BORELLI CONSULTING: Tactical Equipment Reviews

SHOT Show 2008 Quick Shot
11 February 2008

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With 715,000 square feet of exhibit space, 1,950 exhibitors and almost 59,000 attendees, SHOT Show blew last year’s records out of the water. Veterans of SHOT Show probably won’t see that as a surprise. For some reason, SHOT in Vegas always outshines SHOT in Orlando. There’s something about the energy level. Speaking of energy, I burned calories walking more than 22 miles at this year’s show. I found some neat new stuff, and some improved old stuff (making it new in a way). Here’s a “quick shot” of the show.

Now, regular readers know me and what excites me in new gear: guns, knives, watches, boots... There was plenty of all of these items along with a few other items that still really got my attention.

As usual at SHOT Show, the BlackHawk booth became somewhat of a second home to me. I'd like to extend my appreciation to them for allowing me to use their booth in such a fashion. Still, every time I came in or went out one of the big guys in full kit grabbed me and scanned my SHOT ID. I know a great many of the people at BlackHawk and didn't recognize these guys (the first day) but soon learned that they were local SWAT officers hired by BlackHawk to wear and show off the kit for the duration of the show. There were four I identified, three of whom were wearing various types of military or LE kit, and one wearing outdoor products.

Within the BlackHawk booth there were a few cool things to point out:

The Integrated Tourniquet System (ITS) was a big hit based on how many people were commenting favorably on it. BlackHawk has now licensed it to Propper and the folks over at Propper were blown away by how many people were coming in looking for the ITS. With eight tourniquets integrated into every uniform (one shirt and one pant), the ITS presents huge potential for preventing deaths from extremity blood loss. On one side of the booth area, right next to each other, the Night-Ops area and Knoxx Stocks were set up. Having turned the lighting industry on its ear with the Gladius LED multi-function flashlight, Night-Ops has done it again with the Gladius Maximus. With a minor upgrade the light output is pushed to about 200 lumens from the same system with all of the same versatility. Right next door was Knoxx Stocks - which took some folks by surprise. In typical BlackHawk fashion, when the company identified a highly valuable product from a company that could benefit from an infusion of capital investment, BlackHawk scooped them up. The Knoxx Stocks reduce felt recoil a great deal and I can't wait to get one on my Remington 870.

As noted in previous reviews, BlackHawk Blades rolled out seven new models of knives / tools, and Warrior Wear has put out a side-zip boot. The LE section of BlackHawk has again modified the SERPA Level III Duty Holster to make it easier for officer's to get the gun out of... and no easier for the bad guy. The prototype of a SERPA crossdraw holster for TASER X26 ECDs was also on hand. I'm eager to get one of those as well. On a final BlackHawk note, at the front of the booth, there was a "sleeping bag" that looked like a long thick dress to be worn to sleep in. When I inquired I got a typical BlackHawk common-sense reponse: have you ever had to pee in the middle of the night while you're out in the field? Well, yeah. Who hasn't? I didn't write down the name of the product but it's essentially a wearable sleeping bag that has the ability to be opened at the bottom so you can pull it up above your knees to walk, and it zips down the front so you can... well, expose the parts necessary to relieve yourself. Very cool design.

Right behind the BlackHawk booth was the Blackwater booth. It was totally new and staffed by a bunch of folks I had never met - until SHOT. Much to my surprise, Blackwater has purchased The Backup Corporation - a company that specializes in virtual training for law enforcement. The irony is that I'm in the midst of completing several of their programs. They'll make a fine addition to the Blackwater family.

As I wondered out around SHOT Show from there I had to check out all the gun booths. Many of them had a new model or variation thereof. I enjoyed the Glock booth and handled the Model 21SF again. While at SHOT Show (and I may be behind the times) I found out that the Glock 21SF is available in four variations:

1) Ambi-mag release, Glock rail
2) Ambi-mag release, Picatinny rail
3) Right-hand mag release, Glock rail
4) Right-hand mag release, Picatinny rail

Be careful when you order holsters for your Glock 21SF. You have to know which type of rail your gun has and order the holster to fit it. The picatinny system is deeper than the Glock rail - apparently as a result of the military wanting a Laser Aiming Module mounted low enough to clear a mounted supressor. But the extra depth in the picatinny system means those guns won't fit in holsters designed for the standard GLock rail.

The Taurus booth was fun as they've added to their 24/7 line quite a bit. My experience with these pistols is still limited and I'm eager to get my hands on one for an extensive T&E. I'm thinking just a few months of carrying and shooting should be good.

