The CZ P-10C has proven to be a very popular little striker fired gun. It’s priced well, easy to find and offers an outstanding trigger. The key thing to remember is the C in P-10C stands for compact. This was an immediate clue that the P-10 wouldn’t be a single unit. The P-10 family has grown and at SHOT we are seeing not only a subcompact and full-sized P-10, but optic’s ready models.
The new models keep the outstanding P-10 trigger, the great price point, and utilize backward compatible magazines to an extent. The magazines from the full size will fit all three guns, the magazines from the compact will fit the subcompact too. The full sized magazines if essentially a modified CZ P09 magazine that offers 19 rounds of 9mm on tap. The subcompact offers 12 rounds of 9mm.
The CZ P-10 Optics Ready?
Each model of the CZ P-10 series will have an optic’s ready variant on the market as well. The optic’s ready models are going to be using a modular plate system similar to the Glock MOS models. This allows you to use a multitude of red dot optics that allow you to shoot straight and fast. Optics Ready models will have an OR designation behind the normal designation. So A P10C will be a P-10C OR.
After a hike up a mountain, around a curve and through the hellacious Las Vegas traffic I attended a fun little event hosted by Agency Arms, Nighthawk, and Aero Precision. This invite-only range day was an opportunity for media to get intimate with the guns from each brand. It was a busy and interesting party, but intimate enough to chat with the guys and gals from each brand and learn a bit more about the weapons. Aero Precision, in general, brought ou a ton of new guns, most of them being fully automatic, some suppressed and of course several SBRs. Needles to stay they were my first stop.
Aero Precision and How I learned to Love the 20 inch barrel
The first gun I grabbed was a replica of the famed M16A4 rifle. A rifle I used in the Corps. As I loaded a magazine into the weapon I was greeted by a wave of nostalgia. It has been at least 7 years since I handled a full-length AR 15 and I really forgot how buttery smooth these rifles are.
The 5.56 round was made for a 20-inch barrel and it shows. From the recoil to the muzzle blast and even noise the 20 inch AR just does it better.
I had issues ringing steel silhouettes out to even 75 yards in full auto. The gun barely moved when you took your time with proper bursts. I’ve now committed to building a full-length AR 15, and Aero seems like a great brand to go with. I wonder if I can get an 80 lower with USMC markings.
Wednesday of SHOT Show 2019 has turned into “electronics” day for this writer, because many of the things I have on tap are technology-related.
Today’s first stop was the “New Product Center”, where I saw several new models of wireless/cellular trail cams. There is a burgeoning market for cellular-capable remote cameras, so new ones are entering the fray this year. These can also crossover into the property security/surveillance arena, so hunting isn’t the only application for this technology.
I also checked in with with Bushnell because they have a new and improved wireless trail cam model called the Impulse. According to the rep there are now TWO processors so that the cam can upload images and continue to take pictures all at the same time. (The previous model could do one or the other at any given moment, but not both). Bushnell has improved the antenna, and upgraded the modem to 4G LTE, so this might solve some of the issues I had with the previous model.
In addition to the above, I checked with an outfit called CuddleLink, which has cameras which communicate with each other. There is one “home” camera which transmits the images and keeps the card, but it collects and sends images from its own network of up to 15 cameras. If you have a very large property, that would definitely cut down on the card-pulling and camera checking.
I visited with Peltor this morning and got a chance to try their Tactical 500 electronic muffs, which are Bluetooth compatible. I tried them in the sound booth on the show floor at Peltor, and even the recorded .50 cal and full auto AK noises didn’t bother me. I could feel the concussion in my chest, but it did not affect my ears. The electronic suppression was great. They will be sending me a set to try in the real world, so stay tuned.
On the same pass on the show floor, I ran into AXIL (the SportEar people) where I got fitted for custom hearing aid-quality earplugs for hunting – for when wearing muffs around in the woods is not the best option. I will be writing up my impressions of those as well. This company also makes hearing aids, so they know exactly what they’re doing with enhancement and suppression. I can’t afford to lose ANY of my hearing – I need to be able to use a stethoscope for at least ten more years. I’d also like to not have my shooting and hunting habits impact my ability to hear the beautiful high frequencies of eventual grandchildren. Both of the above products should go a long way in that regard.
