30th anniversary SHOT Show shatters all kinds of records
by Larry S. Sterett
Contributing Editor
Held Feb. 2-5, 2008, in Nevada’s Las Vegas Convention Center, this year’s Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show was the 30th such held, and what a difference from the first. The first SHOT Show and Conference was held Jan. 9-11, 1979 in the St. Louis, MO, Convention Center.
The weather for the first Show was cold, with several inches of snow on the ground, and if your accommodations happened to be in the Riverside Holiday Inn, you had no hot water, either to bathe or shave. (Yes, no hot water and very little heat, but no reduction in the room price.) The exhibits at the show were all contained on one floor, and the octagonal layout was a bit confusing. (There may have been a floor plan map, but this writer doesn’t recall seeing such.)
The Official Directory for the first SHOT Show featured 89 pages of exhibitors, listed three or four to the page, plus seven memoranda pages for notes. It weighed 32 ounces, and measured 7˚x4˚ inches. There was also a four-page addendum. A. H. Rodlfing was the executive director of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and Texas Gov. John Connally delivered the keynote address. The governor and the then St. Louis Mayor James Conway, with other dignitaries formally opened the Show following the keynoter.
Among those exhibitors at the St. Louis Show and at the 30th Show in Vegas, were Gun Week, Browning, Colt Industries, Connecticut Valley Arms, Federal Cartridge, Forster Products, Hodgdon Powder, Hornady, National Rifle Association, Numrich Arms, Redding-Hunter, Savage Arms, Sierra Bullets, Springfield Armory, Stoeger Industries, Sturm, Ruger, Thompson/Center, Weatherby and Winchester (Western). Remington Arms apparently did not attend this first Show, staying instead with the National Sporting Goods Association show for a brief time.
The 2008 Official Directory & Buyers’ Guide measured 8-3/8x10-7/8 inches in size, contained 384 pages, plus an eleven-page addendum, and featured foldout covers in full color. It weighed 35 ounces, or 10 times more than the 1979 directory. (Show and general information was listed in seven languages—English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Italian, and Russian, reflecting the worldwide draw the SHOT Show now enjoys.) With many full-color advertisements distributed throughout, the 2008 directory was divided into four major parts—Floorplan (foldout), Show Specials, Alphabetical Listings of Exhibitors, and Product Categories. (There were 84 product categories listed for the 2008 Show.) This last section listed the exhibitors in their respective categories in alphabetical order followed by their booth number. (Categories ranged from Airguns to Wildlife Management.)
In addition to the thousands of exhibits in the Convention Center—located in the Central and North Halls—there were three football-field size tents across Paradise Road in front of the Center. Tabbed the “Gold Hall,” this area added a reported 180,000 square feet of exhibitor space, and contained more than 600 of the newest exhibitors. A bus shuttled dealers and media back and forth to the “Gold Hall” from the Convention Center, although it was within walking distance.
Five seminars for law enforcement personnel and seven seminars for retailers were held Feb. 2-4. The seminars covered a variety of topics, ranging from Less Lethal Aerosol Advancements to Firearms & Ammunition Excise Tax (FAET), and were usually an hour in length. (The FAET seminar was a four-hour morning session on Sunday, while the ATF/FBI-NICS seminar was a two-hour Saturday afternoon.)
With a total registered attendance of 58,769, the 2008 Show eclipsed last year’s attendance record of 42,216. This year’s Show attracted 30,686 buyers, 1,725 members of the press, 25,854 exhibiting personnel and 504 guests. Almost everyone reported brisk business, which augers well for the firearms industry.
Every SHOT Show features many new and interesting products, but two which grabbed this shooters’ attention were the Model 1216 semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun from SRM Arms (4375-A West McMillan, Dept. GWK, Meridian, ID 83646; phone: 877-337-7873; online: surecycle.com) and the re-energized 5mm Remington Rimfire Magnum (RRM) from Aguila (Centurion Ordnance, 11614 Rainbow Ridge, Dept. GWK, Helotes, TX 78023; phone: 210-695-4602; online: aguilaammo.com). This new bottlenecked 5mm RRM is manufactured in Mexico and will be available in the US through dealers who can obtain it from a system of nine distributors. Retailing for under $20 per box of 50, the 5mm rimfire will fit all original Remington Model 591 and 592 bolt action rifles, plus the Thompson/Center Contender pistols so chambered. (No doubt arms from other companies will be forthcoming.) Using Eley priming, the re-energized 5mm features a 30-grain hollowpoint bullet exiting the rifle muzzle at around 2,300 feet-per-second (fps).
