What We Carry

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Says Uncle recently posted a meme that had been started by Marko about what we carry every day. When it comes to preparedness, the items you carry in your pockets or otherwise on your person essentially comprise a "bare bones" survival kit.



My list includes my wallet, iPhone, a Para Ordnance 14.45 with 185 grain Speer Gold Dots, a Camillus Blaze pocket knife, business card holder and reading glasses (I'm getting old) along with the standard wallet and loose pocket change. In my wallet I also have a thin metal bottle opener the size of a credit card. I don't carry a flashlight, but I do have a lighter. Between that and my iPhone I figure I've got emergency illumination covered. I also have a pack that is generally on me or nearby in my car with many more essential items in it, including a first aid kit.

What do you carry in your pockets every day?

January Photo Contest

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Congratulations to Cheaper Than Dirt! Forum member CostumerGayle for her winning entry in our January Photo Contest!



She calls her photo "Breaking in an AR variant of the M4 'til Sundown" Gayle mentions "This is my husband, breaking in a newly built upper and lower and testing it for the first time." Gayle is a novice photographer from Shreveport Louisiana. She used a Canon 40D with a zoom lens to obtain the winning shot.

ModGear Tactical Magazine Chest Rig

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Our Tactical Magazine Chest Rig is outfitted with many features that make it a great value for those needing a modular vest with integral magazine pouches.

By taking a cue from the SOTech’s BLoCS and adding a padded harness and a sewn- in hydration bladder pocket, the Tactical Magazine Chest Rig supports a full combat load of ammunition without adding a single pouch.

The front opening rack secures with snaps and hook and loop closures. The removable bib secures to the top of the rack by hook and loop and to the harness via straps with snaps. The harness attaches to the front of the rack with two side release buckles, and at the rear with three adjustable straps with ladderlocs on each side. The Removable bib also features PALS webbing and an internal pocket.

The harness features a built in drag handle that tucks out of the way with a small piece of hook and loop above the Hydration bladder pocket. The Hydration pocket secures with hook and loop and the lid has a small piece of hook and loop tape perfect for morale patches or name tapes.

The internal map pockets also ingeniously double as a mesh lining for the magazine rack system.

The six built in magazine pouches can hold the standard M16 magazine or AK mags. Some of our customers have even used it for 10/22 and M14 magazines. Magazine retention is accomplished by holding most of the magazine deep pocket in the and is backed up by a bungee cord retention strap.

This rig is very adjustable and can be adapted to either fit over your body armor or be worn as a stand-alone rig.

This vest has rugged construction far beyond its price point, with nice stitching and quality material. There are enough MOLLE compatible PALS type webbing on this carrier to add any and all pouches you would ever need. There are 3 rows and 9 columns on each side of the rack and 3 rows and 4 columns on the bib. The Harness shoulder area has 2 rows and 3 columns and the hydration pouch has 5 columns and 6 rows.

There are some drawbacks to this chest rig. Any heavy pouches attacked to the MOLLE compatible webbing on the rack may sag if there is no magazine behind that pouch in the internal magazine pocket. This is only noticeable with the heaviest of items and only when the magazine is removed. It is also not available in MultiCam at this time.

Choosing Hunting Rifle Ammunition: Dangerous Game

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When choosing ammunition for a particular game animal, the terminal performance of the round you choose is extremely important. Winchester has developed (and trademarked) their CXP (Controlled eXpansion Performance) scale which is used to rate ammunition performance on various types of game. Dangerous game animals, classified as CXP4, are generally thick skinned African game animals such as hippopotamus, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo, and can weigh anywhere from 1,000 pounds up to 13,000 pounds or more for large male elephants. As such, when hunting these species, you will need to choose your caliber wisely.

.375 H&H Magnum Click to view larger image.

The .375 H&H Magnum is generally considered to be a bare minimum for hunting dangerous CXP4 class game. In fact in Africa, the .375 H&H Magnum is the smallest caliber legally allowed for hunting. Loaded with a 300 grain projectile, the cartridge develops a muzzle velocity exceeding 2,600 FPS which results in a muzzle energy of approximately 4,600 ft-lbs (around 6,500 joules). The .375 is very popular with hunters due to its flat shooting characteristics; given a 200 yard zero, bullet drop is only 8.5 inches at 300 yards with a trajectory peak of 2 inches at 100 yards, which makes it very easy to calculate your hold over.

Probably the most famous and widely used cartridge is the traditional .470 Nitro Express. This round, developed by the British for their double rifles, replaced the Eley brothers .450 Nitro Express cartridge which had become banned in a number of countries. The newer bottle necked .470 round pushes a 500 grain "freight train" of a bullet to velocities exceeding 2100 FPS at the muzzle, generating more than 5,000 ft-lbs (nearly 7,000 joules) of force.

