Winchester Announces 2021 Price Increases on Ammunition and Reloading Supplies

March 22, 2021

To All Winchester Ammunition Customers:

Thank you for your commitment to Winchester and Browning Ammunition in support of our legendary products. 

Due to the increased cost inputs for manufacturing ammunition, it is necessary to increase ammunition prices for all shipments, including backorders, beginning May 1, 2021. 

Ammunition will be subject to the following price increases. 

  • Shotshells + 5%-12%
  • 22 Magnum Rimfire ammunition + 5%-15%
  • Hunting Rifle ammunition + 5%-15%
  • All Centerfire Pistol ammunition +8%
  • Components +10%
  • Primers +25% (Due to our current backorder situation, until further notice, Winchester is not accepting new orders on primers)

These May 1, 2021 increases will affect all pack sizes, sub-brands, and special make-ups. 

All existing orders and future orders shipped on or after May 1, 2021, will be shipped at the new prices unless you notify us requesting cancellation. Procedures for repricing back and future orders will be issued with new pricelists and programs in the coming weeks. 

Sincerely, 

Matt Campbell

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Colt Brings Back the .44 Magnum Anaconda Revolver

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From Colt’s Manufacturing . . .

Colt’s popular Snake Gun revolver series gains a new addition with the updated Anaconda. The Anaconda is a six-round, large frame, U.S. forged stainless steel double-action revolver chambered in 44 Magnum. It is available nationwide at Colt Stocking Dealers for $1,499 MSRP.

The 2021 Anaconda has been fully re-designed to utilize an oversized Python action with a bulked-up frame for added strength. The leaf-spring action provides a non-stacking, smooth-as glass trigger pull. Recoil-absorbing Hogue overmolded grips are interchangeable with all Colt Python grips. The sights are elevation and windage adjustable, and interchangeable with a simple Allen key.

Its iconic profile comes from the full-lug, ventilated rib barrel, available in 6″ and 8″ lengths. A recessed target crown offers protection and like all Colt revolvers, the cylinder rotates clockwise. The frame is drilled and tapped for optic mounts, making the Anaconda an unstoppable huntsman’s sidearm.

“The Anaconda is a legendary piece of the Snake Gun series and fills a unique space in the revolver market,” said Justin Baldini, Product Director at Colt. “Our team was dedicated to making this revival worthy of the Colt name while serving the needs of today’s gun owner.”

First manufactured in the 1990’s, it is now the fourth Snake Gun re-released by Colt. The Cobra, King Cobra, and Python have all seen a successful re-introduction to the market. The Anaconda is manufactured at Colt headquarters in West Hartford, Connecticut.

AOB owns , among others:
Crimson Trace, Caldwell, Schrade, Imperial, Frankford Arsenal, Smith & Wesson & Thompson Center.


American Outdoor Brands Blows Past Fiscal Q3 Estimates As Sales Jump 91 Percent

American Outdoor Brands hit it out of the park in its fiscal third quarter, nearly doubling its top-line numbers from the prior-year quarter and besting the numbers for its second quarter, which is historically AOUT’s biggest quarter.

Company President and CEO Brian Murphy, a 2016 SGB 40 Under40 Award Honoree, reported on a conference call with analysts that the quarter exceeded its internal expectations for revenues and net income.

“I believe our performance reflects not only the ongoing strength of the outdoor market but, more importantly, the value of our highly authentic brand portfolio, our unique Dock and Unlock strategy, the harvesting of our strong new product pipeline, and the investments we made in our business two to three years ago that are beginning to bear fruit. These elements have long been core to our strategy, and they underlie the great results we’re reporting today,” Murphy offered on the call.

AOUT saw net sales for the fiscal third-quarter increase 91 percent to $82.6 million, compared to $43.3 million in the prior-year third quarter, driven by “favorable consumer trends and a consumer preference for our strong brand portfolio.” Company CFO Andy Fulmer detailed that seven of its 20 brands grew more than 100 percent over the prior-year comp quarter.

