Awesomeness At SHOT...

This was too good not to share. This, folks, is how you do marketing...

That is the "Tactical Velociraptor" at the booth of Blue Force Gear. What a great idea, and a wonderful piece of marketing. It does exactly what good marketing should do - it gets people talking about your booth, and motivates them to go to the booth, all without schwag that has to be replenished and/or rationed out.

For more SHOT Show coverage, check out  Shooting Illustrated's Facebook page (/end shameless plug)...

That is all.

Apologizing in Advance...

There is going to be a distinct lack of bloggy goodness this week. You see, it's SHOT Show time, and this is the first time I'll be going as certified "Press" (as opposed to "Internet" which is what bloggers are considered). It will be quite instructive to see the difference between "Jay G. of MA-rooned" and "Jay G. from the NRA's Shooting Illustrated" but I digress.

Speaking of Shooting Illustrated, we will be running up-to-the-minute SHOT coverage on the blog and Facebook, in case you're looking for the latest out of Vegas. [/end shameless plug]

Today will be spent flying out to Vegas (one advantage of flying on the company dime: Direct flights! Score!) and (hopefully) hitting the range in the afternoon (more on this later). Tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday are going to be pretty busy with meetings, booth tours, and interviews with industry folks for the magazine. I'm really looking forward to it, as well as catching up with my southeast peeps (New Media meetup Tuesday night y'all!)

Blogging will be light with a chance of content pretty much all week...

That is all.

In Case We Go All Mad Max...

I want one of these:

This is a Kodabow, an AR-15-based crossbow. This is a classic recurve bow, relying on the curvature of the bow alone to provide the tension needed to launch the bolt. These are high-end hunting crossbows, and they're partnered with Ruger to further develop their line of hunting bows. They had a corner of the Ruger booth in which to display their bows at SHOT Show, and I was invited to take pictures of the Kodabow Bravo Zulu bow on display - but at a price... Chuck Matasic asked that I send him a picture...

Thanks for your time, Chuck, and I hope the picture does it justice!

That is all.

SHOT Show Spotlight: Leupold

One of the "must see" exhibitors at SHOT Show last month was Leupold. I wanted to meet with Pat, who had arranged for the Mark AR scope that wound up on my custom Conspirator from York Arms. They've also got some really cool new stuff out there, as well as some pretty slick torture testing:

Yes, they actually strapped one of their VX-3 riflescopes to an honest-to-goodness jackhammer and went about their business. A funny story was relayed to me about this photo-op: While they were getting the jackhammer into position, it fell over - and landed square on the VX-3 scope. Certain that the scope was demolished, they picked the jackhammer off the ground and turned it over fearing the worst - and were greeted with a completely intact and fully functional scope.

No word if it maintained zero on the 'hammer or not...

They had a lovely conversation piece here:

That's a Mark 8 CQBSS scope mounted on a Ma Deuce blue gun. It was hard to tell which was cooler: That Leupold developed a mount for the Ma Deuce, or that they were able to find a Blue Gun for an M2 Browning machine gun.

They also have a new addition to the Mark AR line, the Mod 1:

New for 2013 is the sighting green dot in the center. I will admit to a certain degree of pride in being able to get the shot while holding the rifle (although IIRC I did have some help). This is a slick addition to the MOD 1 line that is available in the 1.5 - 4X and 3 - 9X scopes and obviously is meant to aid in rapid acquisition of target.

Lots of neat stuff at the Leupold booth, and lots of great new items for 2013!

That is all.

An Interesting Direction...

One of the neat things at SHOT Show last month was the news that Crimson Trace will be coming out with a new line of entry-level laser grips in their Defender Series. At Media Day at the Range, they had the J-frame model available:

They're debuting this line later this year, and the MSRP is half of their traditional grip lasers ($149 for the Defender vs. $299 for the Lasergrip). It's not the instant-on of the Lasergrip, but it is Crimson Trace quality and reliability at a significantly lower entry point.They're also debuting a significant number of their new green lasers, for the 1911 (WANT), J-frame, and Glock among others.

