American Rifleman 2018-11 by Manuel Adrian Galindo Yañez

November 2018

The World’s Oldest And Largest Firearm Authority

NANCY PELOSI. CHUCK SCHUMER. DIANNE FEINSTEIN. MICHAEL BLOOMBERG. MAXINE WATERS. ELIZABETH WARREN. ANDREW CUOMO. GEORGE SOROS.

YOUR VOTE IS ALL THAT PREVENTS THE SOCIALIST WAVE ON 11⁄6

Official Journal of the National Rifle Association AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

THE WAVE THAT WOULD SWAMP YOUR GUN RIGHTS:

Socialism’s Shameful Sales Pitch

n an op-ed in The Hill (“America Warms Up To Socialism,” Sept. 17, 2018), Juan Williams calls socialism “the beating heart of what liberal voters hope for—and Trump voters fear—if Democrats take control of the House after this year’s elections.” For once, we agree with Williams. If the Socialist Wave (some Democrats disguise it as the “Blue Wave”) swamps the u.s. House and Senate on Nov. 6, it is a dead certainty that we’ll see an organized, determined and well-funded push to embrace policies that transformed countries like Cuba and Venezuela into oppressive regimes. At least Williams has the guts to call socialism what it is. A chorus of other voices are selling us a different story. Instead, we’re told that the really extreme Democratic socialists lost in the primaries; therefore, there’s nothing to fear. What about Alexandria OcasioCortez and Julia Salazar in New York, Andrew Gillum in Florida and Ayanna Pressley in Boston? Even those “centrist” Democrats who won had to adopt socialist positions to fight off primary challenges. We’re told by Bernie Sanders, “I don’t believe the government should own the means of production.” Yet Democratic Socialists of America (dsa) member Joe Cernelli told npr, “I think we just need to realize that the end goal is ultimately, like, social control of the means of production, you know? We don’t just want to improve capitalism. We will ultimately want to get rid of it.” We’re told America actually wants socialism. In fact, Williams proudly quotes a Gallup poll showing that Democrats prefer socialism over capitalism. (Beware: Polls also told us 90 percent of nra members support “universal” background checks and that Hillary Clinton was going to beat Donald Trump.) We’re told America is already socialist. They cite Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and even the u.s. Postal System as proof. Certainly, Cubans and

Venezuelans would notice the resemblance—if they were able to leave their respective countries. Finally, we’re being told to shut up and take it. Unable to beat us on the facts, socialists are drowning gun owners’ voices instead. Social media are busy shadow-banning our accounts. College faculties exclude conservatives, and Antifa sets fires to keep us from speaking to students. Friends of nra banquets have trouble finding venues in liberal eastern cities. Leftists use children to terrorize legitimate businesses with boycotts. Activists try to shame us into silence by linking gun rights to racism. National news organizations are dominated by leftist sympathizers. The most outrageous slanders are leveled at conservative judges nominated by our president. A handful of billionaires vow to outspend millions of nra members by previously unheard-of margins. Worst of all, Democrat n.y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo uses the immense power of his office to try to drive nra—indeed, anyone associated with the gun industry in any way—“out of business” in order to silence us (his words, not ours). His example is being watched, and emulated, by other left-leaning elected officials. At the center of the battle stands our freedom, in the form of the Second Amendment. Socialistic control cannot be forced upon free—and armed—citizens; that’s why each and every one of the socialists in the Democratic Party speak out against your rights. You are all that stands between them and power. Show them that we will not be silenced.

VOTE

TO TURN BACK THE TIDE! Vote early, mail your ballot or go to the polls on Nov. 6.

ROCK RIVER POLY M1911S November 2018

Official Journal of the National Rifle Association

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

The World’s Oldest And Largest Firearm Authority

Hornady’s 6.5 mm PRC Captain Dan Combs Israeli Mausers

BROWNING’S

X-BOLT Marks A Decade

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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 132nd Year of Publication

Photo by Forrest MacCormack

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2018 VOLUME 166, NO. 11 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.

features

NRA

EXPERTS IN THE FIELD

Don’t Let Your State’s Governor’s Mansion Become A Gun-Free Home.. .. .. 18 Chris W. Cox

There is one office in your state that could decide whether your rights are expanded or diminished over the next several years—the office of governor.

Peace Dividend. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 Mark A. Keefe, IV After World War I, American shooters and hunters were interested in bolt-action rifles. Winchester responded with the forerunner of the Model 70—the Model 54.

The X-Bolt 10 Years Later. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 50 Jeff Johnston

Considered “radical” when introduced a decade ago, the Browning X-Bolt is now the company’s flagship. Why? It was a great design from the very beginning.

Chain Breaker: Hornady’s 6.5 mm PRC . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 58 Aaron Carter

Big brother to the 6.5 mm Creedmoor, the 6.5 mm PRC is poised to become the go-to cartridge for extreme long-range shooting and big-game hunting.

FN Mausers And The Fight For Israel. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 66 Anthony Vanderlinden

When Israel declared its independence in 1948, it acquired rifles from any source it could find—including Fabrique Nationale.

The Golden Age Re-visited: Rock River Poly 1911s . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70 Justin Dyal

Rock River’s Poly 1911s take Old Slabsides into a new century with frames made out of, well, polymer. And they’re available in both .45 ACP and 9 mm Luger.

Dan Combs: Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s Fastest Man With A Gun .. .. .. .. .. 74

MEMBER PROGRAMS: (800) 672-3888

Photo courtesy of the OHP

Photo by Peter Fountain

Captain Dan Combs performed amazing exhibition shoots and taught his fellow lawmen skills to save their lives.

Illustration by David Labrozzi

Courtesy of Winfield Galleries

Keith R. Schmidt

AMERICA REMEMBERS PRESENTS...

The American Indian Tribute Rifle A Tribute to the Indians of the Western Frontier They were the lords of the American Plains. Their lands stretched from horizon to horizon, as far as the sky would Each Tribute is reach. They were Sioux, Crow, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Pawnee, or any of the more than two-dozen migratory tribes who a detailed recreation called the vast lands between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains their home. The buffalo was their life...and of the legendary Henry the nation's westward expansion became their downfall. rifle, produced by the Today, for many of us, one image above all others captures the spirit of the American frontier, and that image master gunsmiths of Uberti. is a Plains Indian warrior on horseback. We have painters and photographers like Remington, Russell and Curtis Craftsmen commissioned to thank for this indelible image. As artists and storytellers, they were fascinated by the figure of an Indian in specifically by America Remembers full regalia sitting astride his war pony. To them, the Native American represented freedom, dignity, and decorate each rifle in 24-karat gold and the untamed wilderness of the American West. nickel with a special blackened patinaed

A Historic Tribute

background to highlight the artwork. Detailed scenes on the rifle’s wide receiver In honor of the Native Americans of the Plains, people who treasured their freedom and capture a period when the Plains Indians lived struggled so bravely to preserve their traditional way of life, America Remembers is proud to as one with nature. These were proud… strong… present the American Indian Tribute Henry Rifle. honorable…and noble people. Their lives symbolize Of all the firearms of the Western era, the Henry rifle is certainly one of the the majesty and freedom that was – and is – America. firearms that had the greatest impact on the Plains Indians’ way of life. Its accuracy America Remembers is issuing The American Indian Tribute and firepower made the Henry ideal for hunting big game on horseback. Rifle to honor the heritage of the Plains Indians, and to A forerunner of the famous Winchester rifles to follow, the lever action remember the power and spirit of the legendary first Americans Henry repeating rifle, with its newly designed rimfire metal cartridges, was whose way of life was altered forever by the changes that took place easy to load and could fire up to 15 shots in rapid succession. That feature on the Western frontier during the late 1800s. gave any shooter a big advantage... whether hunting buffalo or in combat. It’s no wonder that the Henry rifle was so highly prized by the tribes of the Plains!

Only 500 Available Only 500 of the American Indian Tribute Rifles will be produced for this special limited edition. Reservations will be accepted in the order they are received. Because this is a working Henry repeating rifle, we will arrange delivery through a licensed firearms dealer of your choice. If for any reason you are less than satisfied with the Tribute, you may return it in original unfired condition within 30 days for a full refund. Capture a long lost era when proud warriors on horseback were masters of the endless plains and the landscape rumbled with thundering herds of buffalo. Reserve this magnificent Henry rifle today and own a tribute to the American Indian…and a piece of Western history.

On the left side of the receiver, the central image depicts a group of proud warriors on horseback. Like the men, their war ponies are also attired for battle with feathers, fetishes and painted spirit symbols. It was the horse that gave the Plains Indians the ability to rule the West! A lone brave, not yet a full-fledged warrior, serves as a scout. Sacred eagle feathers and the all-important buffalo skull complete the design. The American buffalo was revered by the Plains Indians, providing them with the basic necessities of life. Of the buffalo, Sitting Bull noted “a cold wind blew across the prairie – when the last buffalo fell – a death wind for my people.” Motifs adapted from traditional Native American bead and quill work frame the art on both sides of the receiver.

Caliber: .44-40 Barrel Length: 24 1/4"

The right side of the receiver features dramatic artwork of warriors gathered around the counsel fire to discuss strategy. Detailing on the receiver of the American Indian Tribute Rifle is so fine you can distinguish the feathers on their war bonnets. These were more than mere decoration. Each feather represented a personal act of bravery by the wearer. A leader in war bonnet and bone breastplate sits astride his mount, a Henry repeating rifle decorated with tacks clearly visible in his hands. ©AHL, Inc. I wish to reserve ___ of the “American Indian Tribute Rifle(s)” at the current issue price of $2,495.* My deposit of $195 per rifle is enclosed. I wish to pay the balance prior to delivery at the rate of $100 per month, no interest or carrying charges. Certificate of Authenticity included. Thirty-day return privilege. *Virginia *Virginia residents please addadd sales tax.sales residents please 5% My check is enclosed for $____________. Charge payment of $____________ to: VISA No.

MasterCard

AMEX

tax. All orders subject to acceptance and credit verification prior to shipment.

Discover Exp.

Name Address City/State/Zip Telephone (

)

America Remembers¨ 10226 Timber Ridge Drive � Ashland, Virginia 23005 Visit our website at: www.americaremembers.com To place your reservation toll-free call 1-800-682-2291

NRA PUBLICATIONS OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

Wayne R. LaPierre, Executive Vice President

official journal

correspondence

reports

technical

The Armed Citizen . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Special Reports Standing Guard .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. President’s Column .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Political Report .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ILA Report .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Regional Report/Member Info & Benefits .. .. Programs & Services .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

EDITORIAL

12 14 16 82 84 86

The Keefe Report .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 8 Readers Write .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 Favorite Firearms. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 42 News & Notes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 Products & Projects .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 28 Handloads: .308 Win. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 40 Questions & Answers . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 41 Rifle Or Musket?

From The Bench .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 44 SIG 365 Ammunition

Dope Bag .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 Mossberg MVP Precision 6.5 mm Creedmoor Rifle Rock Island Armory XT 22 Magnum .22 WMR Pistol CZ USA Sharp-Tail Coach 12-Ga. Shotgun

I Have This Old Gun .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 96 Pattern 1856 “Enfield” Cavalry Carbine

THE COVER: It’s hard to believe a decade has passed since Browning introduced its X-Bolt. The original blued-steel and walnut rifles are still offered, but they have been joined by guns like the X-Bolt Pro with its Burnt Bronze Cerakote finish and carbon-fiber stock. For an in-depth look at the X-Bolt, turn to Field Editor Jeff Johnston’s story beginning on p. 50. The .300 Win. Mag.chambered X-Bolt on this month’s cover is topped with a Leupold VX-6HD 3-18X 44 mm riflescope. Design by David J. Labrozzi. Photo by Forrest MacCormack.

Printed in the United States of America

ROCK RIVER POLY M1911S November 2018

The World’s Oldest And Largest Firearm Authority

BROWNING’S

Official Journal of the National Rifle Association AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

X-BOLT Marks A Decade Hornady’s 6.5 mm PRC Captain Dan Combs Isreali Mausers

R1811_COVER.indd 1

Doug Hamlin Executive Director Evelyn Q. Kessler Deputy Executive Director Marshall J. Flemion Managing Director, Integrated Marketing Terri A. Wolfe Executive Assistant Rachel Carr Sales & Fiscal Assistant

9/10/18 8:40 AM

John R. Zent Editorial Director Mark A. Keefe, IV Editor In Chief Brian C. Sheetz Senior Executive Editor Ann Y. Smith Senior Executive Editor, Digital Joe Kurtenbach Executive Editor Kelly Young Managing Editor Christopher Olsen Assistant Editor Kristen Voss Assistant Editor, Digital Maureen A. Denfeld Editorial Assistant Bruce N. Canfield, Aaron Carter, Wiley Clapp, Rick Hacker, B. Gil Horman, Jeff Johnston, Jeremiah Knupp, Jim Wilson Field Editors Larry Quandahl Firearms Inventory Manager

ART

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. All rights reserved except where expressly waived. Periodicals Postage paid at Fairfax, VA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to American Rifleman, c/o National Rifle Association, P.O. Box 420648, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0648. TO CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS or to report a damaged or undelivered magazine, write: American Rifleman, c/o National Rifle Association, P.O. Box 420648, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0648. Or to make changes to your account online go to: NRAmemberservices.org. Do not return damaged copies. Change of address should include both new address and a mailing label bearing the old one. In case of duplication send both labels.

800 -338 -3220

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NRA PUBLICATIONS PUBLISHING OPERATIONS

Filthy Firearm How clean does a rifle have to be to shoot well? Go to americanrifleman.org/dirtygun to check out accuracy tests for an AR that saw 10,000 rounds without ever being cleaned. Restoring A World War I Tank Killer Faced with waves of advancing Allied tanks, the Germans developed the massive 13.2 mm Tankgewehr. This one survived the war, but not a fire. Go to americanrifleman.org/tankgewehr to read the story of its restoration. ARTV Pacific War Episodes The “American Rifleman Television” staff travels across the Pacific Ocean, stopping at American battlefields of World War II. The “Men and Guns of the Pacific War” series opens with footage from Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. See all four episodes at americanrifleman.org/ARTV.

Tune in Wednesday nights to the Outdoor Channel for the best firearm show on television. Now in its 16th year, “American Rifleman Television” 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.

Reload On The CMP October 24 Inside the Civilian Marksmanship Program; Springfield M1A Loaded Rifle In 6.5 mm Creedmoor; Astra Model 1300 Pistol

October 31 The Springfield Armory Story; Springfield 911 Pistol In .380 ACP; Seecamp LWS Pistol

November 7 The Rock River Arms Story; Remington Model 870 DM Pump-Action In 12 Gauge; Russian SKS Carbine

November 14 The Evolution Of The Deer Rifle; EAA Neo Shotgun In 12 Gauge; Winchester Model 94

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

t’s a strange thing to read a submission from a field editor only to be confronted by one’s own words. But that’s exactly what happened with this month’s cover story on the Browning X-Bolt, written by my friend Jeff Johnston. I chose to review the gun upon its introduction a decade ago, not for its aesthetics, but for its engineering. In Johnston’s story, “The X-Bolt 10 Years Later” (p. 50), you will find one of the best “inside baseball” descriptions of how an iconic rifle was conceived, designed and introduced. Thankfully, the X-Bolt is a gun that, unlike, say, the Remington Model 710, has stood the test of time. It has not only succeeded, but it continues to adapt to a changing market. These days it seems there is an economic imperative to make rifles more affordable. Perhaps the 710, as homely as it was, was merely ahead of its time. If you look at today’s guns, such as the Mossberg MVP, the Remington 783, the Ruger American Rifle, the Savage Axis series and the Winchester XPR, you will see that there are great values to be had in bolt-action rifles. Browning has been able to wade into the high water table of the value-rifle food fight with the AB3, but that is not where the X-Bolt can compete, nor where it belongs. I am in no way condemning this trend or affordable bolt-actions; I’ve actually bought a couple of them for myself and friends. If you want a new chambering, sometimes it’s easier to just buy a whole new rifle. And who doesn’t want a new rifle? But some rifles are not about just the sticker price hanging from the trigger guard at the gun shop. While the X-Bolt might not necessarily be old-school, it appeals to those who appreciate good engineering, innovation and a company’s willingness to adapt to market demands, especially when it comes to materials and features. And then, as now, the X-Bolt shoots well. There is still room for such rifles. Price is not everything. Talk about survivors: the Remington Model 700—in a glossy CDL stock, minus the white line spacer, of course—is still offered more than 55 years later. You can get November 2018

BROWNING’S

The World’s Oldest And Largest Firearm Authority

‘RADICAL‘

X-BOLT

Stepping Up

S&W M&P .45 ACP

SEE

PAGE

Official Journal of the National Rifle Association

R805_COVER.indd 1

9/11/18 7:47 AM

the seriously shiny Winchester Model 70 Featherweight High Grade Maple. There are others, such as the Sako 85 and the Weatherby Mark V. And, of course, there are the Kimbers. The factory Super America is simply a thing of beauty. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Ruger Model 77. And the Model 77 has changed and adapted. Ruger is doing a big business in bolt-actions, and continues to try and find where the Model 77, now the Hawkeye, fits. Next month my boss, Editorial Director John Zent, will lay out the story of Ruger bolt guns based on the Model 77. The trend in premium factory boltaction rifles is skewing away from the traditional sporter of a generation ago. No, today they are guns intended for long-range shooting and hunting. They look different. If you look at the Cerakote bronze finish on the X-Bolt Pro rifle on this month’s cover, you’ll find little in common in terms of aesthetics with a rifle we put on the cover “X” years ago. You can still get that rifle, of course, but the guns at the upper edge of the envelope have carbon-fiber stocks, longer barrels and are suppressor-ready. They don’t look like the rifle stocks of my dreams. But that’s OK, as good design can weather change. I ended that introductory X-Bolt article with, “This rifle will no doubt become a well-loved ‘classic’— just not right away.” Who knew that “not right away” would come so quickly. Sincerely,

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THE ARMED CITIZEN

D 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.

ark clouds rolled in and blocked out a Saturday afternoon’s rays of sunshine during a back-to-school picnic in Florida when a gunman sprayed multiple shots near the 150 people—many of whom were children—attending the “Peace in the City” event. Fortunately, an attendee with a carry permit was on hand to put a quick end to the disturbance. Titusville, Fla., police said the suspect had gotten into a fistfight with another person at the park. After those fisticuffs, one of the participants retreated, only to return a few minutes later with a gun. He squeezed off several rounds before the armed bystander shot him, sending him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The shooting was live-streamed on Facebook by a disc jockey who was spinning the hits at the gathering. Police called the armed citizen a hero. “This park was filled with families and children, and, at that time, it was an active shooter situation for him, and he was trained enough to deal with it, and he did,” Titusville Police Sgt. Bill Amos said. (Florida Today, Brevard County, Fla., 8/5/18)

ne father’s greatest gift to his daughter before he died was that he taught her to shoot. The training and commitment to our firearms freedom paid off in Forest City, N.C., when the 15-year-old girl fatally shot her mom’s abusive boyfriend as he tried to choke the life out of her. It was actually a joint effort with her 12-year-old brother; the two children saw the man trying to strangle their mother and heard him threaten to cut her throat. At that, the boy retrieved a Colt single-action revolver. His sister grabbed the gun from him and fired twice, shooting her mother’s attacker in the chest. The teen will not be charged, according to the authorities. (wbtv.com, Charlotte, N.C., 8/10/18)

hen it came to choosing between her children and her boyfriend, the blood ties ruled supreme in a case in South Fulton, Ga. A mother of five had recently ditched her lover. He apparently didn’t take the rejection well, coming to her house the day after the break-up and kicking in her door. At the sound of the first thud against the door, the woman called 911 and armed herself. After her ex successfully dismantled the door, she warned him that she would shoot if he didn’t turn around and leave. He ignored her and ended up with a bullet in the chest. The armed mother will not be charged, South Fulton police said. (wsbtv.com, Atlanta, Ga., 7/19/18)

ritics say there is no place for an AR-15 among civilians, but a Hawaiian gun owner might beg to differ. When three bandits—at least one armed—dressed in hooded sweatshirts entered his home and forced one of the residents into a bathroom, the homeowner grabbed his modern sporting rifle and fired a round, nearly hitting one of the burglars. It was enough to put them

NOVEMBER 2018

on the defensive, as they backed out of the house firing four gunshots of their own on the way out. Though they made off with a reported $3,000, neither victim was hurt. (Star-Advertiser, Honolulu, Hawaii, 7/21/18)

Louisiana woman who owns a .22 rifle used it to defend herself against a twolegged snake. When someone came to her door, she thought it was the deliveryman with the package she was expecting. Instead, she found a man who started talking “like a stalker”—saying he had been watching her home and such. As he droned on, his hands wandered between his legs, where he began touching himself through his pants. That was lewd enough to make the woman grab her rifle and shoot. He bolted as the bullet struck the ground at his feet. (wbrz.com, Baton Rouge, La., 8/9/18)

wo armed robbers were no match for a pharmacist with a revolver in Maryland. The armed citizen was in an office and saw his employees raise their hands in the air; then he saw the gunman and his cohort. The manager, who keeps a handgun in his desk, grabbed his gun and confronted the wouldbe thieves. Even though one pointed a rifle at him, the armed citizen resolutely defended his crew. He fired once, shocking the intruders into fleeing. (delmarvanow.org, Salisbury, Md., 8/14/18)

heriff’s deputies in Michigan said a suspected intruder will be off his feet for a while after a 79-year-old blasted the perpetrator’s legs with a shotgun. The homeowner noticed the stranger inside his pole building and grabbed his gun. He fired when the trespasser reportedly approached him in a threatening manner. (record-eagle.com, Traverse City, Mich., 8/15/18)

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Media Outlets Say Voting for What We Want is Selfish

T By Wayne LaPierre

Executive Vice President

A MASSIVE, HIGHLY ORCHESTRATED WAR IS BEING WAGED AGAINST US, AND IT HAS BECOME PERSONAL.

Like us on Facebook at the National Rifle Association. For related articles, go to nrapublications.org.

he national news media denigrate you. Anti-freedom, social-engineering billionaires would expunge you from their utopian society. Democrat-socialists determined to seize control of the U.S. Congress would, if given the chance, destroy your Second Amendment freedom. While our National Rifle Association remains one of the most trusted and respected organizations in the country, a massive, highly orchestrated war is being waged against us, and it has become personal. They hate you. Just a few weeks ago, two MSNBC hosts went so far as to blame you for their inability to destroy the president. In an interview with Tom Steyer—the billionaire who is running ads to impeach President Donald Trump and is spending $100 million to help Democrat Socialists take over the U.S. House and Senate—MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle mulled over the president’s solid support as the midterm elections near. Her conclusion? That you—supporters of the Second Amendment—are selfish Americans. “A lot of people vote pretty selfishly, and they say, ‘What’s going to give me more money in my pockets?” Ruhle told Steyer. “Or what’s going to make abortion illegal, or what’s going to make sure that my Second Amendment rights stay the same, and clearly, that adds up to enough people that the president still has something akin to 40 percent of the electorate in the polls,” added co-anchor Ali Velshi. He even went so far as to call it “fascinating” that some Americans think lawmakers should follow the official amendment process when changes to the U.S. Constitution are sought! Wow. How selfish of us! That’s the kind of election we face in just a few days, an election that is all about your Second Amendment and your freedom. Last month, I reported on a front-page headline in The Wall Street Journal that spelled out this election’s stakes: “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 re-positioning 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 Wall Street Journal says that the overt focus on attacking the Second Amendment has “been propelled by new money and organizations, as well as energy among November 2018

Democrat activists and voters that has pushed candidates [to support gun control], lest they appear out of step with the party’s base.” Let me put it this way, and let this statement sink in: They’re coming for your guns. They’re coming after your personal freedom. You know who they are—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 become the leaders of the U.S. Senate and House if Democrats take over those legislative bodies in this election. If that happens, you know what happens next. They’ll cut President Trump off at the knees and move to impeach him. They’ll stack the U.S. Supreme Court with liberal and antiSecond Amendment justices to eradicate our firearms freedom. They’ll inflame the nation with a socialist agenda, backed by the socialist national news media and bankrolled by socialengineering billionaires to finish the job of fundamentally transforming our great nation. They have billions of dollars on their side. They have the national media on their side. Hollywood and celebrity elites are on their side. All of the liberal, socialist—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 the only march that counts is the one to the voting booth. I need you to go to the polls this year and vote for pro-Second Amendment candidates. I need you to get as many fellow gun owners and supporters out to vote on Election Day. 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. Only you and your vote, along with the votes of the millions and millions of Americans who agree, stand in their way. This election is about our Second Amendment freedom, pure and simple. This is our election! These are our liberties! Our rights! We are the National Rifle Association of America! We are “Freedom’s Safest Place” and, in this coming election, we will prove it with our vote!