There are a number of intermediate sized cartridges such as the .416 Remington Magnum, and the .458 Lott. The .458 Lott is a recently developed cartridge intended to replace the relatively underpowered .458 Winchester Magnum by Jack Lott, a popular gun writer at the time. Lott had the unpleasant experience of having a .458 Winchester Magnum fail to stop a charging Cape buffalo. This life threatening encounter prompted him to design a replacement round based off of a .375 H&H Magnum case. The new .458 Lott brass was slightly longer than the Winchester Magnum, enabling it to be loaded with more powder and giving the bullet an extra 300 FPS. It wasn't until 2002 however when Hornady began manufacturing the ammunition on a large scale commercial basis that the cartridge gained in popularity. Ruger chambered a new rifle for the Lott, the M77RSM Mark II, which soon became very popular with hunters in Africa. The .458 Lott manages to launch a 500 grain projectile out of a 24" barrel with a muzzle velocity of 2300 FPS, giving it a muzzle energy exceeding 5,100 ft-lbs (almost 7,000 joules) making its overall performance as good or greater than the popular .470 Nitro Express.

One of the largest cartridges in common use today is the .505 Gibbs. This monster cartridge is capable of taking down even the largest African game; only the .500 Jeffrey round is more powerful than the Gibbs. Loaded with a 600 grain Australian Woodleigh bullet the Gibbs generates 2,100 FPS muzzle velocity and 5,877 ft-lbs of energy. The Gibbs was made famous by Ernest Hemingway, who wrote and talked about it often. It was favored by one of Hemingway's characters, Robert Wilson, in the story "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber".

Bullet selection for these dangerous game cartridges depends on the type of game being hunted. By and large, solid bullets are preferred due to their excellent penetration. They are absolutely necessary for head shots on the largest game such as elephants and cape buffalo. Soft pointed and lead core bullets are only suitable for lung shots, as they rapidly deform from the heavy thick skin of large African game and will not penetrate fully. Expanding bullets for large African game must be well constructed to be able to retain weight and remain intact upon impact. Examples of suitable soft bullets include Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, A-Square, and Barnes Triple Shock X Bullet.

It's critically important to select a caliber that you are capable of shooting but that is also capable of stopping dangerous game animals. Utilizing a caliber that is too large can result in flinching or anticipating recoil and pulling the shot, too small and your quarry may not drop. When hunting dangerous game, your life may very well depend on the ammunition you select.

Trunk Guns

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There is much debate over what makes the best trunk gun. To understand where the concept of a trunk gun came from, let's go back a few years. Traditionally, farmers and ranchers often had a ranch rifle hung in the back of their pickup truck. The role of the rifle was to enable the easy elimination of varmints, or to be used to put down injured horses or livestock. Nowadays, many farmers and ranchers still keep a durable rifle hung in the window or stashed behind the seat for the same reasons. But in addition to the traditional reasons for toting along a truck or trunk gun, many people in urban and suburban environments see the usefulness of having a rifle somewhat readily available in the trunk of a car for self defense and general preparedness. For preparedness minded individuals, the trunk gun is often paired up with a BOB (Bug Out Bag).

Without getting into the specifics or whether you need a trunk gun, let's discuss the types of rifles that are commonly used as trunks guns. A good trunk gun should be supremely reliable, durable, capable of operating in dirty and dusty environments, and not particularly susceptible to rust. Cost is another issue, as a trunk gun may be subject to more wear and tear, and it'd be a shame to have a thousand dollar rifle beat up from riding behind the seat of your pickup.

Kel-Tec Sub-2000

Carbines are one obvious option, as their shorter barrel length makes them easier to transport. The next question is, do you go with a pistol caliber carbine, or a rifle caliber carbine? We've discussed the advantages of having a pistol caliber carbine in the past. A number of rifles fit this bill ranging from the various lever action Marlins available in .357 and .44 Magnum to autoloading carbines that share pistol magazines like the Ruger PC9, the Hi Point carbine and the Kel-Tec Sub-2000. The Sub-2000 also has the distinct advantage of folding in half for an overall length of just 16". Both the Hi Point and the Kel-Tec have synthetic stocks which adds to their durability. The Hi Point 995 Carbine is probably the least expensive carbine of this group, retailing for just over $200. The Hi Point however will only use 10 round Hi Point magazines, and does not fold like the Sub-2000. The Sub-2000 can be bought in configurations able to use Glock, Sig, Smith & Wesson, or Beretta magazines, including high capacity 30 round mags. A lever action in .357 or .44 Magnum would have significantly more power than the Hi Point however, but the lack of a detachable magazine means that it would be slower to reload.

