On the cusp of SHOT Show 2015 SilencerCo kicked off the party with the release of its Omega silencer, designed for the baddest full-autos – but more than capable of quieting any semi-auto or bolt gun in .30 cal. as well.
SilencerCo has released the Omega – the company's shortest, lightest and quietest full auto centerfire rifle silencer to date.
The Omega is said to combine the best features from the Harvester, Saker and Specwar rifle series – all leaders in their respective classes – into a true multipurpose product that excels in any scenario.
“The fact that we have the best performing and selling trio of .30 caliber silencers on the market doesn’t mean we stop innovating,” states SilencerCo CEO Joshua Waldron. “We’re constantly looking for ways to improve upon our successes, and 2015 will be no exception.”
The Omega is comprised of titanium, tool-grade stainless steel and Stellite, keeping its weight to 14 ounces, while providing strength sufficient for full auto applications. Length is only 7 inches using a direct thread mount, or 7 ¾ inches with the Active Spring Retention (ASR) quick-detach mount – both included with each purchase.
Sound is minimized to an industry-leading 133 decibels on a .308 platform. In addition, a removable Anchor Brake provides significant recoil reduction for larger calibers.
In recent years, concealed carry has driven the handgun market. This year is no different. But along side some new and interesting defense pistols and revolvers are a number designed for hunting, competition and other applications. Here’s a look at the eclectic collection of handguns from 2015 SHOT Show.
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Check out 10 new and striking shotguns that recently hit the market at the 2015 SHOT Show.
Double-barreled shotguns appear to rule the roost at the 2015 SHOT Show, with a number of new models hitting the market. But fans of pump and semi-autos need not worry; there are some offerings for them as well. Check out what’s going to be at your gun shop soon.
Weatherby is shooting for economical performance with the Orion.
The Weatherby Orion aims to give shooters a double gun with all the features, including an affordable price.
Those hunting for an over/under shotgun with all the frills, but without a hefty price tag might have had the prayers answered by Weatherby.
The California gun maker announced at the 2015 SHOT Show it is bringing back a classic field gun, the Orion I Shotgun, this year. And while the smoothbore appears to have plenty going for it, the feature that tends to overshadow all other is its price.
While in the world of guns an MSRP of $1,099, overall might be a bit on the spendy side, it certainly is not for double-barrels. Truly, there are few over/under or side-by-sides options below this price. The shotgun's cost, however, looks to only be one of its many assets.
Perhaps one of the more amazing features for the price is the gun being stocked in Grade “A” walnut. The wood’s rich grain is accentuated with a high-gloss finishes and the gun’s overall clean lines.
Adding to the flowing appearance of the gun is its rounded Prince of Wales grip, which provide more than good looks. With 22-lines-per-inch checkering on the grip, and again on the forend, the Orion promises to deliver a positive grip no matter the conditions in the field.
The Orion is built around a traditional boxlock action that houses a dual conical pin locking mechanism. The receiver is shallow and slim, especially compared to other 12-gauge models. This is achieved by Weatherby’s use of forged steel for the receiver, keeping the firearm rocksolid, while trimming material.
The company boasts the trim receiver also makes for a more balanced and easy-to-point shotgun. One thing is for sure, at approximately 7 pounds, the Weatherby Orion can be comfortably toted, even on the longest hunts.
The shotgun is available in 12-gauge only, but comes with the option of 26- or 28-inch barrels. The chamber and bore are both chrome lined to combat corrosion and make cleaning easier.
Another handy feature is the inclusion of automatic shell ejectors, for faster reloading. For anyone who has kicked up an epic covey of bobwhites or find themselves knee deep in pheasant roosters, this is welcome.
As would be expected, the Orion is outfitted with Weatherby’s Integral Multi-Choke System. And it comes with three tubes – improved, modified and full – that should cover shooter in most situations.
