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MARCH 19, 2024

Defendants in the City of Gary public nuisance lawsuits are moving to end nearly quarter of a century of legal maneuverings after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed HB 1235 into law last week. Today the defendants filed a joint motion for judgement on the pleadings with the court. Indiana’s law that reserves the right to seek legal action against the firearm industry to state authorities, instead of municipalities, went into immediate effect when it was signed March 15.
New for 2024, the Hyper Raptor BCX™ by Barnett® sets the industry standard in crossbow technology. With a 14-in. power stroke and draw weight of 215 lbs., the crossbow launches a 380-grain HyperFlite™ arrow at 425 FPS. The arrow’s 21% increased FOC (front of center) and 61% greater ballistic coefficient reduces wind drift,
Shootings Sports Retailer and Tactical Retailer Magazine’s national Choice survey by independent retailers, ranking the top industry products, has once again voted Alien Gear Holsters among the best holsters in the retail and firearm markets.

Vudoo Gun Works congratulates Team Shooter John Solinsky and his shooting partner Brandon Zielinski on winning the 2024 Real World Sniper Challenge. The Real World Sniper Challenge is part of the annual real-world sniper series put on by Dark Corner Concept throughout the year.
Maxim Defense announces they will be exhibiting at the 2024 “The Gathering” Firearm Range Day and Expo presented by Palmetto State Armory on Friday, March 22nd and Saturday March 23rd in Clinton, SC at the Clinton House Plantation.
Tickets are now available for the Primary Arms Optics 2024 Range Day, which takes place on May 16th at the Extreme Tactics & Training Solutions facility in Waxahachie, Texas. This event invites shooting enthusiasts to experience the newest firearms, gear, and products from the industry's leading brands.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will play host to two GLOCK Training Events, each set in May at Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama.
Maxim Defense announces they will be exhibiting at the 2024 “The Gathering” Firearm Range Day and Expo presented by Palmetto State Armory on Friday, March 22nd and Saturday March 23rd in Clinton, SC at the Clinton House Plantation.
SLG2, Inc is excited to announce its upcoming visit to Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s in Fort Mill, SC as part of the highly anticipated Safe LivinG 2024 Elevate Tour. Safe LivinG offers attendees a unique opportunity to engage in various activities centered around personal security and firearm safety.

PWS (Primary Weapons Systems) is excited to yet again sponsor and attend the annual Pew Party Powered by Silencer Shop. 2024 marks the third annual Pew Party, set for Saturday, March 23rd, and to be hosted at Extreme Tactics & Training Solutions in Waxahachie, Texas.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program has announced its outdoor electronic target line, located on Petrarca Range at Camp Perry, will open for the season on Monday, March 18. Every Monday, the public is welcome to use Petrarca during the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., March through April, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., May through September.
Now available for the SIG-Sauer P365 X-Macro, Galco's Hawkeye™ IWB includes a protective hood for optical sights. Comfortable and convenient, the Hawkeye features a snap-on design that allows the holster to attach and detach from the belt without removing the belt.

On Buck Knives' website you will discover a chart with 39 symbols which indicate date of manufacturing, and on the knife's blade you will find one of the symbols on the pivot point where the knife blade opens from the handle.
Cupped Waterfowl offers the gear waterfowl hunters need to get their dogs season-ready. Gear includes the EVA Dog Dummy, Blaze Orange Dog Field Vest and more.
Meprolight® has hired Jordan Stein as the Digital Marketing Manager. Jordan is certified firearms instructor and leader of his church’s Safety Response Team, and can often be found on the range, in the woods scouting for deer, or exploring a new hiking trail.

The collaborative effort between Taurus Armas S.A., a leading Brazilian multinational, and Jindal Defense Systems Pvt Limited, a prominent Indian group, has reached a significant milestone with the initiation of pilot batch production at the new manufacturing unit in India. This joint venture, known as JD Taurus, marks a pivotal moment in the global firearms industry.
Ed Brown Products is having a St. Patrick’s Day sale. Save 10% on parts & magazines, including parts for the S&W M&P 2.0 and Glock with coupon code LUCKY10. Valid through today.
NSSF® praises Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s signing of House Bill 1235, legislation that “provides that only the state of Indiana may bring or maintain an action by or on behalf of a political subdivision against a firearm or ammunition manufacturer, trade association, seller, or dealer concerning certain matters.”

Media Lodge announced the appointment of Kevin Kolenda as Sales Manager. With a wealth of experience in sales and marketing, Kolenda is set to play a key role in driving Media Lodge’s growth and expanding its client base.

