SHOT Show Archives

Burris has taken a step away from the big ticket items this year, reaching back into the prism realm. New for this year, the Tri-Modular Prism riflescope, or TMPR. Available in 3x or 5x, these are the same size as the previous models, with a 40% gain in field of view. Illumination is now push button instead of dials, slimming the package. The reticle switches from red, green, or blue, and now features night vision settings to match the daylight ones.

During the 2018 SHOT Show, Lyman released their Brass Smith line of reloading presses. All of the presses in the Brass Smith line are made of heavy-duty cast iron and are designed to last a lifetime.

Taurus has come on with a vengeance in revolvers this year. The 692 is a full-sized revolver in .357 Magnum and .38 Special. Big deal, you say! Every .357 revolver also shoots .38 Special. That isn’t what we meant by multiple calibers. With one press of a button, the cylinder is removable, and in its place? Taurus has provided a 9mm cylinder. One wheelgun = three calibers. Now, we’re talking.

Leupold is an obvious class leader in rifle scopes, with a full line across every budget and purpose. With that kind of DNA in the system, it only makes sense that they have expanded the lines to cover every other optical need of the hunter and soldier. There are some exciting additions this year, and you are going to like them.

Never shy about putting a company on the spot, we dropped by Safariland with a baited ambush, to see who would walk into it. That unfortunate person was Keith Garcia.We ambushed him with other questions at SHOT to get the nitty-gritty details of what we can expect from the high-quality holster maker.

SHOT Show features not just all kinds of whiz-bang stuff for the civilian market, but to a limited extend Military and LE specific as well. ALS is the exclusive North American importer for and it was so cool we couldn’t pass it up. [one_half][/one_half][one_half_last][/one_half_last] Impressions Ripple Effect is out of South Africa, and was at [...]

New for 2018 is the Draco NAK9, which is cut from the same cloth as the original only the NAK9 is chambered in 9mm.  That makes it easier to control and cheaper to feed. 

Nighthawk is one of my favorite places to stop every year, if for no other reason, the unique twist they put on everything. Nighthawk is by far my favorite of the custom builders, and we are going to make it down to the shop in Arkansas one of these days.

Rock River Arms has teamed with Fred Eichler for new Fred Eichler Signature Series Predator rifles. These guns are designed from the ground up with the hunter in mind, and mostly that means weight savings. The barrels are fluted, and the handguards are carbon fiber. The rifle weighs in at only 6.9 pounds.

Vortex Optics has been growing by leaps and bounds, steadily chipping away at the market by dominating PRS and Hunting. Not so much new this year, but plenty improved.

When we think of the name Mossberg, most of us instantly envision a shotgun. They have been the leader in American shotguns for decades, and recently have been crushing it out of the park with new products like the 590 magazine-fed and the Shockwave. But they are also a powerhouse in rifles. And this year they are stepping into the precision game, with the Mossberg MVP Precision.

Trijicon was first to the game with the micro red dots, almost a decade ago. The purpose-built sights, sized to fit pistols, changed the game with red dot carry and suppressor ready guns. This year, they take that to the next level with theRMR 2.

Every year at SHOT Show the Cabot booth is always abuzz. No mystery on why that is. Rob Bianchin, Cabot’s Founder and President, consistently puts out the cat’s pajamas.

Kryptek has collaborated with Spike’s Tactical this year to bring us a lineup of limited edition AR-pattern firearms.  

SIG Sauer is best known for military-style hardware, ranging from submachine guns and sniper rifles, to the new Army M17 pistol. It is easy to forget they also make 1911 pistols, some of the best around. The first time I shot a Sig 1911 over a decade ago, it was hard to miss the value of the included high-end features. This year, SIG released a special edition “ We the People” model, a sure win for collectors.

SCCY is one of the last of the little guys, a firearms maker that isn’t part of a giant conglomerate. They set out to fill a single niche, and they have done that well. Sitting down with SCCY at SHOT 2018, we learned some of the reasons why.

It is not often I see something so cool I have to stop and look, even if in practical use it has to be ridiculous. But the FightLite pistol grabbed my attention. Part pirate gun, part AR, this is one of those products that make even the most cynical ask “ How does it work?” It looks like the Sand People on Tatooine should be carrying it, but I am pretty intrigued.

First up was the XD-E in 45 ACP. I have written a lot about the XD-E since it was first introduced in 9mm last year.

I affectionately call it the dark horse of the Springfield family because it is definitely not the first pistol that pops into mind when talking about S.A.   For those that dig the XD-E, they’ll argue that it’s the best pistol in the lineup.

Remember our coverage of the P210 last year? Me too. Followed immediately by Sig not shipping them. Catching up with SIG this year, they promised me they are both 1) real and 2) shipping right now. The new P210 is 100% American made, and sure to get you hot and bothered if you like target pistols. I still feel about it now exactly like I did at SHOT 2017.

Freedom Munitions has been one of the success stories of the last decade, moving from a tadpole start-up to an industry leader. They are constantly breaking new ground, and always a pleasure to see what they have dreamed up now.

Thompson Center is the brand we think of for muzzleloaders, with a long heritage in the game. For this year, most of the changes are cosmetic. The gets a dress change with the Real Tree Edge pattern of camouflage, with either a black weather shield barrel or a full Real Tree barrel. Also new for [...]

IWI is famous the world over for bullpup designs, and this year stepped out with Tavor 7, a feature-rich addition to the lineup. The Tavor 7 is chambered in 7.62×51, a first for IWI. The gun is obviously larger than the 5.56 Tavor series, going to a big boy caliber requires some additional materials. For the bulk though, you get a lot. The new Tavor 7 is only 3/4ths of an inch longer than the original model.

This year at SHOT 2018, TruGlo stepped into the riflescope arena by introducing the uber-affordable Intercept Series.  

Crimson Trace is, as they say, the leader in laser sights for firearms.  At SHOT Show 2018, we got a chance to swing by their booth to see what new offerings they have coming down the pike.

It is not often we see a caliber that actually changes the way we think about shooting. Wildcats abound, often with marginal improvement over a factory round at best. There are exceptions, though most calibers fail to catch hold. Even those backed by major players. Several new calibers have been tried in AR-15’s over the past few years, none strong enough to give the rifle new legs. Today, hopefully, that changes.

While the solicitation doesn’t call the PDW by its commercial name, it’s clear the military wants to play with SIG’s new MCX Rattler.

If there is one thing on God’s green Earth that makes my blood boil, it is when paint chip eating retards litter public lands with trash for targets. Not one day have I gone out shooting in Idaho and not seen mufflers or beer bottles left with a pile of shotgun hulls, clear evidence of paint huffing jackassery. I fully realize we will never stop all the stupidity. But my hope is that products like Target Factory’s Complete Target Frame can stop at least some of the stupidity.

Building off a very successful first year, AMTAC launched 2018 with the MANTIS series of suppressors. The MANTIS series is composed of four suppressors. All of them feature AMTAC’s mono-core system and three feature AMTAC’s signature over-barrel design. MANTIS suppressors directly thread to a barrel and are rated for Magnum calibers. Regarding price, MANTIS suppressors start at $799. Let’s take a quick look at the various models that make up the MANTIS lineup.

We got a chance to stop by and see the goons from High Threat Concealment this year, and get hands-on with the new stuff. Earlier in the year, I conducted a full review of a complete HTC belt system, and I was very impressed. These guys make purpose-built for real-world missions. The low vis system [...]