The Smith & Wesson booth was impressive although I didn't see anything particularly new. I'm sure there were a few but the booth was so regularly crowded that every time I tried to get in to look at "what's new" it was next to impossible. This is a good sign for S&W. There AR line was on display and brought several positive comments that I overheard.

In the "Gold Hall" (that tent in the gold parking lot) I found the Rohrbaugh booth. Rohrbaugh's R9 and R9s 9mm pistols are reportedly the "world's smallest and lightest 9mm handguns". The pistol IS small: 5.2" long and 3.7" high. Magazine capacity is six rounds with a barrel just under 3". The European style magazine release made me smile. The trigger pull was what you'd expect from a small double action only weapon. It looks to be an exceptional handgun. My ONLY problem was when they handed me the price sheet and I saw a minimum price of $950. Whoa!!! $950? I know "you get what you pay for" but I can get a Glock Model 26 for way less than $950 and have a 10-round magazine. When I mentioned such to the good folks in the Rohrbaugh booth I was reminded that I'd be buying plastic instead of steel. While I have to acknowledge that they're absolutely correct, I have to add that, since 1994, I've been carring some variation of that "plastic" gun and it's never failed me.

As to knives...

Emerson Knives had four new models out that looked promising. I'll give a complete review of them in next week's SHOT Show thorough coverage. But has Ernie Emerson ever put out junk? NOT. They look exceptional.

CRKT has a couple new knives out, but one really caught my attention. The Hissatsu fixed blade caught a lot of attention when it was released but many law enforcement officers can't carry a fixed blade knife. Let's face it: it's an administrator's liability nightmare. The answer? CRKT has an Hissatsu folder out this year. The blade is (obviously) a lot shorter but the grips look about the same. I suppose we'll be hearing more about it moving forward. CRKT also had several new variations of their M21 folders. I saw some interesting literature on one of these that referred to the folder as a "fixed blade folder". I guess if there's two locking mechanisms on the blade then it's no longer a folder? I think this is sales propoganda, but they aren't the only company doing it, so I'll leave it alone.

Watches... way cool and way expensive.

Special Ops watches was on hand. Their watches are familiar to anyone who has seen the ads in any variety of magazines tailored to the military community. Priced from $450 to more than $900, I had to ask what they did that other watches didn't? The answer I got was a demonstration in the lighting capabilities of the various watch models. What DID catch my eye was the stainless steel camo-coated watch... in ARPAT pattern. I wanted one... not for the capabilities of the watch, but because the whole thing (except the watch face) was ARPAT.

CampCo has out a few more watches made by UZI. The Stainless, Black Stainless and Titanium watches look sturdy and I imagine will keep time quite well. I had opportunity awhile back to T&E an UZI watch and it did well. In fact, it went with my son when he left for Marine Corps MCT and on to language school. Someone liked it so much that they swiped it from him. I'll have to pursue T&E of some of the new variations.

Boots...

As previously noted, HAIX Boots are making an entry into the law enforcement arena. Long known for their quality boots built for fire fighters, HAIX is taking what they've learned and applying to another portion of the public safety community. Their boots are sturdy; substantial; and very supportive. Look for great things from them.

Rocky is now making the S2V available in four different colors and material variations. I haven't had a chance to wear-test these boots yet but I'm looking forward to it. Once it's done you can look for a full report from Borelli Consulting.

Original SWAT has made a few minor changes to their SEK 9000 model. I had an original production pair for T&E and they performed very well. I still don't think anything is as comfortable out of the box as the OSWAT tan suede boots, but the SEK 9000s have proven comfortable providing plenty of support. I'll be wearing them on the street here and there and will report further in coming months.

Let's see... what's left? Oh, the SOCKS from Original SWAT. I was handed a pair of socks to wear-test and was quite happy with the day and night I had to wear them. Yeah, more than 24 hours on my feet. Something about SHOT Show and then travel, etc. Over the calf and nicely padded for the toes, sole and heel, the OSWAT socks are going to become popular - especially with folks who already like their boots.

Alright... that's it for now. Next week look for multiple pages (and plenty of pictures) covering SHOT Show. Next year's show is in Orlando and I'm looking forward to it. Will I see YOU there?

Stay Safe!!

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Don't forget to check out our Recreational Equipment Review focusing on the outdoor side of SHOT Show.

This week's Feature Article discussing how, in any true conflict situation, the one thing you should always be able to count on is yourself.

For a listing of all reviews in chronological order, GO HERE.

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