I had limited opportunity to try the new Defender series at Range Day (they were running out of .38 Special ammo by the time we got to the Crimson Trace booth), so it was limited to dry-firing. The activation isn't as automatic as the Lasergrip, that's a given, but it's still simple to activate the laser with a two-handed grip (or by a slight modification of the grip if shooting left-handed). The Defender line of grips will allow folks to experience the benefits of adding Crimson Trace laser to a defensive handgun at a lower entry point.

Looking forward to seeing this line hitting the shelves - anything that gets good defensive products into the hands of the good guys is a win in my book!

That is all.

SHOW Show Spotlight: SIG SAUER

Out of all the manufacturers I visited last week at SHOT Show, I think the good folks at SIG SAUER had the most new shiny out there. Sure, some of them were re-workings of existing guns, like these:

P224 SAS. This one's in DA/SA, like its bigger brothers.

P226 SAO. This one caused a bit of a buzz. Same P226 goodness in a single action style semi-auto. Very cool.

1911 Spartan model. Yes, I know, there's no practical use for it but WANT WANT WANT...

They had big guns there, too:

Sig50. When it absolutely, positively has to be destroyed from half a mile away.

And a new pistol:

Sig P227. Double-stack .45 ACP. I want this gun so bad it hurts... 10+1, so fuzzy bunny outside of NY. Same type as the MA-compliant P226 and P220. Once this one hits the Approved Roster I intend to start begging... :)

In other news, SIG SAUER has gotten into the suppressor biz, in a big way:

P238 with can

P226 rimfire with can

Rifles with cans

Can!

The big news, though; the ne plus ultra in announcements, of course, was the new SIG MPX:

Machine pistol

SBR

SBR with "muzzle brake"

SBR with suppressor

SIG calls it the next generation in the subgun, and while those of us outside of law enforcement or military will only get to play with the semi-auto variants, the concept is very neat. The system can interchange between 9mm, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG; it uses proprietary Lancer polymer magazines; and has a simple telescoping stock in carbine/SBR form. Looks quite interesting!

That's what's new from SIG SAUER in 2013!

That is all.

SHOT Show Spotlight: Ruger SR45 Video

I mentioned yesterday that there would be video. One of the videos I shot was at the Ruger booth with Ken Jorgensen and the new SR45. Apologies in advance for the lousy audio; it appears I'll be looking for a better microphone before the NRA convention (I know, I know, imagine that, Jay's having audio problems).



I think Ruger played this very well. They get a brand new gun to reveal at SHOT, and it won't be affected by any potential ban coming down the pike. 10 round magazine, so it's a fuzzy bunny gun everywhere but NY; it's a .45 so it fulfills the big bore requirement, and it's a Ruger, so you know it's overbuilt to beat the band.

And yes, I want one so bad I can taste it...

That is all.

SHOT Show Spotlight: Ruger

I've got a handful of manufacturers with exciting new products that I wanted to mention seeing at SHOT Show. The first are our friends from Sturm, Ruger & Co.

I've already mentioned the LC380:

Built on the LC9 frame but chambered in .380 ACP, it's a little bigger than the LCP for those that find the micro-380 too much of a handful.

The LCR has a new chambering:

LCR22Mag - yes, six rounds of .22 Magnum goodness. Why six and not seven? Well, the real reason is that the .22 Magnum round needs just a little bit more thickness in the cylinder walls, and with the tapered cylinder they were concerned about long term wear and tear - it *is* a Ruger after all. The nickel answer was "six is a round number"...

And the SR series has a new big brother:

Yes, the brandie new SR45, Ruger's answer to the M&P45. I've got the SR9 compact and I really like it; I can only imagine that the SR45 is just as well-built and easy to shoot. Yes, I bugged the hell out of them for a unit once they become MA compliant...

Speaking of .45 ACP...

Yes, the SR1911 now comes in Commander size. I have one thing to say to this: WANT.

Lastly, just to make ol' Bill Ruger roll over in his grave:

Yep. Ruger's SR-556, their AR-15 pattern rifle. No honest man, yadda yadda yadda... It's not exactly new, but figured I'd toss it in regardless...

