June 13, 2013—ALL Thompson/Center Arms ICON®, VENTURE® and DIMENSION™ rifles manufactured before June 13, 2013.
DESCRIPTION OF THE HAZARD
Thompson/Center Arms has identified a condition where the safety lever in certain rifles may bind preventing the safety from becoming fully engaged. In this situation, closing the bolt may move the safety to the fire position. The rifle will not fire unless the trigger is pulled. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are initiating this recall to allow for the prompt inspection and, if necessary, the repair of each rifle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT INVOLVED
This recall applies to all ICON, VENTURE and DIMENSION rifles manufactured before June 13, 2013. The following is a list of affected models:
Icon Venture Dimension
Icon Classic Venture Predator
Icon Weather Shield Venture Infinity
Icon Precision Hunter Venture Dream Season
Icon Warlord Venture Weather Shield
Icon Field Venture Compact
REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN
STOP USING YOUR RIFLE.
To remedy this condition, your rifle will be inspected and if necessary repaired at no cost to you. Your firearm will be returned as quickly and efficiently as possible. All shipping and repair costs will be covered by Thompson/Center Arms.
Even in the recall condition, the rifle will not fire unless the trigger is pulled. Therefore, always follow these basic firearm safety rules:
Keep your chamber unloaded until you are ready to shoot.
Always keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction.
Never place your finger on the trigger until you have made a conscious decision to fire your rifle.
Outside the United States, click HERE for a list of Authorized Warranty Centers that will repair your rifle.
VERIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION
When your rifle is returned, you should note a punch dot on the safety lever. See the photograph below. This punch dot is confirmation that your rifle has been inspected and the hazard has not been found or has been corrected.
When your rifle is returned, you should also note a red star on the label on the outside of your box. See the photograph above. This mark is further confirmation that your rifle has been inspected and the hazard has not been found or has been corrected.
CONSUMER CONTACT
To receive a FedEx pre-paid label and shipping instructions click here.
This punch dot is confirmation that your rifle has been inspected.
A red star on the box confirms your rifle was inspected.
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What do you envision when you hear or read the term gun nut? Do you imagine someone who loves guns or someone who might possibly need committed? The word nut, when used in slang, refers to someone who is insane. Obviously, an accusation of insanity as a gun owner is detrimental to your liberty. That’s a good way to lose your guns. Wikipedia defines a gun nut as a “firearm enthusiast deeply involved with the gun culture.” Urban Dictionary defines gun nut as “Someone who completely ruins the image of respectable firearm-owning civilians. Gun nuts hoard guns and lash out at anyone who disagrees with their ideals, no matter the argument.” Which is more correct? I believe the Wikipedia definition holds truer.
In an effort to demonize all gun owners, the media likes to use the term gun nut in a derogatory way. In reports I have read gun nuts described as nervous, crazy, wacky, and delusional. The media paints such an ugly picture of gun owners that I totally get why you would shy away from calling yourself a gun nut. On the other hand, many self-declared gun nuts are reclaiming the term.
When I hear the word gun nut, I think of someone who has completely immersed themselves in gun culture. They are politically active, go shooting every chance they get, train daily, and spend all their money on acquiring new guns and accessories. Usually a gun nut will surround themselves with other gun nuts and the majority of their conversations and activities center on guns.
I’ve heard the term nut used for other pastimes, as well. For example, my mom is a Texas Ranger baseball nut. She never misses a game, knows every player by his first name and loves to talk about Ranger’s baseball. However, it isn’t all she talks about. She also loves to bake cookies and share recipes. There is nothing wrong with being mildly obsessed with your hobby or sport, and there is nothing wrong with NOT being a gun nut either.
I hope the word gun nut hasn’t scared off any potential new gun owners. You can own a gun. You can own two guns. Heck, you can own five guns and still not consider yourself a gun nut. Two prominent female faces of the gun industry are Natalie Foster and Shelley Rae. These women both love guns. In fact, Shelley Rae writes for Gun Nuts Media; however, both have other interests. Natalie is quick to say how much she loves to shop and in her bio, she says she likes to soak up the sun on the beach. On Shelley Rae’s personal blog she writes about wine, cars and whiskey.
