Shot Show

SHOT Show and Booth Babes

Posted on by Caleb

leeanna vamp evike

Hey, it’s SHOT Show again which means it’s time for the annual shouting match about booth babes. As you might be able to tell by the image above, I have done a bit of a 180 on the topic of booth babes over the years. There was a time where I was adamantly opposed to them, but any more I just don’t care. I am still opposed to the subset of girls with guns that’s all weird and porny, but having been to a lot of SHOT Shows I’ve never seen booth babes cross that line.

But now that SHOT Show is here, it’s time for people to complain about booth babes. The first sort of people who complain are women who feel like booth babes devalue actual professional women in the firearms industry, which I can sort of see a point to. But then when I start to dig in on that idea, I don’t think it really matters, because no one is going to confuse a booth babe with an actual product expert. At this point, we all know what booth babes are here to do: look pretty and attract people into the booth. They’re models and their job is to look hot. No one is going up to a booth babe and asking them how Colt determined that 17 pounds was the ideal spring weight for a 1911.

However, I don’t really have a problem with women objecting to the use of booth babes. I may disagree, but hey at least professional women in the industry are in a position of some authority on the subject. There’s one group of people that I can’t stand though, and it’s the White Knights who decide to rail against booth babes in hopes of receiving a head-pat from Estrogen Voltron for showing how progressive and forward thinking they are. If someone ever writes a post that says “I’ll never buy a gun from Brand X because they use booth babes” all they’re doing is virtue signaling for other people to show off how un-sexist they are.

At this point, my feelings on booth babes are pretty straightforward:

family guy who cares

So yeah. It’s time to calm down about booth babes, everyone. To the white knights out there, no one is going to sleep with you because you’re just so offended by booth babes, so calm down. No one is putting a gun to the head of those women and forcing them to go work our trade show, they’re professionals. They’re getting paid. That image up at the top? That’s of Leeanna Vamp, who is a well known cosplayer and professional model. You think she just showed up in the Evike booth one year for giggles?

Springfield Armory

1911 Torture Test: Springfield Armory Range Officer 9mm

Posted on by Caleb

You asked, and I listened. The next gun in the 1911 Torture Test/Review series will be the Springfield Armory Range Officer in 9mm. Right off the bat, there are a few features that I really like: the adjustable sights, the lack of a full length guide rod, and the fact that magazines actually drop free! It’s pretty much ready to go out of the box for use as a carry gun.

To get it ready for competition, I’d want to make two changes: first, I’d ditch the factory stocks and replace them with a set of Hogue 1911 Magrips, which would make the gun easier to grip and easier to reload. You can even get them in red, which is a nice touch. The next thing I’d do would be add a Wilson Combat ambi safety. The reason I want an ambi safety on a competition gun is simple: weak hand only starts. It’s a real pain in ass to do a WHO start with a gun that lacks an ambi safety.

Now, per our 1911 Rating System, these two things that I’d change are not dings against the gun. It’s not an objective system if I start jacking guns up for what amounts to end-user preference. The rating system is designed to focus primarily on mechanical function. I’ll be hitting the range this week with the RO to get it through it’s first evaluation, which will be an accuracy test, and the dreaded 10-8 Function Test.

concealed carry/editorial/Glock/Kel-Tec

The Folly of Chasing Gear – CCW Gun Version, Part 2

Posted on by C. J. Daniel

For Part 2 I am going to cover more gun related mistakes, or missteps.  In all honesty, the first time concealed carry holder has more avenues for research and advice than 11 years ago.  One need only look at the internet and you can find scores of websites that simply didn’t exist in 2005.  Compare that to what is available now; sure, there is a lot of crap out there, but one trends the information you will see common areas of agreements.  That is a clue.  With that in mind, I am going to come right out and offend people.

IMG_5181

Utter reliability, fantastic accuracy and concealability – a fine pair of CCW guns.

40 S&W? Don’t bother!

A LOT of people love the 40 S&W; I am not one of them. There is a common misconception that it was created to fill the void between the 45 ACP and 9MM, but that is not fact. Following the 1986 Miami shoot out – a shoot out was so pivotal the FBI actually made a training video about it – the FBI realized they needed to replace their venerable revolvers.  The FBI worked with with Smith and Wesson to develop a handgun that shot reduced power 10mm loads in a S&W 4506 frame.  Smith and Wesson promptly realized the reduced powder load meant the 10mm cartridge could be shortened, and thus the 40 S&W was born.

