2012 shot

[Bill Alexander]

Ok, it SHOT show time again. I have the dance card from hell and I am apparently expected to be reasonable and civil for the next week.

I know what I have new and have a mixture of enthusiasm and apathy. So what does anyone else think we will see this year.

[LRRPF52]

I'll see you there daddy. What booth will you be at?

I think there will be several smaller AR builders with good reputations announcing and showing new Grendel line-ups, and maybe one or two of the bigger companies, although many feel well-equipped with their .300 BLK offering as the caliber of the week.

I hope Steyr debuts the AUG in Grendel, since I learned from a very reliable source from within Steyr that they were working on one in 2008.

I think the Steiner tactical line of rifle optics will be worth checking out, as well as the new March Tactical line with FFP, Mil/Mil, etc.

I'm hoping to see some innovation in the field of electronics accessory integration.

Maybe some belt-fed surprises await us...

.260 Rem will be more popular in AR10's, and we'll probably see some more manufacturers flooring their new big boys.

Now that Thermal Weapon Sights are open to civilian purchase, it will be interesting to see who the pioneers are.

We'll probably see some new uber tactical camo patterns spinning off from MC and ATACs. Gear galore...

Looking forward to seeing some of the new Safariland swede MultiCam cordura covered 6004 holsters through RedBack One (Jason Falla).

Hopefully US Machinegun Armory will be there with their mods on the Mk46.

DTA is having an SRS giveaway if you drop an entry at their booth.

Hoping to see the new Multicam boots from different makers.

There should be a healthy dose of trainers with good backgrounds and sound regimens.

I really appreciate the vibrant industry that seems to be thriving, even in tough economic times.

Oh yeah, I suspect Obama will send some jack-booted thugs to arrest someone from one of the eeevil capitalist companies like they did to S&W last year, with trumped up charges and plenty of entrapment to go around, just to kill with small cuts via legal fees. ATF & FBI should be banned from SHOT, in my opinion.

[Bill Alexander]

Not doing a booth, wandering aimlessly until directed by Melissa.

Call my cell at the show and we will meet up.

Steiner will be worth seeing, I like their glass.

I expect a lot of new dodads for the AR series, lighter tougher stuff I hope.

[Variable]

I hope Steyr debuts the AUG in Grendel, since I learned from a very reliable source from within Steyr that they were working on one in 2008.

Now that I'd love to see! I'd probably buy one.

Hoping to see the new Multicam boots from different makers.

I'd like to find something as good as a Lowa Zephyr GTX that is actually affordable.LOL. I want the 8" desert one, but at 230 clams I have a hard time paying that. I get Danners at work, but I really want to try the Lowas.


I'd also like to see some Grendel tracer, some purchasable Grendel AP, and for Bill to announce that he is making a heavy barreled LMG upper like the old Colt/Diemaco LSW/LMG platform. I can dream....

For belt-feds I'd love to see a 6.5 Grendel Shrike as the mate to my 5.56 one, but I know that one is going beyond dreaming at this point since Geoffrey would be involved. After waiting just shy of 9 years for the 5.56 it'd be more like a crack addled fantasy I think.

[Variable]

Ok, it SHOT show time again. I have the dance card from hell and I am apparently expected to be reasonable and civil for the next week.

I know what I have newand have a mixture of enthusiasm and apathy. So what does anyone else think we will see this year.

Inquiring minds amongst your Grendel Horde would love to know! Any advance info for us Horde members?

[LRRPF52]

Update:

New uber tactical camo patterns.....check

Big boy industry AR makers pushing the .300 BLK hard.....check

Steiner Rifle Optics good-to-go.....check

Impressive new tactical line of optics from Kahles...check (1-6x, 4-12x50, 5-22x50, zero-stop, 34mm tubes, great turrets, illumination, great reticles, etc.)

.260 Rem production AR-10's from Armalite...check

Multicam boots from several different makers....check

Belt-fed surprises....check DSA has their RPD's on the floor. I mentioned wanting one in Grendel, as it would be the perfect proof-of-concept weapon. They said, "Go look at the table." I walked over, and they had one chambered in.........





6.8 SPC??????????????? The 6.8 even fits in the RPD links. I spent the next hour talking with one of their engineers about how the Grendel in the RPD would really be a game-changer, and discussed what he would need to get the ball rolling. Reamer, GO/NO-GO guages, barrel, etc. RPD bolt can take high pressure, and you have a 4-position gas regulator. We'll see where it goes...

Oh yeah....saw plenty of jack-booted thugs in suits from ATF hanging out. I called almost every thing I expected to see, but the 6.8 RPD hurt my feelings...

