SHOT Show 2016 is being named as second best ever.
Sadly, everyone's favorite gun show is over. But, you can expect some more of our favorite items to trickle in over the course of the foreseeable future. At any rate, the NSSF blasted out a press release about the show including some of the numbers stating just how awesome the convention was this year. One thing is for sure, I'm glad Gun Carrier was there.
The main takeaway from the PR, is that the gun industry is alive and well. In other words, gun enthusiasts aren't going anywhere. In fact, this is the opening paragraph to that press release:
The National Shooting Sports Foundation's Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show SM (SHOT Show®) rang up its second highest attendance total ever, attracting more than 64,000 industry professionals during a four-day run. Held at the Sands Expo Center Jan. 19-22, the SHOT Show also attracted a record number of buyers, sending a strong signal about the health of the firearms industry.
Clearly, there are more firearms enthusiasts than ever before. This is due, at least in part, because people are afraid. They look around at other western countries and see them in shambles with crimes like rape happening more frequently then ever before. Sadly, people in those other countries are looking to get guns, and cannot because they are so regulated.
Here in America, however, we are fighting for the ability to defend ourselves. It almost makes you wonder how the industry as a whole is doing because we are constantly being attacked. But, then you walk around the Show itself, and see all of the new manufacturers to debut at the absolute best gun-related conference in the world, in what is known as the NEXT Pavilion.
At some point while checking out all of the awesome and fresh ideas, you realize that the state of our industry is doing just fine. There are plenty of new firearms and accessory manufacturers to carry the torch.
There were right around 100 of these new manufacturers in this pavilion, with about 60 others strewn throughout the show itself. Some of these new products really stood out to me. I was really into the Polymer 80% lower pistol frame, JEM Arms, the Swagger Bi-Pod, First Edge Knives and a few others.
Further than that, even the big-name gun and ammo makers had reported that this was the best SHOT Show they'd ever attended. In fact, the press release included several quotes from some of the top companies in the industry. Here's one of them:
Mike Schwiebert, Vice President of Marketing for Weatherby, put the show in context by saying, “In my 17 years of working SHOT Shows with Weatherby, this is perhaps the busiest show I've ever had.”
Make no mistake, though. Even though our gun industry is doing well and growing, we are constantly under attack. If ever there was someone to blame about people getting hurt, it's us as a whole. Gun owners everywhere are demonized for the stupid, reckless actions of a select few. At the State of the Industry Dinner, the NSSF President and CEO went on to say:
“Much of the public and the media are woefully misinformed about who we are and all that we do about genuine gun safety,” said Sanetti, who pointed out to such notable NSSF programs as Project ChildSafe, FixNICS and Don't Lie for the Other Guy.
“We have to face the fact that our industry is being blamed, and attacked and pilloried unfairly by politicians, media and agenda-driven social engineers seeking a convenient scapegoat for the result of policies which, ironically, they themselves have championed,” said Sanetti. “So, ladies and gentlemen, the state of our industry is, and must be throughout the year—alert.
Gun Carrier had a great time while in Las Vegas. Sadly, all good things must come to a close. We look forward to next year, and to see which new products and companies will be in attendance. And, as usual, stay tuned. We made several contacts, and I'll be conducting test and evaluations on some of the goodies featured at the show.
If you haven't yet, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel, and sign up for the Gun Carrier newsletter to make sure you stay on the forefront of what we're doing here. Oh, you may also want to check out the AGA, to see what they're offering.
