Defense Articles

The Bushmaster 2005 Catalog features an expanded line of featherweight Carbon 15 Rifles and Pistols, the Bushmaster .308 Rifle and Carbine, and all the New Models available since Sept. ‘04. We manufacture the most extensive line of AR15 type Rifles, Parts, and Accessories in the industry. Ask for our FREE catalog or visit us at:

he Bushmaster 2005 Catalog features an expanded line of featherweight Carbon 15 Rifles and Pistols, the Bushmaster .308 Rifle and Carbine, and all the New Models available since Sept. ‘04. We manufacture the most extensive line of AR15 type Rifles, Parts, and Accessories in the industry. Ask for our free catalog or see www.bushmaster.com. Free catalog.

How are your long-gun sales? Lackluster? Okay? Could be better?

According to top gun dealers, they should be robust.

“Our long gun sales are as strong as ever,” said Lee Schmidt, co-owner of Midwestern Shooters Supply in Lomira, Wis. “There are always dips and plateaus in the market but the customers are still out there. They still have money. The trick is to get them into your store to spend it!”

While rifle and shotgun manufacturing has had its ups and downs over the past few years, the picture is not all doom and gloom. In 1999, there were 1,569,685 rifles made. You have to go back to 1982 when 1,622,890 were manufactured to find a higher number. In shotguns, 1,106,995 were made in 1999, down from a high of 1,254,926 in 1994. Yet the 1999 number still outdistances all other years going back to 1980.

That’s a lot of rifles and shotguns. And someone is buying them.

“We sold 500 or 600 Leupold scopes last year, so that tells you the market is still there,” said Schmidt, who has been in business for 30 years. “Here in the Midwest, hunting is natural and our customers participate to the fullest. Like anything, though, if you don’t encourage it, your customer base can get stale. By keeping interest high with new products, on-going sales and a knowledgeable staff, customers stay excited and tend to return, again and again, to see what’s new.”

Gary Williams, product development manager for Leupold, offers an interesting fact about Leupold’s products that provides a reading on the current market.

“We’ve been averaging over 1,000 catalog downloads a month from our Website. Not only does that tell us there is a high level of interest in our products, but it says the market is still strong. We’re having a very good year and last year was also memorable,” Williams said.

Package deals, such as Remington’s Model 710 rifle and scope combo, which retails at about $400, offer price-point shopping and value for customers. Leupold is offering their VX-I series, Vari-XII scope at about $200 retail! These aggressively priced new products get solid play in the popular firearms press, and are heavily advertised by manufacturers.

After reading about them, many customers who are not heavily into the shooting sports are more comfortable spending this kind of money on simple products that will get them into the “game.”

Market Trends

“One of my responsibilities is to monitor customer service inquiries,” said Williams, of Leupold. “I’m constantly amazed at how quickly we get requests for information about the correct scope to mount on new rifles and shotguns, especially after the introduction of new calibers, like the (Winchester) .270 and 7mm Short Magnums.”

The wave of new calibers has sparked a corresponding demand by the public. The short-action calibers demanded a new generation of lightweight, powerful rifles. Together, they seem to be irresistible to the shooters and hunters.

The introduction of a legion of new rifles and shotguns, such as Adco’s Diamond Brand Shotguns; Henry’s Golden Boy .22; Beretta’s Model 391 Xtrema; Ruger’s Gold Label Side-by-Side; Weatherby’s Mark V Super Big Game Master; Charles Daly’s Field-Grade rifles; Remington’s Model Seven Short Action Magnum; Dan Wesson’s Coyote Classic bolt gun; and Marlin’s CBC (Cowboy Competition) in .38 Special, are all keeping dealers’ doors swinging.

“The new rifles and calibers are definitely hot and buyers are very well “informed about them,” Schmidt said. “We often have customers walk into the store with a printout under their arm with information from a manufacturer’s Website. Along with being informed, our customers are not afraid to spend money on quality. From Kolpin, Browning and Boyt cases to other products, they want quality.”

More and more dealers are limiting their long-gun inventories, often specializing in one or two brands. This makes it easier to have the product on hand when the customer walks in the door. Dealers also are realizing they are not in competition with the big-box marts. They’re building inventories and offering services not available at the marts. This trend is growing and, to the surprise of many dealers, their businesses are flourishing because the limited selection and lack of knowledgeable customer service at the marts frustrates customers.

