SHOT Show Re-Cap: Were My Expectations Met?
In today's article, now that we have seen the new products from SHOT Show, I am going to recap my Pre-SHOT show wishlist to see which of my wishes were granted and which of my "non-wishes" were no granted. Overall, from what I saw from this year's show, I am not very impressed with the progress that has been made in the industry. I did not see a great deal of innovation and much of what was offered was more of the same old song and dance. Now, without further ado:
1. Wish Not Granted: A lever action rifle chambered in the X-Frame calibers.
With the growing popularity of lever action rifles, I was actually expecting this particular wish to be granted this year. It was not. However, we did see progress as Taurus will be producing revolvers in 500 S&W and 460 XVR in 2023 which, I expect, will increase the popularity of these chamberings. Now, some of the offerings from Taurus in these chamberings look absolutely atrocious and - when I ultimately buy one - I am almost sure to opt for an honest to goodness five inch stainless Smith & Wesson in 460. I am hopeful that, next year, we see some Rossi lever action rifles to match the pistol chamberings - or better yet - some lever action offerings from Ruger based on a Marlin platform.
2. Wish Not Granted: A semi-automatic 10 gauge from Benelli
I have pretty much given up on this wish being granted. Instead of honoring the mighty 10, the trend we are seeing in shotguns has favored the smaller gauges like 28 and 410. I barely have use for a 20 gauge and certainly have no use shotguns suited primarily for mouse hunting. While I don't expect to see many innovations in the world of the 10 gauge, I do think there is some room for innovation in the shotgun world. First and foremost, optics are way underutilized by shotgun hunters and this is something the industry could work toward correcting. I have run an optic on by Super Black Eagle 3 for years and I love it. Another think I would like to see if more innovation in the area of magazine-fed shotguns. The offerings from Remington and Mossberg in a pump action platform were not my cup of tea, but I think this is technology that can be improved upon.
3. Wish Not Granted: A lightweight bolt action rifle in 5.7 FN
Although we have yet to see a light varmint rifle chambered in 5.7 FN, we may be on our way there. This year we have Smith & Wesson innovating this year with their own pistol chambered in 5.7 FN. They will not be competing against the FN Five Seven and Ruger 57 pistols. I own the Ruger and think it will be very tough to beat. Again, I am hopefuly the popularity of this nasty little round will increase. I'd like to see less expensive ammo and I'd absolutely love a bolt action rifle in this neat little caliber.
4. Wish Might Be Granted: A LPVO with adjustable parallax
I did not get a chance to see if this is a wish we are going to get in 2023. My guess: probably not. People seem to be happy with their existing LPVOs.
5. Wish Not Granted: A 475 caliber personal defense round and handgun to match
After the abysmal failure of the 30 Super Carry following last year's shot show, there does not seem to be much appetite for new handgun calibers. Over the past few years, in addition to the 30 Super Carry, we have had the 45 GAP, the 357 Sig, the 327 Magnum, and the 5.7 FN. None of them have taken off to such a degree that they have supplanted the venerable 9mm or 45 ACP; although the 5.7 is moving up in this world. Similarly, the 40 S&W is moving out of favor as people once again have found a preference for full power 10mm handguns. I do not expect this wish will be granted unless bans on standard capacity magazines are upheld when the issue ultimately gets to SCOTUS. If that happens, people will be looking for more stopping power in a handgun designed for 10rd capacity..
1. Non-Wish Granted: More AR or AK Platform Modern Sporting Rifles
I really didn't see much of this from the after-action SHOT show reports. I love the AR. I love the AK a lot less. I think it's a good thing that the industry is seeing that we want more than just the standard offering and I really hope the innovation continues. The IWI Carmel did not violate this non-wish as it is neither an AR nor and AK; it's more akin to a SCAR.
2. Non-Wish Not Granted: More Micro-9 Pistols
Smith and Wesson released the Equalizer to compete with the Glock 43, Springfield Hellcat, and Sig P365 series. This will actually be a decent pistol for someone who wants a micro-9 with a manual safety so I suppose they filled that niche area of the market. I am honestly not a fan of Smith & Wesson semi-auto pistols. I have a strong preference for Glock (although a Sig P365 is my EDC), but I do know some who enjoy the Shield series and other S&W semi-automatics. I am, however, thankful that we aren't seeing the market flooded with more micro nines this year. I did see that a lot of companies are moving to 2011 style pistols. I find that interesting since these pistols are generally designed for competition rather than carry or personal defense. This could be an indication that tactical shooting competitions have seen an uptick in popularity, and if that's true, it will only mean positive things for the 2nd Amendment.
