First Visit to the New Store!

Well Dean wasn’t kidding when he said the new space is 5 times the size of the old one… it is huge!

Gotta respect that social distancing

The store has everything to outfit the shooter from head to toe…including eyes

Ears…

I did pick up a pair of the Decibullz custom molded ear plugs and am anxious to try them out

And for your hands, Mechanix gloves

And Original footwear for your feet

For your firearms, a wall of Magpul, following their display at SHOT show

Magpul is moving away from plain brown boxes to ones with colour pics of the contents

More parts and accessories

Optics from Trijicon and Vortex…watch for big news about Vortex from Select soon

The best option to transport your guns, Nanuk cases

Although the Voodoo tactical soft cases were also nice

In fact, I regret that I didn’t buy this range bag as it was pretty spectacular

Gotta feed the beasts…some reloading equipment

Nice to see High Capacity (featuring my SHOT Show review)

Some other nice touches around the store…a live counter of Facebook likes

A rotating display (switched monthly) of historical arms from the Canadian Historical Arms Museum

Dean can control the lighting for all the display cases via a phone app…pretty cool!

Ok on to the guns! Mossberg

The new JM 940 hasn’t arrived yet….until then, the 930

Of course Jerry Miculek also endorses Smith & Wesson

More great revolvers from S&W

Glock…

including a rare cutaway (yes this has to be registered as a restricted)

Some high end options from CZ…an engraved Shadow and the Czechmate

Precision rifles

Including one of my grail guns, a consignment H-S Precision HTR

I have to admit, it was surreal to visit a gun store without seeing AR-15s, except for maybe 1

Or 2…

Last but not least, the new range! Still a work in progress, it will feature two ranges with 6 lanes each and everything up to 30-06 with some fancy retrieval systems and multiple membership options including a dual membership with a range in the US! Select will be posting more about that soon.

View from what will be the firing line

And for Select’s podcast

Congratulations once again to Select for the awesome expansion. I wish it could be a more positive time but we have to remain optimistic that the Conservatives will get in power and turn things around. Untilb then, keep supporting the industry and enjoying our sport.

Second Visit

It was great to be back at Select and see how things are progressing. Since my visit last month, the Vortex “store within a store” has been set up.

Lots of hats

I picked up that multi-cam one with glowing logo

Vortex is expanding their apparel line and I was surprised to see their new socks.

As I mentioned last time, the Canadian Historical Arms Museum has a rotating in-store display….my favourites were the Grease Gun

And FN Minimi

Of course those are not for sale but this Mauser C96 Broomhandle is…for $10,000!

I picked up a copy of the latest High Capacity but left it in the store…all the more reason for me to go back soon!

Third Visit

So I went to Bulls Eye North’s new store today (sorry no pics…I will be back in a few weeks for a review) and as I typically do, I like to visit multiple stores in one day. It was a great reason to go back to Select to pick up the magazine I forget there last week and also to check if that new product line (not sure it is public) came in yet. Plus of course it is always great to visit Dean and Tracey.

A few new things came in since last week, notably the Winchester Wildcat, which is their take on a 10/22 with some notable innovations.

Ambidextrous mag release…and there are a couple of options for everything

It uses the same mags as a 10/22

But the whole group is removable (cool how the bolt rotates out of the way), allowing you to clean the gun from the chamber end.

The Ruger American Ranch takes AR15 mags and these are flying off the shelves everywhere

The Vortex AMG red dot has been upgraded quite a bit…now compatible with night vision (and specialy coated so as not to be detectable by night vision from the other end), tool-less opening of the battery compartment and numerous other enhancements

Finally the Bog Deathgrip tripod…a great option for precision shooters at a very reasonable price.

You can never have too much fun at a gun store lol

Fourth Visit

I had a few objectives for today’s visit to Select…first and foremost was to see the new Canuck Engage semi-auto shotgun. I have seen a lot of coverage of it on social media, including lots of pics from O’Dell’s annual range day. It has a “straight line” recoil system, which I understand does not use any gas or springs but the reports from range day suggest it shoots softly.

It is interesting that the bolt release is on the other side…clearly that is something you would have to get used to …I guess that would help if you use a Match Saver as you wont run the extra round over the button.

