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MONDAY, JULY 1, 2024

- EDITOR'S NOTE -
In observance of Independence Day, we will not be distributing any of our services on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5. We will resume our normal distribution schedule on Monday, July 8. If you have important news to distribute prior to the holiday long weekend, it should be submitted by 5 pm Eastern on Tuesday, July 2.
- ACQUISITIONS -
C&H Family of Companies announces the acquisition of Paragon, a highly regarded firearms cleaning solution company based in Florida. The entity also owns C&H Precision, a prominent player in the firearms industry, and will continue to look for strategic acquisitions in the same and adjacent markets.
- ARCHERY -
The Outdoor Group announces the highly anticipated launch of our groundbreaking new products, set to revolutionize the archery world's product lineup. Starting July 1, 2024, the long-awaited Altra Arrows and components will be available, ready to dominate the market with their unmatched accuracy and efficiency.
- BIRDING -
Some sounds just say summer – the chorus of calling insects, water lapping against the shore, the sizzle of meat hitting the grill and the hum of a lawnmower. What about the incessant, nighttime cadence of the eastern whip-poor-will?
Bird-watching enthusiasts and families enjoyed new adventures all throughout the month of May while competing in the second Nebraska Birding Bowl. And now, several will be enjoying prizes because of it.

- COMPETITION -
Jason Tabansky (Boerne, TX) will be heading to his first Paralympic Games after the world number three was handed a place based upon his world ranking and following the reallocation of a slot by World Archery, due to another athlete being forced to withdraw through injury.
- CONTESTS -
The 2024 Songbird Art Contest is now open and accepting entries. The contest is free to enter and open to youth kindergarten through 12th grade. Entries must feature one of the selected species below and will be accepted through November 30th, 2024.
- COURTS -
Friday, in a case backed by Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the expansive doctrine of Chevron Deference, which was established by the Court four decades prior.
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of a group of fishermen fighting against government overreach. The fishermen asked the courts to overturn the Chevron doctrine to stop a National Marine Fisheries Service rule that requires the herring industry to pay for the costs of observers on fishing boats.

- FISHERIES -
Martha Guyas, Southeast Fisheries Policy Director at the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries on the importance of accurate data in marine fisheries management.
- FISHING TOURNAMENTS -
The USA Fly Fishing Team is in France and ready to compete in the 2024 World Fly Fishing Championship. The team will be fishing three rivers and two series of lakes over the course of the five competition days of the event. They have been selected from among the best competitive fly anglers in the country and are proud to represent our nation at the event.
- FORESTRY -
This year, a record 63 local governments representing 4.1 million Michiganders have been recognized for their sustainability and environmental efforts through the Michigan Green Communities challenge.
- GEAR -
Millennium Treestands’ M150 Monster is the ultimate hang-on stand designed to meet the demands of serious hunters. With a weight capacity of 300 lbs, the M150 Monster is built to safely and securely support you during your hunting adventures.

- GIVEAWAYS -
What’s better than celebrating America and potentially winning the same custom firearm a tier one operator uses? This month’s custom gun giveaway from Walther Arms, Inc., along with participating industry partners, is featuring Walther Arms Defense Division member, Bill Rapier.
- HUNTING -
Even though deer season is months away, there’s plenty of planning to be done now for landowners looking to increase the attractiveness of their land to deer during this fall’s hunting seasons.
Conservation First USA’s Arizona Big Game Super Raffle offers hunters the chance to purchase $10 raffle tickets to hunt deer, bighorn sheep, bison (and more!) for 365 days. The best part: There is no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase. The deadline to purchase tickets is July 7.
- INDUSTRY -
August is right around the corner, and now is the time to plan and promote National Shooting Sports Month through your business' social media channels to bring awareness of and encourage participation in the shooting sports.

- INVASIVE SPECIES -
A new compliance agreement will allow the shipment of Buxus box plants outside of counties under Michigan's box tree moth interior quarantine.
Over 50 boat landing events are planned across Michigan to mark this year’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Awareness Week, June 30 to July 6. Public awareness about the impacts of harmful, nonnative aquatic plants and animals is critical to protecting Michigan’s ecosystems, tourism, and economy.
- JOBS -
MidwayUSA is looking for a Site Reliability Engineer to work on different projects to maintain the network and infrastructure of internal and external systems ranging from providing site hosting design, maintenance, scalability, and reliability.
- NEW PRODUCTS -
Ed Brown Products is pleased to announce their latest innovation, the Kobra Carry Dual Caliber. Coming up on the 25th Anniversary of the Kobra Carry, it’s now available as a dual caliber. The 45 ACP upper is equipped with fixed sights and the 9mm is a complete EVO upper with red dot sight.

