shooting industry may 2010
TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 2005
TARGET SHOOTING UP, SELF-DEFENSE DRIVES GUN BUYS
MAY 2010
TARGET SHOOTING UP, SELF-DEFENSE DRIVES GUN BUYSTARGET SHOOTING UP, SELF-DEFENSE DRIVES GUN BUYS
2010
NEW PRODUCTSLaw Enforcement
2010
NEW PRODUCTSLaw Enforcement
• Industry Rolls Out Finest!• In-Depth Report On Show!• 50-Plus New Products!• Show Offs Honored!
• Critical Presence• Equipment Focus• Research Center
2010
2010
www.shootingindustry.com
Sparking Sales With Promotions
(Overline) (I’ll have this to you later this week)
SHOT Show
Law Enforcement (or L.E.) New Products
Sparking Sales With Promotions
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4 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
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MAY 2010 • VOLUME 55 • NUMBER 05
Page 26
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26 SHOT Show — L.E. & Tactical Suzi Huntington
Dealers Attending Mega Show Benefit In Education, Sales.
30 2010 L.E./Tactical New Products Roxanne Smith
The Latest In Firearms And Gear.
40 Sparking Sales With Promotions J.K. Autry
Manufacturers Roll Out Deals To Attract Consumers.
42 Full-Capacity Handgun Sales John Morrison
They’re Not “Niche Guns” Anymore!
8 Target Shooting Up, Self-Defense Drives Gun Buys
10 Sports South Challenges Industry To Support DU
15 Newsmakers
18 Lethal Force Massad Ayoob Defensive Long Guns: The 2010 Class.
20 Outdoor Marketplace J.K. Autry
Dealers Honored For Sales, Promotions, Customer Service.
22 Arms And The Woman Lisa Parsons-Wraith New Tactical Guns Are Great Self-Defense Options.
24 Back Blast & Other Hot Gases Commander Gilmore
Demand Registration Of Assault Trouser-Ferrets!
46 Industry Watch Russ Thurman
Industry Eyes Questionable Economy.
6 Letters 45 Classifieds
45 Reader Service
SHOOTING INDUSTRY® (ISSN 0037-4148) is published monthly by Publishers’ Development Corporation at 12345 World Trade Dr, San Diego, CA 92128. Periodical Class Postage paid at San Diego, CA 92128, and at additional mailing offices. Subscription $25 yearly in U.S.A. Single copies $3 (except for the December SHOT SHOW issue, $25). Change of address: Four weeks notice required on all changes. Send old address as well as new. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: SHOOTING INDUSTRY® 12345 World Trade Dr, San Diego, CA 92128. PRINTING SERVICES/PREPRESS: Democrat Printing Company. CONTRIBUTORS submitting manuscripts, photographs or drawings, do so at their own risk. Material cannot be returned unless accom-panied by sufficient postage. PAYMENT will be made at rates current at time of publication and will cover reproduction in any or all of the editions of SHOOTING INDUSTRY®. OPINIONS expressed in bylined articles or columns are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or its staff. Copyright© 2010 by Publishers' Development Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any portion of this magazine without written permission is prohibited.
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NEWPRODUCTSNEWPRODUCTS20
1020
10
Law Enforcement/Tactical GalleryLaw Enforcement/Tactical Gallery
Page 42
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www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 5
FMG PUBLICATIONSshootingindustry.com
Publisher & Editor: Russ Thurman Advertising: Delano Amaguin, 888.732.6461 email: [email protected]
americancopmagazine.com Editor: Suzi Huntington Advertising: Denny Fallon, 800.426.4470 email: [email protected]
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gunsmagazine.com Editor: Jeff John Advertising: Andrew Oram, 866.903.1199 email: [email protected]
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thomas von Rosen, CEO;Thomas Hollander, Randy Moldé, Marjorie Young
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SPECIALEDITION
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6 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
LettersThanks, Ruger
As easy as it is to bemoan all that is wrong with our industry, there are also some really bright spots. One such ray of sunshine was a recent service rendered to my store by Ruger. If every company treated customers as well as Ruger does, this world would be a much more pleasant place indeed.
We should remember to pat the back that does not turn away from us in times of need, especially when we see so many who seem to take the embattled storefront retailer too much for granted.
Thanks again, Sturm Ruger.Jack C. Little, OwnerWhetstone SurplusHigh Point, N.C.
American StoryMany thanks for your coverage of Colt
(“Doing Business, Making Sales,” Febru-ary 2010). The Colt folks are terrific. They have a fabulous, deep-to-the-roots Ameri-can story, and one the industry can really
learn from. Plus, they make a great gun. LtGen. (William) Keys has done a marvel-ous job with the company.
Thanks so much for showing a photo of Joyce (Rubino, Colt VP and COO), and featuring her in your article on the NAS-GW. We are so happy to have them back.
Susan Houde-Walter, CEOLaserMaxRochester, N.Y.
Quick Service From Charter Arms Earlier this summer, I was cleaning my
Charter Arms .38 Special — a 30-year-old, 2" stainless steel snubbie that has gone many a mile in my ankle holster. Carelessly, I let the mainspring seat go fly-ing during a cleaning session. Of course, it was nowhere to be found.
I called two big-time providers of gun parts with no luck.
Perplexed and disgruntled, I called Charter Arms directly and spoke with a man who listened to my dilemma. He, of course, told me to be careful of how I dis-mantled the mainspring in the future, but then told me he was going to mail me a mainspring seat at no cost.
I received it three days after our con-versation, and my Charter Arms snubbie is now fully functional again.
The folks at Charter Arms deserve a pat on the back for their quick service, and for taking my word of what went wrong, with no questions asked.
Mick SlaterElkhart, Ind.Via: GUNS Magazine 9
Letters to the editorE-mail the Editor
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 7
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8 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
IndustryIndustrynews 2010 Long Guns — pg. 18
By Bill Brassard
A new NSSF poll conducted by Har-ris Interactive found more Ameri-cans are target shooting now than
six months ago, and “home and personal defense” were the main reasons Americans recently purchased firearms.
The poll also showed 43 percent of re-spondents, which equates to nearly 98 million peo-ple, expressed some level of interest in participat-ing in the shooting sports or hunting.
“Last year was a ban-ner year for lawful fire-arm sales, and the results of this poll suggest the desires for personal se-curity and recreation were drivers of most of those purchases,” said Steve Sanetti, NSSF president. “The poll also reaffirms something we’ve known for a long time — that many millions of Americans want to try target shooting or hunting and are just waiting for an invitation from an experienced shooter to go to the range or afield.”
The next move, Sanetti said, is up to those who already own guns and hunt.
“So, firearms owners, what are you wait-
ing for? Make that invitation and share the enjoyment of recreational shooting or hunt-ing with someone eager to go,” Sanetti said.
Harris Interactive conducted the online survey March 16-18. The questions were asked of general population adults age 18 and over. Findings from the NSSF/Harris poll include:
• Some 18.4 million Americans “cur-rently participate” in handgun target shooting and 14.8 million participate in rifle target shooting, an increase from the 16.8 million and 13.9 million, respective-ly, from an NSSF poll conducted by Harris Interactive last September.
• Participation in the shotgun sports of “skeet/trap” and “sporting clays” was 4.2 million in each of those categories.
• In response to a question about why Americans made their most recent firearm
purchase, 40 percent of respondents said “home protection,” followed by 36 percent citing “personal protection.” Target shooting (30%) and hunting (28%) came next.
• The main barrier to people going target shooting more often? “Cost of ammunition” was cited by 50 percent of the respondents, followed by “not enough free time” (43%).
According to NSSF, the survey highlighted the power of a personal invitation to motivate an individual to go tar-get shooting or hunting. Some 45 percent of re-spondents said an “in-vitation from friend or family” would most en-courage them to partici-
pate, ranking this personal interaction far ahead of all forms of advertising.
Once invited by a friend or fam-ily member, respondents said they would want to:
• Shoot a handgun at the range (77%)• Shoot a rifle at the range (69%)• Go plinking (55%)• Fire shotguns at clay targets (54%)• Take a self-protection class (54%) • Go hunting for various game (25%).For more information, visit www.nssf.org.
Target Shooting Up, Self-Defense Drives Gun Buys
Freedom Group To Relocate Marlin FirearmsThe Freedom Group announces it is closing its Marlin facil-
ity in North Haven, Conn., and relocating the manufacturing operations. At press time, Freedom Group officials say they are still evaluating several relocation options.
The official announcement also indicated the transition of Marlin firearm production to a future location will not affect cus-tomers’ shipments or the range of Marlin product offerings.
“As competition in today’s global marketplace remains in-tense, consolidation of our manufacturing processes and operat-
ing systems allows us to provide Mar-lin customers with the highest quality products at com-petitive prices,” said Ted Torbeck, Freedom Group’s CEO. “We are committed to the Marlin brand, its core product offerings and bringing innova-tive new Marlin firearms to our customers.”
$25,000“3-Gun Nation” Grand Prize
See page 14
$500,000Sports South To Match DU Donations
See page 10
-3.35%Drop In Background Checks
See page 46
Join Us On The Firing Line For The SHOOTING INDUSTRY MASTERS! Page 39
“”
This poll suggests the desires for personal security and recreation
were drivers of most of those purchases.
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 9
Rock river Arms / Entry tactical6-position tactical stock / tactical carry handle /16" chrome moly r-4 barrel, 1:9 twist / two stage trigger / hogue rubber grip
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reflect who you are at www.rockriverarms.com
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newsIndustry
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Sports South Challenges Industry To Support Ducks Unlimited
Skipper Dickson, owner of Sports South LLC, challenged the industry
at SHOT Show 2010 to support Ducks Unlimited’s Rescue the Duck Fac-tory campaign. Dickson said he would match donations — up to $500,000 — to the campaign.
“I have never seen a more pressing time or a more direct solution than Ducks Unlimited’s Rescue the Duck Factory campaign. We are encouraging others to donate, and we plan on matching up to $500,000 to keep the ducks coming,” Dickson said.
The Rescue the Duck Factory campaign began a year ago in an effort to conserve more than 300,000 acres in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region. More than 600 landowners lined up to put native grasslands under per-petual easements, forever conserving the crucial breeding habitat of North America’s waterfowl. As of today, Ducks Unlimited has conserved nearly 70,000 acres.
“It’s excellent to see the com-
mitment from Sports South and the Dicksons regarding their challenge to other companies to support Ducks Un-limited’s RDF campaign and wetland conservation,” said Jean Hulbert, DU
flyway senior vice president.For more information about the
campaign, and to make a donation, visit the Sports South Web site: www.internetguncatalog.com/duckfactory.
Skipper Dickson issues his $500,000 challenge at SHOT Show. Joining him are (from left) Jean Hulbert, DU flyway senior vice president, and Philip Milburn, DU director of marketing.
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 11
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12 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
newsIndustry
SABRE Partners With NRA, Supports Cancer Research
Security Equipment Corporation (SEC), makers of the SABRE line of products, has announced a program to support the NRA
and its continued commitment to training, education and marks-manship. SEC will donate a portion of the sale of SABRE NRA pepper sprays to the National Rifle Association.
SEC’s SABRE products are used by military, enforcement agencies and civilians worldwide.
Last year, SEC introduced a line of SABRE RED Pink Pepper spray to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).
“We are very happy and proud to support the NBCF and its fight against breast cancer. Fortunately, the NBCF chose our most prac-tical and popular SABRE product, which maximizes SEC’s ability to support this excellent charity and cause,” said David Nance, SEC vice president.
A portion of the sale of the Pink Pepper spray is being donated to the foundation.“The NBCF reports that we have reached their Gold Level Sponsorship level and are
one of their top 50 sponsors,” Nance said.For more information about SEC, visit www.sabrered.com.
U.S. Army Approves G96 Gun Oil
The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command has approved G96 Synthetic Gun Oil for use in Army weapons.
The synthetic lubricant, which is 85-percent biodegradable and con-tains no VOCs (volatile organic compounds), passed Military Specifica-tion (Mil Spec) PRF-63460E, one of just three products to pass the rigid re-quirements through laboratory as well as live-firing tests.
