NRAAM 2026, Day 1
I'm in Houston for the National Rifle Association Annual Meetings and Exhibits, and as is typical, Day 1 started out a little slow. Friday is still a work day for most folks, so attendance tends to be light.
I took it slow myself, spending much of the day socializing with friends in the “Voices of the Second Amendment” media area. Particularly nice was the availability of chairs and conversation at the “Michael Bane Lounge,” also known as the MichaelBane.tv booth. My sore feet really appreciated Michael's hospitality, and there was never a shortage of good storytelling!
I did get out and walk around a bit, though, taking advantage of the light crowds to get around and see what the show had to offer.
One of the first things I wanted to check out is the new Taurus RCP, a roller-delayed PDW in 9mm. Even at an MSRP of about $1098 for the pistol-braced version (though the Taurus rep I spoke to said he'd seen it at retail for as little as $799), this large-format pistol/PDW is steal.
I also wanted to check out the re-introduced Ruger Red Label over-and-under shotgun. Put simply, it is a gorgeous gun. Though the $3299 price tag may be a little breathtaking to some, in the world of quality shotguns, that's not extravagant. Bear in mind that the Red Label is built for Ruger by Connecticut Shotgun, and the low end of their catalog starts at about double the Ruger's price tag. Maybe if you could just pitch it to the missus as getting a Connecticut for half-price, you could get away with it.
One of the longer lines I saw today was at the Winchester booth…and it had nothing to do with guns. Turns out that Winchester is rolling out a pair of bourbons bearing their brand, and the line was to get a free taste. Free bourbon? Sure…I'll get in that line. I'm no particular bourbon expert or aficionado, but I know what I like. Both were at least decent in my estimation, though I preferred the 6-year double-barreled version. Might have gotten back in line for a second go…and I hear they’re doing it again tomorrow.
Anyway, today was the warm-up. Tomorrow being Saturday, stuff is fixing to get real! Here’s a few more random pics from today to wrap it up…
