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JANUARY 14, 2020

Vihtavuori is now offering a new High Energy Series smokeless powder for the popular Creedmoor cartridge family. The new N555 High Energy Series smokeless powder is designed for precision rifle platforms chambered in cartridges such as 6mm & 6.5 Creedmoor, 284 Winchester, 260 Remington and 30-06 Springfield, among others.
Lapua announces the addition of the 6.5 Creedmoor Large Rifle Primer cartridge cases.  They provide competitive shooters, hunters and Mil/LE operators an option utilizing a large rifle primer for enhanced performance in inclement weather conditions.
Federal is introducing its all-new Terminal Ascent. This new line of all-range ammunition will be on display in Booth No. 14551 at the 2019 SHOT Show, January 21-24 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Walther announced the Q5 Match Steel Frame pistol won “Full-Size Pistol of the Year” from editors at Ballistic. Readers confirmed that choice.
Taurus announced that the company's new G3 full-size polymer-frame pistol has received the 2019 Editor's Choice Award from On Target magazine.

Apex Tactical Specialties will be exhibiting at the 2020 SHOT Show (booth 1149) taking place January 21-24 in the Sands Expo Center. Dealers are invited to review the Apex product line, learn about upcoming new products and sign up to order direct from Apex to take advantage of our SHOT Show specials.

 

Luth-AR will be exhibiting at the 2020 SHOT show in Las Vegas. The company will be introducing the MBA-5 Carbine Buttstock, the Ambi-Switch, Scalloped Buffer Tube and more.
Primary Arms Optics has revealed their new product lineup ahead of SHOT Show 2020. This year’s releases include updates to existing favorites and new GLx and SLx optics.
Federal will announce an estimated total of 133 individual product SKUs in more than 34 cataloged product lines during the 2020 SHOT Show. These include the Hydra-Shok Deep 380 Auto, Practice & Defend Packs, 6.5 PRC Gold Medal Berger Hybrid and more.

SIG SAUER, Inc. announced further expansion into the hunting category with #SIGHunting, to include a 2020 product line-up geared towards hunters, an expanded presence at SHOT Show 2020, and a preview of what’s to come with a video online.
Viridian Weapon Technologies will be exhibiting the FACT Duty Weapon-Mounted Camera at the 2020 Las Vegas Metro Police Department Range Day held on Monday, January 20. In 2019, over 800 police and military attended the event to learn about the latest gun accessories for law enforcement.
Otis announces its attendance at the 2020 SHOT show. Attendees are encouraged to stop by the booth and learn about Otis Technology’s gun cleaning supplies and accessories as well as its other brands as well - Shooter’s Choice and DRD Tactical.

DRD Tactical, maker of quick take down rifles, announced its participation at the 2020 SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range. Buyers and media personnel will have an opportunity to try a select assortment of DRD Tactical rifles including the KIVAARI, APTUS and PARATUS.
Hogue Incorporated will be exhibiting at the 42nd Annual SHOT Show. The company will be displaying their new model HandALL Beavertail Grip Sleeves to fit GLOCK’s 43x/48 and SIG SAUER’s P365 XL -- and more.
Daniel Defense will be one of the exhibitors at the 42nd Annual SHOT Show. The compay will be introducing additions to its AR pistol and SBR line up.  In addition, the company will be providing information regarding its DELTA 5 bolt action rifle .75 MOA accuracy guarantee.

FN America, LLC announced that the FN SCAR 20S long-range, precision rifle is now available in 6.5 Creedmoor. It accompanies new color options for the platform with the rifle now offered in a matte black finish as well as the company’s signature flat dark earth.
GLOCK GMBH announced the contract awarded by the French Armament General Directorate to re-equip the entire French Army with its new G17 Gen5 and multiple accessories, as their new standard handgun.
HiViz Shooting Systems is pleased to announce Tes Salb as the company’s new Director of Marketing and Communications. Salb comes to HiViz with more than 18 years experience in marketing, communications, and project management in the shooting sports industry.   

SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the selection of SIG SAUER Ammunition by the U.S. Army Contracting Command for a $10 million firm-fixed priced contract to manufacture the MK 248 MOD 1 and MOD 0 .300 Win Mag ammunition for use in U.S. Military sniper platforms.  
Viridian Weapon Technologies will be exhibiting the FACT Duty™ Weapon-Mounted Camera (WMC™) at the 2020 Las Vegas Metro Police Department Range Day held on Monday, January 20 in Las Vegas.  Attendees are invited to stop by to speak with Viridian representatives about the recording device that continues to gain major media attention and make a significant impact in departments nationwide.
Springfield Armory is proud to announce its partnership with a well-established national firearms distributor, MGE Wholesale.
The DeSantis Variable 87 is a new light weight IWB holster made from 1060 ballistic nylon, closed cell foam and lined with slick pack cloth. It is also fitted with the DeSantis Tuckable 360 clip for unlimited cant adjustment.
Luth-AR announces the new MBA-5 Buttstock, available in Flat Dark Earth for AR carbines and rifles in early February 2020. The new stock is light, adjustable and features a wide cheek rest.
CCI announces 14 new rimfire loads to be shown at the SHOT Show. These include Clean-22 USPSA Steel Challenge special edition, Clean-22 Segmented Hollow Point 22 WMR, Clean-22 Suppressor -- and special edition "Stangers" -- named for the pronunciation of the Stinger brand by YouTube's 22plinkster.

DeSantis Gunhide has now released a new product called the Inside Heat TB -- an IWB holster with thumb break. It’s made for popular handguns and will be shown at SHOT Show.
OSS Suppressors LLC is proud to announce a partnership with Dan Brokos and Lead Faucet Tactical. Brokos is a retired Army Special Forces Sergeant Major, and before founding LFT, he served as the NCOIC of Fort Bragg’s Range 37 — the Army's Special Forces CQB and Sniper school.
Orchid Advisors will hold a free webinar on the upcoming proposed changes to ATF Form 4473 Wednesday, January 15 at 1pm EST. Jon Rydberg and Philip D. Milks of Orchid Advisors will host this event.
The new Sightmark Volta solar reflex sight combines solar and battery power to provide a dual power system and uninterrupted operation. Powered by solar cells directly on top of the optic housing and 2x AAA batteries, Volta red dots provide users the choice of which power source works best for their situation.
Trijicon announced a major expansion of the AccuPoint riflescope series. The latest models in the series give tactical marksmen, long-range hunters, and precision rifle shooters the ability to accurately extend their range in any light.
Trijicon introduces the Huron series of riflescopes, designed for the North American deer hunter. The Huron series features four different variable power options.
The MidwayUSA Foundation is proud to announce it will continue a donation-matching program in 2020. All donations made to shooting teams with a MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment will receive a match.
The USCCA said that it’s overdue for the U.S. military to revisit its policy of keeping service members disarmed on military bases and recruiting centers as they released a new online poll showing overwhelming public support for reversing the policy.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says the increase in the number of shootings and gun-related homicides in Seattle during the past year is more evidence of the failure of gun control laws adopted in recent years.
Versacarry has announced the addition of a new holster to their line of Comfort Flex holsters. The Comfort Flex IWB holster provides outstanding comfort while securely holding the firearm in place.
The shorty version of the M1A from Springfield is ready for anything from farm to field. Will Dabbs, MD, details the M1A Tanker’s efficiency and effectiveness in the March issue of GUNS Magazine.

 

 

Editor’s note: We’re running this feature in two parts as Dave covers a lot of ground.

Many years ago, while engaged in a private conversation in his home, the late Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper told me, the three primary features required when selecting a combat pistol were “reliability, high visibility sights and a good trigger”. Hard to dispute these and I consider them ironclad, but today I would add fit. The number of pistol models has grown considerably over the years and the gun must fit your hand if you are going to shoot to your potential.

Today, a pistol made by a reputable manufacturer will probably be as reliable as human design and engineering can allow. Yes, individual models might be problems, but these lone samples should not reflect on the model line in its totality. In my classes, which occur most every weekend and have between 12 and 16 students, 70 % of the guns are Glocks. Seldom do I see a problem with a Glock, even the ones that have been (in some cases highly) customized. When I do see Glock problems, it is usually due to weak springs used in an attempt to make the trigger "better". The next 20% of guns seen at class are between the Smith & Wesson M&P or SIG 320 divided evenly, with the remaining 10% a smattering of all other pistols...1911's and HK VP-9's for the most part. All of these guns are "reliable" and run well.

