Month: November 2012

Categories
news

Gun Company Troubles

If the media is to be believed, gun companies are all making money hand over fist: Black Friday gun sales set all time records and the re-election of President Obama has sparked impulse buying.  However, there are a few companies that are experiencing some difficulties right now.

A fire in mid-November shut down the Dan Wesson Firearms plant, halting all production of their guns.  The good news is only one employee was injured, and he or she did not need hospitalization.  The bad news is the company does not expect to re-open for business in 2012.

Superstorm Sandy wiped out the Henry Repeating Arms manufacturing facility in Bayonne, NJ in late October.  An estimated three feet of seawater flooded the facility, damaging at least 100 of the company’s manufacturing machines.  Additionally, parts of the facility’s roof was destroyed and some inventory was soaked with sea- and rainwater.

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Categories
Holsters

New DeSantis Gear for 2013

DeSantis Pocket Shot holster
The new DeSantis Pocket Shot holster for the Ruger LCP with attached Crimson Trace Laserguard.

DeSantis pink Clip GripIn the final weeks of the year, DeSantis announced several new products: a pink Clip Grip, a new line of inexpensive leather gun belts and a Pocket Shot holster for the Ruger LCP with a Crimson Trace LG-431 attached.

Pink Clip Grip

The Clip Grip is a polymer revolver grip with a portion that sticks out to hook onto your belt or waistband.  This allows the shooter to carry the gun without using a holster.  This new model is in pink and will fit Smith & Wesson J-frame revolvers with a round butt.

While I don’t care much for pink gun parts, I have to admit that pink stocks are less likely to get you “made” should your shirt ride up and expose them briefly.

DeSantis states the grips are for right handed carry only, and is not recommended for “fast-paced physical activity.”

DeSantis Economy Belts

DeSantis Economy BeltFor less than $30, you can get a black leather belt that is reinforced for concealed carry duty.  DeSantis originally designed this belt as garrison belt for NYPD, but discovered it worked extremely well as a CCW belt also.  [Ed. note:  A garrison belt is used by police officers as a normal belt, that the heavier duty belt then attaches to.  The garrison belt runs through the pant loops and is not visible when a duty belt is worn.]

The Economy Belts use a powder coated (black) buckle an will be available in sizes 28 – 54.  A version of the belt with a Velcro-like closure, instead of a buckle, is $23.99 and is available in sizes S-XL.

DeSantis Pocket Shot holster
The new DeSantis Pocket Shot holster for the Ruger LCP with attached Crimson Trace Laserguard.

Pocket Shot for LCP with Laser

The DeSantis Pocket Shot is a leather pocket holster that allows the user to shoot the gun without removing it from the scabbard.  The new model fits a Ruger LCP with a Crimson Trace LG-431 Laserguard attached.  The Laserguard mounts on the exterior of the LCP, and requires specially fit holsters.

This Pocket Shot carries a MSRP of $41.99.

I expect we will see these new products at the DeSantis booth in January when we travel to the 2013 SHOT Show.

Categories
Handguns

Heizer Defense Pistol Images

Heizer Defense pistol

Heizer Defense pistol

At the 2012 NASGW Expo, Heizer Defense was spreading the word that they would be introducing a small pistol in the near future.  Jim Bruchas, the director of sales for Heizer Defense, suggested the new gun would be very similar to the DoubleTap pistol they had been contracted to produce for DoubleTap Defense before that relationship soured.

Here are the photos of the new Heizer Defense pistol.

As you can see, the new Heizer handgun bears a striking resemblance to the DoubleTap pistol.  Frankly, other than a few minor cosmetic blemishes, I cannot see much of a difference.

At the NASGW Expo, Bruchas told me that the DoubleTap pistol was uncomfortable to shoot, and that an ergonomic change would be made to improve the handling and reduce felt recoil.  Presumably, a change in the  backstrap area of the gun might accomplish this.  From the images, it is hard to tell if any significant modification was made.

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Categories
Ammunition Hunting

Winchester Varmint X Ammunition: Coyotes Beware

Winchester Varmint X box

Winchester Varmint X

With a focus on accuracy, Winchester Ammunition announced the introduction of the new Varmint X cartridge line.  The new ammo will be offered in four different calibers for a total of five loads.  See below for the exact details on each load.

The number of varmint hunters has rapidly increased in the recent past.  According to Winchester, this segment of the market has doubled in the past decade.  Understandably, ammo companies are moving to meet the specific needs of these hunters.

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Categories
Skills

LaserLyte Training Pistol

LaserLyte Trigger Tyme

LaserLyte Trigger Tyme

LaserLyte has a new training pistol:  the Trigger Tyme.  If you read the marketing materials on the training gun, it would seem to be an ideal tool, especially for Glock shooters.  But does it live up to that description?

Trigger Tyme

The LaserLyte training pistol is a blue plastic training gun that approximates the size and trigger pull of a Glock 19/23 pistol.  Unlike a Glock, the Trigger Tyme resets the trigger automatically after each pull.

The pistol does not contain a laser on its own.  The user must purchase a LaserLyte LT-PRO separately, which inserts into the end of the Trigger Tyme’s “barrel.”  While the separate purchase may be a bit of a pain for some people, the LT-PRO can still be used with normal firearms allowing for a greater degree of training flexibility.

LaserLyte LT-PRO
The LaserLyte LT-PRO inserted into the barrel of a handgun. The same training unit works with the Trigger Tyme.

The Trigger Tyme does not have a working slide and it is impossible to insert ammo into it.  So, other than a laser beam in the eye, the gun is very safe to use.  There cannot be any accidental or negligent discharges with this training gun.

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