INDUSTRY DEFIES ECONOMIC DOWNTURN p8 MAY 2008

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L.E./TACTICAL
• Cash In On Trends p16
• SHOT Show Sizzle! p24
• New Products Gallery p33

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Circle No. 226 on Inquiry Card
 ANNOUNCING THE 2008 FNH USA STOCKING DEALER PROGRAM

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 -!9  s 6/,5-%  s .5-"%2 

Features
24 SHOT Show 2008 — Part II John Morrison
Law Enforcement And Tactical Gear Boosts Traffic!

33 2008 L.E./Tactical New Products SI Staff

Here’s A Sampling Of New Offerings In This Dynamic Market.

41 Booming Sales! Carolee Anita Boyles

Are Your Handgun Sales Robust? They Can Be!

Page 24
Industry News
8 Industry Defies Economic Downturn During First Quarter
 9 Academy Of Excellence Selects Service Nominees

,#5
12 Kimber Donates $100,000 To USA Shooting

14 Newsmakers

.0-"3!21
*;Q
#H@IL=?G?HN2;=NC=;F
%;FF?LS
Columns
16 Lethal Force Massad Ayoob
Cash In On L.E./Tactical Trends.
0AGE 
18 Outdoor Marketplace John Morrison
Uncovering More Gems From SHOT.

20 Arms And The Woman Lisa Parsons-Wraith

Pink Firearms As Savvy Marketing Tools.

22 Back Blast & Other Hot Gases Commander Gilmore

“Most Creative Robbery Disguise” Award.

46 Industry Watch Russ Thurman

The Many Forms Of Gun Control.

Departments
6 Letters 40 Classifieds
Page 41 40 Reader Service 44 New Products
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4 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com

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www.shootingindustry.com Circle No. 206 on Inquiry Card MAY 2008 5

Correct Data?
I am a Ph.D. economist and, together with
colleagues at the Australian Defence Force
Academy, have begun to study the firearm
industry’s structure, competitive strategies
and performance. Economists study all kinds
of industries, but apparently no one has done
so for the firearms industry in recent times.
I saw a copy of your 2007 industry re-
port, with production data for 1986-2005
(“U.S. Firearm Business,” July 2007). While
most of your data conforms to the ATF’s AF-
MER data for its 1998-2005 reports, some,
especially for 2005, are different. In particu-
lar, for 2005 you report an increase in pro-
duction, whereas BATF reports a decrease.
Is this an oversight, or are the ATF data up-
dated, but either you or ATF has not posted
the update, or something else?
Economists rely on numbers, of course,
and I am just trying to lay my hands on
basic, reliable industry statistics. I would
appreciate if you could assist me in this.
J. Brauer
Augusta, Ga.
DARK, SLEEK, AND CURVY
SEEKS LIFE LONG RELATIONSHIP
6 MAY 2008
Mr. Brauer, you likely have an older ver- Then the no-no happened. On a cold
sion of the 2005 report. The ATF “updated” and damp night, I placed my pants (with no
the 2005 data three times, perhaps four. I gun in it) too close to a heat source, burned
lost count. It caused a lot of headaches for my pants and damaged the belt clips on the
those studying the data, using it to produce holster. The following day, I called Cross-
reports, such as ours, and the ATF itself. Breed, explained what hap-
During the production of the 2005 report, pened and placed an or-
the ATF had a change in personnel who as- der for new replacement
semble the data, which accounted for many clips. What a
of the errors. That, it appears, has been cor- company;
rected, and the data for 2006 seems as solid they sent me
as possible, given the reliance on reporting new clips at
companies to provide accurate, timely data. no charge, even
Look for this year’s “U.S. Firearm Busi- free shipping!
ness” report, with its charts and graphs, in A company like that
the July issue. deserves high praise. I
highly recommend them to my
Recommending CrossBreed friends and students — I am an NRA fire-
I purchased a holster from CrossBreed arms instructor.
Holsters after reading about it in your G.F. Oldziej
magazine (American Handgunner, March/ Via: American Handgunner Magazine 9
April 2008). I am a retired deputy sheriff
who still carries a weapon full time. Well, E-mail the Editor
the holster was so comfortable I ordered a
russ@shootingindustry.com
second one for another gun.
I ENJOY LONG DAYS AT THE RANGE
AND I LOVE TO BE HELD.
I’M TRUSTWORTHY, I’M RELIABLE,
AND I’LL BE FAITHFUL TO THE END.
THE AR-24.
FALL IN LOVE.
Circle No. 201 on Inquiry Card
www.shootingindustry.com
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 Cash In On L.E./Tactical Trends — page 16

Industry Defies Economic Downturn During First Quarter

Russ Thurman, Editor ported at the SHOT Show in early 2008.
Owner of On-Target Indoor Shooting Range

I
n contrast to the nation’s overall eco-
nomic downturn, the firearm industry
fared well during the first quarter of
2008. Manufacturers, distributors and gun
dealers report that while there are “soft”
areas in the market, overall sales of fire-
arms were “great,” with some reporting
“upsurges.”
A strong indicator of firearm sales dur-
ing January, February and March is reflect-
ed in the number of firearm background
checks. According to the FBI’s National In-
stant Criminal Background Checks System
(NICS), there was a 7.9 percent increase
in background checks over the first three
months in 2007. NICS conducted 3,004,549
background checks during the first quarter
of this year, an increase of 219,481 over
the same quarter last year. There were in-
creases in each month — January: +5.4%,
February: +11.6% and March: +6.7%.
These increases are notable since NICS
data indicates records were set in the num-
ber of background checks during January,
February and March 2007. The data also
corresponds with the “robust buying” re-
NICS Background Checks —
“The first day was probably the best
in Laguna Niguel, Calif. “Since Christmas,
day Legacy has ever had at the SHOT
we have seen a slowdown, but the past
Show,” said Gene Lumsden, Legacy Inter-
few weeks we witnessed an upsurge due
national president and CEO. to spring break. Most of the people buying
In addition, while not a desirable
guns are concerned about not being able to
indicator, numerous manufacturers are
buy what they want this time next year.”
reporting “backlogs” in firearm produc-
How will the industry fare for the re-
tion, especially those in the personal de-
mainder of the year? At best, “very soft”
fense category. sales; at worst, “very rough.”
Why is the industry doing well, while
“I’ve seen over the years that we’ve
most other industries are reporting “slug-
been pretty recession-proof. We always
gish sales”? seem to suffer during the start of a reces-
“I don’t know,” said Bryan Tucker,
sion, with all the doom-and-gloom talk,
CEO of Davidson’s. “In our sales, Decem-
but then pull out of it,” Tucker said.
ber was really good, January was a little
“The last two years, we have grown
soft. February was fantastic. March was
at a 40-percent rate. This January, we
really great. If you would have asked me
were up 40 percent over January 2007,
that in November of last year, I would have
so we’re on track to have another very
said, ‘Oh, man, it’s terrible.’ But now, it’s
strong year,” Lumsden said.
back. I don’t know if the election talk and
Bouslog is not as optimistic.
the Democrat’s cloud is starting to spur
“My crystal ball is a bit foggy, but look-
this thing, or not. I just know we’re up.”
ing only at California, I feel we are in for
Gun dealers also report positive sales
a rough time. I think the money is going
numbers. to dry up in a couple of months. For the
“We have not seen the big hit everyone
most part, the discretionary income that I
is talking about,” said Gregg L. Bouslog,
live by will be reduced by 50 percent or
more during the next 12 to 18
months. If a Democrat is elect-
January 1999 — March 2008
ed, I expect an upsurge around
Christmas for those who want
a rifle with detachable maga-
zines before a ban becomes
law again,” Bouslog said.

Sanetti New NSSF President, Painter Changes Role

S teve Sanetti, former Ruger president, became president and
CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)
May 1. Doug Painter, who held the NSSF’s top position for six
years, has assumed a new role as NSSF’s Senior Advisor and
Trade Liaison.
Sanetti, a well-known figure in the industry, spent 28 years
with Sturm, Ruger and Co. as an executive and general coun-
sel, and has been a member of the NSSF Board of Governors
and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Insti-
tute (SAAMI) Board of Directors.
“Steve is one of the most well-respected individuals in
our industry,” said Robert Scott, chairman of the NSSF
Board of Governors. “His experience and good judgment
have been valued at Sturm, Ruger for decades and by the
industry at large for his role in helping defeat the municipal Steve Sanetti Doug Painter

8 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com

 Different
Academy Of Excellence Selects Service Nominees
T he Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence has announced the 2008 nominees for its
four “service” awards. These awards recognize companies for manufacturing, distri-
bution and citizenship, plus an individual is honored with the Shooting Industry Award.
By
Design
At press time, the academy’s 2008 nominees for its 10 product awards were still
undergoing the verification phase to ensure they are “in production,” as required by
the academy. (They will be announced in the June issue of Shooting Industry and on
www.shootingindustry.com.)
The academy considered 37 entries in the four service award categories, before se-
lecting 12 nominees for the 2008 Final Ballot. The academy uses a two-step voting pro-
cess. Academy members consider all entries in each category, casting votes to determine
who will be placed on the ballot. They then cast a second, final vote to determine who
will receive the annual awards.
The award recipients will be kept secret and revealed during a special Academy of Excellence
reception to held July 25 in Windsor, Conn., in conjunction with the Shooting Industry Masters.
The 2008 service award nominees are:

Manufacturer of the Year

• BLACKHAWK! Products Group: For reinvesting its profits in U.S. capabilities by open-
ing three new factories in the U.S. in the past three years, which helps inventory management
and quickly responds to customer demands. For rehiring all the American workers when buy-
ing the Boise, Id., facility from a competitor, while the competitor shipped jobs overseas.
• Ruger: For remaking the company to better serve the firearms industry, including creat-
ing new firearm and ammunition combinations that eclipse current performance standards,
such as Ruger Compact Magnum rifles and the Ruger SP101 .327 Federal Magnum revolv- Jmeb_]^ji"
er. For the Voice of the Customer program seeking input from consumers and resulting in ed[h[ikbj$
the M77 Hawkeye rifles, Charger pistol, the SR9 and the LCP. For enhanced dealer offerings B_a[deej^[h
including co-op advertising, special order programs and expanded Web site content. jWYj_YWbÆWi^#
• Smith & Wesson: For being a leader in the firearms industry and shooting sports,
supporting at the highest levels the NSSF, NRA and USA Shooting Team, and playing b_]^ji"ekh
an instrumental role in the NRA’s Insure Your Gun Rights and HAVA. For the introduc- ºde^WdZi»
tion of 71 new firearms featuring several new M&P series products and the Night Guard Z[i_]dia[[fi
revolver series. For the largest dealer and distributor incentive program in the industry’s Xej^^WdZi
history, Shooting for Hawaii, with a new program for 2008, Aiming for Alaska. WlW_bWXb[\eh
Distributor of the Year Yh_j_YWbjWiai$
• AcuSport: For hosting an annual dealer show that strengthens the independent retailer by
providing educational seminars, simulated retail space, an ammunition price protection pro-
gram and inventory planning. For the support of independent retailers through extensive prod-
uct knowledge, business planning and promotional support. For partnering with vendors such
Continued on page 10

lawsuits filed against our industry.”
In 2004, Sanetti received the Shooting
Industry Award from the Shooting Indus-
try Academy of Excellence for his fight
against the “big city” lawsuits and other
anti-gun campaigns. About his new posi-
tion, Sanetti said that despite his years in
the industry and experience with NSSF,
Painter requested the change in his role
at NSSF in late April.
“Recognizing the many challenges we
face down the road, I felt the time had
come after 35 years to give more focus
to building strategic alliances and part-
nerships that will continue to strengthen B[Whdm^oj^[K$I$8ehZ[hFWjheb"
the extraordinary unity of our industry j^[K$I$7hcoWdZfhe\[ii_edWbi
[l[hom^[h[Y^eei[<_hij#B_]^jKI7 $


“the challenges we all face will be new
and constantly changing.”
“The only way we will survive and
prosper is to be flexible in our thinking
and creative in our problem-solving,” Sa-
netti said. “I am excited to begin this new
phase of my career at a place where I can
have a positive and lasting impact on the
future of hunting and shooting.”
that has been at the core of our success,”
Painter said.
Painter will be the primary spokesman
for NSSF’s outreach to build participation
and strengthen the industry’s political voice.
“We are happy that Doug will continue
to be the voice of the foundation and build
upon our key alliances in this industry,” .--#*+*#**+&
Scott said.
Circle No. 209 on Inquiry Card