BTW, my Avon C50 mask is designed to allow for shouldering of a firearm but I didn’t get a great sight picture with the Canuck while wearing it…

of course I also tried with my Benchmark FR flame resistant gaitor and had no issues there.

Next I wanted a second look at the CZ Custom Shop A01LD…I had seen one at another store before but wanted a closer examination

Wow this thing points so perfectly! A great sight picture that was fast and easy to acquire. The long dustcover does add weight but it still feels balanced. I would love to shoot one.

Select posted pics of their latest Historical Arms Display and I gotta say it is the best yet!

I have shot a full auto suppressed Mac10 and it is one of the least accurate guns I have ever shot but I still love the design.

The “silenced” Sterling is exactly that..silent. As I understand, it is lined with a special material that makes it even quieter than a modern suppressor, with the down side that the material wears away with each shot. As such, this specimen is unfired.

My last visit was about a week before the First Tactical section was set up…I have a pair of their gloves and was impressed with them so it was great to finally see their whole line-up

Their products are packed with features and small details like little protectors to prevent muzzles from protruding…all their bags have lockable zippers and the backpacks have a solid plate that can be removed and used as a multi-tool (and the backpack straps can also be removed to attach to the plate)..

Colour coded medic bags (medicine, trauma, respiratory etc.) fit into a larger case

I really liked these boots, which feature a “hinge” at the rear for those who may spend lots of time seated in a vehicle and a knife pocket on the side

The accompanying knife

I picked up one of Select’s great new shooting caps…they are designed to work with ear/eye pro as they have no seams or buttons that can get in the way.

Oh and I also had a look at the range build in process…looks great so far! (I didn’t take any pics)

Always great to visit with Dean and Tracey!

RANGE 519

And now introducing Range 519!

The members only range has an incredible electronic return system made by Action Target, and is the first of its kind in Canada actually. The system allows you to program a vast array of drills including “teasers” that spin the targets to show you the back side as a “good guy” and the front as the “bad guy” to shoot. They can be lit up in various colours, including strobe, and my favourite feature, have a built in camera that shows you the target and where your shots are landing!

All stalls are “bulletproof”

The holes on the tracks help the system measure distance

The backstop is made of recycled airplane tires

View from the backstop

Great job on the range Dean!

To put things in perspective…

The stalls in the public range are extra wide to allow a range officer to stand next to new shooters..and again, the stalls are bulletproof (a great feature with public shooters). Everything is super well thought out!

The classroom

In terms of firearms, I was most anxious to check out the new Maple Ridge Armoury straight pull semi auto. While some have described it as a “bolt action AR”, unlike a precision bolt action rifle, the bolt here is spring loaded so will spring forward on a new round after it is pulled back.

Sadly the range is not ready for live firing…but I was able to “shoot” some pics

Tom brought his recently acquired Dan Wesson Specialist LASF…what a beauty!

I love the heinie Straight 8 sights and rough textured VZ grips.

The biggest surprise gun-wise was the new Canuck Recon, hot off the presses. This is essentially a mag-fed version of existing Canuck designs although it does have some enhancements. I got the full rundown from Phil O’Dell and Ian from O’Dell Engineering (thanks gents)

I also had the chance to look at the Troy PAR…I saw these a couple of years ago when they first came out but of course AR15s were still an option back then. With the OIC ban, the PAR has become a much more serious option and I prefer it to the straight pull options because you don’t need to remove your hand from the fore-end to rack it and the muscle memory is there for pump shotgun shooters.

Some closeups

The slide release button is under the triggerguard

I am seriously considering one.

I picked up a Glock hat and a second set of Decibullz hearing protection

Covering SHOT Show 2020 a few weeks ago was a lot of fun although I left with some sadness knowing some of those great products will never make it to Canada.

No need to worry about that with the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association (CSAAA) 2020 National Trade Show as it is dedicated to showcasing the newest firearms, archery, ammunition and shooting accessories hitting the Canadian market this year.

By way of background, the CSAAA supports and promotes hunting and sport shooting both as socially beneficial sporting activities and as business contributors to our economy. Ultimately, they promote and protect the legal rights of manufacturers, importers, resellers and stakeholders in the Canadian shooting sports industry. You may have seen their foundational research last year on the economic impact of the shooting industry.