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president’s column

Your Vote Outweighs Their Millions: Make Your Voice Heard Nov. 6

M 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.

y fellow NRA members, we stand at the edge of the precipice of one of the most important elections of our lives. That is the reality we face, and we face it just days from now. All the freedoms we hold dear are at stake in this election. The enemies of our freedom are highly organized and abundantly funded, thanks to a group of super-rich political elites hell-bent on “buying” this election to serve their own agenda. This self-serving cabal of billionaires and their pet politicians have conspired to permanently transform America into a socialist state. They tried their best to win the White House in 2016, and they’ve done everything possible to undo that election ever since. Their goal is a clear and present danger! They plan to seize power in Washington by capturing the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Then they’ll crush the NRA, take the White House two years from now and repeal the Second Amendment. It is an all-out attack against us and our freedom, not with bombs and bullets, but with billions of dollars buying ballots. You know their names: George Soros, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer—and their lap dog, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He’s the genius who recently claimed, “We’re not going to make America great again; it was never that great.” When he made that shocking assertion, I was at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, with a group of NRA members, Freedom Alliance supporters and combatwounded heroes from our current war against radical Islamist terror. We were stunned. More stunning still: Not one of the antifreedom cabal members distanced themselves from Cuomo’s pathetic rejection of American values. Apparently, acknowledging America’s greatness doesn’t serve their agenda. That helps explain why Soros has pumped tens of millions into far-left political candidates and causes, why Bloomberg has vowed to spend $80 million in this election and why Steyer says he’s spending at least $110 million—all to plant Democrat-Socialists throughout our government and turn America into a gun-free socialist utopia. Only the members of the NRA, and our country’s 100 million gun owners, stand in their way. We are the only patriots—proven by history—strong enough, tough enough and dedicated enough to defeat the bigspending liars the one and only way possible—with our votes! November 2018

On Nov. 6 every one of us must turn out and vote. And every one of us must get someone else out to vote, too. No one can sit this election out. The stakes are too high. Every vote is needed. As law-abiding gun owners and Second Amendment advocates, you know the battlefield in this election. You helped win this fight two years ago, and you know our freedom cannot afford to let up this year. Two years ago, NRA members helped elect one of the most openly pro-Second Amendment presidents in history. During the past two years, President Donald Trump has demonstrated his strong commitment to protecting our firearms freedom. He has fought back efforts to restrict our rights and nominated not one, but two, pro-freedom judges to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. The president’s support for our freedom has driven our opponents and the so-called “mainstream" media nuts. They’ve protested, ranted and raved—and they’ve organized like never before to take over the U.S. House and Senate. If they win the House, they will spend the next two years trying to impeach the president and seize the White House in 2020. “WE THE PEOPLE”—not wealthy oligarchs intent on ruling us and stripping away the freedoms we hold dear—are supposed to govern America. The battle lines are clear and the fight is joined. Their last-minute smear against Judge Brett Kavanaugh in an attempt to block his confirmation is just one more indication of their tactics. You, and I mean YOU, are the tip of the spear in this fight to preserve our liberties. You are admired, respected and trusted among your peers and colleagues. Use that credibility to encourage your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers—to spread the word and vote for candidates who support the Second Amendment on Nov. 6. A list of NRA-endorsed candidates can be found at nrapvf.org/grades. Every vote by you and other Americans like you can make the difference in preserving our freedom and saving our nation. Please stand with me in making that difference. Do everything you can to help us win this election battle. VOTE! Semper Fidelis,

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political report

There’s Nothing Grassroots About Bloomberg-Backed Gun Control

B 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.

y now you know the media narrative: young Americans are uniformly working together on “grassroots” anti-gun activism in an attempt to unseat pro-gun elected officials across the country at all levels of government. The danger facing gun owners is very real. Without a historic effort from pro-gun voters, gun control will be on agendas throughout the country come January. But the threat doesn’t come from a grassroots movement, it comes from a cadre of wealthy elites who are intent on eliminating your fundamental rights. Contrary to anti-gun messaging, young Americans aren’t uniformly anti-gun. An Ipsos/USA Today poll conducted a month after the shooting in Parkland, Fla., found that when asked, “[S]hould semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 be banned in the United States?” a mere 44 percent of those ages 18 to 24 answered, “Yes.” This calls into question the “grassroots” character of these supposedly youth-driven anti-gun efforts. However, nothing eviscerates the grassroots gun control movement myth quite like following the money behind it, and no better case study exists than Washington state. In 2014, Washingtonians passed Initiative 594. Advertised as requiring background checks on all gun sales, in fact, I-594 criminalized even routine and temporary private firearm transfers. The chief organizational backers of I-594 were the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund for I-594 and the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility (WAGR). Everytown is a front group for billionaire gun control financier Michael Bloomberg. According to data from Washington’s Public Disclosure commission, Everytown’s I-594 fund spent nearly $1 million to back the initiative. WAGR spent nearly $10.5 million on the measure. More than $7 million of the money raised for WAGR’s efforts came from Everytown and eight wealthy individuals. Having succeeded in 2014, and in 2016 with Initiative 1491, WAGR and many of their billionaire bankrollers are back for more. This election year the anti-gun magnates are pushing the omnibus Initiative 1639. Initiative 1639 would prohibit the sale of semi-automatic rifles to adults ages 18 to 20. The measure categorizes all semi-automatic rifles (even rimfire) as “semi-automatic assault rifle[s]” and imposes a training requirement on prospective purchasers. I-1639 would also impose a $25 tax on semi-automatic rifles November 2018

and create mandatory storage requirements for all gun owners. Speaking to Seattle’s KING-TV about the initiative in May, WAGR CEO Renee Thompson explained that young activists had “changed the energy” around the gun issue. Did this mean that Washington’s anti-gun billionaires could save their greenbacks for a second yacht? Surely, just a handful of the intrepid young adults and others motivated by the young anti-gun activists the press keep touting would provide ample volunteer manpower to get I-1639 on the ballot and across the finish line in November. Think again. As of early September, I-1639 backers had raised $4.3 million for the campaign, with $3.7 million coming from only five individuals and Bloomberg’s Everytown. Despite the purported change in “energy,” I-1639 supporters paid more than $3.7 million to a signature-gathering firm. Even after paying this exorbitant sum, I-1639 was nearly kept off the ballot. Superior Court Judge James Dixon in August blocked I-1639 from appearing on the ballot, citing severe defects in the signaturegathering process. Washington law requires that signature petitions contain “a readable, full, true, and correct copy of the proposed measure printed on the reverse side of the petition,” so that signees know what they are supporting. The copy of the 30-page initiative on the forms used by the paid signature gatherers was crammed into a single page of unreadable small print and did not include underlining or strikethroughs that would indicate the changes to current law. Despite their underhanded tactics, I-1639’s backers were bailed out when the Washington State Supreme Court overruled Dixon. Billionaire financiers, millions paid to signature gatherers and unscrupulous tactics aren’t most Americans’ idea of grassroots civic engagement. On the other hand, NRA’s nearly 6 million members represent the most proven and powerful grassroots force in American politics. Through a membership armed with the facts and our efforts to inform others, we can leverage our authentic grassroots support to expose the true forces behind gun control and dispel the mediapeddled fantasies that grant our opponents an undeserved legitimacy.

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ILA STORY

Don’t Let Your State’s Governor’s Mansion

Become a Gun-Free Home 18

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

By Chris W. Cox NRA-ILA Executive Director

Photo by istockphoto.com/gnagel

hile congressional elections will likely get the lion’s share of media coverage leading up to Nov. 6, gun owners know that threats to our right to keep and bear arms do not only emanate from Washington, D.C. State legislatures regularly move far more swiftly than Congress when it comes to considering proposals that impact our Second Amendment freedoms. Regardless of whether your state’s legislature has a pro-gun or anti-gun majority, there is one office that could decide whether your rights are expanded or diminished over the next several years—the office of governor. As an advocate for the Second Amendment, a pro-gun governor can help shepherd bills through the legislature and sign them into law. A pro-gun governor can also help derail anti-gun bills before they gather momentum, or veto them if they make it to his or her desk. In addition, governors often make key appointments to state positions that can impact gun owners, especially those who support our hunting heritage. State agencies that regulate hunting are often populated by individuals appointed by governors, so a governor who respects our freedoms can ensure that hunting is protected now and in the future. Governors can also play a key role in judicial appointments. Most states have a process for appointing judges that will involve that state’s governor. Anti-gun activist judges have done as much damage, if not more, to the rights of gun owners as legislators have. Electing pro-gun governors helps ensure the appointment of judges who also respect the Second Amendment. Finally, there is the issue of appointing U.S. senators when one can no longer serve in the office to which he or she was elected. Thirty-six states allow governors to

make appointments to fill a Senate seat that becomes empty. This year, however, there is another reason why gubernatorial races are so critical. In 2020, the nation will hold its 24th census, and the results will impact both Congress and state legislatures for the following decade. Significant changes in our country’s population, especially in its distribution, will lead to re-drawing the maps that determine the districts represented by both members of Congress and members of each state’s legislative body. Although redistricting is intended to be non-partisan, in the real world—especially in the highly charged political climate we live in today—redistricting often becomes a political football. It is not unheard of to see a popular legislator who is seen as unbeatable at the polls to have his district re-drawn to his disadvantage. This has happened a number of times to pro-gun legislators. For this reason, electing progun governors is more important this year than in years not linked to the census. While the redistricting process varies across the country, governors can often directly or indirectly influence the process. As I’ve written before, protecting our pro-gun majorities in Congress is a priority. But electing or re-electing pro-gun governors is just as critical. Below are a few of the gubernatorial races across the country this fall. If your state is not listed below but has an important race for governor, it needs your attention. The NRA-PVF website, nrapvf.org, will provide key information that will assist you in helping to elect pro-gun candidates in your state.

ARIZONA

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has recently helped to strengthen the pro-gun majority in the U.S. Senate by appointing former Sen. Jon Kyl to

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

NOVEMBER 2018

the vacancy created by the passing of Sen. John McCain. Ducey, who has received an “A” from NRA-PVF, has worked with NRA on crafting legislation to strengthen school security without diminishing the rights of lawabiding gun owners. His opponent, David Garcia, D, has made numerous anti-gun statements, including support for banning firearms, and has earned an “F” from the NRA-PVF. He has also made the empty pledge “to take no contributions from the National Rifle Association,” showing his contempt for our six million members across the country. Ducey has earned the support of the pro-gun community in Arizona.

FLORIDA

Congressman Ron DeSantis, R, has proven his support for our Second Amendment freedoms. He has earned an “A” rating from NRA-PVF for his outstanding voting record on firearm-related legislation. DeSantis supported the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, the strongest self-defense bill to ever pass out of the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill would ensure that the nearly 20 million law-abiding Americans who can carry a concealed firearm in their home state are able to carry across state lines. He also voted for legislation to support the rights of hunters and sportsmen, as well as supported legislation to protect both veterans and Social Security beneficiaries from losing their Second Amendment rights. His opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, D, has stated his support for banning some of the most commonly owned firearms and magazines, and has called for imposing new, draconian restrictions on lawful firearm transfers. A vote for Ron DeSantis as governor is a vote to defend the Second Amendment.

GEORGIA

The contrast between Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, R,

ila story REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOUR STATE’S LEGISLATURE HAS A PRO-GUN OR ANTI-GUN MAJORITY, THERE IS ONE OFFICE THAT COULD DECIDE WHETHER YOUR RIGHTS ARE EXPANDED OR DIMINISHED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS—THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR.

and his opponent could not be more stark. Kemp currently holds an “A” rating from NRA-PVF. He supports permitless carry in Georgia and supports strengthening the state’s preemption law. While serving in the Georgia Senate, Kemp helped ensure the passage of legislation to protect law-abiding gun owners who use their firearms for self-defense. His opponent, State Rep. Stacey Abrams, D, tweeted she is “proud of her F rating from the NRA.” She supports criminalizing the private transfer of firearms, would allow constitutionally protected rights to be stripped without due process of law, and was the lead sponsor of a bill that would ban hundreds of firearms, magazines, and popular ammunition. Electing Brian Kemp is critical to protecting our right to keep and bear arms in Georgia.

IOWA

Gov. Kim Reynolds, R, has stated her clear support for law-abiding gun owners and has earned an “A” rating from NRA-PVF. Iowa is one of only six states that does not have an amendment in its state constitution protecting our right to keep and bear arms. Reynolds supports the current effort in Iowa to put such an amendment on the ballot. Her continued support as governor will be critical to ensure this effort is successful. Reynolds’ opponent, Fred Hubbell, has refused to fill out our candidate questionnaire and let our members know where he stands on the Second Amendment. Fortunately, we know where Reynolds stands, so the pro-gun community in Iowa knows they need to vote for her in November.

KANSAS

Kris Kobach, R, was first elected Secretary of State of Kansas in 2010, with an “A” rating and endorsement from NRA-PVF. He was re-elected in 2014, again with an “A” and

endorsement, and is now running for governor. An avid hunter and gun owner, Kobach has pledged to defend our right to keep and bear arms, and understands that self-defense is one of the most basic human rights that must be protected. In contrast, his opponent, State Sen. Laura Kelly, D, has received an “F” rating from the NRA-PVF. Kelly voted against our right to self-defense in 2016 when she supported an effort to prohibit the lawful carrying of a concealed firearm on college campuses. Kelly has also received the praise of one of the more strident anti-gun/anti-NRA organizations, Moms Demand Action. In Kansas, Kobach is the clear choice for gun owners.

MICHIGAN

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, R, has made it clear that his support for the Second Amendment is unwavering. While serving in the state Senate, Schuette advocated for the expansion of concealed carry and voted for Michigan’s “shall issue” permit system. He has been a vocal proponent of national Right-to-Carry reciprocity, and while serving as attorney general, has joined in on several legal briefs supporting our right to keep and bear arms. He has truly earned his “A+” rating from NRAPVF. His opponent on the other hand, former legislator Gretchen Whitmer, D, has consistently been rated an “F” by NRA-PVF. Electing Schuette could not be more important to Second Amendment supporters in Michigan.

NEVADA

Attorney General Adam Laxalt, R, is a decorated combat veteran and proudly states his support for our Second Amendment freedoms. When out-of-state anti-gun organizations pumped more than 20 million dollars into Nevada to promote a ballot initiative limiting the rights of law-abiding November 2018

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Nevadan gun owners, Laxalt stood with NRA in opposition. He has also joined several legal briefs supporting our right to keep and bear arms. Laxalt has earned his “A+” rating from NRA-PVF. His opponent, Steve Sisolak, D, has stated his support for banning firearms and has received the endorsement of prominent anti-gun organizations. Nevada’s law-abiding gun owners need to support Laxalt for governor to ensure the future of their firearm freedoms.

TENNESSEE

Bill Lee, R, is a Tennessee businessman who beat out a crowded field to win his party’s nomination for governor, and he has earned an “AQ” rating (based solely on questionaire answers) from NRA-PVF. His stated support of permitless carry and expanding the lawful carrying of firearms for personal protection on college campuses shows a true commitment to the right to selfdefense. In contrast, his opponent, Karl Dean, D, has publicly stated his opposition to permitless carry and allowing law-abiding students to carry firearms on college campuses. Dean’s “F” rating from the NRA-PVF, and the fact that he has received the stamp of approval from the anti-gun organization Moms Demand Action, should send a clear message to the pro-gun community in the Volunteer State that they should vote for Lee.

WISCONSIN

It would be hard to find someone who is more supportive of the Second Amendment than Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, R. First elected to his office in 2010, Walker has earned an “A+” rating from NRA-PVF. Under his leadership, numerous bills supporting our right to keep and bear arms and hunting heritage have become law. Of these, Walker is probably most wellknown for the successful effort behind Wisconsin’s Right-to-Carry law. This made Wisconsin one of the last two states (along with Illinois) to finally recognize the right to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense. Walker’s opponent, Tony Evers, D, has stated his support for additional restrictions on law-abiding gun owners, including waiting periods and restrictions on private firearm transfers. The pro-Second Amendment community has been well served by Walker as governor, and he deserves their vote.

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One Doughboy Remembered Thank you for the very good articles on the Model of 1903 Springfield and Enfield Model of 1917 rifles by Field Editor Bruce Canfield (July 2018, p. 48, and August 2018, p. 42). Here is a picture of my grandfather, PFC Arthur F. Martin, in France in 1918 just before he was shipped to the front lines. I believe he is holding an ‘03 Springfield with his ammunition truck in the background. He was in the Quartermaster Corps, Company B, 6th Supply Train, 6th Division, and was awarded the World War I Victory Medal with three battle clasps, including the Meuse-Argonne and Defensive Sector. He also carried a revolver. I don’t have the revolver, but I do have his web belt and holster, the latter made by Rock Island Arsenal and dated 1906. Rod MaRtin, Wisconsin

The M1918 Vs. 1918A2 BAR The article “’Superior’: The U.S. Model Of 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle” by Field Editor Bruce N. Canfield (September 2018, p. 70) was excellent. I’m curious about the select-fire capability of the BAR. When I was in the Marine Corps (1964), we qualified with the M14, but when I was in the Infantry Training Regiment (ITR) at Camp Lejeune, we trained with M1s, 3.5" rocket launchers (“bazookas”) and various other World War II infantry arms, burning up old World War II/Korean War ammunition and even eating C-rations from 1944! We also fired the BAR for familiarization. The selector switch had two full-automatic speeds, one faster than the other. There was no mention of this in the article, and I’m wondering if this was something that was specific to the Marine Corps or if this feature was added after World War I, but prior to World War II. HeRb souza, via eMail Just before America’s entry into World War II, the final and most widely produced version of the BAR was adopted as the “Model of 1918A2.” Unlike the M1918 and M1918A1, the M1918A2 was not capable of semi-automatic operation. It fired only in full-automatic, and had slow- and fast-fire modes of approximately 300-450 r.p.m. and 500-650 r.p.m., respectively. —bRuce n. canfield, 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 email us at publications@nrahq.org.

November 2018

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ACCURATE. SUBSONIC. SUBSONIC FOR REDUCED NOISE Velocities fall below the speed of sound to produce lower decibel levels

OPTIMIZED FOR SUPPRESSOR USE Engineered to be clean and deliver reliable performance in both suppressed and non-suppressed ﬁrearms

CONSISTENT ACCURACY Designed to deliver reliable accuracy for both target and range shooting

Available in .300 Blackout, .308 Win., 9mm Luger, 45 Auto, .22 LR and .22 Magnum.

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REPORTS | OPENING SHOT

Ending “The War To End All Wars”

n Nov. 11, 1918, an armistice ended combat on the Western Front. Although the muzzle discipline of these 28th Regiment soldiers leaves something to be desired,

NOVEMBER 2018

it reflects the conditions the “doughboys” faced a century ago. The “American Rifleman Television” series on Americans in World War I re-airs starting on Nov. 14 on the Outdoor Channel. AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

U.S. Army Signal Corps photo courtesy of Armor Plate Press

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reports | news & notes

Henry Repeating Arms NASCAR Sponsorship

enry Repeating Arms has announced a full-car sponsorship of the NASCAR Xfinity Series No. 90 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Andy Lally. “We’re thrilled to be supporting Andy Lally, an incredibly talented and versatile race car driver,” said Anthony Imperato, president and owner of Henry Repeating Arms. “Our fans have always wanted to see a Henry livery on a NASCAR machine, so we’re looking forward to bringing them just that at our home track in Wisconsin.” henryusa.com

Happy Trails 2018

ach year, the Happy Trails Children’s Foundation—a leading children’s charity that actively supports Second Amendment rights, the shooting sports and responsible gun ownership—raffles off a unique prize package that celebrates the motion picture stars of yesteryear, with all proceeds benefitting the Foundation’s work with abused and at-risk children. This year’s drawing, Silver Screen Legend XXI (marking the 21st year of the event), commemorates John Wayne’s 50-year career with a prize that features a pair of limited-edition firearms customized to honor “The Duke.” The first gun is a Colt Single Action Army, with a 4¾" barrel, chambered in .45 Colt. Finished in a dark blue and furnished with ivory stocks, the revolver bears a special John Wayne-themed serial number. Engraved throughout, it is further embellished with gold etching of an American eagle and John Wayne’s

name on the left side of the barrel, a gold-etched portrait of The Duke on one side of the cylinder and a rendering of Wayne on horseback on the other, as well as his signature and Red River D brand gold-etched into the backstrap. Included with the revolver are a holster and gun belt custom-made by John Bianchi, a premier holster maker and close personal friend of the late John Wayne. Also included in the Silver Screen Legend XXI prize package is an engraved Winchester lever-action carbine, chambered in .32-40 Win., with a big-loop lever and a John Wayne medallion imbedded into the right side of the stock. Accompanying the carbine is a saddle scabbard, a wall mount and a box of John Wayne commemorative .32-40 Win. cartridges from Winchester. Both prize guns are functional, and are therefore subject to all federal and state firearm regulations. Founded by NRA Life member Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the Happy

Trails Children’s Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization that operates the Cooper Home—a residential care and treatment facility for victims of child abuse who have been removed from their homes. Tickets for the Silver Screen Legend XXI drawing are $10 each or 11 tickets for $100, and can be ordered by mail, telephone or online. The drawing will be held Dec. 15, 2018, and the winner will be notified by phone. Donations are tax-deductible. Contact: Happy Trails Children’s Foundation; (855) 788-4440; happytrails.org.

USMC Scout Snipers Choose Nightforce Optics

he U.S. Marine Corps has selected Nightforce Optics (nightforceoptics.com) for its Advanced Tactical Riflescope (ATACR) to be included on the Mk13 Mod 7 rifle system chambered for .300 Win. Mag. This platform, topped with the ATACR 5-25X 56 mm firstfocal-plane optic, represents a modern upgrade over the Vietnam War-era M40 package. The ATACR optic, chosen for its full suite of modern features, includes the Tremor3 reticle, a milliradian-based grid designed to expedite wind speed and distance calculations. “The increased capability of the newly issued Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle requires a scope that is as rugged, reliable, repeatable and dependable as the United States Marines tasked with

November 2018

using it,” said Tod Litt, business development manager for Nightforce’s military and law enforcement departments. “The Nightforce MIL-SPEC ATACR 5-25X 56 mm F1 was chosen as the day scope to take full advantage of the rifle systems’ competencies.” marines.mil americaN riflemaN

Ham Radio Club, Gunsite Salute NRA Birthday

he Yavapai Amateur Radio Club (YARC) of Prescott, Ariz., will operate a special-event station Nov. 17, 2018, in celebration of the NRA’s 147th birthday. The amateur radio station will operate from Gunsite Academy’s 2,000-acre campus north of Prescott. The call sign will be K7NRA, an FCC-licensed amateur radio station. It will conduct operations on the following amateur frequencies from

0800 MST to 1700 MST: 7.250, 14.040, 14.250 and 21.335 MHz. A unique NRA/Gunsite certificate (acknowledgement of communications) will be forwarded to those stations contacted during the event. All amateur stations, especially those operated by NRA members and Gunsite alumni, are urged to participate. More information can be found at YARC’s website: w7yrc.org/nrabirthday

50 Years Ago

U. S. Rifles Do The Job In Vietnam

U. S. arms superior, author finds after second trip to the front

merican arms in Vietnam are on the average the best that any military force ever had. We are still using a pistol that belongs in a museum, and lack an efficient light machinegun, but otherwise the good more than makes up for the bad.

Successful Marine sniper team checks for targets. Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle with specially equipped Redfield scope (foreground) allows accurate firing up to 1,200 yds. Marine with binocular is equipped with M16. [November 1968]

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

NOVEMBER 2018

products & projects

Survivor Systems Professional MCS Stock

riven by a law enforcement agency’s request for an adjustable, but non-telescoping, AR stock, the Survivor Systems’ Professional MCS model offers length-of-pull changes by way of four included spacers. Compatible with any mil-spec carbine buffer tube, the stock also serves as a storage area for a spare AR-15-style magazine which locks into place and can be released via a familiar magazinerelease button. A top-mounted slot and right- and left-side swivel cups provide sling-mounting options. Hardware and an Allen wrench are included for installation. Colors include Flat Dark Earth, Phantom Gray and Black. Price: $110. Contact: Survivor Systems, Inc.; (310) 531-8987; survivorsystems.com.

Galco Quick Slide Belt Holster

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to your NRA

November 2018

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hybrid design featuring a Kydex bucket and steerhide backer, the Quick Slide is an affordable and functional outside-the-waistband holster. The holster features two snapping 1.5" belt loops for on-body security, and allow for convenient removal by the user. The Quick Slide presents the handgun at a neutral cant, and uses an open-bottom design to accommodate firearms with similar-size frames but differing slide and barrel lengths, making it a great option for shooters who enjoy “families” of guns, such as Glocks or M1911s. Price: $54. Contact: Galco Gunleather; (800) 874-2526; galcogunleather.com.

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REMINGTON 1911 R1 WITH DOUBLE STACK MAGAZIN STACK MAGAZINEE

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Big on ﬁrepower and reﬁned in its craftsmanship, the Model 1911 R1 Double Stack has double the capacity of a standard 1911 with next-level accuracy and performance. Features include a 5” ramped, match-grade barrel, adjustable match-grade trigger, wide rear and front cocking serrations and more. All built with aerospace precision, right here in the U.S.A.

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REPORTS | PRODUCTS & PROJECTS

Wilson Combat Match Grade AR-9 Barrel

n addition to its own expansive line of complete AR-pattern rifles, Wilson Combat also offers Match Grade Barrels chambered in 19 different cartridges for those who would rather assemble their own—including five barrel lengths for use in 9 mm Luger pistol-caliber carbines. Compatible with Colt-, JPand Stag-style receivers, the company’s 8" offering is ideal for those undertaking an AR pistol or short-barreled-rifle build. The matte-finished 416-R stainless steel barrel is button-rifled with six grooves in a 1:10" right-hand twist, and features a hand-polished bore, a recessed crown and 5/8x24 TPI muzzle threading for use with suppressors and other accessories. Price: $200. Contact: Wilson Combat; (800) 955-4856; wilsoncombat.com.

Browning Camping Side-By-Side

easuring a spacious 80" long and 68" wide, with a 140-oz. fill weight, the Browning Camping Side-By-Side sleeping bag is intended to accommodate two sleepers within one shared compartment, but can be separated into two individual bags if desired. Rated for use in temperatures down to 0° F, the Side-By-Side’s outer material is durable 210T polyester ripstop fabric, with TechLoft Silver synthetic insulation to provide heat retention. The bag also features a pair of interior pockets for the storage of small items and a compression stuff sack for easy packing. Price: $190. Contact: Browning Camping; (877) 459-2825; browningcamping.com.

Tulster Echo Mag Carrier

acuum-formed from a single sheet of Kydex, the Echo Mag Carrier from Tulster is designed for versatility. Shipping with a single 1.5" polymer belt clip—soft loops are available separately—the Echo features bilateral slotted screw holes that allow it to be adapted for inside-the-waistband or outside-the-waistband carry, and left- or right-hand use by simply swapping the clip between the sides. A small degree of cant and ride-height adjustment are possible as well. The Echo uses Tulster’s Mag Retention Device (MRD), an internal tensioning mechanism which allows a single carrier to accommodate and secure a wide range of magazines. Echo Mag Carriers are available in four configurations: 9 mm/.40 Double Stack; 9 mm/.40 Single Stack; .45 Double Stack; and .45 Single Stack. A 1/8" Allen wrench is included for MRD adjustment, and 12 color/pattern options are available—some cost extra. Price: $40. Contact: Tulster; tulster.com.

Altamont 1911 Government NRA Licensed Stocks

ltamont, a CNC-machining specialist and worldwide OEM supplier of machined gun stocks—pistol and rifle—archery grip panels and knife scales, is producing National Rifle Association-themed M1911 stock panels. Wood, pearl and ivory stocks, often featuring classic checkering and texture patterns, can now be had emblazoned with “NRA” or the association’s seal, and a portion of each sale goes directly to the NRA and the defense of the Second Amendment. Price: $48 to $95. Contact: Altamont Company; (800) 626-5774; altamontco.com

Mission First Tactical E2ARMD4

he slender appearance of the E2ARMD4 muzzle device from Mission First Tactical belies the huge dividends it provides in recoil mitigation. Weighing in at 2.75 ozs., and measuring 2.25"-long, the tapered, nitride-treated, 416 stainless steel compensator features two angled ports at its top to counteract muzzle rise, while a total of six side ports mitigate rearward movement. Designed to fit rifles bored for 0.244" bullets and smaller, the unit comes threaded 1/2x28 TPI. A crush washer is also included. Price: $100. Contact: Mission First Tactical LLC; (267) 704-0001; missionfirsttactical.com.

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

THE M2.0 FAMILY JUST GOT EASIER EASY TO RACK EASY TO PACK TM

Perfectly sized 380 protection. Light slide-pull, low perceived recoil, light crisp trigger and enhanced grip texture.

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SMITH-WESSON.COM

REPORTS | PRODUCTS & PROJECTS

Elite Survival Systems Marathon Gunpack

arrying a firearm can be tough when running, hiking or generally being active outdoors. The combination of dynamic movement and light or fitted clothing requires a holster system that offers enhanced concealment and security. The Marathon Gunpack from Elite Survival Systems is a hide-in-plain-sight solution modeled after popular runner packs, and offers no visual indication that a firearm may be contained within. Features include dual 7-oz. water bottles, reflective panels, a fully adjustable non-slip belt and a zippered pouch with a headphone wire port, sized to contain a large cell phone, ID cards, etc. Behind the pouch, the Gunpack has a zippered compartment with an adjustable hookand-loop holster and a pull tab to facilitate fast access. The Marathon Gunpack is available in two sizes to

accommodate compact and subcompact pistols, and three color patterns—black with blue, gray or neon green highlights. Price: $60. Contact: Elite Survival Systems; (866) 340-2778; elitesurvival.com.

