I enjoy puttering around SHOT Show each year. The bar for every product in this entire industry is so high now that things that used to be “revolutionary” are now just ho-hum — I’m looking at you, you people who just re-barrel a 700 action into a weird-looking synthetic stock.
The hunting industry is also very consumeristic, which is fine with me. However, I like old guns and things made of blued steel and wood, so in this era of shaving weight and .25-MOA groups I rarely find products that absolutely knock my socks off.
I put less effort into chronicling my exploits than I was anticipating this year, but a few things did rise to the top for innovation, the “adventure factor,” and sheer fun.
Cooper Arkansas Rifle, Model 5200
For me, the coolest product of the entire show was the upcoming Cooper Rifles Model 5200. These are now made by Nighthawk Custom, and this new line of Arkansas-made Coopers feature a new, truly bespoke action. You get a three position safety similar to the Model 70, Mauser style boat release, detachable magazine, carbon fiber reinforcements in the stock, hand-cut checkering, and the most beautiful French walnut you have ever seen.
I am pretty jaded when it comes to “new” “revolutionary” hunting rifles that are just some variation of a Remington 700 action in some variation of a fiberglass stock, but the new offerings from Cooper are anything but re-hashing the same old, same old. These are something special.
Not only were all aspects of the rifles that I looked at in person executed with the unparalleled fit finish and beauty that you’d expect from the boys from Berryville, but the action is truly unique and… groundbreaking. Something that will likely cause me to abandon my beloved Model 70s down the road.
I’d encourage everyone who appreciates fine guns to head over to their website and drool over the gorgeous photos of this gorgeous firearm, since the ones I took at the show don’t come close at doing this justice.
Pricing and final specifications of the production models are still being hammered out, but if you want an American-made heirloom quality hunting rifle that is representative of the pinnacle of firearms craftsmanship, this is your huckleberry.
Nighthawk Custom G.I. Plus
There are a lot of quality firearms manufacturers at SHOT Show, and I think that Nighthawk Custom still sits at the top of the heap in terms of fit and finish and quality of the end product.
If you have never felt a 1911 (or any steel gun, really) hand fitted by true, master gunsmiths then you are missing out in a world of mass-produced, loose-feeling polymer hand guns. This year Nighthawk announced three new models in their lineup, and I was particularly drawn to their G.I. Plus. Of note, this is the first gun in their production lineup to feature a blue finish, which is executed to the perfection you’d expect and is the perfect compliment for any 1911.
If you want an off the shelf, resto-modded 1911, this is where I’d look.
Smith & Wesson 10mm Pistols
Some of you people really go nuts over 10mm for backcountry usage. I suppose I’m just a fan of the classic big bore handgun calibers and the platforms they are chambered in, but I’m not sure how much I personally care about this cartridge.
Perhaps it’s been the lack of a decent platform that would roughly be considered a “compact” handgun by modern standards — for some reason, manufacturers have been slow going to arrive at a 10mm in this form factor. Smith & Wesson has been absolutely crushing it lately, and if you want a polymer striker fire fired handgun that’s just the perfect size for toting around in the back country, this is where I would look first.
Taylor’s & Company
Taylor’s has been lauded for knowing their way around a Single Action for quite some time, but have an enormous, expansive catalog that overlaps exactly with what I’m interested in when it comes to firearms. Thankfully, their booth is similarly well-stocked, so I was able to check out most of their lineup in person.
They released a few big .45-70 rifles this year, including some takedown models, but I was happy to finally get my hands on some of their “Taylor Tuned” models and compare them with their standard offerings. Make no mistake — the base guns have a universally high level of quality, but the Taylor Tuning takes them to another level, and is worth the extra bit of coin. As I was saying above, a well-fitted steel gun is something that just has to be experienced in person, and the Taylors all feel sublime.
Also of note are their 1873s — I have never felt such a buttery action on a lever gun before. This would be an excellent gun for deer, hogs, or javelina.
In any case, everything that I saw from Taylor’s is filled with that adventurous spirit that makes me want to saddle up, grab a gun designed 150 years ago, and get out and go hunting. Isn’t that really what it’s about anyway?
Winchester Bourbon
I was feeling a little thirsty while aimlessly wandering past the Winchester booths at about 11 AM (read: I was mostly lost), and a light that surely originated in heaven illuminated one particular product, one that I had no awareness of up to this time: Winchester Bourbon. As an unabashed Winchester enthusiast and recovering bourbon addict (uh, I guess that probably isn’t the best phrase to use here) obviously I had to stop and see what was up.
Two offerings, both feature a 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% barley mashbill, which is to my taste. This is in similar territory as other high-rye bourbons such as Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, and the internet’s favorite daily driver, Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond.
As you’d expect from such a iconic brand, the bottle design and overall presentation is tip-top, with the Batch No. and Barrel No. displayed prominently. The juice is, and this is the only way I can describe it, the color of a handsome walnut stock. The Double Oaked is darker. Any way you slice it, the end result is handsome.