The CSAAA also hosts two trade shows annually, one in Calgary and one in Toronto. As trade shows, these events are not open to the public but I was fortunate to obtain a media pass. Thank you again to CSAAA.

Ok on to the show…some aerial shots

my first stop was to check in with my good friend Gilles at Mossberg.

I am pleased to report that the Jerry Miculek / Lena Miculek re-designed 940 Pro will be coming to Canada. The new model is a considerable re-design and intended for 3 gun competition right out of the box. For example, based on Lena’s input, both the forened and magwell have been completely redesigned to allow for quad reloads. The semi-auto shotgun also now has an adjustable length of pull and a cleaner running gas recoil management system that can go 1500 rounds before cleaning.

This is the previous generation model for comparison.

I also like the 500 with the ATI Tactical kit including 6 position adjustable stock, Halo free floating heatshield, and the Add-a-Shell system side saddle.

Love the Kuiu Camo on the 590 Thunder Ranch…btw, that “tri-rail” will be replaced with M-lock.

The Flex has a quick change system to easily swap out the stock

Removable panel reveals Velcro to attach a pressure switch

The 590A1 Retrograde is a real beauty

Shockwave with corn on the cob forend

Lots of novelties at Trigger Wholesale including Lithgow black powder rifles

And .22lr precision rifles

More variations of the mag fed Typhon F12 (I think there are now 40 colour options!)

As well as the bullpup FD2

The Benelli M4 clone is now available in an elite package with two stocks and extra chokes

This shotgun uses Saiga mags! (limited to 5 rounds). I would buy it for that alone lol

Trigger Wholesale is also expanding into archery with Martin bows.

Precision .22LR, mag fed, and bullpup shotguns were also the theme at O’Dell Engineering….including the incredibly popular Derya.

The Spectre..i remember seeing the prototype of this at the first TACCOM show in 2018

Bergera

Including the new .22

North Sylva’s display focused on non-restricteds such as the Kriss Vector (which is indeed coming to Canada in .22lr), the BCL, now in burnt bronze, M+M, CZ Skorpion EVO

The new Charles Daly bullpup shotgun

And my personal favourite, the Tavor, including the 7

For those who prefer the more traditional, the FN competition bolt action gun, Norinco tranch gun, Chiappa mare’s leg, and a North Sylva exclusive Marlin.

Two new versions of the Ruger PC-9 have arrived at Big Rock, one with floating handguard and a second that also has an adjustable stock

Shown here next to the Hi-Point PCC…the Hi-Point is much lighter but limited to 5 round mags.

Another beauty at Big Rock, the 125th Anniversary Savage Model 110

As I reported in my SHOT Show review, Cadex has A LOT of new introductions including an R7 for hunting, new finishes, new two stage trigger, new bi-pod, new shotgun accessories etc. etc. As a Canadian company, it should be no surprise that all of these will be available locally.

New CDX-R7 SPTR

Compared to the R7 Sheepdog

And next to the chassis systems for which Cadex is so well known

New finishes such as Robin’s egg blue

The Bell outdoors booth

Their new airguns immediately caught my eye…fyi, these are over the 450 fps limit so they do require a PAL

Hatsan Shotguns

The SD12 mag fed…comes with a complete kit including mags, extra chokes, etc.

New at the Stoger booth, the Benelli Lupo (Italian for wolf), the first bolt-action from the company. The design focuses on ergonomics and recoil reduction and features seven exclusive Benelli patents.

Also new from Benelli, the B.E.S.T. surface treatment, a new proprietary finishing technology developed by Benelli to coat and protect steel with a tough, impenetrable armor that stops rust and corrosion.