Centurion Ordnance, manufacturer of Aquila ammunition, has a line of other rimfire ammunition, including two new Interceptor .22 Long Rifle loads pushing 40-grain bullets (SP and HP) out the muzzle at 1,700 fps. Their centerfire loads for handguns range from the .25 ACP to the .45 ACP. The rifle line is less extensive, but .30 M1 carbine and .223 loads are available, and there’s a good number of shotshell loads for scattergun shooters.
SRM Arms Model 1216 shotgun is available in three versions, one civilian and two NFA versions with shorter barrels for law enforcement personnel. Chambered for standard length (2∫ or 3-inch) 12-gauge shotshells, the Model 1216 utilizes a rear-based roller-delayed action that provides fast cycling. A four-tube, manually-rotated magazine provides up to 16 rounds of firepower. In operation, four rounds can be fired semi-automatically, the magazine manually rotated to bring a second tube in alignment, four more rounds fired, the magazine rotated again, etc. (One of the NFA models, with 9-inch barrel, has only an eight-round capacity, two shells each in the four tubes.)
The civilian 1216 features an 18-inch barrel, weighs in at 8 pounds, unloaded, and measures 34 inches in overall length. Other features of the 1216 include pushpin disassembly, an integrated Picatinny top-rail and handguard rails (for mounting a wide range of optics) and accessories, an ambidextrous receiver and controls, and a break-open design for easy cleaning and maintenance.
The 1216 has many excellent features, among which is the capability of making it easily suitable for use by either right or left-handed shooters. Plus, the four magazine tubes can be charged with different loads, if desired. Slugs in one tube, different shot sizes in the other tubes, or for law enforcement use, specialty loads, riot control, door breeching, tear gas, non-lethal, etc.
Another interesting firearm at the Show was the KRISS Vector CRB/SO Super V System chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The semi-automatic CRB/SO is said to reduce felt recoil as much as 50%, compared to other carbines. The civilian version measures just under 35 inches in overall length with a 16-inch barrel, and fixed stock, and weighs 5 pounds, unloaded, without the stock.
For more information on the KRISS Vector and its novel system, refer back to the Apr. 1 issue of Gun Week.
The year 2008 is a memorable one, not just for the SHOT Show, but for many firms. Dakota Ammo (PO Box 369, Dept. GWK, Sturgis, SD 57785; phone: 605-347-4544; online: corbon.com), home of CorBon/Glaser ammunition, has been in business for 25 years, and has many new loads. The DPX line of hunting rifle loads has been expanded to include the .338 Lapua, .375 H&H Magnum, .375 Remington Ultra Magnum, and .416 Rigby, plus the 7.62x39mm and the 6.8mm SPC. Owners of .460 Rowland pistols will find four CorBon loads available, one in the regular line and three in the Hunter line. The lightest, a 185-grain JHP, moves out at 1,425 fps, or 275 fps faster than a similar bullet in the 45 ACP. The Rowland rounds loaded with 230-grain bullets move out at 1,250 fps. Loads for the .300 Whisper are back, and a couple of .458 SOCOM loads are available.
A new Thunder Ranch line of handgun loads with DPX bullets has been introduced, with the initial rounds being in 9mm Luger+P, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP+P. The Pow’RBall line now features a “bakers dozen” loads, including one for the .45 GAP, while the Glaser line features 22 loads, 11 each in the blue and silver divisions. Four of the Glaser loads are in rifle-size calibers. The Glaser loads in the .25ACP and .32ACP calibers are ideal if these nightstand or backup pistols are for defensive use, as they dump all the energy in the target.
Owners of .458 SOCOM rifles now have a new source of loaded ammunition. SBR Ammunition (1118 Glynn Park Rd., Suite E, Dept. GWK, Brunswick, GA 31525; phone: 912-264-5822) has a new round loaded with a 350 grain FMJ Moly bullet. A 350-grain tracer round is also available, as are AR-15 upper receivers and complete rifles.
Gun club owners and owners of outdoor trap and skeet ranges may want to check out MT2 (Metal Treatment Technologies—14045 W. 66th Ave., Dept. GWK, Arvada, CO 80004; phone: 888-435-6645; online: mte.com). This firm advertises it’s “the largest provider of firing range lead reclamation, range maintenance and closure services... learn how to turn your firing range lead into gold!”
