Round Up: New Guns & Gear 2018

dm m odel 870

R emington Smith & WeSSon m&P380 Shield eZ

Gun owners all across our land are excited about the firearm industry's latest guns, optics, ammunition and accessories. And you can see them all, corralled into one giant hall, at this year’s NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Dallas, Texas.

ome ideas are just too great to ignore—America, the Constitution and the Second Amendment come to mind. The National Ri e Association wholeheartedly supports all three, and nowhere will that enthusiasm be on greater display than at this year’s 147th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits set for May 4-6 in Dallas, Texas. It’s sure to be a celebration of freedom like no other, and NRA members will have a unique opportunity to get their hands on the rearm industry’s newest guns, optics, ammunition and related products all under one roof.

As a preview, we’ve put together this report of our individual top picks from among a host of recent introductions. (Videos of American Ri eman editors with some of the featured guns and gear are available at americanri eman.org/shotshow2018.) Remember, though, that this is just a sampling of products. A much bigger herd will all be rounded up and put on display in Dallas. And we’ll cover those, and many others, more fully in future issues of this magazine.

The upcoming show’s venue, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, is scheduled to host more than 800 exhibitors with wares covering 630,000 square feet of exhibit

hall space. There’ll be something for everyone, from the newConstitution and the Second Amendment come to est shooters to the most experienced, including: educational mind. The National Ri e Association wholeheartedly seminars, celebrities, auctions (p. 30), shooting galleries, supports all three, and nowhere will that enthusiasm NRA Store merchandise sales, special sessions, concerts and be on greater display than at this year’s 147th NRA Annual more. So whether you like precision ri es for competition, classic shotguns for waterfowling or subcompact pistols for carry, you’ll nd all those and much more from the familiar names, and some newcomers, in Dallas. Admission to the exhibit hall is free to all NRA members and their families. So be sure to mark your calendar now, and plan to bring the whole family and spend a day, or more, exploring the aisles of the convention center. You’ll be able to shoot at the airgun range, talk with hunting out tters and gun collector groups, and shop at the NRA Store for a wide variety of knives, books, wildlife art, shooting accessories, hunting equipment and more. And with the Dallas area’s restaurants, museums and other entertainment venues, you’ll be sure to have a memorable time. For more information on the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, visit nraam.org. We’ll see you there!

LEUPOLD VX-FREEDOM 3-9X 40 MM

MAUSER M18

JOHN ZENT, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

BERGARA has upgraded its most popular B-14-series rifle with a Premier action to create the Premier HMR Pro, an extreme-range tackdriver containing a full-length mini-chassis embedded in a tactical-style stock that is customizable for length of pull and comb height. The result is rock-solid bedding and a free-floated 416 stainless barrel, stress-relieved, button-rifled, honed and muzzlethreaded at Bergara’s state-of-the-art barrelworks in Spain. The firm’s Premier action combines a nitridetreated, floating-head bolt with a match-grade TriggerTech trigger. Assembled by skilled gunsmiths at the company’s U.S. shop in Georgia, the HMR Pro can be had in 20", 24" or 26" barrel lengths, and in five high-performance chamberings—.223 Rem., .22-250 Rem., 6 mm Creedmoor, 6.5 mm Creedmoor and .308 Win. bergarausa.com

LEICA pioneered rangefinding binoculars, and 26 years later its groundbreaking Geovid HD-B 3000 leads the category in effective range—now extended to a whopping 3,000 yds. And the innovation doesn’t stop with that benchmark. The Geovid 3000’s LED display self-adjusts its brightness to match the ambient light and boasts a Fast Scan mode that can provide fresh readings every half-second. What’s more, the optic contains a fully programmable ballistics calculator that not only spits out point-of-aim corrections almost instantly, but also inputs environmental factors such as temperature, barometric pressure and shot angle. Built around Leica’s unique, compact Perger prisms, these binos deliver stunning optical clarity and wide fields of view from an ergo-friendly tool that eases prolonged glassing stints. The new glasses come in two sizes—8X 42 mm and 10X 42 mm. leica-sportoptics.com