The latest swag

Canik TP8SFX with lightening cuts on slide to reduce muzzle rise

The Elite Combat variant with a threaded barrel designed by Salient Arms International

Next some great optics at the Vortex booth

Binoculars…the second from the left is the top of the line Razor UHD

Monoculars

Laser range finders, the top of which is now capable of ranging out to 4000 yards

And of course scopes

Including the new Razor HD Gen III 1-10×24 FFP…a first focal plane with an illuminated red dot at 1X that turns into a reticle at higher magnifications

Also at the Vortex booth, Kershaw knives

including the Natrix copper

The Kershaw Emerson CQC-11k based on the Emerson Rendezvous

And my favourite knife of the show, the Kershaw Emerson cqc-6k in small (3.25” blade) and large (3.9”)

Dividend with composite blade made of CPM D2 and Bohler N690

Camp knife

More knives from Ruko…

Now available with an ultra robust coating…in custom patterns or text

Ruko’s own camo pattern

Ruko also imports Muela from Spain

Hydra-X Outdoor Adventure set with exchangeable blade system

Back to guns…lightweight hunters seemed to be the theme…such as this very fine Weatherby Mark V Ti, which uses titanium to keep it below the 5 pound mark!

Available with three stock designs (two of which are shown here…the third has more adjustability)

The 3D HEX reoil reducing stock was designed by a former NASA engineer who works at the company

There are many built in safety features such as the gas venting ports in the bolt and the shroud on the back of the action that were developed 50 years ago!

More fine guns from Weatherby…note the Vanguard First Lite camo one in the front…it is used by the hosts of a popular hunting TV show.

Winchester is my favourite ammo maker…I especially like their Ranger and Defender lines. Now they have introduced the USA Ready series, every box of which includes a lot number that allows you to look up your ballistics data online, including velocity, pressure and accuracy ratings — all related to your box’s lot.

I would like to meet the gun that fits that round!

Not only do you have to feed guns, you need to keep them clean too and for that, Gunzilla is a great option. This organic cleaner is safe to use on all guns and based on testimonials, has dramatically reduced weapon malfunctions in theatre, especially in desert / sandy conditions.

And to feed yourself, Code of Arms Coffee!

Last but not least, AmChar, where I ran into Adam, who you all know formerly from FOC and TACCOM.

AmChar is the top distributor for Glock pistols

And gear

AmChar is also the distributor for American Tactical Omni polymer AR15s…these are lined with steel and fully compatible with AR15 uppers and parts.

As well as Mossberg

So to recap, the main themes around new firearms were lightweight hunters as well as mag fed and bullpup shotguns.

I should point out that there was lots of archery equipment again but I did not really cover those booths simply because I don’t know much about archery…although I would like to learn!

Ultimately as a trade show, it was great to connect with members of the firearms industry. I had long conversations about the current political climate and I am happy to report that retailers are enthusiastic. I know of a few store and product line expansions (some have already been made public), showing that the industry is optimistic….and so am I!

RL

Ahhhh it is so great to be back in Vegas…and even greater to be back at SHOT Show!!! I had such an amazing time at SHOT Show 2018 that it will be hard to beat but I am confident that I can do it!

As in the case of 2018, I have done an enormous amount of planning, even though I am more familiar with the layout. Why all the planning? Well, the main show is 690,000 square feet or 12 squares miles (the same as the base of the Grand Pyramid in Giza). It now extends to secondary venues and includes over 1,600 exhibitors on the show floor but that increases to over 2,400 if you include the Supplier Showcase and Pop-Up Preview. Access to SHOT is limited to 65,000 industry folk and 2,500 media members.

To put the size in perspective, consider that if you spend just 10 minutes at a booth (to take pics, handle guns, wait for your turn to handle them, talk to reps, get swag etc.), you could cover 6 per hour or 48 per 8 hour shift. That means in three days you would cover roughly 150 booths. But of course, you have to factor in walking time, breaks etc. so maybe 75 is more realistic. Per SHOT Show’s fact sheet, if you wanted to visit all booths, you could only spend 22 seconds at each!

Thankfully I have a co-author this year and collectively Tom and I plan to cover at least 100 booths. If we post just 10 pics per booth, that would result in a review with 1000 pics (our goal) that covers only 100/2400 or 4% of the show!!!! SHOT is BIG!

In preparation for SHOT, I picked up some cool gear such as this Otte Patrol Parka…thanks to Chris Costa for providing feedback on jacket options and to Parabellum Prime for the super speedy delivery!

I got some shirts made too…gotta look professional!

