State of the industry: views from the global trade

How’s business? It might be a simple and seemingly innocuous question, but sometimes the answer is far from straightforward. It can depend on the current state of the economy, both nationally and internationally. It can depend on where your company is in its current journey or strategy plan. It can depend on the latest trends that end users are being influenced by. Business can be complex, especially in the hunting and shooting sector. But the answers are out there – you just have to speak to the right people

Written by David Guest

A blurry crowd of people moving towards the entrance of the Nuremberg Messe for IWA show — IWA remains one of the best places to get your finger on the pulse of the shooting industry

As usual, the 2026 edition of IWA OutdoorClassics represented a great way to measure the answer to the simple question of ‘how’s business’, by gathering together industry professionals from companies of all sizes, from all corners of the world. The people were there, the companies were there, the trade was there – all we had to do was start some conversations and a picture of ‘how’s business’ quickly started to form.

Riding a wave, but making it count

One brand that certainly seems to be in a strong position in the first quarter of 2026 is SIG Sauer. Making a long-awaited return to IWA with its own dedicated stand, SIG generated a lot of interest and is seeing positive signs across many key indicators.

“We had more than 35 customers who wanted to see us at the show without us even having to invite them,” explains Daniele Palmieri, SIG Sauer’s Managing Director, Global Commercial Sales. “Many said that they are happy to see us here and they want to meet, not only European customers, but also people from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

“This shows that there’s a lot of new energy behind the brand internationally. We are supporting our customers more on a global scale, not only with a faster response to everything, but also organising events, really explaining what our products are about, and also sharing the fact that SIG is not only just a firearms company but also an optics company, which is a very big category for us.”

Three members of the SIG Sauer team posing on the company’s stand at IWA — Jason Wright, Eva Strakosova, and Daniele Palmieri from SIG Sauer.

Visitors to the SIG Sauer stand were treated to an immersive experience that was centred around trending products such as the versatile, high-performance P211 pistol and the P365 Rose, designed by and for women shooters. The strategy for the company at present is about more than just showing off products, though; it’s about showcasing that SIG is reconcentrating its efforts on the European market. The company is keen to transfer the success and strength of the brand in the US and make that same level available to European customers.

“Our plan is to meet our European customers where they are, leveraging what we have in the US and conveying that to European shooters,” says Daniele. “Our pistols, rifles, and optics are beautiful products, but the more we can train and explain to people how they work best, the more people will love shooting with them. These are exciting times ahead for our brand – there is a lot of potential to tap into.”

Refocusing on what matters

No matter which sector of the market you deal with, there are certainly challenges afoot. One consistent theme that came up on the show floor at IWA is that it’s no longer sufficient simply to have a known brand and put products out into the market; you must constantly tailor your approach to meet the needs and changing demands of hunters and shooters.

“We have made a conscious decision to put fewer models out into the market and focus on the ones that are seeing a higher demand – the ones our customers want,” explains Michael Anthony Martinez of Spanish airgun manufacturer Norica.

“As well as that, we are constantly striving towards making our quality control better. It’s already good, but we are trying to challenge ourselves. We ask ourselves: how can we make our products better? How can we make small changes? All of this is designed to make the customer experience better.”

The changes Norica has made are not only for the benefit of end users but also for its B2B customers, such as distributors and retailers. Michael’s role is to be that go-between for these partners and to ask them how Norica can help them make things smoother. This does not just mean ways to make working with the brand easier but also helping B2B customers with things like law changes, market research, and identifying new areas of potential. Being much more than just a brand is central to what Norica believes will be the way to grow in this industry in the future.

“Airguns act as a great entry point to shooting and hunting, and we’re very aware of that,” Michael continues. “Beginners or youngsters can safely train and learn how to handle low-power airguns before slowly increasing to higher pressures as they gain confidence and skills. Airguns represent an affordable entry point – not just for beginners but for advanced shooters who want to train in a more economical way. Getting people to pick up a gun and get behind a sight is our number one priority.”

Michael Anthony Martinez standing on the Norica stand at IWA — Norica’s Michael Anthony Martinez believes airguns play a bit part in attracting new shooters.

A fresh approach in a competitive market

One sector where business is undoubtedly tough at present is optics. A host of new companies have recently entered the space making things highly competitive, as well as creating a technological arms race with fast-moving developments in digital imaging. Some brands have managed to stay on the treadmill; others have found it hard. And then there are some that have taken the opportunity to push the reset button and attack the market with renewed focus and a more efficient and aligned strategy, such as the well-known Czech brand Meopta.

