SHOT Business -- December 2014

VOLUME 22, NUMBER 7 DECEMBER 2014

A FEW SIMPLE RULES FOR SUCCESS PAGE 38

WHEN THE BOTTOM FALLS OUT OF THE THERMOMETER, HUNTERS NEED GEAR DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE DEEP FREEZE PAGE 26

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

GOOD STUFF ALPS Outdoorz wants to change the hunt-ing pack game PG. 44

FIRING LINE Smith & Wesson’s

Model 986 is worth a close look PG. 20

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DECEMBER 2014 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 3

SHOT BUS INESS ❚ DECEMBER 2014 ❚ VOLUME 22 , I SSUE 7 CONTENTSCOVER PHOTO: T

IM IR

WIN

Features

NSSF Update 14 FROM THE NSSF An insider

look at changes for SHOT Show 2015

15 RETAILER TOOLBOX Seminars at SHOT Show

16 FFL EDUCATION TOUR Retailer education regions and dates announced

16 SHOT MOBILE APP Daniel Defense sponsors show app

17 PROBING CHOKE POINT U.S. House members ask FDIC for investigation

17 2014 SHOOTING REPORT Learn who’s participating, and how

18 NSSF DELIVERS VALUE 19 YOU SHOULD KNOW Opening the clubhouse to women shooters

26 OUT IN THE COLD They say “clothes make the man.” They also make the hunter, especially in frigid weather. How to help your customers “dress for success” in the cold. BY SLATON L. WHITE

34 COLD COMFORT If you don’t understand just what cold conditions can do to the human body, then you don’t have the first idea of how to sell warm clothing. BY DAVID E. PETZAL

38 THE RULES THAT BUILT AN INDUSTRY LEADER Lew Danielson, founder of Crimson Trace Corp., understands that when you focus on heart, the numbers will follow. BY FRANK MINITER

34

Departments

4 EDITOR’S NOTE The cold truth about late-season hunting

7 NEWS BRIEFS SureFire debuts two X-Series lights; Gearhog.com launches; Kahr’s new bronze offerings; 2014 SHOT Business Award noms; keeping warm in a Patagon; and more

20 FIRING LINE Smith & Wesson’s 986 has competition appeal

22 UNDERCOVER SHOPPER Pocket pistols in New Mexico

44 GOOD STUFF Talking turkey packs with ALPS Outdoorz

46 WHAT’S SELLING WHERE

50 NEW PRODUCTS Savage Arms’ new 555 over/under; Badlands’ Impact Pant; and the Sound 911 safety horn

50

20

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4 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ DECEMBER 2014

EDITOR ’S NOTE

SLATON L. WHITE, EditorMargaret M. Nussey, Managing EditorDavid E. Petzal, Shooting EditorMaribel Martin, Senior Administrative AssistantJames A. Walsh, Art DirectorJudith Weber, Production Manager

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Larry Ahlman, Barbara Baird, Scott Bestul, Philip Bourjaily, Chris Christian, Christopher Cogley, David Draper, Jock Elliott, William F. Kendy, Mark Kayser, Peter B. Mathiesen, Brian McCombie, Tom Mohrhauser, Robert Sadowski, Robert F. Staeger, Peter Suciu, Wayne Van Zwoll

ERIC ZINCZENKO, Executive Vice PresidentADVERTISING: 212-779-5316Gregory D. Gatto, PublisherBrian Peterson, Western Sporting Goods Sales Katie Logan, Southern Sporting Goods SalesDavid Hawkey, Northeast Sporting Goods SalesElizabeth Burnham Murphy, Chief Marketing OfficerIngrid Reslmaier, Marketing Design Director

BUSINESS OPERATIONSTara Bisciello, Business Manager

CONSUMER MARKETINGRobert M. Cohn, Consumer Marketing DirectorBarbara Brooker, Fulfillment Manager

MANUFACTURINGLaurel Kurnides, Group Production DirectorStefanie La Bella, Associate Production Director

BONNIERChairman, Tomas FranzénChief Executive Officer, Dave FreygangExecutive Vice President, Eric ZinczenkoChief Content Officer, David RitchieChief Financial Officer, Nancy CoalterChief Operating Officer, Lisa EarlywineChief Marketing Officer, Elizabeth Burnham MurphyChief Digital Revenue Officer, Sean HolzmanVice President, Integrated Sales, John GraneyVice President, Consumer Marketing, John ReeseVice President, Public Relations, Perri DorsetGeneral Counsel, Jeremy Thompson

SHOT Business (ISSN 1081-8618) is published 7 times a year in January, Feb ruary/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December by Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695, and is the official publication of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Flintlock Ridge Office Center, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470 (203-426-1320). Volume 22, issue 7. Copyright © 2014 by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. All rights reserved. Editorial, circula-tion, production and advertising offices are located at 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695 (212-779-5000). Free to qualified subscribers; available to non-qualified subscribers for $25 per year. Single-copy issues are available for $5 each. Send check, payable to NSSF, to: SHOT Business, c/o NSSF, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470-2359. SHOT Business accepts no respon-sibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All correspondence should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Requests for media kits and advertising information should be directed to Katy Marinaro, Bonnier Corporation, 625 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 1270, Chicago, IL 60611. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices.

Printed in the USA. For Customer Service and Subscription questions, such as Renewals, Address Changes, Email Preferences, Billing and Account Status, go to: shotbusiness .com/cs. You can also email [email protected], in the U.S. call toll-free 866-615-4345, outside the U.S. call 515-237-3697, or write to SHOT Business, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. For editorial inquiries, write to Slaton L. White, SHOT Business, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016REPRINTS: E-mail [email protected]. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to SHOT Business, P.O. Box 6364 Harlan, IA 51593.

The Cold TruthDressing for success

B ecause we’re mammals (at least some of us), we’re able to operate within a broad temperature range because our core body temperature remains con-

stant at around 98.6 degrees. The catch to this arrange-ment is that if the temp goes much above (or below) 98.6, we become dead mammals.” So says SHOT Business shoot-ing editor David E. Petzal in “Cold Comfort” (page 34), part of a special section on cold-weather clothing in this issue of the magazine.

As hunters, we’re supposed to be hearty Joes, and enduring cold, mis-erable weather while pursuing deer and elk is a staple of many hunting stories that are enjoyed with relish around the warmth of a fire in camp. The cold truth, though, isn’t nearly so entertaining. That’s the underlying idea behind this month’s special section, and your job as a retailer is to help make sure that your customers bound for cold des-tinations are properly “dressed for success.”

As I relate in “Out in the Cold” (page 26), “You can hunt when you’re uncomfortable, but if you’re miserable, you’re done.” I got almost to that point on a hunt in Saskatchewan seven years ago when my insulated boots weren’t remotely up to the challenge of below-zero temperatures. But when I returned last fall, I was properly prepared. Although I can’t say I stayed completely warm and toasty, I was able to endure sitting in an unheated treestand at 10 below long enough to collect a nice 11-pointer. Both of these arti-

cles offer practical tips and specific gear recommendations that can help your customers enjoy a pro-ductive hunt.

True leaders are as rare as hen’s teeth; if you’re lucky enough to work for one, treasure every moment—the experience will enrich your life. Lew Danielson, who founded Crimson Trace Corp., is a member in good standing of this small club, as you’ll see when you read “The Rules That Built an Industry Leader,” by Frank Miniter

(page 38). Danielson’s rules for success are remarkably simple—so simple, in fact, it’s astounding that more companies don’t follow them.

In discussing his simple list of rules with Miniter, Danielson revealed this gem: “You need to focus on a qual-ity product and to treat your customers like kings, but there are always other ways to bring products with the

same or similar engineering to alternate markets. This expands your customer base and forces you outside the box. Do this, and you’ll find your real market isn’t where you thought it would be. Then you’ll really find success.”

No long, incomprehensible cor-porate manifestos or MBA-inspired mission statements for Lew. Just a simple code to live by.

Works for me.

NSSF

Slaton L. White, Editor

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NEWS BR IEFSNEWS ❚ PROMOTIONS ❚ AWARDS ❚ OUTREACH

SureFire Lights the WayS ureFire, LLC, manufacturer of high-end illumination tools and

tactical gear, recently released two new models as part of its X-Series family of WeaponLights. Designed for handguns, they

can also be mounted to long guns with Picatinny rails. The versatile X300V and X400V IRc feature SureFire’s V-Series head—a sealed, select-able head that contains both a white and an infrared LED to provide vis-ible and virtually invisible illumination. By pushing and rotating a self-locking selector switch on the head, a user can switch from white light to IR illumination (for use with night-vision devices) on the fly, with no infrared filter required. The X400 model even boasts an infrared laser.

The X300V generates 150 lumens of blinding, tactical-level light on its white-light setting and 120 mW of infrared illumina-tion when set to IR mode. Light output from either mode is shaped by a proprie-tary optic—a Total Internal Reflection (TIR) lens—into a high-intensity beam with significant reach and enough peripheral illu-mination to maintain situational awareness .

The X400V IRc generates the same high-intensity beam at identical outputs in white light and infrared as the X300V, but it also features a commercially available <0.7 mW infrared laser sight, suitable for force-on-force training and ideal for stealth opera-

tions using night-vision devices. As with all laser-equipped SureFire X400 Weapon-Lights, the X400V IRc’s laser-adjustment mechanism uses Nylok screws that won’t back out due to recoil. An amber LED indi-cator illuminates whenever the laser is on, to help prevent unintended activation.

Like all X-Series WeaponLights, these new models are constructed of lightweight aerospace aluminum, hard anodized with a mil-spec finish, and are O-ring and gasket-sealed for durability and weather resistance. The X300V weighs less than 4 ounces fully loaded, while the X400V model is just under 5, so neither model weighs down a weapon. A push/toggle switch located on the rear activates the lights . Both models attach quickly and securely to both Universal and Picatinny rails, and adapter mounts are available for some rail-less handguns. SRP: $389, X300V; $875, X400V. (800-828-8809; surefire.com)

SureFire’s X400V WeaponLight boasts

an infrared laser.

Bits & Pieces

Gearhog.com Is Up and Running

Gearhog recently announced the official launch of its web-site, Gearhog.com. The site offers daily deals on hunting, shooting, and other outdoors-related products. After signing up as a member

on the website, users will be emailed daily about new deals.“The popularity of daily deal

sites has really taken the world by storm, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have a site catering to shooting, hunting, and the outdoors,” says Clayton Whipple of Brownells. Virtually all daily deal web-

sites work within the same “everybody wins” framework. In this case, Gearhog.com gets the user traffic, brands get their products to the masses, and consumers get the discount.

Winchester Recalculates App

Two years ago, Winchester introduced its Ballistics Calculator at Winchester.com. Applications for iPhone and iPod Touch followed. Now the company has updated the pop-ular app to make calculations more comprehensive. The original version allowed

users to choose centerfire rifle ammunition and compare car-tridges with charts and graphs. The updated version addition-ally helps users to discover aiming points, impact points, and trajectories for rimfire, shotgun, slug, and handgun hunting ammunition.“We listened to the feedback

and now the Ballistics Calculator is improved,” says Brett Flaugher, Winchester Ammunition’s vice president of marketing and sales.

SHB1214_BRF.indd 7 11/10/14 3:31 PM

Bronze Arms: Kahr Debuts Three New Special-Edition Pistols

Kahr Arms has stepped up to meet the increasing demand for its pistols in mission-specific col-

ors by partnering with United Sporting Companies for an exclusive line of its most popular sized 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP pistols offered with Cerakote’s sleek new “Burnt Bronze” finish slides and attractive black appointments on the frames. The first offering in Burnt Bronze is the CW9093BB. The pistol features a 3.5-inch barrel with conventional rifling and a 1-10 right-hand twist. The CW9 also features a drift-adjustable white bar-dot combat rear sight and a pinned-in polymer front sight. The slide is treated with a high-temperature Cerakote finish in Burnt Bronze, with a black trigger and black slide stop lever.

Also offered in Burnt Bronze is the CW4043BB. Like the CW9, this .40 S&W

pistol also features a Cerakote Burnt Bronze slide with black appointments. This pistol also features a 3.5-inch barrel with conventional rifling, but has a 1-16 right-hand twist. Like the CW9, it features a drift-adjustable white bar-dot combat rear sight and a pinned-in polymer front sight.

Last in the United Sporting Companies’ exclusive Burnt Bronze offerings is a .45 ACP, model number CW4543BB. In addi-tion to the attractive Burnt Bronze slide with black appointments, this model fea-tures a 3.64-inch barrel with conventional rifling, and a 1-16.38 right-hand twist. It offers the same front and rear sights as the CW9 and CW40.

