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sHOwIN geRMANy

THE IWA
AND OUTDOOR CLASSICS SHOW
Optics as far as the eye can see!
Entering the show the first stand to visit was SIG SAUER, basically because they are quite literally the very first stand after the entrance! Their military and LE offering only takes up a small area of their stand though, but even if it is pretty low key theres lots to get your teeth into as they have on show every model of rifle and handgun that they produce, with all the modular variations. Theres the 200 series of handguns, and rifle models 550, 551, and 553 in every barrel length you can imagine! Particularly of interest though was the SAPR (Swiss Arms Precision Rifle) 751 and the mighty SAN 511 Precision Rifle chambered in .50 BMG. of Kahles, Schmidt and Bender, Weaver, and Zeiss. The one stand that really caught our attention though was Leupold who has a specific area this year for their Tactical Optics. I was particularly impressed by the MK4 HAMR (High Accuracy Multi Range) sight, which when combined with their DeltaPoint reflex sight offers a pretty much all round sighting system. One to watch here I feel! Whilst not to the scale of the behemoth that is the SHOT Show the IWA and Outdoor Classics Show at the Nuremberg Messe is still pretty darn impressive! The Messe itself is a daunting venue with hundreds of stands over eight halls. Admittedly the focus for us is normally in Halls 7 and 7A as this is where the majority of the tactical gear suppliers set up their pitches. That said, the optics and firearms manufacturers are split up throughout the different halls so it really is a case of getting those boots on the ground and hoofing around to try and take in everything that there is on offer. Im certain that we miss something each year, but we do try not too; even with four guys on the ground, its still a vast show to cover! Coinciding with IWA is Enforcetac, the professional show for law enforcement, security and tactical solutions. This particular show is only for the professional, so entry is very secure. Although many of those exhibiting at Enforcetac have stands in the main IWA Show halls, there are some, such as Heckler & Koch, FN Herstal, and Simunition that are only in the professional area. Hall 1 is pretty much optics heaven though; wherever you cast your eye there are scopes and sights of all sizes and powers. Aimpoint were centrally placed with their entire product range, but the focus was on the release of their new 2MOA variant of the T1 Micro; this is a tried and tested optic, and the increase of longer range accuracy offered by the new model is just a huge bonus. There were great models also from the likes Trijicon were also doing great business by the look of things with again their full range of optics available to view; there were some great new models too, namely the ACOG Crossbow, Battery ACOG, SRS and the TARS. Well have a look at these models in detail the future. On the way through the halls it was superb to see our British contingent quite literally flying the flag. Our friends at BCB were launching their new Bushcraft range there, and the guys from Silva cut a dash with their rebranded and repackaged Gerber Tactical line.

Another big story at the Show was that of the continued rise and rise of Adaptive Carbine Platforms, basically a shell that turns your service handgun into a carbine with the obvious benefits to handling and accuracy. This is a story in itself that well return to in more depth in a future issue.

nOwhere tO hide!
So, onto kit; gear, gear and more gear! Multicam was still the pattern of choice for most manufacturers as it was quite literally everywhere! Multicam gear, Multicam uniforms, and Multicam boots; you name it and it was available in the pattern! I was particularly taken with Revisions modular Batlskin helmet and boots from Oakley featuring the CRYE design. Claw Gear, VooDoo Tactical, and our very own Warrior Assault Systems were showing great ranges of plate carriers and pouches. Claw Gear have embraced the A-TACS patterns and were showing models in both variants. Voodoo had on show their Variable Advanced Assault Tactical Plate Carrier (VAAT) which features diagonally placed MOLLE tapes; this means that you can angle off your pouches rather than just having them straight up and down which in turn allows greater personalisation of your load. Warrior Assault Systems had a really impressive stand showcasing their whole range. See a review of their new plate carrier in Gear Up this month.

of time with them to get under the skin of their brand. Ive been a huge personal fan of their gear since I discovered it; it aint cheap but my, it is very fine! Theyll be appearing in the Manufacturer Profile section of Raider next month so be prepared for the lowdown.

