently at the 2021 Grand American World Trapshooting Championships in Sparta, IL. Sean Hawley, Chase Horton and Zach Nannini all posted top finishes during the coveted competition.
Team Berger’s James Fox shot Berger 223 Remington 77 Grain OTM Tactical ammunition to finish first among all civilian competitors in the Service Rifle matches at the CMP National Matches.

Shoot Like A Girl's Coast to Coast Tour is making its way to Bass Pro Shops in Independence, Mo. this weekend for a free interactive event that introduces women to the shooting sports in a fun, safe and comfortable atmosphere.
Primary Arms Government has announced their attendance at the 38th Annual Law Enforcement Operations Conference and Trade Show, hosted by the National Tactical Officers Association in Kansas City, MO, from September 12th to September 17th.
Galco’s Stinger belt holster was designed with simplicity in mind. Made to carry a compact or subcompact semi automatic pistol or double-action revolver behind the strongside hip, the Stinger’s open top and mild butt-forward cant allow a fast draw and easy return to the holster.

Primary Arms Government has announced their September giveaway, offering a chance to win a complete Troy Industries SPC M4A4 AR-15 with the award-winning Primary Arms Optics SLx MD-25 ACSS Red Dot Sight.
Riton Optics is pleased to welcome Austin Legg as the new Marketing Director of Riton Optics. As Riton’s new marketing director, Legg will be responsible for promoting and expanding the reach of the Riton brand.
Celerant Technology announced a partnership and integration with ClearSale. Available for Celerant’s eCommerce platform, ClearSale offers complete online fraud protection. The easy to install application empowers dealers to automatically detect suspicious transactions, prevent fraudulent chargebacks and approve more online sales.
Traditions' NitroFire muzzleloader and Federal Premium Firestick have been selected by The National Rifle Association’s American Hunter magazine as recipients of their Golden Bullseye Award for 2021 Muzzleloader of the Year.
USA Shooting has announced the retirement of National Rifle Coach Dan Durben, effective January 2021. Durben’s career with USA Shooting spans 40 years as an athlete and coach, 12 of those as the National Team Coach.
Developed for brand ambassadors and industry influencers to improve communications skills, the 2022 Ambassador Academy takes place February 26 through March 2, 2022, at the West Orlando Firearms Training complex in Orlando, Florida.

Hogue Inc President/CEO Aaron Hogue will be racing a highly modified, re-engineered Aero Vodochody L-29 Jet aircraft at the 2021 Reno Air Races in Reno, Nevada during September 15-19, 2021.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearm industry trade association, is pleased to learn of President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw the nomination of David Chipman to become the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The Civilian Marksmanship Program, which conducts National Matches, offers a lineup of educational courses for those new to the sport and those eager to develop their skills. The types of rifle and pistol courses span from junior to adult, competitive to maintenance and everything in between.

Kinsey’s has a position opening for a full-time Sales Representative in their Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, headquarters.
U.S. LawShield offers protection, legal advocacy, and education for members in Colorado as Senate Bill 21-078 went into effect. The new law requires gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms within five days of becoming aware the firearm was missing or face a penalty.
HIPERFIRE sought to meet customer demand for performance of the 1st Gen. recoil compensator at a more attractive price. The company reduced the size of the comp and the cost for the new HIPERCOMP line.
Viridian Weapon Technologies announced that its hand stop laser, the HS1, is now available with an infrared beam. The dynamic new HS1 IR is the first infrared laser developed by Viridian.
DeSantis Gunhide offers their #137 Slim-Tuk IWB for the Kimber R7 Mako – with or without a red dot optic installed.
DeSantis Gunhide now offers the #195 Veiled Partner Kydex OWB made to fit GLOCK 19/19 Gen5, G19X and others mounted with the Streamlight TLR-7A, with (or without) an RDS.
Now on the NRA’s A1F.com: When Kevin Sorbo began speaking about his understanding of American freedom, even his agent dropped him. That didn’t stop him.
Throughout the month of September, any donation made to a youth shooting team through MidwayUSA Foundation’s website qualifies that team for their Online Donation Drive. MidwayUSA Foundation’s Online Donation Drive allows a donor’s dollar to go further because there are $200,000 available to match contributions this month.
CONCEALMENT Magazine, a publication of CMG West, LLC, has released its latest issue, number 23, with the latest in home and self defense, new firearms reviews, and expert advice on concealed carry.
It’s an announcement many have been waiting for, live from Calibers USA in New Mexico, and more, this week on Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Radio.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation surveyed firearm retailers recently, and estimates that over 3.2 million people purchased a firearm for the first time during the first half of 2021.
Nexbelt unveiled a new Work Belt made in support of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. Nexbelt will donate 20% of the sales price of all Wildland Firefighter Foundation products in support & appreciation of firefighters, support personnel, and their families.
Hoppe’s, along with Champion Range & Targets, announced that both brands have once again partnered with the Scholastic Action Shooting Program for 2021. Serving as Platinum level sponsors and donating $10,000 in product and funding, Hoppe’s and Champion have pledged their commitment to helping SASP develop the next generation of competitive shooters.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today the withdrawal of anti-gun lobbyist David Chipman’s nomination to head the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is “a victory for gun rights and a much-deserved defeat for the gun prohibition lobby and Joe Biden.”
 

