By Michael A. Black
The 40th annual SHOT Show was once again held at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas this past January. Even though the show is spread over four days, it’s virtually impossible to see all the new guns and products that are on display, even though this year the NSSF offered a special app designed to help streamline your selections.
Things began for a lot of us on the Monday before the official start with Industry Day at the Range. Formerly known as Media Day, this portion is by invitation only, allowing media and gun industry professionals to get up close and personal with a lot of the new firearms. It was held at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club. Special shuttle buses were available at the convention center to bus all of us out to the range. As we stepped off the bus, the dry desert air was continually punctuated by the sounds of gun fire, both single shots and full auto. Besides the availability of all kinds of firearms and accessories for hunting and target shooting, to fire, a special section of new products was set up to give participants an advance preview of everything for shooting, hunting and outdoor. All of the major manufacturers were there, with the notable exception of Sig Sauer, which had hosted its own range festivities the day before.
Ring Power Tactical Solutions (Ringpower.com) had their Rook armored vehicle on display. The Rook combines a portable barricade, a hydraulic breaching tool, a vehicle extraction tool, and an armored deployment platform. The platform provides both cover, mobility and elevation and can be used in numerous situations. I asked if they were bringing the stalwart vehicle to the Sands for further exhibition, but the answer was negative. They had to leave for Los Angeles so it could be featured on an upcoming episode of the new television show, S.W.A.T. They also had a standard portable barricade that was equipped with a sliding hatch to introduce grenades and two swiveling muzzle mounts to allow forward rifle fire.
The formidable Ringpower Rook is virtually bulletproof and has a variety of attachments.
Also present at the range was the Mantis group. It’s a company out of Oswego, IL, that offers a high tech method to train and perfect new shooters. After downloading the special app, you merely attach the monitoring device to the rails of your pistol and fire some rounds. It also works with dry firing, too. The device sends detailed information on your accuracy, trigger pull, and trajectories. Mantis introduced this impressive device, appropriately called, The Mantis X, at last year’s SHOT Show, and this year augmented the training options by offering two shooting courses that allow you to walk up the chain of proficiency, and track your shooting progress over time.
The author tries out the Rugar Super Redhawk 10mm.
Although standard Styrofoam earplugs were routinely handed out as you entered the range area, I had an opportunity to get a special, custom-molded pair when I stopped by the Decibullz booth (www.decibullz.com). They’re designed to block out the peak pressure sounds of gun shots, while allowing ambient noise to pass through. The earplugs were removed from a container of 160 degree water and placed into my ears. Along with some deft modeling pressure, the malleable plastic molded to the exact shape of my ear canal. I wore the earplugs for the rest of the day and felt virtually no
Some of the Beretta guns available for firing at Industry Day at the Range.
discomfort.
After getting those inserted, I was more than ready to test them out. Among the weapons I fired were the Springfield Armory XD-E polymer .45 ACP, the Iver-Johnson 10 mm Eagle, the Taurus .38, and their 1911 clone, The Commander 8. I also tried out the new Ruger Super Redhawk revolver, which comes with three moon clips to hold the 10 mm auto rounds. At Kimber, which displays the boast, “What all guns should be,” I tried their Micro 9DN 9mm and found it a pleasure to shoot. Colt introduced their Cobra revolver last year, and this time had an updated version called the Night Cobra. It has a black finish and bobbed grip that felt good in my hand. It’s double-action-only due to the hammerless design, which makes it perfect for a concealed carry handgun. Beretta had their new APX 10mm polymer, which also had a nice feel to it, and their 301 Tactical Shotgun, which was also a dream to shoot. The shotgun has a special design that allows the first round to be slipped into the open ejection port and chambered without the possibility of damaging the extractor. I fired a full magazine of Federal Premium 12 gauge rifled slugs that were specially designed for police use and have low recoil.
The Ulti-Clip attaches to pants even without a belt.
On Tuesday the show got officially underway at the Sands Convention Center. Spread out over four levels with over 16,000 exhibits, mapping your activities was essential. The NSSF, which sponsors the show each year, offered a variety of presentations that appealed to both industry professional and law enforcement. Some of these seminars included “Navigating the NICS Background System,” “Black Guns Matter: Engaging Urban Communities in the 2nd Amendment Fight,” “Handling the Good and Bad of Today’s Media,” “top Tactical Concepts for Law Enforcement,” and “Adopting Reflex Sighting for Duty Handguns.” The organization also had a booth frequented by various celebrities to spotlight their Project Child Safe, which is intended to help young people and adults practice greater firearms safety in the home. The program has provided more than 37 million free firearm safety kits to gun owners in all 50 states and US territories.
Urban Carry provides an easily concealable holster that can be worn inside the pants or out.
As always, my first stop was the Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) booth to tag up with my favorite editor, President Joe Tartaro, his lovely daughter, Peggy, who edits Women and Guns magazine. I stopped next door at PJL Targets (www.pjltargets.com), to visit my friend, retired Belgium police officer Francis Dorao. Francis and his American distributor (Philip Peseux, in West Palm Beach, Florida), stress that their array of life-like targets provide “shoot-don’t shoot” decision-making training in a most economical way.
Hogue, Inc. (Hogueinc.com) specializes in firearms and knife accessories. They were spotlighting their new G-10 hardwood and laser-enhanced rubber grips that allow for a custom made “perfect fit” to assure both comfort and security. They also modify the cylinder releases on Smith & Wesson and Colt revolvers to facilitate a one-handed opening of the cylinder. They also offer a variety of knives including their new X-1 Microflip, which offer push-button deployment.
