Smith & Wesson Corp. announced that the company has pledged $75,000 to the National Rifle Association (NRA) in support of the NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting handbook. The donation will provide a three-year sponsorship of the handbook that reaches approximately 500,000 firearms students each year and is in addition to the company’s existing contributions to the NRA. Smith & Wesson presented the donation during the 2009 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits held over the weekend in Phoenix, Arizona. Read More→

The Fenix TK40 flashlight is one of the brightest handheld flashlights I have ever seen.  Believe it or not, Fenix rates the light output at  630 lumens!

Check out the review of the Fenix TK40 flashlight over at BlueSheepdog.com.

I just posted a review of the Streamlight PolyStinger DS LED flashlight over at BlueSheepdog.com.  Let me say that I was very impressed by this flashlight.  It is very bright, durable, and reasonable priced.  If you have need of a new flashlight, check out the review.

I heard this 16 Tons parody on Michael Bane’s podcast this week:

Ladies and Gentleman -

When I thought all sanity had long since fled from the hallowed halls of journalism, I find this editorial by Geoff Oldfather:

We entrust teachers with the lives of our children and give them enormous responsibility.

We expect them to not only teach “reading, writing, ‘rithmetic” and a dozen other subjects, we increasingly expect them to handle responsibilities like sex education and “anger management” and other issues that used to be dealt with in the home.

Why then do we deprive teachers of their basic right to self-defense?

Take the question further. If it involved self-defense at a school campus, the lives of our children are probably at stake as well — and we’re going to expect teachers to protect our children with what? A textbook?

It’s a valid question as the Martin County School District and other districts re-write their policies prohibiting firearms at schools to be in line with Florida’s “bring your guns to work” law that lawmakers approved last April and took effect in July.

The law allows Florida residents with concealed weapons permits to keep firearms in their cars at work, even if employers have a policy prohibiting firearms.

Except at schools.

Other workplaces where you can’t have a firearm in your car are correctional facilities, nuclear power plants, military and government buildings and anywhere explosives are stored.

The exception for teachers, especially, does not make sense.

“Why is it that a person can be trusted on one side of a school parking lot and not on the other side?” Stuart attorney Jeff Kirsch asked.

Kirsch is an advocate for responsible firearms ownership, as I am. He’s handled firearms-ownership cases and is chairman of the National Rifle Association Foundation’s Martin County chapter annual dinner and fundraiser.

“I think teachers ought to be treated like anyone else. Schools used to be like any other job and for whatever reason we’ve now carved out some kind of ’safety zone,’ and it just doesn’t make sense,” Kirsch said. “We don’t trust teachers to make the right kinds of judgments? Isn’t that what they’re paid for?”

Superintendent Nancy Kline calls it “a tough issue.”

“Should there be adequate security? Absolutely, and we’re reviewing with the (Martin County) sheriff’s office the levels of security at all campuses,” Kline said.

“But should that be something teachers are involved in? I don’t know,” Kline said.

I do.

We don’t like the idea of guns on an airliner but today’s reality means pilots are packing heat.

So, teachers should be allowed to have firearms in their cars even at school. I’ll take it further: Considering how vulnerable our campuses and our students are, if teachers are trained and have concealed weapons permits that require background checks and training, they should be allowed to carry them wherever they go.

Even in the classroom.

There are two polls on the same page as the editorial regarding teachers and firearms.  Feel free to drop by and add your two cents.

Over at the SIGForum, they have organized a raffle to benefit one of their members who is having some medical and subsequently monetary issues. To benefit him, a fellow member has organized a raffle. The prizes include an unfired Sig P225, a brand new P226, a shotgun, a Walther P22, a Citizen Ecodrive watch, Bose speakers, custom gun work, ammo, holster, tactical lights and much more. There are a total of 32 prizes.

Raffle tickets are only $1 each (you can buy as many as you want). All proceeds go to benefit the SIGForum member. The drawing will be held on Sunday, August 9, 2008.

Take a look at what the prizes and consider donating a few extra bucks to benefit a fellow gun owner.

A Record $724,980 Earmarked for Hunter Recruitment and Retention

NEWTOWN, Conn. — For the sixth consecutive year, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced grants to states for projects designed to enlist new hunters, and retain existing ones.

“These grants were awarded on the strengths of the concepts presented to preserve our hunting traditions, by adding to the ranks of hunters and encouraging current hunters to continue their participation,” said Doug Painter, president of NSSF.

The 2008 Hunting Heritage Partnership grants include an increase of $250,000 over last year, thanks to a new partnership with Safari Club International. To date, the program has contributed more than $2.8 million to state agencies.

This year’s grant recipients include:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission–$64,400
Project: To increase hunting activity in Florida by large numbers of state residents who have been hunting in states other than Florida. Research will identify residents who have been hunting out of state and why, and attempt to convince them to hunt in Florida through a directed marketing effort.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game–$153,000
Project: To obtain access to additional land for hunters by providing various types of compensation to landowners in the form of services, and to recruit new landowners into the Access Yes! program.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources–$62,000
Project: To reactivate a group of lapsed hunters that will be targeted with the implementation of a direct mail marketing and advertising campaign.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources–$16,500
Project: To offer two mentored youth hunts, providing a positive hunting experience and allowing the youngsters to interact with wildlife managers and conservation officers, who will communicate the importance of hunting both as recreation and as a game management tool.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
The state received grants for two separate projects.
Project #1–$77,755
A direct mail program to encourage prior hunting license holders to re-enter the ranks of active hunters through license purchases. Also, it will encourage current license holders to investigate access to public hunting land and urge veteran hunters to act as mentors for new hunters.
Project #2–$45,000
Recruitment of new hunters and hunters who have left the sport by providing dove hunting opportunities on privately owned dove fields.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks–$61,700
Project: A program designed to identify lapsed Montana big-game hunters most likely to return to hunting and to induce their participation, as measured by license purchases in 2008. Also the program will identify current Montana hunters predisposed to lapsing out of hunting and reduce their rate of doing so in 2008.

Nevada Department of Wildlife–$56,125
Project: A campaign to persuade hunters who have unsuccessfully applied for a big-game tag to purchase a hunting license and participate in under-utilized hunts for both big and small game. This will be accomplished through a direct marketing program.

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department–$20,000
Project: To develop a landowner incentive program that will provide the ability to secure and maintain hunting access to 100,000 acres of private land by December 31, 2012.

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation–$21,000
Project: To conduct a direct mail campaign aimed at encouraging former hunters to pick up the sport again and purchase a hunting license in 2008.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources–$92,500
Project: Attempt to reactivate lapsed hunters through an integrated mix of paid advertising, direct mail, electronic communication, media relations, events and other grass roots activities.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency–$30,000
Project: A program to increase small-game hunting participation on private land in Tennessee, through a small-game hunter-access cooperative effort with landowners.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department–$25,000
Project: To maintain and enhance the department’s Private Lands Public Access Program for hunting through enrolling private landowners into either a Walk-in Hunting or Hunter Management Area Program.

Twenty-five proposals from 21 states were submitted this year to the Hunting Heritage Partnership judging committee of NSSF. Mississippi was a grant recipient for the first time this year. All other states on this year’s list have been awarded previous grants.

Formed in 1961, NSSF’s mission is to provide trusted leadership in addressing industry challenges and in delivering programs and services to meet the identified needs of our members. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.