American Rifleman 2018-10

THE HODGDON POWDER CO. STORY October 2018

SPRINGFIELD PORTABLE, PROVEN: XD-S MOD.2 9 MM

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

Official Journal of the National Rifle Association

The World’s Oldest And Largest Firearm Authority

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MADE IN A MERIC A

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WHAT ALL GUNS SHOULD BE

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©2017, Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Information and specifications are for reference only and subject to change without notice.

NRA

EXPERTS IN THE FIELD

Photo courtesy of Cimarron Firearms

The NRA, the foremost guardian of the traditional American right to “keep and bear arms,” believes every law-abiding citizen is entitled to the ownership and legal use of firearms, and that every reputable gun owner should be an NRA Member.

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

CONTENTS 132nd Year of Publication

OCTOBER 2018 VOLUME 166, NO. 10

features

What Happens If Our Opponents Take The U.S. House? . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 Chris W. Cox

There is no question that our liberties are at stake on November 6.

Hodgdon: The Inside Story. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 42 Aaron Carter

Best known to handloaders within the firearm industry, Hodgdon Powder Co.’s sphere of influence is farther-reaching than you’d expect.

Springfield’s 9 mm XD-S Mod.2: Portable, Proven, Optimized . .. .. .. .. .. .. 48 Joe Kurtenbach

Springfield Armory’s slim single-stack XD-S has undergone an extensive upgrade— and Mod.2 models can now be had in 9 mm Luger.

America’s Snipers In The Great War .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 52 John L. Plaster

A century ago, American snipers fought in France, and their courage, sacrifice and marksmanship made a difference on the battlefield.

The Modern Savage Rifle. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 58 B. Gil Horman

Savage Arms has stepped into the semi-automatic rifle market with an entire series of Modern Savage Rifles (MSR) based on the AR pattern.

The Right Ingredients: Cimarron Firearms . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 64

MEMBER PROGRAMS: (800) 672-3888

52

58

Photo by Forrest MacCormack

48

U.S. Army photo

Texas-based Cimarron Firearms Co. blends the authenticity of the Old West with popular culture to offer a line of guns as they were—and how they could have been.

Photo by Forrest MacCormack

42

Photo courtesy of Hodgdon

Rick Hacker

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The Keefe Report .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 8 Readers Write .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 Favorite Firearms. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 41

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Susan K. Kilday Creative Director David J. Labrozzi Art Director Karen Haefs Assistant Art Director Peter Fountain Photography Director Forrest MacCormack Photographer Jesse Snyder Associate Photographer American Rifleman (ISSN 0003-083X) is published monthly by the National Rifle Association of America, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400, (703) 267-1000, for the benefit of its members. Membership dues (U.S. and possessions) $45 a year, $100 for 3 years, $150 for 5 years. $3.75 per year is designated for a magazine subscription. For foreign postage add $5 a year in Canada and $10 elsewhere. For membership inquiries only, call (877) 672-2000. Copyright 2018, the National Rifle Association of America.

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Eek! A Mouse Gun Before tiny houses were all the rage, there were tiny guns. And despite the market’s constant quest for more rounds in the magazine, “mouse guns” retain a considerable following. Our website is crawling with mouse gun stories this month. To find out more, visit: americanrifleman.org/mouserace; americanrifleman.org/naamini; and americanrifleman.org/mousegun.

The Real Universal Pistol Glock is often called the “universal pistol,” but in many parts of the developing world, that title still belongs to the humble Soviet Makarov. The Cold War compact was produced by just about anyone not in NATO, and is still actively used and widely available. Learn more at americanrifleman.org/makarov.

NRA Gun of the Week Video Classic handguns, rifles and shotguns, along with the newest models like the Bergara B-14 HMR, are highlighted in weekly videos at americanrifleman.org/guns.

Tune in Wednesday nights to the Outdoor Channel for the best firearm show on television. Now in its 16th year, American Rifleman TV brings you a Feature, a “Rifleman Review” and an “I Have This Old Gun” segment in each show.

To preview upcoming episodes, visit americanrifleman.org.

A Look Inside EAA September 26 Over There! ”No Finer Troops”—Americans Under British Command; Remington RP45 Pistol In .45 ACP; Mauser Gewehr 98 Rifle

October 3 Over There! Lest We Forget; Winchester SX4 Shotgun In 12 Gauge.; Mauser Model 98A Rifle

October 10 The European American Armory Story; Ruger Precision Rimfire In .22 Long Rifle; British Model 1856 Enfield Carbine

October 17 Making Heritage Revolvers; European American Armory SP Over-Under In 12 Gauge; American Lewis Light Machine Gun

Michael J. Sanford Managing Director, Publishing Operations Michelle E. Kuntz Director, Production James C. Handlon Director, Marketing/Advertising Debra Oliveri Senior Production Coordinator Adam Wilson Production Coordinator Samantha Brown Senior Advertising Coordinator Cheryl Doden Senior Accounts Receivable Coordinator Director, Eastern Sales Tony Morrison (860) 767-9801 NE Sales Office Manager Alycia Clemons 860-767-9801 Southeast Sales Executive Stan Yates (850) 619-8148 Eastern Sales Executive Rachelle Trout (910) 262-0913 Northeast Sales Executive J. P. Carter (980) 229-3493 Detroit Advertising Sales Ken Glowacki (703) 267-1300 Director, Western Sales Courtney Olson (703) 267-1300 Western Sales Executive James O’Neill (703) 267-1300 Midwest Sales Executive Tim Hamill (703) 267-1300 Western Direct Sales Executive Debbie O’Connell (805) 501-9138 www.nramediakit.com DIGITAL OPERATIONS Michael Pedersen Director, Digital Operations Tom Rickwalder Senior Digital Producer Steve Dulco Digital Producer Carolyn Raithel Digital Advertising Trafficker MEMBERSHIP INQUIRES: (877) 672-2000 WARNING: All technical data in this publication, especially for handloading, reflect the limited experience of individuals using specific tools, products, equipment and components under specific conditions and circumstances not necessarily reported in the article and over which the National Rifle Association (NRA) has no control. The data have not otherwise been tested or verified by the NRA. The NRA, its agents, officers and employees accept no responsibility for the results obtained by persons using such data and disclaim all liability for any consequential injuries or damages. See asterisked (*). * NO ADVERTISED ITEM IS INTENDED FOR SALE IN THOSE STATES, OR IN THOSE AREAS WHERE LOCAL RESTRICTIONS MAY LIMIT OR PROHIBIT THE PURCHASE, CARRYING OR USE OF CERTAIN ITEMS. CHECK LOCAL LAWS BEFORE PURCHASING. MENTION OF A PRODUCT OR SERVICE IN ADVERTISEMENTS OR TEXT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT HAS BEEN TESTED OR APPROVED BY THE NRA. OFFICIAL NRA POSITIONS ARE EXPRESSED ONLY IN STATEMENTS BYLINED BY NRA OFFICERS OR IN ARTICLES IDENTIFIED AS SUCH. THE EDITORS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS OR PHOTOGRAPHS.

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THE KEEFE REPORT

E

veryone should have heroes. For many these days, it seems they are invariably sports stars or celebrities. Mine are different. They include a single mom who did her best to provide every opportunity for her son. They also include her brother, who didn’t need to become involved in a boy’s life, but chose to do so anyway. I have heroes I’ve never met, men like my favorite founding father, Daniel Morgan.

But then there are those I know and have come to call friends. They include men I get to work with on telling stories about Americans and their guns. I get to talk to Maj. John L. Plaster, USAR (Ret.), pretty often.

Not only was he a Special Forces soldier in Vietnam, but he came home and became one of the foremost authorities on sniping in the world. His story this month on “America’s Snipers In The Great War” can be found on p. 52. I also get to speak with Wiley Clapp, a Marine Vietnam veteran, who, after more than four decades of hard work, is one of the most influential and knowledgeable writers in the field of handguns.

When I say heroes, I mean those whom you respect. Those whom you admire for their accomplishments and character. For me, one of those men is my friend Greg Stube. While an Army sergeant first class, he had been the tip of the spear in the war in Afghanistan, a Special Forces soldier taking the fight to those who enabled the attack of 9/11. An attack in which Secret Service Officer Craig Miller, the husband of my then-editorial assistant, Holly, and the father of two just-born twin boys, lost his life.

During Operation Medusa, Greg was blown up and shot, and he began a long painful recovery. It was then that I met him. In a moment that still makes me just a little uncomfortable, Greg reached his hand out to mine and thanked me for protecting his freedom while he was over there.

To have a man blown pretty much in half in Afghanistan thank me for protecting his freedom was difficult. I accepted his thanks, but I told him it was on behalf of the members of NRA. I am merely a magazine editor, but at OCTOBER 2018

Photo courtesy of Greg Stube

UpLULA

TM

that moment I represented millions of Americans who hold the Second Amendment at the very core of what makes them Americans.

I once sat next to Greg during the Pledge of Allegiance as he grunted and sweat, powering through extreme pain, just trying to stand to a salute our flag. He wouldn’t accept my help, but nothing was going to stop him from rising in respect for the flag.

Through all the surgeries, for all this pain, Greg Stube has become, in his own words, a better person. He is a man of incredible bravery. But in his new book, Conquer Anything: A Green Beret’s Guide To Building Your Own A-Team, he provides some lessons and insights that all of us can learn from. I had hoped to run a full article in these pages written by Frank Miniter, but as space has been tight, I would ask you to go to americanrifleman.org/stube and read “Conversations About Guns Save A Hero’s Life.”

Last year, I lost two heroes, who were also storytellers. One was Don Burgett, a proud NRA member and World War II paratrooper, an enlisted man who lived and told the story of the “Screaming Eagles” from D-Day until the end of National Socialist Germany.

And I lost James O.E. Norell, probably the best writer I have known and a man who could expound on guns as well as express for NRA members the ideal words to help defend our freedom.

I urge you to read the article about Greg; and if you think this book is something that would inspire you, I encourage you to read it. But I also encourage you to thank the heroes in your life—while you can.

Sincerely,

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M IF YOU HAVE A FIRSTHAND “ARMED CITIZEN” EXPERIENCE, CALL NRA-ILA PR/ COMMUNICATIONS AT (703) 267-3820.

Studies indicate that firearms are used more than 2 million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances.

Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life, limb, or, in some cases, property.

Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts.

Send clippings via e-mail to armedcitizen@nrahq.org, or by mail to “The Armed Citizen,” 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 220309400. For bonus features, visit “The Armed Citizen Blog” at americanrifleman.org.

Share this column online at nrapublications.org.

10

others have always been known to protect their offspring, so it should come as no surprise that a mom went to great lengths to save her children from a thief who tried to ride off with her car—with her two toddlers inside.

The woman had pulled into a service station to get gasoline. As she stepped away to pay for the fuel, a stranger entered her car and started it. Before he drove off, the mom grabbed the handle of the back door and jumped inside. She told the would-be carjacker to stop, but he refused. The mother reached over the front seat, opened the glove compartment and grabbed the gun she kept there for defensive purposes, then she shot the culprit in the head. He rammed the car into a utility pole, injuring only himself. He was then taken for treatment and charged. “I’m not a killer,” the mom told a reporter after the incident, “but I do believe in defending what’s mine.” (wfaa.com, Dallas, Texas, 7/5/18)

I

f you need another example of a mother’s love, look no further than Nashville, Tenn., where a woman shot her boyfriend after he assaulted her youngsters. The mom told police she fired because her children were in danger. The children corroborated the story and had injuries from the attack. The boyfriend fled but was caught after he showed up at a medical facility. (wsmv.com, Nashville, Tenn., 7/15/18)

O

ne employee at a George Webb restaurant in Milwaukee is undoubtedly glad that one of her co-workers owns and carries a gun. The woman was cooking behind the counter when a man walked up to her and slugged her in the face, giving her a concussion. After the injured cook stumbled away, a colleague emerged from another area of the restaurant, pointed a gun at the assailant and directed him to leave. Surveillance cameras recorded the incident, and police disseminated the clip to get help finding the suspect. (jsonline.com, Milwaukee, Wis., 7/6/2018)

A

high-speed pursuit with California Highway Patrol officers behind him apparently wasn’t enough trouble for a reckless driver out west. After the chase, which reached speeds of 105 mph, led to the loss of control of his car, the driver exited his vehicle and fled the scene on foot. Soon enough, he came upon a home. He grabbed a beer bottle he found on the ground and forced his way into the house, whereupon he threatened to do harm unless the residents turned over the keys to their car. A woman in the home retrieved the keys from another room, but when she returned to give them to the man, she had a surprise— a handgun. She handed that to her male friend, who aimed it at the intruder and told him to stop. The perpetrator refused this sound advice and instead went to the garage and started the car. Later, he drove it

OCTOBER 2018

toward the resident, who shot him to death through the windshield. (kolotv.com, Janesville, Calif., 7/11/18)

W

hen two thugs tried to manhandle a woman in a driveway and force her to take them into her home, the woman’s husband came to her aid. After hearing the commotion outside, he grabbed a gun, took aim and yelled at them to stop. With that, the attackers responded by initiating a gunfight.

They might have started it, but they didn’t come out on top. One trespasser was wounded in the head, and the other fled afterward.

The two residents were uninjured.

(Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas, 7/18/18)

A

man who lives in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle was awakened at 4 a.m. one day in July (before Mayor Jenny Durkan signed a law ordering firearms to be locked up when not in use) when a burglar broke into the mudroom of his home. The resident grabbed his handgun before investigating the source of the noise. The intruder was trying to get into the main part of the house, so the homeowner fired, shooting him in the stomach. He was later caught when cohorts took him to a hospital for care. (patch.com, Seattle, Wash., 7/16/18)

S

mash-and-grab robberies are a trend in thievery of late, but one went bad when the crew picked a jewelry store where the owner had a gun. The men busted in armed with pepper spray and hammers, and did a slew of damage in the store, including spraying the owner. Fortunately, the alleged robbers couldn’t get out the door without being buzzed out, which gave the owner time to recover and grab her gun, firing a shot to send the intruders scurrying off through a broken pane of glass—leaving behind the loot they tried to take. (losangeles.cbslocal.com, Los Angeles, Calif., 7/12/18)

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standing guard

Democrats Make Gun Control a “Litmus Test”—a Test They’ll Fail

M

By Wayne LaPierre

Executive Vice President

“IF THEY WANT TO MAKE THIS ELECTION ABOUT OUR SECOND AMENDMENT FREEDOM, THEN LET'S ALL OF US MAKE THIS ELECTION ABOUT OUR SECOND AMENDMENT FREEDOM.”

Like us on Facebook at the National Rifle Association.

For related articles, go to nrapublications.org.

12

ake no mistake. This election is about your Second Amendment … your guns … your freedom.

A recent front-page headline in The Wall Street Journal spelled it out: “For Democrats, Guns Are New Litmus Test.”

As the article noted, “Democrats running for Congress in 2018 are pushing a muscular gun-control agenda that represents a wholesale repositioning on the hot-button issue. In this year’s midterm election, gun control has become a [Democratic] Party litmus test from which few dissent, alongside abortion rights and support for same-sex marriage.”

The article explains that the overt focus on attacking the Second Amendment has “been propelled by new money and organization, as well as energy among Democratic activists and voters that has pushed candidates [to support gun control], lest they appear out of step with the party’s base.”

This represents a shift in the national Democratic Party that I described last February in a speech to the American Conservative Union’s CPAC conference. As I explained then, over the last decade— the Obama decade—many pro-freedom Democrats have been forced out as a tidal wave of new European-style socialists have seized control of the Democratic Party.

Obama’s promise to fundamentally transform America began with his own national party, a Democratic Party now infested with saboteurs who don’t believe in capitalism … don’t believe in the U.S. Constitution … and don’t believe in individual freedom—especially the individual right to own a firearm.

Obama may be gone, but their utopian dream for a Euro-style socialist state of America marches on. I’m not just talking about Bernie Sanders, a self-avowed socialist. Think about Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bill de Blasio, Andrew Cuomo, Cory Booker, Keith Ellison and Christopher Murphy.

These are not Democratic leaders in the mold of John F. Kennedy (an NRA Life member, by the way) or Tip O’Neill. But these modern socialists could well become the leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives if Democrats take over those legislative bodies in this election.

If that happens, you know what happens next. They’ll cut President Donald Trump off at the knees, maybe even move to impeach him from office. They’ll expand the U.S. Supreme Court, just so they can add a few more liberal, anti-Second Amendment justices to the court to eradicate our firearms freedom.

October 2018

They have billions of dollars on their side.

They have almost the entire national media on their side. Hollywood and celebrity elites are on their side. All of the liberal, socialistic— even violent—protest groups are on their side, and they’re ranting and raving and marching to defeat us … to take our country, our freedom and our firearms away—forever.

But there’s another march coming—the march to the polls in this election. When all is said and done, it is the only march that really matters, because it is the one march that makes all the difference between losing our freedom and all we care about … or saving it for another generation.

I know I don’t have to ask you to go to the polls this year and vote for pro-Second Amendment candidates on Election Day. I just want you to know that this year, it’s more important than ever. You know the media and the anti-freedom Democrats are salivating over the prospect of capturing the House and Senate … and the White House two years from now. They can almost taste it.

But they’re forgetting about you. They are ignoring the fact that NRA members, and America’s gun owners, have made the vital difference in close elections so many times before. They think they’ll beat us this year.

That’s why gun control is now their “litmus test,” and to that, I say, “Great!”

If they want to make this election about our Second Amendment freedom, then let’s all of us make this election about our Second Amendment freedom.

When our freedom is on the line and when we all turn out and march to the polls nationwide, we win!

They’ve had their turn to denigrate and call us names and blame us for atrocities we had nothing to do with. They’ve taken their best shot at destroying our freedom.

Now it’s our turn. These are our liberties.

Our rights.

March to the polls. We were born for this moment to defend the freedom that runs in our blood and pounds in our hearts. This is our time and our election to take.

So get to work. Make sure everyone votes. Stand and fight, yet again, in this all-or-nothing election to prove for all time that we, the members of the National Rifle Association of America, are “Freedom’s Safest Place!”

american rifleman

10 . 01 .18

I N T RODU C I NG

CO M P L E T E FO C U S P ROT EC T I O N • TAC TIC AL • SP O RT

VISIT COM PLE T E -FOCUS .COM

™

president’s column

This Election Requires Participation from “Freedom’s Army” of NRA Members

T

LtCol Oliver L. North, USMC (Ret.) President

NRA OFFICERS Oliver L. North President

Richard Childress First Vice President

Carolyn D. Meadows Second Vice President

Wayne LaPierre Executive Vice President John Frazer Secretary

Wilson H. Phillips Jr. Treasurer Josh Powell Executive Director, General Operations Christopher W. Cox Executive Director,

Institute For Legislative Action

For news about your NRA, visit: nra.org and nranews.com Share this column online at nrapublications.org.

14

he most pivotal election of our lives is only a few weeks away, and I have just one question: What are WE going to do about it?

Please consider what’s at stake and whether we are willing to join ranks and accept the challenge of doing what’s good and right for our nation.

One of the greatest privileges in my life is to be named the 66th President of our National Rifle Association.

That privilege is the opportunity to serve you—the nearly 6 million men and women of the NRA—our nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization.

Your sense of duty, your commitment to defending our rights, your diligence and activism in protecting our nation and our freedoms inspires me. That’s why I’m privileged to be your NRA President.

Your rise to action humbles me. In election after election, you have helped preserve the liberties and values we all hold dear. But this year, all we have accomplished is at risk. The time for action, from every NRA member, is now.

If the Democrat Party’s “progressivesocialists” seize control of the U.S. House and Senate in November, they will derail every conservative judicial nomination and proSecond Amendment measure in Congress.

Their stated goals are to roadblock and impeach President Donald Trump and then replace him in 2020 with a far-left, antifreedom socialist.

Only the NRA stands in their way. You and our fellow NRA members, nearly 6 million men and women strong and growing, comprise one of the greatest movements for individual liberty in history.

We are “Freedom’s Army.” If our children and grandchildren are to enjoy “the blessings of liberty” tomorrow, we have no choice but to fight for our freedom NOW. Our strategy is simple. We have three immediate missions: First, we ALL must immediately contact our two U.S. Senators and urge them to swiftly confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Call their offices, email them and send notes in the mail letting them hear your support for Judge Kavanaugh.

Senate Democrats are intent on blocking Kavanaugh’s confirmation and delaying a vote until after this November’s elections when they hope to take over the Senate.

Today, pro-freedom Senators are in control.

That’s why every NRA member and gun owner must act now. Contact your Senators October 2018

and urge them to vote immediately to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.

Second, I’m asking all NRA members to upgrade their NRA memberships. If you are an annual member, please consider signing up as a five-year member or becoming an NRA Life member. There is no more critical time than right now and no better way to help NRA stand up for liberty.

Our third mission is crucial—and it is perhaps the easiest part to accomplish: doubling our membership.

If every one of our nearly 6 million NRA members signed up just one new member, we would double our “political firepower” in defense of the Second Amendment.

We all know someone—a family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker, someone we see at the gun range or in the hunting field who cares about freedom as much as we do. We need to ask him or her to join us as members of this great association.

Urge them to call 1-877-NRA-2000 … or contact me directly at NRA.org/OliverNorth to become an NRA member. You can even gift a membership, like I am doing for my grandchildren as they get old enough to grasp the value of belonging to America’s greatest civil rights organization.

Imagine the strength of an NRA with 12 million members!

I’ve been told by some of my former media “colleagues” that’s a “mission impossible.”

I don’t believe it.

If we “stand together in the breach” we can accomplish all three of these missions and preserve our Second Amendment for generations to come: ■■ Immediately let our Senators know we want Judge Kavanaugh confirmed as a Supreme Court justice; ■■ Upgrade our memberships; and ■■ Sign up at least one new member of our nation’s greatest civil rights organization, the NRA— “Freedom’s Safest Place!”

Finally, as this crucial election looms, we need to encourage everyone we know to turn out at the polls and vote for freedom-loving candidates on Election Day. History proves that when NRA members accept the challenge to work and vote, we consistently make the essential difference in close elections.

We’ve done it before. We must do it again.

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political report

A Changing Federal Judiciary Offers Hope, But There’s Still Work to be Done

S

By Chris W. Cox NRA-ILA Executive Director

YOUR MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE NOT ENOUGH. If you want to DEFEND your right to own and carry a firearm …

If your FREEDOM to hunt and shoot is important to you …

Then you need to SUPPORT the NRA Institute for Legislative Action.

We are the only arm of NRA specifically charged with defending your Second Amendment freedoms on Capitol Hill, and in state legislatures and courtrooms across America.

Visit nraila.org/donate to support NRA-ILA today!

NRA-ILA: (800) 392-8683 NRA-ILA website: nraila.org For related articles, go to nrapublications.org.

16

ince the landmark rulings in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago recognized an individual right to keep and bear arms, anti-gun state and local lawmakers have preserved existing unconstitutional schemes and continued to probe the outer reaches of their authority to restrict firearms. Enjoying the tacit or explicit approval of some federal courts, this legislative adventurism has often gone unchecked.

Frustrated gun owners are in good company. In June 2015, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote, “Despite the clarity with which we described the Second Amendment’s core protection for the right of self-defense, lower courts … have failed to protect it.” Later that year, Justice Samuel Alito took the federal courts of appeals to task for what he termed “noncompliance with our Second Amendment precedents.”

Sadly, these public admonishments have done little to curb lower court obstinacy.

In April, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts Judge William G. Young upheld Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey’s unlawful interpretation of state law that resulted in a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic firearms. The judge ridiculously contended that the late Justice Antonin Scalia “would be proud” of the Bay State’s restriction. Young came to his strident conclusion despite the fact that Scalia joined a 2015 dissent from denial of certiorari in Friedman v. Highland Park, where Thomas made clear that the right to possess semiautomatic rifles is protected by the Second Amendment under Heller.

And in August, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California’s Unsafe Handgun Act, which requires that all new models of handguns sold in the state after 2013 contain microstamping technology. The idea behind microstamping is that it will imprint a microscopic identifying code in two separate places on spent cartridge casings. The reality, however, is that this technology does not exist.

No matter. Despite Heller’s determination that the Second Amendment protects possession of those firearms “in common use for lawful purposes,” a panel of the 9th Circuit upheld the microstamping provision.

Thanks to President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees, however, there are reasons for hope.

Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, are intent on placing jurists that respect our Constitution on the federal bench. As of October 2018

mid-July, Trump had successfully appointed 43 judges to the federal courts. The Pew Research Center says Trump’s 22 appeals court judges were the most of any recent president at that point in their first term.

Moreover, there is significant room for growth. As of early August, there were 151 vacancies throughout the federal courts and 84 nominations pending.

And, in nominating Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, Trump has chosen a jurist with an impressive pro-Second Amendment record. In 2011, Kavanaugh employed a careful reading of Heller to determine that the District of Columbia’s ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles and registration regime were unconstitutional.

The nomination of a judge willing to faithfully apply the Supreme Court’s Second Amendment precedent has sent gun control advocates into a meltdown, as they fear their days of exploiting a lethargic federal judiciary could be coming to an end.

Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety wailed that Kavanaugh’s respect for Heller is “dangerous.” Brady Campaign Co-President Avery Gardiner said the nomination was “pretty scary” for anti-gun advocates.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has framed the nomination debate in moralistic terms.

Two weeks after attacking Kavanaugh for his fidelity to the Second Amendment, the senator declared at a press conference that those who do not oppose the nominee are “complicit in the evil.”

Gun owners must resist taking the opposition’s hysterics as a sign of total victory, as there is still much work to be done. Control of the Senate is at stake in this November’s elections. If anti-gun lawmakers take the majority, they could obstruct all of Trump’s judicial nominations. Moreover, our opponents are sparing no expense or tactic in their attempt to stop Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

In order to continue the important progress in securing a federal judiciary that respects the Second Amendment, gun owners must contact their senators to urge their support for Kavanaugh, vote for pro-gun candidates on Nov. 6, and mobilize likeminded friends and family members to do the same. Even given the promising signs, it will require relentless determination and effort to secure consistent respect for our Second Amendment rights.

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ILA STORY

By Chris W. Cox NRA-ILA Executive Director

18

OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

What Happens if our Opponents

Take the U.S. House?

THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT OUR LIBERTIES ARE AT STAKE ON NOV. 6.

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

XXXXX O CTOBER 2018 2018

Photo Illustration by NRA Staff

T

he Democrat leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives has become completely radicalized when it comes to the Second Amendment. Our constitutional freedoms are standing in the way of the extreme big-government control that these anti-gun politicians want to impose.

Add that to the unbridled hatred that many on the left have for President Donald Trump, and it could not be clearer for NRA members and gun owners that we have to do everything we can to protect our pro-gun majority in Congress.

The threat is stark. Current Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is an outspoken opponent of the Second Amendment. If Democrats take control of the House, Pelosi would return as Speaker. Her key lieutenants, Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and James Clyburn, D-S.C., stand shoulder-toshoulder with her in their support of gun control.

But, even this rabid devotion to restricting our rights isn’t enough for the party’s most extreme voters. In June, Democratic Caucus Chair Joseph Crowley from New York City proved not to be radical enough for Big Apple Democrats. Instead, they chose to replace him with self-described socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It would not be surprising to see the congressional Democrat leadership move even further leftward if they can take control of the House.

This will affect the leadership of key committees as well, which are responsible for drafting legislation that moves through the House.

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, arguably

19

ILA STORY the most important committee for gun legislation, would most likely be assumed by Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. Nadler has been an outspoken opponent of Second Amendment rights for decades. Many gun owners will remember the numerous attacks he made on law-abiding concealed carriers last year when he attempted to block passage of the NRA-supported concealed carry reciprocity bill. You can bet he will work in lock step with Pelosi to restrict our freedoms.

Another key committee for gun owners and hunters is Natural Resources. Currently, the Chairman is Rob Bishop, R-Utah. Bishop is one of the strongest supporters of the Second Amendment and our hunting heritage, and he has sponsored key legislation to reform the broken and unconstitutional “sporting purpose” standard that has long been manipulated to restrict gun rights. If Republicans lose the majority, the Committee Chairman would likely become Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.

In attacking a provision to reduce regulatory burdens on the acquisition of firearm suppressors last year, Grijalva claimed that “The hunters I know don’t use ... silencers.” Grijalva is clearly out of touch with today’s hunters and his own constituents. Arizonans have enjoyed the right to use suppressors for hunting since 2012.

And those are just a couple of examples. The House Appropriations Committee, which has long supported a series of pro-gun provisions on spending bills that help protect our rights, would without question by chaired by someone hostile to our right to keep and bear arms.

Of course, if the pro-gun majority goes away, we won’t just see dramatic changes in the leadership of key committees. We will also see an end to any hope of advancing our Second Amendment rights. And, of course, the floodgates will open to anti-gun legislation in virtually every form imaginable.

A Congress led by anti-gun extremists means legislation like H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, will never see the light of day. This bill seeks to greatly improve self-defense protections by allowing law-abiding Americans who are eligible to carry a concealed handgun under the law of a state to do so in every other state that allows concealed carry. While it passed the House with bipartisan support last

20

WITH AN ANTI-GUN U.S. HOUSE, WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE A TORRENT OF ANTI-GUN LEGISLATION PASSED: THINGS LIKE A BAN ON MODERN SPORTING RIFLES AND HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES WOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, AND RECIPROCITY WOULD DROP OFF THE RADAR SCREEN COMPLETELY.

year, future efforts to pass National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity, NRA’s top legislative priority at the federal level, will disappear.

With an anti-gun House of Representatives, we can expect to see a torrent of anti-gun legislation passed and sent to the Senate.

We have already seen numerous attacks on our freedom with gun ban extremists in the minority. If they achieve majority status, they will only be emboldened to ratchet up their extremism.

Legislation to ban the most popular semi-automatic rifles would undoubtedly happen. Banning the future manufacture of such firearms will of course be proposed, but don’t be surprised to also see a ban on the possession of currently owned firearms. Anti-gun Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., famously said at the time that if she could have required gun owners to turn in the firearms affected by her 1994 ban, she would have. She’s not alone in that desire.

A ban on semi-automatic firearms will most assuredly be tied to a ban on so-called “high-capacity” magazines.

We’ve already seen H.R. 4052 introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., which would treat the same magazines most law-abiding citizens have in their pistols as contraband, subjecting their possessors to a possible 10-year stint in federal prison.

In addition, restrictions and regulations on firearm transfers have been proposed during this Congress.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

introduced a bill (H.R. 4018) that would impose a three-day waiting period on the sale or “borrowing” of a handgun, including between private parties. The fact that waiting periods are no more than an arbitrary impediment to exercising the right to purchase a firearm is irrelevant to the champions of gun control.

