POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

We provide certain postretirement health care (medical) and life insurance benefits for eligible active and retired domestic employees. The health care plans are contributory with participants’ contributions adjusted annually based on medical rates of inflation and plan experience. We use a measurement date of December 31 for our postretirement plans.

Other Postretirement Benefits Obligations and Funded Status

Changes in the benefit obligation were as follows:



	December 31, 2012									December 31, 2011
	($ in millions)									($ in millions)
Change in Benefit Obligation	U.S.			Foreign			Total			U.S.			Foreign			Total
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	63.3		$	11.6		$	74.9		$	64.5		$	9.3		$	73.8
Service cost	1.1			0.1			1.2			1.1			0.2			1.3
Interest cost	2.7			0.4			3.1			3.0			0.5			3.5
Actuarial loss	7.4			(2.5		)	4.9			2.8			2.3			5.1
Benefits paid	(9.0		)	(0.4		)	(9.4		)	(8.1		)	(0.4		)	(8.5		)
Currency translation adjustments	—			0.3			0.3			—			(0.3		)	(0.3		)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	65.5		$	9.5		$	75.0		$	63.3		$	11.6		$	74.9



	December 31, 2012									December 31, 2011
	($ in millions)									($ in millions)
	U.S.			Foreign			Total			U.S.			Foreign			Total
Funded status	$	(65.5	)	$	(9.5	)	$	(75.0	)	$	(63.3	)	$	(11.6	)	$	(74.9	)

Under ASC 715 we recorded a $2.9 million after-tax charge ($4.8 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2012 for our other postretirement plans. In 2011, we recorded a $3.1 million after-tax charge ($5.0 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2011 for our other postretirement plans.

Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets consisted of:



	December 31, 2012									December 31, 2011
	($ in millions)									($ in millions)
	U.S.			Foreign			Total			U.S.			Foreign			Total
Accrued benefit in current liabilities	$	(5.8	)	$	(0.3	)	$	(6.1	)	$	(6.0	)	$	(0.4	)	$	(6.4	)
Accrued benefit in noncurrent liabilities	(59.7		)	(9.2		)	(68.9		)	(57.3		)	(11.2		)	(68.5		)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	39.2			(0.8		)	38.4			35.0			1.7			36.7
Net balance sheet impact	$	(26.3	)	$	(10.3	)	$	(36.6	)	$	(28.3	)	$	(9.9	)	$	(38.2	)



	Years Ended December 31,
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2012			2011			2010
	($ in millions)
Service cost	$	1.2		$	1.3		$	1.3
Interest cost	3.1			3.5			3.8
Amortization of prior service cost	(0.1		)	(0.2		)	(0.2		)
Recognized actuarial loss	3.2			3.2			2.6
Curtailment	—			—			(0.2		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	7.4		$	7.8		$	7.3

Included in Other Comprehensive Loss (Pretax)
Liability adjustment	$	4.8		$	5.0		$	3.6
Amortization of prior service costs and actuarial losses	(3.1		)	(3.0		)	(2.2		)

The other postretirement plans’ actuarial loss that will be recognized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost in 2013 will be approximately $4 million.

The service cost and amortization of prior service cost components of postretirement benefit expense related to the employees of the operating segments are allocated to the operating segments based on their respective estimated census data.

In December 2010, we recorded a curtailment credit of $0.2 million associated with our ongoing relocation of our Winchester centerfire ammunition manufacturing operations from East Alton, IL to Oxford, MS. This credit was included in restructuring charges for 2010.

Other Postretirement Benefits Plan Assumptions

Certain actuarial assumptions, such as discount rate, have a significant effect on the amounts reported for net periodic benefit cost and accrued benefit obligation amounts.



	December 31,
Weighted Average Assumptions:	2012		2011		2010
Discount rate—periodic benefit cost	4.6	%	4.9	%	5.25	%
Discount rate—benefit obligation	3.6	%	4.6	%	4.9	%

The discount rate is based on a hypothetical yield curve represented by a series of annualized individual zero-coupon bond spot rates for maturities ranging from one-half to thirty years. The bonds used in the yield curve must have a rating of AA or better per Standard & Poor’s, be non-callable, and have at least $250 million par outstanding. The yield curve is then applied to the projected benefit payments from the plan. Based on these bonds and the projected benefit payment streams, the single rate that produces the same yield as the matching bond portfolio, rounded to the nearest quarter point, is used as the discount rate.

We review external data and our own internal trends for healthcare costs to determine the healthcare cost for the post retirement benefit obligation. The assumed healthcare cost trend rates for pre-65 retirees were as follows:



	December 31,
	2012		2011
Healthcare cost trend rate assumed for next year	9.0	%	9.5	%
Rate that the cost trend rate gradually declines to	5.0	%	5.0	%
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate rate	2020		2020

For post-65 retirees, we provide a fixed dollar benefit, which is not subject to escalation.

Assumed healthcare cost trend rates have an effect on the amounts reported for the healthcare plans. A one-percentage-point change in assumed healthcare cost trend rates would have the following effects:



	One-Percentage Point Increase		One-Percentage Point Decrease
	($ in millions)
Effect on total of service and interest costs	$	0.2	$	(0.2	)
Effect on postretirement benefit obligation	3.9		(3.4		)

We expect to make payments of approximately $6 million for each of the next five years under the provisions of our other postretirement benefit plans.