SHOT show always boasts a wide assortment of new gear, with 2018 being no exception.  Visiting the Nighthawk booth a particular pistol stood out with its new collaboration between Nighthawk, Hillbilly 223, and Agency Arms. These companies came together to produce the Agent 2. The Agent 1 was Agency’s first collaboration with Nighthawk Custom Firearms announced last year at the NRA Annual Meeting in 2017. A conservative amount of only 50 units were made as they were a limited edition production. The Agent 1 is a 1911 in a Commander size frame and chambered in 9mm.

Profense LLC is a defense company that has its origins in the aerospace industry. Their primary interest is trying to introduce a next-generation 7.62x51mm NATO M134 Minigun. The company is doing this through two different strategies. First, they are actually manufacturing their own version of the M134 with several significant design differences from the currently fielded Dillion M134 that is in service all over the world. Second, they are actually offering upgrade kits for the GAU-2, GAU-17, MK44 or M134. These upgrade kits are called the M134 MUK, or Mission Upgrade Kit. If a Government user doesn’t want to purchase a complete fleet of new and improved M134 Miniguns, they can opt for the MUK kit as an upgrade to existing Miniguns.

If you are a precision rifle shooter, there should be very few reasons that shooters should have to pay over several dollars for a single piece of unfired brass. Unless you are a reloader that is. One of the really neat niches that I came across at SHOT 2018 was a company called RCC Brass based in Amarillo, Texas. RCC Brass machines cartridges from brass, instead of the traditional annealing process that shapes typical brass cartridges used throughout the entire world. They do this by taking a cold hammer forged 12-foot brass rod, cutting it to spec, and then machining the pieces of brass into the contours and specifications of whatever cartridge is required. One of the advantages is that there is no annealing that takes place throughout this entire process or is needed during the course of reloading the fired cartridges.

In today’s episode, we follow Miles to Shot Show 2018 Media Day at the Range and visit Caracal USA.

Quite the unicorn, the 5.56x45mm NATO SCAR-Subcomact Carbine was only unveiled recently last year at Milipol in Paris. This year we were able to get our hands on the actual SCAR-SC at SHOT Show. Based on the previous SCAR-PDW, the SC was created due to a need within Law Enforcement entities in the United States for small, compact, select fire, 5.56x45mm PDW style weapon. Although the SC is essentially a shortened SCAR with a 7.5 inch barrel, it has some features that are unique to the system. First and foremost is the non-reciprocating charging handle. This has been a much-debated point on a stock SCAR of any configuration. On the SC model the non-reciprocating handle was required due to the short overall length of the carbine. You can’t avoid getting your support hand close to the charging handle. But also to help with this, the handle has a “Swept” Up or Down design. Numerous 3rd party manufacturers have made these sorts of “Swept” designs for the SCAR, but this is the first time FN Herstal is going with what is essentially an aftermarket part on a production gun.

With nearly $1 billion in debt and credit agencies warning that their capital structure is “unsustainable”, firearms and ammunition manufacturing giant Remington is looking for financing to fund business operations during bankruptcy proceedings. An exclusive report from the news agency Reuters also states that Remington’s sales dropped 27% in the first nine months of 2017 resulting in a $28M operating loss.

Battle Arms Development introduced two SBRs chambered in .300 BLK with 7.5-inch barrels as apart of a new historically themed product release. The difference between these two SBRs is the fact that on the Tanker, the buffer tube is a separate piece from the lower receiver, attached to it via a short buffer tube, (MSRP is $2,999.99). Battle Arms Development calls this the BAD-CSS VERT PDW Stock System. However with the Paratrooper model, the telescoping stock is machined into the lower from 7075-T6  billet aluminum (MSRP $3,050.00). This is their BAD-PDW Monolithic PDW Lower Receiver & VERT Stock System.

Ops-Core is releasing a new line of Fast Helmets in both ballistic and carbon fiber. The ballistic version will first be released with an MSRP of $1700 and weighs lighter than its predecessor. A sales rep at the Ops-Core booth said the SF was 6% lighter when compared to the Maritime helmet.

If you did not have the opportunity to visit Springfield Armory at SHOT Show in the convention center, they had a sprawling booth with enough firearms to make you contemplate getting a 2nd job. From 1911s to 911s to XD(M)s to AR-15s to M1As, they had their square footage amply covered. We at TFB gave you a healthy sampling of the handguns they have new rolling into 2018 in a previous article so in this piece we will cover their rifles. The big headliners are Springfield Armory’s top-tier AR-15 in the SAINT Edge, their 1st offering of an AR-15 pistol in an iteration of a SAINT and new chamberings of the 6.5 Creedmoor in M1A rifles.

Lyman has released a number of new products this year, but we’ll only be able to get to a few of them that really stand out. First off is the company’s new reloading line, branded in bright orange. In order of weight, they are the Brass Smith Ideal C-Frame Press, the Brass Smith Victory Single Stage Press, and the Brass Smith All-American 8 Turret Press.

