Weekly News Archives

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       New Product  Archives

Rossi Introduces the Rio Grande, High Performance Lever-Action Rifle

MIAMI � For 2010 Rossi introduces the Rio Grande, adding the popular .30-30 Win. caliber to its lineup of popular lever-action rifles.  The Rio Grande offers accuracy, performance and practicality for a lifetime of fast, lever-action shooting.

Authentic buckhorn sights and a beautiful hardwood finish make this model look like the classic, but the new Rossi design performs like a state-of-the art rifle. Available in deep blue or polished stainless steel, these hard-charging lever-actions provide 6+1 rounds for shooting fun.

The Rio Grande�s side ejection port allows a riflescope to be mounted in the natural position and the scope mount base   

and hammer extension are included. These hand-assembled and tuned rifles also feature a cushioned recoil pad, cross-bolt safety, lever actuated safety and the Taurus Security System�.

The Rio Grande barrel measures 20 inches long, with an overall length of 39 inches and weighs 7 pounds. Also available in REALTREE APG HD camo stock. About  $499 - $610.

Rossi is proud to offer a free One-year NRA Junior Membership with the purchase of any Rossi youth model. It is recommended that children always be accompanied by an adult when shooting. For more information about Rossi Firearms, a Division of BrazTech International, visit www.rossiusa.com .

Introducing the Remington 1911 R1

The First Remington 1911 in 91 Years and Well Worth the Wait

Madison, NC � After almost a century, the Model 1911 R1 marks the Remington brand�s return to the manufacture of the legendary 1911 handgun. In 1917, the U.S. Ordnance Department issued an order to Remington-UMC to manufacture 500,000 1911s for our fighting men in the armed services. The first Remington-UMC produced 1911 pistols were delivered in August of 1918. On November 11, 1918, the Armistice ending WWI was signed and the contract from the Ordnance Department with Remington-UMC was suspended.  In all, Remington-UMC produced 21,677 1911s. You could say the 1911 was firmly implanted in our DNA, and now after 91 years, its back.

MODEL 1911 R1

Order # 96323

Action Single Action - Recoil Operated

Caliber 45 ACP

Magazine Capacity 7 rounds

Barrel Length 5 inches

Barrel Material Stainless Steel

Barrel Finish Satin Black Oxide

Rifling Twist Rate 1 - 16 LH

Overall Length 8.5 inches

Overall Height 5.5 inches

Grip Material Walnut

Grip Design Checkered - Double Diamond

Trigger Pull 3.5 - 5 pounds

Average Weight 38.5 ounces

About $699

The Remington-branded 1911 R1 is an A1 variant of the 1911 with modern upgrades. Like the original 1911, the 1911 R1 has a flat mainspring housing, short trigger and double diamond grips. 1911 devotees will appreciate the modern enhancements on the 1911 R1, such as a flared and lowered ejection port; beveled magazine well; loaded chamber indicator; high profile dovetailed single-dot front and two-dot rear sights; a crisp 3.5 � 5 pound trigger pull; and a match grade stainless steel barrel and barrel bushing. It also has the Series 80-style firing pin block safety. The Remington 1911 R1 will be shipped in a custom carry case with two seven-round magazines and a barrel bushing wrench. Most importantly, it�s made in Ilion, New York, with all the pride, precision and out-of-the-box performance you have come to expect from the Remington brand.

The 1911 is the most customized and proven pistol design ever manufactured. This single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, recoil-operated handgun chambered for the 45 ACP cartridge has left its mark on battlefields and at competitions all over the world. On March 29th, 1911, this John M. Browning designed pistol was selected as the official sidearm of America�s Armed Forces. It was their standard-issue sidearm from 1911 to 1985 and is still used by some U.S. forces to this day. On May 14, 2010, the Remington 1911 R1 will be unveiled at the 139^th National Rifle Association Annual Meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will help this iconic American pistol shine brighter than ever.

Initially, the Remington 1911 R1 will be available through select independent dealers beginning in June 2010. Make it a point today, to own a part of history, the first Remington 1911 in 91 years.

Alpha Lock can help prevent stolen cars, trailers

Works just like the ordinary boot for parking infractions

The Alpha Lock Vehicle Wheel Lock may well be the answer to the theft problem boaters have had with trailers and other rolling equipment.

The reason is simple - it works! The industrial strength Alpha Lock is extremely strong, lightweight, versatile, and completely 

secures most vehicles and trailers. It's compact, easy to use and store and weighs about 8 lbs. The bright color makes it highly visible, is heat treated 6X commercial grade steel,  resists cutting or sawing, and is pick and drill resistant.

The cylinder lock has over 800,000 possible combinations, is designed to work similar to the wheel locks used by law enforcement agencies, and Alpha Lock carries a two year warranty.