LEUPOLD can be counted on to supply quality riflescopes at every price point, and such is the case with 2018’s VX-Freedom line. Freedom scopes inherit the firm’s high-performing Twilight Management System, which combines various lens coatings and design elements to maximize lowlight imaging and limit distracting glare. Though MSRPs run from $235 to $390, Freedom models are subjected to the same endurance standards and testing that have long made ruggedness a Leupold hallmark, including abrasion-resistant top coatings on the lenses. The new series includes popular options in zoom range and reticles, and, like so many Gold Ring scopes before, Freedom scopes

BERGARA PREMIER HMR PRO

WEATHERBY MARK V CARBONMARK

prove a prepared ri eman can meet just about any marksmanship challenge with a 1", second-focalplane optic. leupold.com

KIMBER introduced its Aegis Elite Custom (OI) as part of a brand-new 1911 family for 2018. Along with a factory-installed Vortex Venom 6-m.o.a. red-dot sight, this capable carry gun—offered in both 9 mm Luger with a nine-round magazine and .45 ACP with an eight-round capacity—boasts a round-heel frame, 24-l.p.i. frontstrap checkering and a skeletonized aluminum trigger. Holster-friendly at 8.7"×5.25", and weighing in at 38 ozs., it has a pro le that balances concealability with shooting comfort. The Aegis Elite’s distinctively serrated, matte KimPro II- nished slide contrasts with a satin-silver stainless frame to create a striking look, complemented by G10 Cyclone patterned grips.

kimberamerica.com

MAUSER is showing that it, too, can master 21st-century ef ciency by way of the new M18 turnbolt, machined at the rm’s present-day waffenfabrik in Isny, Germany. Its basic design features a cylindrical receiver bearing a full-diameter, push-feed bolt with three locking lugs. The setup promotes smooth, quick bolt travel, and is further enhanced by a useradjustable trigger plus a three-position safety whose middle setting allows unloading while the ring pin remains locked. At an MSRP of $699, it is the most affordable new-production Mauser since the height of the Cold War, and while ri es in that price class are typically spartan, the M18 offers notable extras. Though lacking the iconic full-length extractor, the bolt is equipped with twin plunger-type ejectors, and the synthetic stock accommodates a ve-shot detachable box magazine, soft-inlay grip panels and a quickrelease buttpad that gives way to an onboard storage compartment. Early production has been limited to .308 Win., but soon to come are .243 Win., 6.5 mm Creedmoor, .270 Win., .30-’06 Sprg., 7 mm Rem. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag. mauser.com

WEATHERBY ups its accuracy quotient by pairing carbon- ber barrels with America’s most famous magnum bolt-gun platform in its newly introduced Mark V Carbonmark. The California (soon to be Wyoming) maker is equipping it agship Mark V magnum action with 26" hand-lapped barrels made by Proof Research. Reportedly, the carbon- ber wrap affords superior stiffness and harmonic consistency compared to traditional steel barrels of the same contour, but at 64 percent less weight. The result, when paired with a hand-laid composite stock tted with an aluminum bedding block, is a precisionshooting, full-size magnum that tips the scale at just 7 lbs., 12 ozs. First-run Carbonmarks will be produced in three proprietary long-range chamberings—.257 Wby. Mag., 6.5-300 Wby. Mag. and .300 Wby. Mag.

