The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will take place April 16-19, 2026 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The Exhibit Hall opens on April 17 and will showcase over 14 acres of the latest guns and gear from the most popular companies in the Industry. From entertainment to special events, it’s all happening in Houston! If you can take the time to attend the event, it is well worth heading to Houston. Entrance is FREE for NRA members.
The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits has events on April 16th and the convention hall officially opens at 9:00 AM on April 17. NRA members and immediate family receive free entry. Non-members can join online or at the door for immediate access. Visit NRAam.org for more information and to purchase tickets for special events. NRA Members receive free admission, while a Weekend “All Access” Pass is offered for $35, which includes a 1-year NRA membership. CLICK HERE for a full schedule of all events.
Founded in 1871, the NRA marks its 155th year of service in 2026. In addition, on July 4, 2026 our nation celebrates its 250th year since the Declaration of Independence in 1776. As part of the Celebration of Freedom, this year’s NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will have special events and speakers at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Notable Events Set for April 16-19, 2026
at NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits:
Registration, Wall of Guns, and Voter Verification
Thurs., April 16, 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Annual National Firearms Law Seminar
Fri., April 17, 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
NRA Women’s Leadership Forum Brunch & Auction
Fri., April 17, 9 a.m.
NRA Banquet and Auction
Fri., April 17, 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Annual Meeting of Members
Sat., April 18, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
NRA Country Concert
Sat., April 16, 6:00 p.m.
National Prayer Breakfast
Sun., April 19, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
NRA Women’s New Energy Brunch
Sun., April 19, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
NRA Youth Day
Sun., April 19, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Plus more than 50 free workshops and seminars throughout the weekend!
Intro to Show — Highlights from 2025
Here is a re-cap of the 2025 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, GA. Expect similar activities and features at this year’s NRA convention in Houston, Texas.
When you make a reloading mistake, you may need to “pull down” assembled ammo. The embedded UltimateReloader.com video demonstrates how to use the Hornady Cam-Lock bullet pulling system.
When Reloading Goes Bad — The Danger of Over-Charging
Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com was recently reloading some 9mm pistol ammo with his Hornady progressive press. As part of his reloading procedure, he visually checks the cases — and he noticed that the charges seemed high. Sure enough, his most recently-produced rounds were about two grains over spec. He diagnosed the issue: “I was using a powder measure without a baffle. What happened was, over the course of the loading session, things settled in, and the charge level increased.”
Not knowing just when his powder measure started delivering too much powder, Gavin decided, for safety’s sake, to pull down all the ammo he had just reloaded. Yes that’s time-consuming, but it’s better than the alternative — having a dangerous Kaboom while shooting. With fast-burning pistol powders, a two-grain over-charge could cause a blown case, damaged firearm, and/or serious injury.
Watch Cam-Lock Bullet Puller Used to Remove Bullets from Loaded Ammo:
Use of Bullet Puller starts 4:00 minutes into video.
Gavin says it is vitally important to perform safety checks during the reloading process: “You’ve got to do it — check every single round to make sure there IS powder, and that there’s not too MUCH powder. Double, Triple, Quadruple check your components… and your powder charges. You can’t be too careful.”
To pull down a loaded round, first place the cartridge in the shellholder on your press ram. Then raise the round up into the bullet puller device installed where a die would go. The Hornady Cam-lock bullet puller works by clamping the bullet in a collet when you flip down the red-coated lever. Then, with the case held by the rim in the shell-holder, the bullet exits the cartridge as the press ram is lowered. It takes time, but it’s pretty fool-proof once you get the hang of it. This entire process is illustrated in Gavin’s video, starting near the four-minute mark.
The Hornady Cam Lock Bullet Puller has four (4) key components: 1. Cam-Lock die body; 2. Cam-Lock lever; 3. Stem; and 4. Collet (Caliber-specific).