Turkey hunting continues to grow, and the” guns and gear associated with it are more varied then ever.

“Turkey ‘packages’ are a good idea. Take a shotgun, add a quality scope or red dot sight, and display them with a call, camo and quality turkey ammo. It gets customers thinking, and can easily lead to questions — and sales,” said Matt Moxness, dealer services manager for ATK (formerly Blount SEG).

Accessories, Accessories

“Don’t ask a customer if he needs ammo for that new rifle or shotgun. Ask him, ‘How many boxes do you need?’” said Mike Jordan of Howard Communications, and former media relations manager for Winchester Ammunition. “When your customer buys a shotgun, take a moment to show what’s new in shotgun ammunition. They may not realize some of the performance available with today’s loads.

The Bushmaster 2005 Catalog features an expanded line of featherweight Carbon 15 Rifles and Pistols, the Bushmaster .308 Rifle and Carbine, and all the New Models available since Sept. ‘04. We manufacture the most extensive line of AR15 type Rifles, Parts, and Accessories in the industry. Ask for our FREE catalog or visit us at:

The Bushmaster 2005 Catalog features an expanded line of featherweight Carbon 15 Rifles and Pistols, the Bushmaster .308 Rifle and Carbine, and all the New Models available since Sept. ‘04. We manufacture the most extensive line of AR15 type Rifles, Parts, and Accessories in the industry. Ask for our free catalog or see www.bushmaster.com. Free catalog.

How are your long-gun sales? Lackluster? Okay? Could be better?

According to top gun dealers, they should be robust.

“Our long gun sales are as strong as ever,” said Lee Schmidt, co-owner of Midwestern Shooters Supply in Lomira, Wis. “There are always dips and plateaus in the market but the customers are still out there. They still have money. The trick is to get them into your store to spend it!”

While rifle and shotgun manufacturing has had its ups and downs over the past few years, the picture is not all doom and gloom. In 1999, there were 1,569,685 rifles made. You have to go back to 1982 when 1,622,890 were manufactured to find a higher number. In shotguns, 1,106,995 were made in 1999, down from a high of 1,254,926 in 1994. Yet the 1999 number still outdistances all other years going back to 1980.

That’s a lot of rifles and shotguns. And someone is buying them.

“We sold 500 or 600 Leupold scopes last year, so that tells you the market is still there,” said Schmidt, who has been in business for 30 years. “Here in the Midwest, hunting is natural and our customers participate to the fullest. Like anything, though, if you don’t encourage it, your customer base can get stale. By keeping interest high with new products, on-going sales and a knowledgeable staff, customers stay excited and tend to return, again and again, to see what’s new.”

Gary Williams, product development manager for Leupold, offers an interesting fact about Leupold’s products that provides a reading on the current market.

“We’ve been averaging over 1,000 catalog downloads a month from our Website. Not only does that tell us there is a high level of interest in our products, but it says the market is still strong. We’re having a very good year and last year was also memorable,” Williams said.

Package deals, such as Remington’s Model 710 rifle and scope combo, which retails at about $400, offer price-point shopping and value for customers. Leupold is offering their VX-I series, Vari-XII scope at about $200 retail! These aggressively priced new products get solid play in the popular firearms press, and are heavily advertised by manufacturers.

After reading about them, many customers who are not heavily into the shooting sports are more comfortable spending this kind of money on simple products that will get them into the “game.”

Market Trends

“One of my responsibilities is to monitor customer service inquiries,” said Williams, of Leupold. “I’m constantly amazed at how quickly we get requests for information about the correct scope to mount on new rifles and shotguns, especially after the introduction of new calibers, like the (Winchester) .270 and 7mm Short Magnums.”

The wave of new calibers has sparked a corresponding demand by the public. The short-action calibers demanded a new generation of lightweight, powerful rifles. Together, they seem to be irresistible to the shooters and hunters.

The introduction of a legion of new rifles and shotguns, such as Adco’s Diamond Brand Shotguns; Henry’s Golden Boy .22; Beretta’s Model 391 Xtrema; Ruger’s Gold Label Side-by-Side; Weatherby’s Mark V Super Big Game Master; Charles Daly’s Field-Grade rifles; Remington’s Model Seven Short Action Magnum; Dan Wesson’s Coyote Classic bolt gun; and Marlin’s CBC (Cowboy Competition) in .38 Special, are all keeping dealers’ doors swinging.

