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Modern Rifleman’s Favorites of SHOT Show 2016

Last week, firearms manufacturers, dealers, and media headed to Las Vegas for the industry’s largest trade exhibition, SHOT Show. As is the case each year, SHOT’s 2016 episode brought several new product announcements and updates, a few of which particularly caught my attention. While I was unable to resolve some policy differences with the NSSF in order to attend the show, I followed the developments closely and have compiled a list of my favorites from SHOT 2016.

Note: I will cover upcoming suppressors in another article.

Beretta M9-22

When I decided to make the Beretta M9 my first handgun back in 2012, I quite honestly had no clue how to actually shoot a pistol. As a result, I burned through untold quantities of 9mm ammunition trying to learn proper trigger pull and playing around with different grips. Though I eventually invested in a Bersa Thunder 22 to use as a trainer, the practice really did not transfer very well and the Beretta rimfire conversion kit was too pricey for my college budget.

Thankfully, Beretta and Walther are poised to rectify the situation. At SHOT, Beretta announced their new M9-22. Like many other rimfire replicas, the M9-22 is made under license in Germany by Walther/Umarex. From what I’ve seen in recent years, the fact that Walther is making this pistol is actually a very good thing. It seems the company has overcome its spotty history with the P22, and most of their recent releases have been resounding successes. I’ve been quite pleased with my Walther PPK/S .22, and the Colt/Walther Gold Cup 1911 that I recently sold was a fine 1911 trainer. Walther appears to have mastered their .22 system, and it only makes sense for companies like Beretta and Colt to defer to them for these kinds of products. I am unsure if I will actually purchase the M9-22, but I am definitely happy to see it come to market.

Brethren Armament‘s AR Trigger Assembly for HK Rifles

If you’ve ever shot a Heckler & Koch roller lock rifle or a clone of one, you probably are well aware that their triggers are pretty awful. Furthermore, the ergonomics of the pistol grips are such that unless the rifle has a paddle magazine release, there is no way any average-sized person can reach the magazine release. Brethren Armament’s new AR trigger housing for HK rifles plans to fell both of these birds with a single stone.

By moving the trigger assembly and pistol grip forward, Brethren Armament’s housing shortens the distance to the magazine release while also enabling an AR-15 hammer to strike the firing pin in the HK bolt. The design is quite ingenious, but it’s so logical that I’m surprised we haven’t seen this done before. Since the housing is also compatible with AR-15 pistol grips, it opens up a wide variety of ergonomic options for folks who find the standard HK grips uncomfortable, a common complaint, especially from southpaws.

I have yet to see pricing for this interesting new part and I’m not sure if Brethren will be offering housings for all HK models, but I’ll definitely try to get my hands on one if the going rate is reasonable.

Fabryka Broni Radom MSBS

The ACR-inspired MSBS from Fabryka Broni in Radom, Poland, is not new to SHOT 2016. In fact, many enthusiasts have been drooling over the rifle since at least 2012. However, 2016 looks to be the best chance we’ve had yet to actually see the gun in the US. There isn’t much to say about it at this point other than it is very similar to the ACR, but also readily converts to a bullpup configuration simply by swapping the lower receiver. The ATF has yet to approve the rifle for US commercial sales, but if they do, rumor has it that it will be significantly cheaper than the ACR.

HMG STG-44

The HMG STG-44 is another firearm that I’ve discussed before, but it is also one of the ones I am most interested in seeing come to market in 2016. For years, many of us have wanted to see a Sturmgewher reproduction available for a reasonable price and it looks like that is finally coming to fruition. MSRP on the HMG gun is expected to be $1,799 so it won’t be cheap, but that beats the heck out of the rare PTR-44s that briefly hit the market a few years ago. HMG’s rifle isn’t a perfect STG-44 clone as it does feature some simplifications inspired by the MkB 42, but it is close enough for most people and the changes help to keep costs down. For those with a bit of a wild side, the HMG STG will be available in 5.56x45mm, 7.62x39mm, .300 BLK, and of course the original 7.92x33mm.

Kalashnikov USA’s New AKs

Last year, Kalashnikov USA created all sorts of buzz when they announced plans to begin production of Saiga-style rifles in the US. For whatever reason, though, the company was mostly silent in 2015, possibly because Russian Saigas were still available for most of the year. As supplies of the Izhmash guns dry up, it looks like Kalashnikov USA is preparing to finally make the transition.

