The Buzz Among Suppliers Is One of Optimism

The SHOT Week Supplier Showcase kicked off yesterday morning on the fifth floor of the Venetian Expo Center, where more than 600 exhibiting suppliers greeted a steady flow of existing and would-be customers.

To a certain degree, suppliers represent the proverbial canary in the coal mine. They see changes in the business climate earlier than most as they adjust to the evolving needs of the manufacturers they work with.

When manufacturers slow down, suppliers are the first to feel it. And when business is good and manufacturers are expanding production, suppliers are again the first to see the signs.

Yesterday, the general mood among those we spoke to was one of optimism for 2026.

2026 Off to a Good Start

At the Microbest booth, where the company was showcasing its precision-machined components and assemblies for the firearms industry, President and CEO Mike Greenwald shared how 2025 started strong, only to slow down—partly due to reduced military spending, a scenario echoed by other exhibitors we spoke to.

Military contracts picked up toward the end of 2025, and 2026 has already started off strong. However, Microbest executives realize momentum could flatten, so they are expanding capabilities to better support the product differentiation manufacturers need.

Nate Higgins, President of FreeFORM—which offers a variety of manufacturing services, including additive manufacturing—reported a surge in RFQ activity in November from suppressor makers seeking additive resources to keep up with growing consumer demand now that the $200 tax stamp on suppressors has been zeroed out.

Kowalski Heat Treating, a family-owned business out of Cleveland, Ohio, that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, saw double-digit growth in 2025. Owner Steve Kowalski attributes some of that growth to consolidation and companies going out of business.

Kowalski sees continued growth in 2026 after his team found a new cleaning technology to deal with residual salt from their heat-treating process.

“We've tested it for the last 90 days, and the beauty is that it's scalable. We'll be able to expand our capabilities so our customers don't have to worry about extra cleaning.”

U.S.-based OEM magazine manufacture Check-Mate sees the potential for double-digit growth in 2026 thanks to manufacturers rolling out new pistol platforms. President and COO Joseph DeBello explained they’re focused on delivering for manufactures as the market continues trending toward high-capacity magazines.

You'll see that in our UHC (Ultra High Capacity) mags. We're getting two extra rounds in the same envelope with our 1911 double-stack mag, and we're moving that across other platforms as well.”

RedLine Tools, a supplier of carbide cutting tools for precision manufacturing, sees 2026 as relatively flat to slightly up, based on feedback from manufacturers with a constant need for tooling.

They noted that when tool purchases slow—or when they pick up—it’s a reliable indicator of where the overall market is heading.

The Value of the Supplier Showcase

Overall, the Supplier Showcase remains an important segment of SHOT Show—and one of great value to both exhibiting manufacturers and suppliers.

For Midgard Plastics, which specializes in injection molding, tool building, and assembly, the Supplier Showcase means exposure to the broader firearms market.

“It's exposure to some of the big players we would never get a chance to meet otherwise. That's why we're here—for the chance walk-by, the start of a conversation, and the opportunity to take it to the next step.”

That direct exposure to manufacturers is paying off for Flexsystems. The company brought its new Berry-compliant Flex Smart Link with integrated NFC (Near Field Communication) capability.

Originally focused on the promotions market—often a single-use application—the response from visitors on Monday has opened up new market opportunities for Flexsystems well beyond what they anticipated.

“We've had a tremendous response. Within the first hour of being here, people were going crazy after seeing how it works. They're telling us about all these other use models—‘I see an opportunity here, and this is how I'm going to use it.’”

For Bachstein Consulting, an engineering services firm, the Supplier Showcase provides the perfect opportunity to meet with existing clients and spend quality face time with them. It also allows the company to showcase its work to future clients.

One striking example was on display in their booth. As they explained it:

“We had a company suggest a material for a pistol barrel. We told them we didn’t think it was a very good choice. They said it should be fine. We did an obstructed bore test, and it turns out it was not fine.”

The results of the obstructed bore test can be seen below—along with a clear example of the value of engaging outside engineering support.

For Unimetal, a metal parts supplier based in the Republic of Türkiye with broad capabilities and a long history in firearms parts manufacturing, the Supplier Showcase offered the ideal venue for introducing U.S. manufacturers to what Unimetal can do for them.

“We’ve had good traffic here today. To my surprise, it was very crowded,” said Gokhan Yesilkaya, President of Sarsilmaz, owner of Unimetal.

“A lot of people stopped by. We were able to share a lot of information and exchange contact details with companies I hadn’t heard of before. I think there’s a lot of opportunity to reconnect through Sarsilmaz—and possibly explore some partnerships.”

Today is the second and final day of the Supplier Showcase. If you’re a manufacturer attending SHOT Show, do yourself a favor and pop your head in on the fifth floor of the Venetian Expo. You just might find the solution to your product development issues you’ve been looking for.

– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network