NSSF Announces 2021 SHOT Show is CANCELLED!
Despite earlier statements that everything was going smoothly, nobody had anything to worry about, and acres of mask material with tanker ships full of hand sanitizer to keep everyone safe and healthy, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) announced today that the 43rd Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trades show – a/k/a SHOT Show – has been cancelled.
Whether it was due to legitimate health concerns at the show itself, or vendor pull-out based on coronavirus worries, the 2021 gathering of the firearms industry in Las Vegas this January is no more.
Despite what NSSF President & CEO Joe Bartozzi called remarkable work by SHOT Show staff to “work around the clock to plan our largest show in history while keeping the health and safety of all involved” at the top of the list, he made the announcement this morning. Continue reading
Range Time with Mossberg’s Centennial Gift to the Shooting: The Company’s First Pistol in 100 Years
To celebrate their 100th year in business, Mossberg is releasing a new pistol, only their second in the company’s history.
Don’t feel bad if you are unfamiliar with the shotgun powerhouse’s first foray into handguns. The Mossberg Brownie was the company’s very first firearm – a four-barreled .22 caliber pistol marketed toward hunters and trappers – was only produced from 1919 to 1932, during which it sold for a mere $5.
The prodigal pistol producer’s latest handgun, dubbed the Mossberg Carry 1 Sub-Compact (MC1sc), is more on-point for one of the hottest market segments today: the sub-compact single stack 9mm carry gun. The GunLink team went hands-on with the MC1sc at SHOT Show 2019, including getting some trigger time with the new pistol during Industry Day at the Range the day before the show officially opened.
My first thought when Mossberg announced the new handgun was that they were late to an already crowded party. A party already attended by a pretty popular in-crowd, including the Glock 43, Smith & Wesson Shield, Springfield XDs, and the newer Sig Sauer P365. Stiff competition for a company with a sparse track record in the handgun arena. Good luck, Mossberg.
My first thoughts when we met the MC1sc at SHOT Range Day were that it was remarkably well executed and Mossberg has a real shot with this pistol. Continue reading
Nighthawk Custom Launches New Compensated 1911: The Firehawk
Nighthawk Custom, manufacturer of the world’s finest custom made 1911’s, is proud to introduce the newest model in their lineup, the Firehawk.
The new pistol offers several advancements in the company’s long line of purpose-built innovation. Nighthawk Custom has utilized a recoil-taming single port compensator, a Bull Barrel and a full-length guide rod that adds weight to the front of the pistol to reduce muzzle rise. In addition, the Firehawk has a modified government length slide that has been shortened from 5” to 3.9”. A newly designed commander length spring and reverse plug system maintains the standard recoil impulse of a 5-inch 1911 for reliability.
“We set out to create a compensated pistol model, starting with the idea that we could use innovative engineering to build a 1911 that fit the profile of a standard government model but would benefit from the effects of a compensator,” stated Mark Stone, Owner and CEO. “We decided the traditional methods weren’t enough and built the entire compensator system from scratch.”
As part of its functional design, the Firehawk features a full Nighthawk Custom prep that incorporates a French Border to showcase the craftsmanship involved in blending the compensator and slide together. The closed front end of the compensator has been bull nosed for an easy draw and a custom touch. Nighthawk Custom has built a stunning custom pistol that has the functional benefits of a compensator, allowing for minimal movement of the front sight while shooting and allows for much faster follow up shots, while maintaining a classic appearance that will impress classic 1911 aficionados.
The Firehawk has an MSRP of $4199.00 and is available with a nitride or stainless-steel finish in 9mm and .45 ACP.
FN Announces FN509 MRD Pistol Geared for LE Market
FN America, LLC is pleased to announce the release of the FN 509 MRD pistol, an optics-ready duty pistol designed specifically for agencies considering miniature red dot optic-equipped pistols for their officers. The FN 509 MRD pistol features the company’s patent-pending FN Low-Profile Optics-Mounting System, first introduced on the FN 509 Tactical. The optics-mounting system can accept more than ten commercially available miniature red dot optics, including the duty-grade Trijicon RMR, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro, and the recently released Aimpoint ACRO P-1.
The 509 MRD is a striker fired 9mm pistol with internal passive safeties and no external manual safety.
