March 2015 – Government Relations

I have just returned from a multi-day meeting of the Board of Governors of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.  As you might expect, the range of issues we consider is rather broad but I thought I’d share some of the legal and legislative concerns we’re addressing.  These include:

The Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act is being reintroduced this year and we anticipate that it will finally be passed.  Amongst other things, this will go a long way to limiting the assaults by anti-hunting groups on the use of lead ammunition.

Legislation enabling nationwide Concealed Carry Reciprocity has been introduced in both chambers and while we similarly anticipate that it will pass, it is unlikely to be signed into law unless it can be attached an an amendment to some other “must pass” piece of legislation.

The NSSF is actively litigating against microstamping in CA.  Failure to overturn this newly effected law means that citizens of CA will be unable to have access to any newly-designed firearms because of the “impossibility” of compliance by any manufacturer.

Similarly, we are fighting the mandate in NJ for the manufacture of “smart guns”.  While the industry welcomes anyone to consider and develop the technology, and for consumers to purchase and use it if they choose, requiring the adaption of any form of this unreliable and unavailable technology is simply bad public policy.

Perhaps the most nefarious current anti-gun effort being launched by a government agency is ATF’s proposed repeal of the exemption for 5.56 M855 ball ammunition, which is described at length here http://nssf.org/factsheets/PDF/bipartisanSportsmensAct.pdf.  I urge you to follow the link and attach your name to a letter voicing your objection to this ill-considered action.

I continue to urge you to visit www.nssf.org as a point of reference for all things gun-related, including news, instruction, safety advice, range location, etc. etc.

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