What a lucky break. Our pal Sunshine Shooter has been picking up the slack on SHOT that I’ve been missing, Not that I miss it I just don’t care about it as much as I used to You guys care though so I’m obligated to care. Just like your favorite Brother-in-law.

It’s that time of year again, SHOT Show. As in years previous, we will be trolling through the SHOT coverage and curating what we believe are the best announcements in guns, gear, gadgets, and whatever else nonsense they put out. We will be updating this page throughout the week, with the newest stuff appearing at the top of the page and the title being updated as well.

PALMETTO STATE ARMORY: Der Neue PSA STG-44

This was an absolute bolt from the blue. Turns out PSA has been lying about which German Maschinenpistole they’d clone next (get it? because MP-44?). There’s not a lot of info out about these clone as of yet, but word from people at the show is that PSA has gone so far as to include the tilting bolt design of the original Sturmgewehr. So far the PSTG-44 (if they don’t call it that shame on them) will be available in three calibers: 5.56, .300 Blackout, and 7.62×39 (to be clear an STG in a Commie caliber is a cardinal sin). In my mind the .300 Blackout would be closest to the original 7.92mm Kurz, I imagine the taper of 7.62×39 will make the mags look weird. Photos I’ve seen also look like these will have threaded barrels for your alternate history Otto Skorzeny LARPing. I am genuinely excited about this, PSA does have some QC issues, but they are also doing a lot in terms of pushing the envelope. There are rumors about their “Battlefield” line also including MP-40s and possibly other WWII icons. I will be watching very closely for any news about other releases in this category from PSA. -Red

SMITH & WESSON: M&P 5.7

I am completely surprised by this gun. I really thought the metal framed M&P was going to be the big reveal from Big Blue, but boy was I wrong! 5.7×28 has come roaring back from the absolute brink of obsolescence only a few years ago! Getting to the actual gun, I’m stoked. It’s 22+1 capacity! It’s got a rotating bolt and a gas system. ITS A RIFLE UNDER THE HOOD! Optics cut, threaded barrel, $700 MSRP, and I’m freaking sold. Credit to TTAG for this one. Apparently they are available now?

TAURS: 856 TORO

Taurus has done what should have happened already: Putting a red dot on a revolver at the factory. The TORO designation is some backronym they came up with for their optics-ready wheelguns. Why wheelguns haven’t had a dot put on them yet is a real mystery, but those days are behind us. We can now finally dot all the things!

Joking aside, Taurus seems to have really turned over a new leaf a few years ago. I have high hopes for this gun and this gunmaker. I hope I’m not being mislead. Maybe I shouldn’t get my hopes too high. It’s still Taurus, afterall. Credit to TFB

ROCK ISLAND ARMORY: RIA 5.0

This one is odd. I may not be jonesing to actually own one, but I am very interested in seeing just how it works. It is not a standard Browning tilt-barrel design, but something entirely new. RIA got the patent for this action type in 2018, and this is the first time anything like it has been shown to the public. On the outside it looks like a CZ/Strike 1 hybrid, but neither of those guns are hammer-fired like the 5.0. I am baffled and very intrigued. Also, it’s 100% made in America, which is a good turn for Rock Island.

REMINGTON: 360 Buckhammer

Not a gun, but a cartridge. The .360 Buckhammer is a straight-wall (all the rage) cartridge, utilizing a .35-caliber bullet. If you’re saying “but Sunshine, that sounds just like the 350 Legend!” -you’d be right. The difference is that the 350 Legend is made for semi-auto platforms, and the new Buckhammer is made for lever guns. I would describe the Buckhammer as a .35 Remington with an exrta 100 fps or so from the same bullets.

Also, the video Remington put out makes it seem like the dude out deer hunting is actually a Wendigo. Very weird.

WEE 1 TACTICAL: JR-15

I wrote about this gun last year, but here it is again. Apparently it never actually made it to store shelves in the past year, but I guess it’s soon to hit gun store shelves? I don’t know about availability but I am still hoping to procure one to teach my kids how to shoot with. For those who don’t remember it from last year, the JR-15 is an AR in .22, but the whole gun is scaled down by like 15%, making it the correct scale for a younger child’s dimensions. Very intelligent, in my opinion. Here’s hoping they are able to get guns made and on shelves in the near future. Credit again to TTAG.

BERETTA: 80X Cheetah

This is one release that definitely took me off guard. I am on record as being a big proponent of the Beretta Cheetah, I still never even dared to hope we’d see an updated version from Beretta. I guess the resurgence of interest in the Beretta 92 platform was greater than I had previously assumed. What I really like about the 80X is it seems to address every complaint I had about the original. There are now front cocking serrations to keep your fingers from driving into the safety levers. The cocking levers themselves look like they’ve been slimmed down significantly from the originals as well. The 80X comes optic ready, but also has a replaceable front sight (hopefully the same cut as the 92X), so no more sending your slide to a company in Michigan to get it machined for irons. The grips look a good bit slimmer than the originals and with better texture, however I am willing to bet that LOK grips will have Veloce grips available for these very soon. I think the biggest addition behind the optic ready system is the addition of a light rail, one of these pistols with a 507k and TLR-7A would be a very formidable concealed carry option. I think the one thing that will let this new Cheetah down is the fact it is still chambered in .380 ACP. While modern bullet design has come a long way in terms of keeping .380 relevant (see ShootingtheBull410s excellent .380 series) it has a stigma in the US that may be hard to shake. I could see a lot of people finding this hard to justify compared to a P365 or Shield Plus in 9mm. I hope this works for Beretta because I would love to see more compact DA/SA guns in the size category. -Red

[Editor’s note: This is a very high contender in my search for a hammer fired carry gun. -S_S]

MEAN ARMS: Bearing-Delayed Blowback PCC

Okay, this one is neat! It’s a 9mm AR PCC that is not just a straight blowback action! In fact, this one has a new(ish) action type: bearing delayed. It looks to be a roller delayed action, but utilizes ball bearings instead of steel rollers. The gun uses what appears to be a mil-spec upper, but houses a 2-peice bolt that houses the bearings and the bearing surface that they lock against. This is not just another AR, no. This is some real innovation and I am glad to see it! Click through to TFB’s post to see more pics and a more detailed explanation of the action type. MSRP is $1,400-$1,500, which is a damn sight better than the standard blowback AR9’s $1,000-1,200 MSRP.

Can you tell I’m excited for this one?

BERETTA: BRX1

Beretta is making two appearances in the same SHOT coverage post, very unexpected! This time it’s for their new bolt gun, the BRX1. What makes this one interesting is that it isn’t a turnbolt, but a straight-pull rifle. Yes, straight-pull bolt guns seem to be gaining popularity. …kinda. Savage teased their Impulse straight-pull rifle back at SHOT 2021, but I have yet to see one in person (and I worked for a Savage-stocking gun shop all of ’21 and almost half of ’22). Okay, maybe straight-pull bolt guns aren’t becoming popular per se, but more popular than they used to be.

I’m a fan of the new Beretta BRX1 for the same reason I was initially interested in the Savage Impulse: left-hand compatibility. This new bolt gun head can be swapped to eject out the left side of the action, and the handle can be moved to either side, and I believe both can be done with a simple field-strip without tools (unconfirmed). As a lefty, bolt guns are an unrequited love, but this crop of modern straight-pulls promises to reciprocate. For more deets, click here.

HENRY: Homesteader 9mm PCC

In yet a FOURTH entry from left field, Henry (purveyors of fine lever guns) is now making a semi-automatic 9mm PCC. Never in a million years would I have expected that! The Homesteader (great name, BTW) is a semi-auto 9mm rifle with classic early-20th-century styling. It looks like your grandad’s old hunting gun, which is very much on-brand for Henry. The gun comes with peep sights, ambi bolt release, Mossberg-style tang safety, and the receiver is tapped for adding a rail. Now the cool part: The magwell is modular. The gun comes with 5- or 10-round proprietary mags, but the magwell can be swapped out to work with Glock, P320, and even M&P magazines! The barrel is even threaded from the factory.

It’s like Henry looked at the success of Ruger’s PPC, made it more user friendly, and classed it up with American Walnut just to prove the could. Credit to TTAG for this one.

Check back soon for more SHOT 2023 coverage.

https://progunmillennial.wordpress.com/2023/01/16/shot-show-2023-updated-1-16/