weatherby.com

MARK A. KEEFE, IV, EDITOR IN CHIEF

AUTO-ORDNANCE, maker of

KIMBER AEGIS ELITE CUSTOM (OI)

the semi-automatic Thompson and other vintage American designs such as the M1 and M1A1 carbines and M1911A1 pistol, has a surprise for you. When was the last time the Tommy gun got a serious update? Well, here’s a clue, Franklin Roosevelt was still president. Auto-Ordnance has produced a concept gun with a new streamlined upper receiver, a 16" barrel with a muzzle brake and a rounded aluminum fore-end—and, yes, it’s M-LOK-compatible. Built on a semi-automatic M1927 lower with an all-new side-cocking upper, this Tactical Tommy gun takes your favorite AR pistol grip and has an M4-style adjustable buttstock. The nal design hasn’t entered production, but judging by the response so far, it’s coming. Although it will take the excellent Thompson stick magazine, Auto-Ordnance advises it may take a different drum than the one designed by John Taliaferro Thompson and his crew back in 1919. auto-ordnance.com

AUTO-ORDNANCE TACTICAL THOMPSON

COLT NIGHT COBRA

BROWNING AMMUNITION notched a win with an NRA Golden Bullseye last year—the best ammunition line launch I’ve seen—and now it is expanding its offerings for hunters with the BXC Controlled Expansion series. Designed for deep penetration in big game, such as elk, bear and moose, the BXC has a thick jacket bonded to a lead core in heavy-for-caliber bullets. Topping the bullet is an anodized aluminum Terminal Tip— that’s not melting on its way downrange. Initial offerings are: 135 gr., 6.5 mm Creedmoor; 145 gr., .270 Win.; 145 gr., .270 WSM; 155 gr., 7 mm Rem. Mag.; 168 gr., .308 Win.; 185 gr., .30-’06 Sprg.; 185 gr., .300 WSM; and 185 gr., .300 Win. Mag.

browningammo.com

COLT was one of the biggest stories last year when, for the rst time in decades, it got back in the double-action revolver business with the six-shot, 2"-barreled .38 Spl. Cobra. Now the West Hartford, Conn., maker has upgraded its modern snubbie with the Night Cobra. The gun’s stainless steel parts are covered with a black DLC coating, while the hammer is bobbed, making this a double-action-only revolver. The Cobra’s method of front sight attachment—via an Allen screw at the front—allowed for a tritium front sight on the Night Cobra, while the rear remains a notch cut into the topstrap. Upgraded G10 stocks with a little extra room for the pinky give shooters more to hold onto while ring. While not going full Fitz Special with a cut out trigger guard, the Night Cobra will no doubt interest those in the market for a concealed-carry sixgun. colt.com

FEDERAL’S .224 Valkyrie is, no doubt, the biggest ammunition introduction of 2018. The new cartridge, based on the 6.8 mm SPC case necked down, nips at the heels of the 6.5 mm Creedmoor in terms of ballistic performance, but in a cartridge case that will t inside a .223/5.56 mm platform. The .224 Valkyrie, from a 24" barrel, propels a 90-gr. Sierra MatchKing at 2700 f.p.s from the muzzle and stays supersonic out to 1,300 yds. After ring a few magazines of .224 Valkyrie, the 6.5 mm Creedmoor feels like a cannon. The .224 is soft-shooting and hardly discernible from a .223 Rem. What makes the .224 Valkyrie shine, though, is not just its performance, but its price. Federal will be able to produce ammunition at a fairly low cost. How inexpensive? How about less than $14 a box in the American Eagle line? federalpremium.com

REMINGTON introduced its pump-action Model 870 in 1950, and with more than 11 million made, it is hands-down the most popular shotgun of all time. The Model 870 DM (p. 76) does something other 870s don’t; it feeds from a detachable box magazine. Gone is the underbarrel tubular magazine (it still supports the fore-end, though), a new assembly added to the underside’s loading port allows the gun to accept either three- or six-round polymer detachable magazines (thus, the “DM”). The gun comes with an 18½ " cylinder-bore barrel topped with a brass bead. You can get it in basic black, with a Magpul stock and fore-end, in camou age with thumbhole stock, in TAC-14 guise with a Shockwave bird’s head grip and Magpul foreend, or, my favorite, with an old-school hardwood stock and corncob fore-end. remington.com

