{"id":319,"date":"2000-03-01T22:03:40","date_gmt":"2000-03-01T22:03:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/?p=319"},"modified":"2015-05-22T23:20:40","modified_gmt":"2015-05-22T22:20:40","slug":"iwa-2000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/?p=319","title":{"rendered":"IWA 2000"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I decided to go to IWA this year, as my impression (which I believe is correct) is that IWA in Nuernberg offers more that is of interest to shooters in the British Isles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This time I have made the pictures separate, click on the link to see pictures &#8211; some of the links go to company websites:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">First is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aimpoint.se\/\">Aimpoint<\/a>, who stole the show with their LaserShot setup, this is an interactive system made by LaserShot, but an excellent demonstration for Aimpoint&#8217;s products.\u00a0 Eric Gauffel, IPSC World Champion was on hand, showing us all up!\u00a0 My efforts on the IPSC Challenge course of fire elicited the comment: &#8220;Hey, he&#8217;s not bad!&#8221; from Eric, which is without doubt the best complement I have ever gotten!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.airmunition.com\/\">Airmunition<\/a> were there, with their innovative air cartridge system.\u00a0 This is detailed at length in the SHOT show 1999 report.\u00a0 Currently it is for sale to law enforcement only, due to the staggering price &#8211; a Glock 17T costs about \u00a3450, the air cartridges cost \u00a318 each (eek!) and you also have to fork out for the reloading press and the pellets themselves.\u00a0 It&#8217;s as close as you can come to a centrefire semi-auto pistol and be legal in Great Britain, but you won&#8217;t have much change out of two grand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Russians were there in the form of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.baikalinc.ru\/\">Baikal<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.izhmash.ru\/\">Izhmash<\/a>, several guns caught my eye, the first was the 12 gauge version of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/12gauge.JPG\">Kalashnikov<\/a>, which theoretically is legal in the UK although I think you will be hard pressed to come up with a &#8220;good reason&#8221;, but more power to you if you want to try.\u00a0 There is also a .410 version, which could be used on indoor ranges with slug.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve seen Cotswold Arms advertising both of these guns.\u00a0 Also on display was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Russian.JPG\">9mm pistol<\/a> that may become the new Russian service pistol.\u00a0 Although it looks a bit crude, in the hand it actually felt surprisingly good, and the safety was well-located and easily operated.\u00a0 It&#8217;s also a very solid piece of ordnance.\u00a0 As Mikhail Kalashnikov likes to say: &#8220;<i> <\/i>&#8216;The Best&#8217; is the worst enemy of &#8216;Just Good Enough&#8217; &#8220;.\u00a0 I also took a picture of a double-stack <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Makarov.JPG\">Makarov<\/a>, because in the hand I couldn&#8217;t tell any real difference between it and the CO2 version that is becoming popular.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.beamhit.com\/\">Beamhit<\/a> were in attendance, I covered this in the 1999 Shot show report, it is a very neat gadget which I mention again only because I am told they will shortly have a UK distributor.\u00a0 It is a very clever widget that makes dry firing practice much more effective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.beretta.it\/\">Beretta<\/a> were showing off their new pistol, the plastic framed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/9000.JPG\"> 9000S<\/a>.\u00a0 This still uses an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/9000top.JPG\">open top slide<\/a>, but has an innovative new locking system that is similar to the Browning delayed lockup but without the top locking.\u00a0 Reviews I have read do not indicate stellar accuracy, however.\u00a0 I personally found the trigger reach to be too short and narrow, making it difficult to cycle the hammer in DA mode.\u00a0 Also the hammer is narrow and quite difficult to thumb back.\u00a0 On the bright side, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/9000mag.JPG\">magazines<\/a> are similar to those of the 92FS, similar enough that you can use 92FS mags in the gun.\u00a0 Capacity is 12+1 in 9mm, 10+1 in .40.\u00a0 The gun uses a traditional safety mechanism, as found on the CZ-75 and Government Model.\u00a0 Also worth mentioning are the natty <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/holsters.JPG\">holsters<\/a>, available in a variety of different colours.