rlauferblog

I was planning to go to the Barrie Sportsmen and Outdoor Show last year but cancelled in the last minute. I didn’t think I would make it this year either as it coincided with NAS Customer Appreciation Day. However, thanks to Canadian Firearms Network’s live video coverage of the show, I thought it looked decent enough to make the trip…and look who I ran into in the parking lot lol

The deciding factor for me to go was whether they had firearms at the show…and they sure did! Even restricteds, such as the AR15s and handguns (mostly Walthers) at Top Gun Tactical

Bell Outdoors had a booth with guns, crossbows, and knives

More guns at Wolf’s Den Sports

Including an HK SL8 and Steyr Scout…I want to say you don’t see those every day but believe it or not, we stopped at RangeView sports on the way home and they had an SL8 in stock! What are the chances of seeing two in one day?

Knives and airsoft at Blades4You

My favourite of which was the MP-5

The production version of one of my favourite knives of all time, the Kasper Fighting Folder (I have two of the Crawford customs).

A mini-damascus Tracker (I have a Dave Beck custom on order…going on 3 years lol)

Lots of apparel options…such as Brass and Lead Co.

Bush Wookie

Just Hunt

Canadian Tactical

For those who want to preserve the hunt, Brains Taxidermy

Or if you want something more artistic, Pat the Woodcarver, who starts with a chainsaw before moving to finer wood carving tools

You may even find a shark at the show lol

And of course you cant have a Sportsmen’s show without some off-road vehicles, including bikes and ATVs

The venue itself Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery was super cool.

So with only 80 or so exhibitors it was a smaller show still in the growth phase. I believe it was bigger than last year and is planned to be bigger still next year and that is encouraging, especially in these tough political times.

RL

I had a great time at the NAS Guns and Ammo 2019 Customer Appreciation Day!

It even felt a bit like a TACCOM reunion with so many familiar faces….such as Will from Atlanta Arms

Dave, fellow High Capacity contributor and CCFR rep

And several others as you will see soon!

It was very busy inside

I really like the rustic look of the store

Given my recent affinity for PCCs, I was anxious to see the TNW Aero Survival Rifle in person. Not only can you take this gun down, you can easily swap calibers! I watched a Hickok45 review last night in anticipation and he commented that the gun seemed small, keeping in mind he is 6’8” tall! Yes, it was compact but not overly so…I found it quite comfortable. It was also heavier, or beefier than I expected….it certainly did not feel cheap, quite robust in fact. The bottom line is that I like it and am anxious to shoot one!

Speaking of survival guns, here is something you don’t see every day, the Midland Backpack…a folding single shot shotgun! This one was in 12 gauge as the shorter barreled one in 20 gauge sold just before I arrived.

As you might have seen in my post-TACCOM comments, someone tracked down a BNIB Commemorative Edition M17 for me and I am waiting for the transfer to go through. In the meantime, NAS had a standard M17 to check out…yup, glad I bought one.

It was also great to see Tim again, he was on site working on customers’ SIG guns. I do like that SIG airgun he is holding. It is a lot heavier than you might think…feels a lot like real steel.

Tim’s table was set up where the Nanuk cases are usually displayed…last time I was at NAS, there were even more Nanuk cases set up here.

More familiar faces…Dave from Grand Power with an X-Calibur Match like the one I shot two weeks ago at Select Range Day…I liked it a lot and now I had the opportunity to look at it in closer detail outside of a range setting.

And Mitch from Auscan with his line of race Glocks.

These are built on P90 frames and every part is replaced and/or hand tuned/finished.

I really like the aggressive texture on the P90 grip….and note the Auscan baseplate

And the details like the single and double undercuts, accelerator cut, huge mag release with cutout, in-house made compensator, suppressor height sights, and RMR cut etc. etc. Mitch had several barrel options such as DLC and slide options in many Cerakote colours.

For those who like more traditional guns, how about a Marlin in curly maple?

Still not traditional enough? How about some vintage guns, a Bren and a Sten

Vortex optics…i finally got to try the Fury HD with built in laser range finder…the last two times I saw one the battery was not installed lol. Having a built in rangefinder is super handy and IMHO at $1650 this is a great value compared to the $3000-$4000 you might pay with Zeiss or Swarovski.

The CCFR, needed now more than ever

Thanks to Code of Arms for the coffee

Lots of sales going on today..such as the buy one get one free on MECHANIX GLOVES..i ended up picking up some mags.

Thanks again NAS, your staff was great and your customers appreciate you too!

RL

Set-up

It’s TACCOM time! I was originally going to cover the show on Friday however the TACCOM team has graciously invited me into many of the seminars and events so I have decided to make a weekend out of it! As such, I will be providing daily updates as opposed to one big review at the end so check back for new pics.

Checking in to the Westin…

I requested one of their “airport view” rooms

Good idea for dinner but I plan to hit Zorro’s tomorrow

All checked-in, I head to the International Centre for pre-show set-up!

First stop, pick up my media pass and snazzy media t-shirt (thanks TACCOM!)

Through the magic door

A few aisle shots to give you a sense of the scale of the show

It was very cool to watch the booths being built and filled with awesome guns and gear. I didn’t have a plan of what to visit first but the shiny F-1 Firearms at O’Dell Engineering sure caught my eye. I have shot F1s and I dare say they are my favourite ARs (maybe even more so than my HK)

I will definitely be back to check them out in more detail during the show.

Another one of my favourite brands at O’Dell’s booth, U.S. Optics! Including the new 2.5-20 issued with our troops Colt sniper rifle system (they will have one on display during the show)

Also at O’Dell, for those of you looking for a bullpup shotgun

Speaking of bullpups, I can confirm the Tavor 7 is at the IWI booth!

Another distributor high on my list to see is Gravel Agency, who carries Remington, Bushmaster, and Marlin among many others.

Ahh much better as the guns start coming in…so glad to see the Marlin Dark

Apart from all the guns and gear, it is always great to catch up with friends in the community…I ran into Tracey Wilson again

Ironically she told me to “keep out of trouble” yet the very next time I saw her, I was playing with a grenade launcher at Wolverine’s booth (caught with my hand in the cookie jar lol)

One must behave though when Chris Costa is nearby lol

More friends…from the CSSA

And Canadian Gun Vault…love that new prohib package you are introducing through Trigger Wholesale bro!

And the FOC crew…awesome job organizing the show guys!

Ok back to guns…Mossberg

And SIG…wow so much goodness at SIG! I can tell I will spend a lot of time at their booth during the show ..cant wait to handle the Rattler!

Simunitions guns in blue

M17 commemorative…should have bought one when I had the chance

From their custom shop

The Nightforce Optics booth will be EPIC! Hope they have a BEAST

Also looking forward to Springfield Armoury..i am on the waiting list for one of their FBI guns

But ultimately I think my first stop tomorrow will be Korth, in all the way from Germany with their fantastic revolver

Also in from Italy, Chiappa

Good to see my friends at Grey Fox Strategic..i plan to pick up one of their Geist mag holders

Movie Armaments Group was still setting up so I could not get a closer look

Durham Military vehicles

Lots of retailers will be present with great show specials…Select Shooting

Rangeview Sports

Don’t forget to stop by the TACCOM swag booth

And enter the many contests for great prizes

As for dinner? Well it was Ruth’s Chris after all….16 oz. bone-in filet with blue cheese crust

Nice touch that you can select your own knife

That covers the pre-show set up

Day 1

Showtime! Still a bit surreal to see TACCOM on major signage…as it was to see ads for “Canada’s Largest Gun Show” in mainstream media!

My first stop was to pick up my media tshirt..sadly it was too small

As was this one

I’ll tell you what wasn’t small though, the crowds! Yowza! Luckily I had early access so I could take some of my pics

Show organizer Fred looking spiffy with the gentleman from O’Dell Engineering

Per my plan, my first stop was the Korth booth to see their spectacular revolvers.

I was immediately drawn to the Super Sport ULX…I loved its wild styling and it felt INCREDIBLE in my hand…it seemed as if the grip was moulded to my hand and the cut-outs on the slide improved the balance over the other SuperSports that I handled.

I also liked the National Standard, at the opposite end of the spectrum…I tend to like extremes lol

Or if that is too plain

The cutaway was also very cool as it showed the internals, demonstrated interchangeability of the chamber, and most importantly, allowed for dry firing of the legendary double action for which Korth is known

It was great to chat with the Canadian distributor and also to speak with the owner! I learned so much about the lineup. For example, this .44 magnum (with the red grip)

Has a front sight that is quick adjustable to different distances

As is the rear sight…specifically the gap can be widened or narrowed by turning screw…don’t remember ever seeing that before!

It is also possible to add a compensator such as this

If you prefer a smaller revolver, Korth has the Ranger for you

Korth also makes a unique semi-auto, the PRS, which may look like a 1911 but is quite different. The barrel is fixed and it has a roller locking system with bolt head like an HK MP5…it was surprisingly heavy!

Thanks again to the Korth team!

Next stop, Gravel Agency to have a closer look at the Marlins. My buddy bought a Black Knight and I had the chance to shoot it…how fortunate that I could compare one side by side with the new Dark!

The Dark is very interesting…it has a rough pebbled finish that feels like plastic but it is actually wood. Ultimately, I liked the stainless trapper the best.

As I mentioned in my review of set-up, SIG had a lot of awesomeness so I didn’t waste time heading over there. Thanks for letting me have an closeup look at the commemorative edition of the M17..again, wish I bought one.

The rattler was cool too but didn’t excite me as much as the M17….that may change after I shoot it,

Also so happy to see a 365!! Per my John Wick obsession, Halle Berry used on in JW3.

On my way back to Wolverine, I ran into Chris Costa again (or did I? One does not find Chris Costa, Chris Costa finds you lol) and he very graciously accepted to autograph the Raven Concealment holster I bought due to his endorsement…this was worth the show alone! Thanks Mr. Costa…super nice guy.

Ok on to Wolverine! I must visit this store one day! Incredible selection of Brugger & Thomet

Barrett

Accuracy International

Schmidt & Bender scopes

Daniel Defense, including the new Delta precision rifle

Angstadt Arms

And FLIR…happy that the Breach made it to Canada

Etc. etc. lol

By now the Nightforce booth was ready and it was SPECTACULAR! They set up the same booth they used at SHOT Show and the NRA Show…so pretty serious

And they had a BEAST! This is Nightforce’s top of the line scope with intelligent four-function elevation control

I also love the ATACR 1-8×24..it is a FFP that functions as a red-dot at 1 but a reticle starts to appear as you increase magnification

The new NX8 2.5-20×50…it features DigIllum reticle illumination so you can change the colour of the reticle and other features like powering up to your previous intensity settings

Spotting scopes including the TS-82 with APO Fluorite glass..this is even higher quality than ED but would be too fragile for a scope mounted on a gun with heavy recoil

And we all know durability is a hallmark of Nightforce scopes

Of course, to benefit from a great scope like Nightforce, you need a great rifle so off to Alberta Tactical Rifle…to see their new collaboration rifle with the CCFR…a Modern Sporter variant that looks exactly like a classic AR15 yet is non-restricted! One of my favourite guns of the show!

Vs. the original Modern Sporting Rifle (with carbon fiber forend..so beautiful!)

If you prefer bolt action, check out this rig with McMillan stock and Proof research carbon fiber barrel

The Shooting Edge also had some new non-restricted options including a whole new product line for Canada from Sterling

I preferred it in white

These three custom builds were pretty snazzy

And the Troy 102 has finally arrived as well.

The original AR10 upon which modern 102s are based.

Another economical option, albeit restricted, were the polymer AR15s from Omni at Armchar

For those who prefer more classic designs to AR15s, Czech Small Arms

They are still made in the Czech Republic but the chrome lined barrels are supplied by Lothar in Germany

CSA also offers mounts for red-dot sights

The Scorpion is also very cool…I shot one recently and wish I put more than 5 rounds through it.

Ok, although I have lots more pics..i am pretty beat so the last booth I will cover today is Trigger Wholesale….

LOTS of shotgun options here…from bullpups to double barrels to mag fed to compact

But of course I had to have a closer look at Canadian Gun Vault’s prohibition kit that simulates a Tommy Gun….that is not an actual drum mag, rather a housing for a conventional mag…very clever!

Trigger Wholesale also carries Armalite, the original AR.

That’s it for Day 1…now off to Zoro’s for their 28 oz. Zoro’s cut prime rib…but first a dozen escargot

Day 2

First stop of Day 2, the FN booth, which as you can see was quite crowded!

I have always been a fan of the Five-Seven…looks great in FDE

The 509 is also very nice…I plan to shoot it next week at Select Shooting’s range day

Next stop ATN…their optics are so cool, exactly like what you see in movies with screens of information that scroll distance and ballistics data

The tablet on the table was showing a live feed from their binoculars and head mounted monocular

Here’s me looking at the FOC booth…so cool!

Next back to the IWI booth for another look at the Tavor 7 as well as their new augmented sight and Massada pistol

The augmented sight can be controlled by a phone app

I had seen the Massada pistol in black…now it is available in grey and FDE as well

Well well well..look who I ran into at the IWI booth..Lovie Malespin! What are the chances of meeting this Tavor training legend here? Lol

Funny I would run into Lovie several more times during the day…here she is with my good friend Doug from Code of Arms, who are now publishing High Capacity magazine, for which I am writing some articles!

So cool to see my magazine article at the show!

The Code of Arms guys are up to so many great things..in addition to their youtube vids and High Capacity, they are filming the CCFR’s DownRange tv show as well as their own tv show, Midlife Mayhem!