3. Non-Wish Not Granted: Yet another new rifle round
I was not going to count the 7mm PRC because it was announced, with weapons being chambered for it, well before the 2023 SHOT Show. Since I knew about it before SHOT, I don't think it should count. But Remington, once again, showed how out-of-touch they are with gun owners by releasing the 360 Buckhammer round to compete with the relatively well-established 350 Legend. The purpose of these rounds is for hunting in midwestern states where, for rifle hunting for deer, a straight-wall cartridge is required. The venerable 30-30 Winchester is a bottleneck cartridge as is the 300 Blackout (but can we really consider the 300 BLK a bottleneck? Come on!). The 350 Legend and 360 Buckhammer are designed to replicate their power in a straight wall cartiridge design. Outside of states where such cartridges are required, there is little utility for the 350 Legend and - as a Johnny-come-lately to the party - I predict that the 360 Buckhammer will fail. Is it better than the 350 Legend? Maybe. That doesn't mean it will be successful.
4. Non-Wish Not Granted: More electronic gadgetry for long range shooting
Burris released its Veracity PH which threatens to remove all the joy from long range precision shootings. I am sure this will work really well at some pretty standard hunting distances when the batteries are actually charged. I am also pretty sure that the people who use this expensive toy aren't going to know dick about long range shooting and will find themselves lost in the sauce if the electronics go bad or they have a dead battery..
5. Non-Wish Maybe Granted: Reboots that suck or for which you can't meet demand
I absolutely LOVE the fact that Palmetto State Armory is rebooting the STG 44 from WW2 in both the original chambering and a variety of modern chamberings. Does this violate non-wish #1? Not really because this falls into the "reboot" category. The article states "[p]almetto State Armory is just getting started with this new brand. Work is already started on several new firearms, including nearly ever famous World War II firearm you can imagine" - and I really hope that this is the case. I would love to see a new manufacture M1 Carbine and 1903 Springfield. I'd love to see a new manufacture Mosin Nagant in the "Stalingrad" sniper rifle configuration (although my hunt for an ORIGINAL Finnish M39 continues). I think a new-manufactured Luger or Broomhandle would be outstanding. If they released a Luger, I would carry that thing in traditional style black leather officer's holster simply because doing do will make antifa cry.
Best New Rifle: Ruger American with GoWild Camo in 7mm PRC
The reason for this is pretty basic: it will be the most affordable rifle in 7mm PRC released in 2023 and I am very anxious to see if it will be able to shoot toe-to-toe with the significantly more expensive options in this caliber. If this rifle proves accurate enough for consistent, accurate, sub-MOA shots out to 900 yards, it's going to be hard to beat (yes, I know if may ultimately need a few modifications). I have faith in Ruger's ability to make a fantastic rifle, so this is the winner,
Best New Pistol: Smith & Wesson M&P 57
This one's a no brainer. We need more pistols in this caliber and I am glad to see Smith & Wesson enter the mix. This is a round that is extremely versatile and which has been underrated for a long time now. I will hope for my bolt action varmint gun in 5.7 FN next year.
Best New Shotgun: Sauer SL5 Waterfowl
There was not much to choose from this year and, honestly, it was between this and Beretta's new tactical shotgun based on the Model 300 platform. I went with this one for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the price promises to be less than or equal to the Super Black Eagle 3 which means that - if it performs well - it will be a very tough gun to beat. I LOVE that there is a 30" barrel offering available in this shotgun for those extra long range shots. Another thing I like is the old school "Fred Bear" camo pattern. Of course, Fred used to say that the best camouflages is "sit still and be quiet".
Best New Optic:Holosun DRS Red Dot Hybrid
This was the product of shot show which screamed "shut up and take my money". I anticipate that these are going to be very popular and even harder to find.
Best New Accessory:MDT Zero Stage Electric Trigger
This one merits some explanation; it took a product that has been on the paintball market for decades now and has finally brought it to firearms. I am not sure how this works. One thing I do know is that triggers like this could be answer to the woes of the BATF. They may have taken away our fun with bump stocks and now forced reset triggers. However, the definition of "machine gun" won't matter much if these can be transferred to a semi-automatic platform. I have seen what they can do in paintball, so this wins the award because I think we can expect great things from this technology.