“This is the culmination of a long, three-year review process. While we’re obviously thrilled to meet this Mil Spec, it only highlights our commitment to providing gun owners with the very best lubricants and cleaning supplies avail-able today. It’s especially satisfying that we are helping to support our dedi-cated soldiers in a small way,” said Alan Goldman, G96 president and CEO.
For more information, visit www.g96.com.
Winchester Ammunition Receives Honors
Big Rock Sports has honored Winchester Ammunition with its 2009 Hunting/
Shooting Vendor of the Year Award. The award was presented at the first Big Rock East distributor show in January.
“At Big Rock Sports, we value our part-nerships with companies like Winchester Ammunition. They earned the Hunting/Shooting Vendor of the Year Award with excellent service and support for our orga-nization,” said Ed Small, Big Rock Sports’ president and CEO.
“The relationship Winchester has with Big Rock Sports is essential to our suc-cess; they bring tremendous value and ser-vice to the independent dealer base along with unique marketing concepts,” said Brett Flaugher, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition.
Additionally, Winchester Ammunition has received the 2010 Cabela’s Lifetime Business Achievement Award. The presentation was made in January during the SHOT Show.
Dick Hammett, president of Win-chester Ammunition, accepted the award
from Big Rock’s Ed Small, Randy Moeller of Cabela’s Inc., and Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) president.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized for our efforts and support of wildlife conservation,” Hammett said. “It’s impor-tant that Winchester and other companies within our industry support conservation and other groups at the grassroots level that are working to improve habitat, and to protect our rights as hunters and anglers and our hunting heritage.”
The USSA and its Outdoor Business Council created the award in 2006 to hon-or the Cabela family’s dedication to pro-tecting outdoor sports, including hunting, fishing and trapping.
“This is our way of honoring the Cabela family and other leaders in the outdoor busi-ness community, like Winchester, for their efforts to defend our rights,” Pid-geon said.
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 13
©2010 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
A L A B A M ABangers L.P.(Birmingham), 800-226-4377
A L A S K AV.F. Grace, Inc.(Anchorage),907-272-6431
A R I Z O N ADavidson’s(Prescott), 800-367-4867
C A L I F O R N I AAcuSport Corporation(Roseville),800-543-3150
C O N N E C T I C U TJerry’s Sport Center, NE(Newington),800-456-5595
G E O R G I AAcuSport Corporation(Duluth), 800-543-3150
I L L I N O I SWilliams Shooters Supply, Inc.(Quincy), 217-222-4195
Zanders Sporting Goods(Baldwin), 800-851-4373
K A N S A SSimmons Gun Specialties, Inc.(Spring Hill), 800-444-0220
L O U I S I A N ALipsey’s LLC(Baton Rouge),800-666-1333
Sports South, Inc.(Shreveport),800-388-3845
M A S S A C H U S E T T SCamfour, Inc. (Westfield),800-347-3276
M I N N E S O TACSI Sports LLC(Sauk Rapids), 800-328-7087
AcuSport Corporation(Waite Park), 800-543-3150
Bill Hick’s & Co., Ltd.(Plymouth), 800-223-0702
M O N TA N AAcuSport Corporation(Billings), 800-543-3150
MT Sports LLC (Billings),800-243-1610
N O R T H C A R O L I N AHenry’s Tackle LLC(Morehead City),800-545-5654
O H I OAcuSport Corporation(Bellefontaine),800-543-3150
Ellett Brothers LLC(Lakeview), 800-845-3711
Outdoor Sports Hdqtrs., Inc.(Dayton), 800-444-6744
W. L. Baumler(Lorain), 800-321-2501
P E N N S Y LVA N I AAcuSport Corporation(Morgantown),800-543-3150
Bonitz Brothers, Inc.(Harrisburg), 800-825-7060
Ellett Brothers LLC(Downingtown),800-845-3711
Jerry’s Sport Center(Forest City),800-234-2612
S O U T H C A R O L I N AEllett Brothers LLC(Chapin), 800-845-3711
T E X A SL.M. Burney Distributors LLC(Waco), 800-737-3006
Hill Country Wholesale, Inc(Pflugerville), 800-777-2666
AcuSport Corporation(Arlington), 800-543-3150
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL YOUR RUGER DISTRIBUTOR TODAY.
040210
14 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
Buck Knives Honors Top Sales RepsBuck Knives honored top performanc-
es by their sales reps during a recep-tion at the 2010 SHOT Show.
Named Buck Sales Representative Agency of the Year was the Gadbois Agency, headed by Pierre Gadbois. The
agency, headquartered in Laval, Quebec, serves Buck dealers in Eastern Canadian provinces. Serving the smallest of Buck’s sales territories, the Gadbois sales team grew more than 300 percent in 2009.
“This dramatic increase was based on
their energized focus on programming and face-to-face meetings with all levels of cus-tomers in their territory,” said John Weaver, Buck’s director of sales and marketing.
The individual Sales Representative of the Year Award went to Deb Garvick of Richardson, Texas-based Tackett Brothers Agency, which covers 11 states. Garvick was cited by Weaver for “her efforts, at-titude and willingness to ‘get it done,’ and for territory growth at every distribution channel in a difficult retail environment.”
Buck Knives chairman Chuck Buck presents the Agency of the Year Award (left) to Pierre Gadbois, Gadbois Agency, and the Sales Representative of the Year Award to Deb Garvick, of Tackett Brothers Agency.
FNH USA Sponsors “3-Gun Nation”FNH USA is the title sponsor of “3-
Gun Nation,” a series of three-gun shooting events set for broadcast on Ver-sus. Beginning in July, the show will air Mondays at 7:30 a.m. (EST) and Thurs-days at 3 p.m. (EST).
“The ‘3-Gun Nation’ series will bring
the excitement and drama each amateur and professional shooter experiences, as well as show off the coolest guns, gear and lifestyle that defines the sport,” said Ken Pfau, FNH USA vice president of law enforcement and commercial sales.
The matches, run by the National
3-Gun Association, cul-minate in a champion-ship, with one winner receiving a $25,000 cash grand prize.
Visit www.fnhusa.com for more information.
newsIndustry
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 15
Davidson’s Announces Retirement, New Manager
Senior account executive Phil Hoffman has retired from Davidson’s Inc. Hoffman served on the Davidson’s team for 19 years, with nearly all of them as one of its top salesmen.
Hoffman, a Notre Dame University graduate, is considered a “walking ency-clopedia of classic rifles and shotguns,” according to a company statement. He was known even to quote serial number ranges on some historical rifles. He will retire in Prescott, Ariz.
Davidson’s has hired Matt Nicholson as sales manager. His duties will include updating and revitalizing sales training programs and providing coaching, educa-tion and support to account executives.
Prior to joining Davidson’s, Nicholson worked in reservation sales with North-west Airlines. He previously served as sales manager with both FireTap Com-munications and Di-rect Alliance Corp., and was partner sales manager with iLinc Communications.
Lipsey’s LLCAnnounces CEO
Lipsey’s LLC has named Laurie Lipsey Aronson as its CEO, in addition to her cur-rent position as president. Aronson began her career with Lipsey’s in 1993 as credit manager, becoming COO in 2000 and president in 2002.
Aronson is very active in local civic and charitable organizations, as well as be-ing a board member of the Congressional Sportsman’s Foun-dation. In addition to her leadership role at Lipsey’s, Aronson is president/CEO of Haspel LLC and Lipsey’s Distribution LLC. She is married to Mark Aronson and they have two daughters.
Bushnell Outdoor ProductsSelects Military Sales Manager
Tom Fuller is the new national sales manager for Bushnell’s military division.
A retired U.S. Army sergeant major
NewsmakersIndustry newsmakers
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Continued on page 16
M. Nicholson
L. Aronson
16 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Fuller also was a member of the Army’s marks-manship unit. Under his leadership, the unit won two Olympic gold medals, cap-tured world and national handgun cham-pionships, and set numerous national and world records.
“Bushnell has identified the military as a key growth area for us over the next few years,” said Mark Welch, executive vice president of sales. “Tom will be respon-sible for establishing our sales strategies and key initiatives that will develop and ensure our long-term success in this area.”
Ellett Brothers Appoints Merchandising Director
Ellett Brothers has named Dick Rosen-lieb as director of merchandising for the Shooting Division.
Rosenlieb joins Ellett Brothers af-
ter 20 years of service with the National Wild Turkey Federation as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Over the past two years, he has been involved with hunter advocacy and wildlife conservation through Safari Club International.
“Dick’s experi-ence and vast knowl-edge of the shooting and hunting sports, along with his lead-ership abilities, will make a great contri-bution to our com-pany,” said Hewitt Grant, Ellett Brothers president and CEO.
Smith & Wesson Names USR COO
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. has named Barry Willingham to the newly created post of chief operating officer for Universal Safety Response (USR), the company’s facility perimeter secu-rity subsidiary.
Willingham is tasked with driving op-erational excellence objectives across the organization, and will be closely involved in developing and executing USR’s stra-tegic plans in both the domestic and the emerging international markets.
Willingham joins USR with over 18 years of management experience in phys-ical security, safety and construction. His most recent position was vice president of security and specified products at Ameristar Fence Products. He previously held a number of positions in product development, sales and marketing with Hilti Corp.
“We are excited about Barry’s ad-dition to the team. His capabilities in-clude operations management and other key areas that are critical to our future growth, including product development, marketing, strategic planning and cus-tomer development,” said Matthew Gel-fand, USR president.
Willingham earned his bachelor’s de-gree in business administration from the University of Memphis. 9
newsmakersIndustry Continued from page 15
T. Fuller
D. Rosenlieb
18 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
LethalMore than ever, we’re seeing
concerned Americans arm their homes with shotguns
and carbines designed expressly for personal defense. You’ve seen it in your shop, and the industry has seen that same message in record sales. There was no shortage of new entries in the defensive long-gun market at the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
Rifles & CarbinesARs are flowing into inventory again
from their many makers, including more piston guns than ever. The AR-15 is so popular that even HK and SIG, famous for their own classic military auto rifle designs, have introduced AR clones.
Do you ever notice when you’re showing a first-time AR-15 buyer how to operate the gun, they often find the T-handle charger in the back to be awk-ward? American Spirit Arms’ American Spirit is an AR-15 with a conventional charging handle that protrudes from the left side of the receiver just above the
magazine. It has the same superior er-gonomics as an FN FAL. Also consider the Del-Ton, a quality AR-15 with a re-markably low entry-level price-point.
Don’t neglect Remington’s R-15. This is a “bridge” product between fans of modern military rifle design and the traditionalists. Remington is a maker the latter trust, and the guns are built by Bushmaster and DPMS, both sister companies with Remington in the Free-dom Group. The general perception is that the R-15 Remington, heavily ad-vertised as a hunting/sporting arm, has done much to “legitimize” the AR-15 in certain quarters of the firearms world.
Speaking of the Remington ARs, the .30 Remington round they an-nounced at last year’s SHOT Show in Orlando — built around the AR plat-form, geared to duplicate .300 Savage ballistics — is getting off to a slow start because of the extraordinary de-mands on ammo production facilities for more established calibers, accord-ing to a Remington spokesman.
Defensive Long Guns: The 2010 Class
Shotguns — Reintroductions And New Models
Beretta introduces a semiautomatic shotgun for home de-fense, the Tx4 Storm, which holds five 12-gauge shells in
its tubular magazine and a sixth in the firing chamber. It comes with Picatinny rails for accessories, and emerges from the box mounting a ghost ring rear sight and high-visibility front sight. The stock, of course, is tactical in style. Quality is high, as is price-point, but if your customers drool over it the way the deal-ers did in Vegas, it’ll sell.
Mossberg isn’t letting go of its substantial corner of this market. The Model 510 Mini-Bantam, one revolutionary new entry, features an all-new action scaled down for the smaller shooter, weighs barely 5 lbs. and is available in 20-gauge and .410. At SHOT, I asked a 5-foot-tall woman to handle the shot-gun — and it was love at first touch. She decided to order one on the spot.
