Millions and Billions

Transcription

SHOOTING HUNTING OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW 1979–2014
NSSF
NEW PRODUCT
REPORTS
SHOT Daily hits the floor to find
what’s new in the world of airguns
P. 16 and airsoft P. 22
DAY 4, JANUARY 17, 2 014
The Daily News of the 2014 Las Vegas SHOT Show Brought to You by The Bonnier Corporation and the NSSF
Millions and Billions
NEWS
*RAM RETURNS TO THE
FOLD
The Ram 1500 Mossy Oak Edition
has been updated and will be back
in the 2014 lineup. SEE PAGE 4
*THE HUNTING MSR
The right accessories can turn a
modern sporting rifle into a finely
tuned hunting tool. SEE PAGE 12
*OVER-THE-COUNTER
CUSTOM SCOPES
U.S. Optics enters the commercial
market with off-the-shelf models
with popular features found on
custom scopes. SEE PAGE 59
*IT’S A GAS!
The Umarex Octagon is a gasspring break-barrel air rifle that’s
both powerful and accurate. SEE
PAGE 60
Spending by American target shooters and hunters helped
pump more than $110 billion into the nation’s economy.
T
he National Shooting Sports Foundation has
released a major new report at the 2014 SHOT
Show documenting the importance of targetshooting activities to the U.S. economy.
The report—“Target Shooting in America: Millions of
Shooters, Billions of Dollars”—provides a first look at
U.S. target-shooting-related expenditures. The report
complements the existing “Hunting in America” report
released by NSSF and the Association of Fish & Wildlife
Agencies last year.
In 2011, spending by target shooters added $23 billion
to the nation’s economy and supported more than 185,000
jobs. Retail sales related to target shooting accounted for
nearly $10 billion. Rifle and handgun shooting were the
leading contributors, followed by shotgun and muzzleloader shooting.
In all, target shooters and hunters poured a staggering
$110 billion into the nation’s economy, fueling more
than 866,000 jobs. “These combined statistics are
impressive,” says James Curcuruto, NSSF director of
industry research and analysis. “In addition, target
shooting was responsible for more than $15 billion in
taxes,” which is split roughly fifty-fifty between state and
federal coffers.
“These reports give us a more complete understanding of the economic impact of the shooting sports in
America,” says NSSF president and CEO Steve
Sanetti. “We’ve long known about the recreational
benefits of these activities. And now we know how
much they contribute to our country’s financial wellbeing.”—Peter B. Mathiesen
Software Serves As
GPS Ranging Tool
FEATURES
*NSSF HELPS NEW
SHOOTERS
A new app, WhereToShoot.org,
makes finding a range easier than
ever. SEE PAGE 26
*SHINE A LIGHT
SureFire has upgraded the output
on its Outdoorsman line of flashlights and weapons-mounted
lights. SEE PAGE 44
*NEW CONCEALABLE
SNIPER RIFLE
Remington Defense’s new CSR is
accurate, hard-hitting, and a treat
to shoot. SEE PAGE 50
United States Night Vision, along
with GPS Ranging of Portland,
Oregon, released a GPS operating
system app at the SHOT Show. The
software performs as a GPS ranging
unit for the iPhone and iPad. The
app allows a shooter to get a GPS
reading of where he’s standing by
simply taking a photo of a distant
object with a range estimate; the
software will calculate a GPS coordinate of the subject’s location.
The app has a 4X zoom and can
be used with an adapter on most
cameras, spotting scopes, or even
riflescopes. “With the help of a 50X
spotting scope, a hunter could view
an animal at more than a mile away,
get a visual, take a photo or video,
and, using a rangefinder, get an
exact GPS location,” says Mike
Skoro, CEO of GPS Ranging. Once
the image is on the iPad or iPhone,
the information can be shared
instantly via social media.
The program is proving to be a
revolutionary scouting tool, and
many hunters find its best use is for
game recovery. “Once you have a
GPS location, recovering a downed
animal even a canyon away is a walk
in the park,” says Skoro.
The app is available at Apple’s app
store for $3.99. Booth #20105. (360216-5525; gpsranging.com.)
A new software app with a 4X zoom
lets hunters use their iPhone or iPad
as a GPS ranging tool.
Helping
Veterans
Yesterday on the show floor,
representatives from Cabela’s
Inc. and Windham Weaponry
presented the Outdoor
Recreation Heritage Fund with
a check for nearly $96,000.
The Fund, established in 2001,
provides locations and covers
expenses for wounded and
disabled veterans to hunt and
fish across the country.
Jack Hazel, who coordinates the trips with his wife,
Shelly, said that for many of
the vets, the excursions are
more like therapy sessions
that help them cope with
stress-related issues.
DAY 4, JANUARY 17, 2014 ■ SHOT BUSINESS DAILY ■ 1
001_SHD04_NEWS.indd 1
1/16/14 6:12 PM
news
Ram Returns to the Fold
A
fter a one-year hiatus, the Ram 1500 Mossy Oak Edition is returning to the truck brand’s model lineup. Updated for
2014, the Mossy Oak Edition will now be available for the first time with the RamBox cargo-management system in two
bed lengths. The 2014 Ram 1500 Mossy Oak Edition further extends the multi-tiered relationship between the Ram
Truck brand and America’s top camouflage brand.
The Ram 1500
Mossy Oak Edition
has been updated
and will be back in
the 2014 lineup.
“Ram Truck is focused on the
needs and wants of truck buyers,”
says Reid Bigland, president and
CEO, Ram Truck, a division of
Chrysler Group LLC. “Our Ram
Truck owners are passionate about
hunting and fishing. The Ram
Mossy Oak Edition gives hunting
enthusiasts a way to proudly proclaim their love for the outdoors.”
Ram 1500 owner demographics
illustrate that love for the outdoors:
30 percent hunt, 44 percent fish, 27
percent are boaters, and 42 percent
are campers.
“The Ram Truck brand has been
a great partner to Mossy Oak,” says
Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland, Mossy
Oak’s executive vice president. “The
people there love trucks, but they’re
also into hunting and fishing, and
Nighthawk Custom Aims High
N
ighthawk Custom
has experienced
steady growth
since its inception 10 years
ago, and has expanded the
line from the original two
pistol models to more than
28 1911 models, as well as
custom shotguns, handmade leather goods, and
knives. To further its aims,
the manufacturer has consolidated ownership under
Mark Stone, one of the
original founders.
“I have been truly blessed
in the opportunities given
me throughout my life,”
Stone says. “We have established great relationships
that we truly value with our
employees, customers, and
vendors. Our partnerships
with individuals and companies, such as Richard
Heinie, Bob Marvel,
Knights Armament, Magpul
Dynamics, Advanced
Armament, and Chris Costa,
undeniably adds to our level
of design and craftsmanship.
These relationships, along
with strong loyalty and
integrity in everything we
To assure consistent
high quality, each
Nighthawk Custom 1911
is built by one gunsmith.
do, have made our future
very bright.”
Founded in 2004 by four
1911 enthusiasts and craftsmen, and based in
Berryville, Arkansas,
Nighthawk Custom has a
plan: to offer a custom 1911
that was not only a beauty
to behold, but functioned
flawlessly as well. To ensure
that, each 1911 was built
with all fully machined
components by one gunsmith from start to finish,
with his initials stamped
under the grip panel of
every custom build.
“This mark signifies their
ownership and commitment to the highest level of
craftsmanship,” says Stone.
Our mantra is, ‘We never
say, that’s good enough.’”
Because of that dedication to quality, Stone says,
the manufacturer has a
reputation for quality.
“Our success is because
of our people, our customer service, and the quality
of our product.” Booth
#12479. (877-268-4867;
they understand that their customers are, too. To have Ram take that
relationship to the next level by
offering a special Mossy Oak
Edition speaks volumes about their
commitment to hunters and outdoorsmen and women, and we are
extremely proud to partner with
them.”
The Ram 1500 Mossy Oak
Edition’s bedcaps and tailgate are
covered in Mossy Oak Break-Up
Infinity camouflage pattern, and the
Mossy Oak logo is prominently displayed on the rear quarter panels.
Break-Up Infinity–patterned lower
cladding is also available.
Inside, the center column of the
Ram’s instrument panel is finished
in Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity, as
are the door panel inserts. The
Mossy Oak logo is embroidered on
the four primary headrests. Buyers
also can opt for Espresso Tuscany–
colored Katzkin leather seats with
Mossy Oak seatback embroidery.
Booth #11305. (662-494-8859;
mossyoak.com)
Loss Prevention tips
The NSSF held a Retailer Education Seminar for
retail-business owners on loss-prevention strategies yesterday. Bill Napier, a consultant and
speaker who has worked in loss prevention and law
enforcement for three decades, provided tips and
strategies that addressed everything from
employee evaluation to preventing shoplifting and
other potential crimes.
“The entire time we’re talking here is designed to
add margin to your bottom line. That’s what we’re
all here for, to sell merchandise and make a profit,”
he said.
Napier presented not only organizational strategies to mitigate loss due to employee error, poor
record keeping, and inconsistent procedures, but
also many examples of how bad guys operate and
what retailers have to be aware of to keep from
being robbed blind.
He laid out a common scheme in which thieves
buy a product, carefully open the box, replace the
contents with a brick, reseal it, and then return it for
a full refund. Some thieves will print their own UPC
stickers and retag a package, buying it at the register for a fraction of the product’s cost.
The most important thing a retailer could take
away from the vast amount of information Napier
presented is that vigilance, established procedures,
and relationships with local law enforcement personnel can go a long way toward preventing profits
from walking out the door. —David Maccar
nighthawkcustom)
4 ■ Shot Business Daily ■ day 4, January 17, 2014
004_SBDDDA4_NEWS.indd 4
1/16/14 6:26 PM
NEWS
Slaton L. White, Editor
Margaret M. Nussey, Managing Editor
David E. Petzal, Shooting Editor
Maribel Martin, Senior Administrative Assistant
James A. Walsh, Art Director
Judith Weber, Production Manager
NOW YOU CAN SHOOT HANDGUNS
IN THE BACKYARD!
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Larry Ahlman, Barbara Baird, Scott Bestul, Philip
Bourjaily, Chris Christian, Christopher Cogley,
David Draper, Jock Elliott, William F. Kendy, Mark
Kayser, Peter B. Mathiesen, Brian McCombie,
Tom Mohrhauser, Robert Sadowski, Robert F.
Staeger, Peter Suciu, Wayne Van Zwoll
Eric Zinczenko,
Executive Vice President
ADVERTISING: 212-779-5316
Gregory D. Gatto, Publisher
Paula Iwanski, National Sporting Goods Director
Brian Peterson, West
Katie Logan, Sporting Goods Sales
John Driscoll, Vice President, Corporate Sales
Elizabeth A. Burnham, Chief Marketing Officer
Ingrid Reslmaier, Creative Services Director
BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Tara Bisciello, Business Manager
CONSUMER MARKETING
Robert M. Cohn, Consumer Marketing Director
Barbara Brooker, Fulfillment Manager
MANUFACTURING
With the extensive line of authentic Umarex action pistols, you can
train in the convenience of your own backyard* — no need to pack
all your gear, jump in your truck, and trek to the gun range. Umarex
air pistols have the authentic shape, weight, and feel of their frearm
counterparts, but use readily available, low cost ammunition.
That means more trigger time, less money, and no hassle.
Laurel Kurnides, Group Production Director
Stefanie La Bella, Associate Production
Director
BONNIER
Chairman, Jonas Bonnier
Chief Executive Officer, Dave Freygang
Executive Vice President, Eric Zinczenko
Chief Content Officer, David Ritchie
Chief Financial Officer, Nancy Coalter
Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Earlywine
Chief Human Resource Officer, Leslie Glenn
Chief Brand Development Officer, Sean Holzman
Vice President, Consumer Marketing, Bruce Miller
Vice President, Corporate Communications,
Dean Turcol
General Counsel, Jeremy Thompson
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 22, issue 1. Copyright © 2014 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 06470-2359. 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
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Printed in the USA.
For Customer Service and Subscription questions, such as Renewals, Address
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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
For editorial inquiries, visit Venetian Level 3, San Polo
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006_SHD04_NEWS_MAST.indd 6
1/16/14 3:45 PM
news
mtm’s deep lineup
Shooting rests, handgun cases, dry
boxes, ammo boxes, shooting-range
boxes, gun-cleaning equipment, shooting benches—the list goes on and on.
MTM Case-Gard has been developing
innovative products for shooters and
sportsmen since 1968, and the company has no intention of slowing down.
MTM products are spread far and
wide across the shooting sports, but
boxes and rests are the products for
which it is most recognized. If you
reload or you’re a serious shooter, then
there’s a really good chance you own
and use MTM ammo boxes. They’ve
been around forever and continue to
grow in popularity. The MTM shooting
rests are some of the most popular on
the market and sell for a fair, affordable price. As do its shooting benches.
A unique new product MTM CaseGard is having success with is the
Survivor Ammo Can. A bucket-style
underground storage container with a
double O-ring-sealed lid and a protective cap, it comes with a vapor-corrosion-inhibitor plastic bag liner and a
desiccant pack to control humidity. The
Survivor Ammo Can allows you to bury
possessions without the fear of damage. You can bury ammunition, a firearm, money, or just about anything else.
“Consumer demand is high. The
Survivor Ammo Can is a great seller,
and customers are really happy with
the product,” says Al Minneman, vice
president of sales and marketing.
The Survivor Ammo Can launched on
the heels of successful sales of the
Zombie Ammo Can. Even if you’re not a
fan of the zombie market, you must
admit that the zombie craze has raised
some sensible awareness that should a
situation arise in which you find yourself
on your own, will you be prepared? Will
you have the necessities for survival?
An MTM Case-Gard Survivor Ammo
Can, buried in the right place with
money, food, ammunition, copies of
important documents, and basic survival gear, could realistically be the
difference between surviving or not
surviving a catastrophe or natural
disaster.
“MTM remains a family-owned and
operated business, as it has been since
my father, William Minneman, founded
it in 1968,” Minneman says. “We take
pride in every product we produce.”
Booth #16120. (800-543-0548;
mtmcase-gard.com) —Brandon Butler
The Browning Camp
Chair now has a
capacity of 425
pounds. But if customers require a
heavier-duty model,
the Kodiak can handle as much as 800
pounds. The Alps
Outdoorz Horizon, a
360-degree swivel
stool, gets upgraded
with a backrest for
added comfort.
Camp Comfort
D
espite its name, Alps Mountaineering
has a lot to offer the hunting market.
Two of the company’s brands, Alps
Outdoorz and Browning Camping,
offer packs, deer and turkey blinds, and chairs
designed specifically for hunters. Last year’s big
introduction was the full line of four Browning
blinds, including the Powerhouse, an 82-inch-tall
blind that allows archers to shoot standing up.
This year, Browning Camping sees a number of
improvements to best-selling items in the line.
Browning Camping’s best-selling item, the
Browning Camp Chair, gets an improved cup
holder. With its high back and flat, non-sagging
seat, the Camp Chair is more comfortable and
much more durable than the less-expensive chairs
sold at big-box stores.
The Camp Chair has a 425-pound capacity. If
that’s not enough for your customers, you can
steer them toward the Kodiak Chair, which supports a full 800 pounds. The Browning line also
includes several low chairs for turkey hunters, as
well as dove stools. Booth #15538. (800-3442577; browningcamping.com)
Over on the Alps Outdoorz side, you’ll find
several chairs designed specifically for use inside
deer and turkey blinds. This year, the best-selling Horizon stool, a perfect fit for a deer blind
or dove field with its 360-degree swivel seat, gets
a backrest for added comfort. Like all Browning/
Alps products, it is priced higher than the cheap
chairs but below other premium brands. That
puts them in an attractive niche, says Justin
Leesman of Alps: “Our chairs cost a little more
than the cheapest models, but they are backed by
a lifetime warranty. These aren’t throwaway
products. They are priced well below other
brands, yet they have a lot of the same features.”
Your customers want a comfortable seat for waiting out that big buck or trophy top. Booth
#4049. (800-344-2577; alpsoutdoorz.com)
—Phil Bourjaily
Retired High-Level ATF
Official Audrey Stucko
Named NSSF Consultant
Audrey Stucko, who began her career with the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and
Explosives in 1977 and retired after 36 years with
that agency, has joined the National Shooting
Sports Foundation’s FFL
Compliance Program as one of its
consultants. Stucko’s work with
ATF was extensive and varied, culminating in her selection as deputy
director for the Office of
Enforcement and Programs
Services and, finally, as acting assistant director of Human Resources
and Professional Development.
