Philip Clifton
Dick's Sporting Goods
North Carolina
Caveat: I've been out of the business for roughly six months or so now, so I'm a lot less in touch than I would have been previously. I'll see what I can come up with, though...
1) What trends have you noticed in recent years among shooters?
I can't really think of an easy answer to this question- nothing really jumps out at me other than the usual hype over new cartridges, like the short magnums and the .17HMR/Mach 2. I can say that the .17HMR generated a lot of interest, and we had people asking for rifles months before we ever got any in stock, and they've been one of the best debuts I've ever witnessed. But I personally don't really see that as a "trend," persay... but hell, it's something...
2) What effect do you believe the AWB had on shooting sports?
Well, from a purely sporting standpoint, I think it was merely an annoyance. That's not taking into account the liberty/2A viewpoint- just what I think a shooter only concerned with buying stuff he wants. I know that when I boiught my pistol, it was annoying to have to look high and low and pay out the wazoo for >10-cap mags, and if I had had the $$$ to look into an AR-15, I would have been unhappy to settle for a post-ban.
So overall, I'd characterize it as a thorn in the side of enthusiasts who know what they want but are hamstrung by random.
3) Are shooting sports (trap, skeet, IDPA, etc.) "rich men's sports?"
While the top level of these sports is characterized by expensive custom weapons, I don't think that that level is indicative of the average shooter. I don't have a lot of experience with IDPA/IPSC, but with skeet shooting, I used to regularly sell $250 870s and $300 Stoeger O/U guns for guys who wanted to bust clays on the cheap. There are many people who don't buy into the idea that clay sports require a $1000+ over/under, and they're perfectly happy with pedestrian models, and some of them can outshoot the guys with coin and expensive guns, but the unwillingness to really learn.
