by TGM staff
American gun owners need more than firearms and ammunition.
Shooting accessories don’t just come in handy, they are a necessity. Whether you’re talking about holsters for handguns, cleaning gear, safe storage devices, replacement grips for handguns or any number of other products, the accessory market is perhaps the largest in the shooting industry.
One of the largest accessory producers in the country is Lyman (lymanproducts.com) and for 2017, the company is introducing the QwikDraw barrel cleaners, featuring a pull cord, brush and bore cleaning rope all attached for a clean pull through the bore of a rifle, handgun or shotgun. There are versions for everything from .22-caliber to 12-gauge.
The custom fit block is just one of several accessories from Lyman Products.
Lyman offers full cleaning kits for rifles, shotguns, handguns and black powder muzzleloaders, too. They feature brushes, patches slotted tips and jags, gun oil and more.
There’s also a selection of range bags for resting rifles or handguns on the bench. They come filled. A sensible sidekick is the Bag Jack, a small device on which a shooting bag is placed, and it can be raised or lowered to adjust fit for any shooter.
Lyman’s Essential Handgun Starter Kit includes a pair of earphones, shooting glasses and barrel cleaning rope, all contained in a Lyman range bag.
There are two new screwdriver kits.
Pachmayr (pachmayr.com) offers the Custom Series of replacement handgun grips, a rear grip and slip-on recoil pad for AR15 / M4 stocks, and G10 Tactical revolver grips. There’s also a slip-on mag Sleeve to fit extended pistol magazines and make them fit snugly up against the grip frame of various pistols, and Grip Extenders for Glock, Ruger LCP and S&W Shield pistols.
Another accessory from Pachmayr is the Rack-It pistol slide rack assist. It fits over a pistol slide to help shooters with arthritis, small hands or those who have limited hand strength.
DeSantis Gunhide (desantisholster.com) has announced three new holsters for the Ruger LCP II compact pistol, including a return of the popular Quick Snap leather holster. The Maverick model is also leather and has detailed molding and a spring belt clip for easy on/off.
For inside-the-waistband wear, DeSantis offers The insider, a leather rig with a steel belt clip.
Hornady (Hornady.com) offers RAPiD Safes and accessories. The small safes are activated with a wristband, key fob or sticker, and up to five RFID tags can be programmed. They feature 14-gauge steel construction, two internal locking lugs and they operate on either batteries or AC power.
Shilen (shilen.com) is launching the new Ruger Precision Rifle Replacement Barrel line this year, in response to consumer demand. Barrels will be offered in chrome moly match grade steel with a blue finish or stainless steel match grade, plus a stainless steel select match grade. They will be offered in lengths from 16 to 30 inches with a muzzle diameter of .750-inch in the Medium Weight Contour or .875-inch in the Heavy Weight Contour.
These barrels can be threaded for suppressors or other accessories.
Champion (vistaoutdoor.com) has introduced the Workhorse electronic trap. It’s capable of throwing a target up to 75 yards, and the magazine holds 50 clays. It is easily portable, and can fit in the trunk of most vehicles. It can throw targets at three different angles.
