Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Walking The Floor...

SHOT Show opens a week from today, and I'm planning on being there when the doors open. 1,600 exhibitors. Two solid floors each the size of a city block. In-booth specials. Sessions designed for the shooting enthusiast, gear monkey, or gun writer. 332 exhibitors under the "Firearms" tag alone. Outdoor apparel. Hunting gear. If there's anything related to the outdoors, shooting, hunting, or otherwise, chances are there are several dozen companies competing to have the best offering for it...

I may have to wrap my head in duct tape to keep it from exploding...

I've got three days to explore it all. I imagine there will be some running involved... I'm curious what folks are most interested in hearing about, though - there are certain manufacturers I intend to pester visit, but I'm wondering what everyone else is curious to discover. Is there a hot new wundernine waiting to be released by a new player? Is a certain Floridian company going to release another new and exotic firearm, only to be plagued by distribution issues? Is another major manufacturer going to release yet another shotgun-caliber revolver?

All of these questions - and more - may be answered next week!

Anyways, if there's something in particular of interest, some manufacturer whose wares should be more fully explored, or a new company to be investigated, give a holler. This is my first time at SHOT Show and I'm wide open for suggestions on what to cover. Obviously the major manufacturers will be grilled to find out the latest models approved for sale in MA, but aside from that I'm pretty open in my explorations. Give a shout if there's something in specific you're curious about, or if you just want to make me wander around the floor aimlessly...

Besides, it's Las Vegas - I'm going to need to walk the floor a couple dozen times to work off the buffets!

That is all.

15 comments:

Old NFO said...

Just go and enjoy the spectacle! And any reports will be appreciated!

Mopar said...

I see there's a shotshow app for your iphone/ipad.

Will Brown said...

I'd like to read your evaluation of AAC's .300 Blackout "system" (.30 cal barrel that swaps for a .223 barrel), the ammo, possible sights or pretty much anything else about it you notice especially are critical of or find questionable (how does it shoot with and without the suppressor, for example). I know they won't let you shoot one at the show - go figure, but the company advertising really pushes the suppressor experience (and fair enough) and I'd like to read more.

Dave H said...

I'm always open to ideas for seeing more clearly when I'm shooting. My front sight usually looks like it's gone moldy when I'm at the range.

Joat said...

If you do wrap your head in duct tape be carefully around Weer'd. :)
Are you going to get to go to the range day?

ExurbanKevin said...

Looking forward to meeting you and the other bloggers. Gun stuff is just... stuff. People are more important.

We believe that, which is why we carry.

Jay G said...

Old NFO,

Oh, believe me, I will enjoy every pavement-pounding second... :)

Mopar,

Yep. Got it downloaded... ;)

Will,

I'm a big fan of modular systems as it is - I'm real curious about the Hydra for that reason - so I'll add this to the list.

Dave H.,

Eyes and ears are definitely areas I want to explore - I've been meaning to get some molded ear plugs for a while now.

Joat,

Yep. I'm signed up for Range Day. Free shooting of guns I can't afford and don't have to clean? SIGN ME UP!

ExUrbanKevin,

Exactly. The gear is nifty, and fun to check out, but it's meeting the people that's the best part.

Looking forward to it!

Freiheit said...

Jay,

If you can, don't forget to call out the horrible and funny products too!

A bit of levity between another 1911, another AR, and something in 9mm would be nice!

Stretch said...

Two words: Booth Babes.
Which ones have the tightest, lowest, shortest ...

OH! Hi Mrs. G. Nope, just talkin guns with ol' Jay here.
gottagobynow

Motor-T said...

Mossberg is rumored to have a 3-gun type 930 shotgun (Jerry Miculek edition?) to be released at SHOT. I'd love to see what they're cooking up there at the shotgun co..

Anonymous said...

Got an invite from one of the vendors there to stay in their hospitality suite for the week of the show. Trying to decide if I want to go badly enough to put up with TSA crap twice.

DaddyBear said...

OK, I've been holding off, but I'm officially jealous now.

Have a great time.

JT Trujillo said...

Jay, see if you can find out anything about the VLTOR vaporware Bren Ten-I've been waiting for that one for a long time!

mdev said...

I have heard from a few people the prediction that the next big trend will be semi-auto .308 rifles in affordable prices. WOULD LOVE TO SEE anything you have on this.

Also very interested in any vendors that are either overly nice or overly standoffish to bloggers. Keep us updated.

Christina RN LMT said...

Wear really comfortable shoes. Some of my regular clients when I was still working in Vegas were conventioneers, and they always complained of sore feet. :)