The kickoff to the SHOT Show – held in Las Vegas, Nevada – was Media Day at the Range. The Sporting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show is billed as the "largest and most comprehensive trade show for all professionals involved with the shooting sports, hunting and law enforcement industries." Media Day provided members from all forms of media to view, discuss, test-fire and research new products from manufacturers such as Colt, Glock, Beretta, Kriss, 5.11 Tactical, SAR Arms, and many other industry representatives. As firearms attorneys, my partner, Joshua Prince, and I had the unique opportunity to attend this event and see what's new in the industry.
Our very first stop was Cabot Gun Company, LLC – a Pennsylvania-based company located in Cabot, PA. Several 1911 style pistols chambered in .45 ACP were displayed across their table. One which specifically caught my eye was the South Paw – coined "a true left-handed 1911 style pistol". This full sized 1911 ejects the casing to the left of the weapon causing less distraction for the left-handed shooter and allowing more fluidity in movement. Aside from this gun, Cabot proudly displayed several other models of their stylized 1911s. For anyone interested in this particular firearm, Cabot has truly taken the gun to a higher level of precision.
Another new entry into the handgun market is the Sig Sauer P224. This compact pistol features a double stack magazine, Siglite night sights and comes in four variations each available in 9mm, .357sig and .40S&W. After discussing the concept of the pistol with its designer, I test-fired the P224 Extreme .40S&W – both with and without a magazine extension. The handgun performed flawlessly, although I found the extension aided significantly to my accuracy. All in all, this pistol is an excellent choice for concealed carry.
One extremely unique product I had the opportunity to test was the Slide Stock system from Slide Fire Solutions. Available for the semiautomatic AR-15, AK-47 and AK-74, the Slide Stock attaches to stock and receiver allowing the shooter to "bump fire" the weapon with forward pressure on the foregrip and consistent, but light, pressure on the portion of the Slide Stock which fits near the trigger. The weapon essentially fires when moving away from the shoulder as a result of the forward pressure, but the Slide Stock stays tucked into the shoulder because the shooter's trigger finger is extended through the trigger guard, across the trigger and onto the foremost portion of the Slide Stock. As the gun recoils, continued forward pressure on the foregrip allows the weapon to repeat this firing sequence at an extremely fast rate. Described to me as a "controlled rapid fire system", I shot the AK-74 using the Slide Stock and Josh shot the AR-15. With a little practice, we found that the forward pressure allowed for impressive accuracy and recovery at higher rates of fire. And if you are wondering (as was I) how the BATFE would react to this system, I was pleased to find an approval letter on Slide Fire Solution's website (www.slidefire.com) stating that "the 'bump-stock' is a firearm part and is not regulated as a firearm under Gun Control Act or the National Firearms Act." Very well done, Slide Fire.
With the first actual day of the trade show and conference opening tomorrow, I'm sure we will have much more to discuss in future blogs.
Tagged "SHOT 2012", "Slide Fire"
Published by Tom Beveridge, Esq.
View all posts by Tom Beveridge, Esq.