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It’s More Than Official Now

August 14, 2013 by

While Ruger made their official announcement that they intended to open their third plant in Mayodan, North Carolina back in early July, it became really official yesterday with an announcement ceremony involving Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC), numerous state and local officials, and Ruger CEO Mike Fifer.

From the Rockingham County’s local paper, the News-Advance:

The busy atmosphere outside Unifi’s former dye plant on Cardwell Road in Mayodan on Tuesday morning was only a small indication of things to come. More than 150 people gathered under a tent beside the 221,000-square-foot building to hear Gov. Pat McCrory make the official announcement that Sturm, Ruger & Co. would locate the company’s newest manufacturing facility in Rockingham County.

McCrory said the new plant would create more than 450 new jobs and invest more than $26 million in the Mayodan location by the end of 2017.

Video of the event from the Winston-Salem Journal can be seen here.

Included in the incentives to Ruger from the State of North Carolina is a Job Development Investment Grant that could be worth as much as $9.6 million according to the press release from the Governor’s Office.

The project was made possible in part by an award to Ruger from the state Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program, as voted by the state Economic Investment Committee. Receipt of the award is based on proof of job creation and other performance requirements. JDIGs are awarded only to new and expanding businesses and industrial projects whose benefits exceed the costs to the state, and which would not be undertaken in North Carolina without the grant.

Under the terms of the company’s JDIG award, Ruger is eligible to receive up to twelve annual grants equal to 75 percent of the state personal income tax withholdings from the eligible new jobs created since the date of the initial award. Receipt of each annual grant is based on state-certified proof that the company has fulfilled incremental job creation requirements. Over twelve years, the JDIG award could yield aggregate benefits to Ruger of up to $9.46 million upon creation of 473 new jobs.

This report from WFMY-TV2 in Greensboro discusses more about the grants. Rockingham Community College will receive $700,000 for workforce training with another $372,000 going to Ruger for employee training. In addition, people and businesses in the Town of Mayodan are quite excited about the possibilities that the new Ruger plant will bring to that town.

Other anecdotal evidence that the people of Mayodan and Rockingham County are on board with the Ruger expansion comes from Perry Hughes who is the chairman of the career and technology education department at Rockingham Community College. Registration for fall classes began yesterday at 10am. He had a student who arrived before 7:30am to be first in line for a slot in their machining program.

“We’re starting to look at ways to expand our machining program capacity and Ruger hasn’t even arrived yet,” Hughes said.

The final day registration for courses at RCC opened, Hughes said he arrived at his office at 7:30 a.m. to prepare for the 10 a.m. registration. One young man was already sitting outside the door when Hughes arrived.

“He said he had already been there for a while, but wanted to make sure he was first in line,” Hughes said.

It was fortunate the young man made that decision. Hughes said he only had two slots left in the machining program.

“Education is a supply and demand industry and right now our demand is much greater than the supply,” Hughes said. “With industries like Ruger coming to the area, we’re going to have to find ways to work with these companies and expand our programs to meet the demand. We’ve even considered the possibility of having day and night classes to allow for more students.”

RCC has an associate’s degree program in computer-integrated machining which I’m sure will be sending a number of graduates to Ruger over the coming years.

UPDATE: More on the official announcement as well on how the RCC computer-integrated machining program will tie into Ruger’s plans from WGHP-Fox8 in High Point.

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An Introduction To A Dying Art

August 13, 2013 by 1 Comment

When you think of the exploration of the United States and Canada in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, you have to think about trappers in their quest for beaver and other fur bearing animals. Names like Kit Carson and Jeremiah Johnson come to mind along with companies like the Hudson’s Bay Company. Likewise when you think of the adventure literature of an earlier time such as the works of James Fenimore Cooper or Jack London, the heroic figures they portrayed were often trappers. If you go back to earlier issues of Outdoor Life or Field & Stream, you will see short stories about trappers in Alaska or the Yukon and their battles against both the elements and grizzly bears.

While there are still trappers and you can still get a trapping license from every state (I think), I’d wager that there are few, if any, of us who have actually trapped or know anything more about it than what we’ve read. That is why this post in today’s Outdoor Wire about a trapper education class being held in Indiana caught my eye.

Salamonie Lake will host a free trapper education course, Oct. 5 and 6, at the Salamonie Interpretive Center.

The program is open to all ages, though youths are especially encouraged to attend. Registration is open now, and those interested are encouraged to register well in advance. The registration deadline is Sept. 30.

The program will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, with education on trapping issues, ethics and regulations. The program is sponsored by Salamonie Lake, the Indiana State Trappers Association and Indiana Conservation Officers.

Saturday afternoon, participants will set traps under supervision. Traps will be checked Sunday morning. Furbearers caught will be used in skinning and fleshing demonstrations by ISTA instructors.

Free camping is available for all course attendees on Friday and Saturday nights at the Lost Bridge West Youth Campground, within walking distance of the interpretive center.

