Gunners Den

Straight Shooters

Industry News

Henry’s New Side Gate Rifle

By Leave a Comment

We were out at NRA’s Annual Meetings for the 2019 year and had the opportunity to put our hands on Henry’s new side loading, lever action rifle. As I think of all Henry’s brass guns, I think this one is functionally beautiful.

It’s something that can rest over the fireplace or be used to bring dinner home. And, without spending too much time on it, this is something that should set Henry USA apart from all other lever gun manufacturers.

The H024 is a side-gate loading, polished, hardened brass receiver with the usual brass accents and an engraved foregrip and stock. A model of this type, side loading, is a first from Henry Repeating Arms–and something that I’ve been hearing customers ask for, for quite a while.

This new rifle allows the shooter to top off or just plain old load the rifle from the gate whenever needed–even on the fly while stalking. The rifle features a round, 20 inch barrel, semi-buckhorn sights, and walnut furniture.

The tubular magazine stays, and if the gun needs to be unloaded, opening the action and removing the plunger is the best way to do it.

You can also continue to load the rifle via the totally tubular magazine, as well. The newest addition to the family, Henry’s Side Gate lever rifle is offered in 30-30, 38-55, and 35 Rem.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in the .35 Remington model, and if I ever get an extra $1,045.00, it’d definitely be a good way to spend it. How else would I get a functional piece of art?

Here is Henry’s announcement video with .22 Plinkster showing off some shooting:

Because my color was clearly off in my photos, I stole a picture from Henry’s website to show you the true coloring of the furniture:

You can visit Henry’s website for more information and to learn about how to buy one of these rifles. I know the industry is excited for these, so you may be waiting for a minute or two before there is any availability. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Also, check out our Henry Big Boy Steel .44 Mag review, here.

How to Buy Your First Handgun: Buyer’s Guide

By Leave a Comment

Recently wandering around on a Facebook group I belong to, I saw someone ask the question: How do I buy my first handgun.”

I actually have some insight into that, since I too, had to buy my first handgun one day long ago. More than that, though, I’ve actually gone to the gun shop with a few people to help them pick out guns, and have been in earshot of some very bad advice given by gun shop employees.

Here’s the deal, the gun shop is out to make money. Yeah, they’ll help you as much as they can, but their goal in life is to stay in business. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with that–just as long as you know that’s the case.

What this means, is that if they’ve got an abundance of one type of gun, say Glock 19, they’re going to try to talk you into a Glock 19 regardless of whether you want one of them or not. That’s just the way it is.

In a perfect world, you should have done some research up to this point to find out which guns are right for you, personally. This research will include the following —

  • What is your gun’s primary use
  • What is your price range
  • Going to the store to “feel” different guns in hand
  • What kind of features will it have

Let’s take a look at each of these bullet points, in turn.

What is the gun’s primary use

If your goal is to conceal carry your new gun, that’ll play out a little differently than it would, say, if you were just looking for something to target practice with.

If you just went out and got your permit and that’s why you’re here, you have plenty of options to choose from.

Things that you need to be aware of, is size VS capacity. Meaning, are you looking for the ultimate in concealability? If so, it may come at the cost of higher capacity.

This isn’t as true as it once was, considering that some guns, like the SIG P365 have a capacity of a much bigger gun in such a small package. Still, the largest 365 magazine holds 12 rounds of ammo.

No slouch by any stretch, but I have midsize guns that I can conceal on my body that hold 16 rounds. If we’re going at it from a capacity-only standpoint, the 16 round gun that I can still conceal is the best bet.

To start, I believe that it’s better to learn how to shoot a handgun that’s a bit bigger in terms of grip size. The reason why I say that, is because it offers you more to hold on to when you’re learning how to handle the recoil.

Because of this, I’d say that you would want a Glock 19-sized gun. It’s something that offers you up great capacity along with giving you the controllability of having a larger grip to hold on to. Other guns in this size category are the FN 509 Midsize, the SIG Sauer P320, and the S&W M&P9 2.0.

If you’re looking for something smaller than that that will conceal on your body way better than a full size handgun will, there are also plenty of options for this, as well.

Some of the best out there are the SIG P365, the Glock 43, S&W Shield.

Of course, there are plenty of other options that offer up great performance, like those guns from Walther and others. For a full list of what I consider to be the best 9mm handguns, push on that link. It gives an in depth resource, that shows revolvers, 1911s, striker/polymer guns, etc.

