On the fun side of things, we got a chance to stop by the Marlin booth, and look at the new additions to the lineup. I, for one, don’t think lever actions get nearly enough love in the modern world. And what I saw at the booth make me want to fix that immediately.

Kimber has been making waves with the K6s revolver line, which are words I never thought I would be typing. From the introduction 2 years ago, they have been steadily growing the line with more and more offerings. This year, three new models are set to debut.

Excellent news.  The wait for the PKO-45 is over!  The gun is currently shipping. Visit GunsAmerica to shop for your new all-metal, single-stack .45 ACP.

RCBS has come to market this year with several updates. First off, they’re offering 30-pound pound Rotary tumbler with ergonomically friendly embedded handles. Let’s face it, dropping 30 pounds of brass and media isn’t something you want on a bare toe and these handles are a welcome and improved design. The RCBS lead furnace is also upgraded to a 25-pound capacity with a digital temperature control. Building from the same technology, they’re also offer25-pound pound lead pot is now available with a digital control.

Desert Tech is certainly among the most innovative of all firearms companies and is primarily known for their bullpup .50 BMG designs. Last year they introduced the MDR (Micro Dynamic Rifle), and this year it has gone into full production. It really says something about a company, when they consider the .308 as their “micro-sized” rifle!

From Magnum Research this year, we have a mixed bag of new finishes and new firearms. Good news if you are a collector, the case hardened line has been extended. The 50 AE, 44 Magnum, and 357 Magnum models are all shipping now.

As far as bang for your buck goes, TriStar Arms has established a very good reputation. Way down at the bargain end of the spectrum, the prices are so low that it’s often overlooked by serious shotgunners. At GunsAmerica, we don’t believe you should need a trust fun to shoot trap or skeet, so we dropped by TriStar during SHOT 2018 to check out the new products.

The real surprise of SHOT Show 2018 came from Ruger, and I would argue this for best of the new firearms, and second place contender for the story of the year. Only 224 Valkyrie as a cartridge ranks higher in my opinion, and that is saying something. So Ruger has decided to enter the Pistol Caliber Carbine game, and I am really glad I didn’t spend the last year on R&D for a competing product. Because Ruger is going to sink a lot of ships with their new Ruger PC Carbine.

Oh, those crafty Finns. Apparently not content to just mop the floor with the competition in centerfire rifles, this year have introduced a rimfire called the T1x. How can I be so sure this is a winner since I haven’t shot it yet? It’s simple. The features are insane.