One man's take on GunCon 2025 in Cleveland, including the drama

As a gun owner and Buckeye Firearms Association volunteer, I try to attend as many gun-related events as possible.

These are opportunities to learn from seasoned experts — including the ever-entertaining "Guntubers" — and connect with likeminded individuals from all walks of life.

Such was the case with the Gun Collective's ConCon 2025 in Cleveland June 25-28. I walked away with an armful of industry connections and a deep appreciation for the quality of sponsors and VIP guests, many of whom represented gun-rights organizations, gear manufacturers, and rising start-ups.

Among the high-profile attendees were John Commerford and David Conte, representing National Rifle Association. Commerford gave thoughtful and conciliatory remarks regarding some of NRA's past challenges and laid out his vision for NRA's future, including objectives for the 2026 election cycle. His personal journey — marked by thrift and perseverance — clearly struck a chord with the audience.

On a related note: BFA represents Ohio at NRA meeting in Georgia

The panelists were informative and energetic and came from a range of backgrounds and experiences, sparking rich discussions about industry trends and Second Amendment rights.

Among the panelists was noted historian and former Cody Firearms Museum (Wyoming) director Ashley Hleblinsky, who took time to tell me about gun history and to discuss some of the court cases in which she has provided expert testimony recently. She and I had a lengthy discussion on gun trivia going back to our nation's founding — what the Founders were aware of at the time, in terms of arms development, which is very pertinent today in the 2A rights debate.

Also on hand were Eric Pratt of Gun Owners of America, Sean Maloney of Second Call Defense, and NRA board candidate Rob Beckman.

The Gun Collective has since made the panel recordings available here: youtube.com/watch?v=FFV-JviW-yk.

The media range day June 27 was hot — literally — but fun. Despite a modest manufacturer turnout, around 20 sponsors brought a mix of exciting new models and classic favorites to test out.

For example, Caldwell has a new shotgun clay target and thrower called the Claycopter that everyone seemed to enjoy taking a shot at. The rotary-blade round "clay" target's flight path mimics a standard clay but is much easier to launch.

Other manufacturers included DS Arms (which builds copies of the SA58, known as the "Austrian version of the FN FAL"), H&K, newer pistol maker Rost Martin, Hi-Point, Inland Manufacturing, Canik, Herrington Arms (makers of custom handgun compensators), newcomer Stuff and Things Inc., and many more.

Of course, no recap would be complete without noting the well-documented drama. In fact, TGC's John Patton addressed it in a YouTube video.

Missouri AG Andrew Bailey, YouTuber Johnny B, and Paul Glasco of Legally Armed America were banned from the event, with Patton saying it was "100% the choice of venue management."

Johnny B also mentioned it on his channel, as did Glasco on his. Bailey mentioned it in a post on X.

The owner of the venue, the Twist Drill Building, reportedly told them all to leave on the day of the show. According to Glasco, the owner objected to their "transgender" — or rather, anti-transgender — message.

Aside from the drama and the long lines to enter, GunCon 2025 was a massive hit, especially impressive for a newcomer to the convention scene. The admission line wrapped around the block, with a crowd that skewed younger (likely 45 and under) and included a healthy mix of women and minorities.

Did you attend? I’d love to hear what stood out most to you — and what could’ve been better.

Steven Loos is Buckeye Firearms Association central region director.