by Larry S. Sterett

The 25th Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, ranked as the largest ever in the number of square feet (511,000) of exhibit space. With a total attendance of 27,494, the February 2003 Show ranked eighth largest in its 25 year history, down 3,848 from the 2002 Show in Las Vegas, but up 1,998 over the 2001 Show in New Orleans.

The first SHOT Show, held in St. Louis, MO, Jan. 9-11, 1979, had a total registered attendance of 5,600, with 2,900 of these being registered exhibitors. The "Official Directory" for the first Show, listed as a "Trade Show and Conference," measured 4°x7° inches, and contained 96 pages, including memoranda pages. There was also a four-page Addendum, plus a 16-page Additions flier. Binding of the directory and flier was accomplished by two staples each. Exhibitors were listed three or four to the page.

Keynote speaker for the first Show was Gov. John Connally of Texas. Sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the Show was managed by a division of the Cahners Exposition Group of New York, NY. The 2003 Show was managed and produced for the NSSF by Reed Exhibitions of Norwalk, CT.

The 25th Show's "Official Directory Buyers' Guide" measured 6x8-3/8 inches and contained 436 pages, with a separate 16-page Addendum. Exhibitors were listed up to a dozen per page, and there were four tabbed sections, with one being a floor plan of the convention hall.

The 1979 directory featured a two-color cover, but was printed in black on white inside, with no advertisements. The 2003 directory features a full-color cover, plus numerous full-color interior pages, including six color fold-outs, plus the floor plan. Advertisements are abundant, and the majority were in color.

The 1979 directory was printed only in English, but the 2003 directory featured the general information pages printed in seven languages: English; French; Spanish; German; Japanese; Italian, and Russian, reflecting the international importance of the show.

Now here are some of the products that caught my interest.

Gatling Gun
BWE Firearms (PO Box 3012, Dept. GWK, Lexington, OH 44904; phone: 419-884-1441; on-line: www.bwefirearms.com) was exhibiting the firm's new Model 2003 Gatling Gun, based on the Model 1903 design. For $3,750 the customer receives a new CNC machine-made Gatling having ten 18-inch barrels chambered for the rimfire .22 long rifle (LR) cartridge.

Two 10-round stick magazines are standard, as is a tripod mount, owner's manual and a lifetime warranty. Options include: an artillery carriage; oak shipping crate; high polish, and hex shaping of the final 2 inches of the barrels.

Due to the current law relating to magazine capacity, the Accles drums would be limited to 10 rounds. However, due to the need for manual movement of the 10-round tracks, Bruce feed (two 10-round tracks) and Broadwell drum (ten 10-round tracks) systems are scheduled to be available later. With the Broadwell installed, it will be possible to crank out 100 rounds, with only a slight pause every 10 rounds.

Connecticut Valley Arms (CVA, 5988 Peachtree Corners East, Dept. GWK, Norcross, GA 30071; phone: 800-320-8876/7; on-line: www.cva.com) was showing their new Optima Pro 209 Magnum, Optima 2009 Magnum, Firebolt 209 UltraMag and Hunter 209 Magnum line of blackpowder in-line rifles in a choice of .45- or .50-caliber. The Optima 209 rifles feature break-action design with underlever opening, an outside hammer, and composite stocks, while the Firebolt and Hunter rifles are bolt-action in-line designs.

The barrels may be had with blued or nickel finish, while the stocks are available in black or camo. Barrel lengths are 26 or 29 inches, depending on the model, and fiber-optic open sights are standard, as are the stainless steel 209 breech plug, ventilated recoil pad, and bullet guiding muzzle. Barrels can be interchanged on the Optima models, permitting a change in caliber, length, or finish, if desired.

CVA also has a number of accessories, including some new PowderBelt bullet packs, available. Several new rifle/scope/accessories outfits have been introduced, in addition to those outfits previously available.

New Cartridges
New cartridges introduced at the 2003 Show ranged from the .17 Aguila to the .500 Smith & Wesson (S&W) Magnum. In between were the .223 and .243 Winchester Super Short Magnums (WSSM), LW7.82Sx24 and LW15.499 and the .45 Glock. The .17 Aguila and LW cartridges have been exhibited previously, but actual arms are closer to reality, possibly by the time this appears in print, or shortly thereafter, barring unforeseen bugs.

