FROM THE EDITOR



	The first quarter of the year goes by in a blur of snow, seed 

catalogs, airports and major events of importance to everyone interested 

in firearms.



	Chronologically, the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade(SHOT) Show 

is first, in mid-January.  Those of us who attend SHOT every year are 

amused by those who don't but who express a wistful desire to do so.  

This is one giant show, that runs four days and seems to begin each day 

just hours after it ends.  Anyone who does a credible impression of me 

may apply in writing for my place at next year's show, to be held in Dallas.



	True, it's the first opportunity for most of us to see what's new 

in the industry--sort of like a peek into Santa's workshop, right after 

Christmas, when the Jolly Elf must surely have to begin all over again.  

And, as is always the case, there were a lot of new things to see, and, I 

am pleased to report, the firearms industry remains committed to its 

women customers.  Obviously, not everything introduced is made 

specifically for women, but a lot of the new handguns (including the big 

.44s and .45s) seem women-friendly.  Interarms has debuted the Lady Rossi 

in a .38, and at least one other manufacturer is seriously talking about 

a woman's handgun.  Watch these pages for reviews, as Carolee 

Boyles-Sprenkel, Sheila Link, Gila May-Hayes and Marge Pepiot were 

"shopping" the aisles for new products of interest to you.



	I am always struck at the SHOT Show by how many women are in the 

firearms industry--at all levels--from green-lighting new products in the 

boardroom to stocking dealer's shelves, and everywhere in between.  This 

should not surprise you, but it may surprise people like Josh Sugarmann 

of the Violence Policy Center who pretends that a) there are no women 

gunowners and b) that the women's market in forearms was created solely 

by men in order to line their pockets.



	Mr. Sugarmann was noticeably absent from this year's SHOT Show.  

He generally appears cruising the aisles with some sort of dealer 

credential.  Since he is not a widely recognized as Sarah Brady, he 

generally gets away with it, and goes back to Washington with bags full 

of catalogs to better "understand" the industry.



	There was a rumor that Mrs. Brady wanted to attend the show under 

auspices of "60 Minutes" to do her Claude Raines imitation ("I'm shocked, 

shocked that people are selling guns here").  The "60 Minutes" camera 

crew was refused admission to the show, but a local CBS affiliate was 

allowed in, and some of their footage turned up in a curious piece that 

aired Feb. 5.



	The Lesley Stahl-anchored segment was ostensibly about how there 

are still all these evil "assault weapons" out there, despite the 

ballyhooed ban last year.  Stahl, who might want to take a few lessons in 

gun handling etiquette (even Miss Manners would know not to point a 

firearm, no matter how many times it was checked, at another human 

being, especially one you're interviewing), was also shocked to find out 

that the ban provisions of the 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill were merely 

cosmetic, ad that manufacturers could and did change a few things on 

existing "bad" guns to make them "good" guns.



	Stahl was also surprised to learn that if a particular gun or 

part (including large capacity magazines) were manufactured before 

President Clinton signed the bill, they were still legal.



	While this was supposed to reveal the evil machinations of the 

firearms industry, the piece mostly left egg on the face of Sen. Dianne 

Feinstein who was repeatedly forced to admit that cosmetic laws change 

very little and the chances of more "corrective" legislation in the 104th 

Congress were slim indeed.  Proving once again that politicians are less 

capable than old dogs of learning anything new, Feinstein remarked that 

if it were up to her she would tell "Mr. & Mrs. America" to turn in all 

their guns.



	After a week or so home to regroup an send most of the clothes I 

own to the dry cleaners, I was off to Washington.



	It is my privilege to serve on the Women's Policies Committee of 

the National Rifle Association under the leadership of its chair, Sue 

Caplan, so I went down on a Friday morning to attend that meeting.  

Again, contrary to the public misconception about good old boys in 

overalls and gimme caps, the reality of the National Rifle Association is a 

much different thing.



	There are eleven women members of the 75-member Board of 

Directors, a percentage that should make most legislatures, including the 

United States Senate and House of Representatives, blush.



	Indeed, women are extremely visible at all levels here, from the 

board and officers to staff.  I find it hard to believe that they are all 

somehow dupes, tricked into their positions, as the anti-gunners would 

have everyone believe about women who are involved in the firearms civil 

rights struggle.



	While attending an entire NRA Board meeting might not be 

everyone's cup of tea, it is by and large instructive and interesting.  

The people that serve on the board do so without pay, and give up more in 

time and energy than just the few weekends when the board meets.  Again, 

they come from all walks of life (although there seem to be enough 

lawyers to make shark jokes mandatory) and from many different 

disciplines and areas of interest, but all seem united in their 

commitment to the goals of the Association, and beyond, to the many 

gunowners who never bother to join NRA or any other gun rights group.



	During my stay in our nation's capitol, the snow began to fly.  

Winter weather is the perfect metaphor for Washington, DC--every year it 

snows there--and every year it's a really big surprise to its residents.



	After the NRA meetings, I moved further into the city to attend 

the first two days of the American Shooting Sports Council's (ASSC) 

Industry Fly-In.



	This annual events is held by the firearms industry's ASSC so 

that the businesspeople who represent millions of dollars worth of taxes, 

jobs, goods and services can meet their federal legislators.  One of the 

major benefits of the Fly-In is that Representatives and Senators get to 

meet businesspeople, not soldiers in political and intellectual battles.



	That is not to say that those in the firearms industry are not 

equally committed to these other battles.  In most cases they are people 

who use their own products and recognize that their customers are more 

than just customers or "hobbyists."  Industry executives know that the 

legislative controversy over firearms ownership as well as the public 

policy debate are important and they have, especially of late, gone the 

extra mile to do their part.



	By the way, the American Shooting Sports Council's new president 

is Georgia Nichols of Mossberg, a thoughtful, charming woman whose 

leadership of this dynamic industry group adds another female face to 

the national scene.  I look forward to hearing and seeing Georgia on 

legislative panels and in the media.



	Many of the faces at the ASSC event were the same as those 

encountered at the SHOT Show, and some from each of the latter two events 

attended the NRA Board and Committee meetings.  they are pretty nice 

faces all the way around, and we, as their constituents, are lucky to 

have them.





Peggy Tartaro

Executive Editor