They have a saying in Kansas that if you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes and it’ll change. Honestly, after living here for a year now, I’ve discovered that’s not too far from reality. We just recently had an 80+ degree day only to be followed the next day with rain, slushy snow and biting winds. Kind of makes it hard to plan your wardrobe.

Situated smack-dab in the middle of the U.S., it seems we’re destined for a bit of everything, and sometimes on the same day. If you happen to comment or critique the weather to a long-term resident, you can expect they’ll finish the conversation with a hearty, “Welcome to Kansas!” They want you to understand that if you’re going to live here, you need to get used to it. So, I guess I will.

One thing I probably will never get used to though is the indifference and reckless decisions coming from the epicenter of power in Washington, D.C. We just saw the President announce new executive actions on receivers and frames and new rules on dealing with gun parts that allow you to build a homemade gun, which of course is perfectly legal.

Because the President can’t gain legislative support for his anti-gun agenda, he’s just doing it through executive action. And this from a guy who railed against the use of executive actions to accomplish goals and priorities. Well, Mr. Biden sure has changed his tune and presently he’s on pace to far exceed the number of executive orders and actions President Trump signed. It's likely that his recent gun control actions will be challenged on legal authority and constitutional grounds, so stay tuned. To add icing to his cake, he’s nominated yet another individual to lead the ATF who has been very outspoken about wanting to ban guns and limit your freedoms. Apparently losing on his earlier nomination an anti-gun candidate for that job was not a sufficient message.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Washington, as part of the annual National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) legislative fly-in. We received policy updates from several national leaders. We also had the opportunity to share some issues of concern with a couple dozen representatives and senators.

The meetings were respectful, cordial and quite informative. It might, at first blush, seem rather unproductive to visit the halls of Congress these days, but as is usually the case, our elected officials were grateful to hear from us. They learn through conversations with industry leaders about nuances to issues they wouldn’t normally experience or understand. And on the flip side, they educate us about issues of concern where they may appreciate our support and a willingness to share the message to a broader audience.

When industry members come together and share viewpoints and real-world examples, and make our presence known, our leaders are given assurance that we stand behind them in their efforts. We aren’t necessarily always changing minds and hearts, but we are making sure that those hearts and minds stay strong and resolute. It was a great experience again this year, especially after not being able to visit in person for the past two years. If you’ve never been, I’d encourage you to take the time out of your schedule and make plans to join the fly-in next year on April 18-19.

One other thing I’ll never get used to and never take for granted… I want to mention that we’re once again excited to be hosting the annual NASGW Expo and Annual Meetings in October. This year’s gathering will be in Kansas City, Missouri from October 25-28. You’ll find more information about how to get registered and all the details on accommodations in this edition of InSight. I hope that you and your company will be able to join us.

Finally, if you haven’t had a chance to check out our SCOPE™ program lately, be sure to see the link below for information on how you can access our new quarterly report. It’s slammed full of information on the firearms, ammunition, and optics markets. It’s information you simply can’t find anywhere else. As you all know, there are a lot of outside influences on our market right now. The NASGW SCOPE™ suite of tools, and our new quarterly reports, can offer a way for you to make some sense of things. I hope you’ll check it out.

I hope you all had a blessed Passover and Easter holiday weekend.