Up later: A video from the folks at Ruger!

That is all.

SHOT Show, Day Three...

One more post recapping the 2013 SHOT Show, and then I want to focus on some specific manufacturers I had a chance to talk to last week. I even took some video - don't worry, I'm not in any of them - for a chance of pace. There's some new and exciting stuff out there, and I'll be putting it out over the next week or so. Here's some of the new items I encountered on my third and final day at SHOT Show:

Fully tricked out Ruger Mark III on display at the Brownell's booth:

All the parts used to transform the standard Mark III into the tack-driver pictured are available from our good friends at Brownells, from the Paclite top end to the Vortex Razor red dot sight.

Someone tell Ambulance Driver we found his next hog gun:

This is the new B.mag from Savage in the new .17 Winchester Super Magnum - a necked-down .22 Magnum. Should be hell on those feral hogs, AD!

I did a double-take when I saw this display:

Yes, those are defensive shotguns from, of all people, Weatherby. This is their new Threat Response series of semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns based on their existing line of hunting shotguns. It's a welcome departure for a company known for making safari rifles!

And lastly, one of the most beautiful pieces I saw at the show:

Yes, that is a stainless LeMat reproduction by Pietta. It is far more gorgeous than that picture transmits. And it's a muzzle-loader, so that's a 20 gauge shotgun in the middle...

It was a good week, indeed, at SHOT Show - and more to come!

That is all.

Meditations on SHOT Show, Year II

I know I did this last year - didn't go back and read, of course, because I'm an idiot, but I'm going to do it again, anyways. Here's a rundown of what worked and what didn't work for me at the 2013 SHOT Show:

Travel:

There's no way to get around it; it's a long way from Massachusetts to Las Vegas. I'm going to spend all of one day getting down there and one getting back. As it turned out, this year I really hit the jackpot: my flight down left at a reasonable hour and got me to my hotel at a decent time. Hard to argue with the outgoing flight. I think the flight left at 1:50 PM EST and touched down at 6:40 PM Vegas time - I lucked out and got a flight where I didn't have to switch planes, so there was minimal time between flights. A direct flight would have been preferable, but all the direct flights were easily double the cost.

ALSO: BOOK EARLY. I definitely waited too long to book the flight down. I booked mid-December, and wound up paying about $150 more than had I booked back in October when I first started looking. Additionally, flying Southwest is both good and bad - the two free checked bags is AWESOME; the cattle-car general admission seating is not. Might be worth ponying up the extra $10 for better seats next time if SW is priced in line with other carriers.

The flight home really sucks, because the time zones are working against you. I was picked up at the hotel at 6:10 Vegas time, and my return flight into Boston is scheduled to land at 7:40 PM EST. By the time I get my luggage out of hock and drive home it'll be close to 9PM. Even with the time change, that's well over 12 hours of travel time. That's more time than I spent driving to the NRA convention in Pittsburgh...

Lodging:

Last year we stayed as a family in one of the deluxe tower rooms at the Luxor. It had two separate sleeping areas and an in-room hot tub, which was nice considering that we had the whole family there, but certainly not necessary for me traveling alone. The hotel is decent and clean, but certainly dated; there were some cosmetic blemishes here and there but it wasn't too bad. Navigating was a little on the difficult side, and it was over 2 miles from the Sands Convention Center. I did walk the length once, but overall I took the (free) convention bus - which is somewhat limiting.

This year I stayed at the Imperial Palace / Quad hotel. Reading comments and talking to folks who know Vegas better than I was a little nervous before hand, but after having stayed there I'd go back again. The room was clean, the same comment about the Luxor applies in regards to cosmetics, but the water in the shower was hot and the room was certainly adequate for my needs. You have to pay for internet, as in the Luxor; however the Quad had wi-fi, whereas the Luxor only had an ethernet cable. The location was EXCELLENT - it was a 10 minute walk to the Sands, easy - so close that I could walk back to the hotel mid-day if I wanted.

