View Full Version : SHOT 2022... Been Pretty Quiet.
I'm pretty active on social media and follow a lot of the major manufacturers and things have been pretty quiet coming out for SHOT this year.
Magpul is trying hard to drum up interest in the new products they are releasing but I haven't really seen much in the forums or social media pages I follow.
Sig did pull away from SHOT this year citing concerns about COVID but they seemed to be the only major maker to do so. Are we seeing a tipping point where the large trade shows like SHOT and even NRA are starting to fall out of favor for online releases via Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube? Or is this a COVID caused continuation of the impact of SHOT being open to anyone with a IG account claiming to be "media" or an "influencer" and less of a place for commerce.
I have seen very little online about it.
I've always hated SHOT show (not that I've been, but from what others have told me and what I read on the forums). Too many goobers with no real business attending.... pressure from the Gun community dullards to have a miracle product release EVERY damned year. Just dumb. To me it would be like going into a guns store... don't do it unless I absolutely have to.
I'm pretty active on social media and follow a lot of the major manufacturers and things have been pretty quiet coming out of SHOT this year.
Magpul is trying hard to drum up interest in the new products they are releasing but I haven't really seen much in the forums or social media pages I follow.
Sig did pull away from SHOT this year citing concerns about COVID but they seemed to be the only major maker to do so. Are we seeing a tipping point where the large trade shows like SHOT and even NRA are starting to fall out of favor for online releases via Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube? Or is this a COVID caused continuation of the impact of SHOT being open to anyone with a IG account claiming to be "media" or an "influencer" and less of a place for commerce.
Beretta did as well, which means no Tikka, Benelli, Steiner, Franchi, and Burris
I'm pretty active on social media and follow a lot of the major manufacturers and things have been pretty quiet coming out of SHOT this year.
Magpul is trying hard to drum up interest in the new products they are releasing but I haven't really seen much in the forums or social media pages I follow.
Sig did pull away from SHOT this year citing concerns about COVID but they seemed to be the only major maker to do so. Are we seeing a tipping point where the large trade shows like SHOT and even NRA are starting to fall out of favor for online releases via Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube? Or is this a COVID caused continuation of the impact of SHOT being open to anyone with a IG account claiming to be "media" or an "influencer" and less of a place for commerce.
I think a BIG factor is this.
People with YT channels, FB pages and the like started to gain access to Shot even though it was intended to be a FFL event. At the same time, FFLs like myself couldn't get passes for the people who work with me and are on my license. It became so difficult I just said screw it.
So the people who actually buy guns all year stopped going and it became populated by those who review guns but maybe buy some of their review samples. I know there is some crossover and for those with a YT channel AND a FFL that is fine. But it's supposed to be a dealer event, not a fanboy club.
Was bad enough when I'd spend an hour in line with a bunch of non FFLs in the hopes of talking to reps and putting a few deals together, when I could no longer go online, type in my FFL number and get 3 passes it just became too much work for too much BS.
Won't even get into the sucky venue. Also don't even want to think about the protest element that followed the 2017 shooting. Probably as much fun as the NRA convention on the heels of the Columbine shooting.
I think a BIG factor is this.
People with YT channels, FB pages and the like started to gain access to Shot even though it was intended to be a FFL event. At the same time, FFLs like myself couldn't get passes for the people who work with me and are on my license. It became so difficult I just said screw it.
So the people who actually buy guns all year stopped going and it became populated by those who review guns but maybe buy some of their review samples. I know there is some crossover and for those with a YT channel AND a FFL that is fine. But it's supposed to be a dealer event, not a fanboy club.
Was bad enough when I'd spend an hour in line with a bunch of non FFLs in the hopes of talking to reps and putting a few deals together, when I could no longer go online, type in my FFL number and get 3 passes it just became too much work for too much BS.
Won't even get into the sucky venue. Also don't even want to think about the protest element that followed the 2017 shooting. Probably as much fun as the NRA convention on the heels of the Columbine shooting.
Having never been I'd like to go at least once, but gun shows, be they huge or small, lost their luster a while ago for various and obvious reasons. I can also see attending SHOT would likley be one and done for me. I attended the Blade show a few years ago as i had an extensive collection from a friend to sell, and that gave me the reason/excuse to go. It was fun and worth attending, but I also don't see myself doing it again either.
The 'net has all but eliminated the need to really attend such shows and most conferences, and I go more to see people I know and say hello etc, than anything else.
