MACHETE HAPPENS: THE GUNS OF MACHETE KILLS

SHOT
SHOT SHOW ISSUE

SHOW
2014
A TRIP TO THE
GUN STORE
LAS VEGAS
CZ KADET .22 VIEW FROM
CONVERSION INSIDE
THE
BOOTH

/// FIRST LOOK

BERETTA
ARX100 MARCH 2014 GUNUP.COM
CONTENTS

FEATURES

10 GUNS OF
MACHETE KILLS
In an age where good spoof movies
are hard to come by, the new
Machete Kills offers up some fun
action and unique firearms in a well
done over-the-top package.

16 FIRST LOOK:
THE BERETTA ARX-100
Beretta’s new gas-piston rifle is one
of the first completely ambidextrous
semi-automatic rifles to hit the
market. Based off the ARX-160,
which is in use by military forces
around the world, the ARX-100 is
one of our favorite SHOT Show
releases.

22 BEHIND THE BOOTH

For many attendees SHOT Show is
experienced from the perspective of
the retailer, but for a whole different
part of the industry, SHOT Show
is spent selling to retailers. Find
out how much work goes into the
SHOT Show booths, and what it’s
like on the other side of the counter.

26 SHOT SHOW 2014:

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 10
What can we infer about where THE GUNS
the firearms are headed from OF MACHETE KILLS
companies’ new released at SHOT
Show? Managing Editor Shelley
Rae discusses new products,
marketing trends, and what it says
about shooters.

IMPROVE YOUR GAME

32 RUN2GUN TV
GunUp is proud to announce that
they will be sponsoring the new
combination athletic and hunting
show, Run2Gun TV.

16
FIRST LOOK:
THE BERETTA
ARX-100

4 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

®
 CONTENTS

TRAVEL

36 THE GUN STORE BUY AN ANNUAL

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42 THE CZ-75 KADET

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48 THE WOMAN,THE AR AND

EVERYTHING TACTICAL
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Anette Wachter walks us through
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Contributors
(WRITER) (WRITER) (WRITER) (WRITER) (WRITER) (WRITER)
ROB CALEB PETER ZACK JORDAN ANETTE
REED GIDDINGS BARRETT CARLSON MILLER WACHTER
www.examiner.com gunupthemagazine.com www.papadeltabravo.com www.thegunbench.com www.run2gun.com www.30calgal.com

Rob Reed is a NRA Caleb Giddings is Peter Barrett has Zack Carlson is Starting at a young Anette Wachter, aka
Training Counselor a gun writer and been a street sweep, a firearm and age, Jordan Miller 30CalGal, picked
in the Detroit area. competitive shooter a dishwasher, an accessories critic developed a driving up long range
He writes as the based out of Sioux underpaid computer based in Northern passion for both shooting in 2009
Michigan Firearms Falls, SD. When geek, and he even Idaho. He is most hunting and sports. and within two years
Examiner and not shooting guns owned a video known for his many His dedication to his was invited to try
Detroit Gun Rights or writing about game store, but he firearm podcast physical fitness paid out with the US
Examiner at them, he is probably has always been appearances. off in the form of Rifle Team. In 2011
www.examiner.com. asleep. a shooter. Active Zack’s fans accolades, medals, Anette won the BC
in USPSA, IDPA, appreciate his and a collegiate Rifle Championship
multigun and also insight into the scholarship to play and took three
a collector of curios firearms industry basketball; but National records. In
and relics, he has due to his day most importantly, 2012 her US Team
SUBSCRIBE TO GUN UP THE MAGAZINE yet to find a shooting job at Lone Wolf it resulted in a life- Hayes took the
To get free copies of GunUp the Magazine digital discipline that wasn’t Distributors. long commitment Silver Medal at US
delivered to your email inbox every month, simply interesting to him. to physical fitness Nationals and then
join the community at www.GunUp.com. He lives in central and healthy living. went on to South
Sign up for print subscriptions online at North Carolina Jordan not only Africa and came
www.gunupthemagazine.com, by emailing with his wife, two trains champion home with several
publishing@gunup.com, or call 206-445-7051. children, an elderly fitness competitors US Team Medals.
retriever and an and models, he is You can follow her
uppity cat. a men’s physique competitions at
competitor himself. www.30calgal.com.

6 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

J O I N . N R A L I F E O F D U T Y.T V
CONTENTS
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
For firearms enthusiasts around the
world, SHOT Show is a big deal. New
products, big parties and guys in tac-
tical pants litter the Las Vegas streets
every year. One thing worth noting
about this year’s SHOT Show has noth-
ing to do with the Show itself, but rather
an interesting note about how the Las
Vegas hotels have chosen to handle it.
Upon arriving, several high-profile
SHOT Show attendees, both trainers
and professional shooters who were
preparing to compete that week, found
PRODUCTION
DAN HALL, as Mr. President
CALEB GIDDINGS, as Machete
EDITORIAL
SHELLEY RAE, as Miss San Antonio
JOANN ARBACH, as Desdemona
Contributing Writers:
Peter Barrett, Zack Carlson, Jordan
Miller, Rob Reed, Anette Wachter
ART
STEVE RUML, as Voz
steve@ghostcrtv.com
8 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
themselves faced with security guards
who insisted that they could not take
their guns into their hotel rooms.
Personally, I pack a Pelican case al-
most everywhere I go. When I rolled
into the Venetian lobby to check in, I
was stopped at the door and asked if
anything for SHOT Show was in my
case. Apparently they weren’t inter-
ested in my clothes and make-up, but
the very principle of the thing ruffled my
feathers.
At the beginning of February, the Na-
TO ADVERTISE
For information on rates and advertising
in GunUp the Magazine, contact Caleb
Giddings at advertising@gunup.com.
FOR REVIEWS OR
PRODUCT PLACEMENT
For information on reviews or product
placement, contact Shelley Sargent at
editor@gunup.com.
TO SUBSCRIBE
To get free copies of GunUp the
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Sign up for print subscriptions online
at www.gunupthemagazine.com, by
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call 206-445-7051.
Back issues may be ordered by emailing
publishing@gunup.com.
tional Shooting Sports Foundation, who
hosts SHOT Show, announced that the
Show would be staying at the the Sands
Convention Center in the Venetian
through 2018. I never expected them
to move, I know they get a good deal
for staying there, but for a show that
brings millions of dollars into the Las
Vegas economy, $73 million according
to various sources and as cited by the
NSSF, you would expect Vegas – a city
known for not being judgmental – to be
welcoming, rather than confiscating the
very firearms that fuel this giant indus-
try and dump so much money back into
their casinos and hotels every year.
How many more restrictions will Las
Vegas choose to put on attendees be-
tween now and 2018? In the long run
will the city drive away this huge mon-
eymaker to more friendly territory? The
only answer is that we’ll have to wait
and see, but it’s definitely something
worth paying attention to.
Shelley Rae, Editor
shelley@gunup.com
GunUp the Magazine is published monthly by GunUp
Publishing, LLC, a subsidiary of GunUp, Inc. Copyright 2014,
GunUp Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction or
transmission in whole or in part by any means without written
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FEATURES
/// THE GUNS OF
MACHETE
KILLS
BY PETER BARRETT
www.papadeltabravo.com
I
nsanely prolific science fiction
author and all around smart
guy Isaac Asimov once not-
ed that humor was the hardest
genre of fiction to write, as while
works of drama or horror could
be moderately suspenseful or
scary and still successful, hu-
mor had to be completely funny
or a total failure. This goes dou-
ble for the parody or spoof mov-
ie, as not only does it have to
maintain a consistent and high
grade of funny, but the whole
thing will only work if it’s creat-
ed out of love for the subject. A
critical parody always comes off
as mean and heavy handed and
rapidly becomes tiresome. And
on top of all that, the story and
10 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
characters need to stand on
their own to maintain interest in
the movie when the audience
isn’t in on the joke.
Unfortunately, spoof movies in
general have been in a pretty
sorry state in recent years. The
classic parodies of the 70s and
80s like Airplane, Top Secret!,
Hot Shots and the Naked Gun
series have all but disappeared,
replaced by unimaginative
scene replication and celebrity
reference dropping.
That was reversed in 2007 with
Quentin Tarantino’s and Robert
Rodriguez’s Grindhouse, a two
movie double feature that was
a loving, but tongue-in-cheek
homage to the action-exploita-
tion films and B-movie theaters
of their youth. While the film
underperformed at the box of-
fice (not many audiences were
prepared to sit through three
hours of movie), Grindhouse
was a home video hit and crit-
ically acclaimed, and on this
strength some of the fake trail-
ers that bookended the movies
were developed into movies of
their own. While Hobo With A
Shotgun suffered from a limited
release and poor ticket sales,
Rodriguez’s Machete and fol-
lowup Machete Kills were im-
mediate hits and kept the Grind-
house experience alive into a
new decade.
THE GUNS OF MACHETE KILLS

GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 11

 FEATURES
/// THE GUNS OF
MACHETE KILLS
One man film crew Rodriguez (frequently
working as writer, producer, director and
camera operator on his movies) had been
sitting on the idea for Machete since being
awed by the charisma and presence of ac-
tor Danny Trejo during the filming of 1995’s
Desperado. Machete Kills doubles down
on the eye-poppingly excessive blood and
guts action of 2010’s Machete, spoofing
and honoring action movie tropes and cli-
ches along the way. Rodriguez delights in
putting the titular ex-Federale in a variety of
increasingly dangerous and outlandish sit-
uations, escalating the improbabilities until
Elon Musk himself is literally handing Ma-
chete the keys to a Space-X rocket to chase
after the villain and take the fight to him on
12 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
his orbiting space station, with a laser ma-
chete. No kidding.
While you might have guessed from his
name that Trejo’s Machete tends to favor the
large one-handed cleaving blade made pop-
ular in Latin countries, we’re also treated to
a large variety of real and imaginary firearms
that recall previous action hits. Machete
Kills kicks off the action with freelance
agent Machete and love interest Sar-
tana Rivera (Jessica Alba) attempting
to intervene in an arms deal between
Mexican drug cartels and a corrupt
U.S. Army unit. Machete shows up
armed with a Heckler & Koch USP-9F
pistol. Developed in the 80s to capture
the U.S. law enforcement market, the
USP family was a very high quality
double action polymer framed auto-
matic that unfortunately was a distant
also-ran compared to its competition
from Glock, Beretta, Smith & Wesson
and SIG Sauer.
The U.S. Army soldiers display the
usual array of Beretta 92s and M16
variants, but we also see a few Benelli
M4 Super 90 shotguns in the mix. Un-
like its predecessor, the inertia driven
M1 Super 90, the M4 is a gas oper-
ated semiautomatic developed to fill a
U.S. Marine Corps requirement and is des-
ignated M1014 in American service. The M4
was also adopted by the U.K. military as the
L128A1.
The deal goes bad, of course, and is bro-
ken up by a mysterious third party, whose
FN PS90
Benelli M4 Super 90
luchador-masked henchmen show up with
a variety of different rifles and submachine
guns, including a lot of 16-inch barreled FN
PS90s. Developed in 1990 as a lightweight,
compact, armor-piercing submachine gun
for vehicle crews and support personnel,
the P90 broke a lot of new ground with its
unique 5.7x28mm cartridge, 50-round hor-
izontally stacked magazine, bullpup design
and integrated reflex sight. Shortly after the
expiration of the Clinton-era Assault Weap-
on Ban in 2004, FN introduced the PS90,
a semi-automatic-only P90 with a 16-inch
barrel for the civilian market. While not as
handy as the 10-inch barreled P90, the ex-
tra barrel length does reduce the blast and
noise to the shooter.
Left for dead, Machete then finds himself
in the custody of the corrupt and murder-
ous border county Sheriff Doakes (William
Sadler), who is immediately seen with a
LeMat 1861 revolver. Intended for cavalry
use, the 1861 was a unique percussion cap
design that featured a nine shot pistol cyl-
inder, and a single shot 20 gauge smooth
bore shotgun barrel underneath the pistol
barrel. A lever on the end of the revolver
hammer selected which barrel to fire. While
the design showed promise, the outbreak of
the U.S. Civil War and the defection of the
design’s patron, P.G.T. Beauregard, to the
Confederates ended the possibility of lucra-
tive Federal contracts. Adopted by the CSA,
the design’s adoption was hampered by the
lack of adequate manufacturing resources,
and had to be outsourced to Europe. Only
about 2,900 were produced, but were in-
deed popular with dragoons and skirmishers
who often wore multiple pistols into action.
After the war, LeMat took another run at it
with a pinfire, and later a centerfire design,
but the era of the double action revolver had
arrived and neither development found fa-
vor. The design lives on, however, as mod-
ern reproductions continue to be made by
Pietta of Italy.
 THE GUNS OF MACHETE KILLS

WWII to find a suitable 9x19mm Para side-

Machete is freed in the nick of time by
Presidential decree (Charlie Sheen, ap-
pearing for the first time in a movie under
his birth name, Carlos Estevez) and ordered
to track down and assassinate anti-govern-
ment rebel Mendez the Madman (Demian
Bichir), who is threatening America with a
homemade nuclear missile.
After a dalliance with his secret agent han-
dler, Miss San Antonio (Amber Heard), and
a detour through Madame Desdemona’s
brothel (Sofia Vergara), Machete confronts
Mendez and briefly holds him at gunpoint
with a Colt Commander 1911. Born out of
a U.S. Army competition held shortly after
A MACHETE OF YOUR VERY OWN
After watching Machete Kills, you may be forgiven for thinking the Latin style machete was only good for decapitation or cleaving your enemies to bits.
But it’s actually a remarkably useful utility blade for both around the yard and knocking about in the woods! You can get flimsy, made in China machetes
cheaply at your local Megamart, but for just a few dollars more you can treat yourself and have a tool that will last a lifetime. Here’s four of my favorites:
arm for officers, the compact, aluminium
framed Commander didn’t land a military
contract but went on to commercial sales
success after being offered for sale in 1951
chambered in 9mm, .38 Super and natu-
rally, .45 Automatic. As a lightweight carry
piece, the Commander remains in Colt’s
catalog to this day and has inspired count-
less imitations.
Of course, not all is as it seems in Men-
dez’s compound, and Machete decides to
instead abduct the terrorist and bring him
back over the border to America. Mendez’s
henchmen give chase and in the running
shootout that follows, display not only the
FN PS90s but a variety of M4 Carbine pat-
tern rifles. In either a prop oversight or as
a sly reference to the Stormtrooper effect
(where cinematic henchmen seem to suffer
from poor marksmanship when it comes to
hitting the protagonist), most of the M4s on
screen don’t have rear sights or optics! This
is most obvious in a hilarious scene when
a henchmen (Bruce Campbell!) is executed
after a show of hands. And indeed, Machete
and his abductee make their getaway un-
harmed and flee to the border pursued by a
variety of hit men and bounty hunters.
One of which, the mysterious master of
Walther PPK/S
disguise La Chameleón (Walton Goggins,
Cuba Gooding Jr, Lady Gaga, and Antonio
Banderas, in that order), favors a gold-plated
Walther PPK/S with a suppressor attached.
Originally developed in 1929 as the .32 ACP
PP, the PPK was a compact version with
a shorter grip and barrel. While both were
popular in military and police service in
Europe, the PPK was catapulted to world-
wide popularity after being immortalized as
James Bond’s pistol of choice. The PPK/S
was a later development in response to the
1968 Gun Control Act, when suddenly Wal-
ther’s hottest selling product was banned
from importation into their largest market,
America. By combining the slightly larger
frame of the PP with the short barrel and
slide of the PPK, the PPK/S was allowed to
be imported, and the more shootable pistol
was an immediate concealed carry hit.

TRAMONTINA 414 COLD STEEL MARTINDALE 15-INCH CONDOR SALVADORE

Imported from Brazil, the 414 of-
fers traditional looks, a full tang,
genuine hardwood riveted handle
(that benefits from some sanding
and tung oil) and fourteen inch-
es of high quality steel to chop
down whatever’s in your way,
for only $20. You’ll need to look
elsewhere for a sheath, but it’s a
tremendous value for an authentic
South American machete.
(AVAILABLE FROM $13.74 ON AMAZON.COM)
MAGNUM KUKRI
Borrowing its design from the
curved fighting blades favored
by the fearsome Ghurkas, Cold
Steel’s machete is seventeen
inches long and has a grippy plas-
tic handle with a prominent pom-
mel. The odd looking blade con-
centrates its mass at the end to
enable the user to power through
thicker branches and saplings.
It comes with a useable nylon
sheath with belt loop, but the
blade comes dull out of the box.
Expect to put an edge on it before
you put it to work, but it’s my fa-
vorite path clearer at the moment.
(AVAILABLE FROM $15.14 ON AMAZON.COM)
BOLO CLEAVER
At fifteen inches long, the Mar-
tindale Cleaver is one and a half
pounds of cutting power that com-
bines the same forward-heavy
quality of the Cold Steel Kukri with
a more traditional appearance.
Like the Cold Steel, you’ll need to
grind an edge on it, and a sheath
is an extra $13, but it’s definitely a
blade you can abuse all day.
(AVAILABLE FROM $34.99 ON
MACHETESPECIALISTS.COM)
18-INCH MACHETE
The top of the line Condor Salva-
dore retails for $125 but is worth
every penny. Pre-sharpened out
of the box, the Salvadore’s high
carbon steel blade is also epoxy
coated black and comes with a
hand made leather sheath. The
micarta handle becomes more
grippy as it gets wet or sweaty,
and has a one sided pommel to
keep your hand in place as you
swing. Whether you’re dealing
with underbrush, zombies or hit-
men, the Salvadore can get it
done, in style.
(AVAILABLE FROM $77.90 ON AMAZON.COM)

GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 13

 FEATURES
/// THE GUNS OF
MACHETE KILLS
Machete then must again contend with Ma-
dame Desdemona and her prostitute assas-
sins, and while her hench ladies are armed
with fairly conventional guns including a
Smith & Wesson 629 revolver, a Winchester
1300 shotgun and a suppressed MAC-10
machine pistol, the scene is stolen by her
“Double Ds”, a matched set of bra mounted
pistol caliber rotary miniguns. They are just
as awesome on the screen as it sounds, and
although the idea is certainly fanciful, some
back of the envelope calculations suggest
that the idea isn’t totally farfetched. I went
into the engineering problems in more detail
on GunUp’s blog, but let’s just say that Vega-
ra’s lovely figure would leave little room in the
cups for the necessary machinery.
Again left for dead, Machete is rescued
and revitalized by industrialist and sci-fi fan
Luther Voz (a convincingly maniacal Mel Gib-
son), who is revealed to be the mastermind
orchestrating this whole mess. Voz does his
expository monologue in front of a remark-
able wall of weapons, a veritable catalog of
READ MORE ABOUT THE SCIENCE BEHIND
MADAME DESDEMONA’S DOUBLE DS ON
GUNUPTHEMAGAZINE.COM.
14 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
American fighting rifles that span the years
between black powder and the adoption of
the M16. Watch closely and you’ll see a Win-
chester 1866 “Yellow Boy” brass receiver
lever rifle in .44 Rimfire, one of the first suc-
cessful heavy duty gate-loading lever guns, a
Colt 1855 “revolver rifle,” an M1 Garand, and
an M1 Carbine.
Escaping Voz’s compound with the help of
Mexican agent Luz (Michelle Rodriguez) and
her Network of migrants, Machete enlists
their help to infiltrate and disrupt Voz’s plan.
Luz is first seen carrying a 4-inch barreled
Smith & Wesson Model 500 revolver. Intro-
duced in 2003, the “X” frame was the big-
gest, toughest revolver that Smith & Wesson
had ever designed, and chambered in the
powerful .500 Smith & Wesson that promised
almost double the kinetic energy of the .44
Magnum, the Model 500 heralded a reborn
Smith & Wesson after the doldrums of the
Uberti replica of the
Winchester 1866 “Yellow Boy”
late 1990s consumer boycott. Hugely popu-
lar with both handgun hunters and those who
find the biggest and baddest irresistible, the
500 is the forged steel embodiment of the
post-Tomkins Smith & Wesson.
This all sets the stage for the final confron-
tation and battle at Voz’s sendoff party, which
THE GUNS OF MACHETE KILLS
naturally descends into a free for all mayhem
of gunfire, martial arts fisticuffs and of course,
Machete slicing his foes into pieces. Among
the other prop guns we’ve seen previously in
the film, the infamous Intratec TEC-9 9mm
pistol makes an appearance. Derived from
the Swedish Interdynamic AP-9 machine
pistol, the TEC-9 was modified to be legal for
the U.S. civilian market and while it was too
big for everyday carry and unreliable and in-
accurate in practice, its aggressive looks and
high capacity made it a popular fun gun.
Luz switches from her big-bore revolver to a
FN M249 5.56 NATO belt-fed light machine
gun for the final act. Adopted in the mid-80s
to fill the gap between the select fire M16
and the heavy 7.62 NATO general purpose
machine guns like the M60 and M240, the
M249 has served in every U.S. conflict since
the 1989 invasion of Panama and continues
to be a popular squad level support weapon.
Unfortunately, Luz’s gun is missing its am-
munition belt and box, but it’s only obvious
for a moment and you’d have to be the kind
of person who writes about movies for a gun
magazine to notice.
While Rodriguez wraps up Machete Kills
with a mock trailer for the sequel Machete
Kills: In Space, it would be in character for
him to do something completely different
with Machete for a followup. There’s a lim-
itless landscape of action, exploitations and
B-movies out there to make fun of -- or pay
homage to -- and I hope Machete gets to
them all.
 FEATURES

SHOT SHOW
THE GUN LOCKER

BERETTA
FIRST LOOK:

ARX-100
16 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
 FIRST LOOK: BERETTA ARX-100

THE FACTS BERETTA ARX-100 SPECS

How did one of the oldest corporations in the world make a big CALIBER 5.56 NATO
splash at the 2014 SHOT Show? Beretta announced that their
next-generation combat rifle would be available for the U.S. com- OPERATION GAS PISTON
mercial market as the ARX-100. BARREL LENGTH 16”
The ARX-100 is the semi-automatic civilian variant of the ARX-
160, which was released in 2008 and intended to replace the aging OVERALL LENGTH (STOCK FOLDED) 29.72”
AR70/90 pattern rifles in use by the Italian military. Designed from
OVERALL LENGTH (COLLAPSED) 32.28”
the ground up to be a truly ambidextrous rifle, the ARX is a light-
weight, handy, and extremely shootable 5.56 carbine that’s ready OVERALL LENGTH (EXTENDED) 36.22”
to go as a home defense or sporting rifle.
So what makes the ARX-100 different? Why in a world of ubiq- WEIGHT 6.8 LBS
uitous AR-platform rifles should anyone drop two thousand plus MSRP $1,950
dollars on the ARX-100? The first and obvious answer is if you’re
left-handed; the ARX-100 is completely ambidextrous, right down features is the quick change barrel system. Remove the standard
to the ejection pattern. It can be completely switched to allow left barrel without tools, and replace with the length of your choice.
or right side ejection, and all the controls are fully ambidextrous The gun is multi-caliber compatible, meaning that a change to .300
as well. Blackout would be as simple as a barrel swap. Other caliber swaps
If you’re not a southpaw, the ARX-100 still offers a compelling fea- are possible with a bolt change. In fact, the select fire ARX-160 is
ture set. First, in a departure from its AR70 predecessor, the ARX- in use by the Special Forces of Kazakhstan chambered in 7.62x39.
100 takes STANAG magazines. If you have a stockpile of P-Mags Beretta brought the ARX-100 to Media Day at the Range at SHOT
in your desk, the ARX-100 will run with those. The ARX-100 has a 2014 where we were able to shoot the rifle and gain first impres-
telescoping and side-folding stock, a cold hammer forged barrel, sions of the gun.
and operates on a constant contact piston system. One of the neat

A FIRST LOOK AT
THE BERETTA ARX-100

BUY IT NOW AT
GUNUP.COM/SHOP
GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 17
 FEATURES
SHOT SHOW
THE GUN LOCKER
WE LIKE
First off, it’s important to note that 10 rounds at Media Day isn’t
enough trigger time to offer a real review. But it is enough time to
gain an initial impression of the gun, and the ARX-100 has a lot
of positive traits to it. One of the big complaints about non-AR-15
rifles in .223 is that they have an unusual recoil impulse, a trait
not shared by the ARX-100. The stock rifle uses a standard bird-
cage style flash hider, but even with only that the recoil impulse is
straight back. The rifle doesn’t porpoise and flex when firing, but
delivers the recoil in a linear impulse straight back to the shooter.
The control layout is done in a thoughtful manner. Unlike some
“ambidextrous” controls, which are slapped on as an after-
thought to left-handed shooters, the ARX-100 displays an at-
tention to detail and simple manipulations that other rifles would
do well to adopt. The gun is also light – coming in under seven
pounds unloaded without optics. Seven pounds is often used as
The unique design of the ARX-100
bolt makes it easy to change which
side the rifle ejects.
18 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
The ARX-100 shown with
optional accessories.
the target weight for “lightweight” AR-15 rifles, Beretta has built
a rifle that hits that goal out of the gate.
While it may be a little shallow, we also like the looks of the
ARX-100. Yes, how your gun looks isn’t as important as how it
functions, but the ARX-100 looks futuristic and modern without
crossing into toy-like silliness. Its appearance is one of a serious
fighting rifle that was designed this century with an eye towards
function and form. That function is important and shows itself in
field-stripping and maintaining the ARX-100. The entire rifle can
be stripped down to the bolt carrier without the use of tools or
driving out pins. It’s functional and elegant in its simplicity. The
rifle doesn’t sacrifice ruggedness, and the select-fire ARX-160
has seen considerable battlefield service and development from
deployments in Afghanistan.
 FIRST LOOK: BERETTA ARX-100

Full-length Picatinny Rail

Removable Back Up Sights
Telescopic Folding Stock

Quick-Change Barrel

Ambidextrous Picatinny Rail

Safety Selector

Ambidextrous
Magazine Release

WE DON’T LIKE
We have to get this small gripe out of the way: the rifle’s cost
is at or more than $2,000. That’s a lot, especially when you can
get a high quality AR-15 for half that. But, now that we’ve offered
that objection, we need to defend the rifle’s price point a little bit.
Part of the reason you can get a great AR-15 for $1,000 is be-
cause the development costs of the AR-15 have long been ab-
sorbed. If a company wants to build a decent AR-15, they don’t The multi-position folding stock allows the user
to adapt the rifle for every firing scenario.
need to do anything new and innovative. Just buy quality parts
and put them together with attention to detail. That’s it.
To build an entirely new rifle from the ground up means that Ber- 57th birthday in 2014. So yes, while the price on the ARX-100 is
etta has incurred tremendous research and development costs in higher than an AR, it also makes sense.
this rifle. Capitalism is a harsh mistress, and so a portion of those On the feature front, the ARX-100’s handguard could stand to
research and development costs must be passed on to the con- be longer. It’s abbreviated length leaves minimal room to mount
sumer. If Beretta wins a major military contract for the ARX-160, a light and a handstop while still allowing for a thumbs-forward
then the price of the civilian version will likely decrease somewhat. grip. The pistol grip is also the standard A2 style, which retains
If the AR-15 was introduced today as a new rifle, it would probably the pointless finger bump in the top one-third of the grip. Because
cost north of $2,000 as well. We forget sometimes that the AR- of the nature of the rifle’s design, the grip can’t be changed to
15 is an extremely mature design – the platform will celebrate its something more comfortable like a Magpul MOE grip.

GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 19

 FEATURES FIRST LOOK: BERETTA ARX-100

SHOT SHOW

THE VERDICT
THE GUN LOCKER

The Beretta ARX-100 is a thoughtful design with

considerable attention paid to shootability and user
comfort. The quick-change barrel is an excellent
feature for shooters looking to keep multiple calibers
on hand for different uses. The gas-piston system
will lend itself well to suppressed uses, without the
minor annoyance of gas blowback that happens with
AR-15 pattern rifles. It remains to be seen, however,
if with its price point the ARX-100 will be able to
make a dent in the extremely crowded U.S. market.
One possible area for the ARX-100 to make in-
roads is in the 3-Gun community. Beretta now joins
Remington and FNH-USA as the only companies
that produce all three guns necessary for 3-Gun
shooters. Beretta’s 1301 Competition Shotgun,
a 92A1 pistol, and the new ARX rifle would make
a great complete kit for anyone looking to get into
3-Gun shooting without having to shop all over the
place for different guns and gear.
Will the ARX-100 be able to sway the American
gun buying populace away from their beloved AR-15
rifles? That remains to be seen. Our initial impression
of the rifle is positive; and it is quite obvious that
Beretta has put a tremendous amount of thought
and effort into designing what they hope will be the
modern sport rifle of the future.

20 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

 FEATURES
SHOT SHOW
SHOT SHOW 2014
BEHIND THE BOOTH
Lone Wolf Crew
T he Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade
Show, or as it is better known, SHOT
Show, is the annual pilgrimage to Las Ve-
gas, Nevada for those engaged in the fire-
arms industry. It is a chance to catch up
BY ZACK CARLSON
www.thegunbench.com with old friends, meet new clients, and see
all the newest firearms. For attendees it can
be an overwhelming experience, with aisle
after aisle of guns and gear on display. After
the show, Las Vegas offers endless nightlife
opportunities. What about attending SHOT
as an exhibitor? This is an often-overlooked
aspect of the show.
It is inevitable, when telling someone that
you are heading to Vegas for SHOT Show,
that their eyes widen and proclaim that you
are lucky. They assume the SHOT experi-
ence will be the same for an exhibitor as it is
22 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
for an attendee. Ask most exhibitors, espe-
cially the ones that actually plan the pilgrim-
age for their company, and they will probably
tell you a different tale.
I am lucky enough to be responsible for
show planning for Lone Wolf Distributors.
We are a medium sized company and plan-
ning SHOT takes quite a bit of resources,
both before and during the show.
BEFORE THE SHOW
Show planning begins long before the
event date. If you are lucky enough to be
able to get booth space at the show you
must sign your contract almost a year in ad-
vance. If you are an existing exhibitor you
will generally sign up for next year’s show
at the current year’s show. Once you are
 SHOT SHOW: BEHIND THE BOOTH

signed up the real planning begins. unloaded, the real fun begins. This year that all things considered. We generally spend
Travel and accommodations are always a happened on Sunday afternoon prior to the most of the day getting our booth unpacked
challenge. You are best served by booking Tuesday show opening. and setup. There is always a moment of
hotel rooms for the next year while at the If you have never seen a convention floor dread opening boxes hoping that everything
current show. This allows you to lock in a before opening day you would be amazed made the journey intact.
cheap rate. SHOT 2015 is the first year I what the show organizers can accomplish I generally take the time after our own
have been able to do so and it has saved us in a short time. On setup day the aisles booth is setup but before the official show is
over 100 dollars per night per room. Book- are jam packed with trash, moving crates, open to browse other vendors booths. This
ing accommodations are a best guess ef- product, people, and forklifts. It is a chaot- can be a crapshoot though because most
fort. You generally do not know how many ic symphony that goes relatively smoothly, booths are not built yet and there is not
rooms you will end up needing but you can
take your best guess and adjust once the The booth mock-up before the show.
show is closer. Flights are another story;
these are generally not booked until two
months or less before the show. Any sooner
than that and we do not have an exact list of
who will be traveling to the show and when
they will need to arrive.
New products take quite awhile to get
ready and sometimes it is hard to get proj-
ects finished before SHOT so we can dis-
play them at the show. For instance, this
year some aspects of a few of the new
products we intended for the show did not
make it due to time constraints. It is all part
of the game and you just have to learn to
roll with it.
Once we have a good idea of what the new
products and our displays will be like we are
ready to mock up the booth. In our case, I
will use a section of our office to mock up
the booth space. This allows me to build the The booth with graphics at the show.
booth full scale to make sure all the piec-
es are there. Once the booth is built I can
bring in our Creative Director to schedule
new graphics and get them ordered. Then
I will work with our shipping to make sure
all the products we need will be available
for the show. Once it is fully mocked up and
stocked with product I can tear it all down
and box it up. The mockup process takes
close to three weeks to complete.
Once we are all boxed up we can load our
trailer and send our driver along with truck
and trailer to Las Vegas. We coordinate our
flights to bring the rest of the crew down
almost the same time as the driver rolls into
the marshaling yard. The marshaling yard is
a holding area where they stage all incom-
ing vehicles. They let you unload your trailer
once your turn is up. As soon as the trailer is

GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 23

 FEATURES SHOT SHOW: BEHIND THE BOOTH

SHOT SHOW

much product on display. After browsing the sleep, and poor on the road nutrition. hours after starting. The real wait is getting
setup booths it’s time to relax. This is also I always try to run around the show floor your truck and trailer loaded. This year we
known as the calm before the storm. every day before it opens to check out what did not get the trailer loaded until nearly
I can but generally everybody else is doing 10:00 p.m. which meant sitting in our torn
SHOW TIME… the same so the booths aren’t staffed so down booth waiting for four hours while our
The opening is always nerve-racking. As any questions will have to be held until later. truck driver sat in the marshaling yard since
you walk from your hotel towards the show If I see a slowdown during the show I will 2:00 p.m. to get loaded. Once loaded, the
floor every bad scenario plays out in your try to quickly make a tour of nearby booths driver heads directly back and we await our
head. Did I forget anything? Did other peo- and talk with industry friends I don’t get to flights home.
ple working on booths break anything? This see often. This does not happen very often, Does SHOT seem fun as an exhibitor? I
year we lost an acrylic catalog holder by a most times it is to and from the bathroom! hope to not give you a bad impression of it.
forklift; thankfully I had spares. The amount The last day of the show ends at 4:00 p.m. It is simply a ton of work for a week worth
of people in the hallways outside the exhib- and then the real work begins. As soon as of exhibiting. Would I rather be in any other
it room is astounding. If you need to walk the last attendee clears the booth it is a mad industry? Not a chance! The SHOT Show is
in the opposite direction of traffic you really dash to tear down and pack everything. This a great chance to see new products and old
know what a salmon feels like swimming up- generally is accomplished in a mere two friends and I would not miss it for the world.
stream. As you make your way through the
guarded doors you feel like walking through The tear down aisle.
a total transformation. Just 24 hours before
it looked like a tornado had come through,
yet on opening day it is beautiful. It is filled
with booth workers putting the final touch-
es on their displays before the doors are
opened to attendees. One last wipe down of
the display cases and wait for the oncoming
crowds.
Roughly five to ten minutes after the doors
are opened to attendees the aisles are
crowded. The first people at the booth are
enthusiastic; they sought us out and came
here first to make sure they saw all the cus-
tom Glock parts we brought to display. Then
wave after wave follow. During most of the
show there are at least three people deep
along the whole booth waiting for their turn
to talk to one of us. We field question after
question, hand out catalogs and business
cards, and shake more hands than a poli-
tician.
The show hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. for the Law Enforcement bay we are
in, which means booth staff generally works
7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Any visions of the
Las Vegas nightlife generally slip away after
working nonstop for 11 hours. Most of our
crew just wants to get something to eat and
head back to our hotel. This repeats for four
days. Generally at least one person will get
sick during the show week. It is hard to fend
off any sickness with the amount of peo-
ple we come into contact with, our lack of

24 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

UNIQUE FEATURES
Full-Spec Rail
Rounded Trigger Guard
Round Magazine Catch
Improved Checkering
Swelled or Flat Backstraps
Smallest Grip Available
Extended Beavertail

USING PROMO CODE

 FEATURES

/// SHOT SHOW 2014

STATE OF THE
industry
BY SHELLEY RAE

SIG SAUER’S 556XI

HAS AN AMBIDEXTROUS
MAGAZINE RELEASE,
BOLT RELEASE AND
SAFETY SELECTOR, AS
WELL AS A CHARGING
HANDLE THAT CAN BE
INSTALLED ON EITHER
SIDE OF THE GUN.

