I love Vegas. Not because of the freshly-minted herds of girls tripping on their high heels, not because of the slots, and not because of the strip clubs either. Don’t even get me started on strip clubs…why anyone would pay for a girl to sit on their lap when they could go meet one at the grocery store for free is beyond me. But I digress. The beauty of Vegas is that it encapsulates the spirit of America: Freedom in the form of full-auto guns and gambling runs. Vegas doesn’t just allow this type of fun, it grossly encourages it with huge billboards and flashing lights placed directly in front of your face. So what town would gladly host the world’s largest shooting and outdoor trade show? You bet your mint Python that it isn’t gonna be Los Angeles. They would ban it the day after it ended for “public safety concerns” just like they banned Electric Daisy Carnival. And what city welcomed the Electric Daisy Carnival with open arms after LA kicked them out? Yup, you guessed it. Viva Las Vegas.

SHOT Show could be held in a multitude of cities, but I think that Vegas fits the bill the best. The capitalistic freedom in both the city and the state is unmatched. SHOT Show is where gun companies reveal new products and buyers salivate, paralleling the free enterprise of Las Vegas. And let’s face it, the show is just like the city itself: a healthy madhouse of energy and exhilaration.

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With my blog recently turning a year old, this year was my first time being able to attend SHOT Show. The NSSF granted me a media pass in the fall of last year, and with that I began making preparations for the journey. I bought a new camera, a microphone, a set of business cards, booked a hotel room, and began e-mailing companies to set up interview appointments. The camera with lens set me back a month of pay, but in the long run I knew it would be worth it.

On January 20th I left from my home in California at 6am to start the drive through the desert alone. Fortunately I had bought some new music for companionship, including Hundred Waters’ latest release. My other companion was my rickety Nissan which has over 200,000 miles on it and drives like a wagon; it was one of my big concerns whether it would get me to the show or not. Like a good Japanese car, it did, and I pulled straight into The Venetian parking lot without any thought of first checking into my hotel room. All I cared about was being in SHOT Show for as long as possible.

Walking into SHOT Show is sort of surreal. To get to the Sands Expo & Convention Center you have to walk through rows of slot machines in the casino of The Venetian. The sensory overload is immediate and visceral, letting you know exactly where you are. The smell of cigarette smoke coupled with fresh air-conditioning and the loud ringing of slot machines lets you know exactly where you are. You walk through the casino following the crowd of men in business attire and tactical backpacks and then turn a corner and suddenly you are there, immersed in a deafening Wall Street crowd of buyers, sellers and reporters. There is surprisingly no barrier between the casino and the convention center, which is pretty cool. Put some money in a slot machine and then walk over and see some guns.

The Sands Ballroom is massive, and upon walking in I was surrounded by doors to different showrooms. Not knowing where I was or where to start I simply walked into the nearest entrance. I guess I made the right choice, because right in front of me was the Daniel Defense booth. I walked up, asked if I could get a video interview on the MK18, and they agreed. So with that I started off my first ever video interview. It is now available on YouTube. I will warn you, though: I made the rookie mistake of using a directional mic in SHOT Show, instead of a lavalier mic. SHOT Show is so loud that this mistake caused my audio quality to take a hit, but I hope it’s bearable. Next year will be a lot better. You can find my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCODVdzgubn_9Cc0BuPhA24g

Anyone a fan of “The Town?” Here is the AR-15’s rival: The HK 416.

That night I drove to my hotel in a sea of traffic and never-ending red lights. When I finally arrived at the Monte Carlo I parked it valet and did a baggage check for all of my gear. Then a traveler’s worst nightmare happened…I walked up to check in and was told that my reservation wasn’t available. What? I checked my booking confirmation and discovered that I had booked the hotel for NEXT YEAR! I never make mistakes like that, and when I was browsing hotels.com there were few hotels left available, so I was surely searching for this year. I either accidentally changed the year at checkout or hotels.com glitched out. Either way it didn’t matter, because with the Adult Expo also in town the Monte Carlo was clean out of rooms for the night.

With my bags gone, my car gone, and my phone at 9% I went outside and wasted no time in browsing for available hotels. I was supposed to meet up with Rob from BLK RFL DIV (http://www.blkrfldiv.com/) for dinner at Hofbräuhaus, so I texted him that I wasn’t going to make it because of what happened. Like a true homie Rob immediately replied that I could sleep in his room on the floor. But he warned me that it was “ghetto” and that it wouldn’t be his fault if I get scabies. Like I cared? I had been going non-stop all day. I just needed to grab a beer with a burger and get some rest. So I went and met up with Rob and his friend Eric (Echo Arms) at the restaurant. It was a little sketchy leaving my car full of new gear in a parking lot, but screw it.

Hofbräuhaus was alright. The atmosphere of traditional German beer gardens is what you pay for. The food is overpriced and salty but if you buy a $5 the girls give you a free spanking with a paddle as the whole restaurant watches. We watched a few guys who were most definitely closet aficionados of that sort of stuff take the “challenge.” I then had a good talk with Rob and Eric about typical gun nerd stuff, and you could tell that the tables around us were from SHOT Show as well. After that we cruised (more like waited at 3 minute red lights) back to the hotel and immediately went to bed. Rob and Eric had definitely saved me for the night, and for that I am grateful.

The DSA Arms RPD.

Day 2: I booked my second night at the same dingy hotel to save time, money, and hassle. Besides, my newfound friends were leaving and I wasn’t going to be doing any partying. Back to where I was a day before but with my gear unpacked I drove to the Venetian once again for Day 2. The show felt exactly the same as Day 1 but with new faces and booths. I spent more time in the main hall than I had the day prior. I got a video interview with Condor Tool & Knife and CMMG. Joe Flowers from Condor was absolutely awesome, and I am definitely going to have to save my pennies to go on their Bushcraft Expedition to live with the natives of Colombia (http://bushcraftglobal.com/). Mike O’Dell from CMMG was equally cool and gave me interviews of any product I wanted to cover. I see big things in the future for CMMG; their .308 AR’s are extremely popular and their Mutant is the first truly functional AK/AR hybrid (http://www.cmmginc.com/category_s/1998.htm). The internet seems to be abuzz about it right now.

Gun locker goals.

That night I walked over to the Cosmopolitan to get some good grub and do some low-stakes gambling. While waiting for my table I put $3 into the slots and won $10. I figured that would cover a beer so I quit while I was ahead. Tip: The Cosmopolitan is known for having the hottest girls in Vegas. However it was dead this time, so it didn’t matter for me. Everyone in Vegas during January is there for business. Also, if you play the penny slots the waitresses will come by and bring you free drinks.

Day 3: I had a 9 am appointment with Colt that I didn’t want to miss, so I got up early, packed and headed over to the show. Colt Firearms is doing something new this year: they are offering stripped down AR-15’s without buttstocks, handguards or sights so that you can build your own custom AR. A lot of people like using Colt as their base platform, but don’t like spending $1,000 when they are just going to replace out the handguards and buttstock it comes with. The stripped version will cost $700.

Colt Commandos.

Colt will also be making the M45 CQBP handgun a regular production item (it was originally limited to 80 a month). There are now three versions of the M45, as explained to me by a Colt rep. The USMC contract version: This was built to the same specs as the current civilian offering, but with USMC marked on the slide. The current release: Same as the USMC version but marked “M45 CQBP” on the slide. The original civilian release: This one had USMC marked on the slide and had a hand-fitted barrel. It also came with an OD green Pelican case. This version usually goes for $1,000 more because they no longer make it.

On Floor 1 I was walking through the halls and stumbled upon the Jesse James Firearms booth. The man himself was there so I decided to check out the incredible custom guns and listen to him talk about custom machine guns. After a few people left I asked him if he would be willing to do a short video on how he makes the Damascus 1911. He agreed. I have to say, Jesse is one tall guy in real life! He really knows his guns as well. A project he is looking at doing is converting a retired A10 Warthog barrel into a rifle.

A Belgian Malinois stands watch at SHOT.

A couple of my friends had warned that there is a lot of nut flexing at SHOT. Besides a couple of inconsiderate guys that stepped into my video as if nothing happened, I didn’t really see any of it. Sure, a lot of guys probably walk around thinking that they are the ultimate badasses because of whatever they’ve done in the shooting community, but it’s an unspoken ego. I went to many booths and talked to many people. Too many to cover here; I’ll be writing another post on the new guns announced at SHOT Show. Most of the people at SHOT were friendly and answered all questions I had, even going so far as to give me their business card and tell me to keep in touch. I certainly will.

As the day came to a close I was left standing with a backpack full of promotional items and a long drive through the desert night ahead. In the end I felt like a better blogger with a new outlook. Not in a huge way, but it is a sort of rite-0f-passage in the shooting community to attend the show and meet people in the industry. It was my first time in Vegas on a solo business trip and that alone taught me a lot. There are things I did wrong that I will do right next year, making for a more smooth and effective trip. Oh, and does Vegas do pool parties during January? That will have to be on the itinerary for next year. Cheers.