SHOT Business -- October / November 2014

T e Secret Sauce to Success page 42

VOLUME 22, NUMBER 6 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 3

SHOT BUS INESS ❚ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 ❚ VOLUME 22 , I SSUE 6 CONTENTSCOVER PHOTO: T

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Features

NSSF Update 16 FROM THE NSSF A new

gun-safety initiative: “Own it? Respect it. Secure it.”

17 RETAILER TOOLBOX When your holiday rush hits, make the most of it with creative promotions

18 FFL DEALERS OFF FDIC WATCH LIST FDIC relents from targeting gun dealers with Operation Choke Point

18 SHOT SHOW RESOURCES Five go-tos for FAQs

19 GUN SALES NORMALIZE 2013’s spike levels out

19 NEW FINANCIAL REPORT Surveys FFLs nationwide

20 NSSF DELIVERS VALUE 21 YOU SHOULD KNOW Get out the GUNVOTE

28 THE MODERN DEER CAMP Electronic devices —GPS units, trail cams, and more—are changing the way hunters relate to the outdoors…and how they shop for it. BY BRIAN McCOMBIE

36 CAPITAL IDEA Do you really need to own the building in which your business is housed? There are sound financial reasons why you might be better off without it. BY MARK E. BATTERSBY

42 A CLEAN, WELL-LIGHTED PLACE Otis Technology’s relentless focus on innovation and efficiency helps the company grow, but great working conditions also play a role. BY SLATON L. WHITE

28

Departments

4 EDITOR’S NOTE Deer Camp isn’t what it used to be—it’s better

7 NEWS BRIEFS Russell upgrades Birdshooter boot; Plano’s new Gun Sock; displaying gun cases open; Crimson Trace’s new ad campaign

22 FIRING LINE Colt’s M2012 is a precision shooter’s dream

24 UNDERCOVER SHOPPER Looking for an Alaska boat gun

48 GOOD STUFF Real Avid’s AR15 Tool is a small wonder

50 WHAT’S SELLING WHERE

54 NEW PRODUCTS Gerber’s new Legend knife; Comanche Outfitters’ Kodiak trail cam; Mosquitno repellents; and more

54

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4 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

EDITOR ’S NOTE

A Better WayDeer camp isn’t what it used to be

W hen I began deer hunting nearly 40 years ago, I learned to sit stoically on stand in freezing weather. On a slow day, fingers numb and bored

out of my mind, I was infinitely grateful when the sun finally dipped below the horizon so I could go back to camp and warm up. And adding to the misery in camps, which were off the grid back then, I typically missed the Big Game (though with the way my teams played, that may have been a blessing).

Today, however, this old-school warrior is learning some new tricks. I recall a conversation I had with an older member of my gun club a couple of years ago concerning how the younger generation hunts. He complained that his grandson brought a cell phone and iPad to camp. The member was a belt-and-suspender kind of guy who believed hunters were sup-posed to leave “all that stuff at home.”

My response: “Well, at least he’s in camp. And that’s where you want him to be, right?”

“Yeah, but…”“No buts about

it,” I countered. “If he didn’t come with all this stuff, he wouldn’t come at all.”

What I’ve learned over the past few years is that to younger hunt-ers, cell phones, iPads, and the like are essential gear, just as important to the experience as a rifle, binocu-lars, and a drop-point knife. Know what? It’s okay. The seas won’t boil away just because we now want to connect with others (or read a mys-tery on Kindle) during the long wait for a buck to come into view.

That’s the gist behind “The Modern Deer Camp” (page 28), by contributing editor Brian McCombie. After examining this growing trend, he notes that many retailers “are put off by this steady, game-changing trend wave of tech-

nology and the many hunting- related products it has spawned, but younger sportsmen are embracing every bit of it. You need to embrace it as well, as it can provide a big opportunity for retailers who display a little tech-savvy and some marketing sense.”

These younger hunters, mem-bers of the Millennial Generation, are so important to the future health of the shooting-sports industry that the NSSF recently con-ducted research to find out just who they are and how they interact with the world. One key finding: This genera-tion is used to hav-

ing the world at its fingertips and being connected to their social circle —no matter where they are.

But McCombie also learned that some older hunters have begun to understand that modern technolo-gy can make hunts not only more fun, but safer as well. But, he cau-tions, you just can’t throw this new-fangled stuff on your shelves and expect it to sell itself. It needs to be stocked appropriately, and you need staffers who can explain the fea-tures and the advantages of this gear. Some things never change.

SLATON L. WHITE, EditorMargaret M. Nussey, Managing EditorDavid E. Petzal, Shooting EditorMaribel Martin, Senior Administrative AssistantJames A. Walsh, Art DirectorJudith Weber, Production Manager

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Larry Ahlman, Barbara Baird, Scott Bestul, Philip Bourjaily, Chris Christian, Christopher Cogley, David Draper, Jock Elliott, William F. Kendy, Mark Kayser, Peter B. Mathiesen, Brian McCombie, Tom Mohrhauser, Robert Sadowski, Robert F. Staeger, Peter Suciu, Wayne Van Zwoll

ERIC ZINCZENKO, Executive Vice PresidentADVERTISING: 212-779-5316Gregory D. Gatto, PublisherBrian Peterson, Western Sporting Goods Sales Katie Logan, Southern Sporting Goods SalesDavid Hawkey, Northeast Sporting Goods SalesElizabeth Burnham Murphy, Chief Marketing OfficerIngrid Reslmaier, Marketing Design Director

BUSINESS OPERATIONSTara Bisciello, Business Manager

CONSUMER MARKETINGRobert M. Cohn, Consumer Marketing DirectorBarbara Brooker, Fulfillment Manager

MANUFACTURINGLaurel Kurnides, Group Production DirectorStefanie La Bella, Associate Production Director

BONNIERChairman, Jonas BonnierChief Executive Officer, Dave FreygangExecutive Vice President, Eric ZinczenkoChief Content Officer, David RitchieChief Financial Officer, Nancy CoalterChief Operating Officer, Lisa EarlywineChief Marketing Officer, Elizabeth Burnham MurphyChief Human Resource Officer, Leslie GlennChief Brand Development Officer, Sean HolzmanVice President, Integrated Sales, John GraneyVice President, Consumer Marketing, John ReeseVice President, Public Relations, Perri DorsetGeneral Counsel, Jeremy Thompson

SHOT Business (ISSN 1081-8618) is published 7 times a year in January, Feb ruary/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December by Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695, and is the official publication of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Flintlock Ridge Office Center, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470 (203-426-1320). Volume 22, issue 6. Copyright © 2014 by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. All rights reserved. Editorial, circula-tion, production and advertising offices are located at 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695 (212-779-5000). Free to qualified subscribers; available to non-qualified subscribers for $25 per year. Single-copy issues are available for $5 each. Send check, payable to NSSF, to: SHOT Business, c/o NSSF, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470-2359. SHOT Business accepts no respon-sibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All correspondence should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Requests for media kits and advertising information should be directed to Katy Marinaro, Bonnier Corporation, 625 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 1270, Chicago, IL 60611. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices.

Printed in the USA. For Customer Service and Subscription questions, such as Renewals, Address Changes, Email Preferences, Billing and Account Status, go to: shotbusiness .com/cs. You can also email [email protected], in the U.S. call toll-free 866-615-4345, outside the U.S. call 515-237-3697, or write to SHOT Business, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. For editorial inquiries, write to Slaton L. White, SHOT Business, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016REPRINTS: E-mail [email protected]. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to SHOT Business, P.O. Box 6364 Harlan, IA 51593.

NSSF

Slaton L. White, Editor

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NEWS BR IEFSNEWS ❚ PROMOTIONS ❚ AWARDS ❚ OUTREACHBits &

PiecesSIG Sauer Adds to Zanders Sporting

Goods CatalogSIG Sauer and Zanders Sporting Goods have teamed up to offer SIG Sauer handguns and rifles to the Zanders network of out-door sporting goods retailers. “SIG Sauer’s innovative fire-

arms are in demand by shoot-ing sports enthusiasts, which means they are in demand from our retail customers,” said Mark Schoenbeck, Zanders’ sporting goods purchasing manager. “SIG is a great addi-tion to the Zanders catalog.”For SIG Sauer, it was all

about Zanders’ commitment to its retailer partners.“At Zanders, the customer

always comes first, which is exactly what we want in a dis-tribution partner,” said Andrew York, SIG Sauer’s vice president of marketing and commercial sales. “This gives SIG Sauer another avenue to help our customers find the pistols and rifles they are interested in.”

Todd Weston Joins Traditions

Performance Firearms Todd Weston has joined the Traditions team as the new national sales manager. Weston will play an instrumental role with the management of the company’s network of national sales representatives as well as engage in relations with distrib-utors and retailers. He will han-dle all sales aspects across all channels of distribution. “We are excited to have Todd

come on board,” said Traditions president Tom Hall. “With his experience and dedication to the outdoor industry, we feel this will be a great fit for both Traditions and Todd.”

Russell Upgrades Birdshooter BootT he late shooting writer Michael McIntosh was known for his

appreciation of well-crafted shotguns. But he also had a hand in boot design. According to Joe Gonyo, spokesman for the Russell

Moccasin Company, “McIntosh, a seasoned bird shooter, served up his idea of the perfect pair of bird-hunting boots in the mid 1980s. In his eloquent way, he described them: ‘About this high [7 inches], light of weight, cool in the hot, somewhat water-resistant, easy to get on and off, but sporting a serviceable sole with a fair amount of grip. But not one of those God-awful heavily cleated units. Know what I mean?’”

The conversation led to the original McIntosh Birdshooter design. “We sent the first pair to him for a trial run,” says Gonyo. “Several months later he reported back, ‘Just ideal. Couldn’t have done it better myself, even if I possessed the knowledge and skill required to pull it off.’”

“He knew exactly what he was talking about,” says Gonyo. “His McIntosh Birdshooter went on to become one of our all-time favorite models.”

Now, after nearly 30 years, the company

has upgraded the Birdshooter’s leathers, but has otherwise maintained the original design; it’s still a lightweight single-vamp 7-inch boot fitted with a grippy Vibram Airbob sole.

One version is made from water-resistant American Bison that features a showy grain and texture pattern. It’s available in a rich chocolate brown, cognac, and black. All three colors are trimmed in German elk leather. The other version is made out of supple, lightly oiled tan Muleskinner leath-er, trimmed in chocolate German elk. According to Gonyo, “Muleskinner is a brand-new leather for 2014, one that has the look of suede but far greater water-resistant qualities.” Both versions are also available in women’s sizes. SRP: $438. (920-361-2252; russellmoccasin.com)

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SHB1114_BRF.indd 7 9/10/14 10:57 AM

Plano Socks It to Gun Protection

Plano’s motto, “Protect Your Passion,” evokes images of ironclad totes, cases, and tackle

boxes—and justifiably so. Since 1952, Plano has built intelligently engineered storage solutions, the vast majority predicated on toughness and tireless pro-tection of your valuable gear.

Sometimes, though, protection is administered with a velvet hand. It’s not about wall thicknesses and crash tests. Rather, it’s achieved through delicate han-dling while keeping an eye on removing moisture from the equation. And this job lands squarely in the wheelhouse of Plano’s new Gun Guard Gun Socks.

A series of soft but serious firearm sleeves, Gun Guard Gun Socks slip on like a silk stocking and fit like Cinderella’s slipper. The soft silicone-treated materials serve a couple of key

purposes. First, the Gun Guard Gun Sock offers TLC-grade protection against dings and scratches for short-term handling, like around the cabin or at the shooting range. This degree of tender treatment protects everything from the bluing of barrels to intricate engravings on the action. Gun collectors will find Gun Guard Gun Socks particu-larly effective in their ginger treatment of antique and priceless firearms.

The second level of protection is geared toward long-term storage. The silicone-treated material thwarts the buildup of moisture, both inside the gun and on its surface.

Gun Guard Gun Socks stretch to fit virtually every firearm in the locker. Specific models are sized to fit pistols, rifles, and shotguns. SRP: $5.99 to $7.99. (planomolding.com)

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NHSRA/WEATHERBY SCHOLARSHIP FUND RIFLE HELPS RAISE $165,000

Mark Padilla of Wyoming took a shot in the

National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) 2013–14 raffle and won a custom Weatherby Mark V rifle. The raffle raised more than $165,000, which will provide educational funding to NHSRA members. Since 2001, the NHSRA/Weatherby Scholarship Fund rifle has raised more than $1.3 million via the annual raffle.

