SUBSCRIBE    ARCHIVES   
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2022

- COMPETITION -
USA Shooting athletes earned a total of six medals at the 2022 ISSF President’s Cup in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 28- Dec. 4.
- CONSERVATION -
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is pleased to announce it helped conserve and open public access to 5,668 acres of prime wildlife habitat in central Montana.

- EVENTS -
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites you to the annual?TrophyCatch Hall of Fame ceremony to celebrate the biggest catches of season 10 at Bass Pro Shops Palm Bay, on Saturday, Dec. 10.
What has become known as the country’s longest veterans’ parade – Wreaths Across America’s annual “Escort to Arlington” – kicks off on Saturday, December 10, 2022.
Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) has announced its online auctions are now live and ready for bidding. Items include hunting, fishing and vacation trips around the world, jewelry, clothing and more.

- FISHING -
Attaching lures and other terminal tackle securely to your fishing line is foundational to successful angling. Yet for many, the process can be as difficult as threading a needle in poor light. Valley Tieless Fishing Tackle has a simple solution – the EZ Clasp and EZ Clasp Mini.
- GEAR -
The Galco DAO, now available for the six-inch Colt Anaconda revolver, can be worn strong side or crossdraw at the user’s discretion. The holster employs a retention strap for simplicity and security in the brush.
Easton's 2023 BowTruk has all the innovative features of its predecessor but now comes with even more durability, easier access to the interior pockets, and is feature in three sizes to accommodate virtually any bow.
- HUNTING -
Hunters harvested 71,932 white-tailed deer during the 2022 gun week that concluded on Sunday, Dec. 4, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

- INDUSTRY -
Last week, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) hosted the 19th Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit in Bozeman, Montana
Classic Racks Company’s newly released mobile app that allows you to take pictures of your horns and antlers and get back a 3D image that is viewable and shareable on your phone or tablet. If the unthinkable happens, you simply contact Classic Racks Co. for easy replication of the antlers/horns. F-3 Media has served as the marketing agency for Classic Racks Company since May and is helping oversee the marketing strategy for the company’s new app launch.
NSSF announced that Federal and Remington Ammunition, along with sister brands CCI, Hevi-Shot and Speer, have signed on as a VIP sponsor of the 2023 SHOT Show’s All-Star Jam—a free, private concert for all SHOT Show attendees featuring some of the most notable names in rock and country music.
Kinsey’s Inc. announced their annual Dealer Show, KDS23, will return for 2023. The event will run for 3 days from February 17-19th, 2023 and be held at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Mustang Survival's Jason Leggatt has resigned from his daily management position as president, although he will assume a position on the company’s board of directors..Mustang’s owner, The Wing Group, has begun the search for Leggatt's successor.
- JOBS -
Smith & Wesson is searching for District Sales Manager candidates to take a position in the NW United States. The successful candidate will be a resident of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Washington or Alaska.
The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is currently accepting applications for lake manager at the Geneva County Public Fishing Lake near Coffee Springs, Alabama.
- NEW PRODUCTS -
Davidson’s announces the latest exclusive pistol, the “Select 1” MC P35 from Girsan. The Select 1 features a gloss black finish, gold colored controls, and finely checkered walnut grip panels.

Speer and CCI Ammunition announce the implementation and production of Catalyst lead-free priming technology in their Lewiston, Idaho facility.The clean-burning Catalyst primer creates more uniform and complete propellant combustion. It is non-hydrophilic, so it does not attract water molecules like DDNP-based mixes found in most lead-free primers, resulting in better reliability.
Red Arrow Weapons answered the need for firearms focused specifically on home defense and sport shooting with the launch of two new 9mm models.
FN America, LLC announced the release of its first commercial pistol suppressor, the FN Rush 9Ti. This 9mm pistol suppressor is made from a lightweight Titanium-hybrid and was developed for the FN 509 tactical line of pistols and other 1/2x28”-threaded firearms.
Sako and Beretta are pleased to announce the addition of new colorways to the Sako TRG family of precision rifles – the TRG 22A1 and TRG 42A1 -- for the US civilian market. The TRG 22/42A1 family now comes standard with two magazines and is available in 4 Cerakote finishes- Tungsten Gray, Coyote Brown, Graphite Black, and Olive Drab Green.