I've always hated SHOT show (not that I've been, but from what others have told me and what I read on the forums). Too many goobers with no real business attending.... pressure from the Gun community dullards to have a miracle product release EVERY damned year. Just dumb. To me it would be like going into a guns store... don't do it unless I absolutely have to.
It used to be great. You'd get to talk face to face with reps, this is how I was able to put together the Barrett Group Buy I did on TOS. If I didn't talk real biz with the Barrett people, never would have happened. I think I sold a couple dozen Barrett rifles. When CA announced their plans for the .50 ban in the early stages of organizing the group buy, Barrett willingly modified the agreement and for CA buyers sent rifles directly to the customer FFL rather than to me. This obviously meant more work for Barrett and less incentive to give me volume pricing but they did it anyway. But Barrett has always been kind of awesome that way and in the process develops tremendous loyalty from dealers and buyers alike.
But other companies see a guy with a YT channel and believe he's "moving a lot of guns" for them and treat him like a Hollywood A List director, meanwhile the guys actually moving guns all year are treated like some kind of concert roadie.
I wonder if you can even still sit down with reps and work out some kind of special deal. I wouldn't be surprised if everything is now "prepackaged shot show special - no substitutions." That was another thing that drove me nuts, XYZ company would have Shot Show specials and non FFLs would be lining up to buy the package and have it "transferred" to their "buddy FFL" like they saw it in SGN.
It used to be great. You'd get to talk face to face with reps, this is how I was able to put together the Barrett Group Buy I did on TOS. If I didn't talk real biz with the Barrett people, never would have happened. I think I sold a couple dozen Barrett rifles. When CA announced their plans for the .50 ban in the early stages of organizing the group buy, Barrett willingly modified the agreement and for CA buyers sent rifles directly to the customer FFL rather than to me. This obviously meant more work for Barrett and less incentive to give me volume pricing but they did it anyway. But Barrett has always been kind of awesome that way and in the process develops tremendous loyalty from dealers and buyers alike.
But other companies see a guy with a YT channel and believe he's "moving a lot of guns" for them and treat him like a Hollywood A List director, meanwhile the guys actually moving guns all year are treated like some kind of concert roadie.
I wonder if you can even still sit down with reps and work out some kind of special deal. I wouldn't be surprised if everything is now "prepackaged shot show special - no substitutions." That was another thing that drove me nuts, XYZ company would have Shot Show specials and non FFLs would be lining up to buy the package and have it "transferred" to their "buddy FFL" like they saw it in SGN.
Im wondering if, for them, one social media influencer is worth more sales than 10 dealers. Less wooing, same number of sales.
Im wondering if, for them, one social media influencer is worth more sales than 10 dealers. Less wooing, same number of sales.
Hard to say, with goober shit like a Taurus Judge, probably. Anything high end, nobody is buying it because they saw it on "Guns of Fury" YT channel.
Five_Point_Five_Six
01-13-22, 19:30
Hard to say, with goober shit like a Taurus Judge, probably. Anything high end, nobody is buying it because they saw it on "Guns of Fury" YT channel.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. No matter what you think of their content, channels like Garand Thumb have huge followings and people buy guns and gear all the time because they saw it on Youtube and video games.
Kinda how Boomers and Gen X bought MP5s because of Die Hard.
It used to be great. You'd get to talk face to face with reps, this is how I was able to put together the Barrett Group Buy I did on TOS. If I didn't talk real biz with the Barrett people, never would have happened. I think I sold a couple dozen Barrett rifles. When CA announced their plans for the .50 ban in the early stages of organizing the group buy, Barrett willingly modified the agreement and for CA buyers sent rifles directly to the customer FFL rather than to me. This obviously meant more work for Barrett and less incentive to give me volume pricing but they did it anyway. But Barrett has always been kind of awesome that way and in the process develops tremendous loyalty from dealers and buyers alike.
But other companies see a guy with a YT channel and believe he's "moving a lot of guns" for them and treat him like a Hollywood A List director, meanwhile the guys actually moving guns all year are treated like some kind of concert roadie.
I wonder if you can even still sit down with reps and work out some kind of special deal. I wouldn't be surprised if everything is now "prepackaged shot show special - no substitutions." That was another thing that drove me nuts, XYZ company would have Shot Show specials and non FFLs would be lining up to buy the package and have it "transferred" to their "buddy FFL" like they saw it in SGN.
too bad we can't do another round of this but with LMT or someone
I'm pretty active on social media and follow a lot of the major manufacturers and things have been pretty quiet coming out for SHOT this year.