Atlanta Arms is one of the few ammo manufacturers offering the 9MM MAJOR I shoot out of my John Wick 3 gun so I wanted to talk to them about this great cartridge.

Their spec for 9MM MAJOR is a 147 grains at 1170fps with a target power factor of 171. It was developed about 6 years ago for champion shooter K.C. Eusibo…he was shooting out of compensated guns and given that comps reduces velocity/power factor, he wanted something more potent than a standard 9mm luger.

Atlanta Arms uses the same testing methology as the military of 10-10-10 (10 rounds in a 10 ring 10 times) and achieves 1” groups at 50 yards with this ammo!

That’s it for booths for today…the rest of the day will be dedicated to seminars and the industry dinner. But first, lunch! I know you guys like food pics…given that I was going to the Golden Bullet Award dinner, I wanted a lighter lunch so I hit FireHouse Subs nextdoor for a 12” steak and cheese sub.

You may think I am eating huge amounts of meat, and I am! Lol…but I am also doing A LOT of walking at the show lol..Adam from FOC posted that he took 100,000 steps at the show and I must be pretty close lol.

First up, a great presentation by Rod Giltaca of the Canadian Coalition for Firerarms Rights (CCFR) on the Political Dynamics of Gun Control…get out and vote people!

Next and incredible panel of instructors with different perspectives, including internationally acclaimed tactical trainer Chris Costa, with extensive military/LEO background, Magpul ete. etc. (come on you guys know who he is lol)

4 time national IPSC production division champ Alex Berdat

former IDF and Tavor training legend Lovie Malespin

Mike Brake, Former DND Special Service Forces and an Emergency Task Force SWAT operator with 25+ years’ experience and Certified Use of Force Instructor

And former Special Forces, M. Rohlehr, who is now teaching the PAL course to new shooters

The discussion centred around the different approaches and mindset for instructing shooters and what we as shooters should look for in an instructor.

I can say that I share Chris Costa’s mindset and would be thrilled to take a course with him. He gave an EPIC speech that I video taped but unfortunately forgot to ask his permission to share so I will just stick with still shots.

Each speaker had their turn and all were very humble

Great discussion, I learned a lot!

And I got to hang out with Alex a bit and got some great shooting tips!

I cant tell you how much forward I was looking to seeing Master Ken in person..he is AWESOME! He started off by providing his opinion on other forms of martial arts..like BJJ “the only place you will find more inappropriate touching is at a slumber party at Bill Cosby’s house” hahahah he is so awesome.

Some gun disaems

Next, how to deal with Beta Males who need protection from his airborne toxic masculinity

Demonstrating his “non-orifice specific” fish-hook technique to the audience

After the show I got this awesome pic with Master Ken

And bought the whole Master Ken Starter Kit lol…one of everything he had on the table including his book, hat, ballbuster, diploma, and patch…and he autographed a couple of them!!

Time for a wardrobe change lol…and off to the VIP Industry Dinner and Golden Bullet Awards show!

Lots of well dressed people

The crew from FOC

Scott from Bulls Eye London

Mr. Wolverine

Ha Lovie again! And as luck would have it, we were assigned to the same table!

Dan from Nanuk with BabyGoesPewPew and Mrs. Grey Fox Strategic

Dan with Grey fox Stretegic and friends

Tracey Wilson with Mrs. Select Shooting

Tim from SIG…thanks again bro!

Robo Rambo making his rounds

Ok let’s take our seats

Great job on the atmosphere!!

Happy Birthday Adam!!! You and the team at FOC did an incredible job on the show!

And guess who is MC…Master Ken!!!

Awesome I get to see more Ameri-Do-Te martial arts demonstrations!

Some opening words from Fred of FOC, lead organizer of TACCOM

And now an introduction to the Code of Arms Golden Bullet Awards

Firearms Rights Advocacy Award – presented by O’Dell Engineering ………17 year old Ryan Slingerland for getting 80,000 signatures on a petition advocating for us…he couldn’t be here to accept the award in person.

Best Seller of Canadian Product – presented by the CCFR goes to..Triggertech Diamond Trigger!

Veteran Industry Award – presented by Vortex Canada ………. Millbrook Tactical Inc.

Aspiring Youth Award – presented by Wolverine Supplies goes to Ryan Dobbs …who came 2nd to Alex at the IPSC nationals, and he is only 17 years old…oh and an IPSC Grand Master!…plus he was at my table! Lol

Firearm Instructor Award – presented by Black Bear Gear… Mike Brake! Glad I saw him on the panel earlier in the day.

