Dead Air Silencers has promoted Justin Reid to Digital Communications Manager, overseeing digital strategy and communications for Dead Air and Dead Air Defense. Reid will manage website content, email marketing, social media, and digital campaigns under the direction of Jared Rehm, Director of Marketing.

Rogers Sports Marketing is hiring experienced sales professionals for Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky territories. The position involves regional travel and collaboration with factory and retail partners representing brands including Daiwa Corporation, BUZBE Tackle Management, Franklin Armory, Bushmaster, Byrna Technologies, and HS Precision.

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. joined VAULT as a founding member and strategic partner, committing all Ruger firearms SKUs and brands to the NASGW's centralized product data platform. The initiative aims to eliminate redundant data entry, reduce errors, and establish standardized product information across manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

Benelli's 2026 M2 Field shotgun features enhanced ergonomics with a Progressive Comfort recoil-reduction system and Combtech Recoil Cheek Pad for improved shooter comfort during high-volume shooting. Available in 12- or 20-gauge with multiple finish options, starting at $1,699.

Franchi expands its Momentum Elite rifle series for 2026, introducing .400 Legend chambering in two configurations: the Momentum Elite with a 22-inch barrel and the Momentum Carbine Elite with an 18-inch fluted barrel. Both models feature Franchi's Ergonom-X stock, adjustable triggers, and proven 1-MOA accuracy guarantee.

MTM Case-Gard introduces the Chronograph Case (CCXERO), a hard-shell protective case designed for the Garmin Xero chronograph. The compact case features custom-fit foam, rugged construction, and an MSRP of $14.50, built for competitive shooters and precision enthusiasts.

Stoeger introduces the M3000 Sporting model (#36084) for 2026, featuring a satin walnut stock, nickel receiver, and 30-inch ported barrel with extended choke tubes. The semi-auto shotgun utilizes Stoeger's Inertia Driven system and is priced at $849 MSRP.

SOG unveiled two new knives at SHOT Show: the One Zero Budget AU, a lightweight EDC knife with AUS-10 blade and AU-Lock deployment, and the Rapid Hawk, a compact karambit-style fixed blade. Both knives are designed for everyday carry, professional use, and tactical situations.

Muddy Outdoors introduces the TRX Terminus series, featuring a jacket, vest, and pant combo designed for mid- to late-season hunts with water-resistant exteriors, fleece liners, and integrated harness ports. The system is rated for temperatures between 30°F and 60°F and will be showcased at SHOT Show booth #12669.

Avian-X launches a new soft-goods collection in 2026 featuring waterproof and floating shotgun cases plus neoprene gun sleeves designed for harsh waterfowl hunting conditions. The lineup includes welded waterproof cases, deluxe and standard floating gun cases, and neoprene sleeves, all engineered for maximum protection and durability.

Wildgame Innovations launched a new line of Pumpkin Spice Crushed Attractants featuring pure pumpkin and cinnamon scents designed to draw whitetail deer. Available in multiple forms including 5 and 20-lb. bags, 1-gallon jugs, and 4-lb. mineral blocks, the products utilize proprietary Airborne Technology to deliver long-range scent trails.

Walker's unveiled SHOTSYNC, an app-connected wearable shot timer for recreational and competitive shooters launching at SHOT Show. The device uses microphone and accelerometer sensors to track shots and split times, syncing with the Walker's Link app via Bluetooth 5.2 for customizable training data and performance history.

CVA introduces the Scout XP and Scout XP-SB Series single-shot rifles and Scout XP pistol, featuring modernized ergonomics, buffer tube stock design with length-of-pull adjustment, and bolt-on cheek risers. Available in multiple calibers with MSRPs of $554 for pistols and $674 for rifles.

GRITR has launched two new multi-caliber cleaning kits designed for pistols, rifles, and shotguns. The kits feature caliber-specific brass brushes, chamber brushes, cleaning rods, and organized accessory trays, available now at GritrGear.com and Amazon.

Winchester Ammunition introduces Magnum Dove, a high-performance shotshell engineered for dove hunting with premium batch-blended #7½ and #9 lead shot. Available in 12- and 20-gauge at $13.99 MSRP, the ammunition features high velocity and dense patterns for improved hit probability.

Bond Arms announces the LVRB lever-action rifle, merging classic aesthetics with modern modularity and chambered in .223 Wylde with AR-pattern magazine compatibility. The rifle features a short-throw lever system, dual safeties, and full-length Picatinny rail, with customer deliveries anticipated in Q2 2026.