The Colt Night Cobra has a drag-free grip that won’t hang up on your clothes.
Coast Products (www.coastportland.com) has long been known for quality knives. This year they were spotlighting their new RX395, designed for police and rescue teams. The knife comes equipped with a seatbelt cutter in the handle and a glass-breaker. The Tanto-style blade has a locking feature and the leaf-spring design offers easy flushing and cleaning. Coast says the knife is virtually indestructible. Coast was also showcasing their new dual charging flashlights, which can run on AAA batteries or be charged by a rechargeable battery pack. All their knives are made of stainless steel and have a titanium nitrate coating to make them non-reflective and scratch resistant and have a lifetime guarantee.
As far as eye protection, Edge Tactical (www.edgeeyewear.com/tactical) had their usual array of glasses on display along with a glass case demonstrating their Vapor Shield, which keeps the lenses of the glasses from fogging up regardless of any external conditions. Packin’ Heat (www.Packnheatproducts.com) also offered a fine assortment of stylish glasses and earmuffs. These hearing protectors are designed to appeal to fashion-conscious women shooters and come with a variety of crystal coatings and a lifetime guarantee.
Another of my regular stops was at the Lansky booth. Lansky (www.lansky.com) specializes in knife sharpeners, knives, and tools. This year they were introducing the P.R.E.P., the Preparedness Resource Equipment Pack. It contains such things as an emergency first aid kit, a blanket, a mini multi-tool, a Blademedic knife sharpener, a tactical flashlight, and several other items essential to survival. It’s a perfect addition to keep in your car or your home for any disaster or emergency situations.
Ideal Conceal’s folding cell phone gun is available in three different calibers.
We now have concealed carry laws in all 50 states, so being able to carry a gun securely and in comfort has taken on a new significance. Companies like Urban Carry (UrbanCarryHolsters.com), Gun Tot’n Mamas (www.GunTotenMamas.com), and Miss Concealed (missconcealed.com) specialize in combing these elements, with the latter two appealing more or less directly to the distaff gun owner. Miss Concealed has five-inch body-wrap holsters that can hold a gun, two magazines, and a smart phone. GunTote’n’Mamas offers stylish purses with special pockets for your gun. They also offer a diaper bag with a special zippered pocket. Expert trainer and author, Vickie Farnam, offered tips and suggestions for women shooters at the Gun Tot’n Mamas booth. One of the things she stressed was the difference she discovered when training both sexes: “In training women often like more information than less.”
Another company that offers a variation on the standard holster clip is Ulticlip (www.Ulticlip.com), which offers a locking steel belt loop that works like a standard holster clip and can be worn inside or outside the waist band. Women purportedly love it because it can be worn without a belt. Urban Carry also offers handbags, heavy duty range bags, and holsters specially designed to be worn inside or outside of your pants. They also have a virtual reality training program that is designed to sharpen your survival skills by allowing the viewer to become immersed in VR situations.
It’s no secret that gun ownership by women has been steadily increasing every year, and a lot of the major companies have designed guns that appeal to the fairer sex. The stainless steel Spectrum, from Taurus (www.Taurus.com) offers a small, but capable .380 caliber with a 6 and 1 round capacity. (It can go up to 7 and 1 with its extended magazine.) The Spectrum comes in 20 different colors that are seamlessly integrated into “soft touch” panels integrated into the grip and slide. Taurus also offers their unique Curve, a .380 which is specially designed to be concealed in the belt-line. The locked breech pistol carries six plus one, and comes equipped with bore axis sights and a laser/light. Another small, semi-auto that appeals to women is the Bersa Thunder (www.bersa.com). It offers seven shots and is double-action/single action. For something even more concealable, check out Ideal Conceal’s (www.IdealConceal.com) double barrel .380 cellphone pistol. When folded up, it’s the size and shape of a smart phone, and can be deployed in approximately five to ten seconds. It’s available in .380, 9mm, and .22 calibers. And in case you doubt that dynamite comes in small packages, take a look at American Derringer’s (www.amderringer.com) M-1, billed as “The World’s Most Powerful Pocket Pistol.” Based in Waco, TX, this company’s handsomely crafted little gun fires a variety of powerful calibers ranging from .45 ACP to a .410 shotgun round. Built from the highest tensile stainless steel, it’s designed to handle those big rounds.
Packin’ Heat offers crystal earmuffs for the fashion conscious.
One other item caught my eye on the last day of the show that appeared to be on the cutting edge of technology and gun ownership. The Identilock (www.getidentilock.com) device allows you to secure your gun with a trigger lock that opens with the touch of a finger. Similar to the fingerprint locking and unlocking technology used on smartphones, Identilock can be programmed to allow the access of up to three authorized users. The device, which is about the size of a wallet, attaches to the trigger guard of your weapon and locks in place. To release the lock, you need only to press your finger against the fingerprint access panel and the gun can be removed immediately, or in 300 milliseconds as the advertisement says. The device comes with a charging port, and has a key override, which can be used to release the gun should the battery be inoperative. It’s basically designed for safe storage of guns, and is not recommended as a concealed carry assessor.
As always with over 16,000 exhibits which cover 13 acres of floor space, it’s virtually impossible to see everything at the Show, but there is something of interest virtually every place you look. Next year’s show, Number 41, will once again be at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas from January 22rd-25th, 2019.