Twenty-gauge ammo might get a little snappy on recoil in a gun this light. In .410, it should be a pussycat. The slide action on the prototype on display was rougher than on a Mossberg 500 or 590, but a spokesman assures me it will be smoother on the production guns.
The Mini will come with handsome spacers that fit almost seamlessly, allowing stocks to be lengthened as a person
grows into the gun. This should make the 510 Mini-Bantam an ideal crossover gun for young hunters and claybird shoot-ers, as well.
Massad AyoobLethal force
American Spirit Arms’ American Spirit AR-15 features an actuating lever on the left side — ideal for first-time AR customers. Optic is by EOTech.
Brian Lasbey (left) and Mike Streeter, both of Remington, show off the affordable new Model 887 in Tactical (read: home defense) configura-tion, chambered for the mighty 3.5" 12-gauge Magnum.
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 19
faster than a .410 pump. A “blast shield” at the front of the cyl-
inder protects the arm and wrist of the shooter using a conventional rifle/shotgun grasp of the forestock. Firmly held against the shoulder, I found its high-visibility fi-ber optic front and rear sights didn’t move off target no matter how fast I “double-actioned” the trigger in dry fire.
It’s a very light, well-balanced arm. This will sell well to the small in stature
and to newbies, due to its simplicity.Additionally, the established popularity
of the Judge series of handguns will sell it to those who’ve bought a Judge and want a companion long gun that works identi-cally. Dealers around the nation are telling SI the Judge revolver is their single best-selling handgun, and in some months their single best-selling firearm — which bodes well for the sales success of the “revolving carbine” Circuit Judge. 9
forceLethal
Remington is reintroducing more of their shotgun models in classic blue steel and walnut, which is sure to please tra-ditionalist customers. And for the burly shotgunner who wants buckets of buck-shot when it comes time to defend home and hearth, they introduced a Tactical version of their exciting Model 887 slide action. Polymer stock and forend, and an aluminum magazine extender, allow this high-capacity gun to fire the awesome 3 1/2", 12-gauge Magnum shell. This Remington is light, affordable and the retail price-point is very attractive.
Savage now has an Ithaca 37 clone, a trim, short-barreled, home-defense shot-gun, branded under their traditional econ-omy line, Stevens. Stamped “made in Chi-na,” this 12-gauge pump has a reputable American gunmaker’s warranty behind it. That, along with its good handling and low price-point, should help dealers move a lot of them.
Latest Evolution Of Taurus Judge
When was the last time you saw a revolving carbine with
a legal-length shotgun or rifle bar-rel, in a double-action format with swing-out cylinder, chambered for modern ammunition?
Meet the latest evolution of the hugely popular Taurus Judge in .45 Colt/.410 dual chambering. It’s
called the Circuit Judge, and is made in their affiliated Rossi fac-
tory. It can be ordered with a rifled barrel geared toward the .45 Colt round or smoothbore. The latter will give real .410 shotgun patterns, not the doughnut patterns caused by birdshot or buckshot being spun
by a revolver’s rifling. In .410, it will make a neat little “farm
and field” gun for close-range pests. Simple to load and unload and fired double action, I’d expect it to run
The Taurus Circuit Judge handles .410 and .45 Colt. SI Digital readers, click the video logo to view a report on all the Judges at SHOT, or visit the “Web Blast” section of www.shootingindustry.com.
From the novice to the expert, your customers have a lot invested in their rifles. So when they need accessories Safariland can give them the best of everything. We offer a full line up of long gun accessories that meet your customers’ and your needs. Take aim at higher profits. Check out Safariland accessories today.
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20 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITALRead SI DIGITAL
OutdoorWinchester Ammunition recog-
nized Kittery Trading Post as its 2009 Dealer of the Year at
the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, prais-ing the Maine-based business for its high standards in sales and promotions.
Dealers who achieve this recognition, Winchester points out, maintain top-notch criteria for customer service and product knowl-edge, and promote the Win-chester brand through adver-tising, sales promotion and merchandising
“These retailers carry a complete line of Winchester products, conduct retail events, support industry pro-grams and actively support local efforts in conservation, safety and hunter education,” Winchester officials said.
“The entire staff here at
Kittery Trading Post and the Adams fami-ly are honored to be awarded Winchester’s Dealer of the Year award,” said Kim Ad-ams, co-owner and vice president of Kit-
tery Trading Post. Since 1938, Kittery Trading Post has
served as a destination store that attracts customers from throughout the Northeast.
From hunting and shooting gear to name-brand apparel, the store seeks to offer the finest goods and services to enhance its customers’ ex-perience. Winchester Am-munition has played a part in the store’s success, ac-cording to Adams.
“Winchester is a powerful and prestigious brand, and has always been a valuable partner throughout our 72-year history,” Adams said.
For more informa-tion about Kittery Trad-ing Post, visit www.kit-terytradingpost.com. For information about Win-chester Ammunition, visit www.winchester.com.
Dealers Honored For Sales, Promotions, Customer Service
Carter’s Country Receives Award From ATK
ATK Commercial Products awarded Carter’s Country its 2009 ATK Dealer of the Year award. Recognized for its
leadership, dedication to customers and perseverance, the Hous-ton dealer was honored during a ceremony at the Nation’s Best Sports show in February.
“We’re a shooting sports store; our motto is ‘guns, ammo and huntin’.’ We’re focused on guns — target, hunting and home-pro-tection guns. We’re big into reloading, too,” said Tommy Zdunke-
wicz, a senior buyer and 27-year Carter’s Country veteran.Known as a high-quality supplier of reloading equipment,
Carter’s Country holds annual handloading seminars in its stores and maintains a strong presence in the community.
Carter’s “absolutely has the best reloading area of any store I have seen,” said Jason Vanderbrink, ATK regional sales manager.
Carter’s Country capitalized on stocking ammunition during shortage periods, according to Vanderbrink and Zdunkewicz. They said the company didn’t develop an overarching plan to increase sales or change its business style; rather, “Carter’s just kept buying, advertising and selling,” and it worked — Carter’s more than doubled its business from 2008.
“We looked to distributors and factories. If our customers were asking for it, we got it. It didn’t matter if it was from manu-facturers or wholesalers,” Zdunkewicz said.
Carter’s Country operates four stores in the greater Houston area. One of the stores includes a gun range and skeet fields.
ATK has a network of more than 3,000 independent dealers
Kim Adams (center), of Kittery Trading Post, accepts the Winchester Ammunition of the Year Award from (l to r) Winchester’s Brett Flaugher; Dick Hammett, president; and Greg Kosteck.
J.K. AutryOutdoor marketplace
Carter’s Country buyers Tommy Zdunkewicz (left) and Jason Krezinski (right) accept the 2009 ATK Dealer of the Year award from Janell Renfro, ATK’s customer service rep.
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 21
J.K. AutrymarketplaceOutdoor
who buy and sell a significant amount of ATK product, including 400 dealers who have achieved the highest level of Premi-um Partners.
“This group of Premium Partners has been essential to the success of flagship brand Federal Premium and others under the ATK umbrella,” ATK says.
Each year, ATK has a large group of dealers who achieve outstanding success, and 2009 was no different.
“We are forced to pick one dealer a year to bestow with our top honors,” said Bart Biedinger, dealer services manager. “But in reality, this could be any number of stores. Our independent dealers are a key factor to our overall success, and we continue to be amazed by the support we receive from this group.”
For more information about Carter’s Country, visit www.carterscountry.net. For more information about ATK Premi-um Partners, visit www.premiumpartners.atk.com.
NSSF Honors Dealer
NSSF named The Gun Store in Las Vegas, Nev., the 2009 Don’t Lie for
the Other Guy Retailer of the Year. Bob Ir-win, owner of The Gun Store, accepted the award from Randy Clark, NSSF managing director of business development, at the 2010 SHOT Show.
“For their implementation and support of the Don’t Lie for the Other Guy anti-straw purchasing program — helping to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms — NSSF is proud to recognize the outstanding work of The Gun Store,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel.
For more information on Don’t Lie For The Other Guy, visit www.nssf.org/retailers. 9
Bob Irwin (right), The Gun Store owner, accepts the 2009 Don’t Lie for the Other Guy Retailer of the Year award from NSSF’s Randy Clark.
22 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
The quest for the ultimate ladies’ gun is a constant one. But as manu-facturers focus on self-defense and
concealment guns, women are getting more of what they want.
Gun makers are creating lighter guns with rounded edges that are highly con-cealable, making them easier to hide on the body in women’s clothing. These slimline guns are also easier to tuck into a small purse — rather than being forced to conceal a gun in something that could double as hand luggage.
Women are also benefiting from new technology that allows venerable guns like the Glock to be redesigned for less felt re-coil. Recently introduced stock gun models offer everything from integral lasers to cus-tom styling, giving women some of the best self-defense choices they’ve had in years.
Wilson CombatWilson Combat recently introduced
the Ms. Sentinel chambered in 9mm. In order to create a lightweight, easily con-cealed gun, the Ms. Sentinel is built on
Wilson Combat’s shortest aluminum frame, which is half an inch shorter than their compact model. Also, all the sharp edges have been rounded off for maximum comfort and con-cealment. Other features on the Ms. Sentinel are Wil-son’s Concealment Bullet Proof bea-vertail grip safety and hammer.
This is a slim-line firearm with cocobolo starburst stocks that are refresh-ing on a ladies’ gun. Tritium night sights round out this self-defense package.
Each Ms. Sentinel ships with the stan-dard Wilson Combat package of accesso-ries, including two eight-round magazines, a pistol rug, silicone cleaning cloth, manuals
and a Trigger Guard Lock. The Ms. Sentinel is an attractive gun with plenty of features your female customers will appreciate.
For more information, visit www.shoot-ingindustry.com/wilsoncombat.html.
GlockGlocks are beloved by men and women
New Tactical Guns Are Great Self-Defense Options
Smith & Wesson’s Bodyguards Incorporate LasersLaser sights are hugely popular with women as they are easy
to use and offer a possible deterrent to crime. Smith & Wes-son has capitalized on this popularity by introducing the Bodyguard line. These guns come in a .380 semiautomatic pistol version and in a .38 revolver, and were designed in conjunction with Insight Technology. The results are uniquely engineered, lightweight self-defense firearms with built-in laser sights.
Built with state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, the .380 ACP features a high-strength polymer frame with a black Mel-
o n i t e - c o a t e d stainless steel slide and barrel. This Bodyguard weighs in at a mere 11.85 ounc-es, has an overall length of 5 1/4" and a standard 2
3/4" barrel. Capacity on this hideout gun is 6+1.The slimline Bodyguard should fit nicely in a woman’s hand,
and women are sure to appreciate the integral Insight laser, which is easily operated by left- and right-handed shooters. When the la-ser sights are not in use, shooters can use the Bodyguard’s black Melonite-coated, stainless steel, drift-adjustable dovetail sights.
Women who like the simplicity of a revolver will also be very pleased with the .38 S&W Special +P Bodyguard. It is also a light-weight gun, weighing 14.3 ounces, and features a hammerless de-sign, which is perfect for carrying in a purse. The five-shot revolver sports a short 1.9" barrel and an overall length of 6.6".
The integral Insight laser is on the right side of the frame. The revolver also has a notch-style rear sight and a pinned black blade front sight for when the laser is not in use. The Bodyguard sports a one-piece aluminum alloy upper frame, along with a steel rein-forced polymer lower frame.
The barrel and cylinder on the revolver are both stainless steel. The stainless steel cylinder is coated with a durable, non-reflective matte black finish for long-term carrying and low-light presentation. An ambidextrous cylinder release on the top of the frame, ergonomic one-piece rubber grip and a smooth trigger pull round out this revolver package.
The Ms. Sentinel is the smallest and lightest 9mm pistol offered by Wilson Combat.
Lisa Parsons-WraithArmsArms and the woman
The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard line includes a .380 semiautomatic pistol and a .38 revolver (seen here), designed in conjunction with Insight Technology.
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 23
Lasering InIn offering the Bodyguard with a built-
in laser, S&W is, in essence, creating a “bundle” that could be value priced for customers, thus giving more shooters ac-cess to laser technology.
