Most gun shows fill a fairground building for a weekend. A handful are in a class of their own: thousands of tables, collectors who travel across the country to attend, and decades of history. This guide covers the biggest gun shows in the United States, what makes each one worth the trip, and when they happen.
The Gun Websites crew has walked the floor at several of them, including every SHOT Show since 2005, the NRA Annual Meetings, the SAR Show in Phoenix and Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show.
Major Gun Shows at a Glance
| Show | City | When | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHOT Show | Las Vegas, Nevada | January | 1979 |
| NRA Annual Meetings | Varies | Spring | 1871 |
| Tulsa Arms Show | Tulsa, Oklahoma | Spring and fall | 1955 |
| SAR Show West | Phoenix, Arizona | December | 2000 |
| Las Vegas Antique Arms Show | Las Vegas, Nevada | January | 1962 |
| The Nation’s Gun Show | Chantilly, Virginia | Year-round | 1968 |
| Great American Outdoor Show | Harrisburg, Penn. | February | 1995 |
| Central Florida Arms Show | Lakeland, Florida | Jan, May, Sept | 1968 |
| Westchester Collectors | Northeast | Year-round | 1984 |
Show Guides
Each show has its own guide with photos, history and videos.
SHOT Show
Las Vegas, every January
The firearms industry’s biggest trade show, covered by the crew every year since 2005.
NRA Annual Meetings
A new host city each spring
Acres of exhibits from nearly every major gun maker, open to NRA members and their families.
Tulsa Arms Show
Tulsa, spring and fall
Billed as the largest gun show in the world, with thousands of tables under one roof.
SAR Show West
Phoenix, early December
Machine guns, suppressors and NFA items in the Small Arms Review building, plus a full gun show.
Las Vegas Antique Arms Show
Las Vegas, January
Antique and collectible arms in Las Vegas every January, the same week as SHOT Show.
The Nation’s Gun Show
Chantilly, Virginia
One of the largest shows on the East Coast, held several times a year outside Washington, D.C.
Great American Outdoor Show
Harrisburg, February
Nine days of hunting, fishing and shooting under one roof at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.
Central Florida Arms Show
Lakeland, three times a year
The largest gun show in the Southeast, run by the Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club.
Westchester Collectors
Northeast, several times a year
One of the largest gun and knife shows in the Northeast, with a strong collector crowd.
Gun Websites Coverage, Year by Year
- SHOT Show, every year since 2005 (no show in 2021)
- NRA Annual Meeting 2009, Phoenix, and NRA Annual Meeting 2010, Charlotte
- SAR Show 2009, SAR Show 2012 and SAR Show 2017
- Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show: November 2018, April 2019 and November 2020
The Biggest Gun Shows in the United States
SHOT Show
The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show is the largest firearms industry event in the world. Manufacturers launch new products, retailers place their orders for the year, and law enforcement buyers and the media get their first look. It is a trade-only show and not open to the public.
- Las Vegas, Nevada, every January, at the Venetian Expo since 2010
- First held in 1979 in St. Louis, Missouri
- About 1,600 exhibitors on more than 600,000 square feet
- Industry professionals from all 50 states and more than 100 countries
NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits
The National Rifle Association’s yearly gathering moves to a different host city each spring. Alongside the members meeting, forums and banquets, the exhibit hall fills with nearly every major gun maker, plus optics, knives, outfitters and collectors.
- Held each spring in a different city
- About 600 exhibitors on roughly 500,000 square feet
- Open to NRA members and their families
Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show
The Tulsa Arms Show started in 1955 as a 19-table club show of the Indian Territory Gun Collectors. Joe Wanenmacher took it over in 1968 and built it into what is billed as the largest gun show in the world. It fills an 11 acre building at the Tulsa fairgrounds with antique and modern firearms, knives, swords, accessories and collections, and draws collectors from across the country twice a year.
- Tulsa, Oklahoma, in spring and fall
- About 4,200 tables, roughly 6 miles of them
- 480,000 square feet under one roof
SAR Show West
Small Arms Review, the magazine for machine gun and NFA collectors, runs its own building at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, while a Crossroads of the West gun show fills the rest of the grounds. The SAR building is where to find transferable machine guns, suppressors, destructive devices, parts kits and military vehicles.
- Phoenix, Arizona, the first weekend of December, since 2000
- About 3,000 tables in the gun show and 600 in the 55,000 square foot SAR building
- Informal shoots and meetups happen around the show weekend
Las Vegas Antique Arms Show
Billed as the longest continually running event in Las Vegas, the antique arms show is devoted to guns and gun-related antiques, international sporting arms and custom knives. Harry Mann started it in 1962 in a small room at the Stardust Hotel. Wally Beinfeld took over in 1969 and produced the show for 51 years until his death in 2013, when Karen and Paul Balfour took the reins.
- Las Vegas, Nevada, every January, the same week as SHOT Show
- More than 600 exhibitors in 2026, at the Westgate Las Vegas
- Antique arms, international sporting arms and custom knifemakers
The Nation’s Gun Show
Held at the Dulles Expo Center outside Washington, D.C., the Nation’s Gun Show is one of the largest shows on the East Coast. About a mile and a half of tables cover modern and antique firearms, ammunition, militaria, knives, holsters and swords.
- Chantilly, Virginia, several times a year
- About 1,300 tables
- Running since 1968
Great American Outdoor Show
Run by the NRA since 2015, the Great American Outdoor Show celebrates hunting, fishing and outdoor traditions. It grew out of the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, held from 1995 to 2014.
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, nine days every February
- Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, about 650,000 square feet
- About 1,100 exhibitors and more than 250,000 visitors
Central Florida Arms Show (Lakeland Gun Show)
Sponsored by the Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club, this is the largest gun show in the Southeast. Military arms, swords, knives, modern guns and antiques fill the halls, and yes, it is air conditioned.
- Lakeland, Florida, at the SUN ’n FUN Expo Campus
- Three times a year: January, May and September
- About 600 tables, running since 1968
Westchester Collectors Gun and Knife Shows
Founded in 1984 by Newman Chittenden and Martin Fasack, with a first show at the Westchester County Center, Westchester Collectors runs some of the largest gun and knife shows in the Northeast. Expect sporting goods, collectible firearms, ammunition, knives, militaria and antiques.
- Shows at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield and in Marlborough, Massachusetts, plus New York and Connecticut
- About 700 tables at the largest shows, running since 1984
Shows That Have Ended or Moved
Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot
For decades, the Knob Creek Gun Range in West Point, Kentucky hosted what it called the world’s largest machine gun shoot and military gun show every April and October, with about 900 tables alongside the firing line. Owner Kenny Sumner held the final shoot in October 2021. For machine gun shoots today, see the Big Sandy Shoot coverage.
- West Point, Kentucky, from 1985 to 2021
- Twice a year, in April and October
TriggrCon
TriggrCon started in 2017 in Bellevue, Washington, as a show for new products with an industry day and a range day for media and dealers. It has since moved, and was held in Wichita, Kansas in 2024.
- Started in 2017 in Bellevue, Washington
- Held in Wichita, Kansas in 2024
SAR Show East
Small Arms Review brought its NFA-focused show format east for two years.
- Held in 2015 and 2016
Gun Shows on Video
SHOT Show 2026 Range Day from a Camera Drone
Tulsa Trip 2020: The Biggest Gun Show in the World
Upcoming dates for these shows and hundreds more are on the Gun Show Calendar, and photos from the shows the crew has covered are on the Gun Show Photos page.