NOTE: In order to use this tool, you’ll need the appropriate collet for each diameter range of bullets you intend to pull. For example use collet #3 for 6mm, collect #6 for 7mm, and collet #7 for .308 Caliber.
RCBS Lock-Out Die
A good safety option for users with progressive presses is the RCBS Lock-Out Die. This has a charge detection rod that dips into each case after powder has dropped. You adjust the die to the proper charge height for your desired load. If the actual dispensed charge is too high or too low, the Lock-Out Die senses the problem and stops the press from advancing to the next case (it does this by preventing the ram/shellplate from fully elevating). We’ve used the Lock-out die with success for both pistol and rifle cartridges. It’s sensitive to about one-half grain with pistol powders.
This Lock-Out Die works with Hornady and Dillon progressives as well as with RCBS progressives. It does take up one die station on the press.
A while back, RifleShooter Magazine released a list of the Ten Greatest Lever-Action Rifles of All Time. Writing for RifleShooter, Brad Fitzpatrick examined a wide selection of lever guns produced in the past 150 years, and came up with this short list of ten “all-star” lever action rifles:
Savage Model 99
Winchester Model 1873/73
Winchester Model 1888/88
Winchester Model 1892/92
Winchester Model 1894/94
As with all “Top 10″ lists, this will be controversial. Where is the Winchester model 1866 “Yellowboy”, the favorite of Native Americans? Where is the iconic Winchester model 1895, the beloved gun Teddy Roosevelt called “Big Medicine”? But other choices are hard to fault. The Henry Rifle, the first popular cartridge lever gun, surely belongs on the list. And, believe it or not, the Winchester Model 94 is the best-selling sporting rifle of all time in the USA, according to RifleShooter.
So what do you think of RifleShooter’s Top 10 list? Does it make sense, or did RifleShooter magazine get it wrong? NOTE, on the Rifleshooter Lever Gun Page, to see descriptions/photos of ALL the guns, you need to click the gray arrows that appear (barely) below each gun description (see below). That will scroll through the ten guns horizontally, back and forth.
Fitzpatrick writes: “The lever action played a very legitimate role in America’s westward expansion. It could bring meat to your table or protect your land and assets against rustlers. Nostalgia aside, the lever gun is an effective hunting tool for those willing to live within its limitations. While it can’t beat a bolt gun with a light trigger and free-floated barrel in a long-range shooting competition, a lever action in the right hands can be rather accurate, especially given new advancements in rifle design and bullet technology.”
Historic American Arms — Teddy Roosevelt’s Lever Guns
These two lever action rifles, owned by President Theodore Roosevelt, are part of the NRA Museum collection. First is a Winchester 1886 rifle known as the tennis match gun because Roosevelt used winnings from a tennis match to buy it. Below that is a suppressed Winchester model 1894 rifle. Roosevelt liked to shoot varmints around Oyster Bay (Long Island, NY) with this gun so he wouldn’t disturb his neighbors — the Tiffany and Du Pont families.
Want to improve your understanding of Ballistics, Bullet Design, Bullet Pointing, and other shooting-related tech topics? Well here’s a treasure trove of gun expertise. Applied Ballistics offers dozens of FREE tech articles on its website. Curious about Coriolis? — You’ll find answers. Want to understand the difference between G1 and G7 BC? — There’s an article about that.
“Doc” Beech, technical support specialist at Applied Ballistics says these articles can help shooters working with ballistics programs: “One of the biggest issues I have seen is the misunderstanding… about a bullet’s ballistic coefficient (BC) and what it really means. Several papers on ballistic coefficient are available for shooters to review on the website.”
Credit Shooting Sports USA Editor John Parker for finding this great resource. John writes: “Our friends at Applied Ballistics have a real gold mine of articles on the science of accurate shooting on their website. This is a fantastic source for precision shooting information[.] Topics presented are wide-ranging — from ballistic coefficients to bullet analysis.”
