BOSS Silencers
Our first stop was BOSS Silencers, because I was not about to miss an opportunity to see a suppressed .50 AE Desert Eagle. The new Bowser 50 suppressor was developed in conjunction with Magnum Research, which made its first threaded barrel for this project. This suppressor is impressive to hold and not as heavy as one might imagine. Company reps told me it is actually quiet.
I also looked at the BOSS Camacho 338 can on a .300 Blackout bolt gun. This 16.5-ounce, 9.5-inch titanium suppressor was designed for .338 calibers, including the new 8.6 Blackout, but it can shoot anything from 9mm to .375 Cheytec. It uses proprietary Nikola Tesla-inspired, coaxially vented baffles that route the gasses through the silencer for a longer duration than in a standard baffle configuration.
BOSS is a relatively new name in the silencer world, but it is coming on strong. Made in Virginia, these suppressors have very high noise reduction scores. All BOSS cans are full-auto rated, have no barrel length restrictions, and come with a lifetime warranty. The company offers a suppressor for nearly every category, from low backpressure models for .223 AR-15s to precision units for long range rifles, and everything in between.
Fostech
The biggest attention-grabber of the event was the Fostech Barrett .50-caliber 20-round drum magazine. I had never seen a drum mag for a .50-cal rifle before. Fostech had been making a 12-gauge drum magazine for its Origin shotgun for a while, and apparently, the diameter of a 12-gauge round and a .50-cal round are very similar. So, Fostech decided to make a drum for the Barrett. Unfortunately, it was not available to shoot at this indoor range, so I’m going to have to figure out a way to try one of these someday.
The other standout product I found at the Fostech booth was the company’s featherlight magnesium-aluminum alloy handguards. I got to try Fostech’s full builds with this lightweight handguard, and the difference is noticeable. I highly recommend you check it out.
Langdon Tactical Technologies
I’m a huge fan of Langdon Tactical’s work. Its newest offering, the LTT Beretta PX4 Full-Size G-Super Duty, started as the Ernest Langdon Black Edition of Beretta’s new PX4 G-SD. Beretta upgraded the barrel to a new heavy-profile cold-hammer-forged barrel to reduce muzzle flip and felt recoil.
LTT added a few more upgrades, including a custom red dot optic slide cut and an in-house trigger job. There’s an ArmorLube DLC-coated Optimized Performance trigger bar, a gunsmith-tuned trigger surfaces enhancement, an 11-pound chrome silicon hammer spring, and a Gray Guns Steel Flat Trigger. LTT also added a DLC-coated slide, carry-style decocker levers, extended mag release button, Talon Grips, and a Springer Precision magwell.
Finally, the most distinctive addition is the Vanish Point Armory rail-mounted compensator. I was able try the G-SD on the range, and I couldn’t believe how LTT improved the already soft-shooting PX4. The gun barely moves. I’m planning to send my personal PX4 to get this treatment from LTT.
Heckler & Koch
I was looking forward to seeing H&K’s first micro-compact pistol: the CC9. Somehow, HK shrank the feel of a classic HK pistol into something you can slip into your pocket. It’s slim and light, but you can still get a full firing grip, and it takes 10 or 12-round magazines. This means it’s still a formidable fighting gun that can be shot well but also concealed easily.
Of course, as is standard on most new pistols, it has an optics cut and a good trigger. If it maintains HK reliability, it might be the perfect CCW pistol.
Also on display were the new VP9 A1 pistols and the A4 versions of the HK MR556 and MR762 rifles.
Ranger Point Precision
Ranger Point Precision does top-of-the-line lever-action furniture for all the popular brands including Henri, Rossi, Winchester, and Marlin guns. The company is pioneering the trend of tactical lever-action guns with accessories that add modern features to these classic firearms.
The furniture is ergonomically designed and can accept Picatinny and M-LOK accessories, including custom ammo quivers to speed up reloads. Ranger Point also offers its USA-made parts in fun and interesting colors so you can customize your rifle how you like.
Staccato
Staccato had its new HD P4.5 on display. The HD line, debuted at SHOT Show this year, is Staccato’s new pistol platform that improves on the 2011 design and takes Glock-pattern magazines. The P4.5 has a sight block barrel that adds weight out front for reduced muzzle flip while keeping the slide light for less felt recoil.
When the HD series came out, there were a few complaints about the ergonomics of the grip and safety. I did have trouble with the safety when I shot the first versions earlier this year. The safety kept re-engaging during fire.
Just a few months later, the HD P4.5 has addressed all those problems and delivered an even better feeling gun. I had no problems with the updated controls, and the gun ran smoothly and reliably. It’s a testament to Staccato’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities that the company made changes this quickly.
Sons of Liberty Gun Works
Sons of Liberty was showing off its new Mk1 rifle, an upgraded direct impingement AR-15. The SOLGW Mk1 features a billet upper and lower receiver set, two-stage trigger, and A5 buffer system. The titanium barrel nut has been extended for improved heat dissipation.
Finally, the forend has been redesigned to minimize rail deflection, improve grip texture, and simplify cable routing. The Mk 1 is offered in 11.5, 12.5, and 14.5-inch models. In hand, it felt robust and capable, and multiple contracts have already been awarded to the SOLGW Mk1 from DOD and SWAT units.
SAR
I stopped by the SAR booth with my old acquaintance, Heather, who was showing off the company’s newly announced SAR9 SOCOM Comp pistol. This is SAR’s full-sized SOCOM pistol with the addition of a custom compensator.
SAR worked with Dave Dawson from Dawson Precision to develop not only the compensator, but an entirely new proprietary recoil system as well. This is significant because compensated pistol are notorious for being finicky with ammunition, and the new design is meant to run all common bullet weights and loads. The SAR9 SOCOM Comp will be available in September.
Troy
My final stop was Troy Industries, one of my go-to manufacturers in the early 2000s that I had not heard much about lately. Well, I found out the company moved locations and slowed down for a bit but is on its way back and still produces some of the highest quality AR-15 parts.
At Guns Out Range Day, Troy was showing off its new Kryptos 5.56 suppressor. The Kryptos is a full-auto rated stainless-steel can that is an over-the-barrel design. It covers 2 inches of the barrel to reduce overall length and shift the suppressor weight rearward to improve balance. This can only adds 4 inches of length to your barrel – an interesting design worth further investigation.
Summary
This coverage is only scratching the surface of the Guns Out Range Day event, as there was just not enough time to try everything. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend putting this annual event on your calendar.
We'll leave you with a couple more snapshots of the event:
