Infographic: Gun Sales Up,
Crime Rates Down

With gun control advocates in Congress continuing to beat the drum on restricting Americans' Second Amendment rights, it's important to remember the facts are on our side. As NSSF's new infographic shows, violent crime continues its downward trend, even as the firearms market has seen more and more growth over the past two decades. Fortunately we also see the number of firearm accidents dropping year after year. One thing is clear: punishing the law-abiding firearms owners in the U.S. and the federally regulated firearms and ammunition industry for the criminal acts of terrorists and madmen cannot be justified by data. These pictures are worth a 1,000 words. Read more.

Retailers/Ranges

• USING INSTAGRAM TO ATTRACT POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS . . . Instagram is one of today's best ways to advertise range and retail businesses and services to a wealth of potential new customers. Images and videos of customers learning how to shoot for the first time or showcasing the latest firearms are fair game for the inspiring and searchable Instagram. Part I - Useful Apps | Part II - Hashtags.

• WEBINAR: QUALIFYING TO ENGAGE IN BUSINESS AND NFA FORMS . . . Former ATF Deputy Assistant Director and NSSF Compliance Consultant Wally Nelson will cover qualifying under the National Firearms Act and NFA Forms — in particular, changes in procedures and forms from the recent ATF Rulemaking 41-F. This free webinar will take place Tuesday, July 26, from 2-3 p.m. EDT and is available to NSSF members only.

• ATF Q&A . . . More great questions came in on our 24/7 NSSF member compliance hotline last week. One question asks if a licensee can return a consigned firearm to a different individual than the person who originally placed the firearm on consignment.

• DID YOU KNOW? . . . NSSF Members gain access to a highly respected insurance company dedicated to meeting needs specific to professionals in the firearms industry, including range operators and retailers, firearms and ammunition makers, gunsmiths, wholesalers, hunting and shooting clubs and associations, and those in firearms accessory manufacturing. Find out more.

ATF

• ATF eFORM RELAUNCHED . . . ATF has announced the return of the ATF Form 3 (5320.3), "Application for Tax-Exempt Transfer of Firearms and Registration to Special Occupation Taxpayer (National Firearms Act)," to eForms, effective immediately. This is a major improvement for manufacturers, which now will be able to e-file their Forms 3. Visit the ATF 41F 'one-stop' webpage, which contains revised forms (fillable F1, F4, F5 and NFA RPQ), Q&As for all parties, and other pertinent information.

• CLEO SIGN-OFF NO LONGER NEEDED . . . Effective July 13, ATF Final Rule 41F will amend the regulations regarding the making or transferring of a firearm under the National Firearms Act. Applications received with a postmark of July 13 and after will no longer require certification signed by the Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) of jurisdiction. Read More about ATF Final Rule 41.

FixNICS

• NEW HAMPSHIRE FixNICS VICTORY . . . After three consecutive legislative sessions of NSSF work to advance FixNICS legislation in New Hampshire, we received news from the Attorney General's Office. In a letter to the chief justice of the state Supreme Court, Attorney General Joseph Foster said the state will finally comply with federal law and send the names of those who have been involuntarily committed to mental institutions to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Government Relations

• HOUSE VOTE UNLIKELY ON TERRORISM PACKAGE . . . A vote on an anti-terrorism legislative package in the U.S. House of Representatives has been postponed indefinitely as the result of disagreements concerning due process protections to help prevent suspected terrorists from buying guns. NSSF supports bipartisan legislation that will both protect America from radical Islamic terrorism and respect the Second and Fifth Amendments. See NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Larry Keane's interview on One America News.

• MENTAL HEALTH REFORM BILL PASSES HOUSE . . . The U.S. House last week passed, on a nearly unanimous 422-2 bipartisan basis vote, NSSF-supported legislation to help reform and improve the nation's mental health system. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Penn.), would reorganize the federal agency overseeing mental health policy and ensure that serious mental illness gets dedicated funding, as opposed to general mental health programs. Medicaid reimbursement policy for treating individuals with such illnesses as schizophrenia would also be addressed.

• RECOVERING AMERICA'S WILDLIFE BILL INTRODUCED . . . U.S. Reps. Don Young (R-Alaska) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) have introduced the bipartisan Recovering America's Wildlife Act (H.R. 5650), calling for $1.3 billion in existing revenue from the development of energy and mineral resources on federal lands and waters be dedicated to the Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program. The bill introduction follows the March recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America's Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Read NSSF's latest Government Relations Update for more.

Research

• NEWEST NSSF SURVEY TRACKER AVAILABLE . . . The June 2016 edition of the report features the top brands of firearms purchased in January-April 2016, Market Leaders for the two product groups of scopes and decoys, and responses to questions related to hunting lands. NSSF members may view the latest edition and historical survey trackers after logging in.

Project ChildSafe

• NSSF'S PROJECT CHILDSAFE SPOTLIGHTS 'LOCAL CHAMPIONS' . . . NSSF has recently named Colorado Springs' Magnum Shooting Center as a "S.A.F.E. Summer Local Champion" for promoting firearm safety in the region. Additional local safety champions will be announced on the Project ChildSafe website during NSSF's fourth annual Project ChildSafe S.A.F.E. Summer campaign.

News of Note

• DC PROJECT BRINGS WOMEN SHOOTERS TO CAPITOL HILL . . . The DC Project, a nonpartisan initiative, brought 50 women volunteers, one from each state, to Washington, D.C., last week to meet with Members of Congress about issues related to the Second Amendment. The project was initiated by professional shooter Dianna Muller to encourage female shooters to meet with federal legislators in order to provide a direct connection to the fastest growing demographic of gun owners. Read more.

• WALT RAUCH, NSSF MEDIA EDUCATION SEMINARS INSTRUCTOR, PASSES . . . Longtime firearms writer, author and former U.S. Secret Service special agent Walter Rauch passed away last week. Walt provided firearms expertise, good humor and inimitable stories as an instructor at NSSF Media Education Seminars.

• NSSF IN THE NEWS . . . Los Angeles Times, Time, Business Insider, CNN Money, American Rifleman, Boston Globe and many other news outlets across the country included NSSF in their coverage in recent days. Popular topics included California gun laws, MSRs, business trends, collegiate shooting sports, Project ChildSafe and more. View a full wrap-up of NSSF in the News.

#GUNVOTE

• NSSF #GUNVOTE VIDEO: WEAPONS OF WAR? . . . NSSF's latest #GUNVOTE video is in response to anti-gun politicians, celebrities and the media elite's repeated attempts to single out the AR-15 and labeling the semi-automatic civilian rifle a "weapon of war." Help get the facts out. Watch and share the video on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

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.

Events

• BIG CITY TOUR COMING TO PACIFIC NORTHWEST THIS WEEK . . . NSSF's newest First Shots Big City Tour will be held this week, July 15-17, in the Portland, Oregon, and Seattle areas. Registration is now open, but space at each range facility is limited, so new shooters are encouraged to register as quickly as possible to ensure their desired classroom and range time. Learn more.

• THANK YOU TO LATEST NSSF EVENT SPONSORS . . . NSSF recently announced that Finnegan Law Firm has agreed to sponsor the 2016 NSSF Import/Export Conference at the Bronze level. For more information on sponsorship opportunities for upcoming events, contact Chris Tatulli at ctatulli@nssf.org.

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

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