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WESTERN SHOOTING JOURNAL NRA SHOW DOUBLE ISSUE

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APRIL 2014

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WESTERN

APRIL & MAY

SHOOTING JOURNAL

Volume 2 // ISSUE 8 // April 2014 PUBLISHER

James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Dick Openshaw

Missoula, MT Apr. 4-6, 2014 Gun & Antique & Flea Market, Missoula County Fairgrounds, 1101 South Ave. West Billings, MT Gun Show, Metra Park, 308 6th Ave N.

Apr. 11-13, 2014

Richland, WA Gun & Antique & Flea Market, Shilo Inn, 50 Comstock St.

Apr. 26-27, 2014

Butte, MT Gun Show, Butte Civic Center, 1340 Harrison Ave.

May 2-4, 2014

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Andy Walgamott EDITOR

Rachel Alexander CONTRIBUTORS

Nyah Avrea, Mike Burchett, Al Hague, John Harrington, Scott Haugen, Frank Jardim, Odessa Labtis, Mike Nesbitt, Jeremy Schaaf, Dave Workman, James Yarnall SALES MANAGER

Yakima, WA May 10-11, 2014 Gun & Antique & Flea Market, Yakima State Fairgrounds, 1301 South Fair Ave.

Brian Lull

Helena, MT May 30 - June 1, 2014 Gun Show, Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds, 98 West Custer Ave.

Lee Balliet, Mamie Griffin, Eric Iles, Karl Kukor, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

DESIGNERS

Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Christina Poisal

See our website for full schedule.

PRODUCTION MANAGER

John Rusnak OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING

Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER

Lois Sanborn INBOUND MARKETING

Jon Hines CIRCULATION MANAGER

Heidi Belew DISTRIBUTION

Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford, Barry Johnston ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

ads@westernshootingjournal.com

ON THE COVER Michelle Viscusi, age 22, is the newest member of Team Glock. (GLOCK) Julie Golob, age 36, is the team captain of Team Smith & Wesson. (YAMIL SUED)

Get daily updates at westernshootingjournal.com.

Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Pinterest.

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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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

CONTENTS 48

VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • APRIL 2014

THE FIT, YOUNG, AND GLAMOROUS FACE OFF

Firearms manufacturers Glock and Smith & Wesson recruit raw talent and models to be the face of their brand.

(GLOCK)

ALSO INSIDE

FEATURES 41

BLACK POWDER: Rain-de-voo!

What do you call a gathering of muzzleloaders in the Northwest? A rain-de-voo, of course. Writer Mike Nesbitt tries to keep his powder (and notebook) dry as he slogs us through a recent shoot in rainy western Washington.

59

ROADHUNTER: Loaded For Bear If there’s one critter you don’t want to face undergunned, it would be bear.

AK-47 Legacy, Part III: Spreading Around The World Once used against American soldiers, and these days piggybacking on the popularity of the AR-15, there’s growing appreciation of the AK-47 domestically.

139

A Family Of Huntresses They call her “Mad Dog,” but 9-year-old Madison may be the most composed member of the Fantaskey family of female hunters, stars of Triple MAG TV.

Alabama Rocks NRA Convention We chat with two of the stars and Second Amendment supporters of this legendary country music band.

95

113

NRA’s Wayne LaPierre On Recent Second Amendment Successes Despite attempts at gun control, it hasn’t been a bad year at all for firearms owners.

69

Noted hunter Scott Haugen walks us through choosing the right caliber for your next bruin hunt.

157

What’s Really Behind The Ammo Shortage, Part 2 Of 2 Popular theories as well as the ammunition industry’s perspective.

127

Dodge City Police And The Legacy Of Wyatt Earp 149 Navigating The Alluring World Of Archery With Two Insiders 185 Two Big Military/Gun Shows Make A Call On Louisville, Ky.

DEPARTMENTS 17 21 25 29 33 35 39 213

Editor’s Note News: 11-year-old Girl Kills Cougar Stalking Her Brother News: Touchdown, Duck Dynasty!

Gun Show Calendar Competition Calendar Reader Snapshots Guns Of Our Fathers: The .357 vs. The Bear Range Spotlight: Kansas’s Outback Park & Public Range

WESTERN 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 © 2014 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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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

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CONTENTS NRA SHOW 2014

59

This month’s special bonus double issue features hot new guns, shooting gear and more coming to the 143rd Annual NRA Convention in Indy!

59

Wayne LaPierre speaks

64

NRA Must-see Exhibitors

69

Country music’s Alabama Headlines Annual “Stand And Fight” Rally

77

Rifles

103

Shotguns

119

Handguns

129

Optics

145

Knives

167 Ammunition 177

Reloading

187

Accessories

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

EDITOR’S NOTE

W

e’re excitedly looking forward to attending the NRA’s annual convention April 25-27 in Indianapolis.

Nearly 70,000 people are expected to show up. It will be a triumphant event this year, as the NRA has accomplished much ground over the past 15 months combating the latest round of gun-control efforts. Its outspoken CEO and vice president, Wayne LaPierre, continues

Eddie the Eagle greets a young fan at the convention. (NRA)

to be the face of the organization, taking an aggressive stance against the trampling of our Second Amendment.

Confirmed speakers include Governors Bobby Jindal and Mike Pence, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell, Dan Coats and Rick Santorum, radio talk-show host Mark Levin and Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts.

There’s a lot of cool stuff at the show in addition to the 400 exhibits.

Attendees can shoot air guns right at the convention in the Pyramyd Air indoor range. The NRA Foundation’s Wall of Guns boasts 80 firearms of different makes and models, and one lucky person who enters the raffle will win one of their choice.

NRA Youth Day gives kids a chance to try out Airsoft 3-gun, LaserShot,

One of the exhibits at the NRA annual convention features lifelike zombie targets; although this seems rather TOO realistic. (NRA)

duck calling, a pine car derby from the Boy Scouts, rodeo roping and more.

Follow the hashtag #nraaam on Twitter for breaking updates from Western Shooting Journal and others on the convention. We will be interviewing some of the top celebrities and powerhouses in the firearms industry and posting the videos on our website. —Rachel Alexander

westernshootingjournal.com 17

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PRIMER NEWS // CALENDARS // READER PHOTOS

NEWS

GIRL KILLS COUGAR STALKING HER BROTHER Fearless Huntress Unafraid Of Starving Predator

ARTICLE BY FRANK JARDIM PHOTOS BY BILL WHITE

M

y first thought when this story broke was, “I wonder what that older gal did to the girl’s brother that made her mad enough to kill her?” As it turned out, the story was somewhat different, and much better, than I initially imagined.

On February 19 of this year, 11-yearold Shelby White shot and killed a mountain lion that appeared to be stalking her 13-year-old brother. The animal was close behind her brother and close to her. Shelby took her shot at a range estimated to be 10 feet. Her brother was already inside and in no immediate danger, but it was a close call. The mountain lion had slipped from beneath a parked vehicle as her brother walked by with a bag of dog food in his arms. He was on his way back to his family ranch after feeding their pets. The predator was only a few feet away as he entered the house. Fortunately, he closed the door behind him. Mountain lions are clever hunters but they don’t open doors well. Good upbringing may have saved his life.

Was this mountain lion planning on attacking the boy? It appeared the animal intended to follow him into the house, and probably not to eat the dry dog food. This particular mountain lion was starving. At about 50 pounds, it had lost half of its normal body weight. Its fatal encounter with young huntress Shelby was its third visit to

the ranch in the previous 13 hours.

Twice during the night before, the animal had attempted to get into the family’s cow pen, but was driven off.

Clearly the animal was a threat.

In fact, this area of north-central Washington state has seen a lot of mountain lions lately. To hear locals tell it, it seems like you can’t throw a brick without hitting one of the beasts, which are lurking around looking for something to pounce on in increasing numbers. The Whites had to kill four of the predators on and around their property over several weeks this past winter. About 10 mountain lions were killed in the region, as well.

Curiously, at least to me, some people like mountain lions, have great sympathy for them and wonder why Shelby had to shoot this one. It was only a skinny 50 pounds, after all. True, it was skinny. Perhaps she could have gone outside and wrestled it. That would have been awesome almost beyond measure by any known matrixes. However, Shelby is sort of a small kid herself, and anyone who has ever had to deal with a ticked-off house cat should be able to extrapolate the damage a 50pound wild animal is capable of. Its teeth were an inch long. Wrestling it mano-a-mano was never really a realistic option; Shelby had to shoot it. Think about it. How are you going to get anything done on a ranch if you can’t leave the house because there’s a mountain

The mountain lion was attracted to the family’s livestock.

lion sitting on the porch?

Not only did Shelby need to shoot the animal, she had the legal and moral right to do so to protect herself, her family and their livestock. Livestock is a rancher’s livelihood. On top of that, she also had a valid, state-issued hunting permit to kill mountain lions. The threat that these predators present was deemed so severe this winter that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife allowed a few permitted hunters to chase cougars with dogs, a practice that was banned by voters in the mid1990s. Mountain lion lovers cringe at the thought of the noble cougar being chased down by a pack of dogs. Regardless of your personal idea of sportsmanship, it happens to be safer to hunt them that way. Call it a cougar all you want, it’s still a lion. The Interwesternshootingjournal.com 21

PRIMER

NEWS

net has plenty of hunting videos that graphically show how dangerous the big cats are. If I had to hunt them to protect my family and livelihood, I’d want dogs to assist.

Shelby White has two siblings who have also shot mountain lions around the farm. Her oldest brother is 13year-old Tanner. He killed a 125pound mountain lion shortly before Shelby’s encounter. Her younger brother Cody, age 9, killed one himself about the same size earlier in the month. The animals her brothers killed were also somewhat smaller than average. A full-grown adult male mountain lion is commonly 140 to 180 pounds and 7 to 8 feet long, if you include the extended tail. The Whites live outside the town of Twisp, which has a population of less than 1,000 people. The mountain lion population of the state is probably less than 2,500, but encounters seem to be increasing, according to state officials.

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

Hundreds of reports are made each year about sightings and encounters.

It should come as no surprise that the Whites are a family of avid hunters. Shelby actually began hunting deer when she was 9 or 10 years old, and has taken three with a .243caliber rifle. Her grandfather, William White, was a hunter safety instructor and taught his grandchildren the proper use of weapons with the intent that they should be able to protect themselves from the rural region’s

Shelby with two brothers and a friend.

many predators.

The aspect of this story that most appeals to me is the manner in which the White family appears to have raised their children. I hope that I will be able to cultivate in my own kids the confidence and presence of mind to keep their cool when confronted with a dangerous situation, and to act quickly and fearlessly to do what has to be done.

I believe teaching your children to hunt, whether you like it or not, is a valuable mechanism for them to learn about life. Beyond simple understanding and competence with firearms, hunting illustrates the natural world and our place in it. One of those important lessons is that some creatures have to die so other can live. Another is that living creatures of the earth are divided into two groups: predators and prey. The corollary to this one that I want to make sure my kids learn is, “Don’t let yourself be prey.”

Good job, Shelby White, and my compliments to your folks. WSJ

westernshootingjournal.com 23

NEWS

PRIMER

SPORTS MEETS DUCK HUNTING DUCK DYNASTY Family Lands Their Own College Football Bowl ARTICLE BY FRANK JARDIM

(L) to (R): Si Robertson, Ms. Kay Robertson, Jase Robertson, Korie Robertson, Willie Robertson, Phil Robertson. (A&E/ART STREIBER)

U

nless you live in a cave in the wilderness, you can’t help but notice the proliferation of Duck Dynastybranded merchandise that swirls around us. To say the least, it’s impressive. The unscripted television program on A&E cast national attention on the Robertson family, who created and operate a family business that made them millionaires. They named their business Duck Commander,

which is a great choice, since they make and market duck calls for hunters. Their Duck Dynasty television show is the second most popular broadcast on the air, with between 8 and 10 million viewers.

If the show just appealed to duck hunters, it wouldn’t be so popular.

Duck hunting has been in decline since the 1970s. Here are some facts: Duck hunters must buy a federal license to hunt. It actually looks like a

postage stamp, but with ducks on it. In the 1970s, about 2,100,000 of these stamps were sold each year. By 2008, that had dropped to 1,300,000 and stamp sales continue to fall.

That begs the question, why is the Duck Dynasty show so popular? The simple answer is they have not allowed television fame to alter who they are, and that genuineness and their personal values appeal to a lot of Americans. In the cesspool of moral ambiguity that westernshootingjournal.com 25

PRIMER

NEWS

makes up the majority of television programming today, Duck Dynasty is a virtuous counterpoise filling the needs of a long underserved market.

If that explains the show’s success, the next question is why are we surrounded by so much Duck Dynasty merchandise that Walmart decided to dedicate an aisle to it, and retailers including Target, Macy’s, JCPenney, Lowe’s and Bed, Bath & Beyond are stocking their shelves with it?

These stores aren’t known as being advocates of conservative family values. Obviously, there’s money to be made off it, so ordinary capitalism is at work. However, the demand side is what interests me. People who don’t even watch the show are buying branded merchandise. I speculate that the popularity of the merchandise reveals a very large reactionary under-

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

current in America. These Americans are unhappy with the course the country has taken in recent years. The next question is what, if anything, will they

(COURTESY OF INDEPENDENCE BOWL)

do about it?

One thing they might do is start reestablishing the validity of their values. You or I might go out and buy a T-

shirt with the Robertsons on it. Furthering the chain, the Robertsons might go out and buy a NCAA college football sponsorship and change it back to its original name, the Independence Bowl. They did it. That sponsorship cost about $800,000 a year and the contract is for six years. That’s an eternity in television terms.

Willie Robertson explained, “College football is very important to us, both as fans and former players. The Independence Bowl is what college football is all about: It has great tradition and it’s all-American.

Add in its Louisiana location and appreciation of the military and it creates a winning partnership for both parties. It’s especially exciting to see our brand help the Independence Bowl create an awesome fan experience.” The grassroots have spoken. WSJ

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PRIMER

GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R

Missoula Gun Show, Missoula, Mont.

Page Gun Show, Page, Ariz.

Peacemaker Tucson Gun Show, Tucson, Ariz.

Pueblo Gun Show, Pueblo, Colo.

Salt Lake City Gun Show, Salt Lake City, Utah San Francisco Gun Show, San Francisco, Calif.

Seguin Gun Show, Seguin, Texas

5–6

18 – 19

Allen Classic Gun Show, Allen, Texas Belton Lone Star Gun Show, Belton, Texas Big Town Premier Gun Show, Mesquite, Texas Conroe Gun & Knife Show, Conroe, Texas Gardnerville Gun Show, Gardnerville, Nev. Hillsboro Gun & Knife Show, Hillsboro, Ore. Hunting and Sportsmen’s Gun Show, Loveland, Colo.

Lancaster Gun Show, Lancaster, Calif.

Las Vegas South Point Casino Gun Show, Las Vegas, Nev. Midland Gun & Blade Show, Midland, Texas Murphy’s Kingman Gun Show, Kingman, Ariz.

Phoenix Gun Show, Phoenix, Ariz.

Saxet San Antonio Gun Show, San Antonio, Texas Vallejo Gun Show, Vallejo, Calif.

WAC Monroe Gun Show, Monroe, Wash.

Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show, Tulsa, Okla.

New Home 4 Live Oak Show, Schertz, Texas

4–5 Home Town Gun and Knife Show, Canon City, Colo.

Big Sandy Gun Show, Wikieup, Ariz.

4–6

19 – 20 Brazos Valley Gun Show, Glen Rose, Texas Caldwell Gun Show, Caldwell, Idaho Palmer Gun Show, Palmer, Alaska

25 – 27 Battle Mountain Gun Show, Battle Mountain, Nev. Portland Gun & Knife Show, Portland, Ore.

26 Ballinger Gun & Knife Show, Ballinger, Texas

26 – 27

5–7 Lewis Clark Trader Gun Show, Spokane, Wash.

11 – 13 Billings Gun Show, Billings, Mont.

12 ACSWW Gun Show, Vancouver, Wash.

12 – 13 Boise Gun Show, Boise, Idaho Centralia Gun Show, Centralia, Wash.

Dallas Gun & Knife Show, Dallas, Texas Eugene Gun & Knife Show, Eugene, Ore. Liberty San Antonio Gun Show, San Antonio, Texas

Sci-fi weapons (top) and guns (bottom) from movies on display at the EMP Museum in Seattle, Wash. (RACHEL ALEXANDER)

Ashton Gun Show, Ashton, Idaho Austin Gun Show, Austin, Texas Crossroads Ventura Cali Gun Show, Venura, Calif.

Denver Gun Show, Denver, Colo.

Houston High School’s Gun & Outdoor Show, Big Lake, Alaska Grant County Gun & Knife Show, Moses Lake, Wash.

Houston Pasadena Gun Show, Pasadena, Texas Lynden Falcon Gun Show, Lynden, Wash.

Phoenix Gun Show, Phoenix, Ariz.

Port Lavaca Gun Show, Port Lavaca, Texas Richland Gun Show, Richland, Wash.

Roseville Gun Show, Roseville, Wash.

Tacoma Dome Gun Show, Tacoma, Wash.

Tanana Valley Sportsmen’s Association Gun Show, Fairbanks, Alaska Tyler Lone Star Gun Show, Tyler, Texas Utah Valley Gun Show, Provo, Utah Oregon Arms Gun Show, Portland, Ore.

westernshootingjournal.com 29

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PRIMER

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

3–6

15

Dry Gulch At Arroyo Cantua (singleaction shooting), Sloughouse, Calif.

Preliminary Tryout 600/400 Matches (air gun), Oklahoma City, Okla.

4

16

First Annual Sporting Clays Shoot, San Antonio, Texas

2014 Remington Defense USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals (pistol), Las Vegas, Nev.

4–6 Jalapeño Collegiate Cup (archery), Austin, Texas

5 Acid Maltase Deficiency Association’s Pull for Pomp (skeet), San Antonio, Texas

17 – 19 Shootout at Fort Miller (single-action shooting), Clovis, Calif.

18 – 20 South Regional Intercollegiate Archery Championship, Austin, Texas

5–6

19

April Preliminary Tryout (air gun), Salt Lake City, Utah

Southwest Regional Revolver Championship, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

8 – 13

20

2014 Southwestern Grand (trap), San Antonio, Texas

Preliminary 600/400 Matches (air gun), Arcadia, Okla.

9 – 27

22 – 23

2014 RP National Junior Olympic Championships (air gun), Colorado Springs, Colo.

Utah State Wild Bunch Championship Hell of a Ruckus at Red Rock (singleaction shooting), Washington, Utah

Monument Springs Bushwhacker Annual Fandango (single-action shooting), Hobbs, N.M. Universal Media Stagecoach Outriders Classic (cowboy mounted shooting), Centre Hall, Pa. World University Team Trials (collegiate archery), Yankton, S.D.

10

24 – 26

25 – 29

Oilfield Classic 2014/Rudy Project USA Championship (pistol), Belville, Texas

Utah State Championship Ruckus at Red Rock, St. George, Utah

Triple Crown (trap), Kerrville, Texas

11 – 13 Chimney Rock Crap Shoot (singleaction shooting), Lucerne Valley, Calif.

West Regional Intercollegiate Archery Championship, Irvine, Calif.

12 2014 Pro Series Event #2 (3-gun), Owasso, Okla.

12 – 13 First Dakota Classic (archery), Yankton, S.D.

24 – 27 Land Run (single-action shooting), Oklahoma City, Okla.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association 20/20 Shoot-out 1-4, Andrews, Texas

25 – 27 Pan American Sporting Clays Championship, San Antonio, Texas Washington State Blackpowder Championship A Dark Day at Rattlesnake Gulch (single-action shooting), Benton City, Wash.

Jamie Beyerle Gray has set world records and won gold medals for shooting in the Olympics. (JAMIE BEYERLE GRAY)

26 USAS Preliminary Tryout (rifle), Los Angeles, Calif.

Regulators Revenge (single-action shooting), Marble Falls, Texas Butterfield Range War Law Enforcement vs Cowboys More Fun Less Run (single-action shooting), Las Cruces, N.M.

26 – 27 Cedar Hill Jr. Gun Club Preliminary Tryout (air gun), Blackfoot, Idaho Visit westernshootingjournal.com for more events.

Email editor@westernshootingjournal to have your show listed here.

westernshootingjournal.com 33

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PRIMER

TOP SHOTS

Xavier Hotshots, the only all-female scholastic shooting sports team in Arizona. From left to right: Olivia Zanzucchi, Katie Anton, Andi Lopez-Martinez, Aeliana Kistner, Megan Neely, Jessica Tweedley, Katie Armstrong. They are featured on arizonafemalefirearmscompetitors.blogspot.com. (XAVIER HOTSHOTS)

Zombie killer Charles Mueller clearing the undead at the ZombieShootersUnited.com winter match at Knob Creek Range in West Point Kentucky.

(WESLEY BREHM)

SFC Lisa Davis serving in Kunduz, Afghanistan, with an M16.

(LISA DAVIS)

westernshootingjournal.com 35

PRIMER

READER TOP SHOTS

Weekend zombie killer Lonnie Leake on the pistol stage at the ZombieShootersUnited.com winter match at Knob Creek Range in West Point Ky. (WESLEY BREHM)

Shaun Barcelow of Clarksville, Mich., enjoying some range time at a friend’s house with a Ruger Redhawk revolver in .44 Magnum belonging to Chris “Woody” Anderson. (BRIAN ANDERSON)

From l-r: Dan Baker, Tim Carver, Bill Davey Jr., Michael Coffman, Kyler Baker, Nik Davey, and Trent Baker line up on the firing line. (WILD BILL GUNS)

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER!

From l-r: Luka Davey, Bill Davey, Jr., and Nik Davey. The rifles are all custom AR-15s built by Bill Davey, Jr. (WILD BILL GUNS)

Christina Pettit of Arizona, a national and international 3-gun competitor. (CHRISTINA PETTIT)

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

Congratulations to Rachel Bjorkland for winning the Readers’ Top Shots contest for March!

She is on the left, her friend Eva is on the right.

Each month, the reader who submits the best photo will receive an AmmOMug of their choice from ammomug.com. Submit your best reader photos to us at ralexander@media-inc.com.

You can also submit videos for our website.

Guns Of Our FatherS

EVERY GUN HAS A STORY The .357 vs. The Bear ARTICLE AND PHOTO BY JAMES YARNALL

One shot from this .357 was enough to scare away a man-eating bear.

I

n a world where people are quick to “be out with the old and in with the new,” it is nice to know that there are still some traditions that stand the test of time. I have been handed down many things in my life, from hand-medown clothes to antique pieces of furniture from my grandparents. There is something special when family memorabilia is passed from a father to a son.

I have had the privilege to receive some very special items given to me from my father, and topping off the list of items are a few family firearms and some old family Masonic relics.

One of the more memorable items my father has passed down to me is an old .357 Magnum he’s had since he was in his early 20s, a Smith & Wesson Model 19 to be exact. The history of

this firearm goes back over 50 years.

The Smith & Wesson Model 19 was put into production in the mid-1900s. My father bought the Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum at a gun shop in Jenkintown, Pa., in 1977, shortly after joining the Air Force. He was a couple of years into serving in the military, and had a little money to spend; little did he know how important that purchase would be.

This firearm traveled across the country from South Carolina to Alaska to Mississippi to ... well, let’s just say this pistol has toured this great nation.

I grew up listening to stories my father would tell about his firearms, more specifically this .357; about how he would carry it with him in Alaska on hunting and fishing trips. Some of the stories behind this firearm, and any story my old man tells, can be extrava-

gant, but there is one story that always captivated me.

One of the few times my father had to pull the gun from his holster came on a solo fishing trip in Alaska. As he describes it, he was minding his own business, fishing on the creek, when an unexpected visitor decided he wanted to fish on that creek.

The old man, a strapping lad at the time, turned and looked at his new fishing buddy and thought, “Well ... I guess he’s mad I’m taking his fish.”

The two locked eyes, or so he says, and an enormous man-eating bear made his approach. The size and intentions of the bear may be exaggerated.

Without thinking, my old man pulled the .357 from his holster and fired it straight up into the air. The bear stopped, turned, and got out of Dodge.

He tells this story from a heroic, polarizing perspective, but I would bet my last dollar that once he fired that pistol in the air, he was running just as fast as that bear was. As wild as the stories may be, it never gets old getting to hear the old man tell it.

I cherish and respect all of my firearms, but there is something special about this one. It has character, it has history, and nothing beats a beautiful gun with a good story. WSJ westernshootingjournal.com 39

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BLACK POWDER

RAIN-DE-VOO! ‘Primitive’ Shooters Face Off In The Rain

Mike Nesbitt shoulders Tacky-Too during a bit of sunshine.

T

here’s nothing quite like loading and shooting muzzleloaders in the rain for testing a rifleman’s loading and shooting habits and skills. But that is just considered a “generality” at the annual Rain-de-voo of the Puget Sound Free Trappers. The Rain-de-voo is held near Littlerock, Wash., every year on the third weekend in February,

a time when bad weather is sometimes at its very best.

The main thing to do at Rain-devoo is competitive shooting with traditional, side-lock, muzzleloading rifles, mainly either flintlocks or percussions firing patched round balls. The targets are all metal silhouettes hanging at unspecified distances along the trail. For the rifle shooters, there are 21 targets

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS

BY MIKE NESBITT

plus one more shot that is fired at a tiebreaker; a spot on the shooters’ scorecards. Several of those hanging targets are fairly hard to hit. and the most common comment about this trail is that it is fun.

The targets, or silhouettes, are all very individual – no two are alike.

Many are in the shapes of animals, and the trail itself is somewhat like a hunt.

Some of the targets are just shaped like objects. There is a crescent moon, a large donut (which must be hit on the edge), an arrow, a full moon, an auger, a real poker chip, and a jailhouse lock. No two shots are the same, not with the same-size targets, and not fired at from the same distances.

That rifle trail is, of course, shot for points. You get 10 points per hit on the targets, but you get only one try at each of them. And to make this event even more fun, shooters get bonus points for wearing traditional or “primitive” attire, and even more bonus points if they are wearing moccasins.

Wearing traditional clothing really adds to the spirit of shooting on the trail, but that clothing is not required, so newcomers who do not have their “skins” yet are certainly welcome.

Since there are traders at this doin’s, ’skins, cotton shirts, wool capotes, various hats plus many more goods and fixin’s can be bought, no experience necessary. Those added points can help, but only a little. To score well on the trail, you still must shoot well and they have separate classes for flintlock and percussion rifles.

Shooting on the trail is done by what’s known as the “shoot from the pouch” type of loading, no shooting boxes are allowed. Buckskinners hit the trail wearing their shooting pouches and powder horns, and each shot is loaded just before it is fired. westernshootingjournal.com 41

black powder That’s where the skill and the fun comes in because you might be simply out there in the rain, standing under your hat, and doing your best to keep your powder dry.

Of course, the crowning touch

comes just after you’ve gotten your flintlock rifle loaded, then you step to the shooting station and prepare to prime the piece. But when you look down to check the priming powder you’re putting in the pan, water from

Mike Moran gets a hit in the rain with his flintlock.

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your wet hat brim falls and it hits right where you are looking, in the pan.

When that happens, you simply wipe it out as well as you can, prime again and hope that the water did not reach the gun’s flash hole so it will fire when you squeeze the trigger. Unless you have really gotten the gun and the lock wet, that flintlock will still shoot.

Percussion rifles have similar problems too. When you look down to put the cap on the nipple, that rain water on your hat can still fall and dampen your fun. Sometimes a wet percussion rifle is harder to get back in action than a flintlock, because with a percussion gun you need tools, beginning with a nipple wrench, to get the gun ready again. With a percussion rifle, shotgun, or pistol, don’t ever leave home without a nipple wrench.

At the last Rain-de-voo, I did rather well and this gives me a good chance to brag about it. I used my copy of a Leman flintlock trade rifle (made from

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black powder a TVM kit) in .54 caliber, the rifle I call “Tacky-Too,” and with that gun I placed first among the flintlock shooters. My good shooting partner, “Rapid Robert” DeLisle, placed second. I got 17 hits out of the 21 targets, and I think Bob hit just one less. We don’t always do so well.

But rifle shooting isn’t the only thing. At Rain-de-voo, there are a lot of other things to do, matches to compete in, if you want to join in those other events. Most of those other events are individual shooting matches, which I’ll give details on in just a bit, but now I must describe and talk about the aggregate at Rain-de-voo.

The aggregate includes rifle shooting on the trailwalk, plus either a score from the tomahawk and knife trail or the primitive archery trail. At Rain-devoo, you get your choice. And while several other clubs include pistol shooting in the aggregate, at Rain-devoo only the rifle score is counted

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along with either hawk & knife or archery for the aggregate. At the awards ceremony, held on Sunday afternoon at Rain-de-voo, prizes are awarded in the order of those aggre-

The Puget Sound Free Trappers who host the Rain-de-voo.

gate scores, and every shooter that turns in their score receives a prize.

And at Rain-de-voo, there is a special prize that is usually awarded first, at the beginning of the aggregate or “blanket prizes.” They are called blanket prizes, because at many primitive events the prizes are displayed on a

blanket, and you pick your prize off of the prize blanket. The special award that is presented first goes to the lowest scoring shooter, and for the last couple of years that prize has been a handmade shooting or “plunder” box.

That’s almost enough to make shooters compete for the lowest score!

At this doin’s, Bob and I both picked archery to add to our aggregate scores. Another shooter joined us on the archery trail and that was Mike Moran. Mike is rather new to traditional shooting with muzzleloaders, but you will probably be hearing more about him because he is doing very well. The way things turned out, Bob DeLisle took second in the archery competition, while both Mike and I would have done better if we had only hit more targets. There was one target, a skunk, and I really got skunked because I missed it with both shots.

Bob DeLisle and I also shot our pistols on the trail, and the pistol trail in-

black powder

“Tacky-Too,” the author’s Leman .54 caliber rifle.

cluded 12 shots. Targets vary from as small as a lollipop (where a good hit sends tiny pieces of the candy into the woods) to some fairly large silhouettes.

While the pistol trail is fun, it is not part of the Rain-de-voo aggregate, and it is awarded only with first, second and third places being given medals along with a good prize. This year I took first (more bragging) and Bob DeLisle placed second, while third place was taken by young JoJo McWhinney.

Right after shooting the pistol trail, Bob and I both grabbed our trade guns and shot the trade gun trail for another 12 shots. The trade gun got its name from the smoothbore flintlocks that the

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fur companies used to trade with the Indians for beaver pelts. So to qualify for the trade gun trail at Rain-de-voo and at several other traditional events, the trade gun must be flintlock, smoothbore, with no sights other than a front blade or bead, and it must have a simple trigger rather than a set trigger. Let me admit that Bob and I do a lot of trade gun shooting, and we placed first and second in this event with me getting one more hit than he got. Third place was taken by a shooter who I don’t know yet, named Allen Tresch.

There are more shooting events, but I did not enter them all. What I missed out on was the Squirrel Rifle match,

where the rifles must be .40 caliber or smaller. Yes, there is another league for those rifles over .40 caliber, so everybody with a rifle can enter the match.

There are other classifications too for ladies, juniors, and under-12 shooters. In each of those classes, awards are given for first, second and third place, plus the prizes given for aggregate scores. And for the youngsters there is a one-shot buffalo hunt which is sponsored by the Washington State Muzzleloaders Association. The winner of this one-shot match receives a new rifle. This year, that winner was Ayden Guiberson, and he won that rifle on his ninth birthday.

To wind up my story about Rainde-voo, at this last one the Top Mountain Man and first in the aggregate was Allen Tresch. I placed second and Bob DeLisle placed third. Rain-de-voo will happen again in 2015; you ought to join the fun. For more information, visit ccrpclub.org/blackpowder.html. WSJ

THE FIT, YOUNG, A GLAMOROUS F

The new face of Glock (GLOCK)

G, AND S FACE OFF W Team Glock vs. Team Smith & Wesson ARTICLE BY FRANK JARDIM

ouldn’t it be great to be a member of one of those professional shooting teams that represents the gun industry at competitions, getting paid to pursue your hobby all day? Probably everyone who loves the shooting sports has had that thought at one time or another. The reality is that most of us will never be good enough, and even if we were, when your hobby becomes your profession, by definition, it becomes your work.

The top competitors who represent the likes of Smith & Wesson and Glock in matches worldwide devote tremendous effort to honing their skills. That is why they are so good. Of that pool of people with astounding marksmanship talent who make it onto the professional teams, only the best and most charming actually get paid full time to shoot. This is true across the industry. The big Glock and S&W teams have about 20 or so shooters on their rosters, but only the most valuable three or four shooters will get paid to do it full time. The rest will get sponsor support, ranging from firearms to traveling expenses, but they won’t get a weekly paycheck. It still sounds like good work if you can get it.

The professional shooter is an advertising investment for the sponsor. Some of their shirts look like the sides of NASCAR race cars, covered in the logos of each shooter’s various sponsors. All that practice and training the professionals do is for the purpose of winning matches with the sponsor’s products. Obviously they aren’t expected to win them all, but they are expected to win some and perform very well in those they don’t win.

There’s more to being a professional competitor than just incredible marksmanship. The pros are the ambassadors of the industry. Have you ever noticed how friendly and generally attractive they are? When they aren’t shooting in matches, the pros are expected to be very charming and gracious and know every product their sponsor sells, so they can represent them articulately to the public at gun shows and industry events like the National Shooting Sports Foundation SHOT Show.

Now that you understand the nature of the professional shooters’ job, you will appreciate how extraordinary they are. Both Team Smith & Wesson and Team Glock have three full-time competitors each, whose lives revolve around the match circuit. Both teams are dripping with westernshootingjournal.com 49

Smith & Wesson’s pro team has older, more experienced competitors. (YAMIL SUED)

talent. Team S&W is more mature.

