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NOTE: THIS IS A REPOST FROM 2018. MY PHOTO SITE CRASHED AND I RE-UPLOADED THE PICS TO THIS INCREDIBLE EVENT THAT WAS WORTH REVISITING. IT WAS ORGANIZED BY FIREARMS OUTLET CANADA, THE TEAM BEHIND THE TACCOM SHOW.

Pics from the FOC Project UNUM VIP Launch Party!

Once again Firearms Outlet Canada sets the standard for events in the firearms industry. Seriously the closest thing I have experienced to the Project UNUM VIP Launch Party was the launch party for the Lamborghini Huracan!

Just to recap, Project UNUM is the first in FOC’s new Signature Series. The intention is to bring together Canadian brands into a limited production (10 in this case) collaboration. Project UNUM features a Glock 19 with slide/framework and stipling by Red Tower Armoury, parts by Rehlm, custom holster and mag carriers by Grey Fox Strategic, a customized Glock knife, and a fantastic Nanuk case with custom cut foam insert.

A total of 300 VIP guests were invited to the event and were randomly drawn for a chance to purchase one of the 9 UNUMs for sale with the serial number of their choice.

First, let’s have a look at the gun itself! FOC graciously gave The Shmoo and I early access (much appreciated!) and we were among the first people to ever handle this beauty! BTW, the purple lighting looked great in person but made pics a bit challenging.

I have to say that the custom stipling and Rehlm baseplate made a HUGE difference in the feel of the G19. I have shot a conventional G19 and found it to be too small for my hands but this one felt great!

While we were ogling the UNUM, the FOC team was setting up the event outside. Check out this cool Glock ice sculpture (with Jello shots lol)

Oyster bar

And cheese platters…you know you are among friends when the Chef is using a Spyderco!

Bar (each VIP got 2 drink tickets)

And DJ!

An idea of the well-dressed crowd.

Where I ran into Farmboy and Houlie Precision.

And my good friends from Nanuk and Code of Arms

Nanuk and Grey Fox Strategic

Of course the store and warehouse were open during the event and I will get to those in a minute but first the draws for the UNUM!

The design team take a bow, Nanuk, Rehlm, Grey Fox, FOC, Red Tower Armory

Opening words from FOC

The magic drum

As the crowd anxiously awaits

And the first winner!

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

Congrats to all the winners!

Ok on to shopping!

The gun on the tripod is the latest chassis from Rehlm, this one on a .22-250 action.

Some of the usual great selection at FOC.

This time I wanted to do some comparison pics so I started with two military SIGs, the M11-A1 and M17.

As I suspected, the M11-A1 was too small for my hands (at least without the mag inserted). Still a nice gun though.

Next I wanted to get another look at the TRP, especially compared to another of my “shortlist” 1911s, the Colt M45A1. Hmmm, really tough choice!

Continuing with comparisons, the FN 509 and Five-Seven.

The 509 felt GREAT in the hand! I really want to shoot one. I have shot a Five-Seven before but I didn’t remember it being so big! (or at least thick)

As usual, The Shmoo is great at spotting limited editions across the room although ironically you would think this CZ Shadow 2 Maria Gushchina is visible from Mars lol. I think I found something to match all my bling!

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this gun was the weight! Noticeably heavier than a standard Shadow.

The Shmoo also spotted the Wilson Combat Beretta. I shot the standard one (under supervision of Ernest Langdon!) at SHOT show but FOC had both the full size and compact.

Not sure if it shows in the pics but there is quite a difference in the in-hand feel between the two…the full size is definitely beefier. The compact also comes with a fiber optic front sight.

I preferred the compact, The Shmoo preferred the full size.

Last but not least in terms of guns, the Colt SA15.7…these come off the same line as the C7!

More great gear at FOC…Nanuk cases

And once again, my good friend Dan from Nanuk

Calibre magazine with Project UNUM on the cover!

Oh but wait, we are not done yet! I also popped into FOC’s warehouse

I didn’t buy any guns although I did get a Rehlm baseplate, which the company President was kind enough to install personally!

I am happy to report that it works with my gun so I may get some more.

So I am beginning to sound like a broken record in my FOC reviews, but what else can I say other than phenomenal job! Especially in our current political climate, it is so rewarding to see such a Canadian effort. I cant wait to see the next gun in the Signature series and I sure plan to be at the launch party!

