This article contains affiliate links.
So I don’t go to SHOT, I’m not that important. On top of that, SHOT was really supposed to be about manufacturers getting together with distributors and organizational buyers to work out deals with products. That’s become less and less the case. Instead, it seems like SHOT became a place for content creators and publishers to swirl around the floor taking photos and video of the latest wares so they can get the “scoop” and attention.
I think this is one of the reasons that we’ve seen large manufacturers dropping out entirely, like Vortex, Vista, and Sig. Others, as Ilya recently pointed out, are reducing their footprint. For example, Beretta, Steiner, and Burris were all within the same booth rather than acting as different brands.
By this point, I’m sure you’ve already consumed a fair amount of news about SHOT. I’m not terribly interested in building a comprehensive list of all the latest and greatest. I’ll talk about a few highlights, sure, but my main purpose today is looking at the overall trends. It seems to me that SHOT is a bit of a barometer for where the market is heading. You’ll recognize trends and bandwagons that seems like everyone jumps on.
Macro Trends of Shooting
I first noticed this back around 2011-2013 when it seemed like every company out there was pushing “zombie edition” gear. More often than not, this amounted to little more than the same shotguns, rifles, and ammo they always sold- but including some hideous shade of neon green. EOTech even went out making special edition optics with biohazard symbol aiming reticles. The Walking Dead premiered in 2010, and became a cultural inflection point that lasted for years.
When that little diversion faded, the focus went back to all things GWOT (Global War on Terror), and putting out the latest and greatest in AR-15/M4 modifications, optics, and supporting gear. All of it “vetted” by special operations, of course. This era, which roughly covers 2015 to 2020, brought out a lot of new optics geared towards action shooting and “cool guy do-all” categories.
Related to GWOT, starting in 2015 or so, there was a huge spike in AK platform interest. PSA entered the market, IWI put out the ACE-32, and there seemed to be a growing interest in the platform as an alternative to the AR.
Then COVID hit, and the NSSF cancelled SHOT 2021. On top of that, GWOT ended later that year and the US Government more or less put a halt on cheap imported Russian ammo.
The New Pivot
When the US initiated a chaotic withdraw of forces from Afghanistan in 2021, it seemed like all of the momentum built up in the gun industry evaporated. Government funding for extraneous purchases and projects dried up, and the political appetite dwindled. Even more, I think the marketplace hit serious AR-15 pattern saturation due to multiple years of panic buying before elections followed by a whole new market panic buying during COVID.
The burgeoning AK market? Humbled by the ammo import ban, which ended one of the most compelling reasons to get into 7.62×39 or 5.45×39.
The ATF brace ban was on the horizon, too. The growing market in large format pistols (and PCCs) suddenly ground to a halt.
This drove a malaise in the market, and there wasn’t much to show for it at SHOT 2022. A few optics here and there, the hyped up .30 Super Carry cartridge (remember that?), and a few accessories. Behind the scenes, I think a lot of manufacturers were figuring out new directions. Not only from pivot away from GWOT, but also the huge leaps in manufacturing capability presented by CNC, 3D printing, and additive manufacturing.
By SHOT 2023, things were starting to cook. Bolt guns from traditionally AR-focused brands, more pistol caliber carbines, lever guns, new variations on classic designs, and a serious commitment to chasing the civilian market rather than government contracts. The Aero Precision Solus and Faxon FX7 Pershing are two items that stand out to me. I don’t think anybody would have pinned these two brands as entering the bolt gun market, but the rising influence of PRS can’t be denied. Stag Arms, the hunting-oriented subsidiary of Aero, also released an interesting bolt action called the Pursuit based on the Solus action.
My Top Picks from 2024
SHOT 2024 continued this trend of new stuff. Companies like Palmetto State Armory and Holosun lead the charge on creating new products with appeal to the mass market. S&W came to the table with a new lever action, the 1895, as did Aero Precision (along with Stag). And much more.
So out of SHOT this year, what items stood out to me? There are a few, but then I’ll get back to what I think this means for the overall market.