“The rifle raffle with Weatherby has exceed-ed anything we could have imagined in our wildest dreams in the

past 13 years,” said NHSRA marketing director Austin White. “The tickets practically sell themselves, espe-cially when we have the custom-made Mark V rifle available for ticket buyers to see in person. The program has grown each year, and NHSRA members have benefitted from the funds we’ve raised with the raffle.”

This year’s raffle drawing was held July 19 at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming. NHSRA members around the country

sell raffle tickets. The state of Nevada raised the most money this year; Arizona was a

close second. Valued at $14,000,

the Scholarship Fund rifle features the

NHSRA logo and is topped with a Leupold riflescope donated by Leupold & Stevens Inc.

Mark Padilla, pictured with his family, won the NHSRA Weatherby Mark V rifle.

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CASE CLOSED? NOT ANYMORE

Gun owners have begun looking beyond the exterior of gun cases to see how well the interior fits

and protects their guns and accessories. Pro-active gun dealers have taken notice, and are displaying cases with custom interi-ors to maximize retail sales and shelf space.

“A gun case sells itself when it’s open,” says Larry Pelcher, owner of Pelcher’s Shooter’s Supply and Indoor Range in Lansing, Illinois. “Customers immediately see how securely the guns are stored—and how accessible they are. That’s important when shooters want both superior protec-tion and quick access at the range.”

“If you’re buying a car, would you neglect the interior ?” asks Eric Cilley, man-ager of The Stockade, a Westminster, California, firearms retailer. “It’s the same idea with a gun case. The interior is vital because it’s what actually cradles and pro-tects your firearms and accessories.”

Both gun dealers and owners are also realizing the limitations of sandwiching the gun between two pieces of foam, which tend eventually to stretch out of shape.

One custom gun case that essentially “sells itself ” when customers see its interior, according to Pelcher, is a five-handgun, 10-magazine storage case from Quick Fire Cases . The company die-cuts its foam inserts, which are designed to snugly fit spe-cific guns using a resilient, military-grade foam that resists moisture absorption and

can help prevent corrosion. “With the case open , customers see at a glance that hand-guns go muzzle-first into universal pistol slots,” says Pelcher, who leaves mock guns in a couple of the slots for customers to try out in his store.

Some of Pelcher’s best-selling custom gun cases feature a MultiFit design from Quick Fire. The design can carry multiple guns and fits more than 50 pistol types, using accompanying filler inserts to ensure its cutouts properly cradle the guns.

Another advantage of the MultiFit design, according to Pelcher, is how it helps to maximize his retail space. “Because of the MultiFit design’s ability to accommo-date customer handgun types, I’ve been able to substantially reduce the number of gun cases I carry in inventory, while offer-ing greater product availability,” he says. “It’s freed up dollars I had tied up in inven-tory, and given us more floor space to add different products. This has enhanced our selection and ability to be a one-stop shop.”

The custom gun cases have UPC codes, and can be stocked immediately. Cilley sug-gests this could improve retail efficiency, particularly if used with a point-of-purchase program. Cases are now available for pis-tols, revolvers, shotguns, and MSRs, as well as the three-gun match case with a slot for a pistol, shotgun, and a rifle. SRP: From $40 to $350, depending upon model. (800-819-4245; quickfirecases)

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NEWS BR IEFS

Leupold Introduces Mark 6 Throw Lever

Supported by a team of dedicated engi-neers, the Leupold

Tactical Optics staff works with American warfighters, law-enforcement personnel, and competitive shooters to design and build products that meet their needs. Currently, more long-range Leupold Tactical Optics are in service with the U.S. military than any other brand. The most recent

addition to the line is the Mark 6 Throw Lever, which clamps over the magnification adjust-ment ring on the Leupold Mark 6 family of riflescopes, providing a point of traction that allows hunter or shooters to make fast magnification adjustments, even when wear-ing gloves. Available through Alamo Four Star. SRP: $189.99. (leupold.com; alamofourstar.com)

Leupold’s Mark 6 Throw Lever provides a point of traction for shooters to make fast adjustments while in gloves.

CRKT, NAA OFFER SPECIAL COMBOThe special edition Tucker Trailmaster combines a pair of best-selling items—CRKT’s Free Range Hunter fixed-blade knife and North American Arms’ .22 Magnum Mini-Revolver—into an intrguing, appealing dual-use combo.

Both items are designed to get the job done and provide the owner with the tools one needs to get by in the outdoors. The knife features an injection-molded handle (that pro-vides excellent grip) and a 4.25-inch high-carbon stainless-steel blade. The lightweight five-round revolver comes with a Hogue slip-on rubber grip.

Each Trailmaster has a serial number, which is engraved on the blade of the knife and on the underside of the frame of the gun. The items are packaged together in a secure leather-coated PVC dual-capacity sheath that comes with a patented belt clip sys-tem for convenient carry and easy access. SRP: $314.95. (northamericanarms.com; crkt.com)

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NEWS BR IEFS

Daniel Defense Releases New Firearms and KeyMod Rail SystemThe new DDM4v11 series of rifles uses the newly designed SLiM Rail 15.0, the manufac-turer’s first rail system featuring the KeyMod attachment system.

“Our customers have been hounding us for a KeyMod rail,” says director of marketing Jordan Hunter. “Not only were we able to deliver, but we man-aged to reduce the weight. You’ll be amazed at how light the V11 feels in hand.” The V11 is available with the 16-inch Government, 16-inch Lightweight, or 18-inch Strength-to-Weight

(S2W) barrel. The SLiM Rail, which is an acronym for Slim Lightweight Modular, will eventually be avail-able for individual sale.

Simultaneously, Daniel Defense is releas-ing the MK18 Pistol and 300 Blackout Pistol. A

recent ATF ruling mak-ing it easier to possess an MSR pistol, and extended approval times for NFA tax stamps, has driven demand for the pistol variant. The MK18 Pistol is very sim-ilar to the MK18 Factory SBR (short-barreled

rifle), popular in the law enforcement and special operations communi-ties, with a 10.3-inch barrel that is classified as an SBR under the National Firearms Act. The 300 Blackout Pistol, chambered in 300 AAC Blackout, also comes

with a 10.3-inch barrel. Both pistols are designed with a 1.15-inch-diameter Pistol Receiver Extension, as opposed to a mil-spec receiver extension and buttstock, and are not NFA regu-lated items.

The Daniel Defense DDM4v11 uses the new SLiM Rail 15.0, the company’s first rail featuring the KeyMod attachment system.

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NEWS BR IEFS

Olympia Goes Outdoors After a purchase by Giant International in recent years, the 111-year-old company Olympia

began to rethink its focus. “We had one two-way radio branded under the Olympia name, and decided to expand the brand into other outdoor categories,” says market-ing manager John Register. The new Giant management team began brainstorming ideas of what other products they could get involved with. “That led to Olympia devel-oping its own outdoor brand,” he says.

Olympia now manufactures high-perfor-mance LED flashlights ranging in power from 160 to 850 lumens, four models of headlamps from 80 to 550 lumens, and three models of two-way radios. All the radios are waterproof and have 50 chan-nels, NOAA weather alerts, and other fea-tures aimed at outdoorsmen. In addition, Olympia makes rechargeable batteries, two solar chargers, and two models of LED lanterns —27 products all told.

“Our ultimate goal is to be a total porta-ble solutions manufacturer for outdoor

enthusiasts,” says Register. “And we strive for interoperability, meaning our products interact and are interconnected with one another. I don’t believe there is a similar manufacturer that brings everything togeth-er under one roof like we do.”

“We are attempting to be a mid-tier play-er in the outdoor marketplace, and are committed to maintaining high-quality brand standards and delivering exceptional value.” For instance, Olympia’s top flash-light (RG850) retails for $89.99, which includes a built-in charger . Its top headlamp (EX550) is priced at $69.99. Olympia’s most expensive two-way portable radio (R500) is $99.99 and comes equipped with an LED flashlight. The radio also floats, making it ideal for use around the water.

“ I would like outdoor retailers to know that they can rest assured Olympia is an honest, reliable manufacturer; we really will do what we say we’re going to do,” says Register. “We back all our products with in-depth R&D, intensive testing, and a two-year warranty. Customers will be getting

what they believe they are getting upfront.”All Olympia products will be available

online (olympiaproducts.com) by the end of the year. Potential dealers can email or call marketing manager John Register at [email protected] or 678-904-6014. —W.H. Gross

Olympia is venturing into the outdoors, as evidenced by this EX550 headlamp, one of four the company offers.

SHB1114_BRF.indd 13 9/10/14 10:58 AM

NEWS BR IEFS

Condition Crimson CampaignCrimson Trace, the leading brand of laser sighting systems and tactical lighting products for firearms, recently launched Condition Crimson, a consumer-focused, multi-platform advertising campaign that urges consumers to do everything within their power to be prepared. According to marketing director Kent Thomas, “To live in Condition Crimson is being able to pro-tect self, home, and family by being pre-pared as much as possible for a wide range of personal protection situations. Whether that preparation is obtaining a CCW permit, completing range practice, or enrolling in a certified NRA firearms class, today’s gun owner is not fully pre-pared without the undeniable advantage a laser-equipped firearm provides.”

The new Condition Crimson advertise-ments will target numerous customer groups. In addition to the core consumer and gun enthusiast, today’s “Gun Culture 2.0” marketplace has numerous catego-ries, including an aging population along with new, younger, and female gun owner groups, as well as protective mothers and fathers. All of these represent the face of today’s gun owner, regardless of age or experience level.

“As the industry leader, we’ve taken on the challenge of speaking to every seg-ment of today’s personal protection fire-arm owners,” said Thomas. “We’re very proud of the new campaign and its arrest-ing imagery with a clear, direct, and bold voice. Today’s new gun owners find that practice, classes, and training get them only so far. They’re never fully and com-pletely prepared until their personal pro-tection firearm is equipped with a laser sighting system. That’s the message of Condition Crimson.”

According to Thomas, the main theme of the Condition Crimson campaign is: “This is Condition Crimson…and in Condition Crimson we stand.”

Forgoing traditional product photogra-phy or professional models, the campaign instead features normal armed citizens—each representing one of the many individual segments of the growing concealed carry/personal protection marketplace. (800-442-2406; conditioncrimson.com)

LEUPOLD’S CARHARTT PROMOTION NEARS CLOSE Customers who purchase a Leupold VX-3, VX-3L, or VX-6 rifle-scope before October 15, 2014, will receive a limited-edition, American-made Carhartt jacket. “Leupold is a uniquely American company,” said Bruce Pettet, CEO and president of Leupold & Stevens Inc. “We want to celebrate the American employees who create our riflescopes in Beaverton, Oregon.”

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SHB1114_BRF.indd 14 9/10/14 10:58 AM

BC_033329_SHB1114P.indd 1 9/2/14 10:25 AM

‘Own It? Respect It. Secure It.’Participate in your industry’s gun safety program

M ore than 600 industry companies are helping to promote this simple, effective message: “If you own a firearm, respect it and secure it when it’s not in use.”

That’s the mantra of “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.,” a new aspect of NSSF’s award-winning Project ChildSafe program, which, in the last 15 years, has distributed more than 36 million gun locks accompanied by safety education literature. The “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” campaign was launched last June, and many more NSSF member companies are expected to join the effort.

Supporters are using the program’s eye-catching badge on their websites, in ads and catalogs, and on social media to remind gun owners of their responsibility to keep their guns from falling into the

wrong hands. Signs, posters, and window stickers bearing the “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” logo are going up at retail shops and ranges.

Our goal is simple: to keep secure, responsible firearm storage atop every gun owner’s mind. The more we say and make visible the “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” slogan, the more we can help prevent firearm accidents and misuse.

With a number of anti-gun groups attempting to rebrand themselves as “gun safety” groups—notably the Michael Bloomberg–funded Everytown for Gun Safety, a fusion of his Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Shannon Watts’ Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America—the NSSF campaign also

serves as a reminder to legislators, the media, and non–gun owners that the industry is the longstanding leader on firearms safety. “Our industry does more than talk about gun safety. It has long

provided the education and the means for gun owners to practice safe and responsible storage and use. That’s what real gun safety looks like,” says NSSF president Steve Sanetti.

To make it easy for businesses to pro-mote the message to customers, NSSF will be mailing NSSF member retailers and shooting ranges counter cards and window stickers showing the “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” logo. Having the industry adopt the “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” campaign magnifies our ability to reach gun owners with this important safety reminder.

An NSSF member who has gone the extra yard to promote “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” is Robin Ball of Sharp

Shooting Indoor Range and Gun Shop in Spokane, Washington. Robin hosted an open house on gun safety in partnership with the Spokane County Sheriff ’s Office, which provided two crime-prevention deputies to discuss gun storage and safety with citizens and distribute free Project ChildSafe gun locks. For this effort, NSSF recognized Ball as a Project ChildSafe “local champion” for promoting firearms safety in her community.

