#SHOT2017

Often completely overshadowed by the larger SHOT Show, the Antique Gun Show is strategically held during the weekend after SHOT Show (although this year it was held the weekend before). Although possibly not the best antique show in the United States, it certainly ranks highly up there with the quality of firearms brought into it. The majority of everything sold within this show is from the 1800s and early 1900s, with even a few older firearms as well. And unlike SHOT Show which is strictly regulated to media and industry folks, the Antique Arms Show is open to the general public for a small admission fee at the door. Apparently, for the first time since attending SHOT, TFB was able to pay a visit and bring to light a number of the more interesting pieces on display. Although not comprehensive of everything that was on display, this post will highlight some of the odder and more fascinating tables and vendors.

Like many CZ-75 fans I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the Sphinx SDP Standard, that was announced at SHOT 2016. Sadly it appears that Sphinx is not going to be releasing the Standard. All is not lost though! They announced at SHOT that they will be re-releasing the Sphinx 3000 series of pistols.

Novel Arms is a Japanese optics manufacturer that is partnering up with LKCI, a Turkish based company that will be importing the companies optics from Japan into the United States. A number of optics companies have used Japanese manufacturing because of the high quality of glass that is available there. Novel Arms is essentially cutting the middle man out and bringing the product to the United States. At the LKCI booth, Novel Arms had on display, three of their scopes, a 1X red dot called the TDX-11, Mark III Short Illuminated Reticle Scope in 1-8X24, and a Dual Plane Reticle in 1-6X24.

Melbourne, FL based Fight Lite Industries is the current company that was formally known as Ares Defense until it was renamed. Our own Pete M. published the press release showing the MXR’s introduction before SHOT, and we got a further in-depth look at the MXR while at the actual booth on the floor. The idea of the MXR came from an operational requirement from several LE agencies in Europe following the attacks on the Bataclan Theater in Paris in November of 2015. According to the designer, officers armed with handguns were severely outgunned by the AKM armed terrorists. Similar to why Britain’s London Met CT unit is adopting 5.56x45mm Sig MCXs, is to combat the threat levels that opponents are reaching within Europe. Having a pistol caliber carbine in an officers patrol car would offer a much more significant advantage over a duty handgun when dealing with Bataclan-like terrorist attacks, especially when it takes the same magazines and ammunition. Ballistics of 5.56x45mm/.300 BLK versus a 9x19mm round against body armor aside, a pistol caliber carbine certainly solves the logistical issue.

Bad Company Tactical has had one of the more unique products that I’ve seen over these past two shows. When it comes to having something that would actually be extremely useful and not some tactical gimmick like the Tac Sac or the Picatinny rail compensator.

Ah, the Desert Tech MDR: The rifle many (based on my comments and emails) believe will be the savior of bullpups, and the best rifle ever made, sweeping aside all others. Well, that’s a pretty high bar for it to clear, but Desert Tech was at the 2017 SHOT Show, and had brought some of their pre-production MDR rifles with them for display.

Illinois based Manticore Arms has ruffled up some feathers again by introducing CZ Scorpion EVO magazines, both translucent but in clear and “Smoke Tint” polymer colors. Both are $29.95 and will be available by late February or March of this year through Prepper Gun Shop’s online base. Feed lips are metal, and are within the polymer bodies. Capacity is 32 rounds, with round markers along the side of the magazines at 12,22, and 32 respectively. They can be easily disassembled via a floor plate at the bottom of the magazine. The magazines also count for 922r compliance, so that frees up room to add more parts or retain foreign parts for the actual EVO firearm. The magazines have also been tested in both semi-automatic and fully automatic modes for functionality.