Her focus with ATF was to ensure
that the regulated industries comply
with appropriate and reasonable regulations with minimal intrusion on
business operations while strengthening the safety
and security of the American people. Now, she can
apply her knowledge and experience as an important member of NSSF’s FFL Compliance consul-
tant team. As such, she will be available to personally visit NSSF member retailers to assess their
level of ATF compliance, conduct a review of
internal controls over firearms and record keeping,
and train the retailer and staff to
help the business be prepared for an
ATF compliance inspection and pass
it with flying colors. Such an on-site
consultation is free to NSSF
Premium Retailer Members and
only $499 to other NSSF members.
“By adding another wellrespected and highly knowledgeable
former ATF official, NSSF continues to enhance our unrivaled compliance resources that are available
to our industry members,” says
Steve Sanetti, NSSF president and
CEO. “NSSF offers the best compliance value
for a dealer’s money. If you are a dealer, we invite
you to shop and compare, then join NSSF and
save money and your license.”
1/16/14 6:29 PM
NEWS
Retired U.S. Navy SEAL and
author Rorke Denver (far
right) was on hand at SOG
Knife and Tool’s new product Meat and Greet along
with friend, hunter, and TV
personality Steve Rinella.
Knife Night
SOG hosts Navy SEAL By David Maccar
T
he folks at SOG Specialty Knives and Tools know how to show off their new
products: put a bunch of knife people in a room with free food of a carnivorous variety, blades, a pig to butcher, a couple of big salmon to fillet, and
some great stories from a retired Navy SEAL.
Aside from getting to play with some of the
cool new offerings from SOG this year, the highlight of the event was a talk given by LCDR
Rorke T. Denver, a former Navy SEAL who
starred in the film Act of Valor and whose book
about his experiences—Damn Few: Making the
Modern SEAL Warrior—was just released in
paperback.
Denver has run every phase of training for the
U.S. Navy SEALs and led special forces missions
in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and
other international hot spots. After completing
the legendary Basic Underwater Demolition program (BUD/S) in 1999, Denver began an actionfilled 13-year career as a platoon commander and
training leader. In 2006, Denver was the officer in
charge of BRAVO Platoon of SEAL Team
THREE in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province in one of the
most combat-heavy deployments of any regular
SEAL team since Vietnam. His team conducted
more than 190 missions, including sniper operations, direct assaults, special reconnaissance, and
ground patrols. He was awarded the Bronze Star
for valorous action in combat.
His presentation to the SOG crowd was a sneak
peek into the mind of a true modern warrior and
how he thinks about the tools he uses on the battlefield. In a way, it was also a personal love letter
to knives from a man who has depended on them
in the most critical situations imaginable in some
of the world’s harshest environments.
“When SOG reached out to me, it was a treat
because it’s real,” he said. “The very first knife I
was ever issued as a SEAL was a SEAL Pup. And
so you go through this arduous training out in
Coronado—we have this whole program down
there where about 80 percent of the people who
show up don’t see the finish line—and then you
get assigned to either Virginia Beach or San
Diego. So I got Virginia Beach, where all the
tough SEALs go,” Denver said with a chuckle.
“About a week after they beat you up and make
you feel like you don’t belong and that it was
obviously a complete error that you made it
through the training program, you get your gear
issue, you get your kit. You get about 15 of these
kit bags—it’s like the greatest Christmas present
ever for a young man.
“In those bags you have hunting gear, camping
gear, stuff to prosecute missions, you’ve got carabiners and masks and snorkels and wet suits and
all this super-Gucci stuff. But I can say with
every confidence—and I’ve got another teammate in the room who’ll nod when I say this—
everyone goes to the knife first. It’s like, yeah,
there’s all this gear, where’s the knife? You wanna
grab this thing. And I remember getting my
hands on the SEAL Pup. I carried that mostly in
a maritime environment for most of my career.
When I had a SEAL Pup with me, it never failed
to do its job and take care of me.
“Then I went into combat in the Afghan theater, and I was in Africa for a while and then
Iraq. I carried a Pentagon, so there was another
another SOG knife. And these are tools of the
trade that become essential.
“I think knives and guns are two categories of
tools that have their own gravity. Other than at
SHOT Show, where there are knives and guns
everywhere, if you had a gun out, everyone would
be very much focused on that gun, and a knife is
very much the same. Once a knife is presented, it
feels like it has its own kind of energy. We use all
these tactical blades, multi-tools—they all have to
work, but that’s what I like most about the tools.
[They] very much demand your attention and
demand your respect.”
Now retired with a wife and two children,
Denver is getting back in the field, but with a
very different mission. After meeting big-game
hunter, author, and TV personality Steve Rinella,
Denver plans to go after some less dangerous
game for a change.
“The transition now is when you finish your
time in the SEAL teams, what do you go to next?
What’s your next ridgeline, your next focus? I met
Steve Rinella. We both like to write, and Steve’s a
world-class hunter. I’ve been hunting two-legged
critters for the last decade, now I want to transition to four-legged critters, so I’m going to go
with Steve up into some wild places,” Denver
said. “My personality and our brotherhood is real
comfortable with a weapon and a knife up in rugged terrain and that feels like the place I should
be. I’m delighted to have this chance to carry
SOG again and look forward to carrying it in different environments and have it take care of me
as it has in years past.”
Rinella later joked that he plans to try and
sneak up on Denver while camping on a hunting
trip and see if he can swipe all his gear without
waking him. Denver simply smiled and said,
“Okay.” Booth #425. (sogknives.com)
10 ■ SHOT BUSINESS DAILY ■ DAY 4, JANUARY 17, 2014
1/16/14 3:02 PM
NEWS
A wide range of accessories available for MSRs,
including replacement stocks, triggers, sling attachments, and rail covers, allow a shooter build a rifle to
his particular specs.
The Hunting MSR
The right accessories can turn a modern
sporting rifle into a finely tuned hunting tool
I
t’s no secret that modern sporting rifles are some of the hottest firearms on the
planet right now. Their impressive following has grown, in part, because of the
great handling, reliability, accuracy, and amazing versatility offered by the MSR
platform. The modular design of the MSR also allows a shooter to tailor one
gun to a variety of intended uses—including many hunting applications.
Jacob Edson, marketing communications specialist for Federal Premium Ammunition,
Weaver Optics, and Blackhawk, says he sees
MSRs taking over not just the sport-shooting
market, but the fields and forests of America,
too. “I built a hunting MSR for last fall out of a
basic configuration A3 flattop,” he says. “My
goal was to make it my deer stand rifle for the
Minnesota gun season, but I know I’ll easily be
able to adapt it to any other hunt that might pop
up, from Texas hogs to Alberta bears. A bunch of
my buddies are outfitting similar guns because of
the versatility and the fact that MSRs are just a
pleasure to shoot.”
Ammunition Is Critical
➤ Edson says there’s no doubt that MSRs are up
for just about any hunting task in North
America—from whitetail deer in the Midwest
and hogs in the South to varmints anywhere.
However, the ammunition a hunter chooses is
critical in maximizing the rifle’s performance.
“Bullet construction has advanced tremendously during the past few decades,” he says. “Today’s
premium bullets offer carefully controlled expansion specifically tailored to the intended use.”
One example, he says, is big-game bullets that
offer reliable, rugged expansion that is controlled
to allow the bullet to do maximum damage and
penetrate deeply. Another is varmint rounds that
expand more quickly, and are designed to hit
with extreme energy (for a fast kill), but minimum pelt damage.
“Some rounds, such as the new Fusion MSR
loads, are optimized for performance in MSRs
and offer bullet construction that is up to the task
for game animals,” he says. “The key is helping
hunters realize that hunting ammunition is crafted to a different set of standards than the target
ammunition they regularly consume at the range.
An MSR is only as effective as the bullets it sends
downrange. It is imperative hunters select ammo
that is matched to their intended game and hunting conditions.”
Sight Insights
➤ Edson admits that sighting options for MSRs
can be dizzying because flattop-style rifles can
accommodate just about any optic ever devised.
“Non-magnified illuminated dot sights such as
Weaver’s Micro Dot give hunters the quick, precise handling needed for species such as hogs
and bears,” he says. “The illuminated dot is visible in low-light situations, making accurate shots
possible during dawn and dusk, when many
game animals emerge from heavy cover. Most
dot sights feature variable intensity, so the
brightness of the dot can be adjusted for the
available light.”
One of the biggest advantages of dot sights is
that they offer unlimited eye relief. Scopes and
traditional sights require the shooter’s eye to be
properly aligned close to the gun’s receiver. As a
result, most scopes have eye relief distances of
just 2 or 3 inches. However, dot sights work with
any eye alignment, near or far. This can be a
huge advantage when shooting at moving game,
or from a quick, off-hand position at an unexpected angle.
A wide field of view is another advantage of dot
sights. Riflescopes offer magnification of distant
objects, but that magnification narrows the view
inside the scope to just a portion of the target
area. Many dot sights, however, are not magnified. This means it is easier to quickly find the
target and line up the shot.
“Small, single flat-lens-style dot sights, such as
Weaver’s Micro Dot, offer a wide-open view that
rivals that of open sights,” he says. “In fact, this
wide field of view and lack of magnification allow
shooters to use dot sights with both eyes open.
The shooter’s brain will superimpose the image
of the dot into the correct position from the
dominant eye, while the subordinate eye adds full
depth perception. This allows the shooter to be
more aware of the area around the animal and to
track moving game through cover.”
Whether you go with a tube-style dot or a
smaller single-lens optic, dot sights are extremely
easy to mount and work great for an array of
close- to intermediate-range hunts for turkeys,
whitetails, bears, hogs, and a host of other game
animals.
“Weaver Optics offers both tube-style and
single-lens dot sights,” he says. “They are weatherproof, affordable, and incredibly durable.”
Of course, many hunters will choose to outfit
their MSRs with more traditional riflescopes
because the increased magnification of these
scopes is critical for distant shots.
“The newly redesigned Grand Slam scopes feature a 4X range and large objectives for maximum light gathering,” Edson says. “Side-focus
parallax adjustment on select models provides
extreme accuracy, while the advanced Micro-Trac
Adjustment system delivers rugged, precise windage and elevation adjustment.”
And Edson urges retailers not to overlook
Weaver’s specialized mounts that are optimized
for MSRs. “For example, the Thumb-Nut SPR
Optics Mount delivers optimal height with a forward cantilever design that creates near-perfect
eye alignment,” he says. “The integral recoil lug
base offers reliable accuracy and return-to-zero
capabilities for hunters who want to swap optics
for different situations—dot sights for hogs and a
riflescope for deer, for example.”
Final Considerations
➤ Of course, much of the enjoyment in owning
an MSR is customizing the platform.
“Blackhawk offers a variety of functional addons that can make an MSR more comfortable to
shoot and stylish on the range,” Edson says.
The Knoxx Replacement Adjustable Carbine
Rifle Buttstock provides multiple color options
and is engineered to adapt to several sling
attachment options. Another popular add-on,
the Blackhawk Grip, is perfect for hunters who
wear gloves. It has finger grooves that create a
sure, consistent grip. The aggressive texture
minimizes slippage and is virtually impervious to
the elements.
One of Edson’s top choices is the Blackhawk
Offset Safety Selector.
“It’s great because it makes the safety easier to
manipulate and it makes the rifle ambidextrous.
I have a buddy who is a lefty, and now he can
borrow my gun outfitted for whatever special
hunt he has planned,” he says. “Blackhawk has
dozens of other accessories that can help hunters fine-tune their guns, including sling attachments, a quad rail forend, rail covers, slings, and
rifle cases.” All of which make a visit to the
booth for a closer look worthwhile. Booth
#14551. (800-831-0850, weaveroptics.com;
800-694-5263; blackhawk.com)
SHD02_HMSR.indd 12
1/16/14 2:55 PM
Crosman The compact
Wildcat BB pistol is a good
choice for beginners.
AIRGUNS
2014
Crosman The
Benjamin Marauder
is now available in
an ergonomic,
ambidextrous
wooden stock. The
internal-shroud
barrel provides precision and ultraquiet operation.
Expanding Horizons
Airguns create fun for customers, profit for retailers
By Jock Elliott
A
irguns can expand shooting horizons for your customers and profits for you. Legal
to shoot and hunt in many places where firearms are forbidden, airguns deliver
high shooting fun on a low cost-per-shot basis with eye-catching fit and finish.
Here’s what’s new for 2014.
Crosman
Corporation
➣ Benjamin Airguns will be introducing NP2, a new Nitro Piston
technology that will deliver 15 percent more speed, up to 35 percent
more foot-pounds of energy (fpe),
and 9 pounds (22 percent) of reduction in cocking force. The patent-
pending piston has been completely
re-engineered to significantly increase
energy while reducing friction. It has
been precision-machined and optimized for air rifles using CAD software. Recoil arrest reduces piston
“bounce back,” which significantly
affects secondary recoil. Furthermore,
tail guides act as stabilizers to keep
the piston centered in the bore and
eliminate metal-to-metal contact,
reducing friction and vibration.
The first guns to incorporate this
game-changing NP2 technology will
be the Benjamin Trail series. Breakbarrel air rifles in the series have
undergone even more changes than
those made to the power plant, how-
FX
With interest in bullpup airgun designs on the rise, it’s no surprise that FX Airguns is right there with an innovative new design for the FX Bobcat and Indy bullpup series. Designing a unique trigger mechanism gives FX
a leg up in maintaining excellent trigger feel while allowing the entire action to shift back in the bullpup stock
(to make for a shorter overall length). The stock was engineered to fit comfortably, and there’s even a place
in the stock for storing spare magazines. The Bobcat utilizes a 300cc air cylinder; the Indy has a built-in air
pump to make it self-sufficient. Both models are fully equipped with a repeating action and full-power performance. SRP: $1795, Bobcat; $1,895, Indy. Booth #13707c. (480-461-1113; airgunsofarizona.com)
ever. In addition to enhanced speed,
power, accuracy and ease of use, the
newest Benjamin Trail rifles include a
new, enhanced two-stage adjustable
trigger, providing a noticeably crisper
pull. The stock is ambidextrous,
incorporating a rubber recoil pad,
and the bull barrel is rifled. The integrated sound-suppression system
helps to create an even quieter shot.
These Trail Series rifles include a
CenterPoint 3–9x32mm scope
designed specifically for the rigors of
airguns. SRP: $250.
Following in the footsteps of last
year’s Benjamin Marauder Synthetic,
the Benjamin Marauder has undergone a model evolution, not unlike
those that motor vehicles enjoy every
few years. In response to customer
requests, the stock now features a
slimmer profile, and a raised comb
was added to provide shooters with a
custom fit. The ambidextrous stock is
lighter, and the trigger system was
moved for shooting comfort and
enhanced ergonomics. The new
Marauder incorporates the same
enhancements as the synthetic version, but with an elegant hardwood
checkered stock. The internally
shrouded rifled barrel provides both
precision and ultra-quiet operation,
producing accurate and silent shots.
The two-stage, adjustable, matchgrade trigger helps make every shot
smooth and steady, and the innovative multi-round magazine allows for
fast follow-up shots. SRP: $600.
The Benjamin Titan XS is a Nitro
Piston powerhouse of excitement.
From its all-weather, ambidextrous,
synthetic stock to its sizzling 1,200
fps velocity, the Titan XS is full of
desirable features, but it’s priced to
keep you in the field hunting to your
heart’s content. SRP: $160.
The American-built Crosman 760
Pumpmaster is a classic, a variable
pump BB/pellet rifle that has sold
more than 16 million units. For 2014,
Crosman debuts a sleek new design
that places emphasis on enhanced
ergonomics and reduced pumping
force. In addition, the redesigned
PRODUCTS
DAYSTATE LTD
Originally launched as a .303-caliber in high-power only, the Wolverine has rapidly become popular as a large-bore airgun. Now Daystate LTD is
bringing out the long-anticipated mid-power version, the Wolverine Mk2. Seven years in development, the Wolverine Mk2 sports a thumbhole ambidextrous Turkish walnut stock, a fully shrouded barrel, finely tuned valving set to optimize power and performance, a two-stage adjustable trigger,
and a solid one-piece breech assembly for consistency and build strength. SRP: $2,095. Booth #13707c. (480-461-1113; airgunsofarizona.com)
stock features a convenient loading
port location and offers a better hold.
SRP: $50.
The Comrade AK is a tactical-style
semi-auto multi-shot CO2-powered
BB rifle. With velocities of up to 600
fps and a stunning 150 shots per CO2
cartridge, you can enjoy shooting all
day, firing BBs as fast as you can pull
the trigger. SRP: $99.
The Crosman Wildcat semi-auto,
CO2-powered pink pistol is a compact BB pistol that’s great for beginning shooters and plinkers. This
American-built gun delivers velocities
of up to 480 fps and up to 140 shots
per CO2 cartridge. SRP: $50.
