Tag Archives: shot 25

Ballistic Art in a Cerakote Medium

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Some of the coolest guns I saw at SHOT was a wall at the back of the IWI booth of amazing firearm creations from Pro 2 Customs.

Pro 2, of Tempe, Arizona, is a 07 FFL and 02 SOT licensee that crafts some seriously good work in the medium Cerakote. Teaming up with IWI, the shop brought a slew of great guns to the show.

You dig the Flying Tigers? How about this P-40 Warhawk-themed Galil Ace, complete with Vortex LPVO? It even has rivets.

It uses H146 Graphite, H732 Magpul OD Green, M214 Bullshark Grey, H144 Corvette Yellow, H140 Bright White, and H167 USMC Red.

This “Call of Duty MW”-themed Polyatomic camo’ed IWI Carmel rifle uses H146 Graphite Black, custom purples, and Gun Candy Majesty.

And our favorite: a Cel Shade anime IWM Carmel in 5.56, complete with an EoTech XPS3.

It is crafted with H128 Hunter Orange, H144 Corvette Yellow, and H214 Bullshark Grey for the shading.

Just check out that detail. Looks like a celluloid sheet for sure. That’s gun art.

More in my column at Guns.com

 

If an HK MP5 and a Colt SMG had a Turkish Baby

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Tennessee-based SDS Arms, whose brands include Military Armament Corporation, Tisas, Inglis, and others, brought a slew of new guns to SHOT Show.

We’ve been covering the company for a while and SDS always has some interesting stuff that you just don’t see everywhere else. Giving us a sneak peek at the 2025 catalog, Jahred Gamez introduced us to the new MAC IX.

SDS introduced the MAC 5 series last year, an MP5-style roller-locked pistol series sans the MP5 price.

The MAC5, in its two variants, as introduced in 2024

For those who prefer direct blowback rather than roller lock, with a more AR feel, the company will be introducing the MAC IX in March (just in time for the NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta).

The MAC IX runs an AR-style safety and trigger group. Note the slingshot-style charging T-handle rather than the forward slap-and-go of the MP5. However, it uses MP5 mags, which are increasingly available at better prices than in previous generations.

Note the rear Pic rail for mounting a pistol brace or stock (NFA rules apply).

More in my column at Guns.com.

KRISS Kymera: The Promise of a Fully Modular Handgun

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Virginia-based Kriss USA has a new pistol on deck for 2025 that promises to be one of the most modular on the market.

The company is best known for its line of innovative Vector series of delayed blowback firearms. Still, it has also produced an oft-forgotten series of high-quality Swiss-made Sphinx handguns that use a CZ-75-ish reversed-rail interface.

The Sphinx:

The new Kymera, which borrows its name from the mythical hybrid creature with parts taken from various animals, looks Sphinx-like … until you get a closer look.

The Kymera, like the Sphinx, is a double action/single action hammer-fired pistol with a low bore axis that is a hallmark of the CZ-75 style reversed-rail system. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Catching up with KRISS at SHOT Show last week, the secret sauce of the Kymera is its modular grip, offering replaceable modules with different angles and sizes, all compatible with the original double-stack CZ-75 pattern magazines. For instance, the Kymera will be able to have a 21-degree (Glock style), 19.5-degree (SIG/1911), or an 18-degree grip angle (CZ/S&W). This design allows users to choose the configuration that best aligns with their natural point of aim.

A potential Kymera compact model using a 3.75-inch barrel, 18-degree angle with a short beavertail, 15+1 shot magazine capacity, and four-slot rail.

More in my column at Guns.com.