Magpul is trying hard to drum up interest in the new products they are releasing but I haven't really seen much in the forums or social media pages I follow.
Sig did pull away from SHOT this year citing concerns about COVID but they seemed to be the only major maker to do so. Are we seeing a tipping point where the large trade shows like SHOT and even NRA are starting to fall out of favor for online releases via Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube? Or is this a COVID caused continuation of the impact of SHOT being open to anyone with a IG account claiming to be "media" or an "influencer" and less of a place for commerce.
More than just Sig pulled out, I had a list but cannot find it.
EVERYTHING @SteyrAUG said, plus I will add:
I was a regular, have not gone in several years. There are just too many non-buyers. I even got hassled as I am an 07/02, and they tell me "dealers only". Had to explain an 07 is a dealer and a lot more. But anyone with an I/G account can get in as media. Then it is nearly impossible to look at anything as all the "media" are using their iphones to take pictures. I was even invited to the Pre-Shoot, then all of a sudden it was "media only" and yes you guessed everyone with I/G,FB or YouTube gets in and buys nothing.
IMO, SHOT has "Jumped the Shark". It is a sellers market these past few years but once that changes they are going to be hurting.
Now I just go to Safari Show or NRA show to see what is new.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. No matter what you think of their content, channels like Garand Thumb have huge followings and people buy guns and gear all the time because they saw it on Youtube and video games.
Kinda how Boomers and Gen X bought MP5s because of Die Hard.
I'm aware, there are some really credible channels out there. But honestly MAC has probably prevented me from buying more guns than they have convinced me to purchase.
I'm sure video games are a bigger driver. An entire generation of gun buyers came at me based upon Tom Clancy games. I know a lot of the vintage gun sales were whatever the big WWII game was, I think Call of Duty.
too bad we can't do another round of this but with LMT or someone
The days of independents organizing group buys are also over. Lots of people paying money for the right to advertise on this forum and why would they continue to do that if I can just announce a group buy?
The back side of that coin is intermittent group buys don't justify the cost of being a paid advertiser and I'm not a "I stock everything - volume dealer" who can fill any order in addition to group buys. So those days are kinda gone.
For awhile I was doing tax refund group buys on whatever the newest, popular suppressor was just to offset the cost of my SOT, but even that became no longer feasible after awhile. I think my last one was 10 years ago.
More than just Sig pulled out, I had a list but cannot find it.
EVERYTHING @SteyrAUG said, plus I will add:
I was a regular, have not gone in several years. There are just too many non-buyers. I even got hassled as I am an 07/02, and they tell me "dealers only". Had to explain an 07 is a dealer and a lot more. But anyone with an I/G account can get in as media. Then it is nearly impossible to look at anything as all the "media" are using their iphones to take pictures. I was even invited to the Pre-Shoot, then all of a sudden it was "media only" and yes you guessed everyone with I/G,FB or YouTube gets in and buys nothing.
IMO, SHOT has "Jumped the Shark". It is a sellers market these past few years but once that changes they are going to be hurting.
Now I just go to Safari Show or NRA show to see what is new.
I'm gonna miss Shot, now that I'm in the midwest I'm actually close enough to Vegas I was thinking about doing it again. But nothing is gonna ever top the Orlando show where all the FFLs got invited to Knights to view Reed's personal collection AND get served free BBQ. Those are days I will love just like guys who remember airline service in the late 1960s with fond memories. And like those days...it's gone now.
If I have an exceptional year and the Consumer Electronics Show or Exxxotica happen to coincide with Shot Show, I might plan a Vegas vacation with my buddies. Ironically I can get a vendor pass into Exxxotica much easier than I can Shot Show. We briefly did some EP work for some adult entertainers so we were considered an adult entertainment service.
Otherwise I might not ever go to a Shot Show again, there isn't much point if you aren't there to do actual business.
Hard to say, with goober shit like a Taurus Judge, probably. Anything high end, nobody is buying it because they saw it on "Guns of Fury" YT channel.
Clearly, you've not been on youtube in many years, or only have familiarity with low-tier content channels.
The only people I ever saw pimping goober shit was the NRA, or magazines like "Guns & Ammo" and various other legacy/fudd media. Once I quit following them, I've barely seen any of that sort of stuff make the rounds.
