I remember when displaying products intended for law enforcement or military markets was prohibited at the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. At the 2009 conference, however, at least one-third of the show was dedicated to our market. Clearly, times have changed.
As I walked the aisles of the show, it was hard not to become enthralled with all of the tactical technology, weapons and related gizmos, but I told myself I wouldn t lose sight of my mission, which was to report on items that would be of use to departments with limited buying power. Thus, I viewed my task as finding those items that would meet a need, but not break the bank. And in these economic times, it s certainly a formidable task!
Note: Stay tuned for part two of Dave Spaulding s Hot at SHOT feature in the April 2009 issue of Law Officer.
The products can be found in the Buyer's Guide.
Glock
6000 Highlands Pkwy.
Smyrna, GA 30082
770/432-1202
www.glock.com
Austrian pistol giant Glock introduced the G22 RTF2 (Rough Textured Frame version #2) pistol. The new Rough Textured Frame design has more than 4,000 raised pyramids on the front, rear and sides of the polymer receiver. These pyramids are also located in the thumb rests for increased grip surface. Additionally, the slide on the G22 RTF2 has a new, modern look with crescent-shaped serrations located at the rear of the slide. The newly designed frame is yet another feature on the Glock pistol that signifies the company's commitment to making the best semi-auto pistol possible. "We have already had several major agencies commit to the G22 RTF2 and have had an outpouring of interest from our commercial and law enforcement distributors about our new product," said Dir ector of Sales Craig Dutton. "We are looking forward to another record year in 2009, and with the addition of the G22 RTF2 pistol, it should be a very reachable goal."
A few days before the SHOT Show, Glock employees had the opportunity to visit with some deputies from the Paulding County Sheriff's (Ga.) Department. Deputies from that agency were impressed with the updated gun, finding that it offered a solid gripping surface without being too sharp. Although I didn't get the opportunity to shoot this new model while at SHOT, I did handle it quite a bit and was impressed with the new surface. It offers a solid hold without chafing the hand. I think this new surface will be quite popular, especially with law enforcement and military users who will use the gun in a wide range of environments. When it becomes available on my favorite Model 19 9 mm, I'll probably buy one.
The MSRP of the Glock 22 RTF2 varies from the LE price. It's suggested that officers and agencies contact their local Glock representative for pricing.
Ruger Firearms
411 Sunapee Street
Newport, NH 03773
603/865-2442
www.ruger.com
Ruger introduced what I consider a new evolution in revolver design the Lightweight Compact Revolver (LCR) .38 snubby. The 13.5 oz., small frame, five-shot LCR has three main components: a polymer fire-control housing; an aircraft-quality, aluminum monolithic frame; and an extensively fluted stainless steel cylinder. The LCR's lightweight, chemical-resistant polymer, fire-control housing contains the entire trigger mechanism. And because these components are located within a single housing, their dimensional relationship can be held much more closely than if divided between traditional grip and cylinder frames. The result: The fire-control components are assembled with no hand fitting for highly consistent product at an affordable price.
The long, fiberglass-filled, polymer fire-control housing reduces perceived recoil, and its grip peg allows for a variety of grips to be installed. The LCR's standard Hogue "Tamer" grip with Sorbothane insert further reduces felt recoil. A joint effort with Hogue, the LCR's standard grip was designed using U.S. military anthropomorphic data on hand shape so the LCR can be held comfortably by a broad spectrum of hand sizes. An available Crimson Trace LaserGrip offers the advantages of a laser sighting system.
The LCR's monolithic frame is an aerospace grade, 7000 series aluminum forging treated with a black synergistic hard coat applied after machining. Successfully tested with more than 30 different aggressive chemicals, this synergistic hard coat exceeds mil-spec salt spray tests and offers performance considerably greater than hard coat anodizing. The frame provides sturdy, rigid support for the cylinder and the barrel. The 1-7/8"-long barrel with a 1:16 twist is made of 17-4 PH aerospace-grade stainless steel, chosen for its strength and dimensional stability during machining and heat treatment.
The extensively fluted 400 series stainless steel cylinder is lightweight and compact, measuring only 1.28" in diameter in the chamber area. Treated to an advanced form of Ruger's Target Grey finish, this stainless steel cylinder is strong, durable and designed to handle .38 Special +P loads including the popular Speer Gold Dot 135 grain +P load. The Ruger LCR's patent-pending cylinder front latching system uses titanium components, optimized spring tension and enhanced lockup geometry to ensure the LCR's cylinder stays locked in place during firing.