They are seasoned pros, among the very best shots in the world, and married with their own families.

The members of Team Glock are youthful, single, blue-haired and tattooed, that’s eye-grabbingly attractive. They are raw talent still

developing to full potential. Team S&W could be Team Glock’s parents.

I suspect they don’t understand the fascination with tattoos the younger

MICHELLE VISCUSI : MODEL MARKSWOMAN The selection of 22-year-old Michelle Viscusi for Team Glock in 2012 came as a surprise to many.

She had no pedigree on the match circuit, and got the majority of her shooting experience from basic training in the U.S. Army National Guard. She joined the Arizona National Guard after high school to become a military policewoman, with the ultimate goal of following in her father’s footsteps as a police officer. She has been quoted as having her eye on a modeling career since her teens, but those two goals are certainly not mutually exclusive. In this economy, it’s a good idea to have a “Plan B.” Nonetheless, becoming a professional shooter was not part of her career plan. She discovered she liked shooting in the military and began to pursue it as a hobby. If she’d just continued to shoot for fun, you wouldn’t be reading about her in this column now.

What reshaped Viscusi’s career path was her decision to apply for a role in the popular Top Shot television show. She saw it as a good opportunity to get some exposure and launch a modeling career. Ironically, she got the call to try out for the

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show while she was deployed with her National Guard unit, the 856th Military Police Company, on the Arizona-Mexico border as part of a Joint Counter Narcotics Task Force. She didn’t win the Top Shot competition, but she did get herself a Maxim magazine photo shoot and her first job as a model for the firearms industry. She also began to participate in local matches for fun and concluded fairly quickly that she could be a competitor.

So the girl who had no aspirations to become a professional shooter got herself a coach, veteran competitor and gunsmith, Don Golembieski, and started to train in earnest.

The effort paid off when she came to the attention of Glock team captain, K.C. Eusebio, who scouted her and ultimately recruited her for his team. At present, she is the team’s junior member as her skills develop. She has yet to win at the national level, but her record is growing. In 2012, she earned High Lady in the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Georgia State Championship Production Division, the USPSA North Carolina Production Division, and the Golden Bullet Competition. In 2013, she placed 39th overall and first woman in the production class in the USPSA Florida Open.

She earned the Production Class High Lady in USPSA Area 8, the USPSA GLOCK Georgia State Championship, and the USPSA Area 7 Championship.

generation has, but they appreciate their abilities. Glock team captain K.C. Eusebio was 15 years old when he beat S&W’s Jerry Michulek at the 2003 Steel Challenge Match, earning him the title of world’s fastest shooter in an upset that nobody saw coming.

Julie Golob, age 36, is the youngest member of the Team S&W pro team and also the team captain. Her father taught her to shoot when she was 14 years old. She got so good that the U.S. Army recruited her right out of high school to shoot for them competitively in 1995, and the rest is history. In her 19-year career, she has accumulated over 50 national, international and world title wins to her credit. It is interesting to note that when she began her professional career, the youngest member of Team Glock wasn’t even born.

Doug Koenig, age 45, started shooting competitively at age 17. In his 26 years as a competitor, his outstanding discipline and skill have earned him 65 national and world titles. He has won

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

the Bianchi Cup, arguably the most challenging competition on the pro circuit, an amazing fifteen times.

Julie Golob is the team captain of Team Smith & Wesson. (YAMIL SUED)

Jerry Miculek, age 60, is the fastest double-action revolver shooter in the world. When he reloads a revolver, his hands are a blur. In a career spanning over 30 years, he has won 52 national titles and 45 world titles. He is not only a competitor, but an experienced gunsmith as well. He tunes his own revolvers. Golob has nothing but praise for the other two pro team members: “We have seasoned professional shooters like Doug Koenig who has won more NRA Bianchi Cups than anyone on the planet and Jerry Miculek who holds several world records along with being the most successful revolver shooter of all time.”

The team leader and best overall performer of Team Glock’s three fulltime shooters is 25-year-old K.C. Eusebio, who has a remarkable 15 years of competition experience. Californiaborn Eusebio grew up on the range watching his father shoot competitively, and became something of a child prodigy. Training with his father, he began competing at eight years old.

westernshootingjournal.com 53

DOUG KOENIG: KING OF ACTION PISTOL SHOOTING You can argue endlessly over which athlete in a given sport is the very best, unless you’re talking about action shooting. In that case, it would be Doug Koenig. If there was ever a person who was actually born to shoot straight and fast, all evidence seems to point to it being Koenig. Pennsylvania born and bred, he grew up hunting with his father. Hunting season covers only two months out of the year, and he started action shooting as a hobby for the ten months he couldn’t hunt. He got hooked on it. He was fortunate to recognize and cultivate his talents early, and he began shooting competitively in 1986, when he was still in high school. Because he worked in the family carpentry business, he had the flexibility to devote the time to develop his natural skill. It didn’t take long for that skill to attract attention and sponsors, and by 1990, he decided he could shoot for a living.

The Bianchi Cup ranks among the world’s most challenging matches. It is a fast-paced precision practical pistol match that includes varied stages where shooters fire behind barri-

cades at falling metal plates and at moving targets. At his very first Bianchi Cup in 1990, Koenig won the championship with a perfect score of 1,920. He was the first competitor to ever shoot a perfect score in that match. Today, Koenig is one of the handful of names that come up connected to the phrase “best all around shooter in the world.” He has established a record of accomplishment like no other shooter. Its signature feature has to be his 15-year domination of the world of action pistol competition. He won the Bianchi Cup 15 times in the U.S. and five consecutive times in Europe. Last August, in his most recent European Bianchi Cup victory in Philipsburg, Germany, he shot a perfect score of 1,920 with 182 Xs. He has also won the Masters International Championship 19 times and the World Action Pistol Championship five times. Lack of space in this column prevents me from listing more.

However, to be considered the best all-around shooter in the world, you have to shoot more than handguns. Koenig does. He has brought home national and world championships in rifle and shotgun competitions as well. He won the International Practical Shooting Confederation World Championship and twice won the gold medal at the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. It is no wonder he is referred to as the “World’s Best All Around Shooter.”

HOLSTER SHOWCASE

HOLSTER SHOWCASE

When he was 10, he became the United States Pistol Shooting Association’s (USPSA) youngest master-class shooter. At 12, he won the title of grand master. He was the youngest person to ever earn that title before or since. He would likewise conquer the speed shooting circuit, winning the aforementioned World Speed Shooting Championship against Jerry Miculek at age 15.

His talent caught the attention of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. He enlisted and competed worldwide as a part of that team. Glock recruited him for their team when his term of enlistment ended in 2012.

Tori Nonaka, who just turned 18, is the youngest member of the Glock team. She also was exposed to shooting at an early age. In fact, for most of her shooting career she has been a minor and still can’t legally purchase the handguns she competes with. Her father began teaching her firearms safety and shooting fundamentals when she was three. Recognizing her natural ability, her father enrolled her in the U.S.

Shooting Academy when she was 12, and she began shooting in competition with skill well beyond her peers. More training followed, and her shooting prowess and reputation as a top junior competitor grew. In 2011, at 15 years old, she was recruited into Team Glock.

By the end of 2013, she had 13 national and international championship wins under her gun belt in the juniors’ and ladies’ classes. At 18, she was the youngest woman to win a USPSA national championship. She has recently begun modeling too, which is ironic, since her teammate, Michelle Viscuzi, was a model who decided she wanted to be a professional shooter.

Viscuzi, age 22, is the newest member of the team. She was recruited in 2012, after team captain K.C. Eusebio saw her shoot in competition. Both had a U.S. Army background. Viscuzi had just stepped off on a modeling career when she decided to look into competitive shooting seriously. Some have argued the merits of her selection for a competitive shooting team, and

she has drawn some criticism in this respect. To claim that Glock just hired her for her sex appeal would be unfair.

Viscuzi was young, with limited experience and training, but so are a lot of draft picks for major sports teams. Before she was a shooter, she was a dedicated competitive gymnast, and she is currently a U.S. Army soldier in the National Guard. Clearly, this woman is no stranger to hard training or firearms. She has some good teammates to work with and has shown progress in her development as a shooter since joining the team. From a marketing standpoint, she is a winner for Glock. All companies want attractive and charming spokesmen and women to advance their brand. My suspicion is it would be easier to make a spokesmodel into a competitive shooter than make a competitive shooter into a spokesmodel. Perhaps we are looking at another Glock innovation. In any case, I’m rooting for Viscuzi. She seems like a decent kid to me and I’d like to see her be great. WSJ

HOLSTER SHOWCASE

Wayne LaPierre: ‘Americans want the truth, and know they’re not getting it!’

C

all it media bias, elitist arrogance or the possibility that they just don’t care and aren’t even trying to hide it, but the national press is no longer doing its job, and a growing number of Americans have figured that out.

That’s the analysis from Wayne LaPierre, long-time executive vice president of the National Rifle Association and he’s in a good position to speak from authority. He has watched a transition from watchdog to lapdog unfold and based on his contacts with NRA members and other average citizens on an almost daily basis, the nation is in trouble.

This was the basis of a rousing speech he delivered at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last month, and event that continues to be viewed on YouTube, and what many believe is one of the best speeches LaPierre ever delivered.

In an exclusive interview with Western Shooting Journal for this special NRA convention edition, he reiterated the high points of that presentation. The facts haven’t changed.

Explaining that one of his greatest strengths is that “I’m a grassroots guy,” LaPierre spends much of his time on the road, traveling to various NRA events and other public appearances.

He hears constantly from members and other citizens their concerns that the nation is in dire straits.

“I listen to people all the time,” he explained, “and what you

501 Must-See Products for 2014

In our second annual NRA edition, we’ve put together the biggest collection of reviews of the coolest new guns and gear that will be featured at the NRA annual convention this year. Western Shooting Journal’s Dave Workman talked to some of the top firearms industry manufacturers that will be at he convention and found out what new products they will be showcasing. Pages 59 to 210 are purely NRA convention products, and that doesn’t even include additional content after that from our advertisers who will be at the NRA convention. We’ve got sections on accessories, air guns, ammo, black powder, handguns, knives, optics, reloading, rifles and shotguns. Wayne LaPierre, who heads up the NRA, gives us the inside scoop on the state of recent gun control efforts. Use the guide as a cheatsheet to make your way around the NRA convention, or, if you can’t make it, sit back and discover some of the best of what it has to offer. Western Shooting Journal will be there with nonstop coverage on social media.

westernshootingjournal.com 59

LaPierre really hear, when they just put their head down and shake it, is that they’ve never been worried about the country until now.

They don’t say it with anger, but with sadness. They see all the dishonesty around them, the recklessness, the bias and distortions that go on in the media.

“They process this and they know it has consequences,” he observed. “Things people see are the core of our nation are slipping away.”

He said the growing interest in gun rights and a gradual public movement toward the NRA provide something of a metaphor for what people want: the right to be safe, secure, to protect the family and their constitutional freedoms, and the right to speak truthfully and honestly.

These are the metrics of the “normal American life,” he said.

The past 16 months have shown LaPierre and NRA watchers how vicious some in the media can be, especially when talking about … LaPierre and the NRA. Following NRA’s announcement one week after Sandy Hook that “the only

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” and that the organization had launched a program to promote armed security at public schools, many in the media “said the most hateful things about me and the NRA,” he recalled.

Now, more than a year later, increasing numbers of school districts around the country are adopting these security measures. They’re careful not to credit the NRA for the original idea, of course, and in many cases the hypocrisy is not lost on the public.

“The common sense of the American public was with us,” he said, “and who was completely out of step are these media elites and political elites. They are trying to impose their vision and change American culture, and Americans don’t agree with them. They’re signing up (with NRA).”

Five Million And sign up they have, putting the NRA right around five million strong. They vote. LaPierre believes they will fight to

preserve their Second Amendment rights.

He is hoping the “massive lines at gun stores turn … into massive lines at polling booths in November.”

This membership is on the front end of what he thinks is a much broader public, and they may provide the difference necessary to stop this rush to change America into something “none of us will recognize.”

“If we’re going to turn this country around,” he said, “that’s what we’ve got to do, together. We’ve been in tight spaces before, but this one is for the country.

We’ve got to stand for our freedoms.’

But LaPierre kept coming back to the media, a press that, in his opinion, has “set out to deliberately misinform America.”

Joined at the hip with anti-gun elites, they provide a formidable front, and when challenged to speculate on the reason these forces seem to have lined up to change the country and promote their “different vision of America,” LaPierre admitted, “I don’t know.”

“I’ve tried to figure that out for years,” he said. “I’ve considered everything from

LaPierre a socialist utopia to complete lack of common sense.”

He is convinced that the mainstream press is no longer mainstream at all.

“The media used to be about exposing scandal and getting the truth,” LaPierre commented. “Now it’s entertainment, ratings, celebrity, agenda and bias; a combination of political dishonesty and agenda meeting up with media dishonesty and agenda.”

In his speech at CPAC and again in conversation with WSJ, LaPierre said a lot more people are buying firearms, “not to cause trouble, but because they are convinced the country is already in trouble.”

He said firearms sales support this notion, and that “one of the strongest indicators is the marketplace, the Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s stores, where people are practicing their freedom.”

LaPierre spent about a month preparing that speech.

“I really tried to put into words not what’s in peoples’ heads, but what’s in their hearts,” he said.

His imagination?

LaPierre’s critics have said he imagines all of the threats, but he quickly counters in language NRA members understand.

“I’m not imagining the massive debt that is going to bury our children,” he said, “I didn’t imagine Benghazi or Fast and Furious … People have to do a gut check, listen to their inner voice. They see the freedoms at risk. We’ve been staring threats straight in the eye. That’s what we’re doing here.”

LaPierre is convinced that the outcome of this fall’s elections is critical.

It is a concern he will no doubt impart to the tens of thousands of NRA members expected to gather late in the month in Indianapolis. Those members represent a fraction of the gun owners NRA hopes to coax to the polls.

He recalled how, almost immediately after the outcome of the 2012 election had been decided, President Barack Obama announced his renewed interest in pushing through a United Nations small-arms treaty. After Sandy Hook, the brakes were off with attempts to push all manner of

gun-control schemes. The firearms community fought back, with NRA playing the leading role, and the gun-control agenda was derailed once again.

However, if anti-gunners take back full control of Congress, all bets are off.

“The Second Amendment,” LaPierre said, “has never been more in need of our protection.”

LaPierre enjoys meeting with NRA members. He recalled an interview from the late 1990s when he told a reporter, “I’m not interested in playing the Washington game.”

And he closed with an observation that should not be lost.

Going out to meet NRA members across the country “Is the way you keep your sanity in Washington, D.C.,” he observed. “That town will truly steal your soul if you let it.

“The day an organization like the NRA gets cut off from the people is the day we start losing. We don’t want to surrender.

We don’t want to submit. We’re not going to succumb.” WSJ

HOLSTER SHOWCASE

HOLSTER SHOWCASE

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

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36. Kershaw Knives.........................................................7968 37. Lansky Sharpeners....................................................5113 38. Lehigh Defense, LLC................................................6470 39. Lyman Products Corp............................................6659 40. MGM Targets...............................................................5674 41. Miller Precision Arms by Accutech.................7768 42. MKS Supply, Inc./Hi Point Firearms...............7264 43. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., O.F.................................6645 44. N82 Tactical.................................................................3223 45. New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd.......8258 46. North American Firearms....................................7859 47. POF-USA Patriot Ordnance Factory, Inc.......4217 48. Predator Tactical, LLC...........................................4403 49. Redding Reloading...................................................5750 50. Rock Island/Armscor.............................................3045 51. Ruger Firearms...........................................................3859 52. SB Firearms..................................................................8654 53. Schuetzen Powder..................................................8048 54. Sharps Rifle Co............................................................8671 55. Sightmark......................................................................8163 56. SIG SAUER, Inc...........................................................3652 57. Silencerco ......................................................................3140 58. SportEAR.........................................................................4417 59. Sticky Holsters............................................................4101 60. Sun Optics USA...........................................................4915 61. Swarovski Optik North America Ltd..............5445 62. Tactical Rifles, Inc.....................................................5115 63. Tactical Tailor .............................................................8148 64. Umarex USA..................................................................7865 65. Vortex Optics...............................................................4764 66. VZ Grips ..........................................................................3050 67. Western Powders, Inc...........................................3556 68. White Peaks Hunting Ranch...............................5272 69. Wolf Performance Ammunition, WPA...........8152 70. XS Sight Systems.....................................................6449

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Exhibit Hall Hours: Friday, April 25 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 26 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 27 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

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Indiana Convention Center Indianapolis, IN

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NRA annual meeting: The Indy 400,000

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or anyone heading to Indianapolis in late April for the annual National Rifle Association members’ meetings and exhibits, you’ll be heading into an exhibit hall covering more than 400,000 square feet with more than 550 exhibitors.

It is by far the biggest gathering of gun owners anywhere in the country, with seminars, a huge rally at Lucas Oil Stadium, the fourth annual “Country Jam” and the members’ meeting with reports from NRA president Jim Porter, executive vice president Wayne LaPierre, Institute for Legislative Action executive director Chris Cox and other officers.

Inside the exhibit hall will be new guns and gear, displays featuring top names in the firearms industry, optics and accessories.

FRIDAY HIGHTLIGHTS: NRA members will gather for the Leadership Forum at Lucas Oil Stadium. Attendance requires a ticket, and will feature Cox heading a cast of Second Amendment champions. This lively event is aimed at launching the effort to stop President Barack Obama’s anti-gun rights agenda.

The NRA Women’s Leadership Forum co-chairs Susan LaPierre and Suzie Brewster host a women-only luncheon at the J.W. Marriott hotel, starting at 10 a.m. This annual luncheon and auction is always a popular event.

On Friday evening, the NRA Country Jam IV kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Crane Bay Event Center. Featuring country artists Joe Nichols and Jerrod Niemann, the concert will spotlight the Folds of Honor Foundation’s work to support families of fallen soldiers. It is always a sell-out event.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS: The annual members’ meeting begins at 10 a.m.

Saturday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium is the Stand and Fight Rally featuring the superstar country band Alabama and an appearance by award-winning female vocalist Sara Evans. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS: This is NRA Youth Day. Activities include an NRA Sports 3 gun experience with airsoft guns, plus a youth hunter education challenge wildlife identification event, a Boy Scouts of america Pine car derby, rodeo roping, duck calling and more.

The program runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday morning also features the annual NRA prayer breakfast at 7 a.m.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS: The NRA Store is open 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, From 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The exhibit hall is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The popular Pyramyd Air Gun Range is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Also open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday is the NRA Foundation’s Wall of Guns, which is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

NRA workshops promise fun, information Folks heading to the NRA’s convention later this month will find a full schedule of informative seminars that were still in the process of being finalized when this issue went to print.

Once you arrive in Indianapolis, grab a program for updated information and room numbers. Meanwhile, check out the list and circle the workshops that might appeal to your particular interests. (Hint: Wild Game Cooking and programs dealing with self-defense are always standing room only!)

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ALABAMA ROCKS THE NRA CONVENTION

Legendary Band Members Sound Off On Second Amendment And Shooting ARTICLE BY AL HAGUE · PHOTOS BY ALABAMA

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n Saturday, April 26, 2014, at the NRA Stand and Fight Rally, the legendary country band Alabama will perform in the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for those attending the 2014 NRA annual convention. For almost 40 years, this incredible group has been at the center of country music, with 43 number-one singles and 73 million albums sold.

The music world can chew up and spit out bands at a mind-boggling rate, but Alabama has stood the test of time.

Clearly, their music is the reason; but who are those guys that play and sing this great and long-loved music? What can we learn about them and from them to make a difference in our lives, and what drives these three men from Alabama to this high plateau of excellence for so long? How did they get there, and how did they stay there?

These and many other questions are what I asked two of the three stars in a phone interview recently. I spoke with Jeff Cook and Teddy Gentry in great detail about their lives and loves.

Cook is a vocalist and plays guitar, keyboards and more. Gentry plays bass guitar and background vocals. Unfortunately, the third main member of the band, Randy Owen, was not available

Alabama is enjoying a recent comeback.

on that day, and with printing deadlines, there was no time to reschedule. I tried to ask the same or similar questions of each, but as they are certainly individuals, not all questions were appropriate for both. However, they certainly have more in common than different, and that is a good thing.

Jeff Cook is a vocalist and plays guitar, keyboard and more. Teddy Gentry plays bass guitar and performs background vocals.

interest in shooting sports as a young man?

JEFF COOK Well, I grew up hunting and shooting with my grandfather and dad, but I was never much of a hunter. I tell people that I can’t shoot Bambi, but I can eat him. I used to hunt squirrels and rabbits, and perhaps bird hunting once or twice; quail a few times as well.

I am not a big hunter, but I do respect guns, especially the one I take with me to kill snakes when I go fishing.

JEFF COOK

AH Have you ever had a chance to shoot any clay-target sports?

JC Yes, I have, as well as my wife, but she is better at that than I am. We were invited to the Mandrell Sporting Clays events a couple of years ago, and my wife and Leslie Esterbrook

AL HAGUE Jeff, as you know, we are foremost a shooting-sports magazine, and I will start with your interest in the same. Did you have an

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did very well.

AH What is your favorite gun to shoot?

JC Well, I have Benellis, I have Winchesters and some handguns as well.

The favorite is my little sawed-off shotgun called the Snake Charmer: a short .410, which I take fishing with me. I am really not fond of snakes. As far as I am concerned, there are only two kinds of snakes: live ones and dead ones, and I prefer the latter. If I forget to put it in the boat, you can bet I am going to see a snake.

AH Have you ever tried waterfowling?

JC I am the kind of guy that likes to be comfortable with whatever I am doing, and I really see no reason to go out in the cold and freeze to shoot something that I am not likely to eat anyway. However, I certainly will defend your right to do it. I have seen shows on television, and the dogs look great, and it looks like a lot of fun until I get to the cold part, and I am not a fan of cold.

AH I know you are a Second Amendment supporter, so I ask you, what do you feel we can do more of to safeguard our right to bear arms? Is there one thing that we can do a better job of?

JC Well, I think the answer to that is education. Educating the public. It is not guns; it is people that kill people.

There are elements out there that try to combine the two and make the message unclear. We need to make people more aware of safety and the proper use and handling of guns.

AH I find it amazing that you three came together from virtually the same place, found each other and put together this amazing career. How did it all begin?

JC I had a band in high school, called The Chosen Few. I think it was in 11th grade. I heard about this guy who could sing, and I reached out to him and invited him to sing with my band at a school event. That was the first time I heard Randy Owen sing. I had no idea at the time we were related, until some70

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time later my grandmother told me, “I think he is about your fourth cousin.”

Then I found out that Teddy is my fifth cousin and Randy and Teddy are second cousins. Contrary to some public information, I was the first with a band, and then found Randy and Teddy. I started plating professionally at age 13.

AH What music or group was your favorite, or at the very least, inspired you?

JC For a long time, I was a Beatles fan, and some referred to us as the Beatles of country music, which is a pretty great comparison in my mind.

AH You have a great song out recently called All American. Tell me where it came from and what it’s about.

JC It is an appropriate song for the times. It talks about some of the things this country is going through, and we get standing ovations every night we play it. It was not written by anyone of us, but it just fits the times.

It is very relevant.

AH Do you recall the first gun you owned?

JC Yes, but it is not as exciting as some might think. My very first was a pump BB gun, and then I moved up to an Ithaca .22.

AH What would you like our readers to know about your love of the outdoors and the shooting sports that they may not know?

JC I believe the Second Amendment was written for a good reason then, and it is still a good reason today. To repeat myself a bit, we need to educate people about guns and how to safely enjoy them. I have been a member of the NRA for many years. I held a bass fishing tournament for 16 years to benefit Children with Cancer. From this, I was honored as the State Fishing Ambassador, and Alabama Governor Bob Riley made it a lifetime appointment, which allows me the opportunity to make public service commercials for clean water and other worthwhile causes. It’s important that each of us, with our specific interests, use our talents, whatever they might

be, to take care of our outdoor world; and with enough different interests, we will at some point interconnect and benefit the whole of the outdoors.

AH OK, here is an opportunity as a fisherman to lie or not. What is the biggest bass you have ever caught?

JC 10¼-pounder in a lake in north Florida. I can’t tell you where because it’s a secret.

AH Jeff, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today.

Jeff Cook is fun, interesting and an easy guy to chat with. His love of music has certainly choreographed his life, but he is a man of many passions, life, family, and the outdoors. He loves to tell a good joke, which he shared a couple with me. He has a sense of humor that keeps him grounded, and his commitment to excellence is clearly obvious. There is no doubt in my mind he is one of the good guys.

TEDDY GENTRY

AH I know you grew up on your grandfather’s cotton farm. Did you have any opportunity at an early age to get involved in shooting sports?

TEDDY GENTRY Not really. My grandfather had a shotgun behind the door, and I knew enough not to mess with it and I never did. I did eventually shoot a .22 rifle while squirrel hunting and stuff.

When I joined the 4-H club, I had my first real experience with shooting when I entered the district competition. I had never shot a high-power rifle before, and if I recall, I wound up placing 5th or 6th out of a hundred kids or so. I enjoyed target shooting after that quite a lot.

AH The Second Amendment is a very controversial subject these days.

What do you think can be done to preserve our right to bear arms?

TG I think it all starts with education, and also being responsible gun owners. My former attorney, who has since passed away, taught my daughter to shoot. It all starts with the parents; to

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teach the kids to respect guns and have clear rules about guns. Every gun owner needs to be responsible for their guns to keep them safeguarded. We need a bit more common sense as to how we enjoy our rights.

AH It has been a long road, and of course many people think success comes easy and quick when you are as good as Alabama is – and you and I know that’s not true. What advice would you give to anyone working at being successful in any endeavor, music or anything else?

TG First and foremost, make sure whatever you do it is something you love to do. We all grew up loving to work at music, and we still do 40 years later. If you love something, it is much easier to stay with it and be successful.

AH All great things stand the test of time. Why do you think that is with Alabama, because you certainly have stood the test of time?

TG We were fortunate to get great

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songs from great writers over the years. We worked long, hard hours and spent all those days and months on the road. I am the first to admit that some things may have suffered for that dedication, including my family, and I could have done a better job at balancing family and work. I would say that part of the advice would be to find balance in your life’s work.

AH Alabama has enjoyed incredible success. You are all in the Country Music Hall of Fame, hundreds of singles and millions of albums later. What’s next for Alabama and Teddy Gentry?

TG Alabama is still playing a handful of shows each year, and we will continue to do that. We are getting ready to go into the studio and work on a couple more albums, one country and perhaps a gospel album as well. Personally, I am getting involved in producing albums with young upcoming artists, and that’s very rewarding. I sort of split my time here on the ranch raising beef cattle and going to Nashville to write songs

and work with music. I have a great balance in my life right now. Having a couple weeks between shows works well for me. I have five grandchildren I love to spend time with, so all is well.

AH Where do you go when you go on vacation?

TG My wife and I take trips to the Smoky Mountains, and sometimes we take the grandkids to beaches in Florida. Honestly, my vacation spot is right here on my farm.

AH Where do you find your inspiration for new songs?

TG Songwriting is like fishing to me. It’s fun to do, but it’s a lot more fun if you enjoy the company of a friend, then the process it is much nicer. Inspiration can come from anywhere. A phrase overheard, a movie or most anywhere.

Sometimes nothing happens, and other times it comes easy. I have taken months to complete a song, and other times half an hour. Most songs come from very talented songwriters; they do

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not happen by accident. When it does happen, it is a high that can last for a long time. It is an adrenalin rush like no other for the songwriter. When it doesn’t happen, there is also no frustration like it, either.

AH Do you find it easier to write songs using the experience you’ve obtained over the years?

TG The writing process is incredibly hard, but I still love it. No doubt that life experience can offer ideas, and from that point, I would say yes.

AH Who were your music heroes?

TG Artists that were able to write and perform their songs to a high level. I would say The Eagles, The Beatles, Willie Nelson, Meryl Haggard and Bill Anderson. So many amazing talents. I enjoy many genres of music, as great is great. I cut my teeth on gospel and bluegrass, but I would say I am pretty mainstream.

AH What would you like our readers to know about Teddy Gentry, that we may not read anywhere else?

TG I am a pretty good cattle guy. I have spent many years studying cattle breeding, genetics and so forth. So much that I have developed my own breed called South Poll, which you can get information about at southpoll.com, here at Bent Tree Farm. This is not a hobby for me, it is a very serious part of my life. I am developing the genetics to be able to produce more beef on smaller acres, and that has been the goal.

Teddy Cook is a delight to talk too.

He is very open about his love of the outdoors, his family and his passion for music that still drives him today.

Songwriters are a special kind of musician, and Teddy is certainly one of the best. He has found amazing balance in his life and is quick to offer that advice to anyone who asks. I thank him as well for taking the time to share his thoughts with us for this NRA edition of Western Shooting Journal. If you like quality music and fun music, be sure to keep an eye out for the new albums down the road from Alabama. WSJ

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RIFLES Browning X-Bolt Eclipse Hunter with laminate thumbhole stock.

SEE NEW BROWNING AB3 BOLT-ACTIONS

One Browning Place, Dept. WSJ, Morgan, UT 84050/(801) 876-2711/www.browning.com Browning’s newest addition for American riflemen is the AB3, a bolt-action sporter with several features, and there are new X-Bolt models as well. It will be on display at the NRA exhibition in Indianapolis.

The new Browning model is chambered for both standard and magnum calibers, including .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield with 22-inch barrels, and 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum with 26-inch barrels.

The average weight on the standard model is 6 pounds, 13 ounces while the magnums average 7 pounds, 3 ounces. They feature composite stocks with Inflex Technology recoil pads and matte-blue finish on the barrel and receiver. The AB3 action has a 60-degree bolt, top-tang safety, bolt lock override button and detachable-box magazine.

Another new entry is the X-Bolt Eclipse Hunter. It has a laminated gray-satin finish thumbhole stock with Monte Carlo cheekpiece. The rifle has a detachable-rotary magazine, adjustable Feather Trigger, 60-degree bolt throw and Inflex Technology recoil pad. It is also available in short- and long-action calibers and magnum calibers.

For more information, see us at booth #4148

BARRETT’S NEW MRAD, REC 7 GEN II

P.O. Box 1077, Dept. WSJ, Murfreesboro, TN 37133-1077 (615) 896-2938/www.barrettrifles.com One of the popular stops at any NRA exhibition is the Barrett Rifle display, and this year they’re showing off the REC 7 Gen II semi-auto rifle, along with the MRAD bolt-action.

The MRAD bolt-action is now offered in .300WM and .308 Winchester, and there are conversion kits available for existing MRAD rifles.

It has a 7000-series aluminum upper receiver with an M1913 rail that has a 30-MOA taper. The for-

ward receiver is drilled and tapped so accessory rails may be mounted on both sides and the bottom.

Shooters will also like the MRAD’s thumb safety, which may be set up for either right- or left-hand users. The rifle has a folding stock with an adjustable-polymer cheek piece and the length of pull is adjustable to five different positions.

Meanwhile, the REC 7 Gen II is chambered for the 5.56mm and 6.8 SPC. It has a one-piece stainless steel piston and chrome-lined, cold-hammer forged, free-floating barrel with a PWS Triad flash suppressor and fluted chrome-lined gas block. It also has a two-position gas plug.

The REC Gen II features flip-up metallic sights, a newly-designed handguard, 7075 aluminum upper and lower with anodized-Type 3 hardcoat. Barrett says the upper has an M4 feed ramp machined into the receiver and barrel extension. The carrier is machined from a monolithic block of 8620 steel, and the enhanced bolt is made from 9310 steel.

Both the MRAD and REC 7 Gen II are available with gray, OD green, black Cerakote, multi-role brown or tan receivers.

For more information, see us at booth #4609

CENTURY INTERNATIONAL OFFERS CENTURION 39 RIFLES 430 South Congress Ave., Suite 1, Dept. WSJ Delray Beach, FL 33445 (800) 527-1252/ www.centuryarms.com

There are two new models in the Centurion 39 rifle family.

Centurion 39 rifles are all made in Vermont from solid blocks of 4140 ordnance-quality steel.

The new Centurion 39 Classic has a 16.5-inch barrel with a 1:10-inch rifling twist, adjustable rear sight black synthetic stock and Picatinny rails molded into the hand guards. Chambered in 7.62x39, the Classic comes with two 30-round magazines, and it is 37.25 inches overall.

The other Centurion 39 variation is the Tactical model. It has a gas-block front-sight combination, fully-adjustable rear sight, molded Picatinny rails on the hand guards and forward-vertical pistol grip. It has a chrome-lined barrel, black-synthetic stock and left-side charging handle.

For more information, see us at booth #3926

MVP Patrol MVP Flex

CHECK MOSSBERG’S NEW FLEX-22, MVP BOLT GUNS, SEMI-AUTO 7 Grasso Ave., Dept. WSJ, North Haven, CT 06473/(203) 230-5300/www.mossberg.com

Not long after Mossberg unveiled its FLEX-series shotguns in January, the company announced its new FLEX-22 semi-auto rifle chambered for the .22 long rifle, and it will no doubt be on display during the NRA exhibits in Indianapolis.

This new model has a 25-round magazine, adjustable-tactical stock, free-floating barrel and adjustable front- and rear-fiber optic sights. There’s also a youth model with a compact stock and ten-round magazine.

Based on the proven Mossberg semi-auto rifle action in the 702 Plinkster and 715T, the FLEX-22 joins some other Mossberg rifles unveiled earlier.

