SHOT Show

NSSF: 2021 SHOT Show Moving Forward

The Show Must Go On

In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has been shutting down businesses and grinding trade shows to a halt (I have missed exhibiting at two and attending another two already), firearms industry trade organization National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced that the 2021 SHOT Show will go on as planned.

The Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trades Show, scheduled for January 19-22, is the largest show of its kind. With the expansion into the brand new Caesars Forum, this 43rd iteration of the SHOT Show will be the biggest one yet – featuring nearly three-quarters of a million square feet (nearly 17 acres) of exhibit space.

Despite rumors that several big names are already pulling back from the show over Coronavirus concerns, NSSF said that the SHOT Show team has spent the past month working with industry manufacturers and suppliers to confirm exhibitors and plans to have nearly 3,000 booths on display.

The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, media, and our employees is a foremost priority,” noted NSSF Senior VP, Chris Dolnack.  “We are in constant contact with our partners monitoring the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as clarifying important safety protocols and guidelines for large events.

Dolnack said that, although the 2021 SHOT Show may feel a bit different thanks to health and safety precautions (likely meaning mask requirements, lower attendance, social distancing guidelines, and so on), the critical buying and networking opportunities should be very much the same.

From the opening shots of the invite-only SHOT Show Range Day to the 17 acres of exhibit floor, the GunLink team will be at the show to bring you the latest news, product releases, and reviews as we celebrate our 10th year of SHOT Show coverage.

Stay tuned to the GunLink Blog and GunLink Forums for full coverage and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for live updates before, during, and after the show.

SHOT Show 2020 Range Day Highlights

Each year before industry insiders flock to the halls of the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show – better known as SHOT Show – a contingent of firearm folks head out into the desert of southwest Nevada for a pre-show lineup of exhibitors. Live ammunition is forbidden on the SHOT Show floor and any firearms in the exhibit hall must be disabled and are inspected to ensure that they are non-functional.

This policy, however, is not in effect at the annual SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range in Boulder City. Not by a long shot.

At this pre-show demo day, invited members of the media and buyers have the opportunity to meet with manufacturers and vendors among smaller crowds than those at SHOT Show proper. Attendees also have the opportunity to get hands-on live fire trigger time with the latest guns and gear to hit the market and many that are yet to be released. The GunLink team has again been invited to this event and did just that.

We got to see some pretty great firearms and gear at Range Day that seem to indicate that the industry has actually been listening to consumers and developing some new products that fit their needs. And the show has not even begun yet! If this demo day is an indication of what else we will be seeing at SHOT Show 2020, we think this will be a great year for a firearms industry that has shown some signs of slowing down somewhat in the past couple of years.

Read on to see our Range Day highlights and be sure to watch the GunLink Blog and GunLink Forums for more.   Continue reading

NSSF Launches SHOT University Online for FFLs, Ranges

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry and producer of the annual SHOT Show, is pleased to announce the launch of its all-new SHOT University Online education resource.

Available at no charge to NSSF members, SHOT University’s easy-access curriculum allows members to take advantage of industry-leading educational content when it’s convenient to them, wherever they choose to use it. Provided by experts in retail strategies, marketing, security and technology, regulatory compliance and a host of other relevant topics, some of the numerous courses being offered include:

  • Inventory Management and KPIs
  • Range Training Equipment and Program Design
  • Marketing Range Training Programs
  • The Guide to New Range Start-Ups
  • Membership Trends
  • Social Media 101

“We have seen an increase in the demand for the specialized content we provide across the host of educational events NSSF holds throughout the year,” explained Mike Vrooman, NSSF Managing Director, Member Services. “We have a wealth of resources that help our retailers and range owners do business better, from regional ATF training sessions and live webinars to forums such as our Industry Summit, Import/Export Conference and our annual in-person SHOT University at SHOT Show®. But we wanted to create a one-stop resource that was both comprehensive and more readily available. SHOT University Online’s 24/7-365 presence accomplishes that while putting convenience and ease of access in sharp focus.”

SHOT University Online is available only to NSSF members. To learn more and view the courses, visit nssf.org/education. New courses will be added regularly.

