Vegas shooting and outdoors show a record-setter
John Johnston

John Johnston is a retired sergeant detective who served with the Austin Police Department for 25 years. He also was a licensed gun dealer for 25 years who now lives in Lampasas County. He can be contacted via e-mail at olsingleshot@gmail.com.

The annual Shooting outdoor trade show was staged in Las Vegas this year. Only a few facilities in the United States can handle a show of this magnitude. With a record 1,948 exhibits that covered a space of 750,000 square feet and drew 58,000 attendees, it is one of the largest trade shows in the world.

The event is a gathering of manufacturers and distributors that sell anything to do with hunting and shooting. Once you attend, you realize the financial impact this industry has on our country and the world.

I like to go to see what is new, to visit old friends and to make new ones. This year it took me three days to accomplish all that, and even then I missed a lot of the exhibits. If one walked it all, it would measure a distance of about 15 miles.

When purchasing a new rifle or ammunition, the buyer unknowingly pays a federal tax. The tax is given back to the states for the purpose of supporting wildlife agencies and resources.

Texas uses only a small portion of this tax, and the rest goes into the general fund. So when you hear that the state Parks and Wildlife agency needs more funding, remember that sportsmen already have paid a fair share of taxes that our officials choose to use for other purposes.

What is new this year for the shooting sports? It would take a book to describe everything, but I will give you the highlights.

WINCHESTER: As many know, Winchester closed its American plant in Connecticut in 2006. This is where the Model 70 rifle, the Model 1300 pump shotgun and the famous Model 1894 were made.

Later this year, the Model 70 will be available again. It is basically the same rifle but has better metal to wood fit and more attention to detail in the metal parts. The trigger has been changed, now called the "MOA" trigger, and it is quite crisp at three pounds but still has a little creep. The action is marked "F.N. Columbia S.C."

The 1300 shotgun has been replaced by Speed Pump, which is the first inertia-assisted pump shotgun. I am not sure where it is made but not in this country.

I asked about the old 1894 lever-action. The answer I got is: "We are not sure when it will come out or where it will be made." The rumor mill has it returning in 2009, and probably made in Japan. I sincerely hope not, since I consider the 1894 to be "America's rifle." The Model 70 will retail for about $1,000.

BROWNING: The company has a new, improved A bolt model coming out called the X bolt. The difference is in the weight of the rifle, a thinning of the stock and most importantly a new, greatly improved adjustable trigger that broke like glass. Scopes will be mounted by four screw scopes bases instead of those held by two screws. It will be fed by a flush-mounted rotary magazine. To make the function of the bolt a little quicker, it has a 60-degree lift. It will be in the standard calibers. Suggested retail is $799 to $1,049. The Cynergy shotgun is available now in a full-trap version.

RUGER: When you think they have done everything they can to the 10-22 rifle, they cut it down, reshape the stock and make it into a pistol called the "Charger." The barrel is 10-inch alloy, which makes the pistol 19 3/4 inches long. Suggested retail is $369.50. To compete in the personal protection pistol market, Ruger is coming out with the LCP, which is a .380 polymer-frame, semi-automatic, double-action-only pistol. It is almost identical to the Keltec inside and out. Weighing in at 9.4 oz., empty it will sell for $330. The target Mini 14 is still a good seller, but the company has no interest in coming out with the same rifle in 7.62x39.

SAKO: It has improved the old Model 75, now called the A7. Changes include an adjustable trigger down to 2.2 ounces, a safer magazine latch and a 70- degree bolt.

SAVAGE: This company continues to impress me. It has put a lot of pressure on the other manufacturers with the Accu-trigger. Its designers listen to the public. Most importantly, its products shoot well right out of the box. Savage is producing an Anniversary Model in .300 Savage for 2008. It is a very nicely finished rifle stocked in walnut. This will be a good investment for collectors with a limit of 1,000 rifles to be produced. The company had a lot of new products, including an all-camouflage rifle and scope for varmint hunters, plus more target rifles for the benchrest crowd. If you want the most bang for the buck, get a Savage or Stevens rifle.

SMITH & WESSON: Since it came out with the .50-caliber pistol I was expecting something even bigger, but not this year. It seems in the revolver line, they are concentrating on variances of the Model 629 in .44 Magnum. There are too many to cover. In the semi-automatic pistol line, the M&P was the star of the show. This pistol is lightweight, accurate and comes with a nice trigger pull. A lot of police departments are issuing this model, mostly in .40 caliber. Smith & Wesson has a bolt-action rifle called the I bolt, and a semi-automatic shotgun called the Model 1000, both of which will retail around $680. It also has an AR-type semi-automatic rifle called the M&P15 that starts at $1,250 retail.

REMINGTON: The booth was gigantic with all its different products. There is a new semi-automatic shotgun called the 105CTI. It has a carbon fiberreinforced titanium receiver, target trigger and recoilreducing features that the company claims will produce a 48 percent reduction in felt recoil. The Spartan line of rifles and shotguns, which are made in Russia, did not impress me. The one Spartan I looked at would not even open, and this was supposed to be a fully functional rifle. The wood to metal fit was terrible. Remington also is phasing out the 6mm and .260 calibers, which I believe are two of the best whitetail deer hunting cartridges. Several new targetgrade shotguns are coming out soon.

MARLIN: Folks were excited about the new Marlin X series bolt-action rifle. The XL7 version had an adjustable trigger, recoil-reducing butt pad, pillar bedding and fluted bolt with a suggested retail of less than $400. In the lever-action line, attention was on the .308 Marlin round, which is basically the same as the old .308.

TAYLORS & CO.: This company imports a lot of guns for the cowboy shooter. It offers a very nice single-action pistol named the "Smoke Wagon." This pistol really impressed me. The rear sight on the back strap has been opened up to improve sight acquisition. The grips are thinner, with cut checkering. In the deluxe version, the action is one of the smoothest in a single-action pistol I have tried. It will retail in the area of $650.

KNIGHT RIFLES: Known for its well-made muzzleloaders, Knight is getting into the center-fire business with a convertible rifle called the KP1. Similar to the T/C Encore, this rifle has barrels that can be interchanged from muzzle loading to center fire. It has a barrel hanging system that should make for a very accurate rifle. It will be available in popular center-fire calibers.

THOMPSON CENTER: The Encore muzzleloader has an improved breech plug that is removable by hand. The Icon bolt-action rifle was in the spotlight. It appears to be a very well-engineered and thought-out design. The stock is fully bedded with aluminum, even in the walnut stock. The bolt is heavy, and the shooter can change the type of bolt handle desired. T/C guarantees the rifle to shoot 1 inch or less out of the box. Like Ruger, the scopes bases are integral to the action. I cannot wait to get my hands on one of these rifles. It is available in common calibers plus the .30 T/C, which is a shortaction case with the ballistics of a .30-06.

SCOPES: I think every Asian country is in the scope business now. China and Japan seem to lead the way. One of the inexpensive lines that impressed me was the NC Star. It has very clear optics that seem to be made well for the price and come with a lifetime warranty. I have been asked to try one of the scopes and the new green laser sight, so stay tuned for that evaluation later in the year.

The trend of the rifle and shotgun companies this year is to make lighter weapons with less recoil and better triggers. Some companies have proprietary cartridges that have tremendous ballistics. This is accomplished by mixing gun powders, which cannot be safely duplicated by reloaders.

With the increase in the price of ammunition, reloading is making a big comeback. The reloader has never before had the choices in bullets and powders that are available today. If you shoot a lot or want to shoot a lot, reloading is the way to go to cut expenses and get the best in accuracy.