Crosman DPMS SBR Airgun

CO2-powered, select-fire airgun, the Crosman DPMS SBR provides the look, feel and manual of arms of a short-barreled, center-fire, AR-15-pattern carbine— without the tax stamp. Making use of polymer receivers and a steel smoothbore barrel, the Crosman weighs in at 6 lbs., 3 ozs., and a six-position-adjustable buttstock allows its length to be set from 26.5" to 30.25" long. A flat-top receiver and quad-rail handguard allow for the mounting of optics and accessories, and a set of plastic flip-up sights ship with the gun. Powered by two 12-gram CO2 canisters concealed within its 25-round detachable box magazine, the DPMS SBR, when in full-automatic mode, is capable of discharging its entire payload of .177 cal. BBs in little more than a second—at speeds up to 430 f.p.s. Price: $199. Contact: Crosman Corp.; (800) 724-7486; crosman.com.

Rock River Arms M1911 Mainspring Housings

lthough most modern M1911-style pistols come from the factory with flat mainspring housings, some shooters still prefer the arched style that was standard on military-issue guns for generations. But finding the latter cut with fine checkering to match the frontstrap texturing of higher-end pistols is not easy. Rock River Arms, a longtime supplier of quality M1911 components, comes to the rescue with steel mainspring housings checkered 20, 25 or 30 lines per inch. And not only does the company offer them in both flat and arched styles, it also offers serrated versions and even some fitted with lanyard loops. Price: $40-$45. Contact: Rock River Arms, Inc.; (866) 980-7625; rockriverarms.com.

Rainier Arms MARS For Glock Gen 1-3 Pistols

he Rainier Arms Magazine Advanced Release System (MARS) provides shooters of Glock Gen 1, 2 and 3 pistols chambered for 9 mm Luger, .40 S&W and .357 SIG with an aluminum release that enhances speed reloads for both left- and righthanded operation. The left-side button looks and functions like the factory Glock release while the right side utilizes a pivoting push-button. The MARS is a drop-in unit that requires minimal installation time, works with the factory Glock magazine catch spring and does not impede use with standard holsters. Price: $60. Contact: Rainier Arms; (877) 556-4867; rainierarms.com.

NOVEMBER 2018

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 | PRODUCTS & PROJECTS

Wright Leather Works Outsider Paddle Holster

ffering premium leather construction paired with the easy on/off portability afforded by its paddle mount, the Outsider from Wright Leather Works is a practical outside-the-waistband holster that can be custom-made for hundreds of firearms. The Outsider, like all of Wright’s holsters, is made from vegetable-tanned American full-grain steer hide—in black, coffee, mahogany, saddle tan or walnut— and uses G-Code’s large paddle for belt attachment, allowing it to be configured for straight-drop, 20-degree-forward or 20-degree-rearward cant. Price: $108. Contact: Wright Leather Works; (419) 307-6191; wrightleatherworks.com.

CMMG RipStock

s seen on the company’s Banshee line of short-barreled rifles, but also available as a standalone aftermarket product, the ambidextrous CMMG RipStock is a minimalistic buttstock assembly for AR-pattern rifles. The proprietary system—which incorporates the rifle’s buttstock, receiver extension, buffer, action spring, castle nut and receiver end plate—is adjustable to five length settings by simply pulling straight back on the stock. Repositioning an index screw located on the buffer tube also allows the user to preset a personal maximum length setting, allowing the unit to be quickly deployed at the shooter’s preferred length of pull. Check with CMMG to ensure compatibility with specific cartridge configurations. Price: $200. Contact: CMMG; (660) 248-2293; cmmginc.com.

Viktos Sereous

hooded softshell jacket from new tactical apparel maker Viktos, the Sereous offers both functionality and protection against the elements. The stretchable polyester/spandex-blend jacket features a water-resistant DWR coating, reinforced synthetic suede elbows, YKK Aquaguard zippers and two large interior cargo pockets. Located just behind two zippered exterior pockets, the design’s Gunvents allow for immediate, unimpeded access to your carry gun. The Viktos Sereous is available in men’s sizes Small through 3XL, and is offered in Nightfjall (black) and Winterlochen (white, shown). Price: $175. Contact: Viktos; (800) 597-7179; viktos.com.

NcStar Triangle M-Lok Handguard–Mid-Length

two-piece, drop-in, anodized aluminum handguard that secures to the rifle via a mil-spec delta ring and accommodates the use of an A2-style gas block/ front sight, the Triangle M-Lok Handguard–Mid-Length from NcStar provides shooters with a multitude of accessory mounting options. In addition to a receiver-height, 20-slot segment of Picatinny rail running along its top surface, the triangular handguard’s 2-, 6- and 10-o’clock faces all feature M-Lok-compatible slots, and the unit ships with one five-slot and one nineslot rail section. The handguard is also available sized for use with carbine-length gas systems. Price: $55. Contact: NcStar; (866) 627-8278; ncstar.com.

Remington Expands WheelGun Line

emington has announced new .38 Spl. and .45 Colt loadings for its Performance WheelGun ammunition line. Remington Performance WheelGun ammunition features components and Remington Kleanbore priming that will not promote rust or corrode barrels. In .38 Spl., 148-gr. TargetMaster Wadcutter (TMWC) and 158-gr. lead semi-wadcutter (SWC) loads have been added, and new in .45 Colt is a 225-gr. lead SWC load. remington.com

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

REPORTS | PRODUCTS & PROJECTS

Surefire 1,000-Lumen X300U

urefire is a known leader in tactical lighting, and the company’s aluminumbodied X300U LED handgun light has become a favorite for its high-output beam, durable construction and easy attachment via either the quick-detach Lever Latch or the Rail-Lock system for more dedicated light/gun pairings. Now, the X300U is available in a 1,000-lumen model, the brightest unit to date. The new light has the same footprint as other X300U models for holster compatibility, uses two CR123 batteries for approximately 1.25 hours of runtime, and comes with both the Lever Latch and Rail-Lock mounts. Price: $299. Contact: Surefire, LLC; (800) 828-8809; surefire.com.

Magpul Reflex Pant

esigned to blend the appearance of traditional khakis with the utility of tactical pants, Magpul’s Reflex Pant is made from durable stretch cotton—with an internally gusseted crotch—to permit full range of motion, and wears a Teflon DWR finish that repels both water and stains. In addition to standard rear and hip pockets, the Reflex Pant also features two smaller pockets sized to store detachable box semi-automatic handgun magazines, and a reinforced knife pocket. Available in Charcoal or Ermine; check the company’s website for sizing options. Price: $65. Contact: Magpul; (877) 462-4785; magpul.com.

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products & projects

MTM Case-Gard Tactical Pistol Case 3

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.

Jim Sursely

I AM A VETERAN AND THIS IS MY VICTORY.

“My victory is proving that a disability is not a limitation.” After losing an arm and both legs to a land mine, DAV helped Jim put life back together. Every year, DAV helps more than one million veterans of all generations in life-changing ways—connecting them to the health, disability, and financial benefits they’ve earned. Help support more victories for veterans. Go to DAV.org.

November 2018 11254_DAV_NRA_4.4375x2.3125_Horizontal_Jim_4C.indd 1

hether used for storage or transport, the MTM Case-Gard Tactical Pistol Case 3 is designed to safely hold three semiautomatic pistols, extra magazines and related gear. Similar in construction and appearance to MTM’s polymer ammunition cans, the 9.3"x15.3"x9" Tactical Pistol Case 3 features a foam interior structure with individual slots to secure the guns, and cutouts for additional magazines, ammunition and kit. Two wide clasps secure the hinged lid, a water-resistant O-ring helps protect contents against dust and moisture, and three lock ports are available to further secure the case. Price: $35. Contact: MTM Case-Gard; mtmcase-gard.com.

ARB Fridge/Freezers

hen it comes time to carry extra food and beverages, preserve game meat or store medications in a vehicle, a cooler is indispensable. But even the best units rely on store-bought ice, and 12-volt, diode-based cooler/warmers don’t offer markedly better performance. Enter compact fridge/freezers powered by motorized compressors from onboard outlets. Commonplace in overland rigs, such units are well-represented in the line from ARB, which includes a 50-quart model measuring 20"x15"x28" and weighing just under 50 lbs. Separate cords allow it to operate from either 12-volt or 120-volt sources and cool from 50º to 0º F. Features include touch-pad controls, integrated batteryprotection, a removable lid, an interior basket and an interior light. Price: $924. Contact: ARB 4X4 Accessories; (425) 264-1391; arbusa.com.

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REPORTS | HANDLOADS OSLE

BULLET: BARNES 165-GR. TSX PROPELLANT/CHARGE: IMR-4166/43.6 GRS. 08 PRIMER: WLR WIN CASE: NOSLER CASE TRIM-TO LENGTH: 2.005" CARTRIDGE OVERALL LENGTH: 2.800" VELOCITY @ 10' (F.P.S.): 2549 ENERGY (FT.-LBS.): 2,380 ACCURACY: 1.22"* USES: HUNTING (ALL NON-DANGEROUS SPECIES) NOTES: 20"-BARRELED REMINGTON MODEL 700 TACTICAL TOPPED WITH A LEUPOLD VX-1 3-9X 40 MM SCOPE. *AVERAGE OF FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 100 YDS.

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he adage “jack of all trades” could be adapted to “jack of all (non-dangerous) hunts” with this utilitarian, .308 Win. biggame load. Containing Barnes Bullets’ 165-gr. Triple-Shock X Bullet (TSX), the fail-safe projectile will expand dependably while maintaining its weight for deep penetration in even the largest, toughest species, and the all-copper bullet can be used in leadless ammunition areas, too. Boosting said bullet to 2549 f.p.s. from a 20" barrel— expect higher velocities from a longer tube—is the new temperature-insensitive and copperfouling-reducing IMR-4166 propellant, which will keep your loads consistent and gun cleaner, respectively. Lastly, when zeroed at 200 yds., the TSX will impact 2.5" high at 100 yds. and 10.1" low at 300 yds.—an acceptable trajectory. Indeed, outside of the world’s dangerous species, this load will handle any big-game animal virtually anywhere with assuredness. —AARON CARTER, FIELD EDITOR

OSLE

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.

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

The April 2013 issue had a column about the Winchester Model 1895 Russian Musket. What makes it a musket? Does it have a smooth bore or is the designation just a misnomer? What were the perceived advantages of these guns as infantry longarms? Can you please help explain the “rifle musket” verbiage?

Your question concerning what constitutes a modern “musket” is a good one. Of course, originally a musket was a smoothbore, muzzleloading arm generally of larger caliber, and it was longer than a carbine. With the introduction of the

N A T I O N A L

rifle-musket, the designation “musket” began to evolve. Rifle-muskets were muzzleloaders with musket-length rifled barrels. At that time, rifles had shorter barrels and were usually given to specialized troops. In the cartridge era, musket typically means that a rifle is longer than the usual incarnation of a specific arm and has a stock extending out

very close to the muzzle. Originally a military term, it is also used for some sporting rifles, such as Model 1866, 1894 and 1895 Winchesters. —GARRY JAMES, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

From the thousands of 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, email 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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NOVEMBER 2018

WINCHESTER MODEL 1895 RUSSIAN MUSKET

Rifle Or Musket?

FAVORITE FIREARMS

n my early teens, I became fascinated with the German Luger, and I wanted one in the worst way but had no money. I then came upon the idea of selling my comic books. In those days, you got one cent for a 10-cent comic book, so I sold 2,000 of mine to a local bookstore and walked out with $20—I only regret that I had the first Green Lantern comic book and let it go. After making the sale, I talked my mom into stopping at a local gun store that had a Luger. I had never seen one up close. It was $40, so I was obviously a little short, but one never asked mom for money—one had to earn it. So I bravely asked her for a loan of $20, and she consented. We then went to the local range, which consisted of the dump at the edge of our neighborhood. The guy at the store had given me 10 rounds because he felt sorry for me having no money to buy ammunition with. I shot the Luger a couple of times and could not hit anything with it. Then

my mom insisted on shooting it, so I loaded three cartridges into the Luger for her. She stepped up with one hand and quickly fired all three shots. The can we were firing at jumped three times as she put three bullets into it. I was so mad that she outshot me that I said, “I am going home.” She teased me about that for years. Mom is gone now, but I still have what I call “Mom’s Luger”—my favorite firearm. CLIFFORD DALY, KY.

NRA member photo

Mom’s Luger

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.

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from the bench

SIG 365 Ammunition

BY B. GIL HORMAN, Field Editor

ach generation of concealed-carry practitioner has sought out those handguns that provided the best balance of concealability and performance available at the time. Early pocket semi-automatics were chambered for small-caliber cartridges, including .22 Long Rifle, .25 ACP and .32 ACP. In the late 2000s, the marketplace enjoyed

a surge in single-stack, pocket .380 ACP pistols with lightweight polymer or aluminum frames. Most recently, pistol makers have been striving to meet the latest standard for concealed carry equilibrium by offering their own versions of the “micro 9”—pocket-size pistols chambered for the more potent 9 mm Luger pistol cartridge.

SHOOTING RESULTS (7 YDS.)

9 mm Luger Cartridge

VeLoCity @ muzzLe (f.p.s.)

energy (ft.-Lbs.)

group size (inChes) Largest aVerage smaLLest

sig sauer p365, 3.1" barreL 365 V-Crown 115-gr. Jhp

1078 Avg. 14 Sd

297

1.41

1.62

1.51

365 eLite 115-gr. fmJ

1092 Avg. 7 Sd

294

1.38

1.60

1.48 1.50

aVerage extreme spread ruger eC9s, 3.12" barreL 365 V-Crown 115-gr. Jhp

1055 Avg. 18 Sd

284

1.62

1.78

1.70

365 eLite 115-gr. fmJ

1063 Avg. 11 Sd

289

1.65

1.81

1.73 1.72

aVerage extreme spread waLther ppQ sC, 3.5" barreL 365 V-Crown 115-gr. Jhp

1129 Avg. 22 Sd

325

1.20

1.41

1.32

365 eLite 115-gr. fmJ

1138 Avg. 13 Sd

331

1.26

1.42

1.34 1.33

aVerage extreme spread

NoteS: MeASured AverAge velocity for 10 ShotS fired Next to A lAb rAdAr chroNogrAph with A 12" offSet froM the Muzzle. AccurAcy for five coNSecutive, fiveShot groupS fired froM A beNch reSt. teMperAture: 88° f. huMidity: 20%. AbbreviAtioNS: fMJ (full MetAl JAcket), Jhp (JAcketed hollow poiNt), Sd (StANdArd deviAtioN).

November 2018

americaN riflemaN

As these pistols have been shrinking in size, the ammunition has been steadily improving. Due to its popularity for military, law enforcement and civilian applications, the 9 mm Luger is among the most heavily researched and developed cartridges on the market. These refinements have, for the most part, been focused on improving the performance of duty-size pistols sporting barrels that are 4" or longer. Duty-tuned loads have some noteworthy drawbacks when loaded into micro-size 9 mm pistols. Micro 9s have less mass than their duty-size compatriots, resulting in more felt recoil when loaded with the same cartridges. Increased recoil is not just a matter of personal comfort; it also leads to increased muzzle rise, which, in turn, forces the pistol’s operator to work harder to get back on target for crucial follow-up shots. It’s common for powder loads blended for 4" or longer barrels to not burn completely when fired from shorter barrels. This can result in excessive muzzle flash and a reduction in performance. Unburned powder also acts as additional mass that must be pushed out the barrel along with the bullet. It may not be a tremendous amount of mass, but it still takes a toll on bullet velocity. SIG Sauer’s most recent entry into the micro 9 arms race is the slim P365 pistol with a 3.1" barrel, 10-round magazine and an unloaded weight of 18.4 ozs. To meet the performance requirements of this new pistol, the ammunition development team at the company’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, Ark., was tasked with producing an appropriate round for this pistol. The result of their work is the 365 line of 9 mm Luger ammunition, including a 115-gr. V-Crown hollow point and a ballistically matched practice load. I met with SIG Sauer’s senior director of brand management and business development, Brad Criner, to learn more about this ammunition. Although SIG Sauer’s 365 ammunition was released in conjunction with the P365 pistol, Criner pointed out that

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from the bench it is intended for use in all micro 9s with barrels shorter than 4", no matter the make or model. The V-Crown defensive hollow point is topped with the same jacketed, lead core bullets that are used in SIG Sauer’s Elite Performance ammunition. The listed muzzle velocity for this load is 1050 f.p.s. for a muzzle energy of 282 ft.-lbs. The cartridge is filled with a proprietary powder charge that burns completely before the bullet leaves the barrel. As a result, the bullet reaches its ballistic potential with reduced felt recoil and less muzzle flash. The nickel-coated brass cartridge cases have been produced in-house with meticulous attention paid to the quality and purity of the metals used. The combination of SIG Sauer’s V-Crown bullet design, working in conjunction with a high-quality cartridge case and modern manufacturing processes contribute to consistent shot placement round after round. One of the most important principles of concealed carry is developing proper shooting techniques and muscle memory through regular, consistent practice sessions and training. All too often, folks pack one type of ammunition in their carry guns while practicing with something else. Practice loads are less expensive, but they produce varying degrees of felt recoil with a different point of impact and group size than defensive loads. SIG Sauer’s tag line for the 365 ammunition is “Train Like You Carry.” The company meets this need with the 365 Elite Ammunition practice round. It is ballistically matched to the hollow-point defensive load in order to produce the same reducedrecoil feel and point of impact. The company successfully reduces practice cost without reducing cartridge performance. The 365 Elite is also topped with a 115-gr. projectile traveling at 1050 f.p.s. using the exact same powder charge as the V-Crown cartridge. That said, the bullet is a less expensive full-metaljacket (FMJ) version suitable for punching paper, the cartridge cases are plain brass and the ammunition

November 2018

ships in a matte finish, pulp-fiber carton instead of the usual glossy box. To put the new 365 ammunition through its paces, I took several boxes of the V-Crown and FMJ loads to the range with three test guns. It seemed logical that one of the test guns should be the SIG Sauer P365 with its 3.1" barrel, which is the same barrel length listed on the ammunition boxes. The second micro 9 was the budget-priced Ruger EC9s with fixed sights and a barrel length of 3.12". The third gun was the sub-compact Walther PPQ SC with a 3.5" barrel. The 365 defense and the practice rounds both successfully loaded, fired and ejected without any malfunctions in all three of the test guns. They produced moderate levels of felt recoil and muzzle rise comparable to .380 ACP pistols of a similar size and weight. For comparison, I switched to a few magazines worth of a standard-velocity 124-gr. 9 mm Luger ammunition. The increase in recoil, muzzle flash and muzzle flip were immediately noticeable. Formal accuracy testing was conducted from a bench rest at 7 yds. As the results table shows, fiveshot group sizes were consistent with the V-Crown and FMJ loads in each pistol. It is not uncommon to see muzzle velocities in the field slower than those listed on the box because lab-based testing is often conducted with longer test barrels. But that was not the case with either 365 load. The two 3.1" pistol barrels yielded muzzle velocities that were between 5 to 42 f.p.s. faster than the listed 1050 f.p.s. velocity with the slightly longer 3.5" barrel gaining between 79 to 88 f.p.s. on average. I’ve been shooting SIG Sauer’s Elite Performance ammunition in various chamberings for nearly three years now with positive results across the board. Time and again this ammunition has run flawlessly while often producing the tightest groups during formal testing. I’m glad to report that the new soft-shooting 365 line of 9 mm ammunition series for micro 9 pistols demonstrates the same levels of quality and reliability as SIG Sauer’s other ammunition offerings. For more, visit sigsauer.com/ammunition. americaN riflemaN

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NOVEMBER 2018 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

VINTAGE

Poster courtesy of and available from Winfield Galleries, winfieldgalleries.com

Remember the article on the U.S. Model of 1917 rifle (August 2018, p. 42) from a few issues back? At the end of World War I, three factories in the United States were set up to make bolt-action rifles—two owned by Remington and one by Winchester. In 1921, Remington brought out a modified M1917 as the Model 30. Winchester responded in 1926 with the Model 54 (above)—made on some of the same tooling that had made M1917s. The Model 54 was featured in Winchester’s 1928 calendar painted by R. Farrington Elwell.

Peace Dividend

COVER STORY

The X-Bolt 50

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

Photos by Forrest MacCormack

Considered “radical” when introduced a decade ago, the Browning X-Bolt has become the company’s flagship. Why? It was a great design from the very beginning. BY JEFF JOHNSTON, Field Editor

t’s interesting how perceptions change over time. In 1955, for example, it was acceptable— normal, even—for little boys to pretend to blast each other with toy guns at recess. Little boys haven’t changed, but perceptions sure have. Elvis used to seem risque; now that notion is laughable. In 1985, a Glock looked liked a ray gun from a Buck Rogers episode— today it’s as normal as sunshine, despite that polymer handgun looking no different than it did back then. The point is, human perception evolves with familiarity, and often it happens without our even realizing it. Back in 2008, this magazine’s editor in chief, Mark Keefe, reviewed the then-new Browning X-Bolt rifle. He titled his story, “A Radical In The Family.” This wasn’t shortsightedness, for if anyone knows that guns and gun-buying trends evolve, it’s Keefe. (Several other gun writers penned similar descriptions, including this one who wrote of the X-Bolt’s “new-aged, race car-esque lines”.)

10 Years Later AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

NOVEMBER 2018

BROWNING X-BOLT A-BOLT MEDALLION

X-BOLT PRO

“I assembled the team, and gave them the guidelines. In short, Browning wanted a superior rifle.” —Joseph Rousseau,

Browning Director of Research and Development At any rate, as I handle the rifle today—10 years later—my own prior description of it seems strange; its design hasn’t changed from 2008, but I no longer perceive Browning’s modern flagship as radical. Until, that is, I look at it alongside an A-Bolt for context. I’m then reminded that its tapered fore-end, rounded belly and sharp shadow lines were a stark departure from its predecessor. No doubt Browning marketers named their updated rifle the X-Bolt at least in part to appeal to future generations, but time has revealed that the rifle is more than a new name and a facelift. What follows is the story of the X.

A Little Background

For a very brief history of the Browning company, without spending volumes on John M. Browning’s myriad inventions and business dealings, allow the following: The Browning company of Morgan, Utah, was contrived in 1878 to produce, market and sell non-military shooting, hunting and fishing products made by the John Browning company. Over the years it has been bought, sold and licensed numerous times. Its firearms have been made and licensed to sell by Colt, Remington, Winchester, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and Miroku of Japan. In 1977 FN Herstal—the company that also owned U.S. Repeating Arms Co.—bought Browning Arms Co., but, despite being a gun manufacturer itself, the Belgian firm chose to keep production of many of its Browning rifles at the contracted, 124-year-old Miroku factory in Japan. Despite being Belgian-owned and Japanese-made, Browning Arms’ engineering, R&D and marketing operations are run by Americans out of its U.S. offices, and that likely explains at least one reason why Browning firearms are generally so appealing to American hunters. Another is that it was not Browning’s first crack at making American hunters and shooters happy; the A-Bolt provided valuable insight.

NOVEMBER 2018

“A” Worthy Predecessor

Browning’s A-Bolt rifles hit dealer racks in 1984. The rifle was to replace Browning’s BBR, a bolt-action that was actually ahead of its time with its detachable magazine and absence of factory iron sights. In this writer’s opinion, however, the BBR looked too much like Remington’s Model 700 and was not distinguishable enough on its own. Sales lagged. So Browning set out to design the A-Bolt that was to feature real improvements over other rifles, such as a shorter, 60-degree bolt throw—making reloading quicker while decreasing the bolt knob’s potential to interfere with the eyepiece of a scope mounted above it—and a lighter, livelier feel. The A-Bolt was designed to be its own rifle, what with its trim physique and lithe action. Indeed, the Micro Medallion hovered around 6 lbs. at a time when few companies were going light. It handled like a wand, and, more importantly, it shot well. The initial A-Bolts were often dressed with high-gloss stocks, deep bluing, golden triggers and many had factory engraving. Yet Browning tracked with each trend that came along, and when the stainless/synthetic wave hit, Browning rode it with its A-Bolt Stalker and Composite Stalker models, among many others. Since 1984, Browning has introduced dozens of A-Bolt versions, and I don’t know an A-Bolt owner who doesn’t appreciate his or hers for its quality. Even so, Browning didn’t become one of the world’s most prolific producers of firearms without reason; it has never rested on its laurels or claimed perfection. Rather, it keeps pushing the envelope and selling new guns. Even while the A-Bolt was still relatively young, Browning’s American-based leadership, including now-retired Denny Wilcox (product manager), Travis Hall (vice president of sales and marketing) and Aaron Cummins (then-marketing analyst) began looking to the future. “In about 1997 our marketing department identified a need for a new rifle. The A-Bolt was doing well, but they wanted a new generation of rifles, or perhaps rifles for a The familial relationship between the A-Bolt (top) and X-Bolt (above) is undeniable, but the newer X-Bolt, here exemplified by the carbon-fiber-stocked and Cerakoted Pro model in .300 Win. Mag. (r.), exhibits a host of enhancements and features that more than justify its existence. One is a Teflon nodule on the bolt body (r., arrow) that allows the bolt to rotate closed without grinding against the top cartridge in the magazine. The magazine itself, and its catch, also make for a more field-friendly rifle. AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

Photo by author

BROWNING X-BOLT PRO

IMPORTER: BROWNING (DEPT. AR), ONE BROWNING PLACE, MORGAN, UT 84050; (800) 333-3288; BROWNING.COM 48.5" 1.3"

1.5" 26"

13.7"

MANUFACTURER: MIROKU (JAPAN) CHAMBERING: .300 WIN. MAG. ACTION TYPE: BOLT-ACTION, CENTER-FIRE REPEATING RIFLE

RECEIVER: STAINLESS STEEL BARREL: STAINLESS STEEL; RADIAL MUZZLE BRAKE

RIFLING: SIX-GROOVE, 1:10" RH TWIST FINISH: BURNT BRONZE CERAKOTE STOCK: CARBON-FIBER, FOAM-FILLED

new generation,” said Marcus Heath, currently Browning’s quality manager. At the time, engineer Joseph Rousseau was placed in charge of the project. Born in Belgium and schooled in engineering and sociology, he’d worked in Europe as an industrial design engineer before immigrating to America in 1989 to work for FN’s Browning and USRAC (Winchester) brands, namely on its shotguns. Today, he’s Browning’s director of research and development, in charge of all guns that Browning designs. He’s also passionate about motorcycles and automobile design. In the late 1990s he was tasked with designing the X-Bolt concept from the ground up. “I assembled the team, and gave them the guidelines,” said Rousseau. “In short, Browning wanted a superior rifle.” “[Marketing] called for a totally new, accurate rifle with new features and updated styling,” Heath said. “We wanted a detachable magazine, increased rigidity of the action for accuracy, an improved trigger and a threeposition safety. And all of this would have been fairly easy,” Heath paused. “If we also didn’t want it to remain light, slim and easy to carry.” “It’s very easy to add weight to a product,” cautions Rousseau. “But if you start with a product that’s too heavy,

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MAGAZINE: THREE-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX TRIGGER: SINGLE-STAGE; 3-LB., 4-OZ. PULL SIGHTS: NONE; DRILLED AND TAPPED RECEIVER WEIGHT: 6 LBS., 8 OZS. ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, THREAD PROTECTOR, LOCK MSRP: $2,100

you must start compromising things. So we began by looking at how to build a lightweight rifle.” The engineers’ first task was to examine where their bolt guns’ weight originates. Since they couldn’t go much lighter on the barrel and the stock, there were really only two other places they could look to, and that was the bolt and receiver. The plan was to design a lightweight receiver and bolt, then they’d think about a magazine and the other improvements. “An inexpensive way to build a rifle is with a full-body bolt,” Rousseau said. “But I didn’t want to go that way because it adds weight. So we decided on a small-diameter bolt while retaining the three lugs for strength.” The team was convinced the A-Bolt’s 60-degree bolt throw was an advantage and a selling point, and so it would remain. Yet a 60-degree bolt throw is not as simple as it sounds when used in a compact receiver, and so the X’s bolt was altered slightly from the A’s. “We had to design the cocking mechanism to hook the striker and compress the firing pin spring. But with the short, 60-degree throw, the ramp that cocks the firing pin as the bolt rotates must be steeper; therefore it requires more force to cock.” Another obstacle to designing a manageable shortthrow mechanism was the team’s desire to eliminate the A-Bolt’s bolt roller—an internal part that not many people know about. It reduces friction and allows easier cocking, but it’s not without its faults, including weight. “Those things don’t age well,” Rousseau said. When I asked for

NOVEMBER 2018

BROWNING X-BOLT

SEAR FIRING PIN

clarification, he said that few people know to oil the roller. So, with the roller removed, engineers had to refine and smooth the X-Bolt’s cocking ramp and mechanism. After they solved it, they moved to the locking lugs. In order to reduce the size and, therefore, weight of the receiver, the team had to re-organize the locking lugs. Browning wanted a trimmer action that was not as deep, but also insisted it hold four cartridges in the magazine (in standard calibers) while remaining flush with the stock. But to do all that, and prevent the locking lug at the bottom of the bolt from contacting the top cartridge in the magazine as the bolt is rotated, something had to give. The three-lug bolt features a hybrid extractor and a plunger ejector like that of the A-Bolt, but the location of the lugs has changed. Engineers decided to place a small Teflon nodule on the bottom of the bolt that has beveled edges. As the bolt rotates down, the nodule smoothly slides over the first cartridge in the magazine and presses it down very slightly, allowing the bolt to rotate with no chance of steel-on-brass friction. “Next we looked at magazines. Mannlicher was one of the first to the market with a rotary magazine,” Rousseau said, “and I liked it because it was lighter weight, and because it utilizes more of the space within the magazine itself, its capacity is maximized despite reducing its height.” “This was important to us, because to carry a scoped rifle a hunter puts his hand underneath the belly, and so I wanted it perfectly flush. The rotary magazine made perfect sense.” Another advantage of Browning’s polymer rotary magazine is its internal design that retains each cartridge by its case’s shoulder, rather than just floating it in the box supported only by the shell underneath. In this way, rather than slamming the bullet tips into the hard front wall of the magazine during recoil with every shot, the forward momentum of a cartridge in the magazine is arrested by its own shoulder. This is a real, yet rarely mentioned, problem with

TRIGGER SEAR

TRIGGER FULL SEAR ENGAGEMENT (READY TO FIRE)

2X X

TRIGGER SEAR

UNSEARED (FIRED)

NOVEMBER 2018

CLOSE-UP UNSEARED (FIRED)

many magazine-fed guns, especially those with magnum recoil. Riflemen spend top dollar on bullets with the best ballistic coefficients and painfully map their data; having the bullet’s tip get rubbed off or deformed before the bullet is ever fired can negatively affect accuracy, especially at long ranges. The X-Bolt’s magazine remedies this. Its patent was awarded in 2005 under Marcus Heath’s name. Counterintuitively, Browning engineers say that going with a detachable magazine also adds rigidity to the action. According to Heath, that’s because on the A-Bolt’s hinged floorplate, the bottom of the receiver necessarily had a large cutout in it. The detachable magazine and monolithic,

Scope bases are secured with eight mounting screws (above). The “three-lever” Feather Trigger design allows for a light, yet safe, pull weight. A sliding, tang-mounted safety works in conjunction with a bolt unlocking button at the handle’s root (arrow), and a cocking indicator below the tailpiece, to secure the action and indicate its readiness.

SEAR

FIRING PIN

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

wrap-around bottom metal chassis of the X-Bolt lends its receiver added strength. Also the A-Bolt’s magazine was not a center-feed design, and this proved another area of strength and improvement in the new platform. “We wanted more material in the bottom of the action, and we knew it would also be good to have a center-feed mag so we could have more material on both sides of the magwell. What resulted was an action that’s about 18 percent more rigid than the A-Bolt’s,” Heath said. “The center-feed design also proved to feed more consistently, as it feeds from only one position, not from both sides.” Finally, even the magazine’s latch was thoroughly contemplated. While the magazine well is metal so the latch mechanism offers a satisfying, positive click as it snaps in and out of battery, the latch of the polymer magazine is molded into the magazine itself, so when you grasp it and depress the latch, the entire magazine falls out in your hand. This allows the shooter to remove the magazine with one hand, without looking. Still, when this superior magazine debuted on the X-Bolt, folks, including Browning’s own sales force, had doubts. “We told a few of our reps to stand on it,” Heath said. “We even dared customers to do it too, and then do the same thing with a typical sheet metal magazine. As we knew all along that you can’t bend it or dent it.” These improvements alone lightened the rifle and made it slimmer. But it’s one thing to lighten a rifle, it’s another challenge altogether to lighten it and make it accurate. “Over the years, I’ve noticed that a rifle can be a lot of things—new-aged, Kevlar-stocked, semi-auto, whatever— but if it isn’t accurate, rifleman aren’t interested,” Heath said. And he’s right. When the goal is accuracy, the obvious place to examine is the barrel, but all the engineers believed they had a great one in the barrels created by Miroku. “One-hundred percent of Miroku’s Browning barrels are air-gauged at the factory. Every single barrel that makes it on a Browning rifle is honed using a proprietary process and then bore scoped for perfection,” Heath said. “We’ll put them up against anyone’s.” So the team quickly shifted focus on the trigger. All riflemen—and indeed all manufacturers—must know that a great trigger is essential to accurate shooting, so it’s perplexing to this writer why there are so many poor ones in the marketplace. Certainly, cost is a factor, but it’s not the only one—as evidenced by expensive rifles with sub-par triggers. Browning, however, did not settle for the status quo, and instead decided to go with a three-lever trigger on the X-Bolt because it has the potential to be better; properly made, it minimizes slack and overtravel, while keeping the pull weight light yet safe because of an intermediate lever that multiplies trigger pressure while also maintaining adequate sear engagement. It’s also inherently more difficult to produce, and therefore it’s more expensive. “At the early stages of development, I went to bat for a three-lever trigger while other companies were looking at americanrifleman.org

the AccuTrigger. My argument at the time was that a good trigger pull will trump secondary safeties on the trigger,” said Cummins, now a Browning product manager who handles the X-Bolt. What resulted was Browning’s Feather Trigger, and I think it’s one of the best factory triggers, in terms of feel, on the market. It features only 1/16" of total trigger travel with zero creep or overtravel. Like many Browning rifle triggers, it’s gold-plated. Browning claims they come out of the box at 4 lbs. and are adjustable down to about 3 lbs., but the X-Bolts I’ve tried stopped at around 3 lbs., 5 ozs. Next, the team re-examined the safety. Browning’s U.S. braintrust wanted a three-position safety, as popularized by Winchester, but it felt a center-tang location was better than the Winchester’s side-mounted wing on the bolt’s tailpiece. So it came up with a prototype and had the first X-Bolt made. According to Rousseau, he took the prototype X-Bolt hunting, and shot an elk. But while approaching the downed-butnot-dead animal in deep snow, he couldn’t feel the safety positions well with his numbed, gloved fingers. Somehow in his confusion, excitement and numbed state, he accidentally pressed the trigger and the gun went off. Fortunately, no one was hurt, as the rifle was pointed in a safe direction, but nonetheless when Monday morning rolled around Rousseau assembled his engineers and asked for a new safety system that would allow the three safety positions to be more intuitive; so shooters wouldn’t have to count positions or look at the safety for reference. There were patents issued in the late 1970s pertaining to a “bolt unlock override button” but most november 2018

browning x-bolt of these buttons, opined Rousseau, were located in weird positions. So he challenged the team. What resulted is perhaps the best and most innovative safety system found on any hunting rifle at this time: Browning bored a hole through the top of the bolt handle’s root, inserted a button and connected it to the trigger via a linkage. The button allows the bolt to open even if the tang safety is in its rearward, or safe, position, and it is intuitive because the shooter can depress it with a thumb as he works the bolt. It’s safe, simple and effective, and now it’s a hallmark of all X-Bolt rifles. Finally, they added a red cocking indicator that is visible below the bolt’s tailpiece. Now, with the trigger, action and barrel in hand, the team knew to properly bed it in a rigid stock. The single, forward recoil lug of the X-Bolt action is bedded in resin/ fiber epoxy. As such, it must be vigorously wiggled to remove from the stock for cleaning. Finally, Rousseau also felt the A-Bolt’s scope-mounting system—indeed, that of most rifles—could be improved. So instead of drilling and tapping two holes at each end of the action, engineers seized advantage of the X-Bolt’s flat top and ordered a total of eight scope mounting holes. Some scopes are very heavy these days, so doubling the holding power of the bases would prevent heavy scopes atop lightweight, heavy-recoiling rifles from catastrophic failures. Browning’s proprietary scope mounts feature rings and bases as one solid unit; I believe the system is superior to the vast majority of rifles currently on the market.

Putting The “X” In Sexy

Next, the team faced perhaps it greatest challenge— incorporating all these engineering changes into a lithe, postmodern package that older hunters might appreciate for its performance and new hunters might covet because it’s cool. Again, Browning had some experience in such an endeavor; it had just completed a wholesale evolution of its venerable over-under shotgun line with the introduction of the Cynergy just a few years prior in 2004. Indeed, no story of the X-Bolt rifle is complete without mentioning the Cynergy project from which the X-Bolt concept gained influence. As Keefe wrote in the aforementioned article: “As the Cynergy is to the Citori, the X-Bolt is to the A-Bolt.” After talking to the X-Bolt’s engineers, however, that influence was perhaps not as prevalent as commonly believed when the new bolt-gun made its debut. “Cynergy was certainly an influence, especially the aesthetics,” Heath said. Yet Rousseau downplayed it, stressing that the X-Bolt was its own project whose slate contained no preconceived notions of creating a Cynergy rifle. “We wanted something easy to carry, with no sharp edges.” Like the motorcycles and cars that influenced Rousseau’s design style, he wanted bold lines, sexy, perhaps, but not gaudy. “We wanted edges and smooth lines that would make sense, but we didn’t want to be too aggressive. Going too

November 2018

radical can drive some customers away. So the X-Bolt was never supposed to be as radical as the Cynergy.” The prototypes weren’t perfect. For example, its initial checkering pattern extended from the back of the fore-end, along the lines of the bottom metal. Browning had to get rid of it, because in testing it burned the fingers as the rifle recoiled. There were other non-starters. What finally resulted in 2007 was a rifle that looked radical compared to others of the time, yet was easy to carry, light, trim and had true improvements over the A-Bolt, as well as most other rifles, in general. At least this magazine thought so. In 2008, the X-Bolt won American Rifleman’s Golden Bullseye Award for Rifle of the Year. It was obvious Browning believed in the X-Bolt too, as demonstrated by its frequent line expansions in the years to follow. Product managers such as Cummins are in charge of reading market trends and deciding whether to tweak its rifles to match. For example, long-range shooting and hybrid hunting/target-style rifles are all the rage today; Cummins hinted that it’s not hard to put a heavy barrel (and I assume an adjustable stock?) on an X-Bolt. As of this writing, Browning offers the X-Bolt in 21 variations and a full array of chamberings. It chambers all the classics, and it’s doing its part in keeping up with the Noslers and Hornadys of the world as they introduce new ones. It’s catalogued 21 special editions. Forty-six versions have already been discontinued for various reasons, mostly due to expired camouflage licenses, industry partnerships or defunct cartridges. Browning has updated the X-Bolt with a few small internal improvements. For example, new versions have a small nylontipped, threaded screw that traverses the back left side

americaN riflemaN

A threaded muzzle brake screwed to the X-Bolt Pro’s barrel extends its profile and helps tame felt recoil from the 6-lb., 8-oz., .300 Win. Mag. platform.

of the action. It puts slight pressure on the bolt to ensure that it cannot bind, no matter the errant forces placed on it by the shooter. For its latest iteration, the iconic company rolled out what is likely the finest pure hunting rifle to ever be stamped with the Buckmark. It’s called the X-Bolt Pro. Browning worked with a specialty maker to produce a fully carbon-fiber-woven stock that is many times more rigid than wood or polymer, durable and weather resistant, and still lightweight. It’s foam-filled so it doesn’t sound or feel hollow. The Pro features a M13x0.75 threaded barrel for a brake (included) or a suppressor, and its metal is coated in a bronze-colored Cerakote finish. With its fluted bolt, barrel and feathery stock, the Pro weighs 6 lbs., 8 ozs., a stat that puts it in the custom-rifle class at shade more than $2,000. My test model in .300 Win. Mag. shoots sub-inch groups until the thin, 26" barrel gets cooking. All told, based on its performance, features and carry factor, it’s one of my favorite pure-hunting rifles.

The XT 22 Magnum is engineered to fire a powerful 22 magnum cartridge with a 15-round capacity. It’s the first of its kind and it’s only from Rock Island Armory.

Future X

Currently, in 2018, little boys can’t play cops and robbers for fear of getting arrested by the PC police, and heavy two-stage triggers are now considered great in polymer handguns. In this era that’s laden with prime examples of “new and improved” products that ultimately proved to be their undoing, Browning’s vision proved spot-on with its X-Bolt. Today the A-Bolt has been relegated to a classic, and the X-Bolt’s once-radical design is now perceived as normal. Yet I don’t believe this happened entirely due to the X-Bolt’s aesthetics, Browning’s marketing or peoples’ perceptions changing on their own. Rather, as time has told, it’s just an excellent rifle.

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Illustration by David Labrozzi

Hornady’s 6.5 mm PRC

By throwing off the constraints of convention, an innovator has introduced a big brother to the 6.5 mm Creedmoor that is poised to become the go-to cartridge for extreme long-range shooting and big-game hunting. BY AARON CARTER, Field Editor ong- and extreme-range shooting are games of margins; minor changes in equipment and techniques can ultimately aid or hinder success. For that reason, competitive marksmen incessantly seek an edge—however slight—over the competition. Nowhere is this more obvious than with cartridge choice. An Internet

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search will quickly reveal numerous factory and wildcat cartridges in 6 mm, 6.5 mm and 7 mm that are smartly configured for superior performance in the less-restrictive, extended-distance shooting disciplines of NRA High Power Long Range, F-Class Open, and Precision Rifle Series (PRS) Open and Production Division matches, to name a few.

NOVEMBER 2018

6.5 MM PRC described as, “A wonderful option for hunters and extreme long-range (ELR) shooters.” Doing so, though, required Hornady to break free from long-standing constraints.

Chain Breaker

The impetus for the 6.5 mm PRC first came to Hornady from George Gardner, founder of G.A. Precision. According to Emery, “Gardner came to us years ago wanting a cartridge in this class [the 6.5 mm PRC]. However, it was at the height of crazy demand during the previous administration, and we just couldn’t consider doing it as a new cartridge then with the difficulty in making enough existing products.” That didn’t curb Gardner’s desire to create, though. Ultimately, he necked Among the more well-liked cartridges used in the down the .300 Rem. Short Action Ultra Mag. (SAUM) case to aforementioned contests—in particular, PRS—are the 6.5 mm and coined the cartridge “6.5 GAP 4S.” Hornady would competition-ready numbers developed by Hornady Mfg. Co. eventually manufacture cases for Gardner’s brainchild. Why? The “cost of entry” is low, and the cartridges— “Now that things have slowed down, we finally were 6 mm and 6.5 mm Creedmoor—were optimized from the able to build the cartridge the way it was intended, with get-go for accurate, extended-range targeting—i.e. turnmore commercial appeal than the 6.5 GAP 4S,” explained key solutions. In this respect, Hornady can be considered Emery. Of the 6.5 GAP 4S, Emery said, “It’s a fine cartridge the American equivalent of the Finnish company, Nammo ballistically, but with a rebated rim it is harder to get to Lapua Oy (Lapua)—designer of the 6.5x47 mm Lapua, one feed and function well in a variety of rifles.” of the Creedmoors’ chief rivals. Gardner isn’t alone in the expedient necking down “For regular PRS-style matches, the 6 mm and 6.5 mm of a short magnum case to 6.5 mm. Joining him is Jim Creedmoor are very well-suited for the common distances, Carmichael, former shooting editor of Outdoor Life. As long shot strings and minimal recoil for seeing impacts,” detailed in Cartridges Of The World: 13th Edition, in 2001 said Neal Emery of Hornady. It was the 6.5 mm Creedmoor’s Carmichael necked down the then-new .300 WSM case to ballistics at extreme range, though, that caused a segment 6.5 mm to produce his “6.5 Leopard”—a long-range alterof the long-range-shooting fraternity to recognize the need native to the 6.5 mm-.284 Norma that would fit in shortfor a faster, more powerful sibling. Hornady did, too. “While action rifles, including the Remington Model 700. the 6.5 mm Creedmoor is miles ahead of the .308 Win., And, lest we forget Lazzeroni Arms’ proprietary shooters engaging targets past 1,000 yds. can really benefit 6.71 Phantom, a hunting cartridge introduced in 1997 from extra speed and energy,” reported Emery. “We’ve that duplicated the ballistics of the .264 Win. Mag., but definitely had a demand for more horsepower than what it did so in a short-action cartridge fitting in a 2.80" action. has to offer.” Moreover, it had minimal body taper, a 30-degree shoulder Hornady heeded the call and has subsequently created the and a rim of approximate case-body diameter. compact 6.5 mm Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC), which Emery The developments detailed above are important in that all were considered and/or incorporated SHOOTING RESULTS (100 YDS.) into the new 6.5 mm PRC. As Emery ENERGY GROUP SIZE (INCHES) 6.5 MM PRC VEL. @ 10' explained, “The parameters were that (FT.-LBS.) LARGEST AVERAGE CARTRIDGE (F.P.S.) SMALLEST it had to have a significant increase in velocity over the Creedmoor and stay HORNADY MATCH 2865 AVG. 2,679 0.42 0.80 0.62 147-GR. ELD MATCH 12 SD short-action, and without being in too large a case (think WSM) where loading 2990 AVG. HORNADY PH 2,839 0.49 1.11 0.79 143-GR. ELD-X 16 SD and performance get finicky. At 2.955" cartridge overall length (C.O.L.), it’s a AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD 0.71 bit longer than Remington Model 700 NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS FROM A 28" BARREL OVER A COMPETITION short-action factory magazines and ELECTRONIC PROCHRONO DIGITAL CHRONOGRAPH AT 10 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE their clones, but fits just right in most CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 100 YDS. FROM A CALDWELL LEAD SLED SOLO REST. TEMPERATURE: 76° F. HUMIDITY: 73%. ABBREVIATIONS: ELD (EXTREMELY LOW DRAG), ELD-X of the other short-action models on (EXTREMELY LOW DRAG-EXPANDING), (PH) PRECISION HUNTER, SD (STANDARD DEVIATION). the market.” Hornady’s commitment to performance is illustrated by its refusal to SHOOTING RESULTS (300 YDS.) be shackled to a single company’s ELD-X: THREE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AVERAGE 2.22" (SMALLEST 1.30") product, despite the long-held ELD MATCH: THREE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AVERAGE 2.13" (SMALLEST 1.61") belief that Remington Model 700

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

compatibility was a prerequisite for a successful shortaction cartridge. “If we had kept it short enough to fit the short-action 700 magazine, it would not have had enough advantage over the Creedmoor to be worth doing,” affirmed Emery. “We couldn’t let long-standing rifle limitations dictate the potential of this cartridge.” Kudos, Hornady! Emery did say that aftermarket internal box magazines allow the 6.5 mm PRC to run in short-action Model 700s. Lastly, Emery said, “The 6.5 mm PRC needed to benefit the shooter in the same way that has made the 6.5 mm Creedmoor so successful. Keeping the bullet seated outside the case, controlling the chamber dimensions, and properly stabilizing the long, heavy bullets is paramount and was incorporated into the 6.5 mm PRC.” Formally adopted by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) at its June 2018 meeting, the following measurements are the most pertinent for the 6.5 mm PRC. The parent case is the .375 Ruger—also basically a .300 RCM necked down to 6.5 mm—so the body measures 0.5320" wide at the head, a measurement that it carries back to the rim; therefore, there’s no rebated rim. The case is still 0.5166" in diameter at a point 1.300" forward of the head, so

Handloading The 6.5 mm PRC

ew cartridges are often a tease to handloaders, as seldom is there reputable data, reloading dies and brass available in a timely manner. Fortunately, Hornady has been proactive in this respect. The company already has a variety of dies out in the marketplace, and so does RCBS. Currently, Hornady is the only manufacturer of 6.5 mm PRC brass, which lists on MidwayUSA’s website for $46.99 per 50-count box. As for data, Hornady has sufficient recipes on its website for its bullets weighing from 140 to 147 grs. In fact, I referenced it when assembling handloads for this sidebar. Assuredly, others will have data soon as the cartridge was just accepted by SAAMI. Increasingly streamlined bullets are arriving to market in short order from all manufacturers, and when combined with traditional offerings, that gives the 6.5 mm PRC tremendous versatility. Similarly, some of the latest slow-burning propellants to the marketplace are what help the 6.5 mm PRC shine. For example, temperature-stable RL 26 affords top velocities across bullet weights from 140 to 147 grs., and it has a de-coppering additive to keep your bore cleaner, too. Hodgdon fans will rejoice in the use of Photos by author

field-proven Retumbo. Other good choices for the cartridge are H1000, RL-25, H4831, Magnum and Norma MRP. Nothing special is needed for handloading the 6.5 mm PRC, either. Case in point: In handloading for this piece, I found that 56.2 grs. of RL 26 beneath a 143-gr. ELD-X bullet seated to give a cartridge overall length of 2.950" and ignited by a Federal Gold Medal 210M primer provided the best accuracy, averaging 0.80" for five consecutive, five-shot groups at 100 yds.— virtually identical to the factory load. The smallest group measured 0.67". However, at 3081 f.p.s. it bested the actual velocity of the factory load by 91 f.p.s.—a worthwhile tradeoff. The loads were assembled using Hornady Custom Grade dies. For the long-range enthusiast who’s also a handloader, you’ll find the 6.5 mm PRC cartridge to be a joy to work with, and one that pays big dividends on the range with minimal effort. 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.

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NOVEMBER 2018

6.5 MM PRC body taper is minimal. In weighing five Hornady cases before and after adding water and then averaging the differences, I found that case capacity is about 67.7 grs./water. Following the established formulation for top-notch accuracy, the 6.5 mm PRC has a 30-degree shoulder angle, and the neck is slightly longer than caliber. Case length is set at 2.030" (+0.00/-0.020"). Taking that and the 2.955" C.O.L. into consideration, there is 0.925" for bullet protrusion, which is critical for streamlined, 0.264"-diameter bullets with high ballistic coefficients (BC). The Hornady 6.5 mm 143-gr. ELD-X, for instance, measures 1.442" in length. This allows more of the case capacity to be used for propellant, not merely storage space for the bullet’s lengthy shank. The SAAMI-set maximum average pressure (MAP) is 65,000 p.s.i. 6.5 MM PRC

0.475"

30°

0.532"

0.5158"

1.5687" 1.7852" 2.030" 2.955" (MAX.)

0.297"

Ballistics And Testing

As emphasized by Emery, for the 6.5 mm PRC to be a sensible project it needed to provide appreciable gains over the perennial favorite 6.5 mm Creedmoor. Thanks to an approximate 14.4 gr./water increase in case capacity over the Creedmoor—Hornady cases averaged 53.3 grs./water—the PRC obviously stands to gain a boost in velocity. How much? According to Hornady’s website, the 6.5 mm PRC Match load propels the 147-gr. ELD Match bullet to 2,910 f.p.s., which helps it maintain supersonic speeds to 1,675 yds.—around 200 yds. farther than the Creedmoor when loaded with the same bullet. That’s just the beginning. With a 100-yd. zero, the 147-gr ELD Match from the 6.5 mm Creedmoor drops 307.7" at 1,000 yds., where it’s still traveling 1574 f.p.s. In a full-value, 10-m.p.h. breeze wind deflection is 60.7". At that same distance, the 6.5 mm PRC drops 257.6", is pushed 53.7" off course, and is still moving 1737 f.p.s.—a noteworthy improvement. From the 6.5 mm Creedmoor, the 147-gr. ELD Match bullet is still traveling 1133 f.p.s. at 1,500 yds. Drop and wind deflection are 928.5" and 161.1",

respectively. Maintaining a speed of 1267 f.p.s. gives the 6.5 mm PRC an edge; the ELD Match drops 770.2" and is pushed 141" off course by a 10-m.p.h breeze. This makes it obvious why Emery said, “For extreme-long-range (ELR) precision matches, where many of the targets are beyond 800 yards, the 6.5 mm PRC offers a major advantage.” Similarly, the edge goes to the PRC in Hornady’s Precision Hunter 143-gr. ELD-X load. Starting at 2960 f.p.s., it offers a 260-f.p.s. increase in velocity over the 6.5 mm Creedmoor. With a 200-yd. zero, the ELD-X from the Creedmoor will drop 44.3" at 500 yds. and drifts 14.9" in a 10-m.p.h. breeze. Energy is 1,315 ft.-lbs. At 500 yds., the 6.5 mm PRC still has 1,622 ft.-lbs. of energy remaining, drops 36" and drifts 12.9". “While we’ve received an enormous amount of positive feedback from hunters using the 6.5 mm Creedmoor 143-gr. ELD-X Precision Hunter load on elk,” reported Emery, “the same bullet in the 6.5 mm PRC gives hunters more peace of mind with larger game.” Don’t get the impression that the above factory ballistics are inflated; actually, they’re relatively tame. Consider this: When shooting across a Competition Electronics ProChrono Digital Chronograph at 15 ft., from the 28" barrel (with brake) of the test rifle, a PROOF Research H6 Terminus, the Match load achieved 2865 f.p.s., while the Precision Hunter load went 2990 f.p.s. for 10 shots. Mind

Many long-range marksmen have disavowed the .308 Win. (r.) in favor of the ballistically superior 6.5 mm Creedmoor (center). But those who regularly engage targets at extreme range would benefit from the extra velocity afforded by the 6.5 mm PRC (l.).

6.5 mm prc you, these are not the cartridge’s maximum velocities. According to the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading: 10th Edition, through handloading, the 143-gr. ELD-X can achieve 3150 f.p.s. from the 6.5 mm PRC, whereas the 6.5 mm Creedmoor can only propel it to 2800 f.p.s. Even the .264 Win. Mag. can only hit 3050 f.p.s. With a less-than-maximum load of Reloder 26, I was able to attain 3081 f.p.s. from the test rifle (see sidebar). Likewise, the 6.5 mm PRC can propel the 147-gr. ELD Match to 3050 f.p.s., which is about 150-f.p.s. faster than what the 6.5 mm-284 Norma can achieve. That’s no small feat. The 6.5 mm PRC is more than just another speedster; it’s an efficient cartridge capable of fine accuracy, too. Considering the desirable blend of case characteristics that it possesses, it’s little wonder. To give the cartridge a fair shake, accuracy testing was conducted with the PROOF Research Terminus topped with a Leupold VX-6 HD 6-24X 52 mm scope—a combination that has proven to be very precise. Full accuracy results are tabulated on p. 60; however, here’s a synopsis of the outcome. With the Hornady Match 147-gr. ELD Match load, the rifle averaged 0.62" for five consecutive, five-shot groups at 100 yds. The single tightest group was 0.42". Switching to the Precision Hunter 143-gr. ELD-X round, the average for 25 shots was 0.79", with only one group being larger than the one-m.o.a. mark.

The average for all 50 shots was 0.71". Yes, it’s an accurate cartridge—almost boringly accurate. To not achieve subm.o.a. performance is simply shooter error, nothing more. After 100-yd. accuracy testing and chronographing was completed, remnant ammunition was used to produce three, five-shot groups at 300 yds. with each load. At that distance, the smallest group with the Match load measured 1.61", and the average for the three groups was 2.13". The Precision Hunter load actually produced the tightest group, measuring 1.30", though the overall average was 2.22". During testing, there were no issues with the ammunition. For factory ammunition, consistency was quite good; the standard deviation of the Match load was 12, though the Precision Hunter ran slightly higher at 16. There were no signs of over pressure, either, and cycling was flawless. In the lightweight, muzzle-brake-equipped PROOF rifle, perceived recoil was minimal—perfect for rapid follow-up shots and lengthy shooting sessions. As you might suspect, performance comes at a price. The suggested retail price for the Precision Hunter 143-gr. ELD-X 6.5 mm Creedmoor load is $43.28, while the 6.5 mm PRC is $50.21. Similarly, the 147-gr. ELD Match load in 6.5 mm Creedmoor and 6.5 mm PRC retail for $38.60 and $48.55, respectively. Real-world pricing is closer, however; for example, as this is written the standard price at MidwayUSA

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Although the 6.5 mm PRC shines with heavy, aerodynamically superior bullets, the cartridge is capable of utilizing the full range of 0.264"-diameter projectiles. Examples include (l. to r.): Barnes 100-gr. TTSX BT; Barnes 120-gr. TSX BT; Sierra MatchKing

123-gr. HPBT; Barnes 127-gr. LRX BT; Swift 130-gr. Scirocco II; Nosler 129-gr. AccuBond LR; Barnes Match Burner 140-gr. BT Match; Sierra MatchKing 140-gr. HPBT; Sierra MatchKing 142-gr. HPBT; and Hornady 143-gr. ELD-X.

(midwayusa.com) for the Match load in 6.5 Creedmoor is $28.99 per 20, while 6.5 mm PRC is $36.99—an $8 difference. Is it worth the difference in cost? You must decide. Currently, rifle makers chambering the 6.5 mm PRC include Christensen Arms, Fierce Firearms, G.A. Precision, Gunwerks, Hill Country Rifles, Horizon Firearms, McRee Precision, Montana Rifles, PROOF Research, Savage Arms, Sauer, Stuteville Precision, Seekins Precision and Trident Armory.

“We know of a few other big names working on it, but don’t want to announce before they are ready,” Emery said. A willingness to listen to consumers’ suggestions and break free of long-time constraints has allowed Hornady to introduce a modern, short-action cartridge with distinct advantages over well-established competitors for shooting at extreme range or pursuing large quarry. In the long-range game, it could be the new name.

November 2018

americaN riflemaN

Photos courtesy of author

history

When Israel declared its independence in 1948, it acquired rifles—including some used by the Germans during World War II—from any source it could find. New Mausers made at FN saw service in the Israeli War of Independence, and on through the Six-Day War. BY ANTHONY VANDERLINDEN ince the creation of the United Nations, few measures have garnered as much attention as Resolution 181 (II). Radio and television sets worldwide tuned in on Nov. 29, 1947, for the vote to propose an independent Jewish state in Palestine. The controversial vote passed with the approval of 33 nations, while 13 countries voted against and 11 abstained or were absent. Even before the United Nations resolution passed, the entire region of Palestine was engulfed in a civil war. This war morphed into the Israeli War of Independence (or ArabIsraeli War) after Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948. Jerusalem was immediately besieged on May 15. The situation quickly turned dire; the Jewish population of 600,000 was surrounded by hostile Arab countries with a population of more than 15 million. The new government relied on the members of older independence groups, most notably the Haganah, “The Defense,” which had fought to protect Jewish interests, and for independence, over a period of decades. Poorly outfitted Jewish fighters were facing well-equipped armies from Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. The Arabs vowed to annihilate the Jews. It was a fight for survival and a fight against a second Holocaust. Three of the countries voting for the UN resolution, the United States, Czechoslovakia and Belgium, had a significant impact on the survival of the Jewish state of Israel. Arms produced by Fabrique Nationale, and used in Israel’s fight for an independent state, include (opposite, top to bottom): A pre-war Mauser converted in Israel to K98 configuration; a pre-war Ethiopian contract Mauser with K98-style furniture converted to 7.62x51 mm NATO in Israel; a 1950s-produced Mauser supplied to Israel and converted to americanrifleman.org

7.62x51 mm NATO; a .22 Long Rifle-chambered, Mauser-style training rifle; a rare pre-war High Power pistol (l.) with fixed sights and slotted frame shipped to Tel Aviv in 1938; and a post-war Israeli presentation High Power supplied in 1954. An Israeli soldier in the early 1950s is shown (above) holding a World War II-era surplus K98 rifle. november 2018

ISRAELI MAUSERS This pre-war FN Mauser was converted in Israel to K98 configuration and remains in its original 7.92x57 mm JS chambering.

A 1950s-produced FN Mauser, this rifle was supplied to Israel and converted to 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering. Arsenal refinished in green phosphate, its matching parts include the original bolt.

Although full-size, this FN K98 Mauser-style training rifle was chambered in .22 Long Rifle. The unique design, sold only to Israel, featured an improved bolt and feed ramp. Israelis marked its stock with a “0.22” designation.

This pre-war Lithuanian-contract FN Mauser was converted in Israel to 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering and features K98-style furniture.

This pre-war Ethiopian-contract FN Mauser was also converted in Israel to 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering. Its K98-style furniture and front sight hood are characteristic of the breed.

Czechoslovakia

The Czech legation at the UN voted for the Jewish state only a few months before a Communist coup turned Czechoslovakia into a Soviet satellite state. Czechoslovakia became the most important cog in the wheel to help arm the Jewish people. Surplus German and Czech World War II guns were acquired from the Czechoslovak government and shipped to Palestine. The Czechoslovak aid is well-known; not only did it provide small arms, the country became a centralized hub for all forms of material aid. While small arms were important, the Jews needed armor and an air force to counter the Arab armies. The Czechs helped establish the Israeli air force by initially selling surplus German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter planes, as well as Czech clones known as the Avia S-199. Sales were later expanded to include surplus Spitfires. All this aid amounted to huge financial revenues for the Czechs. During this time, Joseph Stalin allowed continued support after the Czech communist coup, not so much to support the Jews but for the consternation of the British Empire.

Belgium The Belgians also voted in favor of the UN resolution after the socialist Belgian foreign minister Paul-Henri Spaak caused controversy by calling a Jewish state “dangerous.” Most Belgians did not share that viewpoint. Many were

NOVEMBER 2018

troubled by the fate of the Jewish people during the war, and by the 1946 British blockade against Jewish immigrants. The British internment camps in Cyprus and the detainment of Holocaust survivors were considered scandalous. Publicly, some Belgian politicians appeased their allies, including Great Britain, who favored the Arabs while advocating for the international arms embargo. Privately, some Belgian officials turned a blind eye toward the embargo in favor of arming the Jewish people. A notorious international arms dealer negotiated with the Belgian government for the purchase of all available surplus wartime German small arms. The extent of the government’s involvement in the arms deal is still cloaked in secrecy, but export permits were granted. It was not the first time the Belgian government had gone against the wishes of Great Britain. In the 1930s, Fabrique Nationale (FN) had sold arms to Abyssinia while Belgian military officers were advising and forming modern military fighting units to counter the growing threat from fascist Italy. The arms dealer most likely sold the surplus guns at enormous profit. The desperate situation of the Jews in Palestine was well-known, and fundraising events were held worldwide. Financing the arms purchases was not the problem, purchasing arms and getting them to the region was far more difficult. AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

The United States

President Harry S. Truman was an essential supporter of the UN resolution and had flexed political muscle in order to garner international support. The support came, however, after Truman wrote Congress on April 15, 1947, to restore the Neutrality Act. Consequently, an international arms embargo went into effect on Dec. 5, 1947. It was illegal for United States citizens to sell equipment to, or fight for, the state of Israel. The Israelis lacked pilots, so recruiting former U.S. airmen in secrecy was a high priority. Despite the restrictions and risks, several American veterans answered the call and made their way to Czechoslovakia in order to fly combat missions for Israel. Clandestine groups in the U.S. were focusing on acquiring surplus World War II planes. A fake Panamanian airline company was established in order to mislead the U.S. government about the true purpose of these acquisitions. Some Curtiss C-46s and a few military Lockheed Constellations were purchased and flown to Panama before making their way to Israel (via Brazil, Morocco, Italy and Czechoslovakia). American veterans flew and fought for Israel at great peril, the U.S. State Dept. had warned that these men would lose their citizenship if caught breaking the Neutrality Act. That was of little concern to those in combat—with some paying the ultimate price. Others remained in Israel after the war to help build the country, especially the Israeli Air Force and El Al airline.

Receiver markings on Israeli FN Mausers include: (l.-r.) A pre-war “FN” crest; a pre-war Ethiopian crest with added “7.62” marking; a pre-war Lithuanian crest with “7.62”; a 1950s IDF crest with “7.62”; and the same crest on a trainer chambered in .22 Long Rifle.

Israel’s Arms

The Israeli War of Independence was, ironically, fought with large quantities of arms manufactured by Nazi Germany. Small arms included thousands of K98 Mauser rifles, Luger pistols, P38 pistols, pre-war and wartime FN-Browning pistols, Radom VIS pistols, MG 34 machine guns, and surplus Czech arms, including CZ pistols and machine guns among others. Large quantities of British arms were also used, specifically (captured) Enfield rifles, Bren light machine guns, Sten submachine guns and Webley revolvers. The simplicity of the Sten made it a perfect candidate for domestic manufacture, copies were already being manufactured in Palestine before the War of Independence. Surplus U.S. arms, such as the Thompson submachine gun, M1 carbine and Garand, were also used extensively. All arms were vital, no matter how challenging the logistics. Despite origin and connotation, German wartime markings were rarely defaced by arsenals. American pilots were issued wartime German flight suits and asked to fight in German planes. Signs of Nazi Germany were present on much of the equipment. continued on p. 87

FN Mauser Rifles: Arming Belgium and the World

evoted to the history, models, variations, contracts and accessories of Mauser rifles and carbines built by Fabrique Nationale and Belgian arsenals, FN Mauser Rifles: Arming Belgium and the World, by Anthony Vanderlinden, is the result of more than seven years of research. It was made possible by the cooperation of Fabrique Nationale, the Ars Mechanica Foundation, museums and private collectors. This 8¾"x11½" hardbound book has 428 pp. and covers the classic line of FN military Mauser rifles and carbines, including contracts for the Model 1889, the Spanish Mauser (1893), Model 1922, Model 1924, Model 1930 and variants as well as Belgian arsenal models, training rifles and even bayonets. Sporting rifles, including the Deluxe and Supreme, are included with particular attention paid to those imported into the United States. The book has more than 1,250 images, including period photographs never previously published. FN Mauser Rifles is available from Wet Dog Publications (Dept. AR), 5603-B W. Friendly Ave., Suite 166, Greensboro, NC 27410; (336) 394-4138; fnbrowning.com. The price is $68.95 plus shipping, and NRA members receive an autographed copy and $10 discount by mentioning this review or entering the code “NRA” online. AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

HANDGUN

Accurate and reliable, Rock River’s Poly 1911s take Old Slabsides into a new century with frames made out of, well, polymer. And they’re available in both .45 ACP and 9 mm Luger. BY JUSTIN DYAL uring the past two decades, polymer has steadily replaced steel as the primary material for handgun frames. Reasons for this revolve around the popularity of some of the designs that use the frame material but also include weight savings, weather resistance and lower cost relative to steel. It was only a matter of time before a polymer frame came to the very archetype of a steel-frame pistol—the M1911. Rock River Arms, long known for its custom and semi-custom steel M1911s, now offers the Poly 1911 in both 9 mm Luger and .45 ACP, incorporating a modular polymer frame into an otherwise traditional single-stack M1911 design. Rock River Arms has a solid background with the M1911, having started in 1996 as a parts maker for M1911s and, shortly thereafter, moving into complete high-end pistols. The manufacturer shifted much of its production to ARs during the unprecedented demand of the Obama years, but has always had a strong association with the M1911 and has taken the platform in a new direction with the Poly line. Until now, polymer-based M1911s have typically been wide-frame guns fed from double-stack magazines as in the STI 2011 series, with the polymer being used to keep the grip as thin as possible while housing more ammunition. With more of the shooting world accustomed to polymer Photos by Peter Fountain

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

as normal, Rock River saw a different opportunity. Owner Chuck Larson saw a chance to replace the steel frame on a traditional single-stack M1911 with polymer, creating a pistol as light as aluminum-framed “carry” M1911s while leveraging the material savings to offer a Rock Riverquality production pistol at a price point accessible to a wider market. The Poly utilizes a serialized steel chassis, much like the SIG Sauer P320 or Beretta APX, which acts as the pistol’s “skeleton” and incorporates the rails on which the slide reciprocates. The polymer frame is wrapped around that chassis and is secured by screws. This creates the potential for modularity, since the “firearm” is technically the serialized steel chassis, allowing a buyer to swap out frames should Rock River mold additional colors or features such as light rails in the future. The polymer frame is cleverly engineered to make maximum use of standard M1911 parts. Aside from the magazine release, it appears that each part is pure M1911, allowing shooters to take advantage of the aftermarket for any customization. The pistols are equipped with lightweight, medium-length triggers, skeletonized hammers, wide beavertail grip safeties and standard, shelf thumb safeties. Using a polymer frame on the M1911, like any departure from a century-plus-long standard, creates differences. The NOVEMBER 2018

ROCK RIVER Rock River drew on its wealth of experience handcrafting heirloomquality M1911-style pistols (l., top) when it designed the polymer-frame versions of Old Slabsides (l., bottom). Fieldstripping in the conventional manner (below, l.) reveals the gun’s steel frame insert (bottom), which is mechanically fastened to a one-piece polymer grip frame that features steel stock screw bushings (below, arrow).

“feel” is definitely M1911, but, at the same time, is substantially thicker in the hand. The frame measures about 0.937" wide at the base of the trigger guard, about 0.175" thicker than a steel pistol. This lends the Poly a slightly squarer frontstrap, and puts the molded-in 25-lines-perinch (l.p.i.) checkering in positive contact with the firing grasp. With the addition of the molded rubber stocks, the pistols are hand-filling. Those shooters coming from double-stack pistols may find this familiar and a plus, while M1911 guys or gals that immediately put thin stocks on Old Slabsides will notice the additional thickness. The Rock Rivers are somewhat unique from other polymer-framed M1911s in that there are actual stock

NOVEMBER 2018

screw bushings threaded into the frame to accept removable stocks. Most polymer M1911-style pistols have a single molded frame with texturing pressed in. I was curious about what the Poly would feel like with thin stock panels onboard, and I happened to have a pair of VZ thin G10 panels from another pistol. With the thin stocks on, the feel was very similar to a traditional M1911 with robust wood or G10 panels, measuring 1.316" in width compared to the 1.319" across for my most-used M1911 with Craig Spegel cocobolo panels. One of the downsides to the M1911 for many is trying to rapidly reload the single-stack magazines into a relatively small magazine well. One of the first things I do to any of my personal M1911s is to install some type of enlarged magazine well. With the Rock River Polys, this is probably unnecessary. The extra thickness in the frame allows a nicely beveled magazine well to be moldedin, and it serves as just enough extra “funnel” to be an improvement over the slightly beveled opening of a traditional steel pistol. The Polys’ extra thickness through the frame and dustcover require a dedicated holster in many cases. From the pile I had on hand, I was able to use a Wilson Combat Practical model designed to accommodate both standard

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

and railed M1911s. Rock River is working with several makers to bring fitted holsters to market. In the meantime, a shooter may be able to use some of the multi-fit holsters on the market or find an approximate fit from another model in the inevitable spare holster box many of us shooters have. In addition to being an ammunition reservoir, a semi-automatic handgun frame acts as a foundation for a reliable operating system, but without a good set of sights and a nice trigger release the overall package is doomed. The sights on the Polys are Rock Rivers’ own, and consist of a dovetailed front and rear that were well-blended into the slide. The front is a 0.120" serrated face, and the rear is finely and deeply serrated as well, with an excellent picture afforded to the shooter. Sight preference is personal, but I found the picture on the pistols to be among the best I’ve seen. The forward edge of the rear sight is aggressively concave to allow the slide to hook a surface in one-handed manipulations as in clearing a stoppage or releasing the slide in a reload. The trigger and internals are all traditional M1911, and Rock River has deep experience in building semicustom match M1911s with 50-yd. accuracy guarantees. That lineage shows in both pistols. The 9 mm gun’s trigger broke at 4 lbs., 8 ozs., and the .45 dropped the hammer at 4 lbs., 4 ozs. The M1911’s trigger is one of its most highly regarded characteristics. Gun writers have long run out of new ways to express how good the break on a tuned M1911 is. In my world, practical M1911s are on their own distinct scale of 1-10, and the better factory guns are probably in the sevens or low eights nowadays. I’d rate both of the Rock River Polys high; the 9 mm is subjectively a 9.1 and the .45 a 9.5. They were both crisp, predictable and with just enough weight to allow the shooter to get aggressively to the trigger without fear, but just light enough to facilitate great hits. continued on p. 89

ROCK RIVER ARMS POLY 1911

MANUFACTURER: ROCK RIVER ARMS, INC. (DEPT. AR), 1042 CLEVELAND ROAD, COLONA, IL 61241; (309) 792-5780; ROCKRIVERARMS.COM 8.6"

ROCK RIVER ARMS INC. COLONA, IL.

SL000000

5" MAGAZINE: EIGHT-ROUND

5.25"

DETACHABLE BOX

(.45 ACP); NINE-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX

CHAMBERING: .45 ACP, 9 MM LUGER ACTION: RECOIL-OPERATED, SEMI-AUTOMATIC CENTER-FIRE PISTOL SLIDE: 4140 STEEL, MANGANESE PHOSPHATE FINISH

CHASSIS: 4140 STEEL FRAME: NYLON 6, 30 PERCENT GLASS-FILLED BARREL: 416R STAINLESS STEEL, SIX-GROOVE, 1:16" LH TWIST

(9 MM LUGER) SIGHTS: STEEL SERRATED, DRIFT-ADJUSTABLE FRONT AND REAR

TRIGGER: SINGLE-ACTION; 4-LB., 4-OZ. PULL (.45), 4-LB., 8-OZ. PULL (9 MM) WIDTH: 1.3" (AT THE GRIP) WEIGHT: 24 OZS. (WITHOUT MAGAZINE) ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, EXTRA MAGAZINE, CASE, LOCK MSRP: $1,025

SHOOTING RESULTS (25 YDS.)

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

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

BLACK HILLS 230-GR. JHP

876 AVG. 35 SD

392

1.17

2.20

1.70

HORNADY 200-GR. XTP

889 AVG. 30 SD

351

1.50

2.47

1.95

SUPER VEL 230-GR. FMJ

834 AVG. 14 SD

355

1.35

2.48

1.69

.45 ACP CARTRIDGE

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) LARGEST AVERAGE SMALLEST

1.78

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 ROUNDS FIRED OVER A CALDWELL CHRONOGRAPH AT 10 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 25 YDS. FROM A REST. TEMPERATURE: 90° F. HUMIDITY: 57%. ABBREVIATIONS: FMJ (FULL METAL JACKET), JHP (JACKETED HOLLOW POINT), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION), XTP (EXTREME TERMINAL PERFORMANCE). SHOOTING RESULTS (25 YDS.)

9 MM LUGER CARTRIDGE

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

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

BLACK HILLS 125-GR. HONEY BADGER

1112 AVG. 8 SD

343

1.10

1.92

1.49

HORNADY 125-GR. STEEL MATCH

1138 AVG. 15 SD

359

1.51

2.80

2.18

WILSON COMBAT 115-GR. SM

1237 AVG. 13 SD

391

1.40

3.70

2.25

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) LARGEST AVERAGE SMALLEST

1.97

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 ROUNDS FIRED OVER A CALDWELL CHRONOGRAPH AT 10 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 25 YDS. FROM A REST. TEMPERATURE: 90° F. HUMIDITY: 57%. ABBREVIATIONS: SD (STANDARD DEVIATION), SM (SIGNATURE MATCH). AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

NOVEMBER 2018

legends

A friend of legendary Border Patrolman Bill Jordan and the FBI’s Jelly Bryce, Captain Dan Combs performed amazing exhibition shoots and taught his fellow lawmen skills to save their lives. BY KEITH R. SCHMIDT fter I came to know Captain Dan Combs of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in the mid-1960s, we often would meet at my motel during my visits to Oklahoma City,” explained former Border Patrol assistant chief, legendary pistol shooter and author Bill Jordan (1911-1997). “We’d both unload and holster our Smith & Wesson Combat Magnum revolvers and then get ready and turn on the television set. Whenever the picture would change, we’d draw and snap at the image. I won’t say which one of us usually won this contest, but if I had known Captain Combs when I was writing my book No Second Place Winner, I would have included a chapter about him and his gun-handling expertise.” That is fitting praise from Jordan who, during his career was recorded drawing, firing and hitting his target in 0.27 of a second with a double-action revolver. Combs and Jordan were among a handful of elite law enforcement exhibition shooters active after World War II. This included Jacob Aldolphus “Jelly” Bryce (November 2017, p. 60). Bryce was an FBI agent of the 1930s who was formerly with the Oklahoma City Police Dept. Unlike Combs and Jordan who favored the K-frame-size .357 Mag. revolvers, Bryce favored the early .38-44 Outdoorsman on the larger N-frame. He also shot that frame size Smith & Wesson in .357 Mag. and .44 Spl. While each of their styles varied, all were blessed with excellent eyesight and coordination that most people simply don’t possess. They occasionally shot together in Oklahoma City. All three were in the category of the low-sub-second draw, earning them the labels “before you can blink” and “hit what

November 2018

you point at.” What a day at the range that must have been. Much of Jordan’s exhibition shooting was, by necessity, done indoors with wax bullets. Much of Bryce’s shooting expertise was usually limited to an FBI audience but also included some unlucky gangsters. On the other hand, Combs was often introduced during his very public exhibitions as “the pride of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol,” and performed more than 3,000 shooting demonstrations—most of them outdoors with live ammunition. Audiences ranged from soldiers stationed at Fort Sill, Okla., to fellow law officers to youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts. He helped define the outer limits of just how good a person can become with a firearm. His exhibitions included: quick-draw and speedshooting with one and two double-action revolvers, speed fanning of Colt and Ruger single-action revolvers, along with demonstrations of his skill with rifles, shotguns and machine guns. Using what he termed his “homespun cotton-patch philosophy,” Combs tied his demonstrations to lectures on firearm and traffic safety. By drawing a parallel between a traffic violator and a criminal with a gun, Combs tried to improve the awareness for defensive driving. “A drunk driver is 10 times more dangerous to the public’s well being than a felon brandishing a pistol or rifle,” Combs used to tell his standing-room-only audiences. “While a fellow may kill one or two people before someone nails him, the drunk driver can, and often does, kill a car full of innocent citizens. Keep your mind on your business, continued on p. 90

americaN riflemaN

Photos courtesy of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol

Like Bill Jordan, Combs favored the Model 19 Smith & Wesson .357 Mag. with a 4" barrel as the best all-around handgun/cartridge choice for the majority of peace officers.

americanrifleman.org

november 2018

DOPE BAG

MOSSBERG MVP PRECISION T

he soaring popularity of longrange precision shooting has been the impetus behind a number of sporting rifle companies deciding to offer their existing bolt-action platforms re-dressed in chassis stocks. Mossberg is among the companies doing so, introducing its MVP Precision rifle in January 2018. Possessing a number of features to make the rifle compatible with longrange shooting, the newest Mossberg offers shooters an economical option for competition. For this evaluation, we received a sample of the MVP Precision rifle chambered for the 6.5 mm Creedmoor cartridge. Based on Mossberg’s proven MVP bolt-action design, the MVP Precision boasts a number of thoughtful features. The rifle feeds from multiple patterns of detachable box magazines and comes with a polymer Magpul 10-rounder. Besides PMAGs, it also accepts DPMS/SR25 and M14 magazines. There is an AR-15-style magazine release conveniently located where it can be reached by the trigger finger, simultaneously disengaging front- and side-mounted catches. The 24" barrel is free-floating, the trigger is adjustable, and the stock features adjustable comb height and length of pull. All of these features were designed to make the MVP Precision a viable competition rifle.

The MVP action has been the heart of Mossberg’s sporting bolt-gun offerings for many years. It has a reputation for being a workhorse, and that made it a perfect candidate for an upgrade into a long-range precision rifle. The push-feed design cocks on opening and features a plunger ejector and a sliding-plate extractor. The bolt handle features a large and weighty knob for rapid manipulation. Scallops on the inner portion of the bolt handle facilitate unimpeded access for the operator’s hand even when wearing gloves. Mossberg attaches a railed top cover, secured via four screws to the MVP’s receiver bridge, providing 7" of Picatinny rail for mounting optics. Its legs rest firmly on the lower portion of the chassis, making for a secure setup. Mossberg’s chassis utilizes an AR-style receiver extension, or buffer tube, to which a Luth-AR MBA-3 buttstock is attached. Not only can the

stock be set to six positions along the buffer tube, but the MBA-3’s length of pull, cast and comb height can all be adjusted. Adjustments are easy and repeatable, and require only loosening a knob to move the cheekpiece or buttplate. Because of the six-position receiver extension, the length of pull can be adjusted up to 4", making the rifle comfortable for just about any size shooter. To install or remove the bolt on the MVP Precision you must first remove the buttstock adapter assembly from the chassis. Mossberg outfits its MVP Precision with the excellent LBA adjustable trigger. While company literature states that the LBA’s break can be adjusted from 3 to 7 lbs., our test sample’s pull measured outside of that range, at a crisp 2 lbs., 4 ozs., and we saw no reason to alter it. Those who prefer a heavier pull will need to remove the action from the chassis. The Trigger Pull Adjusting Screw is located at the

Mossberg threads the end of the MVP Precision’s barrel 5/8x24 TPI for use with a suppressor or other muzzle device, and a thread protector (r.) ships with the rifle. NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

MOSSBERG MVP PRECISION

MANUFACTURER: O.F. MOSSBERG & SONS (DEPT. AR), 7 GRASSO AVE., NORTH HAVEN, CT 06473; (203) 230-5300; MOSSBERG.COM 0.5"

0.25" TO -0.75"

43.25" TO 47.25" 24"

12.5" TO

16.5" CHAMBERING: 6.5 MM CREEDMOOR ACTION TYPE: BOLT-ACTION, CENTER-FIRE REPEATING RIFLE

RECEIVER: 4140 STEEL STOCK: LUTH-AR MBA-3; ADJUSTABLE BARREL: MEDIUM-BULL-CONTOUR, 5R RIFLING; 1:8" RH TWIST MAGAZINE: 10-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX

SIGHTS: NONE; PICATINNY RAIL TRIGGER: LBA, ADJUSTABLE; 2-LB., 4-OZ. PULL WEIGHT: 10 LBS. ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, LOCK MSRP: $1,407

SHOOTING RESULTS (100 YDS.)

6.5 MM CREEDMOOR CARTRIDGE

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

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

FEDERAL GOLD MEDAL 130-GR. HOTM

3035 AVG. 29 SD

2,659

0.74

1.08

0.90

HORNADY 140-GR. ELD MATCH

2766 AVG. 31 SD

2,378

0.94

1.09

1.02

SIG SAUER 140-GR. OTM

2666 AVG. 29 SD

2,209

0.76

1.04

0.88

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) LARGEST AVERAGE SMALLEST

0.93

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS OVER A PACT PROFESSIONAL XP CHRONOGRAPH AT 10 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 100 YDS. FROM A BENCH REST. TEMPERATURE: 103° F. HUMIDITY: 4%. ABBREVIATIONS: ELD (EXTREMELY LOW DRAG), HOTM (HYBRID OPEN TIP MATCH), OTM (OPEN TIP MATCH), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION).

The location of the safety (arrow) makes it difficult for right-handed shooters to actuate without releasing their firing grip.

front of the trigger assembly, and turning it clockwise increases the trigger-pull weight. The lower features an integral winter trigger guard, along with a Magpul MOE AR-15 pistol grip. The manufacturer offers the MVP Precision in either .308 Win. with a 20" barrel or 6.5 mm Creedmoor with a 24" barrel—both of which feature a medium bull contour. For suppressor or muzzlebrake use, Mossberg threads the end of the barrel 5/8x24 TPI, and a thread protector is included with the rifle. The 5R button-rifled barrel is 4140 carbon steel with a 1:8" right-hand twist. A slim and trim 15" aluminum handguard covers the free-floating

barrel and interfaces with the receiver for wobble-free mounting that provides plenty of rigidity for a bipod. The handguard is cut for M-Lok accessories, and we used a Magpul bipod adapter and Harris bipod during our testing. To maximize our accuracy potential we mounted a Trijicon 5-20X 50 mm AccuPoint scope on the MVP Precision and fired our groups with it set on maximum magnification. Our best five-shot group was produced by the Federal Premium Gold Medal Berger 130-gr. Hybrid Open Tip Match rounds and measured just 0.74". SIG Sauer’s 140-gr. open tip match rounds produced the best five-group average at 0.88". All three ammunitions produced sub-m.o.a. groups. Despite temperatures over 100° F, we did not notice any shift in groups as the barrel warmed. Groups were round, and showed no evidence of vertical or horizontal stringing. Chambered in 6.5 mm Creedmoor, the Mossberg MVP Precision is an extremely enjoyable gun to shoot; its mild recoil and great trigger made shooting from the bench a very AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

NOVEMBER 2018

pleasant experience. The bolt worked smoothly, and with some practice proved to be very quick. We encountered no problems with the rifle during our evaluation. Our only criticism of this rifle is one that is common to nearly every other sporting bolt-action that has been adapted to chassis use—the location of its safety. The Mossberg MVP Precision uses a mechanical safety lever on the right side of the receiver near the rear of the bolt. Pushing it forward exposes a red dot and makes the rifle ready to fire. It cannot be disengaged by a righthanded shooter while maintaining a firing grip and is nearly impossible to disengage with the off hand. Again, this is not a problem unique to the Mossberg. In our estimation, the Mossberg MVP Precision offers competitors a sensible and capable alternative to building a custom competition rifle for long-range precision shooting. With an MSRP of $1,407, the MVP Precision offers a great deal of value for the money.

dope bag

ROCK ISLAND ARMORY XT 22 MAGNUM M

ore than 100 years after its inception, the pistol of choice for many defensive-minded individuals and recreational shooters is still the M1911. And it’s likely that even more shooters would select the revered workhorse if not for its limited capacity, expensive ammunition and snappy recoil. Known for its quality, yet affordable, M1911 pistols, Rock Island Armory offers a counter to those shortcomings with its new XT 22 Magnum (our test sample is an early model marked “XTM-22” on the slide, but the designation has since been changed). At a cursory glance, the delayedblowback XT 22 Magnum appears to be a standard .45 ACP-chambered M1911A1; however, there are significant differences between the two. For instance, the XT 22 Magnum is uniquely chambered for the .22 WMR cartridge, which generates less recoil and offers increased magazine capacity relative to its single-stack, .45-cal. counterpart. Accommodating the cartridge, however, required notable changes to John Browning’s design.

Feeding the XT 22 Magnum are steel, single-feed, double-stack magazines that, according to Rock Island Armory, hold 14 rounds of .22 WMR. Two accompany the gun, and interestingly, one of the magazines sent with the sample pistol easily held 15 rounds, while we struggled to fit 14 into the other. A full-size handgun, with a steel slide over a steel frame, the XT 22 Magnum weighs in at 35 ozs. The frame, slide and barrel are Parkerized, lending the gun a utilitarian appearance and functional durability. The XT 22 Magnum’s 4.75" barrel assembly consists of two pieces; inside a 0.696"-diameter steel sleeve, or shroud, is a 0.440"-diameter steel insert that contains the chamber, rifling and integral feed ramp. The tube-within-a-tube design is accompanied by a spring-loaded plunger that cushions the impact between the two when lockup occurs. Unlike a traditional M1911 slide, that of the XT 22 Magnum is an open-top design similar to the Beretta Model 92 and its clones. Therefore, the fiber-optic post front sight is dovetailed into the barrel, while the low-profile, November 2018

americaN riflemaN

snag-free notch rear is secured via a dovetail to the slide. The notch measures 0.110" wide. It must be noted that, according to Rock Island Armory’s website, the front sight has now been changed to a non-fiber-optic, lowprofile, snag-free design, too. Since the XT 22 Magnum is chambered for the low-recoil .22 WMR cartridge, the nested recoil springs require significantly less force to compress than those on a .45 ACP. That is great news for individuals with limited hand strength. Still, grooves are added on the rear of the slide to enhance purchase. Unlike a center-fire M1911, the slide doesn’t lock back after the last round is fired. Extraction is by way of a sizable claw extractor, and a fixed ejector expels spent cases from the pistol. From backstrap to frontstrap, the XT 22 Magnum’s grip measures 2.260"—and as such, it requires long fingers to fully encircle it. Purchase is aided by well-executed and aggressive checkering on the backstrap and the rubber stocks. The magazine well is beveled slightly. To enhance comfort and safety, the pistol has an extended beavertail grip safety; unless a firm grip is taken, the trigger cannot be pulled. It also eliminates the risk of hammer bite. Additional safety features found on the XT 22 Magnum include: a leftside-only thumb safety; a half-cock notch (note, it’s not meant to be carried in this position); an inertia firing pin; and a disconnector. The slide stop and magazine release button are, like the thumb safety, nonbilateral in design and are traditionally located on the left side of the gun. The grooved, skeletonized trigger broke at an average pull of 4 lbs., 6 ozs., with no discernible creep. Trigger reset was exceptionally short, too. All in all, the gun had a remarkable trigger. To test the XT 22 Magnum, we gathered loads from three manufacturers and proceeded to shoot five consecutive, five-shot groups with each from a sandbag rest at 25 yds. The loads included: Armscor 40-gr. jacketed hollow point (JHP); CCI Maxi-Mag 40-gr. JHP; and Hornady 30-gr. V-Max. Armscor recommends

ROCK ISLAND ARMORY XT 22 MAGNUM

IMPORTER: ROCK ISLAND ARMORY (DEPT. AR), 150 N. SMART WAY, PAHRUMP, NV, 89060; (775) 537-1444; ARMSCOR.COM 8.5" CAL. 22 MRF

XTM000000

M1911 A1 FS-XTM22

4.75"

5.125"

nickel-plated ammunition for best performance, as well as a 500-round break-in period. Of the three loads, the most accurate proved to be that from Hornady, averaging slightly more than 2" for all 25 shots; however, all provided accuracy sufficient for plinking and pests at pistol distances. During the course of accuracy testing, there were two failures to fire with the CCI load and one with the Armscor. Deep indentions were noted, and subsequent attempts to fire the faulty loads were unsuccessful, so the pistol wasn’t to blame. Predictably, ammunition loaded for rifle-length barrels produced considerably diminished velocities through the XT 22 Magnum’s 4¾" barrel. Both 40-gr. loads averaged around 1340 f.p.s., and the lighter 30-gr. load attained 1472 f.p.s. For this reason, there was a significant loss in energy; too much propellant was left unburned. In fact, unburned propellant clung to oiled portions of the action, and while firing with the CCI load, blowback occurred on several occasions. Don’t let the abovementioned observations detract from the pistol; the range session with the XT 22 Magnum was tremendous fun. With minimal felt recoil, follow-up shots were remarkably fast, and even after expending more than 300 rounds, shooter fatigue wasn’t an issue—the same cannot be said of the .45 ACP. Perfect for the home, at the range and roaming the pasture, the XT 22 Magnum offers the benefits of the M1911 design without many of its drawbacks. In fact, many .45 ACP owners might find it a welcome trainer for building familiarity at reduced cost and recoil, or as a starter gun to help “work up to” a .45. Regardless, Rock Island Armory appears to have hit a home run with this one.

CHAMBERING: .22 WMR ACTION TYPE: DELAYED-BLOWBACK, SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIMFIRE PISTOL

FRAME: PARKERIZED STEEL SLIDE: PARKERIZED STEEL RIFLING: SIX-GROOVE; 1:16" RH TWIST MAGAZINE: 14-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX

SIGHTS: DOVETAILED; FIBER-OPTIC POST FRONT (AS TESTED), LOWPROFILE NOTCH REAR

TRIGGER: SINGLE-ACTION; 4-LB., 6-OZ. PULL WIDTH: 1.22" WEIGHT: 35 OZS. ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, HARD CASE, EXTRA MAGAZINE, LOCK MSRP: $598

SHOOTING RESULTS (25 YDS.)

.22 WMR CARTRIDGE

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

ENERGY (FT.-LBS.)

GROUP SIZE (INCHES) LARGEST AVERAGE SMALLEST

ARMSCOR 40-GR. JHP

1341 AVG. 30 SD

160

1.78

3.40

2.53

CCI MAXI-MAG 40-GR. JHP

1340 AVG. 28 SD

159

2.65

3.28

2.95

HORNADY 30-GR. V-MAX

1472 AVG. 23 SD

144

1.44

2.78

2.07 2.52

AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD

NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS OVER A COMPETITION ELECTRONIC PROCHRONO DIGITAL CHRONOGRAPH AT 10 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT 25 YDS. FROM A CALDWELL TACK DRIVER BAG REST. TEMPERATURE: 76° F. HUMIDITY: 73%. ABBREVIATIONS: JHP (JACKETED HOLLOW POINT), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION).

The XT 22 Magnum’s barrel (above) is a two-piece assembly comprised of a steel insert (that contains the chamber, rifling and integral feed ramp) nestled inside of a larger steel shroud. AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

NOVEMBER 2018

DOPE BAG

CZ USA Sharp-Tail Coach T

he term “coach gun,” just as you’d expect, comes from the horse-drawn, four-wheeled conveyance. After all, it’s how “riding shotgun” entered the lexicon. While always popular with some as a defensive arm, the coach gun received a new lease on life with the popularity of cowboy action shooting. Most of the guns you see working their way through a shotgun stage are side-by-side doubles, typically with short barrels, and sometimes with exposed hammers. CZ USA already offers a Hammer Coach, but has now expanded into the more elegant, hammerless Sharp-Tail Coach. Both guns are made by Huglu (Huglu Hunting Firearms Cooperative) in Turkey. Although also offered in 20 gauge, our example was a 12 gauge with 3" chambers. Based on an Anson & Deeleystyle boxlock action, the Sharp-Tail Coach has a CNC-machined receiver tastefully adorned with false sideplates. Save for the barrels, trigger and safety assembly, all visible metal parts are color-casehardened

in rich blues, browns and grays. All screws are timed, and there is humble scroll engraving on the receiver, the sideplates, the fore-end iron and the trigger guard. Lockup is via tried-and-true dual Purdey underlugs, which are fastened by dual bolts in the receiver. Pressing the top lever to the right pulls the locking bolts to the rear, clearing the underlumps and allowing the breech to open. This is an extractor-only gun, meaning that it does not have ejectors, and there is one extractor for both chambers. We found with most loads that simply raising the barrels up allowed the fired 2¾" shells to drop free, a practice encouraged at cowboy matches but that can get you kicked off the skeet range. Barrels are 20.1" long with fairly thick walls measuring 0.056" at the muzzle, and no interchangeable choke

tubes. Described as cylinder and cylinder, the bores measured 0.727" for the right and 0.724" for the left, making them a little closer to skeet than cylinder. There is a raised top rib tapering from 0.43" at the breech to 0.26" at the muzzle. It is grooved to reduce glare and topped with a white bead 0.20" back from the muzzle. Barrels are black-chromed and are joined to the monobloc with a band of engraving to cover the joint. Coach guns traditionally have double triggers, but not the SharpTail, which has a single, selective mechanical unit. There is a selector on the tang-mounted safety. Push it to the left and two dots are revealed, allowing the left barrel to fire first. Conversely, if it is pushed to the right a single dot is revealed and the right barrel fires first. Barrels may only be selected while the safety is in the rearward or “off” position, and the safety is not automatic. The buttstock has a fairly open semi-pistol grip, and it has a bit of cast-off for a right-handed shooter. Grain of the Turkish walnut stock was straight and fairly open, with good figure on the fore-end. There’s 18-l.p.i. checkering in a bordered point pattern on the grip, and the butt is topped by a rubber recoil pad with a harder insert at its top,

Lock-up of the CZ Sharp-Tail Coach is via dual Purdey underlugs, which are fastened by dual bolts in the receiver. The shotgun uses one extractor for both chambers, and does not feature ejectors.

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

CZ SHARP-TAIL COACH

IMPORTER: CZ USA (DEPT. AR), P.O. BOX 171073, KANSAS CITY, KS 66117; (800) 955-4486; CZ-USA.COM 37.5" 2.13"

1.5" 20.1"

14.63"

SIGHTS: WHITE FRONT BEAD STOCK: TURKISH WALNUT, PISTOL GRIP, BEAVERTAIL FORE-END WEIGHT: 7 LBS. METAL FINISH: COLOR-CASEHARDENED RECEIVER, BLACK HARD-CHROMED BARRELS ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL, LOCK MSRP: $959

MANUFACTURER: HUGLU COOPERATIVE (TURKEY) ACTION TYPE: SIDE-BY-SIDE, BREAK-ACTION SHOTGUN GAUGE: 12, 3" TRIGGER: SINGLE MECHANICAL; 3-LB., 13-OZ. PULL (FRONT), 4-LB. 1-OZ. PULL (REAR)

REMINGTON GUN CLUB TARGET LOADS 12 GA., 23⁄4", 11⁄8 OZ., NO. 71⁄2 AVERAGE PELLET COUNT: 385 MEASURED VELOCITY @ 15 FT.: 1,090 F.P.S.

SHOOTING RESULTS (40 YDS.)

AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS = POINT OF HOLD

14 19 16

13 15 14

19 15

which allows the gun to be mounted without snagging. The comb was fairly straight, more like that of a modern bird gun than an Old West coach gun, which typically had far more drop at the heel than the guns of today. The fore-end has a fairly wide beavertail shape with machine-cut checkering. It is retained by a centrally located Deeley & Edge fore-end latch that was actually fairly well-fitted. Overall, wood-to-metal fit was impressive for a gun in this price class, with the wood around the fore-end iron and around the trigger guard’s rear left deliberately proud. We fired the Sharp-Tail Coach at sporting clays, especially the rabbit

CYLINDER (0.727")

LEFT

Although coach guns traditionally have double triggers, the CZ instead uses a single, selective unit (above), and a selector (top) is located on the tang-mounted safety.

20 16

CYLINDER (0.724") 21" INNER CIRCLE: 30" OUTER RING: TOTAL HITS:

RIGHT

69 54 123

(18%) 21" INNER CIRCLE: (14%) 30" OUTER RING: (32%) TOTAL HITS:

stage, and at steel as would a cowboy action competitor. As well-heeled cowboy shooters are the likely target audience, we patterned with No. 7½ shot. The gun was notably stiff to open out of the box, but wore in after a couple hundred rounds. While the short barrel was tough to follow through with on fast crossers, it actually swung better at clays then we thought it would. There were no failures, and the lack of ejectors meant less scurrying after spent shells at the end of the station.

65 56 121

(17%) (15%) (31%)

For those not looking to go cowboy, CZ offers the Sharp-Tail with 28" barrels that accept interchangeable chokes in 12, 20 and 28 gauges, and in .410 bore and 16 gauge, but the latter come with fixed chokes. For those who like a little classy, yet subtle, ornamentation and the handling of a shortbarreled, modern side-by-side for a defensive use or cowboy action shooting, the CZ Sharp-Tail Coach is likely just the ticket.

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

NOVEMBER 2018

inside nra | ila report

Oregon Teen Shoots Down Discriminatory Walmart Gun Policy

n what might come as a shock to the legacy press, it turns out there are plenty of young people who value their Second Amendment rights and are willing to fight for them. Case in point: 18-year-old Hannah Brumbles of Deer Island, Ore. Last week, the Beaver State’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) ruled in the young woman’s favor after she challenged a Walmart policy that denied shotgun and rifle sales to young adults ages 18 to 20. In the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Fla., retailers Dick’s Sporting Goods

Photo by istockphoto.com/artran

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

(who also owns Field & Stream stores), Kroger-owned Fred Meyer, L.L. Bean, and Walmart adopted policies whereby the stores would refuse to sell shotguns and rifles to young adults ages 18 to 20. Existing federal law prevents Federal Firearms Licensees from selling handguns to those under 21. At the time, UCLA Law Professor Eugene Volokh took to his popular blog, the “Volokh Conspiracy,” to explain that some state and local governments have enacted antidiscrimination laws that restrict businesses from denying lawful products and services to adults on the basis of age. Therefore, in some jurisdictions, firearm retailers would be barred from carrying out policies denying November 2018

adults ages 18 to 20 the ability to purchase long guns in their stores. NRA-ILA and the Willamette Week elaborated on Volokh’s point, noting that Section 659A.403(1) of the Oregon Revised Statutes made clear that: “[A]ll persons within the jurisdiction of this state are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of any place of public accommodation, without any distinction, discrimination or restriction on account of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status or age if the individual is of age, as described in this section, or older.” The Oregon code section contains a specific exemption for the sale of alcohol and marijuana, but no exemption for the sale of firearms. After Walmart enacted its discriminatory policy, Brumbles attempted to purchase a rifle at a Walmart store in St. Helens and was denied. In response, Brumbles filed a complaint with the BOLI, alleging that the superstore chain’s policy was illegal under the state’s antidiscrimination laws. On Aug. 21, the BOLI investigators issued a preliminary ruling in favor of the young woman. Characterizing the decision, the Willamette Week reported that “BOLI investigators found that Walmart had violated state nondiscrimination laws and filed formal charges against the company.” According to an account from The Oregonian, “BOLI found that Brumbles did have grounds for the discrimination complaint, and has scheduled a hearing in November where it will hear Walmart’s response and formally rule on the matter.” Brumbles is seeking $135,000 in damages against Walmart. That figure is the same amount the BOLI fined a Gresham, Ore., bakery in 2015 after the business refused to bake a wedding cake for a samesex couple. Walmart reportedly rejected the $135,000 proposal and countered with and offer of $150. Discussing the megastore’s counteroffer, Hannah’s father Chris Brumbles told the Willamette Week, “It was a joke, it was kind of a spit in the face to her.. … It’s not about money but I would like Walmart to feel a little sting, like I

americaN riflemaN

IN MEMORY NRA-ILA CONTRIBUTIONS August 1- August 31, 2018

Terry Immel, Greensburg, PA (from: Paul Stevens); John A. Spiess, West Chester, OH (from: Christopher J. Spiess); E.G. Wilkinson, Tucson, AZ (from: John Wright); Del Jacob, Duncansville, TX (from: Duncansville Women’s Club); Dr. Gary Jackson, Mount Pleasant, SC (from: Palmetto Gun Club); Richard Huebschman, Pueblo, CO (from: family and friends); John Kunzler, Lancaster, PA (from: John Schulthuis); Sean P. Currie, Exton, PA (from: Thomas Shellenberger); Paul Montandon, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO (from: Butch and EB Johnson); Charles Sykes, Alamosa, CO (from: friends); Bruce Galbraith, Du Ouoin, IL (from: Marie Rice).

Photo courtesy of the Scooter Brown Band

would if I broke the law.” The BOLI has suggested a $5,000 penalty. The parties are set to face off again at a formal hearing in November. Walmart has made it clear that it intends to defend its discriminatory practice. In a statement to the Willamette Week, the retail giant explained, “In February of this year, we reviewed our policy on firearm and ammunition sales and as a result, we raised the age restriction for the purchase of those items to 21. We stand behind our decision and plan to defend it. … Settlement discussions are designed to be confidential and we won’t comment on them. We are preparing for the November hearing before the administrative law judge.” Walmart’s continued intransigence places politics over sound policy. The simple truth is that long guns are rarely used to commit murder. FBI statistics show that in 2016 there were 374 murders committed with rifles. A tragedy to be certain, but one that must be placed in context. That same year 1,604 murders were committed using “knives or cutting instruments,” 472 with “blunt objects (clubs, hammers, etc.),” and 659 with hands, fists, or feet. Brumbles’s fight against discriminatory corporate anti-gun policies is an encouraging example of youth pro-gun activism and further proof that the establishment media’s attempts to paint an entire generation as anti-Second Amendment are biased, lazy and wrong.

Scooter Brown Band is

cott Brown is an NRA Country artist who performed multiple times during the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Dallas earlier this year. He is the lead singer of the Scooter Brown Band and served as a Marine who completed two overseas tours and one tour of combat in Iraq. When he told NRA Country about Base Camp 40, a notfor-profit organization he helped start, we knew it was something we needed to support. NRA Country’s Vanessa Shahidi sat down with Scott Brown and co-founder Paul Bristol to find out about Base Camp 40. VS: What is the mission behind Base Camp 40 and what does the organization do? SB: “Base Camp 40 takes veterans out into Mother Nature on hunts and fishing trips to some of the most remote and beautiful parts of our country. By putting them with other veterans on these trips, we are able to create that life-altering moment and help them rediscover, if just for an instant, that inner peace.” PB: “For many combat veterans, that sense of inner peace can appear to be lost in the fallout of war. Our mission is to simply open those doors to that ‘Gift Of The Wild’ that for many has delivered that spiritual reset. Those on the hunts do the work. We just open that door for them to walk through. No expectations on our part. We simply provide them an opportunity.” VS: Tell us about a memorable hunt. PB: “My most memorable hunt was with 30-year-old Army Capt. Jeremy

AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

NOVEMBER 2018

Linn in 2013. Arriving with Stage 4 liver cancer, Stage 4 esophageal cancer, and three tumors on his spine, this man changed the lives of the BC40 crew that were in camp. He never was down, and would get up from the table to vomit due to the tumor in his esophagus, then return and join the conversation like nothing happened. … In April of 2014, he passed away on Chris Kyle’s birthday, of all days. I am eternally grateful for his influence on my own soul.” VS: How can people help support Base Camp 40? SB: “BC40 is funded via individual donations, corporate sponsorships, in-house fundraisers and other events that list us as co-beneficiaries. In regards to opportunities to ‘get out amongst ’em,’ we are always looking for landowners to donate hunts, as they are the cornerstone of what we do. We have been truly blessed to have sponsors and landowners that have experienced and felt the impact first hand.” For more information, visit the Base Camp 40, Warriors In The Wild Facebook page or bc40hunts.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. Visit nracountry.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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

TRAINING

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.

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

Michigan Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

michrpa.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 by visiting nrainstructors.org, by sending an email to refuse@nrahq.org or by calling (800) 861-1166. NOV. 10—BRIGHT, IN

(Instructor Development Workshop) Robert Beckman (513) 800-1872

NOV. 14—ST. LOUIS, MO

(Instructor Development Workshop) Kevin Cummins (636) 207-1900

NOV. 17—CENTREVILLE, IL

(Seminar) Mark Martin (314) 581-8721

NOV. 18—LAKE VILLA, IL

(Seminar) Steve New (847) 603-1548

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

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

Southern MO—Tim Besancenez

Iowa State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

WI—Scott Taetsch

League of Kentucky Sportsmen Inc.

tbesancenez@nrahq.org staetsch@nrahq.org

iasrpa.org

kentuckysportsmen.com

Missouri Sport Shooting Ass’n.

missourisportshooting.org

Nebraska Marksmanship Ass’n.

nemarksmanship.com

Wisconsin Firearm Owners, Ranges, Clubs & Educators

wisconsinforce.org

GUN SHOWS

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. NOV. 2-3

WARSAW, MO

NOV. 2-4

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

NOV. 2-4

HANNIBAL, MO

NOV. 2-4

ROTHSCHILD, WI

NOV. 2-4

ALTOONA, IA

NOV. 2-4

SERGEANT BLUFF, IA

American Legion #217, Warsaw American Legion Shooting Sports (701) 426-6614 Indiana State Fairgrounds, World Class Gun Shows (405) 340-1333

Admiral Coontz Armory, Militia Armaments Gun Club (636) 295-0624 Cedar Creek Mall—Old Patriot Center, Bob & Rocco’s Gun Shows (608) 752-6677

Adventureland Park, Midwest Arms Collectors LLC (660) 956-6004 Sergeant Bluff Community Center, Marv Kraus Promotions (563) 608-4401

NOV. 3

FALL RIVER, WI

NOV. 3

CRIVITZ, WI

Savanna Oaks Community Center, Ed Szafranski Gun Shop (920) 648-3322

The Gun of the Year embodies Kimber’s commitment to crafting firearms of unequaled quality. Chambered in .45 ACP, the Kimber NRA Custom II “Defending Freedom” is a full-size 1911 with a 5-inch barrel. A specially engraved slide features the NRA logo and the words “Defending Freedom.” The slide also wears a self-lubricating Desert Tan KimPro® II finish that offers outstanding additional resistance to chemicals, moisture, salt and UV light. This is complemented by a matte black frame, which is paired to the slide early in production to help ensure optimal fitting. The “Defending Freedom,” proudly made in America, is available only at Friends of NRA events.