What is your price range

Don’t let anyone tell you that you must spend at least $400 to get a decent gun. That’s just not the case. There are plenty of firearms on the market that cost less than that and are good to go in terms of reliability and performance.

Take the Mossberg MC1SC for example. This new to market concealed carry gun can be found for under $350 and is a great little piece.

Know what your price is, and then realize that you will spend more than that so you may need to lower your price a bit. What do I mean?

I mean you can’t just stop at the gun itself. Here’s the deal — You have to actually shoot your new gun to become proficient with it. This means you have to buy ammunition for it to shoot it. You will also need a holster, cleaning gear, a case if it doesn’t come with one, targets, and that’s just the stuff you need to get going.

At some point, you should seriously consider taking a class beyond your initial class you needed to get your permit/license if your state requires it.

Because, believe it or not, there is more to carrying concealed than just shooting at a static, non-moving paper or steel target.

So, back to the gun and the price of the other stuff, you have to budget in for the other goodies you need to get going. You won’t just need one box of ammo. Because, as you’ll soon find out, you’ll make the realization that you can burn through a box of ammo in 20 minutes.

In addition to your target ammo, which I recommend at least 150 rounds to help you break in and get used to shooting the gun, you also need about 60 hollow points for self-defense carry–if that’s the purpose of the gun. See above for more information.

Why do you need 60 hollow points if your magazines (or cylinders) only hold a fraction of that ammo?

Because, you need to shoot that ammo through your gun at the range, too, silly.

Why? Because it’s all about performance. It’s all about self-defense. It’s all about saving your life should the need arise, and you need to make sure your chosen self-defense ammo works in your gun.

I have a friend who carried a small pocket pistol around chambered in .380 ACP. Those little guns can be finicky with the ammo they like, and this one was no different.

He was told the LIE that you buy two different kinds of ammo. One of them is for self-defense, the other is for target/range practice.

One day he tried to shoot his hollow points because he was told that he should cycle his ammo every so often. After carrying the same ammo for over a year, he found out that it shot the first round and failed to feed on the second.

Working in Philly, can you imagine having to use your gun only to have it malfunction because you were too cheap to shoot your hollow point ammo?

I, personally, don’t carry a gun unless I have 200 rounds through it with both target and my chosen self-defense ammo (combined) to make sure it works.

Go to the store

One of the last things you’d ever want to do is buy a gun without at least getting it in your hands first. Buying a gun online and having it shipped to your FFL for the transfer is something that’s totally fine. But, and this is huge, you need to get your hands on that gun before you buy.

This means you need to go to the gun store and feel each gun on your researched list.

Ideally, you can rent the gun out to put some rounds downrange for a while, getting a feel for it and taking note of what you do/don’t like about each one.

Things you need to pay attention to, is can you rack the slide to chamber a round? Is the gun easy to take apart (ask a sales rep for help, don’t just take them apart)? How does the trigger feel? Can you reach the magazine release and slide stop?

These are all things you need to be aware of before you buy a gun.

I’ve bought guns in the past that I should not have bought because I couldn’t hit the magazine release right. I have big, oddly shaped hands and I struggled with this for many years before I decided that I’d just buy a new gun with an easier to reach release.

Not having to re-adjust my grip after dropping the mag saves me time on getting back to target after the re-load.

It’s worth trying them all out. Try out each one on your pre-researched list in your price range.

And, don’t let anyone talk you into a specific gun. Remember above when I said that the guys at the gun store have one goal which is to make money?

That’s true, and they may try to sell you something they have right then and there, whether it’s a good fit for you or not. Not all gun store employees do this, but I’ve seen it enough times that I feel I should point it out.

What features will it have

When I say features, I’m talking about safeties, size, sights, trigger feel, etc. These are all things that can be either changed by buying aftermarket parts, or a different gun altogether.

Here’s my deal, I have never bought a gun and modified it if it was for something like concealed carry. If my life depends on something, why chance it? That’s my outlook, and I recommend you do the same.

I know guys who will buy a Glock 19 and upgrade the trigger, sights, stipple the grip, compensate the barrel, etc., when they should have been buying ammo to learn how to actually shoot.

So now, these guys have an expensive paperweight because they have no idea what they’re doing, and a trigger job gone wrong could cost you your life in a negligent discharge.

It happens way more often than it should.

Buy a gun, keep it the way it is, meaning buy it the way you want it, and then learn how to shoot it. Just like adding a supercharger to your Camaro won’t make you faster if you can’t drive, all the upgrades in the world won’t make you a better shooter if you can’t actually shoot.

My point is to buy your gun the way you want it because you’ve already gone to the gun store/gun range to try it out. You should know what you like at this point because you’ve done your research.

The gun manufacturers already have the gun worked out. They built it. I, personally, trust them more than I do myself to know what belongs on that gun.

Conclusion

Is there anything I’ve missed when it comes to buying a new gun? If so, let us know in the comments below.

Sorry, Guns Are Still NOT The Problem

By Leave a Comment

American Flag gun

Every so often I peruse the internet looking for stuff to talk about, gun industry wise, that would be common sense to the masses but falls through the cracks of misinformed minds throughout the world.

This time around, the headline read as such: “20 years after Columbine, the guns are still the problem.” Let me be clear right now, guns are not now, nor were they ever, the problem.

How can guns be the problem, not just for Columbine but all the active shootings, when there are clearly other methods to kill innocent people?

Let’s dissect this as it relates to Columbine, shall we?

Sure, they used guns to kill a LOT of people. One thing the anti-gun media seems to have forgotten is just how many other means of killing people those skickos had.

They also planted several bombs and were also ready to use knives to attack their fellow adolescents. All of this is well known–or so I thought. It is interesting how the narrative can change when you just want to “ban” something.

Okay, so we’ve gotten that out of the way. There were other methods they had to kill people, and, thankfully, the bombs didn’t go off right or the death toll would have been much higher. But, let’s take a moment to get back to the issue at hand.

The problem, is that the guns they used were purchased by straw–AKA illegally. In case you didn’t know, a straw purchase is when someone who cannot buy guns asks another person who can to buy it for them.

Another problem, is that the two shooters had mental health issues. This, too, is all well known and something that almost nobody is willing to discuss.

To say that guns are the problem because they’re easily obtained, even though they couldn’t buy the guns themselves and also had mental health issues shown by their previous behavior and online presence is asinine.

The real cause, before throwing any punishment at legal gun owners like myself, is mental health. The gun laws on the books usually do work. Do they 100%? I’d be a fool if I said yes they work 100% of the time. They don’t.

They work well-enough that if they’re enforced they’d work even better.

But, in the same vein —

Do speed limits prevent accidents 100% of the time? Do seat belt laws save lives 100% of the time? Does the fact that methamphetamine is illegal mean that people don’t make and use it to get high?

See where I’m going with this? No laws work 100% of the time, so why punish people like myself who have owned guns for decades unless there is some sort of hidden agenda?

We can cover what I believe to be the agenda some other day …

But for now, let’s get back to the issue at hand. Guns are NOT the problem. In fact, let’s take this in a different direction, completely, by pointing out how Columbine helps my argument that guns are NOT the problem, and never have been.

The two sickos were too young to buy the guns themselves. Yet, they still were able to acquire the guns illegally.

Guess what? Making guns harder for me to obtain will only make the guns harder for people like me, law abiding citizens, to protect themselves against the sickos who actually want to hurt people.

Confused? Let me break it down further —

Anyone who is willing to break the law to hurt people won’t be deterred by gun laws, and you’ll NEVER be able to get rid of all the guns in America. You’d be delusional to think otherwise.

And, guess what, a good portion of the the active shooter situations since Columbine have seen the shooters acquire their guns in a manner other than “legal.”

Of course there are exceptions to this, but I can think of some off the top of my head where either the guns were acquired illegally OR the shooter fell through the background check crack somehow, where the shooter should have failed, and still passed.

Either way, it’s not MY fault, and shame on you for trying to punish me.

We are GunnersDen.com, and our stance is “get your hands off my guns.” Period.

Oh, and “go eat a bag of dicks.”

Ruger’s New Rifle in 350 Legend

By Leave a Comment

Ruger 350 Legend

It didn’t take long, and I thought it would have been a bit longer, but a major firearms manufacturer picked up the new to market cartridge, the .350 Legend, and ran with it.

First, let me say that it’s always exciting when a new gun cartridge comes out. Even more exciting is when a major gun manufacturer, like Ruger, shows support for that cartridge early on.

This essentially means that the .350 Legend is here for the long haul.

Earlier this year at SHOT Show 2019, Winchester and CMMG announced the latest in rifle cartridge technology with the .350 Legend and a set of AR-15 platform rifles to match. You can watch the video of the release from CMMG, here:

The result was the invention of the fastest moving straight walled rifle cartridge in existence. And of course, this fills the void of straight walled cartridge hunting restrictions in a few states.

Ruger’s President and CEO Chris Killoy had this to say in the press release we were sent while out at the NRA Annual Meetings, 2019:

We heard our customers loud and clear, and are proud to answer their call … we anticipate the woods of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and many other states will be full of new Ruger rifles this fall.

350 legend ar-15

Ruger’s newest rifle in their AR-556 line has an MSRP of $1099, which will likely come in a bit lower once it starts to hit gun stores across the nation. Here are the specs for this rifle:

  • Stock Black Synthetic, Collapsible
  • Handguard Free-Float With Magpul® M-LOK® Slots
  • Sights None
  • Barrel Length 16.38″
  • Thread Pattern 1/2″-28 x 0.4″
  • Twist 1:16″ RH
  • Capacity 5
  • Finish Type III Hard Coat Anodized
  • Height 7.30″
  • Weight 6.6 lb.
  • Overall Length 33.38″ – 36.63″
  • Length of Pull 11.10″ – 14.40″
  • Grooves 5
  • Suggested Retail $1099.00

And of course, ammunition for the .350 Legend is currently available, and can be found for sale, here, at a decent price considering this ammo is still so new. In addition to the AR-15 rifle, Ruger also announced a bolt action in this cartridge, as well, though I have zero pictures of that one.

Here are some 350 Legend chambered rifles for sale.

You can visit Ruger’s page to learn more about this rifle.

NRAAM 2019 Day One

By Leave a Comment

2 inch colt king cobra

So we’re out at the 2019 NRA Annual Meetings where we get our hands on some of the new guns and gear hitting the shelves this year. So far, it’s turning out to be a pretty good event, with great products being released.

For example, one of the first new items I saw at this year’s event is the next model Colt King Cobra, pictured above. This next model is a two inch barrel model that looks to be great for concealed carry.

As with the other King Cobra currently on the market, it is a 6-shot 357 Magnum revolver. This model, with the two inch barrel, has a bobbled hammer giving you a DAO trigger and no way to cock the hammer.

The trigger felt today on the showroom floor is the same exact trigger I felt at the range earlier this year at SHOT Show 2019. I stand by what I’ve said, that this is the best DA trigger I’ve felt on a revolver to date. I have every intention of buying one of these revolvers.

Also out on the showroom floor today, is SIG Sauer with their newest additions. First up, is the Coyote Tan P365 that was released today.

coyote p365

I also asked about the manual safety version and it’s release date. I was told from a SIG employee that the manual safety P365 will start shipping in May of 2019, or next month.

So, if a manual safety is something you’re into, I’m not, personally, then keep your eyes open because they should be hitting the stores soon.

manual safety p365

Finally, we saw Beretta’s new APX Carry. I can say that I don’t have much trigger time behind one of these guns, unlike the other two I’ve listed here in models, but can say that what I do know to date does excite me. I am a fan of the slide serrations, even if they are fugly, and the slide is very easy to manipulate.

beretta apx carry

Stay tuned, as I’m out here for at least today, and maybe part of tomorrow.

S&W Issues Consumer Safety Alert on M&P15-22

By Leave a Comment

S&W issued a consumer safety alert on their M&P15-22. All rifles and pistols manufactured before February 1, 2019 could be affected.

The issue is that the rifle’s breech face counter bore depth could be out of specification, causing it to crush the rim on the .22 round, firing, cycling the bolt again, and causing multiple unintended discharges.

So far S&W has found two to be affected, but they’re cautioning all who have one of these rifles or pistols to cease use until after the bolts have been inspected.

There are two methods of inspection. You could do it yourself by ordering this tool, currently free of charge, or you could send the bolt in to Smith-Wesson for them to inspect.

Check out their video explaining in further depth what is happening and how to check to see if you have an affected bolt:

If you have one of the affected bolts, they will send you a new one free of any charges, shipping or otherwise, and get it to you as quickly as they can. You can find out more about this consumer safety alert, by visiting their website, here.

13 Gunsmith Schools

By 2 Comments

gunsmith schools

Gunsmithing Schools:

—American Gunsmith Institute
American Gunsmithing Institute offers many different video courses on how to repair, clean, and customize many different types of firearms!

American Gunsmithing Institute
1325 Imola AvenueWest, Suite 504, Napa, CA 94559

–Ashworth College
Ashworth College offers a Gunsmithing Diploma with the instruction taking place online. The college gives students up to a year to finish the course, that is learned at the student’s own pace.

—Colorado School of Trades
The Colorado School of Trades prepares their students for an exciting career as a Gunsmith, operating lathes and mills, and performing detailed wood shaping and finishing.

Colorado School of Trades
1575 Hoyt Street Lakewood, CO 80215

–Marshalltown Community College
Based in Iowa, this school offers a Gunsmith Technology program on campus in a high tech environment that Brownells helped inspire.

3700 South Center Street
Marshalltown, Iowa 50158

–Montgomery community college
Students are taught skills in machine shop, metal finishing, stock making and finishing, firearm servicing, repair and the laws and regulations governing firearms and businesses.

MONTGOMERY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
1011 Page Street Troy, NC 27371
Telephone: (910) 576-6222, Ext. 264 or 1-800-839-6222

—Modern Gun School
Learn Gunsmithing in your spare time and at your own pace! Modern has trained over 50,000 students at home since 1946 in the precision craft of gun repair. We offer two levels of training: Basic Gun Repair and Advanced Gun Repair.

MODERN GUN SCHOOL
80 North Main Street, PO Box 846,
St. Albans, Vermont 05478
Phone: 1-800-493-4114

–Murray State College
Murray State is an NRA affiliated school. Based in Oklahoma, they teach everything from stock fitting to metal working and everything else in between.

Murray State College
One Murray Campus
Tishomingo, OK 73460

–Penn Foster Gunsmith School
You can get a diploma in gunsmithing in this at your own pace distance gunsmithing school.

–Pennsylvania gunsmith school
As a student at the Pennsylvania Gunsmith School you will be taught bluing, welding, chambering, lathe operation, repairing, milling machine, checkering, tool making, hand loading, forging and heat treating.

Pennsylvania Gunsmith School
812, Ohio River Boulevard, Avalon,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15202
Phone: (412) 766-1812 or Fax: (412) 766-1812

—Piedmont Community College
Piedmont offers a gunsmithing diploma that’s a great start to a career.

Person County Campus
1715 College Drive
Roxboro, NC 27573
(336) 599-1181

–Pine Technical and Community College
Pine offers a gunsmithing program on sight, located in Minnesota.

900 Fourth St. SE
Pine City, MN 55063

–Trinidad State
Trinidad State in Colorado is an affiliated with the NRA and offers a few different gunsmith programs to choose from.

Trinidad Campus
600 Prospect St
Trinidad, CO 81082
1.800.621.TSJC
719.846.5011

–Yavapai College
Yavapai college is based in Arizona and has a few different programs to choose from including a certificate, advanced certificate, and AAS in Gunsmithing.

1100 E Sheldon St
Prescott, AZ 86301
P: (928) 445-7300

*Disclaimer* We have not use most of the schools on this list, so make sure you do your due diligence before enrolling. If we don’t have your school on this list please be sure to tell us so we can add it.

Learn how to mount a scope on a rifle.

Firearm Wholesalers

By Leave a Comment

Here is a list of firearms wholesalers:

Amchar:

AmChar has delivery trucks that covers the north east USA for the bulk items such as lead shot, safes and more.

Bangers:

We are a top-tier customer of Remington, Smith & Wesson, Colt, Beretta, Browning, Leupold and many other quality manufacturers of shooting sports equipment.

Camfour:

Our national buying power allows us to sell at low prices, while our multi-million dollar inventory assures you we will have what you’re looking for in stock and ready to be shipped.

Davidsons Supply:

Davidson’s stocks a vast inventory of firearms, possesses years of industry experience and has a reputation as both a “deal maker” and an “innovation leader.”

Ellett Brothers:

The Company’s product lines, which contain over 60,000 SKU’s, include firearms, marine electronics, trolling motors, optics, clothing, boots, cutlery, archery equipment, leather goods, camping equipment, sportsman gifts, and a variety of other outdoor sporting goods products.

Jerry’s Sport Center:

Jerry’s is a wholesale distributor of outdoor sporting goods products. We only sell to stocking retail dealers. Retail dealers can use this website to search for merchandise by product keyword, by JSC’s item number, or by the manufacturer’s item number. In addition, you can shop our website for product specials and closeouts.

Lew Horton Distributing:

Lew Horton Distributing Co. is a wholesale distributor of sporting firearms and hunting related accessories. We specialize in Special Edition and Custom Guns made for us by the Smith & Wesson Performance Center, Colt Custom Shop, Springfield Armory and other leading manufacturing companies.

Lipsey’s:

We offer the best selection of exclusive firearms in the industry. We partner with our manufacturers to create special make-up firearms that have enhanced features not available in their normal catalogs. All Lipsey’s Exclusives carry a full manufacturer warranty.