The Marines Airguns Military
Occupational Specialist (MOS) Series
of airguns is designed for airgun and
military enthusiasts. These Americanbuilt guns are themed to educate
people about key roles within the
U.S. Marines. The MOS
0311-Rifleman airgun is for shooters
who like the adaptability of the MSR
platform. This variable pump pellet/
BB gun features a rifled steel barrel
and rugged, all-weather construction
in the distinctive green-black Marine
Corps color scheme. The gun has an
adjustable stock for shooters of every
size and incorporates an elevationadjustable rear sight. The MOS
0311 Rifleman has a convenient
storage area in the magazine for the
pellet clip and sight-adjustment tool.
SRP: $99.
The MOS 5811 Military Police
CO2-powered pistol features the
same color scheme and is reminiscent
of sidearms carried by the USMC
Military Police. SRP: $50. Booth
#13940. (800-724-7486;
crosman.com)
Leapers
➣ The etched-glass AccuShot
1–4.5x28 30mm CQB Scope with
36-color Circle Dot Reticle is a
short- to medium-range scope that
features emerald-coated lenses for
unrivaled clarity and high-speed
accurate shooting. Designed for
maximum performance with a 100yard parallax setting, this scope
makes a tack driver out of any MSRstyle firearm, but it will perform
equally well on a shotgun while
you’re stalking your next deer. The
proprietary Leapers/UTG 36-color
EZ-Tap IE illumination allows the
shooter to pick the right color for
the situation, and the 1.8 MOA inner
dot with a 36 MOA outer circle reticle makes target acquisition easy.
Built on the Leapers/UTG True
Strength platform, with zerolocking/resetting turrets, 145IECDQ
has one-time “set and forget” zeroretention capability and has been
torture-tested to endure violent
recoil. TactEdge integral sunshade,
flip-open lens caps, and low-profile
Max Strength QD scope rings come
standard with this package. SRP:
$139.97.
The UTG 3–9X32 Compact CQB
Bug Buster IE Scope is built on the
proven True Strength (TS) Platform
and is completely sealed and nitrogen-filled, making it shockproof, fogproof, and rainproof. Other premium
features include the zero-lockable/
resettable windage/elevation target
turrets, a UTG-unique adjustable
parallax from 3 yards to infinity,
high-tech emerald-coated lenses, a
large field of view, and a range estimating mil-dot. This model includes
UTG’s exclusive Illumination
Enhancing (IE) System, which provides either red/green or any color
from the 36-color spectrum for its
mil-dot reticle to accommodate all
weather and light conditions. It
comes with a 2-inch sunshade, patented Max Strength QD lever rings,
and flip-open lens caps. SRP:
$107.97. Booths #2146 and #2246.
(734-542-1500; leapers.com)
Umarex USA
➣ The successful .177 Ruger Talon
introduced in 2013 is being followed
by a hunter’s edition—the Ruger
Talon Hunter Air Rifle—that’s sure to
please small-game hunters. This new
.22-caliber pellet rifle is a powerful
break-barrel equipped with features
for out-of-the-box use in the field. In
addition to the Umarex SilencAir
downrange noise suppressor, the
Hunter comes with a sling and swivels,
and is capable of firing a lead hunting
pellet at 800 fps with plenty of energy
for squirrel-size game and pests. Its
all-weather synthetic stock, custom
metal Picatinny mounting rail, and an
upgraded 3–9x32 air rifle scope round
out the package. SRP: $189.99.
New technologies continue to provide quiet and powerful pellet rifles
such as the new Umarex Fuel. This
Umarex The Ruger Talon Hunter Air Rifle is a powerful break-barrel
.22 that is sure to appeal to small-game hunters. Features include a
Umarex SilencAir suppressor and a 3–9x32 air rifle scope.
rifle is a .177-caliber powerhouse
powered by a ReAxis gas piston that
slings alloy pellets downrange at
1,200 fps. It can launch lead pellets at
speeds as fast as 1,000 fps. Its downrange muzzle noise is reduced by its
SilencAir 5-chamber noise-dampening system. Equipped with a synthetic black stock and a built-in bipod,
combined with a metal Picatinny rail
to ensure the included air rifle scope
stays locked down, the Umarex Fuel
is ready for steady target acquisition.
SRP: $199.99.
The Walther PPS handgun, originally introduced as a centerfire handgun by Walther Arms Inc. in 9 mm
and .40, will be available as a .177
steel BB-firing replica—the Walther
PPS Air Pistol—from Umarex in
2014. This slim and compact semiauto repeater features heavyweight
metal construction and a blowback
cycling slide for near-live-fire realism. The PPS air pistol fires steel
BBs at 350 fps and has a drop-free
18-round magazine. Innovation from
Umarex continues, as this pistol’s
backstrap removes to reveal a springloaded hex key for turning the CO2
puncturing screw, thereby negating
the need for a turn knob sticking out
of the magazine plate. SRP: $79.99.
The new Umarex TDP 45 TAC
Air Pistol is a great airgun for people
looking to get started with an action
pistol. It’s a semi-auto repeater with a
19-round drop-free metal magazine
that shoots at 410 fps. It’s a package
deal, giving it great shelf presence,
with a tactical railing, a red laser
sight, and a mock-silencer. It also
comes with two CO2 capsules and
400 steel BBs, making it an attractive
gift set as well. SRP: $59.99.
Full-metal pistols provide a lot of
realism, and when you combine that
with a cycling slide, a known model
(such as Beretta), and the ability to
fire it in your garage or backyard,
you have an airgun that can become
the talk of the shop. All that translates to dollars at the register. All
PRODUCTS
Umarex The compact air rifle cleaning kit
includes a flexible rod, cleaning brushes, a
multi-function handle, and six screw bits.
new for 2014 from Umarex, the Beretta Mod.
84FS air pistol will fire BBs at 360 fps. It is an
authentic full-metal replica with a blowback slide
action and a drop-free 17-round magazine that will
shoot just as fast as you can pull the trigger. SRP:
$89.99.
The Uzi is one of the most unmistakable gun
shapes on the big screen, and this new carbine
looks and acts the part. From its mock-silencer to
its functioning trigger safety, blowback charging
handle, and folding stock, the Mini Uzi airgun will
become a legend of its own. Shooters can punch
and knock down targets at 390 fps when in semiautomatic mode. The CO2 capsule that powers the
unit is cleverly hidden in the grip. SRP $99.99.
Umarex is bringing the Colt Python Air Pistol to
the market as a six-round BB revolver with removable casings. It’s a metal-frame pistol that features
real revolver action, right down to a functioning
casing ejector, a swing-out cylinder, and an adjustable rear sight. At 400 fps, you’ll want to take
advantage of the included speed loader and may
want to stock up on spare casings. SRP: $119.99.
Every airgun owner needs a cleaning kit. The
Umarex Airgun Cleaning Kit is equipped for general maintenance of both .177 and .22 models and
comes in a classy, compact case that’s easy to peg.
At just $16.99, it contains a 33-inch flexible cleaning rod, brass brushes, cleaning patches, a multifunction handle that converts to a screwdriver, six
screw bits, and a thread adapter to accommodate
the included .177 and .22 accessories. Booth
#14745. (479-646-4210; umarexusa.com)
ON THE FLOOR
KIM RHODE
The five-time Olympic medalist
will be signing autographs at
TruckVault (Booth #12979) from
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
SIMON “JJ” RACAZA
The world-ranked competitive
shooter and one of the newest
members of the U.S. Shooting
Team, Racaza will be appearing
at Caracal (Booth #2829),
through 3 p.m.
R. LEE ERMEY
The former marine whose long
history of film and TV appearances range from Full Metal
Jacket to Kung Fu Panda will be
signing autographs and taking
pictures with fans at SOG
(Booth #425) this morning
from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
PAUL CAPELLO
Paul Capello, the Airgun
Reporter, will be at AirForce
(Booth #2036) till 3:30 p.m.
Crosman The Game Face GF529 utilizes
a synthetic stock and a precision metal
barrel for long-range accuracy.
AIRSOFT
2014
Mastering the
’Soft Sell
For play or for training, airsoft
delivers the goods By Jock Elliott
T
here is something seductive about airsoft replica
firearms, which shoot 6mm plastic BBs. Kids love
’em, adults can’t seem to keep their hands off
them—and they can provide a nice boost to your
profits. Popular for backyard fun, force-on-force training,
and scenario play, airsoft replicas deliver high fun at low pershot cost. Here’s the latest for 2014.
Crosman
Corporation
➣ New from Crosman Elite Airsoft,
the Crosman Elite Battlemaster
AK47-style airsoft rifle is a full- or
semi-auto AEG rifle with a handsome wood-grained polymer stock,
forearm, and grip. The 430-round
high-capacity magazine features the
convenient wind-up style for fast
reloading. This versatile gun
includes sling mounts and a sling for
comfortable, over-shoulder carrying.
SRP: $50.
The Crosman Elite M14 Carbine
is a spring-powered single-shot
bolt-action airsoft carbine that
doesn’t require batteries, so it will
never run out of power while the
user relives the action of the past.
The Crosman Elite Stinger R25
three-quarter-scale airsoft gun is
great for CQB skirmishing and is a
versatile size for small-framed play-
ers. It features an adjustable hop-up,
snap-in magazine that holds 230
rounds, has a convenient carry handle, and generates velocities of up to
300 fps. SRP: $35.
The Game Face GFRS is an electronic, full- or semi-auto airsoft rifle
combined with a spring-powered
shotgun. The unique design provides double the firepower and a
built-in backup when batteries run
low. The rifle portion features a tactical, adjustable Crane-style stock, a
Picatinny mounting rail, an adjustable hop-up, a flip-up rear sight,
and a rechargeable battery. With its
400-round high-capacity magazine,
the carbine fires at up to 300 fps.
The shotgun portion boasts a metal
barrel, a 175-shot reservoir, an
adjustable hop-up, and velocities of
up to 295 fps. SRP: $150.
The Game Face GFSMG is a
classic vintage-style airsoft AEG
Crosman The Elite Battlemaster AK47-style rifle (top) offers a
handsome wood-grained polymer stock, forearm, and grip. The GFSMG
(bottom) evokes the Roaring Twenties with its vintage profile.
Leapers The D-Grip UTG Quick
Release Bipod Grip (left) transforms
into a bipod in seconds. The UTG
Rubber-Armored Metal QD Bipod
can withstand hard environments.
rifle that represents a piece of history. Its compact design is perfect for
trench skirmishing, CQB, or gangster warfare. The GFSMG features
a metal barrel, an 800-round magazine, authentic rotary controls for
safety and select fire, and awesome
firepower at 320 fps. SRP: $130.
The Game Face GF529 is an
accurate and powerful sniper rifle
that holds 29 rounds and features a
precision metal barrel for long-range
sniping. The synthetic stock includes
a comfortable, rubber recoil pad for
added shooting stability. The package also includes an adjustable hopup, an easy-to-load magazine, and an
ammo speed loader.
The Game Face GFAP13 represents the first-ever Game Face AEG
combat pistol design. This rugged
pistol features full- or semi-auto firing modes, a metal barrel and gears,
and a 30-round magazine. The gun
features an adjustable hop-up, a
fixed-blade front sight, a fixed-notch
rear sight, and an under-barrel
Picatinny mounting rail. SRP: $130.
The Game Face GFM311 is a
spring-powered single-shot pistol
that boasts full-metal construction
in a sidearm that never runs out of
power. The heavyweight GFM311
has a convenient quick-release magazine that holds 12 rounds, and the
repeater shoots at up to 320 fps.
The Game Face GFRV is a CO2powered eight-shot revolver featuring a heavyweight metal and polymer construction, a realistic, swingout cylinder, and an eight-round
clip. Classic and robust, this revolver walks the walk, and delivers
velocities up to 425 fps with .20g
ammo. SRP: $79.99. Booth #13940.
(800-724-7486; crosman.com)
Leapers
➣ The D-Grip UTG Quick
Release Bipod Grip is a foregrip
that transforms into a bipod in a
matter of seconds, perfect for taking the shooter out of a CQB environment and propelling him into
one that requires precise longrange shooting. The deployable
legs fold out from the back with
the push of a button. Its full-metal
construction and hard-coat anodizing enable it to withstand rough
treatment. State-of-the-art ergonomics and a non-slip grip with its
rubberized surface make the foregrip easy to use, and a patented
QD lever-lock mounting base
allows for quick attachment/detachment. SRP: $64.97.
With a total length of 1.14 inches,
UTG’s sub-compact red laser can
operate in a normal solid-dot mode
or an enhanced pulse-dot mode with
an effective range of 500 meters. Its
memory feature remembers the last
operating mode you used. Built on
UTG’s True Strength (TS) platform, it offers exceptional ruggedness. The super-compact body
houses a robust TS four-point
design with double-coil-erector
return springs, providing precise
zero-holding windage/elevation
adjustment. Four AG5 batteries and
an integral Picatinny mounting base
are included. SRP: $64.97.
UTG’s Rubber Armored Full
Metal QD Bipod represents years of
research, experimentation, creative
thinking, and careful planning. This
bipod’s aluminum/steel construction
is designed to withstand tough environments. UTG improved bipod
ergonomics and comfort by using
impact-resistant rubber to cover
PRODUCTS
both legs. The bipod also incorporates a bi-
directional leg-folding design for versatile application. Adjusting the length of the legs is easier
and more precise with its five extension notches
for positive and secure positioning; lockable
thumb wheels help provide precision adjustment.
The bipod’s non-slip rubberized foot pads can
tackle any terrain or surface, and it can quickly
attach or detach from any Picatinny rail with its
lever lock-system. SRP: $59.97. Booth #2146.
(734-542-1500; leapers.com)
Palco The Blackwater 1911R2
features full-metal construction,
easy-acquisition sights, and a
railed frame.
Palco
Umarex USA
palcosports.com)
(479-646-4210; umarexusa.com)
➣ For years, airsoft enthusiasts have been asking
for a realistic blowback Smith & Wesson M&P
airsoft pistol. The new M&P Compact features
interchangeable backstraps that allow any shooter
to customize the grip size. In addition, this pistol
carries a 16-round magazine, a full-metal slide, an
adjustable spin-up shooting system, and a realistic
blowback mechanism for the ultimate shooting
experience. The S&W M&P Compact also gives
the shooter the option to fire in fully automatic
mode. SRP: $149.99.
Also new for 2014 is the Blackwater 1911R2
CO2 Pistol. The 1911 design has long been one
of the most recognized pistols in the world.
While the original 1911 is beloved by many, a
large number of shooters have been asking for a
“modernized” 1911 platform. In response,
Blackwater 1911R2 features full-metal construction, low-mount, easy-acquisition sights, a railed
frame for quick accessory additions, and grips
designed to give the user a secure hold. Each trigger pull will unleash an airsoft BB at well over
300 fps, while providing the shooter with a crisp
blowback recoil impulse. SRP: $149.99.
Requests for a new Smith & Wesson M&P
spring pistol have been heard loud and clear. The
result is the Smith & Wesson M&P40 Dark Earth
spring pistol. This model features a black slide
over a dark earth frame, a 60-round magazine
capacity, a BAXS patented shooting system, a
railed frame, and a velocity of 325 fps. This pistol
is the perfect choice for beginners and experts
alike. It’s easy to load, easy to cock, and easy to
fire—what more could any shooter want? SRP:
$29.99.
It has been a while since anyone created any
real innovation in the area of airsoft shotguns.
Enter the Mossberg Chainsaw shotgun. The allnew, removable chainsaw handle allows for much
faster cocking and firing—up to five times faster
than a conventional airsoft shotgun. In addition,
the Mossberg Chainsaw sports a velocity of 355
fps, a 180-round magazine capacity, and the patented BAXS shooting accuracy system. SRP:
$39.99. Booth #3025. (800-882-3025;
Umarex The G36X is a
licensed H&K product that
offers an adjustable cheekpiece,
a tactical railing for optics, and
a collapsible stock.
➣ Active airsoft simulators desire great firearms
replicas, and the compact Beretta Mod 84 FS fits
the bill. It’s a full-metal construction airsoft pistol
with a realistic recoil action for the ultimate in
close-quarter realism. SRP: $99.99. The Walther
PPK/S Operative is now available in a springoperated airsoft kit that contains a faux silencer,
an extra 10-round magazine with a 15-BB reservoir, and a 400-count bottle of 6mm .12-gram
BBs. SRP: $19.99
Three new offerings from Umarex fall under the
Red Jacket Firearms label. There’s a spring-powered 1911 with a skeleton trigger, a 12-round dropfree magazine, and RJF grips (SRP: $19.99), a
Double Gun Kit that contains two spring 1911s, a
gel target and 800 BBs, and a Red Jacket AKU with
a fixed commando stock that shoots full-auto with
the power of a rechargeable battery. SRP: $99.99.
The zombie craze continues, and Umarex is adding to its lineup of Zombie Hunter offerings with
its ZH9 tactical-looking spring airsoft gun that has
a 23-round long-stick drop-free magazine. It comes
with a bottle of 6mm airsoft BBs. SRP: $19.99.