One proposed bill (H.R. 4057) would make firearm purchases by non-prohibited individuals subject to the discretion of the U.S. Attorney General, while others (S. 1923 and H.R. 3464) would deny the transfer of firearms to individuals based on incomplete evidence, such as arrests without final dispositions. These bills show contempt not just for the Second Amendment but also for basic notions of fairness and due process.

Another pernicious legislative effort that could do irreparable harm to lawful gun owners, and especially future lawful gun owners, is H.R. 3984, which would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). The PLCAA was a reaction to a coordinated series of lawsuits designed to litigate the firearms industry into oblivion by holding law-abiding gun manufacturers and dealers responsible for the criminal acts of third parties.

Without the PLCAA, the very existence of the domestic firearm industry would be jeopardized, which is why we can expect gun banners to try to ram such a proposal through Congress should they seize control this November.

These anti-gun proposals are just the tip of the iceberg. Those legislators opposed to our freedoms are only limited by their imaginations when it comes to drawing up attacks on the Second Amendment. Don’t be surprised, should Congress fall under their control, by any proposal designed to attack our Second Amendment freedoms.

These are the reasons that gun owners must go above and beyond this year. Make sure you vote for pro-gun candidates; encourage friends and family members to do the same; volunteer for local campaigns that involve pro-gun candidates; and become an NRA-ILA Frontlines volunteer to help defend the Second Amendment. The only way we can win in November is by working together to keep Congress under pro-gun leadership.

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Thanks To John Nosler

SWWWWWWWWWWWa YEARS OF THE NOSLER PARTITION

It all started with one moose. Hit right, it didn’t go down— which sent John A. Nosler on a journey to make a better bullet.

We know it today as the Nosler Partition.

I enjoyed Layne Simpson’s recent article “70 Years Of The Nosler Partition” (August 2018, p. 50) on John Amos Nosler and his insight into bullet making. I owe Nosler many thanks for 40 years of oneshot kills and the meat they helped put on my table. I bought my first deer rifle in the early 1970s and was quickly dissatisfied with the combination of poor accuracy and performance of the gun and the ammunition.

A gun-dealer friend of mine listened to my stories, and his recommendation to me was spot on: “Buy a Colt-Sauer and handload Nosler Partitions.” No one ever gave me better advice. I purchased a Colt in .30-’06 Sprg., picked up a Nosler loading manual and looked up the recommended load for best accuracy.

I did the same with a couple of other brands. Not to slight the others because they also make fine products, but after my range work the Nosler whipped them all, including the target rounds. I had a target that hung above my reloading bench with a 1/2" five-shot group at 200 yds. I haven’t loaded anything except Nosler Partitions for that Colt since.

I seldom fire on running game, but many years ago there was one that stands out. I had pulled up on a nice whitetail buck that started to run with my ColtSauer drilling using the same load that I feed my Colt-Sauer rifle. I touched off a shot, and the deer dropped. That Partition went through both shoulders and took out the top of the heart as it passed. I paced off the distance at 275 yds.

I never knew how the Partition was developed, but I am sure glad that back in the day John Nosler realized there should be a better bullet.

JOHN COLARUSSO, NEW YORK

BY LAYNE SIMPSON

was no exception. Only after taking seven bullets did the great animal decide to give up the ghost.

An excellent marksman with a drawer full of competitive shooting awards back home to prove it, the hunter felt confident that his bullets had been placed where they should have gone. And they were. Bullets recovered while field dressing the animal showed excessive expansion at close-distance impact velocity, which resulted in inadequate penetration on such a large animal.

[November 1949]

f not for a British Columbia moose wearing a thick coat of mud from his favorite wallow, we probably would not have the Nosler Partition bullet today. All but the tips of the animal’s antlers were concealed by dense willows, so the hunter—armed with a Winchester Model 70 in .300 H&H Mag.—had to sneak “uncomfortably close” in order to thread his bullet through a screen of brush. Even with perfect bullet placement, it often takes a moose quite some time to discover it is dead, and this one

Just as necessity is the mother of invention, John Amos Nosler became the father of the Partition bullet and the company and legacy that bear his name. In 2007, Nosler’s work earned him the first-ever NRA Publications Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award.

He died in 2010 at 97. Through an advertisement in the November 1949 issue of The American Rifleman (r.), the inventor thanked his growing cadre of loyal customers.

50

August 2018

AmericAn riflemAn

Images courtesy of Nosler

AmericAnriflemAn.org

August 2018

51

10 mm Auto Omissions & Additions Great article by Field Editor Jeremiah Knupp “Nine Lives Of The 10 mm Auto” (August 2018, p. 56). But, having been a 10 mm fan since the early 1990s, I wondered why there was no mention of the legendary S&W Model 1006. I have handloaded this cartridge with no problems, and it remains my favorite self-defense arm. It’s a monster and just might be the best one ever manufactured. Shame on you guys.

GERRY ZANZALARI, NEW HAMPSHIRE

ammunition

NINE LIVES OF THE 10 mm AUTO

nyone in search of a candidate for the title “Comeback Kid of the Cartridge World” should take a serious look at the 10 mm Auto. Though ballistically the 10 mm is known for its flat trajectory, its arc through history has seemed more like the peaks and troughs of a heart monitor readout.

Touted as the “ultimate,” lampooned as a “dud,” ensnared in problems and mired in controversy not of its own making, no other cartridge in the modern era has teetered on the brink of obscurity and clawed its way back as many times as this proverbial cat.

Along the way, the 10 mm Auto has acquired its own mythology, including a healthy dose of downright falsehood: the power of a .41 Magnum; a destroyer of firearms; a recoil monster waiting to gobble up weak and timid shooters. The 10 mm is not really any of these things. Those who have taken the time to get to know the 10 mm have discovered what it really is—a powerful and versatile handgun cartridge that favors the performance-oriented aficionado of semi-automatics.

Lately, the 10 mm has experienced a renaissance of sorts that has resulted in its greatest popularity since it was introduced. To understand the 10 mm Auto’s new-found success I took a look at some contemporary 10 mm firearms. But to understand how the 10 mm got to where it is today, I also needed to understand its history. So, first, a little truth.

The History

The 10 mm Auto was born from an attempt to get maximum performance out of a 9 mm Luger-size handgun.

Gun writers such as Jeff Cooper had been kicking around the idea of a .40-cal. cartridge that would offer more power than a 9 mm and more capacity than a .45 ACP. In the early 1970s, Guns & Ammo editor Whit Collins experimented with the concept using a Browning Hi Power. The result was the .40 G&A, a cartridge based on the .30 Remington case with the 180-gr., .40-cal. bullet from the old .38-40 Winchester launched at around 1000 f.p.s. Cooper envisioned an evenhigher-performing “.40 Super” that would fit in a .45 ACP frame. At the time, he was particularly enamored with the then-new CZ 75, stating that the Czech pistol produced in a “serious caliber” would be “the great leap forward.”

From its origin in 1976, the Int’l Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC)

did much to advance both shooting techniques and handgun design. By the late 1970s, two IPSC competitors, Pachmyr gunsmith Tom Dornaus and police officer Michael Dixon, decided to join forces to develop the ultimate law enforcement and military service handgun. Though both were M1911 shooters, they felt that an entirely new handgun and cartridge design was necessary, a combination that would be “the heir to the Colt .45 Auto.”

Forming Dornaus & Dixon Enterprises, the pair sought to pull together the best elements of contemporary service handguns into one design, taking their inspiration from the M1911, the High Power, the SIG P210 and the CZ 75. When you’re trying to best the M1911, who better to consult than Mr. 1911 himself?

Dornaus and Dixon approached Cooper through their IPSC connections, and he happily joined the project as a consultant.

Counted out more than once, the 10 mm Auto cartridge simply refuses to give up—and the latest crop of guns chambered for it proves that the 10 is more than just a survivor.

BY JEREMIAH KNUPP, FIELD EDITOR

56

August 2018

AmericAn riflemAn

Photos by Holly Marcus

AmericAnriflemAn.org

August 2018

The shame is on us for not mentioning the 1006 and on Smith & Wesson for not continuing to produce this excellent platform for the 10 mm. In the article, we tried to focus on not only the history of the 10 mm Auto cartridge but also the contemporary offerings, of which S&W is absent.

I theorize that if the FBI had adopted the 1006 (or 1066) with its decadesproven slide-mounted decocker and trigger system, the history of the 10 mm would be a much different one. Please note that additional information related to the article is online; if you haven’t had a chance to look at it, go to: americanrifleman.org/10mmfieldnotes.

—JEREMIAH KNUPP, FIELD EDITOR “Readers Write” affords members an opportunity to comment on material published in American Rifleman. Single-topic letters are preferred and may be edited for brevity. Send letters to: Readers Write, NRA Publications, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400 or e-mail us at publications@nrahq.org.

24

OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

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o, these images were not inadvertently reversed or digitally doctored. They accurately depict a left-hand M14-style semi-automatic rifle currently available from and manufactured by Bula Defense Systems (buladefense.com) in Cleveland, Ohio. More than a significant feat of reverse mechanical engineering, the Bula M14LH rifle is a true first since the Garand-based M14 was originally adopted by the U.S. military in 1957. It is also, of course, a godsend for southpaws, transposing the locations of the charging handle, ejector and extractor so that left-handed shooters can shoulder and fire an M14-style rifle in an entirely natural manner. According to Jeff Miller, president of Bula Defense Systems, the project presented a few unexpected challenges, such as the development of a reversed magazine follower, but it also allowed the company to employ some of the parts that it already manufactured for its right-hand models. And, no, the rear sight pinion assembly was not reversed—a detail that shouldn’t bother even the most ardent lefties.

—BRIAN C. SHEETZ, SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR

26

OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

Photos by Forrest MacCormack

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reports | news & notes

RCBS Turns 75

I

Foundation Seeks Scholarship Applicants

F

ounded in 2006, and funded entirely through private donations, the Jeff Cooper Legacy Foundation’s mission is to preserve, protect and defend the principle of self-reliance and the individual right of selfdefense, as espoused by Col. Cooper. The Foundation provides scholarships for firearm training in the Cooper tradition—paid tuition to Gunsite Academy’s (gunsite.com) introductory 250 Defensive Pistol class—and is now accepting scholarship applications. Worth a total of $1,695, the scholarship covers the cost of the class; however, the recipient will need to provide his or her own firearm, ammunition and equipment, and is also responsible for any transportation, meal and boarding costs. The application, which involves an essay portion, is available on the foundation’s website, and scholarship recipients are selected by the foundation’s board of directors. jeffcooperfoundation.org

28

October 2018

american rifleman

t was 1943 when RCBS founder Fred T. Huntington began designing swaging dies, due to wartime bullet shortages, to make jacketed bullets for the pursuit of rock chucks and other varmints—the die was aptly named the Rock Chuck Bullet Swage and provided the acronym RCBS that would become the company’s moniker in later years. Huntington’s initial operation consisted of a small, 12'x6' room in the back of an Oroville, Calif., laundromat. As time advanced, so did the company’s product offerings, and today RCBS is a leader in handloading equipment and employs more than 150 people at its Oroville facility. rcbs.com

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HAMMER-FORGED PRECISION BARREL, THREADED MUZZLE

Features: Contoured stock giving perfect hold in 5 common shooting positions; glass-smooth action; 1-piece bolt body; adjustable trigger (2-4 lbs.); recoil-soaking TSA pad; free-floating, hammer-forged barrel; threaded muzzle.

The Momentum is available as a rifle only or as a scoped package. Available in the following calibers: .243 Win, .270 Win, .30-06, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag and 6.5 Creedmoor.

INDUSTRY-LEADING 7-YEAR WARRANTY

reports | news & notes

Trijicon Acquires AmeriGlo

M&P380 Shield EZ Consumer Advisory

est known for its optics used by law enforcement and military personnel around the world, Trijicon recently acquired AmeriGlo (ameriglo.com), a specialized iron sight company whose products are constructed from U.S.-sourced steel and feature Swiss-made tritium. AmeriGlo’s handgun night sights are trusted by armed professionals, and are popular OEM and aftermarket upgrades for civilian gun owners. “The AmeriGlo brand is a natural fit for us,” said Trijicon President Stephen Bindon.

“This purchase will further enhance Trijicon’s ever-expanding product and brand portfolio, while increasing our manufacturing capacity to better serve end-users across the spectrum.” At this time, Trijicon expects to keep the AmeriGlo business plan unchanged, and will operate the company as a separate entity. trijicon.com

n the case of the M&P380 Shield EZ Manual Thumb Safety, in very rare circumstances, ammunition that produces increased levels of recoil can cause the manual safety to move from the “fire” to the “safety on” position during firing—the subsequent round will not fire until the manual safety is reset to the “fire” position.

Any M&P380 Shield EZ Manual Thumb Safety pistol produced before April 4, 2018, is eligible for a no-cost upgrade. To read the full release, and to determine if this advisory applies to your pistol, visit: americanrifleman.org/380EZsafety.

If your pistol is subject to the advisory, contact the company by email at MP380EZAdvisory@Smith-Wesson.com or by phone at (800) 331-0852. A FedEx return label and shipping instructions to facilitate the return of your M&P380 Shield EZ pistol will be mailed promptly. smith-wesson.com

B

I

50 YEARS AGO Second Shots [October 1968]

Dummy bullets that show the principle of bullet matching.

Sections (A, A) of the bullet on the left do not match. Sections (B, B) of the other bullet match, as would two bullets fired from the same gun. Markings on left bullet incline to the left while those on the right bullet incline to the right. This indicates the direction of rifling twist.

ON HIGHER CAPACITY

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american rifleman

All the bullets in the world mean nothing if your concealed carry handgun fails when you need it most. The XD-S Mod.2 in 9mm is a less than one-inch wide pinnacle of reliability. 25K rounds without a stoppage and an integral grip safety for total peace of mind when carrying.

REPORTS | NEWS & NOTES

The Gunpowder People

C

ertain books should be in the library of any serious sportsman; immediate to mind are titles such as Weatherby: The Man. The Gun. The Legend. and John Nosler Going Ballistic: The Life And Adventures Of John Nosler.

To these must be added The Gunpowder People by James W. Bequette.

Heavily referenced while writing this month’s article (p. 42), Bequette thoroughly chronicles the story of Hodgdon Powder Co., decade by decade, from its founding through the current era, yet in an easy-to-read format. Each chapter begins with notable events of the decade to provide historical context, and then he delves into history specific to the company. To aid understanding of what’s being presented, interwoven through the pages are numerous illustrations and images, including images and reproductions of

correspondences between B.E. Hodgdon and a who’s who of gun writers of the day. Such personalities include: Elmer Keith; Jack O’Connor; P.O. Ackley; and Col. Charles Askins. Not only do these writers provide insight into the importance of Hodgdon Powder Co. and its products, but of B.E. Hodgdon’s persona and ethics.

Also found within each chapter is a section entitled “In their own words,” in which former and current Hodgdon employees respond to a series of questions in an easy-to-follow dialogue.

Outside of the main text body, which is rife with information, there are lesser-known “juicy” tidbits in these sub-sections. For example, when alone at home one night, young Bob Hodgdon became enthralled with slowly sprinkling propellant atop a lit trash burner in the basement. He

continued increasing the amounts until ... well, you’ll have to read for yourself to find out. In the end, you’ll find the book to be a page-turner; in fact, unable to put the book down, I finished it in a couple hours’ time. The 199-pp., 11¼"x8¾" hardback book can be purchased at Hodgdon’s website (hodgdon.com) for $44.95.

—AARON CARTER, FIELD EDITOR

BIGGER TIP. BIGGER IMPACT COPPER EXTREME POINT TM Streamlined profile and boattail design provide for flat trajectory and tremendous downrange accuracy Solid copper bullet construction offers improved weight retention over standard jacketed lead-core bullets Large diameter red polymer tip accelerates expansion resulting in rapid impact trauma

Check out the Winchester Ballistics Calculator on winchester.com © 2018 Olin Corporation

Winchester.com

products & projects

AB Arms Urban Assault Stock

A

lightweight but solidly built AR-15-style buttstock, the American Built Arms Urban Assault Stock (UAS) stows in its most compact form, yet features a spring-loaded buttpad that can be set to deploy to any of four lengths (for a total adjustment of 1.25") at the push of a button. Compatible with both mil-spec and commercial carbine-length buffer tubes, the 7.1-oz. UAS also incorporates QD sling swivel mounts on each side of the stock and a five-slot section of Picatinny rail along its bottom surface for the installation of a stabilizing monopod. Price: $60.

Contact: American Built Arms Co.; (443) 310-8777; abarms.com.

CGear Comfort Sand-Free Mat

F

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October 2018

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american rifleman

ifteen years ago, Australianbased CGear developed a specially woven portable helimat that helps military chopper pilots avoid “brown out” as sand is whipped up by their rotor blades during takeoffs and landings. The company brings the same technology to the outdoor market with its series of sand-free ground mats that are ideal for everything from a weekend at the beach to hard use afield as expedient flooring under tarps and other shelters. The CGear Comfort SandFree Mat has a patented dual-layer weave that allows small particles to fall through but not return to the surface.

The size large mat measures 78" square, and other sizes, colors and styles are available. Price: $80. Contact: CGear; cgear-sandfree.com.

THE BUSHMASTER 450 SD

NEW

At just six pounds, our new lightweight MSR packs the awesome big-game-dropping power of the .450 Bushmaster while reducing recoil to its absolute minimum. Its rifle-length SquareDrop handguard hosts a wide range of accessories. Hunting enhancements include an adjustable B5 Sopmod Stock, Hogue grip, ALG Advanced Combat Trigger and dual-port muzzle brake. #FORTHEFREE

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reports | products & projects

Crimson Trace AK LiNQ

I

ntroduced in 2016 for use with AR-pattern rifles, the Crimson Trace LiNQ light/laser system is now offered for Kalashnikov-style carbines—as well as other guns that utilize AK-type pistol grips, such as the Springfield M1A CQB. LiNQ pairs a control unit that replaces the firearm’s grip with a light/laser module that can be mounted to any two-slot section of Picatinny rail on the rifle, allowing the two to communicate wirelessly using a secure connection. As a result, when the user assumes a natural grip on the control unit, LiNQ’s green laser sight and/or its 300-lumen white light, depending on the mode selected, will automatically activate.

Alternatively, the light/laser can be controlled manually via a push-button located on the rear of the module. Price: $380. Contact: Crimson Trace Corp.; (800) 442-2406; crimsontrace.com.

SnagMag Magazine Holster

A

discreet way to carry pistol magazines, the SnagMag concealed magazine holster is essentially a Kydex sheath with a steel pocket clip. When fastened to a left- or right-hand specified pocket, the patented unit is shaped to mimic a pocket knife, covering the magazine from view. A protruding Kydex spur is designed to hook into the pocket opening, allowing the magazine to be easily withdrawn as the SnagMag remains in the pocket. The SnagMag is only available in black Kydex at this time, and is compatible with 94 firearms/magazines. Price: $35. Contact: SnagMag; snagmag.com.

Ultradyne Mercury/C4 Dynamount Sight Combo

E

ven when properly installed, the position of a carbine’s free-floating handguard shifts slightly during use relative to its barrel, which can cause serious accuracy issues if the firearm’s front sight is affixed to said handguard— as is typically the case. Ultradyne’s Mercury/C4 Dynamount Sight Combo remedies this problem by pairing the company’s Mercury muzzle device with its C4 Precision Front Sight, which mounts to (and times with) the Mercury itself instead of to the rifle’s handguard. Threaded 1/2x28 TPI for use with .223 Rem./5.56x45 mm NATO firearms, the Mercury features three progressive side ports for a longer, less sharp recoil impulse.

Using an innovative aperture post, the folding C4 Precision Front Sight offers an intuitive circle-in-circle sight picture when used with an aperture rear sight. Available with ($349) or without ($199) the C4 Precision Rear Sight. Contact: Ultradyne; (573) 299-0900; ultradyneusa.com.

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american rifleman

No handgun in history has flourished and continued to earn as many accolades as the iconic John Browning-designed 1911 pistol.

Until now.

Les Baer Custom has been the unchallenged leader in rewriting firearms history by bringing the time honored 1911 pistol into the twenty-first century. Starting with Browning's classic design, we have introduced state-ofthe-art manufacturing methods, real hand assembly, and top of the line accessories and other enhancements to ensure that all forty plus models and permutations are high performance, superior quality history makers.

And, with multiple barrel lengths and frame sizes, several popular finishes and a choice of five calibers, there's a Les Baer custom 1911 for virtually every purpose, regardless what kind of history you want to create.

Some of our most popular models include:

Baer 1911 Premier II©, 5" or 6" .45 ACP, 9mm, .38 Super, .40 S&W The flagship of our 1911 line.

New! Baer 1911 Premier II© Hunter, 6"

Baer 1911 Hemi “572”, 5” .45 ACP Based on the high performance, fast and fearsome 1970 Hemi Cuda.

10mm A superb big game powerhouse.

Baer 1911 BOSS .45, 5"

Baer 1911 Black Bear, 4 1/4"

.45 ACP A high performance, visually stunning tribute to the 1970s muscle car that inspired it: The Boss 429 Mustang.

9mm Perfect compact carry size with shortened slide. 9mm chambering for increased capacity over standard 1911s.

See our entire line of high performance custom rifles and pistols at…

www.lesbaer.com Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time

Baer 1911 Ultimate Tactical Carry Model, 5" .45 ACP, 9mm, .38 Super Serious, practical defense pistol.

Baer 1911 Stinger, 4 1/4" .45 ACP, 9mm, .38 Super Small, efficient and full featured.

Comes with night sights.

Performance. It’s Everything.

1804 Iowa Drive • LeClaire, Iowa 52753 Ph: 563-289-2126 • Fx: 563-289-2132 Email: info@lesbaer.com

reports | products & projects

Pantheon Arms Prometheus SC

M

aking use of the Dolos Take-Down System, the Prometheus SC from Pantheon Arms, once installed, enables shooters to switch out barrels and handguards on AR-15-style firearms in seconds. To use the system, simply pull the bottom unlocking tab of the Tri-Lug receiver adapter ring and rotate the handguard, with the barrel and gas system affixed, counterclockwise and withdraw it from the receiver. Installation is in the reverse order. The Prometheus SC provides a 6.5", ventilated handguard, that once installed with Dolos hardware, projects roughly 7" past the receiver. The system is especially useful when switching between firearms that share bolt head dimensions and buffering systems.

Price: $200. Contact: Pantheon Arms; (269) 845-1941; pantheonarms.com.

NRA Right To Bear Arms Tribute Pistol

E

xclusive to America Remembers, the NRA Right To Bear Arms Tribute Pistol is a highly embellished Colt Government Model M1911 pistol, of which only 500 will be sold. The pistol celebrates your NRA for its nearly 150 years of patriotism and tireless work preserving the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. Each commemorative pistol features 24-karat-gold artwork, banners and accents. Emblazoned along the slide is “NRA” along with the words “to keep and bear Arms” and “that every man be Armed.” An optional, custom-built display case is also available for purchase.

Price: $1,995. Contact: America Remembers; (800) 682-2291; americaremembers.com.

A LIST OF THE XPR HAS VE AS ITS SI ES PR IM FEATURES AS E AGE. FROM TH ESTER® LINE CH IN W EL D RR IE BA STOR E PRECISION UZZLE OF TH E CROWNED M IGGER TO TH TR . .A .O M E TH P BREAK OF EXACTLY OW KN E TO THE CRIS W COIL PAD, D, G INFLEX RE ACCURATE AN RECOIL TAMIN A RELIABLE, E AK M TO RIFLE. S N KE IO TA CT IT -A T LT HA BO W Y, INCREDIBLE QUITE FRANKL

WINCHESTERG WINCHESTER

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IN CORPORAT

ION.

T

he .40 S&W has a reputation as a fightstopper and competition-capable cartridge; however, there are circumstances that simply call for downrange performance above what it can deliver, such as big-game hunting and defense against large predators. A solid choice is found in the .40 S&W’s predecessor, the 10 mm Auto.

The recipe below clearly illustrates why. When propelling the Hornady 180-gr. eXtreme Terminal Performance (XTP) jacketed-hollow-point (JHP) bullet to 1236 f.p.s., energy at the muzzle is a hulking 611 ft.-lbs. Even at 75 yds. it retains 458 ft.-lbs. of energy, and, with a 50-yd. zero, only drops 1.8" at that distance. Talk about a hard-hitting, flat-shooting pistol! Lastly, regardless of whether you’re engaging a threat in close quarters or a distant deer with your cherished 10 mm Auto, you can be confident of the 180-gr.

XTP JHP performing; in fact, few handgun bullets are as dependable—reliable, consistent expansion and deep penetration are hallmarks of the design.

—AARON CARTER, FIELD EDITOR

m

O

* 10

RECIPE

10 mm Auto

*

REPORTS | HANDLOADS

m AUT

BULLET: HORNADY 180-GR. XTP JHP PROPELLANT/CHARGE: ALLIANT BLUE DOT/10.4 GRS. PRIMER: WLP CASE: STARLINE CASE TRIM-TO LENGTH: 0.987" CARTRIDGE OVERALL LENGTH: 1.260" VELOCITY @ 10' (F.P.S.): 1236 ENERGY (FT.-LBS.): 611 ACCURACY: 2.60"* USES: RECREATION, HUNTING, SELF-DEFENSE, COMPETITION

NOTES: 6"-BARRELED SPRINGFIELD ARMORY TRP TOPPED WITH A TRIJICON RMR SIGHT. *AVERAGE OF FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 25 YDS. WARNING: Technical data and information contained herein are intended to provide information based upon the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do not detail the comprehensive training, procedures, techniques and safety precautions that are absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity. READ THE NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER ON THE CONTENTS PAGE OF THIS MAGAZINE. ALWAYS CONSULT COMPREHENSIVE REFERENCE MANUALS AND BULLETINS OF PROPER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, PROCEDURES, TECHNIQUES AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY SIMILAR ACTIVITIES.

BIG. BOLD. DEVASTATINGLY ACCURATE.

44 MAGNUM (6 SHOT CAPACITY) • MATTE BLACK OR TWO TONE FINISH • BARREL: 8.375” • 55 OZ. The Taurus Raging Hunter™ is a next-generation, big-bore revolver that’s first in innovation—and built to last. Its revolutionary angular barrel design cuts down on overall weight, while its factory tuned porting and gas expansion chamber reduces muzzle lift for quicker target acquisition. Cushioned insert grips ensure a comfortable, controllable shooting experience.

[Advertisement for the Lyman Cutts Compensator, June 1952]

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

“Old-Style” Chokes

Q

I have two great old shotguns that I would like to keep shooting and continue to hunt duck and dove with. I would like to improve the patterning ability of each and can’t seem to find the “old-style” Lyman and Weaver, 12-ga. chokes.

A

If your Lyman choke is actually a Cutts Compensator, you can perhaps find some tubes on eBay or elsewhere on the Internet. If it is a Lyman choke, however, you can also look on the Internet, but I suspect your search will be far more difficult, if not

impossible. The same holds true for the Weaver choke. These chokes have not been made for somewhere around 40 years, and the popularity of this choke style dropped dramatically with the introduction of internal screw-in choke tubes.

If your guns have interchangeable barrels, that might be the best solution. Otherwise, Briley is your best bet. The company can remove the old chokes and install internal choke tubes.

Contact: Briley Mfg. (Dept. AR), 1230 Lumpkin Road, Houston, TX 77043; (713) 932-6995; briley.com.

—JOHN M. TAYLOR, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

[September 1940]

From the many questions and letters on guns, ammunition and their use that American Rifleman receives every year, it publishes the most interesting here. Receiving answers to technical and historical questions is a privilege reserved to NRA members.

Questions must be in the form of letters addressed to: Dope Bag, NRA Publications, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400; must contain the member’s code line from an American Rifleman or American Hunter mailing label or membership card; must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed, legal-size envelope; and must be limited to one specific question per letter. Non-members may submit a question with a membership application. We cannot answer technical or historical questions by telephone, e-mail or fax, and we cannot place even an approximate value on guns or other equipment. Please allow eight to 10 weeks for replies.

“Questions & Answers” is compiled by staff and Contributing Editors: Bruce N. Canfield, Michael Carrick, Garry James, Charles Pate, Charles E. Petty, John M. Taylor and John Treakle.

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40

www.leeprecision.com OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

NRA member photos

FAVORITE FIREARMS

Side-By-Side

E

arly on in my marriage, my father-in-law, Jack, presented me with a vintage Ithaca 1916 sideby-side. As he cradled it in his arms, the only words he spoke were, “If my daughter comes back, so does the shotgun.” Over a quarter of a century later, I’m proud to still be looking after both of these prized possessions, as best as I know how. The scattergun had belonged to his father, Alpheus P. (Bud) Mitchell, and Jack took possession of the shotgun after his father’s passing in 1978. It came into my care in 1991.

The piece was not in very good condition when I inherited it, to say the least. The buttstock had been cut quite short and the buttpad was missing; the stock was nearly falling off the gun, and bluing was scarce.

So, as not to appear ungrateful for his well-intended gift, I attached a pine

N A T I O N A L

board spacer with a couple of dry wall screws and then slipped a Pachmayr sleeve over my amateur stock work.

I immediately noticed that the gun shouldered surprisingly well. I’ve been in love with doubles since borrowing my brother’s as a youth, and on our first grouse hunt of the year I took a nice red-phased ruff with the new shotgun. The next hunt produced two ringnecks in two shots. By the end of the season, it was my favorite gun.

Over Christmas, I left my heirloom in the hands of my trusted gunsmith, John Berish, with specific instructions not to change the fit of the shotgun.

He inspected the gun for safety, epoxied the stock as best he could

and found an old Pachmayr White Line buttpad from a long-discarded gun.

The “beauty” that you see in the accompanying pictures is now my most prized firearm—and not just because I shoot it better than anything else in my gun cabinet. Being able to carry a little bit of Jack and Bud with me afield makes the firearm that much more special. I hope my future grandchild or son-in-law might cherish it someday, the way we have.

DAVE BATES, PA.

Nearly every shooter has a favorite firearm. If you would like to share the experience of owning yours with other American Rifleman readers, or on americanrifleman.org, send a sharp color photograph of the gun, accompanied by its story in fewer than 400 words, with your name, address and daytime telephone number to: Favorite Firearms, American Rifleman, National Rifle Association, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400. Photos and submissions cannot be returned and may be edited for clarity and brevity.

