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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

V Z W E A P O N Samericanshootingjournal.com OLUTIONS.COM 9

A MERIC A N

SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 6 // Issue 4 // January 2017 PUBLISHER

James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Dick Openshaw

GENERAL MANAGER

John Rusnak

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andy Walgamott EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Craig Hodgkins

LEAD CONTRIBUTOR

Mike Dickerson CONTRIBUTORS

Larry Case, Brad Fitzpatrick, Scott Haugen, Phil Massaro, Rob Reed, Oleg Volk SALES MANAGER

Katie Higgins

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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

Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS

Michelle Hatcher, Sam Rockwell, Liz Weickum PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Kelly Baker

OFFICE MANAGER/ ACCOUNTING

Audra Higgins

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

WrenTe ch Industr ies LLC. The Problem Solving Sights

Shot Show B ooth #6106

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INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER

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WEBMASTER / INBOUND MARKETING

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DIGITAL ASSISTANT

Samantha Morstan CIRCULATION MANAGER

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Gary Bickford, Barry Johnston, Tony Sorrentino ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

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ON THE COVER Team Taurus captain Jessie Duff is one of the top competitive shooters in the world. Recently, at the U.S. IPSC Nationals, Duff captured her second IPSC title with a win in the Ladies Open Division, which qualiﬁes her for the World Shoot in 2017. (TAURUS)

Advantage Tactical Sight (ATS)

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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

COME SEE THE

HOT NEW STYLES FOR 2017.

BOOTH 12740.

CONTENTS

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 5 • JANUARY 2017

FEATURES

LEADING LADY TO GRAND MASTER

RANDOM SHOTS: ONE SWEET RETURN Browning’s classic A5 shotgun is back in a technologically updated package, and our Mike Dickerson tries the Sweet Sixteen out on South Dakota pheasants.

THE BULLET BULLETIN: KING OF THE (BIG) GAME The GameKing from Sierra Bullets is one of columnist Phil Massaro’s long-time hunting favorites. In an everchanging industry, how has it held up so well over the decades for North American and African big game?

124 ACCURATE ADAPTION SIG Sauer’s MPX family of pistol-caliber firearms continues to expand, and Oleg Volk gladly gave the 9mm pistol version a proper test.

135 SWAMP THANG No style of shotgun is cussed and discussed as often as those used for waterfowl, but Larry Case boldly adds his opinions on CZ-USA’s new Swamp Magnum to the mix.

177

ROAD HUNTER: 1 KNIFE Where weight’s a constraint, backcountry hunters need to consider how many knives they really need to bring. Scott Haugen has the answer – and it will surprise you.

193 RUGER’S LITTLE ‘DO EVERYTHING PISTOL’ It’s been a couple of years since Ruger altered their LCR design to create the LCRx – Rob Reed revisits the lightweight pistol to see why it remains a popular choice.

(TAURUS)

With multiple championships in ﬁve different disciplines, Jessie Duff may be the most gifted and versatile competition shooter active today. What makes her tick, and what else does she want to accomplish? (Hint: shoot skeet better). Editor Craig Hodgkins checks in with the Team Taurus captain.

233 GETTING THERE: JEEP’S ROSE OF A COMPASS This newly redesigned for 2017 compact SUV blends real-world civility with off-road prowess. Brad Fitzpatrick climbs inside for a review from a shooter’s perspective.

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

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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CONTENTS

27 SHOT SHOW PREVIEW 24 29 49 75 93 99 105 107 113 145 187 205 231

Win Prizes With ASJ’s ‘Golden Ticket’! Seminar Schedule Riﬂes Optics Ammunition Reloading Black Powder Industry Handguns Gear for Guns Knives Gear Adventure

DEPARTMENTS 17 19 21

Editor’s Note Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

The much-anticipated Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show comes to Las Vegas this month, and we preview e hot new guns, gear and more for show-goers and readers eaders alike! a

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

EDITOR’S NOTE appy New Year! I hope your recent holidays were all that you’d hoped they’d be, and that your ambitious list of New Year’s resolutions hasn’t already fallen by the wayside. I also hope that things are already looking up for your personal 2017. As you have probably already figured out by the big words on the cover, this month’s issue focuses heavily on the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show set to kick off in Las Vegas the middle of this month. SHOT is a big deal for us and for this industry, and even if you are not able to attend, you’re certainly interested in learning about what new products your favorite brands will be premiering there. If you will be there, please stop by our American Shooting Journal booth #408 for a visit. We know you’ll have a legion of other (albeit lesser) things to attract and distract you, so to encourage you to stop by, we’ve continued our tradition of offering a passel of daily prizes which we award by spinning our enormous raffle wheel from the first hour of the first day of the show. What are some of these prizes? Although our industry friends continue to donate items to the cause, here are a few “for sure” items that made the final cut before the presses began to roll on this issue: rifles from Layke Tactical (in 6.5 Creedmoor), Jersey Elite (an AR-15 competition model) and MKS Supply/Hi-Point (their 995TS 9mm carbine), a Halon bow from Matthews, a biometric handgun safe from Liberty Safe, a PEET Shoe Dryer and holsters, knives, packs, gun lube, cleaning kits, AR parts

and gift certiﬁcates. Just stop by the booth during the show for the most up-to-date list. How can you win one of these fabulous prizes? I’m glad you asked. All you need to do is bring an ASJ “Golden Ticket” to the booth during regular show hours, present it to one of our intrepid staffers, get in line, and spin the wheel when it is your turn. Each spot on the wheel is a guaranteed winner; the spin (where the wheel stops, actually) merely determines your prize. Nothing could be simpler, and you won’t even have to buy a vowel.

Regular readers of this magazine will already have an edge, because a copy of your personal Golden Ticket may be found on page 24 of this issue. But if you don’t want to carry the magazine around with you at the show, you can visit AmericanShootingJournal.com and click on the appropriate link to access a Golden Ticket there. What’s that, you say? Your ﬂip phone doesn’t have Internet access? No problem. Just visit the booth of one (or all) of our partners listed below, and they will give you a Golden Ticket as well. –Craig Hodgkins

Golden Ticket Vendors American Built Arms Booth 7006

Hogue Booths 15743, 20501, 15545

C.J. Weapons Accessories Booth N363

Kakadu Booth 10035

Clinger Holsters Booth 1967

Layke Tactical Booth N252

Davidson’s Gallery of Guns Booth 13946

Liberty Safes Booth 13623

Dead On Arms Booth 4364

Luth AR Booth 10773

Desert Tech Booth 31502

MKS Booth 16144

DEZ Tactical Booth 549

PEET Shoe Dryer Booth 1025

Elftmann Tactical Booth 4363

Shooting Chrony Booth 2617

FrogLube Booth 20405

Triple K Booth 1710

Handi-Racker Booth 3761

Western Powders Booth 3227

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Presented By:

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Scott zeros in his M16A2 rifle before shooting on the qualification range during the Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year competition at Fort Jackson, S.C. (US ARMY)

January 27-29 PRS Finale - Presented by Bushnell Barksdale, Texas

January 19-21 Florida State Championship Frostproof, Fla.

January 7-8 Homestead Glock Challenge I Homestead Training Center Homestead, Fla.

January 21-22 Vegas High Rollers Challenge XII Sureﬁre Institute Range at Pro Gun Club Boulder City, Nev.

January 14-15 Ascension GSSF Challenge I East Ascension Practical Shooters Gonzales, La.

January 27-29 Central Florida Ballistic Challenge XV Central Florida Riﬂe & Pistol Club Orlando, Fla.

January 10 NRA Range IDPA NRA HQ Range Fairfax, Va.

January 21 Healy Arms Arizona State IDPA Championship – Tier 3 Phoenix Rod & Gun Club Phoenix, Ariz.

January 22 PGC January Match Palmetto Gun Club Ridgeville, S.C.

January 22-23 Eastern Nebraska Gun Club Match Eastern Nebraska Gun Club Louisville, Neb. americanshootingjournal.com 19

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PRIMER

GUNSHOW C A L E N D A R

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To have your event highlighted here, send an email to chodgkins@media-inc.com.

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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2017 SHOT SHOW GIVEAWAY DOWNLOAD A GOLDEN TICKET, SPIN THE WHEEL & WIN GREAT PRIZES!

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

39th Annual

SHOT Show new guns, gear & More BY CRAIG HODGKINS • PHOTOS BY NSSF

A huge crowd waits for the SHOT Show doors to open.

ach winter, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) hosts the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, which brings together manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and press for a four-day exhibition extravaganza. The 2016 show broke attendance records, and this year’s event is anticipated to as well, as an estimated 65,000 enthusiasts will converge on the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas to see and sample the latest and greatest from the world’s top manufacturers. The show began in 1978. Before that time, shooting and hunting equipment was categorized alongside tennis rackets and surfboards at sporting goods shows, and industry executives felt the need to have a showcase of their own. There were less than 100 exhibitors at the ﬁrst iteration of SHOT. Today, there are more than 1,600 booths, making it one of the largest trade shows in all of North America. SHOT is not open to the general public, but more than 2,500 members of the mainstream media and outdoor press from around the world attend and report on their behalf. This includes staff from the American Shooting Journal (located at booth #408) and its sister publications, Northwest Sportsman, California Sportsman and Alaska Sporting Journal. A highlight in recent years, invited attendees have been taking part in a special Industry Day at the Range, which this year takes place Monday, Jan. 16, the day before the show opens. The day will be split into morning and afternoon sessions. The ﬁrst will be open to up to 1,000 media, and the second is open to invited buyers, dealers, distributors and retailers. If you’re attending the show, we hope to see you there, but if not, we hope the following pages provide a ticket into the wonder that is SHOT Show.

Attendees travel from all over the world to get their hands on new products.

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

SEMINARS

The SHOT Show is more than huge crowds and massive exhibits ﬁlled with the newest outdoor industry products. Each year, the National Shooting S Sports Foundation schedules dozens of educational seminars across multiple tracks for retailers, law enforcement personnel and, for the ﬁrst time this year, industry executive management professionals. Topics in the SHOT Show Retailer Seminars are developed from inquiries and feedback received all year long from businesses and a special retail advisory council. Attendees can learn more about important industry challenges, better management practices, and ways to make a business stand out.

TUESDAY, JAN. 17 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM LANDO 4301B SPEAKERS: MICHAEL PATRICK, CHRIS RENZULLI, JOHN RENZULLI As innovation and competition in the industry grows, industry members are increasingly faced with the task of ensuring that their valuable brands, products and properties are sufficiently protected, as well as responding to third-party threats to their brands, products, properties and business. This presentation discusses the practical and legal aspects of protecting and exploiting brands, products and properties in the context of trademarks, patents, copyrights and trade secrets, including the benefits of federal registration, developing enforcement strategies that identify and target threats to those properties (including potential infringers) and exploiting properties to increase value and profits (such as through licensing).

ASK THE FBI/NICS 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM LANDO 4301B SPEAKER: JOANN GARRISON Do you have questions for the NICS staff but have been unable to ask? The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is pleased to host a session for you to learn everything you didn’t know about the NICS. A panel of NICS experts is on hand to answer your questions regarding the New NICS, the NICS E-Check, NICS processing, and provide helpful tips and resources. NICS staff also covers other important program information that every FFL should be aware of, and presents those attending with the opportunity to inquire on any aspect of the NICS that he/she may be interested in. Listen to what other FFLs in the industry are asking and gain knowledge to help make your NICS background check process more efﬁcient.

NFA FORMS - DO THEM RIGHT THE FIRST TIME 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM LANDO 4301B SPEAKER: WALLY NELSON Customer demand for suppressors and shortbarreled riﬂes has continued to rise in 2016 and shows no signs of slowing down, and can be relatively high-margin products for your store. Several additional states have legalized NFA

firearms. In July 2016, there were significant regulatory changes concerning the transfers of NFA firearms to retailer customers. Former ATF Deputy Assistant Director Wally Nelson discusses NFA regulations and forms from the point of view of the retailer. He covers ATF Form 3, the significantly revised ATF Form 4 and the new Responsible Person Questionnaire ATF Form 5320.23 in detail, as well as current processing times. This one-and-a-half-hour session allows plenty of time for questions.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18 ASK A FIREARMS ATTORNEY 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM LANDO 4301B SPEAKER: CHRIS RENZULLI Ever have that one nagging question that you wish you could ask an attorney, specifically an attorney who specializes in the firearms industry? Well, now is your chance! NSSF has partnered with one of the top law firms in the country that provides support and assistance to the firearms industry to answer your questions. Join NSSF and three of the partners and founders of the Renzulli law firm as they take time to answer your questions and provide insight into the legal workings of our industry.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE FIREARMS RETAILER 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM LANDO 4301B SPEAKER: JULIE GOLOB Social media is an amazing resource that can help you reach both loyal and potential customers. It’s also the Wild West of marketing! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat – there are so many social media networks to navigate, and firearms retailers face specific challenges with advertising restrictions. This seminar, explores various popular social media networks and how you can make an effective presence, engage with customers, and build loyalty for your business in the firearms industry.

SELLING AIRGUNS AT RETAIL 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM LANDO 4301B SPEAKER: STEPHEN ARCHER More airguns are sold in the U.S. every year than rifled firearms. “Selling Airguns at Retail” equips firearms dealers with information and knowledge to profitably participate in this large, closely associated market.

Learn about the US airgun market; why customers buy airguns; how to make money selling them; and where to source product. This session also includes a crash course on the multiple types of airguns – they don’t all operate in the same way and the differences are important to understand. Attendees also receive a package of detailed information specially developed by Stephen Archer to accompany this session and unavailable elsewhere.

ATF - FBI/NICS TOWNHALL MEETING 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM LANDO 4301B SPEAKERS: KRISSY Y. CARLSON, ERIC EPSTEIN, CURTIS GILBERT, ANDREW GRAHAM, EARL GRIFFITH, ANDREW LANGE, MARVIN G. RICHARDSON, GARY TAYLOR, KIMBERLY DEL GRECO, STEPHEN L. MORRIS All retailers and range owners are cordially invited to join NSSF for a very special Town Hall Meeting. ATF and FBI/NICS professionals will be on hand to answer your questions, address concerns and provide information on the latest updates to the New NICS system. ATF will start the Town Hall Meeting by providing an overview of its operations, followed by a discussion of statistical trends and upcoming changes to the regulations. FBI/NICS will then take the podium to review the implementation of NICS 2.0 and discuss further improvements to the program. An interactive question-and-answer session will close this important component of this session.

2017 SHOT SHOW HOURS TUESDAY, JAN. 17 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, JAN. 19 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, JAN. 20 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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SEMINARS GUIDANCE ON UK/US IMPORT/EXPORT LEGISLATION 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM LANDO 4301B SPEAKER: JOHN BATLEY The session covers an explanation of UK firearms legislation; what people may acquire, possess and use; and how these items are licensed and controlled. Further, this session touches on import procedures and documentation for firearms from the USA to the UK and the European Union, and also export procedures from the UK to the EU and further afield. This session wraps up with a discussion covering physical carriage and transport of firearms to and from the UK, the EU and the USA.

THURSDAY, JAN. 19 SELLING HOLSTERS AT RETAIL 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM LANDO 4301B SPEAKER: RANDI ROGERS For most handgun sales, the next question should always be “And what kind of holster would you like?” While easy to say, it can be a hard sell if you don’t know all the ins and outs of the different types of holsters, the different types of materials, and the different ways men and women carry ﬁrearms. The good news is world-class shooter and Comp-Tac Holster product manager Randi Rogers covers all of those questions and more in this one-hour, interactive session. Randi also discusses selling tips for both men and women shooters, the different materials available for holsters and the beneﬁts of each, and the different types of concealment and completion holsters. If you want to increase your holster sales, better serve your customers and have a better understanding of this product line, then don’t miss this session!

LEVERAGING THE INDUSTRY’S HOTTEST TECHNOLOGY TRENDS 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM LANDO 4301B SPEAKER: JON RYDBERG Firearm companies rely on technology to enable their business. More than ever before, these tools are being deployed to drive improved retail sales, manufacturing output and coordination across the supply chain. Spend an hour with Jon and his team and learn about: software and data analytics being used to predict consumer buying habits; applications that provide visibility to inventory levels and assist with order placement from manufacturer to distributor to retailer; retail point-of-sale applications and how they further integrate with the regulatory environment; and software and hardware driven manufacturing excellence.

EXPORT COMPLIANCE BASICS 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM LANDO 4301B SPEAKERS: CHRIS CHIAFULLO, RYAN CLECKNER This class is an absolute must for any manufacturer, distributor or retailer who is either currently exporting or thinking about getting into the business of exporting controlled products. A single error can cost you tens of thousands of dollars and could land you in jail. This session covers the export control regulations covered under the International Trafﬁc in Arms Regulations (ITAR), deﬁnitions under ITAR, the licensing process, what products are covered under the State Department versus Commerce Department, and practices to ensure your compliance regime is bullet-proof.

SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY

WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT? UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER SEGMENTS IN OUR INDUSTRY 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM LANDO 4301B SPEAKERS: JIM CURCURUTO, ROB SOUTHWICK

In addition to the regular retail seminars presented throughout the week, attendees can choose to attend the SHOT Show University, which is always held the day before the ofﬁcial show opening, which this year is Monday, Jan. 16. Some of this year’s topics and speakers include:

Using cookie-cutter ads and treating all consumers the same way is a recipe for mediocrity. Not all gun owners want the same thing, and they shouldn’t be marketed to in the same way. Join NSSF’s Jim Curcuruto and Southwick Associates’ Rob Southwick as they discuss ﬁndings from a recent study that introduces you to eight newly identiﬁed consumer segments within our industry and get to know the unique persona of each segment. Take a deep dive into their consciousness and learn about their wants, needs and motivations for buying – all in an effort to improve your consumer knowledge.

INCREASE MARGINS THROUGH TRAINING SPEAKER: ED SANTOS

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

SEVEN TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP SPEAKER: NANCY FRIEDMAN

STRAW PURCHASES AND NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT SPEAKER: WALLY NELSON

ADVANCED SOCIAL MEDIA TECHNIQUES FOR FIREARMS RETAILERS SPEAKER: MICHELLE SCHUEURMAN ATF FORM 4473 REVIEW SPEAKERS: JEAN ZABEL, HARRY MCCABE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES: HOW TO GET IT ALL DONE SPEAKER: CARLA NEER DEALERS AND RANGE LEGAL FORMALITIES: FORM, BUY, SELL, MERGE, FINANCE SPEAKER: JOSEPH KAVAN SECONDHAND FIREARMS: BUSINESS RISK EVALUATION AND COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS SPEAKER: ALEXIS RIMES ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION BOOK - KEYS TO COMPLIANCE SPEAKERS: JEAN ZABEL, HARRY MCCABE RETAIL TO RANGE - ADDING A RANGE TO YOUR BUSINESS SPEAKERS: DOUG VANDERWOUDE, JOE KEFFER MANAGING IN THE MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKPLACE SPEAKER: DAN COATES MAKING MONEY FROM DAY 1: SURVIVING THE FIRST TWO YEARS SPEAKER: ROBBIE BROWN STARTING A RANGE WITH AN SBA LOAN SPEAKER: BRYAN STEAR COMPLIANCE FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER SPEAKER: ADAM GALBRAITH HOW TO PROTECT AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS BY EMBRACING PAYMENT TECHNOLOGIES SPEAKER: KRISTA LOWERY RANGE PROMOTIONS SPEAKER: JARED SLOANE

americanshootingjournal.com 31

FROM LEADING LADY

TO GRAND MASTER

With multiple championships across ﬁve disciplines, Team Taurus Captain Jessie Duff may be the most versatile competition shooter active today. STORY BY CRAIG HODGKINS • PHOTOS BY TAURUS

f you are of a certain age, you’ll recall a time when Jessie Duff was not winning shooting championships. But to the generation of competitors coming of age today, her name is as familiar atop an event leader board as a sponsor’s logo. From her first championship in 2005 to her most recent, the captain of Team Taurus has toted home the victor’s hardware nearly 150 times, often with wins in multiple divisions of the same competition. What makes this gaudy total even more impressive is that in an age of overspecialization, she’s achieved her competitive milestones across five different shooting disciplines and multiple event types.

BORN INTO A SHOOTING FAMILY in McDonough, Ga., a community in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Duﬀ didn’t immediately follow in the footsteps of her father, a competitive shooter in his own right. “I didn’t take to it early on,” she told me recently, “even though I grew up on the range with my dad, my mom and my brother. I’d shoot on the range with them, but didn’t feel the need to compete until I was about 15.” 32

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Her dad was involved in cowboy action shooting at the time, so that’s where she began too. The urge to compete may have come a bit late for Duff, whose only experience with organized sports was as a cheerleader, but the timing was clearly right. “I just found my niche,” she recalled. “Team sports weren’t for me, but I found something that I was good at and could grow and get better at. I just needed to find it on my own instead of feeling forced to do it.” After her initial success, Duff began to contemplate a possible career as a shooter. “From the moment I shot and competed, I knew that shooting was what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know how that could be possible. You weren’t allowed sponsors in cowboy action shooting. It wasn’t anything that you could make a living at; it was simply for fun.” Her potential for making a living at shooting took a positive turn about five years later when her local range held a Steel Challenge event. She decided to give the new competition format a try. “(At first), I would go and shoot it with my single-action revolvers, but that’s when I was exposed to 1911s and Glocks and all of these semiauto firearms. It was a whole new world, and that’s where I saw that people had

Jessie Duff has been the captain of Team Taurus for five years. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first female athlete and professional shooter to earn USPSA Grand Master status.

sponsors and could make something out of that.” Again, the timing was right for Duff to take another career step. Julie Golob had left Team Glock, and the company hired Duff and fellow CAS shooter Randi Rogers. But even before she went to work for Glock, the U.S. offices of which are based near Atlanta, she had come to truly appreciate her local roots. “I was very fortunate growing up in Georgia,” Duff said. “We had such an amazing group of world champion shooters, so I started with watching the best of the best. I would watch and emulate what they did, and that truly helped my foundation as a shooter and gave me a boost. Instead of having to learn that along the way, I learned it immediately.” But those talented homegrown shooters weren’t the only positive influences on Duff ’s professional development, a point the current champion is quick to acknowledge. “When I came into the modern shooting sports, the ladies who were killing it at the time were Kay Miculek and Lisa Munson and Julie Golob and Athena Lee, and that’s what I wanted to do. When I say I set my goal to beat them, I mean that with the utmost respect because they were the best. I wanted to be at their level or better. It took me a while, because they’re so good, but eventually I made my way into the sport and found a place among the other top ladies.” Shooting multiple disciplines over the past decade has enabled Duff to identify how to train and what to work on. And for her, it is all about focusing on what she considers to be the basics, and then migrating those skills from event to event. “The common denominator across all of it is sight alignment and trigger control,” she said. “If you can manage that, then the rest is just going to come with repetition, muscle memory and physical fitness. Shooting is shooting, whether you’re going super fast at Steel Challenge, whether you’re going super slow but being extremely accurate at Bianchi, or USPSA where 34

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Duff feels right at home on competition courses of all types.

americanshootingjournal.com 35

A closer look at Duff’s current competiton rig.

it’s a mix of both, but you add in running, and a physical aspect. You still have to line your sights up and not jerk the trigger.” “When I started shooting Bianchi,” she adds, “it was like nothing else I do on any other platform. I had to learn how to control my trigger control. I can get away with a lot more in Steel Challenge and USPSA, but in Bianchi, you can’t get away with anything. You’ve got a 4-inch circle, and if you’re not hitting it, it’s very, very obvious. “I also had to learn to slow down. Everything I’ve shot is based oﬀ of speed, and in Bianchi, even though there’s a time limit, it’s like a calendar year compared to what I do. I had to learn to use the time that is given so 36

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

that I don’t get rushed or feel like I have to shoot six shots as fast as I can because that’s what I do in the other sports. It was a big learning process for me, but trigger control transfers over to everything else and just makes me a better shooter in all the other divisions.” DUFF’S WORK ETHIC has paid off in many ways. As the first female athlete and professional shooter to earn USPSA Grand Master status, she finds herself in a position that few people of either gender have attained, and this has enabled her to realize a personal goal that extends beyond the sport and into the fabric of our culture. “I don’t want to be known as just

a good female shooter,” she said. “I want to be known as one of the best shooters in our sports. Gender shouldn’t matter. If I’m putting up scores that are right there with the top guys, then it shouldn’t matter if ‘lady’ is checked next to my name or not. I hope that some of the things that I’ve accomplished or done throughout my career, and what I’ll continue to do, will help open the door for other ladies. This might be a man’s sport, but we’re making our own place in it.” That door remains wide open, and this past decade has seen a large spike in participation by both women and youth in the shooting sports. As part of her role as the captain of Team Taurus, a position she has held for ﬁve years, Duﬀ helped develop the

americanshootingjournal.com 37

Taurus Young Guns shooting program. Participants in this program, referred to as “shooting ambassadors” by the Florida-based firearms manufacturer, must meet stringent requirements on and off the range, and Duff knows more than a little about the navigating the exhausting cycle of working and waiting while incrementally inching to the top echelon of the sport she loves. “There’s always a new generation coming up that’s going to take the place of who is there now,” she said. “But it takes time and hard work to get to that spot. Some new competitors who have talent beat themselves up so bad if they don’t go out and win every match right away. I tell them, ‘You’ve got to put your time in. You have talent, but so do your competitors. You’re shooting against the best, and those of us who are on the top put our time in, and it’s our time right now.’” Because she’s already walked several miles in their moccasins, her heartfelt career advice to upcoming shooters rings true, and it always starts with an admonition she tells herself every day: love what you do. “It’s like in any other sport,” she said, “If you overload someone at that age, they just get burnt out. I tell them to set goals that are realistic in the sense that you will be able to accomplish (them). I see nothing wrong with setting a goal that is over the moon, because I’ve done that myself. But along with that big ‘shoot for the stars’ goal, I’ve got other goals that are like a stairway, and that will show success and progress along the way so that you don’t get frustrated or lose interest.” “I’ve seen so many talented kids

Team Taurus may have recently updated their look, but Duff’s competitive focus remains the same.

start, and then within two years, they’re gone, and you never see them again. It’s a hard thing to sustain for a long time if you’re not making a conscious eﬀort to take care of the reason you started this, and that’s because you love it.” As she moves into her second decade as a professional shooter, Duﬀ acknowledges that she’s had to

take her own advice about training and competitions, and has adopted a more targeted strategy. “Earlier on in my shooting career,” she said, “I felt I had to be at every match that was on the schedule, and that was also kind of how I trained. I had to be out on the range, and if I didn’t shoot a thousand rounds a day, I didn’t feel like I’d accomplished anything. Now I’ve learned to train smarter and not harder, and that also (applies) to the matches I’m going to attend. I have to make sure I’m not overloading my schedule to where I’m burned out by the time I get to the major championships, but yet that I’m still motivated and able to prepare.” Despite her many

“IF I’M PUTTING UP SCORES THAT ARE RIGHT THERE WITH THE TOP GUYS, THEN IT SHOULDN’T MATTER IF ‘LADY’ IS CHECKED NEXT TO MY NAME OR NOT.” 38

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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accolades, Duff keeps her sights set on the future, and she has some lofty goals to achieve before, as she puts it, “my day in the sun is up.” “I want to win an IPSC World Shoot in Open Division,” she shared. “That’s my main goal right now. Once I’ve done that, I want to look at spending more time in other disciplines. I made Grand Master in Open, and I want to make Grand Master in other divisions.” MIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE can be a combustible combination, but Duff has the mental discipline to have made it work for more than a decade. “When I made the decision to make a career out of this, I realized that things would change taking something I love and turning it into work. I’ve always told myself, the day that I wake up and don’t want to go to the range, or I don’t have that drive to go out and be the best, then that’s when I need to find something else to do. But I haven’t had that yet.” Many people use the shooting

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Duff competes during the 2013 USPSA Nationals.

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

sports to relax and recalibrate, but professionals such as Duff, whose lives revolve around their skill and dexterity with firearms, must compartmentalize their range time on a daily basis depending on the situation at hand. “When I’m in training mode and have matches I’m preparing for,” she said, “it’s a completely different mindset than going out to the range with my dad. When I’m training, it’s all business. I have a goal, and my goal is to go and win and be the best. And I have certain things that I do at the range to prepare myself for that.” Long known for her drive to master new shooting disciplines, she is currently enjoying a self-imposed off-season, although for someone as competitive as Duff, the term “offseason” is relative. “I’m trying to learn skeet shooting,” she shared with a laugh, “and I’m absolutely horrible at it. I realize we can’t all be good at everything we do, but when it comes to shooting, that’s a hard thing for

me to grasp. I’ve shot so much, and I’ve succeeded at so much, that now when you’re telling me that I’m not supposed to aim at the target that I’m shooting at, I can’t comprehend that … It just drives me mad.” “I stood in one position on the skeet range with my dad the other day,” she continued, “and I said ‘I’m not leaving until I can master this spot.’ I shot two boxes of shells in that one spot. But it’s a new challenge. I still love to go out and be on the range, and smell the gun smoke, and share and have those memories with my dad. He shot his ﬁrst clean 25 round of skeet yesterday, and I was able to be there with him to do that.” Another thing that helps keep her life on an even keel is spending time with her husband Matt – they met on the set of the Friends of the NRA show they cohosted – and her friends. But when her internal stress dial threatens to hit 11, she has a sureﬁre way to turn down the noise. “I love horses,” she said. “I have a couple of them, and that’s my getaway.

americanshootingjournal.com 43

I go down to our farm and just hop on my horse and go. I just enjoy trail riding, finding new places, being out in nature. Something about a horse is so calming. It just relaxes me.” Duff works as an ambassador for her many sponsors, including Taurus, Hornady, Leupold, Blackhawk and several others, giving her one more set of priorities to balance. She tries to do as much of the nonevent sponsorship work as she can in her offseason, so it doesn’t conflict with her training, or, as she puts it, “the actual reason they’ve hired me.” Behind the scenes, she is active with personal efforts to support veterans and law enforcement officers, and especially assisting and encouraging female shooters. “I enjoy helping women get into the shooting sports,” she said. “There’s something about taking a lady to the range who is just terrified of firearms, but who wants to take the plunge. Just experiencing her first time shooting with her, and then seeing the excitement, the release of fear, the

FOR SOMEONE AS COMPETITIVE AS JESSIE DUFF, THE TERM “OFF-SEASON” IS RELATIVE. self-empowerment. It’s incredible.” As you would imagine, Duﬀ ’s annual SHOT Show appearance schedule is an extremely busy one, and she wants to make sure that everyone from her sponsors to her fans get the time they deserve. “From day one to day four, starting when the doors open, every hour on the hour, I’m in a diﬀerent booth. But I enjoy it. I’m a social person, so when I go to shows like this, I’m able to talk to people and visit, and hear their stories, or share some of mine. So even though it is exhausting for four days straight – with that many people in one place, the energy just drains you – it’s part of the job, and I enjoy it for the most part.”

THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY is relatively small on a national scale, and Duff often considers how she can help build bridges to the mainstream world. “I’m always thinking, ‘How can we make our pond bigger?’ I’m trying to find opportunities, because if you look at the number of people who own firearms or who hunt or who exercise their Second Amendment rights, that’s bigger than the number of people who play golf, or the number of people who do some of the other sports.” Still, not being readily recognized by those outside of the shooting world can be a source of amusement. “I love it when people ask (what I do) where I’m not recognized

See us at SHOT Show. Booth #20656 44

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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as ‘Jessie the shooter.’ If I could snap a picture of every person when I answer, I’d have quite the little photo book. It’s a great conversation starter, that’s for sure. Sometimes you get the occasional person who doesn’t have the same viewpoint as I do, but it either opens the door for a conversation – you can learn something about somebody else – or it makes for a nice quiet plane ride.” But whatever Duﬀ chooses to do, with or without a gun in her hand, she’ll give it her all. That’s the only way she knows how to live. “I’m extremely competitive. I can’t do anything mediocre. I have to give it everything I have. Otherwise, it’s not worth doing, in my opinion. That’s just what drives me. I still have things I’ve yet to accomplish, and I know that I will. It’s just a matter of time. And knowing that there are younger shooters out there – and some of them have the drive that I did – that’s what keeps pushing me to keep going.”

Duff in action at the recent USPSA Nationals.

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Rifles BEST OF THE WEST thebestofthewest.net

The Best of the West is proud to unveil two outstanding products. The ﬁrst combines the Savage Model 220 barreled action and a Huskemaw Blue Diamond 3-12X42 scope. Additional features include a wood laminate stock incorporating a tactical/sporter design, increased barrel wall thickness, upgraded metal magazine and calibrated BDC turrets validated for each system. The turret system provides both yardage and windage holds

for precision accuracy. This system will double the effective range of traditional slug gun offerings. The second product is the company’s most current shooting system development for 2017, and it takes consistent accuracy and convenience to a new level. Exclusive attributes of this system include a patentpending express priming system, side discharge muzzle break and nonsaboted bullet. Additional features include a Kevlar/ﬁberglass/carbon ﬁber composite stock, upgradable Remington trigger and a Huskemaw Blue Diamond 4-16X42 scope. Once drop data is collected from each muzzleloader, the most precise and onlyy windage-enabled ge enabled turret in the industry is installed on the scope. A complete turn-key system with all accessories is included in this package. kage.

LAYKE TACTICAL

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Jersey Elite Manufacturing produces high-end custom firearms built for competition, hunting and tactical applications. Both upper and lower receivers are manufactured from solid billet 7075 aluminum, and all of the internal pins and safety are machined from stainless steel on all of their models. The company is presently launching their newly designed AR-15 firearms in a left-hand model to complement their first-class right-hand models. Now consumers can finally purchase the AR-15 designed specifically from the ground up for left-handers to include an ambi mag release, as well as ambi safety built for southpaws. They also come in three calibers: .223/5.56, .300 Blackout and 6.8 SPC. Check out their full line of black tactical and cerakoted AR-15s at their website.

ARMALITE

armalite.com - Booth #11771 All new for 2017, Armalite introduces the redesigned AR-10PRC precision semiautomatic riﬂe. Using precision manufacturing techniques, the upper receiver has been strengthened for durability and accuracy. Combined with a 20-inch, 1:7-twist match-grade barrel, and Timney two-stage trigger, the PRC is designed for precision

The LT-9 from Layke Tactical is made of 6061 billet aluminum, and has a dedicated Glock lower receiver, able to work with any mil-spec upper receiver or available with their 9mm ejection port upper receiver, in matched sets, pistols and carbine riﬂes.

shooting applications. Equipped with the locking muzzle brake from AWC Silencers and a proprietary suppressed/unsuppressed selectable gas block, the PRC is AWC THOR PSR-L suppressor ready. The new M-Lok handguard allows for nearly endless customization of the riﬂe utilizing widely available accessories. Starting at $3,500, the PRC will be available in .308 Win and .260 Rem calibers.

americanshootingjournal.com 49

RIFLES

SAVAGE ARMS

savagearms.com - Booth #14551 Savage has added to its line of new modern firearms with the B17, B22 and B22 Magnum bolt-action rimfire rifles. The new models’ ergonomically designed stock, higher comb, top tang safety and target-style vertical pistol grip allow shooters to hold the rifle in a more natural position that puts less pressure on the wrist. The B Series includes a dozen new models in configurations including sporter barrel, heavy barrel, heavy threaded (suppressor ready) and heavy stainless. Like the popular A Series rimfires, all B Series rifles feature a 10-round rotary magazine and the accuracy-boosting adjustable AccuTrigger.

Savage has also teamed with Ashbury Precision Ordnance (APO) to expand its line of long-range chassis riﬂes for recreational shooting, hunting and tactical competition. The new Model 10 APO riﬂe features a factory-blueprinted barreled action mated to the new APO SABER MRCSAR folding chassis.

R&J FIREARMS rjfirearms.org

R&J Firearms is introducing the RJAR-15 5.56 Premium. This new gun features an R&J Firearms 7075T6 billet receiver set, a Rogers super stock, nickel-boron BCG, a stainless hammer/trigger set, a 16-inch 1:7-twist QPQ M4 barrel, an R&J Firearms keg or crown muzzle brake and 13-inch free ﬂoat handguard. MSRP for the RJAR-15 5.56 Premium is $1,399.00.

TROY

worldoftroy.com – Booth #20505 Troy’s new SOCC Special Operations Compatible Carbine family of firearms and upgrades feature lightweight and ultralow profiles, and are developed specifically for today’s warfighters and led by Special Operations field requirements. All are available in 14.5-inch carbine, 10.5-inch CQB and 7.5-inch PDW lengths. For more information on these and Troy’s many other products, visit their website.

MOSSBERG

mossberg.com – Booth #12734 With the launch of the classically designed Patriot hunting riﬂe in 2015, Mossberg set the standard for the modern bolt-action riﬂe. Now Mossberg broadens the series offerings with a line of Patriot Predator models in three sought-after calibers: 6.5mm Creedmoor, .243 Win and .308 Win. These

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

purpose-built rifles are housed in a durable flat dark earth (FDE) synthetic stock with matte blue metal finishes; feature a 22-inch suppressor-ready fluted barrel; and are packed with performance-enhancing premium features, like Mossberg’s patented LBA (Lightning Bolt Action) user-adjustable trigger. A top-mounted Picatinny rail provides for ease of mounting optics. For more information, please visit their website.

americanshootingjournal.com 51

RIFLES

LANTAC USA

lantac-usa.com – Booth #20652 LanTac’s LA-N15 Raven Rifle is manufactured to the highest quality standards and assembled by a skilled team of rifle builders. Each rifle is shot tested at their facility and comes with a lifetime warranty against defects. With a massive specification out of the box, the LA-N15 Raven rifle delivers exceptional performance and is ready to go without any modifications or upgrades. Its proprietary buffer system (ABS) and E-BCG bolt carrier group together with intermediate or midlength gas systems and a Dragon DGN556B brake delivery an incredible flat-shooting experience with zero muzzle rise or recoil and massively reduced carrier and buffer felt recoil, all without the use of an adjustable gas block. The 3.5LB Single Stage Trigger is manufactured by CMC and has one of the smoothest sear surfaces in the industry (1-2RMS), together with a very fast reset. The 416R stainless-steel barrel is chambered in .223 Wylde with a 1:7 twist rate and features a precision-machined 11-degree target crown. A LanTac GB750-S low-profile gas block is utilized together with a nitrided gas tube that delivers reduced carbon build-up and gas erosion.

WINCHESTER

winchesterguns.com – Booth #15537, 12740, 10744, 12752 The XPR is Winchester’s new workhorse, and a new way to look at bolt-action value. The XPR is a rugged, reliable and precise bolt-action rifle built for the next generation of Winchester hunters. Combining proven concepts from the Model 70 with more efficient manufacturing processes means that the XPR is a superb hunting rifle at a more affordable price.

If you’re looking for a rifle that will stand up to the abuse you put yourself through in the field, the XPR is the rifle for you. The advanced polymer stock is built for superior grip in wet conditions and will stand up to the scratches and bumps you’re bound to encounter on the stalk or on the walk to the stand. The matte blued finish is tough and nonreflective. The detachable box magazine is a built-in feature that is typically an expensive after-market addition, allowing you to keep extra shells in a spare mag instead of jingling loose in your pocket.

AMERICAN BUILT ARMS COMPANY abarms.com – Booth #7006

RITTER & STARK ritterstark.com – Booth #N331

The Ritter & Stark SX-1 Modular Tactical Rifle (MTR) is a state-of-the-art long-range precision rifle capable of quickly changing calibers between a .308 Win, .300 Win Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum. The SX-1 features a MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail installed directly on the barrel, allowing for interchangeability with pre set scopes with no shift of impact. The bolt is locked directly into the barrel breech for unprecedented accuracy. The SX-1 can incorporate aftermarket magazines and drop-in upgrades that fit the original R&S folding buttstock mechanism. R&S barrels can achieve a consistent 0.5 MOA with three-round groups or better using factory match-grade ammo. MSRP starts at $5,555.

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

The A*B Arms Howa Precision Rifle is a lightweight, affordable and extremely accurate rifle system featuring the Howa 1500 Short-Action and now available in .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor. The Howa Precision Rifle features the Howa 1500 black-barreled action with a H.A.C.T. trigger and a 22-inch standard barrel with a 1:10 twist. The barreled-action is housed in the A*B Arms MOD*X Gen III modular rifle system chassis. The chassis is aluminum, hard coat anodized to mil-spec Type III with a 11.5-inch freefloating modular forearm featuring three sides with KeyMod attachment points. It is distributed exclusively through United Sporting Companies, so contact your FFL dealer today to determine availability by visiting ellettbrothers. com/DealerLocator.asp.

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americanshootingjournal.com 53

RIFLES BROWNING

browning.com – Booth #15537, 12740, 10744, 12752 The Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed rifle is built to exceed your accuracy expectations, straight fro from the box. The action and stiff, fluted barrel are bedded and free floated to ensure straight shooting. asily removed aand replaced with an included thread protector. This rifle is softer shooting and tougher than ever. The muzzle brake reduces felt recoil and is easily aid in concealment. Cerakote is also tougher In place of traditional blueing, a Cerakote burnt-bronze finish was chosen. Not only does it look great, the flat finish aids than other firearm finishes to keep this rifle looking its best for years to come.

DRD TACTICAL TACT drdtactical.com drdt dr dtactical.com

DRD Tactical designs and a manufactures patented quick-change barrel rifle rifles in 5.56 NATO, .300 Blackout, 7.62 NATO and .338 .33 Lapua. The Kivaari semiautomatic rifle is chamb ber e chambered in .338 Lapua with a 24-inch barrel andd a 1: 1:10 1 twist, tw with 1-MOA accuracy with Lapua match ammunit ammunition. It also comes with two o 10-round magazines in custom hard case orr U.S.-made back backpack. ac pack.

CIVILIAN FORCE ARMS civilianforcearms.com – Booth #2051

Looking for a lightweight stealthy weapon with a sting? Then the Warrior custommade AR-15 series is what you’re looking for. Before designing this weapon Civilian Force Arms asked themselves, “How can we make a riﬂe that is versatile from the muzzle break to the buttstock?” The Warrior is what the lab created. Whether you’re in a ﬁght and have to punch through with the signature CFA Black Knight muzzle brake, or need a light 3-pound trigger, this series was designed for the toughest situations.

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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Civilian Force Arms - CFA15/Hagos-15 Caliber: .223 Rem./5.56mm Barrel: Wylde .223/16-inch M4 proﬁle, chrome line optional Overall length: 36.125 inches (32.375 inches with stock collapsed) Magazine capacity: 30+1 Stock: Six-position Mil Spec Mission First Tactical BMS-Battlelink Minimalist Stock MSRP: $1,499.00 DRD Tactical - M762 Caliber: Barrel length: Overall length: Weight: Magazine capacity: Twist rate: Stock: MSRP:

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RIFLE GALLERY

JEM (Jersey Elite Manufacturing) - DR15 Caliber: 5.56mm Barrel length: 16 inches Overall length: 34.1875 inches Weight: 6.6 pounds Magazine capacity: 30 rounds (where permissible) Stock: Composite MSRP: $1,699.00

Jemarms.com Cobalt Kinetics - Edge Team Replica Caliber: .223/5.56mm Barrel length: 16 inches Overall length: 36.75 inches Weight: 7.5 pounds Magazine capacity: 30 Stock: Cobalt Kinetics MSRP: $3,800.00

CobaltKinetics.com Volquartsen - VM-22 Caliber: .22 LR Barrel length: 18.375 inchesÂ Overall length: 37 inches Weight: 5.4 pounds Magazine capacity: 10 Stock material: Composite MSRP: $1,295

Turnbull Mfg. Co. - 1886 .475 Caliber: .475 Barrel length: 26 inches Overall length: 47 inches Weight: 9 pounds Magazine capacity: 8+1 Stock: Extra-fancy checkered American black walnut MSRP: $4,700

Best Of The West - Hunter Elite Calibers: 6.5-284, 7mm Mag, and .300 Win Mag Barrel length: 26.5 inches with muzzle brake Overall length: 51 inches Weight: 9.6 pounds Magazine capacity: 4 Stock: HS Precision Stock MSRP: $3,995.00 (with 3-12x42 scope)

Centurion Arms - CM4 Calibers: Multi or 5.56mm Barrel length: 10.5 to 16.1 inches Overall length: Variable Weight: Variable Magazine capacity: 10, 20, 30 and 40 Stock: Composite MSRP: $1,500

Layke Tactical - LT10 Caliber: Barrel length: Overall length: Weight: Magazine capacity: Stock: MSRP:

.308/7.62x51mm 18 inches 36 to 39 inches 8.4 pounds 5 to 25+1 Composite $1,599 to $2,000

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

random Shots The author and his new pal, 6-month-old Desert, show off a pair of central South Dakota pheasants taken with Browning’s newly resurrected A5 Sweet Sixteen shotgun.

ONE SWEET RETURN

Browning’s light and balanced A5 shotgun lets you to shoot the old ‘gentleman’s gauge’ in a technologically updated package. STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE DICKERSON

s an aspiring curmudgeon (my wife might suggest that I’m already there), I frown disapprovingly when I hear that someone is remaking a classic. Be it a movie, a song or a ﬁrearm, some things are just so iconic that you simply shouldn’t mess with them. If you do, you’d better get it right, or you’ll catch hell from people whose hearts were captured by the

original. Sadly, and all too often, “new and improved” translates into “new and cheapened and ugly.” I recently had an opportunity to test one such newly made-over gun, the Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen shotgun, and I’m pleased to report that, in this instance, the manufacturer got it right. By right, I mean spectacularly right. My opportunity to test this reborn 16-gauge classic came during a threeday pheasant hunt with R&R Pheasant Hunting, an 18,000-acre, family-owned

farming and ranching operation near Seneca, S.D., with four other outdoor scribes. We were there, along with representatives from Browning, Winchester and the South Dakota Department of Tourism, to test three new shotguns and ammunition from Browning and Winchester. I spent the ﬁrst day wringing out the newly announced Winchester SX4 shotgun in 12 gauge, and bagged my fair share of birds. I spent the second day happily shooting roosters with the Browning 725 Citori over-and-under shotgun chambered in 28 gauge. I held off on shooting the Sweet Sixteen until the ﬁnal day of the hunt, mainly because only two were on hand and everyone wanted to shoot them. As fellow outdoor writer “Uncle Bob” americanshootingjournal.com 63

Random shots In its newest incarnation, the A5 Sweet Sixteen weighs just 5 pounds, 13 ounces with a 28-inch barrel. It’s light but well balanced, and swings smoothly, according to the author.

Matthews observed, “The Sweet Sixteen was the prettiest girl at the dance, and everyone wanted to dance with her.” AND WHAT A DANCE IT WAS. On the second drive of the day, I took the left flanker position, outside and ahead of Bob, who walked a few rows inside a field of tall corn. We both carried the Sweet Sixteen, stoked with the new Browning BXD Upland Extra Distance 11/8-ounce load of No. 6 nickel-plated shot, and as luck would have it, most of the roosters that flushed during that drive came our way. The sky was soon raining pheasants. I think only one rooster made it past us. By the

Built on a smaller, lighter alloy receiver, the shotgun retains its predecessor’s iconic squaredoff profile.

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Production ended on the Browning Automatic 5 in 1998, after a run of nearly 100 years, but the company brought the timeless design back a few years ago in modernized form, adding the Sweet Sixteen to the lineup last year.

time that drive was over, someone had nicknamed us “The Sixteen Dream Team,” and I already knew I would have to own this shotgun. To understand what makes this new gun so special, it helps to know a bit about its history. Today’s A5 traces its lineage to the original Browning Automatic 5, designed by John Browning in 1898. It was one of the most inﬂuential shotgun designs of all time. First produced by FN in 1902, it was later made by Remington as the Model 11 and by Savage as the Model 720 and other variants. The Auto 5 used a long-recoil operating system in which the bolt and the barrel recoiled together, and

americanshootingjournal.com 65

Random shots

Internally, the old long-recoil action has been replaced with a reliable, fast-cycling inertia-drive system guaranteed for 100,000 rounds or five years.

it had a friction piece and bevel ring to adjust recoil to the load. It was soft-shooting when set up properly, but could thump you soundly if it was improperly tuned. Production moved from Belgium to Japan in 1975, and the guns got heavier. By the 1990s, semiauto shotguns that were cheaper to produce and lighter, and with more modern designs, were gaining dominance. The writing was on the wall: Production ceased in 1998, after nearly 100 years of production, and the Auto 5 was no more. That changed in 2013 when Browning stunned the shotgun world by bringing back the A5 in 12 gauge, albeit in much-changed form and manufactured in Portugal. The Sweet Sixteen followed in 2016. It’s built on a smaller, lighter alloy receiver with a polished black anodized ﬁnish, and weighs just 5 pounds, 13 ounces with a 28-inch barrel, and a bit less with a 66

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

26-inch barrel. It’s one thing to find a lightweight shotgun. It’s quite another to find one this well-balanced that swings so smoothly. The gun simply painted birds from the sky for me, and I had difficulty believing I was swinging a 16-gauge shotgun with a 28-inch barrel. Externally, this gun resembles the original Auto 5, retaining the distinctive “humpback” squared-off receiver. I like it because it affords a slightly longer sight plane, aligning naturally with my eye, and allowing me to shoot with my head up a bit more and benefit from a more comfortable, less-punishing cheek weld. INTERNALLY, THE SWEET SIXTEEN is an entirely different animal from its predecessor. The long-recoil system has been replaced by an inertia-driven system called Kinematic Drive by Browning. It’s fast-cycling, easy on the

shoulder and highly reliable – so much so that Browning stands behind it with a 100,000-round or five-year guarantee that the shotgun will work “come hell or high water.” It’s a clean-running system, because all gasses go out the barrel and away from the action. A look at the barrel reveals other reasons why this is not your grandfather’s Auto 5. It has a lengthened, tapered “Vector Pro” forcing cone to minimize shot deformation and enhance pattern uniformity. The barrel is also backbored to reduce friction between the shot cup and bore. I’m not convinced that this reduces recoil, as some claim, but I do believe it helps with pattern consistency, uniformity and density. The barrel sports a red fiber optic front sight and white midpoint bead. The shotgun ships with full, modified and improved cylinder Invector DS choke tubes. These

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random shots The Sweet Sixteen carries like a light 20-gauge gun but punches like a 12, helping the 16-gauge shotshell realize its full potential.

longer-than-usual tubes have a more gradual choke taper, again contributing to more uniform shot patterns. They also have a brass alloy band to help seal out residue, making the tubes easy to remove after a day of shooting. Other nice touches include 18-lines-per-inch checkering on the glossy Turkish walnut buttstock and forearm. The stock has an Inﬂex II recoil pad, which directs recoil energy down and away from your face. With Speed Load Plus, you simply push the ﬁrst shell into the magazine, with the action open,

and the gun automatically feeds the ﬁrst round into the chamber. The “plus” part of the equation is a handy little mechanism you can push with a ﬁnger, inside the bottom of the receiver, to unload shells from the magazine tube without having to cycle the action repeatedly. The new Sweet Sixteen honors its proud legacy while enabling you to shoot the old “gentleman’s gauge” in a technologically updated package. The gun has little noticeable recoil. It is fast, yet swings smoothly. It is elegant, but utilitarian. It packs like a 20 gauge, but punches like a 12. With this

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

one shotgun, a hunter would be wellequipped to handle most any type of wingshooting. As one of my fellow scribes observed during our hunt, “This might be the gun that saves the 16-gauge shotshell.” As I sit here admiring the richly ﬁgured wood of the stock on the sample gun sent to me for testing, I suspect he may be right. I also suspect Browning may have a difficult time getting this one back. Editor's note: For more on the A5 Sweet Sixteen and other Browning products, see browning.com.

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American Shooting Journal // October 2016

SWAROVSKI OPTIK NORTH AMERICA

OPTICS

swarovskioptik.com – Booth #121200

The Z8i rifle scope from Swarovski ski Optik North America completely redefines performance ormance with its 8x zoom and an outstanding optical ptical system which offers rapid target acquisition. ion. The 8x zoom combines a large field of view with high level of detail accuracy, offering optimum detail recognition. The new rifle scope impresses with its high magnification ranges and uncompromising image definition across the whole field of view. Swarovski Optik will offer the Z8i in four different

models: Z8i 1-8x24, Z8i 1.7-13.3x42 P, Z8i 2-16x50 P, and Z8i 2.3-18x56 P. Inside the scope is the Flexchange 4A-IF, the ﬁrstt switchable reticle. This feature enables the user to switch the illuminated ring around the illuminatedd center dot on and off, with the press

of a button. It is offered in the Z8i 1-8x24 and Z8i 1.7-13.3x42 P scopes. turret Another option on the Z8i is the ballistic turre ﬂex (BTF), which can be conﬁgured separatel separately using several different types of ballistic attached compensation correction, and be attach tools. The and removed at any time without too BTF comes as a set with both the windage and top turret, it can elevation turrets. If used as a to compensate for bullet drop, and when used as a side turret, for windage adjustment. Another for the BTF, the personalized optional accessory fo ballistic ring (PBR) offers yardage or mil adjustments for all the relevant hunting distances.

SCALARWORKS scalarworks.com

The Scalarworks low-drag mount for Aimpoint CompM4 sights is the lightest quick-detach Aimpoint CompM4 mount in existence, weighing only 1.49 ounces, including sight screws. Like all low-drag mounts from Scalarworks, the LDM/CompM4 has a monolithic base made of high-strength 7075-T6 aluminum, and features a proprietary recoil-proof notched thumbscrew with ball detent. It also has the same precision telescoping clamp as the popular Aimpoint Micro and Trijicon MRO mounts, which ensures a repeatable zero with each installation. The LDM/CompM4 is proudly made in the USA, and is available in both absolute and lower-third co-witness heights.

NIGHTFORCE

nightforceoptics.com – Booth #20449

GREY GHOST PRECISION grayghostprecision.com

Grey Ghost Precision, in partnership with Kruger Optical, brings you the next level in cuttingedge technological advancements in weight savings and performance by developing the CF-5 in conjunction with SOF units, active-duty components as well as the best shooters in the civilian market. Weighing in at a feather-light 14.3 ounces, the carbon-ﬁber frame allows this scope to be lighter while maintaining higher strength than any other comparable on the market today.

The 1-5 magnification in a 30mm tube diameter and a 25mm objective opening allows for wide-view angles as well as a crystal-clear picture, no matter the distance. The illuminated Kruger quick-acquisition reticle ensures a perfect sight picture, no matter the light condition. This scope was designed by those who depend on their glass to be an extension of their rifle, without the burden of much additional weight. Whether going hunting, competing in a 3-gun competition, or duty, this scope will not only dress up your rifle, but will help take you to your next level of shooting.

The new ATACR 4-16 x 50 riflescope from Nightforce combines features that have made the ATACR series highly prized among tactical professionals (brilliant ED glass, a 34mm tube, virtually indestructible construction, extreme long-range capability) with a magnification range and second focal plane reticle tailored specifically for the hunter. Available with MOA or mil-radian adjustments, it provides 110 MOA/30 milradian of elevation adjustment, fully realizing the extended range capability of the flattestshooting cartridge. ZeroStop technology and DigIllum reticle illumination are standard. The ATACR 4-16x50 brings levels of precision and performance, previously only found in specialized tactical-style riflescopes, to hunters who are serious about their sport and serious about their shooting.

americanshootingjournal.com 75

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

americanshootingjournal.com 77

OPTICS TRUGLO truglo.com m

Truglo, IInc. nc. ad adds ds tto o their diverse offering of reflex opt optics ptics ics wi w with th the new Tru-Tec Ex Extreme xtre eme m Sight. This 30m 30mm m cantilever-mounted c ed opt ooptic ic expands the pop opula ularr Tru-Tec T line of tac ctic ti al redpopular tactical dot optics introduced ced in 2015. 2015 Packed with great fea features atur tures es spe specifically designed for AR-15 operators, Tru Tru-Tec Tru-Te -Tecc Extr EExtreme xtreme e is the ideal tactical carbine optic. Utilizingg motion-sensing technology, it automatically wakes up anytime the weapon is moved, instantly powering the crisp 2-MOA dot. Simple pushbutton brightness controls allow a wide range of adjustments and remember the last used setting when powering on. If the optic sits without motion for a programmable period of time, the optic automatically goes into sleep mode, waiting for the next move. This power-saving feature, along with efficient circuitry, provides years of use on a single CR2032 battery (included). The Tru-Tec Extreme includes an aircraftaluminum cantilever Picatinny rail mount, holding the optic at the perfect height for

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

AT3 TACTICAL, LLC at3tactical.com/rd-50 comfortable shooting and absolute co-witness with standard back-up iron sights. Shock- and water-resistant, the scope utilizes a sealed battery tray design to keep dust and moisture out of the power control system, and even comes with a spare battery and spare battery tray, making it an easy swap after years of continuous use on the original battery. The optic, spare battery system, product manual, lens cleaning cloth, and installation wrenches come in in a padded plastic case for safe and convenient storage. Like all Truglo reﬂex optics, Tru-Tec Extreme boasts unlimited eye-relief and is virtually parallax free for fast and accurate shooting.

The AT3 RD-50 Red Dot sight is specifically optimized for the AR platform, but is also ideal for shotguns, hunting rifles, and any other weapon with a Picatinny rail. At only 6 ounces and 2.4 inches, the sight has exceptional battery life, up to 50,000 hours at the lowest brightness setting, and the crisp 2-MOA red dot allows for accurate, both-eyes-open shooting. The AT3 RD-50 is fully waterproof, with a nitrogen-filled 6065 T6 aluminum body with rubber gaskets on turrets and battery cover. Shockproof circuitry resists damage from rough handling. There are also optional riser mounts for “absolute” or “lower third” co-witness with AR iron sights.

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eading into 2017, Swarovski Optik is introducing another evolutionary advance in riflescope technology, the Z8i, and just the specifications alone should impress any veteran big game hunter who has ever faced a long-range shot in less-than-ideal light. There are four different models, all built with 30mm main tubes. The series includes a 1-8x24mm, a 1.7-13.3x42 P, the 2-16x50 P and a 2.3-18x56 P. The magnification ranges may be impressive, but the most interesting feature on two of these Z8i scopes just might be the Flexchange 4A-IF. According to Swarovski, this is the first switchable reticle, and it allows the user to switch the

windage or elevation measurement. If both measurements are desired, two BTFs will be required. The top turret can then be adjusted to compensate for bullet drop and the side turret will allow for windage

Swarvoski Z8i

adjustment. Each turret comes with eight rings; six rings for yardage numbered 2,3,4,5 with two dots for in between 50-yard distances, one ring numbered 0-70, showing 0.10 MIL click for 7 MILS of adjustment, and one windage compensation ring if the BTF is to be used for windage clicks. But there’s one thing more, the optional PBR (for “personalized ballistic ring”) that allows yardage or mil adjustments. N a t u r a l l y, Swarovski did all of this without

illuminated ring around the illuminated center dot on and off. This feature is available on the 1-8x24 and the 1.713.3x42 P. There is more. Take a look at the ballistic turret ﬂex (BTF) feature. Precision shooters are going to warm right up to this option because they can be conﬁgured separately, with different methods of ballistic compensation correction. These turrets can be attached and removed without the need for tools. Anyone who doesn’t think that’s important has never been 10 miles from camp or a trailhead where he just might have a screwdriver. The BTF can be used for

sacrificing the legendary clarity and edge-to-edge sharpness that have become synonymous with this company’s name. This new model boasts 93 percent light transmission, which is even higher than any other Swarovski Optik scope. Let’s get down to the details. The Z8i offers a 3.74-inch eye relief. Each click adjustment moves the bullet impact point 0.36 inch at 100 yards. Depending upon the individual scope, the Z8i ranges from 11.9 inches (1-8x24) to 14.3 inches (2.3-18x56P). They weigh from 18.2 ounces to 25.6 ounces, and they are rugged. In addition to the introduction of the Z8i, Swarovski Optik North America has another bit of good news. As of January 1, Swarovski will be handling North American sales and marketing for Kahles optics. These Austrian riﬂescopes are known for quality, as anyone who has ever used one can attest. They feature 34mm or 30mm main tubes and both ﬁrst and second focal plane reticles. This is going to be a good year for hunters and shooters who insist on the best, and Swarovski and Kahles will be a big part of it.

Kahles K624i

SWAROVSKI OPTIK 2 Slater Road • Cranston, RI 02920 (800) 426-3089 www.swarovskioptik.com americanshootingjournal.com 79

OPTICS MARCH OPTICS USA marchoptics.com – Booth #3663

The MAR1071 scope was specifically designed for the service-rifle match shooter who shoots at various distances up to 600 yards. This scope also makes a great optic for SWAT work, as well as for a sporting rifle. Oversized tactical turrets allow for easy windage and elevation adjustments. The highquality ED lenses provide superior image resolution that make March scopes the best in its class. Made for the shooting connoisseur who desires the best equipment. Whether you need a high precision scope for close-range SWAT work, long-range tactical, hunting, or for match shooting in world championships, March will not let you down.

GREYBULL PRECISION greybullprecision.com

When GreyBull Precision set out to develop the most balanced hunting system, the choice of optics was at the top of the list. The finest build quality, clarity-to-weight ratio, durability, returnto-zero consistency, and performance under field conditions led them straight to Leupold. Each Precision Hunting Optic (PHO) includes a precision hunting reticle and a custom bulletdrop-compensating turret (DCT) designed for your specific rifle, load data, and hunting conditions. Once you have the target’s range, you simply dial

OUR NEW ATACR™ 4-16x50: WHERE “HUNTING” AND “TACTICAL” MEET. We’ve combined the extraordinary ED glass and virtually indestructible construction—that make our ATACR™ riflescopes the ultimate instruments for serious long-range shooters—with a second focal plane reticle and ideal magnification range. The result is a riflescope of unparalleled brilliance and clarity that will fully realize the capability of the flattestshooting hunting cartridge.

336 Hazen Lane, Orofino, ID 83544 208.476.9814 Q NightforceOptics.com

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

DigIllum™ reticle illumination and side parallax adjustment are standard.

the DCT to the yardage and hold dead on. The reticle is set up with MOA windage hold marks for the fastest and easiest way to dope the wind. Each turret dial is built at their facility, and designed one at a time to ensure a perfect fit to your exact load performance. Any rifle, any caliber, any bullet can be matched, including muzzleloaders. Generic BDC reticles based on the average performances of factory loads and rifle types can be effective at medium distances. The “one size fits all” approach is fine for a ball cap, but not for that shot of a lifetime. Range it, dial it, and call the taxidermist.

americanshootingjournal.com 81

RUDOLPH OLPH OPTICS rudolphoptics.com com – Booth #2027

Rudolph Optics model T1 1-4x24mm IR FFP is perfect for 3-gun competition, CQB and big game stalking. talking. The new T7 FFP reticle gets the job done with ease of use, and Rudolph has given you a sleek new look with hold-over capabiliti capabilities and 24 MOA of subtension adjustment. djustment. This scope has been tried and nd tested in the harshest conditions and by competitive shooters, law enforcement ement and weekend warriors and an all feel confident when it‘s time to go. The 1x magnification allows for closecation allows for en in, both-eyes-open shooting. The 4x magnification engagement of targets out to 450 yards. Superb optical glass, allowing over ove 98 percent light transmission coupled with high-performance multicoatings, allows for multicoa maximum low-light and antiglare performance. The illumination dial is set up to turn off every other click, so your favorite setting is only one click away. To top it off, all Rudolph Optics riflescopes are covered by an industry-leading NQA “No Questions Asked“ Lifetime Warranty. Competitively priced at $499.99

TRIJICON trijicon.com

From the legendary Trijicon ACOG family of products, the LED ACOG is the ﬁrst to offer user-selectable brightness controls. Users can select from six adjustable brightness levels with an “off” between each setting, allowing the operator to determine how much to illuminate the reticle. Powered by a single AA battery, the LED ACOG can run for over 12,000 continuous hours (on setting 4). Like all ACOG models, it is forged from rugged 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum, resulting in a nearly indestructible sighting system. Multiple bullet drop compensating and ranging reticle options are available. See their website for more information.

VIXEN PERFORMANCE OPTICS vixenperformanceoptics.com

Vixen Performance Optics, exclusively imported in North America by Sun Optics USA, offers a complete line of riflescopes for the serious hunter. The V-1 series starts with a one-piece, 1-inch tube design on the outside with a fully multicoated and precisely aligned lens on the inside. The V-1 offers lowprofile ¼-MOA turrets, and is nitrogen filled for a lifetime of reliable fog- and waterproof performance. Available reticles are duplex, mil-dot and BDC type. Magnifications and MSRP range from $369.99 to $399.99.

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

americanshootingjournal.com 83

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THE BULLET BULLETIN

Sierra GameKing HPBT bullets, in 6.5mm and .308 caliber.

KING OF THE (BIG) GAME In a market where things are discontinued or modiﬁed often, Sierra’s ‘rock-solid, dependable bullet’ is a hunter’s mainstay STORY AND PHOTOS BY PHIL MASSARO

he whitetail buck was cruising along, hot on the trail of a doe, nose down, neck swelled. He was probably no more than 85 yards away, but the tangle of young growth in what was traditionally open woods made for few shooting lanes; it was one of those situations where you could see the deer, but couldn’t just shoot due to the risk of bullet

deﬂection from a small branch. This buck meant business, and I knew I wouldn’t have long before he followed that doe over the small ridge, and was gone for good. I picked the spot I knew was open, and waited for his brisket to come into view; half a second later I could see vitals and broke the trigger of the Ruger 77, sending a 165-grain Sierra to do its work. Even through the recoil, I saw the deer topple over, and knew he was mine. Sierra Bullets has long been

equated with superb accuracy, and their GameKing line is no exception. Using a spitzer boat tail design, the GameKing has been giving shooters a good hunting bullet with a good ballistic coefficient ﬁgure for decades, and in weights that cover the wide spectrum of hunting situations and game sizes. IT’S A RELATIVELY SIMPLE DESIGN, a copper jacket drawn over a consistent lead core, but its simplicity is part of the magic. To this day – where I get to use and experiment with some rather complex and amazing bullets – I know I can reach for that recognizable green box of projectiles and hunt conﬁdently. Sierra offers a GameKing bullet americanshootingjournal.com 85

THE BULLET BULLETIN

(Above) The big 300-grain .375 caliber GameKing. (Top right) The 8mm Remington Magnum and 220-grain Sierra GameKing bullets. (Bottom right) The author with whitetail taken with 180-grain GameKing in .300 Winchester Magnum.

in calibers from .224 inches all the way up to .375 inches, covering everything in between. I’ve used them at moderate velocities – such as what the .308 Winchester will produce – up to the true magnum speeds – think .300 Weatherby and .300 Remington Ultra Magnum – and as long as bullet choice was sensible (using enough sectional density), I’ve had nothing but success. Yes, with high-impact velocities I’ve seen the jacket come away from the core – a phenomenon common to cup-and-core bullets – but the only way I know this is because I performed an autopsy on a dead animal, so the bullet still did its job. While the line is predominately made up of spitzers with exposed lead at the nose, included in the GameKing line are several models of hollowpoint boat tails, which have a skived and 86

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

crimped nose section, looking much like a pinched “X.” Designed to ﬂy nearly as well as their MatchKing counterparts, these bullets feature a much thicker jacket, for hunting purposes. They have handled caribou, many whitetails, and a few black bear. Expansion is utterly reliable – due to the skived meplat – and the thicker jacket gives adequate penetration. In fact, this was my go-to deer bullet for quite a few years, until the duties of a gun writer forced experimentation with other brands, but I still reach for them when I grab my old .308 out of the safe. I’ve used this GameKing HPBT in several .30-caliber cartridges, from .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springﬁeld up through the .300 H&H Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum, as well as in my 6.5-284 Norma. The accuracy is absolutely there, as is the terminal performance.

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THE BULLET BULLETIN

(Above) Federal’s .25-06 load built around the Sierra GameKing bullet. (Top right) Stopping power, illustrated. (Bottom right) The author’s father with a fine kudu bull, taken with a 375 H&H and 250-grain GameKing.

While Sierra has long been known as a component bullet company, ﬁlling the needs for reloaders for over half a century, those who shoot factory ammunition can enjoy the

IOSSO PRODUCTS 88

performance of these bullets as well. Federal Premium offers the Sierra GameKing in their VitalShok ammunition line, in many popular big game calibers like the

www.iosso.com

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

888-747-4332

Shot Show booth #20200

Made in USA

This revolutionary tactical case is designed for the law enforcement or shooting enthusiast to carry necessary gear in one bag replacing the need for 4 or 5 separate cases.

easternbeaconindustries.com

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

Toll Free: 800-545-9376 www.zerobullets.com

••• The Tactical Deployment Pack is the only case on the market to have a removable, ballistic helmet carrier. All of your gear is in one place and easily accessible by the zippered compartments or Velcro closures. The heavy duty, water resistant case can be carried by the side handles or worn as a backpack by releasing the hidden straps on the rear of the case. •••••••••••••••••

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.243 Winchester, .25-06 Remington and .270 Winchester, as well as the larger 7mm Remington Magnum, .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield, bringing the benefits of the Sierra design to the masses. BUT DEER AND ELK CALIBERS are not the only ones to benefit from the Sierra GameKing’s performance. I’ve used it across the pond, on African safaris, not only in my own rifle but in those of hunting partners as well. It’s no secret that the .375 H&H Magnum is one of our most useful cartridges; mated with a proper bullet it makes an effective rifle for the tiny antelope like the duiker, oribi and steenbok, but can also handle the true giants like hippopotamus, Cape buffalo and elephant. Sierra’s .375-inch caliber GameKings – in both 250 grains and 300 grains – make an already versatile cartridge even better. If your safari includes a true mixed bag, say, a buffalo in the thick stuff along with the potential for some long-range shots at the larger plains game species, using a 300-grain GameKing alongside one of the bonded-core premiums for the buffalo makes a whole lot of sense. That same 300-grain GameKing makes a good choice for moose and bear here in the States and Canada, should you enjoy taking a threeseven-five of any pedigree in the fields here at home. If you haven’t used this bullet yet, I think it warrants an audition in your rifle; if you’ve hunted with it already, I’d be willing to bet that your experiences are similar to mine. Thank you, Sierra, for continuing to produce a rock-solid, dependable bullet, in a market where things are discontinued and modified more often than I like. Long live the GameKing! Editor’s note: For more on the GameKing and other Sierra products, see sierrabullets.com. 90

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

’S R LELER M U MB H T TU

BRASS MASTER ULTRA VIBE CASE CLEANERS

Made of durable steel construction - heavyduty, sealed ball bearing motors - thermally protected - fast, quiet operation - 3/4 to 4 3/4 gallon capacity - industrial and rotary models available. Send for our free brochure! TRU-SQUARE METAL PRODUCTS, INC. P.O. Box 585, Auburn, Washington 98071 TEL (253) 833-2310 or Toll Free 1-(800) 225-1017 ZZZ WKXPOHUVWXPEOHU FRP W WXPEOHU#TZHVWRI¿FH QHW

“Manufacturers of quality case cleaners, deburring and tumbling equipment since 1959”

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 .38

125 GR. 95 GR. 115 GR. 125 GR. 148 GR. 158 GR. 180 GR. 200 GR. 230 GR. 255 GR. 148 GR.

SWC/500 RN/500 RN/500 RN/500 DEWC/500 SWC/500 RNFP/500 SWC/500 RN/500 SWC/500 WC/500

$46.00 $30.00 $31.50 $33.00 $34.50 $36.00 $41.00 $42.50 $46.00 $55.00 $40.00

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/40 LBT-WFN/100

$25.00 $28.00 $32.00 $38.00 $38.00 $45.00 $41.00 $41.00 $24.00 $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 VWDU OXEHUV JDV FKHFNLQJ HYHU\ GD\ :H KDYH EXOOHWV PDGH ZLWK ¿YH GLIferent alloys that we order in 40,000 - 60,000 lbs at a time a mixed per our set alloys. Prices subject to change without notice.

Phone Orders Taken Monday-Thursday 8am-5pm MST

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American Shooting Journal // January 2017

AMMUNITION

FEDERAL PREMIUM AMMUNITION MUNITION ITION federalpremium.com – Booth #14551

Serious small game and varmint hunterss demand more than standard performance from their rimfire mfire loads. New Hunter Match 22 Long Rifle raises the bar, ar, providing true long-range accuracy and terminal performance. rmance. The hollow-point lead bullet has been tuned for optimum penetration and expansion out to 100 yards, rds, and its high-velocity loading provides the flat trajectory ajectory and energy to take down any target. Its nickel-plated case ensures flawless extraction and inhibits corrosion.

G2 RESEARCH

g2rammo.com - Booth #3841 The G2 Research Telos is a solidcopper, precision-machined fragmenting projectile designed to break apart upon entering soft targets. Originally created for use in revolvers, the Telos proved to be so effective that the technology has also been expanded to semiautomatic calibers. The Telos is one of the most affordable solid-copper, lead-free options on the market.

MTM CASE-GARD

mtmcase-gard.com - Booth #16120 Since 1968 to present, MTM continually designs and produces products for the shooting enthusiast. MTM offers solutions to shooters for organizing ammo and gear; the New 100 Round 22 Caliber Ammo Box is among these products. New to the P-100 Series line-up, the 100 Round 22 Caliber Ammo Box is designed speciﬁcally for .22 LR and .25 ACP ammo. This ammo box is constructed of durable materials that provide a scratch-resistant exterior. The ammo box stores 100 rounds of .22 LR or .25 ACP neatly, with the bullet tip up. These easy-to-carry and easy-to-store boxes are stackable for convenient storage or transportation. The snap-latch on the front of the box ensures a secure closure, while the ﬂip-top clear blue lid allows shooters to view quantities without opening the container.

FREEDOM MUNITIONS aguilaammo.com – Booth #2214

Freedom Munitions continues to expand their premium products in 2017. HUSH, ProMatch, American Steel, Boar Buster and Leadville will all add additional calibers or load choices, including a 50-grain RN .22 LR in HUSH, and .45 Auto and 10mm in Boar Buster. Freedom Munitions also has three brand-new ammunition lines debuting at SHOT Show, some of which are sure to make a big splash. Be sure to stop by their booth, 2214, for a copy of the entire product catalog for Freedom Munitions, X-Treme Bullets and Ammoload Worldwide.

AGUILA AMMUNITION aguilaammo.com – Booth #15954

Aguila Ammunition is regarded as the largest rimfire manufacturer in the world. Since 1961, Aguila has created an extensive line of rimfire products that are manufactured and tested to ensure optimal reliability, accuracy and performance, using Aguila Prime technology. Aguila rimfire cartridges are meticulously formed for performance and perfection. Clean combustible powders, maximum output at controlled pressures, and a strict quality-assurance program all add up to give Aguila shooters the Aguila Advantage. Stop into booth 15954 and learn more about Aguila’s copper-plated Super Extra or high-velocity Interceptor, or check out Aguila’s other shooting products online.

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Ammunition BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION black-hills.com – Booth #2019, 15129

Black Hills Ammunition is never satisﬁed. They’re always on the lookout for new technology. When their friends at Hornady discovered ways to make already excellent bullets better, they wanted that new technology. Using new ELD-M (Extreme Low DragMatch) and ELD-X (Extreme Low Drag - eXpanding) bullets, they upgraded their Gold riﬂe lineup with the highest BC bullets available. Flatter shooting, longer range, more effective, and the loving care you’ve come to expect from Black Hills. From .260 Remington to .338 Lapua, you now have a lot of great new choices with increased performance.

INTERNATIONAL CARTRIDGE CORPORATION iccammo.com – Booth #20127

International Cartridge Corporation has developed and revolutionized a frangible Duty and Defense hollow point. This ammunition has been designed to create a safer, accurate, and more effective duty round for today’s ever-evolving law enforcement and personal defense ﬁeld.

Conventional lead-based duty and defense ammunition expands, creating only one wound channel. ICC’s Duty and Defense fragments and expands when it hits the body’s tissue, thus creating multiple wound channels while maximizing energy transfer. Additionally, Duty and Defense fragmentation properties signiﬁcantly reduce the potential for collateral damage from ricochet.

CAPTECH INTERNATIONAL/ JAMISON BRASS AND AMMUNITION captechintl.com

The .45-90 Winchester 300-grain RNFP was introduced in 1895 for the Winchester Model 1886 repeater, and even though discontinued in the late 1930s it remains a popular sporting cartridge to this day. Captech International’s version is loaded with smokeless powder to replicate factory-original performance and ﬁres a 300-grain cast-lead bullet with an average velocity of 1,660 feet per second and 1,835 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, plenty for any North American big game.

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

americanshootingjournal.com ame americ mericans an nshoo hoo ootin otingjo ttin i gjourn urnal. al com al. com 95

• CHRONOGRAPHS • BALLISTIC SOFTWARE • CONCENTRICITY GAUGES

See us at SHOT Show. Booth #1609

(800) 451- 3550 / neconos.com

Matt’s Matt s Bullets Premium Ammunition

Specializing In 500 S&W Including: 500 S&W 700 Grain

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Now Available:

500 S&W Shotshells 5 T Power and payload of a 28 The gauge shotshell in a revolver! Also: 38/200 For Webley & Victory Revolvers 38/2

104 Turkey Pen Road • Highland, AR 72542

870-856-6788 www.mattsbullets.com/ammunition 96

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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John Kruse is a Northwest native and veteran outdoors radio broadcaster, book author, and writer. He is not only a passionate angler, hunter, hiker and conservationist, but has also completed 30 years of service and leadership in the U.S. Army and in law enforcement, which gives him a great deal of knowledge about firearms as well as military and police operations. These skills make him the perfect host for America Outdoors Radio, the show focusing on fishing, hunting and the shooting sports!

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Go to americaoutdoorsradio.com or nwsportsmanmag.com/radio for show dates and times. americanshootingjournal.com Podcasts available at nwsportsmanmag.com/radio

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

RELOADING SHELL SHOCK TECHNOLOGIES shellshoktech.com

Founded in Connecticut in 2015, Shell Shock Technologies is an early-stage technology and manufacturing company focused on developing innovative case technologies for the ammunition industry. Shell Shock is a component manufacturer supplying shell cases to the shooting sports market, as well as to U.S. and foreign ammunition manufacturers, law enforcement, military and other government agencies. Shell Shock does not load ammunition. Shell Shock has 9mm Luger cases immediately available, and 5.56mm cases will be launched in early 2017. Over the next 12 months, Shell Shock intends to roll out its NAS3 technology across all popular pistol and riﬂe calibers.

HODGDON

GUNTAP

For fans of 300 Remington AAC Blackout, Hodgdon is introducing CFE BLK powder that is a perfect fit for fullfunction AR-type rifles firing sub- and supersonic loads using a wide range of bullet weights. In addition, it works fine in many smaller cartridges such as the .17 Hornet, .17 Ackley Hornet, .218 Bee, .221 Fireball, 6.8 Remington SPC, 7.62X39 mm and many others. This new powder meters like a dream and leaves no copper residue for longer shooting periods. Stop by the Hodgdon booth 16738 to see it and the five new IMR family powders.

Make your fired brass cartridges look better than new using Guntap’s Stainless Steel Tumbling Media. Used in a rotary tumbler, the magnetic 302/304 stainless-steel pins will make your cartridges bright and shiny inside and out, including the flash holes and primer pockets. The pin dimensions have been specifically designed such that media will not get jammed side by side in the flash hole, nor jammed sideways in the primer pocket. After a quick 90 minutes in the tumbler, just drain the water, sift the pins from the brass, and you’re good to go. For optimal and consistent results, use with Guntap’s Brass Shine detergent.

hodgdon.com – Booth 16738

shop.guntap.com

REDDING RELOADING EQUIPMENT redding-reloading.com – Booth #16527

Redding Reloading Equipment has expanded their offerings of premium die sets with the addition of the 22 Nosler and the 6.5mm Creedmoor, two of the most popular cartridges last year. Branded as premium die sets, these new offerings include a carbide expander button and a micrometer adjusting seat stem and are packaged in a distinctive black and gold box. The Carbide Expander Button reduces stress on the case neck and also is free floating, which many believe improves overall concentricity. The Micrometer Adjusting Seat Stem allows for precise bullet seating depth to 1/0.001 inch, adding to the handloader’s ability to find and repeat the perfect bullet jump for the best accuracy possible from his or her rifle. Redding Reloading Equipment has focused on building the finest quality, American-made products for the precision handloading market since 1946. To learn more about their ongoing commitment to the precision handloader, or to request a copy of the new 2017 Redding catalog, visit their website. americanshootingjournal.com 99

RELOADING STARLINE BRASS starlinebrass.com – Booth #N219

RIM ROCK BULLETS rimrockbullets.com

Rim Rock Bullets, Inc. has been busy adding new custom bullet moulds to their line-up, and here is a sampling of their new products: .25 ACP 55-grain FP, .30 carbine 125-grain RNFP gas-checked, 9mm 148-grain TC, .45 Riﬂe 405-grain and more.

Good things come to those who wait. To meet customer demand, Starline Brass has recently announced the addition of rifle brass to their product offerings. Starline is now producing .308 Win, .358 Win and .444 Marlin, with .338 Federal and .243 Win on deck. These are the first of many rifle calibers from Starline. Starline’s new rifle brass is American made with the same rigorous quality control standards as the superior quality handgun brass Starline has become known for. For more than 40 years, Starline’s unique manufacturing process and commitment from their team of employees has distinguished them from the competition. To stay up to date with Starline’s new releases, and to order from over 80 calibers factory direct online, visit their website.

NOSLER

Nosler.com – Booth #13951 The RDF line was designed from the ground up by Nosler’s world-class team of engineers with the goal of delivering exceptionally high bullet coefficients that result in the flattest trajectory and least wind drift possible. Several factors contribute to the RDF’s game-changing performance. Nosler’s meticulously optimized compound ogive, which bridges traditional tangent and secant bullet shapes, is insensitive to seating depth, allowing handloaders to seat bullets with ease, an advantage for competitors who often load hundreds of rounds per sitting in preparation for a match. Also lending itself to the bullet’s sleek form factor is a long, drag-reducing boattail, making the product optimal for long-range efficiency.

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RELOADING ALLIANT POWDER

alliantpowder.com – Booth #14551 Precision and action shooters need consistent, clean-burning propellant that lets them perform to their peak when a competition is on the line. New Alliant Powder Sport Pistol delivers on these demands with extremely reliable cycling, excellent charging and case ﬁll, and ballistics that work with a broad range of popular loads. Sport Pistol delivers precise performance with all bullet types, but the low-muzzle-ﬂash formulation was optimized for polymer-coated bullets. Other double-base powders can dissolve the polymer coatings at the bullet base, and this exposes the lead to vaporization due to the intense heat during the ballistic cycle. The medium-fast-burning Sport Pistol is also very temperature stable, so there is little velocity deviation to worry about at seasonal competitions.

LITTLE CROW GUNWORKS, LLC littlecrowgunworks.com

ENTERPRISE SERVICES cartridgeanneal.com

Introducing The Off Ramp, pictured with an Anneal-Rite Unit. This accessory makes cartridge brass annealing more efﬁcient when used with the Anneal-Rite. The Off Ramp allows cases to gently fall and roll out of the way of following cases. In use, a cotton towel should be placed over The Off Ramp. At $4.95, this accessory is a very useful addition. It’s made in the U.S. of heavy 14-gauge steel, the same as the Anneal-Rite. For more, see the above website, or call (479) 629-5566.

Little Crow Gunworks, LLC, is introducing the PPT, the ﬁrst manually operated case prep tool that puts four tools at your ﬁngertips. But what really sets the PPT apart from other tools is the offset design. Most other designs utilize inline tools that require the user to twist their wrist or rotate the tool in their hand. The PPT consists of a knurled solid-aluminum handle with a bearing-mounted aluminum tool head. The tool head has four 8-32 tapped holes which accept case prep tools manufactured by most reloading companies. The offset design is much more ergonomic as the user simply rotates their forearm in a clockwise motion to chamfer, deburr, ream the primer pocket, clean the primer pocket, or any other operation that can be accomplished with an 8-32 threaded tool. There’s little wasted motion. The tool head is also a quick release design, so a handloader can have multiple tool heads for different operations, calibers, or primer pocket sizes.

New for 2017

Redding Premium Die Sets feature a Carbide Expander and a Micrometer Seat Stem providing greater precision for all of your reloading needs, be they for hunting or target. Available in popular rifle calibers in both two and three die sets.

For 2017 Now In: 22 Nosler 6.5 Creedmoor

See Us At The 2017 SHOT SHOW Redding Premium Die Sets Redding Reloading Equipment www.redding-reloading.com 102

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Booth 16527 Las Vegas NV

REVOLUTIONARY NEW 2-PIECE NAS3 CASE TECHNOLOGY: 50% LIGHTER THAN BRASS Nickel-Plated Aluminum Base

High Tensile Nickel-Alloy Cylinder

• Less wear on ejector pin • Can be color coded for ID/branding

• 2 x pressure rating (over 70k PSI) • Higher tensile strength and elasticity • Corrosion resistant • Reloadable using S3 Reload dies

SOON...

WWW.SHELLSHOCKTECH.COM W WW

5.56

UNLOADED U NLOA CASES AVAILABLE FROM SHELL SHOCK TECHNOLOGIES. T ECHNO 9MM CASES AVAILABLE NOW, G OTHER O THER CALIBERS COMING SOON. IN M SEE S EE WEBSITE WE FOR MANUFACTURERS O C OF O F LOADED LOA AMMO

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Black Powder OCTOBER COUNTRY

octobercountry.com October Country Muzzleloading started with a hunting bag back in 1977, and today the north Idaho company manufacturers a full line of brass accessories, ramrods, Pushing Daisy Patches, Blue Thunder Solvent, Bumblin Bear Grease, leather possible bags, powder horns, primitive hand-forged products, and more for the muzzleloading industry. They also have products for cowboy action and black powder cartridge shooters. October Country provides products to the public at retail prices and to dealers at a wholesale price.

SCHUETZEN BLACKPOWDER schuetzenpowder.com

Specialists in blackpowder, Schuetzen is highly regarded among reenactors, buckskinners and competitors, and the company also supplies Swiss Black Powder for everything from ďŹ ne 4Fg and 0B priming powder to powders for cannons and mortars. Schuetzen blackpowder is manufactured by WANO Schwarzpulver GmbH in granulations ranging from 1Fg to 3Fg and Reenactor Powders for blanks. Swiss blackpowder is found in many a horn and ďŹ&#x201A;ask, and it is produced in small batches with charcoal from buckthorn alder.

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Industry

COWBOY FAST DRAW cowboyfastdraw.com

Have you ever wondered how fast you would have been in an Old West gunfight? Join the Cowboy Fast Draw Association and find out. The Cowboy Fast Draw Association is a competitive shooting sport dedicated to keeping the Old West alive. Their motto is “safety first, fun second, and competition third.” It’s about handshakes, camaraderie, a man’s word, morality and friendship, fair play and honest competition. It is a timed sport using single-action .45-caliber Western-style six-shooters and wax bullets. Targets are round disks connected to a timer that is able to give times down to the thousandth of a second. Competitors wear late 1800s Western-style clothing, compete under aliases and range from age 8 to 85 plus years old. CFDA has over 70 affiliated clubs across North America and several countries, with new clubs forming constantly.

