 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Showtime at Blackwater, continued
DAK of all trades Our hands-down pick for best pistols, the SIGARMS P226 DAK and P229 DAK, were amazing. But don’t take our word for it. Ask the Department of Homeland Security, which signed up to buy 65,000 new pistols over the next five years, most of them DAKs. What is the DAK? It’s a revolutionary, double-action-only trigger system that delivers something that similar triggers only dream about: A smooth, consistent, 6.5-pound pull. So we get the added safety of a double-action-only without the hassle of a hard-to-squeeze trigger. It comes in 9mm, .357- and .40-caliber varieties, in either the full-sized P226 or the compact P229. “Our claim to fame is quality, accuracy, reliability and dependability,” said Kevin Tapia, a SIGARMS rep. “It’s a system that was designed 30 years ago with only a little upgrade over the years.” Sounds good to us. Give ’em a pull at www.sigarms.com. KRISS me deadly This thing looks more like a car wash nozzle than a submachine gun, but looks can be deceiving. The KRISS, a prototype from Transformational Defense Industries, is still a work in progress. Once it’s complete, it promises to virtually eliminate recoil from automatic weapons. So far, it works like a dream. We emptied a magazine of .45-caliber ammo on full-auto and barely got a rise out of the weapon. Did we mention we fired it one-handed? “Right now, it’s just a demonstrator,” one company rep said. “This whole thing will go into a more traditional form.” If they get this right, you’ll be holding an M-60 with one hand and feeding the belt with the other. Look out, Rambo. Get a grip at www.transformationaldefenseindustries.com. Shackin’ up At last, a mobile home built to withstand a hurricane. And a .50-caliber, armor-piercing bullet, 81mm mortar, 120mm mortar, 1,000-pound bomb dropped 90 feet away ... We could keep going, but you get the point. Kontek Industries builds a guard shack made of nearly six-inch-thick sheets of blended metal. It comes with access ports for returning fire, air conditioning and electrical outlets. The only thing missing is a crane to drop the thing in place. The one we tested weighed in at about 38,000 pounds, so be sure you put it where you want it the first time. At $95,000 each, your new office might cost more than your real home, but you’ll feel just as safe inside. A few Air Force bases and other government sites are already putting them to use. Have a look and tell ’em what you think, www.kontekindustries.com. Shoot to kill If there were such a thing as Kryptonite bullets, they’d be made by LeMas. We’ve seen this company’s blended metal rounds turn beef roasts into hamburger and bulletproof glass into shards. So why don’t you have a magazine full of them in your hip pocket, for all those “just-in-case” moments? Blame the hippies. It seems that LeMas rounds are just too powerful, the kind of bullets that rip a man’s arm off so you can beat him with it. We’re told that such power violates a zillion different treaties and agreements. They’re still fun to shoot, if you can get them. Check out old demo videos from the 2003 and 2004 Shoot-outs. Silent but deadly We always wanted to be ninjas. Quiet but deadly, able to move on to our second target before the first one even knew he was dead. Gunsmith John Tibbetts wants us to live the fantasy. New from John’s Guns, flash/sound suppressors in .223 and .308 varieties (think 5.56 and 7.62mm) that’ll turn any black-ops mission green with envy. “It has a lot of sound rejection,” John said, after we popped off a few rounds. “And it takes about 40 to 45 percent of the recoil out of the weapon.” The drawback? Always money. The .223 version sells for about $895, while the .308 goes for about $995. Ah, well. One can dream. Thank you, Xbox Finally, some validation for all those hours spent playing “Halo.” Forget about dodging bullets from the gopher hole. Researchers at Utah State University have developed a prototype weapon that uses a joystick and camera system to put steel on target from inside your Humvee. “It was a little bit of a chore to talk the powers that be at a university to get involved with a weapon system,” said researcher Jack Rhodes. “You’re playing a video game. That’s all it is.” Sight in on your target on the little screen, press the button and watch your enemies drop like rocks. Rhodes had it hard-wired to a 7.62mm system, but with wireless technology and a variety of calibers to play with, the possibilities could be endless. “I hope so,” said Duane Hill, another demonstrator for the prototype. “It’s sure a lot smarter than sticking your head up through the roof.” Return of the six-gun There are times when having a single-shot grenade launcher attached to your rifle is a beautiful thing. The MGL-140 is made for every other time. Produced by Milkor USA, the launcher has a six-shot revolving barrel capable of pumping 40mm grenades out so fast, you’ll fire the sixth one before the first one hits home. The only kick you’ll get is from watching your target disappear, as it packs only half the recoil of a traditional M203 launcher. It weighs 14 pounds empty, 15.5 pounds fully loaded, and fires everything from nonlethals to high explosives. Throw a sight on there and even a child can shoot it. Really, we watched a 9-year-old plunk practice rounds into a car window from 75 yards away. At $6,000, it costs about five times as much as a traditional M203, but that’s money well spent. Eat your heart out, Wyatt Earp. ‘New Faithful’ There are so many variations of the M-16 on the market — upper receivers in various calibers, redesigned lowers — only the geekiest of gun enthusiasts can keep up. But Heckler & Koch have tried to set themselves apart with the new HK 416 Enhanced Carbine, a crowd favorite at this year’s Shoot-out. New this year, the HK 416 comes as a replacement upper receiver for a standard M-16 or as a complete unit. It carries a 20,000-round, long-life barrel and an innovative firing mechanism that cuts down on grime, both of which impressed our shooters. “Little to no cleaning?” asked one evaluator. “That’s going to replace the M-16.” People have been predicting that rifle’s demise for 40 years and still it keeps coming. But with twice the barrel life and a fraction of the required cleaning, the HK 416 stands a chance. “I’m going to get one,” the evaluator said later, offering the weapon up as his pick for Best in Show. “Maybe two, one for each hand.” |
Download RealPlayer