RL

Last year’s Range Day was a fantastic event and pretty hard to beat but with 75 guns on the line and a new venue for 2018 (Oxford Fish and Game Association), I think Select managed to do it! Once again I had a phenomenal time and it was super helpful to be able to comparison shoot so many guns.

Given that I am looking to get into precision rifles, I headed straight for the rifle range.

Thankfully Select put out a list of firearms before the event so I knew there would be a great selection to try and I stuck with my plan of starting with the Tikkas. First up the T3X TAC A1 with the BLK LBL forend featuring an integrated bipod and mounted with the fantastic Vortex Razor AMG 6-24X50 FFP MOA scope. Dave and I were both impressed with the glass.

Next up, this beautiful custom build, a Tikka Tactical with PSE Composites E-Tac 4 stock, Vortex Razor HD 5-20X50 FFP MRAD scope …in retrospect I should have spent some time adjusting the stock as I was not as fast getting back on target with this one as the BLK LBL

My buddy Dave also shot the BLK LBL as well as this custom, a Tikka CTR with PSE Composites E-Lite stock, Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24X50 FFP MRAD. Dave was particularly interested in this one because that scope would be perfect for his gun…great glass at a very economical price.

There was a little competition where you win free swag if you hit the 4 steel gongs…sadly I only got 3 out of 4 with both guns. Fortunately, my buddy Dave was a better sniper and won a hat with both and generously gave one to me..thanks bro!

There were also some other Tikkas on the line

All supplied by and equipped with Vortex optics…it was great to talk to the Vortex reps, so helpful!

Our next target was the Bergera in 6.5 Creedmore since neither of us had ever shot that caliber before. This time Dave went first

Perhaps I am not experienced enough with precision rifles but truthfully I didn’t notice any real difference from the .308s and I preferred the Tikkas.

Dave recently bought a Savage although he has not had a chance to shoot it yet and the Stealth was on my list…I gotta say it is a beautiful looking gun!

I did like the Accu-trigger and the action however I didn’t like the tubular stock..i found it awkward for my support hand and it wasn’t as easy to run the bolt and stay on target as it was with the more conventional stocks on the Tikka…again, this is why I love being able to do side by side comparisons at such events! Now I have a better sense of what kind of stocks I need.

Dave also shot the Stealth

As well as the 10TR in .22 with its 10 round rotary mag and a dedicated Bushnell rimfire optic

All done with precision rifles, we moved on to other long guns. I shot the F1 AR15 at another show and loved it so wanted to try it again. Last time I shot it sitting down so this time I wanted to try standing. I liked it so much that I used two of my tickets on it lol…gotta get one of these!

Dave liked it as well…both of us found it to be so light and well balanced.

Dave is looking for a mag fed shotgun so he gave the Derya a whirl..and bought quite a few tickets for the one Select was raffling off lol

Ok, on to the handgun range…

Where we were greeted by the Sig display

Including the new Mauser M-18…what a beautiful looking gun and less than $900!

Once I again, I followed my plan and headed straight for the Glocks….

I had already tried the G19X at SHOT show but wanted to shoot it side by side with the Canadian edition G19

And what a difference!! The grip on the G19 is a lot smaller and was hard to hold on to…the gun seemed to move around in my hand.

Dave wanted to shoot something in a larger caliber and opted for the FN FNX 45 Tactical, which he ended up preferring to the Glocks

Our good friends at North Sylva also brought an X95 in 9mm that was high on my list to try…not surprisingly it was one of my favourites of the day.

That was it for our shooting but here is a sense of some other guns on the line…Sig

Smith & Wesson

Beretta

Canuck

CZ Skorpion Evo

Apart from the Derya, we didn’t shoot any shotguns although there were plenty of those! The setup was for trap and skeet and there were huge lines during the day (my pics were taken before show opening)

Speaking of huge lineups, as you can see in some of my pics, it was SUPER busy all day but things moved quickly as there were a staggering number of RSOs…I believe 73, one for every gun!

Including my good friend, the legendary Stormbringer!!

Glad to see Canadian Historical Arms Museum back at Select Range Day. Last year I took a pic with their M60 and joked about a Rambo pose…well joke was on me because I found out that the M60 in my pic was one of two used on the Rambo set!!!! WOW!

This time I took a pic with the Stinger…one of only a handful made by converting an aircraft gun into a handheld!

Check out this anti tank rifle!

More goodness from CHAM

Nice to see the gun orgs promoting our sport…CSSA

I didn’t get a pic of the CCFR booth but did run unto Gun Goddess Tracey Wilson

Black Rifle Coffee Canada, that’s right the US brand, known to be veteran owned and operated, is now available in Canada with local ingredients.