Product Specifications
Action: Striker; DAO
Trigger Pull: 5.5-7.5 pounds
Capacity: 10, 17 or 24 rounds
Weight: 27.02 oz.
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Overall Length: 7.4 inches
Price: Law enforcement agency quote only.
The optics mount accepts the majority of MRD’s on the market with no need to direct mill the slide, allowing for a low-profile mount and co-witness with iron sights. The slide cap, for use when not shooting with an optic, has raised sight wings that protect iron sight alignment if the pistol is dropped or jostled, and provides a textured ramp for racking the slide against a belt loop, pant pocket or boot.
The FN 509 MRD joins the FN 509 law enforcement-specific line-up alongside the new Training and Simunition pistols released last year. Agencies interested in the FN 509 MRD should contact le@fnamerica.com for a price quote.
Tactical Solutions Introduces the All-New Pac-Lite TSS at SHOT Shot 2019
TacSol, the rimfire firearm, rimfire conversion, and rimfire accessory market leader in versatility, dependability, and accuracy is excited to introduce their all-new Pac-Lite TSS this year at SHOT show. This new, .22 long rifle integrally suppressed upper is designed to fit the Ruger Mark I, Mark II, Mark III and the 22/45 series pistols.
TacSol has built a reputation for lightweight firearms and accessories that consistently deliver accuracy and precision. The Pac-Lite TSS is no exception, with its internal suppressor, it’s the only fully serviceable integrally suppressed upper on the market built with Tacsol’s patented split tube design. Coupled with its ultra-lightweight (11 ounces) barrel designed with aluminum upper, interlocking titanium baffles for ease of disassembly, quieter, lighter and less expensive than a Tacsol Pac-Lite with an Axiom Suppressor. TacSol calls the Pac-Lite TSS “the most innovative and durable integrally suppressed barrel upgrade on the market today.”
“We at TacSol are very proud of this engineering feat and are very anxious to release the Pac-Lite TSS out into the marketplace,” said Dan Person, Vice President of Production at TacSol. “I firmly believe our customers will be very pleased with the functionality and performance of this suppressed barrel ugrapde.”
The barrels are in production now and are anticipated to ship in the very near future to all TacSol distributors and dealers nationwide.
2018 SHOT Show Range Day Round Up
The GunLink team spent the day before the official opening of SHOT Show 2018 walking the grounds of the Boulder City Pistol and Rifle Club, where we were able to handle many new firearms from well known, big name manufacturers as well as new companies trying to get their name out there. While many companies had completely new weapons, it still seems that the firearm industry is leaning towards “high-end” modifications of existing platforms. Some of the offerings were fairly innovative, showcasing the fruits of lengthy R&D processes while others made small improvements on existing platforms to enhance the shooting experience.
Franklin Armory Reformation
Some of the biggest buzz at SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range surrounded Franklin Armory’s new Reformation line. Franklin kicked off the hubbub a couple of weeks ago with a mysterious press release boasting a new AR15 with an 11.5″ barrel and a Magpul SL stock. Big deal, right? We’ve all seen SBRs before. The catch was that Franklin Armory said that the Reformation was not a rifle (or a shotgun) and, despite the diminutive size coupled with a regular stock, is not subject to NFA regulations or taxes.
After picking our way through the crowd gathered around the Franklin shooting bay, we got some trigger time on the display model, outfitted with the short barrel, adjustable Magpul stock, Franklin’s BFSIII binary trigger, and magazines loaded with standard 5.56 ammo. Taken together, this blew many of the theories about how it escaped NFA purview, but the company reps wouldn’t give out any more details until tomorrow’s press conference at their booth on the show floor.
Mag-Fed Shotguns – Mossberg 590M and Remington 870DM
Mossberg’s domestic competitor, Remington, may have beaten Mossberg to the punch with last month’s announcement of the 870DM, an update to their popular pump-action shotgun to feed from a detachable magazine, but we think that Mossberg came out on top in the execution department with their new 590DM. Full disclosure, we are Mossberg fans out of the gate, preferring the 500 platform over the 870 in most regards.
Remington’s edge came with the announcement of a wider variety of models of the 870DM, including a Magpul equipped, camo thumb-hole, hardwood, tactical, and stubby non-NFA TAC-14 models that will accept Remington’s in-house built single-stack magazines in 3- and 6-round capacities. Continue reading