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Another new gun is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/8000L.JPG\">Cougar 8000L<\/a>, basically a slab-sided compact version of the Cougar, which I found to be superior to the original model.\u00a0 One of my complaints about this pistol is the bulky slide, but Beretta seem to have solved that problem.\u00a0 Also my concerns about the magazine release have been addressed, it is now the same as on the 92FS, without the exposed spring.\u00a0 Capacity is 13+1 in 9mm, the invariable 10+1 in .40.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Beretta also has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Beretta22.JPG\">.22 conversion kit<\/a> available for the 92FS.\u00a0 There are several new models of the 92FS, the most interesting to me was the 92FS Inox Brigadier, essentially the Brigadier model in stainless steel.\u00a0 They also had the 98FS models, engraved and with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Berettas.JPG\">silver or gold plating,<\/a> if you want!\u00a0 And if that isn&#8217;t enough for you to pose with, there is also a line of Beretta <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/clothes.JPG\">clothing<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.blaser.de\/\">Blaser<\/a> now has their own range of hunting ammunition, UK importers are Beechwood if you want some.\u00a0 It seemed well made but the proof is in the shooting, obviously.\u00a0 On the stand they had the intriguing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Blasers.JPG\">Blaser 99<\/a>, essentially a side-by-side with an overtop rifle barrel.\u00a0 Blasers are lovely rifles, but if you have to ask how much, you can&#8217;t afford one.\u00a0 Of interest to target shooters was the R93 Long Range Sporter 2, which goes for around \u00a31,500.\u00a0 Available in 6mm Norma BR, 6.5&#215;55, 7.62 NATO and .300 Win. Mag., I expect I will be seeing these at the range shortly!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.briley.com\/\">Briley<\/a> were there, makers of extremely accurate rifles, pistols and superlative shotgun chokes.\u00a0 Their brochure was by far the best I picked up in terms of design, suffice to say their products are along the same line.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.browning.com\/\">Browning<\/a> had one of the larger stands, of definite interest to shooters in Britain (but not on the stand, unfortunately) are their new range of Buck Mark rifles, essentially the Buck Mark pistol fitted with a 16-inch heavy barrel and a shoulder stock.\u00a0 I expect these will sell very well here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Another new product is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/BDAcompact.JPG\">BDA compact<\/a>, a compact version of the &#8220;new&#8221; BDA, that is not new at all but is in fact somewhere around 20 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Also I got to fondle one of the FN <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/FN57.JPG\">Five-seveN pistols<\/a>, this is chambered for the toy-like 5.7x28mm round, designed to penetrate body armour.\u00a0 An interesting design, although the ballistics don&#8217;t impress me much.\u00a0 It may go through body armour but it doesn&#8217;t appear to do much after that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cci-ammunition.com\/\">CCI-Speer<\/a> had some of their large range of products on display.\u00a0 I think very highly of CCI ammo, it&#8217;s the best factory ammo going, IMO.\u00a0 CCI also own <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcartridge.com\/\">Federal<\/a>, and there appears to be some cross-development now going on, as Federal is making practice ammo with the CCI cleanfire primers.\u00a0 CCI has a new improved hollowpoint .22 Mag loading.\u00a0 What intrigued me the most was the Blazer .357 SIG load, which is the first Blazer load I have seen using bottle-necked cartridges.\u00a0 I will have to try some of this out.\u00a0 The main snag with Federal and CCI ammo is that in the UK it usually costs over the odds, though Edgar Bros. sell their .22 lines at reasonable prices.\u00a0 Federal now has an inexpensive 62gr load in .223, another one for my &#8220;must try&#8221; list.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Another stand that caught my eye was <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cybergun.com\/\">Cybergun<\/a>, a distributor of airsoft guns.\u00a0 The Beretta copies are very hard to tell apart from the real thing, they&#8217;re made by Western Arms Co. of Japan.\u00a0 Also the FA MAS replica by KWC is pretty good too.\u00a0 Their UK agent is Shooting Planet in Brighton.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.colt.com\/\">Colt&#8217;s<\/a> were noticeable by their absence, their stand was empty.