Stepping up a bit to rifles chambered in larger calibers such as 7.62x39 and .30-30, we have the ever popular (and generally very inexpensive) SKS and the venerable .30-30. The SKS is generally fed by stripper clips into a fixed magazine, though some conversions are available to convert them to use detachable AK-47 magazines. Like their pistol caliber shooting brethren, the Winchester 94 and Marlin lever action .30-30 rifles also have a fixed magazine tube, making reloading more difficult and time consuming. Because ammunition for the lever action rifle is generally kept in a bandoleer or sling, we'd have to give the nod to the SKS in this comparison. While it too has a fixed magazine, high capacity 20 round magazines and the ability to quickly reload using stripper clips give it a slight advantage. While the .30-30 is slightly more powerful than the 7.62x39, we feel that power difference is offset by the ability to quickly reload the SKS.

MagPul PMags with dust covers

Which brings us to detachable box magazine fed rifles. Basically, this group is divided into intermediate and full size rifle cartridge firing long guns. AK-47s, AR-15s, Mini-14s and Mini-30s are all fine examples of intermediate caliber rifles. The Mini-14 and Mini-30 are very similar rifles apart from caliber, and both are marketed by Ruger as Ranch Rifles; a clear indication of their intended roles as truck guns. The primary drawback of the Mini-14 and Mini-30 is that they use proprietary Ruger magazines, instead of the more readily available AR or AK magazines. In the AR vs AK comparison, we feel that the AK wins out when equipped with a folding stock. The fact that it can easily be bought or outfitted with a folding stock means that the AK style rifle can more easily be stashed in a small trunk or even a duffel bag. The AK is also slightly more reliable and can be abused and neglected in ways that the AR cannot. If you choose to go the AR route we recommend getting magazine covers or using Magpul PMags with dust covers, as well as using a muzzle cover to keep dust and dirt out of your rifle and magazines. In fact, the shoot off muzzle cover is a valuable accessory for any trunk gun.

In the full size rifle category, your options for a "cheap" box fed semiautomatic rifle are fairly limited. In this category, only the CETME, FAL, Saiga and AR-10/LR 308 can be found for less than $1,000. I'm limiting discussion to these rifles as they are relatively inexpensive while at the same time very durable. Century built CETMEs as well as Saigas in .308 can be found for around $500, and FALs are available for around $650, making these three decently priced rifles. The AR-10 and LR-308 are more expensive, usually just under $1,000, making them fairly expensive for a trunk gun. Among the other three, the AK based Saiga is generally the most reliable. While the FAL and CETME are both fine rifles, the FAL has been known to a bit finicky about the gas adjustment, and the quality of CETMEs built by Century is questioned by some. All three of these rifles shoot about a 2-3 MOA group, so accuracy is decent enough. AR-10s and LR 308s are more accurate; both are capable of shooting 1 MOA or less at 100 yards. But if you're looking for the best bang for your buck in a durable truck gun, we have to give the nod to the Saiga in .308.

It's hard to argue against buying a $90 bolt-action rifle. Check out any gun show and you're sure to find a table full of Mosin Nagants selling for less than $100 each. While they may not be the prettiest rifles, it's pretty easy to justify spending that little cash on a rifle you can toss behind a pickup seat or in the trunk of your car. Toss in a couple of stripper clips of cheap mil-surp 7.62x54R and you've got a really inexpensive trunk gun and more than 400 round of ammunition for around $200. It may not be the fastest to reload, but if you're just hauling it around as a "just in case" rifle, it fits the bill just fine. An alternative would be Lee Enfield rifles. The Jungle Carbine model is a short barreled version that fires the British .303 round, and is short enough to fit in even the smallest trunks. Enfields can be found for around $300, and Jungle Carbines for slightly more.

Some people prefer shotguns as a trunk gun, especially in areas where it may not be legal to transport a loaded rifle. With their ability to fire a variety of rounds, shotguns can be effective from point blank range all the way out to 100 yards or more with a good slug. Pump action shotguns are generally the most popular, with the Remington 870, Mossberg 500/590A1 and the Winchester 1300 rounding out the top choices. There is a plethora of accessories for these three shotguns, including folding stocks, tactical rails and so on, so you can customize your shotty however you like. Most of these models are also easy to find for less than $300.

Not all jurisdictions allow transporting loaded firearms, and some frown on transporting firearms at all unless traveling directly to or from a range. As always, make sure to observe local laws when considering whether to get a trunk gun.

