No Lowballers - SHOT Show 1925: Imagining a Roaring 20s Firearms Expo

Sportsmen's Empire - Western Big Game Hunting

In this episode of No Lowballers, Logan Metesh and Allen Forkner travel back to 1925 to imagine what SHOT Show might have looked like in the Roaring 20s. They discuss the innovations and products that would have defined the firearms industry during that time.

Episode Highlights:

• 270 Winchester Cartridge: A look at its introduction and its lasting impact as a popular hunting cartridge.
• Winchester Model 54 Rifle: How it marked the beginning of Winchester's iconic bolt-action rifles.
• Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR): The civilian version and how it transitioned to the Colt Monitor in the mid-20s.
• Smith & Wesson’s Single-Shot Target Pistol: A failed design that didn’t catch on with shooters of the time.
• Italian MBT 1925 Prototype: A unique, never-produced rifle that was displayed at the show.
• The Interwar Period: How innovations like smokeless powder and new calibers shaped the firearms industry.
• Military Influence: The development of tactical firearms and their presence in the civilian market.
• SHOT Show Media Evolution: How media and marketing at the show would have looked in 1925 compared to today’s digital era.

What are some of your favorite firearms from the Roaring 20s? What are you hoping to see at the 2025 SHOT Show? Share your thoughts in the comments! If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a rating and review!!

The No Lowballers Podcast explores the history and heritage of firearms. We hope to expose you to the vintage guns of the golden age along with newer, modern guns, specialty items, and a few other odd balls along the way. Jump in and come along for the ride! The show launches every Thursday morning. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.