The shotgun has a perk that has the potential to keep shooters in the field or at the range longer. Outfitted with a Pachmayr Decelerator, Weatherby has aimed at making the Orion’s recoil less of an issue.
The Orion has a number of other impressive features. It has a matte ventilated top rib for a clearer sight plain and faster heat dissipation. It has a tang safety that also serves as a barrel selector. And it has a threaded brass bead to aid in fast target acquisition.
Smith & Wesson is one of the most recognized names in the firearms world, producing some of the most popular semiautomatic pistols and revolvers available today. The Massachusetts manufacturer is never one to rest on it laurels when it comes to introducing new firearms or improving on old. Here’s a look at what S&W has in store for 2015.
Whether rifle, pistol or otherwise, the T/C Encore offers shooters precision and flexibility.
There is a certain attraction to hunting with single-shot firearms. With the margin of error nil, hunters must be at the top of their game for that single trigger pull.
Thompson/Center Arms is reintroducing one of the most popular single-shot firearms as a complete package this year. Shooters and hunters can now enjoy the precision of an Encore Pro Hunter as a fully assembled firearm.
There are still choices to be made in getting behind the trigger of a Pro Hunter. Thompson/Center is offering the break-action firearm as either a pistol or rifle and in four different caliber choices.
As a rifle, shooters can pick between a .243, .30-06 or .308. Configured as a pistol, the Pro Hunter is available as a .223 or .308. But just because the firearm is purchased in one caliber or platform, doesn’t mean it has to spend its lifetime configured that way.
One of the attractions of the Pro Hunter is the ability to interchange barrels, stocks and grips. The firearm isn’t even confined to centerfire rifle ammunition; it can make the jump to shotgun, slug gun or even muzzleloader.
The T/C Encore Pro Hunter has a starting MSRP of $791.
Amazing find, a Winchester Model 1873 leaning under a juniper at Great Basin National Park.
For safety sake, it’s always wise to keep your head up in the backcountry. But doing so could also expand your gun collection.
Or at least that’s the implication of what can only be described as an amazing story coming out of Nevada’s Great Basin National Park. The sharp eyes of a park employee recently turned up an incredible piece of firearms history – a Winchester Model 1873 rifle.
Cultural resource program manager Eva Jensen discovered the iconic lever-action rifle when she was working with the park’s archaeology team. And while a heck of find, the artifact actually required little work to uncover.
Jensen spotted the rifle propped up beneath a juniper tree, most likely in the same position it was left when it was abandoned. It is not known when the rifle was left in the park, but by all accounts it had to have been some time:
The 132 year-old rifle, exposed to sun, wind, snow, and rain was found leaning against a tree in the park. The cracked wood stock, weathered to grey, and the brown rusted barrel blended into the colors of the old juniper tree in a remote rocky outcrop, keeping the rifle hidden for many years.
While the length of time the the rifle has been in the park is foggy, its make, model and vintage were never in question:
“Model 1873” distinctively engraved on the mechanism identify the rifle as the Winchester Model 1873 repeating rifle. The serial number on the lower tang corresponds in Winchester records held at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West Museum in Cody, Wyoming, with a manufacture and shipping date of 1882. Currently, the detailed history of this rifle is unknown. Winchester records do not indicate who purchased the rifle from the warehouse or where it was shipped. The rifle was not loaded when it was found, but would have held .44-40 caliber ammunition when in use.
The rifle is being sent to a conservator and is set to be returned to the Great Basin to be displayed for the park’s 30th birthday.
Galco's new Corvus holster is shaped to fit the curves of the body and can be used as an IWB and OWB holster.
Galco Gunleather introduced one of its news holsters at the 2015 SHOT Show. And from the looks of it, the Illinois manufacturer is throwing concealed carry practitioners a welcome curve.
The Corvus Holster’s versatility and space-age materials alone are enough to catch the eye. But it’s the accessories shape that is its revolutionary aspect; gently curved, the holster is engineered to hug the body more naturally.
