Shotguns

As a Federal firearms licensee (FFL), it is your duty and obligation to account for the acquisition and disposition of firearms, and it is essential to ensure that firearms are not diverted to the criminal element whether by theft or pilferage. ATF is dedicated to your success in fulfilling your duties and preventing the unlawful diversion of firearms. The following guidance on required and recommended security measures is intended to assist you in accomplishing these goals.

Mark your calendar and make plans to attend the 2008 World Skeet Shooting Championships held at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, TX, October 3-11.

ACCOKEEK, MD - In a sudden death duel against Norway's Tore Brovold, Vincent Hancock captured the Gold medal for the U.S.A. in Men's Skeet. This is only the second Gold medal in Olympic history for the U.S.A. in Men's Skeet.

NORTH HAVEN, CT - Mossberg International has introduced the new SA-20 Semi-Automatic 20 Gauge Shotgun. This gas-operated shotgun is available in two models to fit all size shooters. The SA-20 is fitted with a standard 14-inch length of pull (LOP) synthetic stock and forearm while the SA-20 Bantam features a shortened 13-inch LOP. The gas system on this reliable wingshooter vents excess gases to aid in recoil reduction and helps in eliminating stress on the operating components.

BEIJING, China —The U.S. Olympic Team for Shooting turned out an outstanding performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China earning six medals to double the medal count from Athens four years ago. Arguably, the most successful showing for the U.S. in the history of the Olympic shooting competition, the U.S. Shooting team brought home two gold, two silver and two bronze medals and set a total of five new Olympic records.

GunBroker.com had almost two dozen Black Eagle II’s listed a day ago, with a low price of $1,050 for a used gun with a 28” barrel and factory chokes and case.

We’ve noticed a distinct improvement in the fit and finish of Beretta’s guns lately, and the 471 Silver Hawk was no exception. Our sample sported a well-figured piece of wood, dark chocolate in color. The buttstock sported a classic orange butt pad mated to a black spacer that marked a smart-looking transition from wood to pad. We liked having this pad as a feature on this gun. Too many times, makers seeking to keep a classic design classic achieve such looks by denying modern improvements.We would not have been surprised to have received this gun with a finished, checkered wood end to the buttstock. But such aesthetics, while handsome, aren’t terribly practical. With the many technical fabrics that we have available these days to keep us warm and dry while hunting, a buttstock minus some sort of tacky (as in gripping, not cheap) butt pad has a tendency to slip from the shoulder during firing. A rubber butt pad, of course, eliminates such a problem. That Beretta put an orange one on this stock—and fitted it perfectly—was the touch we feel was needed to combine the practical with the classic. However, the Beretta website indicates that this gun can also be ordered with a black-rubber butt pad, as well as a hard-plastic butt plate.

BEIJING, China (August 16, 2008) —The U.S. Shooting Team added to its medal count at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing Saturday when 19-year-old Vincent Hancock (Eatonton, Ga.) captured the gold medal in Men's Skeet.

BEIJING, China (August 14, 2008) — Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.) added to her Olympic medal tally Thursday when she captured the silver medal in the Women’s Skeet event at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Case in point: According to the January 2008 issue of Gun Tests, the Smith & Wesson Elite Gold Grade I Side-by-Side 20 Gauge, $2380, was a B+ gun, and a better pick than a comparable L.C. Smith. Online pricing for the gun found on Gunbroker.com had no bids for one gun in a no-reserve auction # 106244497, but it has a “Buy Now” price of $1399.

Gun owners in Baltimore whose firearms are stolen would be required to report the theft to police under legislation approved by the City Council yesterday—despite questions about whether the proposal is legal.

BEIJING, China — Twenty-one year old Corey Cogdell, (Eagle River, Alaska) took home the first medal for the U.S. Shooting team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing Monday, claiming the bronze after an exciting shoot-off in the Women's Trap competition.