Let’s do the SHOT Show experience checklist. My feet hurt, I smell like Purell, and I’ve seen hundreds of pounds worth of steel, aluminum, and polymer arranged in configurations that we call firearms, gear, and ammo. Today, we are going to talk about what I feel like is the best of SHOT Show 2026.
How did I pick these? Honestly, they had to impress me in one way or another. It’s easy to fill this list with various high-end ARs, but I looked for things that are new, innovative, or different. Let’s dig into it.
Gestamen G9HSP
The Gestamen Arms G9HSP absolutely blew my mind. When I saw a handgun that is user configurable from hammer-fired to striker-fired, I was impressed. I’ve never seen or heard of something like this.
In about 20 seconds, they converted the gun from striker to hammer fire without the use of any special tools. The gun is DA/SA in either format with a mounted safety decocker. Press it upward, and it’s on safe; press it down, and it decocks. The trigger pull is smooth and clean in both configurations.
It looks and feels a bit like a polymer frame CZ, like the P09 series. It even fits the P09 holster. Oh, and yeah, it takes Glock mags. This is my favorite handgun from SHOT Show 2026.
Sabre Key
Does putting a shotgun on your rifle make it front-heavy? Yes.
Is it awkward to use? A little.
Is it easy to aim the shotgun? No.
So why would we ever want to do this? Well, because we watched Predator as kids and want to play Billy. As an average Joe, I have no practical use for this, but, dear god, do I want it.
The Sabre Key is the PSA 570 shotgun cut to a 10-inch barrel with a capacity reduced to three rounds. It’s a pump-action design, and some of the 570’s ergonomics play well with the setup, especially the pump-release.
Call it silly, I’m going to call it mine. One day. It’s my favorite shotgun of SHOT Show 2026.
SR-3M
Russia has a lot of odd little variants of the AK that never made it to the shores of the United States. The SR-3 is one of them. However, some enterprising minds at Roswell Rifle Works decided to just build the gun here.
The SR-3M is a super short, 9x39mm SBR or pistol configuration weapon. The guys had to work hard to faithfully recreate the gun, and their hard work shows. The SR-3M is a 95% dimensional match of the SR-3, including the folding foregrip, folding stock, and uber short suppressor-ready barrel.
Much like the .300 Blackout, it’s designed to be short, sweet, and suppressed with the hefty 9x39mm rounds, which are available for about 80 cents a round.
S&W Nightguard Series
The Night Guard series is coming back thanks to a partnership between S&W and Lipseys. The Nightguard features a pitch-black finish, adjustable rear sights, an XS front night sight, and 3-inch barrels. The guns ditch the silly little lock as well.
Historically, the Night Guard series were 2.5 inch barreled guns, but moving to 3-inch helps tame them and allows you to use a full-length ejector rod for easier reloads.
The Model 386 is a .357 Magnum with seven-shot capacity, and the Model 396 is a .44 Special with a five-shot capacity. I like both, but the .44 Special wins my heart. I don’t believe in stopping power, but when I load a .44 caliber round into a revolver, I almost believe. This was my favorite revolver of SHOT Show 2026.
Stenzel SAK-21
SAK stands for Stenzel American Kalashnikov. This is not your average AK. It’s something entirely different.
The SAK-21 keeps the AK cartridge and magazine, and is designed to use the widest range of different AK magazines from across the communist world. What’s different is everything else.
It’s American-made with a milled receiver, it now uses a short-stroke gas piston system, and an adjustable gas setting that allows you to easily adapt the gun for suppressor use, adverse conditions, subsonic ammo, and standard non-suppressed ammo.
The SAK-21 uses a massive bolt carrier group to seal the gun from debris ingress. Users can swap calibers and easily remove the barrel to 5.56 and .300 Blackout. With Stenzel magazines, the gun even has a last-round bolt-hold-open device, and there is an ambidextrous bolt release.
The safety is a press button, cross bolt style safety. The dust cover is hinged and railed for optics, and there is just so much more to cover. It rocks to put it shortly.
There is probably a good argument that the SAK-21 is barely an AK, and you can make that argument, I’m just going to gawk.
Accessories and Ammo
There are a ton of accessories, holsters, and ammo to choose from at SHOT Show 2026, but I limited myself to five, and we’ll hit each briefly.
Sightmark Strikon VMP 1-4X
I’m an unapologetic prism fanboy, and the big downside of prisms is fixed magnification. Some have created variable magnification, but they’ve always been extremely expensive.
The Sightmark Strikon VMP 1-4X offers variable magnification from 1-4X. It uses Aimpoint T-1 mounts and sticks to the small footprint that prisms are known for.
Cyelee Chameleon FLEX
The Cyelee Chameleon FLEX is a red dot sight designed for shooters who have astigmatism. Astigmatism makes it tough to use a red dot because it flares and is tough to see.
Cyelee produces the new Chameleon FLEX, which offers astigmatism relief by using a specific spherical lens design. It doesn’t work for everyone, because everyone’s astigmatism is different. It’s nice to see someone try to provide some relief for astigmatism sufferers.
Silent Steel USA Suppressors
Silent Steel is a well-known Finnish brand that equips numerous NATO allies with its suppressors. The company has now opened a U.S. branch to produce Silent Steel suppressors for the American market. There are no back blast cans that provide superior heat management compared to the competition.
Internally, the design uses zero baffles and instead uses what they call FLOW-IQ technology. The suppressor drops noise, reduces heat, and helps eliminate muzzle flash. I can’t wait to see these cans in U.S. hands.
Aguila 20-Gauge Short Shells
12-gauge minishells are extremely popular, with a variety of companies producing them in various loads. Aguila started this entire genre of minishells and is continuing it with an entry in 20-gauge minishells.
These are number 4 buckshot loads that hold 12 pellets. They promise increased capacity, lower recoil, and a lightweight, easy-to-carry cartridge. It’s new, and I hope we have some to test soon.
Goodnite Gear NVG30
Night vision is expensive; even some of the more affordable monocles cost well over a grand. Goodnite Gear wants to make night vision a little easier to get into. The Goodnite Gear NVG30 is a digital night vision monocular designed to be helmet-worn.
Digital night vision helps keep the cost down and gives users a rechargeable system that can stream to their phone and record video. At less than $500, it offers an entry point into night vision that doesn’t break the bank. At SHOT Show 2026, I couldn’t test the monocle at night, but I can’t wait to give it a spin in real life.
The Best of SHOT Show 2026
SHOT Show 2026 was an interesting year. I’d argue the theme of the show is suppressors. With the tax stamp being reduced to $0, everyone is making a can. Beyond cans, there was plenty, but you had to look for it.
I scoured the floor for miles and miles, and I’ve brought you what interested me the most, and hopefully will interest you.