All three of the Burnt Bronze models are sold exclu-sively via the United Sporting Companies’ Ellett Brothers and Jerry’s Sports Center locations. SRP: $466. (kahr.com)

Kahr Arms is offering three new special-edition pistols with a Burnt Bronze Cerakote finish.

NEWS BR IEFS

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2014 SHOT BUSINESS AWARD NOMINATIONS

CHAIN RETAILER OF THE YEARThis award goes to the shooting industry retailer that has excelled with an exceptional commitment to the promotion of the shooting sports, the preservation of our hunting and shooting heritage, and the protection of our firearms freedoms. The nominees are:Bass Pro ShopsCabela’sSportsman’s Warehouse

COMPANY (OR ORGANIZATION)OF THE YEAR This award is presented to the leading company or organization in the shooting-sports industry based on community outreach and efforts to preserve our hunting and shooting heritage and protect our firearms freedoms. The nominees are:ATKWinchester AmmunitionDaniel DefenseTaurus

DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEARThis award is presented to the top distributor in the shooting-sports industry based on community out-reach to promote the shooting sports and efforts to preserve our hunting and shooting heritage and protect our firearms freedoms. The nominees are:Chattanooga Shooting SupplyEllett BrothersNBS

INDEPENDENT RETAILER OF THE YEARThis award goes to the indepen-dent shooting industry retailer that has excelled with an excep-tional commitment to the promo-tion of the shooting sports, the preservation of our hunting and shooting heritage, and the protec-tion of our firearms freedoms. The nominees are:

Ace Sporting Goods, Washington, PAKittery Trading Post, Kittery, MEHeritage Guild, Easton, PA

PERSON OF THE YEARThis award recognizes the individ-ual who has done the best job of promoting the shooting sports and presenting a positive image while making great personal sacrifices—both in time and finan-cial resources—in an effort to preserve our hunting and shooting heritage and protect our firearms freedoms. The nominees are:Julie GolubRyan BronsonJoe Bartozzi

RANGE OF THE YEARThis award is presented to the leading shooting facil-ity based on its commu-nity outreach and efforts to preserve and promote

our hunting and shooting heritage and protect our fire-

arms freedoms. The nominees are:Shooter’s World, Tampa, FLShootSmart USA, Ft. Worth, TXRange 702, Las Vegas, NV

SALES REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEARThis award is presented to the leading sales representative (indi-vidual or group) in the shooting-sports industry based on commu-nity outreach and efforts to pre-serve and promote our hunting and shooting heritage and protect our firearms freedoms. The nomi-nees are:Vince Pestilli, Pestilli & AssociatesTodd Shay, Smith & WessonMike Egan, Ludwikosi & Associates Inc.

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE BONNIER OUTDOOR GROUP SHOT SHOW INDUSTRY BREAKFAST ON JANUARY 20, 2015.

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And Now for Something Completely Different

Although Sitka Gear promotes its Incinerator bibs and jacket as a “walk-ing sleeping bag,” the Selk’bag Patagon really is just such an animal. To help visualize this curious beast, think of the platypus, in which nature borrowed var-ious elements from the animal kingdom to create a unique hybrid. Now think of a sleeping bag with a hood and booties, and you’ve got the general idea.

I took the Patagon on a hunt to Saskatchewan last fall (see “Out in the Cold,” page 26), thinking it might be a welcome addition to help keep me warm while sitting on a stand in sub-zero weather. It really didn’t work out, but it wasn’t the fault of the garment, as I asked it to do something for which it really wasn’t designed. On the coldest day (-10 degrees F.), I opened the Patagon and slipped my arms through the sleeves and then huddled against it.

In this capacity, it did add much-needed warmth, but it’s not something you can slip on in the confines of a treestand. But in slightly warmer temperatures, some hunters might find it useful as a base layer.

However, the Patagon redeemed itself in the aftermath of several large snowfalls last winter, during which my house lost power. Here, I simply donned the entire bag and remained cozy even as the temperatures plum-meted inside the house. My conclusion: The Patagon would be useful in an emergency situation in hunting camp where you lose heat. It will also work well outside.

Features include removable booties that zip off and allow a wearer to use his own footwear, and a redesigned quick-release hand closure system that uses magnets for even faster hand exit and entry. The manufacturer has also upgraded the insulation material to improve thermal performance. The whole thing packs down into a compact carry bag so you can easily throw it in the truck when you head to deer camp. SRP: $259. (selkbagusa.com)

—Slaton L. White

The Patagon’s zip-off booties allow users to choose their own footwear for the cold.

The Selk’bag Patagon features zip-off booties and magnetic sleeve closures.

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NEWS BR IEFS

Weatherby Supports Chris Kyle “SEAL on the Mountain” Memorial Hunt

Weatherby recently partnered with Base Camp 40, Warriors in

the Wild, to provide rifles for the “SEAL on the Mountain” hunt in September, conducted in honor of the late Chris Kyle, the retired Navy SEAL Chief sniper who was shot and killed in 2013 while trying to help a fellow veteran. The hunt included four Medal of Honor recipients and three other mili-tary veterans. Base Camp 40 is a nonprofit organization dedi-cated to reconnecting veterans with the outdoors.

Weatherby supplied the elk hunt with eight Vanguard Series 2 Synthetic packages at a signifi-cant discount. The rifle has a custom floorplate featuring a specially engraved Base Camp

40 logo. Each package also included a Redfield Revenge riflescope and Talley-designed Weatherby Vanguard scope mounts. “Weatherby’s support of Base Camp 40 has been out-standing, and continues with their support for the ‘SEAL on the Mountain’ hunt in memory of Chris,” said Wayne Kyle, Chris’ father.

“Weatherby supports Base Camp 40, Warriors in the Wild, and its mission,” says Mike Schwiebert, vice president, mar-keting for Weatherby, Inc. “ ‘SEAL on the Mountain’ is a perfect way to honor Chris Kyle’s strong support of veter-ans and love of hunting.”

Base Camp 40, Warriors in the Wild, hosts elk, deer, bear, and turkey hunts as well as fish-

ing trips for veterans, helping them experience the respite nature provides. Chris Kyle took part in 2012 and planned to serve as a mentor in future hunts. His father, Wayne, and brother, Jeff, now take his place.

The organization is raising funds for Base Camp 40 at Valor Ranch, which will include con-struction of a lodge and pur-chase of 500 acres in the moun-tains south of Grand Junction, Colorado. (bc40hunts.com)

Weatherby supplied Base Camp 40’s hunt with specially engraved Vanguard rifles.

The independence to manufacture our products how and where we want makes Wyoming perfect for our company.”

Phil HowePhil HowePresident and CEO, HiViz Shooting Systems

© 2014 Wyoming Business Council • 214 W. 15th Street • Cheyenne, WY 82002 • www.wyomingbusiness.org© 2014 Wyoming Business Council • 214 W. 15th Street • Cheyenne, WY 82002 • www.wyomingbusiness.org

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NEWS BR IEFS

MKS Supply Introduces Copies of M1 CarbineOriginal World War II- and Korean War-era M1 Carbines are increasingly hard to come by, so much so that many collectors may be rightfully wary of taking their expensive originals to the range. To recti-fy the problem, MKS Supply has produced faithful modern copies of the original Inland brand firearms, which were origi-nally manufactured by the Inland Division of General Motors and accounted for almost half of all the M1 Carbines. These feature the same compact size and light weight (5 pounds 3 ounces) of the origi-nal vintage M1 Carbines.

The newly manufactured M1 Carbines are 100 percent American made with enti-erly American parts and are practically indistinguishable from the originals—right down to the part construction and stamp-ings, which even include the arsenal-stamped stock markings known as car-touches. However, to ensure these replicas don’t show up on the market as originals, the company marked the underside of the barrel and inside of the stock. These markings are not visible unless the action is removed from the stock.

“The new Inland M1 Carbine is like having living history in your hands,” says Charles Brown of MKS Supply. “The Inland M1 Carbine, like its World War II brothers, is an effective, lightweight, handy, low-recoiling long gun, and just a whole lot of fun to shoot.”

Three Inland M1 Carbine models are available from MKS Supply, including the M1 1944 wood-stock original design with-out bayonet lug (SRP: $1,049); the M1 1945 wood-stock original with bayonet lug (SRP: $1,049); and the M1A1 Paratrooper (SRP: $1,179), which features the folding heavy wire stock (as seen on HBO’s Band of Brothers).

The 1945 and Paratrooper models are offered with one 15-round magazine. The 1944 model has no bayonet lug and comes with a 10-round magazine to comply with laws in states that limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds and/or prohibit the sale of firearms with bayonet lugs. (877-425-4867; mkssupply.com) —Peter Sucio

MKS Supply has produced faithful modern copies of three M1 Carbine models, made with 100 percent American parts and based on the original designs of the Inland brand.

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BY CHRIS DOLNACK, NSSF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICERUPDATE

Insider Look at SHOT Show 2015Six reasons this year’s show will be better than ever

W ith more than 1,600 exhibitors and over 635,000 square feet of space, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind, and the fifth largest annual show in Las Vegas.

Each year, NSSF brings buyers, retailers, range owners, wholesalers, manufactur-ers, and media members together to discover the latest innovations in firearms, ammunition, and hunting and shooting accessories, participate in educational seminars, and network—and each year we strive to add to the experience.

Showcase Theater➤ SHOT Show 2015 will high-light several new features. At the top of the list is the new SHOT Showcase Theater, which will be located in the Venetian near the show entrance. Modeled after the successful press conference for-mat held at the New York Auto Show, this special 742-seat the-ater will allow media and buy-ers a chance to experience SHOT Show’s hottest new products in a dynamic, multi-media environment. Ongoing during the first day of the show from 9 a.m to 3 p.m., exhibitors will provide 15-minute presen-tations of the products attend-ees need to know about, backed with spectacular video support across multiple high-def dis-plays. Exhibitor presentation slots are limited; to secure your spot, contact Chris Tatulli, NSSF director, exhibit & spon-sorship sales, [email protected]; 203-426-1320 ext.214.

Enhanced Digital➤ In addition to the unique pre-sentations to be found in the SHOT Showcase Theater, attendees can expect a brighter, more informative show in 2015. Increased digital signage will be present throughout the lobby areas, with real-time news feeds, show announcements, and directions to event loca-tions. NSSF will be streaming

through many of these video outlets, but airtime on these video walls is also available for purchase by exhibitors.

Relocations➤ Also new this year, we have relocated a few of our impor-tant activities to more conve-nient locations. Visitors from abroad will appreciate that the International Trade Center has moved from the fourth floor to the second floor, just outside the Law Enforcement exhibits. This area, dedicated for use by our international buyers as a meeting space and relaxation lounge, is now more convenient to the show floor.

Registration has also moved. Previously located on the second floor of the Sands Expo/Venetian, attendee registration will now be on the show floor transition lobby located near the taxi/limo curb pickup outside the Sands Expo Center, to pro-vide more space and higher visi-bility for those needing these ser-vices. Exhibitor registration will now be on the second floor near the Law Enforcement meeting rooms, allowing for more space and more work desks than in past years. Also, following on the success of Badge Pick-Up at SHOT Show 2014, those who pre-register and simply need to pick up their badges will find a self-service kiosk at the entrance to the show coming in from the

Venetian Hotel; wait times will be minimal.

New Product Center➤ The New Product Center is once again expanding. This area will house dozens more new products than in past SHOT Shows, thanks in part to the new benefits exhibitors gain by highlighting their products here. The New Products Center is a pivotal location for display-ing fresh merchandise compa-nies have introduced in the past year. Positioned prominently on the main SHOT Show floor, the Center also serves as a gather-ing place for buyers and media whose days at the show are spent in meetings and have little time to walk the floor. It also acts as a way to “cut to the chase” for show attendees who have just one or two days to visit the show. New for 2015, all companies submitting products to the New Product Center can showcase their entries and com-pany information on NSSF’s online New Product Gallery, to be featured on shotshow.org for maximum visibility.

Hotel Space ➤ This year Las Vegas will be near capacity the week of SHOT Show, as multiple large trade shows will be taking place at the same time. In fact, the total attendance for all the trade

shows in town exceeds the number of hotel rooms avail-able in Las Vegas. This year, NSSF has expanded its housing block to accommodate as many people as possible, yet many area hotels were already booked to capacity in October. Because of that, NSSF has secured addi-tional room blocks in new hotels, such as the newly con-structed SLS Las Vegas, the ren-ovated and upgraded Tropicana, the Cosmopolitan, and the Westin Las Vegas, all of which will have complimentary shuttles to and from the show. Special rates for all NSSF official SHOT Show hotels can be accessed at ShotShow.org/travel or through our housing partner, OnPeak (tinyurl.com/SHOT15 Onpeak) and at our headquarter hotel, The Venetian (tinyurl.com/SHOT15Venetian).