Not everyone at SHOT Show is in town to sell a product or write about a new widget. There are some women present for the event who want to sell an IDEA.
The idea is that women have the right to defend themselves with firearms. The people these women want to sell to are their legislators in Washington DC.
Started almost four years ago by champion shooter and former police officer Dianna Mueller and the A Girl and A Gun women’s shooting organization, the DC Project organizes a group of fifty women (one for each state) to descend on The District of Columbia for a long weekend in order for the female firearms owners to meet with their individual Congress critters.
The ongoing plan is to meet with and enlighten Congress – one member at a time – in order to put a female face on the firearms issues that these legislators are often ignorant of. The non-partisan, grassroots, Pro-Second Amendment movement will sponsor its fourth trip to Washington D.C. this summer.
While at SHOT, the women of the DC Project are hoping to gain continued support to help defray the travel costs for the 50 women who participate yearly. To that end, there is a gun raffle and also a Team Match match fundraiser for the project.
Here is a powerful video of the “faces” of the DC Project, and why they do what they do.
I started off my first official day of SHOT Show 2019 with quite the metaphorical bang. I had a GREAT visit with Aero Precision and Ballistic Advantage.
I have been so impressed with the finish and performance of my Aero AR pistol for the past few months, that I’m now interested in learning how to build my OWN rifle in a hunting caliber. I went to the Aero booth with the intent of looking over the possibilities.
So no kidding, there I was, minding my own business looking over the wall display of completed rifles, when who should address me and offer to help, but Clint Smith! (Yes – Thunder Ranch’s Clint Smith!)
I told him what I was interested in doing, and that I was considering the AR-10/M5/.308 platform for hunting (among others). Well didn’t THE Clint Smith proceed to take me under his wing, offer his own advice about weight and barrel length, and then guide me to the barrel guys across the booth at Ballistic Advantage and ask them which .308 barrel would suit this young lady’s needs best.
I was then treated to an explanation of the various lengths and flutings etc, the advantages/disadvantages of stainless vs chromoly, and other details. I freely admitted that I am not a subject matter expert in the rifle-building department and I am currently quite low on the learning curve. But nobody batted an eye or made me feel as if they shouldn’t be bothering with me. They actually cater to the home builder’s market.
In fact, it was pointed out to me that Aero Precision has a whole YouTube channel “Builder Series” which I could take advantage of during my learning process! I’m actually quite excited about this prospect now. I’m hoping that this process is so-easy-a-pediatrician-can-do-it. Maybe not quite “easy”, but I’m optimistic about “do-able”.
Between Aero Precision and Ballistic Advantage, they’ve got upper receivers, lower receivers, barrels, and Magpul components – a large chunk of what I would need for a build-it-myself gun. As I thanked the rep and started to walk away, Clint Smith called me back to make sure that I had gotten my questions answered. I was impressed that such a fellow was genuinely interested that someone like me had gotten what I needed.
If Aero’s customer service is anything like the service I received in the booth, then this should be an enjoyable process, and I would recommend them to anyone.
SHOT Show Range Day 2019 was not the only shooting opportunity in Vegas Yesterday. CMC and Troy held their own media event at the popular Las Vegas indoor shooting venue called The Range 702.
CMC, a Texas-based company, manufactures drop-in AR trigger groups. CMC offers a wide selection – including Flat bow and curved bow, single stage and two stage, in pull weights from 3.5 to 6.5 pounds. There are even some color choices for those looking for fun color-coordination of their firearm. CMC also offers AK47 triggers and Glock triggers.
I personally installed a CMC trigger in my S&W AR a few years ago, and have gotten hours of fun and increased accuracy out of it, because of not having to man-handle (woman-handle?) the original trigger weight.
Troy Industries, founded by namesake Steve Troy, offers a wide variety of firearms accessories – from rails, to muzzle breaks, to magazines and everything in between – all made in the USA. Many industry-leading firearms manufacturers trust Troy components for their new product lines.
Media had the opportunity to test-shoot several such firearms utilizing Troy components. My personal favorite was a suppressed .300 BLK. Hmmmm…. I AM looking for a new build…
SHOT RANGE DAY is the day we wait for every year – the day that those of us who type for a living get to fondle and test shoot the new toys for the year – on someone else’s dime. Here is a quick overview of my very windy day on the range.
