Firearm industry professionals gather at largest trade show for target shooting, hunting, outdoor and law enforcement products.
The 38th Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show®) opened its doors this January 19 at the Sands Expo Center with expectations running high given the energized market in America for firearms, ammunition and accessories.
The show will attract 60,000 industry professionals from the firearms and outdoor industry, and showcase new, innovative products used for target shooting, hunting, outdoor recreation and law enforcement purposes.
Owned and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation®, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, the show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world. It is open to trade members only and not to the public. Consumers will see the products unveiled at SHOT Show on retailers' shelves during the course of the year.
SHOT Show 2016 opens amid a national trend of surging firearms sales. In December, the NSSF-adjusted total of more than 2.2 million background checks represented an increase of 37.6 percent over the same month a year ago. For all of 2015, background checks, which are used as an indicator of sales activity, were up 8.8 percent over 2014.
The $6.6 billion industry is seeing more people going target shooting and purchasing firearms for personal and home protection. The multi-year trend of more women purchasing firearms for protection and recreational shooting shows no sign of easing up. Recent NSSF research shows minority populations in the U.S, particularly the growing Hispanic population, have a genuine interest in learning about the shooting sports.
Even as Americans purchase firearms in record numbers, industry points out that violent crime continues to decline, underscoring that more guns do not lead to more crime, as anti-gun groups inaccurately claim.
"Despite the political challenges being mounted against our industry, it is gratifying to see the American people supportive of firearms ownership and to see new and diverse customers taking their first shots and enjoying our sports," said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti. The week prior to the SHOT Show, NSSF rolled out a Big City Tour of its First Shots introduction-to-shooting program at area Las Vegas shooting ranges that was attended by more than 400 participants.
For the seventh year in a row, SHOT Show will take place at the Sands Expo Center. The show is the largest event hosted at Sands Expo Center, and during its run injects nearly $90 million in non-gaming revenue to the Las Vegas economy.
SHOT Show attracts buyers from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Hosting more than 1,600 exhibiting companies, the show floor exceeds 630,000 net square feet-equivalent to more than 13 acres or the area covered by the Great Pyramid at Giza. Some 12.5 miles of aisles lead to displays of a wide range of products, including firearms, ammunition, gun safes, locks and cases, optics, shooting range equipment, targets, training and safety equipment, hunting accessories, law enforcement equipment, hearing and eye protection, tree stands, scents and lures, cutlery, GPS systems, holsters, apparel, leather goods, game calls and decoys.
On the first evening of the show, NSSF presents its State of the Industry Dinner, where a capacity audience of more than 2,000 will learn about NSSF achievements in the past year from NSSF President Steve Sanetti, and be entertained by industry favorite Jeff Foxworthy.
Major sponsors of the 2015 SHOT Show include Ram Truck Brand, Daniel Defense, Georgia USA, Nissan, Aguila Ammunition, Brownells, GunBroker.com, Sig Sauer, Silencer Co., Smith & Wesson, Vista Outdoor and Winchester.
The show brings together all segments of a historic American industry—manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, shooting range operators, outdoor media and representatives from hunting and wildlife conservation groups.
About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 12,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.