In The News
NEW GUNS AND STUFF!
Fort Worth, Texas . . . So, here I am, at the NASGW (National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers) show, in the Convention Center, where gun and accessory makers come to do business with distributors and wholesalers (not dealers). It's strange here, compared to the mammoth SHOT Show (to be held in Orlando this January). This entire show is barely bigger than the largest booths at SHOT, but...that doesn't mean there aren't goodies in those dinky booths.
There's news too.
Kahr Arms has that delightful line of tiny pistols, with the PM9 being the current darling. It's small, light, and it works.
I got my hands on the new PM45, which is, as you might expect, a polymer 45 that's small and pretty light. Very narrow grip. It's going to be good for small hands. I couldn't shoot it (that kind of things makes the other exhibitors nervous), but I liked the feel. You can see more about it on the web site www.kahr.com.
Frank Harris, from Kahr, also showed me the uber-gat, a Thompson auto (semi...) with a detachable stock. Short barrel, too, so you'll need to live in a state which allows such cool stuff, and you'll also have to pay the $200 federal tax. But, it's pretty much out there when you put the 100-round drum magazine on it.
Compact are still hot, so Springfield had a couple of them. The EMP is a really, no-kidding, TINY 9mm pistol that's a 1911, but on a much smaller frame. Slim grips...heck, everything is slim on this dude. Dennis Reese at Springfield also showed the new compact XD (Click Here for photos -- That's Denny's tie in the photo), which (I think) comes with an extended magazine. Pretty slick. Can't wait so shoot it. We'll have it on PDTV, I imagine.
Dave Biggers, at XS Sights, was waiting for a delivery when I got to his booth, and it arrived while I was there. A really neat tactical (of course!) front sight for the Ruger Mini-14 family. www. xssights.com It comes with a threaded front end so you can mount flash hiders from the AR family, as well as muzzle brakes (not included). Tritium (radioactive gas that glows) vial included, donchaknow.
Biggers also had a new dummy gun from Blackhawk. Much like the famous "blue guns," this is solid plastic (or rubber) for demos or tactical training. He put his nifty, big-honkin front sight 24/7 tritium sights on it. I immediately wanted a couple of those dummy guns for use on the TV show. They come in black and orange, but I hear there is a lime green one around. I'm hunting for THAT one.
My buddy, Bob Morrison, president of Taurus, showed us a pistol that is going to shake up a lot of people. They call it the "OSS," and it was created to get military contracts. This one has so many neat features it is hard to know where to start. Sorry for the sub-par photo. We'll get a better one for you soon. Better yet, just Click Here for a complete rundown. It started life as the 24/7, but it became a heavy-duty, long-slide, ambi-safety, striker-fired, pistol with a decocker (first ever for a striker gun).
Morrison will be a guest on Gun Talk radio this Sunday (November 12) to talk about the new stuff, including the 1911 they can't make enough of. Check out the photo of Morrison holding the 1911, with Primedia Technical Editor Dick Metcalf (who has helped with the development of several Taurus pistols) looking on.
Hornady has a bunch of new stuff, including new cartridges. The photo shows them off well: .450/400 Nitro Express 3" for a resurrection of a classic African cartridge, the 9.3x74Rmm which is . . . well, I don't know exactly what it is for. The .375 Ruger is easy to understand -- how about the same great ballistics as the venerable .375 H&H out of standard rifle action? This one does it. Elk hunters, get your orders in now. Finally, there's the .308 Marlin Express, which delivers real .308 Winchester ballistics from the Marlin XLR lever action rifle.
Hornady also has the new, 7th Edition, loading manual out. The company has purchased the slick Overall Cartridge length gauge from Stoney Point, now called the Lock-N-Load O.A.L Gauge.
More to come!