26 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

 SHOT SHOW 2014: STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

WHAT IS IT ABOUT SHOT SHOW? EVERY YEAR

THE ALLURE OF NEW PRODUCTS, SHOOTING
CELEBRITIES AND A WEEK IN VEGAS DRAWS OVER
60,000 PEOPLE TO THE SANDS CONVENTION
CENTER FOR OUR INDUSTRY’S GIANT TRADE
SHOW. FOR SOME OF US, IT’S A WEEK OF EARLY
MORNINGS, LONG DAYS, AND HARD WORK. FOR
SOME, IT’S A LONG PARTY INTERRUPTED BY THE
OCCASIONAL DEAL. FOR ALL, IT’S AN EXPERIENCE
THAT’S DIFFICULT TO FORGET YEAR AFTER YEAR.

T
his was my fourth visit to
the Shooting, Hunting and
Outdoor Trade Show. Each
year the show is different, the
products are different, and the industry
is approaching their consumers in a
different way. Each year you can see
the demographic change a bit, and
each year the show floor changes, in
some ways drastically and in some
ways hardly at all.
Last year, at SHOT Show 2013, the
state of the industry was clear. Hardly
any new products had been released
and a hush of silence fell over the
show floor on January 16, as President
Obama proposed the new firearm laws
that ultimately failed. 2013 was different
than shows had been in the past;
the industry was in a state of unrest

Counterstrike by Redfield

GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 27

 FEATURES

SHOT SHOW

Taurus View

following the Newtown shooting. how companies are becoming more see if it’s marked “Train” or “Defend”
Sales were through the roof, gun aware of what newer shooters need and know exactly what that ammo is
control was being discussed, and from them. Rather than an ammo meant to do for them. The 9mm “Train”
while products couldn’t be made box primarily littered with information ammunition contains a 147 gr. FMJ
fast enough no one was sure what on bullet weight, type, and velocity, bullet that moves at 950 fps, while the
was happening next. shoppers can instead look at a box, 9mm “Defend” ammunition pushes a
By SHOT Show 2014 we had
seen the legislation fail, we had
seen some victories and sales had
stabilized back to a more normal
level. This year, the industry started
looking at new demographics
and developing unique items and
marketing campaigns that would
attract a newer, younger and
more diverse group of shooters.
Redfield’s Counterstrike, actually Winchester’s new
released in 2013, the new Taurus Train & Defend line

View, and even the packaging on

Winchester’s new Train & Defend
line all lent themselves toward
emerging demographics of gun
owners that the industry is finally
starting to market to and cultivate.
The Train & Defend line in
particular is an interesting look at

28 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

 SHOT SHOW 2014: STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

147 gr. bonded JHP bullet at 950 fps.

The difference between an FMJ and a
bonded JHP bullet is likely lost on many
new shooters who haven’t had the
chance to study different bullet types,
but the meaning of the words “Train”
and “Defend” make it easy for shooters
to distinguish the recommended use of
the two ammunition types.
Also along the same lines, many
companies, rather than releasing a lot of
new products, added different coloring
options to their existing products.
Smith & Wesson, for example, released
some new camouflage finishes for
their M&P 15-22. While Harvest Moon
Orange and Pink or Purple Platinum
may not be the most practical colors
for hunters, they certainly provide
a variety for new shooters who are
interested in fun and functional Pink Platinum
M&P 15-22
firearms to plink or train with. Even for
those who may not like the multicolor
finishes, it’s exciting to see companies products seemed to be primarily the recoil on their guns manageable.
acknowledge the demographic who is interested in this growing demographic. Some companies are also trying
and release quality firearms in different The release of the Remington R51, different methods, such as Taurus’s
finishes from the factories so that less GLOCK 42 and Smith & Wesson curved, see-through View, to stand out
experienced shooters who are inclined Bodyguard M&P are all examples of from the crowd and develop interest in
toward such things become more likely how even the largest manufacturers their concealed carry options.
to purchase good guns. are taking a vested interest in getting Another place that companies
Along the same lines, the concealed a chunk of this developing market. are investing research and money
carry market seems to be on the Many companies are investing time in seems to be the competition market,
rise. Companies that did release new trying to go smaller, while still keeping specifically 3-Gun. Beretta was busy
promoting the new 3-Gun version
GLOCK 42
of their 1301 shotgun alongside the
new ARX-100, as featured in this
issue of GunUp the Magazine. This
combination, along with Beretta’s
selection of handguns, puts them in
the ring with FNH and Remington as
one of only a few companies capable
of producing an entire 3-Gun rig.
The ARX-100 is also an example of
how companies are becoming more
interested in left-handed shooters. The
ARX-100 is capable of being completely
reversed for left handed shooters. In the
same vein, SIG Sauer’s new 556xi has
an ambidextrous magazine release,
bolt release and safety selector, as
well as a charging handle that can

GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 29

 FEATURES SHOT SHOW 2014: STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

SHOT SHOW

Smith & Wesson Delta revolver grip

Bodyguard M&P

be installed on either side of the

gun. Blade-Tech also released a
fully ambidextrous version of their
Eclipse holster, which has equally
high sweat guards on both sides
and reversible tabs.
One of the most-discussed
developments at SHOT Show 2014
was SIG Sauer’s release of the P320.
Many SIG Sauer fans have been
waiting for the company to release
a striker fire option. The P320 builds
off of SIG’s existing P250 build,
allowing for modularity on both the
grip and frame to allow for different SIG Sauer P320
hand sizes or duty requirements.
SIG Sauer has long been known
for their double action/single action
metal-framed handguns, so the
release of a polymer-framed striker
gun has caused some ripples. It will
be interesting to see if they can take unlike any revolver grip you’ve seen SHOT Show 2014 gave us an
some of this market back from the before. The wide, triangular shape is interesting look at where the industry
GLOCK, Smith & Wesson’s M&P designed to get the shooter’s hand is going. Each year the number of new
and FNH’s FNS, or whether SIG higher on the back of the gun and give shooters and concealed carry permit
Sauer fans will start buying up the them more room to get better purchase holders is increasing, which is great
new striker fired gun. on the gun. It’s an interesting concept news for existing gun enthusiasts.
The same Internet that was and one that, with some time, effort It’s nice to see the major companies
chattering about SIG’s P320 mostly and development, could change the embracing and encouraging this trend,
overlooked the one product I found look of revolvers as we know them. and it’s good to see a bright future
most interesting. ERGO released For anyone who has ever had trouble developing for our hobby and lifestyle.
what they are calling the Delta getting a good grip on their j-frame, it’s
revolver grip. The grip is shaped worth a look.

30 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

C O LT SPORTING RIFLE

CSR-1516

WWW.COLTCOMPETITIONRIFLE.COM
Colt Competition Rifles by Bold Ideas are licensed products of New Colt Holding Corp.
 IMPROVE YOUR GAME

WHERE TO WATCH IT
/// FROM THE EXPERTS Run2Gun TV airs new episodes on
Midcontinent Sports Network on
Sunday morning at 10:30am Central
Time and replays them Thursday
Evening at 9:00pm Central Time.
You can also view past episodes at
www.run2gun.com

GET READY FOR

RUN2GUN TV
JORDAN MILLER
WWW.RUN2GUN.COM

JANUARY MARKS A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW YEAR, GOALS, DREAMS, AND MOST OF ALL, NEW
PRODUCT LINES FROM OUR FAVORITE OUTDOOR COMPANIES, TYPICALLY KICKED OFF BY SHOT
SHOW IN LAS VEGAS, NV. WHAT BETTER OF AN OPPORTUNITY THAN TO REVEAL NEW PRODUCTS
IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF POTENTIAL BUYERS, ALL IN A FOUR-DAY SPAN! RUN2GUN DECIDED
TO TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE IN 2014.

32 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014


Run2Gun launched in January of
2013 with a mission to offer hunters
and outdoorsmen the best in personal
training. With a full service members
section filled with video tutorials on
how to perform all of your programs
exercises, as well as nutritional help,
Run2Gun is dedicated to bring the
“personal” back to personal training,
getting you precisely prepared to
perform up to your standards on your
upcoming goals.
Shortly after the launch of the
business, I had the idea to not only
try to motivate people through my
training programs, but also through a
television program of some of my own
training techniques, experiences and
how they tie into my hunting season.
We started filming right away!
The new outdoor/fitness show
Run2Gun TV teamed up with Mud
Mile Communications to take a twist
on your traditional hunting show.
RUN2GUN TV
Traditional shows take you straight
to the field and show you how the
animal is hunted and harvested. We
set out with the goal of showing our
viewers how many different ways
there are to train, and how you can
train specifically for each and every
hunt you will be on. Every episode
displays different training styles and
techniques and breaks down proper
form. I then take you out on our hunt
that happens weeks to months later
and show how the training helped
me.
Episode 1 and 2, which launched
back on January 26th and Feb 2nd
on Midcontinent Sports Network,
displayed physical strength and
mental strength in the preparation of
my New Mexico archery elk hunt. The
physical strength segment appeared
in the first show and displayed barbell
squats, wide grip pull downs, and
incline dumbbell press. After a miss
GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 33
 IMPROVE YOUR GAME RUN2GUN TV

/// FROM THE EXPERTS

opening morning on a 300-class
bull, the second episode brought the
mental aspect into play. “Giant Sets”
were used to prepare our minds to
fight adversity, and it paid off on the
afternoon of day two! Two and a
half miles into public land and up to
10,000 feet in elevation brought me
20 yards from the bull that I ended
up running four arrows through in a
matter of 15 seconds before he hit
the New Mexico dirt!
We were proud to partner with
GunUp The Magazine to show the
viewer how proper physical training
ties into being a better shooter.
Episode 4, which displays core
stability in preparation of an over
the water duck hunt, features Caleb
Giddings helping us through different
styles of shooting drills that correlate
to our core training. Caleb will also
appear in upcoming episodes for
further shooting instruction.
Run2Gun TV airs new episodes on
Midcontinent Sports Network on
Sunday morning at 10:30am Central
Time and replays them Thursday
Evening at 9:00pm Central Time.
You can also view past episodes at
www.run2gun.com.