Benjamin Airguns announced that its newly released .22 caliber Match Grade Domed Pellets have received a coveted Gold rating from Hard Air Magazine.
Federal Ammunition congratulates sponsored shooter Derrick Mein for winning his spot on the 2024 USA Shooting Men’s Trap team, headed to the summer Olympic games in Paris. Mein’s performance during the Shotgun Selection Match, March 11-17 at the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club in Tucson, Arizona, was exceptional.
NSSF® applauds Missouri state Rep. Aaron McMullen’s introduction of a concurrent resolution supporting the continued commercial utilization of Lake City Army Ammunition Plant. The resolution would mark the Missouri General Assembly’s support for the commercial utilization and urges the U.S. government to reject calls to end to program that allows the Lake City ammunition facility to remain fully staffed and able to operate at a sustained peak capacity to meet the ammunition needs of the U.S. warfighter.
AMMO, Inc. (Nasdaq: POWW, POWWP) the owner of GunBroker.com, announces that it will participate in the 36th Annual Roth Conference being held on March 17-19, 2024 at The Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, CA.
2023 hunting and shooting equipment sales softened, but still remained well above pre-pandemic levels. Southwick Associates identified top brands purchased in the market, based on more than 8,500 completed surveys of hunters and shooters conducted through the year.
Breda America Group (Breda AG), a division of Banshee Brands Inc., is seeking manufacturer’s representation companies to fulfill Breda’s strategic growth plan for 2024. Breda AG is seeking representation in the following areas: North East, TALO, and MINK.
NSSF® applauds Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox for signing the NSSF-supported Second Amendment Privacy Acts in their respective states. The laws will bar the use of a firearm-retailer specific Merchant Category Code (MCC) for banks, credit card companies or financial service providers to track the lawful sale of firearms and ammunition.
Smith & Wesson is seeking a District Sales Manager II – Law Enforcement. Successful candidate must reside in territory (SC, NC, VA, WV, & MD) or be willing to relocate to assigned territory without relocation assistance.
Taurus Holdings, Inc.announced an opportunity for a Marketing Specialist to join their team. This entry-level position plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing innovative marketing strategies to promote products and services.
Telum Tactical’s largest automatic design, the Titan Series features a 4-inch D2 stonewashed tanto blade with a flat grind and black titanium finish. The textured G10 handle provides sure gripping and easy carrying with a tip-up pocket clip design.
Mission First Tactical announced that they have expanded their drinkware line to include all-new USMC Officially Licensed Drinkware in 3 popular sizes. MFT offers cool new modern designs on 32 oz. bottles, 16 oz. bottles and 12 oz. can coolers.
Featuring a unique and colorful design, Sunset Series II knives from American Buffalo Knife and Tool Co. offer functionality with western flare.
GunBroker.com shopping just became easier with the launch of the multi-item cart and a single-payment portal. The multi-item cart allows customers to purchase multiple items from multiple sellers, with a single checkout and payment.
This spring, SIONYX is poised to introduce a line of 1050nm infrared illuminators designed to complement and enhance the capabilities of OPSIN, SIONYX’s helmet-mounted digital night vision monocular.
Safariland announces an exclusive collaboration with Noveske Rifleworks. Launching the Liberator HP headset in Noveske's signature N81 camo brings together two industry-leading brands, offering customers a limited-edition product that combines cutting-edge technology with a unique design.
From Mar. 22 – May 15, 2024, ZEISS will be offering promotions on Conquest HD binoculars and LRP S5 riflescopes at participating ZEISS authorized dealers. take advantage of $200 off instant savings on our best-selling family of binoculars, Conquest HD. Purchase an LRP S5 and get a Conquest HD 15x56 binocular free.
 

The Trijicon RMR HD was mounted on the popular CZ Shadow Compact for testing. This sleek little gun offers a very smooth trigger and good grip to hand fit.

In regards to carry optics on pistols, I have “gone over to the dot side.” In retrospect, this should not be a surprise. I was an advocate of brightly colored front sights during a time when many were calling for black on black or the “three dots” configurations. After years of research into armed conflict, I came to believe the eyes were incapable of focusing clearly on a front sight within the close distances of the “typical” domestic pistol fight. While the active shooter phenomenon has brought long distance shooting to the forefront, I believe you are more likely to engage in handgun combat inside ten yards than you are outside of twenty-five.

With all the debate over which sights system or configuration is best we need to understand that any sight system does but one thing: tell us where our muzzle is pointed. If you have ever been in the unfortunate situation where another creature is trying to do you serious physical harm, then you will know it is quite difficult to pull your eyes away from them. I am not saying it’s impossible; I have spoken to many serious practitioners who have claimed they have done so. I believe them, but they were also highly trained individuals. The typical EDC practitioner may find it quite difficult. That’s why I have long advocated for a brightly colored front sight that may give a “splotch” of color to a combatant helping them ensure their muzzle is where they need it.