\u00a0 However, they have entered into an agreement with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.czub.cz\/\">CZ<\/a>, apparently.\u00a0 On the CZ stand was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Z40.JPG\">Z40 pistol<\/a>, essentially a DAO .40 CZ-75 shaped to look like a 1911.\u00a0 It&#8217;s actually not as awful as it sounds, it felt quite good in the hand and the trigger pull was smooth.\u00a0 It would not be a bad option as a cop gun, but I doubt they will sell many, and it really does show how desperate Colt&#8217;s are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.feinwerkbau.de\/\">Feinwerkbau<\/a> were displaying their new air pistol, the C55P.\u00a0 This is essentially their CO2 gun redesigned to use compressed air.\u00a0 A very interesting repeating air pistol, competition for the well-known Steyr LP5.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fiocchigfl.it\/\">Fiocchi<\/a> were there too, although there wasn&#8217;t anything earth-shatteringly new.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.indep.pt\/\">FNM<\/a>, a division of INDEP, the Portugese military suppliers were there with their intriguing line of rifle ammunition in some of the more oddball calibres such as 7.5&#215;54 MAS and 7.5&#215;55 Swiss.\u00a0 I asked them why they made ammo in these calibres, and the answer was intriguing: apparently most of their sales are to Germany and other countries which hold 100m competitions using as-issued military rifles that were in service prior to 1964.\u00a0 I hadn&#8217;t heard of this competition before but apparently it is very popular and MAS and K31s are among the guns used.\u00a0 I think this is something we should be doing in the British Isles as it offers real opportunity for international competition plus it is something which can be done at the club level here also.\u00a0 York Guns import FNM ammo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dynamit-nobel.com\/\">Geco<\/a> had a fascinating new product, a shotgun slug developed specifically for practical shotgun competition.\u00a0 Finally, my prayers are answered!\u00a0 Importers are Dynamit Nobel UK Ltd.\u00a0 Geco are also sponsoring the &#8220;Geco Slug Cup&#8221;, looks like fun!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I was fascinated with the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gehmann.com\/\">Gehmann<\/a> stand, they are makers of add-on widgets for ISSF rifles and pistols and also clothing for ISSF events.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve heard good things about their gloves, they&#8217;re used by many top shooters, not just in ISSF.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And where would we be without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Glocks.JPG\">Glock<\/a>?\u00a0 Robert Glock was on hand, shame they&#8217;re banned in GB, although you can still own the cutaway guns and some of the training guns.\u00a0 They had a new holster which didn&#8217;t really impress me much, what was fascinating was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Glock17.JPG\">test Glock 17<\/a> in the display cabinet, which Hirtenberger had fired over 348,000 rounds through!\u00a0 Impressive, especially considering this was in the AC prefix range, well before the later improvements to the barrel and the finishing of the gun.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Next are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.haemmerli.info\/\">H\u00e4mmerli<\/a>, who appear to be taking the same approach as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.anschuetz-sport.com\/\">Ansch\u00fctz<\/a>, in having a clothing line.\u00a0 The Swiss effort is less impressive, and called X-Esse.\u00a0 It seemed to me to be an attempt to make shooting hip and appealing to younger people.\u00a0 I suppose it might work in Switzerland.\u00a0 In addition, they are offering a range of coloured plastic grips in the &#8220;X-Esse&#8221; range.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of more interest, H\u00e4mmerli were offering two new airguns, the AP40 pistol and the AR50 rifle.\u00a0 The AP40 appears to be a development of the old 480, and the AR50 a competitor for Walther.\u00a0 The .22s marketed in the US as the &#8220;Trailside&#8221; are being marketed in Europe under the &#8220;X-Esse&#8221; label.\u00a0 They are set up more with target shooting in mind and I suspect will be very popular given their reasonable price.\u00a0 X-Esse have their own <a href=\"http:\/\/www.x-esse.com\/\">website<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And now we move to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.heckler-koch.de\/\">Heckler &amp; Koch<\/a>, that famous British firm, lol.\u00a0 H&amp;K have a new semi-auto hunting rifle called the SLB2000.\u00a0 It&#8217;s very dull, though I&#8217;m sure it works well.