EVENT REPORT
SHOT SHOW 2020 - LAS VEGAS, USA
“USING THEIR LICENSE TO B&T TO FULL EFFECT, ASG PULLED A BIT OF A FLANKER
BY DROPPING THE USW (UNIVERSAL SERVICE WEAPON) AS THIS IS AN INTERESTING
SIDEARM DESIGNED BY THE SWISS COMPANY.”
(more on them later!) and I was not to be
disappointed as the MG338 was on display
loud and proud! SIG confirmed recently
that it has delivered the new models to
fabulous to see just how much our friends
at VORTEX have grown since we first met
them and featured their “little known”
range of optics and I’m looking forward
eye. If you’re looking to build a “lo-drag
rifle” then this comes in a whole range
of models and is extremely light and low
profile!
In terms of Tech that caught my eye,
the big one has to be the MantisX training
system which has again moved on a lot
since I first discovered them back in 2017.
From a one-table stand with a single tablet
a few years ago, they were out loud and
proud this time with an extensive display
of their latest gear for showgoers to try.
They’ve kindly provided for me one of their
latest X10 Elite units to check out, which
I’ll report back on in due course but it was
their drop-in AR bolt/magazine combo that
really got me excited as I’m keen to see if it
will work in a GBBR AR!
NEW FACES, OLD FRIENDS
U.S. Special Operations Command, along
with sound suppressors and ammunition
for them. SIG says the .338 calibre machine
gun weighs around 20 pounds, making
it lighter than even the L variant of U.S.
military’s standard 7.62mm M240 machine
gun and lighter too than the MK 48, which
SOCOM previously led the development
of as a lighter-weight alternative to the
M240-series. It’s a beast alright and, again,
it will be interesting to see if SIG AIR
look to produce a replica. I was also very
taken by the NGSW-R prototype, which
is called the “Spear”, in both 6.8x51mm
Hybrid and 7.62x51mm. This is the latest
evolution of the MCX platform but with
some improvements, including a newly
designed for-end with a full-length top rail
and a standard AR-style charging handle
with an additional folding charging handle
on the left side of the receiver! I can see
this being a very popular build for many
NGSW “fans”.
All the big names for optics were at
SHOT 2017 but it was absolutely fabulous,
as a Brit, to see the lads from SHIELD
SIGHTS plying their trade up there with the
very best. I’ve had a great relationship with
SHIELD for a number of years now, and
after a 20-plus year journey themselves the
guys are taking great pleasure in showing
off their family of mini-sights, including
the new RMS, to the world. It was also
20
MARCH 2020
to spending some time catching up with
them properly at IWA.
When
it comes
to firearms
accessories
you can’t
not mention
MAGPUL but this
year they seemed
very subdued.
The UTG/Leapers
stand is always
and impressive
affair, but this
year seemed
bigger and
bolder than
ever before; if
you need an
accessory for
your firearm
then they will
undoubtedly
have it! There
were some
great rails and
accessories on
show for AK
variants, but it
was their “Super
Slim” system that
still caught my
Of course what we really wanted to
get our teeth into was the airsoft side
of things and although, as I said earlier,
airsoft does not have a dedicated space, it
was excellent to see this year that at least
some of the manufacturers were actually
grouped close together! It would be