SHOT Show 2018: The Third Day

By

-

January 25, 2018

Exhibition Shows like SHOT always seem to develop and underlying theme. It’s never announced but there is a feel to how and where the technology is flowing. It’s not even a deliberate direction beyond consumer interest and trying to be predictive.

The overall theme is an industry classic: Evolution not Revolution.

U.S. Optics newest offering. A 1-6x34mm wire reticle LPV sitting on a Desert Tech MDR

The industry leaders are honing their craft and their products to finer and finer levels of usability and the consumer/end user market communication has been a key to that.

LPV (Low Power Variable) Optics are a rapidly broadening field with offerings from every major manufacturer

This is the technological direction of future optics and LPF (Low Power Fixed) optics like the Trijicon ACOG are going to go into a retention space with many other proven technologies. They LPF though won’t gain any new ground. They have their territory covered. New ground belongs to the LPV’s

In their field we will start seeing the 1-6 and 1-8 optics start to achieve shorter and lighter variants.

U.S. Optics B-10, bridging the LPV/DMR optic gap

Lights are following a similar trend. Lumens are trending between 400-800 on most lights and they’re gaining ground in end user sustainablity. More fuel options with rechargeables gaining ground. More programming options so the user can select the settings they want. More lockout features to prevent unintentional activation and resource waste.

Streamlight TLR-8, new light laser in a whole new field for them

Light options have never been better.

ASP’s handhelds, nearly all models are USB rechargeable

Firearms are the ultimate expression of the Evolution>Revolution. Nothing is truly new but plenty are fine refinements on proven concepts.

The SC is a refinement of the PDW which is a refinement of the 16. Each iteration incorporating more current and future projected users

FN, as an example, has several upgrades on the SC that will migrate back to the standard SCAR lineup as time and opportunity permit. The new lower receivers and the non-reciprocating charging handle I’m hoping make the cut sooner rather than later.

And on the SCAR-SC, when asked if there would be a commercial release I was answered “It would make sense as the next logical step in the offering.” but it was also an indefinite time uncertain delivery. They won’t be doing one… until they do.

FAL’s classic and modern. DSA is always a good bet.

Most off the wall concepts like the FA Reformation are exercises in theoretical engineering to get around a problem or nuisance that become commercial as opposed to core practical gear. It’s a lot of fun that we can do it even if there isn’t a practical demand.

Strait lands and groves and a Nerf Bullet. If it’s stupid but it works it isn’t stupid.

Overall the slump and leveling off in the firearms market has resulted in companies focusing on using their core products in new ways to satisfy demand and parallel emerging tech.

But on occasion something newer and cool does jump out.

Aklys Defense Prototype for a full integral AK suppressor assembly that remains auto regulating and won’t gas the shooter.

SHOT Show 2018: Haley Strategic Partners

By

Keith Finch

-

January 25, 2018

Stopping by Haley Strategic’s booth I met up with a couple familiar faces.

After shaking hands and exchanging the pleasantries we headed back to check out the prototypes.

The new modular D3 Micro’s are soon to be released. Shipping will start once availability and supply are secured. The Micro’s are a streamlined evolution of the D3 chest rigs with a modular bearing interface. You can set the system up to run and retain PCC, 5.56, and 7.62 magazines with scaled inserts.

Supporting equipment is attached and removed quickly as needed. The rig will be worn either stand alone or interfaced with a plate carrier as you need it to be.

Also with their D5 Pistol course being the most popular of the training curriculum they prototype’d this single cell handheld. The light is designed to take advantage of a two handed pistol technique the HSP guys teach made infinitely easier by this design.

We’ll be looking at the details on the rigs closer in the future. Back to the SHOW.

We Like Shooting 229 – Stomp

By

We Like Shooting

-

January 25, 2018

Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 229 – tonight we’ll talk about Kel-Tec, Drinking your own pee, Botach Inc, Manticore Arms, Honor Guard and more!

Source: https://welikeshooting.com/show/229/

SHOT Show 2018: A Theme Emerged

By

Keith Finch

-

January 25, 2018

Exhibition Shows like SHOT always seem to develop and underlying theme. It’s never announced but there is a feel to how and where the technology is flowing. It’s not even a deliberate direction beyond consumer interest and trying to be predictive.

