SHOT Show 2025

As fate would have it, SHOT Show 2025 and Inauguration Day were staged in the same week. Fears of “Trump Slump 2.0” were mere shadows trailing behind the boisterous, electric and often party-like atmosphere on display throughout the halls of The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum during the industry’s largest gathering of the year.

And, yes, conducting business was the focal point of SHOT Week — thanks to a record-setting 2,850 exhibitors. As noted in my column in last month’s issue, the palpable enthusiasm on display at the Supplier Showcase served as a launchpad for the rest of the week.

A strong showing at SHOT Show portends a positive outlook for the year ahead. NSSF EVP and Chief Customer Officer Chris Dolnack hailed the impact of the 47th SHOT Show and the support it received from industry companies.

“The continued growth of the SHOT Show is proof positive of our industry’s passion, commitment to supporting their trade association and their desire for an in-person event where they can see new products, network face-to-face and learn about emerging compliance and best business practices,” he said. “And the revenue generated by the SHOT Show funds NSSF’s mission to advocate, educate and communicate on behalf of our industry.”

An Undeniable “Show Buzz”

The mood at SHOT Show 2025 was unlike any I had seen in my previous 13 years covering this event. Even with the prospect of a down market this year — and perhaps longer — there was a tangible excitement among exhibitors and buyers.

“The energy on the floor this year was undeniable,” said Ashley Burgess Gall, president of Laura Burgess Marketing. “People told us it felt busier than last year, and there was a real sense of optimism in the air. Many of the people we spoke with are expecting an upswing in spending for 2025 compared to 2024. Last year felt a bit fat for some, but this year, there’s a buzz things are turning around. It was great to see so many familiar faces and hear such positive feedback from our clients.”

Jessica Tucker Grubbs, president of Apollo Custom Inc., echoed Gall’s sentiments. “SHOT Show 2025 felt more positive and upbeat than the previous few have. Our team really loves to work in an industry full of positivity and community,” she said. “One of the most dangerous sales and networking tools is a smile and a good attitude!”

Throughout the show, the Staccato booth was packed with legions of buyers handling its new HD lineup. Staccato’s HD P4 and HD 4.5 offer enhanced ergonomics, an optimized grip profile and GLOCK-pattern magazine compatibility.

“2025 SHOT Show was phenomenal for Staccato,” said Taylor Schweitzer, Staccato CMO. “We’ve been so excited to share the HD product line with the world. We believe it’s the future of the 2011 platform, so we wanted to do the product justice by showing up big at SHOT. Our booth was packed until the show closed on Friday and the live-fire ranges [at the Caesars Forum Great Outdoors Plaza] proved to be a great investment. SHOT is consistently a massive success for us year after year.”

At the Springfield Armory booth, traffic was robust throughout the week.

“SHOT Show was a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of our latest releases — such as the Prodigy Compact 9mm 1911 DS pistol, new color variants of the Echelon 4.0C pistol and more — and we received a lot of positive feedback and interest,” said Mike Humphries, Springfield Armory media relations manager. “We plan on continuing to develop new and exciting Springfield products for 2025 — and beyond.”

Notable Attendance Trends

According to NSSF, 54,000 industry professionals perused the expanded show floors at The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum — which spanned more than 14 miles of exhibits. Traffic was consistent throughout the week in both halls; with NSSF making a concerted effort to ensure attendees could easily navigate between each venue with improved signage and more staff directing attendees to the SHOT Bridge, which connects both exhibit halls.

We asked NSSF for some of the attendee registration insights that stood out to them this year. Here are three standout trends at SHOT Show 2025:

• Attendees from 126 countries were represented at SHOT. According to Melissa Schilling, NSSF managing director, exhibitions and exhibits, this total is “nine more than what we had last year, and the highest number we had in several years.” There’s no question: there is untapped potential in international markets for our industry. The Biden administration undermined firearms exports for U.S. businesses; there’s hope the Trump administration’s policies will level the playing field.

• More than a third (34%) of buyers were first-time attendees. Schilling shared in the Dec. 2023 issue of SI this is a relatively new trend — 33% of buyers at SHOT Show that year were first-time buyers, which has been consistent with the trends observed in 2024 and this year. “New blood” at events like this will certainly help keep buying perspectives fresh, while giving exhibitors an additional pool of prospective customers.

• The highest percentage of SHOT Show 2025 attendees were between 35–44 years old. According to Schilling, this age demographic represented a total of 29.21% of registrants. (This is also a recent shift for the show — this age range became the largest demographic at SHOT Show 2024.) At SHOT Show 2025, attendees in the 45–54 age demographic were the next highest group. Together, these groups combined to make up 56.4% of attendees who shared their demographic information.

Evidenced by the trends above, the industry has gone some way to shed its “pale, stale, male” stereotype. Walking through the halls at SHOT certainly was proof of that — but there is still more work to be done in better welcoming younger, diverse and urban groups.

Marquee Events

There were several events staged outside and throughout the halls of SHOT Show during SHOT Week.

