Industry Notes

(GunReports.com) -- Thermold Design and Development, manufacturer of polymer magazines and other injection molded firearm accessories, has appointed Stanley Smith as Chief Operations Officer.Smith has more than 25 years experience in product development and manufacturing in the firearms industry.

(GunReports.com) -- The upcoming issue of Esquire magazine, due to subscribers in about two weeks and due on newsstands several days later, carries an exclusive adaptation from The Gun, an examination of the origins of the world's most abundant weapon - the Kalashnikov assault rifle - and the consequences of its spread.The Gun and the adaptation of the book in Esquire, entitled 'How They Were Betrayed,' are written by C.J. Chivers, a former Marine Corps infantry officer and now a senior writer for The New York Times, where he reports for the Foreign and Investigative desks. He is also a frequent contributor to Esquire. In 2009 he shared a Pulitzer Prize for coverage in of combat in Afghanistan.

One of the major reasons hunters choose a 20 gauge over a 12 gauge is the former's smaller frame, weight, and recoil. Though they may already own a 12, many field sportsmen wind up reaching for their 20s because the smaller gun is just easier to handle, and there are just a few hunting situations—layback goose hunting and spring turkey hunting, to name two—in which the bigger payload might make a difference.

The Remington Sportsman line has two 12s and three 20s. The 12s come in 26- and 28-inch barrels and weigh 8.1 pounds and 8.25 pounds respectively, compared to the weight of our test 28-inch-barrel gun, about a full pound lighter.

(GunReports.com) – The United States Army’s Joint Munitions and Lethality Contracting Center has awarded Remington a contract for the upgrade of up to 3,600 M24 Sniper Weapon Systems (SWS) to be classified as the M24E1. In the package is a new Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20x50mm Extended Range/Tactical (ER/T®) M5 Locking Adjustment riflescope.The major configuration change for this system is the caliber conversion from 7.62mm NATO (.308 Winchester) to .300 Winchester Magnum to provide soldier’s with additional precision engagement capability and range. The contract is for a five (5) year period and has guaranteed minimum value of $192K with a potential value of up to $28.2 million.

(GunReports.com) -- The NRA is challenging federal laws that prohibit law-abiding Americans eighteen through twenty years of age from legally purchasing a handgun through a federally licensed firearm dealer. The case was filed Tuesday evening in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Lubbock Division. James D'Cruz of Lubbock, TX is the plaintiff in this case.'In Heller and McDonald, the U.S. Supreme Court clearly stated that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms for all law-abiding Americans,' said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. 'That right is not limited only to Americans twenty-one years of age and older. Indeed, throughout our nation's history, adults beginning at age eighteen have served in the military and fought for this country with honor. But while the Supreme Court has consistently made clear that the federal government cannot ban or unduly restrict sales of items protected by the Constitution, the federal government continues to prohibit these adults from purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers, which represent the largest and most accessible means of purchasing handguns.'

(GunReports.com) – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced today that it has awarded Glock a 10-year contract valued at up to $40 million.The agreement makes available for the first time both the Glock 22 Gen4 and Glock 27 .40 caliber pistols to all ATF agents. The terms provide additional Federal Agencies the opportunity to ride on the contract in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

(GunReports.com) – Leupold’s Tactical Optics Division has announced the addition of Horus reticle options for the Mark 4® 12-40x60mm Tactical Spotting Scope. This Mark 4 spotter is the standard Scout Sniper Observation Telescope (SSOT) of the U.S. Marine Corps.Horus H32 and H36 reticles join the Leupold Mil Dot reticle as options. The H32 has a mil line for target measurement and speed estimation, while the H36 features an inverted “L” in Inch Of Angle (IOA) for ranging. The Mil Dot reticle matches those found in Leupold Mark 4 riflescopes, allowing a spotter to quickly range a target, view the same sight picture as the shooter and convey necessary adjustments.

(GunReports.com) -- The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Chicago's new gun ordinance, asserting that 'by banning gun ranges open to the public...under color of law,' the city is depriving citizens of their right to keep and bear arms in violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

(GunReports.com) -- Smith & Wesson has introduced a new X-Frame model in collaboration with professional hunter Michael Waddell – the S&W500 Bone Collector.

(GunReports.com) -- The Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010 (H.R. 5552) passed by unanimous consent in the Senate last week.

(GunReports.com) -- The eighth member of an illegal gun trafficking ring that trafficked over 65 firearms from Atlanta, Ga., to the San Francisco Bay Area has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.

(GunReports.com) - Smith & Wesson® Corp., the legendary 158-year old firearms maker, announced that it recently received the “Rifle of the Year” award from the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence for the company’s M&P15-22 tactical rifle. This distinction marks the second year in a row that Smith & Wesson has won the award for best rifle. The Smith & Wesson M&P15 MOE was named “Rifle of the Year” last year during the annual Shooting Industry Masters.