"REPRINT"

·       PRESERVATION PLAN . . . Quail Unlimited, which warned of declining quail numbers for many years and recommends a coordinated effort to reverse the decline, has announced a 14-point plan to support and fund the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI). “The NBCI is the greatest hope for the revitalization of quail populations in 30 years. It is the best hope we have for replenishing this wildlife resource for future generations,” commented Rocky Evans, QU’s executive vice president. Historically, northern bobwhites were and continue to be in many areas an important component of the economic and social fabric of rural communities. Throughout the Southeast, the hunting of bobwhites in the fall has been a cherished tradition. The 100+ page NBCI can be found on the Internet by visiting the Quail Unlimited site at http://www.qu.org. 

·       BUSY DAY AT THE COURTHOUSE . . . Federal judge Harvey Weinstein  today in New York wrapped up loose ends in the case where the firearms industry prevailed against charges of wrongdoing by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). After a letter was presented from NSSF's National Association of Firearms Retailers, the judge ruled against allowing any further non-law enforcement use of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms gun trace data from the trial. The raw data was the source of a "Bad Apple" dealer's list circulated by the Brady Center, which unfairly condemned gun dealers experiencing the greatest number of traces without regard for how many guns they sold or how many years they had been in business. When Weinstein heard that last week the NAACP withdrew its appeal of his decision and that the organization's attorney, Elisa Barnes had withdrawn as counsel, he said from the bench, "This case is dead."

·       OH, BUT THERE'S MORE . . . An expert witness for the NAACP, whose testimony in court was considered by the judge, is reportedly filing suit against attorney Barnes. In a letter to the NAACP that was filed with the judge, Professor Gregory Gundlach complains that he hasn't been paid for his work or testimony, and "more than nine months after receiving our first invoice, through your representative Ms. Barnes, you now disparage our work and accuse my staff and I (sic) of fraudulently running up charges, performing unauthorized work and double billing among other accusations." In the letter, Gundlauch discusses "unsubstantiated and libelous statements" and complains of losing almost $100,000 in "out of pocket" expenses. Gundlach is a professor at Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business who testified about firearm sales and distribution.

·       FASTER THAN FAST . . . Jerry Miculek used a Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 66 K-frame at the recent Police Nationals handgun competition in Jackson, Mississippi, and set a speed record of .57 of a second for five rounds fired into a single target. He then chose 10 Model 64s to break the existing record for multiple revolvers fired into a single target, shooting six rounds from each in a total time of 17.12 seconds. That's better than the previous 21-second record, when only five rounds were fired from each gun. Read all about it on the Outdoor Wire.

·       TSA AGAIN PICKS H&K . . . After surviving a "buy American" scrutiny following its decision in July, the Transportation Security Administration has re-affirmed its choice for Heckler & Koch to supply as many as 9,600 .40 S&W caliber pistols for commercial airline pilots. The pistols would be carried in cockpits by pilots successfully completing special training authorizing them to have access to firearms while in flight. According to Congress Daily, the contract for USP40 Compact Law Enforcement Model semiautomatic handguns, if fully implemented, would be worth about $3.3 million to H&K.

·       LIMITED SPACE AT RANGE SEMINAR . . . Next month's Best Management Practices for Shooting Ranges is a free seminar for New England range operators focusing on environmental stewardship.  It's sponsored by the New London and Windham County League of Sportsmen and the National Association of Shooting Ranges,which developed the “how to” manual for lead management and environmental stewardship. Learn how to use this information to develop an effective Environmental Stewardship Plan by attending this free seminar Wednesday, November 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Snake Meadow Club in Moosup, CT. Registration is required for the limited number of slots still open, so contact Mary Maki at (203) 426-1320 to attend.

·       WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY . . . The National Shooting Sports Foundation will host the 2nd annual Women in the Industry luncheon on Friday, February 13, 2004, during the SHOT Show®. The luncheon will take place at noon in room N258 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The keynote speaker will be Melinda Gable, executive director of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. The luncheon is for women attending the SHOT Show, and will be by invitation only. Contact Shane Hotchkiss at (203) 426-1320 to request an invitation.

