Day 2 Part 2 opens with the hosts outlining their SHOT Show plan, mentioning upcoming stops like B&T and Flux and the possibility of recording podcast episodes. The focus quickly shifts to Cloud Defensive and its new EPL (Enhanced Pistol Light), a duty-grade light aimed at full-size handguns. Sean from Cloud Defensive explains that the EPL is a clean-sheet, proprietary design rather than a reworked older head. It features fully ambidextrous, redesigned toggles that support a modern thumbs-forward grip without breaking purchase on the gun. Two toggle sizes ship with the light, a long and a short throw, so users can tailor activation to hand size and backstrap choice. The EPL runs on an 18350 cell, outputs about 1,200 lumens and roughly 52,000 candela, and is tuned for a larger hotspot with generous spill. Rather than chasing maximum candela numbers, the beam is optimized for realistic pistol distances and photonic barrier penetration. Importantly, the body is dimensioned to fit Safariland 6000 and 7000 series holsters that accept X300 or TLR-1 pattern lights.
Cloud Defensive continues by addressing frequent customer requests for IR capability and integrated lasers. The company explains it is deliberately focused on perfecting white-light tools for duty use, emphasizing that humans are fundamentally white-light-dependent for tactical and defensive work. IR-capable heads exist in prototype form, but Cloud Defensive dislikes forcing users to sacrifice white light, so those products remain unreleased. Instead, they highlight a dual switch compatible with any Crane lead device, including PEQ-15, DBAL, and an upcoming MAWL solution, while acknowledging that NGAL integration is more complex due to visible override features but is under consideration. The coverage then moves to Genesis Arms and the Ronin 47, a collaboration with Taran Tactical and Holosun. This is a 5-round box-fed semi-automatic shotgun paired with an HX Works Ventum K 12-gauge suppressor. Genesis also shows a new sporting-purpose shotgun with 10+1 capacity, a 12-inch barrel, and a choke kit that interfaces with a standoff device, allowing quick swaps between chokes, suppressors, or other muzzle devices. Fully ambidextrous controls and multiple barrel and stock options are emphasized.
Genesis Arms expands on its magazine-fed shotgun lineup, stressing reliability across barrel lengths of approximately 5.7, 10, and 18 inches. They demonstrate how different stocks, including the compact PDS adaptive stock, allow the shotgun to collapse to an overall length around 21 inches for storage or transport, though a folding option is not yet available. The coverage then transitions to DSA Arms and a thoroughly modernized FAL. DSA showcases polymer magazines with an integrated 5-round extension and a suite of ambidextrous controls: magazine release, bolt catch, and selector. Ergonomics are updated with a more vertical pistol grip that feels closer to contemporary AR-style grips. Traditional sling loops are replaced with QD sling swivel pockets for modern sling setups. DSA also details a thread adapter that converts the classic 9/16 muzzle threads to 5/8, opening compatibility with current suppressors. A suppressor-specific gas plug with interchangeable jets allows fine gas tuning, while a gas shield helps reduce blowback when running suppressed. They add a flashlight mount that works with Picatinny and direct-mount patterns for Streamlight and SureFire on standard FAL handguards, plus options for Picatinny or M-LOK rails and robust scope mounts.
DSA dives deeper into FAL trigger options, describing in-house gunsmith trigger jobs that require customers to send in their lower or complete rifle. By carefully modifying sear and hammer angles, they create improved two-stage triggers around 7 pounds for duty-style use and a lighter “speed trigger” single-stage option around 5 pounds for faster follow-up shots in .308. They stress that recoil management and proper handling remain critical with these powerful rifles. DSA also highlights scope mounts cut to ACOG standards, enabling low mounting of optics such as Primary Arms micro prisms while still allowing use of iron sights through a channel beneath the optic. A sponsor segment follows, featuring Sonoran Desert Institute’s online gunsmithing and firearms programs. The hosts note that SDI offers coursework in armorer certification, ballistics, woodworking, and gun finishes, shipping tools and materials directly to students so they can complete practical projects at home. This segment positions SDI as a path for enthusiasts to formalize skills or pursue a firearms-related career.