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Ruger Introduces the MAX-9 Pistol

Ruger MAX 9

Capacity: 12+1
Slide Material: Through-Hardened Alloy Steel
Slide Finish: Black Oxide
Slide Width: 0.95″
Safety Option: Standard Model – With External Manual Safety Lever
Grip Frame: High-Performance, Glass-Filled Nylon
Feature: Optic Ready
Barrel Length: 3.20″
Front Sight: Tritium Fiber Optic
Rear Sight: Drift Adjustable
Magazines Included: One 12-Round and One 10-Round
Overall Length: 6″
Weight: 18.4 oz.
Height: 4.52″
Suggested Retail: $499.00

AhhhhhHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

A week old article, but illuminating.

Americans Are Spending Their Stimulus Checks On Guns.

Americans are looking forward to another round of stimulus checks and gun shops are looking forward to another round of stimulus stockpiling.

As the House takes its final vote Wednesday on the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, many Americans are looking forward to spending their $1,400 stimulus checks at the gun store.

“Stimulus check equals gun money,” said Brandon Wexler, owner of Wex Gunworks in Delray Beach, Florida. “I do anticipate that when people get a stimulus check they will spend it on firearms, accessories, high-capacity magazines and ammo, if they can get it.”

Retailers have learned from the previous two rounds of stimulus payments that they can provide a temporary windfall for gun stores.

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US handgun, long gun imports surge 60% in 2020: analysts

U.S. imports of handguns and long guns surged by 60% in 2020 compared to the previous year and supplied more than a quarter of the nation’s demand for firearms, according to an analyst group’s Monday report.

The U.S. imported 6.4 million handguns and long-guns in 2020, compared to the 4 million in 2019, Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting announced. The plurality of these types of firearms came from Turkey – which exported 1,478,464 – as well as Austria with 1,284,785 and Brazil with 1,016,630, the SAAF said. Other top countries include Croatia, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and China.

The SAAF data excludes muzzleloaders and military weapons.

Meanwhile, 3.455 million munitions were imported in 2020, and largely came from Russia – which tops the charts with 765,487,845 units – Mexico, Italy, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Serbia, South Korea and Hungary, among others, the SAAF found.

The SAAF said the surge in gun imports “is in line with last year’s demand surge.” Around 23 million guns were sold in 2020, with U.S. imports supplying 28% of the firearm demand, gun groups said.

Meanwhile, the National Shooting Sports Foundation estimated that there were more than 8.4 million legal first-time gun buyers in 2020. Earlier this month, Smith & Wesson attributed its 102% third-quarter jump in sales to a flood of first-time buyers.

The Springfield, Mass., company’s third-quarter sales were $257.6 million compared with the $127.4 million the company raked in during the same period in 2019.

“Over the past year, millions of our fellow Americans from all walks of life have chosen to empower themselves by exercising their 2nd Amendment rights for the first time,” President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Smith said in Thursday’s earnings release. “Our loyal employees have risen to the challenge – delivering over 1.8 million units in the first three quarters of our fiscal year alone, ensuring that these new members of the shooting sports community were able to choose the highest quality, innovative firearms that Smith & Wesson has been known for since 1852.”

 

Smith & Wesson To Host First Virtual Event for Consumers

Smith & Wesson is hosting a free, direct-to-consumer virtual event on March 15, at 8 p.m. eastern standard time. The one-hour session provides enthusiasts with the opportunity to see the company’s latest introductions and much more, while honoring social-distancing precautions from the comfort of their home or office. Registration is required to attend Smith & Wesson’s first-ever virtual event. There is no charge.

Simply go to the special webpage, provide your name, e-mail address, phone number and zip code. You will need to create a password. A confirmation e-mail will follow from the company. It includes a time-saving link to conveniently log into the event on March 15.

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Smith & Wesson’s first time gun buyers drive 102% sales jump

Firearms sales continued to be a sector that has not sagged during the pandemic with Springfield, Massachusetts-based gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson reporting a 102% sales jump in its fiscal third quarter to $257.6 million, compared with $127.4 million during the same period a year ago.

The company attributed the dramatic sales increase to a rise in first-time gun buyers.

“Over the past year, millions of our fellow Americans from all walks of life have chosen to empower themselves by exercising their 2nd Amendment rights for the first time,” President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Smith, said in Thursday’s earnings release. “Our loyal employees have risen to the challenge – delivering over 1.8 million units in the first three quarters of our fiscal year alone, ensuring that these new members of the shooting sports community were able to choose the highest quality, innovative firearms that Smith & Wesson has been known for since 1852.”

