2015 NRA Show – Nashville Tennessee

Perhaps second only to the annual SHOT Show, the National Rifle Association Annual Meeting & Exhibits (aka: the NRA Show) is always a major outdoors and firearms event where new guns and other products are introduced and shown to the buying public.

For 2015, the expo will be in Nashville, and I will be there covering the event.

Check back on this page for regular updates throughout the show. Much of my time will be spent on the floor looking for new things and talking to manufacturers. As I have time, I will upload new information to this page so you can stay abreast of things.

Guns – Rifles, Shotguns and Pistols

The NRA show often sees a number of new guns introduced. In past years, major new releases like the Smith & Wesson Shield have been announced.

What will this year hold? It looks like a few major new guns as well.

Palmetto State Armory AK-47 Semi-Automatic Rifle

Palmetto State Armory will roll out the new 100% American made AK-pattern rifle in about 45 days. There have been some updates to the design since it was announced at the SHOT Show. Read more about the guns here.

Heizer PKO45 Semi-Auto Pistol

Heizer is currently developing a semi-auto pistol chambered in .45 ACP. Still in development, the new gun should be ready for sale in about a year. Ok, it is a long way off.

The PKO45 is a very thin pistol designed around a single-stack, five-shot magazine. Although the company is still finalizing parts of the design, the basic gun is complete. It will be approximately 0.7″ thick at its widest.

According to Heizer, the frame of the production gun will be machined stainless-steel. Eventually, the company may produce a pistol with an aluminum frame to lighten the gun’s weight.

The PKO45 will use a fixed barrel.

Currently, the company expects to start shipping the gun around the time of the 2016 NRA show. Heizer expects the retail price point will be between $529 and $590.

Since the gun is still a prototype, Heizer allowed me to handle, but not photograph, the new pistol. To visualize the approximate size of this pistol, it reminded me of a taller Heizer PS1. Instead of a thin barrel assembly, there is now a barrel and slide assembly that is necessarily larger. Oh – and it is pretty darn ugly.

Signal 9 Reliant Pistols

Signal 9 was at the show with a prototype of the Reliant quad-barrel pistol. The guns are set to ship in the later part of the summer. Guns will be available in one of four calibers and with or without red and green lasers. Pricing ranges from $449 – $699. Initial caliber offerings will be: .32 H&R Magnum, .32 ACP, .380 ACP and .38 Special.

Colt Python Revolver Clone

F.LLI Pietta confirmed the company is in the process of introducing a Colt Python clone to the US market. According to Alessandro Pietta, the company is waiting on BATFE approval for importation. He advised that once the company has approval, importation will begin. Alessandro stated the company anticipates importation into the US in mid-summer. The new guns do not have an MSRP set, but he expects they will sell for $600 – $700.

Diamondback FS Nine 9x19mm Parabellum Pistol

The FS Nine was introduced some time back, and I was given a heads up on it even before that. However, this was the first time I made the time to check it out in person. For me, the grip frame was too large. However, for someone with large hands, I could see that they might like the shape and feel of it.

The trigger pull seemed unusually heavy for a striker-fired pistol. The model I examined had a gray frame and black slide. The finish looked to be good.

Rare Springfield Armory M1 Garand Rifle

Rock Island Auctions was at the NRA show exhibiting a number of rare items that are coming to the block later this month. One of these unusual guns is an M1 Garand that was part of the SALVO project. The project was an effort by the military to improve the effectiveness of the infantry through improved wounding capabilities of rifles and ammunition. I’ve previously talked about the Winchester SALVO rifle that used a pair of FALs made into a side-by-side rifle.

This rare M1 Garand has a fiberglass stock and is chambered in 22-308, an experimental cartridge that used a .308 case with a .22 caliber projectile. This gun is in exceptional condition and is one that I wish I could afford. More information on this gun and auction can be found here.

Beretta APX Handgun

Unfortunately, the APX was a no-show in the Beretta booth. The company had a pre-printed card on the APX that they handed to me when I inquired about the gun. The card did not provide a lot of additional information on the pistol, but it did confirm the company would offer commercial models later this year. Also, it stated Beretta will submit a variant of the pistol to the US Army Modular Handgun trials.

Beretta also stated the gun would probably not be at SOFIC (Special Operations Forces Industry Conference) in May. I will be at that show and see if that changes.

Colt 1903 Pistol

Announced at the 2015 SHOT Show, the “new” Colt 1903 pistols were on display at the NRA show. Here is the current information on the guns:

• Colt’s Manufacturing Company contracted US Armament Corp to build 5,000 guns.
• Of those, 3,500 will be offered for sale to the public.
• The MSRP on these guns will be about $1,200.
• Shipping of the new gun is expected to begin in June.

According to the US Armament Corp rep I spoke with, the 1903 may become a regular catalog item depending on how well the limited edition pistols sell.

Remington RM380 – Additional Details About this CCW Pistol

Farther down on this page, I have more information on this pistol. However, I wanted to give you my initial impressions of the gun.

• The gun is lighter than I would have thought for a metal framed pistol.
• Even though it is small, it fit my hand fairly well.
• The sights are nearly useless, but so are the sights on a Ruger LCP and a lot of other tiny guns.
• The trigger has a very long pull that builds to a heavy break. The rep advised the trigger breaks at 10 pounds, but it felt like a bit more than that to me.

The RM380 is supposed to go into production in May with the first guns to be on dealer shelves in June. This is the same schedule as the R51.

Remington Arms R51 Update

Full information on the R51 including a new delivery date and the changes made to the gun can be found by clicking here.

FN M249S – Not a Machine Gun

FN-USA announced they are now selling a semi-automatic version of the SAW light machine gun. The rifles feed from both magazines and belts of linked ammunition like the MG will. The rifles are chambered for the 5.56 NATO cartridge, and are equipped with a chrome-lined 20.5″barrel.

Update: I spoke with an FN Herstal rep who was able to provide some additional information on the M249S. The guns are expected to sell for about $7,000. The first guns should ship by the end of 2015.

The initial rifles will be collector editions that will include spare barrels slings and all of the accessories the full machine gun would be equipped with. The rep was not able to provide a MSRP of the special editions.

Heckler & Koch P30SK

Heckler & Koch announced the introduction of the P30SK pistol at the NRA show. The pistol is a concealed carry version of the P30 handgun. It is chambered in 9mm, and the mags hold 11 rounds. The MSRP is $719.

Wilson Combat Tactical Carry 1911 in .45 ACP and .38 Super

Wilson Combat introduced a new 5″ 1911 for concealed carry. The guns are available in 9mm, .45 ACP and .38 Super. As with all of the Wilson Combat pistols, the gun has a lot of fine details from the G10 starburst grips to the fluted chamber. The MSRP is $3,750.

Magnum Research Magnum Lite Rifle Refresh

Magnum Research announced they will be replacing the existing line of Magnum Lite rimfire rifles that use laminate stocks with rifles that use a lighter weight walnut stock. The rifles will be equipped with graphite bull barrels for light weight. The rifles have a number of other great features. The MSRP runs from $824 – $941.

Glock 43 – 9mm for Concealed Carry

The Glock 43 is a reality. After years of demands from consumers, Glock finally announced the single-stack 9mm pistol many have been clamoring for. I will be at the official unveiling on Thursday night, prior to the NRA show. Check out my list of holsters for the Glock 43 here. Streamlight is also making the TLR-6 for the G43.

Remington RM380

Well, the folks at Remington will introduce a new .380 ACP compact pistols called the RM380. This gun has been rumored for more than a year, and was shown at two recent “writers-only” events hosted by Remington.

Essentially, the gun is a metal-framed pocket gun that is hammer-, not striker-, fired.

I’m not sure what to say about this gun, as Remington has yet to make good on all of the people who wasted money on the R51 pistols.

New Smith & Wesson M&P22 in .22 Long Rifle

Just days before the show, Smith & Wesson announced a new version of the M&P22 Compact pistol. This new gun will have a threaded barrel for the easy attachment of a suppressor. Also, the company announced kits to retrofit existing M&P22 pistols already in the hands of shooters.

Baby Desert Eagle III – New 9x19mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP Pistol

Magnum Research announced the new Baby Desert Eagle III line of pistols that will be officially introduced at the NRA show. Guns will be available with either polymer or steel frames. These are hammer-fired guns and will be available in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. MSRP will run from $646 – $691 depending on the model.

Kahr Arms Gen2 Premium Series

Kahr began showing the company’s Gen2 series of pistols at the 2015 SHOT Show. I did not get to spend much time with them or talk to any of their people about the guns. Kahr sent out a press release about the guns being at the NRA show, so I expect to see them there. I also hope to catch a company rep for a few minutes to talk about the guns.

Gear for Your Firearm and Shooting Range

Guns aren’t the only thing being shown at the show. Anything from holsters to ammunition to hunting gear will also be at the event. If it is not a firearm, it will be in this section.