“These are very exciting times for Meopta,” says Joe Sinclair, the company’s Business Unit Manager for Military and Sport Hunting Optics. “We’ve undergone a lot of changes in the last few years in terms of ownership and also internally – we have had a lot of very good growth in other areas for optics, which is shaping our business and sending us in new directions. On the sport optics side, we’ve got some further changes coming, which we’re very much looking forward to.”

Meopta is entering a new phase focused on growth, according to Joe Sinclair.

Meopta has plans to launch new product lines at different price and quality points to ensure it is offering a full collection to all demographics. It plans to launch a more accessible line in terms of price point that delivers a quality baseline, alongside a top-of-the-range product line that will represent the best in quality that this historic brand can offer. The company is reassessing what it offers and applying its many years of experience and skill to create a more complete offering, which it believes will set it in good standing for the future.

”We are entering a new phase focused on future growth,” says Joe. “There is strong and growing interest from our customers and partners in where Meopta is heading – and our message is clear: we are fully committed to the sport optics market. With the full support of our management and ownership, we are ready to accelerate our growth. Sport optics remain at the very core of our brand and everything we do at Meopta.

“Yes, we do use external supply chains, which allow us to achieve the best quality at a sensible price, but we also need to remind people that all of our research and development, design, and perhaps most importantly, quality control is done in-house in the Czech Republic. Nothing goes into a box with a Meopta logo on it unless we are completely satisfied that it delivers the quality people expect from us.

“You can expect to see a concerted marketing push from us in the future – we are ready to re-engage with our customers and partners in the industry – and being here at IWA is the starting point for doing that.”

Managing expectations as a prestige brand

A clear trend in the industry at present is that no company can afford to be complacent, even if it is a brand that has worked its way to become one of the most well-renowned in its sector. At least that’s the way German shotgun brand Krieghoff views things. Despite having a strong position in the market and healthy sales, the company is aware of the challenges and is constantly seeking new ways to move forward.

“For us, we are doing really well,” explains the company’s Ralf Müller. “We have fully booked orders for the next two or three years, and the future looks promising. Our challenge today is finding the right people who can help increase our natural volume to meet the strong demand we have. We are looking for new people to train to become gunsmiths, because at present, there are not enough young people entering the trade. I see this as a problem that the whole industry is facing, but it’s one we are focusing our efforts on trying to change.”

For a brand with a long waiting list to buy its products, you may wonder why it is exhibiting at a trade show such as IWA. The answer is about continuity, according to Ralf: “IWA is still so important to us because it gives us the opportunity to meet our international partners in person. Our main focus is strengthening and maintaining our relationships with partners in the industry. Of course, we are open to new ones, too, but in the end, we want to reward those who are loyal to our brand by giving them a great experience and offering them some hospitality here at the show. Brand loyalty is becoming more and more important and harder to maintain, so it’s important that you recognise it.”

Krieghoff’s Ralf Muller holding one of the companies shotguns and smiling — Times are good at Krieghoff, according to Ralf Muller, and IWA remains vital to the company.

Another high-end shotgun brand on the show floor at IWA was Italian company Fausti Arms. As a long-standing exhibitor, the company has been attending the show for many years and holds a dominant position in the high-end shotgun market. The company still believes in the importance of shows such as IWA to help reinforce its message.

“IWA is an important place to present new products to the European market, says the company’s Barbara Fausti. “We have been exhibiting at the show for a very long time. In general, the United States is our main market, but of course, we also have a strong presence in Europe, and this is one of the reasons we like IWA. It has always been a reference point for the European market. After the pandemic, the situation around exhibitions has changed a little bit, but we still believe in IWA, and we have already booked for next year. We hope the show can continue to get better and better.”

Fausti co-owner Barbara Fausti posing with one of the company’s shotguns at IWA — Fausti has a strong team of engineers behind it, so says Barbara Fausti.

Fausti has been around since 1948 and has strong demand for its products. Despite that, it remains focused on producing guns that marry modern technology and five-axis CNC machining with handcrafted quality from its skilled and experienced team.

“We are very well organised with a strong team of engineers behind us,” says Barbara. “They study new projects and new ways of working. Many of our staff have worked with us for a long time, and they are now helping the new, young generation of gunmakers to learn the craft. This combination helps us to release new models that meet the demands of the market – for example, we launched here a new gun for female shooters at a new price point because we see potential for it in countries such as the United States and Austria.”

Fausti maintains its position in the market by continuing to focus on the things that have brought it success in the past, such as making everything in-house in Italy and using all its own materials. Sometimes, the old school ways are still the best ways.

Author

David Guest

IWA OutdoorClassics