by Dave Workman | Senior Editor
When the National Rifle Association gathers for its 144th annual members meetings and exhibits in Nashville April 10-12, listen for lots of talk about the next 700 days, approximately all that remain in the administration of President Barack Obama.
It’s a period that could be fraught with peril for American gunowners, according to NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. He mentioned this during a speech at the Conservative Action Political Conference (CPAC) in early March, and he mentioned it since, even during a recent telephone chat.
With May on the spring horizon, it will be about 700 days until a new president is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2017, bringing an end to what many conservatives and gunowners believe to be the most challenging and arguably destructive administration in the nation’s history. On Obama’s watch, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) launched Operation Fast and Furious, allowing some 2,000 guns to be illegally walked into the hands of Mexican drug cartel gunmen.
This debacle led to congressional hearings, the resignation of a US Attorney in Phoenix, the replacement and ultimate retirement of the then-acting ATF director, and expansion of a reporting requirement on multiple rifle sales by firearms retailers in four southwest states—Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
More recently, the ATF tried to ban .223-caliber “green tip” ammunition for the AR-15 rifle by proposing that it be re-classified as “armor piercing” because the round is also used in a number of modern semi-auto handguns built around the AR-15 action. But this particular round had been specifically exempted from the armor piercing classification for several years, and ATF knew it.
NRA and other gun rights organizations quickly fired up their members. The Second Amendment Foundation threatened a lawsuit if the ban was enacted.
Just as suddenly as the ATF had announced the proposal back on Feb. 13, the agency suddenly decided to put off any action in a brief announcement on March 10.
LaPierre quickly noted that the decision “proves what we have said all along—this was 100 percent political.”
“President Obama failed to pass gun control through Congress,” he added, “so he tried to impose his political agenda through executive fiat. But every gunowner in America needs to understand Barack Obama’s hatred of the Second Amendment has not changed.”
He was joined by Chris Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, who said, “The lies used to justify the ban were shameful.”
“This proposal was never about law enforcement safety,” Cox observed. “It was about the Obama Administration’s desire to pander to billionaire Michael Bloomberg and his gun control groups. Since they haven’t been able to ban America’s most popular rifle, they are trying to ban the ammunition instead.”
They credited fast work by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and House Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Culberson “for leading the fight against this unconstitutional attack on our Second Amendment freedoms.”
“This was a significant victory for our five million members and tens of millions of supporters across the country,” Cox said.
But LaPierre counseled caution and vigilance.
“Make no mistake,” he said, “this fight is not over. We will remain vigilant and continue to fight against President Obama’s attempt to dismantle the Second Amendment.”
Likewise, SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, who will be attending the NRA gathering, warned that the ATF’s announcement may just be the end of “round one.”
“The Obama administration will try to rework this ban proposal and we will see it back sooner than later,” he predicted. “Now is the time to double our efforts and drive a permanent stake through the heart of any ammo ban.”
NRA exhibit hall slated for 3 days
It won’t all be politics and activism during the three-day convention, which will unfold at the Music City Center. This event will attract an anticipated 70,000 to 80,000 NRA members for workshops, special events and strolls through the building’s huge exhibit hall.
More than 550 exhibitors will show off firearms and accessories; everything from cutlery to clothing, bullets to boots. There will be reloading displays from the big names in the industry, including Hornady, RCBS, Lyman, Redding and Dillon. Nosler will be telling people about the new 28 Nosler big game cartridge. Hodgdon will introduce handloaders to three new propellants.
Visitors will see handguns from all the major names including Smith & Wesson, Colt, Sig Sauer, Glock, Kimber, Kahr, Taurus and others. They will find everything from flintlocks and percussion muzzleloaders, through single-action sixguns and lever-action rifles, to modern bolt-action sporters and semi-auto utility rifles.
Shotguns and rifles from Mossberg, Remington, Winchester, Benelli, Beretta, Savage, Marlin, Browning and others will be on display.
Visitors will be able to rub elbows with experts in hunting, shooting and reloading. There will be leather goods, cutlery and lots of camo. It may be the largest “full house” public firearms and accessories show in the country.
The exhibit hall covers 450,000 square feet, but even with that much space, expect the aisles and displays to be jammed. Much of what they will see is new products, introduced earlier this year at the SHOT Show.
The popular NRA Store and Pyramid Air gun range will open on Thursday, April 8 at 2 p.m. and that evening, the annual NRA Foundation banquet begins at 6 o’clock.
On Friday, April 10, the exhibit hall opens for three full days, there is a national firearms law seminar, and the annual NRA Leadership Forum begins at 1 p.m. At 7 p.m., the NRA Country Jam will be held, and this year it is free and open to the public with sponsorship from Bushnell.
Saturday is typically the biggest day of the convention, with the annual member’s meeting at 10 a.m.
The convention ends Sunday with the exhibit hall remaining open to 5 p.m.