Guest Post: Do you have a plan?

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Todays guest post is by Caleb Giddings from Gun Nuts Media. Caleb is the 2009 Indiana State IDPA champion, as well as a Steel Challenge Revolver Division Champion.

Do you have a self defense plan? If you’re walking with your spouse/significant other and you’re accosted, do you have a plan for what to do? If you don’t, I’ll share my plan with you. It’s pretty simple, and easily adapted to multiple situations. One caveat is that this particular plan assumes I’m with my wife and not out by myself.

• Option 1: we both run away like little girls and call 911 from a safe place.

This is my favorite option. “You always win the fight that never happens”. But what if running away isn’t an option? What if there are multiple attackers and one of them is blocking your retreat?

• Option 2: Disable the guy that’s blocking our retreat, then run away like little girls and call 911 from a safe place.

Any time the situation turns to violence, we’ve reached “undesireable options”. However, sometimes violence is inescapable, so it’s best to have a plan on when and how you plan on resorting to force. Of course, sometimes you can’t retreat at all, which leaves us to option 3.

• Option 3: My wife runs, I buy time.

Needless to say, that’s probably our least favorite option, because it doesn’t leave a whole lot of positive opportunities.

The point of all of this though isn’t so much to talk about my plan though, as it is to help people realize that “having a plan” doesn’t necessarily mean having a detailed, written out “I’ll do X, Y, and Z in the event of a deadly assault’. In fact, I personally prefer to keep my plan a bit more fluid specifically because a dynamic threat is just that – dynamic. Just as no two assaults are the same, your plan needs to be flexible enough to adapt to a situation that may not be exactly what you thought would happen.

If you’re ever in a situation where you need to use your concealed firearm, your day has taken a pretty statistically unlikely turn – better to have some kind of a plan than nothing.

About our Guest Blogger Caleb makes his home with his wife in Indiana where he is a competitive shooter. Caleb is an active blogger as well as the host of Gun Nuts Radio.

Cheaper Than Dirt! Sponsored Shows on Outdoor Channel

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If you've been watching the Outdoor Channel lately, you may have noticed Cheaper Than Dirt on the airwaves. We've picked up sponsorship of SWAT Magazine TV.

A new show, SWAT Magazine TV made its debut on the Outdoor Channel last month. SWAT Magazine TV is dedicated to providing the latest news and information on effective real world weapons tactics, training, and techniques. Cheaper Than Dirt is proud to sponsor SWAT Magazine TV, and we think you'll love what they have to show you.

Just check out their new promo trailer on our YouTube Channel


The next episode of SWAT airs tomorrow night. It features Tony Blauer where he discusses how he came up with his S.P.E.A.R. system with SWAT TV host Rob Pincus. Blauer covers the use of the S.P.E.A.R. technique for moving through a large crowd, and then demonstrates the technique with live fire on a hot range. Later, Host Rob Pincus talks with Travis Haley from MagPul about some of their latest products.

Cheaper Than Dirt! is also sponsoring American Rifleman TV and American Guardian TV. SWAT Magazine TV airs at 7:30PM, 6:30 Central on Wednesday evenings. American Guardian TV is on the Outdoor Channel Wednesdays at 9:30PM, 8:30 Central and American Rifleman airs immediately afterwards on Wednesdays at 10PM, 9 Central. We've got your Wednesday Night TV lineup on the Outdoor Channel covered, so tune in at 7:30 and stay up to date with all the latest from SWAT Magazine, American Guardian, and American Rifleman.

SHOT Show Recap

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Well, I'm back from the 2010 SHOT show. We left after day 3, tired, wet and bedraggled, to head back to headquarters and compile our findings so that we could share them with you.

Overall, there weren't a whole lot of new exciting products unveiled at this year's SHOT show. Sure, Remington and Bushmaster finally had the ACR out on display, and Vltor had a functioning version of their Bren Ten redux. FN even had a civilian legal SCAR on display, but none of these really rose to the level of what I'd consider "revolutionary" or "game changing". That being said, there were some bright spots. One notable theme of the show was the seemingly never ending parade of small .38 and .380 caliber pocket pistols. It was obvious that there is a huge groundswell of demand for small concealable pistols, and the industry has responded in kind with nearly every kind of compact and sub-compact carry pistol you can imagine. From Smith & Wesson's Bodyguard line of handguns, to the new Taurus .380, it seemed that everywhere you turned there was another pocket heater on display.

