SHOT Show 2014

When Springfield designed the RO 45 Range Officer, the objective was to produce a finely matched 1911 that could be used in competition but wouldn’t cost thousands of dollars. It’s made from close tolerance, match-grade components without all the fancy extras that you may or may not need. The company evidently hit the nail on the head because its selling ROs as fast as they can build them. The newest member of the Range Officer line is the RO 9 in 9mm, introduced a couple of weeks before the 2014 SHOT Show. It has the same dimensions, match grade parts and shooting accuracy, only in the softer recoiling, and less expensive, 9mm cartridge. Springfield also had the new XDs 4.0 to show us. The original XDs had a 3.3” barrel. Extending the barrel to 4” makes for a better balanced pistol with a longer sight radius. Should be easier pointing and more accurate for the average shooter. MSRP starts at $599.

By this point in the development of tactical firearms, the bullpup seems like familiar territory. Yet Desert Tech has created a good deal of buzz with the announcement of its new multi-caliber bullpup design. The company plans to release it in .223 and .308 at first, with 300 BLK, 7.62 x 39 and 6.8 SPC to follow. It will be offered with either a 10.5” or a 16” barrel. One of the most interesting design features of the new gun is a new sighting system that will allow the user to swap between calibers without losing zero. The spent casings will eject above the magazine well forward and to the right via a short chute, which is easily accessible to clear any malfunctions.

Introduced in 2011, the Browning 1911-22 A1 is an 85% replica of the 1911 firing the ubiquitous .22 LR cartridge. Controls and takedown are identical to John Browning’s original design, making it a great companion to a full-sized gun. Since introducing the gun, Browning has added a desert tan polymer frame version, a black and pink polymer version, a Compact or Commander version, and different color grip panels to personalize it to your tastes. It’s a good-looking gun and feels good in the hand. MSRP is $579.99 for the polymer frame pistol; $599.99 for the aluminum alloy gun; $639.99 for Black Label laminate grips, Commander hammer, extended slide release, and extended ambidextrous safety; and $669.99 for the Black Label laminate grip model with an underlug rail.

Electronic imaging systems are coming into their own and were much in evidence at this year’s SHOT Show. American Technologies Network, Corp., better known as ATN, has been developing night vision and thermal imaging optics in California since 1995. They introduced a new, high-tech thermal imaging weapons sight, Thor, in 2011. This year, they have an offshoot of Thor—Tico—intended to be used as a clip-on device with daytime scopes such as the ACOG. It has the same features as Thor and has four memory slots that allow you to tune it to different platforms/calibers. Tico starts at $6,195. Also, the X-Sight is a new standard nightvision without a tube. It relies on video imaging, and can record your action, for under $700. Check these ATN products out!

There are lots of new product introductions at SHOT Show, not the least of which is HK’s new competition gun. With input from the HK shooting team and other competitive shooters, HK started with a stock MR556A1 and proceeded to add what competitors wanted. The result is the MR556A1 Competition. The first added component was the new 14” modular rail system. The versatility of adding rails wherever needed while keeping weight down was especially attractive. In addition, the Competition got an extended mag release for quicker reloads, a new design suppressor from Operator Suppressor Systems, and a Magpul CTR adjustable stock. The end result is a fast, competition-ready AR that shoots ½ minute of angle groups, according to HK Shooting Team captain, Jason Koon. MSRP is expected to be in the $2,950 range, and HK plans to start shipping guns in the spring of 2014.

Steyr is making some big claims for this rifle: 55 shots in under 2MOA from 50 meters. That’s solid accuracy, but incredible dependability, and it takes the Anschuetz .RX22 out of the novelty field, for sure. This is the type of rifle you can sling across your back while skiing. Pack it full of snow on when you fall. Shake it dry and shoot. The ergonomics are familiar enough to anyone who has shot a full-sized tactical rifle. Yet the accuracy will set it apart from the pedestrian rimfire rifles.

Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com Two New Red Dot Sights from Vortex, Plus Updates to the Razor Line of Rifle Scopes—SHOT Show 2014 If you’re not familiar with Vortex, they’re an optics company in central Wisconsin. The operating philosophy is to take care of their customers. As you would expect, their customer service is great. In fact, [...]

Caracal has some fantastic new guns. TheCS308 skeletal .308 precision rifle is designed and built entirely by Caracal. The CC 10 is a rocking 9mm carbine.

One of the great things about being at SHOT Show is that you never know what you’re going to find that, once you know it exists, you just can’t do without. We saw a demonstration of the AR-15 charger from Caldwell Shooting Supplies, one of the Battenfeld brands, and it was impressive. Starting with a box of .223 rounds, the spokesperson, Kyle, dumped it into the charger, attached a magazine, and in a matter of seconds had transferred 30 rounds to the magazine. All without having to touch a round. That’s fast! See for yourself what a great accessory this is in the accompanying video or go to www.BTIbrands.com.