President's Message: Let This Be The Last

I was 11 years old the last time someone took a shot at a President. Fortunately, that attempt on the life of Ronald Reagan was unsuccessful. Some of you reading this maybe weren’t even born yet. The announcement by Dan Rather of CBS was shocking. Back in those days you still huddled around the radio or TV and couldn’t find immediate pictures and video information from the internet like we can today. News like that was breathtaking, surreal and certainly very unusual.

Some of you reading this may have been around when on November 25, 1963, Walter Cronkite took to the airwaves in the middle of the day and grew exceptionally emotional when announcing the news of the assassination and death of our 35th President, John F. Kennedy. It’s hard to put into words just what sort of impact that had on the American people. The entire country was in mourning. People remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they got the news. Just like people will remember where they were when former President Trump was shot on Saturday, July 13, 2024, and that iconic photograph of him surrounded by secret service agents with blood streaking across his face and his fist raised in defiance of the violence and attempt on his life.

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Caliber Award Submission Deadline is August 1st

The deadline for the 2024 Caliber Award submissions is coming up very quickly. Products must be submitted through the New Product Showcase to be eligible to win. The Caliber Awards are chosen by an independent panel of 18 industry professionals, encompassing hundreds of years of experience in the Shooting Sports Industry. To be considered, products must have been released after last year's NASGW Expo and prior to this year Expo in October. 

SAF Monthly Update – Three new cases filed!

With three new cases filed, several new partnership announcements and a 50th anniversary video series premiere, it’s been a busy month for the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF).

In keeping with SAF’s creed to win firearms freedom one lawsuit at a time, SAF filed three new lawsuits in the past month. The first lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Texas and challenges the ban on carry in post offices. The second, named Brown v. Paris, challenges Pennsylvania’s ban on carry for young adults 18-20 years old. Known as Jaymes v. Madras, the third lawsuit is a challenge to California’s 11% excise tax that went into effect at the beginning of July. All three cases are working their way through the system, and you can keep an eye on SAF’s social media channels for any updates.

U.S. Firearms Industry Today

Here in 2024, there is still uncertainty in the marketplace — but a different kind. After so many once-in-a-generation events, “crisis fatigue” seems to be impacting sales across the firearms industry. Yes, the threat of federal action against firearms owners and the industry exists — but anti-gun efforts haven’t been as successful federally as they have at the state level. 

The “Election Year Boon” of the previous election cycles appears absent — so far.

“If the election cycle is impacting our sales, it’s been slight,” shared Jacquelyn Clark, co-owner of Bristlecone Shooting, Training & Retail Center in Lakewood, Colo. “I do think things will eventually ramp up, like they always do in an election year, we’re just not seeing big effects yet.”

Book Your Hotel While Rooms Are Available

Hotel blocks for the 2024 NASGW Expo are filling up fast! The Marriott Downtown KC is currently sold out. However, we have secured a special rate for Expo attendees at the Hotel Phillips, a Hilton property located just a half block from the Marriott.

Book now to secure a convenient place to stay for the Expo! 

NSSF Condemn Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF^®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, condemns the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in the strongest terms. This attempt on the life, and wounding, of the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee is unacceptable. The criminal misuse of a firearm to take the life of any innocent individual is reprehensible. NSSF applauds the quick action of the U.S. Secret Service to protect the life of former President Trump and of the counter-sniper teams to neutralize the threat to him and innocent rally goers in attendance in Butler, Pennsylvania.

NSSF mourns the loss of innocent life. The victim of the murderer’s attack was exercising his First Amendment rights of free speech and free assembly to support his candidate of choice for the Office of the President of the United States. We also continue to pray for those innocent victims who were critically injured in this heinous attack.

Q2 Report Available This Week

Our team is putting the finishing touches on the SCOPE Q2 report, which will be available later this week. The overview report is free to download with your NASGW membership. The Detail Report, which includes more segmentation, shipments broken down by region, and a list of the top ten products in each subcategory, is free for SCOPE subscribers and available for purchase by NASGW members. Keep an eye on your email for updates. 

Firearms Shipments

Ammunition Shipments

Optics Shipments

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UPCOMING EVENTS

July 30, 2024

NSSF Annual Import/Export Conference

Washington, D.C.

September 25-27, 2024

NAW Innovators Summit

Austin, TX

October  15-18, 2024

NASGW Expo

Kansas City, MO

October 30, 2024

American Suppressor Association Foundation Banquet

Austin, TX

January 21-24, 2025

SHOT Show

Las Vegas, NV