ANME Winter Expo Kicks Off in Las Vegas
Army Navy Military Expo Showcases Backbone of Tactical and Surplus Industry
The Army Navy Military Expo (ANME) kicked off Sunday at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, just days before the official start of that other big show in town catering to similar crowds. The ANME is a business-to-business trade show that offers goods from the army, navy, tactical & law enforcement, camping & outdoors industries. GunLink staff had a chance to stop by the show on opening day to walk the aisles and visit with a number of the exhibitors.
As one exhibitor explained to us, the show was born about half a decade ago following a change of direction in another show that many of the vendors had previously focused on and has been growing ever since. For business owners and buyers in the surplus and tactical industries, the ANME offers much more personal opportunities to interact with their suppliers than some larger shows. The show also offers a venue for SMBs and start-ups for whom getting on an exhibitor waiting list and hoping to get in might not work.
There is some overlap between SHOT and ANME exhibitors and attendees – we saw some familiar faces both in the booths as well as walking the aisles, including a James Yeager sighting – but another vendor explained to us that there is often a marked difference what attendees are looking for. Rather than focusing on the latest firearms and high-tech gadgets, attendees here are looking for genuine military surplus goods as well as outdoor and survival staples and basic tactical products – something that can be challenging in a world where the finite supply of vintage surplus goods is ever shrinking. Continue reading
Palmetto State Armory Enters the Glock Barrel Market
For some time now, there have been only several players in the threaded Glock barrel game. Of course, one can get a factory threaded barrel from Glock, complete with their M13.5x1LH threading – which does have its benefits, but is otherwise largely silly – and a relatively hefty price tag. Then there are notable offerings from the likes of Storm Lake and Glock-aftermarket titans Lone Wolf Distributing, whose price tags can run the gamut from $235 down to $129, respectively. Now, it seems as if Palmetto State Armory wants to join in the action.
Known for having ridiculously good deals and specials, PSA is now selling drop-in 1/2×28 threaded Glock barrels. With an MSRP of just $109 (and melonite G19 models currently on sale for $99!) with the thread protector included, it seems like too good of a deal not to try out. In a feat of blindingly-fast-for-PSA shipping, the barrel that we ordered arrived promptly via the big brown truck after a mere 12 business days.
Comparing the profile of the PSA barrel’s lugs, feed ramp, etc. to that of the factory barrel, they seem pretty much identical. Comparing the smell of the two, it may be safe to say that the PSA unit was fresh from the nitrocarburizing tank. The finish of the PSA barrel was nice enough, with all surfaces having a consistent finish. The stamp consists of the PSA crossed-cannons logo and “9MM” and it looks good enough that, even if there was an option to pay extra to have it removed, it wouldn’t be necessary. Although there are some guesses floating around the internet, we haven’t seen any confirmation of who is making the barrels for PSA or if they are producing them themselves. There is no wolf head hidden anywhere on it to indicate that they are re-branded LWD barrels, as is the case with Gem-Tech barrels.
The barrel lived up to its “drop-in” moniker, installing with no additional fitment required and hand-cycling snap caps with no issue. At the range, right out of the box it gobbled up a full box of brass 9×19 ammo as well Continue reading
What Will We See at SHOT Show 2015?
It is hard to believe, but SHOT Show 2015 is less than four days away. The eagerly anticipated Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show is the largest show of its kind, featuring more than 1,600 exhibitors and drawing tens of thousands of industry-member attendees as they seek out the next trend setting products and services in the shooting industry. Simply put, this is the show to find out about new firearms and gear product launches.
As usual, GunLink will be covering the show again this year – from the SHOT Show Range Day before the official show opening to the 170,000 square feet of show floor exhibit space. There will no doubt be many great product unveiled this year and GunLink will be covering them live during the show and continuing coverage after the show closes.
So, what can we expect to see from SHOT this year?
Heckler & Koch is rolling out several new updates to the handgun and long gun categories, including new HK45 Cerakote colors, the brand new USP9 Tactical, and the now-shipping MR556A1 rifle – a semi-auto version of the HK416. Range day attendees will also have a chance to get their hands on the new striker-fired VP9 pistol.
Charter Arms adds another model to its Pitbull line of rimless cartridge revolvers. The stable will now include a .45 ACP model in addition to the existing 9mm and .40 S&W models. IWI US will be showing off their $1200-range UZI Pro pistols, one of which features a now-ubiquitous arm brace.