The .17 Aguila will be available first in a rifle form, but High Standard is rumored to be building a pistol for it. The old Connecticut High Standard firm designed one of their autoloading pistols to use a .17-caliber rimfire cartridge approximately 50 years ago, and the cartridges were produced by Federal, if this writer recalls correctly. The project never progressed beyond the prototype stage and the few such cartridges seen today fetch premium prices from collectors.

Hopefully the .17 Aguila, which will be available in boxes of 50 rounds with a choice of 20-grain soft- or hollowpoint bullet, will fare better, possibly as well as the .17 HMR introduced by Hornady last year. Aguila ammunition is imported by Centurion Ordnance Inc. (11614 Rainbow Ridge, Dept. GWK, Helotes, TX 78023; phone: 210-695-4602; on-line: www.aguilaammo.com), and is manufactured in Mexico.

The LW15.499 is an AR-15/M16-style rifle manufactured by the Leitner-Wise Rifle Co. (3670-A Wheeler Ave., Dept. GWK, Alexandria, VA 22304; phone: 703-751-8500; on-line: www.leitner-wise.com) as a complete rifle, or as an upper unit to fit regular AR-15 lower receiver units. Gas-operated, it has a barrel length of 18 inches with integral compensator, a flat top receiver with Picatinny sight mount, and a mil-spec carrier with bolt head to handle the 12.5x40mm cartridge.

The cartridge case features a rebated rim and a 40mm length. It pushes a 300-grain projectile out the muzzle at 2,200 feet-per-second (fps) to produce an energy of over 3,000 foot-pounds (FP). The LW is Leitner-Wise, 15 is the rifle, and the .499 is the caliber. Magazine capacity is 10 rounds, standard, with a 12-round box or 30-round drum available for law enforcement/military use.

Leitner-Wise Rifles
Leitner-Wise has a couple of other rifles based on the AR-15 design, the LW15.22 and the LW7.82Sx24, which are blowback designs. The .22 is a rimfire version with carry handle or flat-top upper receiver and a choice of barrel lengths-16 or 20 inches-with permanently-fitted flash hiders.

Magazine capacity is 20 rounds, standard, with a 25-round pre-ban machined version available as an option. Weight of LW15.22 without magazine is just over 6 pounds. (A .22 WMR version is in the works.) Like the LW15.499, these rifles can be purchased complete or as upper receiver units only.

The other rifle isn't ready yet, but is an interesting concept. The AR-15 design has been given about every upper receiver configuration and caliber chambering possible, and not always practical. If the cartridge would fit in the magazine well and could be made to feed satisfactory from a magazine it has probably been tried, although this writer is not aware of any attempts to try .14- or .17-caliber cartridges.

The 10mm has been used and it works. Now visualize the 10mm case necked down to .30 caliber. Load it with a .30-caliber sabot holding a 55-grain jacketed .224 bullet. Such a rifle could use .30-caliber cartridges (sort of a souped-up .30 Parabellum or .30 Mauser) or the .224 sabot load, in the "Accelerator" (Remington trade mark) type load.

The LW7.82Sx24 cartridge, with the 55-grain projectile, can achieve 2,400 fps at the muzzle to produce some 700 foot-pounds of energy (fpe), with minimum recoil. Effective range is said to be 200 meters, and accuracy is under 2 MOA at 100 meters. An interesting concept. Such a round could be handy in a Marlin Camp Carbine.

The Winchester .223 and .243 WSSM cartridges should find favor with a lot of varmint and small game shooters, with the .243 WSSM suitable for such medium-size game as whitetails and antelope.

.223 WSSM Bullets
This writer didn't have an opportunity to try it on either, but the limited amount of shooting done prior to the SHOT Show on targets indicated it should be great on prairie dogs and groundhogs. The 55-grain Ballistic Silvertip bullet exits the muzzle of a 24-inch barrel at 3,850 fps and is only 1 inches below the line-of-sight at 250 yards when zeroed in at 100 yards. The 64-grain Power Point bullet exits at 3,144 fps and is less than 2 inches low at 250 yards.