www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2008 9

 Continued from page 9
as ARS, Strategic Business Partners, EZ-4473
and FFL Guard to provide services that add
value to the independent retailer.
• Ellett Brothers: For taking great pride
in serving and supporting the independent
retailer for 75 years. For its continuing
work with manufacturers to develop new
and innovative products such as the newly
introduced Taurus Model 327. For contin-
ued support of industry organizations such
as the NSSF, NRA, Congressional Sports-
man Caucus and NASGW. For its com-
mitment to the growth and future of the
shooting sports industry by working with
organizations such as the Boy Scouts of
America and local conservation groups.
• RSR Group: For over 30 years of
leading the shooting sports industry with
superior customer service, a knowledge-
able sales staff, excellent product selection
and same-day shipping. For pioneering the
first virtual trade show, allowing thousands
of dealers to attend and take advantage
of specials without disrupting their daily
business. For actively working to preserve
the future of the industry through various
organizations such as the NSSF and NRA,
including the NRA Recruitment program.
Citizenship Award
• Brownells: For its contributions to
the NRA endowment for youth educa-
F. Hewitt Grant
LaserMax Manufactures Colt Laser System
L aserMax announces it is the exclusive
manufacturer of the new Colt CGL-
R/L fore grip laser system, a red aiming
laser and traveling light that attaches to
the M1913 rail mount. The Colt CGL-R/L
is available to civilian, law enforcement,
military and international customers.
10 MAY 2008
tion programs, support of 4H programs
in Iowa, the Progressive Farmer maga-
zine’s youth shooting program, and the
Iowa Pheasants Forever Build a Habi-
tat program. For its first-of-a-kind gun-
smith’s job fair. For its continued sup-
port of the NRA, including an NRA
membership drive with 1,000 members
signed up in 2007.
• Ellett Brothers: For continued support
of the American Cancer Society’s Relay
for Life and support of the NSSF Heritage
Fund by hosting a silent auction at its year-
ly dealer show. For supporting the local
Boy Scouts of America council and other
local charities such as the Adopt a Family
program, in which the company provided
Christmas gifts and sponsored Thanksgiv-
ing dinners for needy families.
• Hodgdon Powder Co.: For commit-
ment to community that transcends the en-
tire organization, including the Hodgdon
Family Donor Advised Fund, which has
supported funding to over 145 charitable
organizations. For supporting organiza-
tions including the Boy Scouts, 4H, SCI,
Pheasants Forever and others financially,
with product donations and through volun-
teer involvement.
Shooting Industry Award
• F. Hewitt Grant, Ellett Brothers: For
his 40 year dedication to the shooting
sports industry though his work as an ad-
Bob Hodgdon
LaserMax also announces it is the ex-
clusive sales representative for the Colt
CGL for non-government agency cus-
tomers (individuals only, no government
agency or reseller sales).
For more information, visit www.la-
sermax.com or call 1-800-LASER-03.
vocate for gun rights on the local and na-
tional levels. For supporting the education
of legislators in the importance of con-
cealed carry laws by working closely with
the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus as
well as the SC Sportsman Caucus founda-
tion. For his involvement in the NRA and
the NASGW. For supporting and leading
the Ellett team to unheard of sales growth
over the last five years.
• Bob Hodgdon, Hodgdon: For spending
60 years with Hodgdon Powder providing
propellants for shooters and hunters. For
helping build the company into what it is to-
day, a company featuring 54 reliable, high-
performance muzzleloading and smokeless
powder products. For being a tireless de-
fender of the Second Amendment and being
instrumental in starting the NRA Handload-
ing Endowment. For being an avid hunter,
reloader and shooter.
• Tom Taylor, Smith & Wesson: For be-
ing a leader in the rejuvenation of Smith
& Wesson and leading the development
of over 200 products, including the M&P
series. For developing the incentive pro-
gram, Shooting for Hawaii, the largest
customer incentive in the industry’s his-
tory, and introducing a new program for
2008, Aiming for Alaska. For serving as
chairman of the NRA’s Insure Your Gun
Rights, and leading an industry initiative
to support Honored American Veterans
Afield (HAVA).
Tom Taylor
For Colt direct military, law en-
forcement, federal agency and in-
ternational sales, contact Michael
Reissig, executive director of sales
and marketing, Colt Defense LLC at:
mreissig@coltcom.
www.shootingindustry.com
 U C O V E RE D
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7 HETHER YOURE DEFENDING THE HOMELAND
the farm, your record at Camp Perry or anything
in between, 2OCK 2IVER !RMS has a rifle to get
the job done. You can even customize your firearm,
choosing from a wide selection of calibers, receivers,
stocks, handguards, barrels, triggers, grips, and
accessories. This combined with Rock River’s unsur-
passed quality make Rock River the ultimate choice
for durability, dependability, accuracy, and versatility.
.75 MOA @ 100 Yards
It’s not just another AR, it’s a Rock River LAR.

Scope not included

.75 MOA @ 100 Yards

Circle No. 222 on Inquiry Card

3HOP /NLINE AT 7772/#+2)6%2!2-3#/-

 #LEVELAND 2D s #OLONA ),  s   2/#+ 
 Lone Wolf Knives
makes cutting anything
“Look Good!”
Kimber Donates $100,000 To USA Shooting
Paul Executive
with Cocobolo K imber owner and CEO Les-
lie Edelman presented a
$100,000 check to USA Shoot-
Handle LM23410 ing at the 2008 SHOT Show,
Paul® Executive, 2.5 bringing the company’s contri-
inch blade, Patented butions to the team to $600,000.
Paul lock system
This continues Kimber’s stand-
ing as the largest donor among
locks blade open and
firearm companies.
closed, marble
The donation is based on com-
Cocobolo handles, mercial sales of the Kimber Team
1.6 oz. LM23410. Match II pistol, which is also
Also available with 3-D used by USA Shooting’s Rapid
Carbon Fiber handles Fire Pistol Team. For every pis-
LM23415. tol sold, Kimber donates $100 to Leslie Edelman, right, Kimber owner and CEO, presents
USA Shooting. Kimber officials a check for $600,000 to Buddy DuVall, USA Shooting.
indicate they are continuing the
program and “additional contributions are sure to follow.”
For more information, contact Kimber at (406) 758-2222 or www.kimberamerica.
com. For information on becoming a USA Shooting sponsor, contact Buddy DuVall at
(719) 866-4880 or via e-mail: buddy.duvall@usashooting.com.

ATK Honors 2007 Dealer Of The Year

M ike Goschinski, owner of Fin Feather Fur Outfitters, has been named ATK’s Deal-
er of the Year for the second year in a row and the third time in four years.
“We’re just flattered,” Goschinski said. “Winning this award for the third time is at-
Diablo-DA tributed to the employees who work with me and have stood by me. It is also because of
Micarta® ATK and our extremely talented sales rep. The applause goes right to these people.”
LD23153 When Goschinski was named the 2006 ATK Dealer of the Year, it marked the first
time there was a repeat winner.
Scale release “Once you get behind a company’s product line, and that company gets behind you,
automatic or manual it’s like a marriage that works very well,” Goschinski said. “Their product line, from trap
one-handed-opening.
throwers to bi-pods to
rests to ammunition,
3.3 inch CPM-S30V
just really fits our busi-
blade, locking-liner,
ness model.”
green/black layered Goschinski’s Ohio-
Micarta®, 4.1 oz based Fin Feather Fur
LD23153. Outfitters continues to
improve on recent suc-
Also available in cess, according to ATK.
one-handed-opening’ “After taking home last
Non-automatic version year’s award, thanks to
LC23156. a 30-percent increase
in overall sales, they
again increased their
business by about the
same amount,” ATK
officials noted. Mike Goschinski (center) accepts the 2007 ATK Dealer of the Year
ATK’s Premium award from his ATK sales rep, Beau Nicholson (left) and Michael
Partner program helps Halleron, director of domestic sales.
dealers succeed in to-
9373 SW Barber Street, Ste A. day’s competitive market, according to Goschinski.
“The terms, and things like freight, are easy to work with,” Goschinski said. “They’ve
Wilsonville, OR 97070 figured out how to do business with the independent dealer. And it’s working. Hopefully,
Dealer Locator At other dealers see this as the company they want to work with.”
For more on ATK’s Premium Partner program, visit www.premiumpartners.atk.com.
www.lonewolfknives.com Visit Goschinski’s Web site at www.finfeatherfuroutfitters.com.
Circle No. 217 on Inquiry Card
12 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com
 All scopes and rings are not included.

Cal: .338 Federal RFLR-338L

Weighs Just 7.9 lbs!

Cal: 6.5 Creedmoor RFLR-65

Also Available in
.308 Win. & .260 Rem.

Cal: .308 Win. RFLR-308L

Also Available in .260 Rem.

Weighs Just 7.9 lbs!

Cal: .204 Ruger RFA3-204

Also Available in .223 Rem.

Cal: 5.56 x 45mm RFLP-WCP

Bridges the Gap Between
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Weighs Just 6.3 lbs!

Made in the USA!

ONLINE ORDERING
Please send your FFL
AVAILABLE!
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WWW.DPMSINC.COM
DPMS Firearms, LLC • 3312 12th Street SE, Dept. SIND • St. Cloud, MN 56304 • 1-320-258-4448, Ext. 7463 • 1-320-258-4449 (Fax) • dpms@dpmsinc.com
Circle No. 207 on Inquiry Card

Davidson’s Releases
Web-Based Gun Genie
D avidson’s Inc. has unveiled Gun Ge-
nie, a Web-based consumer firearm
purchasing tool.
“We are proud to offer consumers a
simple and convenient way to find the
firearm they want, when and where they
want it,” said Bryan Tucker, CEO of Da-
vidson’s. “Our current GunLocator service
has shown that consumers love the benefit
of choosing from the tens of thousands of
firearms we keep in inventory, all backed
by our Guaranteed Lifetime Replacement
Program.”
Tucker says Gun Genie is an improved
version of the GunLocator service, which
consumers utilize to purchase firearms
from more than 2,000 Davidson’s Gold
Dealers nationwide.
“Consumers en-
joy the ultimate con-
venience of shopping
from home, while
dealers enjoy new
customers and the
benefit of expanding
their product offer-
ings through David-
son’s huge inventory,” Tucker said.
Gun Genie provides additional ben-
efits, according to Tucker.
“Many consumers hate shopping, tak-
ing time out of their busy schedule only to
find out that their favorite gun store does
not have their desired firearm in stock,”
Tucker said. “With today’s high fuel pric-
es, this is not only aggravating, but also
expensive. We have solved this problem.
With our service, a consumer knows in-
stantly if the firearm is available and the
price he will pay. He simply secures it
with a small online deposit and we ship
it to the Davidson’s Gold Dealer of his
choice to complete the transaction. Fast,
easy and hassle free.”
For more information, visit www.Gal-
leryofGuns.com or call 1-800-367-4867.
We’re Calling
You Out!
Gun Valley Showdown. Page 32
Circle No. 215 on Inquiry Card
14 MAY 2008
Pelican Products
Names VPs, Sales Director
Pelican Products has hired Nick New-
man for the newly created position of vice
president of worldwide operations. Addi-
tionally, the company has promoted Kevin
Deighton to vice president of research and
product development, and Kevin Emmons
to director of consumer and dive sales.
Newman assumes the leadership of
more than 400 Pelican plant staff on two
continents. Prior to joining Pelican, he
served as vice president of worldwide op-
erations for Magellan Navigation. He has
run manufacturing and supply chain op-
erations for various European, Asian and
South American companies.
“Hiring Nick underscores Pelican’s
commitment to building a team that will
take this company to the next level both
internationally and domestically,” said
Lyndon Faulkner, Pelican’s president and
CEO.
Newman holds an HNC degree in
electrical and electronic engineering from
Brooklands Technical College in the U.K.
Before his promotion, Deighton served
as Pelican’s director of product develop-
ment. Prior to joining Pelican, he served
as a mechanical engineer for Vickers De-
fense Systems in England. Deighton holds
a master’s degree in business administra-
tion from Cal State Long Beach, Calif.,
and earned his bachelor’s degree in tech-
nology and management science from the
University of Bradford in the U.K.
Emmons previously served as Pelican’s
consumer sales manager and was 2006
Pelican Sales Person of the Year. Prior to
joining Pelican, he
served as director
of sales and product
manager for Wenger
Swiss Army’s North
American market.
Emmons holds a
bachelor’s degree
from the University
of Delaware.
N. Newman
K. Deighton K. Emmons
www.shootingindustry.com
Savage Range Systems
Appoints Installation Coordinator
Savage Range Systems has hired
Thomas Alexopoulos as installation coor-
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Thomas, a licensed construction super-
visor and electrician, most recently held
the position of project engineer/manager
at Abel Womack Inc., where he designed,
quoted and managed projects throughout
the Northeast.

Magnum Research
Names Board Member
Magnum Research Inc. has appointed
Todd Seyfert, vice president of sales and *U
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“Todd really gives us significant ex-
perience in Magnum’s three focus areas:
product development, marketing and
sales. Magnum is really strong in all three Circle No. 229 on Inquiry Card
areas and that’s a big reason why Todd is
part of the team,” said John Risdall, chair-
man of the board and COO of Magnum
Research.
Seyfert holds a bachelor’s degree in
business administration from the Univer-

HELPS YOUR
sity of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.

Blaser USA
Jack Muety Retires
Jack T. Muety, CEO and president
of Blaser USA, retired on Jan. 31. He
leaves the company with nearly 35 years
of experience in the outdoor sporting
goods industry. Prior to his position with
Blaser, Muety helped start Benelli USA
and was their vice president of sales and
strategic marketing. He also served as
vice president of sales and marketing for
Beretta USA.
“The entire Blaser organization, both
in Germany and in the United States,
wish to thank Jack for this commit-
ment to our company over the past 15
months,” said Bernhard Knöbel, CEO of
Blaser Germany. “Mr. Muety has formed
the foundation that will allow the Blaser
brand to be the top choice of hunters
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www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2008 15

 Massad Ayoob

Cash In On L.E./Tactical Trends

D
ealers attending
the SHOT Show
the past few
years know the fastest-
growing segment of the event is the Law
Enforcement (L.E.) & Tactical Gear sec-
tion. It’s invaluable to know what the law
enforcement preferences in guns and am-
munition are, since they often translate
into civilian demand.
Older dealers recall that when most
cops carried revolvers, most private citi-
zens with concealed carry permits did,
also. The service-size wheel gun or the
snub revolver likewise dominated the
home-protection handgun market.
While private citizens were ahead of
cops in semiauto pistols for concealed car-
ry and home defense, autoloaders didn’t
approach dominance in the private sector
until the late ’80s, when law enforcement
agencies began to switch en masse
from the service revolver to the ser-
vice pistol.
Those influences continue today,
which is why it’s important to know
what trends the L.E./tactical market
is creating.
Black Rifle Market
At SHOT Show 2008, the L.E. section
looked like the Internet forum AR15.com
come to life. Black rifles were everywhere,
with the overwhelming majority in the
AR15 or M4 format, plus, of course, the
occasional green rifle. Even Remington,
in a project with Bushmaster, has an AR
Rock River’s new Entry Tactical has a 16"
chrome moly R-4 barrel, tactical carry
handle and RRA two-stage match trigger.
line, a trio of full-camo R-15s marketed to
varmint hunters.
Dealers can select high-end, top-qual-
ity AR15s from Rock River, Sabre De-
fence, DPMS, Wilson Combat, Ed Brown
and, of course, Colt. Mainstream pricing
is available from many makers. Very re-
liable, good-quality AR15s at the lowest

Calibers, Size Drive Handguns

F or cops and civilians, caliber is the major driving force in
handguns. We’ve seen a few police departments go from .40
or .45 back to 9mm, usually for reliability reasons, and we’re see-
ing more civilians trading in their larger caliber pistols for 9mms,
with different motivation. The ammo cost crunch has hit shooters
big time and 9mm is less expensive for training.
According to Denny Reese, CEO of Springfield Armory, until
last year, sales of .40 and .45 Springfield XDs were neck-in-neck
in popularity, with 9mm behind them. But, in the past few months,
demand for the smaller caliber has increased so much that 9mm, .40
and .45 XD pistols are selling in about equal volume. The .357 SIG
version, the fourth caliber offered in the XD line, accounts for about
5 percent of sales, Reese said. Visit www.springfield-armory.com.
Look for this trend to continue, since it’s not likely ammo will
be getting cheaper in the foreseeable future. Adjust inventory or-
ders accordingly, and make sure you have a good selection of
9mm pistols in stock.
Even so, don’t neglect revolvers. Dealers across the country tell
me that snub-nose .38 revolvers, especially the lightweights, are
steady sellers. Cops like them for backup because their rounded “han-
dles” allow for a quicker draw from deep concealment, such as ankle,
pocket or vest holsters. New shooters like them for their simplicity.
Concealed carry civilian customers often go through stages.
Many dealers tell me the first-time permit holder often buys a full-
size handgun, but quickly tires of the unaccustomed weight. He or
she then visits the gun shop to buy a lightweight snub so they can
be armed more comfortably.
Smith & Wessons, particularly the Airweights, and Tau-
rus revolvers
seem to be
the best sellers. With the
little five-shot Smiths,
the all-steel models get
a bit heavy in the pock-
et, while the Scandium Taurus’ Model 605 .357
and Titanium super-light Magnum has fixed sights,
models have a relatively single/double-action trigger
high price-point due to and a transfer bar.
the rare and costly metals
used in their construction. The aluminum-frame Airweights
split the difference in heft, and are seen by many as the most
cost-effective choice. Visit www.smith-wesson.com and
www.taurususa.com.
In new Rugers, the little LCP polymer-frame pocket .380
is drawing far more interest than the new .327 Magnum re-
volver. Limited ammo availability for the latter, at this writ-
ing, is not helping the new caliber’s cause. I’ve found the
LCP .380 quite comfortable to shoot and quite reliable, and
the price will be very attractive to a broad range of purchas-
ers. It’s very similar to the Kel-Tec P3AT in the same caliber,
which has proven most desirable to CCW folks and off-duty
cops alike because it’s so light, flat and small. You definitely
want some in stock.
It won’t hurt to have a Kel-Tec P3AT or two in the showcase.
Early P3AT problems seem to have been squared away, and the Kel-
Tecs are coming through nicer now. Visit www.kel-tec-cnc.com.

