It’s another January in Las Vegas. It’s cold, it’s raining, and thousands of shooters spent the day at Industry Day at the Range. The weather is hardly ever nice for range day, but you get to play poker with whatever poison you pick. This year, the weather was predicted to be rough enough that the media-only time at the Range was canceled, and from the jump, it was one of the more crowded options.
Still, we braved the crowds, the wind, the rain, and the cold to bring you the very best of the Industry Day at the Range. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Diamondback SDR
Diamondback is a company that’s slowly expanding and growing. What used to be a company that made ARs and polymer frame micro pistols has evolved into PDWs, rimfires, and now the Self Defense Revolver, or SDR. Colt kind of already claimed the fame of naming their revolvers after snakes, so I guess a company named after a snake played it close to their chest. The Diamondback SDR is a mix of old-school revolvers with some features to make it a fairly modern option for concealed carriers.
Why it pegged my interest was the addition of actual sights. I’m sure revolver guys have no problems with a rear trench sight, but it’s not my cup of tea. It’s also not the cup of tea most people new to guns want to drink. The SDR features a rear high visibility green sight and a red high visibility front sight. They stand out well and make target acquisition easy and quick.
On range day, I raced myself to hit two targets with two rounds each as fast as possible. While I lacked a shot timer, it sure as hell felt fast, and I landed each hit. The SDR uses a six-shot cylinder and a 2-inch barrel. The gun sports an exposed hammer, and the barrel has a 45-degree target crown. The SDR had a great trigger, and the push button release was ergonomic and intuitive for easy use. With an MSRP of $777, the SDR seems to be a rather affordable option for a .357 Mag carry gun.
MAC-5
SDS Imports started a fairly diverse set of brands a couple of years ago. This includes owning the rights to the Military Armament Corporation, or MAC namesake. Sadly, they aren’t producing MAC pistols, but importing a number of firearms. The latest is importing MP5 clones from Turkey for budget-based consumption. They are calling them the MAC-5. I’m not the biggest MP5 fan, but if someone can import and sell them for around a grand, then I’m game.
The MAC-5 has an MSRP of $1,099, so we might see them for a little less than that on the show floor. I tried both the standard model and the K model. These guns were equipped with braces at the Range, but they don’t seem to be included in the final package. What is included is two magazines, a sling, and a very nice hard case.
At the Range, the guns performed admirably. They inherited the positive traits of their German cousins. They had low recoil, suppressed well, and were quite accurate out to 50 yards. MP5s are always fun, and their legendary status makes them highly desirable for the end user. They are traditionally quite expensive, so a less-than-a-grand model is pretty damn nice to have. The MAC-5 series is one part of what appears to be a future of MP5 imports that includes numerous accessories.
The Ruger Mini-14 A-Team Model
Officially, it’s not called the A-Team model, but Ruger should hire me for marketing. Admittedly, the Ruger Mini-14 with the stainless finish, bayonet lug, and flash hider existed before the A-Team. However, the A-Team popularized this particular model of the gun. Sampson brought back the stock a few years ago, but Ruger is bringing back the original design.
I’ve never wanted a Mini-14 until I saw this particular model. I loved the A-Team as a kid and have fond memories of watching it with my dad. The ability to own my own Ruger Mini-14 with a stainless design, including a stainless magazine body, is an awesome addition to a weapon line that’s a bit dated. The rifle features the classic folding stock design with its minimalist apparel.
One of the big changes is the threading of the barrel. It no longer features that old oddball thread pattern of the original Ruger rifles. The new Ruger Mini 14 features the traditional 1/2x28mm thread pitch. At Range Day, the rifle featured a suppressor that took it to a new level. It was an absolute blast to shoot, and I had a lot of fun plinking steel out to 50 yards (the rifle can go further, but the targets at the Range did not.)
Henry 5.56/.300 Blackout Rifle
I can’t seem to find the official name of this rifle. It’s not listed on Henry’s website, and I can’t seem to find the official name, but it’s a remarkable rifle. It’s unmistakable. How many other rifles use a lever action combined with AR mags and the 5.56 or .300 Blackout round? Henry finds a way to make traditional rifles new and innovative. The latest Henry rifles bring modern calibers to the classic platform.
The use of AR-15 magazines keeps things affordable and higher in capacity than most lever action rifles. These guns use an ambidextrous magazine release, a tang-style safety, and a redesigned lever-action. You aren’t isolated to flush-fitting magazines. The lever operates the action without hitting the longer magazines. These rifles still feature the traditional wood furniture and keep that classic lever-action look to them.
The new Henry rifles feature a rotating barrel for clear and clean extraction, as well as a solid lockup. The barrel is free-floated, and the guys at Henry talked about 1 MOA accuracy. The guns come with standard open iron sights, and the rifles are drilled and tapped to add an optic. Oh, and the barrel is threaded, so adding a can isn’t tough either. They are super accurate rifles and were a ton of fun to shoot.
The P365 Raider
The P365 Raider isn’t a gun but a grip module that takes advantage of the P365’s fire control unit design. This removable fire control unit makes it easy to swap grip modules, and the P365 Raider turns your handgun into a PDW-sized platform. Drop your P365 FCU into the gun, attach the slide and barrel, and you’re off to the races.
The P365 Raider is a micro-sized PDW, and the model at range day featured a six-inch barrel with a shroud that allowed for more modern grip techniques. Of course, you aren’t stuck with a six-inch barrel. The micro-sized design makes it easy to carry, and the Flux Defense even designs and produces an appendix-style holster for the setup.
The setup features a rapidly folding stock or brace system that folds over the gun. Hit the release button, and it springs into action. It’s a one-handed system that operates by itself. The P365 Raider also features a magazine holder up front, like the original Raider. Pair it with an optic on your P365, and you’re ready to rock and roll. I can’t wait to snatch one up as soon as I can.
PWS UXR
One of the biggest rifles to hit the range day was isolated to one of the smaller booths. I passed it more than once, and the crowd gathered around it so heavily that I couldn’t see the PWS logo. Primary Weapon Systems is well known for its long-stroke piston-driven AR-15 rifles. The UXR is still a long-stroke gas piston system but is pretty far from an AR-15.
The UXR series is a multi-caliber system that can be easily converted from 5.56 to .300 Blackout, 7.62x39mm, and even big calibers like .308, 8.6 Blackout, and 6.5 CM. At the core is an upper receiver and an easily removable barrel design. It plops out with the rotation of three bolts with a 5/32 wrench. The lower receiver has two parts, one containing the trigger group and stock, and the other is the magwell.
Being able to swap mag wells makes it easy to change calibers and magazine platforms. The UXR at range day was only 5.56, and Primary Weapon Systems’ goal is to produce a new caliber every quarter or so. The rifle proved to be very accurate and very light in the recoil department. The price of about $2,500 bucks is a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but with the modularity possibilities, it might be the rifle to beat.
Range Day Is Done
I’ve since retired from the range day. I’ve kicked my feet up, sipped a couple of beers, eaten a burger, and typed this up for you. Most years have a theme, a particular trend you see evolve and occur over time. However, this year feels like it’s a bit random. It’s a mix of traditional and new, and it’s all certainly interesting. I can’t spot a theme this year, but I can certainly shoot someone else’s ammo.