IWI is “Home of the Legendary Uzi,” and also
the X95. Umarex is offering this model in an electric airsoft rifle. This modern-day rifle has an ABS
polymer body and high-cap mag that holds 300
rounds. It’s powered by an included rechargeable
battery that propels BBs at 300 fps and comes with
a wall charger. It comes in dark earth brown with
black externals. SRP: $99.99.
Beretta’s ARX160 is a modern rifle that deserves
a place on airsoft fields, and Umarex is giving it a
home. This full-auto AEG boasts a 300-round
magazine and a folding stock, and comes with a
rechargeable battery and charger. SRP: $99.99.
The HK G36X airsoft rifle is an Umarex offering that not only displays the officially licensed
mark of Heckler & Koch, but it also has an
impressive rate of fire and a velocity of 330 fps
with .12-gram airsoft BBs. It has a built-in hop-up
to promote accurate BB flight, a tactical railing for
adding optics, and an adjustable cheekpiece and a
collapsible stock. It comes with a rechargeable battery and charger. SRP: $129.99. Booth #14745.
F E AT U R E
Your smartphone can
direct you to the nearest gas station, the
nearest coffee shop...
and, since last summer,
the nearest place to
shoot. NSSF’s Where
To Shoot app puts a
comprehensive directory of shooting ranges
right at your potential
customers’ fingertips.
NSSF Helps New Shooters
P
Looking for a place to shoot? There’s an app for that! By David Draper
eople new to the shooting sports often cite having a place to shoot as one of the biggest challenges they face.
Even experienced gun enthusiasts sometimes have trouble finding a range, especially when moving or traveling to a new area. The National Shooting Sports Foundation recognizes that one of the biggest barriers to
recruiting new people into our ranks and retaining shooters over the course of their lifetime is not having
access to a safe, affordable shooting site. To combat that challenge, the NSSF manages a directory of shooting ranges at WhereToShoot.org, and now, to make finding a range even easier, the NSSF offers a new
mobile app for iPhones and iPads, as well as Android-powered phones and tablets.
“The Where To Shoot
app puts North America’s
most comprehensive directory of shooting ranges in
the palm of your hand,” says
Bill Dunn, managing director, marketing communication for the National
Shooting Sports
Foundation. “It allows you
to search for nearby ranges
as well as locations across
the country. All of the information is pulled from
NSSF’s Where To Shoot
database, which includes
thousands of ranges.”
Once they find a nearby
range, users will also be able
to access essential
information,including
addresses and directions,
phone numbers, accessibility
info, activities offered, and
what types of services and
competitions are available to
visiting shooters. The
updated app is more than
just a list of ranges, however. Much like the full-
service Where To Shoot
website, it also contains a
wealth of information related to the shooting sports,
including news, firearmsafety information, and a
wide range of video tips for
shooters available for viewing right on their mobile
devices.
Launched last summer, the
updated app quickly found
an audience among shooters
hungry for accurate, up-todate range and shooting info.
“We’ve gotten a lot of
positive feedback about it,”
says Dunn. “Shortly after its
launch the app soared to the
No. 4 spot for free sports
apps in Apple’s App Store,
right up there with popular
sports apps from ESPN,
Yahoo! Sports, and Major
League Baseball.”
Check Your
Listing
➤ To ensure the app is
both accurate and comprehensive, all of the listings
are pulled directly from
NSSF’s Where To Shoot
database, where information is entered and updated
by the ranges themselves.
“All of the ranges currently
listed are verified listings,
which means the ranges have
added their information to
our database,” he says. “If
you don’t see your local
range listed, please encourage them to add their businesses.”
Dunn also encourages
range owners to ensure their
facility is among those listed.
“Simply visit whereto
shoot.org and click on List
Your Range,” he says. “From
there, you can provide all of
the essential information
about your range. And best
of all, it’s completely free.”
The Where To Shoot app
is also free to shooters and
available in Apple’s App
Store and on Google Play,
though Dunn suggests the
easiest way to download it is
to either visit wheretoshoot.
org on your mobile device or
get the app directly at the
following links: iPhone and
iPad, wheretoshoot.org/iOS;
Android, wheretoshoot.org/
Android.
F E AT U R E
Initiative, have introduced thousands of newcomers
to shooting and hunting. The programs also provide support for those already participating.
NSSF announced before the new year it had
reached a milestone of 10,000 members. And
with a steady influx of new members and a 90
percent member retention rate—significantly
higher than other trade organizations’—that
number should continue to grow.
Government Relations
➤ NSSF’s proactive government-relations
program maintains an office in Washington, D.C.,
where it sponsors an annual Congressional Fly-In
for industry leaders to meet with members of
Congress. The program also helps educate voters
on firearms issues. NSSF’s efforts in 2005 were
instrumental in the passage of the Protection of
Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. NSSF has also
campaigned against attempts to ban traditional
ammunition, and against microstamping. In 2012,
NSSF helped to draft, and pass, legislation to protect the rights of hunters and target shooters to use
traditional ammunition—considered the most significant shooting sports legislation in a generation.
Communications
2008
4,300
2009
2010
2011
2012
MEMBERSHIP
2013
10,000
NSSF by the
Numbers
Industry trade association doubles
membership—again By Cathy Glazer
S
o is the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry’s
trade association and advocate, doing its job? A look at the numbers
tells the story. Membership has now climbed past 10,000. That means
NSSF has doubled its membership twice over the past nine years. But
the real test of an organization’s relevance and worth is not just the
number of members that join, but how many stay, year after year.
“Our membership retention rate far exceeds the
average for trade or professional associations,”
says Chris Dolnack, senior vice president and
chief marketing officer. “We’re well into the 90
percent range.”
This is an important figure, as numbers have
clout. “You make a powerful impression when you
can say to an elected official that we represent
10,000 businesses,” Dolnack says.
NSSF’s steady growth is a tribute to the vision
and guidance of its governing board of industry
leaders and its staff who develop creative programs and strategies to carry out the 53-year-old
organization’s mission of promoting, protecting,
and preserving hunting and the shooting sports.
“Our staff takes great pride in serving our
members and the industry,” says Dolnack. “Their
commitment makes all the difference.”
Another key to NSSF’s success is that they listen to their members.
“Whether it’s through social media and the
internet, member surveys, phone calls, or face-toface meetings here at the SHOT Show, listening
to our members is a huge priority,” says Bettyjane
Swann, NSSF director, member services.
“We talk to members and prospective
members to find out what they need from
us in order to help them be successful,” says
Swann. “It comes down to listening. We ask, we
listen, and we act on their feedback. Our goal is
to deliver value—that the value members receive
far exceeds the cost of their membership.”
NSSF’s efforts focus on four key areas: recruitment and retention, government relations, communication, and member services.
Recruitment and
Retention
➤ Innovative programs, such as First Shots,
Families Afield, the Scholastic Clay Target Program
(SCTP), and the Collegiate Shooting Sports
➤ NSSF’s award-winning communications team
delivers timely information to members on issues
of importance to them, from updates on proposed
gun legislation to the latest innovative programs
that can bring new shooters to your store or
range.
As the voice of the industry, NSSF’s editorial
and public affairs staff communicates the industry’s message to mainstream as well as outdoors
media, government officials, and members and
their customers. NSSF’s communications team
also has built a solid reputation as an accessible,
accurate, and respected source on firearms issues.
Member Services
➤ NSSF’s member services team prioritizes listening to members and responding to their needs
by developing the programs and services that will
help them grow their businesses. Members enjoy
a variety of benefits, including access to NSSF’s
industry research, publications such as SHOT
Business magazine and various online publications, and numerous discounts, including SHOT
Show discounts and privileges.
NSSF provides materials and programs to assist
retailers and ranges with ATF and OSHA compliance and regulatory issues, as well as access to
compliance consultants. To better serve retail
members, NSSF has expanded services to retailers, including the addition of a new position,
director of retail development. Last fall, NSSF
began offering a Premium Retailer Membership,
which includes access to a legal defense fund and
site visits by compliance consultants to help
retailers pass ATF inspections.
SHOT Show Funds
Further Programs
➤ And there’s the SHOT Show. Owned by NSSF
since its inception, the SHOT Show is the largest
outdoor products trade show in the world, providing exhibitors, buyers, retailers, and the media
with an exclusive networking opportunity.
Proceeds from the show go back into NSSF programs that help grow and protect your business
and your sport.
To learn more about NSSF programs and the
benefits of NSSF membership, visit nssf.org, or
stop by the NSSF booth here at the SHOT Show.
You can also contact Bettyjane Swann, director,
member services, at bswann@nssf.org, or
Samantha Hughes, member services coordinator,
at shughes@nssf.org.
F E AT U R E
Left: Lead management is a crucial issue with any indoor range,
and NSSF’s two-day Lead Management and OSHA
Compliance Workshop offers valuable training. Above: NSSF’s
Indoor Range and Retail Development Workshop is now available in a DVD package for a special price at SHOT Show.
NSSF Helping
Indoor Ranges Get
Prepared for OSHA
Don’t assume the government won’t
come knocking By Christopher Cogley
R
unning an indoor range is a challenge, even in the best of circumstances. In any given day, there are countless issues that can pop up
and get your heartburn flaring, your neck muscles flexing, and your
headache pounding. But few things can cause a five-alarm anxiety
attack faster than hearing that the Occupational Safety & Health
Administration is planning to come knocking on your door.
“It really creates a lot of panic, and as an
organization we realized that we had to do a
better job of getting ranges prepared for how to
handle it,” says Zach Snow, manager of shooting
promotions at the National Shooting Sports
Foundation.
As a way to achieve that goal, NSSF set up
Lead Management and OSHA Compliance
Workshops for their members. These intensive
workshops were held at several locations across
the country last year and were designed as a way
to educate members on what to expect when
OSHA comes knocking. And Snow says that the
first thing that range owners need to expect is
that in all likelihood, OSHA will come knocking, sooner or later.
“Our goal is to better prepare ranges and
make them more proactive in managing their
business so they aren’t as likely to get a visit,”
Snow says. “But there’s also a mindset out there
of, ‘OSHA won’t ever come to my range,’ and
we need to get people to change that mindset to
one of, ‘We’re prepared when OSHA does
decide to come to my range.’”
One of the primary areas that indoor range
owners need to concentrate on is the management of lead at their facility. If the lead situation
isn’t handled correctly, OSHA won’t be the only
intimidating federal agency that pays the range
a visit.
“OSHA is going to be looking for lead blood
levels in employees,” Snow says. “But if a range
isn’t properly disposing of their lead, then the
Environmental Protection Agency will get
involved, too.”
A Workshop that
Really Works
➤ Through NSSF’s two-day Lead Management
and OSHA Compliance Workshop, range owners can learn what policies and procedures they
should put into place to be compliant with federal regulations regarding lead, as well as a wide
variety of other issues on OSHA’s extensive
checklist.
“Lead is usually the biggest element that
OSHA is focusing on when it comes to indoor
ranges, but there are definitely other areas
they’re going to check,” Snow says. “They have
been known to dig really deep.”
And while the prospect of having to analyze
every minute aspect of your business and ensuring that all your bases are covered isn’t something any range owner looks forward to, the
alternative to being prepared is much more
unpleasant.
“Fines for non-compliance can be pretty
severe,” Snow says. “You need to be prepared to
protect your business, and this workshop helps
you do that.”
For more information about attending a
workshop before you get the call from OSHA,
check nssf.org/ranges/complianceworkshop.
Range
Development
Workshop
Now on DVD
The National Shooting Sports
Foundation’s Indoor Range and Retail
Development Workshop (which is different from the NSSF Lead Management and
OSHA Compliance Workshop) is a priceless tool for people who are exploring the
idea of starting an indoor shooting range.
But because NSSF recognizes that it might
not always be possible for prospective
range owners to travel across the country
to attend one of these invaluable events, it
has now captured the essence of the
workshop on a series of DVDs that allows
you to have access to all the essential
information from the comfort of your living
room.
“We wanted to create the ultimate go-to
guide for anyone who is considering getting
into the range business, and this is definitely it,” says Zach Snow, manager of shooting
promotions at NSSF.
The set includes eight DVDs that capture
an entire workshop including all the presentations and panel discussions that cover
every conceivable aspect of opening and
running an indoor shooting range. The
package also includes a CD-ROM with the
same handouts that workshop attendees
receive as well as all the forms necessary to
get a shooting range open.
“This is really a wealth of information,”
Snow says. “For anyone who wants to be
successful in the business, this is your road
map.”
The Range Development Workshop DVD
package is normally $695 for nonmembers
and $350 for members, but NSSF is running a special during the SHOT Show and
offering the package to members for only
$300. For more information about the DVD
package, visit nssf.org/ranges/workshop. To
get your package at the special SHOT
Show price, stop by the NSSF booth (L221).
F E AT U R E
NSSF’s website got a dramatic overhaul this summer. It’s a great place
for industry news research and
learning about upcoming legislation
issues, but it’s been made more
user-friendly—and accessible from
any mobile device.
Information at
Your Fingertips
The new NSSF.org website delivers more, faster
I
By David Draper
n today’s world, information flows at an ever-quickening pace, and keeping up requires both agility and adaptability. It also helps to have a stable of reliable online assets to stay informed and educated, especially in
the hunting and shooting sports industry. To keep its members in the
know, as well as serve as a portal to the public, the National Shooting
Sports Foundation has placed itself ahead of the curve by redesigning its
popular NSSF.org website. The upgrade debuted last September.
If you’ve visited the site in recent months,
you’ve probably noticed the change. If you
haven’t, let me encourage you to take a moment
to do so, and yes, you can do it right from your
smartphone or tablet. As part of the relaunch,
NSSF has ensured the NSSF.org site is optimized
for users who have increasingly shown a preference for getting information from mobile devices.
“There is a ton of information on the site.
From the latest research to information about
legislation affecting the industry to learning about
the basics of hunting and the shooting sports, it’s
there,” says Bill Dunn, managing director of marketing communications for the National Shooting
Sports Foundation. “More people are using
mobile devices to access websites, so we’ve
brought the site up to date and made it compatible with smartphones and tablets as well as given
it a more modern look and feel.”
Visitors will notice the new NSSF.org is a substantial upgrade from the previous site, which itself
was the product of a redesign just three years ago.
“A lot can change in three years on the internet,” says Dunn. “I think all of our regular visitors are very pleased with the upgrade. And I
think new and regular visitors can find what
they’re looking for much more easily.”
With improved navigation, better search functionality, and ready access to news and information about the industry as well as hunting and the
shooting sports, NSSF.org now serves as the
hunting and shooting industry’s most comprehensive resource on the internet. If it has to do with
the industry or hunting and the shooting sports,
visitors will find it at NSSF.org, including the latest news and updates, industry fact sheets and
backgrounders, firearms safety tips, and educational information. The new site’s responsive,
mobile-friendly design even allows visitors to
watch all of NSSF’s latest videos on their iPhone,
iPad, or other mobile device.
After a stop at the NSSF.org homepage, which
puts all of the latest industry news front and center, visitors can then access sections tailored specifically to their area of interest, whether they’re
retailers or range owners, manufacturers, members of the media, or the general public interested
in finding out more about hunting and the shooting sports. An enhanced government relations
resources section includes state and federal bill
trackers, a legislative action center, and quick
access to other helpful pages.
“The section of the website for retailers
includes retailer-specific news, trends, and
updates, compliance resources, videos, and webinars, access to SHOT Business magazine, and
many other helpful resources,” says Dunn. “The
same goes for ranges, with tons of information
available for range owners and managers.”
Since its founding, the National Shooting
Sports Foundation has held tight to its stated
mission to promote, protect, and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. The new NSSF.org
website is online evidence of those guiding principles, delivering the organization’s resources
and information to its members, the media, and
the public with the speed and ease demanded by
today’s fast-paced world.
F E AT U R E
Hosting a First
Shots Program
at Your Range
To get the ball rolling on your first First
Shots experience at your firearms range,
simply visit firstshots.org and request a
copy of the First Shots Reference Guide.
Or call or e-mail Tisma Juett, NSSF First
Shots manager (tjuett@nssf.org; 203426-1320 ext. 219).
The First Shots Big City Tour brings First Shots programs to new shooters in urban areas. Tour weekends—with events hosted at numerous local ranges—usually see about 300 participants. More than 43
percent of First Shots participants return to the host range an average of six times within six months.
What the First Shots
program provides
➲ A concise agenda based on accepted firearms training practices
➲ Full Powerpoint presentation available on request
➲ Reimbursement of 50 percent of
advertising costs up to $3,000 for NSSF member ranges
➲ Print, radio, and TV ads
➲ Promotion of your event on NSSF
websites with a link to your website
➲ A First Shots banner for your range
➲ Technical and logistical support and planning assistance on request
➲ Safety literature and other giveaway items
No Mentor?
No Problem!
NSSF First Shots “Tour” targets entry-level
shooters By Cathy Glazer
N
SSF’s highly successful First Shots entry-level seminar program
is helping shooting ranges gain new customers with a promotion
that targets potential new shooters in big cities. The First Shots
Big City Tour involves getting a number of shooting ranges in a
selected major metropolitan area to host free First Shots seminars on the same weekend, co-sponsored by NSSF, which helps
with much of the costs.
Since the Big City Tour kicked off at five
Chicago-area ranges over a November weekend
in 2011, nearly 2,000 urbanites have discovered
their local ranges and taken their first shots with
fellow first-timers in Miami, Houston,
Sacramento, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and
Madison, Wisconsin. On average, tour weekends
draw about 300 participants. The seminars are
free and open to the public, but pre-registration is
required.
Once they’ve tried it, they’ll be back, says
NSSF First Shots manager Tisma Juett.
“Ranges that hold First Shots seminars report a
significant increase in activity. Six-month follow-up surveys show more than 43 percent of
First Shots participants return to the host range
an average of six times within six months. Many
bring a friend or family member with them.”
They spend, on average, more than $500 on
equipment, according to surveys. At least one in
10 will purchase a membership at the host range.
Two in 10 will take a firearms training course.
Comments from new shooters who took part in
the Washington, D.C.–area tour were typical.
“First Shots gave me a great education about
the different types of handguns, different options,
and programs for my area,” said a woman from
Maryland. “It’s a great program.”
“I learned how to hold the gun, load the cartridge, the stance,” said a young woman who had
never shot before. “I got a little more comfortable
each time—I wasn’t as nervous.”
“I learned about safety, how to aim and shoot,”
said another first-timer. “First Shots is first-rate,
and I’ll be back to do a couple more courses.”
“The majority of the program was safety, safety,
safety,” another observed.
“As soon as I put the gun down, I was sold.
Next time I’ll have a couple of friends come out
with me.”
Recognizing that it can be awkward to downright intimidating to simply walk in to a shooting
range and learn to shoot with no idea of what to
expect, NSSF launched First Shots in 2005. It was
designed as an entry point to put new customers
on a path to training classes, regular range visits,
What the surveys say
First Shots participants return to the host
range, continue shooting, bring their
friends to the range, and purchase equipment, according to six-month follow-up
surveys. The survey found:
➲ Four in 10 returned to the range to shoot an average of seven times
➲ More than half met their state’s
requirements for handgun ownership
➲ Two in 10 had taken a formal firearms training course
➲ Over half had invited a friend to
go shooting
➲ 49 percent purchased equipment
➲ At least one in 10 purchased a range membership
and club membership.
With an emphasis on safety, First Shots seminars provide a welcoming venue for those who
want to try shooting but have no mentor to show
them how to get started. The program dispels
misconceptions about the shooting sports and demystifies firearms ownership and the responsibilities that accompany it, including safe handling
and storage, and understanding federal, state, and
local laws.
Classroom instruction is followed by a live-fire
session with a certified instructor. The time frame
for a First Shots event is three hours, allowing
ranges to schedule more than one session in a day.
From the first seminar, First Shots has proven
its worth and is now one of NSSF’s most important target-shooting development programs. As of
January 2014, around 46,000 people have attended First Shots seminars hosted by hundreds of
ranges across the country since the program
began.
Hosting a First Shots program involves an
investment of time and commitment, and not
F E AT U R E
NSSF Five Star
Rating Program
Allows Ranges
to Shine
First Shots takes away the “intimidation factor” by giving newcomers a chance to try
shooting in a relaxed environment.
much in the way of out-of-pocket costs. “The
program is a minimal investment for the ranges
and no cost to the participants,” Juett says, pointing out that NSSF provides the core curriculum,
promotion and advertising materials, and safety
literature, and will match advertising costs up to
$3,000. NSSF also provides the ammunition for
participants.
“I think First Shots was a big success,” says Tom
Davis, an instructor at Range 82 in Midland,
Virginia, a host range for the Washington, D.C.,
tour. “It was really refreshing, as a firearms
instructor, to see the big smiles of not only the
young adults but also those my age and older, as
they were coming off the firing line, just having a
great time. It’s been a great experience for those
participants.”
“First Shots was excellent,” says Tina WilsonCohen, an instructor at Sharp Shooters Small
Arms Range in Lorton, Virginia, another D.C.
host range. “It brought the people out from the
community to the range, and it takes the intimidation away from it. They left with happy smiles on
their faces and with enthusiasm.”
“If you own a range, you need to at least look
into the First Shots program,” says NSSF president and CEO Steve Sanetti. “First Shots is the
first step for that first-time shooter to become a
lifelong shooting-sports enthusiast and a new customer for your range.”
The First Shots Big City Tour will visit more
cities this year. To find out if the tour is coming to
a city near you, visit firstshots.org. “You don’t have
to wait for the tour—any range can hold a First
Shots event any time,” says Juett. “Visit the site
and request a First Shots Reference Guide to get
started.”
For First Shots program statistics and results of
follow-up surveys, request the Industry
Intelligence Report on First Shots from NSSF
Research (nssf.org/research). For specific questions
about the First Shots program, contact Tisma
Juett at tjuett@nssf.org. Or stop by the NSSF
booth (L221) to arrange a time to speak with her
during the show.
Top-quality ranges deliver a high-quality
shooting experience By Christopher Cogley
F
or years, people have recognized a five-star rating as a symbol of
excellence in hotels, restaurants, and even movies. With the
National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Five Star Rating program,
shooting ranges across the country have the opportunity to show
their potential customers that they deliver that same level of
excellence.
“This is a program we developed several
years ago, and we’ve been working hard to try
to encourage ranges to get involved because
it’s a great way for them to show their customers that they really have a top-quality
facility,” says Zach Snow, manager of shooting promotions at the National Shooting
Sports Foundation. “More and more ranges
are seeing the benefit of the program lately,
and it’s really starting to take off.”
Snow says that in 2009, there were only 12
Five Star ranges in the program, and now it’s
surpassed 30—an increase of more than 100
percent—and the current popularity doesn’t
show signs of slowing down.
“Customers like to know that they are going
to have a quality experience before they even
walk in the door,” Snow says. “The Five Star
rating program shows them that the range
they are choosing to visit has been thoroughly
evaluated and proven to be excellent.”
The program assesses ranges in six categories—Appearance, Management, Customer/
Member Focus, Customer/Member
Development, Community Relations, and
Amenities. The first step of the program allows
participating ranges to rate their performance
through a self-evaluation of each of those categories. Next, they have the opportunity to give
their customers or members the chance to rate
the range based on the same criteria.
“That’s really a great tool in and of itself
because sometimes there’s a disconnect
between how a range thinks it’s meeting its
customers’ needs and how the customer feels
the range is meeting their needs,” Snow says.
“Through this step, range owners can see
what areas they’re excelling at and which
areas they might need to improve upon.”
Through the customer and self evaluations,
ranges receive scores based on their performance and the services they offer. Once the
scores are tallied, ranges write a synopsis of
their facility and provide examples and images
of how their range meets the criteria needed
to be considered for a Five Star rating. The
final step is an on-site visit from Snow.
“They know I’m coming, but they don’t
know who I am,” Snow says. “It gives me a
chance to see the range from a new customer’s point-of-view, and that is usually very
telling.”
If the range delivers the kind of high-quality experience that’s expected from a top-notch
facility, it earns the coveted Five Star rating
from the NSSF. But the standard of excellence this rating represents isn’t meant solely
as a way to attract new customers.
“We see the Five Star ranges as the model
ranges for the industry,” Snow says. “This is a
level of quality that we hope every range will
aspire to.”
It’s also a level of quality that typically
begins before the doors to the range are ever
opened.
“The criteria we use to evaluate existing
ranges are actually a great tool for someone
who is considering opening a new range,”
Snow says. “I always suggest that potential
range owners visit several of the Five Star
facilities so they can see the standard of excellence these ranges have achieved. Then, not
only will they know how high the bar’s been
set, but they’ll also have a great example to
model their business plan after.”
Because, like every other aspect of the
shooting sports, if you shoot for excellence,
you usually hit what you’re aiming at. For
more information on the Five Star rating program, visit nssf.org/ranges/fivestar.
F E AT U R E
Getting to the
Next Level
DPMS unveils the next generation
of the LR-308 By Brian McCombie
T
he big news from DPMS for this SHOT Show?
The next generation LR-308 rifles, known as
DPMS GII. DPMS has made considerable changes and upgrades to this rifle line, which encompasses six variations on the GII theme, as part of a
three-year research-and-development project to make this the
best all-around .308 MSR the company can create.
If you have used a LR-308 in the past, the first thing you’ll notice about
GII is that it is lighter—considerably so. DPMS has shaved off nearly one
pound. Much of that weight reduction came through redesigned upper and
lower receivers. Improved machining operations on the receivers, paired with
a 7075 forging, allows the GII’s upper receiver to be smaller and lighter yet
stronger than the current LR-308 design. DPMS also improved the bolt
geometry to relieve stress lines, crafting an 8620 forged monolithic impingement carrier with a Carpenter 158 bolt.
The standard GII Carbine weighs in at a nifty 7.25 pounds. Recoil?
Surprisingly, it is less that the heavier LR-308. Now, that might seem counterintuitive, because a heavier rifle absorbs more recoil, right? But as Adam
Ballard, product manager for Freedom Group’s modern sporting rifles lines,
explains, the lighter bolt-receiver configuration actually means less weight
being driven back at the shooter, reducing the felt recoil.
Other GII features include an identical length rear of the mag well to a
standard AR15, a significantly reduced profile to the current LR-308 receiver, a steel feed ramp, an improved extractor, a titanium firing pin, an M4
The author checks out a GII Recon model with a 16-inch barrel at the
Remington tactical seminar held at Gunsite last month. Although the
new rifle is a pound lighter than its predecessor due to redesigned upper
and lower receivers, felt recoil has been reduced.
commercial six-position stock, an A2 pistol grip, and a DPMS Glacier Guard
hand guard that is compatible with aftermarket furniture.
I recently shot the GII in the 16-inch barrel Carbine and Recon models,
as well as the 18-inch SASS and 24-inch Bull models. Retailers might consider promoting the carbine length models as great truck and ranch guns,
given their light weight and maneuverability. They would also be a good
choice for those home-defense consumers who want a nifty rifle that provides .30-caliber punch. Those models with longer barrels (18-inch SASS
and 24-inch Bull) were long-range accurate and should have many applications in bench and silhouette shooting.
“We have shot hundreds of thousands of rounds through these rifles,” says
Ballard. “We purposely tried to break parts, and we did. We then went back to
the drawing board and made those parts better. We’ve made this the best rifle
we could.” SRP: $1,499. Booth #14229. (800-578-3767; dpmsinc.com)
F E AT U R E
Beginning with a Mossberg Model 500 Turkey Thug
model, the author replaced the factory stock with an
adjustable pistol-grip stock. He then removed the
stock barrel and installed a Mossberg breacher barrel wrapped with an ATI heat shield. And that was
just for starters.
Building a Custom
Mossberg 500
Creating the pump equivalent of a hot rod is a
lot easier than you think By David Maccar
L
ast year saw the landmark ten-millionth production Model 500 pump roll
off the O.F. Mossberg & Sons (Booth #12734) assembly line in
Connecticut, making it the fastest-selling shotgun model of all time. With
so many guns, in various configurations and gauges used by law enforcement, military personnel, and hunters, America is awash with the Mossberg
500 in numbers only few firearms models can match.
So what does this mean to someone in the market for a new shotgun (new to them, anyway), but
uncertain of what to get? Or to a real shooter who
is looking for something fun, but not necessarily
their new go-to duck gun? It means the Model 500s
you can find on the used gun racks are like a mess
of LEGOs in the hands of a creative child. Get one,
or get pieces of several, and you can build a beast of
a shotgun.
I decided to do this myself over the past couple
of years. In a way it was an accident, but I learned a
lot during the process, so I’m going to go ahead
and just say I planned it this way.
The first gun I tuned wasn’t a Mossberg 500; it
was its more tactical brother, the Model 590.
Modifications came in dribs and drabs, mostly
because I couldn’t decide what to do first. Hitting
the internet becomes an intimidating experience,
just because there is such a breadth of aftermarket
parts and accessories for both the 500 and 590 out
there. It’s hard to tell what’s what without devoting
some serious research hours.
Browsing wasn’t working. I needed to decide
what the gun would be used for first. I wanted my
eight-shot, 12-gauge 590 to be a home-defense
gun—something reliable, simple, and powerful that
was easy to use in the dark with adrenaline coursing
through the system.
First, the standard stock had to go. The hollow
plastic works fine, but is it comfortable? Not really.
Is it visually appealing? Uh-uh. And because there’s
nothing to it, the gun doesn’t feel balanced. So, I
swapped it out for a Blackhawk SpecOps NRS
adjustable stock with a pistol grip, modular cheekpiece, and a five-shell carrier (Booth #14562). I
added a rubber grip sleeve, also from Blackhawk.
That took care of the back-end. I didn’t have to
worry about optics, since the shotgun came with
integrated ghost ring sights. Again, I looked at the
gun’s intended function. If I ever have to use it, it
will likely be in a dark, stressful situation. Well, I
could eliminate the dark, at least.
I clamped an inexpensive Laserlyte tri-rail mount
(Booth #11214) on the magazine tube behind the
welded bayonet mount, and now there was a place
to mount a green CMR-203 Rail Master laser sight
and tac light, both from Crimson Trace (Booth
#11214).
So there I had it. A 12-gauge with nine rounds, a
comfortable pistol grip with a stock adjusted to my
length of pull, a horrifyingly bright light, a laser,
five extra rounds on board, and a bit more peace of
mind. And then I added a heat shield. You know,
cause it’s freakin’ cool.
I couldn’t believe how much I was able to do to
my 590 with simple-to-install add-on parts, and
how well the finished product came out. I got the
shotgun I wanted, and I got to play a bit. This
deserved far deeper investigation. Lo and behold,
I came across a 12-gauge Model 500 with a
3-inch chamber on the used rack at my local gun
store for about $200. The thing still had factory
grease on it.
It was a Turkey Thug model, hence the 3-inch
chamber, but that also meant it came with a nicer
LPA trigger.
There was no question about the purpose of
this gun. It was going to be the rudest, ugliest,
meanest little pump on the range. It would be the
gun I show to my friends and say, “Hee hee, look
what I did.”
I decided on a product I’d found while scouring
the web for parts for my 590 to be the base of the
build: the Sidewinder Venom conversion kit from
Adaptive Tactical. The kit can also be sourced from
Brownells (Booth #805). A very similar kit was produced by Knoxx in the 1990s and has since been
discontinued. But spending any time in Model 500
forums, of which there are many, it’s obvious the
Knoxx kits were one of the most coveted out-ofprint Model 500 kits out there until Adaptive
Tactical began producing them again.
The kit takes a bit of finesse to install, and a lot
of patience, but in the end I replaced the magazine
tube with the new mag well for the drum and follower tube mechanism in my garage with no special
tools that weren’t included with the kit.
Once I reassembled the receiver, I replaced the
Mossberg stock with another adjustable pistol-grip
stock, this time a Talon from ATI (Booth #620),
which came with a mount for a single-point sling. I
went back to Blackhawk for its comfortable singlepoint Storm Sling.
With that done, I replaced the 24-inch barrel and
turkey choke with an 18-inch breacher barrel I
ordered from Mossberg wrapped in an ATI heat
shield. It all went together like a dream. The
receiver, like many new 500s, comes with holes
already tapped on top of the receiver. I screwed on
a piece of Picatinny rail and a no-frills red-dot sight
and my beast was ready. The thing just looks mean,
and at the range, I was able to run 16 shells with a
reload (the kit came with a 5-round box magazine
in addition to the 10-round drum) in 21 seconds.
And it’s just so much fun to shoot.
The lesson in all this? It’s fun to build up a gun
into something it wasn’t before, and the average
customer can do it with a good base gun, the help
of a couple of YouTube videos, and some guidance
from a knowledgeable retailer. Adding a stock will
get them past the fear of “messing” with the gun,
because there’s really nothing they can ruin. When
they ask about this at your shop, your job is to say,
“Yes, you can,” and then suggest appropriate accessories, all of which they can source through you.
After that, the confidence gets that aftermarket
imagination running wild. The possibilities continue to grow and more toys will be bought, all of
which is good business for you.
F E AT U R E
Meeting the
Demand
Remington makes a
major investment in
ammo production
I
t’s certainly no secret that ammunition has
been in short supply the past couple of
years. No doubt, some of these shortages
are caused by consumers worried about legislation that may limit their ability to purchase the
ammo they want. But Keith Enlow, Remington’s
senior vice president and general manager for
ammunition, says it’s more than that. “It’s not just
hoarding,” he says. “We’re seeing new customers
and new ranges, both of which are good things.
