Smith & Wesson’s Battenfeld Technologies to Acquire UST Brands
Acquisition Will Add Survival and Camping Brands to Accessories Platform – Closing Expected November 2016
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation, a leading manufacturer of firearms and provider of quality accessory products for the shooting, hunting, and rugged outdoor enthusiast, today announced that its Outdoor Products & Accessories segment, through a subsidiary of Battenfeld Technologies, Inc., will acquire the business of Ultimate Survival Technologies, Inc. (“UST Brands”), a provider of high quality survival and camping equipment, in an asset acquisition for $32.3 million in cash. In addition, up to $2.0 million will be due over a period of two years following the closing, contingent upon the financial performance of the acquired business.
UST Brands is a recognized provider of some of the finest survival and camping equipment on the market. The UST Brands line of personal safety and survival tools includes LED lights, patented all-weather fire starters, unbreakable signal mirrors, premium outdoor cutting tools, first aid kits, signal whistles, survival kits, camp kitchen products, and more. UST Brands’ products are sold through a variety of outdoor, sporting goods, and large retailers, as well as through online merchandisers. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, UST Brands operates from a 100,625 square foot facility.
James Debney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Smith & Wesson, said, “We are very excited to announce the acquisition of UST Brands. With its complete offering of survival gear, UST Brands is our first acquisition that is entirely focused on the outdoor market, which is a key part of our vision to become the leading provider of quality products for the shooting, hunting, and rugged outdoor enthusiast. By expanding its product portfolio and retail presence, UST Brands delivered impressive compound annual revenue growth of 49% from 2012 through 2015. We believe that UST Brands’ broad distribution network, which includes strategic retailers, online retailers, and distributors, will create incremental opportunities for our existing accessories products. Moreover, we believe that the UST Brands product portfolio will benefit synergistically from the product innovation, distribution network, and efficient sourcing model that have contributed to the success of our Accessories Division under the leadership of its President, Jim Gianladis.” Continue reading
Alien Gear Holsters Releases New Cloak Tuck 3.0: Concealed Nation Edition
In response to winning Concealed Nation’s 2016 “Best Holster in the History of Ever” reader poll, Alien Gear Holsters teamed up with the concealed carry website powerhouse to deliver the all-new Cloak Tuck 3.0: Concealed Nation Edition.
Sporting a brand new look, the Cloak Tuck 3.0: Concealed Nation Edition comes as a product of a dual collaboration between both brands.
During the online poll, Alien Gear Holsters won several titles from Concealed Nation’s readers, including the highest in gun holster comfort, holster utilization, repeat business and affordability rates.
For Customer Service Team Leader Maxwell Wiener, the opportunity to connect with such a highly regarded concealed carry website is an exciting time for both brands.
“We are super excited to be recognized and partnered with Concealed Nation,” Wiener said. “It feels great knowing a product like our Cloak Tuck 3.0 has provided safety, comfort, and peace of mind to so many.”
Concealed Nation’s Brandon Curtis is also excited to offer customers a concealed carry holster.
“This partnership with Alien Gear Holsters to create these dual-branded holsters is something that we have been excited about for a while now,” Curtis said. “Paring these two companies for this project seems like a natural way to bring the brands closer together, and we hope to see positive feedback from both communities. We are happy to continue work with the great folks at Alien Gear Holsters, and are excited to promote responsible concealed carry together with these new holsters.”
Alien Gear Holster and Concealed Nation fans can order this special edition Alien Gear IWB Holster here.
Beauty or Beast – Ergo Delta Grip for Revolvers
Change Isn’t Always Easy but, Sometimes it’s for the Better
We got our first look at Ergo‘s Delta Grip a couple years ago at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits. My first thought was that it was bizarre looking – maybe even a little ugly. They certainly do not look like traditional revolver grips. When we handled the chained-down demo unit in the Ergo booth, it felt every bit as foreign as it looked and, always being one to judge a book by its cover, I decided that it wasn’t for me. Frankly, I wondered how they got it so wrong given how much I liked the original Ergo Suregrip on AR-15 builds.
Fast forward to the most recent SHOT Show Range Day. The GunLink team stopped by the Ergo tent, where they were showing off the new Delta grip for the Ruger LCR in addition to the original Smith & Wesson model, to speak with the company rep. While there, I mentioned my limited experience with the Delta grip and how my initial reaction was to be turned off by it, despite never having fired a shot from a revolver outfitted with the chunky stocks. After he explained some of the reasoning behind the Delta’s design and offered to send us a test set, we agreed that it was time for us to pull the trigger – so to speak – on the new revolver grips and we soon had a set inbound to install on an AirWeight J-frame Smith & Wesson.
The Delta grip – to be sure – is a substantial paradigm shift for revolver shooters. There are grips made of hard plastic, soft rubber, and wood; there are bird’s head, over-molded, flared, fat, and skinny grips; and there are slip-on and wraparound grip covers. However, until the Delta, we had not seen a grip quite like this. Continue reading
Sunjack Solar Panel Photos
Photos of the SunJack solar panel unit and battery pack to accompany the SunJack 14W Portable Solar Charger and 8000 mAh Battery Pack review.
2016 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits Gallery
The 2016 iteration of the National Rifle Association Annual Meetings and Exhibits (NRAAM) has drawn to a close and it was a resounding success.
With just over 80,000 in attendance over the three-day span, this year’s event was the second biggest in the show’s 145-year history, creating what the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates to be a $53 million economic impact for the city.
The GunLink team was there from the pre-show events to the closing bell on the last day (serenaded out by Mark Wills at the FN booth). We got to catch up with some old friends, speak with exhibitors and attendees, spend money on show specials, and snap photos. In case you were not able to make it to Louisville, here is some of what you missed…
Brownells New Product Week in Review :: May 13, 2016
Learn about the hottest new Brownells products from the best brands from Merchandise Manager Paul Levy.
- Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount 2 – High-powered weaponlight comes with Picatinny rail mount, push-button tail switch, remote pressure switch and mounting hardware. Runs on two CR123A lithium batteries, included. Beam can be switched from a blinding 625 lumens down to only 60 lumens for maximum runtime. User can choose between momentary- and constant-on modes. Also has a strobe function that can disorient a threat.
- Magpul QD Paraclip Adapter – Steel adapter fits into QD swivel sockets and allows use of slings with Paraclips and other clip-in-style attachments. Eliminates need to buy a whole new sling. Tough Melonite coating resists wear and corrosion.
- TangoDown Vickers Tactical Magazine Extension For Glock 43 – Durable polymer magazine extension replaces factory Glock 43 magazine floorplate and adds 2 rounds capacity. Extension has outer covering specially shaped to enhance the firing grip. Comes with proper-length stainless steel spring for reliable feeding.
- Hornady Rapid Rack – Empty-chamber indicator also works as a load-assist device to allow storage of a firearm with an empty chamber, but a full magazine. Cartridge-shaped portion of the Rapid Rack inserts into an empty chamber, while red handle portion sticks out, indicating unloaded and safe. Firearm can be instantly loaded by grasping the handle and pulling sharply to the rear. Rapid Rack will fall out and next live round in the magazine will be charged. Available for AR-15, AR-Style .308 firearms, and certain 12 gauge shotguns.