Last Friday, I found myself walking the rows of Boston’s Granbury Burying Grounds. During my weekend walk I found myself wondering what the Revolutionary War figures buried there would think of the state of affairs in which we find ourselves today.

Would Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine still feel the same about our version of the country as they did about theirs? Would the five men killed in the Boston Massacre feel the collective sacrifices since their deaths still worth it?

Walking Boston’s Granbury Burying Grounds is a lesson in American history. If the coins still have meaning, not all of us have forgotten the lessons.

For that matter, do the pennies still left on those Revolutionary gravesites have meaning today? Or have we run from our history to the point that the pennies are nothing more than a tourist tradition?

Today, as some prepare for “just another weekend” others are reflecting on tomorrow’s twentieth anniversary of radical Islam’s first victory over the United States.

We’re also stinging from the realization we just handed them a second great win. They’re going to celebrate that victory by inaugurating a new Afghani government that has several “leaders” that sit atop our “most wanted terrorist” list.

Are friends who lost their limbs fighting over the past twenty years re-evaluating the cost they paid? Two decades of veterans paid the freight for politicians who ultimately chose expediency over victory. They might not feel betrayed, but I certainly do.

Watching uncivilized terrorists in pajamas tied up with ropes parade around high-tech weaponry given them by the same politicians who want to outlaw my modern sporting rifle makes me as uncertain about our future as I was on the afternoon of September 11, 2001.

But terrorists don’t concern me as much as incompetent politicians. The latest polls say I’m not alone. More than half of Americans say they feel less safe than before 9/11.

As a nation, we are troubled. We’ve watched violent protests replace civil discourse. When we express that concern, we’re berated by “leaders” who have discarded any pretense of caring what we think or want.

Like nearly everything else they’ve done, that’s not smart.

They’ve forgotten our founding fathers were dissidents. They were peaceful until provoked, but so dedicated to their fundamental rights they were more than willing to die - or kill- to protect them.

They took on the most powerful nation on earth and won. Later, they repeated the win, proving to the world it was no fluke.

From their work, our ancestors built the nation that grew to become a superpower, but never a despot.

When presented with facts, Americans have never failed to do the right thing. I believe that’s still the case today.

Unfortunately, facts are in desperately short supply. Instead, “thought leaders” try to force-feed us narrative.

Facts don’t fit their design for our futures. So they ignore them.

The same way they ignore the fact there are still Americans stranded in Afghanistan.

Twenty years ago, I watched in shock as New York City, Washington, DC, and a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania became ground zeroes. I knew people who died simply because they went to work that morning.

Since then I’ve known others who willingly put their lives on the line to try and prevent another 9/11. Not all of them came home. Many who will bear scars that will never heal.

Some of them are obvious. Others aren’t. But the damage is undeniable.

Twenty years later, it appears our leaders appear to have provided our enemies with the additional means to bring their anger to our homes.

I’m not forgetting the importance of 9/11. Neither should you.

Forgetting history risks repeating it.

— Jim Shepherd

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