Here are six (6) of our favorite Applied Ballistics articles, available for FREE to read online. There are dozens more, all available on the Applied Ballistics Education Webpage. After Clicking link, select Plus (+) Symbol for “White Papers”, then find the article(s) you want in the list. For each selection, then click “Download” in the right column. This will send a PDF version to your device.
The new 18th Edition of the Cartridges of the World was released just last month (March 24, 2026) so it is very up to date. This massive 720-page reference contains illustrations and load data for over 1500 cartridge types. That makes it a unique, very valuable resource.
If you shoot a wide variety of cartridges, or are a cartridge collector, this book is a “must-have” resource. The latest 18th Edition includes many new cartridge types and 1500+ photos. The print version costs $37.71 at Amazon.com. Or you can get the print book from Amazon 3rd party sellers starting at $32.00 plus $3.99 shipping. The Kindle eBook version costs $21.99.
CLICK HERE for a large FREE Content Sample from the Kindle eBook version.
Updated 18th Edition with Feature Articles
The 18th Edition of Cartridges of the World includes cartridge specs, plus tech articles on Cartridge identification, SAAMI guidelines, wildcatting, and new cartridge design trends. Cartridges of the World, the most complete cartridge reference guide in print, includes a full-color section with feature articles on new 7mm Cartridges, PRC Cartridges, 9mm Cartrdige, and a special feature on Gun Safes.
View Free Book Sample Content
FREE STUFF for You: If you want to see what you are getting, there is a very large sample section of the 18th Edition available online with over 100 pages of content and dozens of photos and illustrations. To access all this FREE INFO, CLICK HERE, then look for the cover photo and click below the cover photos where it says “Read Sample”. It may take a few moments to fully load the sample pages. NOTE: This content is primarily from the Kindle digital 18th Edition.
Cartridges of the World 18th Ed. CHAPTERS:
Chapter 1: Current American Sporting Cartridges
Chapter 2: Obsolete American Rifle Cartridges
Chapter 3: Wildcat Cartridges
Chapter 4: Proprietary Cartridges
Chapter 5: Handgun Cartridges of the World
Chapter 6: Military Rifle Cartridges of the World
Chapter 7: British Sporting Rifle Cartridges
Chapter 8: European Sporting Rifle Cartridges
Chapter 9: American Rimfire Cartridges
Chapter 10: U.S. Military Ammunition 5.56 to 20mm
Chapter 11: Cartridge ID by Measurement
The King Cobra Target 22 LR is a great wheelgun from Colt Mfg. Co. (“Colt”). It is accurate, has a great trigger, and holds its value well. Colt states: “From competition to plinking and small game hunting, this baby Cobra does it all and packs 10-rounds of .22 LR in its cylinder”. The King Cobra Target 22 LR is available with five barrel options: 2″, 3″, 4.25″, 6″, and 8″ barrel lengths, all with 1:16″ RH rifling twist. The MSRP for all models is currently $1119.00, but you should be able to find one under $900.00. For example the 4.25″ and 6″ King Cobra Target are each under $885.00 at Guns.com. In addition, Colt is currently offering a $100 Rebate on Colt Revolvers, including the King Cobra Target 22 LR models.
The King Cobra Target 22 LR features USA-forged stainless steel construction. Designed and crafted for outstanding accuracy, new King Cobra Target 22 LR features a one-piece barrel/shroud with fiber optic front sight. The cylinder holds ten (10) rounds. The frame is fitted with an adjustable target rear sight and Hogue overmolded rubber grips.
This TFB Showtime episode examines the new .22 LR rimfire Colt King Cobra Target. The King Cobra Target 22 LR features a 10-shot cylinder, and the same adjustable target sights as the .357 Magnum version.
Last May, Justin Baldini, Colt’s VP of Product Strategy stated: “Shooting .22 LR is such an important part of shooting sports. It’s where we come to learn as a beginner; and where we return as seasoned shooters to cost-effectively enjoy more time at the range. We’re confident that new and old Colt fans will love what we’ve done with the new King Cobra 22 LR.”