Media Day at the Range:

This one's a little tougher. Because they split the group into morning and afternoon sections, as well as the temperature hovering somewhere around "Dark Side of the moon", by the time those of us in the afternoon group arrived there were a lot of exhibitors that had packed up already. We didn't get off the bus (we were the first group out, too) until 1:30, and a good number of exhibitors started packing things in at 3:00. There's a LOT to cover at Media Day - last year the whole day was open and I still didn't see everything - and an hour and a half is nowhere near enough time to cover everything.

If next year's Media Day is run the same as this year, I may elect to pass rather than cram everything into the afternoon session. Unless I can figure out a way to get one of the coveted AM invites, that is...

As far as the actual event, it's always a great time - how can you go wrong shooting ammo you don't have to pay for out of guns you don't have to clean - but from a media perspective it was barely worth the time. I hardly got any pictures from the event and no video; and only got to shoot a small handful of guns. Now, I did get to dual-wield custom 1911s (more on this later, have no fear), shoot a Deagle in 50 AE (meh), and hit a 4" steel plate at 75 yards - with an air rifle - so there was a bright side.

SHOT Show:

The show itself is run well and I have no complaints there. The press room is well-appointed, with soda and coffee available all day long, and plenty of workspace (most with working power outlets!). It's open an hour ahead of the show, so each day I'd be in the press room at opening time, spend an hour getting posts ready (and drinking coffee), and then hit the floor. Two or three times during the day I'd head back to the press room to post something new, check e-mail, etc. and just got off my feet.

As for walking the floor, I need to have a better plan for next year. What I'd like to do is take the first day and hit specific vendors, take the second day and walk the main floor (where most of the gun manufacturers are located); hit more specific vendors on the third day; and spend the last day on the bottom level and any last appointments. DEFINITELY want to stay through Friday next year, even if the hotel will cost more than 2X the weekday rate. Missing a quarter of the show time severely limits the time available for reporting on the goings-on.

One of the things that did work this year was specifically targeting new items. From the Springfield XDs 9mm to the Ruger SR45 (and many others), there are a lot of new products on the show floor. There will be dedicated displays for new items in just about every booth; so those areas should be the first places to check out when looking at a vendor's booth (obviously this applies more towards the major manufacturers and not the boutique and custom shops).

I need to make better use of the SHOT Show tools next year - there's a free app for the iPhone that gives all sorts of great information, from which vendors are where to planning out which vendors you'd like to visit. Since my iPhone is always handy, it would make lots of sense to better utilize this resource so that I'm not running around like a kid in a candy store. Well, no more so than usual.

One of the best things about SHOT Show, though, is that it makes the NRA Convention look almost manageable...

That is all.


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Homeward Bound...

Sitting in the Las Vegas airport, waiting for the first plane to arrive so I can start the voyage home. This is the longest I've ever been away from the family (they came with me to Vegas last year), and I'm long overdue for seeing everyone and being with my family. Even if it *is* in Massachusetts...

SHOT Show was busy - very busy - it's an honest to goodness trade show, with CFOs and marketing gurus in full force for doing business. For a guy traveling on his own, looking for something cool to write about, it can be somewhat daunting; while the attitude towards the online community continues to evolve in a positive manner, there are still many folks who are there to broker sales and make deals, and have little-to-no time for independent authors.

There were also several instances reported where representatives either wanted to dictate the message (Springfield Armory) or tell the reviewer what to say (Smith & Wesson). Some of this was hypersensitivity to the recent events in CT and the hostility of the mainstream media (S&W's beef was to not use the terms "assault weapon" or "high capacity", etc.). While I understand the need to keep coverage on the positive side, the way it was relayed to me was that the S&W reps were, well, very insistent...

There's talk that it may move for next year, as the Sands Convention Center will be undergoing renovation. There's rumors that it might be going back to Orlando, which personally I would enjoy immensely (although I suspect the Mrs. might want to come to that...). Obviously this is merely at rumor stage and nothing more, but I'd prefer the streets of Orlando to the Las Vegas strip - but then again, I don't gamble, drink in public, or solicit prostitutes, so Vegas holds little appeal for me (good lord I sound old, don't I?)

