If you can’t wait for SHOT Show in January to see new-for-2012 shooting products, then check out the latest FREE digital edition of Shooting Industry Magazine. Shooting Industry’s jumbo, 156-page December issue is the first of two expanded editions that highlight new products for 2012.
In this month’s digital magazine, you’ll find Part I of the 2012 New Product Showcase. This has hundreds of new product offerings including new firearms, ammunition, optics and accessories.
The special December edition also has a comprehensive SHOT Show Planning Guide which lists SHOT Show activities and seminars, and explains new technologies (such as smart-phone apps) that will help SHOT Show visitors. NOTE: The December Edition does NOT include SHOT Show Floor Layouts with exhibitor lists. You’ll have to wait ’til next month. The layouts and exhibitor directory will be published in the January digital edition of Shooting Industry Magazine.
Another handy resource in the December Edition is the Buyers’ Guide a comprehensive industry-wide directory of manufacturers, distributors, and and retailers. The December Edition also includes 2012 firearms industry projections. In this section, representatives from Crimson Trace, Hornady, Mossberg and Taurus share their insights about the future trends.
IMPORTANT: When opening the December Digital Edition, you’ll be prompted to provide your name and eMail address. STOP! This is NOT Required! Simply click one of the right arrows (at top center) or the “Continue” button and you can access the e-magazine without divulging your name or email account.
“We have assembled a wealth of information in our December issue to help businesses throughout industry maximize the opportunities of 2012. Forecasts for the new year, new products, SHOT Show planning, our highly regarded Buyer’s Guide and more are included in this valuable business edition,” said Russ Thurman, Shooting Industry’s publisher and editor.
Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC (“Colt”) announced that it will open a new firearms production facility in Kissimmee, Florida. Colt’s announcement did not discuss plant closures elsewhere, but we expect that some of Colt’s production (and jobs) will be moved from New England to Florida. Colt’s press release states: “The new 16,000-square foot facility will allow Colt’s Manufacturing Company to expand into new markets and business lines in parallel with the company’s existing 100,000-square-foot facility in Connecticut. Specific information on facility renovations and employee requirements will be determined over the course of the next several months.”
Colt Introduces New California-Compliant ARs
In related news, Colt has introduced a series of California-compliant AR15s. This is good for “black rifle” fans in the Golden State. Colt’s CA-legal ARs include: a 16″ barrel M4 Clone (LE6920CA) with adjustable stock; an Accurized rifle with 24″, 1:8″ twist heavy barrel (CR6724CA), and a “Patrol Rifle” that features Magpul furniture (6920CMP-B). All of Colt’s new California-compliant rifles are test-fired at the factory, and they all have mil-spec barrel, chamber, and bolt carrier group. In addition, Colt’s ARs receive special metal testing. Steve Comus, who reviewed Colt’s new ARs for Western Outdoor News, explains: “There is a magnetic particle inspection test done on all Colt rifles. After a rifle passes the MP (Magnetic Particle) test, MP is stamped on the bolt and barrel, as is C for Colt and MP on barrel. To pass, every single barrel and bolt goes through an over pressure test of 70,000 psi to make sure it can handle high pressure. Colt then takes rifle barrel and bolt and does a magnetic particle test on them. Barrels on mil spec barrels are chrome-lined. Accurized barrels are not chrome-lined.”
Here’s a fun gift item from Vat19.com — a bottle opener made from de-milled .50 BMG cartridges. These .50 Caliber Bottle Openers are made by hand in the USA by a group that donates at least 15% of its profits to helping wounded soldiers via the Travis Manion Foundation.
The price is $14.99. Considering the simple design, we bet many of our readers could make their own bottle opener using an old cartridge, a Dremel tool, and a file. If that’s too much work, you can order the .50 Cal bottle opener from Vat19.com. This item has been so popular that it is currently sold out, but Vat19.com is expecting to receive more inventory on December 19th — right before Christmas.
Here’s a clever product that provides visual feedback of your aim on the target while you dry-fire. LaserLyte, makers of laser pistol sights and bore-sighting tools, has come up with a smart new application of a miniature laser system. The new caliber-specific Laser Trainer Cartridge fits inside the pistol chamber and features a firing-pin activated switch that indicates bullet impact with a bright red laser dot. To practice, simply cock the hammer or striker, and pull the trigger as you would normally. When the firing pin hits the Laser Trainer Cartridge, a bright red laser displays on your target for 100 milliseconds. Available for 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, the $99.95 (MSRP) Laser Training Cartridges are rimless so you can work the slide without ejecting the Laser Cartridges.