There are a couple benefits to this design. Right off, it allows for more comfortable carry, conforming to human’s natural bends. But it also aids in better concealment of a pistol, holding it closer to the body and away from an outer garment upon which it might print.
The Corvus can be worn either inside or outside the waistband and is made of Kydex. The plastic is ideal, given its ruggedness and ability to hold its form.
The SIG P320 line has grown, in part, with the release of a new Subcompact model.
SIG Sauer hasn't rested on its laurels when it comes to one of its newest lines of pistols.
A year ago, the European/American gun maker took its first foray into striker-fired pistols with the introduction of the P320. Now the line of modular, polymer handguns is growing in every perceivable way.
While there are all sorts of new additions to the line, perhaps the weightiest being a subcompact model. And it appears SIG has given the new variant the dimensions to make it a dynamite primary or secondary carry piece.
At 6.67-inches long and 1.06-inches wide, P320 Subcompact is comparable to similar pistols on the market. Where the double-stack looks to gain an edge on the competition is weight, tipping the scales at a svelte 24.9 ounces with a magazine.
Like the earlier iterations of the pistol, the P320 Subcompact is modular, with nearly every major part of the pistol interchangeable. This means the handgun can change size and caliber, all without a single tool.
The P320 accomplishes this through its one-piece stainless steel frame/fire-control module. This is the only serialized part, meaning it is the only part considered a firearm. The rest of the pistol is interchangeable, from grip to slide to barrel.
The subcompact is being released in 9mm, with a 12-round magazine. The model, however, is compatible with 15- and 17-round magazines. The subcompact model has an MSRP of $713.
SIG is also making its P320 line a bit bigger in another small way, with the edition of .45 ACP Compact version. The model is slightly larger than the subcompact at 8-inches in overall length and 26-onces. The firearm has a 9+1 capacity and a MSRP of $713.
Adding the venerable round was always in the cards for the P320, SIG said as much a year ago when it released the line. And it should be received well, especially among the American shooting pubic given the popularity of the .45 ACP.
Finally, SIG is adding to new colors of the P320 – flat dark earth and two-ton flat dark earth. The FDE is finished in a PVD finish with matching polymer grip module. The two-tone FDE model has a FDE grip module and Nitron finished slide.
The SIG MCX offers shooters one of the most flexible platforms available today.
With the release of the MPX a few years back, SIG Sauer introduced an intriguing concept.
The submachine gun was supremely adaptable, allowing a shooter to switch calibers and configuration on the fly. Of course, for a civilian to get a hold of this technology required either deep pockets or a job in law enforcement or the military.
Those days, however, have past with the introduction of the SIG MCX at the 2015 SHOT Show. The new firearm incorporates many of design features of its select-fire cohort, in a semiautomatic package.
Of the pieces of engineering carried over to the MCX, the most intriguing is the firearm’s ability to jump between calibers. The firearm is designed to chew through three different rounds through conversions that can be made in the field, without tools.
For the MCX to go from .300 Blackout to 5.56 NATO, all that needs to be done is a barrel switch. The move to 7.62x39mm is a hair more involved, not only requiring barrels to be swapped, but the bolt as well.
While the MCX has the ability to handle multiple rounds, the European/American gun maker aimed its design to the .300 Blackout. In particular, the configuration of the firearm easily accepts the addition of a suppressor for the eminently suppressible round.
The SIG MCX’s piston-operation is also set up to help the firearm function reliably, whether suppressed or unsurpassed. The auto-regulating gas system is meant to make the switch between supersonic and subsonic loads smooth.
The malleability of the MCX isn’t strictly confined to caliber and suppression. The firearm takes a cue from the MPX in overall flexibility. From barrel length to stock style, nearly everything is interchangeable.
The SIG MCX, configured as a SBR with suppressor.