Lunch will be provided both days. The program will end by 4:30 pm each day. Participants do not need a trapping license. Property entrance fees will be waived for participants.

To register or to get more information, call Upper Wabash Interpretive Services at (260) 468-2127.

Trappers must attend both days to receive the DNR Trapper Education Certification.

Salamonie Lake (stateparks.IN.gov/2952.htm) is at 9214 West-Lost Bridge West, Andrews, 46702.

If I lived closer to Indiana, I might just attend this course. I doubt I’d ever trap on a regular basis but would want to know some of the skills. It sure wouldn’t hurt to have these skills from a prepping standpoint in a TEOTWAWKI situation.

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Quote Of The Day

August 12, 2013 by 3 Comments

Jim Shepherd, publisher of the Outdoor/Shooting/Tactical Wires, has been doing a series of road trips this summer for his MyTime2Stand project. Currently he is on his western swing visiting many western states on his way out to the Crimson Trace Midnight 3-Gun event.

One of his stops was in Oklahoma City at H&H Shooting Sports Complex. Miles Hall of H&H likened his complex to a mall experience with its variety. This led Jim to write:

Later, while Hall gave me a tour of a bustling shooting complex he likens to a “mall experience” (more on that in a later column) I couldn’t help but believe the levels of interest in shooting, hunting, reloading, archery and almost any aspect of shooting sports was an indication of why many mainstream media outlets were concentrating so hard on negative stories about firearms: shooting is gaining in popularity-across the classic demographic lines. The mix of customers in H&H very closely resembled a typical Saturday crowd at the mall: all shapes, colors, and sizes.

If anyone understands the mindset and narrative of the mainstream media it is Jim. In another life he was one of the founders of Ted Turner’s CNN and served as their VP for News.

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Dick Durbin Might Not Approve Of It But The Florida Sheriffs Do

August 10, 2013 by 3 Comments

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is on a political jihad against so-called Stand Your Ground laws. These laws state that a person does not have a duty to retreat if faced with great bodily harm or death and can meet force with force. Durbin has recently been sending letters to a number of non-profits and corporations who may have been involved with the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council asking them if they support Stand Your Ground laws. The Chicago Tribune calls the recipients of the letter Durbin’s enemies list.

Now, though, Durbin has changed tactics. Rather than accusing political enemies of flouting federal law, he’s suggesting that he may publicly expose them to public outrage over the killing of Trayvon Martin. The editorial page of Thursday’s Wall Street Journal reported that the senator has sent letters to corporate and nonprofit supporters of the American Legislative Exchange Council, asking them to disclose their positions on “stand-your-ground” legislation that ALEC supported in Florida in 2005.

Some of the groups that have received this letter have told Durbin where he can stick his letter. The Goldwater Institute called Durbin’s attempted intimidation “disgraceful and not worthy of the title you hold.” Cato Institute President John Allison called Durbin’s actions “a subtle but powerful form of government coercion” and that his letter symbolized an “unconstitutional abuse of power”. 


The American Legislative Exchange Council, by the way, says that they based their model Stand Your Ground law upon the state of Florida’s law and not the other way around. The Florida statutes on justifiable use of force including Stand Your Ground can be found here.


Against this backdrop of attempted political intimidation, it is quite interesting to note that the Florida Sheriffs Association voted unanimously this week to continue their support for Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. This is the same group of law enforcement officers that has opposed open carry laws supported by gun rights supporters in Florida.

From the FSA press release:

FSA President, Sheriff Grady Judd, today announced, “The right to self-defense is well-established in law. The Florida Sheriffs confirmed this position by voting unanimously, at the 2013 Florida Sheriffs Association Summer Conference, to support the Stand Your Ground law as it is currently written. Our current judicial system is comprised of multiple checks and balances to ensure fair and equitable application of all laws, including Stand Your Ground.”

Let’s be brutally honest about this. Dick Durbin doesn’t give a big rat’s ass about Stand Your Ground laws one way or another. What he does care about are only two things: denying resources to conservative political groups and keeping African-Americans safely ensconced on the Democrat’s plantation. His letter and hearings are expressly intended to do exactly this.

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Athena Lee On An Alternate Method Of Mag Changes

August 10, 2013 by 5 Comments

Normally when one makes a mag change, you shift the pistol in your hand so that your strong hand thumb can push the mag release. Champion shooter Athena Lee, by contrast, maintains her grip of the pistol with her strong hand and uses her weak hand thumb to push the mag release.

In the video below produced by Armscor, she notes that she has smaller hands. After viewing the video, I’d have to say her method of mag changes seems just as fast as the traditional method. I may have to give it a try as I, too, have smaller hands.

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A Man’s Gotta Eat

August 9, 2013 by 1 Comment

Louisiana repealed a 22 year old ban on hunting in portions of Orleans Parish, Louisiana yesterday. Orleans Parish is home to New Orleans as well as the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. While special youth-only waterfowl hunts have been allowed in the refuge for the last two years, this was only by special exemption.