With a Laser Trainer Cartridge in the chamber of your 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP pistol, you can practice your trigger pull and sight acquisition. But unlike traditional dry-firing, you can see your point of aim when you “break the shot”. This modified cartridge is rimless, so the Laser Trainer Cartridge is not expelled during dry fire, which allows for tap, rack, bang or malfunction training drills. A hardened rubber plunger on the laser also acts as a built-in snap cap to protect the firing pin. The Laser Trainer Cartridge requires three #377 batteries, good for approximately 3,000 shots. For more info on Laser Training Cartridges visit LaserLyte.com.
Legendary pistol and 3-Gun shooter Jerry Miculek stars in a great instructional DVD set from Brownell’s. The 3-Disc DVD set, “Jerry Miculek Practical Rifle”, shows Jerry working his magic with AR-platform carbines. This DVD set is available from Brownells.com (item 100-004-974) and from Jerry’s website.
The Jerry Miculek Practical Rifle DVDs cover every aspect of shooting the AR-15 in multi-gun matches — from the basics of stance, grip, trigger control, all the way to advanced shooting techniques. Specific topics covered include: 1) Setting up your rifle; 2) Stance grip and trigger technique; 3) Acquiring targets more quickly; 4) Shooting on the move; 5) Shooting multiple and moving targets; 6) Shooting behind cover; 7) Reloads and malfunction drills. Along with the instructional demos, the DVD provides basic and advanced drills that viewers can use to improve their shooting speed and accuracy.
The Miculek Practical Rifle DVD comes in a 3-Disc set. Disc One covers gun set-up and hardware selection (trigger, barrel, optics). Disc Two covers shooting technique — stance, position, weight distribution, target acquisition and other gun-handling skills. Disc Three is the “Application” — Jerry shoots typical courses of fire, showing how to engage various types and locations of targets with maximum efficiency.
We predict serious multi-gun shooters will add this DVD set to their libraries. Produced entirely at Brownell’s studios in partnership with Jerry Miculek’s Bang Inc., the complete 3-Disc set runs 2 hours and 17 minutes. Each Disc features multiple camera angles (including “shooters’ eye view” through the optic), slow motion footage, and animated illustrations.
Sharp Shoot R™ Precision Products, the makers of Wipe-Out foam bore cleaner, has a new cleaning product designed for ARs and other semi-autos that tend to run dirty and accumulate carbon. Sharp Shoot R’s new Tactical Advantage™ is a very carbon-aggressive bore cleaner that will remove copper fouling as well as powder fouling with a minimum of effort. Run it on a patch (or nylon brush) to dissolve carbon and copper fouling in the bore. Mix it 50/50 with water and spray it on the bolt, muzzle brake, and other parts which accumulate soot and carbon in regular use.
When sprayed on bolt carriers, bolts, and brakes, Tactical Advantage will dissolve carbon on contact — without ammonia or acids in the formula. In fact the chemistry in Tactical Advantage actually protects metal from corrosion after it cleans.
Terry Paul, Sharp Shoot R’s owner and chemistry wizard, says that: “Tactical Advantage has been designed to be a maximum-strength product. In our testing we found that Tactical Advantage was capable of dissolving more fouling faster than any product currently on the market. We developed this product with the aid and consultation of competitive shooters, gunsmiths, barrel makers, and tactical firearms manufacturers. The R&D team produced a revolutionary new type catalyst that provides exceptional cleaning power.” We’ve heard similar claims about many other gun cleaners, but Tactical Advantage has some interesting properties:
Tactical Advantage is odorless, and contains NO ACID and NO AMMONIA.
Tactical Advantage is safe for all steels (both stainless and carbon) and all metal plating (including chrome-lined barrels).
Tactical Advantage is harmless to modern gunstock finishes on wood, carbon fiber, or fiberglass. (However, it is not for use on shellac, varnish, or oil finishes.)
Tactical Advantage cannot gum or leave behind solids that render the firearm useless.
Tactical Advantage is effective on copper fouling, and it aggressively dissolves carbon fouling on contact.
Bore Cleaning — With the breach open, apply into the barrel with a patch or nylon brush which has been wetted with the solution. Place the firearm down horizontally on the bench. Wait for 15 to 20 minutes. Put a clean cotton patch on a good jag and push through the bore. Or run two strokes through the bore with a nylon brush and Tactical Advantage will produce a thick lather. Allow it to set as per original instructions for faster results.
Bore Swabbing During Matches — You can use Tactical Advantage as a barrel swab in between relays or between shot strings to remove powder fouling and begin the job of dissolving carbon and copper. This method is a quick solution that works for High Power shooters who have limited time to clean their firearms between relays.
Parts Cleaning — Mix Tactical Advantage 50/50 with water in a spray bottle. Spray dirty parts fouled with powder residue or carbon. Use same method for muzzle brakes and suppressors.