Rocky (39 East Canal St., Dept. GWK, Nelsonville, OH 45764; phone: 866-762-5972; online: Rockybrands.com) has been in the outdoor gear (footwear apparel, accessories, etc.) since 1932 (2007 was the firm’s 75th year). For 2008 Rocky introduced five new boot models including a limited edition Upland model available in choice of bison, kangaroo, or shark leather. Featuring moc-toe construction, these Upland LTD boots have a full-leather lining. Gore-Tex fabric provides durable waterproofing and breathability, and a Vibram Gumlite outsole permits good traction and sure footing. Depending on the choice of leather, these boots retail in the $300 to $350 neighborhood.
Tactical Solutions (TS—2181 Commerce Ave., Dept. GWK, Boise, ID 83705; phone: 866-333-9901; online: tacticalsol.com) producer of Pac-Lite barrel/receiver assemblies for the Ruger MKII, MKIII, and .22/45 pistols, plus barrels and accessories for the Ruger 10/22 rifles, always has something new. Aluminum Trail-Lite barrels for the Browning Buckmark pistols, and grip stocks for both the Browning and Ruger pistols are available in a variety of colors. Then there’s the X-Ring precision machined receiver based on the Ruger 10/22 design, but with an integral Picatinny top rail. The X-Ring, available in seven different colors, features “through-the-back” cleaning, a hardened steel breech bolt with dual recoil springs and a custom charging handle. It will accept most aftermarket trigger groups, barrels, and stocks intended for the 10/22. (TS also has pistol barrels for the new Ruger Charger pistol.)
Tactical Solutions produces a line of suppressors, with the latest being the Sawtooth MC, non-sealed, ultra-lightweight integrally suppressed 10/22 barrel featuring a titanium blast baffle. Available only in matte black, the Sawtooth measures 16˚ inches in length and reportedly weighs only 13 ounces. Where legal, it can be had for three-quarters of a Grand. Another unusual barrel is the SB-X for the Ruger 10/22. It has a length of 16˚ inches, but features a permanently attached ventilated shroud. (The rifled portion of the barrel is 12∫ inches.) The inner diameter of the shroud is large enough to accept most suppressors intended for use on .22 rimfire arms, and having ˚-28 threads.
Tactical Solutions has .22 rimfire conversion units for the M1911 pistol and for the AR-15 and their clones.
Three .22 rimfire conversion units are available for the AR-15/M16 rifles, including a suppressed unit for 8˚ C-notes. The unit will fit any Mil-Spec AR-15 style rifle, and allows an economical way to get in lots of shooting practice.
Marlin Firearms (100 Kenna Dr., Dept. GWK, North Haven, CT 06473; phone: 203-239-5621; on-line: marlinfirearms.com) was exhibiting their new bolt action XL7 rifle. Currently available only in .25-06, .270, or .30-06, the XL7, which will retail around $350, features a pillar-bedded synthetic stock with black or Realtree APG HD finish and a Soft-Tech recoil pad. A barrel nut (Savage 110-style) secures the 22-inch barrel to the receiver, and the barrel features a target-style muzzle crown. The internal box magazine holds four rounds, and the two position side safety can be left on “safe” when unloading the magazine. (Weight is approximately 6˚ pounds.)
One of the major features of the XL7 is the Pro-Fire Trigger System. User adjustable, it can be set as low as 2˚ pounds, and is virtually creep free. The trigger release, projecting from the face of the trigger, prevents movement of the trigger until it is depressed. It does take a bit of getting used to, as the initial movement felt less to this shooter than the first stage of the two-stage release used on some rifles. However, the accuracy of the rifle this writer was shooting at 100 yards was excellent.
The XL7 bolt features a fluted body to reduce drag, and when the firing pin is cocked, an indicator is visible beneath the enclosed bolt shroud. The bolt handle is well shaped to clear the objective lens of a scope, and while there are no iron sights featured on the XL7, a one-piece scope mount base is provided. (Now, if Marlin would just bring out the M1894 with a three-quarter magazine and a 16˚-inch barrel chambered for the .460 Smith & Wesson cartridge.)
The rimfire line has a couple of new additions, the 917VT and the 917VST, both featuring laminated thumbhole pistol grip stocks, and both chambered for the .17 Hornady Rimfire Magnum cartridge.