I’ve noticed a trend in the firearms industry. Gun guys rarely talk about anything else on blogs, Facebook and Twitter. Gun gals talk about guns a lot, but not exclusively. Have you checked out competitive shooter Julie Golob’s Pinterest board? Along with guns are food, fashion and craft boards. Just because you are a gun owner doesn’t mean you aren’t also a horse owner, motorcycle rider, marathon runner, painter, or humane society volunteer. Maybe you don’t really have another hobby besides shooting, but that doesn’t mean that some days you just feel like shopping for new shoes or having a cocktail instead. Don’t let anyone discourage you from enjoying and involving yourself in the shooting sports. If you would rather go get a mani/pedi after time at the range instead of going home and cleaning your guns, then by all means go ahead—you are still a gun gal!
Am I gun nut? Some days I am. Some days I eat, breathe and sleep guns. Other days I watch Say Yes to the Dress all day and only think about guns when someone says “shotgun wedding.”
The perception that you must be a gun nut to be a true part of gun culture just isn’t accurate. Gun ownership has increased rapidly in the last few years. Frankly, it is impossible to nail down the typical gun owner these days.
Don’t get me wrong; I think we need to support our gun nutty sisters and brothers. And gun nuts, this goes for you too. If you know a gun owner whose passion is rock climbing don’t fault them for putting that passion first.
If you own a gun, then you are pro-gun. Every gun owner is a part of the gun culture and the best we can do is be supportive of each other. Gun nut or not—it really doesn’t matter. What matters is our mutual respect and enjoyment for guns and our belief in liberty and the Second Amendment.
Do you consider yourself a gun nut? Tell us why in the comment section.
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I remember spending many a summer night sleeping in a large, blue tent in the backyard of my childhood best friend’s house. Though we ran in and out of the house all evening for bathroom and Popsicle breaks, when it got dark, we crawled in the tent with our flashlights to play games and read. We didn’t need the TV, X-Box or Internet. We had the outdoors and lots of fireflies to catch.
Every year the NWF plans a nationwide fund-raising event called the Great American Backyard Campout.
I spent my summers riding four-wheelers and horses, jumping off the rope swing at the local swimming hole, picking wild blackberries at the creek, playing softball, and many other fun adventures we dreamed up. Our one caveat? “Be home before dark.” Those times have changed, however.
I’m not sure why; some say it’s parents’ fears for their children’s safety, but kids don’t play outdoors anymore. In fact, children spend more than seven hours a day in front of an electronic screen. Indiana University East found, “By the time most children go to kindergarten, they have spent more than 5,000 hours in front of a television—enough time to earn a college degree.”
Children born after 1990 are being called Generation I. I standing for perhaps Generation Internet or Generation Indoors. It is negatively affecting our children, too. Childhood obesity, depression and ADHD rates have soared over the last decade. Experts have found that children who spend unstructured time outdoors have better attention spans, decreased aggression, enhanced creativity, and do better in school.
The National Wildlife Federation has found a way to help solve this problem by establishing the Be Out There campaign that encourages children to spend more time outdoors. The conservation organization has a three-year goal to get 10 million children outside. On the NWF’s website, you can sign a pledge saying you will do your part to get your children outside.
As part of their effort, every year the NWF plans a nationwide fund-raising event called the Great American Backyard Campout. This year, the ninth annual event will be on Saturday, June 22. The activity works much like a charity walk event. You create a camping team, register your team on the Great American Backyard Campout site and then raise money to go toward the NWF’s Be Out There program. Eighty cents of every dollar raised goes toward establishing and maintaining programs dedicated to getting children outside. You don’t have to fundraise to participate; the organization suggests a $10 flat donation.
Experts have found that children who spend unstructured time outdoors do better in school.
Fun things to do while camping:
Fishing
Swimming
Geocaching
Learn wilderness survival skills
Bird and wildlife observation
Hiking
Storytelling
Eating S’Mores!
If you would like to venture out further than the backyard, check out freecampsites.net. The website will help you find free and discounted campgrounds.
Why not take your family camping this year, even if it is just in the backyard?
For more about camping, read the following blog posts:
The mission of Cheaper Than Dirt!’s blog, “The Shooter’s Log,” is to provide information—not opinions—to our customers and the shooting community. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt!