16 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com

available price-points come from firms
like Bushmaster and Stag. In many shops
the AR15 platform is the fastest-moving
centerfire rifle in inventory.
Don’t neglect other options. The Steyr
AUG became a much-sought-after cult
gun when imports of “assault rifles” were
banned. An AUG clone is now available
from Microtech. Called the STG 556, it
isn’t cheap, but it’s more cost-effective
than a grandfathered original AUG. Visit
www.msarinc.com. Selling crossbows is an easy transition for a firearms-only dealer.
Don’t neglect the old Ruger Mini-14. If you are not selling them, you are missing out on one of the fastest
At this year’s SHOT Show, a Mini was the growing categories in the hunting industry.
centerpiece of a Ruger display — the NRA
Model, which is the first in recent memory
to be offered to the public with genuine
“ Mostcareer
people don’t know that my competitive firearms shooting
developed out of my passion for hunting. I hunt all
seasons with all weapons, including compound bows and,
Ruger 20-round magazines. Visit www. yes, crossbows.
ruger-firearms.com.
The difference in price of the Like all of my equipment, I chose
Mini-14 and ARs isn’t as great as it TenPoint because of its quality,
once was, but the Ruger will still sell durability, and accuracy.
to a lot of customers who want a .223
high-capacity autoloader now. You also
”
TenPoint is the best.

have customers with more conservative

ways who prefer the Ruger Mini over Doug Koenig
the AR, due to personal preferences in World Champion Professional Shooter
styling and handling.
To find out how to get started, Call Randy
Wood, TenPoint’s National Sales Manager.
Ammunition Sales
S ome highly acclaimed high-tech de-
fense ammo is “police only,” such as
Winchester Ranger. Some is not, such as
TenPoint Crossbow
Technologies
Speer Gold Dot, Remington Golden Saber 1325 Waterloo Road
(including their successful Bonded series) Suffield, OH 44260-9608
and Federal HST. 330.628.9245
Federal HST has garnered much at- 800.548.6837
tention lately. One large Northwestern
department has had spectacular suc-
cess with it in .40, another with HST in
147-grain subsonic 9mm. Meanwhile,
QQQN?HJICHN=LIMM<IQM=IG
LAPD reports extraordinary success Circle No. 230 on Inquiry Card
with the HST +P 230-grain in the op-

Glock / Kel-Tec
tional .45 autos carried by thousands
of their officers. HST is affordable,

Dealers
your customers are reading about it on
the Net and in the gun magazines and,
best of all, you can actually get it. Visit
www.federalpremium.com.
Police tactical trends don’t exactly
Slug Plug #5 for The New
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rule civilian tastes, but they are certainly

S
harbingers of what private citizen gun Kel-Tec / Bersa
buyers are likely to be looking for in
Fingertip Extensions cherer
the defense arena. It’s worth keeping an upplies Inc
eye on L.E./tactical trends to stay a step also fits many other
ahead of your competition and be ready small pistols in .22, 205 Four Mile Creek Rd.
ahead of time for the next wave of cus- .25, .32, and .380 Taxewell Tn, 37879 M-1 Garand One Shot
tomer interest. 9 calibers. FAX 423-733-2073 Adapter
Circle No. 223 on Inquiry Card
www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2008 17
 John Morrison

Uncovering More Gems from SHOT

J
ust as the Las Vegas Convention Cen-
ter couldn’t hold all of SHOT Show
2008, Shooting Industry can’t hold a
fraction of the new and interesting prod-
ucts in its regular features. Here are a few
more gems of the show, uncovered by the
sleuths on our staff.
CZ-USA’s VZ 58
Many dealers passing CZ-USA’s booth
asked, “Is CZ making an AK-47 clone now?”
While CZ’s reproduction of the Czech SA
Vz58 7.62x39mm service rifle appears su-
perficially similar to the Kalashnikov car-
bine, its striker-fired, gas piston-operated ac-
tion was derived from the German StG 44.
Seen by many as superior to the AK,
the VZ 58 has a bolt hold-open feature,
a fast, ergonomic safety, is more compact
and, even with its milled receiver, is al-
most a pound lighter than a stamped-re-
ceiver AK. Produced in Tactical and Mili-
tary Sporter models, the VZ 58 is suitable
for hunting, recreational and home-de-
fense applications.
You can “Czech out” the details at
www.cz-usa.com.
Plenty Of Ammo
Inexpensive Russian 7.62x39mm
ammo for those AKs and the VZ 58 is plen-
tiful, but for the best accuracy and hunt-
ing performance possible, Cor-Bon’s got
you covered. Their 125-grain Traditional
JHP loads are excellent for all-around use
and personal defense. The 150-grain JSP
Hunter loads feature bonded lead-core
slugs. The DPX 123-grain Deep Penetrat-
ing Extreme rounds use Barnes Triple-
Shock X-bullets to punch through tough
hide and heavy bones. Visit
www.cor-bon.com.
L a s t
year, Black
Hills Am-
munition
and Barnes
Bullets de-
veloped a
36-grain, .223
load with a slug origi-
nally designed for military
use. Instead of a conventional
lead center, the core is composed
of a compressed copper and
tin mixture that disintegrates
explosively on impact. The
Black Hills’ hyper-velocity Varmint Grenade
rounds are an instant hit with customers.
same slug is used in Black Hills’ Varmint
Grenade rounds — an instant hit with
varmint shooters.
For 2008, Black Hills has loaded the
same 36-grain bullet in a .22-250 cartridge
at 4,700 fps velocity, and a 62-grain load-
ing in .243 Winchester at 3,700 fps. Ac-
curacy is excellent, and “varmint vapor-
ization” is the result. Browse the bullets at
www.black-hills.com.
Federal Premium had its own traf-
fic jam in front of displays of their
shiny new nickel-plated Vital-
Shok Trophy Bonded Tip
ammo. This new
offering
adds sev-
eral fea-
tures to
the prov-
en Trophy
Bonded
Bear Claw
platform for a
substantial increase in
performance. Fifteen different
loads in popular calibers will
undoubtedly be increased in the
future. Keep an eye on them at
www.federalpremium.com.

Wiley X Partners With Dealers

M any dealers have complained to SI that they
have to stock several different makes of
shooting safety eyewear because customers’ tastes
vary so drastically. Wiley X will solve that prob-
lem for you.
Wiley X has developed dominating lines of
eyewear in the fashion, auto and bike racing, fish-
ing and hunting, and protective military and law
enforcement ballistic fields. Now many of the best
features of each genre are offered to satisfy virtu-
ally any buyer’s tastes.
“No matter the size or scope of a dealer’s busi-
ness, we will work with retailers to create a program
that meets their needs,” said Rob Maser, Wiley X
Rob Maser, Wiley X commercial sales manager, said,
“We will work with retailers to create a program that
meets their needs.”

18 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com


MSAR Grabs Attention
O ut in “Tent City,” SI staff found a
familiar face, a familiar rifle profile
and an unfamiliar name. The face be-
longed to Karl Walter, a longtime industry
insider and weaponry wizard who has oc-
cupied executive positions with Glock and
Taser, among others. The rifle looked like
a Steyr-AUG — but slightly different. The
booth’s banner read “MSAR Inc.,” and
we discovered the knife-making company
Microtech is now Microtech Small Arms
Research, with Walter serving as execu-
tive vice president. They are producing a
thoroughly updated, improved and very
marketable evolution of the 30-year old
Austrian-designed bullpup rifle. Its new
designation: STG-556.
While retaining the short,
compact, highly ergonomic
profile and quick-change bar-
rel of its ancestor, modern ma-
terials and reengineering have
made the STG-556 lighter —
only 6.2 pounds — stronger,
and much cooler in rapid or
sustained fire. A bolt forward
assist and bolt hold-open af-
ter the last shot combine with
newly designed anti-binding
guide bushings for the action
Josh Gunther, MSAR design
engineer, shows off the new
STG-556 rifle, a vastly improved
and modernized version of the
famed Steyr-AUG.
commercial sales manager. “We’ll help you
determine which models your customers
may prefer and work toward your success,
because your success is ours. At Wiley X,
we don’t just sell you the products, we are
your sales and marketing resource.”
Their latest release is the Climate
Control Series, a hybrid designed to meet
multiple shooting sports, law enforce-
ment and military challenges. Models in-
clude the Airborne and Jake. Removable
foam gaskets lock securely into light-
weight ANSI-certified frames, creating
a Facial Cavity Seal against wind, debris
and precipitation while maintaining a
wide, full field of vision. Lenses are dis-
tortion-free Selenite polycarbonate, with
scratch-proof coatings, UVA and UVB
www.shootingindustry.com
rods to make it far more efficient. The
STG-556 is shipping now, along with a TRAUSCH
GRIPS
version chambered in 6.8mm SPC, the
model STG-680.
MSAR’s firearms are made entirely in
the U.S.A. — “100 percent by NRA mem-
bers,” Walter added. Priced competitively
with higher-end AR clones and offering a
generous margin, this is one worth watch-
ing — closely.
If the STG-556 wasn’t exciting enough,
Walter then revealed MSAR’s next offer-
ing, to appear in summer 2008: A bullpup
multi-caliber carbine. To be chambered in
9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm auto, .45 ACP and
45 GAP, each will be convertible with only
a barrel, bolt head and magazine sleeve
change, using standard Glock magazines.
The MCS — Modular Carbine System —
is planned to retail at $995, and may prove
to be a red-hot seller for home-defense and TJ 92 for BERETTA 92
recreational shooting. Keep on top of de-
velopments at www.msarinc.com. 9
Really a NEW DESIGN!
The thinnest grip ever made!
TJ 101 for SP 101 Ruger
TRY IT, ADOPT IT!
Grips for:
BERETTA 92 - CZ 75 fiber glass
Rubber grips for:
SP 101 - Speed Six RUGER
protection and military-approved ballis- S&W K/L-N frames RB/SB
tic resistance. See what’s included with All products: www.trausch.com
each set at www.wileyx.com. Grips informaton by Jeff Quinn
http://gunblast.com/trausch.htm
Magazines From Thermold
mail to:
Although Thermold Products didn’t trauschgrips@trausch.com
have a booth at SHOT Show, SI learned
Thermold magazines are back! After a peri-
od of lapsed production and reorganization, TRAUSCH GRIPS INTL. CORP
Thermold is once again making lightweight, P.O. Box 1339
all-polymer, high-capacity magazines to
fit AKs, Ruger Mini-14s, M14/M1As and
Morristown, TN 37816
others. Highly regarded for strength and Fax: 770.234.3992
smooth function, these have been — and Phone: 312.206.7677
should be again — hot-selling aftermarket
items. By the time this issue goes to print, Sales online - Fast Delivery!
a new Web site should be up and running at Wholesalers, Retailers
www.thermoldproducts.com.
WELCOME!
Circle No. 231 on Inquiry Card
MAY 2008 19
 Lisa Parsons-Wraith

Pink Firearms As Savvy Marketing Tools

C
olor is the new marketing trend.
We see it in everything from iPods
and cell phones to computers —
and now it’s part of the shooting world.
An amazing number of manufacturers are
embracing pink firearms as a way of cor-
nering the women’s market.
I have to admit, I’m not a pink person.
When my friend got a pink cell phone
and then a pink iPod, I thought it was
overkill, but she is exactly the type of
person who would be attracted to a pink
firearm. To her, pink is a signature color
and her way of marking the tools of her
life with her own personal style. It seems
there are plenty of women out there who
feel the same way.
Gander Mountain has been leading the
pink charge by first carrying a pink shot-
gun and then entering into an agreement
with Taurus to sell pink pistols. Other
manufacturers picking up on the color
trend include Remington, Browning and
Keystone Sporting Arms.
Remington jumped into the pink
arena with the 870 Express Jr. shotgun
with a pink stock made exclusively for
Gander Mountain. Taking note of the
pink shotgun’s success, this year Rem-
ington made the Model 597 .22 rifle in
Mossy Oak Pink camo available to all
gun stores.
Having admitted that I’m not a “pink
person,” the camo gun is the gun I’d bet on
to be the most successful. Camo has gone
completely mainstream — you can find
camo patterns on everything from baby
clothes to bedspreads — and this Rem-
ington fits the bill for fun and function. I
showed the pink camo rifle to a couple of
10-year-old girls, and their immediate re-
action was, “I want one!”

Remington’s Model 597 .22 rifle gives camo a feminine twist.

Filling A Need said. “It’s a wonderful item. If that’s what it takes to get girls
involved, I’m all for it.”