The overall theme is an industry classic: Evolution not Revolution.

The industry leaders are honing their craft and their products to finer and finer levels of usability and the consumer/end user market communication has been a key to that.

LPV (Low Power Variable) Optics are a rapidly broadening field with offerings from every major manufacturer

This is the technological direction of future optics and LPF (Low Power Fixed) optics like the Trijicon ACOG are going to go into a retention space with many other proven technologies. They LPF though won’t gain any new ground. They have their territory covered. New ground belongs to the LPV’s

In their field we will start seeing the 1-6 and 1-8 optics start to achieve shorter and lighter variants.

Lights are following a similar trend. Lumens are trending between 400-800 on most lights and they’re gaining ground in end user sustainablity. More fuel options with rechargeables gaining ground. More programming options so the user can select the settings they want. More lockout features to prevent unintentional activation and resource waste.

Light options have never been better.

Firearms are the ultimate expression of the Evolution>Revolution. Nothing is truly new but plenty are fine refinements on proven concepts.

FN, as an example, has several upgrades on the SC that will migrate back to the standard SCAR lineup as time and opportunity permit. The new lower receivers and the non-reciprocating charging handle I’m hoping make the cut sooner rather than later.

And on the SCAR-SC, when asked if there would be a commercial release I was answered “It would make sense as the next logical step in the offering.” but it was also an indefinite time uncertain delivery. They won’t be doing one… until they do.

Most off the wall concepts like the FA Reformation are exercises in theoretical engineering to get around a problem or nuisance that become commercial as opposed to core practical gear. It’s a lot of fun that we can do it even if there isn’t a practical demand.

Overall the slump and leveling off in the firearms market has resulted in companies focusing on using their core products in new ways to satisfy demand and parallel emerging tech.

But on occasion something newer and cool does jump out.

SHOT Show 2018 Nighthawk Custom and Agency Arms Party: LIT UP!

By

Keith Finch

-

January 24, 2018

Last night was the Nighthawk Custom and Agency Arms sponsored shoot and party.

There were guns from FNH, Kalashnikov USA, Agency, and Nighthawk on the lines to light up the night at Pro Gun Club just outside of Las Vegas.

FN brought a line up of SCAR rifles, an FN15, and a MK46, and a few others. The SCAR17/MK17 SBR full-auto was always roaring. Everyone needs to shoot one, that is simply an inescapable fact.

The finale after a hungers were sated with tacos was a minigun shoot in which a Winnebago was the the target.

Party was lit up my friends. Drinks were had, stories exchanged and then back to the Expo in the morning

SHOT Show 2018: Armament Systems and Procedures

By

Keith Finch

-

January 24, 2018

My visit to Armament Systems and Procedures has been one of the most productive stops at the show so far.

ASP was an entirely unknown entity to me. Their track record in law enforcement circles stretches better than two decades though so I was never the intended recipient until recently.

ASP is known for training law enforcement as well as supplying them. Flashlights are far from their only product although it is most relevant to civilian carriers.

Talking with ASP they wanted to stress a very specific vision that hasn’t changed with their products.

I’d asked if they had considered any weapon mounted lights and got a straight “no”. ASP isn’t a company just reshaping and making lights and seeing if they stick on the market, they are a mission centered training and supply company for law enforcement in the field and in the moment. Nearly every product they sell is directly tied into there training curriculum for officers around the country

That curriculum is offered for free. Any department can send officers to become trained instructors on the use of their less-lethal’s. Batons, hand-cuffs, and spray devices all round out the offerings and a massive selection of red gun training weapons and tools compounds their ability to focus on their training mission.

Talking with ASP you realize the product they want to push the most of is actually the entirely free training. The purpose designed gear the training is designed to utilize is the secondary despite being the revenue stream.

Now there is definitive overlap value from law enforcement into the individual civilian carrier realm. The most popular product line among the civilian individual purchasers is flashlights, eminently usable.

The uses for observation, disorientation, or engagement parallel too and lights like the Tungsten are just as useful to me at night if I need to shoot as an officer.