One of the features that helps make the MCX a gun for all situations is its recoil assembly. With the assembly housed completely in the upper receiver, the firearm does not require a buffer tube. As an added bonus, this allows the MCX to be outfitted with a folding stock.
The lower receiver, on the other hand, is much more familiar. The MCX’s controls are laid out in a classic AR-style with ambidextrous selector and mag release standard.
Other features of the SIG MCX include: KeyMod handgards, ambidextrous charging handle, cold hammer-forged barrel and compatibility with STANAG magazines.
The MCX is available in three configurations: rifle, short-barreled rifle (which requires a tax stamp) and pistol. The rifle variant comes with a 16-inch barrel, while the SBR and pistol are outfitted with 9-inch barrels. And the rifle and SBR come with the choice of four stocks: low profile side-folding skeletonized stock, telescoping stock, tubular side folding stock, or a folding telescopic stock.
Presently, the SIG MCX rifle has an MSRP of $1,866, the SBR $2,058 and pistol with side-folding SBX $2,132.
Glock unveiled its new Modular Optics System, or MOS, on Gen 4 models G34, G35, and G41 — and a long-slide 10mm Glock, the G40 at the 2015 SHOT Show.
While those stumping for a Glock single-stack 9mm didn’t get their wish at this year’s SHOT Show, the Austrian company nonetheless delivered its impressive Modular Optics System (MOS), an optics-ready configuration on several popular Gen 4 models, and one hell of a handgun for 10mm fans: The G40—a long-slide 10mm also with the MOS option.
“Our research has prompted us to release the MOS configurations for the G34 Gen4, G35 Gen4 and G41 Gen4 and the new G40 Gen4 in the MOS Configuration.” stated Josh Dorsey, VP at GLOCK, Inc. “The new GLOCK MOS platform offers a convenient way to mount reflex sights without costly alterations to a warrantied slide.”
The MOS models include an Adapter Plate Kit containing 4 adapter plates as well as the tools for the removal and installation for a variety of optics. Optics are not included with the MOS pistols. Right now we know the system works with reflex-style sights from Eotech, Docter, Insight, Meopta as well as the Trijicon RMR, C-More and Leupold Delta Point.
Glock suggests you can take a play from the AR world and use extra-high rear sights, to co-witness with a MOS-mounted optic. Certainly the system has in mind tactical competition applications where speed acquisition is key, but many concealed carriers are adopting and using small red dots as well.
The specifications for the Gen4 MOS configured G34, G35, and G41 are the same as their respective non-MOS versions.
Glock 40 10mm
This one got my attention, for Wisconsin’s hunting regulation has long required handgun barrel length to be a minimum of 5.5 inches (as measured from the firing pin to the muzzle).
This has always been easy business for revolvers with 5-inch tubes, thanks to help from the extra length afforded by the cylinder. However, for semi-auto work, Badger State Glock 20 hunters needed to buy aftermarket barrels, which work well enough but stuck out the end of the slide—making them look … odd and cobbled. Sure, they work, but it was a look I never could warm up to. Now, with the G40 10mm, the length is sufficient to keep the authorities happy and send the .40 cal. bullets screaming down range.
The Glock 40 MOS looks good and packs a heavy payload. It sports a 6-inch barrel and carries 15 rounds of the powerful 10mm cartridge. It can be outfitted with any number of reflex style sights that mount directly to the top of the slide, no custom machining required.
Holy cow, somebody has been perking some extra strong coffee over at CZ. Because with 67 new or updated guns being released at the 2015 SHOT Show, it appears the Czech gun maker has really burned the midnight oil.
Honestly, it doesn’t look like a corner of CZ’s catalog has gone untouched this year with the introduction of new and improved shotguns, pistols and rifles. So without further ado, here is a look at some of the company’s new wares that caught our eye.
Pistols CZ has captured a lot of ink already with the introduction of the Scorpion EVO 3 S1. But the 9mm isn’t the only military firearm the company has given a pistol work over.
