by Larry S. Sterett

In this issue, we continue our review of the many gun and sporting-related products found at the 2001 SHOT Show-the largest of its type in the world and one which ranks as the 35th largest trade event in the US (see Part I of Sterett's SHOT review in Gun Week, March 1, 2001). The products covered in this report represent only a few of the many offerings exhibited by dealers.

EasyHit Inc. (292 East Highway 246, Dept. GWK, Buellton, CA 93427; phone: 805-686-5600; on-line: www.easyhit.com) was exhibiting "Add on Ribs" for shotguns.

Target shooters-be they sporting, skeet, and trap-who encounter difficult shooting from a "heads-up" position may find this the answer. The ribs, manufactured of anodized aerospace aluminum, are 28 inches long, with pre-cuts at 22, 24, and 26 inches for easy length adjustment, if necessary. Featuring a rippled top surface, each rib comes with a mounted center bead and three interchangeable orange, red, or lime-green muzzle heads. Available rib heights are 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 5/8 inch, and mounting is atop the original barrel rib, using mounting sticks or glue.

No damage is done to the shotgun, and since the rib height is uniform the entire length, there's no change in the shot charge point of impact. Now, if the firm would just manufacture a rib tapering in height from breech to muzzle? Guess we'll have to wait on that one.

New Pocket Pak
Form Plus Industries (PO Box 2062, Dept. GWK, Longview, WA 98632; on-line: www.formplusindustries.com) displayed some handy, new four- and five-round, see-through folding Pocket Pak Bullet Cases. These are designed to hold four or five cartridges, not bullets, despite the "Bullet Case" name.

Four sizes are available which will fit most cartridges from the .243 Winchester to the 8mm Remington Magnum. However, the Pocket Paks are not currently available to fit some of the larger cartridges based on the .404 and .416 cases, such as the .378 and .460 Weatherby Magnums. Three colors-orange, green, and clear-are offered, and the translucent cases are completely recyclable when no longer useable.

Whether the Pocket Pak holds four or five cartridges depends on the size of the cartridge. Cases for the .270Winchester and .30-06 or smaller-size cartridges will hold five rounds, while the magnums limit the Pocket Pak capacity to four rounds.

Designed to slip into a shirt, jacket or pants pocket, the Pocket Pak protects the loaded cartridge from damage, particularly the tips of soft point bullets. They snap closed, and when opened the removal of a cartridge requires only pushing it out of the retaining groove. Adhesive labels listing the caliber, case, bullet type and weight, powder brand and weight, primer, and date of reloading or installation in the Pocket Pak are provided, and additional labels can be purchased.

New From Hornady
Hornady Manufacturing Company (PO Box 1848, Dept. GWK, Grand Island, NE 68802-1848; phone: 308-382-1390; on-line: www.hornady.com) has a new 140-grain .38/357 bullet and a new 180-grain .44-caliber bullet for Cowboy Action Shooters who handload in either of these calibers. Both are also available in Hornady-loaded .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .44 Special Cowboy cartridges. Also still available are the .44-40 and .45 Colt Hornady-loaded Cowboy cartridges.

Last year, Hornady introduced their .450 Marlin and .376 Steyr cartridges, and this year it's the new .480 Ruger. Available only from Hornady, the .480 Ruger is loaded with a 325-grain XTPMAG jacketed hollow point bullet to a muzzle velocity of 1,350 feet per second (fps) from the Ruger Super Redhawk. At 50 yards, it has an impact energy of 1,023 foot-pounds (fpe).

For handloaders, there are two score calibers of unprimed cases available, including the 6.5/284, .376 Steyr, .450 Marlin, .357 SIG, .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, and the new .480 Ruger. There's also a new Cam Lock Case Trimmer, which comes in seven of the most popular pilots-from .22 to .45 caliber. The new trimmer features a redesigned handle knob, a taller base to reduce knuckle banging, and a one-finger case cam lock, plus a micro-adjustable cutting head.

And then there's the new Turning Neck Tool to permit uniform case neck trimming in .001-inch increments. Mandrels are sold separately, and are currently available in .22, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm and .308 sizes.

Muzzleloaders haven't been forgotten. There's the new XTP Magnum/Sabot, featuring a 240-grain, .45 XTP hollow point bullet in a .50-caliber black sabot. Packaged 20 per reusable box, along with load data, this new combo is capable of reaching a muzzle velocity of 2,225 fps. Loaded ahead of 150 grains (three pellets) of Pyrodex and sighted-in to be 4 inches high at 100 yards, the 240-grain XTP will be just over 2 inches high at 50 yards and less than 2 inches low at 200 yards.