Tactical Advantage costs $15.99 (MSRP) for a 8 oz. plastic bottle that will clean as many guns as two cans of Wipe-Out foam. Get Tactical Advantage from major vendors, or order direct from:
K&M Precision Shooting Products has two very handy products you may not know about yet. The first, a brilliantly simple device that lets you see your case necks as you expand them, can be used by anyone who necks-up brass (with a compatible expander die body). The second new product is a specialized “fat grip” holder that will make neck-turning easier for those of you out there who use K&M neck-turners.
K&M Expand Mandrel Window Riser
This is a simple threaded extension placed between your expander die body (K&M Expand Iron) and the top of your press. It carries the expander mandrel higher, above the press, and has a cut-out view port so you can see the mandrel as it passes through the neck. Smart, eh? This provides visual feedback during the process of expanding your brass. The patent-pending view riser costs $20.00. Will it expand necks faster, or reduce run-out? We doubt it, but we still would like to have one, if only to eyeball the mandrel to control the neck-entry rate more consistently from case to case.
Installation: Thread the Expand Mandrel Window Riser into the top of your loading press, then thread the K&M Expand-Iron (Expander Die Body) fully into the top of the window riser and adjust each so you can stroke out the press completely without driving the case mouth into the press adapter. This allows you to view the expanding operation which is typically blind under the press. The riser also eliminates the need for the stop screw in the expander mandrel. LINK: Expand Window Riser Instructions (PDF).
Ergo Holder for K&M Neck-Turning Tool
K&M’s rounded, oversized Ergo Holder lets you hold the K&M neck-turning body more securely (and with less hand cramping). Priced at $35.00, it is an expensive accessory, but we suspect many guys with K&M neck-turners will spring for an Ergo holder just because it gives you a more secure and comfortable grip on the small, square-edged K&M neck-turner.
Customer Feedback Inspired K&M’s Ergo Holder
The folks at K&M told us that their new Ergo Holder was produced in response to customer requests: “[Customers reported that] the neck turner can be hard to hold due to its compact size, especially in high-volume use. The Ergo Holder is machined from aluminum, providing a fatigue-proof grasp of the neck turner. Its mass works like a heat sink to help dissipate heat from the pilot during the turning process. The neck-turner body easily assembles into the Ergo Holder and is held in place with one set screw. The Ergo holder is also designed with the dial indicator in mind and actually makes its use more convenient”.
LINK: Ergo Holder Installation/Use Instructions (PDF).
Credit Forum Member EdLongRange for spotting these new K&M products.
It’s great to be able to access load data on the internet. But we still recommend keeping some hard-bound reloading manuals at home for reference. Right now MidwayUSA has a great deal on the Modern Reloading, Second Edition, Revised by Richard Lee. Now through the end of the year, you can buy the latest LEE reloading manual for just $12.49. This book was recently revised, so it has more reloading data than the previous release of the 2nd Edition. The load data section now has black tabs on the side of the pages.
Should you buy the book? It’s cheap at $12.49. The load data covers a huge variety of cartridges. But some guys complain that the first section of the book reads like a LEE catalog. Here are book-buyers’ comments:
“At twice the size of my old Speer book, the Lee manual covers everything you need from a reloading reference book. The best part is that it is not produced by a powder or bullet maker so the reloading data focuses on the best performing products.” — G. Basley
“The reloading data is AMAZING for exotic loads, but pretty basic for popular loads. Also, Lee goes back and forth between Grains and CCs, which can be distracting at best. [Editor: Why CCs? Answer — Lee sells CC-graduated powder scoops]. The loading data is really the most useful aspect of the book because the charts are straight-forward and the diagrams are easy to read.” — D. Hukill
“On the one hand, this reloading manual is a great deal for the money. It’s cheapest out of all the reloading manuals, and yet it doesn’t skimp on any of the load data. On the other hand, the writing style in this manual is not professional… [it needs] a competent editor. Many parts of this reloading manual read like pure advertising copy for Lee products.” — C. Weys
Nikon has raised the bar in Spotting Scope technology. It has introduced the first-ever spotters with built-in Vibration Reduction. This may be a significant breakthrough. Image stabilization has revolutionized hand-held photography, and it could definitely improve the practical functioning of spotting scopes. If you have ever used a big, heavy spotting scope, you know that it is easy to induce vibration and shaking — merely with a heavy hand on the focus knob. And when the wind blows, a big scope acts like a sail, so it can wobble and vibrate in gusts. Just a small amount of shake or vibration can make it difficult to see your target, slowing down your target acquisition time considerably.