- ONLINE -
Gabby Franco fled Venezuela as that nation began to go after its peoples’ guns, coming to the U.S. She now hears some of the same political rhetoric she heard in Venezuela before they went for their citizens’ guns.
- OPTICS -
iAiming's iA-317 was designed and developed by Australian based Uniwin Smart PTY LTD and features a globally patented First Shot – Auto Zero™ feature. With just a single shot, this feature is designed to provide an effective, automated sight-in process.
- PEOPLE -
Idaho Fish and Game Director Ed Schriever recently announced his retirement effective in February after spending his entire 39-year career in wildlife management with the department and rising through the fisheries ranks into leadership at headquarters.
- PUBLISHING -
The December issue of Shooting Industry presents an early look at the 2023 New Business Year, and how dealers can stay present (and profitable) through the year-end buying season. One component to facilitate this endeavor is SI’s giant 2023 New Product Showcase — spotlighting products from more than 60 brands.

The December/January/February issue of Outdoor Sportsman Group Publishing’s In-Fisherman Magazine and In-Fisherman Ice Fishing Guide delivers timely and cutting-edge strategies for catching the most popular sportfish sought by freshwater anglers, and serves as the authoritative voice of hardwater fishing entering 2023.
The Armory Life is pleased to announce the release of the Winter 2022 issue of The Armory Life print magazine, now reaching 250,000 subscribers.
- RECREATION -
Why not surprise your friends or family with a Utah fishing or hunting license for Christmas or by paying for their registration fee for a hunting or fishing challenge? They make thoughtful presents, and they’re easy to buy.
Finding a gift that will continue to give for a full year is a challenge, but the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has a solution: a license gift certificate for hunting and fishing licenses.
- STATE PARKS -
The 2023 year-long celebration of Indiana State Parks interpretive services’ 100th birthday starts with Clifty Falls State Park’s Winter Weekend Getaway, Jan. 6–8.
- STATES -
Hunters and landowners are encouraged to offer their feedback on big game issues during the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s public information meetings this winter.
The next meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission – Thursday, Dec. 8, in Lansing – leads off with a Wildlife Committee agenda that includes an overview of human-wildlife interactions and management.
- TELEVISION -
The fish are biting on World Fishing Network. Offering a variety of freshwater and saltwater-focused programming, World Fishing Network will thrill and encourage viewers to plan that next on-the-water adventure.
- WORKSHOPS -
A free Indiana Hunter Education Course is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 20 and Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Dubois County 4-H Fairgrounds, in Huntingburg.
Michigan State University Extension is offering a unique opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of inland lakes with enrollment in the Introduction to Lakes Online course, a nationally recognized, award-winning, six-week class in a convenient, self-paced online format.
 

If you or someone on your list has been very, very good this year, maybe it’s time for a special gift. Special gifts, wile seldom inexpensive, don’t have to be bank-breakers. Often, they’re special because they’re what a recipient would buy for themselves.

There really are affordable gifts out there for the outdoor enthusiasts that say “especially for you” without saying “I’m deeply indebted because of you.”

If there’s a knife lover is on your shopping list, your either fortunate or totally confused. There are tons of great knives out there.

Knifemaking, like gunsmithing, is at a high point today.

If, however, your special person happens to be a Corvette (the car, not the sailing vessel) enthusiast, there are custom knives for them that are absolutely, uniquely Corvette.

During the Nashville Custom Knife Show last month, I happened across knives with scales (handles) made of a substance I’d never heard of: Corvitte. Turns out it’s man-made -and distinctly Corvette.

The handles on the custom knives from DRT Knives in the photo are formed from more than 50 years of built-up automotive paint chipped out of the decommissioned paint booth at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

From 1953 until 1998, every Corvettes made was painted in that paint room. When painting techniques changed, a new room was built. The old paint room was dismantled and an employee broke all the paint off the walls-then sold it to a lapidary jewelry maker.

These custom knives from DRT Knives (top)all feature scales made from Corvitte- built-up layers of paint from the original paint booth of the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky (below). Decidedly unique.

Unfortunately, I can’t send you to the DRT Knives website because it has, apparently, expired. And knife maker David Taber told in Nashville all his custom capacity was sold out for the next year.

