Check out a few of our highlights from the fourth day of SHOT Show 2025!
SNT MOTIV
Gun nerds love military-issue weapons. And they really love uncommon and less-known ones from smaller countries. South Korea, for example, fielded the K2 assault rifle in 1984. A gas-operated AKM-style long-stroke piston 5.56mm rifle, it looks reminiscent of an AR-18.
Founded in 1981, S&T Motiv Company is the preeminent firearms company for the Korean military. It was originally called Daewoo Precision Industries. They’re finally going to make guns available in the U.S., rebranding as SNT and establishing a presence here. SNT Defense is the new U.S. subsidiary in Las Vegas and will manufacture SNT Motiv’s rifles and pistols right here in the US. These guns will be offered to the commercial market later in 2025.
In addition to the K2S, a semi-auto version of the K2 rifle, SNT Defense plans to offer the future 5.56mm standard rifle for Korean special forces, the K13.
They’ll also build the K14, a 7.62mm bolt-action rifle, and the DP51, an older fast action/triple action pistol that would appeal to collectors.
Insite Armory American SVD
Another highly coveted military rifle that’s practically unobtanium in the U.S. is the Dragunov sniper rifle, aka the SVD. Just about everyone knows what this classic Cold War Soviet DMR is, but due to very low numbers ever being imported into the U.S., they’re very rare and typically demand a price of nearly $10,000 at the bottom end. Fans of the rifle have longed for a domestically produced variant for years given the lack of viable imports, and it finally looks like that’s just what we’re getting.
Insite Armory of Huston has been working on this project for years, and the company’s goal is simple—make an SVD clone in America that’s more available and attainably priced than any of the existing imports. So far, it seems they’re on track to do just that.
The two prototypes Insite Armory had on display at SHOT Show 2025 weren’t quite done yet, but all the major pieces were there. The company says that it’s aiming to have rifles shipping by Q4 with a price of $4,000. That’s still expensive, but for those who’ve been dreaming of owning a Dragunov, it feels like a relative steal. Insite Armory is starting with the original classic version with wood furniture in 7.62x54R, but they also plan on offering other chambering options and variants down the road. We’re very excited to see this come to fruition, so keep an eye out for our full review when it launches.
Dead Air Sandman X
Ten years ago, Dead Air hit the market behind what would become a legendary suppressor—the Sandman. A decade into the game, what better way to celebrate their success than with a revamp of the suppressor that put them on the map? Say hello to the Sandman X. This is nearly an entire conceptualization of the suppressor, incorporating many advancements that have come down the pike in the past 10 years. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect is the 3D-printed baffles, which are designed not only to reduce the sound signature but also to eliminate back pressure. It achieves this through a spiral that’s only possible through additive manufacturing. Furthermore, Dead Air has included multiple mounting options for the can, including KeyMo, Xeno, and Direct Thread. Finally, the Sandman X was engineered to take whatever you have mounted on throughs at it with the 30-caliber can rated up to .300 RUM. Best of all, at $1,059 the suppressor won’t break the bank like other 3D-printed options.
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