Gun World 2014 - Jan

GW_1401_COVER 11/4/13 11:42 PM Page US_C1

SPECIAL HANDGUN ISSUE NEW GUNSMITHING COLUMN TEST ANY M1911A1

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GW_1401_3 11/1/13 1:19 AM Page 3

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GW_1401-TOC.CX 11/6/13 11:03 PM Page 4

CONTENTS JANUARY 2014

FEATURES

12

COVER STORY: SELECTIVE SERVICE From the Colt 1911 to today’s Berettas, Glocks and SIGs, each military pistol selected for service has to earn its keep on a variety of mission-critical tasks.

By Leroy Thompson

SPECIAL SECTION: NEW GUNSMITHING COLUMN TECHNICAL TEST DRIVE In the first part of a new column series, our expert gunsmith shares tips on how to inspect and function-test any M1911A1 style pistol…without a trip to the range.

By Steve Sieberts

22

COVER STORY: CONFIDENT CARRY The enhanced version of Ruger’s LCP in .380 offers improved sights and a shorter trigger, and handles hollow point ammunition without a flaw.

By Dave Spaulding

32

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GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

38

DELAYED GRATIFICATION Success can sometimes take decades, and the time may have finally come for the Winchester Model 70 in .264 Magnum.

By Brad Fitzpatrick BACK IN THE SADDLE The demise of the cowboy gun has been greatly exaggerated, and our six-gun authority tests some newer models on a range of a different sort.

By Jim Thompson

46

GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 55, Number 1 is published monthly, 12 times a year by Beckett Media, LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.

Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gun World c/o Beckett Media, 4635 McEwen Road Dallas, TX 75244.

Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Gun World c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B GST#855050365RT001

www.gunworld.com

TERRILL HOFFMAN

12

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From cops, tactical operators and military special ops guys to firearms trainers and serious competitors, they know that Les Baer 1911s have been delivering superior performance and unquestioned reliability for more than a quarter-century. More than thirty custom 1911 models are available, all combining traditional 1911 toughness with Les Baer's trademark craftsmanship and attention to detail.

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GW_1401-TOC.CX 11/6/13 11:04 PM Page 6

FEATURES

MIKE DICKERSON

CONTENTS

58

DEFENSE AMMO UPDATE A succinct assessment of some newer loads for short-barreled revolvers and semi-autos.

By Dr. Martin D. Topper YOUR WITNESS A one-man jury cross-examines the improved Tanfoglio Witness Elite 1. Find out if the defense rested after the dust settled.

By Todd Burgreen

62

DEFENSIVE DOUBLE TEAM What’s better than a Mossberg 590A1? Two of them, each sporting a radical makeover to ensure a perfect “one-two punch” home defense plan.

By John Raguso

JIM THOMPSON

74

46 CHAMPION

96 COLUMNS ON THE COVER: Note: The Colt 1911 featured on our cover was manufactured in 1918, and is from the personal collection of writer/photographer Terrill Hoffman.

Photographs by Terrill Hoffman, Dave Spaulding.

Cover design by Jesse Cao.

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GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

8 UP FRONT Craig Hodgkins

86 TODAY’S HUNTER Thomas C. Tabor

10 ASK THE EXPERTS Gun World Contributors

92 NEW PRODUCTS Mike Dickerson

70 RELOAD James E. House

96 BACK PAGES REMEMBERING ROBERT STACK Craig Hodgkins

82 CONCEALED CARRY Dave Workman www.gunworld.com

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UP FRONT JANUARY 2014 • VolUme 55 • NUmbeR 1

UNRESOLVED

By Craig Hodgkins

t’s January, and I resolve to make no resolutions.

I

And, from several of the conversations I had at the recent National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) Expo and Annual Meeting, it would appear as if numerous companies are taking a similar approach.

This past year (2013, for those of you taking notes) was a tough one for predictions, especially when it came to product launches and availability. If you attended the 2013 SHOT Show and are still waiting for some of those cool new items to hit the shelves, you know exactly what I mean.

One thing I do know is that delayed product releases and availability issues are exasperating on the other side of the fence as well. Businesses are in business to do business, and the best way to do that is to get products in the hands of the consumer.

Don’t get me wrong. The 2014 Shot Show will certainly feature several exciting new products, but the manufacturers I spoke with also know that it’s just as important to continue to deliver from last year’s catalogs.

But if one conversation I had is any indication, things are looking up. While chatting with the president of one ammunition manufacturer, he told me that people are now asking “What are you out of?” rather than “What do you have?”

Of course, even though I’m not being overly resolute, I’m happy share a few things—from companies and products to industry trends—that you’ll be reading more about in these pages in the coming months.

GUN WORLD IN SOCIAL MEDIA: Website: www.gunworld.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ gunworldmagazine Twitter: @gunworldmag Instagram: @gunworldmag 8

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

One of the first things I noticed at NASGW was that many companies are increasing the breadth of their offerings, and the number of organizations producing quality accessories and gear is expanding as well. So if you can’t find a quality carry bag or backpack, you aren’t looking hard enough.

I was especially taken with the sheer quantity of scopes, sights and lasers coming to market in all price points.

From tritium and fiber optics to green, blue and red dots to positively effect point of aim in low or no light situations,

eDIToRIAl editorial Director: Doug Jeffrey editor: Craig Hodgkins managing editor: Breanna Armstrong Art Director: Thomas Kimball

coNTRIbUToRs Dave Emanuel, Lee Boyt, Todd Burgreen, Jerry Catania, Mike Dickerson, Tara Dixon Engel, Jim Dickson, Abe Elias, Brad Fitzpatrick, Richard Folsland, Paul Hantke, James House, Dave Norman, Jameson Parker, Buck Pope, D.K. Pridgen, Denis Prisbrey, John Raguso, Dave Spaulding, Tom Tabor, Chuck Taylor, Leroy Thompson, Martin Topper, Dave Workman

ADVeRTIsING Gabe Frimmel: Ad sales Director (714) 200-1930 GFrimmel@beckett.com David beckler: outdoor Group Director (972) 448-9173 casey clifford: senior Account executive (717) 896-8956 mark Pack: senior Account executive (714) 200-1939 Gennifer merriday: Ad Traffic coordinator

DIRecT mARKeTING GRoUP John bartulin Paul caca Ryan lauro mary Ann Jaca

(866) 866-5146 ext. 2746 (866) 866-5146 ext. 4961 (866) 866-5146 ext. 2756 (866) 866-5146 ext 2716

oPeRATIoNs Gus Alonzo: Newsstand Sales & Marketing Manager celia merriday: Newsstand Analyst Armit sharma: Newsstand & Production Analyst mohit Patel: Newsstand & Production Analyst Alberto chavez: Senior Logistics & Facilities Manager John cabral: Creative Graphic Designer

eDIToRIAl, PRoDUcTIoN & sAles oFFIce

I was especially taken by the sheer quantity of scopes and sights at all price points...

22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200 Yorba Linda, CA 92887 (714) 939-9991 www.gunworld.com www.facebook.com/gunworldmagazine www.facebook.com/eembybeckett GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 55, Number 1 is published monthly, 12 times a year by Beckett Media, LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.

Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and additional mailing offices. PosTmAsTeR: Send address changes to Gun World c/o Beckett Media, 4635 McEwen Road Dallas, TX 75244. Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Gun World c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B GST#855050365RT001 © 2013 by Beckett Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

cUsTomeR seRVIce

shooters now have an embarrassment of sight picture riches to choose among.

For home defense and concealed carry, I was pleased to hear that DoubleTap Defense is now shipping their muchanticipated tactical pocket pistol (with interchangeable .45 and 9mm barrels) in aluminum, and that the titanium-framed models will be coming on line soon.

One thing is sure…2014 will be exciting, with more than enough products and tests to fill a years worth of monthly issues. So here’s one resolution…we’ll do our best to keep you up to date (and maybe a little ahead) with timely gun and gear reviews and informative articles from some of the most experienced and informed shooters/writers around.

As always, thanks for reading Gun World! GW

beckett media, llc 4635 Mc Ewen Road. Dallas, TX 75244 sUbscRIPTIoNs, ADDRess chANGes, ReNewAls, mIssING oR DAmAGeD coPIes (800) 764-6278 (239) 653-0225 Foreign Inquiries subscriptions@beckett.com customerservice@beckett.com bAcK IssUes: www.engagedmediamags.com booKs, meRchANDIse, RePRINTs: (239) 280-2380 DeAleR sAles: (239) 280-2380 New PRoDUcTs oR To coNTRIbUTe A sToRY oR PhoTo chodgkins@beckett.com sUbscRIPTIoN RATes $17.95/1 year, $27.95/2 years. Foreign $33.95/1 year, $59.95/2 years. Single copy price is $4.99. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for new subscriptions to begin.

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GW_1401-Experts 11/1/13 3:13 AM Page 10

ASK the EXPERTS

We do the research so you don’t have to.

TOM TABOR

Thompson firing a World War I Winchester Model 97 Trench Gun.

TRENCH

WARFARE

QUESTION: I enjoyed reading your recent series on military weapons, but would like a little more background on WWI “Trench Guns.” I gather these were shoulder weapons rather than artillery?

—Kevin F., St. Louis, Missouri LEROY THOMPSON ANSWERS: You are correct. The Trench Gun was a combat shotgun developed for use in defending against German assaults on U.S. trenches or use in U.S. assaults on German trenches. Gen. Pershing had seen the effectiveness of combat shotguns in the Philippines and during the Punitive Expedition into Mexico and requested the Ordnance Department acquire some Winchester Model 97 pump shotguns for use in the trenches.

Pershing’s initial intent was to acquire standard riot guns, but the Ordnance Department felt that the shotguns should allow the mounting of a bayonet. As a result, Model 97s with 20-inch barrels were produced with bayonet lugs, a ventilated hand guard so that troops could grasp the barrel to thrust the bayonet without burning their hands, and sling swivels. They proved quite effective in trench warfare, to the extent that the Germans lodged a complaint that the shotguns violated the “law of war.”

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GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

The major problem with the Trench Guns was the papercased ammunition originally supplied which would swell from the moisture in the trenches and cause feeding problems. This was solved by acquiring brass cased 00 Buckshot rounds.

Although the Model 97 Trench Gun is most widely known, during World War I the U.S. also acquired Remington Model 10 Trench Guns. During World War II, Winchester Model 97 and

Pershing’s initial intent was to acquire standard riot guns…

Model 12 and Stevens Model 520-30 and Model 620A Trench Guns were used along with a few Ithaca Model 37 Trench Guns. In World War II, many riot guns were acquired as well without the bayonet lug or hand guard. Some of the World War II-era Trench guns continued in use during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and on into the First Gulf War in a few cases. www.gunworld.com

GW_1401-Experts 11/1/13 3:13 AM Page 11

TOM TABOR

HOW SAFE IS A

SAFE?

QUESTION: I want to purchase a gun safe, but am confused over how the fire rating is determined and what rating would be the best in case of a house fire.

