Merry Christmas

In the hectic pace of today’s festivities, don’t forget to find time to pause, and reflect on the most important gifts we receive throughout the entire year—life, friends family,  the warmth they mean and love they bring.

200 Remington Ilion Plant Workers Have Been Offered Jobs Back—Union Cries Foul

Nearly 200 Remington Ilion plant workers have been offered their jobs back by Roundhill Group—new owner of the factory—but officials from United Mine Workers Local 717, which represent most of the 585 employees laid off after Remington Outdoor filed for bankruptcy and closed the plant, have concerns. The headline for an article on Syracuse.com proclaims, “Union accuses Remington Arms’ new owner in Ilion of going around it with job offers.”

Letters sent to roughly a third of the employees out of work for weeks indicated they could come back to work at their regularly salary on Feb. 15, 2021. By that time Roundhill Group anticipates ATF will have approved its FFL to begin manufacturing firearms.

Phil Smith, a spokesperson for the union, told the newspaper it’s unclear how the people who received the offer were selected and the approach could violate the union contract that stipulates those with seniority are recalled first. “RemArms also drew the union’s ire by asking workers to waive various legal rights, including claims for separation pay and other benefits,” the article explains.

“Personally I’m not asking any ex-Remington employees to give up any rights they may have against the old company or estate,” Roundhill Group partner Richmond Italia said in a statement sent to News Channel 2. “The reality is there was a insistence from the estate that that language be put in the offer letter. My lawyer suggested that we comply with their request, all I could say is that if the employees give up that right or not, it will not affect our decision on hiring them.”

The TV station is also reporting that the nearly 200 Remington Ilion plant workers who have been offered jobs back have until Monday to let officials know if they accept. Since the plant’s closure—and despite new owners—former employees have been picketing in an effort to force their dissolved-in-bankruptcy former employer to pay vacation and severance benefits stipulated in the union contract. Roundhill purchased the Ilion, NY, plant and all Remington firearm assets, for $13 million during court proceedings and is working to resurrect the famed Remington firearm line.

“Our goal was at the very least to try and make 200 families a little more secure in this holiday season,” Italia told the Times Telegram. “We will not stop working towards bringing Remington back to the height of its operations in Ilion, New York.”

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

 

Breaking News—ATF Officially Withdrew Request for Comments on Pistol Stabilizing Braces Becoming NFA Items

On Dec. 23 ATF officially withdrew request for comments on pistol stabilizing braces becoming NFA items. The solicitation for input was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 18, as reported previously.

Were the agency to include them on its official list, tens of thousands of law-abiding owners would be forced to decide whether to keep the pistol brace by going through a lengthy administrative process with additional background checks to purchase the tax stamp, or turn them in. Destruction of the brace , with documentation that would stand legal review, would be another option. Failure to do one of the three would constitute a felony if pistol stabilizing braces were declared NFA (National Firearms Act) items.

The notice explains, “Upon further consultation with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, ATF is withdrawing, pending further Department of Justice review, the notice and request for comments entitled “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with ‘Stabilizing Braces’,” that was published on December 18, 2020. 85 FR 82516. As explained in the notice, the proposed guidance was not a regulation. The notice informed and invited comment from the industry and public on a proposed guidance prior to issuing a final guidance document. The withdrawal of the guidance does not change any law, regulation, or other legally binding requirement.”

New Guns & Gear for 2021—CMMG’s Shortest Banshee Yet

From CMMG

CMMG® is proud to introduce the shortest and most compact BANSHEE™ to date. This new line-up is chambered in .22LR and features a capped lower receiver with no buffer tube (receiver extension).

This ultra-compact BANSHEE is made possible by CMMG’s new .22LR End Cap – which is a new way to transform your .22LR AR15 build. The .22LR End Cap is the perfect accessory that shortens your .22LR AR15 by replacing the need for a receiver extension and buffer assembly. The .22LR End Cap is compatible with all CMMG .22LR AR Conversion Kits, as well as any AR15 that uses a dedicated CMMG .22LR bolt carrier group and barrel.

The .22LR End Cap is available in two variations: standard, with a smooth exterior and CMMG logo (.22LR End Cap LOGO), and QD (quick-detach), which has an attachment point machined into the exterior for attaching a QD sling. Installing the .22LR End Cap is made easy by securing the .22LR End Cap on the back of the lower receiver with a 3/8” hex wrench, in lieu of the buffer tube.