Need to join NSSF to take advantage of this new resource, in addition to the many other benefits NSSF membership enjoys? Simply visit NSSF.org.

Buyer Registration Opens for 2020 SHOT Show

Welcome to Las VegasBuyer registration is now open for the 42nd Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show). Set for January 21-24 at the Sands Expo Center, the SHOT Show will attract more than 60,000 professionals to Las Vegas for the firearms and outdoor industry’s annual main event. Registration for media will open later this week. Exhibitor registration will open later this month.

Owned and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry trade association, the SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world. The show is open to trade members only and not to the public.

Many official show events cluster around the four days of SHOT Show itself, creating “SHOT Week.” These include the 6th Annual NSSF/HAVA Golf Classic in support of Honored American Veterans Afield, a firearms industry-run charitable organization that helps the healing of disabled combat veterans and their reintegration back into normal life through participation in hunting and shooting sports.

The two-day Supplier Showcase is a show-within-a-show, with hundreds of OEM third-party suppliers meeting with exhibiting manufacturers and exploring their needs for extrusions, fabrication, fabrics, machinery, metal, plastics, software, logistical support and tools.

If you are unable to make it to the industry’s largest show of its kind, be sure to keep an eye on the GunLink Forums, right here on the GunLink Blog, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get all the scoop on the latest products and all of the news coming out of SHOT Show. Our team will be providing our ninth year of coverage again from the opening shots of Industry Day at the Range through the closing of the show.   Continue reading

Springfield Challenges Micro 9mm Carry Market with New Hellcat

Springfield Armory Announces Hellcat: Worlds Highest Capacity Micro 9mm

Seeking to challenge the market segment currently ruled by Sig’s amazingly small 10-round micro-9, the P365, Springfield has announced their latest concealed carry wunderkind, the Hellcat. Although not big fans of the company, this new pistol has us genuinely curious. Although essentially impossible to find locally in our neck of the woods, we’re looking forward to handling the diminutive, well-capacitied, optic-ready pistol at SHOT Show and getting the opportunity to run some rounds through it at Industry Day at the Range in a couple of months.

Springfield’s announcement:

After years of development, we are proud to introduce the Hellcat, the highest capacity micro compact 9mm in the world and the next generation of defensive pistol from Springfield Armory.

“This is the first step in a new direction for Springfield Armory polymer handguns and embodies our disciplined approach to modern firearms design. Every detail of the Hellcat has been shaped by a singular mission — to deliver the definitive concealed carry handgun,” says Dennis Reese, CEO of Springfield Armory.

The 3″ barreled micro compact pistol features a class leading capacity of 11+1 with its patented magazine — 13+1 with the included extended mag — and is the result of years of painstaking development and engineering in addition to intensive collaboration with top engineers, shooters and self defense experts.   Continue reading

Hi Point Changes Up Their Pistol Line. Finally.

Aside from being big, bulky, heavy, and ugly (all true), one of the main beefs that people have with the budget-friendly firearm brand HiPoint is the low capacity (also true). Their line of pistols and pistol caliber carbines have always featured a limited capacity single stack magazine despite the wide grips. That changes now.

For two decades, the Model C9 – a blowback operated polymer-framed 9mm  pistol with Zamak slide – has been the company’s flagship handgun. Throughout that time, the Hi-Point product line has seen precious few changes aside from the addition of new calibers and cosmetic features. This includes the stock flush-fit 8-round magazine capacity that C9 owners have always been limited by.

At SHOT Show 2019 in Las Vegas, the Ohio-based company introduced their latest pistol offering – a higher capacity 9mm with a few new features that will be appreciated by those who don’t immediately turn up their nose at the inexpensive firearms. Hi-Point is quick to point out that the new handgun is not just a tweaked version of their existing pistols but, rather, is an entirely new firearm with a more contemporary design that they say will stick with the company’s affordable pricing structure.

Currently in what they are calling a “stealth prototype” phase, the company had 3D printed rapid prototypes on display in their booth to demonstrate the size and features of the new pistol, which boasts a higher capacity magazine, threaded barrel, improved slide and grip geometry.   Continue reading

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