RSR Wholesale:

With five strategically located sales and distribution centers across the U.S., RSR provides FFL dealers in every region of the country with unparalleled customer service, a broad product selection, and rapid, inexpensive shipping.

Sport’s South:

Sports South is the country’s largest and oldest single source distributor of handguns, long guns, and ammunition. As we are a WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTOR, we sell only to LICENSED FEDERAL FIREARMS DEALERS (FFL HOLDERS).

Zanders:

We offer Stocking Dealer Buying Programs that are easy to qualify for, yet meaningful in which to participate. The Staff at Zanders’ Sporting Goods takes great pride in providing complete retailer support. From same day shipping to the special order of a unique or hard to find item, their goal is to serve the shooting sports retailer.

SHOT Show 2019 Best Guns

By Leave a Comment

I love going to SHOT Show each year. Yes, it’s work. Yes, it’s exhausting. But, where else can I be around so many like-minded people with the common interest of being gun nuts? And, as an added bonus, I get to put my grubby hands on EVERYTHING I see, whether new to the market or otherwise.

There are always some items at SHOT Show that stand out more than the others though, and this is my lame attempt at trying to show them all to you.

Here are the top 5 best new guns or gear from SHOT Show 2019:

Colt King Cobra

Colt made its way back into the revolver market a couple years back with their .38 Special 6-shot Cobra revolver. While people weren’t upset that Colt re-entered into this market, what they really wanted was a magnum revolver.

Fast forward to SHOT Show 2019, Colt gave us what all the “experts” insisted would never happen. They gave us a King Cobra (pictured above). The King Cobra, in case you’ve been under a rock since before SHOT, is a 6-shot .357 Mag revolver.

It is sexy. The trigger is smoother than freshly filtered honey, and the trigger guard is oversized for the fatter fingers out there.

Good luck being able to find one, though. Because, much like what happened with the regular 38 Cobra, these will be hard to find in stores. I’ve never seen one in the wild outside of SHOT or other trade shows.

This could be good or bad, depending on your outlook. Good, because Colt is taking their time, not just churning and burning to produce as quickly as possible with shoddy quality control. Bad, because I want one and won’t be able to find it.

350 Legend and CMMG Resolute

Many folks don’t understand the importance of the .350 legend rifle cartridge. It’s highly important in a few states just because there are huge restrictions on hunting with certain calibers.

There are some states with caliber restrictions on hunting. To combat this, the .350 Legend was made.

Because of this, and because the parent case is a necked up .223/5.56, there is huge application for it. Winchester, the developer, has stated that this is the fastest straight walled cartridge in production and that it hits hard. We’ve asked CMMG, the makers of the AR-15 chambered in .350 Legend to send us a rifle, and it sounds like they’ve agreed once they get a few more in stock.

Time will tell. But the CMMG Resolute looks great.

And, when you want to talk about innovation and that all you need to convert your current AR patterned rifle to accept this tremendous hunting cartridge is a new barrel, you should get a smile on your face.

If you don’t smile, what are you even doing here?

Mossberg MC1sc

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises this year was the re-introduction of Mossberg into the concealed carry market. They had made their Mossberg Brownie way back in 1919, and a lot has changed since that point.

While there were a ton of very mixed emotions early on with some fanboys claiming it looked like a certain gun that rhymes with flock, most of those who work for the industry see the gun for what it is: A success.

I’ve now gotten over 150 rounds through one that Mossberg sent to me for a T&E and can say that it’s a great gun that handles and shoots very well.

While I don’t think that Mossberg will be overthrowing any of the kings or queens in the pistol market, they’ve definitely captured a share in it, and they’re around to stay.

Kel-Tec

Innovation isn’t something that Kel-Tec struggles with as they continuously bring different types of products to the market. This year was no different with their CP33, a 33 round .22 caliber, quad stack handgun and their KS7 shotgun.

The CP33 is going straight after target shooters who use guns like Ruger MK III and IV, as well as the S&W Victory 22. Ya know, except that Kel-Tec gives you 23 more rounds of ammo. If it’s reliable it’ll be a great competitor in that space.

I ran out of time to shoot the KS7, but my team mates all shot it, and Joe was so impressed he said he was in the market for one. He’s promised us a review, so make sure you stay tuned for that if he can actually find one in the store.

Daniel Defense

Daniel Defense is known for their above average AR-15 platform rifles. They’ve been known as a top tier AR-15 manufacturer for a long time, so it was a bit of a surprise to some when they announced their latest rifle to the mix: A bolt action called the Delta 5.