GunUp the Magazine

is proud to be a
partner of the latest
in informational
entertainment
combining hunting
and fitness.

34 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

 TRAVEL

GUN
/// TRAVEL

STORE
LAS VEGAS
E
very year the GunUp crew flies into Las Vegas for the Shooting, Hunt-
ing and Outdoor Trade Show. Because of the location of the show, in
the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian, we spend a lot of time
on the Strip, dining and drinking with friends and colleagues from
around the nation when we aren’t on the Show floor. There’s more to Vegas
than just the Strip though, and gun culture within the city is alive and well.

The Gun Store Las Vegas was first start-

ed in 1988 by owner Bob Irwin, who also
runs “Fired Up with Bob Irwin,” a radio show
discussing guns, politics and self-defense.
Since then a series of other ranges cater-
ing to different clientele, but offering the
same services of machine gun rentals and
firearms training classes, have popped up
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA across Sin City.
The Gun Store sets itself apart from its

36 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014


competition by focusing on family. There are
no scantily clad women here, but instead
they have developed a friendly and welcom-
ing environment for all ages and walks of
life.
One thing that this particular shop is known
for is providing free classes for those wish-
ing to fulfill Nevada’s concealed carry per-
mit requirements. Nevada is a “Shall Issue”
state, and those who are interested in get-
ting a permit must go through classroom
training and qualify with a handgun. (Once
they qualify with a handgun they may carry
any.) The only thing students are required
to pay for when attending the classes and
qualification at the Gun Store is their qualifi-
cation ammunition.
On top of the free permit classes, the Gun
Store also offers a variety of classes in ev-
erything from basic firearms safety to per-
TRAVEL: GUN STORE LAS VEGAS
sonal safety and security defensive tactics.
They tailor their classes to specific audienc-
es, providing a more comfortable environ-
ment for many new shooters. Among their
classes interested parties will find ladies
only and children only classes.
Along with their indoor range, the Gun
Store Las Vegas has outdoor range offer-
ings that provide a unique experience for
those who are interested in shooting larger
GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 37
 TRAVEL

caliber firearms. Different packages include ployees or regular customers. Many ranges
GETTING HITCHED?

THE GUN STORE / WEDDINGS

the famous Desert Eagle, Barrett .50 cali- provide D-Leading soap and other options
The Gun Store Las Vegas, in true ber, or even a M203 Grenade Launcher. for removing lead that customers may pick
Vegas style, also offers packages One important emphasis at the Gun Store up at the range. By removing lead from the
for Bachelor and Bachelorette
Las Vegas is safety. Each group gets their equation entirely, the Gun Store has created
parties, and of course, the Shot-
gun Wedding. own private range officer – which means if a healthier environment for both their cus-
Shotgun Weddings are held on someone is handling a gun, there is a range tomers and their employees.
site in the Gun Store’s wedding officer with them, either teaching or observ-
chapel, a small but elegant room, ing, depending on the user’s displayed skill THE EXPERIENCE
that comes with everything you
level. For those who have spent time in a Approaching the Gun Store Las Vegas is
need. They have wedding offici-
ants on staff, and even photogra- public range, this is a great comfort, as hav- like approaching almost any other range.
phy options. ing mandatory one-on-one safety officers Outside a booth is set up where visitors
means a great increase in safety over many can check in, select packages, and pay. Af-
WEDDING CEREMONY ranges. terwards, they enter the range booth area
Legal Wedding Ceremony Another interesting health measure that where they pick up firearms, ammunition,
Private VIP Range they have taken at the Gun Store is limiting eye protection, ear protection and their
VIP Gift Bags ammunition to lead-free frangible. This is range officer.
Photos with guns in VIP range more practical for this tourist-oriented range The hallway that contains the ranges is
Bride & Groom each get 5 shots to do than it would be for a regular public covered in movie and war paraphernalia that
on a shotgun range, since they supply all ammunition the range has collected. There are a lot of
2 Signature Gun Store shirts
used in their range. Lead is a major health interesting guns lining the walls, and guests
2 Custom Gun Store shirts
concern at indoor ranges, especially for em- should take the time to stop and look on
Price: $500

VOW RENEWAL CEREMONY

Vow Renewal Ceremony
Private VIP Range
VIP Gift Bags
Photos with guns in VIP range
Bride & Groom each get 5 shots
on a shotgun
2 Signature Gun Store shirts
2 Custom Gun Store shirts
Price: $450

COMMITMENT CEREMONY
Commitment Ceremony
Private VIP Range
VIP Gift Bags
Photos with guns in VIP range
Bride & Groom each get 5 shots
on a shotgun
2 Signature Gun Store shirts
2 Custom Gun Store shirts
Price: $450

MR. & MRS. SMITH & WESSON

Any six Guns
20 shots on handguns and
semi-automatics
Six targets
Exclusive to couples having a
ceremony at the Gun Store
Price: $310

38 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014


THE GUN STORE / PACKAGES
ZOMBIE
50 Shots Glock 18 (Full Auto)
20 Shots Zombie AR-15
20 Shots XDM 9
5 Shots Shotgun
Shooting Targets
Eye & Ear Protection
Range Safety Instructor
Free T-shirt
Price: $174.95
Upgrade to VIP: $264.95
LADIES
10 Shots Glock 19
10 Shots on AR15,
AK47 or Beretta CX4
Shooting Targets
5 Shots Shotgun
Shooting Targets
Eye & Ear Protection
Range Safety Instructor
Free T-shirt
Price: $59.95
Upgrade to VIP: $149.95
TRAVEL: GUN STORE LAS VEGAS
PICK 3 (CHOOSE ANY THREE) PICK 6 (CHOOSE ANY SIX)
50 Shots Machine Gun 50 Shots Machine Gun
20 Shots Rifle 40 Shots Rifle
20 Shots Handgun 40 Shots Handgun
Shooting Targets Shooting Targets
Eye & Ear Protection Eye & Ear Protection
Range Safety Officer Range Safety Officer
Free T-Shirt Free T-Shirt
Price: $179.95 Price: $299.95
Upgrade to VIP: $269.95 Upgrade to VIP: $389.95
KIDS GUN STORE
20 Shots .22 Rifle 25 Shots MP5
20 Shots .22 Handgun 25 Shots M4
Eddie Eagle Gift Bag 10 Shots P226
Shooting Targets Shooting Targets
Eye & Ear Protection Eye & Ear Protection
Range Safety Instructor Range Safety Instructor
Free T-Shirt Free T-Shirt
Price: $49.95 Price: $99.95
Upgrade to VIP: $139.95 Upgrade to VIP: $189.95
GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 39
 TRAVEL TRAVEL: GUN STORE LAS VEGAS

their way in or out of the range. Shoppers can purchase paraphernalia

The range itself is divided into several dif-
ferent rooms, each with several lanes. The
wedding chapel is down at the far end, and
then there are the regular ranges, then the
VIP ranges. The VIP ranges have sever-
al couches, and refrigerators filled with
non-alcoholic cold beverages for guests
to enjoy while they’re off the line.
Once shooters have been escorted to
whichever range they are shooting on, the
range instructor will walk them through
the firearms and then they will be able to
put rounds down range under the supervi-
sion of their range officer.
For many, the fun times don’t stop there.
The Gun Store Las Vegas does actual-
ly have a gun store attached, and with-
in there is a lot more than guns for sale.
THE GUN STORE / PACKAGES
from the Gun Store itself, a great thing to
have for the many excited tourists who
come through the shop. There are also a
lot of fun clothing and accessories items
that those interested can purchase on
their way out.
For many, the Gun Store Las Vegas is
a fun and entertaining tourist attraction.
It serves as a way for those who have
never taken the time or had the chance
to shoot the guns of their dreams to fire
some rounds through firearms from their
favorite movies, video games or even from
their favorite time period. For dedicated
enthusiasts, it provides an opportunity to
play with NFA-restricted firearms that oth-
erwise might not be available.