It was somewhat refreshing to see the enormous amount of AR variants and accessories being showcased by literally hundreds of exhibitors. The NSSF has been heavily promoting AR style rifles as "America's Rifle", emphasizing the important role it plays as a sporting arm. If the number of dealers we saw at the show hawking their newest AR part or accessory was any indication, NSSF's efforts have paid off. Even ESPN wrote a news piece about the enormous popularity of the AR platform at this year's SHOT show, stating:

The growing popularity of these rifles follows a familiar pattern. The military adopts the latest, greatest fighting weapon, whether a Winchester lever-action or a Springfield '03 bolt-action, and soon those firearms enter the civilian market. That's also what happened with black rifles, whose fame began in the Vietnam War era. Vets, and second- and third-generation vets since then, notched out a place in their hearts for such firearms long after their terms of duty ended.

An assault rifle is an assault rifle, as far as the general public and the mainstream media is concerned, and while the AR-15 models being marketed here shoot one bullet for one trigger pull, just as any other rifle does, the AR-16 shadow hangs like a pall over the shooting sports community.

Slowly but inevitably, perhaps modern sporting rifles will win tolerance, if not universal acceptance. They've already won the hearts of shooters, but the public is always a harder sell.

Yeah. I know. They called the M16 an AR-16, an obvious though understandable error. But, they're making an effort and, as we saw at this week's SHOT show, they're right. The AR-15 is gradually becoming accepted by the mainstream media and public as the modern American sporting rifle.

So: what other goodies did we see that might interest you?

A-TACS Camouflage
DCS's revolutionary A-TACS camouflage system was on display at the SHOT show, and Bushmaster even had some ACR and AR-15 rifles wearing the new pattern. A-TACS joined the competition vying for contracts to provide a universal pattern of camouflage that worked effectively in a wide range of environments. The A-TACS design does away with the square pixeled digital patterns currently in use by the United States Armed Forces. DCS felt that the sharp edged pixels did not effectively replicate the shapes and shadows of a natural environment, and that they in fact stuck out when viewed through optics making detection actually easier. DCS argues that the digital patterns currently in use blend together to produce a "blobbing" effect that causes the pattern to appear as a solid color when viewed from long range.

EOTAC President Fernando Coelho commented on the pattern saying:

"I am very happy that we are involved in the A-TACS® project. Of all the camo
patterns I have seen over the years, this is the first one to break from tradition and
actually makes sense."

A number of factors make the A-TACS patterns inherently superior. First, DCS uses far more colors than traditional camouflage. This decreases the definition of shapes and gives a smoother and more natural transition from light patches to darker patches. They also use smaller patterns that are worked together to create larger and more distinct shapes which are brought together to create a distinct asymmetrical design with no clear horizontal or vertical pattern. They use this "pattern within a pattern" principle to break up the outline of the wearer and eliminate the "blobbing" effect caused by having smaller patterns blur together. To create this uniquel organic pattern, DCS uses specially created mathematical algorithms which draw incredibly organic designs and patterns. The result, while obviously digital when viewed up close, is an effective organic camouflage that breaks up the shape of the wearer and allows them to blend in to their surroundings.

Dan Wesson
CZ owned Dan Wesson had a new full size 1911 on display. This latest offering by Dan Wesson is a "back to the basics" 1911. The Valor is available as either a base stainless steel model, or with the new Dan Wesson mate black "Duty" coating. This new coating utilizes a ceramic base that is incredible durable. Other features of the Valor include a forged frame with an undercut trigger guard and slimline VZ grips. The slide comes with fully adjustable night sights.

From Dan Wesson:

We've been listening to our customers again and this gun is the realization of all of their desires in a full sized, defensive style 1911. This gun has everything you need and nothing you don’t.

MSRP for the Dan Wesson Valor is $1913

Burris Eliminator
Burris had an amazing new scope on display that combines their laser range-finder technology with their weapon scope optics to create a unique hybrid that computes bullet drop on the fly and illuminates an aim point on the vertical section of the cross hairs to indicate the corrected point of aim. I've got to say it: this thing is cool and I want one. The scope has an adjustable 4-12 power lens with a 42mm objective.

The Burris Eliminator works by storing the ballistic data of more than 600 different cartridges, from .17 caliber all the way up to .50 BMG. To set it for your rifle, you simply choose one of the preset loads and zero your rifle for either 100 or 200 yards. After that, the Eliminator does all of the work calculating the trajectory of your bullet at nearly any distance. Press the ranging button, and the Eliminator finds the range and then illuminates a small 1/3 MOA aiming dot that indicates exactly where your point of impact will be.

Using a handloaded cartridge, or one that isn't in the Eliminator database? No problem. Zero your rifle at either 100 or 200 yards and then calculate the bullet drop at 500 yards. Input the Drop Number in inches into the Eliminator, and you're all set to go. Knowing just the 100 or 200 yard zero and the amount of drop at 500 yards is all the Eliminator needs to calculate the trajectory of your round. Don't like using yards? The Eliminator is also capable of performing the same calculations in meters. All of your data is stored in the onboard memory of the Eliminator regardless of the status of you battery. The Eliminator will retain your ballistic data even without a battery installed, so you never have to worry about reprogramming it for your favorite rifle and cartridge.

From Burris:

The Burris Eliminator LaserScope is in a league of its own. No other riflescope combines this level of quality, technology, accuracy, simplicity, repeatability and effectiveness. It will greatly increase the distance at which you can be confident in making an ethical shot. You do the hunting and shooting, the Eliminator will do the memorizing and calculating. The Eliminator is affordable and of a size and weight that’s welcome for everyday field use. The revolutionary new Eliminator is a brilliant riflescope innovation that ensures long range hunting success.

ArmaLite
ArmaLite had their SPR (Special Purpose Rifle) Mod 1 at the 2010 SHOT Show. The most striking aspect of the SPR Mod 1 is that it is forged monolithic one-piece upper receiver and rail system. The rails, for their part, use a unique system that allows the side and bottom rails to be removed. This ability to remove the rails makes the ArmaLite SPR Mod 1 stand out from other one-piece systems on the market today.

With the ArmaLite detachable rail system, you can adapt your rifle to whatever role is demanded of you and your primary weapon. The SPR Mod 1 comes with three extra rails. including one with a quick detach sling swivel hole. Inserts allow you adjust the height of the rail, giving you the option of a low profile rail. Changing out the rails is quick and easy.

The one-piece monolithic design of the SPR Mod 1 gives you a long single rail with no breaks along the top of the rifle. this not only gives you more options when mounting your optics, but also provides additional strength and stability to your platform, ensuring that your optics remain solidly zeroed.

All SPR Mod 1 uppers come standard with the extra rails, hard coated finish, as well as a chrome lined barrel with a 1 in 7 twist and a two-stage tactical trigger. MSRP for the SPR Mod 1 is $1,439.

SHOT Show Day 3 Recap

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We're just wrapping up day three of the 2010 SHOT show. This has definitely not been the Vegas weather I'm used to: it's been raining all week! Everywhere I look there are new and exciting products on display, but I also noticed some buckets on the second level of the show catching drips from leaks in the roof. Apparently all this rain is putting the new convention center to the test. Still, inside the new center the weather is fine, and there's excitement in the air after Steve Sanetti's "State of the Industry" speech at the dinner last night.

View of the Sports South Booth on the SHOT show floor.

Vltor
The Bren Ten is back! Vltor had their Fortis (the development name for the new Bren Ten) line of pistols on display at the 2010 SHOT show. These are fully functional versions of the Bren Ten, and they had full size and compact models in both 10mm Auto and .45 ACP. The new Bren Ten will not be compatible with original Bren Ten magazines due to changes in tolerances and overall magazine design. Note the Gunsite logo on the side of the pistol frame.

MSRP is set at $1099 for the Spec Ops .45 ACP and $1299 for the 10mm Vice, and Vltor has stated that they anticipate manufacturing only 700 of the Vice model Bren Ten and 500 of the Spec Ops. Pistols are expected to be available on dealer shelves by May of this year.

VLTOR is also getting into the suppressor business, as they unveiled their new suppressor line, the VS-1 or Volks Suppressor. This new offering will be available in 5.56, 6mm, and .30 caliber. MSRP has not been finalized yet, but we expect these to retail around $300.

Tactical Solutions and Blackdog Glock .22 Conversion. Derek from The Packing Rat has more photos from the Blackdog and Tactical Solutions booth.

Blackdog and Tactical Solutions

Blackdog has teamed up with Tactical Solutions to offer a number of rimfire products. Most notable is their Glock .22LR conversion kit. They expect to have the kits available for purchase in June 2010, and Blackdog owner Kevin Rich indicated that they are working on conversion kits for the Springfield XD as well as the Smith & Wesson M&P. MSRP for these kits is expected to be between $450 and $575.

True to his promises in our earlier interview, Kevin had the new holster designed for the Ruger Mark series of .22 pistols. The new holster is ambidextrous, and fits all models of the Ruger Mark line, including pistols with accessories such as silencers, bull barrels, and even optics. MSRP for the new holster is $38.00, and at that price I can see many rimfire shooters being very happy with a safe method to carry their target pistols.

