SHOT Show 2026 | laststandonzombieisland

Tag Archives: SHOT Show 2026

Look to the Sky: The Drones of SHOT Show

Posted on February 16, 2026 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

With unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, a hot topic both in consumer use and on the battlefield, it should come as no surprise that they were increasingly on hand at the recent SHOT Show.

Both Colt and SIG had (well) armed drones overhead while other companies offered kinetic counter-drone options.

Colt

The Colt-CZ Group is the current owner of the Mk47 Striker, a belt-fed 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher, or AGL, which had been developed by General Dynamics-Armament and Technical Products back in the early 2000s. They made sure to bring it to SHOT Show in a couple of formats.

Colt not only had the Mk47 displayed on a ground mount but also held aloft, mounted to a Survice Engineering TR150e quad copter.
MK 47 on Survice Engineering TR150e quad copter

Now that’s something you don’t expect to see at Colt…

Of note, according to Naval Air Systems Command, the battery-powered TR 150 has been used by the Marines in a logistics role for the past couple of years, able to carry a cargo payload up to 120 pounds to a combat radius of 5.5 miles at a cruise speed of 50 knots autonomously.

As the 40x53mm High Velocity grenade used by the Mk47 weighs about a pound, that would allow a TR 150 to carry the launcher and probably about 40-50 rounds when you add the weight of the mount, belt, and ammo box to the equation. Now, when you think that you could run a whole squadron of these drones from a hut in the jungle with a generator and a satellite link, you get the idea.

SIG

New Hampshire-based SIG has been in the drone space for a bit, having acquired an experienced remote weapons company in 2023 and showing off a small Lumenier UAV carrying a P365 pistol in the past. SIG came to SHOT this year with a host of new guns, but also had an IAI Fire Storm 250 quadcopter suspended over their booth.

What makes the FS 250 so groovy is the fact that it is designed to carry a belly-mounted SIG M250 light machine gun with about 200 rounds or so of 6.8×51 or 7.62 NATO.

IAI FS 250 — SIG tells us they have been testing the FS 250 concept, which takes an APUS-60 UAV and marries it to a remote-control SIG LMG for the past year or so, and it works. ce caption here

B&T Hard Kill

We always make sure to check out B&T at SHOT because they are awesome, and one of the more interesting things we came across at their booth was the Hard Kill system, developed in tandem with Blue Aether as a U.S. Air Force project.

The small-form Hard Kill is designed to use AI to actively track drones and shoot them down, akin to a sort of mini-Phalanx CIWS or Centurion C-RAM. When I say “mini,” think of the size of a suitcase roller bag.

Freedom Munitions (Anti) Drone Round

Drone Round, just as it sounds, is ammo for swatting down drones. Shotguns are typically most effective on drones, but that requires carrying a shotgun (Benelli even sells specific counter-UAS models) wherever you may encounter hostile drones. Shotguns tend to kick, have limited capacities, and don’t reach as far as an AR or other battle rifle, so Freedom Munitions came up with a solution.

Drone Round works with any rifle and suppressor without modification. Tests show no extra wear compared to standard rounds. The ammunition gives about a 30-inch spread at 100 meters and comes in K and L variants for different ranges.

You can bet that drones and how they fit into the firearms industry and the right to keep and bear arms are something that is only going to gain more traction. Think of it like how folks talked about suppressors in 2010.

Open Source Defense covered that subject a couple of months ago in the blog post “Drones are the frontier of the Second Amendment.”

New: Beretta B22 Jaguar Rimfire Match Pistol

Posted on February 5, 2026 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

Beretta has been quietly bringing one of the coolest .22LR semi-auto pistols to the market for the past couple of years, and we can finally talk about it.

But first, a little background.

The Jaguar name goes back to 1958 when Beretta introduced a series of gently larger rimfire semi-automatic pistols to complement its pocket .22s like the Model 418 Panther and tip-up barrel Minx. Like today’s Jaguar, the Beretta that carried the name last century was primarily intended for use as a plinker and target pistol, although it went on to be used by covert kinda folks in covert kinda operations.

