Friday - May 15, 2009

Gun Sales Still Surging

The latest NICS numbers are in. Gun sales continue to surge. America is an armed camp. Barak Hussein Obama: world’s greatest gun salesman.

The upward trend in firearms sales continued in April, marking the sixth consecutive month of significant increases.  Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,225,980 checks in April 2009. This figure is a 30.3 percent increase from the 940,961 reported in April 2008.

FBI background checks are required under federal law for all individuals purchasing either new or used firearms from federally licensed retailers. The checks serve as a gauge of actual sales but do not reflect the actual number of firearms sold, since, following a background check, a customer may decide not to purchase a firearm or may purchase more than one firearm.

The April increase follows a 29.2 percent gain in March and rises of 23 percent in February, 28 percent in January, 24 percent in December and 42 percent in November when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed.

The increase in NICS checks coincides with a rise in excise taxes reported by firearms manufacturers, another indicator of firearm sales.

According to the most recent Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Collection Report, released earlier today by the Department of the Treasury, firearm and ammunition manufacturers paid more than $98.1 million in the fourth calendar quarter of 2008, up 31.3% over the same time period reported in 2007.

Manufacturers of firearms and ammunition pay a federal excise tax — a major source of wildlife conservation funding — on all firearms and ammunition manufactured (11% on long guns and ammunition and 10% on handguns).

The report, which covers the time period of October 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008, shows that $27.6 million was collected for pistols and revolvers, $35.0 million for long guns and $35.5 million for ammunition. Compared to the same quarter in 2007, collections were up 70.1% for handguns, 11.4% for long guns and 31.1% for ammunition.

These figures close out the 2008 calendar year. In 2008, a total of $345.2 million was collected in excise taxes, up 13.9% from the $303.2 million collected in calendar year 2007.

“Demand for firearms and ammunition is clear,” said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. “Since the November elections we’ve seen an increase in firearm ownership coupled with an unprecedented level of attendance at firearm safety courses nationwide. Americans are buying firearms, and they’re taking the proper precautions to ensure that they exercise their individual Second Amendment rights safely and responsibly.”

The excise tax is only paid for sales of new equipment. The NICS check is run for any gun sale, new or used, at a dealer. So it’s very safe to say that pistol sales are up an enormous amount. 70%!!

Sig Sauer, Inc. Secures A $306 Million Pistol Contract By The U. S. Army’s Material Command

SIG SAUER, Inc. announced today that it has secured a multi-year contract to provide pistols to the U.S. Army’s Material Command. The potential value for all quantities and the related customer support package is $306 million.

“The gun that is to be supplied in the contract is the SIG SAUER SP2022 in 9mm.” said Bud Fini VP of Marketing Sig Sauer.

The initial order of 55,890 units is to be released as the standard sidearm for the entire Colombian National Police force. Shipments are to begin immediately with a second release of 42,000 pistols to follow.

Ron Cohen, President and CEO, stated that he is proud that SIG SAUER’s long standing reputation for superior reliability and quality has been recognized with this exceptional contract. Moreover, it provides an opportunity for SIG SAUER to continue to expand its manufacturing facilities and create U.S. jobs at a time when other companies are downsizing and exporting jobs overseas. Mr. Cohen further stated that the breadth of SIG customers is evidence of the worldwide acceptance and demand for SIG SAUER products.

These customers include numerous elite law enforcement, military, and government agencies (e.g. the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service, Navy Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS), U.S. Navy SEALs, U.S. Air Force OSI, British SAS, French National Police, and the Colombian National Police).

I’ve got mixed feelings about this. I think Sig pistols are extremely well made. I’m glad that the pistols purchased will be made here in the USA in Sig’s New Hampshire factory. I just don’t happen to like the 2022 pistol, and I’m not thrilled that they chose the 9mm cartridge, when the .40S&W is so widely available. It’s just a better round for law enforcement use. I think the 2022 pistol is top heavy and unbalanced. I also think that it has an enormous grip, making it very difficult for anyone with hands smaller than grizzly bear paws to get a proper hold on the pistol. And that grip is nearly straight up and down, which is the least ergonomic angle you can find. Want to see ergonomics that work? Go look at a Luger. That grip angle is perfect for the human hand. Now go look at a Glock. Hmm, seems quite similar, what what? Take out your 1911 and look at that. Ok, that grip angle is a good bit less, but there’s still some there, and it’s much more than what the 2022 has.  The 2022 is not a pocket pistol. It is a full sized carry piece, whether your holster is exposed or concealed. The 2022 weighs 9 ounces less than a 1911 and is an inch shorter, but it’s a hair taller and thicker. And the barrel is 1.1” shorter - a full 20% shorter. And that puts you into the realm of major velocity loss. Nobody asked me, but I think there are better choices available.