First impressions on what I got to shoot:
Colt King Cobra – my first impression is that this gun is a fairly easy shooter for a .357. I often shoot a revolver in IDPA, so six-shooters are not unfamiliar to me. The King Cobra had a nice trigger pull, and was a pretty smooth operator. I was impressed.
Colt King Cobra .357
Mossberg’s new MC1 pistol – was small, concealable, handled nicely and pointed naturally for me. I was able to hit the reactive paddle on the steel silhouette easily and repeatedly, and the clear 9 mm magazine made an interesting addition.
Everything you want in an optic solution. The IOS is adaptable to your needs and allows for a low profile RMR mount with the versatility to switch rear sight in a matter of seconds. With the dovetail cut in the slide each plate can be removed and still return to zero, allowing for quick and easy switching of rear sight without sacrificing aesthetic or function.
IOS OPTION FEATURES: -Plate returns to zero -Rear sight alignment between plates -Fully machined from prehard material -Standard Novak sight cut -Low profile -Quick and easy plate removal -Standard Hight front sight for either iron sight or red dot use
Nighthawk Custom has always been known for their craftsmanship and with the release of our optics system we craft our optics mount with the same attention to detail. Without sacrificing any fit or function, we are able to give your 1911 sight options that you can change. Our goal was to create a system that is adaptable, diverse, easy, reliable, and blended seamlessly with the gun. As if it always belonged there. With all this in mind, Nighthawk Custom has created the most revolutionary sighting system ever conceived; the Interchangeable Optic System, or Nighthawk IOS for short.
BERRYVILLE, AR, JAN 22, 2019 — Nighthawk Custom, manufacturer of the world’s finest custom made 1911’s, is proud to introduce the newest model in their lineup, the Firehawk.
This cutting edge offering from Nighthawk Custom offers the latest advancements in the company’s long line of purpose-built innovation. Nighthawk Custom has utilized a recoil-taming single port compensator, a Bull Barrel and a full-length guide rod that adds weight to the front of the pistol to reduce muzzle rise. In addition, the Firehawk has a modified government length slide that has been shortened from 5” to 3.9”. A newly designed commander length spring and reverse plug system maintains the standard recoil impulse of a 5-inch 1911 for reliability.
“We set out to create a compensated pistol model, starting with the idea that we could use innovative engineering to build a 1911 that fit the profile of a standard government model but would benefit from the effects of a compensator,” stated Mark Stone, Owner and CEO. “We decided the traditional methods weren’t enough and built the entire compensator system from scratch.”
As part of its functional design, the Firehawk features a full Nighthawk Custom prep that incorporates a French Border to showcase the craftsmanship involved in blending the compensator and slide together. The closed front end of the compensator has been bull nosed for an easy draw and a custom touch. Nighthawk Custom has built a stunning custom pistol that has the functional benefits of a compensator, allowing for minimal movement of the front sight while shooting and allows for much faster follow up shots, while maintaining a classic appearance that will impress classic 1911 aficionados.
The Firehawk has an MSRP of $4199.00 and is available with a nitride or stainless-steel finish in 9mm and .45 ACP.
For more details, visit www.nighthawkcustom.com to see the Firehawk, or you can call a Nighthawk Custom Account Manager at 877-268-4867 to place your order today.
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To say the M16’s history isn’t storied would be an absolute lie. We all know the teething issues and most of us know the M16 and M4 family. In between the M16 and M4 is a long line of very interesting, rarely ever mass produced, carbines. One is the GAU-5/A , or for brevity’s sake the GAU-5.
The GAU-5 is a by-product of the Colt Commando and the XM177E2 series of carbines. This particular model was adopted by the Air Force and this is where it earned its odd name. GAU stands for Gun, Aircraft, Unit. Like the M4 the design was intended to be a smaller and lighter variant of the M16. The weapon was quite successful and would serve on the famed Son Tay prison camp in the hands of 45 out of 56 Special Forces commandos.
