Top 10 Firearms from SHOT Show 2024
So many guns, and so little time. Such is the life of an attendee at the annual NSSF – the Firearm Industry Trade Association – owned Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show). Reporting the highest number of exhibitors to date, the tone at SHOT was electric. While the noticeable absence of a few key players like Sig Sauer and Weatherby, the show itself has been described as the largest to date with
From self-defense to hunting, virtually every type of firearm known to man can be found at this annual industry gathering. With over 55,400 attendees, the show continued to expand its floor footprint to nearly 14 miles of aisles at the Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada. With a show this size, it’s a lot like speed dating if you want to sit down with representatives from specific exhibitors. So, you might appreciate that my assignment to research and identify my top 10 new firearms for hunters in 2024, was no small task. By no means exhaustive, after the dust settled, here are the firearms that made my shortlist in the categories of centerfire hunting, rimfire rifles, waterfowl, upland, and turkey hunting shotguns.
BERETTA BRX1 (Not yet available online)
Truly innovative, and new for North America this year, Beretta has introduced the BRX1 centerfire rifle. Trialed for a couple years in Europe with enormous success, Beretta decided it was time to launch this potential trend setting design in the U.S. and Canada.
This rifle is loaded with intriguing features. From functionality to look, feel, and accessories, this one caught my eye above all others at SHOT this year. Most notable is this gun’s straight-pull action. More familiar to oversees hunters and shooters – especially on driven hunts – I can see this one catching on big in the North American marketplace. Its eversible ambidextrous linear bolt can be easily switched to accommodate right- or left-handed shooters. The biggest advantage to having a straight-pull action, is the speed at which the shooter is able to cycle a round, as it effectively trims down the traditional two-step lift and pull action we see with most contemporary bolt-action rifles. To ensure that the straight-pull action is strong enough to keep it front flying back into the shooter’s face, Beretta has integrated eight locking lugs (16 in magnum calibers) that hold the bolt in place under pressure.
Equipped with a 0-MOA picatinny rail, the BRX1 comes ready for quick and easy mounting of your riflescope of choice. Another great feature is this rifle’s single-stage trigger that is again quickly and easily adjustable, without tools, from 2.1 to 3.3 pounds. It’s three-position safety allows the shooter to operate the action with the trigger deactivated. Top this off with the rifle’s attractive and adjustable polymer stalk, has length of pull (LOP) spacers, comfortable textured grips, and it has a built-in sling swivel ring. Currently available in .30-06 Spr., 300 Win Mag, and 308 Win., the BRX1 is engineered for easy barrel, bolt and magazine change-outs. Boasting Beretta has hit a home run with this rifle. Beretta’s sub-MOA guarantee and MSRP: $1,599 price tag, makes this one a top choice in the hunting rifle category.
RUGER AMERICAN GENERATION II (Click to Shop from $599)
Impossible to overlook the action in the Ruger booth, I had to stop by … and I’m glad I did. Hone in on this favorite American manufacturer’s newest offerings and their top-selling hunting rifle easily made the list with its new for 2024 look, feel and assorted upgrades. The Ruger American Gen II is a thing of beauty. While its predecessor has been around for over 10 years now, the Gen II’s upgrades are brilliant.
The first thing I noticed was the splatter pattern stock, a definite upgrade allowing for better grip on the rifle. Second, the spiral fluted and threaded barrel (on most calibers) with flash hiders, and Gun Metal Grey Cerakote finish on all of the metal parts caught my eye. Enhanced with a new three-position tang safety that allows the rifle to be unloaded with the safety engaged, the Gen II Standard has a 20” barrel and the Ranch version has a 16.10” barrel. Hunters and shooters have their choice of a wide range of calibers too lengthy to list here. Each of the Gen II rifles now comes with a new softer recoil pad, and innovative butt stock design that allows for adjustable length of pull (LOP) and comb height. Magazine styles and capacities vary depending on the shooter’s caliber of choice.
Triggers matter, and the Gen II continues forward using the same reliable Marksman adjustable trigger. Ruger stands behind the accuracy of this rifle and for the modest MSRP: $729 price tag, I’m sure this new rifle will continue to be a favorite.
