24th Defense & Sporting Arms Show

How's that piggy bank of yours? This is the time when I buy ammo at a 15-20% discount and maybe a few AR15 magazines. Hope to find a good deal. I'm in the market for .22lr and 5.56, maybe some .380 too.

These guys are some of the very best shooters in the world. Oh, the DSAS also has a Facebook page too. See you there!

Stay vigilant!

Photos from the 24th AFAD Defense & Sporting Show

 from the Department of National Defense / Government Arsenal

 We bought this gun!

 More ammo from the DND / Government Arsenal

Available to the Philippine Army 

 Kiosks to apply for carry permits

 Speed Edge

 Haven't seen you before...

Lock & Load

Stay vigilant!

Coming Soon: 24th AFAD Defense & Sporting Arms Show

See you there!

2014 Defense Sporting & Arms Show (DSAS) Photos

I've been going to the gun show for 8 years now and I've seen a few changes in the last 2 years. Due to the drastic changes to the IRR governing the new firearms laws, many of the small players have closed shop. The big players from the Association of Firearms and Ammunitions Dealers of the Philippines, Inc. (AFAD) are hanging on despite the lowest sales figures the industry has ever seen. It has mostly to do with the new permit all firearm owners must obtain before purchasing new firearms or renewing their permits, the much-maligned LTOP or License to Own and Possess a Firearm.

The sale of Airguns (pcp, airsoft, and CO2) have also increased in popularity. Two years ago, before the IRR issue I purchased my Gamo Silent Stalker IGT. Willi Hahn Enterprises and P.B. Dionisio were the only companies selling airguns at the time.

Last year's gun show had the lowest number of attendees ever recorded. The large venue at the SMX Convention Center didn't help since I believe it is harder to get to compared to the SM Megamall despite ample parking space.

This year saw a much larger attendance. A major contributor was the all in one processing booth for LTOP applications within the Gun Show. Lots of people showed up in the hopes of completing their requirements instead of visiting Camp Crame which has very limited parking space and separate buildings for the various requirements such as the Neurological Exam, Drug Test, Directorate of Intelligence Clearance, etc.

Well, I sure hope that things improve in the following months. It is my dearest wish that this blog entry for 2014's gun show would merely be a short period that we would look back on and thank our stars that things got much better soon afterward.

 Check out the ammo prices... Divide the Peso value by the exchange rate of 44.5 as of this date.

Here's something. Optics and anything firearm related are really expensive over here. Usually they cost up to 3x the prices in the USA. Import taxes and a little price fixing are the culprit. So take a look at this Aimpoint PRO.

It costs $808 over here. Count your blessings my American readers.

 The bolt-action TCM Rifle makes its debut... Below is the match-grade MIG 22 .22lr

 I actually started stocking up on .22 and .25 cal  ammo for my new PCP rifle project...

 FX Airguns cost an arm and a leg but are not classified as firearms. No need for an LTOP. 

 High-powered flashlights are becoming more popular thanks to the prepper movement.

A fine carry pistol from Metroarms

 The "American Classic" made by the famous gunsmiths of Danao, Cebu.

 Spike Speigel's pistol...

 Stronghand is the top seller of Dillon Precision reloaders in the country.

 

 A top-level Standard/Limited Division pistol would cost $7,820 from Grayman, Inc. by top-shot Mary Grace Tan. Buy once, cry once!

There were a good number of women at the show. Many were actually inquiring about the right pistol for them. A lot were interested in home defense and carry.

I hope this continues to be the trend, its always refreshing to see potential female shooters in our sport.

A lot of male firearm owners in the Philippines try their best to get their wives into the sport. You'll also see them at the range practicing with children. With the proper training and attitude, having competently armed mothers, sisters, and daughters would make the world a safer place!

 Pretty ammo

I take a lot of photos of handguns that I find appealing. I don't really find myself attracted to this pistol however I have not come across the Kimber Solo in past shows. Its small, has a polymer frame, and is in 9mm. I wonder how it compares to the SIG P938?

Well, my dream pocket pistol is still the SIG P238...

 This Walther .22 is pretty nice, its got a built-in laser. Great for training young shooters.

 Now check out the Armscor TCM 22 G10. This full size pistol has all the bells and whistles you'll need. I love the lines and feel of this pistol. Interesting that the logo is now smaller and on the right side of the slide. I personally don't mind the logo in the middle of the slide.

This is an STI OFF DUTY. They make the lower-end STI pistols in the Philippines, and they're known for high quality products.

A Tanfoglio that Armscor is selling...

 An interesting 12 Gauge Shotgun that uses box magazines by Shooters Arms Manufacturing. Looks promising, I wonder if there are tests done on this shotgun...

I heard that PARA will be purchased by Remington sometime soon. In this display cabinet you'll see that there are PARA and REMINGTON pistols sitting together. That would be the end of a significant era for me. PARA-Ordnance from Canada made the double-stack 1911 popular.

Its so popular, many Armscor owners a few years ago used to remove the Armscor logo on their slides and put "P16.40" to make their pistols "look better". Typical colonial mentality. Thank goodness their attitudes have changed!

I've owned a P16.40 since 1997 and its ran flawlessly. I've run it dirty for up to 1000 rounds without cleaning nor headache. It was my first competition pistol and I'll never sell it. 

An Open Division race gun from True Weight, Inc. Perhaps it was built by master gunsmith Jay Pecson.

 The famous KSG Shotgun from Kel-Tec Php 89,000 / 44.5 (USD exchange rate) = $2k

Defensive Armament Resource Corp. (DARC) is the official importer of Kel-Tec products.

