TINCANBANDIT Returns to the SHOT Show

 SHOT Show 2025

I returned to the SHOT Show this year after missing last year. I was far too busy last year to attend.

First, I have to tell you that the SHOT Show in 2022 was tiny compared to this year. More than 2,500 exhibitors taking up more than 800,000 square feet adds up to a LOT of walking. 

I did not get to attend the Industry Day at the Ranch, there was a SNAFU with the invitation & badges and myself and several others I talked to were not allowed to attend.

Let's start with the venue, The Venetian Expo and Ceasar's Forum are fantastic facilities, bright, high ceilings, excellent and clean facilities. I really could not imagine a better venue.

I decided that I would focus on a few vendors that I wanted to visit and then focus on the vendors NOT getting attention from the other media in attendance. The show is not just about what Mossberg or Smith & Wesson have new, it is about the industry and sometimes the little guys have the biggest impact.

This is the first of the vendors I visited, was Triumph Systems, their reactive targets got my attention. They have a Zombie and Bigfoot life size targets as well as traditional circle targets, even some with adhesive backing, see more here

I stopped at the Silver Creek Firearms booth, which was pretty quiet. Silver Creek started making revolvers a couple of years ago and just introduced a lever action rifle in .357 Maximum/Magnum. To learn more about their revolvers and rifle click here.

Here is a product that I thought was definitely worthy of mentioning, it's a new take on a shotgun stock ammo carrier. TactaLoad was started by a Secret Service veteran who hated the Speed Feed stocks and thought there had to be a better way. Called the "Flash 5" the polymer stock holds five 12-gauge rounds with a retainer that holds the rounds firmly but allows for quick acquisition. Available in several colors for Mossberg and Remington shotguns, they retail for $130.00. Most importantly they are made in America! See more here.

Another unique product was this one called Target Tack, it is a reusable set of tacks for holding your paper targets in cardboard, corrugated plastic foam or even pre-drilled plywood. They are made in America and come in 4 colors and two sizes (longer ones for archery targets). See more here.

This product got my attention because I had just assembled an AR lower a couple of weeks ago. There are two pains in assembling an AR lower, one is the bolt catch retaining pin, the other is the take-down pin springs and detent.

This tool helps with both, the special punch slides in a plastic guide that fits in the rear take down pin hole. The video below shows it best

The creator was kind enough to give me one of the tools, I am looking forward to trying it out.

If you do not know the story of Grovtec, you should. Basically, it starts with a company from Oregon who shall go unnamed. This unnamed company used to make sling swivels in Oregon, but instead decided to have them made in China, putting the workers out on the streets. One of the former employees bought the equipment and started up business competing with their former employer. 

Grovtec products are made in the USA by Americans. I had a conversation with the owner's son and am looking into becoming a distributor.

Anyone who reads this blog knows what a fan of Ruger products I am. There was no way I was going to miss their booth.

This year Ruger had a new pistol to display. The RXM (stands for Ruger X Magpul) is a collaboration between the two companies. Without question this is a copy of the venerable Glock 19.

The pistol sure does look like a Glock, but it doesn't quite feel like my G19 (gen 2). Ruger states that all Glock 19 Gen 3 holsters will work for this gun.

The sub $400 price point is enough to get anyone's attention, even though I don't need one, I will own one of these pistols soon.

The gun comes with Magpul's 15 round magazines in case you were wondering about that.

Looking for a new way to hang your AR rifle or just the upper? This company developed an aluminum hanger that mounts to the bottom of an upper or to the M-Lok slot on a hand guard. The product is appropriately entitled "Hang-AR". See more here.

Another innovative product you might not have heard of. Introducing Ammo Stacks, a system for storing and dispensing pistol ammunition. You simply load 50 loose rounds into the hooper, give it a shake and the rounds line up in the correct orientation.

Then once in box, you can open the box to splay them out and make extraction easier. See more on this product here.

Not sure if a new product or not, but it caught my attention. This vault door from Remington fits in a standard 36" door opening.

I stopped by the Tandom Cross booth to see what they had that was new for the Ruger 10/22. They have a new lightweight barrel and M-Lok shroud.

In addition to their 10/22 trigger/lower assembly they have a new receiver available. I will go into more detail on these in March during our yearly 10/22 review.

Another 10/22 vendor is Powder River Precision, they now have an aftermarket 10/22 takedown receiver, part of their Rubicon line. I will have more info on these in March as well.

Tire of a noisy AR due to a poor fit between the upper and lower? These adjustable take down pins from ROG Rifleworks solve that problem. The pins slide into place and then you tighten the expanding shaft, taking up the slack. Called the "Lockdown" they retail for $115 and come in a variety of colors.

RCBS has a new Matchmaster powder funnel kit developed to prevent clogging which happens with some types of powders. The funnel is made from billet aluminum and comes with guides in 6 different sizes to fit most calibers. Read more here.

This product doesn't apply to everyone, but any current or aspiring gunsmiths out there may be interested. I have for years mixed my own bluing salts. I have on occasion bought some premixed materials from Brownells. Now there is a new solution (pardon the pun) from Birchwood Technologies, Tru-Temp is a lower temperature black oxide solution and system. Instead of heating caustic salts to a liquefying 270-290 degrees, their solution finishes metal at a safer 200 to 210 degrees.

if interested click here.

While not a firearm product, I did learn of a new bank dedicated to helping the firearm industry. Old Glory Bank has developed a system that will stop the credit card and banking industry from shutting down gun sales. They offer all manners of banking services for gun shops and manufacturers. See more here.

and now some pictures from the show:

They call this the "Rook", maybe a combination of hook and ram?

If there were a competition for the largest display, I think Glock might have won.

Benchmade was busy, I guess people forgot about the gun destroying episode....anyway, they had a bar set up with beer and booze.

A couple of the embellished AKs from Arsenal Arms

Pelican Case had this gold and ivory RPG on display

A couple of IWI's displays

Look closely at the Sharp's Bros reimagining of Mount Rushmore....

The salespeople at Cimarron Arms were dressed the part

Stopped by the Shark Coast Tactical booth, they had plenty of visitors.

High Ground Defense had a 3-barrelled "gatling gun" and a M-134 Mini-gun on display.

Savior again had a great booth....

Cerakote also had booth with some customized guns on display.

Final thoughts, I have to tell you I was floored at the number of foreign companies that had displays, there must have been 20 or more knife companies from China. 

Several gun companies from Turkey (besides the well-known ones). One of them had several pistols on display, all of them copies of Glock, SIG and Beretta.

These booths didn't generate much traffic, one of the company's mis-printed their banners to say, "based on America" instead of what I assume was meant to say, "based in America". Their tag line was supposed inspire confidence in their company, instead they managed to get nominated for a Golden Poop.

I bet there were more than a dozen languages being spoken at the SHOT show. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just eye-opening.

If you have a question or comment, please leave it below.