ALPHA INDUSTRIES INC.

West Century Plaza

5777 W. Century Blvd.

Suite 500

Los Angeles, CA 90045

About $150.00 - 180.00 depending on model

310-670-7070       www.alphalock.com/

Supreme Court strikes down Law that could Criminalize Hunting Videos

Washington, DC � The U.S. Supreme Court last week, in United States v. Stevens, struck down a federal law that could have criminalized the sale of hunting videos. Safari Club International and the Congressional Sportsmen�s Foundation joined with the National Rifle Association to file an amicus (friend of the Court) brief that explained how the law could apply to many hunting videos. The Court quoted SCI�s brief and relied, in part, on SCI�s arguments to hold the law unconstitutionally overbroad.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., writing for the majority in the 8-to-1 decision, said that the law had created �a criminal prohibition of alarming breadth� and that the government�s aggressive defense of the law was �startling and dangerous.� The decision left open the possibility that Congress could enact a narrower law that would pass constitutional muster. But the existing law, Roberts wrote, covered too much speech protected by the First Amendment.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented, saying the majority�s analysis was built on �fanciful hypotheticals� and would serve to protect �depraved entertainment.� He said it was implausible to suggest that Congress meant to ban depictions of hunting or that the practice amounted to animal cruelty.  Chief Justice Roberts replied that Justice Alito �contends that hunting depictions must have serious value because hunting has serious value, in a way that dogfights presumably do not. �But, he went on; the 1999 law �addresses the value of the depictions, not of the underlying activity.�

The exchange was unusual, as Chief Justice Roberts and 

Justice Alito are almost always on the same side. In the last term, the two justices, both appointed by President George W. Bush, agreed 92 percent of the time, more than any other pair of justices.

Alito said the analogy to child pornography was a strong one. The "activity underlying both kinds of depictions are crimes," he wrote. Those crimes are difficult to combat without drying up the marketplace for depictions of them and both kinds of depictions contribute at most minimally to public discourse, he added.

The law made the production or sale of a depiction (e.g., video or picture) of �animal cruelty� punishable by up to five years in prison. The Supreme Court found that Congress wrote the law much too broadly. The law made illegal any depiction of the killing or wounding of a live animal if the act being depicted is itself illegal in the state where the video is sold. As a result, videos of hunting activities that are legal where filmed would violate the law if the videos were sold in a state where that type of hunting activity is illegal. One example from SCI�s brief on which the Court relied was the sharp-tailed grouse, which may be hunted in Idaho, but not in Washington.   

The Court also quoted from SCI�s brief to reject the argument that hunting videos would be protected by the law�s exception for videos with serious educational or scientific value. The Court�s opinion stated �According to Safari Club International and the Congressional Sportsmen�s Foundation, many popular hunting videos �have primarily entertainment value� and are designed to �entertain the viewer, market hunting equipment, or increase the hunting community.��

Senator wants study of potential Asian carp harm

WASHINGTON DC (AP)--A New York senator wants federal agencies to determine how big a bite Asian carp would take from the regional economy if they invade the Great Lakes.

Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer said he will request a study in a letter he plans to send Monday to the Environmental Protection Agency, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Service.

Two species of Asian carp are threatening to enter Lake Michigan from Chicago-area waterways.

State officials and scientists say if the carp spread across the lakes, they could threaten the $7 billion fishing industry by starving out competing species.

Schumer says a broader analysis is needed that would consider potential damage to other industries such as tourism and shipping -- and costs to governments from monitoring and control programs.

High Court won�t consider Asian Carp Suit

But its time to check Western Lake Erie for Carp eDNA

WASHINGTON --The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, April 28 refused to consider a lawsuit by the state of Michigan that sought the closure of Chicago�s waterway locks to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes.

The Wall St Journal reports the state of Michigan had been seeking both temporary and long-term waterway changes to stop the northern migration of silver and bighead carp, aggressive species of Asian carp that can quickly displace native species. The WSJ added the Obama administration said it was concerned about the carp issue, but it opposed Michigan's lawsuit on several grounds. The administration said it was premature to impose the measures Michigan was seeking, and it also said the state should have filed a lawsuit in a federal trial court instead of attempting to go directly to the Supreme Court.

Michigan and five other Great Lakes states could still file lawsuits over the issue but it was generally acknowledged any such actions would take considerable time and effort with no promise of success or eventual cost.

The U.S. Supreme Court did not take up the lock closure issue in conference on Friday, April 16 as expected, and again delayed a decision on April 23 that could have far-reaching implications for Chicago-area boat and shipping traffic.