As Father’s Day quickly approaches I have been thinking about how to say thank you and show my gratitude to my dad. Even though a couple of my teen years were turbulent—whose wasn’t—my father and I have a mature relationship filled with mutual respect and admiration. Even now, I consider my father the smartest man I ever met. I owe our healthy relationship to my father, who laid down the foundation at an early age. Before I became interested in boys, my dad took me on monthly outings—just him and I. These weren’t short trips to the ice cream shop either, but all-day and sometimes all-weekend adventures. Every single outing involved being outdoors. We hiked, swam, fished, camped, caved, and rode horses. Because of my dad being a fun, loving, supporting and present buddy in my young girl life I ended up with a sense of wonder, high-self esteem, independence, fearlessness, and above all respect for myself, nature, and others.
June 15 is National Take Your Daughter to the Range Day
Psychologists have found that a strong, loving, and present father in a little girl’s life—even divorced fathers—leads to more self-confidence, less depression, and better grades. They learn positive male love and have a sense of can do especially when allowed to participate in typical boy activities.
Since my dad is the smartest man in the world—to me— he clearly knew what he was doing. Our outdoor activities made me a smarter, healthier and well-rounded kid!
Studies show that kids who play outdoors have:
Increased fitness
Improved vision
Reduced stress
Higher test scores
Increased critical thinking skills
Unfortunately, however, times have changed. Kids these days spend much more time indoors than my generation ever did. The National Wildlife Federation reports that children spend only four to seven minutes a day playing outdoors and more than seven hours a day in front of an electronic screen. In turn, child obesity, ADHD and childhood depression rates have soared.
There is no better time than now to kick-start your daughter’s love for outdoor activities and sports. As a gift to her and you to celebrate Father’s Day, take your daughter to the shooting range for National Take Your Daughter to the Range Day (NTYDTTRD) on Saturday June 15, 2013.
Inspired after reading Julie Golob’s book “Shoot”, Lynne Finch co-founded the non-profit NTYDTTRD to promote safety, fun, education, and family bonding by introducing girls under the age of 18 to the wonderful world of the shooting sports.
The shooting sports teaches children confidence
This year, the organizations second annual event is happening at shooting ranges across the nation. Participating ranges will offer specials and discounts throughout the day for families who participate. Find one of the over 25 participating ranges in your area here.
Even though the shooting sports are not necessarily an outdoor activity, I categorize it as an outdoor sport. One thing I love about the shooting sports—especially for children—there are no psychical limitations. You don’t have to have any certain abilities or talents to be good at shooting. Anyone can learn!
The shooting sports teach children:
Self-control
Hand-eye coordination
Concentration
Respect
Responsibility
Sportsmanship
To overcome fear
Liberty and freedom
Goal setting and achievement
Focus
Confidence
Not to mention, you have a fun activity to enjoy and bond with not only your daughter, but your whole family.
One young lady who shoots knows guns are tools for daily living. In the right hands, guns are not only safe, but also fun. Her father says, “She’s been known to brag a bit about her great shots.”
One of my friends taught his daughters from age of two and a half how to shoot. He feels they behave more responsibly than other children who do not know how to shoot guns safely. He says, “It is also fun to watch them point out poor firearm handling at the range and while watching movies. It is interesting to watch a grown man get corrected on carrying a rifle by an 11 year-old girl.”
Dads, now is the time to teach your daughter how to shoot! I promise she will thank you later.
The mission of Cheaper Than Dirt!’s blog, “The Shooter’s Log,” is to provide information—not opinions—to our customers and the shooting community. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt!
On the night of Wednesday, May 15, 2013, an EF-4 tornado ripped through the North Texas town of Granbury, killing six people and injuring many more. That same night, I was driving home from running errands 72 miles away in Dallas. As I was entering downtown, my passenger exclaimed, “Look at that weird car! What is that?” I glanced over to see a car pulling off the highway that appeared to be the Tornado Intercept Vehicle from Discovery Channel’s television show Storm Chasers. Being fully aware these professional guys know more about tornadoes and severe weather than I do, should I have pulled over as well or kept driving?
Can You Out Run a Tornado?
Just 15 days later after the same night North and East Texas had 16 confirmed tornadoes on the ground, the widest tornado ever recorded tore through a congested stretch of Interstate 40 in El Reno, Oklahoma. Nine people died, including a woman and her baby sucked out of their car from the tornado’s violent winds. Sadly, the star of Storm Chasers Tim Samaras, his son Paul, and colleague Carl Young were among those who died.