RETAY announced the official release of the 724 Patrol tactical shotgun, featuring their patented Inertia Plus™ System designed for law enforcement and home-defense markets. The purpose-built tactical shotgun includes optics-ready versatility, precision-drilled barrels, and a 5+1 magazine capacity with enhanced ergonomic controls.

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. announced the release of the M&P FPC chambered in 5.7x28mm, featuring a folding carbine design with a 16.25-inch barrel, integrated recoil buffer system, and compatibility with M&P 5.7 magazines. The firearm includes three 22-round magazines and comes in both standard and compliant versions.

RCBS launches MatchMaster Duo die sets combining full-length sizing dies with precision micrometer seating dies, available in multiple cartridges from 22 ARC to 338 Lapua. Made in the USA and backed by RCBS's Legendary Limited Lifetime Warranty, the sets ship now at $174.99 each.

Armageddon Gear introduces the Suppressor Caddy, a purpose-built storage and transport solution for shooters. Constructed from heavy-duty materials with internal padding, the caddy holds up to 8 suppressors and features an easy-access top flap and carry handle for field or range use.

Springfield Armory released the SAINT Victor .300 BLK 9.5" Pistol, featuring forged 7075-T6 receivers, an enhanced bolt carrier group, and an SB Tactical SBA3 stabilizing brace. The pistol combines AR-15 handling with .300 BLK capabilities at an MSRP of $1,249.

RETAY announced a partnership expansion with Realtree to feature the Realtree Legacy camouflage pattern on its ACE and Gordion shotgun lines for 2026, debuting at SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The ACE and Gordion models will be available in multiple gauges with enhanced features including deep-bore drilled barrels and the patented Inertia Plus bolt system.

Target Sports USA will showcase an expanded presence at SHOT Show 2026 with premium giveaways, interactive games, influencer appearances from RealWorldTactical, and exclusive membership incentives. The booth will feature a Partner Passport Activation with PMC, Sig Sauer, and Guns.com, plus the reveal of the 2026 Truck Giveaway and the newly launched New Republic USA ammunition brand.

AirForce Airguns and Rapid Air Worx will debut expanded airgun platforms at SHOT Show 2026, including the Tex-Rex® .308, Tex-Rex® Brush Gun, TalonSS-SL, CondorSS-SL, and RAW's HM1000x Mini Hunter and HM1000x LRT models designed for hunters and competitive shooters.

Legacy Sports International will display its 2026 product lineup from HOWA, POINTER, CITADEL, and SCSA at SHOT SHOW in Las Vegas, January 20-23, 2026. The featured product is the new HOWA SUPERLITE Gen 2 in HS Precision stock, weighing under 5 lbs with sub-MOA accuracy in 20" and 16.25" threaded barrel options.

SHOT Show New Product Premiere airs January 24 on Outdoor Channel at 9 p.m. ET and Sportsman Channel at 5 p.m. ET, featuring exclusive product launches from sponsors including FN America, Kimber, Smith & Wesson, Streamlight, and others. The sixth year of the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Outdoor Sportsman Group partnership expands coverage across television, digital, social media, and print.

It’s already been a wild open to a new year. While there are line extensions to guns that have done well, there’s revisiting the classic semi auto pistol of the early 20th Century – and likewise a revisit of an eminently practical round-gun. Add a new competitor to light snub revolvers, more outreach to “lesser abled” users, and more

In a continuation of a trend that began in the 1990s (look it up), the “double-stack 1911-ish” pistols continue to proliferate.

Staccato, an outfit built around the concept, refined and solidified their take on the “2011” form. It wasn’t long ago that they configured a double-stack 1911 to take GLOCK compatible magazines – a tip of the hat to one of the more reliable magazine formats for 9mm firearms. This year they increased their stake on that program with the Staccato HD C4X; with “ambidextrous controls, a 15-round capacity, Glock-pattern magazine compatibility, and Staccato’s HD HOST optic-mounting system,” it’s the gun to beat for a “compact” big-butt 1911 9mm. Pricing starts at $3,499.

Meanwhile, the “crossover” auto pistol phase hasn’t ended – it’s extended. See the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC. You know, the “F” is for full-size and the “C” is for compact. Like others before them, the attractive nature of the compact upper over the full-size (full capacity) lower shows some appeal.

For whom? Julie Golob, for one, who noted the advantages of the FC in her Springfield Armory posts and video. I’m a fan of the concept too; the shorter barrel and slide show an advantage in clearing the holster just a bit faster, pointing better (for some), with quicker target-to-target transitions. It’s an advantage for duty wear as the user of the gun literally has more to hold onto than an attacker who is trying to take it away.

