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SHOP NOWThis SHOT Show 2024 segment focuses on practical new firearms and gear rather than spectacle. The hosts highlight design details, ergonomics, and intended use for pistols, shotguns, and a battle belt system.
The segment opens late in SHOT Show 2024, with the crew feeling the fatigue of day three but still working through remaining booths. They note that there are still major manufacturers and smaller corners of the convention they have not yet visited. Plans include recording a Classic Firearms podcast episode with Forgotten Weapons and making time to stop by Flux Defense. The team heads toward the farther sections of the show floor to continue coverage, emphasizing that there is still a significant amount of new gear and firearms left to document for viewers.
At the Rock Island Armory booth, Jason introduces the RIA 5.0E, a 9mm Luger pistol and Rock Island’s first firearm manufactured entirely in the United States. Production is based in Cedar City, Utah, and any remaining components are sourced domestically. The pistol is single-action with an internal hammer and a standard magazine capacity of 17+1 rounds, with 10-round and 26-round magazines planned through Advanced Tactical. Rock Island positions the 5.0E as an entry-level competition-style pistol for shooters who want to try competition without investing in high-end race guns, while still maintaining the company’s focus on practical, shootable firearms.
Jason explains that the RIA 5.0E’s key feature is its rectangular barrel and patented RAM valve lockup system from Armscor. The barrel reciprocates straight back without tilting, unlike typical Browning-style tilt-lock designs. Because the barrel and slide move in a straight line, recoil forces are directed rearward into the shooter’s arm, reducing muzzle flip and producing a flat, stable shooting feel with a low perceived recoil impulse. The square barrel allows the barrel and slide to sit deep in the frame, lowering the bore axis and improving recoil control. The pistol is optics-ready with a proprietary slide cut and ships with adapter plates for RMR and RMSC footprint optics. It uses SIG-pattern iron sights, with a fiber-optic front and blacked-out rear, and can accept other SIG-pattern sights for co-witnessing with a red dot. Threaded barrels and compensator options are being explored, though the recoil system complicates adding devices at the muzzle.
The RIA 5.0E carries an MSRP of $1,988, making it the most expensive item in Rock Island Armory’s catalog, which Jason attributes to the unique design and U.S. manufacturing. The frame and grip use a two-piece arrangement similar in concept to 2011-style pistols, allowing for a modular grip. Currently only one grip module is available, but Rock Island is developing additional options with different widths, lengths, and materials. Planned enhancements include oversized controls for competition use, additional calibers, and different slide and barrel lengths, including more compact versions if demand supports them. A dedicated threaded-barrel model and compatible compensators are also under consideration as the design is refined.
At the TriStar booth, Ryan presents the Super Compact shotgun, designed primarily for younger or smaller shooters, roughly around 10 years of age and up. It features a 12-inch length of pull and an 18.5-inch barrel with choke capability, making it a compact option for introducing new hunters to turkey or general shotgun use. The configuration is intended to be manageable for youth while still offering full-function performance. The hosts note that Classic Firearms has done substantial business with TriStar shotguns and appreciate having a purpose-built, smaller-format option that can serve as a first shotgun for new shooters.
Ryan then shows a new TriStar side-by-side shotgun described as a “working man” double gun. It has case-colored hardening, high-gloss wood, and is offered in 12 and 20 gauge with extractors. The everyday street price is under $700, positioning it as an accessible option for those who like traditional side-by-side shotguns. The discussion notes a resurgence of interest in side-by-sides, partly due to their classic, western-style appearance compared to more common over-under designs. Ryan also emphasizes TriStar’s broad line of youth and compact shotguns, which benefit not only younger shooters but also smaller-framed or recoil-averse adults, and hunters in cold climates wearing heavy clothing who may find a shorter stock easier to mount properly. All the models shown are described as currently shipping and available.
At the Agilite booth, Lev introduces the Magnetics Battle Belt, the result of about a year of design work focused on solving common user complaints with existing battle belts. A major issue identified is consistent alignment when donning the belt; users often start fastening at the front, work around the waist, and then discover that holsters or pouches have shifted from their intended positions or that the belt rides too high or low, causing discomfort and chafing. To address this, Agilite integrated a patented magnetic alignment system with strong magnets at the front and in the small of the back. When the belt is put on, the magnets automatically index and click into place, providing predictable, repeatable alignment so gear remains where it was set up and the belt sits correctly on the body.
Lev further explains that the magnetic indexing is designed to make the belt’s fit and gear placement predictable every time it is worn, which is important for duty or combat use. Another issue Agilite targeted is the loss of usable MOLLE space and clutter from excess webbing on larger waist sizes. To solve this, the Magnetics Battle Belt uses a skeletonized, curved MOLLE section at the front, allowing MOLLE attachment points to remain accessible even as more strap is exposed. Users can weave pouches over the excess strap, tuck the extra length into designated channels, trim it at a sewn segment and heat-seal the end, or roll it up, depending on preference. The design aims to maintain full MOLLE usability across sizes while keeping excess strap managed and out of the way.
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