Michigan's Attorney General has sued Illinois, the Army Corps of Engineers and the metropolitan Water Reclamation District

to try and force closure of two shipping locks in Chicago waters in an effort to stop advancement of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. The Supreme Court has twice rejected temporary injunctions that would have automatically shut down the locks until a long-term approach to eradicate the invasive fish could be found

Meanwhile, it�s time for the States of Michigan and Ohio to check out those western Lake Erie rivers for eDNA evidence. Although there have been no new recent sightings of Asian Carp in the area, there is significant concern that these big invasive critters may well be hunkered down in the murky depths of the Maumee and quietly expanding their populations.

A recent report given by University of Notre Dame researchers noted at least eight tributaries at Lake Erie�s west end may be harboring these critters. Contrary to some Illinois studies where a handful of eDNA samples suggested Asian Carp presence in the Chicago Waterway System, and despite six weeks of intensive search and destroy efforts by state and federal fisheries personnel no physical sightings have occurred. While within the last ten years, there have been at least three confirmed sightings in western Lake Erie. 

That report given at last month�s annual lake committee meetings sponsored by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission did not appear to generate any significant interest but Notre Dame research associate Dr. Christopher L. Jerde felt it important enough to include it in the report.

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for April 23, 2010 

Weather Conditions

Over the past several days, the Great Lakes basin experienced minimal precipitation and mostly sunny skies. Most areas throughout the basin witnessed temperatures near their seasonal averages. Today, rain is forecasted to begin moving into the basin, eventually covering the majority of the region. The rain will likely begin tapering off early next week. Expect temperatures to gradually climb everyday until well into next week.

Lake Level Conditions

Currently, all of the water levels on the Great Lakes are below last year's levels. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron and St. Clair are 2, 4 and 9 inches, respectively, below last years level while Lakes Erie and Ontario are 13 and 19 inches, respectively, below the April 2009 levels.  Much of the difference between last year's and this year's levels of Lakes Erie and Ontario can be attributed to both the significant amount of snow that fell in 2009 versus what fell this year as well as the dry Spring that has occurred to date.  Over the next month, the water levels of Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron are both expected to increase by 3 inches, while Lakes St. Clair and Erie are expected to rise by 2 inches. Lake Ontario is projected to rise 6 inches over the next 30 days. Over the next few months, all of the Great Lakes are expected to be below their levels of a year ago with the exception of Lake Superior which will be near the prior year's level.

Forecasted March Outflows/Channel Conditions

The outflow from Lake Superior into the St. Mary's River is forecasted to be below average. The outflows from both Lake Huron into the St. Clair River as well as the Detroit River are forecasted to be below average. Near average flows are expected for the Niagara River and the St. Lawrence River.

Alerts

Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels.  Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings. 

What�s to like about Wind Farms?

Vote NO on these mis-guided energy proposals

There are many proposals for offshore and onshore wind farms. We oppose all wind farms � offshore and onshore - for many reasons; all the right ones.

Environmentally, esthetically, economically and from a conservation perspective, they are wrong. They create noise, lower residential property values; destroy ranges for wildlife and cattle and compromise pristine wilderness and shorelines. They indiscriminately kill wild birds, endangered birds, all kinds of birds; numerous birds and their habitats. They adversely affect bats, killing millions of them yearly, thus increasing mosquitoes and subsequently requiring more chemical spraying. They have a negative and deadly impact on wildlife.

Electricity produced by wind farms costs more than that

produced by traditional energy sources, they threaten crop

production, dry up and heat regional soils affecting agriculture and exacerbating droughts.  Wind farms require massive governmental subsidies. They only produce energy when the wind is blowing.

Environmentalists and other do-gooders scare me because they prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves. The United States will not achieve energy independence unless and until we develop our own vast resources rather than depend on our questionable world energy partners.

Folks may say the want them, but not in their own back yards. They are not an environmentally friendly power source.

So�what�s to like about them?

A fish story

Fisheries managers have introduced hatchery-bred chinook salmon for decades. They are a money-maker, bringing a sport fishery worth many millions a year to Ontario's economy. But those fish aren't wild. Since the 1990s, however, there have been efforts to re-establish wild, self-sustaining populations of Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario -- and it's working.

Sandy Bihn - The grandma who stood up

The power plant official called the grandmother of two a liar when she said his company had already admitted responsibility for 10 % of the young fish killed in the Maumee River.  So Sandy Bihn started digging through the documents she brought with her to the public meeting a year ago with First Energy.

Lake Erie - Hearing addresses fish kills at Bay Shore

Some mind-boggling numbers were tossed around in Oregon last night at a public meeting that shed light on the number of Great Lakes fish annually destroyed by FirstEnergy Corp.'s coal-fired Bay Shore power plant

Supreme Court to consider revisiting 1922 Great Lakes water diversion case
The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider at a private conference tomorrow whether it will let Michigan and five other states proceed with a lawsuit that seeks to permanently separate the ecosystems of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin.