rlauferblog

Well my obsession with visiting gun stores continues with one on Friday, FOUR yesterday, and today I took advantage of the nice weather to take a road-trip to Bulls Eye London.

Given the frequency of my visits I am no longer documenting every single one but I do keep my camera in the car just in case something special arises and how fortunate as this weekend was a Glock event at Bulls Eye! I wish I had known about it sooner as I would have arrived earlier than 1 hour before closing.

The Glock reps on site had samples of their product line (see below), swag to hand out, and performed free tune ups to your Glock. Of course, there were also in-store deals on Glocks.

I took the opportunity to check out the new single stack 48, designed with the Canadian market in mind with its 106mm barrel. The single stack was quite a strange sensation to me in contrast to the huge grips on my personal Glocks (G20 and G34 with the Taran Tactical John Wick package). I look forward to shooting it next week at GAT Show.

With some swag

And compared to the G40, the long-slide 10mm.

Apparently the G40 is popular for wilderness ATC where you need a power factor of .41 magnum or above. I have come to like the long slide Glocks and would love to shoot this side by side with my G20.

Finally, the G19X…I have shot this a couple of times and you can definitely notice a difference over the G19 in terms of controllability with the larger frame.

Thanks again to the reps for all the useful info and of course to Bulls Eye for hosting.

RL

Given that gun stores are located so far away from downtown Toronto, I typically like to go on “tours” to multiple locations at a time. Today TheShmoo and I hit Urban Tactical, Triggers and Bows, Bulls Eye London, and Select Shooting! We snapped a few pics on the way and hopefully this post can be helpful to those of you considering the guns that we will cover and if you are thinking of buying from these stores.

URBAN TACTICAL
I have been to Urban Tactical several times but never to one of their events until today’s 5.11 / Glock Day! This annual event is usually held on or as close to possible May 11, or 5.11 and features sales on both product lines as well as the chance to shoot the Glock lineup. Staff from Glock Canada were also on hand to answer questions and work on your Glock.

Lots of Glock swag around

Including a chance to win from the prize table

Ok on to the range…I believe there were 6 different models on the line, including the 17, 19, 22 and 34 (forgot the others).

I was hoping for a 17C, 17L or 26 but no luck so I decided not to shoot (as I already tried all the ones on the line)…. it was still great to see new and experienced shooters having fun. Shooters getting pointers from the ROs before firing away…

All done on the range, TheShmoo and I hit the store to check out some guns.

Again, no luck on the Glocks I want (especially the G26 ☹ ) so I took another look at the G34…quite different in feel compared to my Taran Tactical John Wick 2 gun.

I love shopping with TheShmoo because he always spots those rare/unique guns so quickly…this time a Colt Anaconda in .44magnum.

It was really packed and we didn’t want to take too much time photographing guns so on to the rest of the store….besides, i came with a mission of getting some new mid-length boots

I liked the Salomon XD Forces GTX Mid and will come back to try them on when it is less crowded.

I wasn’t too familiar with Snugpak bags before today

But this shiny one looked great..i have since done some research and found out that they have a great reputation..i will have to take a closer look next time

Lots of tactical gloves from 5.11, TurtleSkins, Mecanix, and Oakley

In terms of their knives, I liked that mini-Kukhri and the trainer on the left

Big selection of Yeti coolers

In terms of clothing, the tactical shirts were really nice

As were some of the funny Tshirts

Last stop before hitting the barbeque was the Garage Sale where theShmoo picked up the last Blackhawk Nomex Balaclava for $10! (damn his eagle eye, I would have snagged that) and a drum mag conversion for his shotgun for $20!

So all in all a great event and now that I know it is an annual one, I will definitely be back next year.

TRIGGERS AND BOWS

I had never been to Triggers and Bows before (just a 15 min drive from Urban) so was a bit shy about taking pics with my DSLR but I could not resist the urge to snap at least a few phone pics.