Beretta Model 71 Jaguar — *The original Beretta Jaguar series 70 pistols were introduced in 1958 and remained in production into the 1980s. They are old school cool, for sure. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

Meet the new Jaguar B22

We first saw the pre-production Jaguar B22 at a Beretta range event in 2025, but were sworn to secrecy on it. Like the original, it was cool and sleek. However, where the old 71 was art deco and classic, the new Jag was a rimfire muscle car, dripping with factory standard go-fast accessories from Tandemkross and built to go fast and perform while doing it.

Fast forward to SHOT ’26 last month and the Jag was back at Beretta’s range event– but this time soft-launched and ready to purr.

The new platform, designed for plinking, target shooting, and training the next generation, will be offered in a Tac Metal (MSRP $749) and a Metal Competition (MSRP $969) model, with sub-variants in standard (15-round magazines) and state-compliant (10-round) versions of each, at the same price.

Both are built atop an innovative new modular chassis system and an M_LOK barrel shroud with a detachable accessory rail, making the B22 easy to disassemble, clean, and customize. Featuring dual-side ejection with a fixed barrel, it is designed to be reliable and accurate. They are internal hammer-fired (SAO) and blowback action.

The Jaguar B22 Tac Metal runs a 5.25-inch barrel and is 8.85 inches overall. Weight is 33.6 ounces. Equipped with adjustable fiber-optic sights, an extended barrel, and a 1913 Picatinny rail, it is suppressor and optics-ready, as you can tell.

Beretta Jaguar B22 Metal Competition — The Jaguar B22 Metal Competition has a 5.5-inch barrel, giving it an overall length of 9.8 inches and a weight of 36.4 ounces. It comes standard with all the features of the Tac Metal but also adds A Tandemkross fiber front fiber optic, Tandemkross Steam Demon single port compensator, Tandemkross Accelorator thumb ledge gas pedal, and an adjustable Tandemkross semi-flat faced trigger with pre- and post-travel adjustments. It looks fast just sitting on the table.

Beretta says the Jaguar B22 Metal Competition is the first .22LR pistol explicitly developed in partnership with the largest educational shooting program in the world for youth, the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP), in a process that has taken four years.

More direct from Tandemkross and SASP on the background of the new generation of Jaguar:

We hope to have a review of these in the coming weeks.

50 Rare Creapeiron Elysien Eagle Pistols Arrive in U.S.

Posted on February 3, 2026 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

With a backstory that sounds more avant-garde art show than iron and steel, the Eagle model of the Elysien pistol has flown across the Atlantic.

At the 2024 IWA Outdoor Classics show in Germany, the Guns.com crew sat down with inventor and gunmaker Jan Lysak, who spent almost a decade of blood, sweat, and tears crafting something a bit different. Lysak’s company, Brno-based Creapeiron, introduced its first product at IWA: the Elysien pistol.

While sitting down and drinking plum brandy with Lysak, he spoke about his gun in a way that seemed a cross between Werner Herzog and the Riddler (Gorshin, not Dano).

Lysak only had seven €10,000 ($10,850) chrome DLC Elysien Genesis “Ment for Gods” (not a misprint) models – all named after gods from Ancient Greek mythology – and 99 €5,000 plainer black DLC Elysien Soul models on the schedule, with only vague notions about sending guns to America– one day.

What made it across to the States, brought in by the Arizona-based CZ Custom Shop, is the new Eagle model of the Elysien, which looks more like the chrome DLC Ment for Gods model but with a serial number 1 to 50, as in one for each state.

The Creapeiron Elysien Eagle Pistol — *Engineered for balance and control, the Elysien features a sleek, sculpted profile that reflects both elegance and authority. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

Price? $11,999– and that is only until they sell out, which is likely as, first announced on Monday during SHOT Show, something like half were spoken for by Thursday.

Zastava Has M85 in 300 BLK, Surplus Toks, and a M84 PKM Planned

Posted on January 30, 2026 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

Our SHOT Show 2026 visit with Zastava Arms includes the possible import of the legendary M84 PKM, surplus Yugoslav police pistols, and more.

Zastava M84 PKM

Introduced in 1984, the gun was heavily used in both the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s and globally. Zastava plans to import a semi-auto sporter version to the U.S. with ATF approval pending, while still maintaining its original aesthetics.