I bought a bag of their Little Warriors brew, the proceeds of which go to help child victims of sexual abuse.

Before heading out, we stopped to get some t-shirts and give our thanks to the great crew at Select for doing such a great job on the event

Of course you cant go to such an event without stopping by the actual Select Shooting Supplies store so off we went to our next stop….

First up, a closer look at the Tikka T3X BLK LBL

Oddly enough, my first time seeing a 590A1 with the bayonet installed…being a knife guy, I had to some shots of this one..i like it!

Also being Hungarian, I was quite drawn to this FEG (on consignment)

The S&W RR8 has always been one of my favourite revolvers of all time

Based on my earlier comments, the stock on this Savage might work better for me

Great selection of Bladetch…I got a competition belt, holster, and double mag pouch.

Finally, per Dean’s great recommendation, The Q BBQ Public House. Dave had the ribs and brisket, I had the Hillbilly Philly, a phillysteak made with brisket and one of the best phillysteaks I have ever had!

My swag for the day

See you next year!

RL

I have been looking forward to the Guns and Tactical (GAT) show for weeks. Billed as a “live fire trade show”, the aim is to let you try before you buy. Hosted by Lanz and Code of Arms, the three-day event held at Silverdale started today and continues on Saturday and Sunday.

I arrived early and decided to check out the displays first before heading out to the shooting line. Let’s start with the host Lanz Shooting Supplies’ display.

Next, Fishing World, including some high speed crossbows

Long guns

Howa precision rifle

And Canuck shotguns

Including my personal favourite, the Renegade in a scabbard

Lots of love at Patch Panel

Though this guy at J-Tac Gear didn’t look too happy

Lovely hosts at Bunker Down

It was great to finally meet Archie Luz of Ferrun Tactics who has a stellar reputation in the knife community as a certified Guro in Kalis Ilustrisimo….I hope to train with him soon!

True North Arms…an authorized Hperfire dealer…I tried these at SHOT show and they are great! You really notice a difference in how your AR shoots and I highly recommend them

Other goodies at the TNA table…fauxpressor

Dedicated tool for the BCL102

Maccabee Defense SLR

Anti-tank

Nas Guns and Ammo with Vortex Optics

Sigs

Canuck

Youth gun

Representing us gun owners, and probably fielding a million questions about the “handgun ban”, the CSSA

And CCFR

Powertac Flashlights

3000 lumens

It was quite busy by the time I finished, and I believe there will be even more vendors tomorrow…certainly there will be more people than the 300 limited VIP tickets sold today!

By now the lineup for ammo was starting to form so I decided to walk the line first to see what was available. Fortunately, GAT show organizers put out a list of the demo guns in advance so I had a good idea of what I wanted to shoot beforehand but you never know what surprises you might find on the line.

Once I did the tour and got my ammo, I did stick with my plan of starting out at Houlie Precision. I met the team at past events and was looking forward to trying their rigs as I want to get into precision rifles. They brought two rifles for us to try, both SERIOUS pieces of equipment lol. The first was a Sako TRG-22 in a Cadex Dual Strike chassis with leupold MK5 (with Horus Tremor reticle) and downrange systems EDOPE card on a leophoto tripod.

The second was a Cadex Kraken multi-caliber system with Schmidt&Bender PMII 5-25…you can see why I wanted to try these first lol. As a relative newbie to precision rifles, I was pleased with 5/5 hits to the steel gong at 200M.

Thanks again Houlie for all the great info!

My next stop was O’Dell to shoot the F1 AR15. These have a reputation for being very light and I would say that it did not feel as light as I expected (perhaps given the scope) when simply holding the gun but it DID feel lighter when shooting it! A very interesting sensation…nice gun for sure.

The Radical is also super light, and much more economical at $799.

Ok back to the first range…here North Sylva brought a Kriss Vector, FN 509, IWI X95, and Girsan along with optics from Meprolight.

Tactical Imports had the Type 81 (one of the most popular guns of the day with big lineups), the BRS-99 (thankfully as it was on my list), SAP6 and 1919 shotguns and a BIG surprise, an HK G36!!!!

I put four mags through the BRS-99 and I was SUPER impressed! It exceeded my expectations in terms of feel and accuracy and I really liked the Shield optic as well.

The reason the NFA was not in the display tent is because they were on the line with a huge array of guns! These included Kris Vector, Canuck regulator, Skorpion, and a Steyr HS50!

