Industry Notes

(GunReports.com) -- Friends of NRA has announced its 2011 Gun of the Year: a custom-made Colt 1911 that honors the firearm's 100 years of service in the United States Armed Forces. Offered only at local Friends of NRA events, each pistol has a 5-inch barrel, carbon steel polished blued finish, 7+1 capacity, standard grip safety, spur hammer and custom rosewood grips with an NRA medallion recessed on both panels. Every specially produced Colt commemorative pistol in…

(GunReports.com) -- The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has recommended that ATF impose multiple-sales-reporting requirements for long guns. In a report issued Monday, the OIG made 15 recommendations for changes and improvements to ATF’s Project Gunrunner (PGR) initiative on the “illicit trafficking of guns from the United States to Mexico.” The long gun reporting recommendation echoes a past proposal made by the anti-gun Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) coalition in its ”Blueprint for Federal Action on Guns (2009).”

(GunReports.com) -- O.F. Mossberg & Sons will sponsor Patrick Flanigan, noted for his multiple-target-breaks shotgun records. The eight-time world-record holder recently broke his previous world record, breaking 7 clay targets thrown by hand, shot individually from the hip with a Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun.

(GunReports.com) -- Chiappa Firearms' new .22 LR handgun--which operates like a U.S. Military M-4 Carbine with a 6-inch barrel but without a shoulder stock--will hit the shelves in early 2011. It will be distributed by MKS Supply, Inc., of Dayton, Ohio.

(GunReports.com) -- McMillan is building 20 limited edition M40A1 Commemorative United States Marine Corps sniper rifle packages in honor of the Marine Corps and the legacy of the military sniper. The M40A1 rifles are being built to the exact configuration as those originally issued. McMillan is calling the series Project 8541, the number used to designate Marine Corps snipers.

(GunReports.com) -- Ruger has been presented with the Firearms Manufacturer of the Year award by the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers for the fourth consecutive year. The award was presented during the Association's 37th Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

(GunReports.com) -- The Rhino revolver, introduced by Chiappa in mid-September, is now being offered in a matte/brushed electroless nickel finish by MKS Supply, Inc. Unlike other revolvers, the Rhino fires from the bottom chamber @ 6 o'clock, which the companies claim results in less muzzle flip.

Following an unprecedented and robust midterm NSSF Voter Education campaign, including the establishment of an NSSF Political Action Committee, the 2010 elections proved to be exceptionally strong for pro-industry candidates at both the federal and state levels. In the election, Republicans took back control of the House of Representatives while picking up six seats in the Senate and 10 governorships.

(GunReports.com) – Stoeger Airguns is offering cash up to $1000 as a Christmas promotion. To enter the Christmas Cash Give-Away, visit http://usa.stoegerairguns.com and complete the online form and you will be entered to win a cash prize of $500, $750 and $1,000. All entries must be received by midnight, January 15, 2011.

(GunReports.com) – Bushmaster Firearms will help police officers, military, authorized security staff and TSA personnel purchase a qualifying Bushmaster rifle by making a payment of $100 cash to the FFL holder who receives the firearm and assists the qualified purchaser with the completion of the ATF Form 4473 and transfer of the firearm. Called the 2010 Bushmaster Individual Officer Purchase (IOP) Program, the company is offering pricing below retail (25% off) on nine of the most popular law enforcement rifles through December 31, 2010.

(GunReports.com)—SIG Sauer's new P290 Sub-Compact 9mm is a double-action-only pistol designed for conceal carry or used as a back-up for plains clothes or security personnel. The P290 is finished in either natural stainless finish or a black Nitron finish. Unique to the P290 are polymer customized grip plates in aluminum, wood and polymer that can be engraved with the shooter's initials.

(GunReports.com) -- Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: SWHC) announced that the company's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer William F. Spengler has resigned effective November 12, 2010 to accept a position as president of a publicly traded company in the phytochemical and natural products industry. The Company has initiated a search for a new CFO. John Dineen, who joined Smith & Wesson in 1997 and who currently serves as vice president of finance for the firearm division, will assume the responsibilities of interim chief financial officer for Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation.