BORELLI CONSULTING: Recreational Equipment Reviews

Preliminary SHOT Outdoor Coverage
11 February 2008

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While the military and law enforcement section of SHOT Show keeps growing, it doesn’t mean the sections dedicated to shooting, hunting and outdoor are shrinking at all. The paintball section didn’t look a lot bigger this year, but it wasn’t as clearly delineated either. There was a wider variety than ever of outdoor suppliers for tents, blinds, clothing, guns, archery equipment, etc. I didn’t see a lot of stuff for fishing (but I didn’t search it out either). Some of what I saw really caught my attention and that’s the stuff we’ll cover this week.

If I had to pick ONE thing that was the coolest for recreational use, it would be a new dive knife from Spyderco. The FB21 Caspian SALT knife is a pretty well thought out (and really cool looking) knife. With a blade 3" long and an overall length just under 7.5", the knife offers a plain edge and a partially serrated edge. You can have it in spear-point or blunt-tip. There's a 1" hole immediately behind the hilt that increase security of grip when you slide a finger through it. It's large enough that you can do that even if you're wearing dive gloves. The ergonomically shaped grip are laminated with black synthetic overlays and a lanyard hole lets you "tie it on". The sheath is injection molded FRN (kydex type?) and isn't blade direction specific. In other words, as long as you're putting in the blade it'll lock in. This knife felt very comfortable in the hand; is amazingly light (less than 3 ounces); and is made of H1 steel - apparently very corrosion resistant.

Okay... so what else was cool...

A company called Witz is making plastic / polycarbonate water-proof transport and storage containers. Not competing with Pelican or Storm case, the Witz cases are smaller and more tailored to given duties. For instance, they have a case specifically designed for carrying IDs and cash. They have others for sunglasses (or other eye wear). Of course, you can get the cases in a variety of colors or in camoflage patterns. Pretty neat.

Marlin introduced a new bolt-action rilfe, the XL7. Available in .25-06 Remington, .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield the XL7 has a few features some would consider "custom": adjustable trigger system; recoil reducing butt pad; fluted bolt action; and a synthetic stock (black or RealTree).

Rock River Arms is releasing a new rifle in .308 that I can't wait to get my hands on. This is a cross-over rifle that will be ideal for sportsmen in the hunting arena, or for law enforcement professionals in the public safety (bad guy hunting?) field.

Barrett is releasing a new rifle based on the AR design but in 6.8SPC. The Barrett REC7 is a piston-operated system that can be easily dressed - like the RRA gun mentioned above - for either community.

Sovereign knives, handled by Myerco USA, revealed five new knife designs from Blackie Collins. Of the five I'm leaning toward the MCNTCBH and the MCNTCTH. Doesn't mean much, does it? Both ave decent ergonomic grips, the first with a drop point blade and the second with a Tanto style blade. They appear to be both cost effective AND capable. Myerco USA is also releasing a collection of Mossberg Knives. Designed as hunting companion knives, the Mossberg line includes a skinner and butcher. Black coated blades in camo grips will help them fit in on your next hunting trip.

Mil-Tac announced the release of their M3 (Miller Marine Model) knife. This high-quality fixed blade has an ergonomic grip and G10 handle slabs. The blade is just under 6" long and has a nice hilt with ridges for pressing into cuts. The blade has a softly curved belly that adds power to your cut when slicing.

Next week we'll have full recreational product coverage. From tents to sleeping bags to boots, knives, archery kit and more... we'll have it all!

BE SAFE!

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Don't forget to check out our Tactical Equipment Review with a look at some of the more impressive items found at SHOT Show 2008.

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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