SHOT Show 2026: AdriaDefense Reporting Live from the World’s Largest Firearms Trade Event

From January 20 to 23, 2026, SHOT Show returns to Las Vegas, once again confirming its status as the most important global gathering for the sporting, hunting, personal defense, and professional arms industry. AdriaDefense will be on the ground, reporting directly from the show floor and its key side events—bringing our readers firsthand insights from the heart of the global small-arms ecosystem.

Hosted across the Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum, the 48th edition of SHOT Show will span the entire spectrum of the industry: firearms and ammunition, optics, accessories, tactical equipment, blades, apparel, electronics, and enabling technologies that support both civilian and professional users.

A Trade-Only Event with Global Reach

SHOT Show is strictly closed to the general public, accessible only to verified members of the shooting, hunting, law enforcement, military, and outdoor trade sectors. In practice, this makes it one of the most concentrated B2B defense-adjacent environments in the world.

For 2026, organizers expect:

• 2,800+ exhibitors, including the Suppliers Showcase
• 126 countries represented
• 60,000+ trade visitors, among them 2,500+ accredited media representatives
• Over 77,000 m² of exhibition space
• More than 21 kilometers of aisles—a logistical challenge even for seasoned attendees

Industry Day at the Range: Where Products Are Actually Tested

Among all side events, Industry Day at the Range remains the most anticipated. Held near Boulder City, outside Las Vegas, it offers something no exhibition hall can: live-fire testing.

Here, journalists and industry professionals get hands-on experience with new rifles, pistols, optics, suppressors, and ammunition—tested in real conditions against the backdrop of the Nevada desert. For AdriaDefense, this event is critical: it separates marketing claims from real-world performance.

From St. Louis to a Global Megashow

Few remember that SHOT Show began in 1979 in St. Louis, Missouri, with just 290 exhibitors occupying roughly 500 square meters. For years, the event rotated between cities such as Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Orlando, before settling permanently in Las Vegas in 2011.

Today, SHOT Show is larger than seven soccer fields and, by some estimates, offers enough floor space to park 2,500+ M1 Abrams tanks—a symbolic illustration of its scale and logistical complexity.

Law Enforcement: A Rapidly Expanding Segment

One of the fastest-growing areas of SHOT Show is the Law Enforcement (LE) section. Launched over two decades ago on just 650 m², it now spans more than 15,000 m², reflecting rising demand for LE-specific weapons, optics, protective gear, and digital solutions.

This growth mirrors broader global trends: police forces are modernizing rapidly, often adopting technologies originally developed for military use—now adapted for urban and domestic security environments.

Economic Impact Beyond the Exhibition Halls

SHOT Show is not just an industry event; it is a major economic engine. Each year, it brings approximately $88 million directly into the Las Vegas economy (excluding gambling) and supports a wider industry turnover estimated at $91.6 billion, sustaining over 380,000 jobs across the United States.

The event is organized and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the principal trade association for the American firearms, ammunition, and shooting sports industry.

AdriaDefense on the Ground

As in previous years, AdriaDefense will cover:

• New product launches and technology trends
• Ammunition and small-arms market signals
• Law enforcement and professional-use developments
• Supplier-side innovations in materials, manufacturing, and services

We will report directly from the show floor, Industry Day at the Range, and key side events—publishing in-depth coverage on AdriaDefense and across our social channels.

SHOT Show 2026 promises scale, substance, and signals worth watching. We’ll be there to separate noise from insight.