Industry companies are urged to get involved with promoting “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” at whatever level they’re comfortable with. Tools and tips are available at nssf.org/ORS. Also, look for the program to be prominently dis-played at the SHOT Show in January.

“We urge every company in our indus-try to become part of the ‘Own It? Respect It. Secure It.’ campaign,” says Sanetti. “Firearms accidents have dropped to historic low levels, now accounting for less than 1 percent of all accidental fatali-ties. This is great news, but we can do even better by reminding gun owners that properly storing firearms when not in use is the number-one way to help prevent accidents and misuse.”

FROM THE NSSF

Bill BrassardNSSF Senior Director,

Communications

Our goal is simple: to keep secure, responsible firearm storage atop every gun owner’s mind.


BY B ILL BRASSARD, NSSF SEN IOR D IRECTOR, COMMUNICAT IONSUPDATE

SHB1114_FRM.indd 16 9/9/14 1:59 PM


UPDATE

Maximize the SeasonWhen the holiday rush hits, don’t slack of on promotions

A s a firearms retailer, you’ve been through the summer slowdown, and now, as the first hunting seasons have opened, things have started to pick up. Perhaps the busiest part of the year is before you—the holiday season. But rather than just ride it for the boon time it is, think about ways to truly maximize this final quarter.

Beyond the Safety ClassDuring the slower days in your week or outside regular store hours, work with your staff to develop training classes that your store can host; this can turn into an especially productive longer-term cash flow proposition, as new shooters will need somewhere to turn for safety and technique instructions.

This is a good time to get creative. Consider the sales you’ll be mak-ing through New Year’s Day. You’re likely to have more new shooters and first-time gun own-ers. Of course, basic safety classes are a must, but how about a class that explains the differ-ences between semi-auto pistols and revolv-ers, or over/unders, pumps, and semi-auto-matic shotguns? How about a class on caliber choice for rifles? From there it’s easy enough to add a quick class on gun cleaning and mainte-nance, handloading, per-sonal protection, or even an introduction to cer-tain shooting sports.

Not sure what would fly best with your clien-

tele? Ask them! Ask them each and every time you sell some-thing—”Do you know how to use this? Would you be interested in a class on this? What kinds of classes would you like?” This kind of chit-chat over the cash regis-ter is a natural part of making transactions, but you can also use it to uncover new avenues of business for your store. Bigger stores with high-er traffic can even put together a printed sur-vey, a kind of à la carte menu of what custom-ers would like to see.

Community Outreach How about some involvement with the community? Find a charity event that holds a special meaning for you and buy a table or make a prominent dona-tion (and make sure it gets the proper amount of publicity and atten-tion from those running the event). Of course, if you really want to show your customers you’re involved in the things that matter to them, you could host an event yourself. Charity events

generate goodwill in the community, get your store name in the press, and help out with a good cause.

Another great promo-tional avenue is to part-ner with another busi-ness, halving your invest-ment in the outreach and doubling your expo-sure. For instance, you could partner with a nearby range to offer dis-counted range time to customers who make a purchase at your store, or maybe arrange with a local gunsmith to install at a discount any acces-sories or replacement parts bought at your store. Stores located in active big-game hunting communities could part-ner with a local game meat processor; you can even partner with non-industry businesses in communities that are particularly gun-friendly. The goal is to reach new customers and give your existing customers an additional reason to pur-chase from you.

Sales Reps Your sales reps can be an additional resource to assist in the promo-tional process. These

guys and gals have been around the industry for years and have seen which promotions work, and which to avoid. Additionally, your reps have sales goals they need to meet—and if they’ve fallen short during the first three quarters, the fourth quarter is their last chance to make up ground, so there can be an extra incentive for them to help out in any way they can. Whether this is working to get special pricing from your vendors, sniffing out a special buy, find-ing some closeout inventory you can use as a loss leader, or even having a special onsite Meet the Rep day for their brand, your manu-facturer and wholesaler reps can be invaluable allies in driving your sales. This may be the very best time to set aside 15 minutes a day to pick up the phone and reach out to them.

These are just a few of the many retailer promotional tools that you can employ to make this upcoming holiday sales season one for the record books. The keys to maximizing

your success will be to come up unique ways to reach out to your customers and give them a reason to come back into contact with you and your staff. Notice that none of the promotions we’re talk-ing about here involve discounting the price of products. There’s no need to throw away those slim margin dol-lars, especially at this time of year. Take some time, involve your staff, and resist the urge to let the season sell itself. Don’t make the com-mon mistake of cutting back on advertising and promotions because store traffic has picked up. Do the opposite. Train, expand, and sell not just your merchan-dise, but your very busi-ness, so that these cus-tomers—who have many, many businesses vying for their atten-tion—come back to you when the holiday spirit has turned cheek.

For more great tips on promotions and merchandising, see NSSF’s “Merchandising Guide for the Firearms Retailer” and “Advertising and Marketing Guide for the Firearms Retailer,” available free for NSSF members at nssf.org.

RETAILER TOOLBOX

BY PATRICK SHAY, D IRECTOR, RETA IL DEVELOPMENT

SHB1114_RET.indd 17 9/9/14 1:56 PM


UPDATE

FFL Dealers Off FDIC Watch List I n a move prompted by NSSF’s work,

with assistance from the NRA, in getting the issue addressed by key members of

Congress, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) has announced that firearms retailers are no longer on a watch list of busi-nesses deemed at higher risk for fraud. The FDIC’s list was compiled as part of the Department of Justice’s “Operation Choke Point” and has now been withdrawn.

An FDIC spokesman publicly blamed “misunderstandings” and “misinterpreta-tions” and said the agency never meant to prevent banks from conducting transactions or providing services to the types of busi-nesses on its list. More important, the agency issued revised guidance that focused on third-party payment processors but also declared more broadly, “It is the FDIC’s pol-icy that insured institutions [banks] that properly manage customer relationships are neither prohibited nor discouraged from pro-

viding services to any customer operating in compliance with applicable law.”

NSSF worked with Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, on an

amendment that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations act to prevent the government from spending money to carry out Operation Choke Point. NSSF has also been working with the Oversight and Gov-ernment Reform Committee, and we expect to see more information released in the com-ing weeks. Due to the majority of regulatory activity based outside the Washington metro area, Congress will need to mon itor the situ-ation to ensure the revised guidance is prop-erly followed. NSSF will work with the House Financial Services Commit tee and House Oversight Committee to observe the situation and report on developments.

Five Important SHOT Show ResourcesAs the size of the SHOT Show increases, more questions are being asked by attendees. To ensure that you and your company can take advantage of all there is to see and do at the SHOT Show, utilizing the many SHOT Show resources is crucial. Here are five we think are invaluable to our members:THE WEBSITE: The SHOT Show website (shotshow.org)is a “one-stop shop” for information because it gives you access to all of the SHOT Show resources. Exhibitors, media, and other attend-ees can browse frequently asked questions throughout the show. With everything from booth infor-mation to sponsorship opportuni-ties, the SHOT Show website is the place to turn for answers to any event questions.SOCIAL MEDIA: Whether you are in the heat of the action or prepar-ing for the show well in advance, social media is a valuable resource. Social media provides a live chan-nel for everyone attending the

show to exchange information. Follow all the action on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. For spe-cific SHOT Show questions, use

Twitter and tag either @dcauley or @ChrisDolnack.SHOT SHOW BLOG: The SHOT Show blog brings you the latest news and advice from the people running the show. It’s a

great resource for anyone interested in learning more

about the show’s inner workings.THE SHOT SHOW APP: The SHOT

Show Mobile app allows you to view SHOT Show schedules, dis-counts/rebates, and floor plans. The app also features advanced settings that allow you to create notes, plan your agenda, request appointments and callbacks, cre-ate smartroutes, and more.SHOT SHOW HOTLINE: This 24/7 service is available for information regarding travel, lodging, logistics, booth information, events, and other SHOT Show inquiries. U.S. (toll free): 855-355-7468; interna-tional: 203-270-2370

There are a host of resources available to help attendees and exhibitors make the most of their SHOT Show experience.

Banks will no longer be prevented from conducting transactions with firearms dealers due to “Operation Choke Point.”

SHB1114_NSF.indd 18 9/10/14 5:42 PM

© 2014 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SHOT Business®, SHOT Show® and all other trade names, trademarks and service marks of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation’s prior express written permis-sion. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.


Gun Industry Sales Reflect a ‘New Normal’

L ast year was a year unlike any other in the firearm industry’s

history. That’s a fact to be mindful of when comparing estimated sales through the first seven months of 2014 with those of the previous year, notes NSSF president and CEO Steve Sanetti.

Remove the extraordinary 2013 from the rear-view mir-ror and firearms sales in America still show an almost uninterrupted rise over the past 10 years, according to national background check figures adjusted by NSSF to reflect market activity. For the first seven months of 2014, total gun sales rank as the highest in the last decade, with the one big exception of 2013 (see chart below).

NSSF adjusts background check data from the FBI’s National Instant Background Check System to remove non-sales activity such as checks conducted for concealed-carry permits. This results in NSSF-adjusted NICS data being a better indi-cator of market conditions than overall NICS data, although NSSF-adjusted NICS figures do not correlate one-to-one with sales.

From January through July 2014, NSSF-adjusted NICS figures total 6.95 million background checks against 6.85 million for 2012 and 5.64 million in 2011. In 2013, the seven-month figure was 8.81 million, and the annual total was a record 14.8 million. Multiple factors account for last year’s sales surge, includ-ing a fear of additional own-ership restrictions, which came to pass in states such as New York, Connecticut, and Maryland, as well as increas-ing interest in owning fire-

arms by women and former servicemen and women.

“Those who are hostile to firearms ownership are try-ing to suggest sales are off in 2014 because people are no longer interested in owning guns, which is contradicted when you consider sales have risen for 10 years, that last year was the highest year ever, and that studies show increases in first-time gun owners and women buying guns,” said Sanetti.

“The sky certainly is not falling,” Sanetti added. “To me, firearm sales data through the first seven months is saying our industry is experiencing a ‘new nor-mal.’ Like a rocket ship, we’ve returned to Earth, but we haven’t gone back in time. With 2014 on track to be one of the highest sales years in a decade, I call that a sign of a healthy industry serving a passionate, growing customer base.”

Sanetti said he’s not sur-prised at the current sales

market. He pointed out that during conversations last January with representatives of firearms companies at the SHOT Show, hardly anyone was expecting sales to match those of 2013. “They were planning for a normaliza-tion,” Sanetti said. The indus-try’s most active sales peri-od—October through December—lies ahead.

Said Sanetti, “Over the last decade, citizens around the country have exercised their constitutional right to pur-chase a great variety of fire-arms for target shooting, hunting, and personal and home protection. I’m opti-mistic we’ll see a strong fin-ish to this year. And contrary to the naysayers, both the violent crime rate and fatal accidents with firearms have decreased by about 19 per-cent and 22 percent during the past decade, which saw these great increases in the number of firearms being purchased. That’s the most gratifying news of all.”

NEW INDUSTRY FINANCIAL REPORT The newly compiled “Shooting Sports Industry Benchmarking Report” is now available to NSSF members. Designed to provide guidelines in identifying business performance improvement opportunities, this comprehen-sive report is based on a confi-dential, in-depth survey prepared by Columbus, Ohio–based Industry Insights Inc., working in collaboration with NSSF.

Industry members will find the information in this report invaluable as they seek new ways to improve store sales and profit margins. Items analyzed in this survey include statistics from responding firearms retail entities, such as store sales vol-umes, business square footage, community demographics, and seasonality of individual busi-ness practices.

Retailers responding to the survey received confidential, individualized Company Perfor-mance Reports comparing their stats against those of similarly positioned retailers. For those retailers who did not participate in the survey, the 108-page report will serve as a “yardstick” by which their business practices can be compared and assessed against those similarly posi-tioned in the marketplace.

The “Shooting Sports Industry Benchmarking Report” is available to members for $250 at nssf.org.

SHB1114_NSF.indd 19 9/10/14 1:34 PM


UPDATE

Newly minted FFL dealers have a maze of information to negotiate as they get their businesses off

the ground and running smoothly. One of the invaluable tools available to NSSF retailer members is the NSSF’s Retailer Compliance Program. In this program, one of a team of former ATF compliance officials and industry compliance experts who have partnered with NSSF makes an onsite store visit. During that consultation, the compliance expert reviews the business’ inventory controls and record keeping, then helps owners and store leaders create procedures for staff training and other business practices so that a future compliance inspection can be passed with flying colors.

