by Michael A. Black
The author firing the Colt Commander on the Range the day before the show.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation held the 38th annual SHOT Show in Las Vegas, from Jan. 19-22 at the Sands Convention Center. Featuring over 16,000 exhibiting companies, it’s virtually impossible to see everything, even over the course of the four days. Attendance at this year’s show was 61,000 people, which was among the highest recorded. My assignment was to check out the latest guns and products related to law enforcement and concealed carry, and many of those same products will be on display again at the National Rifle Association annual meetings and exhibits in Louisville, KY, May 20-22.
The SHOT Show itself was preceded by a day at the Range, which is only open to media and industry professionals. Bright and early Monday morning a series of shuttle buses transported the waiting crowds out to the Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club, a huge, outdoor range facility in the desert. There were various firing ranges set up, featuring a vast array of rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, and even some fully automatic weapons.
The Delta Grip from ERGO Grip Products.
A series of tented booths directly behind the firing range area hosted numerous new product displays. Among them, ERGO Grip Products, which was displaying its innovative Delta Grip. The unique design offered a modified, ergonomic grip that can be fitted onto the Smith & Wesson Model 60 or the Ruger .357 LCR Model. Edge Tactical Safety Eyewear had an array of impressive glasses for safeguarding one’s eyes. The layered design of the lens enhances the protective ability, and it’s encased in a silicon-based frame that’s virtually unbreakable. The lens will not fog-up due to humidity or extreme changes in temperature. WildEar offered custom-fitted ear protection that amplifies your hearing up to five times, but blocks out any sudden, hazardous noise over a 90 decibel level.
Seal 1 shows off its water-repellent lubricant by immersing a pistol in water throughout the show.
I was anxious to get to the ranges and do some shooting. My first stop was at Colt, where I fired a handsome looking Lightweight Commander 9mm. The pistol, modeled along the classic 1911 design, was all single-action and very smooth. Another gun that surprised me was the new Kimber K6s revolver. It’s a stainless steel, .357 magnum with an internal hammer, a two-inch barrel, and a satin finish. One of the other shooters remarked that it had the smoothest trigger pull that he’d ever felt. I managed to fire Beretta’s new Pico .380, which is all double-action with a 6 and 1 round capacity. Despite its small size, the extended fore-plate on the magazine allows a tighter grip. Before catching the returning shuttle bus, I managed to stop by several other booths and fire a variety of other rifles and handguns.
The big show itself began in the Sands Convention Center the next day. One of the first displays that caught my eye was SEAL 1 (seal1.net). They had a pistol with its slide locked back immersed in a glass fish tank full of water. Spectators were invited to stop by and pick the gun up, observing how their special, “environmentally friendly” lubricant was able to repel the water. Also offering waterproof, dustproof, and humidity-proof protection was LOKSAK with a variety of clear, re-sealable bags to safeguard your cellphone, tablet or laptop. The devices could still be operated while inside the bags. Not far away was another innovative item from Guard Dog Security—a bullet-resistant backpack, guaranteed to stop rounds ranging from 9mm to .44 magnum, with the blocked projectiles inside to prove it. Guard Dog offers an array of laser-sights, pepper sprays, tactical stun guns, and tactical flashlights. One pepper spray canister can be secured to your hand with a fingerless glove to prevent dropping.
Guard Dog’s pepper spray and flashlight glove.
Pistol Wear specializes in comfortable and concealable holsters that can be worn with athletic, casual, or business attire. A special laminate material blocks perspiration, in case you want to be protected on your next run, and the magnetic retention snap holds the weapon in place. The mannequin displayed by Lethal Lace appealed to the distaff gunowners, showing their “five-in-one holster” that could be worn on the chest, under the arm, waist, thigh, or lower leg to help women solve any fashion dilemma. The special, removable purse-organizer-with-holster offered by Packin’ Neat might also be of interest to women gunowners. It can make any purse “concealed carry friendly.” Additionally on hand with the latest fashion-friendly array of concealable holsters were Concealed Carrie, Miss Concealed, Crossbreed Holsters, and, of course, Gun Tote’n Mamas. For the latest in more ostentatious fashion concerns, Condor Outdoor Products offered the latest in tactical gear. Condor, which has been in business for over 20 years, specializes in tactical vests, plate carriers, modular pouches, and packs.
Taser’s new Pulse.
Taser International, the leading electronic weapon manufacturer, debuted the Pulse, a new, one-shot Taser that is about the size and shape of a small, compact pistol. The Pulse comes with a nylon holster and fits comfortably in your hand. It offers a more natural grip than many civilian models, which are shaped more like television remotes rather than less-lethal weapons. Also on display were their law enforcement models, including the X-2, which has a two-shot cartridge. This model requires some dedicated re-training when switching from the older, one-shot cartridge X-26 model. A switch must be flipped on the X-2 after the deployment of the initial cartridge to avoid inadvertently firing off the second cartridge. In earlier models, which featured the one-shot cartridge, pulling the trigger after the initial trigger pull would allow the shooter to continue to administer the electricity flow to the offender. With the X-2, if this switch is not activated, a subsequent trigger pull, after firing the first cartridge, will then fire the second one. The Taser spokesman agreed that this is an issue that requires retraining of the officers.
As usual, there were plenty of classes and celebrities on hand. Kel-Tec CNC, one of the top weapons manufacturers in the USA, featured conservative talk radio and television host, Dana Loesch, signing copies of her book, Hands Off My Gun. World Champion Shooter, Todd Jarrett, gave several classes on the art of quick draw and firing and reloading. He stressed the significance of maintaining proper gun-safety techniques, such as proper breathing and keeping your finger out of the trigger guard until you’re ready to fire. He strongly advocated laser sights, especially in the area of home protection, for quicker target acquisition in stressful situations.
