L3Harris has been awarded a contract in partnership with Leupold & Stevens to deliver 115 production prototypes to the United States Army for the Next Generation Squad Weapon Fire Control (NGSW-FC) Program.
The NGSW-FC will replace traditional direct view optics currently fielded by the Army.
“Leupold is excited to be teaming with L3Harris to deliver the highest-quality optical solution to the U.S. Army. We are the top manufacturers in our respective fields,” said Bruce Pettet, President and Chief Executive Officer for Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
The NSGW-FC provides an integrated approach to targeting by combining range-finding capability, ballistic computation, and environmental sensors that increase the probability of accurate targeting while decreasing the time to engage a threat. The optic ultimately selected for the NGSW-FC will support many of the current and future weapon platforms utilized by the Army. Leupold and L3Harris have held numerous military contracts in the past.
Vacca Named Director of Sales for ASP
Don Vacca is the new Director of Sales for the western U.S. region for Armament Systems & Procedures. Vacca will be responsible for law enforcement agency and distributor relationships in the nine states west of the Rocky Mountains, Alaska and Hawaii.
Prior to joining ASP, Vacca had a successful 35-year career at industrial product supplier Ecolab. He held a variety of sales and leadership positions, most recently as Assistant Vice President for the company’s western region.
Vacca resides in southern California, which will be his base of operations in his new role at ASP.
Export Regulation Reform Streamlines SureFire Shipping
An export regulation reform by the United States departments of State and Commerce has streamlined the export process for SureFire flash hiders and muzzle brakes.
Under new rules that went into effect March 9, 2020, SureFire flash hiders and muzzle brakes, formerly classified as Significant Military Equipment (SME), now fall under EAR99 (Export Administration Regulations) and no longer require an export license in most circumstances.
“This is a huge win for our end-users overseas,” said Jeremy Rosenberg, V.P. of Sales and Marketing for SureFire, LLC. “While there are still export restrictions that may apply in some areas, this policy change makes it easier than ever for most SureFire customers around the globe to obtain the world’s finest flash hiders and muzzle brakes.”
Gravatt New Managing Director for Creedmoor Sports
Bill Gravatt has joined Creedmoor Sports as Managing Director and will direct all operational and marketing activities for the company.
Gravatt worked for Creedmoor Sports as a consultant several years ago and left to serve as President of Capstone Precision Group (Berger Bullets). Prior to that, he was President/Co-owner of Sinclair International, a company specializing in precision reloading and shooting products. Gravatt has more than 27 years of experience in the shooting industry.
“I’m excited to re-join the customer-focused and talented team at Creedmoor Sports," he said. 'Having served them as a supplier for three years, it’s good to be back in retail to directly serve our precision shooting customers."
Apex Tactical to Begin Shipping S&W Barrel
Apex Tactical Specialties' new 3.6-inch threaded barrel for the Smith & Wesson 9mm M&P M2.0 Compact pistol is available for pre-order and will begin shipping May 5th.
Based on the patented design of the Apex Grade fitted barrels, the Apex Threaded Barrel for the 9mm M2.0 Compact (3.60-inch model) is a cold hammer-forged stainless steel barrel with a black Melonite finish. It features a 1:10” twist rate that is designed for optimal accuracy performance and the barrel has an undercut thread intercept to accommodate a wide variety of attachments. The thread pattern is 1/2-28 and a thread protector with captive O-ring is included.
This barrel is a true drop-in and requires no fitting.
The new barrel can be pre-ordered direct from ApexTactical.com. Retailers and wholesale distributors that have not yet ordered and wish to stock the new barrel can contact Apex at dealer@apextactical.com or (623) 322-0200 for pricing and quantity availability.
Heritage Foundation Database Spotlights Self-Defense
Today, The Heritage Foundation launched a first-of-its-kind database that highlights confirmed instances where gun owners across the United States used firearms for defensive purposes. The project builds off of a monthly Daily Signal series authored by Heritage legal fellow and Second Amendment expert Amy Swearer.
The database uses an interactive map that allows users to locate instances of defensive gun use in their own states and cities. Clicking on a specific dot on the map provides the user with an instant break-down of important information for the defensive gun use the dot represents.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost all major studies on defensive gun use have found that Americans use their firearms defensively between 500,000 and 3 million times each year. There’s good reason to believe, however, that most defensive gun uses are never reported to law enforcement, much less picked up by local or national media outlets.
For this reason, the DGU Database is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all defensive gun uses that occur in the United States.
To view the map, click here.
Senator Capito Earns NSSF Honor
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) has been named the 2019 National Shooting Sports Foundation Legislator of the Year.
Capito sponsored the bipartisan Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act, S. 94, which provides states with greater flexibility to use Pittman-Robertson funds derived from excise taxes paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers for the development and maintenance of public shooting ranges.
NSSF said the “Range Bill” paved the way for increased safe recreational target shooting opportunities after it was enacted. Senator Capito also championed efforts to ensure that the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is adequately funded to provide quality customer service to firearm retailers.
The Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act, or “Range Bill,” was a top NSSF priority. It was introduced as 29 different bills, since the 110th Congress. Over a decade, the legislation was included in 15 separate bill packages, that for reasons unrelated to the “Range Bill” failed to reach Congressional consensus.
Previously, states provided 25 percent of construction costs to access the matching 75 percent. The “Range Bill” lowered the local match to 10 percent with 90 percent provided from Pittman-Robertson funds. The law also increases the number of time states have to use their allocation to five fiscal years, providing additional flexibility to acquire land for range construction or expansion projects.
Butler Creek Sling Now Shipping
Butler Creek’s new Featherlight sling is shipping to retail partners and is available for purchase on the Butler Creek website.
The sling features an industry first design made from close cell foam and is 45% lighter than any other sling made by the company. The foam material helps to reduce weight and increase durability.
As comfortable as it is durable, the Featherlight is a true multi-purpose sling. Whether used on bolt-action, shotgun or modern sporting rifles, the Featherlight sling makes transporting any firearm into the field a breeze. Optional swivels or a conventional strap allow it to be easily added to any firearm, providing all day comfort on the most strenuous hunts.
The new Featherlight slings are available in two color options and carry an MSRP of $34.95.
Cimarron Firearms Revives Plinkerton
Cimarron Firearms first introduced new shooters to Cowboy Action shooting in 2008 with an entry-level .22 LR 6-shooter they called the “Plinkerton." Twelve years later, the Plinkerton is again available as a perfect fit for shooting newbies and shooting pros alike.
The Plinkerton’s .22 caliber is a comfortable target platform with a steel-lined 4 ¾-inch barrel, steel-lined chambers in the cylinder and a Colt-style front sight. The plastic grips are fully checkered and feature the Cimarron rider on the grip’s medallion. Trigger and hammer are traditional single-action style. The revolver is finished in a non-reflective matte black finish. The key-operated hammer block safety, when rotated 90 degrees, prohibits the hammer from striking the firing pin.
Cimarron Firearms Plinkerton .22LR revolver has a suggested retail price of only $180.70 and the optional Slim Jim holster retails for only $50.75.
