About us
Big Top Promotions
who are we?
The seeds of Big Top Promotions were sown decades ago when the founders experienced a life changing event. Credible threats made against their lives by dangerous parties were confirmed by law enforcement, and they were given warnings and information regarding their safety. (Click below to open a section that tells the rest of our story)
More
Realizing their vulnerability and tiring quickly of living in extreme fear and paranoia they sought out ways to improve their safety and ability to self-defend. They found to their dismay that there were very limited resources where the average citizen could get educated and make informed decisions. Thus, the idea of creating a friendly professional environment that specialized in self-defense weapons staffed with non-commission personal shoppers assisting and educating customers was born. Originally a small family business, it has grown significantly over the years adding one satisfied customer at a time, becoming the largest of its kind in the northwest. The principles of a large diverse selection offering the best choices, the very best service and employing a transparent efficient checkout have remained constant.
Our sales
What can you expect at a Big Top Sale? Picture the selection at a big box sporting goods retailer, then think bigger. Much bigger. Then add in multitudes of knives, plentiful ammunition in various calibers, and a huge selection of accessories. Now you’ve got it. More guns, more knives, more ammunition.
So much more than sales
Our Services
friendly atmosphere
Our shows are lively and upbeat. You’ll enjoy music and positive employees. Our staff loves connecting people to the right firearm and sharing their knowledge
safety first
Handling firearms is a serious business. Even unloaded, they are due respect at all times. At our shows you can expect only the safest display and handling of firearms
Philosophy of use
Home defense? Concealed carry? Long range target shooting? Plinking at the range? There are so many firearms that work best in each. We are here to help you.
customer service
Our goal is to help you find what you want, what fits your needs and to provide product education. High pressure sales? No way. Our staff does not work on commission.
What Drives Us
Our Mission
Our mission has always been the same. We strive to provide gun sales that provide the greatest selection of what you’d expect a guns sale to have- guns, knives, ammunition and accessories. As gun enthusiasts ourselves, we were frustrated with gun shows that provided a little of that. Our business was founded on the idea that we would provide the greatest selection of guns, knives, ammo, and accessories and leave the rest to the flea markets. We continue to grow this mission every day.
Come See Us!
We have sales throughout Western Washington. You will find a sale nearly every weekend of the year. You can wait for a sale near you, or you can take a short drive and visit us in a city near you. Either way, we’d love to see you!
Upcoming Events
november 20-21: vancouver
Sat 9-6, Sun 9-4 Admission: General $10, Military $5 (with ID), Kids under 18 free with adult
november 26-28: Everett
Fri 12-6, Sat 9-6, Sun 9-4, Admission: General $10, Military $5 (with ID), Kids under 18 free with adult
new products
Featured Guns
Walther pdp
Walthers “Personal Defense Pistol” is an amazing new gun. See the Guns and Ammo review here. (Photo credit: Mark Fingar)
cz ts2
This beautiful new offering from CZ is one of the more accurate on the market. Read Frank Melloni’s review here. (Photo: Unknown)
Sig Sauer p365
Arguably the best concealed carry pistol to hit the market… well, ever. Read the PDW Magazine review here. (Photo: Richard King)
new products
Featured Knives
Benchmade bugout
The Benchmade Bugout is an elegantly utilitarian EDC knife. Read more about it in the Gear Junkie Review here. (Photo credit: Josh Wussow)
spyderco amalgam
This beautiful new flipper from Sypderco is fantastic. Learn more about the Amalgam in Nick Shabazz’s review here. (Photo: Nick Shabazz)
protech malibu
This high-end button release flipper is something special. Watch the YouTube review on the Malibu by 7redi here. (Photo: 7redi)
The gold standard
Big Top Gunsales
Admission vs. memberships
Gun shows have admission fees. Why? Overhead, venue rental, etc. Basically it helps with the cost of doing business. Some gun shows have “memberships.” Big Top does NOT believe in memberships. In years past, this was a mechanism to assure members had current background checks and could purchase guns same day. This is no longer the case and memberships are an outdated concept.
selection is key
Some gun shows resemble flea markets. That’s ok, but it is not our business model. We believe that people who attend our sales aren’t looking for beanie babies, t-shirts, beef jerky, scented candles, etc. etc. We believe our customers are shopping for guns, knives, ammo, and accessories. We strive to provide the largest selection of these items. As the largest gun retailer in Washington, we proudly do.