The NSSF, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, has inducted Robert Delfay, Richard Hammett and Arthur Wheaton into the Hall of Fame at the 2025 SHOT Show.
The annual NSSF Hall of Fame Award recognizes industry leaders whose careers and accomplishments have significantly strengthened the firearm industry and expanded shooting sports, hunting and firearm ownership.
Robert Scott, Chairman of the NSSF Board of Governors, praised the contributions of the three Hall of Fame inductees in remarks made at the annual NSSF Members Meeting at the 2025 SHOT Show.
SHOT Show is the largest trade show of hunting, shooting, law enforcement, and outdoor-related products worldwide, with over 2,800 exhibitors are displaying their products and services at this year’s show.
“On behalf of a grateful industry, it’s my honor to recognize Bob Delfay, Dick Hammett and Art Wheaton for their exemplary careers and their many professional accomplishments. They each played pivotal roles in creating a better future for the firearm industry and popularizing shooting sports and hunting. They have earned our respect and praise,” said Bartozzi.
The inductees have their images and career highlights displayed in large panels erected in one of the most heavily trafficked corridors of the show. “The contributions of these three inductees are directly linked to the success of this great trade show and its importance to the millions of employees and customers connected to SHOT Show,” said Bartozzi.
Robert Delfay served 30 years with the NSSF, including the last 10 years as its president and CEO. During his career, he was at the forefront of some of the industry’s most impactful initiatives, including developing the SHOT Show into the world’s largest trade show; creating in 1971 the first National Hunting and Fishing Day, which Congress officially recognized to occur on the fourth Saturday of every September; and forming the Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Fund, supported by 200 companies, to fight frivolous lawsuits filed by municipalities.
In retirement, Delfay helped establish a 10-year, $1 million grant program, in partnership with the NSSF, to benefit the future of hunting and conservation.
Richard Hammett spent 42 years with Olin Corporation in finance, marketing and senior management roles. He was president of the Winchester Division from 2002 until his retirement in 2011. Hammett was a passionate sportsman and industry leader, having served on the Board of Governors for the NSSF and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute. Hammett was an ardent champion and supporter of youth shooting sports programs, including 4-H, the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance and the Scholastic Clay Target Program, and he was an advisory board member for Kids and Clays, an organization that raises money for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Arthur Wheaton was the chairman of NSSF’s Board of Governors from 2002 to 2007. Wheaton has maintained a focus throughout his life on conservation, hunting and the responsible use of firearms. He spent over four decades with Remington Arms Company, starting as a junior engineer and retiring as vice president and general manager of Worldwide Sales in 2001.
NSSF launched major programs during Wheaton’s tenure as chairman, including Families Afield, Hunting Heritage Partnership and First Shots. Wheaton supported NSSF’s expansion of retailer-focused services and championed the growth of the NSSF’s fledgling Scholastic Clay Target Program, which today has over 21,000 high school athletes participating in 47 states.
“The NSSF Hall of Fame and its remarkable inductees remind us of the pride we take in our industry and in the firearm-owning community and what our leaders then and now stand for — the freedom to make, own and use firearms responsibly in America,” said Bartozzi.
To view all NSSF Hall of Fame inductees over the years, visit NSSF.org/HallofFame.
Images courtesy NSSF/SHOT Show