\u00a0 There were several new permutations of the USP, I think it was called the USP Super Elite or something like that.\u00a0 I&#8217;m sorry, but I can&#8217;t stand the grip of the full-size USP so I didn&#8217;t really pay attention.\u00a0 There was a 50th anniversary model of the USP compact, wow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of vastly more interest to all concerned was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/cutSL8.JPG\">SL8 rifle<\/a>.\u00a0 I want one!\u00a0 This is essentially a sporterised version of the new Germany Army rifle, the G36.\u00a0 The European version is more interesting that the US one, as it will accept the G36 mags.\u00a0 All the reviews I have read have been favourable to the gun.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">What I found most fascinating about the gun (and why it is better than the competition) was the gas system.\u00a0 The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/SL8gas.JPG\">gas plug<\/a> is a true innovation, with the gas rings around it, preventing gas from ingressing into the action as with most competing designs.\u00a0 There is no gas tube or gas piston tube as such, just a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/SL8piston.JPG\">slender rod<\/a> that extends back to the bolt (at the top of the picture, not the bit in the middle).\u00a0 Thankfully I can show you this as they had a cutaway on the stand!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It would be very easy for H&amp;K to make a straight-pull version (for places where semi-autos are banned, like here) as you can tell from the pictures, but don&#8217;t hold your breath.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And now a real British company, HPS Ltd, makers of HPS target rifles and ammunition.\u00a0 Their rifles are very impressive, and so is their ammo as I can attest to from personal experience.\u00a0 Very accurate stuff, as good as Federal Gold Medal and a lot cheaper.\u00a0 And it uses RO powder!\u00a0 I was staggered by that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imisammo.co.il\/\">Israel Military Industries<\/a> were also exhibiting.\u00a0 IMI are makers of Samson ammo, and will be known to most British shooters although they appear to have stopped selling to the civil market in the UK for reasons I&#8217;m not too clear on.\u00a0 This is a shame as IMI must be one of the largest suppliers of ammunition and guns in Europe and I for one miss their presence here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On the stand was their bolt-action <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/IMI44.JPG\">.44 Magnum carbine<\/a>, this was nothing spectacular, basically a surplus Mauser 98K action rebarrelled and adapted to use the Desert Eagle magazine.\u00a0 However, it would appeal to target shooters in the UK and I have no idea why they aren&#8217;t trying to sell them here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I also had a chat with Kempf Waffentechnik, who make a sporterised version of the SIG SG550 rifle for the German market, essentially the same gun with a thumbhole stock and the flash hider and other &#8220;military&#8221; features deleted.\u00a0 I mention them because they told me to special order they could make the guns as straight-pulls, basically the same gun without a gas port in the barrel.\u00a0 I&#8217;m very fond of the SG550 and I may have to buy one, though they are pretty expensive at around \u00a31,900 each.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Lapua were there, they make loads of neat types of ammunition.\u00a0 I only wish someone in the UK could stock them all, check out their <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lapua.com\/\">website<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lothar-walther.de\/\">Lothar Walther<\/a> had an uninspiring stand, however, pretty is as pretty does, and they make barrels for so many gun makers around the world it&#8217;s hard to keep track.\u00a0 Good kit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">CBC, better known as Magtech had a stand, they are well-known as a maker of pistol ammunition, which means their presence on the UK market is virtually nil since the handgun ban, however, they also make a .22 semi-auto rifle which might be of interest to UK shooters, being inexpensive and having a detachable box ten-round magazine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Many shooters in GB bought <a href=\"http:\/\/www.marlinfirearms.com\/\">Marlin<\/a> rifles to replace their handguns, Marlin had a new rifle that should be of interest called the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/1894P.JPG\">1894P<\/a>.\u00a0 This is a .44 Magnum lever-action with a 16-inch ported barrel.\u00a0 I found it to be very handy during my brief examination, I expect I will be seeing local shooters buying these.