SHOT Show Review – Part 2

Back with some more of the other things I thought were interesting from the SHOT Show 2023 floor.

Footwear

If you are in public safety, the military, or even just moving about the world, you need footwear that gives your feet support and protection. Another consideration is stabilizing the ankles because of the load you are carrying or the environment you are moving through. And comfort needs to be in there, at least as high as the others on this list.

If I look back on the boots I’ve worn for nearly four decades, it would almost be a Who’s Who from the “tactical” footwear world.

Several years ago, my better half convinced me to try the well-cushioned running shoes from Hoka One One (pronounced Onay Onay). While they looked odd, that cushioning has helped immensely with my feet and knee injuries. Fast forward to two summers ago, and I came across a company called Decker. They were starting to make ‘tactical’ footwear. I reached out to them and became a beta tester. Their products had the very distinct Hoka One One soles. It turns out that Decker is the parent company of Hoka.

This year, Decker X Lab Tactical displayed several models in the hiking to combat boot range that they will release in the coming months. If they perform as well as the two beta test pairs I have worn while retaining the comfort, grab yourself a pair or two as soon as possible.

Belt and Pouch Attachments

The industry has given us several different ways to attach pouches to our belts and armor over the years. Some have been almost permanent, others relatively temporary. Unfortunately, some attachment methods weigh more than the pouches themselves.

Enter Guardian Warrior Solutions.

While Tegris isn’t a new product, I have seen it used in belts for a couple of years, and GWS re-purposed it. Tegris can look like carbon fiber or a very rigid version of a woven feedbag. They began making pouch attachment products out of it. Those attachments can go onto traditional belt designs or interface with PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder System) webbing. GWS secures these pieces to the pouch or once on your gear with bolts and nuts.

I bought several attachment pieces and am looking forward to using them soon. Looking at several pouches on one belt and seeing that there will be some weight reduction.

HRT Tactical is doing something similar but with a toolless Tab A into Slot B design.

Flame Resistant Shirts

I am all about comfortable clothing, especially in hot weather. Unfortunately for some, while they want comfort, their work environment dictates the need for flame-resistant clothing. The most comfortable training shirt I’ve encountered is made entirely of synthetics, and that can be an issue in an environment with flame-related hazards.

Enter XGO. I’ve worn multiple items of theirs in the past and exposed it to flammable threats. It performed as described.

They have released a flame-resistant, lightweight rugby-style Assaulter shirt. Made from a No Melt, No Drip fabric reported to have “superior wicking/drying” properties. It comes in short and long-sleeve versions, with “Velcro” like material on the sleeves for attaching patches.

It appears viable for those concerned about flame hazards while wanting comfort.

Friend or Foe?

Regardless of whether “we” – the police – think we are readily identifiable; we must ensure we are. Too often, individuals have made claims that the cop did not look like the police. And whatever they did was because they could not tell the other people were the police.

Saber Torch is a Texas-based company that addresses these issues. They have been producing some unique reflective designs that identify the wearer regardless of whether they are illuminated.

At SHOT, they displayed LAMPAGO, a wearable integrated illuminated identification and communications connection system.

Interesting and unique solutions to the problem of officers needing to be identifiable.

Shhhh, Be Quiet

Living on the west coast, my exposure to suppressors comes from either agency weapons or when out of state. I have noticed that using a suppressor as a left-hander increases my exposure to the blowback of toxic gases during the firing sequence. I do not understand the “why” other than that it stems from combing the designs of the AR family with those of most suppressors.

Over the past year or so, I have heard discussions about HuxWrx, a Utah-based suppressor manufacturer. They describe themselves as a “safety company that focuses on mitigating human exposure” – to noise and toxic stuff.

A left-handed friend and I had the chance to shoot Cobalt Kinetics AR-15 rifles with HuxWrx suppressors on them at law enforcement range day. Neither of us noted any blowback issues shooting left-handed. Their rep told me this suppressor has a flow-through design, which prevents the bad stuff from being forced back toward the shooter.

This design reduced our exposure to the potentially hazardous by-products of the firing sequence. It also means that if we were forced to shoot without eye protection, we would likely be less affected while shooting.

Recently, HuxWrx was awarded a significant suppressor contract by the FBI.

Securing Your Guns

The big safe downstairs is great for securing all the guns, especially the ones you do not regularly use. But what about your concealed carry pistol or the home defense long gun? Look at the offerings from Hornady Security, especially their Rapid Safe line. For several years, I have had a key-lock safe from them in a vehicle. The combination handgun/long gun safe (on my list to buy), the shotgun wall mount, and the electric clock looking full-size pistol safe are well worth your consideration.

Hopefully, our SHOT Show 2023 coverage – both during and after – has been of interest. If you went, what did you see that was interesting? What did we miss?

 

Resources:

https://deckersxlab.com/pages/tactical

https://www.hornady.com/security

https://huxwrx.com/

https://www.proxgo.com

https://www.guardianwarriorsolutions.com/

https://www.sabertorch.com