rlauferblog

DAY 3

When it comes to customized shotguns, Tactical Ordnance is pretty much at the top.

Lately TacOrd has been doing lots of builds on the 1301

They use Aridus parts …

As well as their in-house designed flat mount to replace the pic rail…this brings the red-dot lower to better co-witness with the front sight

More builds

The pink camo Versamax caught my eye

While AmChar didn’t have any Glocks, there was certainly a lot to see at their booth.

I especially liked the Troy PAR (pump action rifle), shown next to the Troy straight pull

Ah, I found a gun to match that giant sword

Gravel Agency showcasing Hatsan shotguns

My favourites of which were this one with the shockwave style grip

and the marine semi-auto (don’t see too many of those)

great to catch up with farmboy as well!

Magpul on display at Gravel’s booth

Chiappa, in all the way from Italy

CCFR Gunnie Girl and Browning pro-staff, Amanda got to see her dream gun (I will let her tell the story)

Always good to see my friends at Mossberg

This is what I love about the gun industry…we are all just gun guys so no problem for Mossberg and Canuck to hang out

JR with the Sterling Arms R18 MK2 of his design

It is available in several finishes…the top one is clear-coated raw steel (not sure if that one is for sale or just a display piece but it is the one I would go with lol…or the red)

Once again, someone beats me at the shoe game lol…my pic did not even capture how bright these were

Steve from TSE will be doing a review of the new Derya

I haven’t really talked about optics yet but believe me, there were A LOT at the show!

First stop Stoeger to check out the latest from Steiner, my favourite brand of binoculars.

The Predator AF 10×42 uses Steiner’s C.A.T. technology, which stands for Color Adjusted Transmission and it is supposed to make it easy to identify animals in any environment (e.g. in foliage and shade). BTW, I mistakenly referred to the outer shell as “camo” in a recent review but it is actually their Laser Texture designed to provide a good grip.

The Predator LRF’s electronics components are completely integrated into the binocular housing providing and features angle compensation and various measuring modes

The Commander 7x50C has a fluid damped, HD stabilized illuminated compass with ranging reticle

The newest scope from the Predator 8 series

Next stop, Leupold in the hopes of checking out the Mark 4 spotting scope…always wanted to try one out.

And we are in luck as they had two of them!

Incredible to get such a view from such a compact package.

Leupold shooting glasses

One of the founders of Apex spoke in the “women of the shooting industry” panel that I attended yesterday. In fact, the Canadian company was founded “by shooters, for shooters”.

My favourite was the Summit Pro with reticle. I really like the way you can rotate the reticle with a control ring around the left eye-cup

Like Apex, Tract also sells directly to consumers. However, their founders are formerly of Nikon. They use SCHOTT glass from Germany, the same glass used by other brands that typically sell at a much higher price point.

Vortex…always one of the busiest booths

Glad to see Nightforce back at TACCOM.

The ATACR range is my favourite.

The NX range

Featuring the most compact FFP 1-8 on the market

I first met True North Tradecraft at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show although I had been following them online well before then. Also, I enjoyed their seminar on Friday so a visit to their booth was definitely warranted.

Demonstrating how to get out of cuffs (in a hostage situation)

Tactikey

TNT was sharing a table with Delta2Alpha who make the feature-laden Straight Shooter jeans. These have 11 pockets, tango eyes/stays to attach accessories, and are designed for freedom of movement, among other features.

Enola Gaye might be another good option for escape and evasion.

The Twin Vent puts out huge amounts of smoke out of both ends

And they were on show special 😊

Body armor from AI Tactical Solutions

I like that visor

Plate carriers from Condor

Tasmanian Tiger

Canadian company, Confections Carcajou

And to carry your guns, awesome holsters from Gray Fox Strategic

Unique pieces for the show…sadly I missed the orange/black one

Ammo can cigar humidor

Always great to see Dean and team from Select Shooting Supplies

Select was running a sticker draw for a deactivated FNC1, complete with bayonet and full kit

SFRC

Who were also running a raffle

And brought some military vehicles to display

TriggerTech, legendary triggers. Best to read up on their many many innovations such as “frictionless release technology” “TKR” “CLKR” “FLTWR Spring” etc…a bit too technical to get into here

For bolt guns

AR15

AR10

Closeup of the Diamond for RPR

Internals

I just went back to the Tactical Innovations Canada booth in time to watch another customer buy the last Klarus with 360 tail switch. Oh well, at least I got to try out the display model. The ring access to the strobe function from any angle is awesome.

Nice megaphones

Last but certainly not least, personal gear and apparel.

