As to powder fouling, Hoppe's Elite Gun Cleaner seems well suited to this task. A poster in the Hoppe booth caught my attention. It showed photos of the front of a stainless revolver cylinder before and after cleaning with Hoppe's Elite. I decided to try it for myself and brought a small bottle home with me. My 12-year-old Ruger Super Redhawk has been a bit neglected of late and the face of the cylinder and areas on the inside of the frame had heavy carbon deposits. I sprayed it with Hoppe's Elite, waited a couple minutes for it to soak, and then cleaned it up with a cloth and toothbrush. It quickly removed all the carbon fouling leaving only some minor burn scars that are impossible to get out without buffing. I have not tried it for bore cleaning as yet but this initial test shows great promise, at least as far as powder fouling is concerned. www.hoppes.com

In my report last year on SHOT Show 2005 I mentioned a conversation I had with Ted Werner, owner of HySkore Shooting Products. We discussed handgun rests for accuracy testing and I lamented that all I knew of on the market had shortcomings; most notably the platforms are too high off the bench to afford a good solid two-hand hold. He asked me to help in designing a rest and, to make a long story short, it's now in production. Ted is shown here holding the new HySkore handgun rest. I have been using a prototype of the rest for the past couple months and it works very well. Good job, Ted. www.hyskore.com

One of my favorite knife manufacturers is Knives of Alaska located in Denison, Texas. If you are wondering why a company in Texas is called Knives of Alaska it is because company President and owner, Charles Allen, is an Alaskan outfitter and big game guide who understands how a knife designed for hard outdoor use should be made. The designs are simple and elegant and made from the best steels available. They also come from the box wickedly sharp. This year Knives of Alaska introduced the Alpha Wolf Drop Point Hunter shown here. It was love at first sight when I picked one of these knives up. It's very lightweight with a thin well-shaped blade and the grip feels perfect in the hand. It's available in either D2 or S30V steel finished natural or with a Melonite coating. The suregrip handle is shown here but can be had with Olive Drab G10, Stag, or Desert Ironwood slabs. www.knivesofalaska.com

One of the best things about SHOT Show is seeing all the exhibition grade firearms on display. Manufacturers put out their fanciest wares to impress the crowds. If you have a fondness for single shot rifles, as I do, you'll appreciate these examples of the gunmaker's art from Dakota Arms. www.dakotaarms.com

One of the products I found most interesting this year did not have an official presence at the SHOT Show. Ballistic Technology is a small company and did not have an exhibition but their product could be found at the booths of some of the biggest names in bullet and ammunition manufacturing. Bullet Test Tube is a reusable wax-based substance for testing terminal bullet performance. It is easier to use than ballistic gelatin because it is not as temperature sensitive and it provides more information than gelatin in that a clear measurable wound cavity is left in the bullets path. As the name implies, the media comes in a tube that can be cut open after shooting to examine the wound channel. Additional empty tubes can be purchased and the substance can be melted down on your kitchen stove and poured into a new tube. Bullet Test Tube is already in use by a number of bullet makers and will be available soon to individual firearms enthusiasts for home testing of bullets. www.thebullettesttube.com

I have only scratched the surface here in regards to new products introduced at SHOT Show 2006. Look for in-depth reviews of new products in upcoming issues of Primedia magazines. In the meantime, you can discuss these products or any firearm related topics with fellow firearms enthusiasts by visiting our message boards. See you there.