—Ralph B., Bend, Oregon TOM TABOR ANSWERS: If you saw fire rating such as “1500-degrees Fahrenheit for 30-minutes” it would be natural to conclude that as long as that temperature wasn’t sustained for a full half hour, the contents inside the safe would not be harmed. Unfortunately, that would be wrong. Typically, a fire rating like this means that the temperature inside the safe would not exceed 350 degrees F if the outside temperature of 1500-degrees F is reached within a span of 30 minutes. This

Place your safe on the ground floor of your house… rating is based on the fact that paper documents typically begin to char and burn when they reach 350 degrees. Because safes are often filled with paper documents, 350 degrees has become generally the acceptable standard for rating safes.

While paper can become damaged or destroyed at 350-degrees and above, my research seems to indicate that guns can sometimes withstand temperatures up to about 500 degrees before damage starts. And if your gun safe will double for storage of other valuables, rest assured your wife’s diamonds will be resistant up to about 6,000-degrees, and gold will begin to melt at a little under 2,000-degrees.

Its hard to say what level of fire protection is necessary to be absolutely certain that your cherished firearms receive no damage, but you can take additional steps to help. First, place the safe on the ground floor of your house, and position it against an outside wall. Place your valuable paper documents near the bottom of the safe. The inside temperature of a safe

It seems that you never have enough room in a gun safe, so the best advice is to buy a larger unit with plenty of room to grow. during a fire can vary by as much as 50 to 60 degrees from top to bottom, with the top being the hottest.

When purchasing a gun safe, my best advice is to investigate thoroughly the methods and procedures used to establish the fire rating, and buy as much protection—and capacity—as you feel you can afford. Remember that rifles equipped with scopes frequently take much more space than rifles without them. AR style firearms also are space hogs when it comes to storage, and sometimes require specialized interiors. Finally, a door blanket capable of holding handguns and other small items is also a handy accessory to include. GW

OUR JANUARY EXPERTS THOMAS C. TABOR is Gun World’s resident hunting columnist, and routinely goes afield in pursuit of small birds, large game and good stories. His “Today’s Hunter” column may be found on Page 86.

www.gunworld.com

LEROY THOMPSON is an internationally recognized authority on weapons and tactics, and is the author of 50 books. You’ll find his most recent feature, on the development of the military handgun, on Page 12 of this issue.

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

11

GW_1401-Military.BA 11/1/13 3:17 AM Page 12

SELECTIVE

SERVICE The Ongoing Evolution of the Modern Military Pistol

The Colt M1911 was adopted in 1911, and versions of it are still used in the U.S. and other armed forces today. Shown is a World War II 1911A1 and holster.

Story & Photos by Leroy Thompson

ilitary pistols are designed, selected and put into service for specific tasks. When those tasks change, or when new challenges require innovative firearms solutions, pistols must adapt and evolve, or be replaced.

M 12

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

www.gunworld.com

GW_1401-Military.BA 11/1/13 3:17 AM Page 13

USMC

The FN Browning P35 has served since before World War II, though it has been replaced in many armed forces. Shown is a Uruguayan Marine armed with the P35.

www.gunworld.com

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

13

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UKRAINIAN MVS

A Makarov pistol in use by a member of Ukrainian Sokil, a special anti-organized crime unit of the MVS.

Specific conflicts have often created additional missions for the pistol. In World War I, for example, trench combat made the pistol invaluable for personnel defense at close quarters for both raiders and trench defenders. In fact, the demand by U.S. troops for handguns in the WWI trenches was so high that there weren’t enough 1911s available; hence, troop firepower was augmented by 1917 revolvers chambered for the same .45 ACP round as the 1911 pistol.

During World War II, pistols were mostly used in the traditional role, and many U.S. troops who were not authorized pistols managed to capture German pistols and carry them. Although frontline German troops normally carried pistols chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round, many other troops carried .32 ACP or .380 pistols while serving on occupation duties as they tended to be unpopular with the locals.

Some specialized pistols, such as those

PISTOL PACKING PERSONNEL In addition to being task-specific, pistols are also selected and issued to specific personnel groups who do not regularly engage the enemy. For many military officers, the pistol primarily serves as a personal protection weapon and a symbol of authority. In some military units, the officer is issued a smaller pistol on the assumption that he or she will not be fighting on the front lines. Combat officers, on the other hand, are normally issued a pistol more capable of use in combat.

Another personnel grouping which has often been issued the pistol are those who operate crew-served weapons, perform administrative tasks, operate communications gear, or serve in medical positions. For example, in most armies, tankers are armed with pistols. Military Police are normally issued a pistol as well, though when operating in front line positions will generally have a rifle or carbine as well. Another group who have traditionally carried pistols are aviators, who need a compact weapon which will give them some ability to survive if shot down.

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GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

with suppressors, were developed for clandestine units such as the U.S. OSS and British SOE. U.S. and German Airborne troops were often armed with a pistol in addition to a SMG, rifle, or carbine in case their primary weapon was lost during a jump or became inoperable behind enemy lines.

Following World War II and through the current War on Terror, Special Operations personnel increasingly turned to the pistol. As with the World War II paratroopers mentioned above, the pistol provided a supplemental weapon should the primary go down, but it also performed myriad other tasks. And, as special ops units assumed additional counterterrorist responsibilities, the pistol proved invaluable for use in tubular assaults (i.e. aircraft) and boarding operations. It also became the top weapon in an array of other situations, including close quarters fighting or when the need to grasp a ladder, rappel rope, etc. demanded use of a one-handed weapon. Specialized pistols specifically designed for use underwater (i.e. HK P11) have been developed, too, for use by combat swimmers. Special Operations units also make substantial use of suppressed pistols.

The War on Terror has inspired another wise use of pistols. Many troops in Iraq and Afghanistan carry pistols to guard against sudden or stealth attacks www.gunworld.com

GW_1401-Military.BA 11/1/13 3:17 AM Page 15

Another long-serving military pistol is the Russian Makarov PM.

by supposed allies. For example, the British armed forces recently adopted the Glock 17 primarily because it can be brought into action quickly to thwart such attacks, and the issuance priority of new Glocks has been to troops serving in Afghanistan.

THE M1911 Although there has been substantial evolution in military pistols during the last century, the 1911 pistol has retained its popularity among many U.S. military units, especially the U.S. Marine Corps.

In 1985, however, the M1911/1911A1 pistol was replaced by the Beretta M9, which remains as the primary U.S. military pistol today. However, the 1911 remains in use with Marine units such as MARSOC (Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command) and MEUSOC (Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable). MEUSOC .45 pistols were rebuilt by USMC armorers using 1911 frames fitted with new parts. Later, www.gunworld.com

the first MARSOC pistols were ordered from Kimber with various special features. However, the current MARSOC pistol, the CQBP (Close Quarters Battle Pistol) is being made by Colt and is des-

“

the M1911A1. Another user of this classic pistol design is Brazil, which uses versions produced by IMBEL. In many cases, other countries still use U.S.-produced 1911A1s provided as military aid.

Specific conflicts have often created additional missions for the pistol.

ignated M45A1. Some U.S. Army Special Operations personnel have also used 1911-type pistols, though it has not been generally adopted.

The M1911 also remains in use with some U.S. allies. Among these are some units of the Royal Thai Army and Philippine Armed Forces, and both of these countries produce their own versions of

”

Although various factors may be cited to explain the continued popularity of the M1911 design, probably the simplest explanation is that it has displayed its proven stopping power in various conflicts of the 20th and 21st century.

THE BROWNING HIGH POWER Although the Colt 1911 was probably JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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USAF

A member of the USAF firing an M9. Smaller service personnel find the M9 much easier than the M1911A1 it replaced.

John Browning’s most famous pistol, the last pistol he designed, the Browning High Power (HP), may have been his most widely used military pistol. Also known as the P35 (for 1935, its year of introduction), or GP among other designations, the High Power would eventually be adopted by around 100 countries.

The first widely used pistol with a high capacity, double-column magazine, the HP still had a very ergonomic grip that allowed it to point naturally. It was also chambered in 9x19mm, the most widely used military pistol caliber in the world.

For much of its service life, the most common criticisms of the HP were that its sights were minimal and that the safety was too small for ease of operation. Both of these faults were corrected on later production pistols. Though still widely used, in many armies the High Power has been replaced by more recent designs, though in some cases the HPs remain in reserve stocks.

THE MAKAROV Another long-serving pistol is the Russian PM pistol, often known as the Makarov. Developed in 1951, the PM drew on the German Walther PP/PPK for some of its design features. It was, how16

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

ever, chambered for the more powerful 9x18mm Makarov round, which fell between the 9x17mm (.380 ACP) and 9x19mm cartridges. This chambering allowed the PM to remain a double action, blowback design. A very reliable design, the PM is notable for its extremely heavy double action trigger pull. It was very widely used among former members of the Warsaw Pact and Soviet client states.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, it

remained the standard pistol in many of the former republics and other countries that had been supplied arms by the Soviets. It is still used in some Russian military and police units, though new designs have replaced it in Special Operations units. A later design—the PMM— held 12 rounds as opposed to the PM’s 8, and fired a more powerful 9x18mm load. The KGB and some other special units used the integrally suppressed PB.

The M9’s safety allows the hammer to be safely dropped on a loaded chamber. The safety may then be left down keeping the pistol on safe until it is pushed up.

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Shown Actual Size

CCO - A HANDFUL OF CONFIDENCE

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USN

A U.S. Navy SEAL armed with the USN version of the SIG P226. The internal parts on the Navy version are designed to be highly corrosion resistant.

I’ve always liked the PM, and have carried it at various times when working in third world countries. A contact from the Russian Naval Spetsnaz sent me a camo jacket with a built-in PM holster inside, which I have used to carry a Makarov. Various Makarovs have been imported into the USA from Bulgaria, East Germany, and Russia. Although I have a preference for the Russian ones, all are serviceable.

THE SWISS SIG Though not as widely used as many other military pistols, I feel the Swiss SIG P49 (P210) must be mentioned since I consider it one of the best—if not the best—military pistol ever made.

Adopted by the Swiss Army in 1949 to replace the Luger Pistol, the P49 was replaced in 1975, but Swiss reservists who had been issued the P49 have con18

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

tinued to use it until they complete their service. Superbly accurate and well made, the greatest disadvantage of the P49 that it was too expensive for most countries to adopt as a general issue pistol. Unlike most military pistols, the P210/P49 has a trigger pull comparable to match pistols. Among other advantages, this allows the P210 to be fired accurately at longer ranges. I used to carry one as a second pistol for longrange engagement when I worked on close protection teams.

BERETTA’S M9 AND MODEL 92 Most of the newer generation military pistols have high magazine capacity and double action first-round capability. Two designs have been widely adopted—the Beretta 92 series and the SIG P220 series. Introduced in 1975, the Model 92 was first adopted by Italian armed

forces, but it was its adoption as the M9

by U.S. armed forces that made the Model 92 one of the best-known military pistols in the world. Adoption by France as the PAMAS G1 was also noteworthy, as France had traditionally used French designs. Two-dozen other countries have adopted versions of the M9/Model 92, and some produce them domestically.