REAL TEXAS GUN SHOW therealtexasgunshow.com

A good name in business will follow you; a bad name will outrun you. Give the people your best quality at a reasonable price. Treat people like you wish to be treated. To these simple principles, provide a good, safe, clean, family environment and the best private and FFL ﬁrearms dealers from the state of Texas. It is these principles that every show The Real Texas Gun Show promotes. The 2017 full schedule is available online. Show operators have added two more venues and are working on two more. The Real Texas Gun Show has widened the criteria for products in the show to include outdoor activities, and depending which venue you attend, they may have dealers in deer hunting equipment, display and point-of-sale ATVs, boats, ﬁshing products, camping, as well as prepper and survivalist equipment. A majority of vendors are regular attendees at the shows, but organizers occasionally have spots open up, so they welcome inquiries from new vendors that have the best quality in products to add to The Real Texas Gun Show

WILDLIFE FOREVER wildlifeforever.org

Wildlife Forever is America’s leading multispecies nonprofit conservation organization. Working with federal agencies, state game and fish departments and private conservation groups, Wildlife Forever has been involved in more than 1,500 projects covering every state in the nation and Canada. Invasive species impact the American public at a cost of billions of dollars a year and are wreaking havoc on sportsmen’s equipment and gear. These serious threats are destroying habitat, closing access, reducing fish populations

SPOKANE SPICE spokanespice.com

For wild game and domestic meats, Michlitch’s new Spicy Maple sausage seasoning is a delicious change to the normal sausage. Savory maple breakfast sausage patties are a cinch to make at home. They have a hint of maple sweetness with just the right balance of crushed red pepper and spices to get your attention. Michlitch makes it simple with their easy-to-follow instructions on every package. They have packages for 5-, 10- and 20-pound batches. Try this great sausage-seasoning blend and you’ll never want to buy breakfast sausage from a store again.

and devastating food chains. Commerce, trade and recreation all pose significant risks of inadvertently spreading invasive species. Wildlife Forever established the Clean Drain Dry Initiative to prevent the spread of invasive species through a national outreach and education initiative. As one of the leading conservation movements in the country, Wildlife Forever and its many partners nationwide are working hard to save America’s fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever believes conservation education will ultimately determine the future of America’s fish and wildlife heritage. It is only through education that they will pass on the

stewardship of our natural resources to the next generation. Membership contributions are the primary source of support for these incredibly diverse wildlife conservation projects. Ninetyfour percent of all donations go directly to the Wildlife Forever mission. Join them today.

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industry Industry AMERICAN GUNSMITHING INSTITUTE americangunsmith.com – Booth #2110

Just like all sorts of degree and vocational training you can receive remotely, the American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) offers their invaluable base of knowledge online – and these are complete certiﬁed gunsmithing courses. They are so serious about the level of education you will receive, they boast equaling and, more often, exceeding campus-based courses. Some of the courses AGI offers include basic and advanced ﬁrearms maintenance, customizing, and gunsmithing repair for hobbyists and professionals, to name a few. They will even send you a lesson for free just to try out their teaching skills and high-quality videos. Learning a skill from the comfort of your own home that is directly related to your and our favorite pasttime? Sweet.

JOSEPH CHIARELLO & CO., INC. guninsurance.com – Booth #2628

Joseph Chiarello & Co., Inc. is a family-owned and -operated business founded in 1934 that has specialized in insuring the ﬁrearms industry since 1979. Throughout those years many competitors have come and gone. For over 35 years the company has stood by the ﬁrearms industry. The insurance coverage they provide is an important tool for managing your exposure to risk. They strive to provide the best products and services available, at reasonable prices. Their primary focus is on commercial general liability and property coverages. This program is underwritten by the Granite State Insurance Company. Policies are written on admitted paper in all 50 states. There are no surplus lines taxes and policy fees to pay.

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STRIP GUN CLUB stripgunclub.com

Strip Gun Club is more than the first and only shooting range on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. It is the ultimate game changer. They have packed limitless adventure into 4,500 square feet of raw industrial style with a sophisticated edge. Strip Gun Club is home to two private VIP pistol lanes and five rifle lanes. You’ll even find a lane with a built-in mounting turret for their chrome-plated .50-caliber machinegun, described by journalist Dan Rather as “the mother of all machine guns.” Shooting packages begin at $99. Book your reservation at (702) 777-GUNS now and receive complimentary transportation.

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THE RANGE 702 therange702.com

The Range 702 is the premiere indoor shooting range in Las Vegas with a variety of machinegun shooting packages and experiences for types of enthusiasts. The Range 702 offers a wide variety of fully automatic machine guns, but nothing quite like the MG42. Introduced by Germany in 1942, it’s capable of shooting a hair-raising 1,200 rounds per minute and makes a distinguished ripping, sawing sound, hence its nickname, “Hitler’s Buzzsaw.” No other single-barreled, man-portable, machine gun was capable of such ﬁrepower. The MG42 sits on a bipod to assist the shooter in handling the forcible recoil. It was known for its reliability, durability, simplicity and ease of operation. The MG42 was and still is a true masterpiece of its time.

GARY B. WELLS, ATTORNEY AT LAW firearmslaw.attorney

Firearm laws should be simple to find, easy to understand, and provide ample guidance as to what is required. Instead, they are found in multiple codes, regulations, and rules. They are disorganized and complicated to understand. They also fail to provide sufficient guidance to know how to comply. The Internet is full of conflicting advice and opinions, leaving anyone completely lost and hopelessly confused. Recognizing these problems, attorney Gary B. Wells has published Firearm Laws for Businesses & Their Customers. This book is designed to serve as a well-organized and comprehensive reference and procedural guide for FFLs. It covers the GCA, the NFA, and ITAR. You can find a detailed table of contents and purchase the book on the author’s website, above.

BATTLEFIELD VEGAS battlefieldvegas.com

Battlefield Vegas is the premier Las Vegas shooting experience with over 1,000 machineguns from World War I to the modern day located one block off the Strip. Shoot the only minigun in Las Vegas or try the “Ma Duece” M2 .50-caliber machinegun. With packages starting at $99, Battlefield Vegas has something for everyone. Offering free pickup from Strip and Fremont Hotels in authentic military HMMWVs (Humvees), Battlefield Vegas has the largest display of armored vehicles in Nevada. It’s also the only place on the West Coast you can crush a car with a real tank. BV is veteran owned and operated.

TEXAS & U.S. LAW SHIELD texaslawshield.com Texas & U.S. Law Shield has more than 210,000 active members and operates in 13 states. Members of the Firearms Legal Defense Programs receive legal representation for zero attorneys’ fees if the members have to “use” a ﬁrearm or any other legal weapon in defense of themselves, their family, their property (in some states), and third parties. Based in Houston, the companies currently offer memberships in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. Membership

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costs as little as $10.95 a month. Program attorneys represent members in any legal proceeding, criminal or civil, from charges arising from a use of a gun or any legal weapon. That includes all police investigations, all pretrial proceedings, trials (both criminal and civil) and appeals. Additional coverage for bail bonds, minor children, expert witness, and spousal coverage are also available for nominal charges.

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HANDGUNS GUNCRAFTER INDUSTRIES

guncrafterindustries.com

“Being a user, gunsmith, and engineer, my universe has revolved around the 1911 for 35 years,” says Guncrafter founder Alex Zimmermann. “I identiﬁed the parts under the most stress, and most likely to fail: the extractor, slide stop, plunger tube, ejector, barrel link, barrel bushing and the barrel. We’ve made these parts much stronger, more reliable and simply better, yet they look and operate like standard parts without affecting the weight or function of the pistol. They just don’t break or malfunction.”

HECKLER & KOCH hk-usa.com – Booth #13172

T Three new models of Heckler & Koch’s VP striker-ﬁred pistol have been added V tto the company line-up in time for SHOT Show. There’s a new ﬂat dark earth (FDE) Show colored frame in 9mm and .40-caliber pistols, a new grey-colored frame VP variant in 9mm caliber, while a threaded-barrel “tactical model” black-frame 9mm caliber joins the renowned VP family. HK VP pistols are competitively priced and covered by Heckler & Koch’s lifetime warranty. Learn more at SHOT Show.

MATRIX ARMS

matrix-arms.com • Booth #1367 The Matrix Arms 9mm Glock AR pistol is exceptionally well-suited for any application requiring a lightweight, compact, highly concealable ﬁrearm that will dominate in any close-quarters confrontations. This pistol features a nonreciprocating side-charging upper (patent pending) which allows the shooter to engage the charging handle while remaining on target. The 9mm lower is the only Glock-dedicated lower that features a completely reliable last-round catch-bolt catch design.

TAURUS

taurususa.com • Booth #14240 The new, patented Curve from Taurus is a body-contoured .380 ACP that changes everything about concealed carry. It’s so comfortable it’s easy to wear – everyday. At the size of most of today’s cell phones, the Curve allows users to discreetly and confidently carry this handgun without discomfort. The curved frame is meant tto contour to the human body for comfort and decreased printing. It is designed to be snagless, which enables faster reaction time upon drawing the weapon. The newly integrated laser/light combo by Viridian integrates seamlessly into this concealed carry, meaning no more bulky light attachments. With an ergonomic grip and easy press button you can acquire targets faster in low-light situations. The trigger shield is attached to a lanyard that is tied around a belt loop or purse strap; when you draw the weapon the trigger shield detaches after moving less than a foot. Taurus has introduced the Bore Axis sight system to fit its concealed-carry needs; the laser-etched lines are intended for easy target acquisition and quick response. Since most scenarios involved with shooting a concealed weapon are simply point and shoot, the Curve maintains its fully melted edges and eliminated ttraditional sights. The .380 ACP provides the necessary stopping power in those fight-or-flight situations. americanshootingjournal.com 113

HANDGUNS AMERICAN TACTICAL

americantactical.us – Booth #16538 American Tactical brings the latest of the Firepower Xtreme hybrid line with the FXH-45C. This commander-size, polymer-frame 1911 takes form from the 70 series 1911, and gets rid of the weight. Coming in at less than a pound and a half, the recoil is smooth and perfect for defensive carry. AT’s patented metal inserts in the frame keep the FXH-45C light, but you can still change out other parts like grips and springs as you see ﬁt. The slide comes factory cut for micro red dot-style optics and the iron sights are Glock pattern.

COONAN

coonaninc.com • Booth #2619 Coonan changed the handgun market with the Classic 1911 .357 Magnum Auto pistol envisioned by legendary gun designer Dan Coonan. The line now includes the Classic 5-inch, Compact 4-inch, Compensated 5.7-inch and the all-new 5-inch .45 ACP. The crisp pivoting trigger, linkless barrel, external extractor and the timeless 1911 design delivers accurate, reliable pistols with superior handling and explosive ﬁrepower.

GARY REEDER CUSTOM GUNS reedercustomguns.com

Gary Reeder Custom Guns is proud to announce a new dual-cylinder series, based on the Ruger Single Six. The series is the Trail Gun. Reeder uses the customer’s Single Six and converts it to centerfire. He builds two cylinders for it, one in .32-20 and the other in either .327 Federal or .32 H&R. He then adds a new barrel in the length the customer requests with a deep dish crown and maxi throat, and also adds an interchangeable blade front-sight system, a gunfighter grip with the grips the customer requests and does a full-action job. Finally, he slicks it up inside and out and does a deluxe black chromex finish on it. After all of that custom work, you’ll have one of the finest trail guns available today. The price is $1,795 on your Ruger Single Six with a four-month delivery.

Matrix Arms 421 River Road Claremont, NH 03743 Phone: 603.542.0191 Fax: 603.542.0697 MatrixArms.com

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HANDGUNS MKS SUPPLY LLC inland-mfg.com – Booth #16144

In the spirit of the FP-45 Liberator pistol developed by Inland Division of General Motors during WWII, MKS Supply is proudly offering their version of the Inland Liberator 45. Inland teamed up with Bond Arms tto develop the new Inland Liberator 445 chambered in .45 ACP with 3-inch ddouble barrels. The Liberator 45 has a bead-blasted antiglare ﬁnish with wood grips. w

SCHMEISSER

schmeisserusa.com – Booth #16154 The Schmeisser SLP-9 handgun is now available in the U.S. The SLP-9 is one of few D.A.R.E. trigger system pistols on the market, allowing for the operator to press the trigger more than once on a hard primer for ignition. With the short trigger reset of 1.5 millimeters, follow up shots are made easily and quickly. The polymer-framed pistol is uniquely designed to create an incredibly low-bore axis, improving management of felt recoil for more accurate repeat shots. It also features an ambidextrous magazine release, steel magazines, adjustable grip and metallic three-dot sights.

CZ-USA

cz-usa.com – Booth #11955 Much more than just another striker-fired pistol, the P-10 is decidedly CZ, from the way it feels to the way it shoots. Using the classic CZ 75 grip angle and a mild palm swell, the P-10’s stippled grip feels familiar in the hand, while three interchangeable backstraps help it fit a variety of different shooters. More importantly, with a light 4.5-pound trigger pull with a super short reset, it leaves some very popular guns wanting. Like all CZ pistols, it has a cold-hammer-forged and lapped barrel that, when coupled with tight slide to barrel fit, results in accuracy CZ fans will be familiar with. With CZ reliability, engineered ergonomics and a bevy of features both familiar and new, the P-10 is the complete package.

7.62 x 51/.308 RIFLES DZT-USAR10-20G2

MSRP $2,839.00 Visit Us at SHOT show. Booth #549 116

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

7.62 x 39 16" FLUTED BARRELS

MSRP $225.00 DEZTacticalArms.com

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HANDGUNS MAGNUM RESEARCH magnumresearch.com - Booth #15949

In 2015, when Magnum Research ﬁrst introduced the new lightweight Desert Eagle L5 in .357 Magnum, it quickly gained widespread appeal, especially among loyal Desert Eagle fans. Now, the Mark XIX L5 is also offered in .44 Magnum. The new L5 is offered with a 5-inch barrel, and features a hard-coat anodized black aluminum frame, black carbon-steel slide and barrel, and Hogue ﬁnger-groove rubber grips. The new lighter version of this popular pistol puts it under 50 ounces, which also makes it New York state compliant. Overall length is 9.75 inches, height is 6.25 inches and the slide width is 1.25 inches. The DE44L5IMB ships with one eight-round magazine, and suggested MSRP is $1,790. Magnum Research also offers the aluminum frame L6 with stainless slide and barrel, both in a .44 Mag and a .357 Mag, in addition to the popular .50 AE. Both feature a 6-inch stainless steel barrel and slide with a hard-coat anodized black aluminum frame with a stainless-steel slide and integral muzzle brake. Overall length is 10.75 inches, height is 6.25 inches, and the slide width is 1.25 inches. The pistol has a 4 pound trigger pull. The L6 ships with one eight-round magazine for the DE44ASIMB and a nine-round magazinee on the DE357A DE357ASIMB. The MSRP for both models is $2,054 each.

ORISKANY ARMS

oriskanyarms.com - Booth #16232 The 1911 Tactical 425FP answers the call for a precision-made, ultradependable commanderdersized 1911. The 1911 Tactical 425FP comes standard with black oxide coating, a machined Picatinny rail, and ﬁxed tritium sights. Currently available in .45 ACP and 9mm, the 1911 Tactical 425FP has a wide array of available ﬁnishes, sight options, and tactical features. Like other Oriskany Arms 1911s, the Tactical 425FP has all of the standard, desirable le features that its full-size and compact counterparts offer. As always, Oriskany Arms iss providing you the ability to build your very own high-quality custom 1911 at a production price.

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HANDGUNS KAHR ARMS

kahr.com - Booth 15949 For the very first time, four Kahr Arms models – the CM9093, CM4543, CW3833, and CT383 – now offer white 3-dot sights, a Pachmayr tactical grip glove, and a Pearce finger rest magazine extension. The CM4543 does not include the Pearce finger rest. These four models will be offered in Cerakote tungsten on the slide, trigger and slide stop lever. This new finish has been very popular for Kahr, and with the added features, on even more calibers, this is a great value for shooting enthusiasts. MSRP is $439 for the CW3833TU3 and the CT3833TU3. MSRP on the CM9093TU3 and the CM4543TU3 is $499.

CENTURY ARMS

centuryarms.com – Booth #11962

NOWLIN ARMS

The TP9 SF ELITE-S semiauto pistol from Century Arms comes with industry-standard dovetail sight cuts that are compatible with a large variety of aftermarket sights, a match-grade barrel, a trigger stop, loaded chamber and striker status indicators, a reversible magazine catch, a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, Tungsten grey cerakote over phosphate, and AFC magazine coating. It comes with two 15-round magazines, a poly holster, a paddle/belt attachment, interchangeable backstraps, cleaning rod, brush and a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty.

nowlinarms.com The new Titan model 1911 and Match Master 1911 pistols by Nowlin each feature superb accuracy and dependability, and are hand-ﬁtted to perfection. These ﬁne pistols are accurate to under 1 inch at 25 yards. Both have a 5-inch slide, .45 ACP, eight rounds, stainless or blue. Many upgrades are available.

Optimization for your trigger. Trigger kit for the Ruger® LC9S™ PowderRiverPrecision.com 120

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

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With a stock attached via the QD socket, SIG Sauerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MPX creates an impressive rainbow of 9mm brass.

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gun review

ACCURATE ADAPTATION SIG Sauer’s 9mm pistol feels both new and familiar, and is an impressive addition to the MPX line.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY OLEG VOLK

he MPX family of pistol-caliber firearms fixes the main flaw of close-bolt blowback designs: excessive bolt weight. Adapting the AR-15 platform to 9x19 Luger with a gas-piston action, SIG engineers cut the overall weight and the reciprocating bolt carrier in particular, making MPX lighter than other 9mm ARs and cutting the recoil intensity at the same time. The resulting weapon is available as a 16-inch carbine, and as submachine gun, short barrel rifle and pistol, all available with 8-inch or 4.5-inch barrels. In the carbine form, the 7.6-pound overall weight of the weapon is no different from a rifle-caliber AR-15, making it more of a practice version of the 5.56, with less expensive ammo, less concussive report but substantially similar handling and manual of arms. The shorter barrel and forend of the 8-inch SBR and submachine gun variants bring the weight down to 6 pounds, and collapsed length down to 17 inches. Unfortunately, National Firearms Act restrictions make the SMG unavailable except to government or corporate users, and the tax stamp and yearlong ATF turnaround on approving applications restrict the SBR. That leaves the pistol as the less legally encumbered purchase that can be turned into an SBR at a later date. The 9mm Luger cartridge generated far smaller volume of gas than 5.56x45mm, so the MPX gas port is almost right at the chamber to generate sufficient pressure for

cycling. With most 9mm loads, 8 inches is sufficient to get most of the potential velocity increase from the limited case volume. With the A2 ﬂash hider, the muzzle signature is nonexistent. As with other gas-operated pistol-caliber guns, the MPX favors full-power ammunition for reliability – in my testing, it ran perfectly with 115-, 124- and 147-grain SIGbrand defense and range ammunition, but short-stroked occasionally with wimpy commercial remanufactured ball. With full-power ammunition, MPX has less felt recoil than blowback guns had with subpar loads.

WHEN SUPPORTED, the MPX pistol is superbly accurate. When rested on an convenient cardboard box and sighted with a red dot, the pistol shot very small groups at 25 yards, especially favoring 124- and 147-grain SIG JHP ammunition. Similar or slightly better results were obtained using the MPX submachine gun in semiautomatic mode. In auto mode, running at about 850 rounds per minute, it remains fairly controllable and will keep two- or three-shot bursts in A zone at 25 yards. The mechanics of the MPX design are very sound. Compared to HK MP5, it runs a good deal cleaner, especially when sound-suppressed. Takedown for cleaning and especially the reassembly are much simpler, with all bolt and carrier parts accessible with the removal of a single pin. MPX ergonomics are similar to AR-15, but with an emphasis on ambidextrous controls. Slide lock levers and americanshootingjournal.com 125

gun review

magazine release buttons are duplicated on both sides, a helpful feature. On the left side, the controls could use more separation, as trying to lock the slide back sometimes caused a dropped magazine. The transparent, metal-reinforced polymer magazines made by Lancer are extremely reliable, durable and were easy to load. While more expensive than typically used single-feed Glock magazines, they are far more convenient in use. Available in 10-, 20- and 30-round capacity, MPX magazines ﬁt any purpose, from combat to concealed carry to shooting from a range bench.

THE PRINCIPAL DIFFERENCE

between the SBR and the pistol is ergonomics. The pistol comes with a QD socket at the rear of the receiver, right under the rail for the arm brace or the stock. In theory, a solid shooting position can be established with the use of both hands and a stretched sling. In practice, holding a 6-pound weapon in outstretched arms gets tiring fairly soon. Practical accuracy is no better than with a conventional pistol, and the sling length and position make effective concealment difficult. Furthermore, the ambidextrous charging handle retained from the AR-15 has a tendency to entangle with the plastic sling ﬁxtures, pulling the bolt out of battery and disabling the gun. At close range, especially indoors, the MPX pistol would be more stable if ﬁred from the hip using

(Above) The magazine well and ambidextrous controls optimize an efficient operation. (Left) Takedown of the MPX is simple, with all bolt and carrier parts accessible with the removal of a single pin.

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“Trail Gun”

Custom Guns

GARY REEDER CUSTOM GUNS is proud to announce a new dual cylinder series, based on the Ruger Single Six. The series is the TRAIL GUN. We use the customer’s Single Six, convert it to centerfire, build 2 cylinders for it, one in 32-20 and the other in either 327 Federal or 32 H&R. We add a new barrel in the length the customer requests with our Deep Dish Crown and Maxi Throat, add our interchangeable blade front sight system, add our Gunfighter Grip with the grips the customer requests, do a full action job, slicked up inside and out and do our deluxe Black Chromex finish on it, and you have one of the finest trail guns available today. The TRAIL GUN. $1795 on your Ruger Single Six. 4 month delivery

GARY REEDER CUSTOM GUNS is proud to announce the release of the second book on handgun hunting, HUNTING HANDGUNS AND THEIR CARTRIDGES. This book covers every aspect of handgun hunting in 25 chapters and with almost a thousand pictures. John Taffin, America’s # 1 gun writer, says of Gary Reeder... “There is a long list of men, Handgun Hunting Heroes I have been privileged to know and who have inspired me with their writing, their handguns, or both. Such men as Skeeter Skelton, Bob Milek,, Lee Jurras, Steve Herrett, John Lachuk, Larry Kelly, J.D. Jones, Hal Swiggett, Mark Hampton, John Linebaugh, Hamilton Bowen, and of course, Gary Reeder. All of these men are giants when it comes to handguns and no one has had more effect today than Gary Reeder. Personally I know Gary to be a man of great talent, simple honesty, a big heart, and a humble spirit. I am proud to call him a friend. This book is the closest thing to The Complete Book of Handgun Hunting available thus far. In the book you will find the history of hunting handguns, his work with developing both handguns and cartridges, hunting adventures and much more. Pay close attention to what he says for like the others on my list of Handgun Hunting Heroes, he has been there, done that, and speaks from experience.” The new book HUNTING HANDGUNS AND THEIR CARTRIDGES is available from Reeder Custom Guns for $40 delivered, and having your book signed is available for the asking. To order your book, call 928-527-4100.

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gun review

(Left) An optional brace and suppressor add length and flexibility to the MPX. (Right) A closer look at the bolt carrier recoil spring.

a green laser for aiming. In my opinion, the best fighting pistol made by SIG would be something like a full-size P226. The MPX is terrific as a carbine or a submachine gun, but – thanks to filling a regulatory niche created by illogical government

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regulations – is a pistol in name only. In reality, it’s a stockless carbine and would be best treated as a pre-SBR that the owner gets to take home before the tax stamp arrives. If NFA regulations and restrictions aren’t your cup of tea, the 16-inch version of the MPX is superbly accurate, has

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gun review almost no felt recoil and has a proper stock without requiring a tax stamp. For unsuppressed use, carbine-specific 9mm loads, such as 77- (2,000 feet per second) or 115-grain (1,500 fps) Overwatch, provide flat trajectory and effective terminal ballistics. From the 8-inch barrel, Sig V-Crown defensive loads are superior. With lower muzzle pressure than the pistol it also suppressed even more effectively, particularly with the SIG subsonic 147-grain load. Unlike the 5.56mm AR-15, the MPX has no perceptible gas blowback reaching the shooter. Given the excellence of the MPX concept, we can only hope that NFA regulations would be rolled back in the coming year, putting all of its features into the hands of a large and very appreciative group of American firearms enthusiasts. Editor’s note: For more on SIG Sauer’s MPX line, see sigsauer.com.

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The MPX is superbly accurate at 25 yards.

SNAGMAG Concealed Magazine Holster

The SnagMag™ is designed to look like a knife riding in your support-side front pocket along the outside seam.

• Discreet Way to Carry an Extra Magazine • Convenient and Comfortable • Carries Like a Pocket Knife • Designed for a Fast Draw • Lightweight yet Durable

Order Now at Snagmag.com LEO and Military Discounts | Limited Lifetime Warranty | email:americanshootingjournal.com snagmag@live.com 131

PISTOL Gallery TURNBULL MFG. CO. TURNBU turnbullmfg.com turn

COMMANDER HERITAGE The Turnbull Commander Heritage is Turnb Turnbull Restoration & Manufacturing Company’s new gun for 2016. This firearm is finished in Turnbull’s signature case color on the frame and has blued slide and parts. It is ha hand-fitted and 100-percent American made.

POWDER RIVER PRECISION, INC. powderriverprecision.com

SPRINGFIELD PISTOL AFTERMARKET PARTS Powder River Precision is devoted to providing the highest quality aftermarket parts and service for the Springfield XD, XDM and XDS lines of pistols. Trigger kits, extended grip safeties, extended mag releases and more are available.

NOWLIN

nowlinarms.com

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MATCH MASTER PISTOL

NEW TITAN MODEL 1911 PISTOL

The finest 1911 Auto you will ever own, the Match Master pistol will shoot 1.5-inch-or-smaller groups at 50 yards. A certified hand-held target fired at 25 yards is supplied with each order.

Get superb accuracy (under an inch at 25 yards) and dependability from the Titan Model 1911. Fitted to perfection, it features a 5-inch slide, holds eight rounds and is chambered in .45ACP. Many upgrades are available.

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

POLYMER80 www.polymer80.com

ORISKANY ARMS

80% POLYMER PISTOL FRAME The world’s first 80-percent polymer pistol frame, the PF940 by Polymer80 is compatible with Glock Gen3 parts and is a highly customizable platform that requires no FFL to purchase. The PF940 kit includes the 80-percent pistol frame, jig and all of the drill bits and end-mill bits required for completion.

oriskanyarms.com

1911 350FP The 1911 350FP is the compact carry-size member of the Oriskany Arms 1911 family. It has a 3.5-inch barrel length, and maintains a full-sized hand grip for additional support. Just like the other Oriskany Arms 1911 models, each 1911 350FP is 100-percent made in the USA using only domestically sourced materials.

LAYKE TACTICAL layketactical.com

CUSTOM-BUILT PISTOL Layke Tactical’s .308-caliber custom pistol weighs 5.6 pounds, has a 10-inch barrel and is made with custom titanium parts.

REEDER CUSTOM GUNS reedercustomguns.com

GUNCRAFTER INDUSTRIES

guncrafterindustries.com

THE AMERICAN IN 9MM Guncrafter announces the popular American Light Rail pistol is now available in 9mm. Choose from either Melonite or Stainless models, both with exceptional Guncrafter quality.

EL DIABLO 2 The El Diablo 2 can be chambered in .429 GNR, .410 GNR, .454, .455 GNR, .475 or .500 Linebaugh, or .510 GNR. The gun above is in .475 Linebaugh and has a big, beefy 6-inch barrel, the gold bands typical of the El Diablo line, heavy-duty five-shot cylinder and many more customizations. americanshootingjournal.com 133

California Firearms Compliant Devices

Raddlock Magazine Limiters Convert 20rd and 30rd high capacity magazines to 5rds, 7rds, 10rds, or 15rds. Also available for pistol magazines!

Lifetime Warranty

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Visit us at www.raddlock.com

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

gun review With Trigger standing watch over a passel of ducks, the author (center) is flanked by Kevin Glass (left) and Dave Miller (right) during their hunt near Port O’Conner, Texas, using a pair of CZ-USA’s new 12-gauge Swamp Magnums.

SWAMP THANG STORY AND PHOTOS BY LARRY CASE

o style of shotgun is cussed and discussed as often as those used for waterfowl. Between the different methods of hunting and the abuse a duck and goose gun must take there is ample room for debate. Is there truly any best shotgun for waterfowl? I don’t know, but I can tell you about a new one that is right up there. CZ-USA’s latest addition to their extensive shotgun line is aptly named the Swamp Magnum. This over-and-under 12 gauge is meant to take anything the duck and goose hunter can throw at it, waterfowl, weather and ﬁendish environments included. With a 3.5-inch chamber, this shotgun will shoot anything you pull out of your vest.