R I F L E

A S S O C I A T I O N

of

A M E R I C A

With the Stroke of a Pen, You Can Defend Freedom Forever NRA CAN SHOW YOU HOW Championing the causes you cherish through a carefully designed estate strategy could take months of planning and costly legal legwork.

Now, NRA can help you knock this task down to size with our NRA Member Planned Giving Guide. NRA’s Creating a Constitutionally Centered Will lays out tips and strategies that help you maximize charitable gifts while minimizing estate taxes and meeting your long-term financial goals.

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OCTOBER 2018

41

powder

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October 2018

american rifleman

Photos courtesy of Hodgdon Powder Co.

HODGDON THE INSIDE STORY Best known to handloaders within the firearm industry, Hodgdon Powder Company’s sphere of influence is farther-reaching than one might expect.

BY AARON CARTER, Field Editor odgdon. It’s a name deep-seated within the handloading community; however, each and every day the Shawnee, Kan., company impacts all Americans’ lives in some manner, as well as many other people worldwide.

From humble beginnings as a literal basement business, a propellant powerhouse has arisen that serves dissimilar facets of society. Goex blackpowder, for example, was utilized for special effects in the Hollywood blockbuster series “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and NASA employed H4227 in the NASA Standard Initiator (NSI) pressure cartridges used to break the separation bolts attaching the Solid Rocket Boosters to the space shuttle during the propulsion phase.

Many resulting NASA “discoveries” have been adapted for everyday uses in the private sector.

Hodgdon also keeps Americans—both the military and civilians—safe from terrorists hell-bent on doing us harm.

Case in point: dissatisfied with the then-current 1,200-yd. “on-paper” performance of the Mk 248 MOD 0 .300 Win. Mag. sniping load, Naval Special Warfare Center-Crane (NSWC) sought an honest 1,500-yd. solution when developing the subsequent round, the Mk 248 MOD 1. Beyond range, though, NSWC demanded decreased wind deflection, minimal muzzle flash and temperature sensitivity from the propellant. Hodgdon H1000 was selected for the task.

Like the Good Samaritan, Hodgdon Powder Co. contributes much to civilization, though often unbeknownst to the general public and without great fanfare. This sentiment is echoed in the company’s mission statement, which reads, “Hodgdon Powder Company operates following Biblical principles to honor God. Our Mission is to provide quality products and services in a manner which enhances the lives of our employees, families, customers and our communities.

In doing so, we will deal with integrity and honesty, reflecting that people are more important than dollars and our purpose is to bring credit to our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Not unlike many successful businesses, the story of Hodgdon Powder Co. is one of ups and downs, successes and failures. Through adversity and risk taking emerged an enterprise that has forever changed shooting, hunting, handloading and America.

Hodgdon’s first ad appeared in these pages in January 1948. What started off as an entrepreneur selling surplus powder 71 years ago has become one of the industry’s most influential companies.

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

43

hodgdon

RISKS AND REWARDS

Uncle Sam is neither thrifty nor cautious with taxpayer money. For Brewster Eltinge Hodgdon, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II also known as “B.E.” or “Bruce,” America’s wastefulness was a godsend—an untapped opportunity. Hodgdon learned that, after World War I ended, the government discarded surplus propellant into the world’s oceans. Surmising a similar situation would occur after World War II, as well as exhibiting keen foresight about a budding handloading market, Hodgdon inquired into the purchase of leftover stores. His letters went so far as to include the president of the United States, Harry S. Truman. His persistence paid dividends.

In 1947, Hodgdon purchased 50,000 pounds of remnant 4895 propellant at the cost of $0.04 per pound in DeSoto, Kan. Securing the money for the procurement proved to be problematic, as no banks wanted to loan money for such a volatile purchase. A prudent decision evident only in time, Hodgdon borrowed $1,500 against his life insurance policy to get the funds. Of the millions of pounds of governmentsurplus powders offered through the years for sale, Bruce would eventually buy most of what would be known as H4895, H4831, H4198, H4227, BALL C and many others.

Obtaining the money was only the beginning of Hodgdon’s quandaries. His winning bid wasn’t for a mixed box of “smalls,” but rather 25 tons of highly flammable solids. This begs the question, “Where do you store it?”

Hodgdon had 30 days to find an answer. Unsurprisingly, farmers didn’t want to rent Hodgdon vacant barns, so he purchased two railroad boxcars, removed the wheels and set them on railroad ties on leased ground—a temporary arrangement. He would eventually purchase 189 acres, some of which was still utilized as late as 2005.

Next came advertising and distribution. Hodgdon sensibly elected to take the proven path. It’s widely understood in the firearm industry that, for a successful company launch, there’s no better route than American Rifleman magazine and its unparalleled, dedicated readership. His first advertisement was placed in the January 1948 issue, and it immediately generated considerable interest. Hodgdon was now in business.

Initially, Hodgdon charged $0.75, $6.75 and $30 (plus freight) for 1 lb., 10 lbs. and 150 lbs. of propellant, respectively. Given the profit margins, it was a lucrative business.

Still, the going wasn’t easy.

Packaging and shipping the propellant were both difficulties. The packaging facility was Bruce and Amy Hodgdon’s basement, with orders being hand-filled by Bruce and his two sons, J.B. and Bob, after school. Chores became secondary. Sizable amounts of propellant for processing were stored there at all times.

Before FedEx, UPS and other large carriers got into business, shipping occurred via the postal service and railways.

That wasn’t an easy feat; B.E. Hodgdon fought hard to get the Bureau of Railroads, which would later become the Dept. of Transportation, to permit the shipment of propellant on trains. In addition to transportation, he was instrumental in addressing regulations on storage and packaging

44

October 2018

Company founder B.E. Hodgdon bet everything that handloading would become a big deal after World War II—and he was right.

of propellant. Perhaps no achievement surpassed getting smokeless powder downgraded to an easier-to-ship “4.1C Flammable Solid” classification.

Thanks to changes aided by Hodgdon, today propellants can be transported in approved containers in amounts weighing up to 8 lbs. and in shipments weighing less than 100 lbs. Most importantly, without Hodgdon’s tireless efforts, common carriers couldn’t transport propellants. It certainly would be a different world.

BIG CHANGES AND DIFFICULT DECISIONS

Hodgdon’s success in selling surplus propellant furthered the handloading industry as a whole. Previously stifled by the efforts of large-scale ammunition manufacturers, which disliked competition, in the post-World War II era enterprising individuals began offering consumers the components they needed to assemble ammunition at home.

Besides B.E. Hodgdon, there was Fred Huntington (RCBS), Dick and Vernon Speer (CCI and Speer), Joyce Hornady (Hornady Mfg. Co.), Fred Barnes (Barnes Bullets) and John Nosler (Nosler Partition Bullet Co.), among others.

Obviously, Hodgdon offering propellant was a critical part. To advance handloading, many of those individuals also traveled widely together to put on informative handloading clinics.

Unimpeded access to ammunition components and equipment, as well as positive changes in discretionary income after World War II, also led to increased wildcatting.

In fact, some of the popular factory cartridges enjoyed today were wildcats originating in the 1950s and ’60s.

These include: .243 Win.; .260 Rem.; and 7 mm-08 Rem. A cursory glance at P.O. Ackley’s 1962 and 1966 books, Handbook for Shooters & Reloading: Volume I and II, respectively, revealed the importance of Hodgdon’s propellants for experimenters of the time. Propellants such as 4831, 4198 and 4895 are heavily represented in the load data accompanying the cartridge descriptions.

To ensure that handloaders had reliable data to use with his propellants, Hodgdon personally tested them and developed safe loads. He also extended the lineup; by 1960, the company was selling 11 different propellants. american rifleman

hodgdon Despite the initial achievements experienced by the company, there were major setbacks, too. For instance, there was a costly fire in Hodgdon’s retail operation in 1967, and a year later lightning ignited a powder magazine. The 1970s were especially turbulent times; at one point the company teetered on bankruptcy. Ignoring the suggestions of attorneys, the Hodgdons chose to press forward. Some cost-cutting measures employed to salvage the company included: layoffs; liquidating assets; closing sister company B.E. Hodgdon, which sold accessories; driving leased cars; eating at home, not out; and sons J.B. and Bob not collecting paychecks for years at a time.

In 1976, Hodgdon Powder Co. founder B.E. Hodgdon made an important decision; he relinquished control of his business to J.B. and Bob, whom he believed could carry the company forward into further prosperity. Still, Bruce remained chairman of the board for some time. He passed away in 1997.

FROM THE ASHES

Ron Reiber, product manager for Hodgdon Powder Co., attributes the company’s success to making powders with properties that no others have. One of the first outsidethe-box powders it offered was pyrotechnic deflagrating explosive, or Pyrodex. Co-invented by Dan Pawlak and Michael Levenson, Hodgdon representatives met with Pawlak in 1975 and signed an exclusive distributorship of Pyrodex. Why? Blackpowder, the go-to powder for muzzleloading hunters and re-enactors of the day, was (and still is) highly dangerous to manufacture, store and transport.

A direct, volume-for-volume replacement, Pyrodex burned cleaner, ignited easily, offered improved shot-to-shot consistency, and could be more safely produced, kept, and transported. Since it wasn’t classified as an explosive (as is blackpowder), it could be sold in discount stores and gun shops alike—as is the case today. It was a no-brainer move. With much fanfare, Hodgdon introduced the shooting world to Pyrodex in May 1976. Demand for Pyrodex was prodigious; in fact, the company sold 250,000 lbs. the first year—limited only by what Pawlak could deliver.

Unfortunately, on Jan. 27, 1977, Pawlak and three others perished when product at the Washington-based Pyrodex facility flared. Production of Pyrodex subsequently moved to Herington, Kan., where it continues to be made today in a safer, state-of-the-art facility with minimal human interaction. The Pyrodex incident, combined with a product recall and a miserable economy, nearly bankrupted the company; however, in time aggressive cuts and increasing sales of Pyrodex—no doubt due to the surge in modern muzzleloading promoted by the debut of Tony Knight’s MK-85 inline muzzleloader—would ease financial hardships.

From Pawlak and Levenson’s brainchild, Dean Barrett, chief officer at the Pyrodex production plant, created a game changer for convenience in loading inline muzzleloaders: pelletized powder. Introduced in 1996, Pyrodex Pellets consisted of compressed Pyrodex with a smidge of blackpowder on one base to aid ignition (Pyrodex has a higher ignition temperature than blackpowder. A hollow core permitted the pellets to burn from the base forward,

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October 2018

In 1976, J.B. (l.) and Bob took over Hodgdon. The company faced tough times, but today it offers 65 different smokeless propellants.

outside in, and inside out. With each .50-cal. pellet being equivalent to a 50-gr./vol. charge, a 100-gr./vol. charge required only dropping two pellets down the barrel—convenient. Differing weights and calibers of pellets were subsequently added. Tom Shepherd, then president and CEO, said, “We were selling Pyrodex Pellets like popcorn.”

There was then a flood of new blackpowder replacements from Hodgdon in short order. First came Triple Seven powder, which generated additional energy for higher velocities with the benefit of lacking the rotten egg smell and dirtiness of Pyrodex and blackpowder. Triple Seven would be then pelletized and offered in magnum charges.

After its acquisition by Hodgdon in 2003, IMR would introduce White Hots, the only pelletized white, blackpowder replacement. Most recently, Triple Seven has been molded into a different shape, literally; the geometric star-shaped FireStar Pellets are touted as cleaner burning, more efficient and boosting velocities by 50 f.p.s.

Nonetheless, don’t get the impression that blackpowder is dead—it’s not. In fact, after much internal debate, Goex was acquired by Hodgdon in 2009. It’s the only manufacturer of blackpowder in the Americas, as well as the only supplier to the U.S. military. Besides sportsmen, shooters and re-enactors, Goex is heavily used in Hollywood moviemaking and television shows. Some well-known productions that employed Goex for special effects include: “Rambo”; “The Patriot”; “The Last Samurai”; “Pearl Harbor”; and “MythBusters,” among many others.

Reiber’s statement about inequality in propellants is especially apparent in smokeless powders from Hodgdon and IMR, the former DuPont brand that dates to the early 1800s and that Hodgdon acquired in 2003. Clays, for instance, was created by Australian Defense Industries (ADI) to fulfill Hodgdon’s desire for an ultra-cleanburning propellant exhibiting minimal muzzle blast and a consistent burn. Since making its debut in 1991, the propellant has been an unparalleled staple of skeet, trap and sporting clays shooters with its greatest threat emerging recently from a sibling, IMR’s new Red. It’s but one of IMR’s 10 new rifle and shotgun/handgun propellants unveiled during the past decade.

Beyond shotshells, Hodgdon has greatly improved the performance of its (and IMR’s) rifle and handgun propellants. Among the technologies to emerge were temperature-insensitive propellants. Found in Hodgdon’s Extreme series, as well as IMR’s Enduron lineup, the propellants continued on p. 86 american rifleman

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COVER STORY

48

Portable, OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

Photos by Forrest MacCormack

SPRINGFIELD’S 9 MM XD-S MOD.2 Far more than a facelift, Springfield Armory’s slim, single-stack XD-S has undergone an extensive upgrade to better meet the demands of the modern armed citizen, and Mod.2 models are now chambered for the prevailing 9 mm Luger cartridge.

BY JOE KURTENBACH, Executive Editor

ince the introduction of the original XD-S in .45 ACP (Jan. 2013, p. 50), Springfield Armory’s most diminutive, single-stack pistol line has remained among the most popular semi-automatic handguns in the microcompact concealed-carry category. Indeed, Springfield deserves credit for recognizing the need for a pocketsize platform chambered for a “full-power” cartridge.

The rise of the XD-S and similar lines coincides with the surge of American citizens choosing to exercise their Second Amendment right and take the responsibility of personal safety into their own hands. And it’s a testament to the pistol’s design that it has performed reliably in its intended role as a personal defense firearm, and continues to move briskly across gun store counters.

Even with the continued success of the original XD-S, though, the market has changed in the years since its introduction. Armed citizens and concealed carriers have evolved, particularly when it comes to tactics and techniques, but also regarding guns and gear. Much time, energy, ammunition and ink have been spent, and continues to be spent, in an effort to better understand and equip—with hardware and knowledge—today’s self-defense practitioner.

And, as it relates to guns specifically, features and components have been identified that increase performance, and, therefore, the user’s odds, in a defensive shooting scenario. Many such enhancements were pioneered in small custom shops or by DIY gunsmiths who saw a need and decided to address it. Now, though, many gun manufacturers are incorporating these innovations into upgraded renditions of their production firearms. This trend is a great benefit to the armed public, and Springfield Armory’s XD-S Mod.2 chambered in 9 mm Luger is the most recent example.

Like all of Springfield Armory’s XD pistols, the XD-S is produced by HS Produkt in Croatia, and can trace its roots to the HS2000 pistol, a version of which still serves as the primary sidearm of the Croatian military. In its Mod.2 rendition, the fundamental recipe for the XD-S is unchanged—it’s a semi-automatic pistol chambered for a fullpower cartridge and fitting within physical dimensions that make it easy to carry and conceal for the purpose of armed personal defense. The XD-S is striker-fired in operation— both for the reliability of that system, and its ease of use— possessing a 3.3" barrel and feeding from a true single-stack magazine, again, for its reliability over staggered or doublecolumn designs. To achieve the XD-S, Springfield of course had to find compromises between portability, concealment qualities, ammunition capacity and shootability—a quality that describes a combination of the gun’s ergonomics, natural pointing characteristics, accuracy-enhancing features and how the gun handles during recoil. Regarding shootability, that is where Springfield Armory raised the bar significantly with the Mod.2 version of the XD-S. Following the pattern of its original XD-S launch, Springfield introduced its first Mod.2 model in .45 ACP. Despite 9 mm Luger being the most commonly encountered handgun cartridge in use with military, law enforcement and armed citizens today, the .45 ACP still enjoys a large and faithful following. Originally, Springfield hit a home run with the .45-cal. XD-S because it was the first gun of its size—among its “generation” of new guns—to feature the all-American fight-stopping cartridge. It also made sense from a manufacturing perspective; many gun makers still design pistols around the .45 ACP cartridge—the largest common handgun round—and then develop a multi-caliber family by

Proven, Optimized AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

49

SPRINGFIELD XD-S MOD.2 simply reducing the bore diameter and changing the magazine. (Ok, it’s a little more complicated than that, but a platform that can accommodate the .45 ACP can fairly easily be adapted for .40 S&W, 9 mm Luger, etc.) The subject of this review, though, is the 9 mm Luger version of the pistol, which was released in August of this year. Not only is the new XD-S Mod.2 chambered for the preferred defense cartridge of the day, Springfield took a different approach, and designed the entire pistol around the 9 mm Luger cartridge, resulting in a gun that is even trimmer—in length, height and slide width—than its .45-cal. stablemate.

By the numbers, the XD-S Mod.2 in 9 mm is 4.3" tall, 6.3" long and 1.06" wide at the controls—though it’s just 0.91" wide across the slide—and it weighs 21.5 ozs. with an empty magazine. Overall, a very trim package that is eminently easy to conceal and light enough to be carried all day, every day, without becoming a burden. The heart of the pistol is a 3.3" hammer-forged steel barrel with six-groove, 1:10" right-hand rifling and hardened inside and out through Springfield’s proven Melonite nitriding treatment. Two single-stack, stainless steel magazines are included: a seven-rounder with a flared baseplate to accommodate a full, three-finger grip; and a nine-round extended magazine with a grip-extending collar. For maximum concealment, a flat baseplate is also included for the seven-round magazine, allowing for a truly flush fit. Finally, an eight-round magazine with a grip-extending collar is also available for purchase separately from Springfield Armory.

Working from the bottom up, the polymer frame incorporates some of the ergonomic enhancements seen in Springfield’s line of double-stack XD Mod.2 pistols, including the hand-filling swells, shallow finger grooves and effective texture patterns that help keep the fingers and palms locked on. There are also bilateral molded thumb shelves that help anchor the grip during one-handed firing, and guide the thumb toward the magazine release when reloading. The XD-S Mod.2 is further refined with a deeply undercut trigger guard and a deep relief beneath the beavertail—features that, combined, encourage a high shooting grip, and effectively lower the gun’s bore axis closer to the hand. There are also new bilateral recesses near the magazine well that allow access to the magazine’s baseplate to facilitate manual removal, should the need arise.

Whereas the original XD-S in 9 mm Luger (l.) shared components, and dimensions, with its .45 ACP kin, the new XD-S Mod.2 (r.) was designed specifically around the 9 mm cartridge, and exhibits slimmer slide and barrel profiles.

50

OCTOBER 2018

The XD-S fieldstrips easily (above) and offers several enhancements including (r., top to bottom): a luminescent front sight with tritium insert; a ledge-style, U-notch rear sight; and an extended grip safety.

In terms of controls, the XD-S Mod.2 follows the basic pattern of Springfield’s other XD models. The takedown lever and slide stop lever—both horizontally serrated for purchase—are found on the left side of the frame. The magazine release is bilateral, and the pressure required to depress the checkered metal button is the same, whether engaged from the left or right side. Springfield’s trigger assembly features the central safety lever commonly seen on striker-fired pistols. The safety lever has a rear tab that engages the frame to block an inadvertent trigger pull, and must be depressed in order to fire the gun. Speaking of safeties, the final control is the grip safety lever at the rear of the frame that blocks the trigger bar from traveling rearward. Much like an M1911, this safety must be depressed with a firm firing grip in order to pull the trigger.

New for the 9 mm XD-S Mod.2, the grip safety now features a memory bump to ensure positive engagement even with a less-than-perfect firing grip. Internally, the slide assembly also includes a striker-block safety, which is only disengaged when the grip safety and trigger safety are also disengaged by a good grip and positive trigger pull.

Moving on to the slide assembly, the machined steel body is rounded and relieved at the exterior edges, corners and near the muzzle, yielding a very trim component designed for snag-free operation. Six wide cocking serrations on both sides of the slide’s rear provide good purchase for manual slide manipulations. The Mod.2 version of the XD-S features a new external extractor assembly, the primary difference being the spring-tensioned plunger housed between the extractor and the slide’s striker locking plate. It’s not a new system, just new to the XD line, and its use by other manufacturers has proven it to be robust, reliable and easy to maintain.

Riding beneath the slide is the barrel and the dual, captured recoil springs. As with other XDs, the spring assembly features a full-length guide rod that actually protrudes AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

SHOOTING RESULTS (15 YDS.)

9 MM LUGER CARTRIDGE

VEL. @ 15' (F.P.S.)

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) LARGEST AVERAGE SMALLEST

BROWNING 115-GR. FMJ

1083 AVG. 11 SD

300

1.37

3.04

2.15

HORNADY CRITICAL DUTY 135-GR. +P FLEXLOCK

1052 AVG. 11 SD

332

0.90

1.69

1.31

REMINGTON ULTIMATE DEFENSE CH 124-GR. BJHP

1050 AVG. 21 SD

304

0.89

2.27

1.55

1.67

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS OVER AN OEHLER MODEL 36 CHRONOGRAPH AT 15 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 15 YDS. FROM A SANDBAG REST. TEMPERATURE: 71° F. HUMIDITY: 65%. ABBREVIATIONS: BJHP (BONDED JACKETED HOLLOW POINT), CH (COMPACT HANDGUN), FMJ (FULL METAL JACKET), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION).

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD-S MOD.2

IMPORTER: SPRINGFIELD ARMORY (DEPT. AR), 420 WEST MAIN ST., GENESEO, IL 61254; (800) 680-6866; SPRINGFIELD-ARMORY.COM 6.3"

3.3"

4.3"

MANUFACTURER: HS PRODUKT (CROATIA) ACTION TYPE: RECOIL-OPERATED, CENTER-FIRE SEMIAUTOMATIC PISTOL

CHAMBERING: 9 MM LUGER BARREL: HAMMER-FORGED STEEL, MELONITE FINISH RIFLING: SIX-GROOVE, 1:10" RH TWIST TRIGGER: DOUBLE-ACTION; 7-LB., 4-OZ. PULL

forward of the slide and is even with the end of the barrel.

Despite being a common feature to the XDs, Springfield is now, rightly, starting to advertise the unique benefit of the protruding guide rod, namely, that it offers a small amount of standoff for the firearm should it come into contact with the target. The standoff may prevent the slide from being forced out of battery, thus allowing the gun to continue cycling without issue. This doesn’t mean the XD-S can be jammed muzzle first into targets and expected to run, but it does provide a bit of margin for incidental contact. Finally, on top of the slide there is a loaded-chamber indicator flag that is raised when a round is in the chamber—a visual and tactile cue—and, of course, the sights. The XD-S Mod.2 is AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

SLIDE: FORGED STEEL, MELONITE FINISH FRAME: POLYMER WIDTH: 0.91" (SLIDE); 1.06" (FRAME) WEIGHT: 21.5 OZS. SIGHTS: GREEN LUMINESCENT FRONT

WITH TRITIUM, BLACK U-NOTCH REAR MAGAZINE: SEVEN-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX

ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, BORE BRUSH, NINE-ROUND EXTENDED MAGAZINE, LOCK MSRP: $586

being offered with either a two-white-dot rear and fiber-optic front arrangement, or, my personal preference, a bold, green, tritium-powered front sight from AmeriGlo paired with a black, horizontally serrated U-notch rear—both are effective sighting systems. The sights are made from steel, and both rear units feature cocking ledges to facilitate one-handed slide manipulations.

Disassembly follows the typical XD process: With a fully unloaded firearm, lock the slide to the rear and rotate the takedown lever clockwise 90 degrees. (Note: the takedown lever cannot be rotated unless the magazine is removed— a nice redundant safety feature.) Next, release the slide continued on p. 88

OCTOBER 2018

51

historical

A century ago, American snipers fought in both the trenches of France and in the open warfare that followed cracking the German lines. The courage, sacrifice and marksmanship of trained American snipers made a difference on the battlefield.

MAJ. JOHN L. PLASTER, U.S. Army, (Ret.)

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October 2018

american rifleman

U.S. Army photos courtesy of Armor Plate Press

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

53

AMERICA’S SNIPERS IN THE GREAT WAR hen the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, not a single American division existed, just a regular army of 127,000 men organized as regiments. After hurried stateside training, the fall of 1918 would see 98 divisions under arms with nearly 2 million soldiers and Marines in France.

Getting there from the United States was no small accomplishment. The summer of 1917 saw 32 training camps pop up across the country, like mushrooms after a spring rain. After just 16 weeks of training, each camp shipped off a freshly trained division to France and then began training the next.

Fortunately, before being sent into combat, these newly arrived divisions had several months to train up, which included exercising the 4,000 or so soldiers and Marines who’d completed stateside sniper schools. The French commander-in-chief, Gen. Philippe Petain, applauded, “the partiality of the American soldiers for sniping,” a role, he found, “in which they easily excel.”

While their divisions conducted pre-combat training, selected soldiers were sent off to France-based British sniper schools, where they were found to be similarly proficient. The commandant of the British 1st Army Sniping, Observation and Scouting School, Maj. H.V. Hesketh-Prichard, shared Gen. Petain’s view, finding America’s hunters and riflemen, “especially right material” for the job.

For some Americans attending the British schools, this sniper training became extraordinarily realistic; when Germany launched its March 1918 Spring Offensive, the schools suspended instruction to rush instructors and students— including Americans—to help hold critical sectors.

Among those unexpectedly thrust into combat was Lt. Edward Klepfer, a New York Yankee pitcher who’d

earned a 1917 record of 14-4 with a 2.37 ERA in 213 innings. Klepfer, a sniper platoon leader, later wrote of his experience under enemy fire. “You know what it’s like when you’re at bat and Walter Johnson buzzes one of his fast ones past your ears?” he penned. “That’s what it feels like when the Huns are trying to pick you off.”

It appears that French units, too, received U.S. sniper support. During the first German offensive, a March 1918 stateside newspaper described a French officer pinning a Croix de Guerre to the coffin of a U.S. soldier who’d fought to the death from, “a sniper’s nest,” holding off German attackers until French reinforcements could arrive.

In The Trenches

When American divisions reached the front lines, they initially fought the same trench warfare as had been the case since late 1914. Each U.S. Army or Marine battalion included a sniper platoon within its intelligence section, led by a lieutenant or sergeant, and containing three to five sniper teams. Their missions were counter-sniping, precision shooting, scouting and observation—with special emphasis on dominating “No Man’s Land.”

Some inexperienced Doughboy snipers were eager to demonstrate their skills, which could get them into trouble.

Three Alabama snipers, “went out in broad daylight to see if their new camouflage suits would camouflage,” a journalist wrote home. They nearly reached an enemy dugout before being discovered, then the Alabamans, “began firing as fast as they could load,” and quickly retreated.

One sniper did not make it back. Never again would that platoon take combat so lightly.

Journalists were especially impressed by the snipers’ marksmanship. New York Sun correspondent Herman

Snipers were issued the Model of 1903 Springfield with the Warner & Swazey “Telescopic Musket Sight.” The Model 1908 (top) had 6X magnification while the Model 1912 had 5.2X. The Winchester A5 riflescope was also fitted to the ’03 Springfield (below). The A5s were procured by both the Army and Marine Corps.

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OCTOBER 2018

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World War I Sniper Medals of Honor

T

he first Medal of Honor ever awarded to a sniper went to U.S. Marine Cpl. John Henry Pruitt (r.), with the 78th Company, 6th Marine Regiment. While supporting an attack on Oct. 3, 1918, the young Arizonan spotted two German machine guns that were impeding his company’s advance. Pruitt took on the two guns, rushing and killing the crews with well-aimed fire and capturing both. Totally amazed, 40 enemy soldiers surrendered to the lone Marine.

Afterward, Cpl. Pruitt was sniping at more Germans when an incoming shell mortally wounded him.

The war’s most remarkable one-sided engagement had to be that of U.S. Army PFC John Lewis Barkley, a 3rd Division sniper. On Oct. 7, 1918, while scouting ahead of his unit, he observed 500 to 600 Germans massing to attack across an open field. Taking cover behind a knocked-out French tank, he noticed a nearby abandoned German Maxim machine gun and a pile of ammunition belts. Setting aside his sniper rifle, Barkley dragged the Maxim into the tank and then fetched 4,000 belted rounds. Loaded and ready, he poked the Maxim muzzle through a hatch and opened fire, pouring belt after belt into the Germans, who fell in droves. So much return fire hit his tank that it sounded like a hailstorm, and then a 77 mm German shell slammed home, knocking him unconscious—but he awoke in time to engage a second wave of Germans until they abandoned the fight. Barkley was credited with singlehandedly fighting off a battalion-size enemy attack.

Whitaker wrote of a “Tennessee moonshiner” who “simply couldn’t stand discipline.” Officers usually looked the other way because, “He’s the finest shot we’ve got; can pick an eye out of a Boche at 300 yards.” His commander gave the Tennessean free reign anywhere along the line. “When he draws a bead on one,” an officer said, “it’s good night nurse, for he never lets loose until he’s certain.”

“And he’s not the only one,” a lieutenant added. “We have a dozen snipers who go out like that.”

New York Herald reporter Haywood Broun told of several U.S. Army snipers irritated to see a German soldier walking nonchalantly beyond the trenches, 1,700 yds. away, thinking

Rifles courtesy of the Bruce N. Canfield collection

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

Painting courtesy of the National Museum of the Marine Corps

himself immune from long-range fire. Knowing the odds were all but impossible to hit at such extreme range, the entire group, “agreed to count to five and fire together.”

Sure enough, the snipers fired as one, and, Broun reported, “down he came.” In another case, witnessed by a Stars & Stripes reporter, three American snipers fired a precision volley to hit a German officer well beyond 1,000 yds.

Among America’s snipers, Native Americans stood out.

According to Cato Sells, the U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, the Germans especially feared Native American soldiers and snipers. He told Congress of a captured American officer whose interrogators asked not about his unit strength or future plans, “but on how many Indians there were” opposing them. To Sells, the American Indian made an ideal sniper because he was a “born sharpshooter, a scout by intuition and an instinctive artist in the intricacies of camouflage.”

Private Ewing Peters, a Klamath tribesman sniper, found himself entirely suited to sniping. “I felt as though I were hunting deer, only the German was the devil.”

During his first of many missions he killed two such “devils.” A Literary Digest writer interviewed Silas Samuels, a Choctaw from Oklahoma and a sniper with the 312th Infantry Regiment, whose “eyes danced” as he told of one night engagement. “This Jerry was peeping over a trench one night,” his story went, “when Samuels was exploring around in a shell hole. Years of hunting deer at night gave the Indian a skill with the rifle that can be obtained in no other way, and the German ‘went West’ on one bullet.”

OCTOBER 2018

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AMERICA’S SNIPERS IN THE GREAT WAR

By mid-summer 1918, Germany’s final offensive had been repulsed and the Allies went on the offensive, beginning a new phase of maneuver called “Open Warfare.” Left behind were the tactics of trench warfare, but when it came to snipers, some commanders did not understand how to employ them effectively in this new, offensive, environment. However, other commanders appreciated their shooting and scouting abilities, and employed them to the fullest.

All along the Western Front, the Kaiser’s army had had more than three years to dig in, expand and improve its formidable defenses. Some positions even included concrete and steel bunkers. Anchoring these strong points were machine guns that covered approaches, flanks and obstacles, often with multiple guns integrating fire for a seemingly impenetrable defense. Entrenched infantry were arrayed to protect the machine guns.

Thus, the key to cracking German defenses was locating the machine guns and then suppressing their fire or killing their crews—an ideal mission for the keen observation and precision shooting of scout-snipers. Attesting to the courage and skill of American snipers in this role are the numerous award citations which describe their actions.

Army Cpl. George Ogden, “while acting as a battalion scout,” drove the crews from two German machine guns

U.S. Army photo courtesy of Armor Plate Press

Out Of The Trenches, Into The Open

“by sniping,” and then, with a buddy, turned the captured guns on the enemy and defeated a counterattack.

Another time, his well-aimed rifle fire forced 100 Germans to abandon a trench, allowing its capture. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), our nation’s secondhighest valor award. continued on p. 90

Unusual Tools of the Sniper’s Trade

W

orld War I’s protracted trench warfare saw many sniping improvisations. The most elaborate were artificial trees designed to conceal snipers and observers. An exact copy of a tree in No Man’s Land—lined with 1/2"-thick chrome-steel—was fabricated and switched at night for the real one. “A man could walk past within two feet of one,” reported Australian sniper Ian Idriess, “and not realize it was a dummy—unless he tapped it.”

Paper-mache horses and cows— similarly steel-lined—replaced carcasses in No Man’s Land, providing snipers concealment and armor protection. If detected, of course, the sniper was trapped in No Man’s Land.

Promoted with exaggerated claims, several countries developed body armor.

An American inventor, Dr. Guy Brewster, offered his “Brewster Body Shield” to the Army. Although he demonstrated it could withstand a .30-’06 Sprg. bullet at 60 yds., he failed to convince the military of its utility.

56

For counter-sniping, the British and Americans manufactured paper-mache heads to attract enemy sniper fire. A more advanced version added a periscope to look down the tubelike bullet path through the paper-mache to discover the sniper’s hidden lair.

Another sniper’s tool was the Fixed Rifle, which used a cradle to hold a rifle firmly in place. In daylight it was carefully aimed at a spot enemy troops likely would congregate after dark.

After sundown, the sniper fired his Fixed Rifle to hit enemy soldiers who’d assumed that since they couldn’t be seen, they couldn’t be shot.

Widely used were Periscope Rifles which enabled a sniper to aim and fire from a trench without exposing himself to enemy fire. The shooter manipulated a rod or cord to pull the trigger on his frame-mounted rifle.

The U.S. Ordnance Dept. developed OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

the Elder Periscopic Attachment, Model of 1918, for M1903 Springfield and M1917 Enfield rifles. Also a unique 1903 Springfield stock (above) was built; by pushing a button, the soldier pivoted the stock open, scissors-like, and locked it into place 35 degrees below the receiver and aimed via an Elder Periscope. Neither device reached France before the Armistice.

Although useful during trench warfare, once the Allied armies left the trenches and maneuvered on open ground, these clever improvisations became obsolete.

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rifle

For more than a century, Savage Arms has kept its customers shooting with a variety of traditional sporting arms. Now it has an updated logo and a new series of MSRs—in this case, Modern Savage Rifles—based on the AR-pattern semi-automatic design.

BY B. GIL HORMAN, Field Editor

58

THE MODERN October 2018

american rifleman

Photos by Forrest MacCormack

A

lthough many folks think of Savage primarily as a maker of purpose-built bolt-actions, the company has actually been in and out of the AR business for several years. It has been quietly producing barrels for other manufacturers, which in turn has given the firm time to polish its processes and work out some ideas of its own. After meeting with thousands of customers, online and in person, the company’s seasoned team of engineers spent a good deal of time and resources working out which rifles should be released first.

The Savage MSR family of rifles is available in two receiver sizes.

Based on the more compact AR-15, the company’s MSR 15 line currently stands at six models, ranging from entry-level tactical options to fully decked-out competitive rigs: the Patrol; the Recon; the Recon LRP; the Valkyrie; the Long Range; and the Competition. Meanwhile, the MSR 10 line—encompassing the Hunter, Long Range and Competition HD models— takes its cues from the larger AR-10 platform. Cartridge options vary by rifle, but include 6 mm Creedmoor, 6.5 mm Creedmoor, .308 Win. and .338 Federal. For this review, I spent some quality time at the range with the MSR 15 Patrol and MSR 10 Long Range models.

Key Platform Features The Savage development team was perfectly aware that its products would be launched into an exceptionally competitive, even saturated, facet of the shooting market. In order to compete, the MSRs would need to stand out from the crowd by offering desirable features along with a high level of quality at a fair price.

The direct-gas-impingement system commonly employed by many modern AR platforms has proven to be exceptionally reliable when the gas

MSR 15 PATROL

MSR 15 RECON LRP

MSR 15 VALKYRIE

MSR 10 LONG RANGE

MSR 10 COMPETITION HD

tube’s length is properly matched to the length of a particular rifle’s barrel.

However, it’s not uncommon to find 16" mid-length rifle barrels fitted with carbine-length gas tubes designed for 14" carbine-length barrels in order to reduce production costs. The result is an over-gased action that can increase felt recoil, enlarge down-range group sizes and decrease the rifle’s working life span. Savage’s 16"-barreled MSR 15 models feature appropriately scaled mid-length gas systems. For the MSR 10s, the company customized each rifle’s system to best fit the

barrel length and chambering, extending the dimensions beyond those typical to the AR-10. An adjustable gas block has also been incorporated into the rifle’s action that can be finetuned for optimized performance.

The configuration of an AR barrel’s rifling plays a key role not only in the gun’s accuracy, but its longevity and maintenance, as well. Standard rifling patterns consist of four to six lands and grooves cut with 90-degree corners where the lands and grooves meet. While this is a proven approach to giving bullets the proper spin as they travel down

SAVAGE RIFLE AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

59

SAVAGE MSR

the barrel, Savage used the MSR lines to introduce its 5R rifling system.

As the name implies, 5R employs five lands and grooves. With each land positioned directly across from a groove, the rifling provides just the right amount of support for the bullet without the added constriction or friction of a sixth land. Instead of squared edges, the lands are more trapezoidal in shape. This is intended to reduce the buildup of fouling, which affects accuracy, and to make the barrel easier to clean.

The barrels are treated inside and out with a Melonite finish. This thermo-chemical nitrocarburizing process continues to gain in popularity as a barrel finish because it provides a uniform, non-reflective appearance that is harder than chrome with a lower coefficient of friction. It’s a durable option that can comfortably withstand the rigors of harsh outdoor conditions.

Factory-assembled ARs tend to fall into one of two categories: generalpurpose models and purpose-built.

General-purpose models sell at a relatively low price because they’re fitted with basic, but serviceable, components and furniture. Amateur gunsmiths who enjoy tinkering with their rifles often swap out these Plain-Jane parts for various upgrades.

Savage opted to go the purpose-built route with its MSRs by installing handpicked feature sets selected to complement each rifle’s primary purpose.

The custom-forged receivers give the rifles a sleek appearance. High-quality furniture is either produced in-house or provided by trusted companies including Blackhawk and Magpul. The triggers have been upgraded at the factory to save the time and trouble of swapping them out. The MSRs may cost more than the typical generalpurpose models, but they arrive ready for use and already featuring some basic enhancements.

The MSR 15 Patrol Thanks to the MSR 15 Patrol’s quality construction and a top-notch set of polymer furniture from Blackhawk,

the rifle’s features are a tangible step up from the general-purpose model category that its $849 suggested retail price might imply. The custom upper and lower receivers are forged 7075T6 aluminum with a matte-black, hardcoat anodized finish. The pivot and takedown pins exhibit a snug fit, which is an indicator of close alignment between receivers.

The flat-top upper has an integral Picatinny rail for optics. The 16.125" 4140 steel barrel features 1:8" twist right-hand rifling, M4-style feed ramps and a Melonite finish. The muzzle is threaded at 1/2x28 TPI and fitted with an A2-type flash hider.

The mid-length gas tube is paired with a milled, custom A-frame gas block that is pinned to the barrel and has an adjustable front sight post.

This front sight has much cleaner, crisper lines than the typical cast mil-spec version. A removable flip-up Blackhawk BUIS (Back-Up Iron Sight) rear sight is shipped with the rifle to complete the sight system.

The M16 bolt carrier group (BCG) is

SAVAGE MSR 15 PATROL

MANUFACTURER: SAVAGE ARMS (DEPT. AR), 100 SPRINGDALE ROAD, WESTFIELD, MA 01085; (800) 370-0708; SAVAGEARMS.COM 32" to 35.50" 0.5"

0.5"

16.125" 10.25" to 13.75"

CHAMBERING: .223 WYLDE ACTION TYPE: DIRECT-GAS-IMPINGEMENT, SEMI-AUTOMATIC CENTER-FIRE RIFLE RECEIVER: 7075-T6 ALUMINUM, HARDCOAT ANODIZED FINISH

BARREL: 4140 STEEL, MELONITE FINISH RIFLING: 5R; 1:8" RH TWIST

60

MAGAZINE: 30-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX SIGHTS: FRONT, ADJUSTABLE POST; REAR, FLIP-UP APERTURE OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

TRIGGER: SINGLE-STAGE; 7-LB. PULL STOCK: BLACKHAWK KNOXX AXIOM; SIX-POSITION ADJUSTABLE WEIGHT: 6 LBS., 8 OZS. ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, LOCK, EAR PLUGS MSRP: $849

The MSR 15 Patrol carbine exemplifies the purpose-built concept behind Savage’s AR-style rifles. Its price belies a feature set that the company is able to offer by producing many of the components in-house. Examples include (far l. to r.): a unique six-position buttstock; a milled gas block/front sight; M4-style feed ramps; and a metal Back-Up Iron Sight.

fitted with a Carpenter 158 steel bolt, and is manually cycled with a mil-spec charging handle. All of the BCG’s components appeared to be well-made and properly fitted. The right side of the upper receiver is where two particular cost-reducing measures are often applied. Some makers offer models that ship without a dustcover or have no place to install a forward assist.

Savage initially split the difference by shipping the gun with a dustcover installed and a port for a forward assist machined but capped with a polymer plug to keep out the dust.

That way a customer could add a forward assist. Now the gun ships with a forward assist assembly installed.

The six-position buffer tube houses a standard carbine buffer. All of the rifle’s lower receiver controls are typical mil-spec offerings, including the magazine release, bolt release, left-side safety selector and mil-spec, singlestage trigger group. The traditional straight aluminum trigger guard has been replaced with a curved, enlarged polymer component. The single-stage trigger was an improvement when compared to others in its class because it did not exhibit the grittiness of

some makes. However, it was still a bit mushy with a 7-lb. pull.

It’s readily apparent that Blackhawk put plenty of thought into the Knoxx Axiom furniture line so as to compete with the established big players in the AR market. The designs are both useful and easy on the eyes. The M4-style two-piece handguard, held in place with a spring-loaded delta ring, cleverly extends past the front sight. It’s shaped to provide a bilateral thumb rest and hand stop for those shooters who prefer the straight-arm support-hand grip favored by 3-gun competitors. Four M-LOK-compatible accessory slots are found at the 3-, 6- and 9-o’clock positions. The handguard also has lightly textured grip-enhancing areas and quick-detach (QD) flush sling sockets on the right and left sides.

The single-piece, molded-polymer grip is designed to comfortably fit a wide variety of hand sizes. Sections of straight-line raised ridges are separated by fine, non-abrasive texturing.

The grip is narrow at the top with deep bilateral thumb grooves and a hand-filling palm swell. It offers

SHOOTING RESULTS (100 YDS.)

Vel. @ muzzle (f.p.s.)

Energy (ft.-lbs.)

Federal 55-gr. FMJ

2887 Avg. 25 Sd

1,018

2.15

2.43

2.30

Federal Fusion 62-gr. JSP

2759 Avg. 18 Sd

1,048

1.61

1.85

1.74

Federal Gold Medal 77-gr. SMBTHP

2423 Avg. 15 Sd

1,004

0.66

0.95

0.83

.223 Rem. Cartridge

Group Size (inches) Smallest Largest Average

1.62

Average Extreme Spread

Notes: Measured average velocity for 10 shots fired next to a Lab Radar chronograph 12" offset from the firearm. Accuracy results for five consecutive, five-shot groups at 100 yds. from a bench rest. Temperature: 72° F. Humidity: 34%.

Abbreviations: FMJ (full metal jacket), JSP (jacketed soft point), Sd (Standard deviation), SMBTHP (Sierra MatchKing Boat-Tail Hollow Point). americanrifleman.org

October 2018

an improved fit for those users with smaller hands, while providing plenty of room for larger ones.

The sleek, A-frame, six-position buttstock provides four sockets for QD sling mounts and a slot for direct threading of slings. The rounded top provides a positive cheek weld. The buttplate has large diamond-pattern texturing with two ports that allow for the attachment of a Knoxx recoil pad. The stock’s adjustment lever is placed at the front to keep it out of the way.

The MSR 10 Long Range More AR fans are looking for rifles that can be used for extended-range precision shooting without being overly heavy. Savage’s answer to this customer request is the AR-10type Long Range model, the 6.5 mm Creedmoor variant of which weighs in at 10 lbs., 6 ozs. The MSR 10 upper and lower receivers are also forged from 7075-T6 aluminum and hardcoat anodized like the MSR 15s.

The Picatinny-rail-topped upper receiver is paired with an 18" freefloating aluminum handguard that features a full-length top rail. Together they provide a total of 25.75" of rail space to work with. The handguard is attached directly to the upper receiver using four bolts for added stability and strength. The remaining handguard surface area is thoroughly perforated with numerous M-LOK-compatible accessory slots to provide maximum accessory potential, reduced weight and plenty of ventilation.

The 22"-long 5R rifled barrel is constructed of fluted 4140 steel with M4-style ramps, an 11-degree crown and a Melonite finish. The muzzle is threaded at 5/8x24 TPI and fitted with a Savage four-chamber muzzle brake to reduce felt recoil. A small gap in the top of the

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SAVAGE MSR

While the MSR 10 Long Range’s name suggests a familiar format, its details reveal considerable innovation, including (r., top to bottom): a left-side-mounted folding charging handle; an adjustable gas block; a nickel-boron-finished bolt carrier and dual-ejector bolt head; and a Magpul PRS Gen3 buttstock.

handguard provides easy access to the adjustable gas block attached to the extended-length gas system.

The Long Range’s upper receiver does come with a polymer dustcover and a forward assist. In addition to the typical top-mounted AR charging handle, Savage incorporated an additional non-reciprocating, sidecharging handle on the left side of the upper receiver. This second charging handle is, in my opinion, more intuitive and easier to use than the standard AR type, especially when a magnified optic is mounted.

Separating the receivers reveals a Savage-designed bolt carrier with a nickel-boron finish. The E9310 highpressure bolt features dual ejectors for added reliability.

The external controls—bolt release, safety selector and magazine-release button—are of mil-spec type, shape and location. The polymer pistol grip is the same comfortable Blackhawk Knoxx Axiom AR model installed on the MSR 15s, and an integral trigger guard is enlarged to provide extra space for gloved fingers. At first glance, the smooth-faced trigger appears to

SHOOTING RESULTS (100 YDS.)

6.5 MM CREEDMOOR CARTRIDGE

VEL. @ MUZZLE (F.P.S.)

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) SMALLEST LARGEST AVERAGE

FEDERAL AMERICAN EAGLE 140-GR. OTM

2686 AVG. 21 SD

2,243

0.67

0.83

0.77

FEDERAL FUSION 140-GR. JSP

2770 AVG. 16 SD

2,385

1.23

1.38

1.31

FEDERAL GOLD MEDAL BERGER 130-GR. HOTM

2885 AVG. 22 SD

2,402

0.99

1.20

1.10 1.06

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS FIRED NEXT TO A LAB RADAR CHRONOGRAPH 12" OFFSET FROM THE FIREARM. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 100 YDS. FROM A BENCH REST. TEMPERATURE: 72° F. HUMIDITY: 34%.

ABBREVIATIONS: HOTM (HYBRID OPEN TIP MATCH), JSP (JACKETED SOFT POINT), OTM (OPEN TIP MATCH), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION).

be mil-spec with a nickel-boron finish.

But any similarity to a mil-spec trigger ends there. It is in fact a Blackhawk AR Blaze 2-Stage precision trigger that provides a short, light take-up before breaking cleanly with just 2 lbs., 15 ozs. of trigger pull according to a Lyman digital trigger gauge. It proved to be a real treat to work with at the shooting range. The Long Range ships with one 10-round Magpul PMAG. The mil-spec-diameter AR-10-length buffer tube is fitted with the excellent Magpul PRS Gen3 buttstock. The length of pull (LOP) and cheek piece height are easily click-adjusted using hardcoat anodized aluminum knobs running along Melonite-treated steel adjustment shafts.

The LOP can be extended an additional 1.4" with the cheek piece providing up to 0.75" of additional height. The 0.85"thick soft rubber recoil pad is supported by a reinforced buttplate designed to withstand severe impact and recoil up to .50 BMG levels. Other features include right- and left-side metallic QD flush sling sockets, a reversible 1.25" aluminum sling loop with one QD sling swivel port and two M-LOK slots along the bottom edge of the stock for rails, sling mounts or monopods.

SAVAGE MSR 10 LONG RANGE

MANUFACTURER: SAVAGE ARMS (DEPT. AR), 100 SPRINGDALE ROAD, WESTFIELD, MA 01085; (800) 370-0708; SAVAGEARMS.COM 44.50" TO 45.90" 0.56" 0.50" TO -0.3"

22" 14.25" TO 15.65" CHAMBERING: 6.5 MM CREEDMOOR ACTION TYPE: DIRECT-GAS-IMPINGEMENT, SEMI-AUTOMATIC CENTER-FIRE RIFLE RECEIVER: 7075-T6 ALUMINUM, HARDCOAT ANODIZED FINISH

62

BARREL: 4140 STEEL, MELONITE FINISH RIFLING: 5R; 1:8" RH TWIST MAGAZINE: 10-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX SIGHTS: NONE, INTEGRAL OPTICS RAIL OCTOBER 2018

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SAFETY WARNING & NOTICE OF INSPECTION PROGRAM Rossi is issuing a voluntary safety warning on revolver models R351, R352, R461, R462, R851, R971, and R972 made between the years 2005 and 2017 that may have a condition that could cause, under certain circumstances, the revolver to fire if dropped.

This Safety Warning and Notice covers revolvers with serial numbers beginning with the letter Y, Z, or A through K. Rossi will inspect your revolver, repair it (if necessary), and return it to you with priority attention. Rossi is making every effort possible to ensure Rossi Revolvers are being serviced and returned to customers in a prompt, timely fashion.

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN: Stop using your revolver and contact us immediately so we can inspect and, if necessary, repair your revolver.

Go to WWW.ROSSISAFETYNOTICE.COM where you can enter your serial number and read our instructions. Or call 855-982-8787 for assistance. Rossi customer service will help you send in your revolver. Shipping is free until December 31, 2018.

If you no longer have this revolver, please inform current owner of this notice.

We appreciate your business and value you as a customer.

At The Range The time spent at the shooting range with these rifles was enjoyable thanks to their feature sets and reliable operation. All of the controls worked properly, in typical AR fashion. The guns cycled flawlessly from start to finish during all test procedures using a variety of loads provided

by Federal Premium Ammunition.

The Patrol was just as handy and comfortable to work with as

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continued on p. 94 americanrifleman.org

October 2018

63

MANUFACTURING

Cimarron Firearms Co. blends the authenticity of Old West legend with popular culture to offer a complete line of guns as they were—and how they could have been.

BY RICK HACKER, Field Editor t the 1983 NRA Annual Meetings in Phoenix, Ariz., history was made in more ways than one. Not only was President Ronald Reagan, an NRA Life member, the keynote speaker, but Mike and Mary Lou Harvey, owners of a Houston, Texas, sporting goods store, were about to make a decision that would have a profound and lasting effect on practically anyone who collects or shoots 19th century replica firearms today.

A few years previously, Mike had become a distributor for Leonard Allen, a major U.S. importer of Uberti replica revolvers and rifles. Now Mike and Mary Lou were about to purchase Allen’s company, which would make them one of the nation’s leading Uberti firearm distributors and dealers. With his penchant for detail, Mike had already contributed to upgrading Uberti’s replicas, including having them re-locate the mandatory-but-distracting governmental proofmarks to less conspicuous areas, such as under the barrel. He also had sent the company, located in the historic Italian armsmaking capital of Brescia, original cap-and-ball revolvers and Colt Single Action Armys from his personal collection so they could better duplicate the look and feel of the originals.

Mike and Mary Lou’s new company, re-branded as Cimarron Firearms, was launched in 1984 and, true to its name, has become known On a visit to Italy, Mike Harvey (r.) inspects a fore-end from a Model 71 while Pierangelo Pedersoli (c.) discusses the stock’s fit with a worker.

Photos by author

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

65

the guns of cimarron

for creating classic, authentically styled guns of the Old West, not only from Uberti, but from other replica gun makers as well. In fact, their combination of both mechanical and historical innovations—differences both subtle and apparent—has set Cimarron apart from other replicas. In fact, the company is now the go-to source for Hollywood as it continues to wrangle the box office revenue good Westerns have always returned. (For more on the connection between Cimarron and Tinseltown, visit americanrifleman.org/cimarron-stars).

The Harveys’ insistence on authentic detail is relentless.

For example, the “Cimarron F.A.” nomenclature on its Model P single-action barrels is roll-stamped in the same length, height and type style as the lettering on pre-war Colts. “We had our own marking dies made and even copied the lettering style found on the originals,” said Mike. “We even counted the characters in each line and matched the length of our stampings to the length and height of the originals. That’s one of the things that make our guns stand out—we demand that the guns look authentic.” Cimarron was also the first to put the original patent dates on SAA frames, and its revolvers are the only guns that Uberti produces with period-correct nitre-blued screws, in addition to being the first to offer an antiqued “Original” finish on its revolvers. Additionally, even though the latest CNC and computer-controlled techniques are employed, the forged Uberti single-action frames receive 30 different polishings, many of which are accomplished by hand and with leather straps, duplicating some of the gunmaking procedures of more than a century ago. And, because Italian law forbids the use of animal bone in the case-hardening process, Mike elects to have some of his guns case-hardened in the United States to achieve an authentic 19th century rainbow hue.

As an alternative to the hammer-block transfer bar found on most of today’s single-actions, with its telltale squared-off hammer profile, Mike devised an alternate concept of a trigger block safety by positioning a shorter transfer bar, spring and firing pin arrangement inside the hammer of some Uberti single-actions, where it can’t be

66

October 2018

Even though CNC technology is used on most of its guns, Pedersoli still applies a lot of hand work. Cimarron made this customized, special-order 1871-72 Open Top in .44 Colt (above, r.), featuring period engraving and fancy-grade, one-piece walnut stocks. The accompanying Slim Jim holster was made by El Paso Saddlery (epsaddlery.com).

seen. This system blocks the trigger from tripping the hammer until the gun is fully cocked, yet permits a non-ridged Colt-style firing pin to be visible in a “natural-looking” hammer contour when cocked, allowing all six rounds to be safely loaded in the cylinder. This feature is incorporated on Cimarron and other Uberti–made single-actions.

Uberti, now owned by Beretta Holding Co., isn’t the only Cimarron manufacturer today, although it remains their largest supplier, producing Cimarron’s cap-and-ball revolvers and many of its Model P-style single-actions and lever-action Henry and Model 1873 rifles. Mike also works closely with the other three top replica gun factories in Brescia, each selected for its specific areas of expertise: Chiappa creates Cimarron’s Spencer-style rifles—now produced with authentic Spencer stampings, as Cimarron has trademarked the name. In addition to .45 Colt, Spencer rifles will also soon be offered in the historically correct .56-56 Spencer chambering. Chiappa also produces Cimarron’s Model 92 lever-actions and its Model 1887 lever-action shotgun. Davide Pedersoli manufactures Cimarron’s single-shot “Trapdoor” Springfield and Sharps rifles, along with the Model 1886 and Model 71 lever-actions. Pietta, with a proficiency in laser engraving, creates a number of Cimarron’s commemoratives and other laser-engraved firearms.

Cimarron also imports a World War I-era replica M1911, in .45 ACP, made in the Philippines by Armscor. Clearly, though, its 19th century reproductions that have established the company’s reputation, most noticeably among cowboy action shooters, re-enactors and the motion picture industry, as well as hunters, plinkers, and other aficionados of 19th century-style firearms who demand the utmost in craftsmanship and authenticity. american rifleman

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the guns of cimarron

Sadly, Mary Lou Harvey passed away a few years ago after a courageous battle with cancer, and today the company is headed by Mike, assisted by his daughter Jamie, who serves as Cimarron’s vice president of media, and her husband, Bryce Wayt, vice president of retail operations for the company’s Texas Jack Wild West Outfitter subsidiary.

Having followed Cimarron since its inception—when the guns were first being imported under the Western Firearms label (which was then changed to Allen Firearms to resolve a legal dispute with Winchester-Western Ammunition)—I decided to accompany Mike on one of his annual trips to Brescia to see how a down-home Texas boy with an easygoing drawl was able to achieve such exacting results from the four highly respected firearms firms.

“Each factory has its own personality, its own vibe,” Wayt said on the first day of our trip, as we entered the sprawling Uberti factory located within the massive Beretta industrial complex in Gardone—a suburb of Brescia—where Beretta was founded in 1526. With approximately 60 employees, Uberti is the largest Italian producer of 19th century replicas. This was evident by the numerous gun parts that were arranged along multiple rows of benches manned by workers who were surrounded by rifles and pistols in various stages of assembly, from stock and action fitting to barrel adjustments, most of which were being done by hand. The automated and highly specialized computerized machining operations were in another part of the factory. And although each worker was intently concentrating on one specific task, most were capable of assembling an entire gun, from start to finish. This is what it must have been like in Colt’s old Hartford factory, I thought.

That image was reinforced when we entered Uberti’s spacious conference room, its walls covered with posters of Italian and American western movies that had featured Uberti guns.

In addition, gun racks and a huge, glass-topped conference table displayed numerous Uberti single-actions and leveractions, giving the room the semblance of an 1880s gun store.

The frontier ambiance of the room was further accented by the faint sporadic sounds of gunfire. But it wasn’t from a high-noon showdown on Main Street; rather, it was coming

68

October 2018

Reminiscent of a 19th-century gunmaker’s factory, many of the hand tools used at Uberti were made by its workers. At the Uberti factory, Vitale Bettinsoli hand polishes a single-action’s stocks and frame to insure a seamless fit.

from Beretta’s underground testing range. For anyone enamored with Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns, this room was nirvana. That feeling culminated when I was introduced to Giacomo Merlino, managing director of A. Uberti, for as we shook hands, I distinctly heard the haunting strains of the theme from “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” But it wasn’t my imagination; it was the ring tone from Giacomo’s cell phone, as someone was calling him at that exact moment.

Speaking of Spaghetti Westerns, Uberti makes one of Cimarron’s most popular handguns, an 1851 Navy conversion in .38 Spl. that replicates the sixgun—complete with silver coiled-rattlesnake-inletted stocks—deftly wielded

by Clint Eastwood’s “The Man With No Name” in Leone’s famous Italian-western trilogy: “A Fistful of Dollars,” “For A Few Dollars More” and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” But unlike the movie gun, Cimarron’s version sports a couple of improvements that make it more practical: a fixed rear sight dovetailed into the rear of the barrel and a Harvey-designed removable rod concealed in the rammer so that empty cases can be punched out of the cylinder.

“At first I didn’t think a gun like this would sell,” Mike admitted, “because it’s basically our blackpowder 1851 Navy and still had the rammer, which would be useless in a cartridge conversion. But I kept getting calls for it—a lot of calls—so I finally told Uberti we would just do a run of 500, because we might not sell any more. But when we announced the gun six months prior to production, we immediately got orders for over 500.”

The “Man With No Name” ’51 Navy cartridge conversion has become one of Cimarron’s most sought-after guns, along with its Single Action Army replicas and Model 1873 rifles and carbines. And as a bonus, all of Cimarron’s Uberti-made replicas now come with Stoeger’s warranty, which covers any Uberti firearm—including replacement parts and labor—for five years from the date of purchase by the original owner. american rifleman

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the guns of cimarron As Uberti is currently the only Italian company making a replica 1848 Walker, Mike revealed he will be bringing out 1,000 appropriately marked military Texas Walkers. And although the majority of Cimarron’s guns are historically correct, Mike is not averse to melding previously existing guns to create, to paraphrase the late motion-picture director John Ford, not what they were, but what they could have been. This was the philosophy behind Cimarron’s introduction of the Thunderer a few years ago, which paired a single-action Model P frame with an enhanced version of the Colt 1877 Thunderer’s bird’s head grip. And using a combination of pencil drawings, CNC machinery and 3D imagery along with some of Mike’s original guns, Uberti is now working on an improved version of an S&W American that will have the internal parts of a S&W Schofield, a gun already in its line.

“We do whatever Mike asks for because he’s the one who gives us all the ideas,” Giacomo said. “Mike knows all about the history of the guns, and he knows what he wants.”

Our next stop was at the spacious and modern Chiappa factory, where we were met by Rino Chiappa, whose late father started the family’s predecessor company, Armi Sport, in 1958. Rino changed the name to Chiappa in 2015 because he wanted the family name on the business, since two of his four children are now working at the factory. As we entered the showroom, we were met by Rino’s charming wife Susanna, standing alongside a life-size color cutout of John Wayne. Indeed, the spirit of the American West is alive and well in Italy. And no wonder—the U.S. accounts for 50 percent of Chiappa’s business, and it takes 45 other countries to make up the other half. With the recent purchase of a new laser and milling machine, Chiappa plans to ramp-up production even further.

The factory is flooded with natural light, but the window of Rino’s office faces inside, toward the workers and the machinery, so he can keep an eye on production at all times.

