For years, I’ve been trying to find a way to attend SHOT Show. I’ve always considered SHOT to be the premier playground for all military and law enforcement personnel. At SHOT show, one can find everything from Barrett .50 cal rifles to tactical pajamas and quite literally everything in-between. It has just always seemed like Shangri-La for someone with my interests. And now, after spending a full day there, I can honestly say my assumptions weren’t wrong.

When I first entered the main exhibition hall, I really couldn’t believe what I was looking at. Let me give you a good mental picture of what I saw:

Picture all of your favorite gun and gear brands. Now, picture all of those brands accessible for you to peruse in one city…now picture them all in one room. To be fair, there are so many companies represented at SHOT that ONE room isn’t exactly accurate. There are probably a half-dozen or more rooms you can bounce between in pursuit of seeing quite literally every piece of tactical and safety gear on the market today. The employees and salespeople at each booth were all courteous and helpful to answer any questions we had.

“Arctic Mannequin” SHOT Show 2022. Gear worn includes: BEYOND, BLUE FORCE GEAR, INVISIO, TACOPS, PROTECH and more. Author photo.

Yesterday alone, I browsed dozens of company booths. I checked out the HK booth, the Geissele booth, the QuiqLite booth, the S&W booth, and a bunch of booths centered around body armor and plates. I got to see what the newest (not even in production) concealable body armor is and got to lay hands on what that feels like. Trust me, it’s great. Beyond that, I got to spend a few minutes talking to UFC legend and Hall of Fame Royce Gracie. It was a total honor. He’s been someone I’ve admired for more than two decades now.