(GunReports.com) — The 36th edition of the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) will take place January 14-17 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Owned and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the SHOT Show provides a first look at new products and services used by target shooters, hunters, outdoorsmen and women and law enforcement professionals.
The SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world; it is open to the trade only and not the public. Shooting sports enthusiasts will see the new products unveiled at the show on retailers’ shelves during the year.
The $6 billion industry has seen record sales over the past several years fueled in part by the surging number of new gun owners. A recent study by NSSF showed one in five target shooters is a newcomer–that is, someone who has taken up the sport in the last five years. The same study showed that the industry’s customer base has greatly expanded, with new target shooters being younger, female and urban-based.
During the show, NSSF will present a first-ever study that looks at the impact target shooters’ spending has on the economy. The study, “Target Shooting in America,” will complement the “Hunting in America” economic impact study released last year by NSSF and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Together, the two studies capture how billions of dollars in spending by millions of target shooters and hunters support many thousands of businesses and jobs, and broadly contribute to the financial well-being of the nation.
Another driver of sales in recent years has been firearms purchased for personal and home protection. Many of industry’s newest model firearms and accessories have been developed to satisfy this rapidly growing market. 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.
Even as Americans purchase more firearms, the industry points out that violent crime continues to decline, demonstrating that more guns do not lead to more crime, as anti-gun groups often claim.
“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. “And we will do everything possible to protect those freedoms and the way of life that we cherish.”
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, 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 will present its State of the Industry Dinner, with Outdoor Channel again serving as the title sponsor of the event. Sanetti will give a speech capturing NSSF and industry’s “year of resiliency” to an audience of 2,000 industry leaders. Las Vegas headliners Penn & Teller will provide the evening’s entertainment.