“The new rifles and calibers are definitely hot and buyers are very well “informed about them,” Schmidt said. “We often have customers walk into the store with a printout under their arm with information from a manufacturer’s Website. Along with being informed, our customers are not afraid to spend money on quality. From Kolpin, Browning and Boyt cases to other products, they want quality.”

More and more dealers are limiting their long-gun inventories, often specializing in one or two brands. This makes it easier to have the product on hand when the customer walks in the door. Dealers also are realizing they are not in competition with the big-box marts. They’re building inventories and offering services not available at the marts. This trend is growing and, to the surprise of many dealers, their businesses are flourishing because the limited selection and lack of knowledgeable customer service at the marts frustrates customers.

Turkey hunting continues to grow, and the” guns and gear associated with it are more varied then ever.

“Turkey ‘packages’ are a good idea. Take a shotgun, add a quality scope or red dot sight, and display them with a call, camo and quality turkey ammo. It gets customers thinking, and can easily lead to questions — and sales,” said Matt Moxness, dealer services manager for ATK (formerly Blount SEG).

Accessories, Accessories

“Don’t ask a customer if he needs ammo for that new rifle or shotgun. Ask him, ‘How many boxes do you need?’” said Mike Jordan of Howard Communications, and former media relations manager for Winchester Ammunition. “When your customer buys a shotgun, take a moment to show what’s new in shotgun ammunition. They may not realize some of the performance available with today’s loads.

Many major hunting seasons are winding down across the country and gun owners are preparing to put firearms in storage. In order for their firearms to remain in good condition, gun owners will be coming to you for products that will ensure their prized firearms emerge from storage in good shape.

More than ever, many of those hunters and your customers are women who are just as concerned as men about protecting their firearms.

Hopefully, your staff actively encourages customers to purchase a gun cleaning kit when they purchase a firearm. This is such a natural add-on sale with decent profit margin; it’s one of the “musts” of a gun sale.

If your customer didn’t want to buy a gun-cleaning kit at the time of purchase, show her the Birchwood Casey’s Gun Maintenance Kit. This compact kit includes on-the-go sized Gun Scrubber solvent/degreaser, Sheath Rust Preventive, Bore Scrubber 2-in-i bore cleaner, one silicone gun and reel cloth, Sheath Take-Along Gun Wipes, gun cleaning patches and daubers, and a complete instruction guide.

Another good offering is Quters’ Deluxe Universal Cleaning Kit. Housed in a handcrafted wooden case, it contains everything your customers need for cleaning rifles, handguns and shotguns. A multi-compartment tray keeps components neat and organized. The kit has a three-piece, swivel handle, brass rod and rod adapters; bronze bore brushes for .22, .30 and .38 caliber, plus 12 and 20 gauge; plastic jags and slot tips; a silicone wiping cloth; 50 patches; gun oil and Nitro solvent.

The Otis Kit & Caboodle Gun Cleaning System is another good kit choice. It contains everything needed to maintain a firearm in one pocket-sized kit. Each kit includes a rod, solvent, slotted tip, patches, bore brushes and other accessories. The kits are designed specifically for field use on rifles, pistols, or shotguns.

FTI’s new Tetra Gun Grease contains the company’s fluoropolymer, which prevents corrosion and eases cleaning, along with preventing part seizure and reducing friction and wear.

KG Industries has a complete line of gun-care including KG-l Carbon Remover, KG-2 Bore Restore, KG-3 Cleaning Solvent and Degreaser and KG-4 Gun Oil. They are designed to not only clean firearms but also to provide corrosion protection.

ProTec has introduced System 1, which combines three of the company’s products. It contains a 2-ounce bottle of BORE-cleaner, a 5cc syringe of GUNoil and a 5cc syringe of GUNgrease. The products are blended with ProTec’s anti-friction metal treatment, which reduces friction between moving metal parts.

How are your long-gun sales? Lackluster? Okay? Could be better?

According to top gun dealers, they should be robust.

