SHOT Show 2013

CZ-USA says there is no other handgun out there with a higher flush-fitting magazine capacity than the company’s new P-09 Duty. I certainly don’t know another, but any way you look at it, 19+1 in 9 mm and 16+1 in the .40 S&W chambering is impressive. One of the most interesting things in the P-09 is the fact that it comes from the factory with an ambidextrous decocker installed, but manual safety levers ship with the gun. So if you’d rather have a manual safety instead of a decocker, it takes just a few minutes for the owner to make the swap. OK, it took me more than a few minutes when I gave the system a try on the P-07 Duty, but it does work and it’s not that tough (assuming your fingers are more nimble than mine). MSRP is $528. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun, take a close look at CZ-USA’s new 612 Home Defense. It’s comes with an 18.5-inch, cylinder-bore barrel and polymer furniture. The tubular magazine holds five rounds and a 26-inch vent rib is available in case you want it to do double duty during bird season. MSRP is only $290. And the company’s other new introduction is the 527 Varmint, which is chambered in .17 Hornet, has a detachable five-round magazine and for only $704 it still utilizes the popular CZ-USA Single-Set Trigger.

After you’ve purchased that cutting-edge AR, getting a solid optic aboard is a critical component in realizing all of its performance. Unfortunately, sometimes that results in an expense that nearly rivals your original purchase. Bushnell has the answer in 18 new products (12 red dots and 6 scopes) that comprise the company’s AR Optics lineup. Each come in with an MSRP of $300 or below. Magnified scopes include 1-4×24 mm Thrown Down PCL shown in the interview (with an illuminated BRT-1 reticle and a lever to speed magnification changes with gloved hands), a regular 1-4×24 mm, 2-7x 32 mm, 3-9×40 mm, 3-12×40 mm and a 4.5-18×40 mm. They come with fully multi-coated optics and caliber-specific reticles. Red-dot choices include the 1×28 mm Multi Reticle with four different illuminated reticle choices and the 2X MP with green or red T-Dot reticle, among others. The lineup works great for anything with a standard-sized rail, including shotguns and patrol rifles. Also new from Bushnell are innovative rangefinding binoculars in the Fusion Series. They are the 1 Mile 8×32, 10×42 and 12×50. With BaK-4 prisms, PC-3 phase correction and that famous Bushnell RainGuard coating they’re bound survive some tough conditions. Best of all, they’re allegedly capable of ranging out to one mile. Power is supplied by a single CR 123 cell.

That’s no typo. Beginning in March, Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) will have TAVORs for sale here in the United States, and we caught a sneak peak of the famed bullpup at the SHOT Show. This is the same gun designed by Israeli defense forces after the 1982 Israel-Lebanon War, except it’s a semi-automatic—so you, too, can take one home. And with MSRPs that begin at $1,999, it’s not a bad deal for something this cool, although Julie Mac is holding out for one in pink (currently they will be available in flat dark earth and black). Chambered in 5.56 NATO, it has a magazine capacity of 30 cartridges, comes with either a 16.5- or 18-inch barrel and has a Picatinny rail atop for mounting optics or iron sights. Conversion kits will also be available to change chamberings to 9 mm or 5.45×39 mm. Southpaws rejoice. The TAVOR can be changed to fully left-handed operation, including the charging handle and, get this, the gun uses standard AR-15 magazines. Since the odds are pretty good you have a few of them hanging around, you don’t need to invest in a whole new kit. The cold-hammer-forged barrel comes with six groove, one-in-seven-inch rifling and the longer 18-inch-barreled versions still come in at a compact 27 5/8-inches in overall length.

For 2013, Benelli is offering its time-tested and field-proven Montefeltro in a black synthetic stock that moves the MSRP down to $1,139. The shotgun still harnesses the company’s famous Inertia Driven system, and the 12-gauge can digest three-inch magnum shotshells. Perhaps more exciting is the introduction of what the company claims to be the world’s first left-handed 20-gauge shotgun. The M2 Field ComforTech can chamber three-inch magnums, and the semi-automatic method of operation coupled with the company’s recoil-handling stock, promises to make it one of the softest shooting bird baggers out there. MSRP is $1,519. Also new in the M2 line is a compact version with a shorter stock. For the nostalgia buffs out there, take a close look at Uberti’s latest, the 1873 Horseman and two different 1873 Cattleman in .22 LR. The 1873 Horseman is a Single Action Army replica, but it comes with something different—more safe, if you will. It has a transfer bar safety, so you can forget leaving that top chamber empty, if you so desire. It comes chambered in either .45 Long Colt or .357 Mag. All have walnut grips and are case hardened/blued. Three barrel lengths are offered, either 4.75-, 5.5- or 7.5-inches, and regardless of configuration, MSRP is $559. The 1873 Cattleman .22 LR is chambered in .22 Long Rifle, but your cylinder capacity can either be six rounds or 12. Once again, you get that striking Uberti look and reliability, but your ammunition bill goes down dramatically. The same three barrel lengths are available, and the MSRP for the six-shooter is $529 with a steel backstrap and triggerguard or $509 if you prefer them to in brass. The 12-shot version comes only with steel and the MSRP is $559.