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY has been making the M1A, the semi-automatic-only successor to the M14, since 1974. For years, the .308 Win. M1A,

little extra room for the pinky give shooters more to hold onto while ring. While not going full Fitz Special with a cut out trigger guard, the Night

SPRINGFIELD M1A LOADED 6.5 CREEDMOOR

especially in its National Match con guration, ruled the 1,000-yd. line at Camp Perry. Not that anyone needs a reason to want an M1A, but chambering it in 6.5 mm Creedmoor? Oh, yeah. The company announced three variations in the popular chambering. The M1A Loaded 6.5 Creedmoor is offered with a choice of a solid black composite stock, or a precision-adjustable stock in black or FDE. It features a National Match Grade, stainless steel, 22" medium-weight barrel with fourgroove, 1:8", right-hand twist ri ing and a muzzle brake. A NM 0.062" post front sight is paired with a NM non-hooded 0.052" aperture rear sight, an arrangement ideal for distant targets and capable of half-m.o.a. windage adjustments and 1-m.o.a. elevation shifts. The two-stage National Match trigger is tuned for a 4-lb., 8-oz. to 5-lb. pull.

spring eld-armory.com

BRIAN C. SHEETZ, SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR

FEDERAL .224 VALKYRIE

HEIZER’S PKO 45 is a compact, all-metal, internal-hammer- red, semi-automatic .45 ACP pistol that measures only eight-tenths of an inch wide. Manufactured by aerospace fabricator Heizer Defense, makers of the similarly slim PAK1, PAR1 and PS1 single-shots, the PKO 45 is unconventional, with a xed, ported, 2.75" barrel whose axis lies below that of the guide rod assembly and below much of the slide’s mass to enhance accuracy and reduce muzzle ip, respectively. Magazine capacity is ve rounds in the ush- t style or seven for the extended style. The PKO 45 features a manual, bilateral, frame-mounted safety and frontstrap-mounted grip safety along with slidestop and magazine buttons. Both front and rear sights are dovetailed to the slide. The aluminumframe PKO 45 weighs approximately 25 ozs. and is available in Ghost Grey, Copperhead and Tactical Black. A titanium-frame variant is in the works.

heizerdefense.com

HENRY has brought back one of the simplest ideas in long arms with its line of Single Shot Ri es. Models are available with matte- nish steel frames chambered in .223 Rem., 243 Win., .308 Win., .44 Mag. and .45-70 Gov’t, and in high-polish brass frames chambered in .44 Mag. and .45-70 Gov’t. Barrels measure 22" and feature fully adjustable folding-leaf rear and brassbead front sights and are drilled and tapped for optional scope use. Walnut furniture complements the curved pistol grip wrist and solid rubber recoil pad on steel models and the straight English wrist and brass buttplate on brass models. The non-ejecting extractor and top lever, which can be pressed left or right to open the action, make for simple operation. Safety is by way of an external hammer spur, a rebounding hammer that can’t contact the ring pin unless the trigger is deliberately pulled, and an interlock system that prevents the barrel from opening if the hammer is cocked or closing if the hammer is cocked while the action is open. henryusa.com

R UGER R IMFIRE P RECISION

SAR USA SAR9 HEIZER PKO 45

HENRY SINGLE SHOT RIFLE

INLAND M30-C

IWI US TAVOR TS12

INLAND, the maker of period-faithful M1 carbines, has introduced modern variations built on a chassis-style stock made by Sage. The stock, machined from billet aluminum then hardcoat anodized, provides bilateral sling points and multiple rail-mounting options for accessories. The M30-C carbine model features a 16.25" barrel—chambered, of course, for the .30 Carbine cartridge—and has a 1/2x28 TPI threaded muzzle capped with a birdcage-style ash suppressor. Other features include a Picatinny rear sight base and Picatinny-topped fore-end, a push-button safety, a round bolt and one included straight 10-round magazine. The magazine catch also accommodates curved, 30-round examples. The M30-C’s furniture is made by Ergo and includes that company’s Suregrip pistol grip and MSR multi-position buttstock assembly. inlanddepot.com