M itch Mode, owner of Mel’s Trading Post in Rhinelander, Kids like to have things customized, Minto noted, and Camo
Wis., said he decided to stock a few of Keystone Sport- & Lace is currently working with their local gun shop to get some
ing Arms’ Crickett rifles with pink stocks for Christmas and he custom-colored firearms for their youth members. She said they
quickly sold out. plan to order some pink guns for the girls, but that she’d also like
“Those little pink .22s really stand out on a gun rack,” Mode a few neon green guns to appeal to both sexes.
said. “They definitely draw attention and they’re eye-catching.” “If we want to keep kids involved in shooting, we have to
He said he wasn’t all that surprised to sell out of the pink rifles make it fun,” Minto said. “We have to compete with a lot of other
because he has noticed an increase in young girls getting involved stuff like video games and computers.”
in the shooting sports. Browning offers their Cynergy Euro Sporting shotguns in
“We have so many young girls coming in here now who go yellow, the Cynergy’s only custom color offering. The 12-gauge
deer and bear hunting with their parents. It’s a good thing,” Mode shotgun comes with a steel, silver-nitrate finished receiver and
said. “That pink rifle fits the girls and it fills a need.” a yellow composite stock with black rubber overmoldings. It’s
Arlene Minto, treasurer for the Camo & Lace ladies gun club a very modern-looking gun that will certainly appeal to target
in Michigan, thinks pink firearms are a great idea. shooters looking to stand out on the range.
“The first time I saw them,” Minto said, “I thought they were Chief Operating Officer Dan Compeau of Williams Gun Sight
great and wondered why they waited so long.” Co. in Davison, Mich., said his store stocks Keystone Sporting
She said she thinks a lot of grandfathers and dads are buying Arms’ pink Crickett rifle, Remington’s pink camo rifle and the
this gun for their little girls. Taurus Model 85 with pink grips.
“I think the gun manufacturers are really targeting dads and “They’re attractive to women who want to have something
grandpas. When they see a pink gun in a store, it piques their in- unique,” Compeau said.
terest and makes them think girls can shoot just like boys,” Minto Carrying pink guns is a niche market for Williams Gun Sight
and Compeau said part of their appeal is sim-
ply that they are different.
“This industry is driven by new and different
products because guns usually don’t wear out,”
Keystone Sporting Arms’ Crickett rifle with a pink Compeau said. “To appeal to new customers, we
stock stands out on a gun rack. like to carry things that are new and different.”

20 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com

Declaration Of Style
P ink guns probably aren’t for every lady
shooter and that really isn’t the point
of this new trend. The point is women and
young shooters, the future of the shooting
sports, are accustomed to being able to ex-
press themselves by personalizing nearly
everything they own. They view a colored
firearm as a declaration of style and a way
to stand out in a crowd.
With Millett Precision Hunting Optics
and Mounting System
“Feminine color Millett windage adjustable scope mount systems are the most
significant improvement to the traditional Weaver-Style
choices send the mount in many years. All components are made of
heat treated nickel steel for rock
message that solid durability. When
shooting isn’t just compared to others,
Millett scopes 3 - 12 X 44 AO
Turn-In
Mounts
for men and that & scope mounts
can’t be beat!
your store is
female-friendly.”
Millett
New Generation
Side Focus
The idea isn’t really new; for years Scope Series
people have been engraving their firearms
and choosing custom finishes to make their
guns more unique. Advances in technol- Angle-Loc
ogy and materials have made multicolored Mounts
firearms more affordable and available, 4 - 16 X 56 Side Focus
thus making them more desirable. Available in three reticles
Feminine color choices also send the
message that shooting isn’t just for men.
Grandfathers see a pink gun in a store 1 (800) 645-5388
and think, “Maybe my granddaugh- 16131 Gothard Street • Huntington Beach, CA 92647
ter would like to go hunting with me.” (714) 842-5575 • FAX (714) 843-5707 • www.millettsights.com
Women see a pink gun or even a pink
Circle No. 218 on Inquiry Card
camo gun case in your store and know
your store is female-friendly.
Stocking a couple of pink or brightly
colored firearms in your store is certain-
ly an attention grabber that will draw in
customers. It isn’t necessary to invest
heavily in the colored-gun market, but
having a few unique guns sends a power-
ful message about your store. Investing
in cases and hats in feminine colors also
sends a similar message without tying
up your cash. You want your customers
to know they are welcome and you are
available to help them personalize their
shooting experience. 9

Circle No. 221 on Inquiry Card

www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2008 21
 Commander Gilmore

“Most Creative Robbery Disguise” Award

W
e’ve reported on the Duct-Tape Bandit who wrapped
his head in duct tape, the idiot who tried to rob a Cali-
fornia drive-thru with fresh cookie dough smeared
over his face, and another weirdo in England who covered
himself from head to foot in a colorful “skin” of baking-
flour paste and ketchup. Now, we pause to honor the cre-
ative genius of Robert C. Lavery.
It is unknown if Brilliant Bobby used a trowel to
plaster his entire noggin with lumpy drywall compound
before sticking up the New Cumberland Federal Credit
Union in Fairview Township, Penn., but witnesses reported
that his own momma would never have recognized him. It
worked pretty well, and he scampered away with $7,910
in his lunch bag. It was obvious he had taken pains to
look about as nondescript as possible with his choice of
clothing, and he should have gone to the same lengths
with his getaway car.
Apparently there aren’t that many distinctive Rusty
Wallace NASCAR license plates tooling around Fairview
Township. Several witnesses noticed it, and then put two and
two together with the news of the bank robbery. Bobby
and his driver, Robert Miller, were still cleaning up
drywall mush when the cops arrived.
Illustration by Nick Petrosino

Lost Dope
Federal agents reportedly “felt sure
there was something fishy” about Leroy
Carr, but they couldn’t pin anything on
him. On four occasions over a period of
months, he was stopped while either com-
ing back from Canada or lurking near the
border with thousands of dollars in cash,
night-vision goggles and a GPS device pro-
grammed with coordinates along a known
drug-smuggling trail. Something fishy?
Each time, Carr just smiled and kept
his mouth shut, and was released without
charges. Then he called the feds to ask if
they had found his cocaine stash.
Carr explained that he had hidden two
blue backpacks containing 68 pounds of co-
caine in the woods near a Boy Scout Camp
just south of the border. He returned the fol-
lowing day to pick ’em up, but he couldn’t
find them. He was hoping the feds had found
his dope, and they would put out some kind
of news release saying the cocaine had been
seized. That way, Carr said, his “employers”
might believe his “lost dope” story. He fig-
ured they would otherwise think he had sto-
len their drugs and they’d sort of stuff him
in a shallow hole somewhere.
The problem for the feds was that
even with Carr’s weird confession, they
couldn’t arrest him without some evidence
that the cocaine actually existed. That
proof came two weeks later, when a Boy
Scout stumbled across Carr’s coke, pack-
aged just as he had described it. Officers
promptly scooped up Stupid, probably
saving him from execution at the hands of
his employers, and assuring him of “three
hots and a cot” for several years.
It Ain’t Over Yet!
Former New York Governor Eliot
Spitzer, who seemed to be on a campaign
to earn a place in the Guinness Book of
World Records for strangest laws and poli-
cies, suffered a setback — before his real-
ly big setback — in his battle to issue New
York driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. Oh,
of course he didn’t call ’em that — such a
phrase might make illegal aliens feel “il-
legal” — or even alienate them!
First, Spitzer proposed simply issuing
driver’s licenses to “unsolicited guests”
without all that messy proof and docu-
mentation that citizens have to go through.
All they would have to do is say, “I’m an
illegal alien.” Of course, they wouldn’t
have to say it in English; translators would
be provided at taxpayers’ expense.
New York, by the way, does not con-
sider driver’s licenses issued by any other
state to be proof of identity. Spitz was shot
down on this plan by the federal govern-
ment, which let him know that if he did
as he planned, New York driver’s licenses
would not be accepted as identity by fed-
eral agencies — or by the airlines. That in-
cludes agencies like ATF, like, for the pur-
chase of firearms. Under the original plan,
illegal aliens might be accommodated, but
New York residents who are U.S. citizens
couldn’t fly anywhere or buy guns. Come
to think of it, that might have been part of
Spitzer’s plan all along.
Next, The Former Gov proposed to is-
sue different kinds of licenses: one variety
to “real” citizen-residents, and another
kind to “other” residents. “Real” residents
would receive — get this — “Real ID.”
The others would get what? “Unreal ID,”
perhaps? He didn’t clarify. 9

22 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com

Circle No. 202 on Inquiry Card

Law Enforcement And Tactical Gear Boosts Traffic!
L
aw Enforcement and Tactical Gear
played a significant role in boosting
SHOT Show 2008 to new levels in
the records books. NSSF officials report
the event in early February set records in
every category possible as the industry
gathered for the 30th annual trade show.
There were impressive increases in the
number of attendees, the number of ex-
hibitors and the amount of square feet the
show covered in and out of the Las Vegas
Convention Center.
24 MAY 2008
John Morrison
2008
The greatest growth in recent SHOT at its law enforcement booth, as the com-
Shows has been within the Law Enforce- pany rides a wave of recent L.E. contracts,
ment and Tactical Gear section. The section most centered around the growing Storm
has grown so large, NSSF officials consid- family of weapons. The company’s L.E.
er it to be a “show within the show.” efforts also extend to Benelli tactical shot-
“The law enforcement and tactical ex- guns and Sako and Tikka sniper rifles.
hibitors now occupy such a large part of The Storm Px4 full-size pistol and its
SHOT Show that if they were gathered subcompact variant offer changeable grip
together for a separate show, it would be inserts to fit different hand sizes, as well
the second largest such event in the United as different frames and barrel lengths for
States,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior all uniformed and plainclothes duties.
vice president. Teamed with Cx4 carbines and Rx4 rifles,
they have been adopted by a number of
Nonstop Traffic L.E. agencies.
“Traffic was non- Matteo Recanatini, marketing manager
stop at both our law for the L.E./DOD Division, pointed out
enforcement and the goal of Beretta’s Total Solution ap-
hunting booths. In proach, which brings together a broad ar-
fact, it was so busy ray of firearms, less-lethal systems, train-
that it was tough for ing programs, armorer courses and “more
anyone working the to meet all L.E. agencies’ needs.” He also
booths to even take reaffirmed Beretta’s sponsorship of Proj-
a break,” said Ste- ect Allegiance, which provides at no cost
ven Giordano, Aim- a $10,000 line-of-duty death benefit for
point director of peace officers who purchase or are issued
commercial sales. a Px4 Storm pistol.
Giordano cap- “We are absolutely committed to our
tures the overall L.E. dealers and customers,” Recanatini
state of the show, said. “And, we’re actively seeking new
as dealers, distribu- dealers across the country.”
tors and other buy- Visit www.berettausa.com.
ers swarmed the At the Mossberg booth, Paul Hahn,
convention center, owner of Shooting Specialties LLC in Ka-
especially the L.E./ lispell, Mont., praised the company’s tac-
Tactical sections. tical shotguns for their versatility.
Beretta USA “And it seems that regardless of which
drew large crowds versions I order and receive, I can’t keep
Retired police officer and dealer Paul Hahn (left) says Mossberg’s
tactical shotguns are hard to keep in stock. Mark Kresser (right),
Mossberg’s V.P. of sales and marketing, leads Hahn through a long
series of different tactical configurations.
www.shootingindustry.com
John DeLuca, Troy Industries executive V.P. and general manager, holds the M14 MCS (Modular Chassis System), which updates the veteran
M14 rifle. Below, Colt’s family of ARs receive attention.

them on the racks in my shop. They sell out that fast,” Hahn said.
Hahn, a retired police officer, has a significant customer base
of cops, concealed-carry and self-defense citizens, and he reports
that Mossberg’s tactical shotguns, virtually all in 12-gauge, are a
staple of his business.
“They are an excellent buy for the money,” Hahn said. “And
Mossberg is always coming up with new accessories and op-
tions,” like breacher muzzles, which also make formidable im-
pact weapons, and rails for mounting optics, lights and lasers.
“If you’re not carrying them, you’re missing out, and if you
haven’t looked at what Mossberg offers in a while, you owe it to
yourself to check them out,” Hahn advised.
Visit www.mossberg.com and click “Special Purpose.”
Sig Sauer’s booth was thick with dealers eager to handle
the new SIG .556 SWAT rifle. Feature heavy, the rifle has a
16" military-grade, cold hammer-forged barrel, quad rail, flip-
up combat front and rear sight system and a MAGPUL CTR
Carbine Buttstock.
The new Sig Sauer P250 also received a lot of fingerprint
time. The modular pistol’s design permits changing caliber
(9mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W and .45 ACP) and size (subcompact,
compact and full).
Visit www.sigsauer.com.
Smith & Wesson has captured numerous L.E. contracts during
the past year, a number of them for the M&P45.
“The M&P line of polymer pistols has been widely accepted in
numerous police agencies across the globe. To date, 276 domestic

