SHOT show day 2

Today we spent time on the main level looking at the mainstream products and big name exhibitors

I got an appointment with Smith and Wesson to preview their new clothing line for concealed carry.  Sorry guys, I spent my entire session looking at the ladies line, but I am sure the men’s line is equally as impressive.  Ok girls here is the scoop:  The line is rolling out late summer for their fall collection.  There is a serious of jackets, vests, pants and shirts that are jammed packed with elegant style with subtle touches that are reminiscent of the S&W brand.  The jackets have 11 different pockets that contain hidden mag pouches, holsters, hand warmers, arm pockets, it goes on and on.  The pants have deep pockets and some even have compartments for knee pads if you decide these will be your run n’ gun pants at the range.  The style is on the edge of western, but has a modern twist that I think will fit in with almost any fashion style you are comfortable with.  The only drawback is they are only releasing regular women’s sizes 1-16.  I was very quick to make the request for them to include a Tall line, as I don’t think the current line would really fit me well right now (I am 5’11” and a full figured gal, just in case you haven’t seen a picture of me).

Since we were at the Smith & Wesson Booth, hung out and looked around and found the new M&P .22s, another great inexpensive training options.  We got tons of pictures from their booth, and I will create an album ASAP.  It was also perfect timing that Team Smith & Wesson (Julie Golob, Jerry Miculek, and Doug Koenig) were coming in for an autograph and demo session.  Life is good…I got to hug both Jerry and Julie, got an autographed copy of Julie’s new book, had some chit chat with them before the session started.  I tried not to stumble on my words to much and act like a giddy school girl, but I did and oh well, I am a star-struck fan what can I say.

After that glorious moment we went on to roam the main floor.  We made a couple of great finds, took some cool pictures and did a lot of socializing and productive networking.  I worked a few hours at the Women’s OutdoorMedia Association booth and meet another set of wonderful people, plus I got to hug on a few more friends.  My experience at SHOT would not have been the same without the support that WOMA has given me.  Thank you to Deb Ferns and the entire team that have welcomed me into the fold. 

I will have pictures posted on my facebook pages, and blog very soon with details about products we found, but it is getting late and this gal needs to get ready for day 3.  We go into the dungeon where is more like a gun show and a bunch of cool products that we can’t wait to highlight. 

Act of Valor, Advanced Movie Screening

Act of Valor - release date February 24, 2012

I started day 2 of SHOT show in the press room having breakfast and networking.  A PR rep from 511 was making the rounds inviting media to the press conference for a new movie, Act of Valor.  I had heard about the movie and thought it was just another “ninja squad” Hollywood flick, but she was waving around this really cool T-shirt given away as a freebie if you attended the press conference.  Honestly I went for the shirt (it is a really cool shirt).  Within the first 30 seconds I was having a conversion of heart and became hooked on hearing every word the Bandito Brothers had to say. 

Bandito Brothers, directors of Act of Valor were clear from the moment they started talking that they feel Hollywood has misrepresented the military and law enforcement, making movies that are “Sexy Bang Bang”.  As we watched the production trailer the room was silent with amazement at the effort, time  and research that has gone into the production of this movie.   There are no stars playing main characters, but real life Seal Teams, their families and a handful of professional actors that blend in seamlessly.  The film was in production for four years and worked around the schedules of the Seals and their support teams.  The most amazing part is that they would sometimes film in-between assignments and literally surface in a submarine for a perfectly planned scene, have 40 mins to shoot and then be gone again.  I was also impressed to know that the Seals came with all their own gear and choreographed most of the film.

Because we attended the press conference we were giving passes for an advanced screening and spent the evening at the Palms Hotel with 350 others.  Among the invited guests were military veterans, industry professionals, media and a few other really lucky people who snagged a ticket.  Knowing the back story of how the film was made, and that the people were real was a huge advantage for us.  Face it they are Seals not actors.  But they did a great job being themselves and not coming off fake or trying too hard.  The cinematography was absolutely amazing, not one questionable moment that anything was Hollywood smoke and mirrors.   I don’t want to give away any elements of the story line, but knowing that five actual operations were referenced then tied all together in one fictitious plot made a connection with the audience and kept us all spellbound for the entire film.

The theater that was still for 2 plus hours, roared with applause and praise for several minutes.  We were asked our opinions on the way out and all I could say was “breath taking”.  Because I am an emotional kind of girl the film did move me to tears.  It also made me mad.  Mad that our military men and women have to make these sacrifices.  Mad that there are evil people and corrupt governments.  And mad that so many Americans are not doing more to take care of themselves but always relying on the sheepdog to protect the herd.  It is safe to say I am little fired up about this movie.  It is my goal to spread the word about this film and the truth behind it, everyone should see it…. Especially those who play war on their video games and shooting sports.  Don’t get me wrong, I like to put on my 511 pants, gun up and go put rounds down range as if I am a real life “tactica-cool” gal.  It is just really important that our future generation truly understands what war is, and it can’t be found on Xbox.  Take your teens to see this movie.  It just might change their life.  I feel pretty strongly that it will stir something in your soul to be a better person and live a better life. 