I’m looking into finding out more about the less-lethal training programs ASP provides so that and LEO readers here can go to their individual departments if interested.

SHOT Show 2018: FN America

By

Keith Finch

-

January 24, 2018

FN America’s full display product line distracted me the direction I was headed an the purpose for which I was going there.

SCAR’s, AR’s, SAW’s, and there fine handgun display took a while to navigate. The folks at FN are proud of the line-up and the reasons behind it. A display of U.S. Military small arms currently deployed rounded out one end of the line credentialing the rest.

In another corner I found the forbidden treasure.

FN’s SCAR-SC (Subcompact) is an LEO available product. I and several other writers shook our fists and sky from the media room for the cruel tease to the public domain.

In functionality though the SC is a fine concept for a variety of LEO carbine tasks. It’s small and would easily maneuver inside a cruiser. It’s upgraded non-reciprocating charging handle address the issues of using a magwell grip that’s more common on smaller carbines and submachine guns like the MP5. Everything on the SCAR-SC has been retuned and engineered as necesarry for the smaller form and shorter barrel.

Someone just needs to put an SB Tactical PDW end cap body on that frame and we have ourselves a subcompact pistol like none before.

FN’s booth was most about continuing a refinement on their current lineup. The SCAR-SC is the only addition to the U.S. line while all others are adapted variations on their core firearms.

SHOT Show 2018: The Second Day

By

Keith Finch

-

January 24, 2018

There is a tremendous amount going on here at the Sands Expo Center and the amount of product here is astounding.

Franklin Armory’s mysterious Reformation has been revealed. As many theorized they have used a departure from traditional rifling in their barrels to achieve the status ‘Firearm’ under ATF designation. Another arena where R&D engineers have managed quite a feat. The barrels have straight lands and grooves and do not impart a stabilizing spin to the round.

Stabilized flight is instead achieved in the .300 Blackout by the engineering of the projectile. It’s a clever concept even if it makes the full system very specialized. Traditional ammunition can still be used but the rounds will be flying straight bore.

I’m mostly enjoying the Reformation for the fact it engineers around a problem. It also will be standard with the BFS III Binary Trigger.

A stop at Armament Systems and Procedures was enlightening. ASP is an almost exclusively Law Enforcement focused organization and their dedication to the efficiency, durability, and usability of their lights, cuffs, batons, and sprays is paralleled with an aggressive free training program they offer to departments and agencies around the nation to better prepare LEO’s to survive encounters that go hands on less lethal. Every one of their products is designed from an active use training standpoint. Nearly everything they make was designed first and foremost to assist the needs of an actively responding officer.

I’ve been religiously carrying their Tungsten handheld flashlight and I’ve never been more impressed by the purposeful engineering on an otherwise simple product.

They do a full line of scale training weapons and it fits with the company’s hyper focused determination to see a continuously better trained LEO community.

Rolling through Meprolight’s booth and stopping to talk revealed and a well thought out expansion and evolution on many of their legacy optics. You’ve seen the releases here.

Their MicroRDS though is a very cool take on the iron sight vs. reddot on a pistol. They just turn night sight iron sights into a sturdy QD mount for the RDS. I’m attempting to get one for T&E

Quick update guys and back at it. I stopped by U.S. Optics too but so engaging was the conversation I never got the camera out. But one of the scopes will be on deck for review too.

The Party was Lit

By

Keith Finch

-

January 24, 2018

Last night was the Nighthawk Custom and Agency Arms sponsored shoot and party.

There were guns from FNH, Kalashnikov USA, Agency, and Nighthawk on the lines to light up the night at Pro Gun Club just outside of Las Vegas.

FN brought a line up of SCAR rifles, an FN15, and a MK46, and a few others. The SCAR17/MK17 SBR full-auto was always roaring. Everyone needs to shoot one, that is simply an inescapable fact.

The finale after a hungers were sated with tacos was a minigun shoot in which a Winnebago was the the target.