In any case, I'll certainly be planning on attending next year. SHOT Show is good for talking to industry folks whereas the NRA Annual Meeting is better for talking to other writers, IMHO. I've been to three NRA conventions and two SHOT Shows now, and there are definitely more manufacturers and representatives at SHOT, and FAR more bloggers, YouTubers, and other writers at the NRA. I find it worthwhile to attend both, at least for now - because it really is all about the connections.

I expect to have a fair amount of content in the coming weeks from SHOT, including a couple exclusives that I have promised to wait before unveiling. I made better use of video this year - not that I'll be challenging Destinee, mind you, but certainly broadening the scope of MArooned SHOT reporting. There were a few instances where a video report of a few minutes says a lot more than a handful of pictures, and I have to admit, I have some pretty cool footage.

Right now, though, I'm looking forward to getting on the plane and heading home - my own, comfy bed is waiting for me tonight...

That is all.


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SHOW Show Update, Day Two

Some random pictures from my second day at SHOT Show. As I mentioned yesterday, I'll have more pictures next week once I've had some time to go through everything and get things squared away.




This is a new front sight for AR-15 pattern rifles - it's a set of crosshairs rather than the simple post. I've seen this idea before, so I know it's not new, but it was still pretty neat. Plus it was attached to an AR in an awesome set-up (yes, there will be more on this later).




Bulgarian AK pistol with milled receiver and safety on the grip. This is a new import from K-VAR, and a rifle version is also available (but not with the pistol grip-mounted safety).




Rascal single-shot bolt action rifles from Savage. AccuTrigger, lightweight, and a wide variety of colors. And it comes in a left-handed variant as well!

And, lastly, something that was a huge hit at SHOT and also in my requests:




SIG SAUER MPX. This is SIG's new subgun entry into the LEO/Military market. There will be pistol-only semi-automatic versions available down the road, they assure me, and the magazines are new and proprietary, made by Lancer Systems.

I'm heading home today, and I hope to have more up next week!

That is all.

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SHOT Show Gunblogger Luncheon AAR

I can sum up the 2013 SHOT Show Gunblogger luncheon in one simple word: WOW.

When you get Oleg Volk, Molly Smith (who is only a few years older than my son, talk about having an old minute...), Yamil Sued, a good chunk of Downrange Firearms Training, and a bunch of gun writers and bloggers at a lunch sponsored by Brownells, you know you're in for a good time. Pete Brownells opened the lunch with a "state of the state" talk and was very complimentary towards the blogging community, which was very appreciated and well-received.

We had an impromptu discussion on gun rights, the state of modern media, bloggers, online communities, and acting as ambassadors. We also had a lovely lunch at the Grand Lux Cafe - and filled one of their function rooms. I grabbed Matt DeVito of Downrange Firearms Training to see what he'd heard about the proposed gun laws at one point, and listened to the folks from Great Satan Inc. talk about shooting with Rob Leatham. Sat next to Dan Hall from GunUp for the actual lunch portion, and even got to meet the Tactical Mennonite...

Thanks to Kevin for putting this together and to Brownells for supporting us.

That is all.


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Last Day...

So, today's my last day at SHOT Show 2013. I'm meeting with the good folks at Leupold later this morning, before the SHOT Show Blogger Luncheon, but other than that I have this last day to explore. I still have a few folks I'd like to visit, and that may very well take the rest of the day. For now, though, I have a few observations between this year and last.

First off, there seem to be fewer new releases this year. SIG SAUER has a bunch of new stuff coming out (I'll do a full post next week); but in talking to the folks at Smith & Wesson, it doesn't appear that they've got anything new. Now, scuttlebutt on the floor (unconfirmed) is that many new releases were held pending the President's speech yesterday, so today might be a good time to go check - or maybe the NRA convention in May.

Another observation, shared with several other folks who were here last year as well, is that the schwag seems to have dried up. Last year there were all kinds of hats, T-shirts, pens, knives, flashlights, etc. with company logos and slogans; this year, there's a general sense that companies are scaling back. Whether it's the poor economy or simply an ROI adjustment is unclear.