NSSF Delivers Value ONE MEMBER ’SEXPERIENCE

Member: Doug Lower, owner

Business: Doug’s Gun Shop Yukon, Oklahoma dougsgunshop.com

Description of Business: “Doug’s Gun Shop started as a complete firearms, optics, and accessory business, opening its doors in 2013, with a focus first and foremost on customer satisfaction and service. Providing knowledgeable comparisons between products, information on product use, and exceptional pricing led to a growing customer base. Our store and staff participate in trade shows throughout the state, and we utilize social media to connect with current customers and reach out to new prospects. We pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service and customer relationships, making sure to go the extra mile.”

Experience with NSSF’s Compliance Consultants: “Our compliance consultation was performed by Harry McCabe. During the day he spent with us, he provided insight into proper documentation and training methods for our staff, something invaluable to a relatively new business. He helped us to identify areas of improvement to strengthen our business and ensure compliance, while also addressing expansion ideas and challenges before they can become an issue. We found our visit with Harry to be truly invaluable.”

Value of NSSF Membership: “There is no better resource for our industry than NSSF. We have been especially impressed with the proactive approach NSSF has taken in helping FFLs pass inspections with ATF, and in presenting the new NSSF Lead and OSHA Compliance Workshop. We have participated in both, and it has been money well spent. NSSF keeps us ahead of problems, and we know we can count on getting the correct information for our business and industry.”

Interested in NSSF Membership?

Promoting the great American tradition of hunting and shooting is what the National Shooting Sports Foundation is all about. For our members, it’s more than a sport—it’s a way of life. Join the more than 10,000 companies and individuals who have already discovered that NSSF Delivers Value! To learn more, call 203-426-1320, email [email protected], or visit nssf.org/join.

Retailer Compliance Program Focuses on the Details

Owner of Doug’s Gun Shop, Doug Lower, second from left, with three of his expert staff. “We pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service and customer relationships,” says Lower.

SHB1114_DEL.indd 20 9/9/14 2:02 PM

Get Out the GUNVOTEEverything you need to know for November

O n November 4, 2014, members of the firearms industry, gun owners, hunters, sport shooters, and other firearms enthusi-asts will be among those going to the polls to elect 435 mem-

bers of the U.S. House of Representatives, 36 U.S. Senators, 36 state governors, and thousands of other candidates running in state and local races across the country.

Having just gone through a tumultuous two years of onerous new laws being passed and regulations taking effect, it is imperative that everyone who supports the Second Amendment—especially those in the firearms industry—be educated on the candidates and politically engaged. We must not forget that those who will be elected this fall will be responsible for authoring, voting on, and enforcing legis-lation that will affect us for years, if not decades, to come.

In a time when we are all bombarded by media cover-age and real-time news updates, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, your industry’s trade association, has a user-friendly resource to cut through the noise and keep you updated on all the latest political developments: GUNVOTE (nssf.org/gunvote). Here, you can register to vote, find your polling sta-tion, get information on absentee voting, and stay informed on candidates with sto-ries from around the country that are updated on a daily basis. You can also show your support for the industry and for pro–Second Amendment candidates by down-loading the GUNVOTE button to place on your business’ website.

In this age of the 24-hour news cycle and new media coverage of politics, we have a perpetual campaign season. And while we are focused primarily on the 2014 midterm elections, the 2016 presidential campaigns are already a hotly debated topic. Election results this November will

play a major role in shaping the race for the White House and in defining potential presidential candidates. The Republican field is as wide open as it has ever been, and considering that four of the past six presidents served as a governor immediate-ly before taking the Oval Office, the next president could be running in a gubernato-rial race right now.

Republicans are likely to retain control of the House of Representatives,

but with every seat in that 435-member body up for grabs in November, any-thing can happen.

Much talk in Washington has been focused on the chance Republicans have to

win a majority in the Senate by netting only six new seats.

Due to the retirement of many longtime Democratic senators, and with a handful of “red state” Democratic senators facing a difficult political climate, forecast-ers believe Republicans have a good chance of winning the additional seats needed to take control of the upper chamber. Political forecasters say that as many as 20 seats could be in play—which means your involvement will have an impact on the composition of the Senate. We have the chance to elect a pro-industry, pro-gun, and pro-sportsman majority in the Senate, where 2013 gun-control efforts failed by a mere handful of votes. The elections also present us with the opportunity to let President Obama know what we think of his failed policies and begin repairing the damage created by his administration.

The President recently took time out of his busy vacation schedule (between rounds of golf ) to attend a fundraiser for Senate Democrats. There, he slammed Republicans and expressed the importance of majority control of the Senate to advance his agenda. According to the President’s speech, a part of the Republican Party “thinks solely in terms of their own ideological purposes and solely in terms of how do they hang on to power. And that’s a problem. And that’s why I need a Democratic Senate. Not to mention the fact that we’re going to have Supreme Court appointments and there are going to be a whole host of issues that people care about that are going to be determined” by who controls the Senate.

Industry members don’t need to be reminded that both the Heller and McDonald cases were decided by a razor-thin 5–4 majority. One vacancy could shift the balance of power on the highest court in the land.

Learn more about what’s at stake and how you can help protect our industry by adding GUNVOTE to your daily reading. With links to articles, polling data, editori-als, and electoral predictions, you can stay up to date on the national political pic-ture, all at no cost to you.

Don’t make the mistake of underesti-mating the importance of this election on your constitutional rights and your bot-tom line. Visit nssf.org/gunvote, get involved, and make sure the candidates you support in November will support you, your business, and your employees for years to come.

YOU SHOULD KNOW


UPDATEBY LAWRENCE G. KEANE, NSSF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL

SHB1114_YSK.indd 21 9/9/14 1:57 PM


BY JOHN BLAUVELTF IR ING L INE

Combination of the Two Colt joins Cooper for a sub-MOA bolt-action

T he Colt name has been on many well-built firearms, and the Colt M2012 continues this legacy. The manufacturer, best known recently for products destined for military and law-enforcement

use, contracted with Cooper Arms, a well-respected Montana rifle manufacturer. Together, the pair has created an accurate and depend-able bolt-action deserving of the Colt logo. The M2012 can compete in any tactical sniper match as well as place an accurate shot on game. Three models are available, two in .308 and one in .260 Rem.

The action is Cooper’s, and a well-made action it is. The three-lug short-bolt lift design is quick to cycle and won’t pinch your fingers between the bolt handle and the scope bell . The bolt itself is spiral-fluted to prevent binding from dirt or grit, and it adds to the smoothness of operation. A Sako-type extractor takes a big bite of the case rim.

The composite stock for the test rifle has been sourced from Manners Composite Stocks, a Missouri-based man-ufacturer founded by serious benchrest shooters. The line also offers two other stock options: a forged aluminum chassis and a gray laminated hardwood stock.

The 22-inch match-grade stainless-steel barrel is fluted (more for looks than for cooling performance) and gives the rifle a racy appearance. The attached muzzle brake (custom-made by Cooper) is effi-cient without being overly long or—just as important—oversize and ugly. The brake can be easily screwed off and a sup-pressor installed. Since suppressors are becoming more popular in hunting, this was a good decision by Colt and Cooper.

A borescope showed a quality barrel, as well as a well-centered chamber, throat, and crown. A Picatinny-type scope base is supplied and mounted. The bottom metal, from Pacific Tool & Gauge, is a strong and solid five-round detachable box magazine. The magazine latch, also metal, is oversize and easy to release, and the single-stage adjustable Timney trigger is set at a crisp 3 pounds. With a weight of 10½ pounds without a scope, the M2012 is neither too heavy nor so light as to be unstable.

So, the components are good and the foundation is solid, but does it shoot? Yes, indeed, it does. I shot it at 100 yards to get acquainted, but this gun was made to reach out, so I did most of the testing at 200 yards and beyond. With quality ammuni-tion, it will stay at ½ MOA all day. Federal 168-grain Match, the standard for sniper accuracy, and ProGrade Hog Grade ammo with a 150-grain Barnes TSX delivered the best accuracy. Such quality does not come cheap, but even at this price—$3,195—it’s a good buy. Like so much in life, you get what you pay for, and with this Colt, you get even more. (colt.com)

Colt’s M2012 is built from high-quality components, and delivers consistent high accuracy out to 200 yards.

SELLING TIPSThe Colt M2012 rifle isn’t an impulse sale. The clien-tele for this specialized rifle will be knowledgeable shooters looking to upgrade to a better class of firearm to match their increasing abilities. They will have done some research and have ideas of

what works in competition. Point out the quality of the components—especially that it’s built by reputable companies with the best materials . Stress that hav-ing a custom rifle built will not only mean waiting months for delivery, but in many cases will cost more.

The other market for this is police departments looking to upgrade gear for their emergency-response teams. The M2012 is a higher quality than other companies’ matte black and plastic guns. It’s made of superior components and built for consistent accuracy, and is backed up by the Colt reputation.

SHB1114_FIR.indd 22 9/9/14 11:21 AM

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UNDERCOVER SHOPPER

PIXEL PUSHERS

Friendly in FairbanksAn Alaskan looking for a boat gun for protection from bears

appreciates a warm welcome

L ast spring, as melting ice was finally exposing blacktop in parking lots, I used my smartphone to Google “gun shops Fairbanks, Alaska.” Siri sent me to four retailers from Fairbanks and subur-ban North Pole. My story was that I needed a pump shotgun to carry in a jet boat for bear pro-tection. When the summer was over, the pump would stand duty as a home-defense gun. I hit the route button and found the following stores.

STORE A

START WITH WHAT YOU KNOW➤ This big-box retailer rests on the other side of the Chena River, located between a Lowes and a Barnes & Noble. The 50-foot-plus gun counter resides in the back of the store, behind camping and men’s clothing. Staffed with only two salesmen, the counter had an older gentle-men engaged with a handgun sale and a younger salesperson who was seemingly not busy.

I parked myself 10 feet to the left of the non-busy guy and stared at the shotgun selection. After three minutes of me lean-ing over the counter straining to read model numbers and

price tags, I saw a couple approach the non-busy guy. They talked for about 30 sec-onds; judging from the conver-sation, he was somehow in the process of helping them. They then headed down an adjacent aisle. He waited for them to come back with no acknowl-edgment of my presence, not even a simple “give me a min-ute.” After eight minutes passed (I kept track), the older gentle-men wrapped up his sale and came by to ask if he could be of any help. I explained my inter-est, and he said, “Great, do you already own a pump”?

I said, “Yes,” and told him it was an old 870.

“Well, let’s start with 870s.

Since you’re already comfort-able with the gun, that means using it in a dangerous situation will make you more effective.” He pulled an 870 Express Tactical, showed me the remov-able extended ported choke and said, “This will hold seven rounds of 3-inch shells.” We both agreed that the familiarity and comfort of the gun would make it the best choice.

STORE B

PUMP YOU UP➤ Located on the edge of “old” downtown Fairbanks, this con-verted 1950s clapboard house sported a 20-foot sign that read, “Open 7 Days a Week.” The small shop offered a mix of

MSRs and traditional big-game bolt-actions, as well as dozens of revolvers and pistols.

My entrance into the small shop received an instant, warm greeting. The counterman escorted me to the onetime din-ing room and showed me the shotgun rack. The wall held a mix of Chinese brands, a cou-ple of Mossberg 500s, a USA CZ, and a couple of 870s.

Like Store A, he went right to the 870. Although it was a plain black Express with an 18-inch barrel, he said, “This will do all of what you want and more. If you get a bunch of gravel stuffed inside it, just rinse it out in the river, dry it out, and give it a shot of oil.”

SHB1114_UCS.indd 24 9/9/14 11:01 AM

• Devastating terminal on-target performance

• Greater penetration over standard lead

loads beyond 50 yards

• Shot launches from barrel near perfectly

round for extremely tight long-range patterns

SHOT-LOK™ TECHNOLOGY

Fills all the space between pellets to protect shot during in-bore acceleration

Winchester.com/SafetyFirst

• Devastating terminal on-target performance

BC_032225_SHB1114P.indd 1 9/10/14 4:37 PM


UNDERCOVER SHOPPER

STORE C

DOG DAY➤ The next stop was a shop over a commercial garage with a long outside staircase to the front door. My knock was greeted by powerful barks from a Lab. A woman opened the door, introduced me to the dog, and invited me inside. There were two small girls in the corner dying purple and pink stripes on the head of another dog, a collie. The shop had a number of MSRs and plenty of clamshell

accessories on display.After hearing what I was

looking for, the woman said they only stock custom MSRs made from their lowers with the state of Alaska engraved on it. She was happy to let me sit down at their computer, sent me to Davidson’s con-sumer site, and let me pick anything they had in stock with 33 percent down. Most of their traffic was military personnel from nearby Fort Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, she said. “We sell a

lot of handguns and shotguns this way.”

