April/May 2019 SHOT Business

APRIL/MAY 2019

THE INDUSTRIAL POWERHOUSE THAT KNOWS WHY BIGGER IS BETTER

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AN 18-PAGE SPECIAL SECTION OF SHOT SHOW HIGHLIGHTS: THE NEW PRODUCTS AND KEY TRENDS FOR 2019 Page 25

FIRING LINE

GOOD STUFF

CVA’s new Paramount muzzleloader enters long-range territory Pg. 21

Versacarry helps make ammo management in the field easy as pie Pg. 44

UMAREX® MAKES IT…POLYONE MAKES IT

POSSIBLE A new air rifle for big game.

Umarex® Airguns collaborated with PolyOne’s industrial design team to engineer the new Umarex Hammer with next-generation technology, power and precision.

Fresh Thinking.

Smarter Designs.

Advanced Polymer Materials.

For more idea inspiration, visit polyone.com/outdoor or call 1.866.POLYONE.

SHOT BUSINESS APRIL/MAY 2019 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3

SHOT SHOW 2019 From the pages of SHOT Daily, an 18-page special section of highlights from the SHOT Show.

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FROM THE NSSF A view “behind the curtain” at the 2019 SHOT Show reveals level of detail.

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RETAILER TOOLBOX Top-down orders don’t always work. Command with context is a better way.

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NSSF UPDATE NSSF’s +ONE Movement mentorship initiative, McGruff gun-safety videos, and more.

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YOU SHOULD KNOW Project ChildSafe rallies industry support at this year’s SHOT Show.

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EDITOR’S NOTE Growing a business takes courage.

small-screen marketing messages big time with pinpoint advertising.

NEWS BRIEFS Being big makes a world of difference for Federal; Otis Technology’s annual awards; Winchester launches a new 20-gauge SX4; and more.

FIRING LINE CVA’s Paramount muzzleloader is designed to go the distance.

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FYI The GunDealio app is taking

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UNDERCOVER SHOPPER Looking for a semi-auto shotgun in Florida for the dove field takes some interesting turns.

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GOOD STUFF Versacarry has created an innovative way to manage ammo in the field.

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WHAT’S SELLING WHERE

NEW PRODUCTS Talkabout T800 two-way radios; Lyman Case Trim Xpress; Winchester Wildcat .22LR semi-auto rifle.

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COVER PHOTO: TIM IRWIN

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EDITOR’S NOTE

NSSF

Leap of Faith Growing a business takes courage

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his issue, the editors of SHOT Business celebrate another successful SHOT Show. Our special section on the SHOT Show (starting on page 25) consists of articles taken from SHOT Daily. Our selections are designed to give you a taste of the show and include coverage of Winchester’s breakthrough straight-wall deer cartridge, Mossberg’s new handgun, and Leatherman’s reconfiguration of its famous multi-tool.

One of my favorite features of SHOT Daily over the years has been “5 Minutes With,” a Q&A format in which we sit down with company CEOs, marketing directors, and other executives to discuss industry trends and challenges.

Contributing editor Christopher Cogley interviewed Rod Bremer, a co-founder of Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT), a company with a well-honed reputation for great design. Like many innovators, Bremer started working for another manufacturer in the field but struck out on his own to pursue making the kinds of knives that interest him personally. The rest, as they say, is history, and CRKT is celebrating 25 years in business.

I was particularly struck by the following exchange, beginning with this question from Cogley: “Starting a business is always a courageous move. Did you have any doubts in the beginning that this was the right direction for you?”

Bremer’s answer is illuminating: “Absolutely. I clearly remember taking turns in the early years with my partner, talking each other off the cliff. We had customers, and our products seemed to be well received, but we had real challenges getting into production. Consequently, it some-

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times got pretty interesting.”

“Pretty interesting.” I love that answer. One of the continually fascinating aspects of being editor of SHOT Business and SHOT Daily is being able to talk to people who have created viable businesses in our industry. They may have taken different paths to that success, but they all seem to share a common thread: At some point, in order to grow the business, they had to take a leap of faith that the customers would be there.

A few years ago, I asked the founder of a custom-gun company how he knew he needed to improve his working space. He told me he moved to the garage when his wife got tired of him drilling holes in the kitchen tabletops. He smiled at the memory, especially since his company had since grown to the point where he had bought a building to house it.

So, let this issue be a celebration of American ingenuity, whether it’s found in an older, established manufacturer with a large workforce or a small, single-proprietor start-up who pines to be his own boss and create something of value in the process.

Slaton L. White, Editor

SLATON L. WHITE, Editor James A. Walsh, Art Director Margaret M. Nussey, Managing Editor David Maccar, Senior Editor David E. Petzal, Shooting Editor Judith Weber, Digital Content Producer CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Larry Ahlman, Barbara Baird, Scott Bestul, Philip Bourjaily, Christopher Cogley, Jock Elliott, Shannon Farlow, Tim Irwin, William F. Kendy, Richard Mann, Peter B. Mathiesen, Brian McCombie, Tom Mohrhauser, Robert Sadowski, Robert F. Staeger, Peter Suciu, Wayne Van Zwoll Anthony Licata, Group Editorial Director ADVERTISING: 212-779-5316 Jeff Timm, Vice President, Sales Jeff Roberge, Advertising Director Katie Logan, Advertising Director Amanda Gastelum, Integrated Marketing Director BUSINESS OPERATIONS Tara Bisciello, Financial Director MANUFACTURING Kelly Kramer Weekley, Associate Group Director Alicia Rivera, Production Manager BONNIER Chairman, Lars Dahmén Chief Executive Officer, Eric Zinczenko Chief Financial Officer, Joachim Jaginder Executive Vice President, Bonnier Media, Gregory D. Gatto Executive Vice President, Bonnier Solutions, David Ritchie Chief Digital Revenue Officer, Sean Holzman Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, Elise Contarsy Senior Vice President, Events, Jonathan Moore Senior Vice President, Digital Operations, David Butler Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Corporate Sales, John Graney Vice President, Public Relations, Perri Dorset Vice President, Data Science and Analytics, Mark Crone Vice President, Enterprise Solutions, Shawn Macey General Counsel, Jeremy Thompson Human Resources Director, Kim Putman

SHOT Business (ISSN 1081-8618) is published 7 times a year in January, February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December by Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695, and is the official publication of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Flintlock Ridge Office Center, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470 (203-426-1320).

Volume 27, issue 3, Copyright © 2019 by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation, production and advertising offices are located at 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695 (212-779-5000). Free to qualified subscribers; available to non-qualified subscribers for $25 per year. Single-copy issues are available for $5 each. Send check, payable to NSSF, to: SHOT Business, c/o NSSF, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 064702359. SHOT Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All correspondence should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Requests for media kits and advertising information should be directed to Katy Marinaro, Bonnier Corporation, 625 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 1270, Chicago, IL 60611. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices.

Printed in the USA. For Customer Service and Subscription questions, such as Renewals, Address Changes, Email Preferences, Billing and Account Status, go to: shotbusiness.com/cs. You can also email SBZcustserv@cdsfulfllment.com, in the U.S. call toll-free 866-6154345, outside the U.S. call 515-237-3697, or write to SHOT Business, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. For editorial inquiries, write to Slaton L. White, SHOT Business, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016 REPRINTS: E-mail reprints@bonniercorp.com. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to SHOT Business, P.O. Box 6364 Harlan, IA 51593.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MAY JUNE

Firearms Industry Compliance Conference May 6-8, 2019 • Palm Beach Gardens, FL

NSSF Industry Summit June 3-5, 2019 • Colorado Springs, CO NSSF and Fair Trade Import/Export Conference July 30-August 1, 2019 • Washington, D.C.

JULY/AUGUST

National Shooting Sports Month August 2019 • shootingsportsmonth.org Range/Retail Business Expo August 19-21, 2019 • Denver, CO

SEPTEMBER JANUARY

NSSF CMO Summit September 19-20, 2019 • St. Simons Island, GA

SHOT Show January 21-24, 2020 • Las Vegas, NV

For more information, visit NSSF.ORG.

NEWS BRIEFS N EW S

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O UT R E AC H

A World of Difference Why bigger is better

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odern factory ammunition is now built to such a high standard that many shooters and hunters obsessed with accuracy and performance no longer have to handload to achieve their desired result. They simply trust factory ammo to do the job.

Federal, the world’s largest ammunition manufacturer, has led this charge here. It’s obsessed with accuracy and totally dedicated to performance. And it’s been that way for nearly a century.

Bits & Pieces Trijicon Promotes Chuck Wahr to Global Vice President Trijicon, Inc., a global provider of aiming solutions for the hunting, shooting, military, and law enforcement markets, recently announced the promotion of Chuck Wahr to global vice president of sales and marketing. In his new role, Wahr will continue to have oversight of the commercial sales and marketing organizations, but will add oversight for Trijicon’s business development teams. “Chuck’s expanded role will allow him to bring his wealth of experience and strategic thought to another area of the business,” says Stephen Bindon, Trijicon’s president and CEO. “His ability to drive change and get results make this role a great fit for him.”

Jeff Lunz Joins CRKT Jeff Lunz has joined Columbia River Knife & Tool as the company’s new chief financial officer. A seasoned professional, Lunz worked with Gerber Legendary Blades for the past 14 years.

“Jeff is a proven talent with a keen understanding of business operations and global experience in developing and implementing strategic financial plans,” says CRKT president Mark Schreiber.

This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources.

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NEWS BRIEFS

Federal makes hundreds of SKUs, ranging from .22 LR to .500 Nitro Express, for everything from competition and plinking to big-game hunting and law enforcement.

“Being the largest isn’t just boasting, however,” says Jason Vanderbrink, president of Federal Ammunition. “It matters because it allows Federal to deliver a wide range of benefits to the actual consumer. It means we can produce the quantity needed to fulfill military and law enforcement contracts, while also offering an unmatched variety to everyone—rimfire, shotshell, handgun, and rifle ammo, as well as primers, cases, and component bullets for reloaders. Federal makes hundreds of SKUs, ranging from .22 LR to .500 Nitro Express, for everything from competition and plinking to big-game hunting and law enforcement. This manufacturing capacity means hunters and shooters of all stripes can get the exact product that best meets their needs.”

Finally, Federal’s size allows it to give back to the industry and country by investing in legislative and conservation efforts that protect the Second Amendment and support the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, which ensures that future generations of American hunters will be able to enjoy the great outdoors.

Humble Origins Federal began modestly in 1922, when Charles L. Horn took control of a threeyear-old fledgling ammunition manufacturer. Knowing he faced fierce competition from a pair of established ammo companies, he embarked on a novel strategy. Horn worked to get his products—which at the time consisted only of shotshells produced in a 9,000-square-

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foot factory—onto the shelves of barbershops, gas stations, and grocery stores.

He also succeeded in establishing a contract to sell Federal Ammunition through Montgomery Ward & Co. and Sears. The strategy worked, and helped the company grow. In 1941, Federal secured a contract worth $87 million from the U.S. government to build and operate the Twin City Ordnance Plant in Arden Hills, Minnesota, which was a critical contributor to the production of military ammunition and other defense products during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam conflict.

Today, Federal is part of Vista Outdoor, Inc., an outdoor sports and recreation corporation that also owns CCI, Speer, Estate, Blazer, Independence, Alliant Powder, and more—all brands that are run by Vanderbrink.

“We don’t just buy parts and put them together, or have other companies load stuff for us,” he says. “We do it all on-site, and every day our manufacturing facilities consume tons of plastic beads, lead, brass strips, copper, steel, and chemicals. These materials are used to build our own bullets, pellets, cases, primer parts, primers, shotshell hulls, shotshell heads, and more. The consumer benefits because we have complete quality control, and our seasoned operators have decades of experience.”

Federal’s sister companies, Speer and CCI, also generate industry-leading products. The size and output of these two companies add to Federal’s overall strength and consumer reach.

“CCI and Speer are separate compa-

nies and brands with their own production teams,” says Vanderbrink.

“However, all the brands work together to share business insights, research and development, factory capacity, manufacturing best practices, technology, safety, innovation, and more. Taken together, it allows us to build better products.

The ability to instantly access the knowledge and experience of the teams at Federal, CCI, Speer, and other brands gives the company an enormous advantage over other manufacturers. It makes Federal larger and stronger, and those deep resources pay off in product development and serving the market.”

Industry Powerhouse According to the 2017 annual report prepared by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Federal had purchase numbers of 21 percent for end users who bought shotshells, 11 percent for the amount of rifle ammo purchased, and 14 percent of the handgun ammo sold.

But when you factor in the other brands under the Vista Outdoor umbrella, the totals are even more impressive: Share of buyers for rifle ammo is 30 percent, handguns is 37 percent, and shotshells is 26 percent.

Vista Outdoor Company is a publicly held corporation, and it is required to file annually with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to the most recent filing, Federal is now number one in market share. Federal and Speer lead the law enforcement market. “Although ammunition produced for the law enforcement

Federal continues to sponsor youth-shooting opportunities across the country.

market isn’t tracked in the same manner as consumer ammo, we know our Speer LE brand is number one, based on the number of contracts we have with law enforcement departments nationwide,” says Vanderbrink.

CCI is the leader in rimfire, making a wide variety of loads for varmint and small-game hunters, as well as competitive shooters and plinkers.

Lasting Legacy But the company’s lasting legacy just might be its dedication to conservation and its leadership in supporting programs that help develop the next generation of American sportsmen and women. Horn was a dedicated conservationist, and he made sure Federal supported passage of the Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, the cornerstone of American conservation efforts. Among other sweeping reforms, the act created a self-imposed excise tax on ammunition and firearms, which has raised billions of dollars to help preserve wildlife, habitat, and the American sporting tradition.