The next range over was the Lanz Big Gunz with Cadex Tremor

Revolvers in .500 S&W and .460

As well as some AR15s

Kodiak Defense with the WK180c, also super popular

Sadly I missed the SIGs, I would have liked to try the 716 and the Ritter and Starck

So far I can tell from Day 1 that the show will be a great success! The try before you buy idea is a great concept in general and especially great for guns. As for me, I liked all the guns that I tried and would buy all of them lol. I know there are plans to make this an annual event and I cant wait for the next one.

BTW, thanks again to all of those who come up and say hi and sorry I ran out of swag to give out…next time I will bring more! lol

I had a great time at SIG Day last year so I was looking forward to attending this year as well. This time I was accompanied by my friend Dave, shown here with none other than badboybeeson of S&J Hardware.

Both of us came away thinking it was a great job by hosts WGT Consulting and The Lower Trent Valley Fish and Game Club.

WGT’s table of gear

Including this fantastic Nanuk AR15 case up for raffle

Gray Fox Strategic had a display table again and this time I wanted to get a closer look.

From a colour perspective, my favourite was this blue Gryphon…note how the back is black

This custom fitted axe sheath also used the two-tone approach

From a design point of view, I REALLY liked this IWB Ghost

This AR15/pistol mag combo was also very interesting

Alright, now to the range…a selection of some of the handguns…

I have shot quite a few SIGs since the last event so I was very happy to see one that I haven’t shot yet, a P210 (though I have handled a couple before)…needless to say, it shoots very flat!

My friend Dave was very anxious to try the MCX and they were available in two sizes.

He started with the 11.5”, which he found to be too small while the 16” was perfect.

Since I have already shot the 16”, I opted for the short one…again, I prefer the MPX.

Speaking of the MPX

I tried shooting it with the stock folded but I didn’t really like it that way…I think it would have worked well with a bungee cord like the HK SP5 though

Of course I absolutely love it with the stock extended

Dave also tried it both ways…in the end he found the MPX to be a bit front heavy (something that I did not perceive) so he preferred the MCX.

Last year S&J had a display table, this time they were set up at the range with their newest shotgun

Dave liked it a lot

As did I

Badboybeeson shows us how it is done

Per the tradition started last year, we followed up our range trip with a visit to Chuck’s Roadhouse, CDN Gunworx, and Firearms Outlet Canada where Dave bought TWO guns lol!

Thanks again to Sig, WGT Consulting, and the Lower Trent Valley Fish and Game Club for the great day!

RL

Part 1: The Show Floor

Insane. That’s the best way to describe the first ever Tactical and Competitive Sports Show. And by insane I mean insanely good!

The aim of the event was to “engage our diverse shooting landscape” by bringing together manufacturers and industry leaders representing both the tactical and competitive disciplines. The event coincided with Firearms Outlet Canada’s grand opening of their new retail space.

I should point out that I got a media pass and had early access so that’s why the place looks empty in some of my pics. In reality, 6,000 tickets were distributed and I think everyone showed up lol! There were lineups around the building all day

And this is what it looked like on the show floor once the (flood) gates opened!

Before that though, the Mayor performed the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Alright let’s start with firearms.

First stop, the Outdoor Escapes booth who was showcasing some of my favourite brands including Zev

And Desert Tech

They also had Blaser rifles

Speaking of favourite brands, I was very glad to finally meet Sean of Freedom Ventures and check out his sampling of STI.

I shot the Costa Carry Comp at SHOT show but did not snag any pics so I took the opportunity to do so
this time

Again, I don’t shoot IPSC but I love STIs, especially the full race guns such as this DVC Steel.

Since I borrowed Sean’s gun for the pic, he borrowed my knife.

The National Historical Arts Museum booth was across from Freedom Ventures…for fans of vintage
firearms

North Sylva had the largest display of the show with CZ, HK, Meprolight and more

Colt AR15s

If I could continue my gun store tour anywhere in Canada, Wolverine would be at the top of the list…fortunately they saved me a bit of a trip lol.

Since I know you are all interested in the non-restricted, made in Canada, .223 for under $1000, WK-180C, I will start with that one.

No dust cover keeps the cost down

I preferred the B&T GHM9

And this CZ race gun

Of course Wolverine has a huge selection of Barret and Accuracy International so I was pleased they brought one of the latter as well

Also great to meet the team at O’Dell engineering and to see their soon to be released new Canuck bullpup semi-auto shotgun, shown here in two different configurations along with the Canuck Renegade.

