Exhibitors to Showcase Ammo, Firearms and K9 Body Armor at SHOT Show

The SHOT Show is the largest show of this venue in the world. For the past few years, it has been in Las Vegas, which has facilities large enough for the huge influx of visitors. I’ll be there Jan. 23 to 26 at the Sands Expo Center, along with tens of thousands of others.

As I’m writing this, I have had a chance to look at some of the products that are scheduled for release during the show. Since I have attended SHOT, I have not really established a good method to visit the thousands of booths and see all of the products. I don’t just look at public safety-related products, either. Some of the best product recommendations I have made have come from the outdoor industry. The best way I can describe how I take it all in is to say that I wander from booth to booth and shooting range to shooting range.

Here’s a preview of what’s to come, so if you’re at the show, check out the following:

New ammo

When I get to the range, I would like to have an opportunity to put some reduced drag factor (RDF) ammo by Nosler down range. The ammo is a match-grade product that has, in their words, a “Very Small Meplat.” Maybe they should have called it VSM ammunition.

For competitive shooters, the ballistic coefficient of a bullet is one of the most critical factors toward down range performance. This year, RDF Match Grade ammunition will be available in .223, 22 Nosler, 6.5 Creedmor and 308 Winchester.

A meplat is derived from a French word meaning “flat” or “the flat of.” It refers to the tip of the bullet. Even the most conical bullets are going to have some degree of a point for the tip. It’s not too hard to assume that a highly pointed bullet might give higher performance. This particular bullet has a very high ballistic coefficient that will improve trajectory and reduce wind drift. RDF bullets were released last year. This year, RDF Match Grade ammunition will be available in .223, 22 Nosler, 6.5 Creedmor, and 308 Winchester.

I can only say this much, so let your imagination run wild. Shortly after this gets published, Aguila Ammunition USA/Texas Armament & Technology will have a very cool announcement. We couldn’t time the release of this publication with their announcement, but I promise, it will be good. Stay tuned.

Products for the canine handler

This year, I’m going to visit the Wilder Tactical product reps at the Palmetto State Defense booth at SHOT. Besides their LE specific pouches for essential items like radios and handcuffs, they will be releasing their Premier Body Armor K9 Vest. It has Level IIIa ballistic panels, D rings and removable ID pouches. I’ve had a chance to see the sneak peak at it, and it looks great. I’ve never been a handler, but I can attest to the effectiveness of launching a fur missile to resolve a tactical situation. I am glad that agencies are stepping up and getting ballistic protection for our patrol partners.

Mossberg has released the 20-gauge version of their Shockwave. Like the 12 gauge, it is a 6 round gun with an overall length of 26.4”. This product could be a very handy tool for K9 and motor officers, where maneuverability and space is limited, and the caliber of confidence ends in “gauge.” I would not be surprised if we see some slings designed for close body carry, or even a “holster” for special assignments. Yup, I said it, “holster” for a shotgun.

Guns for fun

Everyone knows that I love single-action firearms, especially black powder ones. When I have extra time I like to load traditional cartridges for a fun day of plinking. Cimarron Firearms Company just released a .44 Magnum handgun called the “Bad Boy.” It is built on a pre-war large frame with an Army-style grip. It sports a 6” or 8” octagonal barrel. This is a modern rendition that can handle modern .44 Magnum cartridges. I know that this gun will appeal to a lot of hunters, but my passion is handloading and this is the coolest platform I’ve seen in a long time.

This year, Henry Rifles is celebrating their 20th anniversary with an Anniversary Edition. The Anniversary Edition Big Boy rifles feature highly-detailed, hand-engraved brass receivers boasting the brand’s motto, “Made in America or Not Made at All.” The stocks are hand-selected AAA Presentation grade American Walnut.