·       GETTING HIS PRIORITIES STRAIGHT . . . When Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett was asked what he was going to do after throwing the winning game of the world series, he did not mention that famous amusement park in the Sunshine State. He said, as soon as he realized that by winning game six of the series there would be no need for a seventh game, that he was glad to have free time the following day to go deer hunting.

ENFORCING EXISTING LAWS

·       BALTIMORE . . . A new state grant totaling nearly $72,000 will fund a special prosecutor for the Baltimore County State's Attorney Firearms Violence Unit, dedicated to cases of criminal possession of firearms and recommending federal prosecution where possible. Reporter Bryan Sears writes that lack of prosecution and a high rate of release for felons into the community may have contributed to a 6 percent rise in arrests for gun-related violence at a time when the number of overall arrests is going down. Sadly, officials don't know whether they will have money available to fund the prosecutor in coming years.

·       THE RIGHT PRESCRIPTION . . . Dr. Timothy Wheeler, director of Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership, has written a guest opinion for National Review Online about the recent review of studies from the Centers for Disease Control that finds no proof gun control controls criminals. "In all, America has 20,000 laws that endanger, humiliate, criminalize, or otherwise burden good citizens who exercise their constitutional right to own a gun. Now the CDC, a government agency not known for its friendliness to gun owners, reports that it cannot find any evidence that the laws are effective. American gun owners spent most of the 1990s telling the CDC that gun control is ineffective at best and harmful at worst. So it's gratifying that the lesson is finally sinking in."

AROUND THE STATES

·       TROUBLED BLACK BEAR HUNT . . . Controversy about New Jersey's first hunt for black bear in 30 years is spilling over to vandalism, theft and threats. The New York Post and New Jersey Star-Ledger report wrongdoing, apparently by emotionally charged individuals on both sides of the issue, is increasing as the December hunt approaches.

·       CLEANING UP ARIZONA WITH THE GOOD GUNS . . . This year's Good Gun Foundation cleanup of a site in the Prescott National Forest during National Public Lands Day is detailed in the volunteer organization's latest newsletter, available as an Acrobat file. Since its inception in 1994, National Public Lands Day has dramatically demonstrated the concern of Americans for recreational lands open to enjoyment by the general public. The first event was sponsored by three federal agencies and attracted 700 volunteers to work at three sites. Last year, nine federal agencies, and 125 state and local partners supported the work of 70,000 volunteers at 426 sites, and in 2003 an increase of 10,000 more volunteers at 75 new sites was expected.

AROUND THE INTERNET

·       HOLIDAY SALES . . .  Is the economy recovering in time to fuel a good fourth quarter for gun shops? Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Web site is conducting a consumer poll to determine what plans people have for making a firearm purchase before the end of the year. We'll have the results for you next Monday in Bullet Points.

·       POLLING PRINCIPLES . . .  On Thursday, CNN asked Internet users whether the video game industry should be forced in court to compensate crime victims for real life violence, including some shooting sprees. Approximately 81% of those who answered in the unscientific poll agreed that it would be a case of misplaced responsibility to blame anyone but criminals for their crimes.

·       DEMOCRATS AND GUN CONTROL . . . There's another mainstream media story this week about how Democrats running for office are running away from the gun control label. This one's in The Washington Post and carries a quote from Wayne LaPierre, NRA's executive vice-president,:"'What you are seeing . . . is a sea change' from the 1990s, when President Bill Clinton and Gore championed several major gun laws -- and paid a big political price for it."

·       NEW YORK CITY SPORT SHOOTERS . . . Cowboy action shooters on Long Island? Even with some of the country's toughest restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms, Newsday magazine finds a large number of suburban New Yorkers are recreational shooters safely enjoying their chosen gun sport.

·       SAVE YOUR SPORT CAMPAIGN . . . The latest Web sites to sport the campaign logo are Davidson's Gallery of Guns and the Browning consumer site, joining the grassroots activist organization Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in promoting passage of Senate bill 659. If you need help displaying the logo on your Web site or want to commend someone for adding it to their home page, contact Bullet Points by email.

COPYRIGHT 2003 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.

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