STORE D

HALF-AND-HALF➤ This shopping mall store rests on Santa Claus Lane, just 1,000 yards from Santa’s North Pole Workshop (really). I followed a hallway to a boat display and paint cans. Half the store was dedicated to sporting goods; the other side was hardware.

The gun counter was close to the entrance. It was about 40 feet long and inventoried nearly

300 used and new firearms. I wasn’t standing there a minute when a young man asked what he could help me with. After hearing my plight, he said, “I’m no expert when it comes to shotguns, but I’ll be glad to show you what we have.”

We slid down the counter and he showed me a used Mossberg short-barreled pump, a new 870 Express with a wood stock, and a CZ 612-HC-P. He said he could order something, but I’d have to come back when the manager was there.

How’d They Do?Customer Service

Product Knowledge

Product Availability

Winner: STORE

BThe non-busy guy in store A allowed this small indepen-dent retailer to compete toe-to-toe with the big-box boys. This shop understands that communi-cation, knowl-edge, and warmth close the sale and get the cus-tomer to return.

Alaskan Gun & Ammo308 6th St.Fairbanks, Alaska907-452-3007

��

STORE

AThe score would have been a clean sweep if the non-

busy guy had acknowledged my presence.

��

The guy answered every technical question I posed and then some. When I asked about a Mossberg, he said, “Great gun, but it has an aluminum receiver.”

��

With more than 27 pumps in stock, this store offered the best selection of new guns in town.

��

STORE

BGiven the warm greeting as soon as my foot crossed the

threshold, this guy gets an A+ for effort. This would be a great store to send a first-time gun buyer to.

��1/2The clerk was able to ascer-tain my needs and offered some helpful tips, like using car wax on the finish to extend its storage in the boat during the summer months.

��

About a dozen new short-barreled pumps in three price ranges with four addi-tional used guns. Impressive for a 600-square-foot inde-pendent.

��

STORE

CThis woman really wanted to sell me something, and

politely did everything she could without overly pressuring the moment.

��

Limited, but she openly acknowledged that the store and her expertise were focused on MSRs.

��

Alaskans are pretty accept-ing of the order-and-wait experience. However, if time or travel are issues, her competitors have her beat.

��

STORE

DA general hardware and gun store of the sort we rarely find

anymore. The counter sales-man was friendly and want-ed to make the sale.

��

Limited, but upfront about his skill set. He also engaged one of his regular customers to make some suggestions.

��

Just okay, with five new and three used pumps. Although it should be noted that they had a killer selection of used big-bore revolvers.

SCORING SYSTEM: Outstanding: �� Very Good: �� Average: �� Fair: �� Poor: �

SHB1114_UCS.indd 26 9/9/14 11:01 AM

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M&P® BODYGUARD® 380

M&P® BODYGUARD® 38

The M&P® Bodyguard® 380 and M&P® Bodyguard® 38 are expertly engineered to work in

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BC_033336_SHB1114P.indd 1 9/2/14 10:29 AM

shot business october | november 2014

PAGE

28

PHOTO BY TIM

IRWIN

The

m o d e r n d e e r

By Brian MCCombie Modern technology is altering how hunters

relate to the outdoors. GPS units, trail

cameras, portable chargers, and Bluetooth

devices are changing the game.

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DEER DESIGNED BY PHILIP GLENN FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

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SOLAR POWER DESIGNED BY DAN HETTEIX FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

Those traditions certainly live on in thousands of deer-hunting camps across the country. But technology has carved out a large and growing pres-ence in those same camps, too. Trail camera pics bounce in via cell phones, and portable solar generators charge iPads. Hunters tuck gadgets into their coat pockets that not only operate as digital compasses, but measure tem-perature and monitor barometric fluctuations as well.

Some older hunters (and retailers) are put off by this steady, game-changing wave of technology and the many hunting-related products it has spawned, but younger sportsmen are embracing every bit of it. You need to embrace it as well, as it can provide a big opportunity for retailers who display a little tech savvy and some marketing sense. By embracing this technology, you are also embracing those younger hunters, members of the Millennial Generation, who don’t go anywhere without carrying along the ability (in whatever form it may take) to remain completely connected to their tribe.

Hear Me Now?

➝ Let’s start with the tech basic: the cell phone. “At our camp, everyone has an iPhone,” says the founder of one Arkansas deer camp that’s been around for more than a decade now. “We all have the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission iPhone app on our phones, too, and we can register our deer online with it. We have our deer checked in before we even get it out of the woods!”

Cell phones have replaced two-way radios at many camps. The GPS capa-bility built into these phones can help a hunter avoid getting lost or make it easier to be found. Meantime, you’d be hard-pressed to find too many hunt-ing camps where a laptop computer or an E-tablet doesn’t make an appear-ance. And where Wi-Fi is available, more than a few hunters will tote these to their deer stand to while away the long hours.

No wonder battery chargers and portable solar generating units have become Tech Item Number One for a considerable number of hunters—and manufacturers have responded. Bushnell Outdoor Products (bushnell.com), for example, rolled out its PowerSync line of battery chargers a cou-ple of years ago with hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts very much in mind. The top-selling item in this line is the SolarWrap Mini, a handy 3.1 ounces of portable power that, when fully juiced up, can recharge an iPhone once, an MP3 player twice, or a camera/GPS unit two and a half times.

The Mini’s solar-charging panel rolls up into a package about the size of a 20-ounce soft-drink bottle. It can be recharged via a 110-volt plug-in or with the sun’s help by unrolling its solar collectors in bright to hazy sunshine.

“For your customers, stress the versatility of the Mini and the other PowerSync products. They are very portable and can work just about any-where,” suggests Darin Stephens, outdoor technology product manager for Bushnell. Stephens himself takes his cell phone and Mini to elk camp every fall, and keeps his phone operating in even the most remote areas .

The SolarWrap Mini’s suggested retail price of $59.99 is also a huge sell-ing point. “For under $60, a hunter can get into the solar market,” Stephens notes. “And once he sees how well it works, he’ll start thinking about moving up in the power ratings.”

In addition to three other Wraps, Bushnell Outdoors offers

SolarBooks, fold-out portable solar units that can power larger electron-ic devices up to tablet sizes. Many hunters lay out the SolarWraps or SolarBooks over their tents or on benches in the morning. The unit’s ready to go by the time they return to camp, and they recharge their cell phone or other devices while they sleep. Battery Bars and Power Chargers (both of which are non-solar devices that must be charged up via 110-volt plug-ins) round out the PowerSync offerings.

Helpful Gadgets

➝ Computers allow today’s deer hunters to do some web-based scouting from home or deer camp. “Google Earth and Terrain are huge with us,” says the member of one deer hunting camp in New York State’s Chenango County. “As the gun season goes on, we do a lot of deer drives, often on large tracts of public land we haven’t hunted before. So we use the maps and terrain feature to plan our drives. I like to locate valleys and other nat-ural funnels, great places to set up guys as standers while the rest of us do the driving.”

On these drives, he adds, hunters carry handheld GPS units to lessen the chances of anyone getting lost. More accurate today than ever, these GPS units also allow hunters to mark where they parked their vehicle, where their stand is, and where they shot (or spotted) that huge buck.

GPS units are just the start, though, of the smaller techie gad-gets a hunter might be toting afield. Optics maker Celestron (celestron.com), for example, recently jumped into the electric portable tech mar-

ket with its new Elements line of products, including the FireCel. With a suggest-ed retail price of $39.95, the FireCel not only can charge a cell phone, but it also fea-tures a red LED flashlight to preserve a hunter’s night vision, and an electronic

The Thermotrek, from Celestron, is a battery-operated,

rechargable hand warmer—just what’s needed for a long,

cold morning on a late-season deer stand.

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hand warmer to keep fingers limber during chilly days on the deer stand.

“What hunter doesn’t need a flashlight?” says Elements product manager Mark Namatevs. “And a unit with a light that will keep your hands warm and charge up your cell? All the better!”

FireCel is one of those products that pretty much sells itself, Namatevs believes. In numerous outlets where the item has been offered, end caps or simple displays of the FireCel sell out in a matter of weeks. The lower price point is certainly part of the attraction. In addition, Namatevs thinks the product and all that it can do pres-ents hunters with “a compelling story—they instantly recognize how useful it could be in the field.”

Other handheld Elements prod-ucts for the tech-minded hunter include the WindGuide, which

measures wind speed, temperature, and wind chill; the ThermoTrek, a bat-tery-operated, rechargeable hand warmer; and the TrekGuide, a four-in-one device with a digital compass, a barometer, an altimeter, and a thermometer.

Candid Cameras

➝ One of the largest tech categories for the hunter is the game or trail cam-era market. In just the last three decades, game cameras have gone from cum-bersome boxes that employed 35mm cameras and film (anyone remember film?) to digital units with motion sensors and infrared capabilities. Today’s current generation of game cams use Wi-Fi to send photos to a hunter’s lap-top or cell phone within minutes of that trophy buck walking by the unit.

“I actually live in New Jersey,” notes the co-founder of a Kansas deer camp. “Our game cams let me keep track of what’s going on, even though I’m half a country away. How cool is that?”

These wireless game cams not only let hunters monitor the condition of a food plot, they also allow them to check predator populations. Another impor-

Bushnell’s portable SolarWrap Mini is designed

so the solar panel rolls up into a compact

package that fits neatly into a day pack.

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PHOTO CREDIT

The Bushnell Wireless Trophy Cam HD Series lets

hunters access game images in real time via a data

plan from AT&T. Scouting has never been easier.

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tant function is to record trespassers or other non-authorized persons on a hunting lease. All of it from afar, with no need to have someone tramping over the land, scaring the deer and throwing them off their daily patterns.

Bushnell’s newest game cams, the Trophy Cam HD Series, were introduced early in 2014. They fea-ture black no-glow LEDs, an 8MP camera, and high-definition video (720p for the HD and 1080p for the HD Max). With a new hyper- passive infrared sensor, Bushnell has increased the detection range to 60 feet.

“We wanted to make an all-in-one game-cam package,” says Stephens. “One where you didn’t have to mess around with getting a special SD card or find a wireless carrier.”

The Trophy Cam Series come with their own SD card, plus a pre-paid 30-day data plan from AT&T. The wireless account can be accessed via a special Bushnell web-site, and once the 30-day introduc-tory period is over, hunters can sign up on the site to receive 1,000 images per month for just $9.99. Larger packages are available, too.

“You can receive an image within 45 seconds of when the animal was there,” notes Stephens. “We think the ease of use and how technologi-cally advanced these cameras are will be big selling points for hunters.”

Selling Tech

➝ No, you and your staff don’t have to have Ph.D.s in Advanced Nerdology to sell technologically advanced products to hunters and shooters. But don’t count on these products moving out the door by themselves, either. To keep your hunters buying tech merchandise, you will need to keep the following in mind.Keep Current: “We have a lot of customers coming in with a par-ticular kind of product category in mind,” says Greg Barnes, the hunt-ing department manager for Joe’s

Sporting Goods, in St. Paul, Minnesota (joessportinggoods.com). “They want a camera to record their hunts, for example. But tech and the tech products change up so fast and so drastically—unlike guns—that you really need to keep up on the new features.”

As an example, Barnes cites an updated game camera that debuted just before hunting season. “We were pretty busy, and we were caught a little flat-footed on that situation,” Barnes says. “We just thought, ‘Oh, OK, another game cam. Let’s get it out on the shelves.’ Then, near the end of the season, we realized that these cameras actually had some really impressive capabili-ties. But until we knew that, we couldn’t communicate it to the customers.”

Now, Barnes notes, new tech products and their features and advantages are regularly reviewed at sales staff meetings to educate counter people. Know How It Works: Part of that staff education needs to be on how these high-tech products are actually used in the field. Even in 2014, a good number of your customers are still afraid of technology, or they assume they won’t be able to figure it out. Actually, tech manufacturers strive for just the opposite: They want their super-high-tech products to be as accessi-ble as possible, and they spend millions of dollars in research and develop-ment to make their products user-friendly.

So, showing customers how easy it is to use tech products results in increased sales. Train your staff in the use of these products, and have units available for hands-on demos. Use Point-of-Purchase Displays: “Point-of-purchase displays for tech products are a big sales tool for us,” says Jeff Poet of Jay’s Sporting Goods, in Claire, Michigan (jayssportinggoods.com). “I doubt we’d sell as much tech as we do without those displays.”

Many manufacturers, for example, will have displays of their solar char-gers with the various cables dangling from the units—customers can take out their own cell phone, attach a cable, and reassure themselves the unit fits their cell’s recharging port.

