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SHOT Show 2012 Media Day Video

OpticsPlanet @ SHOT Show 2012 Media Day from Steve Ledin on Vimeo.

Shot Show Media Day 2012

Involuntary facial expression when burning buckets of free ammo

The 2012 SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade) show media day event is held annually the day before the actual SHOT SHOW convention starts. It was held 20 miles outside Las Vegas again this year, at the Boulder Pistol and Rifle Club in Boulder City, Nevada. The media day event invites bona fide gun writers from around the world to fondle and learn about new products, and most importantly to us, burn truckloads of free ammo of every kind imaginable out of every kind of gun and optic system that is new and innovative and cool. Some of our marketing department tagged along with cameras to share the fun with you.

I’ve been to 20 or so SHOTs, but never to media day. Riflescopeblog.com gave me legitimate entry this year for the first time. It’s something that makes me smile.

Driving through the parched, post-apocalyptic looking burnt terrain of Nevada made you yearn for eye drops, and the fine airborne dust invaded everything, including firearm operating systems. BTW, black piston guns ran no better that black gas guns. Leave this alone.

Snuggle into expensive guns. Press trigger. Repeat.

It wasn’t what I thought it would be. I expected many vendors at tables and booths displaying their wares, and a fair amount of sequestered ranges for new guns. Nope. There were actually very few stand-alone booths (that mattered, anyway), but instead there were hundreds of yards of firing lines for pistols, rifles, and shotguns of every kind, with ranges for clays games, pistols, and targets up to 1000 yards.

We saw friends and compatriots and familiar fellow gun monkeys right away.

The inimitable Gunny, Mr, R. Lee Ermey

I’ve met the gunny a bunch of times over the years, but you really can’t imagine what a patient and gracious gentleman he is. He is bombarded with picture takers and hand shakers from the early morning until he’s ready for bed after playing slots. I don’t know how he does it. The ranges were set up exceedingly well and the layout was very user friendly. We started arbitrarily at one end: the shotgun section.

I love Browning products in general. A lot of people say you pay for a name. No kidding. They worked to get that name. Pay it, it’s worth it. Growing up in the upland bird fields, my dad always used one of his several Auto 5s. He shot them faultlessly and fast. I own a pre-WWII internal trigger guard safety example myself. I never shot them so well, and they kick the heck out of me. I always used Remington gas guns. This year, Browning introduced their NEW A5! Retro-looking products are popular with cars and coffee machines, but this A5 is completely redesigned mechanically with a short-recoil Kinematic drive operating system as opposed to a long recoil operating system like was popular for almost 100 years since the genius John Browning designed the gun in 1898.

I stepped to the 5 stand line and shot a series of flurries, which is a whole bunch of targets coming out from all angles that everyone gets a chance to shoot at. The birds never stop flying. After a while we got a chance to shoot a single fast low left to high right crosser for a prize. Somehow, my muzzle was ahead of the bird enough to dust it, and I won some stuff! I like when that happens.

After the shotgun area we navigated to a long line of ranges with guns and unlimited ammo and targets and started with getting our first look at the new EOTech Zombie Stopper (HWS)  Holographic Weapon Sight with the G33 Switch to Side magnifier . The previous FTS (Flip to Side) mount on the G23 magnifier was and is superb, but EOTech got the mount from Sampson. It had a lot of parts, and if you for some reason removed the wrong screws it would shoot apart like a bucket of parts in a tornado. If you were actually able to retrieve all the parts and springs, you needed three hands to reassemble it. Not that I would be so inept as to remove the wrong screws…. The new G33 promises to be a simpler, more robust unit that will actually improve on one of the best designs ever made.

Throughout the whole range there was the staccato resonance of machine guns and submachine guns. The Kriss guns have been known in the law enforcement field for a few years, mostly by really cutting edge go-fast people. They are delayed blowback .45 ACP Swiss designs made in our own Virginia Beach, South Carolina. A great place to visit. The design of the gun lets the recoil flow relatively straight back into you, allowing for noticeably more control than a similarly sized Uzi or MP5. Typical Swiss workmanship and innovation. The worst thing about shooting buckets of ammo out of them at the show was the poor gal stuck with loading magazines all day.

1450 + RPM from Kriss .45 ACP squirtgun

Colt Law Enforcement had on display their new select fire Colt CM 901 battle rifle. It may not have crossed your mind that .5.56×45 and .7.62×51 have the same action size: short. Why can’t they have interchangeable lowers? Answer: The magazine well is too small (read narrow) for the 308. Colt addressed this issue by making the lower’s mag well large enough to accept both cartridges.

Colt also had on display one of the most beautiful firearm systems in existence, the 1877 Bulldog Gatling Gun. Standard 45-70 caliber, only 17 were delivered in 1877. The new guns, 50 a year to be produced and just under 50 grand each, are made from the old schematics and have parts interchangeable with the originals. When this puppy barks it sounds like a series of loud fast farts and leaves a satisfying tingle of expensive brass in a gleaming pile on the dusty ground. Glad I didn’t have to pay for even one turn of the classy handle.