CZ-USA’s new 12-gauge Swamp Magnum shotgun for waterfowl is a direct hit in the duck marsh. The Swamp Magnum is available in two versions, all black and Realtree Max-5 camo. Both feature synthetic stocks. According to the company, it is the only over-and-under in their line with an automatic safety. It engages every time the action is opened, giving an added level of safety to the duck blind. This past November I witnessed this new shotgun being put through its paces on the duck proving grounds near the Texas coast town of Port O’Conner, roughly between Galveston and Corpus Christi. We were out on the Matagorda Bay, near Matagorda Island, where miles and miles of shallow water was populated above and below with ﬁsh, ducks, herons and all kinds of wildlife. IF YOU WANT TO SEE what a shotgun will endure, this may be the place. While we did not have snow and ice on this americanshootingjournal.com 135

gun review The Swamp Magnum shotgun comes in two variations, Realtree Max-5 camo (foreground) and black.

trip, we had something a lot more destructive to shotguns, and that’s saltwater. Anything made of metal can literally rust before your eyes in this environment, but the Swamp Magnum shotguns we used on this hunt seemed to take it all in stride. I saw no rust develop on the guns, and only a small amount on the choke tubes, which did not have the same ﬁnish as the shotguns. But these smoothbores did much more than simply endure; they excelled at the one job they had, and that was plucking ducks out of the sky. “I love this shotgun as duck gun because of the length of the sight

plane with the 30-inch barrels,” said James Prince, a very experienced waterfowl hunter and manager at the Shoalwater Bay Club, a private lodge in Port O’Conner. “Every time I pulled the trigger, a duck dropped.” James also liked the trigger on this shotgun and the Realtree Max-5 camo. “I think it is a camo pattern that most hunters can use, whether they are turkey, dove or duck hunting,” he said. Another one of our hosts on this trip was Vence Petrenella, corporate conservation manager for Silver Eagle Distributors in Texas. Vence is a native Texan and spends close to 50 days a year in the duck marsh.

“I was very pleased with the overall performance of the Swamp Magnum. It is well balanced and points really well, allowing you to look down the 30-inch barrel to your target. The soft trigger on this gun was one of the best I have ever shot. It was crisp when squeezing it, and allowed you to keep your head down on the gun.” Dave Miller is the shotgun product manager at CZ-USA, as well as their exhibition shooter. Among other accomplishments, Miller set a Guinness Book of World Records for the most clay targets broken in one hour, a mere 3,653, a feat covered in the July 2015 issue of this magazine.

A better look at the two variations of CZ-USA’s new over-and-under.

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gun review CZ-USA SWAMP MAGNUM Bore: 12 gauge Chamber: 2.75 inches, 3 inches, 3.5 inches Barrel length: 30 inches Overall length: 48.25 inches Chokes: 3 Extended Black Ejectors: Yes Length of pull: 14.5 inches Weight: 7.1 pounds MSRP: $929.00 (black) $1029.00 (camo)

Dave Miller and Vence Petrenella survey the scene from their early morning posts.

Miller, CZ-USA’s shotgun product manager and exhibition shooter, stands at the ready with the Swamp Magnum at his side.

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“I believe these Swamp Magnums are the four-wheel-drive, all-purpose shotguns suited for nearly all types of shooting,” he said. “When hunting pheasants I leaned the Swamp Camo Magnum against a tree, looked away, and then nearly lost it because it blended in with the grass so well. I love that camo. This is an easy-tooperate, no-frills over-and-under shotgun that will shoot any shotgun shell on the market.” So there you have it, you have heard from some experienced duck hunters, guides and shotgunners. In my humble opinion, the CZ Swamp Magnum is a tough-as-nails shotgun that will take most anything a duck and goose hunter will dish out, and if you ﬁnd yourself up the creek without a paddle I think you could paddle your pirogue with it. If you want to sit in the duck blind in the morning and chase pheasants in the afternoon, you can have at it with this gun. The only thing turkey hunters will have to do is switch ammo when they go from the duck blind to the gobbler woods. In fact, there isn’t a really good reason not to take this shotgun to the sporting clays range. If you can ﬁnd another overand-under shotgun that will do all of this for less than the $1,000 ballpark price on this shotgun, you’d better go ahead and buy it. Editor’s note: For more on the Swamp Magnum and other CZ-USA products, see cz-usa.com.

SHOTGUn

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STEVENS savagearms.com

Stevens has dovetailed performance and value in its new 555 over-andunder shotgun. Its light aluminum receiver is scaled to gauge and incorporates a steel insert that reinforces the breech, minimizing weight and maximizing strength. The fasthandling 555 Enhanced features upgrades that include Imperial walnut stock and forend, auto shell ejector and laser-engraved Filigree ornament receiver. Standard features include a manual safety, and a single, selective mechanical trigger, and more – at a price that’s unmatched among comparable over-and-unders. Five interchangeable choke tubes allow the 555 to meet any shooting need.

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WE HAVE QUIET! INTEGRALLY SUPPRESSED RUGER MK II/III/IV, 10/22, 77/22* ABSOLUTELY QUIETEST AVAILABLE**

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**Results of US Army testing of several competing brands.

SUPPRESSOR

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HARDENED ARMS SRT ARMS Model: Ruger 77/44 Length: 1 inch longer than factory rifle Mount: Integrally mounted Weight: 1 pound more than factory rifle Decibel: 120 decibels absolute with 240-grain subsonic ammo Materials: 4130 outer tube, 7075 aluminum baffles and caps Notes: Optional fast-twist Douglas barrel available MSRP: $995 on customer-supplied rifle; add $365 for optional barrel upgrade More info: srtarms.com

GEMTECH Model: ONE Caliber: .30 Length: 7.5 inches Diameter: 1.5 inches Mount: Quickmount or thread mount Weight: 16.3 ounces Sound reduction: 32 decibels Materials: Titanium and Inconel Finish: High Temperature Black Cerakote MSRP: $1,099.00 More info: gemtech.com

FREEDOM ARMORY Model: Grenadier Caliber: .45, 9mm and 9mm CQB Length: 6.8 to 8.5 inches Weight: 9.9 to 11.4 ounces Sound reduction: 30 to 36 decibels Material: Titanium MSRP: $905 to $980 More info: famachineworks.com

ELITE IRON, LLC Model: STFU Caliber: .30, .308 Length: 7.875 inches Mount: 5/8x24 Weight: 22.8 ounces Sound reduction: 28 decibels Materials: 4140 chrome-moly billet, machined and parkerized Notes: Designed for elite military, law enforcement, and serious civilian shooters MSRP: $760 More info: eliteiron.com

Model: Black Widow Monocore Caliber: .300 Blackout supersonic and subsonic only, full-auto rated Length: 7 inches Diameter: 1.6 inches Mount: Direct thread (5/8x24) Weight: 24 ounces Sound reduction: 37 decibels (subsonics) Material: 4150 steel alloy Finish: Melonite MSRP: $799 More info: hardenedarms. com

COLE-TAC C M Model: Supressor cover Length: Custom to ﬁt Le Temperature rating: Te 1,800 to 3,000 degrees 1, Material: Mil-spec M h hardware and 100D Co Cordura nylon MSRP: $52.95 to $97.95 M More info: cole-tac.com M Mo

SILENCER SHOP Make: Griffin Armament Model: Alpha Caliber: Multi (up to .300WM) Length: 7.6 inches Diameter: 1.5 inches Mount: Griffin Taper Mount (Minimalist Brake 5/8x24 and Direct Thread Insert ½x28 included) Weight: 14.5 ounces Materials: 17-4 stainless steel, titanium Finish: Griffin Enduro-Kote High Temp Coating MSRP: $1,045 More info: silencershop.com

YANKEE KEE HILL MACHINE Model: Nitro 30 Weight: 18.2 ounces/20.2 ounces es Diameter: 1.562 inches Length: 6.93 inches/7.75 inches Construction: 17-4 PH stainless steel Mount: Direct thread 5/8x24 Decibel rating: 135 decibels (.308 Win) MSRP: $890 More info: yhm.net americanshootingjournal.com 141

STFU. Special

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EliteIron.com

DRAGOON 7.62mm TITANIUM SUPPRESSORS Freedom Armory Machine Works is proud to introduce the revolutionary Dragoon 7.62 suppressors configured in both Direct Attach (DA) and Quick Detach (QD) models utilizing Total Breakdown Technology (TBT).

In a market where heavy, welded, non-serviceable designs are the norm; the Dragoon distinguishes itself with an all Titanium takedown design. The use of rimfire ammunition in welded suppressors causes a buildup of lead and other contaminates that can never be cleaned out. Freedom Armory Machine Works design with TBT allows the user to remove, clean and service ALL components. The Dragoon suppressors are machined from solid Titanium bar stock that eliminates any welds/failure points. This aspect of the design creates an extremely durable and light weight suppressor that can be serviced down to the piece parts. Top rated sound reduction is achieved across the entire caliber range of each respective suppressor creating a truly universal suppressor for your many caliber needs. • TBT allows 100% of the parts to be disassembled for easy cleaning. • 7.62 is rated from .22LR thru .300 Wby Mag. • Extreme strength/durability achieved by machining the body from solid Titanium Bar. • DA model is 11.5 oz and QD Model is 12.9 oz in weight.

• Superior db Reduction across entire caliber range. • Field strip and assemble with standard tools. • 1.375” Diameter • Proprietary flash hider/QD mount creates rock solid, fast and light weight (Titanium) lock-up. Robust mounting system allows one handed installation or removal in 2 seconds.

(717) 227-9060 • Suppressors@famachineworks.com • www.famachineworks.com 142

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

PROUD TO BE MADE IN THE USA

CUSTOM-MADE SUPPRESSOR COVERS

americanshootingjournal.com 143

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Gear for guns

DEZ TACTICAL ARMS, INC. DEZTactical.com – Booth #549

APEX HANDGUARD apexhandguard.com Apex Handguard designs and manufactures systems for AR-style weapons, including the AR-15, 308 DPMS and AR-10 ArmaLite. All Apex systems feature nonslip GatorGrip texture for comfort, control and lighter weight. An offset clamp allows greater clearance for gas tube. The clamp attaches to the barrel nut, free-ﬂoating the

barrel, and maximizing accuracy. The handguard is slotted for rapid heat dissipation, and mounting holes are in place for quick release swivels. All handguards feature Apex’s CTRL (Controlled Tactical Rail Locating) system for assorted top and accessory rail placement. With CTRL, you don’t force your hands to ﬁt the rail and accessory layout – you shape the layout to ﬁt your hands.

The DZT-KM10 (DPMS Low Profile - .308 AR) and DZT-KM15 (AR-15) rail is a lightweight, rugged, free-floating keymod rail system manufactured by DEZ Arms and DEZ Tactical Arms. The hand guards feature full Keymod sections on sides and bottom, and a continuous Picatinny rail on top. The rail system features an easy-to-install proprietary barrel nut, and is available in five lengths and two styles for both the .308 AR and AR-15. Available lengths include 7 inches, 9 inches, 12 inches, 15 inches and 19 inches. DEZ handguards are manufactured from 6061 extruded aluminum, and finished with hard-coat black anodizing.

ArachniGRIP, LLC Slide Spider

LUTH-AR

luth-ar.com - Booth #10773

ARACHNIGRIP, LLC arachnigrip.com

ArachniGRIP manufactures and distributes the Slide Spider, a patented one-piece adhesive grip wrap for semiauto pistol slides. The grip is designed to enhance safety and control in the operation of the handgun. The Slide Spider enables the shooter to gain increased control through a safe and secure hold. The product offers additional tactical advantages under challenging operating conditions, including extreme moisture and temperature. In addition, the product aids shooters with weak or weakened hand strength and those with medical conditions such as arthritis. ArachniGRIP offers a variety of designs to ﬁt most semiautomatic handguns, and also offers custom imprinting on the product.

Luth-AR’s modular carbine buttstock assembly, the MBA-3F, recently earned the Premium Accessory Of The Year Award at The Industry Choice Awards. This stock is the latest version of the innovative MBA line of buttstocks. It is designed for AR-15 and AR-10 carbines and includes an adjustable cheekrest, additional length-of-pull, as well as an adjustable three-axis butt plate. It is extremely lightweight, provides multiple sling attachment points, Picatinny rail, and anti-rattle set screw. It is available in black and ﬂat dark earth. The MBA-3F retails at $169.98. americanshootingjournal.com 145

gear for guns YANKEE HILL MACHINE yhm.net – Booth #31403

THE ALTAMONT COMPANY altamontco.com – Booth #2357

The Altamont Company has just released attractive wood grip panels for the Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory. They are drop-in-ﬁt replacement panels out of the box. You can customize them with a S&W silver medallion or S&W logo on any of the designs. Your stock screws can be reused to install Altamont’s SW22 Victory grips, or you can customize your pistol further with a set of Altamont’s engraved screws. These SW22 Victory grips join Altamont’s extensive offering of grips, stocks and accessories, and each of them is made in America. Pictured above is the Super Rosewood Checkered Engraved grip.

The Nitro 30 is YHM’s answer to the demands of today’s suppressor community. YHM has listened closely to the wants and needs of both professional operators and suppressor enthusiasts on the firing range. YHM’s Nitro 30 achieves missionspecific modularity by providing the operator with muzzle cap and rear cap options. The Nitro is full-auto rated and will accommodate .300 Ultra Mag to .17 HMR. It comes with two different .30-caliber muzzle caps. The flat muzzle cap is geared towards the tactical user while the muzzle brake cap is geared towards the target shooter. The Nitro also comes with two different rear caps. The Quick Disconnect rear cap is great for rapid switching between multiple platforms, while the 5/8-24 direct thread-on rear cap is for a more dedicated set-up.

GEMTECH

gemtech.com – Booth #20521 Gemtech’s Lunar 45 is the culmination of decades of silencer innovation. The company has created the lightest and quietest modular .45-caliber silencer available that is also able to be completely taken apart and cleaned. The Lunar 45 is crafted from military-grade aluminum and titanium for the apex in durability and strength. Gemtech offers a variety of mounting options for the Lunar 45, allowing it to be used on a

RIO GRANDE CUSTOM GRIPS

riograndecustomgrips.com – Booth #15754

ARMASPEC

armaspec.com – Booth #3018 The Armaspec Stealth recoil spring SRS-1 is a self-contained, multistage drop-in replacement for your standard buffer and spring. The Stealth recoil spring is designed to reduce felt recoil as well as keep the buffer spring from rubbing against the inner wall of the buffer tube. The SRS-1 will be available early in 2017. The patentpending spring is made in the USA.

Rio Grande Custom Grips manufactures premium gun grips for handguns with removable grips. They currently sell grips for the legendary 1911 full-size pistol and clones, full-size Bobtail 1911 pistols, the Taurus PT1911, Compact/Ofﬁcer 1911 pistols, the Sig Sauer P938, Beretta 92, 96, and M9 pistols, Ruger Vaquero, New Vaquero, Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk, Single-Six, and 22/45 Mark III. The company is on the cutting edge of grip design with full-color, full-coverage images never before seen on handgun grips. They also have a growing library of “stock” designs, and the ability to provide a fully customized design from an image you supply. Your only limitation is your imagination. All Rio Grande Custom Grips are proudly designed and manufactured in the USA with attention to every detail.

CJ WEAPONS ACCESSORIES-BUFFERTECH cjweapons.com • Booth #N363

All guns, whether gas impingement or piston operated, riﬂe or carbine, have a similar problem, and that is when the steel recoil buffer spring makes a very loud noise when operated. This occurs when the bolt and bolt carrier hit the spring, compressing and expanding inside the plastic buffer tube sleeve to make a noise known by many shooters as “the sproing.” With the military and law-enforcement using sound suppressors on their weapons, the buffer spring sproing noise is becoming a detection hazard. This invention solves this problem, stopping the spring noise, and reducing wear on the buffer tube and gun.

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variety of platforms and calibers. The innovation, accuracy, and quality is what has made Gemtech the professional’s choice for decades.

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gear for guns DEAD ON ARMS

deadonarmsllc.com – Booth #4364

Dead On Arms likes to discover design problems roblems with weapons and then strive to ﬁnd a solution olution for them. The patented Gen 2 dust cover/gate solves many problems that plague the AR/M platform. DOA puts a captive plunger system in the dust cover/gate with active plungers on either end, which allows installation and removal on/off any style of AR/M platform upper. Now you can install and remove the dust cover/gate at any time during the build process without speciﬁc tools and a simple single part instead of four.

ELITE IRON

eliteiron.com – Booth #20311 The STFU was designed for .30-caliber riﬂes and is of all-stainless construction. The design removes horizontal point of impact shift sometimes experienced with an untimed suppressor. The STFU can used on riﬂes chambered in .308- and .30-06-class cartridges, and .300WM class cartridges with 24-inch barrels. It weighs 22.8 ounces, and the overall length is 7.875 inches. Sound pressure level reduction is 28 decibels, and the sound meter measurements are taken at the muzzle and not at the shooter’s ear, with 175-grain MLR ammunition.

MANNERS STOCKS

mannersstocks.com • Booth #20005 Manners stocks were the most popular competition stocks for the second year in a row. In 2014, almost 30 percent of all the shooters who ﬁnished in the top 50 ran a Manners stock, including seven of the top 10. In 2015, pro shooters trusted a Manners composite stock more than twice as much as any other brand. About one-third of the shooters in the e top 100 and almost 40 percent in the top 50 were using Manners stocks, and top 10 shooters chose Manners ers stocks more than any other single brand.

MVB INDUSTRIES mvbindustries.com

The New ARC-X multiposition stock for the AR-15 platform includes an upgraded pin locking mechanism, and it is drop resistant up to 6 feet. It works with any mil-spec bolt carrier and is also compatible with all AR-15 platform calibers. It weighs only 23 ounces, with an extended length of 8 inches and 4 inches collapsed. The ARC 7.62NATO/.308 multiposition stock delivers the benefits of short overall length and rapid deployment rifle to a full-power battle rifle. When collapsed, it’s 2 inches shorter than a standard collapsed carbine stock. The size of this rifle platform allows for a full 5 inches of extension, resulting in an extended length equal to a mil-spec A2 rifle stock. It is expandable to six positions in 1-inch increments. The Micro Pistol Kit (MPK) shortens the AR pistol by approximately 1¾ inches as compared to the length of a standard buffer tube, making the AR-15 pistol more compact, while still having the performance of a mil-spec carbine buffer system. The MPK is compatible with any mil-spec bolt BCG and works with both gas impingement and gas piston systems. All products are made in the USA and are

ELFTMANN TACTICAL

AR-15 curved trigger The ELF drop-in 3-gun trigger has been built for winning competitions. It is the only AR-15 trigger using aerospace-grade sealed bearings, making for an incredibly smooth and fast trigger pull. The skeletonized hammer combined with an exclusive .043 double-wound polished piano-wire hammer spring make for an incredibly fast lock time. The pull weight is easily adjusted without removing the trigger from the receiver. Made of AR-15 flat wire EDM machined, hardened A2 tool steel and trigger lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum, it is available with a curved or straight toe. With zero takeup, a glass-rod-crisp break and next to zero overtravel, it compares to the unit is just 2 ounces. ﬁnest 1911 triggers, and the adjustability puts If you are looking for the ﬁnest adjustable you in charge. An ultralight housing is now trigger for your competition AR-15 platform, this is standard. The total physical weight of the entire the trigger system for you.

elftactical.com – Booth #4363

CDI PRECISION GUNWORKS cdiprecisiongunworks.com

New for 2017 from CDi Precision comes the Ruger American short-action DBM for factory stocks as well as Boyds Gunstock rifles. They also have the .300 Blackout and .223 10-round MDT magazine DBM for the Boyd’s Gunstock rifles. Eliminate the pesky factory mag and upgrade to their 10-round .300 Blackout/.223 Mag, or five- and 10-round .308 magazine systems. They also offer free inletting services and installs as well, with fast turnaround and friendly service.

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available with different buffers: H-0, H-1, H-2, H-3, and PWS, and Cerakote is also available. The all-metal construction delivers extreme reliability and durability based on the quality raw materials precision machined to tight tolerances. Aluminum parts are Type III mil-spec hard anodized with the same speciﬁcation as U.S. Military riﬂe receivers. Steel components, primarily high-strength 17-4 stainless steel, are heat-treated and black nitrided for optimal strength, wear resistance, and smooth operation.

YOUR SOURCE FOR AR-15 BARRELS

WWW.SPINTAPRECISION.COM

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gear for guns JEBS CHOKES jebschokes.com

JEBS precision chokes were developed out of necessity for better patterning and increased shot load on target. Today, JEBS manufactures chokes for every shooting sport; from sporting clays to turkey hunting, upland bird hunting to dove hunting. Prized for its reliability of selected material, the lifetime guarantee and innovative technology, each JEBS choke is quickly becoming the “go-to” tube for the serious shotgunner. Exceptional quality, advanced technology, improved operability are the common denominators linking all JEBS choke tubes, each of which reﬂects JEBS brand values to an outstanding degree. Looking to the future, the company intends to maintain its dedicated approach to innovation and quality management to properly convert its innovative strength into tangible product success. All JEBS chokes adhere to the following material and make-up: 17-4 NASA-grade stainless steel, interior patented design, and no limitations on type of shot.

DEADFOOT ARMS

deadfootarms.com – Booth #4264 The Dead Foot Arms Modified Cycle System (MCS) is the first and only drop-in folding stock adaptor for AR-15 and AR-9 rifle platforms that supports full weapon function with the stock folded or deployed. The system is compatible with a variety of calibers, including 5.56, .300 calibers th lleftft and right-folding models. Blackout, 7.62x39 and 9mm, and is offered iin bboth Enjoy ease of transport, improved mobility during carry, and lightning-fast stock deployment, all while keeping the weapon fully ready for immediate and sustained use. Visit them online to learn more about their products, their brand, and their mission.

TACCOM taccom3g.com

The TACCOM Extreme Extension is the strongest, most modular and affordable shotgun extension tube on the market today. Made from 6061 aluminum extrusions, you can add or remove tubes at will to change the conﬁguration of the assembly. With the strength of these tubes, you never have to worry about breakage either. TACCOM also offers make sense accessories like the Extreme Rail, Tube Stabilizer and Friction Free Followers. This could be the last extension you will ever need.

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Luth Luth

AR AR

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• Revolutionary $QWL 5DWWOH Set Screw* •• Available Revolutionary $QWL 5DWWOH SetPink Screw* in Black, FDE, and •• Available Revolutionary $QWL 5DWWOH Set Screw* in Black, FDE, and Pink *Carbine Only **Available as accessory MBA1&2 • Available in Black, FDE, and Pink *Carbine Only **Available as accessory MBA1&2

*Carbine Only **Available as accessory MBA1&2 Order Online: www.Luth-AR .com Order Online: www.Luth-AR.com Order Online: www.Luth-AR.com americanshootingjournal.com 151

gear for guns SHORT ACTION CUSTOMS shortactioncustoms.com

Short Action Customs is proud to release their proprietary .223 Remington conversion kit for the Desert Tech SRS weapon systems. The .223 Remington kit is designed to be a drop-in conversion kit converting the .338 Lapua Magnum-rated chassis to shoot inexpensive and accurate .223 Remington ammo. Short Action Customs has conversion kits in stock and the customer can specify the barrel contour, chamber, barrel length, muzzle threads and color. Like all of their custom barrels, they use Bartlein cut riďŹ&#x201A;ed stainless barrels. Three hundred Blackout conversions are currently being tested. For more information, pricing and availability, please contact the company.

.233 Remington conversion kit

FREEDOM ARMORY MACHINE WORKS famachineworks.com â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Booth #2049

Freedom Armory Machine Works is proud to introduce the revolutionary Dragoon 7.62 suppressors conďŹ gured in both Direct Attach (DA) and Quick Detach (QD) models utilizing total breakdown technology (TBT). In a market where heavy, welded, nonserviceable designs are the norm, the Dragoon distinguishes itself with an all-titanium takedown design. The use of rimďŹ re ammunition in welded suppressors causes a buildup of lead and other contaminates that can never be cleaned out. Freedom Armory Machine Works design with TBT allows the user to remove, clean and service all components. Dragoon suppressors are machined from solid titanium bar stock that eliminates any welds/failure points, creating an extremely durable and lightweight suppressor that can be serviced down to the piece parts. Top-rated sound reduction is achieved across the entire caliber range of each respective suppressor, creating a truly universal suppressor for your many caliber needs.

DEAD ON ARMS LLC

Dragoon 7.62 Suppressors

THE FUTURE IN WEAPON INNOVATIONS

- Does away with the hammering and wrenching by simply snapping into place- no tools needed. - All dust covers and trigger guards are built to mil-spec or tighter tolerance. - All components of our patented pin-less dust cover and

pin-less trigger guards are made 100% in the USA!! 3HUIHFW ĆŹW FRQVWUXFWLRQ PDNHV LW D GURS LQ UHSODFHPHQW IRU WKH VWDQGDUG $5 0 $5 65 GXVW FRYHUV DQG ĆŹOOV WKH annoying gap at the rear of the standard trigger guard. - Trigger Guards are available in type-3 hard coat anodizing.

Pin-less Dust Covers: U.S. Patent # 9,188,405 7KH 'HDG 2Q $UPV '2$ SLQ OHVV GXVW FRYHU HOLPLQDWHV WKH QHHG WR UHPRYH WKH EDUUHO RU EDUUHO FRPSRQHQWV WR FKDQJH WKH GXVW FRYHU :LWK FDSWLYH SOXQJHUV RQ HLWKHU HQG RI WKH GXVW FRYHU UHPRYDO IURP DOO IRUJHG RU ELOOHW XSSHUV FDQ EH H[HFXWHG ZLWK QR WRROV 5HSODFHPHQW LQ WKH ĆŤHOG LV PDGH HTXDOO\ FRQYHQLHQW 7KH GXVW FRYHU VSULQJ LV DOVR FRQWDLQHG E\ WKH SLQV ZKLFK UHGXFH IUXVWUDWLQJ DOLJQPHQW LVVXHV 7KLV FRYHU LV FXUUHQWO\ EHLQJ RĆŞHUHG LQ DQG

Pin-less Trigger Guards: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ever stress over your lower build again! The Dead On Arms trigger guard is the next generation of trigger guards for the AR15/M4 family RI ULĆŹHV 'ULYLQJ LQ WKH SLQ RQ D VWDQGDUG WULJJHU JXDUG RQ \RXU ULĆŹH LV WKH VFDULHVW SDUW RI ORZHU EXLOG DQG ,WĆ?V HDV\ WR GR UHDO GDPDJH XVLQJ D SXQFK RU KDPPHU

Dealer Inquiries: Info@deadonarmsllc.com 152

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Phone 352.505.6700

www.DeadonArmsllc.com

americanshootingjournal.com 153

gear for guns HOGUE

hogueinc.com – Booth #15743, 20501, 15545 Hogue’s HandALL beavertail grip sleeves are designed to precisely fit specific polymer pistols. The initial offerings in this series are designed to precisely fit Smith & Wesson’s M&P Shield (9mm and .40 models), Ruger’s LC9 and Glock’s 26 and 27. The second sleeve precisely fits Glock’s 42 and 43. The third sleeve is designed for Smith & Wesson’s M&P Shield 45 and Kahr Arms’ P9, P40, CW9 and CW40. Though precisely fitting specific models, the beavertail grip sleeves will fit hundreds of other compact pistols, so check additional fitments at hogueinc.com. All models are available in black,, OD green, flat dark earth, pink and purple.

WHITE OAK ARMAMENT whiteoakarms.com

SRT ARMS srtarms.com

SRT Arms installs integral suppressors on your supplied Browning Buckmark pistol, or they can supply a complete integrally suppressed barrel. Each barrel operates with high-velocity, standard velocity, or subsonic ammo. High-velocity ammo runs subsonic.

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White Oak Armament is a leader iin AR AR-15 uppers, barrels and accessories for the competition high-power shooter. In 2016 White Oak introduced three new AR-15 uppers for the casual shooter or 3-gun competitor. These uppers feature White Oak’s match-grade stainless-steel barrels, which have earned their reputation in the hands of some of the best high-power competitors. The Ergonomic Modular Handguard from ALG Defense is the handguard of choice for these uppers, and is available in 16- and 18-inch lengths for less than $700. White Oak is the accurate choice for quality parts, unique accessories and friendly, knowledgeable service.

Introducing The “No Sproing”

AR Buffer Spring Rifle What’s the "sproing"? It’s the noise your AR-15/M4/M16 rifle’s buffer spring makes as it resonates vibrations through the stock. Now there is a way to quiet this with Buffer Technologies’ patent-pending new buffer spring. Replaces the original buffer spring — no need for grease or oils that capture dirt and carbon, or expensive hydraulic replacements. Made for the rifle or carbine.

Proudly made in the U.S.A.

Shop online at CJWEAPONS.COM

JET LOADERS

BROKEN SHELL EXTRACTORS

M16/AR15 CHAMBER CLEANING STARS

AND MORE...