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mauser, now owned by SIG Arms, had never-ending variations of the classic 98 on display, from the standard model which costs around \u00a3350, all the way up to the Magnum models, which cost over \u00a34,000.\u00a0 Mauser also has other models such as the M96 straight-pull, a 98-year younger design that I suspect is still outsold by the 1898.\u00a0 Mauser has come out with a new pistol design called the M2, from what I have seen of it I don&#8217;t like it, though I can&#8217;t really comment until I&#8217;ve tried one.\u00a0 Beechwood are the UK importers for Mauser.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I also visited the stand of a company called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.men-defencetec.com\/\">MEN<\/a>, short for Metallwerk Elisenh\u00fctte Nassau, who you may never have heard of but they are the contractors for the German Army, and make all their ammunition.\u00a0 I found out the name of the UK agents, but I suspect they are more orientated toward the military end of things.\u00a0 It certainly looks like quality stuff though, I&#8217;d like to try some of their 5.56mm if I could get hold of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.norinco.com\/\">NORINCO<\/a>, our copycat Chinese friends were there breathlessly waiting for other people&#8217;s patents to expire so that they could copy their products.\u00a0 SIG appears to be the latest victim, given the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/NC226.JPG\">NC226 pistol<\/a>, a copy of the P226.\u00a0 The Chinese version has a chromed barrel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Dangerous Dave from the <a href=\"http:\/\/ows-ammunition.com\/\">Old Western Scrounger<\/a> was there, this guy comes across as being a bit nuts, but what can you say about someone still advertising 7.92mm Kurz?\u00a0 If you can&#8217;t find it, call Dave, there&#8217;s a good chance he&#8217;s got it!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pardini.it\/\">Pardini<\/a> had a stand, (drool), it&#8217;s at times like this I truly resent Tony and his chronies taking our handguns off us, but they do make some air pistols.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And if Pardini is not cool enough, there is always <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perazzi.it\/\">Perazzi<\/a>, whose display was at risk of serious rust from people drooling all over their shotguns, most of which are in the six-figure range.\u00a0 Look on the bright side, they&#8217;re legal in the British Isles, if you can afford the insurance!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Coming back down to Earth there was <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pmcammo.com\/\">PMC<\/a>, makers of a wide variety of ammunition.\u00a0 A Korean company that now makes most of it&#8217;s ammo in the US, PMC now apparently means &#8220;Precision Made Cartridges&#8221; although it used to mean something unpronounceable in Korean!\u00a0 Importers are York Guns.\u00a0 I have used PMC ammo for years without any problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Another ammo company was Pretoria Metal Pressings, better known as PMP.\u00a0 I have used PMP pistol and rifle ammo, my main complaint is that the primers are a bit hard.\u00a0 PMP were promoting their line of hunting ammunition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I spoke to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.remington.com\/\">Remington<\/a>, expect their electronic-ignition ammo and guns in Europe by Autumn, I was told.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Another company making clothing that we don&#8217;t see too often in the British Isles is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sauer-shootingsportswear.de\/\">Sauer<\/a>, interesting stuff, follow the link!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.schmidt-bender.de\/\">Schmidt &amp; Bender<\/a> had a stand.\u00a0 They have a well-earned reputation for quality.\u00a0 This was my first time having a look at their mil-dot scopes &#8211; this is a recticle with dots along the lines every MOA.\u00a0 I didn&#8217;t dislike it, this is one of those things you have to try before you buy, hard to do with stuff this expensive!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sellier-bellot.cz\/\">Sellier &amp; Bellot<\/a> were there with their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/S&amp;Bammo.JPG\">extensive line<\/a> of ammunition, several things caught my eye: first were their brass .410 shotgun cases for reloading.\u00a0 These should be of interest to UK shooters as using .410 shotgun slugs seems to be becoming more popular.\u00a0 S&amp;B also had a 12 gauge slug load designed for target shooting, which is another new choice for practical shotgun.