Introducing the CHRONICLE 1911 by GForce Arms. This iconic 1911 handgun has been reimagined to offer both the timeless reliability you expect and the modern features you deserve in a pistol crafted with precision and built from high-quality materials.
B5 Systems announces the expansion of its retro firearm accessories, designed specifically for the CAR15. These components blend classic aesthetics with modern materials, providing authentic and high-quality options to enhance your CAR15 or other Clone Rifles, available in Black and OD Green.
Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) today announced Alpha® LTE is expanding coverage to North America. The small, rugged device attaches to existing dog collars and pairs with the Alpha app, so users can view their dog’s movements directly from a compatible mobile device1.
- OPTICS -
The addition of the Riton Optics PRD 3 and MPRD 3 red dots gives most any shooter the flexibility and affordable performance they need. The PRD 3 and MPRD 3 are the latest in the Tactix family of red dots.

- ORGANIZATIONS -
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Ducks Unlimited (DU) and Bass Pro Shops hosted a live event Friday, June 28, at Bass Pro Shops in Hanover, Maryland, celebrating the first day of sale for the 2024-25 Federal Duck Stamp.
Delta Waterfowl has recruited two new regional directors to boost chapter committees as the organization’s volunteer chapter system of Delta Waterfowl continues to grow. Their work will impact chapters in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
Buckmasters is introducing fresh ideas to meet the needs of its audience and media partners. In 2023, Buckmasters achieved a remarkable milestone by welcoming more than 240,000 new followers across its social media platforms, extending its digital reach to more than 94 million.
On Saturday, June 29, the leadership of Safari Club International (SCI) celebrated the grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting of its new business and member services office in San Antonio, Texas.

The Wild Sheep Foundation announced the official formation of the new Southeast Chapter of WSF. The Southeast Chapter joins fifteen existing WSF Chapters, thirteen in the U.S. and two in Canada. The Foundation also has 38 Affiliates nationally and internationally.
- PODCASTING -
Hook & Barrel announces the exclusive appearance of its Founder and Editor-in-Chief John J. Radzwilla on Deer & Deer Hunting’s popular podcast Deer Talk Now.
- PROMOTIONS -
GPO, USA announced a limited-time offer for its customers. From July 1st to July 31st, anyone who purchases a GPO HD binocular will receive a complimentary GPO Ultra Binocular Harness, valued at $69.99.
Orchid announces its 4th of July Technology Promotion, now available through July 12th. This special promotion offers Retail FFLs, Manufacturers, and Distributors the opportunity to choose from three savings packages in honor of Independence Day.
- PUBLISHING -
At a time when social media has become the national shorthand, it’s especially captivating to hear a good story—if for no other reason than it seems nearly a lost art. No one knows the value of stories better than Mike Rowe, and few have ever delivered them with more skill.
- RETAIL -
The search for the perfect gift is over. Guns.com announces the launch of its new e-gift card program, designed to offer the ideal present for gun enthusiasts and sportsmen. Secure, protected, and convenient, these digital gift cards provide a seamless shopping experience, ensuring safety and compliance throughout the purchase process.
- SHIPPING -
Federal Ammunition adds two shotshell loads, optimized for FITASC competitions, to its popular Gold Medal Paper product line. These new loads are now available at select dealers.
- SPONSORSHIPS -
HOIST® announces its partnership with HMY Yacht Sales as a sponsor of the highly anticipated 2024 HMY Lowcountry Cup Fishing Tournament. The tournament, scheduled to take place from July 3 to July 6, 2024, in Charleston, S.C.
- STATE AGENCIES -
The Department of Natural Resources is committed to providing Michigan residents the opportunity to share input and ideas on policy decisions, programs and other aspects of natural resource management and outdoor recreation opportunities.
- TELEVISION -
Ralph and Vicki invite you all to tune into their 24th season of Archer’s Choice on The Outdoor Channel! The 1st episode, The 5 Year Bull, begins airing Monday July 1st @2:00PM (EST)
Available to stream now on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) is WhitetailStream, an exclusive Live TV channel presented by North American Whitetail TV. This scheduled channel features the best whitetail hunting adventures from fan-favorite shows, with a significant portion of the content featured for the month from the North American Whitetail TV series.
This week, The High Road with Keith Warren travels to the Texas coast on a game management mission. "There are too many mouths to feed" is what the rancher says. So, Keith Warren and Johnny Piazza set out to help reduce the number of deer and hogs using lots of different methods.
Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, and World Fishing Network continue to connect passionate hunters, anglers, shooting sports enthusiasts, and sustainable food devotees with a new slate of best-in-class programming beginning Monday, July 1.
 