The .22LR End Cap with CMMG logo can be purchased separately for $24.95 and the QD End Cap for $29.95.

BANSHEE lower groups and complete BANSHEE .22LR pistols are offered with the .22 LR End Cap preinstalled: the BANSHEE 100 Series comes with the .22 LR End Cap LOGO and the BANSHEE 200 and 300 Series come with the QD End Cap. MSRP on the complete BANSHEE pistols range from $799.95 to $1,024.95.

For more information on the .22LR End Cap and all BANSHEE models, please visit www.CMMGinc.com.

All I want for Christmas is Magazines and Ammo

Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas is magazines and ammo. As you can see in this video message from Federal, CCI, Speer And Remington President Jason Vanderbrink, it’s going to take North Pole elfin’ magic for cartridges to appear under my tree.

P.S. I have the same stocking hanging by the fireplace as last year, so, as you know, four of these Mission First Tactical magazines fit nicely. But the ammo, that’s another story.

For 75th Anniversary Redding Freezes 2020 Pricing

From Redding Reloading Equipment

Redding Reloading Equipment was founded in Upstate, NY in 1946. That was 75 years ago and today we remain a 100% American made staple of the precision handloading market. From our people, to our steel and our machinery we continue a proud tradition. We are also still located in the same area where it all began in a chicken coop with one product, a powder scale.

While 75 years is a significant achievement for any business, we take great pride in accomplishing this in a demanding industry and in a State that is anything but fully supportive of us and our customers. It is those customers who have made all of this happen and we truly appreciate each and every one. As this year marks an important anniversary and as it follows a financially difficult year for so many in our shooting community, we have decided the best way to celebrate this milestone is to give back as a way to thank each of them.

Therefore, Redding Reloading Equipment will freeze their 2020 pricing throughout 2021.

Our sincere hope is that this will assist our customers in some measure as we all recover from COVID-19 and the restrictions which have caused so much pain. While our costs will increase and our employees will get their raises, we feel that on this anniversary year we will celebrate by giving back to all of you, the Redding customers, who have made this journey possible.

Redding Reloading Equipment has focused on building the finest quality, American Made products for the precision handloading market since 1946. To learn more about our ongoing commitment to the precision handloading enthusiast and to request a copy of the current Redding catalog visit: www.redding-reloading.com

New and Expanded Project ChildSafe Brochure

From NSSF

Project ChildSafe®, a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation®, now offers a new digital publication that provides easy access to its key educational resources on firearm safety and suicide prevention. The enhanced digital resource is one of the most comprehensive guides on gun safety available to the public today.

Project ChildSafe’s “Guide to Responsible Gun Ownership, Safe Handling and Secure Storage” is available for viewing and downloading.

“This expanded firearm safety resource will be of value to anyone wanting to educate themselves and others about nearly all aspects of gun safety,” said NSSF® President and CEO Joe Bartozzi. “We believe it will be particularly useful to first-time gun owners—and there are many of them—who need a comprehensive resource on gun safety for themselves and their families.”

The resource includes links to gun safety videos for adults and children, infographics, public service announcements and additional safety content that can help prevent accidents, thefts and misuse of firearms, including suicide.

Topics include safe firearm handling, options for secure storage, what to consider when owning a firearm for home security, and the importance of preventing access by at-risk or prohibited persons.

This new, enhanced version adds content and links to many of Project ChildSafe’s most-requested safety resources, including:

  • first-time gun owner educational materials
  • overview of safe storage options such as lock boxes and their features
  • storing guns securely in vehicles video and brochure
  • a suicide prevention resource designed to help parents better understand youth mental health and deter unauthorized access to firearms
  • safety messages for children, including NSSF’s award-winning McGruff videos on gun safety, and a child safety pledge.

NSSF’s Project ChildSafe program has provided nearly 40 million free firearm safety kits that include a gun lock and educational materials to communities in every state and the U.S. territories since its inception in 1999.

Learn more at ProjectChildSafe.org and help support Project ChildSafe’s efforts to keep communities and homes safe at ProjectChildSafe.org/donate.

2A Legal Pioneer David Hardy Inducted Into 2nd Amendment Hall of Fame

From the Second Amendment Foundation 

Veteran Second Amendment legal scholar, author, attorney and gun rights authority David Hardy of Tucson, Ariz., has been inducted into the Second Amendment Hall of Fame by the Second Amendment Foundation.