IWI US has expanded its Tavor family of bullpups with the addition of a shotgun. The TS12 is a 28.34"-long, gas-operated semi-automatic that feeds from one of three magazine tubes—each of which holds four 3" or ve 2¾" shells, for a total on-board capacity of 12 to 15. The tubes’ triangular arrangement allows each of the two not aligned with the barrel to be loaded or unloaded from its respective side of the gun. After the center magazine is emptied, the next tube is manually rotated into position and the gun automatically feeds the rst shell into the chamber. The ejection port, too, can be easily changed to either side to accommodate right- or left-hand users. Other features include: four sling cups, M-LOK-compatible rails, an expansive topside Picatinny rail to accommodate optics and Benelli/Beretta-compatible choke tube threading on the 18.5" barrel. iwius.com

RUGER now has a rim re understudy to its trendsetting center- re Precision Ri e. Just like its big brother, the Rim re Precision is based on its counterpart American bolt-action receiver, but it differs by way of a chassis-style stock molded of glass- lled Nylon. The ri e’s buttstock features quick-change adjustments for length of pull and comb height, and the 15" free- oat aluminum handguard features M-LOK slots on multiple sides for the mounting of accessories. The cold-hammerforged 18" barrel has a threaded muzzle and can be replaced easily using AR-type wrenches. Other features that make the Rim re Precision perfect for long-range rim re competition or PRS practice include: a receiver-mounted scope rail with a 30-m.o.a. elevation cant; an oversize bolt handle; bolt travel that can be changed from a rim relike 1½" to a center- re-like 3"; and, of course, compatibility with the full range of rotary 10/22 magazines. ruger.com

SAR USA, which carries rearms manufactured by Sarsilmaz of Turkey, has released its SAR9, a 17-plus-one-capacity 9 mm Luger pistol with a polymer frame and advanced features similar to those found on more expensive European brands. The company claims to have torture-tested the pistol to extreme limits in its state-of-the-art factory by subjecting it to: temperature ranges from -50° F to 130° F, salt, rain, solar radiation, high altitude, fouling, drop tests and 150,000 rounds of live re. The 27-oz., 4.4"-barreled pistol has bilateral safety levers, a reversible magazine release and a trigger blade safety, making it usable by either right- or left-handed shooters. Three sizes of interchangeable backstraps and side panels adapt its grip to a wide variety of hand sizes, while front and rear cocking serrations and a pull-down slide release facilitate easy loading/press-checks and maintenance, respectively. sarusa.com

FRANCHI MOMENTUM

JOE KURTENBACH, MANAGING EDITOR

AXIL is probably best known for its crowdfunded innovation in hearing protection, and particularly for its GhostStryke earbuds that feature “smart” digital sound suppression and ampli cation technology. Now Axil is venturing a step further by incorporating its hearing protection into a personal sound system for everyday use. GhostStryke Bluetooth is a tethered pair of earbuds that will include not only digital hearing protection and sound enhancement, it will also feature Bluetooth technology, improved speakers, a microphone and a mini-USB-rechargeable lithium battery. So whether you’re shooting at the range, talking on the phone or listening to music, the portable and affordable GhostStryke Bluetooth is intended to provide a one-stop solution for your everyday audio needs. goaxil.com

FRANCHI may be best known for its Italianmade, yet reasonably priced, sporting shotguns, but the company is forging a new path by entering the bolt-action ri e market, and doing so in style. The new Momentum ri e was designed with an emphasis on ergonomic excellence, and its graceful

