by Over the years I have come home with a lot of swag from the SHOT Show. Every year seems a little different other than patches are always popular. Stickers are moving up in popularity due to the cost savings over patches.
Since I give out patches as well as take them, I tend to get some cool ones. By the way, the swag pirates already have the Altama patch set up on EBay for $60 and up. Not cool!
Then there is the perennial favorite that I always try to collect, the Dillo, from LaRue Tactical. It is a tactical “beverage entry tool.” LaRue makes great barrels and triggers among other items.
Then there is the more unusual swag. One year I got a pair of “Battle Brief” boxer briefs from Tactical Distributors. This year it was a pair of cool socks from Darn Tough. I wear their wool socks year around and love their lifetime warranty. These are from their new line called “Wide Open”. I’m wearing them as I write.
Then there is the really useful swag. My good friend Andy Langlois of Andy’s Leather sent me home with one of his Rhodesian slings. Unlike many slings which are meant to be primarily carry slings, this is a shooting sling. It gives a fourth point of contact when shooting a rifle. I highly recommend them.
I always like to spend some time at the Suppliers Showcase which is on Monday and Tuesday. The suppliers range from those having raw materials like steel and fabrics to industrial control software to firearm parts. One of the companies I came across was HolsterSmith.com which sells holster making supplies. They had everything from Kydex to leather and everything needed to make your own holster. They sent me home with a kit to make a leather OWB holster for a Glock 19. With a little work, it will also fit a Ruger RXM.
I don’t believe I saw any giveaway t-shirts this year but I could have missed them. To the Complementary Spouse’s joy, I only came home with one cap though I was offered many more. This one was from Arktis of the UK. It was in blaze orange camo (and not made in China!). Everyone can use a good blaze orange cap for hunting! As for Arktis itself, they make great combat smocks and chest rigs.
Since certain Facebook commentators are consternated about NRA directors being at the SHOT Show, I want to emphasize I was there under my own media credentials, I paid for my food, lodging, and airfare out of my own pocket, and nothing cost the NRA or its members a dime. Every other director who was there with whom I’ve spoken with either at or after the show did the same in terms of paying their own way. I don’t know how things were done when Wayne and his cronies were running things but this is how it is done now.