Party was lit up my friends. Drinks were had, stories exchanged and then back to the Expo in the morning

SHOT Show 2018: ATEi

By

Keith Finch

-

January 24, 2018

ATEi is a nationally known customization specialist from Taylor, MI. Custom slides, coatings, triggers, RMR addition milling, ATEi is one stop locale for changing up your stock firearm and making it your own “Combat Weapon System” .

It was no surprise they already had a G19x with the full treatment top to bottom.

While opinions vary on whether stock guns or these rock star level modified guns are the way to go at the end of the day ATEi is providing any degree of customization you desire over stock ‘perfection’.

There is an immense market in improving a gun to fit your shooting and aesthetics requirements. Changing a trigger compliment proper trigger squeeze or adding an microdot because it greatly enhances hit probability at distance is a far cry from some “just for the ‘Gram”.

Of course, it’s your money. It’s your gun. Do it how you want. Your can mod it to enhance and craft a shooting characteristic or you can mod it because.

In looking to add modifications to a carry gun though consult with the fine folks at ATEi. Giving them the directional vision to improve your stock firearm to a more personalized and functional form by covering your end users requirements will insure you are satisfied with any modification.

ATEi knows there stuff. I can feel Glock heading there direction in the future. TBD on whether or not a G19x

From The Range at SHOT Show 2018: EOTech VUDU 5-25x Prototypes and Green HWS

By

Keith Finch

-

January 23, 2018

Michigan continues to produce some amazing items for the industry and I hit up EOTech to play with their latest two offerings.

The green reticled HWS are a serious shooting consideration. Why green? Easy on the eyes is the simple answer, the human eye picks the green up quicker in many respects and that makes this quick reflex optic even quicker. Every other standard from their HWS lineup remains, now just easier to see than ever. This is impressive, working with green lasers has in the past presented challenges, power consumption being high on that list.

What really made this stop worthwhile was this optic

It’s a prototype VUDU 5-25x front focal plane. While that’s not can unheard of project by any means keeping the overall length under 12″ was. Optics of this profile fit so much better on modern tactical platforms, especially shorter ones with limited real estate. I will get my hands on one and get back to you guys.

Two reticles were displayed, a Horus and a TMR. The TMR was mounted up to the Mossberg 6.5 Creedmoor

Glass was crystal clear and the eye box was generous. Even at 25x where things get really tight on most optics finding a clear sight picture was quick. At 5x it’s still usable as a quicker optic for more reflexive shooting. Whether on a precision bolt gun or a semi-auto DMR this 5-25x is going to find itself eminently usable.

100 yards on a hostage swinger steel target was a delightfully simple task at 5x and might as well have been cheating at 25x.

If you’re in the market for new glass, keep an out for this dropping later this summer!

I Spy with My Little Eye… Knight’s SR’s

By

Keith Finch

-

January 23, 2018

More on this to come… I want to sit down with Knight’s Armament before digging into these fine firearms.

SHOT Show 2018 On Deck!

By

Keith Finch

-

January 23, 2018

ATEi has worked up the G19x, the only one I've found so far. I don't normally go for tricked Glocks.. normally.

As anticipated the range and now the SHOT Show floor are stocked to the breaking point guns, ammo, and tactical gear. Check this out!

The Ladyhawk 2.0 is here. Smooth as she looks.. smoother in person

Nighthawk Custom has delivered with Agency, Railscales, and Hillbilly 223. These guns are in a league of their own. Hands on here.

MP5’s are continuing to emerge… These were on display at PTR along with their more traditional roller delayed offerings.

Product refinement, correlation, and customization is the everywhere.

Zenith had their factory SBR Z43 on the range and ringing steel with the irons at 100, 200, and 300 made my day… and theirs, apparently I was the only one who didn’t miss.

More to come guys. There’s a lot to unload!

We Like Shooting 230 – Couch for sale, slightly stained

By

We Like Shooting

-

January 23, 2018

Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 230 – tonight we’ll talk about Glock Airsoft, black rhino concealment, chiappa spencer carbine, survival axes and more!

Source: https://welikeshooting.com/show/230/

We Like Shooting Double Tap 047 – Guido

By

We Like Shooting

-

January 22, 2018

Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 47, Tonight we talk about gun tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear

Source: https://welikeshooting.com/show/double-tap/dt047/