Traditions® Performance Firearms announced Steve Kirkpatrick of The WL Carter Company as the 2025 Sales Representative of the Year. Kirkpatrick has represented Traditions products since 2006, demonstrating outstanding performance and dedication to customer relationships and brand growth.
Spartan Precision Equipment announced a partnership with Hunter Outdoor Communications to strengthen its North American market presence through strategic public relations and brand development. The collaboration aims to expand brand awareness and deliver impactful messaging to the outdoor industry.
Kovix, a premium titanium suppressor manufacturer, relocated its headquarters from Lake Norden, South Dakota to Kalispell, Montana. CEO Luke Hanson stated the move enhances team synergy and positions the company more centrally for operations while maintaining seamless customer service.
Liberty Ammunition announced its selection by Brink's U.S. for executive protection services. CEO Gary Ramey expressed pride in supporting the world's oldest security firm, which has provided asset protection since 1859, with Liberty's advanced ammunition technology.
RetailBI released its January Firearm Sales Index showing a -6.2% decline compared to January 2025. Gearfire's RetailBI provides data-driven retail performance metrics using point-of-sale transactions from over 2,000 U.S. firearms retailers, offering manufacturers, distributors, and retailers accurate consumer demand insights.
Whitetails Unlimited Inc. is hiring part-time Field Directors for territories in Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Candidates should have event planning experience, Microsoft 365 proficiency, and knowledge of hunting and white-tailed deer. Interested applicants should email fieldoperations@whitetailsunlimited.com.
German Precision Optics (GPO USA) announced that the free $95.00 custom Kenton Industries™ turret is now standard with select GPO CENTURI™ riflescopes. The custom turret allows shooters to dial exact yardage or ballistic data tailored to their specific rifle and ammunition at no additional cost.
MDT announces a limited 4th Anniversary Edition of the GRND-POD bipod in Flat Dark Earth, celebrating four years of the popular precision rifle accessory. The bipod features rapid deployment, one-handed control, independently adjustable legs, and compatibility with multiple attachment interfaces including ARCA/RRS Dovetail and Picatinny.
Faxon Firearms, an American-made manufacturer based in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, will exhibit at the Nation's Best Sports 2026 Spring Semi-Annual Market in Oklahoma City February 10–13, 2026. The company will showcase its AR-15 lineup, precision barrels, suppressors, and core components at Booth 1504.
Dead Air Silencers will exhibit at the 2026 Nation's Best Sports Spring Semi-Annual Market in Oklahoma City, February 10–13, showcasing their suppressor lineup including Sandman, Nomad, Wolfman, RXD910Ti, Nomad Ti OTB, and CT5P to NBS dealers.
Beretta USA will showcase its A300 Ultima Turkey lineup and hunting shotguns at the National Wild Turkey Federation Convention & Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee, February 12-14. The company will feature exclusive collaborations with Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks, Realtree®, and Mossy Oak®, highlighting purpose-built turkey guns and modern hunting shotguns at booth #2061.
European American Armory Corp. will exhibit its latest Girsan handguns and Balikli long guns at the 2026 NRA Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA, February 7–15. New products include the MC 14T California Compliant tip-up barrel, Witness2311 CMX and CMXX models, and Balikli's Blue Label Over/Under Shotgun and BLK Bolt-Action Rifle.
SHIELD Sights, a leading manufacturer of compact pistol optics, will make their inaugural debut at the 2026 NBS Spring Market in Oklahoma City, February 10-13, showcasing their red dot sights including the newly released OMSx sight.
RSR Group hosts its 2026 E-Vault Virtual Show featuring SIG SAUER from February 9-13, 2026, offering dealers exclusive online access to limited-time promotions, new product announcements, daily prize giveaways, and extended terms on SIG SAUER products at www.rsrgroup.com.
GSM Outdoors will showcase hunting gear from over 50 brands at the 2026 National Wild Turkey Federation Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, featuring debut backpack-style turkey vests from Avian-X in limited-edition NWTF designs, plus appearances by Hall of Fame Callers Mark Drury and Paul Butski.
Maxim Defense, a premier manufacturer of precision firearms, suppressors, ammunition and accessories based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, will exhibit at the 2026 Nation's Best Sports Spring Semi-Annual Market February 10-13 in Oklahoma City. The company will showcase new products including the SDX RFLX, MD15 Duty Precision, MD15 A3, and Maxim Defense Airsoft Guns at booth #1146.
