The Firearm Blog

The Action TrackChair was on display at SHOT Show. It allows wheelchair users go off road into the fields or forests to hunt. Optional accessories include a camouflage finish and a gun rack. Its 24 volt DC 24:1 ratio high torque motor give this 390 lbs machine a max speed of 3-4 mph. The two 12 volt wheelchair batteries have a range of up to 6 miles, depending on a number of factors (weight of operator, temperature, terrain etc.). The base model, without any extra features, costs $15,300.

Phil White reviewed the Remington R51 a few weeks ago and I don’t want to repeat what he said but I will say it is a slick looking gun. Here are photos I took of it at SHOT Show today, including the Crimson Trace laser grips and the threaded model with a AAC suppressor.

Remington R51 with Crimson Trace Lasergrip.

The SIG P320 is SIG SAUER newest modular double-action striker-fired pistol. The P320 has been designed primarily with one thing in mind: convince law enforcement organizations to buy it. At the heart of the SIG P320 is the internal stainless steel frame assembly. The assembly houses the trigger group and contains the firearm’s serial number. Legally speaking, the internal assembly is the firearm. The frame assembly drops into one of three grip modules. The polymer grip modules (what we would normally call the ‘frame’ if they were serialized) vary in grip circumference (a small, medium and large). The grip module contains a cut out so the assembly serial number can be seen externally.

There are two barrel sizes, each being available in a threaded or non-threaded variant. The barrel lengths are 4.7″ for the Full Size model, and 3.9″ for the Carry (compact) model. Two slide assemblies are available in either the Full Size or Carry size. Two triggers are available, a standard trigger and a tabbed safety trigger (think Glock-style trigger). They both break at 5.5 lb

With $700 AR15 rifles everywhere, it is hard to sell the American public on more expensive semi-automatic modern sporting rifles no matter how many bells and whistles said rifles may have. As such, the Robinson XCR is a rifle that you do not see too often at the range, and that really is a shame. Our neighbors to the north love them due to their non-restricted status, but shooters here in the USA have never quite warmed up to the rifle. Here at SHOT 2014 is the first time I have been able to play with one for a bit.

The XCR was a competitor in the recent US Military Individual Carbine Competition, and from what I have heard, the soldiers loved the rifle.

Here is the light version, chambered in 5.56 by default but caliber conversions to 6.8 and 7.62×39 are available now:

The rifle

Nemo Arms has a line of high-end and high-priced ARs in .300 Win Mag. This year they’re adding a blue collar working man’s gun to the lineup at a lower price. Mind you, this “lower price” is still $3,999, so we probably won’t be seeing a ton of these out at the range on the weekend.

The Pratka has a 20″ barrel and lightweight stock, making it more portable than the other cannons in the Nemo lineup. It has a match trigger and billet receiver for a consistent touch and solid feel. The Pratka does not have the adjustable gas block that the rest of the Nemo guns have.

Using Nemo’s patented recoil-reduction technology in the bolt carrier group, I’m told that .300 Win Mag shots “tap like a .223.” I haven’t fired one of these guns, but the literature shows that the Nemo .300 Win Mags kick a little, but only a little, harder than .308 guns. So, despite the manageable recoil, the “taps like a .223″ claim might be a bit of a stretch.

The rep also mentioned that a sniper he talked to told him that he lik

WOLF Performance Optic, a sister company of WPA (WOLF Performance Ammunition), introduces at the SHOT Show 2014 the PSU 1x/4x32mm gunsight. It’s a switchable 1x to 4x magnification optic in the similar style as the highly regarded ELCAN Specter DR 1x/4x gunsight.

The new PSU 1x/4x is build by the Russian NPZ optic plant and imported by WOLF Optic for the US market. The NPZ optic plant was started by Carl Zeiss in the 1905 and it have been producing optics for the Russian military optic since World War I. A number of features were added for the US market such as MIL adjustment, 1.5 inch sight height, 1913 rail mounting interface and markings in English.

I know many people see our new AR posts and think “oh great, another AR in the crowded marketplace”. I admit I am right there with you, however something about Rhino Arms intrigued me. This young company out of Missouri specializes in extremely high quality AR rifles that are convertible from 7.62×51 to 12 gauge by swapping an upper and a magazine, which to me is very cool (especially to countries where shotguns are less restricted).

The guns use Remington chokes too:

Troy Industries has introduced new rails designed for the AK-47.  Using their proven designs as a foundation, the Troy AK-47 rail is lightweight and modular, providing the AK shooter a lot of options for accessories such as lights, lasers, scopes, or sling mounts.

The Troy AK-47 Top Rail.

The first Glock compact, slim frame, single stack pistol has arrived.  What many have wanted, but most considered would never arrive, has finally materialized in the form of the Glock 42 in .380 caliber.  The long awaited “mini” Glock is finally a reality.

Meet the Glock 42:

Overall Length – 5.94”
Barrel Length – 3.25”
Width – 0.94” (0.836” slide width)
Height – 4.13”
Weight – 12.35 oz. (without magazine); 13.76 oz. (with unloaded magazine); 14.36 oz. (with loaded magazine)
Sights – Polymer white dot front, white bar notch rear
Caliber – .380 ACP
Capacity – 6+1
MSRP – $475

The good people at Boberg Arms surprised everyone at SHOT by showing up with a .45acp version of their remarkable pocket pistol.

Ok great, another pocket pistol you say. Well here is the kicker: the pistol will shoot .45 Super.

A smattering of Bobergs

The rep told me that the .45acp version will be available in Spring and that the recoil with regular .45acp ammo is on par with a full size 1911, but less than a Commander. Also you get 7 rounds of .45acp in a gun smaller than a Glock 26:

Ohio Ordnance’s booth at SHOT is very impressive. Immediately you are greeted by a giant M2 machine gun and a semi-automatic FN MAG type firearm:

These rifles are available for sale to the well-to-do enthusiast who wants an FN MAG without spending over $100,000 for a transferable.

The gun that Ohio Ordnance is most well known for however is their semi-automatic Browning Automatic Rifle. On display they had a classic version (weighing in at 19.4 pounds) and a modern take they have designed as a sort of “what if the BAR was around today” type rifle:

Who would have ever guessed that FN would make the leap to manufacturing AR-15 based carbines and rifles? Seems like everybody is jumping on that bandwagon these days. Though they’ve produced the guns for quite a while, they’ve only had a few regular customers. Still, it looks like they know how to build them. Maybe it’s the hundreds of thousands of guns they’ve built for the US military that has given them a little practice.

New this year is the FN 15, the commercial version of the company’s AR. Initially, it will be offered in two versions, a rifle with a full stock and 20″ barrel and a carbine with an adjustable stock and a 16″ barrel. These are decidedly no-frills guns. In fact, I expect that some are going to complain about the underwhelming nature of yet another “base” AR model. But the fact that these are coming out of the same South Carolina facility as the proven military model means a lot, and when it comes to mil-spec, these guns are built by people whose livelihood depends on earning the stamp of approval. And my

Front view of the Elite Iron Revolution Bi-pod

I did not think I could ever spend over $700 for a bi-pod. But after I checked out the EliteIron booth and their Revolution Bi-pod I begged to have one sent to me to test out. The bi-pod has a ring that slides over the barrel to the front of the chassis and is mounted in to the chassis. The adjustable legs can be pivoted in any direction and the rifle can swivel smoothly and you do not come off target. You can literally turn this to the side or even upside down. It swivels 360 degrees. The legs can hook on t

Battlehook Sights for Glock. Front sight enclosed fiber optic

Battlehook Sights are solving two issues with this genius idea. The front and rear sights each have a great function. I have fiber optic sights on my competition pistol. I break or lose my fiber optics sights often. The Battlehook Sight distributed by Henning Group will solve that problem. The front sight encloses the fiber optic tube inside its housing if you will. No more break

This article first appeared on AllOutdoor.com

Black Rain Ordnance needs no introduction to regular AllOutdoor.com readers. The company is renowned in the black rifle world for making some of the finest ARs available, and unlike most AR makers, who assemble their ARs mainly from OEM parts, Black Rain machines most of their parts in-house. But I’m not here to talk about their ARs. I’m here to talk about their brand spanking new bolt-action sniper rifle platform.