You may have heard about a recent jury verdict (June 20, 2024) against SIG SAUER. If you haven’t, a federal court in Georgia awarded $2.3 million to Robert Lang, who asserted -depending on which statement you read- that his P320 either: 1) went off by itself, 2) was influenced by an unknown foreign object, or 3) discharged as Mr. Lang was removing it from his now-broken holster.

This case was especially intriguing, because thirteen other times attorneys have tried to convince either a judge or juries that there was an inherent design flaw in early SIG P320 triggers that could cause them to discharge. All thirteen of those cases failed.

So what was different about this one? The answer is as clear as a foggy London morning. But it’s no reach to say this case was decidedly “different” from prior ones.

Apparently, Mr. Lang’s case didn’t require a lengthy evaluation of a myriad of facts by the jury. Normally, a trial asserting some sort of product safety issue would introduce hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of contradictory evidence, from “expert statements” to design drawings.

The Lang case, in contrast, appeared to have been boiled down to its very essence. In product liability trials, that’s very different. And it’s reflected in the Verdict Form submitted by the jury.

Here’s the Verdict Form as filed in Atlanta federal court.

Reading this as written, it seems the jury was convinced that there was nothing wrong with what SIG built, but the fact it lacked a “tabbed trigger” somehow constituted a defective design.

Last time I checked, the features on a firearm dictated what you purchased. SIG doesn’t put a “tabbed” trigger into the P320 and that constitutes “negligence”?

My gun choices have always been driven by features I wanted.

Had Mr. Lang wanted a tabbed trigger, he could have purchased a GLOCK or any other of the firearms sold with a tabbed trigger.

SIG doesn’t put “tabbed triggers” into their pistols.

And the tabbed trigger does nothing to prevent negligent discharges; they’re designed to lessen the chances of an (inertia) accidental discharge if/when dropped. That wouldn’t do anything for Mr. Lang’s situation, whether the trigger was pulled via a failed holster, a mysterious foreign object, or even an accidental finger slip when drawing.

SIG will appeal. They appear confident their appeal case is strong. But that’s up to the courts to decide.

Here’s SIG’s full statement:

SIG SAUER strongly disagrees with the verdict in the case of Lang v. Sig Sauer, Inc. and will be appealing the decision on multiple grounds.

SIG SAUER does not believe that Plaintiff has met his burden to prove the P320 model pistol was designed defectively or negligently as claimed. There are no facts on the record to support that Mr. Lang’s discharge claim was the result of anything other than his own negligent handling causing him to pull the trigger on the P320 pistol. Plaintiff and both his experts testified that they do not know what pulled the trigger or how the trigger was pulled, and they did not attempt to conduct any testing to confirm how the trigger could have been pulled, other than by Mr. Lang’s own finger.

In this case, the plaintiff, Mr. Lang, initially admitted to the police that he accidentally discharged his gun while pulling it out of the holster, then later changed his story, stating that the firearm discharged without a trigger pull. However, the Plaintiff’s story notably changed again, after hiring trial experts who agreed that the SIG SAUER P320 could not discharge without the trigger being pulled.

The design of the SIG SAUER P320 model pistol is truly innovative and safe, with numerous related patents, including several relating to safety mechanisms. It is one of the most tested, and proven handguns in recent history, with versions being selected as the official sidearm of the U.S., Canadian, Australian, and Danish militaries, among many other military and law enforcement organizations worldwide. SIG SAUER is extremely proud of our long history of producing high-quality firearms and our unwavering dedication to safety.

From here, it looks like it will be quite a while before any checks not made out to law firms will be cashed in this case.

As always, we’ll keep you posted.

—Jim Shepherd

 
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