They also made the system easy to use. To activate the laser, shooters simply push the button located on top of the laser sight for the revolver and on the sides of the for-ward frame for the .380. The laser sight features three modes: one push is constant on, a second push is pulse mode and a third press turns the laser off.
To help the batteries last longer, the In-sight laser has an automatic five-minute auto-off timer. In constant-on mode, the laser pro-vides three hours of continuous run time. The laser sight can be adjusted for both windage and elevation and no assembly is required. Two Energizer 357 or equivalent batteries power the laser on the Bodyguard handguns.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/smithwesson.html for more information.
Tactical firearms are hot sellers, and major manufacturers have capitalized on this trend with new firearms sporting the features women want. Ladies looking for lightweight carry guns have never had more choices — which means deal-ers have more options than ever to meet women’s needs. 9
In designing the Bodyguard line with a built-in laser, S&W gives more women access to laser technology.
THERE’S MORE TO LIFETHAN WHAT’S ON THE SHELF.
With 1.5 billion possible confi gurations, the DPMS AR is possibly the most versatile and customizable AR platform in the world. From buttstocks and handguards to barrels and receivers, a DPMS AR can be confi gured virtually any way imaginable. Resist convention. Resist the norm. Be the resistance. And be one of those who have resisted conformity and have made the DPMS AR their rifle of choice. Visit dpmsinc.com to learn more.
dpmsinc.com 1-800-578-3767
B E T H E R E S I S T A N C E
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Arms and the woman
alike, and the recently introduced Genera-tion 4 Glock 22 and 17 are sure to be no exception. Like the ever-evolving iPods, the Gen4 Glocks have cool new features that are sure to have many women clam-oring for the latest incarnation of their faithful friend.
The Gen4 design has a multiple back-strap system that allows women to change the circumference of the grip to fit their in-dividual hand size. The grip has three op-tions — short, medium or large frame — that are easily changed and secured with a single pin.
Another notable difference is the maga-zine release catch of the Gen4 is reversible and enlarged. The reversible magazine catch allows shooters to switch access of the catch to the left or right side of the pis-tol with no additional parts.
Women shooters will truly appreciate the fact that the original recoil spring has been replaced with a dual recoil spring assembly, reducing felt recoil, while simultaneously increasing the life cycle of the pistol.
Finally, the Gen4 has a new Rough Textured Frame surface designed to en-hance grip traction, and it is present on the frame, as well as on the interchange-able backstraps.
Like all Glocks, the Gen4s have the Glock “Safe Action” system, durable exte-rior finish and cold hammer forged barrel.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/glock.html for more information.
24 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
Back BlastDemand Registration Of Assault Trouser-Ferrets!
Commander GilmoreBack Blast & other hot gases
Forget registering firearms! Something has to be done about the proliferation of “assault trouser-ferrets”!
OK, so maybe they’re not proliferating — not yet, anyway. But since the relatively gun-friendly state of Florida considers them “special weapons” and presumably deadly, shouldn’t we take action now?
This saga began when 38-year-old Rodney Bol-ton allegedly picked up a $129 ferret in a pet shop in Jacksonville Beach, stuffed it down his pants and tried to sneak out without paying for it. When Bolton was confronted by a witness in the parking lot, he is said to have reached down, pulled out the ferret and shoved it into the witness’s face. Perhaps not surprisingly, the fer-ret promptly bit the witness right in the chops.
Now, technically, under Florida law, since injury re-sulted from using this “other-than-otherwise-listed” de-vice to commit an assault, the trouser-ferret becomes a “special weapon,” jackin’ up the criminal battery charge to a higher level. Yeah, kinda like smackin’ your fian-cée upside the head with an endangered tortoise you’re swinging by one foot. That one happened in Florida, too.
If Bolton is convicted, we suggest he be sentenced to having the ferret repeatedly jammed down the front of his trousers until, well, until something punitive happens.
Illustration by Nick Petrosino
If You’re Gonna Compete, Be The Best!
We’re not sure if Marguerite Engle, 45, was actually trying for some kinda state or national record, but can you imagine the strength and determination necessary to keep lifting a bottle to your lips until you’ve achieved a blood-alco-hol level twice the amount required to kill most people?
After being found passed out behind the wheel of a delivery truck reported stolen in Rapid City, the Sturgis, S.D., woman tested at .708 percent, which is al-most nine times the state’s legal limit for driving under the influence. For about half the population, hitting .40 percent means a one-way trip to the morgue. Of course, de-pending on how long she had been uncon-scious, her BA may have actually dropped from an even higher level.
State chemists were amazed she was not only still among the living, but even-tually came out of it semi-sorta-okay, and ready to resume partying. She was freed
on bond, but failed to appear in court. She was busy — drinkin’.
Shortly thereafter, she was contacted again by law enforcement. This time she was passed out behind the wheel of anoth-er stolen vehicle, found in a ditch off State Highway 34 near Fort Meade.
We’re thinkin’ that instead of test-ing for a blood-alcohol level, the second time they shoulda tested for an “alcohol-blood” level. We’re pretty sure her alco-hol was tainted by traces of blood — and wondering: does anybody call this woman “Momma”?
Ballistic Clothing Industry Is Bustling!Lookin’ good is nice, but lookin’
good and being bulletproof — now that’s even better! If the trend is be-ing set right now in Bogota, Colom-bia, smart dealers in the U.S. should be looking for sources of quality, fashion-able formal and casual wear, rated about NIJ III-A for ballistic protection.
Miguel Caballero, once a struggling
Bogota tailor, is now ballistic clothier to the rich and famous, including dozens of South American business tycoons, politicians and their wives, and he’s rakin’ in the big pesos. It’s an ego thing, OK? Wearing an “armored Armani” suit means “Lookit me! I’m important enough to shoot!”
Demand for Caballero’s work is ex-panding so fast he doesn’t have to ad-vertise or seek business, but he says he expects “the hip-hop people” — the over-night multimillionaire rappers and such — “maybe will be a big market.” Consid-ering the number of shootings — purpose-ful and accidental — they’re involved in, we’re guessing he’s right. And bailed-out bankers and Wall Street “stimulus-money” suck-ups should be right behind ’em.
Caballero is becoming a big employer too, but there’s one problem with working for him. When he finishes development of a design, he tests it by having an employee wear it — and then he shoots them. Noth-in’ beats “real-world testing,” does it? 9
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 25
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T
Dealers Attending Mega Show Benefit In Education, Sales
20102010
A major reason for the section’s growth is it introduces dealers to the L.E. market. Many dealers haven’t thought about branching into this segment of the marketplace. But once exposed to the possibilities, the new and exciting prod-ucts, and the important crossover market of selling L.E.-related products to regular
customers, dealers are reaching out for more information.
A few years ago, FMG Publications hosted a “Selling to Law Enforcement” seminar at the SHOT Show. After the two-day event, NSSF reported it was the most-attended seminar of that show. Dealers — and manufacturers — from all segments
of the industry attended, all anxious to learn more about this burgeoning market, and the possibilities of growth for their re-spective companies.
That eagerness to learn about the mar-ket, and how to tap into L.E. sales, drives the crowds that pack L.E. booths at the SHOT Show.
Pitfalls & PositivesThe Sands Convention Center, this
year’s SHOT Show venue, had its share of inconveniences due to the somewhat clut-tered layout. Much of the L.E. section was spread out in several display areas, some difficult to find. While there were indeed some grumblings on the part of show at-tendees and exhibitors, in the same breath, they were also quick to comment on the positive nature of things.
“Our presence in the L.E. section makes perfect sense,” said Ernest Emerson, of Emerson Knives. “Cops are a significant part of our user group and they came by in droves. Dealers also stopped by to ex-plore stocking Emerson knives, and I was surprised to note many new faces — their first time exploring the law enforcement section of SHOT.”
Our own American COP booth was situated in the center of the main display area of the L.E. section. We were able to gauge the feel of the show, and monitor
26 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
By Suzi Huntington
Law Enforcement & TacticalLaw Enforcement & Tactical
The law enforcement presence at SHOT has grown remarkably over the past few years. From a modest beginning, the Law Enforcement & Tactical Gear section is now a critical part of the SHOT Show.
A dealer receives details on Aimpoint’s sight options for law-enforcement applications.
Russ
Thu
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who was shopping — and for what. Many officers stopped by our booth to tell us how American COP’s “equipment-heavy” editorial content had actually helped drive them to seek exhibitors to get their hands on the products they had seen featured in the pages of COP.
And, “equipment heavy” is where most of the sales are for dealers.
Equipment FocusAt the SHOT Show, the AR platform
continued to reign supreme for L.E. appli-cations. Virtually all the major players like DPMS, ArmaLite, Rock River, Les Baer, Ruger, SIG, S&W, Remington, Colt and more have solidly constructed AR styles to meet virtually any market need. And, if you’re wise enough to stock police-related AR platforms (think: shorter barrels, light-er weights, with accessory rails and flattop receivers), your consumer-customers will respond: “Hey, are these the same guns the cops use?”
At the ArmaLite booth, the company highlighted the forend features of its new SPR Mod 1. The rifle’s 3-o’clock, 6-o’clock and 9-o’clock rails are detachable, offering quick changing of accessories.
Bushmaster’s new ACR is a collabora-tion of Bushmaster, Magpul and Reming-ton. Operators can change calibers, barrel lengths and stock configurations quickly without the use of tools.
The Rock River RRA LAR-15 Elite Operator has RRA’s Operator CAR Stock, Half Quad Free Float Handguard with mid-length gas system, Tactical Brake and two-stage trigger, with Winter Trigger Guard.
The new Benelli MR 1 rifle, cham-bered in 5.56mm, features the ARGO
(Auto-Regulating-Gas-Operated) system, the same system developed by Benelli for the M1014 combat shotgun.
The new Sabre Defence M4 and M5 Tactical Piston Carbines have 14 1/2" or 16" chrome-moly vanadium alloy barrels, free-float, quad-rail handguards and Mag-pul CTR six-position buttstocks.
AR platform .22 conversion units and dedicated AR-style rifles in .22 LR are gaining attention in the L.E. market. With today’s increasing ammo costs, some agencies — especially smaller, local agen-cies — are actively exploring ways to maintain training while saving money.
“We’ve found our M&P15-22 to be a strong seller in the consumer market,”
said Paul Pluff, S&W marketing director. “Law enforcement agencies are either al-ready using these .22 LR rifles for training, or are exploring the possibilities. We get inquires constantly from both individual officers and agencies. The M&P15-22 is operated virtually identically to a standard AR-style rifle, so the match is obvious.”
In shotguns, for 2010, Remington of-fers the 870 Express Tactical with full coverage of ATACS Camo.
Duty-type handguns are a critical part of a cop’s life, and all the major makers continue to cater to the concept. Spring-field Armory’s latest offering in their XD series, the XD(M) 3.8, is virtually a shoo-in for the police market.
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 27
Law enforcement booths attract heavy traffic at SHOT Show 2010, with buyers — and L.E. officers — seeking the newest products.
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New for 2010, the Glock 22 Gen4 and Glock 17 Gen4 feature a multiple backstrap system, larger and reversible magazine release catches, dual recoil spring assemblies and a new Rough Textured Frame (RTF) surface. Visit www.shootingindustry.com/glock.html.
At the Glock booth, the company un-veiled the new Glock 22 Gen4 and Glock 17 Gen4. They feature a multiple back-strap system, larger and reversible maga-zine release catches, dual recoil spring assemblies and a new Rough Textured Frame (RTF) surface.
New offerings from Colt — a DA-only 5" Government Model 1911 with no external safety — and Taurus, S&W and others have kept police armorers busy exploring options.
Dealers can reach the market by stock-ing new models and making them avail-able to local agencies. Plus, that important general consumer crossover market is ready to buy “what the cops use.”
More Than GunsOptics, eyewear, tactical clothing, safes
and security items, rugged police duty-type field gloves, cleaning products, gear bags, uniform items, leather and nylon-based duty belts and accessories, lights, lasers, handcuffs, citation book holders, portable notepads — the list is endless — are all part of a working cop’s daily “kit.” Dealers who are not catering to their important lo-cal market are losing what can be a signifi-cant share of their profit margin.
