I’m certain there will be no shortage of synthetic stocked tacti-cool variants for us to all drool over as we fantasize about being members of S.W.A.T. and clean up the streets.

 

I worked for 32 years "cleaning up the streets". Not as much fun as some people think.

 

Uh, you might have left a little bit of litter behind. Or maybe it was clean when you retired and has gotten messy again. A never ending cycle.

 

Shot Show news and releases seemed slow and underwhelming this year. Did anyone attend?

"The Column, No. 153: New for 2025 and the Shot Show

What was overwhelming about last year? Many companies release year-round, the SHOT Show is not a "shotgun show." Gun sales are soft and many companies are belt-tightening.

 

I'm sure REMARM is struggling after all they been through since bankruptcy and move to Georgia so explain further since you're in the loop why they are not long for this world?

 

Nihil novi sub sole

 

I feel like a lot of the "shot show" releases have been on the market for quite some time already.

 

Not shotguns, but In 2021 Winchester released an 1885 Low Wall High Grade in 6.5x55. I was stoked. Immediately got on an order list. Finally delivered in October. Shot an antelope and 3 deer with it that year. One of my favorites. Gorgeous rifle.

Keep thinking they’ll release something similar in upcoming years. Nope. But they can throw out every iteration of a plastic stocked Wildcat .22 you can imagine and throw in a new camo pattern on their pump guns for good measure.

Maybe that’s why I’m not in their marketing department. But I bet a limited amount of Supergrade Model 70s in a classic cartridge (.250 Savage, .257 Roberts, 7x57, etc) would sell out. I’m sure the margin and volume isn’t there to make it worth their while. But I’ll keep dreaming.

 

Jealous of your 6.5 x55.

The problem with the Model 70 is it's action is heavier than all of it's competitors... I love a .257 Roberts and I love the Model 70, but when I had a .257 Roberts Improved built it was on a Rem 700.

It's also why Winchester released the WSM series of cartridges as you could get .300 Win mag performance in a Model 70 Short Action which weighed as much as a long action 700, but in a platform where the short action was easier to mount scopes.

Another thought on the 70 is that it's ideal for heavier recoiling cartridges, due to the heavier action and I think chambering the .358 Win, or .450 Marlin would be an option.

In looking at the exhibitor list it seems neither Remington (Remarms), or Thompson Center (recently bought from S&W by Greg Ritz) had a booth.

Unfortunately those of us that like walnut and steel are going to be left out.

 

Do any forum members live close enough to the mythical RemArms plant suppossedly located somewhere in the state of Georgia? How about a drive by photo shoot. Better yet ask for a tour of the plant, and let us know what you find. Assuming all facilities in New York have been shuttered and machinery auctioned off or sold for scrap. I saw a list of the supposed auction of a multitude of machinery a while back and wondered why much of it wasn't relocated to GA, as most of it was special purposed for gun manufacturing. The court opinion (78 pages) was dated September 2023. Couldn't bring myself to stumble through 78 pages of legalise. From what I gleaned about was a spat about money, loans, lack of money, etc. Did anyone actually read all 78 pages? If so, what does it actually mean for the future of RemArms? That opinion was 16 months ago. What is the current state of the company, besides internet rumors about their products and production. I saw an 870 Fieldmaster a few years ago and was not impressed. I've heard rumors about an 870 Wingmaster and 1100 Sporting, but see no proof that either one exists in the real world. If any one has one, lets see some pictures proving that they actually exist. The 870 was introduced about 1950, and the 1100 about 1963. Several millions of both were produced, and it's not hard to find one if you are in the market for one. Winchester, which arguably was as big as Remington and perhaps it's biggest competitor in the past, was finally totally dissolved about 2005, with Herstal picking up a remant of what was left. Where was all the handwringing when that happened. I will make a wild guess that Mossberg is probably the last American gunmaker to mass produce some shotguns in Texas. The rest of the market is imported. Things change, nothing stays the same. It's past time for Remington (Remarms) to be laid to rest.

 

I've heard rumors about an 870 Wingmaster and 1100 Sporting, but see no proof that either one exists in the real world. If any one has one, lets see some pictures proving that they actually exist.

I handled one of the Remarms Wingmasters at a big local gun store back in 2023 or early 2024. 12 gauge, 28" light contour barrel, decent wood. Felt good, but for the $1000 they were asking I could dang near buy 2 used Wingmasters of the same if not better quality. Someone on Trapshooters bought one and immediately had to send it back for glaring defects in the rib and bolt finish. Not a good look for a company struggling to survive.

The same shop that had 2 of the new Wingmasters had 2 new 1100s, field models not sporting. Same thing. Decent gun, but it made zero sense to buy new when there were literally multiple clean used ones on the rack next to it for little more than half the price.

Fact is, Remarms has nothing to offer that hasn't already been done time and again. Their bread and butter guns are out there by the millions to where anyone who wants one can easily get one. The Versamax was a good, somewhat innovative gun, perfect for waterfowl, but was "too heavy" for those who wanted an all around gun. The V3 was a flop plagued by issues right before the company folded. At best Remarms could go the way of Ithaca and make low numbers of high quality 870s and 1100s, as well as the parts for them. I don't see them surviving otherwise.

 

they made about 1000 wingmasters that had some quality to them right about the time they closed down the old place.

 

Only things I saw for scatter guns was the Beretta 688 with the laminated black stock and the Browning 825 which looks really sweet.

 

Oh, and a really cool new type of gun - not shotgun - was the KelTec PR57 for $400. The FN 5.7 is what the secret service is using now (Probably armor piercing). The new Keltec is super lightweight and thin profile due to no magazine - it is fed thru the top, holds 20 rounds. Looks like a nice carry solution, low recoil.

 

Oh, and I would get one if not for the silly 10 round magazine limit in place in WA (even though we can drive across to Oregon and buy bigger mag’s most anyplace. Ridiculous…

 

Same here in Illinois with the high cap ban. But I live 10 miles from the Missouri border. Buy all you want over there. Makes no sense. A law, like so many of them, that solves nothing. Just my opinion.

 

What are the chances of the Glock 46 getting released to the public

 

I was there all 4 days averaged 3.2 miles per day, my feet are still sore. Was not impressed this year. I have been going for the last 12 years. Every year just seems like less and less to see and do. Attendance tickets (with a letter from the Pope) was $195.00 per person up $50.00 from last year. Talked to the Browning reps. Browning is getting out of the porting of there barrels . Did not see any of the displayed with . The new Lyman 6th addition will be released February 1st. on there site.
There is several videos on You Tube from Shot that I have seen in the last few days, just do a search.