Poet notes that GoPro (gopro.com), maker of the extremely portable camera systems that many hunters use to record their hunts, has extremely effective countertop and floor standing displays, featuring not only the vari-ous models of cameras but also the many GoPro mounting accessories and options available.

“These sorts of displays are not only good for our customers, but they also help our salespeople to remember that we have these items in stock,” he says. “It’s easy to get all wrapped up in selling that rifle—and forget that we have a lot of accessories that the hunter buying the rifle may want, too.

The celestron wind

guide is a very

portable accessory.

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PHONE SIGNAL DESIGNED BY O

LIM

FROM THE NOUN PROJECT; SPEAKER DESIGNED BY VANIA PLATONOV FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

The displays help reinforce to staff these other possibilities.”Put Tech Where Hunters Can See It: A lot of this in-the-field tech-nology saw its first uses by campers and hikers, and general outdoors retail-ers will likely have such tech items in their camping department. Well and good. But when hunting season approaches, Poet and his staff make it a point to move plenty of these tech items and their displays into either the hunting department proper or into those higher-traffic areas hunters will likely be walking through.

“Visibility is the key,” says Poet. “Most of our hunters aren’t going to take a stroll through our camping department. So we have to let them get a look at these products while they are browsing for that new gun or other hunt-ing merchandise.”

More Good Stuff —slaton l. white

➝ The past few seasons, I’ve used the following products on a variety of hunts, including whitetails in Saskatchewan, muleys in Montana, and elk in New Mexico. The gear is all eminently portable and worth every penny.

The Mophie Juice Pack series (fits iPhone 4 and 5, as well as Samsung Android) doubles as a protective cell phone case and charger (mophie.com). The latter is handy to have when you’re out all day on stand or stalk-ing and using the phone’s GPS, which tends to quickly drain a charge. When the phone charge gets slow, simply flick the switch on the case, and you’ll have enough juice to get you back to camp.

I’ve also hunted with Mophie’s Powerstation, which the company refers to as a universal battery. The model I’ve used the most is the Powerstation Pro. It’s small enough to slip easily into my day pack and rugged enough to withstand being dropped from a treestand. Generally, I get three full charg-es before it needs to be recharged. It can also charge iPads and other USB-powered devices.

Brunton (brunton.com) also offers a wide variety of highly portable and rugged chargers. I’ve used the Resync 9000 as well as the more compact Inspire 3200. Both are protected by a waterproof housing and weather-resistant plug interfaces, making them good choices when your customer will be hunting in rain or snow. The company also makes solar-charging units as well. Typically, I get four charges out of the Resync.

Goal Zero (goalzero.com) is an innovative company that grew out of a mission to provide power to people who live in remote areas that lack any sort of power grid. The result is a series of products that sportsmen can use when they go to deer camp. I’ve used the Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit for the past year. It consists of the Nomad 7 solar panel linked to the Guide 10 Plus recharg-er. The recharger can be replenished via the solar panel when you’re out in the field or through a regular 110-volt socket at home. The whole kit weighs only 1.2 pounds. It also can deliver four charges.

The Magellan eXplorist 350H GPS (magellangps.com) is made for tech duffers such as myself. I’ve used it to create “breadcrumb” trails that let me effortlessly get back to camp, and mark important locations such as treestands and vehicle loca-tions. It can do a lot more than that, as I continue to learn. It’s small, so it stores easily in a day pack or jacket pocket, but it features outsize con-trols that make it easy to use while wearing thick, bulky gloves.

Outdoor Technology (outdoortechnology.com) also makes por-table power devices, but the prod-ucts that struck me most are those in the wireless audio line. These are bluetooth-enabled speakers that allow to you play music (if so desired) or access radio (I use the TuneIn Radio app) to be able to lis-ten to the big game while in camp. The most portable unit is the aptly named Buckshot, a small, water-resistant speaker that fits in the palm of your hand and will slip eas-ily into a pack.

The sound quality is really quite good for such a small item. The slightly larger shockproof and water-resistant Turtle Shell 2.0 would also be a good choice for camp, but if you like to live large, try the brand-new Big Turtle Shell. Its outsize bat-tery capacity gives it the capability to charge external devices via the USB port. The BTS will charge your GoPro seven times and an iPhone three times on a single charge.

The compact Magellan eXplorist 350H GPS lets a hunter create a

“breadcrumb” trail from camp to stand. In addition, its outsize

controls make it easy to use when you’re in the field.

SHB1114_DER_02.indd 34 9/10/14 4:52 PM

08.20.2014 15:31 AdID: 33053 SHB1114

PHOTO CREDIT


SHB1114_CAP.indd 36 9/9/14 11:10 AM


ILLUSTRATIO

NS BY ERRATA CARMONA

As the so-called tax season wound down last spring, many equipment retailers, manufacturers, and sales reps began looking for strategies to reduce their tax bill for 2014. One popular strategy involves transferring ownership of the shooting sports business’s building to a third party. Such transactions, known as sale-leasebacks, enable a business to reduce its investment in non-core areas (the land and the building) by selling its owned-and-occupied real estate and then leasing the space back on a long-term basis. It’s a popular way to free up capital for business expansion. It can also help protect your assets: If a lawsuit is filed against the busi-ness, or other issues arise, the building would at least be protected from any legal actions. For the building’s new owner(s), there can be significant tax benefits as well as new financing options.

Do you really need to own the building in which your business is housed?

Maybe not

BY MARK E. BATTERSBY

SHB1114_CAP.indd 37 9/9/14 11:10 AM


However, before rushing to take advantage of this strategy, every shooting sports business owner should consider whether this is a good, viable strate-gy for him—and his business. Before proceeding, it’s important to answer some critical questions: Under what type of entity should ownership exist? Who will pay the mortgage? Who will reap the tax deduc-tions? And what happens if the business changes hands or the owner exits?

GREATER CONTROL➽The seller, now the building’s tenant, can negoti-ate favorable lease terms. In a typical lease, the les-see makes a single rental payment and the lessor pays all of the property’s operating expenses. With a “net” lease arrangement, the lessee pays rent and also pays all of the property’s operating expenses. Thus, the landlord receives a fixed rental payment, net of all property expenses.

Most sale-leasebacks are structured as “triple-net” leases, in which the tenant is responsible for the taxes, insurance, and common-area maintenance. A long-term “hands-off ” lease gives the tenant control over the property similar to when he owned the property. The tenant can, of course, work with the building’s new owner and include options that will provide for future expansion and sublease of the property.

As property owners, the interest expense and depreciation were the only tax deductions usually available to the shooting sports business. A retailer,

distributor, manufacturer, or sales rep leasing its premises can, on the other hand, write off the total lease payment as a tax expense. Thus, a sale-leaseback may have a greater tax advantage and pro-duce a bigger tax deduction.

Unlike a mortgage, a sale-leaseback transaction can often be structured to finance up to 100 per-cent of the appraised value of the business’s land and building. As a result, a sale-leaseback more efficiently uses the operation’s investment in the real estate asset as a financing tool.

However, because a sale-leaseback is not techni-cally a financing instrument, there are no restrictive covenants on the business. And fewer covenants provide a shooting sports business with greater con-trol over its own business and operations.

WHO IS THE NEW OWNER?➽ The new owner of the building can be a trust, corporation, limited liability company (LLC), or even a partnership consisting of the “old”owner and several shareholders or key employees. Since owning commercial real estate involves risks that are differ-ent from owning a business, establishing a LLC or other similar entity to own the building allows the two to be kept completely separate. The new owner can then lease the building back to the business, as well as to other tenants, if space permits.

A “trust” is a unique entity, as well as being a sep-arate, taxable entity for federal income tax purposes.

Reaping the Benef itsBuyers of the real estate assets of a business can benefit in many ways, including:■ Predictable, long-term cash flow■ Returns typically higher than on bonds

■ Possible appreciation of value at roughly the rate of the lease increase■ Low management requirements■ Rent increases and appreciation that hedge against inflation

■ Some tax shelters from depreciation and other deductible expenses■ Positive leverage, espe-cially in this period of high capitalization rates and low cost of debt, that can increase return

SHB1114_CAP.indd 38 9/10/14 4:50 PM


It usually involves an arrangement created either by a will upon the creator’s death or by a trust instrument that may take effect during his life. Under either arrangement, a trustee takes title to the property in order to conserve it for the beneficiaries. However, even if the trust’s beneficiaries are the persons who planned or created it, the trust will still be recognized as a separate taxable entity so long as its purpose was to vest the trustee with genuine asset conservation and protection responsibilities.

A “business” or “commercial” trust is a trust cre-ated as a means of carrying on a profit-making business, usually using capital or property supplied by the beneficiaries. The trustee or other designat-ed persons are, in effect, managers of the undertak-ing, whether appointed or controlled by the benefi-ciaries. This arrangement is treated for federal tax purposes as an association, which may be taxed as a corporation or as a partnership, and is distin-guished from the other types of trusts.

UNIQUE DILEMMA➽ Our tax laws create a unique dilemma regardless of the entity used to hold the shooting sports busi-ness’s building. On the one hand, thanks to the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, begin-ning in 2013, many individuals are now subject to a 3.8 percent Net Investment Income (NII) tax.

Net investment income includes not only rents, but also interest, dividends, annuities, and royalties. Although NII does not apply to income derived in the ordinary course of a trade or business, it does include income from a so-called passive activity.

And it is the IRS that decides whether an individual materially participates in business activities—that is, if he or she participates on a “regular, continuous, and substantial basis.” If it is determined that an individu-al’s participation is not material, he or she cannot deduct losses to the same extent as a business owner who does materially participate in the business.

Thus, regardless of the type of entity the new own-ers choose in order to own the shooting sports busi-ness building, the NII will add the additional tax on the profits from that passive activity. And, if the oper-ation is passive, losses will also be denied or limited.

EXIT STRATEGY➽ Many business owners have successfully held the business and the building that houses it as separate entities. Consider, however, an owner who is think-ing about retiring in a few years and selling his or her business at that time. Many small businesses are sold with seller financing, meaning the owner would get a portion of the price up front, and then the buyer would pay the rest of the purchase price from the business’s earnings over the next few years.

But suppose the buyer fails at running the busi-ness. The original owner would get hit with a dou-ble whammy: He won’t be getting paid for his busi-ness, and his building just lost its only tenant. The original owner would still have to make mortgage payments on his building, only now those payments

A sale-leaseback transaction can provide an ef cient and ef ective means of generating equity capital for

expansion.

SHB1114_CAP.indd 39 9/9/14 11:10 AM

would be coming out of his own pocket.The good news is that there are various strategies

that can be used to minimize or defer taxes, result-ing in a larger portion of those eventual sale pro-ceeds going into the seller’s pocket at closing. Common tax minimization strategies include delay-ing the receipt of sale proceeds, converting from a regular C Corp to an S Corp or LLC, transferring stock to family members, structuring asset purchases to obtain a more favorable capital-gains treatment, and using trusts to reduce estate taxes.

In most cases, any eventual sale will be influenced by two key factors: How the business is legally set up and, in the case of a corporation or LLC, wheth-er it is the assets or the business entity that is being sold. Sales of all sole proprietorships and almost all

partnerships are asset sales. So are the sales of many closely held corporations and LLCs.

With the current economic climate and unfriendli-ness of the credit markets, a sale-leaseback transaction can provide an efficient and effective means of gener-ating equity capital for expansion of the shooting sports business. Bottom line: A sale-leaseback with a net lease can work for both buyers and sellers.

Lurking on the horizon, though, are possible chang-es to the current accounting treatment of sale-lease-backs. Although unlikely to affect the popularity of these transactions, these potential changers should be kept in mind. Obviously, every shooting sports business owner, partner, or shareholder will require the services of a qualified accountant or attorney. Above all, make sure the purchase makes good business sense.

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A RELENTLESS FOCUS ON INNOVATION AND EFFICIENCY HELPS OTIS TECHNOLOGY

BY SLATON L. WHITE

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

The modular floor layout allows the manufacturer to reconfigure work flow quickly and easily.

SHB1114_OTS.indd 42 9/10/14 1:31 PM


GROW, BUT GREAT WORKING CONDITIONS ARE ALSO PART OF THE “SECRET SAUCE”

SHB1114_OTS.indd 43 9/9/14 10:01 AM


The inspiration for her first product came during a deer hunt with her father. The teenager was carrying her grandfa-ther’s Model 94 when she stumbled over a submerged root while crossing a bog in pursuit of a whitetail deer. When she pulled herself up out of the goo, she saw that the muzzle was completely clogged. With no means of clearing the mud, she improvised by jamming a stick into the barrel. It promptly broke off. Hunt over. Back in camp, slowly warm-ing up after a long, cold, disappointing day, she had that “aha” moment: There was a need for an easy-to-use-and-carry kit that could effectively clean a gun (or clear the barrel of obstructions) while a hunter was in the field.