Remington Ammunition will debut its new Final Strut HD turkey load lineup at the National Wild Turkey Federation's 2026 Convention in Nashville, February 10-14. The tungsten-blended loads offer enhanced retained energy and dense patterns at longer ranges, complementing Remington's existing turkey ammunition options.
Taylor's & Company will exhibit at the Nation's Best Sports Spring Semi-Annual Market in Oklahoma City, February 10-13, 2026, unveiling new USA-made rifle products including the TC73 9mm Lever-action Rifle. Show attendees can enter a drawing for the TC73 and access exclusive member specials at booth #1940.
Federal Ammunition is the title sponsor of the National Wild Turkey Federation's 2026 Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee, February 10-14. Federal will sponsor the Hunting Heritage Breakfast and introduce new turkey loads including Realtree 40th Anniversary Special Edition and Rob Roberts Limited Edition ammunition.
GAME & FISH TV, powered by Outdoor Sportsman Group, features Jim Shockey's hunting adventure shows every Saturday in February. The lineup includes Jim Shockey's UNCHARTED, Jim Shockey's Hunting Adventures, and Jim Shockey's The Professionals, offering two hours of hardcore hunting content from exotic global destinations.
MyOutdoorTV premieres new Bone Collector episodes weekly, featuring Michael Waddell, Nick Mundt, and Travis "T-Bone" Turner. Season 18 includes deer hunting at the Waddell Family Farm in Georgia, hunts with Cameron Hanes and Blake Shelton, and exclusive content including The Michael Waddell Podcast.
Nothing gets you to thinking about your own vulnerability like finding out that someone you know is facing physical handicaps and having to adapt when considering self-defense options. I’ve recently run into associates who’ve been facing some issues – and, a few weeks back, I ran into one of my own.
Still, this is something that’s been on my mind for several years. No less an authority than Claude Werner, the Tactical Professor, wrote on the subject and he’s not alone. Stephen Wenger has mentioned it and others have made note of clients who faced handicaps that had to be worked around.
The word of the day is “accommodate.”
Back as far as the late 1990s, I became aware that Jim Cirillo had limits on shoulder rotation. Having carried strong side for years, the shoulder injury prevented that; it meant he couldn’t carry a gun in the ‘normal’ location for him. Instead of choosing to be unarmed, he had to move the gun forward and seek a different type of carry system.
He adapted to the physical issue and worked to be effective in spite of the handicap.
In the case of Massad Ayoob, when he had a fracture of a finger on his dominant hand, he suited up with a ‘weak’ side holster -- something he’d already prepared for. As retired armorer/rangemaster/instructor Mike Rafferty noted, “You have two hands and it’s a “handgun,” not a “handsgun.””
I was recently reading a blog post from Steve Moses. He was discussing a surgical intervention on his wrist. His focus was on different guns in lighter calibers, something for most folks to consider if they seek to live on into their elderly years. A take on Claude Werner’s “old man gun” discussion, it’s a path I’d already started on based on the Tactical Professor’s earlier discussion of the topic.
I knew guys on the job who had to adapt to physical difficulties and actually knew a guy who assembled a ‘mirror-image’ duty rig and wore it on the job – yes, he worked “hurt.” Early in my career, an officer who’d gone in for a gallbladder removal (these were the days that they opened you up side-to-side to get that small organ out) returned to work with no apparent gun belt under his “Ike” jacket.
Still tender across the midsection, he opted for a concealed shoulder holster – a Bianchi X-15 -- to carry his four-inch Model 10 38 revolver. Our relatively small agency had no issues with BS concepts of ‘uniformity,’ preferring that the shifts were staffed and the job got done. He got no flack over his few weeks of wearing a concealed shoulder rig on uniform duty.
Galco VHS - Vertical Holster System.
In my situation, it was a hand injury. I quickly adapted for the short term of occupational therapy – something I’ll discuss in greater detail in another feature.
It’ll suffice here to mention that I’m from the ‘revolver era.’ For those of us old enough to have started our journey with round guns, they provide a decent option if your hand(s) can control the trigger. I also come from a time when we were taught to move the gun from hand to hand to make better use of available cover. My habit was to carry a backup gun – nearly always a revolver – accessible to the less-dominant hand. That might be the only hand I had left that could function the gun.
With physical infirmity, you are left having to adapt, adjust, modify – and reconcile. Thinking about it and putting a plan in place before you need it is just a smart investment.