Daniel Defense Goes 9mm
DD came out of the gate this year with two interesting entries. First, and perhaps most well known by this point, is that they brought back the failed Hudson H9 as the Daniel H9. They also came out of the gate with a pistol caliber carbine, the DD PCC. Whatever your thoughts on the PCC market and their viability, I think this trend is interesting anyway.
Of note, the DD PCC uses CZ Scorpion format magazines. This falls in line with the PSA AK-V and AR-V. There’s also a lower out there for B&T PCCs that converts them to use Scorpion mags as well. I think this indicates that the Scorpion magazine en route to be the default PCC magazine of choice.
Lever Guns Everywhere
A trend that started in 2023 and seems to be accelerating is lever guns. In 2023, we saw POF put out the 9mm Tombstone. Bond Arms released a lever action AR. On top of that, Ruger and Henry continued adding on to their offerings. I also think 2023 is where we started seeing a lot of traction in the “Tactical Lever Gun” space.
This year, I mentioned Smith & Wesson has a new 1854 model, but even Aero precision showed up with their own tactical lever action prototype. As with the Solus, they’re making it under the hunting-oriented Stag brand with more traditional wood furniture and styling.
Bear Creek Arsenal also entered the fray with a magazine feed .450 bushmaster that will eventually be available in other cartridges.
Of interest to me, Henry showed up with the Lever Action Supreme. In a notable split from the trend, others showed up with tactical lever guns in tow while Henry arrived with a traditional looking gun that accepts standard AR-15 magazines. One of these in 300 BLK seems like it would be a great time.
There are more than these, but you get the idea. I’ll touch on why I think this is the case in a minute.
All Things Not-AR
The biggest message I took away from SHOT this year was that manufacturers are moving on to new things. Palmetto State Armory, for example, put out a poll with dizzying array of prototypes. Everything from new versions of their in-house designed JAKL in 9mm or 308 to a shotgun, bullpup, an AK-JAKL hybrid (the Vuk), and an MP7.
Primary Weapon Systems (PWS) made a splash with their new UXR platform. I have to admit that it looks really nice, and would love to see more about it.
Pindad Arms looks like they’re also going to start importing the Beretta M12 (which was what the PMX replaced for Italian police), as well as a license-built FN FNC. This is neat for the collectors out there.
Suppressors
I’ll throw one last highlight for me, that was suppressors. There seems to be more and more hitting the market, with B&T making a big splash this year. The exciting part to me is that all of this competition combined with new manufacturing methods brings the prices down. I was looking at some earlier this week and was shocked at how low prices have come on high quality 9mm cans since the last time I thought about it.
If, and hopefully when, suppressors get knocked off of the NFA- this market is ripe for explosion.
So What Does it All Mean?
Ok, there’s the big highlights. So what do I think is going on in the market?
First, I suspect that many of the legacy manufacturers are trying to diversify. Not only are they concerned about market saturation with ARs, but they’re also hedging bets against politics. Lever actions have a bit of a cool nostalgia factor to them, and they haven’t been common for a while. That means there’s a market there. But they’re also 50-state legal, which reduces risk of having products banned for sale in the future.
You also see some longstanding companies like Beretta really trying to branch out on their offerings. the BRX-1 straight pull bolt action caught my attention, for sure. They’ve also been cranking out new versions of the 92 series that enthusiasts have been begging for over the years. I think this is finally happening because they’re big government contracts faded away, and now they need the enthusiast market.
On the pistol ammo front, I think the interest in 9mm offerings are happening because ammo prices continue to rise. Shooting pistol ammo is way more affordable these days, and that’s probably not changing any time soon.
At the other end of the spectrum, the market has AR fatigue and just wants something different. The AR-18 gas system making its way into new products is an outcropping of that. There was also an abundance of fixed carry handle ARs, which is also just “different” enough to generate interest.
Is there anything I’m particularly looking to buy? We’ll see. I’ve got a new project in the works, and a suppressor does seem like it would be a worthy addition.