- From The Wish List
1. Wish Not Granted: A lever action rifle chambered in the X-Frame calibers.
With the growing popularity of lever action rifles, I was actually expecting this particular wish to be granted this year. It was not. However, we did see progress as Taurus will be producing revolvers in 500 S&W and 460 XVR in 2023 which, I expect, will increase the popularity of these chamberings. Now, some of the offerings from Taurus in these chamberings look absolutely atrocious and - when I ultimately buy one - I am almost sure to opt for an honest to goodness five inch stainless Smith & Wesson in 460. I am hopeful that, next year, we see some Rossi lever action rifles to match the pistol chamberings - or better yet - some lever action offerings from Ruger based on a Marlin platform.
2. Wish Not Granted: A semi-automatic 10 gauge from Benelli
I have pretty much given up on this wish being granted. Instead of honoring the mighty 10, the trend we are seeing in shotguns has favored the smaller gauges like 28 and 410. I barely have use for a 20 gauge and certainly have no use shotguns suited primarily for mouse hunting. While I don't expect to see many innovations in the world of the 10 gauge, I do think there is some room for innovation in the shotgun world. First and foremost, optics are way underutilized by shotgun hunters and this is something the industry could work toward correcting. I have run an optic on by Super Black Eagle 3 for years and I love it. Another think I would like to see if more innovation in the area of magazine-fed shotguns. The offerings from Remington and Mossberg in a pump action platform were not my cup of tea, but I think this is technology that can be improved upon.
3. Wish Not Granted: A lightweight bolt action rifle in 5.7 FN
Although we have yet to see a light varmint rifle chambered in 5.7 FN, we may be on our way there. This year we have Smith & Wesson innovating this year with their own pistol chambered in 5.7 FN. They will not be competing against the FN Five Seven and Ruger 57 pistols. I own the Ruger and think it will be very tough to beat. Again, I am hopefuly the popularity of this nasty little round will increase. I'd like to see less expensive ammo and I'd absolutely love a bolt action rifle in this neat little caliber.
4. Wish Might Be Granted: A LPVO with adjustable parallax
I did not get a chance to see if this is a wish we are going to get in 2023. My guess: probably not. People seem to be happy with their existing LPVOs.
5. Wish Not Granted: A 475 caliber personal defense round and handgun to match
After the abysmal failure of the 30 Super Carry following last year's shot show, there does not seem to be much appetite for new handgun calibers. Over the past few years, in addition to the 30 Super Carry, we have had the 45 GAP, the 357 Sig, the 327 Magnum, and the 5.7 FN. None of them have taken off to such a degree that they have supplanted the venerable 9mm or 45 ACP; although the 5.7 is moving up in this world. Similarly, the 40 S&W is moving out of favor as people once again have found a preference for full power 10mm handguns. I do not expect this wish will be granted unless bans on standard capacity magazines are upheld when the issue ultimately gets to SCOTUS. If that happens, people will be looking for more stopping power in a handgun designed for 10rd capacity..
- From The Non-Wish List
1. Non-Wish Granted: More AR or AK Platform Modern Sporting Rifles
I really didn't see much of this from the after-action SHOT show reports. I love the AR. I love the AK a lot less. I think it's a good thing that the industry is seeing that we want more than just the standard offering and I really hope the innovation continues. The IWI Carmel did not violate this non-wish as it is neither an AR nor and AK; it's more akin to a SCAR.
2. Non-Wish Not Granted: More Micro-9 Pistols
Smith and Wesson released the Equalizer to compete with the Glock 43, Springfield Hellcat, and Sig P365 series. This will actually be a decent pistol for someone who wants a micro-9 with a manual safety so I suppose they filled that niche area of the market. I am honestly not a fan of Smith & Wesson semi-auto pistols. I have a strong preference for Glock (although a Sig P365 is my EDC), but I do know some who enjoy the Shield series and other S&W semi-automatics. I am, however, thankful that we aren't seeing the market flooded with more micro nines this year. I did see that a lot of companies are moving to 2011 style pistols. I find that interesting since these pistols are generally designed for competition rather than carry or personal defense. This could be an indication that tactical shooting competitions have seen an uptick in popularity, and if that's true, it will only mean positive things for the 2nd Amendment.