CZ’s 805 Bren has had its stock removed and is ready to rumble with the growing market of AR-style pistols. The new 805 Bren PS1 Pistol (MSRP $1,982), however, is a bit different than most other comparable guns presently available, in it is piston operated.
CZ 75 B 40th Anniversary edition.
The .223/5.56 pistol has an 11-inch barrel, side charging handle and a monolithic Picatinny rail, among other features. It utilizes STANAG magazines and is capable of being outfitted with a SIG brace.
If either the Scorpion or Bren is too big or out there for shooters, CZ also has a classic that might be worth a gander.
The company has unveiled a hand-engraved 40th Anniversary edition of its CZ 75 B, decked out with some impressive upgrades. The most prominent are the gun’s controls, finished in rainbow titanium nitride, and its grips, high-grade California birds-eye maple.
The catch is the 9mm has a hefty price tag at $1,499. But if you need an excuse to get one, just remind yourself, yours will be one of only 1,000 ever made.
Rifles
CZ Western Series 550 Sonoran in 26 Nosler.
Right off, CZ bills its Western Series 550 Sonoran as “more of a long-range tack-driver than mountain rifle”. And this year, it has mated the rifle to a caliber that will more than help it live up to that claim.
The Sonoran is now available in the blistering hot Nosler 26, a chambering that will definitely allow hunters to reach out and touch game. According to Nosler’s website, the 6.5mm round is capable of pushing a 129 gr. bullet 3,400 fps at the muzzle. And it retains as much velocity at 400 yards as a .260 Remington produces at its muzzle.
While the Sonoran (MSRP $3,199) has the makings of a match rifle, it was designed with the hunter in mind. This is particularly evident in the rifle’s light weight with the Sonoran tipping the scales at 8 pounds.
Shotguns
CZ Sharp-Tail.
CZ should send smoothbore traditionalists' hearts soaring with one of its newest models. After all, how many other gun makers are introducing new side-by-side shotguns this year?
CZ’s Ringneck side-by-side inspired the company’s new CZ Sharp-Tail (MSRP $1,022), but the new shotgun is not a carbon copy, by any means. The shotgun has a much smaller action, with coil springs operating the hammers, rather than leaf. And it boasts redesigned sears for a crisper break on the trigger pull.
The gun also has a single selectable mechanical trigger. It is stocked in Turkish Walnut, has a color case-hardened finish on its boxlock and blued barrels.
The SHOT Show is, obviously, a big happening in the firearms world. Unfortunately, for many the world’s largest firearms and outdoor convention is a world away.
Real life and lack of press credentials get in most people's way of attending the Las Vegas-based event. But Glock is shooting at pulling back the veil on the massive event this year.
The Austrian gun maker has introduced GLOCKLive, which delivers the 2015 SHOT Show directly to gun enthusiast’s homes via their computers. The broadcast combines live video and social interaction, allowing viewers to watch and comment on the show.
GLOCKLive will also have a number of discussion topics over the course of SHOT, including live Q&A with Gunny, Q&A with Team GLOCK as well as Carrie Lightfoot of The Well Armed Woman and Karen Butler of Shoot Like a Girl, and finally, two broadcasts of GLOCK's new product for 2015.
Lyman is one of the latest to release a tease of its new products it’s set to release at the 2015 SHOT Show. And, to say the least, the Connecticut manufacturer has an impressive roster of goods.
The company’s video is worth a watch in its entirety, mainly because the volume of new Lyman products would require too much digital ink to document. But, there were two new goods that appear to be worth a little extra mention.
Lyman is releasing a new Chronograph, the Ammo Tracker, and it has the bells and whistles that might turn some shooters’ heads. In particular, the device’s data display appears to be extremely user friendly.
The Ammo Tracker Chronograph continuously displays data in real time. After each shot, the high, low and average velocities are updated, as are extreme spread, standard deviation, shot number and string number.
