Still in a bit of a daze from yesterday, I stumble into the show and try to pick up where I left off.
First stop is International Cartridge Corporationwww.iccammo.com, makers of high quality frangible ammunition for training and duty use. Though frangible ammo is common on law enforcement training ranges, officers are hesitant to adopt it for standard use. International’s cartridges and manufacturing process produces ammo that is reliable and effective while reducing ricochets. In addition, green ammo which reduces or eliminates lead is available. Lead build up, particularly in indoor training facilities, can be a problem, and pressure from the environmentalists and OSHA is only going to grow. OSHA is not exactly cool, but they mean well and they aren’t going away. Next, my eyes catch an AR painted to look like a graffiti-covered brick wall. I stop to check this oddity out and see that it’s part of what’s called the “Bloomberg Collection,” named for the mayor of New York City. DuraCoat Firearm Finisheswww.lauerweaponry.com designed the collection after Bloomberg declared that DuraCoat, which is resistant to lubricants, solvents, and heat, should be banned from New York City.
Steve Lauer, the owner of Lauer Custom Weaponry, says that his company stamps boxes shipped to New York City “Mayor Approved” and hands me a button that says “I ♥ Mayor Bloomberg” above Lauer Custom Weaponry’s web address. Sales in New York are up since Bloomberg’s declaration in 2006, which is probably not quite what the mayor intended. Though maybe not as exciting as fully automatic weapons or as “gee-wizz” as handheld weather stations, a tactical tool that is indispensable is the flashlight. PentagonLight www.pentagonlight.com has a new R-series of lights utilizing the “induction charging” process, meaning that you simply insert your light into an AC-powered base station to recharge it. Three models mean that you can get the light you need and never have to worry about batteries again. Also, they’ve expanded their line of popular MOLLE Lights to include additional colors. The MOLLE Light is a small AA-powered angle-head light designed to work with military webbing gear, but the sturdy clip, small size, and relative brightness make it an excellent map-reading, back-up, and general utility light. Who knew something so small could be so cool? Despite all the coolness I’ve mentioned so far, I’ve got to say that Magpulwww.magpul.com was the highlight of my third day. Some of the biggest news in the tactical world this time around was the announcement that Bushmaster will be producing Magpul’s Masada rifle, unveiled at last year’s SHOT Show, as the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR). A few modifications have been made to the Masada prototype which has been the talk of the internet for the past year, including a new adjustable gas regulator for the piston system, a shift of the charging handle forward slightly to avoid interfering with optics, and the handle of the barrel change system being held in place for use as a lever while swapping out barrels. Also, the new Adaptable Carbine/Storage stock, a drop-in replacement for standard AR stocks with integral storage compartment and clever battery storage tubes looks great. Finally, a couple of concept weapons, an unfolding box 9mm submachine gun called the FMG (for Folding Machine Gun) and a small personal defense weapon called the PDR that uses standard 5.56mm magazines were attracting a lot of attention. Magpul certainly has become a big draw in the tactical community, and there’s no reason to think that they’re going to be letting up any time soon. Quote this article on your site | Views: 314
Comments (1)
1. Frangible Ammunition Written by William Ballard, on 07/05/2008 10:21 Photographs would be a great help. I have an ICC 308 Win. loaded with an unusual shaped pointed bullet that I think is a frangible round, but I cannot be sure as I do not have a photo. Thank you.
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