SHOT Show 2016

Here’s around up of what we found at the SHOT Show 2016. To no great surprise, the AR-15 platform continues in popularity and will likely draw customers for many, but there are a few noteworthy items besides "black guns" for gunsmiths. AGI Courses The American Gunsmithing Institute offers a number of distance learning courses for gunsmiths. One of their new ones is the Glocksmith course ($1297.00) with over 17 hours of instruction on building and modifying custom Glocks.

Gunsmiths Bob Dunlap, Ken Brooks, Gene Shuey, and T. R. Graham cover every design feature as well as parts, manufacture, construction, and accessories—good and bad. Following normal armorer procedures, the instructors methodically go through various methods of modification and enhancements for improved performance. The course concludes with a comprehensive 172 question exam.

Training modules include disassembly and reassembly, overview of every part in a detail stripped pistol, specing out safe and appropriate modifications, rebuilding custom Glocks from the frame up, and completely refurbishing from the frame up. AGI’s Law Enforcement Armorer’s Course ($797.00) addresses training for law enforcement agencies as well as gunsmiths taking on work from police agencies. This certified course covers all current law enforcement firearms in common use.

Training modules include disassembly and reassembly, maintenance details, adjustments to avoid, identifying typical damage and defects, factory specifications, and appropriate modifications for law enforcement. This course is actually 15 armorer courses in one and culminates in a comprehensive examination with over 500 questions covering all the material AGISpecialtyCourses.com).

Brownells Brownells Original AR-15 Lower and Upper Receivers ($150 each) is the company’s first branded AR-15 lower and upper receivers made to the company’s specifications are modeled after the original AR-15. These receivers have the original profile and are ideal for building early model replicas such as the M16A1, GAU- 5, and XM177E2, or the MK18 and MK12.

The stripped lower receiver has a full magazine fence with no A2 modifications at the front or rear and is stamped "Brownells." The upper has an original carry handle profile, accepts A1 sight components, has a forward assist but no shell deflector. In addition to their branded lower and upper, Brownells also carries a line of lightweight M16 barrels in rifle and carbine lengths to match Brownells.com).

Du-Lite Corporation Du-Lite has been a leading supplier of black oxide finishing equipment, chemicals, and accessory products to American and foreign manufacturers since 1939. Their Gunsmith Finishing System ($2,495.00) is for black oxide finishing as a complete unit featuring four or five stainless steel tanks that last twice as long as plain steel units.

Featuring a heated soak cleaner tank, heated black oxide tank, and two water rinse tanks, the unit uses LP or natural gas burners and comes with a bluing thermometer, safety equipment, and enough chemical to refinish 50 rifles DuLite.com). Fix It Sticks Fix It Sticks were invented by Brian Davis, an avid cyclist who became frustrated with the common compact multi-tools he typically carried.

Experimenting with various tools found that compact tools didn’t give enough leverage and tools with leverage were not compact enough. Also, there was no way to accurately adjust to a specific torque. Fix It Sticks provide compact leverage with a modular, dual T-handle tool and permanent or replaceable bits that break down for easy packing. Torque limiters can be added that are the same size as replaceable bits and preset for a determined amount of inch-pounds.

This gives the functionality of a shop tool compact enough for field use. Kits price from $23.95-$125.00 FixItSticks.com). Guntec USA The AR-15 Armorer’s Combination Wrench ($44.95) is a patented design made of heat treated steel. This all-inone tool is capable of completely taking down and disassembling AR-15 rifles. The wrench features sections for removing A2 buttstock screws, stock locking nuts, receiver extensions, barrel nuts, free float tubes, and has a slot to accept a torque wrench GuntecUSA.com).

Lewis Machine & Tool Company The CQB MRP Piston Conversion Kit ($745.92) is for gun owners wishing an external piston AR-15. There are enough people wanting this to make it a marketable option despite having extra parts and weight (the reason Eugene Stoner patented his

internal piston design.) LMT offers a Piston Weapon System option for the Monolithic Rail Platform rifles. This conversion kit contains a piston bolt carrier group, H2 buffer, and 16" chrome lined 1:7 twist 5.56 barrel. This conversion makes an exchangeable upper from Stoner’s original internal piston design (sometimes labeled "direct impingement") to an external piston design LewisMachine.net).