NOVEMBER 2018

Crivitz Village Hall, Crivitz Memorial VFW Post 2063 (715) 854-2672

NOV. 3-4

MITCHELL, NE

NOV. 3-4

SOMERSET, KY

Scottsbluff County Fairgrounds, Bluffs Shooters (308) 631-5656

The Center for Rural Development, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

NOV. 3-4

BLOOMINGTON, IL

NOV. 3-4

LEBANON, MO

Interstate Center, ECA Hunting & Trade Shows (618) 495-2572

Cowan Civic Center, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

NOV. 3-4

DETROIT, MI

Brownstown Sport Center, Sport Shows Promotions (517) 676-4160

NOV. 3-4

GAYLORD, MI

The Ellison Place, P.J.’s Promotions LLC (989) 798-8709

NOV. 9-10

MENOMONIE, WI

Menomonie Veterans Center, Bearing Arms Gun Shows (715) 308-8772

NOV. 9-10

NEW BERLIN, WI

NOV. 9-10

SLINGER, WI

New Berlin VFW, Freedom Firearms (414) 430-7617

Kettle Moraine Bowl, Wisconsin Gun Collectors Ass’n. (920) 447-2224

NOV. 9-11

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA

Hawkeye Downs, Trade Show Productions (888) 552-1486

NOV. 9-11

WAUKESHA, WI

Waukesha County Expo Center, Bob & Rocco’s Gun Shows (608) 752-6677

NOV. 10-11

NOVI, MI

The Suburban Collection Showplace, Sport Shows Promotions (517) 676-4160

NOV. 10-11

PEORIA, IL

Exposition Gardens, The Cloe Group LLC (815) 263-2810

NOV. 10-11

MARION, IL

The Pavilion, ECA Hunting & Trade Shows (618) 495-2572

NOV. 11

LOVES PARK, IL

NOV. 11

ST. CHARLES, IL

NOV. 14

SULLIVAN, WI

Forest Hills Lodge, Pine Tree Pistol Club (815) 520-9027 Kane County Fairgrounds, Kane County Sportsman’s Show (815) 758-2773

Concord House, Ed Szafranski Gun Shop (920) 648-3322

NOV. 16-18

HALLSVILLE, MO

Hallsville Fairgrounds, Midwest Arms Collectors LLC (660) 956-6004

NOV. 16-18

OTTUMWA, IA

Bridge View Center, Midwest Arms Collectors LLC (660) 956-6004

NOV. 16-18

MASON, MI

NOV. 17-18

MASON CITY, IA

Ingham County Fairgrounds, Sport Shows Promotions (517) 676-4160 North Iowa Events Center— Olsen Building., River City Rifle & Pistol Club (641) 529-1605

NOV. 17-18

KANKAKEE, IL

NOV. 24-25

NOVI, MI

NOV. 17-18

NEW BERLIN, IL

NOV. 24-25

FORT WAYNE, IN

NOV. 17-18

GREENFIELD, IN

NOV. 24-25

MUNCIE, IN

Kankakee County Fairgrounds, The Cloe Group LLC (815) 263-2810

Sangamon County Fairgrounds, Central Illinois Gun Collectors (217) 416-0618 Hancock County Fairgrounds, Central Indiana Gun Shows (765) 855-3836

NOV. 17-18

CAVE CITY, KY

Cave City Convention Center, S/T Promotions (270) 622-2185

NOV. 18

WOODSTOCK, IL

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

NOV. 23-24

COLOMA, WI

Richford Community Center, Freedom Firearms (414) 430-7617

NOV. 23-25

NIXA, MO

CY Sports Center, Militia Armaments Gun Club (636) 295-0624

NOV. 23-25

DES MOINES, IA

NOV. 23-25

BIRCH RUN, MI

NOV. 23-25

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

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

Birch Run Expo Center, Sport Shows Promotions (517) 676-4160 Stout Field National Guard Armory, Tri-State Gun & Knife Collectors (812) 521-9367

NOV. 23-25

RICHMOND, KY

NOV. 24-25

DALLAS, TX

Madison County Fairgrounds, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

Dallas Market Hall, Dallas Arms Collectors Ass’n. (972) 369-6062*

Suburban Collection Showplace, Michigan Antique Arms Collectors (248) 556-6590

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

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

NOV. 25

ST. CHARLES, MO

NOV. 25

ANTIOCH, IL

St. Charles Convention Center, Midwest Arms Collectors LLC (660) 956-6004 Antioch VFW, Lake County Guns Shows (847) 548-0433

NOV. 30-DEC. 2

SHIPSHEWANA, IN

NOV. 30-DEC. 2

JEFFERSON, WI

NOV. 30-DEC. 2

OSHKOSH, WI

Shipshewana Flea Market Grounds, Gun Slinger Promotions USA (260) 624-5996 Jefferson County Fair Park, Marv Kraus Promotions (563) 608-4401

Sunnyview Exposition Center, Bob & Rocco’s Gun Shows (608) 752-6677

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.

PISTOL

Flushing, MI

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Freedom, IN Borden, IN

SILHOUETTE

Friendship, IN Effingham, IL

NOV. 3 NOV. 3 NOV. 3 NOV. 10-11 NOV. 24-25

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

November 2018

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

NOV. 13—BRISTOL, CT (Seminar)

Ohio Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

NOV. 17—NEW KENSINGTON, PA

Pennsylvania Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

Michael Ptaszynski (860) 582-4388

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

bmcgowan@nrahq.org

Northern OH—Marc Peugeot

mpeugeot@nrahq.org

Southern OH—David Graham

dgraham@nrahq.org

Eastern PA, DE—Kory Enck

kenck@nrahq.org

Western PA—Tom Baldrige

tbaldrige@nrahq.org

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

dwells@nrahq.org

Western VA, Western MD, WV— Michael Swackhamer

mswackhamer@nrahq.org

TRAINING

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. NOV. 3—ASHAWAY, RI (Seminar)

Lyd Neugent (401) 377-8184

NOV. 4—AUDBON, PA (Seminar)

Daniel McMonigle (610) 613-9813

NOV. 7—PEEKSKILL, NY (Seminar)

Steven Donahoo (914) 455-4099

NOV. 10—ROCKVILLE, MD (Seminar)

(Seminar) Klint Macro (724) 212-7006

NOV. 17—NEW KENSINGTON, PA

(Instructor Development Workshop) Klint Macro (724) 212-7006

NOV. 17—MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, OH

(Seminar) Timothy Stahlberg (440) 891-7600

NOV. 24—HAGERSTOWN, MD (Seminar)

Ronald David (301) 828-5879

NOV. 26—PEEKSKILL, NY (Seminar)

Steven Donahoo (914) 455-4099

LAW ENFORCEMENT

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

Police Competition

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.

NOV. 2-3—FAIRFAX, VA

(Tactical Police Competition)

NOV. 10—LEBANON, PA (Approved)

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

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

oining NRA-affiliated state associations supports NRA’s mission in your state.See stateassociations.nra.org for more information. Connecticut State Rifle & Revolver Ass’n.

csrra.com

Delaware State Sportsmen’s Ass’n.

dssa.us

Maine Rifle & Pistol Ass’n. Inc.

mainerpa.org

Maryland State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

msrpa.org

Goal (Massachusetts)

goal.org

Gun Owners Of New Hampshire Inc.

gonh.org

Ronald David (301) 828-5879

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

NOV. 12—DANBURY, CT (Seminar)

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

Michael Kovalyk (203) 769-6909

anjrpc.org

nysrpa.org

November 2018

american rifleman

orpa.net

pennarifleandpistol.org

Rhode Island 2nd Amendment Coalition

ri2nd.org

Vermont Federation Of Sportsmen’s Clubs Inc.

vtfsc.org

Virginia Shooting Sports Ass’n.

myvssa.org

West Virginia State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

wvasrpa.org

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.

PISTOL

New Castle, DE Annapolis, MD Canton, OH Morrisville, PA Augusta, ME New York, NY

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Bridgeville, DE New Freedom, PA Nelson Township, OH New Tripoli, PA Grafton, VA Jackson, NJ

SILHOUETTE

McDonald, PA Montpelier, VA Sudlersville, MD Staten Island, NY

NOV. 3-4 NOV. 3-4 NOV. 4 NOV. 17 NOV. 18 NOV. 18 NOV. 3 NOV. 3 NOV. 4 NOV. 11 NOV. 17 NOV. 25 NOV. 3 NOV. 10 NOV. 17 NOV. 18

GUN SHOWS

MILTON, WV

NOV. 3-4

ASHLAND, OH

Milton Volunteer Fire Department, Cabin Fever Gun Knife & Coin Shows (304) 942-7609 Ashland County Fairgrounds, Norris Gun Shows (419) 651-7795

NOV. 3-4

MANASSAS, VA

NOV. 3-4

WINCHESTER, VA

Prince William County Fairgrounds, Virginia Gun Collectors Ass’n. Inc. (571) 215-8761

Winchester Sportsplex & Indoor Event Center, Southeastern Guns & Knives (757) 483-5385

NOV. 3-4

HARRISONBURG, VA

Rockingham County Fairgrounds, C&E Gun Shows (540) 953-0016

NOV. 3-4

GLENVILLE, WV

Gilmer County Recreation Center, Cunningham’s Knife & Gun Shop (304) 804-2022

NOV. 3-4

MANCHESTER, NH

Manchester Radisson Hotel, New England Events LLC (603) 230-9014

NOV. 3-4

EAST CANTON, OH*

Foltz Community Center, Heritage Gun Shows (330) 806-1110

NOV. 3-4

MIDDLETOWN, NY

Orange County Fairgrounds, New Mart Promotions (914) 248-1000

NOV. 3-4

LEBANON, PA

Lebanon Expo Center, Eagle Arms Productions (610) 393-3047

NOV. 3-4

LIMA, OH

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

NOV. 3-4

WARREN, OH

Trumbull Plaza, Ohio Shows (330) 539-4247

NOV. 3-4

HAMLIN, PA

Hamlin Fire & Rescue, Jaeger Arms Promotions (570) 470-6404

NOV. 4

ONEONTA, NY

Holiday Inn, Midstate Arms Collectors (607) 748-1010

NOV. 10-11

EASTON, MD

NOV. 10-11

FREDERICK, MD

NOV. 10-11

RICHMOND, VA

NOV. 10-11

ST. MARYS, WV

Talbot County Community Center, Eastern Shore Arms Collectors (410) 829-7784

Frederick Fairgrounds, Silverado Gun Shows (301) 874-5012 Richmond Raceway Complex, Showmasters Gun Shows (540) 951-1344 St. Marys Marina, W.B. Hunt Club (304) 684-7505

NOV. 10-11

SHARONVILLE, OH

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

NOV. 10-11

SPRINGVILLE, NY

NOV. 10-11

LAKE HARMONY, PA

Springville Volunteer Fire Co., Niagara Frontier Gun Shows (716) 542-9929 Split Rock Resort, Eagle Arms Productions (610) 393-3047

NOV. 10-11

WESTERBOOK, ME

NOV. 17-18

WELLINGTON, OH

NOV. 10-11

WILMINGTON, MA

NOV. 17-18

MORGANTOWN, PA

NOV. 10-11

EASTLAKE, OH

NOV. 17-18

BEREA, OH

NOV. 10-11

HILLIARD, OH

NOV. 17-18

DAYTON, OH

NOV. 10-11

MAUMEE, OH

NOV. 17-18

SCRANTON, PA

Westerbrook Armory, Midcoast Promotions (207) 943-3619

Aleppo Shriners Auditorium, New Mart Promotions (914) 248-1000

Eastlake Community Center, L.G. Firearms Productions (216) 338-1271 Franklin County Fairgrounds, J.S. Shows Ltd. (614) 523-7767

Lucas County Recreation Center, Maumee Valley Gun Collectors (419) 893-1110

NOV. 10-11

MEDINA, OH

NOV. 10-11

LEESPORT, PA

Medina County Fairgrounds, Conrad & Dowell Productions (330) 948-4400 Leesport Farmers Market, Appalachian Promotions (717) 697-3088

NOV. 16-18

CHANTILLY, VA

Dulles Expo Center, Showmasters Gun Shows (540) 951-1344*

NOV. 17-18

RICHMOND, VA

Richmond International Raceway, M.K. Shows (770) 630-7296

NOV. 17-18

MORGANTOWN, WV

Ruby Community Center, Showmasters Gun Shows (540) 951-1344

NOV. 17-18

MONTPELIER, OH

Williams County Fairgrounds, D&K Enterprises (419) 737-2801

NOV. 17-18

WALLINGFORD, CT

NOV. 17-18

HERMITAGE, PA

Stillwood Inn, Ye Connecticut Gun Guild (860) 456-4652 Hickory Post VFW, L&R Sporting Events (716) 792-9972

Lorain County Fairgrounds, Bill-Mar Promotions (440) 986-5004 Morgantown Center, Eagle Arms Productions (610) 393-3047 Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Ohio Shows (330) 539-4247

Montgomery County Event Center, Bill Goodman’s Gun & Knife Shows (502) 538-3900 Ice Box Arena, Jaeger Arms Promotions (570) 470-6404

NOV. 24

SIDNEY, OH

NOV. 24-25

DALLAS, TX

NOV. 24-25

PHILADELPHIA, PA

NOV. 24-25

GIRARD, OH

NOV. 24-25

MENTOR, OH

NOV. 24-25

STROUDSBURG, PA

NOV. 24-25

HAMPTON, VA

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

Dallas Market Hall, Dallas Arms Collectors Ass’n. (972) 369-6062*

Philadelphia National Guard Armory, Appalachian Promotions (717) 697-3088 Metroplex Expo Center, Ohio Shows (330) 539-4247

Holiday Inn—Northeast Cleveland, L.G. Firearms Productions (216) 338-1271

Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Co., Jaeger Arms Promotions (570) 470-6404 Hampton Roads Convention Center, Southeastern Guns & Knives (757) 483-5385

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

americanrifleman.org

November 2018

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

TRAINING

Midwest Regional Director—Tom Ulik

tulik@nrahq.org

AR—Erica Willard-Dunn

ewillard@nrahq.org

CO—Brad Dreier

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

(Seminar) Alison Adams (210) 508-0317

NOV. 8—SCHERTZ, TX

(Seminar) Alison Adams (210) 508-0317

NOV. 10—CORSICANA, TX

(Seminar) Ronald Rainey (903) 872-8003

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. NOV. 5-9—SAN ANTONIO, TX

(Handgun/Shotgun) Contact LEcompetitions@nrahq.org or (703) 267-1632.

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

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.

NOV. 13—LUFKIN, TX

(Seminar) Ashley Erb (936) 633-5206

NOV. 15—AUGUSTA, KS

(Seminar) Greg Rupp (316) 651-7877

NOV. 20—MONTROSE, CO

(Seminar) Larry McWhirter (970) 249-2771

LAW ENFORCEMENT

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

ksraweb.org

New Mexico Shooting Sports Ass’n. Inc.

nmssa.org

Oklahoma Rifle Ass’n. Inc.

oklarifle.com

Texas State Rifle Ass’n.

tsra.com

GUN SHOWS

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

NOV. 3-4

SAN ANTONIO, TX

NOV. 3-4

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

NOV. 3-4

FORT WORTH, TX

NOV. 3-4

LITTLE ROCK, AR

Crossroads Event Center, Buchanan Event Co. (405) 844-6055 San Antonio Events Center, Saxet Trade Shows (361) 289-2256*

NOVEMBER 2018

Al Amin Shrine Pavilion, Al Amin Shriners (361) 696-1585

Will Rogers Center, Lone Star Gun Shows (214) 635-2009 Little Rock Fairgrounds, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

NOV. 3-4

CARLSBAD, NM

NOV. 3-4

DENVER, CO

NOV. 10-11

CANTON, TX

NOV. 10-11

DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX

NOV. 10-11

EL PASO, TX

NOV. 10-11

STEPHENVILLE, TX

NOV. 10-11

TULSA, OK

Walter Gerrells Event Center, Western Frontier Gun Shows (575) 430-8681

WICHITA, KS

Century II, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

NOV. 17-18

MESQUITE, TX

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

NOV. 17-18

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

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

NOV. 17-18

BELTON, TX

NOV. 17-18

BROWNWOOD, TX

NOV. 17-18

KERRVILLE, TX

NOV. 17-18

LONGVIEW, TX

NOV. 17-18

MINERAL WELLS, TX

Bell County Expo Center, Real Texas Gun Shows (713) 724-8881 Brownwood Coliseum, Silver Spur Trade Shows (806) 253-1322

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

NOV. 17-18

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

NOV. 17-18

LOVELAND, CO

NOV. 24-25

SPRINGDALE, AR

Oklahoma State Fair Park, Oklahoma City Gun Show Inc. (800) 333-4867 Outlets at Loveland, P.E. Gun Shows (970) 779-0360

Encore Event Center, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

NOV. 24-25

MCALLEN, TX

NOV. 24-25

AZLE, TX

McAllen Convention Center, Saxet Trade Shows (361) 289-2256* 404 Main Place, Whipp Farm Productions (817) 929-1816

NOV. 24-25

CROSBY, TX

NOV. 24-25

DALLAS, TX

American Legion, Real Texas Gun Shows (713) 724-8881 Dallas Market Hall, Dallas Arms Collectors Ass’n. (972) 369-6062*

Hill Country Youth Event Center, Texas Gun & Knife Ass’n. (830) 285-0575

Longview Maude Cobb Exhibit Building, Classic Arms Productions (985) 624-8577 Palo Pinto Sheriff’s Posse Building, Whipp Farm Productions (817) 929-1816

NOV. 17-18

PASADENA, TX

Pasadena Convention Center, High Caliber Gun & Knife Show (281) 489-1741

NOV. 17-18

SAN ANTONIO, TX

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

NOV. 17-18

LAWTON, OK

Great Plains Coliseum, Oklahoma Gun Shows (918) 955-1092

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

City Hall at City Limits, Whipp Farm Productions (817) 929-1816

NOV. 10-11

NOV. 24-25

AREA SHOOTS

El Maida Shrine Temple, Provost Gun Show (915) 241-1761

The Ranch Events Complex, Tanner Gun Shows (720) 514-0114

NACOGDOCHES, TX

Oklahoma State Fair Park, Oklahoma Gun Shows (918) 955-1092

Dripping Springs Ranch Park, Wild Weasel Productions (830) 992-5291

LOVELAND, CO

NOV. 24-25

Nacogdoches County Exposition Center, G&S Promotions (918) 659-2201

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

NOV. 10-11

KINGSLAND, TX

Kingsland Community Center, Wild Weasel Productions (830) 992-5291

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

Tulsa Fairgrounds, Tulsa Gun Show Inc. (918) 492-0401

NOV. 24-25

Terrell, TX Denver, CO Houston, TX

SMALLBORE RIFLE

Pine Bluff, AR Houston, TX Whitewater, KS Marble Falls, TX

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Wichita Falls, TX Friendswood, TX De Soto, KS Boulder, CO Van Buren, AR Arcadia, OK

SILHOUETTE

Bauxite, AR Hobbs, NM Garden City, KS Bronte, TX Erie, CO Friendswood, TX

NOV. 11 NOV. 17 NOV. 25 NOV. 3 NOV. 3 NOV. 10 NOV. 24 NOV. 3 NOV. 10 NOV. 10 NOV. 17 NOV. 24 NOV. 24 NOV. 3 NOV. 3 NOV. 11 NOV. 11 NOV. 18 NOV. 24

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

americanrifleman.org

November 2018

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

NOV. 17—CORRYTON, TN (Seminar)

Fred Styciura (732) 551-8263

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

TRAINING

Crime Prevention

(Instructor Development Workshop Matthew Schwab (678) 260-8318

NOV. 11—LAKELAND, FL (Seminar)

Dennis Barcelo (863) 210-7812

NOV. 12—BUFORD, GA (Seminar)

John Bain (678) 238-2504

NOV. 12—BUFORD, GA

(Instructor Development Workshop) John Bain (678) 238-2504

NOV. 24—LILBURN, GA (Seminar)

Greg Schreffler (770) 367-3525

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.

PISTOL

Lakeland, TN Waxhaw, NC Holmwood, LA Covington, GA South Congaree, SC Jacksonville, FL

SMALLBORE RIFLE

Gaston, SC Orlando, FL Cusseta, GA

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Oak Ridge, TN Lakeland, FL Ridgeville, SC Churchland, NC Grand Cane, LA Augusta, GA Hoover, AL

SILHOUETTE

Brandon, MS Fort Valley, GA Hoover, AL Batesburg, SC Chuluota, FL Roxboro, NC Brunswick, GA Jackson, TN

NOV. 3 NOV. 10 NOV. 10 NOV. 11 NOV. 17 NOV. 18 NOV. 3 NOV. 3-4 NOV. 4 NOV. 3 NOV. 4 NOV. 10 NOV. 17 NOV. 17 NOV. 18 NOV. 25 NOV. 3 NOV. 3 NOV. 3 NOV. 10 NOV. 11 NOV. 17 NOV. 17 NOV. 18

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

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.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

GUN SHOWS

PIGEON FORGE, TN

NOV. 3-4

DECATUR, AL

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

NOV. 3-4

MONTGOMERY, AL

NOV. 5-9—FLORENCE (UNA), AL

NOV. 3-4

OKEECHOBEE, FL

NOV. 3-4

MIAMI, FL

NOV. 3-4

CLARKESVILLE, GA

LAW ENFORCEMENT

(Handgun/Shotgun)

Decatur Shrine Club, VPI Gun Shows (256) 381-0506 Alcazar Shrine Center, Collectors & Shooters Co. (334) 322-8818

KOA Convention Center, Great American Promotions (865) 453-0074

NOV. 5-9—BRISTOL, TN

(Tactical Shooting)

NOV. 5-9—PEARL, MS

(Handgun/Shotgun)

NOV. 26-30—PASS CHRISTIAN, MS

(Patrol Rifle) Contact LEcompetitions@nrahq.org or (703) 267-1632. November 2018

Smokey Mountain Convention Center, J Bruce Voyles Auctioneers & Appraisers (423) 238-6753

american rifleman

Miami-Dade Fairgrounds, Florida Gun Shows (407) 410-6870

Habersham County Fairgrounds, Red, White & Blue Ridge Mountain Gun Shows (478) 262-7694

NOV. 3-4

COLUMBUS, GA

NOV. 3-4

DALTON, GA

NOV. 3-4

SLIDELL, LA

Ironworks Convention & Trade Center, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176 Dalton Convention Center, Eastman Gun Shows (229) 423-4867

Northshore Harbor Center, Slidell Gun & Knife Show, slidellgunandknifeshow@yahoo.com

NOV. 3-4

LAUREL, MS

NOV. 3-4

HICKORY, NC

Laurel Fairgrounds, Big Pop Gun Shows (601) 498-4235

Hickory Metro Convention Center, C&E Gun Shows (540) 953-0016

NOV. 3-4

JACKSONVILLE, NC

American Legion, S&D Show Promotions (252) 745-5647

NOV. 3-4

MYRTLE BEACH, SC

NOV. 3-4

KINGSPORT, TN

Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Mike Kent & Associates (770) 630-7296 MeadowView Convention Center, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

NOV. 3-4

LEBANON, TN

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

NOV. 9-10

MARIETTA, GA

IAMAW Union Hall, The Carolina Trader (704) 282-1339

NOV. 10-11

FORT PAYNE, AL

NOV. 10-11

STUART, FL

NOV. 10-11

LAKELAND, FL

NOV. 10-11

PENSACOLA, FL

NOV. 10-11

WEST PALM BEACH, FL

Dekalb County Fairgrounds, A.G. Gun Shows (423) 664-2715

Martin County Fairgrounds, Great American Promotions (865) 453-0074 R.P. Funding Center, Florida Gun Shows (407) 410-6870

NOV. 10-11

COLUMBIA, SC

NOV. 17-18

COOKEVILLE, TN

NOV. 10-11

CHATTANOOGA, TN

NOV. 17-18

MEMPHIS, TN

NOV. 10-11

JACKSON, TN

NOV. 24-25

DALLAS, TX

NOV. 17-18

MOBILE, AL

NOV. 24-25

BIRMINGHAM, AL

NOV. 17-18

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL

NOV. 24-25

HOLLYWOOD, FL

NOV. 17-18

FORT MYERS, FL

NOV. 24-25

ORLANDO, FL

NOV. 17-18

MELBOURNE, FL

NOV. 24-25

BLAIRSVILLE, GA

NOV. 17-18

MIAMI, FL

NOV. 24-25

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA

NOV. 24-25

ALEXANDRIA, LA

NOV. 24-25

WINSTON-SALEM, NC

NOV. 24-25

LADSON, SC

NOV. 24-25

KNOXVILLE, TN

Jamil Shrine Center, South Carolina Arms Collectors Ass’n. (803) 463-9377

Camp Jordan Arena, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176 Jackson Fairgrounds Park, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

Greater Gulf State Fairgrounds, Collectors & Shooters Co. (334) 322-8818

War Memorial Auditorium, Florida Gun Shows (407) 410-6870 Araba Shrine Temple, Fort Myers Antique Arms Collectors (954) 294-2526

Melbourne Auditorium, Sport Show Specialists (321) 777-7455* Miccosukee Gaming Resort, Florida Gun Expo (305) 922-3677

NOV. 17-18

CARTERSVILLE, GA

Clarence Brown Conference Center, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

NOV. 17-18

GONZALES, LA

Lamar-Dixon Expo Hall, Classic Arms Productions (985) 624-8577

Leslie Town Centre, A.G. Gun Shows (423) 664-2715 Agricenter International, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

Dallas Market Hall, Dallas Arms Collectors Ass’n. (972) 369-6062*

Birmingham—Jefferson Convention Complex, Great Southern Guns & Knife Show (865) 671-4757 Italian American Civic League, Florida Gun Expo (305) 922-3677 Central Florida Fairgrounds, Florida Gun Shows (407) 410-6870

Pat Haralson Memorial Civic Center, Red, White & Blue Ridge Mountain Gun Shows (478) 262-7694 Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

SAI Convention Center, Sullivan Shows (318) 290-4523

Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, C&E Gun Shows (540) 953-0016

NOV. 17-18

COLUMBUS, MS

NOV. 17-18

RALEIGH, NC

Trotter Convention Center, A.G. Gun Shows (423) 664-2715

North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Dixie Gun & Knife Show Classic (919) 781-1287

Exchange Park Fairgrounds, Mike Kent & Associates (770) 630-7296

Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center, R.K. Shows Inc. (563) 927-8176

Pensacola Interstate Fair, North Florida Gun & Knife Show (407) 275-7233 South Florida Fairgrounds, Sport Show Specialists (321) 777-7455*

NOV. 10-11

PERRY, GA

NOV. 10-11

JACKSON, MS

Georgia National Fairgrounds, Eastman Gun Shows (229) 423-4867

Wahabi Shrine Temple, Big Pop Gun Shows (601) 498-4235

NOV. 10-11

CONCORD, NC

Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, C&E Gun Shows (540) 953-0016

NOV. 10-11

FRANKLIN, NC

Macon County Recreation Park, Gem Capitol Shows (828) 524-2064

NOV. 10-11

NEW BERN, NC

Craven County Jaycee Fairgrounds, S&D Show Promotions (252) 745-5647

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

americanrifleman.org

November 2018

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

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

NOV. 11—MESA, AZ

NOV. 15—PHOENIX, AZ

Crime Prevention

(Seminar) Gerard Violette (480) 244-6315

(Instructor Development Workshop) Gerard Violette (480) 244-6315 (Seminar) Melodie Coffman (682) 800-3435