H&R 1871 (60 Industrial Rowe, Dept. GWK, Gardner, MA 01440; on-line: hr1871.com) has been producing reliable and accurate single shot break-action rifles and shotguns for many years, but still continues to come up with something excitingly new. For 2008, there’s a Topper Trap Gun, which, if it’s as good as it appears, should be ideal for getting many new trapshooters started without having to spend a fortune. (The H&R Trap is slated to be available about the time you read this, and for around $360.) Weighing 7 pounds, the new 12-gauge Topper features an electroless nickel-coated receiver, and a 30-inch barrel with screw-in improved modified choke tube, and ventilated rib with double beads. The high comb buttstock is of select American walnut, as is the full forearm. It features a well shaped pistol grip, with cut checkering, and a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad.
Safety Harbor Firearms (PO Box 563, Dept. GWK, Safety Harbor, FL 34695; phone: 727-725-4700 online: safetyharborfirearms.com) has a new UltraMag 50 Upper Conversion which can turn any AR 15 lower unit into a bolt action, left-side magazine-fed rifle, all for two Grand, or less, depending on the barrel length. (Barrel lengths of 18, 22, and 29 inches are available.) Complete SHF/R50 rifles are also available for under $2,500. With a 22-inch barrel, which includes an eight-port muzzle brake, the SHF/R50 weighs 17.5 pounds out of the box. The receiver is machined from 4130 chrome-moly steel, the two-lug bolt from 4340 chrome-moly, and the barrel from 4140 chrome-moly. (Barrel fluting is an option.) If the upper unit only is obtained, a new hammer is provided to replace the regular AR-15/M16 hammer.) One 3-round magazine is provided with the unit and a 5-round magazine is an option. No sights are included, but an aluminum Picatinny rail scope mount is standard, as are rail provisions for attaching iron sights or accessories. (SHF also produces such iron sights, plus bipod, folding grip, a single shot lower unit, and a carry handle.)
Anyone wanting a compact defense gun can check out Safety Harbor’s KEG 12 (Kompacat Entry Gun). The KEG is based on the Remington Model 870 type action, but with a choice of 7˚ or 10-inch barrel and a folding grip in place of a forearm. Magazine capacity is three or four 12-gauge rounds, respectively. Due to the KEG short barrel length, all NFA rules apply and a transfer tax stamp is required. Cost of the KEG, with folding grip, is just under $800.
Shortly after World War II a firm introduced self-heating containers of food, including beans and weenies, hamburgers, tomato soup, and two or three other items. Just punch a couple of holes in the jacket surrounding the can of food, add water, and in a few minutes you had hot food ready to be opened.
OnTech Operations (15910 Bernardo Center Dr., Dept. GWK, San Diego, CA 92127; phone: 858-613-3300; on-line: ontech.com) has an even better product, currently only in liquid form—soups, cocoa, etc. Shaped, similar to a handle-less travel mug, to fit the hand, the Hillside product contains nine plus ounces of drinkable liquid and a self-contained heating unit. To use, turn the container upside down and pull off the seal. Place on a flat, heatproof surface and with the thumb press downward on the center button to break a foil seal allowing water to drain into the quicklime-filled heating chamber. After about 10 seconds turn the container right-side-up, and wait about five minutes until the visible pink-colored dot turns white. Twist the black plastic collar according to the arrow to align the opening, shake a couple of seconds, pop the top as you would on a beverage can and drink from the container. (The instructions state “Do Not Pour Out; drink from the container.”) These would be great in a duck or deer blind on a cold day.
O. F. Mossberg & Sons (7 Grasso Ave., Dept. GWK, North Haven, CT 06473; phone: 203-230-5300; online: mossberg.com) was for many years known for the firm’s excellent line of economically-priced rimfire rifles and bolt-action shotguns. Later there were some centerfire rifles, including a lever-action model or two, and even a few centerfire handguns (not counting the early rimfire four-shot). The expansive Model 500 pump action shotgun line, and later autoloaders, seemed to put the rifle lines on the back burner for awhile, but for 2008 there’s a new lever action Model 464, available in .30-30 Winchester or .22 rimfire, with a sliding safety on the tang. It resembles the Winchester Model 94, but it’s not the same, and is drilled and tapped for top-mounted scopes. Featuring a 20-inch barrel, and 6-round (.30-30) tubular magazine, the 464 weighs in under 7 pounds.
In the rimfire rifle line Mossberg introduced 17 new versions, four in the 702 autoloading model, seven in the bolt action 802 model, five in the 817 model bolt-actions, and a new Model 801 Half-Pint, which features a magazine plug converting it into a single shot. (The 801, weighing four pounds, features a 16-inch barrel chambered for the .22 LR cartridge, a short buttstock, and a short E-Z Reach forearm, making it ideal for young shooters.)