There are five new MVP Patrol Rifle models in 5.56mm, .300 Blackout or 7.62mm, depending upon the model. All have medium-bull barrels measuring 16.25 inches, with scope-mounting rails and A2 flash suppressors. They also have adjustable LBA triggers with a skeletonized blade.

There’s also a semi-auto Muddy Girl series rifle, the International 715T Flat Top model. Chambered for the .22 Long Rifle, it has an A-2-style muzzle brake on a 16.25inch barrel. Finished in Muddy Girl camo, this rifle has Picatinny rail-mounted front and rear sights, and it carries a 25-round magazine.

For more information, see us at booth #6645

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Rifles BATTLE RIFLE COMPANY MODELS MEET MODERN DEMANDS 1056 Hercules Ave., Dept. WSJ, Houston, TX 77058/(281) 777-0316/www.battleriflecompany.com Making the most of the AR platform, the Battle Rifle Company recently announced new additions to its BR4 rifle series, and you can check them out at the NRA exhibits.

They include the BR4 Wolverine, a lightweight model with an extended rail. This 3-gun rifle has a 16-inch barrel with a muzzle brake, telescoping stock, folding sights and more, and it is available in 5.56mm and .300 Blackout.

The BR4 ODIN — a joint effort by Battle Rifle and ODIN Works — is chambered in 5.56mm, and it has a 16-inch barrel with Battle Rifle flash suppressor, KEYMOD rail and telescopic buttstock.

Also, the BR4 Spectre rifle now has a new look, with a 12-inch quadrail and 16-inch barrel and flash suppressor. It has a telescoping stock, folding sights and more.

Battle Rifle uses cryogenically-treated barrels with chrome-lined bores and chambers, and a manganese-phosphate finish. Buffer tubes are made from extruded 7075-T6 aluminum, with coated-buffer springs for smooth operation.

For more information, see us at booth #7374

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

HIGH STANDARD NOW OFFERS AK-RIFLES

5151 Mitchelldale, Suide B-11, Houston, TX 77092/(800) 272-7816/www.highstandard.com High Standard now offers Interarms AK models and parts that are made in the USA. Their AK47 models have folding stocks that measure 26 inches when folded, and 36 inches overall at full length. The stock on this rifle folds under.

Likewise, the AK-74 model is also an underfolder that measures 37 inches overall, and it comes with the Interarms polymer set that includes the stock, grip and handguard.

Also from Interarms is the Tantal model, another AK variation with a folding stock that is 37 inches overall and 29 inches when the stock is folded.

All Interarms AK rifles are fitted with U.S.-made hard chrome barrels and American receivers finished with Mil-Speck Parkerizing, and delivered with one polymer 30-round magazine.

AK parts from Interarms are made in Texas, and they include polymer-AK stock sets tht come with a fixed stock, pistol grip and hand guards, all in black, and a fire-control set including the hammer, trigger and disconnect. They feature Mil-Spec Parkerizing and they are heat treated.

For more information, see us at booth #3863

Rifles CHECK OUT NEW REMINGTON MODELS

870 Remington Drive, Dept. WSJ, Madison, NC 27025 (800) 243-9700/www.remington.com New versions of the Remington Model 783 were unveiled at the SHOT Show in January, and for those who can’t see them at the NRA meeting in Indianapolis, they’ll be available soon in gun shops near you.

Now offered in .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester and .300 Winchester Magnum, the Model 783 has a button-rifled barrel, cylindrical receiver and pillar-bedded synthetic stock. It also features Remington’s Cross-Fire trigger, a two-position safety and a SuperCell recoil pad. There will also be some models featuring a camo finish.

There are new versions of the Model 700, including one designed for long-range shooting with a heavy barrel and composite Bell & Carlson M40 tactical stock.

Remington has also introduced other new entries including a tactical model and new Model 700 VTR models with bipods and synthetic stocks.

KREBS CUSTOM SPECIALIZES IN AK PARTS, PLATFORMS 1000 Rand Road, Unit 106, Dept. WSJ Wauconda, IL 60084 (847) 487-7776/www.krebscustom.com

Specializing in the AK platform and accessories,

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

CHECK OUT COLT’S NEW RIFLES P.O. Box 1868, Dept. WSJ, Hartford, CT 06144 (860) 236-6311/www.colt.com

LE6920AE

Introduced at the SHOT Show in January, Colt has two new semi-auto rifles, including one model with a magazine release on the left side for left-handed shooters.

Those attending the NRA convention in Indianapolis can check them out, and there will be no disappointments.

The new selections include a 3-gun-competition model with ambidextrous controls built into the forging. Designated the LE6940AE-3G, it has a single-stage match trigger, modifications to the handguard and rails to make the enhanced 6940 more comfortable, plus a folding-adjustable front sight. The enhanced 6940AE-3G’s monolithic upper is fully modular, with a smooth handguard allowing shooters to place rails where they choose. There are also rail sections forward of the Colt folding-adjustable front sight for additional customization options, such as extended reach for added control.

The second new model is the LE6920AE, also with ambidextrous controls.

Chambered in 5.56mm, they both feature an M4 buttstock, Colt A2 grip and Magpul Gen 2 Back Up sight. Both have 16.1-inch barrels with a 1:7-inch right-hand rifling twist that works better with heavier bullets. Both models measure 32 inches with the stock retracted, and 35.5 inches with the stock extended.

For more information, see us at booth #6059, 6661 Krebs Custom’s centerpiece this year is the new KV13 rifle, a rugged semi-auto based on the VEPR. Chambered in 7.62x39mm, it has a 16-inch barrel with flash supressor, 30-round magazine, Magpul collapsible folding butt stock, SAW grip, a Krebs Custom UFM Key-Mod rail forend and enhanced

safety. The rifle weighs 8 pounds.

Another entry listed on the Krebs website is the KRPK-14, also chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge. This semi-auto has a Magpul AK grip, Arsenal trigger, RPK rear sight, Krebs Custom buttstock adapter, Magpul ACS-L collapsing buttstock, 30-

Rifles SIG SAUER’S NEW RIFLES COVER THE BASES 72 Pease Blvd., Dept. WSJ, Newington, NH 03801/(603) 610-3000/www.sigsauer.com

Three months after their debut at SHOT Show, new rifles from Sig Sauer will be delighting NRA members who attend the 143rd annual meetings in Indianapolis, and pretty soon they should be available at gun shops across the map.

The lineup includes the Sig Sauer M400 Predator model with an 18-inch stainless-steel match-grade SIG516 Carbon barrel, cut with a 1:8-inch rifling twist. Chambered for the 5.56mm/.223 Remington, this rifle has a threaded Fiber Carbine and capped muzzle, two-stage match trigger, five-round magazine capacity and extended hogue free-float-knurled handguard.

Their M400 Varminter has a 22-inch stainless-match-grade barrel, is also chambered in 5.56/.223 Rem. It weighs 7.1 pounds, has a 5-pound trigger pull, SIG M400 the muzzle is threaded and capped, and it uses an AR-type magazine.

Then comes the SIG516 Carbon Fiber Carbine (CFC), with a 16-inch barrel cut with six lands and grooves on a 1:7-inch twist. This model features a four-position gas-piston operating system, extended 12-inch free-float carbon-fiber handguard, a two-stage match-grade trigger, A1 carbon-fiber stock and a 7075-T6 aluminum- upper and -lower with a Picatinny rail on the upper receiver. It also has adjustable sights.

Another carbine variation is the SIG M400 B5, also a direct-gas impingement model with many of the same features as the other M400. It comes with a 30round aluminum-GI magazine, MIL-Spec trigger, flip-up rear sight, Keymod handguard and optional Foilage furniture.

The SIG M400 CFC model features direct-gas impingement, a 12-inch free-float carbon-fiber handguard, A1 stock, match-grade trigger with a 4.5-pound letoff, aluminum upper and lower, and an M1913 rail. It also has a 16-inch barrel and a Lancer Smoke 30-round magazine.

The SIG 556xi Russian is chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge. This semi-auto has a 16-inch barrel with a lined chamber and bore. It has four lands and grooves cut on a 1:9-inch twist. Other features include a Swiss-style side folding stock with cheek riser, three-position gas-piston operating system, accessory rail, and overall length of just over 35 ¾ inches. It comes with an AK-type 30-round magazine.

Sig Sauer’s Model 716 Designated Marksman has an 18-inch heavy-match grade barrel cut with a 1:10-inch twist on a four-groove pattern. Chambered in 7.62x51, this rifle has a short-stroke gas piston system, It has a two-stage match trigger, Magpul PMAG, 5.5-pound trigger pull, extended-aluminum free-float hand guard and folding front and rear sights.

For more information, see us at booth #3652

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Rifles polymer in construction, except for the barrels and operating components.

For more information, see us at booth #3053

UBERTI OFFERS 1873 LEVERGUN

17603 Indian Head Highway, Dept. WSJ, Accokeek, MD 20607/(301) 283-2981/www.benelliusa.com Uberti’s newest incarnation of the famed Model 1873 is a real looker, and appropriately dubbed the Competition Rifle, which ought to appeal to the Cowboy Action shooters attending NRA’s exhibition in late April.

It has a color-case hardened finish on the receiver and deeply-blued barrels, a short-stroke lever and action job. The 1873 Competition model also features an A-grade walnut stock with rubber recoil pad.

Chambered for either the .45 Colt or .357 Magnum, the tubular magazine holds ten rounds. The barrel measures 20 inches and comes from the factory with smooth cycling.

For more information, see us at booth #4653 round magazine and more.

This outfit also has components for AK rifles including magazines, Krebs Custom Mk6 enhanced selectors, stocks, adapters and grips, plus optics, mounts and sights.

KEL-TEC RIFLES ON EXHIBIT P.O. Box 236009, Dept. WSJ, Cocoa, FL 32926-6009 (321) 631-0068/www.kel-tec.com

People attending the NRA exhibition in late April will likely see lots of traffic at the Kel-Tec display to check out the company’s popular semi-auto sporting rifles in pistol and rifle calibers.

The lineup includes the bull-pup RFB, and the

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SU-16 series of .223-caliber rifles has developed a loyal following.

Kel-Tec’s RFB is chambered for the 7.62mm /.308 Winchester, and it is available with either a target barrel or 18-inch carbine barrel featuring a chromelined bore and chamber. Its threaded muzzle can accept a suppressor and there’s a rail on top for optic sights. It has fully ambidextrous controls, the charging handle can be switched from side to side, and it takes standard metric FAL-type magazines.

Kel-Tec’s SU-16 series rifles are designed with long-stroke, gas piston actions and feature the Johnson/Stoner breech locking system. All rifles accept AR-15 magazines and the guns are largely

RUGER AMERICAN RIMFIRE, SR762 SPOTLIGHTED 1 Lacey Place, Dept. WSJ, Southport, CT 06890 (203) 259-7843/www.ruger-firearms.com

Western Shooting Journal had the opportunity to field test both of Ruger’s top new rifles, the SR762 semi-auto and the American Rimfire, and they will be spotlighted during this month’s NRA convention.

The .308-caliber SR-762 is a rugged modern sporting rifle that can take down big game. It comes with three 20-round magazines, has a full-length rail on top, flash suppressor, folding front- and rear-adjustable sights, and telescoping butt.

The SR-762 has a 16.12-inch barrel, forward bolt assist and a two-stage piston driven operating system that works like champ. It comes in a padded full-fold-out case.

Ruger’s American Rimfire in .22 Long Rifle and .22 Magnum uses the same rotary magazine that is used in the 10/22. It is accurate, quick and reliable.

Available with either a 22- or 18-inch barrel, this bolt-action rimfire has a fiber optic front sight and folding rear, and may be topped with a scope, which is what WSJ did last September to shoot grouse in the head out in the Northwest.

Rifles The American Rimfire has a modular stock with two interchangeable cheek pieces, one for use with the factory sights and the other with a raised comb for use with a scope.

For more information, see us at booth #3859

Model 1885

K-VAR SPOTLIGHTS SAM7SF-84 RIFLE

Model 1892

4001 S. Decatur Blvd #37383, Dept. WSJ Las Vegas, NV 89103/(702) 364-8880/www.k-var.com This year K-VAR is focusing the spotlight on its SAM7SF-84, a Bulgarian-made rifle chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge.

Imported by Arsenal, Inc., this semi-auto rifle has a right-side folding tubular buttstock, cold-hammer-forged 16.3-inch barrel, a hot-die hammer forged receiver, bolt, bolt carrier and double hook trigger. The barrel bore and chamber are hardchrome plated and the barrel is fitted with a removable muzzle brake. The barrel is cut with four lands and grooves on a 1:9.45-inch right-hand twist.

K-VAR offers this rifle with an AK scope rail. The folded length is 28.4 inches while the full overall length is 38.2 inches. It weighs 8.5 pounds empty.

The pistol grip and handguards are black polymer, and the heat shield is stainless steel. The safety lever is ambidextrous, and the gun has a scope rail and comes with a sectional cleaning rod and a single 10-round magazine.

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SEE WINCHESTER’S NOSTALGIC REVIVALS

275 Winchester Ave., Dept. WSJ, Morgan, UT 84050-3737/(801) 876-3440/www.winchester-guns.com Winchester is a name synonymous with American values and history, and this year, part of that history has been revived with the reintroduction of the Model 1892 lever action.

It has been joined by new versions of the Model 1873 and a dandy single-shot Model 1885 in rimfire chamberings.

The Model 1892 lever action has a large loop-lever, 20-inch round barrel with full-length magazine tube and walnut straight-grip stock and forearm. The barrel, receiver, curved buttplate and barrel band are all deeply blued. Winchester offers the Model 1892 loop-lever carbine in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .44-40 and .45 Colt.

Winchester’s legendary Model 1873 is now offered with a color-case hardened receiver and curvedsteel buttplate. It will be chambered in .44-40 and .45 Colt. It has a straight-grip walnut stock, round 20-inch barrel with full-length magazine and semi-buckhorn rear sight and Marble Arms gold-bead front sight.

Chambered in .22 Magnum, .22 Long Rifle, .17 HMR or .17 Winchester Super Magnum, the Model 1885 Low Wall Hunter Rimfire has a checkered-walnut pistol grip stock and Schnabel forearm with oil finish, while the barrel and receiver are blued.

For more information, see us at booth #4148

Rifles ALAN & WILLIAM ARMS, INC. Cheyenne Wells, CO/(719) 343-5881 www.alanandwilliamarms.com

RIVERMAN GUN WORKS

410 W. Neider Ave., Suite E, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815 (208) 667-3786/www.rivermangunworks.com The MBR - Modular Breakdown Rifle was developed and built in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

The MBR is a spring-assisted, bolt-action precision rifle. Built on the AR platform, the MBR comes in two models – the MBR-15 and the MBR-10.

The MBR-15 comes in: .223/5.56, .204, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 Special, 300 AAC The MBR-10 comes in: .308, .243, .260, .338 Federal, 7mm-08, 6.5 Creedmore The MBR breaks down into three pieces – the body (upper/lower/stock), the barrel and the rail.

The rifle utilizes a trademarked and patent-pending design to assemble and disassemble the rifle quickly. To disassemble, simply unscrew the Venom Rail and remove the barrel. To reassemble, attach the barrel, screw on the rail, align the rail (if needed) and tighten.

The MBR rezeros after take down and reassembly, and is capable of shooting 1/3 MOA. Interchangeable barrels allow the shooter to choose from multiple calibers to suit their shooting needs.

The MBR is a precision, bolt-action rifle built on the AR platform, and is capable of using all AR parts and accessories.

Each MBR is built and tested for precision. Riverman Gun Works also offers packages that deliver not only the MBR, but can deliver a ballistics package, optics and custom-carrying cases, so the shooter has everything they need to make the MBR perform to it’s full capability.

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This is a firearms manufacturing company that started in 2012 in southeastern Colorado with a passion and love for what they do!

They have their own Alan & William Arms AR-15 in stock, with short lead times on custom builds in just about any configuration that you want.

All of their guns are built with the best parts in the industry, from a BCM Upper with 1/7-twist cold hammer forged barrels to the custom two stage geissele triggers and the highest quality lower receivers in the industry.

Alan & William Arms is now taking preorders on Alan & William Arms AR-10. They will also be available and on display at the NRA show in April this year.

Services they offer: manufacturing, retail, wholesale, and distributor.

They are currently looking for dealers.

For more information, see us at booth #8065

LOOK FOR SHILOH RIFLE SINGLE-SHOTS P.O. Box 297, Big Timber, MT 59011 (406) 932-4454/www.shilohrifle.com

Nothing tugs at the heartstrings with many American shooters like a traditional single-shot rifle, and this year Shiloh’s resurrection of the Sharps Model

CUSTOM GUNSTOCKS

1877 ought to bring smiles at the NRA exhibition.

Shiloh designed this English Rifle with two grades.

The No. 1 grade rifle features a stock and forearm of standard grade wood, a round-heavy barrel in lengths of 26, 28, 20, 32 or 34 inches, a full semi-buckhorn rear sight and blade front sight.

The straight-butt stock has no cheekpiece but it does sport a standard curved grip and a color cases receiver.

The No. 2 grade rifle also has a standard grade wood stock and forearm, standard case-colored receiver, the same barrel lengths and barrel profile, but with a straight grip on the buttstock.

Shiloh will be offering these guns in ten calibers from .38-55 to .45-100.

SAVAGE

100 Springdale Road, Dept. WSJ, Westfield, MA 01085/(800) 235-1821/www.savagearms.com Six new rimfire rifles and three new centerfire models will grace the Savage display at the NRA exhibits.

The Axis II XP, XP Youth and Model 11 Trophy Hunter XP Youth model are available in centerfire.

The Axis II XP is chambered for several popular calibers from .22-250 Remington to 7mm-08 Remington. It has a black synthetic stock, AccuTrigger, detachable box magazine, matte finish and it comes with a Weaver Kaspa 3-9x40mm scope.

The Axis II XP Youth is available with either a black stock or one finished with Muddy Girl camp. It is chambered for the .243 Winchester, has an AccuTrigger and the same Weaver scope.

Chambered in .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester and 7mm08 Remington, the Model 11 Trophy Hunter XP youth with a Muddy Girl stock finish has a Nikon 3-9x40mm scope with BDC reticle, plus AccuTrigger, detachable magazine and matte finish on the blue barrel.

The six rimfire models include two chambered for .22 Long Rifle, two more in .22 Magnum and two in .17 HMR.

CHECK OUT THE YANKEE HILL MACHINE MODEL 57 BILLET CARBINE

20 Ladd Ave., Suite 1, Dept. WSJ, Florence, MA 01062/(877) 892-6533/yhm.net Yankee Hill is exhibiting its Model 57 Billet Carbine at the NRA gathering, but if you can’t make it to Indy in April, you might find one closer to home.

The Model 57 is YHM’s first carbine. It is fitted with a 16-inch 4140 steel barrel cut with six lands and grooves on a 1:7 or 1:9 twist. The barrel is fluted for easier cooling and is threaded, and it comes fitted with a new slant series muzzle brake.

It features a direct impingement gas system, billet upper and lower made from 7075-T6 aluminum with M4 feed ramps, and Quick Deploy folding sights crafted from 6061-TC aluminum.

Chambered for the .5.56mm NATO round, the Model 57 has an overall length of 33.5 inches when the stock is collapsed, and 37.5 inches when it is fully extended. It weighs 7.43 pounds. The design features patented EZ Pull takedown pins, which are .100-inch longer than standard pins, to allow for quick movement.

Yankee Hill uses a Magpul CTR buttstock and Magpul MOE pistol grip, and a Specter length SLR-slant free floating handguard with accessory mounting rails.

Yankee Hill supplies two 30-round Gen 2 Magpul PMAG magazines. It is factory delivered with a two-stage trigger that is set at 5 pounds.

The rifle will also be available in 6.8 SPC and .300 Blackout, and will come with caliber-marked dust covers.

Another Yankee Hill offering is the 15-inch Diamond Series competitionlength forearm. Made from 6061-T6 aluminum with hard coating to military specifications, this new forearm comes with barrel nuts made from steel, and plated with a black-matte finish.

This forearm accepts Yankee Hill customized rails and weighs 16.8 ounces.

LOOK FOR MARLIN MODELS

P.O. Box 1871, Dept. WSJ, Madison, NC 27025/(800) 544-8892/www.marlinfirearms.com Marlin is a brand that is familiar with generations of hunters and shooters, and they’ll be on display at the NRA gathering this month.

Available models include popular lever guns in .444 Marlin and .45-70 Govt., and there is a stainless model with a laminated stock, chambered for the .338

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READY, AIM, SHIP! DELIVERING FASTER THAN EVER

Marlin Express.

The 1895 CB has a straight-grip stock, while the .444 Marlin and the 338MX and MXLR have curved grips.

In addition, there is a limited edition of the 336C, with handsome checkering on the B-grade walnut stock, and engraving on the receiver, a gold-plated trigger and Marlin horse and rider in 24-carat gold on the left side of the receiver.

ANSCHUTZ

7661 Commerce Lane, Dept. WSJ, Trussville, AL 35173/(205) 655-8299/www.steyrarms.com Shooters attending the NRA convention in Indianapolis could get the first handson look at the new MSR RX22 tactical-training rifle from Anschutz Sporting Arms that is being imported by Steyr Arms.

A semi-auto, the new Anschutz comes with a single-stage trigger that has been factory set at 4 pounds. It has a force-lockin’ blowback action with a hammer lock.

The MSR RX22 is a precision rifle good for training, target shooting and small game hunting. The cocking handle can be switched to one of three positions. It comes with a ten-round polymer magazine and is available in four versions, the Desert and Black Hawk models with side-folding stocks and Picatinny rails on the side and bottom of the forearm, and the Precision and Precision Black with fixed wood stocks and forearms. All have full-length rails on top.

Magazines with capacities of 2, 5, 20 and 25 rounds are also available.

FMK FIREARMS OFFERS ‘FREEDOM FIGHTER’ PACKAGE

1025 A Ortega Way, Dept. WSJ, Placentia, CA 92870/(714) 630-0658/www.fmkfirearms.com Working in cooperation with Just Right Carbine, FMK has put together a “Freedom Fighter” package that allows a user to carry one rifle and one pistol that run with the same magazines and ammunition.

It features a semi-auto carbine chambered for a pistol caliber. This carbine has a blowback-action, ambidextrous bolt that can be setup for right or left hand ejection, a lightweight 16.25-inch barrel, free-floating quadrail forend and a Picatinny rail machined into the top of the receiver.

The receiver, trigger housing and magazine well are machined from 6061-T6 aluminum with a black-anodized hardcoat finish. The carbine has an M-4 buffer tube and M-4 telescoping six-position buttstock.

This carbine weighs 6.5 pounds and it utilizes standard AR-15/M-4 trigger components and furniture.

AIRGUNS UMAREX OCTANE AIR RIFLES SIZZLE 7700 Chad Colley Blvd., Dept. WSJ, Fort Smith, AR 72916 (479) 646-4210/www.umarexusa.com

For generations, shooters have been getting started with air rifles and working up from there, but today there are also plenty of reasons for even veteran shooters to have an accurate and reliable air gun.

From Umarex comes the Octane, available in both .177 and .22 calibers.

It’s a break-action model with a ReAxis reverse-axis gas piston, two-stage adjustable trigger, 19-5-inch barrel with an integral SilencAir silencing system to dampen sound, and all-weather stock. It also has a 3-9x40mm scope.

The .177-caliber model launches an alloy pellet at 1,450 fps and a lead pellet at 1,250 fps, while the .22-caliber model pushes an alloy pellet out of the muzzle at 1,250 fps and a lead .22-caliber pill at 1,050 fps.

The SilencAir suppressor is fixed and it has five chambers to reduce muzzle noise.

While the Umarex Octane has a micro-adjustable fiber optic open rear sight and fiber optic front sight, the proprietary 3-9x40 scope has a seethrough yellow-tinted cover. The rifle is fitted with a Weaver-style rail, and the scope mounts quickly.

For more information, see us at booth #7865

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

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road hunter

LOADED FOR BEAR Choosing The Right Caliber for Bear Hunting STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Scott Haugen relied on a .300 Winchester Magnum to get the job done on this cinnamon bear in western Idaho.

P

icking the right gun for your next black bear hunt shouldn’t be solely determined by the anatomy of your quarry. The decision should also be based on the type of terrain you’ll be hunting in, at what range the shots will likely come, and how you feel about comfortably handling and shooting a specific gun or caliber.

On a recent brush-country bear hunt in Oregon, I knew the shot would come at close range. For that, a .45-70 lever gun was my caliber of choice. In tight, brushy settings I like a gun I know will put a bear down, fast. In my .45-70 load I use 43 grains of IMR-4198 powder and a 300-grain Nosler Ballistic Silvertip. This handload recipe pushes

One of the author’s favorite black bear cartridges, a .45-70 handloaded with a 300-grain Nosler Ballistic Silvertip bullet, performs well on close-range black bears.

the slug out there at 1,882 feet per second, perfect for brush country bears.

Another brush-country caliber that also has wide applications in open habitat is a .375 spitting out a 300grain bullet. This is a solid choice

when chasing black bears in grizzly country, but the key is being able to shoot the high-recoil setup with accuracy and confidence. I’ve taken a good number of black bears with a .375 JDJ, too. With this specialty caliber, a 220westernshootingjournal.com 95

ROAD HUNTER

When it comes to efficiently putting down a black bear, know its anatomy as well as the terrain in which you’ll be hunting, then select the proper caliber, accordingly.

Bear habitat throughout the West varies from extremely open to very dense. Being prepared with the right gun setup to help get the job done is key to filling a tag.

grain flat point bullet performs impressively well.

If hunting semi-open country – where shots may be taken out to 400 yards, but as close as 100 yards – I like a hotter, flatter shooting caliber than the .375s, yet one that carries a bit more bullet weight than standard mid-caliber bear guns. One of my favorite calibers

for this situation is a .325. I’ve taken a fair number of bears with my Nosler Custom .325, using a 200-grain Nosler AccuBond bullet. The combination is accurate and packs a wallop, and is one of my all-time favorite bear setups.

Any .30 caliber is a good allaround black bear gun. The .30-06, with its variety of bullet styles and

weights, is likely responsible for more black bear kills than any caliber. In fact, I’ve taken grizzly and polar bear with this caliber.

FROM 150- TO 180-GRAIN BULLETS, even up to 200 grains, the .30-06 is tough to beat when talking black bear cartridges. It has the flexibility to be

FIVE BLACK BEAR DESTINATIONS

1

OREGON SOUTHWEST COAST

Oregon’s southwest coast boasts the largest bear densities in the contiguous 48 states. From Florence to Coos Bay, all the way down to the California border, bears thrive in the Coast Range. The challenging part is finding them in this dense brush. Take time to explore the Highway 101 corridor, where numerous sites, golf courses, casinos and more await the vacationing hunter.

2

WASHINGTON’S OLYMPIC PENINSULA

The Quinault Indian Nation land offers some of the best black bear hunting in the country. While it’s been heavily hunted over the past decade, dedicated guides keep expanding their territory. Because the hunt is on Indian tribal land, a local guide must be hired. Bait is allowed here, which increases odds of success, and two tags can be purchased. With some amazing sights to see, from ocean beaches to the world’s largest spruce tree, allow time to see the beauty of this country.

3

IDAHO’S HIGH COUNTRY

From the little town of Riggins, north into the vast wilderness, plenty of bears roam this part of Idaho. Baiting is also allowed here, and given the vastness of the land, that’s

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not a bad idea. There can be some great salmon fishing around Lewiston, east toward Orofino. Parks, casinos and historical markers make this part of Idaho a fun place to visit.

4

SOUTHERN ALASKA

5

WESTERN WYOMING

From Anchorage, southwest to Homer and all the way down into the southeast panhandle, black bears abound in Alaska. With many roads to travel and explore, as well as plentiful rivers, lakes and bays, there is good hunting to be had. Those willing to take their truck on a ferry and travel to some of the southeastern hub cities can not only find bears, but great tourist destinations. Fishing and sightseeing can be great additions to any bear hunt, so allow plenty of time, wherever you may venture.

The western half of Wyoming has excellent bear hunting opportunities. Depending on the area, some tags can be picked up over the counter, and others through a drawing.

Be sure to allow plenty of time to visit historic sites like Jackson Hole, Cody, and other regions. When in Cody, be sure to drop by the very impressive Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody Firearm Museum, Old Town Trail and catch the popular Stampede Rodeo.

ROAD HUNTER loaded hot for long-range shots, or toned down for closer-range action.

When switching bullet weights, be sure to resight the gun, as points of impact will change.

I’ve seen many bears taken with a .30-30 as well as a .270 over the years.

If recoil and big booms keep you flinching, then scaling down to one of these lighter-weight calibers is wise.

But don’t go too small.

If you’re a small-statured hunter, woman or youth, I’d suggest a .270 being the minimum caliber of choice.

These calibers and guns are made in reduced-recoil models, and they carry enough oomph to do a number on bears if hit properly.

No matter what caliber you choose for bears, make the shot count. Just because you’re using a big-bore gun doesn’t mean the kill zone expands.

Know the anatomy of a bear and where the vitals are.

When hit properly, bears expire

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

KERSHAW KNIFE I’ve skinned, caped and butchered dozens of bears, including polar, grizzly, brown and black. They’re some of my family’s favorite eating game meat, but to assure great-eating meat, the thick hide and fat must be removed as soon as possible after the kill.

I carry my knife and steel with me, along with game bags, and as soon as a bear is down, I get to work.The last seven or eight bears I’ve skinned and butchered in the field have been broken down with the same knife, a Kershaw Field Knife. This orangehandled, 4-inch blade is perfect for skinning, caping and butchering bear.

No saws are needed, as the knife easily handles cutting through all connective tissues, even the ankle and knuckle joints. I’ll touch up the knife once or twice, with my Kershaw Ultra Tek Sharpener. The lightweight, 600-grain diamond-coated oval shaft is great for keeping an edge. When skinning bears, avoid cutting too much hair, which can quickly dull a knife. Kershaw’s Skinner, with a 2-inch blade, is also a great bear knife. When skinning bears, a Rambo-style knife isn’t necessary, just a good sharp one that’s easy to control.

ROAD HUNTER faster than any big game animal I know of. When hit poorly, or even through one lung, they can be among

Finding the right caliber for the right situation is key to successful bear hunting. This 45-70, topped with Trijicon’s RMR, is a great combination for shots on bears ranging 100 yards or less.

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the toughest game on the planet. I’ve been fortunate to take over 50 bears in my lifetime, and though this isn’t a lot by some bear hunters’ standards, it’s allowed me to see, firsthand, what calibers and bullets are capable of. Fortunately, I’ve never lost a bear shot with a rifle. It comes down to precise shot placement and picking the right caliber for the hunting situation.

In preparation for the upcoming spring bear season, study the area you’ll be hunting. Know the range at which shots will come, be familiar with bear anatomy and shoot with confidence. Those are the ingredients for a successful bear hunt. WSJ Editor’s note: To learn how to skin bears and other big game, check out Scott Haugen’s latest DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning and Caping Big Game. This is the most comprehensive DVD of its kind, focusing on six field dressing/skinning options and three caping strategies. To

order, visit scotthaugen.com or send a check for $20 to Haugen Enterprise, P.O Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489.

Once the trigger is pulled, the work begins in the bear hunting woods. Be prepared to take out all of the delicious eating meat, as well as the hide, which may take a few trips with a packframe.

SHOTGUNS Model 930

Ethos

BENELLI SHOWS OFF ETHOS 12-GA. AUTOLOADER

17603 Indian Head Highway, Dept. WSJ, Accokeek, MD 20607/(301) 283-6981/www.benelliusa.com

The newest addition to Benelli’s family of self-loading shotguns is the Ethos, an inertia-driven model with a dynamic new design that includes a patented easy-locking system.

WSJ got to shoot it at the January SHOT Show, and it functioned flawlessly.

The 12-gauge Ethos will cycle even the lightest loads, yet it functions with 3-inch magnums, too. It has an AA-grade European walnut stock that incorporates Benelli’s patented Progressive Comfort recoil-reduction system. This system produces less felt recoil.

Another feature is the interchangeable carbon-fiber rib to reduce weight. Interchangeable fiber optic bars in the front sight allow quick changes of the element. These elements come in yellow, green and red.

The Ethos has an anodized or nickel finish on the receiver and the barrel is richly blued.

The shotgun’s “easy locking system” features a detent mechanism in the bolt body. It assures that the rotating bolt head locks up even if the bolt is gently eased forward. There’s a new two-part carrier latch, beveled loading port and redesigned carrier, according to Benelli, that speeds up reloading.

Another new feature is a patented anti-seize magazine cap, which incorporates a synthetic bushing that prevents binding in foul weather.

Benelli’s Ethos comes with five Crio chokes, and hits the scale at a comfortable 6 ½ pounds.

For more information, see us at booth #4653

Intensity

FRANCHI AFFINITY COMPACT, INTENSITY IN SPOTLIGHT

17603 Indian Head Highway, Dept. WSJ, Accokeek, MD 20607/(301) 283-6981/www.franchiusa.com The Franchi Affinity Compact and Intensity are a pair of sizzling semi-auto shotguns that Western Shooting Journal has already had its hands on, and visitors to the NRA exhibits in late April can do likewise.

Elsewhere, watch for these guns to show up on dealer racks, as they’re worth seeing.

The Affinity is a 12-gauge, 3-inch magnum that can handle light 2 ¾-inch loads as well. It has a 12 ¾-inch length of pull that can be extended with a spacer kit in quarter-inch increments out to 13 3⁄8 inches. Eventually, a full-size buttstock can be mounted on the Affinity, so one never outgrows the gun.

Meanwhile, Franchi’s Intensity self-loader is chambered for 3½-inch magnums. It has a synthetic stock available in black, Realtree Max-4 or Realtree APG. It comes with a shim kit to adjust drop and cast.

