Points of Impact: January 29, 2022

ICYMI: SHOT Show 2022's Best Bags, Top-Notch Pistols, Spectacular Shotguns, Favorite Rifles ...

by posted on January 29, 2022
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Target With Rifle Holes

This week, your friends at NRA Women are excited to report that the year 2022 is shaping up as a cornucopia of new guns and gear. We spent last week at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show gathering intel on the guns, ammunition, optics, gear and more that manufacturers are rolling out for this year. The best news is that there's a good reason for the wide array of women-friendly products! According to the latest research, one-third of 2021's new gun owners were women

It's always remarkable to discover that certain firearms, historically deemed best in class, have actually gotten better. It's even sweeter to discover that many of the improvements to these guns speak directly to the women's market. Check out this selection of shotguns that will be on NRA Women's must-see/must-shoot list for 2022.

Though COVID-19 has had a serious impact on our economy, rifle makers have not been asleep at the switch. Whether it's for long-range target competition or a carbine for self-defense, there was plenty new to see at SHOT Show 2022, including many that made NRA Women take a second look. Here are five of our favorites.

While there were plenty of new calibers and other line extensions being offered, we did find a few surprises along the way, like a new chambering in some of the most current popular models of semi-automatic pistols, and more new models from some of America's oldest gunmakers. Of the dozens of new guns we handled, check out 10 of our favorite semi-automatics.

Some of us aren't a bit sorry to admit that we like purses, and if those purses can supplement our safety by giving us the option of carrying a handgun off-body, well, so much the better! Check out this selection of four great CCW bags from SHOT 2022

Here's a neat new product we saw: Guard Dog’s Smart Pepper Spray with GPS connectivity. The device connects to your cell phone via Bluetooth and a pre-written text is sent to five pre-determined emergency contacts if the pepper spray is deployed. Your contacts will know your exact location, that you’re in danger and that you’ve had to use your less-lethal defensive tool. Woof!

Streamlight, a notable flashlight and firearm accessory brand for 45 years has released a number of new items, but these are our favorites from SHOT Show 2022. Clearly, Streamlight has been listening to its customers, because these devices are evidence of real tests and usage. Light up your life

Everyone loves reactive targets, but when shooting at closer distances, steel targets represent a real risk of fragments and ricocheting. To address this concern, Throom has developed an exclusive weatherproof, self-healing, lightweight "Shoot-Throo" polymer to craft interesting and reactive targets that allow the bullet to pass through to the backstop, making them safer than steel. Read more here!

 

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