Kalashnicohn is bringing to market Vityaz, completely manufactured in the United States. Apart from the few parts that are subcontracted out, the machining and receiver stamping is manufactured at the companies store in Phoenix, Arizona. Compared to the clone being brought in by Kalashnikov USA, Kalshnicohn’s version might not be as matching when it comes to collector value, but it does accomplish the job of an affordable SBR, pistol, or rifle that comes with interchangable magazine wells. Currently the magazine wells offered are for MP5, Glock, and of course original Vityaz magazines. Removing them is through a simple pin outside of the trigger guard. Pistol variants will come without the folding stock, while rifle variants will come with a faux suppressor attached. Of course, one can order the Vityaz in SBR form with the folding stock and sub 16″ barrel. If you notice that there aren’t any dimples where the safety should slide into, this is intentional. Customers can request dimples, or even cut them out themselves. The company has had too much conflicting information when it comes to what customers want, that it is just easier to leave it plain.

Tacoma based Rite in the Rain has made a name for themselves with their extremely durable outdoor waterproof line of notebooks and paper. This year the company is delving into shooting targets with the same durability that the company has been known for. In fact, the company set up a water display where water was actually dripping on the targets throughout SHOT. Currently the company offers a number of target formats, pictured below are specific self defense formats and U.S. Army qualification targets. The qualification ones even have handy measurements for zero and shot placement reference measurements printed on them and behind them. There are other target formats available, just not for display at SHOT.

DragonTail is a firearms cleaning company out of Minnesota that has been bringing cleaning products to market since 2014. They are an alternative to the extremely popular Boresnake currently put out by Hoppe’s. The Boresnake is probably one of those products that will have very far reaching effects many years from now because of the pure simplicity it has brought to readily cleaning barrels. It doesn’t do as good a job as several patches running through a barrel, but it certainly bridges the gap between nothing and those patches you might have left at home.

Hazard 4 is a California based company that specializes mainly in high quality packs and bags but has also branched out into ponchos and clothing to name a few of their products. The company had a large number of products on display but what specifically interested me was some of their rifle bags and a camera bag. Other than these specific products, the company just seems to have put alot of thought into the design process of their bags, thinking of things like a texture that will glide across clothing or exposed skin when worn for example. Or the fact that all their outside velcro patches are actually sew into a bottom layer of the material, and another layer covering the extremities of the patch. This It seems like alot of gear companies these days sew some Cordura together, slap some MOLLE on it, and call it a product. Hazard 4 doesn’t seem to be the case.

DRD Tactical previously came out with their break down 7.62x51mm Paratus rifle, and now they have a 5.56x45mm version. We featured the Aptus on TFB TV with Edward O if you want to give that a look. It should be coming to the U.S. civilian market in Spring of this year, with both SBR and full length variants. Although both are just a barrel change away, so if you purchase the 16″ version and like it, you should be able to file your SBR stamp and then receive the 7.5″ SBR variant. In addition to 5.56×45, the company also has a .300 BLK barrel available that can be used in the same platform.

D.I Optical is a South Korean company that has dealt mainly in optics mounts to heavy machine guns such as the .50 BMG M2, and automatic grenade launchers such as the 40x46mm High Velocity Mk.19. Recently at SHOT the company unveiled their new DILAD02, a laser aiming module with very similar dimensions to a PEQ15, but at more than half the price with a suggested retail price of $550. The device comes with a picatinny mount and has visible and IR laser capabilities. Body is made from 6061-T6 aluminum and it is waterproof to three meters, weighing 8.8 ounces. It takes one CR123A lithium ion battery, inserted into the forward section, alongside the firing port. Controls are from the rear, while calibrations are made by two dials along the side that utilize a sort of Aimpoint cap type system with the two exposed dots. The system can be activated by a press button on top, or can have a pressure switch plugged in from the rear. Battery life is listed as up to 10 continuous hours on a 20 mW setting, while 35 continuous hours on the 5 mW setting.

My friend James the XD Man sent me this photo of the Springfield Armory lane at Industry Day at the Range taken with his Theta 360 camera. I thought the photo was far too cool to not share with all of you in a post, I hope we see more of these 360 cameras in the future since they tend to give people the feeling of being where the photo was taken.