3. Non-Wish Not Granted: Yet another new rifle round
I was not going to count the 7mm PRC because it was announced, with weapons being chambered for it, well before the 2023 SHOT Show. Since I knew about it before SHOT, I don't think it should count. But Remington, once again, showed how out-of-touch they are with gun owners by releasing the 360 Buckhammer round to compete with the relatively well-established 350 Legend. The purpose of these rounds is for hunting in midwestern states where, for rifle hunting for deer, a straight-wall cartridge is required. The venerable 30-30 Winchester is a bottleneck cartridge as is the 300 Blackout (but can we really consider the 300 BLK a bottleneck? Come on!). The 350 Legend and 360 Buckhammer are designed to replicate their power in a straight wall cartiridge design. Outside of states where such cartridges are required, there is little utility for the 350 Legend and - as a Johnny-come-lately to the party - I predict that the 360 Buckhammer will fail. Is it better than the 350 Legend? Maybe. That doesn't mean it will be successful.
4. Non-Wish Not Granted: More electronic gadgetry for long range shooting
Burris released its Veracity PH which threatens to remove all the joy from long range precision shootings. I am sure this will work really well at some pretty standard hunting distances when the batteries are actually charged. I am also pretty sure that the people who use this expensive toy aren't going to know dick about long range shooting and will find themselves lost in the sauce if the electronics go bad or they have a dead battery..
5. Non-Wish Maybe Granted: Reboots that suck or for which you can't meet demand
I absolutely LOVE the fact that Palmetto State Armory is rebooting the STG 44 from WW2 in both the original chambering and a variety of modern chamberings. Does this violate non-wish #1? Not really because this falls into the "reboot" category. The article states "[p]almetto State Armory is just getting started with this new brand. Work is already started on several new firearms, including nearly ever famous World War II firearm you can imagine" - and I really hope that this is the case. I would love to see a new manufacture M1 Carbine and 1903 Springfield. I'd love to see a new manufacture Mosin Nagant in the "Stalingrad" sniper rifle configuration (although my hunt for an ORIGINAL Finnish M39 continues). I think a new-manufactured Luger or Broomhandle would be outstanding. If they released a Luger, I would carry that thing in traditional style black leather officer's holster simply because doing do will make antifa cry.
- Overall Takeaway/Awards
Best New Rifle: Ruger American with GoWild Camo in 7mm PRC
The reason for this is pretty basic: it will be the most affordable rifle in 7mm PRC released in 2023 and I am very anxious to see if it will be able to shoot toe-to-toe with the significantly more expensive options in this caliber. If this rifle proves accurate enough for consistent, accurate, sub-MOA shots out to 900 yards, it's going to be hard to beat (yes, I know if may ultimately need a few modifications). I have faith in Ruger's ability to make a fantastic rifle, so this is the winner,
Best New Pistol: Smith & Wesson M&P 57
This one's a no brainer. We need more pistols in this caliber and I am glad to see Smith & Wesson enter the mix. This is a round that is extremely versatile and which has been underrated for a long time now. I will hope for my bolt action varmint gun in 5.7 FN next year.
Best New Shotgun: Sauer SL5 Waterfowl
There was not much to choose from this year and, honestly, it was between this and Beretta's new tactical shotgun based on the Model 300 platform. I went with this one for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the price promises to be less than or equal to the Super Black Eagle 3 which means that - if it performs well - it will be a very tough gun to beat. I LOVE that there is a 30" barrel offering available in this shotgun for those extra long range shots. Another thing I like is the old school "Fred Bear" camo pattern. Of course, Fred used to say that the best camouflages is "sit still and be quiet".
Best New Optic:Holosun DRS Red Dot Hybrid
This was the product of shot show which screamed "shut up and take my money". I anticipate that these are going to be very popular and even harder to find.
Best New Accessory:MDT Zero Stage Electric Trigger
This one merits some explanation; it took a product that has been on the paintball market for decades now and has finally brought it to firearms. I am not sure how this works. One thing I do know is that triggers like this could be answer to the woes of the BATF. They may have taken away our fun with bump stocks and now forced reset triggers. However, the definition of "machine gun" won't matter much if these can be transferred to a semi-automatic platform. I have seen what they can do in paintball, so this wins the award because I think we can expect great things from this technology.
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