Federal was an early supporter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Pheasants Forever, and it continues to support these groups today. It also supports the Ruffed Grouse Society, Ducks Unlimited, and Whitetails Unlimited.

Last year, Federal announced its continued sponsorship and support of one of the largest and longest-running gateways to a variety of shooting

disciplines—the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program. It offers boys and girls ages 8 to 18 instruction and competitive opportunities in archery, muzzleloading, pistol, rifle, and shotgun.

More than 450,000 youths are active in such 4-H programs.

Federal and CCI are also the Official Shooting Sports Partners of the Boy Scouts of America. The shotshell and rimfire ammunition partnership supports 1,620 Scout camps that offer shooting sports across the country.

“Federal’s history is directly tied to conservation and conservation organizations,” says Vanderbrink. “We started making shotshells in 1922—the low point for most game species—so investing in conservation and restoration of wildlife was an important business strategy. In 1937, we began investing in 4H Conservation Camps specifically to help the next generation avoid future dustbowls. As we have grown, we have seen new conservation issues emerge, and new conservation groups.”

Federal’s support of these organizations pays off in ways many hunters might not realize. The partnership with NWTF, for example, was critical in getting states to modernize their shot-size restrictions to allow turkey hunters to use the smaller pellets in Federal’s new, more powerful Heavyweight TSS payloads.

Federal’s size also allows it to work effectively and tirelessly for American sportsmen in the halls of power.

“We have brought our internal government-relations staff to bear on issues such as public lands and CRP in the Farm Bill,” says Vanderbrink. “It is a powerful force multiplier when a large company that employs thousands of people talks to policymakers about how access and conservation are critical to our business and to jobs in their states. It simply means more coming from us rather than from non-profit advocates. But what really separates us from the rest of our industry is that we have and deploy a conservation and government-relations staff to benefit the industry as a whole, so when a consumer chooses Federal, they are also supporting conservation, the Second Amendment, and public lands.”

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NEWS BRIEFS

FLIR UNVEILS SCION

The Scribe DF offers a low-light setting, along with a multi-mode tail switch with momentary or constant-on modes.

ASP Rolls Out the Scribe

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rmament Systems and Procedures’ (ASP) original Scribe AAA light has become a mainstay tool in the company’s international tactical-training programs, thanks to its combination of high performance and small size. The new DF variant of the Scribe pushes the output even further—to 350 lumens— while adding the benefit of Dual Fuel technology.

It ships with a 10900 lithium-ion battery that recharges inside the light, or you can swap

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the rechargeable out for two AAA disposable batteries if you don’t have time to recharge. Other features include a Double Tap low-light setting, a multi-mode tail switch with momentary or constant-on modes, a tricolor charge status and battery capacity indicator, and a tough new forged-steel pocket clip. SRP: $85.

“Over the past year, we have been upgrading the vast majority of our lights to Dual Fuel, as it’s critical to our primary law enforcement users that they always

APRIL/MAY 2019

have multiple backups— backup flashlights and backup power,”says Michael Hess, ASP’s vice president of marketing.

“The Scribe took a while longer to engineer into the Dual Fuel family, as it requires packing a whole lot of additional technology into a light chassis that’s not much wider than a .45 shell casing. But we’re thrilled with the way it came out, and it was definitely one of the hits of our recent international sales meeting and our SHOT Show booth.”

SRP: $85. (asp-usa.com)

FLIR, a world-leading maker of sensor systems designed to enhance perception and heighten awareness, has launched a new thermal monocular for outdoor enthusiasts. The FLIR Scion Outdoor Thermal Monocular (OTM), packed with more features than any other FLIR commercial thermal handheld, offers wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It also provides long-range detection, up to 510 meters, with superior image clarity.

The new Scion OTM includes FLIR’s high-performance Boson thermal core, the company’s most advanced thermal-imaging camera, which offers clear vision in low-visibility conditions and allows users to quickly detect objects with greater detail. Available with a 9 hertz or a 60 hertz refresh rate, the Scion OTM features 2 gigabytes of internal storage and a micro SD card slot to expand recording of both geotagged video or still images up to 128 GB. Intuitive controls allow single-hand operation for quick thermal palette adjustments and easy access to internal menus. Additional features include a rugged IP67-rated housing, picturein-picture zoom, and global positioning system (GPS) functionality. (flir.com/scion)

Otis Announces Annual Awards

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tis Technology presented its 2018 sporting goods and law enforcement sales representative and agency awards the opening day of the SHOT Show 2019. This year, the recipient the 2018 Sales Representative of the Year Award is Bill Wilson, of Jeff Robles and Associates. The 2018 Law Enforcement Sales Representative of the Year Award went to Jim Rund, of Odle Sales.

“Bill is always willing to go the extra mile for Otis. He was instrumental in onboarding a new retail customer with more than 25 locations, and has been eager to go after the accounts in his territory,” said Kenda Campbell,

Otis Technology’s western region sales manager, during the award presentation at Otis Technology’s SHOT Show booth.

“Jim has remarkable enthusiasm with the Otis brand,” said Mollie Martin, law enforcement sales manager for Otis Technology.

“He’s always recommending unique marketing ideas and ways to secure Otis business for future growth.”

Otis also recognized its sales agencies that have worked tirelessly to propel the Otis brand forward. Jeff Robles & Associates is its 2018 Sales Agency of the Year, and Odle Sales is the 2018 Law Enforcement Sales Agency of the Year.

Mollie Martin (left) of Otis Technology with Jim Rund of Odle Sales.

CASE HARDENED • VICTORY GIRLS • FLY GIRLS • SQUADRON

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NEWS BRIEFS

Light and Fast

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lthough the 12-gauge semi-auto shotgun remains the top choice for many waterfowlers, there is renewed interest in 20-gauge versions. As shotgun and ammo technologies continue to evolve and improve, hunters are finding that the softer-recoiling 20-gauge offers performance near that of its bigger brother, but in a far more comfortable package.

To serve this burgeoning market, Winchester used the 2019 SHOT Show to introduce a 20-gauge verWinchester’s Rafe Nielsen in the field with the SX4 20-gauge.

sion of its popular SX4 semi-auto. I had the chance to see how well the gun performs in the field when I shared a duck blind last December with Rafe Nielsen, marketing director of Winchester Repeating Arms.

“The changeover from the SX3 to the SX4 was primarily aesthetics,” he said. “We didn’t alter the operating characteristics of the gun.

What we did change was how it fit and felt in the hunter’s hands. The SX4 has a slimmer grip, a more forward balance point, and larger operating handles to make using the gun while wearing gloves easier.”

You’ll see those features

LEICA MASTERS THE RANGE Long-range hunters wouldn’t attempt a shot on game at 1,000 yards, but precision shooters take those shots frequently. Both groups can benefit from Leica’s new Rangemaster CRF 2800.COM (SRP: $1,099). The unit offers an integrated ballistic solution that connects via Bluetooth with a smartphone or Kestrel Elite weather meter.

“This is our first step into the world of connectivity,” said Julian Burczyk, product manager sports optics at Leica Camera AG, at a SHOT Show press conference. “With this product, you connect to the Leica hunting app and make your settings from your smartphone display.

You can also save your ballistic profiles on your phone, or use our updated database of nearly 5,000 ammunition types, or put in 100 of your own original ballistic data.”

Although this product is designed to help shooters hit targets at extreme distances, the company has noted that this isn’t intended to increase the range for hunters. Instead, it can ensure that ani-

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mals not taken down with the first shot will not need to suffer.

“You’re on a hunt, and like any hunter, you’re going to miss that kill zone once in a while. Now you can have the most precise equipment to put that bullet on target, and put that animal down,” said Hamilton Boykin, eastern regional sales

The Rangemaster CRF 2800.

COM connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

manager at Leica Sport Optics. Boykin stressed that Leica is not advocating hunting shots at 1,000 yards or more, but this optical equipment helps a hunter shoot more acurately at any distance.

The Leica Rangemaster CRF 2800.

COM is the first dedicated compact laser finder offering precise distance measurements up to 2,800 yards/2,600 meters.

It offers hunters and long-range shooters three ballistic outputs in addition to measured distance. The CRF can provide either equivalent horizontal range (EHR) up to a distance of 1,200 yards/1,100 meters, or up to 1,000 yards, the holdover value, or MOA or MILs corrections to dial on the riflescope.

Data are provided via an integrated LED display, which will automatically adjust to ambient light conditions. A fast-scan mode can record environment conditions every 0.5 seconds. At distances of up to 200 yards/180 meters, the CRF 2800.COM provides values in decimal calculation. (Leicacamerause. com) —Peter Suciu

on the new 20-gauge, but, as Nielsen said, “Hunters will find that the smaller platform of the 20-gauge makes it quicker and easier to shoot. It also weighs less, making it easier to carry on a pheasant hunt, and it has far less recoil than a 12-gauge.”

During our hunt, I found that the SX4 came up fast and swung easily. Coupled with Winchester Blind Side loads, the gun dropped both ducks and the occasional Canada goose. On one long crossing shot, Nielsen took a fastmoving mallard drake that I thought might be out of range. As it fell to earth, Nielsen noted, “That duck was probably in 12-gauge territory, but this 20-gauge still nailed it. In most cases, you’re really not giving up anything

using the 20 over the 12.”

To sell the 20-gauge SX4, Nielsen said, retailers should focus on the gun’s ease of use. “Typically, the 20 has been marketed as a youth gun or something for smaller-statured shooters, as well as women. But it’s far more than that. It should also appeal to many men who are tired of being pounded by their 12-gauge.

The gun is light, fast, and easy to operate. It kicks far less than a 12-gauge. And, finally, it’s just a whole lot of fun to shoot.”

The gun is scheduled to ship midsummer. (winchesterguns.com)

—Slaton L. White The new 20-gauge SX4 will be available in black and camo models.

UPD ATE

BY JOE BARTOZZI , NSSF PRESIDENT

Level of Detail NSSF’s extra efforts make SHOT Show a success

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have just returned from attending my first SHOT Show as a member of the NSSF staff. I can say without exception that the view from “behind the curtain” is certainly much different from the experience I had during my previous 21 SHOT Shows as an exhibitor. What most SHOT Show attendees will never see is the level of detail that goes into putting on the largest trade show of its kind in the world. NSSF staff is constantly monitoring the show experience, and data is constantly being collected and analyzed in order to create the best experience for everyone coming to SHOT.

I have always enjoyed the contrast between the evening before the opening day of the show and the opening morning. The night before, there are crates, boxes, forklifts, and general chaos everywhere

ground check system; “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy,” which helps retailers prevent straw purchases; and Operation Secure Store, which helps deter burglaries and robberies from FFLs. All are crucial in

based on members-only discounts on tools, services, and industry research data well exceeds $10,000. But there are many benefits that are difficult to put a price on, as many are truly invaluable.

NSSF provides a single voice for the entire industry. our ability to effect change on Capitol Hill and in State Houses is much greater than that of any one company. you look. Then the show opens, and walking through the doors one is transported to the Emerald City. All is shiny, organized, and overwhelming. I also want to recognize the amazing exhibitors who work tirelessly to get their booths ready. Their efforts help create the magic and make the show what it is.

It is awesome to be a part of something as incredible as the SHOT Show, especially knowing that the revenue supports so many of our important programs, such as FixNICS, which ensures that accurate and complete data is input into the NICS back-

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providing real solutions for safer communities, as is our recent partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which provides guidance to our members on this difficult but critical issue.

As part of my on-board experience at NSSF, I have been reviewing the various benefits that NSSF membership provides. What I learned was amazing, and I think that sharing some of that information is important. For example, membership fees for most retailers start at only $100 per year, but the value of that membership

When a company joins NSSF, it joins thousands of other industry professionals, providing unparalleled networking opportunities. If a member has an issue—whether it be in ATF, EPA, OSHA, ITAR, or BIS regulatory compliance, range or retail business practices, or just about any issue affecting businesses—chances are we’ve helped other members solve that same problem, and we can guide members to needed resources. NSSF is also leading the charge to recruit new participants into the shooting sports through campaigns and programs such as National

Shooting Sports Month, +ONE, and First Shots.

As members of an industry that is seemingly under constant attack from mindless legislation and corporate activism, NSSF provides a single voice for the entire industry. Together, our ability to effect change on Capitol Hill and in State Houses all over the country is much greater than that of any one company. The timing is more critical than ever to support NSSF’s GUNVOTE campaign as we approach 2020—it’s essential that we join together as one industry, one voice, to ensure that we are heard.

Daily, NSSF leads the industry in education with in-depth research reports on industry trends and participation, regular news posts, newsletters, live events, and our new SHOT University Online.

Each contains critical information on business practices to help you be more profitable.

Closer to home, our Regional Membership Services Managers provide local support to your businesses.

I hope this snapshot of some of what the NSSF offers helps remind you, as it did me, of the level of commitment, support, and resources NSSF can bring to bear.

by josh fiorini

RETAILER TO OLBOX

Command With Context Top-down orders don’t always work. There’s a better way

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t its most basic level, leadership is about getting someone or a group of someones to do something. To do that, a leader or a manager must give directives, and those directives are initiated by goals to meet and backed by a team to assist in achieving them. But how are the details of all that accomplished?

Leverage The simplest way to get someone to follow a command is through leverage: “Do this or you’re fired.”

Generally, the leader or manager who employs such a style holds some cards over the team members they are trying to “motivate,” whether it’s the signature on their paycheck, greater influence on the promotions list, or some other benefit.

In the military, orders can be barked without explanation and must be followed because the follower is bound to do so. This model works because the task being ordered is not complicated enough to require decision making and the penalty for disobedience is great.

A degree of leverage is built into every subordinate relationship in some way.

But while many out there might endeavor to run their businesses with military efficiency, the reality is that those baseline assumptions inherent to military operations are not in effect in the business world.

it alone is not sufficient longterm motivation.