The FN Scar (Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) heavy (7.62×54) was fun to shoot with an EOTech Zombie Stopper sight, and it was easy to spank 50 yard poppers quickly and regularly.

I burned lots of pistol ammo, including in the Sig 226 Navy, the HK 45, and others. Plates and zombie targets were eveywhere waiting for bullets.

HK 45 in full recoil

I like shooting long range, and a Steyr SSG08 was a similar rifle to my own SSG69. I have always loved Steyrs, and this gun at the range was topped with the new Trijicon 3-15×50 TARS (Trijicon  Advanced Riflescope System). 900 yard shots were like a bad habit. Too easy. Eminently superb combination of products.

We shot the new Winchester RazorBack ammo in 150 grain .308, with projectiles made from 95% copper and 5% zink for toughness enough to penetrate tough targets like hogs with gristle plates. Also available in .223, which from experience is lighter for pigs than you would like if you had your choice.

The Armalite SASS (Semi Automatic Sniper System) was topped with one of the stars of the show, the new Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20×50 ER/T with 34mm tube and new M5 locking turrets. There’s also new Armalite versions that take standard DPMS/Magpul magazines instead of proprietary Armalite mags.

My favorite toy of media day was a standard Remington 700 M24 in an Accuracy International chassis, suppressed with an Advanced Armament can, shooting the amazing new PCP polymer cased ammunition.

STEYR SSG08 with Trijicon TARS 3-15x50

Rem 700 with Accuracy International stock, Leupold Mk 4 with Horus reticle and AAC can shooting .308 PCP Polymer cased ammo at 1000 yards

1000 yard shots with a Leupold and a Horus reticle made it ridiculously easy. Not a lot is known about this new PCP Ammunition, but I will be keeping an eye on it from now on. This may certainly be the most exiting development in ammo in DECADES. So far I’m sold, but there’s a lot to be learned, including reloading requirements, case life, potential accuracy improvements, weight savings, and lower CUP (Copper Units of Pressure). Very, very exciting ammo, available soon in popular calibers.

My cut eyeball wan’t too much trouble but I did have an issue with it so I removed the plastic sheath over it. I play a doctor on TVand sometimes at home. Some of us jumped off the Stratosphere Sky Jump. It was fine and worth the 83 bucks, although you do have a brake on you so it’s not a free-fall. Fun, though, jumping off a 106 story building.

Only the first step off the 106 story Stratosphere is scary

We and our new doggie are learning about each other every day and having fun. Thank God for the knowledgeable and judicious use of E-Collars for loveable but schizophrenic rescued pit bulls!

More to come about the SHOT show itself soon!

Leaving for SHOT, Eye Injury, and New Daughter!

Leaving for SHOT tomorrow morning early. Monday is media day, and this Riflescopeblog.com gives me credentials to play with the other writers during this event. After about 20 SHOT shows, I’ve never been able to attend. It’s held at a local range, and we’ll shoot all the new stuff from scores of manufacturers. Several people from our marketing group will attend and film some shots. We’ll try to keep everyone informed about new products and developments.

This whole week I’ll be wearing 5.11 Taclite Pro shirts and pants with 5.11 Tactical Trainer boots and a Galco SB3 leather dress belt. It’s not that I’m a spokesperson for 5.11, but they make my favorite clothes for a working trip of this kind. The shirts and pants are airy and comfortable, and the boots have been favorites for a few years when I’m not wearing dress shoes. I’ll walk lots of miles carrying plenty of weight, and my backpack of choice is also from 5.11 Tactical, the excellent Rush 12, which is also my every day pack. I use some lightweight BLACKHAWK!, and Propper clothing, as well. It’s gonna be a ton of work, and much of it will be fun. A bunch of us are also looking forward to the Sky Jump from the top of the Stratosphere. It is the highest controlled free fall in the world, at about 855 feet or the equivalent of 108 floors! Yow!

A piece of plastic I was prying on in the kitchen shot up and caught me in the eye. It cut my cornea and the white of my left eye in several places. They put a giant protective contact lens type cover over it while it heals. It will stay in for over a week until I get back. If you’re looking for fun, this is not it. The last couple of days were brutal, but today it’s a bit better. It won’t make anything easier. I’ll be playing hurt again with a trashed right elbow and shoulder, also. Could be worse.

We got a new doggie! A new daughter in our home! This is My Shirley’s dog. She really misses Rad. Shirley named her Tinker Bella. She’s a pit bull we got from a local rescue center taken from a family for neglect. She’s got some fighting scars, but a great disposition and is full of love. She will certainly act as a crime deterrent. Her head is giant and thick, and full of intimidation. I startled her when I went to the bathroom without the lights on early in the morning and she came at me like a bulldozer until she realized I was Dad. We both love her immensely already.

I hope your new year is going well for all of you! I’ll report on SHOT in a week or so, but you’ll be able to see some films taken there almost in real time!

SHOT Show 2012 in Vegas, OPMOD, and Rad’s Departure

The pot is simmering, quickly coming to the full boil that the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade) show is every year. Lots of filming and investigations of OPMOD manufacturers. 14 different OPMOD products were delivered in 2011, and we hope to have several times more than that in 2012. Several new products we’ve been waiting for should be delivered by the end of January.