SHOT Show Day 1

Today was a total learning experience!  Just imagine your local gun show, then doubled it, then quadruple that, and quadruple that (perfect description I saw tweeted out today and had to borrow it).  Today’s goal was to knock out the military/law enforcement exhibits and we found some great stuff.  We really appreciated the vendors that took the time to talk with us and answer our questions as they apply to the civilian and competitive shooting market. 

During the morning rush of check in and the initial shock of “oh my God”, I bumped into our new friends from twitter SHWAT Tactical, where Hog hunting goes tactical!  This is way out of our scope from our usual AG & AG activities but, last week I was very surprised to learn that we have some hog hunting women in our membership, and thought why the heck not… let’s see where this might lead us!  The great point made by SHWAT is that hunting hogs can be a testing ground for the skill sets we are developing when participating in handgun and Multigun sports.

My first fabulous find of the day is Galati Gear (a woman owned company and I met the gal in charge).  The Double Modular Rifle Case has a front compartment with holsters for two pistols standard.  There were several other range bags, but I am just kind of smitten with that one. 

LOVE my new shirt!

While we were moving on the fly, I got to meet our friends and vendor partner Ammunition Depot.  Love that they only carry American made products that are the best quality.  They deal in manufactured bulk ammo sales where you will get the best deals, but any size order is welcome.  They offer our AG & AGmembers 5% off plus whatever bulk discounts may apply.  The best part is they are all about supporting our club, as well as other organizations and training companies… if you are in the market for great ammo; visit our friends at Ammunition Depot. 

The proud moment of my morning was seeing my good buddies with Legion Firearms and their display (and in an amazing location too).  I can say “I remember when” a year ago last November when they were just rolling out the first line of rifles and testing out the course curriculum.  So proud of Adam, Jamie and Chris for all their hard work this year.  And Leander girls, you will remember our friend Chuck that brought the demo pistol for us to test out in top secret conditions… well he is rock n and rolling with these guys.  The super-secret STI/Legion 2011 is a big hit at the show, and the rifles really stand out from the crowd. 

Right next to Legion is Sprinco, another local Austin TX business.  They manufacture upgraded recoil systems for just about every handgun and rifle (reduce the recoil = faster/accurate shooting).  They have the best “machine gunners” lube ideal to use on all your guns. 

We had a lot of fun talking to the guys at Zev Technologies aka www.Glockworx.com. They had some really jazzed up Glocks.  John, who is not a Glock fan, really liked the work they did and was pretty impressed.  The way they trick out the gun is not IDPA legal, but I would consider having a twin sister for Helga (my purple Gen 3 34) just so I can have the trigger job and other sweet bells and whistles. 

Tactical Solutions makes an easy conversion kits for most 1911s and Glocks handguns, as well as rifles.  Being able to convert your carry gun or competition piece into a .22 caliber as a practice gun is the most cost efficient and effective way to put rounds down range with your regular gun instead of using a .22 pistol that does not match the ergonomics you are trying to develop muscle memory for.  If you shoot a lot, this investment will pay for itself very quickly.  If you are looking for a .22 for competition, they make a full line of lightweight pistols that are badass in style and function. 

Law Enforcement Targets www.letargets.com for all you Zombie killers out there, they had the best looking zombies I have ever seen. Not to mention the threat/non threat targets have real challenges on how you engage them, and where you need to place your shots to only hit the bad guy.  We were so busy talking about all the different training systems that we could use for the club and IDPA style shooting that we forgot to get pictures.  We will revisit these guys again tomorrow and post the pictures. 

For those of you who hate to get dirty when cleaning guns, I found something you will want to have!  The Ultrasonic Gun Cleaning System cleans, conditions and lubricates in two steps that takes about 20 mins.  The system is about $400, but well worth it if you don’t have the time to clean your guns as often as you should.  Remember a clean gun is a happy gun… and a happy husband. 

And to finish out my list of favorite things today is the Stress Vest… Reality based training just got real!  You have to visit their webpage for pictures, mine just wonn't do it justice.  Imagine you are playing laser tag and have on the little chest plate that vibrates when you are hit.  Ok now imagine that when you are hit with the laser instead of a vibration, you get shocked!  Yes I said shocked.  The StresssInoc™ allows you to integrate a safe and localized electric stun “pain penalty” to any type of training environment that requires elevated stress. It has several different settings and levels of pain you can work thru, and the electric stun can be placed anywhere on the body (torso, arms etc.) I had all kinds of visions to help our shooters learn how to shoot and move quickly and the big one, use cover properly.  You may not have some shooting back at you but if I ding you with the clicker for being too far out of cover I bet you will learn to fix that technique pretty quick!

Day one ended with an awesome dinner with some friends and me winning $40 playing the Price is Right 2 cent slot.  Wednesday is a big day of appointments and the 3 Gun Nation Range event.  Can’t wait!