That is helping fuel overall demand as well.”
And though some members of the shooting
sports community may believe the federal government is getting the lion’s share of the output,
Enlow says this is not the case. “The federal government and the law enforcement community are
getting a smaller percentage of our output than the
commercial markets.”
That answer may not satisfy some consumers
and retailers, many of whom are still dealing with
profound shortage issues, but Enlow stresses
Remington has worked hard to meet demand.
But it’s still not enough, which is the main reason Remington broke ground late last summer on
the expansion of its operations at the Remington
ammunition plant in Lonoke, Arkansas. Work on
the expansion, which includes the construction of a
new 40,000-square-foot state-of-the art building,
represents an investment of $32 million.
“The new facility will help us to increase product
availability and improve on-time delivery,” Enlow
says. “It reinforces our commitment to deliver the
finest quality products for our customers, and it
helps us meet increasing global demand for superior ammunition products.”
The latter is a sore point for him. “We know
consumers buy ammo on three factors—price, performance, and brand. Right now a lot of shooters
are buying cheap import ammo simply because they
can’t get enough of our product. We make a superior product, one that is 100 percent American.”
Remington is banking that when the new plant
gets up to speed and more of its well-known products, such as Core-Lokt (which is celebrating its
75th anniversary in 2014), hit retailer shelves,
American shooters will welcome the green boxes
with open arms. Booth #14229. (800-243-9700;
remington.com) —Slaton L. White
The upgraded Outdoorsman line of
flashlights now boasts higher output.
All three models also feature longer
runtimes. The EL2L will run for as long
as 67 hours with a 5-lumen output.
That kind of longevity can really help in
an emergency situation. The EL2AA
runs on AA batteries (rather than 123A
lithium batteries).
SureFire Looks to
Light Up Outdoors
S
By Peter Suciu
ureFire, a manufacturer of high-performance flashlights and weaponmounted lights, recently upgraded the output on its Outdoorsman line.
These models were designed for those who love the great outdoors
and know that being prepared can mean the difference between a great
trip and possibly being the subject of a search-and-rescue mission.
Purpose-built for use outdoors, the upgraded SureFire Outdoorsman
E1L/E2L models are now even more effective at farther distances, making these
ideal for emergency preparedness and survival kits. The models feature long runtimes—the E1L offers up to 90 lumens of light for six hours or 5 lumens for 41
hours, and the E2L will run for 7.25 hours at 125 lumens and 67 hours with 5
lumens. The 123A lithium batteries in these models offer a 10-year shelf life.
“What sets these lights apart from the rest of
our tactical line is their extended runtime,” says
Thomas Carlson, SureFire’s public relations
specialist. “If you need one light for a non-tactical application, any of the Outdoorsman series
make a great option.”
In addition, the Outdoorsman line also
includes the E2LAA model, which utilizes AA
alkaline/lithium batteries for added convenience
but without sacrificing the runtime. It can run
for 8.5 hours and provide 115 lumens, and offer
5 lumens for more than four days from the bat-
Remington’s ammunition plant in Lonoke,
Arkansas, will get an investment of $32 million that
will add 40,000 square feet of production space.
teries. “The E2L-AA will run for more than 100
hours on low, which is crucial in extended stays
while in the backcountry,” says Carlson.
All three models are lightweight, compact,
and designed to be easy to handle for everyday
use. And they feature an integrated two-way
high-strength steel clip that makes securing the
flashlights in a pocket or to a cap bill or brim
hassle-free. These rugged models offer dualoutput, extended runtimes, and feature O-ring
and gasket seals to ensure that each flashlight
can stand up to the elements. They are even
waterproof to 1 meter.
Made of high-strength aerospace-grade aluminum with a mil-spec Type III hard-anodized finish, the lights are equipped with SureFire’s tailcap
click-switch that provides easy and secure operation and feature a shock-resistant LED emitter
that is optimized for maximum output and efficiency. In addition, the SureFire Total Internal
Reflection (TIR) lens has been designed to deliver light in a tight beam while allowing for
enough surround light for close-range awareness.
SRP: $225, E1L; $255, E2L; $250, EL2AA.
Booth #13968. (800-828-8809; surefire.com)
F E AT U R E
Wood N’ Stream
Back in the Woods
and Streams
I
n the late 1880s, from the back of his father’s Milwaukee cobbler shop,
Albert Weinbrenner set out to design specialized work boots for the new
trade of telephone lineman working around the state of Wisconsin installing
private and public exchanges. These specialized work boots, designed to
allow the lineman to securely grip telephone poles with their legs (and hold
on tight), were called “jobber” boots (job-fitted safety work boots), and first
appeared around 1892. Popularity for Weinbrenner’s jobber boots spread
quickly in trade circles, and by 1905, they were being distributed nationally.
Nearly 125 years later, the Weinbrenner Shoe
Company, now employee-owned, is still the leading manufacturer and pioneering force in the
occupational footwear industry. The Thorogood
brand, first introduced in 1918, has grown into
the company’s premiere collection, including both
safety and non-safety styles designed for all varieties of occupational and safety requirements.
Like many footwear companies today,
Weinbrenner builds product in the United States
and imports selected product from the Asian rim.
The strategy allows the company the flexibility to
deliver “value” products at a price its customers
demand, all the while retaining the ability to craft
premium product at a higher price point.
“Our domestic product originates from our
manufacturing plants in northcentral Wisconsin
and is managed in partnership with members of
local labor unions,” says company president
Patrick Miner. “For generations, these trained
union craftsmen have been dedicated to making
high-quality comfortable boots and shoes. Our
imported product is also managed from our headquarters in Wisconsin, with the same dedication
to quality, comfort, and safety. We are constantly
exploring new opportunities to improve the safety, comfort, and performance of every product.”
Last fall, Weinbrenner announced the re-introduction of its Wood N’ Stream Outdoor
Footwear line. Originally established in 1957, the
Wood N’ Stream line encompasses both domestic
and imported models.
“These hunting boots will feature proven technology leveraging Weinbrenner’s extensive indus-
The re-introduced Wood N’ Stream line
includes a Visible Gel System (VGS) that
reduces repetitive impact stress.
try experience and manufacturing capability for
high-value, high-performance products,” Miner
says. “We believe sportsmen will appreciate the
superior comfort, durable construction, and quality materials that go into each pair of Wood N’
Stream boots.”
Features of the re-introduced line include the
Visible Gel System (VGS) and the GEN-flex3
Series. According to Miner, the state-of-the-art
interactive VGS lessens repetitive impact stress in
the heel with three layers of shock absorption,
which reduces stress on the knees and back.
Miner is obviously proud of the product. “The
first time you put on the boots, you’ll say ‘ahhhh,’”
he says. “They’re that comfortable.”
Suggested retail prices range from just under
$100 to $300. Booth #20040. (800-826-0002;
weinbrennerusa.com)
F E AT U R E
Approximately 3.5 million women have made a
first-time firearm purchase in the last three
years; that’s a market too big for forwardthinking manufacturers to ignore.
Understanding the
Women’s Market
These new gun owners are a powerful market,
but only if you know how to reach them
R
By Barbara Baird
emington’s press relations manager Jessica Kallam walks the walk
when it comes to her interest in firearms. “I, like a lot of women in
the market today, understand the responsibility and need for personal
protection. Being a single mother, I want to pass along to my daughter the responsibility of safe firearm handling, the fun of shooting,
and ultimately the ability for her to protect herself. We need products
that fit and ones we can practice with comfortably,” she says.
According to Kallam, Remington’s market
research reveals the following facts: Female shooting participation has boomed over the past six
years; approximately 3.5 million women aged 21 to
75 have made a first-time firearm purchase in the
last three years; in recent purchases, women chose
handguns at a more than two-to-one ratio over
every other category; and women who are purchasing firearms tend to focus on personal defense.
In response to this research, Remington unveiled
the R51 subcompact handgun just days ago. “The
R51 is a product that we have spent countless hours
engineering to ensure the lightest slide-racking
force and the lowest muzzle flip in the category.
What we were able to achieve is a product that is
not only easy to conceal, but also easy to operate
and easy to shoot,” says Kallam. Booth #14229.
(800-243-9700; remington.com)
By the Numbers
Beretta’s web and social manager, Matteo
Recanatini, is a numbers guy. “Our industry is rife
with seasoned professionals who are extremely
sharp at predicting trends before any sign is readable on a balance sheet. However, we tend to get
tunnel vision and trust our instincts when we
should seek a second opinion,” he says. “For this
reason, a growing portion of our staff is dedicated
to data analysis, which serves as a voice of reason in
all the decisions we make.”
Beretta, like most companies, also conducts market surveys. “We understand that new consumers
have questions that we may not be used to answering for the average multi-gun owner. These questions are often not voiced in the same places where
seasoned shooters and hunters usually gather.”
So, Beretta has created a place on its website where
a new gun buyer can find a “journey partner.” The
special section includes, according to Recanatini,
“educational content, places to ask questions—a
space where future gun owners can learn the basics
at their pace, and where they can ask questions without concerns of whether they are using the correct
term or not.” Beretta has taken this information and
created products with first-time users in mind—
products such as the Nano, already a popular choice
among first-time female buyers, and the Pico, which
will be available late in the first quarter of 2014.
Booth #13962. (301-283-2191; berettausa.com)
Laser Focus
Celia Crane handles PR and social media for
LaserMax Inc. “LaserMax’s purchase confirmation
data reveals that the company’s customer base is
made up of a far higher number of female shooters
than in previous years. Concealed carry is gaining
traction with women in their 40s who have had no
previous exposure to shooting sports,” she says. In
response to the trend, LaserMax created a
Facebook fan page, “Armed and in Charge,” that
addresses the needs of new female shooters. The
company also supports the NRA Women’s
Network and is the founding sponsor of the annual
Women’s Industry Dinner at SHOT Show.
“Women don’t want to be handed equipment and
gear that was designed for men and then painted
pink. The firearms manufacturers we work with
recognize this paradigm shift and are all moving in
the direction of addressing the women’s market
with pistol options designed for discriminating
tastes and real-world needs,” Crane says. “As these
new models emerge, LaserMax will be right there
to design lasers offering seamless integration as well
as safety and tactical benefits that no other laser
systems offer.” Booth #12771. (800-527-3703;
lasermax.com)
F E AT U R E
Remington Defense’s
new Concealed Sniper
Rifle (CSR), a 7.62
NATO/.308 Win. boltaction, will initially only
be available for LE and
military use, but could
join the civilian ranks
soon.
Remington Defense Debuts
New Concealable Sniper Rifle
It’s accurate, hard-hitting, and a treat to shoot By Brian McCombie
M
y first shot with Remington Defense’s new Concealable Sniper Rifle (CSR) was a miss, though I didn’t feel
too terrible about sliding the .308 Win. bullet just over the top of the circular, 12-inch steel target—at
400 yards! I worked the bolt, chambered another round, and made a hit, then two more before taking on a
bull’s-eye painted on a steel door 600 yards in the distance. According to my spotter, my next three shots
were misses. I was a little frustrated by the third “Miss!” my spotter called out, so I racked back the bolt to
clear the CSR, twisted around, and asked him, “Just how bad am I missing?”
“Like an inch left and an inch or two high on every shot,” he said, grinning. “Miss!”
That, I decided, was a set of misses I could live with. It was also quite a testament to Remington Defense’s new-for-2014 CSR, a 7.62 NATO/.308 Win.
bolt-action that will be available to Law Enforcement and military customers
this year. It very well could hit the consumer market soon afterward, too.
Built on a RACS Lightweight Chassis, with a 16-inch carbon barrel made
by Proof Research, the CSR comes in at a surprising 9 pounds. Remington
Defense took the bolt action it uses on its MSR sniper rifle and shortened it
to create the Remington CSR Titanium Action with a 60-degree throw. The
CSR has a right-folding, lightweight, and fully adjustable buttstock and a
modular handguard with removable accessory rails. The rifle I used had a
black Cerakote Gen II IR-reducing finish. The rifle employs a detachable
magazine, and uses a two-position safety. It will also come in a 20-inch fluted
barrel version, and alternate calibers are in the works.
Pull down on a throw lever under the barrel, and the CSR easily breaks
down into five separate components that will easily fit into a suitcase or
other less noticeable package.
“Right now, the CSR is being built strictly for a government contract,”
says Adam Ballard, product manager for DPMS Firearms. “There isn’t a
consumer version, yet. But we are expecting it will have a lot of potential in
the consumer market as the government contract plays out.”
I fired the CSR at Gunsite in Paulden, Arizona, one of the nation’s top
shooting facilities, last month as part of a Freedom Group new tactical
products seminar. This CSR was equipped with a Leupold Mark 6
3–18x44mm scope, and I was using Remington Premier Match ammunition, with 168-grain MatchKing BTHP bullets.
As a civilian recreational shooter, I can’t wait for this rifle to hit the consumer market. It was extremely accurate, and had a smooth-as-silk twostage trigger. The bolt worked easily and locked positively. With an
Advanced Armaments Corporation 762-SD suppressor on the end of the
barrel, the rifle had very minimal recoil.
Admittedly, my experiences with the CSR were limited. But to be dinging steel at 400 yards with shot number two, and then coming within a
few inches of the bull’s-eye at 600 yards? That tells me the CSR will have
a lot of applications for rec shooters like me who like pegging steel at distance, and it should have some impressive long-range hunting applications, too. Booth #14262. (800-548-8572; remingtondefense.com)
F E AT U R E
MINUTES
WITH…
Mike
Galloway
Vice President of
Sales and Marketing,
Hard Core Brands
It’s Not Easy
H
Hard Core Brands, like its name, has no interest in taking
the easy way out By Slaton L. White
ard Core Brands is an Illinois-based manufacturer of serious waterfowl gear. But it doesn’t just want to be known
for wingshooting; it also makes gear for deer and turkey hunters. The company has been around for 10 years, but
never quite got traction until a new management team came aboard two years ago. In little more than 18 months,
the number of SKUs went from 36 to more than 600. And Mike Galloway says more is on the way.
SHOT Daily: Your website says, “Our goals are
rent, and push water along to the back end of the
keel. It keeps the decoy moving back to front, like
a real duck.
simple: Customer Service, Customer Service, Customer
Service. Hard Core Brands, International…IT’S NOT
EASY!” No kidding. How do you achieve your goals?
SD: You’ve also introduced a cool-looking Texas-
Mike Galloway: To achieve our goals of
having superior customer service, we have four
full-time customer service representatives available to answer customer questions and concerns,
but it doesn’t stop there. Anyone can call our
number [800-YOU-HUNT] and reach me, or
the vice president of product development, or
even the president of the company. We’re all
accessible to our customers. We love to talk to
our customers.
That’s not all. We have more than 125 pro
staffers who are available and prepared to talk to
our customers, too. We rely on them to answer
specific questions. If a customer in Mississippi
who hunts rice fields calls and has a product-use
question, we’ll have a pro-staff member in that
area who hunts rice fields call that customer and
answer his or her questions.
SD: Your website seems to take a lot of pains to
rigged decoy system as well.
MG: What we wanted to do was offer our custom-
Hard Core Brands vice president Mike Galloway
wants customers to know the company’s products
were all designed by dedicated hunters.
including Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s, and
many more, including independent retailers. We
stand behind our blinds, just like any of our other
products, and that goes for the mom-and-pop
stores all the way up through the biggest chains.
That commitment has helped in the success of
the blinds and other products.
show the people behind the brand are die-hard outdoorsmen. How important is that image to the success of the company?
SD: Your new dove decoys look really lifelike. How
MG: It’s very important. I want our customers to
really looked hard at the manufacturing process.
We wanted a dove decoy that was fully flocked and
portable. For that to work, you have to understand
the flocking process and the materials involved.
The flocking has to stick to the material, yet we
needed a material that would let the decoy collapse
and be portable. Once we solved that, the rest is in
the carving. We have world championship-level
carvers who created an amazing decoy.
know that our products weren’t developed by someone who has no idea how they will be used in real
hunting applications. Our products are developed
by hard-core hunters who are out there using the
products. If you believe in something you sell and
it’s something you use, it comes across to those who
are buying the product. We believe in everything
we sell because we rely on it to have success on our
own hunts. But it’s more than an image. We go to
great lengths to develop features in our products
that separate us from our competitors.
SD: Last year you showed us the layout blind. We
liked its solid construction and portability. How did
your customers receive it?
MG: I believe we have one of the best-selling
blinds on the market. The proof is in the pudding, so to speak, but with our blinds, the RunN-Gunner, the Man Cave, and the Apprentice,
we can’t make ’em fast enough.
Our blinds are carried by all the major players,
did you do that?