www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2008 25

law enforcement agencies have purchased, approved for purchase
or approved for on-duty carry our M&P polymer pistols,” said Le-
land Nichols, Smith & Wesson president.
At the SHOT Show, Smith debuted a midsize version of the
M&P .45. It has a 4" barrel and is available with or without a
frame-mounted ambidextrous thumb safety.
Visit www.smith-wesson.com.
Remington Law Enforcement continues to improve the 870P
Police shotgun line. The new 870P MAX tactical shotgun has a
Parkerized 18" barrel, Davis Speedfeed IV-s 13" LOP full pistol
grip buttstock, Wilson Combat/Scattergun Ghost Ring sight sys-
tem and SureFire Tactical forend flashlight.
Shortly after the SHOT Show, Remington announced a $1.7
million contract from the U.S. Army for 1,400 of the company’s
Model 870 Modular Combat Shotgun systems.
Visit www.remingtonmilitary.com and www.remingtonle.com.
FNH USA drew crowds with an array of new and enhanced
firearms, including the P90 Laser Visible (LV) models, which
feature a front-mounted laser. For law enforcement and military
customers only, the tactical carbines come in two models: the
P90 Laser Visible and the P90 TR Laser Visible, which has three
Dealer and tactical instructor Ed Santos, left, takes position with First-
Light’s president, Clyde Caceres.
HAIX owner and CEO Ewald Haimerl, left, explains the construction of
the company’s boots, designed for L.E., military and firefighters.
26 MAY 2008
M1913 mounting rails.
FNH USA also promoted its 2008 Stocking Dealer Program.
Qualifying dealers who purchase a package consisting of six
guns will earn a free FN Five-eveN handgun. Dealers who pur-
chase two or more packages will earn a free FN TPS (Tactical
Police Shotgun).
Visit www.fnhusa.com.
Gear & More
TDI designs and manufactures advanced weapons systems for
the global military and L.E. market, and their latest model is the
KRISS Super V Vector submachine gun. The lightweight compact
.45 ACP subgun’s patented action vectors recoil energy down and
away from the shooter, virtually eliminating kickback and muzzle
rise even in full-auto fire. Qualified L.E. dealers should contact
TDI via www.kriss-tdi.com. A civilian-legal semiauto variant, the
CRB/SO, is available exclusively through AcuSport.
Vahan Kelerchian, owner of AutoWeapons in Warminster, Pa.,
provides automatic and suppressed firearms to military and L.E.
customers, and he strongly recommends products from AWC
Systems Technology.
“I’ve been selling and using AWC suppressors and weapon
systems since 1999 and I couldn’t be more pleased,” Kelerchian
said. “My customers, governmental and private, are very demand-
ing, and with AWC suppressors, the customer satisfaction rate
has been 100 percent. Quality, effectiveness and precision fit are
excellent. And rugged? An AWC suppressor is a lifetime unit.”
Kelerchian praised AWC’s rifle and subgun suppressors, which
are used by all the military’s special warfare units.
“Their Amphibia, an integrally suppressed Ruger Mark III .22
pistol specially prepared for marine and marshland environments,
is a best seller; nothing compares,” Kelerchian said.
Visit www.awcsystech.com.
For dealers looking for high-quality specialized ammo,
Danny Garcia, manager of The Sharpshooter in Corpus Christi,
Texas, told SI he recommends Extreme Shock Ammunition. De-
veloped specifically for counter-terrorist operations, the ammo
has proven to be a strong seller with his home-defense and con-
cealed-carry customers.
“We do a lot of L.E. business and sales of Extreme Shock, es-
pecially their Air Freedom handgun rounds, have been great and
growing steadily,” Garcia said.
Air Freedom’s slugs are made of compressed tungsten-Nytril-
ium composite, designed for maximum impact and wound chan-
nels, while minimizing over-penetration and ricochet.
“Relatively expensive, specialized rounds like these won’t sell
themselves,” Garcia advised. “But all you have to do is explain
their performance characteristics — including their safety factors
— to concerned customers, and they sell very well.”
Visit www.extremeshockusa.com.
Lightfield Ammunition displayed seven less-lethal 12-gauge
loads for use by police and correctional officers. Extended- and
mid-range rubber solid slugs and buckshot are offered, as well as
the new Super Star and StarLite impact projectiles, which can be
used as close as 1 yard.
Visit www.lightfieldlesslethal.com.
Aimpoint’s National Sales Manager Mark Cockman dem-
onstrated the new Concealed Engagement Unit (CEU), an opti-
cal device, which allows operators to shoot around corners and
over barriers with minimal exposure. The CEU mounts behind
the main optic and is compatible with all Aimpoint tactical red
dot sights. Capable of pivoting 260 degrees, the CEU delivers an
optical image rather than a digital display, at less than the cost of
electronic video units.
Visit www.aimpoint.com.
www.shootingindustry.com
Circle No. 208 on Inquiry Card
 BAE Systems, the global aerospace,
military, law enforcement and security
company, has grown greatly during the
past decade. Its North American L.E.
and tactical divisions alone have 11 ma-
jor corporations.
“The amazing thing is that each one of
their enterprises stays right on the cutting
edge of technology and innovative de-
sign,” said Sean Conville, V.P. of Atlantic
Tactical, which offers thousands of prod-
ucts from over 400 manufacturers.
“It would be almost impossible to pick
the fastest moving, best-selling items from
so many companies, so let’s just look at
one: Safariland,” Conville said. “Their
ALS holsters are a great illustration of ma-
terials science (referring to their “Safari-
Laminate” thermal-molded construction),
ergonomics and engineering — specifical-
ly, the Automatic Locking System. Mak-
ing a holster that fast and intuitive, yet that
Matteo Recanatini, Beretta’s marketing manager for L.E. and Defense, is all smiles about the
sales of the Storm family of weapons. He’s holding the new Px4 Storm subcompact.
Dealer Pat McGuire (left), of ProDefense, says PentagonLight products “fly off the shelves.”
Pentagon’s Bruce Walker, director of business development, is happy to hear that.
28 MAY 2008
secure is a real feat.”
Conville also rates high the Safariland
RLS (Rapid Light System).
“Just one light that clips to your belt
or pants, attaches and releases from your
weapon in a flash, and it’s a first-rate
hand-held flashlight, too. No special hol-
ster or holder is needed, and it gives 50
hours runtime on three AAA batteries,”
Conville said.
Visit www.baesystems.com. Click
“Businesses,” then “BAE Systems Prod-
uct Group,” then “Divisions.”
At the Maxpedition Hard-Use Gear
booth, Ed Head, Gunsite director of op-
erations, pointed out the toughness of the
company’s products.
“Maxpedition’s packs, bags and con-
cealed-carry gearslingers are first-quality
and really innovative designs. Whether
it’s on the range or deployed on opera-
tions, we know our users can rely on Max-
pedition products,” Head said.
The Gunsite pro shop carries Maxpedi-
tion Gear.
“When we think highly enough of a
product to put our black raven logo on it,
you can bet it has earned it,” Head said.
Visit www.maxpedition.com.
In the heart of the L.E. & Tactical Gear
section, Mesa Tactical attracted attention
with their “professional grade” tactical shot-
gun accessories. One buyer was Steve Bar-
low, a master gunsmith and owner of Bar-
low’s Custom Guns in West Valley, Utah.
“They’ve got a new, really impres-
sive hydraulic recoil buffer (Enidine Shot
Stock Hydraulic Buffer) that fits right into
Mesa’s telescoping stock systems,” Bar-
low said, who specializes in building entry
shotguns for L.E. agencies.
Mesa Tactical’s tactical shotgun stock
adaptors accommodate a variety of alter-
native buttstocks, including mil-spec col-
lapsibles and products by LMT, Magpul,
Vltor and others.
Visit www.mesatactical.com.
At the Troy Industries booth, the com-
pany displayed its M14 Modular Chassis
System (MCS), which vaults the 50-year-
old M14 rifle into the new millennium.
The M14 MCS permits mounting optics,
IR illuminators and lasers, and collaps-
ible buttstocks.
Troy’s quad-railed billet T6 aluminum
chassis duplicates the ergonomics of the
M16/M4 weapons family, while retain-
ing consistency with original operating
and fieldstripping procedures. The Army,
Marine Corps and growing numbers of
L.E. agencies have adopted the MCS. L.E.
dealers are learning it has a place in their
shops, also.
Visit www.troyind.com.
What Troy Industries has done for the
M14, Sage International has accomplished
for tactical users of Ruger’s Mini-14 and
the M1 Garand. Precision machined multi-
featured chassis systems are virtual drop-
ins, requiring no permanent modifications
or bedding to achieve greater accuracy
and reduced felt recoil.
Visit www.sageinternationalltd.com.
At the Hoffners Holsters & Training
booth, Jim Pruett, owner of Jim Pruett’s
Guns & Ammo in Houston, Texas, singled
out the Ultrux MinimalES Paddle holster
as a best seller.
“We conduct concealed-carry training
regularly in our 9,000-square-foot class-
room and on the range, and we expose 60
students at a time to many choices in hand-
guns and holsters. That experience has
made Hoffners’ our number-one selling
line for seven years,” Pruett said. “As for
Hoffners’ Tactical Rifle, I have customers
lined up to buy it sight unseen, based on its
www.shootingindustry.com
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Circle No. 203 on Inquiry Card

Dave Merkay (left), of AcuSport, and Andrew Finn, of TDI-Kriss, are pleased with dealers’
reaction to the innovative new Kriss Vector .45 ACP subgun.
Maxpedition CEO Tim Tang (left) meets with Ed Head, director of operations at Gunsite training
facility. Head rates Maxpedition as “innovative and first-quality.”
specifications and Hoffners’ reputation.”
“With those features at that price, it’s a
lot of gun for the money,” Pruett said.
Visit www.hoffners.com.
Outfitting The Operator
At the Revision Military Eyewear
booth, the makers of protective goggles
and multi-lens systems for the armed
forces and L.E. tactical units introduced
the Hellfly. The new line of stylish, al-
most weightless wraparound ballistic
sunglasses is designed for police officers
and sportsmen. The Hellfly is offered in
six lens variants and six frame colors, all
meeting military requirements for im-
pact resistance, optical clarity and UVA-
B-C protection.
Visit www.revisionready.com.
30 MAY 2008
BLACKHAWK! has expanded their
Warrior Wear garment line with ITS —
Integrated Tourniquet System — pants
and shirts. Conceived by a military medi-
cal trauma physician, ITS garments may
be able to prevent 10 percent of combat
deaths, which are due to uncontrolled ex-
tremity bleeding. Currently 50 to 70 per-
cent of all combat injuries are extremity
wounds. Security contractors were taking
a hard look at them.
Visit www.blackhawk.com.
A few years ago Atlanco Tru-Spec, a
longtime supplier of uniforms to the mili-
tary, made big news and bigger sales with
the introduction of their TRUs — Tactical
Response Uniforms. Now, Tru-Spec of-
fers 24-7 pants, designed to cross the line
between duty and casual wear. Styled to
provide reinforced wear points and ample
gear-carrying capacity without looking like
a combat uniform, Atlanco expects 24-7s to
be popular for everything from surveillance
details and desk duties to social activities.
Visit www.truspec.com.
Bullet50 clothing, designed by police
officers for TAG Tactical Assault Gear,
fills a need for dedicated concealed-carry
garments for plainclothes, undercover and
off-duty wear, according to Colin Burgos,
president of Combat Ready USA in San
Clemente, Calif.
“In my retail store it’s (Ambush Jacket)
a fast mover already. It has incredible fea-
tures, the quality is excellent, and my cus-
tomers appreciate the fact that all Bullet50
clothing is 100 percent made in the USA,”
Burgos said.
Most of Burgos’ business is “theater-
specific combat equipment,” but he
says Bullet50 garments appeal to a wide
range of users including concealed-
carry citizens, contractors and private
security personnel.
Visit www.tacticalassaultgear.com.
Haix, a high-end German footwear
firm renowned in Europe for military,
firefighting and L.E. specialty boots, has
been rapidly expanding its North Ameri-
can presence.
Haix designed the boots worn by Ger-
many’s famous GSG-9 counterterrorist
unit, and various models contain features
like Kevlar cut and puncture protection,
Gore-Tex linings, a proprietary air circu-
lating system and anti-static properties.
Visit www.haix.com.
Bright Lights
SureFire always has a batch of new
tactical flashlights for SHOT, and this
year was no exception. The one getting
the most attention when SI stopped by
the SureFire booth was the G3 Nightro-
lon LED. The three-battery powerhouse
has a tough polymer case and nine-hour
runtime, with three spare CR123 batteries
stored in a duty belt carrier.
Visit www.surefire.com.
At the Streamlight booth, dealers
were handling new power-LED ver-
sions of eight key products featuring C4
technology (Controlled Collapse Chip
Connection). The C4 provides bright-
ness rivaling incandescents, with much
longer runtimes. A new Super-Tac two-
cell C4 LED tactical light delivers 135
lumens for 3.5 hours, and is compat-
ible with Streamlight’s accessory rail
mounts and remote switches for use as
a weaponlight.
Visit www.streamlight.com.
SI staffers found a “treasure in the
www.shootingindustry.com
tents” at the Pila Torch booth, located in
Firearms Business Insurance
the Gold Hall across from the convention 7HOLESALERS  $ISTRIBUTORS s 2ETAIL 3ALES s -ANUFACTURERS  )MPORTERS
!MMUNITION  "ULLET -ANUFACTURERS s )NDOOR  /UTDOOR 2ANGES
center. The company’s lineup of tacti-
4RAP 3KEET  3PORTING #LAY &IELDS s 'UNSMITHS s &IREARMS )NSTRUCTORS
cal lights feature LEDs at one end and
powerful incandescents at the other. A 0ROVIDING 1UALITY )NSURANCE 0RODUCTS TO
unique accessory, the Codex module can THE &IREARMS )NDUSTRY FOR /VER  9EARS
be threaded into the body of most Pila
models, which allows the user to pre-
program their menu of brightness levels
and strobe and signal functions, includ-
#OVERAGE !VAILABLE IN !LL  3TATES
ing SOS. Superior Cree components and
lithium ion recharging units distinguish
this emerging line.
Visit www.pilatorch.com.
At the First-Light booth, Ed Santos,
author of “Rule the Night, Win the Fight,”
heavily endorsed the Liberator, a hands-
free, hand-held tactical light.
“It’s a fantastic light and a great seller,
too,” said Santos, the owner of Center Tar-
get Sports, a premier gun shop, tactical
training and range facility in Post Falls, INFO JCINSCOCOM s WWWGUNINSURANCECOM s 
Idaho. “Just acquaint the customer with its Circle No. 214 on Inquiry Card
use and you’ve got a sale.”
How can a light be “hands-free” and
“hand-held”? Visit www.first-light-usa.com.

5IF#JO˜U2SFUUZ
Pat McGuire is the L.E. buyer and
consultant for ProDefense L.E. and Per-
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buy a weapon-mount unit like the MD2 @SPLTY¤_[]P__
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A :
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“They are expensive — MSRPs run Circle No. 216 on Inquiry Card
from $150 to $295 — but our buyers,

Don’t let the BAD GUYS

mostly police officers, think they’re worth
every penny and sales are growing. And
they are truly zero-tolerance knives. Peo-
ple whose lives may depend on a knife for
a backup can appreciate that kind of qual-
ity,” McGuire said.
smell you coming!
Visit www.ztknives.com.

SHOT Show 2009 E NVIROCLEAN FA — Firearm Cleaner

Next year’s SHOT Show will be held
at the Orange County Convention Cen- » Less smelling » Great cleaning » Biodegradable
ter in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 15-18. For hotel
reservations and other information on the Distributor’s wanted!
show, visit www.shotshow.org. 9
OGRE MANUFACTURING, LLC. • 414.475.9339 • www.ogremfg.com
www.shootingindustry.com Circle No. 219 on Inquiry Card MAY 2008 31
 SHOWDOWN IN GUN VALLEY
We’re Calling You Out!
TIME TO STEP OUTSIDE
AND SHOOT! 2008 Sponsors:
Limber up your trigger finger, practice your steely eyed
stare and plan to join teams from inside the industry for
the Sixth Annual Shooting Industry Masters.

July 25-26, 2008

)BSUGPSE
(VO
$MVC
t
&BTU
(SBOCZ
$POO
This three-gun shooting match features handgun, rifle
and skeet/trap events. Shooters will be able to shoot in one of two
classes: the Open Class for those who want to compete against pro-
fessional shooters, and the Industry Class for everyday shooters who just
want to have fun without the stress. A raffle of incredible items donat-
ed by companies throughout the shooting industry will be held during
the event to raise funds for the NSSF’s Step Outside® Program.