Media Range Day part one

What a day! So much to do and see at the SHOT Show Media Range Day, and we did just about all of it. I went to Range Day with the idea of trying out handguns that would be better suited for everyday concealed carry and then add in some fun shooting with the rifles and shot guns. Mission Complete!

My first stop was of course the Glock Tent.  I got a picture with Gunny, and meet some of women behind the scenes face to face.  It is neat to know a name and then find yourself face to face with a gal and have that moment of joy meeting each other.  I shot the Gen 4 .357 compact and that was so awesome!

I found a .40 that I LOVE. Now if you know me at all, you know I am not a fan of .40 and usually have a very sour face whenever a gal says her husband bought her one, even more shocked when a gal says she likes to shoot it.  The HK P30 has changed my sour face to a happy face. The grip can be adjusted in the back strap and side panels for a true custom fit AND has a double recoil system with a nylon bushing which absorbs all that “sting” that usually comes with shooting a .40 cal. Very excited about this gun.

I also got to try a Desert Eagle chamber in 44 Magnum.... um my mechanics were good... gun was just way too big.  The picture is kind of scary looking, I swear I was hanging on the best I could.   

Narrowing down the rest of my fav handguns will be a challenge, but here we go!

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Perfect Practice Pistol!

Very impressed with the Ruger SR22. This little pistol is a total package.

• Accurate- John hit steel at 100yrds
• Reliable- Ruger Rep said they tested 30 different types of ammo and said it ran flawless
• Ergonomics- grips change out and mimics a standard handgun with the safety, de-cocker and mag release.

I really liked the Sig P250 .380ACP which will become available around April with an MSRP around $500.00.  This gun felt good in my hands.  The most impressive for me was how smooth it was and I hit the steel 5 out of 5 at 10 yards shooting at a quick rhythm, was able to get my second site picture very fast and the DAO trigger pull was pleasant.

 

The new XDs was a true highlight of the day.  This little guy chambered in .45ACP is a single stack.  It was nice and compact, perfect for us gals to carry a larger caliber and not haul around a heavy gun.  “Noticeably Unnoticeable” is their trademarked description, I would agree 100%.

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2 Dot Sight System

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Quick Acquistion Sight System

And rounding out my favs for the day is a new product that will make its American debut hopefully in just a few months, Caracal from the United Arab Emirates.  When I stepped up to table I wasn’t sure I was going to be very impressed, but I am very excited about this line of firearms.  The sites are very different, but really cool for picking up a quick site picture.  I hit my 5 for 5 and enjoyed both guns that I shot.  There are no aftermarket parts or upgrades available right now, so it will come as is, but that is ok.  I had a nice chat with the owners and the Chef of Staff & Advisor to the Commercial Counselor UAE Trade, and I was shocked to learn that there is a huge female population that shoot and compete in the UAE!  AG & AG just might be on the itinerary for their next visit to the USA as they were very excited about what are doing and want to contribute to our program. 

 It was fun to meet so many new people and see my friends. Thank you to all the vendors that worked so hard to put on a wonderful event, and took such great care to answer in detail the same questions over and over again all day. I am already thinking how I want to re-work my presentation on gun and caliber selection, and need to figure out how to save up some mad cash to buy a few of the guns we demoed today. 

The fun n’ gun side of the day came with a few different 308s, a bunch of ARs and shotguns, which I will part two of my Media Range Day experience.

What a way to closeout 2011!

Looking for some fun n' gun stuff on New Years eve, a few gals from the Leander and San Antonio chapters of A Girl and A Gun Women's Shooting League, ventured out to Best of the West Shooting Sports in Liberty Hill TX to participate in a 2 Gun  match put on by Texas Multigun.  We found some fun n'gun, but most of all we found run n' gun!

I personally have shot one USPSA match and one multigun match. (Not much running in IDPA, I like that)  The running part kind of freaks me out a little bit because I have this idea I might look silly.  Well I got over it!  First stage of the day I took off like I was being chased and discovered that is ok for pistol shooting, but when I picked up my rifle I had a hard time catching my breath.... dam!  New Years resolution #1... do some cardio.

Bobbi (San Antonio Facilitator) was by the far the most prepared gal, this was her first 2 gun match, but being a seasoned USPSA shooter/RO this chick knows her way around her pistol and rifle.  She brought with her a member of her chapter Alejandra, which by the way was her very first match... ever!  Alejandra did great, she took it at her own pace, focusing more on the how too instead of the do it really fast.  We decided she is our poster girl for AG & AG, just get out there and try it!

Members of our Board of Directors Stela & Renee also came out, and together we had an awesome time.  We sure did learn alot about our gear (we are resisting the urge for another shopping trip, have to wait just a bit longer) and of course time to hang out with some of the friendliest shooters in Texas.  A big thank you to our squad mates and ROs from Dreadnaught Industries, thanks for you help and friendship!

Another accomplishment for us girls... we all came without our husbands and lived to tell about it.