MG: The devil’s in the details, and in this case, we
ers the best decoy with the best paint (we have a
three-year warranty) and have it so the hunter can
buy the decoys, take them right to the lake, clip on
the weights, and be ready to hunt. We wanted the
decoys to be affordable, too. For so long, guys
would have to buy decoys, then buy the rigging,
and then take the time to set it all up. But after a
season of hunting, the decoys would need to be
repainted. Today, people just don’t have the money
to repaint decoys at the end of every season. The
Texas-rig system is one of the easiest ways to set up
a decoy for hunting. It’s all assembled and ready to
use. All of our decoys have the hole pre-drilled for
using the Texas rig, too. I would say that all of our
new buyer sales have been the pre-rigged decoys.
SD: Can you explain the design process of the tree
rest for your dog?
MG: A lot of trial and error went into the the
deke a truly lifelike look in the water. How did you
accomplish that?
Hard Core Dog Timber Stand. We tried a lot of
different stands, many of which had features we
liked. We took those good features and worked
on creating a stand that met all of our, and our
dog’s, needs. It had to be portable, lightweight,
and easy to set up in the dark. Drainage was also
key. Most other stands have a plastic or wooden
base. Your dog ends up freezing to the base. That
just doesn’t work. You have to take care of your
dog. We looked at a lot of the features of the best
portable treestands used for bowhunting, as well,
to create what we feel is the ultimate dog timber
stand. We made a video that explains it very well.
[Check it out at tinyurl.com/timberstand.]
MG: You’re talking about our Whaletail Keel,
SD: Why should a retailer invest in your company
SD: Your new duck decoys utilize a keel to give the
something that took more than four years to perfect. To get truly lifelike movement from your
decoys, you need to look at the flow of water past
the keel. The inspiration was a whale’s tail. A lot
of people look at the large hole in the front of the
keel and assume it is just a finger hole for throwing out the decoys. It was actually designed to
control the flow of water with the slightest of cur-
and your products?
MG: We’re not doing our job if we’re not driv-
ing people into the retailer looking for Hard Core
product. The retailer’s job to put it on the shelf;
it’s our top priority to make sure there is a consumer demand for the product. Booth #11030.
(815-587-8700; hardcore-brands.com)
F E AT U R E
Meet the Masters of
Customer Service
MasterPiece Arms commits to making customer
service priority number one
T
oo often, in the rush to capitalize on market demand, manufacturers can forget
about the folks who actually bought the product. Not MasterPiece Arms, the
Georgia-based maker of tactical rifles, pistols, and related accessories. Like
many other firearms manufacturers over the past couple of years, MasterPiece
has experienced robust sales, so much so that the volume strained its customerservice operations.
“We focused all our efforts on
filling outstanding orders,” says
CEO Phil Cashin. Although those
efforts certainly bolstered company
coffers, in the process Cashin
noticed a critical issue had raised
its ugly little head.
“We recognized that our customers were experiencing problems with accessory orders and
with our warranty repair orders,”
he says. “It was just taking too long
to get the product to them.”
Cashin and his team conducted a
MasterPiece Arms has strengthened its commitment to providing
the best customer service.
thorough evaluation of their procedures. They then decided that
customers who had supported
MasterPiece on the sales side
needed, in turn, to be supported by
MasterPiece on the service side.
So, last fall the manufacturer
assigned dedicated personnel (as
well as the appropriate resources)
to remedy the shipping delays.
“The new MasterPiece Arms
Customer Service Mission states
that all warranty repairs will be
completed and shipped back to the
customer within 48 hours of
receipt,” Cashin says. “Orders for all
in-stock accessories will be shipped
to the customer within 48 hours of
the receipt of the order. If, for any
reason, MasterPiece Arms does not
notify the customer or ship the warranty repair or in-stock product
within 48 hours, MPA will issue a
$25 certificate to be used on any
MPA accessory or service.”
Cashin notes that the guarantee
does not apply to out-of-stock
parts, and shipping is limited to
weekdays only. But still, this is a
company that understands that
when it comes to service, it needed
to put its money where its mouth
was. Consider it a tip of the hat to
those who got them there.
Booth #2716. (770-832-9430;
masterpiecearms.com)
F E AT U R E
Going the Distance
Remington’s Hypersonic rifle ammo extends the
range of the hunter By David Draper
D
espite the high velocities that hunters always seem to be chasing, faster is not always
better when it comes to big-game bullets. Increasing velocities has a way of also
increasing problems in both ballistic and terminal performance, particularly among
lesser-made loads. They either lack extreme accuracy to make the long shot, are too
fragile and do not perform well at close ranges, or resist expansion at the longer ranges where the
terminal velocity of the bullet is drastically reduced. Still, in many respects, speed does kill, especially at longer ranges, and that’s what consumers increasingly ask for. To meet that need with a
bullet that works, Remington developed the Hypersonic Bonded ammunition for centerfire rifles.
“We wanted to provide hunters
and shooters with a product that
would extend the effective range of
their existing firearm by developing
game-changing velocity and flatter
trajectory loads, combined with
extreme accuracy and terminal performance in the most popular cartridges they already use,” says Nick
Sachse, Remington’s senior product
manager of centerfire rifle ammunition and ammunition components.
“Simply stated, you can shoot farther, accurately, and you can rest
assured knowing that the specially
engineered bullet is absolutely going
to do its job when it gets there.”
First introduced at last year’s
SHOT Show, Remington
Hypersonic Rifle Bonded ammuni-
tion gained a few new SKUs this past
fall, including a 180-grain .308 offering and a 7mm Remington Magnum
in 160-grain. All Hypersonic rifle
cartridges feature Remington’s proprietary blend of loading components specifically developed to deliver a deadly combination of increased
velocity and flat trajectory.
To achieve increased velocities of
100 to 150 feet per second faster,
Remington worked with its industry partners to create efficient propellants that deliver the precise
burn rates necessary to maximize
the acceleration while maintaining
operating pressures within industry
standard safe levels. The company
then added first-rate primers and
quality cases, to optimize the com-
pany’s CoreLokt bullet.
“Our CoreLokt Ultra Bonded bullets were intentionally designed to
shoot accurately at the elevated velocities achieved with Hypersonic Rifle
Bonded ammunition,” says Sachse.
“This precision accuracy equates to
extended-range capability and superior terminal ballistic performance at
the velocities seen at both up close
and extended distances.”
Like the original CoreLokt bullets, the jackets are drawn on one-ofa-kind presses that create virtually
no wall thickness variation that can
lead to poor accuracy and erratic terminal ballistic performance, especially at high speeds. The mid-section is
further thickened and tapered to
control expansion without sacrificing
Remington’s
Hypersonic Rifle
Bonded ammunition
takes the CoreLokt
Ultra Bonded bullets
and maximizes their
speed while keeping
a flat trajectory.
its ability to reliably initiate expansion at the lower speeds seen at long
range. A proprietary manufacturing
process ensures the bullet is completely homogenous in its construction, meaning there are no voids to
be found between the jacket and lead
core or within the lead core that
could lead to poor accuracy and, of
course, the soft lead core is chemically bonded to the jacket to ensure
they will not separate upon impact.
“Loaded to Hypersonic velocities,
the CoreLokt Ultra Bond makes it
possible for hunters to ethically and
effectively extend the range of their
existing firearm in existing chamberings,” says Sachse. Booth #15427.
(800-243-9700; remington.com)
NEWS
Golden Moose
Award Winners
Last night Outdoor Channel revealed the
winners of the 14th Annual Golden Moose
Awards. Among the winners were Jim
Shockey’s The Professionals, Best Overall
Production; Shooting USA’s Impossible
Shots, Best Shooting; Ram Outdoorsman,
Best Show Open; Hornady’s Dark and
Dangerous, Best General Interest Show;
and MidwayUSA’s Gun Stories, Best
Conservation/Educational/Instructional.
In the Fan Favorite category, winners
included Ted Nugent’s Spirit of the Wild;
Chris Brackett’s Arrow Affliction; and
Adam LaRoche, Ryan Langerhans, Tombo
Martin, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and
Willie Robertson of Buck Commander:
Protected by Under Armour.
In addition, Larry Potterfield was given
an honorary Lifetime Achievement award.
S&W’s Snubby .460
T
here’s something comforting about holding a pistol that feels like you can use it
to club a bear to death if necessary. The
new snubby Smith & Wesson .460 XVR
Performance Center revolver is a real hunk of
steel—but it’s a very well balanced and
comfortable-shooting hunk of steel.
Lots of shooters shy away from large-caliber
handguns for a variety reasons. Seeing a little 2.5inch barrel on a handgun that previously sold as a
long-barreled hunting handgun is a tad disconcerting at first. But, we must venture forward to
learn our limits, so I stepped up to the range as
others shook their heads and said, “No thanks.”
This is the first short-barreled offering of the
S&W X-Frame .460XVR with an unfluted cylinder, bringing the revolver out of the field and
into the self-defense arena. I eased my way into
the big single/double-action gun, loading a .45
Long Colt, a .454 Casull, and, finally, the hefty
Supporting
Semper Fi
Medford Knife & Tool, a manufacturer of highend tactical knives, and Moteng North America, a
distributor of hunting, shooting, and tactical
products, recently teamed up for a good cause.
Greg Medford created a one-of-a-kind Praetorian
folder and donated it to Moteng to help support
the Semper Fi Fund (semperfifund.org). The
S&W .460 Magnum.
The Colt round barely made the 60-ounce gun
flinch. The Casull barked with a little muzzle flip,
as did the .460, but just barely. The contoured
synthetic grip is just plain comfy. More important, all three rounds were right on target. Booth
#13731. (smith-wesson.com) —David Maccar
Semper Fi Fund is a nonprofit organization set up
to provide immediate financial assistance and lifetime support for injured and critically ill members
of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
Moteng held an online auction last fall. The
high bidder would be flown to the 2014 SHOT
Show (at Moteng’s expense), where he would
receive the knife at a presentaiton at the Medford
booth. The winner, James Hontz, who bid $3,000,
received the custom-made knife yesterday. Moteng
then added $2,500, making for a total donation of
$5,500. Booth #10263. (medfordknifeandtool.com)
1/16/14 3:57 PM
NEWS
MINUTES
WITH…
MINI
SCABBARD ®
Conceived for Men,
Adam Blalock
President and CEO, Walther Arms, Inc.
Crucial Move
But Women Love It
Too!
Walther has reestablished itself in the United
States By Slaton L. White
W
alther is a highly regarded brand, and its products grace the
homes of many American shooters. But until recently, the company, based in Arnsberg, Germany, didn’t have a corporate presence in the U.S. That changed when Walther Arms Inc.—the
U.S. division of Walther, which is headquartered in Fort Smith,
Arkansas—officially took over all aspects of the U.S. business. SHOT Business sat
down with Adam Blalock, president and CEO of Walther Arms, Inc., to get his
take on Walther and the state of the shooting-sports industry as a whole.
SHOT Daily: Walther recently reestablished
itself in the U.S. with an impressive facility in Fort
Smith, Arkansas. Why was this a crucial move for the
company? What does it mean for retailers?
MSRP
99
59
$
Style 019
• Premium cowhide
• Detailed molding
• Adjustable tension device
Adam Blalock: It was an absolutely crucial
move. Providing world-class service to U.S. customers requires a U.S. presence—a presence in all
respects. Primarily, that means dedicated Walther
personnel, but the physical presence of a worldclass facility for the operation is also vital. Our
campus in Fort Smith is the right tool for our
mission. And I’m proud to be located in a state
that is friendly and supportive to gun owners.
Arkansas welcomed Walther with open arms.
SD: What is the relationship between the U.S. arm
and its German parent?
AB: We are family-owned, and legally and
Please visit us
at Booth # 10962
We didn’t invent concealment,
we just perfected it!
technically, the two companies have common
ownership [shareholders]. But as it relates to a
real “relationship,” the answer is simple: We are
one team. In every aspect of the business,
Walther associates on both sides of the Atlantic
work together.
SD: Your role as president and CEO provides you
with a unique perspective on the shooting-sports
industry. What would you say is the current state of
the industry? What are its greatest challenges?
800-GUNHIDE
631-841-6300
www.desantisholster.com
431 Bayview Avenue,
Amityville, NY 11701
BC_023287_SBDD413P.indd 1
058_SHD04_5MW-AB.indd 58
AB: Of course, 2013 was an extraordinary time
in our market, one unmatched in history. The
ongoing legislative challenges and relentless
assault on our right to keep and bear arms at the
federal level and state by state is an obvious challenge for our industry. But we also have an
extraordinary opportunity in front of us—we’re
fortunate to have so many new first-time gun
owners. What will our industry do with that
opportunity? Can we continue to recruit new
participation? Will our industry be welcoming,
friendly, and enthusiastic toward first-time participants in order to retain and grow our market?
When I visit with shooters, retailers, distributors,
and competitors, I’m more than optimistic
because it seems that most everyone recognizes
the opportunity and wants to grow the whole pie.
SD: When you wake up in the morning, what gets
you excited about your business?
AB: Aside from the opportunity to be part of a
company and a brand that is nearly 130 years
old, I love the culture of our industry. This
includes work, family, customers, press, and
competitors. In the population we call “the gun
industry,” you find an extraordinary number of
solid people with strong values and fabric. They
express deeply held beliefs about family, faith,
and work ethics. They are patriots and defenders
of freedom. I’m humbled to be a part of that.
11/21/13 4:05 PM
1/16/14 3:03 PM
NEWS
Over-theCounter
Custom
Scopes
U.S. Optics enters
commercial market
The SR-4C dot sight features true 1X power and a
daylight-visible red-dot sight (second focal plane)
rolled up in a lightweight and rugged 30mm hardanodized aluminum body. The red dot can be set at
any of 12 pre-programmed intensity settings. The
lower four settings are night-vision-compatible.
By Robert Sadowski
F
or nearly a quarter century,
U.S. Optics has been building
custom riflescopes. But to the
general shooting public, the
manufacturer has been the optics industry’s best-kept secret. Not anymore.
The company began life in the garage of its
founder, John Ben Williams Jr., in 1990. His intent
was to create an optics company that would provide
truly custom telescopic rifle sights that were
designed by shooters for shooters. He did just that.
Over the years and after numerous custom riflescope orders from around the world, U.S. Optics
saw a commonality of requested features from military and law-enforcement personnel, competitive
shooters, and hunters. These similar features—such
as magnification range, reticle type, reticle illumination color, and exterior finish—were the genesis
of the U.S. Optics commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) product line.
“U.S. Optics has always serviced the shooting
community with a large amount of features for
shooters to truly customize a scope for their intended purpose,” says George Syrengelas, director of
sales operations for U.S. Optics. “Now, with a distilled and pared-down line of core products, U.S.
Optics will be more flexible and better suited to
build larger numbers.”
Syrengelas is careful to note that U.S. Optics is
not looking to omit customized models from the
lineup. The intent is to get excellent-quality scopes
in the hands of shooters faster.
The new off-the-shelf models that make up
the commercial product line were designed to
meet the common and popular features found on
custom-made scopes; there is very little difference between them and the custom-built optics.
All COTS products come off the same production lines and are assembled by the same skilled
technicians who build every custom scope.
The 2014 product line nomenclature is based
on purpose-driven product groups with respective
model number prefixes—SR for Short Range,
MR for Mid Range, LR for Long Range, and ER
for Extended Range. Within each product group,
there are two or more models from which customers can choose. Booth #20031. (714-582-1956;
usoptics.com)
CT45
NEW!!
Model: CT4543
Caliber: .45 ACP
Barrel: 4.04”
Capacity: 7+1
Height: 5.25”
Slide Width: 1.01”
Length O/A: 6.57”
Weight: 23.7 oz
MSRP: $449.00
CT40
NEW!!
Model: CT4043
Caliber: .40 S&W
Barrel: 4.0”
Capacity: 7+1
Height: 5.13”
Slide Width: .94”
Length O/A: 6.5”
Weight: 21.8 oz
MSRP: $449.00
®
w w w.kahr.com
Booth# 15949
12.09.2013 11:15
059_SHD04_USO.indd 59
AdID: 23826 SBDD414
1/16/14 3:00 PM
NEWS
It’s a Gas!
The Umarex Octagon
is a gas-spring air rifle
that’s both powerful
and accurate
By Jock Elliott
T
he Octane is Umarex’s first
venture into making and
bringing to market a gasspring break-barrel air rifle.
The 48.5-inch, 10-pound 3-ounce air
rifle (with included scope) delivers a
ton of power, accompanied by a
neighbor-friendly report.
Available in .177 caliber and .22, the heart of the
Octane is a powerplant that Umarex has dubbed
the “Reverse-Axis Gas Piston,” or ReAxis for short.
The ReAxis powerplant uses a gas cylinder—very
similar to the gas strut that lifts the rear gate of
minivans and SUVs—to store and release energy.
By contrast, conventional spring-piston airguns use
a steel spring for energy storage.