SHOT Show AppFinally, remember to download the SHOT Show app (available for iPhones, Android smart-phones, and tablets through iTunes and Google Play). You can find more information, as well as a version for Blackberry users, at ShotMobile.com. The app includes interactive show floor maps, exhibitor listings, event scheduling, show news alerts, and more.

Chris DolnackNSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

FROM THE NSSF

SHB1214_FRM.indd 14 11/10/14 12:22 PM

School’s InEducational opportunities at SHOT Show

O ne of the main focuses of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) at the 2015 SHOT Show in Las Vegas is to provide educational tools for the independent firearms retailer. To that end, NSSF is offering a schedule of information-packed classes that run the gamut from ATF compliance to

increasing diversity in the shooting sports. These classes were designed to meet the needs of the new retailer, as well as provide information and an opportunity to net-work for the veteran firearms merchant. Here are some highlights.

SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY

➤ The day before the exhibit floor opens, NSSF hosts this premier educational event for the firearms retailer. The 2015 event starts with a keynote delivered by Dr. Linda Talley covering “The 4 Most Important Leadership Lessons in Specialty Store Retail-ing.” This keynote will include lessons to help you better engage your employees, provide the leadership necessary to achieve great perfor-mance, and, ultimately, increase sales and create loyal customers.

Afterward, seminar attendees will choose from among four educa-tional tracks: ATF com-pliance, topics for new retailers, classes for veter-an retailers, and promo-tions and driving sales.

The day closes with a lecture by former Mar-ine pilot Patrick “Lips” Houlahan, a business process improvement expert from Afterburner Inc. He’ll share the six steps to mission plan-ning and teach attendees how to apply these les-sons to their business.

SHOT Show Uni-

versity tickets are $250 for members, $500 for nonmembers. Premium Retail members are offered a single compli-mentary ticket to SSU.

RETAILER SEMINARS DAY 1

➤ On Tuesday, the offi-cial start of the SHOT Show, NSSF will host a number of continuing-ed seminars for independent firearms retailers. The first of these, in partner-ship with FBI/NICS, will cover “NICS E-Check 2.0,” a live demonstration of the NICS E-Check sys-tem and a look at upcoming changes to NICS and its processes.

The second class on the schedule, “Cutting Edge Technologies in Store Security,” will review the latest technol-ogies and devices avail-able to safeguard your inventory, customers, and employees.

In“The Hows and Whys to Buy,” some top independent retailers will instruct attendees in their philosophy and strategy on buying prod-ucts, increasing invento-ry turns, and mitigating the impact of downturns

in sales as it relates to their inventory position.

In the fourth session, attendees will meet for-mer ATF deputy assis-tant directors Harry McCabe and Wally Nelson, who will answer questions on meeting and maintaining ATF compliance.

Tuesday’s fifth session is “NSSF Affinity Member Benefits—Saving Our Members Money.” Here, NSSF staff and affinity benefit company colleagues will discuss the products and services that NSSF mem-bers can use to increase their business perfor-mance and reduce costs.


➤ Wednesday’s sessions begin with a two-hour presentation covering “NFA Compliance and Best Practices.” This class reviews the NFA process, including how to sell NFA products legally, what pitfalls you should be aware of as an NFA dealer, and how to deal with trusts.

Wednesday’s second session focuses on meet-ing the needs of the new

demographic of the modern shooter. NSSF will lead a discussion that will focus on the opportunities that exist to make our industry more inclusive and pro-vide strategies on how best to reach out to these new markets.

The day’s next ses-sion, “How to Sell Used Guns,” will be led by veteran retailer Larry Ahlman, who will share the secrets he’s learned throughout his career regarding the buying and selling of previously owned firearms, includ-ing the pitfalls to avoid.

The final session of the day will be presented by FBI/NICS. “Federal Prohibitors” will review the 10 federal prohibi-tors that prevent con-sumers from purchasing firearms, provide sample transactions, and cover the research FBI/NICS conducts to complete a background check and provide a final status to the FFL.


➤ The final day of class-es kicks off with a ses-sion dedicated to mer-

chandising to women. Industry superstars Julie Golob and Randi Rogers cover products women want and need from today’s firearms retailer.

Thursday’s second ses-sion, “Key Retail Numbers,” will explore how to calculate impor-tant retail figures from your financials, what they mean, and how to use them in a business plan.

The third session, “More Retail Numbers,” will dig deep into inven-tory turnover and aver-age inventory numbers, how to perform their calculations, and realiz-ing the impact of these numbers on your profit.

The day’s last session, “Achieving Business and Compliance Goals,” will provide case studies for making operational decisions that will increase your compli-ance, reduce legal risk, and help you run your business more effectively and profitably.

Most of the sessions listed here are $20, but three—“NICS E-Check 2.0” ( Jan. 20), “NSSF Affinity Member Benefits” ( Jan. 20), and “Federal Prohibitors” ( Jan. 21)—are provided free of charge to show attendees. For more information, please visit shotshow.org/education.

RETA ILER TOOLBOX


UPDATEBY PATRICK SHAY, D IRECTOR, RETA IL DEVELOPMENTCALENDAR DESIGNED BY M

ICHELA TANNOIA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

SHB1214_RET.indd 15 11/10/14 12:26 PM


UPDATE

2015 NSSF FFL Retailer Education Seminar Lineup Announced

N SSF recently announced its Retailer Education Seminar

schedule for 2015. These invaluable compliance-oriented sessions provide retailers and range owners across the coun-try the opportunity to meet face-to-face with NSSF’s ATF compliance consultants, learn

about the latest ATF regula-tions, and have their questions about 4473 error-proofing, straw purchase prevention, NICS background check pro-cesses, and other topics answered in a highly informa-tive and interactive setting.

Seminars are scheduled for the following cities and dates:

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEX. APRIL 13ANAHEIM, CALIF. APRIL 20NEW ORLEANS, LA. MAY 11ATLANTA, GA. MAY 18LITTLE ROCK, ARK. JUNE 16

FAIRFAX, VA. JUNE 23DETROIT, MICH. JULY 13BUFFALO, N.Y. JULY 21BELLEVUE, WASH. AUGUST 11MILWAUKEE, WIS. AUGUST 18DAYTON, OHIO SEPTEMBER 15PHILADELPHIA, PA. SEPTEMBER 22

➤ Attendance at NSSF Retailer Seminars is free for NSSF mem-bers; nonmember FFLs may attend for $100. With NSSF memberships beginning at $75, we encourage all retail and range FFLs to join NSSF and plan to attend the 2015 seminar in their region. Invitations to attend each state’s seminar are sent to all FFL holders in the state 45 days prior to the event and include directions for registering. To learn more about the 2015 Retailer Seminars, contact Patrick Shay, NSSF director, retail develop-ment, at [email protected] or 203-426-1320 ext.216.

Daniel Defense to Sponsor NSSF’s 2015 SHOT Mobile AppDaniel Defense, the man-ufacturer of small arms and small-arms accesso-ries, has become the title sponsor of SHOT Mobile, an information-rich, time-saving mobile app for use by all who attend the 2015 SHOT Show. The app, whose main screen will feature the Daniel

Defense logo, allows users to search for exhibi-

tors, navigate the show floor via interactive maps,

find new products and show specials, view sem-inar schedules, and set up appointments with exhibitors, among other services. Sign up at shotmobile.

com to be notified when the app is ready to down-load for Apple, Android, and Blackberry devices.

NSSF’s Retailer Education seminars are a great opportunity to learn about the latest ATF regulations as well as other compliance issues, such as NICS background checks and more.

SHB1214_NSF.indd 16 11/10/14 12:28 PM

© 2014 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SHOT Business®, SHOT Show® and all other trade names, trademarks and service marks of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation’s prior express written permis-sion. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.


U.S. Reps Urge FDIC to Probe ‘Choke Point’In October, one week after more than 30 members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked the Department of Justice’s Inspector General to investigate that depart-ment’s role in “Operation Choke Point,” the House members made the same request of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The DOJ-initiated program was launched to cut off access to finan-cial services to specific types of businesses, starting with non-depository lenders. The program was extended to other industries, including firearms and ammunition manufacturers and retailers.

NSSF has been assisting the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and individual members with unraveling the details of how Operation Choke

Point has affected the industry. Additionally, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) is asking businesses affected by Operation Choke Point to come forward and explain their story through a new dedicated email address, choke [email protected]. The information provided will not be shared without consent. “This plat-form was created so that if you own a business and have been affected by Operation Choke Point, you can share your story so that I can continue to apply pressure to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Department of Justice, and other federal agencies who are applying unnecessary pres-sure on you,” Luetkemeyer said. NSSF will continue to keep you updated as this progresses.

2014 Shooting Sports Report Now AvailableThe 2014 edition of the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) Shooting Sports Participation report is now available for purchase. Prepared for NSSF by the NSGA, the report provides members of the firearms and ammunition industry with a current look at participation in eight differ-ent shooting sports, as well as the two net categories of hunting and target shooting.This report is available to the general

public, but NSSF members purchasing this report will also receive a complimen-tary copy of the new Industry Intelligence Report, Hunting and Target Shooting Partici pation. This report is a compilation of shooting-sports-related data from the 2001–2013 NSGA Annual Sports Partic i-pation Reports. It provides historical trend data by gender in eight shooting sports and two net categories. Together, these reports can help retailers tailor their mar-keting efforts and adjust inventory pur-chases to address today’s trends.Members may log in and purchase the

report through the member shopping cart for $150. Non-members may purchase the report for $1,500. For information on joining the NSSF, including a full list of benefits that includes substantial dis-counts on NSSF research papers and reports, go to nssf.org and click on the Membership heading at the top of the page. Questions? Email [email protected].

SHB1214_NSF.indd 17 11/10/14 12:28 PM

UPDATE


NSSF partners with the Outdoor Business Network to offer our members a discount on the web and online services they need. Outdoor Business

Network provides firearms-friendly web hosting, shooting range management software, manufacturing websites, online marketing services, and a host of other benefits. For more information, log on to the member’s only side of nssf.org and click on the benefits link.

NSSF Delivers Value ONE MEMBER ’SEXPERIENCE

Member: Eddie Beam and Charles Peters, Owners

Business: Safe Home Consulting/ Bear Beam Firearms Tulsa, Oklahoma Safehomeconsulting.com

Description of Business: Safe Home Consulting partnered with Bear Beam Firearms to combine the old and new expertise of two companies. Eddie Beam, proprietor of Bear Beam Firearms, is a two-time world record holder in the 200- and 300-yard benchrest competition field, and is also an accomplished hunter. Charles Peters, founder of Safe Home Consulting, has multiple years of experience as an NRA Range Safety Officer and is certified across eight courses in the NRA’s curriculum. Collectively, the pair offers their customers a wide range of experience, advice, products, and hands-on knowledge, including: competition, antique firearms, military experience, hunting, concealed carry, custom pistols, rifles and shotguns, and firearms training. Eddie and Charles strive to meet their customers’ needs with their combined 105 years of experience in hunting and the shooting sports.

Experience with the Outdoor Business Network: “The Outdoor Business Network has been very helpful. Their relationship with industry distributors allows our business to connect with our customers in a smaller brick-and-mortar facility, while offering a much larger inventory on our website, Safehomeconsulting.com. Our business model consists of a small mom-and-pop store where we can interact with our customers in a personal way, combined with the OBN-constructed website that shows our customers an inventory of more than 20,000 products. While our store does maintain a physical inventory of a large variety of products, customers can also view and purchase at home, selecting from the wealth of products offered by our distributors. This business model saves a significant amount of invested dollars for the business and meets our consumers’ needs. OBN is a valuable part of our business model, and its staff has been very friendly and supportive.”

Value of NSSF Membership: “The National Shooting Sports Foundation has been very beneficial to our business by not only providing a significant discount with OBN on the construction of our company website, but also with other member benefits such as SHOT Show, valuable classes, discounts on point-of-sale software, shipping needs, property and casualty insurance, research and literature, employee background checks, credit card processing, security systems, and display cases. On its website, the NSSF provides information on the issues that anyone in this industry should be aware of. The NSSF also stands up for the industry on Capitol Hill, to ensure we can remain strong without becoming more burdened and overregulated. NSSF provides an invaluable service to the firearms industry, and I am sincerely thankful to have such a resource available.”

Interested in NSSF Membership?

Promoting the great American tradition of hunting and shooting is what the National Shooting Sports Foundation is all about. For our members, it’s more than a sport; it’s a way of life. Join the more than 10,000 companies and individuals who have already discovered that NSSF Delivers Value! To learn more, call 203-426-1320, email [email protected] or visit nssf.org/join.

The Outdoor Business Network

Eddie Beam (left) and Charles Peters have a combined 105 years of experience to offer their customers.

