Veteran's Day at the NRA Range

The NRA Range is hosting our nation's veterans and active-duty military on Veteran's Day, a week from today.

Veterans and active-duty military will receive four-star treatment at the state-of-the-art indoor range. The event starts at 5 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m. Firearms and ammo will be provided, and a light dinner will be served. A variety of departments within General Operations are donating items, including T-shirts, coffee mugs, and baseball caps, to be handed out to participants.

"Veterans are appreciated by the NRA's four million members every day of the year, but we'd like to offer this token of gratitude on Veteran’s Day," NRA Executive Director and retired Marine Kayne Robinson said. "We are always looking for new ways to show our brave servicemen and women we care."

Don't forget to encourage your military friends to participate in the Free Membership for Active Duty Military program, and put those Veteran's Day cards in the mail. It's one week from today, after all. 

NFM's Gun of the Month: The Fastest Gun's Golden Guns

The Gun (actually, Guns) of the Month at the National Firearms Museum are these Colt Single Action Army revolvers, which belong to Bob Munden, the fastest shot alive.

These revolvers are customized with gold plating, engraving, and vertical hammer spurs to aid in speed fanning and thumbing for fast draw.


Visit the museum website for more about these guns, and the GUNS WEST! exhibit in which they're displayed.

A change for Indoor Smallbore Rifle Shooters

The following comes from H.Q. Moody in NRA's Competitive Shooting Division:

Starting in 2010, the 50-foot target, A-36, will no longer be used for sanctioned tournaments. The A-36 Target will be replaced by the NRA/USAS50 Indoor Target and will be first officially used for the 2010 National Indoor Championships that start January 1, 2010.

The 2010 NRA Smallbore Rifle Rules will reflect the change. Find information about NRA's Competitive Shooting Division's Rifle Programs here.

For more information on the rule change for Smallbore rifle, e-mail Hmoody@NRAHQ.ORG or call 703-267-1475.

NFM hosts its first Eagle Scout Court of Honor

The NRA’s National Firearms Museum was proud to host its first Eagle Scout Court of Honor on Thursday October 30, 2008. Boy Scout Zach Nobel of Fairfax Troop 50 received his coveted Eagle Scout rank badge and ribboned medal in the auditorium of NRA Headquarters following a tour of the Museum.

Senior Curator and fellow Eagle Scout (class of 1980) Phil Schreier wrote the following first-hand account exclusively for NRAblog.com:

Nearly 100 members of the Troop joined proud parents Melissa and Joseph Nobel and their guests in watching 17-year-old Zach receive the highest award offered by the nearly century-old Boy Scouts of America. Prior to the ceremony I led a 45-minute tour of the museum's 15 galleries and 85 exhibit cases.

Scoutmaster Steve Polchek presented Zach with his new rank award as well as a congratulatory letter from NRA Secretary Major E. J. Land Jr. USMC (Ret.) and a special certificate from the NRA commending Zach on achieving the highest award Scouting has to offer.

When I was 18, I was privileged to participate in the Inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. While serving as an Honor Guard of Eagle Scouts at his viewing stand, I met General of the Army Omar N. Bradley. General Bradley told me that he was “happy to see that the youth of this country is still participating in worthwhile endeavors such as Scouting.” Watching the network news, you can easily become jaded about our future until you participate in an event such as Zach’s Court of Honor. Meeting young men of quality and drive such as Zach assures us our future is in good hands. It took me nearly 30 years to fully appreciate General Bradley’s words.

The Museum welcomes opportunities to host tours for Boy Scouts and other interested youth organizations.

Scoutmasters wishing to secure a congratulatory letter and NRA Certificate of Recognition for their Eagle Scouts should write to:

NRA Secretary Major Edward J. Land Jr, USMC (Ret)
11250 Waples Mill Rd.
Fairfax, VA 22030

Please give approximately 60-90 days' notice before the Court of Honor.

NFM's Trick or Treat a success

The National Firearm Museum's first-ever Trick or Treat event was a ghoulish good time yesterday with dozens of participants enjoying the festivities. The slideshow above shows some of the decorations scattered throughout the Museum's exhibits.

Pirate Phil served donuts, apple cider, cookies, and coffee in the lobby. Other museum staff dressed as soldiers and cowboys were on hand, and NRAblog.com's ferocious mascot, Fang the puggle, made a guest appearance.

Children disguised as Transformers, witches, pumpkins, zombies, and princesses wandered through the darkened Museum, collecting candy and trinkets from pumpkins lit by glow sticks. Cobwebs and bloody handprints added to the eerie atmosphere, and a soundtrack of creepy sounds echoed throughout the galleries.

NRAblog.com is challenging Museum Director Jim Supica to outdo this year's festivities with a haunted halloween sleepover in the museum next year. We'll keep you posted!

Women On Target see increase in participation

The Women On Target® program is one of several programs in the Women's Programs Department of the NRA.

Program Coordinator Beth Hellmann has spent the past several years helping club members from across the nation to organize clinics. The program has become nationally recognized as a safe, fun way to acquire a new skill, and participation has increased 21 percent in 2008.

Hellmann offers the following commentary:

While shooting is often perceived as a male-only sport, Women On Target® proves that women enjoy it just as much as men, and for the same reason men do: It's fun!

There's nothing like the feeling of empowerment that comes with learning a new skill — especially one that is a little off the beaten track for most women. Often, women tell me that they are interested in learning to shoot because they want to learn a new sport, develop a hobby, or to learn to protect themselves.

Without training by skilled, knowledgeable instructors, that possibility is remote. Thanks to our unparalleled safety record, women know that training at NRA's Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics is the best choice for them to begin their firearms education.

Additionally, Women On Target® volunteers and host clubs provide all necessary equipment for the beginner, who typically owns no firearms. This includes eye and ear protection, targets, ammunition, firearms, and most of all, a firing range. Grants may be available to defray these expenses. Clubs interested in grants should contact their NRA Field Representative or download an application.

Women On Target® is also an excellent gateway. Women who are hesitant to attend a regular NRA Basic Firearms Training course feel that Instructional Shooting Clinics are perfect for them.

We've spent much of the past two years creating new programs for women — programs that are user friendly and may even be conducted on an individual basis. This includes our Women On Target® postal match program. Women may compete with others all over the country by completing a course of fire and submitting their entries to NRA/Competitive Shooting Division.

Our new Women On Target® Marksmanship Qualification Program provides another incentive for women to continue shooting long after the clinic is over. Special patches designed with a feminine touch are available for qualified women.

We've also designed a variety of new program support materials, provided free of charge to registered clinics. In addition to providing items for the participants, we provide certificates of appreciation, red hats, and red safety vests for volunteers. After all, our program would not be possible without volunteers! This year alone, over 4,000 volunteers have made Women On Target® instructional shooting clinics possible for nearly 7,000 participants.