The Great Outdoor Show (Shot Show Lite) is held every year in Harrisburg Pa. This one IS open to the public. In addition to the firearms manufacturers, it includes Outfitters from the US, Canada and Afrika, etc. There are also fishing and archery rooms, and more… This year there were less firearms exhibitors than in the past. Notably missing was Remington, Sig, and Colt; although Im told Colt was there, I never saw their booth. Ive gone every year for the past ten, and found this one to be underwhelming. The caveat, maybe that in past years “I was looking for “something” and this year I didnt have a particular urge driving me. The NRA was there with a “Guns of Clint Eastwood” display, So if you wanted to see the M! that he used in Grand Torino or his Outlaw Jossey Wales guns, it was worth a peek. Much more interesting to me were the outfitters. It was an opportunity to plan a safari for Leopard in Namibia and a Wild Boar hunt in North Carolina. On another note, I have been assembling a PCC/Pistol. Picture the love child of a MP5 and a AR in 9mm. This one is an AR lower that uses MP5 mags (Scorpion mags are too fat for AR lowers) from New Freedom Arms and a MP5ish handguard. While I do love my MP5’s, the design is a bit alien to US shooters who were weaned on the AR/M16. The lower has all the… Read more »
Fresh money, innovation and new shooters drive the firearms market. I’m not a real technical guy and subtle deviations from proven platforms escape my interest. Solid proven reliable models of just a few decades past are disappearing fast as companies ‘clear the shelves’ to put out their latest light plastic low recoiling interchangeable high capacity innovations. The more ‘plastic’ on a firearm the less my interest – kind of like ‘lipstick on pig’. I shudder at the looks of the new ‘tactical’ lever actions – a design that never needed improving – if well made. I damn near cried when Remington and Marlin went under. I’ll never own a Glock and it took me decades to even consider an alloy framed ‘striker fired’ pistol (as compared to a tuned 1911 or a S & W revolver trigger?) and only in the past 4 years have picked up a few AR15s – mainly as a high capacity defense weapon. As you mentioned the newest ‘trend’ seems to be the PCC market strongly influenced by the current economy. Manufacturers would be wise to ‘temper’ pricey innovations and focus more on improving quality and affordability of their brands until more certainty is established in the American economy.
I think gun companies are caught in a catch 22, to be honest. They can certainly invest in their quality and affordability, but guns are durable goods. Once someone has scratched the “itch” for a particular type of gun, they aren’t likely to buy another that does the same thing. The way around that is to keep doing “new” things that tempt the same buyer to come back again and again.
Right like ‘2.0 improvement versions’ of last year’s product!
Im gonna guess from your comments about the tactical lever guns that, you live in a gun friendly state. The tactical lever guns are a working alternative to ARs in “Banned” states. Alternatively they offer heavy hitting cartridges like 45-70 with some tactical flavor with the ability to add a light and onboard extra cartridges in big bear country.
Do I like 1911s, YES; but I would never choose one for a go to war handgun when a modern option was available. Ultimately its your choice and you get to decide; but if called to help one of my kids at 2am in some city hell hole because their car broke down, Id ALWAYS pick a Glock with a Red Dot and flashlight and a couple hi cap mags…. Choose what works for you
Best
I get that modern materials (polymer stocks, titanium, etc.) have made proven designs like lever actions more durable but the current crop of 1st generation ‘lever guns’ being produced by pistol and AR manufacturers are barely recognizable. I own a Marlin 336 in wood and steel and I love everything about it. I’ve got a Henry on my ‘wish list’. Modernization – what’s next a magazine fed Colt Peacemaker? First time a saw a Glock it was being worn by a gunsmith I just met and I asked it see it. He made safe and handed to me. I racked the slide and pulled the ‘dart gun’ trigger – then handed back. It took him an hour to convince me it was a ‘real gun’. I’ve since accepted that Glocks do indeed shoot real bullets and I now own 1 striker fired pistol – a Springfield XD in 40S&W. I’m not a big 9mm fan either but I do own a CZ75 – my only 9mm. The XD is my ‘carry weapon’ for several reasons. The rising value of quality 1911s makes them difficult to position as a handgun you may have to ‘throw on the ground’ or ‘surrender’ to the police for who knows what reason. The second is because of the first. The XD is relatively inexpensive, reliable and accurate enough. It ‘exceeds’ at nothing except 4 more rounds capacity that the 1911 can do and the fact that I wouldn’t cringe so much throwing it on the… Read more »
Matt I’m very interested in a few ‘suppressed’ firearms myself but I’ll wait for the ‘gate to open’ – at least until I’m the ‘only guy’ at the range without one and everybody hates me when I pull the trigger on the 338 Win Mag! Really don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up a ‘trust’ – heard it’s the best way if one intends to purchase more than once in the ‘NFA’ realm. However getting wind of Washington DCs never ending thirst to stomp on the 2A (latest being to make ‘private sales’ or even ‘handing down’ a crime without FFL transfer paperwork) a ‘family trust’ might be a very ‘smart’ way of holding, protecting and transferring firearms.