Overall, the M9/Beretta 92 has performed well in combat. I trained some U.S. troops who were using the M1911A1 pistol and later trained them when they received their M9s. I found that generally they performed better with the M9s. This is at least partially true because they M1911A1s they were using had been around since World War II and showed substantial wear. However, I also found that the lighter recoil of the 9x19mm round in the M9 versus www.gunworld.com

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Among other countries that have adopted a version of the Beretta 92 is France, which has produced the PAMAS. the .45 ACP round in the M1911A1 allowed faster repeat shots.

The two major complaints regarding the M9 to come out of the War on Terror have been lack of stopping power and reliability based on some magazine problems. The magazine problem was traced to magazines from a single manufacturer and corrected. The stopping power issue, however, is a function of using a full metal-jacketed 9mm round.

A large number of troops have carried

“

THE SIG P220 AND HK’S USP The SIG P220 pistol was also introduced in 1975, and was adopted by the Swiss armed forces as the P75 to replace the SIG P49 discussed above. Although a few other countries have adopted the DA/SA single column P220,

The issuance priority of new Glocks has been to troops serving in Afghanistan.

the M9 as a self-defense pistol virtually all of the time while deployed and have found its presence very comforting since they have faced the possibility of attack even within their base areas. The ability to carry the M9 with a round chambered, hammer down, and safety on allows it to be carried safely yet brought into action quickly. In my own experience and in that of trainers with far more experience than I, the M9 rarely malfunctions unless it is attributable to bad magazines or bad www.gunworld.com

ammo. Currently, the U.S. Armed Forces are purchasing the M9A1 version with an accessory rail and some other improvements.

”

the P226 and P228 have been most widely used. The U.S. adopted the P228 as the M11, and issues it to troops demanding a more compact pistol than the M9. Navy SEALs also use the P226 as their personal defense pistol to backup their other weapons, and the latest SEAL version is designated the MK25.

Numerous other countries have adopted the SIG P226 or P228 for use by Special Operations units, military police, and others. Both are excellent pistols

with a high degree of accuracy and reliability, offering troops using them high capacity magazines and the capability of first-round double action engagement.

Although not as widely used as the M9 or P226, the Heckler & Koch USP has achieved some military success. The USP (Universale Selbstadepistole—Universal Self-Loading Pistol) entered production in 1993 and was adopted by the German armed forces as the P8. Other countries that adopted the USP as their standard military pistol include Spain, the Irish Republic, and Estonia, while many others adopted it for special units.

Almost all countries that use the UPS do so in 9x19mm caliber, though the U.S. Navy SEALs have purchased some USP Tactical models in .45 ACP. The USP Tactical, which has higher sights for use with a suppressor and a match-grade trigger (among other features), is used by many military and police special units.

GLOCK ON THE BLOCK Many military units also use the Glock, one of the most popular law enforcement pistols in the world. One of the most recent to adopt the Glock 17 is the British armed forces as mentioned above. The first, of course, were the Austrian armed forces for which the pistol was originally developed in 1982. The Glock has also proven popular with Scandinavian armed forces, serving with JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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The author training U.S. Army Military Police Special Reaction Team personnel in bus assault tactics. They are armed with Beretta M9 pistols that have been checked to be sure they are empty, then taped with green tape. the Finns, Norwegians, and Swedes, and other users include the Romanians, Dutch, Venezuelans, and Uruguayans.

A large number of military special units also use the Glock. Among the most interesting of these are the Swiss Special Forces (the AAD10), as the Swiss have traditionally used domestic small arms, and the Danish Slaedepatruljen Sirious (Sirius Sledge Patrol), a special long-range recon unit that patrols Greenland by sledge. The DSS uses the Glock 20 in 10mm in case of an encounter with a Polar Bear!

THE FN FIVE-SEVEN The classic FN P35 has already been mentioned as one of the classic military

POPULAR MILITARY PISTOLS

n Colt M1911

n FN Browning P35 n SIG P49

n Beretta MG n Makarov n SIG P22 20

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

handguns of all time, but FNH has also sold a substantial number of its FiveseveN pistols to military units. Noteworthy for its 5.7x28mm round, which in military AP (Armor Piercing) loadings will punch through body armor, and its 20-round magazine capacity, the FiveseveN was designed as a companion to the P90 SMG in the same caliber. It also offers a pistol with greater range, maga-

round might make the Five-seveN useful in the mountains of Nepal!

PISTOL POPULARITY Despite the ongoing development of sophisticated new assault rifles and PDWs (Personal Defense Weapons), the military pistol remains highly viable to combat troops. Because of the sheer number of pistols in service with major

“

Despite the development of sophisticated weaponry, the military pistol remains highly viable to combat troops.

zine capacity, and penetration to arm troops whose principal weapon is a handgun due to their other duties. Because of its superb penetration capabilities, it is widely used by Special Operations and counterterrorist units that see action against enemies wearing body armor. The Five-seveN sees general use in the Belgian armed forces and, reportedly, in the Nepalese armed forces among others. I suppose that the flat trajectory of the 5.7x28mm

”

armed forces, switching out for a new model is quite expensive—the replacement cost includes not just the pistols but also holsters, magazine pouches, and other items—so a specific model of pistol tends to serve for decades.

But military pistol development will continue, and, since most military pistols may be sold to U.S. shoots, those new developments can be appreciated by many of us outside the armed forces. GW www.gunworld.com

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GUNSMITHING

TECHNICAL

TEST DRIVE Do Your Own Inspection and Function Testing on Any M1911A1 (Part I) Story & Photos by Steve Sieberts

he John Browning-designed 1911A1 handgun is, quite rightly, one of the most prolific and popular handguns ever produced. But as they say on those ubiquitous GEICO insurance commercials, “everybody knows that.”

T

Its origins as a military sidearm and its decades of success in IPSC, Bullseye, Bowling Pin and IDPA matches—as well as it being a great defensive sidearm that is just plain fun to shoot— virtually guarantees that it will continue to be popular for many generations. As further testament to that popularity, just look 22

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

at the huge cottage industry that has sprung up providing a myriad of aftermarket parts and accessories for it.

With so many variations and manufacturers of it in circulation, obtaining either a new one or one on the used market is very easy. But because there are so many available, it makes sense that some are in better condition than others. This article will show you how to perform a function/inspection check of any M1911A1-style pistol. I’ll also show some easy fixes to some of the issues you will run into, and I’ll

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NEW GUNSMITHING COLUMN Beginning this month, Gun World will feature a gunsmithing column written by Steve Sieberts. Steve has been in the firearms industry for more than twenty years, and has certificates from five gunsmithing schools, eight factory armorer’s courses, and— perhaps most importantly—was the Chief Gunsmith for more than a decade at a classified Department of Defense facility involved in R&D, manufacturing and testing and evaluations of small arms for the military. A former member of the Army Marksmanship Unit, he has earned the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge, President’s Hundred Tab, and is a member of the NRA 2600 Club. He shot IPSC for many years and currently competes in IDPA matches.

In the coming months, Steve will finish describing the function testing, disassembly and modifications of the M1911A1, and then work on a variety of projects including simple modifications and repair of several different pistols, rifles and shotguns.

Our function and inspection check test case for this month is a good, used Series 70 Colt 1911A1 pistol in reasonably good shape.

also show when to put the pistol down and move on to another one if the defects are insurmountable. Some repairs may only need a simple stroke or two with the file, some may need a milling machine, and the worst cases will require a complete overhaul including major parts replacement.

I won’t go into the merits of the many 1911-style clones out there, and whether or not they are suitable to rebuilding. I’ll simply start with the assumption that you have found what you believe is a good, used, Series 70 Colt 1911A1 pistol in what appears to be reasonably good shape; one which has little

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wear of the bluing, no visible rust, and the owner’s grandmother only shot it on at the monthly Sunday IPSC match.

Before starting any checking or testing, I look to see if the pistol has had previous “gunsmithing” performed on it. If I don’t know the history of the gun, the work may be suspect and I’ll give any pistol with previous work by unknown gunsmiths a closer check. Not to say that there aren’t really exceptional unknown gunsmiths out there, it’s just that because the gun is so popular, it lends itself to modifications by virtually anyone…qualified or not.

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GUNSMITHING

The pistol on the bench with the tools needed for the job. Dummy cartridges, calipers, magazine, and a bushing wrench always come in handy.

SAFETY FIRST After I’ve checked the pistol to make sure it’s unloaded, the first thing I do is to perform a series of safety and function checks. This will tell me if there is anything internally wrong that needs to be addressed, and also the severity of those defects.

The first check I do is of the various safety systems of the pistol. Make sure the hammer is cocked and try to engage the thumb safety, located on the left side of the gun. It should be easy to slide up and down into the engaged and disengaged position with audible clicks. It should also be somewhat stiff, but not excessively.

Push the thumb safety up into the engaged position and leave it there, then try to pull the trigger. I look to make sure the hammer does not move. Sometimes you can see this movement and some24

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

times you cannot. If it does, you have a very short safety and it is definitely something that you want to fix right away. There is a way to correct this temporarily without replacing the safety, I’ll show how later in Part II of this series.

Even if it doesn’t move, there still may

notches. The click is the sear snapping back into its proper position.

The thumb safety is supposed to absolutely block all movement of the sear, and anything less is unsafe. There are three ways to fix this situation: you can replace the thumb safety, weld it up

I look to see if the pistol has had previous ‘gunsmithing’ performed on it. be a short safety condition. With the safety still disengaged, try to ease the hammer back and listen for an audible click. If I hear it that means that the thumb safety is too short and is allowing the sear to move out of the hammer

where it engages the sear, or peen the stud portion of the thumb safety to build it back up.

This last method is really only a temporary fix. So, to repeat, the drill for this check is to rack the slide one time. Don’t www.gunworld.com

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Check for previous pistolsmithing by looking for large gaps in the fit of any aftermarket beavertail grip safety unless it is of the drop-in variety.

retract the slide and let it slingshot forward on an empty chamber, it’s pretty hard on the pistol. Rack the slide, push up the thumb safety, and then try to press the trigger. If the thumb safety is extremely short, the hammer will fall. If the thumb safety is just slightly short, the hammer will move slightly forward.

I then DIS-engage the thumb safety and try to ease the hammer back with my thumb. If you hear a click, the thumb safety is slightly short, but is still an unsafe condition and must be fixed. What is happening is the thumb safety is allowing the sear to slightly rotate out of the hammer notches and when you pull back the hammer, the sear is snapping back into the hammer notch. The thumb safety should always completely block any movement of the sear.

Sometimes, the sound of the sear snapping back under the hammer hooks will be so faint that I will have to put the pistol up near my ear to listen for it. Be aware that if you do this test at a gunstore or gunshow, you will get some funny looks when you put the pistol up www.gunworld.com

near your ear. I know I always do, but I get even more confused looks when I hand the pistol back and tell them the pistol is unsafe and they need to fix the thumb safety because it’s too short. I was at a large gunshow one time and actually had a sales person look me in the eye when I performed this check. I pulled the hammer back and let him hear the snap of the sear going back into the hammer hooks and told him the thumb safety was too short, he told me the pistol was designed to work that way! I just gave it back to him and walked away.