The pistol mounted optic may very well be the colored front sight of the 21st Century. Though I tried to not like the concept, batteries and all, I was drawn to it. After all, it glows. It is so easy to see that you don’t have to look directly at it; you can look past it as the threat you are facing which is basically what I advocated with the colored front sight. I had been doing just this for several decades, so my conversion to the carry optic was very short. I had no real problems finding the dot as I used the same technique I did with iron sights: place them where you can use/see them. It’s a deliberate act.

The RMR HD offers enhanced click adjustments and more tactile brightness controls.

There are a lot of carry optics out there and many have been added within the last five years or so. This is a good thing as the more choices we have, the better decision we can make. If you are one of those who are not sure, I would suggest you look at the “names you know” such as Trijicon. Long known for their military spec optical devices, their RMR pistol sight was the first carry optic thought to be durable enough for law enforcement duty use. Their Type II optic was even better.

As good as the RMR Type II is, there were still some reasonable criticisms of the optic. The one most heard was that you had to take the optic off the pistol’s slide to change the battery, which required a re-zero of the unit. In all fairness, I have changed the battery in my RMR several times over the years and I have never had to re-zero it. The second, and heard less often, was the window was a bit too small to find the dot quickly, something I have not experienced when presenting the pistol deliberately instead of quickly. Many shooters who felt this way moved over to their SRO when it was introduced. Intended more for competition, the SRO has an optic window the size of a pie plate with a dot that it easily found. This led the good folks at Trijicon to develop a carry optic that allowed for an easy battery change along with an optic window that was a bit larger. Enter the RMR HD.

The larger window makes dot access easier while the ridge on top of the unit offers an alternative sighting device.

The Trijicon RMR HD was specifically designed for law enforcement and the military but is certainly a good choice for EDC. The HD features the same basic shape of the original RMR and is made from very tough forged aluminum. The same robust electronic system and quality optic lenses are still in use. The main changes in the unit are the top-loading battery, larger window and an innovative forward looking light sensor that permits the unit to read the lighting conditions and adjust accordingly. The RMR HD can still be adjusted manually by the end user. The HD also offers multiple reticle options. While I like the simplicity of a lone dot, others have different needs and I get this.

The first thing you notice when you examine the RMR HD is the window is slanted forward as compared to the original RMR. This is to allow the top loading battery compartment to be included. While some have expressed concern that this could affect ejection on some models of semi-auto pistols, I’m not convinced. I mounted my test RMR HD on the new CZ Shadow Compact. The all metal, hammer fired, SA/DA pistol offers a very smooth double action trigger, short single action and a grip configuration that feels quite good in my smaller than average hands. It was mounted on the CZ using the adapter plate purchased from CZ. Since not all adapter plates are created equal, I would suggest due diligence when purchasing.

The first thing I noted as I began to shoot the RMR/CZ combo was what Trijicon calls the “index ridge alignment aid,” a unique ridge across the top of the optic window that provides a built-in index point for fast sight picture acquisition, an alternative sighting option. Since the slide cover and mounting plate on the CZ eliminated the rear sight, I found this addition comforting. I worked with this a bit and found I could get relatively fast hits on target out to ten to twelve yards by using it as an iron sight. You have to make sure you see only the rear “bump” and not the ridge itself, or you will shoot high. I’m going to paint this ridge in the near future and further explore its use. This might be something other optic manufacturers want to think about.

The author found the CZ/RMR HD combo a real pleasure to work with. While carry optics remain controversial in some sectors, the author has definitely “gone over to the dot side.

The one MOA red dot of our test unit was quite easy to see and appeared bright even though it was a sunny day. When I first saw it was only one MOA, I was concerned it would not be big enough for quick use, but this concern was quickly put to rest. As stated earlier, the secret to finding the dot reliably is a deliberate path of travel to the target regardless of whether it is from ready, the holster or after some type of manipulation.

I opted not to torture test the RMR HD by dropping it on its top or other similar acts. There are others who do that quite well, so I will leave it to them. My main concern with carry optics is not the loss of the dot, its unexpected shift of the dot while in use. This has happened to me and while it is easy to say “just shift to the irons” I believe most shooters will continue to trust/use it, believing any misses are due to lack of control on the pistol. Thus, our test consisted of shooting several hundred rounds to see if the optic worked reliably. No problems there.


The RMR HD appears to be just as robust as its original and I have no doubt it will be a huge success, especially with government agencies and those that don’t mind spending extra for products that are built “over-tough”. Yes, it is a bit more expensive, but it will likely last a lifetime.

— Dave Spaulding

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