Urban Tactical is one of my favourite gun stores. In addition to firearms and having a range (with shooting packages for the public) attached to their retail store, they certainly have the best selection of personal gear and apparel. Whether it be footwear (e.g. Danner, Salomon, Altama, Haix, Lowa, Original Swat etc), gloves (Mechanix, TurtleSkins, Hatch) eyewear (Oakley, SMITH, Revision) or clothing (5.11, UF Pro, Viktos) their selection is staggering. On top of that, the crew are super nice!

Great to see Dave back in Toronto

I liked these Viktos shirts

I didn’t get many pics of their expansive booth (mainly because it was full all the time) but in addition to the clothing you see in my pics, they had a large selection of Nextorch lights and YETI products.

It was also great to see Amy again! Formerly of Stoeger, now with 911Supply. I was pleased to learn that 911Supply has expanded into Ontario by taking over Parabellum Prime in Ottawa. I have shopped at both of their stores and look forward to visiting the newly branded Ottawa store.

Some booth pics

Otte Patrol Pants in Wolf Grey to match my Patrol Jacket

Otte loft jackets

Mannequin in Crye Precision

Tactical Supplies Canada

Tom manning the Code of Arms booth

Here I am with my new t-shirt and the man himself

MadHatter Industries, a veteran-owned apparel company with a global mission to raise mental health awareness and prevent suicides

C4L, also veteran owned and operated

Army Issue Surplus

Did I mention that I am obsessed with gas masks? Lol

Organizations fighting for our rights…CSAAA (representing dealers)

CSSA

NFA

And of course the CCFR

Who were raffling off a Crusader Arms

Silvercore, who promote safety and provide training for all things firearms related

Canadian Sportswoman Society

And now to recognize those who contribute to the atmosphere and ambiance of TACCOM…

Code of Arms ran the stage like clockwork, not an easy task with approximately 20 presentations over the 3 days. Code of Arms also brought in International Recoding artist and the official FREEDOM DJ Desi Ranks who did a great job keeping us upbeat.

Also, MGear deserves special mention. They were not just selling EDC wallets, they were integral to the TACCOM experience. MGear brought in Datu Shishir Inocalla, aka Michaelangelo, put on demonstrations of Filipino Martial Arts, provided training and a tournament in FMA for attendees, and set-up their HOLOD3CK to create personal 3D action figures. All of this drew a lot of people, especially families, which is integral to passing on our sport to future generations.

Again, as a knife guy, I thoroughly enjoyed their FMA presentations and the personal demonstrations and tips I got in the off hours were definitely show highlights for me.

I also want to thank all exhibitors for being so kind and accommodating. I know I can be a Prima Donna at times asking you to move things around for my pics…so I appreciate it! Thanks for all the kind words!

And of course Fred, who did such an amazing job organizing this incredible event. THANK YOU for all you do to put the “TACCOM” into TACCOM!

RL

LINKS TO ALL PARTS BELOW

TACCOM 2022 – Part 1

TACCOM 2022 – Part 1

TACCOM 2022 – Part 2

TACCOM 2022 – Part 2

TACCOM 2022 – Part 3

TACCOM 2022 – Part 3

DAY 2

I started the day by heading back to Wolverine to have a closer look at the B&T APC and GMH9. I have heard some suggest the APC is too heavy but I did not find that to be the case

That having been said, I did prefer the feel of the GMH9 and I do like the FDE and this was one of my show favourites

As was this BlackBox custom S&W M&P! I love the rough texture and it pointed so well (super easy to find the red dot).

Lots of nice customized Glocks

I also went back to Tamgha to check out the Wolverine-M folding shotgun. I have seen a folding AR and folding Glock at SHOT Show but never a folding shotgun. Perhaps I should go back and take a video because the way it flicks or snaps open in one motion is so cool!

In anticipation of several knife-related seminars today, I will cover some knife booths. First, MAP Impex with Damascus hand-made in Pakistan. My favourite was the karambit with camel bone scales.

Next the Pocket Blade, where I think I found their namesake and my new EDC

My friends at Rangeview Sports brought a great assortment of knives

And now for the first seminar on Filipino martial arts. This was one of the highlights of TACCOM 2019 but this time there was an added bonus, the man behind the shell of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michaelangelo, Datu Shishir Inocalla!

Some warm up drills

Datu Shishir addresses the crowd and does some solo work…cowabunga

and is then joined by his training partner, who happens to be the owner of MGear

after beating on him for a bit, we switch to another partner, an incredibly skilled one at that (he also showed me some moves before the show..again, incredible!)