“Our long gun sales are as strong as ever,” said Lee Schmidt, co-owner of Midwestern Shooters Supply in Lomira, Wis. “There are always dips and plateaus in the market but the customers are still out there. They still have money. The trick is to get them into your store to spend it!”

While rifle and shotgun manufacturing has had its ups and downs over the past few years, the picture is not all doom and gloom. In 1999, there were 1,569,685 rifles made. You have to go back to 1982 when 1,622,890 were manufactured to find a higher number. In shotguns, 1,106,995 were made in 1999, down from a high of 1,254,926 in 1994. Yet the 1999 number still outdistances all other years going back to 1980.

That’s a lot of rifles and shotguns. And someone is buying them.

“We sold 500 or 600 Leupold scopes last year, so that tells you the market is still there,” said Schmidt, who has been in business for 30 years. “Here in the Midwest, hunting is natural and our customers participate to the fullest. Like anything, though, if you don’t encourage it, your customer base can get stale. By keeping interest high with new products, on-going sales and a knowledgeable staff, customers stay excited and tend to return, again and again, to see what’s new.”

Gary Williams, product development manager for Leupold, offers an interesting fact about Leupold’s products that provides a reading on the current market.

“We’ve been averaging over 1,000 catalog downloads a month from our Website. Not only does that tell us there is a high level of interest in our products, but it says the market is still strong. We’re having a very good year and last year was also memorable,” Williams said.

Package deals, such as Remington’s Model 710 rifle and scope combo, which retails at about $400, offer price-point shopping and value for customers. Leupold is offering their VX-I series, Vari-XII scope at about $200 retail! These aggressively priced new products get solid play in the popular firearms press, and are heavily advertised by manufacturers.

After reading about them, many customers who are not heavily into the shooting sports are more comfortable spending this kind of money on simple products that will get them into the “game.”

Market Trends

“One of my responsibilities is to monitor customer service inquiries,” said Williams, of Leupold. “I’m constantly amazed at how quickly we get requests for information about the correct scope to mount on new rifles and shotguns, especially after the introduction of new calibers, like the (Winchester) .270 and 7mm Short Magnums.”

The wave of new calibers has sparked a corresponding demand by the public. The short-action calibers demanded a new generation of lightweight, powerful rifles. Together, they seem to be irresistible to the shooters and hunters.

The introduction of a legion of new rifles and shotguns, such as Adco’s Diamond Brand Shotguns; Henry’s Golden Boy .22; Beretta’s Model 391 Xtrema; Ruger’s Gold Label Side-by-Side; Weatherby’s Mark V Super Big Game Master; Charles Daly’s Field-Grade rifles; Remington’s Model Seven Short Action Magnum; Dan Wesson’s Coyote Classic bolt gun; and Marlin’s CBC (Cowboy Competition) in .38 Special, are all keeping dealers’ doors swinging.

“The new rifles and calibers are definitely hot and buyers are very well “informed about them,” Schmidt said. “We often have customers walk into the store with a printout under their arm with information from a manufacturer’s Website. Along with being informed, our customers are not afraid to spend money on quality. From Kolpin, Browning and Boyt cases to other products, they want quality.”

More and more dealers are limiting their long-gun inventories, often specializing in one or two brands. This makes it easier to have the product on hand when the customer walks in the door. Dealers also are realizing they are not in competition with the big-box marts. They’re building inventories and offering services not available at the marts. This trend is growing and, to the surprise of many dealers, their businesses are flourishing because the limited selection and lack of knowledgeable customer service at the marts frustrates customers.

Turkey hunting continues to grow, and the” guns and gear associated with it are more varied then ever.

“Turkey ‘packages’ are a good idea. Take a shotgun, add a quality scope or red dot sight, and display them with a call, camo and quality turkey ammo. It gets customers thinking, and can easily lead to questions — and sales,” said Matt Moxness, dealer services manager for ATK (formerly Blount SEG).

Accessories, Accessories

“Don’t ask a customer if he needs ammo for that new rifle or shotgun. Ask him, ‘How many boxes do you need?’” said Mike Jordan of Howard Communications, and former media relations manager for Winchester Ammunition. “When your customer buys a shotgun, take a moment to show what’s new in shotgun ammunition. They may not realize some of the performance available with today’s loads.