The sad part was he was being serious.

GRIP SAFETY TEST The next safety to check is the grip safety. The way to check this is to rack the slide, cocking the hammer, and point the pistol toward the ground without depressing the grip safety. Try to pull the trigger. Just like with the thumb safety, look at the hammer, which should not fall. With this check, we are not only checking the length of the grip safety to make sure it’s blocking the back of the trigger stirrup, but by pointing it to the ground, I’m checking to make sure the right leaf of the sear spring has enough tension to keep the grip safety engaged,

REVIEW: CHECKING THE THUMB SAFETY n n n n n

Start with the pistol unloaded and hammer cocked Push the thumb safety up into the fully engaged position.

Press the trigger, the hammer should not move Lower the safety into the dis-engaged position. The hammer should not move Slowly ease back on the hammer with your thumb, if you hear a click, the thumb safety is too short.

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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GUNSMITHING

Push the thumb safety up into the engaged position in order to start the thumb safety check.

I always do all of these tests by racking the slide, rather than just cocking the pistol, as this gets the internal parts in orientation, as they would be as the gun is cycling when being fired, as opposed to just cocking the hammer back with the thumb.

DISCONNECTOR CHECK

After engaging the thumb safety and squeezing the trigger, drop the thumb safety and try to ease the hammer back. The hammer should not move nor should the sear click throughout this test. that it is not dis-engaging by it’s own weight.

I also want to make sure that if I grip the pistol in a normal firing grip, pull the trigger, rack the slide once, and release the grip safety, it should “pop” out or dis-engage when I release the trigger. In other words, the trigger should release 26

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

forward, and the grip safety should pop out rearward at the same time. The grip safety test is performed assuming that the grip safety has not been “pinned” or otherwise deactivated. This is a common practice on competition pistols, but should never be performed on a gun used for self-defense.

Another safety of the 1911A1 design is the disconnector. While not an active safety that is engaged by the operator, it nonetheless performs an extremely critical function. This is an internal safety that ensures that the pistol will not fire if the gun is “out of battery.” In other words, this prevents the pistol from firing if the barrel and slide are not completely locked together and in the forward position.

The way this is checked is by starting with the hammer back, then, with the palm of the hand, push the locked slide and barrel back at the same time until the back of the barrel drops down out of battery. Pull the trigger, the hammer should not fall, don’t release the trigger, then let the slide and barrel return to battery, www.gunworld.com

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making sure the hammer doesn’t follow the slide down. Keep the trigger pressed, and rack the slide one more time. Don’t slingshot the slide. Release the trigger and the disconnector should reset, now press the trigger and the hammer should fall. If the hammer does fall, the disconnector could be too short, or the sear spring might be too short or weak.

These three checks will give me an idea of the overall safety of the pistol. They should only take about a minute, but can really tell a lot about the pistol. Once I’ve looked at the pistol overall, and have performed these three quick function checks, I then look at the outside of the pistol land look at the overall condition.

The first check I do is of the various safety systems of the pistol.

CHECKING PREVIOUS WORK As I mentioned earlier, I always look for previous gunsmithing work. One area where poor work will be glaringly obvious is if the pistol has had an aftermarket grip safety installed. Since this is one of the most common gunsmithing jobs, it’s the first place I look.

To start, I check if the grip safety is one of the drop-in models or one that has to be fitted. If it’s a drop-in model, I ignore the gap between the grip frame and the grip safety on the rear of the tang because the gap is normally pretty large by design. If it’s a fitted model such as the Ed Brown, Smith and Alexander, or others, look for the gap. If a professional fit the grip safety, the gap between the frame and the grip safety will be just a hairline all the way around where the frame and the grip safety meet. If it’s anything less, then the pistol has probably been worked on by someone less experienced, and I will inspect this pistol more closely once I get it apart.

The next spot to look is another commonly modified area on the pistol, and that is the sights, both front and rear. www.gunworld.com

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

27

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GUNSMITHING SETTING SIGHTS There are basically three ways to install a set of sights on the pistol. The way sights used to be installed, especially the front sight, was by using a torch and silver solder. This is an effective way to install sights, but can lead to problems. I don’t like to use this method simply because I don’t like to put a torch on a gun unless I absolutely have to. Second, silver solder was popular on the National Match hardball guns I shot on the Army Shooting team, and on occasion, the front sight

Another great check is to see if the pistol can cycle dummy hardball cartridges successfully. would come off the gun due to the forces of repeated recoil from heavy hardball rounds. The heat of the torch applied to the small tenon of the front sight lead to weakness over time, especially if the slide wasn’t heated up enough.

The second way to install a set of sights is by using the swage and epoxy method. With the excellent epoxies available today, this is an excellent method if done right, and keeps the torch off the gun. I will be outlining this method in future columns.

The third way to install a set of sights is by using a milling machine and is beyond the scope of this column simply because few home hobbyists have access to a quality Bridgeport mill. I have installed hundreds of sights this way and it is my preferred method. Since installing sights on the pistol is so popular, look and see what installation method was used, and look at the craftsmanship of the job. If the front sight leans to the side, or if there are large gaps between the base of the sight and the slide, then the installation was sloppy.

28

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

Test the grip safety by inverting the pistol with the hammer cocked and try to press the trigger.

This tests not only the grip safety, but also the right leaf of the sear spring where it bears on the grip safety for proper tension.

REVIEW: CHECKING THE GRIP SAFETY

n n n n n n n n

Start with the pistol unloaded and the hammer cocked Point the pistol at the ground, being careful to not grip the pistol at the grip safety.

Press the trigger, the hammer should not move Grip the pistol in the normal firing position. Rack the slide Press the trigger, the hammer should fall. Keep the trigger pressed Rack the slide again Release the grip safety, then release the trigger The trigger should “pop” forward and the grip safety should “pop” rearward.

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GW_1401-Smith.CX 11/7/13 11:54 PM Page 29

Start the disconnector check by pushing on the front of the slide with the palm of the hand until the barrel drops out of battery.

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GUNSMITHING USING DUMMY CARTRIDGES

Always check your dummy cartridges for overall length with a good set of calipers. Minimum OAL should be no less than 1.190. This round comes in at 1.168. It still works, but if it was causing the pistol to malfunction, I would use a better round for testing.

Short dummy cartridges can cause an otherwise normal functioning pistol to seem as though there is feeding or other issues. This is what’s known as a stub round caused by the overall cartridge length being too short.

REVIEW: CHECKING THE DISCONNECTOR n n n n n n

n 30

Start with the pistol unloaded and the hammer cocked Push the muzzle and slide back with the palm of the hand until the barrel drops out of battery (Unlocked) Press the trigger Let the slide and barrel return to battery, the hammer should not fall. Keep the trigger pressed Fully rack the slide, keeping the trigger pressed. The hammer should not fall Release the trigger, the hammer should not fall Press the trigger, the hammer SHOULD fall.

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

Another great check is to see if the pistol can cycle dummy hardball cartridges successfully. You probably won’t be able to perform this test at a gunshow or at your local retail gunstore, but if you can get the gun to your home workbench, try it out. I keep dummy cartridges on hand for any firearm I’m working on just as a quality control check.

For this test, load a magazine with non-firing dummy cartridges into a magazine that you know has functioned reliably in the past. I use dummy hardball rounds for this test. Make sure that your overall cartridge length is not too short.

Repeated function testing with dummy rounds will eventually push the bullet deeper into the case, reducing the overall cartridge length and giving false results. The minimum and maximum overall cartridge case length that SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) specifies in their specifications for 45 ACP round nose ammunition is 1.190 and 1.275 respectively. I always check my dummy rounds to SAAMI specs fairly regularly with a good quality caliper.

Load the magazine and cycle the rounds vigorously, looking for smooth feeding, chambering, extracting, ejection and cocking of the hammer. I perform this check with the trigger pressed since this is how the pistol will cycle when firing. Cycling the pistol without holding the trigger to the rear while performing this check may cause the trigger to bounce forward and then backward, tripping the disconnector and sear, causing the hammer to fall, and giving a false indication that the gun has a disconnector issue or some other internal problem.

With the trigger pulled, the disconnector and trigger are out of contact with the front legs of the sear. We should have already established that the sear and disconnector is in good shape from the function test we performed earlier, so I should have already discovered a bad disconnector previously. While performing the cycling test, look for the rounds coming out of the ejection port in a fairly consistent direction. Ideally, they should land in a four-foot circle over your right shoulder and behind you if you are standing up. It won’t be exactly like simulating actual firing, but the ejection pattern should be a close approximation to www.gunworld.com

GW_1401-Smith.CX 11/7/13 11:54 PM Page 31

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call 1-800-797-0867.

what happens when actually firing. If the pattern is random, the pistol could have a loose extractor or ejector, which is something that is easily fixed. I also want to make sure that the magazine seats fully without excessive pressure, and that the magazine falls away from the gun when the magazine button is pressed.

It really shouldn’t make a difference, but I usually start this test with the slide locked to the rear, to make sure the slide release fully engages the notch in the slide. I then insert the magazine, making sure the left side of the bullet nose does not bump the slide release. Grip the pistol with the firing hand, press the trigger and depress the slide release, letting the slide chamber the cartridge. Then I hand cycle the cartridges one by one until the magazine is empty. At this point the slide should lock to the rear again.

By now, I have inspected the pistol for obvious overall defects and looked for work done by previous pistolsmiths. I have inspected the pistol’s safety systems, and function tested it with dummy cartridges to expose possible internal problems. I have a good frame of reference as far as what type of work the pistol needs and what parts I may need to replace to make it safe and functional. If the gun passes all of these tests, I can be pretty confident the pistol is safe and functional and is probably a good candidate to purchase.

If the pistol doesn’t pass these tests, it still may be a good candidate to buy, but at least now I know what I need to repair or replace. I still need to disassemble the www.gunworld.com

pistol and perform a more detailed inspection to see what work may have been performed and what internal parts may be needed.

The next phase is to look for cracks

and other defects in the major components such as the slide, frame and barrel, and to detail disassemble and inspect each part thoroughly. I’ll cover all of that next month in Part II. GW

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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GW_1401-LCP.BA.CXqxp 11/6/13 11:11 PM Page 32

The first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun.

—Mark Moritz

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GW_1401-LCP 11/1/13 4:28 AM Page 33

CONFIDENT

CARRY

The Enhanced Ruger LCP in .380 Provides All the Back Up You Need Story & Photos by Dave Spaulding

hile I have never met Mr. Moritz, I have read his articles in the past and I believe it is safe to say when he made this statement, he was referring to a full-size fighting handgun…one that would fill the hand giving the shooter a solid chance to prevail. Before I go any further, let me assure you that I couldn’t agree more. If you carry a handgun for personal security, it should be large enough to fill the hand and chamber a caliber that offers a reasonable chance of incapacitating an opponent with high chest shots. Yep, no doubt about it, that is the way to go. Now, let’s talk reality.