Black Rain has been working in secret on this project for quite a while, and they gave AllOutdoor.com an exclusive, first-ever look at this beauty. From the muzzle brake all the way back to the Manner composite buttstock, BRO has engineered and machined this rifle to compete with the highest-end military sniper rifles available. If you’re in the market for a high-end .308, then in order to get a Remington 700-based rifle up to the level of finish a

Yesterday I noted the Browe Combat Optic, a titanium-housed optic that automatically sets reticle brightness based on lighting at the target. But not every shooter needs (or can afford) that kind of performance. As an alternative, Browe offers the Browe Sport Optic (BSO), a fixed-magnification 4x32mm daylight/low light optic housed in 6061-T6 aluminum.

The highlight of the BSO is what Browe calls “Rechargeable Illumination Technology” or RIT. It’s a battery-free method of illuminating the low light reticle with a flashlight. Shining high-power flashlight into the optic for fifteen seconds “charges” the reticle for three hours or more, and it can be re-charged with another 15-second blast from the flashlight. The low light reticle is available in green or blue. The daylight reticle is black.

The BSO is designed to be tough enough for military and professional use and is waterproof to 130 feet and retails for $940.

SIG Sauer is showing a new version of the P238 called the Black Pearl.  It features a polished and engraved slide plus custom wood grips.  The Black Pearl is outfitted with SIGLITE night sights.

Like other P238 pistols, the gun is a SAO pistol with a manual thumb safety and is chambered in .380 ACP.  The P238 pistols were announced at the 2009 SHOT Show in Orlando, FL.  Every year since then, SIG Sauer has released new versions of the pistol, including many commemorative editions.

The Black Pearl is due out this year and will retail for $779.

Kahr Arms continues to expand on their line of pistols, introducing the CT45 (officially the CT4543) at the SHOT Show this year.  The CT45 is a full-size frame, single stack pistol, dubbed a “value priced” .45 ACP.  Though it may be “value priced” the CT45 still features Kahr’s seven patents and slim single stack design.

Another look at the CT45

The CT45 has a black polymer frame with a stainless steel slide.  Like other Kahr firearms the CT45 is a striker fired double-action only pistol.  The pistol is made with conventional rifling in a 1:16.38 right hand twist.  The Kahr CT45 uses a “Browning-type” recoil lug, A white dot front, and whit

Black guns became desert tan, and then tan became OD green. OD green became neon zombie green. Now it seems that metallic and/or aged-looking finishes are a growing trend. Though custom colors have long been popular with gun owners, demand for more options is leading to additional choices from manufacturers and to a wider range of aftermarket products for customizing firearms aesthetics.

At the American Tactical Imports booth, I noticed these STG-44s by German Sports Guns in non-standard colors. I asked the rep about them, and he explained that these are samples of “potential” finishes for the .22LR re-creation of the world’s first assault rifle. He also mentioned the possibility of custom color finishes for a specific company or organization. So while these variant colors are not available today, we may see them or others in the future if there is enough interest.

But, please, no pink.

We spent several hours out in the Las Vegas desert at the Metropolitan Police Dept’s range testing the new Wilcox Raptar.

The Raptar is a unique device that incorporates both visible and IR aiming lasers, an IR illuminator, and a laser range-finder. The integral laser range-finder is what really sets the Raptar apart from PEQ-15s and similar laser devices.

This unit was just starting to be available during the last half of 2013, but Wilcox is hoping to see it gain traction in the new year.

There are two modules to the Raptar that sit low on either side your picatinny rail. One side is the laser aiming module, the other is the rangefinder. In the center is a small LED display that provides ranging information. All the lasers are co-aligned, so once you have them zeroed you your scope or sights, you can direct the rangefinder component using your crosshairs.