NOV. 17—GLENDALE, AZ

(Seminar) Mark Milow (928) 421-0545

GUN SHOWS

NOVEMBER 2018

RENO, NV

NOV. 3-4

TUCSON, AZ

NOV. 3-4

CHICO, CA

Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Big Reno Show (775) 828-2350

NOV. 2-4

Pima County Fairgrounds, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125 Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, U.S. Gun Trader (530) 701-8659

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

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

AREA SHOOTS

F NOV. 3-4

PLACERVILLE, CA

El Dorado Fairgrounds, Buck Stop Gun Shows (530) 306 6011

NOV. 3-4

ELKO, NV

Elko Red Lion Casino/Hotel, American Dream Gun Show (408) 309-8182

NOV. 3-4

SANDY, UT

Mountain America Expo Center, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125

NOV. 9-11

FRESNO, CA

Big Fresno Fairgrounds, Sierra West Shows (559) 994-0926

NOV. 10-11

DALY CITY, CA

NOV. 10-11

LAS VEGAS, NV

NOV. 17-18

LANCASTER, CA

NOV. 17-18

LODI, CA

NOV. 17-18

CHANDLER, AZ

NOV. 17-18

BAKERSFIELD, CA

The Cow Palace, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125* Las Vegas Convention Center, Midwest Arms Collectors LLC (660) 956-6004

NOV. 24-25

American Legion Post 137, AZ Gun Radio (650) 520-6002 Kern County Fairgrounds, Central Coast Gun Shows (805) 481-6726

NOV. 17-18

SAN BERNARDINO, CA

National Orange Show Events Center, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125

NOV. 23-24

PROVO, UT

Utah Valley Convention Center, Utah Valley Gun Show (801) 851-2200

ROSWELL, NM

Roswell Convention & Civic Center, Western Frontier Gun Shows (575) 430-8681

NOV. 24-25

MESA, AZ

NOV. 24-25

COSTA MESA, CA*

Mesa Convention Center, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125 Orange County Fair & Event Center, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125

NOV. 24-25

YUBA CITY, CA

Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds, U.S. Gun Trader (530) 701-8659

NOV. 30-DEC. 2

PHOENIX, AZ

Arizona State Fairgrounds, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows (801) 544-9125

Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, SoCal Gun Show (619) 997-4154 Lodi Grape Festival Groups, Mountain Aire Promotions (209) 215-5599

DALLAS, TX

Dallas Market Hall, Dallas Arms Collectors Ass’n. (972) 369-6062*

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

SMALLBORE RIFLE

South El Monte, CA

HIGH POWER RIFLE

Centerville, UT Yuma, AZ Boulder City, NV Clovis, CA Dulzura, CA

SILHOUETTE

Sloughhouse, CA Gonzales, CA Lakeport, CA Mesa, AZ Phoenix, AZ Phoenix, AZ

NOV. 4 NOV. 10-11 NOV. 3 NOV. 10 NOV. 11 NOV. 11 NOV. 11 NOV. 3 NOV. 3 NOV. 17 NOV. 18 NOV. 24 NOV. 25

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

americanrifleman.org

November 2018

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

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

TRAINING

GUN SHOWS

Crime Prevention

(Seminar) Gil Feher (920) 202-3080

ALBANY, OR

NOV. 3-4

ST. HELENS, OR

NOV. 3-4

SPOKANE, WA

NOV. 10

VANCOUVER, WA

Linn County Expo Center, Wes Knodel Gun Shows (503) 363-9564

Columbia County Event Complex, Collectors West (800) 659-3440 Spokane County Fair, Wes Knodel Gun Shows (503) 363-9564

Vancouver Elks Club, Arms Collectors of Southwest Washington (360) 263-7511

NOVEMBER 2018

NOV. 10-11

MEDFORD, OR

NOV. 10-11

NAMPA, ID

Medford Rifle & Pistol Club Clubhouse, Medford Rifle & Pistol Club Clubhouse (541) 582-0333

Ford Idaho Center Arena, Lewis Clark Trader (208) 746-5555

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

NOV. 10-11

Police Competition

HILLSBORO, OR

Hillsboro Armory Building, Collectors West (800) 659-3440

NOV. 10-11

CENTRALIA, WA

NOV. 16-18

HELENA, MT

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.

SouthWest Washington Fairgrounds, Wes Knodel Gun Shows (503) 363-9564

NOV. 3—RICHLAND, WA

(Approved)

Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds, Sports Connection (406) 633-9333

NOV. 17—MARYSVILLE, WA

NOV. 16-18

GILLETTE, WY

(Approved) Contact LEcompetitions@nrahq.org or (703) 267-1632.

NOV. 17-18

LEWISTON, ID

STATE ASSOCIATIONS

CamPlex, Up In Arms Gun Shows (208) 420-2295

Nez Perce County Fairgrounds, Lewis Clark Trader (208) 746-5555

NOV. 17-18

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

PORTLAND, OR

Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, Wes Knodel Gun Shows (503) 363-9564

NOV. 17-18

Alaska Outdoor Council Inc.

alaskaoutdoorcouncil.org

PUYALLUP, WA

Hawaii Rifle Ass’n.

Western Washington Fairgrounds, Washington Arms Collectors (425) 255-8410

NOV. 17-18

RICHLAND, WA

Shilo Inn, Sports Connection (406) 633-9333

NOV. 23-24

MOORHEAD, MN

Moorhead National Guard Armory, A.C. Expos (218) 290-0274

NOV. 23-25

ROCK SPRINGS, WY

Sweetwater County Events Complex, Up In Arms Gun Shows (208) 420-2295

NOV. 23-25

BILLINGS, MT

Billings MetraPark, Sports Connection (406) 633-9333

NOV. 24-25

DALLAS, TX

Dallas Market Hall, Dallas Arms Collectors Ass’n. (972) 369-6062*

NOV. 25

PORTLAND, OR

NOV. 30-DEC. 1

CHISHOLM, MN

NOV. 30-DEC. 2

HAMILTON, MT

NOV. 30-DEC. 2

KALISPELL, MT

hawaiirifleassociation.org

LAW ENFORCEMENT

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.

NOV. 26-30—ASHLAND, OR

(Handgun) Contact LEcompetitions@nrahq.org or (703) 267-1632.

Idaho State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n.

idahosrpa.org

Minnesota Rifle & Revolver Ass’n. Inc.

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

Jackson Armory, Oregon Arms Collectors (503) 281-6864

Chisholm National Guard Armory, A.C. Expos (218) 290-0274

Ravalli County Fairgrounds, Sports Connection (406) 633-9333

Flathead County Fairgrounds, Up In Arms Gun Shows (208) 420-2295

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.

SILHOUETTE

Sherwood, OR Eatonville, WA Machias, WA Boise, ID

NOV. 3 NOV. 11 NOV. 18 NOV. 24

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

americanrifleman.org

November 2018

inside nra | programs & services

NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits Recognized as FastestGrowing Association Show

f you’ve regularly attended the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits and thought it seemed to be getting bigger over the years, it’s not your imagination. The Trade Show News Network (TSNN) recently held the NRA’s annual gathering up as 2018’s Fastest-Growing Association Show in the country, thanks to members like you coming from far and wide to join in the fun. “This award is proof that NRA is in tune with its membership, true to its mission and delivering the content our members want,” according to Jeff Poole, the NRA’s director of shows and exhibits.

It was a tough trek to claim the honor— an award that typically goes to groups that represent new or developing industries and that experience exponential growth in the early years of a show. But the NRA bucked the trend when a record 87,154 people walked through the doors in Dallas this May—up from 81,836 the year before in Atlanta. The growth goes to show “the vitality of the NRA and the firearm industry,” Poole said. The 2019 Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be April 25-28 in Indianapolis. For more information, visit nraam.org. The announcement was made at TSNN's awards event Aug. 11 in Louisville, Ky.

NOTICE: BYLAWS AVAILABLE Copies of the NRA Bylaws (as amended Sept. 10, 2016, and April 29, 2017) are available to all members. If you wish to receive a copy, send your request to the NRA Secretary, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope (89 cents postage required).

Photos by NRA Staff

NOTICE: MINUTES AVAILABLE Copies of the minutes from the April 29, 2017, Annual Meeting of Members in Atlanta, Ga., are now available. To receive a copy, send your request to: NRA Secretary, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 along with $3.60 to cover printing and postage.

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; John Cushman, New York; 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; 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.

November 2018

americaN riflemaN

israeli mausers continued from p. 69

Jewish forces quickly focused on the K98 as their main battle rifle, which may have been predicated by the large quantities of surplus rifles obtained from Czechoslovakia and Belgium, or the large quantities of available 7.92x57 mm ammunition. Unlike British arms, the Israelis could acquire new K98 rifles and ammunition from the Czechoslovak government, which continued to produce the model after the war. The communist coup in February 1948 in Czechoslovakia may have been a contributing factor as to why Fabrique Nationale was contracted to manufacture a version of the K98 for Israel. By that time, Joseph Stalin was in control of the nations behind the Iron Curtain, and his support of Israel was unreliable and contradictory at best. While the details of the Belgian purchases remain cloaked in mystery, the state of Israel began buying rifles from FN after it declared independence. Although FN had manufactured a few K98 parts during the German occupation, it had never before built complete K98 rifles. The rifles were marked with the emblem of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which was actually the old logo of the Haganah—a sword and olive branch. All rifles were finished in FN’s standard rust blue and were chambered in 7.92x57 mm. No rifles were chambered in 7.62x51 mm NATO as is often reported. Early contract rifles conveniently lack production year code markings. This first order marked the beginning of more than 40 years of cooperation between FN and the state of Israel. The state of Israel purchased thousands of FN K98-style rifles, including 1,800 .22 Long Rifle training rifles, up

to about 1956. Additionally, Energa Rifle grenades and launchers, FN Browning High Power pistols and FN BAR machine guns were also acquired. Israel lacked armored vehicles, and the Energa grenade was essential to counter the armored vehicles of the hostile Arab armies. The .22 Long Rifle-chambered training rifles deviated from FN’s standard trainers. The Israelis not only demanded that it resemble the K98, they requested a modified feeding ramp and improved bolt. Israeli arsenals overhauled the training rifles in 1958 and modified many German trainers it had acquired at the time of independence. Many of those rifles were modified to the standard K98-style configuration. The FN trainers were mostly inspected, repaired if needed and “0.22” markings were added to the stock in order to distinguish them from the 7.62 mm rifles. The “0.22” marking is nonsensical as it is not the metric equivalent (5.6 mm) of the .22 caliber. The FN training rifles were usually not refinished, and most are encountered today in original blue finish. The country of Israel was small with limited resources, so nothing was wasted. Throughout the years, Israel had acquired a variety of pre-war rifles from various sources, these rifles were all displaced during World War II and were once Czech, Lithuanian or Ethiopian issue, among others. Those pre-war rifles were stripped and the barreled actions were used to convert them into K98-style rifles. continued on p. 88

Fabrique Nationale manufacturing characteristics that distinguished FN-built rifles from German K98s include (clockwise from top l.): a bent bolt handle with a different radius and Liège proofs; an FN-style sling swivel; and a simplified rear sight housing. americanrifleman.org

november 2018

israeli mausers

continued from p. 87

The original contract markings were not removed from the receivers. The wide variety of configurations makes them fascinating collector items, and though most were later converted to 7.62 mm, some survive in their original 7.92 mm chambering with Israeli K98-style furniture. In 1955, Israel officially adopted the FN FAL and FALO, followed by the FN MAG-58 machine gun. It should be noted that the FAL was gradually transitioned into service, it was not an immediate replacement for the Mauser rifles. By the time the IDF adopted the FAL, it had commenced programs to standardize the 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge. By 1957, Israeli arsenals were busy converting thousands of Mauser rifles to 7.62x51 mm NATO, the FN BAR was also converted to 7.62x51 mm NATO. Fabrique Nationale’s innovative conversion system worked with standard FAL magazines, and the 7.62 mm version became known as the FN BAR DA1. Fabrique Nationale supplied thousands of unfinished Mauser barrels. They were not proofed in Liège as they were not in a finished state: fitting, finishing and assembly were all done in Israel. Rifles were modernized with new 7.62x51 mm NATO barrels, stocks and receivers were “7.62” marked for quick identification. All parts were refinished with a green phosphate treatment. Little attention was spent on matching part numbers, which makes “all-matching” rifles exceedingly rare today. The refurbishment program included almost all Mauser rifles including wartime K98 rifles, postwar Czech K98 rifles as well as pre-war FN and VZ rifles. The 7.62 mm Mauser rifles were fielded and remained in service for decades. Even during the Six-Day War (1967), Mauser rifles and other surplus rifles were still used in combat with FAL rifles and Uzi submachine guns. Throughout its existence, the state of Israel has remained at a high level of alert. Ordinary citizens from office workers to school teachers were armed. The FN Mauser rifles continued to have an important role as a secondary arm. Only after decades of service were the surviving rifles sold worldwide as collector’s items. Seventy years ago, after the atrocities of the Holocaust, men and women from all over the world took the initiative to go to Palestine and fight for an independent Jewish state. Their bravery and determination lives on in the tools they used: those Mausers we now cherish as collectibles.

A cupped buttplate (l.) is consistent throughout all Israeli-contract FN Mausers. The flag raising at Umm Rash-rash (below) marked the end of the War of Independence. Note that one soldier is armed with a U.S. M1 carbine.

RefeRences: “Above And beyond,” 2014 documentAry film by robertA GrossmAn The Uzi SUbmachine GUn by dAvid GAboury Fn maUSer riFleS: arminG belGiUm and The World by Anthony vAnderlinden

November 2018

americaN riflemaN

rock river continued from p. 73

The Polys I received for evaluation were close siblings, with only a few differences separating them from being a matched pair. The .45 ACP’s barrel was of traditional M1911 design, while the 9 mm used the ramped design more appropriate to that cartridge. The slide stop pin protruded through the frame on the .45, whereas the 9 mm pin ended flush with the frame. The slide markings were also slightly different on both pistols, but, in handling and overall feel, they were essentially identical. Both pistols cycled smoothly and lock into battery gracefully and firmly, with “lock” being the precise term. Neither exhibited play in any direction when in battery, feeling much closer to a custom-fitted M1911 than the typical factory gun. In fact, the same craftsmen who carefully build Rock River’s custom line produce the Poly, and there is some hand-fitting that occurs as necessary. This was borne out in accuracy testing as can be seen in the table on p. 73. The pistols were as accurate in drills as they were from support. Eight-inch MGM steel plates were easy-money with either pistol out to 40-plus yds. My ability to guarantee hits depends on the accuracy, sights and trigger of the pistol in question, and the Poly 1911s gave me a solid interval of extra yardage. As an example, at a step shy of 60 yds., the 9 mm stacked five hits on an 8" plate in as many rounds, placing 125-gr. Hornady Steel Match into a fist-size group. Recoil is highly subjective, but my perception in firing the Rock River Poly 1911s back-to-back with steelframe pistols was that there was very little additional impulse. Physics would indicate there should be more recoil from a similar but lighter handgun, but the difference was so slight as to possibly go unnoticed by many. My guess is that the soft-shooting qualities may be a combination of the more hand-filling frame and, perhaps, some dampening quality in the polymer itself. Whatever the case, the times I shot the 10-yd. plate rack, and other standard drills, were very similar to what I have recorded with custom americanrifleman.org

steel M1911s in each chambering. Both pistols were simply reliable without caveat. The .45 gobbled up everything from Black Hills’ target lead semi-wadcutters to Super Vel +P JHPs, and everything in between in both the included eight-round magazines and Wilson Combat seven- and eightrounders. The 9 mm shot ball and hollow points from 115 to 147 grs. loaded by Black Hills, Hornady, Federal and Wilson Combat. M1911s in 9 mm have somewhat of a reputation for being magazine-sensitive, but the Poly ran 100 percent over approximately 800 rounds with both the included nine rounders as well as 10-round magazines from Wilson Combat and Metalform. I had two small issues with the test pistols. One, both of the pistols had a grip screw bushing unthread along with a grip screw. This was resolved easily enough with threadlocking compound. The second was that the standard thumb safety on each pistol was quite stiff to disengage. The 9 mm pistol broke in to an acceptable degree while the .45’s safety remained stiff enough to require very specific effort to disengage. Were the pistol my own, I would either have Rock River address it as a warranty item or, more likely, replace the safety with an extended unit. Overall, the pistols’ performance and level of quality stand out very well at their price point. Both pistols were enjoyable to shoot and tended to make the shooter look good. The polymer frame may be a little offputting to traditionalists, but, over time, I warmed up to the feel, actually liking the amount of contact I gained with the frontstrap and checkering. The weight savings may also tempt some to consider the Poly as a concealed carry candidate. It says quite a bit about the enduring allure of John M. Browning’s M1911 that more than 100 years after its development companies are adapting the most current innovations to the platform while trying to maintain as much as possible about the established design and features. The Rock River Poly is an interesting mix of the best of the old and new. november 2018

DAN COMBS

continued from p. 74

whether you are driving a car or handling a gun.” He fascinated audiences with firearms skill that included throwing six clay pigeons into the air with one hand and then busting all of them mid-air with a Remington 1100 shotgun. Using his .30-’06 Sprg. Remington semi-automatic rifle, he could consistently vaporize grapes thrown into the air by an assistant. Watching a film of a typical Combs performance of the early 1970s shows a man comfortable with a variety of firearms. He remains among the few people who could empty a 50-round

drum from a .45 ACP-chambered Thompson submachine gun into a playing card in one long burst. His ability to control a gun under recoil was so great that he could empty an M14 rifle’s 20-round magazine into the head of a target silhouette at 20 paces in one short and continuous burst with the hard-recoiling .308 Win. cartridge. Ambidextrous, Combs could perform his rifle and shotgun trickshots from either shoulder. For his handgun demonstrations, Combs would fascinate audiences with his ability to lay an empty cartridge box on top of his right hand poised for

Combs was among a small number of marksmen who could effectively control recoil during large-volume fully automatic fire. He could empty his Thompson’s 50-round magazine without stopping, and his shot group at 15 ft. could be covered by a playing card.

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

nramuseum.org photos

SMITH & WESSON MODEL 15 COMBAT MASTERPIECE .38 SPL.

SMITH & WESSON MODEL 19 COMBAT MAGNUM .357 MAG.

a draw. At a signal, he would draw his handgun and bounce the cardboard box in the air and quick finger a shot into the box that sent it flying. He prefaced his public gun-handling sessions by saying: “I am the worst shot and the slowest draw in the entire Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The commissioner ordered me to perform these exhibitions so I can become as good with a handgun as the rest of the troopers.” For his demonstrations, he used a variety of handguns. Much of the time, he used an unmodified Model 15 Combat Masterpiece in .38 Spl. that was issued to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in the late 1950s and early 1960s, though he favored the Model 19 Smith & Wesson Combat Magnum with a 4" barrel. Combs believed the Model 19, with its relatively small and light (at 36 ozs., it was the lightest magnum at the time) frame size, coupled with the power of the .357 Mag. cartridge, made a perfect combination for a police officer. He was a primary force in the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s decision to abandon the .38 Spl. and the subsequent issue of the Smith & Wesson .357 Mag. revolvers to troopers in the early 1970s. AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG

In single-action revolvers, Combs was well aware of the mystique of the Colt, and did use them in his early demonstrations. He soon switched to a pair of Ruger Blackhawks in .357 Mag. because of the Blackhawk’s stout internal mechanism. “As a firearms instructor for the patrol, I hope and pray that neither myself nor one of my student officers will ever have to use our guns,” explained Combs to a group of lawmen as he was recorded for a training film of the early 1970s. “But, I don’t want to think about being second in a gun fight. There is only one winner, and a funeral for the runner up.” He preferred his handgun grips unmodified with original factory stocks. Although he disliked checkering on the stocks, he didn’t bother to sand or file them smooth. Rather, Combs smoothed them by simply practicing his draws a few hundred thousand times, which slowly smoothed the roughest of checkering. He practiced his draw and other gun-handling skills with the same discipline a dedicated athlete prepares for competition. For his demonstrations, Combs developed a steel-lined, straight-drop holster to aid speed drawing. He always warned people viewing his demonstrations that fast-draw was “tricky and can be dangerous.” continued on p. 92

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DAN COMBS

continued from p. 91

A farm boy raised in Garvin County, Okla., Combs spent much of his youth on horseback punching cattle and picking cotton. He also learned how to shoot. By the age of 10, he could consistently hit walnut-size aerial targets with his single-shot .22 rifle. The 1930s-era depression helped shape his personality and character. According to those closest to him, Combs used this early adversity to teach himself both the toughness and understanding needed later in life as a professional lawman. A veteran of combat with the U.S. Army in the southwest Pacific, Combs returned at the end of World War II to begin his law enforcement career with the Shawnee, Okla., Police Dept. He joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol three years later, and he soon perfected his fast-draw—as a hobby and as a skill he felt might be required for his survival. Combs’ talents were recognized, and he soon became a firearm instructor in the training division of the

Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. “He possessed the fastest reflexes and the best eye-to-hand coordination of anyone I have ever seen,” said Dutch Schneider, a retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer when interviewed about Combs in 1990. Schneider was Combs’ partner in the training section during the 1970s. “Dan practiced daily and trained thousands of other law officers from a variety of agencies on how to best use their sidearms. Particularly with a rookie just learning the rudiments of shooting and safe gun handling, Dan had infinite patience and understanding.” Over the years, several Highway Patrol Troopers personally thanked Combs for teaching them the skills that saved their lives in gunfights. Combs’ fast-draw/quick-shoot demonstrations at the NRA National Pistol Shooting Championships soon brought various police agency representatives and firearm instructors to Oklahoma City to study the officer’s unique skills. “Some people think it is silly practicing fast-draw,” explained Combs to a newspaper reporter during the 1960s. “They think you’re playing cowboy and outlaw. Heck, I’m just practicing to help me stay alive. The reason, besides demonstration, that I practice fast-draw is to possibly prevent someone from killing me, a fellow patrolman or a citizen.”

Combs uses an S&W Model 15 “Combat Masterpiece” in .38 Spl. during an exhibition in the 1960s. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol issued this chambering prior to switching to the S&W magnum.

NOVEMBER 2018

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

A well-built, athletic man just less than six feet tall, Combs was a lifetime NRA supporter and firm believer in the right to keep and bear arms. “I speak only as one peace officer, but we must never, ever disarm the American public,” he warned at the end of one of his demonstrations. Combs was severely wounded by, but survived the accidental discharge of, a .45-cal. semi-automatic handgun at the range during the late 1960s. He resumed his training and exhibition schedule in the early 1970s. Well-liked by fellow officers, Combs prematurely died at age 55 at his home of a heart attack during the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 1976. Honor guards from the Oklahoma City and Tulsa police departments, as well as his companions from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, stood in silent tribute to Capt. Combs, Badge Number 14. Combs remains missed. Just prior to his death, Combs actively promoted the use of bulletproof vests for his “boys” in the Highway Patrol. He was one of the early pivotal law enforcement professionals who began increasing officer awareness of survival training, which is now commonplace across the country. His realistic law enforcement training emphasized surviving a quickly occurring confrontation at close range. “Combs developed our early handgun training and qualification course,” said Capt. Chris West, Public Affairs Commander with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. “Although we do not still use the same course he developed, his legacy lives on in our rich tradition and history. I wish I had known him.” In his memory, a glass cabinet near the entrance of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy in Oklahoma City holds Combs’ Thompson submachine gun and several revolvers, along with pictures, trophies and shooting mementos that represent one man’s dedication to the shooting art and his passion of teaching it to fellow law enforcement officers. Keith R. Schmidt is a sergeant and firearm instructor assigned to the training division of the Harris County Department Reserves, Houston, Texas.

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PATTERN 1856 “ENFIELD” CAVALRY CARBINE Gun: Pattern 1856 Cavalry Carbine Manufacturer: tiPPing & lawden caliber: .577 Manufactured: 1859 condition: nra exCellent (antique gun StandardS) Value: $2,500

n the 1850s, Britain’s military, like others in Europe and the New World, realized that breechloading arms were the wave of the future and began experimenting with various systems—primarily with which to arm its mounted troops. A number of foreign and domestic systems were looked at, and some, such as a version of the American Model 1855 Sharps and the English Calisher & Terry, were provisionally issued. While trials were going on, the War Dept. realized it would be prudent to have a more traditional muzzleloading arm available for cavalry until a final decision was made. Earlier, the British had adopted what many consider to be the finest arm of its type ever designed, the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle-Musket. As its name implies, the arm was designed at the Royal Small Arms Manufactory at Enfield Lock. The P’53 was a muzzleloader that fired a hollow-based, .577-cal., smooth “Pritchett”-style Minié bullet, and it was intended for standard infantry regiments in its three-banded form with a 39" barrel. Other variants were also available, including: two-banded “Short Rifles” of various models for sergeants, rifle units and other specialty forces; three versions of Artillery Carbines; and two Cavalry Carbines. Depending upon the style and/or date of manufacture, arms were made at Enfield, some (early-on) in the United States and Belgium, or under contract by the London and Birmingham “trades.” The trades were private firms, comprised of larger makers and sub-contractors who fabricated rifles and carbines to government specifications. Upon completion, the guns would be sent to the Tower of London where they were inspected and their parts gauged. Guns that passed were dated and marked “Tower” on the lockplates. Those accepted for government service

also had their locks decorated with a crown surmounting the royal monogram “V.R.” (Victoria Regina). Lockplates lacking the Queen’s initials were intended for commercial sale. As well, some makers engraved or stamped their names in place of the crown or “Tower.” As mentioned, it was decided to produce quantities of muzzleloading carbines for mounted units, resulting in the Pattern 1856 Cavalry carbine, also known as the “East India” Pattern. This handy little arm measured 34" overall, had a 21" rifled barrel, weighed 8 lbs. and was of .577 caliber. It had a folding rear sight assembly involving notches graduated for 100, 200 and 300 yds. Fittings were of brass. The carbine was equipped with a “captive” swivel ramrod to facilitate loading on horseback, as well as a sliding ring that could be attached to a carbine sling hook so the piece would not be separated from its user during an action. All Pattern 1856s were manufactured by the Birmingham and London trades, though the later, slightly different P’61s were built solely at Enfield. The example seen here was obtained from Tipping & Lawden, one of the “old four” original firms who provided some of the early Pattern 1853 long rifles. The stock is marked on the bottom of the butt “TIPPING & LAWDEN.” The barrel was made by J.R. Cooper, the stock by W. Flavell and the lock by Joseph Brazier. All of these components are marked by their makers and surcharged by Tipping & Lawden. On the right side of the stock, opposite the lock, is the name “BURGESS,” the person who assembled the gun. Commercial versions of the Pattern 1856 were also manufactured, a number of them sold to both the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War, though in nowhere near the numbers of Pattern 1853s that were imported. The 1859-dated British-issue Pattern 1856 Cavalry Carbine seen here is in excellent condition and, as such, would command a solid $2,500. If it were commercial, and Confederate usage could be proven, the price would be considerably higher. —Garry James, ContributinG 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.

November 2018

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Photos by Jill Marlow

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American Rifleman 2018-11

Articles inside

Chain Breaker: Hornady’s 6.5 mm PRC

The X-Bolt 10 Years Later

FN Mausers And The Fight For Israel