He gives a quick lesson in FMA to Jeff

Yes, today I met Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michaelangelo

Alright back to some browsing before the next seminar.

As you probably know from my past reviews, I LOVE Surefire!

This time I was looking for some specific things when I visited their booth. James Yaeger passed away last week so I wanted to cover the Tactician, designed with his input. This 800 Lumen light has a somewhat unique combination of features. For example, the tailcap button is for “temporary on” only and you have to twist the tailcap for “constant on.” Meanwhile, twisting the front bezel switches from low output to high output with Maxvision (designed to fill your peripheral vision).

I also wanted to look at the X400U and new X300turbo from Surefire’s weaponlight series.

The X400U is a laser/light combo

while the X300turbo is the longest throw pistol light on the market (over 500 meters!)

Of course, I could always use a Dominator

Next a visit to CRAFM, Montreal’s premier gunstore. CRAFM is a very strong supporter of IPSC, as you can tell by the very high end firearms they sell (e.g. SVI Infinity) and the fact they sponsor IPSC Champion shooter Alex Berdat.

Alex competes with the Alien

The Anaconda is more my style/speed lol

Alex with CRAFM’s proprietor Frank, again a strong supporter of the shooting community.

Ok, time for the next seminar! Tracey Wilson introduced a panel of women involved in the shooting industry. Each gave their background on how they got into shooting and shared strategies for getting more women involved.

Tracey then introduced Rod Giltaca,

To a big crowd

Rod spoke about the CCFR’s approach and what we can do in the current political climate.

Next Steve from Crusader Arms gave us a background on the company and introduced the new Templar in technical detail.

With some swag for the highly inquisitive audience

And now for my most anticipated presentation, Master Ken, who arrived with police escorts, presumably to protect everyone else!

Master Ken shares his philosophy

And then gets a volunteer to demonstrate knife defense…yes! More knife fighting!

Master Ken assures us that the training knife is as dull as Canadians

As this was only my second seminar in Ameri-Dote, I don’t feel qualified to share the secrets of the art…so you can just enjoy the pics of his knife defense.

Next his knife knot defense technique

Single gun disarm

His “John Wick” defense against a dual pistol wielding attacker

Finally his “Backstreet Boys” defense against a gun held to the back of your head…co-demonstrated with none other than Canuck pro-staff shooter and CCFR Gunnie Girl, Lynn!

After the demonstration we had the opportunity to buy some swag.

I had bigger plans though…my favourite Master Ken video of all time is his “Twisted Tea” defense breakdown after that incident in the convenience store where a guy knocked someone out with a can of the famous drink. I brought a can for Master Ken to sign and he graciously did so.

Even better, he personally demonstrated his “Boston Tea Party” technique!

But it didn’t end there and what happened next could only happen at a show like TACCOM!

So after Master Ken’s demo, I finally had the chance to visit Premier Body Armor. I was especially interested in their Everyday Armor T-Shirt. It was just as great as I expected (and exactly what I am looking for) but they did not have it in my size so I will have to order one.

I also looked at their conventional vests

with available Eclipsys cooling system (so thin that my camera had trouble focusing on it)

Backpack inserts

Then while looking at the armor plates on their table, I noticed something interesting…what could it be?

A bulletproof can cooler!

Now I have a Twisted Tea assault can infused with Master Ken’s awesomeness and bulletproof protection! This must be on the level of Thor’s Hammer!

As I ponder what I can accomplish with my Mjolnir, Jerrika brings us back to reality with her informative presentation on hunting culture in Aboriginal communities and some of the special challenges they face.

Then yet another knife defense seminar! Of course, this is highly interesting to me as a “knife guy” who has taken a few of these seminars, it is also highly topical given the rise in knife crime such as that very recent mass stabbing.

Tirsia Tactical demonstrating the core principal of their TRICOM system of getting to the outside line. The instructors were using the Aku Strike T-16 Mimic training knife that “beeps” to simulate a stab/slash (these are great, I have one as well from a seminar I did with Doug Marcaida)

I capped off the evening with the CCFR party at Arizona Grill

Master Ken even showed up! And he shaved his moustache in disguise

More coverage tomorrow.

RL

LINKS TO ALL PARTS BELOW

TACCOM 2022 – Part 1

TACCOM 2022 – Part 1

TACCOM 2022 – Part 2

TACCOM 2022 – Part 2

TACCOM 2022 – Part 3

TACCOM 2022 – Part 3

It has been seven years since I last attended a knifeshow on Canadian soil so to say that I was excited about the Great Lakes Custom Knife Show 2022 would be an understatement!

