Day one of the 2014 Shot Show
By James Nicholas

Here is a snapshot of the Media Range Day, which is the start of the Shot Show for the firearms media. All the different firearms/ammo manufactures set up tents at the Boulder City Range and introduce the media to all of the new products. Writers and photographers are allowed hands on experience with with the products and time with the companies that make the stuff.

This new company Advanced Ballistic Concepts developed a multiple impact bullet. These MIB's are available as shot gun or pistol ammunition. When you shoot them after bullet leaves the barrel they will break up into three pieces that are then tethered together and will spread out. In the 12 gauge version there is also a center sabot that acts normally. What this does is make for a larger impact area increasing your chances that you will hit your target.

Zombie Industires the folks who make the zombie targets that bleed when shot are expanding their line up. They kept getting requests for reactive target but not a zombie. So in the last couple of years they added more humanoid target torsos as well as full body versions at the request of the military and police. To reach out to the family market they have also released in cooperation with Crossman Air guns reactive soda can and watermelon targets that ooze brightly colored goo when shot. As well as some small game targets like squirrels and prairie dogs that should be great hit for varmint and aspiring hunters.

Tac Con sent several press releases a couple of weeks ago and this was one of my most anticipated items I wanted to check out this year. The concept is a third position that would allow you to shoot simulated full auto. The trigger kit and safety would allow you to keep your rifle outward appearance the same with out having to use specific furniture. The trigger would also allow you to flip the safety for a single shot only option giving you essentially three modes on the selector switch/safety. Well in reality after using this trigger and getting actual hands on time with the rifle I cold not get it to work, even with the experienced reps there to show me proper technique. How the trigger works is that it is just a super short reset and trigger pull. When the bolt reciprocates it bumps the trigger reseting it, so as soon and you pull the trigger it is already reset by the time you even think about pulling the trigger again. You are shooting one time for every pull of the trigger. In reality I was able to get some great double taps. But it was hard to "flutter" my trigger finger enough for longer strings of firing except one or two quick rounds. You have to learn the technique of just taping the trigger just enough to release the hammer and then tap it lightly again and again to quickly shoot. For single shots I will tell you that this is a great trigger for an AR, short light and super sweet. For simulated full auto, maybe after practice, as their promo videos showed. Where I could see this excelling is in the competition market for those three gun matches. This is great for double taps for sure.

For simulated full auto fun, you know what did work? The Slide Fire Stocks. I personally own one of the 1st generation Slide Fire stocks for the AR-15 platform so I already knew they worked as advertised with a short learning curve. But I was able to try some of their other offerings including the AK-47 and Saiga versions. Having shot class 3 AR's many times, yes the Slide Fire can satisfy your need to dump lots of money on ammo quickly and simulates it realistically. But having never shot a class 3 AK-47 I find it very hard to imaging that it could be any more fun than an AK with the Slide Fire attached. It left me with such a smile that I got greedy and asked for a couple more mags and enjoyed every second. The recoil impulse is just different and just slightly slower in cyclic rate than the AR making it more enjoyable. Damn more money I am going to have to spend this year. I liked the saga version better only in the fact that the sorting Saigas are usually cheaper than a "traditional" AK-47. But that if you had a Saiga and wanted to add a pistol grip and make it more traditional style this is such an easy way to to so. Remember that you can use a slide fire in the bump fire mode or single action so this is perfect.

Member of the firearms press experiencing the AK-47 and Slide Fire stock. There is also a slide fire stock available for a sorting version of the Saiga.

Slide Fire had a cradle on a tripod that allowed the mount to do all of the bump firing. All the user had to do is pull the paddle trigger.

Walther had their PPQ available to use. This long slide 9mm was a blast to shoot and if you have never tried the trigger on one you owe it to your self to try one out. It had a great trigger and fast reset and comes that way from the factory. I was also able to shoot Walther's new 22LR PPQ, and that was also a blast to shoot. If your looking for a great plinker with a good trigger this one should be on your short List.

I did not get the model, but this is an Armalite rifle in 300win mag suppressed and toped off with a Night Force scope.

I am disappointed yet again by Smith & Wesson......still no 45acp Shield. But they did have a new M&P pistol. This new pistol is a reworked Bodyguard. Now first let me say that the Bodyguard will still be the bodyguard and will not have any changes done to it. This new M&P 380 based off the Bodyguard with the laser removed, a better trigger, M&P markings and scalloped cocking serration's like the rest of the M&P line. I will be up front and say I have never liked the Bodyguard at all. The triggers are so horrible on them that that one thing negated the size and weight advantage for me. This M&P on the other hand, had a very acceptable trigger and I was able to instantly be more accurate with it that I ever have been with the laser advantage of a Bodyguard. The size, weight and cheaper price point......this is the 380 Glock should have made.

Just look how small it is on top of my XDS, I personally think this is a winner and what Smith & Wesson should have offered as an option in the first place. Some of the other cool new revolvers Smith has introduced include a 7 round 9mm revolver in their pro series. A new custom shop 460 beast revolver as evident by the recoil pictured. And some new AR22LR camo rifles.