Winchester Ranger – (Click to Shop on Guns.com – starting at $329)
If you’re familiar with Winchester rifles, you know their longstanding reputation for lever-actions. A definite eye-catcher, and a special feature at SHOT – new for 2024, they’ve introduced their Winchester Ranger, a brand new rimfire lever-rifle that’s turning heads industry-wide. Tube-fed, this .22LR feels great in hand. The action is smooth and it’s both quick and easy to work. In keeping with most lever-action rifles, it’s also heavy enough for added stability when shooting. This rifle has a precision-machined aluminum receiver with a black anodized finish and round steel barrel, and adjustable open rear sight and hooded front sight. Combined, these features promise smooth chambering and ejection.
Speaking with a Winchester representative at the booth, it sounds like they’ll be sticking with a basic walnut stock for the time-being. The trigger is adjustable and, as an added bonus, this rimfire rifle also breaks down for easy storage and transport. Whether you’re looking for a truck gun, camp gun, or a plinking rifle for the weekend, the Ranger is going to be a winner with small game shooters and anyone looking to introduce newcomers to the shooting sports. Priced right at MSRP: $400, I can see this one being an immediate favorite, especially with lever-action enthusiasts.
Hammerli Arms Force B1 – (Click to Shop at Guns.com – starting at $597)
Perhaps less known among recreational shooters, the Hammerli Arms brand has been around since 1863. Marrying tradition with innovation, this year Hammerli Arms introduced their Force B1 rimfire rifle. Particularly appealing is this firearm’s Toggle Style Straight Pull Action that facilitates removal of the barrel without the use of any tools, allowing the shooter to quickly and easily switch between their proprietary .22LR and .22 WMR barrels. The unique magwell design makes it easily adaptable between the two calibers.
Equally impressive, the Force B1 uses the common Ruger rotary magazines which has a 10-round capacity. A sleek looking rimfire, that feels great when shouldered, this rifle comes with an inherent rail for easy and solid mounting of the shooter’s scope of choice. It’s side-mounted bolt facilitates a quick and short straight-line stroke to cycle each round, and the standard threaded 16.1” barrel along with an adjustable stock that is easily modified to fit each individual shooter. While I wasn’t able to shoot this rifle myself, I’m hearing that the trigger is crisp and the gun is precise. Weighing only 5.8 pounds, the Force B1 easily rose to the top of my list of favorites at this year’s SHOT show. With an MSRP: $659 price tag, it’s a little more expensive than other in-class rimfires, but the quality and precision looks to be well-worth the expense.
SAVAGE 555 SPORTING – (Click to Shop at Guns.com – starting at $650)
In the world of upland bird hunting, over/under shotguns rule the roost. One of the privileges of attending SHOT as media, is participating in industry day at the range the day before the show opens. This year, I made a point of seeking out and shooting the new for 2024 20-gauge in their Savage 555 Sporting line. At first glance, its physical appearance is undeniably eye-catching. While the 555 Sporting shotguns have been around for a while, this is their first introduction of both a 20 gauge and .410 bore over/under to this line of shotguns. With a Turkish Walnut stock and fore-end, and adjustable comb height and standard 14.5” length-of-pull, it looks and feels great in hand. Chambered for 3” ammunition, its lightweight aluminum alloy silver receiver is scaled to gauge, incorporating a steel insert that reinforces the breech, which in turn minimizes the overall weight of the gun. Additionally, it has a raised ventilated rib with a mid-bead rear sight and fiberoptic front sight.
After trying the 20 gauge on the skeet range, I can tell you this gun is well balanced and easy to shoot. Over/under shotguns are notoriously hard on the shoulder, but this gun’s 30” ported and chrome-lined barrels notably reduce recoil. Combine its tang-mounted manual safety, single selective trigger, manual extractor, and 5 removeable extended chokes (F, IM, M, IC, C) and this shotgun has everything you need.
Indeed, Savage is excited to bring these new guns to the North American market. Whether you’re an upland enthusiast, a duck hunter, or just like shooting skeet or trap at the club, these new 555 Sporting guns are well worth considering as an add to your collection. As a bonus, they carry a modest MSRP: $989 price tag.
Mossberg International Silver Reserve Eventide – not yet available
If you’re in the market for a new duck hunting gun, look no further than Mossberg’s new 12 gauge International Silver Reserve Eventide. This company has done so many things right, that its difficult ignore their most recent offerings. The Silver Reserve has been around for a while, but for 2024, they’ve added a new look and finish. As far as form and function goes, this one is a clear winner!
