Tis the season to discuss all things SHOT – the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Sports trade show held in Las Vegas. A gigantic celebration of all things related to guns of all manner as well as anything else related to hunting and the outdoors lifestyle. This year’s show was another amazing spectacle of what’s in store for the consumer in the coming months.
Highlights include: modestly priced “entry level” PCPs are continuing to enter the market with Beeman bringing out a rotary magazine fed repeater version of their “Chief” model that was introduced last year. Umarex is releasing the Gauntlet in .25 caliber and Diana will offer a PCP version of their vintage military styled Mauser K98 air rifle, which was introduced last year as an underlever cocking design. The SIG Advanced Sport Pellet line, recently re-branded as SIG Air, will have a semi-auto PCP copy of their Virtus firearm. Higher end models include the Crosman semi-auto version of their popular Marauder line and Hatsan USA is introducing a lever action PCP repeater called the Vectis. Brocock America is expanding their Bantam Sniper line and introduced a copy of the rifle that was modified by competitor Claudio Flores, who used it to take top honors at the 2018 Extreme Benchrest competition in Arizona. Airforce Airguns now has Rapid Air Weapons coming off the assembly lines in Texas to begin meeting the demand. The RAW H1000 now sports a carbon fiber shroud and moderator to go with the very sleek laminated wood stocks. While not an “entry level” PCP airgun, after overcoming the issues that have delayed the .50 caliber Umarex Hammer, it will be entering production in their Arkansas plant this quarter.
Multi-shot break-barrel air rifles continue to roll out as well with Benjamin now entering that arena. Gamo showed off their new Swarm Fusion Gen.2 which has literally turned the multi-shot break-barrel world on its side! By laying the rotary magazine horizontally, the platform is more scope and iron sight friendly. Upon breaking the barrel, the Gen.2 pivots the magazine so pellets are in the proper alignment for feeding. It appears to be quite a slick system.
To go along with the K98 Mauser firearm replica mentioned above, Air Venturi has the first replica models coming out from their license deal with Springfield Armory. An M1 carbine .177 caliber BB CO2 repeater will be followed later in the year by the XD(M) CO2 BB pistol. SIG Air launched the pellet firing replica of the U.S. Army’s new sidearm, the M17 in the last half of 2018. For 2019 they followed up with a replica of their very successful P365. Both pistols have blowback action, the “Rapid Pellet Magazine” belt feeding system and are field strippable. Not to be outdone, Umarex is releasing the Ruger 10/22 air rifle. This .177 CO2 powered pellet repeater uses a rotary 10-shot magazine that then fits into a carrier the size and shape of a real 10/22 magazine. This unit then installs into the polymer stock just like on the firearm. I predict this one will be a big seller for Umarex.
A new kid on the block was exhibiting in the temporary area called the “Next” section. Exhibitors here will have a booth on the regular show floor next year. APS Limited is not a new company, having made airsoft and paint marking guns for almost two decades, however, they are new to producing BB and pellet guns. They showed off a nice looking CO2 BB firing replica along the lines of a 9mm striker-fired polymer pistol. Called the “S. Shark”, the twist with this pistol is the “happy switch” on the side that lets the shooter go full auto. Additionally, they showed their RAR, or “Real Action Rifle”, which resembled a high power, bolt action, magazine fed rifle. It uses 5 pre-charged HPA cartridges with .22 caliber pellets loaded into the nose of the cartridge. The metal box magazine holds the 5 cartridges and cycling the bolt feeds and ejects the cartridges.
This was just a taste of the many interesting and exciting things seen at SHOT that are scheduled to arrive in 2019. To keep abreast of the latest news, keep checking back here on the AofA blog.
