#COVID-19

If you were planning to visit any of the Beretta Holding Group companies at SHOT Show 2022 in Las Vegas, you are going to be disappointed. With the announcement included below, Beretta U.S.A., Benelli U.S.A, Burris, and Steiner Optics announces an “immediate suspension of participation of their employees in large-scale indoor gatherings“, due to concerns about the increased amount of COVID-19 cases.

A new uniform item is coming to the US army – the Combat Cloth Face Covering (CCFC) or, in civilian terms, a camouflage face mask. More than a year on since the  Coronavirus swept the globe the US Army has finally moved to standardise a general issue mask. Starting next year, every new soldier can expect to receive a pair of masks, the army announced on Wednesday.

Another one falls to the ‘Rona. 2020 has been rife with event cancellations due to the imposition of gathering restrictions over health concerns, and we all hoped it would be long done by now, but unfortunately there doesn’t yet appear to be much light at the end of the tunnel. Already this year we’ve lost the NRA Annual Meeting, TriggrCon, Enforce Tac, the NASGW Wholesaler Expo, the Knob Creek and Big Sandy machine gun shoots, numerous competition matches, and many more. Now the NRA’s 2021 Great American Outdoor Show, which was set for February 6th-14th in Pennsylvania, is also getting the axe. They announced the cancellation with the following press release.

There is no debate that COVID-19 has changed the world in a significant way. The firearms industry is often subject to the ebbs and flows of society but in particular, the situation surrounding COVID-19 has significantly impacted both firearms owners and the industry itself. The guys over at Bear Creek Arsenal have collected 10 key statistics about firearms sales during COVID-19. Big thanks to those guys for gathering this data.

Machine gun shooters and fans will be disappointed to hear that this year’s Big Sandy machine gun shoot has just officially been canceled. With the cited reason being similar to that of the cancellation of the Spring 2020 shoot – COVID-19. Although those who have registered for the March 2020 shoot will miss out yet again on the October shoot, they will be credited for the next shoot which at this time is TBA for some time in 2021.

As of July 27th, the 2020 NASGW Expo (National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesaler Expo) and Annual meeting has been canceled amid fears over COVID-19 in Texas. The expo was slated to have taken place between October 20-23 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.

I don’t put a huge emphasis on being a prepper as part of my identity, but it’s just a reality of life living, farming and ranching in a more rural area.  Unfortunately, a lot of people nowadays are seeing what “SHTF” is in the context of pandemic related restrictions, supply chain disruptions, and unrest.  Rural areas are not immune to these impacts either.  When Pete posed the question to me at SHOT about “the one gun you could have”, it certainly got my wheels spinning.  My current reality allows me to select specific tools for specific firearm-related jobs.  If I just had to grab one or two and go, it’d be these tried and true and versatile firearms that I often turn to and am very confident in: The SCAR 17S and the Glock 20.

MK Machining has found a way for shooters to take out their frustrations on the corona virus with COVID-19 shaped steel targets.  The COVID-19 steel targets are made from sourced AR500 steel with a 12 inch diameter and are 3/8 inches thick.  The targets also come with a hole drilled at high-center for mounting to stands or as a swinging target.  The dimensions were specifically made to fit into a flat rate shipping box, which can fit four COVID-19 shaped targets.

Federal Background checks, which are required for every firearm purchase from a licensed dealer, are a good way for us to determine just how busy the consumer gun industry is. Several months into COVID-19 the number of performed background checks remains high as people continue to buy up firearms.

5.11 Tactical is extending a heartfelt thank you to all of the frontline heroes who are keeping the country moving and safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. There are innumerable professions to thank who protect us, feed us, and care for us in these times of need and 5.11 Tactical acknowledges that.

MT2 Firing Range Services is a company that works nationwide to help gun ranges and gun clubs safely and efficiently run their ranges. Their mission is to help companies keep sustainable standards that keep our environment clean and free from lead hazards. They offer cleaning and remediation services for not just the firing ranges but the rest of the facility including shop displays and locker rooms in law-enforcement facilities.

“I thought about purchasing a firearm for a while. Never really was sure about it. Also I’m not like, I don’t know, a gun nut, or like, I don’t know, also usually more on the side of like heavier gun controls probably not a terrible thing like better background checks and things like that. … We were just like, well, maybe now is the time just in case, like, something crazy happens or people start losing their minds … Maybe better to have one and not need it than need it and not have it.”

Has cabin fever set in yet? Trigger fingers getting itchy? Can you safely get to a range to do some shooting? Well if the answer is yes to the above, especially the last one, you should try competing in the COVID Precision Rifle Match! The best part is you can do it safely and practice proper social distancing.

The Italian firearms manufacturer Beretta is helping in the current healthcare crisis in Italy. Beretta has switched their machine park, which usually produces 3D printed prototypes of firearms and accessories, to make parts for breathing aids for the extremely hard-pressed Italian healthcare.

With live fire training being not an option for many of us confined at home, dry firing solutions become more interesting. Indeed our Eric B included dry fire training in his list of activities to kill boredom in quarantine (No. 9). The folks at TPD, in Italy, had the same thought and they are promoting their TPD-A1 as an innovative home training device.