When it was developed and placed into service in 1990 and into the early 2000’s the round offered a significant advantage over 9mm in power and 45 ACP in capacity. But as time marched on that advantage against the 9mm has grown less and less.  With current 9mm ammo the advantage of the 40S&W pales against the disadvantage of 1-2 less rounds, harsher recoil and greater ammo cost. To be fair I never had a problem with any 40 S&W I owned, but I don’t regret selling them and buying the 9mm’s either. In my experience most people shoot the 9mm better and quicker than a 40 S&W in equally sized firearms. If you want to shoot big bore because you think you really need it go with 45 ACP or 10mm; alternately you can move to a revolver and load up 41 or 44 Magnum and carry a gun that will cause you to list to one side.

Sidebar: the 40S&W seems to have found a solid home with competition shooters because it can be downloaded while still making “major” power factor.  This gives the competitor a softer recoil and more rounds than an equivalent gun chambered in 45 ACP.

Lesson #4: The round was losing favor with instructors when I bought my first gun chambered in 40 S&W, circa 2007. Nevertheless I bought it based on the advice of people who should have known better. In all honesty I can’t say I wouldn’t follow the same route if starting over in the same period of time. But if starting out now, I wouldn’t even bother.  Get a 9mm with modern ammo and be done.

Glock

I can already hear the Glock fans warming up their gaming computer in their mom’s basement to let me have it.  Let me open with a fact. The Glock is a fine weapon and I have no beef with it from a functionality, accuracy or cost perspective. I just don’t shoot them well; and I can safely say it is me, not them. Not one to give up, I disregarded the fact I don’t shoot them well and have owned 5 different examples over the years, including models G22, G27, G26, G19, G26 again and a G35 (the G22 and G35 were not for CCW). I spent a lot of money and ammo trying to make them work for me instead of focusing on a platform I shot well. In all fairness I recently had a chance to shoot my cousin’s G23C and was pleasantly surprised to see I shot that Glock better than any other.  I am positive it was the result of being a better shooter overall. I find them to be as exciting as a framing hammer, but if you were dropping me off in Beirut tomorrow they would be on my short list of handguns too take.

Lesson #5: Recognize when something isn’t working for you and stop trying to make it work. This isn’t a hot rod, or a race gun, this is a tool that might save your life. If there is another reliable, quality firearm you shoot better, go with it instead.

Kel-Tec PF-9

Yup, I’ve owned one and can safely say the PF-9 was the single worst firearm I have owned. That thing would malfunction just looking at it. Again, I bought this after reading some magazine reviews. FAIL. I literally have nothing good to say about this gun. The Yankee Marshall has a video where he declares it the worse handgun ever with his reason being the damn thing is marketed as a CCW weapon where as other cheap guns don’t hide their lack of quality. He is 100% correct!  My copy was laughably bad and  research shows that experience is beyond commonplace.

Lesson #6: This is the gun that opened solidified my disdain for gun magazine reviews. It opened my eyes to the lack of scruples in some writers. Going back now, the article that sold me on the PF-9 was written in a way that wasn’t praise, but didn’t come out and call it junk either.

As I noted last time, through all of the guns I bought for CCW, and through all the rounds fired, one thing remained constant. I was wasting money on guns, transfer fees and holsters that would have been better spent on defensive classes and practice ammo. When it comes to your carry weapon, chasing the latest gear rarely gains you skill and is seldom worth it in the realm of firearms.

In Part 3 I’ll go over some mistakes in gear to try to give first timers a better start than I had.

For those that care, here is a list of the guns I have owned and since sold or traded on my CCW journey. This is CCW only.  Yes, they are many and varied…I know…

Bersa Thunder CC

CZ P-01

CZ PCR

FI Industries 380

Glock 19

Glock 26

Glock 27

Kahr CW9

Kahr K9

Kel-Tec PF-9 (I should have thrown it in a lake or burned it on a stake!)

Kel-Tec P3AT (because I didn’t learn about Kel-Tec’s lack of quality the first time)

Kimber Series 1 Stainless Compact

Kimber Series 1 CDP (I have since bought the same gun back, but it is only a range toy now)

Rock Island 1911 Officer

Rossi 38 Special

Ruger SP101

Ruger SR9c

Ruger LCP

Star BM

S&W Model 36

Taurus PT111

Taurus PT22

Taurus Slim

XDS-3.0 in 45 ACP  (This was a really, really good gun and I regret selling it)

Thompson Center

Thompson/Center Arms™ Introduces T/C® Compass™ Bolt-Action Rifle

Posted on by Caleb

New Feature-Rich Bolt-Action Rifle to be Available for the Fall 2016 Hunting Season

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January, 19th 2016) — Thompson/Center Arms today announced that it has expanded its line of innovative products with the introduction of the new T/C Compass. Designed to deliver today’s sport shooters and hunters with a feature-rich bolt-action rifle at an affordable price point, the T/C Compass elegantly blends American-made craftsmanship and value into a professional-grade rifle. The new T/C Compass, with its advanced feature set, is the latest entry into the company’s broad line of Thompson/Center rifles, all designed to deliver the performance, accuracy and ease of maintenance that has become the hallmark of the Thompson/Center Arms brand.