Now, if you follow Modern Rifleman or any other outlets for Kalashnikov news, you probably know that build quality has been a major concern with American AKs. Not only do several US companies use shoddy or inconsistent build processes, but many use inferior parts, like cast barrel trunnions. The trunnion issue was especially controversial last year as companies began to roll out cheap rifles with the parts, and a few shooters reported casting failures with these trunnions. Thankfully, it appears that Kalashnikov USA and Palmetto State Armory will be leading the charge away from castings and towards forgings and billet trunnions.

Speaking of Kalashnikov USA specifically, the company plans to release several interesting firearms this year. Most notably, their new Alfa rifle appears to bring the Kalashnikov system into the modern era with extensive use of polymer and a split upper-lower receiver design. For traditionalists, Kalashnikov will produce full-on AK-103 clones with forged trunnions and potentially even hammer-forged barrels. These have the potential to be the highest quality US AKs we’ve seen yet. Lastly, Kalashnikov plans to offer true Saiga 9 clones that use Vityaz 9mm magazines.

After several months of skepticism, I’ve got to admit that I might change my tune on Kalashnikov USA. The company seems to be well attuned to the US AK market and has built a solid list of highly desirable options. Now, they just have to make the guns available.

Manticore Arms CZ Scorpion Evo Retractable Stock

There’s no questioning the cool factor and functionality of the CZ Scorpion EVO’s side folding stock, but for those who want the ultimate in compactness, a folding stock just won’t do. One of the downsides of side folders is that when closed, they turn an ordinarily compact gun into a rather thick beast. While this usually isn’t the end of the world, it limits some transportation and case options for shooters who plan to fold the stock and stow the rifle.

While not technically shown at SHOT, Manticore Arms is addressing this problem with a new retractable stock for the Scorpion.  Similar to the ones found on MP5s, Manticore’s stock features two support bars that slide alongside both sides of the receiver. Recent prototype photos seem to indicate that the stock will have several adjustments for length of pull, and the edges on current models appear to be much softer than earlier renditions. As someone who would seriously like to pick up an EVO at some point, this new stock is very appealing.

SIG Sauer Optics

Whether it’s because I was diagnosed with Keratoconus a few years ago or simply me looking for every shooting advantage I can find, I’m more than slightly obsessed with optics. Every time I see an interesting new scope or red dot on the horizon, I instantly start to rethink my current sight choices and wonder if a change would be prudent. As a result, it should be no surprise that I am intrigued by the SIG Sauer’s new Romeo line of red dots.

Offered in five different models (Romeo 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7), the Romeo series seems to cover every main type of red dot. For those looking to buy a compact reflex sight, of the Romeo 1 or its slightly larger brother, the Romeo 3, could fit the bill. Models 4 and 5 are both compact red dots and are similar to the Aimpoint micro red dots. Unfortunately, the battery life on the Romeo 4 appears to be limited to 5,000 hours, which pales in comparison to the Aimpoints. One version of the Romeo 4 does support solar power though. The Romeo 7 is a full-size red dot with a much better battery life than any of the other models at an advertised 65,000 hours.

I’m most intrigued by the reticle options the SIG optics offer. Several of the models allow shooters to switch between a simple dot and an EOTech style circle-dot. With EOTech’s recent struggles, the SIG red dots may fill a void for shooters who prefer that type of reticle. Moreover, several of SIG’s offerings carry MSRPs below $300. Now we just have to hope that these are easier to find than their suppressors.

SIG Sauer P210

Whenever someone asks for opinions on the “best” 9mm pistol, the SIG P210 is often mentioned in that group. Unfortunately, because the classic handgun has been produced by SIG Sauer in Germany in very limited runs since 1949, finding examples here in the US can be challenging and often very expensive. At SHOT, SIG introduced the first US-made line of P210s and by all accounts, they are every bit as nice as their European brothers. Reports from Media Day at the Range indicate that the American guns feature the same excellent triggers and soft shooting characteristics that are expected from the pistol and SIG’s plan to offer several different models (standard, target, and carry) should appeal to a wide variety of shooters. The best news is that the handguns will start at $1,200, which is pretty reasonable for a SIG and downright awesome compared to the $2,000+ German examples.

SilencerCo Maxim 9

I’ve talked about the Maxim 9 here before, so I won’t spend much time on it now. SilencerCo demoed a new prototype of the integrally suppressed pistol at SHOT this year and it looks like the final product is starting to take shape. If you remember, the version shown at their Maxim Vice event last September was built on a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. The new model is a completely custom design that uses Glock magazines. The suppressor has also been designed similarly to the Salvo and Micro Osprey in order to allow for length adjustment. According to SilencerCo representatives, the Maxim 9 will probably carry an MSRP of around $2,000.

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