Mens Shooter of the Year – presented by Select Shooting Supplies, goes to…Alex Berdat! Also at my table!!! Lol we had the best table…the #1 and #2 IPSC national champions and Lovie Malespin

Should be no surprise that Hunting Ambassadors Award – presented by O’Dell Engineering – went to… Amanda Lynn Mayhew of Just Hunt!

Canadian Made Product of the Year – presented by the NFA, goes to…the WK-180C Rifle

Women’s Shooter of the Year – presented by FOC………… Emily Brown

Media Recognition Award – presented by NAS Guns & Ammo ………. Nicolas Johnson (I thought about Kanye Westing this one lol)

People’s Choice Retailer award – presented by High Capacity Magazine ………. The Shooting Edge

Lifetime Achievement Award – presented by Code of Arms ……… John Hipwell, who got a well deserved standing ovation and delivered a very emotional speech surrounded by his family.

And last but certainly not least, the Secret Award: Industry Visionary Award – Fred Pellegrino..who also got a well deserved standing ovation

Nice food too…

We take a moment for Adam to blow out his birthday cake…

A great way to cap a great evening.

DAY 3

Well today is the last day and we are going out STRONG! Believe me, there will be some FIRE in this post!!!

One of the big advantages of a show like this is connecting and re-connecting with industry folks..i ran into my favourite Stoeger rep at the dinner last night and that reminded me to visit her booth. And boy am I glad that I did!! I found my absolute favourite gun of the show, the Benelli M4 A1…like heart beating fast, hot flashes favourite! I already have a Benelli M4 but not like this and the clever boys at Benelli made it so I cannot retrofit the parts, forcing me to buy a new one. And I think their plan worked!

The proprietary fore-end

MASSIVE controls

Door breacher

Now if that is not enough for you at the Stoeger booth, how about this $27,000 Victrix .50BMG from Italy? Yes, that is DOLLARS not LIRA! Every part of the gun is laser mapped pre-assembly and then the whole gun is laser mapped again once assembled. The data is tied to the serial number and if your gun ever needs servicing, they will clone parts for it to the laser specs! All their guns are F1 class.

Muzzle brake

Note the unique vents on the bolt to direct gasses sideways for shooter safety

Still not enough? How about a SAKO TRG…with a takedown screw in the bolt handle

Oh and the takedown tools are stored in a compartment on the fore-end

I was told on set-up day that an actual Colt C20 would be on display to showcase its USO optic…I checked back and did not see it but thanks to social media, I saw that it arrived so that was my next stop. WOW…another show favourite!!!

The same thing happened with the CSA Compact….it wasn’t there when I visited the booth but I saw it on social media and bam a THIRD show favourite!! Wow, I am finding all the best stuff on Day 3…usually things are winding down at this point. But don’t worry, there is more!

I love the super Compact and can confirm that it fits in a GoRuck GR-1 Shooter bag

One of my objectives for Day 3 was to get an action figure from 3RIUS – Holodeck 3D

Here I am ready to be scanned

After seeing the scan, I got a great idea…I remembered seeing an airsoft version of my John Wick 3 gun so I rushed over to Action Air and they graciously let me borrow it for a re-scan!

By the way, those guys had some other incredible airsoft guns…check out this Resident Evil limited edition

And these

Thanks to Action Air, my 3D action figure will look like this…man I love TACCOM!

3RIUS – Holodeck 3D is actually owned by the same group who owns M-GEAR …awesome EDC tools

And these guys even teach Filipino martial arts!!!! More on that topic after lunch!

But first, a visit to my good friends at Tactical Imports to see their new bullpup shotgun…these were flying off the shelf and TI had to keep re-stocking during the show lol

MKA 1919 Match Gen 2

Type 81

Speaking of good friends…Nanuk! New big multi-gun case

Nice big handle to carry the big case

And for shorter carbines

I still need to get a custom two gun case made

By now you must be wondering, what about Glock? Well as you can imagine, their booth was pretty mobbed at all times. I did manage to see the new Aimpoint ACRO on a Glock and believe it or not, it was SMALLER than I thought it would be (based on all the memes)

Considering they won an award, I wanted to give Triggertech a closer look but they were mobbed too! I didn’t get a chance to speak with them but got some decent pics.

Pretty hard to talk to Vortex too lol…this is why I try to get in early so I can take pics before the crowds but I cant get to all of them in time lol

I am a big fan of Peltor hearing protection…I have two electronic muffs (Comtac and Tactical Sport) and probably 5 of their non-electronic muffs lol.

I have never tried their in-ear products…until today! And I have to say I was pretty impressed! I

It was also fantastic to talk directly to an engineer…I am telling you, TACCOM is just like being at SHOT show!

