You’d have to look hard to find a trade show with more of a split personality than the Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) show. In recent years, it has developed into two shows, really. One is a sporting show that features such things as duck hunting shotguns and new deer skinning tools and the other is a military and law enforcement gear show that includes grenade launchers and fully automatic weapons.
This year’s SHOT, held at the end of January, was a vivid example of how important this exhibition has become to the law enforcement community. The SHOT show has for some years now included a special law enforcement section for police equipment. That’s nothing new. But what was remarkable about this year’s show was how much law enforcement and military gear was exhibited in the general interest section of the floor.
The reasons for this are easily explained. Some law enforcement equipment companies register late and are forced to take whatever show space is left. But there’s a more interesting reason as well. As businesses, many gun manufacturers, holster makers, and even ammo companies are mature. The only way they are going to add substantially to their bottom lines is through acquisitions of existing companies or expansion into new lines.
This is why it seemed that every gun company at this year’s SHOT had a tactical knife suitable for police or military duty, and it’s why if you wanted to see a great radiation detector for law enforcement applications, you had to ask to see it in the booth of a major munitions company.
With all the money being spent by the government on the war and on homeland security, just about every company at SHOT had something to show soldiers and cops. Here’s a quick look at some of the more interesting patrol and tactical products on display at this year’s show.
Camera Ball
Hands down, the coolest law enforcement product at this year’s SHOT show was Remington’s Eye Ball R1 wireless 360-degree mobile display system. That’s a terrible name for something that’s easily understood. Basically the R1 is a throwable, rollable tactical camera with a range of 200 yards. Need to see what’s in the hallway around the corner? Roll the wireless R1 down the hall and look at the display. It can be thrown through windows. It can even be bounced off concrete. This is one tough and versatile tactical camera.
www.remingtontd.com
Small and Powerful
Officers who are intrigued by the power and accuracy of the Glock G37 .45 G.A.P. but prefer smaller pistols will want to take a look at the new compact Glock G38 and sub-compact G39. The G38 is similar in size to other Glock compacts, and is designed for concealed carry. It holds eight rounds and has a molded-in light rail. The G39 would make an excellent backup weapon for an officer who carries the full-size G37 as a duty pistol. It holds six rounds in a semi-staggered column.
www.glock.com
Economy Gear
Bianchi is now offering economy-priced, but quality duty gear for law enforcement officers. The company’s new PatrolTek line includes two sizes of belts with liners, and a range of pouches and holders for magazines, cuffs, gloves, radios, and other gear. Each PatrolTek product is constructed of molded trilaminate material that is easily cleaned with soap and water and stays flexible in cold weather.
www.bianchi-intl.com
Shining a Light
Crimson Trace has long offered its Lasergrips sighting system for almost every duty pistol. With one notable exception, Lasergrips were not available for Glocks. Now they are. The new Lasergrips are made of polymer materials that pressure fit to the grip of Glock G17, G22, and G31 pistols. As with all Lasergrips, the new Glock system adds very little weight to the weapon. The laser beams out from the righthand side of the weapon’s slide. Crimson Trace says Glock pistols equipped with the new Lasergrips fit a variety of standard holsters.
www.crimsontrace.com
Adding a Point
Like several other firearms manufacturers, Heckler & Koch is now offering a line of tactical folding knives. The HK34 AXIS knives were designed by custom knifemaker Mike Snody and feature Benchmade’s AXIS locking mechanism. HK’s tactical folders are available in several configurations, including drop point and tanto point blades with plain and serrated edges. The 3.4-inch blades are constructed of 154CM corrosion-resistant stainless steel.
www.hk-usa.com
Dial a Color