The buyers demand market has changed a lot in recent years, once various other media outlets made brands like BCM and Arsenal essentially household names. Plus, outside of memes and lolz-reviews, the YT content market has generally always been based around both the "latest and greatest" and I guess you could say "the extreme". This is why nobody who's a serious YT name is doing stuff like reviewing their grandads' over-under duck blaster...currently, it's ALL around whatever the latest is in pushing the pistol performance and/or concealability envelope, as well as "awesome guns you want to buy NOW". Usually some sort of better than average AK/AR, or "unique" stuff like SCAR17s, Steyr AUGs (which, btw, seem to be making a bit of a comeback thanks to YT), and occasionally interesting shotguns or precision rifles. Aside from that, for the "bargain basement/Poverty Pony" crowd you'll usually see some sort of "will it run" sort of reviews, stacking it against known-performer high end guns.
Like I said, the market has changed a LOT since the 80s/90s/early 2ks.
Part 1 is, we've been at some form of war for 20 years, and everyone wants to be an operator, and thanks to the plethora of info-influx from BTDT people, most (semi-serious) folks have cottoned to the fact that their favorite brand of door kicker isn't running a PSA/Anderson poverty build...
I mean, I don't think anyone here really understands even how much impact the last twenty has had on the airsoft community, and how many of those guys have been driven to the high-end gun/gear "hobby" through that avenue.
Part 2 is, anyone with a couple brain cells can see the gov be gettin uppity, and the times of spice are nigh upon us, and there's (some) common sense starting to break through as people realize "you know...my poverty-tier franken build and wish.com plate carrier probably ain't gonna cut it if things go for realz..." and they've gone in search of greener fields. I mean, why do you think the ammo buying spree people are on has yet to slack off? Or why there's been an explosion in the NOD retail industry?
Used to be, but a few years back, right around when I joined up here, if you had a well set up rifle and a PC, you were "well equipped", maybe even "overdoing it a bit". Now that's poverty-tier passe; the basic "accepted level of equipment". You're a square if you don't have at least a carrier + rifle. and ALL the "serious" people are running helmets, NODs and suppressors, and occasionally some sort of thermal optic on top of that. I don't know about you but... no gun shop I know of ever offered any of that before there was an outside demand for it... Hell, just until a couple years ago, most folks were STILL looking at you funny if you talked about a suppressor...
In fact, case in point, back in '11/12 when I was looking for my first "real rifle", a Daniel Defense, most of the shops within 2 hours of me had never heard of them. And I have several large gun shops/outdoor retailers at that distance, not just mom&pop's. One fella at the counter straight up told me they didn't carry them because there was (and I quote verbatim) "no market for them". ONE police-oriented dealer had a few on the shelf, and they were MSRP. I wanted to buy local because at that early stage, I didn't want to deal with a transfer. The shop/range I finally had one transferred to thought it was something special and unique when it came in, and the guy who rang me up was like "woah, nice rifle".
You want to bet what they all have on the shelves today? Is there anyone working in a (serious)shop who DOESN'T know who's who anymore? Today they wouldn't give that same rifle a second glance (actually it would be "old school" now). Dealers haven't been setting the market for some time now, they've been playing catch-up to forums like this, and YT, and other social media.
So, in short, I think both Steyr and Alex nailed it pretty good - economy of marketing dictated the vendors cater to the social media crowd, which in turn has led to SHOT being more "expo" and less "business" oriented. And I think Ye Olde Rona has simply exposed the next logical leap earlier than expected - the big conference/expo shows are dinosaurs whose usefulness ended with the social media boom. Why go through all that trouble, when you can simply do a press release, and then send out a dozen or so sample products to the biggest SM channels, and let them reach their combined MILLIONS of subscribers in one 10-30 minute video? Or ONE 'influencer' can reach a MILLION people with ONE picture on instagram? Same reason legacy news media is losing their shit trying to demonize/censor independent journalism - their head's on the block and they know it (and not short enough their reign was...).
I mean, plenty of folks here are always talking about how internet killed the gun show... did you think SHOT was going to live forever?
TV killed the radio star.
The only thing that remains to see is how much power this move to internet/SM is going to hand to the government extremists, or how long any of this free press is going last when the censorship really kicks into full gear.
The only thing that remains to see is how much power this move to internet/SM is going to hand to the government extremists, or how long any of this free press is going last when the censorship really kicks into full gear.