But I didn’t build you up to let you down. A web search sent me to Etsy where I and found a second source for the unique handles. The company’s called “HatpinsTooCorvettes” -and they have knives with the same handles. They’re priced at $379.99 -but I can’t speak to the quality of the knives/blades/metal.

But I can tell you the Corvitte/Fordite handles (Etsy calls it “Corvette Fordite”) are unique.

If you’re looking for a working knife that’s durable and still unique to your special someone, consider an engraved knife from Buck Knives. Engraving makes it unique, but considerably more affordable- than a full-on custom.

Importantly, it can still be bought and received in time for Christmas- if you hurry.

Every American-made Buck Knife is hand sharpened by craftsmen with years, if not decades, of experience. My vintage Model 112 Ranger, for example, is almost indistinguishable from today’s model. There’s no “change for the sake of change” in their knives. And their knives are durable. And they’re durable.

You’re not going to get a custom knife from Buck that was sharpened by a complete rookie like mine (top). But you can get one personalized - like my Model 119 -if you order soon.

You can’t get a fully-custom Buck delivered before Christmas. But you can still get a Buck personalized with laser engraving for the cost of the knife plus an additional $9. But the deadline for making a Christmas delivery is 12/9/22 at 11:59 pm PST.

If you’re looking for something for a shooter, here’s another product I saw being made during my very brief visit to Idaho.

Alien Gear's manufacturing facilities are located directly across a parking lot from Buck Knives, so we made time for a quick tour of their facilities. It was a quick walk, but a fundamental change in manufacturing technique and philosophy. Alien, unlike Buck, is focused on “just-in-time” manufacturing.

Workers were rushing around, assembling products heading out to customers later that day. More than the precision manufacturing machines running almost by themselves, Alien’s facilities featured walls, racks and bins of parts being transported from the machines that made them to workers waiting to assemble them into finished products. Then, they were hustled to final inspection, packaging and shipping. It was “J-I-T” to a level I’d never seen before.

While frenetic and entertaining, it wasn’t the kind of system that lends itself to the illustrative photography I favor. So, there aren’t illustrations of the process. You’ll have to take me at my word that each product is assembled to fit specific orders.

What most impressed me was their Bigfoot gun belts area. Arranged along the walls were gun belts in their elemental form. Bigfoot (feet?) Belts all have a spring steel core, making the stretch/sag of normal belts almost impossible. Available in 14 or 18-ounce drum dyed cowhide leather, they also feature roller buckles that should keep them looking good in the long-term. You can also get “tactical” style rigger’s belts -also with the steel core, Cobra buckles and a tactical “V-ring” for hanging accessories.

Having owned, stretched, and discarded more than a couple of gun belts over the years. I’m no stranger to the issues you run into when carrying anything from a subcompact to a full-size pistol, magazines and accessories. I’ve been wearing the Bigfoot nearly every day since picking mine up in Idaho. Other than the (slight) indentation where it’s buckled daily, it looks like it did when I watched it being assembled.

For the really deserving shooter on your list- how about a custom SIG P320? Using SIG’s online configurator, you can create a P320 that’s unique to its owner. This one would cost $1969.93 -including a SIG optic (not shown). A customer/custom designed pistol assembled and tuned by SIG’s Custom Shop pistolsmiths.

Finally, a suggestion for the shooter who has -almost-everything. How about a customized pistol that doesn’t take months (or years) to get? Earlier this year, I took advantage of SIG Sauer’s Custom Works offer to design a custom P320 pistol. Since I already had a P320 fire control module, I simply picked the parts I wanted to try and duplicate-as closely as possible- my vintage X5 competition pistol. It wasn’t just great fun, it was a learning experience as I realized just how many permutations of a single pistol were possible-all around a single fire-control mechanism.

You’re not going to get one of those pistols from SIG (or other companies) in time for Christmas, but you can certainly create some sort of package that lets that special shooter know they can start designing their custom pistol ASAP.

With this exception, everything we describe to you in our holiday shopping suggestions is currently in-stock and available in time for Christmas.

As always, we’ll keep you posted.

-- Jim Shepherd

 
Outdoor Wire - 155 Litchfield Rd., Edgartown, MA 02539
Copyright © 2021, OWDN, All Rights Reserved.