The Troy GAU-5
The Troy GAU-5 is as faithful of a replica as you can get without being an NFA weapon. Obviously, it’s not a full auto weapon, it’s also not a short barreled rifle. The original GAU-5 rifle had a 10-inch barrel with a 4.2-inch moderator. That would make it a few inches too short to be a non-NFA weapon. Additionally, the Moderator was found to be a sound suppressor, even though it contained no baffles.
So this system is entirely NFA free and the closest you can get to the original GAU-5. Today was the first time I’d ever fired and handled one of the Troy GAU-5 rifles. Immediately my first thought was how light this damn rifle was. We’ve attached so much lightweight garbage to rifles these days that the weight gets away from us. The GAU-5 is easily one of the lightest rifles I’ve ever handled. Lighter than most AR 15 pistols.
The flash and noise are quite substantial. It is still a round designed for a 20-inch barrel in a much shorter platform. It’s loud but fun. The sights bring me back to my iron sight M16A2 days. Of course, this is an odd school rifle. We aren’t strapping M-LOK handguards and ACOGs to it.
The Service Rifle Collection
The Service Rifle collection is one of my favorite line of AR 15 rifles. They are realistic and retro in a day and age where I can basically get an MP5 sized AR 15 slammed down with lasers, lights, and optics until my face is blue. Something about these old rifles makes them absolutely gorgeous. To me, they are on par with rifles like the M1 Garand, the 1903 Springfield, and even the classic 1911.
The AR 15 clone market is massive, but to get legitimate markings and designs you had to use an 80% lower. This allows you to avoid all that.
These are a fascinating, if small, piece of American service rifle history and the fact you can own a well-priced, and well made piece of history is an amazing feat of capitalism.
It happens to people every year. It starts to attack usually on the second or third day of SHOT Show. It fells hundreds, leaving discomfort and misery in its wake.
I’m speaking of course of the scourge of Las Vegas known as “SHOT Plague”.
Shot Plague isn’t really a single disease entity. We just call it that because a bunch of people get sick all at the same time. It’s not a phenomenon that is limited to SHOT Show either. This actually occurs any time large numbers of people from varying areas of the country and the world all gather in the same place, shake hands, touch the same objects, and share the same air space.
What happens is that people who are already sick, or who are incubating a virus from home, develop symptoms once they arrive in Vegas, and then proceed to spread their home viruses to people all over Las Vegas. The incubation period for the average cold virus is 24-72 hours. Thus, you can catch, incubate, and get sick all within the period of SHOT week.
You may “never” get sick at home, because you have some immunity to what’s circulating around your hometown. But there are other strains that come to Vegas from other people’s hometowns that your body hasn’t seen before and doesn’t already have immunity to. If someone coughs into their hand, and then touches the escalator handrail, they transfer the virus to the handrail. When you touch the same handrail thirty seconds later and then rub your nose, you have introduced a new virus into your body. The virus could be from Paducah or Cairo.
Dry-fire practice is an essential part of your training. Training and practice with your firearm should be priority number one as a firearms owner. We practice being safe, accurate, and knowledgeable with these tools we use as a means of self-defense and to enjoy recreationally. When done correctly, dry-fire practice reinforces safe gun handling habits as well as a convenient and inexpensive way to build your skills using repetition without having to be at the range.
Dry-Fire Practice
Dryfiring is the practice of “firing” a firearm without live ammunition present, while practicing the manipulation of a firearm with an inert training platform such as a SIRT training firearm or other tools that measure performance like the MantisX. It does not only mean pulling the trigger, it can also be used for practicing drawing from the holster, loading/reloading, sight picture and many other skills. A lot can be accomplished with dry fire practice, it is a valuable part of training that often gets missed!
Benefits of Dry-Fire
Dry-Fire practice will develop shooting-related motor skills and help you be in “auto pilot” mode when using your firearm. Dryfire does require time and dedication to train your muscles in proper shooting techniques using repetition, just like when exercising at the gym. You do not need to spend a long period of time in a dry fire session, it can be as short as five minutes three times a week working specific skills each day. It can also be a longer session as a warm up before live fire, working all five steps of marksmanship, learning how to move and be efficient at target transitions, or getting comfortable with your every day carry set up. Dryfire practice is excellent at identifying and fixing bad habits such as flinching, eye blinking, and lack of follow-through.