A tang-activated break-action over/under shotgun, the Eventide is chambered for 3 ½” shotshells, has a vented rib and a 28” barrel. What really captured my attention was the Patriot Brown Cerakote finish and synthetic stock in Mossy Oak Vintage Shadowgrass camouflage. Handsome to look at, everything about this gun screams practicality. With a fairly standard weight of 7 ¼ pounds and a 14.5” length-of-pull, it also has a front-mounted fiber-optic sight and comfortable recoil pad – nice additions to a well-designed shotgun.
Every waterfowl hunter knows the struggle of carrying a shotgun, field back and decoys into a hunting area. To solve this dilemma, Mossberg also ensured that this piece comes with built-in sling swivels for attaching a shoulder strap.
Carrying an MSRP: $956 price tag, in the world of over/under shotguns, it’s tough to beat this combination for durability and functionality in a field gun. For more information, visit www.mossberg.com.
Browning A5 – not yet available
Walking around the SHOT Show, you had to have your eyes closed not to notice Browning’s newest 20 gauge addition to their venerable A5 line-up. Browning’s Auto-5 (A5) story is quite remarkable. It was the first mass-produced semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun. Designed by John Browning in 1898 and patented in 1900, it was first manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, then others, for almost a century with production eventually discontinued in 1998.
The A5’s classic humpback receiver profile melds seamlessly with the rib to extend the shooter’s sight plane, aiding in natural sight alignment for quicker target acquisition. Browning is quick to point out, that while the physical appearance has a traditional appeal, this new 20 gauge, “… ain’t your Grandpa’s Auto-5”. In fact, the familiar humpback-shaped receiver is about the only feature this semi-auto shares with its namesake. They proudly point out that the new A5 is built to be the most reliable, fastest cycling, best performing, and softest shooting recoil-operated autoloader on the planet, standing behind their claim with a 100,000-round or five-year guarantee that this shotgun will work.
As you might expect, the A5 20 gauge is built using a smaller frame, making it slimmer and over a pound lighter than the 12 gauge Hunter model. It uses kinetic energy (energy of motion), to power the recoil-operated Kinematic Drive System. To optimize shot pattern performance, the A5 features the Invector-DS system. Invector-DS tubes have a longer, more gradual taper for improved patterning. A bronze seal at the base of the tube is designed to eliminate powder fouling from getting between the barrel and the choke tube.
The bolt latch locks the bolt to the rear when the magazine is unloaded and releases a shell from the magazine when the bolt is closed for faster loading. Browning’s patented feeding system sends the first shell loaded into the magazine directly into the chamber. Similarly, speed Unload makes emptying the magazine fast and easy, without chambering and ejecting every shell with the bolt handle. Like most quality semi-autos, the group is easy to remove for cleaning, and the gun’s chrome chamber and bore add to the durability and corrosion resistance, making the bore easier to clean as well. Especially nice is the inclusion of one ¼” and one ½” stock spacer for length-of-pull adjustment. Drop and cast can also be tuned using the included stock shim kit.
I’ll admit, my initial response was apathetic, but after taking a closer look, and shooting it at the range, I’m now a believer. With an Inflex II recoil pad, this gun is very well balanced, ergonomically comfortable in hand, and easy to shoot – another shotgun you just have to try to understand how special it really is. With an MSRP: $1,979.99 price tag, the A5 20 gauge is an investment in proven quality and performance.
CZ (1012) G2 – (Click to Shop – starting at $645)
Another exceptional auto-loader I had the privilege of handling and shooting at Industry Day and the Range is CZ’s new G2 12 gauge. If you’re looking for a new waterfowl shotgun, this company proudly introduces the new for 2024 2nd Generation of the CZ 1012 shotgun. Breaking competition records since its introduction in 2019, CZ recognized a need for a hunting focus in this gun. Essentially, this is a gas-less inertia powered semi-automatic. Instead of redirecting gas from the barrel to run the action, the 1012 series uses a spring within the bolt to store energy during the shotgun’s recoil, spending this energy a split second later to rotate and unlock the twin lugs from the barrel extension and withdraw the spent shell.