The .243 WSSM is available with a choice of 55- or 95-grain Ballistic Silver Tip, or 100-grain Power Point bullets. Muzzle velocities for the .243 WSSM loads are 4,060, 3,250, and 3,110 fps, respectively. Great in rifles, both of these cartridges should do well in a bolt-action handgun, such as Savage's Striker or the Blaser R93 pistol.

Other new Winchester Supreme rifle loads include: the .22-250 Remington; .223 Remington; .270 WSM; .30-06 Springfield, and .300 WSM. Three new Platinum Tip handgun loads were added to the Supreme line, with bullet weights of 240, 250 and 260 grains, respectively, in
.41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and the .454 Casull. These latter loads performed flawlessly in the Freedom Arms Model 83 revolvers in which this writer shot them at the range.

Smallbore (28-gauge and .410) shotgunners will welcome the new High Strength (HS) AA hulls for these two shells. Designed to insure improved reloading life, the hulls can be easily identified by the HS on the headstamp, and HS on the hull in black ink positioned lengthwise under the AA. To insure the longer life, the .410 and 28-gauge hulls must be loaded using the red WAA410HS and WAA18HS wads, and not the white WAA41 and pink WAA28 used when reloading pre-HS hulls.

Other good news for Winchester shotshell users includes: a new 20-gauge turkey load; 12- and 20-gauge Xpert steel waterfowl loads; 12-gauge AA target loads; 28-gauge and .410 AA Sporting Clays loads; a new 12-gauge Super-X high brass game load, and a Super -X .410 loaded with three 000 buckshot pellets. There are also three new Supreme slug loads, two 12-gauge Hi-Impact BRI Sabot Slugs and a 20-gauge Platinum Tip Hollow Point.
.500 S&W

Other than rifles chambered for the .50 BMG cartridge, the other "big" news in the ammo lineup was the .500 S&W cartridge. Developed and loaded by Cor-Bon (1311 Industry Rd., Dept. GWK, Sturgis, SD 57785; phone: 605-347-4544; on-line: www.corbon.com), using brass by Jamison International, the new .500 S&W is available in three loads.

The mild load features a 275-grain Barnes X bullet at 1,665 fps to deliver 1,688 fpe. The two heavyweights include a 400-grain Hawk softpoint at 1,675 fps for 2,500 FP, and a 440-grain Hard Cast at 1,652 fps for a wopping 2,580 fpe.

Other Cor-Bon loads include the .25 and .32 NAA loads in both Cor-Bon jacketed hollowpoints and Glaser Safety Slugs, plus new Pow'Rball loads. The Pow'Rball rounds are packaged 20 per box and are available in: 10mm; .40 S&W; .400 Cor-Bon, and .45 ACP +P, with 9mm +P and .357 SIG under development. Since Cor-Bon, Pow'Rball, and Glaser Safety are now under one roof, the firm is changing the name to Dakota Ammo Inc. at the same address.

The AR-7 floating survival rifle has been around for some 40 years, and has been produced by a number of firms, since originally introduced by ArmaLite. It has had a black stock, camo stock, tray stock, tubular stock, telescoping stock, shrouded barrel, and in non-floating pistol version with a choice of several different barrel styles.

The current manufacturer, AR-7 Industries LLC (998 N. Colony Rd., Dept. GWK, Meriden, CT 06450; phone: 203-630-3536; on-line: www.ar-7.com) has four versions: two with the original style floatable buttstock, and two with the tubular stock. All are takedown, and come with an 8-round magazine.

The latest version is the AR-7 Target, which features the tubular stock, but a 7/8-inch diameter bull barrel with cantilever scope mount, rings, and a 3x-9x40 Compact scope. The new model tips the scales at more than 5° pounds, or more than twice the weight of the original, but accuracy should be better with the scope mounted on the barrel in place of the receiver side mount.

Monmouth Anniversary
Not only is 2003 the 25th anniversary of the SHOT Show, it is also the 150th anniversary of the founding of Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL, and of The Field, the British magazine that was the world's first outdoor publication; both originating in 1853. The Field published a special green-covered edition with gold printing, and Holland & Holland is building a special 12-bore round action sidelock side-by-side (S/S) shotgun to commemorate the event.

