Many airgunners have heard of Ed Schultz. He’s a lifelong airgun shooting enthusiast who has worked for almost 30 years in airgun product development at Crosman, SIG and now Crosman again.And – as of May 15, 2024 – Ed has become President and CEO of the Airgun Sporting Association (ASA). That’s in addition to his “day job” as Senior Design Engineer at Crosman. Phew!
With Ed’s lifetime of interest and passion for airguns, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the ASA.
What exactly is the Airgun Sporting Association?
It’s a body that aims to aid both airgunners and the airgun industry. Most all industries – particularly the successful ones – have similar organizations.
The ASA aims to help all airgun companies by expanding our industry and the market.
Technically, the ASA is a non-profit business league as described in section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. That means that it’s a not-for-profit organization to promote the common business interests of its members, not individual companies.
So, it can – for example – undertake lobbying or other political activity, should it choose, in support of the entire airgun community.
How did the ASA start?
Back in 2017, six airgun manufacturers and importers started discussions about forming a new airgun trade association. The airgun industry had tried to create an association on previous occasions. But unfortunately these attempts failed to really come together in a lasting form.
The result was the Airgun Sporting Association, which was formed in February 2018. Current members include Crosman, Pyramyd, Umarex USA, AirForce Airguns, Gamo/Daisy, Air Venturi, Hatsan USA, FX Airguns, Utah Airguns, Predator International and Airgun Depot.
What are the ASA’s aims?
Ed has been involved with the ASA since the beginning.
“Our ultimate goal with the ASA from the start was to evolve into a voice for the airgun industry,” he explains. “The ASA can provide a leadership role, amplifying the many industry member voices into a single more powerful body that will help protect and grow the airgun category.”
Ed’s a great fit for this post!
Leading the ASA forward is a role in which experience counts. Ed Schultz has plenty of this in his many years of work with ASTM International, an organization that generates technical standards for many types of consumer goods.
For example, he was chairman of the ASTM International Committee on Sports Equipment and Facilities that set standards for airsoft gun safety and compatibility.
Standards are important as they allow interaction between products from different manufacturers. That gives us – the consumers – the benefit of choice.
ASA achievements to date.
Ed is generous with praise for the previous President and CEO of the Airgun Sporting Association, Mitch King.
Having worked for 50 years with the US Field and Wildlife agency, Mitch had outstanding connections with many of the State Wildlife Agencies and their staffs. This played well with the ASA’s first main thrust. That was to promote the legal use of airguns for hunting.
“Mitch has been instrumental in the growth and success of the ASA,” Ed explains. “We are incredibly grateful for his contributions.”
For example, look at these two images from the Pyramyd Hunting chart. The first one dates from early 2018 when the organization started.
The second one is 2023, since then Wisconsin has added big game for airguns.
“The ASA can’t claim all the credit for the increase from six to 27 states where airgun hunting is legal,” said Ed. “But we certainly helped support the many in-state individuals that work so hard to achieve it.”
Another example. The ASA also generated a set of universal competition rules for 100-Yard benchrest airgun shooting in June 2019.
Here’s your chance…
So now Ed Schultz will be leading the ASA forward. If you have comments, suggestions or thoughts you would like to share with the ASA, please feel free to post them in the Hard Air Magazine Community below...
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