Chiappa uses no external suppliers and all of its R&D, design, schematics, 3D printing of prototypes, CNC work, and of course, final manufacturing—including stock milling, finishing and fitting—is done in-house. Chiappa even owns the company that does the bluing and nickel plating, and has its own in-house shooting range for testing guns, including functioning prototypes they make from aluminum and steel.

Working three shifts, 24 hours a day (except Sundays, when closed), Chiappa produces 2,000 guns each day, ranging from blank starter pistols to its Rhino revolver.

For Cimarron, in addition to the Spencer carbine and various lever-actions, Chiappa produces .22 single-action revolvers. Interestingly, guns sent to the Italian government proofhouse in Galdona del Trophe are temporarily fitted with “beater” stocks, but once they come back from proofing, they are re-stocked with high-grade European walnut and re-shot at Chiappa’s in-house range for a final quality control. Then they are cleaned, polished and inspected once more before being packed for shipping.

Like Chiappa, Davide Pedersoli is family-owned, having been started in 1957 by the late Davide Pedersoli.

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October 2018

Today, the company is run by his son Pierangelo Pedersoli and Pierangelo’s son Stephano, and specializes in CNCengineered 19th century replicas that are renowned for their accuracy. I experienced this firsthand with its trapdoor Springfield carbine and, more recently, with Cimarron’s Billy Dixon Officer’s Model—one of the most authentic on the market—featuring an engraved lockplate and an 1879 rear sight in addition to the folding tang sight found on other replicas.

One of the unique features of Pedersoli’s rifles is that they are all stocked with American walnut, rather than European wood. Pedersoli is also one of the few Italian companies that can produce full-length Kentucky rifle stocks. Pierangelo personally inspects every stock for grain quality and dimensions. It was here that I saw Mike’s penchant for detail, as he re-checked the length of pull on the Pedersoli-made Cimarron’s Model 71 rifles, which he had the factory adjust from 15" to 14", to make it more acceptable for American shooters. He also checked the radius of the curve on the Model 71 fore-ends, and specified a more authentic, reddish-brown stain for the walnut, which Pierangelo subsequently told me has now been adopted by other companies as well. The same situation occurred with Pedersoli’s case-coloring for Cimarron rifles, which Mike had altered to provide a more authentic appearance.

“The Italians have two different types of case-coloring,” Mike said. “One is case-coloring and one is casecoloring with added color. I told Pierangelo I wanted to add color, which they can do with chemicals, but they can’t use bone charcoal. Those chemicals are heated up to between 700 and 800 degrees, which is almost red hot.

Then they’re quenched in cold water. And I think potassium is added to the water, which in turn gives the steel a darker color. So I had him do that on all of his guns for me. And as soon as another customer of his saw it, they had to have it, too.”

At Pietta, as was his custom throughout our trip, Mike opened the meeting by presenting Alberto and Alessandro Pietta—sons of company founder Giuseppe Pietta, who had also stopped in for a brief visit—with a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce—a tasteful reminder of Cimarron’s American roots. Then he unexpectedly rolled a prototype of a .22 rimfire conversion cylinder for an 1858 Remington revolver across the conference table towards them and said, “Here, make this.” After a brief exchange of surprised glances, Alberto and Alessandro picked up the cylinder and studied it. Perhaps some day it will be in the Cimarron line.

For the present, though, Pietta is producing a number of Cimarron’s special laser-engraved and commemorative single-actions with some higher-end models embellished even further with hand-engraving, while still being able to keep prices competitive. Already available is Cimarron’s Texas Ranger Model P, a nickel-plated, laser-engraved single-action chambered in .45 Colt and sporting a 4¾" barrel. But what really sets this sixgun apart is the “C”-type Helfricht-style laser scrollwork. In addition, the ejector rod housing is continued on p. 93 american rifleman

NRACarryGuard2018.com | 1-866-NRA-4671

DOPE BAG

HI-POINT 1095TS EDGE H

i-Point Firearms has been manufacturing some of the least expensive semi-automatic pistol-caliber carbines on the market for more than 20 years. Loyal fans often praise the simplicity and reliability of these platforms even though their aesthetics may not please everyone.

Despite their low price, these carbines are loaded with features, constructed of components sourced from American manufacturers and assembled by a U.S.-based labor force.

Chambering options include 9 mm Luger, .40 S&W, .45 ACP and .380 ACP, the latter of which was added to the lineup in 2016. This year, Hi-Point has launched its most potent carbine yet with the brand new Model 1095TS chambered in 10 mm Auto, offered in either a matte black or Realtree Edge camouflage finish. Our test gun was an example of the latter.

The 1095TS is a blowback-operated, striker-fired semi-automatic carbine with a single-action trigger. The striker mechanism, bolt assembly, trigger group, external controls and single-stack magazine all take design cues from Hi-Point’s pistols. However, the carbine does not have a

magazine disconnect or interchangeable stock panels.

The muzzle of the round-profile, 17.5", blued-steel barrel is threaded at .578x28 TPI for muzzle accessories and fitted with a knurled thread protector at the factory. The sight system consists of an adjustable hooded-post front attached to the barrel and a fully adjustable peep at the rear. The rear sight is set into a stamped sheetsteel housing that can be removed in order to install a magnified optic or red-dot sight.

Hi-Point carbines are rated for +P ammunition. This means the cast Zamak 3 alloy receiver of the 1095TS is strong enough to safely fire the 10 mm cartridge despite its relatively high pressure levels (SAAMI Max: 37,500 p.s.i.). It stands to reason, however, that any 10 mm Auto-chambered carbine, no matter the manufacturer, is going to have a shorter operational life than similar models chambered in 9 mm Luger, .40 S&W or .45 ACP. A sheet-steel shroud is placed over the receiver to keep out dirt and to support the rear end of the sight rail. The ribbed foreend, pistol grip and shoulder The Hi-Point comes standard with a number of useful features including a threaded muzzle and sections of Weaver rail mounted under the barrel and fore-end.

72

OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

stock are all constructed from a single piece of textured, high-impact polymer. A 9.5" Weaver-style sight rail sits atop the gun, while a 3.5" accessory rail is mounted under the barrel, in addition to a 4.5" rail attached to the fore-end of the stock.

Hi-Point carbines are configured to eject spent shell cases to the right of the receiver with the manual controls installed on the left side of the gun.

The round, reciprocating charging handle is simply screwed into the bolt assembly and tightened using the provided combination wrench and sight-adjustment tool. The manual safety swings up into the “safe” position, and down, exposing a red dot, to fire. The polymer magazine release button allows the magazine to drop free of the pistol grip when pressed.

The 1095TS Edge arrives with one blued-steel, 10-round, single-stack magazine with an oversize black polymer baseplate.

The black polymer trigger is best described as having a single-action pull even though the arc of its travel is a bit longer than most singleactions. It is surprisingly smooth, and breaks at 5 lbs., 11 ozs., of pull. The skeletonized shoulder stock provides a 14.5" length of pull with a soft rubber cheekpiece. The black polymer recoil plate is supported by three extensions, each of which is fitted with a recoil-reduction spring. The carbine arrives with a simple nylon web

HI-POINT 1095TS EDGE

DISTRIBUTOR: MKS SUPPLY (DEPT. AR), 8611-A N. DIXIE DRIVE, DAYTON, OH 45414; (877) 425-4867; MKSSUPPLY.COM 32.25" 1"

0.5" MODELHI-POINT FIREARMS CAL. STRASSELL’S MACH INC. 10mm 1095 Manfield, OH Auto

17.5" SIGHTS: ADJUSTABLE; HOODED POST FRONT,

14.5"

MANUFACTURER: HI-POINT FIREARMS CHAMBERING: 10 MM AUTO ACTION TYPE: BLOWBACK-OPERATED, SEMI-AUTOMATIC CENTER-FIRE RIFLE

shoulder sling and a set of removable blued-steel sling swivels.

At the shooting range, the 10 mm Auto 1095TS Edge experienced two failures to feed in the first 50 rounds.

After that, it performed reliably using a variety of ammunition types, ranging from relatively low-velocity (1,150 f.p.s.) imported practicegrade loads to premium, Americanmade hunting and defensive loads.

The carbine is a bit on the heavy side at 7 lbs., 13 ozs., with an empty magazine, but it handled nicely. Our reviewers also noted that the sight system is quick to acquire and easy to see. The recoil-reduction system built into the shoulder stock works effectively to moderate the rifle’s kick.

In most cases, formal pistol-caliber carbine accuracy testing is conducted at 50 yds. from a benchrest. However, the five-shot group sizes of the 1095TS Edge expanded to around 5" at that distance when firing practice-grade ammunition. The carbine printed more practical groups, 3" or smaller, when the target distance was reduced to 25 yds.

As expected, the 17.5" carbinelength barrel of the 1095TS provided a marked increase in bullet speed when compared to the listed ammunition velocities for pistol-length barrels. The heaviest load tested, Buffalo Bore’s Heavy Outdoorsman 220-gr. Hard Cast Flat Nose, gained 125 f.p.s. of muzzle velocity. SIG Sauer’s Elite Performance 180-gr. V-Crown jacketed hollow point picked up an additional 150 f.p.s., with Underwood Ammunition’s 115-gr. solid-copper Xtreme Defender bullet traveling 212 f.p.s. faster.

APERTURE REAR

RECEIVER: ZAMAK 3 ALLOY, STEEL SHROUD RIFLING: 1:12" RH TWIST MAGAZINE: 10-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX

TRIGGER: SINGLE-STAGE; 5-LB., 11-OZ. PULL STOCK: POLYMER WITH RECOIL BUFFER; REALTREE EDGE CAMOUFLAGE FINISH WEIGHT: 7 LBS., 13 OZS. ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, LOCK, SIGHT-ADJUSTMENT TOOL, SLING, SLING SWIVELS

MSRP: $439

SHOOTING RESULTS (25 YDS.)

VEL. @ MUZZLE (F.P.S.)

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

BUFFALO BORE HO 220-GR. HCFN

1325 AVG. 20 SD

858

2.31

2.70

2.53

SIG SAUER V-CROWN 180-GR. JHP

1400 AVG. 12 SD

783

1.56

1.81

1.70

UNDERWOOD 115-GR. XD

1912 AVG. 13 SD

933

1.35

1.67

1.47

10 MM AUTO CARTRIDGE

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) SMALLEST LARGEST AVERAGE

1.90

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS FIRED NEXT TO A LABRADAR CHRONOGRAPH AT THE MUZZLE. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 25 YDS. FIRED FROM A BENCH REST. TEMPERATURE: 54° F. HUMIDITY: 51%. ABBREVIATIONS: HCFN (HARD CAST FLAT NOSE), HO (HEAVY OUTDOORSMAN), JHP (JACKETED HOLLOW POINT), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION), XD (XTREME DEFENDER).

The new Hi-Point 1095TS Edge increases the power potential of a platform favored by those who are looking for a reliable pistol-caliber carbine at a rock-bottom price.

Although the gun’s accuracy potential was less than that of other pistol-caliber carbines we’ve tested, quality 10 mm loads fired through the Hi-Point carbine will still get the job done. With a retail price starting at $389 ($439 for the camouflagedipped Edge), fans of the 10 mm Auto now have a new inexpensive way to put this well-regarded cartridge to use.

The Hi-Point carbine’s buttstock incorporates a soft-to-the-touch rubber cheekpiece and a polymer buttplate, the latter of which is mounted on three recoil-reduction springs.

The American Rifleman has used the phrase “Dope Bag” since at least 1921, when Col. Townsend Whelen first titled his column with it. Even then, it had been in use for years, referring to a sack used by target shooters to hold ammunition and accessories on the firing line. “Sight dope” also was a traditional marksman’s term for sight-adjustment information, while judging wind speed and direction was called “doping the wind.”

WARNING: Technical data and information contained herein are intended to provide information based on the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safety precautions absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents page. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals and bulletins for details of proper training requirements, procedures, techniques and safety precautions before attempting any similar activity.

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

73

DOPE BAG

STEYR ZEPHYR II With its butterknife bolt handle, schnabel fore-end and visible evidence of hammer-forged barrel construction, the Steyr Zephyr II, shown here with a Leupold VX-2 2-7X 28 mm scope, is a high-class magnum rimfire rifle with a decidedly European flair. Details such as a target crown (r., top) and a tangmounted safety (r., bottom) with visible indicators for “safe” and “fire” lend a desirable level of practicality as well.

E

arlier this year, Steyr Mannlicher of Austria re-introduced an old favorite: the Zephyr II, a bolt-action rifle for the discriminating small-game hunter. Originally produced from 1955 to 1971, the updated Zephyr possesses new lines and an improved action, and it builds upon the legacy of its predecessor with a foundation of quality and wellexecuted craftsmanship. Chambered for rimfire cartridges, the gun is available in .22 Long Rifle, .22 WMR and .17 HMR. For testing, we received a .22 WMRchambered sample.

While there is no shortage of rimfire bolt-guns, the Steyr is aimed at the upper end of the rimfire sporter market, having been created for the individual who prioritizes quality and pride of ownership over cost.

Looking at the Zephyr II’s stock it becomes immediately apparent that this is not an entry-level gun.

Made from European walnut, the stock features a Bavarian cheekpiece, laser-cut fish-scale-style checkering and a schnabel fore-end. The metal is ferritic-nitrocarburized in a nonreflective and protective finish that Steyr refers to as Mannox. The pistol grip features an inset Steyr logo, and there’s a 5/8" rubber buttpad that gives the Zephyr II a considerable length of pull measuring 145⁄8".

74

Ergonomics play an important part in the Zephyr II’s appeal, and its slim wrist, comfortable cheekpiece and slender fore-end give the rifle excellent handling characteristics.

The Zephyr II’s 19.7" mediumweight barrel is cold-hammer-forged.

It is rifled with eight grooves, and the twist rate is 1:15.75". To protect the rifling, the gun is given a recessed target crown. The Zephyr II possesses Steyr’s signature butterknife-style bolt handle. Besides looking good, the contours of the handle allow the bolt, along with its short throw (just 1.65"), to be manipulated rapidly.

The bolt cocks on opening and does not require a great deal of effort to operate. When the action is cocked, a small pin protrudes from the rear of the bolt cap where it can be seen and felt. Twin extractors are used for positive extraction and smooth cycling.

On the left side of the receiver is a bolt-release lever, and depressing it while moving the bolt to the rear allows it to be removed from the receiver. The Zephyr II uses a twoposition, tang-mounted safety. Pulled to the rear it makes the rifle safe, and a white dot is visible. The rifle should be loaded and unloaded with the safety engaged. Pushing it forward makes the gun ready to fire and exposes a red dot. The rifle uses a polymer, OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

five-round magazine. One of the very few criticisms we had of the Zephyr II is that the magazine release is just a nub of exposed spring steel in front of the magazine, and, on more than one occasion, we inadvertently engaged the release while firing from the bench.

Steyr outfits the rifle with a twostage trigger, and factory-tunes it for a light and crisp release. Our test sample’s trigger broke right at 2 lbs. The manual cautions against trying to adjust the trigger and states that any trigger work must be done at the factory by a qualified technician. The trigger’s gold plating adds to the gun’s aristocratic persona.

Steyr’s stylized target emblem adorns the rifle’s grip cap (r.) while various proofmarks on its bolt body—shown resting on the detachable, five-round polymer magazine— denote its European manufacture (l.).

Steyr ships the rifle without any sights, realizing that most will want to take advantage of its inherent accuracy by adding an optic. The Zephyr II’s receiver top has an 11 mm dovetail— not a terribly common dimension by American standards—and it took a little bit of searching on our part to find compatible ring mounts. Leupold sent us 1" medium ring mounts that worked perfectly. One evaluator supplied his Leupold VX-2, 2-7X 28 mm Ultralight scope for function and accuracy testing. Its compact size and light weight were a perfect match for the lightweight Zephyr II.

American Rifleman protocol for rimfire rifle testing is to fire 10 shots per group at a distance of 50 yds.

We fired five groups for each of the three ammunitions used, with the results shown in the accompanying table. The Zephyr II’s stock is relatively straight, with just 11⁄8" drop at the comb and 13⁄8" at the heel.

Despite the gun’s light weight, we were able to hold the duplex reticle centered on our 2" aiming point while adding pressure to the trigger until the shot broke.

Our groups were well-rounded and did not exhibit vertical or horizontal

stringing. The single best 10-shot group measured just 0.66" and was produced by CCI’s 40-gr. Maxi-Mag hollow points. The average group size for all three loads was well under an inch. All three of these loads would be very effective for hunting small game.

The Steyr Mannlicher Zephyr II is a beautiful rifle that possesses a fine degree of accuracy. It displays typical Steyr craftsmanship, attention to detail, and exemplary fit and finish. At a suggested price of $995, the Zephyr II is sure to find a home with discerning riflemen who place value on both performance and aesthetics.

SHOOTING RESULTS (50 YDS.)

.22 WMR CARTRIDGE

VEL. @ 10' (F.P.S.)

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) LARGEST AVERAGE SMALLEST

AGUILA SILVER EAGLE 40-GR. SJSP

1952 AVG. 25 SD

338

0.76

1.04

0.88

CCI MAXI-MAG 40-GR. JHP

2031 AVG. 53 SD

366

0.66

1.05

0.89

HORNADY 30-GR. V-MAX

2371 AVG. 34 SD

374

0.82

1.10

0.94 0.90

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS OVER A PACT PROFESSIONAL XP CHRONOGRAPH AT 10 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, 10-SHOT GROUPS AT 50 YDS. FROM A CALDWELL REST. TEMPERATURE: 65° F. HUMIDITY: 37%. ABBREVIATIONS: JHP (JACKETED HOLLOW POINT), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION), SJSP (SEMI-JACKETED SOFT POINT).

STEYR ZEPHYR II

IMPORTER: STEYR ARMS, INC. (DEPT. AR), 2530 MORGAN ROAD, BESSEMER, AL 35022; (205) 417-8644; STEYRARMS.COM 39.2" 1.38"

1.13" 19.7" 14.63" ACTION TYPE: BOLT-ACTION, RIMFIRE REPEATING RIFLE

MANUFACTURER: STEYR MANNLICHER (AUSTRIA) CHAMBERING: .22 WMR

RECEIVER: CARBON STEEL STOCK: EUROPEAN WALNUT BARREL: COLD-HAMMER-FORGED, EIGHT-GROOVE; 1:15.75" RH TWIST MAGAZINE: FIVE-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

SIGHTS: NONE; INTEGRAL 11 MM DOVETAIL RAIL

TRIGGER: TWO-STAGE; 2-LB. PULL WEIGHT: 5 LBS., 13 OZS. ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL MSRP: $995

75

dope bag

While all three parts are engraved, note how the gun’s nitre or “fire” blued slide stop contrasts with the frame and slide.

STANDARD MFG. 1911 CASE COLORED #1 ENGRAVED I

t is probably no exaggeration to refer to the M1911 pistol as “America’s Sidearm.” The functional beauty of John Browning’s masterpiece has made it one of the most beloved and recognizable firearms of all time.

In recent years, though, the trend toward all things tactical has produced increasingly utilitarian-looking M1911style handguns devoid of classical styling. Connecticut-based Standard Mfg. Co., though, has moved in the opposite direction. This company, which is a division of the Connecticut Shotgun Mfg. Co., is loaded with the rare combination of modern machines and traditional gunmaking know-how.

Built in-house, Standard Mfg.’s 1911 Case Colored #1 Engraved combines aesthetic design and finish elements with modern functional enhancements.

It doesn’t take a trained eye to see why this handgun stands out, thanks to the case-colored finish that covers most of the pistol. Case-coloring is the fortunate byproduct of a hardening technique that has been used in

76

firearm manufacturing for centuries.

Unlike many firms in the industry that use chemicals to imitate case colors, Standard Mfg. casehardens these parts the old-fashioned way using a furnace-heated crucible loaded with bone and charcoal. The entire slide, frame, grip safety and mainspring housing on the 1911 are covered in swirling blue, purple and straw hues. The colors are accented by a variety of small parts, including the slide stop, safety lever, stock screws and pins that are brightly nitre or “fire” blued. The stocks are doublediamond-checkered rosewood with a satin finish. These contrasting colors are all presented over slide flats and a frame that is highly engraved with attractive scroll patterns, making for a visually striking handgun.

Though the engraving and finishes give this M1911 a throwback feel, its construction materials and methods are quite modern. Standard Mfg. CNC machines the frames and slides from raw 4140 carbon steel forgings, and October 2018

american rifleman

small parts such as slide stops are machined, not cast. The match-grade barrel is made from stainless steel and features a loaded-chamber indicator slot cut into the rear of the hood. The overall design is a fairly faithful clone of the traditional M1911 design, albeit with some modern enhancements that have evolved out of decades of tinkering with the platform. The cocking serrations on the slide are end-mill cut at an angle, the ejection port is both lowered and flared back to facilitate consistent ejection, the hammer is a modern commander-style unit, the magazine well is slightly beveled and an upswept beavertail grip safety allows for a high grip on the gun. Both the frontstrap and steel mainspring housing are flawlessly checkered at 30 lines per inch, which provides a solid purchase without being overly abrasive to the hands.

The overall fit and finish on this handgun is excellent for a factory firearm, and better than many examples produced by custom makers.

The polishing was uniformly excellent, and the engraving—though done by machine—was well-executed.

Likely thanks to the maker’s use of CNC equipment and skilled hands, parts fit was consistently good and there was no sign of the “rattle” present on some examples we’ve encountered from other makers. Slide-to-frame fit, a key to M1911 accuracy, was very good.

Disassembly is identical to traditional M1911s, since this handgun uses a recoil spring plug rather than a fulllength guide rod. Removing the barrel bushing did not require a wrench, but the part was sufficiently tight to be conducive to mechanical accuracy.

The sights on this M1911 are from the modern end of the spectrum and are made by Warren Tactical. The black, 0.125", serrated front sight is easy to

STANDARD MFG. 1911 CASE COLORED #1 ENGRAVED

MANUFACTURER: STANDARD MFG. CO. (DEPT. AR), 100 BURRITT ST., NEW BRITAIN, CT 06053; (860) 225-6581; STDGUN.COM 8.6"

find in the U-shaped, 0.150" rear notch that is also serrated. Both front and rear sights sit in dovetails (Novak cut), and the rear sight is drift-adjustable for windage. These snag-free sights are devoid of sharp edges with the exception of a lip designed to aid in one-handed cycling of the slide in the event of an emergency. We found the sights to be very practical during both the formal accuracy testing and more casual rapid-fire range drills used to evaluate this handgun.

Sights and triggers are vital to accuracy, and the trigger on this M1911 was on the good side of average. It broke consistently at 3 lbs., 8 ozs., albeit with some pretty noticeable creep.

Though it was undetectable when we shot the gun on short-range targets, it was apparent when we moved to the 25-yd. line. Approximately halfway through the trigger pull, there was a tactile “shelf” that almost acted as a second stage during our bench testing.

This creep didn’t appear to have a detrimental effect on accuracy, it merely kept the trigger pull from being exceptional. Two-handed standing groups at 10 yds. produced one-hole groups, and the 25-yd. accuracy results were consistently good. Don’t let the presentation appearance of this handgun fool you, it shoots and handles like a good M1911 should.

The M1911 design is not one that always lends itself to mass production, and many examples lack the reliability that shooters have come to expect from more modern handguns. We found this 1911 from Standard Mfg. to be reliable, save for one failure to feed with PMC Bronze’s 185-gr. JHP load. This bullet’s ogive is fairly abrupt, and we questioned from the start whether it would feed reliably. Sure enough, at round number 60, we experienced a failure to feed from slidelock as the bullet caught on the frame-mounted feed ramp. The malfunction was quickly cleared and we experienced no further hiccups.

M1911s can run the gamut from spartan to ornate, and this example from Standard Mfg. runs toward the latter end of that spectrum. The combination of contrasting and colorful finishes, engraving that covers the

STANDARD MANUFACTURING CO. LLC NEW BRITAIN, CT. U.S.A.

GVT000000

5" 5.4"

MAGAZINE: SEVEN-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX

CHAMBERING: .45 ACP ACTION TYPE: RECOIL-OPERATED, SEMI-AUTOMATIC CENTER-FIRE PISTOL SLIDE: 4140 STEEL; CASE-COLOR FINISH FRAME: 4140 STEEL; CASE-COLOR FINISH RIFLING: SIX-GROOVE; 1:16" LH TWIST

SIGHTS: WARREN TACTICAL, DRIFT-ADJUSTABLE; BLADE FRONT; U-NOTCH REAR TRIGGER: SINGLE-ACTION; 3-LB., 8-OZ. PULL WIDTH: 1.3" WEIGHT: 38.4 OZS. ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, BOX, LOCK, EXTRA MAGAZINE, CLOTH, STORAGE BAG MSRP: $1,899

SHOOTING RESULTS (25 YDS.)

VEL. @ MUZZLE (F.P.S.)

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

CCI BLAZER 230-GR. FMJ

824 AVG. 11 SD

347

2.34

2.74

2.56

HORNADY CRITICAL DEFENSE 185-GR. FTX

1010 AVG. 11 SD

419

1.44

2.40

2.12

PMC BRONZE 185-GR. JHP

977 AVG. 18 SD

392

0.92

2.31

1.72

.45 ACP CARTRIDGE

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) SMALLEST LARGEST AVERAGE

2.13

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS FIRED OVER A LABRADAR DOPPLER CHRONOGRAPH AT THE MUZZLE. ACCURACY FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 25 YDS. FROM A BENCH REST. TEMPERATURE: 81° F. HUMIDITY: 37%. ABBREVIATIONS: FMJ (FULL METAL JACKET), FTX (FLEX TIP EXPANDING), JHP (JACKETED HOLLOW POINT), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION).

flats of both the slide and frame, and functional enhancements that keep pace with the M1911’s latest evolutions makes for a unique package. Non-engraved examples are available, as are models with more subtle finishes. This handgun’s performance is on par with its looks, and, given the quality components used and the labor-intensive finishes chosen, the price is very reasonable.

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

While the Standard’s externals are anything but run-of-the-mill, its mechanical construction is typical for a traditional M1911.

77

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INSIDE NRA | ILA REPORT

Divided Appeals Panel Upholds Calif. Ban on Post-2013 Pistols

LATEST LEGISLATIVE NEWS FROM INSIDE THE NRA INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION

ILA Grassroots: (800) 392-8683 NRA-ILA: (703) 267-1170 NRA-ILA website: nraila.org

I

magine if California, to combat what the Legislature considered the serious problem of manmade global warming, required all new vehicles sold by car dealers in the state to run on grass clippings, rather than fossil fuels.

Would it be fair to say that California was legitimately addressing serious environmental problems and promoting innovation? Or would the more obvious conclusion be that California simply wanted to ban the sale of new cars?

If you agree with second option, you’d likely be in the minority of a recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel that found another non-existent technology—in that case, Pena v. Lindley, a microstamping requirement that applies to newly introduced semi-automatic pistols—to be consistent with the Second Amendment.

In other words, two out of three judges ruled design requirements that no manufacturer can satisfy—nor that are useful enough to be in development by any manufacturer—can still be a prerequisite for the lawful commercial sale of constitutionally protected handguns in the state.

The dispute stems from California’s so-called “Unsafe Handgun Act” (UHA).

The UHA purports to promote public safety by weeding out “unsafe” handguns from commercial sale by a series of design

80

Photo by NRA Staff

CALIFORNIA'S DUAL MICROSTAMPING STANDARDS WERE DESIGNED TO FORCE MANUFACTURERS TO DEVELOP AND ADOPT TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE.

requirements for semi-automatic pistols that must be met by the manufacturer.

These include a “chamber load indicator,” a “magazine detachment mechanism” (to prevent firing of the pistol with the magazine removed) and a requirement that the pistol legibly imprint an array of information (including the firearm’s make, model and serial number) on two locations on each fired cartridge case. The microstamping requirement took effect in 2013, when state officials determined “that the technology used to create the imprint is available to more than one manufacturer unencumbered by any patent restrictions.”

Significantly, the state’s dual microstamping standards were not designed around proven, existing technology. Rather, they were purposely designed to force manufacturers to develop and adopt technology that was not yet available in the commercial sphere. To date, however, no manufacturer has done so.

The upshot is that the only firearms that may be commercially sold in the state are designs that existed before the date in 2013 on which the microstamping mandate took effect. Such models are “grandfathered” under the law. Any changes to the design— including non-mandatory safety features that weren’t incorporated in 2013—requires the model to be retested and to meet the current standards, including those pertaining to microstamping.

The irony is that California’s law effectively deprives state residents of marketdriven changes in design available to residents of other states that improve the safety and utility of modern pistols. Indeed, the law virtually ensures that there will come a time when the only semi-automatic

OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

previously fired cartridge cases at a crime scene specifically to confuse criminal investigators.

Thus, McKeown apparently didn’t understand to which component of a round of ammunition the microstamping requirement applies or she didn’t understand the difference between a fired bullet and a spent cartridge case. These differences, however, are crucial in understanding why people who are knowledgeable about firearms are so skeptical about microstamping’s usefulness Microstamping could produce a lead in a case, but it could just as easily be used to plant a red herring.

Regarding the state’s certification in 2013 about the “availability” of the technology, the dissent noted “this certification confirms the lack of any patent restrictions on the imprinting technology, not the availability of the technology itself.”

“If the requirement is impossible to comply with,” the dissent concluded, “it imposes a burden without advancing any state interest.”

Reduced to their essence, the facts of the case strongly suggest that the state’s real goal is simply banning modern pistols, which of course is an outcome that any fair reading of the U.S. Supreme Court’s prior Second Amendment cases would prohibit.

Needless to say, that precedent is not getting a fair reading in most decisions of lower courts, with Pena v. Lindley being just the latest and among the more egregious examples.

President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court could mean that help is on the way. In the meantime, however, lower courts are continuing to thumb their noses at the Second Amendment and the Heller majority, even to the extent of sanctioning broad bans on firearms that law-abiding people overwhelmingly choose for self-defense.

IN MEMORY NRA-ILA CONTRIBUTIONS July 1, 2018 – July 31, 2018

John S. Cichon, New Hartford, CT (from: the Souney Family); Marge Ballard, Alton, KS (from: Dale P. Nelson); Richard O. Meyer, Hamburg, NY (from: Hamburg Rod & Gun Club); Robert Johnston, Hamburg, NY (from: Hamburg Rod & Gun Club); George Alves, New Castle, DE (from: Warren and Vickie Alves).

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

OCTOBER 2018

Dylan Scott

is

Photo courtesy Dylan Scott

pistols lawfully available for sale in California will be used models that are many years old.