From Lost River
Lost River Ballistic Technologies Inc. (PO Box 801, Dept. GWK, Arco, ID 83213; on-line: www.lostriverballistic.com) has a line of bullets-the J36-which is advertised as being unprecedented in its "high ballistic coefficients."

Resembling the Remington Bronze Point from the mid-1900s, but produced from solid metal, with a separate tip, the J36 bullets are available in calibers from the .243 to the .458. Depending on caliber, the ballistic coefficients range from a low of .410 for the .225-grain, .375 to a high of .715 for the 160-grain, 7mm J36. Sectional densities range from the .193 for the 80-grain, .243 to .313 for the .250-grain .338, and a 300-grain .338 J36-if produced-should be even better.

The J36 bullets retain over 80% of their weight, even at high velocity impacts of over 4,000 fps, and expand to 1.5-2.0 times the original bullet diameter. Due to their high ballistic efficiency, the bullets provide greater velocity and impact energy downrange than many regular designs.

Lost River also produces J40 match bullets in seven calibers from the .224 to the .510 in a "baker's dozen" weights. Neither the J36 or J40 are low cost, but Rolls-Royce quality is not available at Honda prices. Depending on caliber, some of the bullets cost between $2 and $3 each.

Loaded ammunition for popular cartridges is available for most of the J36 bullets in wallet packs of nine rounds, or a plastic case of 20 rounds. Only loaded .50 BMG cartridges are currently available with the J40 bullets-in five-round packs at over $4 per round. Other calibers will be special loaded with J40 bullets for a minimum order of 200 rounds. The minimum rifle barrel twist required to stabilize the J40 bullet design is provided for each weight.

New .408 Cheyenne
Lost River was exhibiting an interesting new cartridge for law enforcement and military Special Forces use. Called the .408 Cheyenne, the cartridge is based on the .505 Gibbs, necked down to hold 419-grain, .408 bullets. The rifle used is a modified switch-barrel Windrunner design by EDM Arms (1643 Plum Lane, Dept. GWK, Redlands, CA 92374; phone: 909-307-8877; on-line: www.edmarms.com).

Twists of 1 in 10 inches, 1 in 12 inches and 1 in 13 inches have been tested; the muzzle velocity is in the neighborhood of 2,900 fps from a barrel approaching 30 inches in length. Weight of the rifle is under 20 pounds, with an expectation of being reduced slightly in the final production models.

EDM Arms advertises the XM107 Windrunner lightweight Tactical Takedown bolt action .50 BMG rifle as being the most unique firearm on earth, and it definitely is different. It features a detachable barrel with muzzle brake, detachable box magazine, detachable telescoping buttstock with monopad, and a receiver unit with bipod and scope (optional). The entire rifle can be quickly fieldstripped and packed in a hard case just slightly longer than the barrel length (30 inches).

The rifle weighs approximately 35 pounds, and the machined receiver is 4130 chromoly, heat treated, certified and wire-EDM-ed for straightness. Accuracy is guaranteed at 1 MOA with match-grade or RAFUS ammunition, and one of these rifles reportedly shot a 5-inch, five-shot group at 1,004 yards from the prone position. For the .50 BMG shooter wanting a unique bolt action for less than the price of a compact car, the Windrunner could be the answer.

New Shotshell Adapters
Little Skeeters LLC (633 Commerce St., Dept. GWK, Thornwood, NY 10594; phone: 914-769-5509) has some interesting new shotshell adapters, or "Mini-Tube Gauge Reducers" available. Adapters of a similar type have been around for nearly a century-possibly even longer.

Available in England, France, Germany and the US-and who knows where else-the older models were generally manufactured of steel or aluminum in various lengths, from shotshell size to approximately 18 inches. Note: these are not the insert tubes used to reduce gauge size for skeet shooting. Most frequently in 12 gauge bored to handle the .410 shells, these adapters were often used for vermin control, at least in England. But they worked, and well.

The new "Little Skeeters" are manufactured of anodized aluminum, and are available in 10-, 12-, 16- and 20-gauge sizes, or 12-gauge sizes to handle 20- and 28-gauge, plus .410 bore. Sets of two, four, five, or six of the Little Skeeters are available, with each designed to handle specific smaller gauges. The set of six "Gauge Reducers" is in 12 gauge and consists of a pair each to accept 20-gauge, 28-gauge and .410-bore shells. Other combinations are available. These include 10-gauge reducers to handle 12- and 20-gauge shells, 16-gauge reducers to handle 20-, 28-, or .410-bore shells, and 20-gauge reducers to accept 28-gauge and .410-bore shells.