SHB1214_DEL.indd 18 11/10/14 12:20 PM


UPDATEBY J IM CURCURUTO, D IRECTOR, INDUSTRY RESEARCH & ANALYS IS

Opening the Clubhouse More women are shooting. Now what?

Y ou need to look no further than the covers of New York’s lat-est Hunting & Trapping Guide, Connecticut’s 2014 Angler Guide, or Field & Stream’s May 2014 issue to see that women

are getting their due. It’s great to see images of women gracing covers and feature articles being written about women inside these and other outdoor publications and websites.

According to the National Sporting Goods Association’s annual sports partici-pation reports, total shooting participation (hunting and target shooting) grew 8.8 percent, from 28.4 million in 2006 to 31.0 million in 2013. Taking a closer look, par-ticipation among males grew only 1.1 per-cent, while female participation was the main driver, showing an impressive increase of 42 percent during this time period. Clearly the gender-focused market-ing and recruitment efforts made by many in the industry have paid off. Many compa-nies are now asking what they can do to keep up the momentum.

National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) members in particular have been closely monitoring this trend and asked their trade association to dig deeper into the women’s market. NSSF responded by conducting a comprehensive study in 2014, with an objective to understand female gun owners’ behaviors, attitudes, motivating factors influencing participa-tion in shooting activities, and social and environmental factors creating both opportunities and barriers to participa-tion. The resulting NSSF report, “Women Gun Owners: Purchasing, Perceptions, and Participation,” provides insight to help answer the question, “Now what?”

Laura Kippen, president of the research firm InfoManiacs, which conducted this study along with NSSF, said, “This research yielded a variety of key takeaways that, when implemented, should keep the trend of female participation in shooting activi-ties moving upward.” The study had both qualitative and quantitative phases, and the 85-page report outlines responses from

1,000 women on a variety of topics, rang-ing from where women purchase guns and the sources of information they use prior to making those purchases to factors influ-encing the purchase of a specific gun and their future purchase intentions. The report also provides readers with previous-ly unavailable data, as well as insight into

ways to increase both participation and spending. Kippen, an avid shotgunner her-self, added, “The data clearly shows that women who had some form of firearms training were both spending and participat-ing more than women who did not have training. Quite simply, more training equates to more sales.”

An organization providing such training is A Girl & A Gun (AG&AG), based out of Cedar Park, Texas. Its founder, Julianna Crowder, has seen her club grow to approximately 70 chapters nationwide since its inception in 2011, and AG&AG

membership ranks have swelled to nearly 3,000. “The first wave of women intro-duced to firearms over the past few years is settling in and finding out how they fit in a historically male-dominated activity,” said Crowder. “Marketers are doing a good job of reaching out to women; however, they need to realize that the longer women par-ticipate, the more gender-specific products they will be looking for—and they have the purchasing power to buy such products.”

Maintaining Momentum➤ Back to the “Now what?” question. An easy way to keep the momentum is for all members of the industry to listen and communicate with women and welcome them with open arms. Continuing to incorporate images of women in advertis-ing and sharing stories from women about what they enjoy in gun ownership will also go a long way toward further expanding participation.

NSSF will continue to lead the way and provide information to its membership in order that they may make well-informed business decisions related to the female segment. NSSF’s “Women Gun Owners” report will be widely released at a press conference during SHOT Show 2015. Additionally, a special seminar hosted by Julie Golob and Randi Rogers will be held during the SHOT Show on Jan. 21.

For additional information on NSSF research, visit nssf.org/research. To learn more about the educational semi-nars available at SHOT Show, go to shotshow.org.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Female participation in shooting sports has grown 42 percent since 2006.

SHB1214_YSK.indd 19 11/11/14 4:48 PM


BY CHRIS CHRIST IANF IR ING L INE

An Attractive AlternativeThe Smith & Wesson 986 appeals to LEOs as well as serious competitors

T he shield man on a SWAT entry team has a demanding job. He has to properly maintain the ballistic shield that protects the team members behind him, leaving only one hand for a firearm to protect himself. Handguns are the norm here, but semi-autos have proven problematic. Experience has shown that if the handgun’s slide brushes the shield while firing it can jam, and the shield man doesn’t have two hands available to clear it.

This is one factor that prompted S&W to chamber its N-frame revolver for eight rounds of .357 Magnum, with compact moon clips to load it. It won’t jam if it brushes the shield. The drawback is that the N-frame weighs 44 ounces; even then, the recoil of the .357 Magnum is stout—espe-cially when fired with only one hand. The new S&W 986 Pro Series (SRP: $1,149) offers an attractive alternative.

The GunBuilt from stainless steel on the smaller L-frame, the 986 features a 5-inch barrel and a titanium cyl-inder that trims the weight to 34.9 ounces. Chambered for 9mm, it holds seven rounds and is fed by moon clips. Moon clips must be used because while 9mm rounds will chamber without the clips, they will not fire. They sit far

enough into the cham-ber that the firing pin won’t even dent the primer. The gun ships with two moon clips; additional clips are avail-able. A black Patridge front sight, a black adjustable rear sight, and a hand-filling set of syn-thetic rubber grips com-plete the package.

On the RangeI started with Speer Gold Dot 124-grain+P loads. It has a proven

track record and is widely used by LE. From a 25-yard bench-rest, full-cylinder seven-round groups ran just under 4 inches. I was pleasantly surprised by the recoil. Although the bullet is clocking almost 1,200 fps, the recoil was about what I would expect from a 4-inch revolver firing standard pressure 158-grain loads. I unlimbered a 6-inch .357 Magnum that weighs 45 ounces and ran some 125-grain

Speer Gold Dot .357 Magnum loads through it to compare recoil.

There was no com-parison. That heavier gun kicked twice as hard as the 986 did and only launched its 125-grain bullet a couple of hundred fps faster. Accurate rapid hits were much easier with the 986. In a self-defense sit-uation, a couple of good hits with a 1,200 fps load beats poor hits with a 1,450 fps load. The 986 was far easier

to control than a .357 Magnum, which weighs considerably more.

Further benchrest testing showed that the gun liked 115- and 124-grain bullets. Various factory loads stayed in the 4-inch range at 25 yards, while 147-grain loads expanded to 6-inch groups.

That’s more than ade-quate for LE and civilian self-defense use. But this gun can also play games. It is an ideal revolver for Steel Challenge. Light, nimble, and with a good sight radius, it provides seven rounds to hit five metal plates. There is no power factor in this game, and handloaders can make 9mm loads that kick like a .22LR. USPSA recently changed its rules to allow seven-, eight-, and nine-shot revolvers to compete in its Revolver Division. The 986 is also legal in ICORE’s Limited Division. (smith- wesson.com)

Closing the SaleCompetitive revolver shooters will immediately recog-nize which games the 986 can play. Locating a source of moon clips is advised, given that only two are pro-vided with the gun. That can add to sales. The 986 can also be attractive to those looking for a home-defense handgun. A revolver has a distinct advantage here. You can clean one, load it, toss it into a sock

drawer, and 10 years later grab it and expect all rounds to fire. That’s not the case with semi-autos. Their springs can take a set, lubricants can congeal, so their reliability in long-term storage is questionable.That’s a plus for home defense, especially in states

that have restricted the magazine capacity of semi-auto handguns to 7–10 rounds. Ask a simple question: “If your home is invaded, would you rather have 7 rounds you know will fire, or 7 to 10 rounds you’re not sure of?”

The S&W 986 is good for LE and civilian self-defense as well as games.

SHB1214_FIR.indd 20 11/11/14 4:49 PM

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BC_035084_SHB1214P.indd 1 11/11/14 2:55 PM


UNDERCOVER SHOPPER

PIXEL PUSHERS

Pocket PistolsFinding a small handgun for concealed carry in New Mexico

should be easy, right? Not necessarily

O h, boy, Albuquerque. Talk about a gun-friendly town, loaded with gun-store options. I wanted to see if this city’s various gun stores offered pocket pistols for concealed carry. Also, since I visited before the heat of the summer, I figured it would be a great time to discover pocket pistols for warm-weather carry.

STORE A

HIGH HOPES➤ In a centrally located spot near the university, this store should be next to the defini-tion of “gun store” in any Shooter’s Bible. I had such

high hopes as I entered the store—until all the sales reps promptly ignored me when I approached the counter. In fact, one of the sales reps wait-ed on a guy who walked in behind me. (I really try not to

take this stuff personally.) Another sales rep then took pity on me. He began showing me options in pocket pistols, which included Rugers and Smith & Wessons. He brought out a mix of used and new pis-

tols. The other sales rep asked him if he would show me the 9mm in purple. After all, I am a woman. I mentioned that I’d probably have to shoot these guns to decide which one I liked. Another sales rep over-heard that comment and rec-ommended that I go to a com-petitor that has a range and rent these guns.

“You’ll come back here to buy it,” he said, “because we have the lowest prices in town.” There’s also a retro diner across the street that not only serves super coffee, but also green-chile-smothered Southwest fare. After all, when in New Mexico, you should remember to “keep calm and eat green chile.”

STORE B

GARAGE SALE➤ The second store sits off a busy four-lane highway with mom-and-pop stores around it. The store greeter, an old yellow Lab, sauntered over to me, and it didn’t take me long to realize that the sales associ-ate there mirrored the dog’s attitude. Although he immedi-ately waited on me, and showed me the two Rugers that were available, he didn’t seem particularly interested in selling anything to me, except maybe a Kahr in 9mm. Oh well. Ho-hum. I could also have purchased some old placemats or a kachina-doll wall hanging, done in a sand medium. Someone is using this place as a garage-sale venue.

SHB1214_UCS.indd 22 11/10/14 1:58 PM

BC_035117_SHB1214P.indd 1 11/11/14 2:57 PM


UNDERCOVER SHOPPER

STORE C

BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN➤ This one is a scaled-down sporting-goods store. I waited while a younger woman with long, blonde hair walked in behind me and presented layaway tickets from her ex- husband. It took a while to sort that business out. When the

sales associate figured out the lady couldn’t legally claim her ex’s property, he finally turned to me and laid out three guns on a pad on the counter. He then started to walk away, say-ing I’d probably want a .380, but then again, maybe I’d like a gun in .40 or .45. I left wonder-ing just how big he thought my pockets were.

STORE D

STOCK TROUBLE➤ I always love to include big-box stores in the mix; you never know what type of ser-vice you’ll get. This one sits among several other large chain stores in a shopping cen-ter off an interstate exit. I had to wait for service, but several sales associates told me they’d

help me as soon as they were finished waiting on someone else. Rugers—in LCP and micro-LCP—ruled the lineup. The sales associate told me that they could not keep any pocket pistols or other small firearms in stock, and I believe it. While I stood there, they sold three handguns (Smith & Wesson Bodyguards and Shields).

How’d They Do?Customer Service

Product Knowledge

Product Availability

Winner: STORE

ARon Peterson Firearms LLC is the largest gun store in New Mexico. Although the store could do a better job of greeting its customers—especially women—it did not disappoint overall.

Ron Peterson Firearms LLC4418 Central Ave. SEAlbuquerque, NM 87108505-255-8695ronpeterson firearms.com

��

STORE

AAlthough a bit slow in greeting me, when the sales reps

realized they might have a paying customer, they all became interested in helping me, and did so with aplomb.

��

A one-star demerit for the teammate who suggested that I’d like a purple gun in 9mm for my pocket. Seriously?

��

Good lineup. Mix of used and new handguns with can’t-be-beat prices!

��

STORE

BYawn. Dim lights, a tired dog, flea- market items, and a

sparse selection of hand-guns combined with a lackluster attitude would dampen any shooter’s enthusiasm for purchasing a gun here.

��

Oh, I don’t know. I think I’ll give it two stars…but it’s such an effort.

�

Hardly any choice at all. And the sales associate didn’t offer to order anything for me, either.

��

STORE

CI’m thinking of hiring a Victoria’s Secret model to accompa-

ny me on my next go-round. I think it would be interesting. When you ignore a middle-aged, neatly dressed woman standing at your counter and search the door for a new customer, it smacks of igno-rance. Find a dating service!

�

The sales rep put out all the guns he had in his lineup, and then started to walk away. Really. He just left me there with three options. “Let me know if you have any questions about how to use these guns.”

�

Not much. He had no interest in finding a gun for me, nor in ordering one.

��

STORE

DQuick, attentive ser-vice. He pointed out the laser options

and explained why I might like those, too.

��

He knew about product break-in time and lasers. Also knew what constituted a pocket pistol.

��

Keep checking back, they said. The sales associate told me they can’t keep these little numbers in stock. He didn’t mention if I might order one, either.

SCORING SYSTEM: Outstanding: �� Very Good: �� Average: �� Fair: �� Poor: �

SHB1214_UCS.indd 24 11/10/14 1:58 PM

Ask our Customers

It’s human nature to complain frst and sing praises later. Not

so among Del-Ton customers. Our customers give us a nearly

perfect score on performance, service, and quality.

