Team GEMTECH’s long-range guys were hard at work while our sales staff had all the fun at the DFW Silencer Shoot. There’s some photos and reviews starting to float around the web from folks that looked to have had a great time at our setup in Dallas, test driving a bunch of GEMTECH kit. Meanwhile, on the east side of the country, GT-sponsored shooters were busy making a really good showing at the Woody’s DMR Match: our guys with their SANDSTORM-silenced AI’s pulled in 1st, 5th, and 2nd in various matches and stages.
*One shot / Cold bore shot match: 125 yards one shot on an Ace of Spades playing card– Team GT, 2nd place.
*Entire Long-Range Event – Team GT, 1st place
*Team Event – Team GT, 5th place (out of 65+ active duty military, police, and civilian teams.)
Not too shabby.
As an aside about the Woody’s match – Lynn and Stephen, GEMTECH-sponsored shooters, still hold the course record for that range from a couple years back – there’s a $100 bounty for any team that can top their lifetime high… but it hasn’t happened yet.
On this weekend’s first stage, they tore it up, however… the SANDSTORM was too quiet for the timer to pick up, and they had to reshoot TWICE because the timers didn’t hear them. Probably would have come in higher had that first shoot been recorded, but… well, at least people got to see how quiet those SANDSTORMs are!
Great job guys – Congrats and thanks for representing!
MINNESOTA SUPPRESSOR LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
Another grassroots success story in advancing good-sense on suppressor laws in Minnesota: We had been keeping this on the down-low for the last couple months, as this one was a bit sensitive, but it’s good to go as of today!
Chris Stafford, a longtime GEMTECH client that saw a problem that needed to be addressed, asked his representative to start a bill, and this is the result.
Historically, Minnesota has been one of the worst offenders in restricting the access to firearm-mounted hearing protection. There have even been roadblocks making it hard to obtain sound suppressors for even their own law enforcement departments, whose employees are exposed to firearms noise as a condition of their employment, not just by recreational choice. There have been positive changes to allow very narrow categories of suppressor ownership (some wildlife agencies, law enforcement, etc.), but not even dealers could possess them to demonstrate them *to* these agencies. GEMTECH couldn’t even “import” our own silencers into the state, so have subcontracted under manufacturing variance for companies like DPMS to get our product into Minnesota.
Today’s law change now advances Minnesota dealers to possess and sell to authorized clients. Baby steps for certain, and nowhere near the freedoms we’d like to see in the Gopher State, but we believe that the more commonplace suppressors are, the myths and misperceptions about them will start to erode, leading to increased freedoms to everyone. Minnesota’s got a long way to go towards a “greener” approach to abating firearm noise, but this is a step in the right direction.
Mike Benson is the Representative that got things moving there on the House side, and Senator Bill Englebritson on the Senate.
Federally licensed firearm importers, manufacturers and dealers firearm silencers possession and sale to authorized law enforcement agencies, military and other licensed importers, manufacturers and dealers authorization
Video of Chris’ testimony is here, about twenty minutes in:
Bill Status 2125 and companion April 16, HB 1816 passed, and companion SB2125 passed – both went off to the governor and were signed today!
We’re pleased to be participating in the “Silencers Are Legal” shoot and show this month in Dallas, TX. Silencer manufacturers from around the country will be descending on the Elm Fork range to let folks check out and shoot their wares and get the positive message out about suppressor benefits. $15 tickets at the door for a range pass, some vendors will have silenced firearms to try for nominal ammo fees, or you can bring your own suppressed firearms to shoot and show off.
Host Range info: www.elmfork.com Event hours 9:00am to 6:00pm Saturday April 28, 2012.
Team GEMTECH will be bringing their usual frolic and fun – come by, say hi, try out some GT kit first hand! (Wear your GEMTECH shirt and if we spot you, we’ll high-five ya and give you some cool free stickers. What? You don’t have a GEMTECH shirt? Grab one: http://www.gem-tech.com/store/pc/GEMTECH-T-Shirt-14p482.htm )