If SHOT Show is the firearms industry’s opening act, then the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits is the encore where many of the year’s hottest products get another chance to shine and a few surprise guests crash the party. Returning to Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center in 2026, the event once again brought together thousands of shooters, hunters, collectors, and Second Amendment enthusiasts eager to get their hands on the latest guns, optics, suppressors, and accessories.
Unlike most industry trade shows, NRAAM puts the newest gear directly in front of the people who actually buy it, making it one of the best places to separate genuine excitement from marketing hype. While many of the products first debuted at SHOT Show earlier this year, manufacturers also rolled out fresh releases and updates that kept attendees’ wallets nervously tucked away. From innovative firearms to must-have upgrades, here are the new products that grabbed our attention on the show floor in Houston.
NRA 29026 Handguns
Beretta Cheetah Tactical Bronze
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Beretta launched a factory compensated version of its .380 ACP Beretta Cheetah 80X. This gun traces back directly with the original Beretta Mod 84 Cheetah, Beretta’s classic open top blowback double-stack .380 duty-pistol. The Beretta Cheetah Tactical Bronze ships standard with 15 round magazines (+2 basepads), aftermarket G10 stocks and a compensator aiding in recoil mitigation. All units come with a two-tone bronze and black finish. Slides are cut for optics, of course. Check out Fred Mastison’s review here.
Heckler & Koch VP9 CC
Heckler & Koch showcased its new VP9 CC, the smallest member of the HK VP9 family. This new model is even smaller than the previous VP9 SK. Size-wise it’s on par with the American-made HK CC9. I placed both next to each other at the HK booth to compare them. The main difference is that the new VP9 CC is a true VP9 and made in Germany while the previous CC9 is VP9-adjacent and manufactured in Columbus, Georgia. The VP9 CC has a unique optics cut that allows micro-dots to sit as low as possible over the slide while also shipping with six different backstraps for a wider ergonomic compatibility. Read about our first impression of the micro-compact here.
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Kimber Next Gen Pro
You’ve probably noticed that Kimber has been quite busy breathing new life into its catalog over the past two years. In addition to the 2K11s and the 1911 Warrior DS models, one of Kimber’s new lines is its Next Generation 1911 series. Originally launched summer 2025, these single-stack 1911s included modern amenities such as external extractors, optics-ready slides and very distinctive “bobbed” mainspring housings. At NRAAM 2026 in Houston, Kimber showcased the Next Generation Pro 1911 models chambered in 9mm. Following Kimber’s naming convention, “Pro” denotes 4.25-inch commander-size slides.
Ruger LCP MAX x Magpul EHG
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Ruger and Magpul did it again! Following the success of the Ruger RXM, Ruger and Magpul teamed up on the new EHG RG 380 frame that benefits the .380 Auto Ruger LCP Max. With the LCP Max having a serialized trigger chassis, the availability of Magpul’s new EHG RG 380 frame option is sure to give these micro-compact pistols a leg up, especially considering the improved texture and ergonomics of the EHG RG 380.
Springfield Armory SA-35 4”
Springfield Armory has had its SA-35 line out for some time. It represents an opportunity for shooters and collectors to obtain a reasonably priced faithful clone of the Browning Hi-Power, the original Wondernine. At Springfield Armory’s booth in Houston this year, we saw Springfield introduce a four-inch “Glock 19 sized” version of the SA-35. It keeps many of the classic details including a forged steel frame and walnut stocks. Fred Mastison’s review can be found here.
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S&W Bodyguard .38 2.0 Special
Smith & Wesson launched its next generation version of the Bodyguard 38, a lightweight .38 Special 5-shot carry revolver. The Bodyguard 38 2.0 is the successor of the 2014 M&P Bodyguard 38. In turn both of these are the descendants of the classic Centennials and the Model 49. Like its predecessor, the Bodyguard 38 2.0 a unique ambidextrous cylinder latch which works equally for both left and right handed shooters. It’s located along the rear “spine” of the frame, above the grip and behind the cylinder. Review of the snubbie can be found here.
Taurus’ New Handguns
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All of Taurus’ new pistols were product line expansions. The one that sticks to me the most is the new optics-ready Taurus GX2 TORO. Although the GX2 is one of the most affordable 9mm pistols in its catalog, it lacked optics-ready capabilities. This is now remedied.
Deputy 9mm / 38 / 357
Other recently launched models include a .357-diameter version of the Taurus Deputy. Like the Taurus 692 series, this new Deputy comes with two cylinders, one that allows for .38 Special / .357 Magnum and another that handles 9mm/
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22 TUC Threaded
Consumers now have access to a threaded-barrel version of the Taurus 22 TUC, the .22 LR semi-automatic tip-up blowback pocket pistol.
NRA 2026 Large Format Pistols
Springfield Armory Model 2020 Heatseeker Pistol
Springfield Armory took its flagship 2020 action and repackaged it into a .308 Winchester bolt-action pistol. The barreled action is wrapped inside a Sharps Bros. chassis. Its rear has a short Picatinny section that accepts braces or stocks. With its 12 inch, 1:10 twist barrel, this large format bolt-action pistol offers some potential for a highly portable braced firearm or SBR (for those inclined to file a Form 1). You can read more about it here.