To save weight, the Intensity has a lightweight-aluminum alloy receiver, and it also comes with three different recoil pads to adjust length of pull. Available with either a 26- or 28-inch stepped, vent rib barrel with a red fiber optic front sight, the Intensity has an Inertia Driven action.

For more information, see us at booth #4653

SEE NEW AMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS SMOOTHBORES

100 Airpark Dr., Rochester, NY 14624 (800) 290-0065/www.americantactical.us

TAC-SX2

CENTURY INTERNATIONAL HAS NEW SHOTGUNS 430 South Congress Ave., Suite 1, Dept. WSJ Delray Beach, FL 33445 (800) 527-1252/ www.centuryarms.com

Earlier this year, Century International unveiled the gas-operated Catamount Fury shotgun series, chambered for 3-inch 12-gauge magnums.

Thanks to the adjustable gas system, the Catamount Fury models will handle light 2 ¾-inch loads as well. They come with three chokes in full, modified and cylinder bore, two five-round magazines and a cleaning kit. There are also 10-round magazines available.

The Catamount Fury magazine “rolls” into place, while the Fury II magazine locks in.

New this year is the Catamount Fury III, featuring an AK-style magazine and pistol grip. It has a 20.125-inch barrel and it weighs 8.7 pounds.

For more information, see us at booth #3926

RUGER’S RED LABEL IS BACK! 1 Lacey Place, Dept. WSJ, Southport, CT 06890 (203) 259-7843/www.ruger-firearms.com

Available with barrel lengths of 26, 28 and 30 inches, the Ruger Red Label over-and-under shotgun has returned, and WSJ has already had the chance to try it out.

It features a checkered American walnut stock and forearm, refined inner workings and a new center of gravity. The butt stock is finished with a Pachmayr recoil pad. It comes with skeet chokes installed and three field chokes in full, modified and improved cylinder.

Ruger packages the gun in a tough soft-sided carrying case in which the shotgun is transported broken down into two pieces.

Chambered for 12-gauge 3-inch magnums, the Ruger Red Label over-and-under has a single selective trigger, polished stainless-steel receiver, cold hammer-forged barrels with 2-inch forcing cones and maximum back boring.

For more information, see us at booth #3859

American Tactical has introduced two new tactical shotguns; one a pump-action and the other a semi-auto.

They’re the TAC-SX2 and TAC-PX2, and both are chambered for 12-gauge shells. They feature 18.5-inch blued, chrome-lined barrels and receivers, and synthetic stocks and forearms.

For more information, see us at booth #5204

TAC-PX2

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Shotguns Model 930

Model 500

CHECK OUT MOSSBERG’S NEW SHOTGUN MODELS 7 Grasso Ave, Dept. WSJ, North Haven, CT 06473/(203) 230-5300/www.mossberg.com

Among this year’s introductions from Mossberg was a new series of 20-gauge Mossberg Model 500 pump guns, but the spotlight has been squarely on the series developed in cooperation with the Duck Commanders.

The lineup includes both pump and semi-auto models familiar to hunters, but with Duck Commander camo finishes. They include variations of the Model 500, and the Model 835, 930 and 935 seni-autos, and the Model 500 Super Bantam for younger or smaller-framed shooters.

These new models will all be on exhibit at the NRA’s gathering, and they are already beginning to appear around the country.

Of particular interest to NRA members is Mossberg’s JIC (for “Just In Case”) series designed around the Cruiser pistol-grip shotguns. There are five models in the series, all with a watertight storage tube or soft case with compartments.

They include a JIC Patriot variation featuring the NRA seal engraved on the receiver, and a waterproof storage tube featuring a stars and stripes motif. A portion of the sales proceeds will go to support NRA programs.

The lineup also includes a Flex model, a six-shot Cruiser with 18 ½-inch barrel, a similar model with a 20-inch barrel, a Mariner six-shot model with Mossberg’s Marinecote finish, and the Sandstorm six-shot with desert camo and an 18 ½-inch barrel.

Mossberg’s Flex models feature the TLS (for Tool-less Locking System) that makes switching forends, stocks and recoil pads easy. Flex models are available in hunting and tactical configurations, including one with a pistol grip and cylinder-bore barrel.

The Model 835 Waterfowl/Security combo comes with a 28-inch ported barrel and an 18.5-inch security barrel with a separate railed forend and pistol grip.

Another Model 500 entry is the Tactical Tri-Rail, patterned on the popular Persuader and Cruiser models; the latter with an 18 ½-inch barrel, six-shot capacity and pistol grip. The Persuader has an eight-shot capacity. Both 12-gauge guns are equipped with forearms that have tactical rails on the sides and bottom.

Check out the three-gun Typhon camo series, with a unique Kryptek Typhon camo finish. The series includes a Model 950 JM Pro Series ten-round semiauto, a Model 930 SPX eight-round model with pistol grip stock and a Model 590 six-shot model with ghost-ring rear sight and elevated front sight.

Mossberg’s Muddy Girl series features the Muddy Girl camo finish. There are four shotguns and a rifle in the series. The shotgun models include: • A Model 500 Persuader in 20-gauge with an eight-shot capacity and adjustable buttstock; • A Model 500 Home Security six-shot version in .410 bore with a grip forend; • A Model 510 Mini Super Bantam with adjustable buttstock, chambered in 20-gauge with an 18 ½-inch vent rib barrel; • A Mossberg International semi-auto 20-gauge with a 26-inch vent rib-blued barrel and receiver, camo stock and forearm.

For more information, see us at booth #6645

Stoeger Grand

Stoeger M3020 with Max-5 finish

STOEGER HAS NEW SEMI-AUTO, SYNTHETIC DOUBLE 17603 Indian Head Highway, Dept. WSJ, Accokeek, MD 20607/(301) 283-2981/www.benelliusa.com

Earlier this year, Stoeger unveiled a new 20-gauge semi-auto, a synthetic version of its Double Defense side-by-side, and a single-barrel trap gun.

The Double Defense S/S 12-gauge shotgun is now available with a synthetic stock and forearm. Featuring fixed IC chokes in both barrels and a green-fiber optic front sight, the Double Defense has a matte-black finish on the barrels and receiver, and a single trigger. Barrel length is 20 inches.

The new 20-gauge M3020 self-loader features an inertia-driven action and can handle 2 ¾- and 3-inch shells. It is available with a 26- or 28-inch vent-rib barrel topped by a red-fiber optic front sight, and there are three choke tubes in Improved Cylinder, Modified and Extra-full turkey. The M3020 has comes with either a black synthetic, Realtree Max-5 or Realtree APG finish, and a shim kit for drop and cast adjustment.

Stoeger’s new trap gun is a single-barrel break action model with a 30-inch vent rib and red fiber optic front sight. This 12-gauge model has Improved Cylinder, Modified and Full choke tubes, and an adjustable comb hardwood stock.

For more information, see us at booth #4653

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Shotguns Model 725 Citori

NEW REMINGTON SHOTGUN MODELS 870 Remington Drive, Dept. WSJ, Madison, NC 27025 (800) 243-9700/www.remington.com

Model 725 Citori with adjustable comb

LOOK FOR BROWNING’S CITORI, HIGH GRADE MODELS One Browning Place, Dept. WSJ, Morgan, UT 84050/(801) 876-2711/www.browning.com

Browning’s introduction earlier this year of new Citori models got plenty of attention during SHOT Show, and no doubt these guns will be on display at the NRA gathering, and pretty soon on retail gun racks.

The Model 725 Citori lineup has been expanded with new 20-gauge models, and a couple of new 12-gauge trap and skeet models.

The new 20-gauge models feature the Fire Lite Mechanical Trigger System, full-width hinge pin and tapered locking bolt.

The trap and skeet Model 725 versions have either 30- or 32-inch barrels with a high-post rib, and standard or adjustable comb stocks.

The Field model has a silver-nitride finish on the receiver with high-relief game bird scenes, and a stock and forearm with a gloss-oil finish. Barrel choices are 26 or 28 inches.

The Sporting model also has a silver nitride receiver with gold accents and target engraving. It has vent-rib barrels in 28-, 30- or 32-inch lengths.

Browning’s new limited Citori O/U High Grade models feature engraved sideplates, high-grade checkered walnut stocks and 28-inch vent-rib barrels. There are only 500 of these guns offered.

The Grade III model features high-relief scroll engraving with a color-case hardened finish and the Grade VI has a color-case hardened receiver finish with full coverage, high-relief engraving with gold enhancements. The Grade III comes with an ABS Elite case, while the Grade VI model has a high-grade custom canvas and leather gun case.

For more information, see us at booth #4148

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This year, Remington expanded the Versa Max shotgun line, and added new variations of the Model 870 pump gun.

New to the Versa Max family is a competition model with an extended magazine tube, green Cerakote receiver and enlarged feeding port.

There’s also a Versa Max model with an adjustable comb stock and 28-inch barrel.

The Versa Max semi-auto can handle all 12gauge rounds up to 3 ½ inches, thanks to the Versaport gas system that regulates cycling pressure.

A third entry for waterfowling is finished overall with camouflage, and it has a larger bolt handle. It comes with a sling and choke tubes.

The Model 870 additions include one with Cerakote finish and synthetic stock, and one with a Pachmayr pistol grip and black synthetic stock.

H&R OFFERS SEMI-AUTOS Industrial Rowe, Dept. WSJ, Gardner, MA 01440 (978) 632-9393/www.hr1871.com

H&R has four gas-operated Excell semi-auto shotgun models all in 12-gauge and chambered for 3inch magnums, including one tactical model and three for hunting.

Shotguns SXP

SEE NEW WINCHESTER SX3 MODELS

275 Winchester Ave., Dept. WSJ, Morgan, UT 84050/(801) 876-2711/www.winchester-guns.com Winchester will have an exhibit at the NRA convention this month in Indianapolis, where a lot of people will have first look at the new semi-auto SX3 models and a new pump-action Field Compact model of the SXP, introduced earlier this year.

The new SX3 12-gauge 3 ½-inch model is dubbed the Long Beard Turkey, thanks to its Briley X-full Long Beard Invector Plus extended-choke tube. This choke is specifically designed for Winchester Long Beard ammunition.

The shotgun has a pistol grip stock with three interchangeable recoil pads for length-of-pull adjustment. There are also three interchangeable combs to adjust the drop at comb.

It features a 24-inch barrel with a TruGlo fiber-optic front sight, fully-adjustable folding-rear sight, and a Weaver-style cantilever scope mount rail. It is finished in Realtree Xtra Green.

Winchester’s SXP line has been expanded with the Field Compact model designed with a shorter stock for smaller-framed shooters. With a 13-inch length of pull, this 12-gauge model is chambered for 3-inch magnums. It comes with Invector Plus choke tubes, and the barrel is back bored. Barrels are available in 24-, 26- and 28-inch lengths.

It has a checkered-satin finished stock and forearm, and is fitted with an Inflex Technology recoil pad.

The bolt is protected by a black-chrome finish, and it has a hard-chrome bore and chamber.

For more information, see us at booth #4148

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There are two Excell Auto camo models; one for waterfowl with a 28-inch barrel and the other with a 22-inch barrel for wild turkey hunting. Both feature interchangeable chokes. The waterfowl model comes with IC, M, IM and F tubes, while the turkey gun comes with IC, M, F and XF chokes.

The Auto Black Synthetic has a black stock and forend, 28-inch barrel and four interchangeable chokes.

Lastly, the Excell Auto Tactical has an 18 ½-inch barrel with fixed cylinder choke and black stock and forend.

WEATHERBY

1605 Commerce Way, Dept. WSJ, Paso Robles, CA 93446 (805) 227-2600/www.weatherby.com There are three new shotgun models in the WBY-X series that will be on display at the NRA exhibits, and they’ll be showing up on dealer racks, too.

With a short 12.5-inch length of pull, the SA-08 GH2 (for Girls Hunt 2) has a black stock accented by a pink spiderweb pattern. It has a 24-inch barrel.

The PA-459 Typhn TR (for Threat Response) and PA-08 Typhon TR pump guns have 18 ½-inch barrels, and they are available in 12 or 20-gauge. These Threat Response models are designed for personal and home defense.

The SA-459 Black Reaper TR has a Proveil Reaper black pattern and 18 ½-inch barrel. It is available in 12- and 20-gauge.

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The Iconic AK-47 Today Adapts To End Of Communism; 10-Year U.S. Ban ARTICLE BY JOHN HARRINGTON

Multiple countries continue to cheaply manufacture their own versions of the AK-47. (CANSTOCKPHOTO)

t is arguably the most recognizable small arm on the planet. For more than a half century, it has projected its distinctive report across battlefields in every corner of the planet. Known to be reliable, powerful, intimidating, and effective, the AK-47 has evolved from being “the enemy’s weapon” to another essential piece in the gun enthusiast’s arsenal.

I

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Toward the close of the Cold War, there was little time between Perestroika and an age of civil peace that first seriously contemplated the practicalities of major disarmament of U.S.

citizens. Before free men and women could deeply consider the merits of the AK-47 and its variants, the federal government had closed tight the floodgates of firearms Glasnost.

Enter September 13, 2004, and the death of the federal Assault Weapons Ban (aka Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994). While the AR-15 flourished in every market across America, a generation of Americans who were as yet unexposed to a firearms-rich culture was suddenly thrust into a panic flood of rifle mania. The AR-15 enjoyed record sales and unprecedented levels of free-market refinement. The seminal AK-47, the world’s archetype of “assault rifle,” was sure to follow.

AK REVIVAL

Manufacturers of the AK-47 were forced to modify how it was manufactured after the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban sunsetted in 2004. (CANSTOCKPHOTO)

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Prior to the Assault Weapons Ban, foreign-made copies of the AK-47 and its variants were widely available in sporting goods stores across the country. These were usually standard OEM-like configuration from companies like Norinco or Interordnance.

And most could be had for a sub-$200 price in various grades of quality.

After the sunset of the federal ban

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430 South Congress Ave. Suite 1 Delray Beach, FL 33445 Toll Free: 1.800.527.1252 Tel: 561.265.4530 Fax: 561.265.4520 www.centuryarms.com Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/centuryarmsinc.

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in 2004, sources and channels had to be redeveloped. Importers were hamstrung by restrictions that prevented the importation of firearms in certain configurations. The resulting ingenuity of domestic companies proved effective in rebuilding the AK enthusiast franchise nationwide.

Saiga Rifle - Remove the pistol grip and swap the traditional stock for a sporter-style stock and grip. Relocate the fire-control group backwards, and equip the rifle with a 10-round proprietary magazine. You would then have an importable “sporting purposes” configuration of the same rifle, with little change in operational reliability or characteristics. What’s more, with a few low-cost and easy-to-do modifications, the rifle could be returned to a classic AK-47-like configuration. This became a popular “project” option for many AK-47 enthusiasts.

WASR-10 - Though rifles could not be imported in classic configurations, that didn’t mean rifle parts could not be shipped in crate loads of parts.

A crate of barrels, another with upper handguards, separate loads of hammers, pistons, trigger parts, et al; soon you have the requisite inventory to build rifles from scratch. In order to comply with the law, a certain mix of domestic-made parts had to be integrated into each build. Thanks to companies like Tapco USA, those parts were easy to obtain, easy to install, and in many cases served as an opportunistic refurbishing of old worn parts.

Parts Kits - The unequalled simplicity of the AK-47 makes it an easyto-construct firearm by even the most novice of builders (usually with a little direction). Easy-to-obtain parts, both foreign and domestic (in the right proportions) furthered the post-revival proliferation of the AK-47. Selfmanufactured receiver flats could even be folded and finished into legally built AK-47 rifles (with certain restrictions of course).

AK-47 EVOLUTION While the AR-15’s legendary modu-

lar nature led to significant aftermarket developments, the AK-47 was slower to take to change. Most prints deviated little from the original configuration, and very few aftermarket manufacturers developed accessories and parts for the AK-47. The base design of the rifle was unforgiving, and left little room to “create.” Slight differences from one print to the next prevented standardization of certain parts. For example, a dust cover that fit on one AK-47 might not fit on the next. Many parts had to be fitted by hand.

Soon enough, market-driven forces gave rise to MIL-STD-1913 Picatinnyrail-equipped handguards and dust covers. Polymer furniture, tacticallight mounts, aftermarket grips, and high-tech muzzle devices were just a few of the available mods that propagated from the AK-47 subculture.

Domestic manufacturers tooled up with standard modern-manufacturing technology and built rifles with milled receivers rather than the typical stamped steel. Cold hammerforged barrels accompanied better manufacturing methods, and levels of quality increased as price tolerances rose. Even the notorious canted-front sight defect fell victim to better manufacturing methods worldwide.

AK-47 DOMESTICATION While the $200 AK-47 may never again be found in your local corner gun shop, Kalashnikov’s wonder is here to stay. In darker days, the AK47 was regarded as the tool of the adversary. Today, we are witnessing a vast growth of appreciation for the AK-47 and its simple merits. Those will further cement its position as a mainstay of the tactical rifle market.

Its immense popularity, withstanding enormous price increases, is evidence that the market can tolerate further development of the platform. And as more aftermarket developers build trendy accessories and upgraded configurations, the AK-47 will occupy an ever greater footprint on the American firearms landscape. WSJ

HANDGUNS AMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS HAS NEW .22-CALIBER TARGET PISTOL 100 Airpark Dr., Rochester, NY 14624 (800) 290-0065/www.americantactical.us

ATI has a new .22-caliber semi-auto target 1911 pistol that visitors to the NRA exhibit hall in Indianapolis can get a look at it.

The GSG Target 1911 is a plinker, small game hunter and can also be used as a trainer for the Model 1911 platform built by German Sports Guns. This pistol features an adjustable rear sight, dovetailed blade target front sight, ambidextrous thumb safety, sleletonized adjustable trigger and hammer, beavertail grip safety and curved mainspring housing.

The 5-inch barrel is cut with 1:16-inch rifling, and both the slide and frame are made from aluminum alloy. It has a ten-round magazine and comes with a lock.

The checkered target-style grips extend well below the pistol butt.

There is a tactical Picatinny rail on the frame ahead of the trigger guard, and according to ATI literature, this pistol weighs the same as a full-size .45-caliber Model 1911.

Cocking serrations are on the rear only.

For more information, see us at booth #5204

BROWNING EXPANDS 1911-22LR SERIES

One Browning Place, Dept.. WSJ, Morgan, UT 84050 (801) 876-2711/www.browning.com For those attending the NRA gathering in Indianapolis, there will be a hands-on chance to look at the new Browning pistols designed on the compact 1911 frame.

Chambered for the .22 Long Rifle, Browning’s new A1 Desert Tan and Compact Desert Tan models feature a composite frame in desert tan color, so they are lighter in weight. The A1 weighs 14 ounces with a 4 ¼-inch barrel and the Compact weighs 13 ½ ounces with a 3 5/8-inch barrel.

Both models have machined aluminum slides finished in matte black.

For more information, see us at booth #4148

GLOCK UNVEILS GEN4 PISTOL FAMILY

6000 Highlands Parkway, Dept. WSJ, Smyrna, GA 30082 (770) 432-1202/www.teamglock.com When Glock shows off its handguns at the NRA exhibition in late April, the spotlight will be shared by the new Glock 42 and the Gen 4 Glock 41.

The G42 is a small handgun chambered for the .380 ACP. It is slim, weighing 14.36 ounces loaded, with a six-round magazine. It should be particularly popu-

SEE THE NEW HANDGUNS FROM SIG SAUER, INCLUDING P320 72 Pease Blvd., Dept. WSJ, Newington, NH 03801 (603) 610-3000/www.sigsauer.com

Sig set the industry abuzz in January with the introduction of the striker-fired P320 semi-auto, and it will be on exhibit for anyone attending the NRA annual meetings in Indianapolis.

This pistol has a smooth trigger pull with a short stroke, a modular polymer grip frame, tritium SIGLITE night sights, and reversible magazine release. The full-size 9mm version holds 17 rounds and the .357 SIG and .40 S&W models hold 14 rounds. The compact carry model holds P290RS 15 rounds of 9mm, and 13 rounds in the other two calibers.

It’s supposed to be offered in .45 ACP sometime this year.

There are several other new handguns from Sig Sauer this year, including the 9mm M11-A1 Desert. It has a stainless slide and alloy frame with a flat dark earth Cerakote finish, short reset trigger, corrosion-resistant internal parts and black polymer grips. It is topped with Siglite night sights and comes with three 15-round magazines.

Also chambered in 9mm is the MK-25-Desert, with a stainless slide and alloy frame finished in flat dark earth Cerakote. It has Siglite night sights, black polymer grips three 15-round magazines and an engraved anchor on the side.

A new .45-caliber 1911 Railed – Nickel is available in two sizes, a full-size model with a rail and a compact model that does not have a rail. The full-size gun has an eightround magazine and the compact carries seven rounds. The stainless slide and frame are coated with Nickel PVD. Both models have low profile night sights and custom brown vector grips.

Sig’s P290RS is now chambered for the .380 ACP. It features re-strike doubleaction only capability and has a Nitron-coated stainless steel slide and polymer MK-25 Desert frame with changeable grips. The magazine carries six rounds but an eight-round extended magazine is available. An integral laser module is also available.

Sig’s M400 pistol in .223 Remington has an 11.5-inch barrel, MIL-SPEC trigger, aluminum 30-round magazine, and has a direct gas impingement system. Overall it measures 27.1 inches, and weighs 5.1 pounds empty. It has a 4.5-pound trigger letoff and barrel and chamber are lined. It has a keymod handguard, flip-up rear sight and an M1913 rail. The upper and lower are 7075-T6 aluminum with a hard coat anodized finish.

For more information, see us at booth #3652 lar with women and shooters with smaller hands.

Glock’s G41 is chambered for the .45 ACP. It has a 13-round magazine, 5.31-inch barrel, weighs 36 ounces loaded and has an ovarall length of 8.90 inches.

RUGER’S NEW HANDGUNS WORTH A LOOK 1 Lacey Place, Dept. WSJ, Southport, CT 06890 (203) 256-3860/www.ruger.com

Ruger’s new revolvers are getting a pretty good reception from handgunners and more people will be able to check them out during the NRA meetings and exhibits this month.

There’s a new exposed hammer model of the

.38 Special LCR. WSJ has had a chance to give this one a pretty good test and it is a real shooter. Capable of handling +P ammunition, the LCRx is a fiveround double-action wheelgun that is lightweight and reliable. It has fixed sights, a Hogue Monogrip and stainless steel cylinder.

Then comes the GP100 Match Champion. With fixed rear and front fiber optic sight, this stainless steel six-round .357 Magnum has a Hogue Stippled hardwood grip and 4.2-inch barrel. Weighing 38 ounces, it has a slight taper at the front of the cylinder to accommodate re-holstering.

For more information, see us at booth #3859

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HANDGUNS Deluxe Sheriff

Great Western II Liberty

E.M.F. FIELDS NEW SINGLE-ACTIONS, GUN CASE

1900 East Warner, 1-D, Dept. WSJ, Santa Ana, CA 92705/(949) 261-6611/www.emf-company.com Cowboy Action shooters will like the new entries from E.M.F. under the Great Western brand unveiled earlier this year.

The Great Western II Liberty model is chambered in both .357 Magnum and .45 Colt, in barrel lengths of 4 ¾ or 5 ½ inches. Featuring factory laser printing on the barrel, cylinder and frame, the handgun is finished in blue with the laser printing in contrast. It also has an Ultra Ivory grip with the Liberty eagle engraved at the bottom.

The stainless steel Deluxe Sheriff has a 3-inch barrel and factory laser engraving. Fans of the very concealable Sheriff’s model should warm up to this new version, chambered in either .357 Magnum or .45 Colt.

There’s also a bird’s head model of the 1860 Army called the Snub Nose, with a short barrel.

This one ought to also appeal to Cowboy Action shooters and reenactors who style their gear back to the days when so-called “belly guns” were favored by gamblers and others for their concealability.

There is no loading lever, so round balls must be seated with an accompanying brass ramrod. It has rounded and checkered bird’s head grips, a color case hardened finish on the frame, low-profile front sight and blued barrel and frame.

REMINGTON’S R51 EARNING QUICK ACCOLADES 870 Remington Drive, Dept. WSJ, Madison, NC 27025 (800) 243-9700/www.remington.com

Introduced at the January SHOT Show, Remington’s new R51 semi-auto pistol started earning rave reviews almost immediately and for good reason.

Based on the original Remington Model 51 from nearly a century ago, the R51 is a sub-compact pistol chambered in 9mm. But modern technology puts this one a step ahead in terms of design and weight.

It has a 7075 aluminum frame with checkering on the front grip surface and lack anodized finish, stainless steel slide with a black matte finish and 3.4inch stainless steel barrel. Topped with drift adjustable sights, the R51 comes with two seven-round magazines and can handle Plus-P ammunition.

The pistol has a single-action trigger, internal hammer, grip safety and weighs 22 ounces empty.

NORTH AMERICAN ARMS 2150 S 950 E, Provo, UT 84606 (800) 821-5783/www.northamericanarms.com

NRA members know the value of a concealable, reliable pocket pistol for when the temperatures rise and the daily carry handgun becomes tougher to conceal.

Enter North American Arms’ Guardian line of pocket pistols ranging from their .24NAA to .32 ACP.

CUSTOM GRIPS SHOWCASE

HANDGUNS 715P with red dot sight

MOSSBERG HAS INT’L 715P PISTOL ON AR PLATFORM 7 Grasso Ave., Dept. WSJ, North Haven, CT 06473 (203) 230-5300/www.mossberg.com

Mossberg’s introduction earlier this year of the International 715P pistol was greeted with interest, for several reasons.

There are four models in the family, all chambered for the .22 Long Rifle.

They have 6-inch barrels, A2 type flash suppressors, synthetic pistol grips, and accessory rails around the handguard top, bottom and both sides.

Two models have 26-round capacities while the other two have 11round capacities.

Two models also come with red dot sights mounted on an integral Picatinny rail on top, and the other two feature rail-mounted metallic sights with adjustable rears.

For more information, see us at booth #6645

715P

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The .25 NAA is based on their very popular .32 ACP Guardian. Both are the same size and weight.

The .25 NAA has a smaller barrel diameter to accommodate the smaller bullet. Like it's larger cousin, the .32 NAA Guardian, the .25 NAA Guardian out performs many larger caliber guns. The bullet travels faster (1200 f.p.s.) and hits harder (20% more energy on average) than larger, 32 ACP caliber bullets. So, if you're looking for a small, pocket gun that delivers the power of a .32 ACP with less recoil you've found it! Contact your local dealer today to get your own .25 NAA Guardian pistol. Designed for people who are serious about personal protection.

The 25NAA is a new cartridge/firearm ‘system’ designed and developed by the partnership of North American Arms and Cor-Bon Ammunition.

For more information, see us at booth #7859

HANDGUNS NEW MODELS FROM S&W ON VIEW

2100 Roosevelt Ave., Dept. WSJ, Springfield, MA 01104 (413) 781-8300/www.smithandwesson.com Three months after Smith & Wesson announced that it was not going to play along with California’s ultra-restrictive handgun policies, people attending the NRA convention in Indianapolis, and consumers across the map, can see the company’s new introductions that are safe and reliable enough for 49 other states.

New models include the M&P BG380, a pocketsized semi-auto chambered in .380 ACP with a polymer frame, stainless slide, 2 ¾-inch barrel, thumb safety, drift-adjustable sights and empty weight of 11.85 ounces.

There’s an L-frame .44 Magnum five-shot revolver with a 4.25-inch barrel, adjustable rear sight, red ramp front sight, glass bead finish, two-piece barrel and it weighs 37.2 ounces.

S&W has revived the K-frame Model 66 Combat Magnum, in .357 Magnum. It has a stainless steel frame and cylinder, glass bead finish, red ramp front sight and white outline adjustable rear. It wears synthetic grips, has a smooth double action and weighs 36.6 ounces.

From the Performance Center comes the Model 686, a seven-round .357 Magnum revolver with a 2 ½inch barrel, adjustable rear sight, red ramp front sight, and smooth double action. It has handsome hard-

wood grips, a glass bead finish, chrome trigger and teardrop hammer, and precision-crowned barrel.

There is a California-compliant SDVE pistol in 9mm and .40 S&W, with a 10-round magazine, loaded chamber indicator, polymer frame, stainless steel slide, two tone finish and striker fired action.

FIND OUT ABOUT HI POINT ‘HOME SECURITY PACK’

8611-A North Dixie Drive, Dept. WSJ, Dayton, OH 45415 (937) 454-0470/www.mkssupply.com Announced earlier this year, Hi-Point’s all-in-one handgun package includes a new handgun with a locking steel security box and cable to assure safety.

According to MKS Supply, which markets the Hi-Point pistol, the box is made from 18-gauge steel and comes with two keys. It has a padded interior and can be fastened to permanent fixtures via the steel 39-inch cable.

There are four models, in four different calibers.

For openers, the CF380 features a .380 ACP twotone Hi-Point pistol with a 3.5-inch barrel, a single eight-round magazine, trigger lock and lock box.

The Model 916 package includes an all-black 9mm pistol, also with a 3.5-inch barrel and single eight-round magazine, trigger lock and locking box.

The Model 34011 features an all-black full-size .40-caliber pistol with a 4.5-inch barrel and a single 10-round magazine, plus the trigger lock and box.

Hi-Point’s Model 34511 is a .45 ACP pistol fin-

BUILT ONE AT A TIME. PROVEN EVERY ROUND. The Mustang® has been a favorite of customers for years. Updated with 21st century technology, the Mustang XSP is sure to become a popular option for concealed carry. But the most important stories belong to the men and women who have owned and relied on Colt through the decades. Make your story include a Colt.

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800.962.COLT

Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

FACEBOOK.COM/COLTFIREARMS

@COLTFIREARMS

ished in black, with a 4.5-inch barrel, single nineround magazine and trigger lock with the box.

For more information, see us at booth #7264

KAHR SCORES WITH CT40, CT45

P.O. Box 220, Dept. WSJ, Blauvelt, NY 10913 (845) 353-7770/www.kahr.com The latest entries from Kahr are already being talked up by gun fanciers, and Indianapolis’ NRA convention may give many people their first opportunity to see these guns.

The new CT4043 and CT4543 both have polymer frames and stainless slides. They became available last month.

The CT4043 is chambered in .40 S&W. It has a 4inch barrel, seven-round magazine, white bar – dot sights and a thin profile that makes it right for concealed carry. It weighs 21.8 ounces empty.

The CT4543 has a 4.04-inch barrel, seven-round magazine, the same sights as the .40-caliber model and weighs 23.7 ounces.

COONAN THE CLASSIC

Here’s a semi-automatic that gets the most out of the .357 Magnum revolver cartridge oaring out of the muzzle at more than 1,600 feet per second, the 125-grain Nosler JHP ahead of 17.5 grains of 2400 creates a rather impressive muzzle flash, and even moreso when the gun is the legendary Coonan Classic .357 Magnum Automatic, a self-loader that has, over the years, developed something of a loyal cult following.

The Coonan is an awesome handgun, crafted from stainless steel with a 5-inch barrel, sevenround single-stack magazine, dovetail front and rear black sights and smooth black walnut grip panels that carry the Coonan insignia etched into the wood. A full-power bullet launched from this pistol is going to destroy what it hits.

Designed after the Model 1911 pistol, the Coonan has a grip safety, thumb safety, skeleton Commander-style hammer, external extractor and, with the right ammunition, is remarkably accurate; certainly accurate enough for serious handgun hunting and definitely for personal protection.

My test piece (Serial No. DLA 2577) came with a compensator adding about 2 inches to the standard overall length of 8.3 inches, and it makes an impressive picture. The linkless barrel

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The author went to work off a sandbag rest to see how well this pistol delivered the goods downrange.He was not disappointed.

fit snugly into the bushing, and the ejection port is long and wide enough to kick out the empties wide and to the rear.

Recoil is not simply manageable but surprisingly so, and that’s in no small part due to the pistol’s weight at 48 ounces fully loaded, and 42 ounces empty. Lots of recoil is soaked up by the cycling of the slide.

On the front end, of course, is the punch. At 25 yards, right out of the box, with 125-grain Gold Dot factory loads, I shot a couple of clay targets to pieces and then shot the pieces, using a sandbag rest. They averaged 1,569 fps, and that will knock down any buck I ever saw within reasonable range, and also put the hurt on some thug who wants what you have and maybe more.

Now, that got my attention, so I loaded up with

The Coonan Classic .357 Magnum Automatic is one awesome pistol, and the author found it to be superbly accurate off a sandbag rest.

Black Hills rounds pushing 158-grain JHPs that clocked 1,212 fps over the chronograph screens, and had a bit of trouble with these loads cycling the slide. But they were still nicely accurate.

Then came my handloads just for good measure. This is the ammunition I carry on the trail in a Model 19 Smith & Wesson with a 2½ inch barrel because they hit like a hammer and even out of that short tube, I can put them where they belong. They averaged 1,629 fps out of the Coonan, which is wringing every bit of energy and velocity out of that load.

This pistol is the brainchild of Dan Coonan, who designed the gun more than 30 years ago.

The original company that offered the pistol, Coonan Arms, is no longer around, and today the Coonan Classic .357 Magnum Automatic is built

by Coonan, Inc. The slide and frame are full-length giving the front end of this handgun rather a squarish look, but what’s more important, function and accuracy or good looks? I’ll take accuracy any day, particularly if a notched tag or my continued good health is riding on the results.

Packing this gun, in my opinion, will take a good shoulder holster rather than a belt rig. With that much weight, your belt is going to be dragging by the end of the day.

