A few months ago, I mentioned ShotShow 2024, and covered some of the more exciting new products that I saw coming out. There was a LOT this year, and while it typically takes some time for all the new releases to make an appearance in person, this year, it seems like quite a bit came out of the gate ready to ship. We haven’t nearly seen everything there is to come, but I was finally able to get my hands on some of the new for 2024 products and put them up against the image that the early marketing material painted in my head. While we wait on the rest, let’s take a look at what’s arrived.

Smith and Wesson 1854

This was one of the most talked about guns at Shot Show this year, and for a few good reasons. Fans of the levergun are happy to have another high-quality option on the market at a competitive price, and fans of Smith and Wesson were interested to see the company return to a set of roots they laid down more than 100 years ago.

In any case, as far as I can tell, the excitement was justified. It was easy to assume that the minds at Smith and Wesson would turn this rifle out with exceptional quality. I mean… wood and steel, .44 magnum, brushed stainless, velvety bluing? All of these things are right in their wheelhouse, and holding one in my hands finally, I can tell they delivered. While I haven’t been able to take one to the range yet, holding one in my hands is exactly how I expected, which is to say that I imagined that the same care and craftsmanship that appears in the company’s many revolvers to be reflected in the action and finish, and it certainly is. The action runs smoothly, the finish is attractive and durable, and even fresh out of the box, you don’t encounter any mechanical resistance from poor fitment. 

The rifle stands as a very nice, utilitarian .44 magnum levergun, and if you were looking to add something that ticks those boxes to your collection this year, you should really come take a look at the 1854.

Benelli Lupo HPR

This was possibly what I was most excited about following all the new release announcements for 2024. I love watching manufacturers bridge the gap between factory and custom built rifles for the consumer, and Benelli has taken a surprisingly strong step in that direction with the Lupo series of rifles. 

What makes the Lupos so interesting, is that in addition to offering the enhanced performance that is becoming the standard in the rifle business, Benelli is incorporating their own style and features into the game. There are quite a few rifle manufacturers that will offer a sub MOA accuracy guarantee and some modularity in their stocks, but Benelli has been taking that a step further with completely unique things like flush fitting, double-stack magazines, their progressive comfort recoil management stock, and two piece stocks.

You can tell I was already a fan, but when I heard how much they were expanding on the design for the HPR, it definitely perked my ears up. They rebalanced the gun by making subtle changes like barrel flutes and added as much modularity and adjustment to the stock that it now rivals some of the more high-end competition chassis as far as function, right down to a shim system similar to the one found in their renown shotgun lines. M-lok attachment points are built into the crucial points of the stock for a whole world of attachments to mount seamlessly.

What you’re left with is an extremely impressive rifle and thankfully… it FEELS just as good as I thought. Our first HPR arrived recently, chambered in .308, and while I myself will hold out for a 300 PRC, my excitement for the rifle was reignited instantly. On announcement, the promises that were made for this rifle sounded MASSIVE, but thankfully, every piece of this rifle screams “Benelli” when it comes to it’s build quality. Considering the amount of features that are packed onto this rifle make it ready for your favorite ARCA plates, bags, and bipods, just add your optic of choice and it’s ready to go. If you’re as excited about this rifle as I am, we may still have one on the shelf, and I encourage you to call down to the retail store and see if we have one available to put your hands on, and look for me to do more with one of these rifles in the coming year.

Ruger American Gen 2

Next up is a rifle in an entirely different category. While some rifles aim to pack all the newest and greatest features of modern shooting into one single package, others simply look to bring you excellent function, in any caliber you’d like, for a not only competitive, but extremely attractive price. 

Ruger has been serving this niche in the market for quite some time with their “American” rifles, and with the gen 2, they’ve added a few features that make the line stand out. A few months back, I saw a rifle in a “roughtech” style stock with a nice Cerakote finish, attractive spiral flutes, and a detachable magazine. I was almost surprised when I picked it up and saw “Ruger” stamped on the side. 

It was an extremely pleasant surprise though, and it makes sense that Ruger would be willing to take their already standout platform and give it a few new tricks. In addition to the spiral fluting on the barrel, and new stock, the rifle offers a user-adjustable length of pull, and a pre-installed cheek riser that can be removed to use with lower mounted optics. they still come standard with threaded barrels (a MUST for new production rifles, in my opinion), with several calibers including a pre-installed muzzle brake. They’re still available in their “standard”, “predator”, and “ranch” configurations, and are still available in pretty much any caliber you could want. It’s becoming widely known that when a cool new caliber comes out, there will be a Ruger American rifle coming right behind it. In fact, in my personal experience, there have been a few times recently where it would have been possible to get my hands on a Ruger American rifle chambered in a new round before I could even get ahold of the ammunition! With announcements already made for chamberings in 6mm ARC, 22 ARC, 400 Legend, and others, we can safely say that trend is going to continue in the gen 2.

The best part is, we already know that the Ruger American is a good rifle, that functions and sells well. It remains popular for it’s variety and price point. Holding one in my hand, I was happy to see that Ruger didn’t mess with the formula all that much, they just added to it. Underneath the new makeover is the same old Ruger American, in the same price bracket, with more features.

We’re just scratching the surface here. One of my favorite parts about Spring is that it is the first part of the year when we start to see all the newest and coolest start to arrive. There will be more, a lot more. In fact, since writing and formatting this piece, there’s already BEEN more. So I have my work cut out for me moving forward for the next while. What are you waiting to get your hands on? What should I be seeking out to see if I can get ahold of and play with this spring? Let me know in the comments below, or reach out to me at cj@fuquaygun.com and I’ll be happy for the excuse to go find a new gun. Keep up with us on social media, and check back here at shopfuquaygun.com to shop around and see all the new stuff we’re adding to our web store daily. Thank you all for reading!