SHOT Show '99 writers' picks - Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show

Shooting Industry, April, 1999

What will be 1999's Best Sellers?

Here Are Our Writers' Selections To Ring Registers!

Smith & Wesson And Taurus Lightweights Dominate Handgun Offerings, Infinity Is Rising Star

By Cameron Hopkins EDITOR, AMERICAN HANDGUNNER MAGAZINE

Lightweight handguns are the hottest thing in the industry and the 1999 SHOT Show provided some exciting offerings from big and not-so-big companies.

Smith & Wesson introduced their AirLite Ti, an aluminum/titanium .38 Special revolver that weighs an incredible 11 ounces. Not to be out-lightened, Taurus of Brazil presented an all-titanium version, their Model 85 snubnose .38.

However, the gun which won my heart and mind was an all-aluminum 1911 Officers-size pistol from a rising star in the business, Infinity Firearms of Texas. This small company, five years in business, has proved to be a real pioneer with some amazing innovations, such as an interchangeable trigger bow, a multi-caliber conversion featuring an interchangeable breech face on the slide and a unique "Light Touch" trigger with ball bearings on the sear/disconnector interfaces to reduce friction. Clever stuff.

Infinity's all-aluminum 1911 features an aluminum slide and frame. A steel breech face is used as well as a steel barrel and steel internals, but the weight reduction is still impressive. Quality of construction is outstanding, thanks to Infinity's use of state-of-the-art CNC machining centers and CAD/CAM designs.

Other notable new handguns that caught my eye were the new Stinger 1911 carry gun from Les Baer Custom, a micro-size .32 ACP from Kel-Tec that is barely thicker than a .32 cartridge, Colt's new Pocket Nine and Steyr's new M-Series pistol.

Colt's HomeFire Hits Target, More Video Techno-Thrillers Needed

By Scott Farrell EDITOR, GUNS MAGAZINE

At the Colt booth one of the company's reps handed me a Colt Pony pistol and invited me to try their new HomeFire computer shooting game. Dam it, it was fun!

The HomeFire connects your handgun to your PC or to your television. You can set it up with a variety of shooting games, primarily of the speed-shooting, falling-plate variety, with varying levels of difficulty.

The good news is, this system makes dry-fire practice much more fun than just aiming at a flyspeck on the wall. For those of us stuck in urban areas where places to shoot are dwindling, HomeFire gives us a chance to actually practice with our handguns without a 90-minute drive to the range.

Colt's HomeFire system could be set up in any range or gunshop, and might attract new shooters by offering an interesting and realistic alternative to video arcade games. A gun dealer might hold IPSC-style competitions or league nights exclusively for novices.

Another "hot" computer shooting game is "Syphon Filter," a new PlayStation game from 989 Studios. It puts you inside a techno-thriller novel - suspenseful story, realistic tactics, and awesome hardware. As you leap and roll and run for cover, you employ a silenced Glock, a full-auto HK PDW, an M-16, and a variety of other high-tech tactical equipment to rid the world of bio-terrorists.

Timed dry-fire practice at computer targets can be fun, but it definitely takes a distant second place to the kind of heart-pounding, adrenaline-dumping thrills today's 3-D computer games provide.

What we need is a computer game which combines the use of a real handgun - like HomeFire - with state-of-the-art graphics and an exciting story - like PlayStation. A game like that would be an extremely effective vehicle to introduce safe recreational shooting to the video-game generation. (As a side benefit, it would also be a darned fun way to practice your dry firing.)

Until then, check out Colt's HomeFire. It's a fun way to get your customers' guns out of the safe and get them to do the practice they really should be doing anyway.

Browning Fashions Ladies Sporting Clays, Bianchi Tailors Backpack, Steyr Creates Safe Handgun

By Lisa Parsons "ARMS & THE WOMAN"

Kudos to Browning for continuing to support the women's market with their Browning Gold Ladies Sporting Clays. based on Browning's proven Gold line, this gun was redesigned for women by Shaft LeGate, executive director of the Women's Shooting Sports Foundation. The overall dimensions, such as pitch, height of comb and length of pull, have been adjusted to fit women. This fine-pointing 12 gauge is chambered for 2 3/4-inch loads only.

Bianchi is entering new territory with its stylish Model 5000 Tailored Backpack. A dual zippered concealment enclosure with no internal holster allows women to access their firearm from either side of the backpack. There's plenty of room for a large firearm in this compartment, but women will have to be vigilant about remembering which way the gun is facing.

A roomy internal zippered pouch with drawstring ensures that women can carry all the necessities and a zippered outer pocket allows quick access to small items. Available in black or brown high-quality leather, this purse holster should prove very popular with fashionable women.