Francis Dorao among his PJL Target faces.
NSSF sponsored several classes each day ranging in subjects of interest to industry professionals (Error Proofing Your ATF Forms) to retailers (Firearms and Ammunition tax Rules) to law enforcement (Benefits of Silencers to Law Enforcement Officers). Additionally, the NSSF booth featured information on Project Childsafe, a program dedicated to educating firearm owners on how to practice safe firearm storage, and to help prevent firearms accidents, theft, and misuse. One of the celebrity guests at their booth was Fox News reporter Katie Pavlich, who was signing copies of her book, Fast and Furious: Barack Obama’s Bloodiest Scandal and its Shameless Cover-Up.
The diminutive Beretta Pico .380 pistol.
Chamber View offered a variety of highly visible products along the lines of gun safety, as well. Their products included empty chamber indicators (ECIs) for handguns, semi-auto and pump shotguns, AR-15s, and bolt-action rifles.
There was some good news when I stopped by PJL Targets to visit retired Belgium police officer Francis Dorao. He’s found a new American distributor (Philip Peseux, in West Palm Beach, FL). Francis’s unique assortment of life-like targets, done by famous European comic-strip artist Malik, can be adjusted to suit any range-training scenario. Francis mentioned that he is trying to convince lawmakers in his native Belgium to reconsider their strict, anti-gun policies for both police and the general public. He mentioned that even active police officers are not allowed to carry their weapons off-duty, and he conjectured that the lack of gun availability to the citizenry no doubt contributed to the high death toll in the recent terrorist attacks in Europe.
The Smith & Wesson M&P models all feature adjustable grips.
Taurus once again had their concealable “belly gun,” the Curve on display. The .380 pistol is not only affordable (MSRP $392), but it comes with built-in laser sight and flashlight. The gun is actually designed with a sloping curve to fit snugly against the right side of your abdomen. (Sorry, the southpaws will have to wait for the opposite curving design.) With a 6 and 1 round capacity and no slide release, the Curve combines comfortable concealment with snag-free drawing. Another uniquely designed gun is the Taurus PT 738. It’s a .380 with retractable “wings” on the rear section of the slide. These wings, which are neatly secured in place on the slide, may be snapped outward in perpendicular fashion to form a make-shift charging handle, which allows a shooter with a gripping problem, such as arthritic hands, to pull back the slide with ease.
This year Smith & Wesson was promoting their new M&P small and concealable Shield. Special cuts on the side reduce the mass of the weapon, and the ported barrel reduces recoil. The trigger has been enhanced for a smoother pull. It’s worth noting that the M&P line of pistols have specially engineered adjustable hand-grips that can be reduced to accommodate shooters with smaller hands.
The Lansky QuadSharp portable blade sharpener.
Colt had their new Concealed Carry Officer’s Model on display. The .45 caliber, with a 4.25 inch barrel, owes its lighter weight to a black, anodized aluminum receiver. The slide is blue carbon steel and the magazine capacity is 7 rounds. It retails for $1,159.00. They also had the replica of the 1877 “Bulldog” Gatling gun on display this year. Turning the crank almost brings you back to the 19th Century. The range for the Bulldog, which often makes it out to the range on Media Day, is 1,000 yards.
Colt Concealed Carry Officer’s Model .45 caliber.
Many well-crafted knives were on display. The Light Knife, from Coast Products, is a water-proof knife with a built-in flashlight. The stainless steel blade neatly folds into the polycarbonate handle, which secures all the circuitry for the lighting system inside. The light runs off an AAA battery that can be easily replaced by using a Phillips screwdriver. Coast offers a variety of knives, both fixed blade and folding models. Their FDX 300 model features an ambidextrous thumb-stud for easy opening, and is very light in weight due to the holes in the handle. Their FDX 302 boasts a double-lock safety to prevent the blade from folding back on the user’s fingers. The rubberized, extra textured handle, is designed to never peel away, and boasts a lifetime guarantee. The Coast spokesman demonstrated all the features and pointed out that a retired, US Navy SEAL was consulted in the design of Coast’s special line of tactical knives. The tactical knife features a locking, 3.75 inch, stainless steel, serrated blade with a waterproof, high-powered LED flashlight in the polycarbonate handle.
And where would our knives be without good sharpeners? I made my customary stop at Lansky Sharpeners to view their latest portable model, the QuadSharp. About the size of a pocketknife, the QuadSharp allows your blades to be sharpened with four different angels, and has a ceramic mini-benchstone along the top to eliminate burrs. For retailers who wish to conserve shelf space, Lansky offers its Variety Pack, which has four different sharpening hones packaged together.
Colt’s replica of the 1877 Bulldog Gatling gun in the company’s booth was available for firing at Media Day on the Range.
The highlight of the show for me personally was once again being able to tag up with my friend and editor, Joe Tartaro, at the Second Amendment Foundation booth. Joe, along with his lovely daughter Peggy, has been a regular fixture at the SHOT Show for many years. Joe, along with Alan Gottlieb, the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, has been a stalwart force in safeguarding our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
Stretching over 13 acres and featuring upwards of 16,000 exhibits, it’s a daunting task to try to see everything. Luckily, the dates have already been announced for next year’s show (January 17-20, 2017), which promises to be just as grand, if not better, than this year’s was. I’m looking forward to that one.