Take lights, for instance. While the top-shelf brands like SureFire, Stream-light, Pelican and others are considered de-rigueur, there is a burgeoning market for tactical and duty flashlights that are a bit easier on the budget. When you stock both, you encourage a cop to buy a “main” light
and a good-quality backup, too. And once again, those same lights are always strong sellers to your “non-sworn” customers.
“I’m always amazed at who buys our lights,” said Dick Williams of SureFire. “You’re so used to thinking of tactical lights as being a part of the L.E. industry that it’s still amazing to see the legions of campers, cavers, outdoorsmen, homeown-ers, mechanics and others who rely on rugged lights every day.”
Other brands that are just as good and offer a wide variety of price-points are ASP, Insight Tech-Gear, Night Stick, No-vatac, Leupold and Bluestone.
Virtually all holster manufacturers make a duty line of products. BLACK-HAWK! has their SERPA holsters, Bianchi and Safariland have an excellent selection of duty rigs, as do Gould & Goodrich and Uncle Mike’s, to name a few. Stock a good cross section in various price-points. Re-member to address the issue of plain ver-sus basketweave; leather versus leather-like or nylon web gear — whatever the agencies in your area authorize.
At the SHOT Show, BLACKHAWK! introduced two lines of duty gear. Made of Nytek, the gear is available in plain and basketweave finishes.
“We have seen rapid adoption of our SER-PA holster technology in the law enforcement community. With the extension of both plain and basketweave finishes to our nylon duty gear lines, officers will now be able to have a complete duty belt system available from
28 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
At SHOT, ARs, like these from ArmaLite, continue to be the reigning L.E. rifle. Visit www.shoot-ingindustry.com/armalite.html.
Direct From The SHOT ShowVideo reports by Shari LeGate.
SI Digital readers, click here or visit the “Web Blast” section of www.shootingindustry.com.
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VIDEO
BLACKHAWK!, regardless of their choice of finish,” said Terry Naughton, BLACK-HAWK! vice president of marketing.
BLACKHAWK! also unveiled the Er-gonomic Duty Belt Harness, which shifts the weight of equipment-laden duty belts from the hip to the shoulders.
The new A.S.R. (Active Shooter Re-sponse) Bag from Uncle Mike’s Law En-forcement provides patrol and other law enforcement with a quick response bag.
At the Safariland booth, the company announced the debut of the new Safariland Training Group, which offers courses in Covert Searching, Tactical Breaching, Ad-vanced Less Lethal, Patrol Shield for First Responders, Armored Vehicle Tactics and Hostage Rescue.
Safariland also has added two body ar-mor models. The SM01 Type II and Type IIIA are part of the Second Chance, Sum-mit Series for concealable armor. PRO-TECH Tactical also will be featuring the SM01 Type IIIA as the primary armor model available across its full range of side opening–style tactical vests.
“Many officers search to find the per-fect balance between comfort and perfor-mance. The combination of these product attributes makes the SM01 II and IIIA two of the most suitable armor models avail-able for law enforcement today,” said Scott O’Brien, Safariland president.
At the XS Sights booth, the Glass As-sault Tool (GAT) grabbed a lot of officers’ attention. The GAT attaches to the end of an AR barrel, permitting operators to breach glass, while maintaining full con-trol of the weapon.
Also in the equipment-heavy world of law enforcement are optics, lasers and weapon-mounted lights. Crimson Trace, LaserMax, Insight and Viridian are four top-sellers in lasers, and the newest versions are available in green. You can bet cops are going to be antsy to try the latest laser technology.
Crimson Trace displayed its new Mod-
ular Vertical Foregrip (MVF-515) Green, which features a green laser and a white light in one unit.
LaserMax announced its guide rod la-ser for the full-size .40 caliber Smith & Wesson M&P at the show.
At the Viridian booth, the company un-veiled the C5 Subcompact Green Laser. It is so small, it tucks between a handgun’s trig-gerguard and muzzle, with no overhang.
At the Leupold booth, the company announced a new commitment to tacti-cal optics.
“In launching the new Tactical Optics Division, we’ve added new overall leader-ship, and expertise in engineering, prod-uct development and service at all levels,” said Tom Fruechtel, Leupold president.
New products from the division will include Mark 4 Close Quarters/Tactical (CQ/T), Mid Range/Tactical (MR/T), Long Range/Tactical (LR/T) and Extend-ed Range/Tactical (ER/T) riflescopes; Mark 4 Prismatic 1x14mm riflescope; Mark 4 Tactical Spotting Scope; and tac-tical binoculars.
The new Weaver AR Quad Rail Forend has full-length Picatinny quad rails and two-piece, interlocking design.
Plan On AttendingThe SHOT Show, for gun dealers, is
more than a place to learn about new prod-ucts that are selling in the L.E. market. It also is a research center for learning what cops are interested in and what motivates them to make purchases.
So, plan on attending next year’s SHOT Show to see firsthand how active the L.E. industry is, and to let manufacturers, dis-tributors and end-users help you develop the L.E. section in your store.
Mark your calendars. Next year’s SHOT Show will be held at the Las Vegas Sands Expo & Convention Center, Jan. 18-21, 2011. Visit www. nssf.org and www.shotshow.org for more information. 9
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 29
American COP is a marketing research tool for your business. Our all-digital editions — where entire issues are available
online — offer searchable articles, hot links to company Web sites and insight into gear, training, trends and concerns from all facets of law enforcement.
And, this powerful tool is free. You just need to use it! Go to www.americancopmagazine.com, click on the page-turning magazine and check it out. Consider it your backup in the field.
Your Marketing Research Center
The AuthorSuzi Huntington is the editor of FMG’s American COP magazine. She retired from
the San Diego Police Department after more than 22 years working in a variety of as-signments. She may be reached at [email protected].
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30 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
NEWPRODUCTSNEWPRODUCTS
30 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
GALLERY2010
GALLERY2010
EEach year, the Law Enforcement/Tactical section at SHOT Show grows, along with the number of new L.E.-specific products introduced. Distributors, dealers and other industry buyers at the 2010 show were eager to get their hands on the latest in L.E. firearms and gear. Here we
present a sampling of some of the L.E./Tactical offerings that grabbed their attention.We’d like to know what new products you think are surefire sellers in 2010. Let us know by e-
mailing: [email protected].
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Revision Eyewear(514) 849-1874www.shootingindustry.com/revisioneyewear.html
Revision EyewearWolf Spider
Revision Eyewear introduces the Wolf Spider Goggle System, which provides an uncompromised field-of-view, best-in-class ballistic protection and dual frame-material technology for comfortable, extended wearability. Goggles feature OcuMax-coated interchangeable lenses for fog-free vision, and are UV-AB-C pro-tective for military, tactical and recreation-al performance.
Law Enforcement/TacticalLaw Enforcement/Tactical
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BushmasterAdaptive Combat Rifle
The Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) — a collaboration among Magpul, Bushmaster and Remington — features 16 1/2", cold hammer-forged barrel system, with quick-change 10 1/2", 14 1/2" and 18" barrel length options in multiple calibers; A2 “birdcage-type” suppressor; adjust-able, two-position gas-piston system; bolt carrier assem-blies for 223.5.56mm NATO to 6.8mm Rem. SPC; and ambidextrous controls for magazine release, bolt catch and release, fire selector and non-reciprocating charging handle. Available in Basic and Enhanced configurations in non-reflective, black finish and Coyote Brown.
Bushmaster1-800-998-7928www.shootingindustry.com/ bushmaster.html
SIG SAUERSIG516 Tactical Rifle
All models in the SIG516 Tactical Rifle line are gas-piston operated with a three-position gas regulator, and are available in semiauto and select fire variants. SIG516s feature free-floating, aluminum quad rail forends with four M1913 Picatinny rails, and chrome-lined and cold-hammer forged barrels with a Nitride finish. Models include the SIG516 7" Personal Defense Weapon (PDW); the SIG516 10" Close Quarters Battle (CQB); the SIG516 14.5" Tactical Patrol; the SIG516 16" Patrol; the SIG516 18" Precision Sniper; and the SIG516 20" Precision Sniper.
SIG SAUER(603) 772-2302www.shootingindustry.com/sigsauer.html
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 31
32 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
ArmaLiteSPR Mod 1
The ArmaLite SPR Mod 1 in .223/5.56 NATO has a forged, one-piece upper receiver/rail system with detach-able side and bottom rails at 3-, 6- and 9 o’clock. Each SPR Mod 1 comes with three extra rails. The SPR Mod 1 features a 16" chrome-lined, chrome moly vanadium steel barrel; two-stage tactical trigger; steel bolt assem-bly; one-piece construction and hard-coated finish.
ArmaLite1-800-336-0184
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American Tactical Imports1-800-290-0065www.shootingindustry.com/americantacticalimports.html
American Tactical ImportsAT92
American Tactical’s AT92 handgun is available in full-size and compact models, with semiautomatic and double-action op-erations. Caliber is 9x19 Parabellum with fixed-blade, notched-bar sights. Features include a steel guide rod, left-side steel slide safety and steel trigger.
New from Pelican 9410 LED LIGHT
To shoot with accuracy, sight alignment is crucial. A Pelican hard case keeps your aim true even when dropped, whether from a helicopter or your tailgate.
Our lights are just as tough. With the latest in LED and battery technology, they will allow you to stay outside from dusk to dawn.
FULLY-LOADED ARSENAL > WEAPONS CASES
OVER 10 SIZES • watERtIght • duStpROOf
> LED HEADLAMPS 5 StYLES • LONg BuRN tIME • hI LuMEN Output
Pelican Products, Inc. 23215 Early Avenue, Torrance, CA 90505 • 866.838.9160 (TOLL FREE) •Tel 310.326.4700 • Fax 310.326.3311 • www.pelican.com\siAll trademarks and logos displayed herein are registered and unregistered trademarks of Pelican Products.
> MICRO CASES • pIStOl CASES OVER 10 SIZES • watERtIght • duStpROOf
> TACTICAL LIGHTS 6 StYLES • LEd tEchNOLOgY • duaL SwItch tEchNOLOgY
Follow Us On
n Compact Light Weight Lanternn Latest Gen NiMH Batteriesn 710 Lumens
Rock River Arms1-866-980-7625www.shootingindustry.com/rockriver.html
Rock River ArmsLAR-15 Elite Operator
The RRA LAR-15 Elite Operator, chambered in 5.56mm/.223, features RRA’s Operator CAR Stock, Half Quad Free Float Handguard with mid-length gas system, Tactical Brake and two-stage trigger, with Winter Trigger Guard. It has a 15" chrome moly barrel with 1:9 twist. It weighs 8 lbs., and is 37" long. Options and upgrades are available.
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 33
DPMSPanther REPR
The Panther REPR (Rapid Engagement Precision Rifle) is chambered in 7.62 NATO with a 1x10 twist. The sub-MOA capable REPR features an 18" contoured chrome molybdenum steel barrel with Remonite coating, and 7.62x51 Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) Flash Hider. The rifle features a black Hogue rubber grip with finger grooves and Magpul PRS stock in coyote brown.
DPMS(320) 345-9223www.shootingindustry.com/dpms.html
Streamlight1-800-523-7488www.shootingindustry.com/streamlight.html
StreamlightStrion LED HP
The Strion LED HP provides 400 per-cent greater peak beam intensity than the Strion LED using C4 power LED technol-ogy. The Strion LED HP features three microprocessor-controlled variable light-intensity modes, plus strobe function and a long-range targeting beam; and provides 38,000 candela peak beam in-tensity and 160 lumens. A multi-function, push-button tactical tail button switch al-lows for one-handed operation. The Stri-on LED HP has a 50,000-hour lifetime.
LaserMax1-800-LASER03www.shootingindustry.com/lasermax.html
LaserMaxM&P Guide Rod Laser
The full-size, .40 caliber Smith & Wesson M&P guide rod laser has been added to LaserMax’s family of guide rod laser-aiming systems. The M&P guide rod is user installed accurate, with factory alignment and no gunsmithing required. It adds no weight to the firearm, is designed for use in existing holsters, and does not occupy Picatinny rail space or change the weapon’s ergonomic grip design. The la-ser produces 10 pulses per second.