12 GUN WW11 CHOICE COALITION

(12 PRE-SELECTED MACHINE GUNS) (CHOOSE ANY THREE)
40 Shots M249 SAW
25 Shots Sten 10 Shots K98 25 Shots M4
25 Shots MPL 8 Shots M1 Garand 10 Shots Rem. 700
25 Shots MP5 50 Shots Sten 20 Shots M9
25 Shots Madsen 50 Shots MP40 Shooting Targets
25 Shots MP40 50 Shots Grease Gun Eye & Ear Protection
25 Shots Uzi 50 Shots Thompson Range Safety Instructor
25 Shots Grease Gun 20 Shots 1911 Free T-Shirt
25 Shots Suomi 20 Shots P38 Price: $159.95
25 Shots Thompson Shooting Targets Upgrade to VIP: $249.95
25 Shots AK47 Eye & Ear Protection
25 Shots Colt Light Range Safety Instructor
25 Shots 40 Shots M249 SAW Free T-Shirt
25 Shots Shooting Targets Price: $139.95 VIP UPGRADE
Eye & Ear Protection Upgrade to VIP: $229.95
Each package is available for a
Range Safety Instructor VIP upgrade, which will get par-
Free T-Shirt ticipants their own range, with
Price: $499.95 comfortable seating and even
Upgrade to VIP: $589.95
a mini-fridge. The VIP upgrade
includes:
Select preferred date and time
Guaranteed time slot,
express chick-in
VIP Guest escorted past
the line
Direct entry to private range
Full one-on-one tutorial with
Dedicated Range Instructor
Complimentary cold
beverages (non-alcoholic)

40 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

 Join the Fight...
Join NRA!
Become a member and receive these great beneets:

Receive a free “NRA Bullet Pen”

crafted from back-to-back .308 cartridge casings

SAVE $10 ON ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP!

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or call 1-800-672-0004
XM027292
 THE GREATEST GEAR

THE
BY ROB REED

WHILE THERE ARE

MANY DEDICATED .22

CZ-75
LR PISTOLS ON THE
MARKET, ONE OF THE
BEST FOR EVERYDAY
USE IS NOT A COMPLETE

KADET
PISTOL, BUT INSTEAD
A CONVERSION KIT
FOR THE POPULAR
CZ-75 FROM THE
CZECH REPUBLIC.
.22 LR CONVERSION KIT

The smaller diameter

of the .22 LR muzzle is
the only thing that gives
away that a Kadet kit is
installed on a CZ-75.

42 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014


The CZ-75 Kadet .22 LR conversion
kit is a CZ factory made unit that
allows a shooter to quickly and easily
convert a CZ-75 series pistol from
centerfire to rimfire ammunition (and
back again). This gives the shooter
a lighter recoiling gun, which shoots
less expensive ammo, while retaining
the same trigger, controls, and overall
feel of the pistol.
The Kadet unit consists of a
replacement slide assembly with a
fixed .22 LR barrel. The rear sight
is adjustable for both elevation and
windage. The entire unit is made of
steel and is coated with a durable black
polycoat. A Kadet kit equipped pistol
closely replicates the weight and feel
of a standard pistol. The kit includes
two 10-round .22 LR magazines. The
Kadet magazines are made with a .22
LR inner liner sleeved in a full size
centerfire metal magazine body. The
integral baseplate and followers are
PHOTO BY MARIE VERHEYEN.
CZ-75 KADET .22 LR CONVERSION KIT
both plastic. The magazines cannot
be disassembled and, unlike some
other designs, there is no way to
compress the magazine springs for
easier loading.
To install the Kadet kit on a pistol
take the complete pistol and pull back
the centerfire slide until the witness
marks on the slide and frame line up,
push out the slide stop, and slide the
centerfire top end off from the front.
(This should be familiar to any CZ-75
owner.) Then slide the .22 LR unit on
the frame, line up the witness marks,
and reinstall the slide stop. It’s that
simple.
Because a tight frame to slide fit is
important for accuracy, certain points
on the rails of the Kadet slide are very
slightly oversized. This may require
the user to fit the kit to the pistol the
first time it is installed. All this takes
is a needle file, a little time, and
some patience. Simply note the high
GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 43
 THE GREATEST GEAR
points on the rails of the kit slide
and alternate between a few file
strokes on the Kadet slide and test
fittings until the Kadet slide goes
completely onto the frame. The
Kadet kit was recently redesigned
slightly to work with the newer
Omega trigger system and these
newer kits may not require as
much, if any, fitting.
The Kadet kit works on the full-
size CZ-75 and SP-01 and the
compact CZ-75 models including
the P-01, P-06, PCR, and RAMI.
The Kadet kit will not work on the
CZ-97, CZ-75 TS, or P-07 Duty
models. When used with the
compact models the magazine
will protrude below the mag well.
THE FACTS
CALIBER
.22 LR
CAPACITY
10+1
WEIGHT
1.05 lbs
OVERALL LENGTH
8.110 inches
BARREL LENGTH
4.720 inches
FINISH
Black Polycoat
SIGHTS
Adjustable for Windage
and Elevation
MSRP $431
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE KADET AT
CZ-USA.COM
44 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
The CZ Kadet .22 LR conversion kit is an all steel slide
with a fixed barrel that mounts on most CZ-75 variants.
WE LIKE
In my experience the CZ-75 Kadet kit
has proven to be reliable, accurate,
and fun. I’ve owned mine for over a
dozen years and have fired untold
thousands of rounds through it in that
time. I’ve found the Kadet equipped
pistol to be more reliable than most
other .22 LR pistols I’ve tried. The
only times I have a problem is when
the pistol gets excessively dirty,
usually after several range sessions
without cleaning, especially if using
the cheaper .22 LR ammo that is
known to leave more residue behind.
The problem typically manifests
when the slide starts to feel gritty or
“sluggish” and sometimes includes
failures to feed or failures to extract.
These problems typically clear up
with the application of additional lube
at the range followed by a thorough
cleaning before the next range trip.
Of course, like any .22 LR pistol,
the Kadet-equipped CZ-75 will likely
show a preference for certain ammo
for both reliability and accuracy. As
PHOTO BY CZ USA.
this often differs from gun to gun the
best way to find what shoots best is
to try different brands and take notes.
The fixed barrel helps promote
accuracy. While it’s not up to
the standards of a NRA Bullseye
competitor’s pistol, in my experience
it shoots as well, if not better, than
any “plinker grade” or entry level
.22 LR target pistol. The adjustable
sights allow the shooter to sight in
for any particular load or distance
and are easy to see. While the exact
trigger feel and weight depends on
the specific host frame, I’ve found
the gun is capable of very precise
shooting, especially when fired
single-action.
In addition to using it for general
shooting, I’ve found a Kadet-equipped
CZ-75 to be an excellent training
pistol for new shooters. The similarity
of the controls to other centerfire
pistols is a bonus, as is the general
accuracy and reliability of the unit.

PHOTO BY ROB REED.
WE DON’T LIKE
There are few issues with this
design worth noting. The first is the
requirement that the Kadet slide be
hand fitted to the host pistol may be
off-putting to some shooters. This is
mitigated by how easy it is to do and
the fact that the new units require
less, if any, fitting.
In order to make the action work
with less powerful .22 LR ammunition
the Kadet slide had to be redesigned
from the centerfire original. Instead
of a one-piece slide, which moves on
the frame, the Kadet slide is made of
two pieces. The larger piece, which
includes the top and bottom of the
slide, stays in place with only the
smaller cutout portion of the slide
actually reciprocating. This makes
manipulating the slide to load the
pistol a bit more difficult as the moving
part is smaller than the complete
slide and some shooters find it hard
to grab.
CZ-75 KADET .22 LR CONVERSION KIT
This view of the author’s well used
CZ-75B with a Kadet kit installed
shows both the small area of the slide
that reciprocates and the fixed barrel.
The other potential issue is
with the Kadet magazines.
While well made, they cannot
be disassembled for cleaning or
maintenance. Fortunately this
has never become an issue for
me, but is something to be aware
of.
GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 45
 THE GREATEST GEAR CZ-75 KADET .22 LR CONVERSION KIT

THE VERDICT
The CZ-75 Kadet .22 LR conversion
kit is a well designed, well made unit
that gives the CZ-75 owner “two guns
in one.” A Kadet-equipped CZ-75 is
easily the equal of any .22 LR pistol
in its price class and is practically a
must-have for any CZ-75 fan.

A CZ-75 with a .22 LR Kadet

kit installed looks, and more
importantely, handles like a
regular centerfire CZ pistol
while allowing the use of
cheaper .22 LR ammunition.

PHOTO BY CZ USA.