Of course, it is not just about seeing great Canadian made knives, it is also about re-connecting with the knifemakers I used to see at the now defunct Canadian Knifemakers Guild shows…and of course catching up with my fellow collectors!

As usual, I made a trip out of it, and this time it was somewhat special as I had never been to Bayfield before. I stopped at Select Shooting Supplies during the three-hour drive and I will post pics of my whole trip at the end as I am sure you are anxious to get to the knives.

Per tradition, I met with some knifemakers the evening prior to the show, specifically my good friends Paul Savage and James Emmons and their lovely spouses

After our awesome meal at Black Dog Pub (again I will post the food pics at the end), we headed back to the hotel for some knife show and tell. I was REALLY looking forward to seeing Paul’s FSSF V-42 daggers!
His take on this classic design is forged and hollow ground on a 1 1/2” wheel. The blade and guard are satin finished and hot blued and the pommel is polished and hot blued. The handle is stacked leather with a leather guard cushion. Needless to say, the pair were stunning!

with a modern classic, the Strider AR

Meanwhile James brought this beautiful big d-guard bowie in ladder pattern damascus

As well as this dagger in tear-drop Damascus

The pattern’s name comes from the details in the fuller

James checking out my Strider

Now on to show day! The quaint venue was also the location for the old “Bayfield” show and I think it works well.

You have been warned!

I got there super early and watched the setup as knifemakers started arriving

And it’s showtime!

My first stop was to check in with the event’s host/organizer, Chris Hamelin. Chris, a local resident of Bayfield, was inspired to get into knifemaking by another Bayfield resident and legendary knifemaker Wolfgang Loerchner. Chris does stock removal and is currently focused on outdoor/hunting knives.

Speaking of Wolf, he was my next stop as I heard he was bringing something “special.”

Wolf’s display included the “Christmas” knives he made annually for his wife

If you didn’t think the world has turned upside down over the past couple of years, imagine my shock at seeing tactical flippers on Wolf’s table!

These were prototypes for a custom collaboration and this one in particular was made completely by hand, the same way as Wolf’s art knives!!! It could possibly be the smoothest flipper I have ever handled!

Seriously, could you ever fathom a Wolf tactical flipper being held in reverse grip?

Here it is again in better lighting in case you didn’t believe it!

German engineering (yes, I know my car needs a wash!)

Vs. American Muscle

In anticipation of the show, I was watching social media closely in the hopes of getting some sneak peeks. Based on that, I was really looking forward to checking out Buffalo Bones leatherwork.

My pic does not do justice to the blue ostrich billfold

Love the huge zipper on this one

Gotta represent

Gauntlet check…Buffalo Bones vs. Doug Marcaida

I was most interested in Buffalo Bones’ Book Murks with Wally Hayes kiradashis!

Although I did not purchase one, I very much like the design and plan to get one in exotic skin in the future.

Also on my list, a Bali slip with ULTICLIP for my Benchmade trainer…and in matching red ostrich skin of course (coordination is key)

And now for a big surprise, a leather “handguard”! I love it!

Thanks Buffalo Bones

And look who I ran into, Big Jay, with his awesome new axe.

Next, a visit to Paul Savage’s table to have another look at those incredible V-42 daggers and to see what else he brought to the show. As one of the few ABS JS in Canada, Paul’s work is always top notch.

I liked these forged chive choppers…kind of like a mini ulu

Also interesting for a chilly head like me, a leather hot sauce holster

James Emmons is also an ABS JS and as you saw in my pre-show pics, does stunning Damascus bowies

While his d-guard bowie is very much my style, my favourite knife of his was actually this stag lock-back folder. The Damascus extends beyond the blade to the lock-bar and internals.

DC Tip helping me showcase the two

ABS MasterSmith Wally Hayes is a man of many talents and is now making custom guitars. His knives for the show included a rifle stock and forged bladed folder.

custom guitars

Continuing our tradition

It’s not everyday someone beats me at the shoe game but it is pretty hard to compete with wooden clogs

Even more impressive though were Jacco Van de Bruinhorst’s forged blades

Especially this Persian with a 14” Turkish twist Damascus double hollow ground blade and fittings and a caramelized maple burl handle. As a nice detail, the pommel bars are forged to match the pommel curve.

