After attending this year's S.H.O.T. Show, I am of the opinion that this may be the year of special guns and gear. I thought I would give you a quick look at some of the firearms and accessories that really grabbed my attention. Let's kick this review off by looking at some of those special guns and gear.

Winchester is celebrating the 100th anniversary of John Wayne's birth by offering special Model 92 carbines and commemorative ammunition.

I had a good visit with Alex Hamilton, an officer of the American Pistolsmiths Guild, who also operates his own Ten-Ring Precision shop in San Antonio, Texas. As usual, the American Pistolsmiths Guild's booth showcased some of the nicest handguns to be found at this, or any other, show. The one that caught my eye was a very special 1911 the members of the Guild have built for President George W. Bush.

The President's 5-inch-barreled 1911 sports ivory grips, custom sights, and some really nice engraving and gold inlay work. And let me tell you that the scroll engraving and gold inlay are really set off by the pistol's beautiful blue finish. It's not gaudy--it's what is called a "First Class Barbecue Gun" in the Southwest, and any Texas Ranger would be proud to be packing it on his hip.

Federal law requires a sitting president to place all gifts in his presidential museum or the White House; therefore, the American Pistolsmiths Guild plans to wait until Mr. Bush returns to life as a private citizen and then present the 1911 to him at his home. I suspect that President Bush will enjoy sending some lead downrange from this beautiful .45 ACP auto pistol.

This year marks the 100th birthday of John Wayne, and United States Fire Arms Mfg. Co. intends to recognize the Duke with a commemorative ivory-handled single-action revolver and accompanying authentic gun rig. The prototype I examined had those aged, mellow-yellow grips that the Duke favored, and the blued finish has the faded, worn look of a "usin'" gun. Production of the gun is currently pending approval from the Wayne Family.

Two of the models in S&W's new Classics line are the 6.5-inch-barreled .44 Magnum Model 29 in blued or nickel finishes (T) and the 4-inch-barreled .44 Special Model 21 in blued, nickel, and color-case finishes.

In addition, Winchester is producing two versions of the Model 92 carbine that Duke first carried in Stagecoach, director John Ford's 1939 movie masterpiece. Both models have the large lever ring that became a John Wayne trademark.

The High Grade model features a silver nickel receiver that is scroll engraved with portraits of Wayne. The Custom Grade Model 92 has a richly blued receiver with portraits in gold tone. Both guns have 18.5-inch barrels and are chambered for the .44-40 cartridge. Winchester Ammunition puts the icing on the Duke's birthday cake by offering John Wayne Commemorative ammo in fancy collector's packaging.

Besides being one of the greatest film stars, John Wayne was a hunter, gun collector, and staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. I applaud these companies for honoring the man who was a hero to us all.

In keeping with the special guns theme, Smith & Wesson is bringing out a whole family of guns in its new Classics line. I was especially pleased to see that one of the guns is the Model 40 (Centennial) complete with the original grip safety. The late Col. Rex Applegate worked with Smith & Wesson to design the original Model 40 (produced from 1953 until about 1974), and it continues to be one of the best choices for a belly gun that a man can find.