News from the SHOT Show

[cbrick]

I'm still at the show, 2 more days to go and sore feet already.

I am posting on my web site some of the new products (mostly ones that interest me :D) and there are some that I'm sure will be of interest to the boolit makers here.

A new Lyman cast bullet handbook, 4th edition, a new Lyman 10 pound ladle lead pot ($40.00), new stuff from Hornady & more. Check out what I've gotten posted so far, not complete yet but working on it.

The 2010 SHOT Show (http://www.lasc.us/SHOT2010.HTM)

Rick

[MT Gianni]

Nice report Rick.

[MtGun44]

Thanks for the update! Nicely done.

Bill

[Rocky Raab]

The 4th edition isn't out quite yet, though. Expect late Spring to Summer. I'll get an early one for review.

Most component makers have few new products, their entire energy being with meeting current demand.

[Storydude]

Did you happen to see any of the ATF raids? FWIW, S&W has some 'splaining to do.

[cbrick]

I just expanded the report to include the T/C HotShot, if you have kids you gotta see this. Also a bit on the new Winchester 94 and questions to all of the primer mfg's.

Still working on it, more to come.

The 2010 SHOT Show Report (http://www.lasc.us/shot2010.htm)

Rick

[RobS]

cbrick:

Thanks for your report on the show; you have done a very nice job with your informative write-up.

[captaint]

Rick,
Thanks for the report!! Well done & informative. Wow, a Win 94 for 1500.00 and weird blueing?? We'll look for more updates tomorrow. Thanks again Mike

[Rocky Raab]

I'll be compiling a short summary of what I saw at SHOT over the next day or so. Too exhausted from the drive to do much right now.

But of the areas I explored (reloading and ammunition), there isn't all that much new. Except for lead-free bullets, the industry says it spent the past year just trying to catch up with existing products - not in generating even more demand!

Details soon ...

[bullshot]

Very nice report. Thanks from one who cannot attend.

[cbrick]

Just posted a vast amount of "what's new". If your interested in the new products from the SHOT Show you better re-fill the coffee cup before you begin.

SHOT Show report (http://www.lasc.us/shot2010.htm)

More to come.

Rick

[9.3X62AL]

Rick--

Nicely done, and THANK YOU for all the "shoe leather" put in during the Show.

The primer questions (and their answers) were pretty interesting. I'm not impressed by the treatment that TDK's reps gave you, but I'm willing to extend them some "benefit of doubt". I would imagine that primer questions have been the most-asked subject matter for the past year and a half, and the company and its people are likely tired of answering. That Big Green and Dead Red were courteous and informative is a credit to their patience. I suspected that consumer demand was VERY high, but 10X normal surprises me to hear. Small wonder they disappeared from shelves, and stayed gone.

1000 bones for an Angle-Eject safety-equipped Model 1894 Winchester ain't gonna happen at this house, I don't care how good or bad the finish is.

[9.3X62AL]

Thanks also to you, Rocky. I'll bet you're about worn out.

[Rocky Raab]

Rick, did you mean ATK instead of TDK? ATK is the parent company of Speer, CCI, Federal and more.

I was treated very brusquely at Federal/Speer as well. Was ushered to a sort of receptionist who told me to speak to two guys in suits. They were both talking to one attendee (probably a major buyer) because they turned to eyeball me, took one glance at my nametag and very pointedly turned their backs and walked off with the "big spender."

I DID get to speak with two very nice folks in that mega-display. One was the CCI rimfire ammo engineer/ballistician and another was a PR guy. The PR guy told me that they had recently added to primer production with new workers and expanded shifts - but that new equipment is not in the forecast due to time lag and the expected decline in demand this next year.

BTW, EVERY primer maker told me that they expect a dramatic decline in demand this year. Hoarding seems to be over (and scalping along with it), backorders are being filled and new orders are about at historical averages. That's for reloaders, not for gummint orders. He could not predict what the government might do. (Smart man!)

[cbrick]

oops, your absolutely correct, fixed it, thanks.

If you have anything you would like to include in this page I would be more than happy to do so. Full credit to the author of course.

Rick

[Rocky Raab]

Very kind offer, Rick, but as I was on assignment for a magazine, I have to hold the "properly written" stuff for them.

As an aside, I toured the Berry's Manufacturing plant on the way home for a different article. How I sighed when gazing at pallet upon pallet of lead pigs! I half-joked about slipping one of those 63-pound ingots into my truck. They didn't laugh.

[archmaker]

Thank you from those of us that did not make the show. :)

Great article and good information. I am interested to see the new ruger 9, with everyone buying the 380, I was looking for a small 9, that was not a Glock for CCW.

Just have to wait, glad I have waited so far, your report may change how I plan on spending some of my "mad" money this year. (Mad money - "Hell Fighters - John Wayne" I get an "allowance" wife gets an allowance, what I do with it she never asks and vice versa)

[Boomer Mikey]

Another outstanding job Rick,

I enjoyed seeing you at the SHOT SHOW and enjoyed your company.

I agree with all of your comments about the Winchester 94's... they won't get any of my dollars for a painted finish on an over priced rifle. Some one needs to get a dose of common sense at Winchester... how long can a corporation milk a reputation to sell overpriced replicas of an American Icon of a working man's rifle?

I've been using Thunderbird 8208 for 10 years or so, it's a very versatile powder similar to H335 and my results have been very satisfying with 444 Marlin, 45-70, 35/30-30, 38-55, and 223 cast bullet loads.

I really enjoy your excellent work on the LASC website.

Thank you!

Boomer

[Ajax]

Awesome report Rick thats from one who could not make it.

