rlauferblog

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

I visited WGT Consulting’s soon to be opened new pro shop on Friday and learned that they would have a booth at this year’s Sportsmen’s show so I decided to check in with them as my first stop.

Mr. Burke, of Burke’s oil soon stopped by for a visit

GUNS

Alright, all settled in, I started my quest for all things tactical…let’s start with firearms

Target Sports had a huge array of Fabarm STF12 shotguns…my very first gun was a Fabarm Pro Forces, nice little shotgun, and it is great to see where they have evolved.

My favourite was the 11 inch with multi-position stock

I found the LOP of the fixed stock on this FDE variant was a bit too short for me

I did like the folding stock

Nickel finish

The removable rail system is very slick and returns your optic to zero

A bit older school, the semi-auto SAT 8

Lol, the modified Costa grip

Target also brought some handguns with cerakote done in-house at the Calgary store

Next, Stoeger Canada where I found the biggest surprise of the show, they are bringing Victrix in to Canada, an Italian brand of precision rifles up to .50BMG!

I really liked the Pugio

This one is a military model

Still my favourite shotgun of all time, the Benelli M4…and the Supernova Tactical 14” is not far behind

More Benelli goodness

Including the MR-1 rifle

More firearms from Browning

And Sauer from MD Charltan

Who also brought some Sigs in .177…these mimic the size and weight of the centerfire pistols

OPTICS

In last year’s show review I said that Leupold stole the show so I was eager to see what they brought this year.

I looked at three scopes, first the Mark 5 HD…said to be lighter (by 20 ounces) than competing scopes and offers extreme low-light performance,. It has tactile, audible click adjustments, larger numbers, and a high-speed throw lever.

Another look at the LRP that I saw last year

And the new, economically priced Freedom series that was released at SHOT show

Speaking of SHOT, Steiner was one of my favourite booths of that show, certainly the one with the best customer service and I do love their products…the Sportsmen’s show tends to focus on their hunting line

If you read about my broken camera saga and Nikon Canada replacing my D600 with a brand new D610, you would know I am now a Nikoner for life. Their booth was particularly interesting as it had both new and vintage pieces.

This 100 Year anniversary set of binoculars was modelled after a vintage design

This pair was made for stargazing and boasts 70x power, an extremely wide field of view and a $10,000+ price tag!

A vintage field microscope!

The new laser rangefinder can read distances out to 3000M!

I liked the texture of the realtree coating

Aimpoint at MD Charlton’s booth

KNIVES

Most of the blades at the show are what I would consider very very low end lol…as in $20 fantasy knives. Nevertheless, I did manage to find some quality blades, such as Gransfors axes, hand forged in Sweden.

My favourite was the two-headed model and yes, it was sharp! Price for that one was in the $400-$450 range

The Council Tool line is more economical as they are drop forged.

Ron Post is a fixture at the Sportsmen’s Show having done it for 25 years…last year there were big crowds around his booth so I did not have a chance to handle his knives and made it a point to do so this time around. His style is very utilitarian, geared toward hunters and he mainly uses 154CM steel.

CASES

When it comes to hard cases, Pelican needs no introduction…new to the show, PelicanZone carries the full line and I was happy to see such a huge selection in person.

I have the LOC (Laptop Overnight Case) and always wanted to compare it to the dedicated clothing cases…I must say that I prefer my beefier case.

Gun cases from the slim single pistol case

All the way up to multiple rifle cases

The new cooler line, designed to keep your drinks cold for 10 days!

Along with individual drink sized coolers

Very plush interior dividers for your camera gear

I already own several Pelican cases so my next one will for sure be a Nanuk.

I really like their designs! As a Canadian company, they understand our needs, for example designing the gun cases to accommodate trigger locks.

And insert for silica gel packs

The new single pistol case with Classic insert fits 50 different designs (1911, Sig, CZ etc) and there is a dedicated insert for Glocks

My favourite case…dedicated AR15

Hearing protection from Sport Ear

Last but not least, tactical lights from Fenix

The new headlight with removable rechargeable battery (but can still be charged via USB), with multiple intensities (up to 950 lumens), red lights, and hi-viz headband

Over 3000 lumens for this model

Camping light

This hunting model illuminates in multiple colour such as red for night vision and blue for blood trailing

Nice to see the gun orgs..CSSA, raffling off a Lithgow and Beretta

CCFR

If you hit the food court, I recommend the smoked meat sandwich

So all in all it is hard for me to judge this show…it seemed smaller than last year and coming off of SHOT show it seems way smaller but if you look hard enough you can still find some treasures.

RL