Most people have career goals. Whatever shape those goals take, they exist. And if an employee finds their employment situation incompatible with their personal goals, they will seek employment elsewhere over the long term—and possibly up and quit on the spot in extreme circumstances.

In a leverage-governed directive situation, employees do not learn, they are not made to feel valued, and they are not developing a skill set.

More important, it doesn’t take most people long to realize that those things do not line up with their goals.

Additionally, an employee given a simple directive does not have the information necessary to deal with complicated tasks. And so, whether all those things combined or just one becomes the camel’s last straw, issuing directives by leverage alone inevitably leads to the up-and-quit scenario in the business world.

What’s the solution?

ISTOCK

There Is Always Something Beyond the Paycheck Why does an employee come to work? To earn a paycheck, of course. But there is often more to it.

And while that paycheck may be sufficient short-term motivation (leverage), often,

Context. The split-second, life-or-death circumstances that pervade in a military setting simply aren’t present in the business world. This means that leaders can take a moment to explain what they are trying to achieve.

Instead of “Do this or you’re fired,” take the approach of,

“I’d appreciate it if you could do A because it will enable us as a team to do B, which is very important toward hitting our goal of X.” In the latter, the employee is still being given an order, but it’s framed in such a way that they understand why they are being given an order.

This not only helps them be more effective, it educates them about the interdependencies in the organization, and it makes them feel valued and respected.

A personal challenge I had with this in the manufacturing environment was getting our machinists to care—actually care—about the line parts inspection. They’d been given specifications and the means to check them, as well as an auditable log in which to record the findings, and yet there were still myriad errors.

The solution came with cross-training that empha-

sized a specification must be held because if it’s not, your friends a few feet away in the next section are going to have a really bad day. When our machinists understood the context—a certain spec needed to be maintained because it needed to fit here or avoid a tolerance stack there—all of a sudden, the number of errors dropped.

Maintaining those standards was suddenly important to them.

This dichotomy is perhaps never better illustrated than when managing a group of volunteers. There is little to no leverage at all in such an environment, and the leader must motivate their team on context, charisma, and common goals alone. In that light, ask yourself if your leadership style would still work without leverage. If you wonder about the answer, employ the power of context.

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UPD ATE

BY AUTHOR HERE

RETAILERS, RANGES GET A BOOST WITH NSSF +ONE MOVEMENT

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n response to studies showing that millions of people want to know more about hunting and target shooting, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced a powerful new mentorship initiative called the +ONE Movement.

“We all know that getting involved in hunting and the shooting sports can be a challenge for people who have never gone before,” says NSSF President Joe Bartozzi.

“Having a mentor at your side makes it much easier for someone to get started. With the +ONE Movement, we’re challenging every hunter and target shooter in America to introduce at least one new person to the sports we love.”

A major barrier for people who want to learn about hunting and target shooting is that basic knowledge of these pastimes is not passed down from adults to youth as commonly as it once was. That’s where programs like +ONE can make a huge difference.

According to recent research,

if just one in three hunters added a new person to the ranks of hunting, it would secure a strong future for hunting. For target shooting, given that current participation levels are positive already, adding to the ranks only strengthens this growing community.

The +ONE Movement is supported by NSSF’s recently launched LetsGoShooting.org and LetsGoHunting.org. Each site hosts how-to articles and videos from subject-matter experts—content that mentors and participants of all skill levels will find valuable— as well as a host of resources

for new and existing hunters and target shooters. There are also two brand-new sections created specifically for mentors for both hunting and the shooting sports.

NSSF asks its industry partners, outdoor media, and social media influencers to spread the word about the +ONE Movement, reminding everyone in the firearmsowning community that they can play a role in establishing a secure future for hunting and shooting sports.

Learn more at letsgo shooting.org/plusone movement and letsgohunting. org/plusonemovement.

‘MY NSSF’ MOBILE APP GOES LIVE The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, is pleased to announce the launch of its “My NSSF” mobile app.

“Smartphones and tablets have streamlined commerce and customer service for thousands of businesses.

Providing such efficiency to our members through the new ‘My NSSF’ mobile app is in keeping

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with our commitment to delivering the services and information our members need in the best possible manner,” says Mike Vrooman, NSSF Managing Director, Member Services.

The new app is available for both Apple and Android devices. The download is free, and once it’s installed, NSSF members can log in and access the NSSF Store, the association’s comprehensive industry research

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offerings, and a wide array of resources relating to store security, and OSHA and ATF compliance. Users can also renew their membership, coordinate their company

contacts to ensure all staff members are receiving NSSF communications, and request assistance from NSSF staff.

The “My NSSF” mobile app is available to all professionals in the firearms industry. Those who have not yet joined NSSF are encouraged to download the free app and explore the many resources the organization has to offer, including the NSSF Store, and learn how membership with the association benefits the firearms industry as a whole. For more information, visit nssf. org/memberapp.

by author here

UPDATE

McGRUFF JOINS NSSF FOR NEW CHILDREN’S SAFETY VIDEOS

N NSSF HUNTING HERITAGE GRANT PROGRAM NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATION

T

he National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, is pleased to announce that its newly established million-dollar grant program is now open for application.

Established in October 2018, and funded equally by NSSF and the Hunting Heritage Trust, this first-ofits-kind grant program works to support hunting and the shooting sports recruitment efforts. For 10 consecutive years, beginning in 2019, organizations meeting eligibility requirements may apply for a portion of each year’s total annual $100,000

grant to be used to support recruitment, retention, and reactivation programs, known collectively as R3 efforts. While all organizations with formalized R3 programs will be considered for each year’s award, there will be an emphasis on those programs focusing on youth and non-traditional participants.

“The program is designed with a singular focus in mind,” says Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President. “The implementation of R3 efforts that produce tangible, measurable results, especially among those market demographic segments that are underserved. This is an unprecedented opportunity.”

CONGRESS SENDS EXPANDED PUBLIC LANDS ACCESS TO PRESIDENT

T

he U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act, and the bill is headed to President Trump to sign into law.

Among other things, the legislation permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a provi-

sion that funds an effort to buy and leave access easements for hunters and recreational shooters to isolated pockets of public land. The fund expired in October, but with this authorization, funds would be made permanently available to continue the effort to increase public access to federal lands.

SSF has partnered with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to produce two new firearms-safety videos starring McGruff the Crime Dog and his nephew Scruff to help teach young children how to react should they see an unsecured firearm.

The new McGruff Gun Safety videos deliver the compelling message of “Stop. Don’t touch. Get away. Tell an adult.” so that children immediately know what to do in a situation where a gun is unattended, if a classmate brings a gun on to school grounds, or if they find a gun at home to show friends.

The videos, created by Danger Pigeon Studios, use

animated characters to hold the interest of young children. They deliver their important gun-safety messages in approximately 120 seconds.

“We encourage parents and teachers to show children these McGruff Gun Safety videos and make sure they understand the powerful safety message they deliver,” says NSSF CEO Steve Sanetti.

SUPPRESSOR DEREGULATION BILL INTRODUCED U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has introduced S. 202, the Silencers Helping Us Save Hearing Act of 2019. The legislation would eliminate federal regulation of suppressors.

Suppressors are currently legal for possession in 42 states and legal for hunting 40 states. However, the devices are treated like a firearm under the 1934 National Firearms Act. Suppressors not only make public ranges less noisy for neighbors, they also reduce firearms’ reports to levels that don’t cause instant and permanent hearing loss, making recreational shooting and hunting easier to learn and more accurate.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) all co-sponsored the legislation. Learn more about the history, specifications, and benefits of firearms suppressors with the NSSF Infographic “Hear the Truth about Suppressors” at nssf.org/media/infographics.

© 2019 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SHOT Business®, SHOT Show® and all other trade names, trademarks and service marks of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation’s prior express written permission. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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BRASSARD , UPD ATE YOU SH OU LDBY KBILL NOW

NSSF SENIOR DIRECTOR , COMMUNICATIONS

Project ChildSafe Rallies Industry Support at SHOT Show 2019 One of the NSSF’s signature programs continues to save lives

A

s Project ChildSafe, the nationwide firearms-safety education program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, it’s stepping up efforts to work more closely with the shooting sports industry to remind gun owners of their important role as leaders in genuine firearms safety. All firearms retailers, gun ranges, manufacturers, outdoor media, conservation groups, and other members of the shooting sports industry are welcome and encouraged to get involved in this important program by visiting ProjectChildSafe.org.

The effort kicked off in January at the 2019 SHOT Show, where NSSF’s Project ChildSafe team joined thousands of representatives of the shooting sports industry to spread the message of “Own It? Respect It? Secure It.” “Over 9,000 retailers, gun ranges, makers of accesso-

ries, and conservation groups, along with many of the nation’s largest firearms manufacturers, have joined us in spreading the message of ‘Own It? Respect It. Secure It.,’ and encouraging gun owners to store their firearms responsibly when not in use,” says Steve Sanetti, NSSF’s

CEO and Chairman of the Project ChildSafe Foundation.

“With new companies in our industry adding their support for Project ChildSafe, I know we can continue to reduce firearms accidents, thefts, and misuse, including suicide.”

During the SHOT Show, Project ChildSafe program

leaders focused on increasing direct engagement with industry members and law enforcement to help promote safe firearms handling and storage.

Project ChildSafe also partnered with Women’s Outdoor News to host the second annual Women of the Gun reception. More than 300

During SHOT Show, Project ChildSafe program leaders focused on increasing direct engagement with industry members and law enforcement to help promote safe firearms handling and storage.

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BY BILL BRASSARD , NSSF SENIOR BY DIRECTOR BILL BRASSARD , COMMUNICATIONS , NSSF SENIOR UPDATE DIRECTOR , COMMUNICATIONS

guests—including some of the biggest names in women’s hunting and shooting sports, such as Dana Loesch, Melissa Bachmann, Barbara Baird, Julie Golob, Julie McQueen, and Kristy Titus—joined outdoor media writers and industry leaders to celebrate the growing role of women in the shooting sports and emphasize how important it is for the firearms industry to be the leading voice on genuine firearms safety.

The effort is primarily driven by the results the program has already achieved. In the time since Project ChildSafe launched in 1999, fatal firearms accidents across all age groups have dropped to historic lows, according to the National Safety Council.

Additionally, in 2017, the Government Accountability Office issued a report with a clear determination that giv-

ing gun owners free gun locks, as Project ChildSafe does, results in more gun owners choosing to use the locks and store their firearms securely when not in use.

Over the last 20 years, Project ChildSafe has distributed more than 38 million free firearms-safety kits, including gun locks, nationwide; established partnerships with more than 15,000 local law enforcement agencies in communities across the country; and engaged more than 9,000 organizational supporters. The program’s effort is a result of the firearms industry’s commitment to make more locks and safety resources available to help prevent firearms accidents, theft, and misuse.

That said, more can be done to continue our commitment to promote firearms safety on an industry-wide

level. As gun ownership continues to grow, it’s important for the firearms industry to promote responsible actions among gun owners, help prevent accidents and misuse, and help keep guns out of the wrong hands. Project ChildSafe provides real gunsafety solutions that help make homes, neighborhoods, and communities safer.

If your organization has not already signed up as a Project ChildSafe supporter, you can do so at ProjectChildsafe.org and help spread the message of firearms safety even further. You can also support Project ChildSafe through two different donation options: RoundUp allows you to support Project ChildSafe through everyday purchases.

You set your monthly desired donation limit, and each time you swipe your credit or debit card, a donation will be made

to Project ChildSafe. Visit projectchildsafe.myroundup donation.com to get started!

Donations can also be made online or by mail at Project ChildSafe Foundation, 11 Mile Hill Rd., Newtown, CT 06470.

NSSF and Project ChildSafe are grateful for the continued and growing support from the firearms industry. Together, the industry can continue to help protect communities from preventable firearms accidents and misuse.

In the time since Project ChildSafe launched in 1999, fatal firearms accidents across all age groups have dropped to historic lows.

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19

FYI

BY ROBERT F . STAEGER

Pinpoint Advertising The GunDealio app is taking small-screen marketing messages big time

M

odern marketing is like benchrest shooting: Precision is the name of the game. Mass media isn’t as effective as it used to be. Everything is niche, and tailored to our interests—the websites we visit, the television shows we stream, the podcasts we listen to.

Gun Talk Media’s Ryan Gresham knows this well. As president of Gun Talk Media, Gresham oversees content for the company, and works with manufacturers and other businesses to help get their message out.

“We wanted to create a way that we could reach people inside of gun stores,” says Gresham. “A lot of companies sell through two-step distribution, and there can be a bit of a disconnect with what’s happening at the store level.”

Letting consumers know about promotions through traditional media can be difficult, requiring more lead time than manufacturers can sometimes manage.

In his first attempt at bridging that gap, Gresham considered outfitting stores with screens that could serve as in-store hubs for promotions and marketing information. But the logistics and expense of installing monitors in so many stores made the project untenable.

Luckily, everyone soon started carrying personal screens around in their pocket.

Which is where the GunDealio app comes in.

Gresham designed the app— available free from Google Play and Apple stores—to be a media source in itself, featuring Gun Talk’s podcasts and videos. More important, the GunDealio app can update customers about manufacturer and in-store promotions at the time when

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GunDealio’s innovative app can connect you with customers instantly as they shop in your store.

they’re most effective.

“Basically, the manufacturer gets to whisper into a guy’s ear when he walks into a gun store,” says Gresham.

Participating manufacturers include Federal, Savage, Remington, Crimson Trace, Crosman, and others.

The app takes advantage of a technology called geofencing, which triggers messages when a GPS signal enters an area. “So, if someone walks through the doors of Bob’s Gun Shop, they might get a notification that says, ‘Did you know that there’s a rebate on Federal ammunition? Click here for details.’”

