National Review Photos of NRA Annual Meetings In Houston

Above, the Springfield Armory exhibit booth. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in April, Mitch Geriminsky and I headed to Houston, Texas for the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

The exhibit hall held about 14 acres of dealers (800 of them). Although I had a great time, my legs were starting to give up the ghost when I walked the last aisle of exhibitors. 

I just spotted a page of 25 photos from the show posted by National Review. They are worth taking a look-see if one in considering attending a future show.

To view the photos, go here.

10 Lever-Action Rifles You'll Want In Your Collection

Above, the 2026 Henry Catalog I got at the NRA convention I gave to a friend.

When I went to the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits last week in Houston, Texas, I picked up a number of catalogs. One of which was from Henry Repeating Arms. 

It was a thick catalog of lever-action rifles they have available. I gave it to a friend who loves his Henry rifle. Ever since I bought my Winchester 94, it seems that lever-action rifles have been in high demand. Sometimes I wonder if I started this trend. 

Lever-action rifles is the topic of an article that The Avid Outdoorsman posted yesterday. It spotlights 10 rifles that should be in one's collection. 

It begins with:

Lever-action rifles have been a cornerstone of firearms history, combining functionality, reliability, and timeless appeal. Once a staple of hunting and frontier life, these rifles have evolved to meet modern needs, from traditional hunting to tactical home defense. Known for their smooth cycling and versatility, lever-action rifles continue to impress both seasoned shooters and newcomers alike. Here’s an in-depth look at 12 of the top lever-action rifles, showcasing their unique features and innovations that make them as relevant and effective today as they were in the past.

To read more, go here. 

Opinion of Houston

Above, believe it or not, Space Center Houston has longhorn cattle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that we have visited Houston, Texas for the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, here's my opinion of the host city.

After arriving in Houston, our first experience was with a car rental agency that ties to scam people into buying their insurance in order to rent a car. Not good. We ended up going with a name brand car rental agency.

Driving from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport wasn't too bad until we got onto the freeway system. The freeways (mainly Interstate 45) were clogged like those in Los Angeles. In fact, Houston reminded me of Los Angeles a lot. Small wonder, it is the nation's fourth largest city with a population of 6,971,000. It wasn't western in vibes, unlike Dallas and Fort Worth.

It seemed that every surface street had road work going on. The George R. Brown Convention Center was huge and a great place for the NRA convention.

We stayed in the Hobby Airport area at the Wyndham Hotel. I suspect it was once a Holiday Inn. The room was okay, but the hotel seemed to have seen better days. We had to shuttle to their sister hotel a block away for breakfast (at least the breakfasts were decent and free). 

Getting to the Space Center Houston and to Galveston wasn't too bad. But the traffic was terrible when heading to the downtown area for the NRA convention. Space Center Houston was great with a lot of neat stuff to see. Galveston was a nice place. 

We decided that we would avoid Houston for future trips. Fort Worth and Dallas were much nicer cities. We wouldn't mind visiting them again. 

George W. S. Abbey Rocket Park

Above, the flight certified Saturn 5 at Rocket Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When our tour of the Astronaut Training Facility ended, we departed the tram at the George W. S. Abbey Rocket Park.

According to the Visit Houston Texas website:

George W.S. Abbey Rocket Park, formerly known as Rocket Park, is located at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). In December 2021, JSC renamed Rocket Park after its former director, George Abbey, who began his four-decade-long NASA career during the Apollo Program.

At George W.S. Abbey Rocket Park, visitors have the pleasure of viewing four rockets that were used in NASA missions during the 1960s and 70s, including Little Joe II, Mercury-Redstone, the Gemini-Titan, and Saturn V, the tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever flown. 

Mighty and massive, the 30-story tall Saturn V is perhaps the most accomplished of the four with 9 trips into outer space (six of which landed on the Moon) carrying 27 Apollo astronauts. Saturn V also launched Skylab, America’s first space station, into orbit in its final mission. In total, 13 Saturn V rockets were launched into space. When fueled and ready for launch, the rocket can weigh 6.2 million pounds. That is almost the same weight as 39 space shuttle orbiters.

There are only three Saturn V rockets on display in the world. The rocket at NASA Johnson Space Center is the only one comprised of all flight-certified hardware. The other two rockets are made of flight hardware, mock-ups and test components.

Here are some photos taken at the George W. S. Abbey Rocket Park during our visit:

 

NRA Convention 2026 Recap | Thumper Fab

The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits didn't just have only guns and related accessories on display.

There were some nice off-road machines on display as well

Here, we have some off-road vehicles on display by Thumper Fab. These would be great to drive in nearby Six Mile Canyon of the Cibola National Forest of New Mexico. If I didn't have the 1952 Jeep, I would be looking into getting one of these.

