Opinion
2025 NRA Show, Atlanta, GA
I arrived in Atlanta, GA last week in order to attend the 2025 NRA Show. My first time in downtown Atlanta!
I have to say that Atlanta is an extremely friendly town. Staff, vendors, and attendees all go out of their way to be welcoming and helpful. Convention Center hotels (where I’m staying) are all very nice!
No protestors this year! I’m told that leftist losers, who sometime show-up at organized protests of NRA events, these days have so many other DJT-era issues competing for their attention that elimination of private ownership on guns by Americans (while still core dogma for all leftists) has now slipped way down on their list of priorities.
This year’ Show is bigger than last year’s, and well attended, and while I have no inside track on NRA’s upper-level politics, I’m told things have “settled-down” among Board Members since the last several years of fireworks. In any event, the Show was well organized, well laid-out, and adequately staffed.
Of note:
Springfield Armory’s XD pistols have now taken second place to their new “Echelon” series. The Echelon features a removable trigger-control assembly, much like SIG’s 320, a feature that is attractive to institutional buyers. However, I’m told that the XD will not go out of production, as it is still perfectly useable and a good deal less expensive than the new Echelon.
The Daniel Defense H9 pistol has the best trigger of any in the genera, but it is all-steel and thus heavy. And at over $1k/copy, it’s on the pricy side.
FN’s 509 ($700.00/copy) is also a very satisfactory service pistol, but their smaller “Reflex” series is designed to compete with the SIG365, SA Hellcat, SAR9, and Kahr PM9 for the deep concealed-carry market.
- Shadow Systems MR920 is another excellent service pistol, albeit more expensive than the G19 which it emulates.
- Kimber’s version is the side-ejecting TFS Carbon Compact. Excellent choice, but also on the pricey side
- Mossberg’s MC2c pistol continues to enjoy my recommendation and is in the middle price range.
Yet, here comes CZ with their P10C pistol, a Glock-like double-column 9mm, which sells for $400.00! And, at that price, it is still perfectly acceptable as a service/carry pistol for serious purposes, and I have no compunction about recommending it, as I carried a copy for most of a year
So, while all pistols mentioned above (and some I neglected to mention) are eminently suitable and represent good choices for personal protection, prices range from $400.00 to over $1k/copy. For some consumers, the foregoing is not relevant, and they will get what they want, regardless of price.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but for $400.00, you can still get a perfectly good and acceptable defensive pistol that will render immaculate service for the rest of your lifetime and well beyond.
Robinson Armament XCR Rifle
Alex Robinson at Robinson Armament tells me that the current best-selling caliber for his wonderful XCR Rifle is 8.6 Blackout! I have several copies of the XCR in 223 and 308, but I had no idea the 8.6 Blackout was that popular!
Beretta’s 1301 and A300 autoloading shotguns are very similar. Both are in production, and both are recommended. Retail for the A300 is $1,100. For the 1301, its over $2k
Friends at PTR tell me their roller-delayed PTR63 rifle in 223 will (finally) be shipping sometime this year. The PTR91 in 308 has been around for a long time and continues to be popular, but the smaller and lighter PTR63 represents a welcome addition to their product line.
The popular Mantis graphic training system now comes with an inert training pistol, the “Titan.” With this system and its wonderful graphics, trainers can show students exactly what they’re doing that compromises accuracy. This is something I recommend for all trainers.
Diamondback’s SDR snubby revolver makes a very acceptable carry-gun, similar to S&W’s and Colt’s. Smooth and slick, but again, on the pricy side.
Finally, XS sights, makers of high-visibility iron sights, are now making a slim, sturdy M-Lock forend for Henry lever guns. Lever-gun aficionados will love it!
NRA Show, Atlanta, GA, second day
Service pistols I should have mentioned yesterday:
Stoeger’s Glock-like STR9 is surely serviceable. Mid-price range
The CC9 is H&K’s competitor for the small/concealable SIG365 market. $700.00, and now made in America
H&K’s VP9 is a wonderful service pistol, but pricey at $1k
Canik’s METE MC9/LS, at $500.00, is very acceptable, and you get a very nice kydex holster with it.
The ZEV OZ9C/Combat looks a lot like a G19, but like the SIG320 and the SA Echelon, it features a removable trigger-group. “ZEV” translates to “Wolf” in Hebrew, and that is the company’s CEO’s name.
Julie Willis of Zindera showed me her new “Sophia” carry sling-bag. Very stylish, and it features a magnetic opening to the pistol compartment.
Faxon, known for premium-quality rifle barrels, is now marketing a lightweight M4, called the FF15-LW. Aluminum upper and lower, and as you might imagine, it features a “pencil barrel” and a skeletonized bolt-carrier. However, it’s just under five pounds!
Being this light, it is not a heavy-duty gun, but it’s really nice for low-profile travel!
Several video-simulation training systems were on display, and I’m familiar with most of them. But, one I was not familiar with is “Accushoot.” The Accushoot System has several projected scenarios that feature genuinely animated targets, targets that move across the screen at assorted speeds and ranges. I immersed myself in it, and it was challenging!
Finally, I personally tested the Compliant Technologies CD3 “Control Glove.” This is a piece of less-lethal police equipment designed to instantly control violent suspects, with the goal of reducing injury to both officer and suspects.
It is a low-profile glove worn by an officer. When the officer grabs the arm, wrist, or hand of a suspect, an electrical contact is made, and the suspect immediately goes down. The effect is hard to describe, but it is instant and extremely compelling. It surely works on me!
This product is designed to fit-in with other less-lethal technologies, like the Taser and the kinetic-energy Bruiser.
I like it!
Overall, I’m encouraged by NRA management’s ability to put-on a Show like this. Everything was well-done and well-coordinated, certainly worth attending!
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor, John Farnam will urge you, based on your beliefs, to make up your mind about what you would do when faced with an imminent lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance if any. Defense Training International wants to ensure that its students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or in-actions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to Planet Earth. Mr. Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
Let’s call a spade a spade here, the “very nice kydex holster” that comes with the Mete MC9 series guns (excluding the Prime which has a different holster) are pretty bad not “very nice”. The retention is just enough to hold a gun while standing up but even tighten as much as possible it’ll still drop a loaded gun if you turn it over and give it a shake. That’s the minimum that a good retention holster should accomplish. The holster is also pretty uncomfortable to use, IWB or OWB. It is good enough to get you to the store… Read more »
2025 Atlanta was another great show, one of about “will not miss” 10 annual road trips but attendance was definitely down, as echoed by numerous manufacturers with which I have contacts in attendance. Registrations may have been up…don’t have insight into that, but the show floor was definitely not crowded as in past years. Registration and attendance are two different numbers. Not apparent that NRA has any way to track actual attendance count.