The 2007 SHOT SHOW is history and it wasn't quite as
loaded down with new items as the 2006 one but still quite a few new items. It
seems that 2007 may well be the year of the accessories as probably 75% of the
new items shown were in that category.
The manufacturers that make gun cases have been busy
these last few months. I guess with all the changes the TSA has made in the
rules and regulations concerning the cases you are allowed to have with you
when you fly, this barrage of new gun cases was inevitable. I have counted 26
new gun cases in the literature I have received and most of them, for the most
part, are just copies of the Pelican case. With the new weight regulations,
most of them are stressing that their cases are lightweight but strong. If you
are traveling to a foreign country this year, check around at the many cases
available to you. There is bound to be one to fit your needs. In my personal
opinion the Pelican case is still the best made, but there are several that
are gaining rapidly in popularity.
The situation with Browning and Winchester is still
murky at best. Browning and Winchester are owned by the same company and when
Winchester went under and nobody wanted to buy the company out they simply
moved all the equipment to their sister company, Browning. I talked to one of
the Browning reps and he made a big deal out of the fact that Winchester is
shipping the new semi auto rifles and shotguns and the new over & under. I
reminded him that they never stopped shipping them as that was out of the
Japan plant that was not effected by the closing of the U.S. plant. He mumbled
something and walked off so I have no idea what will be the outcome. I do hope
Browning does decide to build most of the Winchester line up as there were
some fine guns in there. It would be a real shame if they gutted the line up
and only produced a couple of lines.
Speaking of Browning, they introduced their new takedown
lever action on the BLR and model '81 frame and in several calibers. The good
thing about a takedown is that the scope mount is ahead of the frame so when
you take the barrel off the scope comes off with it. This way the scope stays
zero'd in the whole time.
More and more companies are releasing survival packages.
As far as I know S&W was the first with everything you could possible need
including a tarp, a knife, first aid kit, glow in the dark condoms, and your
choice of a 460 S&W or a 500 S&W, both in a 2 inch model. They come in
bright orange and bright yellow cases and the guns come with matching color
grips. I sure wouldn't want to be in a serious survival crises and not have
matching colors on my grips.
Several distributors are introducing survival packages.
Some have a 22 LR pistol, a police type shotgun, ammo, first aid kit and a lot
more. I wonder if the shotgun stocks matches the color of the case? One of
these survival packages is made in France. It includes a shotgun with no ammo,
a white surrender flag and knee pads. The shotgun comes with a rubber coating
so when you throw it down and surrender it won't get scratched.
One of the survival kits is for a mini crises, like
maybe a hangnail or a bad hair day. It includes a Beretta spiral notebook, a
Bushmaster sunglasses case (no sunglasses), a Mag Tech first aid kit, a Taurus
water bottle holder, a S&W water bottle, a Hornady lip balm and thank the
Lord!! a floating key chain. I really don't know if I could survive without
that one.
Speaking of Winchester a moment ago I forgot to mention
that their name is still out there in abundance. There is now Winchester
shooting glasses, Winchester ear protection, Winchester spotting scopes,
Winchester binocs, Winchester pink bunny slippers and Winchester gun oil
scented disposable douche. Hallelujah!
Still no word yet on whether there will be any changes
at Thompson Center now that S&W has bought them out for $102 million CASH.
Now that the democrats are in power, so to speak, expect
a lot of changes in the firearms market. We can expect more "non
lethal" self defense weapons, oops, can't call them weapons. Have to call
them tools. After all we can't offend anyone, now, can we? These will be
things like a AAA battery powered little dart that comes out of a
"tool" at an amazing 3.6 mph and slams into an assailants chest with
the power of a BB, causing him to jump back and scream, "what the hell
was that?" The democrats say he will then throw down his gun or knife and
start to cry and tell you how mistreated he was as a child and that the prom
queen wouldn't give him oral sex and this ruined his life forever and it
wasn't his fault. And then the dems want you to take this misguided creature
home with you and introduce him to your 17 year old daughter. How sweet.
Also expect a lot of new gun safety features. I saw one
just introduced that is a bright pink (can't call it hot pink, that is sexist)
ball about the size of a golf ball attached to a bright pink rod that goes
down the barrel of your favorite semi auto, that has a 6 round magazine, ( I
did tell you about the 6 round mags, didn't I?). Anyway, this bulbous
monstrosity will make your firearm completely safe and only takes 2 keys, push
3 buttons, lay your thumb on the side of the barrel and recite Hillary
Clintons name 3 times to open it. Kazowee, can't wait.
For years people have complained that the Glock 45 and
10mm full size guns were too big and they were a big oversized. Now they have
a new slimmed down model 21 in 45. I asked the Glock rep what they were going
to call it. He said they were going to call it the "slimmed down model
21". Damn that's a catchy name. Glock has a new carbine coming sometime
in late '07 too. No word yet whether it will be a handgun cartridge or a 600
nitro.
Remember here a while back I was bitching about S&W
using the old revolver names like Chiefs Special and Military & Police for
semi autos instead of coming up with a new name. Well, the disease is
catching. Remember the old Hawkeye from Ruger? The single shot flat cylinder
revolver? Well, the Hawkeye is back, but this time as a rifle. Ruger is now
calling all their model 77 rifles the Hawkeye. The Mark 2 name is gone, it's
now the Hawkeye. Also you know about the revolver from Ruger called the
Alaskan, right? Well now there is an Alaskan rifle too chambered in the new
375 Ruger, and there is also an African rifle chambered in the same caliber.
This new cartridge is supposed to be a very good cartridge. I have the reamer
and am waiting on the ammo to get here so I can chamber some encores in it.
Savage has a new 1000 yard rifle coming out and a
special long range 6.5 X 284 coming soon with a 4 ounce trigger.
S&W is getting back into the long gun business. They
have a nice double barreled shotgun in 20 gauge coming, called the Elite Gold.
I am told there will be some very nice rifles to come too.
Taurus has apparently picked up a military contract for
their 24/7 in 45. No word yet which branch is getting it but it is supposed to
have some very unusual features.
Hornady is doing very well these days with the
production of all the new cartridges the gun companies are making guns for.
Like the new 308 Marlin, the special long range rifle ammo for Marlin, the 375
Ruger, the 450/400 and 9.3x74, all for the new Rugers plus much more.
Lots more on the horizon and I'll touch on more of it
next month. My new handgun hunting book is doing very well, thanks to you
guys, with 20 to 25 books going out every day. And I do thank you for that.
We will go over more new products next month, in the
meantime, learn to be a less offending person. Use those new democrat approved
words like "discourage" instead of kill, "talk it over"
instead of shoot, "misguided human being" instead of illegal alien,
oh yes, and remember it's "tool" instead of gun. Practice that at
the local bar. Walk up to the bartender and ask him if he would like to see
your tool. Should be a great conversation starter.