One thing that impresses me about the Coonan is that the magazine is designed to solve a problem inherent with using rimmed cartridges in a magazine. Coonan designed the magazine at just the right angle so that the rim of each cartridge rests on the case rather than on the rim of the cartridge below it. It may look funny

at first glance, but the magnum rounds feed well up the ramp with no trouble.

This pistol also fires .38 Specials, and if that’s your choice, my advice is to load up with Plus-P rounds, as they’ve got a bit more oomph.

While the .357 Magnum cartridge was developed for revolvers, I think it has realized its full potential in the Coonan and in single-shot handguns such as the Thompson/Center Contender.

Of course, the advantage one enjoys with the Coonan Classic is that quick follow-up shots are possible whereas a break-action single shot simply does not allow that luxury.

The .357 Magnum is definitely one of my favorite cartridges, and in the Coonan Classic it definitely lives up to every bit of advertising rhetoric that’s ever been pandered to sell ammunition and the guns built around it. To say that the Coonan Classic and .357 Magnum load make an awesome combination may be inadequate, but until one shoots this pistol and sees that for himself, it will have to do. –Dave Workman 4501 103rd Ct NE #120 • Blaine, MN 55014 (763) 786-1720 • www.coonaninc.com COONAN CLASSIC .357 MAGNUM AUTOMATIC Caliber: .357 Magnum Barrel length: 5 inches Construction: Stainless steel Capacity: 7 rounds + 1 Weight: 42.0 ounces empty .48 ounces loaded OAL: 8.3 inches Height: 5.6 inches Width: 1.3 inches Sights: Dovetail front and rear, black, fixed Grips: Smooth black walnut MSRP: $1,375

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behind the badge

GET OUT OF DODGE! Kansas Police Department Comes A Long Way Since Wyatt Earp ARTICLE BY RACHEL ALEXANDER • PHOTOS BY DODGE CITY POLICE

Dodge City retains much of the Western allure of yesteryear. (DODGE CITY)

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he wild frontier town of the Old West, Dodge City, Kan., is known as one of the locations of legendary Western lawman Wyatt Earp. Earp was an assistant city marshal there from 1876-79. Shortly thereafter, he became famous for the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881 in Tombstone, Ariz., which is regarded as the most famous gunfight in the history of the Old West. Earp and other lawmen, including gunfighter Doc Holliday, successfully defeated outlaw cowboys near the Mexican border. That did not end Earp’s involvement with Dodge City, however; he returned in 1883 to assist a saloon owner in the Dodge City War, helping to end it without a shot being fired.

The level of violence in Dodge City

has since been significantly embellished, becoming something of legend.

The long-running, popular Western TV show was based out of Dodge City, as well as numerous other television shows and movies.

On the Dodge City Police Department’s website, visitors can view a 64page police docket from 1878, written in barely legible, scrawling calligraphy using old-fashioned dip pens. The website is beautifully designed in Old West style.

One realizes this is still a small Old West town when the third question on the Dodge City F.A.Q. is, “Why can’t I have several driveways to my property?” The population is around 27,340.

Visitors are welcome to take tours of the historic police department on Monday through Friday.

There were on average, only one criminal homicide and 20 robberies per year over the past few years. If you’re looking for an area to live with low crime levels, this is it. WSJ

Bat Masterson (left), with Wyatt Earp in Dodge City. (WIKIMEDIA) westernshootingjournal.com 127

OPTICS the distance in no time. With the Optimizer Horizon there’s no guessing, no gapping, and no holdover required…simply range, dial and shoot!

All HHA products are made in the USA and carry a 100 percent lifetime warranty.

BURRIS

331 E. 8th Street, Dept. WSJ, Greeley, CO 80631 (888) 228-7747/www.burrisoptics.com

LUNA OPTICS / ICT LABORATORIES

54 Columbus Ave, Staten Island, NY 10304/(718) 556-5862/www.lunaoptics.com Luna Optics and ICT Labs will be showcasing their brand-new Special Purpose Riflescopes with superfast 110mm (4.0x) and 165mm (6.0x) objective lens, ensuring edge-to-edge image clarity. High-Resolution ITT Pinnacle, L3 OMNI-8 or ICT’s proprietary RC (Recoil-Hardened) Gen-III intensifier tubes provide bright images, even in the darkest of nights, and reliable operation on magnum-size calibers. Illuminated Mil-Dot Reticle features adjustable brightness and three colors for better aim in the variety of ambient conditions.

Manual Variable Gain allows the user to control the image brightness. Scope includes American Defense quick-release Weaver/Picatinny mount, remote pressure pad and two moisture-control cartridges. Power supply allows operation on either 1x3V Lithium battery or 1xAA battery. Easy-to-install optional Extended Range IR illuminators (models LN-EIR-2 or LN-ELIR-2) allow for operation in total darkness.

SUN OPTICS ANNOUNCES NEW SCOPES, ELECTRONIC SIGHTS P.O. Box 2225, Burleson, TX 76097 (817) 783-6433/www.sunopticsusa.com

Earlier this year, Sun Optics introduced a full lineup of scopes, lasers and more.

This company will be exhibiting at the NRA convention in Indianapolis, where visitors will see the Varmint Seeker riflescope series. Built on a onepiece, 30mm-main tube with precision ground and fully multi-coated lenses, this scope has a dot reticle with fine crosshairs, a fast-focus ocular and side-focus parallax. They are ¼-MOA adjustable and all feature target turrets. The lineup includes a 4-16x50, 6-24x50 and an 8-32x50.

The Ultra Variable 30mm scope is a 5-30x56mm that is also ¼-MOA adjustable, with fully multicoated lenses, and side-parallax adjustment.

Sun Optics has a new 4-16x24mm scope for 3gun match shooters, dubbed the CQB/3-Gun Match.

It’s designed on a 30mm tube with a dot reticle that can be shown in red or green.

There are two compact 5MW laser/light models

in red or green with three-way selector switches, designed for handguns.

Two illuminated laser sights are also available, with 5MW green lasers, locking battery compartments, pressure cords for rifles or handguns, quickdetach mounting system and more.

For more information, see us at booth #4915

HHA SPORTS

7222 Townline Rd, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494 (800) 548-7812/www.hhasports.com HHA Sports, manufacturer of the popular Optimizer line of archery and crossbow sights, now offers the same patented R.D.S. Tape Technology for firearms.

The Optimizer Horizon Adjustable Firearm Sighting System eliminates the need for multiple haired or Mil-Dot scopes. It adapts to any 7/8 Picatinny rail and provides 28.5 M.O.A. of adjustment. The Horizon is guaranteed accurate to 1 M.O.A. at any speed (1,050 to 4,100 FPS), any range (50 to 600 yards) and any magnification.

This simple two-distance sight-insystem and easy-to-follow instructions will have you dialing your gun to

The new Burris XTR II riflescope series is worth looking at, and visitors to the NRA convention will have the chance to do so.

There are seven models in the series, including a 1-5x24mm, a 1.5-8x28mm, a 2-10x42mm, 315x50mm, 4-20x50mm, 5-25x50mm and an 8-40xmm.

Designed for competitive shooters and tactical operators, they feature a thicker tube, Hi-Lume multi-coated lenses, precision-adjustment knobs and Zero Click Stop technology.

The new Veracity series includes four models’, a 2-10x42mm, a 3-15x50mm, a 4-20x50mm and a 525x50mm. They all feature a five-times-zoom system, ¼-MOA, front-focal plane reticles and easy-adjustment knobs.

For more information, see us at booth #4964

SIGHTMARK’S NEW EZEKIEL RIFLESCOPE, SPOTTER 2201 Heritage Parkway, Dept. WSJ Mansfield, TX 76063 (817) 225-0310/www.sightmark.com

Sightmark’s new Ezekiel optics include a 330x56mm Ezekiel riflescope, a 6-100x100 spotting scope and a laser for the AR-15, and they should be on display at the NRA convention.

The new 6-100x100 spotting scope is the first 100X-magnification spotter ever released. It provides a 122.8-meter field of view at 1,000 yards. It comes with a tripod, lens cover, carrying case and sunshade cover.

Ezekiel’s new riflescope is built on a 30mm tube and it comes with rings and flip-up lens covers.

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OPTICS SWAROVSKI OFFERS IPHONE ADAPTER, ‘NEW GENERATION SLC’ 2 Slater Road, Dept. WSJ, Cranston, RI 02920/(800) 426-3089/www.swarovskioptik.com

Always a popular stop at an NRA exhibition, the Swarovski Optic display this year has some treats worth looking at, including the newest entry in their New Generation SLC binocular family, and the PA-i5 adapter for iPhone images.

The PA-i5 is designed to work with the iPhone 5/5s. It allows mounting the iPhone 5/5s on the eyepiece of the new SLC binoculars, the EL family of scopes, EL Range and other optics. It turns these optics into telephone lenses for still photos and videos.

Also check out the three models in Swarovski’s SLC family. The first two — the 8x42mm and 10x42mm — were actually introduced last October, and the third, the larger 15x56mm, appeared at the SHOT Show in January.

Built on a compact design, Swarovski’s SLC roof prism binoculars deliver high-contract images that are sharp from edge to edge. These center-focus binoculars have twist-down eyecups, a rugged-outer surface that resists dings and scrapes, and they come with neck straps and cases.

The 8X model provides a 408-foot field of view at 1,000 yards, while the 10X version brings that down to 330 feet, and the 15X model offers a 234-foot field of view at that distance.

The 8X model measures 5.9 inches in length and weighs 28.5 ounces, while the 10X model is 5.7 inches and weighs 28 ounces, and the 15X version measures 7.56 inches and hits the scale at 42.3 ounces.

Also check out Swarovski’s new CL center-focus pocket-roof prism binoculars, which are sized to fit into a pocket. Available in 8X or 10X with a 25mm objective lens, the CL pocket binocular has twist-in eye cups.

Weighing just over 12 ounces a piece, the 8X model offers a 357-foot field of view at 1,000 yards and the 10X model allows for a 294-foot field at that range. They are both 4.3 inches long and 2.5-inches wide when closed.

For more information, see us at booth #5445

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OPTICS It features a second focal-plane Mil-Dot reticle, side-parallax adjustment and the first 10X-optical zoom offered in a commercially viable system.

It offers a choice between two illuminated reticles, one red and one green.

For the AR-15 rifle, the LoPro Green laser may be mounted in front of a riflescope, or on a rail, either on top or on the side. It has 1 MOA adjustments and the laser is visible at about 50 yards in the daylight and more than 600 yards at night.

For more information, see us at booth #8163

LEUPOLD

14400 Northwest Greenbrier Parkway, Dept. WSJ Beaverton, OR 97006 (503) 646-9171/www.leupold.com

TRIJICON VCOG VARIABLE SCOPE

49385 Shafer Ave., Dept. WSJ, Wixom, MI 48393/(800) 338-0563/www.trijicon.com Trijicon’s VCOG (for Variable Combat Optical Gunsight) is a 1-6x24mm scope machined from 7075-T6 aluminum with a Mil Spec hard-coat anodized finish, and it will be on exhibit at the NRA convention.

It boasts fully multi-coated lenses including a broadband anti-reflective coating, and is offered with seven different reticle choices, all located in the first focal plane so the ballistic reticle may be used with any magnification. Trijicon says the segmented circle reticle with a centered crosshair may be matched with a 175-grain .30-caliber bullet, 55- and 77-grain .223-caliber loads or the 115-grain .300 Blackout. For each of the .5.56mm and 7.62mm loads, the horseshoe/dot reticle may also be used.

Waterproof down to 66 feet, the VCOG features Mil Spec-level illumination electronics, powered by an AA battery, and an integral mount that fits any 1913 rail.

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For a lot of hunters and shooters, the NRA convention will be their first opportunity to check out the new Leupold VX-6 riflescope.

The 4-24x52mm features a 34mm maintube, Custom Bullet Drop Compensation dial, ¼-MOA click adjustments, Leupold’s Quantum Optical System, Xtended Twilight lense coatings and DiamondCoat 2. It is waterproof and shockproof.

It provides a clear image edge-to-edge through the magnification range.

OPTICS TIMBER TO TACTICAL – VORTEX’S NEW VIPER HS-T RIFLESCOPE IS SURE TO DAZZLE WITH ITS FEATURE RICH VERSATILITY (800) 426-0048/vortexoptics.com

Blending many of the best features of Vortex’s incredibly popular Viper HS and Viper PST riflescopes, the new Viper HS-T (Hunting Shooting Tactical) is positioned to be big a hit among hunters, as well as tactical enthusiasts.

Available in 4-16x44 MOA and mrad models, the Viper HS-T boasts an all-new, hashmark-based second-focal-plane reticle, perfect for accurate holds at extended ranges. Mrad reticle hashes subtend in .5 and full-value increments. MOA reticle hashes subtend in 2 MOA increments. Both are set for use at the riflescope’s maximum 16-power magnification.

Incredibly precise, repeatable and durable target-style windage and elevation turrets built specifically for dialing, top off this highly versatile riflescope’s long range performance

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features. And with Vortex’s CRS (Customizable Rotational Stop) system, shooters can quickly re-index their turret after temporary elevation corrections have been made. The HS-T’s 30mm one-piece machined aluminum tube ensures ample travel for optimal adjustment.

An ultrafriendly eyebox with generous 4 inch eye relief and fast focus eyepiece gets shooters on target with ease. XD (extra-low dispersion) glass guarantees sharp, crisp images from edge to edge. Lenses fully multicoated with Vortex’s proprietary XR coatings offer superior light transmission for optimal performance in critical low light scenarios. Exterior lenses feature ArmorTek, an ultrahard optical coating engineered to protect against scratches, oil and dirt.

O-ring sealed and purged with argon gas for 100 percent waterproof/fogproof performance. Shockproof construction withstands recoil and impact from every angle.

For more information, see us at booth #4764

QUALITY RIFLE SCOPES

(877) 251-4868/www.QualityRifleScopes.com Finally a true high quality day time/night timerifle scope is available and it won’t break the bank!! Perfect for ranchers, varmint hunters and sportsman everywhere. The Armasight Drone Pro 5x digital night vision rifle scope is a true day time, night

time unit using the most advanced digital technology available. Now you can hunt with your favorite deer rifle in the afternoon then go after coyotes that evening and not have to change your optics. Amazing clarity with super high resolution, (OLED 752x582), on par with the best gen 2+ improved units and even some gen 3 standard scopes, the Drone Pro also features a video output and remote control for those who want to record the hunt. The Drone Pro comes in 5x (5.8x)magnification as a standard model with an optional 2x magnifier that is also available. Fantastic light gathering ability will amaze you, the Drone Pro 5x also comes with a high intensity long range illuminator, is water proof and nitrogen purged. The most compact and light weight unit available today with the unsurpassed quality that Armasight is famous for. By far the best “bang for your buck” we have found period… all for under $2000.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

PICTURE PERFECT

SWAROVSKI’S NEW iPHONE ADAPTER, OPTICS WILL WIN THE DAY or today’s devoted hunter and wildlife watcher, it’s not enough to simply have a memory, one needs to record it, and Swarovski has introduced a clever gadget that turns a binocular or spotting scope into a telephone lens for your iPhone 5/5s.

Maybe it’s because some people just won’t believe you actually saw that trophy deer or elk that got away, or perhaps you want to have an image of the game before you stalk and shoot. There are any number reasons and all of them are good ones.

Enter the PA-i5 adapter for producing telephoto iPhone images. It just might be Swarovski Optik’s most clever accessory, and it works on the eyepiece of the new SLC binoculars, the EL family of scopes, EL Range and other optics.

It turns these quality optics into telephoto lenses for still photos and videos.

Now, before anyone can actually make a video or capture a still image, you’ve got to spot the animal, right?

Swarovski’s latest binocular introductions have that one covered. Last

F

fall saw the arrival of the new generation SLC binoculars, and in January the third entry was introduced at the SHOT Show in January.

The series now consists of the 8x42mm, 10x42mm and 15x56mm and they’re really something.

All three are center-focus, roof-prism models with twist-down eyecups to accommodate people who wear eyeglasses, and have a tough outer rubber armor covering that protects the binoculars from scrapes, dings and other nasty things.

Let’s talk field of view. At 1,000 yards, the 8X model’s edge-to-edge image covers 408 feet. The 10X model delivers a 330-foot field of view at that distance and the big 15X model shows a 234-foot field of view.

While the 8X model is 5.9 inches long, the 10X version is 5.7 inches long, and the 15X is 7.56 inches long, which still is not a huge binocular. The 8X model weighs 28.5 ounces, the 10X comes in at 28 ounces and the 15X model hits the scale at 42.3 ounces. All three are great choices for long-range glassing of the countryside, and the 15X56 is definitely designed for such sessions.

Also from Swarovski are the ATX/STX spotting scopes, available with both straight or angled eyepiece modules, and

three different objective modules. They can also be adapted to the PA-i5!

Magnification range with the 65mm and 85mm objective lenses is 25-60X while the 95mm objective provides a 3070X range. The field of view at 1,000 yards withthetwolowerpowerobjectivesvaries from 124 down to 68 feet as one adjusts upthroughthemagnificationrange,while with the 95mm model, the field of view shrinks from 104 feet down to 57 feet.

ATX/STX spotting scopes feature HD lenses with Swaroclean, Swarodur and Swarotop coatings.

Fall hunting seasons are months away, while varmint shooters will be getting busy in another month or so out on the Great Plains. Now is the time to be getting ready with new optics.

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

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A FAMILY OF HUNTRESSES Tiny 9-Year-Old Stars On Triple MAG TV With Sister And Mother

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riple MAG TV is an all-femalecast hunting show that is worth a look. Initially a Pennsylvania television phenomenon, it got picked up by the Sportsman Channel in 2013 and just completed its first season.

There are plenty of hunting shows on cable and satellite television, and their success or failure usually hinges on the cast’s natural charisma. Triple MAG’s ladies have charisma in abundance as well as extraordinary chemistry. They should. They are family.

The show centers around the hunting adventures of a mother, Gina Fantaskey, and her two daughters, 17year-old Alyssa Kautz-Fantaskey and 9-year-old Madison (“Mad Dog”) Fantaskey. Triple MAG TV’s all-female family cast is unique in the hunting genre. The show derives its name from the first initial of each of the

three girls’ names.

The back story is that Gina’s grandmother was a hunter of necessity during the Great Depression, and she passed on a hunting tradition to the women of the family. There are a lot of things for women to love about hunting, but there are as many things for them to dislike. In my observation, the likelihood of becoming cold, wet or dirty is usually a deal breaker for the ladies. In my own wife’s case, the mortal fear of encountering a small woodland creature like a field mouse or ground squirrel outweighs any potential enjoyment she might find in hunting. She would hunt in the zoo, but not in the forest. Since nobody is allowed to hunt in the zoo, she doesn’t hunt.

NOW, LET’S CONSIDER the Fantaskey girls.

They live in rural Pennsylvania,

ARTICLE BY FRANK JARDIM PHOTOS BY THE FANTASKEYS

where hunting is a way of life for a lot of folks, including the man of the family, father and husband Matt Fantaskey. Matt took Gina on a hunting date while they were courting, and they each realized they shared a passion not just for each other, but for the outdoors as well. Matt is a background figure in the show who appears as an off-camera voice of guidance and encouragement. However, the show is first and foremost about his wife and daughters. Watch just one episode and you’ll see why.

As hunting partners, the girls look like a lot of fun. Gina and Alyssa hunt with a genuine excitement that is delightful. A rollercoaster ride is more enjoyable with someone who really gets into it. Hunting with Gina and Alyssa is clearly like that, and Matt Fantaskey is a lucky man to have their company afield. westernshootingjournal.com 139

I’m sure that never gets old for Matt, who may well get more pleasure from their successes than he does his own.

Matt and Gina’s youngest girl, Madison, is a standout in the cast. She is nicknamed Mad Dog, but the name does not fit. Even though she is only 9 years old, she has a calm and maturity that is remarkable. While her mother and older sister are fanning themselves with their hands to calm down after the Alyssa, age 17, also writes and produces songs for the guitar.

Hunting has long been a passion of this family.

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kill, little Madison is comparatively restrained and collected. During the show, she appears to make observations and comments that show an understanding of conservation and the role hunters play in it, that many hunters I know don’t really grasp. I guess we know what the Fantaskey family talks about around the dinner table.

Madison is a paradox as a child huntress. She is a little tow-headed cute girl child who presses her cheek into the stock of a side-by-side shot-

gun, selects her point of aim, and rolls with the recoil without complaint or flinch, taking down her first spring tom turkey like an experienced subsistence hunter. When she goes out to recover the bird, she picks up a long stick to poke it, not because she thinks it’s gross or she’s afraid of it, but to confirm it is dead. It is as big as her after all, and looks too big for her to move without assistance. I was struck by the way her natural child’s curiosity became apparent, as she

thoughtfully looked over the big tom’s plumage and judged for herself the merits of his spurs and beard.

I’ve noticed some criticism regarding the hunts featured on the show being canned because they are held on private hunting preserves. This suggests that hunting on preserves is somehow less sporting than stalking game. Certainly, many hunters enjoy hunting on preserves, and a discus-

Madison’s witty personality makes the show.

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sion of this is beyond the scope of this article. Based on the shows I’ve watched, I will confirm for you that the venues do not detract from the character or realism. The family’s experiences feel genuine and are realistically documented. They get up early, whisper when they talk in the blinds, and sometimes fall asleep in them too. When, and if, the game shows up, they pick their own targets and make their own shots.

This experience will ring true for lots of sportsman. I think the use of the preserves and blinds is more of a practical consideration than anything else. It’s probably going to be impossible to stalk wild game on unfenced property with a video crew following you. Consider the cost of bringing the video production crew into the field in the first place. Shows of this type on Sportsman Channel have very limited budgets. They are usually funded by sponsors who are paying for entertaining television. An unsuccessful hunt – and there have been some – isn’t as

The action-packed show is also educational.

exciting as one that brings down the quarry. Furthermore, who doesn’t want to stack the odds in their favor when on the hunt? I say, “So what if they shoot on fenced game preserves?”

If you want to cultivate a love of hunting and the outdoors in your wives and daughters, you could take a lesson or two from the Fantaskey family by watching Triple MAG TV. WSJ Editor’s note: You can visit their website at triplemagtv.com for information on the forthcoming season.

Specializing in non-guided hunts for Elk, Deer and Antelope on premium Colorado Private Land.

• By managing the number of hunters as well as the vehicle access, we maintain a low pressure environment for our animals • With several ranches ranging from 1000 to 5000 acres, you can choose the ranch and terrain that is right for you • Most hunts are available over-the-counter or without a draw. If a draw is required, we will handle it for you.

• Non-guided hunts provide a more rewarding big game experience and can be offered at a fraction of the price of a fully guided hunt • Choose from archery, black powder or rifle hunts for elk, deer or antelope RMR's success since 1995 has been due to our high client retention & quality properties offered at the lowest possible prices. Contact us to discuss which hunt is right for you.

Co. Reg. # 2689

www.RockyMountainHunting.com (970) 439-1894 RMR is always available to answer your questions at: info@rockymountainhunting.com

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KNIVES Fossil

COLUMBIA RIVER ANNOUNCES NEW FIXED BLADES, FOLDER 9720 S.W. Hillman Court, Suite 805, Dept. WSJ, Wilsonville, OR 97070/(800) 891-3100/www.crkt.com

Look for some sharp knives from CRKT at the NRA gathering, including the Synergist and Obake models.

CRKT’s Obake Model 2367 features a 3.64-inch hollow-ground clip-point blade with a titanium nitride- gray coating that is acid-etched to create a unique pattern. It was inspired by a small knife called the “Kwaiken,” carried by members of the Samurai class.

It weighs 2.4 ounces, is 7.63 inches long overall and comes with a glass-filled nylon sheath that includes a 550-paracord lanyard.

The new Model 2070 Synergist has a 3.63-inch hollow-ground double-edged spearpoint blade made from stainless steel with a satin finish. Weighing only 3.6 ounces, the knife measures 7.63 inches overall. It comes with a black-leather sheath.

There is also a new folder called the Fossil, with a stainless-steel hollow-ground drop-point blade that measures just under 4 inches. It is finished in black satin, and the handles are stainless steel with a multilayer-brown/black G10 overlay.

The overall length of the Fossil is 8.88 inches, and it features an IKBS ball-bearing pivot system that enhances the opening and closing. It weighs 6.1 ounces.

For more information, see us at booth #4647 Synergist

Obake

NEW KNIVES WEAR BROWNING LABEL

One Browning Place, Dept. WSJ, Morgan, UT 84050 (801) 876-2711/www.browning.com Earlier this year, Browning introduced several new folders and fixed-blade knives, including the new Black Label tactical series, and they should be on view at the NRA gathering.

The new Black Label tactical models include the fixed-blade Rail System model with a doubleedged, 5 ½-inch hollow-ground full-tang blade and Blade-Tech molded-polymer sheath.

The Committed model has a 5 3⁄8-inch stainlesssteel hollow-ground drop point fixed blade with a partially serrated edge. It also has a full tang and G10 scales.

The Black Label Battle Bowie has a fixed 8-inch hollow-ground full-tang blade of stainless steel with a laser-etched finish. It features black-carbon fiber scales and comes with a Blade Tech sheath with Tek-Lok belt clip.

Browning’s new Non-Typical Stag models should have quick appeal. There is a skinner and

drop point, both fixed blade models with 2 7⁄8-inch stainless steel blades. Designed by Russ Kommer, they are supplied with top grain leather sheaths.

Joining them are Browning’s seven new Featherweight models, with both fixed and lockback folders. They all have black Zytel handles, featuring

tropical-hardwood inserts and a Buckmark medallion. The lineup includes a fixed-drop point, semiskinner and guthook, and both large and small folders, a big game folder and a multi-blade with scissors. All Featherweights feature hollow-ground AUS-8 stainless blades.

For more information, see us at booth #4148

ONTARIO KNIFE BRINGS BACK BOWIE P. O. Box 145, 26 Empire Street, Dept. WSJ Franklinville, NY 14737 (716) 676-5527/www.ontarioknife.com

Ontario Knife will be showing off its resurrected OKC SP5 Bowie, a hefty model capable of tough-cutting chores, during this month’s NRA exhibits.

The Spec Plus 5 features full-tang construction, a 10-inch blade made from 1095 carbon steel hardened to 5759 HRC, and it really holds an edge. The blade is .25-inches thick, and because of that, it can be used for cutting, chopping and even prying, in all kinds of environments.

Originally introduced more than two decades ago, the Spec Plus 5 was discontinued, but customer demand, including a request from a man whose home burned down, but his knife survived, convinced Ontario Knife to resurrect the proven design.

This new version features a rugged Kraton handle for a secure grip, and the blade wears a tough, non-reflective powder coat finish.

The knife comes with a rugged sheath.

THE BUCK SKINNER KNIFE BY IDAHO KNIFE WORKS P.O. Box 144, Spirit Lake, ID 83869/(509)994-9394/www.idahoknifeworks.com

This knife is made by quality-custom knifemaker Mike Mann. Blade design is a good drop-point skinner for Bucks & Bulls. The knife has a 1080-high carbon steel, flat grind blade that is heat treated and tempered for use! Blade holds an edge and sharpens easy in the field. Full-tang handle fits nicely into the palm of your hand, and forefinger slips into rounded cut out. Then the down turned brass guard wraps around the finger making it comfortable for use. A sturdy-leather belt sheath comes with each knife!

For more information, see us at booth #000000

westernshootingjournal.com 145

KNIVES CHECKOUT THE KERSHAW ‘BUCK COMMANDER’ SERIES

THREE NEW MODELS FROM HAVALON 3726 Lonsdale Street, Dept. WSJ, Cincinnati, OH 45227 (888 )836-3204/www.havalon.com

Havalon Knives has a trio of new knife models that it will be showing at the NRA convention.

The Piranta-Eagle has a “feather-like” cross-hatch grip, and there are 500 limitededition knives with scrimshaw handles made from titanium-colored 6061-T6 aluminum. This model with the eagle design will be sold only on Havalon’s website, and once they are gone, a “slightly tweaked version” will be available to dealers this spring.

The Shock Green Piranta-Bolt, described as the “next evolution’ in the Havalon line, also utilizes Havalon’s new 60A replaceable blades.

For more information, see us at booth #4603

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18600 SW Teton Ave., Dept. WSJ, Tualatin, OR 97062/(800) 325-2891/www.kershawknives.com Lots of folks have jumped on the Duck Commander wagon, and Kershaw has announced a collaboration between Kai USA brands, Duck Commander and Buck Commander.

According to Kershaw, both fixed and folding models are in the series, along with some machetes and accessories. Kai’s Pure Komachi 2 will also join the Duck and Buck Commanders to produce a series of kitchen cutlery involving the “Duck Wives” of Duck Commander’s Robertson family.

More models will be introduced over the next few years under the multi-year licensing agreement.

For more information, see us at booth #7968 Piranta-Camo

westernshootingjournal.com 147

NAVIGATING THE ALLURING WORLD OF

ARCHERY Two Top Industry Professionals Reveal Insider Stories ARTICLE BY JEREMY SCHAAF PHOTOS BY NEW BREED ARCHERY

While most of my world revolves around the hunting side of archery, it’s always a pleasure interacting with the competitive shooting side of archery. Recently, I was blessed to have a conversation with Allen Conner of Attalla, Ala. Allen shoots professionally for New Breed Archery out of Fultondale, Ala., which is a suburb of Birmingham.

Allen has been competing on the pro level for over 20 years, and his tournament trail currently takes him through the rigors of the International Bowhunting Organization, which includes the Outdoor 3-D competition, Archery Shooters Association, and Outdoor 3-D competition. His tournament also includes the National Field Archery Association, which hosts the Indoor Nationals Spot Tournament. Allen competes in the senior pro division and has an impressive resume, which includes 14 world championships, 26 national championships, seven shooter of the year titles, and two Buckmasters World Championships.

I also interviewed Kyle Null, the owner of New Breed Archery. He had a wealth of information on how to choose a bow.

Allen Conner has won multiple world championships.

JEREMY SCHAAF Thank you for taking

JS What advice do you have for up-

the time to speak with me, Allen.

Please tell us, at what age did you first start shooting archery equipment, and how did you get your start in competitive archery?

ALLEN CONNER Yes sir, you’re welcome.

I first started shooting a bow when I was 18 years old. The owner of a local archery shop invited me along to a county 3-D shoot, and I took him up on it.

coming shooters who are on the fence to becoming pro, or think that they are not good enough to shoot with the pros?

AC My advice to them would be taking their time to steadily advance through the amateur divisions before they jump into the fire. Each person will know when the time has come to make that move. Their scores will reflect their standings in each class as they move up.

JS From there, when did you decide

to turn pro, and can you tell us why?

AC I decided to turn pro back in 1989.

It was simple, really. That same local archery shop owner asked me to be on an IBO Manufacturers Team, and that was the start of my professional 3-D career.

JS Please tell us your training routine,

and how often do you train?

AC When I find time to step away

from my archery shop, I use those moments to train. At least a minimum of eight to ten hours a week during the main tournament season. westernshootingjournal.com 149

JS In your opinion, what is most important when it comes to working on your shot form?

AC Most definitely the follow through.

You must finish correctly to have the desired results, whether that’s on a live animal or a 3-D target.

JS Can you give us a rundown, or a checklist of your shot routine?

AC First, I address the target at eye level with my bow before I start my draw cycle. Smooth continuous draw until I reach my anchor, center the aperture in my peep, align my pin on the desired point of impact, and then follow through.

Allen Conner takes first place in the Senior Pro competition.

JS Can you enlighten us on anything

specific that you have done lately to tweak your setup? Something that has given you a newfound edge?

AC Honestly, I have to say my New Breed bow. Seven championships, a shooter of the year title, and a National Triple Crown Championship in IBO, all in 2013.

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JS Now that you have been shooting for some time, what is the it factor with archery competition? Why do you do it?

AC There’s something to be said for high adrenaline. It’s just a huge adrenaline rush during competition. I do this because I’m just a natural-

born competitor.

JS You mentioned your New Breed bow being your newfound edge. How did your relationship with New Breed Archery come about?

AC We just started having communications between us at some of the

shows. When my Hoyt contract was up, it gave me the opportunity to be part of a locally owned bow company.

It has been great!

JS What are your goals for the next three years in competitive archery?

AC I just try to take it year by year.

Sometimes, you just have to take what the good Lord allows.

JS While shooting for New Breed, what other companies do you have as sponsors?

AC My sponsors are String Addiction Strings, Brownell String Material, Trophy Taker Rests, Bohning Archery Vanes, Scott Releases, CBE Sights, Shrewd Stabilizers, Black Eagle Arrows, Wasp Broadheads, Alpen Optics, along with Gilbert and Baugh Ford.

JS Which bows are you competing with out there?

AC I have my New Breed Eclipse for IBO, and my New Breed Cyborg for ASA and NFAA.

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WITH KYLE NULL

JS Mr. Null, can you please give us some insight into your background, and some of your story leading up to the start of New Breed Archery?

KYLE NULL I have been in archery for over 27 years, and started in the archery business at a young age. While in high school, I worked for a sporting goods store, fletching arrows and making custom spinnerbaits. Once I started college, I worked for a larger sporting goods store as the lead archery technician, and from there was offered a job to go to work for McPherson Archery when it moved to Alabama.

That kicked off my career in the archery manufacturing business. Eventually, after leaving McPherson, I returned to college and became an instructor at a local technical college, where I taught industrial electronics/robotics and robotic design. I had been involved with archery for a long time, and it was Kyle Null, the founder and natural to start designing my own bow in my garage owner of New Breed Archery. as a hobby. In 2008, a couple of friends and myself decided to make a run at selling a few of the bows we had come up with, and this is how New Breed Archery came about. We formed and ran it out of my garage. After a soft launch, my friends ended up fading away from the company due to family obligations and careers, but I kept it going and New Breed Archery is growing.