Three of the new Mossberg rimfires feature pink-colored synthetic stocks, and four feature tip-down forearms. Some 50 years ago Mossberg introduced their forward grip, Tommy Gun style, on their models 152 and 142 rimfire rifles. The first such grips were walnut which blended with the regular forearm; later the tip or pull-down portion was a black plastic, and eventually the feature disappeared from the line.
Cammenga (100 Aniline Ave., Suite 258, Dept. GWK, Holland, MI 49424; phone: 616-392-7999; online: cammenga.com) was exhibiting their Model EM3-556 EasyMag for the AR-15/M16 rifles and clones. This magazine, manufactured of steel, weighs approximately 9 ounces, with a chrome silicon spring, and features a two-layer, anti-friction black finish. It holds 30 rounds, and can be loaded with stripper clips, or opened and loaded with loose ammunition. (Using loose rounds, reloading the EasyMag can be done nearly twice as fast as loading a conventional AR-15 magazine. Just slide the front portion of the magazine downward, load the interior with new cartridges, head down until the magazine is filled, and shove the foreward portion of the magazine up until it locks. It’s simple, and fast.)
Autoloading pistols using a rotary barrel lug method for locking have been around for more than a century. A few countries adopted them for military use, but none seemed to really gain an exceedingly large amount of fame. John Browning even had at least one design for a rotary barrel pistol; it made it off the drawing board and through the prototype stage. (Among some of the better known pistols utilizing rotary lug barrels for locking include those by CZ, Obregon, MAB, Savage, and Steyr.) Most such designs were evident prior to World War II, but in recent years Beretta has been pursuing this method for some of their pistols. The newest Beretta USA (17601 Bertta Dr., Dept. GWK, Accokeek, MD 20607; phone: 301-283-2191; online: berettausa.com) is the PX4 Storm chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. This pistol, which weighs less than 29 ounces, will hold 10 cartridges. (The earlier PX4 pistols chambered for the 9mm Parabellum and .40 Smith & Wesson cartridges have larger magazine capacities.)
The new PX4 Storm features a 4-inch barrel and measures over 7˚ inches in overall length. It has fixed sights, which can be drifted for windage, and a rib under the fore-portion of the frame for an optional light or laser. Although this writer has fired only a few magazines full through the new PX4, he found it comfortable to shoot, easy to control, and accurate at 25 yards. (Not all shots were 10Xs, but the three-shot groups would have done a good bit of damage in an anti-social situation.) Beretta appears to have another winner in their stable.
Firing any firearm inside a building, other than on a designated firing range, in which people may be present can be hazardous. Normal projectiles may and often do penetrate interior and even exterior walls. Over the years there have been many attempts to design loads which can inflict maximum target damage, but with minimum collateral damage. Bean-bag loads, aluminum bullets, and similar designs have fallen into the non-lethal range with possibly minimal damage. Now there’s a new load for shotguns which should be ideal for law enforcement use at close range, although how well it will function indoors isn’t known.
Produced by SafetyDisc Products (PO Box 3132, Dept. GWK, Kingman, AZ 86402; phone: 928-739-7000; online: safetydisc.com) this 12-gauge load features a dozen flat, segmented alloy discs stacked atop a one-piece plastic wad column. After about an inch of penetration into unarmoured target material, the discs begin to break up into their six separate segments, each creating a separate wound channel. Thus, maximum dumping of energy could be accomplished, with minimum downrange damage. (SafetyDisc compares the “disc” striking a surface to a diver off the high board doing a “belly flop” into a pool instead of a perfect knife-cutting entry.)
Legacy Sports International (4750 Longley Lane, Dept. GWK, Ste. 208, Reno, NV 89502; phone: 775-828-0555; online: legacysports.com) was exhibiting literally scores of new products, including several Howa rifle versions, plus Scout and XP Model Puma lever-action rifles, Webley & Scott size/side shotguns in 12, 20, and 28 gauges, Webley airguns in a choice of .177, .22 or .25 caliber, and more.
One of the Puma XP lever action rifles is to be chambered for the .17 Rem.
The items mentioned above represent only a few of the many being exhibited at the 2008 SHOT Show that were examined or tested by this writer. A few additional products will appear in a following report. There’s always something new for hunters, shooters and outdoors men and women.
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