Smith & Wesson Donates Record $500,000 to #GUNVOTE

SMITH & WESSON JOINS #GUNVOTE CHAIRMAN'S CLUB. . . Smith & Wesson has joined NSSF's #GUNVOTE Chairman's Club with a record setting $500,000 contribution to the voter registration and education campaign. "We are honored to support this effort on behalf of our employees and especially the law-abiding firearm owners of Massachusetts, who have so recently been denied their fundamental rights through arbitrary government action that threatens to turn lawful gun owners and dealers into criminals," Smith & Wesson CEO James Debney said.

• BROWNING has joined NSSF's #GUNVOTE President's Club with a $100,000 contribution.
• A #GUNVOTE performance shooting jersey, proudly made in the USA by TechwearUSA, is the perfect way to demonstrate your support for the #GUNVOTE voter education initiative. Order now. Sales support #GUNVOTE.
• Visit gunvote.org to learn more about the campaign.

Government Relations

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• NSSF CHALLENGES UNILATERAL MASS. GUN BAN . . . NSSF will pursue legal action to challenge Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's "Enforcement Notice" that would appear to ban sales of semiautomatic rifles in the commonwealth. "With this 'Enforcement Action,' the Attorney General's office has demonstrated how little it understands about firearms and has generated considerable uncertainty and confusion," said Larry Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. NSSF has retained two law firms to help manage the process. Read news coverage.

• NSSF TO CONTEST DDTC's 'GUIDANCE' . . . The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) recent "guidance" to clarify who is required under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to register as a "manufacturer" of "defense articles" has instead created confusion among gunsmiths and gun owners. NSSF will send a letter of protest to DDTC expressing strong opposition to "guidance" that clearly exceeds statutory authority. NSSF has been working diligently on this issue for many years. Read NSSF's statement.

• REMINGTON FILES MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT . . . Remington last week filed a motion in the Bridgeport, Connecticut, Superior Court for summary judgment asking the judge to dismiss the case brought against the company by some families of the victims of the tragic December 2012 Sandy Hook School shooting. Read the Memorandum of Law in support of Remington's motion.

• IMPORT/EXPORT CONFERENCE BREAKS ATTENDANCE RECORD . . . Last week's 15th annual Firearms Import/Export Conference was the largest, most successful to date. Hosted by NSSF and the F.A.I.R. Trade Group, more than 300 attendees heard presentations by ATF, the State Department, FBI and other agencies. Participants in small-group roundtable sessions were able to discuss their questions directly with the officials that regulate our industry. Please mark your calendar for next year's conference, to be held on Aug. 2-4, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C.
  

Read NSSF's latest Government Relations Update for more.

SHOT Show

• EXHIBITOR SPONSORSHIPS ARE THE WAY TO GO . . . NSSF has sponsorships available that fit just about every budget imaginable and, more importantly, can be tailored to target the audience you need in your booth. Read more.

• FAVORED SHOT SHOW HOTEL BLOCKS NEARING SELLOUT . . . Our show management partners at ConvExx have let us know that several hotels most favored by SHOT Show attendees are nearing or have sold out at this time and are urging everyone planning to attend the 2017 show to book their rooms now. Read more.

Retailers/Ranges

• WEBINAR WITH RETAIL GURU PACO UNDERHILL ON 'SCIENCE OF SHOPPING' . . . NSSF has teamed up with famed retail guru Paco Underhill for a webinar on "The Science of Shopping" for firearms retailers. Set for Aug. 24 from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT, the webinar will provide retailers with tips on how to improve customer experience and customer retention. Attendees will receive access to a video NSSF filmed with Underhill at a firearms retail store and a live one-hour Q&A session. Learn more and register here.

• ATF Q&A . . . More great questions came in on our 24/7 NSSF member compliance hotline last week. One question asks what responsibilities an FFL has to respond to a request to trace a firearm.

• DID YOU KNOW? . . . NSSF members receive a 15 percent discount on any orders from an NSSF Affinity Member Benefit partner that specializes in video surveillance security solutions. Cutting-edge IP video, hybrid solutions and access control, as well as superior customer service and strategic industry partnerships, result in customized video surveillance solutions that help businesses succeed. Learn more.

Research

• EXCISE TAX OBLIGATIONS . . . The latest Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Collection report released by the Department of the Treasury indicates that firearm and ammunition manufacturers reported tax liabilities of $207.9 million in the first calendar quarter of 2016. NSSF Members can log in to view detailed information on quarterly excise taxes.

News of Note

• EMOJIS A SYMBOL IN THE CULTURE WAR . . . Social media has become the new cultural battleground for anti-gun advocates to push their agenda… and it appears to be working. Last week, Apple announced that the next update to its emoji catalog would style the firearm icon as a toy, rather than a pistol. Read the new blog post from the NSSF's Larry Keane.

• WFSA SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP . . . World Forum on Shooting Activities (WFSA) is pleased to sponsor "Social Media: The Most Powerful Weapon in Our Public Relations Arsenal" workshop, Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 in Tempe, Arizona. Attendees will leave the workshop with a greater understanding of how social media is shaping public opinion, and how members of the shooting sports community can leverage that information to promote better understanding about lawful civilian firearm ownership and use. NSSF and SAAMI Members receive a discount on registration.

• USA SHOOTING'S GINNY THRASHER WINS FIRST GOLD OF 2016 OLYMPICS . . . Ginny Thrasher set the table by winning the first gold medal of the 2016 Olympic Game in Rio de Janeiro. In winning the Women's 10-meter Air Rifle event Saturday morning, the spotlight was glowing greater on the shooting sports and USA Shooting than any other time in history. Read more.

• COREY COGDELL-UNREIN EARNS SECOND OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDAL . . . Competing in her third straight Olympic Games in Women's Trap, Corey Cogdell-Unrein won her second Olympic bronze medal in a shoot-off on Sunday. Read more.

• CLINTON A THREAT TO GUN RIGHTS, RUGER CEO SAYS . . . Ruger CEO Michael Fifer said the company has no way of measuring the current political impact on its U.S. sales. However, the upcoming elections appear to be a catalyst for consumer demand, particularly given Hillary Clinton's proposals for gun-control measures. Read more.

• NSSF IN THE NEWS . . . Breitbart.com, CBS Sunday Morning, The Daily Caller, TownHall.com, 4-Traders and many other news outlets across the country included NSSF in their coverage in recent days. Popular topics included women gun owners, government relations, NSSF-adjusted NICS, Project ChildSafe and more. View a full wrap-up of NSSF in the News.

Jobs

• FIREARMS INDUSTRY JOBS . . . Visit jobs.nssf.org for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Unmatched job listing exposure, easy online job management, résumé search and résumé uploading for job seekers gives NSSF members and non-members more opportunities than ever before.

NSSF's Mission "To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports." Visit the NSSF website and see how we accomplish this mission.

COPYRIGHT © 2016 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to email lists, Websites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. "Bullet Points®," "National Shooting Sports Foundation®," "NSSF®," and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.