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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.

Last year, the release of the M&P 2.0 family of pistols was one of the biggest stories fo the year. Unlike other companies, Smith and Wesson seemed to listen to every customer critique over the preceding 10 years and fixed every one of them in the 2.0. Not some, spaced over the next 3 generations. All of them. Right now. Ready go.

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.

SAR Arms had a new pistol, but more importantly a new company. The days of multiple importers are over, SAR is now SAR USA. This is a subsidiary of the Turkish firearms maker and will be handling all warranty issues for SAR pistols, regardless of who brought it into the country. This should smooth over any and all issues regarding parts availability, new models, and magazines.