The firsT quarTer of every year is always a busy Time for The raider Team, wiTh almosT back To back Trade shows Taking place in The usa and europe. so iT was ThaT we piled our gear inTo The wagon and seT off for The iwa and ouTdoor classics show in germany To see The laTesT and greaTesT in cloThing, new gear and firearms.
most definitely bling. It seemed to me that almost every firearms manufacturer had a golden gun! There were gold M4s, gold AKs, and gold 1911s... just name it and it was there for all to see in gold. The consensus amongst the Raider team was that the bling prize went to Kahr Arms with their dirty great golden Desert Eagle!

Kriss had a pretty stunning stand; given the uniqueness of the weapon itself the stand was set up in such a way that you could really get up close and personal to see it to its best advantage. The guys at Kriss advised us that there would be a new 9mm model coming soon, and CJ was offered the opportunity to visit them when this happens so we can cover it in Firepower.

I did get a look at the Sniper System suit in one of the Pencott patterns from Hyde Definition and have to admit being impressed by the build quality of the garments; the fabric used was extremely quiet and supple, yet felt like it would stand up to some serious abuse. Interestingly there was a fair amount of Vegetata gear knocking around too. There was even some of the new MC hued Tiger Stripe to see, although it was a bit odd seeing such a modern take on such a classic pattern!

We also had time to catch up with our good friends at 5:11 and Blackhawk; weve had collaborations with both these great companies for years and in fairness have followed both through their highs and lows. Im very pleased indeed to report that both were having a fine, high time at IWA!

wrappinG it up
The guys at Arcteryx were kind enough to host me in their private showroom off the main Show floor, and had some stunning new clothing to show me. Samples of their new softshell products are inbound, and therell be some great Tried and Tested reviews to come from this. The big story on this front though had to be the European launch of A-TACS FG from DCS! Weve been pretty intimately involved in the rollout of the AU pattern and as youll see in the Manufacturers Report in this issue we will continue this with the FG variant. It was great to see so many manufacturers working with the DCS patterns and not only the big names. The Show must have been a great one for Phil Duke and his colleagues as their stand was always humming! So, another year and another IWA under the belt. Each year I return seems to be busier than the last; the Raider team spend a great deal of time and effort building up our trusted contacts within the tactical industry and for me the Show is all about seeing old friends and making new ones.

Golden guns aside there was lots to see in relation to firearms from the mighty 50 cal Barretts, down to the miniscule Glock 26. There were great displays from Oberland Arms, Schmeisser (still cant quite get my head round the fact that these guys now make AR platforms!), Brugger & Thomet, Carl Walther and many more.

It was also great to see the guys from Desert Tactical with their range of precision rifles; we featured these superlative modular weapons in Firepower not so long ago and were massively impressed so it was great to see them getting such attention! A trip to any show wouldnt be complete without a visit to my friends at IMI Defense, and Im pleased to report that their range is just getting more and more impressive every time I see it. Their Level 3 Roto Retention Holsters were attracting great interest, but it was the new AR parts they had to show us that were really interesting. Well be reporting on all of these as they are released.

GOlden Guns
If the theme of this years SHOT show was zombies, then the theme of IWA was

Carinthia were showcasing their cold weather clothing systems, and their range of MIG, HIG, and ECIG garments was superb. They are a relatively little known brand in the UK, but take it from me that the quality of their garments is absolutely first rate. My advice is to take a good look at Carinthia kit! On the technical clothing side though I was lucky enough to be introduced to the excellent team at Wild Things Tactical and I have to admit to spending a fair amount

Its also about us getting to know the industry and vice versa; in this way we are able to bring you the in depth reports and reviews you expect from us direct from the source. Its a long old journey to Nuremberg, but not as long as the journey that our troops take out to theatre so I, and we, believe it is our duty to get out there and bring you the newest and best from the industry. Who knows, that one tiny piece of kit we find might just end up saving someones life!

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