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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

A MERIC A N

SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 5 // ISSUE 5 // December 2015 PUBLISHER

James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Dick Openshaw GENERAL MANAGER

John Rusnak EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andy Walgamott EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Danielle Breteau LEAD CONTRIBUTOR

Frank Jardim CONTRIBUTORS

Scott Haugen, Eric Saperstein, Nick Setting, Troy Taysom, Caylen Wojcik, Dave Workman SALES MANAGER

Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Donna Caskey, Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Garn Kennedy, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold PRODUCTION MANAGER

Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS

Ciara Pickering, Sam Rockwell, Liz Weickum Jackson Conard, Kaitlyn Chapman PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING

Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER

Lois Sanborn WEBMASTER / INBOUND MARKETING

Jon Hines EDITORIAL MINION

Erica Deshaies DIGITAL MINIONS

Victor Hernandez, Zak B. Mohamed, Sam Morstan CIRCULATION MANAGER

Heidi Belew DISTRIBUTION

Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford, Barry Johnston ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

ads@americanshootingjournal.com

ON THE COVER Louie Tuminaro, star of Outdoor Channel’s The Gunfather, and his family who own the Custom Shop in Hamilton, Mont., take center stage in their second season. (OUTDOOR CHANNEL)

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S. Ste. 190 • Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

CONTENTS

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 5 • JANUARY 2016

THE GUNFATHER

80 features

Take a look behind the scenes of The Gunfather, one of Outdoor Channel’s most popular series now in its second season. Tour the Custom Shop and meet the Tuminaro family, who ditched the Big Apple for Big Sky country.

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LET THEM BE KIDS It’s all about the kids! Youth today represents the next generation of shooters and gun owners who will define the shooting industry.

Meet a couple of great kids who are making the grade.

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PRECISION SHOOTING Turret Voodoo Do you have a hint of trepidation when reaching up to adjust your scope? Then fear no more. Former Marine Corps Scout Sniper and director of training and precision rifle operations for Magpul CORE Caylen Wojcik gives us the alchemy needed to dial away the bad juju.

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BEHIND THE BADGE Most cops have a patrol area they call their own, and it is usually restricted to city limits, county boundaries or state lines. Meet Chief L. Thomas Manger who is not only responsible for his municipality, but for the standards of progressive policing in our nation and abroad.

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ROADHUNTER Pro-hunter, TV celebrity and author Scott Haugen shares eight hunting gear gadgets he simply cannot live without.

AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2016 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

CONTENTS Shot Show 2016 31 37 39 43 55 77 79 91 99 131 139 167 173 181 189 195 201

Seminar Schedule NSSF President Steve Senetti NSSF VP Lawrence Keane Handguns Rifles Shotguns Airguns Adventures Gear For Guns Optics Gear Ammunition n Reloading ng Black Powder wder Knives Industry Survival

DEPARTMENTS 17 21 23 25

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Editor’s Note Competition Calendar Gunshow Calendar Top Shooters

American Shooting Journal // January 2016

29 SHOT SHOW 2016

EDITOR’S NOTE

W

elcome to 2016! [lots of confetti and fireworks here] If you are reading this then you have made it safely to the other side, but what do we have to look forward to in 2016? Well, just in case you couldn’t think of anything, the US National Park Service will turn 100 years old this year, the Olympic Games will be held in Rio, the American Shooting Journal will officially celebrate one full year in publication and Star Trek will have first aired 50 years ago. Also, let’s not forget that we will elect a new commander in chief.

One of the first things on every shooter’s mind at the beginning of each year is finding out what will be unveiled at the annual NSSF SHOT Show, the largest gun-industry show in the world. Well, [brushing my fingers across my shirt with an air of all-knowing insight] I can tell you that this issue will give you the downright, all-out breakdown of all that is new this year. Some items are so new that photos have not yet been unveiled, but we were still able to scope out the specs.

If you are attending, you must come by the American Shooting Journal booth #408. We are featuring an enormous raffle wheel that simply won’t stop spinning from day one. Crazy prizes such as .308 ARs (two), one from RTD Mfg./ Arms and one from Layke Tactical, a 1911 Government-model pistol from Inland Mfg., an MXB Sniper Lite Crossbow, Hogue hatchets, Spyderco/Coast/Cold Steel knives, a chronograph from Shooting Chrony, KICK-EEZ recoil pads, N82 Tactical holsters, cleaning tools, patches – the list is ridiculous, and every spin wins! All you have to do is bring your Golden Ticket.

“How do I get a Golden Ticket?” you must be thinking to yourself.

Well, there are a few ways. The best way is to go to your computer right now and download your very own Golden Ticket from our website at AmericanShootingJournal.com.

Just click the link and VOILA! Bring that ticket to the booth and spin. The spin is not for a chance to win; it decides what you win.

Remember, every spin wins! I think I said that already.

The other way to get your Golden Ticket is to visit any of the following booths during the show and tell them you want your Golden Ticket.

They may measure you up for worthiness though. Just strong-arm them into compliance. The prizes are worth it!

Triple K Manufacturing Co. Booth #1710 Tannerite Sports, LLC Booth #2118 Shepherd Enterprises, Inc. Booth #2646 Rio Grande Custom Grips Booth #15754 Duracoat Firearm Finishes Booth #20243 Liberty Safes & Security Booth # 13623 MKS Supply/Hi-Point Firearms/ Inland Manufacturing Booth #16144 Warne Scope Mounts Booth #16344 Sierra Bullets Booth #16334 Lantac-USA Booth #20652 AmeriGlo Booth#20126 Galati Gear Booth #20014

Executive editor Danielle Breteau

FrogLube Booth #20405 SKB Corp.

Booth #14305 PEET Shoe Dryer Inc. Booth #1025 Techna Clip Booth #2029 Shooting Chrony Inc. Booth #2617 Western Powders Inc. Booth #3227 Kakadu Traders Australia/ Gunn Worn Booth #10035 Robar Companies, Inc. Booth #4443 ARMASPEC Inc. Booth #3348 Handi-Racker Booth #3761 KICK-EEZ Booth #3263 Paragon Tactical, Inc. Booth #2051

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WIN ON BOOTH #408

MXB SNIPER LITE CROSSBOW

OR ONE OF THESE!

RT-10 7.62 NATO/.308 RIFLE

MEET US!

BRITTANY BODDINGTON, renowned big-game huntress and TV celebrity with fans all over the world, will be signing autographs for lucky guests! Catch up with her during SHOT Show before she takes off to find her next exotic prize.

WEDNESDAY 11 a.m.

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American Shooting Journal // September 2015

LOUIE TUMINARO, star of Outdoor Channel’s THE GUNFATHER, and owner of the The Custom Shop in Hamilton, Mont., will be standing by to shake hands and sign autographs.

WEDNESDAY 2 p.m.

CARMEN BOURSEAU is the sweetheart of the Legends Football League (LFL) who plays for the Los Angeles Temptations and named MVP after running for 160 yards and scoring three touchdowns in a single game.

Meet one of LFL’s beautiful athletes!

THURSDAY 2 p.m.

E OF THESE! LAYKE TACTICAL LT10 .308 WIN

1911 GOVERNMENT PISTOL American Shooting Journal patches

AR pistol cheek weld

Target from

Backpacks from

Sample packs of lube from

Cleaning Kits from

Gift Cards from:

Glock cleaning brushes Defense Alert Devices from Holsters from

Barrel and action kit for 1911 Shoe dryer

Ulticlips from

Shooting Chrony chronograph

BOOTH #408

who Everyoneze Wheel Pri e h t s n i p s ize! wins a pr

Your access to all these great prizes at SHOT Show!

1. Go to americanshootingjournal.com to download your ticket 2. Bring your ticket to Booth #408 at SHOT Show 3. Spin the Prize Wheel and walk home with a great prize Prizes given away only at SHOT Show.

IVER JOHNSON

XL

EAGLE MSRP $845 • • • • • • • • • •

6” barrel 1911 45acp Matte blue w/ walnut grips Fully adj. rear sight w/ dovetail frt. sight Front & rear angled serrations Extended slide stop & thumb safety Beavertail grip safety w/ memory bump 3 hole trigger & skeleton hammer Lowered & flared ejection port Eagle XL also available with a magna ported slide and barrel 2016 SHOT SHOW BOOTH #15553

Phone: 321-636-3377

www.iverjohnsonarms.com

Bryan Morgan 2014 PRS Points Champ

PRECISION RIFLE SERIES - A nationwide competitive points race featuring the best precision rifle matches and most competitive riflemen in the country.

• • • •

Points Series Race To The Championship Regional Qualifier Matches Earn Your PRS Shooting Classification Sign Up Today & Become A Member

Presented By:

Ryan Kerr 2014 Match Winner

For More Information Visit:

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

Bradley Allen LRH Division Winner

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

Jan 15 - 17

Vegas Precision Rifle Challenge North Las Vegas, Nev. Sin City Precision

Cheyenne Dalton competing at the USPSA Area-3 multi-gun championships in Rolla, Mo., with her Core 15 Keymod Tac III LW 5.56/.223 rifle. We consider Cheyenne to be an excellent example of the next generation of shooters.

Among her many supporters and sponsors are Taran Tactical, Pro Shot and Vortex Optics, to name a few. (FAST FIVE PHOTOGRAPHY)

Jan. 15

National Classifier Fairfield, Calif.

Twin Sister’s Gun Club

Jan. 23

Mountain Valley Match Vandalia, Ohio Miami Valley Shooting Grounds

Jan. 10

Jan. 24

Texas Carbine Corpus Christi, Texas Starry Shooting Range

Jan. 15 - 17

Regional Match Frostproof, Fla. Universal Shooting Academy

Florida State Championship Frostproof, Fla. Universal Shooting Academy

Jan. 9 - 10

Jan. 23 - 24

Jan. 30 - 31

Jan. 1 - 3

Jan. 9 - 10

Jan. 9 - 10

Gulf Coast Challenge V Clearwater, Fla. Wyoming Antelope Club

The Carolina Outlaws Pendleton, S.C. Double J Arena

Jan. 23

3rd Annual Schreiner Shootout San Antonio, Texas National Shooting Complex

Vegas High Rollers Challenge XI Boulder City, Nev. Pro Gun Club

Colorado Regulators Denver, Colo.

National Western Stock Show Events Center

Central Florida Ballistic Challenge IX Orlando, Fla. Central Florida Rifle & Pistol Club

Texas Mounted Shooters Caldwell, Texas Buddy and Edile Lightsey Arena

Jan. 7 - 10

Mammoth Sniper Challenge Park City, Ky. Rock Castle Shooting Center

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PRIMER

GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R

Skinner Sights are hand crafted in their small shop in St. Ignatius, Mont. All of their sights are machined from solid steel, stainless steel or brass bar stock, and each part is hand fitted. (SKINNER SIGHTS )

The Real Texas Gun Shows Crossroads Of The West Gun Shows Tanner Gun Shows

C&E Gun Shows

Wes Knodel Gun Shows Great American Gun & Knife Show

Florida Gun Shows

Sertoma Gun Show

Jan. 9 - 10

Belton, Texas

Bell County Expo Center

Jan. 2 - 3 Jan. 2 - 3 Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 16 - 17 Jan. 23 - 24

Tucson, Ariz.

Ontario, Calif.

Mesa, Ariz.

Daly City, Calif.

Costa Mesa, Calif.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Pima County Fairground Ontario Convention Center Centennial Hall Cow Palace OC Event Center Arizona State Fairgrounds

Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 30 - 31

Pueblo, Colo.

Denver, Colo.

Colorado State Fairgrounds Denver Mart

Jan. 1 - 3 Jan. 2 - 3 Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 16 - 17 Jan. 16 - 17 Jan. 23 - 24 Jan. 23 - 24 Jan. 30 - 31 Jan. 30 - 31

Chantilly, Va. Concord, N.C. Winston-Salem, N.C. Norfolk, Va. Altoona, Pa. Morgantown, W.Va. Salem, Va. Wilmington, Ohio Richmond, Va. Hickory, N.C. Myrtle Beach, S.C. Fishersville, Va.

Dulles Expo Center Cabarrus Arena & Events Center Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Norfolk Scope Blair County Convention Center Mylan Park Expo Center Salem Civic Center Roberts Center Richmond Raceway Hickory Metro Convention Center Myrtle Beach Convention Center Augusta Expo

Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 16 - 17

Portland, Ore. Centralia, Wash.

Portland Expo Center Southwest Washington Fairgrounds

Jan. 2 - 3

Lebanon, Tenn.

Wilson County Fairgrounds

Jan. 2 - 3 Jan. 2 - 3 Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 16 - 17 Jan. 16 - 17 Jan. 16 - 17 Jan. 23 - 24 Jan. 23 - 24 Jan. 30 - 31 Jan. 30 - 31

Melbourne, Fla. Port Charlotte, Fla. Fort Pierce, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Lakeland, Fla. Pompano Beach, Fla. Deland, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. Fort Myers, Fla. Pensacola, Fla.

Melbourne Auditorium Charlotte County Fairgrounds Havert L Fenn Center Greater Jacksonville Expo Center Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club The Elks Lodge Volusia County Fairgrounds North Florida Fairgrounds Araba Shrine Temple Pensacola Interstate Fair

Jan. 16 - 17

Colorado Springs, Colo.

Colorado Springs Event Center

To have your event highlighted here, send us an email at Dani@AmericanShootingJournal.com.

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PRIMER

TOP SHOOTERS 1.

Precision Rifle Series shooter Eric Blais competes in the Northwest Precision Rifle League Series’ stop at the Upper Nisqually Sportsmans Club in Washington. He’s shooting his R Bros 6.5x47 Lapua with a Manners T2 stock, Seekins bottom metal rings and rail and 26-inch Broughton barrel with a Defensive Edge brake, and topped with a Kahles 6-24x56 MSR-K scope. What a package!

(MIKE WYTKO)

2.

Steve Fisher, aka The Yeti and owner of Sentinel Concepts tactical training for the real world, demonstrates his tactics on a toy gun – oh wait, that is a full-sized gun for the rest of us!

(SENTINEL CONCEPTS)

3.

Louie Tuminaro, Outdoor Channel’s The Gunfather himself, learns the complexities of precision shooting from son “Little” Louie (CUSTOM SHOP)

4.

Nicole Tuminaro keeps the Tuminaro heritage alive with her love of firearms and shooting skills by rockin’ the clay field. (CUSTOM SHOP)

To have your photograph(s) featured here, email Dani@AmericanShootingJournal.com. with all the pertinent details!

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38th Annual

SHOT Show debuts new guns and gear

BY DAVE WORKMAN

he 38th annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show is set once again to unfold at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, the 17th time this event has been held in the city.

Sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the industry umbrella organization, this is the sixth consecutive year that the SHOT Show has been held at the Sands.

The SHOT Show is not open to the general public. A trade show, it attracts more than 63,000 industry professionals; retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. More than 2,400 members of the outdoor press and mainstream media from around the world also attend, including writers for American Shooting Journal (Booth #408) and its sister publications, Northwest Sportsman, California Sportsman and Alaska Sporting Journal.

It’s the biggest firearms, accessories and equipment show in the world, covering more than 630,000 square feet, with more than 1,600 exhibitors. The aisles stretch 12.5 miles!

T

Thirteen years ago, the show expanded to include a lawenforcement section that has now grown to 170,000 square feet, according to the NSSF. In 2014, firearms and ammunition was a $6.6-billion industry, according to the NSSF/SHOT Show website, and it has continued to grow. The total economic impact of the firearms industry is almost $43 billion, and it supports more than 263,000 jobs.

This result is a direct benefit to North American wildlife via a special federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition pushed through with sportsman support back in the 1930s.

The Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Program has generated more than $8.4 billion in revenues that have been apportioned to the states through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Hunters and recreational shooters, and people who own guns for personal protection can honestly say they pay most of the freight for wildlife restoration and conservation, habitat protection and enhancement. ASJ

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SEMINARS SEMINAR SCHEDULE

One thing about the annual SHOT Show that attracts many retailers to this industry-only event is the education program. There are sessions for firearms and sporting goods dealers to help improve the bottom line, and keep them informed about the law and working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. As in the past, there are separate sessions strictly for law enforcement. Enjoy the show!

MONDAY, JAN 18 ERROR-PROOFING YOUR ATF FORMS 4473 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4401A SPEAKERS: HARRY MCCABE, FFL COMPLIANCE WALLY NELSON, FFL COMPLIANCE Want to reduce your stress level and have an error-free report back from ATF? The NSSF is here to help. Errors on ATF Form 4473 comprise nearly 90 percent of the ATF citations on inspections.

This 75-minute session reviews Form 4473 in great detail, explains why the information in each box is required and answers any questions you may have regarding this legal document.

COMPLIANCE FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER 3:20 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4401A SPEAKER: KEVIN MCKOWN Our former ATF executives have reviewed the GCA regulations with you and covered what you need to do to keep your store in compliance. But now, how do you do it? How do you make sure that A&D entries are made, 4473s are reviewed and inventory is taken?

TUESDAY, JAN 19

Have you wondered if any of the recently released and soon-to-be-released video or analytics are right for your business now or in the future? This session covers what retailers are using to reduce risk and drive business with software and equipment that are tied to your video equipment.

MEDIA TRAINING – EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.

ROOM: LANDO 4302 SPEAKER: ANN BALDWIN

THE ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION (A&D) RECORD: INS AND OUTS 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4401A SPEAKERS: HARRY MCCABE, FFL COMPLIANCE WALLY NELSON, FFL COMPLIANCE

SPEAKER: FBI/NICS JOANN GARRISON

In this politically charged environment, is your retail or range location ready for an unexpected media visit? Do you have a plan to deal with local or national reporters if an incident were to happen at your location? Do you have a designated spokesperson for your business and has that person been trained to deal with today’s press?

The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is pleased to host a session on how to become a “NICS Super FFL!” This session will focus on learning the ins and outs of what you can do to become the best FFL in the business. Hear from the experts on how to conduct NICS background checks and related processing in the most efficient manner.

ACTIVE SHOOTER UPDATE AND THE ADVANCED POLICE OFFICER 8:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4403 REG CODE: LE06

Now that you’ve got your Forms 4473 in excellent shape, it’s time to review your bound book. The firearms Acquisition & Disposition record is the second highest source of ATF citations, and trying to maintain it properly can create questions and confusion for even the most seasoned firearms retailer.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM RANGE DEVELOPMENT 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

ROOM: LANDO 4302

YOUR NEXT ATF COMPLIANCE INSPECTION 2:10 p.m. - 3:10 p.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4401A SPEAKERS: HARRY MCCABE, FFL COMPLIANCE WALLY NELSON, FFL COMPLIANCE

From October 2012 to September 2013, Frank Manuel developed Montgomery Indoor Shooting Complex, in Montgomery, Ala., and since that time has managed the daily operations of the complex.

Despite two years of planning, he encountered a host of unexpected challenges that threatened the survival of the start-up. Each challenge was met often using unconventional management techniques. Explore the challenges facing the development and start-up of an indoor gun range.

Now that you’ve reviewed your ATF Forms 4473 and your A&D book, you are ready for an ATF inspection. What is the process like? What should you have ready? This session covers what you and your staff should expect, what needs to be provided during the inspection process and gives you the keys to passing an inspection with flying colors.

FBI/NICS FFL SUPER USER 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.

ROOM: LANDO 4302

SPEAKER: FRANK MANUEL

SPEAKERS: THOR EELLS AND DON KESTER Active-shooter events continue to concern communities and their law enforcement agencies.

This presentation will review recent incidents for educational purposes, and examine the ongoing evolution of the law-enforcement response. The Advanced Response Patrol Officer program is

2016 SHOT SHOW HOURS TUESDAY, JAN. 19 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

DEVELOPMENTS IN STORE SECURITY 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

ROOM: LANDO 4302 SPEAKER: BILL NAPIER

THURSDAY, JAN. 21 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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SEMINARS designed to prepare first-arriving officers to confront and neutralize the threat in order to save lives.

HOW DO I BEST SELECT AN OPTIC TO MEET MY MISSION PROFILE? 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4401A SPEAKER: FRANK MARTELLO Some of the most mission-critical accessories available for your patrol and tactical rifles, handguns and shotguns are optics. There are many types of optics including magnified (both fixed and variable power), reflex and holographic sights.

Since each offers different tactical/operational advantages, selecting the one that best meets your mission profile can be very complicated.

UNDERSTANDING THE 2015 NTOA TACTICAL RESPONSE AND OPERATIONS STANDARD 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4405 REG CODE: LE09 SPEAKER: TBD For several years now, the National Tactical Officers Association standard has served as the guiding document for leaders in the law enforcement special operations profession. In 2015, the NTOA Standard Review committee updated and expanded this document to include a more specific explanation of team types, mission capabilities, a glossary and a correlation to NTOA training courses.

ARE YOU GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR AGENCY’S CANINES? 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4403 REG CODE: LE13 SPEAKER: PAUL BUNKER K-9s can be used in a variety of law-enforcement applications. Most agencies use these highly trained animals to detect the presence of explosives or illicit narcotics, find missing persons, track suspects and aid in their apprehension.

However, K-9s can do much more to aid law enforcement.

WEDNESDAY, JAN 20 LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL PERSONS 8:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

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ROOM: MARCELLO 4403 REG CODE: LE12 SPEAKER: TBD This seminar will address the challenges law enforcement faces when responding to conduct welfare checks and suicidal-person calls. The focus of this seminar will be on law enforcement intervention, legal versus ethical duty and current case-law developments.

THE PATROL RIFLE: WHY, WHAT AND HOW 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4405 REG CODE: LE14 SPEAKER: DANIEL DEFENSE, INC. Daniel Defense, Inc., a leader in providing innovative small arms solutions to law enforcement agencies around the world, will present an industry panel of experts to provide an in-depth look at the patrol rifle. These well-respected experts will present a comprehensive look at why patrol rifles are necessary and what to consider when selecting the correct patrol rifle for your agency.

SHOOTING RANGE ACOUSTICS, OSHA AND LOCAL NOISE ORDINANCES 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4401A REG CODE: LE15 SPEAKER: TROY ACOUSTICS Learn how a lack of certified shooting range acoustics can affect your agency. Excessive noise and poor acoustics can lead to your range being shut down, increase your agency’s compensation claims and can cost money and training time.

THURSDAY, JAN 21 TACTICAL TIPS AND TRUTHS 8:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4403 REG CODE: LE17 SPEAKER: TBD In today’s world, making good decisions is one of the most important law enforcement duties. While the positive work LEOs do may not always get the recognition it deserves, we all know the effects at both a personal and a professional level that can be generated by poor decisions. The goal of the tactical truths and tips course is to diminish the frequency and impact of such events.

CONFIGURING THE PATROL RIFLE: WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4405 REG CODE: LE19 SPEAKER: DON ALWES Law enforcement agencies must select or approve patrol rifles for their officers. The officers who make these decisions for their agencies need to answer questions such as: What is mil-spec? Do you need it? Is semiautomatic or select-fire best for their missions?

BENEFITS OF SILENCERS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4401A REG CODE: LE20 SPEAKER: SILENCERCO This presentation covers the benefits of silencers to LEOs who work in a variety of environments.

Whether you are an instructor experiencing issues with restrictive range-training hours due to noise complaints, a K-9 handler with concerns for protecting the hearing of your companion, or anything in between, silencers can prove beneficial in many circumstances.

FIRST RESPONSE TO IMMINENT THREAT AND THE MODERN BALLISTIC SHIELD 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4405 REG CODE: LE21 SPEAKER: CHRIS DUNN This presentation will discuss the latest paradigm shift in training, tactics and equipment to help departments and trainers address the threat that is out of control in America’s schools, businesses, government facilities, places of worship and everywhere there is access to potential victims.

HOW DO I BEST SELECT AN OPTIC TO MEET MY MISSION PROFILE? 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

ROOM: MARCELLO 4403 REG CODE: LE22 SPEAKER: FRANK MARTELLO Some of the most mission-critical accessories available for your patrol and tactical rifles, handguns and shotguns are optics. There are many types of optics including magnified (both fixed and variable power), reflex and holographic sights.

Since each offers different tactical/operational advantages, selecting the one that best meets your mission profile can be very complicated.

This session will help you make the best informed decision for your money.

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PULSE OF THE INDUSTRY NSSF’S SANETTI SPEAKS STORY BY DAVE WORKMAN

ith the presidential election 11 months away, candidates from one party have essentially declared war on the firearms industry as part of their campaign strategy, and Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, is vowing to push back.

“We have no choice but to fight back and we will,” Sanetti said in an interview with American Shooting Journal.

Weeks ago, Hillary Clinton said she would push for repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Firearms Act, which was overwhelmingly supported by industry to prevent frivolous lawsuits. Sanetti asserted that Clinton and her fellow candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, have created the impression that industry is immune from liability.

“We come under the same liability laws as any other (industry),” he explained. “If a product is intentionally sold to someone who you know is not authorized to own it, you’re liable. What anti-gunners are trying to do is impose a totally new level of liability. They want to hold manufacturers liable for the misuse of a product well after it has left the manufacturer’s control.”

For Sanetti, this political strategy is insulting on a couple of levels. Beyond the question of liability, he noted that NSSF has created many programs aimed at improving firearms safety. Project ChildSafe, for example, put more than 37 million gun locks in child safety kits. The result is that the accident rate has and is going down. Then there is the “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy” campaign, aimed at preventing straw sales to unauthorized people who can’t legally own a gun.

And don’t forget the “Fix NICS” project, which encourages state agencies to place information into the National Instant Check System about disqualified individuals.

The goal is to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, and the efforts by NSSF differ from those of gun-control advocates by focusing on bad guys rather than penalizing good ones.

On top of all this, firearms sales have been consistently strong, resulting in more guns in circulation, since the Obama Administration took office. Yet accidents and violent crime have declined.

Contrary to what anti-gunners have been asserting, the number of gun owners is expanding. Many of the firearms sold in recent years have been to Millenials who are getting involved in the shooting sports.

W

“You get one involved in the shooting sports and they bring their friends,” Sanetti observed.

A large segment of the new shooting public is female, he added. In some regions, more than 40 percent of first-time gun buyers are women, and they take up shooting as a social activity. They want NSSF President Steve Sanetti training and they’re interested in safety.

Sanetti, now in his eighth year with NSSF, acknowledged that anti-gunners try to minimize the growth in the firearms industry and shooting sports.

What lies ahead? While gun ownership is rising, hunting is declining, and to that end, NSSF has been conducting a Hunting and Shooting Sports Summit. This year it will be held the week of June 6 in Pittsburgh. People from various groups come together to share ideas and plot strategies.

The problem, according to Sanetti, is one of shrinking habitat. There isn’t the same access as there was a generation ago. Populations are expanding, but the hunting network is “becoming more diffused,” he said.

Still, the slight decline in hunting is more than made up for by the growth in recreational shooting, Sanetti said. As a result, federal excise tax revenues that support wildlife agencies are growing because all shooters contribute to that through purchases of guns and ammunition.

The federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to state agencies, which must provide matching money for projects that cover a wide range of activities and fall under the umbrella of federal aid to wildlife restoration. Called the PittmanRobertson Act, this program has collected money since the late 1930s, and it has become a cornerstone for wildlife management across the nation.

One problem that likely will not go away is media bias.

Sanetti is disappointed in the way the mainstream press seems to uncritically accept the “mantra of the other side.”

There is little doubt that gun rights versus gun control is going to remain central to the dialogue during this election year. ASJ americanshootingjournal.com 37

evolving law Changes How to plan and adjust SENIOR VP LAWRENCE KEANE OF THE NSSF STORY BY DAVE WORKMAN

he gun control lobby, thanks to heavy funding by wealthy anti-gunners, has launched a two-pronged battle against the firearms industry, and the political horizon appears filled with political and legal land mines.

Lawrence Keane, senior vice president and general counsel to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, noted that the political initiative and local taxes on guns and ammunition is the new strategy to erode gun rights.

“After Newtown,” he observed, “the anti-gun efforts have focused more at the state and local level.”

The first gun tax was imposed by Cook County, Ill., and now the NSSF is involved in a legal battle against a similar tax adopted last summer in the City of Seattle.

Joining NSSF in the lawsuit are the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association. It is the first time all three organizations have been involved in a single joint legal action.

The basic premise of these taxes is to charge $25 a piece for gun sales and five cents for each cartridge sold. Proceeds from these taxes ostensibly are designed to raise money for gunsafety programs.

“These taxes are designed to drive businesses out and suppress the free exercise of the Second Amendment,” Keane said.

That’s essentially what happened in San Francisco, where the city imposed special restrictions aimed at gun shops.

The second front is the initiative process, aimed currently at pushing universal background checks. They have not prevented a single crime. Such a measure passed in 2014 in Washington state, and there is a similar proposition on this year’s ballot in Nevada.

Democrat front-runner Hillary Clinton has put gun control high on her campaign platform. Keane asserted that she had tried to exploit the Paris tragedy to push even more gun control, such as denying sales

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to people who, for reasons unbeknownst to them, wind up on government watch lists.

Keane said the “notion of the Clintons moving back into the White House should send shivers down the spine of everybody in the industry. It’s easier to be put on the terrorist watch list than it is to be put on the no-fly list.”

The NSSF has NSSF’s Lawrence Keane taken the initiative to push a project that could do more to keep firearms out of the wrong hands than all of the anti-gun schemes. It’s called “Fix NICS,” the National Instant Check System, aimed at the thing that mass shooters seem to have in common.

“The states aren’t putting records in the system,” Keane said, “and they should be. Everybody agrees that the underlying common denominator is the mental health of the shooter. The records aren’t there.”

Keane echoed sentiments that have been expressed by many others in the firearms community in recent years.

“Rather than focus on the mental health issue, they want to focus on gun owners. Gun control offers the false illusion of making you safer, and we know it doesn’t,” Keane said.

“As soon as the battle is joined,” he commented, “the first casualty is the plan. You have to constantly plan and adjust.”

He acknowledged that the firearms community cannot compete with the money that is being devoted to pushing the gun-control agenda, but anti-gunners cannot generate the single-issue voters or fire up the grassroots activism that comes from Second Amendment advocates. ASJ americanshootingjournal.com 39

The T he Outlaw Out Staarrttiing Starting St gw with itth a Ruger Vaquero platform, this is one of the finest and ith classiest revolvers we have ever built, while maintaining all of the ccl laasssi sie esst rre evvo o original or o rig igin gin inal al bells be ellllss and whistles. The frame and hammer are color cased, wh w hille the th he rest res of the gun is coated in black Chromex. The frame and re res while cy ylliind nde err are are re engraved, and it comes chambered in .44 Special pe p pec ecciia ial or or cylinder whatever w wh hat atev eve err ccaliber a err yyou ou u llike. ikke. e. TThe he O he Outlaw uttlaaw fe ffeatures eat atu urre ess a B Bisley isle is ley Gu G Gunfighter unfi nfig figh ghte er grip Sorrel grips, barrel g gr riip p with witth contrasting con co nttrraastin sttin ing SSo orrel rre rr ell g rriips ip pss, our ou ur st sstandard aan nd daard d ..002 00 0 02 barr b ba arr rrel cylinder cyl ylin lin in nde de d er gap g ga ap and aan nd a complete co omple mplle mp ette ete e action actio ccttio ion job ion job with jo wiith w t our our u deep dee ep dish dish di sh crown cro row wn n and and d maxi maaxxi tthroat. th hrro hro oaatt. It IIt’s t’s ’s a sstunning ttu unn n in ing rre revolver! evo vo olv lver lv er! r!

