Tomorrow the SHOT show will open in Las Vegas.

For many years now the day before the SHOT show is SHOT Show Media Day at the Range

This event is held at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club located about 25 miles from Las Vegas. This is a fantastic large outdoor shooting facility with many different shooting ranges iut to and including 1000 yards.

120 Exhibitors had things out there for the Media to play with including ATVs and off road vehicles. The event ran from 8AM to 4PM with the Sponsors providing lunch on site. Here are a few shots of the three major clusters of Exhibitor booths.









I will keep working on this thread through the evening but I need to get a bite to eat.

While not new or even in production, one of the coolest items that was made avaible for shooting is a bull pup gatling gun from the 1800s.

Colt brought this beautiful firearm to the event along with 5000 rounds of 45-70 ammunition to be run through it.

Veridian has a new universal sub compact laser that is designed to go in most all rails, even the non-standard ones.



The laser/light combo has 6 modes. It rememebrs the last mode it was in and will turn on in the stored mode. If I recall them all it is Laser only, light only, Laser w/flash light, blinking Laser, strobing light, blinking Laser with light.

Using Veridian's holster the laser/light unit will even turn itself on as the firearm is drawn. I will get some additional pictures from the Convention floor this week.

The green laser is clearly visible even in bright daylight.





The first image is provided courtsey of Veridian

Well it is time for me to get a new SIG rifle.

I really enjoyed the new SIG 716





This AR style rifle chambered for 7.62x51 was just sweet to shoot.



It shouldered nicely, felt comfortable even with the leather jacket and it was a soft shooter.

Several folks asked about the Caracal pistols.

Well the company is setting up in the US. They have some distributors lined up and they are going to be hitting the market as soon as they can.

I shot four of their pistols. They brought full size and compacts with standard sights and a pair with their Quick Acquisition Sight System.



These sights were very fast on target at combat distances. I think that the unusualy short sight radius might be a problem for really long shots, but this is a combat pistol not a target gun.

The Caracal has a lower than usual bore axis and this helps make recoil a bit softer feeling.

Most importantly, these pistols are very Thin. Much like the old Browning BDM. The thin frame does not sacrifice magazine capacity, the compact pistol holds 15 rounds of 9MM

The rush of German made 22 caliber rifles that look like modern furearms have a new Brother among them.....an UZI



The cute firearm is being manufactured by Walther. I found it fun to shoot.

Like most other rifles in this catagory, The price is right around $500.

The magazines are 20 rounds. At this time there are no 10 round magazines for sale into the restricted states.

The magazine is propritary to this firearm. I already checked out if they could be made to work in the varius UZI 22 conversions.

Armscor/Rock Island had many pistols on hand. The one that reaallt caught my eye was their 1911 chambered in 22 TCM.

The 22 TCM cartridge is a 9MM necked down to 22 caliber. Theis is a cartridge similar to the 5.7 but short enough to function in a 1911.




The pistol is a wide body and holds 18 rounds of 22 TCM. This cartridge is VERY flat shooting. My first 10 rounds had 9 hits on gongs at 50 and 100. I was very impressed and I will be adding a 22 TCM to my collection shortly. This pistol sells for roughly $750.

As a bonus, there is no reason that the pistol can not be converted to 9MM with a barrel and spring swap.

The Colt Mustang Pocketlite is going strong.

This stainless finish version of the pistol was availble at the range for shooting



Everybody is on the pocket gun band wagon these days

Thank you for all your posts. I appreciate you keeping us informed.

Have a good time!!

Tom

Here is a table full of Caracal pistols. I forgot to include this one last night.

Notice the first two have optional shoulder stocks

Thanks for all the updates!

SIGS,

Did you get to play with the new Sig 224??

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

Where is this Caracal made? I know what a Caracal is: an African and Asian lynx. Does that suggest their origin?

anything from vltor or any new smith and wesson revolvers?

