It’s a market without borders: hunting and shooting sports are no longer purely national topics. Today, when you buy a rifle, an optic, or accessories, you’re holding a piece of a global value chain in your hands. From walnut wood sourced in Turkey to digital thermal optics from China and precision optics from Germany – the products on shelves in Britain or across Europe have traveled the world.
But how does this global exchange work? And why does IWA OutdoorClassics play such a crucial role? The latest video from Fieldsports Channel, which will return as an official media partner of IWA in 2026, offers fascinating insights into the realities of the UK gun trade and shows why Nuremberg is so important for the industry.
From Suffolk to Nuremberg: The Story of a Distributor
The video introduces us to Edward King, Managing Director of ASI – Anglo Spanish Imports. Founded in 1959, the company began by importing Spanish AYA shotguns. Today, ASI is a portfolio distributor bringing brands from all over the world to the UK market. Edward explains: “We want to offer our dealers a choice – whether it’s air rifles, scopes, or shotguns. If a dealer has a gap in their range, we can fill it.” This strategy makes ASI an essential link between international manufacturers and British retailers. But finding the right products and spotting trends early requires more than phone calls – it requires face-to-face meetings. And that’s where IWA OutdoorClassics comes in.
IWA as a Global Marketplace
Edward has been attending IWA since the 1980s. For him, the show is “the best of all trade fairs” because it brings together manufacturers and suppliers from across the globe. The benefits:
- Direct access to international brands
- Networking with industry peers – often from your own country
- Identifying trends and innovations
One example from the video: At the last IWA, ASI struck a deal with ThermTech, a Chinese manufacturer of digital night vision technology. Partnerships like these don’t happen via email – they happen in person, at the booth, over coffee, or during evening meetups.
More Than Business: Community and Trust
IWA is not just a place for deals; it’s a hub for industry exchange. Edward describes how he meets colleagues in Nuremberg whom he rarely sees in the UK because everyone is busy with day-to-day operations. These encounters build trust – a foundation that is critical in the firearms trade. Representing a brand in a new market means taking responsibility for service, repairs, and warranties. ASI demonstrates in the video how vital after-sales support is for success.
Made for Trade: The IWA Campaign
The story of ASI and the insights from the video perfectly reflect what IWA’s Made for Trade campaign stands for:
- The show is where international business relationships are forged.
- It is the platform for innovation and business development.
- It connects manufacturers, dealers, and distributors worldwide.
IWA is not just an exhibition – it’s a trade engine. Missing out means missing opportunities that will shape the market for years to come.
Fieldsports Channel as Media Partner 2026
The fact that Fieldsports Channel will return as an official media partner in 2026 underscores the international significance of the show. With its reach in the hunting and shooting sports community, the channel will spotlight IWA and its exhibitors.
Conclusion
The Fieldsports Channel video makes one thing clear: The journey of a product from a factory in China or Spain to a British gun shop runs through Nuremberg. IWA OutdoorClassics is where the industry meets, trends emerge, and business gets done.
With the Made for Trade campaign and the media partnership with Fieldsports Channel, the 2026 show sends a strong message: This is where the heart of the global firearms trade beats.
