I just received some disturbing news about this year’s SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show) from a well respected member of the firearms industry. The mainstream media will be at the 2013 SHOT Show in force with the express purpose of furthering their anti-gun agenda.
There will be a tremendous amount of hostile media at SHOT Show this year. Major “news” outlets, including CNN and NPR have been contacting exhibitors to secure interviews, and you’d better believe that they are not going to be there to get the scoop on the latest muzzle brake or concealed carry purse. Their only purpose will be to humiliate and shame those of us in the firearms community and they will be working very hard to coax us in to speaking to them so they can use our words against us.
Here’s the best advice I’ve heard to counter this unwelcome infiltration: DON’T SPEAK TO THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA AT SHOT SHOW. My friend in the industry made some suggestions that I’d like to pass on – Be polite, and rather than say “no comment”, just tell them that you are busy and can’t talk right now. Do not forget that these people are not reasonable people and do not want a discussion. Please realize that despite your best efforts, there is no answer or statement you can give that can’t and won’t be used against all of us.
Those of us that will be at SHOT Show legitimately will be there to learn, make and renew connections and do business. The anti-gun media will be there to confirm their preconceived notion that none of us are rational human beings.
If you know anyone that will be going to SHOT Show next week, please let them know about this unsettling development. And remember that the best (and likely only) way to mitigate the damage the anti-gun media plans to inflict upon the firearms community is to ignore them.
It’s become a tradition for the cast members of Top Shot to meet up for a casual reunion during SHOT Show, and with three seasons under their belt and one on the way, this year’s event was bigger than ever. So big, that it was pretty much impossible to get a complete group shot of all but a few of the cast of characters, but as you can see from the photos, everyone involved had a great time. In addition to just about all of the cast members from season 1 though 3, the contestants from season 4 were also in attendance. You will be able to watch them get their game on in just over a week, as Top Shot Season 4 premiers February 14th at 10/9 central.
Thanks to Crimson Trace and Top Shot Season 1 winner and Media Relations Manager for Crimson Trace, Iain Harrison, for hosting this unique event. I think you’re gonna need a bigger boat next year.
One of the hottest guns on the floor at SHOT Show 2012 was the Sig Sauer P938, a brand new pistol modeled after Sig’s wildly popular P238, but chambered in 9mm.
Designed for the concealed carry market, the P938 is very similar to the P238. So similar, in fact, it’s difficult to tell the difference between the two at first glance (click on image above). It’s only about a quarter of an inch longer than the P238, so it retains it’s ease of concealment, and as you can see from the image of the two backstraps, the only noticeable difference in this area is the more aggressive checkering (to assist with recoil control of the larger caliber). If you’ve been considering purchasing the P238, but have hesitated because you would like to carry something more powerful than the .380 ACP, the Sig P938 may fit your needs perfectly.
I haven’t had a chance to shoot the P938 (yet), but I was able to get my hands on it during SHOT Show. The ambidextrous safety was stiff enough that I wouldn’t worry about it disengaging accidentally while carrying, but I was able to thumb it on and off without a great deal of effort (which is not the case with many of the pocket pistols I’ve tried). The trigger broke cleanly, and while listed on the Sig Sauer website as a 5lb pull, it felt just a bit heavier to me. I didn’t notice a difference in the grip between the P938 and the P238, and despite feeling slightly awkward to hold (like any other pocket pistol), it didn’t feel like it was going to fall out of my hand. When the extended seven round magazine was inserted (sold separately, it ships with a six round mag), I found that the extended mag made it more comfortable to grip the P938.
Sig Sauer is planning on initially offering the P938 in four different flavors – Blackwood (MSRP $809), Equinox (MSRP $823), Rosewood (MSRP $795), and my favorite, Extreme (Shown at left, MSRP – $823). The Extreme includes all the bells and whistles of the other models, including SIGLITE Night Sights, and features Hogue G-10 Extreme Grips. Not only are they super cool looking, they provide a solid, aggressive grip without being ouchy or pinchy (to put it in technical terms).
Using the street price vs. MSRP of the P238 as a measure, you can expect the P938 to sell for around $100 less than MSRP. While this places the P938 at the upper end of pricing for pocket pistols, keep in mind that you are getting an all-metal, mini 1911 with night sights. I’m looking forward to making one of these go bang, and when I do, I’ll be sure to tell you all about it.
Last week at SHOT Show’s Media Day at the Range, I couldn’t help but notice that the MKA 1919 12 gauge semi-auto shotgun was receiving a great deal of attention. This unique, AR-15 style shotgun is made by Turkish company Akdal Arms, and was being showcased at the range by U.S. importer RAAC. Stock MKA 1919’s are currently available online for around $700-800.
In addition to the stock models, they also had a model customized for 3-gun competitions in the open division by Firebird Precision, which was incredibly popular for those that wanted to give one of the MKA’s a try. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to test it out, but I talked to a few people that shot the race gun version, and they were surprised by the lack of recoil and said it was very fun to shoot.
The MKA 1919 ships with two 5-round metal detachable magazines, 3 internal chokes, and almost all of the controls are identical to an AR. The barrel is 19.7 inches, and it weighs only 6 1/2 pounds when empty.
I expect the MKA 1919 shotgun to give the Saiga-12 shotgun a run for the money in 3-Gun competition. It’s two pounds lighter than the Saiga, would make transitioning from rifle to shotgun almost effortless, and aftermarket competition accessories are already available. The tricked-out race gun will set you back somewhere around $1800, and you can expect to wait approximately 8 weeks for delivery.
Check out 3-Gun champion Patrick Kelley’s video clip of the super tuned, competition model MKA 1919 in action at the 2012 SHOT Show Media Day at the Range:
The fine folks at Glock are introducing a new beavertail attachment for all Gen 4 pistols, that should be of particular interest to competition shooters, and it’s been designed to reduce or eliminate slide bite.
It’s a super quick snap (literally) to install, and will help you focus on your next shot, instead of your grip. The price and release date are TBD, but Glock tells me that it will be on shelves soon.
We’re here at SHOT Show 2012 this week, and we’ve been hunting for the coolest new products that will be hitting the market this year. One of the new shiny things that caught my eye is the .22 UZI from Umarex.
The new UZI in .22 will be available in a rifle and pistol, and Umarex said they would start becoming available in February. Both rifle and pistol accept 20 round magazines, and the rifle features an authentic folding stock, a detachable swing swivel and the traditional UZI handguard.
While I did not get the chance to shoot these great looking new guns, I got a chance to handle the rifle and pistol and they both feel solid and well made. Umarex let me know that the estimated retail price will be around $480 for the pistol, and $645 for the rifle.
It’s time for SHOT Show 2012. Time for the annual pilgrimage to NSSF’s Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the biggest firearms trade show in America. Mz. VRWC and I will lead you to the various temptations of new guns you’ll need to buy this year.
Our GunBroker.com SHOT Glass from SHOT Show 2011. What will they have for us this year?
I just received some disturbing news about this year’s SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show) from a well respected member of the firearms industry. The mainstream media will be at the 2013 SHOT Show in force with the express purpose of furthering their anti-gun agenda.
