by James C. Fulmer | Past President, NMLRA
I have been an avid competitive shooter all of my life. My whole family, starting with my great-grandfather and continuing through with my children, all have participated in competitive shooting sports. So when I attended the 2013 SHOT Show, and National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association Managing Director Morgan Mundell picked up tickets to attend the Three-Gun National Championship “Rumble on the Range,” I naturally wanted to attend. But when I boarded the bus to go to Clark County Shooting Park outside Las Vegas I had no idea what was about to happen.
I can’t express my pleasure and surprise over winning the drawing for the FNH USA 3-Gun Package at the 2013 3-Gun National “Rumble on the Range” Championship on Jan. 16.
Excited though I am about receiving the three-gun package, I am just as excited about having the opportunity to shoot in the FNH USA 3-Gun Championship in Glengary, WV, next September offered to me by Ken Plau Sr., Vice President, Law Enforcement/Commercial Operations of FNH USA, LLC.
This experience will expand my knowledge of modern competitive shooting sports and introduce me to one of the fastest growing shooting sports in the country. I look forward to the training and practice with these new firearms.
Serving on the board of directors of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association over the last 20 years, I have held the responsibilities of past president and was recently elected by my peers to serve as vice president for 2012-2013. I know the hard work that goes into running national matches, and running programs like “Rumble on the Range“ is no easy task. I want to give a big thanks to all the sponsors who made this event possible. Of course, a big thanks to FNH USA for donating the three giveaway firearms that I won. Also Brownells, which supports all the shooting sports. Many thanks to all the other sponsors and workers who make these types of events possible.
These three tactical firearms I won from FNH USA are some of the finest made for three-gun competition. The FNH SCAR .223 rifle, the FN SLP Standard 12-gauge shotgun, and the FNS-9 Pistol were all sent to my local FFL dealer, Darryl’s Gun Shop, LLC.
Here they were all transferred and registered to me. I have begun sighting in and figuring out which ammo and loads they like best.
One of the many things I have run into since Jan. 16 when I won these firearms is how many people ask “You are a muzzle loader, what are you going to do with them?” “Do you want to sell them?” “You have no use for them, you shoot muzzle loaders.” “Do you want to trade them for a muzzle loader?” “You don’t even shoot modern guns.” Well, guess what, I am keeping them and I do shoot modern firearms. So do almost all the other members of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association.
The NMLRA was founded during the Great Depression. Many were modern rifle competitors; they could not afford to shoot high-power or small-bore competition at that time, but black powder was inexpensive compared to modern ammunition, and with a correct bullet mold for your rifle you can cast enough round balls or bullets for a rifle match in less than a hour.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The monthly publication of the NMLRA is Muzzle Blasts magazine, and on the front cover of every issue it states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”—the Second Amendment to the Constitution. The Second Amendment is about firearms, but it was written so they can be used in the defense of liberty. The definition of liberty is pretty simple: “the condition of being free from control of others.” Every week I hear of more and more ridiculous laws being passed. When the authorities are questioned, it is said that they won’t be enforced. Why were they passed? They are not to be enforced? Maybe not in our life time but they are on the books, they are law.
They will be enforced on the next generation that grew up with the law on the books. Liberties are lost when good people do nothing.
The Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in February decided to ban firearms and equipment that are used in the modern three-gun competitions similar to the three firearms I just won.
They were surprised by the reaction of vendors who display at their show.
Reed Exhibitions, a British Company that runs this event and many other events in this country, was surprised that the vendors were not going to let their liberties be trampled. The show was always held in Harrisburg, PA, at the state’s farm show complex. The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association has had a booth at the show up until last year. NMLRA has attended this event for years, but for the last five years the pricing for the booth has gone up every year. So in 2012 a financial decision was made by the NMLRA not to attend in 2013.
Reed Exhibitions was shocked after they made the announcement; how fast it snowballed and vendors pulled out. It wasn’t just the vendors who were directly affected, such as Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Crimson Trace, Cabela’s, National Rifle Association, and many more, but also the archery companies, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation—and the list went on and on until the show was cancelled.
Reed Exhibitions, because of maybe its British base, was out of touch with how we feel about these modern top selling firearms in this country. But mostly they forgot how we feel about liberty. Yes, I will keep the three firearms I won from the FNH USA, and they will always have a home with my muzzle loaders.