Here in Houston, the NRA Show reflected a stronger market than we saw last year. The show floor was packed throughout most of Friday and Saturday, booth sales varied depending on what was being offered and how deep the discounts were.

Speaking with exhibitors, the general consensus is that consumer confidence has improved compared to 2025, as reflected in Q1 sales that met or exceeded expectations—with some companies exceeding expectations by a wide margin.

Nick Andrews, Director of Marketing for Benelli USA, summarized the transition from 2025 to 2026 as a shift from broad economic uncertainty—impacting both manufacturers and consumers due to fluctuating tariff rates—to a first quarter where the market has learned to live with that uncertainty.

In other words, we adjusted for a new normal, whether we like it or not.

Of course, not every company has weathered the 2025 storm effectively. There are plenty of quiet conversations about companies that are struggling—often due to inexperience navigating the cyclical ups and downs that more established firms have learned to manage, or even master.

Unfortunately, there are others where the failing stems not from inexperience but poor leadership. The kind where those in charge ignore the counsel of those around them.

Conversations about those companies tend to come with plenty of eye rolls and “what were they thinking?” remarks.

However, overall, this year’s NRA Show seems to indicate we are on our way to healthier sales in 2026.

And that doesn’t include the suppressor market, which is growing at a remarkable rate thanks to reduced wait times for ATF approvals and consumers having been freed from the burden of a $200 tax stamp as of January 1.

That market continues to expand rapidly, and judging by the number of new entrants—and established companies adding suppressors—we’re witnessing a modern-day gold rush.

Go suppressed, young man.

But guns are still the main draw on the NRA show floor as would-be customers get the opportunity to pick up firearms they may not otherwise encounter. And in many cases those are newly released models.

Most companies have been moving quickly to introduce new models, with many announced earlier this year, or even during the closing months of 2025. In a slow market, what’s new always drives sales.

Of course, the show floor offers far more than firearms. Aisles are lined with 10-by-10 booths featuring accessories and products tailored specifically to gun owners.

One area of noticeable growth at the NRA Show is its version of a “radio row,” with several booths at the end of the center aisles dedicated to Voices of the Second Amendment.

These booths were consistently active, and if you spent any time there, you’d see industry leaders, experts, and top-tier shooters cycling through. The more time I spent walking this section of the floor, the more I appreciated the effort the NRA put into supporting this segment of the media.

Side note: while there was an on-floor media area, we lowly wordsmith types (and I use that term very loosely in my case) still had to trek up to the third-floor press room to work.

No, I’m not jealous. Not one bit. Nope, no jealousy in my heart whatsoever. Moving on….

Walking the show floor is like stepping into the greatest gun store imaginable. Every booth you visit with a question has the right answer—and it’s coming straight from the horse’s mouth.

I spent time talking with Rob Feller, a product support specialist at MEC, about getting back into shotshell reloading. It’s been so long that I’ve forgotten much of what I once knew, and I’m certainly not up to speed on the changes in reloading products over the last two decades.

The opportunity for consumers to speak directly with product experts is one of the most valuable—and underrated—reasons to attend the NRA Show. It’s hard to imagine anyone ever regretting time spent walking the show floor.

Finally, and because I noted its absence at SHOT Show—urinal advertising is back. And as we all know, as goes the urinal ads, so goes the industry.

Mark your calendars now and make plans to be in Atlanta next April, as the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits returns to the Peach State the weekend of April 22–25.

– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network