This bolt gun helps you reach out and touch some targets being available in 308 Win, 6.5 Creed, and 7mm-08 Rem. The retail price on it isn’t too shabby either, coming in at a $2199 MSRP. I have not shot this rifle yet, but Daniel Defense makes great rifles, and I’ll be looking to shoot one at my earliest convenience.

Conclusion

SHOT Show 2019 was a great show. This was truly a year of innovation. Companies are doing what they can to stand out from their competition which is why we see so many companies venturing into new territory. What lies ahead? Only time will tell, but if the past couple years are any indicator it’ll only get better with more innovation from here.

Gun Companies Innovate to Keep Lights On

By Leave a Comment

Not all gun-related companies are struggling. But, if you hadn’t noticed, the firearms economy is in a bit of a rut right now. Not as many people are buying guns as they had in the previous years leading up to the election of Donald Trump, and that’s been proven by the number of NICS checks that have been done in recent months.

It’s down from previous years.

While plenty of us are still buying guns, the frenzy has slowed way down, which, as I’ll point out in a moment, hurts more than we initially thought.

There are many reasons why sales are down, or at least on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, to include a relaxed group of firearms enthusiasts. History has shown that we generally tend to be up in arms whenever we think the president is anti gun or wants to take our guns away.

That’s what happened starting in 2008 with then President Obama. We all thought he was going to take our guns away and out of fear we all ended up buying a lot of guns, gear, and ammo.

He was nominated gun salesman of the year for 8 straight years and because of that, the gun industry boomed. It brought on many new faces making products just to keep up with the demand of everything that was required.

It boomed. And, because it boomed there was also a bubble of sorts. Those companies including firearms retailers and smaller manufacturers have been the first to go. Many of them are already gone because they just couldn’t compete with selling firearms at a 20$ markup.

Furthermore, even some internet retailers are struggling. I am immersed in this industry more than the average person is, so I see it first hand.

I don’t just run this blog and concealedcarry.com’s blog … I also own a marketing and consulting company that caters only to the outdoor industry and hear the struggles first hand from companies who have been hit hard, as well as others who haven’t been hit hard, yet, but are trying to stay proactive.

Just like big box retailers trying to compete with Amazon, the gun and gear manufacturers have to think outside the box if they want to be successful and remain in business.

That’s a good thing, by the way because it forces us all to stay on our toes, creating new products, and keeping us moving forward with new technology.

And, honestly, that’s exactly what started to happen the past couple of years and has continued on into this year’s SHOT Show 2019.

Anymore, a company can’t just rely on their brand name to sell product. They have to bring customers to them. Actively. If they don’t, they’ll feel it in their wallets.

There are a couple ways companies do this. One is by appropriate marketing channels and the other is by being creative/listening to what your customers want.

We see examples of this all the time in our industry, more and more as of late.

For example: Last year SIG Sauer shook the entire industry up with the release of their P365. I’ve spoken to several gun shops who say that the 365 is the hottest selling gun they have. They can’t keep them in stock and are usually off the shelves within hours of them getting placed there.

Oftentimes they don’t even make it to the shelves because they’re back ordered.

sig sauer p365

That’s a great problem for SIG Sauer. They make them as fast as they can, continuing to improve upon the product–making it better. Consumers rave about the product, driving sales up further, and there is no sign of it slowing down. It’s a never ending cycle.

The P365 sells itself. And why? Because SIG addressed a problem and fixed it. They recognized that the biggest problem to any self-defense scenario is capacity. So, they gave us a 12 round 9mm pocket pistol that shoots like a big gun.

A side benefit, and making matters more interesting, is what happens throughout the rest of the industry. I’ve spoken to holster manufacturers who’ve said that their holster models for that gun are their fastest selling holsters they have, still–even after a year of the 365 being out on the market.

I spoke to one company out at SHOT Show who said that sales of their P365 holster is basically the only thing keeping them afloat right now. I won’t say who that is so I don’t embarrass them, but that’s a huge deal.

The sale of one gun holster model is keeping the lights on for that company. Let that sink in for a moment.

But SIG isn’t the only one innovating new products. I look all over the gun industry and see changes to product lines, thinking outside the box, etc. Those who refuse to do this will continue to struggle and may go out of business, just because our industry is always seeking the next thing.

Take Mossberg for example. Mossberg traditionally manufactures long guns like shotguns and rifles. They’ve had huge success in that market, but you know all that.