As much as I love my silencers, I still end up wearing some sort of hearing protection when shooting. Without rehashing a topic we’ve discussed multiple times in the past, hearing-safe doesn’t always mean no hearing protection required. As a general rule, using subsonic ammo in many hosts can mean dropping the muffs or plugs. Supersonic ammo, on the other hand almost always requires additional protection – much like a trip to Bangkok in the 80’s. Today, we will take a look at the M31 EARMOR electronic hearing protection from OPSMEN.

Robinson Armaments has added a new Tailhook Brace to a new line of pistol XCR versions of their full-length XCR rifle configurations, in addition to adding M-Lok to their entire line, along with the previous Keymod rails they had mounted on them previously. The pistol configuration comes with the Gear Head Works Tailhook Mod 1 (made from aluminum) and is set up on the companies adjustable stock/adjustable cheekpiece. The entire configuration is ATF approved as well. The line can be ordered in 7.5″, 9″, 10″, 11″ and 12″ length barrel configurations, in addition to corresponding handguard lengths. The slimmer versions are the Keymod ones which take up less space on the sides and bottom of the handguard than the M-Lok that need more space for the mounting systems. In addition, the pistols and all the rifles for that matter can be ordered in 5.56x45mm, .300 BLK, 6.8 SPC, 7.62x39mm, and 6.5 Grendel. There is a rifle option that can be ordered in 7.62x51mm as well.

Accuracy Internationa has introduced a left-handed version of their multi-caliber AX precision rifle for this year at SHOT 2018. Other than simply changing the bolt handle and safety to the left side of the rifle, the magazine cutout was also switched. The magazine cutout allows a shooter to load a magazine while in the prone position, with a support hand and most importantly without having to lift the rifle up at an angle so the magazine can be readily inserted.

New for U.S. Optics this year is the SVS 1-6x24mm day optic. Dialing it down a notch from the Schmidt & Bender and Nightforce 1-8x scopes that were also introduced this year. The company has also partnered with ZRODELTA to offer the 1-6×24 in the ZRODELTA mounts. The mounts have orange tightening screws match with orange scope ring screws as well. This signatory “orange” scheme is throughout every other optic that U.S. Optics had on display at their booth.

Every year I am amazed to see what is unveiled at SHOT Show not only for the wicked firearms introduced but also the unique tools. No matter how many multi-tools or knives I own, manufacturers like SOG create something that makes me believe I need another one. So let’s take a look at SOG tools that will be rolling out brand new throughout 2018.

Cool Fire Trainers is a handgun training product company that emerged out of training for competitive handgun shooting. They have rifle training system (more geared to LE carbine use), but it belongs to a separate company and isn’t apart from Cool Fire Trainer line of products. The Cool Fire Trainer works by removing the barrel in your handgun, and switching it out with one of theirs. Their barrel is essentially a compact C02 tank in the proper dimensions of a barrel. You use your own magazines with dummy round contoured at an angle that lets the slide operate without the slide catch being engaged. There is a laser within the system that is engaged when the handgun is dry fired so shooters can see the impact of their “round” on a target. At the same time, the C02 is cycling the handgun, replicating the recoil, and also cycling the action. The idea is to have the ability to dry fire with similar recoil impulse to train for competition with your own firearm and your own magazines. A neat point about the laser is that it can be calibrated to the impact of the round, unlike many other dry fire laser barrels that simply have a laser in the center of the barrel and cannot be calibrated.

Accu-Tac is a California-based company that has been in the bipod business for a couple years now. They brought two models of their aluminum bipods to SHOT 2018 this year, the Long Range model and the F-Class model. The F-Class model has a Quick Detach Picatinny rail section that is connected to the bipod. Unlike a Harris or Versa-Pod design with the QD “tit” that hangs on the Picatinny rail, these Accu-Tac bipods completely come off the rail.

Accurate Mag is a Connecticut-based precision rifle parts manufacturer that just recently introduced a new line of rifles, their Advanced Modular Sniper Rifle. Before we get into the new rifle, it must be mentioned this company is actually an OEM manufacturer of the Remington XM2010 Sniper Rifle for the U.S. Army. They had a number of their magazines at the booth, with “Remington” stamped on the baseplates. This is what all the Remington XM2010 rifles are coming issued with.

Barrett has three new products that we discussed in this video, the largest being the .224 Valkyrie is being chambered in an AR platform in coordination with the launch by Federal Ammunition. In addition, the same round is being chambered in their Fieldcraft line of lightweight hunting rifles that the company first debuted last year.

When it comes to typical range shooting and training, almost nothing beats the ring of a steel target when that bullet hits it’s mark. So while punching paper for those clover leaf groups is cool, practicing techniques like body armor drills is much more useful with proper steel. I started doing my research on quality target kits about six months ago and came up with a few solutions: today we take a look at the Complete Target Solutions – AKA CTS Targets – ABC ZONE AR500 Silhouette.