Although the Little Skeeters can be used single shot in autoloaders and pump action shotguns, their use in break-action models makes extraction simpler. Patterns depend on the choke of the original shotgun, and the use of target loads with size 7-1/2 shot is recommended for maximum effect.

Great News
Lyman Products Corporation (475 Smith St., Dept. GWK, Middletown, CT 06457; phone: 860-632-2020; on-line: www.lymanproducts.com) now has their Deerstalker muzzleloading rifle available in a .54-caliber, left-hand flintlock version, with a rifling twist of 1 in 48 inches.

For hunters having a Lyman Great Plains rifle in .50- or .54-caliber percussion or flintlock having a rifling twist of 1 in 60-inch twist, there's great news. Great Plains Hunter barrels in these calibers, but with a 1 in 32-inch twist for shooting modern or sabot and conical bullets have been introduced. Available in .50 and .54 caliber, percussion or flint, these barrels include a fitted tang, and will drop into place in the Great Plains stock. The result is a two-barrel rifle set.

For Cowboy Action shooters, Lyman now has neck-sizing dies in .40 and .45 caliber to fit many of the black powder cartridges. The .40 caliber will handle the .40-65, .40-77, etc., cartridges, while the .45 dies are available in short and long versions to handle cases from the .45-70 to the .45-120.

Three-die sets for the .450 Marlin and .454 Casull cartridges are now in stock, and there's a new double duty cavity mould (#454647) for casting 285-grain truncated, gas-check bullets for the .454 Casull cartridge.

There's More
Other new products from the Lyman/Pachmayr/TacStar firm include the Handi-Lok, a multi tool that comes complete with a carrying case for the sportsman. It features pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, serrated knife, file, and a can opener. For handloaders, a pocketsize (4-inch) digital electronic caliper is available. It will handle all normal bullet and case measurements in mm/inch configurations out to 0.0001 inch, and it has an on/off button. A digital electronic Trigger Pull Gauge is also available, which will measure trigger let-off up to 12 pounds in 0.1-ounce increments. Multiple readings are possible.

All firearms need cleaning, and five sizes of Butch's "Triple Twill" cleaning patches are now available from Lyman. These patches are woven from a special, highly absorbent fabric that will not shed lint or fray at the edges. Patch sizes and quantity per package depend on the calibers, which range from .22 (1,000) to 10-gauge (300).

Still more items from the Middletown firms include TacStar Hunter SideSaddles in Mossy Oak Breakup, Shadow Grass, and Realtree Advantage camo shades for 12-gauge shells and new 20-gauge SideSaddles in Hunter Black for Remington and Mossberg shotguns.

Pre-fit Decelerator Recoil Pads are now available to fit the Marlin .450, 1895M, 1895G, 444P, and 1894P Ported rifles, the Mossberg M500 and 835 with synthetic stock, and the Ruger MKII Model 77 with synthetic stock. These pads replace the factory pads and can be installed in minutes.

For Cowboy Action and black powder shooters, the new Black Powder Handbook, 2nd edition, should be greatly appreciated. With hundreds of pressure-tested loads for black powder cartridges, such as the .44-40, .45-90, and .45-120, the Handbook covers both handgun and rifle loads. Muzzleloading fans will find thousands of pressure-tested loads using Goex and Elephant black powders, using Pyrodex RS, Select, P Powders, and Pyrodex Pellets, with round balls, conicals, and sabots. Downrange velocities and energies are provided for each load.

North American Arms Inc. (2150 South 950 East, Dept. GWK, Provo, UT 84606-6285; phone: 801-374-9990; on-line: www.naaminis.com) is known for their mini-revolvers, and more recently the NAA .32 Guardian autoloading pistol. Now, there's the new .380 Guardian.

Constructed of 17-4 pH stainless steel, the Guardian .380 is a double-action-only pistol with an average let-off of 10 pounds, a 6+1 capacity and a loaded weight of under 21 ounces. Measuring 4 inches long with a barrel length of approximately 2° inches, the new Guardian is a "point 'n' pull" pistol. Excellent as a backup gun or a minimal concealed carry gun where legal, the newest Guardian should find a ready market.

Pager Pal Concealment Systems (200 West Pleasantview, Dept. GWK, Hurst, TX 76054; on-line: www.pagerpal.com) has a great new holster for concealed carry-the Pager Pal.