Swampfox Optics presents the Patriot 2, a next-generation evolution of the original Patriot rifle scope. The new model uses a 30 mm tube, improved glass, and upgraded lens coatings, with an initial 6–24x magnification offering aimed at practical long-range shooting. The reticle is simplified for easier use, and capped windage and elevation turrets support a set-and-forget approach rather than constant dialing. Attention then turns to Great Lakes Firearms and their handgun lineup. They show 1911 pistols in 4-inch and 5-inch barrel lengths, chambered in 9mm and .45 ACP, with numerous color options and an MSRP around $1,000. Great Lakes introduces a striker-fired polymer pistol line based on the Gen 3 Glock 19 pattern, featuring an in-house machined upgraded trigger, RMR-cut slide with fixed sights, and extensive finish choices, all backed by a lifetime warranty. The Synergy, a 2011-style double-stack 1911, adds an RMSc optic cut, ported slide, two included magazines, and multiple colorways at roughly $1,150. Great Lakes emphasizes the ability to match handgun finishes with their long-action AR platforms for cohesive, themed collections.
Burn Proof Gear explains its suppressor cover systems designed to manage heat and protect shooters and equipment. They offer light covers for .22 LR cans, heavy covers for rifle and PCC suppressors, and a medium option for pistol cans. The two-part design uses a fiberglass fire-retardant inner sleeve and a durable outer cover, with ratings up to about 1,000°F for realistic high-volume firing scenarios. A more detailed look shows a rifle suppressor cover system where the inner sleeve is rated to 2,000°F and the outer to 1,000°F, preventing burns to skin, clothing, and slings while reducing mirage. Rail wraps rated to 1,000°F provide insulation from hot barrels and rails and add extra grip in sweaty or wet conditions. Burn Proof Gear also showcases a modular plate carrier that ships fully assembled except for armor plates. It uses interchangeable mag inserts for 5.56, 7.62, and pistol magazines, a removable flap storage pocket, and Velcro-compatible accessory mounting. The segment concludes with three range bag sizes, including a 46-inch DMR bag lined on one side with the same heat-resistant material as the suppressor covers so hot rifles will not melt or deform the bag interior.
At the Global Ordnance booth, CJ introduces the GO15 upper and rifle built around the one-piece Monolith barrel system. The original Chimo configuration and the MUT (Monolithic Universal Taper) mount are discussed, with MUT offered as both a flash hider and a single-port brake. The Monolith barrel integrates the gas block and muzzle device, eliminating gas leakage, shimming, timing, and carbon lock issues. A 45-degree gas path is engineered to reduce muzzle rise, smooth recoil, and keep the system running cooler. The barrel is thermal-fit into the upper receiver by heating the upper to about 275 degrees and using flats instead of a traditional index pin, which Global Ordnance backs with a lifetime warranty that includes free barrel replacement if it is shot out. A 1/2x28 threaded one-piece barrel variant allows users to choose their own muzzle devices or direct-thread suppressors. CJ then unveils a new 7.62x39 Monolith option, shown with a Stag magazine and a Dead Air suppressor, and mentions an R&D rock-and-lock version. To address long-standing 7.62x39 AR bolt durability concerns, they use a beefed-up AR10-style bolt and barrel extension with thicker cross-sections and rounded lugs, reporting over 10,000 rounds of field use without bolt failures.
Global Ordnance finishes by emphasizing the thicker bolt cross-section and rounded lug geometry on its monolith platform, designed to reduce stress risers and extend service life, especially in 7.62 AR-style rifles. The coverage then shifts to Ruger’s 10/22 lineup. A new production 10/22 model is shown with a Magpul stock, BX trigger, cast receiver topped with a Picatinny rail, and a tensioned carbon fiber–sleeved stainless barrel. The barrel is turned very thin and tensioned with a nut to increase stiffness and consistency while dramatically cutting weight, bringing the rifle to about 3.4 pounds—roughly a pound lighter than a standard 10/22. Ruger plans to sell these carbon fiber barrels separately on Shop Ruger for user upgrades. A Ruger Custom Shop 10/22 appears next in a Gray Birch aluminum chassis with M-LOK slots, an Arca rail, QD sling points, and a fully adjustable folding stock. It uses a billet-machined aluminum receiver with an integral extended rail and is offered in both right- and left-handed configurations, with the charging handle reversed for southpaw shooters. Another Custom Shop configuration features a red BX trigger breaking just under 3 pounds and highlights how .22 LR’s low pressure allows extremely light, handy builds.