Of course, as we mentioned earlier, the Blackdog 10/22 50 round drum magazine continues to get a lot of attention. This natural continuation from their AR drum is supremely reliable due to a unique custom follower. Loading the drum is made easy with ergonomic inset grips on the back.

The New Kel-Tec PMR-30, Photo Courtesy Oleg Volk.

Kel-Tec
Kel-Tec had their PMR-30 out for SHOT show attendees to handle at their booth. We've been keeping you up to date with Kel-Tec's latest offerings, but it was nice to finally be able to handle this sweet little pistol in the flesh. The PMR-30 is extremely lightweight, and the grip is very slim. Despite the length of the grip due to the .22 WMR round it contains, this little trail gun fit easily in my hand. I'm not a huge fan of the heel-style magazine release, but Kel-Tec says that it helps with magazine retention, and I can see that. All of the other controls on the pistol are easily manipulated one-handed. Kel-Tec will also be offering a kit for mounting red dot sights or other optics.

Smith & Wesson 351 C

Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson has apparently jumped on the .22 Magnum bandwagon with their new 351 C revolver. The 351 C is essentially a 43 C with a longer cylinder to accommodate the longer magnum round. Both handguns are new and feature lightweight aluminum alloy frames. They come from the factory with XS Sight Systems and have 1 7/8" barrels.

Česká Zbrojovka
Stopping by the CZ booth, I noticed that they had their new P-07 Duty pistol on display. The P-07 is a CZ 75 derivative with some new modern features. It has a MIL-STD-1913 rail for mounting a laser or tactical light, but the biggest change to the new CZ 75 is the newly redesigned trigger. The new Omega trigger has fewer parts resulting in an extended service life over the old design. It also improves the trigger pull giving it a crisper break and better travel. But the most unique aspect of the Omega trigger is the ability to quickly and easily swap out the decocking lever for a manual safety, or vice versa. The P-07 is available with your choice of a decocker, manual safety, or both.

The P-07 also boasts enhanced ergonomics. The trigger guard has been enlarged to better accommodate gloved hands, and the backstrap has a redesigned beaver tail for a more positive grip. This, combined with the already low barrel axis allows for very fast follow-up shots. The P-07 comes standard with an extremely durable nitride finish.

Rossi
Rossi, owned by Taurus, is following their lead with the Judge and had their new turret gun, the Circuit Judge, on display at SHOT. The Circuit Judge is a rifle version of the Judge revolver. Like the Judge, the Circuit Judge is capable of firing either .410 bore 2 3/4" or 3" magnum shot shells, along with .45 Long Colt cartridges. The action is DA/SA, allowing the user to manually cock the hammer for a clean crisp single action trigger break. It has fiber optic front and rear sights, allowing for fast target acquisition. If open sights aren't your style, the Circuit Judge also comes with a scope mount base.

Trijicon
Trijicon has been all over the news with the controversy concerning the bible verses printed on their optics. But the biggest news for us is their release of the new RX34 Reflex sight. Like the RX30, the RX34 has a large 42mm objective to allow in a maximum amount of light. Unlike the RX30, the new RX34 has a smaller 4.5 MOA dot for better precision. The tritium lamp Trijicon uses in their Reflex optics gives the user a bright reticle at night while their traditional fiber optic illuminator provides a bright aim point in daylight.

If the RX30 is any indication, the RX34 will also be available with a quick detach ARMS mount. The model we handled was wearing an incredibly durable military-grade housing cast from aircraft aluminum with a hard-anodized finish.

ArmorWorks
ArmorWorks had Steven Seagal at their booth promoting his new line of armor and tactical equipment.
From NSSF:

Asked what he thought of the show, Seagal said, “My impression of the SHOT Show is it’s amazing. It’s probably the greatest gathering of special technology for police and military I’ve ever seen in one place. It’s extremely impressive.” Seagal was helping to promote a new line of “Seagal Tactical Gear” as well as a series of new rifles and other military and police products.

NSSF also had this video of Seagal:


This is our last full day at the 2010 SHOT show; weather permitting we'll be flying back tomorrow. The rain has been so intense there's been some localized street flooding. We may need a canoe to get back to our hotel! Keep an eye on this blog for more photos and news from the show, as we've got a lot more photos and information to upload, including some news on ammunition availability and changes to our ammunition offerings here at Cheaper Than Dirt.

SHOT Show Day 2 Recap

Click here to read more.

It's almost the end of day 2 of SHOT, and I'm already exhausted. But it's been a very productive and exciting event!