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Machining, Fitting and FInish are excellent
The competition can stop trying
Actions Speak LOUDER than words,
so shoot one for yourself!
the new LM308MWS FROM Lewis Machine & Tool
After nearly a decade in development, the Lewis Machine & Tool LM308MWS has arrived and taken the shooting community by storm. Designed by the LMT team, the LM308MWS is the latest evolution of the LMT Monolithic Rail Platform. The .308 caliber monolithic rail model was developed to give its operators greater accuracy, power and extended range, Because Failure Is Not An Option. www.LMTdefense.com 309.732.9527
B e c a u s e Fa i l u r e i s n o t a n o p t i o n
Absolute strength.308 Caliber
Knock down, stop your assailant right now power
Unmatched strength and durability
By far the best AR platform I have ever owned or operated
Lewis Machine & Tool Co. is to
supply the UK Ministry of Defence…
34 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
XS Sight Systems 1-888-744-4880www.shootingindustry.com/xssights.html
Trijicon(248) 960-7700www.shootingindustry.com/trijicon.html
TrijiconRX34 Reflex Sight
Trijicon introduces the RX34 Reflex sight with smaller 4.5 MOA amber dot. Dual-illuminated and parallax free, the Trijicon Reflex offers increased field-of-view capabilities that provide fast, both-eyes-open target acquisition. The RX30 Reflex series features a 42mm aperture lens, and a glowing tritium lamp ensures a bright amber reticle at night or in low-light conditions. The RX30 Reflex fea-tures military-grade housing cast from aircraft aluminum alloy and hard-coat anodized finish.
XS Sight SystemsGlass Assault Tool
The Glass Assault Tool (GAT) was developed by Paul Howe, a 20-year U.S. Army veteran. It attaches to the end of an AR barrel, permitting operators to breach glass while maintaining full control of the weapon. It is designed to penetrate a car’s side and back window glass and will also defeat most cosmetic glass.
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Do not use Remington 17 HmR ammunition in semi-automatic fiReaRms. Do not use tHe Remington moDel 597 17 HmR semi-automatic Rifle.Remington has been notified by its supplier of 17 HMR ammunition that 17 HMR ammunition is not suitable for use in semi-automatic firearms. The use of this ammunition in a semi-automatic firearm could result in property damage or serious personal injury.
If you have a semi-automatic firearm chambered for 17 HMR ammunition, immediately discontinue use of Remington 17 HMR ammunition. If you have any Remington 17 HMR ammunition that you wish to return to Remington contact the Remington Consumer Service at the number below. Do not return the ammunition to the dealer. Remington will provide you with a $10.00 mail-in coupon for each complete box of 50 rounds of Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition you return to Remington. This coupon will be good for the purchase of any Remington ammunition at your local dealer.
In light of the ammunition manufacturer’s notice, it is very important that you immediately stop using your Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle. If you own a Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle and wish to return it to Remington please contact the below Remington Consumer Service Number. In return for your Remington Model 597 17 HMR synthetic stock semi-automatic rifle, Remington will provide you a mail-in coupon valued at $200.00 good for the purchase of a replacement ,New, Remington firearm. If you have a laminate stock Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle, Remington will provide you with a mail-in coupon valued at $250.00 good for the purchase of a new, Remington firearm. Remington will also provide free shipping labels for the return your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle to Remington.
Please allow up to 6 weeks after Remington receives your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle or your Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition for the appropriate coupons to arrive. Instructions for redemption of the coupons will be contained on the coupon.
For any consumer questions or instructions on how to return your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle or your Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition, please contact the Remington Consumer Service Department at 1-800-243-9700, Prompt #3.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
safety first. Always observe the ten commandments of safe gun handling and wear approved eye and ear protection anytime you are shooting.
Product Safety Notice – WarNiNg
09REM5709_Recall_Square_ad_SI.indd 1 9/1/09 8:24:57 AM
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www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 35
Tuff Products 1-877-883-3776www.shootingindustry.com/tuffproducts.html
Tuff ProductsQuick Strips
Quick Strips help speed reload for shotguns and are useful for storage. Quick Strips fit six rounds of 12 gauge, fit in most pouches and trouser or shirt pockets, and are injection molded from a flexible urethane material. Quick Strips load two at a time. Sold in a two-pack.
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BLACKHAWK! Products GroupDuty Gear Lines
BLACKHAWK!’s two new duty gear lines are produced from Nytek and offer a traditional look, with reduced weight, professional appearance, breathability and durability. The line in-cludes belts and pouches in plain and basketweave finishes.
BLACKHAWK! Products Group1-800-694-5263www.shootingindustry.com/blackhawk.html
Stag ArmsModel 8, Model 8L
The Model 8 and Model 8L gas-piston rifles from Stag Arms feature a 5.56 NATO chambered 1/9 twist, 16" chrome-lined barrel, front flip sight and gas piston sys-tem, with adjustable short-stroke piston and one-piece nickel Teflon-coated bolt carrier. Also included are Midwest Indus-tries’ low-profile, flip-up rear sight and ad-justable stock. The Model 8L is designed for left-handed shooters.
Stag Arms(860) 229-9994www.shootingindustry.com/stagarms.html
36 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
5.11 Tactical1-866-451-1726www.shootingindustry.com/511tactical.html
FNH USA(703) 288-1292www.shootingindustry.com/fnhusa.html
FNH USAFNP-45 Tactical
Originally developed for the U.S. Joint Combat Pistol Program and intended for field operations, the FNP-45 Tactical offers the standard FNP-45 ACP per-formance, plus additional features. The 5.3" stainless steel barrel has a threaded muzzle to accept a sound suppressor or compensator. The new FDE stainless steel slide is fitted with high-profile com-bat night sights and includes two mount-ing bases to accept an optional red dot electronic sight. Each FNP-45 Tactical comes with three 15-round magazines and an exclusive Eagle tactical soft case.
5.11 TacticalPatrol Duty Uniform
5.11’s Patrol Duty Uniform is made of durable 65/35 poly-cotton ripstop or twill, with Teflon-treated fabric for stain and soil resistance. The breathable ma-terial has long-term fade resistance, and comes out of a clothes dryer ready to wear. PDUs feature expandable comfort waists and for women, a natural waistline, plus bi-swing shoulders and a diamond-gusseted crotch for durability. Class A and B PDU shirts and pants are available in two styles with separate sizing, design and construction for men and women.
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Benelli USAMR 1 Rifle
Benelli’s MR 1 rifle, chambered in 5.56mm, features the ARGO (Auto-Regulating-Gas-Op-erated) system. The sights are a military-style aperture, adjustable for windage and elevation. A Picatinny rail allows mounting of conventional and night-vision sights, while retaining metallic-sight capability. All steel parts are black phos-phated and aluminum parts are hard anodized in a matte finish. The MR 1 carbine comes stan-dard with a five-round magazine, and can ac-cept standard M16 magazines.
Benelli USA1-800-264-4962www.shootingindustry.com/benelliusa.html
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Whether you want to build a new pistol from the ground up, customize one you already have, or just keep it running smoothly, our latest 1911 Catalog has the parts, accessories, and gear to do the job. Whatever you use your 1911 for–competition, carry, duty, home-defense – we have you covered!
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The only source that you’ll ever need for current, obsolete and military gun parts, gunsmith supplies, military surplus and shooting accessories.
Our new, two-volume Catalog #32 features our 1,180 page Reference Guide and our 352 page Accessory Catalog.Order your catalog NOW!Our latest edition features more than 180,000 individual items, over 650 schematic drawings and parts lists, and a store brand name to original manufacturer cross-reference.We carry products for hundreds of manufacturers including:• Heckler & Koch • Colt • High Standard • Ruger • Marlin • Mauser • Mossberg • Remington • Savage • SigArms • Glock • Uberti • AMT • Benelli
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Universal mounts enabling scopes to be interchanged easily onto a variety of receivers.
Satin smooth finish available in brite black, silver, and black matte, all at the same price.
Sets the standard for looks in the industry.
If you can’t find our bases at your favorite distributor or dealer, contact KWIK-SITE and we’ll make SURE you get them.
New Long Adapter WorksFor Air Rifles
Untitled-1.indd 1 4/15/10 9:52:39 AM
Glock(770) 432-1202www.shootingindustry.com/glock.html
Glock22 Gen4, 17 Gen4
The Glock 22 Gen4 (Generation 4) in .40 caliber and Glock 17 Gen4 in 9x19 feature a multiple backstrap system with three grip options: short frame, medium frame and large frame. Additional fea-tures are reversible and enlarged maga-zine release catch; dual recoil spring assembly; and Rough Textured Frame (RTF) surface.
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NiteScout(860) 417-2920www.shootingindustry.com/nitescout.html
NiteScoutMicron 30
The Micron 30 weapon light is 2.1" long and weighs 1.3 oz. The “N” battery (included) generates 40-plus peak lu-mens and will run over three hours. The Micron 30 attaches using the Rapid Latch System, which allows for a more natural one-finger release of the latch bar.
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38 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
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Sabre DefenceM5 Tactical Piston Carbine
The M5 Tactical Piston Carbine features an operating system with a short-stroke pis-ton design that eliminates carbon-fouling buildup in the receiver by venting gases forward. The M5 Tactical Piston Carbine features 14 1/2" and 16" chrome-moly vana-dium alloy barrels, Samson Manufacturing free-float, quad-rail handguards and Magpul Industries’ CTR six-position buttstocks.
Sabre Defence(615) 333-0077www.shootingindustry.com/sabredefence.html
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Crimson Trace1-800-442-2406www.shootingindustry.com/crimsontrace.html
Crimson TraceMVF-515
The Modular Vertical Foregrip (MVF-515) Green features a green laser and a white light in one unit. The polymer grip panels are mounted onto aircraft-grade, 6061 T-6 aluminum, hard-anodized tang and contain an activation switch on each side that controls the light and the laser independently. The 150/200 lumen white light is replaceable, and two CR-123 bat-teries provide over four hours of light il-lumination and over six hours of green laser.
Taurus International(305) 624-1115www.shootingindustry.com/taurus.html
Taurus 24/7 G2 Series
The 24/7 G2 is available in 9mm, .40 cal. and .45 ACP, with a choice of Taurus’ DA/SA trigger system, double-action or single-action-only trigger. Offered in blued or stainless, features include “Strike Two” capability, a new trigger safety, balanced spring pressure, low-profile adjustable rear sights for windage and elevation, ambidex-trous magazine release and Picatinny rail. Additional features include finger-indexing Taurus Memory Pads, polymer body con-struction and polymer grip with metallic inserts, and three interchangeable back-straps. Offered in compact model and long slide version.
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“In my opinion,the Regent 1911A1 .45 is,without doubt, the best 1911 type .45 automatic on the market today for under $800.
Robert H. DunlapMaster Gunsmith, Mechanical Engineer,Lassen College Gunsmith Instructor Emeritus
NOT ALL 1911’s ARE CREATED EQUALThe Regent Model R100, was created in Trabzon,
Turkey at a modern, high-tech state-of-the-art factory that also manufactures firearms for
NATO under the strict requirements:ISO 9000 & AQAP 120 NATO Quality Standards
FOR DETAILS, PLEASE GO TO
WWW. IACIMPORTS.COMMFG. IN TURKEY – IMPORTED BY IAC BILLERICA, MA
MSRP: $559.95
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 39
EVENT SCHEDULEThursday Evening
July 22, 2010Stuhr Musuem of the Prairie Pioneer
Masters Welcome ReceptionSponsored by the Grand Island Eco-nomic Development Corporation &
Grand Island Sports Council
This is a new reception for the Shooting Industry Masters. We invite you to attend!
Please RSVP to Elizabeth O’Neill at [email protected] by June 1.