As it turned out, the idea was the easy part. When she got home, she set to work testing ideas and materials. It was a case of classic American tinkering, but after each failure she resolutely went back to work. Finally, she had a prototype that worked, which became the genesis for the first Otis Breech-to-Muzzle gun- cleaning system. She dubbed it the “Whole Kit and Caboodle,” because all the components fit into a small storage container, the shape of which resembled a can of shoe polish. Garrett offered these early kits to friends and family, all of whom said she was onto something. So, armed with a few prototypes (and a small bank loan), she attended the 1985 SHOT Show. Her immediate problem, however, was just getting into the show—she was only 16. But like many entrepreneurs before her, she didn’t let that stop her. She finagled her way in, and the compa-ny was on its way.

Now, nearly 30 years later, Otis Technology (the company is named after her father, Gerald Williams, whose middle name is Otis) continues as a family-run business offering a multitude

of different gun-cleaning products, assembled in a 63,000-square-foot facility with more than 100 employees.

The Black River runs for 125 miles in northern New York, from the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains to the eastern end of Lake Ontario. This part of the Empire State is dairy country, and the tannin-stained river is dotted with many bucolic villages, one of which is Lyons Falls, home to about 500 people. Given the rural character of the area, you could be forgiven if you didn’t realize that the town is home to a sophisticated, world-class manufacturer, one that has twice been rec-ognized for innovation. Such recognition puts Otis in the company of blue-ribbon firms like 3M, Johnson & Johnson, and Chevron.

Unlike some factories I’ve seen over the years, the Otis facility is surprisingly clean and quiet. You don’t hear the rolling thunder of metal stamping or even the locust-like whirring of lathes. You also don’t see oil-stained floors and walkways lit-tered with the detritus of industrial work.

There’s a reason for that. A dirty factory costs money, and Otis would rather invest its resources in new products than in tidying up a messy workplace. All visi-tors are required to wear booties, to keep outside dust and dirt to a minimum, and the shoes the employees wear on shift are kept in a locker room (Otis provides a yearly allowance for this).

“We’ve learned that a clean, well-lighted workplace makes for happier employ-ees,” says Len Nelson, vice president of sales and marketing. “And happier employ-ees who take pride in their work are simply more efficient.”

An emphasis on recycling not only helps keep the factory clean, but contributes to profitability as well. “We try to be as close to a zero-waste facility as possible,” says Nelson. “We recycle all of our cardboard, lubricants, and even our scrap metals.”

In the old days, workers carted off metal waste in wheelbarrows. No longer. “Now, with a fully automated vacuum system and storage tanks, we can capture

virtually all of our scrap metal and recycle it,” he says. Nelson also notes that employees who used to push the wheelbarrows can be put to more productive tasks. “It’s not so much an effort to cut the number of employees as it is to put them to use in the most efficient way possible.”

To that end, Otis Technology fully embraces kaizen, a Japanese term that essen-tially means “continuous improvement.” The term is also used when referring to “lean manufacturing,” which in one iteration means using people in the most pro-ductive way possible.

This philosophy is no empty slogan; it is part of the company’s DNA and extends from the executive offices to the factory floor. “We wholly embrace lean manufactur-ing throughout the organization,” Nelson says. As part of the process, he says, work-stations and machines are constantly being reconfigured for efficient operations. The competitive advantage? As product development evolves, Otis has the ability to quick-ly and easily change the floor plan to make the most of new opportunities.

In one way though, the manufacturer harkens back to a different industrial era.

Thomas Edison once said, “I didn’t find a way to

make a light bulb, I found a thousand ways not

to make one.” ¶ The same could be said of Doreen

Garrett, founder of Otis Technology, a com-

pany that specializes in gun-cleaning products.

SHB1114_OTS.indd 44 9/9/14 10:01 AM

A Clean Well-Lighted Place


place to place within its plant. In 2008, the company implemented an automated storage/retrieval system (AS/RS) as the first step. Rather than have employees running forklifts through a vast storage room looking for components, the computer-controlled AS/AR system does the walking—and the looking—for them.

But there were still holes in the trans-portation process between the work centers and the AS/RS system. The sec-ond step, initiated in 2011, was the ADAM (Autonomous Delivery and Manipulation), a mobile robot from RMT Robotics that automatically con-nects the multiple production processes in its facility. When a call for materials is received from a station operator, the ADAM Commander employs a dispatch algorithm to select the appropriate

Nelson says the company tries “to be as vertical as possible.” This is akin to the old days of Detroit glory, where raw materials went in one door and a complete car popped out the other.

“We believe that being vertical allows us to serve our customers better,” he says. “First and foremost, we’re not reliant on outside sources. Second, we can meet our delivery requirements 99.9 percent of the time.”

Part of the process is total control of the supply chain. “That’s why we design and build most of the product here,” he says.

The few components that are sourced from outside vendors undergo a rigid quality-assurance program. And the parts produced at Lyons Falls also undergo continuous testing throughout the workday.

“We constantly measure tolerances and variances in our machine parts,” Nelson says. “We have some parts with very small threads—both male and female—and we need to make sure that we’re not drifting outside those tolerances. In addition, all of our assembly folks are trained to look for quality assurance at every step of the process.”

Otis also embraces vertical manufacturing in another way: The factory was built with high ceilings that allow for efficient vertical storage. Parts destined for use on the floor are stored in trays in a Vertical Lift Management system.

“Doing so allows us to store a lot product in a very small footprint,” says market-ing supervisor Heather Bennett. “Workers go to one of several centrally located VLMs, type in the tray number they need, and within seconds that tray delivers the product they need.” The obvious advantage: Workers spend less time sourcing parts and more time on the line making the products that drive the company’s growth.

For many years, Otis Technology relied on manual labor to move materials and fin-ished goods within its plant. But having employees walk miles each day with carts full of assembly parts wasn’t exactly consistent with the company’s “lean” philosophy.

So, Otis sought out an automated way to move materials and finished goods from

Otis accommodates working mothers by beginning shifts early, so that the employees can be home in time to greet their children returning from school.

SHB1114_OTS.indd 45 9/9/14 10:01 AM


ADAM vehicle for the task and then wirelessly sends the dispatch instruction to the selected ADAM vehicle. Given the destination and task, the ADAM vehicle is free to autonomously navigate through the facility to the destination using an infrared guidance system. Unlike conventional Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), the ADAM does not require wires, targets, or markers. It uses a map that is stored in its memory.

Upon arriving at its destination, the ADAM is manually unloaded and then assigned delivery locations by the opera-tor via an onboard keypad scanner interface. The operator can select from any destination in the building from a pick list or choose to send some of the load to a first destination and the remainder to a second destination.

This kind of automation greatly helps overall efficiency and productivity. Even so, it pays to have a human backup.

“We have a person we call the ‘water spider’ who constantly monitors the line to make sure everyone has what they need,” says Bennett. “The water spider constantly communicates with the ADAMs and the VLMs and sees to it that no one is waiting for parts.”

Given the isolation of the main factory (two hours by car from Syracuse), Otis knew it would be hard to attract and keep top engineering talent. Moving from Lyons Falls, which was devastated by the closing of several pulp mills years ago,

was out of the question—the family remains committed to the area—so company offi-cers devised another solution. If they couldn’t get engineers to come to them, they would go to them. In 2010, Otis opened a research-and-development arm in Phoenix, just outside Syracuse. The location gives the company access to a diverse group of suppliers as well as to the top engineering talent found at nearby universities.

“Our Phoenix facility allows us to continue the growth and development of the Otis Technology brand,” says James Brooker, vice president of engineering. “Here, we can look at ideas and concepts and then generate parts and engineer solutions.”

Keeping in mind the technology part of the company’s name, Brooker says they use Solidworks 3-D CAD systems. “Utilizing our 3-D printing capability, we can test several iterations within hours. As these concepts turn to reality, we can produce tooling, production quantities, or injection molds for plastics.”

To Brooker, Phoenix is a “full-service facility.” For product-development specialist Chris Ashley, Phoenix is the “Skunk Works.” The modular office for the engineers allows for the efficient exchange of ideas and critiques, and the digital CAD design system “lets us check form, fit, and function before we even build a prototype. Essentially, we’re on a quest for continual improvement, and being able to design in-house, and even do our own molds, is a big step in that area.”

But even with CAD design, at some point you actually need to create a real object that can be held in the hand. That’s where the water jet comes in. This machine uses high-pressure water and abrasives to cut a wide variety of materials. “The water jet gives us the ability to rapidly create an odd-shaped prototype with-out extensive setups and tooling. All we have to do is change settings in the machine itself,” Ashley says.

That kind of flexibility helps keep Otis Technology in the hunt by allowing its engineers to quickly, simply, and inexpensively test various designs to see if they have the potential to become viable products. From humble origins and a single product, Otis Technology has evolved into an industrial powerhouse that produces a wide range of gun-cleaning products for hunters, shooters, law enforcement, and the military. And to think, it all started with mud in the muzzle.

From the original Whole Kit and Caboodle, developed by founder Doreen Garrett in the mid-1980s, the Otis Breech-to-Muzzle cleaning system has evolved to include the new Ripcord (right). It features a heat-resistant outer layer, a molded rubber core, and threaded ends for additional cleaning components.

SHB1114_OTS.indd 46 9/9/14 10:01 AM

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BY CHRIS CHRIST IANGOOD STUFF


A Tool for All ReasonsReal Avid’s AR15 Tool goes far beyond rifl e maintenance

T he AR-based modern sporting rifle is one of the most popular semi-auto rifles in America. It does, however, require some maintenance practices that differ significantly from other rifle designs. This is especially true of the direct-impingement versions, which operate by sending propellant gases back into the operating action to cycle it.

The combination of hot, high-pressure propellant gases and petroleum-based lubri-cants creates a carbon buildup that can bring proper function to a screaming halt. This carbon is easy to remove with the proper hardware, and a num-ber of MSR-specific tools are available for this task. The recently introduced Real Avid AR15 Tool (SRP: $79.99) is one of the more innovative designs in this area. Not only does it include the spe-cialty gear that an AR requires, but its expand-ed features make it a multi-tool so effective that it’s like having a pint-size tool box in the palm of your hand.

The AR15 Tool is a folding design with mul-tiple tool heads. Constructed from stain-less steel with a black oxide coating, it features G10 grip panels that provide a secure hold during use. It ships with a MOLLE-compatible ballistic nylon sheath. The AR-specific tools feature a fold-out bolt-carrier group scraper with a multi-tooth head that can remove carbon buildup from the bolt face, bolt-face firing-pin hole, bolt-cam pin, bolt waist, firing pin, bolt-locking lugs, and the extractor lip. A separate

carbon scraper provides an aggressive scraping edge and is sized to fit the interior bolt-carrier surfaces. It includes a file on one side.

Another fold-out tool features a hooked car-bon pick for hard-to-reach areas. It is installed on the arm with 8-32 female threads and, if not required, can be replaced with any tool head of similar threading. Another fold-out tool is a center pin

punch that is secured with 8-32 male threads; it can also be inter-changed with any tool head using that pattern. In addition, there is a fold-out bolt-override tool. Lastly, a pouch on the MOLLE sheath holds a small, double-ended MSR front-sight adjustment tool that can adjust four- and five-pin A1 and A2 front sights.

That basic tool-head assortment will handle any field-cleaning prob-

lems with an MSR. But the other tools have made my Real Avid AR15 Tool a valuable addition to my range bag, regardless of what I’m shooting.

The tool also includes a 3.25-inch partially ser-rated 440C stainless-steel Tanto knife blade that flips out quickly with a thumb stud and is secured with a liner lock. Opening the tool pro-vides access to a combi-nation needle-nose pli-

ers, with a larger, inner-tooth section and a carbide-cutting section that can cut or strip wire. A tap-hammer insert on one side of the closed tool lets it func-tion as a light-duty ham-mer. These come in very handy when setting up or breaking down props, barriers, and targets .

Equally useful, espe-cially for quick gun repair, is the fold-out bit driver and the six double-ended screwdriver bits that fit it. One bit lives in the tool holder, and the other five live in elastic holders on the MOLLE sheath. This provides 12 screwdriver bits, includ-ing three flathead screw-drivers ( 1/4-, 3/16-, and 3/32-inch) that can handle any flat-bit chores, from tightening scope mounts and handgun grips to smaller tasks such as tending to adjustable sights and revolver side-plates.