Classic 1911s (including some in 45) haven’t gone away. Springfield Armory has announced the release of their Lipsey’s collaboration with 10-8 Performance (Hilton Yam) with the Master Class 1911 pistol. Available in 9mm and 45 Auto, the pistols have forged carbon steel frames and slides, stainless bull barrels and has 10-8 Performance parts.

These include flat trigger, extended mag release button, 10-8 G-10 stocks from VZ Grips, a “specialized slide stop,” and a reverse recoil spring plug. Add the squared trigger guard, 20 line-per-inch front strap checkering, a two-piece extended magwell and three magazines and you have a premium, updated version of the “world’s finest CQB weapon.”

You may find that a lot of 9mm carry-type pistols are just a bit out of reach due to cost. Maybe some of the lower-cost options made you uneasy as to reliability or, perhaps, they were tough to use due to slide-racking resistance or hard-to-load magazines.

FN has addressed those issues with their just-announced FN 309 MRD. At 22.5 ounces, with a 3.8-inch barrel and a 16- to 20-round capacity, along with optics mounting accessibility, it’s a hammer-fired single-action pistol. It’s available with a manual safety – or without, for those who believe they’re too feeble to operate a manual safety.

The magazine release button is reversible; if you have arthritis in the proximal thumb joint, moving that button to the other side allows access with the index finger, which shouldn’t be on the trigger during a reload anyway.

The release says that there’s 25% less slide resistance compared to the FN 509 Tactical pistol, something that will be of use to many users. The slide is optics-ready, compatible with DeltaPoint Pro and Shield RMS footprints, available in common pistol optics. The gun does have polymer sights, green fiber-optic in front and “white accent” U-notch in the rear.

Replacement sights for the FN 509 will fit the slide dovetails on the FN 309 – if I’m reading them correctly.

The magazines are polymer and the release notes that they have “40% lower spring force compared to other firearms in its class,” making them easier to load.

A good many pistol designs that began as polymer-frame guns now feature metal frames – see Smith & Wesson, for example. Shadow Systems this week announced the AXIO – featuring a pretensioned striker and a metal “chassis” design over a polymer “grip.”

Like round guns that are good for deep concealment – but you’d like to carry six rounds in a lightweight, 38 Special +P-capable package? Diamondback Firearms recently announced their SDR-A, a six-shot, alloy-frame, concealed hammer revolver. Weighing just under a pound, with a non-stacking DA trigger, the gun has an orange fiber-optic front sight and a low-profile green fiber-optic rear sight.

The new snub has a 2” stainless barrel, stainless cylinder and a push-button cylinder latch. The stocks are from Hogue, black rubber with the Diamondback logo. Suggested retail is $614.

If a bit larger concealment revolver is your appetite, check out the revisit of the Night Guard revolvers from S&W and Lipsey’s. A “Limited Release” (sadly), the models are the Lipsey’s Exclusive Model 386 and Model 396 Night Guards.

Reminiscent of the Night Guards originally released in 2008 (only four years after the federal gun and magazine ban sunset), they only ran up to 2012. The new Night Guard revolvers are three-inch L-frame guns, the 7-shot 386 in 357 Magnum and the five-shot M396 in 44 Special.

Both feature a no-lock scandium frame, adjustable sights, the “Endurance Package” and an XS Sights tritium front sight. The stocks are Hogue Rubber Bantam stocks, my favorite for round butt K-and-L frame revolvers.

At the risk of being verbose, no discussion of handgun trends is complete without discussing optics. Aimpoint announced this week that their COA optic – and the optic cut – will be available from a range of gun manufacturers this year. Aimpoint’s release also noted that the COA optic would also go out for sale without being mounted to a gun. Before, the only way to get it was to order the COA-mounted pistols from GLOCK.

In keeping with the 50th Anniversary of Gunsite, a 50th Anniversary special pistol will be made –

The Ruger RXM COA will be one of the 50th Anniversary guns commemorating Gunsite’s Fiftieth. Davidson’s will distribute it and it will be a couple months before these begin to ship. This one in the image is a sample and not the finished/final version; to have this in time for the press conference at SHOT Show, Dave Fink had to machine the slide and Cerakote it.

That’s just a thumbnail of all the new products being displayed this week at SHOT Show. Stay with us for more information from the year’s biggest industry show.

– Rich Grassi