Handguns and Gunsafes in October Shooting Industry Magazine
The October 2022 issue of Shooting Industry Magazine was just released. There are a number of interesting articles. CLICK HERE to access the full October 2022 issue for FREE.
One of the feature stories covers the increased popularity of “optics-ready” handguns. These come with slides configured to mount Red Dot optics. In some cases these new handguns are sold with the Red Dot optics pre-installed, ready to go. The Shooting Industry article explains:
“It wasn’t too long ago optics-ready handguns were little more than a novelty. But today, it’s difficult to talk about the handgun segment without delving into the increasing number of guns coming from the manufacturers with optics already installed, or ready to accept one.”
Mike Sfakianos, a senior manager at Bill Jackson’s in Pinellas Park, Florida, remembers customers coming into the store even three or four years ago and being skeptical about the utility of a Red Dot on a pistol:
“It was a slow start. People thought it was more of a competition-type thing. Now it seems like just about every manufacturer has gone to an optics-ready gun”, observed Sfakianos, noting customers are growing increasingly interested in carrying subcompacts with Red Dot optics.
If you are interested in a wide selection of optics-ready handguns, check out the recent Modern Carry: Best Optics-Ready Pistols article in the CheaperThanDirt Blog. This highlights ten current production pistols from Canik, CZ, FN, Hechler & Koch, Keltec, SCCY, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, and Taurus. Below is the Taurus G3 T.O.R.O (Taurus Optic Ready Option), a full-frame pistol with 17+1 9mm capacity.
Gun Safes — Why Every Gun Owner Needs One
A second article in this month’s Shooting Industry magazine covers gun safes and security systems. This covers recent trends in gun safe design, marketing, and sale. The article notes that attacks on gun ownership and Second Amendment rights are increasing so it is more important than every for gun owners to have secure storage for their firearms both at home and in their vehicles. FYI, gun thefts from vehicles make up the largest source of stolen guns.
Based in Charlotte, NC, Hyatt Guns stocks over 7,000 guns in a vast 20,000 square-foot facility. To complement its massive firearms inventory, Hyatt Guns maintains the largest safe showroom in the region.
Cutting Edge Digital Gunsafe Technology — There Are Potential Problems
Hyatt Guns offers a range of mechanical and electronic gun storage options, though Hyatt Guns stays away from hyper-technology because it’s often expensive and difficult to service. V.P. Mitch Hyatt notes: “The mechanical dials and simple digital safes have great failsafe options. We can help customers set these up, and we work with several local locksmiths if they ever need one. But, with the larger vault safes, when you get into the fingerprint technology, often times it leads to replacing the whole unit, and you have to deal with whether the manufacturer will take it back or replace it.”
Every safe, when possible, should be anchored in place with heavy-duty fasteners. Ideally, use multiple bolts in the bottom of the safe, anchored to concrete or solid foundation. Choose the appropriate lag bolts or anchors for the material below your safe. If you can’t mount to the floor, bolt the safe to wall studs. You can locate the position of the studs with an inexpensive electronic “Stud Sensor” available at home supply stores.
Locate your safe in the corner of a room or in a recess that blocks access to one or more sides of the safe. On many gun safes, the steel on the top, sides, and rear is thinner than on the door. Blocking access to the sides makes it much more difficult to use power tools on the sides, where the safe is most vulnerable. It’s also wise to place the safe in a relatively tight space with limited room to maneuver. Anything that makes the safe harder to move helps deter would-be thieves.
