At GunDigest, we independently review products. However, we may earn a commission when you purchase through links on our site. Learn More
SHOT Show 2022: Day 4 Roundup
The final day of SHOT Show 2022 has come to an end, so here are a few of the last things we saw that piqued our interest.
SHOT Show 2022 is now over, and while nothing completely mind-blowing was revealed this year, there was still plenty of interesting new guns, gear and ammunition to check out. As always, here’s a look at some of our highlights:
PSA AKs
Palmetto State Armory had some pretty interesting Kalashnikov variants on their wall at SHOT ‘22, and all of them will supposedly be released within the year. This photo shows a spread of new 5.45x39mm variants, most inspired by the AK 100 series, but also with a classic AKS-74U “Krinkov” pistol on the bottom. The top is a clone of an AK-103, and the middle two are clones of the AK-105 in both a pistol and rifle format.
Probably the most unique new PSA AK is the Chinese Type-56 spiker clone, and it will be hitting shelves within 90 days. PSA also teased a new 5.56 AK that takes standard AR-15 magazines, and unlike the Yugoslavian rifle that likely inspired it, PSA’s version includes a paddle-style mag release too.
New Holosun Optics
Holosun had some very nice-looking new pistol red dots on display. The enclosed model called the EPS seems to be getting the most attention, and I can see why.
I had the dot slightly misaligned in this photo, but you can see that the EPS can co-witness with iron sights quite nicely.
Magpul/Maztech X4 Round Counter System
Magpul had a very interesting collaboration with Maztech displayed off to the side of their rather large booth space this year. The two companies are releasing a round-counter system that is bringing reality just that much closer to science fiction. It works by combining Maztech’s HUD-display LPVO scope with Magpul’s new smart magazines. When combined, the scope’s HUD will display both a count of the ammunition in a gun’s magazine as well as the total ammo stored on one’s person. The smart magazines count the rounds in them and communicate with the scope, providing its user with information about when they need to reload as well as how much ammunition they have left in total.
Ghost Gunner 3/Zero Percent Receivers
If you weren’t already aware of Defense Distributed, they are the company that is largely responsible for the “ghost gun” controversy and are a continuous thorn in the ATF’s side. One of the most pressing issues for Second Amendment advocates this past year has been the government’s concern with “80% receivers”, which by law can be sold as unregulated paperweights rather than serialized firearms like complete lowers are. The 80% lowers can be finished either by hand or with small CNC machines like the Ghost Gunner line made by Defense Distributed.
Regardless of the ATF’s future ruling on 80% receivers, the newly revealed Ghost Gunner 3 has essentially rendered their attempts useless. The new machine has made “zero percent receivers” a reality, meaning that a solid block of aluminum can be inserted, and a complete AR-15 lower receiver can be spit out. This means that unless the ATF believes that they can ban blocks of aluminum, American citizens will always be capable of producing the registered component of an AR-15. Unfortunately I didn’t snap a photo of the machine itself, but here’s a small peek at Defense Distributed’s booth. This new machine is a major victory for 2A rights.
More SHOT Show Coverage:
- SHOT Show 2022 Industry Day At The Range Highlights
- SHOT Show 2022 Day 1 Roundup
- SHOT Show 2022 Day 2 Roundup
- SHOT Show 2022 Day 3 Roundup
Next Step: Get your FREE Printable Target Pack
Enhance your shooting precision with our 62 MOA Targets, perfect for rifles and handguns. Crafted in collaboration with Storm Tactical for accuracy and versatility.
Subscribe to the Gun Digest email newsletter and get your downloadable target pack sent straight to your inbox. Stay updated with the latest firearms info in the industry.