Many of his knives are full take-downs…here he is demonstrating how they work to Russ as I watch from above

That’s all it took to convince Russ to buy that Persian…the happy new owner with JVB

More great forged knives at the show…from Todd Bolce

The pair of tantos in forged ball bearing steel were among my favourites of the show

A Grohman-esque utility blade

If I could summarize Matt Bedlington’s knives in two words I would say “great packages”…the blades are well matched with the sheaths, many of which were leather incorporating ULTICLIPS.

As an example of what I mean, check out this fixed blade with kydex/leather sheath set up for scout carry

The black G10 on this pocket scalpel looked so good…such a deep black, I thought he covered it with Vanta spray lol…I don’t think my pic does it justice

Ultimately my favourite knife from Matt, and actually one of my show favourites was this friction folder

Elizabeth Loerchner hand files her blades in the same tradition as her dad, Wolf…and they are equally stunning

I was not familiar with Brad Milman before this show but I will certainly keep an eye out for his blades as there were many impressive knives on his table.

I especially liked this ladder-pattern Damascus bowie with multi-colour Micarta scales

Another one with interesting handle scale material…it glows under strong light (as provided by my Surefire G2Z Maxvision)

This mini-Khopesh was also right up my alley…and like the one on Forged in Fire, it will cut!

The show had a good mix of new and established makers and it was great to see Murray St. Amour again.

I especially liked his sheaths with inlays in cobra, python, and white snake

Can’t be a Canadian show without Mike Mossington!

Mike often brings knife supplies but this time he was mainly showing knives. Fortunately, Muskoka Turner had an incredible selection of handle materials, including some with wood sourced from Australia.

For those looking for kitchen knives, there were lots of great options at the show, such as Cameron Lymburner. Cameron mainly uses stock removal with flat grinds, tapered tangs and other tricks to keep his stainless steel knives incredibly light weight.

While his kitchen knives are most popular, of course he makes other styles as well

More great option for kitchen knives, Gabriel Tetreault and Noah Vachon both from Quebec.

I didn’t have a chance to talk a lot with Justin Dale but the beauty/quality of his knives speak for themselves

Brent Sunday knives, as his motto says, to fish, hunt, cook

Lots of colourful offerings from Spencer Azzopardi

The grip on this one was comfortable from any position

Steve Vanderkolff’s daughters are learning the trade, doing some scrimshaw on his knives

Bloodhound Ironworks

Collector Rod Cooke

Steady crowds during the day

So to recap, my favourite knives of the show:
1 Wolf tactical flipper / Savage V-42 daggers (tie)
2 Emmons stag / Damascus lock-back folder
3 Todd Bolce Damascus tanto
4 Matt Bedlington friction folder
…and pretty much everything Buffalo Bones lol

All in all a fantastic show! Great job by Chris Hamelin for organizing. Although this was his first show, you would never know it as it had the same feel as established shows like the old Canadian Knifemaker Guild shows. I look forward to the next one!

And now for those of you who always ask me about the food pics….

My first taste of Bayfield cuisine was Willy’s Burger Bar

Of course I had the Willy burger…which is fine if you like your meat cooked well done

The battered mushrooms were great

The Black Dog Village Pub has a great reputation and deservedly so…it was fantastic! Great service, great food, great selection of whiskeys..

They didn’t have the White Mash I wanted to try so I opted for another high proof option, 1792 Full Proof

I could tell I was going to love the escargot before the first bite…it had such a great aroma!

The Scotch egg was good too but not as good as the escargot

But I was really blown away by The Hub On The Docks.

Although some suggested this resto overlooking the docks could be “touristy”…

I have to say their mushroom and goat cheese smash burger was one of the best burgers I have ever had.

Pretty impressed with the food in Bayfield. As for my motel, not so much lol. This is what $99 gets you

Stunning views

A three-part bathroom, with toilet in the closet and shower/sink next to your bed

RL

With today being National Range Day, there are shooting events across the country intended to introduce our sport to new shooters.

I was fortunate to attend Big Bang Gun Show, a multi-format show with shooting, archery, axe/knife throwing, and vendors! As someone who attends A LOT of such events, I can definitely say that Big Bang is one of those “can’t miss” events…certainly one of the top Canadian events like TACCOM and Wolverine Days.

The day started off with a safety briefing to the army of volunteers

And a few words from host Code of Arms

Before getting to the activities, I have to say it was great running into familiar faces and meeting new ones.

Sig rep Tim and Mossberg rep Gilles

Gilles again, this time with Ian from O’Dell

I always appreciate when fellow gunnies say hi.