“The concept behind the T/C Compass was to be able to offer dedicated hunters and shooters an affordable bolt-action rifle that exceeded their expectations in terms of accuracy, reliability and functionality,” said Danielle Sanville, Brand Manager for Thompson/Center Arms. “The new T/C Compass expertly meets each of these needs while delivering a highly-capable bolt-action rifle that can match any budget. The new rifles will begin shipping in early summer,giving consumers plenty of time to purchase, mount optics and bring them to the range for sighting in before this year’s hunting season.”

At the center of the rifle is the T/C Compass’ aluminum pillar bedding design. This tested bedding system positively locates the receiver and free-floats the barrel for outstanding accuracy over the lifetime of the rifle. To further establish a solid, smooth action, the T/C Compass features a three-lug bolt design with 60-degree lift, which enables optimal scope clearance when loading and unloading the rifle.

Shooters of all skill levels will appreciate the T/C Compass’ user-adjustable single-stage trigger, which allows them to pre-set their preferred pull rate between 3.5 and 5 pounds with minimal over-travel. The T/C Compass’ buttoned-rifled barrel complete with 5R rifling provides consistent, reliable accuracy that is backed by Thompson/Center’s Minute of Angle (MOA) guarantee. The MOA guarantee promises that each rifle will deliver a one-inch, three-shot group at 100 yards with the use of premium ammunition.

Each T/C Compass is also standard with a factory threaded barrel for use with compatible suppressors, compensators and muzzle breaks, but also comes standard with a thread-protector for when these accessories are not in use. For improved handling in all field environments, the T/C Compass features an ergonomic, lightweight classic stock design with modern contours and textured grip panels. Operating controls on the rifle consist of an easy-to-use 3-position safety with bolt lock. This time-tested design provides a tactile feel, clear visibility and easy access when on the range or in the field.

On top of the receiver, the T/C Compass comes drilled and tapped and is furnished with scope bases for easy installation of optics. Swivel studs are conveniently located at the forward and rear portion of the stock to help simplify transport while in the field. A detachable rotary magazine (5+1 in standard calibers and 4+1 in magnum calibers) is standard with each rifle and fits flush with the stock in order to provide smooth, consistent feeding between shots. Like all bolt-action rifles from Thompson/Center, the new T/C Compass is backed by a limited lifetime warranty delivering added peace of mind to hunters and shooters everywhere.

T/C Compass Specifications:
Calibers: 204 Ruger, 5.56, .22-250, .243, .270, 7mm-08, 7mm, .308, .30-06 and .300 Win Mag
Barrel Length: 22 inches (standard calibers) 24 inches (magnum calibers)
Overall Length: 41- 41.5 inches
Weight: 7.25 – 7.5 lbs.
Length of Pull: 13.25 inches
Rate of Twist: 1:9, 1:10, and 1:12
MSRP: $399

editorial/Kimber/revolvers

Editorial Speculation: Who will buy the K6s?

Posted on by Shelley

I’m not a revolver person, so when the new K6s came out I looked at it and said, “Yay! Another pretty Kimber but this one’s round and jolly!” and then that was about it because I saw the Nighthawk Hi Power and got REALLY distracted.

Then I started thinking: who is going to buy a revolver the size of an SP101 that holds six rounds instead of five? There has been some behind-the-scenes speculation that the near-$1,000 price tag revolver won’t sell. I must respectfully disagree with these speculations. While I don’t foresee the gun flying off the shelves like the Glock 43, there’s a definite niche for the K6s.

Outside of the hardcore revolver guys who are sitting with steepled hands muttering, “Yes! Yes! Six-round j-frame-sized revolver!” I am willing to bet there is a portion of the concealed carry market that is going to be excited about that extra round. I don’t necessarily think these are the most experienced shooters, but there are definitely some enthusiasts who will let that extra round and/or the Kimber name tip their buying hand.Kimber-K6s-revolver

The kind of people who buy Kimbers are totally the kind of people who will spend for a $899-MSRP revolver either for themselves or for their significant others. I can see the scenario in my head of a dedicated Kimber enthusiast taking his wife to the range and pushing the K6s on her for that one extra round and then her wanting it because “it’s so pretty.” (It is very very pretty.) I am also convinced that revolver shoppers with a little larger pockets will be more than willing to pay for that extra round and the sleek design.

