Shot Show is the largest gun show in the world, and is the eighth largest trade show in the United States. Shot Show 2024 is the largest so far with over 2,500 exhibitors and 815,000 square feet of exhibit space spanning two venues – The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum. We have doubts about our ability to visit each exhibitor (let’s be honest, we know it’s not going to happen) but we are going to give it a ‘shot.’ I’m not even sorry about the pun.
Shot Show 2024 Day 1 Overview
Each day, the floor is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. That’s eight hours of walking, talking, and practically breathing, all things gun. We managed to visit all the exhibitors we wanted to in the Main area of The Venetian Expo, but that still leaves Caesars Forum and the other level at the Venetian. All the stimulation, and masses of people, can leave you feeling fairly exhausted at the end of the day. But we got to see some pretty cool stuff and exciting new products. Innovation is one of the best parts of trade shows, and Shot Show 2024 has not disappointed. A few stood out above the others.
First Day Stand Outs
Shot Show tends to be where new products are debuted for the new year. Everyone attending the event looks forward to being among the first to see innovations in the industry. Shot Show 2024 has been no different.
Black Rain Ordnance has some pretty amazing rifles, primarily AR-15s, but now they have jumped into the handgun realm with their new Frontline and Frontline +. Just like their rifles, these pistols come in a wide array of colors. Black Rain also extended their patriotic series to the handguns as well with the “Don’t Tread on Me” yellow, the American Flag, and others. The Frontlines are Glock clones but their custom colors make them stand out.
Galco is well-known for their high quality leather holsters, and they have a few newer options that look great and are very functional. The Hawkeye is an Inside the Waist Band (IWB) holster providing protection for optics, something that is very difficult to find in leather. It has an open top with a metal-reinforced mouth and a butt-forward cant for ergonomics. Like Galco’s other leather holsters, it is made of premium steerhide, and sells for $150.
Viridian showcased two new products at their booth. The first was their new version of the 4Lux, called the 4Lux 2K for its 2,000 lumens. This light doubles as a grip and is rechargeable and programmable with three settings plus the strobe. It’s a neat little light that will last up to 90 minutes on one charge, depending on the setting used.
The second new Viridian product is the MDS which will retail for about $450 when it is released in April. It takes a CR2032 battery which can be accessed from the top, making changing it super simple. The glass was so clear on this optic, I had to touch it to make sure it was there! The amazing thing about this is that the reticle quickly adjusts for sight over bore when changing from long distances to short.
Summary
Day one on the floor at Shot Show 2024 proved to be exciting, productive, and a bit exhausting as well. In case you missed it, check out our overview of Shot Show Industry Day at the Range. We’ll see you back tomorrow for a day two update.