On Tuesday the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) voted to repeal a ban on all hunting for portions of the Orleans Parrish. The ban was originally instated in 1991 by the LWFC to assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in establishing the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. More than 20 years later, the refuge is now currently the largest urban wildlife refuge in the country and plays host to an increasing amount of young waterfowlers.

Bayou Sauvage is entirely within the city limits of New Orleans and is the largest urban wildlife refuge in the country.

It will be up to the City of New Orleans as to what other hunting will be allowed within their city limits outside of the National Wildlife Refuges. They currently allow limited deer hunting in certain swamps within the city limits. The latest figures from the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shows 15 deer taken in the 2011-12 season in Orleans Parish.

Keith Westlake, a wildlife specialist with the refuge noted that they were starting to have problems with feral hogs.

Striking down the ban could potentially allow hunters to pursue feral hogs, which are causing problems outside the refuge. Westlake said that beginning in 2011 wildlife officials have culled 575 pigs from the area to reduce the damage the animals can cause. Feral hogs are an increasingly critical problem for conservationists and hunting regulations for these animals are generally lax.

For now the area’s alligators seem to be enjoying the lack of competition, as well as the carcasses left behind by management hunts.

I imagine some of the more imaginative chefs in New Orleans might find a better use for wild hogs than as food for alligators. I certainly hope so.

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Remington Breaks Ground On Ammo Plant Expansion

August 9, 2013 by 4 Comments

As I reported a few months ago, Remington is planning to expand their ammunition manufacturing plant in Lonoke, Arkansas. Yesterday, they held their ground-breaking ceremony. It attracted the politicians as both Gov. Mike Beebe (D-AR) and US Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) spoke. I’m sure as Democrats in an increasingly red state they wanted to be perceived as pro-gun. Pryor, by the way, was one of the few Democrats to vote against Manchin-Toomey.

The plant expansion is a $32 million project and is expected to be operational somewhere around mid-year 2014.

Remington Plant Manager Jim Grahlmann declined to comment on the purpose of the new facility, for competitive purposes, he said. Grahlmann added that while he couldn’t be specific, the new plant will add 50-100 “relatively high skill positions.”

He added that some of those jobs may be offered to current employees of the plant, depending on their qualifications.

Grahlmann said the new addition to the plant will be 35,000 square feet and should be constructed by June 2014, though he is unsure of when it will officially open, due to the company having to move the equipment into the facility.

While the plant manager is being a little closed mouthed about the purpose of the new facility, the PR department of Remington was not so reticent.

The Remington expansion will help meet consumer demand for quality ammunition products at a time when many sportsmen and gun owners are struggling to find supply. Further, it will stimulate both the state and local economy.

“This groundbreaking ceremony marks a significant event for Remington and for the Lonoke community,” said George Kollitides, Chief Executive Officer of Remington. “It demonstrates our commitment to state-of-the-art facilities; ensuring quality, increasing product availability and improving on-time delivery to our customers. The expansion also allows us the opportunity to provide job growth within a community that has supported us since we laid the first cornerstone here in 1969. We are honored and pleased to celebrate this expansion with such great partners.”

I really did like one comment that Gov. Beebe made regarding supporting expansion versus only recruiting new businesses.

“As we strive to create new relationships with new partners, we must never forget the ones we already have,” said Gov. Mike Beebe in reference to helping an existing manufacturer. “It is so much easier to expand existing business than it is to create new ones.”

THV Channel 11 has more on the ground-breaking below. I do want to correct one mistake that anchor Craig O’Neill made. He stated that Remington was the only company to make both firearms and ammunition. That is incorrect. ATK which makes Federal Ammuniton would also fit in that category with its acquisition earlier this year of Savage Arms.

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Gun Usuage And Death Stats

August 9, 2013 by 1 Comment

I don’t want you to think I’m on some sort of infographic kick or something but I just stumbled across this great infographic showing US gun usage, ownership, and death statistics. It shows that as the number of guns owned has increased by 50% gun-related crime has declined by 73%.

In terms of accidental deaths, you are 17 times more likely to die from a fall than you are from an accidental shooting. As an aside, if more people – especially youth – were taught gun safety, the differential between falls and accidental shootings would likely rise even more.

It can be seen full size here

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It’s Time To Win

August 8, 2013 by

I hope everyone has their Powerball tickets for tonight’s $425 million prize drawing. If you don’t win, might I suggest going to the Weapon-Blog and entering to win some of the fine firearms that are being offered. Given that you have a 1 in 175 millionth chance of winning the big Powerball prize, I think you might have some better odds there.

This month’s listing has 2 custom 1911s, a HK P30, at least 5 ARs, 2 Mossberg 500s, and that is just the beginning. There are also some nice bolt guns just in time for hunting season. Speaking of which, he also is now listing hunting trip giveaways including a woodland caribou in Newfoundland!

As always, please take a moment and thank Aaron for this great service he provides.