My Journey to Las Vegas part 4.

Wednesday Morning


I would wake up feeling worse than I can remember feeling in a long time, I can take a lot of things and generally have a high tolerance of pain, but I hate sinus infections with a passion. I did however manage enough strength to raise my phone and open my Facebook application and within it was all the inspiration I needed to get up and start my day. I'm not sure if I'm starting to notice it more now because I feel closer to God than I have ever been or if more people are just posting Scripture and Bible quotes via my favorite social networking site. Either way I got the message, and said to myself "what does not kill me will make me stronger" I got up took a shower and got dressed for the day. We again decided to opt for a simple and cheap breakfast form the main building.

Why should we mess with perfection right ?

This time I opted for 3 glasses of water with breakfast and a 4th on my walk to the SHOW.

Today I would go looking for some new products that have been released lately

I had to look no further than one of the Nations oldest firearms manufactures Springfield Armory

 
M1A's of all flavors some new some old but all shooters!

 The recently released XDM Competition model designed for 3-gun and other shooting competitions but like the Glock M34/35 it is also favored by SWAT Operators as the longer barrel facilitates a full powder burn enhancing the terminal ballistics of the round being used, in addition the longer sight radius makes it a more accurate handgun. This was the first one I had been able to get my hands on and it was a very nice firearm.

A single stack version of the XD called the XDS for "slim" again this will be a favorite for undercover Officers or concealed handgun carriers as the slimmer profile is easier to conceal and still packs plenty of punch being chambered in .45acp (9MM will be available at a later date)

 Next on the List was Trijicon optics, we purchase all kinds of optical sights and word has it they had 3 new arrivals, a new long range precision scope, a new bettery operated ACOG and Reflex sights. I failed to get pictures of the new equipment but did snap a picture of their booth

 After talking for awhile about the new products I left and went to one of their competitors Steiner Optic and looked over their new line of tactical scopes.

 Later in the day after wondering around we picked up a new line of knives for our store manufactured by Boker a German knife manufacture of high quality blades. While inside their booth I noticed this piece of history.

A little story about this Knife and the Patch beside it

The knife pictured is a faithful reproduction of the Fairbairn-Sykes dagger designed well before WWII as the ultimate fighting knife, a design that has withstood the test of time and is still issued to modern Special Forces units around the World. This brings me to the patch notice first the shape of a Comanche arrow head, the Comanche tribe was infamous for sending small units of raiders to terrorize their enemy during the night hours. Also scribed across the front is the names of the two Countries who's elite soldiers comprised this unit called the First Special Services division known by the enemy as the "Devils Brigade". This unit of brave men pulled from the best and the brightest was created in early 1942 to take upon some of the most daring and clandestine missions during WWII until the time they where disbanded in December of 1944. This unit and their incredible success rate of missions using very little resources and support coupled with the detrimental effects they had on enemy morale paved the road for what we now know as "Special Forces Units". During the two years the unit stayed active they wrote the book on small unit tactics many of which are still in use to this day. 

My next stop of the day was Crimson Trace, makers of laser weapon sights. These sights help Officers/shooters alike acquire targets faster and with more precision especially from awkward positions. In addition it's one of the best forms of less than lethal force as instead of having to shoot somebody the metal effect of a red laser on their chest has recently ended many deadly conflicts with a person surrendering instead of fighting. Crimson Trace laser grips also are very durable and the manor of which they are attached allows use of most normal holsters.

They have even started making grip lasers for AR style patrol rifles and even Military grade rocket launchers but we don't carry the latter...

On my way to my absolute top favorite firearm manufacture in the industry I stopped by Glock's booth to check out some of the new generation 4 offerings in their line of handguns that many Officers use today. Here is the new Gen4 Glock 19 9MM

Now the booth I have been waiting for the top of the line handgun and rifle manufacture SIG SAUER. As I mentioned Sig Sauer makes some of the best handguns and rifles today carried by more Elite units around the World than any other manufacture, some of which are U.S Navy Seals and NCIS, Airforce OSI, Army CID, Secret Service, DHS, British SAS,  the prestigious Texas Rangers, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Scotland Yard and over 1/3rd of our Nations Law Enforcement.

Now enough of a sales pitch on to some of the new products for the year,


The new Sub-Compact P224

Now I mentioned the Elite U.S. Navy Seals carry Sig Sauer, there is actually a story behind it.


During the Early 80's Pistol trials where being conducted and 2 contenders where chosen the Italian designed Beretta 92 and the German designed Sig P226, the Beretta was chosen as the cheaper option as per usual SOP on Government contract. Shortly after rigorous testing conducted by Naval Surface Warfare units the Beretta was dropped due to multiple catastrophic slide failures coining the comical phrase "you are not a Seal to you have eaten Italian Steel" shortly there after the Sig was accepted as the primary sidearm even at nearly double the cost. Which says a lot about the quality of manufacture.