Excellent post sir. It's sad to see good old things pass away. Hopefully we'll make something equal or better that later generations will value and regret to see pass.
But nothing is gonna ever top the Orlando show where all the FFLs got invited to Knights to view Reed's personal collection AND get served free BBQ. Those are days I will love
Yeah, best show ever and was fortunate to be there. Knew about the guns, but had no idea he had all those tanks.
Theat is the other thing I miss, alternating SHOT cities. I am so sick of Vegas. Had to go there for a lot more than SHOT, just got old.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. No matter what you think of their content, channels like Garand Thumb have huge followings and people buy guns and gear all the time because they saw it on Youtube and video games.
Kinda how Boomers and Gen X bought MP5s because of Die Hard.
I don't know how many people buy guys BECAUSE they saw it on YT, but many I know will take a YT review from someone they consider credible into account when deciding whether or not to buy a gun.
I'm aware, there are some really credible channels out there. But honestly MAC has probably prevented me from buying more guns than they have convinced me to purchase.
I'm sure video games are a bigger driver. An entire generation of gun buyers came at me based upon Tom Clancy games. I know a lot of the vintage gun sales were whatever the big WWII game was, I think Call of Duty.
I agree. If I see something new that strikes my fancy I have no idea if it's a POS or not. The YT reviews really do help a lot of people. For instance, I really wanted the new Springfield SA35 HiPower, but GarandThumb had a lot of problems with the first one they sent him for review. So now Im on the fence.
For better or worse, these YT Channels are really the way guns get sold now. That is, until the ban hammer really falls like Jellybean said.
I'll openly admit being one of the yahoos touristing SHOT. I was able to trade CES access for SHOT. This was back when CES creds got you into the AVN show.
Thing was though, I didn't nose in and get in the way of biz. Didn't try to nab a bunch of swag. I just looked, talked to reps when they weren't busy, ... I stayed out of the way.
It was a TRADE show not a gun show. CES went to crap the same way.
Five_Point_Five_Six
01-14-22, 12:38
I don't know how many people buy guys BECAUSE they saw it on YT, but many I know will take a YT review from someone they consider credible into account when deciding whether or not to buy a gun.
Maybe not YT alone, but rather as another piece of social media content that sways their decision making. Youtube, Instagram, and Reddit seem to be where the younger kids are congregating these days, and it is heavily influential on them. How familiar are you with folks currently in the 18-25 age range? I have a nephew in that age range and him and his friends are really into guns. For that group it started off with them playing video games like Call of Duty and other FPS games. Then they got into airsoft and built airsoft guns like the ones in the games, then when they got old enough, they began building, buying and cloning guns from video games of their youth. One of his friends built a clone of Garand Thumb's Black Powder Red Earth BCM rifle.
This is just the way the Yoomers and Zoomers are gaining their love and passion for firearms. Like I already said, it's no different that Boomers buying a S&W Model 29 because of Dirty Harry or a Gen X'er buying a MP5 because of Die Hard.
This is the market that companies are catering to and SHOT is no different. Wishing it to be like it was 25 years ago is futile because that's not the way the industry moves anymore. Companies had to get with the times or die a slow death. The days of Shotgun News and mail order catalogs are over and they ain't coming back.
I don't know how many people buy guys BECAUSE they saw it on YT, but many I know will take a YT review from someone they consider credible into account when deciding whether or not to buy a gun.
I agree. If I see something new that strikes my fancy I have no idea if it's a POS or not. The YT reviews really do help a lot of people. For instance, I really wanted the new Springfield SA35 HiPower, but GarandThumb had a lot of problems with the first one they sent him for review. So now Im on the fence.
For better or worse, these YT Channels are really the way guns get sold now. That is, until the ban hammer really falls like Jellybean said.
I agree that YT is the new advertising as print is dying and nobody really goes to the manufacturers websites and believes all the yang they post.
But YT channels are just that, advertising. They aren't the guys making the sales.
And the Springfield P35 is a perfect example. If they can't do something right that is almost 100 years old, something even Argentina was able to do correctly, I'm not gonna bother. I'd rather find and buy another vintage FN or contract like the Argentine HP. Companies like Springfield get ONE CHANCE to do it right the first time. I'm done beta testing guns and sending crap back for warranty work half a dozen times in the hopes that maybe they will get it to where it should have been the first time.
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