Girsan has added an optic mounted to the companies 9x19mm MC 28 T, making it the countries first production handgun to roll off the line with a handgun optic mounted to the slide. It appears that the optic mounted is a brightness adjustable that can be turned on and off with the adjustment buttons on the left and right side of the device. Unlike the rest of the MC 28 line from Girsan, the MC 28 T has diagonal cuts in the slide, revealing what appears to be a fluted barrel underneath, and an extended barrel with what appears to be an octagonal muzzle crown. The crown doesn’t appear to be threaded for a suppressor or other muzzle device. Another difference is that this handgun lacks the manual safety present

Gear Head Works has continued the innovation on the Tailhook that first hit the market within the past several years. With this Mod 2 addition, the company is adding a proprietary buffer tube that features five positions for adjusting the Mod 2. To adjust the Mod 2, one simply depresses a button on the right side of the brace, allowing the brace to unlock and move position. This adjustable brace feature isn’t available on the earlier Mod 1 which can clamp to any buffer tube with a diameter between 1.17″ and 1.2″. So far the Mod 2 is being offered in a Tan, OD Green, and Black finish, but I’m sure we’ll see a hot Pink one before the year is up, knowing the popularity of these things.

At Shot Show 2018, TFBTV’s Corey Wardrop discusses new technology and business solutions with Action Target. Kevin, Vice President of Engineering and Marketing, tells us how their company can help get your business past the idea phase, and into design, equipment planning, installation, service, and support.

At SHOT Show 2018 we speak with Christopher Goodall at the Davidsons booth. Chris gives a brief overview of the history of the company – which now offers services to both dealers and individual buyers via galleryofguns.com, and he shows us some of the firearms he’s most excited about.

As a lover of everything winter, I have to admit that I’m looking forward to this season’s Olympic Games. And no, not the figure skating, you animals. Besides the bobsledding and the snowboard half pipe, since I was a kid the Biathlon has always been one of my favorite events. Cross country ski a few kilometers then square off in front of a 50m target for five precision shots – that’s skill. In timely fashion, ammunition manufacturer Lapua is announcing their new Biathlon Xtreme line of rimfire rounds perfected to perform in cold weather. It joins their already established Polar Biathlon line of competition ammo.

So far the only U.S. civilian legal semi-automatic version of the venerable M249 Squad Automatic Weapon was from the same company that makes the actual machine gun, FN Herstal. However, we recently learned about another semi-automatic M249, from Utah based Machine Gun Armory. The company has usually dealt with Military, LE, and international customers in the select fire and fully automatic departments, going to such events as SOFEX held in Jordan. But at SHOT 2018 we were able to get our hands on Machine Gun Armory’s semi-automatic civilian legal M249, know as the MGA Mk46 at the company. I asked a representative if their firearms were made using FN Herstal parts kits, or how much was actually made in-house but didn’t get a clear answer. One major point setting their builds apart from the FN ones are that the MGA Mk46s don’t have a STANAG magazine port. Not a bad subtraction really.

I ran into the owner and designed at IC13, Josh Sprecher while on the show floor. Due to some technical issues, I wasn’t able to get actual photographs of the MOLLE bandoleer that Josh has come up with, and that we covered in earlier TFB articles. However, I was able to get my hands on the new 2018 products, which included a new fabric design, a different color, a “Rapid-Strap” that uses velcro to secure it to the belt, and can thus be quickly ripped off in case of an emergency.

Kinetic Development Group, known for working on SCAR accessory upgrades, is introducing an RMR mount for their product family of SIDELOK optics mounts. The SIDELOK sets itself apart from other mounts in its class by having the ability to be pressed on and off a Picatinny rail by simply engaging a catch at the base of the mount. This catch is configured in such a way that when the mount is locked onto the rail, the zero is maintained throughout the use of the optic on the rail. This is aided by a recoil lug that is mounted forward of the actual spring loaded latch that keeps it in place. But if you need to quickly take the optic off, you can easily do so by depressing the latch, then later on putting it back with a return to zero.

Turkish company Derya brought two variants of their new bullpup shotgun to SHOT 2018. The N-100 and N-200 are both semiautomatic, magazine-fed, bullpup shotguns that Derya is awaiting ATF approval for importation into the United States. The Napoli/N series uses Derya 5 or 10 shell magazines (10 shell ones were present at SHOT) and is currently chambered in 12 gauge, but has also been in .410 as well. The design uses some of AR15 parts as well, to include an AR magazine release, bolt release, and AR pistol grip. In addition to this, the design also uses QD mounts as well.

Based out of Colorado M+M Industries has most recently announced that their 7.62x39mm M10X “International Defense Rifle” has been officially approved for sale in Canada as a Non-Restricted firearm for civilian sale. The company is working with the Canadian dealer North Slyvia Company to import the rifles, and they are going to be $1999 CAD. The approved version will have an 18-inch barrel instead of the shorter 16.5-inch barrel available in the United States. It will also come shipped with 5-round magazines instead of the usual 30-round versions that are available in the United States. It also appears that the rifle will be configured along a Designated Marksman set up with Harris Bipods, a Hogue overmolded pistol grip and possibly even a carrying handle as featured at the show. We tested the trigger on the show floor with a Lyman trigger gauge and it appeared to be around 2 pounds, 12 ounces over the course of 5 separate pulls ranging from 3 pounds to 2 pounds, 5 ounces.