Similar in design to the Dominion model, the 150th anniversary gun features 28-inch chopper-lump, rust-blued barrels chambered for standard length 12-bore shells. It will be fully engraved, with the lock plates featuring a brace of labradors on one and hounds cascading over a gate on the other. The top rib will be inlaid in gold with "The Field's 150th Anniversary Gun, 1853-2003, by Holland & Holland." It's expected to sell for 35,000 pounds (roughly $55,071).

Among the many articles in the anniversary edition of The Field were such interesting ones as: "The Field's Part in British Life," "Making Sparks Fly Again," on rough-shooting with a flintlock, and "Gloriously Eccentric Shots."

The last article deals with some shoots of the 19th and early 20th centuries, when shooters of the class of the sixth Lord Walsingham and Lord Ripon were in their heyday. Lord Ripon was reportedly the best shot of his generation, and was so quick he once killed 28 driven pheasants in a minute, and another time had seven dead birds in the air at the same time, using S/S shotguns and two loaders.

Lord Walsingham once had an entire grouse moor driven over him, and in 14 hours and 18 minutes bagged a total of 1,070 grouse. "No shot fired except by me . . . once I killed three birds with one shot, and three times I killed two with one shot, each time intentionally." The sixth Lord Walsingham was not modest, but he was an excellent shot, in addition to being a biologist of great application.

.45 Glock
The .500 S&W cartridge and the revolver for it were among the biggest news of 2003, but for pistol shooters the new .45 Glock should create a bit of desire. Chambered in the Glock Model 37, the new cartridge, with a slightly shorter case than the .45 ACP, measures 1.10 inches overall-0.175 inches shorter than the regular .45 ACP cartridge. Thus, regular .45 ACP cartridges cannot be chambered mistakenly in a .45 Glock pistol. Loaded by CCI with a choice of 185- or 200-grain Gold Dot FMJ bullets, the new .45 Glock pushes the projectiles out the muzzle at 1,040 and 984 fps, respectively.

The new full-size Model 37 pistol-the first time Glock has been able to offer a .45-caliber handgun with the same dimensions as the original Model 17-has a 10-plus-one cartridge capacity, and a slim (just over an inch wide) finger-grooved grip frame with ambidextrous thumb rests. Barrel length is 4° inches, and the weight, empty, is just over 22 ounces, or just under 32 ounces loaded. Trigger pull is factory set at approximately 5° pounds, with less than °-inch travel for discharge. It would appear Glock Inc. (6000 Highlands Pkwy., Dept. GWK, Smyrna, GA 30082; phone: 770-432-1202; on-line: www.glock.com) has another winner.

European American Armory Corp. (EAA, PO Box 1299, Dept. GWK, Sharpes, FL 32959; phone: 321-639-4842; on-line: www.eaacorp.com) always has something new and interesting to tempt dealers with, and 2003 was no different. The firm has a new Saiga 200 rifle based on the AK/Saiga design.

Given an HK 2002-style full pistol grip buttstock with a high comb, a streamlined front sight, forearm and handguard, it is available in five different chamberings, including the .270 Winchester and the .30-06. Barrel length, depending on the caliber is 20 or approximately 22 inches, and the magazine capacity is three rounds. Weight is approximately 8 pounds.

EAA also has three new sporting shotguns designed for clay target shooting. The IZH27 Sporting over/under (O/U) is available in 12- or 20-gauge, with 29°- and 28-inch barrels, respectively. The MP233 Sporting O/U is available only in 12-gauge, but has a detachable trigger assembly, and a choice of 26-, 28-, or 29°-inch barrels. The IZH18 Sporting single shot features a Monte Carlo buttstock and 29°-inch barrel. All three models feature walnut stocks and forearms, ventilated barrel ribs, and interchangeable screw-in choke tubes.

EAA has had O/U rifles and shotgun/rifle combination guns before, but there's a new IZH94 with a .410 barrel over a .17 HMR barrel. The barrels are 24 inches and open sights are standard. There are also models with 20-gauge barrels over a choice of .22 LR or .22 WMR barrels.