[mwilkins]

If you see any more of the ATF guys hanging out, ask them how they liked getting their asses handed to them in the lawsuit by a couple of non profit rocketry organizations...... . Those guys don't know as much as they claim to know.

[LRRPF52]

I was discussing them with an FFL dealer here at SHOT(a female at that who was extremely knowledgeable about the AR product line), and when I told her that they remind me of mafioso thugs who come by your business and demand protection money to be allowed to stay in business, she said I hit the nail on the head.

SHOT is packed! The industry is more than alive and well, and it's great to see it every year generating more and more revenue, ingenuity, and business activity. Some friends of mine have quadrupled sales from 2010, and are really stoked about the future, as am I.

[LRRPF52]

Let me know if anyone has something they want me to check out and report on. I'll be here all-day tomorrow and maybe Friday morning as well. I have a good handle on the convention layout, with a plan for getting to booths quickly and efficiently. My blab habit is my main obstacle however...

[stanc]

Update:

Belt-fed surprises....check DSA has their RPD's on the floor. I mentioned wanting one in Grendel, as it would be the perfect proof-of-concept weapon. They said, "Go look at the table." I walked over, and they had one chambered in.........

6.8 SPC??????????????? The 6.8 even fits in the RPD links.

Ha! Who woulda thunk? Certainly not me. I figured the 6.8 with its smaller case diameter would be too sloppy of a fit. But, I just checked my specimens and discovered that RPD links are a very tight fit even on the 0.42" case. So tight, in fact, that I could not get my 6.8 round inserted into the link.

Makes me wonder how RangerRick managed to stuff 6.5 Grendel cartridges into his RPD belt...

[LRRPF52]

I picked up this topic over in our Military Grendel LMG thread, where I think we should continue it.

[Drifter]

Wish someone would lobby the bullet makers for a premium 6.5 hunting bullet in the ~115gr weight range. Relatively high BC for weight without being excessively long for the Grendel case, bonded core to hold together at close range impact, and thin jacket at the nose for rapid expansion (with low expansion threshold specifically for Grendel velocities). Something along the lines of a Nosler Accubond or Hornady SST, but with expansion reliable well below the typical 1800 fps.

I know that long-range hunters of most cartridges wish for a do-it-all bullet for both long and short range, but with the relatively narrow velocity window of the Grendel (maybe 1400 to 2600 fps for a 115gr bullet), it doesn't seem like such a bullet would be too far-fetched...

[LRRPF52]

Wish someone would lobby the bullet makers for a premium 6.5 hunting bullet in the ~115gr weight range. Relatively high BC for weight without being excessively long for the Grendel case, bonded core to hold together at close range impact, and thin jacket at the nose for rapid expansion (with low expansion threshold specifically for Grendel velocities). Something along the lines of a Nosler Accubond or Hornady SST, but with expansion reliable well below the typical 1800 fps.

I know that long-range hunters of most cartridges wish for a do-it-all bullet for both long and short range, but with the relatively narrow velocity window of the Grendel (maybe 1400 to 2600 fps for a 115gr bullet), it doesn't seem like such a bullet would be too far-fetched...

The Barnes folks are just down I15 from me a ways, and I told one of their long-term guys about how Grendel hunters really like their TSX and TTSX lines, and how we'd like to see a more Grendel specific bullet right along the lines of your description. I think it would be a great seller for them. They have one of the biggest booths on the main floor with all the big-name companies...probably bigger than Sierra's booth. They are really open to end-user feedback and were really great to talk with. They even said they have doppler data on their projectiles, which I didn't know. They're just dealing with how to get that data in usable form for customers. They are top of their game, from my perspective. Looking forward to working with them on some new stuff.

[texasgrunt]

Probably nothing to report, but are any of the magazine builders present for a query on Grendel mags?

Grunt

[Drifter]

The Barnes folks are just down I15 from me a ways, and I told one of their long-term guys about how Grendel hunters really like their TSX and TTSX lines, and how we'd like to see a more Grendel specific bullet right along the lines of your description. I think it would be a great seller for them. They have one of the biggest booths on the main floor with all the big-name companies...probably bigger than Sierra's booth. They are really open to end-user feedback and were really great to talk with. They even said they have doppler data on their projectiles, which I didn't know. They're just dealing with how to get that data in usable form for customers. They are top of their game, from my perspective. Looking forward to working with them on some new stuff.

Bullet makers might want a guaranteed minimum order for what they consider a new niche bullet. For a new bullet specifically for another caliber a couple of years ago, I think Barnes wanted a commitment of 20k units right off the bat. If I understood the situation right, a couple of outfits agreed to 10K each, then pre-sold most or all while waiting for development and production. I mention this because if we knew what any particular bullet maker would require to get the ball rolling, we might come up with a way to make something happen.