The ReAxis mechanism works the same way as
a conventional spring-piston powerplant; when
you pull the barrel down and back, you drive the
piston down the cylinder, compressing the gas
inside the gas spring. The cocked powerplant sits
Powered by Umarex’s innovative ReAxis powerplant, the Octagon operates silently and smoothly—especially in conjunction with the SilencAir
airgun suppressor. The two-stage adjustable trigger lets off at 3.5 pounds.
there, storing energy until the shooter pulls the
trigger. When that happens, in an instant the gas
spring drives the piston forward, compressing air
in front of it until the compressed air squirts
through the transfer port into the breech, blasting
the pellet down the barrel.
There are several advantages to the gas spring
powerplant. There is no spring noise during the
cocking stroke; it’s as silent and smooth as a bank
vault and requires about 42 pounds of effort on
the Octane. In addition, there is no spring torque,
twang, or vibration when the shot goes off; all
you’ll feel is a quick pulse of recoil and the shot
goes downrange. Further, you can leave a gas piston airgun cocked for days without worrying that
a steel spring is going to weaken or take a “set.”
Finally, experienced air-rifle hunters report that
gas-spring air rifles are easier to shoot well off
sticks or a rest because they are less “hold sensitive” than conventional spring-piston air rifles.
ReAxis is unique in that the gas spring operates
in reverse of other gas springs, providing more
mass behind the piston. The result is more power
at the muzzle. Although the Octane box claims
1,250 fps with alloy pellets and 1,050 fps with
lead pellets, for greatest accuracy, it’s best to keep
pellets well below the speed of sound (1,100 fps at
sea level). The .22 Octane I tested would launch
14.3-grain pellets at an average of 838 fps for an
impressive 22.5 foot-pounds of energy at the
muzzle. With proper shot placement, that’s more
than enough to anchor that raccoon that’s been
molesting your garbage cans or a woodchuck in
the garden.
The Octane, which comes with a three-year
warranty, features an all-weather ambidextrous
composite thumbhole stock with a soft-rubber
buttpad. The two-stage adjustable trigger lets off
at about 3.5 pounds. The 3–9x40 AO duplex reticle scope connects to the receiver through a
Picatinny rail adapter for secure mounting. In
addition to the scope, there are front and rear
fiber-optic sights.
At the end of the 19.5-inch barrel is the
SilencAir, a molded polymer five-chamber nonremovable airgun-silencing system. SilencAir
drops the report significantly, which should help
to keep peace with the neighbors.
I found the Octane to be solidly built and fun to
shoot. I was impressed by its power and smooth
operation. At 20 yards, it delivered dime-sized
five-shot groups. It’s an airgun I could happily recommend for hunting and pest control. SRP: $245.
Booth #14745. (479-646-4210; umarexusa.com)
1/16/14 2:59 PM
NEWS
The modular MVP bolt-action rifles
take advantage of the company’s
innovative FLEX locking system.
Tactical Advantage
Mossberg steps large into the tactical shooting
market By Brian McCombie
L
ike a growing number of shooters and hunters, I love firearms, optics, and gear
that reflect a tactical heritage. So I was pleased when Mossberg debuted several
new tactical rifles, including one I had a chance to use recently: the MVP FLEX,
a bolt-action chambered in 7.62 NATO (.308 Win). At first sight, the MVP
FLEX got a thumbs up from me, thanks to its black composite stock, the medium
bull barrel, six-position MSR-style stock, and Picatinny rail atop the receiver.
Even better, it proved to be very
accurate at the range, and the magazine-feeding system worked flawlessly. In the field, the rifle got bumped
around a bit, enduring rain and dirt
without missing a beat. And that
toughness allowed me to take two
black bears in northern Alberta. I’ve
reviewed a number of tactical boltactions over the past couple of years,
and the MVP FLEX is right at the
top for functionality, looks, and price.
Hold on, you say. “Tactical” and
“Mossberg”? Those terms don’t go
together, do they?
Actually, they do—probably more
so than most people realize.
In fact, Mossberg has been in the
tactical business for nearly 30 years,
in the form of the Mossberg 590A1
pump shotgun for the U.S. military.
The manufacturer still has an active
military contract for those shotguns.
The 590 is also the shotgun of
choice for the Texas Department of
Public Safety and the New York
City Police Department, and
numerous other state and federal
agencies.
Meantime, if you flip through a
recent Mossberg catalog, you’ll see a
variety of tactically focused shotguns, bolt-actions, and modern
sporting rifles (MSRs). So why don’t
more people know about this?
“For years we didn’t talk about
the military and tactical pedigree we
have,” says Tom Taylor, Mossberg’s
senior vice president of sales and
marketing. “It wasn’t really a conscious decision. For decades, our
focus has just been the traditional
hunting market. And it’s still a huge
part of what we do.”
But several years ago, Mossberg
started offering shotguns geared
toward the personal self-defense
market. Many of these shotguns,
like the Cruiser, are variations of
the flagship Mossberg 500 shotgun. Plus, Mossberg dived into the
centerfire bolt-action market in the
mid-2000s, starting with the
ATR and later the 4x4 bolt-action
offerings.
“Probably 99 percent of those
early bolt-actions were for hunting,” Taylor notes. “But we also
offered the ATR Night Train boltaction, with more of a tactical look,
as a kind of niche rifle. It was a
I
T
©
062-063_SHD04_MOS.indd 62
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news
surprisingly good seller.”
In 2012, Mossberg entered the
MSR market with the Mossberg
Modern Rifle, or MMR. At that
point there was no doubt about it:
Mossberg was fully invested in selling tactical firearms to the general
firearms buyer.
“Right away, we had an unbelievable backlog on the MMR,” Taylors
says. “It came out before the big
MSR surge, and before we knew it,
we had a one-year backlog on MMR
orders.”
Offered in 5.56mm/.223 Rem., the
MMR is a solid, well-designed MSR,
capable of great accuracy. I found
this out on an Oregon varmint
shoot, where, with quality optics, I
was able to hit diminutive ground
squirrels out to 250-plus yards. With
an adjustable six-position tactical
stock, a Picatinny quad-rail forearm
and top rail, and a black phosphate/
anodized finish, the standard model
MMR (there are eight model offerings) retails for just under $800 at
many outlets. This at a time when
many basic MSRs have an asking
price of $1,000 or better.
For 2013, Mossberg upped the
tactical ante with the MVP FLEX
and MVP Patrol rifles in
5.56mm/.223 Rem. and 7.62 NATO
(.308 Win.). One of the key features
of both rifle lines is that they use
standard MSR-style magazines.
Mossberg first made its bolt-actions
MSR-magazine capable with the
MVP Predator and Varmint models
a couple of years ago.
In 2012, Mossberg launched the
FLEX series in its 500 shotgun line,
with the patented FLEX TLS
(Tool-less Locking System), which
allows shooters to easily switch out
stocks and forends for fit and application. With the MVP FLEX rifles,
Mossberg combined the MSR magazine capabilities of the MVP series
with the ease of stock changing
from its FLEX series.
My MVP FLEX arrived with the
rifle’s standard six-position adjustable tactical stock. But Mossberg
also sent along three other traditional stocks and buttpads in two
thicknesses. The FLEX system
being all about, well, flexibility, I
decided to see just how easy it was
to change up the stock and buttpad.
As advertised, it was a breeze. I
simply pulled up on the half-moonshaped locking piece on the top of
the stock’s wrist, then turned it 90
degrees once the key was fully
extended. The stock was released
and I pulled it out. I slid a new stock
onto the now-exposed metal peg.
Once the stock was in place, I
turned the locking piece back in the
opposite direction, pushed it down,
and the new stock was firmly
secured.
Recoil pads are even easier. A
small tab is located at the toe of the
stock, just before the pad. I squeezed
the tab from both sides with my fingers, and the pad was released. I
pulled it off and snapped on a different pad.
Value-Oriented
➤ So how is Mossberg’s move into
the tactical arena going over with
firearms buyers? At Herb Bauer
Sporting Goods, an NSSF-member
retailer in Fresno, California, the
answer is, very well.
“Customer demand for both
Mossberg’s self-defense shotguns
and their tactical MVPs is outstanding,” says John Lewis, hunting department manager and
buyer. “What is so great about
Mossberg’s extensive lineup is just
that—a huge variety of firearms
with a number of individual characteristics. Take, for instance, their
Tactical 464 SPX 30-30 [lever
action]. We have many local hunters that have bought this rifle due
to the fact that the tactical stock is
adjustable for young sons or
daughters. The Picatinny rails provide another unique look, especially with the fiber-optic sights and
the MSR-type muzzle brake. This
is niche marketing at its finest.”
Lewis notes that the retailer is
able to sell every MVP it gets. “This
was a great addition to Mossberg’s
lineup because they are utilizing
MSR mags. They have great-looking laminated stocks, too, and a
variety of choices within the lineup.”
Mossberg has always had a reputation for providing firearms at a
moderate price. Some will remember Mossberg’s marketing slogan
from years back: “More gun for the
money.” Lewis says that’s still the
case with Mossberg’s tactical lineup.
“The MVP typically sells from
$600 to $750, several hundred dollars cheaper than an equivalent
model [from competitors],” he says.
“It pretty much sits in its own price
class, and it sells itself all day long.
Mossberg is truly value-oriented in
their pricing structure.”
Booth #12734. (203-230-5300;
mossberg.com)
The author with a black bear he took
with a traditional stocked Mossberg
MVP FLEX.
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2:51 PM
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#
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Boo014 linoots.
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062-063_SHD04_MOS.indd 63
1/16/14 5:58 PM
12/11/13 9:50 AM
NEWS
NEW PRODUCTS
SureFire The Dedicated Shotgun
Forend WeaponLights line now
features ultra-high light output.
SureFire
➤ SureFire has completely re-imagined its Dedicated Shotgun Forend
WeaponLights from the top down.
New DSF-Series shotgun forend
models feature an ultra-high output
of 600 lumens on high setting and
200 lumens on low. Additional features include a precision reflector,
ambidextrous switching, and sleek,
high-impact polymer that is textured for a secure grip in any tactical situation.
The new DSF models are designed
to replace the factory forends on the
Remington 870, Mossberg 500/590,
Winchester Defender 1300 and SPX,
FNH P-12, and Benelli M1 Super 90
and M2 models. No permanent
modification to the host firearm is
necessary for installation, and all
models seamlessly integrate into the
place of the factory forend.
The DSF features large, tactile
momentary and constant-on switches
on both sides for precise control by
left- or right-handed shooters.
Selecting the LED’s output is
achieved by activating the light in
constant-on mode and then pressing
the output-mode selector switch until
the desired output level (200 or 600
lumens) is set. The selected output
can then be left in constant-on mode
or switched to momentary activation,
and it stays at that output level until
reset. Every DSF-Series WeaponLight also features an integrated system-disable switch to prevent accidental activation during transport,
storage, or stealth operations. All
DSF models produce tactical-level
light (over 50 lumens) for three hours
on two 123A lithium batteries. SRP:
$375 to $395. Booth #13968. (800828-8809; surefire.com)
Thermacell
➤ Thermacell heated remote—control insoles help keep hunters comfortable in cold weather. The one
ThermaCell Remote-control inserts
are now available with removable,
rechargeable batteries.
E
R
O
M
t
E
G
U
O
Y
,
S
E
M
I
SOMEt
thAN YOU PAY FOR.
AND YOUR CUStOMERS
WILL APPRECIAtE thAt.
Del-Ton Incorporated offers a full line of AR-15 style modern
sporting rifles that promise your customers a great value
for a modest investment. We back that up with a lifetime
warranty on our rifles* and great customer service.
SHow
T
o
H
S
y
b
p
Please sTo
7
0
4
0
3
#
BTH
*Warranty applies to original owner.
064-065_SHD04_PRD.indd 64
Our online dealer portal makes it easy to order parts, upgrades and
accessories, so please visit del-ton.com for more information.
www.del-ton.com
www.facebook.com/deltoninc
1/16/14 6:16 PM
12/19/13 9:51 AM
news
Browning Trail Cameras Strike Force
and Dark Ops trail cameras are virtually undetectable by game animals.
#2348. (866-753-3837; thermacell.
com)
Flambeau
Outdoors
issue has been when the charge runs
out while a hunter is still on stand.
But the new ProFLEX heated
insoles go a long way toward solving
that problem. These heated insoles
retain all the benefits of the original
product, but add one key additional
feature—a rechargeable, removable
battery that can be pulled out and
replaced with a fully charged spare
for extended operation. In addition,
the battery cover is made from
Poron, an anti-microbial shockabsorbing cushion, and the waterresistant insoles use a more flexible
material for easier insertion into a
variety of hunting boots.
ThermaCell has also revised the
charging system by including a wallcharger and a USB port. Booth
.
➤ The M.A.D. Walking Tom is the
first gobbler decoy in the industry
in a non-threatening walking pose.
While strut and half-strut decoys
excite aggressive, territorial
responses in many gobblers, they
frighten just as many away. The
Walking Tom still challenges other
toms, but won’t scare as many away.
It’s sized to look like a smaller,
18-pound gobbler instead of a giant
boss. The decoy is finished in realistic feather detail and paints, and is
made of collapsible plastic and can
crush down to fit in a gamebag.
The beard can be displayed full
length or shortened to look like a
jake beard to make the decoy even
less threatening. The plastic beard
supplied with the decoy can be
replaced with a real one. Grommets
on the sides let you attach real
wings for added authenticity. The
lightweight decoy will move easily
in the wind and comes with a folding stake. SRP: $49.99. Booth
#1750. (flambeaucases.com)
Browning Trail
Cameras
➤ The new Strike Force and Dark
Ops Trail Cameras measure only
4.3x3.8x2.4 inches, making them so
small they are virtually undetectable
by animal or human eyes. Each
camera is conveniently powered by
six AA batteries, sets up easily, and
features time, date, temperature,
moon phase, and camera ID on the
data strip of every image.
Trigger speeds of .67 seconds,
recovery times of 2.1 seconds, and
increased power efficiency allow the
cameras to capture more than 10,000
images on a single battery charge.
And when it comes to infrared images, the auto-adjusting illumination
feature prevents overexposed images
in nighttime photos and videos while
the extended illumination feature
brightens the entire field of view and
eliminates dark edges. Booth
#15642. (888-618-4496; browning
flame-resistant properties of Nomex
while offering the combination of
authentic military style and functionality. It is available in sage,
black, and khaki. The Z24P021CWU-45P offers the same Nomex
fabric and cut, is available in brown,
and is equipped with a removable
lining for added warmth.
The Z21P026-U.S. Government
A-1 offers the classic lines of an A-2
Flight Jacket, and is made of the
company’s exclusive fire-retardant
cowhide leather. Available in black,
the jacket has large patch pockets
with flap closures. Booth #8009.
(212-575-1616; cockpitusa.com)
trailcameras.com)
Cockpit USA
➤ Cockpit USA is flying high with
a new line of lightweight Nomex
Jackets. The Z26P005-CWU-45P, a
modified CWU 45P, features the
Cockpit USA Cockpit’s new line of
lightweight Nomex jackets combine
classic style and utility.
EOTech’s Holographic Weapon Sight is superior to red dots:
• Large ring around the dot gets you on target faster
• The smallest dot in the industry provides better accuracy
• Square window offers the largest feld of view
transform your arsenal.
XPS Black
.
.
3 9:51 AM
For more information, visit www.eotech-inc.com/products/sights/xps2
064-065_SHD04_PRD.indd 65
An
Communications Company © 2013, L-3 EOTech
12/21/13 1:47 PM
1/16/14 6:17 PM
show scenes
SHOT Business Editor Slaton L. White presented CorBon/
Glaser with the Company of the Year Award.
Competitive shooter and instructor
Todd Jarrett “caught in the act.”
Bushnell Outdoor Products presented a check to the
Folds of Honor Foundation to help families of veterans.
At the NSSF State of the Industry Dinner Tuesday night,
NSSF president Steve Sanetti told attendees to “be
proud” of upholding “a precious American tradition.”
Galco Gunleather debuted a new
shoulder-rig platform that securely
holds almost any knife sheath.
Smith & Wesson had its snubby new Performance Center
.460XVR revolver ready to fire on Range Day. The gun handles .45 Long Colt, .454 Casull, and .460 magnum rounds.
Known for combining comedy and magic, Penn & Teller
closed their show with the “bullet catch” illusion.
SHOT Daily, the daily newspaper of
the 2014 SHOT Show, again chronicled the events of another recordbreaking show.
Megan Erskine aims a KPOS Generation 2 P.O.W. conversion kit from FAB Defense, which allows you to turn your
handgun into a fully adjustable personal-defense weapon
with multiple rails, a scope, and a folding stock.
One of the lovely sights from SHOT Show: women shooters, who are joining our ranks in record numbers.
066_SHD04_SCN.indd 66
1/16/14 6:37 PM

Millions and Billions

Transcription

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