* HE ‘Yarget Shooters Are Chiselers’ came Bob: In the November issue of The DEALER you mentioned some importer offering gun clubs a 25 per cent discount on bullets. You seem surprised that such an unfair competitive condition exists. Heck, man, I thought you were hep. The same thing has been going on for years in the domestic market, with the blessing of the arms and ammunition companies. All of the big boys have been doing it and I’ve been griping and getting exactly nowhere. It has gotten to the point where I just simply can’t sell any 22 caliber ammo at all, as the big users of the stuff in this area, as in any other, are the target from the T-can: So why porter to some shooters.and gun clubs is it so use the of the at they the buy same it price wrong for some imsame method to get gravy? I hate to admit it, but target shooters by and large are chiselers. The only people I can make a cent on are the hunters and the kids who buy an occasional box of 22’s. Gun clubs never know exist except when they the want dealers a free prize to give away at one of their shoots. it is also true that the most of the dealers in target shooting equipment are jobbers, so that the small fellow just hasn’t got a prayer in hell of getting the target shooter’s business unless he is willing to cut his profits to the bone. I certainly hope someone can do something is to stop the practice, deep-rooted. Vic Breneman The Pennsylvania Hershey, Pa. Dear Vic: I have received chester of you. that a Gun letter certainly but it Trader from Win- me think made It starts out, “Vigorous enforcement of Fair Trade contracts under which Winchester sporting firearms and Western and Winchester sporting ammunition have been placed is the policy of the Arms and Ammunition Division of Olin Industries in order to protect the competition tices, dealer and from cut-throat unethical according trade prac- to J. T. Boone, Sales about the Manager.”’ The ment letter goes on of Fair Trade the setup enforce- on FROM PAGE 264) gun stock. I want mine just as light as it can possibly be and still not fall apart from the shock of the recoil. too Any more wood than that is much. Don’t anybody go saying you can’t hold a light rifle like that steady after climbing around the mountains and hills all day. I have carried one that light for years and am plumb tickled with my underground (or scuttlebutt) record, and many times ably beat known no smarter their more than brains about I have Me, I think I'll just keep crabbing and blowing my stack occasionally and if it doesn’t do any good least make me feel better. I’m inclined to believe are probably a few it supply camp many nature 276 would probably be lucky to in the United States who are giving dealer discounts to gun clubs, for seldom a week goes by that we don’t get a letter ourselves from some gun club wanting the discount for their members. They generally start out by” saying that they don’t like the service or something else where they are getting their supplies, so would we please forward our gun club discount sheets. A few former of them sources have of even supply as given their credit ref- erences. I believe that a gun club is about as entitled to a dealer discount as a doe would be to antlers . It’s about as unfair as one can get if they are setting themselves up as legitimate jobbers. I can’ honestly say, though, that I know of no bullet makers here in the United States who are extending discounts to gun clubs, nor do I know of any manufacturers of shooting accessories who are extending discounts to clubs with the exception of perhaps one there in your state, and all I know there is that it is rumor. Otherwise, I believe most of the manufacturers are pretty clean. Bob hold them all in a Brownell 20-quart bucket at 20 yards after the fifth fast shot, but, as a hunter, I’m not interested in what happens after the fifth fast shot. It’s those first two a hunter should worry about, when the barrel is still cold. And I guess most experts say that a wee barrel is as accurate I as a big one and hot get have start had an before with the stock makers, trying to convince Most of them them of my ideas. are too used to making heavy target or much heavier bench rest stocks. hunter’s in their tummies, and the argument really That’s what makes it gets rugged. fun, though. LL release from Winchester Repeat- placed is the Ammunition policy of the Arms & Division of Olin In- dustries, Inc., in order to protect the dealers from cut-throat competition and unethical trade practices, according to J. T. Boone, sales man- ager. “Boone said that his company instituted Fair Trade because the Overwhelming majority of retailers and wholesalers supported Fair Trade. He pointed out that Winchester firearms have been Fair Traded since 1941. Long before Fair Trade, his company followed the policy of suggesting retail and wholesale prices of firearms and ammunition, sound Sition believing it to be a business practice. The tranfrom suggested resale prices to Fair Trade cause it gave was a logical step bethe retailer the pro- tection of the courts, he said. “Since the passage of the McGuire Act, July 14, 1952, Mr. Boone said his company has brought suits in a number of states to enforce Fair Trade agreements. In every case where it has been necessary to file suit for injunction, injunctions have been obtained or the retailer has entered into a Fair Trade con- tract.” You know, it is rather nice to get that bit of news and to learn that the arms companies are doing something about the price cutters. I especially appreciate that last paragraph in the release. There are manufacturers who maintain that it is impossible to get injunctions and that they’re so discour- aged over the whole business they’re about to throw their arms into the air. and quit. Phooey! In view of what Olin has got done I now wonder if these LOT A time awful a news chester Firearms and Western and Winchester ammunition have been things bending. they see a real When stock they get butterflies to at there houses carrying back will that stocks it prob- to a pulp and it than you or in spite of its light weight, I have cursed it for being too heavy when more times than I have for being too light climbing a mountain. For target shooting, a gun of that com- ment some of those who are screaming the loudest could well look to their own household first. Especially is this true insofar as allowing discounts to gun clubs and gun club members is concerned—not only on ammunition, but everything else connected with the target shooting game. Surely wish I could come forth with a brilliant answer or suggestion that would eliminate the practice, but men Win- Let’s Talk About Guns (CONTINUED chester and Western, and states that the company has brought suit in a number of states to enforce the agreements. Maybe the wind is starting to blow in the right direction. You know, I’ve read a great many articles and reports about the cutting of prices in the firearms and sporting goods industry, and according to a lot of day, ing Arms Co. Goes thusly: “Vigorous enforcement of Fair Trade contracts under which Win- Dealer Takes Aim at Gun aps: Dear OTHER ouners Oe OF even tried. the old guff has been coming my way lately. ‘In case you don’t remember, I took a bow and some arrows to Wyoming with me and came back with two antelope—shot with rifles. Five fellows from a few miles west of here went to the Black Hills with five bows and some arrows and came back with five deer—shot with arrows! I now have one of Saunders’ straw (NOW, PAGE targets set up 291, PLEASE) in SPORTING GOODS DEALER for JANUARY>-1954 » \