For a while now the most exciting direction in firearm innovation has to be in accessories. What with essential gun engineering having gone largely unchanged in the last century (some say nothing world changingly new has been conceived since the mid 70's), pimping your favorite firearm is possibly the funnest part of gun ownership. Harley Davidson may have masterminded the accessorizing craze in the late 90's/early 2000's but the firearms industry has cleverly emulated to the point where American accessory sales now exceed firearm sales. In fact, it's arguable that starting an accessory company (with the right product of course) is potentially more lucrative that making guns simply because the gun market is so saturated, with differences between firearms of the same category becoming negligible as manufacturing standards increase, and with a pro-2A president in office, well, the market has temporarily sagged. But gun owners still like to buy new stuff, so if they don't have the coin to perpetually grow their collections then they're likely to pimp-up and change-out what they DO have. Hence the accessory market. And with one of the latest consumer darlings being the Mossberg Shockwave, Black Aces Tactical saw a nice opportunity to make some cool trimmings for your favorite non-NFA firearm. Personally I love the whole Steampunk look, perhaps it comes from growing up on the first Mad Max movies, or escape from New York, or some other 80's apocalyptic vision, but whatever the inspiration I'm all in. The Shockwave pictured above looks so Blade Runner it'll no doubt be used in some movie coming soon to your new cineplex, but it also represents what makes firearm ownership (and what made Harley ownership) so fun, the chance to embark on little projects that sure as hell don't make your gun work better, just bring them more in tune with your personality. So, whether you're a Mad Max wannabe, or a fan of chrome and bling, or like stripped down in-the-trenches minimal, there's sure at shi....um...an ever-growing accessories industry from which to pimp your pump! Now I wish BAT would make a ribbed wood forearm for both the 20ga and the 12ga Shockwave (hint, hint) to give it an extra utilitarian profile, but hey, let's be grateful they're putting out such cool stuff already. Here's a great link for making your own ribbed forearm, in case you're interested: http://mossbergowners.com/forum/index.php?threads/finally-finished-crafting-wood-furniture-for-a-mossberg-590-shockwave.17399/   Ed.

With all the heft, feel and function of the real thing, the Sig X5 ASP provides an authentic trainer for full-size Sig pistol owners for about $120. Ed. This from their product description: Sig Sauer continues to improve on the design of pellet pistols for some of their most celebrated firearms. As part of this new standard for CO2 air pistols, SIG Sauer has created a 20rd belt fed CO2 version of the 226 X-Five ASP Pistol. The 20rd magazine is where the X-Five ASP really shines through. This design allows for 20 semi-auto shots be to be taken before reloading while other pellet pistols use small capacity rotary mags that must be reloaded after every 6-8 shots. Once you load up your magazine and the CO2, you can shoot your pellets downrange at speeds up to 430 fps to shred paper targets and blast down soda cans. While designed for pellet shooting, you can also load up BBs. For even faster-paced shooting sessions, you can further customize the gun with lasers or flashlights mounted to its Weaver/Picatinny accessory rail. With this many shots, this pistol is great for hours of plinking fun and a welcome addition for owners of the real steel SIG 226. If you like CO2 replicas with more shooting and less reloading, this is the air pistol you've been waiting for!

Anyone who knows Thompson Contender knows they're known primarily for bolt-actions, muzzleloaders and interchangeables, so their brand new T/CR22 in 22LR is quite a surprise. Think of it as a customized base model 10/22 at a very happy $399 MSRP. From their website: The Thompson/Center T/CR22 rifle delivers out-of-the-box performance through a feature set that appeals to hunters and avid firearms owners. The new T/CR22 rifle includes a green fiber optic front sight and adjustable rear peep sight for quick target acquisition, while the built-in picatinny-style rail allows for the mounting of an optic for precision shooting at longer ranges. The T/CR22 rifle is compatible with most aftermarket 10/22® accessories, and it's modular design features a rugged, lightweight Magpul® co-branded OD green composite stock for quick handling with no-Slip Butt Plate and Molded-In Sling Swivel Studs. The T/CR22 rifle incorporates upgraded features right out of the box – from its enhanced materials to its ergonomics, to its compatibility with aftermarket components.

Text from their website:
Each CoolFire Recoil Laser Kit consists of:
An air barrel that replaces your gun's barrel during CoolFire training,
A recoil spring that replaces your gun's recoil spring,
2 slide release inserts for your gun's magazine to prevent slide lock,
A charging adapter that is used to charge the air barrel. Tanks are available separately from CoolFire or may be obtained by the user),
A red laser that threads into the end of the air barrel, and
3 reflective targets.

For those of us who wish we could afford Leupold scopes, but cant, there's good news! Leupold has released a line of (more) affordable optics for the everyman shooter and all popular contemporary platforms are covered. Ranging from a $224 rimfire scope to a $324 3-9x50 for your large bore long range rifle, there's something here for all shooters and they come with the Leupold promise of quality. GOM

This from their site: The new VX-Freedom defines what a rifle scope should be: reliable, accurate, and extremely clear and bright. We’ve taken decades of American manufacturing combined with unbeatable optical performance and rolled it in to a scope that is guaranteed to get the job done every time. With a host of new features, the VX-Freedom lets you unleash your rimfire, dominate from your tree stand, or stretch across an open draw with all the confidence in the world.

Ruger - a great American Institution - has been the subject of spurious reports citing it was being strong-armed by Wall Streeters to produce a report on  “the company’s activities related to gun safety measures and the mitigation of harm associated with gun products" and adapt business practices accordingly. Though obliged to produce a report for shareholders, there will be no changes in manufacturing. We should all be proud of Ruger for standing strong and standing up for the rights of law abiding gun-owners against the current tide of knee-jerk political trends and emotionally-driven ignoramuses & milksops. Ed. (This is Ruger's official response (posted 5/9/2018 to their Facebook page):

Please understand that Ruger was obligated by applicable law to include a shareholder's activist resolution with its proxy materials for a shareholder vote. With its passage, the proposal requires Ruger to prepare a report. That's it. A report. What the proposal does not do . . . and cannot do . . . is force us to change our business, which is lawful and constitutionally protected. What it does not do . . . and cannot do . . . is force us to adopt misguided principles created by groups who do not own guns, know nothing about our business, and frankly would rather see us out of business. As our CEO explained, "we are Americans who work together to produce rugged, reliable, innovative and affordable firearms for responsible citizens. We are staunch supporters of the Second Amendment not because we make firearms, but because we cherish the rights conferred by it. We understand the importance of those rights and, as importantly, recognize that allowing our constitutionally protected freedoms to be eroded for the sake of political expediency is the wrong approach for our Company, for our industry, for our customers, and for our country. We are arms makers for responsible citizens and I want to assure our long-term shareholders and loyal customers that we have no intention of changing that."

What's not to love, brand new Lugers in 45ACP! "How is this possible?", I hear you ask. Because some genius called Eugene Golubstov in Levittown, PA decided to resurrect a contender for the 1907 US Army contract that birthed John Browning's iconic 1911. Entirely hand-milled at Lugerman's shop these incredible and historically accurate Luger pistols will cost you close to 6k, a steal for the serious collector, and they'll surprise you with their historically correct grip safety and overall adherence to the original blueprints. Surprising too is the fact that a German design was even in the running considering our troops would subsequently go to war with Germany not once but twice over the following 38 years. Probably just as well JMB's design was the winner in those trials. That aside, functionality was the primary issue for Georg Luger's failure to be selected as the maker of America's sidearm - here's a great article that covers more of the history and current manufacturing process: http://lugerman.com/Pages/MainPages/Luger45.html#GA. Bucket list indeed. GOM.