Concealed carry is where the market is focused right now, and with polymer-framed single-stacks dominating the semi-automatic market, it actually makes perfect sense that Kimber would tailor its newest carry gun toward the more classically-inclined revolver crowd.

Guns of the Movies

The Guns of Sicario

Posted on by Caleb

Sicario-movie-poster-2

It seems that if Hollywood wants to tell a good war story anymore, they have to couch it in the form of the War on Drugs. The recent 13 Hours aside, most of the really good action movies you see these days focus on the growing conflict between America’s law enforcement agencies and the increasingly violent Mexican drug cartels.

2015’s excellent Sicario, starring Emily Blunt as FBI agent Kate Macer is no exception. Blunt’s character is thrown into an increasingly complex world of espionage and moral ambiguity after she’s recruited by CIA operative played by Josh Brolin. Brolin’s character spends the majority of the movie in the company of Alejandro, played by Benicio del Toro. As an aside, can you think of a war on drugs movie he hasn’t been in? I can’t. But it’s del Toro’s character that I first want to focus on, because he has the coolest guns.

Heckler & Koch MP5A3 Benicio Del Toro

Del Toro’s character spends the majority of the movie rocking a suppressed MP5A3 that features railed handguards and an Aimpoint sight. In a movie surrounded by M4 carbines of various types, the idea of del Toro’s mysterious assassin/operative character rolling a 9mm sub-gun works well within the fabric of the movie and the character. Plus, as I’ve said it’s also unbelievably cool. Benicio finishes the film in a memorable moment with another iconic gun, this time a handgun. The climax of his part in the film concludes with his character sitting down at the dinner table, HK Mk23 in hand and suppressed.

benicio del toro sicario hk mk23

The Mk23 must sometimes endure being the butt of jokes by gun nuts, largely because of HK’s description of the pistol as being designed for “offensive” use. While it is large, heavy, and somewhat unwieldy, it is also superbly accurate, extremely reliable, and lends itself well to suppressed use. In the hands of del Toro’s assassin, it makes perfect sense.

Our heroine’s weapons tend towards the mundane, but also make perfect sense for an FBI agent to carry. During the initial raid, she’s carrying a vanilla M4 carbine, topped with an Eotech sight. As a side note, Eotech sights show up a lot in the movie, nearly every character save the Alejando and the Delta operators has one. For her sidearm, Blunt’s character carries a Glock 19.

Sicario emily blunt glock 19

This is a bit of a continuity issue, as her character would more likely be carrying a Glock 23 instead of a 19. However, 9mm guns work better with blanks than larger calibers, so a Glock 19 it is. She uses this 19 with good effect in one of the film’s most interesting scenes, a “gunfight” of sorts in no-man’s land between the Mexican and American border checkpoints.

In an interesting choice, and not one I really agree with, the prop guys decided to outfit the Delta force characters with Airsoft guns, specifically an AEG M4 clone with Magpul MOE furniture on it. These are incredibly realistic replicas, and honestly if I’d not done my homework, I never would have known. If you want to get your own hyper-realistic airsoft rifle, they’re 700 bucks on Amazon.

That in and of itself is insane to me, because for $750 I could buy an actual AR. It wouldn’t be a good one, but I certainly could buy a real rifle. Crazy talk.

The last gun I want to mention is the M4 carried by Josh Brolin’s secret squirrel. It’s a Daniel Defense M4A1 model, and unfortunately you never really get a good look at it, or see Brolin use it to good effect in the film.

daniel defense m4a1

Like every other real M4 in the film, it’s sporting an EOTech HOLOgraphic Weapon Sight and a vertical foregrip; you can really tell how the staff armorers like to set up guns. The movie also features the usual suspects of AK variants in the hands of the badguys, as well as the appearance of a few more M4 variant rifles and a couple of crew served weapons. But Sicario isn’t really a gun porn movie, it’s not a Michael Mann film with fastidious attention payed to gunhandling and equipment, and it’s not a Michael Bay movie either.

It is however a taught, well-written and executed crime thriller. The gun handling is just fine, although it’s a little jarring in 2016 to see people still using the thumbs-locked Weaver stance, but I can give that a pass. If you liked Traffic, if you like well written, smart crime thrillers, I strongly encourage you to check out Sicario.

