NRAAM 2019: Impressions And Afterthoughts

     "It's all over but the shouting," is just about literally true of the 2019 NRAAM: there's a Board meeting today, which will likely include some serious discussion of finances, NRA's relationship with their long-term PR firm and the ongoing State of New York fishing expedition investigation into the organization.  Oliver North's departure is a symptom, not a cause; the name to watch for is the PR firm, Ackerman McQueen.  Information from the Board meeting will likely be slow-developing, but it's the real news of the NRAAM.

     The exhibit hall was briskly busy Sunday and the only protestors reported outside yesterday were protesting, of all things, circumcision. Maybe they had confused NRA and AMA?  Whatever, several friends and friends-of-friends reported run-ins with them.

     Inside, several technical developments caught my eye:

• An affordable (under $1000), electric, automated AR-15 magazine loader, literally rounds into a hopper, magazine seated at the bottom, push the button and step back!  

•  A fully (and I do mean fully) configurable, mostly-aluminum Glock clone: grip, frontstrap, backstrap, magazine well, dustcover and slide all changeable, with the "serialized part" a little sliver of frame -- and you can buy the whole kit.  Zro Delta makes it.

•  A semi-auto handgun with a whole new take on toggle-locking.  Tam's looking into that.  Bore axis is low and the barrel doesn't move much as it cycles, both of which may do very good things to felt recoil.

• Trijicon's SRO red dot sight is exceptionally nice in person.  I became a fan of red dot optics about five shots after getting the inexpensive and fairly early red dot on my Ruger Mk. III .22 pistol sighted in: they work, and with my middle-aged eyesight they work far better than iron sights.  The SRO's big ring is more "sight-like" than the long tube on my Ruger and should the three-year battery life run out on you, you're still okay: at most practical handgun distances, if it's in the ring, you will be able to hit it.  (If not, more range time might be a good idea.)

     I have photos of a few things but I've got an appointment this morning and there's not time to post them.  Maybe tomorrow -- and perhaps by then, we'll be starting to find out what went on at the Board meeting.