Selling Del-Ton rifes gives you the opportunity to sell a quality

rife backed by great customer service and a lifetime warranty

to the original owner. You’ll have fewer returns, less

hassles, greater proftability and happier customers.

Ask your distributor about stocking Del-Ton rifes.

Please stop by Shot Show

Both # 30407

BC_035031_SHB1214P.indd 1 11/7/14 12:40 PM

PHOTO BY M

ITCH KEZAR

SHB1214_OUT.indd 26 11/10/14 11:30 AM

D E C EMB E R 2014DECEMBER 20 14DECEMBER 20 14DECEMBER

SNOW DESIGNED BY TIM

O W

FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

PAGE

27 They say, “Clothes make the man.” They also make the hunter, especially in f igid weather

BY S LATON L . WH I T E

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28 In November 1812, the tattered remains of Napoleon’s Grande Armée staggered out of Russia, a ghostly, frozen shell of itself. By some estimates, the retreat from Moscow cost the French the lives of nearly half a million soldiers and some 30,000 horses. It was one of the epic disasters of military history.The debacle came to mind as I sat on a deer stand, 12 feet off the ground in sub-

zero weather last fall—at the exact time of year of the French retreat and at nearly the same latitude as the Russian capital. But rather than facing saber-wielding Cossacks, I was after the legendary white-

tails of Saskatchewan. For years this province has produced huge whitetails, the

size of which fire the imaginations of deer hunt-ers everywhere. As a result, every year hundreds of American deer hunters make a pilgrimage to the prairie province and its alternating bands of farm-land and forest—perfect deer cover. The fond hope is to score one for the book—Boone & Crockett. And though, in reality, fewer deer these days break the magic 170, lots of big-bodied 130- to 150-class deer are taken. Chances are you’ll see more big deer in one week than you’ve seen in a life-time hunting in the States.

There’s just one catch—and it’s a big one.

Can you handle cold weather?

I’m talking about the kind of cold that numbs your toes and gnaws at your soul; the kind of cold with a capital “C” that presses relentlessly down upon you like some ponderous, crush-ing weight.

When I was preparing for my first trip seven years ago, I called a friend who has hunted there many times to inquire about the weather and how I should dress. He said, “It probably won’t get much below zero, but be prepared for 30 below.”

Then, before I left, I called a buddy at my gun club who also has hunted in Saskatchewan. He said, ”My advice to you is to kill the first deer you see and

get the hell out of there. I froze my ass off.”

That trip, during which I logged more than 50 hours on an unheated stand (in temperatures that dropped as low as -13 F.), turned into an epic endurance contest. The biggest issue was my insulated boots, which were not remotely up to the task. The rest of my hunting togs provided just enough warmth to keep me in the game, and by the time I finally dropped a nice older buck, I had learned a funda-mental truth about hunt-ing: You can hunt when you’re uncomfortable, but if you’re miserable, you’re done.

So, when I decided to go back last fall, I made sure I would not be miserable. And your job as a retail-er is to help ensure your customers won’t be mis-erable either. The good news is there are some really good products out there that can help keep your guys on stand, in rela-tive comfort, for as long as it takes to get their deer.

When a customer asks about cold-weather gear, before you pull out a jacket or a pair of boots, ask him three key questions. First, where will he hunt? Second, when? Third, will he be sit-ting still in a stand all day, or will he be moving around a bit on a spot-and-stalk? The answers to each will help you best fit the gear to the customer. As an example, a spot-and-stalk elk hunter in

Oregon in October does not need to layer up as much as the whitetail hunt-er condemned to a stand in Minnesota in December. Once you’ve determined where and when, you can help him select the proper gear. But from here on out, I’ll focus on hunters in extremely cold weather, because in this case, cloth-ing options can truly be a matter of life or death.

C R I T I C A L L A Y E R S You build a good fire

by carefully assembling

the wood for the most productive burn. You could say the same about dressing for a long sit on stand. I hunted in poly-propylene base layers for years. Problem is, after a week in camp the gar-ments stink, and no mat-ter how many times they are washed after that, they always retain a slight-ly musty smell. The better option is merino wool.

The Merino sheep is custom-built by nature to survive in extreme envi-ronments. Its thin, light-weight summer coat

SMARTWOOL The NTS Mid 250 Zip T slips over a merino wool T-shirt. A zipper allows a hunter to “open up” while walking in, avoiding overheating and heat-robbing sweat.

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allows it to stay cool even when temperatures rise to 95 degrees; in winter, the animal grows a second, thicker coat that allows it to retain warmth even if the mercury drops below zero. In addition, the wool is breathable. It wicks water vapor away from the skin quickly, allowing it to evaporate before you begin to feel clammy.

“Unlike synthetics, Icebreaker merino is an ‘active’ fiber that works to keep your body at its ideal temperature in all condi-tions,” Jeremy Moon, founder of New Zealand–based Icebreaker, told me last year. “Merino com-bines all the best perfor-mance qualities of tradi-tional wool and synthetics. It’s warm in the cold but cool in the heat,” he said. “It’s also odor-resistant, very quiet, and low bulk.”

But one great advan-tage, he said, is that meri-no wool “is easy care. To clean, simply put it in a washing machine, no spe-cial detergent required, and wash on the gentle cycle.” The one caution here is to keep it out of the dryer. Let it line dry.

For the past three years

I’ve worn merino wool underwear, base layers, and midlayers from Icebreaker (icebreaker.com) and Smartwool (smartwool.com). This a good start for the cold-weather hunter. I’m not going to list every layer I wore during testing, but here’s a representative sam-ple. The initial layer is underwear: Smartwool’s NTS Micro 150 boxer brief ($50) and Icebreaker’s light-weight Oasis SS Crewe ($75). Follow with Icebreaker’s Apex 260 Midweight leggings ($110) and Smartwool’s NTS Mid 250 Zip T ($100). For my Saskatchewan hunt, I slipped on two pairs of leg-gings, one from Icebreaker and one from Smartwool, because I knew I would be sitting all day in below-zero weather. On top of all that, I added an Icebreaker Sierra long-sleeve zip ($180). The zip I tested was 100 percent merino; it now is available as a blend (86 percent meri-no wool, 10 percent nylon, and 4 percent Lycra) for improved ease of move-ment. I didn’t wear camo base layers, but for your customers who prefer this look, recommend Ice-breaker’s Ika line, available in Mossy Oak Infinity.

How Cold Is Too Cold for Hunters?

Hunters are traditionally considered a hearty crowd for their perceived ability to rough bad winter weather. But just how cold is too cold to keep hunting? According to a HunterSurvey.com poll conducted last winter, the majority of hunt-ers are still willing to hit the woods even when temperatures plunge into the single digits. But when it drops below zero, most agree itÕs time to call it quits.

The survey divided hunters into six regional groupsÑGreat Lakes States, Northeast States, Northern Plains States, South Central States, Southeast States, and Western StatesÑin order to best gauge how hunters in different parts of the country react to cold weather. Hunters polled were asked Òat what temperature did it become too cold to hunt.Ó The findings were interesting and may help you determine just what cold-weather lines to carry.

The tipping point seems to be 0 degrees. In every region, except the Northern Plains, an additional 25 to 32 percent of hunters report it is too cold to hunt. In the Northern Plains, the figure is another 21 percent who opt to stay at home near a warm fire.

ÒSome of the findings are about what you would expect,Ó says Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designed and con-ducted the survey. ÒHunters used to cold weather in the Northern states are more willing to hunt in slightly colder temperatures than those hunters in the South, where it rarely gets that cold. That said, it isnÕt until temperatures drop below zero that the majority of hunters nearly everywhere are ready to join their Southern brethren indoors for a hot breakfast.Ó Okay, will that be sunny-side up or over easy?

FRIGID DESIGNED BY JORY RAPHAEL FROM THE NOUN PROJECT ; COLD DESIGNED BY HUNOTIKA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

ICEBREAKER The Oasis SS Crewe is a good place to start. Follow that with the Sierra long-sleeve zip, which is now available in a wool, nylon, and Lycra blend.

BETWEEN 21 AND 30 DEGREES F.

GREAT LAKES STATES: 3 PERCENTNORTHEAST STATES: 5 PERCENTNORTHERN PLAINS STATES: 3 PERCENTSOUTH CENTRAL STATES: 10 PERCENTSOUTHEAST STATES: 9 PERCENTWESTERN STATES: 8 PERCENT


GREAT LAKES STATES: 31 PERCENTNORTHEAST STATES: 40 PERCENTNORTHERN PLAINS STATES: 18 PERCENTSOUTH CENTRAL STATES: 51 PERCENTSOUTHEAST STATES: 52 PERCENTWESTERN STATES: 36 PERCENT

GREAT LAKES STATES: 3 PERCENTNORTHEAST STATES: 5 PERCENT


GREAT LAKES STATES: 31 PERCENTNORTHEAST STATES: 40 PERCENT

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L A S T L I N E O F D E F E N S E Outerwear will be a

hunter’s last line of defense, so make sure to emphasize the importance of buying quality. One of the hunters on that Saskatchewan hunt didn’t truly understand just how cold it could get and that we couldn’t get off the stands to walk around and warm up. (This was a rule imposed by the outfitter for two reasons: First, movement would spook the deer; second, the coun-try in which we were hunting was so vast and trackless that a wandering client could easily get lost. And at -10 degrees F., a lost hunter is, most likely, a dead hunter.)

I’m not a bib overalls kind of guy, but the sys-tem makes sense in cold weather, as the bibs help trap warmth against the body. (The bibs are also a useful pouch for your lunch. If you leave it in the pack, it will freeze solid.) I used bibs and jackets by Sitka (sitkagear.com) and Rocky (rockyboots.com).

The Gore-Tex Sitka Incinerator jacket ($600) boasts 5.7 ounces of 700-fill European goose down. The Incinerator Bibs ($470) were also made with goose down. The company likes to call the combo “a waterproof walking sleeping bag.” I won’t disagree. The pants feature side zippers, which not only makes for easy on and off, but lets you open up a bit on the walk to the stand so you won’t over-heat. In addition, the light-ly brushed polyester face of the jackets and pants makes the garments very quiet—a real asset Up North, as sound travels far-ther in the cold. (I saw a deer at 65 yards quickly look up when I inadver-

tently brushed the stock of my rifle against the plastic camo top that covered the treestand.) I also wore a Sitka Kelvin vest ($190), which uses 170 grams of Primaloft insulation.

The Rocky Arktos waterproof bib ($155) and waterproof insulated parka ($165) each feature 100

grams of Thinsulate. The exterior of both is a soft-to-the-touch (and quiet) polyester micro tricot. Though not as warm as the Sitka combo, the jacket and bibs performed well enough to let me hunt all day. The advantage of car-rying both is that you can offer two vastly different price points for your cus-tomers.

F O O T S E N S E While a hunter chilled

to the bone can don extra layers (assuming he had the presence of mind to bring them along in a day pack), there’s no way he can wear two pairs of boots at the same time. It’s imperative for the cold-weather hunter to buy enough boot. Though many manufacturers advertise cold-weather ratings, they don’t really mean anything. After the epic fail of my insulated

boots on my first hunt in Saskatchewan, I called the manufacturer. I was told the ratings didn’t really apply to hunters sitting in treestands because you were now “surrounded by all that cold air.”

So, last fall I sought out a Canadian boot manufac-turer—Baffin—known for building stout cold- weather boots. On their recommendation, I select-ed the Impact boots from the Polar Series ($225; baffin.com), which uses nine layers to create a warm, vapor-wicking interior. Frankly, you’ll feel like you’re wearing Frankenstein boots, they’re that stout. They’re not practical for still-hunting, but for sitting on stand all day in subzero weather, they’re the bee’s knees.

When you discuss extreme cold-weather boots, make sure to tell the customer to go up one size. That’s because the FA

LLIN

G IC

E DESIGNED BY SIW

AT VATATIYAPORN FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

SITKA The Gore-Tex Incinerator down jacket is a top-tier item, but in conjunction with the Incinerator bibs, the pair allows a hunter to sit for hours in relative comfort even when the thermometer dips below zero. Adding the Kelvin Primaloft vest would be a good idea.

ROCKY The Arktos insulated parka delivers warmth and comfort at a reasonable price.

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extra room provides an insulating layer of air that helps keep the foot warm. You also need to tell buy-ers that because they’re not moving around (doing so generates body heat), their feet will get cold over time. So, sell them a bunch of chemical heat packs that can be stuffed inside the boot as needed. I used hand, toe, and foot warm-ers from YakTrax (yaktrax.com). They’re inexpensive and take up very little room in a pack. In extremely cold weather, they’ll be surprised at how many packs they’ll go through in a week.