None of that, however, bothered the two judges in the panel’s majority, who breezily concluded that even if the law burdened conduct protected by the Second Amendment, the state’s “public safety” interest and legislative “fact-finding” satisfied the low bar of “intermediate scrutiny.”

Yet even by the standards of politically motivated judicial activism, the majority did not—as the dissent indicated—“take Plaintiffs’ Second Amendment claims seriously.” Indeed, the majority opinion—written by Judge Mary Margaret McKeown—is riddled with errors that have nothing to do with legal opinion or judicial philosophy, but one that simply misstate or misrepresent plain facts.

Perhaps most embarrassingly, McKeown seemed unaware of the difference between bullets and cartridge cases when analyzing the strength of the state’s interest in enforcing its microstamping requirement. McKeown cited a prior case from another circuit that held that the ability to conduct serial number tracing on firearms constituted an important state interest. “The same logic applies to recovered bullets, and counsels the conclusion that limiting the availability of untraceable bullets serves a substantial government interest,” she wrote.

Yet the law does not require fired bullets to be microstamped.

Rather, it requires fired cartridge cases to be microstamped. While a criminal investigator might be able to tell which firearm ejected a particular cartridge case, that would not necessarily determine whether a bullet, even of the same caliber recovered at the same scene, came from the same gun.

Indeed, cunning criminals could switch firing pins between guns of the same make and model or drop

I

f you’re not yet familiar with country star Dylan Scott, take a few minutes to check him out and we guarantee you’ll become a fan.

He’s the real deal and one of the hottest rising stars on radio. His song “My Girl” hit No. 1 on the country charts and was certified platinum with sales of over 1,000,000. He has toured with NRA Country artist Justin Moore, among others. But perhaps what stands out most about Scott is the person he is: a genuinely good family man with a deep-voiced Louisiana drawl who loves hunting and country music and followed his dream to Nashville, Tenn. NRA Country’s Vanessa Shahidi sat down with Scott and asked him about his love for the outdoors.

VS: Was there anyone in particular who shared their love of the great outdoors with you?

DS: My dad and my granddad are the ones who really taught me about the outdoors and hunting. I can remember being 4 or 5 years old and sitting on my dad‘s knee in a deer stand. I didn’t know exactly what was happening, but I loved being out there with him. That was my first memory of the real outdoors. Those early days in the woods were special times that I frequently think about when I go hunting.

VS: Is there a favorite hunt from the past that stands out in your mind?

DS: My favorite hunt was probably this past turkey season. I was out with a buddy of mine in Missouri. It was an extremely difficult hunt and the way the turkeys approached caused us to be frozen still for a solid 45 minutes or more. In the end, it worked out perfectly and I walked away with the biggest Tom yet.

Learn more about Dylan Scott at dylanscottcountry.com NRA Country is a lifestyle and a bond between the country music community and hard-working Americans everywhere. It’s powered by pride, freedom, love of country, respect for the military and the responsibilities of protecting the great American life. For more information visit nracountry.com, follow on Twitter @NRACountry, and NRA_Country on Instagram.

81

inside nra | regional report central 2019 NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS • APRIL 26-28 • INDIANAPOLIS, IN

For hotel accommodations at the NRA Annual Meetings, visit nraam.org OCT. 21—LEE’S SUMMIT, MO

F

riends of NRA events celebrate American values with fun, fellowship and fundraising for The NRA Foundation. To learn more about events in your area, visit friendsofnra.org, contact your local field representative or send an email to friends@nrahq.org.

Central Regional Director—Chad Franklin

cfranklin@nrahq.org

IA, NE—Tim Bacon

tbacon@nrahq.org

Northern IL—Mike Huber

mhuber@nrahq.org

Southern IL—Donald Higgs

dhiggs@nrahq.org

IN—Craig Haggard

chaggard@nrahq.org

KY—John LaRowe

jlarowe@nrahq.org

MI—Allan Herman

aherman@nrahq.org

Northern MO—Travis Scott

tscott@nrahq.org

Southern MO—Tim Besancenez

tbesancenez@nrahq.org

WI—Scott Taetsch

staetsch@nrahq.org

TRAINING

Crime Prevention

T

he NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim® program provides information on crime prevention and personal safety.

To learn more about the program, visit refuse.nra.org. The most up-to-date schedule is available on the internet by visiting nrainstructors.org, by sending an email to refuse@nrahq.org or by calling (800) 861-1166.

OCT. 6—SPRINGFIELD, MO

(Seminar) Michael Brooks (471) 366-9965

OCT. 5-6

RICHLAND CENTER, WI

OCT. 5-7

CLARINDA, IA

OCT. 5-7

MASON, MI

AREA SHOOTS

OCT. 5-7

COLUMBIA CITY, IN

or more information, send an email to Shelly Kramer at mkramer@nrahq.org or call (703) 267-1459. For a complete listing, see shootingsportsusa.com.

OCT. 6-7

LAFAYETTE, IN

OCT. 6-7

JANESVILLE, WI

OCT. 7 OCT. 14 OCT. 20

OCT. 6-7

BELLEVILLE, IL

OCT. 6 OCT. 6-7 OCT. 7 OCT. 7 OCT. 13 OCT. 21 OCT. 21

OCT. 6-7

NEOSHO, MO

OCT. 7

WHEATON, IL

OCT. 12-13

CALUMET, MI

OCT. 12-13

DELAVAN, WI

OCT. 12-13

HAYWARD, WI

OCT. 12-14

MARSHALLTOWN, IA

(Seminar) Bill Vandenbos (816) 547-2537

OCT. 22—APPLETON, WI

(Seminar) Gil Feher (920) 202-3080

Page County Fairgrounds, Southwest Iowa Gun Show (712) 621-8026

OCT. 27—ELMHURST, IL

(Seminar) Patrick Jones (773) 983-1526

Ingham County Fairgrounds, Sport Shows Promotions (517) 676-4160

F

PISTOL

Ionia, MI Chandler, IN Holden, MO Litchfield, IL

OCT. 6 OCT. 6-7 OCT. 21 OCT. 28

SMALLBORE RIFLE

Borden, IN Waterman, IL Bristol, IN

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Holton, MI Marshall, MO Bristol, WI Effingham, IL Borden, IN Waterman, IL Wabash, IN

SILHOUETTE

Wright City, MO Ypsilanti, MI Louisville, NE Danville, IN Ashland, KY Effingham, IL

OCT. 14 OCT. 14 OCT. 21 OCT. 27 OCT. 27 OCT. 27-28

GUN SHOWS

D

ates and locations of gun shows are subject to change, so please contact the show before traveling.

Discounted NRA membership are sold through NRA recruiters.

OCT. 13—CLINTON, IN

*Some shows may offer free admission to people who sign up for new memberships or renewals. To become an NRA Recruiter call (800) 672-0004.

OCT. 18—ST. LOUIS, MO

OCT. 5-6

(Seminar) Jennifer Christman (812) 240-3777 (Instructor Development Workshop) Kevin Cummins (636) 207-1900

82

TURTLE LAKE, WI

Brothers Event Center, Turtle Lake Fire Department (715) 986-4516 October 2018

Richland Center Community Center, Pine River Sports Ass’n.

(608) 604-9595

american rifleman

Whitley County 4-H Fairgrounds, Gun Slinger Promotions (260) 624-5996

Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, Central Indiana Gun Shows (765) 993-8942

Rock County Fairgrounds— Craig Center, Rock County Rifle & Pistol Club (608) 754-1911 Belle-Clair Expo Center, ECA Hunting & Trade Shows (618) 495-2572

Newton County A&M Fairgrounds, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176 DuPage County Fairgrounds, Pioneer Valley Sportsman’s Ass’n.

(630) 365-2808

Siskiwit Reception Hall & Conference Center, Calumet Keweenaw Sportmans Club (906) 337-2470 Delavan Convention Center, Freedom Firearms (414) 430-7617 Sevenwinds Casino, Lodge & Conference Center, Bearing Arms Gun Shows (715) 308-8772 Central Iowa Fairgrounds, Marv Kraus Promotions (563) 608-4401

OCT. 13

PRUDENVILLE, MI

Houghton Lake Playhouse, P.J.'s Promotions LLC (989) 798-8709

OCT. 13-14

GRAND RAPIDS, MI

4 Mile Showplace, Sport Shows Promotions (517) 676-4160

OCT. 13-14

FORT WAYNE, IN

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, CPI Shows (260) 483-6144

OCT. 21

WOODSTOCK, IL

McHenry County Fairgrounds, D&J Guns (815) 385-1982

OCT. 13-14

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

OCT. 21-22

DAVISON, MI

OCT. 13-14

EVANSVILLE, IN

OCT. 26-28

ROLLA, MO

Marion County Fairgrounds, Central Indiana Gun Shows (765) 855-3836

National Guard Armory, Irish HitMan Productions (812) 483-3064

OCT. 13-14

PACIFIC, MO

Eagles Club, Midwest Arms & Armor Society (314) 631-2799

OCT. 13-14

SPRINGFIELD, MO

Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

OCT. 13-14

ST. JOSEPH, MO

OCT. 13-14

FOND DU LAC, WI

St. Joseph Civic Arena, R.J. Promotions (816) 676-1200

Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds, Central Wisconsin Gun Collectors Ass’n. (920) 634-9909

OCT. 14

ST. CHARLES, IL

Kane County Fairgrounds, Kane County Sportsman’s Show (815) 758-2773

OCT. 14

HARRISON, MI

Harrison Sportsman’s Club, Harrison Sportsman’s Club (989) 539-3214

OCT. 19-21

ARNOLD, MO

Arnold Eagles Hall, Missouri Arms Collectors Ass’n. (314) 638-6505

OCT. 19-21

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA

Westfair Fairgrounds, Marv Kraus Promotions (563) 608-4401

OCT. 20

NAPPANEE, IN

Claywood Event Center, Northern Indiana Gun Collectors Ass’n. (574) 936-4431

OCT. 20-21

SEDALIA, MO

OCT. 20-21

SANDWICH, IL

OCT. 20-21

KNOXVILLE, IL

OCT. 20-21

SPRINGFIELD, IL

Missouri State Fairgrounds, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

Knights of Columbus, P.J.'s Promotions LLC (989) 798-8709

Highway 72 Events Center, Militia Armaments Gun Club (636) 295-0624

OCT. 26-28

OCT. 26-28

Illinois State Fairgrounds, ECA Hunting & Trade Shows (618) 495-2572

OCT. 20-21

CADILLAC, MI

Wexford Civic Center, Sport Shows Promotions (517) 676-4160

OCT. 20-21

SEYMOUR, IN

National Guard Armory, Tri-State Gun & Knife Collectors (812) 521-9367

OCT. 20-21

KOKOMO, IN

Ivy Tech Conference Center, Central Indiana Gun Shows (765) 855-3836

DES MOINES, IA

Iowa State Fairgrounds, Trade Show Productions (888) 552-1486

OCT. 26-28

WATERLOO, IA

OCT. 26-28

EVANSVILLE, IN

OCT. 27-28

KANSAS CITY, MO

National Cattle Congress—McElroy Auditorium, Midwest Arms Collectors LLC (660) 956-6004 National Guard Armory, Tri-State Gun & Knife Collectors (812) 521-9367

KCI-Expo Center, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

OCT. 27-28

PRINCETON, IL

Bureau County Fairgrounds, Sauk Trail Gun Collectors (309) 689-1934

OCT. 27-28

PORT HURON, MI

Blue Water Convention Center, Sport Shows Promotions (517) 676-4160

OCT. 27-28

CROWN POINT, IN

Lake County Fairgrounds, Central Indiana Gun Shows (765) 855-3836

OCT. 27-28

ANN ARBOR, MI

OCT. 27-28

ESCANABA, MI

Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, Huron Gun Collectors (517) 546-4710 Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds, J&J Sport Shows (800) 968-5016

Sandwich Fairgrounds, The Cloe Group LLC (815) 263-2810 Knoxville Fairgrounds, Shellstruck (309) 355-0527

TOMAH, WI

Monroe County Fairgrounds, Marv Kraus Promotions (563) 608-4401

LAW ENFORCEMENT

P

ublic and private officers interested in becoming firearm instructors should attend one of NRA’s Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Development Schools.

OCT. 1-5—MACOMB, IL

(Patrol Rifle)

OCT. 8-12—OKOBOJI, IA

(Tactical Shotgun)

OCT. 22-26—SUGAR CREEK, MO

(Patrol Rifle)

OCT. 29-NOV. 2—SUGAR CREEK, MO

(Handgun/Shotgun) Call Rudis Amaya at (703) 267-1636 or email ramaya@nrahq.org.

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

J

oining NRA-affiliated state associations supports NRA’s mission in your state.

See stateassociations.nra.org for more information.

Illinois State Rifle Ass’n. Inc.

isra.org

Indiana State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n. Inc.

isrpa.org

Iowa State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

iasrpa.org

League of Kentucky Sportsmen Inc.

kentuckysportsmen.com

Michigan Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

michrpa.org

Missouri Sport Shooting Ass’n.

missourisportshooting.org

Nebraska Marksmanship Ass’n.

nemarksmanship.org

Wisconsin Firearm Owners, Ranges, Clubs & Educators

wisconsinforce.org

MEMBER INFORMATION & BENEFITS

MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT INFORMATION: (877) 672-2000 NRA Headquarters: (703) 267-1000 • INTERNET ADDRESS: nra.org MEMBER SERVICE

(800) 672-3888

NRASTORE.COM

(888) 607-6007

5-STAR MEMBER BENEFITS NRA Wine Club

(800) 331-9754

ManageYOURiD

(888) 759-7866

Medical Concierge Network

800) 351-6094

Global Rescue

(800) 381-9754

NRA Travel Center

NRA.HotelPlanner.com

INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION Grassroots/Legislative Hotline (800) 392-8683

OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT/ GIFT PLANNING (877) NRA-GIVE THE NRA FOUNDATION (800) 423-6894 NRA INSTRUCTOR/ COACH FIREARM TRAINING (703) 267-1500 EDDIE EAGLE GUNSAFE PROGRAM (800) 231-0752 REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM (800) 861-1166 RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS (703) 267-1511 NRA AFFILIATED CLUBS (800) NRA-CLUB RANGE SERVICES (877) 672-7264 COMPETITIVE SHOOTING (877) 672-6282 LAW ENFORCEMENT (703) 267-1640 FRIENDS OF NRA (703) 267-1342 NRA MUSEUMS/ GUN COLLECTOR PROGRAMS (703) 267-1600 SHOWS & EXHIBITS (866) 343-1805 MEDIA RELATIONS (703) 267-1595

The “NRA Regional Report,” a service for NRA members, appears in every issue of American Rifleman, American Hunter, Shooting Illustrated and America’s 1st Freedom. The Regional Report is an up-to-date listing of NRA conducted and/or sponsored events scheduled in your region for the current month. Call to verify event dates and locations before traveling.

americanrifleman.org

October 2018

83

inside nra | regional report east 2019 NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS • APRIL 26-28 • INDIANAPOLIS, IN

For hotel accommodations at the NRA Annual Meetings, visit nraam.org OCT. 6-7

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA

OCT. 6-7

CANTON, OH

Eastern States Exposition, MidHudson Promotions (914) 248-1000

F

riends of NRA events celebrate American values with fun, fellowship and fundraising for The NRA Foundation. To learn more about events in your area, visit friendsofnra.org, contact your local field representative or send an email to friends@nrahq.org.

East Regional Director—Bryan Hoover

bhoover@nrahq.org

ME, VT, NH—Brian Smith

bsmith@nrahq.org

NJ, MA, RI, CT & Southern NY— Craig Decker

cdecker@nrahq.org

New York—Bruce McGowan

Stark County Fairgrounds, Ohio Shows (330) 539-4247

OCT. 6-7 OCT. 6-7

BRISTOL, VA

Holiday Inn Bristol, A.G. Gun Shows (423) 664-2715

OCT. 7

ALEXANDER, NY

Alexander Fireman’s Recreation Hall, Niagara Frontier Gun Shows (716) 542-9929

OCT. 7

Lisle Fire Co., Midstate Arms Collectors (607) 748-1010

OCT. 12-14

bmcgowan@nrahq.org

LIMA, OH

Allen County Fairgrounds, Tri-State Gun Collectors (419) 647-0067

LISLE, NY

BEL AIR, MD

American Legion Harford Post #39, American Legion Harford Post #39 (443) 243-1885

Northern OH—Marc Peugeot

mpeugeot@nrahq.org

Southern OH—David Graham

OCT. 13-14

SALEM, VA

OCT. 13-14

FAIRMONT, WV

Eastern VA, Eastern MD, Washington, DC—David Wells

OCT. 13-14

FISHKILL, NY

Western VA, Western MD, WV— Michael Swackhamer

OCT. 13-14

MOUNT JOY, PA

dgraham@nrahq.org

Salem Civic Center, C&E Gun Shows (540) 953-0016

Eastern PA, DE—Kory Enck

kenck@nrahq.org

Western PA—Tom Baldrige

tbaldrige@nrahq.org dwells@nrahq.org

mswackhamer@nrahq.org

GUN SHOWS

D

ates and locations of gun shows are subject to change, so please contact the show before traveling.

Discounted NRA membership are sold through NRA recruiters. *Some shows may offer free admission to people who sign up for new memberships or renewals. To become an NRA Recruiter call (800) 672-0004.

OCT. 5-7

OAKS, PA

Philadelphia Expo Center, Pennsylvania Antique Gun Collectors (610) 264-7991

OCT. 6-7

SHARONVILLE, OH

Sharonville Convention Center, Bill Goodman’s Gun & Knife Shows (502) 538-3900

OCT. 6-7

MASSILLON, OH

Massillon Knights of Columbus, Stark Gun Collectors (330) 833-2483

82

Marion County National Guard Armory, Showmasters Gun Shows (540) 951-1344 Ramada Fishkill, NEACA Inc. (518) 664-9743

Mount Joy Sportsmen’s Ass’n. Clubhouse, Mount Joy Sportsmen’s Ass’n.

(717) 341-9900

OCT. 13-14

AKRON, NY

Newstead Fire Hall, Niagara Frontier Gun Shows (716) 542-9929

OCT. 13-14

DAYTON, OH

Montgomery County Event Center, Bill Goodman’s Gun & Knife Shows (502) 538-3900

OCT. 13-14

MEDINA, OH

Medina County Fairgrounds, Conrad & Dowell Productions, (330) 948-4400

OCT. 13-14

BLOOMSBURG, PA

Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, Eagle Arms Productions (610) 393-3047

OCT. 14

MOUNT BETHEL, PA

Mount Bethel Volunteer Fire Co., Mount Bethel Volunteer Fire Co., (404) 429-0072*

OCT. 20-21

TIMONIUM, MD

Timonium Fairgrounds, Appalachian Promotions (717) 697-3088 October 2018

american rifleman

OCT. 20-21

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

OCT. 20-21

DALE CITY, VA

OCT. 20-21

ROANOKE, VA

OCT. 20-21

MONTPELIER, OH

OCT. 20-21

GEORGETOWN, OH

OCT. 20-21

MANSFIELD, OH

OCT. 20-21

QUARRYVILLE, PA

OCT. 20-21

CARLISLE, PA

OCT. 20-21

BEREA, OH

OCT. 20-21

ALLENTOWN, PA

OCT. 20-21

MONROEVILLE, PA

OCT. 20-21

THOMPSON, PA

Virginia Beach Convention Center, Southeastern Guns & Knives (757) 483-5385 Dale City VFW, Showmasters Gun Shows (540) 951-1344

The Berglund Center, Showmasters Gun Shows (540) 951-1344 Williams County Fairgrounds, D&K Enterprises (419) 737-2801

Georgetown FOE Hall, Trans-Fusion Entertainment (513) 317-5550

Richland County Fairgrounds, Heritage Gun Shows (330) 806-1110* Solanco Fairgrounds, SLCFSA (717) 382-4458

Carlisle Expo Center, Eagle Arms Productions (610) 393-3047 Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Ohio Shows (330) 539-4247

Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Historical Arms Society (610) 438-9006

Monroeville Convention Center, Showmasters Gun Shows (540) 951-1344 Thompson Volunteer Fire Co., Jaeger Arms Promotions (570) 470-6404

OCT. 27

SIDNEY, OH

Shelby County Fairgrounds, River Valley Classic Gun Show (937) 418-2179

OCT. 27-28

NORWALK, OH

OCT. 27-28

YORK, PA

OCT. 27-28

CIRCLEVILLE, OH

OCT. 27-28

SPRINGFIELD, OH

OCT. 27-28

TALLMADGE, OH

Huron County Fairgrounds, Bill-Mar Productions (440) 986-5004 York Fairgrounds, Appalachian Promotions (717) 697-3088

Pickaway County Fairgrounds, J.S. Shows Ltd. (614) 523-7767

Clark County Fairgrounds, C&E Gun Shows (540) 953-0016 Summit County Fairgrounds, Ohio Shows (330) 539-4247

OCT. 27-28

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA

TUITION-FREE ARMORER CLASSES**

OCT. 21—BRISTOL, CT

OCT. 27-28

WIND GAP, PA

OCT. 4—FAIRFAX, VA** (Glock Armorer)

OCT. 27—LANCASTER, PA (Seminar)

VFW Post #2540, Jaeger Arms Promotions (570) 470-6404

Plainfield Township Fire Hall, Eagle Arms Productions (610) 393-3047

OCT. 27-28

FREDERICKSBURG, VA

Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, Southeastern Guns & Knives (757) 483-5385

OCT. 27-28

DOSWELL, VA

The Meadow Event Park, Southeastern Guns & Knives (757) 483-5385

AREA SHOOTS

or more information, send an email to Shelly Kramer at mkramer@nrahq.org or call (703) 267-1459. For a complete listing, see shootingsportsusa.com.

Montpelier, VA Annapolis, MD Wappingers Falls, NY Eleanor, WV Carteret, NJ Batavia, OH Millville, NJ Brookhaven, PA

SMALLBORE RIFLE

Millville, NJ

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Merrimack, NH Millville, NJ Westfield, MA Nelson Township, OH Bridgeville, DE Phoenixville, PA Scarborough, ME Lexington Park, MD Montpelier, VA Buckhannon, WV

SILHOUETTE

Irwin, PA Mont Vernon, NH Owego, NY Manassas, VA Sudlersville, MD Fairless Hills, PA Milroy, PA Rupert, WV

OCT. 5—FAIRFAX, VA**

(Officer Involved Shooting)

Police Competition

N

RA Police Pistol Combat competition is intended to be used as an extension of an officer’s training.

See PPC Rulebook (Rule 2.4) for eligibility requirements.

OCT. 13—LEBANON, PA (Approved)

F

PISTOL

(Register at: le.nra.org/training/tuitionfree-schools.aspx)

OCT. 6 OCT. 6-7 OCT. 7 OCT. 7 OCT. 20-21 OCT. 21 OCT. 27 OCT. 28 OCT. 27-28 OCT. 6 OCT. 6 OCT. 7 OCT. 7 OCT. 14 OCT. 20 OCT. 21 OCT. 27 OCT. 27 OCT. 27 OCT. 6 OCT. 7 OCT. 13 OCT. 14 OCT. 20 OCT. 21 OCT. 28 OCT. 28

LAW ENFORCEMENT

P

OCT. 14—FREDERICK, MD

(State Championship) Contact lecompetitions@nrahq.org or (703) 267-1632.

TRAINING

Crime Prevention

T

he NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim® program provides information on crime prevention and personal safety.

To learn more about the program, visit refuse.nra.org. The most up-to-date schedule is available on the internet at nrainstructors.org.

csrra.com

Delaware State Sportsmen’s Ass’n.

dssa.us

Maine Rifle & Pistol Ass’n. Inc.

mainerpa.org

Maryland State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

goal.org

Gun Owners Of New Hampshire Inc.

gonh.org

Ass’n. Of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs Inc.

anjrpc.org

New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n. Inc.

nysrpa.org

Pennsylvania Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

OCT. 14—FURLONG, PA (Seminar)

Rhode Island 2nd Amendment Coalition

OCT. 15—AUDUBON, PA (Seminar)

Vermont Federation Of Sportsmen’s Clubs Inc.

Angie Bender (513) 713-9395 Robert Morris (215) 589-3534

Daniel McMonigle (610) 613-9813

OCT. 18—REEDVILLE, VA (Seminar)

Robert Heller (804) 410-5905

OCT. 20—BRISTOL, CT (Seminar)

Michael Ptaszynski (860) 582-4388

orpa.net

pennarifleandpistol.org ri2nd.org vtfsc.org

Virginia Shooting Sports Ass’n.

myvssa.org

West Virginia State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

wvasrpa.org

MEMBER INFORMATION & BENEFITS

MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT INFORMATION: (877) 672-2000 NRA Headquarters: (703) 267-1000 • INTERNET ADDRESS: nra.org

OCT. 1-5—MONROEVILLE, PA

5-STAR MEMBER BENEFITS NRA Wine Club

(800) 331-9754

ManageYOURiD

(888) 759-7866

OCT. 15-19—BETHLEHEM, PA

Medical Concierge Network

800) 351-6094

Global Rescue

(800) 381-9754

OCT. 22-26—STAUNTON, VA

NRA Travel Center

OCT. 29-NOV. 2—HIGHSPIRE, PA

INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION Grassroots/Legislative Hotline (800) 392-8683

(Tactical Shotgun) Call Tim Cole at (703) 267-1626 or email tcole@nrahq.org.

Connecticut State Rifle & Revolver Ass’n.

OCT. 13—CINCINNATI, OH (Seminar)

(888) 607-6007

(Tactical Shooting)

oining NRA-affiliated state associations supports NRA’s mission in your state.See stateassociations.nra.org for more information.

Ohio Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

Lyd Neugent (401) 377-8184

NRASTORE.COM

(Handgun/Shotgun)

J

OCT. 6—ASHAWAY, RI (Seminar)

(800) 672-3888

(Handgun/Shotgun)

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

msrpa.org

MEMBER SERVICE

OCT. 1-5—SMITHTON, PA

Wendy Hendershot (717) 209-1056

Goal (Massachusetts)

ublic and private officers interested in becoming firearm instructors should attend one of NRA’s Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Development Schools.

(Tactical Shooting)

(Instructor Development Workshop) Michael Ptaszynski (860) 582-4388

NRA.HotelPlanner.com

OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT/ GIFT PLANNING (877) NRA-GIVE THE NRA FOUNDATION (800) 423-6894 NRA INSTRUCTOR/ COACH FIREARM TRAINING (703) 267-1500 EDDIE EAGLE GUNSAFE PROGRAM (800) 231-0752 REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM (800) 861-1166 RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS (703) 267-1511 NRA AFFILIATED CLUBS (800) NRA-CLUB RANGE SERVICES (877) 672-7264 COMPETITIVE SHOOTING (877) 672-6282 LAW ENFORCEMENT (703) 267-1640 FRIENDS OF NRA (703) 267-1342 NRA MUSEUMS/ GUN COLLECTOR PROGRAMS (703) 267-1600 SHOWS & EXHIBITS (866) 343-1805 MEDIA RELATIONS (703) 267-1595

The “NRA Regional Report,” a service for NRA members, appears in every issue of American Rifleman, American Hunter, Shooting Illustrated and America’s 1st Freedom. The Regional Report is an up-to-date listing of NRA conducted and/or sponsored events scheduled in your region for the current month. Call to verify event dates and locations before traveling.

americanrifleman.org

October 2018

83

inside nra | regional report midwest 2019 NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS • APRIL 26-28 • INDIANAPOLIS, IN

For hotel accommodations at the NRA Annual Meetings, visit nraam.org

OCT. 22—MONTROSE, CO (Seminar)

OCT. 13-14

ARANSAS PASS, TX

GUN SHOWS

OCT. 13-14

KERRVILLE, TX

OCT. 13-14

LLANO, TX

OCT. 13-14

LUBBOCK, TX

OCT. 13-14

TAYLOR, TX

OCT. 13-14

WICHITA FALLS, TX

OCT. 13-14

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

OCT. 13-14

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

OCT. 13-14

HOT SPRINGS, AR

OCT. 13-14

MOUNTAIN VIEW, AR

Larry McWhirter (970) 249-2771

F

riends of NRA events celebrate American values with fun, fellowship and fundraising for The NRA Foundation. To learn more about events in your area, visit friendsofnra.org, contact your local field representative or send an email to friends@nrahq.org.

Midwest Regional Director—Tom Ulik

tulik@nrahq.org

AR—Erica Willard-Dunn

ewillard@nrahq.org

CO—Brad Dreier

D

ates and locations of gun shows are subject to change, so please contact the show before traveling.

Discounted NRA membership are sold through NRA recruiters. *Some shows may offer free admission to people who sign up for new memberships or renewals. To become an NRA Recruiter call (800) 672-0004.

OCT. 6-7

BENTON, AR

Benton Event Center, Kerry Murphy Promotions (501) 580-3737

Aransas Pass Civic Center, J&M Gun Shows (432) 438-1090 Hill Country Veterans Center, Hill Country Veterans Center (830) 315-3101

John L. Kuykendall Arena & Events Center, Eagle Outfitters (210) 371-3001 Lubbock Civic Center, Silver Spur Trade Shows (806) 253-1322 Williamson County Expo Center, Real Texas Gun Shows (713) 724-8881

OCT. 6-7

FORT SMITH, AR

OCT. 6-7

ADA, OK

OCT. 6-7

GUYMON, OK

OCT. 6-7

PARK HILL, OK

OCT. 6-7

MESQUITE, TX

TRAINING

OCT. 6-7

SAN ANTONIO, TX

T

OCT. 6-7

BELTON, TX

OCT. 13-14

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

OCT. 6-7

CLEBURNE, TX

OCT. 13-14

GREELEY, CO

OCT. 6-7

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

OCT. 13-14

PARK CITY, KS

OCT. 6-7

PUEBLO, CO

OCT. 15-16

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

OCT. 16—SAN ANTONIO, TX

OCT. 12-14

DENTON, TX

OCT. 20-21

FORT WORTH, TX

OCT. 18—AUGUSTA, KS

OCT. 13-14

MESQUITE, TX

OCT. 20-21

MCALLEN, TX

bdreier@nrahq.org

KS—Tom Ulik

tulik@nrahq.org

NM—Michael Guilliams

mguilliams@nrahq.org

OK—Darren DeLong

ddelong@nrahq.org

Eastern TX—Liz Foley

efoley@nrahq.org

Northern TX—Kevin Post

kpost@nrahq.org

Southern TX—Tyler Ward

tward@nrahq.org

Western TX—Jack Cannon

jcannon@nrahq.org

Crime Prevention

he NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim® program provides information on crime prevention and personal safety.