W

While those who truly understand armed conflict or are committed to their personal security will dress around and adjust their lifestyle to carrying a full-size fighting pistol, many will not. Veteran writer, trainer and former law enforcement officer Walt Rauch said it best when he offered, “We talk .45s, shoot 9mms, but carry .38s and .380s.” While I wish Walt’s assessment were incorrect, my experience tells me otherwise.

TRAINING DISCOVERIES These days, I make my living as a full-time trainer, crossing the country teaching what I call “the combative application of the handgun.” And while the most common handguns in my classes are Glock, Smith and Wesson M&P’s and various 1911s, this is not what I see my students tuck in their waistbands as they get in their cars at the end of the training day. What I see is this: the training guns are cleared and placed into a range bag, and then a snub .38 revolver or compact .380 goes into a pocket. When I ask them why they aren’t carrying the same gun they just trained with, the answers are often “it’s too big,” “too hot,” or “too

Adding usable sights and a shorter trigger has enhanced The Ruger LCP, and it is now completely reliable with hollow point ammunition.

www.gunworld.com

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SPECIFICATIONS RUGER LCP Each LCP comes with a magazine, a zippered pouch and a flat floor plate for added concealment.

The Corbon DPX is an excellent choice for carry. heavy.” And even though these are poor excuses, they are also reality.

When I counter with “why don’t you train with your carry gun?” the answer is almost universal: “I don’t shoot it near as well!”

We seem to be able to look good, shoot good or feel good, but not all three, which is most unfortunate.

for lack of interest. Too bad…this is exactly the type of training most gun carriers really need, and truth be told, good work can be done with these pocket pistols if a person trains with them and understands their limitations.

They also come in very handy for times when a full-size gun will just not

We seem to be able to look good, shoot good or feel good, but not all three…

Carrying a snub .38 or pocket .380 is certainly better than going “fist city” or throwing rocks, but the training scar that develops from practicing with a different gun than what is carried is well documented. When I formed my training company, I offered a two-day course called “Pocket Pistols” that addressed this issue, but I discontinued it 34

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

work. This was the case for me when both of my daughters were married. As the father of the bride I was required to wear a fitted tuxedo, and my normal carry gun was not an option. I solved this problem by carrying a Ruger LCP .380 behind my cummerbund where it stayed secure all evening, even while dancing.

CALIBER .380 ACP BARREL LENGTH 2.75 inches WIDTH .82 inches WEIGHT 9.4 ounces CAPACITY 6+1 RATE OF TWIST 1:16 SLIDE Alloy steel FRAME Glass filled nylon FINISH Blue steel OVERALL LENGTH 5.16 inches HEIGHT 3.6 inches MSRP: $379.00 www.gunworld.com

GW_1401-LCP 11/1/13 4:28 AM Page 35

THE ENHANCED LCP Since then, I’ve become a real fan of the LCP, and it has come in handy time and time again when a larger handgun would not do. My only initial issues with the gun were the long heavy trigger and lack of real sights. A long trigger on a gun that will likely be hidden in unconventional places (like pockets) makes some sense safety-wise, but the lack of sights was just a non-starter for me. I solved this by having a gunsmith mount a brass shotgun bead on the slide just above the muzzle. While this did not offer a conventional sight picture, it did give me a visual reference that allowed me to make head shots at 10 yards.

I originally carried the LCP in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster, but was never really happy with the access it provided especially when seated. No blame to the holster—it is a quality rig at a reasonable price—I just wanted something a bit faster and easier to deploy. I solved this by adding a Kel-Tec Holster Clip. Made for their .380, the Holster Clip fits on the grip tang of the pistol, replacing the support pin located at the rear of the frame. While the fit is not perfect on the LCP, the clip can easily be reconfigured once in place with a few taps from a plastic mallet. This configuration allows me the carry the LCP in the appendix position inside my waistband with the clip hidden behind my belt. By blousing my shirt I can even conceal the pistol on the beach; something I have done on numerous occasions!

While the LCP is certainly diminutive, it still offers enough grip frame surface to accomplish a solid two hand grip.

Ruger’s Ken Jorgenson recently told me the company had “enhanced” the LCP, and he felt I would really appreciate the changes. When I asked what they were he told me he would send one out for me to see for myself. He also added there would not be a product an-

nouncement; the enhancements were just part of routine product development. When I got the gun from Ruger and pulled it from the box I noticed the first change immediately…the little gun hand real fixed sights! The square rear notch was prominent with a square front post that could actually be seen. As I looked the gun over, I could not see any additional changes so I checked the chamber, worked the slide, inserted a magazine (the LCP action will not work without a magazine in place) and dry fired. Ah ha! The trigger action on the enhanced version is noticeably shorter! I pulled out my trigger weights and found the action to be 7 ¼ pounds with a length of pull about 2/3 of what my older gun displayed. Excellent!

I gathered up all of the .380 ammo I could lay my hands on (not that ammo is hard to find, right?) including several styles of hollow point. My older LCP

Crossbreed Holsters offers a Kydex rig that can be mounted under the dash via industrial Velcro.

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JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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TOP: Using the Kel-Tec Holster Clip, the LCP can rest in the waistband with the clip hidden by the belt.

MIDDLE: To draw from the AIWB position using the Holster Clip, the author pushes up on the muzzle end of the gun until the grip is exposed…

BOTTOM: …as the hand acquires the grip the support hand moves away from the muzzle.

would not reliably digest hollow point ammo and I was hoping this would be an additional enhancement. After collecting 300 rounds of various ammo styles and weights, I headed to the range.

ASSESSING AMMO ACCURACY

36

Prior to traveling to the range, I painted the front sight post “safety chartreuse” in color, the same color used on the CAP sights I designed for Ameriglo.

This color is quite visible over a wide range of light conditions and it really helps my old eyes see the front sight.

This and the addition of a Kel-Tec Holster Clip were the only modifications I made to the gun.

I tested the gun’s accuracy by shooting unsupported at 10 yards. While I could have bench rested the gun, what would be the point? This is a gun that will be used free hand—probably one hand only—so it makes sense to see what the gun will do “real world of work.”

Interestingly, the LCP shot slightly low and to the right of a one inch dot, and regardless of which bullet style or weight I used, all rounds fell into the same two inch square on the target. This told me as long as I controlled the trigger, the LCP was more than combat accurate, with headshots out to 15 yards being quite viable! I was also quite pleased to discover the new LCP fed every hollow point load I fired through it, including the all copper DPX hollow point from Corbon. Corbon’s DPX load, using the proven Barnes X all copper bullet, has “broken the code” for combative ammunition offering a bullet that not only expands and penetrates, but does so with a lighter bullet than is normal meaning less felt recoil. This is important when shooting a diminutive gun like the LCP in the fast, multiple shot environment that is a gunfight. The DPX (along with the Hornady Critical Defense load) is one of the few expanding bullets that will actually deform when fired from a short barrel .380 pistol, and I feel a bit better GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

www.gunworld.com

GW_1401-LCP 11/1/13 4:28 AM Page 37

CONTACTS STURM, RUGER & CO., INC. (603) 865-2442 www.ruger.com about carrying the LCP with a DPX in the chamber. The DPX averaged 1,008 fps when fired across the screen of my chronograph from the LCP. I finished my test with a few draws from my preferred IWB position using the Holster Clip. I accomplish this draw by pushing up on the muzzle with my support hand, which reveals the grip to my shooting hand. While some may feel uncomfortable using this method, I would point out the LCP will not fire unless the trigger is pressed, and the gun is well clear of my body before my index finger touches the pistol’s business end.

Of course, I practice this draw regularly

The new LCP fed every hollow point load I fired through it… and feel quite comfortable doing so (I can get the gun out and fire one round into an eight-inch circle at 20 feet in under two seconds, which is quite viable for combative purposes).

I also “carry” the LCP in an under the dashboard holster from Crossbreed.

This holster was put in place while filming an episode of the Ruger Inside and Out TV Show, and I took a liking to the location and it has stayed there ever since. In all, the new LCP fired 300 rounds of various ammo styles without a single hitch. I tested the trigger weight at the conclusion of the evaluation and it registered 6 ¾ pounds.

If you are looking for a quality, compact pistol for daily carry—and I can’t convince you to carry a larger gun— then you really need to consider the Ruger LCP .380. It’s light, flat, and easy to carry while being both accurate and reliable. And with a MSRP well under $400, it is also within the reach of most every budget. Check out the current Ruger LCP…I’m sure you will be glad you did! GW www.gunworld.com

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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GW_1312-Model70.BA 11/1/13 4:32 AM Page 38

The Winchester Model 70 chambered in .264 Winchester Magnum is a true American classic, a classic that almost disappeared from the hunting scene but is back today and better than ever.

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GW_1401-Model70.BA.CX 11/6/13 11:13 PM Page 39

DELAYED

GRATIFICATION From Cartridge to Rifle, the Time May Have Finally Come For the Model 70 In .264 Winchester Magnum

Story & Photos by Brad Fitzpatrick

ometimes, an overnight success can take decades. Case in point: the .264 Winchester Magnum.

S

There are, of course, plenty of great 20th century cartridges that bear the Winchester name. The .270 Winchester—based on the venerable .30-06 Springfield—took the North American hunting scene by storm, thanks in no small part to the praise the legendary outdoor writer Jack O’Connor lavished on it. The .300 Winchester Magnum has earned an enviable reputation as a target and hunting cartridge, and the .308 is the darling of long-range shooters and big game hunters alike.

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The Winchester’s one-piece floormetal is characteristic of the brand. The current Model 70 still has the characteristic magazine release located in front of the trigger guard. The new MOA trigger is slightly more complex than the original, but the MOA is smooth, clean, and creep-free. There’s a new standard among factory triggers and the MOA is one of the best available.

and big game hunters alike. This doesn’t include the recent crop of short magnum cartridges, which have managed to find a niche in a heavily crowded market.

Everything Winchester touched, it would seem, turned to gold.

Not quite.

One of three belted magnums the company introduced in the late 1950s (alongside the .458 and .338 Winchester Magnums), the .264 Winchester Magnum was an almost immediate flop.

Even brand loyalists were left with a bad taste in their collective mouths because the .264—touted as a “do-all” western cartridge—did little except generate unpleasant levels of recoil and muzzle blast. As a game gun, it didn’t outshine the already established .270 Winchester.

So, why all these hard feelings? Well, the .264 Winchester had several things working against it, the first being its bullet diameter. The metrics weren’t very popular in the United States, and the use of a 6.5mm (or .264-inch) bullet left shooters scratching their heads. Second, the massive belted case of the .264 Winchester Magnum required lots of slow burning powder, and at the time nothing existed that perfectly fit the bill, so reloaders were discouraged. The .264 also required a 26-inch barrel for optimum performance, and the high velocities it was capable of generating required bul40

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

Winchester has returned to the original Model 70 design with full-length claw extractor and blade ejector. Modern machining advances have made development of parts simpler and more cost effective, and the new Model 70s lack the machining marks found on older models. lets that were very tough. The common lead core, copper-jacketed bullets of the day couldn’t handle the velocity generated by full-power .264 loads, and the cartridge earned a reputation as a hardkicking, eardrum-battering, big gamewounding failure.

AHEAD OF ITS TIME Fast-forward a half-century.

Many of the issues that plagued the

.264 Winchester Magnum cartridge have been rectified. Today, there are a variety of slow burning powders such as H870, Reloader-22, and IMR 4350 for reloaders who want to maximize the potential of the .264’s big, belted case, and today’s crop of premium bullets like Hornady’s GMX, Barnes TSX, Nosler Accubonds, and others have no problem handling the .264’s velocity. In addition, the American shooting industry has been hit with www.gunworld.com

GW_1312-Model70.BA 11/1/13 4:33 AM Page 41

Generous, high-quality checkering was one of the draws on the original Model 70, and the new version has the same attention to detail. Walnut on the basic Sporter model is above average for most rifles in this price category. a bit of a 6.5 craze, thanks in large part to the bullet’s acceptance and success in long-range shooting competitions. Long, heavy-for-caliber bullets such as the 140grain 6.5/.264 bullet are excellent for long-range shooting, and their high sectional densities mean excellent penetration on heavy game like elk. Chris Murray of E.R. Shaw barrels builds semicustom rifles for serious shooters, and when I asked him about the most popular calibers his answer was simple: 6.5.

That family includes the .260 Remington, 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6.5/.284 Norma, and, yes, the .264 Winchester Magnum.

So instead of a failure, perhaps the cartridge was merely ahead of its time.

THE RIFLEMAN’S RIFLE The knurled bolt handle, a characteristic of the Model 70, is shown here on the .264 Sporter. It’s easy to find and manipulate, even while wearing gloves.

Long, heavy-for-caliber bullets such as the 140-grain 6.5/.264 bullet are excellent for long-range shooting… www.gunworld.com

Just as cartridge components have evolved over the last five decades, so have rifles, and Winchester has played a major role in the development and design of American rifles over the last century.

Winchester’s lever guns have earned a great deal of respect, but it was the company’s bolt-action rifle introduced in 1936 that was to become the flagship of the brand. The Model 70, which replaced the outgoing Model 54, was an immediate success, and would later earn the title of “The Rifleman’s Rifle.” The Model 70 featured a controlled round feed action with a full-length claw extractor similar to the Mauser 98, a three-position safety, a flatJANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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Winchester’s traditional 3-position wing safety has remained in place since the birth of the .264, in large part because the system works. The large cocking indicator at the rear of the bolt shroud makes it clear when the Winchester is ready to fire.

That a modern Model 70 even bears the .264 Win Mag stamp is something of a miracle. More than 50 years after its introduction, the .264 is now a versatile, powerful, flat-shooting cartridges that will work for most North American game. bottomed action, and an adjustable trigger. The introduction of the Westerner in the late 1950s chambered in .264 was a blow to Winchester, but that stumble was nothing compared to the 1964 decision to abandon the claw extractor in favor of a small extractor and a plunger-type ejector instead of a fixed blade. The budget version of the Model 70 looked like just that, and the people weren’t happy.

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GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

Winchester bounced back, and the Model 70 regained some of its composure. The company even began making models with claw extractors again in the 1990s (dubbed “Classic”). But alas, in 2006, the North Haven, Connecticut plant was closed, and the Model 70’s time seemed to have come to a close as well.

Happily, such was not the case. The Model 70 was too good a gun to go by

the wayside, and in 2007, F. N. Herstal announced that Model 70s would once again be in production in the United States, this time being produced in Columbia, South Carolina. Winchester’s new parent company didn’t repeat the mistakes of the past, and the modern Model 70s have enjoyed widespread praise for their fit, function, and quality.

It’s not shocking that Winchester still produces Model 70s after all these years, although there were some bumps in the road. What is shocking is that in the year 2013, I pulled a brand new Model 70 Sporter from the box that had “264 WIN MAG” stamped on the barrel. I doubt that very many knowledgeable shooters over the last 40 years would have ever guessed that the company would ever again chamber their rifles in .264 Winchester Magnum, especially with the current popularity of the 7mm magnums. But there it was, leaning up against the wall of my office, a walnutstocked, richly blued beauty with a long barrel…the unmistakable lines of the classic Model 70.

CLAWING TO SUCCESS The “new” Model 70s from South Carolina do have a few modern features that www.gunworld.com

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Today virtually all factory rifles have either a field or target crown. In the case of the Winchester, it has a recessed target crown that protects the rifling from being damaged.

the older guns did not. First off, the new MOA trigger is better than any design in the Model 70’s past. From the factory, the trigger breaks cleanly at 3 ¾ pounds, though it can be adjusted down to three pounds if the shooter chooses. The MOA trigger’s beauty lies in its simplicity, and contains only three main parts; the trigger, actuator, and the sear. Leverage on the trigger causes the actuator to disengage the sear, allowing the rifle to fire.

The mechanical advantage of the lever system reduces the perception of trigger-

you’d expect from a Model 70. The wood on these new Sporters is very good, and the walnut is nicely figured. The stock has a large, shock-absorbing recoil pad and a straight comb with a shadow line cheekpiece. The Sporter comes without sights, but it is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. Barrels are cold-hammer forged and have a recessed target crown to prevent damage to the rifling. Like the Model 70s of yore, it has an internal box magazine with a hinged floorplate.

For the test optic I used a Trijicon Ac-

The Model 70 Sporter has the time-tested full-length claw extractor...

SPORTING NOSLER’S TROPHY GRADE There aren’t many ammo makers loading for the .264 Winchester Magnum, but Nosler offers it in their superb Trophy Grade lineup. The 130-grain Accubond bullets left the Model 70’s 26inch barrel traveling around 3,100 feet per second and generating almost 2,800

SPECIFICATIONS WINCHESTER MODEL 70 SPORTER ACTION: Bolt-Action, Controlled-Round Feed CALIBER: .264 Winchester Magnum STOCK: Walnut FINISH: Blued

creep or overtravel, Winchester says. I would agree.

The Model 70 Sporter has the timetested full-length claw extractor and dual opposed locking lugs on the bolt. The effect is that, unlike plunger-type extractors that give spent cases a gentle push, the claw and blade give your empties a swift kick and send them whirring away from the shooter. The one-piece floorplate remains, as does the flat-bottom action, checkering on the bolt handle, grip cap, fine checkering and everything else that www.gunworld.com

cuPoint 3-9x40 scope with green triangle reticle (the scope is also available with a standard crosshair with illuminated center dot) and mounted the scope using sturdy bases and rings from Trijicon. (Editor’s note: For a review of the Trijicon AccuPoint, see the November Gun World). The illuminated green triangle made sighting easy, and even in low light conditions the triangle was easily seen and I didn’t have to worry about my battery failing.

BARREL: 26-inch Cold-Hammer Forged SIGHTS: None, Drilled and Tapped OVERALL LENGTH: 46 3/4 WEIGHT: 7 Pounds, 12 Ounces (Unloaded, Without Scope) MSRP: $919

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The .264 Winchester Magnum was introduced with the .338 and .458 magnums, and while the latter two were successes in their various niches, the .264 struggled. Can the cartridge recover? It’s hard to say, but it won’t fail because it isn’t a capable round.

CONTACTS Winchester Repeating Arms (800) 333-3288 www.winchesterguns.com Nosler, Inc. (800) 285-3701 www.nosler.com

On deer-sized game it is superb, and the modern crop of 6.5mm bullets make it even better. pounds of energy. Sight this load in three inches high at 100 yards, and it will be almost dead-on at 200 yards and seven inches low at 300 yards. In addition, the 130-grain, .264-inch bullet has a ballistic coefficient of .488, meaning it 44

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

bucks the wind well. The Sporter I tested in .264 punched groups that hovered around an inch, with the best of the day being .94-inches with an overall average of 1.11-inches. As previously stated, trigger pull was excellent and there were

absolutely no feeding, extraction, or ejection problems throughout the test.

The rifle is relatively heavy, weighing just under eight pounds without a scope or loaded magazine, but this heft combined with the straight comb and large recoil pad made the Model 70 Sporter comfortable to shoot.

So, why the .264 Winchester Magnum Sporter, and why now? Well, the original Westerner in .264 was touted as a do-all rifle in an age where everybody wanted one gun to hunt everything from varmints to elk, and Winchester sold that rifle based on the assumption that it had that kind of versatility. In all honesty, there are better calibers for hunting moose and elk, and even though the recoil is manageable I wouldn’t want to be nested over a prairie dog town all day with this rifle. The .264 Winchester isn’t ideal for everything, but it’s very good for some things. On deer-sized game it is superb, and the modern crop of 6.5mm bullets make it even better. If you’re hunting Coues deer in Arizona and you’re expecting a long shot, then this rifle and load combo will be excellent. It’s also a good caribou rifle for the open tundra of the far north. I’ve applied for a pronghorn tag in Idaho this fall, and I’ve already imagined this gun making the trip with me, and if a foolish coyote leaves itself in the open, the .264 will turn into a varmint gun in a hurry. It’s a bit heavy for a mountain rifle, but it would work well on sheep, and with the right bullet it will work on elk, too.

The .264 has hit some bumps in the road to success, but modern bullets and powder make this the capable cartridge it should have been in the 1950s. Will it ever usurp the 7mm Remington Magnum? No, but this underdog cartridge has survived and is fighting its way back to mainstream acceptance. It’s significant that Winchester has once again decided to chamber their Model 70 for this cartridge, and it’s exciting that we finally see what the original designers at Winchester had hoped this cartridge could someday be. GW www.gunworld.com

GW_1401_45 11/1/13 1:41 AM Page 45 G

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The Pietta/Traditions .357 4.75-inch single-action Model P clone. The holster is a very authentically styled one-piece.

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21st-Century Versions of Classic Single-Actions Recall the Past and Pack a Punch Story & Photos by Jim Thompson

he legends of the “old” or “wild” West—the ones spun in hundreds of pulp magazines, books, movies, TV shows and songs—weren’t always grounded in truth, but the firearms depicted were very real indeed.

In fact, to readers and audiences of the day, the strengths and weaknesses of the guns were often as well known as the men, both fictional and real, who carried and used them.

T

Fortunately for those of us who admire these pistols but don’t have unlimited gun collecting budgets, excellent reproductions of these fine firearms, many with technologically updated designs, are still available from a variety of manufacturers.

Today, of course, it’s fashionable to call these guns “revolvers,” but the literature of their day referred to them as “horse pistols,” “revolving pistols” or just plain “pistols.”

Indeed, the latter term was frequently used as a generic reference to anything that could be held in one hand and fired. The term “single action” (or SA) is even more specific, as it describes a repeater whose hammer must be individually cocked by means other than the trigger for each and every shot.