Andy

[cbrick]

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words. http://www.lasc.us/smiley4.gif

Rick

[giz189]

Did you happen to see any of the ATF raids? FWIW, S&W has some 'splaining to do.
What is this about?

[cbrick]

Added a little more to the SHOT Show report including a photo of the FA single shot and new red dot scope mounts for FA's. New brass from Lapua.

The 2010 SHOT Show (http://www.lasc.us/SHOT2010.HTM)

Rick

[jbunny]

i would like to hear more on the lead free bullets
thanks
jb

[TCLouis]

Is the forth edition going to be a significant updat or rehash of old data in a reprint?


It will take some doing to outdo the combined knowledge and opinions right here!

[cbrick]

Well TCLouis, Lyman says:

The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook has been updated and expanded for 2010 with the 4th edition and it should be on dealers shelves by about June. In addition to chronicling data for Lyman’s entire line of rifle and pistol moulds, the new 4th Edition Cast Bullet Handbook is the first with data for selected moulds from other manufacturers where those bullet designs or weights would be of interest to cast bullet experimenters. New calibers like the Ruger Compact Magnums, .327 Federal have also been added as have a number of black powder loads for the popular older cartridges.

Rick

[MakeMineA10mm]

What is this about?

On the first or second day of the show, the FBI (actually, I guess, a task force of several federal agencies, lead by the FBI), arrested 28 firearms business executives, including presidents of small companies all the way to the VP of marketing for S&W.

All of the arrests came from a 2-year sting operation where, as I understand it, an industry insider who had his own federal law-breaking difficulties, turned into a federal mole and basically introduced some undercover agents as members of the government of an African country. The deal was, the execs agreed to pay a bribe in the form of a kick-back, in order to get the contract to supply pistols/other arms to this country's executive security unit (basically it's version of the Secret Service).

If you google "S&W Exec arrested" you'll get some full reports, better than my description here.

[S.R.Custom]

FBI Press Release:
http://tinyurl.com/yf8o7v8

NYTimes article:
http://tinyurl.com/ygkvpzf

And the word on the "street":
http://tinyurl.com/yzje9kx

[AviatorTroy]

Im not a lawyer, but seems to me if it were REALLY African warlords that were bribed, and they got busted, its one thing. If the FBI pretends to be these warlords, and comes to the firearms industry and has to beg and plead for these bribes and contracts, then its entrapment???

[ammohead]

Not sure I understand the nuts and bolts of this. One party has goods for sale. The other party has cash. And somehow the first party is bribing the second party with the second party's cash? I must not be very business savvy.

ammohead

[S.R.Custom]

As usual for stuff like this, I suspect the true nature of the offenses is not being mentioned at all.... Busting these guys for bribery seems kind of silly. In most Mickey-Mouse foreign countries, corruption and bribery is not a crime, but rather, a time-honored way if not an explicitly sanctioned and necessary way of doing business. And the U.S Government knows this. If I had to guess, I'd say the true offense here is sales of weaponry to parties at odds with the interests of the U.S Government --Somali Warlords and the like-- and the Feds busted these guys on bribery charges to put a stop to it in much the same way they put a stop to Al Capone's gambling and prostitution rings by busting him on tax charges. In other words, these guys were encroaching on the CIA's turf, and we both know how the government hates competition.

[9.3X62AL]

The legal definition of "entrapment" is kind of weasel-ish, and resembles "conspiracy" in one respect--that both are easy to allege, and very difficult to prove--one way or the other.

Entrapment's legal definition is a situation in which the intent to commit a criminal action is formed in the mind of the police agent, and not the arrestee/suspect. LOTS of "he-said/she-said" possibilities there. The trier of fact--judge or jury--ultimately decides whose mind the intent formed in. Real crapshoot.

[MakeMineA10mm]

As usual for stuff like this, I suspect the true nature of the offenses is not being mentioned at all.... Busting these guys for bribery seems kind of silly. In most Mickey-Mouse foreign countries, corruption and bribery is not a crime, but rather, a time-honored way if not an explicitly sanctioned and necessary way of doing business. And the U.S Government knows this. If I had to guess, I'd say the true offense here is sales of weaponry to parties at odds with the interests of the U.S Government --Somali Warlords and the like-- and the Feds busted these guys on bribery charges to put a stop to it in much the same way they put a stop to Al Capone's gambling and prostitution rings by busting him on tax charges. In other words, these guys were encroaching on the CIA's turf, and we both know how the government hates competition.

And, therein lies a VERY interesting curiosity... Did the FBI execute arrest warrants on the first day at the SHOT show as a "demonstration" to follow the law, or was it to demonstrate that only the govt. can play games with nefarious overseas governmental types. Very incite-ful SuperMag.


The legal definition of "entrapment" is kind of weasel-ish, and resembles "conspiracy" in one respect--that both are easy to allege, and very difficult to prove--one way or the other.

Entrapment's legal definition is a situation in which the intent to commit a criminal action is formed in the mind of the police agent, and not the arrestee/suspect. LOTS of "he-said/she-said" possibilities there. The trier of fact--judge or jury--ultimately decides whose mind the intent formed in. Real crapshoot.

Well said, but the interesting twist is that this is a US law to prevent US companies (and now, it seems foreign agents - because some brits were apparently arrested too) from engaging in nefarious business practices. It will be VERY interesting to see if the entrapment angle is brought into this, since the Govt. agent (mole) brought the idea to the execs. The Execs were still wrong for saying yes, when they know (or should have known) that there is a law, but that should be a slap on the wrist - misdemeanor and a small fine - compared to what they're trying to blow this up into...