Dad and Rad

We had to put our boy Rad down Saturday. He was 100 years old and just used up. All three of us were ready for it. He was my and My Shirley’s only son, best friend, great protector, and bird dog extraordinaire.  He’s playing catch with his floppy disc with Jesus now, and no longer in pain. Rad caught 15 floppy discs in a row in the air one time, although the pairing of Rad with Jesus might even better that record. Our house certainly will never be the same without him. For almost 16 years we three were intimate through good and bad, surgeries for me and him, and well over a thousand birds of all kinds. He’s young again in heaven.

Here’s a poem he wrote for me:

Ode to My Father

Why did you pick me, Dad,
Among all my other siblings?

I was too young to guess at the time,
Or even know what was happening,
When you tested us
With pinches,
And smiles,
And shouts of encouragements.

You carried me into your sterile home,
And let my dander settle
On everything,
And let me change your life.

You are my Taskmaster,
And my teacher,
And my True Love.

I adore you, my Father.

You give me food,
And a warm place to sleep.
And scratch my belly,
And let me hunt BIRDS with you,
And FETCH things for you,
And let me act goofy,
Until the belly laughs pour freely from your soul.

What a fine sight!

You make me wag!

My God says there are no humans in heaven,
Just kibbles,
And scents,
And holes to dig,
And things to chase.
But if I can’t be there with you eventually, Dad,
Just bury me in the garden with the stupid cats,
So at least I can push up some vegetables,
And my dust will kiss your mouth again.

Love,

Your son,

Radical Lee von Dundee Ledin

Hope you’re all enjoying the new year, and good luck!

Happy New Year, Christmas Party Pinata Smashing, New Shooters at G.A.T. Guns

Happy new year!

Last year was another great one for my family and me, as well as for OpticsPlanet! I was fortunate enough to take lots of trips and a few hunts, including to Alaska for bear.  

I created plenty of sumptuous home-cooked meals using great equipment, and enjoyed a goodly number of fine restaurants. One of my favorite meals ever was superb sushi with great company at Cirella’s in Melvile, NY, where a few of us visited our Nikon Sport Optics friends in their corporate offices. 

Of course, the title holder for my favorite restaurant is still John and Emerald’s “Italian Kitchen” in Deerfield. Indulge yourselves there sometime and be happily amazed.

Burned lots of ammo, got some new guns. Turned 50. Lost weight. Wrecked my shoulder and elbow somehow. Learned a lot about business from my friend and latest mentor Mark, and about life in general from so many. My Shirley and I are blessed and healthy otherwise, and Rad is still with us, as are our families.

Young and innocent Steven

Our Western-themed OP Christmas party was a wild success, with contests in bull riding, roping, fast draw, and literally a smashing success, especially in the context of whiffle-bat-wielding mobs thrashing, destroying my hand made pinatas with abandon. They bashed 11 of them, and a more wild melee hasn’t been seen. I may have overbuilt them just a bit, but they had to hold a dozen pounds of loot or so from vendors. Nobody got hurt, and the vendor loot that spewed from the violently busted mache containers was often expensive and cool, like Surefire 6PX flashlights and Sonic Defender hearing protection, Browning pocket knives (coming soon),  and Serengetti and Bolle sunglesses, all wrapped in OP t-shirts to prevent cuts and contusions as they shot over the heads of the crowd like stinger missles. I also made a couple dozen splats of cow poop out of painted foam insulation with corn and peanuts and a smooshed boot heel print or two.

Took 5 friends to my favorite range last week, G.A.T. Guns, in Dundee, IL. Certainly one of the busiest weeks of the year to go, but our combined schedules made it necessary to go at that time. There was a short waiting list, and eventually we all got in. Most of the 5 were new shooters, or had little experience except Tony the Fireman from Florida. He did great, and I didn’t have to watch him. He was a big help and a very good shooter and shot.  G.A.T. has 3000 different firearms on display, and 24 individual, 25 yard shooting lanes for pistol calibers only. They have a large selection of rental guns if you have an Illinois FOID card.

Hot bullets and money shot out of a couple 1911s, a .40, a few 9mms, .38s, .357s, and several .22s. The ammo bags and the wallet got lighter quickly. Again the new girls did better than the new boys. As an instructor for over 20 years I can tell you that this is the case the majority of the time. I have a curious philosophy about this. I used our new OPMOD range bag prototype and it was superb again. Coming soon… we all need one or more, and they’ll be great gifts.

Completed another mannequin project, with four baseball players. It was my most challenging yet,  using marine bondo, steel exoskeletons, and balance.

Got steered into social media a lot this year, with many filmings for Youtube, and a few for Midwest Outdoors TV show, and a couple of interviews with Jim Slinsky with the Outdoor Talk Network. And a bit in print here and there.

I wish you all the very best and healthiest and most prosperous new year ever, and especially to our soldiers away from home during the holidays. I was there, I remember the feelings.