JS Can you tell us,what the NBA bows have over other manufacturers’ bows?

KN I would not say that there is such a thing as a bad bow on the market currently,

but there is certainly a difference between mass-production products and handcrafted ones. At New Breed, we strive to make sure every bow is built as if the per-

westernshootingjournal.com 153

Emphasis on Quality Accent on Innovation

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Started Puppies and Gundogs 154

Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

son building it was going to own the bow themselves. The attention to detail during the manufacturing process of each bow, and the tolerances of each part of the bow, are really what sets us apart. One aspect that we are known for with our dealers that seems to set us apart, is when they pull a bow out of the box there is no adjustments for “getting it into time and specs” like they have to do with most factory-built bows. We have one of the smoothest draw-force curves on the market today, while still maintaining the higher speeds expected by today’s archer.

JS As a company, what are some of NBA’s goals in the industry over the next five to ten years?

KN We want to keep growing at a steady pace. We are not trying to take over the archery market. We want to produce the best bow at a good price.

We will continue to push the envelope as technology advances and stay on the cutting edge of the archery industry, but at the same time maintain our quality and performance.

JS Please share your mission statement.

KN Empower the customer to enjoy archery by building the most innovative and highest-quality archery equipment in the world.

JS For new customers looking into NBA, what is the best way for them to get information about your bows?

KN The first place to go is our website newbreedarchery.com. I always recommend that you inquire about our bows at one of our many local dealers, and if you don’t have a dealer in your area, we encourage you to let us know the dealer you like to work with and we can certainly work with them. And as always, feel free to call us at (205) 5367850 with questions or inquiries. WSJ Editor’s note: Jeremy Schaaf resides in southeast Nebraska. As the owner of Rock Falls Outdoors, you can usually find him either behind or in front of a camera filming their outdoors adventures. You can follow them on Facebook or Twitter @rockfallsoutdrs to keep up with their latest documentary in progress.

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WHAT’S REALLY BEHIND THE AMMO SHORTAGE PART 2 OF 2 Multiple Factors Contribute To Perplexing, Ongoing Shortage

BY JOHN HARRINGTON • PHOTOS BY CANSTOCKPHOTO

P

rior to the current ammunition shortage, the market had somewhat stabilized following the previous market shortage.

Ammo shortages have been a relatively regular cycle since the AR15 returned to market prominence beginning in 2004 and dominated the long-rifle industry, all the while inducting a very large new generation of shooters. These supply shortages are hardly predictable. The most obvious factors will always weigh in when considering the cause(s) of these fluctuations, but there are some not-so-obvious reasons as well as mentioned in last month’s Part One. That being the case, there are certain anomalies. Why is it that certain calibers of ammo don’t seem to be as adversely affected as others? Also, what does the current shortage mean for the gun industry? Are we headed for the political abyss that a glut of bad press has foretold? How will the industry and consumers respond?

THEORETICAL SENSE

The first question we’re going to handle: Why can I find plenty of ammo in calibers I’ve never even heard of?

The Black Jellybean – This is the most thought of theory as to why less popular calibers have better availability. If they’re less popular, they’re less in demand and less susceptible to a shortage. Ammo sales are tied to gun ownership. Guns that are previously owned in those less popular calibers won’t sell like uber-popular guns with extremely common calibers. While Glocks and AR-15s are flying off the shelves, the occasional collector with westernshootingjournal.com 157

a 6.5mm Mannlicher Carcano typically won’t be looking for case lots of practice ammo.

Now, these calibers will still sell, because what ultimately will transpire from market growth is consumer maturity. As that translates to the gun market, a beginning shooter will eventually branch out to multiple shooting types and end up kitting out with a family of favorite calibers, usually including some less common bullets. It is especially so in the gun

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industry, where older gun models often come with a story, and stories make for interesting collections. Nevertheless, for the overwhelming majority of gun owners, the one-off caliber is akin to the infamous black licorice jellybean: the bean that gets eaten least or not at all. Hence, the occasional jellybean maker that skips the licorice ones altogether.

The Non-Regression Principle – Savvy retailers use sophisticated forecasting models to predict exactly

what you will buy, when you will buy it, and how much you will be willing to pay. These models rely on previously collected data much like dope sellers do. And depending on how well the analysis is modeled, you’d be surprised at just how accurate those forecasts are. The purpose of the forecast is to prevent overstocking inventory which can lead to inventory carrying costs, which can further lead to spoilage. I realize ammo has a reasonably long shelf life, but even up-

westernshootingjournal.com 159

WHY CAN I FIND AMMO IN PLENTY OF CALIBERS I’VE NEVER HEARD OF? dated packaging can equate to spoilage in the retail world.

The problem with the current data we have on buying patterns is that the data set is relatively short in duration, and the market itself is so adversely affected by external events that a mere mention of the words “gun control” can cause irreparable cascading damage to order cycle schedules.

So, why would that lead to less common calibers being more available than others? And believe me, I have spoken with dealers who have done this. In the absence of ample supply in wanted calibers, dealers stocked what was available in calibers that might sell, just to ensure that the shelves were not empty.

Also, as the demand variances

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

caused the exponential spike in demand for popular calibers, it made it almost impossible to predict the demand for less common calibers. Let’s say your store normally orders 100 cases of 5.56 per month. A spike could cause a dealer to increase that monthly order by 50 percent in the wake of a tragic news event. But if that same dealer’s demand for 7mm-08 is only two boxes a month, how do you order in likely proportions to account for changes in demand? Just ordering an additional two boxes would equate to a 100 percent increase.

Let’s also remember that an additional 50 cases of ammo will cost your dealer several thousands of dollars, at least, whereas a few extra boxes of 7mm-08 will be far less costly and much easier to acquire. Thus manifests

the temptation to focus on the variety available rather than stocking what will sell fast at a higher up front cost.

More Honey, Fewer Bears – The outstanding growth in the gun industry has also led to an unprecedented growth in federal firearms license applications. It hasn’t happened in every market, but new gun stores, manufacturers, ammunition makers, collectors, gun shows, and ranges are popping up everywhere.

More gun stores means more dealers competing for your ammo budget.

Now let’s say our fictional town of Cordite, Wyo., has just one gun store that stocks four boxes of 9x18mm Makarov per month based on regular sales. Two new gun stores and an ammo-stocking range open up in town, and each of them stock two boxes each of the same caliber. All of a sudden, you now have 10 boxes of ammo available in a town that historically only consumed four boxes a month.

Meanwhile, sales of the AR-15 have gone up fivefold in that same town, and it has become the most popular gun

used at the new range. The demand for ammo for those ARs will be just as difficult to predict, and dealers would take care against risking five times their normal budget for one caliber at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Most small gun stores don’t have that kind of budget breathing room to allow for such a large variance to begin with.

INDUSTRY RESPONSE TO THE SHORTAGE

Production Capacity – Now it’s easy to see that popular calibers will get ordering priority. It would be easier still to predict that .22 LR, 9mm, .45 ACP, .223 Remington, .308 Winchester, et al, would be strong contenders for easy sell of the year. Following the Sandy Hook tragedy, it was obvious that the industry was scrambling for stock as Joe Shooter was looking to pad his arsenal before legislation made its leap towards total prohibition. So the start of 2014 should have seen ammo manufacturers gearing up to meet the predictable spike in demand, right? They did. We just managed to spike more than they could.

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

Limitations in production capacity can put a very finite constraint on supply. Because floor space, equipment costs, equipment usage, labor costs, and time are all critical variables in manufacturing costs, few manufacturers are willing to expand their capacity, which typically comes at considerable capital expense for what they believe will be a temporary increase in demand. Once that demand falls back and normalizes, the floor space, machines, bins, workers, etc., will become idle and the adjusted cost model will leak profits like a sieve. These manufacturers would rather weather the storm by adding shifts until demand wanes and production catches up to the backlog – even if that is three seasons away. The larger cash-rich manufacturers will slowly add capacity to match up to carefully analyzed growth, but even if demand triples, they will be reluctant to follow suit in the short term.

Focused Design – Because profits exist where opportunity does, manufacturers perceive the extreme popu-

larity of “tactical” calibers as being a veritable mother lode of sales revenue. Many gun manufacturers focus solely on manufacturing guns and leave the manufacture of ammunition to the companies that do that best.

That being said, designing guns in already common calibers is the modus operandi for most manufacturers. As new designs exhibit well at trade shows and on gun-store counters, these common-bore guns will increase the demand for those common calibers even more. For the few that dare to try marketing newer cartridge sizes, they will either tread so lightly that the new design never takes flight, or they will be so aggressive that competitors will benefit more from their efforts then they did.

Import – If local supply does not meet demand requirements, overseas manufacturers may have excess capacity to fill the void. Since countries abroad do not have civilian markets like the U.S. does, foreign manufacturers are most often tooled to meet

COWBOY .25 .32 .38 .38 .38 .38-40 .44-40 .45LC .45LC .458

85 GR. 78 GR. 120 GR. 125 GR. 130 GR. 180 GR. 180 GR. 160 GR. 200 GR. 350 GR.

RNFP/500 RNFP/500 TC/500 RNFP/500 RNFP/500 RNFP/500 RNFP/500 RNFP/500 RNFP/500 RNFP/100

$28.00 $25.00 $32.00 $33.00 $34.00 $42.00 $42.00 $44.00 $44.50 $26.00

STANDARD .32KEITH .380 9MM 9MM .38 .38 .40 .45ACP .45ACP .45LC

125 GR. 95 GR. 115 GR. 125 GR. 148 GR. 158 GR. 180 GR. 200 GR. 230 GR. 255 GR.

SWC/500 RN/500 RN/500 RN/500 DEWC/500 SWC/500 RNFP/500 SWC/500 RN/500 SWC/500

$46.00 $30.00 $31.50 $33.00 $34.50 $35.00 $41.00 $42.50 $46.00 $55.00

GAS-CHECK .38 .357 .41 .44 .44 .44 .45LC .45LC .458 .500

158 GR. 180 GR. 230 GR. 240 GR. 240 GR. 305 GR. 260 GR. 325 GR. 430 GR. 440 GR.

SWC-HP/100 LBT-WFN/100 SWC/100 SWC-HP/100 SWC/100 LBT-WFN/100 SWC-HP/100 LBT-LWN/100 LBT-LWN/100 LBT-WFN/100

$21.50 $24.00 $26.00 $32.00 $32.00 $39.00 $37.00 $41.00 $49.00 $61.00

This is a good cross reference of the bullets we offer. We have about 144 set of molds with new molds coming. Sixteen employees working 10 hr. a day shifts 4 days a week with 9 casters, 6 auto lubers, and 12 star lubers gas checking every day. We have bullets made with ďŹ ve different alloys that we order in 40,000 - 60,000 lbs at a time a mixed per our set alloys. By the time you read this ad we should be in our new state of the art 10 thousand square foot facility. Prices subject to change without notice.

and Ammunition Pistol Bullets and

Zero Bullet Company, Inc.

ZERO

P.O. Box 1188 Cullman, AL 35056 Tel: 256-739-1606 Fax: 256-739-4683

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demand for their police and military.

Take, for instance, brands like Wolf, Aguila, PMC, Prvi Partizan, etc. These quality manufacturers have been able to supplement in years past what would amount to a lack of availability by popular domestic brands. They may also be able to take advantage of lower labor costs, proprietary technologies, and reputations for quality, which make them continuously competitive in our market, even during “normal� times. That makes these an obvious go-to alternative in the event of a shortage of Federal/American Eagle, Hornady, or Winchester, et al.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE? WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT?

Over the past 10 years, the gun industry has multiplied in size. We have added manufacturers, dealers, ranges, clubs, and tens of millions of new shooters in a very short period of time.

Even the gun-control debate has helped focus and unify the rhetoric in favor of preserving the Second Amend-

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ment. As more independent advocates have entered into the debate, a more refined discourse regarding guns and their place in our society has developed and propagated amongst even the most flippant of followers.

Does this mean the market will normalize quickly, and ammo prices and availability will settle back to normal soon? Chances are, as the industry grows and investors capitalize on that growth, ammo availability will remain somewhat volatile for the foreseeable future. It is true that those forces are highly motivated by politics. It is also true that consumers will likely respond by engaging in different buying patterns than in the past (i.e. stocking up) to compensate for that volatility.

The political climate may be contentious, but there is a silver lining.

Industry folks and consumers alike should be encouraged by what is happening. Innovators are feverishly working to make our guns and accessories better. Trainers and classes are scheduled months in advance to overbooked groups. And you can bet, new data is being added to ammo buying patterns so our manufacturers and retailers can be better stocked for next season! We are slowly and significantly edging towards common relevance, and the closer we get to the gun to being as familiar as a household appliance, the more likely that ammo shortages happen as seldom as, say, a shortage of dryer hoses. WSJ Editor’s note: Brian Lee contributed to this article. John Harrington is a Second Amendment advocate, blogger and president of Texas Black Rifle Company and Shield Tactical. He has been a student-based firearm instructor for over 10 years. In 2009, he decided to take what he had learned about firearms and defensive tactics and apply it to the manufacturing and retail business. After doing business in California for a couple years, John decided to move his family and his business back to his home state of Texas.

From there he continues to fight for the Second Amendment and individual rights while his companies thrive in a free market with lesser tax and regulation burdens.

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AMMUNITION BLACK HILLS REVEALS NEW LOADS

P.O. Box 3090, Dept. WSJ, Rapid City, SD 57709/(605) 348-5150/www.black-hills.com Black Hills Ammunition has announced new rifle loads for 2014, for the 5.56/.223 Remington and the .308 Winchester.

The .223 Remington load features a new 77-grain Sierra Tipped MatchKing bullet. This projectile has a ballistic coefficient of .420, The polymer tip on this bullet improves terminal ballistics.

Black Hills is also adding a new load in .308 Winchester with a 175-grain Sierra Tipped MatchKing bullet. This bullet has a ballistic coefficient of .535, making it a superb choice for long-range shooting.

Black Hills has used standard MatchKing bullets in its loaded ammunition for quite some time, and the addition of this new Tipped MatchKing to the line should result in improved performance in both loads.

They deliver flatter and straighter trajectories and more uniform performance than open tip match bullets.

CENTURY INTERNATIONAL

430 South Congress Ave., Suite 1, Dept. WSJ, Delray Beach, FL 33445/(800) 527-1252/ www.centuryarms.com Century International’s introduction of Red Army Standard brand loads in rifle and handgun calibers earlier this year got attention because of all the ammunition shortages, and the good news is that this ammo is for popular AK platforms.

Selections include a 5.45x39mm with a 69-grain FMJ bullet, a 7.62x54R with a 148-grain FMJ, a 7.62x39mm with a 123-grain FMJ and a 9mm Makarov.

All four calibers are non-corrosive, and the steel cases are either laquer-coated or polymercoated. In certain calibers, the ammunition comes in 30-round boxes and 180-round Range Packs.

In addition, Century offers HotShot ammunition in popular domestic and NATO calibers, loaded with steel cases.

New HotShot Elite brand ammunition is loaded with brass cases in 5.56x45mm, 7.62x51mm and 9mm with either 115- or 124-grain bullets.

For more information, see us at booth #3926

NOSLER HAS SIZZLING NEW BIG-GAME ROUND P.O. Box 671, Dept. WSJ, Bend, OR 97709 (541) 382-3921/www.nosler.com

You’ve been reading about it for weeks because it may be the hottest new big-game round on the map and it can double as a long-range predator load too.

Enter the 26 Nosler, pushing a .6.5mm/.264-caliber 129-grain Nosler AccuBond bullet out of the muzzle at a sizzling 3,400 fps. Designed with a nonbelted case, the 26 Nosler utilizes a standard length rifle action and the cartridge headspaces off the shoulder.

The 26 Nosler is a long-range, flat-shooting round that still has the same power at 400 yards that a .260 Remington has at the muzzle. It is primarily a cartridge for deer and antelope-sized game, but it’s a lot more versatile with ballistics like that.

Nosler has also introduced a .270 Winchester load with a 150-grain AccuBond Long Range bullet in the Trophy Grade Long Range line.

In the standard Trophy Grade family, Nosler offers a new .22-250 Remington with a 64-grain Bonded Solid Base and a 26 Nosler with a 140-grain AccuBond.

Nosler Defense has two new loads, a 6.8 SPC with a 90-grain Bonded Solid base bullet and a .308 Winchester with a 168-grain Bonded Solid Base bullet.

COWBOY ACTION LOADS, SELF-DEFENSE AMMO FROM POWDER RIVER 6180 Mill Creek Rd., Dept. WSJ, Sheridan OR 97338 (855) 357-4570/www. powderrivercartridge.com

With a selection of match ammunition for Cowboy action shooters, Powder River Cartridge Company also is busy cranking out self-defense ammunition for modern handguns in 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm, .45 ACP and .45 Colt.

Ammunition for cowboy action shooters is available from Powder River Cartridge Company, including the Evil Roy line of ammunition, loaded to specifications of champion cowboy competitor Gene “Evil Roy” Pearcey. Evil Roy signature ammunition is offered in various calibers, including .45 Colt, .357 Magnum, .38 Special and .45 ACP for Wild Bunch competition.

Among the popular calibers offered for competitive cowpokes are loads available in .45 Schofield, .45-70 Govt., .44-40 Winchester, .44 Magnum and .44 Special.

Powder River uses Starline brass and Hornady XTP bullets in its self-defense ammunition line, and quality-lead bullets in its Evil Roy competition ammunition.

REMINGTON SET WITH NEW AMMO ENTRIES 870 Remington Drive, Dept. WSJ, Madison, NC 27025 (800) 243-9700/www.remington.com

Remington Core-Lokt ammunition is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and that’s reason enough for hunters and shooters headed to the NRA convention to stop by Remington’s display and find out about new ammunition, too.

In addition to maintaining their Core-Lokt series, Remington also offers Hog Hammer rifle ammunition with Barnes TSX bullets, loaded in nickel-plated cases. These loads feature a reduced-flash propel-

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Ammunition HORNADY OFFERS CUSTOM LITE, AMERICAN WHITETAIL, CRITICAL DUTY LOADS P.O. Box 1848, Dept. WSJ, Grand Island, NE 68802-1848/(308) 382-1390/www.hornady.com

New ammunition entries from Hornady announced earlier this year include a American Whitetail slug, new loads in the Custom Lite series, a new shell for turkey hunting and one new entry in the Critical Duty series.

In time for spring turkey season, the new 20-gauge 3-inch magnum in the Heavy Magnum Turkey series has a 1 3/8-ounce payload of No. 5 nickel-plated shot, joining a 12-gauge 3-inch load with 1 ½ ounces of No. 4, 5 or 6 nickel-plated shot.

In the Critical Duty arena, Hornady has a sizzling new .357 Sig round with a 135-grain FlexLock bullet which has a reported 1,225 fps muzzle velocity.

Hornady’s Custom Lite rifle ammunition is loaded with either Hornady SST or Interlock RN bullets. Rifle rounds include a .243 Winchester with an 87-grain SST, a .270 Winchester with a 120-grain SST, a 7mm-08 Remington topped with a 120-grain SST and a 7mm Remington Magnum with a 139-grain SST. Joining them are a .30-30 Winchester with the Interlock RN at 150 grains, a .308 Winchester with a 125-grain SST, a .3006 Springfield with the same 125-grain bullet and a .300 Winchester Magnum tipped by a 150-grain SST. There is also a Custom Lite 20-gauge game load with a 250-grain FTX slug.

The new 12-gauge American Whitetail slug load features a 325-grain InterLock slug with a serratedlead core and jacket that allows it to start opening up on impact.

The Custom ammunition family includes a new load in .275 Rigby. It has a 140-grain InterLock bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2,680 fps. There’s also a .338 Lapua featuring a 250-grain InterLock softpoint. It has a muzzle velocity of 2,900 fps.

For more information, see us at booth #6361

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lant, because wild hogs are often hunted at night or in low light. Loads are available in seven calibers, from .223 Remington to .450 Bushmaster, and there should be additional calibers shortly.

Remington HyperSonic bonded ammunition is available in seven popular calibers, including .223 Remington/62-grain, .243 Winchester/100-grain, .3006 Springfield/150- and 180-grain, .300 Winchester Magnum/180-grain, .308 Winchester/150- and 180grain, and .270 Winchester/140-grain.

Waterfowl hunters will like Remington’s Hypersonic steel loads in 10-, 12- and 20-gauge offerings.

They feature Xelerator Wad technology.

Also from Remington is the Express 00 buckshot load for predator hunting, home defense and tactical competition.

Remington has increased production of .22 Long Rifle ammunition this year, and is offering rimfire ammo in larger quantities, including a 525-round value pack and a Bucket O’ Bullets containing 1,400 rounds.

SHARPS RIFLE COMPANY HAS SIZZLING NEW ROUND 1195 US Highway 87, Dept. WSJ, Glenrock, WY 82637 (307) 473-6950/www.srcarms.com

A sizzling new cartridge has been introduced by the Sharps Rifle Company, and it’s capable of doing double or triple duty on varmints, predators and deer-sized big game.

The 25-45 Sharps cartridge is designed to get the

Ammunition most out of the AR platform. A change of barrels with the 25-45 chamber is all one needs. Magazines are compatible, as is the action- and bolt-carrier group.

The cartridge pushes an 87-grain Speer Hot-Cor bullet out the muzzle at a reported 3,000 fps, with 1,739 foot-pounds of energy. At 300 yards, it reportedly has the muscle to take down antelope, whitetail mule deer and even boar.

Based on the .223 Remington cartridge case, the 22-45 Sharps has the same overall length as the .223, but with a larger diameter bullet.

For more information, see us at booth #8671

WINCHESTER

600 Powder Mill Road, Dept. WSJ East Alton, IL 62024-1273 (618) 258-2000/www.winchester.com

WOLF PERFORMANCE ANNOUNCES NEW LOADS P.O. Box 757, Dept. WSJ, Placentia, CA 92871/(888) 757-9653/www.wolfammo.com

Wolf Performance Ammunition has a pair of new loads, including one that comes in reloadable brass.

There’s a 6.5 Grendel with a 110-grain projectile FMJ featuring a Bimetal Jacket. This is a berdanprimed cartridge. It produces an advertised muzzle velocity of 2,650 fps.

The other entry is a .223 Remington FMJ with a 55-grain copper-jacket bullet. This Boxer-primed cartridge is reloadable. It delivers an advertised muzzle velocity of 3,240 fps.

For more information, see us at booth #8152

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In time for spring sporting-clays action, Winchester is expanding its AA TrAAcker shotshells with loads in 12- and 20-gauge.

All 2 ¾-inch loads, there are choices in both gauges for either overcast and dark backdrop or clear sky conditions. The 12-gauge loads have 1 1⁄8ounce shot loads while the 20-gauge rounds have 7 ⁄8-ounce charges, all in 7 ½-size shot.

Fans of the .45 ACP will warm up to Winchester’s new loads, introduced earlier this year and tried out on the range by WSJ. Designed specifically for function in the M1911,

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Ammunition BLACK POWDER AMMO FROM BUFFALO ARMS 660 Vermeer Court, Ponderay, ID 83852 (208) 263-6953/ www.buffaloarms.com

A wide array of black-powder ammunition using the finest components available is available from Buffalo Arms.

Featuring hand-case bullets from Bitterroot Components, these projectiles are made from virgin 20-1 alloy, rather than scrap alloys that are machine cast. There are offerings in a variety of handgun and rifle calibers, both metric and non-metric. Selections include .44-40, .45 Colt, .45-110, .45-120, .38 Long Colt, .38-55 Winchester, .40-60 Winchester, 10.4 Italian Ordnance, 11x59R French Gras and so many others there is not enough space to list them all.

There are also shotgun shells in 12- and 20-gauge, and smokeless ammunition for metric and non-metric calibers that include several odd calibers, including .22 Remington Jet, .22 Savage, .25-20 Winchester, .25-25 Stevens, .25-35 Winchester, .256 Winchester, .351 Winchester and more.

In addition to the ammunition, Buffalo Arms has all the equipment necessary for reloading these cartridges. This company is a distributor for Lyman, BCBR and Redding, and the equipment selection includes various bullet moulds from Lyman, SAECO, Pedersoli, RCBS, and Buffalo Arms.

This outfit has bullet-casting alloys and pure-lead ingots, casting furnaces, casting flux, cast-iron lead pots, ingot moulds, ladles and more.

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these new rounds both feature 230-grain projectiles, one an FMJ flat nose and the other a JHP. The hollowpoint is loaded to shoot to the same point of aim, and they do.

Both loads should perform well as target ammunition or for personal defense. They are loaded in nickel-plated brass.

Also, Winchester has three new loads in the Match series, including a .223 Remington with a 69grain boattail hollowpoint, a 5.56mm load with a 77grain boattail hollowpoint and a 6.5 Creedmore with a 140-grain boattail hollowpoint.

Winchester now offers two 12-gauge Lok’d & Lethal loads for pheasant hunting. There’s a 2 ¾-inch shell and a 3-incher, both with a muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps, and both available in No. 4, 5 and 6 shot.

The Win3Gun competition handgun loads include a 9mm/147-grain, .40S&W/180-grain and .45 ACP/230-grain.

For more information, see us at booth #4148

FEDERAL

900 Ehlen Drive, Dept. WSJ, Anoka, MN 55303 (612) 323-2300/www.federalcartridge.com Federal’s full-house 10mm Vital-Shok is getting lots of attention and for good reason.

Pushing a 180-grain JSP out of the muzzle at an advertised 1,275 fps, it is designed for both big game and personal protection. The bullet has a heavy

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Ammunition jacket for controlled expansion and deep penetration, and the case is nickel plated.

In addition, there’s a new Federal Champion .22 Long Rifle Fresh Fire Pack introduced last fall that has 325 rounds of copper-plated hollowpoint ammunition. The bullet weighs 36 grains and the pack is resealable with a plastic lid.

LEHIGH DEFENSE LLC

130 Penn Am Dr, Suite D-1, Quakertown, PA 18951 (215) 536-4100/www.lehighdefense.com

CORBON HAS NEW .223 ROUND

1311 Industry Road, Sturgis, SD 57785-9123/(605) 347-4544/www.corbon.com January’s announcement by CorBon of a new Urban Defense load for the .223 Remington got the attention of more people than just the “preppers.”

This is a sizzling little round, topped by a Barnes 55-grain hollowpoint bullet with a soft-lead core designed to fragment as it penetrates. It does the same thing when it strikes a hard surface, reducing the chance of ricochets.

In ballistic gel, it has penetrated ten inches.

The bullet leaves the muzzle of a 16-inch barrel at a reported 2,900 fps, and it works in rifles, carbines and handguns chambered for the .223 Remington.

For more information, see us at booth #7849

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Lehigh originated Controlled Fracturing Technology. These bullets are designed to deliver maximum terminal performance. Controlled Fracturing bullets are produced from either solid copper or solid brass and are pre-stressed at specific points so that after a predetermined penetration depth, the razor-edge petals deploy, releasing an energy spike and then separate and radiate outward from the primary path of the bullet. The bullet shank, now back to bore diameter, continues penetrating straight and deep along the initial impact path.

Unlike traditional expanding bullets which mushroom and dramatically limit the bullet’s penetration and provide only one wound path, Lehigh’s Controlled Fracturing ammunition creates an initial energy transfer, multiple wound paths, and a deep penetrating base – a far more effective bullet.

For more information, see us at booth #6470

FIELD TIME SPORTS & GUNS 14542 Beach Blvd Westminster, CA 714-891-3131 www.fieldtimesportsandguns.com

JACK OF PAWN 1704 E. Marshall Ave Longview, TX 903-758-0559 www.jackofpawnslongview.com

KITTLE’S OUTDOOR & SPORT CO. 888 Market St Colusa, CA 530-458-4868 www.kittlesoutdoor.com

LEGER’S SHOOTING RANGE 14061 US Hwy 90 Beaumont, TX 409-866-0871

Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

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RELOADING SEE HORNADY’S NEW EQUIPMENT, BULLETS

P.O. Box 1848, Dept. WSJ, Grand Island, NE 68802 (308) 382-1390/www.hornady.com In January, Hornady unveiled lots of new reloading equipment and a couple of new bullets, and there will be information on them in Indianapolis for people attending the NRA convention.

For everyone else, here are some details: The two new bullets include a 170-grain SST boattail in 8mm with a polymer tip and match-grade jacket.

The other is a .338-caliber A-Max boattail weighing 285 grains. It has a Secant ogive, swaged-lead core, AMP jacket and a .720 ballistic coefficient.

Hornady’s new Lock-N-Load rifle bullet feeder for .22-caliber projectiles works on the Lock-N-Load press, and it is convertible to accommodate .30-caliber bullets with an optional kit.

The .22-caliber unit handles cartridges from .221 Fireball to .226mm. The .30-caliber kit takes cartridges from .300 Savage to .300 Remington Ultra Mag. Two new control panels are also available, the LockN-Load Standard and Deluxe. The Standard model features a digital readout panel, wire harness, cycle counter and primer-slide sensor. The Deluxe model had all of those features plus a Powder Safeguard Die, powder-level sensor and primer-level sensor.

Hornady’s Powder Safeguard Die for straight-wall pistol cartridges from 9mm through .45 caliber will stop the reloading stroke when no charge or a double charge is detected.

For more information, see us at booth #6361

DILLON PRECISION’S 550, 650 LEAD THE PACK

8009 East Dillon Way, Dept. WSJ, Scottsdale, AZ 85260/(480) 948-8009/www.dillonprecision.com One of the busiest exhibits at any NRA gathering is the Dillon Precision booth, and two reasons are Dillon’s 550 presses and XL650 progressive.

Dillon’s XL 650 five-station progressive has a mechanically indexing shell plate and mechanical insertion of cases while bullets are manually fed. It has a casefeed tube that automatically inserts cases. It can churn out between 500 and 800 cartridges in an hour.

The XL 650 can be fitted with several options, including an electric-case feeder, powder-check die, a roller handle with a plastic or aluminum handle and an elevated mount. It has a bullet tray, low-powder alarm, magnum bar for delivering charges of up to 73 grains of extruded powder and 82 grains of spherical powder, and a belted-magnum powder system that can throw more than 110 grains of powder.

Dillon’s BL 550 and RL 550B continue their popularity with beginning and veteran reloaders. The RL 550B is a four-station progressive that can load

between 400 and 600 cartridges in an hour, and it can do rifle and pistol cartridges. It has manual indexing and cases and bullets.

For more information, see us at booth #4223

HODGDON 2014 ANNUAL MANUAL, NEW POWDER 6231 Robinson, P.O. Box 2392, Dept. WSJ Shawnee Mission, KS 66201 (913) 362-9455/www.hodgdon.com

Earlier this year, Hodgdon unveiled a new reloading propellant for handgun cartridges called CFE, and loading data for this powder is available in the 2014 edition of the Annual Manual.

CFE Pistol Powder is a spherical propellant and meters very well. It is available in one- and eight-pound containers. It is formulated to reduce copper fouling. Hodgdon has 103 different loads spread over 15 different calibers, with data for 37 different bullet weights. The data includes loads for 9mm, .38 Super, .40

S&W and 45 ACP. This year’s annual manual has been expanded to 170 pages featuring data for Hodgdon, Winchester and IMR propellants, and WSJ has already reviewed it. There are nine informative articles, authored by several leading gun writers that cover a wide range of topics.

Hodgdon has also reported that its online Reloading Data Center has been upgraded and now data is now available on smart phones or tablets. The RDC also has reloading tips and tricks, plus how-to information.

NECO CASE GAUGE ASSURES PRECISION 108 Ardmore Way, Benicia, CA 94510 (800) 451-3550/www.neconos.com

Precision shooting is more than recreation for legions of NRA members who reload their own ammunition, and to help assure each cartridge is uniform, the patented NECO Concentricity, Wall Thickness and Runout Gauge is a tool that shooters will find indispensable.

Constructed from stainless steel and hard-anodized aluminum, the NECO gauge is hand-assem-

bled to precise tolerances. Featuring a GEM No. 222A all-angle dial indicator and two removable guides for bullet tips, NECO’s unique tool makes it possible for a handloader to measure case-wall thickness, locating thin and thick spots in the brass, and checking for straightness along the wall.

Using this tool allows shooters to separate cases and make sure that each load is as close to all the others as possible.

Packaged with a complete instruction manual that enables a handloader to get the utmost out of every cartridge, the gauge features two double-sided “Vblocks,” a pair of “step cones” for empty cartridge cases, and a “chord anvil” for measuring case walls.

The GEM 222A dial shows measurements in .001-inch graduations, so cases measured with the NECO gauge are as close to exact as possible.

NECO’s gauge accommodates car-

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RELOADING LAZER, PHD BULLETS FROM CUTTING EDGE

75 Basin Run Road, Dept. WSJ, Drifting, PA 16834/(814) 345-6690/www.cuttingedgebullets.com Visitors to the NRA exhibits in Indianapolis can check on the two new projectiles introduced earlier this year by Cutting Edge, one for handgunners and the other for big-game hunting.

The PHD is the Personal Home Defense bullet, made from copper with four blades that break off and radiate outwardly in a star pattern for massive stopping power and tissue damage. This is called the “5x5x15” projectile, because the four blades will spread five inches and the blunt trauma base will penetrate 15 inches. They are available in calibers from 5.7mm through .45, including 9mm, .357, .40, .41 and .44.

The PHD blades are designed to beak away and radiate outward from the main projectile after the bullet penetrates 1.5-2 inches.

