NRA Meeting Change
We’re trying to stay above the NRA fray but things just keep happening which deserve reportage. The latest dust-up occurred when the organization decided to spend upwards of $100,000 in a last-minute effort to move the annual Board of Directors meeting from Anchorage, Alaska to the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The meeting location had been a point of contention among nearly everyone. For its part, the NRA said the meeting was changed in order to deal with upcoming legislation threats. Regardless of reason, the move was probably wise though several crass, excuse me, mass-media outlets are now trashing the NRA for doing so. Unfortunately, this thing just isn’t getting any better.
Photo: brianc via Flikr
NASCAR Out Of Touch?
It would appear NASCAR executives have totally lost touch with their fan base. In a late August letter, several firearms manufacturers were quietly notified the racing body has undergone a “gradual shift” in its views and policy towards firearms. National Event Publications, official media sales agent for NASCAR, contacted advertisers and requested they change their advertisements to “highlight some of the less controversial gun accessories, concealed carry or classes.” Apparently, this was in response to ads referencing those dreaded black rifles the lefties all hate so much — in spite of not knowing a charging handle from a tire iron. NASCAR attendance has been on a downward spiral for the last several years and this latest decision doesn’t seem like a smart move for a business proud of being “founded by moonshine runners.”
A Truly Wild Game
Looking to score, in both the biblical sense and with a hunting partner? If so, you might check out Hunting4Connections.com. Billing itself as “Today’s dating solution for outdoor enthusiasts,” the site helps facilitate interpersonal relationships among those of us who don’t worry excessively about the occasional deer tick. It’s a refreshing change to note the site considers hunting and shooting as positive personality traits, unlike some other online dating sites. Let me know if it works since I currently reside in a very happy marriage. Years ago, my sole attempt at online dating resulted in a lovely lunch with a nice woman who was witty, intelligent, kind and quite attractive — for an 80-year-old. She sheepishly admitted later her online photo “wasn’t recent.” As they say, live and learn.
I want you!
It’s been mentioned before but one of the most common questions we get is, “Why can’t I find GUNS Magazine on the newsstand?” While our subscriber base is robust and thriving, our advertising sales are going great and overall interest in GUNS is enjoying a new renaissance in the industry, we still hear how difficult it is for some readers to find the latest issue “in the wild.” The main reason is simple, hidden and wholly infuriating: wholesale censorship of gun magazines themselves. Because GUNS occasionally features non-Politically-Correct weapons, we have been unceremoniously dumped from several large chain stores over the last couple of years — more mindless corporate “virtue-signaling.” The story is the same for several of our esteemed competitors. So, what’s the answer? Subscribe! As both the First and Second Amendments are slowly being undermined by leftists in the name of safety and security, the best way to assure continued access to GUNS and other shooting magazines is by simply subscribing.
Photo: Robert Reese
Industry Insider News
There is none. No wait, I’m kidding. However, the late-summer and early fall are very quiet times in the firearms business. Folks are vacationing, marketing teams are planning for the upcoming trade show season and overall, everyone takes a breather before things get hectic again. We will note one important item missed in June: the passing of Robert Reese, 87, the man who founded the “new” Springfield Armory in Geneseo, Illinois in 1974. He was most noted as the man who resurrected the Springfield Armory name after the U.S. Government closed the original 184-year-old armory in 1968. While there is no official link, legacy or licensing agreement between the company and the government for use of the name, Springfield Armory Inc. is noted for its classic military weapons such as the 1911 and M1A Garand, in addition to the XD series of pistols and Saint rifles.
A Not-Nice Surprise
In light of the new NASCAR policy towards certain guns, we wonder how the good folks at Henry Repeating Arms feel about their just-announced sponsorship of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at RoadAmerica, Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The Xfinity series is the “minor league” circuit for the big-time “Cup” races and Henry also sponsors the No. 00 Henry Ford Mustang of the Steward-Hass racing team. While Henry doesn’t make “black guns” or other (currently) politically-incorrect gun products, they are strong Second Amendment supporters and this latest move by NASCAR must have surely blindsided the company and caused severe acid reflux among the marketing team. Likewise for NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, a prominent ex-NRA Board Member who recently stepped down.
Sous Vide For Stag Or Squirrel
Here’s a great tip, courtesy of GUNS Publisher Roy Huntington, for those of us preparing for the upcoming hunting season: buy a Sous Vide machine! In a nutshell, a Sous Vide is a small, highly-accurate immersion heater used to prepare food — in my case, venison — without overcooking or drying out. The units start around $70 and work by heating the food inside a plastic bag immersed in water at a carefully-controlled temperature. Once the food, enjoying a nice slow spa treatment in its own juices, is uniformly cooked throughout, you slap it on a red-hot grill for a quick sear and then standby for rave reviews. It’ll truly change wild game cooking for you — even my deer-disliking wife thinks it’s a miracle!
