Industry News
Sold Out
It wasn’t just the AR-15s, the AK-pattern rifles, the M1As, and the FALs that were sold out. It really hit me when I realized that the World War-era M1 Garands , M1 carbines, and Enfield .303s were gone, along with every last shell. Ubiquitous Mosin-Nagants—of which every gun store always seems to have 10-20—were gone. So was their ammo. Only a dust free space marked their passing. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Happy New Year!
Troy Defense (Troy), a division a Troy Industries, Inc., was deeply dismayed and shocked to hear through national media outlets that Dick’s Sporting Goods (DSG) made the decision to stop selling the Troy Carbine along with other modern sporting rifles. DSG did not contact or inform Troy of this decision prior to notifying the public. Nor was Troy informed by DSG that cancellation letters were being sent to customers, set to arrive on Christmas Eve (a day Troy was closed).
What idiots.
All-Time One-Day Record
Black Friday Best-Seller: Guns
There were 129,166 requests to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)–a third more than the previous record of 97,848 on Black Friday 2008, FBI spokesman Stephen Fischer said. On Black Friday last year, there were 87,061 requests.
Core of SHOT
In July, the SHOT Show announced that they’d be “repurposing” the event:
That means that we will focus our exhibit floor on those companies that are involved in our core business — shooting, hunting, outdoor and tactical. Those exhibitors that do not represent core shooting, hunting, outdoor and tactical product segments will be informed that they will not be invited to exhibit in 2013. Letters will be going out to those companies affected beginning in September 2011, and should those companies choose not to exhibit in 2012 as a result, we will offer them a full refund, which is contrary to the terms of their 2012 contract, but only fair under the circumstances.
I thought this was a good move, as there were more than a few oddball booths at the show. No big deal unless there are legit shooting and hunting companies waiting to get in, and that’s apparently the case.
More recently they announced that
we first removed nearly 100 out of 400 waitlist companies that do not meet the criteria of our core business. These companies will be receiving a letter explaining our position. We then sent invitations and applications to exhibit at the 2012 SHOT Show to 128 firearms, ammunition, optics and accessory companies. Just 60 of those companies submitted their application and payment.
This week, we are inviting another 50 companies to join us at the Sands Expo this January. It appears we will be able to accommodate more than 100 new exhibiting companies at the 2012 SHOT Show and have all the remaining 122 companies that meet the criteria of our core business off our waitlist and exhibiting at the 2013 SHOT Show.
This is probably a real good move. The show is huge and I’ve never really been a fan of some of the out-of-place booths there.
Freedom Group
In the NY Times: How Freedom Group Became the Big Shot
I got the “Freedom Group is owned by George Soros and he’s buying up everything to shut it down” email a few times last month and meant to post on it but never did.
Anyway, I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of these mega-groups of companies and the numbers-based consolidation that they bring, but what are you going to do about it? I don’t really see any issue.
The article seems more or less even-handed, too. Surprising for the NY Times.
Via Uncle.
Wow
Colt, S&W among those out of carbine bidding
Despite the headline, Colt still has a gun in the ring.
So who is still in the running? The B.E.A.R. by Adcor Defense, SCAR by FNH and the Adaptive Combat Rifle by Remington are still standing. They are now joined by Colt’s Enhanced M4.
Do not confuse the Enhanced M4 with the M4A1. The weapon is suppression ready, has a fluted barrel for less weight and better cooling, and has shown “markedly better” accuracy than the current M4, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Internal mechanisms have also been changed to increase durability and reliability. Notably, Colt went with a piston system.
And Heckler & Koch has jumped in the ring with an HK416 variant. Officials didn’t want to go into detail on the changes, except to say that is a “far improved” version of the venerable HK416.
Venerable? The HK416 is “venerable”?
And, despite what’s claimed later in the story, the XM8 did NOT have a 20mm grenade launcher. That was the XM29.
So, at this point, I wonder how much of that story is really accurate…
Charlie Cutshaw
Murdoc just saw that writer Charlie Cutshaw passed away recently. He was a great guy and a great writer, particularly in the tactical field. Though I wasn’t what you’d call close friends with him, we shared a few beers here and there at industry events and I always felt like I’d learned something after talking with him. I was lucky to know him.
The last time I saw him was a couple of years back. He was climbing onto a shuttle bus at SHOT. I offered him the seat next to me, but he was just looking for his wife and had to go check another bus. So we agreed to meet up soon.
I was just looking over the list of attendees at an upcoming event and was disappointed to not see Charlie’s name on the list. I thought again of that quick meeting on the bus and wondered when we’d have that beer.
Laura Burgess Marketing notes:
In lieu of flowers: Please send donations to one of two of Charlie’s favorite charities. The first charity being ASPCA. Please use the following address of Linda Tiramani, ASPCA Special Giving, 520 8th ave 7th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Please include a note,”in memory of Charles Q. Cutshaw”. The second charity is Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Rd., Ste 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256. Same note as before please.
Charlie will be missed.
Wal-Mart brings guns back
Wow:
Wal-Mart said Thursday that it is bringing guns back to many of its U.S. stores in an effort to lift slumping sales.
In 2006, Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500), the world’s largest retailer stopped selling guns in the majority of its stores, blaming slow demand for those types of firearms.
Wal-Mart currently sells rifles, shotguns and ammunition in about 1,300 stores in the United States.
Those firearms will now be available at about half of Wal-Mart’s 4,000 stores.
Via Instapundit, who writes
Nowadays, guns and ammo are regarded as good investments.
Belt-Fed Hydra MARCK-15 by MGI
Belt-Fed Hydra MARCK-15 at 2011 SHOT Show
MGI's MARCK-15 Hydra .223 Belt-Fed Rifle at SHOT Show 2011
Before you get too excited, the MSRP is $3,999 for the full weapon.
UPDATE: Guy Sagi writes about (and has more pics of) the MARCK-15 Hydra over at Shooting Illustrated.
Diamondhead Handguard on new STAG 3
Diamondhead V-RS Handguard on STAG Model 3 at SHOT 2011
Seems that a lot of rail manufacturers are realizing that, while everyone loves having quad rails for all the accessories, no one really likes gripping quad rails. And that covers which widen the fore arm aren’t the answer.
Below is some more info on the Diamondhead V-RS:
Read the rest of this entry »
Wolf Ammo Wolf
Here’s the Wolf Ammo mascot sitting at their booth at the SHOT Show:
Murdoc’s got to admit that, for a wild animal, this guy was very well behaved. He acted as if the crowd wasn’t even there and sat peacefully all show long.