The scene moves to LWRC International’s I Mark I rifle, which retains LWRCI’s ambidextrous lower controls but debuts a redesigned upper and handguard with full M-LOK compatibility and a raised top rail to clear the piston system. A tool-free butterfly gas switch is tucked inside the handguard, allowing quick adjustment for suppressed or unsuppressed use. LWRCI also introduces a suppressor line covering 5.56, .30 caliber, and 9mm, with the 9mm and .30 cans 3D-printed in Inconel, a hybrid stainless model, and a quick-detach collar mounting system. Performance is positioned as comparable to SureFire in decibel rating and weight, with strong flash and signature reduction. At Shark Coast Tactical, the hosts highlight an anime series Glock with a Borderlands-inspired Cerakote-style finish in green, also available in blue, white, and other colors. The slide is cut for a red dot, and the gun uses Safari Precision’s new “blow hole” or “chunk port” barrel technology on an OEM Glock that Shark Coast machines in-house. Additional builds include an OEM Glock with the same ported barrel and Borderlands theme, the Komodo SIG P365-based package with a metal grip module made in Sarasota, a short P365X slide, and Safari’s threadless compensator claiming about 30% recoil reduction, sold as a complete kit with two magazines.
Shark Coast also shows a Beretta collaboration finished in a custom Italian camo pattern called Vegeta, created by the owner’s wife to honor Beretta’s Italian heritage, plus a disco-themed pistol with a colorful splatter finish and hybrid laser stippling for enhanced grip. They round out the booth with value-focused AR-15 packages like the Midnight and Sunrise, which ship as ready-to-go kits including Vortex optics, Streamlight weapon lights, and a Savior gear bag. The coverage then transitions to Dead Air Silencers and the new Sandman X, a 3D-printed, low-back-pressure evolution of the original Sandman S, launched for the company’s 10-year anniversary. Shown on AK platforms such as Zastava and Hungarian rifles, the Sandman X uses HUB threads instead of being KeyMo-only, greatly expanding mounting options. Dead Air explains its Triskelion gas management system, which replaces traditional cone baffles with a spiraling internal geometry that pushes gas forward, significantly reducing back pressure and allowing tuning for a lower, more pleasant tone at a given decibel level. The Mojave 9 is highlighted as an ultra-light titanium modular suppressor that can be run in long or short configurations on pistols, PCCs, and some lever guns, with the Triskelion structure visible through the tube.
Dead Air demonstrates the Mojave 9 on a Flux Raider P320 setup, noting that its low back pressure helps the pistol cycle more smoothly with fewer malfunctions than typical suppressed handgun configurations. The discussion broadens to how adding a suppressor changes firearm operation, often requiring tuning such as spring swaps or gas adjustments, though increased back pressure can sometimes improve cycling with heavier loads. The Lazarus 6 suppressor is introduced as another low-back-pressure option commonly used on 5.56, 6 ARC, 6 Creed, and 6 Max. Built from 3D-printed Hanes 282 aerospace alloy, it carries no barrel length restrictions and is rated for full-auto and machine-gun use, with HUB mounting compatibility. Weighing roughly 15–17 ounces depending on the mount, it is contrasted with ultra-light titanium cans, with Dead Air emphasizing the trade-off between a few extra ounces and gains in durability, sound suppression, and reduced impact on host weapon function. The hosts admire a Galil fitted with a modern can as an example of pairing classic platforms with contemporary suppressor technology. They close out Day 2 by mentioning podcast recordings with AJ Buckley and Tyler Gray, joking about lost microphones, and teasing upcoming content, contests, and more SHOT Show coverage for Day 3.
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