Along with a few other things that may show up during my review.

Monday Industry Day at the Range

Apart from being able to take pics, one of the greatest benefits of a Media Pass is that you get to attend Industry Day at the Range and shoot everything from super compacts to full auto to suppressed with no limits on ammo.

And the amount of ammo consumed is staggering! Consider that there are 2,500 media folks and if each one shoots 20 guns with 10 rounds each, that would be half a million rounds! I can’t remember the exact round count but from what I recall, it was even higher than that.

Here is an aerial view of the incredibly beautiful range, courtesy of SHOT. I will have more of my own range shots below.

Industry day was awesome! We shot a ton of guns and many exceeded our expectations. Tom and I took about 400 pics and shot lots of vids. I suspect you are anxious to see them so I will start with some of my pics and let Tom chime in with his.

We started at the Geissele booth expecting to see some AR15s fitted with their legendary triggers…we were half right! I was not aware that Geissele soft launched their own in-house made AR15 last year and is fully launching the lineup at this year’s SHOT show. Needless to say, the triggers on them were great.

Next, OSS suppressors…I opted for one mounted on an AK and it was one of my favourite guns of the day.

It was great to get an explanation of the internals of the OSS suppressors. I dare say that I enjoy shooting suppressed firearms more than full auto!

My absolute favourite of the day though was the B&T USW-A1 with its collapsible stock and platform specific Aimpoint site. It made such a difference to shoot it with the stock extended! I will definitely get one of these!

The Alien was certainly the most unique gun of the day…it has the lowest bore axis on the market with the fixed barrel and the interchangeable slide top allows you to swap optics in a breeze (with 90% zeroing)…it can also reliably fire any load of 9mm with its piston system. It is an expensive gun for sure but a lot of thought went into the unique features.

I was quite anxious to try the re-introduced Colt Python…it was available with 4” and 6” barrels and I opted for the longer while Tom shot both. It was nice but not something I would buy.

Another re-release high on our “must try” list was the HK SP5…available in several configurations, Tom and I opted for the traditional profile with iron sights….so satisfying to do that HK slap lol…and it shot great!

No surprise that the Glock booth was all about the new 44 in .22lr…now I have shot Glocks with .22 conversion kits so I kind of had an idea of what it would be like but I have to say the 44 exceeded my expectations! It was lighter than I expected while the trigger was better…I would not hesitate to buy one.

We also ran into Glock shooter Michelle Viscusi

I have read a lot of good things about the sub-compact Springfield Hellcat…it offers the largest mag capacity (13+1) in the smallest package. I tried variations with red-dot and iron sights and I actually shot better with the irons. I really like micro-compacts like the Glock 26 and the Hellcat felt just as good.

It was great to meet Rob Leatham at the Springfield booth

During the course of my research for SHOT, I came across the Rock Island Armory TCM22…a very intriguing round! It is essentially a .22 that moves at 2000 fps!

Here are some 1911s chambered in this round

It creates quite the fireball with no felt recoil!

Next we visited the long range section where I was happy to meet Rob Furlong, who has EXCELLENT taste in jackets lol

He must have given me some good luck as I hit both of my shots on target at 1090 yards out of a Cadex in 300 Norma Magnum…three times longer than I have ever shot before! That Cadex is quite something…and thanks to the Cadex team.

Tom and I were both impressed with Ruger’s latest offerings. First, the 5.7…it is much thinner and easier to hold / control than the FN

Next the Wrangler revolver…an aluminum (very light) frame .22 single action at a very affordable price (under $300 I believe)

Speaking of .22s, how about those long barrels!

More nice Rugers

By now you must have heard of the new Kriss Vector in .22LR…it does not use the Vector recoil mitigating system, rather a more conventional design. However, with a .22 you really don’t need it as there is no recoil anyway. Also, the quad rail allows a light to be mounted on top without obstructing the sight. It costs about a 1/3rd of a centre-fire Kriss.

Vs. the centre-fires in 9mm, 10mm, and 45acp

Just next to Kriss at Maxim Defense I ran into Kris “Tanto” Paronto

Pics of the spectacular range

MORE TO FOLLOW…WORKING ON TECHNICAL ISSUES