Put your handguns on your back and make for the range

Fairfax, Virginia - I was on assignment in San Antonio, Texas, last weekend for one of NRA's Tactical Police Competitions. As with most travel assignments, I spent a good deal of time lugging equipment through the airports, the hotels and the host shooting range. The Tactical Competition was great. Transporting all the equipment ... not so great.

Competitors told me of similar experiences. Getting all of the gear from their car to range and then again from course to course. There has to be a better way to transport all that equipment. Something along the lines of the NRA Handgunner Backpack.

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Maglite® XL200™ tactical flashlight added to NRAstore.com

On Membership Monday, we always try to shine a light on new special and special products at NRAstore.com ... and what better product to shine a light on then the Maglite® XL200™ tactical flashlight.

With the XL200™, Maglite’s newest and brightest compact flashlight in the XL™ series, you get five different modes with five different clicks. Click once and the high power mode engages a powerful LED beam. Two clicks and you get a tactical strobe. Click thrice and the third option arises ... the Nite Lite™ mode (low beam, power-saving mode until you move the Maglite).

Four quick clicks activates the Signal mode and five puts the light into SOS mode.

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Girls Guide to Guns taking shots on the NRA Headquarters Range

Fairfax, Virginia - While writing this, I'm prepping for a meeting with a well respected firearms website ... I'll tell you who later today. Maybe tomorrow. I bring this up because it reminds me of last month's visit by Natalie Foster of Girls Guide to Guns. As she say, "If one day Vogue and Guns & Ammo Magazine fell madly in love, got married and had babies, we (Girls Guide to Guns) would be their favorite child."

We spent the better part of a day taking Natalie to and fro for a variety of meetings here at headquarters. NRA Women, NRA News (who happened to be onsite) and the NRAStore to name but a few. As one might imagine, there's a lot that can be accomplished when spending a day at the NRA.

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Daisy Model 1938 Red Ryder BB Gun Kit brings back the basics

I've got to admit ... I'm getting a little misty-eyed with this edition of Membership Monday. For this Monday, our second to last in the great Halloween month of October, we head on back into the WayBack Machine and bring out the Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun kit. Now that's got to be worth the price of admission, aye?

So what do we have with the Red Ryder kit? Plenty.

First and foremost the legendary Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. About thirty-six inches in length, this golden age classic fires a .177 caliber BB at 350 feet-per-second. How far? About 195 feet. Pretty darn good for a BB gun.

There's also a metal cocking lever, a solid wood stock (and forearm), adjustable rear sights and a 650 BB shot capacity. Looking good and shooting long. Now to the bonus round.

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Fairfax, Virginia - When it comes to self defense, just having a firearm, knife, mace or other item isn't enough. You need to know how to effectively use these items to handle different scenarios and keep yourself safe. That's why we're highlighting the Self Defense: Women's Seminar DVD focusing on women for this Membership Monday.

This video seminar, coming in at just over an hour and a half, will teach you simple, basic and effective techniques for avoiding peril, breaking contact, and staying alive. All segments are broken down by veteran military combative instructor David Burnell, who makes the lessons easily remembered. This foundation course is geared toward survival in an increasingly hostile world.

No matter your experience with self defense, everyone from novices to professionals will learn something from this course.

More on the Self Defense: Women's Seminar DVD...

Finding warmth and security with NRA's Woolrich Elite Discreet Twill CCW Jacket

Fairfax, Virginia - As the first rush of frigid air dances through the outlying neighborhoods of Washington, DC, an inspiration of need populates this edition of NRA's Membership Monday. And to give it a touch of the personal touch ... I actually own this product. It's what NRAstore.com refers to as the Woolrich Elite Discreet Twill Conceal Carry (CCW) Jacket.

Available in either tan or green, the Elite Discreet jacket starts with a wash cotton twill exterior and a polyester sherpa interior (confession here ... I've told friends that the lining as sheepskin at times. It's not sheepskin, but it feels awful close). The sleeves come insulated with "diamond-quilted 60-gram Arctic Insulation™, which keeps you toasty and your shirt sleeves from riding up." Now to the CCW side of the sheath.

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Tactical Pry-Mate Knife meets and exceeds expectations of most

Fairfax, Virginia - If there's one thing you learn when you're out in the field it's that there's nothing like a good knife. A good blade, a good hold and a good look. The NRA's Tactial Pry-Mate Knife (manufactured by Mantis Knives) is all that and more.

The first thing that should jump out at you is the tip of the blade. Unlike the conventional pointy end, the Pry-Mate ends with a wedge. That means you can jab the tip into a paint can, tree or practically anything else and push. Do this with a standard knife and you're likely to break off the tip. But this baby was built for that kind of action. Put in the tip, apply pressure and wedge away.

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Fairfax, Virginia - So it's been a few weeks. A few weeks since we put out our start of the week favorite ... Membership Monday. That's why we thought instead of bringing out the big guns, we'd bring out a big gun case. A padded gun case in fact, courtesy of Voodoo Tactical.

More on the NRA Voodoo Tactical Padded Firearms Case ...

NRA's 2012 Christmas Ornament has historical inspiration

Fairfax, Virginia - It's never too early. Too early to finish that term paper, plan that anniversary party or start remodeling that kitchen of yours. Another thing it's never too early to start doing is planning for Christmas, and what better way to make that start then with the official 2012 NRA Christmas Ornament.

As always, when it comes to our official ornaments, this special edition collectible will add that touch of Second Amendment flair to your tree.

Standing in the center for all to see is a 19th century shooter taken straight from NRA’s original 1871 letterhead. But it doesn't stop there. Taking the 19th century into the 21st, there's a little 3-D action too. Here's more from the NRA Store website:

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