1911 Rekon Kommander We upgraded the Rekon Kommander! This new version comes complete with a redesigned slide, special hammer and trigger, gold-accented parts, Novak sights, complete action job, custom grips (the grips shown are aged-ivory Corian – we have many other materials to choose from), beavertail grip safety, checkered mainspring housing with custom mag well, and is ramped and polished.

Reeder Custom Guns www.reedercustomguns.com

Pistol Gallery Turnbull MFG. Co. www.turnbullmfg.com

Commander C ommander H Heritage e TThe Th he Tu TTurnbull Turn urrn nb bu ulll Commander ull Com mm maand an nd der er Heritage is our new gun for 2016. This firearm is finished in n TTurnbull’s urn ur nb bul bul ull’l s signature ssiig gn nat atur ure ca ure as color on the frame and has blued slide and parts. Our case C Co omm mman ande der H He eri rittaage rita e is is hand-fitted h Commander Heritage and 100 percent American made.

Custom Shop

Colt Python

www.customshopinc.com

The Colt Python is a double-action handgun chambered for the .357 Magnum and built on Colt’s large I frame.

Pythons have a reputation for accuracy, a smooth trigger pull, a tight cylinder lock-up and were first introduced in 1955 as Colt’s top-of-the-line model. This beautifully engraved 6-inch blue Python is a classic example of the definitive Colt revolver. (DEREK POFF)

Colt Gold Cup National Match MKIV Series 70 SemiAuto Pistol

40 Northwest Sportsman

The Colt Gold Cup is known as the finest shooting semiautomatic in the world, and is the standard for competitive guns. The first Colt Gold Cup pistol was introduced in the late 1950s and was designed to give competitive shooters a gun they could take directly from a dealer’s showcase to the firing line. (DEREK POFF) DECEMBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

THE COmmander .45ACP The Deep River Customs 1911 Commander in 45ACP, was made by starting g with a Government size slide, which was cut down to Commander size. que ue Modifications were made to the frame that reduce recoil, which is a technique that requires a high level of expertise.

The barrel is a tapered cone bushing barrel that provides an extremely tight htt fit fit at at the muzzle, which enhances accuracy. The recoil system uses a full length g guide uiide u de rod rod od and and nd a flat-wire flat fl aatt-w wire irre spring, allowing the use of a wide range of ammunition.

This 1911 has a diamond like carbon (DLC) finish including all of the internal parts, save the barrel. This allows the pistol to function even when not properly oiled.

The front of the pistol is slightly angled below the barrel, which aids in www.deeprivercustoms.com eprivercusto clearing the holster when drawing the weapon. Sights are contoured fiber optic front sights coupled with a Novak adjustable recessed blade rear ar sight. Checkering on the front strap and mainspring housing 25 per off with VZ Grips. g ho h ous usin ng is is 2 5 llilines ine nes p pe er in iinch, nch h, an aand nd to ttopped opp ppe ed do ff w wi ith th V Z Gr G rip ips. s. TThe he h e aaction ctio ct i n has been worked to provide a silky of angle at 50 yards. ky smooth, ky smo moo otth, h, crisp cri risp isp sp trigger trriigg ger er release rel elea ease se and and d this th hiis 1911 19 91 11 1 is is capable ccaapa apa pabl ablle of of shooting sho hoot otin ing 1.75 1..75 1 75 minute miin n

Deep river customs

Guncrafter industries

.50-Caliber 1911 Specialist

www.guncrafterindustries.com

Taking full advantage of the Guncrafter Industries’ model titled No Name, which is designed as a blank canvas, we added only the best options from a myriad of possibilities. This pistol wears a hot-salt blue over a color-cased frame and is loaded with all the bells and whistles, making for a spectacular pistol.

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S&W Model 327TRR8 .357/.38 5-inch Barrel Performance Center products are the ultimate expression of old-world craftsmanship blended with modern technology. Our guns originate from either standard designs or are created from the ground up.

From hand cutting and fitting to fine tuning for precision, these firearms are top performers.

S&W Performance Center M&P R8 8-Shot .357/.38 This R8 from Performance Center offers a tuned action, scandium frame and the company’s own trigger-stop trigger. Our products are the ultimate expression of old-world craftsmanship blended with modern technology.

1911 a1 government

INland mfg www.inland-mfg.com

During World War II, a division of General Motors was tasked to support the war effort. This resulted in firearms history, and Inland Manufacturing became one of the largest gun manufacturers in the US, producing nearly three million firearms in fewer than five years. The most notable of Inland’s production was the .30-caliber M1 carbine and the folding-stock variant known as the M1A1 Paratrooper. Dayton, Ohio, was home to the original company, and is now the new home to Inland Manufacturing, located just two miles from the original facility. We produce an entirely new line of .30-caliber M1 carbines and 1911-style pistols. nwsportsmanmag.com | DECEMBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 41

HANDGUNS BROWNING HAS SUPPRESSOR-READY 1911-22 www.browning.com • Booth #10744, 15537, 12740, 15129

Black Label 1911 .380

The growing popularity of suppressors hasn’t been lost on Browning, which is introducing a new Black Label 1911-22 that is suppressor-ready with rail models. Both have threaded muzzle protector barrels, and there are two sizes. The full-size model has a 4½-inch barrel and the compact comes with a 3 5/8-inch barrel. They have composite frames with accessory rails. Each pistol has fixed-steel combat sights dovetailed into the slide. Grips are made from G-10 composite and are fitted with extended ambidextrous thumb safeties and beavertail grip safeties.

Also on the way is a Black Labe 1911-.380 Pro, with or without a rail. They also have steel combat three-dot sights or night sights dovetailed into the slide. These are scaled-down models from the original M1911 version with G-10 composite grips. Both .380 ACP pistols have 4¼-inch barrels with target crowns, and feature the extended ambidextrous thumb safety, extended slide release and beavertail grip safety. They carry eight-round magazines and weigh 17½ ounces.

AMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS HAS NEW .45 ACP, 9MM MODELS www.americantactical.us • Booth #16538 New handguns from American Tactical include a .45 ACP and 9mm, both semiautos.

The FX-H 1911 is a single-action semiauto on the 1911 platform. It has a 5-inch matchgrade stainless barrel, polymer frame and stainless-steel slide. It has an ambidextrous thumb safety, fiber-optic front sight, beavertail grip safety with bump and finger grooves on the front strap. There’s also an accessory rail on the dust cover. er.

The striker-fired 9mm BB6 has a polymer frame, 5-inch barrel, steel slide and integrated optics mount with an 18-round magazine capacity. inch barrel, 7-inch keymod handguard, There’s also a Mil-Sport pistol in 9mm with a 5.5-inch forged upper and billet lower with a 17-round magazine. zine.

American Ameri Am rica can ca a Tact Tactical cti tical al al .45 45 AC 4 ACP, A ACP CP, 9mm m

GARY REEDER OFFERS SEVERAL CUSTOM HANDGUN MODELS www.reedercustomguns.com Known for turning out quality custom sidearms, Gary Reeder is shining the spotlight on the newest handguns in the lineup.

The Enforcer, chambered in either 10mm or .45 ACP, features an 8-inch Enforcer slide with a 2-inch compensator, though the pistol is available with up to a 3-inch compensator. The gun comes with a standard bushing that can be used when the compensator is removed. The Enforcer has gray marble Corian grips, or laminated wood, and Mongolian stag is available at a slight premium. The pistol has a full-action job, adjustable rear sight and Trijicon front sight.

Reeder’s Alaskan Packer is built on a Ruger Redhawk frame with a 6½-inch vent-rib underlug barrel with a very tight cylinder gap at .002. It is available in several caliber choices, including the .475 Linebaugh, .454 Casull, .500 Linebaugh, .500 GNR and .510 GNR. The cylinder holds five rounds. This beauty has an interchangeable blade frontsight system with gold bead, a full gunfighter grip with aged ivory Corian grips, but other options are available. The gun has a full-action job, Deep Dish crown and Maxi throat.

Reeder also recently redesigned the Rekon Kommander, with redesigned slide, special hammer and trigger, gold accents on small parts, Novak sights, full-action job, custom grips and more.

The Black Mamba series is built on a customer’s GP-100 with chamberings in .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .41 GNR and .356 GNR. It has a 6-inch full underlug barrel, five-round cylinder, full-action job, Deep Dish crown and deluxe black Chromex finish.

Another new entry is the Hellcat, chambered for .32 H&R Magnum and built on the new adjustable-sighted Ruger Bearcat frame. It holds five rounds, has a new barrel, interchangeable blade front sight and a Gunfighter grip conversion.

Alaskan Packer

americanshootingjournal.com 43

HANDGUNS CENTURY ARMS ADDS TO CANIK LINE www.centuryarms.com • Booth #14251

Canik TP9SFx

Canik RAS47

Canik C39V2

SEVERAL HANDGUNS FROM CZ-USA www.cz-usa.com • Booth #11955

Urban Grey SP-01 Omega

ols, For 2016, CZ-USA has several semiauto pistols, including the Urban Grey series, five handguns uns all chambered for 9mm and all suppressor ready. round The lineup incudes the P-09 with a 21-round capacity, polymer frame, fixed high-profile e sights and swappable safety/decocker; the P-07 is pact a similar model with a slightly more compact body and 17-round magazine; the SP-01 has a full-length frame and rail, high-profile sights and 18-round capacity; the CZ751 (omega) with an 18-round magazine, traditional frame and slide; and the P-011, a compact model also comes with a rail, 16-round magazine, swappable

Frag Squared Pistol

GUNCRAFTER INDUSTRIES BREAKS OUT THEIR NEW FRAG SQUARED PISTOL www.guncrafterindustries.com Known for their custom guns and particularly their

44

Century Arms is adding Canik pistol models this year, all chambered for the 9mm cartridge.

The TP9SFx semiauto has a removable red dot cover, a Warren tactical black rear and front fiber-optic sight. It also has a striker-status indicator, cocking lever, extended ergonomic slide stop, adjustable length reversible magazine-release catch, match-grade barrel and a Cerakote finish over phosphate. There’s a Picatinny rail for accessories, and it comes with two 20-round magazines, a poly holster with a paddle attachment, belt attachment, interchangeable backstraps, cleaning rod, brush and more.

Canik’s TP9SF is similar and offers a fixed three-dot steel sights, loaded chamber indicator, striker status indicator, reversible magazine catch, Cerakote over phosphate finish, AFC magazine coating, 1913 Picatinny rail and it comes with two 18-round magazines, or 10-round magazines depending upon local regulations. It also comes with the poly holster and attachments.

Also from Century is a Red Army Standard RAS47 semiauto pistol chambered for 7.62x39mm. It has a 30-round magazine, 10.6-inch barrel, RAK-1 enhanced trigger group, larger T-shaped magazine catch, standard AKM sights, side scope rail mount, front sight gas block and bird cage-style flash hider, MOE AK pistol grip and AK handguard and a 4140 steel nitride treated receiver.

Another entry is the Red Army Standard C39V2 pistol also chambered for 7.62x39mm. It has a chrome moly 4150 nitride-treated barrel cut with a 1:10-inch twist, milled 4140 ordnance-quality steel receiver, RAK-1 enhanced trigger group, standard AKM sights, side scope rail mount, front sight gas block and bird cage-style flash hider. The bolt carrier tail is heat treated for maximum performance and comes with a 30-round Magpul magazine.

American Shooting Journal // January 2016

safety/decocker and black rubber grips.

The CZ75 P-011 Convertible model is also chambered in 9mm, has a black polycoat finish and rubber grips, accessory rail, 7075 aluminum frame and convertible safety/ decocker.

The CZ75B1 is a full-size model in 9mm with a black polycoat finish, while the CZ75 Tactical Sport Orange has a striking orange grip and black polycoat finish.

Frag pistol line, Guncrafter Industries is launching the Frag Squared – aptly named for the square trigger guard among many other new attributes, which include an adjustable Bomar-style rear sight, a fiber optic front sight and ambidextrous safety.

The square trigger guard allows for an extra high grip on the pistol particularly where the shooter places their support index finger. It is designed so that finger rests on the front of the trigger guard to help control recoil. They have made this pistol available in 9mm or .45 ACP and it’s optimal for IPSC/IDPA competitors or self defense.

DEEP RIVER CUSTOMS www.deeprivercustoms.com This is a distinctive-looking, reliable combat pistol that is capable of shooting groups of 1.75 minute of angle at 50 yards and was created by cutting a Government Model down to a Commander. This, combined with other modifications effectively create a recoil-reducing design. Very few custompistol makers, if any, use this technique.

Chambered in 45ACP, this model also offers a grey diamond-like carbon (DLC) finish on the exterior and internal parts except for the barrel.

The front of the pistol is slightly angled or swept below the barrel, which aids in clearing the holster when drawing. The fiber-optic front sights are contoured and the rear sight is an adjustable recessed Novak blade.

The barrel is a tapered cone-bushing barrel that provides an extremely tight fit at the muzzle, enhancing accuracy. The recoil system uses a full-length guide rod and a flat-wire spring, allowing for a wide range of ammunition, from factory loads to target loads, without having to change springs to do so.

americanshootingjournal.com 45

HANDGUNS FMK’S C1 SEMIAUTO OFFERED IN TWO CALIBERS www.fmkfirearms.com • Booth #16346

FMK C1 Semiauto

46

American Shooting Journal // January 2016

With a polymer frame and stainlesssteel slide, the C1 semiauto from FMK Firearms is available in different frame colors, and it is offered in two popular calibers: 9mm and .40 S&W. With a choice of either black or satin-nickel plating on the slide, the C1 has a 4-inch stainless-steel barrel, and a Glock-compactible sight system. It has a shockabsorbing back strap, loaded chamber indicator, interchangeable triggers, and a molded rail for accessories.

The 9mm version is available with a 10-, 14- or 17-round magazine (depending on jurisdiction and local regulations) and the .40-caliber model has a 10-round magazine.

It weighs 23.45 ounces and is 6.85 inches long.

Shooters can select frame colors that include black, dark earth, OD green, urban grey, pink, crimson red and tiffany blue, and either plain or engraved with the Bill of Rights.

americanshootingjournal.com 47

HANDGUNS SIG SAUER REVIVES P225, OFFERS LIMITED EDITION P229 9 www.sigsauer.com • Booth #12240 Late in 2015, Sig Sauer announced the reintroduction of the popular P225 pistol in 9mm, with an enhanced trigger and the same handsome looks.

The P225-A1 has a single-stack eight-round magazine, thin profile, Nitron finish on the stainless-steel -steel slide and hard coat anodized frame. The two-piece grips feature the Sig medallion, and the pistol is fitted with Siglite lite night sights. It has a 3.6-inch barrel, 5.2-inch sight radius, 4.4-pound single-action trigger pull and 10-pound double-action tion pull. The overall length is 6.9 inches.

Also unveiled late last year is the limited edition P229, chambered in either .357 Sig or .40 S&W. W. This one has a 3.5inch barrel, standard grip length, shortened slide and Siglite night sights.

Both guns weigh 31 ounces and have a 12-round magazine capacity. Grips are G-10. The slidee is Nitron-finished and the frame is hard-coat black anodized. The sight radius is 5.3 inches and overall width is 1.3 inches. es.

Also, late in 2015, Sig Sauer announced a .22-caliber version of the popular P250 modular pistol. tol. Built on the same platform as previous centerfire models, the P250-22 is designed for recreational shooting and training, ining, and further enhances the P250’s reputation as a one-gun solution.

Ruger LCR .327 Federal Magnum

Sig Sauer P229

RUGER CHAMBERS LCR IN .327 FEDERAL www.ruger.com • Booth #11940 Late in 2015, Ruger released its popular LCR revolver in .327 Federal Magnum, and it’s a winner.

American Shooting Journal had a chance to run this new version through its paces and it is everything it’s supposed to be.

Hitting the scales at 17 ounces, the frame is made from blackened 400-series stainless steel, and the stainless-steel cylinder is finished in Ionbond Diamondblack.

The LCR Model 5452 has a stainless-steel barrel measuring 1.875 inches, cut with a 1:16-inch right-hand twist, making the overall length 6.5 inches. It’s got a U-notch rear sight and a pinned ramp front sight with a white stripe. It holds six rounds.

The Hogue Tamer Monogrip is interchangeable with a Crimson Trace Lasergrip.

It can also function with .32 H&R Magnums.

48

American Shooting Journal // January 2016

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and

is the most copied shooting range technology in the industry.

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HANDGUNS INLAND INTRODUCES ‘ADVISOR’ M1 PISTOL Iver Johnson Long Slide 10mm

IVER JOHNSON’S NEW LONG SLIDE 10MM IN SPOTLIGHT www.iverjohnsonarms.com • Booth #15553 Iver Johnson Arms will be spotlighting its new long-slide 10mm auto during the 2016 SHOT Show.

This is the Eagle XL model with a 6-inch slide and barrel, built on a Model 1911 platform.

It’s a handsome pistol, with adjustable rear sight, beavertail grip safety with a slight bump, checkered hardwood grips with double diamonds, skeleton hammer and cocking serrations front and rear. The finish is deeply blued and the front and rear sights are both dovetailed into the slide.

Iver Johnson notes on its website that the forged slide and cast frame are CNC-machined, and the slide and frame are hand-fitted.

Also from Iver Johnson is a four-barrel derringer called the Frontier Four. This .22-caliber single-action pocket gun has a stainless-steel finish and wood-grain plastic grips. The overall length is 4 inches and the pistol has 2-inch barrels. Unloaded, the diminutive pistol weighs 5.6 ounces.

50

American Shooting Journal // January 2016

www.inland-mfg.com • Booth #16144 Inland Manufacturing is introducing a rendition of the M1 pistol popular with American military advisors in Southeast Asia during early stages of the Vietnam War. This tough little pistol is called The Advisor, and it has a 12-inch barrel. Built around the M1 carbine action, The Advisor will accept M1 magazines and comes with a single 15-round magazine. A 30-rounder will also fit.

Inland Advisor M1 Pistol

TURNBULL LL RESTORATION & TURING RELEASES MANUFACTURING ITAGE 1911 THEIR HERITAGE www.turnbullmfg.com • Booth ooth #4160, 4161

Commander Heritage 1911

New for 2016, the Commander nder Her Heritage Model 1911 is offered with a blued slide andd color case frame, doublediamond checkered walnut grips and Novak three-dot sights. In true classic fashion, this stunning 1911 comes chambered in .45ACP, and if these upgrades weren’t enough, Turnbull Manufacturing can upgrade the grips, sights and even the engraving pattern. They are true craftsman and make every restoration a priority.

americanshootingjournal.com 51

RIFLE GALLERY

LAYKE TACTICAL

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Overall length: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Scope mount: MSRP:

Elk .308/7.62x51 18 inches 36 to 39 inches 8.4 pounds 5 to 25+1 1 in 10 Layke Tactical 4140 nitride ide Composite Picatinney $1,599 to $2,000

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Overall length: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Scope mount: MSRP:

Deer, elk, antelope .308 16 inches with Surefiree muzzle brake 37 inches 8.3 pounds 10 rounds 1 in 12 Cold-hammer-forged steel ck Kevlar and aluminum bedded block Weaver slides $2,398

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Optic (included): MSRP:

Deer, elk, moose 7mm Rem Mag 26 inches 13.5 inches 9.8 pounds 3 1 in 9 Custom stainless barrel, #6 contour, fluted Greybull Precision composite Greybull Precision hunting optic by Leupold with a matched drop-compensating dial $6,300

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Optic (included): MSRP:

Birds, squirrels, s, rabbits .177 18 inches Adjustable 8 pounds Break barrel 1 in 18 Steel Polymer Dovetail $139.99

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Scope mount: MSRP:

North American big game 7mm Mag 24 and 26 inches 13.625 inches 8.5 pounds 2 plus 1 1 in 8 ss steel Carbon-wrapped stainless Carbon composite Picatinny or drilled and tapped $5,500

LT10

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WARHORSE OF THE ROCKIES Urban Counter Sniper 550 0

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GREYBULL PRECISION

P105

*Ammunition (included): 100 handloaded 180-grain rounds

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PALCO Swiss Arm TG TG-11

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SNOWY MOUNTAIN RIFLES Carbon LRH

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Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Scope mount: MSRP:

COBALT KINETICS

Mid-sized game .223 or 5.56 16 or 18 inches A2 7.13 pounds 30 1 in 8 Faxon (.223 Wylde) Composite Picatinny $2,995

B.A.M.F. Edg Edge

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DEGUNS

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Scope mount: MSRP:

Deer, elk .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO ATO O 16 inches Adjustable 8.3 pounds 19 plus 1 1 in 10 4140 chrome moly Synthetic Picatinny $708.99

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Scope mount: MSRP:

Deer, elk 6.5mm Creedmoor 18 inches 13.25 inches 7.75 pounds 5 1 in 8 416R SS stainless steel Composite - Manners MCS-T Picatinny $3,875

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: MSRP:

Deer, elk .26 Nosler 26 inches 13.5 inches 9.6 pounds (with a 5-20X50 Huskemaw scope) 3 plus 1 1 in 8 Wilson #4 contour stainless steel Kevlar-reinforced composite Rifle only: $5,995; complete system: $7,995

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock: Scope mount MSRP:

Deer, elk, moose, wild boar .308 Winchester 20 inches Variable 9 pounds, 9 ounces 5, 10 or 20 - PMAG 1 in 10 RTD Match stainless steel Composite - LUTH AR MB1 Picatinny $2,295

Ideal game: Caliber: Barrel length: Length of pull: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Barrel: Stock material: Scope mount: MSRP:

Big and dangerous game .404 Jeffrey 24 inches 13.5 8 pounds 3 1 in 14 #4 contour chrome molyy English walnut Drilled and tapped with Express sights $10,500

DPMS LR-308 O Orac Oracle

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ACCURATE ORDNANCE Elite Hunter

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BEST OF THE WEST Signature Series Custom

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RTD MFG

RT-10 SAPR R

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PRECISION RIFLE AND TOOL Golden Era W.J. Jeffery Big Game Rifle

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Rifles ARMALITE HAS TWO NEW RIFLE MODELS www.armalite.com • Booth #11771 New from Armalite is the M-15 Light Tacti Tactical Carbine and the AR-10 PRC308 Precision Rifle.

The M-15 LTC model iis available in either 5.56x45mm or 7.62x39mm, both popular calibers with shoote shooters. This semiauto features a 16-inch stainless-steel threaded barrel finished in Cerakote, and cut with a 1 in 7-inch twist. The stock is a six-position collapsible model, and it has a free-floating Key Mod 10-inch handguard.

The LTC hits the scale at 6 pounds, and it comes with a single 30-round magazine in steel or aaluminum. At full length it is 35.3 inches long.

The PRC308 semiauto is chambered for .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm. It has a stainless-steel 20inch barrel cut with a 1 in 10-inch twist, Magpul PRS stock with adjustable length of pull and comb, free-floating aluminum handguard, Gissele two-stage trigger, 20-round Magpul magazine and more.

M+M’S NEW! M10X ELITE BATTLE RIFLE www.mm-industries.com M+M introduces the M10X rifle. The M10X, chambered in 7.62x39, is the next generation modern sporting rifle with a pedigree that combines the best features from world-renowned Eastern and Western battle rifles.

It features a semiautomatic rotating bolt long-stroke gas-piston driven system, and uses the most modern manufacturing technologies available. Designed, engineered and manufactured in the United States with all US parts and labor.

NEW RIFLES FROM AMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS www.americantactical.us • Booth #16538 There’s a new 5.56mm semiauto from American Tactical with a 30-round magazine.

The Omni Hybrid MAXX has a 16-inch barrel and 7-inch quad-rail handguard. It is finished in flat dark earth and the upper has an integral rail.

THE INNOVATION OF COBALT KINETICS www.cobaltkinetics.com • Booth #2660, 6108 Cobalt Kinetics started because they felt the industry lacked innovation.

Cobalt set the bar high with their B.A.M.F. and EDGE rifles. They refuse to sit on that success, and have developed two new lines of rifles.

The Evolve line has every possible improvement you can imagine including the new Cobalt Advantage Reload System. The Black line is their introduction to the military and law enforcement sectors, and offers all of Cobalt Kinetics’ top-line specifications.

PRECISION RIFLES FROM GREYBULL www.greybullprecision.com GreyBull Precision rifles are the stuff legends are made from.

According to this Wyoming company, the Precision 105 model is the flagship rifle that has been perfected over the course of more than 20 years.

Chambered for .243 Winchester, .264 Winchester, 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum, this rifle is built around a Remington 700 or Custom Bighorn Arms SR2 action, with a 26-inch custom stainless fluted barrel. It’s fitted into a GreyBull Precision Hunting Stock, and the rifle has a jeweled trigger.

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RIFLES LAYKE TACTICAL HAS LT10 RIFLE, LT3 TRIGGER www.layketactical.com Layke Tactical, which is providing a rifle for American Shooting Journal ‘s epic raffle at the SHOT Show, booth #408, has a new LT10 semiauto rifle, chambered in .308 Winchester. It features an 18-inch barrel with a Midwest 15-inch free-floating handguard, bolt-carrier low-profile mid-length gas system, nickel-boron bolt carrie ggroup and a Beatenzone Ultimate charging handle. The magazine release is from Odin Works, and it has a Magpul Generation 11.1 ggrip and STR buttstock.

BADGER ORDNANCE ANNOUNCING NEW RIFLE www.badgerordnance.com • Booth #20005

NEW RT-10 LIGHT FROM RTD MANUFACTURING www.rtdarms.com RTD Arms has revealed a new RT-10 rifle for 2016, in the genuine hunting caliber of .308 Winchester. Look for one of these beast rifles at American Shooting Journal’’s booth #408; it’s one of the key prizes.

The RT-10 Light rifle is a semiauto sport-utility rifle with a Magpul ACS-L six-position stock. Fully collapsed, the rifle is 36 inches long. It weighs 7 pounds, 9 ounces and comes optic ready with a full-length rail from the receiver to the front of the handguard.

This rifle comes standard with an 18-inch barrel cut with a 1 in 10-inch rifling twist, but it is also available with a 16-inch barrel.

Badger Ordnance is creeping back into the rifle business, producing a bolt-action model that is designed to tuck into a bag.

Prototypes were in production as this issue went to press, and the rifle will feature a Manners synthetic telescoping stock that can be contracted to produce a 9-inch length of pull. With the push of a button, it can extend three inches for a fuller LOP. Initially, this rifle is scheduled to be chambered in .300 AAC Blackout and .308 Winchester. The .300 ASAC will be designed around a Remington Model 7 action, while the .308 Winchester version will be built around a Badger Ordnance action.

Barrel length will be 16 inches with a threaded muzzle for a muzzle brake or 14.4 inches with a pinned and welded muzzle brake to meet the 16-inch minimum length requirement under federal law.

ACCURACY, RELIABILITY THE BOTTOM LINE AT SNOWY MOUNTAIN RIFLES www.snowymountainrifles.com Based in Western Montana, Snowy Mountain Rifles custom builds long-range rifles for hunting or tactical challenges.

They offer models in various calibers, including the SMR Long Range Hunter.

This one features an SMR 3600 action, composite hunter stock with adjustable cheekpiece, HS Precision detachable box magazine, custom match-grade stainless fluted barrel with a muzzle brake and a Timney trigger. Available calibers include .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x284, .260 Remington, .308 Winchester, .300 WSM, 7mm Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Norma Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum.

EMF WILL OFFER KRONOS SEMIAUTO CARBINE www.emf-company.com • Booth #16346 For 2016, EMF will be offering the Italian-made Kronos semiauto carbine, chambered for the potent .30-06 Springfield.

Built by F.LLI Pietta and imported

by EMF, the Kronos has a 20-inch barrel made from 4140 steel. This gasoperated short-travel self loader has an adjustable front sight (both windage and elevation), and a half-hunting rib-rear sight. The overall length is 42 inches, and the stock is varnished walnut with a checkered pistol grip. The weight is about 7.38 to 7.85 pounds and it comes with a 3-, 4- or 10-round magazine.

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RIFLES Core AR15

ANDERSON MANUFACTURING HAS NEW W AR’S IN .308 WINCHESTER R www.andersonrifles.com • Booth #31106

RIFLES FROM ASH TACTICAL www.ashtactical.com ASH Tactical has quite an assortment of modern sporting rifles, starting with the Core AR15 model.

This one features a mil-spec upper and lower receiver made from T-7075 T-6 aluminum, in different calibers including 5.56mm/.223 Remington, 7.62x39mm, 6.5 and .300 Blackout. It features a standard A2 six-position mil-spec stock and bugger, chrome moly-steel barrel finished with nitride and a free-float quad rail. The rifle also has an A2 birdcage muzzle device and mil-spec M-16 bolt-carrier group.

There’s an enhanced model with Magpul CTR six-position mil-spec stock and bugger, chrome moly-steel barrel with nitride finish, M-16 bolt-carrier group, free-float UTG Slim 13inch rail system and a Phantom muzzle device.

ASH Tactical’s Precision Match AR-10 model has a 20-inch barrel, hydraulic buffer system, enhanced BCM charging handle and custom CNC muzzle brake for reduced recoil.

Celebrating its 50th year in business, Anderson Rifles is offering a line of EXT forearms that replace the standard upper on a typical AR15 sporting rifle.

Known for creating the “no-lube” rifle, Anderson Mfg. said the new EXT forearm is available in four sizes: pistol, measuring 6.83 inches; carbine, stretching 9.4 inches; the mid-length at 11.5 inches; and rifle at 15 inches.

Interchangeable rails are available, including 2-, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-hole sizes, providing a more streamlined appearance. The EXT forearms replace a standard free-float upper and they feature two quick disconnects.

Also included in the design is a knurled-steel barrel nut. This makes it easier to align the upper, and requires an Anderson barrelnut wrench.

WINCHESTER CELEBRATES 150 YEARS WITH NEW ENTRIES

Winchester 1873

www.winchester-guns.com • Booth #13329 Winchester is observing its 150th anniversary (1866-2016) with the introduction of five commemorative models.

For openers, there’s the Model 1866 Yellow Boy lever-action chambered for the .44-40 Winchester cartridge. It has a custom Grade V/VI walnut straight-grip stock, polished brass receiver with engraving there, as well as the lifter and lever. The rifle is fitted with a deeply blued 24-inch octagonal barrel with gold barrel band and special 150th anniversary script. It is drilled and tapped for an optional tang-mounted rear sight.

There are also commemorative Model 1873 and 1894 rifles. The 1873 lever-action has a Grade V/VI walnut straight-grip stock and rifle-style forearm with cut checkering and an oil finish. It features deep relief scroll engraving on the silver nitride-finished receiver sideplates, lifter, dust cover, crescent buttplate and forearm cap. It has a 24-inch octagonal barrel and is chambered in .44-40 Winchester, of course.