I tell that story to lead up to the release of this, The U.S. DOD allowed Sig Sauer to release the exact spec P226 the U.S. Navy Seals are issued the infamous MK25 

  The new Sig 716 .308 patrol rifle

The new 553

New variants of the recently released M-400 5.56 patrol rifle

cool variant of GSR series 1911's

Long range rifles

Wall of different patrol rifles

Lastly a custom made P226 SAO for Texas DPS commemorating their recent anniversary

The last items of the day. 

As I mentioned you can find anything at SHOT SHOW including rifles and knives in-case of a upcoming zombie apocalypse 

LOL...

That night after the show I would opt out of dinner as I just felt horrible, and needed to just lay down and relax. On the bright side I did get to watch some TV and read up on some of the new things I had seen that day.
Stay tuned for my next update...

My Journey to Las Vegas Part 3.

Tuesday Night

After a long hard day of walking, that was exacerbated by a sinus infection and head cold we decided a good sit down meal was in order. What better place to eat and relax than Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, a nice tropical feeling restaurant that serves good food of all varieties.

Feeling kinda down and drained I opted for a steak, green beans and mashed potatoes to make me feel at home and hopefully raise my spirits. While the Ice tea was delicious the Chef must have been having a bad day as well, because my medium steak was well done and my green beans where less than done, although my mashed potatoes did taste great (maybe he just mixed up the way I wanted things cooked).  I was left feeling a little hungry and still a little down in the dumps so I wanted something sweet for desert but not from here.

Last year I walked past a very sheik looking restaurant in front of Caesars Palace on the STRIP. In fact Everyday I walked past it I wanted to go in and see what it was all about but never found the time. The restaurant in question caught my eye because it seemed out of place (something I could sympathize with at the time) not only by the outside appearance but by name as well Serendipity 3. The name caught my eye because of the movie with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, yes I will admit I have not only seen it but think it was a great movie.

  After I returned home last year I Google searched it and found out it was a top rated Vegas restaurant, so this year I would make the time to go at least once and I'm glad I did. They have a awesome menu of fresh made hot chocolate and gourmet level deserts in addition to normal food as well. After I had made the walk over I wanted to rest and let my food settle OK I was really playing on Facebook. 

 After I had played on Facebook for awhile enjoying the night air I decided to go in and have a seat by the window to have a view of the Strip while I enjoyed my experience. I really wish I had taken some more pictures of the inside, suffice to say it had a Bennigans vs Alice in Wonderland feel/theme. To explain that a little further, the flair that decorated the inside was very random but fit the theme and the paint scheme seemed to remind me of the movie. AS did the randomness of drawings on the menu I stared at for a good 20 minutes before deciding on my food (Yes it was my ADHD) but can you blame me look at this thing it's 4 pages and 2'x2' large.

 That's when I noticed it, "Humble pie & chocolate banana split sundae"
"Humble pie ??? Is that even real ?, I thought that is what you go back for seconds when somebody is serving you, or however the saying goes"

 I inquired with my waiter about the "Humble Pie" part of a otherwise delightful description of a desert, and was informed

Humble Pie is Real and Taste like peanut butter with a Oreo crust!!!

Did I just hear that correctly ? Have I died and gone to Heaven ? Or was I this incoherent from the medication I was taking ?

Either way I was obligated at this point to order it based purely upon principal, so I DID!!!

  I will warn you now, this desert is not for the faint of heart if I had to guess it was probably 83,942 Calories, but worth every one of them. Humble pie taste amazing, even better with fresh vanilla ice creme, fresh hot fudge, fresh whipped creme, and the most delicious CHERRY to top it off. This was without a doubt what I needed and at $16.00 Tip included probably the best way to spend a $20.00 bill that I have found to date!!!

Walking to the condo that night I could only think of one way that it would have been any better...

I was glad I enjoyed myself Tuesday Night as every day after that for the duration my trip I would feel to bad to go anywhere, and would wind up skipping dinner in lieu of extra sleep.

Stay tuned for part 4...

My Journey to Las Vegas Part 2.

Shortly After breakfast, we would start our morning walk to the entrance to the Sands Expo Center.

This was a nice little walk in the morning to get you warmed up for the miles of walking we would do inside the Expo center. I came to enjoy it as I would get to see the sun in the mornings and smell the fresh air on the way. In addition it gave me plenty of time to finish my morning ENERGY DRINK and water from breakfast.

Even though the show was full of people who should have probably not been there, they still require us to wear these badges, and it is secured in my trusty and faithful ID HOLDER.

