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I was very excited when I found that I would have the time to cover the SHOT SHOW again this year. This is the biggest firearms industry and outdoors show, and we use this time to plan much of our coverage for the following year.
Our crew decided to drive again, and made arrangements to stay at a very new hotel just south of the strip. I don't want to name it, we hope that it remains un-discovered for now as it was one of the best places I have found in Las Vegas. The price was right and the rooms were very nice. We arrived on Wednesday and found traffic in Las Vegas was already at trade-show levels.
When we arrived at the show on Thursday, my first stop was the Galco Gunleather booth. We are getting a lot of questions about concealed carry options for women - an area we have neglected until now. Galco offers more options for women than any other supplier we have found, and we got to see their new lineup. They offer everything from purses and backpack/purses to dayplanners which facilitate concealed carry. Expect to see some reviews of the best of these in the coming months.
My next stop was to talk witht he folks from Ontario Knife Company. Some time ago we reviewed their OKC3S Marine Corps Bayonet and gave it a very high rating. They have some other new options, including a tanto-tip bayonet and some very nice knives from designer Joe Purdue. The ability to design a good knife has always impressed me. The required understanding of metals, the proper cutting surface angles, serrations, and tang and handle construction is way above my level of understanding. It is both a talent and an art. Joe showed me several of his designs, and I was very impressed with his expertise. This is one of the things that I love about this show - the opportunity to talk face-to-face with the experts.
On another note from Ontario, the strap cutter from the ASEK is available as a separate item (number 1403). This is a great tool for ambulance and rescue crews since it goes through seatbelts like a hot knife through butter.
I had a great discussion with Mike at CorBon. Their new DPX ammunition is designed FOR penetration without over penetrating. They get 12" to 17" of penetration into denim-clad B Gell. One of the items that is most impressive about this stuff is that they design for consistent expansion out of the shortest barrel avaialble in a given caliber, be it 2", 3", whatever. I have seen the results of their .45 ammo in the field and know that it is a solid performer. We are planning to do a CorBon roundup later this year covering each of the varieties they make.
The DPX Ammo uses all copper bullets from Barnes Bullets. They happen to be in our neck of the woods, and have a very impressive selection of bullets that are available to manufacturers and home reloaders alike. I am scheduling a tour of their facility shortly.
We are also going to be starting a series on reloading by summer, and took a look at a number of kits. Lyman had what might have been the most impressive starter kit, which includes both a digital scale and a Universal Case Trimmer. The latter is not as common in kits but is instead offered as an extra option. Expect more details shortly.
I also spoke with AJ at Black Hills Ammunition about their cowboy action ammo. This sport is becoming more and more popular among our readers, and we will be letting you know what they offer by early summer.
As in previous years, most of my time was spent in the Law Enforcement and military area trying to find the latest and greatest for you. I was very impressed with much of what we found, but I think the most impressive were the products from Blackwater Gear/Michaels of Oregon. They have brand-new gear that is field-tested and designed for extreme durability. I compared the stitching between their product and their competitors right across the aisle and you could see the difference. According to their PM, they work on the gear based on requests and recommendations from their guys in the field, give it to the guys in the field, they use it, make recommendations for improvements, and so it goes until the completed product is as good as it can get. The difference was clearly visible.
It is also made in the USA, unlike products from several of the other big-name manufacturers. Personally, I consider that extremely important. If it is made in Asia for example, there is a good chance that the guys you may end up fighting against bought their ammo from revenue made from the sale of YOUR gear. That's not a good place to be - especially now.
We have review samples on the way, and I expect that we will be writing a lot about them over the next year.
As an instructor, I understand how difficult it is to teach Officers how to clean their firearms. I normally recommend the use of the BoreSnake as they are easy and get the job done well enough until I can do an armorers session. Otis has released their latest kit - the Deluxe Law Enforcement Cleaning System. This kit will clean AR-15's, pistols from 9mm to .45ACP, and 12Gauge shotguns. It includes EVERYTHING you need for a good detail cleaning job. They gave me a kit at the show, and Iw ill be writing about it in the next two months.
I am still compiling notes, but will be updating this by 15-Feb-2006. Check back then for more details from the show.
-- James Bell Jr. - Law Enforcement Editor
TCTR Publications