Another option would be Thermacell ProFLEX Heated Insoles foot warm-ers, powered by recharge-able (via wall charger or USB cable), removable lithium- ion polymer bat-teries embedded in the foot warmer insoles. All you do is place the insoles inside your boots and acti-vate with a wireless remote. The remote also allows you to adjust heat level (high or medium). Thermacell claims a five-hour runtime (less, as I dis-covered, if you keep the heat on high), so on a long stand, bring along a spare set of charged batteries, which takes four hours to recharge ($180; thermacell.com).

In theory, the insoles are a good idea, but in Saskatchewan they ran up against their design limita-tions. I wore them in a lighter set of Rocky boots while we scouted and sighted in the rifles, and the insoles performed well. But when I sat for hours in subzero temperatures, I found it was a struggle to keep my feet warm. If your customer intends to sit for three to four hours at a time, and then take a break to

warm up, the insoles are just the ticket. But for an all-day sit in the deep freeze, they’ll need old-fashioned chemical warm-er packs. (I did wear the insoles through the winter, and they performed very well in the kinds of tem-peratures most hunters will encounter in late fall and winter.)

I also wore a pair of classic heavy-duty winter hunting boots—Sorel Caribous ($140; sorel.com). The boots feature seam-sealed waterproof con-struction and have a removable felt inner boot for added warmth. I would recommend these for the hunter who intends to sit part-time and wants to move around a bit during the day. You can sit all day as I did, but in that case bring along some chemical heating packs.

One behavior that’s always astounded me is the number of hunters who will shell out big bucks for quality boots and then go cheap on socks. It doesn’t make any sense, and a lousy pair of socks just about ensures a miserable day on stand.

Again, I recommend merino wool, sometimes in combination with nylon and spandex. I wore Icebreaker and Smartwool socks, as well as the Cedar Falls from Farm to Feet ($26; farmtofeet.com) and the FITS Expedition ($18.99; fitsock.com). They all performed at a high level.

“When it comes to a premium sock rack, it may represent one of the high-est value per-square-foot ratios in your store,” says David Olson, FITS Midwest sales representa-

Plan BThe space blanket many cus-tomers have had tucked away in their hunting pack for years real-ly won’t be much help if they get stuck overnight in the winter woods. There’s no good way to seal a space blanket around you, and most of them shred pretty quickly. Time for Plan B.

The SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) Escape Bivvy from Adventure Medical Kits is an effective emergency shelter. Tucked inside the bivvy, a stranded hunter will be comfort-ably safe in the coldest weather. The water-resistant and wind-proof fabric’s micro pores allow body condensation to escape—the major liability to standard bivvies—so the user doesn’t have to choose between staying warm or staying dry.

With the side vent zipped shut, the hood closure cinched tight, and the system reflecting 70 percent of their body heat, the emergency shelter will let them weather just about any storm. And the blaze-orange exterior makes them more visi-ble to the folks who’ll be look-ing for them.

Pulled over a down sleeping bag, the shelter significantly boosts the bag’s temperature rating and keeps everything dry. Packing the 8.5 ounce, 8.5x4-inch bivvy is well worth it for anyone who could get left out in the cold. Also, it would be smart to have one in the glove box in case the vehicle gets stranded in bad weather. (SRP: $50. 800-324-3517; adventuremedicalkits.com) —Tim Irwin

BAFFIN The Impact is a multi-layer boot that retains warmth via a vaporized aluminum membrane that reflects energy (heat) back to the foot.

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tive. “Making that rack work for you means keep-ing it well stocked and staying ahead of shortages during key sales seasons. The enlightened buyer will see an empty spot on the wall as lost opportunity and revenue.

“For customers buying a $300 or more pair of boots, persuading them to also invest in a good pair of socks should be an easy sale. Keep your staff up-to-date on the differences between sock brands, tech-nologies, and pros and cons of certain fibers— cotton vs. wool vs. synthetic, for example. Many customers probably see socks as a commodity just as easily purchased at Sam’s Club. It’s up to your staff to help them understand the value of a $20 sock and match up the right sock with the right activity.”

It all boils down to this: If a hunter’s feet get truly cold, he’s no longer in the hunt. He’s now focused on just how miserable he is and thinking about bailing out. But if he’s equipped to properly deal with the cold, though he may feel some discomfort, he now has the ability to wait it out. And that’s the key to many successful hunts.

Cold Feet?Foot care tips for the aging

outdoorsman By Tom Mohrhauser

In the early 1960s, I started hunting in a pair of ancient green rubber “insulated” boots with tan soles sporting the words “steel shank.” Brrr! The insulation was really deliv-ered by many pairs of socks, and after pro-longed exposure, frostbite at some level was virtually unavoidable. Since then, things have gotten much, much better.

Today, products to combat cold feet range from vastly improved boot design and materials to various exothermic heat-pack offerings and new power-source advances for heated insoles and socks. Today, there is really no excuse for suffer-ing the cold feet of days past.

That said, diabetics and heart patients, now growing in numbers, face additional challenges specifically brought about by those conditions. Diabetes creates issues—such as neuropathy and the correspondent nerve damage or hyperhidrosis resulting in overactive sweat glands—for the feet and lower extremities. Lower leg circulation issues resulting from diabetes and/or bypass surgery also confront a substantial number of sportsmen.

There are three factors for aging out-doorsmen to consider: circulation enhancement, moisture control, and sup-plemental heating. Comfort requires attention to each as the seasons, region, or pursuits change.

MOISTURE CONTROLBoots are often mission-specific—for example, waterfowling versus upland, or sitting versus active. Rubber boots, designed to keep water out, can often make internal evaporation harder. As a result, footwear breathability (leather ver-sus synthetic materials) becomes a major consideration depending upon specific field pursuits. That said, wet feet lead to cold feet, plain and simple.

A motorcycle policeman once offered me a very useful tip: Spray anti-perspirant on your feet prior to socking up. Doing so helps retard moisture formation, which helps extend foot comfort in the cold. Today, there is an unbelievable spectrum of moisture-wicking specialty socks designed to pull moisture to evaporation points.

CIRCULATION ENHANCEMENTLower leg cramping either during or post activity can be debilitating and end your activity early and maybe for days. Bypass surgery patients have routinely been given guidance to wear over-the-calf compres-sion socks to help maintain healthy lower leg circulation. Those product offerings now range from post-surgical hose to sport- specific models designed for the lower- leg demands of the sport to diminish serious cramping. One example is Oxysox (tck sports.com), which uses Dupont Coolmax to deliver maximum moisture wicking and Lycra for enhanced support. Another good choice is the merino wool Compression Wave ($39.95) from Point 6 (point6.com).

SUPPLEMENTAL HEATINGProduct offerings in this area utilize two technologies—electric or exothermic chemi-cal packs. Exothermic heaters are technical-ly batteries (a carbon-and-metal-shaving mixture) that essentially produce heat by shorting out. The advantages of these products are size variability—which range from toe-only to full-footbed heaters—and portability. One manufacturer even has an orthotic foot bed designed to enhance air-flow through the boot via heat packs designed to fit in the toe. Inserts are also provided for non-heating use. For a long day afield, these products offer portability because of their compact size.

TIM

IRWIN

(HUNTER)

THERMACELL A remote control sets the heat output on a pair of battery-powered heated insoles.

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D E C EMB E R 2014DECEMBER 20 14DECEMBER

To sell cold-weather gear, you need to understand just what cold weather can do to the

unprepared

BY DAV I D E . P E T Z A L

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35

PHOTOS BY TIM

IRWIN

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36 I like hunting in cold weather. Mosquitoes and black flies take the winter off. Serpents go into dens. It snows, which makes game stand out and tracking easy. However, I don’t regard cold as a friend. The fact is, with a little help from you, a drop in temperature can wreck your hunt or even kill you. The first year I hunted in Montana, in 1971, a couple of inexperienced types set off for a day of fun and games with elk. When they left camp in the morning, it was in the 50s, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky. They wore wool shirts and nothing heavier. By evening a blizzard had come in. Their bodies were found the next spring, having served as dinner for coyotes.

S L I P P E R Y S L O P E Because we’re mam-

mals (at least some of us), we’re able to operate with-in a broad temperature range because our core body temperature remains constant at around 98.6 degrees. The catch to this arrangement is that if the temp goes much above (or below) 98.6, we become dead mammals. A danger-ous rise in body tempera-ture is called hyperther-mia; a perilous drop is called hypothermia. It’s pretty easy to become hypothermic, and once you get on that slippery slope, it’s very tough to stop.

Hypothermia occurs because you can’t get warm. The average person in good shape can take about three hours of not being warm enough before shivering sets in. This is the body attempting to heat itself up. Eventually, the shivering becomes uncontrollable and unstop-pable. Your body tempera-ture is now somewhere around 95 degrees and you are Stage One hypother-mic. Stage One is about the only chance you have to save yourself; when you get to Stage Two, the issue is in doubt.

At this point, your body decides it had better do something, so it will start pulling blood away from its surface and sending it to your innards in an effort to

heat things up. Unfortunately, one of

the places the blood comes from is your brain, and this interferes with rational thought and coordination. That means you know something is wrong, but you have no idea what it is and no clue what to do about it. Your hands don’t work, so you can’t light a fire—even if you could fig-ure out what the hell was going on.

At this point, you’re well into Stage Two. Stages Three and Four are pretty

much academic. As your temperature drops lower, your heartbeat becomes erratic and your body shuts down. At Stage Four, or profound hypothermia, there is little chance you’ll survive, even if someone finds you and gets you help quickly.

If you’d like to read a blood-chilling description of what it’s like to die this way, get ahold of Jack London’s great short story, “To Build a Fire.” It’s the tale of an Alaska tender-foot who goes traveling at

70 below, falls through the ice, and pays with his life for being a dumbass.

S TA Y I N G A L I V E So, how does a hunter

stay alive in the deep freeze? First, be aware that a great many hypothermia cases occur when it’s not particularly cold. You can get into big trouble with your core temperature when it’s below zero, but you can also do so quite nicely when it’s 40 or 50 degrees. All it takes is wind or water—or both.

Wind is a killer. It doesn’t have to be bitter to suck the life right out of you. One of the two cold-est days I’ve ever spent in the outdoors was courtesy of 40-degree temperatures, a constant wind, and an expensive parka that was advertised as windproof but wasn’t. The other was in the Bridger Mountains in Montana, when it was really cold. A gale wind came up, and my wool hunting coat was not up to the job.

Wool has great and admirable qualities, but it sucks at stopping wind. If you wear wool, it had bet-ter be lined with some-thing windproof, or you better have something on underneath that will keep out the gales. You also need a hood and a draw-string at the waist or bot-tom of the coat to keep

Wool’s nemesis is wind. If the jacket doesn’t come with a windproof liner, a hunter needs to don some sort of windproof underlayer in order to stay warm.

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the gusts from blowing underneath and chilling your inner parts.

Water is equally danger-ous. If you get wet, you’re in a world of trouble because wet skin loses heat far more quickly than dry skin. Do not wear cotton. Cotton, as experienced cold-weather hands can tell you, is a killer. It’s great for hot weather because it draws the heat away from you, but this same quality, when it’s cold, will cause you to attend your own funeral. Wool, on the other hand, is warm even when it’s wet.

You can get wet from rain, sleet, and snow, but you can also get wet from sweating, which is just as bad. The way to avoid this is to think ahead. If you’re going to hike up a moun-tain and then wait at the top in the wind in order to shoot something, you don’t want to sweat while you’re making the climb. Take off your hat, your gloves, and your scarf, and open or take off your coat. Don’t worry about getting

cold; if this is a real climb you’re making, your little body will be glowing like a furnace before long.

The worst thing that can happen to you is going through the ice. If you go in up to your waist, you may only lose your feet. If you go in over your head, you can die from the shock of the cold water, or you won’t be able to pull your-self out and you’ll freeze to death where the trout can nibble at you.

If you’re able to get out, you’ll have only a few min-utes in which to build a fire. I don’t mean a small cooking fire; I mean a seri-ous conflagration with flames as high as your head. As a Montana friend of mine once described it, “Burn down the damn woods.”

On two occasions, it was so cold that I and the per-son I was hunting with stopped to build a fire. Neither of us was wet, but it was clear that unless we got some heat from some-where, we were going to be in trouble.

T H E C H E E C H A K O ’ S M I S TA K E S

The doomed tender-foot, or cheechako, in London’s short story made two fatal mistakes before he even set foot on the ice. First, he was traveling when it was simply too cold to travel safely; sec-ond, he was traveling with only a sled dog for compa-ny. Dogs are notoriously poor at making fires.