Federal Introduces Affordable Ammo for M1A, M1 Garand and .338 Federal Shooters

Federal® adds three ammunition options for those who want a little trigger time that won’t break the bank. Followers of the popular and specialized M1A and M1 Garand rifles now have affordable loads that offer superb accuracy. In addition, hunters and shooters sporting a rifle chambered in .338 Federal now have a consistent, reliable and economic option.

The M1A and M1 Garand are storied rifles that are very popular and have a huge following. A lot of the hunting ammunition today isn’t suitable for these special rifles. Federal now introduces two affordable, reliable American Eagle® options.

“We know there is a very large number of shooters who use the M1A and M1 Garand rifles at the range,” said Kyle Tengwall, director of marketing. “Whether it’s practicing for a competition, or just spending some time at the range, these shooters need affordable loads that perform well. These new loads cater to this special segment of shooters, and we’re proud to offer them something that shoots great and is available at price that can’t be beat.”

These special loads use staked primers to reduce the risk of firearm malfunction, including slamfires. The M1 Garand load features a 150-gr FMJ bullet and a carefully selected propellant that produces pressures that match the gas system design. The M1A load utilizes a 168-grain Open Tip Match (OTM) bullet that gives match-grade accuracy at an unbeatable price.

The M1 Garand was a 1930s design gas operated semi-automatic rifle. It used an operating rod fed by a direct gas port to unlock and open the bolt. It does not have any kind of pressure regulating device at the gas port, like the M1A does. This means that it is very picky about the kind of ammo it likes. Too much pressure at the gas port will slam the bolt open really hard, sometimes hard enough to crack the receiver. Too little pressure will not cycle the action. This really limits the performance of the rifle, even though the .30-06 cartridge loaded to Ball spec is effective well beyond 700 yards. You can load .30-06 so much hotter for use in a good bolt action rifle, and you can use a much wider range of bullet styles and weights. But that’s really a side issue. Not too many folks hunt with an M1. Most of them are used for rifle training these days, some for competition, and the rest have become wall hangers because this is what Grandpa carried in the Big War.

The M1A (the civilian version of the M14 rifle) is still alive and well in the competition world. It uses the 7.62 NATO (aka the .308) cartridge. You can load your own match ammo if you want, but you can’t crimp the primers. Both the M1 and the M1A close their bolts at very high speed, so crimped primers of military spec are a good idea. Most of us who load 7.62 match ammo have just got by putting a dab of clear nail polish on the primer, which does the job just fine.

The “new” .338 Federal cartridge is a reinvention of an old wheel, with a bit of extra polish thrown in. For decades the .338-06 was a wildcat round; a custom hand made cartridge you could not buy in any store. It was made by necking up the .30-06 case to use a .338” diameter bullet, which made it a great mid-range elk rifle. Another wildcat exists called the .35 Whelen, which is the same except it uses a .358” diameter bullet. The .35 Whelen is an awesome bear rifle cartridge. But both the .338-06 and the .35 Whelen have quite a bit of recoil. So Federal comes along and takes the “short action” route and applies the .338 wildcat concept to the 1/2” shorter .308 cartridge, and calls the result the .338 Federal. Actually, the .338-308 has been a wildcat for ages. But when one of the big companies gets their mitts on a cartridge, they register it with SAAMI and standardize the specifications, so they get to claim ownership. This has been going on for nearly 100 years. And the performance of the .338 Federal is right on par with the ancient 8x57 Mauser, a nearly identical cartridge that uses a .323” (8mm) bullet, that was developed over 100 years ago. Game animals haven’t become bigger and tougher since then. And ethical hunting demands that you don’t take a shot at game further than your ability to shoot accurately. That’s about 250 yards for most of us, even when using a scope. After that point, wind drift and range estimation really come into play, along with bullet BC and trajectory ... and it takes a LOT of practice to master all of that when your heart is hammering with Buck Fever. So a medium caliber bullet at medium velocity still does a superb job at medium ranges, without excessive recoil. That is never going to change. Good for Federal to bring some less expensive ammo to the market.

PS - the .338 Federal, the .338-06, and the .35 Whelen are all superb cartridges when loaded down and fed cast lead bullets. The .35 Whelen even works pretty well when stuffed with black powder. You can even make small game and practice ammo for the .35 Whelen using revolver bullets. So you can load these on the cheap, and still get a good 125 yard deer cartridge ... and most deer are shot at well under 100 yards. At least here in woods in the eastern part of the country. You really don’t need King Kong power to knock over deer. That’s why the “puny” .30-30 is still alive and well all these decades later. It does the job.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/15/2009 at 10:17 AM   
Filed Under: • Guns and Gun Control •  
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