Gun Talk is working mostly with manufacturers right now, but the service is also available to individual stores. Just as retailers might maintain their mailing lists through Constant Contact or Mailchimp, GunDealio can be their mobile marketing solution.

The app can also handle exit messages. “A few minutes after the user leaves that geofence, they get a return message, like, ‘Thanks for visiting Bob’s Gun Shop. Show this next time you’re in the store for 5 percent off,’” says Gresham. Beyond that, GunDealio will also draw a 20-mile-radius customer zone around your store. “We push messages to anyone inside that customer

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zone,” says Gresham. These messages are meant to attract people to the store—people who, by virtue of having the app, are already interested in outdoor products.

In the meantime, the customer engages in an even deeper level of customization. When they first open the app, they can select the subjects they want to hear about, whether that’s waterfowl, big-game hunting, trap, skeet, etc. That pinpoints the messages further.

The future holds the promise of even greater precision. Gresham would like to be able to integrate bea-

cons into how the app reaches people. “We can go more granular. You can put a beacon the size of a hockey puck or even smaller inside a store—and suddenly we’re not just talking about location marketing now, but proximity marketing,” says Gresham. “So if you walk by the reloading equipment, you might get a notification to click for info on reloading.

Or it could be integrated into a display: ‘Would you like to know about the new waterfowl loads from Federal? Touch your phone to this display for a $5 coupon.’ ” (gundealiocom)

BY SLATON L . WHITE

FIRING LIN E

Going the Distance CVA enters new territory

T

here’s no question that long-range shooting is here to stay. For confirmation, all you had to do was walk the aisles of the SHOT Show and count the number of rifle models designed to shoot at distances well in excess of 400 yards. CVA, best known for its line of blackpowder rifles, has decided it is high time muzzleloader hunters were given a chance to get in the game. That’s the premise behind the manufacturer’s new Paramount long-distance blackpowder rifle.

SLATON L. WHITE

CVA’s new Paramount muzzleloader has been specifically designed for long-range hunting.

Unlike any other CVA rifles, though, the bolt-action Paramount was developed and designed to handle supermagnum propellant charges.

By “super magnum,” CVA means the rifle uses a maximum of 140 grains by volume of black powder. That’s because during testing, the manufacturer found that more than 140 grains did not deliver substantially more velocity, and the accuracy degraded.

This measure provides the higher velocities necessary for making kill shots at

300 yards and beyond.

Unusual for a blackpowder rifle, CVA decided to use a .45-caliber chambering instead of the standard .50-caliber.

Again, testing bolstered the decision because going this route gave the rifle the speed—2,200 fps—CVA was looking for. The decision also allowed CVA to use a 280grain bullet that would deliver substantial knockdown power without the heavy recoil. The bullet, by the way, also has a ballistic co-efficient of .452.

The rifle looks markedly

different from other CVA blackpowder rifles. That’s because the stock and barrel are sourced from Bergara.

The heavy stock helps control recoil, and the adjustable cheekpiece allows for a precise fit, without which consistent long-distance accuracy could not be achieved.

The free-floating, Nitridetreated, 416-grade stainlesssteel barrel is also an important component.

Upon closer inspection, you’ll also notice something different about the Paramount’s primer setup.

It has been built around CVA’s VariFlame breech plug, which uses a hotter and more consistent Large Rifle primer rather than the 209 shotshell primer. The result, the company believes, is more consistent accuracy at longer ranges.

Although the Paramount can be set up to shoot at 400 yards, it’s also a great tool for the more common 100- to 200-yard shots. In my experience with muzzleloaders, it’s common to see as much as a 10-inch drop at 200 yards.

You won’t see that with the Paramount. If you sight in 3 inches high at 100 yards, all you have to do is hold deadon at 200 yards. As such, you can focus on the animal and not worry about estimating holdover.

I was able to hunt with a Paramount last fall in

Montana with Chad Schearer, who handles public relations for CVA. Though I was hoping to take a mule deer at 300 yards or more, the fickle weather during my hunt in that part of the state dictated otherwise.

For the better part of two days, we endured alternating bands of rain and snow and steady wind, gusts of which hit 40 mph. The deer didn’t care for the conditions any more than we did and hunkered deep down in thick, brushy draws to find some measure of relief from the elements.

But with about 30 minutes of daylight left on the second day, we spotted three bucks at the bottom of one of those draws. A careful, quiet stalk put us within 125 yards of one. There was an opening in the buckbrush through which I could see an older deer in the early stages of the rut moving in on a doe.

It was a small opening, but it was the only chance I was going to get. When the buck stepped into that window, I squeezed the trigger.

I saw him leap up when hit and cartwheel forward. He didn’t go 10 feet. That’s a performace aspect I really appreciate. As a hunter, I want my animals to go down fast.

Tracking is always dicey, and tracking at night is no picnic.

SRP: $1,000. (cva.com)

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UNDERCOVER SHOPPER

Salvation in Sarasota A dynamite gun shop saves the day

STORE A

NOT PAWN STARS I headed into Bradenton the next morning and took a stab at a pawn shop not far from where we were staying—a tremendous mistake. Not only were there no shotguns, but there was a line of folks trying to pawn items you couldn’t sell to a hoarder at a garage sale.

After surveying the floor, I saw there was nothing that fit my needs, and none of the employees seemed to have time for an old guy looking for a slickshooting Italian auto. By the looks of it, this establishment would not be in business much longer, so I decided to take my business elsewhere.

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STORE B

HEADED SOUTH Turning our rented minivan south, I dropped my wife and boy at an outlet mall, avoiding an afternoon of misery, however brief. My next stop in Sarasota yielded similar results to the pawn shop. It was a small gun shop with not many shotguns, so I had wasted another 20 minutes of vacation on low inventory and poor service.

There were a few handguns under the glass case, but nothing I would remotely consider buying. They all looked to be in pretty rough shape, and I wasn’t about to ask the clerk to stop talking on her cell phone and fill me in on a dusty .22. I ambled around the store for a few more minutes, and

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PIXEL PUSHERS

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lorida’s stifling summer heat beat down on us while my wife and I sipped cocktails in the pool. One of our sons couldn’t decide between doing another cannonball into the deep end or chatting up some high school girls who had sneaked in, charming an elderly lady with “We forgot our key” to gain entry. My focus was on the doves buzzing overhead all afternoon long. The season wasn’t far off, and I had my eye out for a gas-operated shotgun, similar to the humpbacked Beretta A390 I had fallen in love with so many years ago, for high-volume shoots on not only mourning doves, but the collared doves, crows, and pigeons we chase back home in preparation for duck season. A champion clays shooter had told me how much she loved shooting that make of gun in her formative years, and with good reason—they fit a lot of folks right out of the box. When competing, if her shooting is off a bit, she sometimes ditches her pricey over/under for the 390 to get back in the groove.

How’d They Do? Customer Service STORE

A

STORE

B

STORE

C STORE

D

Product Knowledge

Product Availability

No Stars.

Nonexistent. All employees were tied up with customers trying to sell items a junker wouldn’t pull out of the neighbors’ trash.

� I’m guessing not much. I didn’t stick around to find out.

� There wasn’t a shotgun I would buy with my worst enemy’s credit card.

� I’m being generous here. Note to management: Tell employees to stay off cell phones so they can engage customers.

No Stars If the staff won’t talk to you, how can you determine if they know anything about what they sell?

�� Nothing to speak of. Very few shotguns at all.

���� Everyone I dealt with was a pro.

���� They were top-notch outdoorsmen and shooters.

��� They had plenty of nice guns—just not what I was looking for.

���� Much like my hometown shop.

Everyone was very affable.

���� I thought I knew Berettas pretty well—until I came here.

����� Plenty of shotguns in a variety of makes and models.

SCORING SYSTEM:

Outstanding: �����

after finding a few boxes of 2¾-inch target loads for $11 apiece, I decided it was time to hit the road. Which is precisely what I did.

STORE C

ALMOST PERFECT Finally, an awesome outdoor store with a bow shop and plenty of guns.

Though they didn’t have what I was looking for, which I had by now decided would be an A400 Xplor in 20 or 12 gauge, the owner, Dale, was a supernice guy and plenty knowledgeable. So was the rest of his staff.

If I lived on the Gulf Coast of

STORE

D

It was a close race, but this shop had the goods: multiple Beretta A400s.

The service was great, and it was a fine way to finish off a day I thought was going to be exceptionally awful.

Shoot Straight

Very Good: ����

Florida, they would be seeing plenty of me. The guys behind the counter were engaging customers, answering questions, and making recommendations. Great service and passionate hunters and shooters made this stop a real pleasure.

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STORE D

BEST IN SHOW Still in Sarasota, after eating the largest Cubano sandwich in the state, I had almost given up. Air-conditioning and a California king–size bed with high-thread-count sheets awaited back at the hotel, but not before I stopped

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Winner:

Average: ���

2335 University Parkway Sarasota, FL 34243 941-360-2335 shoot-straight.com

Fair: ��

Poor: �

by one last joint that had an extraordinary selection.

Here, I experienced something unexpected—service with a smile— and they had several A400s, as well as a 12 gauge in lefty for this wrong-eyedominant soul.

The prices were a little on the high side, but I have to admit it’s really pretty tough to find a new Beretta at a discount anywhere. There were all kinds of makes and models from which to choose, and I did handle a beautiful Benelli Cordoba, a gun I have wanted to add to the closet for some time.

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S E M I A U T O M AT I C

PEACE OF MIND ©2019 O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.

Personal defense begins with the knowledge that if danger should strike, you can effectively strike back. Enter the all-new Mossberg MC1sc™ Subcompact 9mm Pistol. Combining optimal reliability with superior ergonomics, the MC1sc helps ensure that you’ll be prepared and protected. ®

Learn more at Mossberg.com.

™ SAFETY TIP: Store firearms securely, inaccessible to children and unauthorized users.

APRIL/MAY 2019

TWO

THOUSAND

25

NINETEEN

THE SHOT SHOW CONTINUES TO BE A MUST-ATTEND ANNUAL EVENT FOR MANUFACTURERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND, MOST IMPORTANT, RETAILERS. THIS SPECIAL SECTION, DRAWN FROM THE

PETER B. MATHIESEN

PAGES OF SHOT DAILY, IS A SAMPLER THAT SHOWS THE RANGE OF NEW PRODUCTS THAT WILL HIT THE MARKET THIS YEAR

26 Africa, Cowboy-Style Using a lever-action rifle on dangerous game allows for action up close and personal by richard mann the lever-action is not suitable for hunting, even in Africa.

In The Last Ivory Hunter, The Saga of Wally Johnson, author Peter Hathaway Capstick quotes the late African professional hunter Walter “Wally” Walker on his introduction to the storied firearm: “I had obtained a Winchester .30-30 lever action when I was quite young (about seventeen) from my brother-in-law,

August Wood. So I decided to start hunting lions.”

Today, a man so inclined might be asked by his friends to seek professional counseling. But Johnson also advised, “Don’t ever forget that it’s the bullet placement that counts.” All truly experienced professional hunters know this, and it’s why Geoffrey Wayland, of South Africa’s Fort Richmond Safaris, often says, “It’s not the power of the sledgeham-

mer, it’s the placement of the pinprick.” Johnson proved that by using his to kill nearly 40 lions.

I’ve taken two African buffalo, both with lever guns.

Neither was a textbook example of how a dangerous-game hunt should unfold, but that was due to my failure to place the “pinprick” properly. As customrifle builder Melvin Forbes so aptly points out, “There are a lot of buffalo out there that This beautiful African buffalo was taken by Carlos Martinez with a Marlin Custom Shop Model 1895 Extra Fancy in .45/70.

GUN ICON BY CREATIVE MANIA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

T

he lever-action rifle is uniquely American.

It’s an iconic symbol of the West and the rough-hewn, can’t-tie-medown cowboy who epitomized the freedom associated with the red-white-andblue. Today, its appeal has been diminished due to the proliferation of higherpowered, flatter-shooting cartridges that require stronger actions to house them.

However, that does not mean

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don’t care if it gets shot.” On the other hand, with my first buff, the poor placement of my first shot led to a chargestopping .45/70 slug to the head. On my second, a lever gun proved the ideal armament for a running battle with a pissed-off dugga boy.

That action occurred last summer, when I went (along with three other hunters) on a South African safari with Carlos Martinez of the Marlin Custom Shop. We collected our buffalo using customized Marlin 1895s chambered for the .45/70. Some of us used those same rifles and customized Marlin 1894s and 336s to take duikers, warthogs, and mountain zebras.

The disadvantage of the lever gun—at least a traditional lever-action—is reach.

You’ll not be shooting from one end of the savanna to the other. You’ll have to get a bit closer than you might with your typical bolt-action.

But hunting, to me, has always been an endeavor

built on closing the gap. The advantage of the lever gun is handiness. In the right hands, it is a nimble instrument, and, short of a semi-automatic, nothing offers the lever gun’s speed of repeated fire.

The Marlin Custom Shop will build lever guns to suit, but it also offers standard packages like Fancy, Extra Fancy, and the Modern Hunter version, which I used in Africa. Options include engraving, custom paint schemes, and even threaded muzzles. And, by partnering with companies like XS and Skinner Sights, there are various iron sight options, as well as the choice of a traditional or scout scope and even a red-dot. We took game in Africa with a mixture of all of these.

With the help of the Marlin Custom Shop, what was once considered solely an over-the-counter rifle has now morphed into a highly refined, worldwide hunting

tool capable of taking any game on the planet. You can end up with a rifle with a look reminiscent of the golden safari days of Africa or, if you’re of a more modern mindset, you can opt for custom paint schemes and a barrel that’s suppressorcompatible.