The Model 1894 has the same embellishments as the 1873, but is chambered in .30-30 Winchester. It’s got a 24-inch octagonal barrel, adjustable semi-buckhorn rear sight with Marble Arms gold-bead front sight, and the stock features cut checkering.

There’s also a Model 70 bolt-action with Pre 64-style controlled-round feeding and claw extraction. It has a high-grade V/VI American black walnut stock with cut checkering and deluxe shadowline cheekpiece and black forend tip. The steel sling swivel studs are recessed. The rifle also features deep relief scroll engraving. The Model 70 has a 24-inch barrel and is chambered in .270 Winchester.

Another entry is the XPR Hunter with polymer stock in Mossy Oak Break-Up Country camo. This one is available in calibers ranging from .243 Win. to .338 Win. Magnum. It features an MOA trigger and two-position thrum safety and bolt-release button. The barrel length on short-action models is 22 inches, and 24 inches on standard long-action models. The long-action magnums have 26-inch barrels.

MOSSBERG WILL INTRODUCE NEW RIFLES www.mossberg.com • Booth #12734 While Mossberg is keeping tight wraps on its new 2016 introductions, watch for at least one new semiauto modern sport-utility rifle, and another version of the bolt-action MVP Scout bolt-action.

The semiautos are chambered in 5.56mm. One has a fixed-length stock and the other a telescoping stock, with one variation being California compliant.

The MVP entry is chambered in .308 Winchester/7.62mm. The basic rifle has a 16.25-inch threaded barrel cut with a 1 in 10-inch twist with a flash suppressor, synthetic black stock with a thick recoil pad, extended top rail, two forward short side rails on the forend and a patented LBA adjustable trigger. It has a spiral flute on the bolt and oversized bolt handle.

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RIFLES NORTHWEST ACTION WORKS UNVEILS PMR TACTICAL RIFLE

512 American

www.nwactionworks.com • Booth #10744, 15537 Just before the holidays, Northwest Action Works put the finishing touches on the new PMR Tactical, a bolt-action rifle with entry-level pricing but plenty of custom touches.

It comes with a minute-of-angle guarantee, and features a Remington 700 action, Shilen match-grade stainless barrel, tuned Remington Mark X trigger, precision ground recoil lug, Magpul 700 stock with detachable box-magazine system, a five-round magazine and Badger Ordnance tactical knob.

The barreled action is finished with Cerakote, and is built to stand against the elements of the Pacific Northwest, which means it will stack up against the toughest conditions.

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CZ-USA RIFLES ES www.cz-usa.com • Booth #11955 Bolt-action rimfires and centerfires, and a couple le of semiauto .22-caliber rifles are in the spotlight from CZ-USA. The Precision Trainer comes in two versions, one with a 16.5-inch barrel and the other with a varmint taper 24-inch barrel. Both are threaded ½x28 for suppressors. Chambered for .22 LR, they also sport Manners composite stocks.

The Model 455 Varmint Evolution has a radically-designed wood-laminate stock in sky blue/gray or pink. It carries a five-round magazine and has a full free-float barrel.

The Model 512 Carbine is a semiauto with a black beechwood stock and blue metal finish, featuring a fiberglass-reinforced polymer lower.

The Model 512 American is also a semiauto, and has a natural beechwood stock and smooth barrel. Both are available in either .22 LR or .22 Magnum.

Three centerfire models offered are all variations of the Model 557. The Short-Action sporter is chambered for .308 Winchester. It has a Turkish walnut stock with a recoil pad and blued smooth cold-hammer-forged barrel.

The Model 557 Varmint rifle has a walnut stock with palm swell and lasercut stippling, also chambered in .308 Winchester.

The Urban Counter Sniper has a 16-inch barrel, oversized bolt handle, and two forward QD sling swivel studs so a bipod may be mounted to the carbonfiber composite Manners stock. It has a three-prong flash suppressor.

RIFLES Legacy

MCMILLAN UNVEILS LEGACY, HERITAGE HUNTING RIFLES www.mcmillanfirearms.com ms com • Booth #11771 New from McMillan is the Legacy short-action model built on the G31 platform, in five popular chamberings.

Joining it is the Heritage rifle series, in five long-action calibers also built on the G31 platform.

The Legacy is chambered in .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, .260 Remington, .308 Winchester and .300 WSM. It features a match grade stainless-steel barrel with target crown and optional muzzle brake. Barrel lengths are in 22 or 24 inches, depending upon caliber, and they have different rates of twist. The hinged floorplate is machined aluminum, and the stock options include McMillan fiberglass, XX walnut, standard walnut or nutmeg. The barrel, bolt and action are all finished in black Cerakote.

The Heritage model is chambered in either 6.5x284 Norma, 7mm Remington Magnum, .284 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield or .300 Winchester Magnum. Barrel lengths depend upon the caliber, as do the rates of twist. The barreled action and bolt are finished in black Cerakote. Stock options include McMillan fiberglass, XX walnut, standard walnut and nutmeg.

CUSTOM MODELS FROM PRECISION RIFLE & TOOL www.precisionriflesales.com Offering a variety of custom rifles, Precision Rifle & Tool builds their rifles to fit each individual customer and acknowledges that no two rifles are alike.

Everything is done in-house, whether the product is a hunting rifle or a tool for bench-rest shooters. The company uses either a rifle or custom action provided by the customer; everything is precisely fit.

There are five custom packages, including a tactical model, and they offer wood, laminate and composite-stock options.

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Stability and Accuracy thordsencustoms.com

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RIFLES SHORT ACTION CUSTOMS HAS NEW ENTRIES

DIXIE PRECISION GOES FOR ACCURACY

www.shortactioncustoms.com

www.dprifles.com Getting the most out of a rifle is what Dixie Precision is all about. From tweaking someone’s personal rifle to helping them find the right custom load or building a fully custom rifle, they have you covered. One can choose to mount a custom barrel from such makers as Shilen, Krieger, and Brux, among others, and Dixie provides custom fluting, sandblasting, engraving and finishing services too. The company even offers specialized muzzle brakes, tactical bolts and knobs, different stock options and more.

According to DPR, their custom jobs produce very individualized rifles and no two are alike.

AL LIND BUILDS CUSTOM GUNS www.allindgunmaker.com Based in the Pacific Northwest, Al Lind has turned out some very handsome rifles, and his specialty is stocks.

His website discusses the “Best Gun” concept, and from there he talks about what has become an art form: the building of a custom rifle or shotgun. With a variety of wood and options to choose from, clients can truly personalize their rifle.

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Two new entries are coming from Short Action Customs this year, a new line of rifles and a new Desert Tech conversion kit.

The new line of rifles is aimed at the precision rifle shooters. These new entries will be lighter and take advantage of the new products, materials and technology including carbon fiber and Melonite treatment on metal parts.

Their signature rifle series uses modern machining practices, metal treatments and materials. Check out the QRF (Quick Reaction Force) rifle. It’s available with barrel lengths ranging from 16.5 to 18.5 inches.

They are threaded and available in .223 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester.

The CMR (Competition Match Rifle) was designed from scratch, and the result is a precision instrument. Available in barrel lengths from 22 to 26 inches, the barrels come threaded. Chamberings include 6x47 Lapua, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5x47 Lapua and 6.5 Creedmoor.

There’s also a model specifically for law enforcement, with threaded barrels in lengths from 16.5 to 18.5 inches. It features the AI AX folding-chassis system.

This company also offers the LER (Long Range/Extended) rifle available with barrel lengths ranging from 24 to 28 inches. Chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum.

LER

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RIFLES XPR

BROWNING ADDS NEW X-BOLT MODELS www.browning.com • Booth #10744, 15537 New from Browning are a couple of additions to the X-Bolt family and a BAR MK3.

The X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed bolt-action rifle has a composite stock with A-TACS camo and Cerakote Burnt Bronze finish on the barrel and action.

Chambered in a wide range of popular hunting calibers from .243 Winchester to .300 Winchester Magnum, there are three barrel lengths: 22 inches for standard calibers, 23 inches for .270 WSM and .300 WSM, and 26 inches for rifles in 26 Nosler, 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Win. Mag. It has an adjustable Feather Trigger, detachable rotary magazine, bolt-unlock button and X-Lock scope mounting system.

The other X-Bolt entry is the Long Range Hunter, chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 WSM, .300 WSM, 26 Nosler, 7mm Rem. Magnum and .300 Win. Magnum.

Browning’s BAR MK3 features a new receiver profile with engraving, and a new stock and forearm made from Grade II walnut with cut checkering and an oil finish. This new model is chambered for nine different calibers, with 22-, 23- and 26-inch barrel lengths, depending upon the caliber.

STRATEGIC ARMORY CORPS ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTS www.sacfirearms.com • Booth #11771 For 2016, Strategic Armory Corps will be offering models from Armalite and McMillan.

Wearing the Armalite brand is the M-15 Light Tactical Carbine (LTC), chambered in either 5.56x45mm or 7.62x39mm. This semiauto carbine has a 16-inch cerakoted stainless-steel barrel with a ½-28 thread that is cut with a 1 in 7-inch twist.

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NEW TACTICAL MATCH RIFLE FROM ACCURATE ORDNANCE www.accurateordnance.com Accurate Ordnance’s TMR (Tactical Match Rifle) is a real piece of work, and available in several popular calibers.

Built around an action made by Stiller Precision, the TMR is fitted with an AO Varmint contour 24-inch barrel with a knurled protector. The barrel is cut with a 1 in 10- or 1 in 11-inch rifling twist for the .308 Winchester, and a 1 in 8-inch for the other standard 6mm and 6.5mm calibers.

The stock is a Manners T4A with mini-chassis, side flush cups and bipod stud. The rifle accepts 10-round Accuracy International AW magazines, and weighs 11.6 pounds and is 43.5 inches overall.

American Shooting Journal // January 2016

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YOUTH SHOOTE

Max Friedman and Shyanne Roberts are excellent examples of the new faces and era of the shooting industry.

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RS IN AMERICA An Interview With Youth Industry Leader Chet Alvord Of Tactical Solutions STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC M. SAPERSTEIN

Y

outh shooting in America is flourishing; it’s a sport where the young can compete with seniors, and families can engage in an atmosphere of recreation and competitive spirit unlike that of any other venue. This is where physical attributes take a second chair to skill and attitude. Youth are not only the future of the shooting sports, they are the future of our nation. Kids today will gain the American right to vote in a timeframe that can seem like moments from now.

When we discuss kids, many jump in and shout “Let them just be kids!” We couldn’t agree more! Let them be kids, but there’s absolutely everything right about creating an experience that is fun, educational and develops them for success in life. I had the opportunity to engage with a man at the 2014 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits who is, let’s say, handling some logistics behind the front lines of the youth shooting movement. His name is Chet Alvord, vice president of marketing at Tactical Solutions, a Boise, Idahobased firearms manufacturer specializing in perfecting the .22-caliber rifle and pistol for competition shooting.

When we met, I was introducing a young lady named Shyanne Roberts, an up-and-coming competitive shooter who was simply melting with interest when she got the chance to check out the TacSol lineup. Chet quickly engaged her and took a commanding role in the conversation; I was (humorously) brushed aside, giving Shy her first opportunity to negotiate on her own. I smiled and gave her a quick pep talk as I patted her on the back and walked away; I knew he didn’t stand a chance!

Let’s talk with Chet now about his philosophy on the next generation of shooters, the nature of supporting professional youth and how they play a critical role in our nation.

Eric Saperstein When we first met you immediately focused the conversation directly on the youth shooter. Can you explain how this is beneficial? What characteristics stand out that inspire you to support a specific shooter?

Chet Alvord It is very simple. Our country’s youth hold the future for all shooting sports. They are our next voting base to protect our Second Amendment rights. Rights that are under attack daily. When I look at a potential team shooter, I look for good kids, not great shooters. I want positive representatives for our industry. Safe, courteous, humble, appreciative and good students who have a smile on their face whether they win or lose. I will never look at how good or accomplished a shooter they are.

ES While many of us are actively battling a society that is treating shooting competitions as malevolent and pushing to regain the competitive spirit, you presented a code of conduct that included emphasis that winning is not an expectation.

What is your position on the pressure to compete and win?

CA Interesting choice of words you just used – battling. I strive to look at educating, rather than battling. What’s a better nonthreatening way of education than letting our youth demonstrate the positives of shooting sports? It is hard to argue with an articulate 10-year-old. Shyanne has an upbeat personality and winning smile, all while sporting her purple pistol and rifle. She is exactly what I am looking for to promote our industry. To answer your question, I believe in competition and that there should always be a winner and nonwinners. I hate to use term of loser because that is not the same thing to me – both are character building. Winning requires work and commitment and character is tested when you don’t win. In terms of building shooting sports, winning

CHET ALVORD

(TACSOL)

Chet Alvord is the co-owner and founder of Tactical Solutions. Prior to firearm manufacturing, Alvord’s business expertise was in sawmills, brokerage, lumber import and export and manufacturing in the western United States, Russia, Poland and Finland.

In 1999 Alvord founded CNC Solutions, Inc., a precision CNC machine shop specializing in producing close-tolerance parts for the aerospace, automotive and medical industries. In 2002 he and his partner Dan Person founded Tactical Solutions and have built the company into one of the premier firearm and firearm accessory manufacturing companies in the country. You can visit them at tacticalsol.com.

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One of the biggest mistakes we can make in the ďŹ rearms industry is to underestimate the skills and fortitude of our youth.

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

MEET MAX FRIEDMAN A 13-year-old honor-roll student, Max Friedman is concluding his second year of competitive shooting, and his fascination with shooting only began at age 10. Max’s regular circuit includes matches at his home club, South Jersey Shooting Club in Winslow, N.J., where he competes in the Pennsylvania Steel League. In 2014, Max won High Junior at the New Jersey State NSSF Rimfire Challenge. In 2015 Max had the opportunity to experience true competition and camaraderie when he gained support and sponsorships from a plethora of people and companies and truly stepped outside of his comfort zone when he competed in the US Steel Nationals, World Class Steel Speed on Steel where he finished as second junior, Pennsylvania State Steel Challenge Championship and the New Jersey State NSSF Rimfire Challenge, where he also finished second junior.

Max has been a regular attendee of the Area 8 USPSA Junior Camp for the past two years, and is a member of the TacSol shooting team. Among his prized equipment is a Ruger 22/45 Lite with a Tactical Solutions Pac-Lite barrel and a Tactical Solution X-Ring 10/22. The fall of 2015 brought him the opportunity to begin formal training with his Walther PPQ M2 9mm, because he is looking forward to entering USPSA competitions this year.

When not competing, you can find Max computer coding, enjoying time with his dogs and playing video games or watching movies. He has chosen to give back via his shooting efforts by supporting the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

MEET SHYANNE ROBERTS This young lady began enjoying the sport of target shooting at the age of five under the close supervision of her father Dan Roberts. Engaging in sanctioned matches at the age of seven across a wide variety of disciplines and even participating in events such as IDPA, USPSA, 3-Gun, Action Rifle, NSSF Rimfire and Steel Silhouette, Shyanne is a rising star among today’s youth competitors.

In 2015 she joined the TacSol shooting team, which earned her a new signature custom purple TacSol Ruger Paclite and X-Ring 10/22. In addition to these, her other personally owned guns are her tricked-out Rock River Arms and Gun for Hire ARs, a Beretta 12-gauge semiauto and a custom Glock 19. She immersed herself in the sport by training with Todd Jarret, a competive shooter and instructor, and competing at the Brownells Lady 3-Gun, bringing home the “tough-as-nails” award, USPSA matches and an assortment of rimfire challenges to include the New Jersey State NSSF Rimfire Challenge where she finshed as First Lady.

This little lady has been featured on CNN, Fox & Friends, Nightline, Chasing NJ, News 12 NJ, as well as the covers of American Shooting Journal’s July 2015 issue and Junior Shooter, an assortment of newspaper articles, podcasts and radio mentions. There’s no doubt the nation has noticed that Shy’s generation is shooting for their future.

This new generation of shooters has been well mentored, and can now – most certainly – take the reins.

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these new shooters and provide valuable tips and strategies.

Tactical Solutions sponsors youth in the shooting sports, and says that they look for good kids with great personalities and school ethics.

is not as critical as many aspects of the competition. I look at competition as a vehicle to teach valuable life lessons. Tactical Solutions holds one of the country’s largest National Shooting Sports Foundation .22LR shooting events every summer.

Our attendees are comprised of world and national shooting champions who shoot unbelievable custom pistols and rifles, and yet on the same course of fire we have young families sharing the same stock Ruger 10/22 and pistol. What is fantastic is that you will see these champions willingly helping

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ES Kids and politics are a treacherous topic; the mental landmines explode in people on all sides of the subject. Your philosophy is that we are creating the voters of tomorrow.

How do you navigate this subject?

CA It does not have to be treacherous, nor should it be.

Sometimes we have to look at how we present our sport to the non-shooting public. As an example I use the word firearm rather than weapon. To the layman a weapon is for killing. The word firearm is a less threatening term and does not have the assault-gun stigma. Little things like this are important in discussions about shooting and youth. We have no reason to make excuses about our industry, however, we do need to spend time educating the nonshooters in our country. It is important to state that this is not passive education; we have to be proactive rather than reactive.

ES What is your most inspirational moment in youthshooting sponsorship, or better yet, which of your shooters influenced you the most and how?

CA I hope I take away or learn something from every individual I sponsor. I know they put a smile on my face. We have a growing team of great people like kids from age eight to a kid age 73. Honestly, I am proud of each and every one of the shooters we help. I don’t know if there is one who has influenced me more than another. I have sponsored juniors

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric M. Saperstein is a master craftsman who owns one of the nation’s premier handcraft studios.

He is gaining ground as a photographer and filmmaker, and works with AOV-TV to provide creative services to the shooting community, artists, corporations and individuals. While he is amongst the last of the 18th-century craftsmen, a modern artist, author and creative director, he is also accredited in the information technology arena, with experience in process engineering, change coordination and software development lifecycle management.

He is a lifetime shooter, pro-Second Amendment advocate, county coordinator for NJ2AS, a life member of the NRA and author. He is the social media/PR director for Shyanne Roberts and General Defense Outfitters. Saperstein brings nearly three decades of firearms, small business, corporate and marketing experience to the board of Youth Shooters of America, a newly formed organization dedicated to “Leading our nation’s youth shooters to embrace and achieve a lifestyle that embodies liberty, discipline, values and success.”

who have gone on to become world champions and some have careers in the shooting-sports industry. I am happy to say that all the people we sponsor are or will be successful and happy in life.

ES What is your vision of the shooting sports in 20 years?

What are the most relevant steps you are taking today to help ensure that we reach that goal?

CA I pray we still have shooting sports in 20 years. I have fears that if we, the current shooting population, are not proactive in educating the public about our industry shooting sports, we may be doomed. We can’t be complacent and believe that the NRA alone (while they do an amazing job) is going to get it done. We need to get off our collective fannies and educate everyone in a positive and nonconfrontational manner. We are facing a well-financed powerful lobby that states every firearm is for killing. They do not understand

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our industry. I hope that the shooting base of great kids we are building will help the long-term effort to protect our Second Amendment rights.

•••• A PRAGMATIC TAKEAWAY? I find myself caught in the mindset that we are entangled in a war, a revolution, fighting for our rights. Mr. Alvord challenged my terminology, embodying the methodology of education and the exchange of knowledge over the more combative verbal tactics. As we study the field on which we campaign for our liberty, let’s formulate a plan where we educate our families, friends and neighbors. While I just paraphrased from the Art of War, Sun Tzu understood the value of diplomacy. The Youth Shooters of America are our ambassadors; it is incalculably valuable that they represent the shooting sports and our rights with poise, integrity and tact. Preparing them for this challenge is the responsibility of the firearms industry. ASJ

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SHOTGUNS Citori 725

BROWNING EXPANDS EXPAND HIGH GRADE PROGRAM www.browning.com • Booth #10744, 15537, 12740, 15129 Browning will be offering its High Grade program, this year with limited production Citori 725 Grade

Mossberg Flex 500

MOSSBERG DEBUTS NEW SHOTGUN MODELS www.mossberg.com • Booth #12734 Shotguns are Mossberg’s cornerstone, and it looks like there will be some new ones making their debut at the January SHOT Show.

VII shotguns in 20- and 28-gauge and .410 bore.

These over-and-under shotguns get many hours of hand engraving and touch-up before they are matched up with grade VI/VII walnut with close-radius pistol grip and palm swell stocks.

They come with a John M. Browning Signature fitted case, and they are offered with barrel lengths of 28, 30 or 32 inches.

Another winner this year is the return of the 16-gauge in the A5 shotgun. This self-loader is

The company that pioneered the 3½-inch 12-gauge a generation ago will have some new semiautos for hunting and sporting, with models chambered in 3-inch or 3½-inch. The waterfowl models will have synthetic stocks with a camo finish and the sporting version will have a walnut stock.

Mossberg shotguns earned a reputation for being workhorses rather than show horses.

Winchester SX3 Composite

WINCHESTER EXPANDS SX3, SXP SHOTGUNS www.winchester-guns.com • Booth #13329 For 2016, Winchester is introducing new smoothbores for big game, turkey hunting and sporting clays.

Joining the family are the new SX3 Ultimate Sporting Adjustable and SX3 composite Sporting Carbon Fiber models. The SX3 has a satin oil-finished grade II/III walnut stock with adjustable comb and cut checkering. The Perma-Cote gray barrel is ported and has a vent rib with Tru-Glo fiber optic front sight and white midbead. It is chambered for 12-gauge 2¾-inch shells and barrel length choices are 28, 30 and 32 inches.

For turkey hunting the SXP Long Beard 12-gauge pump comes with an Invector-Plus extra-full Long Beard turkey choke on a 24-inch barrel with Tru-Glo fiber optic sight.

Chambered for 3-inch magnums, the shotgun is finished with Mossy Oak Break-Up country camo and the stock has two interchangeable comb pieces.

For deer hunters, the SXP Extreme Deer Hunter 12-gauge pump gun has a synthetic pistol-grip stock with textured gripping surfaces. Finished with Mossy Oak Break-Up Country camo, this model also has two interchangeable comb pieces. It has a 22-inch rifled barrel with a Tru-Glo fiber optic front sight and adjustable rear sight.

AMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS HAS O/U MODELS www.americantactical.us • Booth #16538 Two new 12-gauge over-and-under models are available from American Tactical.

The Cavalry Turkey Fowl model has a 21-inch barrel with 9-inch

built on a smaller lighter receiver and works with a recoil-operated Kinematic Drive System.

The receiver is made from lightweight aluminum with aOmni blackHybrid anodized bitone finish MAXX .410 while the stock and forearm are glass finished walnut with a close-radius pistol grip and 18 lines per inch of checkering. It comes with a shim adjustment kit and Invector DS choke tubes.

The Citori 725 Sporting and Field O/U models will include .410 models in 2016. Sporting models have 30- or 32-inch vent-rib barrels.

CZ-USA SHOTGUNS FOR ALL OCCASIONS www.cz-usa.com • Booth #11955

CZ Drake

New shotgun models, including three semiautos and three break-actions, from CZ-USA are in the spotlight this year.

The self-loaders are all variations of the Model 712. The Green G2 has a green anodized receiver, walnut stock with laser-cut checkering and palm swell, and five flush choke tubes. It has a vent-rib barrel and bead front sight.

There’s a 3-gun G2 model that competitors ought to like. It has an extended bolt handle and extended magazine that gives this gun a 9+1 capacity. The ventrib barrel is 22 inches long and the gun ships with three extended black choke tubes.

The Model 712 Synthetic Camo G2 is for waterfowlers, with Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Blades on the receiver, barrel and polymer stock. It has a 28-inch vent-rib barrel and is chambered for 3-inch 12-gauge magnums.

In the break-action arena, the Upland Ultralight Green is an OP/U model with vent-rib barrel, five interchangeable choke tubes and anodized green receiver. It is available in 12- or 20-gauge.

The Drake model has a 28-inch vent-rib barrels, tang safety, five interchangeable choke tubes and it is chambered for either 12- or 20-gauge shells.

Next is the Redhead Premier, with a new onepiece CNC-machined receiver with a silver finish, checkered Turkish walnut stock, five flush-mounted choke tubes, 28-inch vent-rib barrels and five choke tubes. It is offered in 12- and 20-gauge with auto ejectors, and in 28-gauge and .410 bore.

barrel extensions, hardwood checkered stock and 3-inch chambers. The barrels have a high vent rib and there’s a thick recoil pad on the buttstock.

The other model is the Cavalry Sport, also featuring a wood stock, high rib with double bead and 30-inch barrel. It has extractors and 3-inch chambers.

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“Where guns are not a hobby, but a way of life” Dennis Gentry

Gentry Custom LLC (406) 388-GUNS www.GentryCustom.com We Build Custom Rifles

QUIET

MUZZLE BRAKES • Directs hot gas and noise down range away from the shooter • Makes guns user-friendly • We offer 5/8x24 threads

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air guns

PALCO SPORTS OFFERS SWISS ARMS AIR RIFLES www.palcosports.com • Booth #3025

Based in Minnesota, Palco Sports offers fully licensed airsoft and air guns, and two of their top models are the Tac-1 and TG-1 from Swiss Arms. c The company is looking to expand its line in 2016, including but not limited to .177- and .22-caliber break-barrel break-bar rifles and .177-caliber CO2 pistols and rifles. The company has also expanded its marketing department to meet eet the needs of its customers.

On the subject of break-barrel airguns, s the Tac-1 Ta is a .177-caliber model with a tactical stock that is complete with a rubber recoil pad and cheek rest. It has a new springg designed for noise reduction and includes a 4x32 Swiss Arms scope. It is available in black or tan.

The TG-1 is a precision rifle with multiposition adjustable cheek rest, adjustable bl stock (fo (for length of pull) and fiber optic green front sight and red rear adjustable sight vailable in black or tan tan. sight. It comes with a 4x40mm scope and is also available

TG-1

Pyramyd Air not only offers a wide array of airguns, they also offer a full line of airgun targets, including metal silhouettes, rotating and swinging models.

PYRAMYD AIR HAS RIFLE, AMMUNITION

Pyramyd Air Pneumatic Air Venturi Wing Shot

www.pyramydair.com • Booth #2007 Pyramyd Air’s pneumatic Air Venturi Wing Shot can operate like a rifle or shotgun, and this is no kid’s toy!

This .50-caliber airgun can deliver velocities up to 1,130 feet per second from the muzzle of its 22.5-inch barrel. The overall length is 43 inches.

It has a bead front sight, two-stage nonadjustable trigger, rubber buttplate and manual safety. It is a bolt-action single shot that may be fitted with a scope, and it weighs 7.25 pounds. The Air Venturi has a brown hardwood stock with rubber buttplate.

Pyramyd Air also produces shotshells with either No. 6 or 8 shot, and empty shotshells for self-loading are also available.

Pyramid also has a family of Western Justice airguns that closely resemble singleaction revolvers. These are all CO2 models and there are versions that fire pellets and others that fire BBs.There are H&N Excite Smart Shot, copper-plated .177-caliber lead BBs. In addition, there is a full line of airgun targets available, including metal silhouettes, rotating and swinging models. americanshootingjournal.com 79

Meet Louie Tuminaro, the star of The Gunfather featured on Outdoor Channel, now in its second season.

FAMILY, FREEDOM AND FIREARMS

f you have not yet seen The Gunfather presented by Brownells on Outdoor Channel, you’re missing out on some fun family television that brings back the valueoriented programming reminiscent of the Andy Griffith Show. In its first season last year, it won the network’s Golden Moose Award for Best General Interest Show, and was renewed for 2016.

The Gunfather is about Louie Tuminaro and his close-knit Italian family, native New Yorkers who moved to Hamilton, Mont., to pursue Louie’s dream of creating the best gun store in the West, together. There are three generations of Tuminaros on the show: Louie (51 years old), the Gunfather, and Theresa (48), his wife of 24 years and who is nicknamed T-Bone; Louie’s dad Joe (77), who is called Pops; and Louie and Theresa’s kids, “Little” Louie (14) and daughters Nicole (20) and Allie (22), round out the extended family. Louie’s firearms business, the Custom Shop Inc., is a family operation and we see the Tuminaros in action working together to get things done. Louie is the driving creative force that made the Custom Shop a reality in 2007, but he is quick to tell you that the Tuminaros are a team, and moreover, he loves his team.

LOUIE’S FOCUS

STORY BY FRANK JARDIM • PHOTOGRAPHS BY OUTDOOR CHANNEL

at The Custom Shop is mainly buying, selling and restoring high-quality collectible firearms from the 1940s through the early 1980s – where there’s strong nostalgic interest – as well as sought-after out-of-production classics like Colt’s snake guns: Python, Cobra and the Anaconda. In addition to all of this, he wanted to do for firearm enthusiasts something akin to what custom-car shops do for car buffs. The firearm restoration services he offers are extensive. Louie is particularly passionate about restoration work because, from his point of view, he isn’t working on just any gun. The firearms on his workbench are someone’s precious family heirlooms.

Clients aren’t looking to increase collector value of their restored guns, but rather restore the appearance and function for personal enjoyment. They bring their treasured guns to the Custom Shop because Louie has a reputation for candid assessment of what can and can’t be achieved in a restoration and surrounds himself with exceptionally talented artisans to execute the work. When Louie opened up his shop in Hamilton, which is located in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley of western Montana, he discovered a wealth of local talent that shared his interest in this level of firearms work and perfectionism – people like Pam Wheeler, the checkering queen, who has been hand cutting checkering for 30 years.

LOUIE AND POPS are both self-taught gunsmiths and do most of the typical mechanical repairs, fine-

metal polishing and refinishing in house. They also have their own stock-duplicating machine that can reproduce any gunstock accurately. Though they can make any gunstock for a customer, Louie explains that it isn’t always economically practical. It requires lots of hand sanding, inletting, fitting hardware and finishing. The result can be a stock that costs more than the rifle it’s being installed on. On restorations, they will try to preserve and repair the original wooden stock whenever possible. They keep duplicated stocks, identical to the factory originals and fitted with original hardware, for the more common collectible rifles – for example pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters – on hand all the time. When more elaborately figured wood blanks are used to make stocks for the highest grade rifles, prices can run up to $3,500, but that’s not a lot when the rifle is worth $15,000. The Custom Shop sells several stocks a week, mostly to customers who have had theirs broken during the course of shipping by common carrier. In addition to the stocks Louie crafts with his own hands, he has scores of new old-stock-original replacements for top-end Browning, Sako, Colt Sauer, Weatherby and J.P. Sauer and Sons rifles ranging from $400 to $3,500.

made a career with the Ford Motor Company in sales, and once Louie turned 10, Pops brought him to work every Saturday to help out washing cars and doing the jobs a kid could do. Louie developed a serious love for cars at that time, which he still has to this day. Pops taught him what a proper work ethic looked like and encouraged him to develop skills with his hands. Together these things led to a healthy confidence and a liberating realization that he could do things for himself.

