SHOT Show, gun lovers from throughout the world make the Haj to Las Vegas every year to see the latest and greatest in the gun industry.  To those that have never attended it is almost impossible to describe the experience.  One is easily overwhelmed by the presence of almost 3000 different vendors.

Imagine over a dozen football fields of guns and everything that goes with them!  The Spotter Up Team covered SHOT Show 2017 with seven intrepid souls and we’ll be writing about the sheer awesomeness we saw until next year’s Shot Show.  As a sneak peak and small taste below are some of the most interesting, innovative and potentially trend setting products Spotter Up’s staff were able to fondle.  Enjoy!

MARCO

Ever experienced mission prep with pregame craft time, this innovation will rock your world.  Gone are the days of “chemlight parties”: taping, bundling, and carrying a gaggle of chemsticks  for room clearing marking is now obsolete. Thank you, dear Baby Jesus, 7 pounds 8 ounce of infantile omnipotence, for Blue Force Gear’s Marking and recognition chemstick organizer, or MARCO for short.  This innovation streamlines the cluster that used to be chemlight dispensing, into tactically efficient baddassery.  So unless you enjoy sitting in a semicircle- crisscross applesauce- holding hands, and wasting precious mission prep time with your outdated chemstick gaggle, by all means check out Blue Force Gear’s MARCO which will become available this quarter.” – Derek Dutton

Trijicon 1-8×28 AccuPower Sight

“Trijicon listened to its customers once again and came out with the 1-8×28 AccuPower scope. Initial impressions were “Wow!”. The glass was very clean and clear. With a true 1x and an illuminated reticle I think they hit this one out of the park. It has a couple of options on reticles and colors.  Powered by a single CR2032 lithium battery, it has an easy-to-operate brightness adjustment dial with eleven brightness settings and an “off” feature between each setting. This to me is one of the winners of Shot Show 2017.” – Jon Dufresne

Hudson H9

“After I pulled the trigger on Hudson’s H9 my first word was, “WOW!”  Hudson had a small booth with about eight of their new 1911 inspired striker fired all steel 9mm pistols that was constantly 2-3 people deep the whole show.  The enthusiasm is justified.  This small company has created a unique pistol with an exceptionally low bore axis and innovative recoil system. The 1911 lines and dimensions are impossible to ignore and will have a reassuring feel to the 1911 owner.  The trigger reset is out of this world.  It might even help make diehard 1911 owners cross the great divide and embrace a 9mm striker fired gun. “ – Will Rodriguez

CZ P10

“CZ’s P10 is going to make a HUGE splash in the gun owning crowd.  CZ’s multiple samples had crowds around them the whole show.  This gun has the potential of being a Glock killer.  The gun even fits Glock 19 holsters.  The only thing this gun is missing in comparison to the Glock 19 is the Glock’s history of reliability.  CZ though is no slouch when it comes to reliability or performance only time will tell in that respect but one thing is clear.  The trigger of an out of the box CZ P10 is awesome!  It is extremely smooth, breaks clean and has a quick/solid reset.  Full disclosure, I own and carry a Glock 19.”  – Will Rodriguez

Zippo

I stopped by the Zippo display, just to say hi. (Yes, Zippo) I’m a bit old-fashioned, and despite advice from some aficionados, I prefer to light my Degenerate cigars with the old-school WWII replica. Zippo had an awesome historical display, and I shared with their media guru Amanda, the torch vs. flame dilemma. She promptly showed me a Zippo model which had a round metal piece on top over the flame, which would fit a heavy ring cigar. The flame would envelop the entire cigar, rather than having to rotate it and worry about hot spots. I have been unable to find a reference photo since, and will have to contact Amanda for details on the official release.  – Steve Rab

The “Fix” Rifle by Q

There isn’t much known about these guns or this company, and there were no reps to be found where they were on display at the EOTech booth. However i did manage to find a small booklet on these rifles that explained some of the thought behind their design. The intention behind the “Fix” Rifle rifles was to make a lightweight, modular rifle that is a highly accurate precision bolt gun, which partially mimics the manual of arms found on the AR platform of rifles, and to bring it to market at a price point the average gun owner could afford. They created a unique bolt action for this gun, and their motto is “do the unpossible”……color me intrigued. – Josh Shaw

CTRL ONE Glasses

“Technology has come a long way it is really continuing. CTRL Eyewear has come out with “CTRL One Glasses”.  They sport lenses that go from clear to tinted and back instantly. Yes, I said instantly. This will change things for the bunch of us that shoot in the day and night or indoor. The lenses are made of polycarbonate and high impact nylon TR90. They charge via USB Micro and have an operational time of 70 hours. They come in a few colors and are priced right around any high-end eyewear.” – Jon Dufresne

Falkor Defense Breacher

“Falkor Defense makes some very high end combat rifles, and I’ve been aware of them via social media for a while but I’ve never seen them in person before. I made sure to visit their booth to see what the fuss was about, and wow. I was drawn to this Breacher rifle because of its incredible lines and finished aesthetics, but when i handled the rifle i really fell in love. It just felt so SMOOTH. They also have been using Proof Research barrels in their builds but this year are bringing their own proprietary barrels to market, called the Dracos, which sport a metal sleeve around the barrel to control the thermal build up under fire. If you aren’t aware of Falkor Defense, you won’t regret checking them out. You’re wallet may, however.” – Josh Shaw