 I had a lot of fun meeting old friends from the various shops and didn't realize that I skipped lunch! I got there at 11AM and finished at 3:30PM.

After getting a fair amount of loot in the form of ammunition, cleaning supplies, a Fenix flashlight, and more pellet ammo, I rewarded myself with a delightful bowl of noodles from a nearby Chinese restaurant. Yum!



Stay vigilant!

Photos From the 20th Defense & Sporting Arms Show

I went to the 20th Gun Show at the SM Megamall on the opening day on July 19 (Thursday), and again on a Saturday morning. This time I had my aunt with me because she was looking for a home defense firearm because she lives up in the boonies. Yep, I sure had a lot of fun!

As usual, this year's show was extremely well attended. I had to wade through a crowd at every turn. Here were a few highlights:

• ARMSCOR is moving up in the world with its new products like the .22 TCM pistol and MIG22 rifle making waves here and in the USA.

•  ARMSCOR had 5-time IPSC World Champion Eric Grauffel and double USPSA Grand Master JJ Racaza at their booth for autographs & charity events.

• The champions Jethro Dionisio, Mary Grace Tan, and Edward Rivera were present at their respective stores. Its like the dream team of practical shooting!

• A higher number of female shoppers looking for defensive options, not just the wives and girlfriends brought in by enthusiastic partners. 

• The convention space was a little larger this year.

• Non-firearm booths present. Tactical-style and concealed-carry clothing options, competitive gear, a small museum of WW2 weapons and artwork. 

On to the photos!

Eric & JJ were present for a couple of days and signed autographs. The proceeds went to charity. It was a lot of fun to see the crowd show their enthusiastic support!

Both of them competed at last week's Bolo Cup, a level 3 tournament and qualifier for the Australasia Tournament. I've saved a lot of the footage for educational purposes. Watching them in action is just amazing.

Clockwise: .22 TCM Pistol, Armscor XT22, Armscor 1911 Compact .45, and those Caracal pistols that are gaining in popularity.

As you could expect, these are some of the top sellers of the company. Armscor is the distributor of Caracal. They are getting a lot of attention because of their great quality, price, and the mechanism directly compares with Glock pistols.

From clockwise: Bersa Thunder .380, Sig P238 in rainbow finish, Taurus Tracker .357 Magnum, Taurus TCP .380

I suggested the following to my aunt. The revolver stands out because it is the simplest to operate and its high-visibility sights are very helpful. Among all of these, I'm really recommending the Bersa .380 for her. Its a reliable gun and fun to shoot compared to all of the pistols.

Firearms from WW2. Lovely. Click to zoom

Clockwise: Rescue vehicles & gear by TACOPS. They are a manufacturer of competitive and military gear. This truck looks ready for all kinds of emergencies.

The Philippine Army had a booth with our valiant troops who were there to share the history of the Armed Forces. It was also something of a recruitment station. It was nice to see some of the guys shopping around too.

Luminox is one of the sponsors of the Philippine Shooting Team, and they're featuring our champions in the background. I see a lot of guys at competitions wearing their stuff. And on the lower left are the friendly booth ladies for the famous PNSA Shooting Club.

Magazines? They got all shapes and sizes.

Willi Hahn Enterprises, a leading sporting goods and firearm shop. They've got survival gear, airguns, and camping equipment. I also bought something nifty from them and I'm working on the review!

Firearms for concealed carry and home defense are on the rise this year. On the right is a display from Defensive Armament Resource Corporation (DARC). They're an official distributor for Kel-Tec, Stoeger, and FNH.

I've purchased two pistols from them and I'm really happy about the stuff they're planning to import in the coming months.

For my American readers, the prices are usually around 2-3x your own when the products hit our shores.

To get an idea: The Kel-Tec P3AT sells for Php 26,500. Divide that by the exchange rate (43 to 1 USD) = $616.

Ouch! Pretty expensive! Considering that a P3AT costs about $250 at some sources. I think its mostly due to customs & various taxes.

Vintage American revolvers. Old is cool.

The famous Glock Generation 4 sells like hotcakes over here.

I can't wait for the next gun show this November. I'm saving up for either a Ruger 10/22 Takedown rifle or Kel-Tec SU-22. Hope they'll be available by then. 

Stay vigilant!

The 20th Defense & Sporting Arms Show in July

UPDATE: Photos are over here!

Save the date: July 19 - 23, 2012 at the SM Megamall, building B. 10AM to 8:30PM.

Can you say fifty hours of shopping delight?

This year I'm bringing my aunt and a few of my cousins to check out a few home defense options for her home. Auntie G lives up in the jungle boonies with her pineapple farm and is asking my to help secure her perimeter.

I can do that.

What am I looking for this year?

1. I hope the Kel-Tec KSG shows up, this would sell like hotcakes over here. If only the manufacturer could ramp up production!

2. Rifles chambered in .22lr

A. SIG SAUER 522, one of the best tactical .22LR rifles out there.

B. The Armscor MIG 22 target version, their high-end product for this category.

C. Ruger 10/22 (takedown or regular version is fine with me). This weighs a lot less compared to those tactical models.  It is an elegant and compact design that makes it one of my top survival choices.


3. Ammo -  Hornady, CCI, or those Federal Premiums in large quantities because they don't make those over here.

4. Informative seminars -  There will be the usual talks on personal defense, martial arts, and hopefully a few top shots to share a few pointers for competitive shooting. Valuable stuff, all of them.

There's this Krav Maga instructor who kinda looks like Matt Damon and consistently draws a large number of female volunteers. Golly, I wonder why?



This is the 20th anniversary so I'm looking forward to a great time!




Stay vigilant!