SHOT 2014 is now behind us and this is the final post in my day-to-day highlights. The last day was a long one, even though the show closed early and most vendors were breaking down booths an hour or so in advance of closing. As always, I can’t report on every stop I made since I would still be typing well into the latter part of this year 🙂
So, here are the brief highlights of day four. This post is image intense and all photos were taken with permission from the vendor, although throughout the entire show I found vendors to be very enthusiastic about having their products displayed online.
– I don’t normally pay attention to Airsoft, but there were some pretty interesting models on display. One set that really caught my eye was from AirForce. Their models are pneumatically pre-charged with variable pressure. The firearms also feature sound block technology. The Escape line fires a 32gr, .22cal projectile that can punch through light metal.
– Palmetto State Armory showed off prototypes of two new firearms, a 1911 pistol and a new .308 rifle. Both are slated for mid-summer delivery. The 1911 model fit my hand like a glove and the trigger felt just right.
The rifle was light, well balanced, and felt really good in my hands. It looked good in my hands too, but not as good as in hers.
– I’ve never shot a Caracal, so I had to stop by their booth. The CP 600 is a new 9mm pistol with a 4.1″ bbl and very low bore axis. They advertise a 5lb trigger and it felt just as advertised. Rather Glock-like. The front and rear cocking serrations were deep and the slide was incredibly easy to manipulate. They do offer a LCI, but the gun is so easy to press-check that I’d keep doing it old-school 🙂
If this gun shoots half as good as it looks and feels, Caracal has a solid offering in the concealed-carry market with this one.
– As a 10mm fan, I had to stop by the STI booth just to check out the Nitro.
– H&K has some new products out, although the one I really wanted to see was the MR 762A1-SD with the custom suppressor.
– I visited Liberty Ammunition. Frangible ammo seems to be the current rage and I liked having the gel block on display. Halo Point Civil Defense .45 auto on top and 9mm on the bottom.
– I stopped by Wild West Guns at NRA in Houston, so I’ve seen the Alaskan Co-Pilot. The .454 Casull revolver is a new offering.
– Thureon Defense was a new vendor for me. They offer several AR platforms, but what really intrigued me was the pistol-caliber carbines, including a 10mm offering. Yes, a 10mm carbine!
Price as shown, with quad rail, is about $1100 and it accepts G20 mags.
– Speaking of 10mm, Republic Forge debuted a new series of 1911 models that look seriously good. Initially offered in .45 ACP, 10mm, .40 S&W, 38 super, and 9mm. I’ll have to keep an eye on this one 🙂
– SI Defense was another new vendor for me. They manufacture lowers (some for other recognizable firearm companies) as well as complete AR-15’s.
– No show would be complete without stopping by Coonan. .357 mag. in a 1911 platform – we’ll file that in the ‘must have’ category.
– I also stopped back by DMPS since they are so good about sponsoring local events with the Diva WOW organization. Here is a better view of one of the new GII models, which I found to be very light and well-balanced. I’ve got to get my hands on one for an eval.
– The Cornered Cat, a Woman’s Guide to Conceal Carry seemed like an interesting book.
– I revisited Remington and llistened during an explanation of the 2020 Digital Optics system (apparently built by or on top of technology from TrackingPoint). Out of my price range.
– Australian Outback ammo had a pretty good draw to their booth. They claim to have ammo that performs well over very large temperature ranges. The company was really pushing 300 BLK.
– I walked by Law Enforcement Targets on the way out and they were kind enough to supply me with a few targets which I’ll post a review on in the coming weeks.
– The Garmin VIRB and VIRB elite action cams were impressive.
– The Olympia waterproof LED Flashlight demo was pretty interesting – they had one on display in a fish bowl.
– If you want a real Nija AR or are simply concerned about TEOTWAWKI, then you might want brass knuckles ore even spikes on your foregrip. Survival Grips is the place to go.
– I received some TUFF Cloth samples from Sentry Solutions.
– I stopped to say hello to the Bore Tips folks (a product I’ve previously reviewed). Good product.
– The .50 Caliber Shooting Society was an interesting stop because as I’ve said before, life is just better in .50 cal.
– I made another stop by Otis to get a better view and description of the RipCord. I also picked up a sample in .308 for a review.
– ATI advertised a new metal-reinforced polymer lower.
– Dry Packs displayed an interesting dehumidifier product and I took home an ammo can liner for review.
– The absolute highlight of the entire show for me was shaking hands with Mr. Nugent.
He is a genuinely great person to meet and talk with and he’s just as energetic and enthusiastic on his last autograph as he is on the very first one.
– And, yes, there were hotties on the floor.
Other notable stops included SS Mission, Ballistol, Ares Armor, Bullet Bunker, Black Rain Ordinance, Adventure Medical Kits, NcStar, Newton Firearms, Pistol Wear, Wolf Performance Gear, Kodiak Arms, Superior Arms, Montana Rifle Company, Sport Ear, Black Hills Ammunition, Ithica Gun Company, Freedom Munitions, Mil-Comm, BlackNitride.com, 2nd Amendment Ammunition, Allegiance Ammunition, Drago Gear, and Ceratoke Firearms Coatings.
NSSF put on a great show and I was honored to attend. I should have the photo collection on Flickr by tomorrow and will post a wrapup along with a link to the photo collection. Thanks for making Texas Gun Show Review a part of your day.
– Diligencia, Vis, Celeritas
Texas Gun Show Review 