Much as I admire soli-tude in the wilderness, it’s not a prescription for a long life if your luck goes south. If you have a part-ner who is competent in the outdoors, it can mean the difference between life and death. Do not select your hunting friends on the basis of their personality. I know a number of folks who are great company but who would be useless in an emergency. If the weather is really extreme, and you don’t have someone to help out in a pinch, you might want to wait until things improve. Prudence isn’t a bad thing at all.

You can get wet from rain, sleet, or snow. You can also get wet from sweat. That’s why you avoid cotton.

A Few Items of

Equipment Over the course of 50 years of hunting, I’ve come across a number of things that really do work in the cold.

Cabela’s Heavyweight Silk Long Underwear: Warm when wet, no itch whatsoever, doesn’t stink. Every synthetic long john I’ve ever used smelled like the south-west corner of Hell after one day. (cabelas.com)

Ullfrotte Merino Wool Terrycloth Long Johns: All the virtues of the above, and warmer to boot. I won’t use anything else. Made in Scandinavia, where they know from cold. (gransfors.com)

King of the Mountain Bushman Shirt: The best wool shirt I’ve ever worn. Costs a bundle, and worth every penny. (kingofthe mountain.com)

Wiggy’s Cagoule: A rain parka on steroids that will fit over you and your pack. Squashes into a light, small package and is genuinely wind- and waterproof, but will cook you if you try to hike in it. In wet country, I always have one in my pack. Always. I should add that Wiggy’s makes the best insulated clothing, and they have a lot of excel-lent gear that you don’t see elsewhere. (wiggys.com)

Finally, much as I dis-like electronics of any kind, a two-way radio that works makes a lot of sense. Keep it inside your coat, where the cold won’t kill the batteries. (motorolasolutions.com) —DEP

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BY Frank Miniter

PROFILE OFLew Danielson

The Rules That Built an Industry Leader

WHEN YOU

FOCUS ON

HEART,

THE NUMBERS

WILL FOLLOW


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Danielson is the founder and chairman of the board of Crimson Trace, the preeminent maker of laser-sighting systems for firearms used for personal pro-tection. His company has long been at the forefront of pushing gun accessories into the future.

He says, as he hands the framed list to me, “This got us where we are today.”

There are two handwritten lists on the sheet of notebook paper. They are written in black ink on a sheet of paper torn from a legal pad in 1994. He tells me he used to read these aloud with his busi-ness partners—mostly engineers—every morning. Small edits show it was tweaked and added to until they thought it perfect. So perfect, he says, they got so they could recite the lists without the piece of now crinkled and smudged paper. When that happened, Danielson put the lists in a frame and tacked it on the wall.

Under the title “Our Mission: What it’s going to feel like” is:

Our futures are financially secure.We all own part of everything.Work is fun.Our tools and equipment are topnotch.Our customers love us.Our building and property are impressive, to say

the least.We own other profit-making corporations.Our profits are at all time highs.Our competition cannot touch us.We are moving forward into the future.He proudly says these 10 hopes and dreams

aloud to me as he did every morning with his team for years. I ask him about the other profit-makers.

“You need to focus on a quality product and to treat your customers like kings,” he says, “but there

are always other ways to bring products with the same or similar engineering to alternate markets. This expands your customer base and forces you outside the box. Do this, and you’ll find your real market isn’t where you thought it would be. Then you’ll really find success.”

Danielson added a second list soon after the first. He thought the mission statement was dead-on, but he soon found they needed another set of actionable declarations. Together, they brainstormed up these 11 rules under the title “How do we get there?”

Commit to teamwork.Secure a topnotch customer base.Treat our customers like kings.Continuously evolve, change, improve.Seize opportunities.Take risks.Accept, acknowledge, and learn from innovators.Hire topnotch people.Education—schools, seminars, cross training….Be honest.Develop and market new products.I remark that that last one seems like an after-

thought. Wouldn’t most consider it to be rule num-ber 1?

“Quality and innovation are fundamental,” he says, “but that’s understood. It’s how to create an environment that puts you on top and keeps you there that’s the part we needed to develop and keep.”

After a little more thought, he adds, “The rules to run a business by must deal with people, not prod-ucts. This is because people create the products. When I hire someone—and I still interview every-one—I ask them about their hobbies and passion. I want to know them as a person—I figure if they made it to my office, others have already vetted

When something handwritten is framed and hung on a wall, it has a greater signifi-cance than a mere photo. When that something is a list, you want to know what made the list. When the handwritten list is on the wall of a business leader you’ve long respected, a man who founded and grew a company into a trendset-ter, you want the whole story.When I ask about the framed list in front of me, Lew Danielson’s eyes glisten

as he says, “Oh, that’s the foundation of our success.”He stands and takes the frame off the wall. We’re in his office in Wilsonville,

Oregon, located in an industrial park of one-story buildings not far from Portland.

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CTC Lasergrips and Laserguards not only allow a competitive shooter to get on target faster, but that red or green light, when focused at close range on the body of a miscreant, sends a strong message to back off or suffer the consequences.


their résumé. When I ask someone if I can count on them and they get these misty eyes and tell me they better believe I can, well, then I know I have a loyal and passionate part of the Crimson Trace team.”

Danielson followed his passion into this business. He started the company by going to small gun shows with his products—laser sights custom-built into the frames of pistols. These sights were hip right from the start. Thanks to Hollywood, everyone rec-ognizes what a red dot means in the darkness. The custom-made models were selling, but they proved to be too labor-intensive. So, as Danielson and his group of engineers completed contracts for various other businesses, they stayed late into evenings engi-neering solutions to making laser gun sights that would be easy to install. After a series of break-throughs—and a lot of reading off of those lists—Crimson Trace basically invented its own category with laser grips made to fit many popular gun mod-

els. They now work with many firearms manufactur-ers so their products hit the market together.

Though that is an inspirational entrepreneur’s story based on sound principles, there was something much more important in the room. I had the feeling this other, bigger thing is too often missed by busi-ness leaders today. Danielson, you see, isn’t a cuddly bear of a manager always spewing inspirational jar-gon. He’s a straight-talking engineer and a self-made man. He has a beard and a Western mustache with those pointy-waxed tips. He loves riding Harleys and shooting pistols—sometimes at the same time. He had the greatest month of his life one summer when, after working for years to build his business, he left it in capable hands and just rode away on his Harley. He wound up in Wyoming, hanging out in cowboy bars, shooting his guns out under the big skies, and mak-ing friends with the local ranchers. No one would have guessed he’d grown a business into a multi-

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million dollar company and that back in Oregon a factory full of employees were waiting for their heart to return rejuvenated, full of life.

When I’ve met Danielson at trade shows, he’s always wearing a business suit with a bolo tie. His cowboy hat is never far off. When he speaks, people listen. Not just because he’s an industry leader, but because he speaks from the heart. No, not just from the heart—he is all heart. Although he’s Crimson Trace’s original president and founder, he has now stepped back. He hired Lane Tobiassen to be the company’s president—the head of the company. Danielson knows he’s better at being its heart. This makes me wonder about all those once-successful companies that outgrew their hearts and followed their cold and rational heads to ruin.

The wonderful thing is that everyone at Crimson Trace is aware that Danielson is the heart of the company. When he’s going to give a speech, he gets emotional, though his voice never loses its power or his mind its focus. The day after our talk in his office, we’re treated to such a speech. We’re near a gun range in Bend where contestants would shoot a 3-Gun competition at night with Crimson Trace

laser sights attached to pistols, shotguns, and rifles. With almost 100 people in the room, Danielson decides it’s time to address everyone.

As he gets up to speak, a half-dozen Crimson Trace employees lovingly sigh, “Oh, no, Lew is going to speak.” Then they all listened intently, knowing even Danielson didn’t know what he would say, but knowing it would be from the heart, that it would be honest and within the bounds of the theme articulated in those lists framed on the wall in his office. So he says some very funny things, adds in some slightly inappropriate asides, and points out that a shot in the dark is dead-on with one of his lasers. He then talks about all Crimson Trace has done to take guns into the mod-ern age with laser sights integrated into the grips or frames of many of today’s popular pistols and how just the sight of the red dot from a laser sight can often stop a gun fight before it even gets started. When he finishes he has to wipe his eyes. The men and women who work with him do, too.

As corporations hone their teams and choose their charismatic and able leaders—their heads—they’d do well to remember their hearts.


YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON YOUR PROD-UCT AND

TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS LIKE KINGS.

The annual Crimson Trace Midnight 3-Gun Invitational helps demonstrate the effectiveness of laser sights.

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BC_034913_SHB1214P.indd 1 11/5/14 2:50 PM


BY JOE KELLER GOOD STUFF

Making WavesInnovative turkey packs from ALPS Outdoorz aim to change the game

T urkey vests are a great option if you’re setting up on a flock you’ve patterned. But if you’re running-and-gunning or if you’re staying put in a ground blind, the venerable old vest might not be the right tool. It’s a problem Justin Leesmann of ALPS Outdoorz understands.

The avid turkey hunter and ALPS marketing manager helped design the new Crossfire pack. It’s an all-in-one, 2,325-cubic-inch backpack that has a small, detachable accessories bag you can strap across your chest . It gives you the option to keep a few calls and shells on your chest and ditch the pack, which can be bulky, especially if you’re mak-ing a tight stalk .

“The accessory pack has just enough space to carry calls and a few essentials, but small enough that it won’t be in the way when you’re setting up or raising the gun to fire,” says Leesmann, a rabid turkey hunt-er who tested the pack while hunting spring and fall turkeys. “It’s very different, and hunters like having these options.”

The pack is also tailor-made for ground blinds. Put the big pack aside and use the small one so you’re not digging through your laundry bag or rummaging through your vest as turkeys show up and strut.

Zach Scheidegger, ALPS product manager, said this is a different system for turkey hunters, and he expects the Crossfire to make waves. “It’s such a versatile pack that we’re confident hunters will appreci-ate all of its features .”

The main pack has a vented back to keep you cool on the move. A lightweight stainless-steel wire x-frame holds the pack away from your back and supports heavier loads. It also has a drop-down gun or bow boot for easy carrying, and a hunter-orange rain cover. Other add-ons include large waist pockets for a GPS or phone,

and a webbing loop positioned for a holster and sidearm.

If you do drop the larger pack and head off with just the accessories pack —don’t call it a man purse !—there’s room for two slates, a few diaphragm calls, a hoot call, a knife, your license, and some TP. (One bit of advice: Don’t use the outside elastic straps to hold your strik-er pens. Mine popped out while I was doing the running part of running-and-gunning.) The accessories pack holds tight to your chest while you’re on the move, and its slight angle makes it easy to reach in without mak-

ing a lot of movement. Lefties are left out; the accessories pack really only works its magic for righties because of the angle.

The Crossfire is offered in Realtree Xtra and Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity. SRP: $139.99.

Designed for WomenAt first blush, the only thing that gives away ALPS Outdoorz’s new Huntress pack as a women’s hunting tool is the touch of pink on the logo. But there’s more to it than some stitching. The 2,222-cubic-inch Huntress has several

modifications just for women. “For one, the shoulder straps

are shorter,” says Leesmann. “That makes it ride higher on a female’s torso than a pack made for a man.”

Shorter straps also mean more size adjustment; ALPS left the adjustment straps long to fit a variety of female forms. “The waist belt is also cut differently to fit a woman better,” he says.

Leesmann adds that they sought feedback from women hunters before deciding on the Huntress’ specs. One of the things those women did not want was a lot of pink. “They didn’t want it to look too much like a girl’s bag, but they did like the touch of pink in the logo,” he says. “That was just enough .”

Otherwise, the pack has many features found on other ALPS packs, like beefy zippers and a vented back to keep the wearer cool . The pack is roomy enough to carry raingear as well as an extra jacket, extra ammo, and a camera. The front pocket is built with com-partments to help keep smaller items accessible and organized. Lashing straps let you strap more gear on the outside. The brushed-fabric pack comes in Realtree Xtra.

A drop-down pocket secures a bow or rifle. The pack is hydration-compatible; if you have your own reservoir, there’s a slot for it. Mesh pockets on the outside hold water bottles.

“We think we got the whole pack just right,” Leesmann says. “And the women hunters who have used it agree.” SRP: $119.99. (800-344-2577; alpsoutdoorz.com)

The Crossfire pack has a detachable accessories bag for the chest.