Many guns helped “win” the West, or were at least popular enough to be noticed. The Smith & Wesson top breaks, the Schofield and the various Russian Models, were each well known and well used, and so were several long guns, from the Spencer and Henry rifles to the big Sharps and the ubiquitous Springfield Trap Doors. And the

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Revolvers connect us to the past, are good looking, and— perhaps most of all— are mighty fun to shoot.

Another test gun—the elegant Taylor’s “Outlaw” Model 1875 Remington clone in nickel with a 7.5-inch barrel in .45—was the second most accurate of all the single actions tested, but which improved virtually every time it was fired. The author’s grandson singled it out as a piece with which he was “confident” and “reliably accurate.” earlier generation of percussion revolvers didn’t just disappear. Many were converted to metallic cartridge use, and the major makers, so as not to waste lots of parts in inventory following the Civil War, produced and marketed their own.

But for the sake of simplicity and space, this article focuses on the originals and copies (or clones) of two key single-action, solid frame revolvers of 48

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this period: the Colt Model P of 1873 (commonly called the Single Action Army, the Peacemaker, or the Colt Single Action) and Remington’s “Army” Models of 1875 and 1890.

But before we get to the details of these weapons, and reveal the results of a group visit to the range, here’s a little history to establish some context.

THE WILD WEST Western expansion began long before the Civil War, but truly gained steam after various Homestead Acts and the Coast-to-Coast railroad (1869).

Fueling the move, too, was expanding population in the cities, coupled with many Civil War veterans looking for better lives and more prosperity. Conveniently for firearms buffs, this period www.gunworld.com

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Cimarron Cavalry Model solid frame P 1873 with a leather one-piece holster. The author tested this using Federal American Eagle 225-grain jacketed soft point loads, which proved to be the most accurate load his testing team accessed through all the .45 revolvers.

coincides rather neatly with the emergence of self-contained metallic cartridges.

When the era ended is also subject to interpretation. Some military historians claim that most of the great danger in the west ended with the massacre at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, Dec. 29, 1890. Many run the period right up until U.S. entry in World War I. After all, our future 47th and 48th states—Arizona and New Mexico—were territories until 1912. Still others date the demise of the wildness of the west to the very end of William Cody’s Wild West Shows in 1913.

On the other side of the law, the “Hole-in-the-Wall Gang” of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid—a gang which really did exist—was robbing trains as late as 1900. In areas of Wyoming, Montana, and even Oregon, Utah, California, and Washington, there were still cattle thieves, and sometimes saloon gunfights, but the truly crazy days were gone like the buffalo.

What’s ironic, at least from a www.gunworld.com

weapons-centric point-of-view, is that over 100 years after the era played out, and not much shy of 150 years after it started, one can now purchase more of the hardware in more permutations and variants than was possible during that entire era put together…and it isn’t just the popularity of cowboy shooting clubs and activities.

The truth is, revolvers connect us to the past, are good looking, and—perhaps most of all—are mighty fun to shoot.

HISTORY, IRONY, AND REALITY The Single Action Army Colt Model P of 1873 was introduced about a decade after the death of Samuel Colt. It was adopted by the Army with a 7.5-inch barrel in the caliber .45 Colt of the times, but the model was ultimately offered in virtually every revolver-capable cartridge loading of its times, including the .44 Henry, .455 Webley, .476 Eley, .357 Magnum, .22 Long Rifle, and quite literally, anything else made between 1873-1940 that could be stuffed into its cylinder. Its solid frame could handle powerful cartridges, including Winchester’s proprietaries: .25/20, .32/20, .38/40, and .44/40 (.44 W.C.F.), and originals show up from time to time in Europe in some of their stranger Nagant and ordnance cartridges.

Calling the Single Action Army Colt an

CONTACTS CENTURY ARMS, INC. (800) 527-1252 www.centuryarms.com COLT FIREARMS (800) 962-COLT (2658) www.coltsmfg.com EARLY AND MODERN FIREARMS (800) 430-1310 www.emf-company.com TAYLOR’S AND COMPANY (540) 722-2017 www.taylorsfirearms.com TRADITIONS PERFORMANCE FIREARMS (860) 388-4656 www.traditionsfirearms.com UBERTI FIREARMS (800) 264-4962 www.uberti.com JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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In a splendid, authentically styled Gila River rig, this Uberti “Old Model” solid frame is representative of the Colts, Remingtons and other guns that “won the West.” Here, it graces a rock at the Rio Salado range in Mesa, Arizona.

enjoyed a great reputation, but was not invulnerable or without flaw. Mounted atop the hammer like a malevolent nail (which is pretty much what it was) the firing pin was unrestrained, and if dropped on a hard surface just “right,” the thing would go off. The “five-round carry” of classic times is much exaggerated, as great pains were taken to assure that, even off horseback, a handgun would not be dropped. But “exaggerated” does not mean the problem did not exist.

Running on rather brittle flat springs, there was a tendency for the cylinder bolt and stops to scar and/or fatigue, and for various springs to break or wear out.

A blacksmith could duplicate most of these parts from pieces of wagon spring or nails, but the fact remains that they DID occasionally break. I’ve seen SAs from the 1870s whose triggers had been replaced, possibly due to breakage, but also possibly for comfort purposes, with wider, flat parts, hand forged from stock, much more similar to the Remington trigger, and I have even seen one very carefully checkered. Still, flat springs had a long history, and were well known and easily dealt with.

COLT COPIES AND VARIANTS

Right side view of a late first generation Colt in .44/40, shown with a movie belt rig supposedly used in a Wallace Beery western of the 1930s. There are many rigs in those films, but none are shown close enough for the author to be certain. immediate success is something of an understatement. According to records, 357,859 were constructed from 18731940. Roughly half (158,884) were chambered in .45 Colt. Every government of the day at least tested them for possible military use, and they proved far more rugged than the double-actions that followed them into production.

For marketing reasons—and Colt has always been VERY attentive to marketing—their .44/40s were usually marked “Frontier Six Shooter,” and the compati50

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bility with the Winchester ‘73 and ‘92 rifles of like vintage was stressed to salespersons by Colt representatives.

Standard barrel lengths were 4.75 inches, 5.5 inches, and the “Government Standard” 7.5 inches. Other lengths did exist, and the controversy about the “Buntline Specials” suggests some were made for Ned Buntline, a sensationalist writer of the times, for special presentation to five lawmen, one of them Wyatt Earp.

Simple and sturdy in its way, the Colt

In the 1890s, small features like the ejector rod and takedown screw, which became a sprung push-through, came along, as did much superior metallurgy, and the Colts became much better able to handle smokeless powders. In the 1920’s, the sights were upgraded, markings altered, and until the gun was discontinued in 1940, the “first generation” was later regarded as attractive but outmoded.

Another major factory variant was the humpbacked “Bisley” (produced from 1895 to about 1916), which used a higher, longer grip and flatter topped hammer, embodying a longer, smoother mainspring, and of course the adjustable sight guns and flat tops, of which there are not a great many, but which tend to be the best shooters of the stock specimens. The high visibility sights and the comfortable grips on the Bisleys surprise many shooters, but because the guns, albeit rare, are not as “pretty,” that rarity has never been fully reflected in their retail prices.

The scores of enthusiasts generated by the western movies, radio and television series and comic books of the mid20th century caused Colt to re-enter the market with a slightly changed “second www.gunworld.com

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These Colt (top) and Remington (bottom) cartridge conversions, which were old cap and ball frames and sometimes barrels outfitted for metallic cartridges with reload and ejection capabilities and more suitable firing pins, were very much a part of the west and its wildest days.

generation” (1956-74) of the same model, followed by a third (1973 to about 1994) and to some critics, a “fourth” (1994-present, although Colt has never acknowledged a fourth generation). Ironically, this is now apparently the ONLY revolver Colt produces, all others having been cancelled several years ago.

Of course, competition was a factor, too. By the 1950s, Ruger was producing an investment cast series of revolvers styled like the old Hartford Products. Great Western had begun using (many say) leftover Colt parts, and Hawes eventually had Sauer make single actions that looked “Coltish.” By 1959, Aldo Uberti and others were producing a brass-backstrap version of the Colt that was a no-holds-barred clone attempt.

Others, such as Armi San Marco and Armi Jager soon followed. Intercontinental Arms and EMF and even Iver Johnson all suddenly had “cowboy guns” for sale that looked and felt right. Pietta still produces versions that are to all intents and purposes Colt clones, but which feature transfer bar hammer/firing pin mechanisms, so as to allow safer carry with six live rounds in the cylinder.

This only slightly modified Colt Model P 1973 Single Action Army with cut barrel and modified sights is a good example of the early wave of SA reproductions.

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REMINGTON REVOLVERS Remington, whose cap and ball revolvers had a slightly sturdier reputation than Colt and were supposedly also cheaper and more accurate, were late comers to the market, introducing their Army Model only in 1875, after the Colt had already been adopted by the U.S. Army and in issue for a couple of years.

Total production from 1875 to 1890 was less than 30,000, but these tended to be an aficionado’s sidearm. Frank James supposedly carried only Remington revolvers, and several other lawmen and desperadoes found their sturdy design desirable. The 1875 was offered in .45 Colt, .44 Remington and .44/40. The cylinder of the .45 was a tad longer, so as not to be inserted into .44/40 revolvers by mistake.

Their follow-up Model of 1890 trimmed down the sail to very little. And while it was offered in the same 7.5-inch and 5.5-inch barrel lengths and nickel and blued finishes, only .44/40 chambering was offered. I have seen both of these converted to other calibers, probably by ‘smiths of the time for owners who had reason to want a particular loading. There were a very few transitional M.1888 “Pocket Model Army Revolvers.”

These two basic models are www.gunworld.com

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The cylinder detail of an original Remington Model of 1875.

At once a rare pistol and a sort of family monument, this “Storekeeper”/Sheriff’s Model P 1873 Single Action belonged to the author’s late brother. Built up on a GREAT WESTERN frame, allegedly one of those produced by Colt themselves, it is a former M.G.M. prop gun, prepped at King’s in Glendale, California, precision re-finished and set up by Turnbull, and generally set up for both display and self-defense in .45 Colt.

The front sight was a split nickel of 1890s vintage.

produced in far greater array than ever, including oddities like the “Buckhorn” style for the big .41 and .44 magnums, which are very subtly larger in every respect, all to allow a thicker, larger cylinder, and the rather odd looking but comfortable “Alchimista” from EMF, which uses the longer, slender grip of the Model of 1860 Army percussion revolver to provide more hand purchase on the backstrap. That variant is made

by Pietta in the Brescia (Lombardy) region of Italy. Uberti, now owned by Benelli, is located in Gardone val Trompia, also in Lombardy province.

FIREARMS ARE FOR FIRING In my experience, revolvers of the 1870s (and their clones) are rarely acquired because of an intellectual decision. SA’s are purchased via a combination of heart, glands and fond movie memories, as well as because of their grace and early ergonomic “friendliness.”

To help me test out some newer versions of these frontier firearms (as well as my theories about inherent friendliness), I went the family route. My grandson, Adam Parizo, and his cousin Keith

The legends of the “old” or “wild” West weren’t always grounded in truth, but the firearms depicted were very real indeed. www.gunworld.com

Klein, aged 14 and 11 respectively, were veterans of hunter/shooter training and rifle and handgun experience, but had never actually seen a western movie.