All-American built, the King Cobra Target 22 LR should deliver exceptional accuracy and good reliability. Watch the video to see this rimfire revolver in action.
Commentary: We applaud Colt for introducing this new .22 LR wheelgun. Rimfire revolvers are great. This Editor owns a Smith & Wesson Model 617 ten-shot rimfire revolver that has easily fired more rounds than all his other handguns combined. A .22 LR revolver is great for training and fun for plinking. Like the Model 617, this Colt .22 LR wheelgun offers minimal recoil, great reliability, a nice sight radius, and affordable shooting. In addition, if you shoot single-action slow-fire, the trigger pull is light and crisp — better than the vast majority of semi-auto pistols. We think this new “Baby Snake” will be a great addition to any shooter’s collection.
The CMP has opened Registration for the 2026 National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. Since the turn of the 20th century*, Camp Perry has hosted major marksmanship events. While the rifle competitions get the most coverage, the Camp Perry National Matches also include bullseye pistol competitions. Traditional Bullseye pistol shooting can bring nearly a thousand competitors to Camp Perry each summer, as part of the CMP National Championships. For these Camp Perry pistol matches, held July 12-18, 2026, targets are set at 25 and 50 yards. The shooting position is standing and firing one-handed in slow fire, timed fire, and rapid-fire.
Since their inception over a century ago, the National Matches have become a major shooting sports festival with over 4,500 annual participants. Held at the Camp Perry Nat’l Guard Training Base, the National Matches now include both indoor and outdoor events. Adult and junior athletes are welcome.
Camp Perry Bullseye Pistol Competition
Camp Perry is synonymous with the oldest and most prestigious annual trophy matches in our nation’s history. And in a venue renowned for service rifle matches, the sport of precision pistol is no less important, no less challenging, and no less respected. The National Trophy Pistol Matches is all about traditional handgunning — the stance, the intense concentration, and of course, the one-handed grip. It’s all unmistakable as the game of Bullseye Pistol. Every year there are no fewer than 24 separate match trophies for the top Bullseye Pistol shooters, both military and civilian. And the very best will claim National Match Trophies and receive the President’s 100 Tab.
This video shows .45 ACP centerfire pistol competitors at Camp Perry
Civilians and military shooters competed together at the 2019 NTT Pistol Match.
The 2026 CMP Pistol Matches at Camp Perry include M9 EIC Match, the Pistol Warm-Up Match, the Pistol 2700 Aggregate, Team Matches, GSSF Glock National Challenge, Revolver Match, the CMP National Trophy Pistol Matches, and CMP Pistol Games Matches. To learn more about CMP events at the 2026 National Matches at Camp Perry, visit the CMP Nat’l Matches Website.
* The first National Matches at Camp Perry were held in 1907. SEE: A Short History of Perry and the National Championships by Hap Rocketto.
This content is Copyright 2026 AccurateShooter.com. No reproduction on any other website is authorized. Use of this content without payment of licensing fees is a violation of Federal law.
Tumblers and walnut/corncob media are old school. These days many shooters prefer processing brass rapidly with an ultrasonic cleaning machine. When used with the proper solution, a good ultrasonic cleaning machine can quickly remove remove dust, carbon, oil, and powder residue from your cartridge brass. The ultrasonic process will clean the inside of the cases, and even the primer pockets. Tumbling works well too, but for really dirty brass, ultrasonic cleaning may be a wise choice.
Our friend Gavin Gear has evaluated an RCBS Ultrasonic cleaning machine using RCBS Ultrasonic Case Cleaning Solution (RCBS #87058). To provide a real challenge, Gavin used some very dull and greasy milsurp brass: “I bought a huge lot of military once-fired 7.52x51mm brass (fired in a machine gun) that I’ve been slowly prepping for my DPMS LR-308B AR-10 style rifle. Some of this brass was fully prepped (sized/de-primed, trimmed, case mouths chamfered, primer pockets reamed) but it was gunked up with lube and looking dingy.”