This was my first time actually seeing a Hi-Point in person and it was even bigger/heavier than I imagined! Think Motorola Brick phone.

I was also surprised to see the new ZEV O.Z-9, their first fully in-house gun. All internals are made by Zev but are compatible with Glocks. The frame is different and angled more like a 1911. I was surprised at the length of the handle and I cant imagine a human with hands that are too large for this grip.

And check this out, a real Red Ryder!!! I didn’t know they were still making these

Remember to wear eyepro so you don’t shoot your eye out

I would totally rock this gun sock if only it fit a real full size rifle

It was great to find out T&B also offers range rental and I will check out their range next time.

BULLS EYE LONDON

My main reason for visiting Bulls Eye today was to check out the new Cadex Sheepdog. This “vaporware” gun has been talked about for years and has finally hit our market. The idea is to put a Cadex action in a more conventional stock as opposed to the full chassis we are used to seeing. This is very appealing to me as I am looking for something lighter like a Remington M-24. Don’t get me wrong, I like the Cadex chassis and I get the advantages of having a stable platform etc, I just want something lighter.

From that perspective, I was shocked at the beefiness of the Sheepdog. While it may be lighter than the chassis guns on paper, to me it felt the same. Sure, the action is super smooth and the ergonomics are good but if I were to get something that heavy, I would just get one of their standard models. For size comparison.

Score they had the ZEV O.Z-9 as well so I could take a closer look. This time I tried the trigger and it was great! I really want to shoot this.

I bought my MR223 through Bulls Eye, a black one with 14.5” barrel and I have been meaning to check out the 11” variant in RAL2000..in addition to the smaller size, this one had m-loc instead of a quad rail and conventional sights instead of the adjustable diopter one on mine…still a beauty of a gun.

Perhaps my favourite gun of the day was the Sig CSOR commemorative edition….the grip feels different than a conventional P226 and I actually like all the markings.

We also looked at the HK Mark 23 SOCOM and GSG MP-40, which was surprisingly beefy for a .22lr (sorry no pics).
As always, great to catch up with the crew at Bulls Eye and I will be back soon when my order comes in.

We stopped off at Select Shooting on the way home in the hopes of checking in on Dean but alas he was not at the store. We did not stay long enough to take pics but had a nice chat.

Always fun to spend the day doing gun related things…cant wait till GAT show next month.

RL

It was great to see Tactical Imports back at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show! The last time they were here it was amidst a huge buzz around the Type 81, now available with both a fixed stock

And folding stock.

Truth be told, I didn’t think the Type 81 was my style of gun. However, I really like this variant with genuine issue quad rail! Now THIS is something I would buy!

TheShmoo liked it too.

More my typical speed, the HK G36 which I had seen at a previous event but wanted a closer look. The first thing I noticed is how light it is compared to my HK MR223 (granted that one has a ton of accessories hanging off it but still). Tactical Imports will be bringing in more of these and the ones with Walther barrels (in place of HK) will be priced accordingly.

At that same event where I first saw the G36, I had the opportunity to try another TI exclusive, the BRS-99 and it is incredibly fun to shoot!

TI also brought a nice selection of Extrema Ratio knives, including the KH at my request (thanks gents!). This is ER’s take on a kukri except with multiple grinds to make it a great chopper and slasher.

I like the drop-leg sheath as well.

The RAO II, same great features of the RAO but with a different blade profile.

Next stop, Nikon. They always have something great for the show, last year it was the $10,000 star gazing binoculars (and old field microscope), this year their new red-dot

And one of my favourites of the show, these mini-binoculars….incredible performance for such a small size.

Another show surprise, this time at the Stoeger booth, was this one-off Benelli concept shotgun with leather wrap and crazy fiber optic ghost ring sights among many other unique features

Stoeger introduced the Victrix line of precision rifles such as this Pugio at last year’s show…they have been very well received among law enforcement communities.