High visibility sights would be the next requirement and this would be up to the shooter. While I was recently criticized by a high profile instructor for saying "buy the sights you like" (he feels a good instructor can teach you to shoot with any sights which has some validity, but selecting what you like is certainly a plus as is confidence in anything. In reality, he was just stirring up controversy where there was none), I stand by this statement/belief. I like my Ameriglo CAP Sights, which offers a square in a square with a bright colored front sight, while others prefer thin black on black sights like those designed by Kyle Defoor.

The Ameriglo Hackathorn Sight and the Trijicon High Visibility sight are quite popular and for good reason...they work! I have seen many students do good work with the XS Big and Small dot sights...I really don't care as long as you can hit what you are shooting at from contact distance to 25 yards. Being able to truly SEE the sights is also a big plus!

The current popularity of Mini Red Dot Sights (MRDS) for pistols has added another choice to the process of selecting sights for your combat pistol. While I do not believe they are the “end all be all” of combat sights, they can be a good choice for some. Expect to spend time working with them…say 1,000 rounds or so…as like all things, there is a learning curve. The great thing...in case you missed it...is there are a large number of sight configurations to choose from so do your homework and choose wisely.

A "good trigger”. This is where many become confused, as a good trigger is not the same as a light trigger. A good trigger is one that can be depressed smoothly to the rear without glitches, snags and catches in the action. Having a smooth trigger helps keep the hand from sympathetically clenching when trying to depress the trigger, which will take the muzzle off target. It’s called “late grip effect”. Keep in mind 1/16th inch of muzzle movement is 4 inches at 20 feet, so the importance of reducing this effect cannot be understated. In the end having a smooth trigger is critical! Please remember the hand works as a team, with four fingers opposing a thumb, while the thumb and index finger are also “hard wired” to work together. Isolation of the index finger is certainly possible, but is difficult to do when you ask it to apply pressure individually…the rest of the fingers WILL want to help! Compression of the pinky finger can really move the muzzle…remember the pistol is a lever and what is done at one end will move the other.

When I was still carrying a revolver on duty, it was quite common to have an action job performed, as most revolver actions were atrocious from the factory. Consider all of the moving parts that engage and interact in a revolver…to cock the hammer and rotate the cylinder…most revolver triggers felt like one snag or catch after another! A good action job did not lighten the trigger, it smoothed out all of the engagement surfaces so the trigger could be “rolled” to the rear without taking the muzzle off target. Revolver actions that were nothing more than “clipping coils” off the hammer spring resulted in an unreliable weapon, which violates the first requirement listed here. Not good…

Pistol actions should seek the same end result…a smooth depressing to the rear, not a light trigger. The popular Glock has the famous “catch” in the trigger action that occurs when the tail end of the trigger bar engages the connector shelf, which pulls the trigger bar down to release the striker. If you think about it, the Glock is just a big slingshot…pull back, let go! Sure wish I had thought of it…this simplicity is what makes it so popular…

The 3.5 connector was created to offer a less severe angle to this shelf to help reduce this glitch or catch, but it also lightens the overall trigger weight which concerns some. Trigger weight can easily be added by increasing the weight or the trigger and striker springs. In addition, polishing the engagement surfaces of the internal parts on a Glock can smooth the action but make sure you don’t round the edges, which can make the gun unreliable. Sharp edges of the trigger components are required to properly engage one another and perform their function(s). When in doubt, let a qualified gunsmith do the job.

(Part II finishes with triggers and moves into “fit” as a part of handgun selection.)

Dave Spaulding is a professional firearms instructor with 36 years' experience in Law Enforcement and Federal Security. The recipient of the 2010 Law Enforcement Trainer of the Year Award from the International Law Enforcement Training and Educators Association (ILEETA), Dave has worked in all facets of law enforcement including communications, corrections, court security, patrol, evidence collection, training and investigations. He was a founding member of his agency’s SWAT Team and acted as its training officer for 8 years. He spent a year in an undercover capacity and was the commander of a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force , has been an adjunct instructor at the former Heckler & Koch International Training Division and the Tactical Defense Institute. In addition to his many published articles (over 1,400), Dave is the author of two acclaimed books, Defensive Living and Handgun Combatives. He is also featured in a series of training videos from PANTEAO PRODUCTIONS. He currently operates his own training company that focuses exclusively on “the combative application of the handgun” www.handguncombatives.com .

 
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