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BLUF:
Whether it is the concerns created by government lockdowns, the looming threat of gun reform, the fear another riot is around the corner, or concerns people have with their government, Carey said people tell him they are uneasy.

“That unease is only increasing,” he said. “People know the fight over gun control is only going to escalate that. It already is.”

Business is booming in this small-town gun shop

NEW ALEXANDRIA, Pennsylvania — Within moments of President Biden using the anniversary of a school shooting to call on Congress to take on new gun restrictions, Nathan Carey’s phone began ringing. The 37-year-old gun shop proprietor said he was fairly certain he knew what triggered it before taking the first call.

“It happens every time a politician mentions gun control,” said Carey, owner of the Bullseye Firearms Gun Vault.

Carey said Biden’s call for congressional action on guns didn’t just increase his already brisk business. Gun owners and nongun owners alike called the shop, asking questions.

“We didn’t just get calls and foot traffic. We also got a lot of questions. People want to be educated. They want to understand what is happening, why it is happening, and how it will affect their lives and their ability to purchase a gun or ammunition,” explained Carey.

Located on Main Street off old Route 22, Carey’s gun shop business is robust. Part of that is loyalty and trust built over generations beginning with his grandfather, a highly respected gun dealer.

It also boasts of extraordinary customer service.

As each person walks in, they are guided through with care and knowledge whether they are an experienced gun collector or a first-time buyer. The former is often looking to expand a collection. The latter is a phenomenon that has exploded industry sales so much in the past 12 months that it has depleted stock no one, including a seasoned pro such as Carey, ever anticipated.

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Nosler Launches Project 48 Mission for New Gun Owners With Colion Noir, Tim Kennedy

From Nosler . . .

On the heels of a year where new hunter participation increased dramatically and more than 8 million people became first-time gun owners, Nosler has announced plans to launch their new “Project 48” initiative designed to welcome, engage and educate this record number of new shooting sports enthusiasts. Social media powerhouses, Tim Kennedy and Colion Noir, have been revealed as the company’s first partners to lead efforts behind the mission.

The partnerships bring together two of the industry’s most eminent 2A activists and shooting sports enthusiasts with the trusted leader in premium ammunition, bullets and rifles. In collaboration with Nosler, both Kennedy and Noir will utilize their significant social media platforms to reach new shooters and deliver content that resonates with the growing shooting sports community. Project 48 content will cover a broad range of topics including firearm safety and maintenance, shooting drills, information on 2A legislation and tips for new hunters.

An attorney by trade, Colion Noir is recognized as one of today’s leading voices for young gun enthusiasts, producing firearm lifestyle and 2A content for his millions of followers on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. In addition to social media, Colion appears regularly as a FOX News commentator on the issue of gun rights.

Tim Kennedy rose to fame as a professional MMA fighter in the UFC. A lifelong martial arts athlete proficient in jiu-jitsu, boxing and wrestling, Kennedy was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of fame in 2011 as MMA Fighter of the Year. In addition to his professional fighting career, he is an active, Ranger qualified, Green Beret, Special Forces Sniper with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as others around the globe. Kennedy’s accomplished career has catapulted him into the social media spotlight, amassing over 1 million followers across his platforms. Today, he plays an important role in empowering people of all backgrounds to take ownership over their safety by offering specialized self-defense, firearms and emergency response training through his company Sheepdog Response.

Additions to the Project 48 lineup will be announced throughout 2021 and is set to include a unique pool of talent that includes military personnel, professional athletes, 2A activists and more.

“As we charge through the first quarter of the 21st Century, we are focused on partnering with the pillars of our industry who are leading efforts to educate our millions of new consumers” said John Nosler, President of Nosler Inc. “Our new Project 48 partners are dynamic leaders who are committed to addressing the most critical issues facing our industry- new hunter recruitment and new shooter education. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Colion Noir and Tim Kennedy to the Nosler family and are looking forward to joining forces during this pivotal time in the shooting sports industry.”

More information about Nosler, Project 48 and its partners can be found at www.Nosler.com.

