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Crimson Trace Defender Series Lasers

Crimson Trace Accu-Guard XD(m)

Thanks to the good folks at Crimson Trace, I had a first look at the new Defender Series lasers they announced this week.  The Defender Series is a collection of red lasers aimed at the budget market.  The lasers run from $129 – 149 MSRP.  This is significantly less expensive than some of the other offerings from Crimson Trace.

According to Jeff Goddard, Director of Sales for Crimson Trace, the company is able to make the lasers less expensive by reducing the options on the units, not by using cheaper parts.  This means the customer should get the same high quality they have come to expect from all of the lasers in the Crimson Trace line.

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Gun Industry News

Here are a few of the new bits of gear and other gun information to hit my mailbox in the past few days…

Burris Eliminator scopes

Burris Eliminator II and III LaserScopes

Burris is now shipping the Eliminator II and Eliminator III LaserScopes to dealers.  The scopes are an extension of the original Eliminator LaserScope that use an automated trajectory compensation system to help improve shooter accuracy.

The Eliminator started shipping last month.  It is a 3.5-10×40 with a 0.3 MOA dot.  MSRP is $799.  The Eliminator II and III are 4-12×42 and 4-16×50 scopes respectively.  MSRP is $999 for the II and $1,499 for the III.

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Industry News Roundup

TAPCO AR-15 Magazine
TAPCO AR-15 Magazine

Days before the NASGW Expo, news is starting to move at a much faster pace including announcements of new guns, shooting gear and even corporate acquisitions.  Here are a few of the things that are leaking out ahead of this week’s show.

Remington Arms acquires TAPCO

The Remington Arms Company picked up gun accessory maker TAPCO, expanding the company’s reach throughout the shooting market.  TAPCO manufactures a wide range of firearm parts, mainly for rifles.  I know a lot of people that have relied on their replacement AK and SKS parts to ensure 922r compliance.

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Gun Culture 2.0

Michael Bane introduced me to the idea of “Gun Culture 2.0,” and I recently offered my views on the changing face of the gun culture in an article at Human Events.

Cam Edwards of the Cam & Company radio show invited me on Wednesday night to talk about my views on the changing gun culture.  Essentially, I stated that the latest generation of gun owners is a much more diverse crowd and that those of us in the older, or more traditional, gun culture should be as welcoming as possible.

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Smith & Wesson Posts Another Record Quarter; Looks to Future

Smith Wesson LogoFresh off record breaking profits in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, Smith & Wesson is looking to the future, reducing operating costs and gearing up for increased production of the M&P pistol line.

According to a press release from Smith & Wesson, Q1-2013 (ending August 31, 2012) was quite good for the company with record net sales and profits plus a reduction in operating costs.

Key Points

  • net sales of $136 million, up more than 48% from Q1-2012
  • gross profit of $51.3 million, or 37.7% of net sales
  • gross profit up from $26.5 million in Q1-2012
  • operating expenses down by $1 million when compared to Q1-2012
  • net income a record $18.9 million, up from $2.3 million in Q1-2012
  • cash on hand at end of Q1-2013 was $60.5 million