\u00a0 Finally, they also have their own .357 SIG load, with an unusual 140gr bullet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I visited the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sierrabullets.com\/\">Sierra bullets<\/a> stand where they were giving away free key rings that lasted about halfway through the first day.\u00a0 I&#8217;m fond of MatchKing bullets as they seem to be able to cope well in military spec barrels, but deliver vastly superior performance to any open base bullet.\u00a0 Of course, the purists among you would argue for a nice custom barrel and VLDs, but I&#8217;m stubborn.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Cripes, at we&#8217;re at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sigsauer.de\/\">SIG Arms<\/a> already.\u00a0 SIG Arms is up for sale, as apparently SIG prefers making food packaging to making guns, unfortunately I don&#8217;t have \u20ac20 million to hand.\u00a0 SIG Arms has bought up several gun companies, and had the biggest stand at the show.\u00a0 They were heavily promoting their line of SHR 970 hunting rifles, which are available in most popular calibres, and most popular colours too.\u00a0 Not sure if bright green is really up my alley.\u00a0 They appear to be a decent if somewhat ho hum hunting rifle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is also the inevitable new compact version of the SIG Pro pistol, the SPC2009 etc.\u00a0 And also new models with slide-mounted safeties, I assume either for stupid cops or to deflect silly American lawsuits.\u00a0 These models have an &#8220;M&#8221; suffix.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There were loads of interesting gizmos on their stand, including by far the cleverest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/P210cut3.JPG\">cutaway pistol<\/a> I have ever seen.\u00a0 I also finally got my hands on a custom shop brochure, I&#8217;ve been after one for awhile.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I picked up a brochure for their barrel-making division, and there was an impressive display of barrel corrosion resistance on their stand (sorry, forgot to take a picture).\u00a0 I suspect you need to order large numbers to make it cost effective, but they&#8217;re probably among the best there is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sauer is also trying to flog what look like badge-engineered shotguns &#8211; give it up guys, stick with the rifles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.smith-wesson.com\/\">Smith &amp; Wesson<\/a>, probably the stupidest company in the world, going by their recent agreement with the US Govt., had a stand, but everything was locked up in display racks, so everyone went down the aisle to one of their distributor stands.\u00a0 S&amp;W make guns specifically for the European market, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Super9.JPG\">Super 9<\/a> is one of them.\u00a0 This is a 9mm pistol that has seperate barrels for 9&#215;21 and .356TSW (9&#215;21.5mm)\u00a0 I have never seen any .356TSW in Europe and I seriously doubt I ever will.\u00a0 They also make a version of the 686 for the European market, the 686 International DX, essentially the standard 686 with an unfluted cylinder and target wood stocks.\u00a0 S&amp;W have also started adding attachment rails to their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/SWtactical.JPG\">tactical<\/a> models, it looks very clumsy as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">My only comment really is that S&amp;W better start hoping international sales go up sharply, because their US sales look set for the dustbin going by the text of the agreement they signed!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sommer-ockenfuss.de\/\">Sommer und Ockenfuss<\/a> are a company unknown in the UK, although I was told that John Reed of London(?) are their distributors here.\u00a0 This is a company of some interest, because they make a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/SOrifles.JPG\">pump-action rifle<\/a> that is legal here.\u00a0 It&#8217;s legal because the action is cocked by moving the pistol grip back and forth, rather than the forend.\u00a0 Not cheap though, around \u00a31,300.\u00a0 As a bullpup design it has a so-so trigger pull, though it it&#8217;s certainly usable.\u00a0 Calibres are 7.62 NATO and .300 Win. Mag.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sphinx-systems.ch\/\">Sphinx<\/a> were displaying their range of pistols.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve owned two Sphinx pistols and they&#8217;re very nice, unfortunately the .40s don&#8217;t work properly.\u00a0 All the guns on the stand were 9mm.