Clay Martin

Fresh from its move from Montana to Idaho, Nemo Arms had some really interesting offerings on display at the 2017 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company made it name for itself thinking outside the box when it comes to firearm design, developing a .300 Win. Mag. AR-pattern semi-auto rifle. Let’s take a look at the newest version of that rifle as well as some the company’s other offerings.

I owe a great debt to Mr. Hodnett of Accuracy First/Horus Vision. He taught me things about long range that I would have thought impossible.

Tactical Solutions has long been known for making top notch rimfire components, so this year they took the next logical step. Coming soon, a fully built Tactical Solutions Pistol, the TLP-22.

Tikka got my attention this year with several new rifles, and one deserving of some praise is the Artic. This gun was purpose-built for the Canadian Rangers, who know a thing or two about being cold. These poor bastards train in some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth, and they needed a no-frills rifle that would stand up to that. Tikka stepped up to the plate.

The Browning Black Label IS a 1911. Replicated in almost every detail, it is a sight to behold. No need to consult the manual on this one. If you have ever been issued a 1911, you already know how to take it apart and make it work. It is absolutely adorable, and if you are a 1911 aficionado, you are going to want one.

The Benelli Performance Shop guns never fail to electrify. In the past we have seen these special editions tuned up for 3-Gun, sporting clays, and other specialized ventures. This year, Benelli is all about the hunting marker, with three Performance Shop models built just for taking game.

I am not a shotgun connoisseur; that wasn’t really the style in my neighborhood unless we count very illegally sawed off versions. But the Barrett Sovereign shotgun I saw was staggeringly beautiful. If you had told me it was a $20,000 English shotgun, I would have believed it. But, with pricing starting at $2,200 and going up to $6,550, these are great deals for the money.

It has been a good few years for the industry. Between the SIG “Arm Brace”, Mossberg Shockwave non-NFA shotguns, and MagPul producing hi-capacity magazines at the cyclic rate, innovation is helping us all beat idiotic government regulation. One of the reasons I like Alex Kincaid, 2nd Amendment lawyer extraordinaire, so much is her stance on these things. She argues that we shouldn’t have to do these things in the first place.

Kel-Tec has been in the bullpup design business for many years now, and they never rest on their laurels. This year saw two new designs that should prove very popular, both in the RDB family of weapons.