The IZH94 is based on the IZH18 action, and there are two new IZH18 single barrel rifles-one with open sights and one with a scope mount rail. Barrel lengths are 23° inches, and there are 11 popular chamberings available, from the .22 Hornet to the .45-70 Government, and including the .223 Remington, .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield.

There are a couple of new handguns in the prototype stage, including an autoloader and a single-shot big bore unit for use on the M1911 receiver. Examination of both products indicate the finished pistol and conversion unit will be worth the wait.

Not exactly a pistol, EAA's CO2-powered Drozd can be used with or without a detachable stock. Four AAA batteries power the three electrical firing systems, fire selection-one, three or six BBs-and the cycle speed-300, 450, or 600 rounds-per-minute. The Drozd grip houses 30 BBs and the CO2 cartridge, and the barrel length is 10 inches, with a 13 inches overall length as a pistol. This should be a real fun gun.

Some of the best news for shooters of surplus military rifles comes from Graf & Sons Inc. (4050 S. Clark St., Dept. GWK, Mexico, MO 65265; phone: 573-581-2266; on-line: www.grafs-dealer.com [website for registered dealers only]). This firm has teamed with Hornady to produce unprimed (Boxer-type) cases and loaded ammunition for: 6.5x2mm Carcano; 7.5x54mm French; 7.65x53mm Argentine, and 7.5x55mm Swiss.

The reloadable cases are available as is some ammunition, but the ammunition depends on whether SAAMI specifications are available. Bullet weights in the loaded ammunition will be in line with the original military specs. (The first cases carry the Hornady headstamp, but later cases will carry the Graf headstamp.) Other cartridges planned for 2003 include the 6.5x50mm and 7.7x58mm Japanese and 8x56Rmm Hungarian.

Cheddite Primers/Hulls
Graf & Sons have been in business 46 years, and carry an extensive line of merchandise for shooters, hunters, reloaders, etc. In addition, the firm is the distributor for the Cheddite 209 primers and empty shotshell hulls from France, the REX line of powders from Hungary, and Challenger shotgun ammunition from Canada.

The primed Cheddite hulls are available in 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, and 32 gauges, plus .410 bore in plastic, with 12-gauge paper hulls available, in addition to some sizes available with high brass and super high brass heads. The REX powders are intended for loading shotshells and some handgun cartridges. Reloading manuals for the REX powders are available.

The Challenger shotshells are available in 12, 20, 28 gauges, and .410 bore hunting and target loadings with lead shot, plus 12-gauge International and magnum loads, and in 12-gauge only with steel shot. (Leo Harrison III, a regular winner at the Grand American each year, uses Challenger shotshells.) New Competitive Target 12-gauge shells loaded with Cheddite hulls and primers, REX powder, and magnum shot are scheduled to be available shortly.

Hornady Manufacturing Company (PO Box 1848, Dept. GWK, Grand Island, NE 68802; phone: 800-338-3220; on-line: www.hornady.com) not only is producing the brass and bullets for the new Graf line of reloadable cartridges for military surplus rifles, but has a number of new products of its own. Included is new packaging of the Hornady ammunition line.

Each new 20-round box features a tan- or beige-colored background with a shadow image of the founder, the late Joyce Hornady, on the right face, with the familiar Hornady name printed in Hornady-red on the center.

Other Hornady News
Other new products include: a CamLock Trimmer Power Adapter for the new case trimmer introduced last year; a Lock-N-Load Automatic Case Feeder and a new priming system for the five-station Lock-N-Load AP press; water soluble case lube and polish; new updated Reloading Manuals-which should be available shortly after you read this, and a number of new bullets-for metallic cartridges and muzzleloading-plus loaded ammunition.

The new Hornady Inter-bond Bullets feature: a premium polymer tip; a bonded core which will never, never, ever, ever separate from the jacket; an expansion control ring, and thicker, stiffer, tougher jacket. Sort of a much improved wasp-waste, core-locked, bronze tip, except the tip is red polymer, the core is bonded, the jacket is much thicker, etc.

