By IPC

SHOT Show 2018 is here! And with it are plenty of new releases and new products. Remington, IWI, Liberty Safes, Etymotic and FMK Firearms, just to name a few, all have new products and upgrades that are worth taking a look at.

It has only been the first day of SHOT, but it was a long one. I stopped by a number of different booths to see what was new and what was in the pipeline for later in the year. I am happy to say that I am not disappointed with this new year’s lineup.

For the start of 2018, Remington has been showing off its new box magazine fed 870 shotgun. Called the “870 DM,” Remington has swapped out the magazine tube for a 6-round box magazine. The new magazine operates like any standard rifle or pistol magazine. Several companies have been playing with box magazine conversion kits for various shotgun models, but it looks like Remington is making their own modifications on their tried-and-true 870 model. The results look great, and while time and testing will tell how well the modifications work, I get the feeling that the combat proven 870 will be just fine. (Click here)

IWI, Israel Weapons Industries, is another company that has been making waves with a new shotgun this year. They have released their first bullpup style 12ga shotgun, the Tavor TS12. At first glance, it looks slightly futuristic, like something from a Call of Duty or Mass Effect game, but after handling it, the TS12 is compact, durable, and a great addition to the home defense market. It is semi-automatic, ambidextrous, holds 15+1 2 3/4 shells in a rotating cylinder, and weighs 8lbs unloaded. The platform is almost identical to the Tavor and smooth to operate. I am looking forward to getting my hands on one to put it through the paces on the range. (Click here)

Liberty Safes has brought along a new gun vault door to the show. It is a brand new product and it is an impressive addition to their lineup. The door is massive, with two fire walls, eleven 4″ x 3/8″ locking plates (yes, plates, not bolts), an extra steel plate lining, and 3″ x 3/8″ trim around the edge. This behemoth is quite intimidating and is able to be installed in a concrete wall up to 10″ thick. Information and pricing is hard to find right now, but it will be officially added to the Liberty lineup sometime in 2018 and the Liberty website will be updated with the specs and pricing.

Etymotic is displaying their new and improved electronic earplugs. The new earplugs are an upgrade to Etymotic’s original Gunsport electric earplugs. The original Gunsport earplugs require hearing aid batteries and do not have an off switch. This was the cause of some annoyance by their users, but it was a common problem with any electric earplugs. Now however, Etymotic has upped their game. Substantially. The new Gunsport earplugs are rechargeable, have an off switch, and come with a slick container that doubles as a charger for the earplugs. The container is charged via a standard micro USB and is good for 18-20 earplug charges. It is definitely a big step in the right direction for Etymotic and electric earplugs.

FMK Firearms, a California based pistol and AR manufacturer, has branched out slightly and begun manufacturing threaded barrels for their pistols. Currently only the 9mm barrels have threaded versions, but a threaded version of the .40 is being looked at. FMK makes some great pistols and, being made in California, has expanded the color profile of the pistol frames to include red, Tiffany blue (yes, like the jeweler), and two shades of pink. Keep an eye out for my review of the FMK 9C1 G2 in the next month of so.

SHOT has just begun in earnest and I will be sure to bring up any other new and interesting finds over the next couple days!