President's Message: A Small Part of Something Much Bigger

I am, admittedly, a bit of a dreamer. Sometimes I come up with some pretty big ideas. In fact, it’s how I won my wife over when we were dating. I told her I had good ideas and that someday, one of my good ideas was going to pay off. Truth be told, probably 999 times out of 1,000, the ideas vanish into the ether. But on occasion, I strike gold and turn an idea into something meaningful.

It all started as a young kid on a farm in the middle-of-nowhere North Dakota. One of the most amazing benefits about growing up there (and remains so today) is the lack of light pollution. The night sky was big, bold and gorgeous. It had a way of making you feel small and insignificant with its vastness. Undeterred, I would lie down in the yard and dream about taking trips to the outer reaches of the universe. Little did I know just how big the universe was at the time.

We’d also frequently be able to view the Northern Lights, the aurora borealis, where the night sky would dance in a sea of green and blue or sometimes even shades of purple, yellow and red. 

FEATURED ARTICLES

Update Your Exhibitor Profile for the Expo Website & App

New for 2022, the all new Expo App will feature a simplified interface, much improved interactive map and interactive Exhibitor profiles, managed directly by the the Exhibitors. Exhibitors will be able to manage their business description, add photos & videos, as well as products & services. Exhibitors can access this portal to update their profile but following the instructions below to designate a marketing contact that will be responsible for updating and managing their profile. These updates can be made now and are also reflected in the exhibitor floorplan map on the Expo website. This will be a great way for attendees to identify exhibitors to visit. The app will soon be available for download on both IOS and Android. See the SCOPE Booth on the floorplan map for an example.

Time Is Running Out to Submit Products for the Caliber Awards

The NASGW Expo is just around the corner and with it the Caliber Awards. Manufacturers must submit their products by the August 1st deadline. Products can be submitted through the New Product Showcase on the NASGW Expo website. 

New for 2022, the winner of the Best Overall Product will also receive a free spot at the 2023 Shooting Sports Showcase in March at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Talladega, AL. Individual category winners will receive a 25% discount and each finalist will receive a 10% discount. The Shooting Sports Showcase is a private event providing firearms companies with the opportunity to showcase their products to distributors, dealers, and members of the media. 

Expo Hotel Blocks Almost Sold Out

Hotel reservations have been filling up fast. Don’t wait to book your hotel for the NASGW Expo by September 30, 2022, to secure a convenient spot near the action and receive the NASGW Group Rate! Book your hotel rooms for the 2022 NASGW Expo in Kansas City, MO scheduled for October 26-28. A room block is set aside for Expo attendees and can now be reserved through the online portal set up for the event. For more information and to reserve your rooms, please visit the Expo website. 

Q2 Report Coming Soon

Our data team has been busy compiling and analyzing the the latest from SCOPE DLX. Be on the lookout for the Q2 SCOPE Report coming out very soon. The report will be available to download for all current SCOPE subscribers and for purchase for non-subscribers. 

Firearms Shipments

Ammunition Shipments

Optics Shipments

U.S. Firearms Industry Today

Over the past two years, the U.S. firearms industry has faced both unprecedented opportunities and mounting obstacles.

Opportunity: Since the start of 2020, an estimated 14 million Americans have joined the ranks of firearms ownership.

Obstacle: After a period of record-breaking sales, disarray in the supply chain and the industry’s allocation model have disproportionately impacted independent dealers’ ability to serve customers.

Opportunity: These 14 million first-time gun buyers have made the gun-owning community more diverse than it has ever been before.

Obstacle: The anti-gun/industry movement has been reenergized following tragic shootings in Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Texas, causing further uncertainty in the market.

There are dozens more. Here, as we mark the halfway point of 2022, the U.S. firearms industry is preparing to face additional market volatility. The threat of new laws at the state and federal level could push customers into a fear-induced buying mode once again.

Wholesale Inflation in June Surged 11.3% from a Year Ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation at the wholesale level climbed 11.3% in June compared with a year earlier, the latest painful reminder that inflation is running hot through the American economy.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that the U.S. producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers — rose at the fastest pace since hitting a record 11.6% in March.

Last month’s jump in wholesale inflation was led by energy prices, which soared 54% from a year earlier. But even excluding food and energy prices, which can swing wildly from month to month, producer prices in June jumped 8.2% from June 2021. On a month-to-month basis, wholesale inflation rose 1.1% from May to June, also the biggest jump since March.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

August 2, 2022

NSSF Annual Import/Export Conference

Washington D.C.

October 26-28, 2022

NASGW Expo

Kansas City, MO

January 17-20, 2023

SHOT Show

Las Vegas, NV

March 27-28, 2023

Shooting Sports Showcase

Talladega, AL