For teenage Louie, the realization came the day the water pump on his 1972 Chevelle Super Sport quit.

Instead of taking it to the repair shop, Pops took Louie to the auto-parts store and let him fix it for himself. When Louie reached his early 20s, he asked Pops to help him get an entry-level job at an auto customizing shop because the creativity and variety of the work was irresistible to him.

Within two years Louie was managing the place. It was during this time that he met Theresa, who changed his life for the better in countless ways. They were inseparable and a perfect match. Louie calls her his rock. A rock is the best foundation to build on, and build they did.

LOUIE SAYS HE GOT HIS LOVE OF SHOOTING and skills from Pops. They were a working-class Long Island family. They weren’t poor, but they didn’t have much money. Louie and his little sister Lisa walked to public school, and their parents taught them traditional values, the importance of hard work, integrity and respect. Pops

IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE LOUIE decided to go into business for himself. The work ethic, skill and confidence he learned as a boy continued to pay off and he soon had the largest car-audio equipment business in Suffolk County, N.Y. It was the first of many successes. Theresa would later manage their sports bar while raising their daughters. Pops,

Louie is quick to acknowledge that everything he has accomplished has been a family team effort.

“ WE PUT ALL OUR HEARTINTO WHAT WE DO ”

Louie learned to work with his hands at the urging of his father during his early teens. It’s a skill that suits him well today with vintage cars and heirloom firearms.

Three generations of Tuminaros – “Little” Louie, Louie, and Joe, or Pops – demonstrate everything this family is about: being and creating together.

in addition to being a car man, was an avid gun collector, hunter and competitive pistol and shotgun shooter. Louie grew up watching with curious fascination as his father worked on guns on the kitchen table. When he got old enough, he was working beside his father, and the two enjoyed being a part of the shooting and hunting fraternity,

“ WHAT YOU

had concerns that the neighborhood they lived in and loved was not headed in a direction they wanted for their children, and Louie had been charmed by the West during the time he’d spent hunting there. One day, Louie just walked through the front door and told Theresa that he thought they should consider moving to Montana and open a gun store. She was looking for houses on the Internet that same night. Theresa’s support buoyed Louie up for this bold move. Truth be told, the prospect of leaving everything they had known behind them scared her, but she had confidence in her husband, and saw a great opportunity to grow as a family. Pops, by then retired, was likewise supportive.

Louie did his research and planning with their help and they left a life on the Atlantic shores of Long Island to set up a new family business venture in Big Sky Country, in full view of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. “We grouped together as a family and ran this company,” Louie told me. “We started it, designed it and created it. We did everything as a family. I consider us all a part of this.”

SEE ARE” IS WHO WE

which is large and vibrant in Long Island despite what antigun politicians from New York would have you believe. They hunted and vacationed in upstate New York, and Louie quickly got Theresa enthusiastically involved in the shooting sports too. When the kids came, they were naturally raised as shooters. The family hobby laid the ground work for the family business to come.

LOUIE HAD ACTUALLY entertained the notion of going into a firearms business for several years before the golden opportunity finally presented itself. He’d made a lot of contacts in the community through the course of buying and selling guns that interested him, but it was the sale of his business that was the major catalyst for the career change.

For the first time in his life, Louie had financial resources and time at his disposal simultaneously. At that time, Theresa

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THE CUSTOM SHOP, as a physical location, is an artistic

expression of the family. It was intended to look as if it had been in business on that little old-town street for a century.

The interior was built with reclaimed lumber and decoratively peppered with just enough taxidermy and vintage Western decor to give it a 19th century style but with a modern flair.

Custom Shop’s signature 10-foot outdoor-sculpted sign

Thanks to Pops, Louie learned to work on cars and guns. Those hobbies turned fascination to business, turned TV show.

featuring a huge Colt cap-and-ball revolver next to the words Custom Shop was the product of Louie’s imagination and several months work.

As a business, Custom Shop became a huge success with international clientele. A great deal of that comes from the Tuminaros’ basic business philosophy. “We put all our heart into what we do,” Louie says. “A lot of our business is repeat customers and referrals because when you treat somebody right, you’ve got them forever. It’s very important that you win the trust of your customers. The only surprises I want my customers to have are good ones. If I say a gun is 98 percent, it’s probably really 99 percent.”

SEVENTY PERCENT of Custom Shop gun sales are via

their website, which is exceptional because each firearm they offer is presented for online customer inspection using five to 10 excellent digital photographs. These images are professionally staged and extremely detailed. Derek Poff, the man responsible for them and a show regular, has 20 years experience behind the camera.

While Louie and Pops are working on guns or away with little Louie scouring gun shows and estate sales across the country for marketable firearms, Theresa is the public face and voice of the Custom Shop. When you call, you talk to T-Bone. If you want something, you’d be wise to tell her because when she says that she’ll be on the look out, she’s 100 percent serious. She created and maintains what she calls “T-Bone’s Watch List” located on a corkboard behind her desk. When the boys bring home the gun you want, you will get a call from her and the first right of refusal. This takes a lot of mental energy and time, but it shows just how seriously the Tuminaros take customer service.

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Outdoor Channel films the Tuminaro family in their daily life without scripts or prompts.

THE TUMINAROS

are all NRA members, and Theresa came up with the slogan “Family, Freedom and Firearms” to describe the things that are most important to them. The thing that sold Outdoor Channel on The Gunfather was that it is really a case study in successful, multiLouie’s father has always been an generational parenting. For avid hunter, competitive shooter the Tuminaros, shooting and and gun collector. other outdoor sporting activities were the family recreational

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outlets, so it was a perfect fit for the network. Viewers enjoyed the insights into the firearms business, but the more compelling aspect of the show was the genuineness of the Tuminaros just being a family. Louie says, “We love Outdoor Channel for letting us share our family with America. They don’t script us. They let us do what we do. What you see is who we are. When you see me kiss my father and tell him I love him when he’s leaving, well, I do that every day.” When viewers see Louie put aside the gun business for an afternoon to support his son in his first paying job outside the family, it is very clear that The Gunfather puts being a father far ahead of guns. Family comes first, exactly like Theresa says.

IF ALL THIS SOUNDS REFRESHING

for television, by all means tune in to Outdoor Channel on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. to watch the second season that started on Dec. 28. If you want your family heirloom firearms restored or to buy or sell collectable guns, contact Theresa. If you become a fan of the show, and I suspect you will, make sure to thank her because she’s the one who made it happen. The day Louie walked in and said “I think we should be on TV,” she got on the phone and coldcalled Outdoor Channel, miraculously got connected to a show producer (that just doesn’t happen), and won him over on the idea of a program about their family. Is it any wonder why Louie has been so successful? Between Theresa and Pops, how could he fail? ASJ

Editor’s note: You can visit the Custom Shop online at customshopinc.com.

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Nicknamed T-Bone, Theresa is a driving force in the Tuminaro household and business, and that’s a good thing.

Adventure

SPEED COUNTS WITH COWBOY FAST DRAW ASSOCIATION www.cowboyfastcraw.com Speed, fun, competition and above all, safety; members of the Cowboy Fast Draw Association may be the fastest guns alive, but their most important goal is to be the safest.

The participants range in age from 8 to 85-plus, and with 70 affiliated clubs across North America and several countries, CFDA has thousands of members.

Targets are round discs and timing is done down to the thousandth of a second. These hombres participate in Western-style clothing from the late 1800s, and they all have aliases.

Cartridges are typically .45 Colt with small charges of black powder substitute. Come and join the bang-up fun!

REAL TEXAS GUN SHOW www.therealtexasgunshow.com When in Texas, you have to attend The Real Texas Gun Show. They may not be the biggest, as they cater mainly to local vendors, but they have extremely high standards when it comes to offering a safe and clean environment for guns, gear, self-defense, custom knives and all sorts of gun-related and outdoor products you might not find anywhere else. Due to their popularity, they are expanding to include prepper supplies and outdoor motorsports.

If you want to attend a great show geared towards the family that shoots together, then visit one of their locations in either Orange, McKinney, Belton, Brenham, Port Arthur or Lake Conroe, Texas.

THE RANGE 702 www.therange702.com When people go to Las Vegas they often have a grandiose expectation of everything glitz, glamour and over the top. Vegas’ premier gun range is no different. The Range 702 sports 16 lanes kitted out with the latest equipment and technology for a clean, efficient, well-lit and comfortable gun range the whole family will love. They even have what they call their Ultra Lounge, a luxurious place to rest between shoots. Just what you would expect from a Las Vegas gun range that caters to guests looking for the ultimate shooting experience. But don’t take our word for it – the Southern Nevada Concierge Association has voted them the best gun range in Las Vegas. As an added bonus, they offer complimentary transportation to and from any of the strip or downtown hotels! Premier service all the way.

FLYING B RANCH www.flyingbranch.com

STRIP GUN CLUB www.stripgunclub.com Strip Gun Club is more than the first and only shooting range located on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. It is the ultimate game changer. They have packed limitless adventure into 4,500 square feet of raw industrial-style range with a sophisticated edge. Strip Gun Club is home to two private VIP pistol lanes and five rifle lanes. You’ll even find a lane with a built-in mounting turret for their .50-caliber chrome-plated machine gun, described by journalist Dan Rather as “the mother of all machine guns.” Shooting Packages begin at $99, and they even offer complimentary transportation to and from the range. Now, how is that for service?

For the last 30 years the Flying B Ranch has been dedicated to the hunt.

From their 5,000-acre property in north-central Idaho they outfit for upland bird hunting as well as trout, steelhead and salmon fishing. Biggame hunting for whitetail, mule deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, wolf and even turkey is conducted from both the Flying B Ranch and the nearby national forest. This ranch operates year-round and offers experienced and professional fulltime staff who provide exceptional outdoor adventures to sportsmen of all ages and experience levels. These folks are also avid youth-hunting advocates and provide hunter-safety field courses at the ranch. Great people and an excellent location for all your hunting dreams come true. americanshootingjournal.com 91

adventure THE ULTIMATE LODGE FOR AMERICAN BIG-GAME HUNTING JUST MAY BE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK RANCH www.rockymountainelkranch.com If you dream of American big-game hunting and would like to trek off each morning with your own private guide from a stunning luxury lodge, then Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch is the epitome of that ideal. Your hunt comes complete with lodging, meals, guides and even field-dressing services. All you have to do is hunt, shoot and enjoy. They even have a selection of weapons to choose from if you don’t want to travel with your own.

This is the perfect getaway for groups or families too. Guests who do not hunt stay for free, and groups of four or more get private reservations and discounts. Impossible, you say? It’s true – and you have to see it to believe it. Plus, in case you didn’t know since they’re a private ranch, no tags or licenses are required.

Their motto says it all: Just come and shoot the bull of your dreams.

They are so confident you will be happy that if you do not see something you would like to shoot after the first day, you can cancel and they will give you a complete refund. That’s a serious promise to make, but clearly defines how proud they are of their hunts. According to them, their three-day hunts yield 100 percent success.

So, if you want to experience southeastern Idaho about one and half hours from Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Yellowstone, what many consider the ultimate hunting location in the West, stop in your tracks and visit Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch. A luxury vacation coupled with an epic hunt – the ultimate bundled package.

TIMBERLAND RANGE CAMPS www.sheepcamps.com We live in uncertain times with many products that simply aren’t built to last. Timberline Range Camps feels the same way, so what they build is meant to last through the hardest of times, and that is the point. Their portable homes are rugged, and what we mean by rugged is they are designed to go off-roading wherever you need to go, and provide comfortable shelter wherever you land.

Completely built with the survivalist in mind, each unit is constructed with heavy-duty materials and insulation, a wood-burning stove and a solar panel. Don’t leave home without it.

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adventure CASTLE CREEK OUFITTERS www.castlecreekoutfitters.com

JAKE’S NUSHAGAK SALMON CAMP IN ALASKA IS YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE www.jakesnushagaksalmoncamp.com A trip to an Alaskan fishing camp is best when you couple the experience with a great atmosphere and the feeling like you’re in the wilderness, but not totally without the comforts of home – almost “glamping,” actually – and, most importantly, you actually catch fish. That’s what Jakes Nushagak Fishing Camp focuses on. This camp offers very comfortable tent accommodations and an it’s-your-trip approach to fishing. You’ll find the best of Alaskan king salmon here and their fly fishing camp can’t be beat! Just ask the long list of guests who return year after year.

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If you dream about a mountain big game hunt with horses in the high country of Idaho, this is the hunt for you. Good guides, cooks, meals, horses, camps and open country makes for an excellent hunt. Castle Creek Outfitters offers guided and drop-camp hunts for all of their clients.

The Salmon River Mountains have long been known to produce big-game animals such as trophy elk, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goats. Idaho hunting licenses and tags are available over-thecounter,and no draw is needed, except for sheep and goats. All hunters can book with the knowledge that tags will be available.

Call and talk to the owners, Shane or Bambi McAfee, about booking one of these limited hunts.

They only allow a few hunters each year and fill up quickly. You won’t regret the adventure.

GOOD HUNTING TO YOU FROM ADVENTURE HUNTS www.adventurehunts.com Adventure Hunts is known worldwide for their unique cost-saving safari packages in popular destinations such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Benin, New Zealand, Australia, Belize, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and many other locations.

Adventure Hunts provides detailed info on proven outfitters, guides and safari companies that best meet the client’s desires, abilities, dreams and, most of all, budget. From the first-timer to the serious hunter, this company knows best.

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AR PISTOL CHEEK REST

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

Gear for guns

NEW GRIPS FROM RIO GRANDE CAN BE CUSTOMIZED www.riograndecustomgrips.com • Booth #15754 Rio Grande has announced the result of months of development: new grips for compact Officer’s 1911 models, new model Ruger Vaquero sixguns and the Sig Sauer P938 pistol.

The grip panels for the compact Officer’s model are compatible with ambidextrous safeties and incorporate the RioGrip texture, which features a pattern of recessed ovals that allow a firm grip without sharp edges.

Rio Grande’s new grip for the Sig Sauer P938 are also compatible with ambidextrous safeties and use the RioGrip texturing.

Panels for the Ruger Vaquero will fit models using the XR3 7/16inch frame, and include the 50th anniversary Blackhawk, the Super Blackhawk with the square trigger guard and barrel shorter than 7½ inches, the Ruger Flattop Blackhawk model and the pre-1963 Single Six. All of these panels also feature the RioGrip texture.

Each grip is made with a high-strength polymer engineered for durability and toughness, and can incorporate any design image. Rio Grande’s patented method keeps design images permanent. They are resistant to oils, solvents, salt, water and abrasions.

TOP AFTERMARKET MAGS FROM CDI PRECISION GUNWORKS www.cdiprecisiongunworks.com Specializing in aftermarket products for popular firearms, CDI Precision is focusing on replacement magazines.

Among their new prodcuts, they have a new detachable box magazine (DBM) system for the early generation tang-safety Ruger M77 short-action model, and new this year a long-action Ruger magazine.

The company also offers magazines for the Mark II and Hawkeye setups, and has added intermediate Mauser setups, similar to the Mayser 98 large ring but with a shorter bolt spacing.

CDI uses Accuracy International AICS pattern magazines and can accommodate .223-.308 Accuracy International mags, as well as standard long-action and magnum calibers.

BIGHORN ARMS PRODUCES CUSTOM RIFLE ACTIONS www.bighornarms.com For people who build rifles, Bighorn Arms produces some of the finest custom-bolt actions on the landscape.

Owner A.J. Goddard has been machining for more than 30 years, and started his own machine shop in 1991.

There have been variations to the actions over the years, leading up to the release of the secondgeneration action, the TL2, which replaces the company’s older Tactical Action. All actions feature threaded holes for mounting scope bases.

The SR2 features a trim tang that is shaped to provide a close fit with rifle stocks, and the feed rail is cut into the action, so specific caliber must be listed when ordering.

Both actions are available in long- or short-action designs.

HIPERFIRE OFFERS NEW ‘EDT’ FIRE CONTROL FOR AR www.hiperfire.com • Booth #3016 Available late in 2015, Hiperfire’s new EDT (Enhanced Duty Trigger) is designed for AR rifles, and completes the company’s enhanced duty trigger lineup.

It features a duplex trigger bow with two finger-pad rests (one high and one low), and comes with two hammer springs, red or green.

The high position has a pull of 5 and 6 pounds, and in the low position, weights are at 4 and 5 pounds.

The springs are heavier and more powerful than an alternative mil-grade hammer spring.

According to Hiperfire literature, “more collision power is carried into the firing pin” to reliably discharge .308/7.62mm NATO cartridges.

It provides a smooth flat stroke and reset. It also provides a faster lock time than stock alternatives, and there is only a hint of trigger creep.

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gear for guns VELOCITY TRIGGERS DEVELOPING NEW AR MODEL www.velocitytriggers.com • Booth #862

KICK-EEZ OFFERS TOP NOTCH RECOIL PADS www.kickeezproducts.com • Booth #3263 KICK-EEZ recoil pads have earned a reputation for being able to absorb recoil and lasting through all kinds of crummy weather conditions.

They are the only pads made from Sorbothane, described in their literature as “a visco-elastic polymer.” It provides remarkable cushioning against recoil, and they don’t lose their shape or effectiveness.

The material absorbs recoil in all directions too. There are no hollow spots in the material and no metal plates. These pads are easier to grind down for a perfect fit.

First introduced back in 1985, KICK-EEZ pads have proven themselves over the past three decades.

KICK-EEZ makes recoil pads to fit virtually all rifle and shotgun stocks, and they also offer spacers and other accessories.

There’s a special red, white and blue Patriot Pad to honor servicemen and -women, and there are discounts for veterans. Also, $5 from the sale of each of these pads goes to the Wounded Warrior Project.

HOGUE, INC. INTRODUCES NEW TACTICAL THUMBHOLE RIFLE STOCKS FOR 10/22 RIFLES www.hogueusa.com • Booth #15545, 20501 Hogue, Inc. is now shipping one-piece, OverMolded tactical thumbhole-style rifle stocks.

Featuring a futuristic thumbhole/pistol grip design, an integrated cheek weld, a unique bench stop and a soft rubber butt pad, Hogue’s new thumbhole rifle stock is optimized for quick and comfortable target acquisition with your favorite optic.

Designed primarily for heavy-barreled – .920-inch diameter – 10/22 rifles, the new stock will also

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Development work is in progress on a new replacement trigger for AR-platform rifles, which Velocity Triggers is promising to make affordable for average gun owners.

This company produces a trigger group that comes as a preassembled housing and will fit into any AR lower, with no gunsmithing required.

Every trigger produced is made in the US, and they use EDM wire technology and only tool steel that is heat treated.

In addition, Velocityy Triggers gg also pproduces replacement firing pins made from pre-hardened 17-4 stainless steel. Also, they make pivot and takedown pins, and the company is working on extended pins.

HARDENED ARMS PRODUCES TOP-QUALITY BARRELS, RIFLES www.hardenedarms.com The newest development in the Hardened Arms product line is the proprietary barrel manufacturing process.

Hardened Arms uses only 4150 chrome-moly vanadium steel for its barrels. This has allowed the company to create a certified mill-to-barrel, match-grade barrel and bolt carrier group. They have an MOA accuracy guarantee.

Hardened Arms has highlighted its Predator Series elite AR-15 uppers and complete rifles.

The company also has a patent-pending handguard, plus various muzzle brakes, flash hiders and charging handles, and plan to offer multicaliber suppressors that are currently in various testing phases.

BARTLEIN BARRELS – PRECISELY! www.bartleinbarrels.com If precision is what you need, Bartlein should be making your barrels. Not only is this team made up of reloaders, shooters and hunters, but they have a knack for precision most cannot even approach. They pride themselves on their uniformity and can carry a twist rate to the fourth decimal point. So if 1 in 11 is not quite perfect enough for you, try 1 in 11.3642; this might just make the difference between great and perfection. It’s up to you, but most rifling has variances due to the processes that manufacturers use – this simply does not work for Bartlein!

accommodate standard contour barrels. These stocks are also available for two-piece takedown style 10/22 carbines with both standard and .920inch diameter barrels.

“This new design will have strong appeal to target shooters, varmint hunters and competition shooters alike,” said designer Pat Hogue.

“It’s a departure from our traditional rifle stock designs in some ways, but we think the market’s ready for Hogue’s take on a tactical 10/22 stock in OverMolded rubber.”

ASJ couldn’t agree more!

Hogue’s also has some great news for Ruger 10/22 owners. They are now shipping two new Takedown rifle stock designs for this popular firearm, including a traditional Sporter-style rifle stock – similar in appearance to the company’s popular one-piece 10/22 rifle stock – and the Tactical Thumbhole version.

The new Takedown 10/22 stocks are available in black, OD green, flat dark earth, ghillie green, ghillie earth or purple, in your choice of either a standard-diameter barrel or .920-inch diameter bull barrel.

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gear for guns JAMES MADISON TACTICAL OFFERS LIGHTWEIGHT AR LOWERS www.jamesmadisontactical.com Lightweight lowers for AR rifles are gradually becoming more popular, and James Madison Tactical has a new unit made with high-quality, hybrid fiber and polymer material that is strong and durable.

The new 80-percent polymer JMT80 Gen2 and .308 Equalizer lower receiver features reinforced upper pin tabs, a reinforced buttstock mount, enhanced/oversized trigger guard, flared magazine receiver, and it is compatible with metal AR parts kits.

Black in color, the JMT80 and 308 AR10 lower is designed to mil-spec tolerances.

ALTAMONT OFFERS ROUNDED GRIPS FOR S&W REVOLVERS www.altamontco.com • Booth #2357 Altamont has been focusing on revamping its full line of replacement grips for Smith & Wesson revolvers.The J-frame models were first, followed by the K and N frame grips. The J-frame Falconia revamped J-frame offerings were online just in time for the holidays.

There are so many handsome grips, it’s hard to describe them all. Some include the Bateleur oversized grip, which fully encloses the backstrap of the frame, and covers the front as well. Most of these grips are made with wood, but there is one bonded-ivory version.

There are also squared-up Altai grips for round-butt models that serve to convert the feel to a square butt.

There are many laminated models, including short grips for maximum concealment, along with some bonded ivory, white or pink-pearl offerings.

Falconia models are new to the Altamont line. They feature a soft textured rubber over a hard interior skeleton with wood inserts. There’s even one model with a bonded-ivory insert.

Altamont also offers a Combat Grip series, all with finger grooves, and made from various woods.

KKM PRECISION HAS SUPERB PISTOL BARRELS www.kkmprecision.com

EASY-TO-INSTALL INSTALL REPLACEMENT TRIGGERS IGGERS FROM CMC www.cmctriggers.com • Booth #32106 CMC produces self-contained replacement trigger groups for AR-15 rifles, and there are four choices available with either flat or curved triggers.

They are offered in 3.5-, 4.5-, 5.5- or 6.5-pound pulls.

With extremely tight tolerances, the CMC trigger groups feature full-strength rocket-wire springs, high-grade 410 stainless-steel housings and factory tuning. There is very little take-up or over-travel, and they fit mil-spec receivers.

Last autumn, CMC and Lantac USA reportedly collaborated on two new triggers designed the E-CT1 and E-CT2. Offered with either a flat or curved skeletonized trigger, the E-CT1 is set at 3.5 pounds and the E-CT2 is a two-stage unit.

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Known for producing highly accurate pistol barrels favored by competitors, KKM is introducing several new barrel models.

Very late in 2015, KKM began making barrels for the Springfield XDm in 9mm, the XD45, the Sig Sauer P226, P229 and P220 and the CZ75, and they should be available as of Jan. 1, 2016.

Their barrel production is done with state-of-theart multi-axis CNC machinery.

The company was founded in the early 1990s, so KKM has plenty of experience. KKM has developed a unique, proprietary button-rifling process that virtually assures accuracy.

Barrels are 100 percent made in the US from 416R stainless steel, heat-treated 44 RC. All barrels are available polished, satin finished or coated with black nitride. All chambers are SAAMI spec, and dimensions are held to National Match standards.

AWC SILENCERS REDESIGN THOR MODELS www.awcsilencers.com • Booth #11771 This year, AWC has redesigned the Thor PSR and Raider silencer models.

The second-generation Thor PSR measures 8 inches and is 1.625 inches in diameter. Made from titanium, this suppressor weighs 15 ounces.

The Thor Raider is a compact model designed for 5.56mm-caliber rifles for use on most semiauto and bolt-action rifles chambered for this caliber.

The Raider measures 6.7 inches with a 1.5-inch diameter. It hits the scale at 145 ounces.

LAYKE TACTICAL’S NEW LT3 TRIGGER www.layketactical.com The LT3 is Layke Tactical’s 3-pound trigger, which is an upgrade from the milspec trigger. This competition trigger has a smooth pull with fast reset, and it will work with any small-pin mil-spec AR15, AR308 and AR10.

PARTS, ACCESSORIES, AMMUNITION AND MORE FROM BAUER-PRECISION www.bauer-precision.com With a full array of parts for AR-15 and AR-10 platforms, Bauer Precision also offers all sorts of other accessories as well as ammunition and firearms.

This outfit has barrels, bolt-carrier groups, complete uppers, stocks and grips, triggers and lower receivers, optics mounts and more.

Home gunsmiths can find what they need at this company’s website.

Among the other accessories are Atlas bipods, Magpul magazines, tactical gun cases, tactical lights, range bags and more.

There is also a selection of suppressors and muzzle brakes.

BRIGADE MANUFACTURING TO OFFER NEW FOREARM SYSTEM www.brigadefirearms.com There’s a new U-lock system coming for modern sporting rifle forearms from Brigade that will be rather versatile.

It is designed to accommodate two common types of locking accessories that use either a Key Mod or M-LOK rail system.

This new forearm will be available in common lengths, but details are being kept closely under wraps.

The Original Drop In Trigger — Designed for hard use and long life!

LIFETIME WARRANTY

817.563.6611 • WWW.CMCTRIGGERS.COM

Shot Show Booth # 32106 americanshootingjournal.com 103

gear for guns HOLLAND’S GUNSMITHING & SHOOTERS SUPPLY www.hollandguns.com

J. ALLEN ENTERPRISES HAS CHASSIS FOR RIFLES, SPONSORS PRS EVENTS www.jallenenterprises.com The company that manufactures high-quality

chassis for the M1A/M14 and Remington M700 and its clones is also among sponsors of the Precision Rifle Series, a nationwide long-range shooting competition, shooters and matches.

J. Allen Enterprises builds their chassis from aluminum and composite material, and they are handsome, functional and rugged. They feature a modular design for mounts and accessories, and have an adjustable magwell.

LUTH-AR OFFERS NEW CARBINE BUTTSTOCKS www.luth-ar.com • Booth #422 New from Luth-AR, LLC are two new stocks for modern sport-utility rifles, the MBA-3 and MBA-4 Carbine.

These are not mere skeleton stocks. The MBA-3 features a Picatinny rail, three-axis butt plate and flat-bottom index set screw. It adds up to an inch of height on the cheek rest, and an additional 11/16 inch to the length of pull. The overall length of pull is extended to 15 5/8 inches, while it measures 1111/16 inches when collapsed.

The stock is made from glass-filled nylon and weighs about half of comparable stocks, hitting the scale at 18 ounces. It is capable of horizontal movement for linear adjustment, vertical movement for a perfect butt plate fit, and latter adjustments for a ½ inch left or right cast.

The MBA-4 is a stripped-down buttstock that allows the addition of accessories so a shooter can tailor the stock to his/her individual needs. It will be available in black, flat dark earth and pink, with an optional rear-sling swivel, Grovtec heavy-duty push-button side-sling swivel, and carbine buffer-tube assemblies, both in mil-spec and commercial for .223/5.56 and .308.

PREMIUM TACTICAL, HUNTING STOCKS FROM MANNERS COMPOSITE www.mannersstocks.com • Booth #20005 Manners Composite Stocks cover lots of bases, from tactical to hunting applications, and they are built to last.

Outer-shell construction features 35 percent aircraft-grade carbon fiber layered with 65 percent fiberglass, hand-laid with hightemperature epoxy resins. Standard configuration stocks feature full inletting and come with Pachmayr recoil pads already installed, as well as pillars ready for installation at the time of bedding.

There are models with adjustable combs, large thumbhole designs, and they come in models for Remington 700, Savage, Howa and Winchester actions. There are a variety of color options, including camouflage.

The Elite Hunter series, introduced two years ago, have a 100-percent carbon-fiber shell and lightweight fill.

Competition stocks are also available, and are built with multiple layers of aircraft-grade carbon fiber and have been heat cured. They come standard with a black gel-coat finish.

All kinds of accessories and equipment are available from this Oregon-based company.

The website lists custom actions and stocks, muzzle brakes, scope mounts and levels, gunsmithing tools and reloading equipment.

Holland also builds the Holland Custom Rifle on a customer-supplied Remington 700 action.

They feature pillar-bedded barreled actions and a Signature Series fiberglass stock. Options include tactical bolt handles, muzzle brakes, scopes, TuffCoated barrels and custom mounts.

Holland’s Signature Series rifles are custom made with a Signature Series action machined from lsolid bar stock. It has spiral bolt fluting, a jeweled trigger and longer bolt knob, an antirotational bedding system and more.

NEW PACHMAYR G-10 TACTICAL PISTOL GRIPS www.pachmayr.com • Booth #12724 Once again, Pachmayr grips combine function and beauty. The new G-10 Dominator tactical-pistol grips are extremely tough and durable, impervious to moisture, weather or chemicals, just like most of their products, and this new design is available in two textures: coarse grappler or finer checkered.

Pachmayr’s deluxe highly polished and checkered wood-laminate pistol grips are the ultimate in style and function, available in two colors – rosewood and charcoal silvertone – and are classic and attractive, functional and durable.

Both of these new styles are available for 1911s, Ruger Mk IIIs and 22/45s, Beretta 92s, CZ 75s and Sig 238s and 938s. It’s almost like having a brand new gun.

VZ GRIPS HAS NEW KEY MOD GRIPS www.vzgrips.com • Booth #2243 VZ Grips is introducing a new line of G10 Key Mod grips designed to work on any platform that incorporates the Key Mod rail system.

There are two different choices. One is a slim-line model, which is squared off on the ends, and an interlocking version with more of a radiused profile. Both feature VZ’s proven signature textures that have been hits in the handgun grip line, and are available in numerous color schemes.

Also in the works are hand stops that will mate with both systems.

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gear for guns VALKYRIE DYNAMICS INC. www.valkyriedynamics.com One could consider Valkyrie Dynamics the one-stop shop for all things tricked-out 1911. They use state-of-the-art Haas CNC technology to machine parts from aerospace aluminum, and hardened stainless steels to create unique grip designs, as well as cool-looking and highly functional compensators. Examples of their top sellers include the unique Cobra Skeleton grips and Predator compensators, which by the way, provide exceptional recoil reduction. If you are looking for just the right amount of uniqueness on your firearm, check these guys out.

HARDY CARBON-WRAPPED BARRELS www.hardyrifleengineering.co.nz Sometimes you have to reach across an ocean as far as New Zealand to find amazing advances in technology, and the shooting industry is no different.