Some more of my favourite brands…Surefire

And Trijicon

And now for some new (to me) things…Danaper CCW bags…come in all shapes and sizes and feature quick access from multiple angles with hidden zippers…some also have compartments for body armour. The rep gave multiple demos using many of the variations and it does look fast!

I have heard of Alien Gear holsters but missed their booth at SHOT show so was pretty happy to hear they were coming to TACCOM! Their Shape Shift holster has won numerous awards. Basically it is a modular system that allows you to use different mounts to transform a holster into multiple carry options.

You can see the single attachment point here

And the companion trigger guard on the gun

Which allows the holster to be extremely flexible

Alien Gear was also showcasing their new Rapid Force high retention holster designed for law enforcement

Red Tower Armoury had one of the nicest looking displays of the show…unfortunately my camera didn’t like the backlighting that made it so beautiful ..sorry guys

But you can see it on their customized guns

Now this pearl pink really has to be seen in person!

Oh and now they are cerakoting motorcycles too!

Still tons to cover…C4L…veteran owned

Patch Panel

CZ

CTOMS…where I bought the awesome Crye Precision shirt that I am wearing…I have pants on order too..should be here in January lol. CTOMS has GREAT customer service! Shout out to Shy who helped me on my order but could not make it to the show.

The venerable 5.11..i have LOT’S of their pants…and a few hats too, including one gifted to me by Doug Marcaida when he started representing the brand (and I took his seminar)…and another by the generous Canadian rep…thanks bro!

Nice Canada-specific product!

Fighting for our rights…NFA

And CSSA

Hey its TheShmoo manning the tanks lol

Ok time for lunch…and yes, more meat! I paid an extra $6 to supersize and WOW it was worth it!

The food court was right next to the main stage so I listened in to the panel about female shooters

Next on stage, Canatek Gun works with their innovative locking gun block to store and transport multiple guns…basically you don’t need individual trigger locks and allows you to fit many more guns in a smaller space. Definitely worth checking out.

Now remember that I said the M-GEAR crew teach Filipino martial arts? Well I was thrilled that they were doing an on-stage demo! I have taken a few seminars myself and, being a “knife guy” I love it.

They demonstrated using all types of knives and improvised weapons.

Again, I told you we were finishing strong and I think you will agree it is pretty hard to top a seminar with Chris Costa on the Mindset of the Use of Force. Given the sensitive topic, I cant divulge too much other than to say it was highly educational. Chris had some great anecdotes to drive his points home. And I think I will get a t-shirt made with “there is a mag change in there” because that could be the best line ever lol.

Now the very last but not least, Movie Armament Group! I have seen tons of social media chatter about their booth over the weekend…there was so much to see that I cannot do justice with comments so I hope you are all ok with a pic dump.

And now for some closing comments…

First, we had the Golden Bullet Awards now I present to you the RL1 awards for my Best In Show…but because I cant pick just one, I will do my top five in each category.

Guns

1. Benelli M4 A1
2. Korth ULX
3. Colt C20
4. CSA Super Compact
5. Alberta Tactical Rifle MS18-A3 CCFR Edition

Optics

1. ATN Monocular
2. FLIR Breach
3. Nightforce BEAST
4. Nightforce ATACR 1-8×24
5. US Optics TS 2.5-20

Experiences

1. Attending seminars by Chris Costa and Master Ken
2. Getting things autographed by Chris Costa and Master Ken
3. Attending the Golden Bullet Awards and sharing a table with Lovie and 2 champions
4. M-GEAR Filipino martial arts demo
5. Seeing two editions of High Capacity magazine with my articles at TACCOM

Some people have called TACCOM “SHOT show of the North” and as someone who has attended SHOT, I tend to agree. It is not just the guns, it is the fact that you have global industry reps / engineers here to interact with you, seminars by industry icons like Chris Costa and Lovie, the industry dinner, and an overall professional atmosphere that brings the community together

The bottom line is that the TACCOM team did a phenomenal job.

I must also say that I am very grateful to be given an all access media pass. I could not have done this review without it. To put things in perspective, I spent about 25 hours at the show and that much again going through the approximately 1100 pics that I took…and I only posted half of them!

I’ll be happy to do it all over again next year.

RL

Given that this event was during the week, it is not surprising that it was more “intimate” than past events at Easthill…it was great to catch up with my friends from Stoeger Canada and get some good shooting tips from a Beretta Team shooter.

Some of the guns on the line

I chose the M9A3

This event was open to those with and without a licence and it was nice to see new shooters having a great time

I did not stay too long so no store pics this time…but as always, very friendly staff and an enjoyable experience, thanks again!

