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JANUARY 9, 2020

SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the SIG SAUER P320 XCOMPACT has been recognized with a 2019 Ballistic Best Reader’s Choice Award for “Best Compact Semi-Auto.”
The editors of On Target magazine recently announced they had selected the new Rock River Arms .450 Bushmaster LAR-15M rifle for their 2019 Editor's Choice Award.
On Target magazine recognized CCI Ammunition with an Editors’ Choice Award for best-of-the-best in ammunition. CCI Clean-22 bullets use an exclusive polymer bullet coating to greatly reduce copper and lead fouling in the barrel—without leaving a residue.

On Target magazine recently recognized Federal Premium Berger Hybrid Hunter with an Editors’ Choice Award for best-of-the-best in ammunition, as part of the magazine’s 18th annual awards program.
The Hornady 300 PRC has won the Ballistic Best Editors Choice award for Best New Caliber. The 300 PRC is available in 225 gr ELD Match and 212 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter.
HogSWAT, a tactical hog control company based out of southwest Georgia, announced that they will be exhibiting at the NRA Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The Smith & Wesson Performance Center announced that it has introduced a full line of Performance Center M&P M2.0 pistols with a variety of competition-ready enhancements. Chambered in 9mm and 40 S&W, the new Performance Center M&P M2.0 pistols are available with either a 4.25” or 5” barrel in a variety of configurations.
Performance Center announced that it has expanded its rifle line with the addition of four new lightweight .22LR rimfire rifles. The new Performance Center T/CR22 rifles feature a lightweight carbon fiber barrel and ergonomic stocks in multiple color options.
Trijicon Inc announced a joint partnership with Precision Sports Technologies, LLC to commercialize a revolutionary new technology in wind sensing. The partnership, WindPro Technologies, will bring products to market in varied industries where the ability to record wind values is of vital importance.

GEMTECH Suppressors announced that it has introduced a new, modular 9mm suppressor – the GEMTECH Lunar 9. It provides flexibility, with an innovative tube design that allows it to be quickly converted from a 7” suppressor to a shorter 4.7” suppressor.
Speer is introducing several new, high-performance products at the 2020 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Attendees who stop by Speer’s booth will get a first look at the all-new Gold Dot Carry Gun, Gold Dot 5.7x28mm, and Gold Dot Rifle Personal Protection ammunition.
CrossBreed Holsters marks the launch of the all-new M&P9 Shield EZ pistol by offering a lineup of Crossbreed holsters custom-fit for this new single-stack handgun.

High Speed Gear kicked off the new year with two new products, the ReFlex IFAK System medical kit and Duty Mini Multi-Access Comm TACO. These products will be on display at SHOT Show.
When the wilderness beckons, reach for Galco's Kodiak Hunter Chest Holster. Galco is excited to introduce a variant made for popular Thompson/Center’s Contender and G2 single-shot pistols, staple firearms among handgun hunters for decades.
Otis is excited to announce its new products for 2020. These include additions to the Ripcord product line, revisions to the company's compact, round cleaning kits and gunsmithing tools.

The Nightforce ATACR 1-8x24 F1, selected for the Squad-Variable Power Scope component of the USSOCOM MAS-D Optics family, has reached Full Rate Production status. It will augment the M4A1 and similar small arms systems throughout USSOCOM.
The Sightmark Element Mini Solar red dot is a compact sight which combines efficient solar cell technology with additional battery power to deliver a clear 3-MOA red dot in virtually any environment.
Trijicon Inc. is proud to introduce six all new riflescope categories for the hunting, tactical, competition and long-range communities, as well as new models in its AccuPoint line.

Viridian Weapon Technologies is pleased to announce the expansion of its new Viridian Optics line with the release of two new riflescope models. The VENTA 1.5-4.5x32 and VENTA 4-16x40 give hunters and competitive shooters professional-grade optics at an incredible value.
Trijicon, Inc. introduces the Ventus, the world’s first advanced wind-mapping and range-detecting handheld device. Powered by WindPro Technology, the Ventus measures three-dimensional wind velocities at multiple distances out to 500 yards and ranges real-world, non-reflective targets up to an amazing 5,000 yards.
In the wake of recent attacks against religious communities in both Texas and New York, the USCCA announced that it has launched a national donation campaign to help support both religious communities throughout the month of January. The USCCA will give all profits from its new book — Keeping Your Church Safe — to the community of the West Freeway Church of Christ (White Settlement, Texas) and organizations within New York City’s Jewish community.
Primary Arms has announced the start of a new AR15 Special Purpose Rifle Giveaway, which will run through January. This custom-built precision AR15 comes chambered in 5.56x45 and features products from Geissele Automatics, Modlite Systems, Cross Machine Tool, Magpul, Scalarworks, and more.
ERGO Grips announces the Rifle Build Kit Giveaway for SHOT Show 2020. They partnered with Anderson Manufacturing to give away a Rifle Build Kit worth over $1,200.
 

When I talk about training and practice with people almost everyone says, “Oh, yeah, I enjoy shooting.” But, this tells me they’re kind of missing the point. While training and practicing the art of self-defense may involve shooting, it’s a slim slice of the whole pie – and shooting accurately is actually the easiest part of the art. It’s the moving, communicating and using cover, all while thinking about what comes next – decision making – that’s difficult. And to become good at these isn’t going to be fun.

Very few people are willing to develop, and maintain the discipline required to become good at a complex skill. Plus, it takes a big investment of “time,” something which seems to be in short supply with everyone these days. And keep in mind, “good” is a level of competence that’s fairly easy to achieve. To become “outstanding,” or “accomplished” is a much loftier goal; not unattainable, but it takes a much more substantial investment.

The ultimate question is, “How much are you willing to invest?” And we’re not talking financially; skill is not something you can buy. As with any investment you have to look at the payoff. For self-defense the “cost/benefit” is “life/death,” or at least serious injury. If it was as simple as, “Do this or die,” most people would plug into the program. (“Most,” but not all. Some people will continue destructive behavior until death.). The problem is most people “know” they’re not going to be the ones involved in a violent, life-threatening situation. Except, they might be wrong.

“Oh,” they say, “I never go to ‘that’ part of town/after dark/by myself/ …” or any other qualifiers you want to use. The fallacy with this mind-set – and the sooner one accepts this the better - is that “bad” things happen to “good” people every day – and very few of them expected it or knew in advance danger was coming. And when trouble does appear, it’s up to you to solve the problem. Personal protection is an individual responsibility.

Any skill requires training and repetition to achieve a degree of achievement. For the defensive arts there’s also logistical and physical demands. Training means we have to find an instructor to teach us what we don’t know. Nothing about fighting with firearms is instinctual. Practice is where you learn how to apply your defensive skills through repetition. It takes thousands of repetitions to truly learn a skill; even more to chunk several skills together into one package. And repetition by definition is “boring.” Few of us have a range in the backyard, or unlimited supplies of ammo. Luckily the cure for this is dry-practice. There are physical demands; you have to be in decent shape. Not necessarily a tri-athlete but you have to be able to move, use cover and possibly fight your way up off the ground.

In other words, becoming skillful in the defensive arts isn’t going to be fun. Yes, you should take pride in your accomplishments, achieving a certain goal. Positive reinforcement is a good thing. At the same time don’t become complacent with your skill level; we can all get better. Putting the time and effort into training and practice may not be “enjoyable,” but it does have its advantages.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, which is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.

 
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