Hardy Rifle Engineering has created a brilliant carbon-wrapped barrel using a low-resin, high-strength, preimpregnated carbon cloth. This is completely different than anything you might have seen before because it is combined with the company’s own nanotech interwound bonding layer, which changes the behavior of the carbon laminate. This allows the carbon coating to react to harmonic stress as one complete unit rather than in layers, like in normal carbon wraps. The end result is an extreme level of precision and shot consistency.

Hardy is already renowned for creating some of the world’s best match-grade barrels, but this nanotech carbon wrap has taken them to another level completely.

PRECISION ARMAMENT OFFERS ENHANCED FLASHARRESTING BRAKE www.precisionarmament.com • Booth #551 The newest muzzle device from Precision Armament is the EFAB (for enhanced flash-arresting brake), a tough little accessory that delivers improved muzzle control and effective flash suppression.

Made for .223-caliber/5.56mm or .308/7.62mm bullets, the EFAB has a closed bottom to reduce dust signature when shooting prone.

The EFAB is machined from heattreated stainless steel, and it is finished with Ionbond, a CrCN coating.

This thing will reportedly work on barrels as short as 10 inches. The patent-pending design uses what is described as “an innovative configuration of diverging expansion nozzles to both diffuse and cool combustion gases.”

MCMILLAN HAS GREAT FIBERGLASS PRO STOCKS www.mcmillanusa.com • Booth #13772 McMillan fiberglass stocks always keeps its most popular rifle stocks in inventory so shooters can modify and update their own rifles without ever having to wait. All of McMillan stocks carry a lifetime warranty and, of course, are manufactured in the US, but stocks aren’t all they do well. They also carry accessories, apparel and knives. If you are familiar with McMillan USA, you know they are highly sought after by professional hunters and precision shooters.

Make sure you check out their new line of rifles, and if you are at the SHOT Show, stop by their booth to get your hands on all of their latest products.

PURE GOLD SHOTGUN CHOKES FOR ALL CHALLENGES www.gameacc.net Name the application and Pure Gold Chokes has a model to meet the challenge. Whether shooting waterfowl, wild turkeys, sporting clays, or even buckshot and competitioncard shooting, there is a model in the lineup.

For example, waterfowl chokes are available in modified and improved cylinders and are engineered from heattreated stainless steel to handle all types of nontoxic shot. They are available in 12- and 20-gauge.

Their Pure Gold Tempest waterfowl chokes were developed specifically for Federal Premium Black Cloud ammunition.

For sporting clays, Pure Gold developed the Titanium Diamond choke series. They feature a rugged finish and there are several models available.

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SUPERIOR QUALITY AND VALUE

The Velocity AR Platform Trigger A high quality AR platform trigger (compatible with .22, .223/5.56mm, .30 cal) at an affordable price of only $150 Simply stated, The Velocity Trigger makes your AR feel like a bolt action rifle.

• Every trigger is 100% Made in America • EDM wire technology and All Tool Steel are used to precision manufacture the trigger, hammer and the disconnect • They are heat-treated to give you an exceptional lifetime of service • The housing for the trigger assembly is machined from 6061T6 billet aluminum

*Do Not use with 9mm conversion or any open bolt face

www.Velocitytriggers.com

www.PKFirearms.com

Your Home for AR-15 Parts & Accessories!

Contact: Phone: 217-774-5810 Fax: 217-774-5814 sales@pkfirearms.com

Location: 1055 Co. Hwy 6 Shelbyville, IL 62565

Walk-In Sales Hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 5pm

Visit Our Online Store and “Like Us” On Facebook! americanshootingjournal.com 107

gear for guns TALON GRIPS OFFERS NEW MODEL FOR S&W’S M&P SHIELD D www.talongrips.com • Booth #6603

SAFETY HARBOR FIREARMS OFFERS THE KOMPACT ENTRY STOCK SYSTEM www.safetyharborfirearms.com • Booth #20613 The Kompact Entry Stock system (KES) is an innovative solution for the collapsible stock on any AR-15/10-based firearm – no gunsmithing required. It offers an adjustable length-of-pull that ranges from 0 to 13.5 inches and the sling mount is ambidextrous. It’s another great solution from Safety Harbor Firearms.

Talon has introduced a new grip design for Smith & Wesson’s popular M&P Shield semiauto pistol, and it shouldd really gain momentum among armed citizens in 2016.

Featuring a continuous piece along the lower backstrap, this new grip is laser cut. It’s a durable grip with texturing to allow for a solid hold under all kinds of conditions.

Also new from Talon is a front-strap grip for the 1911 pistol. It covers the full length of the front strap from the trigger guard to the magazine well, and it will not interfere with the removal moval of grip panels on either side.

It is less than 0.5mm thick, so there is no noticeable increase in the grip circumference.

It installs in a matter of minutes, and is available in rubber and granulate texture.

WARNE SCOPE MOUNTS S ALLOW EXTRA 20MOA www.warnescopemounts.com • Booth #16344 44 Warne Scope Mounts has been working on a new precision MSR mount, designed specifically for long-range shooters.

The LRSKELTG Precision MSR Mount is a piece of work. Using cutting-edge technology, Warne says it took its RAMP and SXKEL mounts and machined a 20 minute-of-angle channel through the scope bed. What this accomplished is it allows a shooter to reach farther, compensating for more than 200 inches of bullet drop at 1,000 yards.

This additional compensation provides most scopes with 25 to 75 percent or more usable elevation adjustments. The aluminum chassis and caps are joined with steel fasteners and threaded inserts for a rugged, dependable mounting surface. This marries up with the flat-top rail on a modern sporting rifle.

The new LRSKELTG scope mount is available in either 1-inch, 30mm or 34mm variations.

They are all finished in tactical-gray Cerakote.

MUZZLE BRAKES FROM KAHNTROL SOLUTIONS www.kahntrol.com Quality muzzle brakes help reduce recoil and improve accuracy, and Kahntrol Solutions produces both clamp-on and threaded models.

In addition, they have several accessories, including the PodMod adapters that fit assorted bipod models.

The clamp-on muzzle brake requires no modification of the barrel, and they produce clamp-ons that fit barrels measuring between .570 and .950 inches at the muzzle. They are machined from 6061-T6511 aluminum and hard-coat anodized in matte black.

Kahntrol has three styles of threaded brakes: the 3-gun brake is made from 4140 steel and is available with ½-28 or 5/8-24 threads, a HexMod brake available with threads in 5/8 -24, ¾-24 or ¾-32, and the HexMod CWES Gen1 and Gen2. The Gen1 model is available for AK-pattern rifles and the Gen2 system comes with 5/8-24 threading.

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gear for guns THORDSEN CUSTOMS SAND-PAPER GRIPS ADDS SURFACE TO POLYMERFRAMED HANDGUNS PROVIDES STARTS FOR HOME BUILDERS www.sand-paper-pistol-grips.com www.thordsencustoms.com Thordsen Customs produces all kinds of gear for the builder, including the new Picatinny buffer tube adapter, a new blast deflector and the UBLM-equipped stripped upper and lower billet receiver.

The new buffer-tube adapter is compatible with multiple platforms, fits any Picatinny rail and has 304 stainless-steel hardware. Made from 6061 T6 aluminum with a Type III hard anodized finish, it weighs a scant 2.5 ounces.

The new BD-180 blast deflector is 1.8 inches long, 1.36 inches in diameter and is made from alloy steel. The kit comes with the blast deflector, an A1 flash hider and a T-60 torx installation tool. The deflector is finished in manganese phosphate.

Thordsen’s matching billet machined lower and upper features a large-opening winter trigger guard, pre-installed UBML and Prince Bullet Button magazine locks, and a nylon-tipped upper-receiver tension screw. They are machined and engraved for compatibility with 45- and 60-degree short-throw fire-control selectors and are compatible with most add-on ambidextrous bolt-catch levers. Machined from billet 7075T6 aluminum with a matte-black hard-coat anodized finish, they have M4 feed ramps.

There’s also a muzzle brake designed by 3-gun shooters. It has a dual-port design with angled porting, and is tapered to fit 0.75-inch diameter barrels. They are machined from 416 stainless or 4140 heattreated steel with a manganese phosphate finish.

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Late in 2015, Sand-Paper-Pistol-Grips unveiled a new grip enhancement material for handguns with polymer frames.

Called SRG (for super rubberized grip 70 durometers), this material is not permanent, nor does it damage a handgun or reduce its value.

Featuring a base layer of 80-grit tape and a top layer of specially bonded synthetic rubber, it feels very much like expensive stippling but with better gripping characteristics.

The thin top rubber layer also reduces the aggressive nature of the grip tape. The material is only 0.0018 inch thick. The SRG70 is available for nearly 60 different models to fit a wide array of popular handguns.

SHILEN LAUNCHING NEW LARGE FORMAT AR DROP-IN BARREL www.shilen.com • Booth #1951 Shilen is launching a new large-format dropin barrel for 2016, with various chamberings available, provided they fit the .308 bolt-face dimensions (0.473 inch).

Included in the available calibers are the .308 Winchester, .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Winchester, .338 Federal and 7mm-08. However, Shilen assures us that customers will be able to order the barrel with whatever caliber chambering they would like, within the .308 bolt face.

These barrels will come with matching bolts and extension.

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NEW ACCESSORIES FROM YANKEE HILL MACHINE www.yhm.net • Booth #31403, 31303 Yankee Hill Machine has announced several new accessories, including a Picatinny adapter, bipod mount and more.

There’s a Keymod vertical foregrip designed with storage space inside, made from 6061T6 aluminum that measures 3.125 inches. It has a hardcoat matte-black anodized finish with checkering.

Introduced in 2015, YHM offers two QD blast deflectors that fit over muzzle flash guards. They are made from 4140 chrome moly steel with a Melonite QPQ finish.

GENESIS CNC OFFERS 80-PERCENT AR 15 LOWERS www.genesiscnc.com From the people who have offered an 80-percent ent per Gen2 lower receiver and .308 stripped upper receiver comes a new 80-percent AR155 lower and jig package.

Made from a rugged synthetic, tic, this new lower component is ready forr finishing by home gunsmiths. It comess packaged with shing. the jig required for finishing. een producing Genesis has been 80-percent .308 lower wer receivers for some time, and they are made from 7075-T6 billet aluminum.

Jig assemblies for the e 80-percent .308 lower receivers are designed to only be used with a drill press.

KELBLY’S HAS GRS SYNTHETIC STOCKS www.kelbly.com • Booth #3117 Last month, Kelbly’s announced that their new GRS synthetic stocks are now available.

These rugged composite stocks are designed from Durethan and reinforced with fiberglass. Available in black, right hand only, the new GRS stocks are available for the Tikka T3, Howa 1500/Weatherby Vanguard SA, Remington 700 BDL LA and SA and Savage Models 12 and 16.

The grip and forend are 5 percent slimmer than the Sporter-varmint stock, and the grip and forend have rubber-grip surfaces for better hold in wet conditions. All of these stocks feature pillar bedding made from 60 percent fiberglass, and they come with flush-cup sling mounts and a single-sling mount stud on the front for mounting bipods.

These stocks may be fitted with an optional height-adjustable recoil pad.

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NOWLIN ARMS SPECIALIZES IN 1911 COMPONENTS www.nowlinarms.com Specializing in parts for the Model 1911 pistol, Nowlin Arms is a go-to company that is dedicated to producing quality products from action kits, barrels, and sights to springs, ejectors and even grip screws.

This company offers pin sets, hammers, sears, firing pins, auto slide stops and even 1911 barrel links too.

In addition, there are match-grade barrels for Glock pistols.

HUBER CONCEPTS www.huberconcepts.com John F. Huber (aka “The Trigger Guy”) believes that each operator should be able to fire on target within a time window of a sixth of a second. The Huber Concepts Remington 700 staged-break trigger uses advanced math and unique geometry for differential and tactile timing advantages. The people behind Huber Concepts are the real deal when it comes to precision, physics and theory of design. All we can say is, if you want a lesson in geometry, vectors, ratios and something called a DVORAK trigger-scan instrument, which we are certain came from an advanced alien technology, then check this company out.

GIBBZ ARMS HAS NEW .308 SIDE CHARGE UPPER www.gibbzarms.com The new Gibbz Arms left-side charging fits most custom AR10 bolt carriers.

This patent-pending unit has a beveled ejection port with an integral case deflector.

Weighing 14.6 ounces, this upper works with LR308 lower receivers and it has a low 15-slot Picatinny rail in the top.

This upper features a nonreciprocating handle that stays forward during operation. It is manufactured in Arizona.

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grab bag BROWNING OFFERS NEW AMMUNITION LINE AND A FULL ARRAY OF BLADES www.browning.com • Booth #12740, 15129 Browning has put its brand on a line of ammunition, including loads for rifles, shotguns and handguns. Details were not available, but there are also rimfire loads in the package.

Four new fixed-blade models and a trio of Black Label tactical models are on the way.

The lineup includes: • The Overtime model with laminated G-10 scales, D-2 high carbon steel 3 3/8-inch blade in a flat ground modified skinner profile.

• The Hell’s Canyon Speed model has a 3½-inch modified drop-point blade with a carbon-fiber insert.

• The Steel Sharp fixed blade with ERT (edge retention technology) with a 7Cr stainless-steel hollow ground blade.

• The new Incase drop-point with a 440 stainless-steel blade, full tang handle with sculpted G-10 scales. Overall length is 7½ inches.

• The Black Label Stacked Deck folding frame lock with a 3½-inch VG10 stainless-steel blade with either a modified spear point or tactical Wharncliffe design.

• The Speed Dial Pocket Deploy folder has a deep belly tanto-point blade measuring 3 5/8 inches.

• The Pandemonium full auto, with modified 440 stainless hollow-ground tanto blade measuring 3½ inches.

NEW RIGS COMING FROM D.M. BULLARD www.dmbullardleather.com Three new carry rigs are in the works from D.M. Bullard, and all three are pancakestyle models made from Herman Oak leather.

There will be holsters for both semiautos and revolvers, although one of the three will be exclusively for autos because it has a magazine pouch attached.

Bullard holsters are 100 percent handmade, and are available in a variety of colors including natural, saddle brown, mahogany, black, chocolate and dark brown.

FREEDOM MUNITIONS OFFERS COWBOY AMMO www.freedommunitions.com Freedom Munitions will offer a new line of ammunition for Cowboy competitors, the Leadville Cowboy Action Ammunition series.

These cartridges are designed for target work with low pressures, and they are comfortable to shoot in sixguns or repeating rifles. Current calibers are .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .45 Colt.

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Also from Freedom is the Boar Buster ammunition line, designed for deep penetration. Their new ammo will be offered in .223 Remington and .300 Blackout, and there are plans for loads in .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum and 6.8 SPC. In early December, Freedom announced the availability of American Steel ammunition.

This stuff has steel cases with brass plating.

Loads are currently available in 9mm, and .45 ACP will soon follow. This line is loaded with the same powder and primers, and to the same performance standard as Freedom Munitions’ new and remanufactured ammunition.

NEW HUNTER FROM NORTHERN KNIVES www.northernknives.com Based in Alaska, where they know a thing or two about the importance of a reliable knife, Northern Knives is unveiling a new hunter based on the model they made for Friends of the NRA fundraisers.

It’s a drop-point design with a 3.25-inch stainless-steel blade featuring a flat grind. It’s got a full-tang handle with G10 scales, Micarta or natural materials, and they come with a Diamond D custom-leather sheath.

INSURANCE FOR FIREARMS INDUSTRY PROS: JOSEPH CHIARELLO & COMPANY www.guninsurance.com Joseph Chiarello & Company has more than 70 years of experience, including more than three decades within the firearms industry.

This is a family business in every sense, and this family outfit created the Sporting Firearms Business Insurance Program.

Chiarello offers coverage for commercial general liability and property, and they offer a variety of services. Their business deals with firearms retailers, wholesalers and distributors, instructors, gunsmiths, accessory and ammunition manufacturers, indoor and outdoor ranges and trap, skeet and sportingclays fields.

4D REAMERS’ FRED ZEGLIN IN AGI RELOADING DVD www.4-dproducts.com Fred Zeglin, whose 4D Reamers is a favorite among home gunsmiths, is now appearing in a new gunsmithing course from the American Gunsmithing Institute.

The program, Reloading from A to Z , features step-by-step instruction for people who want to learn about brewing their own quality ammunition.

Zeglin, an AGI instructor, goes through all the moves starting with the basics and

works up through casting one’s own bullets.

There are details on precision reloading, what happens when a round goes off, a history of reloading, case preparation, trimming, lubrication, multi-stage presses, priming tools and seating primers, various dies and using manual and electronic powder scales.

This is an eight-hour AGI certification course. There is a test at the end.

21ST CENTURY SHOOTING OFFERS WIDE VARIETY OF ACCESSORIES www.21stcenturyshooting.com Shooters looking for a wide range of accessories should find what they’re after by checking with 21st Century Shooting, an Indiana company that handles all kinds of products.

Reloading supplies, bullet seaters, cleaning supplies, case-prep tools, and more.

You will also find bore guides, case holders and drivers, tube micrometers, reloading trays and sandbags. There are even a couple of products for paintball shooters.

BUTCH’S RELOADING HAS COMPONENTS, EQUIPMENT www.butchsreloading.com Bullets, powder, cleaning gear, gun-building components; it’s all available from Butch’s Reloading, which has stores in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Among the products they offer are powders from Alliant and Hodgdon, brass from Lapua, Nightforce scopes, Berger bullets and barrels from Bartlein, Shilen and Krieger.

In addition, this company also offers ammunition from ABM, MagTech, American Eagle, Sellier & Bellot and other brands. Dies, presses and priming tools are there too, plus powder scales, reloading manuals, primers and even ammunition magazines.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN RELOADING HAS NEW .224-CALIBER PILL www.rmrbullets.com Rocky Mountain Reloading is introducing a new .224-caliber BT bullet designed for use in a tight rifling twist.

Weighing 69 grains, this pill – dubbed the 3GH (for 3-gun hunter) – will deliver stable performance from barrels with rifling twists ranging from 1 in 7 to 1 in 10. This matchquality hunting bullet is capable of deeper penetration and expansion, and delivers superb accuracy.

RMR will offer the new 69-grainer in bulk packages to OEM manufacturers, distributors and dealers. Casual reloaders will also be able to purchase on the company’s website.

The American Shooting Journal and American Tactical salute all members of the Armed Forces who have served, fought and currently fight to protect our nation’s freedoms.

WE THANK YOU!

IMAGE BY NICK SETTING Nick is a community college student who sidelines as a photographer, and clearly has incredible talent.

He is passionate about long-range shooting and our military heroes.

Nick lives in Bremerton, Wash., and according to him, does the best he can with his old Canon and broken lens.

We think his work is pretty awesome!

You can see more of Nick’s work on

Facebook: Ordnance Locker Instagram: Ordnancelocker Email: nsetting@ix.net.com

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DISPELLING THE

VOODOO Understanding Turret Adjustments STORY BY CAYLEN WOJCIK • PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAKE BLICK OF MAGPUL CORE

Scope adjustments can be daunting. With a little bit of the voodoo magic explained, you may be well on your way to twisting your turrets with confidence.

A

s I sat at my table during the 1st Marine Regiment Scout Sniper screening course, the marvel in front of me was all I wanted: Being able to call the M40A1 sniper rifle mine was the ultimate goal at the end of the long road ahead. As I looked at the rifle and listened to the instructor give This image depicts a true minute of angle optic, as A student manipulates the elevation turret opposed to a shooters MOA, made by Leupold. This is a his class on the Unertl 10x fixed on his Premier Reticles scope during a drill.

Mark 4 with ¼-MOA adjustments for both elevation and This scope is calibrated in milradians. scope, I quickly realized that it windage. (CRAWFORD M PHOTOGRAPHY) was very different from what I had grown up with and I had a lot to learn. Terms like minutes make sense. of angle weren’t unfamiliar at all, but mils and mil dots, Our scopes are nothing more than a mechanical aiming well, this was new territory. Then there was this screw that device and have a magnified image of the target so that we can everyone knew as the “voodoo screw.” No one knew what the deliver very precise shot placement at great distances. Can I voodoo screw did to the Unertl, just that if you touched it, shoot at a target and get hits at 1,000 yards with traditional you’d be damned for eternity by the sniper gods. Eventually, iron sights? Absolutely, but I lose the ability to identify a the mystery of it all came together after much trial and error. precise aiming point, and this is where the riflescope becomes And today, 16 years later, I still see students come through my a necessity. Essentially, we need our riflescopes to do three courses with an equal amount of apprehension about their things: retain its zero; provide a clear image of the target in scope’s turrets and what those numbers mean. It’s all very order for the shooter to precisely aim; and provide consistent simple if we look at them for what they are – angular units of and repeatable elevation and windage adjustments in order measure. These units allow us to precisely dial in the amount to compensate for gravity, drag and wind drift. A riflescope of elevation required to put the bullet where it needs to be is a tube within a tube design. The outer tube houses the in space at a predetermined distance. Trust me, this will all elevation and windage adjustments, and a suspension system americanshootingjournal.com 121

This Magpul CORE Precision Rifle Data Book 2.0 shows the predicted elevation and windage adjustments for this student’s caliber, bullet and velocity. These numbers are what will be dialed onto the riflescope to compensate for gravity, drag and wind drift at varying ranges.

that supports an inner tube (erector tube), which in turn houses the reticle. Every time we adjust the elevation and windage turrets of the scope, a precisely calibrated threaded rod moves the erector tube in specific increments using an angular unit of measure. This is a very rudimentary description, but hopefully you get my drift. I’m not an optical engineer, but I know enough to keep myself out of trouble.

We’ll start off by talking about minutes of angle, or MOA.

MOA diagram

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NATO approximates the mil by stating that there are 6,400 mils in a circle to make the mil fit uniformly into a compass rose. The mil is used for precisely plotting firing solutions for artillery and naval gunfire, and the slight mathematical discrepancy between the true milradian and the NATO milradian is an acceptable error, even considering the accuracy required for the effective use of those weapons.

This is the oldest known angular unit of measure when it comes to talking about measuring rifle accuracy and sighting systems. The important thing to remember with angular units of measure is that the angle itself will always remain constant, but as the distance from the starting point (vertex) of the angle grows, the linear distance between the two legs (rays) of the triangle will grow proportionally. This is what we’re most concerned about understanding. Still with me?

Using basic trigonometry, we can precisely identify that linear distance at any point along the angle. The MOA comes from the circle. There are 360 degrees in a circle, and further, there are 60 minutes per degree. So, a minute of angle is essentially 1/60th of a degree. So, how many MOAs are in a circle? Sixty minutes X 360 degrees = 21,600 MOA per circle.

OK, so what does that mean to you? Mathematically, the distance between the two rays of the angle equal 1.047 inches at a distance of 100 yards. Understanding that the measurement between the two rays increases proportionally with distance, we see in our MOA diagram that 1 MOA equals 5.235 inches at 500 yards, and 10.47 inches at 1000 yards.

With the minute of angle, it’s very important to know whether or not we’re dealing with true minutes of angle (TMOA), or shooters minutes of angle (SMOA), and this has to do with what angular unit of measurement our riflescope’s turrets are calibrated for. TMOA turrets are calibrated for the mathematical minute of angle, meaning 1.047 inches at 100 yards. SMOA – or inches per hundred yard – turrets are calibrated for the rounded down number of 1 inch at 100 yards, which makes for easier math. It’s important to know the difference, especially if you’re going to be using your riflescope for precision long-range shooting in conjunction with a ballistic-computer program. We always want to keep apples to apples and oranges to oranges with our units of measure, or our results down range could vary.

With riflescopes calibrated in MOA, turrets can come with several different graduations. The smaller the graduation, the more precisely we can manipulate the erector tube, which in turn – with all things being right in the world – will give us more precise shot placement on the target. The most common graduation for MOA scopes is ¼-MOA adjustments. This means that for every increment we adjust our turrets, we will move the sights up, down, left or right ¼ of an MOA. At 100 yards this would equate to .261 inches, and at 1,000 yards, 2.617 inches, true MOA. There are some optics out there that have ½-MOA adjustments and these optics are used for slightly less precise work at closer ranges.

On the other end of the spectrum, for the shooters in

to make sense of the milradian was very real. Soon, though, we the competitive circuit who are looking for the absolute most learned to accept the mil with open arms and began to think precise shot placement, shoot ⅛-MOA scopes. When the X and talk in mils instead of converting the mil to MOA. count takes the win, those shooters need as much resolution as they can get.

A milradian is 1/1,000th of a radian. A radian is a very The next commonly found angular measurement found commonly used angular unit of measure in calculus and today is the mil, or the milradian. The trigonometry for solving more milradian has been used in European “IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT UNIT complex problems with relation scopes for many years prior to the US OF MEASURE YOU USE, JUST MAKE to angles. Without getting into adopting it as a commonly found unit SURE YOU DO TWO THINGS…” dizzying mathematics, we’ll of measure. The reason for this is that simplify it. Using pi (3.1415) we the mil is easiest understood when using the metric system. use the equation 2π=R to identify how many radians there More on that in a minute. Because we don’t use the metric are per circle. So, 2 x 3.1415 = 6.283 radians per circle. system, it was a tough pill to swallow for shooters in the US, When we’re dealing with milradians, the mil denotes 1,000, at first. I saw my first milradianso we move our decimal three places to the right and come based riflescope as I was on my up with 6,283 milradians per circle. This is a mathematical way out of the Marine Corps in milradian, much like the true MOA. So, just like we 2005. The USMC had adopted measured the distance between the two rays of the minute the M8541 Schmidt & Bender of angle, we can do the same thing with the milradian. One PM II 3x-12x as a replacement milradian measures 3.6 inches at 100 yards, 18 inches at 500 yards and 36 inches at 1000 yards. Now, let’s take a look for the long-ailing Unertl 10x.

The Unertl used an MOA-based at the measurements using the metric system. One mil is ballistic-drop-compensated turret equal to 10 centimeters at 100 meters, 50 cm at 500 meters, The milradian has been used in system, and the new M8541 used and 100 cm (1 meter) at 1,000 meters.

European scopes for years. a milradian system. The transition Most milradian-based optics will have turrets calibrated in 1/10th mil increments. So, every 1/10th adjustment, we’d at first was very difficult, as everyone was attempting to convert the mils to MOA, which makes for very complicated be moving the strike of our bullet .36 inches at 100 yards, math. The mil wasn’t totally foreign, as the Unertl used a and 3.6 inches at 1,000 yards. The milradian has definitely milradian-based reticle for range estimation, but the struggle secured its spot within the precision shooting community

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because in comparison to the MOA, the amount of mils required is a relatively smaller number, which makes for much easier math when you’re trying to correct for shots in a hurry. The smaller numbers in milradians also work much better for making hasty windage and hold-over formulas.

Anyone’s head hurt yet? Well, if not, let’s look at this; one milradian is equal to 3.438 true MOA. This is where the sniper community went wrong; everyone was attempting to convert the mil to the MOA, and it used too many numbers.

The key to remember for everyone is that it doesn’t matter what angular unit of measure you use, just make sure you do two things: first, train yourself to think in that unit; and the second, make sure you select an optic that has a common unit of measure shared between the turrets and the reticle. I always have to reinforce with my students to stop thinking in clicks, and to start thinking in whole MOA, or whole mils. It’s a lot easier that way, and it minimizes the required brainpower to accurately apply adjustments to our scopes. The other point is that by keeping our adjustments common between the reticle and turrets allows the shooter to use the reticle as a tape measure – given the optic is at the proper magnification for ranging, if you have a second focal-plane scope – that virtually eliminates the need for doing any math in your head for corrections. A mil in the reticle is a mil on the turret, and a minute in the reticle is a minute on the turret.

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

times. Also, make sure you read your optic’s manual a couple times over, as well. That manual contains all the vital information you’re going to need to make sense of your turrets and your reticle. A large majority of my students show up to courses being downright intimidated by touching those turrets.

The old way of thinking is to get the rifle zeroed and never touch them again. This drill tests the shooter’s ability accurately apply elevation However, by the end of to and windage adjustments to the the four-day course, those riflescope. While maintaining a point of aim on the H, the shooters are dialing turrets constant bullet strike will move onto each and manipulating their numbered target if the adjustments applied properly and the optics with confidence, are riflescope functions correctly. because they’re immersing themselves in understanding the principals of how their optics work, and seeing the results with their own eyes.

There’s nothing mysterious about our turrets and how they adjust the point of impact of the bullet. Once you understand the why behind them, you can apply the how yourself and reap the rewards of watching your bullet go where you want it to go. ASJ

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OPTICS

SHEPHERD ENTERPRISES LAUNCHES A NEW 1-6X24 SCOPE

www.shepherdscopes.com • Booth #2646 Shepherd Enterprises is coming out with a new 1-6x24 tactical scope with an illuminated first-plane focal reticle and, yes, it still has their famous Shepherd circles. This is a revolutionary new scope that you just have to see to believe as it is manufactured with a tough hard-anodized 30mm tube that has a true 1X setting that allows it to function as a holosight for true both-eyes-open shooting and ultrafast target acquisition. The fully multicoated high-definition optics deliver a crystal-clear image for the full field of view. Unlike a red-dot sight, the Shepherd CQB has an illuminated circle and a crosshair at 1X to help with targeting.

‘SEE ALL OPEN SIGHT’ FROM OVERSIGHT SHOOTING TECHNOLOGIES www.seeallopensight.com • Booth #32009, 2219 The See All Open Sight is no run-of-the-mill metallic replacement sight, but quite a step above, providing an optical advantage to the sights grandpa used.

This user-friendly unit allows a shooter to quickly line up the triangular crosshair reticle and press the trigger. It is micro-adjustable

for windage and elevation, and the open-sight design allows the shooter to see a wider field of view.

There are no batteries, and the See All Open Sight fits on any rail, so it can be used on a variety of guns and even crossbows. With a rugged design, this unit doesn’t fog up, nor will it ever run out of energy or get knocked out of alignment. All it needs is light.

Manufactured in the US, this tough little accessory sight is patented.

SKINNER SIGHTS www.skinnersights.com When simplicity and genuine products matter to you, look no further than Skinner Sights. Their signature product is an aperture peep rifle sight that fits on numerous makes and models – no gunsmithing or alterations necessary – and is made from solid bar stock, so it’s tough.

Since the folks at Skinner are all avid hunters and shooters with a ridiculous amount of time in the field they make products that they want to use, which also includes outstanding gun cases.

Their products are made in the sweeping landscape of Montana.

MEOPTA HAS EXPANDED ITS MEOPRO HD BINOCULAR LINE www.meoptasportsoptics.com • Booth #3544 Meopta announced their new MeoPro 8x56 HD model binocular in late 2015.

It’s got a 314-foot field of view at 1,000 yards. The external lenses are treated with MeoShield, an abrasion-resistant coating. The binocular features twist-up eye cups with four click-stop positions to accommodate eyeglass users.

Meopta designed this binocular with a rubber-armor exterior in a lightweight magnesium chassis and a user-friendly center focus knob.

NIKON HAS SIX NEW RIFLESCOPES www.nikonsportoptics.com • Booth #11221 Nikon Sport Optics has a half-dozen new riflescopes with a BDC Distance Lock function in the first focal plane, with three in the Monarch series and three more in the Prostaff family.