Zastava M85 PKM — *Known as “Ceca” after the famous (infamous?) Serbian singer, due to its distinctive sound, the M85 features a heavier, easily replaceable barrel than the Russian PKM. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

Surplus Yugoslav M57 Police Pistols

Chambered in 7.62×25, this Cold War-era Yugo take on the Soviet era TT33 Tokarev has a slim design but allows for an extra round.

Some 400 of these, formerly issued to police units, have been imported and approved by ATF without the slide safety often seen in such guns, replaced instead with a trigger-mounted tabbed safety.

Yugo M57 — *These have been factory refurbished with the original accessories and will be offered for around $400.*

M85 in .300 Blackout

We just love the ZPAP M85, a 5.56 NATO caliber Yugo pattern AK, in both its carbine and pistol variants, and have reviewed it in a few different flavors.

The big news from SHOT is that the M85 is coming in .300 BLK, including a gas system that has been tweaked to run better while suppressed.

Zastava M85 300 — *Zastava is developing a 300 Blackout rifle on the ZPAP 85 platform that is billed as working well with the ZVUK suppressor.*

More Surplus parts in more places

Zastava is importing AB2 and AB1 part kits and rifles, including trench art-marked M70s.

The guns that the company had on display were striking as battlefield relics and showed some of the interesting possibilities available to collectors.

Yugo AB 1 and 2 parts kits — *The kits have seen a variety of hard use, sometimes including very authentic “battlefield pickup” finish and trench art.*

*Look at the ersatz optics rail on this one.*

Other items on the schedule for 2026 are a 16-inch barreled ZPAP M90 variant, something customers have been asking for.

Is Kimber Winning the Affordable American Double Stack 1911 Game?

Posted on January 29, 2026 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

Alabama-based Kimber has made a big move to dominate the double-stack 1911 pistol space by offering the new DS Warrior series.

Debuting at SHOT Show in Las Vegas last week, the Kimber DS 1911 Warrior–borrowing from the company’s classic old Warrior line– is offered in not just 9mm but also .45 ACP, 10mm, and .38 Super chamberings.

Further, besides the standard 5-inch Government barrel format, they are also producing a 6-inch longslide hunter style Warrior in 10mm.

The longslide is a beast, and will surely be a hit with backcountry folks and handgun hunters.

Kimber DS 1911 Warrior longslide — *A conceptual design using custom Cerakote and a TLR-9, which looks small on the massive accessory rail of the 10mm longslide 1911 DS Warrior.*

All models are optics-ready for RMR-pattern mounts under a TAG cover plate with a fixed rear sight. The pistols use Kimber’s internal 1911-style extractor, a bushing system barrel, mil-spec guide rod, and a match-grade trigger.

They use stainless Checkmate 2011-pattern mags with the 9mm and .38 Super variant shipping with a 17+1 flush and 20+1 extended, while the 10mm goes 11+1/13+1 and the .45 ACP 15+1/18+1

Best yet, they are made in Alabama– not imported– and have an MSRP that starts at $1,099 and tops out at $1,350 for the 6-inch 10mm model. That’s a good bit less than even the Springfield Prodigy and on par with Turkish-made guns without the baggage and QC issues.

*Kimber also had the new compensated Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation DS 1911 Warrior on display, with a tasteful alpine motif. “Coming soon.”*

CZ Brings 75 Legend & 457 Target to SHOT, Talks German Army P13

Posted on January 27, 2026 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

As we have covered before, the current firearms works known and loved by collectors, hipsters, and savvy users alike dates to 1936 when its new factory was established to produce machine guns for the Czech Air Force. However, it became iconic in the West for its CZ 75 double-stack 9mm pistol.

We were fortunate enough to hold CZ 75 Serial Number 00001 when we visited the CZ factory in 2024, the gun that made the company a household name on this side of the pond.

Now, the new Legend repeats the same slab-sided Iron Curtain aesthetic while keeping the pistol’s internals and features modern, including a 16+1 round magazine, making it essentially a “post-B” gun in a “pre-B” body.

