The 2019 Caliber Awards Finalists have been selected for the 3rd annual NASGW-POMA Caliber Awards.

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), have chosen the top products in six categories including: Best New Rifle, Best New Handgun, Best New Shotgun, Best New Ammunition, Best New Optic, and Best New Accessory. An independent panel of 18 industry judges will select the winners in each category as well as a Best Overall New Product. In order to qualify, manufacturers needed to be a NASGW member in good standing, the product must have been publicly released between the end of last year’s NASGW Expo and the beginning of this year’s Expo, and submission of the products was required through the NASGW Expo New Product Showcase, found on the NASGW Expo website and NASGW Connect mobile app.

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers, and their trade partners, is proud to announce the nominees for this year's NASGW Appreciation Awards.

Comfortable shoes?  Check!  Briefcase?  Check!  Calendar, appointment schedule, paperwork and electronics?  Check!  Mouse ears?  Check!  That’s the start of packing my suitcase for Orlando with maybe the exception of the mouse ears…..and perhaps I’ll throw in some shoes that aren’t as comfortable as I’d like.  But I will be ready and I’ll be excited to greet all of our fabulous industry peers at the show and in our favorite watering holes.

After several years of rulemaking, and successful legal challenges by NAW and others which resulted in a second round of rulemaking, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor (DoL) on Friday published a final rule “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees” – the EAP or so-called “White Collar exemptions” from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements – under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA.).

FFLs know the burden of the paperwork submission and record keeping requirements of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”).  Between the various forms, the information required, the submission timing requirements, and record keeping retention requirements, it’s enough to make one’s head spin!  In this article we’ll identify applicable paperwork for various types of FFLs and provide suggestions on storage and retention based on our experiences with hundreds of FFL clients.  We will not go into excruciating detail of every statutory or regulatory mandate and exception therefor.  This is a short primer aimed at pointing you in the right direction and is not intended as legal advice.  For detailed requirements, exceptions, and how to apply regulatory mandates to your business, you should contact a qualified compliance professional or attorney.

Recently, the Department of the Interior announced the Administration’s efforts to continue increasing public access on public lands and waters by announcing the expansion of new hunting and fishing opportunities on more than 1.4 million acres across the nation.

The Government Relations Team of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, dedicates its time and resources to supporting legislation beneficial to our industry and fighting those bills that infringe on our rights to legally conduct business and compromise everyone’s 2^nd Amendment rights. Team members attend legislative hearings on the federal, state and local levels year-round across the nation, keeping their finger on the pulse of those issues affecting us. They are pleased to provide a monthly summary of legislation that directly affects and impacts the business of NASGW members.

It’s gotten to the point in the past few weeks that I barely even sign on to my Instagram, Twitter, or other social media accounts. Time spent on those apps has decreased significantly.

It’s not because I don’t find some value there, but often I get the distinct impression when scrolling through my news feeds that many people have forgotten the fine art of reading and comprehension. I liken the experience of reading through a Twitter feed to being in a room full of people screaming at each other. There’s no talking, listening or understanding, just a cacophony of loud, irritating and irrational noise. (Might be a bit of a stretch, but I hope you see my point.)

For many in the firearms industry, the “bound book” is well known as the regulated record for tracking the lifecycle movement of a firearm through the commercial sector and between licenses and non-licensees. Perhaps less well known are the unintended consequences of relying on software company advertising and advice as the sole determination of your needs as an FFL.

As summer comes to an end and the fall season is peaking around the corner, many of you have begun attending college football games, and kids are back in school. This means numerous trips to crowded Wal-Mart or Office Depot stores for school supplies. Perhaps you’re moving your son or daughter into a new dorm or apartment. I just did it. Twice. With four trips to Target and five trips to Bed, Bath, and Beyond behind me, I feel that my girls are as settled as they could possibly be.

I even tried something new, and it definitely wasn’t by choice. I was charged with putting my daughter’s shoe rack together, which came in a box with a thousand pieces. Not my thing, but I knew I had to do it. Cussing the entire time, I finally accomplished what I set out to do, and it wasn’t so bad after all. In fact, I did a pretty good job. While this simple task may be routine for many of you, it was new for me, and I passed with flying colors despite being reluctant even to try.