SOLKOA

“SOLKOA is a company that offers survival products to individuals operating in some of the harshest climates in the world. Within the past two years they have developed a product to accommodate the everyday individuals’ survival needs for long term situations. The S3 System’s provides survival needs regarding: Tools, fire, navigation, medical, water, signal, shelter and food. The biggest advantage isn’t necessarily the components of the kits they are offering, but the size. They provide the ability to survive various situations in a pouch that is compressed so it takes minimal room from a standard backpack, conveniently offering you the ability for survival in 8 separate needs. This product provides the ability for survival from those who find themselves on a hiking trip for a weekend or in a foreign country for a couple of weeks, each would benefit equally.” – Jay Amra

Sig Sauer P320 X5

“With the news that the US Army’s new service pistol will be the Sig Sauer P320, fans of Sig pistols are likely to rejoice in their renewed justification and loyalty to the company line. I like Sigs very much personally, but I also like Glocks and HKs, and well… I like most guns. I was extremely interested in the different variants of the Sig P320 line that were on display at SHOT show, as i have been considering getting a P320 since they first hit the market, but could never really justify the purchase of another striker fired 9mm. Now with the X5 variant, i may have to pull my wallet out and cough up some cash. The X5 looks like it’s got everything you would want out of a factory competition pistol, including RMR cut, mag well, lightening cuts and upgraded trigger. I am in the market for a new competition handgun, and man this pistol is hitting all the right buttons.” – Josh Shaw

TOPS KNIVES

“Regardless of your profession or desire there is a vast array of knives to choose from wherever you look. Quality is sacrificed for price on many occasions but never price for quality. TOPS KNIVES is a company that looks to solve that problem to an extent. It’s not a household name like Benchmade or Kershaw but they are already proving to be a very legitimate competitor, if not exceeding. The amount of knives they currently offer borders exhausting, but each one of their blades is backed by several years of military, outdoor and martial arts experience. This is something that is promised by very few companies, however, in this community it holds a lot of weight. So regardless; if you you’re a mountain man looking to survive or just looking for a gift for a holiday, TOPS KNIVES will most likely exceed every one of your expectations.” – Jay Amra 

CZ USA CZ Scorpio Evo series of submachine products and CZ 805 Bren

“I was surprised by the amount of awesomeness by CZ USA. I guess in LE and Mil realms that typically isn’t a brand which gets mentioned. But I think some of the new products which will hit those markets first, and later expand to the 2A and sport audience will be very refreshing. Specifically, the CZ Scorpio Evo series of submachine products and CZ 805 Bren. They feature a very thought out package of features, which are not only fairly priced, but also offer out-of-the box custom fit. Adjustable grip, folding and adjustable stock, modular configuration and easy maintenance, just might make this up and coming company a more frequent appearance at Sheepdog team house near you.” – Steve Rab

SERT

“I liked the SERT Tactical Carbine Rifle cases. This is a local brand and I hadn’t realized they were up the street from me. Members of the FBI HRT and of course Marines coming out of Quantico select this brand. The rifle case come with PALS webbing  both on the insides of the main compartment and the large outside pocket allows you to configure the mount and provides sufficient space for you to attach any of your existing PALS related pouches. It has two sets of External D-Rings that allow versatility of strap placement; shoulder carry or quiver carry (rear). The shoulder straps are adjustable and they use a close cell foam. Many other features. My amusement when the owner told me he used to design women’s clothing for Donna Karan but it made sense. Any designer worth his weight understands form, function and fashion are just some of the things buyers look for. Don’t lie. If we weren’t interested in cool looking, useful gear we’d carry everything in garbage bags.” – Mike Kurcina

War Lock Multiple Caliber System

“Frontier’s patented War Lock multiple caliber system unlocks the potential of an AR platform by enabling the user to utilize multiple calibers with a quick conversion. While fun on its own, for those who rely on this weapons system for a living, the potential for negotiating and ending a high threat situation are amazing.” – Steve Rab

FT Bullseye

“Another impressive item is an FT Bullseye by The Mako Group and Meprolight. Both very innovative Israeli companies, which have proven themselves on many battlefields. The FT is a micro pistol optic, which replaces your rear sight, and offers the potential to eliminate the front sight. It also enables for additional modularity, which we will explore in the near future. Already a little controversial based on some blog posts, I feel that anyone with practice will be able to acquire the sight and target as fast as with any current system they are used to. After several repetitions, I was really comfortable and excited for these products.”  – Steve Rab

FARM TO FEET

“As someone that has put literally thousands of miles beneath my feet as runner for the last 38 years I was impressed with the company Farm to Feet. There’s a lot to like from this brand. First off, it is all American made. That’s right-made here in the good ‘ol USA. Farm to Feet is an independent American brand. I stopped by the booth and the representative Anna Martin gave me a pair to try out. Some of their features are: targeted cushioning zones with terry cushioning where it’s needed. There’s half density cushioning in the shin and heel to maximize comfort in key impact areas while minimizing bulk in footwear like ski boots. Their medium weight socks offer additional cushioning in the calf for added warmth. One of the best features was their advanced knitting techniques that created a totally flat seam in the toe box. No bulkiness and it was comfortable around my toes. I wore the sock all over SHOT show and throughout the entire night. I never had tired feet. Excellent item and I’m looking to get my hands on a few more pairs. I may try out their midweight tactical line of socks.” – Mike Kurcina