UltimateReloader.com Case Cleaning Video (7.5 minutes):
Gavin describes the cleaning exercise step-by-step on UltimateReloader.com. Read Gavin’s Cartridge Cleaning Article to learn how he mixed the solution, activated the heater, and cycled the machine for 30 minutes. As you can see in the video above, the results were impressive. If you have never cleaned brass with ultrasound before, you should definitely watch Gavin’s 7.5-minute video — it provides many useful tips and shows the cleaning operation in progress from start to finish.
Ultra Dry Necks After Ultrasonic Cleaning — Some Suggestions
The Ultrasonic cleaning process gets cartridge brass so “squeaky clean” that increased force may be required to seat your bullets, or they may “grab” as they go in the necks. To reduce bullet-seating effort, you may benefit from adding a little dry case lube inside the case-neck before loading (use a nylon brush). Another trick is adding a teaspoon of Ballistol lube to the cleaning solution. That provides a trace lubricant inside the necks, but does not interfere with powder ignition in any way.
The latest Gen2 RCBS ultrasonic cleaning machine has a large 6.3-quart capacity. That’s nearly 100% larger than the first generation machine in Gavin’s video. The Gen2 machine, $434.52 on Amazon, features a second ceramic heater and transducer to better clean brass cases and firearm parts. The LED is easily programmable, and the timer can be set for up to 30 minutes of cleaning. The original 3.2 quart-capacity RCBS ultrasonic machine, as shown in Gavin’s video, is still available for $213.99 at Midsouth Shooters.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
Midsouth — RCBS Explorer Reloading Kit 2, $329.88
⏺️ » Great price for everything you need — press, powder measure, scale etc.
For folks getting started with hand-loading, a great basic package is the RCBS Explorer Reloading Kit 2. On sale for $329.88 at Midsouth, this RCBS Package features pretty much all you need to load rifle and pistol ammo: Reloader Special 5 single-stage press, Uniflow-III Powder Measure, 1500gr digital scale, hand priming tool, powder funnel, powder trickler, hex key set, deburring tool, loading block, and Case Slick spray lube. You even get a Speer Reloading Manual.
Palmetto SA — Bulk Ammunition Sale, Rimfire and Centerfire
⏺️ » Major savings on wide selection of rifle, pistol, and shotgun ammo
Here is a great opportunity to get quality ammo for your pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Head over to Palmetto SA for the current April Ammo Sale. There is a large variety of .223 Rem/5.56 NATO ammo, plus very affordable .38 SPL and 9mm ammo. Rimfire fans will find great deals on all popular types: .17 HMR, .22 LR, and .22 WMR. Along with the ammo types shown above, there are many other pistol cartridge types. Plus you’ll find a huge selection of 12ga and 20ga shotgun ammo starting at just $0.36/shell.
The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will take place at the George R. Brown Convention Center on April 16-19, 2026 in Houston, Texas. The Exhibit Hall is open all three days and will showcase over 14 acres of guns and gear. There will also be numerous special events, plus entertainment. If you would like to attend, REGISTER for the event and book your hotel soon.
The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits has events on April 16th and the convention hall will officially open at 9:00 AM on April 17. NRA members and immediate family receive free entry. Non-members can join online or at the door for immediate access. Visit NRAam.org for more information and to purchase tickets for special events. NRA Members receive free admission, while a Weekend “All Access” Pass is offered for $35, which includes a 1-year NRA membership.
Founded in 1871, the NRA marks its 155th year of service in 2026. In addition, on July 4, 2026 our nation celebrates its 250th year since the Declaration of Independence in 1776. As part of the Celebration of Freedom, this year’s NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will have special events and speakers at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
RCBS Lock-Out Die