This one will accept the simulated pager, a real pager, a knife sheath, eyeglass case, or any of four other interchangeable accessories. Handcrafted from premium-grade leather, the Pal is available in three sizes-mini, small, and large-to accept more than 50 handguns.

The mini will accept the NAA Guardian and Autauga Arms .32, while the small will handle the .22s, .25s, and .32s measuring no more than 5-1/8 inches in length. The large Pager Pal will accept the .380s and most of the 9mms and .40s, up to the size of the regular .45 M1911 with 5-inch barrel. While most of the large-frame pistols will fit, their use is not necessarily recommended from a comfort and concealment standpoint. Some revolvers can be used, but the more snag-free the handguns, the better the results when withdrawing the holster.

The Pager Pal fits under the pants, slacks, or even shorts-with or without the shirt tucked in. Its use does not require wearing a belt or having an extremely stiff waistband for retaining the Pager. Tucked inside the pants, with the Pager on the outside over the belt, the holster makes a 90-degree bend just below the Pager, laying the pistol on the thigh with the grip of the pistol pointing toward the crotch.

Skintight pants do not work well here, but the baggie jeans are great, as are pleated pants and baggie shorts in summer. Any bulges down below, be they from keys or whatever, will likely reveal the holster also.

In use, from a standing position, a right-handed shooter would hook his right thumb inside the band of his trousers and pull forward from the abdominal surface, while the left hand grasps the Pager and pulls it slightly out and upward. As soon as the grip of the pistol clears the belt, the right thumb releases the waistband so the pistol can be grasped and withdrawn from the holster. It's simple and quick.

Pager Pal also produces the Belt Pal and Pant Pal holsters of top quality leather, finished in tan or black. Three sizes are available in right- or left-handed versions, and each features an integral pouch for an extra magazine.

New Accessory Item
Atsko Inc. (2530 Russell SE, Dept. GWK, Orangeburg, SC 29115) has a new Rapid Rod which is perfect for the hunter in the field or on the range. Constructed of Duralumin with a synthetic slotted tip, the Rapid Rod weighs just over 2 ounces and fits into a handy carrying pouch with a belt loop on the back.

Featuring six short sections and having male/female joints, it has an internal cable and a two-piece handle. Holding the Rapid Rod in a vertical position so the sections tend to straighten, pull up on the rear of the handle until the rod joints mate and the handle threads engage. Rotate the handle end counterclockwise to apply tension to the rod and lock it rigid. Do not over-tighten.

The resulting rod measures just over 34° inches in length, and with the proper jag or slotted patch, it can be used to clean any barrel from a .22 rimfire up to a 10-gauge shotgun. It can also be used to clean minor obstructions-mud, snow, plastic wad, etc.-from a barrel, within reason. Pounding on the rod handle is not recommended, on this or any other cleaning rod.

On occasion, the extractor(s) will slip off the rim of a .22 rimfire case on extraction, leaving the empty in the chamber. If it cannot be removed with the fingernail or the tip of a small screwdriver, the Rapid Rod will do the job in short order. It's a worthwhile accessory to always have available.

Swift Bullet Company (201 Main St., PO Box 27, Dept. GWK, Quinter, KS 67752; phone: 785-754-3959) has discontinued its line of .411 A-frame bullets in both weights, but the .416 bullets in 350- and 400-grain sizes are still being produced.

Swift is also the only firm producing a .44 (.430 inch) 300-grain partitioned (AF/HP) bullet for handguns, and a similar 300-grain bullet for .45s, such as the .454 Short Casull. These are excellent bullets, and possibly-if enough demand is there-they might produce a 325- or 350-grain AF/HP bullet for the .480 Ruger.

The German WANO Schwarzpulver GmbH black powder, distributed in the US by Luna Tech Inc. (148 Moon Drive, Dept. GWK, Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763), is produced from the purest potassium nitrate, sulfur, and black Alder charcoal available, by a firm which has been in business since 1721.

The firm produces black powder for sporting, hunting, blasting, and fireworks use, plus safety fuses and igniter cords, but only the premium-grade target powders are imported. Currently four grades are available-1Fg, 2Fg, 3Fg and 4Fg. The firm states they do not permit the "usual" 15% size variation among grades, with the result being a more uniform powder and more consistent ignition.

That's about it for this issue. From EasyHit to WANO, we've taken a look at a few of the many new products at the 2001 SHOT Show. There were plenty more firearms, ammunition and accessories on display, but that's another story.