The BDC Distance Lock allows the scope to maintain scale and distance proportion on a target through the entire magnification range. These riflescopes will work for people who use Nikon’s Spot On ballistic-match program, which is free online at the Nikon Sport Optics website, and BDC reticles to compensate for bullet drop at long range.

The new models include the Monarch3 3-12x42, 4-16x42 and 4-16x50mm, all SF FFP Matte BCD models, same as the three Prostaff 5 models in 3.5-14x40mm, 3.5-14x50mm and 4.5-18x40mm that also have the BDC-lock technology.

They all feature fully multicoated lenses and they’re built on 1-inch tubes.

Nikon Monarch3 4-16x42

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OPTICS SWAROVSKI’S NEW X5(I) RIFLESCOPES SWAROV www.swarovskioptik.com • Booth #12120, 16422 Swarovski Optik has launched their new X5(i), which signifies illumination, and was developed primarily for long-range shooters. This optic includes an illuminated reticle featuring 10 different brightness settings. This year there are two scopes in the lineup, a 3.5-18x50mm and a 5-25x56mm. Those big objectives pull in every bit of available light possible. There’s even a 5-25x56mm that

adjusts at ⅛-MOA. The elevation, windage and parallax turrets and the inversion system are all constructed with stainless-steel components. Beyond that, the X5 design features a subzero function that allows a hunter to fire at game that suddenly appears at closer range if the zero is set at a longer distance. The shooter can come down 10 MOA (or 40 clicks) from a preset zero and press the trigger. The second focal plane long-range reticles are offered in 1 or 2 MOA increments in the X5(i) models.

This is just one of their new products out this year.

VORTEX OPTICS www.vortexoptics.com • Booth #20439, 4250, 4150 Vortex Optics redesigned their Diamondback Binoculars for 2016. These binos not only boast a new look and feel, they offer multiple upgrades designed around hunters who have voiced their preferences. Out of the box, you will notice a short hinge that allows more room for your hands and rubber-armored housing with diamond checkering. Among the changes are an all-new optical system with enhanced, dielectric, fully multicoated lenses that serve up stunning views and impressive low-light performance – critical attributes when working to glass up and evaluate game – and an ultrawide field of view. The value of this alone should be evident. Our favorite tweak might be that the Vortex binos offer multiposition twist-up eyecups that are super comfortable, not to mention they guarantee proper eye relief. They’re available in multiple size options: 12x50mm, 10x50mm, 10x42mm, 8x42mm, 10x32mm, 8x32mm, 10x28mm and 8x28.

And when it comes time to down game spotted through those Diamondback binocs, rifle hunters and shooters who are looking for a lightweight, optically superior riflescope that tracks true will find their match with the Razor HD LH. Complete with all the attributes you would expect from a high-end scope, such as being made from a solid block of aircraft-grade aluminum and type III hard-anodized exterior, these scopes also come standard with high-density, extra-low dispersion glass, an APO apochromatic lens system, XR Plus premium multicoated lenses, tack-sharp resolution from edge to edge and, for an added bonus, ArmorTek on both exterior lenses. All of these attributes combined in one scope delivers stunning image quality.

The super clean HSR-4 BDC and G4-BDC reticles are optimal for target acquisition and pinpoint accuracy, and Vortex’s argon-gas purging system prevents internal fogging over a wide range of temperatures. What more could you want from one scope? We know – an ultraforgiving eyebox. Consider it done because that’s in there too.

Available sizes include: 1.5-8x32mm, 2-10x40mm and 3-15x42mm.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

SCOPE THIS OUT:

SWAROVSKI’S NEW X5(I) RIFLESCOPES ARE WINNERS!

A

nyone who has ever settled their crosshairs on a big buck, bull, full-curl ram or pronghorn knows the importance of being able to trust your optics at the moment of truth.

That’s never been a problem with any riflescope wearing the Swarovski Optik label, and it isn’t likely to happen with the new X5(i), was developed primarily for long-range shooters with an all new design that includes an illuminated reticle featuring ten different brightness settings.

Folks who get the most out of hunting the transition periods, which are those twilight periods at dawn and dusk when the wily mature animals come out of the shadows will appreciate the illuminated reticle, and this new scope features newly-designed turrets that allow a hunter or shooter to make 20 MOA

adjustments per revolution, in ¼-MOA increments.

There are, according to Swarovski, up to 116 MOA elevation adjustments inside the scope’s 30mm tube.

How important is that? Plenty, for someone who is trying to make a precision shot at long range. Try that sometime when everything — the months of planning, the travel and expense, the time at the shooting bench and maybe even at the reloading bench — hinges on one well-placed shot. Anyone who has ever done this knows what we’re talking about.

This year there are two scopes in the line, a 3.5-18x50mm and a 5-25x56mm. Those big objectives pull in every bit of available light possible.

There’s also a 5-25x56mm that adjusts at 1/8-MOA. The elevation, windage and parallax turrets, and the inversion system, are all constructed with stainless steel components, so they’ll stand up to rigorous use in even rotten environments.

Beyond that, the X5 design features a subzero function that allows a hunter to fire at game that suddenly appears at closer

range if the zero is set at a longer distance. The shooter can come down 10 MOA (or 40 clicks) from a pre-set zero and press the trigger.

Second focal plane long range reticles are offered in 1 or 2 MOA increments in the X5(i) models, according to Swarovski.

Meanwhile, you might also want to check out the Swarovski STR80 spotting scope, a very good companion piece to the new riflescope. Those looking for real trophies will appreciate the illuminated reticle (either MOA or MRAD) with 15 brightness settings. That includes 10 day levels and five night levels.

Swarovski designed this scope to work with existing eyepieces, so the 20-60X and the 25-50XW wide angle will both work. In addition, it is adaptable for use with an SLR camera, making for a very powerful telephoto lens!

The scope has an HD optical system and the lenses have all three of Swarovski’s proprietary specialty coatings: Swarotop, Swarodur and Swaroclean. What’s the value of this? A memorable hunt that ends with a notched tag, an impressive rack and freezer full of meat, that’s the value.

SWAROVSKI OPTIK 2 Slater Road Dept. WSJ Cranston, RI 02920 (800) 426-3089 www.swarovskioptik.com

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OPTICS LEUPOLD SAYS BELIEVE IN MONSTERS WITH THE NEW VX-3I www.leupold.com • Booth #11962, 13023 Leupold has outdone themselves with their new Twilight Max Light Management System.

What does that mean? Let’s just start off with the power range: 1.5-5x all the way to 8.5-25x – that’s crazy! And with the dual spring ¼-minuteof-angle finger-click adjustment system that ensures match-grade repeatability and strength this scope has us hooked. The new system also offers more light transmission. Leupold has integrated a triplet-lens system and some space-aged coating that helps transmit more of

the entire visual spectrum. Think high definition through your scope. They added blackenededge lenses and internal mechanisms that remove stray light, which would degrade your sight picture, and they purge all of the oxygen from their scopes and replace it with argon/

kryton gas which helps resist thermal shock, making it 100 percent fog and waterproof, and, most importantly, keeps Superman away. OK, maybe not, but to top off Leupold’s newest release, they’ve optimized the contrast. This makes it seem as though your prize game is standing out from even the deepest of shadows.

Just be careful what you spy through this new VX-3I scope – the monsters have nowhere left to hide.

STEINER ADDS HX BINOCULAR, MINI-SCOPE www.steiner-optics.com • Booth #12755 Steiner’s new HX binoculars feature a new design and four model options all built for serious hunters.

These roof-prism binoculars are offered in 8x42mm, 10x42mm, 10x56mm and 15x56mm. They feature Fast-Close focus with a central focus wheel and ergonomic eyecups. They produce a bright, clear image that is sharp from edge to edge, thanks to new lens coatings.

The 15x56mm model is Steiner’s most powerful hunting binocular, and it brings distant targets up close for careful scrutiny before making a stalk or pressing a trigger.

In mid-2015, Steiner announced their new Miniscope, sized to fold up and fit in a pocket. This 8x22 hand-held model has high-contrast lens coatings and delivers a sharp image. Hitting the scale at a scant 2.8 ounces, the scope measures only 2X2 inches and it comes with a carrying case that fits on a belt.

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Gear NEW HEADLAMPS, FLASHLIGHTS FROM COAST www.coastportland.com • Booth #15120 The Lotus

DEEP CONCEALMENT RIGS FOR WOMEN FROM BUYHOLSTERS www.buyholsters.com Increasing numbers of women are carrying personal-defense sidearms, and the folks at BuyHolsters have answered the call.

The Flashbang Bra Holster and Deep Conceal body-band rigs are featured items on their website, and popular among their customers. The Flashbang is a Kydex clamshell rig that allows a small pistol or revolver to be carried on the front of a bra horizontally, and secured in place with a leather snap bra band.

The Lotus concealed-carry holster is a lightweight model with 1-inch webbing that fastens around the shoulders and across the upper abdomen under the bust. The holster is available in two sizes, and is positioned under one arm. This rig is available in white or black, in right- or left-hand models.

Coast has a strong lineup of lights moving into 2016, including a trio of headlamps and a matching number of flashlights.

Coast’s FL70 focusing headlamp has three light modes – low, medium and high – and it operates on three AAA alkaline batteries, producing a high output of 405 lumens. It comes with a reflective head strap.

The FL75 dual-color focusing headlamp has the same three light modes, plus red-light capability. It also comes with a reflective head strap.

The HL8R rechargeable headlamp is a winner, capable of 800 lumens. The rechargeable battery pack fits on the rear of the strap, and there is a removable top strap. This model features a light-output control dial on the right side, and also offers a hinged beam.

In the flashlight arena, Polysteel 600 Coast offers the HP3R rechargeable model, a pocket-sized flashlight with universal twist focus. It is powered by a single Lithium polymer rechargeable battery, and produces 245 lumens at high power.

For those seeking a compact flashlight, Coast’s HX5 Flex Power pocket model can be powered by AA lithium ion, nickel-metal hydride or alkaline batteries. It comes with the alkaline battery. It features a two-way pocket/hat clip and Pure Beam slide focus.

The Polysteel 600 focusing LED flashlight is powered by four AA alkaline batteries, and it features twist-focus control. The power button is recessed into the butt so it can be used as a stand-up light.

HANDI-RACKER RELEASES HR2 MODEL www.handi-racker.com • Booth #3761 The Handi-Racker is a marvelous little device with no moving parts. It allows someone with a semiautomatic pistol, and perhaps lacking some dexterity or strength, to cycle the slide with remarkably little effort, and to load and unload the gun safely. With five sizes made from a rugged synthetic available, most semiauto handguns can be accommodated with the Handi-Racker.

For 2016, there’s a new version on the way that is sure to continue what is already off to a good start. It will be unveiled at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

How the Handi-Racker works is remarkably simple. p Simply p y pplace e tthe e unit over a pistol’s slide, and then press the device so that it pushes the slide rearward. This thing is sized to allow a cartridge to be loaded safely into the chamber, or ejected just as safely to unload after the magazine is removed.

Once the intended function is completed, simply allow the recoil-spring pressure to return the slide to a proper forward position, and remove the HandiRacker. It’s like having another right hand.

FARLEY MANUFACTURING www.farleymfg.com Farley’s Coaxial Rest was first prototyped and built in 1987. Industry production began in 1997 following a series of design changes and advancements in bearing technology. Since its release, their Coaxial Rest has become the flagship rifle rest for competitive shooting, helping more shooters win state, national and world titles than any other. Farley Manufacturing prides itself on serving the industry through thoughtful innovation and precision manufacturing of products that are among the finest in the nation. If you are a competitor, you are not fully geared up without Farley.

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gear AVB1000

GUNVAULT HAS NEW ARVAULT FOR SEMIAUTO RIFLES

ZZZ CUSTOM WORKS www.zzzcustomholsters.com

www.gunvault.com • Booth #12714 GunVault has a new model designed specifically for the AR-15 rifle.

The new AV1000 and AVB1000 are state of the art. The AV1000 is designed with the patented No-Eyes digital access, with a backup key access. The AVB1000 design features upgraded biometric access. Both models come with extra fittings, and they provide secure storage for a variety of upper and lower AR models.

GunVault has been building quick-access, secure storage products for firearms and other valuables for many years.

GTUL

This team of military, law enforcement and nuclear-security professionals produce Kydex thermoforming holsters – who better to design expert gear? Safely meeting mission requirements is their ultimate goal for every gun toter, professional or not. One of the many specialties that sets them apart is their ability to work directly with their clients to develop products specifically tailored to their needs. Not only are they progressive, they’re innovative too.

MTUL

GTUL HAS TOOLS FOR CLEANING, LOADING MAGAZINES www.mygtul.com To keep semiautos running properly, GTUL offers tools to disassemble and clean pistol and rifle magazines, including the MTUL MagBrush for large rifle magazines.

The MTUL is designed to clean magazines for AR, AK, FAL and similar full-capacity magazines for 5.56mm or 7.62mm ammunition. It’s a 9-inch U-shaped brush that is curved to follow the curve of the magazine interior up to the 40-round models. Featuring heavy-duty construction, the MTUL is strong enough to actually depress the magazine spring and follower. There’s a punch at the end of the handle that can be used on removable floorplates.

Also from GTUL is the U-LOAD for GSG-1911 and Sig Sauer 1911-.22 magazines. It’s designed for quick loading of these rimfire magazines.

GALATI GEAR GOES DISCREET www.galatiinternational.com • Booth #20014

Double Discreet Square

Double Discreet

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Among the array of great gun gear you can find at Galati Gear, their Double Discreet Square gun-carry cases take the cake. This year, by popular demand, they have seriously expanded the size options to include 16-, 22-, 26-, 32-, 38-, 42-, 46- and 50-inch lengths, and they come in a variety of colors, including coyote brown, olive drab, multi-camo and black.

What is so special about these cases – the name says it all – is that many of them are square in shape, as opposed to long and rectangular, which lends itself to their discreet nature. They don’t look like a gun case, and yet they offer all the benefits of a full-sized case, to include a shooting pad which doubles as a divider inside the case. There are modular and interchangeable pockets on the outside so you can tailor it to your exact needs. It can also be worn as a backpack. Nice!

Vest

GLAMOUR GUNS IS JUST FOR THE LADIES www.glamourguns.com Glamour Guns specializes in women’s fashion dedicated to the avid shooter who also loves flair and style. Their current line of designer concealed-carry purses, jackets and vests are made with only the finest Italian leathers, furs and Swarovski crystals to create the bling a diva shooter needs. What is so unique about Glamour Guns is they offer concealed-carry pockets that are integrated into each piece, and it is possible to get matching belts, gun cases (yes, gun cases) and shell bags. Crazy!

This year, their new vest line can’t be beat for design and quality, and since they are partnered with Kippy’s, a world-renowned design house, you are sure to make heads turn on and off the range.

gear LIBERTY SAFE SPOTLIGHTS HD SAFES, S GUN VAULTS www.libertysafe.com • Booth # 13623

3 SPEED HOLSTER www.3speedholster.com With over three years of development and testing by undercover lawenforcement and civilian experts from around the country, 3 Speed Holster has created a finely tuned, high-quality, professional and undercover holster. It features the original fail-safe, fast-draw system for a full combat grip, every time. Each holster is custom built to fit your handgun, spare magazines and your body. Emphasis is on tactics, which encompasses weapon deployment, reholstering, concealment, comfort and versatility.

Bottom line is that this holster was engineered for self defense.

CL40 Champagne

KAOS CONCEALMENT OFFERS THE ULTIMATE IN APPENDIXCARRY HOLSTERS www.kaosconcealment.com Kaos is launching their new Fusion line, which is a high-guard appendix-carry holster. It’s an enhanced version of their Stealth line and is designed to be comfortable. If you aren’t comfortable, you more than likely won’t carry it.

EAR, INC. OFFERS SMALL HEARING PROTECTORS www.earinc.com EAR, Inc. has some of the smallest hearing protection in the field, and the HearDefenders waterproof digital standard model is the entrylevel unit.

It has a one-channel, 10-band clarity and is 100 percent digital. There’s a low-battery warning

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indicator, and it has an adjustable volume control.

The unit is water repellent and available in multiple faceplate colors.

Another unit is the HearDefenders waterproof digital basic (DB) electronic earplug. It’s a midlevel unit that comes with or without multi-memory, which allows a user to switch from a normal enhancement/protection mode to a more suppressed DB Earplug background mode.

The 100-percent digital DB features two-channel, 12-band clarity, adjustable volume control and low-batterypower indicator.

A third model is the Waterproof digitalplus with multi-memory that is offered with four-channel 16-band clarity, or eight-channel 16-band clarity. It has an adjustable volume control, white-noise programming, feedbackreduction programming, low-battery indicator and is 100 percent digital.

T Liberty Safe spotlight for 2016 will be The oon the HD series of handgun vaults.

HD safes combine stout construction and security with swift access. There are six vaults in the series, ranging from a simple key-lock model to models with advanced biometrics. These include the HDX 150 and HDX 250 Smart Vaults, the HD-100, HD-200 and HD-300 Quick Vaults and the compact HD-90 Key Vault.

When it comes to full-sized safes, Liberty’s Classic Series features solid 3 /8-inch steel doors, which is the ttoughest this company has ever offered.

TThe 10-gauge steel body makes the Classic Series safe one very sturdy unit.

The Classic Series also offers 110 minutes of fire protection, and the exterior trim is eye catching, as is the interior of each safe.

This new Kaos line is versatile too, because you can readily carry in the 3-, 4- or 5-o’clock position. This new line comes standard with soft loop struts, but you can order them with the G-code clips or other fastening options if you prefer. These holsters are fully ambidextrous, giving the shooter a wider range of options depending on gear or carry preference, and have high guards all the way around. Who said concealed carry had to be uncomfortable?

G&A INVESTMENTS OFFERS NEW PISTOL AND RIFLE CLEANING MAT www.theprofessionalschoice.net • Booth #1821 G&A Investments has been making cleaning patches for a decade, and offers a line called The Professionals Choice.

This year they are introducing a tough pistol and rifle cleaning mat, made from 100 percent recycled fibers. It absorbs oils and fluids, and may be used inside and outside.

In addition to the mat, The Professionals Choice also launched a new silicone wiping cloth and an extreme weapons grease to keep them running and up to snuff.

This company produces the largest variety of cleaning patches anywhere, and there are patch sizes to fit everything from rimfires up to large-caliber rifles and Cleaning Mat shotguns.

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gear STONER HOLSTERS OFFERS VERTICAL CUSTOM SHOULDER RIG www.stonerholsters.com The Stormer vertical custom shoulder holster from Stoner is quite a rig, with a pivoting holster insert inside the shell.

There’s a horizontal pouch on the opposite side for spare magazines and a pull-through snap that secures the gun to the holster. The holster is secured with a thick piece of elastic that returns the holster to its upright position when the user does not have a grip on the pistol.

Stoner designed the harness to be fully adjustable, and it is chrome-tanned for comfort. In addition, all the leather components are vegetable-tanned premium cowhide.

The Stormer comes in Havana brown and is made entirely in the USA.

R&Z TARGETS HAS SEVERAL VERAL DESIGNS www.rztargets.com R&Z Targets offers a line of reactive and paper targets that are easy to assemble and are interchangeable.

There are targets for air and rimfire rifles, handguns ranging from 9mm to .44 Magnum, and rifles in various calibers ranging upwards from .223 Remington.

Some of R&Z products include White Lightning exploding targets made with Tannerite that produces a loud boom. These may be shot with rimfires, centerfires, shotguns and even Dual Swinger muzzleloaders.

R&Z produces collapsible target stands, sized to fit one, two or three swinging targets, and offers a line of bullet traps with models designed for various guns upwards from BB and pellet guns.

LYMAN OFFERS ESSENTIAL RIFLE MAINTENANCE MAT www.lymanproducts.com • Booth #12724 The new Essential Rifle Maintenance mat from Lyman is chemical resistant and features molded storage compartments for small parts.

Made from synthetic rubber for a nonslip surface, the Essential Rifle mat measures 10 inches wide by 36 inches long. It will fit most rifles and shotguns and rolls up for storage, or can be hung on a wall.

N82 TACTICAL UNVEILS NEW MAG CARRIERS www.n82tactical.com N82 has announced a new line of magazine carriers, built on the same design as its popular concealment holsters.

Featuring the same three-layer backing as their holsters, these new mag carriers will accommodate anything from .22-caliber-sized single stacks to double-stack magazines for .45 ACP-caliber pistols.

There are five different models available.

PRIVATE LABELS, HEADWEAR AND PATCHES FROM PACIFIC SPORTSWEAR & EMBLEM CO. www.pacsport.com With a large variety of products, Pacific Sportswear and Emblem has been addressing the needs of businesses and organizations from its headquarters in San Diego.

What they appear to do best of all is patches, from the simple to the most complicated.

Using precision-cut molds and embroidery machines, this outfit utilizes various materials in its patch-making process. Patches can be embroidered, rubber/PVC or chenille.

The company works with each client to produce a finished product that fills their needs, and can readily accomodate large companies for items such as uniforms. Another excellent trait is they work fast.

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FROGLUBE EXTREME: PROFESSIONALGRADE LUBRICATION FOR EXTREME CONDITIONS www.froglube.com • #20405 Keeping firearms running in all temperatures and conditions requires a good lubricant, and FrogLube Extreme meets those challenges.

This stuff was formulated to work across a broad range of environmental conditions, from minus 44 degrees to above 140. It is nontoxic and all natural.

It doesn’t evaporate or burn off at high temperatures, reduces fouling in tactical rifles, micronizes fouling particles, functions even on precision firearms and it complies with Army field manual/tech manual specifications for small arms operations and maintenance.

FrogLube Extreme comes in a handy squeeze tube.

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gear PROLIX LUBRICANTS KEEP GUNS RUNNING www.prolixlubricant.com PrOlix is a nonpetroleum-based solvent/lubricant that has been keeping guns running for a long time.

It cleans and lubricates firearms, preserves wood, inhibits rust and corrosion and eliminates oil and grease. PrOlix provides waterproof protection and is environmentally friendly.

It is also safe to use on Glock polymers.

SAVOY LEATHER www.savoyleather.com Artistry and design is what Savoy Leather is all about. Their unique look and designs are admired and coveted by so many different shootingindustry enthusiasts.

Each holster is crafted to order so you know you are getting a unique piece of gear made just for you. Crafted from fine leather with exquisite attention to detail, the Savoy family lives by their motto: “Let our family create an heirloom for yours.”

ULTICLIP

PRO DEFENSE GIVES BACK YOUR HANDS

www.ulticlip.com • Booth #N113 Holster clips are known to fail, but are often and simply the best way to carry concealed. Ulticlip solved the problem by creating a military-grade holster clip that will not break, and offers 10 times the retention of normal clips, making this perfect for all sorts of carry options – pockets, IWB, with or without a belt, backpacks and purses. It’s one clip for all your needs.

www.pro-defense.com Watching hunters transitioning over all types of terrain while in pursuit of game clearly demonstrates that one hand is continuously repositioning the rifle sling on the shoulder.

The Gunslinger from Pro-Defense Tactical Solutions readily attaches to the backpack strap and positions the sling up on the shoulder, freeing up both arms and hands, while keeping your firearm readily accessible.

The Gunslinger also features a Picatinny-rail feature to attach a light or other accessory. It’s lightweight (.5 ounces), compact and extremely durable. The Gunslinger is made in America, designed by experienced outdoorsmen and field tested by highly experienced hunters.

NEW WATERTIGHT ISERIES CASES FROM SKB www.skbcases.com • Booth #14305

3i-5014-3G

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Two new watertight additions to the SKB1 series and updated versions of the 3-gun Watertight Competition case have been unveiled by SKB. These cases were announced late in 2015, and the lineup includes the 3i-3614-AR iSeries Custom AR case. This one measures 36.5x14.5x6 inches. It will hold a shorter tactical rifle or carbine and it features pull-out foam plugs that allow firearms with overall lengths of 35 inches. They feature dense closed-cell recyclable foam, and there is room for a rifle scope.

The 3i-4214-AR iSeries case is 42.5 inches long and accommodates longer tactical rifles. It also holds accessories and has a foam interior.

These cases are made with high-strength polypropylene copolymer resin, and they have gaskets to keep water out. They have molded-in hinges and a patented trigger-release latch system.

The updated 3-gun watertight Competition Case, the 3i-5014-3G, features a heavy-duty closed-cell foam interior with 17 accessory cavities. There is room for all sorts of gear, plus three firearms. The 3G case holds scoped rifles up to 39 inches long and shotguns up to 48 inches long, and there is also room for handguns. There is an extra cavity for tools and cleaning gear, plus cavities for pistol magazines and another for a holster. This case also features molded-in hinges and stainless-steel hinge pins. It is gasketed to keep out dust and water and is also submersible.

gear WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT SLIP 2000 GUN WIPES? EVERYTHING! www.slip2000.com • Booth #N509 Each Slip 2000 Gun Wipe packet contains one 5x8-inch wipe treated with Slip 2000 Synthetic Gun Lube.

This conveniently small packet is easy to carry, and perfect for light carbon cleaning or a quick lubrication. Sealed in an air-tight foil packet, the wipe stays lubricated, even if unopened for years.

One wipe can be used on multiple

guns. Simply open the packet and wipe down any metal surface that needs lubrication, protection or a light cleaning. It is safe for use on all firearm stocks and grips.

What is awesome about these wipes is they do not evaporate or leak, ever! And, if stored properly, can stay viable for repeated use.

SP SPORTEAR MAKES HEARING COMFORTABLE CO

COMP-TAC SHOWCASES THREE NEW HOLSTERS www.comp-tac.com • Booth #15743

www.sportear.com • Booth #2606 www

Comp-Tac is going to showcase three new holsters at the 2016 SHOT Show, all designed for concealed carry.

The Infidel Max is made from Kydex and is designed for inside-the-waistband carry. It has an easy-on/off clip that allows for cant adjustments, and it may be worn anywhere from the appendix area to the back hip.

It is joined by the Infidel Ultra Max, a slick hybrid model for IWB carry that also offers an easy-on/off nylon clip, and can be adjusted for cant. It comes with a Kydex shell and leather backing.

The Cavalry model is for pocket-sized handguns. It has a leather backing and Kydex shell, and allows for a fast draw. It has a retention adjustment, the cant is also adjustable, and even the ride height can be adjusted.

Infidel Max

Spo SportEAR knows how to take hunting to an entirely new level. They are industry leaders in ent hearing protection/enhancement for hunters and hea shooters. Not only do they specialize in protecting sho your hearing from loud noises, they have an you entire line dedicated to electronically enhancing ent sound up to 10 times the normal levels, which sou is ggreat for all sorts of applications. These folks have over 50 years of experience in the hearing hav industry. Who else would you trust with such an indu important perishable sense?

DEBUSK ARMS OFFERS MIRAGE CERAMIC FINISH www.debuskarms.com

Hellcat

BROWNING HAS NEW FLASHLIGHTS

The DeBusk Arms custom shop offers a color-changing ceramic finish with a full line of premium colors.

This coating can be applied to almost any surface including rifles and handguns. The finish actually changes colors depending upon the viewing angle and available light. The process includes application of a base coat to the entire piece and a clear coat over the finish.

There is a full line of Mirage premium colors.

www.browning.com • Booth #10744, 15537, 12740, 15129 New outdoor/hunting flashlights are on the way from Browning, including a couple of rechargeable models and a headlamp.

Browning’s new Hellcat has a very bright beam that reaches out quite far.

It produces 610 lumens with a pair of CR123A lithium batteries or 825 lumens with the optional Li-ion battery. It has an aluminum body and polycarbonate lens. It also has soft green LEDs. The Hell’s Canyon Speed Alpha Max is rechargeable, with advanced digital circuitry and an aircraft-grade aluminum body. It has a Luxeon white LED with high and low modes and brightness levels of 155 to 315 lumens. There’s also a single green LED for stealth, and it has a Dura Touch armor coating.

Then there’s the High Noon rechargeable spotlight, with a white LED that will never need to be replaced. It produces 50 to 850 lumens and casts a beam out to 550 yards. It has a polycarbonate housing with a flexible rubber-lens ring and built-in adjustable stand for hands-free use.

The headlamp is the Black Out 6V model with 635 lumens. It is effective out to 165 yards with a white LED that will also never need to be replaced. It has an anodized aluminum body and silent Tilt Hinge and a soft-rubber soft rubber head plate.

TACSTAR HAS SLIMLINE SIDESADDLE SHOTSHELL CARRIERS www.tacstar.com • Booth #12724 Designed to mount onto the left side of a pump or semiauto shotgun, and holding six spare shells, the Slimline SideSaddle mount provides secure shell retention.

Made from a proprietary flexible synthetic rubber, the SideSaddle is available for the Remington 870, 1100 and 1187, and Mossberg’ 500 and 590 and the Maverick 88.

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INNOVATION CONTINUES WITH CUTTING-EDGE PRODUCT OFFERINGS AT PACIFIC EMBLEM COMPANY At Pacific Emblem Co., they refer to themselves as “the quiet force” in private label headwear, patches and trims. Quiet, perhaps, but their work is worth making some noise over.

Pacific Emblem offers a wide range of products, from their LaserCut embroidered patches to their technical trims that include rubber, PVC, glitter, glow, reflective and more. Made using embroidery machines and precision-cut molds, Pacific Emblem can mix mediums using felt, tackle twill, dye sublimation and embroidery all on one finished patch and offers up to six colors of soft PVC die cut to any shape. The company also offers high quality chenille patches to the trade.

The company maintains a 3,000-square foot sales office, showroom and distribution warehouse in San Diego, Calif.

Samples of their work can be seen at PacificEmblem.com, but does not sell online. They work with each customer on the phone and via email to get specs and quote the best solution for their needs. The range of products requires this special attention.

There are a few other websites for their targeted licensed brands: Honda Motorcycle Patches is at HondaPatches.com and UFC is at MMAProductsOnline.com.

With all that expertise, experience, great product and service, one can hardly expect Pacific Emblem Company to stay quiet any longer.

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gear WARREN CUSTOM OUTDOORS HAS YOU COVERED www.warrencustomoutdoor.com If you are a shooter or hunter – if you are not, then you probably picked up this magazine by accident – then stop by Warren Custom Outdoors and say “Hi,” even online! These folks are the perfect blend of yesterday’s smalltown kindness and offer modern products any one of us could use. Their website is like being in your hometown store that carries everything, even items you didn’t know you needed but

GOLDEN BORE ANNOUNCES NEW LUBRICANT www.goldenbore-guncare.com New from Golden Bore is a product called Premium Bolt, Slide and Action Lubricant, containing an ingredient called MazivoMax70.

According to Golden Bore, this stuff is formulated to handle harsh weather conditions, including freezing rain, snow, sleet, dirt, sand and even salt air. The most surprising thing is that it contains no oils or moisture-based diluents.

It is inert to fingerprints, water and other things that spell trouble to firearms. This lubricant will perform at subzero temperatures and extremely hot temperatures.

simply must have.