Friday, July 23, 2010TEAM CHECK-IN
Handgun, Rifle & Shotgunteam events & lunch
at The Heartland Shooting Park
Friday EveningShooting Industry Academy
of Excellence Awards presentationat The Holiday Inn Grand Island-Midtown
Saturday, July 24, 2010Handgun, Rifle & Shotgun
team events & lunchat The Heartland Shooting Park
Saturday EveningMasters Awards Banquet with
Raffle to benefit NSSF’s First Shots Program
at The Holiday Inn Grand Island-Midtown
For additional information, including our great hotel group rate,contact Elizabeth O’Neill at 888.315.3641e-mail: [email protected]
EARLY BIRD BONUS: Enter your team, with payment by April 25, 2010and pay only $1,250 for your four-man or $1,500 for your five-man
team entry. You will also receive a free 1/4 page, 4C Shooting Industry Masters Challenge Ad
in the June issue of Shooting Industry magazine.
Contact Name:
Company:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Phone: E-Mail:
Payment Type: MC/Visa/AmEx/Dis Check Enclosed
Card No:
Exp. Date: Initial:
2010 MATCH ENTRY FORM
Early Bird Four-Man Team Entry $1,250
Early Bird Five-Man Team Entry $1,500
Match Ammunition, Shooter’s Goody Bag, Match Lunch and Awards DinnerALL Included with your Entry Fee!
Mail or FAX with payment to: ATTN: Elizabeth O’Neill, FMG Publications
12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128 FAX 888.651.7568
No Gun? No Excuse. Loaner guns will be available for each event.
Sponsor Team Entry Four-Man Team, $1,000 Five-Man Team, $1,250
After April 25th, Four-Man Team Entry $1,500
After April 25th, Five-Man Team Entry $1,750
Eighth Annual
Heartland Shooting ParkGrand Island, Neb.
JOIN US! JULY 23-24, 2010 (2-day event!)
SHOOTING INDUSTRY
MASTERSSPONSORED BY:
BENEFITTING:National Shooting Sports Foundation’s
SUPPORTING
Recruit A Team, Receive A Free Ad! NEW FOR 2010!Recruit a team and receive a FREE* full page ad
in your choice of FMG Special Editions. There’s more ... the team you recruit gets a free ad too!
The team recruited must be from outside your organization and a first-time participant in the Masters.
*Free ad cannot replace any currently scheduled ad and must be reserved by December 31, 2010.
40 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
TTo boost sales this spring, during the summer and into the holiday buying season, manufacturers are rolling out
special promotions and limited-time offers to attract consumers. From mail-in rebates to free gear, industry companies are offering sweet deals to stimulate sales during eco-nomic times that are, at best, questionable.
Zoli Offers Stimulus PackageZoli’s Dealer Economic Stimulus Pack-
age gives American shotgun enthusiasts a $1,000 discount off the price of a new Z Sport competition shotgun with the trade-in of any working firearm.
Any firearms dealer can participate to receive a $200 transfer fee, plus dealers can keep all firearms brought in for trade. Any working firearm will be accepted regard-less of make, model or year. Zoli will ship to any legitimate FFL dealer in the U.S.
Customers can place an order directly with Zoli North America by calling (585) 394-1271. The new Z Sport shotgun will
be shipped to their lo-cal dealer.
Orders will be pro-cessed on a first-come, first-served basis. The Z Sport is available in 12-, 20- and 28-gauge with 28", 30" or 32" barrels. Right- and left-hand stocks are avail-able, as well as adjustable combs. Combo sets of 20/28-gauge also are available.
This special promotion is a limited-time offer.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/antoniozoli.html.
Browning Offers $500 In GearBrowning continues to offer $500 in
free gear to consumers who buy a new Cynergy. The gear, as part of the Cyn-ergy Club, includes a $100 check, shoot-ing cap, custom gun hard case, soft zipper case, limited-edition range bag and five-year limited warranty. The promotion ends Dec. 31, 2010.
Browning also is offering a special pro-motion for parents or legal guardians of 4-H and Scholastic Clay Target Program members. The shotguns purchased through the promotion and the rebate offered are: Cynergy, $200; Citori, $200; BT-99, $100; Silver, $75; and BPS, $50.
The promotion ends Dec. 31, 2010.Visit www.shootingindustry.com/
browning.html.
Gear Up With WeaverWeaver is offering a free Weaver Premi-
um Canvas Gear Bag, valued at $125, with the purchase of any Weaver Super Slam or Grand Slam riflescope or binoculars. The promotion, which began in January, runs through Dec. 31, 2010.
Weaver’s award-winning Grand Slam features fully multicoated Japanese glass yielding 94-percent light transmission,
edge-to-edge clarity, reduced glare and incredible image brightness.
The Grand Slam binoculars offer nitro-gen-purged tubes, rugged body armor and high-quality lenses, while the Super Slam binos have an open bridge design, magne-sium body and roof prism system with SK and BaK-4 glass.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/weaver.html.
Shooters Ridge Rebate, HatsShooters Ridge customers can receive
a $10 mail-in rebate when purchasing $50 worth of Shooters Ridge products before Dec. 31, 2010.
In promoting breast cancer awareness, Shooters Ridge is offering a free Cham-pion hot pink hat with the purchase of Champion pink shooting glasses, electron-ic muffs or trapshooting shell pouch.
Customers who purchase a Shooters Ridge pink stock will receive a free Federal Premium pink hat and a Champion hot pink hat. The promotion ends Dec. 31, 2010.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/shootersridge.html.
Leupold HD RebatesLeupold is offering a $100 rebate on
Leupold Golden Ring 8x42mm HD or 10x42mm HD binoculars through Dec. 31, 2010.
The Golden Ring binoculars boast calci-um-fluoride, high-definition lenses; phase-coated prisms to eliminate diffraction and ensure peak clarity; and Leupold’s exclusive
40 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
SPARKING
PROMOTIONSSALES WITH
Manufacturers Roll Out Deals To Attract Consumers
J.K. AutrySPARKING
PROMOTIONSSALESWITH
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 41
DiamondCoat and Index Matched Lens Sys-tem for superior performance and optimal light management.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/leupoldstevens.html.
Cash Back On MarlinsMarlin Firearms is offering $25 cash
back on select Marlin 795 Auto-Loading Rifles (blued only).
This rugged .22 autoloader features an 18" barrel, 10-shot nickel-plated clip magazine and an automatic last-shot bolt hold-open.
The promotion ends Dec. 31, 2010.Visit www.shootingindustry.com/
marlin.html.
Get Loaded With HornadyHornady’s 2010 redemption pro-
gram offers free bullets with the pur-chase of the company’s most popular reloading products.
Customers receive 100 free bullets, up to a $30 value, with the purchase of New Dimension Dies with Zip Spindle system. Customers who purchase a Lock-N-Load AP Automatic Press or the Lock-N-Load Classic Kit will receive 500 free bullets, up to a $160 value.
The promotion ends Dec. 31, 2010.Visit www.shootingindustry.com/
hornady.html.
Best Shot With WinchesterFor Winchester Ammunition’s current
promotion, customers who purchase one box of Winchester Supreme Elite Xtended Range Hi-Density turkey loads, or two
boxes of Winchester Supreme turkey loads, will receive a $10 Winchester Gear Gift Card redeemable for Winchester mer-chandise at the Winchester online store.
The promotion runs through June 30, 2010.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/winchesterammo.html.
McMillan Tactical TrainingMcMillan Group International is de-
ploying a one-of-a-kind offer to gener-ate sales, offering a free tactical training course valued at $800 with the purchase of any McMillan rifle, including TACTM-Series Rifles, Custom Collection Hunting Rifles and Long Range Hunting Rifles. Customers will receive a two-day Marks-manship Training Course at McMillan’s ranges in Arizona.
“As far as I know, this is a first in the firearms industry. McMillan is proud to make such an offer to our customers,” said Ryan McMillan, company vice president.
Course instruction includes firearms operation, rifle maintenance, applica-tion of fire and a basic tactical overview for civilians.
Visit www.shootingindustry.com/mcmillangroup.html. 9
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 41
PROMOTIONSPROMOTIONS
Sintox® Passed All otherS Failed
Ruag Sintox® non-toxic primers, there’s only one that succeeds. in fact, they are the first and only
non-toxic primers authorized for use in nato qualified ammunition — ask for them by name. For more
information visit www.rws-usa.com or call 888 393-0694.
*Sintox Primers are in service with the German Army.
Serious ammunition for serious shooters.
P r i m e d F o r s u c c e s s
RUAG Ammotec USA, Inc.www.rws-usa.com
42 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITALwww.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 42
F Essentially, these full-sized, full-ca-
pacity pistols remained niche guns until Glock pistols achieved a dominant posi-tion in U.S. law enforcement. Since then, high-cap pistols have taken over as the heart of American handgun sales.
Despite the recent renaissance of small to subcompact revolvers, and a hot trend to-ward subcompact and even micro-sized .380 pistols, there’s still a ton of money to be made in full-size, full-capacity handguns — and legions of both first-time buyers and return customers are demanding them. We found three dealers with very different experiences selling full-cap pistols — all of which are profitable. If any one statement sums up their positions, it’s “Pick a winner — and ride it!”
42 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
FIRE UP
SALESOf FULL-CAPACITY
HANDGUNS
The FNP-45 has a 5.3" stainless steel barrel and comes with three 15-round magazines.
The crew at Barlow’s Custom Guns — (from left) Randy Lish, owner Steve Barlow, Steve Palano, Mike Barlow and James Johnson — say Gen4 Glock 22s are selling like hotcakes.
Full-sized, full-capacity pistols were widely viewed as “niche guns” when they first hit the scene. Once their reliability was proven, sport competition shooters and law en-forcement officers embraced them for their high round-count magazines, and a rela-
tively small percentage of customers adopted them for home defense.
They’re Not “Niche Guns” Anymore!
By John Morrison
SALESHANDGUNS
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 43
HANDGUNS
“All the buzz on full-cap pistols here is about the fourth-genera-
tion Glocks,” said Randy Lish, sales con-sultant at Barlow’s Custom Guns in West Valley, Utah.
He explained attention was currently centered on the Gen4 Glock 22 RTF for a couple of reasons.
“First, most local agencies either is-sue or approve Glock pistols,” Lish said. “Overwhelmingly, the most popular here and all over the U.S. is the Glock 22 — the first model out with the RTF changes. The majority of our customer base is made up of law enforcement officers. Even most of our civilian customers come here because they know we’re a cop-oriented shop, and they want to carry what the pros rely on. We’re a Glock L.E. distributor, and virtu-ally all of them know that. All those fac-tors add up in our favor — and are a great benefit to our customers.”
Lish says Barlow’s is getting lots of of-ficers who are replacing their Gen-3 Mod-el 22s with Gen4s.
“The new features of the Gen4 22 make it an easy sale. First, there’s the RTF frame treatment. Those little polymids — the tiny studs over the gripping surfaces — provide a much better grip while ac-tually being less rough on the hands, and fabric, too, if you’re carrying it concealed. All you have to do is put a Gen3 22 in
the customer’s hand, apply some torque simulating recoil, a fight, an attempted weapon takeaway, and then do the same thing with the Gen4 RTF. The improve-ment is obvious,” Lish said.
And the same goes for the new semi-circular slide serrations, says Lish, calling them “very effective,” and noting the rail area appears to have been beefed up.
“Then, field strip the Gen4 22 and show off the recoil spring assembly, which is now a captive dual-spring design with a steel guide rod replacing the plastic,” Lish said. “It’s really strong, and our customers
are enthusiastic about it.”On the day of our interview, Lish com-
mented that Barlow’s had just received their first shipment of Gen4 Glock Model 17s.
“They’re going to set off another wave of ‘upgrade-buying’! Most of our custom-ers — L.E. and civilian — who don’t have Glock 22s have Glock 17s, and they’re go-ing to love the Gen4s!” he said.
For 2010, Glock enhances the Gen4 de-sign with a multiple backstrap system for changing the circumference of the grip. In addition, the magazine release catch of the Gen4 has been enlarged and is reversible.
43 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
Gen4 Glocks Rock!
For 2010, Glock adds a multiple backstrap system to the Gen4 design.
