By the time you read this article, it will have been just shy of two years since the last SHOT Show was held. The COVID-19 pandemic canceled SHOT and every other major trade show worldwide for over a year.

A lot can happen in two years. We have a new and much less gun-friendly president, vice president and administration. Some businesses have folded or merged with others in order to survive. New product launches were moved to digital or small event releases. Some products were held back to be released this year. Due to the increased demand for all things related to firearms, many companies have taken a year off of new product development solely to keep up with their existing demand.

If you’re headed to SHOT this year, here are some things you’ll want to know or look for.

 

Masks

Masks will be required to be worn by all attendees and exhibitors while at the SHOT Show. This requirement is independent of vaccination status. Look for some enterprising SHOT Show exhibitors to likely have some cool masks for display, use and promo.

 

New Area

For the first time, the SHOT Show will be held in two different convention centers — both the Sands Expo Center and the Caesars forum. The Caesars forum will host the new eXtra Pavilion, a combination of two previous pavilions, the “pop-up display,” and the “Next Generation” area that was formerly located outside of the press room on the fourth floor of the Venetian and has been previously made up of a large number of companies that would be on deck for the next year’s show. Expanding the size of the show allowed vendors that were previously only able to display for a day to join the companies that were part of the next-generation display for all four days of the show.

Additionally, the New Product Showcase will also be located in the Caesars forum and will be greatly expanded, as it is typically one of the most heavily visited areas of the show each year.

 

The Expanded Supplier Showcase

Due to the success of previous supplier showcases, this year there will be an excess of 500 suppliers for you and members of your team to meet with. This event takes place Monday and Tuesday, January 17 and 18. That leaves time for you or your designee to attend both the showcase and all four days of the show.

 

Media, Influencers and Celebrities

Sure, there are some industry powerhouses that are attendees every year, but look for other new partnerships and new celebrities as well as influencers and media all attending the show. Many SHOT Show exhibitors have celebrity and influencer partners that schedule time to be at their booth. And walking the floor last show, I saw Lou (the Incredible Hulk) Ferrigno, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Donald Trump Jr. all in a 200-yard span.

 

Some Cool New Products

A “new,” old handgun: The first true “high capacity” pistol, the Browning Hi-Power was one of the most prolific pistols ever manufactured. John Browning died in 1926, several years before his design was finalized and proliferated by Fabrique National in Belgium. After over 80 years of continuous production, Browning discontinued producing the Hi-Power due to increased production costs.

The folks at Springfield Armory, though, said, “not so fast.” The new Springfield Armory SA-35 (named after the original model number given by John Moses Browning) gives today’s shooters a modern take on a revered classic. The pistol also features numerous performance and ergonomic enhancements. These include subtle but significant changes to barrel feed ramp and extractor geometry to ensure the pistol will work with today’s cutting-edge defensive rounds. Further upgrades include a factory-tuned trigger, 15-round flush-fit magazine, beveled magazine well, a recontoured ‘no-bite’ hammer design (something which the Hi-Power was often known to do), modern Tactical Rack sights, an extended thumb safety and more.

Additionally, the choice was made to configure the SA-35 without the magazine disconnect that was found in the original design. This change provides the ability for magazines to drop freely as all of the other magazines in Springfield’s pistol lines do.

Stay cool even while wearing full body armor: The Body Armor Vent is a product invented by a retired sheriff who was injured in the line of duty. He asked himself during physical therapy, “What was the worst thing about being on patrol?” The answer: the heat and sweat buildup behind his body armor, especially in the heat of summer.

The I.C.E System by Body Armor Vent utilizes a patent-pending evaporation and ventilation technology, which creates a continuous air flow between your torso and your body armor.  Air flow is caused by hot air expansion and by your own breathing. This is a completely new method of evaporative cooling, moving air over moisture, just like your AC at home.

