New Guns 2008 NRA Show

New Guns From 2008 NRA Show
By Scott E. Mayer - Guns & Ammo Magazine

The second day of the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits saw a mid-year introduction by Kimber in the form of "Crimson Series" 1911 pistols. As the name implies, this series incorporates Crimson Trace laser grips. In keeping with the very classic looks of Kimber, however, the laser grips have a durable rosewood dip treatment instead of being the usual Crimson Trace black. This introduction is so new that, as of this writing, even Kimber dealers don't know about the new gun.

Crimson Models include the "Custom" with 5-inch barrel, "Pro" with 4-inch barrel, and "Ultra" with 3-inch barrels. All incorporate the same features as Kimber's "Carry II", but also have the hole for the slide catch beveled and the pin shortened to make sure the laser beam is not obscured.

Another new mid-year pistol is Springfield's "M-factor" XD series. I had first seen one of these pistols a few months ago while filming segments for Personal Defense TV, and more recently at the InterMedia Spring Roundtable event. In both instances I had the pleasure of getting to do a little shooting with the new guns and really liked them. Also at both events, the press was asked to delay release until now, so here are the highlights of the new pistol. Look for a full review with shooting results at a later date.

The XD(M) retains all of the qualities we've come to expect from the XD, but has more "M"s. So what's an "M"?
(M)odel contour frame--slightly modified XD grip for better gripping
(M)ajor grasp slide serrations--deeper and longer slide serrations
(M)ega-lock texture--grip contour calculated for maximum control
(M)elonite finish--leaves a thick, corrosion-resistant, hard surface
(M)atch-grade barrel--precision-manufactured
(M)inimal reset trigger--shortest trigger travel of any polymer pistol
(M)inimal error disassembly--simplified disassembly without need to pull the trigger
(M)aximum reach magazine release--easy magazine releases without changing shooting grip
(M)ega capacity magazine--16+1 rounds of .40 S&W
(M)ould-Tru backstraps--interchangeable backstraps to fit different size hands
(M)ulti-adjust rail system--triple-position rail for adjusting accessories to shooter's hand position
(M)ulti-use carrying case--rugged carry case
Put more simply, the XD(M) features higher capacity, a slimmer, more ergonomic frame, and the ability to customize the frame size to best fit the shooter's hand.

On the non-hardware side of NRA's Meetings and Exhibits was today's address to the NRA Membership from Republican Presidential candidate, Senator John McCain (AZ). During his address, McCain acknowledged the past differences he has had with the NRA. Differences include McCain's support to have NICS background checks apply to gun sales at gun shows as he believes that, "a fair and instant background check at guns shows is a reasonable requirement.”

McCain also stated that he does not "support efforts by those who seek to regulate them [guns] out of existence."