The media, come to find out, had been contacting SHOT Show exhibitors before the show, looking for comment. Speaking to someone in the business who has requested to remain anonymous, they mentioned referring media requests for comments to a third party - no direct denials or refusals, just a redirection to a media group with a canned response. A common tactic was to put media requests off until after SHOT - at which point the media was decidedly not interested...

And lastly, as always, gunnies are just good people. With a convention hall filled with tens of thousands of people from literally all over the world, it's still pleasant, polite, and professional. This year, unlike last, I have not encountered anyone that was put-off by the "INTERNET" badge rather than "MEDIA" or "BROADCAST". It's been a hard-won acceptance, and it may very well be that the disdain is simply unspoken, but it certainly seems to be getting better.

It's been an interesting week, and I am looking forward to being home - but certainly not Massachusetts.

That is all.

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SHOT Show Update, Day One

Hoo, boy. There is a LOT to get through; I've got hundreds of pictures that I'll run through once I'm back at home base. For right now, though, I'll just post a handful of shots at random:




The many colors of Cerakote. It's the rainbow Leatherman coalition.




Mark II Arms has a 3D-printed slide. It's at the developmental stage right now, not quite ready for use, but it was very interesting to see. The slides in the background are machined slides, and they're about half the weight of the standard slide.




I don't even know what brought this picture about; I happened to be walking by when they were setting up this shot and jumped in to grab this picture. Yes, that's real wood furniture on that AR - so it's an evil wood rifle, right?

And lastly, I'll be updating the blog with a new picture. This one:




Happiness is a rotating drum grenade launcher. Nothing says "stay off my lawn" or "What are your intentions towards my daughter" like six rounds of high explosives.

It's been a great show so far; looking forward to one more day tomorrow!

That is all.

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You Ask, I Provide...

Dave H. asks:

Earlier today I got a marketing email from Ruger about the LC380. If you happen to pass the Ruger booth again, can you ask them what's the difference between that and the LCP?

It's simple, really:


The LC380 is the same size as the LC9, but chambered in .380 ACP. It's got less kick than the 9mm version, and isn't that much bigger than the LCP. It's meant for folks who want a little more grip and heft, but still in a readily concealable package. I will try to get more pictures today.

Working on a few other requests, looking at hitting some manufacturers today to see what's new for 2013. Have a few appointments this morning/early afternoon for some possible future articles, and I hope to really get some time checking out the gear this afternoon. Not to mention rubbing shoulders with famous people like Lars...

More to come, and there's lots and lots of shiny for gun pr0n down the road!

That is all.

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SHOT Show Media Day At The Range AAR

I figured while it was still fresh in my mind I'd get down a few
impressions of Media Day at the Range 2013. First off, while rumors
abounded that we got the two-tier system because it was so hectic last
year, I didn't think last year's event was as hectic as this year's. The
bus arrived late to the Sands to bring us to the range, exhibitors were
packing up as we got off the bus, and many of the range booths were
closing more than an hour before the event ended (we got there at 1:30
as the first group and they were packed up by 3-3:30).

But even then, a hurried day at the range beats an unhurried day not on the range. And when you can shoot ammunition you didn't have to buy out of guns that you don't have to clean, that's always a good thing... We still got to walk around gawking at the latest shiny pretties, the newest innovations, and lots of other cool stuff, too. Here are just a few of the neat items that caught my eye while walking up and down the range:




IWI - the folks that brought us the Galil and the Uzi - were present with some recent offerings. This one caught my eye, of course, because they attached the bayonet...




Armalite - the "A" in "AR" - have a new magazine-fed bolt-action rifle in .338 Lapua Magnum. Let me tell you something. This round sounds like the wrath of G-d Himself...




Chiappa Rhino concealed carry model. The configuration really does help with the recoil - even though all they had left when we got there was plain jane .38 Special, comparing the felt-recoil out of the Chiappa to either of my lightweight Smiths or the Ruger LCR, the Chiappa had a definite edge in the recoil department. Being able to hit a man-sized silhouette at 10 yards with all six shots rapid fire doesn't hurt either.

And, lastly:




Yes, I fired a .50 AE Deagle. No, I wasn't horrifically impressed.

