Taurus’ Continued Innovation in CCW Weapons on Display at SHOT
Taurus firearms have had an up-and-down relationship with gun owners over the years. We have seen changes at the company’s helm over the past half-decade or so and, with it, changes in their direction and product lines. They have expanded with the acquisition of companies like Heritage Mfg., Diamondback, and Rossi. They thought outside the box with the introduction of new revolvers like the massive Judge and the window-sided View. We have seen customer service and quality control issues and we have seen those issues owned and addressed as they retooled their Brazilian manufacturing facilities and grew US manufacturing facilities – which is where two of Taurus’ latest CCW offerings are produced.
Ahead of the Curve
Taurus’ latest offering for the concealed carry market is the new Curve – a double-action only .380 ACP designed to conform to the body for greater concealment. When carrying a firearm on one’s waist, the most difficult part to conceal is often the grip, which sticks out at odd angles from the body. Taurus has addressed that with the Curve. Not only is the Curve about the size of the new iPhone 6 Plus at 5.18″ long by 3.7″ tall with a short, stubby grip, its curved design allows it to hug up against the wearer’s hip. This helps limit the pistol’s maximum projection from the body to the thickness of the 1.18″ frame and 0.88″ grip while allowing for 7 rounds to be at the ready. Continue reading
Remington Unleashes 300 Yard Muzzle Loader at SHOT Show
This Model 700-based Black Powder Rifle Ain’t Your Daddy’s Smoke Pole
Oh, great. Another Remington 700 variant. Yawn; keep moving. Wait a second… that’s a front-loader?
That’s pretty much what happened that got the GunLink crew to double back for an unscheduled visit as we strolled past the huge product art adorning the exterior walls of the Remington booth at SHOT Show 2015. Of course, we had planned to stop in to the Freedom Group booth anyway to visit various members of the family, but this new rifle caught our attention.
The .50 caliber Remington UML appears to have a good start on living up to its name: the Ultimate Muzzle Loader. As much as the term may be overused, by all accounts the UML is a game changer in the black powder world. And it is sure to further ruffle the feathers of traditionalists who already don’t like the current crop of fast, powerful modern inline muzzle loaders that blur the line between muzzle loaders and centerfire rifles. In fact, unlike some other muzzle loaders, the UML is considered a firearm and is subject to the same regulation.
Based on the Remington 700 bolt-action, the inline UML is a true magnum – capable of handling 200 grains of powder, making it an accurate 300-yard rifle. 250 grain projectiles scream from the UML at 2,400 fps with nearly 3,200 ft lbs of energy. At 300 yards, it is still supersonic at over 1,300 fps, delivering 966 ft lbs of energy. Continue reading
Brownells Pushes EDGE Program at SHOT
Brownells introduced their new loyalty and shipping program to the shooting industry at SHOT Show 2015. Dubbed Brownells EDGE, members join by paying an annual $49.95 fee and, in return, get numerous benefits – think of it like Amazon Prime for gun stuff.
Brownells EDGE members get free standard domestic shipping on orders, discounts on expedited shipping and free return shipping. The benefits to Brownells customers who order a lot of items are obvious. Company CEO Pete Brownell (who is also a current NRA Board member and 2nd Vice President) even suggested that members who are debating between two products could order both, get them shipped for free, and return the one that they didn’t like. It would seem like cheating if The Man himself hadn’t suggested it.
The EDGE benefits don’t stop at free or discounted shipping either. Program members will also receive exclusive offers and discounts only available to those on The EDGE. Mr. Brownell, in a radio interview during the SHOT Show, even mentioned that members may receive advanced notice of .22 rimfire ammunition coming into stock – a market in which he postulated that we may see shortages for another 18 months.
To help get the ball rolling and build membership, Brownells is entering everyone who purchases a Brownells EDGE membership into a drawing for a chance to win an STI Edge .45 ACP 2011 pistol – valued at $2,180.
“We owe our longstanding success to being in tune with our customers,” said Brownells President/COO, Matt Buckingham. “We’ve heard customers asking for lower-cost shipping options, so we created Brownells EDGE. With just a few orders the membership fee easily pays for itself.”
More information can be found by visiting the Brownells EDGE webpage.
GunLink 2015 SHOT Show Photo Gallery
SHOT Show 2015 has come and gone. The GunLink team was there for the whole week to soak up all of the gun, gear, and everything else that the show had to offer. From Industry/Media Day at the Range the day before SHOT Show officially opened to the four day long expo that filled the Sands Expo Center – we saw it all. While we will be covering much of what we saw in greater detail in the coming days and weeks, we want to let you see what we saw.
SHOT Show Range Day 2015 – What You Missed
The end (of January) is nigh, and that means that we are wrapping up another SHOT Show – the National Shooting Sport Foundation’s annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show which showcases the best new innovations that the industry has to offer. As in past years, the GunLink crew spent an action packed week-long stint in Las Vegas to cover the show – from the live fire demos of SHOT Show Range Day right through all four days of walking the 640,000 square feet of show floor to visit the more than 1,600 exhibitors. If you didn’t make it to the Range Day, here is what you missed. Continue reading
2015 SHOT Show Posts Second Highest Attendance Total Ever
The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) rang up its second highest attendance ever at the Sands Expo Center Jan. 20-23, giving the industry a very good indicator that a strong sales year lies ahead.
Long a bellwether for the industry’s prospects, the SHOT Show brings together buyers and sellers from the United States and more than 100 countries. Total attendance for the 2015 SHOT Show was nearly 64,000, second only to last year’s record-setting event, where nearly 67,000 came through the turnstiles. Lower attendance reflected strengthened pre-screening of attendees to enhance the overall experience of both exhibitors and buyers.
“We know from long experience that attendance at the SHOT Show is a reflection of the state of our industry,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “This second highest attendance is in keeping with what we saw in the past year — that our industry is in good health and that manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers have a positive outlook for this year.”
NSSF®, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, owns and sponsors the SHOT Show.
From the opening bell, the show floor hummed with traffic. Cindy Daniel, Executive Vice President of Daniel Defense, a major sponsor of the SHOT Show, said, “It’s been a very busy show. We’re optimistic that with the good vibe we’re seeing on the floor sales will pick up again and we’ll have a solid year.”
Said Kort Nielson with Silencer Co., “We’ve been pretty busy, and there hasn’t been Continue reading
