It was refreshing to see SHOT Show back in 2022 after so many events were cancelled last year. The show began with the Industry Day At The Range, which was a chance for gun enthusiasts to get trigger time on the latest and greatest products. Despite each brand having a new pistol many would have loved to try out, Smith & Wesson and Savage were not present. Other brands such as Beretta and Sig were also absent, but their decision to withdraw from this year’s show was already known. Industry Day At The Range 2022 had many exhibitors and guns to shoot so here are some highlights:30 Super Carry
Federal’s new dedicated carry gun was finally available for us to try out. Although there is only so much information that you can get from firing a mag or so of ammo, it was possible to leave with some initial impressions. First, no one on the Gun Digest team or anyone else who saw it firing while we waited experienced any malfunctions. Second, the S&W Shield Plus in 30Super Carry is reliable. We saw that it was easy to feed and extract. Federal had two S&W Shield Pluses for testing. One chambered for 30 super carry and one chambered to 9mm for a direct comparison. The 30 Super Carry gun had less recoil than the 9mm version and was therefore easier to handle. The Nighthawk’s weight helped absorb recoil, making it a very comfortable pistol to shoot.
Aero had previously teased their intention of making suppressors several years ago but hadn’t revealed anything further about them until today. Aero Precision’s first line suppressors will be called “Lahar 30” and will be available later in the year. They will be competitively priced and come in three lengths. The white examples they showed off at Industry Day At The Range were not yet available, but the final products will be in black. They were tested on a.300 and a 5.56 AR. The.300 was quiet, but the 5.56 was quieter.
Palmetto State Armory today introduced their new PSAK-105, a 5.45x39mm AK gun inspired by the Russian AK-105. It looked great and was one of my favorite AKs to handle. It ships as a pistol with a sidefolding pistol brace. However, it also has the proper rear trunnion to allow for the installation of a stock if desired. I appreciate PSA’s ambition and innovation, however, I feel that their AKs still have room for improvement. The brace of the PSAK-105 did not fold as smoothly for me as I expected. Also, the magazine release was a little stiff. These little issues all reduce the “solidity” of AKs, and PSA will need to correct them if they want to compete with imported models. It was still a fun gun to shoot and didn’t malfunction seriously in any manner. I just have very high standards when dealing with Kalashnikovs.
A wildcard on this list doesn’t technically qualify as a firearm, but is only firearm-shaped. Byrna Technologies produces non-lethal defense products that are marketed to both civilians and law enforcement. Byrna’s CO2-powered products are powered by.68 caliber ball guns that can be used as deterrents with kinetic force or chemical irritants. Although the Byrna SD pistol is already available, new carbine-style options will soon be available. They were able to provide surprisingly good range and accuracy, especially when the CO2 cartridge was new. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. Get Free Targets