Here's a video on the Thumper Fab off-road vehicles and other goodies at the convention:

Summary:

The NRA Convention 2026 in Houston, Texas was one to remember—and Thumper Fab x Houston Motorsports showed up in a big way.

In this recap video, we take you inside the show where some truly EPIC rigs turned heads and stopped the crowd. From long‑travel suspension to all‑new product releases, these builds showcased what’s possible when performance, utility, and premium fabrication come together.

 

By the way, I read that next year's NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits will be in Atlanta, Georgia.

NRA Annual Meeting 2026 : Day 1 Sights and Sounds!

NRA Annual Meeting 2026 : Day 1 Sights and Sounds! video by BigRedEDC

Summary:

A few segments of my day 1 walk around the 2026 NRA annual meeting in Houston, Texas.

Become a member of Big Red's Brigade by clicking the join button below the video or by using this link:    / @bigrededc   

 

Johnson Space Center Mission Control

Above, the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center building. Whenever
 astronauts are in space, a U.S. flag flies over the center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A highlight of my trip to Houston, Texas was to visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

It has been a focal point of the U.S. manned space program almost from the beginning. It opened in September 1963.

From Wikipedia:

The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight in Houston, Texas (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late U.S. president and Texas native, Lyndon B. Johnson, by an act of the United States Senate on February 19, 1973.

JSC consists of a complex of 100 buildings constructed on 1,620 acres (660 ha) in Clear Lake. The center is home to NASA's astronaut corps, and is responsible for training astronauts from both the U.S. and its international partners. It also houses the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center, which has provided the flight control function for every NASA human spaceflight since Gemini 4 (including Apollo, Skylab, Apollo–Soyuz, Space Shuttle and Artemis). It is popularly known by its radio call signs "Mission Control" and "Houston".

The original Manned Spacecraft Center grew out of the Space Task Group (STG) headed by Robert R. Gilruth that was formed to coordinate the U.S. crewed spaceflight program. The STG was based at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, but reported organizationally to the Goddard Space Flight Center just outside Washington, D.C. To meet the growing needs of the US human spaceflight program, plans began in 1961 to expand its staff to its own organization, and move it to a new facility. This was constructed in 1962 and 1963 on land donated by the Humble Oil company through Rice University, and officially opened its doors in September 1963. Today, JSC is one of ten major NASA field centers and the city of Houston's primary cultural footprint, earning it the official nickname "Space City" in 1967.

 

A Visit To Galveston

Last Saturday, we took a drive down to Galveston, Texas. It was only an hour's drive (about 50 miles) from Houston. 

One of the first things we noticed upon entering the city was that many homes were built on stilts so that they don't get flooded from the Gulf of America (or Gulf of Mexico). 

We drove by the cruise line terminals and the cruise lines we saw were Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

While in Galveston, we found a bagel shop and we treated ourselves to some coffee and bagels. My bagel was with lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese. Both halves were loaded with salmon.

Afterwards, we stopped at a cigar store and made some purchases. 

Before heading out, we saw what looked to be a graveyard of railroad engines of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad.

Some photos of our visit:

NRA Magazines Now Quarterlies

Above, the May issue of American Rifleman I picked up at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits 

A few minutes ago, I found out that the magazines published by the National Rifle Association, American Rifleman and American Hunter, have gone from monthlies to quarterly magazines.

I called the NRA Member Services this morning and they told me of the change. I get American Rifleman with my membership. The nice lady on the phone said that May, August and November will be the months American Rifleman will be published this year.

I was wondering why I didn't get the April issue or, to date, the May issue. The aforementioned change is the reason why. She said the May issue should be arriving shortly.

However, I did get a copy of the May issue of American Rifleman at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits convention in Houston.. 

Inside The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits

Above, yours truly at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits was quite a show. 

It was touted as 14 acres of exhibits. After having been there, I have to agree. I am still suffering from a cramping of my left leg muscle. I have been practically walking around like the Mummy Kharis. 

My friend Mitch Geriminsky was smart, he rented an electric scooter with a seat. The cost for it was $70.00. 

I did manage to take a few photos at the exhibit hall of the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Here's some of them:

Astronaut Training Facility

Above, an Orion spacecraft trainer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During our visit to Space Center Houston, we took a tour to the Astronaut Training Facility.

Inside were mock-ups of various spacecraft including the International Space Station, Orion, Soyuz and future space station facilities. 

Here's some photos I took during the tour:

Space Center Houston's Saturn 5

Above, the Apollo capsule at the top of the Saturn 5. Photo by Armand Vaquer

I just downloaded the photos I took with the Canon camera. They range from the Space Center Houston to the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits to Galveston.