Eye protection is for more than the range: You only get two eyes. Protect them, not only when shooting, but also from the damage that can be imparted by UV rays, sharp sticks, dust and debris. While the world was shut down over the past year, Leupold added three new styles to its performance eyewear line — the Payload, Refuge and Cheyenne. Each is available with multiple lens and frame combinations, which adds 11 new sets of eyewear to Leupold’s existing lines. All of Leupold’s eyewear is made from lightweight, ballistic rated material and equipped with scratch-resistant, polarized lenses that are as rugged and clear as Leupold’s legendary sporting optic

Work on becoming a “Master” Gunsmith: Guns always require maintenance and, rather often, some repair or modification. Shooters subject firearms to all kinds of environments, contaminants, dirt, water, and the inherent chemicals and buildup from the combustion of gunpowder propelling copper and lead down a grooved barrel. Real Avid is known as the leader in “do it yourself” guns. Their ingenious products have helped amateur and professional gunsmiths the world over have professional quality tools and products at an everyman’s price. The new Master Gun Vise is the first bench vise made exclusively for guns and gun tools. Whether a customer is building and customizing their gun, cleaning a dirty rifle, mounting a scope, inserting a trigger, or adding a new stock, the master gun vise improves every part of the do-it-yourself gun experience.

A micro-handgun from Mossberg: As the popularity and technology of high-capacity, micro-compact pistols increases, so, to does the number of manufacturers with them in their lineup. Mossberg has expanded its popular MC2 lineup with a new micro-compact 9mm: the MC2sc. With its double-stack magazines, the compact-profile MC2sc offers an increased capacity and is comfortably sized for concealed carry. With an overall length of 6.25 inches, height of 4.30 inches and slim 1.10-inch width, the MC2sc also features an optics-ready slide for ease of mounting micro red-dot sights. Available in two frame variants (standard and cross-bolt safety) and with optional TRUGLO Tritium Pro Night sights, each MC2sc comes equipped with both an 11-round flush and 14-round extended magazine.

 

Who Needs Ammo?

I mean, besides all of us….

The folks at Federal have been busy during the SHOT “gap year” developing 16 different ammunition variants, including three novel defensive loads.

Federal has teamed with the National Rifle Association on this special-edition buckshot load equipped with the rear-braking FLITECONTROL wad. Combined with buffering that prevents deformation of the nine-pellet copper-plated 00 buckshot payload, the loads provide tight, uniform patterns for self-defense situations. A portion of the proceeds from every box sold goes to support the NRA’s mission to preserve and enhance gun rights. Hydra-Shok Deep has unlocked the full defensive potential of smaller cartridges with loads in .380 Auto and .38 Special +P. Both utilize Hydra-Shok Deep’s center post and compact core design to consistently penetrate beyond the FBI-recommended 12-inch minimum through both bare gel and heavy clothing, all without over-penetrating. These bullets expand aggressively, pushed at ideal developed velocities by both Federal’s high-quality primers and consistent powders.

Federal’s next ammo development might be considered controversial, but self-defense isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different shooters have different needs, different limitations and different firearms. Yet for all of those variables, .22 LR has never been an option — until now. Federal Premium’s new Punch .22 LR is a first of its kind, loaded with a 29-grain, nickel-plated lead-core bullet that is pushed at maximum velocities for the deepest penetration through short-barrel handguns. Whether you want to carry a .22 LR pistol as a backup gun, don’t feel comfortable with centerfire pistols, or simply want to get more versatility from your rimfire, Punch makes the .22 LR cartridge a viable self-defense choice for the first time ever.

Want to save a ton on .223 ammo? Check out the Mantis X Blackbeard.

I have had one of these as a test unit for several months and can attest that buyers will get the most realistic training with their AR platform using their trigger, their grip, and their sights, with the Blackbeard auto-resetting dry-fire Trigger System. There is no change to your trigger pull and no alteration to the reset, which equals more meaningful dry-fire reps that translate directly to your live-fire performance. The Blackbeard’s proprietary trigger reset means no more having to run the recharge handle between every shot. Blackbeard’s optional laser indicator further enhances your training with visual representation of where your “shots” land, as it fires down the barrel with every press of the trigger.

The magazine battery pack is good for 100,000 shots per charge; we’ll let you do the math on the obvious cost savings versus your customers’ favorite ammo. Finally, the Blackbeard is rated to reset as quickly as 10 shots per second, so shooters can fire as fast a follow-up as they like.