LOCATED AT 317 DANIELLE CT. JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65110

CALL US 1-800-510-5919 americanshootingjournal.com 155

gear for guns WARREN CUSTOM OUTDOOR warrencustomoutdoor.com

Bright Sights Coating

Warren Custom Outdoor is a mom-and-pop online business started in 1998 by owners Paul and Yvonne Almashy, and specializing in top-quality “Made in USA” products not generally available in the big box stores and national catalogs. Bright Sights sight coating is a tough durable coating that stays on ﬁrearms in the toughest of ﬁring conditions and all kinds of weather. It provides a clearly distinctive difference between front and rear sights for easy and quick target

DANIEL DEFENSE

BADGER ORDNANCE

The new Daniel Defense DD Magazine holds 32 rounds of 5.56mm or .300 Blackout on a closed bolt, which means there’s no need to download rounds as with other mags. The matte-like textured surface and snag-free design provide a secure grip for quick reloads, and an impact-absorbing baseplate makes this lightweight (4.6 ounces) carbon-fiberreinforced polymer mag incredibly durable. It features an improved feed-lip design and an enhanced anti-tilt follower for smooth, reliable feeding and fits in any common magazine pouch or carrier. It’s the only magazine built to the same exacting standards as Daniel Defense’s best-in-class rifles.

Badger Ordnance is proud to celebrate 35 years of unparalleled excellence, precision machining, and the highest standards within the firearms and firearms accessories industry. In keeping with those standards their M2013 action is designed to perform to the highest demands of precision shooters. The Badger Ordnance M2013 Rifle Actions are available in both Short and Long Action variants with several bolt-face options. The M2013 combines precision machining, improved extraction, a lighter bolt lift, and a breaching ring lock up to a six-on-three lug bolt pattern.

danieldefense.com

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acquisition. For low-light shooting conditions (dusk and dawn hunting) Bright Sights offers a matching color of “Ghost Glow,” which is a light-activated product that gives off a discernable glow that allows you to see not only the animal hunted, but your front and rear sights as well. Other products available are: Bright Sights, One Hole Sights (aperture blades), Mag Spark for muzzleloading riﬂes, Fulton ﬂashlights, Woodman’s Pal and Sure Shot Sprayers. The popular Smokey’s Deer Lures and Tracking Baits are available at retail only.

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Badgerordnance.com – Booth #20005

• Ambidextrous 5 position stock adjustment • Butt Stock QD attachment • 6.875 Fully Collapsed • 10 Fully Extended • Attaches directly to mil-spec buffer tube • For .223/5.56 Rifles or SBR • 16.06 oz • Made in the U.S.A • Lifetime Warranty

XPDW ™ STOCK $179.00

The Armaspec XPDW™ stock is an aluminium 5 position stock with hardened steel rods. It incorporates a ambidextrous latch so the stock positions can adjusted from either side.The XPDW™ is designed to mount directly on your standard mil-spec buffer tube with no other modifications. Pat.Pend.

www.armaspec.com americanshootingjournal.com 157

gear for guns

CENTERMASS TACTICAL, LLC centermass-tactical.com

CMT AR lower receiver parts kits are 100 percent mil-spec for .223, 5.56 and .300 Blackout. The lower parts kits contain every part needed to complete your AR build or to replace any broken or worn-out part in your riﬂe. The CMT lower parts kit includes a black oxidecoated polished 8620-steel magnesium hammer and trigger. Normally $49.99, American Shooting Journal readers can get them on special for $40.99 by using discount code ASJ1 at lowerpartskits.com.

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ADVANTAGE TACTICAL

TANDEMKROSS

advantagetactical.com – Booth #6106

tandemkross.com – Booth #818

What is the Firefly? Advantage Tactical’s new Dark Diamond (DD) Fireflies – coral, yellow, aqua, lime-green – and ATS Fireflies – coral and lime-yellow – incorporate the latest chemical and manufacturing technology to produce long glow times in darkness, with just a short exposure to a strong light source. When observed with dilated eyes, Firefly inserts will glow for many hours. Unlike aged tritium sights, when the Firefly glow has finally diminished after many hours, exposure to some ambient light or just a flash from a tactical light or UV flashlight will refresh the glow. Fireflies will last for decades.

The Tandemkross “halo” Charging Ring for the Ruger Mark IV, Mark III and Mark III 22/45 features a unique, pull-ring design to put an end to pinched ﬁngers when charging your pistol. The lightweight aluminum charging handle features a smooth, curved ring for improved leverage and easy charging for right- and lefthanded shooters. The “halo” Charging Ring for Ruger Mark IV, Mark III and Mark III 22/45 is an ideal upgrade for competition shooters who need to charge their pistol or clear a jam quickly. For junior and senior shooters, the charging ring makes overcoming the hammer easier.

LBEUNLIMITED.COM BUFFER TUBE KITS

CHARGE HANDLES

UPPERS

5.56 BCG

.308 BCG

M4 BARRELS

GAS BLOCKS

CARRY HANDLES

These and other LBE products distributed by:

Check your local dealer for price and availability. americanshootingjournal.com 159

gear for guns

THORDSEN CUSTOMS thordsencustoms.com

Thordsen Customs LLS is in the final stages of the new FRS-15 Generation III featureless rifle stock due to release in the first quarter of 2017. The Generation I and II stocks were designed specifically for the AR-15 and .308 AR platforms with carbine recoil systems and do not address the vast arrayy of other makes and models

of black riﬂes in circulation within featurerestricted states. The FRS-15 GEN III is designed to be adaptable to many more platforms including riﬂelength AR-15 and .308 AR, AK-47, Saiga, TNW and many others. The new design also incorporates several new innovations and upgrades including new length of pull upgrades, stock saddle compatibility, sling attachment points and more.

KYNTEC CORPORATION kyntec.com, kynshot.com

KynSHOT hydraulic recoil buffers are designed to reduce recoil and eliminate muzzle rise by absorbing the energy of recoil. Instead of storing the energy in a spring, the hydraulics take the energy away in the form of heat. For use in all AR-15 (5.56/.223) platforms, including 9mm, AR-10 (.308) and tactical shotguns, the buffers feature stainless-steel construction and aircraft-grade hydraulics, and are made in America and covered by a 1-million-cycle warranty. Ask for the SHOT Show special pricing – your shoulder will thank you!

Visit us at the SHOT Show! Booth #15754

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SPARKS TECHNOLOGY LLC weaponeye.com

Weaponeye comes with a 720-pixel HD video/ audio cam recorder, greater-than-100-yard-range laser sight and a 55.000 MCD LED flashlight, which can all be operated simultaneously or individually. There are several applications for this new technology. In the event that you are forced to draw and/or use your firearm in self-defense, Weaponeye will be your witness when you need it the most. You can also use Weaponeye to capture your best hunting moments. And you can record your performance at the range and work on areas needing improvement. The Weaponeye-LEO model is coming out spring 2017, and it will be the perfect tool for any law enforcement officer with its increased durability and waterproof, lightweight design. This model will also come with a brighter flashlight with more functionality.

Ever wonder where major manufacturers source their individual components? KAK INDUSTRY provides many manufacturers with private label and contract-built components for their OEM operations.

gear for guns KKM PRECISION kkmprecision.com

KKM produces a Glock 19 Match barrel with four-port compensator. This product was originally designed and tested in conjunction with the U.S. Military for tactical close-quarter combat and is commonly referred to as the “Roland Special” barrel. It is made using stateof-the-art robotics and advanced multi axis CNC machines and completely made in-house with certiﬁed 416R stainless steel. It’s available in a standard stainless or black nitride ﬁnish.

SAFETY HARBOR FIREARMS safetyharborfirearms.com Booth #20613

New for 2016 was the KES line of PDW style stocks for the AR-15 and SIG MPX/MCX firearms. The KES, when fully extended, has a 13.25inch length of pull, the longest on the market. New for 2017 will be the KES for the AR-10 rifle. Since 2003, SHF has manufactured the SHTF50 .50BMG upper conversion for the AR-15 rifle and the KEG12 (Kompact Entry Gun) line of AOW shotguns.

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KICK-EEZ PRODUCTS www.kickeezproducts.com

Kick-EEZ has been making recoil pads for 31 years and is a family- and veteran-owned business. They have been using Sorbothane since they started and many competitors are still trying to compete with the comfort and performance Kick-EEZ provides, even with all of the latest and greatest designs, materials and technology. The Patriot Pad, their latest design, was created to honor U.S. veterans for all they do to protect our country, and they put their money where their mouths are. Kick-EEZ offer a 50 percent discount to any US veteran. Purchase a KickEEZ Patriot Pad and they will make a contribution of $5 to a veterans organization.

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gear for guns GENTRY CUSTOM gentrycustom.com

Gentry’s Quiet Muzzle Brake reduces recoil and muzzle jump, and although the noise level is slightly louder than sound without the brake, the hot gas and noise is directed down range away from the shooter, making your riﬂe user friendly. Standard threads are 5/8-24 inches. Gentry Custom can install the brake in their high tech shop or they can ship the brake and you can have your local gunsmith install it. Call (406) 388-GUNS for custom work.

PICKETT’S MILL ARMORY pmarmory.com

POWDER RIVER PRECISION powderriverprecision.com

Powder River Precision, Inc is proud to announce a drop-in trigger kit for Ruger LC9S pistols. This kit will reduce the trigger take-up, reset, and over-travel. It will also lower the trigger pull weight to about 3.5 pounds. It comes with a redesigned sear and trigger pivot. Both parts are precision CNC machined out of 440C stainless steel and heat-treated throughout the part. The result is a short, crisp trigger pull that will last for years. Retail pricing is set at $89.00 with dealer and distributor pricing available.

Pickett’s Mill Armory’s 16-inch AR15 Upper Receiver features a thin 15-inch MLOK Rail that offers maximum control to the shooter. Whether you are hunting, shooting at the range or defending your family, you can rely on Pickett’s Mill Armory to provide you with the tools to make that happen.

GUNTEC USA

guntechusa.com – Booth #10167 Guntec’s AR-15 “Honeycomb” series is a complete furniture set with an anodized red ﬁnish. The handguard is U.S. made from T6 aluminum, has ﬁve KeyMod slots on three sides of the front end, and comes with a lightweight aluminum barrel nut. The rail system slides over the barrel nut and is locked up against the receiver with six screws. Total weight is 8.9 ounces including the nut. The stock is a lightweight skeletonized design

featuring a 6061 aluminum tube and a steel endplate. The total length is 10.5 inches. The pistol grip is of very durable T6 aluminum with a skeletonized design and a total weight of 3.1 ounces.

MVBPatented INDUSTRIES, INC. line of PDW retractable Stocks Light weight | Multiposition | Do NOT Contain Polymer

AR-15 Multiposition Stock Five position retractable stock for the AR-15 platform. Patented spring and locking mechanism, and drop resistant to 6 ft. Compatible with all Mil-Spec Bolt Carrier Group (BCG) allowing use with both gas impingement and gas piston systems. Adjustable with one hand operation, so that strong hand remains on fire controls. Supplied with Springs and buffer. Position increments: 5 x 1” Weight: 23 oz. Length Extended: 8 7/8” Length Collapsed: 4 7/8” (from lower receiver buffer extension)

AR-10 Compact & Collapsible Stock

AR–15 Micro Pistol Kit (MPK)

• Adjustable to six positions (1” increments) • Compatible with any Mil-Spec BCG • Weight: 29 oz. • All metal: Type III Aircraft weight aluminum, Hard coat Anodized, Nitrided 17-4 Stainless Steel Rails • Available with different buffers: H-0, H-1, H-2, H-3, and PWS

• Only 4 7/8” from the rear of the lower. One of the shortest MPK’s available in the marketplace • Uses same patented buffer and spring system as all our ARC Stocks • Available with different buffers: H-0, H-1, H-2/9mm, H-3, and PWS • Weight: 6 oz.

954.480.6448 | sales@mvbindustries.com | www.mvbindustries.com 164

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MOD X GEN III AMERICAN

B U I LT

ARMS

C O M PA N Y

MODULAR RIFLE SYSTEM

The A B Arms™ MOD X GEN III Modular Rifle System ™ is a lightweight (3lbs. 2 oz.), ergonomic, drop-in chassis for the Remington Model 700 Short Action.

www.abarms.com

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gear for guns HUBER CONCEPTS huberconcepts.com

KAK INDUSTRIES kakindustry.com

Shockwave is proud to Premier Huber 2 Stage triggers are made for all Skinner Sights introduce the patentRemington 700-style actions, and are perfect for Express Series competitions and long-range hunting. Huber’s Ball trigger pending Blade pistol fits most military surplus rifles, and will cut your groups in stabilizer. Made from high-strength glasshalf so you’ll have more fun target shooting and hunting. reinforced polymer, the With a trigger from Huber Concepts, you’ll have no more Blade is manufactured late shots, and your better shot timing is “guaranteed.” to exacting tolerances and fits all pistols equipped with a standard AR-15 pistol buffer tube (up to 1.25 inches in diameter). No special receiver extension needed, no half-hour installation process required; just slip it on and tighten the large setscrew for a rock-solid installation. This veteran-designed and U.S.-manufactured shooting KAHNTROL SOLUTIONS .570 and .950 inches at the muzzle. They are aid improves your marksmanship by providing additional kahntrol.com machined from 6061-T6511 aluminum and are support of your pistol while you still hold and operate it with Quality muzzle brakes help reduce recoil and hard-coat anodized in matte black. one hand. The Blade incorporates a vertical “fin,” which you improve accuracy, and Kahntrol Solutions Kahntrol has three styles of threaded stabilize against the inside of your forearm when in the firing produces both clamp-on and threaded brakes: the 3-gun brake made from 4140 steel position. Or, you can stabilize the Blade against your cheek for models. In addition, they have several and available with ½-28 or 5/8-24 threads; a perfect, steady sight picture. accessories, including the PodMod adapters HexMod brake available with threads in 5/8The KAK Shockwave package pictured includes the that fit assorted bipod models. 24, ¾-24 or ¾-32; and the HexMod CWES Gen1 Blade pistol stabilizer, the KAK shockwave tube, a Castle nut, The clamp-on muzzle brake requires no and Gen2. The Gen1 model is available for a MIL-SPEC endplate, a carbine buffer spring, a standard modification of the barrel, and they produce AK-pattern rifles and the Gen2 system comes carbine buffer, and everything you need to install the clamp-ons that fit barrels measuring between with 5/8-24 threading. Shockwave system.

.22 CONVERSION KITS AND OTHER FINE ACCESSORIES

Less Weight, Less Recoil, Less Money Now in Production! AR-15 Billiet Lowers

10% off any order with code: shootingjournal17

Made in America http://twisted.industries | 321-631-6133 166

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

americanshootingjournal.com 167

BALLISTIC ADVANTAGE

ballasticadvantage.com Booth #4063 Ballistic Advantage Hanson series barrels provide a lightweight feel without lightweight limitations. Every barrel in the BA Hanson series was designed specifically to its length and caliber to yield the best results with every aspect taken into consideration. It is truly ideal for how the AR was meant to perform. With the BA Hanson profile, the company has found a more efficient way to harness a bullet’s energy while limiting felt recoil considerably. The balanced feel and overall performance of a Hanson barrel will create a more organic relationship between you and your rifle. It will simply be an extension of you!

SPINTA PRECISION spintaprecision.com

Spinta Precision’s 9mm bolt carrier group assembly comes complete with ﬁring pin and extractor and a nitride ﬁnish. It is ramped to use standard hammer. It is superior to chrome lined and parkerized bolt carrier groups, and can use Glock or Colt magazines.

POLYMER 80 polymer80.com Booth #3066

During SHOT Show 2016, Polymer80 introduced the PF940; the world’s ﬁrst 80 percent polymer pistol frame compatible with Glock 17/22 components. In 2017, the company will bring you the PF940C, a compact version with next generation of ergonomics and features. These features include high-strength reinforced polymer construction, aggressive and adaptable laser grip texture, a Picatinny/STANAG-compliant accessory rail, a stainless-steel locking-block rail system, a stainless-steel drop-in rear rail module, and a hardened front and rear rail system pins The frame also comes with a complete ﬁnishing jig, drill bits and end mill, and it is compatible with Glock 19/23/32 compact frame components.

TWISTED INDUSTRIES twistedindustries.com Booth #4160

This year at SHOT Show, Twisted Industries will be featuring their .22 conversion kit for the Ruger LC380/LC9 in the New Product Center. This conversion kit is the ultimate upgrade, and is made from 7075 aluminum, then Cerakoted, equipped with a stainless-steel barrel, and includes one 10-round magazine. It is also machined to the same basic dimensions as the original ﬁrearm, ensuring your current holster and belt clip will be compatible as well. The Ruger pinky extension and standard magazine bottom will ﬁt on their LC22 magazine. Please view their products at booth 4160 and enter their drawings.

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AR15 & AR10 PARTS & ACCESSORIES

$199.99

$279.99

$259.99

16" 5.56 AR15 UPPER RECEIVER

$279.99

PMA 7.5” M4 KEYMOD RAIL PISTOL UPPER .223 / 5.56

$399.99

PMA 16” AR15 UPPER RECEIVER 11” KEYMOD RAIL

10.5” UPPER RECEIVER STRIKE INDUSTRIES RAIL

PMA 7.5” KEYMOD RAIL PISTOL UPPER .223 / 5.56 WITH FLASH CAN

$299.99 10.5” UPPER RECEIVER WITH KEYMOD RAIL .300 BLACKOUT

WWW.PMARMORY.COM If you’re looking for AR replacement parts or other tactical gear, Pickett’s Mill Armory is your one-stop online gun shop. Whether you just need a new bolt carrier to install independently or an entire in-house, custom-built upper receiver, we offer all types of AR parts for sale from the best brands out there today.

FREE SHIPPING

ON ITEMS OVER $100

americanshootingjournal.com 171

UNDER CONSTRUCTION NIGHTFORCE OPTICS ATACR 4-16x50 riﬂescope See us on page 80

AT3 TACTICAL

RD-50 micro red dot sight See us on page 18

RUDOLPH OPTICS S

SCALARWORKS

T1 6-24x50 30mm tube with T3 reticle See us on page 78

Low Drag Mount for Trijicon MRO See us on page 16

DEAD ON ARMS KYNTEC CORP.

Gloved Finger Pinless Trigger Guard 1 See us on page 152

DEAD EA AD A D FO FOO FOOT OOT T ARMS AR A RMS S LLC LLC

Modiﬁed cycle system s See us on page 153

FRONTIER TACTICAL

KynSHOT Hydraulic Recoil Buffer See us on page 174

AR-15 retroﬁt kit See us on page 237

ELFTMANN TACTICAL

3 Gun Ultra-Light trigger See us on page 175

POLYMER80

.308 WarrHogg 80 percent polymer lower receiver See us on page 129

LAYKE LA AYKE TA TACTICAL AC A C LT-10 lower receiver See us on page 55

LANTAC

3PSS curved trigger See us on page 45

HIPERFIRE

Hipertouch 24C drop-in trigger See us on page 170

BALLISTIC BA ALLIS IST ST TIC ADV ADVANTAGE ADV DVA VA ANT NTAG NTA TAGE TAGE 16-inch 5.56 16-inch, 5 56 BA B Hanson midlength Performance Series barrel See us on page 147

TAC-CON SPINTA PRECISION

3MR trigger See us on page 174

4.5-inch 9mm barrel See us on page 149

SANDERS ARMORY Odin Works 20-inch stainless-steel 6.5 Grendel type II barrel See us on page 3

172

DEZ ARMS, INC

16-inch, 7.62x39 match-grade ﬂuted AR-15 barrel See us on page 116

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

RUBBER CITY ARMORY

Low-mass competition bolt-carrier group See us on page 150

CENTURION ARMS

CMR modular locking accessory system (M-LOK) handguard See us on page 47

JL BILLET

MLA 308 M-lock handguard See us on page 42

JERSEY ELITE MFG 7.25-inch handguard See us on page 46

APEX A AP PEX HANDGUARDS

CENTERMASS TACTICAL LLC

Handguard See us on page 144

13-inch slim-design seven-sided keymod handguard See us on page 13

PICKETT’S P IC CKET ETT TT T’S MILL MIL LL A ARMORY RMO ORY

7.5-inch keymod d pistol/SBR upper rece receiver See us on page 171

HARDENED ARMS Talon rail See us on page 4

DRD TACTICAL .308 build kit See us on page 56 S

HUBER CONCEPTS NC CEPTS C EPTS TS Square brake See us on page 67

SILENCER SHOP

Griffin Armament Alpha silencer encer See us on page 142

R&J R& &J F FIREARMS FIRE IREARM REA EA ARM Keg muzzle brake bra See us on page 179

FREEDOM F REE EDOM A AR ARMORY RM Dragoon Air 5.56 suppressor See us on page 142

CIVILIAN FORCE ARMS Black Night muzzle brake See us on page 53

ELITE E LITE IRO IRON RO ON ON

OP-COM .223/5.56 muzzle brake See us on page 142

WHITE OAK ARMAMENT

AR-15 carbon-ﬁber ﬂoat tube See us on page 176

HARDENED ARMS

Black Widow monocore suppressors See us on page 4

THORDSEN CUSTOMS

AR-pistol cheek rest See us on page 39

GUNTEC USA

Ultralight Series Skeletonized Aluminum Pistol Grip See us on page 37

KAK

Shockwave package See us on page 161

ARMASPEC

XPDW stock See us on page 157

SRT ARMS

Titanium cans See us on page 140

AMERICAN BUILT ARMS COMPANY

LUTH-AR

MBA-3 buttstock See us on page 151

Urban Sniper stock See us on page 165

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KynSHOT Precision Recoil Dampers Made in the USA • AR-15 platform • AR-10 platform • AR-15 9mm carbine

KynSHOT Recoil Dampers Reduce Kick and Muzzle Flip and Improve: • Accuracy • Felt Recoil • Clustering • Service Life • Dependability • Shoulder Flinching

Stainless steal construction // 1 million cycle guarantee

“KynSHOT is the only hydraulic recoil buffer I recommend.” - Kyle Lamb, Special Ops, SGM (R)

Tactical shotgun

1-716-616-3630 Ext. 508

kyntec.com kynshot.com

MAKERS OF THE TAC-CON™ 3MR TRIGGER AND A LEADER IN TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

• Specializes in high-quality resetting triggers for the AR-10 and AR-15 • Tac-Con triggers and accessories are all ATF compliant and built with only the highest quality materials

AR-15/AR-10 Tac-Con™ 3MR with Right Handed Selector $349.99

............................................................................................................................

$349.99

............................................................................................................................

AR-15 Tac-Con™ 241 with Ambidextrous Selector

AR-15/AR-10 Tac-Con™ 3MR with Ambidextrous Selector $374.99

• Leader in trigger technology innovation • Committed to delivering high quality, reliable firearm accessories on the wings of customer satisfaction • Made in the USA

623.282.1881 // www.tacconusa.com 174

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ROAD HUNTER

KEEP IT SIMPLE–AND SHARP

Before heading out on a trek, hunters need to ask themselves a simple question: How many knives do I really need? STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

hen it comes to hunting knives, what do you really need? The question is straightforward, but the answer can become complicated by thoughts of what you want, rather than what you actually need. Personally, I own dozens of knives. They are great tools, and serve a range of purposes. But when I go afield, I keep it simple. On all the hunts I’ve been fortunate to embark upon around the world, I almost always take only one knife afield. This knife has to be able to withstand punishment and perform to my liking, and it’s also got to be lightweight. When scaling granite peaks for mountain goats and sheep, ounces can feel like pounds after a few days. MANY KNIVES ARE DESIGNED for specific purposes, but for hunting, I don’t feel as if I need multiple knives. On a recent hunt, I met up with a buddy in Alaska. It was his first trip to the Last Frontier, so he wasn’t sure what to fully expect. He cracked open his gun case and inside were six knives, including one with a heavy, 12-inch-long blade and a ball compass on top. I laughed. He didn’t. “What are you doing?” I quizzed. “I didn’t know what knife to bring, so I brought a bunch,” he smirked. We were going on a grizzly and black bear hunt across open tundra. About the only thing we needed a knife for was carrying out routine tasks, and to skin and butcher any

Elk hunting in the backcountry can be demanding, yet to break down an animal, all you need is one quality knife and a sharpener, maintains the author, here reaching the end of the trail with a pack string carrying his bull out of the woods. americanshootingjournal.com 177

ROAD HUNTER bear we killed. In my opinion, a person needs only one knife for those tasks. As with all fly-in hunts to remote drop camps, weight is a concern with bush plane pilots. With strict weight limitations, and given the fact we were going to be gone for over a week, I wanted to take all the weight we could in food, clothes and essential gear, not knives we’d never use. When my buddy asked what knives I was taking, I held up one, a 3-inch-bladed Kershaw knife, specifically their Skyline model. “No, really, what knives are you bringing?” he asked again. “Oh, I forgot this,” I smiled, holding up a compact sharpening steel. I explained how all skinning, field dressing, caping and deboning can be done with one knife, and that it doesn’t have to be big. I’ve broken down numerous deer, elk, bear and African game with a 2-inch blade, and many with a 3-inch blade. Using bigger blades than that is fine, if that’s what you’re comfortable with, but if you’re just embarking upon the world of hunting, big, bulky knives aren’t necessary. This year marks my 40th year of big game hunting, and I’ve always kept things simple with my knife choices. You look for a knife that fits your hand, keeps an edge, and is constructed with a handle that won’t slip when covered in blood, fat or water. I know many hunters who take their personal-carry knives afield, and that’s great if that’s what they like. Some folks prefer fixed blades over folding knives, and vice versa. Personally, I like a fixed-blade knife with a handle that’s easy to clean of dried blood and gut content. A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR when choosing a hunting knife is getting one with quality steel that’s easy to attain an edge on. While softer blades may dull more easily than hard steel, they are easier to regain an edge on when in the field. Knowing the anatomy of the animal you’re breaking down, and using the knife to cut, not 178

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When you get an animal down, the field dressing, skinning and quartering begins. Each of these tasks can be completed with one knife, and once you know the connective tissues and how to work a knife around them, you can even leave the saw behind.

saw or force through bones, will help in maintaining an edge on your knife. All cuts are easy to make and should not be forced, especially through joints and cartilage. Animal fat can quickly dull a knife, which is why it’s critical to have a quality steel to easily hone that knife.

At the same time, cutting through cartilage, tendons and ligaments can be tough on knives, making quality steel even more important. Having a blade you can hone in the ﬁeld – one that reacts to a good steel – is important in regaining that edge in order to continue safely and efficiently

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ROAD HUNTER breaking down an animal. While it’s occasionally unavoidable, try to refrain from cutting through hair and into dirt. Sometimes big animals like elk, moose and bear are impossible to move around by yourself, meaning a cut may slice through skin and hit dirt, which dulls a knife. When cutting the hide, do so from the skin side, not down through the hair. To do this, make a small hole where the cut will begin, then get the blade inside the skin, cutting upwards through the hide. This will help keep an edge and should allow you to get through multiple animals before having to sharpen your knife again. When your knife does become dull in the ﬁeld, sharpen it right away, for a dull knife leads to bad cutting techniques, and that’s how accidents happen. When hunting, I rely on two simple yet very effective sharpeners. In my daypack, I’ll take one sharpening steel aﬁeld to touch up the knife while

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You don’t need big, long blades when it comes to handling game in the field. Knives with 2-, 2.5and 3-inch blades are enough to handle breaking down deer and elk-sized game. The author has used the orange-handled Kershaw Skyline knife to skin and quarter everything from brown bear to deer, elk to Cape buffalo in Africa.

breaking down animals. My favorite is Kershaw’s Ultra-Tek blade sharpener, a 600-grit oval steel that’s very

lightweight and works wonderfully in quickly regaining an edge. When back in camp, if I need to further sharpen

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ROAD HUNTER the knife, I’ll use a whetstone or a Work Sharp guided field sharpener. Rarely do I take a compact folding saw afield when deer hunting, for a deer’s skull – the only part of an animal I use a saw on – isn’t so heavy that it needs to be split, like moose, caribou and elk do. When quartering big game in the field, I don’t use a saw to split the pelvis or remove the legs, neck or ribs – that’s all done with a knife. ONE WORD OF CAUTION when embarking on a big game hunt where you’ll be breaking down an animal in the field, and that’s to be aware of the state’s recovery laws. Most states require a proof of sex to accompany the meat from the field to camp or home. This is usually best retained by keeping the genitals attached to one hindquarter, and/or bringing the head of the animal out. When bringing the head out, if sawing off the antlers to cut down on weight you’re packing out,

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KERSHAW’S LONEROCK RBK

Kershaw LoneRock RBK

If you’ve got an animal you want to save the cape on, to either mount yourself or take to a taxidermist, a small-bladed knife with a sharp tip is ideal. Cuts around the ears, eyes, lips and antlers/horns are precise, and a sharp, pointed blade is ideal for this work. Kershaw’s new LoneRock RBK is two surgical knives in one. Remember those days of high school biology, dissecting animals where you used a scalpel? Me too. In fact, when I was a science teacher, I used to rely on scalpels for skinning and caping big game. When Kershaw introduced this surgical knife, they brought with it two handles, so you and a buddy can work at the same time, or you can use both handles for different tasks. The large folding handle, with its glass-filled nylon overlay offers a unique texture so you always have a firm grip, no matter how wet, bloody or covered in fat the handle becomes. I really like the “buddy” handle, a single, thin, short handle that the scalpel blade snaps into. This handle feels like an extension of your hand, easily fits into the palm and is simple to grip and articulate with the fingers. The LoneRock RBK comes with 15 blades, which will last a long time. The precision blades are durable, but take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to cutting with heavy-bladed knives. The slight flexibility of these blades allow you to easily maneuver around joints and make precise cuts. When one blade dulls, simply replace it.