Nikon’s new 85mm EDG Fieldscopes are the first spotting scopes on the planet with lens-adjusting image stabilization. The EDGs employ a lens-shift type VR (Vibration Reduction) system that counters vibration and shaking. According to Nikon, the EDG VR system greatly reduces external vibrations caused by wind and the operational vibrations occurring during focusing, panning and tilting. Nikon claims its VR system reduces vibration to 1/8th the level of a conventional spotting scope.
HOW IT WORKS — This system uses two independent Angular Velocity sensors to detect pitching (vertical movement) and yawing (horizontal movement). Both sensors then detect diagonal movements. Upon the detection of movement, the sensors provide instructions to the two Voice Coil Motors (VCM) that command and control the Vibration Reduction-optical system to eliminate the shake or blurring. These sensors can detect movement every 1/1000 second. The system can effectively reduce vibrations by roughly 88% (compared to a conventional spotting scope), providing the equivalent of a shutter speed approximately two stops faster.
So how much does this new VR technology cost? Hold on to your hat — MSRP for the 85mm EDG VRs (either body style) is a shocking $5,499.95! At least that includes eyepiece and protective case. We can only hope that, as this technology matures, it will be implemented at much lower cost. Consider that $200.00 point-and-shoot cameras now offer image stabilization. Given time, we can expect the vibration reduction systems to go down in price, and to become commonplace in premium spotting scopes.
Available in a straight or angled body, the all-new EDG VR Fieldscopes come standard with a 20-60x Zoom Eyepiece, ED (Low-Dispersion) glass, and multi-coated lenses. The 85mm EDGs feature a five-meter close focus distance and waterproof, fogproof construction. Weighing in at just over 84 ounces (w/o batteries), the straight-body EDG is 14.9″ long, while the angled version is 15.7″ long. Nikon’s VR system takes four AA batteries which provide roughly 17 hours of battery life with alkaline batteries and up to 32 hours with lithium. While the VR function can be manually activated, an auto power-off function helps conserve battery life. Seven optional EDG eyepieces are available. Three tripod mount screw holes permit flexible mounting.
As a fan of the classic big-frame Dan Wesson revolvers, this editor did a double-take when I saw the latest addition to Pyramyd Air’s line of BB guns. Pyramyd Air now sells four very authentic-looking, metal-framed CO2-powered BB Revolvers, marked “Dan Wesson”, with the distinctive “DW” logo on the grip. These BB-shooting revolvers are offered in four different barrel lengths: 2.5″, 4.0″, 6.0″, and 8.0″. The revolvers are loaded by placing .177 BBs in mock cartridge shells, which fit into the chambers of the swing-out cylinder — just like on a real revolver. Max velocity, for the 6″-barrel version, is 426 fps. These BB guns are handsome and they have the feel and heft of the real thing. The 4″ version weighs 1.94 pounds, while the 6″ version weighs 2.21 pounds.
$119.99 — Your Choice of Size and Finish
All four sizes (2.5″, 4″, 6″, 8″) cost just $119.99 each. Take your pick — either silver finish or black (but not all sizes available in both colors). The Dan Wesson BB revolvers come with adjustable rear sights. An owner-installable, Weaver-type scope rail is packaged with each revolver to allow use of Red-Dot scopes or other optics. A speedloader and six “cartridges” (shown above) are also included with each revolver. To see how the CO2 cartridge fits in the gun, check out the Airgun Academy Dan Wesson Review.
If you’re interested in the Dan Wesson BB Revolvers, visit PyramydAir.com or call (888) 262-GUNS (4867). Note, quantities are limited. While you’re shopping at Pyramyd Air, you can use Coupon Code AirgunsNov30-2011 to save 10% on purchases. This Code expires 12/6/2011 and cannot be combined with other offers.
We expect these guns will be popular for indoor training, and for fun plinking outdoors. We also predict Dan Wesson collectors may snap them up to add to their collection. Unfortunately, you need to purchase a different BB revolver for each barrel length. The real centerfire Dan Wesson revolvers featured a unique interchangeable barrel system with barrels threaded on both ends inside metal shrouds. Buyers could order one frame with multiple barrel/shroud assemblies. Dan Wesson even sold multi-barrel “Pistol Packs” in a fitted metal case. These Pistol Packs, if complete with all barrels and accessories, are highly prized by gun collectors today.
If you can’t wait for SHOT Show in January to see new-for-2012 shooting products, then check out the latest FREE digital edition of Shooting Industry Magazine. Shooting Industry’s jumbo, 156-page December issue is the first of two expanded editions that highlight new products for 2012.
It’s great to be able to access load data on the internet. But we still recommend keeping some hard-bound reloading manuals at home for reference. Right now 
$119.99 — Your Choice of Size and Finish