View of the SHOT show floor looking towards Arsenal's booth #13721

This was easily one of the biggest and most attended shows we've been to. Despite NSSF cutting back on who was allowed in, there appeared to be more attendees than in previous years. There was no shortage of gun industry celebrities at this years show either. Ted Nugent, Jerry Miculek, R Lee Ermey, Brock Lesnar, Massad Ayoob, Todd Jarret and a number of others were in attendance. Long lines and crowds naturally followed the celebrities around, but we dutifully stuck to our plan and continued hitting booths, finding all the cool new products we hope to show to you here.

Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson has two new pistols called the "Bodyguard" in .380 and 38 spl. Both handguns have integral lasers. It's become highly evident that this is the year of the pocket pistol.

The Bodyguard 38 is a light-weight revolver with an integral laser system, but the really big attraction was their little .380 autoloader. Smith & Wesson's new Bodyguard .380 attracted large numbers to their booth. With a 6+1, it's slightly bigger than the Ruger LCP, and still heavier than Kel-Tec's little P3AT, but it's still a fine little heater. The new pocket pistol features a double-action trigger with the ability to fire the striker again in the case of a misfire or light strike. Despite being double-action, the Bodyguard has a very smooth trigger with a consistent pull.

Smith & Wesson teamed up with Insight Technology when designing their new Bodyguard pistols, and incorporated the Insight designed touch-activated laser directly into the frame of both pistols. The integral laser makes the pistols less bulky, easier to conceal, and less likely to snag when being drawn from a pocket, bag, or purse.

Sig Sauer
Sig Sauer unveiled their new P229 E2. The new E2 (pronounced "E Squared") guns are modifications to the existing P226 and P229 pistols that include a smaller snap-on grip that doesn't require grip screws. But my favorite change is the new Sig SRT or Short Reset Trigger. Sigs have always had a long trigger reset that bothered me. You have to back off the triger quite a bit to reset the sear, and this occasionally resulted in a "click" instead of "bang" during rapid fire for me. The SRT replaces the sear and lever with a shorter version that gives you much less let-off before the sear resets. Other changes include the use of the X-5 style slide release lever which helps ensure proper slide-lock when using a thumbs-forward grip.

Sig also announced their new additions to the line of P238 pistols, including the P238 Equinox, the P238 Heavy Duty, and a P238 model with an integral laser system.


Browning
Browning showed off their 75th anniversary Hi Power alongside their 75th anniversary Mark III pistol. The Hi Power Standard comes with a highly polished blued finish and checkered grips fashioned from select walnut, while the Mark III has black composite grips and a black epoxy finish.

Both models have a 4 5/8" barrel and low profile fixed sights. The Hi Power Standard is also available with an adjustable rear sight and ramped front sight. The actions are a locked breech design with a single-action trigger. Ambidextrous thumb safeties are standard on both the Standard and the Mark III. Grips on the Standard are made from select walnut with cut checkering while the Mark III has black composite grips. Both pistols come with two magazines.

USFA
The Colt Woodsman Match Pistol is back! Not by Colt this time, but by USFA. We found the Woodsman on display at the 2010 SHOT show at the Davidson's booth. USFA released their newest project, the reinvention of the classic Woodsman Match Target .22 Type pistol, at this years SHOT show and announced that it would be distributed by Davidson's. The Colt Woodsman, as it was originally manufactured, was a highly sought after backpacking and trail pistol back in the 1930s. Many readers likely grew up learning to shoot with their dad's old Woodsman. Original Woodsman pistols still around today are highly sought after and can command high prices when they are in good condition.

USFAs reincarnation of the Woodsman is a handcrafted pistol with walnut grips and a highly polished blued finish. It is offered with either a 4 1/2" or 6" barrel, and both lengths include slab sided barrel weights. Other options such as a suppressor, engraving, nickel plating, or custom grips are also available for an addition charge.

Photos
I know, I promised photos from the show, and I'm making good on it. Most of the Cheaper Than Dirt! team at SHOT is busy seeking out the best deals on new products that we can bring to you, but we also managed to find some time to get some pics of all the goodies.

You can't really tell from these photos, but the SHOT show floor was packed. This shot is generally facing the Hogue booth (check out their nifty blimp on the right).


Bushmaster ACR Photos
Photo evidence: The Remington / Bushmaster ACR is no longer just a myth.



Also available in the new A-TAC camouflage pattern. More on A-TAC tomorrow.



Close up of the Basic ACR stock and adjustable cheek piece



HK had a number of new rifles out on display



HK is now manufacturing their own .22 LR rimfire MP5.



That about wraps it up for today. I'll have more news and information tomorrow, so keep an eye on the blog and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest direct from SHOT 2010.