NRA Reveals Assets From Charlton Heston Statue to Range Rover in Latest Bankruptcy Filing

The National Rifle Association owns expensive statues, a luxury SUV, and has a private jet service on standby, according to public court filings released Monday.

Among the NRA’s assets are statues and paintings of its former president Charlton Heston worth nearly six figures, a Range Rover for the group’s treasurer, and a prepayment to a private jet company. The group also listed liabilities including millions in disputed tax payments to the IRS, millions owed to fundraising companies, and hundreds of thousands owed to lawyers. Overall, the group has roughly $245 million in assets while owing about $112 million in liabilities.

The detailed financials of the NRA were revealed as part of a summary of assets filed with the federal court overseeing its bankruptcy.

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CZ BUYS COLT:
An Exclusive Interview With Lubomír Kovařík – President CZG

Last week’s announcement finalizing the purchase of Colt by the CZ Group left fans of both brands with more questions than answers. After all, an American icon being acquired by a successful firearms company from the Czech Republic might create a bit of anxiety in the purists of our world. But unlike takeovers of American firearm brands by conglomerates with little to no industry experience, this deal seems to be different. So what does it actually mean when we say CZ Buys Colt? TFB was lucky enough to have access to CZ Group’s President and Chairman of the Board Lubomír Kovařík for an exclusive Q&A session and additional details. Continue reading “”

The NRA Owes the IRS $3.4 Million in Taxes and Penalties

The National Rifle Association owes the Internal Revenue Service an estimated $3.4 million in taxes and penalties, according to documents filed in the gun group’s bankruptcy case.

That figure represents the biggest claim by any creditor yet to come forward in the bankruptcy, which is before a Texas court. And it suggests that the IRS is applying additional scrutiny to the NRA, which the agency regulates by virtue of the group’s nonprofit status.

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As posted about a month ago,
CZG – ČESKÁ ZBROJOVKA GROUP SE TO ACQUIRE COLT

CZG – Česká zbrojovka Group SE (“CZG” or “the Group”) hereby informs that on 11 February 2021, it signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interest in Colt Holding Company LLC (“Colt”), the parent company of U.S. firearms manufacturer, Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC as well as its Canadian subsidiary, Colt Canada Corporation.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the definitive agreement, CZG shall acquire a 100% stake in Colt for upfront cash consideration of $220 million and the issuance of 1,098,620 shares of newly issued CZG common stock. The agreement also provides for potential earnout consideration of up to 1,098,620 shares of newly issued CZG common stock if defined EBITDA thresholds are achieved in years 2021 – 2023.

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When the management becomes the story, instead of what the organization does, the management needs to go. Wayne needs to ‘retire’.


Disgruntled NRA Donors Push to Oust LaPierre

Disgruntled NRA donors will petition a bankruptcy court to purge the group’s leadership. 

David Dell’Aquila, who is leading a class-action suit over accusations of financial impropriety, told the Washington Free Beacon he will request a court-appointed trustee to temporarily oversee operations. 

“We’re going to definitely do a motion for a trustee,” Dell’Aquila said. “I would not be surprised if the majority of the other creditors don’t join or do a similar thing.”

The NRA filed for bankruptcy in January in a bid to relocate from New York—which is trying to dissolve the group—to Texas. Officials say that the NRA is financially solvent and the court filings are meant to ease the move. The bankruptcy, however, is not without risks. The court could appoint a trustee with the power to displace the current board and leadership of the NRA, including longtime CEO Wayne LaPierre. The court-appointed official would enjoy broad power during bankruptcy proceedings. He would be required to act in the best interests of the group’s creditors and could pursue claims that NRA leaders misused millions of dollars of the group’s money on their own personal expenses. 

“It’s in everybody’s best interest to get a trustee in there, certainly from the creditors’ point of view, and, I would argue, even for the five million members because every dime that they waste in frivolous litigation is a dime less that could go to the core mission,” Dell’Aquila said.   

The group’s top lawyer, William Brewer, dismissed the idea of a bankruptcy trustee in January. He said the NRA has responded to accusations of improper spending by filing suit against a top vendor. It has also required leaders such as LaPierre to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars stemming from reimbursements. 