Also at Stoeger’s booth, Steiner optics such as the ShadowQuest, designed for lower light hunting

The Military Marine

Commanders

In search of more firearms, I headed over to the Bell Outdoors booth where I was greeted by the Hatsan Escort Raider mag fed

Versus the new Escort DF12 with more AR like controls

However my favourite shotgun by far was the Escort TFS or “top folding stock”

With the stock extended

Still more firearms at Shooter’s Choice

And AIM Firearms and Outdoors, one of our newest gun stores.

That about covers it for firearms so moving on to more gear….I discovered Nanuk at last year’s show and have since acquired two of their cases…amazing pieces of kit! New this year is a 36” version of their long gun case for carbines or take down rifles.

And specs on the rest of their lineup of gun cases

It was great to connect with Dan, he is a great ambassador for the industry.

Nice poster they had at their booth too lol

Another one of my show favourites, the Garmin 701 with Ballistic calculator. My next wrist instrument for sure (too bad I wasn’t wearing my Surefire Luminox 2011 for size comparison)

I would be happy with a Tactix too…especially this blacked out version!

While the Sportsmen’s Show is focused on hunting and fishing, you can find tactical gear if you look hard enough. I really liked Mgear’s style, especially their belt buckle knife all held together by magnets.

Some EDC cards from Mgear.

Custom hunting knives from Ron Post

Helle Knives of Sweden at the Canadian Outdoor Equipment booth

Along with Gransfors axes

Of course attending such shows is not just about guns and gear, it’s also about meeting and re-connecting with industry folk, like Amanda Lynn Mayhew and Baby Goes Pew Pew at Just Hunt

Tony Bernardo and Jarlath at the CSSA, working tirelessly for our gun rights

As are Rod and Tracey from the CCFR

As usual, I don’t cover the fishing or boating sections as I don’t know enough about those to do them justice. I will say that the fishing section appeared to be especially busy this year…way more people than in the hunting / firearms sections.

So the bottom line is that I know people in the firearms community would like to see more representation of our sport, especially having restricteds but I think it is still a worthwhile visit. I always manage to find something that I like and it is a great opportunity to re-connect with people.

While I am not a huge fan of the International Centre, one benefit of the venue is its proximity to my favourite place for souvlaki, Zet’s, which TheShmoo and I hit on our way back from the show.

While Zet’s was filling, our gun appetite was not totally satisfied so we stopped off at Al Flaherty’s for dessert. Here we were pleased to find a Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde, complete with its wood furniture.

Although we just saw a Victrix Pugio at the show, this was our first time seeing one in the wild, so to speak.

Victrix doesn’t just make tactical rifles, here is one of their competition guns with the lightest trigger I have ever experienced

The new Sig M400 Tread…very light and streamlined

The new Sig Select series in 1911 and P226 with the matching custom grips and rails among other features

The new Kahles Helia RD

No major purchases for me, just some LEO over-run training ammo

All in all a great day.
RL

I have been to most of FOC’s Industry Spotlights and this may very well have been the best one yet! I had a great time checking out the new Surefires and doing the low light force on force training! Not to mention shopping!

As a big Surefire fan I was very pleased with the selection…practically everything in their lineup was on display or at least well represented.

Let’s start with the UDR Dominator, with 2,400 lumens!

Some of the many new lights for this year, the Scout with duel fuel, Fury with 1500 lumens, the Tactician collaboration with James Yaeger, and the Backup now with MaxVision and 400 Lumens.

A closeup of the Tactician

And with the Classic G2ZK, which is what I used in the training and I loved it!

I know it is not the newest design but I think it might have been my favourite of the day.

You can see the MaxVision version of the G2Z here along with the Tactician and E2D Defender

Sidekick, Firepack, Stilletto, Guardian

The Firepack attached to your smartphone..and gives you 1500 Lumens!!!

I saw the Stilletto at SHOT 2018…it is meant to be carried like a pocket knife. A more powerful version, the Pro, was released at this year’s SHOT

EDC, Aviator, and Backup

More handhelds

Wristlights…they didn’t have the Luminox version

Fortunately I brought mine 😊

Now on to weaponights

MasterFire holster system…there is a slider outside the holster that allows you to control whether the light comes on or not upon withdrawal…very cool!