Making the unit a bit handier is Lyman opting to make the display screen separate from the chronograph proper. This allows shooters to reference data after a shot without every having to get up from the bench.
The present MSRP for the Lyman Ammo Tracker is 159.95.
Not everyone needs a borescope, but Layman is certainly making them more available to the average shooter with the Borecam Digital Borescope.
Outfitted with a 22-inch probe and designed to fit 20 calibers, the scope is ideal for inspecting a firearm for chamber damage, fouling or erosion. And unlike many available on the market today, Lyman new scope comes with a digital display. The monitor of Lyman’s borescope not only frees shooters from having to squint down an eyepiece. It also gives them the opportunity to document the inside of their firearm.
The scope has the capability of taking digital pictures, storing the information on a SD card. The pictures can then be downloaded and viewed on a computer or laptop.
Borecam Digital Borescope carries a bit of price tag, presently its MSRP is $299.95. But, this is a fraction of most other scopes’ retail prices.
Fair game critters everywhere sounded air raid sirens on news of Ruger’s FTW Predator, which combines Gunsite Scout features with the M77 Hawkeye in what promises to be a formidable long-range varmint-blasting machine.
Ruger M77 action.
If you’re a chuck or song dog you have good days and bad days. But when Ruger recently announced its FTW Predator Rifle—which blends the best of the Scout and M77 Hawkeye—there’s no way around it: Your varmint days are numbered.
For long-range shooters it's good news indeed as the rifle sports what gun owners like about the Ruger Scout and the company’s well-established Predator. It's not difficult to envision tactical applications of the rifle, either.
For one thing, it’s built on the iron-clad non-rotating M77 action, which is basically a Mauser-type controlled feed battle tank (I think following World War III there will be three things left—Royal typewriters, Chevy engine blocks and M77 actions).
While a rock-solid action promotes accuracy, equally critical to making long-range hits is the rifle's two-stage adjustable target trigger, giving you the ability to let them snap cleanly.
The FTW designation, by the way, refers to the world-renowned FTW Shooting School in Barksdale, Texas, where extensive on-range consultation with SAAM (Sportsman’s All-weather, All-terrain Marksmanship) shooting instructors was conducted by Ruger in the development of the new gun.
Everyone liked the proven accuracy of the Hawkeye Predator and the quick handling of the Gunsite Scout rifle. So it seemed a no-brainer for Ruger engineers to whip together a rifle that combines the trigger and action of the Hawkeye Predator with the adjustable buttstock design found on the Gunsite Scout. Voila! That's some serious stuff for everything from ‘yotes to foxes.
The result is one well-handling little rifle capable of dropping them in there out at long-range—yet in a fast-handling predator rifle platform.
Ruger Hawkeye FTW Predator Features
The Hawkeye FTW Predator features a two-stage target trigger, Green Mountain laminate stock, stainless steel receiver and medium contour barrel. Models are available with either a 22” barrel with a 1:10” twist chambered in .308 Win., or a 24” barrel with a 1:8” twist chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.
The soft rubber buttpad is adjustable with the use of three, ½-inch buttpad spacers (included) which allows the rifle to be properly sized for different shooters or varying levels of outerwear. Integral scope mounts are machined directly on the solid-steel receiver, providing a stable mounting surface for the included scope rings.
Get the most recent advances in guns and gear to extend your range for hunting, informal target shooting, and formal competition. Discover new tools for long-range shooters both in the field and on the firing range, with coverage of new developments from advances in military applied combat theory. Learn more
Fans of the 1911, expect your lives to get a bit more complicated after Colt's most recent announcement. The iconic company has released its new pistols for 2015, which will vastly expand your 1911 choices. In all, Colt is introducing seven new models of the timeless pistol. All of them are extensions of existing lines with a good share representing new chamberings of existing models.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
The Omega is said to combine the best features from the Harvester, Saker and Specwar rifle series – all leaders in their respective classes – into a true multipurpose product that excels in any scenario.
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