SIGN UP YOUR TEAM TODAY!

EVENT SCHEDULE:
Friday, July 25, 2008
Masters Team Check-In at the Shooting Industry
Academy of Excellence Awards presentation
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Handgun, Rifle & Trap/Skeet team events & lunch
Saturday Evening
Masters Awards Banquet with Raffle to benefit the
National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Step Outside® Program
For additional information, including donating raffle prizes, raffle tickets, area
airport and hotel information, please visit www.shootingindustry.com or contact
Elizabeth Jarrell at (800) 537-3006 ext. 279. E-mail: elizabeth@shootingindustry.com

BENEFITTING: To download team entry form, go to:

National Shooting Sports Foundation’s
http://shootingindustry.com/08SIMstrs.html

Mail or FAX with payment to:

SPONSORED BY: FMG Publications
12345 World Trade Dr.
San Diego, CA 92128
FAX (858) 605-0247
0QFO
$MBTT
$IBNQJPOT

5FBN
4NJUI

8FTTPO

No Gun? No Excuse. Loaner guns will be available for each event.

Match Ammunition, Shooter’s Goody Bag, Match Lunch and Awards Dinner
"--
*ODMVEFE
XJUI
ZPVS
&OUSZ
'FF
 Text First Line
Text

2008
Company
Phone #
Text First Line

NEW PRODUCTS
Website Text

Circle # 000

Text First Line

Law Enforcement/Tactical Gallery
Text

T
he number of new L.E. and Tactical products presented at Here is a small sampling of the new L.E./Tactical of-
SHOT Show 2008 was record setting. The Law Enforce- ferings. Look for additional new products in future is-
ment/Tactical areas of SHOT Show 2008 were overrun by sues of SI and on our Web site, www.shootingindustry.
Company
dealers, distributors and other industry buyers eager to handle com. For insight on Company
the law enforcement market, visit
—Phone #
and purchase — the latest firearms, ammunition and gear Phone #magazine, American COP, at
the Web site of our sister
Website in this dynamic area of the market.
represented Website
www.americancopmagazine.com.
Circle # 000 Circle # 000

Text First Line

Text

Laser Devices Inc.

Company
EOLAD
Phone #
Website
Laser Devices and L-3 EOTech pres-
ent the#EOLAD
Circle 000 laser with HOLOgraphic
Weapon Sight. Designed to meet military
standards, the EOLAD withstands ex-
treme high and low temperatures, shock,
vibration and is waterproof to 10 meters.
Features include a single laser activation
switch, activation and low battery indi-
cator light and fully adjustable windage
and elevation controls. The integrated
mounting system allows the unit to be at-
tached to any small arms weapon system
equipped with a standard NATO or Picat-
inny mounting rail.
Safariland
ALS Duty Holsters
Safariland’s Model 6320 and Model
6325 Automatic Locking System (ALS)
duty holsters are available for the first
time in an open-top design without the
Self Locking System (SLS). The ALS au-
Text First“locks”
tomatically Linethe weapon in place
once holstered. The locking device is
completely operable with the thumb.
Text
Both models provide Level I Retention,
feature SAFARI-LAMINATE thermal-
molded construction, fit belt widths of
2" and 2.25", and are available in STX
Tactical, STX Basket, STX Hi-Gloss and
STX Plain finishes.
Beretta
Text USA
First Line
Px4 Storm Sub-Compact
Text
The Beretta Px4 Storm Sub-Compact
pistol is available in 9mm, with 13-round
magazine capacity, and .40 S&W, with
10-round magazine capacity. Available in
all the traditional configurations (F, G, C,
D actions), the pistol uses a locked breech
and features a stainless steel barrel, a
Picatinny rail, interchangeable backstraps,
an ambidextrous manual safety and a low-
profile slide catch. Snap-Grip allows for
maximum concealment when the firearm
is holstered. A reversible magazine release
button can be mounted on either side.

Company
Laser Devices Inc. Safariland Beretta USA
Company
Phone #
1-800-235-2162 1-800-347-1200 (301) 283-2191
Phone #
Website
www.laserdevices.com www.safariland.com www.berettale.com
Website
Circle
Circle ## 298
000 Circle # 304 Circle ## 000
Circle 282

www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2008 33


Barska
Universal Red Laser
Pistol Sight
The Universal Red Laser Pistol Sight
kit from Barska contains a 5mW laser
sight with on/off switch, universal trigger
mount and mount inserts, three LR-44
lithium batteries and two Allen wrenches
for adjustments. The laser’s wavelength
measures 635-655 nm with a maximum
reach of 500 yards.
Taurus International Mfg.
800 Series
The 800 Series, derived from the Tau-
rus OSS model, has an added external
hammer and is available in .45 ACP, .40
and 9mm. The Series features Strike Two
capability, quick fieldstripping with take-
down levers, forged slide and captured
recoil spring with stainless-steel guide
rod. The pistols have ambidextrous mag-
azine releases and extended magazine
bumpers, which double as finger rests.
Three magazines are included with each
firearm. The 800 Series is available in
blue or stainless steel finishes.
SureFire
WeaponLight
SureFire’s X300 combines the fea-
tures of the two versions of the X200
WeaponLight. The X300 provides a maxi-
mum output of 110 lumens and offers a
tightly focused beam for extended reach
and a wider-angle beam for CQB (close-
quarter battle) situations.

Barska Taurus International Mfg. SureFire

1-888-666-6769 1-800-327-3776 1-800-828-8809
www.barska.com www.taurususa.com www.surefire.com

Circle # 281 Circle # 308 Circle # 307

Monadnock
AutoLock HG
The AutoLock HG baton
from Monadnock offers the feel
of a straight baton in an expand-
able model that closes with the
push of a button. Friction-lock
and positive-lock technology
help ensure the baton remains
locked open while striking. It is
available with the Safety (ure-
thane) Tip, the Power Safety
Tip or the 3xT Lime-Green Tac-
tical Targeting Tip; with smooth
or fluted foam textured grips;
and with an AutoLock Front
Draw Holder with eight locking
positions. Finishes are black
chrome and bright nickel.
Monadnock
(603) 585-6810
www.batons.com
Circle # 299
Aimpoint
MPS3
Aimpoint’s new MPS3 Sight is a pas-
sive electronic reflex collimator for use on
medium- to heavy-support weapons. It is
a rugged, parallax-free, non-magnifying
optic with unlimited eye relief, featuring
an adjustable brightness red dot with
multiple day- and night-vision compatible
settings. Designed to withstand heavy re-
coil forces, the 2 MOA red dot engages
targets at all distances. The MPS3 has
80,000 hours of constant-on power using
one AA battery.
Aimpoint
1-877-Aimpoint
www.aimpoint.com
Circle # 279
Circle No. 228 on Inquiry Card
Revision Eyewear
Hellfly Ballistic
Sunglasses
Revision Eyewear introduces the
Hellfly Ballistic Sunglasses. The Hellfly
provides high-impact fragment protec-
tion and 100-percent UV protection in a
lightweight design. The glasses exceed
the high-impact military requirements for
spectacles, as well as the ANSI Z87.1
standard for impact and optics. The Hell-
fly comes in a variety of frame and lens
color options and weighs less than 1 oz.
Revision Eyewear
(802) 879-7002
www.revisioneyewear.com
Circle # 302
 Sig Sauer
SIG .556 Rifle SWAT
Sig Sauer introduces the SIG .556 Rifle SWAT, with a two-
position adjustable gas piston operating rod system. The rifle
has a 16" military-grade, cold hammer-forged barrel, chambered
in 5.56 NATO, with a 1:7" twist. The rifle is equipped with a flash Sig Sauer
REVOLVER suppressor, two-stage trigger, ambidextrous safety and front and
rear sight system. The quad rail has four integrated Picatinny
(603) 772-2302
www.sigsauer.com
SPEED LOADER rails, and the receiver is carbon steel with a wear-resistant Nitron

ONLY 10.
X finish. Overall length is 37" and the rifle’s weight is 8.7 lbs.
$ 95 Circle # 306
Super-Fast.
Super-Dependable.
Loads cartridges
into revolver
instantly!
DoubleStar Inc.
Patrol Rifle
DoubleStar’s design of the Patrol Rifle is based on input from
frontline police officers. The lightweight A-1 configuration, with
1:9 twist barrel, is mounted on a forged flat-top upper receiver.
MAGAZINE Standard features include a 5-slot A-2 phantom flash hider,
four-rail hand guards, three low-profile rail covers, GG&G flip-
SPEED LOADER up MAD rear sight, Hogue rubber pistol grip and DoubleStar’s
DoubleStar Inc.
(859) 745-1757
ONLY 13.
$ 95 six-position M-4 buttstock. Upgrades are available, including a
www.star15.com
chrome-lined barrel, two-stage trigger, H buffer and bipod. The
Patrol Rifle weighs 6.5 lbs. and has an overall length of 32.75".
10 models available. Circle # 289
Loads, .380, 9mm, 40cal.,
45cal., or 10mm single
and double stack mags.
Magazine slips into
loader and is held in by
hand. Depress thumb
lever to load.

Loads ammo. into magazines faster Sabre Defence Industries

and easier than ever! M5 Tactical Rifle
.22 Caliber Sabre Defence introduces the M5 Tactical rifle

MAGAZINE available in 5.56mm, 6.5 Grendel and 7.62x39. The

M5 has a 14.5" chrome-moly-vanadium barrel with
Sabre Defence Industries
SPEED LOADER a 1:7 twist, and comes with an A2 flash hider, mid- (615) 333-0077
www.sabredefence.com
ONLY 3.
$ 95 length gas system and railed handguard. The stock is
adjustable for length-of-pull. The rifle features an Ergo
Grip and 552 EOTech Holographic weapon sight. Circle # 303
Featuring: Flex brake arm
& lock down stop!

HKS .22 L.R. Cal. loads,

Browning, Ruger I & II,
Ruger 22/45, Colt, S&W,
Mitchell Arms (H.B.)
FNH USA
No more sore fingers P90 LV Laser Visible
when loading .22 mags!
FNH USA has enhanced its P90 carbine line with
the LV Laser Visible models. New for law enforcement
HKS PRODUCTS, INC. and military customers only, the tactical carbines now
7841 FOUNDATION DR. FLORENCE, KY 41042 feature a pressure switch-activated laser target des-
SEE YOUR LOCAL DEALER ignator mounted to the forward face of the front hand-
FNH USA
guard, allowing an operator to quickly and accurately (703) 288-1292
www.HKSspeedloaders.com bring the firearm onto target without raising the opti- www.fnhusa.com
cal or electronic sighting system to eye level.
Circle No. 212 on Inquiry Card Circle # 291

36 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com

 Savvy Armor
Female Body Armor
The Savvy line of body armor pro-
vides precision-fit, bullet-resistant vests
for females. Two concealable options, the
Retro and the Flair, feature all-woven ar-
amid materials for flexibility with four-point
cup positioning for an exact bust (apex)
alignment. Made of soft ballistic and car-
rier materials, the vests are protected by
waterproof Gore-Tex with an interior lin-
ing of Anti-Microbial Yarn. Each vest fea-
tures Level II and IIIA ballistic packages
that meet NIJ ’05 compliance standards.
Savvy Armor
1-888-346-7288
www.savvyarmor.com
Circle # 305
www.shootingindustry.com
BLACKHAWK!
ZW5/ZW7 Side-Zip Boot
BLACKHAWK! Warrior Wear has ex-
panded its boot line with the ZW5 and
ZW7 Side-Zip waterproof boot, available
in 5" or 7" heights. Built on Vibram Multi-
sport oil-resistant TC4+ compound outer
sole with large, open lugs for traction con-
trol, the boots also feature a long-wear-
ing, water-friendly PU mid-sole.
BLACKHAWK!
1-800-694-5263
www.blackhawk.com
Circle # 285
Circle No. 204 on Inquiry Card
GG&G
ACOG Quick Detach
Mount
The GG&G Accucam ACOG Quick
Detach Mount with Integral Lens Covers
combines the Accucam QD Mount with
Flip Up Lens Covers. The GG&G front and
rear lens cover adapters allow the mount-
ing of GG&G custom-prepared Butler
Creek lens covers that provide weather-
proof, dust-proof and moisture-proof pro-
tection to the Trijicon ACOG lenses. Two
versions are available. One model fits the
TA01, TA31, TA31F and TA31RCO, and a
second is for the TA01NSN.
GG&G
1-800-380-2540
www.gggaz.com
Circle # 292
MAY 2008 37
 Wiley X Eyewear
Airborne and Jake
Wiley X has added two styles to its Cli-
mate Control Series eyewear line, the Air-
borne and the Jake. They feature remov-
able vented foam gaskets that lock into
lightweight ANSI-certified frames. The Fa-
cial Cavity Seal protects the wearer’s eyes
from the elements, and the lenses are
impact-resistant, shatterproof and scratch-
resistant. The Airborne and Jake are avail-
able in three color and lens options: smoke
lens with gloss black frame, polarized
smoke green lens with metallic black frame
and LATM light-adjusting bronze brown
lens with gloss root beer frame.
Wiley X Eyewear
1-800-776-7842
www.wileyx.com
Circle # 310
Hiatt Handcuffs
Chain, Hinge Style
Hiatt’s lightweight handcuff models
are available in chain style (Models 3103
and 3105) or hinge style (Models 3154
and 3155). Manufactured with Steloy,
a steel and aluminum combination, the
models use three solid links to connect
the cuffs and feature True-Swing Tech-
nology, boss rivets, a leaf spring in the
double-locking mechanism and three
six-teeth retaining bars. Models 3103 and
3154 are available in nickel-plate finish
and Models 3105 and 3155 are available
in black finish.
Hiatt Handcuffs
1-877-HIATTCUFF
www.hiatts.com
Circle # 294
38 MAY 2008
Bianchi International
Models 75 Venom, 77
Piranha
Bianchi’s leather concealment hol-
sters, the Model 75 Venom and Model 77
Piranha, feature a contour-sculpted design
and flat back for exact weapon fit and con-
cealment. The Model 75 offers an ultra-
high ride and open-muzzle design, with
a 15-degree forward cant. The Model 77
features a low-cut front and three-slot de-
sign, with a 15-degree cant for strong side
carry. Both holsters fit 1.75" belt widths.
Bianchi International
1-800-477-8545
www.bianchi-intl.com
Circle # 284
Iosso Products
AR-15 Brushes
Iosso’s kit for AR-15s contains four
brushes: upper receiver brush, cham-
ber brush, bolt carrier brush and a bore
brush. The upper receiver brush fits the
receivers of the AR-15 and the AR-10.
When used with the Iosso Bore Cleaner
and Iosso Gun Oil, the kit will remove car-
bon burn and all fouling.
Iosso Products
(847) 437-8400
www.iosso.com
Circle # 295
Hatch
MP-100 Defender MP
The Model MP-100 Defender MP glove
from Hatch has an extended cuff and uses
high-density EVA foam padding for addi-
tional knuckle, finger and forearm protec-
tion. The Defender features a full Kevlar
lining and Nomex thread throughout the
glove, and Ergo-Cut for maximum dexter-
ity. It is closed to the forearm with a hook
and loop closure to keep the glove taut.
The Defender is manufactured with goat-
skin leather, with a water-repellant finish.
Hatch
1-800-347-1200
www.hatch-corp.com
Circle # 293
Kimber
SIS
Kimber’s SIS pistols, in .45 ACP, have
stainless steel slides, frames and serrated
mainspring housings. Features include
flat-top slide, SIS Night Sight and light-
weight SIS Hammer. Beavertail grip safe-
ties are bumped and grooved, and slide
and frame edges are softened with a Kim-
ber Service Melt. Included are a stainless
steel KimPro Tac-Mag magazine, stippled
black laminate logo grips and the finish is
gray KimPro II. The SIS Custom and SIS
Custom RL feature a short guide rod. The
SIS Ultra incorporates a rounded main-
spring housing and frame.
Kimber
(406) 758-2222
www.kimberamerica.com
Circle # 297
www.shootingindustry.com
 PentagonLight
P2 Porcupine
PentagonLight introduces the P2 Por-
cupine, a self-defense illumination tool,
featuring a sharpened spike head. When
not in the defensive mode, the spikes are
guarded and hidden under a protector
head. Speed threads permit the exten-
sion and retraction of the spike’s head.
Powered by two CR123A lithium batter-
ies, the P2 Porcupine’s xenon lamp pro-
vides 65 lumens of light for approximately
one hour of continuous use. The Porcu-
pine is 5.6" long and weighs 3.7 oz.
PentagonLight
(650) 877-1555
www.pentagonlight.com
Circle # 301
www.shootingindustry.com
Command Arms Buffer Technologies
Accessories Sig Sauer P229 Buffer
FGA Flashlight Grip
Responding to demands from law en-
Adaptor forcement, Buffer Technologies introduc-
es a recoil buffer for the Sig Sauer P229.
The FGA Flashlight Grip Adaptor,
The unit includes a stainless steel guide
a mount and vertical grip combination,
rod with a high-density, shock-absorbing
holds any 1" flashlight. A thumb-activat-
polyurethane buffer. The unit is used with-
ed pushbutton on the grip operates the
in the P229’s factory spring.
flashlight’s on/off switch, with a safety-on
button to prevent accidental illumination,
and a constant light-on button. A Picat-
inny rail allows mounting of a side laser in
three locations.
Command Arms Accessories Buffer Technologies
(267) 803-1518 1-877-628-3337
www.commandarms.com www.buffertech.com
Circle # 287 Circle # 286
Circle No. 211 on Inquiry Card
MAY 2008 39
 The companies listed have featured advertisements or
products in this issue. Look to them first when you are
ready to make a purchase.
ACCESSORIES

