ICYMI: Headlines From
April 18-22, 2022

U.S. Army Selects SIG SAUER NGSW

SIG SAUER has been awarded the Next Generation Squad Weapons System (NGSW) Contract by the U.S. Army after a rigorous 27-month testing and evaluation process.

“The U.S. Army is taking a bold step toward command of the 21st century battlefield and SIG SAUER is immensely proud to be the selected provider for this historic revolution in infantry weapons. The fielding of the SIG SAUER NGSW will forever change the dynamic of military engagement for America’s warfighters with American innovation and manufacturing,” said Ron Cohen, SIG SAUER president and CEO.

The SIG FURY Hybrid Ammunition (6.8 Common Cartridge), SIG-LMG (XM250), SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle (XM5) and SIG SLX Suppressors meaningfully advance soldier weapons technology to meet the emerging requirements of the U.S. Army.

The SIG 6.8×51 FURY Hybrid Ammunition uses a patented lightweight metallic case designed to handle pressures higher than conventional ammunition, resulting in increased velocity and on-target energy in lighter weapons.

The SIG-LMG lightweight belt-fed machine gun and SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle are purpose-built to harness the energy of the SIG FURY 6.8 Common Cartridge Ammunition enabling greater range and increased lethality while reducing the soldier’s load on the battlefield.

The U.S. Army’s procurement of the NGSW System marks the beginning of an era where combat weapons are coupled with a suppressor as standard issue equipment. The SIG SLX Suppressors are designed to reduce harmful gas backflow, sound signature and flash. SIG SLX Suppressors feature a patented quick detach design for easy install and removal.

“We commend U.S. Army leadership for having the vision to undertake this historic procurement process to deliver a transformational weapon system to our warfighters. This award is the culmination of a successful collaboration between SIG SAUER and the U.S. Army, and we look forward to the continuing partnership,” Cohen concluded.

For more info: sigsauer.com.

Winchester Awarded $145M U.S. Army Pistol Ammunition Contract

The U.S. Army Contracting Command has awarded Winchester a significant contract for pistol ammunition that will be manufactured at Winchester’s facilities in Oxford, Miss., and East Alton, Ill.

Winchester was awarded a contract to manufacture .38 caliber, .45 caliber and 9mm ammunition with a potential value of $145 million.
Winchester is the largest supplier of small-caliber ammunition to the U.S. Military, and this five-year contract award upholds Winchester’s position as the leading supplier of pistol ammunition to the U.S. Military.

“The Winchester workforce is extremely dedicated to providing high-quality ammunition for the U.S. Warfighter,” said Brett Flaugher, president of Winchester Ammunition. “We will continue to work extremely hard to provide the support required from our U.S. Military.”

For more info: winchester.com.

NASGW Releases Q1 SCOPE Report

The NASGW has released the 1st Quarter SCOPE Report compiling distributor sales and inventory data from Jan. 1–Mar. 31, 2022.

“Building upon the release of our annual SCOPE report, our quarterly reports will provide a consistent ongoing update of the shooting sports distribution channel,” said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. “The data and insight in this report is unparalleled in our industry and we are excited to put this information to work for businesses and organizations across the shooting sports industry.”

Released in February, the 2021 Annual report encompassed firearms only. The Q1 SCOPE Report has expanded to include optics and ammunition in addition to firearms, as well as NICS data as a familiar benchmark. Data compiled from this report is sourced directly from SCOPE DLX (distributor sales and inventory). NASGW plans to release a report for each quarter of 2022 and a year-end report that combines data from the entire year.

“The release of our 2021 annual report was widely successful,” said Tom Hopper, Senior Data Analyst at NASGW. “It’s clear the industry has been hungry for something like this for a long time. The data compiled across all the SCOPE platforms is very powerful and we’re looking forward to sharing that with a wider audience on a regular basis.”

To purchase the full version or download the basic version of the Q1 SCOPE Report visit: scope.nasgw.org/shop/2022-q1-report.

NDA Serves Hunters From Under-Represented Communities

The National Deer Association (NDA) released a video documentary of a groundbreaking Field to Fork hunter-recruitment event held last year aimed at diversifying deer hunting, providing equitable access to underrepresented communities, and shoring up conservation funding. The video is now available on NDA’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/mj7QZAQhb8o.

In Nov. 2021, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), New York Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Hunters of Color, New York Department of Environmental Conservation and NDA came together to host a Field to Fork mentored hunting event for aspiring hunters from the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community.

“We wanted to make sure this program was specific, and having groups that target and work with [underrepresented] communities was critical,” said Paul Gallery, TNC steward coordinator.

The event was hosted on TNC’s Hannacroix Preserve, roughly 30 minutes outside Albany, and financial support was provided by the NSSF Hunting Heritage Trust grant program. Participants ranged in age from 34–62 and were given the opportunity to go through New York Hunter Education, learn about deer biology and behavior through NDA’s Deer Hunting 101 online course, gain experience shooting, go on multiple hunts with an experienced mentor by their side, and enjoy the fellowship and camaraderie found in many New York deer camps each fall under a safe and welcoming environment.

“Our ultimate goal is that [Field to Fork hunt participants] self-identify as a hunter, to say ‘I am a hunter, this is something can do and I’m gonna do it’,” said Hank Forester, NDA director of hunting. “But what creates that is the community, camaraderie and the social support that pushes them along in their journey as a hunter.”

For more info: deerassociation.com/fieldtofork.

Celerant Partners, Integrates With Countrywide Sports

Celerant Technology announces a partnership and integration with Countrywide Sports (CWS), a distributor of firearms, ammunition and accessories.

“With all the supply chain disruptions, it’s important to have access to your vendor’s stock levels as quickly as possible,” stated David Gregory, president of Countrywide Sports. “Integrating with Celerant provides our dealers with the technology they need to operate their business, and leverage our available, on-hand inventory. Dealers can access and display thousands of firearm, ammo and accessory SKUs on Celerant’s in-store kiosks and eCommerce platform, automate the ordering process, and send orders to our warehouse for drop shipping. It’s that easy!”

“To be successful in today’s market, firearm dealers need inventory as fast as possible, and the ability to automate their supply chain,” stated Ian Goldman, Celerant president and CEO. “Our integration automates processes for ordering, populating websites with products, and drop shipping — helping our dealers be more competitive and successful.”

Celerant’s integration to Countrywide Sports is available for both Cumulus Retail and Stratus Enterprise. To celebrate this new partnership, Celerant is offering the CWS integration at no charge to all new Celerant clients that sign up before June 30th.

For more info: celerant.com/CountrywideSports-Promo.

Remington Opens Sporting Clays Course, Hosts Inaugural Spring League

Remington Ammunition announces the opening of the Remington Gun Club to the public. Complete with a brand-new 13 station sporting clays course, the inaugural spring sporting clays league is underway.

Only steps away from Remington’s ammunition factory in Lonoke, Ark., Big Green has recently expanded the Gun Club with a new 13-station sporting clays course and has begun construction on an additional 12-station north course as well.

Established in 1978, but closed by previous Remington company ownership, Big Green’s new owners have re-opened the gates of the club to again welcome both novice and competitive shooters from across the country. A longtime destination for trap and skeet shooters, the club has added the state’s only sporting clays course open to the public. The new addition was made possible with the support of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and the MidwayUSA Foundation.

“Everyone at Remington is really excited to see some action on this course and put some Remington lead down range,” said Joel Hodgdon, Remington’s director of marketing. “This is a remarkable facility. We have a ton of exciting events and tournaments planned for Remington fans and pros to get out here and break some clays.”

For more info: remington.com.