To learn more about the program, visit refuse.nra.org. The most up-to-date schedule is available on the internet at nrainstructors.org.

OCT. 12—BROOMFIELD, CO

(Instructor Development Workshop) Gerard Violette (480) 244-6315

OCT. 15—SAN ANTONIO, TX

(Seminar) Ken Lewis (210) 737-7233

(Instructor Development Workshop) Ken Lewis (210) 737-7233 (Seminar) Greg Rupp (316) 651-7877

82

Kay Rodgers Park, Hanging Judge Promotions (479) 858-9079

Agri-Plex Convention Center, Ada Rifle & Pistol Club (405) 391-7585 Texas County Activity Center, Badshot Gun Show LLC (405) 503-3665

Cherokee County Fairgrounds, G&S Promotions (918) 659-2201

Mesquite Rodeo Convention Center, Premier Gun Shows (817) 732-1194 San Antonio Events Center, Saxet Trade Shows (361) 289-2256*

Bell County Expo Center, Lone Star Gun Shows (214) 635-2009 Johnson County Sheriff’s Posse Building., Whipp Farm Productions (817) 929-1816 Colorado Springs Event Center, R.J. Promotions (816) 672-1200

Colorado State Fairgrounds, Tanner Gun Shows (720) 514-0114 Embassy Suites, Texas Gun Collectors Ass’n. (713) 299-3378

Big Town Event Center, Premier Gun Shows (817) 732-1194 October 2018

american rifleman

Wichita Falls Multi-Purpose Event Center, Texas Collectors Gun Show (940) 867-1309

Crossroads Event Center, Buchanan Event Co. (405) 844-6055

Oklahoma State Fair Park, Oklahoma Gun Shows (918) 955-1092 Garland County Fairgrounds, G&S Promotions (918) 659-2201

Stone County Fairgrounds, Timbo Volunteer Fire Department (870) 213-5106

Norris Penrose, Tanner Gun Shows (720) 514-0114 Island Grove Regional Park, P.E. Gun Shows (970) 779-0360

Hartman Arena, Chisholm Trail Antique Gun Ass’n. (888) 851-0888

Oklahoma State Fair Park, Oklahoma City Gun Show Inc. (800) 333-4867 Will Rogers Center—Amon Carter Exhibit Hall, Premier Gun Shows (817) 732-1194

McAllen Convention Center, Saxet Trade Shows (361) 289-2256*

OCT. 20-21

ABILENE, TX

Abilene Civic Center, Texas Gun & Knife Ass’n. (830) 285-0575

OCT. 27-28

TYLER, TX

Harvey Hall Convention Center, Lone Star Gun Shows (214) 635-2009

OCT. 20-21

AMARILLO, TX

OCT. 27-28

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

OCT. 20-21

HOUSTON, TX

OCT. 27-28

LOVELAND, CO

OCT. 20-21

MINERAL WELLS, TX

Amarillo Civic Center, Pioneer Gun Collectors (806) 567-8700

NRG Arena, Houston Gun Collectors Ass’n. (713) 981-6463 Palo Pinto Sheriff’s Posse Building, Whipp Farm Productions (817) 929-1816

OCT. 20-21

SAN ANTONIO, TX

Austin Highway Events Center, Austin Highway Events (210) 242-3683

OCT. 20-21

ELK CITY, OK

Elk City Civic Center, G&S Promotions (918) 659-2201

OCT. 20-21

HARRISON, AR

Harrison Fairgrounds, Ozark Shooters (417) 443-3093

OCT. 20-21

DENVER, CO

Denver Mart, Tanner Gun Shows (720) 514-0114

OCT. 27-28

CONWAY, AR

OCT. 27-28

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

OCT. 27-28

LEWISVILLE, TX

Conway Expo Center, G&S Promotions (918) 659-2201 Oklahoma State Fair Park, Grand American Arms Shows (405) 614-9464

Premier Event Center, Premier Gun Shows (817) 732-1194

OCT. 27-28

PASADENA, TX

OCT. 27-28

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

OCT. 27-28

BOERNE, TX

Pasadena Convention Center, Premier Gun Shows (817) 732-1194

Colorado Springs Event Center, R.J. Promotions (816) 676-1200

Outlets at Loveland, P.E. Gun Shows (970) 779-0360

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

J

oining NRA-affiliated state associations supports NRA’s mission in your state.See stateassociations.nra.org for more information.

Arkansas Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

arpa-online.org

Colorado State Shooting Ass’n.

cssa.org

Kansas State Rifle Ass’n.

ksraweb.org

New Mexico Shooting Sports Ass’n. Inc.

nmssa.org

Oklahoma Rifle Ass’n. Inc.

Police Competition

N

RA Police Pistol Combat competition is intended to be used as an extension of an officer’s training.

See PPC Rulebook (Rule 2.4) for eligibility requirements.

OCT. 13—ALBUQUERQUE, NM

(Registered) Contact lecompetitions@nrahq.org or (703) 267-1632.

AREA SHOOTS

F

or more information, send an email to Shelly Kramer at mkramer@nrahq.org or call (703) 267-1459. For a complete listing, see shootingsportsusa.com.

PISTOL

Whitewater, KS Byers, CO Arcadia, OK Houston, TX

SMALLBORE RIFLE

Houston, TX China Spring, TX

oklarifle.com

Texas State Rifle Ass’n.

HIGH POWER RIFLE

tsra.com

LAW ENFORCEMENT

P

ublic and private officers interested in becoming firearm instructors should attend one of NRA’s Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Development Schools.

OCT. 15-19—SAN ANTONIO, TX

(Tactical Shooting)

OCT. 29-NOV. 2—OWASSO, OK*

(Handgun- Law Enforcement & military only)* Call Mary Shine at (703) 267-1628 or email mshine@nrahq.org.

Carthage, TX Capitan, NM Rosharon, TX Desoto, KS Van Buren, AR Ramah, CO Arcadia, OK

SILHOUETTE

Bauxite, AR Arcadia, OK Haltom City, TX Garden City, KS New Braunfels, TX Aurora, CO

OCT. 6 OCT. 14 OCT. 20 OCT. 28 OCT. 6 OCT. 6 OCT. 6 OCT. 6-7 OCT. 7 OCT. 20 OCT. 28 OCT. 28 OCT. 28 OCT. 6 OCT. 13 OCT. 13 OCT. 14 OCT. 14 OCT. 20

Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds, Saxet Trade Shows (361) 289-2256*

Kendall County Fairgrounds, Liberty Gun Shows (210) 708-6645

OCT. 27-28

BRENHAM, TX

Brenham Firearms Center, Real Texas Gun Shows (713) 724-8881

OCT. 27-28

BUCHANAN DAM, TX

Hill Country Hall, Wild Weasel Productions (830) 992-5291

OCT. 27-28

FREDERICKSBURG, TX

Gillespie County Fairgrounds, Texas Gun & Knife Ass’n. (830) 285-0575

OCT. 27-28

HILLSBORO, TX

Hill County Fair Grounds—Fair Barn, Whipp Farm Productions (817) 929-1816

OCT. 27-28

MIDLAND, TX

Horseshoe Pavilion, Silver Spur Trade Shows (806) 253-1322

MEMBER INFORMATION & BENEFITS

MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT INFORMATION: (877) 672-2000 NRA Headquarters: (703) 267-1000 • INTERNET ADDRESS: nra.org MEMBER SERVICE

(800) 672-3888

NRASTORE.COM

(888) 607-6007

5-STAR MEMBER BENEFITS NRA Wine Club

(800) 331-9754

ManageYOURiD

(888) 759-7866

Medical Concierge Network

800) 351-6094

Global Rescue

(800) 381-9754

NRA Travel Center

NRA.HotelPlanner.com

INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION Grassroots/Legislative Hotline (800) 392-8683

OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT/ GIFT PLANNING (877) NRA-GIVE THE NRA FOUNDATION (800) 423-6894 NRA INSTRUCTOR/ COACH FIREARM TRAINING (703) 267-1500 EDDIE EAGLE GUNSAFE PROGRAM (800) 231-0752 REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM (800) 861-1166 RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS (703) 267-1511 NRA AFFILIATED CLUBS (800) NRA-CLUB RANGE SERVICES (877) 672-7264 COMPETITIVE SHOOTING (877) 672-6282 LAW ENFORCEMENT (703) 267-1640 FRIENDS OF NRA (703) 267-1342 NRA MUSEUMS/ GUN COLLECTOR PROGRAMS (703) 267-1600 SHOWS & EXHIBITS (866) 343-1805 MEDIA RELATIONS (703) 267-1595

The “NRA Regional Report,” a service for NRA members, appears in every issue of American Rifleman, American Hunter, Shooting Illustrated and America’s 1st Freedom. The Regional Report is an up-to-date listing of NRA conducted and/or sponsored events scheduled in your region for the current month. Call to verify event dates and locations before traveling.

americanrifleman.org

October 2018

83

inside nra | regional report south 2019 NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS • APRIL 26-28 • INDIANAPOLIS, IN

For hotel accommodations at the NRA Annual Meetings, visit nraam.org

AREA SHOOTS

F

riends of NRA events celebrate American values with fun, fellowship and fundraising for The NRA Foundation. To learn more about events in your area, visit friendsofnra.org, contact your local field representative or send an email to friends@nrahq.org.

Southern Regional Director— Al Hammond

ahammond@nrahq.org

AL, MS—Bobby Berthelot

bberthelot@nrahq.org

Northern FL—Bret Eldridge

peldridge@nrahq.org

Southern FL—Tom Knight

tknight@nrahq.org

GA—Neely Raper

nraper@nrahq.org

LA—Chad Bowen

cbowen@nrahq.org

Eastern NC—Garland “Tra” Storey

gstorey@nrahq.org

Western NC—Doug Merrill

rmerrill@nrahq.org

TN—Mike Webb

mwebb@nrahq.org

SC—Freeman Coleman

fcoleman@nrahq.org

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

J

oining NRA-affiliated state associations supports NRA’s mission in your state.See stateassociations.nra.org for more information.

Alabama Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

jmoses1936@gmail.com

Florida Sport Shooting Ass’n.

fssaf.wildapricot.org

Georgia Sport Shooting Ass’n.

gssainc.org

Louisiana Shooting Ass’n.

louisianashooting.com

Mississippi Gun Owners Ass’n.

msgo.com

North Carolina Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

ncrpa.org

Gun Owners of South Carolina

gosc.org

Tennessee Shooting Sports Ass’n. Inc.

tennesseeshootingsportsassociation.org

82

OCT. 20—CORRYTON, TN

F

or more information, send an email to Shelly Kramer at mkramer@nrahq.org or call (703) 267-1459. For a complete listing, see shootingsportsusa.com.

PISTOL

Holmwood, LA South Congaree, SC Dawsonville, GA Creedmoor, NC Columbia, TN Brooksville, FL

OCT. 6-7 OCT. 20 OCT. 21 OCT. 27 OCT. 28 OCT. 28

SMALLBORE RIFLE

Dawsonville, GA Cookeville, TN Palm Bay, FL Ridgeville, SC Hazaelhurst, MS Columbus, NC

OCT. 6 OCT. 7 OCT. 13 OCT. 20 OCT. 20 OCT. 20

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Covington, GA Belton, SC Lakeland, FL Chattanooga, TN Pinson, AL Salisbury, NC Gonzales, LA

OCT. 6 OCT. 7 OCT. 7 OCT. 7 OCT. 13 OCT. 20 OCT. 28

OCT. 20—WHITE, GA

(Instructor Development Workshop) Carl Hirt (770) 334-8285

LAW ENFORCEMENT

P

ublic and private officers interested in becoming firearm instructors should attend one of NRA’s Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Development Schools.

OCT. 1-5—SUMMERVILLE, SC

(Patrol Rifle)

OCT. 1-5—NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL

(Select Fire)

OCT. 1-5—STAPLETON, AL

(Handgun/Shotgun)

OCT. 1-5—HOLLY SPRINGS, MS

(Tactical Shooting)

OCT. 8-12—OZARK, AL

(Tactical Shooting)

OCT. 8-12—FLORENCE (UNA), AL

(Patrol Rifle)

OCT. 8-12—PEARL, MS

(Patrol Rifle)

OCT. 15-19—NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL

(Tactical Shotgun)

SILHOUETTE

Hoover, AL Arden, NC Pascagoula, MS Gaston, SC Brunswick, GA Jackson, TN Jacksonville, FL

OCT. 6 OCT. 13 OCT. 13 OCT. 20 OCT. 20 OCT. 21 OCT. 27

TRAINING

Crime Prevention

T

he NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim® program provides information on crime prevention and personal safety.

To learn more about the program, visit refuse.nra.org. The most up-to-date schedule is available on the internet at nrainstructors.org.

OCT. 6—FORT MYERS, FL

(Seminar) Kyle Schutte (239) 673-0790

OCT. 8—BUFORD, GA

(Seminar) John Bain (678) 238-2504 October 2018

(Seminar) Fred Styciura (732) 551-8263

american rifleman

OCT. 15-19—COLUMBUS, MS

(Handgun/Shotgun)

OCT. 15-19—SHREVEPORT, LA

(Precision Rifle)

OCT. 22-26—HOMESTEAD, FL

(Handgun)

OCT. 29-NOV. 2—SUMMERVILLE, SC

(Tactical Shooting) Call Rudis Amaya at (703) 267-1636 or email ramaya@nrahq.org.

Police Competition

N

RA Police Pistol Combat competition is intended to be used as an extension of an officer’s training.

See PPC Rulebook (Rule 2.4) for eligibility requirements.

OCT. 6—SUMTER, SC (Approved) OCT. 6—TUSCALOOSA, AL (Registered) OCT. 20—COLUMBIA, SC (Approved)

Contact lecompetitions@nrahq.org or call (703) 267-1632.

GUN SHOWS

D

ates and locations of gun shows are subject to change, so please contact the show before traveling.

Discounted NRA membership are sold through NRA recruiters. *Some shows may offer free admission to people who sign up for new memberships or renewals. To become an NRA Recruiter call (800) 672-0004.

OCT. 13-14

WEST PALM BEACH, FL

OCT. 13-14

JACKSONVILLE, FL

OCT. 13-14

SAVANNAH, GA

South Florida Fairgrounds, Sport Show Specialists (321) 777-7455*

The Morocco Shrine, Cliffhangers Gun Show (386) 325-6114

Savannah Civic Center, Eastman Gun Shows (229) 423-4867

OCT. 6

TOCCOA, GA

OCT. 13-14

NATCHEZ, MS

OCT. 6-7

OPELIKA, AL

OCT. 13-14

GREENVILLE, SC

Downtown Toccoa, the Carolina Trader (704) 282-1339

Village Event Center, East Alabama Gun & Hunting Shows Shows (334) 707-4717

OCT. 6-7

MUSCLE SHOALS, AL

North Alabama State Fairgrounds, VPI Gun Shows (256) 381-0506

OCT. 6-7

FORT MYERS, FL

Lee Civic Center, Florida Gun Shows (407) 410-6870

OCT. 6-7

HOLLYWOOD, FL

Italian American Civic League, Florida Gun Expo (305) 922-3677

OCT. 6-7

JACKSONVILLE, FL

Greater Jacksonville Fair & Expo Center, North Florida Gun & Knife Shows (407) 275-7233

OCT. 6-7

MELBOURNE, FL

Melbourne Auditorium, Sport Show Specialists (321) 777-7455*

OCT. 6-7

NEWBERRY, FL

Newberry American Legion, Gun Trader Shows (352) 359-0134

OCT. 6-7

GROVETOWN, GA

Columbia County Exhibition Center, Eastman Gun Shows (229) 423-4867

OCT. 6-7

PASCAGOULA, MS

OCT. 6-7

FAYETTEVILLE, NC

OCT. 6-7

FLETCHER, NC

Jackson County Fairgrounds, Big Pop Gun Shows (601) 498-4235

Natchez Convention Center, Big Pop Gun Shows (601) 498-4235 TD Convention Center, South Carolina Arms Collectors Ass’n.

(803) 463-9377

OCT. 20-21

HUNTSVILLE, AL

OCT. 20-21

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL

OCT. 20-21

TAMPA, FL

Von Braun Civic Center, Collectors & Shooters Co. (334) 322-8818 Polish American Social Club, Great American Promotions (865) 453-0074

Florida State Fairgrounds, Florida Gun Shows (407) 410-6870

OCT. 20-21

OCT. 20-21

OCT. 6-7

GRAY, TN

Appalachian Fairgrounds, R.K. Shows (563) 927-8176

OCT. 6-7

LEBANON, TN

Wilson County Expo Center, Bill Goodman’s Gun & Knife Shows (502) 538-3900

OCT. 13-14

HOOVER, AL

Hoover Met Complex, Alabama Gun Collectors Ass’n. (205) 317-0948

OCT. 13-14

BARTOW, FL

National Guard Armory, Great American Promotions (865) 453-0074

OCT. 13-14

ORLANDO, FL

Central Florida Fairgrounds, Florida Gun Shows (407) 410-6870

MIAMI, FL

Miccosukee Gaming Resort, Florida Gun Expo (305) 922-3677

OCT. 20-21

MARIETTA, GA

Cobb Civic Center, R.K. Shows (563) 927-8176

OCT. 20-21

JACKSON, MS

Mississippi Trade Mart: State Fairgrounds, New South Gun Shows (601) 922-8138

Crown Expo Center, C&E Gun Shows (540) 953-0016 Western N.C. Agricultural Center, Mike Kent Shows (770) 630-7296

PANAMA CITY, FL

Bay County Fairgrounds, North Florida Gun & Knife Shows (407) 275-7233

OCT. 20-21

CHARLOTTE, NC

OCT. 20-21

MEMPHIS, TN

OCT. 27-28

ROBERTSDALE, AL

OCT. 27-28

FORT PIERCE, FL

OCT. 27-28

PALMETTO, FL

OCT. 27-28

BROOKSVILLE, FL

OCT. 27-28

OCALA, FL

OCT. 27-28

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA

OCT. 27-28

WEST MONROE, LA

OCT. 27-28

KENNER, LA

OCT. 27-28

ROBINSONVILLE, MS

OCT. 27-28

WINSTON-SALEM, NC

OCT. 27-28

KNOXVILLE, TN

Park Expo, Dixie Gun & Knife Show Classic (919) 781-1287 Agricenter International Park, R.K. Shows (563) 927-8176

Baldwin County Fairgrounds, Collectors & Shooters Co. (334) 322-8818 Havert L Fenn Center, Patriot Productions (866) 611-0442

Bradenton Convention Center, Florida Gun Shows (407) 410-6870

Hernando Sportsman’s Club House, Hernando Sportsman’s Club (352) 799-3605 Motel 6 Conference Center, Cliffhangers Gun Shows (386) 325-6114

Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, R.K. Shows (563) 927-8176

West Monroe Civic Center, Jean LaFitte Promotions (337) 302-5535

Pontchartrain Center, Great Southern Gun & Knife Shows (865) 671-4757 Casino Outlets, New South Gun Shows (601) 922-8138

Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, C&E Gun Shows (540) 953-0016

Knoxville Expo Center, R.K. Shows (563) 927-8176

MEMBER INFORMATION & BENEFITS

MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT INFORMATION: (877) 672-2000 NRA Headquarters: (703) 267-1000 • INTERNET ADDRESS: nra.org MEMBER SERVICE

(800) 672-3888

NRASTORE.COM

(888) 607-6007

5-STAR MEMBER BENEFITS NRA Wine Club

(800) 331-9754

ManageYOURiD

(888) 759-7866

Medical Concierge Network

800) 351-6094

Global Rescue

(800) 381-9754

NRA Travel Center

NRA.HotelPlanner.com

INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION Grassroots/Legislative Hotline (800) 392-8683

OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT/ GIFT PLANNING (877) NRA-GIVE THE NRA FOUNDATION (800) 423-6894 NRA INSTRUCTOR/ COACH FIREARM TRAINING (703) 267-1500 EDDIE EAGLE GUNSAFE PROGRAM (800) 231-0752 REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM (800) 861-1166 RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS (703) 267-1511 NRA AFFILIATED CLUBS (800) NRA-CLUB RANGE SERVICES (877) 672-7264 COMPETITIVE SHOOTING (877) 672-6282 LAW ENFORCEMENT (703) 267-1640 FRIENDS OF NRA (703) 267-1342 NRA MUSEUMS/ GUN COLLECTOR PROGRAMS (703) 267-1600 SHOWS & EXHIBITS (866) 343-1805 MEDIA RELATIONS (703) 267-1595

The “NRA Regional Report,” a service for NRA members, appears in every issue of American Rifleman, American Hunter, Shooting Illustrated and America’s 1st Freedom. The Regional Report is an up-to-date listing of NRA conducted and/or sponsored events scheduled in your region for the current month. Call to verify event dates and locations before traveling.

americanrifleman.org

October 2018

83

INSIDE NRA | REGIONAL REPORT SOUTHWEST 2019 NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS • APRIL 26-28 • INDIANAPOLIS, IN

For hotel accommodations at the NRA Annual Meetings, visit nraam.org

F

riends of NRA events celebrate American values with fun, fellowship and fundraising for The NRA Foundation. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in games, raffles, live and silent auctions and more. Your attendance contributes to grants that promote firearm education, safety and marksmanship. To learn more about events in your area, visit friendsofnra.org, contact your local field representative or send an email to friends@nrahq.org.

Southwest Regional Director— Jason Quick

jquick@nrahq.org

AZ—Winston Pendleton

wpendleton@nrahq.org

Central CA, Southern NV— Steve Wilson

swilson@nrahq.org

Eastern CA, Western NV— Cole Beverly

cbeverly@nrahq.org

Mid CA—Sheila Boer

sboer@nrahq.org

Northern CA—Dan Wilhelm

dwilhelm@nrahq.org

Southern CA—Mike Davis

mdavis@nrahq.org

UT, Eastern NV—Jim Reardon

jreardon@nrahq.org

TRAINING

AREA SHOOTS

Crime Prevention

T

he NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim® program provides information on crime prevention and personal safety.

To learn more about the program, visit refuse.nra.org. The most up-to-date schedule is available on the internet by visiting nrainstructors.org, by sending an email to refuse@nrahq.org or by calling (800) 861-1166.

OCT. 29—MENIFEE, CA

(Instructor Development Workshop) William Flory (951) 928-2794

F

or more information, send an email to Shelly Kramer at mkramer@nrahq.org or call (703) 267-1459. For a complete listing, see shootingsportsusa.com.

PISTOL

Sloughhouse, CA Redwood City, CA Phoenix, AZ

OCT. 7 OCT. 14 OCT. 20-21

SMALLBORE RIFLE

South El Monte, CA Modesto, CA

OCT. 6 OCT. 28

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Carson City, NV Centerville, UT Seeley, CA Yuma, AZ Boulder City, NV Thousand Oaks, CA Wendover, UT

Kimber Custom II .45 ACP and Silver Stag Knife with Display Case* The 2018 Friends of NRA Gun of the Year set brings together two perfectly paired pieces in a custom display case designed to showcase the Kimber Custom II “Defending Freedom” 1911 and the Silver Stag 1911 Sidekick Fighter knife with matching stocks and Friends of NRA embellishments.

82

OCT. 6 OCT. 6 OCT. 7 OCT. 13 OCT. 14 OCT. 20 OCT. 27

SILHOUETTE

Tucson, AZ Mesa, AZ San Fernando, CA Cupertino, CA Bishop, CA OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

OCT. 6 OCT. 20 OCT. 21 OCT. 25 OCT. 28

OCT. 20-21

CHANDLER, AZ

OCT. 20-21

WICKENBURG, AZ

OCT. 20-21

LAS VEGAS, NV

OCT. 20-21

LAS VEGAS, NV

OCT. 27-28

LAKE HAVASU, AZ

OCT. 27-28

TUCSON, AZ

OCT. 27-28

VENTURA, CA

American Legion Post 35, AZ Gun Radio (650) 520-6002

Wickenburg Community Center, Arizona Collectibles & Firearms (928) 310-8544

Orleans Hotel & Casino, Western Trails Gun & Knife Shows (702) 222-1948

World Market Center Las Vegas, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125

Aquatic Center, Arizona Collectibles & Firearms (928) 310-8544 Tucson Expo, AZ Gun Radio (650) 520-6002

GUN SHOWS

D

ates and locations of gun shows are subject to change, so please contact the show before traveling.

Discounted NRA membership are sold through NRA recruiters. *Some shows may offer free admission to people who sign up for new memberships or renewals. To become an NRA Recruiter call (800) 672-0004.

OCT. 6-7

VALLEJO, CA

Solano County Fairgrounds, Code of the West Gun Shows (530) 676-8762

OCT. 6-7

MODESTO, CA

OCT. 6-7

KINGMAN, AZ

OCT. 6-7

COSTA MESA, CA

Modesto Centre Plaza, Mountain Aire Promotions (209) 215-5599

Mohave County Fairgrounds, Pioneer County Events Gun Show (928) 692-0937

Orange County Fair and Event Center, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125

OCT. 6-7

SONORA, CA

Mother Lode Fairgrounds, Buck Stop Gun Shows (530) 306-6011

OCT. 13-14

SANTA MARIA, CA

Santa Maria Fairpark, Central Coast Gun Shows (805) 481-6726

OCT. 13-14

UKIAH, CA

OCT. 13-14

RENO, NV

Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, Buck Stop Gun Shows (530) 306-6011 Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125

OCT. 13-14

OGDEN, UT

OCT. 20-21

TURLOCK, CA

OCT. 20-21

MCLELLAN PARK, CA

Weber County Fair, Utah Gun Collectors Ass’n. (801) 486-1349 Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, Code of the West Gun Shows (530) 676-8762 McClellan Conference Center, Mountain Aire Promotions (209) 215-5599

OCT. 20-21

YREKA, CA

Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds, Chico Gun Show (530) 591-3379

Ventura County Fairgrounds, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

J

oining NRA-affiliated state associations supports NRA’s mission in your state.See stateassociations.nra.org for more information.

Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

asrpa.com

California Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

crpa.org

Nevada Firearms Coalition

nvfac.org

Utah State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

usrpa.org

MEMBER INFORMATION & BENEFITS

MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT INFORMATION: (877) 672-2000 NRA Headquarters: (703) 267-1000 • INTERNET ADDRESS: nra.org MEMBER SERVICE

(800) 672-3888

NRASTORE.COM

(888) 607-6007

5-STAR MEMBER BENEFITS NRA Wine Club

(800) 331-9754

ManageYOURiD

(888) 759-7866

Medical Concierge Network

800) 351-6094

Global Rescue

(800) 381-9754

NRA Travel Center

NRA.HotelPlanner.com

INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION Grassroots/Legislative Hotline (800) 392-8683

OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT/ GIFT PLANNING (877) NRA-GIVE THE NRA FOUNDATION (800) 423-6894 NRA INSTRUCTOR/ COACH FIREARM TRAINING (703) 267-1500 EDDIE EAGLE GUNSAFE PROGRAM (800) 231-0752 REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM (800) 861-1166 RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS (703) 267-1511 NRA AFFILIATED CLUBS (800) NRA-CLUB RANGE SERVICES (877) 672-7264 COMPETITIVE SHOOTING (877) 672-6282 LAW ENFORCEMENT (703) 267-1640 FRIENDS OF NRA (703) 267-1342 NRA MUSEUMS/ GUN COLLECTOR PROGRAMS (703) 267-1600 SHOWS & EXHIBITS (866) 343-1805 MEDIA RELATIONS (703) 267-1595

The “NRA Regional Report,” a service for NRA members, appears in every issue of American Rifleman, American Hunter, Shooting Illustrated and America’s 1st Freedom. The Regional Report is an up-to-date listing of NRA conducted and/or sponsored events scheduled in your region for the current month. Call to verify event dates and locations before traveling.

americanrifleman.org

October 2018

83

INSIDE NRA | REGIONAL REPORT WEST 2019 NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS • APRIL 26-28 • INDIANAPOLIS, IN

For hotel accommodations at the NRA Annual Meetings, visit nraam.org

F

riends of NRA events celebrate American values with fun, fellowship and fundraising for The NRA Foundation. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in games, raffles, live and silent auctions and more. Your attendance contributes to grants that promote firearm education, safety and marksmanship. To learn more about events in your area, visit friendsofnra.org, contact your local field representative or send an email to friends@nrahq.org.

West Regional Director—Brad Kruger

bkruger@nrahq.org

Northern AK—Josh Toennessen

jtoennessen@nrahq.org

Southern AK—Greg Stephens

gstephens@nrahq.org

ID—Steve Vreeland

svreeland@nrahq.org

MN—Eric Linder

elinder@nrahq.org

MT—Joe Crismore

jcrismore@nrahq.org

ND, SD—Doug DeLaRoi

ddelaroi@nrahq.org

OR, HI—Mike Carey

mcarey@nrahq.org

WA—Michael Herrera

mherrera@nrahq.org

WY—Logan Duff

lduff@nrahq.org

LAW ENFORCEMENT

P

ublic and private officers interested in becoming firearm instructors should attend one of NRA’s Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Development Schools, designed to enhance the instructors’ firearm knowledge and handling skills, as well as prepare them to develop effective training programs, instruct in a professional manner, and conduct practical training exercises. Restricted to law enforcement officers only.

OCT. 22-26—GRANTS PASS, OR

(Patrol Rifle) Call Mary Shine at (703) 267-1628 or email mshine@nrahq.org.

Police Competition

N

RA Police Pistol Combat competition is intended to be used as an extension of an officer’s training.

See PPC Rulebook (Rule 2.4) for eligibility requirements.

OCT. 6—RICHLAND, WA

(Approved)

OCT. 20—MARYSVILLE, WA

(Approved) Contact lecompetitions@nrahq.org or call (703) 267-1632.

AREA SHOOTS

F

or more information, send an email to Shelly Kramer at mkramer@nrahq.org or call (703) 267-1459. For a complete listing, see shootingsportsusa.com.

PISTOL

Coeur d’Alene, ID Sherwood, OR Honolulu, HI

Kimber Custom II .45 ACP and Silver Stag Knife with Display Case*

HIGH POWER

The 2018 Friends of NRA Gun of the Year set brings together two perfectly paired pieces in a custom display case designed to showcase the Kimber Custom II “Defending Freedom” 1911 and the Silver Stag 1911 Sidekick Fighter knife with matching stocks and Friends of NRA embellishments.