Here, I took some photos of one of three existing Saturn 5 rockets. It was built for an Apollo moon mission but the mission was canceled. It actually was certified to flight status before cancelation.

Home Again!

After six days, I am finally back home from Houston, Texas.

That's another place that I can check off my "bucket list" of places to travel to. Along with the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits, we managed to see the Johnson Space Center and take a drive to Galveston.

That should be it for traveling for a while. 

I scanned the photo taken at the Johnson Space Center and it is posted below:

Houston Trip Wrapping Up

Above, an Apollo Lunar Module on display at the Johnson Space Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The trip to Houston, Texas will be wrapping up tomorrow.

The first full day, Thursday, was spent at the Johnson Space Center where we toured the facilities. It was an interesting place to visit and I highly recommend it.

On Friday, the day was spent at the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits at the George R. Brown Convention Center. I managed to see all of the exhibits, but I was worn out by the end of the day, particularly my lower back and legs. 

Saturday was spent in Galveston (around 50 from Houston). We managed to find a great bagel shop and went to nearby Buc-ee's. 

We have an early morning flight to Albuquerque tomorrow. I just hope we don't have problems getting through the TSA check.

NRA Annual Meeting Day One 2026!

NRA Annual Meeting Day One 2026! video by Outdoor News America.

Summary:

We tour the show and show you cool new products at the NRA Annual meeting in Houston TX! Day one show coverage! Let’s Go!

 

Reuters Photos of NRA Show

Above, yours truly at the registration area. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Reuters posted 26 photos from yesterday's opening day for the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

These photos will give the viewer a great idea on what the event has to offer. It was a well-attended event and one I would recommend putting on one's "bucket list" of things to do at least once in their lives.

To access the photos, go here.

2026 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits

Above, attendees waiting for the exhibit hall to open. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today was spent at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston for the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits.

Mitch Geriminsky and I spent about five hours checking out the exhibit hall that is purported to be 14 acres big. It seems that way. By the time we were done, we were pretty much exhausted.

Above, Houston's mounted police outside of the convention hall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

NRA members are admitted free. All they have to do is punch in their NRA membership number in the registration computers and a badge is immediately printed up. Badge holders were provided by Midway USA.

There were raffles in the hallway that were $20/entry for assorted firearms. 

Above, Springfield Armory's booth. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Inside the exhibit hall (that opened at 9:00) were display booths by gun manufacturers, knife dealers, accessories, outfitters for resorts and ranches along, campers and other outdoorsy items. There were two food courts at opposite ends of the hall.

Above, yours truly at the registration area. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

By the time I was done looking (I managed to go through all aisles), I was exhausted. This had to be the biggest gun show I've ever attended. 

Tomorrow, we'll probably go to Galveston to look around. It is about 50 miles from Houston. 

Airport Smoking Oddity

Here's an oddity we spotted at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

It was the smoking area at the airport's terminal. But it also had a no smoking sign. 

Here's Mitch with the two signs:

 

Car Rental Agency From Hell

Above, the car rental agency office from hell. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one should ever visit Houston, Texas and are in need of a rental car, one place they should never use is York Car Rental.

They are not included in the regular car rental companies that have bus service at the George Bush International Airport. They have their own shuttle van that is black.

After waiting a considerable amount of time for the van, we were taken to their business that is several miles from the airport. Upon arrival, customers have to wait in line as they have only three booths for arranging for a rental. One does not talk to a live person, but to someone in a television monitor. Frankly, I think their whole business model is a scam to force people to take their insurance.

Here's what I posted at Yelp (be sure to read all of the posted reviews):

Horrible business. They try to gouge people to take their insurance if you don't have your car insurance declaration page. Who keep their policy declaration pages with them? Their cars in shoddy condition. One tire had a cut in the sidewall an another tire had a bubble/blister forming. 

We ended up canceling and headed to a name-brand car rental agency at the airport with Uber. 

Besides the above, the representatives are unprofessional and are televised from some unknown location. Also, they are so bad that most from our van group ended up going ballistic on them and walking out. The average time people are in the booths were around an hour. 

Posted by Brian D. at Yelp:

This is an absolutely terrible business model for an airport rental car company. The amount of time it takes for someone to get a rental car at this location exceeds an hour. It is worth it to pay the extra price for an Avis or Hertz or some kind of a reputable car company rather than deal with the object incompetence of this system. The people may be very nice, but when it takes this long to rent a car the weight is not worth the decrease in price. They lure you in with a cheap price and then double the price of the car rental insisting you take their insurance. This is a bait and switch scam that the FBI and local law-enforcement should look into.

Customers are made to jump through so many hoops that it is a wonder that they didn't ask for a pint of blood to get a car. Maybe I shouldn't give them any ideas.