LMT also offers Standard and MRP Complete Weapon Armorer’s Training ($1,200), a complete course covering LMT 5.56 and .308 firearms in standard configuration as well as monolithic rails. For military, a M203 Armorer’s course is in the works. Courses are held at Lewis Below center: The Guntec USA AR-15 Armorer’s Combination Wrench is versatile for black gun builders. Machine & Tool Company headquarters or can be arranged on-site at your location.

Further details and arrangements can be made by contacting Lyman The Borecam Digital Borescope with Monitor ($299.95) provides the means to carefully inspect the bores of firearms for wear, throat erosion, tool marks, rifling or chamber damage, and fouling. The camera is contained in a thin rod that fits inside .20 caliber and larger bores. As the 22" rod is moved down the bore, the display shows a clear image inside the barrel.

Users can also take photos of the bore, storing the image on a standard SD card that can later be viewed on a computer LymanProducts.com). Magpul Industries The Hunter 700L Stock ($279.95) is designed for Remington 700 Long Action rifles. Made from reinforced polymer and an anodized aluminum bedding block, the stock features a fully adjustable length of pull, comb height, and modular enhancements.

The Hunter 700L upgrades a Remington 700 Long Action rifle into a modern, modular configuration compatible with M-LOK accessories and accepts all factory Remington barrels, including aftermarket profiles up to a Medium Palma (0.920" diameter, 5.50" forward of the breech.) The adjustable length of pull goes from 13-15 inches using the included half-inch spacers and the High Cheek Riser Kit makes comb height adjustments in quarter inch increments Magpul.com).

Mc Millan USA The Tactical Hunter ($306.00- $562.00) is a hybrid of hunting and tactical stock designs based on the famous Marine Corps M40A1 sniper rifle. This stock has a slightly wider, deeper, and more rounded forearm with a more pronounced slant on the bottom for height adjustments when used with bags or shooting sticks. A straight ambidextrous style that may be inletted and used both right and left-handed, it comes with or without an integral adjustable cheekpiece and can fit most

Remington, Savage, Stiller, and Surgeon barreled actions McMillanUSA.com). Battenfeld Technologies Wheeler Engineering’s Digital F. A. T. Wrench ($99.99) is a product improvement on the company’s torque-adjustable screwdriver tool. Torque is set on a digital readout (instead of a sliding scale estimate) from 15-100 inchpounds to within 2% accuracy.

A large LCD display shows the current torque setting, which can be changed instantly with soft touch buttons, and has both audible and visual indicators when the desired torque setting has been achieved. A full set of bits is included. The Delta Series Ultra Armorer’s Kit ($329.99) is a comprehensive tool A. T. Wrench is a product improvement over the analog version.

Below center: The Delta Series Ultra Armorer’s Kit is a comprehensive tool kit for repairs or full builds of AR-15 rifles. kit for repairs or full builds of AR- 15 rifles, allowing gunsmiths to perform over 50 operations and functions.

The kit includes an armorer’s vise, combo tool, torque wrench, armorer’s bench block, pivot and roll pin install tool kit, upper vise block clamp with gas tube alignment tool, maintenance mat, front sight tool, delta ring tool, strap wrench, bore guide, adjustable receiver link, bore brush, bolt carrier brush, chamber brush, magazine/upper receiver brush, nylon brush handle, doubleended general cleaning brush, and cleaning pick set all packed in a custom fitted carrying case btibrands.com).

Windham Weaponry Windham’s Multi-Caliber System ($899.00-$999.00) is an assembly Far Top Bottom kit that upgrades any mil-spec AR- 15 into a multi-caliber system. Once installed, easy caliber changes are made by switching out the barrel and bolt, bolt carrier, and magazine as necessary. Switch over is done by unlatching the barrel retaining block and retaining arms, releasing the barrel.

Windham barrels are chrome lined and machined from 4150 chrome moly vanadium steel, finished in black manganese phosphate, and rifled appropriately for the intended caliber. Upper receivers are CNC machined from forged 7075 T6 aircraft aluminum and finished in a hardcoat black anodize. Bolts are machined from carpenter 158 steel. The MCS kits includes a complete upper receiver with a barrel in the switch over caliber, and integral railed forend with barrel release levers and barrel retaining block.

Switch over options currently available are .223/5.56 with .300 Blackout ($899), .223/5.56 with 7.62×39 ($999), and .300 Blackout with 7.62×39 windhamweaponry.com). AG