Remington’s New R51 and John Pedersen’s Legacy
It would be tough to find someone who doesn’t know, if not own, John Moses Browning’s seminal pistol, the M1911. Not surprising, given that nearly 3 million have been procured for military service in the US alone, dozens of other countries use them for military service and untold numbers of the prolific pistols and its derivatives are in the civilian market. Less well known is the Remington Model 51 designed by his contemporary, John Pedersen, who Browning described to US Chief of Ordnance Field Service Julian Hatcher as “the greatest gun designer in the world.” Also not surprising, since only 65,000 were produced and only through the late 1920s.
The original Model 51, marketed as a pocket pistol and available in .380 and .32 ACP, never enjoyed widespread commercial success despite many considering the locking mechanism to be superior to Browning’s design and describing it as ahead of its time. Pedersen’s legacy, and that of the Model 51, lives on with Remington’s introduction of the R51 pistol at SHOT Show 2014. Continue reading
Sticky Holsters for IWB-Tuck Get a Welcome Update
Following last year’s SHOT Show we did a review of Sticky Holsters, a relatively new holster that offers a big improvement over standard no-holster IWB or pocket carry. It was tough to find fault with the well-performing affordable holster. It does exactly what it says it will do: place your pistol into the Sticky Holster, tuck the whole contraption into your waistband in your favorite position and at your favorite angle and it stays put and stays comfortable. It does SOB, AIWB or just about anything else you ask of it.
Despite it’s nearly flawless operation, we did have a couple of small gripes with certain pistols. Given the relatively generic nature of the holsters (17 models that fit almost all pistols), the fact that they hiccup on some models isn’t the end of the world. The latest update to Sticky Holsters should alleviate the issues we noted in the standard version. Continue reading
SHOT Show Attendance Soars to New Record
Attracting industry professionals from the United States and more than 100 other countries, the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) shattered attendance records this week, giving industry professionals good reason to believe that 2014 will be another strong year for sales of firearms, ammunition, outdoor gear and law enforcement equipment.
The 36th SHOT Show ran Jan. 14 to 17 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center. Attendance figures eclipsed last year’s total by the second day of the show and finished at more than 67,000, an increase of 5,000. “I think that really speaks to the quality of the event and the enthusiasm and passion of our industry to provide quality products for hunting, target shooting and personal and home defense,” said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
NSSF, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, owns and manages the SHOT Show.
The $6 billion industry has enjoyed robust Continue reading
It’s a Wrap for SHOT Show 2014
Another SHOT Show is wrapped up from the Sands Expo Center in Fabulous Las Vegas and attendees were treated to the introduction of many new products. Some products will change the way you use your firearms, some are reinvented wheels and some are just plain “out there.” Since SHOT Show is industry-only, the GunLink crew and friends were on hand to cover the show and help scratch your itch for firearms industry news until you (hopefully) get a chance to attend one of the other upcoming shows.
During SHOT Show week, we got to fire some innovative (and fun!) weapons. We traveled thousands of miles across the United States only to run into the folks that run the range where I’m a member as well as a gun maker that grew up (and still has family) right in GunLink HQ’s neighborhood. We saw Greg Jordan beat out Taran Butler and take home $50,000 from the 3 Gun Nation Ruble on the Range championships.
During the State of the Industry Dinner, we saw NSSF and POMA give the Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator Awarda to a man who called the AR-15 platform “terrorist rifles” and called for their ban. The unbelievability of that was topped only by the Penn & Teller act that immediately followed. There was good news at Continue reading
3GN Rumble on the Range 2014
As in past years, we took a break from our exhausting coverage of SHOT Show to head out to the 3-Gun Nation championship – known as the “Rumble on the Range” – at Clark County Shooting Complex. And, as in past years, we weren’t disappointed by the action we found there.
We arrived just in time to catch Lena Miculek-Afentul take the ladies’ side of the championship and, with it, the $25,000 prize. Amid the buzzing, camera laden UAVs circling the range, gun smoke and windblown desert sand, there was time to grab a bite to eat and a drink (provided by the event sponsors, including Cheaper Than Dirt) before crowding the range to watch the men’s championship. Continue reading
Meet the New Glock Pistols
At SHOT Show 2014 Glock showcased two new pistols, their smallest model made to date alongside one of the largest: the G42 .380 and the G41 Gen 4 .45ACP. We got to handle and shoot both new buzzworthy pistols at Media Day at the Range in nearby Boulder City the day before the official show opening.
The G41, which Glock is touting as “practical/tactical,” is essentially a G21 but, instead of a 4.6″ barrel and 6.77″ sight radius, it gets stretched out with a 5.31″ barrel and 7.56″ sight radius while still managing to shave off 2.3oz. While certainly not helping improve concealability, the longer sight radius should help improve accuracy – a welcome trait whether your life is on the line or you’re just trying to win a match. The extra barrel and slide length make the G41 feel more balanced than a G21 and also improve the already more-than-managable felt recoil and muzzle rise from the hefty .45, making it easier to get back on target for follow-on shots. Continue reading