In 1974, he was first to publish an article in the Chicago-Kent Law Review promoting recognition of the Second Amendment as protective of an individual right to keep and bear arms. In those days it was considered an outlandish notion, but now that interpretation is the law of the land, thanks to two Supreme Court rulings in 2008 and 2010.

Upon learning of his award, Hardy said he was deeply honored, adding, “I don’t think the battle will ever end, but I think that the grounds of the battle are shifting decidedly in our favor.”

The 69-year-old Hardy worked for ten years in the office of Solicitor for the U.S. Department of Interior, primarily representing the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. He also served as associate editor of the Arizona Law Review, and has handled cases up to the U.S. Supreme Court. He has authored seven books and 27 law review articles, one of which was cited by the Supreme Court and 11 of the 13 U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals.

“Among gun rights activists and scholars, David Hardy is a living legend,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. “We’ve been honored to have him appear at several of our Gun Rights Policy Conferences, and would be difficult to find anyone with his level of history and achievement in restoring the Second Amendment to its rightful place as a cornerstone of the Constitution.”

Hardy was born in Phoenix to an old-line Arizona family. His great-grandfather was Nat Hickman, who Hardy describes as “a gun-slinging outlaw who took the alias of Charles W. Hardy when he fled to the Arizona Territory in 1872. He married a Native American woman and was subsequently elected the first Justice of the Peace of Cave Creek.

Today, Hardy manages the blog ArmsAndTheLaw.com and operates the publication website hardybooks.net.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

Primary Arms Government Hosts Holiday Gift Drive with Houston TX PD

From Primary Arms

Primary Arms Government is partnering with the Houston Police Department this holiday season with their Blue Santa Program. Throughout December, Primary Arms Government is working to collect toys for locals in need.

The Blue Santa Program is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization owned and operated by local Houston police officers. This program collects unwrapped gifts from the community and distributes them to less-fortunate children and teens in the Houston area. Gifts range from toys and school supplies to necessities like soaps, shampoo, and shaving kits. In the recent economic slowdown, these items are more needed than ever, and Primary Arms Government is proud to support this crucial community program’s efforts.

“Houston Blue Santa was established in 1984 through the HPD and has brought smiles to the faces of kids and parents alike at Christmas with the gift of giving,” says Ozge Cumberland, Primary Arms’ Senior Vice President. “We are extremely enthusiastic and supportive of this generous display of community and encourage all to join in the effort. The satisfaction of giving is the best part of living.”

For more information on Primary Arms Government, visit their homepage. From there, you can view all the major services and benefits of working with the Primary Arms Government team for all your equipment purchases. No matter your team’s needs, Primary Arms Government can help you find the right solution with testing and evaluationtrade-ins, and special pricing.

ATF is accepting comments on pistol stabilizing braces becoming NFA items

The ATF is accepting comments on pistol stabilizing braces becoming NFA items. If they are included in the list it would force owners to either register, destroy or turn them in. Failure to do so would mean felony by possession. There are tens of thousands of the braces in circulation, most on stock pistols produced by longstanding manufacturers and purchased legally at FFLs. The aftermarket demand for the accessories is thriving as well.

The Federal Register (here) has complete details on how to comment by letter, fax or the portal’s web-based submission system. Deadline for submission is Jan. 4, 2021.

Pistol Stabilizing Brace Possession Would Become Similar to Machineguns

As I reported yesterday, if listed as an NFA (National Firearms Act) item, owners of pistol stabilizing braces can retain legal possession by adhering to the same prerequisites as those in place for suppressors, short-barreled rifles and shotguns and antique machineguns. That means procuring a federal tax stamp, after paying an additional fee they didn’t expect when purchasing the gun, filing the proper paperwork, securing permission from their area’s chief law enforcement officer and undergoing additional background checks and fingerprinting—along with those associated costs. Enthusiasts who don’t want to go through the red tape or voluntarily place their name on a Federal registry would be able to destroy or turn them in. Failure to comply would be a felony.

With the Biden administration ready to occupy the White House next month, there was no shortage of predications that gun control was going to become a priority. The fact ATF is accepting comments on pistol stabilizing braces becoming NFA items before the end of the year, however, came as a surprise to most pundits.

I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, thank you for visiting my modest blog and I hope you have a glorious rest of your day.

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