Sig Sauer just wrapped up their weekend-long “Freedom Days”show in Phoenix, Arizona at the Ben Avery Shooting Center. The concept is simple: Sig brought 50 different models of their guns, charged $80 for a day pass, and everyone got a chance to run 5-10 rounds through all the above while an instructor was on hand to help with the manipulation of the firearm and give pointers.
Quick bullet math tells you that the cost just paid for the ammo (some of it was expensive calibers such as 6.5CM and 6.5 PRC) and a fresh coat of paint on the steel plates.
When you weren’t on the line, there were lots of entertainment options as they had Team Sig on hand (Daniel Horner, Max Michel, Lena Miculek) to stunt for the crowd, as well as machine gun demos, book authors, K9 events, and a small vendors row with the usual suspects like Black Rifle Coffee, USCCA, 5.11, etc. all doing the free swag thing. Since Sig doesn’t roll a shotgun line, Mossberg was there—which brought Jerry Miculek out to play—to show the 12 gauge love.
Sig plans to take the show on the road, with future dates in other locations. As the word is they saw something like 5,000 people come by, most of which will likely buy a new Sig in the coming months just like the favorite of what they shot at Freedom Days, it’s a no-brainer.
By Michael Crites
Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18.
During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications.
His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual.
As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY.
He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).
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