Overall impression? Still a good time. I went mainly because this is the best chance that we have to really *handle* the firearms - at the show they'll have tags and wires and such and also the firing pins are removed. It's a much better way to get a feel for how something handles over just seeing it in a display.

And, not inconsequentially, shootin' stuff is fun.

That is all.

Quick Notes From The SHOT Floor...

Well, I'm almost done with day one of walking the floor at SHOT Show. As it was last year, the floor is absolutely packed with folks from all over the world. The mood is obviously subdued given the recent push for gun control - the uncertainty is the thing, more than any of the proposals.

Rumors of Mainstream Media so far are unfounded; if there are any non-2A media present I have not seen evidence thereof. I think they'd be disappointed in what's here at SHOT - it's mostly business owners and marketing guys. There simply aren't any stereotypical knuckledraggers like they'd be hoping for...

I've mainly seen gear so far; I'm going to jump back into the fray shortly. I have managed to answer one reader's request: Brad_in_MA asked about the Ruger Mark III being MA Compliant; the nice folks at Ruger confirmed that there will be both Target and Hunter models available. No word yet on the standard model, but there will be some Mark IIIs available for sale in MA.

In talking with folks, specifically from New York, there is a dual sense of both disbelief but also betrayal. I talked to one woman who realized that the ruling made her a felon - she had guns back home in New York with magazines loaded with more than seven rounds. The general consensus was that New York just pulled the figure out of their nether regions, but now it's the law of the land.

It's been an interesting day in an interesting time and an interesting place.

That is all.

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Random Thoughts and Observations...

I'll be heading out in a few minutes to meet up with a friend to hang out and wait for Media Day at the Range. He's staying at a hotel down the strip (where we stayed last year); I opted for a closer, cheaper hotel this year since we didn't need extra room (the whole family came last year; this year I'm solo). I will admit to a certain amount of apprehension - the daily price for this room is lower than I think I've ever paid for a hotel room, and some of the reviews were, shall we say, less than kind...

Folks, the currently-under-renovation QUAD (formerly Imperial Palace) is not a bad stay.

Media Day at the Range will be this afternoon, followed by dinner with Mr. C. and whoever else wishes to join us. Tomorrow the full utter madness of SHOT Show begins, with the Media room open at 7:30 (and I will be there bright and early, no worries on that) and the floor open at 8:30 (Vegas time; I'm still doing the time adjust deal).

I have a handful of appointments with folks, but for the most part I'll just be wandering around gawking at the shiny. I'm really curious what'll be on display this year, given the current political climate - I don't know if anyone's been working too hard on civilian-market arms, given that there's a lot of ominous talk going on. I know, for example, that SIG SAUER has a new full-auto subgun coming out - are manufacturers going to tailor their offerings more towards law enforcement in the coming weeks and months.

It's bound to be an interesting and informative time, and I've got my shiny Nikon to take lots of gun pr0n-worthy pictures. Heck, I even brought my video camera so if there's something worth YouTubing I'll have that (although any of those uploads will wait until I get home). Looking forward to getting together with old friends, making new friends and seeing all the cool gear.

And, of course, makin' y'all jealous that I get to play in fabulous Las Vegas...

That is all.


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Issues...

Between internet connectivity problems and time zone changes, things may be a little wonky this week. I set up a week's worth of morning opener posts, and so far those seem to be working, but Blogpress isn't letting me edit, and when I tried to reschedule an earlier post (that I set to post this morning at 8 EST but magically changed to 8 PCT), it wouldn't let me make the changes.

I know, I know, #firstworldproblems...

We've got Media Day at the Range today. It's been split into two sessions, a morning session that's invitation-only and an afternoon session for everyone else (and no, I didn't get an invite...). Bus loads up at 12:15 to take us to the range for 1, and we get ~ 3.5 hours to gawk investigate the latest and greatest. I'll most likely do a small amount of shooting and a good deal of picture-taking and chatting - this is the best chance to get good pictures of guns without tags and wires at the show.

So, last chance - anything folks want me to check out on the firing line?

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad