ICYMI: Headlines From
August 1 — August 5, 2022
Developed by NSSF, National Shooting Sports Month encourages newcomers and experienced gun owners and hunters to visit a local shooting range with their handgun, rifle or shotgun to enjoy the target-shooting sports, which boasts more than 56 million adult and youth participants. All are encouraged to invite a guest with them to introduce them to responsible firearm ownership.
“National Shooting Sports Month is recognition and celebration of the vital contributions of recreational target shooting, hunting and responsible gun ownership,” said NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi. “It is also a month in which we recognize the contributions the firearm industry makes to communities, states and our nation. This is a $70 billion industry that provides over 375,000 jobs. Our industry has welcomed increasing numbers of women and minority gun owners. We are proud to welcome responsible gun owners from all walks of life to celebrate our shared heritage.”
NSSF offers industry members at recreational shooting ranges and target courses a Promotional Toolkit, where businesses can download social media promotions, logos and guidance to promote National Shooting Sports Month. Firearm ranges and retailers can help celebrate recreational shooting and spread the word about mentoring through the +ONE Movement and spending shared time at the range.
For more info: www.shootingsportsmonth.org
NRA Foundation Grants $252,000 For Ammo To USA Shooting
The NRA Foundation and USA Shooting announced a new partnership that will help remedy an unexpected and critical shotgun ammunition shortage facing the USA Shooting Team.
Athletes training and competing in the International Skeet and Trap events use a specific international shotshell that is difficult to obtain under normal circumstances. Acquiring the specific shotshell has been even more challenging with the existing ammo shortage.
The NRA Foundation board of trustees approved a $252,000 grant for USA Shooting for the purchase of ammunition to be used by the National Team, National Development Team and National Junior Team.
“For decades The NRA Foundation has provided essential funding to benefit the shooting sports,” said Tyler Schropp, executive director of the NRA Foundation. “Thanks to our generous and committed donors, we are able to fulfill this urgent need of America’s aspiring Olympians.”
USA Shooting athletes won a total of six medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This grant will provide the shotgun team with critical resources needed to prepare for the 2022 World Championships and beyond.
“The last three years have posed tremendous challenges to our sport in the form of event cancellations, the postponement of the Olympics and severe supply chain constraints on ammunition,” said Buddy DuVall, USA Shooting CMO. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the NRA Foundation to provide the very best training and competition ammunition to the shotgun team that has won 30 medals this year in World Cup competitions.”
For more info: www.nrafoundation.org
NWTF, Silencer Central Forge Partnership
The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and suppressor dealer Silencer Central are renewing their partnership in support of NWTF’s mission to conserve the wild turkey and preserve North America’s hunting heritage.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Silencer Central,” said Natalia Daniels, NWTF national director of corporate relations and licensing. “They are not only a leader in offering shooting sports enthusiasts a seamless way to purchase a suppressor, but they are staunch supporters of the NWTF’s mission and believe in our work to conserve the wild turkey and preserve our hunting heritage.”
In addition to their financial contributions to the NWTF mission, Silencer Central will be a Gobbler Level sponsor of the NWTF’s 2023 National Convention and Sport Show, as well as sponsoring many of the NWTF’s media outlets, such as Turkey Call magazine and Turkey Call All Access Podcast.
“We are thrilled to partner with the National Wild Turkey Federation,” said Brandon Maddox, Silencer Central CEO. “We understand the mission of the NWTF and its dedication to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage. It’s important to support organizations like the NWTF to help them reach their conservation and organization goals, and it also provides us with the opportunity to present our suppressors to their members. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the NWTF for years to come.”
For more info: www.nwtf.org
Des Moines PD Adopts EOTECH BinoNV Night-Vision Goggles
EOTECH announced the Des Moines Police Department (DMPD) has adopted the BinoNV night-vision goggle for use in SWAT and special operations. DMPD is the largest and most urban law enforcement agency in the state of Iowa with over 370 sworn officers.
In January 2022, EOTECH launched a full line of customized, military-grade night-vision devices and thermal imagers for distribution and service to U.S. and select international markets.
“We are extremely honored the Des Moines Police Department selected the BinoNV as their dedicated night-vision goggle solution,” said John Parra, law enforcement manager for EOTECH. “This selection, along with other agencies across the country, validates the incredible quality, ruggedness and performance our new line of night-vision and thermal products provides.”
The EOTECH BinoNV is a cutting-edge, compact, lightweight night-vision goggle built to full Mil-Spec standards. Binocular systems offer better depth perception than single-tube systems making them preferred for navigating on foot or by vehicle and interacting with the environment. The built-in Diopter adjustments make this model an ideal choice for special operations forces and SWAT applications.
For more info: www.eotechinc.com
Ruger Announces Q2 2022 Earnings
Aug. 3, Ruger announced for Q2 2022 it reported net sales of $140.7 million, compared with net sales of $200.1 million in Q2 2021. For the six months ended July 2, 2022, net sales were $307.2 million. For the corresponding period in 2021, net sales were $384.4 million.
Ruger CEO Chris Killoy commented on Q2 2022, “Consumer demand for firearms has subsided from the unprecedented levels of the surge that began early in 2020 and remained for most of 2021, resulting in a 30% reduction in our sales from the second quarter of 2021, which was the highest quarter in sales and profitability in our history. Yet our broad and diverse product family helps us weather fluctuations in demand as we adjust production accordingly. While channel inventory of some of our product families, including certain polymer pistols and modern sporting rifles, have been largely replenished, inventories of other product families remain below desired levels.”
Killoy reaffirmed Ruger’s commitment to new product innovation, “We are excited to continue to expand our Marlin product line with the reintroduction of the Marlin Model 1895 Trapper. This lightweight, stainless steel lever-action rifle is chambered in .45-70 Govt. and features a cold hammer forged threaded barrel. We continue to increase our production of Marlin rifles and look forward to introducing additional Ruger-made Marlin lever-action rifles.”
Killoy also noted the estimated unit sell-through of Ruger’s products from the independent distributors to retailers decreased 31% in the first half of 2022 compared to the prior year period.
The second quarter of 2021 had the highest quarterly distributor unit sell-through in Ruger’s history, which led to the significant year-over-year decrease in distributor sell-through in the current quarter.
Sales of new products, including the PC Charger, the MAX-9 pistol, the LCP MAX pistol, and Marlin 1895 lever-action rifles, represented $33.8 million or 11% of firearm sales in the first half of 2022.
For more info: ruger.com.com