How are your long-gun sales? Lackluster? Okay? Could be better?

According to top gun dealers, they should be robust.

“Our long gun sales are as strong as ever,” said Lee Schmidt, co-owner of Midwestern Shooters Supply in Lomira, Wis. “There are always dips and plateaus in the market but the customers are still out there. They still have money. The trick is to get them into your store to spend it!”

While rifle and shotgun manufacturing has had its ups and downs over the past few years, the picture is not all doom and gloom. In 1999, there were 1,569,685 rifles made. You have to go back to 1982 when 1,622,890 were manufactured to find a higher number. In shotguns, 1,106,995 were made in 1999, down from a high of 1,254,926 in 1994. Yet the 1999 number still outdistances all other years going back to 1980.

That’s a lot of rifles and shotguns. And someone is buying them.

“We sold 500 or 600 Leupold scopes last year, so that tells you the market is still there,” said Schmidt, who has been in business for 30 years. “Here in the Midwest, hunting is natural and our customers participate to the fullest. Like anything, though, if you don’t encourage it, your customer base can get stale. By keeping interest high with new products, on-going sales and a knowledgeable staff, customers stay excited and tend to return, again and again, to see what’s new.”

Gary Williams, product development manager for Leupold, offers an interesting fact about Leupold’s products that provides a reading on the current market.

“We’ve been averaging over 1,000 catalog downloads a month from our Website. Not only does that tell us there is a high level of interest in our products, but it says the market is still strong. We’re having a very good year and last year was also memorable,” Williams said.

Package deals, such as Remington’s Model 710 rifle and scope combo, which retails at about $400, offer price-point shopping and value for customers. Leupold is offering their VX-I series, Vari-XII scope at about $200 retail! These aggressively priced new products get solid play in the popular firearms press, and are heavily advertised by manufacturers.

After reading about them, many customers who are not heavily into the shooting sports are more comfortable spending this kind of money on simple products that will get them into the “game.”

Market Trends

“One of my responsibilities is to monitor customer service inquiries,” said Williams, of Leupold. “I’m constantly amazed at how quickly we get requests for information about the correct scope to mount on new rifles and shotguns, especially after the introduction of new calibers, like the (Winchester) .270 and 7mm Short Magnums.”

The wave of new calibers has sparked a corresponding demand by the public. The short-action calibers demanded a new generation of lightweight, powerful rifles. Together, they seem to be irresistible to the shooters and hunters.

The introduction of a legion of new rifles and shotguns, such as Adco’s Diamond Brand Shotguns; Henry’s Golden Boy .22; Beretta’s Model 391 Xtrema; Ruger’s Gold Label Side-by-Side; Weatherby’s Mark V Super Big Game Master; Charles Daly’s Field-Grade rifles; Remington’s Model Seven Short Action Magnum; Dan Wesson’s Coyote Classic bolt gun; and Marlin’s CBC (Cowboy Competition) in .38 Special, are all keeping dealers’ doors swinging.

“The new rifles and calibers are definitely hot and buyers are very well “informed about them,” Schmidt said. “We often have customers walk into the store with a printout under their arm with information from a manufacturer’s Website. Along with being informed, our customers are not afraid to spend money on quality. From Kolpin, Browning and Boyt cases to other products, they want quality.”

More and more dealers are limiting their long-gun inventories, often specializing in one or two brands. This makes it easier to have the product on hand when the customer walks in the door. Dealers also are realizing they are not in competition with the big-box marts. They’re building inventories and offering services not available at the marts. This trend is growing and, to the surprise of many dealers, their businesses are flourishing because the limited selection and lack of knowledgeable customer service at the marts frustrates customers.

Turkey hunting continues to grow, and the” guns and gear associated with it are more varied then ever.

“Turkey ‘packages’ are a good idea. Take a shotgun, add a quality scope or red dot sight, and display them with a call, camo and quality turkey ammo. It gets customers thinking, and can easily lead to questions — and sales,” said Matt Moxness, dealer services manager for ATK (formerly Blount SEG).

Accessories, Accessories

“Don’t ask a customer if he needs ammo for that new rifle or shotgun. Ask him, ‘How many boxes do you need?’” said Mike Jordan of Howard Communications, and former media relations manager for Winchester Ammunition. “When your customer buys a shotgun, take a moment to show what’s new in shotgun ammunition. They may not realize some of the performance available with today’s loads.