Long-range precision rifles are a concept gaining traction, but to me they just don’t have a soul. When you’ve run a lever-action with a hand-tuned action and trigger, you’ll feel the pull. Like a young stallion tugging on the reins, the lever gun will seem to speak to you. It’ll urge you to get out on your hind legs, to find game, and to get as close as possible. And, when you shuck that lever, a little something you may have never before experienced might creep up into your chest, just as a smile spreads across your face. Because, well, everyone has a little cowboy in ’em. (marlin firearms.com)

Just as with bolt-actions, you can match the gun to the game. This duiker was taken with an Extra Fancy Custom Shop Marlin 336 in .30/30 Win.

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The Marlin Custom Shop will build lever guns to suit, but it also offers standard packages such as the Modern Hunter. Options include engraving, custom paint schemes, and even threaded muzzles.

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rowing up in Montana, it was easy for Rod Bremer to develop a love of the outdoors. He put that passion to use when he went to work for one of the biggest names in the knife industry. But burning with a desire to create the kind of knives he wanted to make, Bremer eventually struck out and co-founded Columbia River Knife & Tool.

Although he’s no longer as involved in the daily operations as he once was, CRKT still displays the soul and passion Bremer poured into it. So when SHOT Daily wanted to get a snapshot of what the last 25 years has meant for the company and what retailers can expect in the years to come, we turned to the man who’s been there since the beginning.

SHOT Daily: First of all, congratulations on 25 years in business. In an industry that’s as competitive as this, that’s an accomplishment.

Rod Bremer: You bet! We’re proud of standing the test of time during the past 25 years.

It’s due to lots of very hard

Going Long

work, some great suppliers, a little luck, and really fantastic people who work and call CRKT home.

SD: Tell me about how the idea for CRKT came about.

RB: Truthfully, CRKT came out of a proposal to my former employer as a way to combat the weakening U.S. dollar on products made in Japan. In the end, the parent company declined the proposal. No harm, no foul; it was their company. Bottom line, my team bet on ourselves.

We decided to take the leap and do what we do best in this country and execute what we thought was a solid plan.

SD: Starting a business is always a courageous move.

Did you have any doubts in the beginning that this was the right direction for you?

RB: Absolutely. I clearly remember taking turns in the early years with my partner, talking each other off the cliff.

We had customers, and our products seemed to be well received, but we had real challenges getting into production. Consequently, it sometimes got pretty interesting.

SD: What was your initial goal with the company?

RB: Survive! Seriously, if someone who has started a business gives a different answer, I’d absolutely challenge it. Once you decide that you want to fly without a net, you go into hyper-drive just keeping the wheels on the bus, a bus with a million moving parts.

SD: What were you hoping to accomplish?

RB: It was our desire to work with the best designers in order to bring a custom knife to market at an affordable price. After 25 years, I am proud of the relationships we’ve made with the customknifemaker community. This goal has withstood the test of time, and we’re still working on it every day.

SD: Did you imagine then that you’d be where you are today?

RB: In the beginning, it was really about survival, but as the years slipped away, the value of building a brand really started to manifest itself in most of our thinking. As the brand started to gain a little

TargetVision had its genesis in 2012, when three men—Clay Rhoden, Richard Rhoden, and James Hoffman—decided to combine their knowledge and experience of CCTV camera systems and component-level electronics with their passion for shooting. The result: The Marksman, a fixed-lens, portable, wireless spotting scope.

The Marksman is set up near a shooter’s target and transmits an image of the target onto the shooter’s tablet or smartphone.

The unit has a range of 300 yards and a run-

traction, planning and working a longer-term strategy really started to materialize.

SD: What has been the biggest challenge the company has had to overcome in the last 25 years, and what did you do to persevere?

RB: We tap a global supply chain (that includes the U.S.) to manufacture our tools.

Sourcing from partners all over the world comes with its own set of hurdles. Early on, we faced a couple of very severe challenges with U.S. Customs on importing specific types of products that were key to our success.

In 2000, we were singled out locally, and a large portion of our inventory was seized and classified as violating the “switchblade/gravity knife” language in the importation codes. Thankfully, we were able to prove that our product was indeed 100 percent legal.

We did that in three weeks, I might add, basically saving our young company.

Then, in 2009, we had a similar scare from U.S. Customs, again on a class of products commonly known as “assisted

time of more than 12 hours.

The Marksman was followed by several upgrades, including the Gen 2 Long Range cameras, one of which can transmit images up to 2 miles. Shooters could know exactly where their shots are hitting without walking over to check.

At the 2019 SHOT Show, TargetVision continued its push for improvement and innovation with the next-generation Longshot. “The cameras have undergone a major redesign to make them easier to manufacture,” says

CAMERA ICON BY ART SHOP FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

Obsessive Innovation CRKT’s reputation for great designs didn’t come about by accident

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recoil revolution

KNIFE ICON BY VANISHA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

T opening,” when it arbitrarily decided to reverse the binding rulings that we had obtained from the same agency that specifically allowed this class of knives to be imported.

Fortunately, the entire industry rallied, and we were able to successfully change the federal statute to eliminate any ambiguity about assistedopening knives.

SD: What can your knife retailers expect from CRKT this year?

RB: We have two new significant innovations on deck for our 25th anniversary. The new Deadbolt locking mechanism—the name speaks for itself—and our Kinematic technology, which is one of the coolest ways to deploy a blade, are both emblematic of everything CRKT stands for and are a must-see. (crkt. com) —Christopher Cogley

hose who visited the MARS, Inc., station during Range Day were treated to something quite cool. They were handed a rifle. It was already loaded so you would not know the caliber. After firing the rifle, the shooters were asked to identify the caliber. Most shooters, according to Mike Mars, owner of MARS Rifles, said the felt recoil was similar to the recoil of a .22LR rimfire.

Some said it was closer to that of the .223 Remington.

In both cases, they were wrong. The rifle is chambered in .308 Winchester/ 7.62 NATO. Mars believes he has created something revolutionary, a rifle that dramatically reduces felt recoil without adding weight.

A combat veteran who has had trigger time with all of our military’s rifles, Mars knows the effect recoil can have on shooters and shot placement. But imagine for a moment that recoil was taken out of the equation.

No flinch from a recoil-shy

Clay Rhoden. That’s reduced costs all around.

Rhoden adds that the battery is now removable and user-replaceable, and the camera has a higher resolution. “The overall reliability is still what users have come to know and expect from TargetVision,” he says.

Rhoden notes that TargetVision is actively looking for new dealers. These dealers can expect a margin of between 28 and 40 percent, depending on annual volume. And

shooter. More accurate shot placement. That’s a win-win.

The long play for MARS is the NGSAR (Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle) and NGSW (Next Generation Squad Weapon) programs.

The Army’s idea behind these two programs is to find a new weapon that’s never seen the battlefield. It doesn’t want a redesign of the M16/M4’s directimpingement system. It wants a totally new system.

The NGSAR in particular is looking for a system that includes a rifle, optic, and cartridge. The short play for MARS is a conversion kit for civilian shooters.

MARS will offer a complete upper assembly chambered in 7.62 NATO for DPMS .308 lowers. This conversion kit will have the recoilless design built in. It will also have features we have come to expect in new AR rifles—a variety of different barrel lengths for different shooting scenarios, takedown ability for fast assembly/disassembly and stow-

age in a compact package, and multi-caliber capability.

The MARS conversion kit accomplishes this while also cutting weight. The typical DPMS AR-10 weighs 9 to 10 pounds. The MARS conversion kit on a DPMS lower will weigh in the 7- to 7.5-pound range. (marsrifle.com)

thanks to the lower manufacturing costs, the Longshots will be very competitively priced.

For its dealers, TargetVision offers instructional videos to educate staff. The company is working to build an extensive online knowledge base for dealers and end users, with comprehensive how-to and troubleshooting guides.

“We have done our best to differentiate the brand as the premium offering in the space and the brand the pros use,” says Rhoden. (targetvision.com) —Brian McCombie

—Robert Sadowski

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Mossberg’s Big Surprise The manufacturer’s first handgun in a century debuts at

The clear magazine for the Mossberg MC1SC adds distinction and practicality to the platform.

by richard mann

GUN ICON BY VIET EDC FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

the 2019 SHOT Show

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A

distinguished firearms journalist once expressed his disgust with the demise of great American gunmaking.

He felt we’d strayed too far from our hand-fitted, bluedsteel-and-walnut gunmaking heritage. I argued those were European traditions; America’s gunmaking legacy started with the Hawken brothers in the 1820s. A standardization of materials and craftsmanship, the Hawken rifle could be delivered rapidly for less than a fortune. It was the gateway to today’s easily constructed, high-performance firearms that working people can afford. Oscar Mossberg—a Swedish immigrant—embraced this notion, and in 1919, he began production of his first firearm. It was a four-shot, .22-caliber pistol called the Brownie.

That little pistol, designed for trappers to dispatch captured animals, led to .22 rifles and shotguns. Ultimately, Mossberg became famous for shotguns, and more recently for innovative rifles like the MVP, a bolt gun that accepts AR-style magazines. One hundred years later, the company Oscar started is still in business. It’s still family-owned and still operates on the premise that trustworthy, durable firearms can be manufactured in bulk, for prices blue-collar Americans are happy to pay.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Mossberg decided to return to its roots and build another handgun. It would be a handgun that would have wide market appeal, one that could be produced in mass quantities and offered at an affordable price. But most important, it would be a handgun that everyday Americans could trust to save their lives.

That pistol, which made its debut at the 2019 SHOT Show, is called the MC1SC, which stands for Mossberg Carry One Sub Compact.

The MC1SC is a strikerfired, polymer-framed semiautomatic that feeds from a detachable single-stacked magazine. Admittedly, that describes a lot of modern handguns. But, really, it’s not just another version of the same old thing. Company engineers began working on this project more than two years ago, and along the way they created a very appealing concealed-carry handgun.

Last fall, Mossberg invited a small school bus full of gun writers to Gunsite Academy to get a close look at the MC1SC. Three days and more than 10,000 rounds later, the consensus was that Mossberg had done its homework and developed a sub-compact defensive firearm that filled and fit large and small hands alike very well. It’s also a pistol that retailers and consumers could relish, as it proved to be reliable, durable, and comfortable to shoot, and delivered unexpected precision from a less-than-20-ounce pistol with a 3.4-inch barrel.

The frame of the MC1SC is made of glass-reinforced polymer and features aggressive grip texturing and a palm swell. The slide is machined from stainless steel, has grasping grooves front and rear, and is finished with a DLCPVD coating. It comes standard with low-profile threedot sights. (Truglo Tritium Pro Night Sights are an option.) The dovetailed slide is compatible with SIG Sauer No. 8–style aftermarket sights.

The pistol is shipped with one flush-fit 6-round and one extended 7-round magazine.

The magazines are the first modern innovation you’ll notice: They’re clear.

The entire magazine body is manufactured of see-through polymer. This means that at a glance, you can determine exactly how many rounds are inside. At first, all the smart gun guys in attendance for the unveiling were skeptical of the magazines. However, we quickly learned the high lubricity of the clear polymer aided insertion, and that they were resilient and extremely practical.

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spring to be removed. You do not need to foolishly pull the trigger, and the pistol can be field-stripped and reassembled in less than 20 seconds.

Working through a variety of practical drills under the tutelage of Gunsite Academy instructors, I found head shots at 15 yards to be no problem. I managed a run on Jeff Cooper’s famous El Presidente drill in less than 10 seconds, and executed the Dozier Drill in less than three and a half seconds. I probably fired somewhere in Though separated by 100 years, Mossberg’s first pistol (bottom) and its second (top) are both innovative.

The most innovative feature of the MS1SC is how it is field-stripped. After removing the magazine and making sure the pistol is unloaded, you lock the slide to the rear. The next step is to remove the plate at the rear of the slide. This is easily done and allows the striker assembly to be pulled from the slide. Finally, after grasping the slide, the slide stop is depressed and the frame and slide can be separated, allowing the barrel and recoil

the neighborhood of 600 rounds over the course of the three days and did not experience a single stoppage.

In fact, I borrowed a handful of CCI 9mm Luger shotshells from one of the instructors and discovered the little MC1SC cycled them perfectly. That’s something very few 9mm pistols will do.

Mossberg will initially offer five versions of the MC1SC. Suggested retail prices will range from $425 to $526. (mossberg.com)

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Leatherman Free Launches Six new models break the multi-tool mold by daVid maccar

Tim Leatherman in his Oregon factory—the man knows how every machine on the floor works.

feel, and the new system greatly reduces wear and tear on individual implements.

“A big part of Leatherman Free is that all the tools are accessible, not just the knife. And all of these tools, including the pliers, are now one-handaccessible,” Rivera says.

Included in this system is another buzz term among the Leatherman engineers: “epic haptics.”

This means there’s a definite click that you can feel and hear when each tool is opened or closed. It lets you know the status of your multi-tool without having to look, and there’s no tension like you find with springbased designs.

When it comes to these new Leatherman multipurpose tools, it will pay to let customers handle them side-by-side with more traditional multi-tools made by other manufacturers. I was one of the first outside the company to handle the Free prototypes. The feel and ease of use incorporated into each model are a major departure from everything that’s currently on the market. It will likely redefine the multi-tool category that Leatherman invented and set the direction for the company.

Free is composed of six tools, in three series.

The P Series is based on the popular Leatherman

Wave. It’s built around a heavy-duty set of pliers and wire cutters (the jaws on these pliers are the most robust Leatherman has ever made), and features many of the familiar implements found in classic Leatherman tools. SRP: P2, $119.95; P4, $139.95. Available April 2019.

The Free T Series is a better take on a Swiss Army knife multi-tool arrangement, built around a light pocketknife and featuring 8 to 10 tools in a convenient size that’s easy to stow anywhere. SRP: T2, $39.95; T4, $59.95. Available June 2019.