Companies Circle # Page Companies Circle # Page

ADVERTISERS Nighthawk Custom 261 41

ArmaLite 201 6 North American Arms 262 41
ATK/Federal Premium 202 23 Para USA 263 41
ATK/Shooters Ridge 203 29 Rock River Arms 264 41
Barska 204 37 Rossi Firearms 265 41
Brownells 205 15 Seecamp 266 41
Century International Arms 206 5 Sig Sauer 267 41
DPMS 207 13 Smith & Wesson 268 41
European American Armory 208 27 Springfield Armory 269 41
First-Light USA 209 9 STI International 270 41
FNH USA 210 3 Sturm, Ruger & Co. 271 41
Fobus Holsters 211 39 Taurus International 272 41
HKS Products, Inc. 212 36 Thompson/Center 273 41
Insight Technology 213 5 U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. 274 41
Joseph Chiarello & Co. 214 31 Uberti USA 275 41
Kwik-Site 215 14 Walther USA 276 41
Lewis Machine & Tool Co. 216 31 Weatherby & Sons 277 41
Lone Wolf Knives 217 12 Wilson Combat 278 41
Millett 218 21
Ogre Manufacturing, LLC. 219 31 2008 L.E./TACTICAL NEW PRODUCTS COLLECTORS
Para USA 220 1 Aimpoint 279 35
Barska 281 34
Pearce Grip
Rock River Arms
221
222
21
11 Beretta USA 282 33 IDENTIFY YOURSELF
Scherer Supplies 223 17 Bianchi International 284 38 THIS BADGE MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE
BLACKHAWK! 285 37 Police Quality
Sig Sauer 224 7
Sporting Products 225 48 Buffer Technologies 286 39 Gold Plated
Command Arms Accessories 287 39 100% LEGAL
Sports South 226 2 FOR PERMIT HOLDERS
Springfield 227 47 DoubleStar Inc. 289 36
Stag Arms 228 34-35
Gold
FNH USAPlated 291 36 FREE
Badge Case
STI 229 15 GG&G 292 37
& Shipping
Ten Point Crossbow 230 17 Hatch 293 38 With Order
Hiatt Handcuffs 294 38
Trausch Grips 231 19
Iosso Products 295 38
Order Toll Free
HANDGUN SALES
American Derringer 232 41
Kimber
Laser Devices Inc.
297
298
38
33
$38
MSRP: $58.00 You Save $20.00
Monadnock 299 35 Size Money Back
Beretta USA 233 41 2” x 3” Guarantee
PO Box 970057
Bersa (Eagle Imports) 234 41 Pentagon Light 301 39 Coconut Creek, FL 33097
Revision Eyewear 302 35 1-877-332-2343
Bond Arms 235 41
Sabre Defence Industries 303 36
www.maxarmory.com
Browning 236 41
Safariland $49.00
Add $4.00 S/H 304 33
Charles Daly 237 41 Classified ads are: $2.00 per word per insertion with a 20-word
Charter Arms 238 41 Savvy Armor 305 37
minimum OR $1.50 per word per insertion for three or more issues
Cimarron Firearms 239 41 Sig Sauer 306 36
with a 25-word minimum. No charge for CAPS. Bold words add
Cobra Enterprises of Utah 240 41 SureFire 307 34
$1.00 per word. Copy and rerun orders must be accompanied by
Colt’s Mfg. 241 41 Taurus International Mfg. 308 34 PAYMENT IN ADVANCE. NO AGENCY OR CASH DISCOUNTS ON
CZ-USA 242 41 Wiley X Eyewear 310 38 LISTING OR DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING. All ads must
Dan Wesson Firearms 243 41 be received with advance payment BY NO LATER THAN THE 15th
EMF Co. 244 41 NEW PRODUCTS of each month. EXAMPLE: Closing for NOVEMBER 2008 issue
European American Armory 245 41 Barnes Bullets 280 45 is September 15th. Ads received after closing will appear in the
FireStorm (SGS Importers) 246 41 Beretta USA Corp. 283 45 following issue. Please type or print clearly. PLEASE NOTE: NO
FNH USA 247 41 DeSantis Holster & Leather 288 44 PROOFS WILL BE FURNISHED. Include name, address, post office
Freedom Arms 248 41 FMG Publications 290 44 box, city, state and zip code as counted words. Abbreviations count

Glock Inc. 249 41 Kahr Arms 296 44 as one word each. Mail to SHOOTING INDUSTRY CLASSIFIEDS,

Heckler & Koch 250 41 Pelican Products Inc. 300 44 12345 World Trade Dr, San Diego, California 92128. IF YOU HAVE

Heritage Mfg. 251 41 Weatherby 309 44 ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR CLASSIFIED AD IN SHOOTING
INDUSTRY MAGAZINE, CALL OUR SALES REPRESENTATIVE AT
High Standard Mfg. 252 41
(858)605-0235.
Hi-Point Firearms 253 41 To request FREE information and materials from these
companies, use the Reader Service Card. Or, just send us
H-S Precision Inc. 254 41 a postcard, indicating the issue’s date, company’s number
Kahr Arms 255 41 and include your business address. Send to: Reader Service,
Kel-Tec 256 41 SHOOTING INDUSTRY, P.O. Box 502794, San Diego, CA
Kimber 257 41 92150-9833. If the company doesn't have a number, write them
directly and say you saw their ad, product or name in SHOOTING
Les Baer Custom 258 41

Visit Us Online 24/7

INDUSTRY. You can also download the Reader Service page and
Magnum Research 259 41 Reader Service Card from our Web Site and fax, (858) 605-0247,
Navy Arms Co. 260 41 or mail it to our office. Go to www.shootingindustry.com and
click on Reader Service.

40 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com

BOOMING
Carolee Anita Boyles SALES!
Are Your Handgun Sales Robust? They Can Be!

H
andgun sales are booming. more of what he would consider a “nor- Focus On The Customer
“We know what our retail cus- mal” market. “In my opinion, there’s nothing more
tomers are buying from us, and we “January and February were still very important than good customer service,”
know handgun sales to our customers are strong months for us in handguns,” Mc- McClain said. “That means training your
up,” said Laurie Aronson, president of Clain said. “Our handgun sales have al- guys so they know what the guns are and
Lipsey’s. “That’s a good indication that ways been good, and they continue to can make recommendations.”
handgun sales are up in general.” be.” Further, due to uncertainty about the Those recommendations aren’t just
Jim McClain, owner of Jim’s Firearms presidential election, McClain predicts about which gun to buy, but also about
in Baton Rouge, La., is a retailer who’s strong handgun sales through the rest of which cleaning kit, ammunition and other
seen huge “ups” in the handgun market in the year. accessories customers need.
the past few years. What can you do to make the most of Aronson agrees, saying, “You don’t
“We have, on average, between 7,000 handgun sales? Aronson and McClain of- want your salespeople to be the ‘know-it-
and 10,000 guns in stock,” McClain said. fer several suggestions. alls’ behind the counter. Instead, you want
“We carry everything from
Taurus and Bersa to $7,000
Wilson Combats.”
McClain said the store has
always done a very strong busi-
ness in handguns. Because of
that reputation, he “caught the
wave” when disaster struck
Louisiana in 2005.
“After Hurricane Katrina,
on one day we sold more than
700 guns,” he said. “Some-
times people had to wait be-
tween four and eight hours to
buy a gun. We were running
three registers as fast as we
could, and were working 18 to
20 hours a day; instead of our
nice uniform shirts, we were
in t-shirts and shorts and flip-
flops. We didn’t even have time
to go home and change.”
McClain said his store rode
that wave of sales for almost
two years. In the past 18 months, Jim McClain, owner of Jim’s Firearms, stocks thousands of handguns and says, “Nothing is more important
he’s finally seen it drop off to than good customer service.”

www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2008 41


Laurie Lipsey Aronson, president of Lipsey’s, in the company’s new training room, says,
“One of the biggest things retailers can do to promote sales is hold training classes for
their customers.”
Ichiro Nagata
Jim McClain uses Smith & Wesson Performance Center guns to attract customers, knowing
he’ll sell more “less expensive guns. But a few people will come in and buy the Performance
Center guns,” like this Model 325 Thunder Ranch Defensive Revolver.
them to really ask questions of your con-
sumers to find out what it is that they’re
looking for, instead of just trying to get
them to buy one product over another.”
Selling isn’t about telling your custom-
er what you think he should buy. In fact,
some sales experts say “selling” really
should be called “listening.”
“Ask questions like, ‘Are you a tar-
get shooter?’ and ‘Are you interested
in a gun with a lot of safety features
42 MAY 2008
on it?’” McClain said. “Find out if the
customer is looking for a gun for per-
sonal protection.”
In other words, learn all you can before
you make a recommendation, and then
be sure you make a recommendation that
meets the customer’s needs, not just one
you happen to like.
“When you ask a lot of questions,
that relaxes the customer,” McClain said.
“Then he feels like you’re trying to get the
best gun for him.”
The key to making the right sale, Aron-
son said, is to find out the real reason the
customer is buying the firearm and ad-
dress it.
“And don’t be too intimidating about
it,” she said. “Have an attitude that
makes people feel comfortable about ap-
proaching the counter and asking to look
at a firearm.”
A special challenge in customer service
is when a couple comes in and the husband
says, “I want to buy a gun for my wife.”
“Talk to them as a couple, but be sure
you find out what the woman wants,” Mc-
Clain said. “Sometimes the man thinks
he knows what’s best for his lady. But a
.44 Magnum 2 1/2-inch snub nose is not
a good choice for a woman. Just because
it will top off his collection of cool .44
Magnums doesn’t justify you selling it as
a good protection gun for his wife, who’s
5'2" and weighs 110 pounds.”
Have Product To Sell
“A lot of dealers carry just the top
sellers, and I think that’s a mistake,” Mc-
Clain said. “When you do that, you’re
going head-to-head against everyone else
who looks at the top sellers. However, if
you have the complete product line and
a wide assortment of brands — such as
Taurus, Smith, Springfield Armory, Sig
Sauer, HK, Glock, Kahr Arms — and you
have the accessories to go with them, you
get the consumer excited about their pur-
chase. The way to increase your handgun
sales is to increase the size of your cus-
tomers’ purchases.”
Other accessories you should be sell-
ing with every gun include a cleaning
kit, practice ammo, personal defense
ammo and a holster that suits the cus-
tomer’s needs.
“Spend a little time with each customer
showing him how to use the gun, and how
to clean it,” McClain said. “Then say, ‘By
the way, you got a few minutes? Let me try
these grips on the gun for you. If you don’t
like them, we can take them off, but I think
you’ll really like the way they feel.’
“Ninety percent of the time, if you put
a pair of grips on, you don’t take them
off,” McClain said. “The customer isn’t
looking at the bottom end price anymore;
instead, he’s feeling good about the pur-
chase, and very comfortable about what
he bought. And he’s going to tell his
friends that you sold him the gun he re-
ally liked, and took good care of him at
the same time.”
Six months later, when that friend
wants to buy a gun, he or she is going to
come into your store looking for the same
level of service.
www.shootingindustry.com
Don’t Upsell — Downsell

Joseph Novelozo
“When we do, for instance, a Smith &
Wesson promotion, we put the inexpensive
guns on sale just like everyone else does,”
McClain said. “We also put in a Perfor-
mance Center gun, a .44 Magnum, and a
6-inch .357 Magnum. People are going to
come in and buy 50 of the less expensive
guns. But a few people will come in and
buy the Performance Center guns.”
And some customers will come in and
look longingly at the Performance Cen-
ter guns.
“They really want that $1,200 Perfor-
mance Center gun, but they just can’t do
it,” McClain said. “So I say, ‘Well, let me
show you their entry-level 1911. It has a lot
of features, and we’re throwing in two free
magazines with every purchase.’” You can
downsell that customer to an $800 gun,
make him happy, and put dollars in your
pocket all at the same time.
“No one advertises those $1,200 guns,”
McClain said. “But customers come in to
see them, knowing they can’t afford them, Customers who are interested in new firearms, such as the Ruger SR9, will likely have a lot
and you can show them three other models of questions. Aronson advises: “Have an attitude that makes people feel comfortable about
that they can afford.” approaching the counter and asking to look at a firearm.”