More weaponlights on display

And weapon accessories, including muzzle brakes, suppressors (at least trainers) and a rebar cutter!

Rapid Transition sights

We all got Sonic Defender ear protectors as a gift…thanks..and also for the tshirt!

There was also a display of Wiley X eyewear to check out

Note the foam lining

Looking at all those Surefires sure put me in the mood for Chimera’s Low Light very informative seminar

After the classroom session, we headed to the range for some hands on training! We started with drills using handheld and weapon mounted lights including transitioning between the two. I learned A LOT from the experience!

Then we did some force on force training using SIRT guns! I didn’t get any pics as it was pitch black and it is kinda hard to take pics and avoid gun fire lol. It was an awesome experience! I plan to sign up for some Chimera courses.

Last but not least, some shopping!

This one almost brings a tear to the eye as it might be the last time I can hold one of these if the liberals get their way.

While we are feeling nostalgic, a S&W 4556 for you Miami Vice fans.

A rare Sig P320 PRO Series, which is essentially a P320 X-Carry frame mated with a full-sized P320 X-FIVE slide.

Also pretty rare, the Remington Little Beaver, a 14” factory barrelled mag-fed 870

And Remington 870 Police Magnum with Walnut Furniture

I have an MR223 in black and I wanted to have a closer look at the RAL..very nice

I also wanted to have another look at the SFP…the trigger felt better than the P30L…I would love to shoot one

Rear sights

Front sight

And now for something different lol…a Performance Centre Hunter in .44magnum

Ok who wore it better, me or brasslovingbrunette???

While browsing the store I noticed a huge new supply of Grey Fox Strategic holsters…great gear and I really like the new hillbilly flannel camo pattern!

And since many of you ask, at the excellent suggestion of a fellow CGNer, I hit Angelique’s for breakfast….Philly Steak, eggs, and hashbrowns to be specific

All in all a fantastic event and a fantastic day!

Thanks FOC, keep up the great work!

RL

Wow some awesome kit at the North Sylva and Rangeview Sports Optics Day…I’ll take one of each!

Being obsessed with all things John Wick, I started with the Trijicon Accupoint 1-6x…now I am also a big fan of Trijicon and I gotta say this scope exceeded my expectations! I will swap out my MRO for one of these as soon as I can.

Typically, it is challenging to get a pic of the reticle but I got this on the first try…needless to say, it is fast and easy to pick up!

The secret, the fiber optic

The Accupower 4.5-30x56mm was also pretty sweet…and would be a great match to the HS Precision I was eyeballing

Side by side comparison of the two Trijicons

Front end

Business end

Equally impressive, the new VUDU line from EOtech…including the 5-25×50 Ultra Short and 1-6x

The 1-6x features the “Speed Ring reticle” that is designed for fast acquisition at low power and accuracy at higher power while the 5-25x is one of the shortest FFP scopes on the market. Apart from fitting on shorter rifles, I like this advantage described on EOtech’s website: “One unique advantage of the short design is that it provides the ability to attach either a clip-on night-vision or thermal device in front of the scope and still allow the user to make adjustments to the device without leaving the scope.”

Quick throw lever

Box

Last but not least, a Meprolight Mepro 4x with fixed 4x magnification mounted on a Tavor7

I took the opportunity to take a second look at the HS Precision HTR…what a beauty! Whenever I hear the words “precision rifle” this is the first one that comes to my mind…it is definitely on “the list”

Since I did a full store review on my last visit, I just took a few shots

Great job by North Sylva and Rangeview on today’s event and thanks for the swag.

All done here, I took a short (6 min) drive to Ground Burger Bar…pretty cool place..looks good, decent service and TONS of options for the burgers…you can choose meat, bread, toppings and since they grind in house, you can get the burgers rare etc.

RL