My buddy liked the bullpup as well.

He also liked the Radical Firearms AR15 out of Texas with M-Lok and MFT furniture for under $800.

Sig Sauer brought a variety of handguns

And AR15s, including my beloved MPX, this time with folding stock

Sig will also be importing Ritter and Starck high end precision rifles ($10,000 for the bigger one pictured below) with a cool feature whereby undoing three screws allows you remove the scope and barrel as one unit so you can swap calibers without having to re-zero.

I missed the Mossberg booth at SHOT so I was happy to see them here so that I could check out their new mag fed pump shotgun…as I am sure you have heard, the mags come in 5,10,15, and 25 capacity.

I recently saw the 500 Magpul and really liked the ergonomics but not the fact that it didn’t have a rail or ghost ring sights. Cue the 590 version , which has both!

Classic 590A1, military spec

And what did I find at the Gravel booth? Ladies and gentlemen, farmboy is alive and well!

The gun I am holding is a real Remington M-24, yes over $5,000 for this US Army Spec Sniper Weapon System.

Lots of goodness at the Tactical Ordnance booth where I finally got to meet not only the legendary Casey Brouwer but also Pavehammer! After over 10 years on CGN we finally meet in person.

Casey is best known for his modified shotguns and is the only person outside of Vang Comp authorized to do their compensator modification

Wild compensator on this custom race shotgun

My all time favourite shotgun remains the Benelli M4 and Stoeger showed a couple of modified variants

Perhaps the most interesting gun at the Stoeger booth was this Tikka T3 Tactical with Black Label forend featuring an integrated bi-pod that rotates into multiple positions and folds up into the rail

Another look at the Victrix Armament that I saw at the Sportsmen’s Show

Tikka Ranger gun and Sako TRG

Huge crowd around the Glock booth (as usual) but I did manage a few pics of the G19 Canadian edition

And the FBI spec gun with the new Streamlight TLR-7 500 lumen light

Always loved those red guns lol

Howa precision rifles with components sourced from Japan and assembled in the USA

Ok moving on to firearms accessories…Red Tower Armoury does some incredible cerakoting and Hydrographics as shown on this Hello Kitty shotgun that I really liked! Yes, I would rock that lol

Another fine example, this time in Kryptek snakeskin

But probably my favourite pattern is the pin-up girl camo..i had seen a gun with this coating online and it looks GREAT!

Highlander Tactical holsters, a great Canadian success story of awesome kydex for all of your gear

Including full kit

tourniquets

And AI mags

After meeting the crew from Nanuk at the Sportsmen’s show I did some more research on their product line so I came back to look for specific cases and was pleased they had all the ones I wanted to see along with more colour samples and the new 15 handgun case.

It was nice to catch up with Dan as well, he really listens to clients, nice touch on including a blue gun this time 😉

Last but not least, optics!!! The focus of this show really shined here as Stoeger brought some tactical Steiner optics versus the hunting line for Toronto Sportsmen’s Show

The 10x42R

M1050 LRF

They also had DBALS on the table but I didn’t get closeups

I missed the Vortex booth at SHOT although I did run into the Toronto crew while having a steak in Vegas lol…nice to see them again and have a chance to check out the lineup

The new RAZOR AMG red dot

My buddy has the Strike Eagle 1-6×24 on his AR15 and loves it…the illuminated, glass-etched AR-BDC reticle was HIGHLY visible and subtends with popular 5.56 mm cartridges…my friend can attest to Vortex’s claim that “the centered halo promotes fast target acquisition.”

Finally, Trijicon!

I have an MRO but I like the SRS as well

Not to mention the RMR

Surefire lights

And since you always ask…

Part 2: Firearms Outlet Canada’s new retail shop

The new shop is located in the same building as the old shop except that it is several times (as in at least 5) the size. The new space features classrooms and a soon to be opened in-door range (where the show was set up this year).

A quick shot of the store

Unfortunately my camera set up did not work too well with the back-lighting so sorry for the dark pics of the long guns

Hand guns

A few closeups of the shortest Tac Ord (although I liked the even shorter one on the show floor better)

The Sig P210 Legend

B&T APC

Tons of firearms accessories

I really want a Shot Maxx!!

So all in all a FANTASTIC show and a great day! In addition to all the cool gear, it was great to catch up with so many familiar faces and meet some people I have wanted to meet for a while. I believe they have plans to expand next year’s show and I do believe they could easily double or triple in size given the massive turnout. For sure I will be there.

RL