Tactical

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.

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.

At SHOT Show 2018 was not the first time I have seen the M+M industries M10x International Defense Rifle, but it was worth stopping by. The M10x is a completely new design, and it is certainly unique. To my eye, it looks like a SCAR, AK, and AR got tossed in a blender, and the strong points of each survived to make a new beast.

FLIR is the first name in thermal products having been an industry leader for a very long time. They make products suitable for everything from Apache Helicopters to your iPhone, with prices to match.

Bond Arms has been making quality products for a very long time, most notably derringers that are standard by which all others are judged. Made in Texas, by Texans. Let us not forget that either. This year, however, they have stepped out into magazine fed arena. And the product should have other CCW specialty companies worried.

Blackhawk has been making tactical nylon for many years now, so you might think they have done it all. But this year, they still managed to squeak out some new designs, at a price that is right.