The new Lazer premium rifle bullet expands effectively at slower speeds as well as high speeds, and it should be popular in California, where leadcore bullets will be prohibited by recently passed legislation. It is a smooth-bodied copper projectile designed like the Cutting Edge brass Raptor bullet, and it incorporates the patented SealTite Band so it seals perfectly in the barrel.

The Lazer hollow-cavity bullet design features three separate blades of copper to open up as the bullet penetrates. The blades will make it through an animal on a broadside-chest shot, and the blunt trauma base continues for deep penetration.

There are three .30-caliber bullets; a 165-grainer, a 180-grain bullet and a 200-grainer.

There are also four bullets in .338-caliber; one weighing 225 grains, one at 250 grains, a 275-grainer and a 300-grain pill.

For more information, see us at booth #3721

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tridges from .22- through .50 BMG caliber cartridge cases. A second chord anvil that accommodates .50 BMG cartridges is also available, and there is a .17-caliber chord anvil that is available as an option for a small additional charge.

REDDING HAS NEW DIES

1089 Starr Road, Dept. WSJ Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 753-3331 www.redding-reloading.com Always popular with handloaders is the Redding exhibit at NRA, and this year there’s something new

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The floating design of our neck turner and the universal floating case driver allows the case mouth to run on the arbor absolutely concentric. The tail-stock creates a horizontal inline support for the base of the case. Also allows the operator to keep both hands on the power screw driver or drill. This makes it very easy to control feed rate of the cutting operation, generating a very fine turned finish. Case holder drivers are designed to be the most gentle driver, yet providing an adequate hold.

DOES NOT DRIVE OFF THE PRIMER POCKET NO PRIMER POCKET OR CASE DAMAGE.

Concentricity Gauge This type of gauge was designed specifically for checking rotating diameters and in fact is exactly the type of gauge used in the machining industry for decades to measure run out – the very thing that we as hand loaders are striving to minimize or eliminate.

Additionally, this gauge uses stainless steel turning rollers as opposed to fixed bearings or V configuration. Also lets the operator check run out not only the O.D. But the I.D., a feature exclusive to the 21ST CENTURY SHOOTING CONCENTRICITY GAUGE. No tools necessary. At 21st Century Shooting it is our goal to modernize an industry that has seen little change over the years.

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RELOADING worth seeing: two new micro-adjusting taper crimp dies for the .223 Remington and .308 Winchester.

Redding uses a knurled micrometer-type head on top of the die that is accurate to within 0.1-inch of adjustment. They feature a “free floating” internal sleeve made from steel to form the crimp, eliminating the necessity to continually adjust the crimp and have to re-position the lock ring.

Machined to a very tight tolerance, the microadjusting taper crimp dies are designed to solve

the variation between cartridge cases, including length and case neck wall thickness.

For more information, see us at booth #5750

WESTERN POWDERS’ ACCURATE LT-32 SIZZLES P.O. Box 158, Miles City, MT 59301 (406) 234-0422/www.ramshot.com

Western Powders has a sizzling propellant for benchrest shooters that was developed for the

6mm PPC, but varmint hunters are also finding it great for the .223 Remington.

LT-32 also works well in the .30-30 Winchester and .308 Winchester, and for those attending the NRA convention in Indianapolis, you can ask for more information at the Western Powders booth.

An extremely fine-grained extruded propellant, it meters like a spherical powder, which results in consistently accurate powder charges.

It joins a full line of propellants from Accurate, and Ramshot, all under the Western Powders umbrella.

There is a wide array of propellants from Western for rifle, pistol and shotgun reloading. They cover all the bases, from hunting and competition to recreational shooting and defense.

More than a dozen rifle propellants are offered under the Accurate brand, along with five handgun powders and a pair of shotshell propellants.

In addition, Western offers Blackhorn 209 for black powder cartridges and muzzleloaders.

For more information, see us at booth #3556

LYMAN HAS NEW AR RELOADING GUIDE

475 Smith Street, Dept. WSJ, Middletown, CT 06457 (860) 632-2020/www.lymanproducts.com Lyman’s new reloading guide is out, and it offers current data specifically for shooters who brew up their own ammunition for modern sporting rifles in various calibers.

There is data for the .223 Remington, the 6.8 Remington, .300 AAC, 7.62x39mm, the .450 Bushmaster, .50 Beowulf and other popular calibers.

This new reloading handbook includes articles by well-known firearms experts that cover various topics, including “Reloading for Suppressors” and “Cartridge Interchangeability.”

The AR Reloading Handbook is presented in a full-size format.

For more information, see us at booth #6659

SIERRA

P.O. Box 818, 1400 West Henry Street, Dept. WSJ Sedalia, MO 65301 (660) 827-6300/www.sierrabullets.com Sierra has new loading data for the .300 Blackout, and a trio of new bullets that ought to get lots of attention from handloaders, whether they attend the NRA gathering in Indianapolis or stay home at the bench.

The new projectiles include a 6.5mm/.264-caliber hollowpoint-boattail GameKing, weighing 130 grains. There’s also a 7mm/.284-caliber GameKing weighing 140 grains. Both of these pills have a thicker jacket for deep penetration and reliable expansion.

Also, Sierra has a .375-caliber hollowpoint boattail MatchKing weighing 350 grains. This one is terrific for long-range marksmen.

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RELOADING PMA TOOL

7827 Belton Lane, Fort Wayne, TX 46815/(260) 246-5860/www.pmatool.com For as long as we’ve been reloading, we’ve always hated setting up our full-length sizing dies. We’ve been using shims to help this along for quite a long while now, but have not really been pleased with them. It seems we always misplace them, or can’t find the ones we need, or grab the wrong ones, and they always seem to be covered in rust. For as many years as we’ve been doing this, we’ve always been looking for a better way.

After searching off and on for a solution to this nagging problem, we finally have a workable solution: The PMA Micro Die Adjuster (MDA).

The MDA replaces your existing lock ring, and can be used with nearly any 7⁄8-14 full-length sizing die. We successfully used this tool with sizing dies from Redding, RCBS, Hornady, Lee, Harrells Precision and those made from Newlon Precision die blanks. It allows you to easily make adjustments to your “shoulder bump” as fine as .0005 inches. The engraved marks on the MDA are equal to approximately .001 inches (true adjustment .000992 inches) of adjustment to the shoulder bump.

Splitting the engraved marks is therefore approximately equal to .0005 inches.

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BARNES

P.O. Box 215, Dept. WSJ, American Fork, UT 84003 (801) 756-4222/www.barnesbullets.com Barnes is a favorite of big-game hunters and longrange shooters, and this year the company has introduced two new pills in .30 caliber.

Handloaders lucky enough to visit the NRA exhibits in Indianapolis can ask about them in person.

There’s a 120-grain TAC-TX bullet for the .300 AAC Blackout, and a 130-grain TSX projectile for the .30 Remington AR.

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GUN SHOWS

DOUBLE GUN SHOWS DESCEND ON LOUISVILLE, KY. It’s Firearms Collectors’ Heaven At Show of Shows and National Gun Day ARTICLE BY FRANK JARDIM • PHOTOS BY OHIO VALLEY MILITARY SOCIETY A WWII German MG-34 complete with tripod at the Advance Guard Military tables (advanceguard militaria.co m) featured at the Show of Shows.

There are usually a couple of cannons too.

I

f your firearms interests go beyond general shooting and into the realm of historical civilian and military firearms and collectibles, the place to be at the end of February every year is Louisville, Ky. Under normal circumstances, the city’s massive Fair & Exposition Center is host to some of the country’s best gun shows. However, at the end of February, two incredible shows come together there like a perfect celestial alignment for collectors.

Those two stars are the approximately 2,000-table National Gun Day Show and the 2,000-table Ohio Valley Military Society (OVMS) Show of Shows.

National Gun Day by itself is an impressive event attended by hundreds of vendors and thousands of visitors. It is a three-day show format that allows buyers eager to get first crack at the vendor tables to pay extra and attend the show during the Friday setup from

3 to 8 p.m. On Sunday, the show is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The majority of visitors to this show will come on Saturday, creating long looping lines in the expo center hallways, in order to be among the first to get in.

This show attracts dealers from around the country. Though the selection of merchandise available includes a lot of modern manufactured firearms for the hunter and sport shooter, the show is known for the quality and quantity of historic civilian and military firearms, accoutrements, accessories and even sporting-related art from all historical periods. If it’s shooting related, you can find it there – matchlocks to M16s and even some sculpture and medieval armor now and then.

The Show of Shows, by contrast, is solely a military firearms and collectibles show. Of international importance, vendors and attendees come from all over the world to buy, sell and

trade anything and everything military. In addition, it is always attended by numerous veteran authors, including several Medal of Honor winners, who chat with visitors and autograph the books they sell. The Ohio Valley Military Society is one of the oldest and biggest militaria collector clubs in the world with over 2,000 members.

The primary mission of the OVMS is to promote the study and collecting of historic military artifacts. They do this by sponsoring three regular shows a year in the Ohio Valley area, of which the Show of Shows is the most spectacular. There is a long waiting list to get tables at this show.

The show actually opens to OVMS members on Thursday from 12:30 to 6 p.m. The general public can attend on Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but experienced show visitors know that the main action is going to take place on Thursday and Friday. The Show of Shows is an event where it really pays to be a member and get in first. The quality of the military arms and collectibles here is world class. It is not a show to pass something by on a table thinking you will get to it on your second pass.

Because the Show of Shows kicks off before National Gun Day, collectors usually spend Thursday and all or part of Friday at the Show of Shows and devote Friday evening and all of Saturday to National Gun Day. WSJ Editor’s note: Visit the websites nationalgunday.com and sosovms.com for more information. westernshootingjournal.com 185

ACCESSORIES AK BUILDERS HAS PARTS FOR BUILDING AK RIFLES (816) 229-0804/ak-builder.com

With tools and supplies for building AK-47 style rifles, AK Builders products cover all the bases, from barrels and magazines to sights and Californialegal components.

Checking out this company’s online offerings, one finds such things as gas pistons, riveting tools and rivets, sights and muzzle attachments, receiver flats for various country of origin models, and more.

There are Saiga and Tapco parts including handguards, collapsible stocks and fixed buttstocks, trigger groups and trigger guards, headspace gauges and other gear.

One can even find apparel, books and miscellaneous supplies, parts kits and optics.

There is also a barrel press, drills and taps, trunnions, Polish receiver blanks that are 80 percent complete, so the home gunsmith can have plenty of challenges.

ALTAMONT OFFERS NEW AGED IVORY GRIP SERIES

901 N. Church Street, Dept. WSJ, Thomasboro, IL 61878 (800) 626-5774/www.altamontco.com Earlier this year, Altamont announced the development of a new grip material for the Colt Model 1911 and similar pistols that closely simulates aged ivory, with accurate coloring and even cracking.

COMPONENTS, ACCESSORIES FROM APEX GUN PARTS

3105 North Stone Ave., Dept. WSJ Colorado Springs, CO 80907 (719) 481-2050/www.apexgunparts.com

Shooters and collectors looking for military firearm parts, magazines and accessories can log on to the Apex Gun Parts website and find what they need and then some.

EXOTICS, RUGGED ESSENTIALS FROM ANDREWS CUSTOM LEATHER 22610 N.W. 102nd Ave., Dept. WSJ, Alachua, FL 32615 (386) 462-0576

This family-owned business has more than 3,500 parts available, and all shopping is online, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Last year Apex moved to its new location, which has 20,000 square feet of space for inventory.

Checking the website, one finds parts for AR-15 rifles and carbines, FAL lower-receiver assemblies, Ruger 10/22 M-1 carbine conversion stocks, laminated SKS Monte Carlo stocks, magazines for Tokarev pistols, triggers, muzzle brakes, flare guns, and more.

One can purchase parts for domestic and foreign guns including Carcano, Luger, Lee-Enfield, Makarov, Webley, Vickers and Mauser models. One can find everything from scope mounts to gun safes.

BROWNING HAS NEW TACTICAL LIGHTS, SAFES

One Browning Place, Dept. WSJ, Morgan, UT 84050/(801) 876-2711/www.browning.com

The aged-ivory Colt grips will be supported by such accessories as Colt-engraved screws, Altamont’s Colt-horse inlay and Colt medallions.

In addition to the Model 1911 pistol, these new grips will also be available for a variety of revolvers and Colt Model 1903 pocket pistols.

Altamont has been a leader in handgun-grip development for more than a generation. Grips for Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Colt and many other handgun brands are available, in wood and various synthetic materials.

with the optional Picatinny rail mount. There’s an interchangeable-hardened glass breaker mounted on the lockout tailcap.

The Approach Tactical Keychain/Knife combination has a Russ Kommer-deigned folding knife in the light’s rail slot. The light comes off the key ring and it can attach to a firearm with a standard M1913 rail.

For more information, see us at booth #4148

Browning expanded its family of gun safes this year to include the Hunter Series of Pro-Steel safes.

They are built with 11-gauge steel, with a 1-inch formed door that has an inner plate. They also feature a Force Deflector Locking System, Pry-Stop Bolts and 1.25-inch chromed locking bolts on three sides. Fire protection is rated at 1,200 degrees for 60 minutes.

The Hell’s Canyon Extra Wide Safe has a textured-charcoal finish and an 11-gauge steel body.

It has Axis adjustable shelving and room for up to 41 long guns.

Browning’s Black Label Mark IV Safe is available in standard and wide sizes to accommodate modern-sporting rifles and traditional-hunting rifles.

Made from 11-gauge steel, it has a Duo-Formed Door with a 10-gauge inner plate, Force Deflector Locking System, 1.25-inch diameter chromed-locking bolts on all four sides, and many other features.

The new Black Label LED lights include the Tactical 9V model. Powered by three CR123 batteries, it has continuous and strobe modes. Waterproof and submersible, it will mount on rifles and shotguns

Top-quality holsters, gun belts and accessories are available from Andrews Custom leather, a company that offers a full line of concealment gear including the Wilson 1 combat rig.

The Wilson model has a low-cut front, springsteel reinforcing on the leading edge and a steelbanded holster mouth. It also features a metal-lined body shield and pre-molded belt loops. This rig is made with black Tiger Shark skin.

Andrews Custom can do holsters in alligator, crocodile, python, elephant, lizard, shark and other skins.

In addition to concealment holsters, Andrews produces western rigs, including holsters and cartridge belts. They are stylish and functional.

Among the accessories is a fanning palm, which is a leather cover for the palm of your hand, plus rifle scabbards, wallet holsters, belts and magazine pouches.

BULLET BUNKER MODELS STOP BULLETS COLD P.O. Box 400, Port Clinton, OH 43452 (419) 341-1416/www.thebulletbunker.com

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Accessories Range operators and police agencies should find something to suit their needs from among the 18 available models from Bullet Bunker.

Those attending the NRA events in Indiana will find out by visiting the company’s display in the exhibit hall.

There are models in the line that will stop everything up to a .50 BMG, and Bullet Bunker builds them from steel, with a self-sealing face and an interior system that traps or captures the whole bullet called the Scorpion Clearing System. It utilizes Bullet Bunker’s technology, and it can be used for clearing pistols and rifles.

The technology is called “In-elastic Collision,” and it stops the bullet and collects the projectile and lead residue and other debris.

The 44LS is designed to stop pistol bullets from .22 through .500 Smith & Wesson, and there is a model for tactical shooters called the Sniper II. This model will stop .30-caliber bullets up to the .300 Winchester Magnum.

The Goliath is designed for indoor ranges. It will stop anything from a .22 Long Rifle to a .458 Winchester Magnum, while the Kryptonite model will stop a .50 BMG bullet.

For more information, see us at booth #3350

CANNON HOME SAFE

19949 Kendall Drive, San Bernardino, CA 92407/(909) 3820303/www.cannonsafe.com Cannon’s roomy Home Safe has an internal power station in the lower right interior; media outlets with two 110 AC power outlets for dehumidifiers or other appliances, and NRA members can ask all about it at the convention.

QUALITY CARRY RIGS, ACCESSORIES FROM CROSSBREED HOLSTERS 224 N Main, Dept. WSJ, Republic MO 65738 888-732-5011/www.crossbreedholsters.com

A combination of leather and Kydex, CrossBreed offers a full line of carry rigs for wear either inside the waistband or on the belt, along with accessories, magazine carriers and belts.

D.M. BULLARD LEATHER OFFERS CCW RIGS, COWBOY LEATHER

11385 FM 730 North, Dept. WSJ, Azle, TX 76020 (866) 383-6761/www.dmbullardleather.com

CrossBreed holsters are available for a wide array of handguns, with models ranging from the MicroClip for small semi-autos such as the Ruger LCP, Kel-Tec and Sig Sauer P238, Kahr P380 and others, all the way up to the Model 1911 and other fullsize pistols.

The newest entry is the IWB Appendix Carry, designed for small to medium-frame pistols. It features a hand-molded pocket, premium leather back and strong steel clips. The holster is designed to be carried at the two o’clock position.

There are also pocket holsters and a belly-band rig, a model for carrying guns in purses, and nylonankle holsters.

Holster pouches have molded-sight tracks.

There are holsters made with cowhide or horsehide.

For more information, see us at booth #4468

DESERT FOX SALES HAS AK, SKS, MAKAROV PARTS, ACCESSORIES 3501 Mall View Road, Suite 115 PMB 194, Dept. WSJ Bakersfield, CA 93306 (661) 322-8100/www.desertfoxsales.com

Finding parts and accessories for AK and SKS rifles, and popular Makarov pistols, is no longer the problem it used to be, and Desert Fox Sales is on the front line of this effort.

Otherwise, find a dealer near you.

There are two USB ports, plus an RJ45 Ethernet connection that keep laptop computers and other electronics charged while stored inside the safe, which has several available interior options.

The Home Safe is built from heavy-gauge steel and features unibody construction. Pre-drilled for bolting to the floor, it has a large double-steel composite door with eight locking bolts and a Type 1 electronic combination lock.

For more information, see us at booth #8255

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after by collectors.

In addition to the firearms mentioned above, Desert Fox also offers parts for Mosin Nagant firearms, and there are other parts for European and non-Western platforms and designs.

Nearly all shopping is done online, and one can find virtually anything necessary to keep an AK-47 running up to snuff. There are also parts for AKM and AK74 models.

With a solid selection of concealed-carry holsters and Western rigs, including a couple for the Mare’s Leg-type lever-action clones like the Rossi Ranch Hand.

There are gunbelts, pancake-style concealment holsters including models with tooling, and models are also available in ostrich and other exotic leathers. In addition, Bullard builds magazine pouches for folks who carry semi-autos.

Among the exotic skins available are crocodile, alligator, tiger shark, elephant, hippo and cape buffalo.

Bullard’s website features a complete list of all the different guns for which holsters are available, and customers may contact the company if they do not see their particular handgun listed.

In addition to holsters, belts and magazine pouches, Bullard also produces a line of wallets and knife sheaths, plus pocket holsters for smaller handguns.

CENTURY INTERNATIONAL 430 South Congress Ave., Suite 1, Dept. WSJ Delray Beach, FL 33445 (800) 527-1252/ www.centuryarms.com

Shooters will want a close look at Century International’s SB47 stabilizing brace for securing AK-type pistols to the forearm.

This device helps reduce recoil and contributes to more accurate shooting. Originally designed and made by a veteran with support from a prosthetic specialist to help wounded veterans shoot largeframe handguns. Best part of all, no special registration is necessary.

The Hamilton SlipStand is a golf bag style case with legs, designed to protect firearms. It keeps the rifle out of mud and dirt, and can stand alone. It has a removable shoulder strap, choke-tube pocket and heavy-duty handles.

For more information, see us at booth #3926

FOXX HOLSTERS COMBINE KYDEX AND LEATHER 5594 E. 10 Mile Rd., Dept. WSJ, Warren MI 48091 586-806-2909/ www.foxxholsters.com This California-based company has stocks, grips, internal and external replacement parts and even bayonets for collectors. There are even original manuals in foreign languages that are sought

Foxx Holsters offers models for concealed carry, for a broad range of pistols, both foreign and domestic, and they are all made in the USA. Combining premium 8- to 9-ounce leather with .06 Kydex, these rigs are fitted with Kydex clips for

Accessories wearing inside the waistband. Most of these rigs are for semi-auto pistols, but there is also a model for Charter Arms revolvers, for either the Undercover or Bulldog models.

Foxx produces rigs for Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Taurus, Kahr, KelTec, Glock, Kimber, Bersa, Beretta, Sig Sauer and other popular-brand handguns.

Each rig is handcrafted one at a time, and affordably priced.

There are also custom shop models designed for deep concealment, matching magazine carriers, belts and a model for on-thebelt carry. One of the most popular holsters in the line is the Little Foxx.

Owned by Raymond and Lisa Watson, Foxx Holsters was started in 2011 in a garage and quickly outgrew those quarters. They opened a small shop and now are planning to expand again.

Holsters are made to order and ship within days.

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MUZZLE BRAKES AND SAFETIES FROM GENTRY CUSTOM

314 N. Hoffman, Dept. WSJ, Belgrade, MT 59714 (406) 388-4867/www.gentrycustom.com

FORT KNOX UNVEILS HEAVIER SAFE MODEL, NEW ACCESSORIES

993 North Industrial Park Road, Dept. WSJ, Orem, UT 84057/801.224.7233/ www.ftknox.com Fort Knox has a new heavier safe model and new accessories for every gun owner who wants to keep his or her firearms secure.

There’s a heavier model of the Maverick Plus, and a new two-tone interior option. They should be on display in Indianapolis.

Among the new accessories is a lockable-concealment shelf, and a new pull handle to ease the chore of opening heavy safe doors.

Fort Knox’s Redundant lock is also gaining in popularity, because it opens with either a keypad or by entering the combination on a mechanical dial. Ir provides a good backup in the event of a power outage.

For more information, see us at booth #4650

Specializing in top-of-the-line muzzle brakes and three-position after market safeties, Gentry Custom’s are all made in America.

This company offers full-service gunsmithing and gun building, and will modify firearms to a customer’s specific needs. Gentry’s exclusive product line includes a Three Position Safety for many makes and models, and a Quiet Muzzle Brake, which is manufactured in-house and ready to install on a rifle.

The Quiet Brake muzzle brake is designed to reduce recoil and muzzle blast, with the gas-port holes bored at an angle so everything is transferred forward of the muzzle, not to the sides.

These brakes can be installed by Gentry or by a local gunsmith, and some firearm models come from the factory with threaded barrels.

Gentry has brakes for traditional bolt-action rifles, and there are models for AR-15-type sport-utility rifles.

Gentry’s three-position safeties are available for Remington Model 700 and Model 7 bolt-action rifles, along with the Mauser 98 action and the CZ 550.

There are both blue- and stainless-safety models in right- or left-hand configurations for the Remington and Mauser models, while only right hand blue is available for the CZ rifle. The stainless safeties have

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Accessories bead blasted finishes.

This family-owned business started in Wisconsin, but moved west to Montana in 1977 and has been there ever since.

For more information, see us at booth #000000

HORNADY OFFERS SMALL GUN SAFES

P.O. Box 1848, Dept. FHN, Grand Island, NE 68802-1848 (308) 382-1390/www.hornady.com Anyone attending the NRA convention in Indianapolis can check out the Hornady exhibit, where you’ll find out about the new RAPiD Safe line of quick-opening handgun-sized safes.

fles and shooters is an art form and J. Hawkins — the Washington-based company that also builds stocks for shooters with special needs — has become a specialist in using laminated wood, while still sticking with traditional woods.

Hawkins has determined that laminates provide a stable platform, so their stocks are built from opposedGrain Laminate for a high rigidity to weight ratio. The result is a stock that is not only rugged, but also sports an eye-catching color combination.

Not only do they craft stocks for traditional boltaction rifles, they can also do work on shotguns, High Wall, Rolling Block rifles and black-powder muzzleloaders.

Hawkins also designs and builds most of its accessories, including three-way adjustable cheek systems, stackable-butt systems and bipod adapters.

HUNTER LEATHER UNVEILS NEW MODELS

3300 West 71st Ave., Dept. WSJ, Westminster, CO 80030 (800) 676-4868/www.huntercompany.com Hunter has a new belt pouch for concealing small handguns, and a new Pro Hide holster for the Ruger SR22 revolver.

Made from 16-gauge steel with a heavy-duty ¼inch steel dual-lug locking system, Hornady’s RAPiD safe features a child-resistant design that utilizes a patent-pending Radio Frequency Identification (RFD) to allow instant access. It opens with a card, bracelet or key fob, while also capable of being opened with a conventional key. The safe is powered by standard 110-volt power and has a battery pack for backup.

Weighing 15 pounds, it can be secured with a 1,500-pound rated cable to any stationary fixture.

Hornady’s TriPoint lock box is also made from 16-gauge steel and is large enough to accommodate popular handguns. It comes with a 1,500pound-rated security cable, and features the patent-pending TriPoint locking system.

Also ask about the ArmLock box, it has a padded interior, 16-gauge steel construction, TriPoint locking system, and is about the same size as the lock box but 3 inches high. This safe can travel with its owner and meets TSA requirements for handgun storage in checked luggage.

For more information, see us at booth #6361

J. HAWKINS CUSTOM RIFLE STOCKS FOR ‘EXTREME SHOOTERS’

16414 – 6th Ave. S.W., Dept. WSJ, Burien, WA 98166 (206) 450-9371/www.hawkinscustomriflestocks.com Building custom, match-grade stocks for today’s ri-

LYMAN HAS ARRAY OF CLEANING ACCESSORIES

475 Smith Street, Dept. WSJ, Middletown, CT 06457 (860) 632-2020/www.lymanproducts.com

The belt pouch is designed to accommodate pocket pistols like the Ruger LCP, Kimber SOLO Carry, Diamondback and similar-sized models. It is made from top-grain cowhide with a snap fastener, and it clips on the belt. The case is available in brown or black.

The new Pro Hide holster fits Rugers SR22 revolver like a glove. It’s a high ride rig with a thumb break.

Also for the SR22, Hunter is offering a No. 1122 holster with a snap off belt loop.

In addition, Hunter has announced a 2500-series pocket holster for the Sig Sauer P938 singleaction semi-auto.

For more information, see us at booth #4804

GRASSBURR LEATHER WORKS HAS CCW RIGS, WESTERN GEAR

9534 Autumn Wind, Dept. WSJ, Boerne, TX 78006 (210) 687-1717/grassburr.com With holsters for all kinds of endeavors, including models for the popular Ranch Hand loop-lever handgun that is a clone of the Mare’s Leg built on a Model 1892 frame, Grassburr goes the extra mile to produce top quality gear.

The Mare’s Leg holster has a safety strap and is available either plain or tooled. There is also a car-

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tridge carrier that fits on the holster.

This company also offers leather, Western holsters and gunbelts, some concealment rigs, and mountable-handgun holsters for personal protection, law enforcement and sport hunting applications. Their selections include western-type rigs not only for single-action sixguns, but also for the Model 1911 and other semi-auto pistols.

There are also cross-draw models and field holsters, and there is a shoulder rig called the Huckleberry patterned after a holster worn by one of the stars of Tombstone.

The company’s online catalog also includes selections from DeSantis and A.E. Nelson.

Earlier this year, Lyman unveiled an array of cleaning and shooting accessories that included a Universal Bore Guide, the Power Pro Accessory Lube Tank, a new cleaning rod system and a 26-piece jag and brush set.

We had a chance to examine them and here’s the lowdown: Lyman’s cleaning rod system features a chemical-resistant handle and spring steel rods that come in sizes of 12, 26 , 36 and 44 inches in calibers ranging from .17 to .45. The system includes the four most popular rods in .22-.26 caliber, .27-.45 caliber in 12-inch lengths, and the same calibers in 36-inch rod lengths.

All rods are machined and finished with a nonabrasive epoxy coating, and they are threaded for standard 8-32 jags.

The Bore Guide will center a cleaning rod and jag through the chamber. It is precision machined from anodized aluminum and has several interchangeable tips to cover bore sizes from .17 to .416-caliber.

Lyman’s new stainless steel Power Pro Accessory Lube Tank is be used with the PowerPro Ultrasonic Cleaner.

For more information, see us at booth #6659

LANSKY OBSERVES 35TH ANNIVERSARY P.O. Box 800, Dept. WSJ, Buffalo, NY 14231 (716) 877-7511/www.lansky.com

One of the leading producers of sharpening tools,

Accessories Lansky is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

The developer of the Lansky Controlled Angle Sharpening System, this company was founded by the late Arthur Lansky Levine. Lansky now produces sharpeners that can handle all kinds of jobs, from honing knives and even razors to garden tools, axes and other implements. There are models that can be used to sharpen fish hooks and broadheads.

Check out the Tactical Apocalypse Survival Kit (TASK), that includes sharpeners, a multi-use battle axe, a 20-function multi-tool, easy-grip knife, Blademedic sharpener and a Puck, which is a dualgrit sharpener.

The kit also includes a LifeStraw water-purification device, a tactical flashlight, firesteel and compass, paracord bracelet and a mini-survival guide. It’s all packed into a backpack.

For more information, see us at booth #5113

PARA BELLUM, NOKICK.COM OFFERS RECOIL REDUCTION ACCESSORIES P.O. Box 5252, Dept. WSJ, Niceville, FL 32578 (850) 217-3021/www.nokick.com

Specializing in recoil reduction accessories for military and bolt-action rifles, Para Bellum Products and its on-lin e store, NoKick.com, offer a wide variety of products, primarily muzzle brakes, buffers for AR-15 and AR-10 rifles and recoil stock kits for shotguns.

Based in the Florida Panhandle, this outfit offers

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KynShot hydraulic-recoil buffers, Limbsaver recoil pads for Magpulcollapsible stocks, and much more.

On their website, visitors will find EvoShield and shoulder pads, pistol-guide rods, cheek pads, shotgun weights, parts for ARand AK-type firearms, stocks and grips, sights and other accessories.

Family operated and owned by a Marine Corps veteran, this company also has accessories for Mossberg Model 500/590/835 and Remington Model 870 shotguns.

On top of all of this, there are cleaning supplies including Hoppe’s BoreSnakes.

For more information, see us at booth #000000

CHECK PACHMAYR’S NEW GRIP GLOVES

475 Smith Street, Dept. WSJ, Middletown, CT 06457 (860) 632-2020/www.pachmayr.com At the SHOT Show in January, Pachmayr unveiled two more models of its popular Tactical Grip Gloves that will be displayed at the NRA exhibits in Indianapolis.

The slip-on Tactical Grip Gloves are now offered for full-sized Ruger and Kahr pistols including

Ruger’s SR9, SR40 and SR45, and Kahr’s CW9, CW40, P9 and P40. Made from Pachmayr’s Decelerator material, this model has finger grooves and ventilated-grip panels.

Pachmayr has also expanded the one-piece Diamond Pro grip series as well to include Smith & Wesson revolvers. Built for the J, K, L and N frame S&W round-butt revolvers, they are made with a proprietary blend of rubber, and have a textured “diamond plate” surface.

Pachmayr has also recreated the American Legend grip series for revolvers. These include a blend of rubber panels and wood to fit round-butt S&W J, K, L and N-frame revolvers. These grips are offered in rosewood- and charcoal-silvertone laminates.

There are also new American Legend grips for the Model 1911 pistol, with a blend of rubber panels and wood with choices including Rosewood, Tropical Purple, Tropical Passionwood, Evergreen Camo, Charcoal Silvertone or Heritage Walnut laminate.

Pachmayr’s Custom Laminate grip panels for the 1911 are traditional replacement panels made from Diamondwood laminate with Pachmayr medallions.

For more information, see us at booth #5113

RRC FIREARMS SERVES PEOPLE WHO BUY ONLINE

P.O. Box 577, Dept. WSJ, Gaston, OR 97119/(971) 8329486/www.rrcfirearms.com Located in a small community southwest of Port-

Accessories land, Ore., RRC Firearms is a family-owned business that works with manufacturers and distributors to deliver firearms directly to a local dealer, where customers can complete their transactions.

A stocking dealer, RRC Firearms works with gun dealers across the country, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories. This may be the wave of the future available today.

RRC has been in this business for about four years, and strives to serve customers and make the process of firearms buying as trouble-free as possible. They even will reach out to local dealers for a copy of the federal firearms license, so that the customer does not have to do that.

One can find shop specials and new product information on the RRC website, where not only firearms but accessories and gift cards are available. Such accessories as lights and lasers, suppressors, clothing, collector-grade guns, emergency foods and ammunition can be found.

COMPACT CUSTOM GRIPS FROM RIO GRANDE 11151 East 151st Place, Brighton, CO 80602 (303) 330-2812/www.riograndecustomgrips.com

six-guns, plus the 22/45 and Mark III pistols. You will also find them for Model 1911 pistols, including the full-size Bobtail models and the Taurus PT1911.

Rio Grande molds its grips from a high-strength polymer that is durable and impervious to the elements. Decorated models are finished with a patented method that makes them long lasting and resistant to oil, solvent, salt, water, abrasions and even impacts.

These grips are offered with a variety of designs and one can select them online.

SIGHTMARK UNVEILS NEW TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT

2201 Heritage Parkway, Dept. WSJ, Mansfield, TX 76063 (817) 225-0310/www.sightmark.com Visitors to the NRA gathering this month in Indianapolis can check out the new SS2000 tactical flashlight from Sightmark, a rugged model with three Cree LEDs and three light settings.

The Sightmark SS2000 is made with Type II MilSpec anodized aluminum, and it comes with two rechargeable batteries, a battery charger, weapon mount, pressure switch and three color filters. They come in blue for illuminating blood trails, green for

Premium custom handgun grips from Rio Grande are available for a variety of pistols and revolvers, and everything is made here in the United States.

There are models available for Ruger Vaquero, Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk and Single Six

use in forest environments, and red, which helps to preserve night vision.

The three light settings are 2,000 lumens, 280 lumens or a strobe.

