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DECEMBER 5, 2024

VKTR Industries announces its nomination for “Emerging Brand of Year” at the 2025 Gundies Awards. VKTR industries is an American manufacturer of premier, self-regulating, short stroke piston rifles and accessories.
The final day for exhibitors to secure a spot at the highly anticipated Industry Day at the Range is Friday, December 6, 2024. With an impressive lineup of industry professionals, media, influencers and buyers, this event is the perfect opportunity to showcase your products and connect with over 2,000 key players in the firearms and outdoor industry.
DeSantis Gunhide introduces new holster fits for the Springfield Echelon 4.0C. The holsters, the #137 Slim-Tuk and the #195 Veiled Partner, are optics-compatible.

Mesa Tactical has introduced an extended version of its popular aluminum Truckee forend for the Beretta 1301 shotguns, originally announced in 2023. The new forend is 15¾ inches long, nearly three inches longer than the standard 13 inch version.
Safariland® announces the release of Echelon fits for the Incog X Inside-the-Waistband (IWB) holster. The addition of these new fits allows for ideal concealed carry of the Springfield Echelon and newly released Echelon Compact handguns for everyday carry (EDC) and duty use.
Liberty Safe, in partnership with Tractor Supply Company, announces a donation of $188,000 to Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled military personnel and first responders.

Brownells is proud to announce that its Veterans Day Week campaign has successfully raised $120,000 for Special Operations Wounded Warriors (SOWW), thanks to the overwhelming support of its customers. From November 11 to November 17, Brownells committed to donating 4% of all sales made at Brownells.com to SOWW.
X-Vision Optics announces its partnership with Hicks Inc., a premier wholesale distributor serving the outdoor and sporting goods industries. This partnership will provide more opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts to access X-Vision Optics’ premium products through a wider network of retailers.
Silencer Central announces it has broken ground on a new warehouse and distribution center located adjacent to its headquarters building. The new 60,000-square-foot facility will house state-of-the-art inventory and distribution lines for all Silencer Central products, as well as research and development infrastructure, including an indoor shooting range.

NSSF® is sending this update to notify members of a nationwide preliminary injunction which has been issued blocking enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”), and its reporting requirements.
NSSF® praised the San Diego County Superior Court’s decision to grant summary judgment in favor of Smith & Wesson, Inc. under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). The court decided Tuesday that Smith & Wesson, Inc. is not responsible for the horrendous criminal acts committed by a deranged murderer at the Chabad of Poway, in Poway, Calif., on April 27, 2019.
Liberty Ammunition, the leading manufacturer of self-defense ammunition, is partnering with Odle Sales on a nationwide basis.

S&W is seeking candidates for District Sales Manager in the territory of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
The Firearms Policy Coalition announced the filing of an important merits-stage brief with the United States Supreme Court in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., et al. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, which seeks to stop Mexico’s attempts to impose its gun control preferences on Americans through frivolous litigation.
Wilson Combat unveils Project 1, the inaugural release in the groundbreaking Division 77 series. Division 77 pays homage to the legacy of Bill Wilson’s 1911 standards set in 1977 while pushing the boundaries of modern weaponry.
Bear Creek Arsenal is now offering bolt action style uppers and rifles compatible with AR-15 lowers, now available in the powerful .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster. These new products are designed to seamlessly integrate with AR-15 lowers.
Aesir Brands, the maker of Hang-AR, maker of innovative firearm storage solutions, introduced the new STEALTH Gun Mount. It’s the latest addition to the Hang-AR system lineup. This device utilizes the M-LOK attachment of any platform gun or rifle to vertically hang the firearm in the owner’s preferred location. The STEALTH Mount features a quick attach/detach functionality or the setting screw can be applied for the mount to run full-time on the rifle.
Collector's Elite Auctions is proud to announce the opening of its December collection, featuring a curated selection of rare and exquisite firearms. This month's offerings include highly sought-after pieces, each representing the pinnacle of craftsmanship and history.
GunBroker.com announces a new partnership with Credova, a leader in Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) financing solutions. This collaboration introduces a transformative approach to purchasing firearms and accessories, making it easier and more accessible for both buyers and sellers.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. announced the release of two new Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite rimfire pistols. Combining reliability and accuracy with an attractive and updated style, these pistols have a custom pistol look without the custom price.
Rost Martin announced that the California Department of Justice has approved the sale of their California-compliant RM1C. On December 4, 2024, Rost Martin received confirmation that the RM1C pistol was added to the roster of certified handguns.
Luth-AR announced its latest giveaway for the month of December 2024. This month, participants have the chance to win a Lightweight Palm Handguard.The Lightweight Palm Handguard is designed to provide a comfortable and secure grip for the shooter, while also reducing weight and improving airflow to the barrel.
RETAY USA announced an exclusive Holiday Dealer Rebate Program on all Gordion models. This limited-time promotion offers RETAY USA dealers the best deals of the year with a MAP holiday and a $30 dealer credit for every Gordion sold during the promotional period, running from Dec. 1, 2024 – Jan. 15, 2025.
Thanksgiving Day 2024, Meprolight® kicked off the Black Friday Sales event running until December 12th. The response has been strong. Don’t miss out on your chance to save 10% on the top red dot optics, self-illuminated pistol, rifle, and shotgun sights you have been looking at. Tier 1 products designed to help you acquire the target quicker and accurately put rounds on it faster day or night.
The Armory Life announced the release of the Winter 2024 issue of The Armory Life print magazine, featuring a cover story on the new 1911 AOS line of optics-ready pistols. This quarterly print magazine complements the daily digital content available on TheArmoryLife.com.
Silencer Central has unveiled a new Customer Portal which gives all Silencer Central customers access to their information 24/7. This new service allows customers to see the status of their order, as well as online document control, giving the customers better access to their information.
 