A perennial hot topic is what new products Glock will unveil at SHOT. Rumors of a single-stack 9mm pistol have been Continue reading
Win an Alien Gear Gift Card from GunLink
If you follow the GunLink Blog, you know that we were impressed when we bought our first Cloak Tuck holsters from Alien Gear and they have kept us impressed as they have continued to expand their lineup to include OWB holsters, Cloak Tuck 2.0 holsters and a variety of clip options. We apparently weren’t the only ones to be impressed, either; Alien Gear had to double their production just to keep up with demand.
Alien Gear’s latest offering is their gift cards and we thought it would be a great idea to give one away!
How great of an idea is that? We can give you a holster without even knowing what pistol you carry! In fact, the $50 gift card that we’re giving away is even enough to get TWO HOLSTERS! If you win, you can get one for yourself and one for someone else. Or you can be greedy and keep them both or get one holster and a pile of swag – we won’t judge you.
The entry period lasts through January 23, 2015 – coinciding with the end of our live coverage of the 2015 SHOT Show. Don’t worry, though… our coverage of the latest and greatest that the shooting, hunting and outdoor industries have to offer doesn’t end along with the giveaway. Be sure to stay tuned to the GunLink Forums and GunLink Blog following the show for continued coverage, reviews and more.
Enter The Giveaway
There are several ways to enter. Using the widget below:
- You can earn one entry for following GunLink on Twitter.
- You can earn another entry for following Alien Gear on Twitter.
- You can earn an additional one entry per day by tweeting the message.
- You can earn a whopping 3 additional entries for posting in the giveaway thread on the GunLink Forums.
The 2014 Gift Buying Guide for Firearms Enthusiasts
You had all year to shop. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday have all come and gone. Now December is upon us and you still haven’t finished your holiday shopping for the firearms enthusiasts in your life. With the 2015 GunLink Holiday Gift Buying Guide, you will have to come up with another excuse than forgetting a gift to avoid visiting your in laws for Christmas.
The Gift of Gun Rights
One easy, and always appreciated, gift for any hard-to-shop-for gun lover is an NRA membership. It’s the gift that keeps on giving all year by helping to protect our Second Amendment rights. Membership comes with other benefits as well, such as a choice of publications sure to satisfy any shooter, including American Rifleman, American Hunter, and America’s 1st Freedom. Membership also gets you in to the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, which is always a great experience for any firearms enthusiast. Click here to save $10 on an annual NRA membership for that special someone (or yourself).
Something EVERY Shooter Needs
If you know what kind of firearms your recipient owns and enjoys shooting, Continue reading
Alien Gear Holsters Ramps Up Manufacturing Due To Increased Demand
Consumer demand continues to grow for Alien Gear Holsters’ newest IWB, the ‘Cloak Tuck 2.0’. Launched in Summer 2014, this lightweight, neoprene composite holster has taken the market by storm with what many in the concealed carry industry are calling the most comfortable, dependable and easy to conceal holster they’ve ever tried.
As a result, the ‘Cloak Tuck 2.0’ has shattered Alien Gear Holsters’ daily sales records, causing delayed shipping times while fueling product demand. Thomas Tedder, President of Tedder industries admits, “the demand for the ‘Cloak Tuck 2.0’ has been greater than expected and we’re doing our best to accommodate each and every customer.” As a response, Tedder Industries is doubling their manufacturing line and streamlining many key processes at their Hayden, Idaho manufacturing facility.
Alien Gear Holsters also plans to implement several tools to their website to help inform their customers, including an order status feature, improved email notifications and a chat function that allows customers to access a customer service representative instantly.
Every Alien Gear Holster is hand-made to order and goes through a rigorous, quality assurance test to ensure maximum quality and attention to detail. Tedder adds, “We take great pride in every holster we build, making the low priced ‘Cloak Tuck 2.0’ the best value on the market. We will continue to improve shipping times without compromising the quality you have come to expect.”
About Alien Gear Holsters
Founded in 2013, Alien Gear Holsters manufactures premium, incredibly comfortable holsters for concealed carry. Alien Gear Holsters are the most comfortable, concealable holsters on the planet. Any planet. For more information about Alien Gear Holsters, visit aliengearholsters.com.
