Getting products in the hands of consumers is the goal of all manufacturers in our industry, but managing inventory, warehousing, and distribution can make that challenging for companies that are focused on developing and manufacturing great products. That is where shooting sports wholesalers come in. The model of two-step distribution has been the industry standard for decades and provides benefits to both manufacturers and retailers. As technology has improved over the years, other industries have moved away from two-step distribution, but this process has remained the method of choice within the shooting sports industry. We thought we'd break down the two-step distribution supply chain to help you understand the benefits at each level.

In today’s firearms market, suppressors offer significantly more growth potential than any other product offering. According to information given to the American Suppressor Association (ASA), as of August 2018, around 1,554,000 suppressors were registered with ATF. Although the registry has amassed these suppressors over the past 84 years, over 80% have been added since 2011 – the very year that ASA was formed. In many ways, the growth curve of the suppressor market mimics that of black rifles following the sunset of the assault weapons ban in 2004, albeit on a smaller scale. However, unlike the current AR market, the suppressor segment still exhibits incredible potential for growth. The demand is most certainly there; industry just needs to tap it.

On November 15, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing titled, “Examining Funding Needs for Wildlife Conservation, Recovery, and Management,” which covered several important pieces of legislation.

Thanksgiving is now behind us and Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years are on the horizon.  I hope you all took the opportunity to spend some time with family and friends over Thanksgiving and are making plans for memorable holidays this year.  I love this time of year but it just seems to fly by too quickly.  In the flurry of fall business and planning for the coming year, be sure to take some time to reflect on the blessings of the past year and the opportunities that lay ahead for 2019.

As 2018 winds to a close and the holiday shopping seasons escalate to a fever pitch, we take a look back at some of the bills that passed and went into effect this year.  Several thousand pieces of legislation were proposed that could have an impact upon the industry. These laws broach many topics, including permissible hunting products, who may purchase or possess firearms, what firearm accessories are permissible to own, and restrictions on particular firearm configurations.  In their own way, each of the foregoing examples affects most industry members directly or indirectly. 

I want to start this month’s column by offering a hearty thank you to everyone who joined us in Pittsburgh for the NASGW Annual Meeting and Expo. We had another super-successful show and feedback has been very positive. The show is very busy but I always try to walk the floor a few times to say thank you to all of our exhibitors and get their feedback. But if I missed you, or if you haven’t yet had a chance to tell us your thoughts, we’ve included a link in this InSight where you can do so. Let us know what we can do to make the Expo better moving forward.

It is sometimes said, if the firearm were invented today, it would be required by law to have a muffler. Today we understand the risk of noise-induced hearing loss much better than ever before. “Hearing loss affects more than 28 million Americans, including more than half of those over age 75. Hearing problems—including tinnitus, which is a ringing, buzzing, or another type of noise that originates in the head—are by far the most prevalent service-connected disability among American Veterans.”[1] In the shooting community, we’ve frequently heard that suppressed gunfire that is below 140dB is considered “hearing safe.” How was this threshold derived? First off, in actuality, we would be wise to avoid the term “hearing safe” and instead use “hearing safer.”

The Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council (HSSCC) provided the Department of the Interior (DOI) with recommendations to advance two longstanding priorities of the sportsmen’s community: access to federal lands and restoration of sage habitat. The recommendations were developed and approved during the HSSCC’s October 2 meeting held in Charlotte, North Carolina and represent the collaborative work of sportsmen’s community leaders tasked with providing formal recommendations to the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on issues related to wildlife resources, hunting, and the shooting sports under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane serves as Chairman of the HSSCC.

Wow, what a week! If your time in Pittsburgh was anything like mine, it was full speed then over in a flash. So much time is spent planning and preparing for a week of meetings that it really seems to go by almost too fast. Regardless, our time spent in Pittsburgh propels us into 2019. I want to personally thank each and every one of you who attended the NASGW Expo. I hope you had a productive week. Between the NASGW staff and I, we heard numerous great comments and reports about Range Day, the Awards Dinner, and the Expo venue. Our team at NASGW couldn’t be happier. And, congratulations to all the Leadership and Caliber Award Winners for being recognized by your peers and the industry. I think next year will be fantastic venue and I’m looking forward to see you all there. Mark your calendars for October 22-25 and plan to join us in sunny Orlando, Florida.

For the first time in the history of the shooting sports industry, NASGW is providing a clearer look at the sales and inventory within the wholesale distribution channel through SCOPE™, the brand new data program for NASGW members. SCOPE™, which has been in the works for over two years, launched on Thursday morning at the NASGW Expo in Pittsburgh, PA. The much-awaited program represents over 51% of all new firearms sales with data provided by 21 participating NASGW wholesaler members. This is the most comprehensive source of sales and inventory data in the industry and could only be accomplished through the wholesale partnerships of NASGW. To say the launch of SCOPE™ is a big deal, would be an understatement.