Industry Notes

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday that it had conducted a record number of instant background checks on those wishing to buy firearms in December

It's clear that Smith & Wesson figures there's still a viable market for the snubnose 38, because it came out with a new revolver in 2010 called the Bodyguard 38, usurping the name of the previous Bodyguard with shrouded hammer. The new Bodyguard 38 comes with an 'integral' laser sight, and the gun vies with the Centennial Airweight for looks, charm, effectiveness, concealability, and price.

We acquired a new Bodyguard 38 No. 103038, $625. The gun was a S&W five-shot 38 Special, and had a 1.9-inch barrel. Our prime interest was to see if the newer, more expensive Bodyguard was worth the money when proven, perfectly servicable older guns are readily available at gun stores, pawn shops, and gun shows.

Amid talk of reinstating the assault weapons ban that expired eight years ago, police departments nationwide are thinking of ways to confiscate such weapons.

The National Rifle Association broke its silence on last week's shooting rampage at a Connecticut elementary school that left 26 children and staff dead. NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre addressed the media on Friday. Here is the full transcript:

Charter Arms recently moved into an expanded office and production facility. The company’s new location increases production space from 8,000 to 28,000 square feet providing a major increase in manufacturing finished goods capacity.<

The National Rifle Association released this statement regarding the Newtown, Connecticut, shootings on Tuesday:

The Second Amendment Foundation has won a huge victory for the right to bear arms outside the home, with a ruling in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals that declares the right to self-defense is 'broader than the right to have a gun in one's home.'

‘Armageddon Arsenals’ debuted last night on Discovery’s Destination America network. The series explores the weapons and security aspects of the massive new prepping movement, focusing on individuals and families across the country who are preparing for a variety of worst case scenarios–many of them more plausible now than ever.

John Hayward, writing on the HumanEvents.com blog, said this week, “It never takes long for gun-control fanatics to exploit tragedy for their political ends. NBC’s Bob Costas put on a particularly disgusting and unacceptable display on Sunday night, as he hijacked a football broadcast to sucker-punch fans with a gun-control sermon following the horrible Jovan Belcher murder-suicide.

Jim Axelrod filed a one-sided report on Tuesday's CBS This Morning linking the Jovan Belcher murder-suicide to a lack of gun control inside the NFL. Axelrod sourced the piece with only gun-control advocates – Brady Center flack Marcellus Wiley, NBC's Bob Costas, and New York Times sportswriter William Rhoden.

Writing at the American Prospect, Paul Waldman asserts that the NRA had a bad 2012 election season. In fact, he wrote, “they lost almost everywhere they tried to make a difference.”

The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) announced that O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., will be one of the major sponsors of the Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championship. The 2013 Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championship will take place February 21-23 on the indoor ranges of the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.