AXIL GHOSTSTRYKE BLUETOOTH

ROCK ISLAND ARMORY TRADITIONAL SINGLE SHOT 12 GAUGE

MARLIN MODEL 1894 CSBL

lines belie not only the stock’s synthetic construction, but also the ri e’s price tag—suggested retail is right around $600. Initial chamberings for the Momentum will be .243 Win., 6.5 mm Creedmoor, .270 Win., .308 Win., .30-’06 Sprg. and .300 Win. Mag. The ri es feature a uted bolt, an adjustable, single-stage trigger and a free- oat 22" or 24" barrel, depending on chambering. Models with threaded and non-threaded barrels will be available, as will a scope/ri e package that includes a Burris Full eld II 3-9X 40 mm ri escope.

franchiusa.com

MARLIN has expanded its Model 1894 leveraction line to include models chambered for .357 Mag./.38 Spl. The Model 1894 CSBL is particularly interesting as a modern and durable rendition of the classic carbine. It features stainless steel construction paired with a laminate stock for a high degree of weather resistance. The CSBL also comes standard with an optics rail and ghost ring sight from XS Sights, an enlarged lever loop, and a compact 16.5" barrel and six-round magazine tube. Given the popularity of the .357 Mag./.38 Spl. chamberings, and the range of production ammunition for both cartridges, the 1894 CBSL stands out as a very versatile ri e. marlin rearms.com

NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM has doubled down on its partnership with Agency Arms, Railscales and Hillbilly 223—custom-grade purveyors of machined slides, stock panels and Cerakote nishes, respectively—by introducing the Nighthawk Custom Agent2. Despite being a budget buster, the Agent2 is well worth seeing as it exempli es some of the highest-quality craftsmanship and high-end feature sets available in any pistol today. Built in Nighthawk’s traditional fashion—one gun, one gunsmith—the Agency-machined slide is hand- t to gunsmith—the Agency-machined slide is hand- t to the frame and barrel, Railscales G10 stocks provide the frame and barrel, Railscales G10 stocks provide purchase and personality, and the whole assembly purchase and personality, and the whole assembly is nished in Hillbilly 223’s Nighthawk Smoke Cerakote. The full-size 1911 can be had in either .45 ACP or 9 mm Luger, and it also features a Heinie Ledge rear sight paired with a ber-optic front, a lightened Recon-style accessory rail on the dustcover, and a one-piece mainspring housing/extended magazine well assembly. nighthawkcustom.com

ROCK ISLAND ARMORY is now offering an entire catalog of shotguns, ranging in operation from single-shots and pump-actions to autoloaders and over-unders, and running the gamut from defensive, tactical-style platforms to sporting and competition con gurations. The shotguns are being manufactured in Turkey to Rock Island’s speci cations, and are designed to match the company’s ethos of affordable accuracy. And lest one think price is the only consideration, Rock Island is also guaranteeing the guns’ quality with the same lifetime warranty provided with its M1911s and other Rock Island-manufactured rearms. One model that caught my eye was the Traditional Single Shot 12 gauge, which sports a 20" barrel, 3" chamber, a muzzle brake and a suggested price of less than $150. rockislandarmory.com

TAURUS has gone back to the basics with some of its 2018 introductions by eshing out its M1911 family of pistols to include Commander and Of cer models. As one might expect, the Commander has a shortened slide assembly paired with a full-size frame. The slide features broad cocking serrations fore and aft, is topped by Novak drift-adjustable sights and accommodates the gun’s 4.2" barrel. Smaller still, the Taurus 1911 Of cer is built around a 3.5" barrel and a shortened grip frame, and is the company’s smallest and lightest M1911 rendition. Both guns are chambered for .45 ACP, utilize left-side-only manual safeties and are possessed of a very business-like appearance due to their matte-black nish and black appearance due to their matte-black nish and black checkered stocks. taurususa.comcheckered stocks. taurususa.com

continued on p. 112

NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM AGENT2

TAURUS 1911 OFFICER