*The new CZ Legend. Note the slab-sided frame and slide as well as the pebble-style grips. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

MSRP on the new CZ 75 Legend will be $1,399.

Bundeswehr Pistole 13

One of the big stories from late last year was that the German military (Bundeswehr) had selected the CZ P-10 pistol after it beat out a number of contenders to become the country’s new P13 sidearm.

Among the finalists bested were the Arex Delta and Glock G17 Gen5 for what could be an order of as many as 180,000 units. It will replace the HK-made P8A1, a version of the USP

CZ had the new P13 on hand at their booth last week.

*In another shift from previous German service handguns, the new striker-fired P13 will arrive wearing an FDE finish instead of the traditional black.*

*CZ will work directly with its authorized German partner, POL-TEC GmbH & Co., to fulfill the order and provide the Bundeswehr with support for the new platform.*

CZ 457 Target

CZ 457 rifles are known for their superb accuracy, but the new 457 Target, a fully adjustable, ISSF 3-Position competition-ready aluminum chassis co-developed with four-time American Olympic shooter Matt Emmons, raises that bar.

It includes a three-axis-adjustable pistol grip available in three different sizes, a side-tiltable buttstock with a five-axis-adjustable buttpad, along with a three-axis-adjustable, two-sided cheekpiece; and a forehand riser can be adjusted in three different axes. A 26-inch 12-groove .22 cold hammer-forged match barrel equipped with a diffuser is standard as is an adjustable 2-stage Flyweight trigger.

The MSRP for the CZ 457 Target rifle is expected to be around $3,600, which is still less than many European-made alternatives in the same class from folks like Anschutz and Walther.

Springfield Armory Goes 19X, But Better

Posted on January 22, 2026 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

Springfield Armory and Croatian firearms maker HS Produkt have been working together in the polymer-framed striker-fired handgun space for a quarter century, first on the divisive XD series, then the well-liked Hellcat, and, since 2023, the modular Echelon. We’ve reviewed the full-sized 4.5F, the 4.0C Compact, and the 4.0C Comp since then and have found few issues to complain about.

They run.

Going beyond that, Springfield has had some notable success with the Echelon on the LE market, as witnessed by the December 2024 adoption by the St. Louis County Police Department—with nearly 1,000 officers—as the agency’s duty pistol in a $2.1 million contract, adding some fire to the company’s smoke about the new pistol’s reliability and performance. There have been other significant LE contract awards as well.

Now, the newest addition to Springfield’s Echelon catalog is the 4.0FC. It is the same length and general specs as the Echelon 4.0C, save for the fact that the grip is more full-sized, which bumps the height up just 0.385 inches while providing better ergos and a higher magazine capacity (17+1 rounds flush fit and 20+ extended fit vs 15+1 and 18+1). It is also an ounce heavier.

Springfield Armory 4.0FC with Vortex Defender ST — The new Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC. Note the Compact length slide assembly with a Full-sized grip frame that uses a shorter dust cover to match the slide without an odd underbite. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

The rest of the review is in my column at Guns.com.

The SCAR is back in town

Posted on January 16, 2026 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

After sunsetting the legacy SCAR last year, FN has the new generation of its venerable modular rifle for 2026 – and they are softer recoiling, accept suppressors, and don’t eat scopes anymore.

First fielded in 2008 as sporter (semi-auto) variants of the USSOCOM SOF Combat Assault Rifle, the 16S, 17S, and 20S were a top-shelf option on the commercial market until FN closed that line late last year. Let’s be honest, the original SCAR series was cool but had some issues, and a few needed a significant redesign to fix.

That brings us to the new SCAR line.

*The old SCAR, top, compared to a new SCAR, bottom. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

Among the new features is that the rifles are optimized for suppressors with a U.S.-standard muzzle profile and barrel shoulder. The platform’s short-stroke gas piston system uses a two-position adjustable gas regulator for improved reliability with cans and different ammo types. The adjustment is accessible via an access port in the heat shield. It works and is an upgrade from the old exposed gas block. Doubling down on the platform being suppressor-friendly as a selling point, FN even designed some new cans just for the SCAR, which we will get to in a separate article.