Okay, what’s one thing good about them? Answer: The common availability of their armorers’ course for agencies, commercial sales and individual officers. There’s no reason not to be an armorer with this system.

If anyone were to ask … yes – I saw the video. The ca. 4-minute affair by a former member of service was a screed against the gun that has been the most issued law enforcement polymer-frame pistol and the trend-setter for pistols of that kind bridging the late 20th Century to the 21st. 

To summarize, he railed against (1) the trigger and (2) the ergonomics. 

The Lipseys P80 re-intro confirmed the original pistol was hard for this shooter to learn. Below, the Gen3 G19 and G26 were the guns that moved me into the system, both carried on duty – at the same time. The effort was worth it.

 

A word about those: the purpose of the sidearm is defensive; “… to stop fights,” in the words of the father of the Modern Technique. That it’s lousy at that job is fodder for another day. Let it suffice to say that if you can’t hit the target you’re attempting to service, it’s lousier. On that we can agree.

Part of putting rounds on target is, in fact, a manageable trigger. And I know some real trigger snobs – of which I’m not one. The job is to put rounds in the target – managing the trigger is my problem, not the gun’s. Likewise, having a gun that helps you in delivering the sights to the “preferred scoring area” is preferred to one you have to learn. 

My story – told often enough that many will put me on “pause” and move to the next paragraph – is that I was teaching nationally while employed by an agency that issued 3rd Generation S&W autoloaders. This was well into the “that ship has sailed” era when we couldn’t get holsters, spare parts and other needed items to support the system. Everywhere I went, LE students wondered about that “metal pistol” I used, which distracted those GLOCK-equipped children from the message. I sighed, got one of the “reprehensible” pistols, and expended 3 cases of ammo in training classes, practice and skill development to put me in control of the pistol. 

It worked and now re-configured frames by reputable custom shops (ROBAR was one) aren’t quite an advantage for me. 

Handling the gun is the user’s problem. Make it work. 

In the presenter’s defense, he did just that. The purpose of his story was that when he had the choice to use something else, he took advantage of the opportunity. No problem.

For my part, I find some aspects of “the original’s” design to be especially attractive. Aside from the fact that it’s ideal for issue due to broad after-market support and parts availability – as well as an active armorer’s program – it’s just a smart design.

First, that trigger. Many makers have gone to a “pretensioned” striker (not single-action, a term from the hammer-fired design era). Some have gone to great lengths to make that trigger drop (and handling) safe. I much prefer the partly-pretensioned striker which uses the sliding action of the draw bar to press the striker back into firing position before releasing it. It prevents the need for additional widgets and gizmos. That’s part of the trigger issue the video presenter had with the system.

The only GLOCK pistol with a trigger that needed help: the Gen4 G19. The trigger was sorted out with OEM parts (Guardian) from glocktriggers.com; in a more recent retirees LEOSA course, the back-up G19 was shot with good results. Sights are Trijicon.

Next is the use of solid pins for construction. If you have an active armory in an agency (or a commercial range), keeping roll pins in stock to replace one every time you knock it out (you do annual inspections for safety and serviceability, right?) is an expensive chore. How Glock got those solid pins to stay in his pistols is a wonder. The idea behind the spring steel roll pin is that the “spring” in the steel puts tension on the surrounding frame, keeping that pin from “walking” out with vibration. 

Finally, you don’t need a hydraulic press to push sights out. If you’re an armorer and “Fred” comes in with the pistol he dropped on the range (that he brought it in shows he didn’t try to grab it as it fell), you know that it’s going to take some effort – and perhaps a trip to the factory – to sort out. 

With the current system GLOCK uses, sight replacement is simple. It’s also simple to lose a sight if you don’t check that screw for snugness every time you clean the gun. 

You don’t get something for nothing. 

And I haven’t even written of the solid reliability of the piece – which is considerable. 

For those who are responsible for the issue of (and upkeep of) duty pistols, there are advantages. For individual users, “let those who ride decide.” 

— Rich Grassi

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