Some of the items they offer include the renowned Eezox synthetic lubricant line and an entire library of take-down guides (the how-to books that explain how to disassemble any number of firearms), lures, trapping baits, sights, flashlights and something called a Woodman’s Pal. We just have to get this hatchet/knife/axe thing, if for no other reason than to say we have one!

Check these guys out, but make sure you have some time to sit on their proverbial front porch and solve the world’s problems.

TANNERITE OFFERS NEW 3D TARGET, EXPLODING TARGET www.ustacticalsupply.com • Booth #2118 Coming from Tannerite this year is a single 1-pound exploding target and new 3D cardboard target called Pete The Prairie Dog. This is quite a small target, and their first three-dimensional animal target. It stands 14 inches tall, and may be used with ¼-, ½- and 1-pound Tannerite targets.

This target is in response to popular demand.

It’s nonincendiary, comes with its own mixing container and provides a safe alternative to other exploding targets.

The target has a built-in shelf, and there is a bull’s eye hold in the center. When hit, the target is pulverized.

MERNICKLE ANNOUNCES NEW SHOTGUN SHELL BELT www.mernickleholsters.com Mernickle Holsters has announced a new shotgun shell belt that is a combination of old and new styling and materials, sure to win quick favor with the cowboy action crowd.

The new shotgun belt features heavy military-grade elastic rather than leather for the shell loops, while the belt is leather and lined with suede to prevent movement while being worn. The new model allows users to extract shells at any angle with little or no effort, while still holding them firmly in place until needed.

There are six elastic loops that hold two shells each.

TACTICAL TAILOR www.tacticaltailor.com From day one Tactical Tailor’s focus has been to make quality products for those who protect our country, and that has never changed. From slings, packs, rigs and bug-out bags to holsters and uppers, you name it, Tactical Tailor has you covered.

Their motto, “Do what’s right because it’s right,” is a phrase they stand by, and they pride themselves on making quality gear and providing good jobs for hardworking Americans. Needless to say, all of their products are designed and manufactured in America for those who protect our nation.

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gear TRIPLE K HAS NEW HOLSTERS www.triplek.com • Booth #1710

NEW FROM STICKY HOLSTERS: TRAVEL MOUNT www.stickyholsters.com • Booth #1043 The latest introduction from Sticky Holsters is one that roadtrippers and simple commuters should warm up to.

Called the Travel Mount, it is a simple and practical accessory that allows armed citizens to mount a Sticky Holster in a center console, motorcycle saddlebag, boat compartment, night stand, desk or anywhere that one might wish to have a pistol handy.

It attaches via a hook-and-loop fastener and stays put. The Travel Mount is 8 inches tall by 5¾ inches wide.

Another entry from Sticky Holsters is a new line of pouches for Tasers. These holster allow people to carry a Taser openly or concealed, providing a nonlethal defensive tool.

Triple K Manufacturing has launched a new holster line designed to meet the needs of handgun hunters with two models as well, as a third model designed for Model 1911 pistols and clones.

There are two models for scoped handguns. The first is the Big Thunder Torso Rig, which accommodates rather large handguns fitted with scopes. It is designed to distribute the weight of a large hunting handgun evenly across the torso and both shoulders with a neck strap that is adjustable and has a wide band for comfort around the neck. The handgun is carried laterally in a ready position.

It is a good choice for backpackers and horsemen.

The Space Cowboy holster is a belt holster with a straight drop.

It can be worn on belts up to 2.25 inches wide, and is open on the front to accommodate Lucky Gator scopes.

There’s a tieoff leg strap and a safety strap that fastens over the hammer.

Triple K’s Lucky Gator Holster is a rig for the Model 1911 and its clones with barrel lengths from 4 to 5 inches. Made from select American alligator hide over premium vegetable-tanned steer leather, it features waxed nylon stitching and a draw shield, and is available in brown or black.

Big Thunder Torso Rig

NEW ‘BIG FIFTY’ REST FROM BULLETS.COM www.bullets.com There’s a new cast-iron rifle rest from Bald Eagle called the Big Fifty, announced late in 2015. This rugged rest weighs 24 pounds, and has a triangle base that definitely provides stability no matter what type of rifle it hosts. There are separate coarse and fine adjustments for elevation. It may be used on a bench or on the ground, but this is not something one would carry along into the field. This is a serious rest.

The overall length is 18 inches and overall width is 20 inches, and it stands between 7 and 11 inches high.

The Big Fifty has a cradle made from aluminum and steel with a depth of 2.5 inches, and the forend stop is made from high-density polyethylene. The stop measures 2⅛ inches.

Also coming is the Bald Eagle extreme-duty pistol cleaning stand. This unit is hefty, weighing 10.46 pounds. Made from cast iron, it has a mounting system that fits most semiauto pistols with detachable magazines. It is tilt-adjustable and also rotates. It locks every 30 degrees.

The Bald Eagle has a large lock handle that can be repositioned, and there are four mounting holes that allow this unit to be mounted in place.

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THIRD GENERATION SHOOTING SUPPLY www.thirdgenerationshootingsupply.com If there is any place on the web for all your shooting gear needs, it’s these guys!

The website is literally bursting at the seams with all of the possibilities, and features items such as reloading, gun furniture and cases, triggers, accessories, scope mounts, lasers, presses, targets, smokeless powders and a partridge in a pear tree. If you want it, they have it. We dare you to even try finding something they don’t carry. To top it off, these guys are like your neighborhood parts-store friend who can provide answers to your shooting questions and solutions to your shooting problems. What they may not have is a therapist chair for those days you simply cannot gauge the wind correctly, but they’ll still try to help. They are also huge sponsors of the Precision Rifle Series each year. Keep your eye out for their amazing team.

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HOLSTER SHOWCASE

gear WHITE OAK DRY FIRE DEVICE www.whiteoakarmament.com Time and time again, dry-fire practice has been proven to be an invaluable form of training. White Oak Armament must have felt the same way, so they devised an ingenius m contraption solely for this type of training. The Dry Fire co Device resets your trigger without the trainee having to De break their position. The size and profile is the same as a bre 20-round magazine and can be used in conjunction with 20-r electronic trainers such as SCATT or Noptel. This is a great elec training tool for coaches, novice and competitive shooters, and even armorers can use it to test the trigger train pull aafter an installation. When clamped in a vise, it leaves both hands free to test and adjust the trigger. This trigger reset tool is not just for handguns. It can also be used in AR-style rifles by installing it through the top trigge of the magwell before placing the upper onto your lower. The carrier assembly must be removed from the upper receiver, which makes this a very safe training aid. Now that is thinking outside the box!

WRIGHT LEATHERWORKS www.wrightleatherworks.com If you are looking for an excellent-quality, lowprofile OWB leather holster, then you must try the Predator by Wright Leatherworks. This clean, tight-fitting holster not only offers the perfect concealment design, but they have clearly thought out issues surrounding other leather holsters, such as adding a special stiffening strap that keeps the mouth of the holster open, making reholstering smooth and easy.

They can accommodate just about any firearm and, get this, if they don’t have your firearm listed, they will make it for you. How is that for customer service?

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Available online only at www.buyholsters.com or by phone at 1-855-Buy-Holsters

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KRAMER HORSEHIDE HOLSTERS EQUALS TOP QUALITY www.kramerleather.com Horsehide has long been known as a viable material for concealedcarry holsters, and one of the top names in the business, Greg Kramer, has been using this leather for many years.

There are several models, and recently Kramer supplied us with a sample of the MSP Paddle Holster, which is one of the more popular rigs and exemplary of Kramer handiwork. This rugged rig features a paddle reinforced with plastic and fitted with a backup snap belt loop that is removable.

Kramer produces all kinds of concealment holsters and magazine pouches, including crossdraw models, pocket holsters, IWB rigs and even a holster specifically designed for women.

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J. Thomas Manger, chief of the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland and president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, has spent a lifetime in law enforcement and is helping to change the landscape of policing nationwide and beyond.

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FROM

BEHIND THE BADGE

BEATWALKER TO CHIEF MAKER Montgomery County, Md., Police Department’s Chief J. Thomas Manger

STORY BY TROY TAYSOM • PHOTOGRAPHS BY J. THOMAS MANGER ormally I conduct stories and interviews on officers who work at the street level. This month I had the opportunity to speak with Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland. Chief Manger has been in law enforcement since 1976, and his career started in a small resort town also in Maryland – Ocean City, to be exact – where the smell of the Atlantic mixes with the smell of hot dogs and popcorn, and the wooden boardwalk creaks as tourists search for the perfect nautical souvenir. Manger was hired as a seasonal officer working the summer months when the town’s population exploded. At the end of his first summer Manger was hired by the Fairfax County Police Department and worked his way from rookie patrol officer all the way up to chief of police.

N

YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST Cops see and experience things that most of us never will.

Murder scenes, kidnappings, bank robberies – the list goes on. There are some calls that officers simply cannot forget, but these lasting memories mark each officer for different reasons. For Chief Manger it was a single-car accident where a teenage girl had lost control of her car on a windy road.

Manger arrived and found the girl suffering from significant injuries. The call was routine in every regard except one; this was Chief Manger’s first call where he didn’t have a field training officer riding with him. It was just him and the driver. The young driver depended on Manger for comfort, care and protection. This call left a lasting impression on the future chief because he recognized the fear and anxiety that the driver was experiencing. He also realized that this injured teenager expected him to know exactly what to do. It was in this moment that he realized what it meant to wear the uniform and badge. Fortunately, the teenage driver survived the accident because Manger was able to render the proper first-aid she so desperately needed.

Not all calls end with positive outcomes. Manger was called out on one occasion to investigate a death. When he arrived he found hysterical parents, two cribs and a set of three-month-old twin babies – one alive and the other deceased. SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) claimed the life of one of their children. Knowing that Manger was a father of three boys, I asked how he dealt with such a horrendous call. He told me, “These calls break your heart, but you can’t let them break your spirit.”

THE D.C. SNIPER The first three weeks of October 2002 were filled with terror in the Washington D.C. area. Thirteen innocent people were shot, 10 of them fatally. Police departments in the area were under extreme p pressure to stop these killings.

In Fairfax County, Va., Chief Thomas Manger was in charge of the Linda Franklin investigation, the 11th victim of this crime spree.

I asked Manger what it was like during these events and he said, “We worked 20-hour days, every day.

I’d get home at midnight and be back at the office at 4:00 a.m.

There were more than a thousand people working this case. It was Officer Manger in 1978. the most intense americanshootingjournal.com 159

BEHIND D THE BADGE BADGE Bureau of Investigations to gather data about crime and crime prevention. The group also helps develop policy for dealing with the unique challenges of policing in the 21st century. In addition to policy, the MCCA offers training to their members and Manger oversees all of these efforts. His election to the position of president speaks to his leadership acumen and his vision for progressive policing.

time in my career.” The stress was tremendous on all officers from top to bottom. Manger’s predecessor, Chief Charles Moose, was at the helm of the Montgomery County Police Department at the time, and led the efforts to apprehend the shooters. After three exhausting weeks of investigating thousands of tips and leads, the cops caught up with shooters John Allen Muhammed and Lee Boyd Malvo while the duo slept at a rest stop in Maryland. The terror was finally brought to an end with their arrest.

MAJOR CITIES CHIEFS ASSOCIATION In the early 1960s the police chiefs from the largest cities in the United States started to discuss the unique challenges faced by these large police organizations. Over time these discussions transformed from an informal group to an organized international association called the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). This group currently includes 63 of the largest urban areas in the United States and seven in Canada, among others.

To give you an idea of the groups represented by MCCA, here’s a small list: New York City, Miami, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Las Vegas, Toronto and even London, England.

Chief Manger is the president of this prestigious association, and in this role he heads the direction of the association and their focus for the year. The MCCA works closely with the International Association of Chiefs of Police as well as the Federal (Above) Hosting the Fairfax County Police Department’s Street Beat television program in 1984. (Bottom left) First promotion to the rank of corporal in 1979, with Fairfax County Chief of Police, Richard A. King. (Bottom right) Running roll call as a sergeant in 1982.

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POST-FERGUSON CHANGES There’s no denying that the events in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014 have had a vast and lasting impact on police agencies and their policies. Officers nationwide came under the microscope of scrutiny – deserved or not. This scrutiny required each chief and their senior staff to reevaluate their standard operating procedures. Chief Manger was adamant that the thin blue line so many people reference isn’t as prevalent as it is made out to be. Manger said, “When a cop messes up, we aren’t sitting around trying to think of how to cover it up. We have to look at each incident and make decisions on what actions to take. Do we need to conduct additional training? Is the incident severe enough to warrant termination? I think it’s important to note that the overwhelming majority of cops do their jobs correctly as they were trained to do.” Chief Manger also pointed out that departments are doing a much better job when hiring new officers. He said, “Police jobs aren’t going to get any easier.”

In fact, the job of policing in this century is arguably more difficult than ever before.

I asked the chief about being an administrator as opposed to a street officer and if he missed being on the road. He told me, “I can help in different ways now such as through training, acquiring better equipment and making sure we hire the right people.”

BODY CAMERAS have been a hot button topic since Ferguson.

Citizens have been clamoring for their use by all departments. I asked

americanshootingjournal.com 161

BEHIND THE BADGE Manger with Ed Flynn, Arlington County police chief at the time,

Manger if he felt that body cameras should be used overseeing a large demonstration at the World Bank in Wash. D.C. by all agencies and he was very firm with his answer. in 2001. Flynn is now the chief of police in Milwaukee, Wis. “First, body cameras are not infallible. They are not the be-all-end-all that they have been made out to be. Body cameras only capture what is directly in front of the officer. Cameras don’t see everything.

They are also very expensive to operate. The data storage costs alone are unbelievably expensive, but cost isn’t the only consideration in adopting body cameras.” Manger continued, “You also need to take a look at when a camera might be turned on. Do we want them on while we investigate crimes that are of a sensitive nature, like sexual assaults and crimes involving children? Remember, all of these videos will be the same as written reports and subject to the in the MCCA secures his place at the table where the future Freedom of Information Act requests.” of policing will be decided. We live in exciting times and unimaginable technological advances. The new cop has to be I asked Manger if he felt all departments will have able to navigate this technology, understand how it can help his body cameras, to which he said, “I don’t think so, but efforts and how it can be used to commit crimes. each will have to make that decision for themselves.” It Sir Richard Branson said, “A lot of supposedly new ideas are is important to note that body cameras are just another actually recycled old ones. The best ideas always win out.” This investigative tool, not an all-seeing magic device. is true in law enforcement. The idea of community-oriented policing isn’t new. In fact, this is how policing started out. In the FUTURE OF POLICING old days cops walked beats. They knew all the members of their When it comes to the future of policing, Chief Manger is community, and interacted with them regularly. Citizens knew right in the thick of it. His presidency and membership

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

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BEHIND THE BADGE the cops and trusted them as a member of the community, not an invader.

When a crime was committed, the beat cop was the one who was often given the tip that led to an arrest. As society grew, we moved away from the beat-cop concept and officers were put in patrol cars. While this increased the area a cop could cover and the speed with which he could cover it, this also created a barrier between the citizen and the officer. Times are changing again. Law enforcement agencies are going back to the beat system. What was once old is new again.

CREATING FUTURE LEADERS The true test of a good leader is how well they can manage an organization in its quest for excellence. The sign of an excellent leader is one who not only achieves excellence for the organization but produces other excellent leaders.

Several of Chief Manger’s senior

Manger often brought his children to

staff have been hired public events as a way to spend time with them and introduce them to community. as chiefs in other police agencies.

John King, a former assistant chief with Montgomery County, is now the chief of police in Provo, Utah. I asked Chief King what it was like working for Tom Manger and he said, was very different from what he had “Chief Manger taught me a lot – and experienced in Fairfax County. I took still does, as we talk often – but one that lesson to heart when I moved of the first lessons I learned from him across the country from Maryland was trust. When he became the chief and took over as an outsider chief of police and my boss in Montgomery with the Provo Police Department.”

County, I was one of the other chief Chief Manger is leading the finalists. Chief Manger could have nation right now in policing in the taken that as a threat and had me 21st century. His vision for the future replaced because I had an at-will ensures that his citizens will be position as assistant chief. Instead, protected, his cops held accountable he trusted me to be professional, and and the relationship between citizen counted on me to help him navigate and cop will become strong again. ASJ the organizational culture, which

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American Shooting Journal // January 2016

AMMUNITION ABM OFFERS NEW LOADS IN TWO CALIBERS www.abmammo.com The newest loads from ABM (Applied Ballistics Munitions) Ammo feature Berger Hybrid bullets, and they’re designed for match-level precision.

According to ABM, there are two loads in .260 Remington and another two in .308 Winchester.

In .260 Remington, the Match Ready load has a 140-grain Berger Match Hybrid. The 6.5mm .5mm bullet offers less wind deflection and more energy at long range. The other load is the Mission Ready round, with a 130-grain Berger Match AR Hybrid tactical load, designed for use on the AR-10 platform.

The two new .308 offerings include a Mission Ready load described as a 185-grain Match Juggernaut OTM tactical round for extended long-range capability.

The other offering is the 185-grain Berger Match Juggernaut target load for Palma and d F-class long-range competition. It is designed for minimal wind drift or vertical stringing.

NEW AMMUNITION FROM SIG SAUER www.sigsauer.com • Booth #12240 Since Sig Sauer got into the ammunition business, it’s been one new load after another, and the newest additions include .38 Super, .38 Special, .357 Magnum and .300 Blackout.

The .38 Super +P load has a 125-grain bullet, as do the .38 Special and .357 Magnum loads.

Meanwhile, the .300 Blackout comes with a 220-grain bullet loaded to 1,000 feet per second for subsonic performance. Later they will also offer a 120-grain supersonic bullet.

BLACK HILLS HAS SIZZLING NEW .38 SPL. www.black-hills.com • Booth #3019, 12752 There’s a sizzling new .38 Special coming this year from Black Hills Ammo, and it’s touted as producing nearly 1,000 feet per second from a snubby.

According to Black Hills, this new entry will get above 1,000 fps from a 3-inch barreled gun, and in gel tests it has performed far better than typical .38 loads. Black Hills uses a nonexpanding bullet in this round that was developed in cooperation with Lehigh Defense. It will not plug up like some hollowpoints, nor will it fragment rather then penetrate.

With the growing popularity of concealed carry, many people are carrying revolvers chambered for the venerable cartridge, rather than semiautos, and this new round will put the caliber squarely back on the self-defense map.

CENTURY ARMS HAS LOTS OF NEW LOADS www.centuryarms.com • Booth #14251 Century Arms will be offering plenty of new ammunition, in the Century Battle Gear and Red Army lines.

Starting out with the Century Hotshot roundup, there are a couple of 9mm loads, one with a 115-grain bullet and the other pushing a 124-grainer. They are boxer primed and manufactured in the Slovak Republic with brass cases. There’s a third 9mm load, with a 115-grain FMJ bullet made in Russia with steel cases and Berdan primers.

Joining them is a .380 ACP load with a 91-grain FMJ bullet, steel case and Berdan primers, and a .45 ACP with a 230-grain FMJ, steel case and Berdan primers.

The selections also include a 7.62x51mm with a 146-grain bullet and brass case imported from Poland; a 7.92x57 (8mm Mauser) with a steel case manufactured in Romania with Berdan primers; a .223 Remington with a 55-grain FMJ bullet made in Russia with Berdan primers and another with a 55-grain hollowpoint; and a .308 Winchester with a 150-grain FMJ bullet, also manufactured in Russia with Berdan primers.

In the Red Army Standard line, there’s a couple of 7.62x39mm loads with a 122-grain FMJ and one with a 122-grain hollowpoint made in Russia with steel cases and Berdan primers; a 7.62x39mm with a 123-grain FMJ available in boxes of 30, 180 or range packs of 1,080 rounds; and a pair of 7.62x54 loads with a 148-grain FMJ. Also from Red Army Standard is a 7.62x25mm Tokarev with an 86-grain FMJ and a 9x18mm Makarov with a 93-grain FMJ, plus a 5.45x39mm FMJ Bi-Metal bullet.

americanshootingjournal.com 167

Ammunition NEXUS AMMUNITION PRODUCES MATCH LINE AMMO www.nexusammo.com • Booth #11771

TULAMMO ADDS THE MAXXTECH LINE AND .50 BMG ROUND

Nexus offers a lineup of match-grade ammunition in popular calibers, using top-shelf components.

Selections include a .223 Remington with a 77-grain Match HPBT bullet at 2,767 feet per second; .260 Remington with a 136-grain HPBT bullet at 2,805 fps; a .300 Blackout with a 125-grain HP bullet moving out at 1,857 fps, or a 220-grain subsonic load with a HPBT bullet moving out at 1,001 fps; a .308 Winchester pushing a 168-grain HPBT projectile at 2,706 fps or a 175-grain HPBT at 2,530 fps, plus a 175-grain HPBT pill at 1,031 fps; and, lastly, a 220-grain HPBT subsonic load at 1,001 fps.

There is also a pair of .300 Winchester Magnums, one with a 190-grain HPBT at 2,960 fps and the other with a 220-grain HPBT at 2,784 fps. Lastly, two loads come in .338 Lapua, one with a 250-grain HPBT clocking 2,805 fps and the other with a 300-grain HPBT that leaves the muzzle at 2,710 fps.

www.tulammousa.com • Booth #2638 TulAmmo has been providing experience in rifle and pistol ammunition for ages, and this year they are adding a number of new products including the MAXXTech line of brasscased pistol cartridges. The cool part about MAXXTech is they combines top-shelf ballistic performance with a reloadable case for shooters interested in continued precision shot after shot.

Also new this year is their .50 BMG round for big-bore rifle enthusiasts. All new, all cool.

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Sierra Ti Tipped ipped d MatchKing Matc tchK tc hKi h King Ki ng Bul Bu B Bullets ulllet u llet lleeetts

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Ammunition G2 RESEARCH OFFERS CIVIC DUTY SELF-DEFENSE AMMO www.g2rammo.com • Booth #1060 The new Civic Duty round launches a bullet designed to open up for massive expansion, and is offered currently in 9mm and .45 ACP. The Civic Duty bullet is made from solid copper, is CNCmachined and offers a six six-petal petal peel peel-back back design that causes a great deal of tissue damage.

ICC HAS EXPANDED LINE OF .300 BLACKOUT AMMO IC www.iccammo.com www Inte International Cartridge Corporation has been producing lead-free, frangible ammunition for ssome time, and offers both training and duty ammo for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. enfo Among the newest advancements are loads for the .300 Blackout. The Green and Gold Elite training line includes a 100-grain supersonic unjacketed frangible training round for use on ssteel targets, a 108-grain supersonic semijacketed frangible training round for suppressed firearms and a 147-grain supersonic FMJ training round firea for ooutdoor training and other uses.

Additionally, in the Duty and Defense lines there’s 110-grain supersonic jacketed frangible, a 110-grain a 11 supersonic solid-copper load, a 120-grain supersonic sup jacketed frangible, a 140-grain supersonic frangible jack jacketed open-tip round, a 180-grain subsonic solidjack copper expanding round, a 190-grain subsonic solidcop copper expanding round and a 220-grain subsonic with a cop Sierra MatchKing for duty and defense.

Sier

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RELOADING BADMAN BULLETS OFFERS POLYMER COATED BULLET LINE www.badmanbullets.com Badman’s Polymer Coated bullets have exceeded expectations during testing, and now they’re available in several calibers.

The selection includes bullets in 9mm in three weights: a roundnose 115-grainer, a roundnose weighing 124 grains and a flatpoint weighing 147 grains; a .38/.357 in six weights: 105-grain TFP, 125-grain RNFP, 127-grain RNFP, 130-grain RNFP, 157-grain RNFP and 158-grain SWC; a pair of .40-caliber flatpoints weighing 140 and 180 grains; a 200-grain .44-caliber RNFP; and a quartet of .45-caliber bullets, including a 185-grain RN, a 200-grain RNFP, a 200-grain SWC and a 230-grain RN. All of these hard-cast lead bullets have a red hue from the polymer coating, which is designed to dramatically reduce gunsmoke, works great in bullet feeders, travels through the bore without abrasions and leaves no coating residue. The polymer coating is baked on.

ENTERPRISE SERVICES EXPANDS THEIR CASE SPINNER LINE www.cartridgeanneal.com Stop the tumblers! If you are a reloader, this new casecleaning system might be just want you want and need.

The case spinner polishes 100 percent of the exterior, including the case head and extraction groove. Enterprise has offered their .30-caliber case spinner for some time now. In their own words, they finally got off their butts at the request of loaders natiowide, and created the same simple yet amazing system for .22-, 6mm-, .25-, 6.5mm-, 7mm-, .30-, .338- and .45-caliber cases. What’s nice is each of those tools also work with a wide range of cases within each of those calibers. What reloader wouldn’t need this?

Enterprise services has everything to get you set up.

HODGDON EXPANDS ENDURON POWDERS www.hodgdon.com • Booth #16738 Hodgdon announced late last year that it is expanding the new line of Enduron technology propellants to include the new IMR 4955 with built-in copper-fouling eliminator.

This newest entry is a good choice for such cartridges as the .25-06 Remington, .270 Winchester, .280 Remington and .300 Winchester Magnum, to name a few. Its burn speed falls in between IMR4451 and IMR 79778, according to Hodgdon literature.

There are now Enduron powders for loading everything from the .223 Remington to the .500 Nitro Express Magnum.

BERGER BULLETS HAS NEW 7MM PROJECTILE www.bergerbullets.com • Booth #1405 Berger has unveiled a 195-grain bullet in 7mm that is part of the EOL Elite Hunter and is heavier than other 7mm pills by 15 grains.

According to Berger literature, animals have been taken out to 1,046 yards with this particular bullet.

This new pill features a hybrid ogive and a boattail angle designed to minimize drag and deliver stability.

Late in 2015, Berger started providing data for two rifling twist rates for each of their bullets. That information can be found at the Berger website.

Berger offers match-grade projectiles in a wide selection of calibers and bullet weights. There are bullets for target shooting, big game and varmint hunting, and tactical applications.

LYMAN HAS NEW ROTARY CASE TUMBLER www.lymanproducts.com • Booth #12724 High-volume shooters who need to keep lots of brass polished will likely delight with the appearance of the Cyclone rotary-case tumbler from Lyman.

It can handle up to 1,000 spent .223 Remington cases, so it can handle more handgun cartridges for sure. It comes with 5 pounds of stainless-steel media pins and a sample packet of cleaning solution. It has a lined bowl for quiet operation, and it is belt-driven for smooth, quiet tumbling.

The unit features a built-in timer that runs up to three hours and shuts off the tumbler automatically.

It comes with a couple of sifter pans that allows the media to be poured out of the bowl, and the cleaned brass is then separated from the tumbling media pins.

Another new product is the Bleacher loading block, which features rows for cartridge cases that rise like steps incrementally from the first level to the top level. Made from rugged plastic, the blocks are made in three sizes to fit most cartridge heads, with .388-inch holes in one version and .485-inch holes or .565-inch holes for big caliber guns.

These blocks will hold 50 cartridges.

Cyclone

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RELOADING INLINE FABRICATION MAKES RELOADING ENJOYABLE www.inlinefabrication.com Here is a team that not only loves reloading, they want you to enjoy it as well. They have developed a line of products dedicated to doing just that. Among their brilliant ideas, they build LED press lighting and Ultramount press risers in 4-, 6- and 9-inch-tall versions so you can get set up at the ideal height for you.

They have also just launched their quick-change system that allows the reloader to use the same mount for multiple presses, scales and vises. Imagine all the space you will save!

Not only that, if you have multiple dies, bins, parts and pieces – as any reloader would – they even have storage trays, powder measure holders and wall mount rails to hold Akro bins.

If you like a neat and tidy space that is comfortable and tailored to your needs, you have got to call InLine Fabrication. They will get you all set up.

DILLON PRECISION CONTINUES POPULAR PRODUCTS

NEW PREP TOOL FROM LITTLE CROW GUNWORKS www.littlecrowgunworks.com For a handy prep tool, the PPT from Little Crow Gunworks is built to last through a lot of use.

Featuring a knurled solid-aluminum handle with a bearingmounted aluminum tool head, the PPT has an offset design that sets it apart from other such tools. The tool head has four 8-32 tapped holes that accepts case-prep tools from most major reloading companies. Once they’re installed the user simply rotates the PPT in a clockwise motion to deburr and chamfer the case mouth, and then ream and/or clean the primer pocket.

There is no need to stop, change tools and start over again because everything is there in hand. The PPT is available in several different colors.

Square Deal B

KEN’S BRASS PROVIDES QUALITY CARTRIDGE CASES FOR RELOADING www.kensbrass.com Specializing in quality once-fired brass, Ken’s Brass has been serving handloaders who look for popular or even less-popular calibers.

This Utah-based outfit updates its inventory daily, and provides both rifleand handgun-cartridge cases, and even purchases brass too. Proprietor Ken Christensen said that they’re especially interested in less-than-usual calibers.

Their website lists all of their available brass, and they will notify customers when they are looking for something unusual.

The used brass is carefully inspected to assure that customers get the best quality available, and spent primers are left in the cases.

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www.dillonprecision.com • Booth #3014 With several reloading presses and accessories, Dillon is set to retain its leadership position in the reloading arena.

The legendary Square Deal has introduced more shooters to reloading than anyone can count. It remains today one of the most popular progressive presses on the market. This four-station model features automatic indexing, auto priming and more.

The Square Deal B is capable of loading 300 to 500 rounds per hour and comes with factory-adjusted loading dies ready to go. It is capable of loading only straight-walled pistol cartridges and uses a proprietary drop-in, insert-style die.

At the upper end of the line is the XL 650, a fivestation progressive that is loaded (pun intended).

It features a mechanically indexed shellplate, mechanical case insertion via a case-feed tube and you can order dies for specific calibers.

The 650 comes with one powder measure, one prime system with large and small priming parts, one large and one small primer pick-up tube, a low-primer alarm, a loaded cartridge bin, one toolhead, one powder die, one caliber conversion kit and one set of standard Allen wrenches.

LEE PRECISION HAS NEW EQUIPMENT www.leeprecision.com Lee is offering a bench-mounted priming tool and case-actuated powder measure.

The priming tool features a symmetrical design for right- or left-hand operation, and is made from a clear polyester material that allows the user to see how many primers remain in the tool.

The shell holder and primer size can be changed in a jiffy.

The powder measure features a precision-machined body with labyrinth groove for a leak-free fit. It has a downstroke verification device that helps prevent double charging. Large and small quick-change drums are included.

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RELOADING RAINIER BALLISTICS HAS NEW PROJECTILE www.rainierballistics.com • Booth #3017 Rainier Ballistics, the Washington state-based outfit that specializes in plated bullets, has a new projectile for 2016 that just started shipping before the holidays.

It’s a 170-grain .30-caliber Wedge bullet designed primarily for the .300 AAC Blackout cartridge. There are two versions, a hollowpoint and flatpoint, and neither has a crimping cannelure.

Both versions of the bullet have concave bases, and according to Rainier, they are designed only for subsonic use.