Umarex

Umarex Throttle First Air Rifle To Have Patent Pending StopShox Vibration Reducing Technology

Posted on by Caleb

FORT SMITH, Ark. (Jan. 19, 2016) – Umarex USA introduced a new air rifle named the Throttle at the Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show today. The Umarex Throttle is the first air rifle to include the vibration reducing StopShox system.

umarex throttle

“We set out to solve one of the most frustrating problems with powerful air rifles today–the amount of vibration and recoil,” said Richard Turner Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Umarex USA. “Modern pellet rifles powered by strong springs or gas pistons cause two recoils–one to the front and a second to the back. The Umarex StopShox works in conjunction with a floating stock design to effectively minimize the negative recoil vibrations that cause shooter frustration.”

StopShox is a patent-pending, innovative device specifically designed to absorb shock, vibration and recoil in air rifles. It works in conjunction with a floating action to create a unique combination that systematically reduces the shock created by a break barrel air rifle’s spring or gas piston power system.

The new Umarex Throttle is a powerful pellet rifle that incorporates the new StopShox system. The Throttle combines this new recoil absorbing innovation with the Umarex ReAxis gas piston, SilencAir 5-chamber noise suppressor and the Umarex LockDown mount. It is available in either .177 or .22 caliber with all of these smooth operating innovations making it ideal for target shooters and small game hunters alike.

The Throttle comes equipped with a unique, black, all-weather stock, automatic safety and a 3–9×32 adjustable objective scope. With all of the innovative technology included, the Throttle is a great value at an MSRP of $199.99.

Learn more about the Umarex Throttle Air Rifle: UmarexUSA.com/SHOTShow

About Umarex USA
Umarex USA is one of North America’s fastest growing sport and recreation companies. Umarex USA develops and markets products under brands licensed by its parent company, Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH & Co. KG. Such brands include Beretta, Browning®, Colt®, Elite Force®, Hammerli®, Heckler & Koch®, Hornady®, IWI, Ruger®, RWS®, Smith & Wesson®, Walther® and others. For additional information regarding Umarex USA visit www.UmarexUSA.com. Follow and subscribe to Umarex USA online: Facebook.com/UmarexUSA, Twitter.com/UmarexAir, and YouTube.com/UmarexAir.

news

Welcome to the new look Gun Nuts!

Posted on by Caleb

Oh yes, we have finally updated the look and feel of the site to make it more modern. Everything else should work the same, but let me know what you think about the new format in the comments! Also, we’re re-launching the FB page for the site, so make sure you head over to the new Gun Nuts Media FB page and like it.

Continue reading →

ICORE

ICORE moves International Revolver Championship to Universal Shooting Academy in Florida

Posted on by Caleb

In a press release that came out this weekend, the International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts announced that the 2016 International Revolver Championship will be held at Universal Shooting Academy in Frostproof, FL. This is a huge change, moving the match from the Hogue Action Pistol range in San Luis Obispo, CA.

ICORElogo135

I think that Universal Shooting Academy is a fantastic facility and that they’ll do a great job hosting the match. I’ve shot probably a dozen matches at USA over the years, and with the exception of one IDPA Nationals where I needed SCUBA gear to shoot, I always had a great time.

But I don’t like this call, and that’s where this post changes from reporting the news to an editorial. To understand, you have to look at a little bit of shooting sports history. In 2011, I shot the last Steel Challenge that was held in its historic location in Piru, CA. It was awesome. 2012-2013 the match moved to Frostproof at USA, and in 2013 the match had its lowest attendance in over a decade. This isn’t a knock on Frank Garcia or Shannon Smith, the operators of Universal Shooting Academy, because they run a solid business and have a great facility.

However, there’s a data point here from Steel Challenge that says when you move a West Coast match to the East Coast, you run the risk of losing participation. I really can’t stress hard enough that I’m not knocking Universal here, because I do think it’s a great facility, but it’s also in Frostproof. Which, if you’ve never been there, is in the middle of nowhere, FL. It’s about an hour and a half from Tampa or Orlando, there aren’t a lot of great restaurants around, and it’s just…not a great place to hang out for an extended period of time. Maybe I’m just a homer and miss California, but I think people would much rather go to the central coast region of CA for a match than go to Frostproof.

I hope I’m wrong, and I hope the IRC continues to flourish now that it’s been moved to Universal Shooting Academy. I will say that November is the best time to hold a match down there, as the weather is actually pretty nice! Hopefully I’ll be able to pull the resources together and go shoot my first ever IRC at Frostproof this year.