It also features a patented glass-breaking bezel which is tough enough to break glass, and can double as a self-defense tool if necessary.

For more information, see us at booth #8163

SEE STICKY HOLSTERS

470 Commercial Blvd. #2, Dept. WSJ, Naples, FL 34104/(239) 825-7031/www.stickyholsters.com Check out the new Sticky Holsters made from synthetic material; one for the ankle and the other designed for IWB or pocket carry.

The Sticky Holster is a soft model designed to use compression in the waistband or friction in the pocket to allow a clean draw. Sticky’s Anklebiter allows any Sticky self-securing holster to be utilized on the ankle. It uses the same compression-retention principle for waistband and pocket holsters, and it features a removable security strap.

The self-securing IWB and pocket holsters do not have bulky clips or belt straps, but simply hold the holster against the body with compression retention. Featuring three-layer construction with an outer surface of non-slip material and a ballisticnylon liner, the Sticky IWB and pocket holsters have a foam core.

For more information, see us at booth #4101

TRUCK CAMPERS / TOY HAULERS TRAVEL TRAILERS / 5TH WHEELS RV SOLAR KITS SALES/INSTALL Portable Kits too

Digital Deluxe Solar Charge Controller

1-5 Exit 36 • Kelso, WA

www.UNEEKRV.com

Right on the Freeway – Right on the Price

800-248-6335

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Accessories SNEAKY PETE HOLSTERS FOR CONCEALED CARRY 3 Andiron Lane, Dept. WSJ, Brookhaven, NY 11719 www.sneakypeteholsters.com

Sneaky Pete holsters definitely live up to their name, because these rigs don’t look like holsters, but something else, primarily a carrier for a cell phone, and they should be popular among newly-licensed Illinois residents who will attend the NRA gathering this month in Indiana.

Designed to slide onto a belt, these crafty rigs are available in ballistic nylon, black or brown leather, or alligator pattern in black or brown. There are models sized to fit pistols from Beretta, Bersa, Kahr, Glock, Ruger, Kimber, Smith & Wesson and virtually all other popular-handgun brands.

There are holsters featuring belt clips, along with magazine carriers and cartridge “bricks” that hold boxes of cartridges. The company also has a full selection of leather belts.

The flaps on these holsters are held in place by neodymium magnets, so they open fast for instant access to the firearm inside.

SHARPS RIFLE COMPANY ‘RELIA-BOLT’ FOR AR RIFLES 1195 US Highway 87, Dept. WSJ, Glenrock, WY 82637 (307) 473-6950/www.srcarms.com

Earlier this year, the Sharps Rifle Company introduced a component they believe will improve the AR-15 platform, and called it the “Relia-Bolt.”

This patent-pending drop-in bolt features redesigned lugs that, according to company literature, virtually eliminate the bolt-to-barrel extension jam, which is the most common malfunction of the modern-sporting rifle.

What makes this bolt different is that the lugs are tapered and rounded to go past carbon buildup that is also common to this platform after heavyshooting sessions. It has a patented camming action that defeats dirty actions.

For more information, see us at booth #8671

SPORTS CONNECTION PROMOTES WESTERN GUN SHOWS P.O. Box 633, Dept. WSJ, Park City, MT 59063 (406) 633-2206/www.scishows.com

Gun shows are terrific places, and across the Northwest from Montana to eastern Washington, one of the top promoters is the Sports Connection.

Based in Park City, Mont., near Billings and Laurel, this small company will soon be expanding into Wyoming. Sports Connection has put on more than 400 gun shows, from Washington’s Tri-Cities area, to Idaho and Billings.

Central to these shows is a very busy NRA recruiter.

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CEO Brian Kjensmo was once the NRA field representative in Montana, and he told Western Shooting Journal that he began the gun shows as something of a side business that simply grew.

These shows are done in the same venues on a pre-arranged schedule, with events in the fall, winter and spring. Summers are time out, and the autumn shows are always scheduled to accommodate local hunting seasons.

Sports Connection gun shows range in size from 100 to sometimes 400 tables, depending upon the venue. They have become great places for NRA recruitment.

TACSTAR

475 Smith Street, Dept. WSJ, Middletown, CT 06457 (860) 632-2020/www.tacstar.com Check TacStar’s SideSaddle with an integral rail mount on top that upgrades Remington shotguns.

Made from lightweight aluminum, this new SideSaddle model will fit Models 870, 1100 and 1187 and no gunsmithing is necessary. It straddles both sides of the receiver, and the rail is low enough to allow continued use of the front-bead sight.

It carries six shells on the left side of the receiver.

There’s also a new AR-15 AMRS adjustable match rifle stock. It is completely adjustable, and it has a hidden rail for a stabilizing monopod.

TacStar has also announced a re-engineered line of pistol grips for tactical shotguns. They are made from reinforced polymer and are designed for both the Remington Model 870, and the Mossberg 500 and Maverick 88 shotguns.

For more information, see us at booth #000000

SUN OPTICS HAS TACTICAL ACCESSORIES P.O. Box 2225, Burleson, TX 76097 (817) 783-6433/www.sunopticsusa.com

People attending the NRA convention will find an array of tactical accessories for modern rifles from Sun Optics, including the new TAC-X tactical-ring sets in medium-, high- and extra-high profiles.

TAC-X ring sets come in 30mm with 1-inch inserts to accommodate scopes in either diameter.

Also in the lineup are 20 MOA-tactical bases that fit Savage and Remington Model 700 rifles, and 30mm Quick Release rings.

These QD rings have spring loaded adjustable levers and Torx head ring cap screws. The TAC-X rings have six screws, a heavy-duty clamping system and black satin finish. Each ring is fitted with a precise recoil key to handle any degree of recoil.

They are finished in satin black.

The lineup also includes an AR carry handle for flat-top rifles, with a front sight. It mounts on any flat top. The rear handle features a peep sight with windage and elevation adjustment- and the front sight is adjustable for elevation. The handle and front sight are compatible with Weaver or Picatinny rails.

There are quad rails for the AR, AK, SKS and Mini-14, and the Ruger 10/22, all precision CNC machined from T6061 aircraft grade aluminum alloy.

Sun also has universal tri-rail mounts for most 12-gauge shotguns and standard rifle barrels. They are compatible with flashlights and lasers, and manufactured from aluminum alloy.

For more information, see us at booth #4915

TACSTRIKE STEEL TRAINING TARGETS TOP NOTCH 3464 Colonial Ave., Suite 0-93, Dept. WSJ., Roanoke, VA 24018/(606) 356-1994/ tacstrike.com

Producing top-of-the-line steel targets for training, competition and other tasks, TacStrike is a familyowned and operated company.

In business since 2011, TacStrike produces targets made from 1⁄4-inch and 3⁄8-inch steel, including the first design produced in conjunction with Pat Goodale and instructors at Practical Firearms Training, and Stake In Steel targets.

Each target system is instructor-tested, and the materials used will take years of punishment. All that’s necessary to spruce them up is a fresh coat of spray paint.

This year will see a new line of targets produced for handguns and rimfire firearms exclusively.

TacStrike targets are built tough, but they are also affordable. There are a variety of models, including standing targets, plate racks and swingers, plus target carrier bases.

TACTICAL TAILOR’S ‘PHANTOM TREKKER’ SBR BAG 12715 Pacific Highway South, Dept. WSJ Lakewood, WA 98499 (866) 984-7854/www.tacticaltailor.com

Featured earlier this year, Tactical Tailor’s “Phantom Trekker” bag for short-barreled rifles or a disassembled AR-15 with a 16-inch barrel, this is a rugged case that will be on display at the NRA gath-

Accessories ering in Indianapolis, and can be seen elsewhere that tactical gear is sold.

It is called the Phantom Trekker SBR, and it is offered in a variety of colors and combinations including black on black diamond, charcoal on black diamond, black & smoke on kryptek typhon, black & smoke on crimson, black on navy diamond and black on fir green diamond.

It looks like a common backpack, but the inside is far different. It has a large main compartment and outer pockets, but the SBR’s interior is lined with loop material and retentions traps to hold a rifle in place. The pack also has external handles that allow it to be carried like a duffel bag or suitcase.

The straps and waistbelt are adjustable and can be completely hidden. The bag features 1,000denier Cordura nylon at key stress areas, and 500 denier and 420 denier rip stop nylon elsewhere.

For more information, see us at booth #8148

GUN STORAGE SOLUTIONS (855) 647-8673/www.storemoreguns.com

Just when a gun safe seems full, Rifle Rods can increase the storage capacity and make for easier access to guns. To begin, lift out the standard-plywood rack in the safe and replace it with Rifle Rods.

GSS American-made Rifle Rods individually stabilize each long gun upright, rather than leaning, for more versatility in the positioning of guns. Rifle Rods work great for guns with scopes, shotguns

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and tactical weapons. Customers report an average increase of 50 percent more guns.

Rifle Rods are made of sturdy vinyl with a Velcro head. The standard size of Rifle Rods holds as small as a 22-caliber gun. There is also, a specialty Rifle Rod available to fit as small as a 17-caliber gun.

Rifle Rods are sold in starter kits, which include the Rifle Rods and coordinating shelf liner. Prices start at $49.99 for the storage of 10 guns.

For more information, see us at booth #8651

RUGGED, HANDSOME CONCEALMENT RIGS FROM WRIGHT 5244 CR34, Dept. WSJ, Green Springs, OH 44836 (419) 307-6191/www.wrightleatherworks.com

Specializing in concealed carry holsters crafted from leather, Wright Leather Works builds rigs for

virtually all popular defensive handguns.

If you don’t see a specific model listed on their website, just ask.

There are IWB and OWB models and pocket holsters for ultimate concealment. The selection includes one rig with a steel-belt clip, several models designed for on-the-belt carry and even a SOB (Small Of the Back) and cross-draw model. All are reasonably priced, and the fit and finish are superb.

Each holster is handmade to assure fit to a specific handgun model, and the holsters are built to be comfortable as well as practical.

Wright builds its holsters from high quality domestic leather, and each one is handcrafted at the shop in Ohio.

MEGA MACHINE SHOP INC. 5323 Joppa St SW, Tumwater, WA 98512 (360) 357-5372/www.megamachineshop.com

As seen at Shot Show 2014: We are excited to introduce our newest product, the Megalithic Tactical System. Our new cutting-edge system utilizes a

Accessories strategically integrated leveling system (patent pending), placed between the upper receiver and hand guard rails. This system was designed with the precision shooter in mind, but is easy for any level shooter to use. Quick and easy one-hand activation makes this system user friendly.

The Megalithic Tactical System will be offered in the AR-15 & MATEN platforms. The AR-15 will be configured in Key-Mod and Quad Rail designs (Mid 9 & Rifle Length 12). The MATEN will be configured in the Key-Mod design (Rifle Length 12 ). Other styles and lengths may be offered at a later date.

Look for pricing and product details on their website in the next few weeks. They expect to start shipment to dealers beginning in early April.

EDWARDS RECOIL REDUCER

1300 Seabright Drive, Annapolis MD 21409/(443) 9952157/www.edwardsrecoilreducer.com The Edwards Recoil Reducer was invented by Jesse Edwards in 1965. The invention was necessitated by Jesse having been in an automobile accident, which resulted in severe spinal and shoulder injuries, making it impossible to tolerate recoil. The first unit was non-adjustable, designed to be inserted into the existing drawbolt hole. Following the award of the first patent, Jesse began to experiment with the adjustment feature, with the intent of directing recoil away from the face and the shoulder of either a right- or left-handed shooter. These experiments were successful, and the external appearance of the Edwards Recoil Reducer evolved to that which is still in use today.

Never losing sight of the purpose of the Edwards company, that of reducing recoil, Jesse continued to evolve the recoil reducer, developing a 4-inch, and finally a 3 1⁄2-inch model for stocks that were too thin or short to accommodate the 4 1⁄2-inch units. After Jesse's death in 1982, Edwards Recoil Reducer was acquired by the inventor's grandson Kevin Sheff, who controls the operations today. Still a privately held company, Kevin added to the original product lines with the addition of a 3-inch model, the invention of The MAX, for synthetic stocks and the ETR (Edwards Tactical Reducer) which is a drop-in unit for mil-spec stocks used on shotguns.

Additionally, numerous internal modifications have been made to minimize wear, speed the break-in process and increase recoil reduction of the existing units, thereby continuing to ensure the shooter a lifetime of trouble and recoil-free shooting.

BOGGEAR INTRODUCED WIDE BODY REST

110 N. Milam #149, Dept. WSJ, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (877) 264-7637/www.boggear.com New from BOGgear is the Wide Body universal shooting rest that fits on a BOGgear tripod.

It has a low-profile 4-inch wide base that is 2 ¾ inches wide and covered with rubber that spins a full 360 degrees with the quick-change stem and is about one inch shorter than the standard Universal Shooting Rest that comes on BOG-POD sticks.

Similar to BOGgear’s Mini-U shooting rest, the

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Wide Body fits the head of any BOG-POD shooting stick via the Switcheroo quick-change stem. It also works on the CLD-2 bipod.

Made from high-strength ABS plastic, the Wide Body weighs a scant 7.9 ounces.

The rubber is ribbed to provide a good hold on the forend of a rifle.

For steady shooting, the BOS series HD-3 tripod has a larger tube diameter and heavy-duty leg connections and custom lever locks. It is available in tall and short models.

BOGgear has other tripod models as well. They include the RLD-3, the CLD-3 and the TAC-3.

BOGgear also markets bipod models and monopods. The BOS series HD-1 monopod features the Switcheroo shooting system, a three-section lightweight aluminum leg with a matte black finish.

The Universal Shooting Rest has a quick-change stem that swivels 360 degrees and it is rubber-covered to prevent marring on gun stocks.

K-VAR UNVEILS SM-13 SCOPE MOUNT FOR AKS

chest holster, which has seen duty in the hunting grounds and the combat zones.

The “original Alaskan holster,” the Guide’s Choice is crafted from high-quality leather for semi-autos and revolvers. Spare magazine pouches for semi-autos and spare cartridge carriers are available.

This popular rig is easily adjustable, features a fully lined holster and it may be fitted with a flap.

They are hand molded to fit the firearm snugly, and they will fit both men and women, placing the butt of the handgun where it may be reached instantly.

In addition, Diamond D produces belt holsters and an updated model of the popular Tanker holster.

There are several versions of belt holsters available, all lined and even one with a flap.

There are also holsters for concealed carry, for large or small handguns, to be worn on the belt outside the waistband.

Belts and rifle scabbards are also available.

BLACK RAIN ORDNANCE ANNOUNCES NEW SUPPRESSORS P.O. Box 1111, Dept. WSJ, Neosho, MO 64850 (888) 836.2620/blackrainordnance.com

Black Rain is unveiling a new suppressor that may be disassembled for cleaning.

There are three models in the series, including the Universal for rimfire applications, the Aris for .223-caliber rifles and the M30A for .308 Winchester-caliber models.

Featuring full

4001 S. Decatur Blvd #37383, Las Vegas, NV 89103 (702) 364-8880/www.k-var.com

New from Arsenal, Inc., is the SM-13 mount for AK-type rifles, which is now available to the commercial market.

The SM-13 is a one-piece side-attaching scope mount for the AK platform. It is CNC precision machined from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy and it features a 7.5-inch Picatinny rail. This rail, which follows the contour of the rifle, runs from the end of the top cover to the rear sight leaf. There is room for mounting scopes, night vision or red dot devices.

The SM-13 has a low profile that allows the use of the rifle’s metallic sights.

Surprisingly, the SM-13 is very lightweight, hitting the scale at only 5.76 ounces, so it will not add a bunch of weight to the rifle once it is installed. It has an adjustable locking mechanism made from steel that allows quick release or attachment of the scope mount.

The SM-13 is designed to attach to the side scope rail of an AK-type rifle.

DIAMOND D HOLSTERS’ CHEST RIG IN SPOTLIGHT

3800 East Wickersham Way, Dept. WSJ, Wasilla, AK 99654 (907) 631-4212/www.diamonddcustomleather.com Quality holsters designed for rugged use are the mainstay of Diamond D Custom Leather, and perhaps their most famous rig is the Guide’s Choice

stainless-steel construction with the Epsilon baffle system, the Black Rain models have a removable cap on one end and are solid on the other. Once the cap is removed, the baffles come out and may be cleaned with an ultra-sonic cleaner or, for those who like getting their hands dirty, the old solvent and scrub brush method.

While the Aris and Universal suppressors measure 6 inches in length, the M30A is a 7 ½incher. All feature a black nitride coating.

As the line grows, there will be models for other calibers.

KICK EEZ ANNOUNCES NEW DASH-EEZ, AR-15 SNAP-ON PAD

1819 Schurman Way, Suite #106, Woodland, WA 98674 (877) 542-5339/www.kickeezproducts.com Kick EEZ has announced a new product it is calling Dash-EEZ, designed to keep binoculars from sliding off a dashboard, and is also adding an AR-15 SnapOn pad in camo and ninja green.

The Dash-EEZ is made from Sorbothane and measures 6x6 inches, and 1⁄8-inch thick. The flexible material conforms to the shape of a dash, and prevents not only binoculars from sliding, but also cell phones, two-way radios and other gear.

Accessories The new Snap-On pad colors are designed for AR/M4 T-6 adjustable stocks. Camo is self-explanatory and the ninja green is fluorescent. They join the original black Snap-on pads. They feature a Sorbothane insert.

These Snap-On pads add a half-inch to the length of pull.

POF-USA NEW ENHANCED UNIVERSAL BOLT CATCH (623) 561-9572/www.pof-usa.com

Patriot Ordnance Factory’s (POF) new enhanced universal bolt catch is just another example of our continuation of innovation. The large angled bolt catch pad allows for faster bolt catch activation to clear the rifle. It also contains a wider tooth for more effective magazine follower engagement.

POF-USA was the first company to take the gas piston AR to market and has been leading the way with their revolutionary platform innovations ever since.

POF-USA is to continue offering U.S. made, high

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quality, relentlessly reliable rifles as well as to be a leader in innovation and new technology for the "AR" style weapons platform.

Patriot Ordnance Factory is located in Phoenix Arizona, and since 2004 has been the manufacturer of quality, regulated, short stroke gas piston weapon systems.

For more information, see us at booth #4217

LAUER CUSTOM OFFERS DURACOAT AEROSOL

3601 – 129th Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 (800) 830-6677/www.lauerweaponry.com Home and professional gunsmiths have a new way to finish firearms with DuraCoat, which is now offered in an aerosol.

Developed and produced by Steve Lauer more than a decade ago, DuraCoat is a two-part protective coating specifically for firearms. Available in matte black, OD green, pink lady, Magpul flat dark earth, white, blackhawk coyote tan, combat gray, and woodland green, the aerosol DuraCoat is available in a 12-ounce can, which is about enough for two rifles.

Once the aerosol is activated, the can may be used for up to 48 hours.

DuraCoat will prevent rust and corrosion and once it sets, it is resistant to solvents and other cleaners.

The product is currently available in more than 200 colors and more than 50 camouflage patterns

can be accomplished with “Peel ‘N Spray” templates. DuraCoat is also packaged in finishing kits that include a sprayer.

The new aerosol was made possible by the development of a “can in a can” technology that allows the components to mix inside the can.

MAG BLOCK OFFERS SIMPLE SAFETY SOLUTION (334) 370-0141/www.magblock.com

Shooters who favor a visual confirmation that their AR-15/M-4 type rifles are safe have found the solution to their dilemma with the MagBlock system.

There are two MagBlock models that render a rifle safe.

The MagBlock RS (for “Range Safe”) is an orange device that slides into the magazine well of an AR-type rifle. The unit is hollow so it can house a BoreSnake cleaner, small CR-type flashlight batteries or other small items, and it is designed with an integral bolt-hold-open device.

On top is a “flag” that rises upward and is visible in the open action when the ejection port cover is open, and it is easily visible from several yards away.

The MagBlock RS only comes in orange.

The MagBlock TS (for “Tactical Series”) is available in solid yellow or black with a yellow top that is visible when the bolt is open. This device seals the rifle from outside contamination when used in tandem with a muzzle cap.

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Accessories The bolt hold-open is reversible, and in the down position it allows the bolt to go forward and seal the action from outside debris. When the holdopen is in the safety position with its yellow chamber safety flag visible, the rifle is completely safe.

MGM TARGETS OFFERS ‘FALLING MAN,’ WHIRLY-GIG TARGETS

17891 Karcher Rd., Dept. WSJ, Caldwell, ID 83607 888-767-7371/www.mgmtargets.com

Two exciting targets that seem designed for competition and training are offered by MGM and for shooters who like to challenge their reflexes, the Falling Man VATA and Whirly Gig models will do that.

ots to the ground.

When the target falls, the shooter zeroes shots in the “A” zones, same as one might have to engage a partially hidden combatant.

One might also test one’s ability to hit a target that is dropping behind cover.

The new .22 Rimfire Whirly-Gig is made with hardened steel and designed for .22-caliber ammunition. Target faces are crafted from 3⁄16-inch AR400 steel to save weight, and the target plate is held to the holder with a single steel spring. It may be reset by sliding the target under the spring. It uses the same components as the standard Whirly-Gig. Both targets are made in the USA. For more information, see us at booth #5674

RADDLOCK OFFERS CALIFORNIA-COMPLIANT MAGAZINE LOCKS, LIMITERS

2121 E. Lambert Road, Dept. WSJ, La Habra, CA 90631 (562) 690-0676/raddlock.com

The Falling Man is a reactive target designed

by Greg Lapin and Destin Mounts of the VATA Group. It is crafted to simulate situations where small portions of targets are available. It has an allsteel frame with a 3⁄8-inch AR500 steel target plate and a hinge mechanism. When the leg is hit, it drops and activates the target’s torso portion, which piv-

RaddLock manufactures devices that are “California Firearms compliant” to allow the legal ownership of certain firearms, and the newest Gen-XT model should be getting lots of attention.

Fixed magazine locks, magazine limiters and other features make these California-manufactured products winners.

The Gen-XT AR RaddLock magazine lock has two modes, one for using rifles in California that locks the

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

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magazine and a “free state” mode that allows the use of a regular magazine release. It is lockable to comply California regulations.

It allows the use of a .223/5.56mm round as a tool to drop a magazine, and it works on most MilSpec AR15 and AR10-type rifles.

Made from 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum, this magazine lock features a Type III hard-anodized surface coating for long-lasting protection, and it is covered by a lifetime warranty.

RaddLock also offers magazine limiters to comply with California law, that may be used to convert 20- and 30-round standard magazines to five-, seven-, 10- or 15-rounders.

N82 TACTICAL FOCUSES ON ‘PROFESSIONAL’ HOLSTER 9724 S. NC Hwy 150/Linwood, NC 27299 (336) 479-3561/www.n82tactical.com

Nate Squared Tactical’s “Professional” holster for concealed carry remains in the spotlight as 2014 unfolds, and it is becoming a mainstay in this company’s holster line.

Featuring an adjustable cant, the Professional is “tuckable,” allowing it to be hidden beneath a tucked-in shirt, and because of the design, it offers excellent handgun retention.

The holster is made of polycarbonate and the backing is a soft material for maximum comfort. It has a layered back with suede on the outer surface.

westernshootingjournal.com 207

The Professional has a rugged metal belt clip that swivels to allow different carry angles, and the gun is held snugly thanks to the polycarbonate formfitting holster body.

When drawing, the shooter must slightly twist the gun toward the body to allow the trigger guard to clear the retention bump.

For more information, see us at booth #3223

XS SIGHT SYSTEMS HAS NEW TROY SIGHT UPGRADE

2401 Ludelle Street, Dept. WSJ, Fort Worth, TX 76105/(817) 536-0136/www.xssights.com XS Sight Systems has developed a new sight for modern sporting rifles in collaboration with TROY Industries that features a 24/7 Tritium stripe on the front nd CSAT options.

The new entry is on a TROY folding BattleSight

and they are available as sets or individually as front or rear models.

XS Sights has been a leader in night sights, with models for handguns, rifles and shotguns. This year’s featured products include XS Sights models for pocket pistols from Sig Sauer, Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Ruger, plus models for the Bersa BP9cc and Glock 30S. There are also models for the Mossberg Model 464 lever-action rifle, Mossberg Model 500/590/930 and RemingtonModel 870.

In addition, XS offers angle mount sights for the AR-15 rifle.

For more information, see us at booth #6449

TRIPLE K HAS NEW ACCESSORIES

2222 Commercial St., San Diego, CA 92113 (619) 232-2066/www.triplek.com There’s a new baton system in kit form and a pink double-magazine carrier from Triple K. The company’s modular, expandable baton system includes a pair of 26-inch hardened, expandable batons with an axe head, small crowbar, breeching crowbar, large mirror, shovel, window breaker and wire cutters. The kit comes in a rugged plastic case that fits into a vehicle and may be easily carried from place to place.

Aimed at the law enforcement market, this kit might also come in handy for firefighters, and a smaller version is available.

The pink double-magazine pouch is a commercial version of the Ghost tactical line’s double-magazine holder. Molded from ABS, this magazine carrier is tough and features specially designed retention springs. These hold the magazines securely, even if the pouch is turned upside down. This carrier has an adjustable belt slide.

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ULTIMAK’S NEWEST: FORWARD LOW OPTIC MOUNT FOR M1

2216 South Main, Suite B2, Dept. WSJ, Moscow, ID 83843 (208) 883-4734/www.ultimak.com Fans of the M1 Garand rifle should respond well to the newest introduction from UltiMAK, a heavy-duty forward low-optic mount for the world-famous rifle.

Made from 6061-T6 aluminum, this new forward mount clamps to the M1 with two 4140 steel clamps.

Designed to fit GI-spec barrels, this unit comes with the mounting clamps, screws, a wrench and mounting instructions.

No modification is required, as this is a straight drop-in unit. The rail is an M1913 type finished in hard-anodized matte black.

This model was a response to multiple requests, and it allows the placement of a longer-eye relief scope ahead of the receiver, replacing the traditional wood section that fits over the barrel.

In addition to a scope, this railed unit also permits the use of other optical sights such as the Aimpoint Micro T1.

Thanks to its aluminum construction, this new UltiMAK unit will stand up to all kinds of outdoor rigors.

BULLETS.COM

P.O. Box 2219, Bellingham, WA 98227 (360) 676-3299/www.bullets.com Bullets.com is a division of Grizzly Industrial that was started in 1983. During those 30 years, Grizzly became a powerhouse in the metalworking and woodworking machinery industry serving over a million regular customers and growing its warehouses with 1.2 million square feet of space in three states (Washington, Pennsylvania and Missouri). With huge inventories on hand, the company's service principal is to ship 99% of orders placed the same day from the closest warehouse to the customer.

This level of service is being carried over to the shooting accessories and all items that are in stock are shipped the same day for orders placed before noon. We are able to offer this kind of service as we have many millions of dollars of merchandise in stock and are accustomed to shipping thousands of packages per day.

MAGNA-ARM HAS IMPROVED GUN MAGNET P.O. Box 173, Dept. WSJ, Bahama, NC 27503 www.Magna-Arm.com

A new and improved gun magnet has been announced by Magna-Arm and it allows the safe placement of a handgun in a convenient, yet covert, place.

The Magna-Arm Gun Magnet is a powerful “rare earth” magnet that may be mounted just about anywhere. It is covered with a protective rubber surface that prevents marring of the gun finish.

Using this device, a handgun may be mounted vertically or horizontally, or even upside down under a desk or table.

This magnet is so powerful it will hold up to 15 pounds, so it can actually hold a rifle or shotgun, along with polymer-framed pistols or revolvers. westernshootingjournal.com 209

Accessories TOP-FLIGHT TACTICAL TRAINING FOR SURVIVAL FROM SUAREZ INT’L 1616 Iron Springs Road, Dept. WSJ, Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 776-4492/www.suarezinternationalstore.com

Veteran firearms instructor and trainer Gabe Suarez believes in reality-based training, and he’s got personal experience to back it up.

He started offering defensive firearms training courses in 1995, and went full time with that endeavor three years later, after having spent several years in law enforcement and having owned and operated a martial arts training school from 1983 to 1987. It was in the mid1980s that he made the decision to enter law enforcement, and what he learned from that is paying off today for his students.

Suarez makes no secret that demand for his courses has been heavy. He remembered that the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, “a great number of people were interested in self-defense.”

Over the years, Suarez International courses have expanded, always with an eye on improvement, teaching skills that can save a life. He knows that the majority of gun owners today are far more interested in self-defense than hunting or shooting competitively.

Suarez is building an affiliate network to teach basic courses out in the field, while providing instructors to teach advanced training.

“You get the basic level stuff locally,” he explained, “and our experts come out for advanced stuff.”

There are opportunities at his Prescott, Ariz., headquarters, which utilizes various gun ranges in the area for live-fire sessions. Suarez noted, however, that, “You don’t have to be locked into one region as long as you have a training venue.”

His philosophy has always been to focus on the students rather than building the reputation of the instructors. Suarez, in his material, says that he is not interested in running a “certificate factory” type of shooting school.

Among the courses offered by Suarez International are pistol, rifle and shotgun gunfighting, high-risk tactics, tactical-medicine and -sniper training. Handgun training includes close-range gunfighting, force-on-force, and advanced gunfighting. There are three levels of rifle gunfighting.

Suarez has experience teaching in several different countries, and that experience also influences his current courses.

According to the course schedule for this year, there are opportunities all over the landscape, from the Southeast to the Northwest.

SILENCERSHOP.COM The goal of SilencerShop.com is to provide you with everything you need to make an informed suppressor purchase, from reviews and videos to the fastest shipping and lowest costs. Although the suppressor buying process itself isn’t complicated, a lot of the information that is available is both contradictory and incomplete. Even different dealers seem to have different answers to the same questions. Another problem is the instability of some Class 3 dealers who are just doing this as a hobby.

In 2010, SilencerShop.com started Hill Country Class 3 with the goal of simplifying the National Firearms Act (NFA) buying process and providing consistent, reliable support. The top goal is to provide the simplest buying experience possible for suppressors and associated accessories with great customer service and unbeatable prices. In short, Silencer Shop is your one-stop suppressor shop!

SilencerShop.com stocks suppressors from the major brands so you don’t have to wait for us to get them in stock and there are no additional “document preparation” fees.

Benefits to shooting suppressed weapons include reduced sound levels and recoil while virtually eliminating muzzle blast.

Faster follow-up shots are possible with increased accuracy. Silencers make shooting safer and more enjoyable!

If you have any questions, or just want to chat about suppressors, feel free to contact SilencerShop.com! Located in the beautiful Hill country of Austin, Texas, the Silencer Shop makes Silencer Ownership Simplified.

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Western Shooting Journal // April 2014

range spotlight

KANSAS’S OUTBACK PARK & PUBLIC RANGE Features Machine Gun Dating For Couples

ARTICLE BY FRANK JARDIM • PHOTOS BY OUTBACK PARK & PUBLIC RANGE

Pistol rentals are only $8.50 a day at Outback Park & Public Range.

I

f you’re looking for a safe, professional and fun place to take the family for a little recreational shooting in the Wichita, Kan., area, The Outback Park & Public Range is a unique family friendly facility, and one of the finest in the region. It is about 40 miles northwest of Wichita. The range is open year round, Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 am until 5 pm. It is closed Monday for maintenance, except when Monday falls on a holiday. Because they know people want to enjoy shooting sports on their days off, the range is open on all holiday Mondays. You can even shoot at night by appointment.

This is a full service range dedicated to supervised shooting with nine rifle and five pistol ranges, all of which are covered at the firing line and equipped with padded tables. It even has a tactical-steel range with MGM Targets for those that like a little reactivity in their shooting sports.

The attitude at Outback Park is that nobody should have to stay home. They have a picnic area, children’s play area, and restroom facilities for family events. They are wheelchair-accessible and have even made accommodations for the blind. Only shooters pay the

range fees. Any non-shooting visitors in your group can enjoy the park for free. Outback charges shooters only $15 a day for adults or $8 for shooters 14 years old and younger. Keep in mind that they don’t accept credit cards.

Outback Park & Public Range also offers firearms and ammunition sales (they are a Glock retailer) and very reasonable firearms rental. Renting a gun is a great way to try out different firearms to see what works best for you. Pistol rentals start at $8.50 a day, so there’s no excuse not to try before you buy. The rental selection is very broad, and runs up to .50-caliber BMG rifles and machine guns. The machine gun rental offers some really interesting dating activities for couples. As an example, for $65, two people can each fire a 25-round magazine through a 9mm MP5 submachine gun, like the type used by the FBI and Secret Service. If your pockets are a little deeper, for $160 two people can each shoot a 50-round belt of ammo through a military FN M249 squad automatic weapon (SAW), like a type our troops are using right now in Afghanistan.

The Outback’s classroom and ranges are used to host numerous classes during the year including; re-

medial shooting, handgun safety and fundamentals of marksmanship, intermediate pistol shooting, and advanced pistol craft and combat shooting. They can take an inexperienced shooter through a series of courses that culminates with the new concealed-carry handgun course necessary to be licensed in Kansas. The latter course, which costs $100, is taught by state certified instructors who go beyond the minimum requirements for marksmanship, mental preparedness and grasping the complexity of state law regarding the use of deadly force.

Outback Range also offers a children’s firearms safety and basic shooting skills course, defensive shotgun course, law enforcement pistol and shot-

Score points with a machine gun date!

gun course and a vasics of reloading course for aspirant handloaders. The courses include classroom and range instruction at the same convenient location and are taught by professional staff that includes NRA pistol instructors, law enforcement firearms instructors, and former military veterans. WSJ Editor’s note: The range is at 368 Navajo Road, McPherson, Kansas 67460. You can reach them at 620-489-9407 or visit their website at TheOutbackPark.com. westernshootingjournal.com 213