As rumored, Ruger announced its new line of handguns called the American Pistol. The new handguns are an impressive addition to the Ruger catalog, and I expect the guns will be extremely hot sellers. I also expect the guns will be a contender for the upcoming US military trials.
In general terms, the American Pistol is a line of duty-sized handguns that use a polymer frame and striker system. Initially, the guns will be available in both 9mm and .45 ACP, though the company hinted that these pistols are just the start of a vast line.
Just ahead of the new year, CZ-USA released a sneak peek at the new Bruin being manufactured under the Dan Wesson brand. The new pistol is a 1911-style gun in a long slide configuration that will be available in a variety of finishes and two powerful cartridges.
Sporting a 6.3″ match-grade barrel, the new Dan Wesson Bruin will be available in both 10mm and .45 ACP. The gun is quite a looker  in both the black and black and bronze two-tone finish. Both versions are fitted with some sharp looking VZ Grips. The black-only gun will be available in both calibers, while its 10mm only for the black & bronze model.
Ithaca Gun Company will launch a new hunting rifle at the 2016 SHOT Show. The new bolt-action gun has the classic stylings of a traditional hunting rifle with the niceties of modern design.
Initially, the rifle will be available in .308 Win and .300 Win Mag. The company will offer two barrel lengths: 20″ and 24″. There will be a variety of trigger options available.
The receiver is built from 4340 alloy. The bolt is a one piece design with two lugs and a M-16 style extractor. No word yet on pricing, but there will be a number of options available including a choice of stocks. I’m hearing the Tiger Maple and Black Walnut stocks will both be available on this rifle.
Ithaca began teasing this rifle about a month ago on its Facebook page, but has not released much more than a photo of the new gun.
Ithaca Gun Company opened shop in Ithaca, NY in 1883. Since that time, the company has changed hands and locations several times. The current owners purchased the company’s assets in 2007. At that time, the company was already located in Ohio.
In addition to the new hunting rifle, the company makes a line of shotguns and 1911 pistols. I’m hoping the current owners are able to keep things going both in terms of profitability and new designs.
Although inexpensive hunting rifle designs have been introduced in recent years by Mossberg, Ruger and others, I expect the Ithaca rifle sets aim at a more refined market that is less price sensitive. However, until the company releases suggested retail pricing information, I simply will not know.
Federal Premium will introduce a new line of ammunition under its American Eagle brand at the SHOT Show. Called Syntech, the new ammunition uses a polymer jacket instead of a more traditional copper one.
The new ammo will be offered in three handgun calibers at launch: 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. Bullet weights will be typical for the caliber: 115 grains for the 9mm, 165 grains for the .40 and 230 grains for the .45.
Using a polymer jacket has a number of potential advantages for the company and the shooter. First, Federal may be able to manufacture these bullets for less money than if the company used a traditional copper jacket. This can work out to be lower prices for the consumer.
Secondly, by using a polymer jacket, there can be less fouling of the bore. Plain lead bullets can leave quite a bit of residue behind that is tough to scrub out. Copper jackets reduce the fouling, but copper is still tough to remove from a bore. Any polymer left behind is likely to be easier to remove from the pistol’s barrel.
Another potential benefit of using a polymer jacket is a reduction in “splash back” when shooting steel. Shooting steel targets is both fun and useful as a training tool. However, one of the risks involved bullet shrapnel bouncing back at the shooter. Even when operating at supposedly safe distances, I’ve seen part of a copper jacket come back and strike a shooter just above the eye. In theory, a polymer jacket will not rebound off of steel in the same way that copper would.
American Eagle Syntech ammunition is not the first time the company has used a polymer jacket. Federal used a polymer jacket on its popular Nyclad line of ammo many moons ago, and still does on the modern Nyclad .38 Special rounds.
For these loads, Federal used a soft lead alloy that would readily expand at even low velocities. However, copper jackets would inhibit expansion, and bare lead would leave a lot of gunk behind in the gun. To solve the problem, a polymer jacket was developed.
While the Nyclad line was eclipsed by other defensive ammunition lines, I am not familiar with any problems with the ammo caused by the polymer jacket.
I do not have any word on pricing yet for these rounds. As I get additional information leading into the SHOT Show, I will update this article.
Ruger quietly updated the SR-556 Takedown rifle during Christmas week. The main, and perhaps only, change to the gun was the replacement of the heavy quad-rail handguard with a lighter KeyMod type. The quad-rail equipped rifle tipped the scales at 7.6 pounds, while the new one shaves off a a full half-pound to drop the rifle’s weight to only 7.1.
The front end felt a bit heavy on the original gun, so I am glad that Ruger decided to upgrade the gun with a KeyMod handguard. Dropping ½ pound will definitely be an improvement.