Next Generation Blackhawk Knoxx Shotgun Stock

While at the Blackhawk booth, Chuck Buis took the time to show me the next generation of Knoxx recoil reducing shotgun stock. The new Knoxx stocks have a number of changes to them that include:

• elimination of the offset spring in the pistol grip,
• making the rearward recoil spring tunable,
• adding a honeycomb recoil pad, and
• the fore end allows the shooter to add a Picatinny rail for a light or other device.

These stocks will be available first for the 870, and they will be followed by stocks for the Mossberg 500/590 series and Stevens shotguns. Since the spring is tunable, the stocks will be available for both 12 and 20 gauge shotguns. Blackhawk estimates the felt recoil reduction is exceptional: up to 80%.

Crimson Trace Laserguard for Glock 43

Crimson Trace announced a new Laserguard, the LG-443, for the Glock 43 pistol. The Laserguard will be available with red and green aiming lasers. The red version (LG-443) will carry a retail price of $229. The green version (LG-443G) has a suggested retail price of $299.

Blackhawk A.R.C. Holster

Blackhawk announced a new appendix carry holster that is made of a soft, injection-molded polymer. The rig is adjustable for ride height and cant, plus it can be set up for right- or left-handed carry. The price is a very affordable $22.45.

XS Sights Partners with SilencerCo on Iron Sights Designed for Sound Suppressors

XS Sight Systems and SilencerCo have partnered on tall sights designed for pistols equipped with suppressors. Initially, the sights will be made for 1911 pistols. Sights for double-stack Glock 9mm pistols will be introduced later. The sight sets will use an XS Sights Standard Dot tritium up front and a SilencerCo U-notch rear sight.

LaserLyte Mighty Mouse Laser Grips for North American Arms Mini Mag in .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire

For the 2015 NRA show, LaserLyte announced a new laser aiming device for all of the NAA Mini Mag .22 WMR revolvers. Called the Mighty Mouse, the units weigh less than an ounce and retail for $129.99.

SIG Sauer .300 AAC Blackout Ammunition

SIG SAUER announced they were officially releasing a new 300 BLK load. The ammo uses a 125 gr Sierra MatchKing bullet and is listed as “supersonic.” An exact velocity was not immediately available.

Plan B Update – Now MagFix

Paul Carlson of the Safety Solutions Academy will be at the show, and I plan on catching up with him to talk more about the Plan B. The Plan B is an extended magazine base plate for the Smith & Wesson Shield that solves the problems with the factory mag.

The photo above is of the latest prototype.

Update: The Plan B was renamed to MagFIX. The shipping product is an injected molded design that is made in the USA. You can read my review of the MagFix here.

Apex Tactical Trigger for Smith & Wesson SD Pistols

I think the Smith & Wesson SD series of pistols is one of the best values in self-defense handguns on the market today. The guns run very reliably and are dirt cheap. However, the trigger leaves something to be desired. Apex Tactical is showing a new Flat Faced Action Enhancement Sear & Trigger kit at the NRA show. This kit will smooth the pull, reduce pre- and over-travel plus reduce the overall pull weight by about three pounds.

Hopper Spit – Designed to Stop Corrosion

Birchwood Casey announced a new long-term rust preventative called Hopper Spit. This is supposed to provide excellent protection to guns and other metals when stored for extended periods of time.

Special Events at the 2015 SHOT Show

Every NRA show has a number of events and celebrity appearances going on. Here are a few things that you will be interested in…

Grant Cunningham

Published author and good friend Grant Cunningham will be at the Armed Citizen’s Legal Defense Network booth (#2455) on Friday, April 10th (noon to 2 pm.) He will be signing and giving away free copies of his newest book, Defensive Pistol Fundamentals.

On Saturday, April 11th, Grant will be at the Steyr booth (#201) from 1 pm – 3 pm to talk about the company’s pistols and the AUG.

Glock Event

Thursday night, Glock is having an event at a local range where they will allow invitees a chance to shoot the new Glock 43. It sounds like this will be a crowded event, but I will be there to get an impression of the new gun. I’ll post up photos and information from that event.

Event Information

This year, the NRA’s Annual Meeting & Exhibits is happening right in Music City: Nashville, Tennessee. The Music City Center is where the exposition will be held:

If you’ve never been to Nashville before, you might want to plan to spend an extra day or two there to enjoy the town. It is an exciting place with lots to do for everyone in the family beyond the 2015 SHOT Show.

The Music City Center has more than 350,000 square feet of exhibit space. In case you are wondering, that is a heck of a lot of floor space available for firearms manufacturers to show their stuff.

Assuming you are coming in from out of town, the NRA has a travel page set up with hotel information.