2026 SHOT Show

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Knives Of SHOT Show

January 31, 2026 by 1 Comment

Despite my best intentions, I did not get to many of the booths of the knife makers at this year’s SHOT Show. I know I missed Case, Ka-Bar, Buck, and Benchmade among the major knife companies.

While I did speak with the reps at the MoraKniv and Condor booths, I didn’t take any pictures. I love both their product lines and have a number of their knives. If you ever wanted to “make” a knife but don’t have the ability to forge the blade, Condor does sell knife blanks for which you can then craft a handle.

I did stop in at Boker USA to see what they had. Their Treebrand Bird Knife with Hook is still being made. The price is now in the $60 range. Mine bought in the early 1980s cost all of $16. It is still a nice pocketknife. The other knife of theirs that caught my eye was the Boker PLUS M.U.K. fixed blade. I like the small blade, full length handle aspect to it. The steel is 14C28N which the author of Knife Engineering rates as as high toughness stainless steel made by Sandvik in Sweden.

I always like to see what CRKT has up their sleeves. One knife and one tool caught my eye.

The tool is called the ToGo Driver. It is a compact driver that features interchangeable bits ranging from a variety of Torx bits to Phillips. It also comes with an adapter allowing you to use both 4mm and 1/4″ bits. At a MSRP of $38, it looks like it would be something many would want in their everyday carry kit.

The other knife by CRKT that caught my eye as a potential purchase was the Fidus liner lock. With a blade length of just over 3″ and a folded length of 4″, it should make a great everyday carry knife. The blade is made from Sandvik 12C27 steel which will give good corrosion resistance, toughness, edge retention, and relative ease of sharpening. The handle is glass-reinforced nylon with grooves for your index and pinky fingers. I like it.

As I said, I missed a lot of the other knife companies. However, Melissa Miller aka Melissa Backwoods did not. I have always respected her knife reviews on YouTube and was fortunate enough to briefly meet her in the Press Room. She did a great compilation of the knives she saw at SHOT in the video below.

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SHOT Show Swag

January 27, 2026 by 2 Comments

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.

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Visit The NRA Booth If At SHOT

January 18, 2026 by 1 Comment

If you are going to be at the SHOT Show, I might suggest visiting the NRA Booth (12660). I will be there off and on mostly on outreach purposes.

I received this in today’s email from NRA Public Affairs:

NRA to Showcase Competitive Shooting Sports and Signature Programs at SHOT Show 2026

Visit the NRA 2.0 Booth #12660 for Interactive Demos, Special Guests, Giveaways, and Live Media

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) will make a strong presence at SHOT Show 2026 spotlighting the organization’s leadership in 2A-focused programs and Competitive Shooting Sports.

Attendees are invited to experience a modern, interactive booth environment dedicated to education, competition, and community engagement, anchored by the NRA’s commitment to advancing safe, responsible, and competitive firearms use. The booth theme reinforces the message: “Exercise your rights through competition.”

Featured Booth Highlights Include:

Meet the Pros – ARC Brand Ambassadors
SHOT Show attendees will have the opportunity to meet and engage with top industry trainers and competitive shooters serving as NRA America’s Rifle Challenge (ARC) Brand Ambassadors:

  • Kyle Lamb — Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Dianna Muller and Ryan Muller — Thursday and Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Premier of the Interactive Mantis ARC Experience
Experience the NRA America’s Rifle Challenge through a hands-on interactive demo featuring the latest innovations from the Mantis product line. Attendees can test skills, learn more about ARC participation, how to host at your facility, and enter daily drawings to win prizes, including firearms and Mantis gear.

Shooting USA Live Video Podcast
Shooting USA’s John Scoutten will host a live video podcast from the NRA booth on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., featuring conversations with NRA staff and key industry partners discussing competition, training, and the future of the shooting sports.

Connect with NRA Staff and Programs
Visitors are encouraged to stop by Booth #12660 to speak directly with NRA leadership and knowledgeable NRA staff about the organization’s wide range of programs, including competitive shooting, legislative, training, clubs, youth initiatives, and grassroots opportunities.

SHOT Show attendees looking to learn, compete, connect, and experience the future of NRA competitive shooting sports are encouraged to make the NRA 2.0 booth a must-see destination.

Partnership opportunities in support of NRA programs are available. Individuals, companies, and organizations interested can contact Steve Kupcha, Managing Director of NRA Corporate Partnerships, at Skupcha@nrahq.org.

For more information, visit Booth #12660 during SHOT Show 2026.

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By The Numbers

January 17, 2026 by 1 Comment

If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time you know I love infographics. The SHOT Show has made one available to the media. I realized the SHOT Show was a big trade show but didn’t realize it was in the top 10 nationally.

I head out to Las Vegas tomorrow for my 10th SHOT Show. I will do my best to post from there as I go along. You can also keep an eye out for my friend and SHOT Show roommate Charlie Cook’s posts.