25 Jan 2018 SHOT Show, Third Day:

I saw my old friend, Brian Hoffner, today. He showed me his “Hand Hawk.” I saw this last year, but it was not in production then. It will be next month.

Hand Hawk is a small (9″), flat hatchet, with an integral fire-hydrant wrench, oxygen-tank wrench, 3/8″ drive socket, and pry-tool. I’m getting a copy for my travels!

Ashley Burnsed at Blue Force Gear, also an old friend, showed me the version of their Vickers Sling (2-point) that has now been adopted by the USMC. A quick-release snap has been added.

It’s the one to get!

Other hot sellers at BFG are pocket holsters, pocket magazine-holders, and their excellent trauma kits.

I had lunch with another old friend, Marty Topper, who has forgotten more about ammunition that I’m ever likely to know.

In 9mm, he likes:

Underwood 100gr +p all copper bullet (Lehigh Defense HP bullet)
Black Hills 100gr +p, also with the Lehigh all-copper HP bullet

in 5.56×45, he likes:

Speer 64gr Gold Dot
Black Hills 62gr, Barnes TSX bullet

The foregoing are not the only good choices for serious carry, of course, but when Marty talks, I listen!

At the FN booth I discovered that the FNC pistol is essentially out of production, having been super-ceded by the FN 509. The 509 is excellent, but magazine-release buttons on both sides of the pistol are a bad idea! As I wear the pistol, I don’t want a magazine-release button facing to the outside where it can be inadvertently depressed, unlocking my magazine.

In their enthusiasm to be trendy, manufacturers like FN have embraced “ambidexterity,” without thinking it through!

For the same reason, I don’t like “ambidextrous” manual safety levers, on rifles or pistols.

Friends as Action Target showed me a portable pistol/rifle steel target (disk) that can be mounted on a collapsible stand (no tools necessary). All the user need supply is a 2×4 of any length. Quick set-up and take-down. All goes into a briefcase-sized bag!

It’s so new, they don’t have a name for it yet, but this is something I can really use on a remote outdoor ranges where we often find ourselves.

Keith Roosa at Alessi Leather makes wonderful concealed-carry holsters for many pistols, but topping the list are:

G43, 42
S&W Shield
XDS
SIG 938, 238
Kahr “C” Series
Kimber Micro

Again, discreet (and comfortable) concealed carry is a growing market!

When you like leather, you won’t do better than Alessi!

I got an education this afternoon from women at Undertech. They manufacture compression concealment T-shirts and pants that incorporate gun-pockets for small pistols. T-shirts are intended for wear under outer-garments, and permit discreet under-arm carry.

For many women, waist-carry (appendix or hip) is not appealing, nor even possible with many common styles of dress. We male instructors sometimes forget that our female colleagues have to drop their pants several times every day, which is why they don’t like to load-up their waist with guns and accessories!

Many women thus opt for off-body carry. But, for those who want the pistol on their body, but out of sight, and not on their waist, this T-shirt may represent an acceptable option. I don’t know how comfortable it is, but several of my female colleagues are testing it now!

Tomorrow is the last day!

/John