Rounding out the dozen are a No. 1 Phillips bit, five Allen bits ( 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 9/64, and 3/16), and three TORX bits (T10, T15, and T20). I’ve yet to find a minor loose-screw problem on a firearm that this 12-bit selection could not handle. That’s a lot of versatility from a tool that takes up so little room in my range bag. (800-286-0567; realavid.com)

The Real Avid AR15 Tool is great for AR repair, but it’s also functional for all sorts of related tasks.

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WHAT’S SELL ING WHERE BY PETER B . MATHIESEN

AZ Bear Arms, Scottsdale

Keeping more than 1,000 guns in stock in 2,400 square feet, this small metro Phoenix retailer strate-gically manages every inch of space with seven employees. Glock 42s and 17s lead the handgun pack for this home-defense retailer. M&P Shields are just behind.“Our inventory of ammo is the

best it has been in two years,” said Kurt Stancl, director of operations “However, many customers are sur-prised that the cost hasn’t returned to pre-election pricing.”MSRs are turning daily, with

strong numbers for Smith Sporters and Colts. Premium-priced MSR sales are flat.Stancl expressed concern that

many online retailers are charging low prices for premium firearms, hiding high handling fees on the

back end. His sales staff is educating buyers that those fees make Bear Arms’ pricing closer than it might seem. To compete, Bear backs up each sale with personal service.

CO Jerry’s Outdoor Sports, Grand

Junction This mountain retailer fills 11,000 square feet with a fire-arms selection of 1,200 guns, along with a large inventory of safes, hol-sters, and reloading gear. Handgun sales are strong, especially Springfield XDSs and XDMs. Smith M&P Shields are also robust.MSRs still turn at least one unit a

day, often a Smith M&P Sporter or a Bushmaster. “MSR sales aren’t what they were, and customers are more price-sensitive. However, they are still moving,” said counter salesman Charles Vavak. With the exception of all things

rimfire, ammo stocks are the best they have been in two years.

ID Lolo Sporting Goods, Lewiston

Located in downtown “Old Lewiston,” Lolo has three full-time salespeople who overlook a large inventory of reloading supplies, handguns, long guns, and MSRs. Ruger tops the list here with LC9s and LCPs, followed by Springfield XDS and XDMs and Kimbers.“Overall, ammo stocks are good,

but not being able to get rimfire ammo has plummeted our .22 and .17 HMR sales to an all-time low,” said buyer Mike Thomas.Long-gun sales are at the fall

peak, led by Ruger Americans in .243 and Winchester Model 70 Featherweights in .308 and .30/06. MSRs are moving fast; Rock Rivers and Windhams in .223 top the list.

INMidwest Gun Exchange,

Mishawaka “Ammo is finally back, and we see it steadily improv-ing, even on .22s,” said Brad Rupert, general manager of this Great Lakes–area retailer. “Our inventory is the best it has been in several years.” Waterfowl season is heating up,

and the shotgun counter is getting heavy traffic on Benelli Super Black Eagles as well as the Remington Versa Max and 870 Express. Handgun sales are as good as they’ve been all year, with Smith M&Ps and Bodyguards posting high numbers. SIG 238s and 938s are also attracting plenty of attention.MSRs are making nearly the same

number of turns as they did last year, with local Indiana gunmaker BCI Defense holding the high ground. Colt is sitting comfortably in the second slot. Remington 700s

lead the bolt-action category, fol-lowed by Tikkas and Savages, usual-ly in .270 and .243.

MN R.H. Kay Firearms, St.

Paul This retailer stocks his tightly inventoried 500-square-foot store to meet the needs of an extensive home-defense clientele. “My clients are acutely aware of current events, and spend hours readying their fam-ilies for the possibility of a disaster. Overall, sales are very good,” said owner Rick Kay. He said Windham Weaponry and Olympic Arms hold the top spots in MSRs.Other high-demand items include

UTAS 15-round-capacity pump shotguns. Ammo stocks are improv-ing, but Kay still sees the .22 short-age as a serious problem. Handgun sales are strong. Glocks and CZ 1911s pull the best numbers.

MO Target Masters,

Columbia This well-established shop has a 25-yard 10-lane range. Although handgun sales are good, a drop in discretionary income has resulted in a tougher sales environ-ment. “Our traffic is fine, but the store is experiencing a trend in that our customers are moving toward more price-point guns,” said counter salesman Jim Hill. “Business may not be what it was two years ago, but it’s still very good.”Glock 42s and Springfield XDSs

are tied for the top two spots at the handgun counter, followed closely by SIG 238s. Kimbers and Desert Eagle 1911s are also moving well. MSRs have slowed to just one every two weeks. The largest turns are going to Smith M&P Sporters. Sales of bolt-actions have dwindled, mainly because of big-box pricing.

West

Midwest

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WHAT’S SELL ING WHERE

FLGainesville Target Range,

Gainesville This retail store, which has an outdoor gun range that can handle more than 80 shooters, caters to home-defense and tactical clientele. Handgun sales are possibly hotter than last year’s, with Smith M&P Shields, Glock 17s, and Springfield XDSs all turning well. The store’s most popu-lar caliber remains 9mm.Home-defense shotguns are

moving well. Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 Tacticals have been locked in a dead-even heat for the last two months. The store contin-ues to offer a popular “build your own MSR” promotion. “No matter what customers buy, they’ll come in for more accessories when they build it themselves,” said counter salesman Bob Kelly.Daniel Defense’s Model V7 tops

the list for MSRs. LWRC is in second place. Ammo stocks are improving, but .22 is still coming up short.

NCHyatt Coin & Gun, Charlotte

With more than 12,000 square feet of retail space, this store turns an average of 15,000 firearms annually. “Ammo stocks are actually good.

We have everything we need, except we’re a little light on .22. Overall, the trend is a vast improvement from even six months ago,” said manager-buyer Derek Jarstfer.Sales of MSRs are steady. Rock

River Arms and the Triton Billet Line of Head Down Firearms are the two top sellers. Springfield handguns—particularly the XDS and XDM—are leading this year’s pistol sales across the board. Glock 19s and SIG P229s are also selling briskly. Bolt-action rifle sales are increasing daily. Tikkas

are in demand, though the Savage Model 11 is also doing well.

AR Pawn Gallery, Clarksville This

independent pawnshop stocks an average of 250 firearms and is located off Interstate 40, 40 miles east of Fort Smith. “We’re a small shop. Unless we can find volume .22 ammo, we have decided that it’s just not worth competing with other larger stores in our area,” said owner Rick Elam.MSR sales are slowing this fall,

and Elam said he has only a few Bushmasters in stock. Lever-action long guns are picking up speed, though. Winchester and Marlin .30/30s are seeing the highest demand. Handgun inventories are the best they’ve been all year, with Springfield XDSs and Ruger LC9s garnering the most attention.

NJ Firearms Support &

Storage, Whippany Just 30 minutes from New York City, this retailer keeps an additional 3,000 square feet of vault space, and is the first federally and state-approved public gun storage facility in the country. “Deer season is moving more

inventory than last year, and we have the gear in stock, including ammo,” said owner Barry Osias. Slug guns are hot. Here, Remington 1100s and Express slug guns see the high-est turns. Mossberg 500 Slugsters are also crossing the counter well.MSR sales are improving, with a

higher than usual demand for .308 Rock Rivers in addition to DPMS in .223. Handgun sales are consistently high, with all things Smith at the top of the list, including Shields and Bodyguards.

PA Sportsman’s Gun Shop, New

Holland In business since 1954, this general hunting and fishing retailer inventories more than 1,000 new and used firearms. “Deer season is shaping up to be

the best we’ve seen in some time,” said owner Joe Keffer. “Stronger hunter numbers and an improving deer herd are making bolt-action rifles really move off the rack.” T/C Ventures and Ruger Americans top the list. MSRs are still trending at about three a week, with M&Ps and LWRCs in the high slots.Handgun sales are excellent.

Smith M&Ps are doing very well, and the classic J-frames in .38 are seeing heavy traffic. Sales of Glocks have increased, and Ruger LC9s have maintained a steady demand.Ammo stocks are improving, and

most calibers other than .22 are in

stock. Sales of Ruger 10/22s and Ruger Americans are growing, in the hope that .22 ammo will improve.

MEMill Creek Rod & Gun,

Orrington This small retailer keeps an average of 50 guns in stock along with general outdoor gear. Maine-produced Smith 22A and Model 41 pistols are popular here. With several price points, SCCY 9mms are also doing well.“Used guns are our primary focus.

We stock a dozen or so new guns, and concentrate on used shotguns and hunting rifles,” said owner Dave Barrett. Savage Model 99s in .300 Savage and Winchester 94s in .30/30 continue to dominate for pre-deer and moose season. At the used shotgun counter, Winchester Model 12s and Ithaca Model 37s always make for a fast sale.

South

East

SHB1114_WSW.indd 52 9/9/14 1:54 PM

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MosquitnoMosquitno has created a simple and all-natural way for hunters and shooters to stay bug-bite free without the use of sprays, which can contain chemicals and leave residue on skin and clothes. Mosquitno Bands are all-natural, non-toxic wristbands made of silicone rubber infused with 100 percent citronella oil. Each band contains enough citronella to effectively repel bugs for up to 150 hours of exposure (or six days), and each comes

in a resealable pouch to preserve effective-ness between uses. Mosquitno Bands are available in eight solid colors, camouflage, tie-dye, and glow-in-the-dark in sizes for adults and children. SRP: $3.99.

Mosquitno Spotz are all-natural, non-toxic, and durable stickers, also infused with citronella oil, that can effectively repel bugs for up to 72 hours of exposure. If mosquitoes and other bugs usually bite at the back of a knee, ankle, or neck, Spotz can be strategically placed at those areas of the body or on clothing to pro-tect any sweet spots. $SRP: $3.99 per sheet of six. (mosquitnoband.com)

StanleyHere’s a new take on the carry cup—the Vacuum Pint from Stanley. Built like the proverbial brick outhouse, this dishwasher-

safe, 16-ounce stainless-steel cup will keep coffee hot for 90 minutes or beer or soda cold for as long as 4.5 hours. It features a press-fit lid with a wide opening for easy sip-ping. It also has a built-in opener. SRP: $23. (stanley-pmi.com)

DryCASEDryCASE, known for its water-proof electronic cases, is intro-ducing the Brunswick waterproof backpack in Mossy Oak Shadow

Grass Blades camo. Made of a heavy-duty TPU, the Brunswick weighs only 2.2 pounds and has padded shoulder, waist, and chest straps. The main waterproof compartment offers 30 liters of storage capacity and an internal zippered pocket to store smaller items. Other features include an external mesh zippered pocket, a mesh drawstring side pocket, and cara-biner webbing straps. SRP: $119.99. (800-600-0379; drycase.com)

(Continued from page 54)

The Vacuum Pint is dish-washer-safe.

DryCASE’s Brunswick backpack has a two-way air valve to help a packer squeeze out excess air.

Hunters can adjust the settings on Comanche Outfitters’ Kodiak trail cam from a distance with a smartphone.

Go to: www.ShotBusiness.com for free info.

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NEW PRODUCTS PHOTO BY LUKE N ILSSEN


GerberBorn of cutting-edge materials and crafted with decades of design experience, the Gerber Legend is completely sourced and proudly made in the U.S., delivering a knife that hunters will cherish. Most important, though, the knife was con-ceived to provide a lifetime of service. Built to last using pre-mium CPM-S35VN stainless steel and a full tang construc-tion, the Legend features a 3-D machined G-10 handle with Oregon Spalted Maple inlay for a superior grip. A limited- edition offering (only 1,200 will be made), the Legend includes a handmade Tanner Goods sheath with a puncture-proof insert for convenient carry. Housed in a custom storage box, the Legend is one trophy that is meant to be used and abused in the field, and comes with Gerber’s legendary life-time guarantee. SRP: $750. (gerbergear.com)

(Continued on page 53)

SHB1114_PRD.indd 54 9/9/14 11:20 AM

CL POCKETPUTS THE WORLD

IN YOUR POCKET

For the frst time, these compact binoculars offer absolutely everything

that you’d ever want from compact binoculars. They are comfortable to look

through and provide high-contrast, sharp and lifelike images. Their great optical

performance is combined with intuitive handling and a compact design. Always

with you, ready to use at any time – whether you’re out hunting, out hiking or on

a family excursion. The new CL Pocket: 100% binoculars – 100% joy of discovery.

SWAROVSKI OPTIK – for that all-important moment

YOU CAN FIND OUR PRODUCTS AT AUTHORIZED DEALERS AND ONLINE AT WWW.SWAROVSKIOPTIK.COM.

SEE THE UNSEENWWW.SWAROVSKIOPTIK.COM

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BC_033640_SHB1114P.indd 1 9/10/14 3:25 PM

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