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Ammunition shortage will continue throughout 2021

Director of Public Affairs at the National Shooting and Sports Foundation Mark Oliva said gun sales in 2020 surpassed previous records.

“We had 21 million background checks for a sale of a firearm that is by far the strongest year we have ever had on record. The previous record before 2020 was 15.7 million background checks for the sale of a firearm,” Oliva said.

Oliva noted that in 2020 there were 8.4 million gun purchases from first-time buyers. Moreover, 40% of overall gun sales were from women, and gun purchases by African American’s spiked by 58%.

“It really is a tectonic shift, when we look at whose the gun owner this year and you’ll see that today’s gun buyer looks a whole lot less like me, a middle-aged white guy and more like the rest of America,” Oliva said.

Oliva said the growing number of gun owners has contributed to the increased demand for ammunition.

“You start to throw in all these new buyers, all the people who are using already, and you start to throw in a little bit of the panic effect that goes in with seeing a bare shelves you kind of get a picture of why it’s been so difficult to find the ammunition we need.”

Oliva said it’s uncertain when manufacturers will catch up to the heightened demand for ammunition.

“We are probably going to have elevated buying that is going to go well into this year, how long that goes on for will really, be dictated by the opening moves of the Biden administration when it comes to gun control,” Oliva said.

Owner of Firearms Training of Western New York James Emmick said new gun owners in western New York options were limited in learning how to shoot their firearms due to COVID-19 restrictions and winter weather.

“It’s really is frustrating to have all these new gun owners going, I’m a little nervous I have this new gun and I need training, and saying there is not much we can do right now,” Emmick said.

Emmick noted that half of his students in 2020 told him they never thought they would own a gun.

“A lot, a lot of people, I mean people who said my spouse always wanted me to get my pistol permit and I never thought I would, but now I should,” Emmick said.

The New Americans
In a moment of anger, chaos, and disintegration, they gave us hope

Them GameStop and AMC boys. Te salutant!

By now, every sentient American, meaning everyone not completely narcoticized by political propaganda and fear or by prescription drugs, is familiar with the basics of the story: A bunch of small investors, day trader types, banded together on a Reddit thread called WallStreetBets to drive up the prices of two stocks, GameStop and AMC, with the goal of profiting by bankrupting hedge funds that had taken massive short positions in those stocks. As the prices of both stocks increased, the hedge funds were forced to cover their bets, vomiting up billions of dollars to the kids who had banded together to play the markets just like the big boys do, the difference being that they had placed their bets in public, with full transparency, proclaiming the goal of sending AMC and GameStop stock, as they put it, to the moon.

That’s how the game of markets is played, and there is nothing wrong with it, in theory, unless of course you happen to work at AMC or GameStop, which are the companies that some of the big boys were trying to destroy through gamified short-selling. They also happen to be the kinds of companies that day traders on Reddit threads have fond feelings about, whether as consumers of video games and movies or as former or current employees. The particular target of the short squeeze was a fund called Melvin Capital, and as the short bets went south, Melvin had to explain to the people whose money it was investing—who included Mets owner Steve Cohen and the Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin—why billions of their dollars were now running into the sewers, a prospect that Cohen, Griffin, and their peers no doubt found alarming and no doubt also a bit humiliating.

The math was so simple that any child, or unemployed day trader playing the market with the proceeds of their $600 government stimulus check, could understand it. As one tweeter named TSLA1Trillion who boasts the grand total of 83 Twitter followers put it: “Every 12 dollars up. Melvin loses 1 Billion! Game over at 175. $GME.”

Here, in other words, was Occupy Wall Street in action, but maybe a hundred times more effective: ordinary people protesting against the financialization of the U.S. economy by taking collective action to squeeze the short-sellers, saving companies they cared about and saving thousands of jobs belonging to the people who work at those companies, while forcing the suits to disgorge some part of the money they were making by treating the market like a giant video game and squeezing the life out of companies for profit. Give the money back to the people! And hats off to them boyz and girlz willing to show their faith in collective action by putting their measly day-trading accounts on the line. What a perfectly American act. What a demonstration of collective solidarity in action at a time of increasing social atomization and economic suffering, in the dead of winter, in the middle of a pandemic—why, I could just go on and on and on. …

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