20 Jan 25

2025 NSSF SHOT Show, Range Day

This morning, we watched DJT’s swearing-in ceremony, and his inspiring acceptance speech.

The optimism he radiated was obvious among attendees later at Range Day, which was today!

The Boulder, NV Rifle Club Range Facility was cold and blustery today, and the uncomfortable weather discouraged some from attending, I’m sure.  We particularly appreciate all the courageous vendors who braved the wind and cold anyway, so that they could be there and give us the opportunity to actually shoot their wears.

My interest is confined to serious guns for serious purposes.  I have scant interest in assorted competitions, collecting, “Cowboy shooting,” and other forms of recreation.

Here is what I found interesting:

There were an amazing number of suppressors in use, on pistols, rifles, even shotguns.  There are rumors aplenty that suppressors/silencers will be removed from NFA status during the DJT Administration.

But, it hasn’t happened yet.  Maybe all these people know something I don’t!

Since Colt has been taken-over by CZ, their quality has gone up, as has customer service!  I shot their doubly-action Viper Revolver, a small six-shot pistol (38Spl) designed for concealed carry.  It was smooth and very well done!

However, Colt still doesn’t make a 9mm “flagship pistol,” to compete with the G19. Their revolvers are currently wonderful, but they’re still not a “main player” in the industry.

Ruger is, and their new RXM Pistol is a G19 clone, but $200.00 less expensive.  It’s a joint project between Ruger and Magpul.  It does not feature variable grip geometry, but is otherwise indistinguishable from a G19.  Takes Glock magazines.  I shot it, and it runs just fine, and I’m sure they’ll sell lots of them.  Of course, G19s run fine too!

Diamondback is now making concealed-carry 38Spl revolvers, and like Colt’s they are smooth and nice, albeit on the pricey side!  I shot their SDR, and I would have no compunction about carrying a copy.  Diamondback also makes M4s.

Turkish-made TISAS 1911 pistols at $400.00/copy are attractive.  I shot a plain-vanilla Government Model, and I have no complaints.  When you want a perfectly-functional 1911, TISAS’ candidate is surely acceptable.

HiViz us now making the “Fast Dot” pistol sight.  It’s like an extremely low-profile RDO, but it requires no power source, and no external light source.  This is a system I’m going to be testing, as it surely seems fast and easy to use.

I shot both the Sabre and the Byrna pepper-ball launchers.  I had no difficulty with either hitting a human torso at 8m.  Both use the same spherical “pepper balls.”  Both are all-plastic, light, feature standard pistol sights, and are powered by a single CO2 cartridge.

Neither has any kind of recoil, and both are quiet.  Hearing protection is not required.

The Saber is colored bright yellow, and it is big, too big to carry concealed.  Trigger is reminiscent of a rifle trigger.

The Byrna is slightly smaller and available is less bright colors.  Trigger is heavy, like a heavy, long revolver trigger.

With the Byrna Launcher, the CO2 cartridge remains sealed and is not actually punctured until the trigger is pulled, so you don’t need to worry about gas slowly leaking.

These air-guns may have a place in serious self defense, at least for some people in some circumstances.

Yet, at contact range, it hard to imagine how either will be effective.

The Main Show starts tomorrow.

More later!

/John