Now little bit about SHOT SHOW

I mentioned it draws vendors form all over the World. Vendors whom sell Firearms, Ammunition, Accessories, Optics, Law Enforcement/Tactical Gear, Medical/Fire Gear, Clothing for all the above and everything in between.

So it is not at all uncommon to see EVERYTHING from

Pink ladies camouflage.

To Law Enforcement armored personnel carriers.

Military grade belt-fed 40MM grenade launchers  (MK19 actual weapon designation)

To full size demos of body armor, clothing, and duty weapons from gear distributors.

Even body armor for mans best friend and faithful partner !!!

So, as I'm sure you can tell from this it would be impossible for me to cover even a fraction of a percent of all the items inside the confines of the SHOT SHOW. I have gathered a few Items that would interest the clients we curtail our store to and some displays that looked cool.

First up is one of my favorite brands in the Industry REMINGTON DEFENSE, they supply us with precision rifles, shotguns and patrol rifles to help give our local Officers and Deputies the cutting edge in offense/defense and make sure the bad guys never have the upper hand.

Their banner hanging form the ceiling acting as a guide to navigate my way to them.

The new precision rifle that won the new U.S. Army contract for conversion of the Old M24 sniper weapon systems into the latest cutting edge long range precision rifle for our Nations Snipers on the modern battlefield.

Several Versions of the infamous Remington model 700 sniper rifle, showing the ability to custom fit the rifle to the individual operators specifications or adaptability to meet mission requirements.

PDW's (personal defense weapons) used for close proximity protection details whom need firepower and conceal-ability for discretionary purposes.

Ad's

My friend ED was nice enough to show me two new firearms that where debuted earlier.

The new suppressor ready Remington 700 SPS tactical in .300 AAC blackout 

In addition the new Remington 870 with Magpul Industries furniture and XS sights

I would Leave the Remington Defense booth and walk around the corner to their sister company and another one of my top favorite manufactures in the industry today .

Advanced Armament Corporation

AAC is one of the most cutting edge manufactures in the defense industry at the moment as they create more technologically advanced suppressors and weapons platforms to give our elite War-fighters advantages on the battlefield. In addition the provide our Nations Law Enforcement with products to keep the upper hand against the bad guys.

AAC debuted several new items this year, most notably the new 90tooth taper mount to eliminate any issues of play between the suppressor and host weapon, in addition to any concerns of the suppressor becoming detached during heavy firing schedules. The new mount requires 25% more force to remove than was used to put on, thanks to the special tapered mating surface of the adapter and suppressor surfaces. As demonstrated even without the ratchet mount latch this was enough force to keep the suppressor secure attached.

 The new Element II direct thread .22WMR suppressor 

(R) pictured next to the current Element (L) 

The new and improved Ranger III direct thread 5.56 suppressor

The new Mini-7 (L) QD 7.62 suppressor to compliment the Mini-4 (R) QD 5.56 suppressor

The new SR-5 5.56MM quick detach sound suppressor using the new 90tooth taper mount

 The new SR-7 (L) 7.62MM quick detach sound suppressor also utilizing the new 90tooth taper mount, next to the Current 7.62SD-N6 (R) 7.62 quick detach sound suppressor.

 This is not new but its is amazing to see a .50 BMG suppressor on a McMillian Tac-50 .50 BMG sniper rifle.Very much like the one used by Canadian Sniper Robert Furlong during the onset of "Operation Anaconda" in Afghanistan to make a 2430meter/2657yard confirmed shot (that's over 1.5 miles) against a taliban fighter whom was endangering fellow Coalition Forces.

Lastly some AAC humor!!!

Up next is one of the leading weapons manufactures whom make several of our Nations battlefield weapons FNH. In Addition to several modern handguns, rifles, and shotguns used by Law Enforcement and Competition shooters alike. They had a very large booth with a lot going on. Well my ADHD and lack of food took over and I failed to get very many pictures but did get two nice ones.

(L) M240 7.62MM light machine gun, (C) M-2 .50 BMG machine gun, (R) M249 5.56MM squad automatic weapon

The last booth of the day was Colt Defense, again a leading manufacture of rifles used by the Military and Law Enforcement.

All of the buzz in Colts booth surrounded the limited edition all brass Gatling guns being produced to commemorate their entail inception in the 1800's. As this picture is posted all 50 where sold to the tune of 49K dollars a piece.

Colt is best know for the M16 and M4 assault rifles that are now the Standard issue battle rifle for most in out Nations Military. The Law Enforcement/Civilian version of this rifle is the ever popular AR-15 that is being manufactured by many, but Colt is still the benchmark by which all others are judged.

Colt also had one of the coolest displays at the show this year, which was a feature of full size displays of what American Soldiers have carried into battle in the defense of our Country and Freedom over the years.

Stay tuned for part 3.