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ROAD HUNTER cuts are often required to be made below the eyes, so the eyes are intact. Some states require the meat to stay attached to leg bones, too, meaning complete boning out of meat while in the ﬁeld may not be legal. If you will be transporting game heads across state lines, know that multiple states require the brain to be removed from the skull. This means you’ll need a saw to cut through the brain cavity, so be prepared. Prior to heading aﬁeld, make sure you know the meat recovery and transport laws of the state you’ll be hunting in. Find a knife that works for you and familiarize yourself with how it handles. Practice at home, rubbing fat and blood on the handle and getting it wet to see how it performs. Once you know what a knife is capable of, as well as the anatomy of an animal and how to disarticulate its joints and muscles, you’ll see why a simple blade is all that’s really necessary.

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Having the right knife to get the job done is important. Here, the author removes the cape from a mule deer in spike camp using the same 3-inch bladed Kershaw knife he relied on to gut, skin, quarter and debone the buck.

Editor’s note: For copies of Scott Haugen’s comprehensive DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning & Caping Big Game, send a check for $20.00 (free

S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. This, along with his many books, can be ordered online at scotthaugen.com.

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HAVALON KNIVES

KNIVES

havalon.com – Booth #2346

Havalon Knives is proud to announce a new licensing partnership with the legendary Bone Collector team. The Bone Collector team has been an industry leader since their TV show debuted in 2009. To kick off their partnership, Havalon is debuting their ﬁrst collaboration with Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector. Introducing the new Havalon Rebel. Slated for a spring 2017 release, the new Havalon Rebel features a folding drop-point blade on one side and a Havalon Quik-Change ﬁtment on the other. It comes with six additional 60A blades, two replaceable gut hook blades and a convenient zipper holster.

ZERO TOLERANCE KNIVES STEEL WILL KNIVES smgoutdoor.com

Steel Will Knives, a premium brand that produces knives with the highest standards of quality, introduces a new EDC knife, the Cutjack. This folder offers superior performance, is designed to be comfortably carried every dayy and is built to withstand the toughest tasks. This top-of-the-line folding knife is extremely durable and comes mes straight from the factory with a razor-sharp edge. The Cutjack will be available vailable in two sizes: the C22 Cutjack, with a 3.5-inch blade, and the compact mpact C22M Cutjack Mini, with its 3-inch blade. The Cutjack C22 and C22M 22M boast Italian craftsmanship, a G10 handle and the highly regarded M390 super steel. A competitive priced version will also be available withh D2 steel and ﬁberglassreinforced nylon (FRN) handle. Steel Will knives’ reputation eputation for exceptional design, ergonomics and quality will be recognized zed in all Cutjack folding knives.

ztknives.com – Booth #14223

Danish knife and toolmaker Jens Anso realized ed a long-time dream when he joined the Zero Tolerance team. One of the ﬁrst results is the ZT Tol 0220. TThis sleek, practical design has custom that make it a must-have for any knife touches th enthusiast’s ccollection. The blade is premium S35VN stainless ssteel and is paired with beadblasted titanium han handles. Zero Tolerance’s KVT ball-bearing system makes it fast and easy to op open. To enhance the 0220’s custom look and feel, Anso added a decorative pivot, ZT logo medallio medallion, and aluminum backspacer anodized in eyeeye-catching orange with built-in lanyard attachment. It It’s made in the USA.

EXQUISITE KNIVES.COM M exquisiteknives.com

Exquisiteknives.com offers the ﬁnest in custom m knives to the discriminating collector, and is one of the largest collectors and dealers of genuine Bob Loveless Knives. EK always has a good supply on hand for or immediate delivery, including the Crown Stag Dropped Pointt Hunter, pictured. Owner David Ellis holds the Mastersmith rating with the American ican Bladesmith Society and really knows all facets of the custom knife industry. If you are looking for a simple, reasonably priced hunting knife or a high-end collectible to pass onto your grandchildren, Exquisiteknives.com should be your ﬁrst stop.

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KNIVES BEAR & SON CUTLERY BEAR OPS bearandsoncutlery.com

The Bear Ops Bold Action V is a smoothoperating automatic for tactical knife enthusiasts. With a ﬁrm push of a recessed button the blade opens swiftly, allowing users to handle the knife faster in situations that demand quick response. The pocket clip positions the

knife tip up for speedy actuation and decreased activation time when carried. The Bold Action V features an ergonomic safety slide to ensure there are no missﬁres when handling the knife. The Sandvik blade has been proven tough in all terrains and weather conditions, maintains an edge longer, and provides increased durability. This just may become the only knife you carry.

CRKT - COLUMBIA RIVER KNIFE & TOOL ONTARIO KNIFE COMPANY ontarioknife.com – Booth #20305

The OKC Carter Squared is the newest folding knife to come from the collaboration between Ontario Knife Company and custom knife designer Robert Carter, the son of longtime OKC designer Joe Pardue. Featuring a robust D2 tool-steel blade (59-

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crkt.com 60 Rockwell hardness) and anodized titanium handle with frame lock, the Carter 2quared has a distinctive and aggressive look while being overbuilt with premium materials for heavy ﬁeld use. The Carter 2quared has an overall length of 8.375 inches (21.31 centimeters) and a blade length of 3.55 inches (9.02 cm). This OKC product is designed in the U.S. and made in Taiwan.

This mean combat-ready remake of your grandpa’s classic Word War I folder has an impressive secret. The Homefront Tactical, designed by Ken Onion, is among the first in the company’s fleet to feature Field Strip Technology. This in-field, no-tool take-apart capability lets you purge your utilitarian and tactical mainstay of grit and whatever else it may encounter afield, right there. MSRP is $99.99.

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gun review

THE LITTLE ‘DO EVERYTHING’ REVOLVER The Ruger g 3-inch LCRx remains an excellent choice for a lightweight trail gun or for home defense.

The Ruger LCRx in .38 Special.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROB REED

ecently, the Ruger LCRx with a 3-inch barrel transformed the popular lightweight revolver design from a snub-nose carry gun into a handy general-purpose revolver. The innovative LCR design has been a hit with shooters since the original Ruger LCR .38 Special +P was

released in 2009. That design was optimized for concealed carry with a ﬁve-round cylinder, 1.875-inch barrel and hammerless, double-actiononly trigger. Since that time Ruger (ruger.com) has expanded the line by chambering the gun in new calibers and adding new features. The LCRx model added single-action capability by introducing an exposed hammer to the available options but retained

the short barrel length. In late 2014 Ruger released the LCRx with a 3-inch barrel. This variant is again chambered in .38 Special +P with an exposed hammer that allows both double-action and single-action activation. The 3-inch tube has a full-length rib and fulllength underlug. The black rear sight is adjustable for both elevation and windage. The serrated front sight americanshootingjournal.com 193

gun review features a white square to aid in sight acquisition. The sight is pinned to the barrel and can be easily removed and replaced with one of the other front sight options available from Ruger. The package is completed with the installation of a full-size Hogue Tamer grip in place of the shorter grips on the previous models. The rest of the gun follows the general LCR pattern: The two main structural components are the aerospace-grade aluminum frame mated to a polymer fire control housing. The lock work includes a patented friction-reducing cam that eliminates stacking and reduces the perceived trigger weight. The stainless-steel cylinder is heavily fluted for weight savings with a durable black Ionbond Diamondblack finish. The push-button cylinder release is in the normal Ruger location on the left side of the frame behind the cylinder.

The author tested the LCRx with .38 Special loads from Hornady.

Short Action Customs Short Action Customs 223 Remington and 300 Blackout conversion kits for the Desert Tech SRS weapon systems.

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Serious rifles for serious shooter

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gun review THE BARREL UTILIZES a stainless-steel liner and aluminum shr shroud with a polished muzzle. The ejector rod is the same leng length as on the 2-inch barreled models. The one-piece grip fits onto a shorter grip peg molded as part of the fire cont control housing. The grip can be removed and replaced by unscrewing a single screw in the butt. unsc The first thing I noticed about my review model was the size. While the LCR heritage is evident, this is no pocket gun. The extra inch of barrel, full-length rib, and larger sized Hogue grip add enough to the Caliber: .38 Special physical envelope to push it into Front sight: Replaceable, pinned ramp the small side of the medium-frame Rear sight: Adjustable black blad blade revolver category. Barrel material: Stainless steel The 3-inch barrel increased the Barrel length: 3 inches overall length to 7.5 inches, while Overall length: 7.5 inches the full-length rib and larger Hogue grip make it taller at 5.8 inches. The Height: 5.8 inches LCRx 3-inch weighs 15.7 ounces. For Weight: 15.7 ounces comparison, the standard 2-inchTwist: 1:18.75 inches righthand barreled .38 Special LCR is 6.5 inches Grip: Hogue Tamer monogrip long, 4.5 inches high, and weighs Capacity: 5 13.5 ounces. MSRP: $545 I had my gunsmith measure the

RUGER R UGER LCRX 3-INCH BAR BARREL

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gun review trigger pull with a Lyman digital gauge when I picked up the revolver. This revealed a pull weight of 11.5 pounds for double-action and 7.0 pounds for single-action. I tested the gun with a variety of .38 Special loads provided by Hornady Ammunition. This included their Critical Defense Lite 90-grain FTX load, their Critical Defense 110-grain FTX standard and +P loads, their 125-grain XTP load, and their 158-grain XTP load. I warmed up by shooting a few rounds at a plate rack at 15 yards to give me a general feel for the doubleaction and single-action trigger pulls. I

then ﬁred for groups at 25 yards while seated at a table with my hands resting on the LCR’s zipper bag for padding. All ﬁring here was single-action. The best group, measured from the furthest distances of the holes, was almost exactly 2½ inches. Interestingly, it was almost exactly the same when measured from the top- to bottom-most holes as when measured from the furthest left to the furthest right. This was the standardpressure 158-grain FTX load. The second best group was from the Critical Defense 110-grain standard-pressure load that printed at just over 3 inches, from

furthest edge to furthest edge, with pronounced left-to-right stringing. Unfortunately, the deliberate single-action, slow-fire shooting revealed a mechanical problem that I hadn’t noticed during the more casual firing at the plate rack. The hammer was noticeably more difficult to cock on one of the chambers than the others. I later consulted with a gunsmith friend who said the likely cause was due to out-of-spec machining on the lobe of the star corresponding to that chamber. (I later cleaned the revolver and the problem was still there during dry fire with the clean gun.) The one bad hammer pull made the precision testing more difficult. I only got the best two groups later in the test after I identified and compensated for the issue. At first the heavier and grittier pull on that chamber both threw off

“IF YOU WANT A LIGHTWEIGHT REVOLVER THAT SHOTS LIKE A MEDIUM-FRAME GUN, THIS IS ONE TO GET.”

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SHOT Show booth #2967

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gun review my concentration and also caused me to break my grip. This also made it impossible to determine if any particular load was more accurate in the gun. A typical “bad” group was 5 inches or so, often with one ﬂyer that messed up an otherwise good group. IN EXCHANGE FOR THE LARGER size and weight over the ﬂagship LCR, you get a revolver that is easier and more fun to shoot. The grip is large and comfortable, the hammer is easily accessible for single-action cocking, and the longer sight radius and more visible sights help practical accuracy. The extra weight over the standard .38 Special version helps make the gun more pleasant to shoot as well. While the +P rounds had some noticeable sting, they weren’t bad, and the polymer trigger housing and generous

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The revolver is a great choice for shooters of smaller stature.

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gun review grip soaked up the recoil of the standard-pressure rounds nicely. The only disappointment in the design was that the gun retained the short 2-inch ejector rod of the parent models. While it’s understandable that Ruger wouldn’t want to spend the money on a dedicated 3-inch ejector rod for this model, having that full ejector rod stroke would have been a nice touch. Note that I didn’t have any problems with the shorter ejection stroke; I just prefer the longer ejector rod when possible. The Ruger LCRx 3-inch would make an excellent choice for a lightweight trail gun, as a concealed carry gun in a belt holster, or as a home defense gun. As with most revolvers, the limited ammo capacity is an issue, but if you want a lightweight revolver that shots like a medium-frame gun, this is one to get.

The author achieved good results shooting at 25 yards while seated.

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Gear G-CODE HOLSTERS

tacticalholsters.com The G-Code Scorpion Softshell from Tactical Holsters is an advanced magazine carry system utilizing a hightech design, materials and construction. It is adjustable – ﬁtting a wide range of magazine types and sizes – and modular, interchanging with the entire family of G-Code carry accessories. These cutting-edge features enable superior performance while making it conﬁgurable to meet any mission in any environment. Each G-Code product is 100 percent American made, and comes with a lifetime warranty.

OREGON PACK WORKS oregonpackworks.com binobro.com

FROGLUBE

froglube.com – Booth #20405 FrogLube is a highly regarded system of cleaners and lubricants engineered to meet standard firearms maintenance manuals and armorers best practices. FrogLube is nonflammable, nontoxic and penetrates deep into gun metal for longlasting durability and protection of all firearms. Remove the petroleum oxidants and enjoy a whole new gun care experience.

REAL AVID Realavid.com

Real Avid introduces the release of the Bore Boss and the Gun Tool Max. The Bore Boss is an innovative singlepass bore-cleaning system that features the combination of clean storage and ergonomics built into a compact size. Bore Boss offers a clean-storing, ultraportable bore-cleaning system unlike anything else. The Dual Action Cable stows away securely in the Flex-Case handle and is held securely in place with a TPR overmolding. The case keeps brush bristles from getting splayed and carbon, cleaners and lubricants from making range bags a mess. The single-piece cable features an integrated phosphor bronze brush and braided mop. The cable can be fed through muzzles from any angle because it does not rely on a gravity-fed approach. A steel ball at the end of the cable

Oregon Pack Works is a designer and manufacturer of soft goods, and they seek to improve many of the existing problems with soft goods that recreationists rely on. Their BinoBro binocular harness is an example of simplistic function. They are the first in commerce to produce a backpack suspension that is removable and interchangeable, creating a third dimension for backpacks. Utilizing their patent-pending “One is All” suspension, all-modular components and waterproof, burr-resistant fabrics, Oregon Pack Works’ backpacks are capable of creating nearly two dozen pack variations with one suspension, for everything from day hunts to expeditions. secures to the Flex-Case handle for easy use. The phosphor bronze brush loosens carbon and fouling while the braided mop captures carbon and removes it from the barrel. The Gun Tool Max is a next-generation gun tool. Whether you’re in the field or at the range, Murphy’s law always proves true. The Gun Tool Max was designed with gun-specific functionality to make sure you are prepared for any scenario. This highly versatile tool repairs, customizes and makes disassembly and reassembly fast and easy. Included are needle-nose pliers with carbide cutters, a universal choke tube wrench, three-position locking bit driver with 12 high-quality bits, and a heavy-duty 440 stainless-steel knife. The tool is housed in a ballistic nylon sheath to make sure it can be carried with you, wherever you go and ready to take on any challenge you face.

Gun tool max Bore Boss

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gear SAVOY LEATHER, LLC SavoyLeather.com

Savoy Leather is well known for superior craftsmanship in handmade heirloomquality holsters constructed with American materials. With the thousands of options available, you ﬁrst choose by the artwork style and “build” from there. Next you choose by the gun model and then model of holster, such as on the waistband, in the waistband, or the famous combo which allows for in or on the waistband with just one holster. Savoy Leather creates many other items that can be found on their website, many of which have that same hard-to-beat beauty as seen here.

LIBERTY SAFE

libertysafe.com– Booth #13623 Liberty’s Lincoln series safes are bigger, stronger and tougher than ever before. With 90 minutes of fire protection and incredible security features, it is no wonder the Lincoln series has been consistently voted as the number-one-rated safe by sportsmen throughout the country. Lincoln safes also include Liberty’s sleek fivepoint handle, 12 color options, clearview lights, and beautiful upgraded interiors. When it comes to class, the Lincoln’s got it. The upgraded ball-bearing hard plate snaps drill bits. Auto on/off interior lighting is added to all models for convenience in viewing valuables. Organize your valuables with Liberty’s premium door panel, plus the new jewelry drawer. The Lincoln protects valuables from fire damage with four over three layers of fireboard for an industryleading 90-minute fire rating.

HIDINGHILDA LLC hidinghilda.com

The HidingHilda Treasure Tote is lightweight, water resistant, machine washable, and has a separate Velcro holstered compartment in the back to safely carry a weapon with the capability to lock the zippers. Better still, it can be used right- or left-handed. The Treasure Tote is manufactured in Fort Wayne, Ind. Locks are not included.

EASTERN BEACON easternbeaconindustries.com

HANDI-RACKER

handi-racker.com – Booth #3761

N8² TACTICAL, INC. n82tactical.com

Along with their Twist Release Retention System, N8² Tactical has added the adjustability of a dual clip design. With four different mounting positions for both clips, the Pro Tandem will give you more options for both ride height and cant adjustments. In addition, the patented layered design of the pro tandem holster keeps all the mounting hardware separated from your skin with a layer of neoprene and soft suede leather. Other features include an adjustable cant on a tuckable design that allows one hand holstering. It comes with a ﬁrearm speciﬁc thermoformed polycarbonate and all mounting hardware.

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Handi-Racker was designed to assist people who may have difﬁculty racking a pistol. It can be used to load or unload rounds, clear jams, or ﬁeld stripping. The Compact operates most conceal, while the Full Sized operates most duty-sized guns, racking 95 percent of pistols. Handi-Rackers are now injection molded with grip ridges, and available in safety colors. Handi-Racker.com also announces a drastic price reduction, with the MSRP cut by 33 percent to $19.99. The company recently invested in new manufacturing to keep up with production and reduce cost, and more than 350 retailers are currently selling Handi-Racker around the country. Dealer inquires are always welcome. Visit them online or call (515) 4804905 for details.

The Tactical Deployment Case is designed for the law enforcement ofﬁcer or shooting enthusiast to carry necessary gear in one bag, replacing the need for four or ﬁve separate cases. This revolutionary tactical case is the only carrier on the market to have a removable, ballistic helmet carrier. All of your gear is in one place and is easily accessible by the zippered compartments or Velcro closures. The heavyduty, water-resistant case can be carried by the side handles or worn as a backpack by releasing the hidden straps on the rear of the case. Having everything you need in one ready-to-go case will not only keep you prepared for critical situations, but will protect your gear and weapons. A quick glance at the compartments will allow you to perform an inventory of the contents.

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gear ALIEN GEAR HOLSTERS ERS aliengearholsters.com – Booth #641

Alien Gear Holsters are the mostt comfortable, concealable holsters rs on the planet. The innovative Cloak Tuckk 3.0 IWB ble neoprene, Holster is handcrafted with ﬂexible es zero a steel retention core and requires break-in time. This award-winning ng holster also offers customizable cant, retention tention and ride height. Every IWB holster is covered by olster shell a “Forever” warranty and free holster trades for life. To ensure a qualityy product, all holsters are proudly made in America. Conceal in comfort for as low as $43.88. For the entire lineup of premium holsters, sters, see the company’s website.

WOODY’S TARGETS woodystargets.com

Woody’s brand targets offer a quick, convenient and efﬁcient shooting experience. Made from wood or cardboard, each Woody’s product will outlast and outperform paper. Woody’s original targets are made from compressed wood ﬁbers and provide a built-in stake. Their targets stand out from the competition; every caliber makes a perfect hole that allows the shooter to distinguish between shots, even in the tightest of groupings. Made from corrugated cardboard, Woody’s fold-n-shoot targets are more stable than paper and come in a variety of styles. Their 10-inch MOA grid is the ideal solution for sighting your optic before each season. For a little fun or competition at the range, try Woody’s prairie dog or plate rack models. Ready for a better shooting experience? Just stake it and engage it! No target stand required.

SHOOTING CHRONY INC. shootingchrony.com – Booth #2617

Every Shooting Chrony is made of 20-gauge steel but weighs less than 2½ pounds. It is powered by one 9-volt alkaline battery (not included) and equipped with a large LCD-readout, 0.5 inch high. When folded, a Shooting Chrony measures 7½ inches long, 4½ inches wide and 2¾ inches high. Every Shooting Chrony comes with an adjustable size, triangular shooting area from 8 inches by 8 inches to 14.5 inches by 14.5 inches. The sides of the triangular shooting areas are made of wire-rods. An 1/8-inch thick, 2¼-inch wide strip of tough, high-density polyethylene plastic, forms the top of the triangle. All shooting is done through the center of this triangular area, along the axis of the chronograph.

BOBBIE WEINER’S CAMO FACEPAINT Camofacepaint.com – Booth #310

OTIS TECHNOLOGY otistech.com

Otis Technology is excited to announce a line of four cleaners, three lubricants, two protectants and two CLPs to complement its already extensive line of ﬁrearm maintenance products. These new cleaners are biodegradable and designed to break down buildup and fouling. Complete Cleaner, Copper Remover and MSR/AR Cleaner are available in 2- and 4-ounce bottles; Firearm Surface Prep takes care of hardto-reach internals and is available in a 10-ounce aerosol. For protection against friction, Otis adds two biodegradable formulas, Firearm Grease and Firearm Lubricant, alongside its popular Dry Lube formula. The ½-ounce tube of Grease also

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includes tools for precision application. To combat rust and corrosion, Otis offers two biodegradable formulas, Firearm Protectant and Long Term Protectant. Protect your ﬁrearm from the elements with Firearm Protectant, available in a 2-ounce bottle or 4-ounce aerosol, and at the end of the season, apply Long Term Protectant before storing your ﬁrearm. The latter is available in a 4-ounce aerosol. In addition, Otis offers a Starter Pack that includes ½-ounce tubes of Complete Cleaner, Firearm Lubricant and Firearm Protectant, as well as an all-purpose receiver brush. The Precision Applicator Pack features a twistand-lock cap with several varying size tips for precision application.

Bobbie Weiner’s Camo Face Paint Sticks are made in the USA with quality ingredients for all skin types. All paints are hypoallergenic, odorless and sweat resistant, and come in nine different hunting and military colors. Woodland includes mud brown, olive and black. ACU includes loam, tan and slate. Scorpion includes brown, tan and olive. The DOD recognizes Bobbie Weiner as their number one supplier of face paint, and the hunting industry uses the same paint supplied to the military. You can ﬁnd Bobbie’s face paint in PXs all over the world, and purchase them directly at camofacepaint.com.

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gear

CLINGER HOLSTERS

CTS TARGETS

Clinger Holsters introduces the Trump Tuck holster. The Trump Tuck conceals handguns using only a single IWB Soft Loop. Everything on this holster is adjustable. You can adjust the cant from zero to 30 degrees for strong side or appendix carry, or adjust it to a negative cant for cross-draw and small-of-back carry. The Trump Tuck pulls your pistol grip close, has a small footprint, and includes an IWB soft loop with a “pull the dot” snap. It also has adjustable ride height and is adjustable for belt size. If you need absolute concealment with adjustment options, this is the holster you need.

CTS Targets is an industry-leading manufacturer of AR500 steel targets, accessories and parts for shooting enthusiasts nationwide. Since the company’s conception, CTS Targets has been an industry leader in durability, design and performance. With an unwavering commitment to the shooting industry, CTS continues to lead with a focus on providing innovative,

clingerholsters.com – Booth #1967

ctstargets.com

ULTICLIP

PRESENT ARMS INC.

ulticlip.com– Booth #2967

presentarmsinc.com

Ulticlip was designed out of necessity: Traditional holster clips fail in performance on many levels. There were no viable holster clip options on the market. Ulticlip replaces standard holster clips. Its patent-pending design allows ﬁrearm owners to carry with greater retention, a smaller footprint for increased concealment, and maximum versatility. It can be worn without a belt, and is secure when clipped in a pocket, backpack or purse. Ulticlip is offered in with two different mounting options that allow it to be used across a wide range of holsters, knife sheaths and tactical accessories.

KRAMER HANDGUN LEATHER kramerleather.com

The Michigan State Police has enjoyed a reputation for many years as a progressive and trendsetting law enforcement agency. Now, after more than a year and a half of extensive testing and evaluation, MSP chose Kramer’s Paddle Gun holster as being the ﬁnest available anywhere, at any price, and it remains their current issue holster for plainclothes ofﬁcers. The paddle is reinforced with plastic (the cowhide version uses stiffened leather), which acts as a spring and helps keep the grip snugged in tight to the side, a feature lacking in many paddle holsters. The weapon is carried at a high ride, FBI forward tilt. A bevel-edged welt locks the paddle into the waistband of the pants.

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From the makers of the Gunner’s Mount, the Sentinel plate is a highly functional stand with interchangeable magazine posts for 1911s, Glocks, Sigs, HK, Ruger, Beretta, Walther, Smith & Wesson, ARs and others. You can use it for display, cleaning and servicing, or building that

industry-specific shooting solutions. To do this, CTS has taken into consideration all shooting enthusiasts, from tactical to backyard shooters, the competition shooter to the weekend warrior. CTS has developed a target to fit the need for all who enjoy the sport of shooting. CTS Targets is a division of Teske Manufacturing, a leader in trailer manufacturing, and experts in steel for over 30 years. lower AR. It fits in a range bag, and it makes it safer to set the AR action open on a bench than rack or let it lie down. Sentinel plates come in two sizes: a large (SP2) and small (SP1). Each has one side cut with a part pocket and the other flat for use as a display. The larger one can accommodate both the AR-15/ AR-10 magazine post, and the smaller is for handguns only. One side is smooth for display; the other comes with a cut parts pocket. It is a great platform just to clean a gun on. With the Sentinal plate, you’ll never lay that priceless gun down again. Field-tested, armorer approved, and a must-have for all shooters, because sometimes you just need a third hand. Prices start at $39.95

A removable, snap-closure belt loop serves as a backup to ensure the holster will not come out of the pants along with the gun during the draw. This is the holster for a person who must remove his or her weapon frequently during the day. It’s also one of Kramer Handgun Leather’s answers to strong-side hip carry with beltless slacks, or for someone who simply prefers not to wear a belt. It also works well for women. A more comfortable, secure paddle holster does not exist. It may be custom ordered with vertical rake. Also available in black cowhide for these weapons: Beretta, Browning, BRNO, Colt, Glock, H&K, KAHR, ParaOrdinance, Ruger, SIG Sauer, S&W, Springﬁeld, Star, Taurus and Walther.

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gear 3 SPEED HOLSTER 3speedholster.com

Years of design and testing by undercover law enforcement from around the country has helped 3 Speed develop top-quality products. Each holster is custom built to ﬁt your exact handgun, spare magazine, and your body. They are also engineered for self defense, and when the company says “tactical,” they mean it. If you try the 3 Speed Holster for 30 days, they offer a 100-percent full-money-back guarantee, with no small print. Learn more at the above website or by calling (954) 561-2042 seven days a week.

TECHNA CLIP

technaclip.com– Booth #2029 Are you ready for an amazingly comfortable and fast method for concealing your pistol? Then witness the Techna Clip for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield chambered in .45, a truly minimalist solution for those who carry concealed. It’s a concealable gun clip that easily afﬁxes to your sidearm to deliver a secure, lightweight and discreet carry option – without a holster. The Techna Clip installs quickly and requires no gunsmithing to your ﬁrearm. Now you can stash your pistol in your pocket, on your waist, or even in the small of your back.

SEAL 1

seal1.net – Booth #30310

SONIC BOOM TARGETS Sonicboomtargets.com

To the retailer and consumer, Sonic Boom Exploding Targets is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the industry – a name that delivers safe, loud, and large explosions that add excitement to the shooting experience. Sonic Boom’s new packaging is designed to enhance the quality, value, and brand awareness of the Sonic Boom product line. With their new and improved orange jars, targets are made to withstand grazing shots, and are more visible at

the range. Each lid is placed with a safety seal, to guarantee the integrity of the ingredients for a bigger, louder boom. Sonic Boom is also introducing an even better value to the product line in 2017, with a 10-target and 22-target 1-pound multipack. Each multipack includes the ingredients for individual 1-pound targets and a 32-ounce mixing jar, to ensure more fun at an even friendlier price point. Developed by avid shooters, Sonic Boom’s number one goal is to provide a safe and extremely fun shooting experience.

GUNN-WORN BY KAKADU gunnworn.com – Booth #10035

Kakadu has been building functional, hardwearing outerwear for more than 40 years, and their GunnWorn concealed carry collection is no exception. For 2017, the company has introduced a new lightweight range of vests: the Wyatt and the Virgil for men, and the Jane and the Louise for women. All garments offer a sense of security with style and comfort. Designed to disperse the weight of a mediumsize weapon, these items feature underarm leftand right-side military-grade, reinforced, elastic gun and clip holsters, removable anti-imprint pads coupled with a fast-release lock-down system. Gun and clips go on one side, phone, pen-light and knife on the other. The Louise and Virgil are a classic four-pocket design, while the Wyatt and Jane are slimmed down versions of the company’s renown “Kelly” vest.

