SHOT Show Archives

I am much relieved this year at SHOT Show to find out we can all stop dressing in 5.11 pants and carrying bag packs that look like they came off the set of 24. It’s still tactical, but casual like I’m an off duty ninja. Makes sense, right? Innovation from the tactical companies has been all shit that looked tactical, so if you wanted to fly incognito, you bought your stuff at REI. Vertx has been the first to step up and fix this problem, starting with a new line of bags this year.

ATN is well-known for its night vision and thermal gear, and it had some really interesting products on display at SHOW Show 2017. I had a chance to talk with ATN’s Steve Lemonov about some of the more interesting offerings they had on hand.

Following their success with their .22-caliber M1 Garand, Kingston is launching a rimfire replica of the M14 rifle for 2017.

One of the other patterns we saw at SHOT Show 2017 was that of PCC (or “pistol caliber carbines). These have really taken off over the last year, for both home defense shooters and competitors. The adoption of a pistol caliber carbine division of USPSA sport shooting has been a driving force in this market, and it looks like it is here to stay. This year, Rock River Arms introduced a carbine built exactly for this.

New for SHOT Show 2017 was the .45 ACP version of the popular new M&P 2.0 pistol line, as well as several new M&P rifle variants.

To say that Walther has a reputation for quality would be an astounding understatement. With a tradition that spans back to classics like the PPK as well as the P.38 up to modern masterpieces like the P99, Walther is renowned for making great guns. New for this year are two great options: the $399 Creed pistol and the competition-ready Q5 Match.

Have you always wanted to own a short-barreled shotgun but not wanted to deal with the NFA hassle? Well, now there is an easy and simple (and factory-direct) way to do it. The new 590 Shockwave from Mossberg is a 14-inch barreled shotgun that is classified and fully compliant by the BATFE, and does not require a tax stamp for transfers.

To learn more about this knife, check out the . Overview Zero Tolerance’s 0460 really caught my eye at SHOT this year. With its radically curved handle and upswept blade, the knife has a cool Persian influence that is hard to ignore and something one doesn’t come across too frequently in the EDC blade market. [...]

If you ever wanted to make your Mosin-Nagant or Swiss K31 into an optics native sniper or hunting rifle, the accuracy in the guns is generally there, sub-MOA, but you need a rock solid mount, and a good stock. Rock Solid Industries and Bluegrass Gunstocks has your answer.

Diamondback has some .308 ARs that look promising this year, and street price should be under $1,000. They have also updated the DB9 with some new internals, and the DB9 and DB380 will now be cut for Glock sized sights.

Don’t forget to visit the ! Overview Magneto Speed isn’t exactly the new kid on the block, but they aren’t as well know as I’d imagine they’d be because they make a really unique product, a bayonet-style chronograph! That’s right, a chronograph that mounts right below your muzzle, like a bayonet, and measures bullet velocity [...]

One of the true stars of SHOT was the SIG P210, which was re-released in all its glory.

This year at SHOT Show, we got a chance to lay our hands on it. Enter the Colt Combat Unit AR.

We had a chance to visit the Crimson Trace booth at SHOT Show 2017 and see some of their exciting new products. Take a look to see what we found.

One of the biggest changes we are seeing in predator hunting, especially in states like Texas that have relaxed regulations for certain animals, is the growth of night vision and thermals. The consumer is by far the winner in this equation, as the price of technology is driven down by stiff competition. Several companies at SHOT Show offered thermals, but we liked the Pulsar brand ones in particular. We looked at two models, one an entry-level model called the Core and another mid-price one called the Trail.

It may seem that a lot of guns are full of innovation. They really aren’t. We jabber about them and pretend that they are exciting, but at the end of the day, it’s more of the same old stuff. I love the new details and features as much as the next guy, but this guy Brian has introduced some innovation that nobody else out there is even working on. In this video you’ll find a reloading system for all of the .22 rimfires. There is also a DIY percussion cap maker, and a system to reprime Berdan with standard boxer primers. Some of these products are already in house for individual review, but I’ll cover the basics here.

Savage has decided to step into the AR market with its new MSR line (made up of .223 and .308 variants). Savage has always been one of the most underrated rifle brands in my opinion, delivering more accuracy per dollar than anyone else. My first rifle was actually a Savage, a 110 model in .30-06, that delivered half-MOA accuracy out of the box. With Savage in the AR game now, the AR world may get stood on its head.

The concept of Full Conceal starts with the idea that you are somehow better off with a folded in half full sized service length pistol than you would be with a true pocket pistol and extra mags…against an AR-15 and an assailant with a purpose. er, is true never.

The anti-gunners thought they killed ARs in California, but LWRC has found a way to keep them alive.

Since its inception in 2007, the Caracal pistol has been seen as an exotic, foreign-born, wonderment.

Kimber broke some new ground last year with the introduction of their K6s revolver line. This year featured some new additions to that line, sure to make them a major player in the wheel gun market.

The .380, otherwise known as the 9mm Kurtz, will always be a popular cartridge for concealed carry. Guns are just less snappy than with the 9mm, and a less powerful gun that you will shoot and will carry is always better than a more powerful gun that you won’t shoot and carry. That was the thinking with the new SCCY doublestack .380. They already make a small doublestack 9mm that has gained a decent name for itself, especially when you factor in cost. So it was a natural addition to add the lower powered, and less intimidating .380 to the line.

I don’t think anyone has yet improved over the reliability of Benelli shotguns, including Benelli. So unfortunately, we didn’t see some crazy new operating system this year that would make even the impressive and capable Inertia Driven system look stone age by comparison. There is always next year, though. We did see some serious improvements on the comfort side of the house though, with the new Super Black Eagle 3.

Thompson/Center has long been synonymous with muzzle loading firearms. Last month at a Smith and Wesson event, we got to go hands-on with all the new options from Thompson/Center. In fact, I pulled the trigger on my first ever muzzleloader at that event. At SHOT Show 2017, we got chance to spend some more time with them and get the latest scoop. Some of the big stories this year are the Strike, the Impact, and the T/C color scheme updates.

Bipods are a very important part of precision rifle, and I wouldn’t dream of running a sniper rifle without them. The average consumer or sportsman might not appreciate that, but they make life a lot easier when you are talking about long range shooting. I have been running they same brand and style since about 2005, but I am always on the look out for better. Accu-Tac may finally be able to deliver that.

The Dieback Thigh Rig minimalist hunting pack is for when your pockets aren’t big enough — and a fanny pack isn’t happening.

By far the most exciting product from Burris is the new spotting scope. The most interesting features include modular eyepieces and the integrated mount for a red dot. Burris will offer different eyepieces that are marked for MIL, MOA and with Burris’ SCR competition reticle.

Falkor Defense has come out swinging with a couple of different products this year. Falkor is most famous for magnum cartridge AR-style rifles, notably in .300 Winchester Magnum. That is a lot of cartidge to get in semi auto, but apparently Falkor fears no challenge.

When you make great stuff that everyone loves, eventually you have to decide to make some new and different stuff. I think that is the case with Coonan Inc., makers of the famous .357 Magnum 1911. It may seem like a digression to move from a truly novel product to a very common product, a regular old .45ACP 1911, but why not? T