The Free K Series is a bit bigger and built around a sizable 3.5-inch folding knife.

SRP: K2, $79.95; K4, $89.95.

Available August 2019. (leatherman.com)

POCKET TOOL ICON BY CEZARY LOPACINSKI FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

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eatherman could easily rest on its sterling reputation and its already stellar lineup of multi-purpose tools. But it hasn’t. For the past five years, a team of engineers and product developers at the toolmaker’s Oregon headquarters has been toiling away on a new line of tools that represents the future of the company—and the multitool category it invented.

The result is the new Leatherman Free.

“We did a ton of research over the course of five years—design, research, and testing—to come up with Free,” says Leatherman CEO and president Ben Rivera.

The Free line has a concept that flows throughout the six models launched at the 2019 SHOT Show. They all can be easily incorporated into everyday life, perform a surprising number of functions, and are designed purposefully to feel good to the user.

Free isn’t about just the addition of a few new features or a rearrangement of implements. It’s an entire rethinking of how a multitool should be built and used.

One of the biggest innovations across all the Free tools is the inclusion of proprietary magnetic architecture.

That simply means friction isn’t the only thing keeping the tools where they’re supposed to be. Magnets allow the tools to open and close more easily. This also gives the tools an overall smoother

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Kim Rhode Honored with Winchester Legend Award Kim Rhode has received the first-ever Winchester Legend Award. “Her list of achievements is unprecedented,” said Matt Campbell, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “More important, she is a tremendous ambassador for the shooting sports and the hunting industry.”

Rhode is a six-time Olympic medalist, and the first American athlete in history to win six consecutive medals in an individual sport, going against the world’s toughest competitors using Winchester AA shotgun shells. Rhode is currently preparing for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“Winchester has been with me since day one,” Rhode said. “They have been my family, and they mean everything to me. Thank you for this prestigious award.”

STAR MEDAL ICON BY VECTORS MARKET FROM THE NOUN PROJECT; ONLINE MARKETING ICON BY BEN DAVIS FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

Capturing Online Sales

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ack of inventory in stores remains one of the biggest frustrations for consumers today. But thanks to the giant online retailers—notably Amazon—customers have come to expect nearly unlimited product choices.

“When they don’t find what they want at a brick-and-mortar retailer, the customer instead opts to go home and buy online,” said Hank Yacek, industry retail consultant for Point of Impact. “It is made worse when the online presence for these retailers isn’t that good.”

Even as the traditional brick-andmortar retailer remains an important facet of our industry, the role of online sales continues to grow, and a welldesigned online sales program is more critical than ever. Yacek, along with Gearfire CEO Chad Seaverns, highlighted the benefits of an omni-channel strategy of in-store sales, internet, social media, telephone, and mobile selling at the SHOT University session Streaming Inventory and the Power of Online Sales.

“The majority of in-store sales, whether you realize it or not, are influenced by online research and browsing,” said Seaverns. In an increasing number of cases, consumers are opting to buy online and pick up in the store.

Technology can help make those sales and be used as part of a modern point-

Even as the traditional brickand-mortar retailer remains an important facet of the industry, the role of online sales continues to grow.

of-sales (POS) system to track inventory.

However, it isn’t enough to simply have a website and hope for the traffic to come.

“Your website really needs to be ‘phone first,’” suggested Yacek. “Today’s consumer always has a phone in their pocket.”

Having a website that is not mobilefriendly is, in essence, alienating most modern consumers, added Seaverns.

While the web will increasingly

become a factor in drawing in a younger demographic, for most retailers, it won’t be enough to transform the independent shop into the next 600-pound gorilla.

“Sure, you may land some customers online, but don’t think you can become the next national powerhouse,” said Yacek. “This is really about working with your local customer base.”

—Peter Suciu

Pushing the Envelope Safariland’s body armor line evolves to meet the challenges

B

faced by law enforcement

by chriStOphEr cOGLEy

ecause the threats they face are so extreme,

When it comes to body armor, those two concepts are often mutually exclusive, but Safariland Group has come up with a unique

law enforcement officers today have to be faster, more agile, and more adaptable than ever before. They also have to be better protected.

approach to product development that has allowed it to consistently merge performance and protection in a collection of body armor that

BULLETPROOF VEST ICON BY LASTSPARK FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

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BULLETPROOF VEST ICON BY HADA ARKANDA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

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keeps up with the changing face of today’s law enforcement officers.

“We look at police officers as professional athletes, because in all reality, that’s exactly what they are,” says Tim O’Brien, director of soft armor for the Safariland Group. “And just like professional athletes, law enforcement officers need equipment that allows them to do their job effectively and keeps them safe in the process.”

Creating body armor that fulfills that promise becomes a delicate balancing act of protecting the officers against more advanced weapons without restricting the athleticism they need to perform their essential duties.

“Body armor today isn’t just about stopping bullets,” says Frank Smith, director of engineering armor for the Safariland Group. “It’s about ergonomics, comfort, and mobility. That’s the challenge.”

Safariland meets that challenge by continually pushing the envelope, not only with its internal design team, but also with the companies with which it partners.

“We don’t have a choice,” Smith says. “We have to meet the challenges. And that’s why we push our partners as hard as we do. We’re always pushing them for more pliable materials that offer better performance and a higher level of protection.”

That commitment and willingness to accept nothing less than the best has led to the development of cutting-edge ballistic panels such as the SX Armor, which the company touts as the thinnest, lightest, and one of the strongest available.

Safariland has also devel-

oped Summit Armor and Xtreme Armor, both of which provide a blend of comfort, flexibility, and high-performance ballistic protection.

“At the end of the day, it’s about giving these guys the best products out there,” O’Brien says. “We’re protecting the guys who protect all of us. And we have no intention of letting them down.”

Although Safariland always designs its body armor with the officer-athlete in mind, that design concept becomes even more critical when it comes to the body armor created specifically to go unnoticed.

“There’s really not much difference in terms of protection,” says O’Brien. “What changes is how you have to make that protection blend into everyday clothing.”

From the F1 Covert Carrier that’s designed for high-performance use with an extreme low profile to the lightweight and breathable P1 Covert Carrier, Safariland is working to make sure that off-duty, undercover, and plainclothes officers have access to uncompromising protection that doesn’t blow their cover or prevent them from doing their jobs effectively.

“We have to design for such a wide a variety of situations,” says Smith. “The officers who wear these carriers might be called into any number of extreme situations at a moment’s notice, so they have to have something that is versatile and allows for quick response time.

“That’s the challenge we face. It’s an ever-changing environment out there. We have to adapt so that they can adapt.” (safariland.com)

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Continuous Evolution Being able to change with the times is a critical factor if you are a company that specializes in body armor. And Safariland, which is celebrating 55 years of creating products designed to protect law enforcement officers, has certainly seen its share of evolutions in body armor.

Introductions of materials such as Kevlar and Spectra have helped designers at Safariland develop new ways of protecting law enforcement officers through the years by offering lighter, more flexible armor that provides consistently better performance than the armor of yesteryear.

“There’s continuous improvement in ballistic fiber performance,” says Frank Smith, director of engineering armor for the Safariland Group. “What’s driving that is a need for reduced thickness, reduced weight, and better protection.”

It’s also being driven, in part, by the standards set by the National Institute of Justice. These non-regulatory, completely voluntary standards were established in the late 1970s as a way to help ensure that body armor used by law enforcement adheres to certain minimum requirements and maintains a level of conformity that serves as a benchmark of quality. These standards continue to be routinely updated and revised as technology changes and new threats are identified.

“Every time the standards reset, we see improvements and new advancements,” says Tim O’Brien, director of soft armor for the Safariland Group. “As we look to the new standards that are coming, that’s definitely going to be the case again.”

As those new standards are put into place, and the industry has to rise to meet the updated challenges of performance and protection, Safariland will undoubtedly incorporate those improvements into a new line of products that will help usher in the next evolution of body armor, just as it has for the last 55 years.

Of all the advancements and achievements the team at Safariland has realized, one accomplishment stands out above all the others as the most significant milestone in the company’s history.

“We’re celebrating 2,026 lives saved and counting,” O’Brien says. “It’s not often you get to go to work and Lightweight and thin, Safariland’s armor line know that you’re doing is designed to provide something to help protect comfort, flexibility, and the good guys, but that’s high-performance balwhat we get to do every day.” listic protection.

36 The Defender-Flex Jean features 10-ounce, mechanicalstretch denim for operator comfort in real-world situations.

More Than Meets The Eye 5.11 Tactical expands into the lifestyle category

by ShannOn FarLOW

All 5.11 Mission Packs now feature the new 5.11 Hexgrid system for custom storage options.

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ecades after developing the most famous tactical pant ever produced, the team at 5.11 Tactical is still on a mission to solve problems for their core customers—members of the military and special forces, and SWAT teams and other first responders.

According to former CEO (and now company advisor) Tom Davin, 5.11 Tactical goes to great lengths to meet the needs of those professionals. When some longtime customers asked the company for clothing that looked more fashionable than tactical wear but still featured 5.11’s signature durability and functionality, Davin and his team responded by developing an entire line of lifestyle apparel.

“That’s always been our guiding light,” says Davin, who served as a captain in the U.S. Marines Corps.

“We know exactly who our core customer is. Every product we make, even if it’s a complete lifestyle product, always starts with the problem set that we get from one of those operators or professionals. We’ve followed our core customer into that consumer or lifestyle world.”

The new 5.11 Lifestyle lineup features a variety of casual shirts, including long- and short-sleeve button-ups, polos, tees, tanks, and pullovers, and jackets for both men and women. It also includes several styles of casual pants, shorts, footwear, and accessories. As impressive as the entire collection is, the true

star is a staple of American fashion—denim jeans.

Defender-Flex Jean The now-famous 5.11 Tactical Pant first rose to prominence in the 1990s, when it was adopted as the standard-issue training pant at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Although it remains as popular as ever in military and first-responder circles, and is still a best-seller for the company, as Davin points out, the 5.11 Tactical Pant isn’t necessarily practical to wear in every situation. For one, cargo pants can be an obvious giveaway for someone working undercover. Then there are those settings in which tactical pants might be considered socially inappropriate, as Davin learned when his wife once asked him, “Please, don’t wear your 5.11 Tactical Pants out to dinner.”

When their core professional customers requested a denim pant sans the external cargo pockets, the 5.11 team went to work developing the all-new DefenderFlex Jean for men and women. While it looks like a traditional five-pocket jean, as with all 5.11 products, there is much more to it than meets the eye.

For starters, the Defender-Flex Jean features 10-ounce, mechanicalstretch denim that provides a two-way stretch for the wearer, making it extremely comfortable in real-world situations. On the front, the jean includes an extra-deep coin pocket designed to

accommodate most EDC knives. The real surprise is in back, where two hidden hip pockets are ready to carry a large smartphone— or 30-round AR magazines.

“The Defender-Flex Jean finally gives people a place in their denim to put their phone and not sit on it,” says Davin. “Conversely, undercover cops, CIA agents, and anyone else who needs to carry two fully loaded AR or AK mags can put them in their back pocket. As long as they’re wearing a jacket or hoodie, nobody can see them.”

The Defender-Flex Jean comes in a straight-cut and a slim version, which Davin describes as more of an athletic fit for people who are into fitness and working out. The men’s DefenderFlex Jean is available in indigo, dark-wash indigo, and black; the women’s version is available in Pacific indigo.

The 5.11 team also created a Defender-Flex Pant made from a cavalry twill/polyester blend that is also available in straight and slim versions. Both the jean and the pant retail for $69.99.

“We’re super excited about the Defender-Flex,” Davin says. “It’s a gamechanger, because even though we can make the best cargo pant in the world, what percentage of the population wears a cargo pant every day? It’s not the majority of people. And a cargo pant tends to scream that it’s workwear-oriented.

Whether it’s the DefenderFlex Jean or Defender-Flex Pant, it’s a beautiful piece for

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everyday wear at the office, undercover if you’re on duty, or something you can wear out to dinner or the club.

My wife is now very happy when I put these pants on.”

All Missions Pack Another exciting product that 5.11 Tactical is promoting this year is the All Missions Pack (AMP), which made its debut at SHOT Show last year. Once again, the need for a low-profile backpack with more storage options came from core professional customers. Not your typical man-bag, the AMP features a fully customizable 5.11 Hexgrid system, which Davin believes is more versatile than traditional PALS/MOLLE systems.

“The Hexgrid technology allows you to put your pouches at 12 different angles. But most important, you can separate the latticework, or that attachment system, from the pack and put it on the inside and be totally low-profile,” he says.

“You can configure it as a modular system to be used off duty or on duty. If you’re going to wear it for just pure casual lifestyle and you don’t want the Hexgrid attachment, or you don’t want any patches on the outside, you simply take it off.”

The pack is available in four sizes: AMP10 Backpack (20-liter), AMP12 Backpack (25-liter), AMP24 Backpack (32-liter), and the AMP72 Backpack (40-liter). Each comes with a Hexgrid 9x9 Gear Set that is fully compatible with any 5.11 Gear Set. (511tactical.com)

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Going to Extremes Hornady’s new Outfitter rifle ammunition is basically bulletproof

by brad fitzpatrick

GMX bullets already have a solid reputation for expanding reliably at various ranges. The author used the 180grain .30/06 load for Nebraska whitetails, and the performance was excellent.

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unting in the backcountry requires special gear. You’ll need boots that are warm yet stable and light, and a pack that can carry all of your essential gear as well as an elk quarter if you fill your tag. Backcountry rifles tend to be light and durable, capable of standing up to long-term exposure to the worst elements, and warm clothing is more than a luxury in the wilderness—it’s essential to survival. The first step in successfully hunting the most remote regions of the country is selecting gear that’s up to the task.

