The NRA hosted its yearly convention at the Indianapolis Convention Center earlier this month. It’s one of the biggest firearms industry events of the year, and this year’s convention featured products, exhibits, entertainment, and seminars. You know that SDI couldn’t miss such a huge industry event! Here’s our NRA 2023 Annual Meetings & Exhibits roundup.
NRA Annual Meeting 2023: Convention Roundup
The NRA’s 2023 convention ran from April 14 through the 16th. The Indy Star reported that the event brought 77,000 attendees and helped local businesses earn between $38 and $40 million. It was bigger than last year’s Annual Meeting, but didn’t quite match the 81,000 attendees who came out for 2019’s affair. It was still a huge event and a who’s who of the gun industry.
New Firearms and Other Products
The main attraction at the NRA’s Annual Meeting was the plethora of guns and accessories on display. The convention featured 14 acres of booths showing off some of the newest guns and gear in the firearms industry. Some exhibitors were a little out of left field, including one that made African elephant hair bracelets.
As for the gun industry, huge names like Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Ruger combined with smaller companies like Palmetto State Armory, Aero Precision, and Century Arms to curate a one-of-a-kind experience. SDI’s Dean of Firearms Technology, Jarred McNeely, even got to wade into the AK world when he checked out PSA’s PSAK-556 at the convention.
Seminars, Celebrity Appearances, and Other Events
Exhibits weren’t the only thing happening at the NRA’s 2023 convention. The NRA also hosted a variety of talks and banquets. One of particular note was the NRA’s annual Firearms Law Seminar.
Some celebrities showed up to meet and greet attendees, too. Some of the biggest celebrities in the firearms world who made appearances included:
- Colion Noir: There are few influencers in the gun world held in higher regard than Colion Noir. An attorney and firearms advocate, Colion is well-known for his YouTube channel, where he breaks down the goings-on of the gun world. He appeared at both Nosler and Daniel Defense’s booths.
- Andrei Arlovski: The winningest UFC fighter of all time, Andrew Arlovski is now a competitive shooter on Team Canik. He made appearances at Century Arms’ booth (Century imports Canik into the States) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- Carl Marino: Although he may not be as big in the world of firearms as Colion or Andrei, actor Carl Marino has garnered a cult following after portraying Lt. Kenda on Investigation Discovery’s TV show Homicide Hunter. He appeared at Castle Tactical’s booth on Saturday.
In addition to these gun industry celebrities, some big-time political figures made an appearance as well. Both Donald Trump and Mike Pence appeared at the NRA’s 2023 Annual Meeting to give speeches to attendees.
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