The LCR's double-action-only trigger pull is uniquely engineered to minimize friction between the fire control components, resulting in a non-stacking, smooth trigger pull. The LCR's trigger pull force builds more gradually and peaks later in the trigger stroke for a trigger pull that feels much lighter than it actually is, while still providing positive ignition of all primers. The result: very controllable shooting, even among those with smaller hands who find traditional DAO triggers difficult to use.
The sights are a replaceable ramp front and a fixed U-notch rear. An internal lock, unobtrusively hidden under the grip, doesn't interfere with the fire control mechanism in any way when disengaged. The bottom line: This gun is going to change how many people feel about the .38 snubby.
MSRP: $525
Winchester Ammunition
427 Shamrock Street
East Alton, IL 62024
618/258-2000
www.winchester.com
The new Winchester Supreme Elite Bonded PDX1 was chosen by the FBI as its primary service round, and because many agencies follow the FBI's ammo specifications, it's likely that this ammo will be widely used. The Bonded PDX1 is engineered to maximize terminal ballistics, as defined by the demanding FBI test protocols, which simulate real-world threats and intermediate barriers. The PDX1 is offered in 9 mm, .40 S & W, .45 ACP and .38 Special. Winchester Bonded PDX1 technology is superior to competitive personal protection loads with features that include a proprietary bonding process, which welds lead and jacket material together to work as a unit-controlling expansion, providing superior retained weight.
The redesigned hollow point works with the bonding process for outstanding performance through tough barriers and impact velocities/ranges, permitting both controlled expansion and reasonable penetration. Enhanced jacket notching with six segments helps promote positive, consistent and programmed expansion at a variety of impact velocities. The copper alloy jacket is contoured for maximum upset over a wide range of velocities/ranges, while nickel-plated shell cases help ensure positive gun function through smooth chambering and shell case ejection. Because this load is so new, I'm unaware of any actual street results with this new ammo style, but preliminary testing certainly offers great encouragement. If the PDX1 is anything like the original SXT load, this will prove to be some outstanding ammo.
Wenger Swiss Army
1744 Novato Blvd. #110
Novato, CA 94947
415/892-4300
www.wengerfootwear.com
At the Wenger booth, I met the company's footwear CEO, Ron Page. Page informed me that the FBI had just purchased an all-black version of Wenger's Eiger boot for some of its SWAT teams. "A representative of the FBI walked into our booth at another show and started to inquire about features," Page said. "I could tell this guy was more knowledgeable about shoes than most, so I asked who he was. He told me he was from the FBI and was in charge of procuring footwear for the agency. They were looking for a run, climb, jump, hot and cold, all-environment boot for their SWAT members. The Eiger met the specs. All we had to do was make it in all black and remove the red/white cross Swiss Army medallion."
Part of the Wenger Approach Collection, the Eiger is built to deliver superior performance for the most demanding environments. The Active Inertia System midsole displaces and migrates vibration to the outside edges of the mid- and out-soles. Hydra-Foil waterproofing inside the boot creates an impermeable layer that resists water to the extent that the boots can be submerged.
The boots also feature the Spydraflex System, a dual-density outsole that dampens vibrations rendered during high-impact activities, and the Temposit outsole, which adapts to adverse weather conditions (hardening in cold weather and softening in warm weather) for improved stability and traction. And with all of this technology built in, the Eiger is still a lightweight, comfortable boot.
After I had the opportunity to hear about what all Wenger has built
into this boot, I didn't wonder why the Bureau has looked to Eiger for its high-tech, outdoor footwear.
Only time will tell if the boots will catch on with the rest of the law enforcement community, but with the all black construction, this boot would be a good choice for either a patrol uniform or SWAT BDUs.
MSRP: $175
Stay tuned for part two of Spaulding s Hot at SHOT in the April 2009 issue of Law Officer. In the meantime, see what else he found by checking out his video interview with Jason Adams of Adams Arms. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8LT1ttpB7A
Law Officer Editors Dale Stockton, Lindsay Schaffhausen and Tim Dees also had the opportunity to interview vendors and Law Officer readers on camera at the conference. You can watch these videos by clicking on these links or visiting www.youtube.com/lawofficervideo, click on uploads to see all on the list.
For the Safariland interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBBBgAmBpJE
For the interview with Dylan Saunders of the Mako Group:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpaR66OZBe0
Tim Dees interviewing Paul Laska (Firearms contributor):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLc0etO2N8M