It’s known as Sin City and the gambling capital of the world, but beginning Jan. 14, Las Vegas will be home to the biggest gun show in the world.
The 36th annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, better known as SHOT Show, will draw more than 1,500 companies that make up the bulk of America’s gun and tactical equipment industry.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s event is the premier venue for these companies to showcase their newest innovations in the hunting and tactical firearms industry.
The SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world, NSSF officials maintain. It’s open to the trade only, not the public. This year, more than 60,000 industry representatives are expected to attend. Military.com reporters will be in attendance and providing coverage across the site to include Kitup, Defense Tech and DoD Buzz.
"The variety of new and existing products that will be on display at the SHOT Show reflects the tremendous interest in the shooting sports by Americans from all walks of life--across all income levels, including men and women, adults and youth and those from rural communities to urban areas," said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti.
"This growing interest demonstrates that despite continued challenges to our industry and our sports, our hunting and recreational shooting traditions are here to stay," Sanetti added.
In addition to focusing on sports such as hunting and shooting, SHOT Show also services as a launching pad for innovations in tactical weapons and equipment.
Many gun makers hope to attract the interest of military and law enforcement units. But a lot of the industry's newest model firearms and accessories have been developed to satisfy the personal and home-protection market, NSSF officials said.
Women, in particular, have a high interest in obtaining their concealed-carry permits after purchasing their first firearm, according to NSSF's First-time Gun Buyers Report. Also, women's participation in both target shooting and hunting has increased dramatically over the last decade.
The four-day event will take place at Sands Expo and Convention Center in Vegas and is expected to attract buyers from 50 states and more than 100 countries, NSSF officials said.
On the exhibit floor, which covers 630,000 net square feet and has 12.5 miles of aisles, manufacturers and distributors display a wide range of products, including firearms, ammunition, gun safes, safety locks and cases, optics, shooting range equipment, targets, training and safety equipment, hunting accessories, military and law enforcement equipment, hearing and eye protection and knives.
The largest number of outdoor media in the world turns out to cover SHOT Show, NSSF officials said. About 2,500 media members have been credentialed to cover the 2014 show. On the day prior to the show, attending press members are invited to attend a Media Day at the Range for a close-up look at the newest products.