The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), better known as the Humvee, has been in service with the U.S. and other military forces for more than 20 years. It will probably be on duty for several more decades. Thus, the Army is planning to update its huge HMMWV fleet via retrofit kits to meet the needs of the 21st century battlefield.

Recently, the U. S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center’s (TARDEC) National Automotive Center (NAC) and the Program Executive Officer, Combat Support/Combat Service Support (PEO CS/CSS) showed its Concept HMMWM. The Concept HMMWV,, developed in conjunction with Carlson Technologies, demonstrates how retrofit add-on kits can modernize the Army’s existing fleet to reduce out-of-service time, extend operational range, increase interior space and armor protection, generate more electrical power, have cleaner running engines and get more miles to gallon of diesel. Much of the Concept HMMWV’s design is driven by experience gained from the hot, hostile, desert environment found in Afghanistan and Iraq.

One of the major goals for the Concept HMMWV Team was to reduce the time needed to replace a Humvee’s diesel engine to an absolute minimum. This was accomplished with a rapid engine change-out system that reduces engine switch times that once took up to 10 hours. The system utilizes a “single point of attachment” methodology which incorporates mechanical clamping devices, electrical plugs and fluid quick-connect couplings to replace traditional bolted or hard-wired connections. By incorporating these techniques, the time to disconnect and re-connect is virtually eliminated and the time required to change out an engine is reduced to 20 minutes or less. In addition, two main components of the vehicle, the hood and radiator, are mounted in a manner that allows them to be swiveled so work under the hood can be done in an area which now has open access.
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According to Dennis J. Wend, executive director of the NAC. “The Concept HMMWV Team has streamlined the engine change-out process by simplifying mechanical training and reducing-and in some cases eliminating–the amount of tools needed to accomplish several steps in the process.” Brigadier General Patrick J. O’Reilly, PEO CS/CSS, added, “Putting our soldiers back in action in a matter of minutes–not hours–makes this retrofit Concept HMMWV ideal for enemy conflict scenarios.”

Reducing engine complexity, a key way to achieve more rapid maintenance, higher reliability and ease of replacement, is accomplished by using a “beltless” engine with all electrically driven components. To accomplish this, many of the Concept HMMWV’s accessories–cooling fans, power steering, water and fuel pumps, micro-climate cooling and the Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS)–are electrically, rather than belt, driven. This beltless design relies on an integrated starter/alternator that provides 15 to 20 kW. As a side benefit, the use of an integrated starter/alternator eliminates a separate starter and alternator, thus reducing complexity.

Another Army goal is a common operational range for all its trucks. For example, the Future Tactical Truck System Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTD), has a 600 mile range, with an objective of increasing this to 900 miles. The Concept HMMWV could meet the 900 mile goal by adding two 25 gal. saddle tanks in the rear wheel wells and a 35 gal. main tank. Furthermore, fuel efficiency improvements to the engine could extend the range to 1000 miles.

Since large quantities of electric power are needed on the modern battlefield, the Concept HMMWV features a 5 to 10 kW auxiliary power unit (APU). This APU can provide power for major systems including computers, radio transmitters, a micro-climate cooling, and so forth without having to run the main engine.

Another important goal is to provide a safer and more comfortable environment for the soldier. For instance, the Concept HMMWV has five-point shoulder/lap belts and could incorporate an anti-collision system using microwave or dose-range radar. For greater protection on the battlefield this concept vehicle uses armor in locations where they can best protect vital organs of the soldiers as well as their vehicle. In the future, the NAC plans to develop an individual safety package that can be incorporated into each HMMWV in a fleet. Also in the future, TARDEC and the NAC will research new ballistic materials that could be integrated into future vehicles for even greater soldier protection.

Structural changes and new materials could provide more room for soldiers and their gear. The Concept HMMWV includes a body rework kit that increases the space to accommodate the larger soldier range (over 6 ft. 5 in.) in either the front or rear seats and enhances their ability to perform a 72-hour mission. New web type seats providing more head–and legroom will accommodate the soldier wearing body armor. In the future, the NAC plans to develop common seats to reduce spare parts logistics, and a simplified attachment scheme to make underseat access easier and quicker.