SHOT Show '09

This week we're going to take an in-depth look at some of the new products; some of the changes in major industry players and a couple of changes that it might be good for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF – owns SHOT Show) to make in the future. As seems to happen every year, SHOT Show's attendance numbers grew again and changes are being made as they plan SHOT '10 for Las Vegas.

Sabre Defence Industries
The Sabre Defence Industries (SDI) Stealth Rifle is a pretty cool concept. The key is the integrated suppressor that is mounted in front of the 7/5" barrel. Chambered for .223, the weapon has an adjustable stock and pop-up front and rear sights. The suppressor reportedly reduces the sound output by 32dB and the rep at SHOT told me that they regularly shoot it without any ear protection.

After the Stealth Rifle I was shown the Commando Rifle. Available with either a 10.5" or 11.5" barrel, the Commando also sports the pop-up sights and adjustable stock. Also in .223, the Commando is viewed by SDI as ideal as an entry weapon due to its shorter length and more maneuverable profile. The biggest point made by the rep from SDI was that they can make the rifle to suit the customer's need. Sure, they have "stock" weapons, but if you (or your team?) needs a rifle in 5.56mm, with a short fixed stock, 7.5" barrel, pop-up sights, holoscope, etc they can build it to order.

Truck Vault
I really enjoyed my visit to the Truck Vault area at the Smith & Wesson booth. Information about their actual truck vault vehicle drawer system is on the Officer.com Video Network. But I found two other items that peaked my interest.

Truck Vault makes a small safe they call the Quick Draw. It's essentially a spring-loaded steel box that, when unlocked, pops up to allow draw of the weapon. It can be mounted damn near anywhere, and you can get multiple base plates so that you can move the weapon from place to place without even having to take it out of the safe.

The other item I saw was the High Security Briefcase. Picture a briefcase made of steel. Yep, that's it. A simple concept but one of high value. It can be used to store and carry a gun or other valuables. And if worse comes to worse it would make one hell of an impact weapon.

FNH
When I got to the FNH booth the first thing I wanted to ask them about was their new .45ACP pistol. I had heard about it from a few friends in law enforcement and was eager to see it. What I found met the expectations I held. The FNP45 is a 15+1 .45ACP pistol with a polymer frame. It can be carried cocked-and-locked, hammer down safety on, or hammer down safety off. The manual safety also acts as a decocking lever if you ARE carrying cocked-and-locked, get on target and then, for whatever reason, decide you need to lower the hammer without firing. The frame can be had in black or "dark earth" and the slide can be had black or "lovely" stainless steel. The backstrap of the frame is interchangeable to suit hand size and the smallest one fits my hand darned well. Now I need to get one onto the range.

After the FNP45 I got to take a look at the SCAR 16S. Quite a unique rifle. The SCAR 16S comes standard with pop-up sights and picatinny rail on all four sides. Obviously the top rails are longer running the top of the receiver as well as the forend, while the sides and bottom are only on the forend. The stock is adjustable in three ways:

• For length. The butt stock has six positions
• For height. The cheek weld space is adjustable to align your eye properly with the sights while maintaining proper cheek weld.
• Out of the way. The stock folds to the side to get it completely out of the way and decrease the overall length of the weapon in close quarters.

The charging handle can be put on either side to accommodate right or left hand and the magazine release is ambidextrous. All in all it sounds and looks like a very well-thought-out design. Again, I look forward to getting one on the range.

Finally, for FNH, we have the PS90S. This weapon, chambered for the 5.7mm x 28mm round holds 10, 30 or 50 (LE only) rounds in the translucent magazine. The magazine sits flat on top of the weapon, in line with the barrel obviously, and directly under the shooter's eyes. So, as you shoot you can see your ammunition supply depleting. Spent brass ejects out the bottom of the pistol grip so there are no burns caused by hot brass that ejects high out of either side. Picatinny rails can be mounted on either side, but because of the design, not on top. The weapon is completely ambidextrous with magazine and safety controls equally accessible on both sides. VERY cool weapon.

Protective Products International
PPI had several products on display that were interesting. The first up is their USMC Tactical Vest. The fully modular body armor has a removable collar, throat protector, groin protector and side plates. It has a two-point emergency release system for when you have to quick ditch it. Literally COVERD with MOLLE straps the vest is not only an armor system but also an equipment carrying system - as is common in the industry today. Also on display was their HORNET vest: the law enforcement version of the USMC Tactical Vest with all the same features.