S&W Sales Are Smokin’! Beretta Creates Storm!You’ll find other full-cap pistols in the
display cases of Gun & Sport North in Salem, N.H., but according to manag-er Robert Kalil, the ones smokin’ off the shelves are Smith & Wesson M&Ps.
“They are our number-one sellers in full-size, full-capacity pistols by a good margin,” Kalil told SI. “Excellent ergonom-ics and the ability to fit any hand with the changeable grip panels contribute heavily to their appeal. Plus, their proven reliabili-
ty, easy maintenance, Smith & Wesson’s reputation and, of course, their very com-petitive price.”
He added it didn’t hurt that so many citizens know the New Hampshire State Police are now carrying M&P pistols.
“Between Smith & Wesson’s national advertising and their frequent sales promo-
tions, all we have to do is let people know we have them, and present their features well,” Kalil said. “We’ve had nothing but happy buyers, and dealing with Smith & Wesson is a pleasure. They keep us very well stocked, and
their interest in customer satisfac-tion is as intense as our own. Smith & Wes-son is a great business partner.”
Kalil reported the M&P40 in .40 Smith & Wesson enjoys the highest demand, fol-lowed by the 9mm M&P9.
“In fact,” he laughed, “the only thing flattening M&P sales right now is a terrific promotion on Smith & Wesson Sigma pis-
tols! Both ways, it’s good for us, our customers and Smith & Wesson!”
Just Call Us “Storm Central”If anyone in the northeastern U.S.
does a better job of selling full-size Ber-etta Storm pistols, Brian Olesen, general manager of American Shooters Supply in Albany, N.Y., wants to know who they are — and see some proof!
“In a way, I’m amazed at how popular
Even limited to 10-round magazines, the full-size Beretta Px4 Storm in 9mm is in high demand at American Shooters Supply in New York.
New for 2010, the Smith & Wesson M&P Pro Series is offered in .40 S&W and 9mm.
44 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
the full-size Storm pistols are, since they’re restricted to 10-round magazines,” Olesen said. “But it’s really understandable when you consider most of those we sell will be home defense guns. The full-size Storm provides easy operation under stress using gross motor skills, reduced recoil — which also translates to greater accuracy — and too, in confrontation, there is a certain psy-chological effect in the presence of a full-size handgun.”
American Shooters Supply has four lo-cations, and Olesen says they move an aver-age of 25 units a week just from one shop.
“The accuracy of Storm pistols is terrific, and it’s a major selling point,” Olesen said. “We have a Ransom Rest onsite, and we keep targets shot with Storms to show customers. They’re very impressed. We also point out features like the locked-breech rotating barrel system, which adds to both accuracy and reliabil-ity. Mechanically, it’s a beautiful design. The precision fit and finish speaks for itself, and then there is our warranty, on top of Beretta’s warranty.”
Olesen says American Shooters Supply places such faith in Beretta products that they guarantee satisfaction with accuracy,
reliability and overall performance. “If it was a new sale, we will re-
place that gun the same day, and if it was used, we’ll refund the entire purchase price, pe-riod. Beretta is the only brand we offer that guarantee on. In five years, we’ve had to use it once,” Olesen said.
Additionally, he says deal-er support from Beretta couldn’t be better.
“They’re always available, always in touch, and always asking how they can improve. My answer is, not much,” Olesen said.
Two Essential Ingredients For SuccessA couple of things struck us about
these interviews. First, though no one mentioned it, all
three shops were obviously very enthusi-astic about their top-selling full-capacity pistols — and that enthusiasm is highly contagious and a crucial element in sales.
Second, all employees and managers had — and emphasize — thorough prod-uct knowledge. Similar lists of appealing features and manufacturer attributes apply
to several other makers, like SIG SAUER, Springfield Armory, CZ, FNH-USA and more.
If you have the enthusiasm and the knowledge, it’s clear that you, too, can pick a winner — and ride it to success! 9
The new-for-2010 Spring-field XD(M) 3.8, in 9mm, has a capacity of 19+1 rounds.
See Reader Service, page 45, for a listing of handgun market manufacturers.
HANDGUN MARKET
To find out how you can become a Starline dealer, e-mail [email protected] www.starlinebrass.com • 1-800-280-6660
Starline quality brings your customers back for more.
W ith more than 80 calibers, Starline Brass is an industry leader in the research, development
and manufacturing of brass cases. Our unique manufacturing process and tight quality control yield consistent performance that will keep your reloading customers coming back for more. As a Starline dealer, you can take advantage of bulk pricing to increase your margin on all of our products, including the nickel-plated calibers offered exclusively through our dealers. Ordering is easy by phone, fax or our web site. Give your customers the case they ask for by name. Give them Starline.
185.26919 Shoot Ind MAy2010.indd 1 3/23/10 9:11 AM
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2010 45
ADVERTISERSAirForce Airguns 21American Tactical Imports 35ArmaLite 31Benchmade Knife Company 29BLACKHAWK! 6Brownells 36Columbia Marking Tools 16Connecticut Shotgun Mfg. 15Davidson’s Inc. 11DPMS 23Ellett Brothers 10European American Armory 12Federal Premium 3FNH USA 7Fobus USA 14Galco Gunleather 11GLOCK Inc. 47GSI International Inc. 15HKS Products Inc. 37Insight Technology 5Interstate Arms Corp. 38Joseph Chiarello & Co. 38Kwik-Site Co. 37Lewis Machine & Tool 33Nosler 17Numrich Gun Parts 36Outdoor Business Network 34Para USA 1Pelican Products 32ProMag Industries 28Remington Arms Co. 34Rock River Arms 9RUAG Ammotec USA, Inc. 41Safariland 19Scherer Supplies 5Shooting Search 34SIG SAUER 25Sports South LLC 2Springfield Inc. 48Starline Brass 44STI International Inc. 21Sturm, Ruger & Co. 13
2010 L.E./TACTICAL NEW PRODUCTS5.11 Tactical 36American Tactical Imports 32ArmaLite 32Benelli USA 36BLACKHAWK! Products Group 35Bushmaster 30Crimson Trace 38DPMS 33FNH USA 36Glock 37LaserMax 33NiteScout 37Revision Eyewear 30
Rock River Arms 32Sabre Defence 38SIG SAUER 30Stag Arms 35Streamlight 33Taurus International 38Trijicon 34Tuff Products 35XS Sight Systems 34
HANDGUN SALESAmerican Derringer 42Beretta USA 42Bersa (Eagle Imports) 42Bond Arms 42Browning 42Charter Arms 42Cimarron Firearms 42Cobra Enterprises of Utah 42Colt’s Mfg. 42CZ-USA 42Dan Wesson Firearms 42EMF Co. 42European American Armory 42FireStorm (SGS Importers) 42FNH USA 42Freedom Arms 42Glock Inc. 42Heckler & Koch 42Heritage Mfg. 42High Standard Mfg. 42Hi-Point Firearms 42H-S Precision Inc. 42Kahr Arms 42Kel-Tec 42Kimber 42Les Baer Custom 42Magnum Research 42Navy Arms Co. 42Nighthawk Custom 42North American Arms 42Para USA 42Rock River Arms 42Rossi Firearms 42Seecamp 42SIG SAUER 42Smith & Wesson 42Springfield Armory 42STI International 42Sturm, Ruger & Co. 42Taurus International 42Thompson/Center Arms 42U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. 42Uberti USA 42Walther USA 42Wilson Combat 42
Companies Page Companies Page
ReaderReader service
To receive an advertiser’s catalog, see this page in our Web-based edition: SI Digital. Each of our advertisers’ listings on the Reader Service page is hot-linked to their Web site, providing a near-instant means of requesting information. Not yet a subscriber of SI Digital? Visit www.shootingindustry.com. Click on “FREE: Sign Up For Digital Subscription.”
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Consider all your employment options in the Shooting, Hunting, Knife, LE/Tactical & Outdoor Industry. Industry specific, key employee search firm. Candidate contact encouraged, confidential, free. All fees paid by employer. Shooting Search, Inc. 407-321-5822 www.shootingsearch.com. [email protected]
ACCESSORIES
Classified ads are: $2.00 per word per insertion with a 20-word minimum OR $1.50 per word per insertion for three or more issues with a 25-word minimum. No charge for CAPS. Bold words add $1.00 per word. Copy and rerun orders must be accompanied by PAYMENT IN ADVANCE. NO AGENCY OR CASH DISCOUNTS ON LISTING OR DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADVER-TISING. All ads must be received with advance payment BY NO LATER THAN THE 15th of each month. EXAMPLE: Closing for NOVEMBER 2008 issue is September 15th. Ads received after closing will appear in the following issue. Please type or print clearly. PLEASE NOTE: NO PROOFS WILL BE FURNISHED. Include name, address, post office box, city, state and zip code as counted words. Abbreviations count as one word each. Mail to SHOOTING INDUSTRY CLASSIFIEDS, 12345 World Trade Dr, San Diego, California 92128. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR CLASSI-FIED AD IN SHOOTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE, CALL OUR SALES REPRESENTATIVE AT (858)605-0235.
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46 MAY 2010 www.shootingindustry.comRead SI DIGITAL
IndustryJust when you think you have a handle
on what the economy is going to do, it changes. First, economists express
optimism that we are in recovery, then the next day, there are dire fore-casts about a prolonged, un-stable market.
For the industry, the most up-to-date indicator of con-sumer activity is the monthly NICS report from the FBI. The latest numbers are for March. The FBI conducted 1,300,100 background checks during the month, a drop of 3.35 percent from March 2009. The decrease, however, needs to be
put into perspective. The number of background checks in
March 2009 was the fourth highest in the history of NICS, behind November and
December 2008 and December 2009. Plus, this March’s number is 25-percent higher than March of 2008. Thus, it’s too soon to
sell off your inventory and close the doors.By the way, the NICS numbers go beyond
a measuring device for gun purchases. (Yes, I know, they don’t reflect the actual number of
guns sold.) When a customer fills out a Form 4473 at a gun shop, he becomes a “buyer” for all things gun and outdoor re-lated. Thus, Form-Filling-Time is also Selling Time.
Back to the economic forecast. Given the uncertain-ty, it’s best to be optimistic
— work toward sales increases — but be cautious in your approach: The ever-safe Cautiously Optimistic posture.
Industry Eyes Questionable Economy
ATK Acquires BLACKHAWK!The major acquisitions continue, with ATK recruiting BLACK-
HAWK! into its Security and Sporting business group. The newly formed group, which includes also-acquired Eagle Indus-tries, “creates a market force in tactical accessories,” in the words of ATK officials.
Nicely said. It would have been appropriate, with the acquisi-tion of BLACKHAWK!, to have said “major market force.”
A relative newcomer to the industry, BLACKHAWK! has grown at an impressive rate, under the leadership of former Navy SEAL Mike Noell. He brought to his business model a focus and determi-
nation reflective of his military service training and experiences, plus he surrounded himself with top-notch folks with similar discipline.
“From the very beginning, we have prospered by delivering on our promise to provide law enforcement, military and security professionals with the highest-quality products to help them ef-fectively do their jobs in service to the nation,” Noell said.
Noell’s demand for quality and his aggressive marketing caught the attention of the industry, most notably competitors. It, obviously, also caught the attention of powerhouse ATK.
“BLACKHAWK! provides ATK with a leading tactical sys-tems brand, an expanded portfolio of quality products, and ad-ditional design and development expertise for innovative tactical accessories,” said Mark DeYoung, ATK CEO.
For more information, visit www.atk.com and www.blackhawk.com.
Russ ThurmanIndustrywatch
“ ”It’s best to be optimistic —
work toward sales increases — but be cautious in your approach.
HornadyTV.com On YouTubeHornady recently launched HornadyTV.com on YouTube. The exclusive channel con-
tains a wide variety of product overviews and instructional videos, as well as TV commercials and vignettes showcasing the company’s extensive line of bullets, ammuni-tion and reloading products.
View at www.HornadyTV.com or through the Hornady Web site at www.hornady.com. 9
Direct From The SHOT Show — Video reports by Shari LeGate.SI Digital readers, click here or visit the “Web Blast” section of www.shootingindustry.com.
SI DIGITAL
VIDEO
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