RL

As you may have seen in my previous review or recent article in High Capacity magazine, I am happy to own a John Wick 2 gun, a Taran Tactical John Wick Combat Master Package G34.

As much as I love that gun, I have always been a 1911 fan and STI is one of my favourite makes so I was pretty thrilled when they released the JW3 gun at SHOT show 2019 and now, thanks to Freedom Ventures and Bulls Eye London, I have my grail gun!

Specs on the gun (per Taran’s website)
5.4 Inch Match Grade Bull Barrel
FDE/Bronze BLC coated Barrel
Combat Master Slide Cuts
Extreme Engineering Fire Control Group
Fiber optic front sight and adjustable rear sight
New Extended Slide Release
New extended Mag release
1.75-2.5 LBS trigger pull
Stainless Steel Guide Rod
Grip job
Tactical STI magazine
Four 22 round magazines with Taran Tactical baseplates

Compared to the JW2 gun

I went from the store straight to the range…I tried both 9mm and 9mm MAJOR and had absolutely no issues with the 100+ rounds I put through it. As you would expect from an STI, it shoots like a dream! What surprised me the most was how it tamed the 9mm MAJOR…I was expecting it to have a much bigger kick than it did.

My buddy liked it as well

And now for some detail shots

So I am super pleased with my purchase! Having shot it side by side with the G34 it is hard to pick a single winner…I like both! And thanks again to Bulls Eye.

Next stop, Taran Tactical JW3 Benelli M2!

RL

Last year’s inaugural Guns and Tactical Show was a great success. The co-organizers, Lanz Shooting Supplies and Code of Arms took lessons learned and made this year’s live fire trade show even better!

Some of the changes included modifying the show hours, limiting VIP tickets to 100, each with 2-day access, a larger swag bag, entry into prize draws, and a complimentary ammo ticket. And most importantly, more guns! I think there were about 100 on the line!

I attended with two of my shooting buddies, TheShmoo and Dave, both of whom have been to several shooting events and both of whom came away thinking that GAT Show was very well organized. The volume of guns and spread over 8 ranges meant we never had to wait in a long line. There was also great signage listing each gun on each range so it was easy to find what you wanted to shoot. Just very well done!

And that brings me to my main caveat of this review. Typically, I like to post pics of every gun shot by every member of my party. However, given that we each shot at least 10 guns and that we split up at times, that was not feasible. So keep in mind that our experience was even bigger than what is being posted in this review!

Part 1: The Tent

GAT show is divided into two main parts, a “tent” featuring a number of vendors and the live fire “try before you buy” spread across 8 of Silverdale’s ranges.

As is usually my routine for such events, I hit the vendors first, heading straight to visit my friends at Code of Arm’s

to pick up one of their t-shirts….

And to pick up a copy of the latest High Capacity magazine, featuring my first article, The Guns of John Wick!

Note in the above pics I am wearing my new HuntersHD Gold Aviators…thanks to Sean from Freedom Ventures for introducing me to these purpose built shooting glasses…not only are they photochromic, they meet or exceed milspecs for perspiration resistance, ultraviolet stability, salt spray resistance, heat resistance, solvent resistance, abrasion resistance, and flexibility…the lenses are incredibly clear and I can’t wait to try them on the range today

The crew from Firearms Outlet Canada were on site to sell tickets to the upcoming TACCOM show.

It was great to chat about the show. I already have a media pass but wow, the more I hear about TACCOM the more excited I become! In addition to Chris Costa, there will be other well known US trainers at the show as well as manufacturers from the US and Europe. A 40+ page programme listing all exhibitors will be released soon. Not sure how much more I can divulge here but wow, you do not want to miss this show!

As an aside, I must say that I like to see this comradery in the gun community…none of this “TACCOM is a competing show so they cant sell tickets here” nonsense. Thanks for sticking together GAT and TACCOM.

Next a check-in at Vortex to get more details on some of the optics they have will have on the shooting line…always educational.

I met the guys from Patch Panel at last year’s show and since that time I have become a lot more into patches, or at least have now realized how much I like them lol. Indeed I am not alone as I found out that some collector patches can command significant amounts of money, as in up to $1,800!

I really liked this Glockamole patch

This Deadpool collector patch has been seen for around $350 on the secondary market!

Patch Panel also does custom laser-cut work

I picked up a couple of patches as well.

Next stop, host Lanz Shooting Supplies..

Where I found one of the most beautiful guns of the show, a Colt Python! I think the Python is a great match to my Aviators with their removalble side shields lol

As well as another interesting revolver, the Chiappa Rhino, which was on my list to shoot.