It's available in five weights and three calibers, .270, 7mm, and .30, and in 16 new factory loads ranging from the .270 Winchester to the .300 Weatherby Magnum. Muzzleloaders haven't been forgotten. There are three new sabots, one in .45-caliber with 200-grain SST bullet and two 50 calibers with 250- and 300-grain SST bullets, respectively.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. (One Waterfowl Way, Dept. GWK, Memphis, TN 38120; phone: 1-800-45-DUCKS; on-line: www.ducks.org) has been exhibiting at the SHOT Show for 15 years. This year, in cooperation with Lawrys, the seasoning people, two great chefs-Susan Mitchell and Scott Leysath-were preparing different game dishes, all with the DU line of Lawrys seasonings, and handing out samples. Imagine Venison and Black Bean Chili prepared with Ducks Unlimited Chili Spices & Seasonings, or Grilled Pepper Duck, prepared with DU Hickory Seasoned Marinade and DU Steak & Chops Seasoning & Rub, and miscellaneous information.

Littleton Shotmaker
Shotgunners who handload may recall the Littleton Shotmaker that was available a couple of decades back. It disappeared for awhile, but it's back in two improved versions, the Model 65 with 7 drippers and the Model 135 with 14 drippers. Produced by Burgess Bullets (7588 Andrews St., Dept. GWK, Moses Lake, WA 98837), the new Littleton is available with a choice of wiring-120 volts AC or 220 volts AC-and shot sizes 6, 7, 7°, 8, 8°, and 9.

Constructed of powder-coated steel, both models feature cooling vents, high temperature connectors, Teflon insulated wires, and 15 amp safety fuses. Each model comes with seven drippers for each ladle, and additional size drippers are available for less than $50 per set of seven. Production rate for the Model 65, which measures a foot square by six inches high, is as great as 45 pounds per hour, and it's possible to drip two different shot sizes at the same time, if desired.

The big news from Marlin Firearms Co. (100 Kenna Dr., Dept. GWK, North Haven, CT 06473; phone: 203-239-5621; on-line: www.marlinfirearms.com) last year was their rimfire rifles chambered for the .17 HMR cartridge. This year it's a new Model 410 lever-action shotgun based on the Model 336 rifle design. Chambered for 2°-inch shells, the new .410 shotgun features a 22-inch barrel listed as being cylinder bored. Hopefully, it will be given a full choke, as the .410 needs some choke to make it more useful.

Sights will include a rifle-type open rear with brass bead front, plus a snap-on fiber-optic green as an extra. Weight is approximately 7 pounds and the overall length is just over 40 inches. Magazine capacity is four rounds, with a possible five in some brands, and the forearm and pistol grip stock are walnut with cut checkering. The action is the regular side-ejecting Model 336 (1895 frame) with solid top, outside hammer and hammer block safety. Delivery is expected to be mid-year.

Handi-Rifles
New England Firearms (60 Industrial Rowe, Dept. GWK, Gardner, MA 01440; phone: 978-632-9393) has a couple of new Handi-Rifles, both in 7mm-08. These break-action single shots feature 22-inch barrels, and walnut finish hardwood stocks. Both come without open sights, but with a scope mount rail and hammer extension.

One of the most interesting new aftermarket parts at the 2003 Show was the Rase Stock by Rase Industries Inc. (PO Box 120757, Dept. GWK, West Melbourne, FL 32912; phone: 321-544-5141; on-line: www.rasestock.com). The Rase stock replaces the original AR15/M16A2 buttstock, and allows the insertion of a loaded 30-round metal or plastic magazine into the underside of the stock.

The magazine is securely held, but can be removed in seconds and inserted into the magazine well without the shooter having to take his eyes from the target. The stock is ambidextrous. Assuming the empty magazine has been dropped or removed, the shooter sweeps the retaining latch forward out of the way with the off hand, grasps the base of the loaded magazine, pulls it down out of the stock and inserts it into the magazine well. With practice the change can be accomplished in less than three seconds.

There were literally thousands of other new products at the 2003 SHOT Show in Orlando. The ones mentioned here are only a few of the many, but they give a representative sampling of what's new in the shooting, hunting and outdoor field.