SHOT Show Archives

There were enough new ammo introductions at the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas to cover ever shooter’s palate, from the long-range warrior to the competitive pistol champion. Several manufacturers introduced brand-spanking new offerings for newly developed cartridges, like Hornady’s Precision Hunter in 6.5 PRC and Federal Premium with the 224 Valkyrie. There’s been quite a few exciting additions for competition shooters, too, with range-friendly loads from Federal and Inceptor that are capable of knocking down steel targets while reducing splash back from projectiles. There was even quite an assortment of new shotgun loads for wingshooters and turkey hunters.

Down at the Kahr Arms booth, we got hands-on with the new hotness. Most of the changes for 2018 were cosmetic, with a healthy dose of John Tiegen signature series guns. These guns feature laser engraved logo’s for his charity, signature, and a very cool Kryptek pattern hydro dip on the frames. A portion of [...]

A suppressed .22 LR pistol is fun, but ultimately a .22 LR rifle is more useful. If you have the spare coins, Gemtech’s MIST-22 Integrally Suppressed 10/22 barrel blows the doors off a normal-sized suppressor.

Over the past two years, it seems as if everyone and their brother has climbed on board the Pistol Caliber Carbine bandwagon.  Not Hi-Point though, it’s old hat for them.

Among the unicorns of handguns, perhaps only the Bren Ten surpasses the .44 Auto Mag in the world of “ Guns that should have made it.” The Auto Mag has a long and storied history, with less than 9,000 total guns produced. It could easily be described as a great idea, poorly executed, with some bad business plans tossed in the mix. It is estimated that the original Auto Mag cost the company $1,000 in losses for each gun that went out the door. The last of the original Auto Mag chambered in .44 AMP was assembled in 1982. In 2015, a new company formed the Auto Mag LTD. Corp.purchased all the rights to the bring it back to the market.

Syntech Ammunition was launched a few years back, specially designed as a high-quality training round. It keeps a lead core, but the jacket is polymer. The bullet is encased to keep any lead on steel contact from inside the gun, eliminating aerosolized lead and overall making a cleaner to shoot round. The construction also reduces splash back from steel targets.

One company that I have a lot of respect for is Gunwerks. Every year at SHOT Show I swing by their booth to check out their latest products and chat with their staff. The Gunwerks staff are enthusiastic, friendly, professional and above else, skilled long-range shooters. This year at SHOT Show, Gunwerks introduced three new carbon fiber stocks; the CLYMR, MAGNUS, and VERDICT.

Smith & Wesson has dominated the revolver sports as long as I can remember, so it is no shock the Performance Center 686 Plus has every feature a growing boy needs.

Originally, the Ghost Gunner could only complete AR lowers. But back in October, Wilson launched an updated version that expands its capabilities. Ghost Gunner 2 can now produce ARs, of the -15 and -10 variety, as well as 1911s and Glock-compatible pistols.

Geisselle is best known for a suite of AR triggers, suitable for every platform and style. They have become a force to be reckoned with, and are featured as standard equipment in more premium rifles than any other brand. In addition, they have slowly but surely created fantastic tools, hand guards, and a variety of other products. This year at SHOT Show, they pulled several rabbits out of the hat.

During the 2018 SHOT Show, Sauer released the Sauer 100 Pantera rifle. The is a bolt action rifle optimized for long range shooting and hunting. The Pantera features an adjustable comb and butt pad. Additionally, a match grade, heavy, threaded barrel make this rifle ready to go right from the box. SPECS: Available calibers: .223 Remington/.243 Winchester/.300 [...]

Sure Shot uses a different style of architecture in how a call is built, going back to the companies first patent, for a double reed call held together by rivets. Starting in 1959, they won pretty much every calling contest in the world for a decade straight. Since that first duck call, they have expanded into many styles of predator calls, and continue to be used by hunters around the world today.

Stag Arms is a company we know for high-quality products, especially if you are left-handed. The leader and often only choice for the devil handed, everything they make is available in either left or right pattern. Well, good news friends. They have jumped on the Valkyrie train. At SHOT 2018 we stopped by and checked out the new Stag 15 Valkryie.

Daniel Defense is no stranger to the AR platforms, they are among the leaders in the field. Arguably, they make the best rifles on the market today. From competition grade 7.62 all the way to the 5.56 upper of choice for SOCOM, they do AR’s right. But what about the pistol market?

NEMO Arms is synonymous with serious innovation, as they consistently deliver premium solutions in arena’s others dare not tread. Most iconic is the NEMO Omen, a semiauto .300 Winchester Magnum powerhouse, a weapon that screams “ let slip the dogs of war!”

H&K had some small announcements for SHOT Show 2018, as well as a big one. First things, first — let’s talk about the rifle.

For those of us that regularly shoot steel target at long distances, spotting impacts can be difficult. Target cameras can be a viable solution, but in my experience will not last a typical day of shooting due to the loss of battery. One very innovative product I saw during the 2018 SHOT Show was the T1000 Target Hit Indicator from Magneto Speed.

LethalLace is a wrap that allows users to secure their concealed carry handgun almost anywhere on their body. Designed for maximum comfort, it works in any environment.

aracal USA made a huge splash earlier this summer with the introduction of the Enhanced F pistol. The ergonomics are fantastic, they feel great. The triggers are well above average, and the bore axis is incredibly low. The quick sight model features an innovative design, with the rear sight, moved to the front of the chamber, making for lighting fast acquisition. So with that much new earlier this year, what was left? Turns out, plenty.

From long-range precision rifles to custom-grade hunting rifles, there was plenty of new product debuted at the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas to make every shooter take notice. If any major trends stand out, it’s the widespread and growing popularity of long-range shooting that has spawned several new precision rifle introductions, like Remington’s Model 700 PCR, as well as the popularity of cartridges like the 6mm and 6.5 Creedmoor. Breaking ground in a different arena, CZ USA showcased its 455 Scout rifle in .22 LR, which was topped with one of the company’s new proprietary suppressors. From budget-friendly to budget crushing, there was a rifle for every man’s taste at the show. Here’s a look at some of the best new rifles for 2018.   

 Winchester Repeating Arms, a rifle manufacturer made famous by the innovative lever action Model 1866, debuted a concept chassis style rifle at the 2017 SHOT Show. One year later, the Winchester XPC is ready to hit the market.

New for 2018, Walther dropped the PPQ subcompact at SHOT Show. Following countless consumer requests, the famous PPQ has now been shrunk to subcompact size. The sub takes the same famous Walther trigger and mates it with a 3.25-inch barrel. It ships with two magazines are in the box, one a flush fit 10, the other a 15-round extended magazine. The 15 round includes a grip extender, and when inserted, gives the subcompact a full-size grip.

Eberlestock has long been known amongst civilians for hunting packs, establishing a reputation for hell and back reliability. Arguably, no pack company has done more when it comes to innovative designs. Less well known, for years military snipers have used them as well. The off the shelf solution solved a variety of problems since the [...]

Aimpoint is the gold standard for red dot optics, the mark by which all others are judged. Over the years we have seen the growth, or perhaps shrink is a better term, of the Aimpoint line from the legendary Comp 2, down to the micro T1. With several variations of each, there is something for everyone and every gun. So it is always exciting to hear what is next.

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!