Yes,
I shot a P224 DAK in 40S&W. I also had a chat with the design engineer that came up with the pistol. I will post more on that after I photograph a few 224 variations on the show floor.

But I will be getting one in 357SIG for myself

This is a product of the United Arab Emerates

Vltor was not at the range. However their news never means much. I talk to them almost eveery show and they for the last three or four years they say they expect to ship in the fall.

S&W had M&P15s out at the range. I did not see any handguns so I did not stop in. The show floor opens in a few hours and I will be in the S&W booth today.

It seems you will be going through the show with a large shopping cart and shrinking wallet!

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

Thanks for the outstanding post.
I'll be missing it this year, it was either a new quad or the SHOT show.
And I really like the Walther Uzi, SBR FTW!

ETA:
What mags are the SIG 7.62s using?

so when does the floor open then, about now or in an hour?

The show floor opened at 8:30AM this morning

As many of you know already, the 2012 SHOT show is taking place in Las Vegas Nevada.

Not counting the Range facility that was used on Monday, the SHOT show is being held in the Sands Expo center.

Three different floors of ball rooms and exhibit halls are occupied by things related to the Shooting Sports. Roughly 4,000,000......YES 4 Million square feet of floor space.

To put it in perspective we are talking about the same square footage as 68 football fields.

If you look at these following pictures you will see that it looks crowded.

Looks a lot like the NRA conventions! Wish I could go there, I'm only 3 hours away, but I'm in the middle of a move, so no time. (

__________________
US Marine, 16 years+

Smith & Wesson had an interesting display in the booth. It is a collection of various firearms that have been in the movies or on TV.

Here are a few images, I will go back and shoot some more if there is interest but I had to do these first.

MORE! Please.

Out
West

Hard to believe, but S&W has only introduced 2 revolvers for 2012.

Both are blue steel, square butt, wood stocked, L-framed 6 shooters.

Yes I am talking about the 586

It is being offered in 4" and 6"

Thank you for your efforts to post after a LOOOOONG day on the floor.. I know what it's like.. you just want to go back to the hotel room and crash..

Thanks again..

__________________
SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

indeed and besides the eastwood guns was there any sign of the 645 used in Miami Vice there?

Thank you very much for posting! It's cool to get "live" updates from the show. I've only been to one, and that was in '83 if I remember right.

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Even older, even crankier....

There were about a dozen guns on display.

Snakes 629 from Escape from LA? or was it NY?

One of the M&P autos from NCIS

A couple of 500s but I forgot from which movies.

and a few more.

I will photograph them tomorrow or the next day

It is MUCH BIGGER than it was back in 83

4,000,000 square feet! Just thinkin' about that tires me out! Why, that's almost twice as big as my house!

__________________
Even older, even crankier....

I handled a few of the new SIG P938s on the Show floor.

This pistol is hardly any bigger than a P238. While only a two variation are being started with, the plan is to put all the same variations as the P238 into production.

Here is a P938 Equinox sitting above a P238 Equinox.





The only dimensional difference that is obvious to the eye is that the 938 is about 3/8" longer than the 238

Width is a tiny bit different but not much

Here is the P938 Equinox from another angle



Here are a few shots of the P938 Blackwood

I was offered the opportunity to go, but I am on a deadline for something to be finished at work this week. Curses, mutter....

This is going to be a long one.

I enjoyed shooting the P224. If you look at this image from the range you will notice the original 10 round magazines as well as a longer 12 round magazine that has a base pad that takes up the empth space.

The P224 is being slowly released. Initally there will be four variations shipping that are all chambered for 40S&W and have DAK triggers. Here are some photos.

This first model is the P224 Equinox





This is the P224 Extreme





This is a P224 Nickel. This variation has a nickel slice, controls, hammer and trigger just like a two tone is supposed to have.