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SEAL 1 is introducing a new Universal Gun Cleaning and Gun Care Kit at the 2017 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The kit covers riﬂe and pistol calibers from .22 to .45 and .410- and 28-gauge shotguns. The kit contains 25 each presaturated cleaning patches for .22 to .270, .270 to .35, .38 to .45,.410 and 28 gauge; 10 each cleaning patches for the same calibers; 1-ounce jar SEAL 1 CLP Plus Paste; 2-ounce bottle SEAL 1 CLP plus liquid; two each cotton swabs; four each 6-inch by 6-inch presaturated gun cloths/wipes; one each 12inch by 12-inch microﬁber cloth; and one each double-ended nylon tactical brush. The kit comes packaged in a reusable clam shell.

PEET SHOE DRYER peetdryer.com – Booth #1025

Gene Peet invented this innovative footwear dryer because he wanted to start every day in comfortable boots. He also wanted to make his expensive boots last longer. It made sense to dry them at low heat, overnight. This gently dried the leather – preserving valuable oils that keep it pliable, comfortable and longer lasting.

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gear TRIPLE K MANUFACTURING CO. triplek.com – Booth #1710

Triple K’s innovation for scoped handgun shooters continues with new gun sizes for the Big Thunder Torso Rig, which now includes .22 rimﬁre models for 2017. Recent examples include the Ruger Mark II, III and IV, pictured at left. Triple K’s Big Thunder is the ﬁrst production holster to distribute the weight of large framed handguns across both shoulders and your torso. The Big Thunder rig can be utilized for both scoped and unscoped handguns, and places your gun in the front “ready position” at all times. A perfect holster for horseback, ATVs and hiking, the Big Thunder rig is also ideal for both treestand and spot-and-stalk hunting.

SKINNER SIGHTS skinnersights.com

INFIDEL BODY ARMOR infidelbodyarmor.com

Infidel Body Armor represents the work of American ingenuity and service. Owner Chad Cooper, a USAF veteran, started this project to fill a need in the shooting community: quality armor that stops bullets and shrapnel at a price people can afford. Infidel proudly offers Level IIIa (pistol), Level III (rifle), and Level IV (armor-piercing rifle) rated protection. If you own a gun and depend on it to save your life and others, you owe it to yourself to own the best body armor you can afford. Tens of thousands trust Infidel with their life, and so should you.

Skinner Sights, well known for its customgrade aperture sights fitting lever-action, boltaction and semiautomatic rifles, is becoming equally well known for its innovative firearm carry and storage cases. The company has expanded its soft-goods line with a discreet case that, when zipped shut, appears to be an ordinary garment bag. Inside, it holds a long gun, two handguns in detachable holsters, three 30-round rifle magazines, eight handgun magazines, a knife, a flashlight and other accessories. The case folds in half lengthwise for carry by wrap around web handles. The HTF Garment Bag comes with a heavyduty molded hanger that allows it to be hooked onto a closet bar or vehicle grab handle, keeping its contents inconspicuously within reach. The Skinner HTF Garment Bag is made in the USA with durable olive green and black Cordura nylon and heavy-duty stitching. MSRP is $189.

SNAGMAG LLC snagmag.com

The SnagMag is the very first pocket magazine holster to hit the market that looks like you’re carrying a pocket knife. Concealed in plain sight and designed for a quick draw, the SnagMag is convenient, comfortable and durable, and it is fully patented, and made in the USA. Feel confident that your back-up ammo is right where you need it. More than 80 pistol models are available for rightand left-handed shooters. SnagMag also offers custom fitting at no extra charge, and you can count on speedy delivery and fantastic customer service. The company is currently accepting wholesale accounts, and LEO and military discounts are available.

IOSSO PRODUCTS

WRIGHT LEATHERWORKS

Iosso’s new formula bore cleaner is great for users with allergies or asthma. It has no odor and is designed to keep its users and the environment healthy. When used with Iosso’s premium brushes, it cleans and removes all fouling, including carbon burn, copper, lead, powder fouling, plastic wad, and surface rust. USDA certiﬁed as biobased, it cleans without running, leaking or splattering, works chemically but safely, and is noncorrosive and nonﬂammable. So quick and effective – Iosso touts “One cleaner and 15 minutes to the cleanest bore ever!” – you may never go back to smelly, messy solvents.

The Bronco is an SOB (small of the back) holster from Wright Leatherworks. It is an OWB design in the fashion of a pancake holster. It is very similar to the company’s Predator pancake holster, but with a different cant set up. This leather holster ﬁts up to a 1¾-inch belt. This is a perfect SOB holster for all-day, everyday deep concealment.

iosso.com – Booth #20200

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wrightleatherworks.com

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gear CMP STEEL TARGETS CustomMetalProd.com – Booth #1308

STICKY HOLSTERS stickyholsters.com – Booth #1043

The Anklebiter leg rig is unlike any other ankle holster on the market. It is a modular system that is used in conjunction with a Sticky Holster. The design allows the user to convert any Sticky Holster into an ankle holster. The advantage to this system is the customer can completely customize how it is worn based on that individual’s use and comfort needs. The user can adjust the cant, angle and height that the gun is worn. Unlike most ankle holsters on the market, this product is closed at the bottom, preventing debris from getting in the barrel or cylinder.

The 22 Texas Star target from Custom Metal Products (CMP) features ﬁve 5-inch-diameter, ¼-inch-thick AR500 steel targets mounted on the rotating arms of the wheel. The wheel starts to rotate when you shoot one of the targets off the arm. As you hit each one the wheel may speed up, slow down or even reverse direction, making every shot a new challenge. The targets are easily replaced onto the arms by ﬁtting the stem of the target into a socket on the back of the arm. Simply slide the target under the retaining spring and you’re ready to shoot again. The arms are mounted with Grade 8 hardened carriage bolts for long life and impact resistance. The legs of the base simply slide into sockets on the bottom of the post, so setup and transport is easy. Overall size is 56 inches wide by 17 inches deep by 61 inches high, and the shipping weight is 36 pounds

PROLIX LUBRICANTS prolixlubricant.com

PrOlix is a nonpetroleum-based solvent/lubricant that has been keeping guns running for a long time. PrOlix goes on wet, cleans, bonds, and turns to a dry lube coating. PrOlix cleans and lubricates firearms, preserves wood, inhibits rust and corrosion and eliminates oil and grease. PrOlix provides waterproof protection and is environmentally friendly. PrOlix has been used safely on Glocks since they came on the market, and is also safe to use on all polymers, wood, old/new nickel or other finishes.

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Gun Cleaning Patch

TrianglePatch.com in the

gun bore

NEW

does not get stuck makes more contact reduces rod flexing

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been around firearms for over 50 years. I have cleaned a ton them. Your cleaning patches & brushes are the best !!!â&#x20AC;? Chuck T in Burlington VT, May 2015

Patent

336-608-9355

Pending

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gear OOMINGMAK’S QIVIUT (888) 360-9665

The Qiviut Harpoon Cap from Oomingmak is a lightweight watchman-style hat with a cuff. Qiviut (pronounced KIV-EE-UTE) is the downy soft winter coat of the musk ox. Qiviut is eight times warmer than wool, ﬁner and softer than cashmere, doesn’t itch, and will not shrink. The Harpoon Cap is great for a day at the range, or out hunting. You will be amazed at how warm and lightweight it is. All of the company’s caps are hand-knitted by Alaska Natives who use knitting to earn a supplemental income to complement their traditional subsistence lifestyle.

HUNTER COMPANY huntercompany.com– Booth #16229

The Hunter Company provides high-quality leather holsters gun cases and accessories to shooting sports enthusiasts and legally armed citizens everywhere. Their products are handcrafted by skilled artisans with only the most superior materials right here in the United States. Hunter gear will last for years of service and has a reputation for standing the test of time. The Hunter Company has introduced two new mag pouches. The Rotary Clip pouch holds three Ruger 10/22 mags, and is a great accessory for the ﬁeld or the range. The 10/22 high-capacity magazine pouch from Hunter Company holds one Ruger 10/22 BX 25-round magazine for quick and easy access. Both are made from top-grain leather and the design holds the magazine at the ready ﬁtting up to 2-inch-wide belts. Each pouch is made in USA and is available in chestnut tan or black. If you value top-quality leather, durable secure fasteners and heavy-duty stitching made with American love and pride, then you need to look the Hunter Company.

COLE-TAC cole-tac.com

The Vulcan Suppressor Pouch is the latest product release from Cole-TAC. This is not your ordinary suppressor pouch. It is lined with the same proprietary ﬁre-resistant material that is rated to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and found in the company’s suppressor covers. No longer will you have to wait at the range for your suppressor to cool. Now you can slide the Vulcan Suppressor Pouch over your hot can, remove it, and close the pouch without worrying about melting your gear. This pouch is made in the USA and is available in black, coyote brown and multicam. It and other innovative shooting accessories are available on Cole-TAC’s website.

D.M. BULLARD LEATHER MFG LLC dmbullardleather.com

The Shoulder Holster from D.M. Bullard Leather is made universal to accommodate different guns. The strap is adjustable with an option of lacing or buckle. The holster’s cant may be adjusted for three different carry positions. It has a standard smooth leather lining and comes with a strap and a one-way snap to keep the gun secure in the holster. The company designed the holster so you can wear it on the shoulder harness or remove it and attach the included belt loop to wear OWB on your belt. Available colors/materials include black, chocolate and cognac, bull hide and Hermann Oak Leather.

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gear SILENCER SHOP

Silencershop.com â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Booth #N269 With the unveiling of their cutting-edge Secure Identity Documentation (S.I.D.) Kiosk, Silencer Shop is bringing suppressor fans some exciting news in light of the recent ATF 41F change. Developed for your convenience and out of the realization that this technology provides a great opportunity to streamline the painstaking suppressor ownership process, the company is thrilled to offer this progressive option to the ďŹ rearms market. After youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve selected and purchased your new silencer through the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, visiting your nearest S.I.D. Kiosk will ensure that your transaction is completed as efďŹ ciently as possible and that your required registration information is in order. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a true win-win situation for all parties involved.

FENIX

fenixoutfitters.comâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; Booth #4059 The Fenix FD30 is ďŹ tted with an innovative and patent-pending dual reďŹ&#x201A;ector optical system which allows the beam to be adjusted from spot to ďŹ&#x201A;ood without distortion. Rotating the focusing ring 360 degrees moves the head and the reďŹ&#x201A;ector forward and backward from the LED, thus adjusting the beam pattern. It delivers maximum output of 900 lumens and beam distance of over 650 feet. The tail switch plus side switch and the compatibility with 18650 Li-ion, as well as cold-resistant CR123A batteries, make the FD30 stand out in law enforcement tasks, searching, camping and general everyday carry.

OGRE MANUFACTURING gremfg.com

Keep your ďŹ rearms working their best with trusted Enviroclean FA from Ogre Manufacturing. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re cleaning your riďŹ&#x201A;e or shotgun after a day in the ďŹ eld or looking to protect your handgun for storage, Enviroclean FA is the sensible, environmentally friendly choice for cleaning and lubricating all of your ďŹ rearms. It is safe for shooters, the environment and guns, and is virtually odor free. Clean your gun anywhere and anytime, without noxious fumes left by most other cleaners. Enviroclean works on any ďŹ rearm to remove gunshot residue, burnt powder, lead, copper, plastic fouling and rust.

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gear

FLOJACK INDUSTRIES flojack.com

There are 15 million wells in the U.S., each with life-sustaining water, if you can get to it. The Earthstraw Deep Blue hand well pump is a rapid-deployment, take-anywhere, pump-from-any-well kind of system. It’s rugged, portable and lightweight, and easily snakes down to water, alongside the existing electric pump. Deep Blue unpacks ready to pump, with no assembly required. When you get the water you need, coil it up and carry it home in one hand. Starting at $199, there is no better or lower-cost emergency water strategy on the planet, period.

SMART FIREARMS smartfirearms.com

Old-school nonfunctioning red guns/blue guns are failing law enforcement. Smart Firearms training guns supplement and enhance live ﬁrearms practice and feature a moveable trigger, removable magazine, negligent discharge warning sensor and an optional laser. Over 100 law enforcement agencies across the country and around the globe, including NYPD and Boston PD, have made the switch to Smart Firearms, America’s ﬁnest training gun.

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GUNFIGHTERS gunfightersinc.com

The Kenai Chest Holster was designed to offer a comfortable way to carry your firearm while engaging in a variety of outdoor activities. It gets the gun off your hip and out of the way of backpack straps, hip belts and waders. If you’re fishing, hunting, hiking, snowmobiling or just spending time outdoors, this is the holster you want. Available for over 300 guns in 40 different colors. To learn more, see Gunfighters’ website above.

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gear MAMMOTH COOLERS: mammothcooler.com

Mammoth Coolers are out there, in the field, on the stream, sitting on the tailgate, at the campground and everywhere else that calls for coolers, learning what works and what doesn’t so they can make their products work better. Every innovation they make is driven by a desire to increase performance and durability all while staying at a price point that fits everyone’s budget. Their newest editions, the Ranger and Cruiser series were developed through painstaking R&D and field-testing. They dropped, kicked, beat, baked in the sun and abused them at the worksite until they were satisfied they would live up to customers expectations; the quality you expect from Mammoth. Built tougher with more value and backed with a lifetime guarantee, Mammoth has just upped the cooler game.

CROSSBREED HOLSTERS crossbreedholsters.com Due to the growing popularity of the Kimber Micro 9, CrossBreed has now designed their most popular holsters to ﬁt this new concealed carry gun. CrossBreed now serves Kimber customers with the ﬁnest holster available with the addition of the Micro 9 in some of their most popular holsters, including the SuperTuck, MiniTuck, Appendix Carry, Freedom Carry, Womens Appendix Carry, Qwik Clip, MicroClip, Modular Belly Band, Last Ditch, Ram Mount, SuperSlide, MiniSlide, Ankle Holster, Cargo Pocket Rocket, Ohai, Bedside Backup, Purse Defender, Small Purse Defender, Pac Mat and Small Pac Mat.

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KRYPTEK ELITE COMBAT LINE kryptek.com – Booth #3648

The new combat line from Kryptek is Berry Compliant, made with U.S.A fabrics and manufactured domestically. Featuring Kryptek’s proprietary camouﬂage patterns, which were ofﬁcially tested by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Kryptek Combat Line includes jackets, shirts, pants, and our newly designed plate carriers. Kryptek is proud to offer an entirely new level of expertise and quality to the market for those who need the next level of protection and performance from their combat gear. Visit www. kryptek.com to learn more.

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gear COAST

coastportland.com – Booth #15120 15120

STOWAWAY TOOLS BY KLECKER KNIVES StowawayTools.com – Booth #3461

If you carry a phone, keys and any sort of gadgets like a tool, file, knife, etc. then you already know the struggle. The Stowaway Line is a set of compact tools and phone case that you can configure your every day carry in seconds before you the hit to road. Klecker Knives of Silverton, Ore., is proud to introduce its newest innovation; Stowaway Tools and Carriers. Recently launched on Kickstarter, it was fully funded in only two days. These compact, stainless steel, tools store easily, but are still rugged enough to handle tough jobs. Stowaway tools are designed as a customizable pocket-sized toolbox for your everyday needs. Stowaway Tools give you the right tool at your fingertips, tightening a bolt or slicing a rope, even combing your hair. Stowaway Tools are compatible with Klecker Knives’ Stowaway Carriers, which include phone cases and carabineers, as well as a wide variety of key carriers such as Keybar, KeySmart, OrbitKey, and many others.

RIGEL PRODUCTS rigelproducts.com Rigel Products’ patented premium Jag Brush and Triangle Patch provide cleaner-faster-safer cleaning inside the gun bore. The Rigel system does not harm riﬂing since it does not pass carbon abrasives against riﬂing like a dirty bore snake can do. Instead, the system lets you use a clean patch on each pass. While a loop eyelet does not give symmetric coverage

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The TX9R Flashlight was created to o be the ultimate light for law enforcement and military operators. By combining the company’s Long Range Optic System with Slide Focus and antiroll bezel, Coast designed a light for easy use in the field. The beam has a max distance of 1,154 feet, and in flood mode it creates a wide circle that covers a significant area. With Coast’s Flex Charge Dual Power system, the TX9R harnesses either lithium or alkaline power. With high, strobe and low modes with the slide focus, this light is immediately adaptable to a variety of situations.

inside the bore, their Triangle Patch wrapped around a Jag Brush results in complete symmetrical coverage. The two diameters of Jag Brush bristles means a patch is pushed into riﬂing deeper than done by conventional bore snakes, spear or loop jags. You’ll like it and will never go back. Special operators, hand loaders, and competition shooters around the world have taken the lead to use our premium products.

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Gear

ARIAT

ariat.com • Booth #10020 Engineered for the hunt or the trail, the high-performance Catalyst VX boot offers rugged innovation for any adventure. Cobalt VX technology protects, stabilizes and supports, while Thinsulate Ultra insulation ensures optimal warmth and comfort in environments ranging from the grasslands to rocky alpine peaks. Made of quality full-grain leather with durable hardware, the Catalyst VX is built to last. This sturdy boot also boasts a great fit, thanks to the anatomically contoured last and Ariat’s exclusive VX footbed with arch support. Additional comfort features include a high-rebound PU midsole to dissipate impact, and GORE-TEX premium waterproof construction. Ariat’s new rubber performance boot, the Incite Thermal, is designed to keep hunters a step ahead. Featuring SolarCore Aerogel, this boot supplies all the warmth needed in a hunting boot, without the bulk. Comprised of over 90 percent trapped air, SolarCore Aerogel retains body heat and protects from the cold by creating extremely efficient thermal insulation. It’s thinner, lightweight and more flexible. Lighter weight, yet still ruggedly durable, the Incite Thermal delivers the fit, flexibility and support ideal for long days spent walking and hiking. A flexible chassis system, plus made-in-the-USA injection molding creates cushioning and rebound for all-day comfort.

Sample of whistles that Whistles For Life’s made for customers (these not available for resale).

WHISTLES FOR LIFE WHISTLES WhistlesforlifeLLC.com

the last stand

Our Sentinels plate with interchangeable magazine posts is the last stand you’ll ever need. Starting at $39.95

Presentarmsinc.com • 1-855-565-6562 • Wilbraham, MA 228

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

Whistles for Life whistles produce an ear-splitting 120-decibel blast through three separate sound chambers, giving it an omni-directional plus piercing staccato signal that can be heard over other loud noises such as howling wind and rushing water. Designed by search and rescue professionals, and manufactured in the USA using the strongest ABS plastic, this whistle will not crack or fail like cheaper imitations. Whistles for Life are the ofﬁcial whistle for several life-saving organizations such as the National Association For Search & Rescue, National Safe Boating Council, and the U.S. Life Saving Association.

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Adventure TIMBERLINE RANGE CAMPS trccamps.com

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK RANCH rockymountainelkranch.com

Introducing Timberline Range Camp’s latest Range Camp creation, the 46-foot gooseneck Highlander, developed following a special request from a customer. He was looking for a well-built RV that he could live in full time, travel the country and carry everything he needed with him and still be comfortable. This was a joint effort between he and the Timberline build team to spec out, and both parties were very happy with the end result. When Timberline says they can help you customize a camp to ﬁt your needs, they mean it. Here are just a few of the extra options Timberline added to this camp: washer/ dryer combo, air-conditioning package, awning, window above kitchen sink, Camp Chef package, 12-cubic-foot refrigerator, 4-foot front deck and 12-foot back deck, and Cummins generator. See the Timberline website for camp pricing and standard features.

Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch is a private hunting ranch nestled in the mountains of southeast Idaho, just 1½ hours from Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park. The elk hunting lodge features spectacular views both inside and out. At the end of a long day of elk hunting, enjoy relaxing with the view of a breathtaking sunset from a wrap-around deck in the crisp autumn air, as the sounds of elk bugling echo in the canyon. While the success of your three-day elk hunt is 100 percent guaranteed, the ranch can tailor it to be as challenging as you desire. So retreat from the stressful routine of life and join them for the elk hunting trip of a lifetime. Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch’s guarantee is, “We are so confident that you will be satisfied, if you haven’t seen something you want to shoot after the first day, you can go and take your complete refund with you!”

Fine Dining

CASINO

LUXURY rooms

Great views

SPA

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Getting there

RUGGEDLY HANDSOME

The newly redesigned 2017 Jeep Compass blends real-world civility with off-road prowess. STORY BY BRAD FITZPATRICK • PHOTOS BY JEEP

Jeep has always retained a mud-on-the-tires engineering philosophy, and so it goes with the newly redesigned Compass.

ompact SUVs are all the rage, gobbling up an ever-growing portion of the automotive sales pie in the United States. But many of these vehicles are more about sporting looks than utilitarian grit. They may bear the visage of a trail-breaking off-road war wagon, but the underpinnings are biased for suburban blacktop, more about feeling outdoorsy than feeling the rocks churn beneath your tires. That’s not so with Jeep brands, though. From the original Willys MB (an authentic war wagon) to the ubiquitous

Wrangler to the buttoned-down Grand Cherokee, Jeep has always retained a mud-on-the-tires engineering philosophy. So it goes with the newly redesigned Compass, which is slated to hit dealerships as a 2017 model. “Our all-new 2017 Jeep Compass enters an extremely important and growing segment worldwide,” says Mike Manley, head of Jeep Brand at FCA Global, “and does so with an unmatched list of attributes that includes benchmark 4x4 off-road capability, exceptional on-road driving dynamics, fuel-efficient powertrains, countless advanced technology americanshootingjournal.com 233

Getting there Mopar also offers an optional RamBox Holster, which securely holds two rifles or shotguns (with scopes) or six fishing rods.

The interior is upscale and comfortable, with an LED driver information display (DID) instrument cluster that displays driver-configurable information.

and safety features, all wrapped in a premium, authentic Jeep design. Built around the world for customers everywhere, Jeep Compass raises the bar in the compact-SUV segment.” TO MAINTAIN ITS POSITION as a serious offroad warrior, the Compass offers two advanced 4x4 systems: Jeep active drive, which utilizes a full-time 4x4 system, and active drive low, which boasts a classexclusive 20:1 crawl ratio for the absolute worst conditions. Both the active drive and active drive low systems feature selecterrain with up to ﬁve separate modes (auto, snow, sand and mud, plus a rock mode exclusive to the top-end Trailhawk version of the Compass). North American models will be powered by the 16-valve, 2.4-liter Tigershark I-4 motor that makes 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque and features Engine Stop-Start 234

American Shooting Journal // January 2017

The Compass offers 59.8 cubic feet of storage space for rifles, packs, and – when required – quartered elk carcasses.

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Getting there For the serious off-road enthusiast, the top-end Trailhawk offers a feature list that will get you where you need to go, and back again.

(ESS) that allows for fuel economies of up to 30 miles per gallon. Four-by-two models are available with an Aisin six-speed automatic transmission, while the 4x4 models receive a class-exclusive nine-speed automatic. Both the 4x2 and 4X4 models are available with a six-speed manual transmission as well. For the serious off-road enthusiast, those who spend time traveling skid roads and basalt canyons in search of out-of-the-way hunting areas, the top-end Trailhawk offers a feature list that will get you where you need to go and, more importantly, back home at the end of the hunt. That list includes a standard active drive low 4x4 system with Selec-Terrain rock mode, steel skid plates, a nearly 1-inch boost in ride height, signature red Jeep tow hooks fore and aft, unique fascias with a 30-degree approach, 24-degree breakover and 34-degree departure angles, hill-descent control, and 17-inch off-road tires. IF YOU’RE SO INCLINED, the nimble Trailhawk can ford water up to 19 inches deep, and it has a towing capacity of up to 2,000 pounds. Having just spent a week scouting for moose along the tight forest corridors in northern Idaho, I must say that the Trailhawk’s impressive off-road chops combined with its maneuverable dimensions make this one of the best options for backcountry hunts; based on FCA’s new “small, wide, 4x4 architecture,” the Compass, and speciﬁcally the Trailhawk model, has a laundry list of off-road accoutrements coupled with a compact design that will haul all your gear but won’t be too big to ﬁt down narrow roads or trails. With a 103-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 173 inches, the Compass has a turning diameter of 35 to 36 inches depending upon model. It measures just 80 inches 236

American Shooting Journal // January 2016

wide with the mirrors extended; fold them in and it is barely 73 inches wide. With the rear seats folded the Compass offers 59.8 cubic feet of storage space for rifles, packs, and quartered elk carcasses. It’s established that the Compass has the makings of a serious off-road machine (and with that nameplate up front, how could it not?) but that doesn’t mean you will have to sacrifice the creature comforts if your expeditions take you to the market to fill your freezer with protein instead of the wilderness. The Compass also boasts a fully independent suspension, a segment-exclusive frequency-damping front-and-rearstrut system, and electric power steering. The upper body structure and frame are engineered as a single unit and the use of more than 65 percent high-strength steel makes this vehicle as safe as it is comfortable. SPEAKING OF SAFETY, the Compass has more than 70 advanced safety and security features that can help save your bacon if you bite off more than you can chew, whether on blacktop or dirt. That steel body helps create a “safety cage” for occupants, and other available features include forward collision warning-plus, LaneSense departure warningplus, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross path detection, ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines, electronic stability control (ESC) with electronic roll mitigation and seven standard air bags. The interior is upscale and comfortable, with a 3½- or 7-inch LED driver information display (DID) instrument cluster and an available full-color 7-inch DID, the largest in this segment, which displays driver-configurable information. There are an assortment of cubbies and compartments

Limits are for game, not riﬂes.

Whatever you hunt, one rifle is all you need. Introducing the War Lock™ Multiple Caliber System for your AR-15. Retrofit your AR-15 to fire over 60 calibers. Learn more at Frontier Tactical™

800.992.3771 | 844.WARLOCK FrontierTactical.com | facebook.com/frontiertactical.com americanshootingjournal.com 237

Getting there Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the good looks fool you. Jeepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Compass Trailhawk is

throughout the vehicle, including a mesh another in a long line of rugged and reliable 4x4s. cargo pocket on the front passenger footwell that will hold a tablet during day-to-day activities. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the backwoods, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the perfect spot to store your Forest Service maps, and for a day at the range you can keep your riďŹ&#x201A;e dope handy for long shots. Even an off-road beast like the Compass has to offer technical gadgetry in the digital age, and Jeep didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappoint in this arena with the addition of four new UConnect systems for navigation and entertainment. Apple and iPhone users can connect their device for a variety of applications, and SiriusXM Radio, Travel Link, traffic and Guardian Connected ServicesÂ are all available. So now even when you are disconnected from the office pine needles in your grille and the mud on your fender and the family you can still enjoy the wells, they will know that just because the Compass has creature comforts. a sophisticated and stylish new edge it hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lost any Jeep has managed to maintain its off-road persona with of that go-anywhere DNA that this brand shares with no the addition of the Compass, which offers a list of features other marque. Â? that will make the most serious hunter and adventurer take note. Yet itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a civilized beast, perfect for running errands on busy city streets. But when passersby see the Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: For more information, visit jeep.com.

RECALL NOTICE Dear Valued Armalite Customer: Notice of Potential Safety Issue and Recall Notice for Armalite Models: AR-10, SPR MOD 1, SPR MOD 2, M15, and Eagle-15 We have determined that the disconnector and hammer on some of our AR-10, SPR MOD 1, SPR MOD 2, M-15, and Eagle-15 PRGHO ULĂ&#x20AC;HV ZHUH QRW SURSHUO\ PDQXIDFWXUHG E\ WKLUG SDUW\ YHQGRUV DQG WKDW WKH GLVFRQQHFWRUV RU KDPPHUV LQ WKRVH ULĂ&#x20AC;HV FDQ IDLO WR HQVXUH SURSHU HQJDJHPHQW RI WKH KDPPHU 7KLV LQ WXUQ FDQ UHVXOW LQ DQ XQVDIH FRQGLWLRQ LQ ZKLFK WKH ULĂ&#x20AC;H GRXEOHV GLVFKDUJLQJ WZLFH ZKHQ WKH WULJJHU LV SUHVVHG RQH WLPH $ YHU\ VPDOO SHUFHQWDJH RI WKH ULĂ&#x20AC;HV VROG KDYH EHHQ UHSRUWHG WR KDYH WKLV FRQGLWLRQ 7KLV LV DQ LPSRUWDQW VDIHW\ LVVXH DQG ZH DUH WKHUHIRUH LPSOHPHQWLQJ D SODQ VR WKDW WKH DIIHFWHG ULĂ&#x20AC;HV FDQ EH VHUYLFHG DQG WKDW WKH QRQ SHUIRUPLQJ GLVFRQQHFWRUV DQG KDPPHUV FDQ EH UHSODFHG )RUH PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ RQ WKLV UHFDOO DQG WR GHWHUPLQH LI \RXU ULĂ&#x20AC;H LV DIIHFWHG SOHDVH YLVLW Armalite.com/recall, call (866) 594-9103, or email recalls@armalite.com :H DSSUHFLDWH \RXU XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKLV VLWXDWLRQ DQG ZLOO ZRUN GLOLJHQWO\ WR JHW \RX VKRRWLQJ DJDLQ 7KDQN \RX The Armalite Team 238

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