A significant advantage of the inertia system is a less stringent maintenance schedule. If you shoot a gas gun, you know that they require periodic cleaning of the piston and mag tube. CZ field tested this gun, running 5,000 rounds through the guns without adding a drop of oil or cleaning at all. They proudly share that they experienced no parts breakage or malfunctions or any kind. So, with occasional cleaning oiling of the barrel and receiver, hunters and shooters should have confidence in the reliability of their G2 every time the go afield.
The magazine capacity is designed to accommodate four shotshells, plus one in the 3” chamber. With a 28” barrel, the G2 is made with a walnut stock with ergonomic contours to the fore-end grip and butt, and it boasts a gloss black chrome barrel finish. It comes with 5 interchangeable extended black chokes. Another great feature is that it is reversible for right and left-handed shooters. Surprisingly lightweight, I found the recoil pad and overall design of this shotgun to make for easy and accurate shooting. And with an MSRP: $679 price tag, I’ll be looking to add this one to my collection soon.
HENRY SINGLE-SHOT – not yet available
Turkey guns are a staple in many lockers across the continent. Most are similar. With this in mind, I searched high and low at SHOT to find something unique and affordable. With more states legalizing the use of .410 shotguns for turkeys, and of course the introduction of TSS loads, I managed to ferret out Henry’s new for 2024 single shot .410. Advertised as a turkey gun, this little gem is ideal as a youth gun or for hunters seeking that extra challenge. Indeed, this shotgun is suitable for a wide range of applications. From teaching your youth to shoot and hunt, to small game hunting, target shooting, and of course chasing long beards – this is package worth looking at.
While Henry has been making its .410 bore guns for a while, in response to the growing popularity of using this bore size for turkey hunting, they decided to dress it up and equip it with a fiber optic sight. Noteworthy, it’s also drilled and tapped for a red dot sight option. Simple in form and function, this is a different looking shotgun dressed front to back in Mossy Oak Classic Bottomland camouflage. It has a 26” barrel, and weighs 6.73 pounds. Chambered for 3” shotshells, with a removeable Invector-style turkey full choke, this break-action rebounding hammer-style shotgun is eye-catching indeed. MSRP: TBD, with finalization of licensing agreements. For more information, visit www.henryusa.com.
Revolution Armory TRP-X2
Continuing my search for something a bit different, the Turkish-made Revolution Armory TRP-X2 fit the bill nicely. With endless aisles of guns on display at SHOT, it can be challenging to find those special gems, but when this new 12 gauge caught my eye, it was a natural fit for my top 10 pick. Revolution Armory is known for manufacturing a wide assortment of different types of actions, calibers, and combinations of these. New for 2024, this inertia driven 12 gauage now comes with an ergonomic synthetic stock, and consumers have the option to purchase with a traditional Mossy Oak pattern or the new RX-2 camo, and grey Cerakote finish. Marketed as a turkey hunting shotgun, the 28” drilled chrome-lined hardened barrel, with a 10 mm vented rib and fiber optic sight for improved target acquisition, makes this one an equally solid choice for waterfowling as well.
This Gun has an oversized charge bolt handle, oversized action release button, and an oversized loading port – all features making this shotgun easier to handle. Like most semi-autos on the market today, the TXP-X2 comes with 5 chrio treated hardened chokes. A nice feature is that they are all color-coded with a knurled end, for easy identification and choke changes. Revolution Armory has taken every step possible to accommodate hunters making adjustments and shooting in cooler temperatures while wearing gloves.
If you’re a hunter looking for reliability and longevity in a field or range gun, or a professional outfitter looking to stock shotguns for client-use, take a closer look at this one. Easy to clean and maintain, this gun was extensively tested with 3,000 rounds before bringing it to market. A 4-year warranty and MSRP: $589, makes the TRP-X2 in RX-2 an attractive purchase. For more information, visit www.revolutionarmory.com.
In conclusion, the firearms industry in 2024 has presented an impressive array of options for enthusiasts and professionals alike, with advancements in technology, ergonomics, and precision making a notable impact. The ten guns highlighted in this article represent the pinnacle of innovation and functionality in the current market. The diversity in this list ensures that whether for sport, self-defense, or professional use, there is a gun that fits the requirements of every shooter. As the industry continues to evolve, it’s exciting to anticipate what future developments will further revolutionize the world of firearms.
