19 Jan 15
2015 SHOT Show, Las Vegas, NV, âMedia Dayâ
Today, we attended two of the three live-fire SHOT show events.
There was the regular âMedia Day.â Many vendors there, and an opportunity to shoot new guns. However, many non-shooting booths also.
There was a simultaneous âMilitary Range Dayâ at another range, way on the other side of town. Lots of shooting going on there!
Then, there was a third live-fire range, this one devoted to SIG products, at a yet different outdoor range.
We did not get to SIGâs range, but we made the other two.
Here is what I saw and found interesting:
Glock had on display several of their pistols fitted with small red-dots. Delta Point, Leupold, and DR. However, iron sights on all pistols there, were unusable, as the optic blocked the path between rear and front. They needed âsuppressorâ sights that are high enough to be used through the optic. The display must have been put-together in a hurry!
IWI had on display a 9mm version of their Tavor Rifle, as well as their version of the CZ, called the âJericho.â Weâve had good luck with Tavors in Classes, but the rifle is not perfect. Locking the bolt to the rear is clumsy and awkward, and there is no bolt forward-assist. Factory trigger is poor. However, Geisseleâs drop-in replacement is suburb!
I was able to use Aimpointâs new T2 optic. Superior to the T1! Dot is crisper throughout the entire optic, particularly the edges, and turning up the brightness does not âbloom-outâ the optic. Recommended!
I handled several competitors of the Glock.
Service pistols that are (1) striker-fired, (2) have variable grip-geometry, (3) have no de-cocking lever, and (4) no manual safety, (5) are polymer framed and (6) equipped with a âcapturedâ recoil spring are the ones being increasingly used by modern police. In fact, hammer-fired autoloaders, particularly those with manual de-cocking levers, now sit on store shelves, doing little more than gathering dust!
Glock, to their credit, were the first pistols to meet the above criteria, variable grip-geometry being the last feature added.
Now, some real competition:
SIG320. Iâm carrying a copy now, and it runs just fine. I wouldnât carry it if it didnât! Non-tabbed trigger is crisp, with a short reset. All other competitors have a tabbed trigger, similar to Glockâs, with the exception of S&Wâs M&P, which has a âjointedâ trigger (accomplishes the same thing).
S&W M&P. Weâre seeing lots of these, and they hold-up well. I carried a copy for a year and a half. Never bobbled!
SA/XD and XD/M. These run every bit as well as Glocks. Iâve carried these too. An excellent system!
H&K VP9. A G17-sized, double-column, 9mm service pistol. Solid gun, and genuinely elegant, as least by H&K standards.
Walther PPQ. Again, G17-sized. The wonderful 5.5-pound trigger, feels like three! Short reset, like the SIG320.
FNS. Jointed trigger, similar to S&Wâs. Manual safety is optional.
Caracal F (Compact model is the âCâ). Made in UAE, but starting an American division. At 18+1, it has a lot of capacity for a pistol that size.
In the small, 9mm single-column, concealed-carry arena is Rugerâs âLC9S-Pro.â Similar in size and function to the S&W Shield and the Kahr PM9, this is not a bad little striker-fired eight-shooter. However, the LC9S (non-pro) version comes with a manual safety and a magazine safety. The former I can live with, even though it is unnecessary. However, I consider magazine safeties to be a death-trap. So, if this pistol interests you, get the âProâ version!
Robar had on display their new âPolymarAR-15,â an AR with a polymer upper and lower! Amazingly light! This rifle will be a boon to female shooters. Weâll have a copy shortly for testing. I shot it extensively, and it is smooth, fast, and easy to maneuver. Recoil is there, but manageable. Everything Robar makes is top-drawer, and this new innovation garnered much interest!
Magpul showed us their G17 magazines. At half the price of OEM Glock magazines, they run just fine!
Bill Geissele had a Tavor and an AK equipped with his triggers. I shot both, and I reconfirmed how wonderful Geissele triggers are. Recommended, particularly as noted above, on the Tavor!
Krebs was there with their excellent line of AKs. When you want an AK, Krebs is at the top of the list. Krebsâ ingenious magazine-well modification solves the reloading challenges endemic to all AKs!
I got a chance to shoot Inland Manufacturingâs M1 Carbine. Like Kahrâs version, it is an excellent little rifle. With Cor-Bon DPX ammunition, it is deadly indeed!
I also got a chance to shoot the âTracking Pointâ rifle. This is a complete system of rifle and computer optic. When you look through the scope, youâre actually looking at a TV screen. With the push of a button, you âmarkâ your target. When you subsequently press the trigger and hold it back, the rifle wonât fire until sights are exactly aligned with the spot you marked.
It takes some getting used to, as you might imagine. The optic itself is bulky. The system is pricy! But, it offers some distinct advantages.
This might represent the future of sniper rifles!
The big Show starts tomorrow.
More to come!
/John