The Aimbot Target crew

Ok let’s start with shooting….

some of the handguns on the line

Sig P320 X5 Legion with its Tungsten infused grip (I was most anxious to shoot this one)

Sig P320 AXG Pro

The Desert Eagle needs to introduction

The mighty S&W 500

Skorpion

Canuck 1911 and Springfield XD

Springfield 1911

A selection of Glocks

Such as the G19X

Long-guns

Including Mossberg shotguns

Love the retrograde

GSG

More shotguns

And the Crusader Arms 9

a fitting start to Big Bang, babygoespewpew with the S&W500

I went for the X5 Legion right away…it did not disappoint

I love 1911s and have been on the list for a Springfield FBI gun for several years…now I may never get one if the new laws go through ☹

Also tried the Springfield XD with red-dot

Tom also tried (and liked) the X5 Legion

He has shot my John Wick 2 Taran G34…now he opted to try a stock G34

Our steel targets

vs. bowling pins at the range next to ours

where they also had a Legion on the line

by now a decent crowd was forming

so we moved to the trap/skeet range, accompanied by CCFR Gunnie Girl and Canuck Pro Staffer, Barb!

Great shooting Barb!

All done shooting, we moved to some of the other activites. I was super excited about the axe/knife/spear throwing as I have always wanted to try that. In fact, I even had custom throwing knives made by Bullseye Blades in the pattern of the Beck WSK Tracker I have on order (going on 4 years now lol)

Since this was my first time throwing, I started with a production knife first.

And it stuck on my first throw!!

Now for my custom…I was so scared of throwing it in the forest that I babied it on the first throw and it bounced off the board. The instructor told me to throw harder and it stuck the second time! Boy did it ever..took some effort to pull it out of the board lol

I didn’t dare try the spears but here is Sam showing how it is done

They also had some knives on display…I was happy to see the Condor Golok Machete as I am very interested in FMA and Silat

Another Indonesian design, the Parang

More knives on display from CRKT

Including my favourite, the Provoke “morphing” karambit designed by Joe Caswell

Meanwhile Barb, an experienced archer, shot some recurve bow

Last but certainly not least, the vendor showcase!

Some of my favourite brands at this booth….including Wiley X eyewear (I have the CQC, SG-1, and Saber)

The Spear goggles (compared to my Revision Exoshield that you can see in the mirror)

I am a bit obsessed with goggles lol

I also like the Klein, safety rated aviators

I LOVE Surefire!

Yes I need a UBR Dominator

Another great brand, Trijicon

AXIL hearing protection…coincidentally I just picked up a GS 2.0 Extreme last night in anticipation of this show…didn’t know they would have Axil available…I think I need to try it with the smaller foam plugs next time

Woox axes

my favourite of which was the Volante throwing axe

A chance to have a closer look at the Springfields I shot earlier

I need these for my mancave

This gentleman at Dark Knight Systems took a nap

Before showcasing this green plate carrier

while his colleague wore one in black

Crusader Arms has created quite the buzz in the industry with the introduction of the 9, Sentinel, and the new Templar

the Templar is much lighter than the initial designs and features a folding stock

new lower also introduced at the show

Great to see the Sig reps, I picked up a 320 tekmat for my M17 Commemorative

Wolverine folding pump action and other shotguns

Canadian Combatant and Operation Giving Goose, promoting mental health and suicide prevention

OAFC

and of course the CCFR fighting tirelessly for our gun rights

Great vibe with a DJ

And Greek food from the Runaway Greek

I had the Gyros plate

Once again, a phenomenal event and given the intention of bringing new shooters into the fold, I couldn’t think of anything better.

RL

It was great to see 5.11 Day back at Urban Tactical after a covid imposed hiatus last year. This annual event is usually held on or as close to possible May 11, or 5.11 and features sales on the entire 5.11 lineup as well as general store sales as well. Plus Urban Tactical is just a great store, run by a great group of guys.

The first 50 people had the choice of a t-shirt or hat

I opted for the hat

There was also a prize wheel available to those who made a purchase. Since I made some purchases throughout the day, I got two spins at the wheel.

The first time I won a patch

The second time a 5.11 dopp kit

big crowds all day

TONS of 5.11 around the store, including jackets and shirts

Hoodies

Footwear

including my favourite with built in pocket for an accompanying knife

it will fit a light as well

plate carriers

Backpacks

and hats…shown alongside hats from UF Pro

Unfortunately, my pic with the 5.11 boonie hat came out blurry

Speaking of UF Pro, I do like the brand but unfortunately most of their products are cut too small for me. Case in point, this beautiful ACE Winter Combat Shirt. I do have their winter jacket with the full zipper and like it a lot.