Daniel Defense https://danieldefense.com/ Of course you want a short-barreled rifle (who doesn’t?), and it’s hard not to dream about having it suppressed. But that would require two tax stamps and probably even longer delays before you could bring your AR-15 dream ride home. Don’t Despair, Daniel Defense introduced the solution at the 2013 SHOT Show [...]

Ask any photographer and they will tell you that Nikon knows glass. It isn’t just the Nikon name that carries forward from their camera business into their high quality rifle optics. It is also all that expertise they have developed over the years giving consumers in the photography world a great value and the highest quality possible for their spending dollar. The new ProStaff 5 series from Nikon this year is in the 4 power range and the lineup delivers an incredible 95-percent light transmission. There are more than 15 scopes (counting finishes and reticles) in the new series, but here’s a random sampling of what’s available. A 2.5-1-x40 mm version includes a bullet-drop compensating reticle if you need to stretch the distance. Field of view is 9.9 feet to 40.4 feet at 100 yards, depending on magnification. Tube diameter is one inch and overall weight is 15.3 ounces. Overall length is 12.6 inches and adjustments are 1/4 MOA per click. Parallax is set at 100 yards and the maximum internal adjustment available is 70 MOA. Prices vary by finish and reticle, but the MSRP on this matte-black version is only $279.95. Add a silver finish and your price skyrockets by $10. If you’re really looking long range, though, take a look at the ProStaff 5 4.5-18×40 mm with a Nikoplex reticle. Tube diameter stays at one inch, field of view is 5.6 feet and 22.4 feet at 100 yards, depending on magnification, and it weighs 17.1 ounces. Parallax is adjustable from 50 yards to infinity, clicks are in 1/8 MOA and maximum internal adjustment is 40 MOA. I could be wrong, but with an MSRP of $449.95 for the matte-black version, I think Nikon has a real winner on its hands.

Taurus has always been renowned for its top-notch warranty. Basically, the gun is guaranteed for life, and the warranty goes with the gun from owner to owner.

This year, instead of heading off in some radical new direction, Taurus refined an old favorite. The PT111 has long been known for its small size and respectable firepower, so Taurus decided to push the envelope by reworking its striker-fired PT111 9 mm into the PT111 Millennium G2, part of its “Carry On” series for the concealed carry (CCW) market. The PT140 was also reworked into a similar PT140 Millennium G2 in .40 S&W. If you take a look at the gun pictures, it is head and shoulders better looking than the original Millennium guns, and we hope to get one in to test in hand. Taurus seems to have a new focus on making fewer different guns better, and this gun could be a pleasant surprise at an affordable price.

One of the new companies on the SHOT Show floor this year was founded by former members of our armed forces who are bringing what they learned on the battlefield about camouflage and putting it into quality hunting gear. Kryptek hasn’t forgotten about the right materials either. Several of its base layers are composed of 100-percent Merino wool, which wears like iron and helps hold your heat, even if it gets wet. If you prefer not to smell like a wet sheep after that 2,000 foot ascent, consider the company’s Sherpa Shirt. It is composed of grid fleece for warmth, yet it is quick drying, lightweight and the fabric technology has been proven on the front lines. For those times when the weather really turns bad, the 100-percent waterproof and windproof Aegis Extreme Weather Jacket is the answer. It features all of the company’s layering system, yet is still lightweight and compacts well for travel. With body-mapped insulation, your warmth is ensured in all the right places, pit zips allow ventilation during strenuous activity, welded zippers ensure longevity and the hood can be removed. To seal out those sudden gusts, there are wrist tabs and a hem cinch adjustment. If you’re looking for cutting-edge gear for your next hunt, you’ll want to take a close look at what Kryptek is bringing to the market.

Precision marksmen have known for years that ArmaLite produces some of the finest long-distance rifles out there, at an extremely reasonable price, out of the box. At the 2013 SHOT Show ArmaLite continued the legacy by unveiling the AR-30AT. Chambered in either .300 Win. Mag. (with an MSRP of $3,460) or .338 Lapua Mag. (MSRP $3,599), the rifle’s looks alone are enough to attract shooters, but it’s the performance that keeps them coming back. Both versions boast .25 to .75 MOA performance at 300 yards. The .300 Win. Mag. version comes with a 24-inch barrel, with the Lapua chambering boasting a 26-inch tube. Regardless of chambering, the barrels are chrome moly, have a one-in-ten-inch, right-hand twist, are fully free floated and are tipped by ArmaLite’s recoil-reducing, accuracy-enhancing brake. Each gun weighs 14.5 pounds, the stocks can be adjusted for lengths of pull between 13.6 and 15.6 inches, and the buttpad and cheekpiece can also to tailored to each shooter’s needs. A rail atop is long enough for law enforcement to mount night-vision optics in conjunction with their daytime scopes, it uses a robust Mauser-style safety and the bolt-actions come with a five-round box magazine.