Well, the weather may have been awful, but that will not stop a bunch of gun enthusiasts from going out shooting in the desert.
Industry Day at the Range is the event that kicks off SHOT Show 2023 at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club outside of Las Vegas. If you think it is hard to get into SHOT, you have not tried to get into range day. Only a couple thousand people from all over the world get in and seeing everything that was there for the first time was pretty amazing. I wanted to cover more products than just firearms because a lot of you have taken everyday carry to a whole new level.
It may have been my first trip to this range, but it was not my first time around when it came to outdoor events like this. I do not think many of these people came prepared for the weather, but I planned ahead and had full rain gear. It rained, the winds were blowing hard, and the sun came out just long enough to fool everyone into thinking conditions would improve, but that never happened.
Matrix Arms manufactures a MX19 Glock compatible series of firearms that shoot exceptionally well; I will try to get one of these pistols for a complete review. It had a remarkable trigger and felt fantastic in my hand. It has a 1911 grip angle, anodized aluminum frame, and all of the parts are interchangeable with Glock.
Of course, what show would not be complete without Glock and their full lineup?
If you are looking for a set of custom-molded inside-the-ear hearing protection, Decibullz has them for under $100. You can custom mold them at home, and they claim they have a 31 dB noise reduction level which, if true, is impressive. I will be testing these out and have a full review coming soon.
Aimpoint displayed their new ACRO P-2 Red Dot Reflex Sight, which appeared to be tough. The looks are deceiving, and although they look huge, their overall footprint was not as large as I thought compared to other red dots. Target acquisition with them was fast.
For those carrying a knife as part of your EDC essentials, We Knife brought out a wide selection, and they looked to have tight tolerances.
Truck Vault, out of Sedro-Woolley, WA, will custom-build whatever you want to organize the inside of your vehicle. They have heavy-duty slides and squared-off drawers for added room. They were large and could be configured in any design you wanted.
Bolle Safety had a very affordable and well-made line of shooting glasses at an affordable price point. The wide soft area that went over the bridge of your nose was extremely comfortable, and I ended up swapping them out for the pair I had with me and wearing them the rest of the day.
While I’m at it, I’d like to thank everyone involved behind the scenes who froze their, you know, what’s off today. The wind and rain were blowing right at you, and you were all hanging in there the best you could.
Some of the trending tags to follow the show on Twitter and social media are #SHOTshow, #shotshow2023, #NSSF, and @LetsTalkDGU, plus ongoing coverage here on USA Carry all week.