Alexander Arms will soon be offering these bullets in loaded ammunition, according to Rainier.

JAMISON BRASS AND AMMUNITION REMINDS US THAT OLD IS NOT OBSOLETE www.captechintl.com When other manufacturers get caught up in the next big thing to sell new guns, it forces calibers into obsolescence. Jamison Brass and Ammunition believes that many firearms are heirlooms and that obsolete should be a dirty word. Their aim is to keep our heritage alive by building properly formed and head-stamped brass for vintage and hard-to-find calibers. Old does not mean obsolete for this group, and nor should it be for you. The value of your heritage should be in the hands of Jamison Brass.

SIERRA HAS NEW PROJECTILES

7mm MK

www.sierrabullets.com • Booth #16334 Sierra recently announced the availability of new projectiles for reloaders, including one bullet that is fast becoming popular as a component of a new line of ammunition.

For varmint shooters, Sierra offers a new .30-caliber 135-grain hollowpoint for use on larger critters.

This bullet is designed for explosive expansion when they hit predators and varmints, at velocities below 3,200 feet per second. It’s an excellent choice for the .300 Blackout, and they are packaged in boxes of 100 or 500.

For long-range precision shooters, Sierra has introduced a 183-grain 7mm pill in the MatchKing series. This .27-caliber bullet has an elongated ogive and is a hollowpoint boattail.

They are also available in bulk boxes of 500 or smaller packages of 100 bullets.

Sierra is also now making the Sig Sauer V-Crown JHP available in 9mm, 10mm/.40 and .45 caliber. There are three choices in 9mm, weighing 90, 124 and 125 grains. The 10mm/.40caliber entry weighs 165 grains, and the .45 is a 200-grainer.

They are available in boxes of 100.

REDDING HAS NEW TURRET HEAD STORAGE SYSTEM www.redding-reloading.com • Booth #16527 New this year from Redding is a unique storage system for spare turret heads that fit on the Redding T-7 turret reloading press.

Dubbed the Turret Stacker, this storage system lets a busy reloader store multiple turret heads and will hold two or three tiers depending upon the height of the dies. The use of multiple turret heads lets users leave certain die setups in place, contributing to consistency from loading cycle to cycle. There are seven die positions in each turret head.

Featuring an anodized aluminum base and bluesteel stacking spindle, the Turret Stacker comes with removable nonskid feet. If the feet are removed, there are holes in the base that allow mounting directly to a bench.

Redding designed this stacker with multiple spacers, allowing the individual user to set the correct spacing of each head based on the dies that are installed.

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STARLINE BRASS IS EXPANDING www.starlinebrass.com Starline Brass manufactures and sells over 80 calibers of superior quality reloading brass and has just added 15,000 square feet to their existing 30,000-square-foot facility. This expansion provides more floor space for production and expands Starline’s shipping department. Starline already has an excellent reputation and we see this growth as proof that shooters all across the country do as well. According to Starline, this expansion will allow them to grow their product line even beyond what it is today, so keep your eyes out for even more excellent prodcuts from Starline.

WESTERN POWDERS’ HAS NEW LOADING MANUAL www.ramshot.com • Booth #3227 Western Powders has announced a new Reloading & Load Data Guide, this one version 6.0, and it’s already off the press.

Spanning 112 pages, the new loading guide is for Accurate and Ramshot powders, with expanded data that covers hundreds of new loads, with emphasis on two propellants, LT-30 and LT-32, both world record-holding powders.

There is new data for the .30 BR, 6mm PPC, 6.5x284, the 5.56mm NATO and legendary cartridges including the .45-70 Government and the .30-30 Winchester. In addition, there is comprehensive loading data for Blackhorn 209 in both modern muzzleloaders and black powder cartridges, and the guide also offers a complete listing of shotshell reloading data.

The guide features a “getting started” section, and an introduction to the full line of Montana X-Treme gun care products.

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Black Powder RYDON HAS ‘QUICK SIX’ C&B REVOLVER CYLINDER LOADER www.rydoncorp.com Black powder percussion sixguns are fun to shoot, but loading can take some time, and that’s where the new Rydon Quick 6 revolver loader comes in handy.

It seats six rounds at the same time with the same seating pressure.

Featuring an all-steel threaded rod it can seat six round balls or bullets by twisting down on the rod. The loader is available for .36- and .44-caliber cylinders, and the six loading rods are also made from steel.

The unit is made in the U.S. and is but one of the many black powder accessories from Rydon.

SCHUETZEN BLACK POWDER www.schuetzenpowder.com Specialists in black powder, Schuetzen is highly regarded among re-enactors, buckskinners and competitors, and the company also supplies Swiss Black Powder for everything from fine 4Fg and 0B priming powder to powders for cannons and mortars.

Schuetzen black powder is manufactured by WANO Schwarzpulver GmbH in granulations ranging from 1Fg to 3Fg and Reenactor powders for blanks.

Swiss black powder is found in many a horn and flask, and it is produced in small batches with charcoal from buckthorn alder.

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Among the gear that international hunter, author and TV personality Scott Haugen believes that every hunter simply should not be without, the Bullseye Camera System maximizes range time and efficiency like no other wireless device of its kind, and you can see and record each shot on a smart phone.

ROAD HUNTER

HAUGEN’S FAVORITE GEAR Hunters, Take Note – Here’s What A Pro Thinks Is Best STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

ike many of you, I was born and raised around guns and have been hunting my whole life. Over my 45 years of hunting, the last 15 have been spent solely making my living through writing, TV and public speaking – about hunting.

Over the years, technological advancements in the shooting and hunting sports have been nothing short of spectacular. From clothing to firearms, ammo to all kinds of accessories, there are some impressive innovations out there, items that make us better shooters, more comfortable in the field and allow us to do tasks more efficiently.

Here’s a look at my top gear picks that I’ve personally tested, used and loved in 2015. If you’re headed to this month’s SHOT Show in Las Vegas, you’ll be able to see many of these items. If not, retail stores and website can help you learn more about them.

station from over a mile away, but where I find myself using it more and more is when I’m shooting my bow and patterning shotguns.

Pistol and AR-style shooters love the Bullseye system too.

Simply set the camera downrange pointed at your target, download the free app onto your iPhone, iPad, Android device or Windows laptop, and you’re set. No cellular connection or Internet service is required. The system generates its own Wi-Fi hotspot.

Another benefit of using this device is that you can shoot multiple rounds into one target, sight in multiple guns on one target, share a target with multiple shooters and avoid having to walk onto a live range to change paper. Instantly, you see your shot flashing on the screen, and you can review previous shots. This system saves time, money and accurately documents every shot taken. You can visit them at bullseyecamera.com.

BULLSEYE CAMERA SYSTEM (SHOT SHOW BOOTH #1928) The original wireless camera target system, the Bullseye Camera System first caught the eye of long-range shooters.

The Bullseye system transmits shots back to your shooting

THERMACELL HEAT PACKS (SHOT SHOW BOOTH #2350) For years I’ve relied on ThermaCELL’s mosquito repellent units and more recently their ProFLEX Heated Insoles. But their new hand and pocket warmers, dubbed Heat Packs,

L

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ROAD HUNTER Goodbye air-activated hand warmers, hello ThermaCELL Heat Packs. Available in two sizes, the Heat Packs are made with special heat-transferring material, charged via USB and reach 116 degrees.

rock! For nearly a year I’ve used the Heat Packs in a range of bone-chilling conditions and situations, and I appreciate how well they perform.

They’re charged by USB, are hard cased, sturdy and crafted of thermal properties that optimize body heat transfer. They fit well into waders, jackets and pant pockets, and they even slip into a glove. All easily controlled by the push of a button, they come in two sizes and feature three heat settings. The highest setting will reach up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit, and each charge lasts up to six hours, but you can turn the setting lower or off to save battery life.

Charging time is about four hours, and each unit is good for hundreds of charges. If you want to keep your hands and trigger finger warm, you have got to try these out. You can visit them at heat.thermacell.com/heat-packs.

BROWNING SHOTGUN SHELLS (SHOT SHOW BOOTH #15129) I’ve used and tested a lot of shotgun shells over the years. This past bird season I was among the first to test Browning’s new waterfowl and upland BXD loads.

On my first hunt with this ammo, I fired at 22 birds (ducks, pheasants and chukars), dropping 19 of them. What impressed me the most about both oads was their ability to keep a tight pattern and push through the target. I can’t recall shooting a load that penetrated so fully through a bird.

Some of the shots I took at waterfowl were over 60 yards, including a handful of densely feathered diving ducks. These birds were crumpling like nothing I’d ever seen. On both the waterfowl and upland birds, leads were significantly shortened due to the high-velocity loads and aerodynamically stabilized wads. The premium plated round-steel shot plowed through birds with impressive authority.

Browning is also introducing a line of rifle ammunition, something I can’t wait to try. Check out Browning’s new line of ammo at browningammo.com.

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Camp Chef’s Stryker stoves are lightweight, burn fast and efficiently, and actually save fuel due to strategic designs.

MGM TARGETS (SHOT SHOW BOOTH #20226 AND #1905) MGM steel targets are synonymous with target shooters around the world, having set the highest standards for over 20 years. From competition steel to long-range plates, circus targets to plinking poppers, MGM’s array of targets have something for everyone and even made American Shooting Journal’s top 10 targets of 2015 with their football-game target system.

Last summer I tested dozens of MGM targets and was even more than impressed. Their quality, construction and craftsmanship leaves no question as to why MGM targets are highly regarded.

Every branch of the US military relies on MGM targets, as do law enforcement agencies and several government agencies around the country. My teenage boys love them too.

Check them out at mgmtargets.com.

CAMP CHEF STRYKER STOVES (SHOT SHOW BOOTH #15543) The Camp Chef’s new Stryker 150 stove is fast, easy and lightweight. The 150 model runs on a 1-pound propane bottle, while the 100 model runs on isobutane and is even lighter weight.

Both units are easy to assemble and include a foldable stand for stability. Both models feature a push-button ignition, which has worked for me every time on the first try and both come with a 1.3-liter insulated pot to boil water in.

With the lid on, the boiling time of the Stryker is extremely fast, thanks to technology that increases its burning efficiency by 30 percent while simultaneously saving fuel.

Visit campchef.com to find out more.

SWAROVSKI IPHONE ADAPTOR (SHOT SHOW BOOTH #12120) Want to take your big-game scouting missions to the next level? Last summer I tried the Swarovski’s iPhone adapter on my spotting scope, and was amazed with the clarity and information it revealed.

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The LoopRope continues to be one of the author’s most widely used tools while hunting, fishing, camping and being outdoors.

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Not only was I able to take pictures of bull elk and deer at extreme distances, but I could zoom in on the images to see how many points the animals actually had. This saved me hours of hiking for a closer look, and the best part was the animals had no idea I was there, considering my photos were taken at well over 1,500 yards. It was also great for birdwatching and simply taking breathtaking photos from afar. Check this gadget out at swarovskioptik.com.

Duck Band Rings Turkey Track Rings Deer Track Rings Hunting Jewelry Real Calls Custom Duck Calls

LOOPROPE Sometimes the perfect item comes along, and when it does, I will use it forever. The LoopRope is a tool I use on just about every hunting, fishing and camping trip. I secure loads in my truck with it on every trip, and my wife does the same when stacking bags of groceries into the family SUV. Its multiple securing loop points and durable construction makes it safer and more efficient than any fastening system I’ve used. You can find them at looprope.com. ASJ

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Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is an author and TV host, and conducts seminars nationwide. For a full schedule, visit scotthaugen.com.

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EXQUISITE KNIVES MAKE FOR A GREAT INVESTMENT

KNIVES

www.exquisiteknives.com With a discerning eye for collecting, Exquisite Knives scours the globe in search of the finest knives that are readily distinguishable, and their collection includes folding and fixedblade knives from the best knife makers in the world. Names such as Loveless, Moran, Lake, Walker and Schmidt are common topics of conversation within this realm. What is amazing is these knives continue to increase in value based on their uniqueness, the maker and quality of materials and craftsmanship.

Not only does Exquisite Knives provide an extensive collection to choose from, but they are often tasked to find rare and unique blades for their elite customers who come to them from all parts of the globe. Needless to say, international shipping is a common service.

If you have a sharp desire for a unique blade or are in search of something very specific, the name says it all: Exquisite Knives.

Havalon Forge

COAST HAS A DOUBLE-LOCK COA UTILITY KNIFE UTI www.coastcutlery.com • Booth #15120 www.c

Havalon Evolve

Coast’s Coast DX200 Pro Razor knife is a utility tool that is designed desig for safe cutting.

It features a replaceable razor blade cutter that folds back into the handle, same as a traditional pocket knife, and the handle is made from nonslip weatherproof material mate that is textured for a strong hold.

TThe DX200 has two blade locks and a liner lock.

THE ATTLEBORO www.attleboroknives.com www.a

HAVALON KNIVES INTRODUCES THE HAVALON FORGE AND EVOLVE www.havalon.com • Booth #2346 Havalon Forge Known for creating products that have revolutionized the knife industry and changed the way hunters clean game, Havalon has just released the Havalon Forge.This knife was built to give users a grip that is unmatched by any other Havalon knife. The rubberized handle is the first of its kind featuring a quickchange removable blade system with a more advanced tread and a large finger guard. The Havalon Forge will give users more control than ever before, not to mention always have the sharpest blade when you need it most.

Havalon Evolve No longer will hunters have to tread into the woods with an entire toolbox full of items packed separately. The new Havalon Evolve features just the tools a serious hunter needs in the woods – a knife complete with the unique Piranta Quik-Change system, replaceable saw, fixed gut hook, pliers/wire cutters/ strippers, a universal bit driver, a flathead/ Phillips reversible bit with room to store two more ¼-inch bits and a carbineer clip. You even get a zippered holster so it’s always readily accessible for when you need it most. Now that is power in the palm of your hand.

If you bundled up history, tragedy, heroism, epic battle and heritage into one package, you would have The Attelboro knife. It’s designed to commemorate the special forces soldiers who fought and died during Operation Attelboro, which commenced just northwest of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, in 1966.

Not only is the story behind this blade epic, the blade itself is profound.

Tough and a seriously no-kidding piece of equipment, this blade is meant to be purchased once and used forever.

Couple the quality with the level of attention to detail and heartfelt heritage the people behind the blade portray, and you just know you are in good company.

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KNIVES ONTARIO KNIFE HAS TWO NEW HUNTERS www.ontarioknife.com • Booth #15722, 20305 Two new hunting knives have been announced by Ontario Knife, under the new Robeson Heirloom series brand.

They are the Drop Point Hunter and the Trailing Point Hunter.

Both models feature 4.19-inch D2 steel blades wth full-tang wood handles. The blades are 0.125 inches thick and the knives measure 9.05 inches overall. They both come with leather sheaths.

Heirloom Trailing Point

Heirloom Drop Point

NEW SHIELD FROM KERSHAW; NEW FOLDER FROM ZERO TOLERANCE www.kershawknives.com • Booth #14223 New from Kershaw is the Shield, a handsome folder with a four-position pocket clip.

Featuring SpeedSafe assisted opening, the Shield has a frame lock with hardened steel lockbar insert. The blade is made from stonewashed stainless steel with a satin finish, and the handle is 410 with a titanium carbo-nitride coating.

This knife is based on the Eklipse model designed by Rick Hinderer.

The tanto-style blade measures 3.1 inches long and this knife weighs just under 5 ounces. It has a built-in flipper on the back of the blade that allows for quick one-hand opening.

From Kerhaw’s sister brand, Zero Tolerance, there’s another new folder dubbed the 0900. Designed by Les George, this knife model features the Zero Tolerance KVT ball-bearing system that helps speed the opening.

It’s got a premium crucible S35VN stainless-steel blade measuring less than 3 inches, and a titanium handle with a frame lock and hardened steel lock bar insert.

There’s a reversible deep-carry pocket clip.

Kershaw Shield

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HOGUE, INC. ADDS THE EX-F02 FIXED-BLADE KNIFE www.hogueusa.com • Booth #15545, 20501

The EX-F02’s lightweight durable design was created specifically with the outdoorsman in mind, and features a polymer/ OverMolded rubber hybrid handle with a blade fashioned from A2 tool steel. The hybrid handle’s rubber surface offers unmatched “gripability” while performing strenuous cutting activities. A finger detent and a gentle recess on the tail end result in better leverage in a reverse-grip situation. Available in either clip point or tanto blade options, the knife also offers four choices of OverMolded rubber colors: black, OD green, flat dark earth and hunter orange.

But wait there’s more! A precisely fitted ambidextrous auto-retention aerospace polymer sheath is included to constrain this beast of a knife.

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KNIVES SPYDERCO HAS SEVERAL NEW MODELS www.spyderco.com • Booth #10367, 13113 Fans of Spyderco knives are going to cheer this year’s lineup because it is loaded with both folders and some fixed-blade models in the spotlight.

The lineup includes the Lil’ Lum, a model based on designs by the late Bob Lum. It has a short, wide 2.38-inch bamboo leaf-shaped blade made from VG-10 steel with a flat grind. The handle is G-10 and features a liner lock.

Another model is the C199Tip Nirvana, a folder with a 3.74-inch clip-point blade featuring a saber grind edge. It has a one-piece Titanium handle, pocket clip and it weighs less than 5 ounces.

Spyderco’s Mantra model has a full-flat grind on its 3.16-inch blade, and the handle is made from titanium with a pocket clip. It has a leaf-shaped blade made from CPM M4 stainless steel and there’s a Reeve Integral Lock mechanism on one scale.

Mariners should warm up to the Snap-It Salt, with a yellow fiberglass reinforced nylon injectionmolded handle featuring textured Kraton black insets. This one has a 2.96-inch blade featuring a hollow-ground serrated edge, and large clip.

The PITS folder has a full flat-ground clip-point blade crafted from N690Co steel and a handle with scales machined from solid titanium.

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This folder has a slipjoint lock and wire pocket clip that is reversible. The scales are bead blasted to a matte finish and anodized with a blue finish.

There’s a new lightweight version of the Manix folder with a 3.37-inch blade made from CPM S110V stainless steel, with a full flat-ground surface. The handle is made from blue fiberglassreinforced copolymer and the knife weighs a scant 2.9 ounces.

The Para Military model has a 3.42-inch full flat-ground blade and G-10 handle with pocket clip. It has nested stainless-steel liners and the patented Compression Lock mechanism.

In the fixed-blade arena, the new entries include the Street Beat lightweight, which has a 3.51-inch blade of VG-10 steel coated with a ceramic, and an FRN handle. It comes with an injection-molded polymer sheath.

Another fixed-blade model is the Proficient, a handsome outdoor knife with a 4-inch flat-ground blade made from CPM 290V stainless. Weighing less than 6.5 ounces, the Proficient has a carbonfiber handle with lanyard hole in the butt. It comes with a leather sheath.

Spyderco Lil’Lum

LANSKY ANNOUNCES NEW SHARPENER www.lansky.com • Booth #11919 Lansky’s new entry this year is a pocket-sized sharpener that is designed to be used in tandem with the Lansky sharpening kit, or on its own.

The new unit features four carbide sharpeners at 17-, 20-, 25- and 30-degree angles to address all kinds of sharpening requirements. In addition, there’s a ceramic honing element that trues and polishes the edge, and even works on tapered or serrated blades.

It features tough zinc-alloy construction and only weighs 3.9 ounces.

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Industry

WEAPONEYE FROM SPARKS TECHNOLOGY RECORDS YOUR SHOTS TS www.weaponeye.com

Here’s a handy unit that can be used by competitors, homeowners, police and self-defense instructors to improve mprove their shooting: the Weaponeye firearm camera.

Designed mainly for Glock semiauto pistols, the device fits on the frame ahead of the trigger guard on the he w. accessory rail. It contains a microphone, flashlight, HD camera and laser, plus a windage adjustment screw.

Activated by a switch on the right side of the unit, the Weaponeye can operate in a wide range of temperatures. eratures.

The operational running time is more than two hours for the laser or flashlight operating solo, and it runs for about 25 minutes with all of the components running at the same time.

It comes with a rechargeable battery, removable 8GB memory card and can support up to 32GB, and a Micro SD card reader adapter.

The laser sight has a range of approximately 100 yards.

PEET PUSHING PROVEN PRODUCTS www.peetshoedryer.com • Booth #1025 PEET Shoe Dryers have been around for some time, and they are proven products that also include a D’Odoriz’R module to cut down on shoe odors.

The D’Odoriz’R may be inserted into boots, shoes, cleats and skates. They attach to PEET dryers and can also be used on their own for deodorizing small rooms.

It was introduced in the fall along with the PEET Ultra Dryer and Deodorizer. This product was designed primarily for hikers, whose boots are often wet inside due to perspiration. It features O3 science to destroy odor molecules.

The PEET Dryer is patented and it utilizes convection to dry shoes and boots overnight. It is a far better method of drying foot gear because it doesn’t result in dry, brittle leather.

Invented and first marketed in 1968, the PEET Shoe Dryer has become something of a must-have item for people who live and work in the outdoors. They are also energy efficient, using less power than a 40-watt light bulb.

industry’s lawyer of lawyers and specializes in all things Second Amendment. What is even more impressive is her talents can be found nationwide to include Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida and, new this year, Montana. She has also just released a new book titled Infringed, offering an indepth look at common questions regarding what you can and cannot do with a firearm, as well as concepts you may not have even thought of.

As a shooter and hunter, among other hobbies such as collecting KINCAID LAW WWII weapons and paraphernalia, www.alexkincaid.com Kincaid is immersed in the industry If you carry or own a firearm for any reason, you may want she protects. There simply isn’t to have the name Alex Kincaid in your back pocket or range anyone better to know when you bag. Whether you are a collector, competitive shooter, self- need real answers to real protection tactical guru or just need assistance navigating gun-law questions. the ATF labyrinth, Kincaid is not just a lawyer, she is the gun

AMERICAN TRACK TRUCK www.americantracktruck.com The Dominator Track Systems replace your wheels and tires, allowing your vehicle to travel through snow, ice, swamp and wetlands – yes, we said wetlands! Complete with a simple bolton design and the ability to install in minutes, typically without any other modifications to your vehicle, these tracks will take you places you never thought you would go in your vehicle.

There are two sizes available: one for generalpurpose vehicles and extra large tracks for deeper snow and more aggressive terrain. So, for less than the price of a new snowmobile, you can stay comfortable in your vehicle and take on the terrain.

OUTDOOR INDUSTRY JOBS www.huntingandshootingjobs.com If your dream job is in the out of doors, then just type HuntingandShootingJobs.com into the computer you are often in front of and start living. Work should be a part of your life, not a means to an end.

Huntingandshootingjobs.com, which is powered by outdoorindustryjobs.com, is dedicated solely to the

jobs that, frankly, most of us only have as a hobby.

The key part of its success is there are no fees for people looking for a job or for applying to one. The fee is only on the employer side, so you know they are serious. You can also sign up for their weekly newsletter so a job list comes straight to you. You have nothing to lose and only a new life to gain. americanshootingjournal.com 195

industry Industry IDAHO’S SUPER HUNT www.idfg.idaho.gov/superhunt Do you dream of hunting for an elk, deer, antelope or moose during any open hunting season? If this kind of freedom is your idea of hunting, then you have got to enter the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Super Hunt drawings.

Just in case the epicness of hunting this amazing cadre of America’s biggest game wasn’t enough, other things that make this an even sweeter opportunity are: you don’t need a license to enter; you can enter as many times as you want; and each entry only costs $6 for a single species or $20 for all four in what IDFG calls the Super Hunt combo.

As an added benefit to all hunters and anglers, the revenue raised by the Super Hunt drawings support the Access Yes! program, which opens private land and access to public lands. In 2015 alone, Access Yes! opened 379,067 private acres and 474,845 public acres to the public for hunting and fishing. This is a cause worth supporting.

KAKADU TRADERS HAS NEW DENIM CCW VEST www.kakaduaustralia.com • Booth #10035 New from Kakadu Traders, the makers of a rugged concealed-carry vest, is a new rendition of the Kelly vest, this time in denim blue.

Designed like the rest of the line, this new model has a washable leather collar, brass zip-front closure, double front yokes, chest flaps covering welted pockets, side entry pockets and paneled back with side adjuster tabs. The interior is black cotton lined with a stencil print that covers the Kakadu concealed-carry internal system (CCIS) and comes with the Kakadu anti-imprint pads.

NECO OFFERS A CHRONOGRAPH AND RAS RIFLE TUNING SYSTEM www.neconos.com • Booth #1609 NECO this year is offering the new Kurzzeit BMC-19 wireless chronograph and the RAS Rifle tuning system.

The BMC-19 chronograph is sensitive enough to pick up a .17-caliber projectile and has its own infrared light source, so one needn’t worry about shadows or overcast. The small display box hooks up to the light screen, and can be used at the range with a laptop, or taken home and downloaded there. It can also measure speeds from 500 to more than 4,000 feet per second.

The RAS rifle-tuning system actually allows the user to tune a rifle barrel. It replaces a traditional muzzle brake, and features a tuning ring that can help improve and tighten groups considerably, firing off a solid rest.

The tuning ring is rotated in small steps to find the best setting that works with the ammunition someone is using.

It works with two-shot strings to produce tighter groups and works best with free-floating barrels.

SHOOTING CHRONY LEADS WAY IN CHRONOGRAPHS, ACCESSORIES AMERICAN GUNSMITHING INSTITUTE TEACHES HOW TO REPAIR, BUILD GUNS www.americangunsmith.com • Booth #2110 Just like all sorts of degree and vocational training you can receive remotely, the American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) offers their invaluable base of knowledge online – and these are complete certified gunsmithing courses. They are so serious about the level of education you will receive, they boast equaling and, more often, exceeding campusbased courses. Some of the courses they offer include basic and advanced firearms maintenance, customizing, and gunsmithing repair for hobbyists and professionals, to name a few. They will even send you a lesson for free just to try out their teaching skills and high-quality videos.

Learning a skill from the comfort of your own home that is directly related to your and our favorite pasttime? Sweet.

www.shootingchrony.com • Booth #2617 Well known for its line of chronographs that are used by shooters all over the country, Shooting Chrony leads the way with accessories for electronic devices.

For example, the Chrony LED lamp allows the use of a Chrony chronograph under any light conditions to ensure consistent velocities.

Indoors or outdoors, these lights work.

The NiMH Battery Pack can power the LED lamp for more than 18 hours of continuous use when there is no 120V/220V power source available. It has a 12V rechargeable battery with an overcharge protector.

There are several Chrony models, including the Master, Alpha, Gamma and Beta. They all fold up into compact packages that make carrying ng them to the range convenient.

TIGERLIGHT’S NEW ‘DAD’ FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION www.tigerlight.net • Booth #N112 The new DAD (for Defense Alert Device) uses Bluetooth/GPS technology and a powerful app for iPhones and Android phones to create a nonlethal personal protection device.

Designed to be carried in the hand, a person using this device can shine a bright light at a potential attacker, and send an immediate alert to potentially hundreds of people. It also features a nonlethal force device that delivers military-strength pepper spray.

Made from a tough polycarbonate, the DAD has an ultra-bright LED light that can send a blinding light into someone’s eyes. It has a multi-mode switch that includes panic, high, low, strobe and SOS. It fits in a pocket or purse, and has a hand strap that reduces the chance of being dropped or grabbed.

When activated, the DAD sends an alert to anyone with the DAD app within a 1-mile radius.

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Industry PARAGON TACTICAL DESIGNS SHOOTING RANGE SYSTEMS www.paragontactical.com • Booth #2051 A growing legion of Americans are buying guns and they want to shoot.

This opens up opportunities for indoor and outdoor shooting ranges, and that’s where Paragon Tactical comes in.

This California-based company provides state-of-the-art shooting range containment systems, designs and builds tactical rifle and pistol ranges that include ballistic range baffles, safety walls and ceilings, target systems and more. They also build gunclearing boxes and tactical targets.

Paragon even produces and delivers mobile shooting ranges, as well as simulated ranges.

They offer the patented Super Trap Bullet Containment System, which is designed to produce an environmentally safe shooting experience. The end product is a safe range that addresses environmental and noise issues.

LAUER CUSTOM WEAPONRY OFFERS NEW DURA SPRAY-ON FINISHES www.lauerweaponry.com • Booth #20243 Lauer Custom Weaponry has announced new finishes for firearms this year, and they should delight home gunsmiths.

The lineup includes DuraBlue spray-on bluing, which they say is “indistinguishable from traditional bluing but wears like DuraCoat.” Using this spray eliminates the need for chemicals; the result is a handsome finish.

DuraBlue Nitre provides the appearance of traditional nitre bluing that is a brilliant finish and can be used on any

type of metal.

Lauer’s DuraPark spray-on Parkerizing replicator creates the look of Parkerizing. This spray-on coating does not require an acid tank because it simply sprays on with an air brush, spray gun or aerosol. It can be used on all types of metal.

DuraBrown produces that look one finds on historic antique rifles and pistols, both flintlocks and caplocks.

Another product is hexaGUN, a family of six new pattern kits that include mini, Classic, UBER, haphazard, Swarm and Warp.

They are sold individually or in complete kits, and they are available with new DuraCoat CamoPaks.

Feather Trigger. Without a great trigger, a rifle’s accuracy is no more than luck. Our crisp and smooth three-lever Feather Trigger gives Browning X-Bolt rifles custom trigger performance straight from the box. It’s a big part of what gives the X-Bolt the total accuracy advantage.

JACK OF PAWNS 1704 E. Marshall Ave, Longview, TX 903-758-0559 www.jackofpawnslongview.com

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Emphasis on Quality Accent on Innovation

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survival

THE EARTHSTRAW WATER SOLUTION BY FLOJAK INDUSTRIES www.flojak.com Do you have a well? Does it run on electricity? Can you get to your water when the electricity goes out?

FloJak and EarthStraw hand well-pump systems are the answer.

These devices are very narrow and designed to fit into your well right alongside the existing electric pump. These easy-to-install kits operate independently from the electric pump system, providing a reliable backup water solution during power outages or for daily use if you prefer to be completely off grid. What seems like such a simple device is strong enough to bring water up from as deep as 150 feet! Now that is power right in the palm of your Earthstraw.

EARTHEASY www.eartheasy.com Ideal for hiking, backpacking, camping and travel, the Lifestraw is a two-stage portable water filter that removes bacteria and protozoa, and reduces organic chemical matter and chlorine. Not only does this provide clean water for you, but also for children in African communities through proceeds from Lifestraw sales.

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MONSTERS

THEY’RE OUT THERE

THE NEW LEUPOLD® VX®-3i WILL MAKE A BELIEVER OUT OF YOU. With our new Twilight Max™ Light Management System, you can expect more than just light transmission from the VX-3i. Its triplet lenses and revolutionary coatings transmit more of the entire visual spectrum, while edge blackened lenses and internal mechanisms remove stray light that degrades your sight picture. Finally, we optimize contrast so game stands out from even the deepest shadows. The VX-3i’s sight picture is almost unbelievable — just like the mulies you’ll be packing out. The VX®-3i. Believe in monsters. © 2016 Leupold & Stevens, Inc.

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