Here are 6 benefits from our friend Mike Ox at Dryfire Cards and why he says dry fire practice is so important for you:
Learn how to grip your gun so that the sights AUTOMATICALLY come into alignment—without conscious thought—every time you draw.
With the right grip, your sights will automatically come back into perfect alignment after each shot so you can shoot fast, accurate follow-up shots.
Vision drills and tips that will allow you to aim faster and easier, even if you are cross-eye dominant or have trouble seeing your front sight clearly.
Learn a single technique that will allow you to confidently hit targets from 10 feet to 100 yards (or more).
You’ll learn how to train SMARTER so that you can improve 10x as much using 1/10th the time and money as shooters who only do “traditional” training.
You’ll learn specific ways to practice so that your skill level won’t fall off a cliff under high stress.
It is possible to shoot 2x faster and 2x tighter groups in only 21 days using techniques that cost less than a single trip to the range!
The SAINT™ Victor Rifle delivers a lightweight and agile rifle solution while maintaining effectiveness at extended engagement distances. This versatile, flat-shooting build is the workhorse of the SAINT Victor line up and comes packed with enhanced components selected for rugged reliability.
The SAINT™ Victor Pistol is engineered for premium CQB performance in a potent, compact package. This ultralight pistol build is available in 5.56 and .300 Blackout and offers outstanding mobility and fast-handling characteristics required in close quarters.
The SAINT™ Victor SBR brings practical performance down to size in a professional-grade short barreled rifle configuration. Designed for uncompromising shooters this compact build features an 11.5″ barrel, enhanced components and is available for both LE and civilian use.
It started because I was thinking about my lack of hunting success this year. Granted, I’m still a novice, and most folks don’t bring home a turkey or a buck their first few seasons. But I started thinking that maybe my sights were set too high, and maybe I ought to look for somewhat easier and more abundant game in hopes of some success and positive reinforcement for myself.
The season tables said that squirrels and other small game were still “in” until the end of February. So I’m thinking I’d like to try squirrel hunting.
Squirrel hunting isn’t “sexy”, I know. Squirrels don’t have big racks or dramatic fans to show off on Instagram. But they are legitimate game and legitimate protein. With tons of recipes out there, I’ve even heard it called “Chicken of the Trees”.
I’ve eaten squirrel as a child, but not since then. When people outside of traditional hunting circles hear about eating squirrel they suddenly get all judgey and start making redneck jokes. That’s on top of the usual anti-hunter crowd who happily eat their organic free range chicken from TrendyMart but protest hunting every chance they get. Then there are the vegan sort who depend upon commercial soy agriculture for their sources of dietary protein. Talk about privilege.
In casting about for a way to describe this attitude I came up with the term “Protein Privilege”. This is demonstrated by people who can afford to eat whatever they want condemning others for how they fulfill their nutritional needs.
This is city people and their organic arugula and Kobe beef looking down on rural people for foraging wild dandelion greens and organic squirrel and rabbit meat. Hypocrites much? Sounds like prejudice and bigotry to me. From city liberals? Imagine that.
To counter all that, maybe a way to attract new hunters would be promoting small game like squirrel and rabbit as the “People’s Protein”. Kinda catchy, don’t you think? They should add that term to NSSF’s hunter recruitment programs.
Small game hunting doesn’t require a big investment in a dog or specialized gear or blinds or stands or big trips to Alaska. Even the gun choice wouldn’t have to be wildly expensive. I’m planning on using a 20 ga Youth model Mossberg 500 that I found at a pawnshop the other year.
Promoting small game hunting as a cheap entry-level way for we lowly deplorables to earn our organic meat seems like a great idea to me. I’m gonna give it a whirl. It sounds like a great way to show anti-hunters their own prejudice and privilege. Hail the People’s Protein!
The Magpul MOE-EVO Grip is an optimized drop-in upgrade to the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 family of pistols and carbines. Featuring an enhanced grip angle and Magpul’s proprietary TSP texture on contact surfaces, the MOE-EVO Grip gives users unsurpassed comfort, control, and durability. This lightweight and ergonomic grip builds on the legacy of Magpul’s MOE AR and AK grips to provide CZ Scorpion EVO 3 users positive control in all conditions, with or without gloves.