Apart from 5.11, Urban Tactical carries a huge array of tactical gear and firearms. In terms of eyepro, they carry my three favourite brands, SMITH, Revision, and Oakley. For example, this incredible Revision Snowhawk comes with a balaclava featuring strategically placed magnets that pair with the goggles to keep them firmly in place.

Vs. the very low profile Revision Exoshield (btw I got the 5.11 hat I am wearing personally from Doug Marcaida at his seminar during SHOT Show 2018).

Oakley Ballistic Detcord (love the design but a bit small for my face)

Knives from several manufacturers including Kershaw, Gerber, and Condor Tool & Knife, such as this K-TACT KUKRI

Tactical lights from Nextorch

And Quiqlite

HUGE selection of YETI coolers, including the new Bimini Pink, Offshore Blue, and Alpine Yellow

They recently started carrying Mustang Survival!

last but certainly not least, firearms

I looked at the new S&W M&P 12 shotgun…super compact..and extremely grippy textured grips that you usually see on the M&P handgun line

My very first handgun was a Glock 20 in 10mm…here is one next to the longer slide version, the 40

I didn’t take pics of the shooting component of the day but I understand they had about 200 people go through the range. In retrospect, I should have done some shooting!

I didn’t cover the complimentary barbeque either as I opted to visit Camp 31 for some competition level ribs.

I had the “Backside” combo. As the name suggests it is a half rack of baby back and a half rack of side ribs.

All in all a great day.

RL

Had a super fun day with CCFR Gunnie Girl and Canuck Pro-Staffer, the legendary Morgy!

First we hit one of my favourite gun stores, Firearms Outlet Canada. Their selection is incredible and they had at least 15 guns I want to buy lol. My absolute favourites were the B&T GHM9 NON-RESTRICTED and MK II Optic Ready handgun

I also liked the Beretta 92 compact

And Beretta M9A4, with the main difference over the M9A3 being an optics ready slide with front serrations

It was great to check out The Fix by Q again…lightest precision rifle I have ever encountered.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the new Canuck Operator Elite pump action! It looks just like a Benelli M4 except that it is pump action…I believe the slide release is located where the bolt release would be on the semi…pretty neat!

Another nice surprise, they had the Streamlight Wedge..i have been wanting to check these out in person.

All done gun shopping, we hit Portly Piper next.

Morgy had the steak

While I had the club sandwich

We finished with some crème brulee

Next some pool to work off our meal lol

I wont comment on who won

It’s all good..cheers Morgy!

All in all a super fun day! Thanks so much Morgy!

RL

Note: This event took place August 30, 2021. You may recognize some of the pics as they appeared in the CCFR TV ad during the Federal Election.

In all my travels to gun stores and gun shows one name keeps popping up; “Canuck.” Phil O’Dell and his team at O’Dell Engineering, distributors for Canuck, have clearly done a great job of meeting Canadian gun owners’ needs for quality products at an affordable price all backed by a company with great customer service.

There is no question that O’Dell has capitalized successfully on the growing appetite for tactical shotguns in general, and for mag-fed variants in particular, with offerings such as the Operator, Recon, Renegade, Enforcer, and Engage.

While O’Dell may be best known for Canuck shotguns, they also offer 1911s, both through the Canuck brand as well as through distribution rights for Rock Island Armory. O’Dell is also the Canadian distributor for Bergara precision rifles. Prior to the OIC ban, they were also the distributors for Radical and F-1 Firearms AR-15s.

O’Dell’s Annual Range Day, now in its seventh year, is an industry event that allows retailers to test the latest offerings and provide/receive direct feedback. The intention is to increase retailers’ first-hand familiarity with the products so they can better answer questions and better match firearms with the customer’s shooting needs. The event, done in collaboration with AmChar, the Glock distributor, is by invitation only with a cap of two reps per retailer.

Opening remarks by Phil O’Dell and Ian Mahler to the group of about 60 guests representing 25+ retailers

After which we split up and I headed over to the handgun/rifle range.

In terms of the guns on the line, the FD-12 was the most popular of the day with several people not wanting to put it down!

Rep from Ronin Sports

Canuck Pro-Staffer and CCFR Gunnie Girl Barb

Rep from Williams Arms

I first saw the FD-12 at SHOT Show 2020 and again at CSAAA 2020 and was very intrigued by the compactness of the bull pup box magazine design. The FD-12s being imported by O’Dell are quality controlled by a boots-on-the-ground employee (named Fatih) in Turkey. Guns that meet O’Dell’s standards are marked with an “OD” serial number and are fully supported for warranty work. Currently the O’Dell guns are only available in black and they have a nice weight to them given the abundance of metal components.