Another issue with the now-classic SCAR was the tendency to blow out scope crosshairs due to the, well, let’s just call it aggressive recoil. The new SCAR has a new (and lighter) hydraulically buffered modular two-piece bolt carrier that softens recoil. In testing last summer on the range between the old SCAR and the new ones, we could feel the chop decrease and the recoil impulse smooth out significantly.

*We found the new SCARs to be much less choppy on the range in testing.*

The new bolt carrier system helps with those tight repeatable groups on the 20S as well, which runs a heavy contour 20-inch barrel that now features 5R precision rifling with hammer-forged/chrome-lined durability. We were able to nail confirmed hits on target at 1,385 yards on a new gen SCAR 20 (6.5CM) in front of a crowd (no pressure) after just a few minutes of instruction.

FN realized that the handguard needed to be updated, so now the upper is a good bit longer with less exposed barrel and uses an integrated rail system, replacing the short M1913 rails with a ton of M-LOK accessory slots at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock position – even on the SCAR 20S precision rifle. Plus, the 16S and 17S rifles now ship with a colorway-matching vertical foregrip.

*When it comes to the new SCAR 20S, it runs a rubber over-molded Ergo pistol with a generous palmswell and a fully-adjustable stock.*

Triggers have been upgraded with the 20S using an improved FN-designed two-stage precision trigger for better control and feel, providing a 3.5 to 4.5-pound trigger pull. The 17S and 16S have a single-stage trigger that has likewise been updated.

For ergonomics, the pistol grip is now compatible with AR grips and, while the 16S and 17S still ship with the traditional “Ugg Boot” side folding adjustable stock, an AR stock and tube system can be installed.

*The new SCARs will accept different stock options.*

*There is even the possibility of using the SCAR SC stock.*

You also have more QD cups in more places, and all the guns are “Nerch” (Non-Reciprocating Charging Handle or NRCH) variants.

Whereas the old SCAR was kind of limited in the functionality for southpaws, the new ones are fully ambi when it comes to the bolt catch/release, mag release buttons, and safety levers. Even the selector switches are modular now.

When it comes to durability and serviceability, the old SCAR used Hex screws that could strip, whereas the new ones run Torx, among other changes. We were advised that the testing protocol on these guns was no joke, and the new generation SCAR is designed and built with feedback from nearly two decades of end users, many of whom are “tip of the spear” types.

The new SCARs will be available in 15 different variants across the 16S (5.56 in either FDE, Gray, and Black), 17S (6.5CM or 7.62 NATO in FDE, Gray, and Black), and 20S (6.5CM or 7.62 NATO in FDE, Gray, and Black) models.

*You gotta love those Gray models. Cue Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg with “my favorite.”*

As for those still hungering for the pistol variant, the SCAR 15P, it survived the great SCAR cull of 2025 but didn’t get any of the new updates and is available in 5.56 and .300BLK, with the latter just screaming for a now zero-dollar Form 1 SBR conversion.

Here comes the rough stuff.

While the new and old SCARs look very much the same – and that was done on purpose for continuity – very little is backward compatible between the discontinued traditional models and the new ones. About the only things that are shared/swappable between the two are the NRCH charging sled (if you had an NRCH model), barrels, magazines, the 9310 bolt and firing pin, and some small springs and pins.

If you have an older SCAR and love it, FN wants you to love it still, and they are supporting those guns for at least the foreseeable future. Remember, they are still making and supporting military/LE contract classic SCARs around the world.

MSRP on the new SCARs is comparable to that of the old guns, but they are still a more top-shelf price than, say, your average AR. The new FN SCAR 17S variants run $3,999, while the 16S is slightly cheaper at $3,799, and the long boy, the 20S, is $4,499. Of course, that is the MSRP, and you can bet that the reseller crowd is going to move into high gear with these, so watch out for the gouging. But if your heart is pure and you wish hard enough and look long enough, you could find one that fits the Ugg-sized hole in your gun safe.

Welcome back, SCAR.

We missed you.

laststandonzombieisland

Weapons, Wars, Preparation and Security from a recovering gun nut turned bad writer

Tag Archives: SHOT Show 2026

Look to the Sky: The Drones of SHOT Show

Colt