\u00a0 Hmm&#8230;\u00a0 the 9mms are among the best in the world though, there is no doubt about that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.steyr-mannlicher.com\/\">Steyr<\/a> also had a new pistol on display, another predictable compact model, this time of their M-series, called the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/S40.JPG\">S-series<\/a>.\u00a0 The trigger pulls on these guns are really light, compared to the prototypes that were really heavy.\u00a0 Oh well, at least from the target shooting standpoint they should be quite good.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They also had on display the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/Steyrtac.JPG\">SBS 96 HB Tactical model<\/a>, that was originally called the practical model.\u00a0 These are really nice, someone please buy one so I can try it out!\u00a0 Also ten-round magazines appear to be available again for the SSG.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tcarms.com\/\">Thompson-Center<\/a> have a new .22 semi-auto rifle.\u00a0 It looks quite nice although it&#8217;s not that special.\u00a0 Lots of muzzle-loading rifles if you like that sort of thing!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.denel.co.za\/vektor\">Vektor<\/a> make some interesting guns, and I cannot believe how cheap they are!\u00a0 The CP1 compact pistol costs around \u00a3200 in Germany.\u00a0 The weak Rand being the reason, I suspect.\u00a0 Of interest to UK shooters are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/vektor.JPG\">straight-pull sporter<\/a> versions of the R4 assault rifle.\u00a0 These seem quite interesting, though not as inexpensive as the pistols.\u00a0 If you are an RFD and want to be a distributor, I have their number, email me!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carl-walther.de\/\">Walther<\/a> had one of the bigger stands, and one of the larger selections.\u00a0 Of interest to shooters in the British Isles is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/GSPrifle.JPG\">GSP rifle<\/a>, essentially the GSP pistol with a 16-inch heavy barrel dropped into a thumbhole stock.\u00a0 Very nice indeed, although I have to say I think it is more likely to appeal to oppressed ISSF pistol shooters here than anyone else.\u00a0 Some of the controls are a bit difficult to get to on it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Other products included the PPK\/E pistol, an &#8220;improved&#8221; version of the ancient PPK pistol &#8211; basically I think Ulm are looking for a use for their tooling.\u00a0 I couldn&#8217;t see anything special about it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are also several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/P99JS.JPG\">&#8220;James Bond&#8221; <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/P99JS.JPG\">commemoratives<\/a>, which I thought were a bit naff (especially the blank firers) but you pay your money and take your choice, I suppose.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Another gun of interest was the CP99, essentially the same mechanism as the CP88 fit into a plastic body that looks like a P99.\u00a0 Got to say I think the earlier CP88 is superior.\u00a0 I quite like the blowback CO2 Walther PPK\/S though.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And nearly last, but by no means least, were James Watson&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/IWA2000\/watson.JPG\">falling block rifles<\/a> on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.border-barrels.co.uk\/\">Border Barrels<\/a> stand, made in Scotland no less.\u00a0 I&#8217;m no expert but they seemed very well made and certainly less expensive than the competition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And finally, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.winchester-guns.com\/\">Winchester<\/a> had their timeless designs on display, not much new except for some more variations on the Model 70.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Until next year&#8230;<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman;\"><i>&#8220;The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms.\u00a0 History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so.&#8221; &#8211; Adolf Hitler<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I decided to go to IWA this year, as my impression (which I believe is correct) is that IWA in Nuernberg offers more that is of interest to shooters in the British Isles. This time I have made the pictures separate, click on the link to see pictures &#8211; some of the links go to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial","category-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=319"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":515,"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319\/revisions\/515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cybershooters.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}