NASGW & POMA Announce Finalists for the 2023 Caliber Awards

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), have chosen the top three products in seven categories including Best New Rifle, Best New Handgun, Best New Shotgun, Best New Ammunition, Best New Optic, Best New Accessory, and Best New Suppressor. An independent panel of 18 industry judges, comprised of NASGW members and POMA members, selected the finalists in each category. In order to qualify, manufacturers needed to be a NASGW member in good standing and the product must have been publicly released after November 1st, 2022. 

“Each year I get excited to see all the new products submitted for the Caliber Awards,” said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. “There were so many innovative products to choose from and this year we set another record for submissions. It truly is an honor just to be a finalist for the Caliber Awards.”

The Caliber Awards offer a unique, unbiased approach to recognizing and honoring new innovative products. The voting panel is comprised of the people who buy and sell these products on a daily basis as well as the media members who review and report on these products in the field.

“The Professional Outdoor Media Association is pleased to collaborate with NASGW to present the Caliber Awards, showcasing the best new products on the market,” said POMA Operations Specialist, Laura Kenning. “Congratulations to this year’s finalists! Our media members look forward to testing out your products.”

New this year is the suppressor category, which has been included in accessories in years past. Due to the uniqueness and special regulation, suppressors were in need of their own category and finalists, this year, were chosen by members of the American Suppressor Association (ASA). 

 
This year’s submissions were the most on record with 190 submissions, narrowed down by the panel to three finalists in each category. Judges were asked to consider the uniqueness, market need, value of the product, ingenuity, and presentation. The finalists for this year’s Caliber Awards are:

Best New Accessory

American Tactical – Tritium Loaded Chamber Indicator

Angry Stag – LAWS-G1: Low Ammo Warning System

Caldwell – Flash Bang AR500 Steel Target Hit Indicator

Best New Ammunition

Hornady – 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge

Remington – 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt

Winchester Ammunition – 400 Legend Straight-Walled Cartridge

Best New Handgun

FN America – FN Reflex

Smith & Wesson – Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7

Springfield Armory – Echelon

Best New Optic

Holosun Technologies – Digital Reflex Sight – Night Vision (DRS-NV)

Leupold – Mark 5HD 2-10×30 M5C3 FFP

Sightmark – Wraith Thermal

Best New Rifle

Christensen Arms – Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR)

Marlin – Marlin® Model 336 Classic

Springfield Armory – Model 2020 Redline

Best New Shotgun

Mossberg – 500 Turkey Optic-Ready Pump-Action Shotgun

TriStar Arms – Viper G2 Pro

Weatherby – ORION SxS

Best New Suppressor

Dead Air Silencers – Mojave 9

Rugged Suppressors – Alaskan 360Ti

SilencerCo – Velos LBP

Winners for the NASGW-POMA Caliber Awards will be announced on October 24th at the annual NASGW Appreciation dinner to kick off the NASGW Expo in Columbus, OH. 

About NASGW
The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers is comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, independent sales reps, media and service providers – both national and international – all of whom are primarily focused on shooting sports equipment and accessories. As a trade association representing the business interests of its members, NASGW’s mission is to bring shooting sports buyers and sellers together. For more information about the NASGW, visit the association’s website at www.nasgw.org.

About POMA
POMA continues to uphold its tradition of promoting excellence in communications at all levels. This includes connecting the companies and organizations whose focus is the outdoor industry with the content creators who can help tell their stories and promote their products.