SHOT Show 2023 | Range Day Part 1

Opening and Maxim Defense M240 Suppressed

SHOT Show 2023 Industry Day at the Range opens with Clint and Kyle from Classic Firearms braving the cold and heading straight for Maxim Defense. They begin with a belt-fed M240 fitted with a Maxim Defense silencer. Logan explains that the 7.62x51 can has been in development for about four years and is engineered to remain serviceable for the full firing life of the barrel. The suppressor is full-auto rated, designed so the barrel is the failure point rather than the can, and meters around 136 dB, which is below typical hearing-safe thresholds. On the line, the suppressed 240 runs smoothly and remains controllable, giving the shooters a clear sense of the system’s durability and sound reduction.

Maxim Defense PDX SD, SDX 505, SD15, MD9, and MD11

The team then moves to Maxim Defense’s integrally suppressed platforms. Logan introduces the PDX SD, part of the SDX line, an integrally suppressed PDX with an overall length of about 23.75 inches that also meters around 136 dB, notably quiet for a 5.56 platform with a 5.5-inch barrel. Recoil is described as minimal and the compact setup remains comfortable to shoot. A similar rifle, the SDX 505, uses a CQB stock, a full mil-spec bolt carrier group, and a DSX can instead of the PDX SD’s larger “soup can” suppressor, yielding an even softer shooting impulse and improved cheek weld. They also fire the SD15, which shares characteristics with a Mark 18-style build and a 416-profile upper with a two-piece, slimline handguard that can be lengthened or shortened. Gas to the face is minimal despite the wind. Moving to pistol-caliber carbines, they run the MD9 in 9mm with a suppressor, noting a soft recoil impulse and Glock magazine compatibility. Finally, they shoot the MD11 chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, an SR-25 pattern AR-10 with a carbon fiber Proof Research barrel and a direct-thread Maxim suppressor, weighing about 8 pounds without accessories and intended as a solid, lightweight precision setup.

Oracle Arms 2311 Double-Stack Pistol

Attention shifts to the Oracle Arms 2311, a pistol the Classic Firearms crew had previously discussed on their podcast. Todd from Oracle Arms explains that the 2311 was developed to merge combat and competition features in a 1911-style double-stack platform. The design uses SIG P320 magazines, which also allow use of a P320-style magazine release that can be reversed for left- or right-handed shooters. The pistol incorporates true ambidextrous controls, including a right-side slide stop, so the slide can be locked and released from either side. It features a toolless takedown system that indexes cleanly, intended to prevent the typical “idiot scratch” associated with 1911 reassembly. Internally, the fire control system is a Series 70-style 1911 layout, but the grip safety has been removed based on feedback from users in special operations and training environments who often tape or pin grip safeties to avoid malfunctions. After the overview, the Oracle 2311 is fired on the range for initial impressions.

Radian Guardian Optic System and Model 1 Rifles

At the Radian Weapons bay, Caleb introduces the Radian Guardian, a new optic guard and MOS plate adapter system that has not yet been released. The Guardian is designed to take mechanical stress off the pistol optic when racking off hard surfaces or performing tap-rack drills. It uses a stud attachment system with roughly double the thread engagement of a standard plate, and will be available for Glock MOS patterns with RMR and Holosun EPS footprints. Radian also plans a Walther PDP 2.0 cut supporting EPS and RMR optics. On the range, a compensated Glock 19 with the system installed is described as shooting very softly, with a low-profile compensator that brings the overall length to that of a Glock 17, allowing use of standard Glock 17 holsters without snagging. Caleb then presents Radian’s Model 1 rifles in 10.5-inch and 14.5-inch configurations. These fully ambidextrous ARs are largely manufactured in-house in Redmond, Oregon. He demonstrates the ADAC (Ambidextrous Dual Action Catch) system, which allows the shooter to lock the bolt to the rear using the magazine release while maintaining a firing grip, and also provides a bolt release on the same side. On the line, the Model 1 is noted as a very soft-shooting platform with some weight concentrated in the barrel, contributing to stability. Radian guarantees sub-MOA accuracy at 100 yards with match ammunition across barrel lengths from 17.5 inches in 5.56 down to 9 inches in .300 Blackout.

HuxWrx Flow-Through Suppressor Technology

The segment closes at the HuxWrx booth, where Clint meets Auburn and Kai, a mechanical engineer responsible for much of the company’s design work. Classic Firearms has featured HuxWrx silencers in previous content, and the discussion briefly revisits the company’s role in pioneering flow-through suppressor technology. HuxWrx is described as having developed the original flow-through concept, which routes gas forward and away from the shooter rather than back through the action. While specific models and calibers are not detailed in this excerpt, the focus is on the engineering approach and the company’s reputation for low back-pressure designs that reduce gas blowback to the shooter. The conversation sets up a deeper look at HuxWrx products and design philosophy to be covered later on the SHOT Show floor.