I did not go to SHOT this year, and though I miss seeing friends there, I don’t really miss the show. Mostly, SHOT is about seeing new items that no one really needs but some will hopefully buy. Very rarely is anything really incredible released. Of course, there are exceptions to that statement and in most years, some minor but functional improvements have been made to already successful items. I hope that doesn’t sound negative, because it really isn’t. Asking manufacturers to repeatedly produce outstanding products year after year is asking too much. It’s not fair to the industry, which already produces tons of great stuff that actually fills a need.
That said, it seems like there are some interesting things coming out at SHOT. Here are a few that caught my eye. I’m not saying they are good, but they look promising and may warrant further investigation.
- Chapuis X4. Reasonably priced (for a double rifle) and in a caliber and weight that will get a lot of North American hunting done. I look forward to trying one of these out at some point.
- S&W M&P 5.7 I have always been interested in the 5.7 pistols but have never messed with them. Admittedly, I don’t see them as a good choice for defensive use, but rather as a niche sporting arm for long-range handgunning on small predators like foxes and coyotes. Like I said, niche.
- The Glock Performance Trigger Though you know I’m not a striker fan, I am even less a fan of aftermarket triggers, many of which I simply don’t consider to be safe at all. The new trigger from Glock retains all of the normal safety features while improving the release. We will see.
- Oracle Arms 2311. I am not particularly interested in the current 2011 craze, but Oracle Arms seems a bit smarter than much of the competition. Using Sig 320 mags and grip modules, it looks like it has potential, and should compete well with the Stacatto CS.
- Taurus RDS ready revolvers. I can’t say I have much experience with Taurus, but I have been advocating for RDS revolvers for some time now and it is nice to see a company move forward in that area. My interest is in bigger bore revolvers, but any caliber is a good start.
Revolutionary? No. Must have stuff? No. Interesting for serious gun guys? Probably.
Oracle Arms have guaranteed little sales because of their high msrp in a crowded market.
I have not shot their gun and I know nothing about the company, but I would not bet against them simply based on their price and the competition. 2011’s are crazy popular right now, and those that use actual 2011 mags are destined for long term failure. More and more companies at all price ranges are coming out with “2011” guns using more modern double stack mags. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out in a few years.