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Firearms expo underway in Las Vegas a few miles from Oct. 1 shooting

Updated January 23, 2018 - 7:49 pm

A few miles from the site of the Oct. 1 shooting and amid promises of tighter security, more than 60,000 people are gathering this week in Las Vegas for the world’s largest firearms industry expo.

The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, now in its 40th year, kicked off Tuesday at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, just three miles from the location of the worst shooting in modern U.S. history, an event that shocked the city and the nation.

The SHOT Show attracts manufacturers, distributors, dealers and retailers of firearms and ammunition from around the world to see and shoot the latest guns and test the newest optics, firearm accessories and outdoor equipment. About 2,000 people gathered Monday at a gun range in Boulder City to test the products of more than 200 exhibitors.

The show is organized by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a 13,000-member-strong trade association that lobbies on behalf of the industry. The SHOT Show has been held in Las Vegas 20 times and will feature nearly 1,700 exhibitors this year. The show, however, is closed to the public. Only people with direct ties to the firearms industry can attend.

But it has garnered more attention this year after Stephen Paddock opened fire from a Strip hotel onto concertgoers on Oct. 1, killing 58 people. Paddock, who had 23 firearms and thousands of bullets in his room, used an accessory called a bump stock to fire more rapidly onto the crowd. Bump stocks have come under scrutiny after the shooting, and many dealers pulled the accessory from their shelves even though it is still legal.

‘Meet respectfully’

National Shooting Sports Foundation President Steve Sanetti briefly addressed the Oct. 1 massacre.

“This year, we meet respectfully in the shadow of the recent tragedy at Mandalay Bay, with all the special challenges that horrific event brings to the show,” he said in a statement issued Tuesday.

One bump stock exhibitor canceled its attendance at the SHOT Show this year, said Michael Bazinet, director of public affairs for the show organizers. But bump stocks have never been a significant product at the show, he added.

Timely issues will be addressed at the show. On Wednesday, there will be a two-hour town hall meeting for attendees featuring officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to discuss security and compliance issues facing manufacturers and sellers.

Bazinet said security would be enhanced this year but declined to give details.

However, there were nine Metro cars and SUVs, two Metro motorcycles and a K-9 van outside the convention hall. Officers and security guards had a visible presence inside.

Upscale Ranges

Some attendees arrive early to Las Vegas for SHOT Show University, a series of classes and lectures on industry trends, marketing practices and legal issues.

Some of this year’s topics include dealer liability for firearms related injuries, new media marketing and passing ATF inspections.

An important theme at this year’s show is the evolution of shooting range from an austere operation with paper targets to a destination location offering the latest technology, greater customer service and a communal experience, Bazinet said.

“They are in competition for people’s leisure time,” Bazinet said. “The new ones feel much more like a club, with retail operations and areas to relax, rather than the old-style ranges.”

Elite Shooting Sports in Manassas, Virginia, has two customer lounges, a cafe, locker rentals, classrooms and a training simulator. Many of the instructors are women, a reflection of the growing trend of women taking up the sport.

Las Vegas has been at the forefront in destination shooting adventures, albeit in a different format than that of Elite Shooting Sports. Visitors can shoot a range of guns in the outdoors around the city, including from a helicopter.

Social media, specifically customers posting photos from the ranges, is helping destination ranges grow, Bazinet said.

“That has encouraged people to come out to the range,” said Bazinet.

Growing Industry

The firearms industry has been growing rapidly over the past few decades. Gun sales surged in 2016 to a record amid concern Hillary Clinton would win the presidency and tighten gun legislation. That year there were more than 27.5 million gun background checks, which are conducted when someone seeks to buy a firearm. Sales last year declined but were still the fourth-highest.

The industry directly employed more than 141,000 people in such spheres as manufacturing, distribution and retail, according to a 2016 report by John Dunham and Associates. The industry directly employees nearly 1,500 people in Nevada.

The number of people employed directly or indirectly by the industry grew 80 percent from 2008 to 2016. The number of manufacturers more nearly quadrupled over that period to 11,000 while the number of firearms produced more than doubled to 11 million, according to the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The SHOT Show has grown rapidly along with the industry. The first expo, held in St. Louis in 1979, attracted 5,600 people, including 290 exhibitors.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands Corp. owns and operates the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

Contact Todd Prince attprince@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0386. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.

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