I’m very likely to do the trust route. Justin Fields over at Swift Silent Deadly recently wrote up his experience doing it, and it didn’t seem like a big deal. A lot of companies do it all for you these days, you just have to complete the required paperwork and then they do all the filing. That certainly helps remove some friction.
That’s cool! I get Justin’s posts too – must have missed that one.
Wow! After reading Justin’s post on the NFA suppressor buying process – the wait time is obvious government inefficiency (and on purpose for discouragement)! Personally – being at the mercy of the fed-gov just to get on another list isn’t worth any ‘perceived advantage’ of owning a suppressor. I suppose if one already has jumped through hoops for ‘permission’ (don’t miss this point) to own an NFA weapon like an SBR – another 6 months is ‘old hat’. I’ll enthusiastically PASS! That said – setting up a family ‘financial trust’ and including a firearm collection is still good asset protection.
The longer you wait to make the Class 3 leap, the long you go without one…
Theres NOTHING difficult or complicated about a gun trust. Moreover the only reason to go the trust route is because you want to add others to your gun buys. By the time the trust option became available, I was already deep into C3 purchases so it never appealed to me. If I were just getting started then Id look into a trust but going the NON trust route is still a good way to go.
I haven’t researched thoroughly but was interested in a ‘trust’ as a possible ‘legal escape’ from Biden’s currently proposed (illegally through the ATF and FBI circumventing Congress) mandatory background checks on ALL firearm transfers which I understand to include ‘private sales’ and ‘hand downs’ to family members (neither exists in my state). I understand this ‘proposal’ will likely never come to fruition without legal challenges however I’m not clairvoyant enough to ‘know’ what the 2024 election outcome will look like both nationally and locally. Additionally – doesn’t the trust option circumvent the background check and fees on ‘every single’ C3 purchase once established? Due to an identity theft event a decade ago I’ve gone 12 rounds with NICS and although a ‘work around’ ultimately resolved my situation – I was never ‘guaranteed approval’. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’m always interested in legal ways to ‘streamline’ if not ‘bypass’ constant government approval.
A Trust just means a corporation (LLC) owns the guns, suppressors, etc. but YOU are the CEO for the LLC, so it doesnt protect you from background checks.. In fact all it really does, is allow other members of the LLC to have access to the items, when you arent present.
Dont misunderstand me a Trust isnt a bad thing, its just not a panacea for all things Class 3. It may have been at one time; but its not any more. It DOES make handing them down to other members of the Trust easier when you die. Otherwise it become an estate issue. With a Trust when the CEO dies, a new CEO is appointed; and the trust is updated
And again I will say delaying the purchase only delays getting the gun or suppressor. If it helps, Ive been a Class 3 owner since 1980 (back then Full Auto gun were actually cheap) and every one I delayed buying was just time I didnt have the gun. Take all the time you want; but understand the only one suffering is you.
Best
Thanks – but not suffering. I don’t ‘need’ anything C3 and it’s possible with correct representation in Congress and someone conscious in the White House ‘hearing saving’ suppressors may be declassified in the near future. It’s not rocket science to manufacture one yourself – just illegal. I have no interest in ‘range bling’ – only things that are more ‘effective’. IMO – current conditions warrant staying off lists – if you can. The ‘grandfather clause’ may not save us much longer.