SHOT Show 2026 brought several governors to Las Vegas who are actively in the hunt for business — literally making their pitch to firearm and ammunition industry businesses to relocate to their friendlier states and away from more adversarial, antigun ones.
The 5th Annual NSSF Governors’ Forum provided a great opportunity for numerous top heads of state to discuss their successes, what they are doing to protect Second Amendment rights for their citizens and highlight what they have to offer to an industry that must remain cognizant of changing political winds ahead.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden and Idaho Gov. Brad Little were all on the same stage for a conversation moderated by Shermichael Singelton, co-Founder of WeTheFree.com, American political strategist, writer and political commentator and staunch Second Amendment rights advocate. It was a nearly standing-room-only opportunity for industry professionals and media representatives at SHOT Show to hear a direct, in-depth conversation from several governors all at once.
‘Come Back to America’
One of the first topics broached was about some states passing increasingly restrictive policies and making it harder for the lawful and highly-regulated firearm industry to provide for the exercise of Second Amendment rights. Montana Gov. Gianforte knows a thing or two about that and spoke about his efforts to directly recruit businesses from nearby Colorado to come to Big Sky country. He spoke about his viral video invitation to gun companies.
“That video came on the heels of a decision in a blue state, Colorado, to outlaw certain types of guns and certain types of magazines,” Gov. Gianforte described. “So, I personally cold-called all the major manufacturers in Colorado and my message was simple: I said, ‘Do you want to move back to America?’ And we had a whole bunch of them come and visit. We’re now hosting three to six companies every month who are looking at moving to Montana.”
To all gun manufacturers in Colorado, my question for you is simple: do you want to move back to America? pic.twitter.com/JTiQdbmCGJ
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) April 23, 2025
Gov. Gianforte even offered some praise to his colleagues, though there’s plenty of friendly competition among them, saying, “And I’ll tell you, if you’re in the firearm industry, you’d do well by yourself to move any one of these red states.”
Silencing the Critics
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden wasted no time highlighting a major industry player based in The Mount Rushmore State, demonstrating how Second Amendment rights were going to be a focus of his administration.
“In the last 11 months, we’ve had a golden opportunity [to highlight Second Amendment rights], and we’ve seized it in South Dakota. Brandon Maddox is here. Brandon Maddox has Silencer Central in Sioux Falls and he was the first business we toured when I had an opportunity to tour this summer,” Gov. Rhoden told the audience. “And I used him as an example many times since then because with the new administration, they had issues with a seven-day waiting period for silencers. Our team got a hold of U.S. Attorney General Bondi, and within a couple weeks, I got a letter from Brandon. The issue had been resolved.”
He also touted newly proposed pro-Second Amendment legislation in his state.
“We just introduced legislation to deregulate suppressors in the state of South Dakota. We’ve taken the lead on a lot of things in South Dakota to protect our Second Amendment right and I think it’s probably the biggest message we can take home as governors. We have an opportunity—we need to take advantage of it,” the governor said.
Supportive Environment
The firearm industry survived four years of former President Joe Biden’s administration. But with President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the changes coming from 1600 Pennsylvania, as well as from the U.S. Capitol, are welcomed. In the states, these governors are doing their part as well.
“I want to say something seriously about my friends here on stage, on the Second Amendment, these governors are doing the right things,” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen stated, highlighting several efforts he’s undertaken to back up his words. In the Cornhusker State, his record is clear and impressive on Second Amendment issues.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little agreed and spoke about cultivating a state-level environment that supports the Second Amendment and the small businesses that start up and grow in the industry.
“The best thing we can do is not overtax them, not overregulate them, allow them to grow and thrive,” Gov. Little said.
Many of these governors are walking the talk, so to speak. The firearm industry’s economic impact is astounding: nearly 383,000 jobs with a total economic footprint of more than $91.6 billion, according to NSSF’s most recent economic impact report.
Take, and Keep, Control
While it is good news that a pro-Second Amendment administration has returned to the White House, and there are pro-Second Amendment majorities in Congress and the U.S. Senate, the governors all touted that it is critical the states lead the charge in protecting those rights from a federal government that can easily swing back to being adversarial after any election.
“There are some things that we’ve been doing in Wyoming that have allowed us to take back control of things like Second Amendment rights that D.C. has tried to limit,” Wyoming Gov. Gordon said. He also promoted his efforts to bring a world-class recreational shooting sports complex to the Cowboy state that would make any firearm-friendly neighbor envious.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, making a return visit to his home-state SHOT Show, agreed.
“It’s important to recognize, our successes ahead will come from the right, the Republican Party, and the proof is in the pudding,” Gov. Lombardo stated. The governor has stood strong for Second Amendment rights during his tenure, including vetoing bad bills that made it through the Nevada legislature previously.
Wrapping up the conversation, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders put it succinctly. If you want to support the Second Amendment, get to the right places.
“Operate in Red states… a lot of the left-leaning states are putting so many barriers in front of Second Amendment businesses and they’re looking for a different place to go,” Gov. Sanders said.
The governors all have records of promoting and passing pro-growth, pro-deregulation policies that back up those sentiments. Firearm and ammunition industry businesses are thriving in these — and other — Red states.
Invitations to relocate to sunnier and friendlier terrain must be seriously considered by industry members looking to set their businesses up for success, not suffocation.
With governors like these and their pro-Second Amendment colleagues, the future of the firearm and ammunition industry is in good hands.
Matt Manda is Manager, Public Affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.