PPI's concealable vests were also on display. Their PYTHON vest offers full side coverage, removable shoulder straps and wide side wrap hook-and-loop bands to secure it around your body. Not only do they make the Python for men, but they also custom make the Python for women with each vest being properly sized to fit bra and cup size.

Finally, they had their "Future Warrior" concept on display. The system involved body armor for the torso, shoulders, upper arms and thighs. Protection for the hands, knees, neck and head are all part of the system. I have to say that it LOOKS cool and it does offer extended armor protection compared to contemporary systems. However, I have a feeling that any Future Warrior program undertaken by the military or law enforcement is going to involve more than just an expansion of armor systems. That's just my guess though.

Sig Sauer
Sig Sauer revealed it's new P238 .380ACP pistol. It may look vaguely familiar to those of you who remember a competitor's product in the same caliber and the controls are familiar to anyone who knows 1911 government style autos. Magazine capacity is 6 rounds and total unloaded weight is less than one pound. Barrel length is 2.7" and the pistol uses Sig's familiar bar-dot sight system (night sights are an option). The frame is aluminum (which accounts for the light weight). Slide is stainless steel. The Stainless slide over the Black Hard Coat Anodized frame makes for an attractive appearance for this palm sized gun.

Sig also had out their Sig 556 Classic battle rifle. Shown below, the weapon is chambered for 5.56mm and has garnered quite a following in military and law enforcement circles. Check out the recreational reviews page for some info about the Sig 522 which is a duplicate of the Sig 556 but chambered in .22lr.

BlackHawk
The BLACKHAWK! booth, as always, was full of new stuff. One of the first things I saw was a HUGE turn-out bag called the ALERT 5. With over 9700 cubic inches of storage space it is, by far, the biggest gear bag I've ever seen. With 3 clear windows - two on top and one on the end - the ALERT 5 has three compression straps across the top. It has three more inside to help secure whatever load you're carrying so it doesn't shift or get jostled in transport. The handle straps go all the way around the bag for a more stable carry and to insure that, even if stitches rip, the bag ain't fallin' free. There are pockets on either side, intended for different purposes, but both are as long as the bag which means a carbine will fit into each. The inside is padded and can be segmented into as many as three sections. On the inside SIDE there is STRIKE/MOLLE webbing for adding in pouches to increase your ability to organize the contents.

Also in the BLACKHAWK! booth in the Warrior Wear section, there were some new cool items. The Tactical-Non-Tactical (TNT) pants for example. Definitely not designed to be "shoot me first" pants, they are more suited for the office environment. For all that, they have a pocket that was specifically designed to hold a 30-round .223 magazine and another that will hold a pistol magazine or folding knife. Shown below you can see the pockets and general design of the pants. After I've gotten some for fit and wear testing, I'll report fully.

In the BLACKHAWK! Knives area I got to look at a newly redesigned CQD MkI which was basically the same as the original design but with different materials, lowering the retail price to under $100. I also got to look at the UKSFK, a fighting dagger specifically designed for the British Special Forces guys.

At the Night-Ops area I saw the Gladius Maximus - an improvement on the original Gladius in that it produces more light without giving up any run time or functionality. I also saw the single-3V-cell Xiphos LED pistol mounted light which is designed with multiple functions as well. Hard on... on with touch pressure... and strobing.

In the BLACKHAWK! Holster area I was introduced to the new double-magazine pouch that's been added to the CQC line. Of course it can be mounted on a variety of platforms, just like everything else in the CQC line, and you can get it to hold single- or double-stack magazines. Also, on that table, I saw the SERPA Quick Disconnect System that allows you to move your holster from chest to thigh to safe or wherever with just the push of two levers and a little bit of rotation on the platform. It's quick, secure and easy. Hell, I learned it in 5 seconds... and that's saying something.

Springfield Armory
In the Springfield Armory booth I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr. Rob Leatham. I'd never met Rob before but had, of course, read about him in plenty of articles. He was nice enough to introduce me to the Springfield Armory XDM. While I was under the impression that the XDM was simply a revamp of the XD model, I discovered I was wrong. The frame and slide have been completely re-engineered. Where the XD in .40 had a 12+1 capacity, the XDM in .40 has a 16+1 capacity. 17 rounds of .40! The XDM in 9mm holds 19+1 rounds of ammo - for a total of 20 rounds in the handgun! The pistol has the same safeties as the XD: trigger safety, striker block and grip safety, and is delivered in a package with:

• 3 magazines
• holster
• magazine pouch
• magazine loader
• Training DVD

That's a fairly complete package in my book.

So, there are my highlights. I hope you enjoyed!

Stay Safe!