There’s been very little discussion about wilderness ammunition to this point, but Hornady is looking to change that. The Nebraskabased ammunition company, which is celebrating 70 years in business, now offers the first line of centerfire rifle ammunition that’s built to withstand the rigors of backcountry hunting, and it has appropriately named this ammo line Outfitter.

Building a Better Wilderness Cartridge Hornady began the quest to design the ultimate backcountry ammunition by utilizing nickel-plated cartridge cases.

Nickel plating reduces tarnishing and corrosion and aids with lubricity, which helps ensure a long case life and smoother feeding even in cold, wet conditions. To prevent any possibility of moisture intruding into the powder column, Hornady has sealed both the primer and the neck of the cartridge, essentially eliminating any risk that moisture will affect performance.

And if you’ve hunted in true wilderness areas, you know

how easy it is to get completely soaked by rain, snow, or falls during a creek crossing.

By sealing the case fore and aft, Hornady has built a barrier against moisture.

Ultimately, it’s not the case or powder or even the rifle or caliber that dictates how a load performs on game—it’s the bullet. Hornady utilizes the proven GMX monolithic bullets in the Outfitter line, and it’s a sensible choice.

These mono-metal copperalloy bullets feature cannelures that help reduce their bearing surface as the bullet travels down the rifling. GMX bullets have sleek, high-BC profiles that allow them to buck wind and shoot accurately even at long ranges, and they produce minimal fouling and consistent pressures and velocities. In addition, they feature a polymer tip that protects the open front cavity of the bullet. The result is consistent, controlled expansion—just the type of performance you’d demand for the largest and toughest game, like elk and moose.

GMX bullets are also California-compatible, and they’re legal in other areas where traditional lead-core bullets are banned.

Hornady currently offers a dozen different Outfitter loads, including .243 Winchester (80 grains), 6.5 Creedmoor (120 grains), .270 Winchester (130 grains), .270 WSM (130 grains), 7mm WSM (150 grains), 7mm Rem. Mag. (150 grains), .308 Winchester (165 grains), .30/06 (180 grains), .300 WSM (180 grains), .300 Win. Mag. (180 grains), .375 H&H Mag. (250 grains), and .375 Ruger (250 grains). No matter the game or the conditions, there’s a cartridge on that list

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that will handle the needs of any big-game hunter.

Hunting the High Plains I tested Outfitter ammo on whitetails in Hornady’s home state of Nebraska this past November. When I arrived, there was 6 inches of fresh snow on the ground being churned across the open plains by gusting prairie winds.

The cold conditions may have driven humans inside, but the frigid temps made the whitetail rut heat up. Before first light on opening day, I could see, against a blanket of blue snow in the pre-dawn light, bucks chasing does through the cottonwood forests along a creek. So preoccupied were the deer that they paid no attention to the elevated stand from which I was hunting.

Just after shooting light on the first morning, a young forkhorn ran beside the blind on the heels of a doe, neither of the deer so much as pausing as they passed.

I had elected to hunt with a .30/06. Hornady does not use Superformance powder in the Outfitter loads, and muzzle velocities for that load are 2,700 feet per second while still shooting flat enough for long shots across open country. As the sun rose, the temperature rose with it, but there didn’t seem to be any slowing of deer activity.

There was very little time on the stand that first morning when there wasn’t at least one deer in sight. But despite the flurry of rutting activity, I didn’t see a really big buck.

That evening was a different story. As the sun dropped into the horizon, I caught sight of movement through the trees—a doe zigzagging among the cottonwoods.

The author’s mature Nebraska buck was harvested with Hornady’s new Outfitter ammunition. At 220 yards, the bullet passed through and the deer expired within 20 yards— just the type of performance a hunter expects.

That could only mean that a buck was certain to follow, and soon a dark, heavybodied deer appeared at 250 yards. Convinced this was a buck worth tagging, I pressed the safety forward and centered the crosshairs when the buck was in a clearing.

The GMX bullet landed where I’d aimed, just behind the front shoulder, and I had a good blood trail in the snow that was easy to follow.

Within 20 yards, I found the deer stretched out, the bullet having passed through the body. It had created a large entry wound and a nickelsized exit hole. You couldn’t ask for better performance.

With the launch of Outfitter ammo, Hornady has established a new standard in backcountry cartridges. (hornady.com)

40 The 350 Legend should greatly appeal to hunters who live in straight-wall-cartridge states, but it will no doubt have appeal far past that special segment.

Birth of a Legend Winchester Ammo has something special up its sleeve for deer hunters

P

ike County, Missouri, is classic Midwest whitetail country, consisting of rolling hills, timbered draws, and alternating fields of corn, soybeans, and turnips. As such, it is the perfect place to test a new centerfire cartridge from Winchester Ammunition.

Kyle Masinelli, manager of centerfire and rimfire newproduct development for Winchester Ammunition, had invited me to hunt with

by SLatOn L . WhitE

this brand-new cartridge, which made its debut at the 2019 SHOT show. He figured the big-bodied bucks we would be hunting would test the mettle of the cartridge.

He needn’t have worried.

On the third day, with a pair of big bucks hanging in the cooler, we settled down to talk about how the cartridge came to be.

“Cartridge development is sometimes a solution in search of a problem,” he

says. “Not this.”

That said, he admits that “the .30-caliber arena is a really crowded market, and it’s hard to come up with something new.”

But Winchester has. It’s the 350 Legend.

What It Is “The 350 Legend, which will be part of the Deer Season XP line, is a straight-wall cartridge,” he says. “The idea, when we began work on this

18 months ago, was to develop something really new.

Even though there have been a lot of cartridge introductions over the past 10 to 15 years, we felt there was a void out there that nobody was filling. We believed an affordable, straight-wall-compliant cartridge—one that was accurate, relatively quiet, and had low recoil—would interest a lot of hunters. Clearly, the round will appeal to hunters who live in straight-wall

APRIL/MAY 2019

states, mainly in the Midwest, where this type of cartridge is allowed, but it has appeal far past that segment.”

If you’re not familiar with the straight-wall concept, it’s essentially a non-bottlenecked centerfire pistol cartridge. By design, the range is limited to 250 yards. Many states that now allow straight-wall cartridges for deer had previously banned or severely restricted centerfire hunting, such restrictions having been put in place over concerns that centerfire bullets can travel more than 500 yards. Those same concerns were also part of the appeal of limited-range muzzleloaders and slug guns.

“But lower-power straightwalls, and the 350 Legend is no different, don’t have the range or trajectory of a .308, which keeps our cartridge in compliance with applicable state regulations,” Masinelli says.

In other words, a straightwall cartridge gives muzzleloaders and slug gunners the option of centerfire performance. Going this route allows muzzleloaders and slug gunners to up their game, as the 350 Legend has a much flatter trajectory than that of a Foster slug, or even a sabot slug shot through a rifled barrel.

Then, too, there is what Masinelli calls the round’s “overall shootability.”

“Recoil is just slightly more than a .223 Remington or a 300 Blackout, but the terminal performance exceeds both,” he says. “In a 20-inch barrel, this cartridge delivers about 1,800 foot-pounds of energy. Compare that to a .223, which is around 1,150 to 1,200 foot-pounds. We’re getting a substantial increase in terminal effectiveness. In fact,

it’s the full weight of a classic .30-caliber deer load, but with far less recoil.”

It’s also a relatively quiet round. “A .308 will have 43 to 45 grains of powder in each cartridge,” he says. “The 350 Legend has only 21 grains.

So, you have half the amount of propellant, but with a bigger bore diameter. That means the exit pressures are very low, the concussion is very low, even though it’s a fully supersonic, full-power cartridge, and the report is minimal. And, of course, the recoil is very light.”

This is a light-shooting round that packs a powerful punch. The five of us in camp took big-bodied, heavyantlered mature deer at distances between 25 and 75 yards. Four of the shots were broadsides that opened gaping wound channels. Those deer all went down within 10 yards. My deer, a 10-pointer, took a quartering shot into the left shoulder, staggered upon impact, and ran into the woods. He went only 50 yards, and we recovered him with little effort.

The Extreme Point bullet consists of four features: a large-diameter polymer tip that accelerates expansion, resulting in rapid impact trauma; a streamlined ballistic profile for flat trajectory and energy retention; a tapered jacket engineered for lethal penetration; and an alloy lead core optimized for maximum energy transfer and impact power. At 200 yards, the bullet will drop 8.5 inches; at 300 yards, 31.3 inches. But if you zero the rifle at 150 yards, you can hold dead-on at 200 yards because the drop is only 4.5 inches. That will still put the bullet in a deer’s vitals.

Masinelli says the round is

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Winchester Repeating Arms, Winchester Ammunition’s licensing partner, modified the XPR bolt-action rifle to accommodate the dimensions of the new 350 Legend straight-wall cartridge.

Straight-wall cartridges, such as Winchester’s new 350 Legend, are designed to deliver maximum performance at shorter ranges.

perfect for recoil-sensitive shooters, young or old. And because the recoil is so light, it allows the shooter to reacquire the target quickly if a follow-up shot is needed.

But maybe the best news of all is price. Because the rimless 350 Legend combines a modified .223 Remington parent shell case with a .357/9mm diameter projectile, it didn’t require extensive retooling to manufacture. It also required fewer steps to make—for example, there’s no annealing, as is the case with bottleneck cartridges. Fewer steps translates into lower manufacturing costs, savings that Winchester intends to pass on to

the consumer.

“Consumers can expect the 350 Legend to land on the shelves late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter, with a price very similar to that of premium .223 hunting rounds,” Masinelli says. “And you’re getting more performance because we’re not shooting 64-grain bullets here—we’re shooting 150-grain bullets.

You get two and half times more material in the projectile, but at a retail price point that’s about the same.

Later in the year, we’ll roll out a 180-grain Power-Point version for hog hunters.” (winchester.com)

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The Art of Display

Y

ears ago, a retailer might court success with a “stack it and they will come” inventory philosophy. No more. “The days of stacking it deep and selling it cheap are gone. Just ask Sears, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, and Gander Mountain. They didn’t understand what today’s buyer wants,” said Hank Yacek, of Point of Impact Consulting, during the Science & Art of Retail Design session of the 2019 SHOT University.

Yacek’s presentation was loaded with plans to help retailers increase turns and control retail

CRKT Provokes

flow. He emphasized that in today’s competitive environment, personal interaction with customers is vital. “It all starts with solving a customer’s problems,” he said. “Ask questions. Once you understand the buyer’s specific needs, you can control what’s sold to them.”

As an example, he said, range retailers should always have two displays of cleaning accessories. “A small display at the range door and one at checkout can increase purchases.”

Other strategies include a formula to make aisles as wide as they are high.

Customers can get far enough away to see what’s stocked near the floor or on the top shelf.

Open floor plans invite a tribal sense of acceptance.

“Make sure your customer feels welcomed by a bright, open space when they enter the store. And make sure you show the store’s commitment to the industry with lifestyle displays.”

Other helpful hints included visually refreshing the store about every five years, and concentrating on what’s trending in the industry today. “We tend to sell what we personally like and use. It’s far more important that the store engages in trends that are captivating consumers,” he said.

Yacek also emphasized using end-aisle displays and changing them as frequently as every two weeks. “End caps are such an effective tool. You can use them for inventory clearance without dropping prices.”

—Peter B. Mathiesen

CRKT has invented a completely different way for a knife to fold. The hot new Provoke karambit self-defense knife utilizes what the company has dubbed “Kinematic technology,” which makes up its unique and remarkable folding system. Designed to be primarily used with the blade down, the Provoke opens with a gentle nudge to the upper crossbar with the thumb. The blade springs out, and the handle comes into shape without your other fingers shifting their grip. A discrete lever at the base of the finger loop releases

Colt King Cobra Hits In 2017, with the reintroduction of the Cobra, Colt brought back one of its most beloved wheelguns. This year, the venerable gunmaker gave it a big brother with the aptly named King Cobra. The six-shot doubleaction revolver sports a 3-inch barrel and is chambered for .357 Magnum/.38 Special. With a heavy-duty frame, it’s still compact and light enough (28 ounces) for concealed carry.

And the Hogue overmolded grips make it comfortable to hold in the hand. The gun uses the same linear leaf spring trigger as the regular Cobra and features a full stainless-steel construction. Best of all, the price ($899) is the same as Colt’s black DLC-coated snubnosed .38 Special Night Cobra, and $200 more than the standard 2-inch Cobra. At Range Day, the new revolver proved to be a tack driver, and was crisp and accurate in both singleand double-action. The King Cobra is shipping now. (colt. com) —David Maccar

the locking mechanism and allows the knife to return to its closed position. SRP: $200. (crkt.com) —David Maccar

Real-time ballistic data from 11 to 2,500 yards.

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GOOD STUFF

BY RICHARD MANN

The Ammo Caddy is attached to a rifle stock via a sticky, soft-sided Velcro pad.

Always On Hand Versacarry makes ammo management in the field easy

O

ne of the ongoing issues with big-game hunters is how and where to store their cartridges while they’re in the field. Should it be in a cuff on the rifle stock or in a loop on their belt? I’m in the former camp but have been frustrated by the design of available cuffs. Leather cuffs are expensive and cumbersome, and cheap elastic cuffs can lose tension and slip off the stock.

In 1997, Steyr Arms thought it had the perfect solution. It designed an extra detachable magazine that stored in the buttstock. It was an ingenious idea, but you had to buy a Steyr to appreciate it.

After a half-decade of working with Scout Rifles and a lifetime of fooling with lever guns, one day my mind wandered to the right place, and I got the idea of attaching an ammo carrier to the rifle’s stock with Velcro. I called some custom leathercrafters and asked them to make one.

None would. But when I discussed the idea with Justin Sitz of Versacarry, he offered to build a couple for my rifles.