Two more guns on my list to try, the Angstadt Arms UDP and Chiappa Little Badger (which sadly I did not end up shooting)

More of the Lanz display

Ragnarok Tactical for your safety needs

Whether they be medical supplies

Or body armour

We ran into Tracey Wilson …the last time I took a picture of Dave and Tracey, it ended up in the CCFR’s Down Range TV show…let’s see what happens this time lol

Black Bear Gear with Warrior Assault Systems and Eickhorn-Solingen Edged Combat & Rescue Knives

N.A.S. Guns and Ammo

Part 2: The Range

TheShmoo and I saw the Glock 48 during one of our gun store tours last week and we were anxious to shoot it so we hit the Glock range first.

It is hard to describe but it is pretty much how I expected a single stack Glock would feel. Again, my personal Glocks are at the opposite end of the grip spectrum so I think it would take some getting used to…the bottom line is that it was a little better than I thought but I am not ready to buy one.

Next TheShmoo wanted to try the Shadow 2…and he liked it a lot!

Dave already has a Shadow so he also wanted to compare it against the Shadow 2. He said that you can definitely feel a difference but he didn’t like the red-dot mounted on this one. Later in the day he ended up shooting another Shadow 2 without a red-dot and he much preferred that one.

Next stop, Tactical Imports

Where they had a nice selection of Type 81s, MK 1919 shotgun and my gun of choice, the BRS-99!

I put four mags through the BRS-99 last year and loved it so wanted to give the “Polish UZI” another whirl…you don’t see these too often

Yup, loved it

Dave also liked it but would get it with the non-restricted longer barrel

The NFA was right next to Tactical Imports and they had a staggering array of guns all the way up to a .50BMG. I really liked the fact that they brought some prohib revolvers, very “on brand” with their “No Compromise” positioning. TheShmoo shot two of them and preferred the little snubbie in .38.

Last year I missed shooting the Skorpion and I wasn’t going to make that same mistake again. It was nice but I should have put a few mags through it to really get the feel.

The STAG10 was also on my list. I have never shot an AR platform in .308. I realize that .308 is much bigger than .223 but I guess I was expecting the AR platform to tame the recoil a but more than it did. As such, I think I will stick to .223. By contrast, Dave liked the punch of the .308.

Next stop, North Sylva for another one on my list, the HK SFP9. I had shot the P30L at SHOT show and wasn’t crazy about the trigger so I thought the SFP might be a bit better in that regard and my hypothesis was confirmed.

Lanz had quite a few of the guns that I wanted to try.

Including the Angstadt Arms UDP…the Sig MPX shown next to it, made me a believer out of AR platforms in 9mm. Indeed, the MPX is one of my favourite guns and having the ability to use Glock mags is a huge bonus. That having been said, and I don’t mean to offend Angstadt owners, the MPX feels like a way superior gun. Yes, the Sig is more expensive, but I would pay that difference.

I am used to shooting revolvers in single action and in bigger calibers so the 9mm Chiappa with its low barrel was an interesting sensation. I thought it was ok while Dave loved it and said he would “buy one any day”

My favourite gun at the Lanz booth turned out to be the S-W M&P..i haven’t shot one for years but I hear so many good things about them that I wanted to give it another try…very easy to shoot and all hits were on the steel plate.

Ok a quick snack before moving on…some great food trucks this year including Bacon Crazy where I had the won tons stuffed with bacon and hot sauce and covered in maple syrup

As we passed by O’Dell’s booth I saw my favourite AR, the F1, now fitted with a HIPERFIRE trigger…I was planning to shoot it again but did not end up doing so.

Lots of great stuff at the SIG booth including the 320 in a RONI micro conversion kit and the new MPX Copperhead edition with its 4.5” barrel!

I also shot the MK25

It was great chatting with the rep from Evans Group, shown here with their rotating magazine shotgun

Evans are the distributors for Springfield Armory and I love their 1911s (I am actually on the list for one of their FBI guns). Here is TheShmoo shooting one of the M1As

Next over to Vortex for more precision gun shooting out of custom builds with Custom German Gun and PSE stocks.

Last but certainly not least, the monster Cadex Tremor and Dave’s absolute favourite gun of the day.

So just to recap, here are the guns that I shot in order of my preference:

1 Sig MPX Copperhead
2 BRS 99
3 CZ Scorpion
4 HK SFP9-SD
5 Sig P320 RONI
6 Smith & Wesson M&P
7 Sig MK25
8 Glock 48
9 Chiappa Charging Rhino
10 Angstadt Arms UDP
11 Stag 10 AR10

Once again, fantastic job organizing GAT Show…we all had a great time and agree that this one of Canada’s “big three” must attend events, along with TACCOM and Wolverine Days.

RL

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