Henry Repeating Arms is celebrating 20 years of American manufacturing. To celebrate, they are auctioning special edition .44 Magnum Big Boy models. “Over the past two decades, I’ve come to realize that it’s our customers that make Henry the brand it is today,” said Anthony Imperato, president and owner of Henry Repeating Arms. “Henry is a brand that represents many different things for customers from all walks of life. It’s their stories, their passion for Henry and shooting sports that continue to push us to be the best possible firearms manufacturer we can be.” I would definitely like to handle one of these at SHOT.

For patrol

SIG SAUER has gone back to its roots with the P220 Legion. This gun is a .45 semi auto with black G 10 scales, and their new Electro-Optics sights.

The SIG SAUER P220 Legion is the enhanced version of the original P220, a full sized 45 that was universally adopted for duty when it first went on the market. The front cocking serrations and increased relief in the beavertail have taken a great firearm to a higher level. I definitely can’t wait to try the Grayguns, Inc. designed P-SAIT trigger.

The Legion has a little more contouring and an enhanced DA/SA trigger. It also comes in single-action only. SIG-SAUER always has a good range at SHOT for media folks like me, which allows us to get a detailed view of their new products.

By the time you read this, 4Sevens will have released their Sentinel WS1 Micro Weapon Light. I’m glad I got a preview of it. The Sentinel WS1 has a number of unique features that will make it one of the most desirable lights for personal defense and law enforcement use. First, it is Bluetooth programmable and locatable. I’ll let that sink in for a moment.

Second, it is rechargeable. There aren’t a lot of weapon mounted lights that are rechargeable.

The Sentinel WS1 has ambidextrous paddle switches on both sides the unit, which is actually smaller than most wristwatches. It casts a 500 lm beam. I don’t have more specs or even a good beam shot, so that’s all we can go with for now. Everybody knows that I put handgun mounted lights in the same category as off-body carry. Having said that, this light is going on my Glock, right away.

Otis Technology has introduced a new cleaner and lubricant product group that will come in 1-ounce spray bottles.

Otis has just released the high Mission Critical performance synthetic firearm lubricant that will not freeze, burn or carbonize. It is designed for extreme conditions and comes in 1-ounce spray bottles. This is a product I will test later this year.

Called the Mission Critical MC-10 High Performance Cleaner and Lubricant, the products are easy to apply and will handle extreme conditions. The MC-10 lubricant is a synthetic and I like synthetic lubricant products.

Since I was introduced to Swab-its last year, the cleaning patches already attached to a jag, they now have Bore-Sticks. Bore-Sticks are the entire cleaning rod in a caliber specific package. Most of the time I clean guns right after I get off the firing line. Since I don’t like to carry a lot of stuff, the Swab-its line of products really lighten the load. I’m looking forward to testing Bore-Sticks.

Precision guns

There are several bolt guns that I have not had the pleasure of shooting, but top on my list is a Bergara LRP, a precision rifle made in the Basque region of Spain. This is a CNC aluminum chassis rifle with 416 stainless barrel, box magazine and an adjustable length of pull. The 6.5 Creedmoor version has a 24” barrel, and I have already heard great things about this combination. Friends who have handled this gun have remarked that the action has an inherent smoothness. I would like to get behind one on the range, if I can.

Federal Premium is going to release the 224 Valkyrie cartridge. It’s a .22 caliber screamer designed for short actions that will deliver much flatter trajectory than many other common cartridges. Get this, Federal Premium reports supersonic velocities with 90 grain Match Kings out to 1,300 yards. In their own words, “the 224 Valkyrie 90-grain Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing leaves the muzzle at 2,700 feet per second; it maintains a blistering 1,950 fps pace at 500 yards and 1,268 fps when crossing the 1,000-yard line. In fact, it remains supersonic out to 1,300 yards. Velocities are based on 24-inch test barrels with a 1:7 twist.” That’s unprecedented performance.

There’s more

There are a couple of new guns out there that I can’t talk about yet, at least until the day I get to shoot them on the range. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you. Until then, stay safe and see you at the 2018 SHOT Show.