82

Ravensdale, WA Nampa, ID Eagle Creek, OR

SILHOUETTE

Sherwood, OR Boise, ID Butte, MT Eatonville, WA

OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

OCT. 13 OCT. 20 OCT. 27-28 OCT. 7 OCT. 7 OCT. 27-28 OCT. 6 OCT. 6 OCT. 13-14 OCT. 14

GUN SHOWS

OCT. 27-28

MONROE, WA

ates and locations of gun shows are subject to change, so please contact the show before traveling.

Discounted NRA membership are sold through NRA recruiters.

OCT. 27-28

MITCHELL, SD

*Some shows may offer free admission to people who sign up for new memberships or renewals. To become an NRA Recruiter call (800) 672-0004.

OCT. 27-28

ST. PAUL, MN

Evergreen State Fairgrounds, Washington Arms Collectors (425) 255-8410

D

OCT. 5-7

Davison County Fairgrounds, Dakota Territory Gun Collectors Ass’n. (701) 361-9215 Minnesota State Fairgrounds, Minnesota Weapons Collectors Ass’n. (612) 721-8976

KALISPELL, MT

OCT. 28

Flathead County Fairgrounds, Sports Connection (406) 633-9333

OCT. 6

CARSON, WA

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

American Legion Post 137, Cascade Sportsman’s Club (509) 951-6733

OCT. 6-7

IDAHO FALLS, ID

OCT. 6-7

GRANTS PASS, OR

OCT. 6-7

LYNDEN, WA

J

oining NRA-affiliated state associations supports NRA’s mission in your state.See stateassociations.nra.org for more information.

Shilo Convention Center, Lewis Clark Trader (208) 746-5555

Alaska Outdoor Council Inc.

Josephine County Fairgrounds, Collectors West (800) 659-3440

alaskaoutdoorcouncil.org

Hawaii Rifle Ass’n.

hawaiirifleassociation.org

Northwest Washington Fairgrounds, Falcon Productions (360) 770-1575

OCT. 6-7

OCT. 6-7

ST. CLOUD, MN

St. Cloud National Guard Armory, Russ Bowers Gun Shows (218) 845-2530

OCT. 12-14

WISE RIVER, MT

Community Building, Weapons Collectors Society of Montana (406) 832-3240

OCT. 12-14

Idaho State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

idahosrpa.org

Minnesota Rifle & Revolver Ass’n. Inc.

EVELETH, MN

Range Recreation Civic Center, A.C. Expos (218) 290-0274

LEWISTON, MT

Fairgrounds Trade Center, Weapons Collectors Society of Montana (406) 832-3240

OCT. 13

VANCOUVER, WA

OCT. 13-14

ANCHORAGE, AK

OCT. 13-14

CANBY, OR

OCT. 13-14

MEDFORD, OR

OCT. 20-21

Clackamas County Fairgrounds, Collectors West (800) 659-3440

Medford Armory, Wes Knodel Gun Shows (503) 363-9564

OCT. 13-14

PUYALLUP, WA

Western Washington Fairgrounds, Washington Arms Collectors (425) 255-8410

OCT. 20-21

PORTLAND, OR

Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, Collectors West (800) 659-3440

BREMERTON, WA

Kitsap County Fairgrounds, Falcon Productions (360) 770-1575

OCT. 20-21

CENTRALIA, WA

SouthWest Washington Fairgrounds, Wes Knodel Gun Shows (503) 363-9564

OCT. 26-28

BUTTE, MT

Butte Civic Center, Sports Connection (406) 633-9333

OCT. 27-28

EUGENE, OR

Lane County Fairgrounds, Collectors West (800) 659-3440

Vancouver Elks Lodge #823, Arms Collectors of Southwest Washington (360) 263-7511

Sullivan Arena, Alaska Gun Collectors Ass’n. (907) 310-3602

PORTLAND, OR

Jackson Armory, Oregon Arms Collectors (503) 254-5986

mrra.org

Montana Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

mtrpa.org

North Dakota Shooting Sports Ass’n.

ndssa.org

Oregon State Shooting Ass’n.

ossa.org

South Dakota Shooting Sports Ass’n.

sdshootingsports.org

Washington State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n. Inc.

wsrpa.org

Wyoming State Shooting Ass’n. Inc.

wyossa.com

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83

inside nra | programs & services

Jonathan Shue Takes Gold at Camp Perry in National Precision Pistol Championship

Photo courtesy of Cabot Guns

N

ever count a one-time Marine out, not when it comes to something as fundamental to the Corps’ mindset as shooting­—not even when he’s up against some current-day Leathernecks. That’s the lesson Jonathan Shue taught everyone at Camp Perry for the 2018 NRA National Precision Pistol Championship in July.

Shue, who shoots for Cabot Guns’ team, stumbled out of the gate and found himself in 17th place—down by 13 points—after the .22-caliber shooting on the first day of the competition, and most people counted him out of the running for any chance to be a repeat champion. Undaunted, he turned in the rapid-fire performance of a lifetime on his way to winning the Centerfire Championship and ended the second day at the top of the heap, with only Xs separating him from those on his heels.

“This was like a good, old-fashioned Carolina comeback,” said Shue, a native of North Carolina, referencing his homestate UNC Tar Heels basketball team that has had its share of comebacks throughout the years.

At the start of the decisive third day, the .45-caliber phase, the top 10 shooters were within a six-point spread. Shue took second in the High Master Civilian class and edged out the Army’s top shooter, Adam Sokolowski, by two points for the overall win, with a final score of 2625 (out of 2700).

The final tally included 132 hits on the X from 25 and 50 yards. More than 500 shooters participated in the match.

Mother Nature added a dash of uncertainty to the mix.

“Temperature and lighting were almost perfect, but there was a slight wind that was just enough to aggravate your process,” Shue said. “This type of condition is difficult. You want to settle into your process, but that bit of excess movement throws you off your game.”

NRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Joe M. Allbaugh, Oklahoma; Thomas P. Arvas, New Mexico; Paul Babaz, Georgia; Scott L. Bach, New Jersey; William A. Bachenberg, Pennsylvania; Bob Barr, Georgia; Ronnie G. Barrett, Tennessee; Clel Baudler, Iowa; J. Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio; Matt Blunt, Virginia; Dan Boren, Oklahoma; Robert K. Brown, Colorado; Pete R. Brownell, Iowa; Dave Butz, Illinois; Dean Cain, California; Ted W. Carter, Florida; Richard R. Childress, North Carolina; Patricia A. Clark, Connecticut; Allan D. Cors, Florida; Charles L. Cotton, Texas; David G. Coy, Michigan; Larry E. Craig, Idaho; Edie P. Fleeman, North Carolina; Carol Frampton, South Carolina; Joel Friedman, Nevada; Sandra S. Froman, Arizona; Julie Golob, Missouri; Marion P. Hammer, Florida; Maria Heil, Pennsylvania; Graham Hill, Virginia; Susan Howard, Texas; Curtis S. Jenkins, Georgia; David A. Keene, Maryland; Tom King, New York; Timothy Knight, Tennessee; Herbert A. Lanford Jr., South Carolina; Willes K. Lee, Virginia; Carrie Lightfoot, Arizona; Duane Liptak Jr., Texas; Karl A. Malone, Louisiana; Sean Maloney, Ohio; Robert E. Mansell, Arizona; Carolyn D. Meadows, Georgia; Bill Miller, West Virginia; Owen Buz Mills, Arizona; Craig Morgan, Tennessee; Il Ling New, Idaho; Oliver L. North, Virginia; Robert A. Nosler, Oregon; Johnny Nugent, Indiana; Ted Nugent, Texas; Lance Olson, Iowa; Melanie Pepper, Texas; James W. Porter II, Alabama; Peter J. Printz, Montana; Todd J. Rathner, Arizona; Kim Rhode, California; Wayne Anthony Ross, Alaska; Carl T. Rowan Jr., Washington, D.C.; Don Saba, Arizona; William H. Satterfield, Alabama; Ronald L. Schmeits, New Mexico; Esther Q. Schneider, Texas; Steven C. Schreiner, Colorado; Tom Selleck, California; John C. Sigler, Delaware; Leroy Sisco, Texas; Bart Skelton, New Mexico; Kristy Titus, Oregon; Dwight D. Van Horn, Idaho; Blaine Wade, Tennessee; Linda L. Walker, Ohio; Howard J. Walter, North Carolina; Heidi E. Washington, Michigan; Allen B. West, Texas; Donald E. Young, Alaska.

Communications intended for any member of the NRA Board of Directors should be addressed to: (Name of Board member), NRA Office of the Secretary, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030; or nrabod@nrahq.org; or (703)267-1021.

Please include your name, contact information and NRA membership I.D. number, as only communications from NRA members will be forwarded.

84

October 2018

american rifleman

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85

hodgdon

continued from p. 46

offer consistent velocities across a range of temperatures.

Consistency is paramount to top-notch accuracy. That’s why H1000, an Extreme propellant, was selected for the current Mk 248 Mod 1 .300 Win. Mag. sniping round. This attribute began in 1995 with the advent of Varget, which Reiber reports is No. 1 in powder sales. According to Chris Hodgdon, Bruce Hodgdon’s grandson and the company’s public relations manager, a veteran ballistician for ADI named Alistair Wylie was key. All ADI-produced rifle propellants feature the technology.

Additional improvements include a de-coppering additive that removes copper fouling while shooting, as well as a more environmentally friendly composition. Concerning the former, a copper-removing ingredient enhances three propellants in the Hodgdon CFE line, as well as the five options in IMR Enduron series.

But, what happens if a propellant isn’t available that provides optimal performance in a given cartridge? Hodgdon creates one. This is well-illustrated with CFE BLK, which was designed specifically for the .300 Blackout. That being said, it excels in .17 Hornet, 6.8 mm SPC and 7.62x39 mm, too.

It’s but one example of Hodgdon’s commitment to providing consumers with thoughtfully designed and tirelessly tested propellants for optimal performance.

How many smokeless propellants does Hodgdon sell

Blackpowder substitute Pyrodex was introduced in 1976. Next came Pyrodex Pellets, Triple Seven and White Hots. Hodgdon also makes Goex blackpowder today.

today? Combine those from IMR, Hodgdon and Winchester, the latter of which Hodgdon has licensed since 2005, and the company offers 65 different propellants. That doesn’t take into account blackpowder and substitute products, either. “The gunpowder people,” indeed.

Three generations have now served Hodgdon Powder Co. since B.E. Hodgdon founded the company some 70 years ago. During that time, it has experienced many successes and setbacks but remained steadfast in its mission, which resulted in monumental changes to better the experiences of handloaders, hunters, competitors and recreational shooters. In fact, so much has Hodgdon Powder Co. done for the industry that, in 2009, J.B. and Bob received the NRA Publications Golden Bullseye Pioneer of the Year Award for “recognition of exemplary individual achievement and introduction of shooting products that have made a profound and enduring impact on the way Americans shoot and hunt.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

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springfield xd-s mod.2

continued from p. 51

forward and, with the firearm pointed in a safe direction, pull the trigger to release the slide assembly. Finish pulling the slide assembly forward, off the frame, and then remove the recoil spring assembly and barrel. At this point, fieldstripping is complete and the gun is ready for maintenance.

One feature to note while the gun is disassembled is the guide rails. The forward and rear guide rails—integral to the locking block and sear housing, respectively—are serious chunks of metal. It’s another indicator of the XD’s robust design and durable construction.

Regarding that robust design, Springfield Armory literature states that the XD-S Mod.2 in 9 mm underwent a 25,000round endurance test and survived without a single failure.

My own range testing was not quite that extensive, but the evaluation gun did run with perfect performance throughout several hundred rounds of testing. It cycled a wide array of ammunition with aplomb, including some +P-rated loads, regardless of the ammunition manufacturer, bullet weight or bullet type. To be honest, though, I wasn’t a bit surprised. I’ve been shooting XDs of various models for more than a decade with excellent results, and I feel strongly that they are poundfor-pound some of the strongest guns out there.

So besides simply running, how did it perform? For accuracy testing I chose three different types of ammunition: Browning’s 115-gr. training load, Hornady’s Critical Duty

135-gr. +P Flexlock load—the FBI’s new 9 mm duty ammunition—and Remington’s Ultimate Defense Compact Handgun 124-gr. load. Given the intended role of the XD-S Mod.2 and its shortened barrel and sight radius, I opted to test the gun at 15 yds. Full results are tabulated on p. 51, but I can report that accuracy for the little gun was quite good. In my hands, the XD-S achieved an overall average group size of 1.67", a best five-group average of 1.31" (Hornady) and a best five-shot group of 0.89" (Remington). With formal evaluation complete, I tested the gun thoroughly at ranges from 3 yds. to 10 yds. with a variety of drills and by practicing several defensive shooting techniques. This was the kind of work the XD-S Mod.2 was intended for, and this is where it really started to shine.

As I said, accuracy was quite good for a little gun, but it probably could have been even better. Working from the bench, the gun’s 7-lb., 4-oz., trigger pull was not conducive to shooting tight groups. Stepping downrange, however, that trigger felt just about perfect for a small defensive pistol.

Like most striker-fired guns, the XD-S has a double-action trigger whereby the trigger pull both completes the cocking cycle (racking the slide only partially loads the striker) and trips the sear to release the striker, firing the gun. A benefit of the design over some hammer-fired semi-automatics is the consistency of that trigger pull, and its reduced weight

compared to traditional double-action designs. I’ve always felt that among the polymer-frame, striker-fired semiautomatics, the XD family offered some of the best production triggers, featuring a crisp break after some take-up and a clear audible and tactile reset. The XD-S Mod.2 in 9 mm does not disappoint in that regard.

Similar to the trigger, the AmeriGlo sights that topped my evaluation pistol didn’t hurt benchrest accuracy, but they certainly aren’t target sights. For defensive shooting, though, the bold front and black, U-notch rear are without question my preferred sighting arrangement—and I’m far from alone in that opinion. When getting shots on target quickly is the order of the day, it is really hard to beat that large greenish-yellow dot, which is very easy to visually pick up and drive toward the target. The inclusion of a tritium insert for night-sight capability is also a must-have for many defensive shooters, and it was definitely the right decision

by Springfield to include it.

During the course of my evaluation, I shot the gun with all of the various magazine sizes, collars and baseplates (Springfield even sent an eight-rounder for the evaluation).

Function, again, was perfect, ejection from the magazine well was consistently brisk and positive, and I really appreciate that even the “flush” seven-round magazine comes equipped with a pinky extension. Of course, the flat,

flush-fitting baseplate is included, but the gun is much easier to shoot with a full, three-finger grip provided by the flared baseplate and the collars of the extended magazines.

Were I to carry the XD-S, I would probably run it just as it ships—the seven-rounder in the gun and the nine-round magazine as a reload.

Using the aforementioned configurations, the XD-S Mod.2 was comfortable to shoot and easy to shoot fast. The combination of texturing, ergonomic swells and grooves, and the ability to achieve a full grip worked very well to keep the gun in hand and on target. Designing the grip with an undercut trigger guard and deep beavertail effectively promoted a high grip and did much to mitigate the recoil impulse of the little pistol. And those sights, man, those sights, well, I just can’t say enough good things about them.

For that matter, I really can’t say enough good things about the XD-S Mod.2 in 9 mm Luger. I really do appreciate and respect that Springfield took what was already a popular and effective pistol, and refined it to better suit the realworld needs of an increasingly discerning market. Today’s defense-oriented shooters demand highly concealable, highly reliable semi-automatics in full-power chamberings.

Springfield Armory’s 9 mm XD-S Mod.2 not only exemplifies the right size, cartridge, sights and ergonomics for its category, it raises the bar for the rest of the field.

america’s snipers in the great war continued from p. 56

The Warner & Swazey (here a Model 1908) was mounted offset on the receiver’s left side to allow the use of stripper clips.

Private Lawrence E. Caulder, a 118th Infantry Regiment sniper, and his partner “crawled through intense artillery and machine gun fire, 50 yards in advance of their platoon” to snipe enemy machine gunners who had pinned down his unit. Enemy fire killed his companion, but Caulder continued to suppress the enemy gunners until tanks arrived. He, too, received the DSC. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Sgt. James Munnell, a Minnesota Chippewa sniper, received a citation from his 1st Division commander for “fearlessly advancing alone and locating enemy machine guns that were holding up the advance of our Infantry.”

While his infantry company consolidated on a newly won position, Pvt. Ernest Morgan crawled across the open to occupy a shell crater just 50 yds. from German positions.

“He remained there throughout the day without food or water and sniped at and killed ten of the enemy,” his DSC citation reports.

New York City native Cpl. John J. Finnegan earned two DSCs, “while acting as a scout and sniper.” Braving intense enemy fire, he twice crossed the Ourcq River to gather crucial intelligence. During his third one-man recon, however, Finnegan was mortally wounded.

Despite being hit twice by machine gun bullets, Cpl. Ray Sanook, a Cherokee sniper, refused medical aid until his well-aimed shots eliminated the German gun’s three-man crew. He, too, was awarded the DSC. A battalion scout-sniper, Sgt. Victor L. Seagraves from Kansas, led a patrol against several German machine guns, “which [were] causing many casualties in his battalion.”

Seagraves captured one gun, advanced alone toward another and was mortally wounded, receiving a posthumous DSC. Another DSC recipient, Pvt. Edwin Stubbs, a sniper with the 165th Infantry Regiment, “by his skill and courage disposed of two enemy machine gunners who were causing heavy losses.” Seriously wounded by an enemy sniper,

Sniping In The Trenches

M

ajor John L. Plaster, U.S. Army (Ret.), is the author of The Ultimate Sniper as well as The History Of Sniping And Sharpshooting, the latter being, hands down, the finest and most comprehensive work on the subject to date. But Maj. Plaster has continued to find more information on snipers and sniping since the latter was published. The result was Sniping In The Trenches: World War I And The Birth Of Modern Sniping, covering the rifles, optics and ammunition, plus the training and tactics used by both the Allies and the Germans during the Great War. From France and Flanders to Gallipoli and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, there is detailed information on men—the snipers themselves—that has not been reported on in decades, and certainly not in one volume. Too, firsthand accounts are included from American, British and Canadian snipers. The 8½"x11" hardbound, 280-pp. book contains nearly 500 photos and is available from ultimatesniper.com. The price is $40 plus shipping.

—MARK. A. KEEFE, IV, EDITOR IN CHIEF

Stubbs continued to support his comrades until relieved.

Sergeant Charles Ward, an Oklahoma Cherokee, also earned a DSC. As Sgt. Ward recalled the action: “They told me there were four snipers who were playing havoc with our machine guns and that they must be brought down, and I was detailed to bring them down, and I had not more than stretched myself on the ground before the sniper … bullet struck my helmet in front and went out the back, ripped the back of my coat clear down. I had shot one sniper [300 yds.] at my left. And then ... other snipers fired and struck the side of my helmet and

it went clear through and beyond me. I thought it was time to be getting out of there, and as quickly as possible I brought down both of those snipers and then the third one and was off.”

A Cumberland, Md., native, Sgt. Harry Clark, “remained by himself for two days in a sniper’s post in advance of the front line, killed 12 enemy scouts,” his DSC citation notes.

He later took command when all his company officers were killed or wounded and, “steadied his men by his own coolness and courage.” continued on p. 92

america’s snipers in the great war continued from p. 91

A 101st Infantry Regiment scoutsniper officer, Lt. David Hunter, “led his battalion scouts into Trugny Woods, 200 yards ahead of the assaulting waves,” his award citation reads. “Crawling to within 30 feet of an enemy machine gun nest,” Lt. Hunter, “killed or wounded every member of the crew.” He and his scouts successfully identified every gun location, enabling his unit to capture the Woods.

Lieutenant Donald S. Mackay, 168th Infantry Regiment, received the DSC for leading scouts against German machine gun positions. Severely wounded, he was credited with locating machine gun nests, “that had been stubbornly resisting,”and destroying them with artillery fire.

Another battalion scout-sniper officer, Lt. Earl W. Wall, was hit twice by machine gun fire while reconning enemy machine gun positions. He was awarded a posthumous DSC. Second Lieutenant Blake Lightner received a Distinguished Service Cross while a sniper sergeant with the Army’s 110th Infantry Regiment.

On Sept. 6, 1918, Sgt. Lightner led a daylight patrol and spotted a trench filled with enemy infantry. He shifted his snipers so they could enfilade the German trench, and then practically wiped out the occupants. “During this action,” his regimental citation notes, “Sergeant Lightner coolly stood erect and picked off the enemy as they endeavored to retreat.”

Because they fought under the U.S. Army’s 2nd Division, some Marine sniper recipients of the Navy Cross also received the Army Distinguished Service Cross for the same action.

Marine Pvt. Clyde Brandon, a battalion scout with the Sixth Marine Regiment, one such sniper, employed his stalking skills and “repeatedly volunteered for hazardous reconnaissances” and “penetrating the enemy’s lines without hesitation.” He was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre.

An especially remarkable Marine sniper, Pvt. Walter Cook, 5th Marine Regiment, similarly was awarded the Navy Cross and Army DSC, plus the French Croix de Guerre with Three

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October 2018

Palms (meaning three awards) and two Silver Stars. Scout-sniper Cook “at great danger to himself” was credited with killing 12 Germans. And then, learning that all his company officers had been killed, he took command and led his men through intense combat. Overnight he was elevated from private to gunnery sergeant.

Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels cited Cook and three other Marine snipers for their actions at Belleau Wood: Pvt. Edward Severance, who “performed valiant services as a sniper under constant fire;” Pvt. Earl Hoyt “displayed distinguished bravery as a sniper … inflicting severe damage to the enemy;” and Cpl. Adolph Weinberger, who, “killed an enemy sniper in a rifle duel.”

Another 5th Regiment marine sniper, Pvt. Al Barker, described how he and his teammate, Pvt. Jack Kneeland, took on machine gun crews: “I climbed a tall tree as near as possible to the German trenches and stationed myself there very comfortably. We could see the Germans setting machine guns in position to be used against our forces. We both had our rifles and plenty of ammunition, so we began to pick off the men who were operating the machine guns.”

After taking out four machine gun crews with precision rifle fire, German snipers spotted the two marines and opened fire, hitting Barker and knocking him from the tree. His teammate, Pvt. Kneeland, managed to carry him to safety despite being hit three times by German bullets.

Privates Barker and Kneeland both were awarded Silver Stars.

Clearly, when correctly employed, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps snipers played critical roles in the “Open Warfare” that finally brought victory to the Allies. However, fuzzy memories soon would assume World War I sniping was solely a creature of trench warfare and offered little utility for modern military operations. Snipers, sniper schools, sniper rifles and sniper doctrine virtually disappeared—until 20 years later when, at considerable human cost, they again were re-developed. american rifleman

the guns of cimarron

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prominently etched with the immortal Texas Ranger slogan, “One Riot, One Ranger.” Endorsed by the Former Texas Rangers Foundation, a portion of each Texas Ranger Model P sale is being donated by Cimarron for the development of the Texas Ranger Heritage Center. This handsome sixgun is now a regular part of the Cimarron line.

Another frontier firearm being made

by Pietta for Cimarron is a replica of one of the two SAA revolvers Theodore Roosevelt packed while ranching in the Dakota Badlands during the 1880s.

While not an exact copy—TR’s Colts were Nimschke-engraved, ivory-stocked, and silver-plated with gold-washed cylinders, hammers and ejector rods— Cimarron’s TR replica will be a laseretched, nickel-plated, 7½"-barreled single-action with white Micarta stocks.

In addition, there is a High Grade version featuring more finely detailed hand engraved accents to the laser etching.

Both versions are chambered in .45 Colt, as opposed to TR’s guns, which were .44-40s. Also, watch for a matching engraved Teddy Roosevelt 1876 Sporting Rifle from Uberti.

Other Cimarron guns already available or soon to be introduced include a General George S. Patton laser-engraved Model P single-action featuring a prewar frame, an engraved Buffalo Bill Model P, a World War II-style Model 97 trench gun, a recreation of a pre-’64 style Model 94 lever-action with a half-cock notch and no “floating hammer,” a shortened Model 1873 U.S. Marshal carbine in .44 Mag. for backpacking and car carry, and a copy of the five-shot 1862 Colt Police Pocket Conversion that will be, atypically, chambered in.380 ACP. Indeed, Cimarron Firearms is not only setting standards and making replicas of the guns that won the west, it is creating innovations of guns that are re-winning the west for today’s shootists.

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one would expect a good M4-type semi-automatic to be off and on the bench. The larger Long Range rifle benefits from the adjustable stock and comfortable pistol grip for standing and prone shooting. The four-chamber muzzle brake used in conjunction with 6.5 mm Creedmoor ammunition provides a shoot-allday level of manageable recoil, which is particularly tame from a bench rest.

For formal bench-rested accuracy checks at 100 yds., the Patrol was fitted with a Bushnell SMRS Elite Tactical 1-6.5X 24 mm optic with the BTR-2 reticle using a Weaver SPR Optics Mount. The Long Range was topped with a Bushnell LRTS Elite Tactical 4.5-18X 44 mm with the G3 reticle using Weaver Tactical Extra High Picatinny Six Hole rings.

Although these two rifles rest at the opposite ends of the price spectrum, they both produced sub1" groups with certain loads. The Patrol printed a best single group of 0.66", with an average of 0.83", using Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 77-gr. Sierra MatchKing boat-tail hollow points. The Long Range yielded a best single group of 0.67",with a five-group average of 0.77", when using Federal Ammunition’s American Eagle 140-gr. OTM load. Federal has specifically designed this load as an affordable, yet accurate, option for competition and practice.

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Parting Thoughts

Financial ccntribuঞঞns made tt the NRA FFundaঞঞn and the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund prrvide necessary ressurces ffr prrgrams that rise tt the challenges threatening ur ccnsঞtuঞঞnal rights, and preserve the freeddms ur ccuntry was built uppn.

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October 2018

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american rifleman

I’ve had a host of opportunities to work with a variety of Savage firearms in the past. Despite their budgetfriendly price tags, I have yet to test one that would qualify as “cheap.” In fact, what I have seen time and again is a level of fit, finish and attention to detail that exceeded my expectations based on the product’s price.

The same is clearly evident in the MSR series of AR-pattern rifles. These guns were not hastily thrown together to meet a particular trend, but carefully thought-out and professionally assembled to provide years of enjoyment at the range or in the field.

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TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION CALL 703-267-1300

Publication Title: American Rifleman Publication No.: 0003-083X Filing Date: August 14, 2018 Issue Frequency: Monthly No. of Issues Published Annually: 12 Annual Subscription Price: $9.95 Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: National Rifle Association of America, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-9400. Contact Person: Rachel Carr, Telephone (703) 267-1000.

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: National Rifle Association of America, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-9400.

9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor. Publisher: Doug Hamlin, National Rifle Association of America, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-9400. Editor: Mark Keefe, National Rifle Association of America, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-9400.

Managing Editor: Brian Sheetz, National Rifle Association of America, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-9400.

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13. Publication Name: American Rifleman 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: September 2017 to August 2018.

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

Average No.

No. Copies Copies of

Each Single

Issue Issue

During Published

PrecedNearest

ing 12 to Filing

Months Date a. Total No. of Copies (Net press run) 1,930,906 1,942,602 b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) 1,925,181 1,936,916 (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) -0-0(3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS® -0-0(4) Paid Distribution By Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g., First Class Mail®) 3,333 3,399 c. Total Paid Distribution [Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)] 1,928,514 1,940,315 d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 -0-0(2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 -0-0(3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g., First-Class Mail) 62 62 (4) Free Or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means) 1,930 1,825 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution [Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4)] 1,992 1,887 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 1,930,506 1,942,202 g. Copies Not Distributed 400 400 h. Total (Sum of 15f and 15g) 1,930,906 1,942,602 i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) 99.90% 99.90% 16. Electronic Copy Circulation: N/A 17. This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the October 2018 issue of this publication.

18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Doug Hamlin, Executive Director, NRA Publications, 8/14/2018.

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.

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7.

I HAVE THIS OLD GUN …

CHARLES GOURLAY COACH GUN GUN: CHARLES GOURLAY FLINTLOCK COACH GUN WITH SPRING BAYONET CALIBER: .88 MANUFACTURED: C. 1818-1820 CONDITION: NRA FINE TO EXCELLENT (ANTIQUE GUN STANDARDS) VALUE: $8,000 TO $10,500

A

lthough it isn’t readily apparent, this is a most unusual blunderbuss. The top flat of its 13"-long iron barrel is engraved “H.W. Mortimer - London - Gun Maker to his Majesty,” while the lockplate, stamped “Gourlay,” sports modest, tasteful engraving, as does the brass buttplate and acorn-themed trigger guard. But what sets this blunderbuss apart is the bold, handengraved inscription around the muzzle’s thick flat circumference that reads, “Happy He Who Escapes Me.” Charles Gourlay, the Scottish gunmaker who fashioned this unusual blunderbuss, was also known for crafting flintlock pistols and, later, percussion shotguns.

He began his Glasgow business in 1818 at 115 Nelson St., then moved to Argyll Street in 1822, where he was joined by his brother John, as C&J Gourlay.

The “H.W. Mortimer” inscription on the barrel provides a solid clue as to when this gun was made, as it refers to esteemed London gunmaker Henry William Mortimer (circa 1780-1835), and by extension, “Gun Maker to his Majesty” referred to King George III (1738-1820). Obviously, Gourlay bought at least

some of his barrels from Mortimer, and that makes this one of Gourlay’s earliest flintlocks, putting its date of manufacture somewhere between 1818 and 1820.

There is no readily visible proofmark, which was a requirement for British military arms of the period. However, removal of the barrel reveals a stamped British crown over the letters “GP” and another crown stamped over a “V,” which confirms British proofing. Thus, this was a civilian coach gun, likely meant to guard passengers or the Royal Mail, or perhaps carried by an individual who realized the closerange effectiveness of a blunderbuss, especially when loaded with a standard blackpowder charge of 120 grs. and 20 balls of 00 buckshot. And for backup, there was the spring-loaded bayonet, which still snaps forward and locks into place with a sound that was the early 19th century equivalent of racking a shotgun.

In its relatively pristine condition, with no blackpowder pitting, it appears this coach gun did its job protecting whomever carried it just by its presence, aided, no doubt, by the foreboding warning on its muzzle. One wishes it could talk, but even in silence, it is worth $8,000 to $10,500.

—RICK HACKER, FIELD EDITOR

American Rifleman does NOT accept submissions for the I Have This Old Gun column. Topics are assigned to Field Editors in advance. Due to the volume of mail received, our writers are not able to answer individual questions. Please consider instead sending your correspondence and questions through our Dope Bag/Q&A service, which is available to all NRA members in good standing. Details appear in the Q&A section.

96

OCTOBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

Photos by author