The second most popular gun appeared to be the new Commander size Canuck 1911. After years of development, it is finally available in .45ACP and 9mm in stainless or with a black finish. It has a 4.25” barrel and a Series 70 style trigger. Everyone who shot it gave positive feedback and a few even preferred it to the full-size model.

The rep from Victory Ridge

The two Kelly’s!

Dave from NAS Guns and Ammo

And more reps

My personal favourite gun of the day was the Rock Island Armory XT, a 1911 in .22 MAGNUM. While I did not get a chance to shoot it, I did shoot the even hotter .22TCM at SHOT Show 2020 and it was quite surreal to see such a huge flame coming out of a gun with such low recoil. I imagine the .22 MAGNUM would be just as fun!

Speaking of .22s, there were some great new offerings from Bergara on the line. The B14R is designed as a true rimfire “trainer” that follows the dimensions/layout of a REM700 platform. In fact, it can be set up to match the configuration of your centerfire rifle with REM700 compatible stocks, bases, and triggers. Even the magazine is built to the same dimensions as a standard short action AICS mag.

The Bergara Micro Rimfire, or BMR, uses a new scaled down Bergara Action design. It is available with either steel or carbon fiber barrel with match chamber for high accuracy. The BMR accepts aftermarket REM700 triggers.

Canuck Pro-Staffers and CCFR Gunnie Girls…Morgy

Lynn

And Barb

All of the Bergara precision rifles on the line were fitted with US Optics glass as O’Dell is the Canadian distributor for these top-of-the-line scopes.

Next I headed over to the AmChar range

Where the Gen5 Glock 22 was the highlight. Upgrades to the revamped .40 Glock include front slide serrations, a grip without finger grooves, a Gen5 trigger, and four sight configurations including standard, Glock Night Sights, Ameriglo Bold, and Modular Optic System (MOS).

All done at the rifle/handgun ranges, I made my way to the Lancaster Smokehouse food truck. This local favourite was on site serving up some of its legendary brisket, pulled pork, macaroni, and curly fries, a fitting meal for a range day.

Break time was also a great opportunity to check out the incredible selection of machine guns that the Canadian Historical Arms Museum had on display. I love the MG34, MG42, Bren MK1 and big belt-fed autos as much as any gunnut…

but I have to say the Mac 10 with its highly visible welding lines always puts a big smile on my face.

Thanks again to the CHAM crew for your generosity in sharing your collection and knowledge.

Ok back to shooting, this time at the skeet and 5-stand ranges to check out the Canuck Over Under Trap Combo with its beautiful Grade 2 walnut stock and the new Canuck Hunter 3” Inertia semi-auto. The Trap Combo has a 32” vent rib barrel, adjustable recoil pad and comb, fiber optic front sight, and 5 extended chokes. The Hunter has a 28” chrome lined vent rib barrel with fibre optic front sight, two tone bronze Cerekoted aluminum receiver and barrel, and a Mossy Oak Bottomlands Camo pattern buttstock and forend. It will also be available in CAMO MAX 5.

Throughout the day it was great to see so many familiar faces and catch up on industry news.

Dean from Select and Corrie from Code of Arms

And Corrie with Scott from BullsEye North

The crew from AmChar and Target Sports

The crew from NAS Guns and Ammo

Conservative Candidates, Connie Colvey and Tyler Calver, both of whom are RPAL holders, in attendance.

Some nice lawn signs

Lots of nice shades

The range day closed off with a prize draw for attendees. There were multiple great prizes including firearms from Canuck, Bergera, and Glock!

Attendees also received a great swag bag with Canuck and Bergara hats, tshirt, and other gear.

And we were not done yet! The celebration continued at the Duke & Duchess, a local British pub.

O’Dell’s decision to move forward with this event is a very encouraging sign for our sport and a testament of their commitment to it. So many other great events have been cancelled or postponed indefinitely with all the lockdowns and havoc over the past two years, not to mention the current political climate.

Finally, some special thanks to all the volunteers including Canuck pro shooters and CCFR Gunnie Girls Morgy, Lynn, and Barb, to Dean and team from Select Shooting Supplies for supplying the coffee and PA system, to Steve Corlett from Vista and Federal ammo for sourcing the required munitions for the day, which is a growing challenge due to ammo shortages, to the Sportsmens Club Galt, and of course the O’Dell team for putting on such a great event. Oh, and Happy Birthday Phil!

RL