There are essentially three different camps you fall into if you’re a shotgun lover: You either love Mossberg 5XX shottys, Remington 8XX, or any of the others (combined because they’re not as popular).

A huge population of gun folk love Mossberg shotguns, which shows when you take into account that Mossberg is listed at number 5 in the top 10 biggest gun manufacturers.

But the percentage of business they’ve likely missed out on over the years due to their decision to not make handguns is clear. They were missing out on a ton of business. On the plus side they already have a cult-like following who will snatch up their guns like a fat man in a hot dog eating contest.

mossberg mc1sc

And, after shooting their new pistol, I can say that I don’t think they’ll have any issues moving them. That little thing is excellent so far after about 150 rounds and no gun-related failures (I did have a light primer strike due to some reloaded ammo).

They (were) missing out probably on about 50% of the industry’s business just because they chose to not make handguns. And no, I’m not insinuating that their sales will go up 50% based on this pistol just that they were missing out on a lot of business just because they didn’t have anything that appealed to the concealed carry market.

They recognized that they were missing out on a lot of business, adapted their business model with an excellent product, the MC1sc, and have hit the ground floor running. If there is one thing Mossberg knows how to do, it’s make guns.

And that little sucker received great remarks from everyone I spoke to who shot it.

They have successfully shaken up the industry just by entering the sub compact pistol market. Everyone else will now sell a few less pistols, and Mossberg will sell a few more guns. And, usually, a company will enter the market with a sub compact just because it is a bigger market.

What many folks don’t realize is that it’s a sign that there will be an entry with other size and caliber offerings to follow, gobbling up even more sales from the stagnant competition.

I see a compact and a full size on the horizon, perhaps in a couple other calibers besides 9mm, as well. Time will tell, for sure.

You may disagree with me and that’s fine, but I shot it and thought it was great and have plans to buy one myself, as does at least one person on my team. Here is a video of it from the range:

Another example is the new Colt revolver line. Two years ago they re-released the Colt Cobra, likely out of necessity due to a slum market and no new excitement for the brand, and this year they did what nobody thought they’d ever do: release a .357 magnum revolver.

I mean, there were articles dedicated to telling fans to stop asking because Colt would never release another .357 Mag revolver.

Well, they did and I know why. It’s not because they wanted to release a 357 magnum revolver like the King Cobra, but because they had to. Why? Because when your customer base asks for something, the smart thing to do is give it to them.

That revolver is sexy as hell with a trigger unlike any I’ve felt in a DA revolver. Colt heard what the industry wanted, and gave it to them.

Can you imagine a world where that happens? The people who make and sell the stuff actually listen to the people who want to buy the stuff.

And if you were unsure, yes there is still a market for revolvers. Colt had to re-break the mold to bring back what people wanted. And, they’re likely smiling about it now because after shooting that gun, I can say that I’m also in the market for a King Cobra for my walks through black bear country.

Just between the trigger being like butter, the oversize trigger guard, and the 6-shot capacity are enough to sway me from Ruger or Smith. Check out our video with a senior VP over at Colt, Paul:

The companies who are first to this thought process of listening to what customers are asking for and/or innovating new products are the ones who will stand up to the test of time and thrive through another term of Trump. Those who don’t will continue to struggle. Sure, some companies will stay around just because they have die hard fans. Those fans will likely be enough to keep them around, but they won’t thrive.

So, because of the innovation of some companies, it’ll force others outside their traditional thinking just to keep up and our industry will be better off for it.

What’s another product people have been screaming from the hilltops for? Everything in 10mm. More than that, however, a 10mm pistol caliber carbine.

So, what does Stag Arms do? Release a brand new to market 10mm PCC that is flawless. I’ve heard other manufacturers say that they couldn’t get them to work right, but Stag stuck with it and I’m happy to report that I shot the hell out of one at the range before SHOT Show started and couldn’t be happier with it.

They listened to what people wanted, and BOOM! Insta-Sales. Well, they haven’t hit stores as of this writing, but you get the point.

Speaking of hitting the stores, you may or may not know this but Stag Arms allows you to order direct from their website and ship to your FFL with free shipping over $99 to the lower 48 states.

The market will continue to shift and get more competitive. More companies will innovate, doing things that they’ve never done before, making the industry more competitive and driving more companies out of their comfort zone to stay profitable. It’s a cycle, and about time it’s happening on a large scale in our industry.

Heck, even Hi-Point is innovating to stand out from the masses.

Time will tell how far we go, but one thing’s for certain, I can’t wait to see what’s new at next year’s SHOT Show, 2020.