Fear & Loading: Good Deeds in the News

by
posted on February 20, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
yamaha_lede.jpg

Earlier this month, Derek Meyer spotted a police cruiser stopped with its lights on in Utah, but was shocked to see the officer being beaten as he drove past the scene. The concealed-carry permittee parked, drew his handgun and confronted the perpetrator, who immediately fled.

The attacker was caught later and the officer is expected to recover from his injuries—fractured eye socket and lacerations around the eye. “Had he not been in the right place at the right time, who knows what would have happened,” Cpl. Cory Waters of the Springville (UT) Police Department told Fox13. “But he definitely stopped the attack from continuing and becoming much worse. He might have even saved either one of their lives.”

Meyer told the reporter, “I carry a gun to protect me and those around me, but primarily I carry a gun to protect my family first and foremost.”

Nationwide
The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, Yamaha Motor’s effort dedicated to ensure outdoor recreation opportunities for future generations, celebrated its 10-year anniversary in January. The announcement was made during SHOT Show and, unfortunately, the $3.5 million the program has raised in funding and support was overshadowed by the premier of new guns and gear in Vegas. Here’s a look at some of the hundreds of projects it has supported so far.

“The outdoor community is remarkably diverse, yet unified by the necessity of admittance to land,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s RV marketing manager. “Yamaha is proud to be leading the way for access, and we look forward to many more years as a productive partner with those working to safeguard land available for enjoyment.”

Excise Taxes Sent to Work in Arkansas
A $2 million grant recently awarded to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission was made possible by excise taxes paid by shooters and hunters. The funds are going toward the construction of a new shooting sports complex near the city of Jonesboro.

Once completed, the range is expected to have nine trap fields, a 200-yard rifle range, 50-yard pistol range, archery and more. Total cost is estimated to be $10 million.

The money was generated through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, which collects an excise tax from manufacturers of sporting arms and ammunition. Part of the Arkansas project includes 38 acres on the corner of the property to be left undisturbed, “in perpetuity.”

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.