A few days later National Public Radio reported on the El Reno tornado. Oklahoma City meteorologist, Gary England said, “If you want to live through a major tornado, and you have time—10, 15 minutes—and you know where the tornado is, what direction it’s going and you know what direction to go, you would be foolish not to evacuate the premises, get in the vehicle, and leave the area.”
Though we have no idea if the people stuck on Interstate 40 that evening were evacuating because of tornado warnings or not, I’m sure they would disagree with England’s suggestion. Experts advise that if you must remain in the car when a tornado strikes to keep your seat belt on, roll up your windows, cover your head with a blanket and bend down below the windows of the car—a seemingly impossible task. The weight of a vehicle—any vehicle—is nothing to a powerful tornado. A tornado can pick up a car, carry it for nearly a mile and then drop it back down from 100 feet. My car is the last place I want to be stuck in during a tornado.
But what are you supposed to do when on the road and a tornado is approaching? Can you outrun a tornado?
A widely accepted and incredibly incorrect assumption is to pull over and seek shelter under an overpass. This myth stems from an infamous video of a group of people who successfully survived a direct hit from a tornado by crawling under an overpass on a Kansas highway on April 26, 1991. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), these people were extremely lucky. Because of the rural area, there was not much debris, the winds shifted as the tornado passed, and the group had something firm to grasp. NOAA put together a presentation to explain the situation. However, all-weather and tornado experts agree that an overpass is one of the most unsafe places to seek shelter. Instead, foul weather experts, meteorologists and storm chasers all agree— if you can’t find a sturdy building, lay in a ditch or other low-laying area and cover your head.
Know the signs of a tornado.
Due to the Venturi Effect, overpasses act like a wind tunnel during a tornado. Sitting or laying in an overpass, you have an increased chance of debris hitting you—the main cause of death from tornadoes. Further, tornado winds tend to be worse higher up in the funnel, than lower. The lower to the ground you are, the safer you will be.
So, where is the safest place to be during a tornado? Unless you live in a mobile home, experts say, stay home instead of trying to outrun a tornado. A mobile home is one of the most unsafe places to seek shelter during a tornado. Finding yourself in a mobile home in a tornado is one place that experts say evacuate and find alternative shelter.
In any building, whether you’re at home, the office, grocery store or other sturdy structure, the safest area is in an internal room without windows on the lowest floor.
If you are lucky enough to have a basement, it’s the best place when a tornado is coming; however stay away from the west and south walls. Tornadoes, generally, but not always, move from southwest to northeast or west to east. Cover yourself with a piece of heavy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table. If you have room under the stairs, this is a good place, too. Make note of what is sitting above you—a piano, wood hutch or other piece of heavy large furniture could come through the floor.
If your house does not have a basement, you need to seek shelter in an internal room, such as a closet or bathroom. Put as many walls between you and the outside as you can. Experts believe a bathroom is safer because they tend to have smaller windows and theorize that the pipes surrounding a bathroom add protection. Crawl into the bathtub and cover yourself with blankets or a mattress.
Evacuating an area is only safe when you know your route will be clear of debris, congestion and flash floods. If you see a tornado developing in the distance, watch it for a few minutes. Is it moving right or left in relation to stationary objects such as a building, tree, or power pole? If not, then assume its path is straight for you. If you can see the direction it is moving, drive at right angles away from its direction.
The safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement or other underground storm shelter.
Nothing can guarantee 100 percent you will survive a tornado. However, the safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement or other underground storm shelter. If neither of these are plausible where you live, FEMA recommends reinforcing a room in your house as a safe room and even has free plans how to build a shelter in your house.
Know the signs of a tornado:
Clouds moving quickly towards each other or rotating
Flying debris
A sickly green or green-black sky
Hail
The sound of rushing air, turning to a roar or sounding like freight train
The development of a wall cloud
Tornado watch- conditions are ripe to produce a tornado
Tornado warning- confirmed tornado in the area
I did not pull over that night. All the areas I drove through were tornado-free. Being alert, aware, knowledgeable, and listening to NOAA weather alert radio helped me.
The mission of Cheaper Than Dirt!’s blog, “The Shooter’s Log,” is to provide information—not opinions—to our customers and the shooting community. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt!
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