NSSF is making a three-pronged effort Retailers think about it prior to every firearm sale, and gun owners should be thinking about it on a regular basis. The thought? The prevention of unauthorized access to firearms, which is one way to reduce violence in our society without infringing on Second Amendment rights. Working to keep guns out of the wrong hands is so important to our industry that the National Shooting Sports Foundation has made it a multimillion-dollar, three-program priority. This trident of initiatives is made up of Project ChildSafe, FixNICS, and Don’t Lie for the Other Guy. Each in… [Read More]

It stands to reason that any kind of a computer-based verification system is only as good as the records in it. That’s why in the national policy discussion on measures to prevent the criminal misuse of firearms, we have launched an initiative to ensure that the states place into the National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) system all appropriate records that document someone as a prohibited person, including adjudicated mental health records. Until the records are complete, so-called universal background checks will simply produce more inaccurate and incomplete checks. Half of our states are delinquent in getting their records into… [Read More]

Pawnbrokers Appreciate Benefits of NSSF Membership An important component of firearms retailers are Type 2 Federal Firearms Licensees, the pawnbrokers found across the United States. Pawnbrokers find strength and benefits in belonging to both the National Pawnbrokers Association (nationalpawnbrokers.org) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Last summer, at its annual convention, the NPA awarded NSSF its prestigious Industry Partner Award. Here, one pawnbroker, who holds an FFL, attests to the privileges of membership.     Description of Business: “Chuck’s Gun & Pawn Shop has served Warner Robins, Georgia, for 23 years and employs 15 people. As both a pawnshop and… [Read More]

For the third year in a row, the National Shooting Sports Foundation will make available a total of $100,000 in challenge grants to encourage local Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Councils to develop or expand their activities in target shooting and marksmanship. BSA Councils applying for a grant must specifically earmark funds for shooting-sports programs and provide matching funds at least equal to the grant request. NSSF will provide the first 50 qualifying applicants with up to $2,000 in matching support. Councils must use awarded funds toward the purchase of equipment and supplies from an NSSF member retailer, a list… [Read More]

Demand for the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s safety and education materials skyrocketed in the first quarter of 2013, with more than 1 million safety literature items and safety DVDs having been ordered. NSSF’s popular educational brochure, Firearms Safety Depends on You, received 684,026 orders, a 114 percent jump over the first quarter of 2012. Orders for another brochure, Firearms Responsibility in the Home, were up 45 percent in the first quarter—356,384 copies, compared with 246,570 in the first quarter of last year. Orders for NSSF’s firearms safety DVD compilation jumped 897 percent, with most of the 3,409 copies being requested… [Read More]

The national Shooting Sports Foundation’s Board of Governors has named Deb Kenney as vice president, human resources and administration. Kenney, who joined NSSF in 1996, previously served as managing director of human resources. “Deb’s strategic approach to talent acquisition and compensation and benefit management has been instrumental in our growth and success,” said NSSF president Steve Sanetti. “Deb also leads our IT strategy and development. We’re fortunate to have someone with her experience and skills in this role.”

A new survey shows that 79 per-cent of the American public approves of hunting, reports the National Shooting Sports Foundation. This figure is the highest level of support for hunting since 1995, according to data compiled by Responsive Management, an independent research firm. The nationwide survey, conducted in February, showed that the public’s approval of hunting rose five points in the past year. Responsive Management is still reviewing the survey results to better understand why approval has increased. One thousand Americans 18 years of age or older were surveyed to achieve a sampling error of plus or minus 3.00 percentage… [Read More]

Soon after the National Shooting Sports Foundation announced a Steel Target Grant Program for shooting ranges that plan to begin or expand Ruger Rimfire Challenge target-shooting events, a flood of applications poured in, forcing the closure of new grant applications. The submitted applications were for a total of 26 steel-target grant packages for targets suitable for indoor and outdoor target-shooting ranges, worth $30,000. Despite the closure of the first round of grant applications, the two participating steel-target manufacturers are continuing their role in this program by offering substantial discounts to interested shooting facilities. Action Target and MGM Targets are extending… [Read More]

The SHOT Show has been accepted into the International Buyer Program (IBP), administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). Through the IBP, the SHOT Show, with support from DOC, will be able to optimally manage and facilitate matching international buyers with exhibiting U.S. companies. The program offers DOC assistance on a variety of issues to aid show exhibitors and to attract international buyers. It will educate exhibitors on existing government export programs; provide export counsel assistance with the infringement of intellectual property rights (IPR); and educate on the Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP!) program, on IPR protection measures during… [Read More]

How to master key financial ratios Asuccessful firearms retailer doesn’t run his business on hunches, intuition, and gut feelings. Management is a science, and, just as was discussed in this department in the April/May edition of SHOT Business, aspects of business management can be boiled down to arithmetic. If you are not numbered out from the last “lesson,” try to put your head around ratios for liquidity, profitability, and productivity. These calculations can help you determine the viability and health of your business. Liquidity determines the cash available to the business for the next 12 months by comparing current assets… [Read More]