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WWW.HEVISHOT.COM

Box and Case rebates available

BC_018828_SHB0913P.indd 1 7/18/13 4:18 PM


WHAT’S SELL ING WHERE BY PETER B . MATHIESEN

IDBoise Gun Company, Boise

Specializing in hunting and home-defense firearms, this store manag-es an inventory of 6,000 guns between two locations. Sales of bolt-action hunting rifles

were slower than average this sea-son. Top sellers were Kimbers in .308 and .270, Ruger Hawkeyes in .30/06, and Remington 700 CDLs in .270. MSR sales have remained steady; Rock Rivers and Smith M&P MOEs garner attention. Handgun sales are rising, with HK VP9s, Kimber 1911s, Springfield XDSs, and Smith Bodyguards in demand. “We are always planning ahead

for ammo inventories, and rimfire aside, it’s been improving. Sourcing ammo is nearly a full-time job, to give our customers a strong selec-tion. Good ammo stocks keeps traf-fic high,” said owner Gary Hopper.

CANorthwest Sporting

Goods, Willits This small-town general sporting goods store sells a wide range of soft goods, team sports, fishing and hunting supplies, and even hot tubs. Holiday sales for this retailer usually focus on .22s, but not this year. “We’ve had to stop carrying them. They used to be the foundation of our Christmas sales, but this season we’ll move just a few youth items, and that’s not a good thing for our industry,” said manager Jason Lamprich.Fall sales were slow, with a few

Marlin 336c lever-action rifles and Savage Model 10s turning. As for handguns, Glock 19s and Smith M&Ps in 9mm crossed the counter. Lamprich also expressed concern as to when California goes all-copper. “If they can’t make .22s, how will they handle copper?” he said.

NVSilver State Arms, Reno This

family-run store services home defense, reloaders, and hunters in a snug 1,500 square feet. Sales are flat except for handguns, and they’re only marginally better. “I really believe that the last panic buy has just filled the safes of my customers. This may have been the slowest summer and fall the shop has seen,” said partner Joe Compilli.Rifles have gotten price-sensitive;

the best turns come from Howas in .243 and .308. MSRs move at about one every two weeks. Sales have been driven by competitive pricing on Smith M&P Sporters.In handguns, M&Ps in 9mm and

.40 hold the top slot. SIG 938s and Ruger LCRs are also getting atten-tion. Compilli added that he has to keep buying smart; the easy money of the last four years has vanished.

MNJ&S Custom Guns,

Lakeview At just over 1,000 square feet, this retailer uses custom gunsmithing to maintain its sales volume in the home-defense cate-gory. Handguns are holding steady, with Glock 23s and 19s solidly in the top slots. H&K P30s in 9mm and .40 are also seeing strong demand. MSR sales for the fall were flat—

the store sold three per month —but they’ve started to improve. “We do a lot of custom build-outs and com-plete accessorized packages. Our fall has been slower, but the holi-days are picking up with more cus-tom MSR sales,” said manager Craig Elliott. Rock Rivers and JPs are the store’s best sellers for Christmas.Shotgun sales are also climbing

from a slower fall, with Benelli Super Black Eagle IIs and Remington 870 Expresses leading in scatterguns.

IAKeith’s Outdoors, Fort Dodge This

store stocks fishing, hunting, and soft goods, and has more than 200 guns in inventory. The Christmas rush is on here, with a run on acces-sories like Allen and Plano gun cases. “December is our biggest accessory season. I often run out of things like bore snakes and other cleaning gear,” said owner Keith Ekstrom. Smith Shields are selling well, as

are Model 642s and Springfield XDSs in .40. Sporting shotguns are still moving, as are good numbers of Remington 870 Expresses and youth models.At the rifle rack, MSRs are trickling

across the counter, with most sales coming from DPMS. Remington 700 SPs in .243 are in high demand also, despite ammunition being difficult to lay hands on.

KSThe Trading Post, El Dorado

This former pawn-and-gun shop now exclusively sells firearms, with emphasis on handguns. The chill of winter is improving sales, with Ruger LC9s and 38s topping the chart. Glock 23s and Springfield XDMs in .40 are also strong performers. “Handgun purchases were really

down this summer compared to last year, but niche gun sales are still good. I stay far away from the SKUs that the nearby Cabela’s carries,” said owner Mike Schwemmer.Demand is surging for AK-style

MSRs. This retailer holds strong inventory of Serbian Zastava PAPs from Century Arms. It is also seeing good turns on Diamondback MSRs.Bolt-action hunting gun sales

were slower in November than expected, but some Savage Model 10s in .308 sold during deer season.

West

Midwest

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SCGun Doctor, Monk Corner

Keeping 250-plus hunting guns and handguns in stock, this retailer maintains high traffic by retaining a full-time gunsmith. With one month left in deer season and dog hunting still popular in this area, semi-auto shotguns and buckshot loads are selling. Browning A5s in 12 gauge and Remington 1187s top the list. “You can’t swing a cat without run-ning into a turkey shoot or a deer drive. Our shotgun sales are brisk,” said owner James Elan.With rimfire ammo scarce, this

shop limits sales to one box per cus-tomer. However, Elan sets aside five boxes per gun sale, so .22 rifles and handguns have remained hot-ticket items for December.Ruger LCRs, Kel-Tec 380s, and

Springfield XDSs dominate the handgun counter.

TXBayou Bend Gun Shop,

Cleveland An hour north of Houston, this small, working-class, rural shop stocks an active inventory of up to 400 firearms in roughly 1,200 square feet. “Ammo has improved, but .22 rimfire is as scarce as hen’s teeth. If we had it in stock, our .22 rifle sales would be a lot higher this holiday season,” said counter salesman Jonathon Riley.Ruger is ringing the register with

plenty of traffic on LCRs and Blackhawks in .357. Glock is a solid second, with 17s and 19s stacking up under Christmas trees. Deer centerfire rifle sales are

steady, and Remington SPSs in .243 are attracting the most attention. Muzzleloaders continue to gain momentum; in that category, CVA Optimas and Traditions garner the majority of sales.

TNMitchell’s Country Store,

Jackson Located in the western third of the state, this small general store sells burgers, hardware, and sporting goods. It stocks an average of 100 guns. Handguns rule the counter, and Springfield XDSs and Glock 42s command the top spots. However, there’s a lot more to sell-ing a gun at this store. “We’re just an old-time retailer

that will sell you a handgun, a Moon Pie, or a cheeseburger. All that, plus better-than-average ammo stocks, makes December a busy month. I want my customers to love to drop by,” said owner Roy Mitchell.Sporting gun sales are slow; only a

few Marlin lever-actions have crossed the counter. But Mossberg 500 home defense and Bantam models are selling well, and a Rock River MSR turns every two weeks.

MDHendershot’s Sporting

Goods, Hagerstown With more than 700 rifles and shotguns on hand, this hunting store specializ-es in high-end rifles and travel. It will expand to 5,000 square feet in 2015, adding a pistol range.“Travel is a big part of our busi-

ness, and it helps us develop first-time international hunters into steady store customers for years to come. High-end rifles also deliver more consistent year-round sales,” said marketing director Mike Faith.Two of this store’s top sellers this

fall include the Dakota 76 in .300 Win. Mag. and the HS Precision SPL in 7mm. Waterfowling guns are still moving. Benelli Super Black Eagles and Vincis lead the way, followed by 12-gauge Caesar Guerini over/unders.Handguns sales are steady. Glock

17s and 19s lead the pack, followed

by Smith M&Ps in .45. Ed Brown models are also being eyed for Christmas. With the exception of rimfire, ammo inventories are good.

NYInterlaken Guns,

Interlaken The shop has an active business in home defense and hunting firearms. In handguns, Glock holds the high ground in 9mm and .40. Ruger LCPs are also turning significant numbers. “Our handgun and MSR inventory has stabilized with a larger number of distributors selling New York State–compliant SKUs,” said owner Bill McGuire.Bolt-action sales have cooled

after hunting season, but a few Mossberg ATRs are crossing the counter. MSRs are doing a little bet-ter, with Stag topping the chart.Ammo inventories are good, but

some less-popular calibers are a

challenge, including 8mm and .35 Rem. Rimfire continues to be scarce.

NJThe Owl’s Nest, Phillipsburg This

small retailer specializes exclusively in shooting-sports products. With deer season winding down, slug guns are moving briskly, especially Savage 220s and H&R Heavy Barrels in 20 gauge. Muzzleloaders are still turning with Thompson/Center Triumphs. MSR sales are slowing; Windham is taking the majority of sales.Rimfire ammo stocks are frustrat-

ingly low. “It’s getting tougher and tougher to sell any kind of .22, and I expect that it will have a significant negative effect on holiday sales. This is the second year of horrible rimfire ammo delivery. It is becoming an issue for a lot of shooters,” said owner Jim Heebner.

South

East

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The 555 is available in 12- and 20-gauge models. The 6-pound 12-gauge has 28-inch barrels, a 14⅜-inch length of pull, 44⅞-inch overall length, and a 2⅛-inch drop at the comb. The 20-gauge model features 26-inch barrels, a 14⅜-inch length of pull, 42⅞-inch overall length, and a 2¼-inch drop at the comb. It weighs 5½ pounds. SRP: $692. (savagearms.com)

Badlands➤ In the company’s pursuit to go undetected by anything with antlers, horns, or paws, Badlands continues to evolve its Bio-Thermic clothing line. Joining the Impact Jacket and

Kinetic Fleece Vest, the new Impact Pant—which features Hex-Lite fleece for warmth and comfort—is for those times when silence and warmth are paramount. Other features include articulated knees, the Badlands Scent Reduction System, and built-in removable gaiters. The Badlands Impact Pant is avail-able in Realtree Xtra. SRP: $299.95. (800-386-7839; vortexoutdoors.com)

Falcon Safety Products➤ The Sound 911 Personal Safety Horn sends out a 112-decibel blast of piercing sound to deter a would-be assailant or unfriendly animal. This compact device can be heard up to a half mile away and attaches easily to your belt or wrist with the included Velcro strap. The Sound 911

Personal Safety Horn is safe for the ozone and requires no wires or batteries. Packaged in a retail blister package. SRP: $19.79. (908-707-4900; falconsignal.com)

(Continued from page 50)

NEW PRODUCTS

Badlands’ silent and warm Impact Pant is available in Realtree Xtra.

The Sound 911 Personal Safety Horn can be heard from a half mile away.

Go to: www.ShotBusiness.com for free info.

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT

OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT,

AND CIRCULATION

(Required by 39 USC 3685)

1. Publication Title: Shot Business; 2. Publication No. 1081-8618; 3. Filing Date: 10/1/14; 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly Except for January and December; 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 7; 6. Annual Subscription Price: $25.00; 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Ofce of Publication: Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida 32789-3150; 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Ofce of Publisher: Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida 32789-3150; 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Greg Gatto, Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Ave New York, NY 10016; Editor: Slaton L. White, Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Ave New York, NY 10016; Managing Editor: Margaret Nussey, Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Ave New York, NY 10016. 10. Owner: Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida 32789-3150; 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Securities: None; 12. Tax Status (for completion by nonproft organizations authorized to mail at special rates): Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months; 13. Publication Title: Shot Business; 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Aug/Sep 2014; 15a. Total Number of Copies: 22,025 (Aug/Sep 2014: 22,095); b. Paid Circulation: (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 20,627 (Aug/Sep 2014: 20,709); c. Total Paid Distribution: 20,627 (Aug/Sep 2014: 20,709); d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541: 681 (Aug/Sep 2014: 687); (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS: 0 (Aug/Sep 2014: 0); e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 681 (Aug/Sep 2014: 687); f. Total Distribu-tion: 21,308 (Aug/Sep 2014: 21,396); g. Copies not Distributed: 718 (Aug/Sep 2014: 699); h. Total: 22,025 (Aug/Sep 2014: 22,095); Percent Paid: 96.80% (Aug/Sep 2014: 96.79%).

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BC_034832_SHB1214P.indd 1 10/30/14 5:24 PM

Savage ArmsStevens, by Savage Arms, has introduced a fast-handling, stylish over/under shotgun that carries a price tag below $700. The all-new 555 is as suited for hunting and it is for breaking clays. Stevens kept the weight to a minimum while maximizing strength and rigidity by incorporating a steel insert within the shotgun’s lightweight, scaled-to-gauge aluminum receiver. The 555 also features a Turkish walnut stock and forend, shell extractors, a manual tang safety, chrome-lined barrels, and a single, selective mechanical trigger. Five interchangeable choke tubes, included with the gun, let shooters tailor the 555 to any shooting need.

(Continued on page 48)

NEW PRODUCTS


SHB1214_PRD02.indd 50 11/10/14 12:44 PM

M&P® PISTOLS. AN EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE TO FEEL TO BELIEVE.

ERGONOMIC FIT FOR MORE CONTROL. PRECISION BUILT FOR MORE ACCURACY.

.22LR • 9MM • .40S&W • .45ACP

#EXPERIENCE #MANDP AT SMITH-WESSON.COM/MPPISTOLS

BC_035004_SHB1214P.indd 1 11/7/14 12:25 PM

BC_033640_SHB1114P.indd 1 9/10/14 3:25 PM

Documents

SHOT Business -- December 2014