Here is the P224 SAS. Not sure how I missed shooting both sides of it but **** happens. Those of you familiar with the Mauser M2 that SIG released 10 years ago might notice that the dimensions and proportions of the P224, especially with the E2 grips, is very close to the M2




Here are a few images of the P224s that were over on the wall





The next goal for SIG is the get the DA/SA into production. I am told that this should not take too long. The P224 does not share lockwork with it's bigger brothers so new tooling had to be set up. There is still testing on the DA/SA.

I did have the opportunity to handle the prototype. This DA/SA is a prototype of many things. It is 9MM, has a threaded barrel for supressor use and has tall sights.




Even with that longer barrel and taller sights, the P224 fir right into the front pocket of me 5.11 Covert Tactical pants. It felt good. Wish I could have snuck away with it.

Back to release steps.

After the SA/DA variations are all shipping in 40S&W, SIG will begin releasing all the variations in 357SIG.

The last to be released will be the 9MM variants.

Mitch Rosen is already to produce leather for the P224.

The 40/357 and 9MM slide are intended to be the same exterior dimensions. Any reduction in mass needed for the 9MM variant will be taken from inside. Therefore the same leather will worj with all P224s.

I can't wait for my P224 nickel in 357SIG. Then I will ptobably need a P224 SAS to go with it. If one is ever offered as a Tactical with a threaded barrel, I will be on board for one of those as well.

is the show still trade only?

Yes it is.

Why do you ask? Are you in Las Vegas this week?

thank you and already thanks to you I have great photographs of the dirty harry magnum if I ever get my hands on a pre 1979 6 1/2 and want to have replica grips made up for it to match Harry's gun.

And about the same size as a duck lease

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Forum consigliere

Do not feel too bad. It is only day 2 (plus range day) and my feed already hurt.

Besides it will be back in Vegas next year as well.

are you staying for the collector gunshow this weekend?

On the Sig 224 in DA/SA there is no decocker??

Or are the models just DA only?

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I will be staying in town for the knife show. I am not too sure if we will have time to make the collector show as well.

No DA/SA P224 pistols are being produced yet.

Only DAK is available

If you re-read the post on the P224 it is all explaind and there is a photograph of the prototype DA/SA and it does indeed have a decocker.

It is with great sadness that I report there was an attack upon the Hogue manufacturing facility.

A few weeks ago it was overrun by ZOMBIES and it is not known if there are survivors.

What we do know is that the ZOMBIES have begun manufacturing grips.



Quite a few of the variations are photo luminescent and glow in the dark. Well what would you expect from ZOMBIES







This is one of the glow in the dark versions. This might be a cool idea for the aspiring ZOMBIE Eradication Specialist. Sorry but I do not know how long they remain glowing after exposure to light.




While protecting my brain from being eaten, I was told that there will be more ZOMBIE-X products including the over molded rifle stocks.

Another new item from Hogue is a backstrap for the P238 pistol that matches the texture of the Hogue grips.

This was a busy year for Hogue, including the new ZOMBIE staff.

This grip will work on all of the Smith & Wesson Centennial revolvers and the Bodyguards.



These grips have the same recoil absorbing back strap as the grips used on the big 500s. They are a bit longer than the Bantams and the hard plastic locking piece is right where your shirt or jacket usually hangs up on rubber grips.

That should make them a BIG favorite with the S&W pocket pistol crowd.

I want them on my 340PD and M&P340 pistols.

They can be removed from the firearm using a cartridge casing.

These are not yet in production. Probably 2 months or more out.

Zombie grips ??? Uh, thank you but I think I'll pass.

__________________
A closed mouth gathers no foot

Hogue has also added to the G10 family with grips for the Smith and Wesson J-frames as well as the Bodyguard family of revolvers.

These are available in a variety of colors.

Aimpoint has made their own tiny mount for the micro sight and Ruger MK-III.

It is nice quality and a really small package. Only about 3 ounces total.

Browning was kind enough to have several of the Citori 725s and several of the new A5 for us to shoot.





I only shot the Citori and it was nice. It shouldered fast and swung well.

It is nice to see the traditaonal style of the A5 built with modern materials.