Sitz—a crafty inventor who created the Zerobulk holster—took the basic idea and improved on it. The end result is the Ammo Caddy.

He added a belt pad so the

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shooter/hunter can move the caddy from the rifle to the belt and vice versa. In addition, with extra self-adhesive Velcro pads, the caddy can even be attached to the dash of a pickup truck or an ATV. In early 2018, Sitz showed up at Gunsite Academy during the Craft of the Lever Gun Course and provided the participants with prototype Ammo Caddys and belt pads constructed from water buffalo hide. The nifty devices were met with resounding approval. Afterward, Sitz decided to take the Ammo Caddy to Africa and put it to the test while on safari for plains and dangerous game. Africa is where products like this become bad ideas or legends.

The Ammo Caddy performed splendidly, and all involved in the safari soon refused to hunt without one.

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The Ammo Caddy is attached to a rifle or shotgun stock via a sticky, soft-sided Velcro pad. The pad’s glue holds the caddy in place and will not damage the finish, whether it’s painted synthetic or high-grade Turkish walnut. The caddy itself attaches to the Velcro pad via the hook-and-loop side of the Velcro.

If desired, the caddy can be transferred to the belt. You can also carry multiple caddies on the stock and belt, giving you access to just about all the ammo you would likely ever need while in the field.

During a month-long safari in Africa, I became addicted to the Ammo Caddy. At the end of each day, I’d unload my rifle and place the cartridges in the caddy. The next morning, they were right there, ready to load. During

my buffalo hunt, things got a bit Western and I emptied the Ammo Caddy on the stock and swapped it with the one on my belt. I even had another attached to a Velcro pad on my jacket sleeve.

Recently, a friend who runs the Baptist Mission in Kodiak, Alaska, was forced to shoot a grizzly that had decided he wanted to sample the swine at the Mission farm. There was a bit of a rodeo rounding up a rifle and ammunition in time to sort everything out.

Afterward, my friend called to tell me of the ordeal. He also told me he’d ordered an Ammo Caddy and said, “Now my ammo will always be with my rifle.”

That’s just one scenario for which the Versacarry Ammo Caddy was designed.

SRP: starts at $39.99. (versacarry.com)

TUNGSTEN SUPER SHOT DENSITY DELIVERED Nearly 60% denser than lead for more energy & heavy impact TSS = 18 g/cc Vs. Lead = 11.2 g/cc

MORE POWER & MORE PELLETS Blended -50:50 mix #7 & #9 TSS in 12ga & 20ga Non-blended -100% #7 TSS in 12ga & 20ga -100% #9 TSS in 410bore

www.BrowningAmmo.com © 2018 Browning Ammunition

W H AT ’ S S E L L I N G W H E R E

Guys Guns, Trading Post, Northwest OR Good ID Red’s CA Medford Twin Falls Sporting Goods, Willits

Located just across the California border, this 2,000-square-foot store specializes in home defense and keeps an average of 400 firearms in stock.

Handgun sales are steady. Smith & Wesson Shield 2.0s, Glock 43Xs, and Springfield XD10s are attracting attention, and Springfield 911 .380s are turning heads.

“Handguns are moving quickly this spring. We can barely keep any 10mms in stock,” said counter salesperson Laura Gilliam.

Modern sporting rifles are still moving, at one a week, mostly S&W Sports and Ruger 556s.

Ruger 10/22s are selling, as are Mossberg 590 Shockwaves for home defense.

Founded in 1936, Red’s keeps nearly 1,000 firearms in stock. Handgun sales top the activity board at this shop. A heavy number of Glock 43s and 19s and CZ P09s are heading out the door. Sales of SIG 365s, however, have slowed significantly for this retailer.

Spring is typically a slow-moving season for bolt-action guns, but a handful of varmint rifles are putting up strong numbers. Bergaras and the Browning X-Bolts in .243 are seeing the most interest.

MSR sales are flat. “A year ago, we were doing well with high-end product. Looking at 2019, I see it being a price-point market for our area,” said buyer Larry Barksdale.

Located two hours north of San Francisco, this small-town general sporting goods store sells a wide range of soft goods, team sports gear, and camping, fishing, and hunting supplies. At this time of year, sales typically focus on .22s and knives. “We’re selling a ton of knives, especially Kershaw and SOG,” said manager Jason Lamprich.

Ruger 10/22s and various leveractions are moving well. As for handguns, Glock 19s and Smith SD9s are moving faster than they did last year. Lamprich also expressed amazement at the continuing high demand for used rifles and shotguns at his store.

Cabin Fever Joe Bob Outfitters, Kirkwood MN KS MO Sporting Goods, Hays Outfitters, Victoria Kirkwood

Located in western suburban Minneapolis, this 6,000square-foot storefront stocks bait, tackle, propane, and more than 600 firearms. It is open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Compared to this time last year, handgun sales are growing. The high-demand leaders are SIG 365s, Shield EZs, and Glock 43Xs. MSR sales are holding steady; price-point Sports and Oracles are doing best.

Sales of trap guns are just beginning to heat up. “Our trap season starts the minute the snow is off the trap house. Our local highschool program is one of the best in the country,” said counter salesman Bubba Reuter.

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This veteranowned-and-operated retailer, located in western Kansas, specializes in home defense and MSRs. In addition to its brick-and-mortar business, the store has a large online presence.

Though sales of MSRs have been flat, they are steady. M&P Sports and Ruger 556s dominate preassembled MSR sales. Custompart orders are doing well.

Handgun sales have been good.

Glock 43s and SIG P320s and 365s hold the top three spots. “Our spring handgun business has been better than expected. We have definitely improved over the same time last year,” said owner Joe Boeckner.

Located in west St. Louis County, this small independent keeps an average of 350 firearms in stock, primarily for hunting and home defense. Handgun movers included Shield EZs and Glock 43Xs. A number of Les Baers are on order. Ruger LC9s are doing the heavy lifting here, with Taurus PT111s trailing just behind.

“Handguns have been doing remarkably better than last year.

It’s nice to see such strong sales. I just didn’t expect it,” said owner Dave Hart.

MSR sales are steady, at two a week. Sport IIs lead the pack; Daniel Defense is also doing well.

Shotguns are on the uptick.

BY PETER B . MATHIESEN

Gun Sales, NY A&K Corfu

Originally the old town post office, this 2,400-squarefoot storefront keeps an average of 700 guns in stock. This retailer services all the firearms it sells.

MSR sales have been slow—Stag Arms and Windham are in a headto-head battle, splitting the lead.

Handgun sales are nearly at last year’s level. Glock 43s, Gen 5s, and SCCY CPX2s are selling well, but Ruger sales have fallen to the lowest level the retailer has seen in years.

Bolt-action gun sales are unseasonably high, with a mix of medium to large calibers.

“While we concentrate on rifle sales, this is one of the best latewinter and spring bolt-rifle bumps we’ve seen,” said owner Ken Wahl.

Arms, TN Classic Cordova

Located in suburban Memphis, this store stocks a wide variety of classic hunting, home defense, and antique firearms. In all, it stocks nearly 1,000 guns.

“While it was slower last year, we have really gotten busy since the holidays, and the volume has stayed there. This is one of our best springs,” said manager Greg Richardson.

At the handgun counter, there’s a traffic jam on Glock 43Xs, Shield EZs, and SIG 365s. The store is also turning good numbers of Glock 19Xs. MSRs are on the move—four to five units a week go out the door.

Ruger 556s and Smith Sport IIs are pulling the best numbers.

Firearms, PA Island Pittsburgh

Located on an island in the Ohio River basin, this retailer maximizes 800 square feet of floor space as well as the ceiling to display more than 500 firearms in the store.

At the handgun counter, activity is up since last year. Glock 43s and 19Xs are holding the high ground.

SIG 365s and Smith Shields started slow out of the gate but are making up ground. Ruger SR22s have always been a popular choice at this location.

“Handgun sales have really bounced back. Our turns are nearly as strong as our pre-election numbers, though I just don’t have a good feel for why,” said counter salesperson Jenna Pugh.

Shooters KY Paducah Supply, Paducah This western Kentucky shop is an 11,000-square-foot facility that includes an indoor archery range as well as an outdoor rifle and pistol range. Spring is turkey time for this retailer. Benelli M2s and Franchi Affinitys in 20 gauge are flying off the rack.

“This 20-gauge turkey thing has really moved a lot of shotguns.

With these new tungsten Federal loads, my customers are taking birds at 50 yards while carrying 40 percent less weight in the field,” said gun manager Chance Shamus.

MSRs are turning at a steady pace of more than one per day.

Demand rests at both ends of the price spectrum. Most sales are

Howell’s Indoor ME Range & Gun Shop, Gray

Located just 15 miles north of Portland, this 27,000-square-foot store sells a mix of archery, soft goods, and firearms, keeping an average of 2,000 guns in stock.

Handgun sales are on the rise.

Smith EZs, Glock 43s, and SIG 365s are all steadily moving out the door. ”Glock has really created a new demand with the X series. We’re just starting to see them. All that said, the standard 43s are doing well,” said founder Howell Copp.

MSRs are moving slightly better than at this time last year. At about two a week, price-sensitive models like Ruger 556s and Smith Sport IIs are pulling the best numbers.

Shotgun sales are also picking up.

going to Smith Sports and Daniel Defense. In handguns, Glock 43Xs and 19Xs lead the pack. SIG 365s are also seeing plenty of attention.

Guns, GA Sidney’s Augusta

Founded as a haberdashery in the late 1800s, this uniform and soft-goods company began to handle firearms in the 1960s to fill duty-belt orders from the local police department. Today, the firearms side of the business keeps more than 1,000 guns in stock. There are 10 million SKUs throughout the store.

“Sales have rebounded from this time last year, and anything lighter and smaller is selling well, from handguns to turkey guns,” said owner Steven Fishman.

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47

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NEW PRO DUC TS

(Continued from page 50)

W INC HE STE R The Wildcat .22 LR autoloader uses a striker-fired action design to provide faster locktime and a light trigger pull.

LYMAN The Case Trim Xpress can quickly and accurately trim brass at a rate of approximately 15 cases per minute.

The lower receiver assembly is easily removed from the upper assembly by pushing a single button located at the rear of the upper assembly.

The Wildcat also features a skeletonized, ergonomic, ambidextrous molded polymer stock, a pair of Picatinny rails, a reversible manual safety button to accommodate right- and left-handed shooters, and a 10-round detachable rotary magazine. SRP: $249.99. (winchesterguns.com)

Winchester Repeating Arms

Lyman Products

The Wildcat .22 LR rifle is designed to take the rimfire autoloader to a whole new level of value and performance. The Wildcat uses a striker-fired action design (much like a centerfire bolt-action rifle) to provide faster locktime and a lighter trigger pull than traditional hammer-fired rimfire designs.

In addition, the hemispheric firing-pin tip focuses its striking energy more efficiently, creating a deeper rim indent that gives more reliable ignition with all types of .22 LR ammo.

➤

➤

Lyman continues to expand the Brass Smith line with the Case Trim Xpress, a faster way for rifle reloaders to trim cases. Available in either 115-volt or 230-volt versions, the Case Trim Xpress can quickly and accurately trim brass at a rate of approximately 15 cases per minute using its own motor (no need for a power drill or separate motor).

The Case Trim Xpress comes with 10 bushings that fit most popular bottleneck rifle cartridges. SRP: $164.95.

(lymanproducts.com)

OTIS The four-tools-in-one Armorers Pistol Tool lets you service and maintain semi-automatic pistols.

Otis Technology ➤ The four-tools-in-one Armorers Pistol Tool lets you service semi-auto pistols from companies such as Glock, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Taurus, FNH, and H&K. Disassemble pistols with ease using the 3/32-inch pin punch to knock out pins. Install, adjust, or remove aftermarket front sights with the 3/16 nut driver. Remove the trigger connector with the small flathead screwdriver. Remove debris with the nylon brush. The main body is textured for improved grip, and a handy clip lets you attach the tool to a pocket. (otistec.com)

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NEW PR ODU CTS

Motorola Solutions

Talkabout T800 two-way radios utilize a mobile app, which enables hunters to share and track their locations and send messages to fellow sportsmen while off the cellular grid. Users simply download the Talkabout app to their iPhone or Android device, then connect their smartphone to the T800 radios over Bluetooth. The app uses the T800 as a modem to send messages and locations over radio frequencies. This functionality makes it easy to share one’s current location and send group messages to alert others of a safety concern or potential meet-up spot.

Hunters will especially appreciate having the ability to send messages silently, as noise can be obtrusive and disturb game.

The Talkabout T800 features reliable two-way communication with a range of up to 35 miles, depending on terrain and conditions. The data range, also depending on terrain and conditions, is 20 miles.

In addition, it provides extra power with the pushto-talk power boost option, which, when activated, can extend the radios’ transmission range by increasing the transmitter output.

Packaging includes two radios, two high-capacity rechargeable battery packs, a Micro-USB wall charger, 16 personalization stickers, and two belt clips.

The Talkabout app is free.

SRP: $109.99. (motorola solutions.com) (Continued on page 49)

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INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW V3 TAC-13.

HITS LIKE A 12-GAUGE. RECOILS LIKE A 20-GAUGE. HANDLES LIKE NOTHING ELSE.

It’s the ultimate defense. The lightest recoil. In an all-new, lightning-quick 26½" platform. Its self-regulating VersaPort gas system flawlessly cycles everything from the lightest 2¾" loads to the heaviest 3" magnums with rock-solid recoil control and next-level shooter comfort. The new V3 Tac-13. Only from Remington.

©2019 REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, LLC.

*SOME LIMITATIONS MAY APPLY. GO TO WWW.REMINGTON.COM/LIFETIMEWARRANTY FOR THE WARRANTY.