Sunday, Jan. 19, the NSSF/Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Golf Classic kicked off the week to raise money in support of HAVA, a firearm industry-run charitable organization that helps in the healing of disabled combat veterans and their families through participation in hunting and the shooting sports.

Jan. 20, Industry Day at the Range was held at the Boulder Rife & Pistol Club in Boulder City, Nev. This year’s event featured more than 135 exhibitors and over 2,350 media members and buyers — record-high attendance, according to NSSF.

An impressive 605 material suppliers assembled on the fifth floor of The Venetian Expo during the two-day Supplier Showcase. This event can no longer lay claim to being the ‘worst-kept secret’ at the show — it’s firmly in the ‘must-attend’ category. The Supplier Showcase has more than doubled since its debut at the 2017 SHOT Show, which featured 260+ exhibitors

The sixth annual “Women of the Gun” reception was held Jan. 22. Retired competitive shooter Vera Koo headlined the event, sharing her inspiring story with those in attendance — including FMG Digital Content Editor and Marketing Director Ashley McGee.

“The Women of the Gun reception continues to be a vital event at SHOT Show, providing a space for women to celebrate their achievements, connect with peers and inspire the next generation. Koo’s story served as a powerful reminder that success in shooting sports — and in life — comes from dedication, hard work and a refusal to let obstacles stand in the way,” noted McGee in her coverage.

Another two-day event, held Weds. and Thurs. during SHOT Show, made its mark. The eXtra Pavilion gave first-time exhibitors an opportunity to make an impression with attendees.

The Archery Business Pavilion, held in Caesars Forum, expanded its footprint after its introduction to SHOT Show last year.

SHOT Show has gained a foothold among elected officials who realize the opportunity in having strong ties to an $8.9 billion industry that supports 384,000 jobs nationwide with a total economic impact of more than $90.1 billion. Six governors attended the fourth annual Governors’ Forum, while the Attorneys General Forum generated significant attention in its second year.

“The SHOT Show is fantastic, and each time I come I just get amazed. It’s really, really important to stand up for what we believe in — the Second Amendment. It’s a big, big deal,” said Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen.

Education Opportunities

Dealers had numerous opportunities to discover new business practices or refine existing ones thanks to 19 engaging offerings at SHOT University. Topics included maximizing sales with suppressors (judging by booth traffic at SilencerCo, HUXWRX, Rugged Suppressors and Dead Air, among others, this segment seems primed for growth this year), the benefits of performance groups, harnessing AI for retail success and more.

At the invitation of Bill Brassard, NSSF senior communications director, I attended the SHOT University session on new efforts in the industry’s fight to reduce suicide. NSSF and its partners have made significant strides in building awareness on this topic in recent years. The NSSF-AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) suicide toolkit and Gun Storage Check Week are two examples.

Brassard hosted a panel with several leaders of this effort: Ryan Price (AFSP Director of Special Projects), Waco Hoover (Chair of American Legion’s “Be The One” platform), Caleb Morse (FFL Owner of Rustic Renegade and Co-Founder of The Armory Project), Gale True (Cofounder of The Armory Project) and Russell Lemle (Senior Policy Analyst for the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute).

There will be a story published here in SI in an issue later this year talking about how dealers can get involved in these meaningful endeavors.

Law enforcement professionals had a separate forum for education at the Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP). For the second year in a row, NSSF partnered with FMG Publications’ American COP to co-sponsor this event and deliver more than a dozen sessions for those invested in serving their communities.

“Yes, SHOT is about seeing the new equipment and weapons, establishing relationships with manufacturers, distributors, retailers and other end users — and transferring information and knowledge. While some of this happens in the aisles and booths, these sessions allow for a greater level of detail,” shared Erick Gelhaus, American COP editor.

The NSSF Research Breakfast, traditionally held Wednesday morning during SHOT Week, is another forum where attendees can hear firsthand from leading researchers in our industry. This event should garner more attention — as it provides rich information in a condensed format.

Speakers at the NSSF Research Breakfast were Southwick Associates’ Rob Southwick, GunBroker.com VP of PR and Brand Management Allen Forkner, USFWS’ Swanny Evans and NSSF Director of Research Salam Fatohi.

During his presentation, Southwick noted “firearms and accessories will not sell themselves” in this new market. He contends companies will find success if they can remind people to get out and shoot, focus on innovation, tell their brand stories effectively and understand their “new” customers by embracing and welcoming them to the shooting sports.

Forkner highlighted the power of GunBroker’s Outdoor Analytics and its ability to help dealers and brands research market share, refine product pricing and break customers down into granular buyer demographics. (And an enhanced NICS tool, available now to NSSF members — more info on that in a future issue.)

Presenting findings from recent projects, Fatohi shared several more will be available to members in the near future, such as studies on the silencer and ammunition markets.

Mark Your Calendars

Plans are already underway for the 48th SHOT Show, which is set to return to Las Vegas Jan. 20–23, 2026. Based on the evidence of the previous few years, the firearms industry’s calendar continues to revolve around the SHOT Show axis — and it doesn’t appear to be slowing anytime soon.