Random things that caught my eye at the NRA Convention:

CZ USA was displaying a (prototype?) CZ 75 SP-01 Phantom, which is essentially a polymer-frame, decocker version of the SP-01. The reduced weight is nice, but I won’t be interested until/unless they make a version with a regular safety instead of the decocker.

Some time ago I picked on the revived Winchester Model 70, based on the company’s early publicity photos. After seeing the guns in person… Meh. Metalwork looked alright, but the stocks are BAD. Every gun on the floor had seriously flawed checkering in at least one area. It was odd; 3/4 of the checkering would look decent, but the rest would be a bloody disaster. I’m not talking about minor overruns or flattened points; I’m talking about entire checkering panels that looked like they were stippled by an icepick-wielding crackhead. And don’t get me started on the way they’re installing the sling swivels on the Super Grades.

To Winchester: Guys, I love the Model 70, I love the Winchester marque, and I really want this gun to succeed. But if you put those guns on store shelves in that condition, you’re going to blow it.

On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Remington’s 798 Safari. The action was smooth and well-finished, the stock was nicely executed (though not in my preferred style) and the iron sights are suitable for a big-bore. If I was in the market for a .375 H&H, I’d give it a very hard look.

Rating extremely high on the silly-but-insanely-cool scale are the miniature Sharps rifles made by Armi Chiappa and imported by Taylor’s and Charles Daly. WANT.

Over at Colt’s booth, the Delta Elite was back, albeit with a bull barrel, full-length guide rod and reverse plug. I’m slightly tempted. I’d be much more tempted if they had just reintroduced the original gun.

I am not at ALL tempted by the Colt New Agent DAO. Rather than using a partially-precocked design like most competing guns, Colt went with a conventional double action mechanism that delivers a truly atrocious trigger pull. It stacks gradually throughout the pull before abruptly climbing to 15+ lbs right before the break. Thanks but no thanks.

Equally unappealing to me was the FN FiveseveN. I know it’s not a new design, but I’d never played with one until the NRA show. Awful trigger, cheap feel, unergonomic grip, horribly-designed safety, and an anemic, oddball cartridge all add up to a package that leaves me completely cold. I simply do not see the appeal.

More NRA Convention/Blog Bash stuff to follow…