The ShotShow conference held in Las Vegas in January every year packs 800+ booths representing a diverse set of suppliers from around the world into an area as big as several city blocks. It can, indeed, be quite overwhelming to take in. The event sets the tone for the firearms and shooting sports industry developments in the remainder of the calendar year as it is an opportunity for key industry players to get on the same page in terms of business climate and priorities.

Any uninitiated attendee to an industry event like this can quickly figure out that firearms, accessories and related physical gear are the real stars of the show by a wide margin. By and large, most of those products are extremely well-engineered works of craftsmanship and deserve the spotlight.

However, it takes the fusion of man-and-machine when it comes to the real end goals of safety, security, and personal self-defense. At AccuShoot, we feel strongly that the industry has a substantial gap in addressing the human element that, on the flip side, is also the perfect opportunity to really engage with the firearms and shooting sports consumers.

The Pandemic Surge

Before we get to how the human element and marksmanship factor in the new normal for our industry, let’s remember how did we got here. During the pandemic, armory shelves were empty due to supply chain disruptions and firearms retailers were reportedly concerned with restocking inventory instead of fine tuning the mix of brands they chose to carry in their stores. Meanwhile, firearms manufacturers, understandably, put new product launches on hold indefinitely in order to meet the seemingly unquenchable demand at hand.

In line with those trends, NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation) reported that the surge led to the broadening of gun ownership in the United States with the largest percentage growth coming from formerly dormant demographic groups such as women, African-Americans, Latinos, and younger generations like the Millennials.

The New Normal?

As extensively reported by the Shooting Industry magazine’s outlook for 2024, the uncertainty of the times we live in give way to the need for continued safety concerns for households as they observe ongoing global unrest, domestic political challenges and economic uncertainties dominate the news. Yet, NICS firearm background checks were down 6% year over year by the end of 2023. This figure remains 21% higher than 2019, the best benchmark representing pre-pandemic demand. On the other hand, National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesaler’s SCOPE data also confirmed that the firearms market is in the midst of rightsizing after the pandemic surge in gun, rifle, and accessories purchases. Overall, industry sales are expected to stabilize around the 2016/17 levels, which are slightly higher than those of 2019. This points to continued demand for firearms and complementary products but more modest growth projections in the new normal.

At this juncture, the primary challenge for the industry is to keep the recently expanded consumer footprint actively engaged. Some of this may be achieved through firearms R&D projects such as new lever-action rifle or striker-fired pistol models that further refine age old designs. Aside from product launches, more range time, purposeful shooting drills and well-structured marksmanship training need to be integrated into the new firearms customer experience. At AccuShoot, we believe our technology will play a crucial role to make that happen faster, at scale, and in a cost-effective manner.

Pardon the Interruption!

Today, the customer journey for those new to gun ownership is highly disjointed to say the least. The consumer first has to navigate the complex landscape of firearm types and choices to zero in on a pistol or rifle that is fit for their purposes and budgets. Beyond the Glocks and Smith&Wessons of the world, there are literally hundreds of mid-sized and boutique manufacturers looking to carve out their own niches. After the research phase which usually combines online and offline elements like reading product reviews online, watching YouTube videos from influencers, visiting local armories or chain stores the prospective firearm owner goes through background checks. Once cleared, depending on their state, they may be required to go through mandatory firearms safety training, where the basic rules of firearms handling and secure storage are covered along with the legal matters that apply to carrying in public in their jurisdiction. Interestingly, there is little to no live-fire instruction involved in those courses.

Although pandemic period surveys found some 49% of new purchasers were interested in structured training, the truth of the matter is the menu of choices in achieving marksmanship mastery is akin entering a maze for the beginners. The space is highly fragmented and fails to generate ongoing engagement one a given course is completed. Essentially, the customer experience breaks down once we hit the post-purchase phases of the journey map. It is as if the industry is murmuring, “Now that we sold you a beautifully engineered piece of machinery, you’re on your own pal!”

It is high time for a more methodical, personalized, human oriented and community-driven approach to marksmanship training as part of the holistic gun ownership experience and not as an afterthought. We invite all our readers to provide feedback on AccuShoot’s unique process to achieve this end goal.