46 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

 WHAT’S BETTER THAN SEMI-AUTOMATIC?
6-SHOT BURST

A I R G U N S

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featuring 6-Shot Burst Mode. With its M4 styling, 2x12g CO2, drop free
magazine, 300 round steel BB reservoir, collapsible stock, flip-up sights and
tactical railing, the Umarex Steel Force is a one-of-a-kind airgun.
Zero In on the Steel Force at: UmarexUSA.com/SteelForce © 2013 Umarex USA
 THE GREATEST GEAR
SHOT SHOW
THE WOMAN, THE AR, AND
EVERYTHING
TACTICAL
ON THE FLOOR AT SHOT SHOW 2014
BY ANETTE WACHTER
WWW.30CALGAL.COM
48 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
Meeting the ultimate icon
of tactical: Ronnie Barrett
along with his wife Donna.
OF ALL THE TIMES to make that New
Year’s resolution! In January, my
husband and I thought it would be
a good idea to give up drinking for
one month. When we chose January,
we had forgotten that we would be
in Las Vegas for SHOT Show 2014.
Going to Vegas and without a martini?
The thought of walking miles of floor
space and schmoozing with hundreds
of people without a refreshing reward
at the end of each day seemed
impossible. It nearly was impossible,
but I survived. I was actually thankful
each morning as my alarm went off
and I awoke bright eyed rather than

blood shot; I needed that energy. The
enthusiasm of SHOT Show 2014 was
a night and day difference from the
dour mood of SHOT 2013.
Thankfully, sales are still booming
for most companies this year, but
it appears that the backlog has
diminished, unless you are trying to
find .22 LR ammo. SHOT Show is
the fifth largest trade show in Vegas,
and this year saw record attendance.
Every one of the 65,000-plus
people had an agenda: exhibitors,
dealers, writers, bloggers, lobbyists,
competitors, celebrities, sniper record
breakers, heroes, you name it and
they were here with a mission. My
personal agenda wore several faces.
I was a writer, blogger, competitor,
and sponsorship collector. I wanted
to find the latest and coolest gadget
or gun to write about as well the best
components and gear for me to use
this year for my competitions, and
along the way I had some exciting
THE WOMAN, THE AR, AND EVERYTHING TACTICAL
Julie Golob, one
of many women
distractions. featured at the
AWR Hawkins, writer and blogger NRA Booth
for Breitbart News found me in the
convention hall. Breitbart asked him
to talk to me about writing for them
as a female voice of the gun industry.
The folks from Trigger Time TV put
me in the line-up to audition for a
new show for The Blaze TV that may
get produced. I was honored on both
accounts. Hopefully by the time you
read this GunUp issue I will have an
answer on both.
The most interesting part of SHOT
for me each year is not just the
latest product, but I like to pick out
and highlight the overall theme or
characteristics that stood out. For last saw her because she was 20
me, this was the year for The Woman, feet tall. Standing next to her was
The AR and Everything Tactical. Julie Golob, also 20 feet tall. Two
beautiful images of the ladies lit up
HEAR THE WOMEN ROAR! on display for all to see from across
As I walked by the NRA booth a the convention hall, Jessie Duff
smiling Natalie Burkolder greeted me, was larger than life on billboards
although she had grown a bit since I throughout the show, and women
Night out in Vegas:
SHOT Show
“Hollywood Glam”
GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 49
 THE GREATEST GEAR

SHOT SHOW Devil Dog Arms

308 prototype,
hunters lit up dozens of exhibitor called the Cerebus
booths.
This was only my third trip to
SHOT but the focus on women
in this industry has exploded in
just that short amount of time.
The representation of so many
professional women in their field
was truly refreshing. Companies
have done their homework and
have taken the statistics to heart,
after all women are the fastest
growing customer-base in the
gun industry. There were nearly
as many female celebrity booth
appearances as there were male. If
you paid attention to the interviews
NRA News was giving all week
you would have noticed that a
majority were of women. Susan
LaPierre, the first lady of the NRA,
was a joy to meet and she was a
great influence in starting the NRA
Women’s Network.
On Wednesday night, over 200
women left SHOT Show for a
night out in Vegas. Dressed up in
“Hollywood Glam” we descended
upon the V-Bar in the Venetian.
Networking was quickly replaced
by socializing as the drinks were
poured. This was an opportunity
to blow off some steam and catch
up with friends and acquaintances
in the industry. As expected, this
group of women closed the bar
down. Remember, what happens
in Vegas stays in Vegas! Some
great raffle prizes were given out
to a lucky few, I was one of those
lucky ones and won a Kimber 9mm
that was worth my trip to Vegas.
The event was made possible by a
variety of great sponsors including
GunUp the Magazine, Galco,
Remington Arms, LaserMax,
NRA Women’s Network, Outdoor
Channel, 2 Vets Arms and Louka
Tactical.

50 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

 THE WOMAN, THE AR, AND EVERYTHING TACTICAL

IT IS RAINING ARS Mega Arms

We all love our “modern sporting Megalithic
Tactical System
rifles,” but who knew that the
business of building ARs would take
over the world. There were hundreds
of vendor booths selling “the best
AR on the market.” There were also
a hundred start-ups that could not
get a booth that were walking around
with lower prototypes in their duffel
bags. It is so easy now to build your
own rifle on your kitchen counter that
I wonder how one company stands
out from another anymore. The push
for more .308 semi-autos was evident
this year, as well as creative finishes
and unique accessories, there was a
move to get away from all black. I am
not one for a pink- or pattern-dipped
gun but I did loved some of the new
finishes. Devil Dog Arms showed
me their .308 prototype, called the
Cerebus, which had a pewter color
finish all of the way through. One of the
accessories by Mega Arms stopped designs of chassis, scopes, bi-pods, pants and boots. I affectionately
traffic; it was a tiny little level. The tactical clothing and accessories. referred to the omnipresent
Megalithic Tactical System is a level One product I just have to mention beards as Tacti-Beards. My most
that is hidden in between the upper is the $700, 360-degree rotating memorable beard meeting was
receiver rail and the hand-guard rail. bi-pod by Elite Irons. Of course this with Frank Galli of Snipershide.
With one easy twist and pull, it slides stood out, but was it state of the art com, I finally met the face behind
out to the side in perfect view as you or overkill? the forum nickname “Lowlight.” It
are in position on the cheek weld, a I spent much of the show surrounded happened to be the same evening
small but very clever way to stand out by muscled, tattooed and bearded as the Women’s Industry Dinner
from the crowd. guys with tight black t-shirts, tactical and I was wearing my 4-inch

EVERYTHING TACTICAL
As a competitor I follow the trends
of shooting disciplines. Unfortunately
I am watching the interest in my
specialties of Palma rifle and High
Power fade away, it is pretty old school
and, according to many, boring. Cue
in F-Class, 3-Gun and Precision rifle.
Two out of these three are fast paced
and all three offer modern tactical
equipment, and black rifles and bolt
actions are anything but boring. 360-degree
SHOT Show had no shortage of rotating bi-pod
by Elite Irons
tactical; I witnessed many new

GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014 51

 THE GREATEST GEAR
SHOT SHOW
heels. Frank was not, apparently,
wearing his. We have a great photo
together where I am towering about
a foot over him. His personality and
success is larger than life and I
especially love that he is making
room for women in his Snipershide
Series of matches.
What is the ultimate icon of
tactical? This would be Barrett. I
could not have been more thrilled
when my friend Lars Dalseide of
the NRA introduced me to Ronnie
Barrett and his wife Donna. He
spent a great deal of time with me
showing me photos on his phone
of their most recent hunting trip.
He explained in detail his new rifle
design that was on display in the
52 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014
THE WOMAN, THE AR, AND EVERYTHING TACTICAL
NRA booth. He even followed up the
next day by sending me the photo we
took together. Am I star struck? Yes.
Wouldn’t you be?
HEROES ROAMED
With great respect, and saving the
best for last, it seemed as though
I could not throw a stick without
hitting a modern day hero at SHOT,
from Medal of Honor recipients to the
men with the longest or most sniper
kills. The most recognizable face was
Marcus Luttrell. If you have not been
living under a rock than you know
his story was featured in his book,
as well as the blockbuster film, Lone
Survivor.
My precision rifle pal Regina
My precision rifle pal
Regina Milkovich
and Rob Furlong, a
former sniper with the
3rd Battalion, Princess
Patricia’s Canadian Light
Infantry. Rob is best
known for holding the
previous record for the
longest confirmed sniper
kill in combat, at 2,430
meters.
Milkovich hung out with Marcus and
also Rob Furlong, a former sniper with
the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s
Canadian Light Infantry, best known
for holding the previous record for
the longest confirmed sniper kill in
combat, at 2,430 meters. I also met
MSG Jim Gilliland who bested an Iraqi
insurgent sniper with the farthest
confirmed 7.62x51 mm NATO kill in
Iraq or Afghanistan. A recent Medal
of Honor recipient, Clint Romesha
was nearby as well. Clint survived a
battle in Afghanistan and saved many
of his comrades while under fire from
the Taliban. These people and all of
those that serve were the stars of
SHOT Show.
 WE ARE GUNUP

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show is the big event on the firearms industry calendar. SHOT Show
is a massive display of this multi-billion dollar industry’s best equipment and brightest ideas. Each year it draws
progressively bigger crowds, with the recently concluded show bringing more than 67,000 people to the Sands
Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.

It also marked a landmark for GunUp the Magazine. This was the second SHOT for the magazine, and my seventh
SHOT. For the first time, I spent less time on the floor than I did in meetings, talking to our advertisers and clients.
GunUp the Magazine started as a crazy idea: “What if we start a magazine?” At SHOT in 2013 we pitched the
magazine to existing clients of our successful ad network; we fought tooth and nail to bring you this book each
month of 2013. Fast forward to a year later, and we’re sitting on top of 50,000 monthly readers, a sweet mobile
app, and a brand that represents quality production and content.

It’s been a pretty radical ride, and I can’t wait to see what happens in 2014.

Caleb N. Giddings
General Manager,
GunUp.Publishing

Follow Us
/gogunup)
@gunup

54 GUNUP.COM | MARCH 2014

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