Gun Sales Rise as Crime and Accident Rates Fall

Press Release . . . edited

For more information contact:
Steve Wagner(203) 426-1320

Gun Sales Rise as Crime and Accident Rates Fall

NEWTOWN, Conn.—New statistics show that firearm and ammunition sales are on the rise, coinciding with steady downward trends in gun crime, suicide, and accident rates in the U.S.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry, has released U.S. Dept. of the Treasury figures indicating that 2005 retail sales of firearms and ammunition rose 2.6 percent for a total volume of $2.1 billion.

For the year, approximately 4.7 million new guns were sold, bringing the estimated number of citizen-owned firearms in the U.S. to more than 290 million. The number of American households with at least one firearm is now estimated at nearly 110 million.

Of the various firearm types, the sharpest gains were seen in retail sales of handguns (pistols and revolvers). Handgun sales rose 3 percent while long-gun (rifle and shotgun) sales rose 1.8 percent. Ammunition sales rose 3.5 percent.

Combined 2005 sales of firearms and ammunition generated $224.3 million in excise taxes earmarked for wildlife and habitat conservation projects, through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act. Since inception, the act has raised more than $5 billion for conservation.

As NSSF-member companies and conservationists laud the latest sales numbers, their applause coincides with more good news about American society in general.

According to figures from government and independent sources, firearm crimes, suicides and accidental fatalities, including accidents among youth, are all trending downward.

“Reductions in gun crimes and accidental fatalities have been documented for many years, even as gun sales and ownership in our country continue to rise,” said Doug Painter, president of NSSF. “However, today’s anti-gun organizations rake in lots of cash by perpetuating the myth that more guns equals more bad news. Clearly, there is no relationship between gun ownership and firearm misuse.”

Painter credited many different organizations and programs working together to ensure that gun owners are safe, active, responsible and aware of their 2nd Amendment rights.

NSSF’s highlight programs include:

• Project ChildSafe. Has provided more than 30 million free firearm safety kits, including gunlocks, since 2003.
• Don’t Lie for the Other Guy. Educational program to help firearm dealers curb illegal gun purchases, and warns potential violators of the penalties for making a “straw purchase.”
• Safety Education. A variety of materials in print, video and electronic formats help deliver safety messages to America’s gun owners and students.
• Recruitment Programs. NSSF responsibly reaches out to new hunters and shooters through initiatives such as Scholastic Clay Target Program, Scholastic Rifle Program, Families Afield, First Shots, STEP OUTSIDE, and others.

Formed in 1961, NSSF is celebrating its 45th birthday in 2006. The organization recently reached important new milestones, topping 3,000 members and hosting the largest annual trade show (SHOT Show) in the history of the firearms industry.

ESPN Networks to Air Shooting Events

Press Release... edited

June 1, 2006
For more information contact:
Steve Wagner
swagner@nssf.org
(203) 426-1320

ESPN Networks to Air Shooting Events

Collegiate Clay Target Championships, Hot Shots! to be Televised on ESPN2, ESPNU Throughout June

NEWTOWN, Conn.-ESPN2 and ESPNU will televise two National Shooting Sports Foundation-sponsored shooting events in June, exposing the networks' millions of viewers to the action and excitement of the shooting sports.

On various dates and times throughout the month, ESPNU will air the 2006 Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Collegiate Clay Target Championships, while ESPN2 will air Hot Shots!, an adrenaline-fueled, head-to-head competition featuring the nation's best rifle and shotgun shooters.

"From America's best college shotgunners to Olympians and national-champion shotgun and rifle competitors, both of these televised events are a glimpse into the thrill and excitement of today's shooting sports," said Doug Painter, NSSF president. "Both will without doubt be enjoyed by shooters and non-shooters alike."

The Collegiate Clay Target Championships, being televised for the first time in its 38-year history, will air on ESPNU on June 6 at 7 p.m.; June 7 at 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; June 9 at 3:30 a.m.; June 10 at 6 and 11:30 a.m.; June 14 at 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; June 15 at 8:30 a.m.; June 17 at 4 p.m.; June 20 at 5:30 p.m.; July 1 at midnight; July 2 at 11:30 a.m.; and July 30 at 6:30 and 7 a.m. (all times EDT)

The event was taped April 5-9 at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio and includes shooters from more than 20 colleges and universities competing in international trap, international skeet, American trap, American skeet and sporting clays.

Hot Shots!, which includes shotgun, rifle and archery competitions similar to those seen in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, will air on ESPN2 on June 25 at 3:30 a.m., 4 a.m., 4:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. (all times
EDT)
In Hot Shots!, competitors go head-to-head in single-elimination format. The shotgun competition is held at night under the lights. Each head-to-head round involves clay targets being thrown randomly in 3 1/2-second intervals. In the rifle event, shooters square off in a 60-second race on 10 horizontal 10-inch aperture targets. Shooters must hit all 10 targets before they move onto the "Dueling Tree," where they are able to shoot back or unscore their opponent's points.

Sponsors for the ACUI championships include NSSF, the Amateur Trapshooting Association and Kreighoff International. Hot Shots! is sponsored by NSSF, the Archery Trade Association, Hoyt and Limbsaver.

NSSF, formed in 1961, is the trade association for the firearms industry. It directs a variety of outreach programs to promote greater participation and better understanding of shooting sports, emphasizing safe and responsible ownership of firearms. For further information, visit www.nssf.org.