Hold Classes
“One of the biggest things retailers can
do to promote sales is hold training classes
for their customers,” Aronson said. “That
includes handgun safety courses and con-
cealed carry permit courses.”
Even if you don’t hold classes yourself,
if you know of law enforcement agencies,
wildlife agencies or other groups that do,
advertise them in your store.
“All of this encourages handgun sales,”
Aronson said.
If you have a range in your store, you’re
at a distinct advantage when it comes to
classes and, by extension, handgun sales.
“More and more firearms stores have
ranges available to their customers,” Aron-
son said. “And many times a gun shop will
open up a range in a separate location.” Ei-
ther scenario gives your customer a chance
to shoot a gun and develop a sense of owner-
ship about it that encourages him to buy it.
If you don’t have or can’t add a range,
don’t give up on letting your customers
shoot before they buy.
“Develop a good relationship with
someone in town who does have a range,”
Aronson said. “Then exchange business
with him. There’s nothing wrong with a
gun shop that doesn’t have a range send-
ing customers to a nearby range, and the
range sending retail customers back to the
gun shop. Smart dealers build those mutu-
ally beneficial relationships.”
Promote Your Promotions
McClain has a customer database that
he uses for direct mail before every in- tickled. If they don’t, I budgeted that
store promotion. money anyway.”
“We send out 20,000 well-designed, These sales, McClain said, probably
multicolored fliers that have 20 or 30 guns won’t cover the cost of the mailing. How-
on them,” he said. “People come in with a ever, he said, over the next six months,
gun circled and say, ‘I want this one.’” he will continue to make sales because
McClain doesn’t chase co-op dollars of people who saw the flier but couldn’t
when he prints his fliers. come in at the time.
“I have a budget that I use for “The residual effects of the sale carry
direct mailing,” he said. “If a ven- over for six months,” he said. “That’s the
dor reimburses me some of that, I’m big picture you have to look at.” 9
HANDGUN SALES H-S Precision Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kahr Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
254
255
Kel-Tec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
American Derringer . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 Kimber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Beretta USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Les Baer Custom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Bersa (Eagle Imports) . . . . . . . . . . 234 Magnum Research . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Bond Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Navy Arms Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Browning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Nighthawk Custom . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
North American Arms . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Charles Daly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Charter Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Para USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Cimarron Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Rock River Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Cobra Enterprises of Utah . . . . . . . . 240 Rossi Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Colt's Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Seecamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
CZ-USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Sig Sauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Dan Wesson Firearms . . . . . . . . . . 243 Smith & Wesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
EMF Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Springfield Armory . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
European American Armory . . . . . . 245 STI International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
FireStorm (SGS Importers) . . . . . . . 246 Sturm, Ruger & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . 271
FNH USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Taurus International . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Freedom Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Thompson/Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Glock Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Heckler & Koch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 Uberti USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Heritage Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Walther USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
High Standard Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Weatherby & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Hi-Point Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Wilson Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

www.shootingindustry.com MAY 2008 43

 Text First Line
Text
See Your Product Here! Address all releases to:
If you are a manufacturer, importer, distributor or
entrepreneur with a newsworthy, new or revised
New Products Editor
product available to dealers or distributors, SHOOTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
let us know! 12345 World Trade Dr.
Company
We have room for about 80 words. Pictures San Diego, CA 92128 Text First
FMG Line
Publications
Phone
should#be color, if possible. Electronic images,
transparencies and glossy prints are acceptable.
Website Defensive Revolver
Product releases are printed on a space-available SHOOTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE Text
basis at the discretion of the editorial staff. www.shootingindustry.com New for 2008, Clint Smith of Thunder
Ranch presents “Defensive Revolver:
Logical Solutions For The Real World.”
Filmed at Thunder Ranch in Oregon, the
two-disc DVD is packed with tips, tech-
Text First Line niques and Clint’s personal observations
Weatherby about the tactics and gear that work best.
Text SA-08 Semi-Auto Smith presents a Mental Preparation and
Logic Lecture and covers Proper Tech-
Weatherby introduces the SA-08 Semi-Auto line of shot- nique and Application; Loading, Unload-
guns available in three models: Upland, Youth and Synthetic. ing and Malfunction Clearance; Carry and
The shotguns feature a dual-valve system, alloy receivers, Draw Demonstration; Range Drills; Dem-
drop-out trigger systems and lengthened forcing cones. onstration and more.
Three screw-in Integral Multi-Choke Systems are compatible
Weatherby
Company with the Briley thread pattern. Company
FMG Publications
(805) 227-2600
Phone # The Upland and Youth models feature walnut stocks. The Phone #
1-800-628-9818
www.weatherby.com
Website Youth is available in 20-gauge. The Synthetic features a black Website
www.americanhandgunner.com
composite stock. The Upland and Synthetic are available in
12- and 20-gauge. Circle # 290
Circle # 309

Text First Line

Text

Kahr Arms
Thompson 1927A-1
Kahr Arms The Thompson 1927A-1 Deluxe Pistol TA5 has an
Company
(508) 795-3010 aluminum construction with a 10.5" barrel, and wal- Text First Line
Phone #
www.kahr.com nut, horizontal foregrip. It is 23.3" long and weighs 5
Website pounds, 14 1/2 ounces. Included is a 50-round drum
www.tommygun.com DeSantis
Text Holster
magazine. A 30-round stick, 10-round and 100-round
Circle # 296 drum magazines are available. D94 Paddle Holster
Made entirely of Kydex sheet, the D94
DS Paddle Holster is adjustable for forward
Text First
Pelican Line
Products to rearward cant and has a dual-tension
Mossy Oak Tactical Lights device. The D94 is currently available for
Text the Glock 17, 19, 22 and 23, in right- and
Pelican introduces the PM6 3330 LED left-hand models. Other models will follow.
and PM6 3320 Incandescent in camouflaged
Mossy Oak Break Up. Constructed of engi-
neering-grade polymer, the PM6s weigh 3.45
ounces. The PM6 LED uses high-output bat-
teries to drive a one-watt Luxeon LED (good DeSantis Holster & Leather
Company
Pelican Products Inc. for 10,000 hours of life), producing 41 lumens
Goods Co.
Company
Phone # of light for up to 20 hours. The PM6 Incandes-
1-800-473-5422 (631)
Phone841-6300
#
cent has a high-intensity Xenon bulb that pro-
Website
www.pelican.com www.desantisholster.com
Website
duces 74 lumens of light for up to one hour of
continuous use.
Circle # 300 Circle # 288
44 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com
 Continued from page 46

Southwick Provides Market Insight

S outhwick Associates has released its data on the top-selling brands in six categories
for January and February. The data is from Southwick’s Internet program: Hunter-
Survey, a monthly consumer monitoring service.
Southwick can provide greater detail on these and many other product categories
on a subscription basis. For a sample of monthly reports and pricing, contact: info@
Barnes Bullets southwickassociates.com.
Triple-Shock X-Bullet Top-Selling Brands
For 2008, Barnes is introducing an January February
“improved” Triple-Shock X-Bullet, with the
addition of a polymer tip. The tip and a Category Brand MS* Brand MS*
reengineered nose cavity provide faster Rifles Ruger 9.2% Ruger 10.5%
expansion. The new Tipped TSX features Shotguns Winchester 25.4% H&R 1871 16.0%
the same 100-percent copper body with
Handguns Glock 20.8% S&W 17.5%
multiple rings cut into the shank as the
Triple-Shock X-Bullet. Rifle Ammo Remington 33.2% Remington 30.8%
Riflescopes Bushnell 23.9% Bushnell 27.2%

Game Calls Primos 34.9% Primos 35.4%

* Marketshare: The percentage of all retail transactions.

Barnes Bullets Remington Targets Turkey Hunters

(801) 756-4222
www.barnesbullets.com H ow much money is there in selling turkey-related firearms,
ammo and gear? A bundle big enough that Remington as-
sembled a 16-page catalog devoted to gobbler-getting stuff early
Circle # 280 this year.
Nicely designed, it had hunters drooling over eye-popping
images of the new Model 11-87 Sportsman Super Mag ShurShot
Turkey 12-gauge, along with tom-taking ammo and all the must-
have accessories.
The Remington 2008 Turkey Products Guide was available
for download on www.remington.com. Smart marketing.

HK45 Hits Target

T he delayed delivery of Heckler & Koch’s HK45
hasn’t dampened consumers’ enthusiasm for the
pistol. Internet blogs are heavy with praise for the pistol’s “shoot-
Beretta USA ability,” “reduced recoil” and “interchangeable backstraps.”
UGB25 Xcel The HK45 is available in 10 HK variants, including the double-action
and single-action Law Enforcement Modification (LEM).
Beretta’s UGB25 Xcel shotgun fea- Visit www.hk-usa.com.
tures an innovative locking system with

LeGate Calls Shots For NBC

break-open action. The second round is
not hidden inside the magazine tube, but

is always visible in its side cartridge car-
rier. The 12-gauge, with 30" barrel, oper-
ates on a short-barrel recoil system. The
UGB25 Xcel features a light alloy receiv-
er, select walnut stock and Optima-Bore
Barrel with a lengthened forcing cone for
enhanced pattern distribution, reduced
felt recoil and shot velocity optimization.
Beretta USA Corp.
(301) 283-2191
www.berettausa.com
Circle # 283
www.shootingindustry.com
C
ongratulations to Shari LeGate, who has been hired by NBC
to be the shooting sports analyst for the 2008 Beijing Olympic
Games. LeGate, a two-time national champion and World Cup med-
alist, was a member of the U.S. National Team in skeet for 12 years,
winning numerous titles and medals. She was the target sports analyst
for ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games and currently produces and hosts
the ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target National Championships.
In 2001, she was presented the Shooting Industry Award by the
Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence for her accomplishments Shari LeGate
in introducing thousands of women to the shooting sports. The former
executive director of the Women’s Shooting Sports Foundation, she is currently the spokes-
person for the NSSF’s Project ChildSafe and is a representative for the First Shots program.
LeGate is also a Shooting Industry contributing editor, and will again compete in the
Shooting Industry Masters in July. 9
MAY 2008 45
 Russ Thurman

The Many Forms Of Gun Control

W
al-Mart’s decision to sign the
Bloomberg agreement in April
blindsided the industry. But for
the retail behemoth, it’s just business. Just
as it was in 2006 when Wal-Mart stopped
selling firearms in 1,000 of its stores; it
was a business decision.
Wal-Mart’s support of the mea-
sures created by New York Mayor Mi-
chael Bloomberg’s “Mayors
Against Illegal Guns” pro-
vides significant benefit. By
agreeing to abide by the 10
“The Responsible Firearms
points of the “Responsible
Firearms Retailer Partner- Retailer Partnership is a
ship,” Wal-Mart wraps itself
in a layer of protection from ‘masterful’ form of gun control.”
anti-gun forces.
And, anti-gun forces are
powerful. For those in the industry who
think the anti-gun movement has been neu-
tralized, based on its lack of progress on the
national level, think again. Microstamp-
ing, bullet serialization, ballistic imaging,
onerous zoning, restrictive and prohibitive
sales of firearms and ammunition — and
more — are driven by anti-gun proponents.
There are many forms of gun control. The
Bloomberg agreement is a powerful one.
The Responsible Firearms Retailer
Partnership is a “masterful” form of gun
control, developed by those vehemently
opposed to the private ownership of fire-
arms. While you go about the business of
running your business, anti-gun zealots
are going about their business. And, they
are good at what they do. The challenge:
In addition to making and/or selling fire-
arms, ammo and myriad associated gear,
you have to battle anti-gun forces — ev-
ery day. Anti-gun forces, however, don’t
do anything but develop ways to stop you
from doing business — every day.
Wal-Mart’s “business” decision will
likely endear them to Mr. and Mrs. Ameri-
ca, who, while they believe in and support
the Second Amendment, also want “Re-
sponsible Firearms Retailer Partnership(s)”
and who wouldn’t want to support “May-
ors Against Illegal Guns”? These are the
Wal-Mart customers who generally don’t
buy firearms and ammo from the retailer,
but they sure push a lot of shopping carts
to the checkout stands every
day. That’s business.
Undoubtedly, the firearm
and ammo companies who sell
a significant number of guns
and pallets of ammo through
Wal-Mart will be hurt. That
Wal-Mart would enter into the
Bloomberg agreement without
notifying its longtime firearm-
industry partners is, yes, a shock, but not
surprising. Remember, it’s business.
It’s important for all of us to know
about the Bloomberg coalition. Visit www.
mayorsagainstillegalguns.org. There you
will discover how the industry is being
targeted and if your mayor is a member of
the coalition.

Summit Looks To Future

T he NSSF 2008 Shooting Sports Summit, June 23-25 in Colo-
rado Springs, Colo., is attracting a lot of attention from lead-
ers throughout the industry. The focus of the event: the future of
aimed at taking
current recruit-
ment and reten-
hunting and the shooting sports. tion programs to
The summit is attracting a growing number of sponsors, in- the next level.”
cluding Outdoor Channel, Safari Club International (SCI) and the NSSF will present a comprehensive three-year $389,000 study
U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA). aimed at improving hunter and shooter recruitment and retention.
“Ensuring a strong future for our sports is a common goal Results of the “Future of Hunting and the Shooting Sports” proj-
shared by all of us in the hunting and shooting community,” said ect, funded by a U.S. Fish & Wildlife grant and conducted in
NSSF Senior Vice President Chris Dolnack. “With the support partnership with Responsive Management, will serve as the basis
of Outdoor Channel, SCI, USSA and others, this year’s summit for the summit.
is shaping up to be perhaps the most significant industry gather- The summit’s keynote speaker is former Arkansas Governor
ing of this decade.” Mike Huckabee.
This is the first NSSF summit in six years, with organizers For more information, visit www.nssf.org/08summit.
planning numerous sessions designed to “forge new strategies
Continued on page 45

We’re Calling You Out!

Gun Valley Showdown. Page 32
46 MAY 2008 www.shootingindustry.com
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