Springfield Armory Saint Victor 5.5” AR9
There were two eye-catching 9mm large format pistols in Houston this year. One of them is Springfield Armory’s Saint Victor 5.5” AR9 pistol. It ships with an ambidextrous safety/selector and feeds from classic Colt-pattern 32-round stick mags (which also work in several other 9mm AR pistols and carbines). Following the success of the Kuna which launched last year, Springfield Armory also wanted to make sure that adherents and devotees of AR-pattern firearms also had a relevant option with a similar short barrel length. Check out Fred Mastison’s field test of the 5.5″ AR9 here.
Taurus RPC
Taurus announced its new RPC a few days ahead of this year’s NRAAM. Not surprisingly, this roller-delayed blowback large-format pistol was one of the event’s hottest product launches. While the Taurus RPC borrows some roller-lock concepts from the HK MP5, it isn’t its clone in the least. This firearm is its own entity. Its left-hand friendly and easy to mount optics on. In its home country of Brazil, the Taurus RPC is already being considered for serious law enforcement use. Need more info about thius Roller Delayed Awesomeness — find it here.
NRA 2026 Rifles
IWI ARAD 5
IWI finally brought its Arad piston-operated AR to the United States over from Israel.
These hard-use carbines rely on a short-stroke piston to cycle their actions. And they’re also designed from the ground up to be suppressor-friendly, so include a two position gas regulator for both unsuppressed and suppressed use. The IWI Arad follows the same logic as IWI’s other duty-grade rifles, which is to maintain reliability and simplicity across all conditions. The Arad 5 is built with a semi-monolithic upper receiver and comes with B5 Systems furniture. Read about the Arad 5 Military Heritage here or check out the video here.
SDS “M40” Clone
One of SDS Arms’ offerings is the Spandau RL, a short-action Remington 700 clone manufactured in Turkey. It’s a basic .308 Winchester hunting rifle with a walnut stock. SDS had a “teaser” prototype of an “M40” clone on display based on the Spandau. Keeping in mind that this rifle is a working prototype, there isn’t anything “clone-correct” about it. But the guys behind the booth hinted at the possibility of an old-school Vietnam-era M40 style retro rifle with a wood stock in the future. The prototype naturally had a thicker contour barrel compared to the regular Spandau RL. Check out Fred Mastison’s review here.
NRA 2026 Optics
Pulsar Thermal Trail 3
Along with nightvision products, thermal hunting scopes are a huge category that’s blowing up in the 2020s. Pulsar had its Thermal Trail 3 present, and this unit offers some performance upgrades over its predecessor. The improvements come in the form of a sharper 1920×1080 AMOLED display, improved thermal sensitivity and a built-in 1300 meter laser rangefinder.The Thermal Trail 3’s housing is also designed to sturdier against the elements.
Holosun HS507 Pro Max
I saw Holosun showcasing its new HS 507 Pro Max pistol optic at this show, and it caught my eye because the new HS507 Pro Max takes after Holosun’s 507 COMP. The original HS507 COMP is Holosun’s RMR-footprint based big window optic that rocked the red-dot world some three years ago. To this day it continues to be a mainstay amongst performance and competition shooters. The new unit includes an even larger viewport that has a forward leaning sunshade to cut down on glare and other reflective artifacts.
FN Red Dot
FN entering the optics market was something I wasn’t expecting in the least, but the Belgian company showcased its new FN Pureview pistol mounted optic. Unlike other micro red-dots which use light emitters and reflective coatings, the new FN Pureview uses a holographic laser to project its reticle instead. The FN Purview is enclosed and has a top mounted battery tray.
EOTech EFLX CE
EOTech launched the EFLX CE, an enclosed emitter duty-rated pistol optic that runs off a CR 2032 battery and is compatible with M4 screws and either a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro or Shield RMSc optics footprint. The rear portion of the EOTech’s EFLX CE’s housing is also machined with a coarse “rear sight” to help aiming with tactical backup iron sights.
NRA 2026 Assorted Gear
Hornady Mobilis Vexis
Over the past few years, Hornady has been developing a complete line of security safes and storage products. You’ve probably heard of Hornady Mobilis safes at this point, but this show was the first time I saw Hornady’s new Vexis electronic locking mechanism. The feature to note about the Vexis system is that in addition to the standard keypad, these devices scan the end-user’s individual vein patterns for biometric ID purposes. Hornady told me to expect to see more of this in the coming months.
Aimpoint GAIM
At this show, I saw my first public demo of GAIM, Aimpoint’s sister company that’s in the business of virtual-reality based shooting training simulators. The GAIM simulator works in conjunction with the Meta Quest headset. GAIM caters both to the competitive shooter and hunter and its software offers many scenarios for different competition shooting and hunting scenarios.
The Wilderness Dog Leashes
The Wilderness, best known for its metal-free sturdy nylon gunbelts, is now branching out and offering its customers 100% US-made leashes for dogs. These are braided by hand from sturdy nylon rope, and customers have a few options for hardware / attachment points to the dog’s collar or harness.
Glock 15-round Mags For Slimline & Glock 44
At Glock Inc.’s booth at this year’s show, the hottest new items were the company’s new 15 round steel magazines for Slimline guns like the Glock 43X and Glock 48. These new magazines eschew the traditional outer polymer shell for a slick steel-only magazine body that manages to hold an extra 5 rounds. They drop free and while the basepad is slightly thicker for obvious reasons, it doesn’t protrude that much more.
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