#Shot

Arsenal, Inc, importer of highly regarded Bulgarian AK-pattern rifles, was present at the show, displaying two rifles hot off the production lines: An SLR-104 and an SAM7SF with barrels threaded for 14.5×1 LH twist threads, to accept suppressors. These rifles were fitted with Gemtech suppressors marked “ARSENAL” on the side. According to representatives, the rifles are specially selected to ensure their front sight blocks are straight, as that part is not normally toleranced tightly for suppressor mounting to prevent baffle strikes.

German gunmaker Korth was present at Industry Day, showing off variations on the Sky Marshal 9mm clipless revolver, and the PRS roller retarded blowback semiautomatic handgun. TFB got a chance to fire both guns, and found their triggers – as expected – to be excellent, with the PRS’s trigger being especially light.

Coming from Laura Burgess Marketing, IWI USA has pushed out an announcement about their newest product, a .300 Black Out SAR rifle, and a conversion kit for those with the 5.56x45mm version. The standalone rifle is going with an MSRP of $2,049, a couple hundred dollars more than the standard rifle MSRP. The conversion kit is going for $499. Both the kit and the rifle can be ordered in the 16.5 inch or 18 inch barrel versions. In addition the kit comes with a barrel wrench for those who might not have the issued barrel wrench that the original SAR came with.

Imagine being shot in the head – right between the eyes, no less – and not only surviving, but carrying on with life as usual for three decades. For Civil War soldier Jacob Miller, a member of the 9th Indiana Infantry, that was his reality. Miller took a bullet to the head on September 19, 1863, and the wound was apparently bad, because his fellow soldiers left him for dead. He was shot at Brock Field at Chickmauga, a battle known as second in casualties only to the Battle of Gettysburg.

At the end of 2014, The State of Texas completed a 2-year study to, “evaluate the effectiveness of lead vs. non-toxic shot should ammunition regulations change in the future.”  As a result of its double-blind methodology, there was “virtually no difference between lead and non-toxic shot.”

Hank Strange has been a longtime friend of TFB and I got to run into my old friend again at Media Day. I picked his brain a bit about some of their wares and got to shoot the CMR 30!

Jerking the Trigger is reporting that Lancer Systems will be releasing its 25 round .308 magazine; debuting at SHOT Show 2015 and shipping sometime after the show. The magazine will be available with opaque and Lancer’s trademark translucent polymers.

SHOT Show was crazy. So many people to see, so many guns to handle and not nearly enough time to do it all. This year SHOT `14 was the best organized SHOT I have attended. Despite having a record 67,000 people in attendance, the show floor felt less crowded and chaotic than in past years. Good job NSSF.

The Action TrackChair was on display at SHOT Show. It allows wheelchair users go off road into the fields or forests to hunt. Optional accessories include a camouflage finish and a gun rack. Its 24 volt DC 24:1 ratio high torque motor give this 390 lbs machine a max speed of 3-4 mph. The two 12 volt wheelchair batteries have a range of up to 6 miles, depending on a number of factors (weight of operator, temperature, terrain etc.). The base model, without any extra features, costs $15,300.

2014 Will mark my first SHOT Show attendance. While I did get an invite last year, unfortunately I was out of the country for an extended period of time and was unable to attend. This year however I have my boots on the ground here in Vegas so far it has been a blast! As a first time SHOT attendee I figured I would gather my impressions and post them here so you guys and gals get a feel for what it is like. The experience starts at the airport too, with banners and signs welcoming SHOT attendees!

SHOT Show attendees pricing went up significantly for SHOT Show 2014. It looks like the exhibitors will be hit in 2015. This email was sent out to SHOT Show exhibitors …

A regular attendee of SHOT Show emailed me to say that the NSSF was charging him 250% more to attend SHOT Show next year than they did this year, and sent me documentation to prove it. Last year he was charged $50, this year he is required to pay $175.

A picture says a thousand words, so instead of describing SHOT Show ’13, here are a collection of photos taken by our talented friend Bryan William Jones.

Another futuristic technology on display at SHOT Show was the Radetec AmmoControl Digital Counter and AmmoControl Led Advisor. The AmmoControl is a grip that can keep track of how many rounds are left a magazine and how many rounds have been fired over the lifetime of the weapon.  The AmmoControl Digital Counter, currently available for the Beretta 92FS, 1911 and AR-15, displays how many rounds are left in the magazine on a little digital counter attached to the grip. Radetec had a gas firing replica at their booth to test it (the replica had cartridges that were cycled and ejected). I felt like I was playing a game of Halo!

There are many gun nuts out there who wish that today they also had been at Media Dat At The Range. Don’t be. Bryan’s Nissan rental car reported that outside temperature was 18 degrees when we arrived. That was not the problem for me. I like chilly weather. Icy unrelenting wind on the other hand, not so much. The freezing wind never stopped. Attendees were complaining, exhibitors were complaining even more. Groups of tough looking men dressed from tip to toe in tactical gear, huddling around a small heaters and bitterly complaining about the weather was a common sight. It would have been amusing if I too was not one of them (although not as tough looking and not wearing tactical gear).