They had only, as Adam remarked, “picked up a few things” from history/social studies.

So, beginning with no misconceptions, the kids agreed to join me, as did their fathers, my son-in-law Dan Parizo and his brother-in-law Bill Klein.

They knew these pistols had no specific safeties, were briefed on “lock time,” and advised, “that aiming is not quite done when the trigger is squeezed.” Also detailed to the adults and kids was the slightly different sight picture due to the shorter barrels. With shorter barrels, the customary target “flush top” sight picture is modified, with JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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The original Colt solid frame P 1873 revolvers (grayish finish) used a rather fragile, countersunk screw in their solid frames to secure and/or release the cylinder pin for cleaning and maintenance. The Uberti solid frame copies recently have switched to an oversize screw which, when turned all the way in, acts as a lockout safety impinging upon the hammer, forestalling the firing pin from contacting a primer and discharging a round. The new form MAY be replaced with a flush fit screw for the authentic look.

more of the front sight showing above the gash in the frame.

On our personal firing line was a (now-discontinued) Taurus 5.5-inch “Gaucho” in .45, a big, gaudy M1875 “Outlaw” Remington (Uberti) .45 Clone from Taylor’s, a Cimarron (Uberti) “Custer Cavalry” .45 Colt with a 7.5-inch barrel, and a new Traditions Pietta

Model P with its transfer bar safety in 4.75-inch, a .357 Magnum.

To add some realism, I asked everyone to shoot 19th century-style, predominantly one-handed, and to also try the revolvers rested. Everyone found they shot basically identically one and twohanded, even Keith, who was genuinely startled he could do about as well with a

Butt marking of the Cimarron Cavalry Model P 1973 Custer refers to Company F, 7th Cavalry.

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single paw.

The Colt Calvary clone—a solid frame with enlarged “safety” cylinder pin screw—was an especially smooth and well-balanced piece, immediately punching the little .75-inch red stick-on center right out of the target at a sighting-in twenty-one feet. Over time, this continued, being eerily and especially accurate

Government style cartouche stamped in the left grip of the Cimarron Cavalry “Custer” Model solid frame P 1873. www.gunworld.com

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Keith releases a round with the .357 Pietta/Traditions. He found the .357 more “intimidating” than the .45 Colt, and knew it to be far more powerful. He did most of the shooting with that revolver in .38 Special, with the FMJ rounds from Federal.

with the Federal AE 225 grain soft point (AE45LC), but also reliably thundering home the 230-grain Hornady hardball and soft points intended for use with the ACP round.

Uberti quality and metallurgy is to world standards. And over the past decades, I’ve actually heard less in the way of complaints about their products than some of the more pretentious domestic houses.

The big, bold nickel Remington “Outlaw” with its 7.5-inch tube wasn’t far behind, and my grandson actually shot it slightly better than the Colt clone. I’ve owned and shot many of these, and the main change over 25+ years is the more “Colt-like” front sight that, in fact, is correct for much of that weapon’s production.

The Pietta Traditions P was a .357, and everyone was imme-

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Calling the Single Action Army Colt an immediate success is something of an understatement. diately aware it didn’t recover from recoil as quickly as the longer-tubed specimens. That has to do with the more powerful ammunition and the short barrel. The balance of the 4.75inch apparatus is just as it appears.

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HIGH CALIBER FUN We needed at least two calibers in play because the current ammo shortage threatened to cause problems at virtually every turn. Had it not been for Federal’s John Reich digging up a fairly good menu of revolver rounds, and my finally locating some old Aguila brass with which to mate the Hornady bullets we had on hand for other reasons, these wheelguns would still be sitting around, gathering dust.

Early in the day, Keith was reluctant to shoot the full power www.gunworld.com

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The “Hombres Terribles” testing crew, all set to test four cowboy clones on the range: (From the left) the author’s son-in-law Dan Parizo, his grandson, Adam Parizo, Dan’s brother-in-law, Bill Klein, and Keith Klein. ammunition out of the Pietta. I suggested he try—from the rest—one round of the Federal .357 Hydrashok defense load, which had proven already to be uncannily accurate. I loaded it, asking him to watch carefully, positioned the round next to the barrel/battery, awaiting his cocking the piece. He studied momentarily, braced the pistol, and loosed the

nice, encouraging confidence builder.

Smiling, he said, “I’d like to shoot more, but the weaker stuff.” That was the full metal jacketed .38 Special AE38K (130-grain) and the very potent Hydrashok 129-grain load P38HS1, which, out of this revolver, did not shoot quite as accurately as the .357 loads at this time, but which recoiled

Frank James supposedly carried only Remington revolvers, and several other lawmen and desperadoes found their sturdy design desirable. single round, punching out the “x.”

“Want some more?” He nodded. Three more entered, and three more were fired, touching perhaps an inch at twenty-one feet, not dazzling target accuracy, but okay for an 11-year-old and a 56

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very little, and surely had a positive impact upon recoil recovery, and therefore, rate of fire. Keith never named a favorite, but he fired the smaller revolver more than any of the others.

This is ongoing play and research, depending upon reload rates and when brass and bullet supplies clear up further. It’s been going on for half a century, and will probably not end until I go to “boot hill.” We have new Hornady loads, some bullets from Sierra, and there seem to be rumors, now substantiated, of a Remington “Police” Model 1890 en route in .357 Magnum, likely accompanied or followed by a Winchester 1873 rifle copy, also from Uberti, also in .357. And we’re frantically reloading, Dan and I. One can easily conjure up reasons to not own classically styled single action revolvers, and those are surely valid. Equally valid, perhaps, is that little voice at the back of most of our minds that says, “This thing sure is pretty, and they are so dangerous and cool in the movies!”

That’s why one can buy more variations of these beauties than in 1873, and in a downright dazzling array of sizes and configurations.

And in time, we just might test ALL of them. GW www.gunworld.com

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Hornady’s Critical Defense Lite load in .38 Spl. achieves recoil reduction by using a 95-grain Flex Tip bullet that expands well from 2-inch barrels. Velocity of this load measured 900 fps.

DEFENSE AMMO UPDATE New Handgun Loads From Hornady, Federal, Remington, Nosler and Black Hills Story & Photos by Dr. Martin D. Topper

andgun ammunition for personal defense took another step forward in 2013.

H

Several new loads are now available, and many perform very well in the short-barreled revolvers and semi-autos. So if you’ve changed your carry gun lately or if it’s been several years since you chose your defense ammo, one of the new loads may be of interest.

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HORNADY Hornady introduced several loads this year, including a new offering in their Critical Defense cartridge in .32 H&R Magnum.

The .32 H&R never really got off the ground when it was introduced in the early 1980s. It offered more muzzle energy than the .32 S&W Long and it was topped with hollowpoint bullets, but it had one big drawback. The .32 H&R JHPs did not dewww.gunworld.com

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pressure load from a three-inch barrel.

The 180-grain .40 S&W and 230-grain .45 ACP loads should perform just as well.

REMINGTON, NOSLER AND BLACK HILLS

Remington’s High Terminal Performance ammo (left) has a deep hollowpoint while its Ultimate Home Defense load uses the Brass Jacketed Hollow Point from its popular Golden Saber ammunition. velop enough velocity to expand reliably from short barrels. Hornady’s solution was to design a .32 Magnum Critical Defense load that uses a Hornady Flex Tip bullet. This load can be fired in any revolver chambered in .32 Mag. or .327 Federal. It has a muzzle velocity of 1018 fps. and produces 184 ft. pds. of muzzle energy from my 2.125-inch S&W 632.

The bullet expands to .37-inch and penetrates 11 inches in water. This isn’t the most powerful handgun load, but its recoil is mild. Overall performance is close to that of a .380 ACP hollowpoint.

Hornady’s second new Critical Defense load is a .38 Spl. with a 95 gr. Flex Tip bullet. Many people buy lightweight

ft. pds. of energy at the muzzle. It expands to .73-inch and penetrates 14-inch in water. Even though it expands rapidly, its Interlock design holds the jacket and core together when the bullet encounters barriers like automobile glass. This kind of performance should make 220grain +P Critical Duty ammo popular among law enforcement agencies that carry .45 automatics.

FEDERAL Federal introduced three new handgun loads this year for the shooting public. These standard pressure loads in 9mm., .40 S&W and .45 ACP fea-

Remington has come out with three updated product lines. The first is HTP (High Terminal Performance), which is just beginning to appear at local gunshops. I haven’t had a chance to test any of it yet, but its wide deep hollowpoint and skived jacket should produce good expansion. The second offering is the Ultimate Home Defense, which uses a brass-jacketed hollowpoint bullet like the Golden Saber line. The third product is Golden Saber Black Belt ammo. It uses an exterior polycarbonate belt to lock the jacket and core together. The belt prevents jacket/core separation when barriers are encountered. Using a polycarbonate belt is a less-expensive solution to jacket/core separation than chemical bonding. This new load should draw considerable attention when it starts shipping from the factory.

Nosler has announced a new bonded expanding bullet that has a polymer tip that gives it the same profile as ball am-

Several perform well in short-barreled revolvers and semi-autos. aluminum-framed .38 Spl. revolvers because they are easy to carry and conceal. Then they discover that light .38s can really kick, even with standard pressure loads. As a result, they either trade the gun off or shoot it a few times and put it away in the safe. Hornady’s Critical Duty Lite load goes a long way toward taming the lightweight .38s by getting recoil down to 3.5 ft. pds. in a 12ounce gun. This new Critical Defense .38 expands to .48-inch and penetrates 11 inches in water. Muzzle velocity is 900 fps. and muzzle energy is 171 ft. pds. when fired from my 2-inch S&W 340 PD. The last new Hornady handgun load is a Law Enforcement +P .45 ACP Critical Duty cartridge. This Critical Duty load has a 220-grain FlexLock bullet that leaves the muzzle of a 5-inch Les Baer Hemi 572 at 1032 fps. and generates 520 www.gunworld.com

ture the HST bullet, which has become standard issue for a number of law enforcement agencies. The HST projectile is designed to expand quickly, but it also penetrates deeply and stays together when penetrating barriers. I tested a sample of the 124-grain 9mm. load in a S&W M&P Shield. Its muzzle velocity averaged 1120 fps. and it developed 345 ft. pds. of muzzle energy.

The bullet expanded to .67-inch and penetrated 18 inches in water. This Federal’s new HST ammunition for personal protection will be available in 9mm., .40 S&W and .45 ACP. The bullet in these loads has is excellent performbeen very popular with law enforcement in recent years. ance for a standard JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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Black Hills and Hornady have both developed .32 H&R Magnum loads that expand from revolvers with 2inch barrels. They can also be used as low-recoil alternative defense loads in guns chambered for .327 Federal Magnum.

munition. This Nosler Defense ammunition is not yet available for testing, but the 230 gr. .45 ACP load should feed reliably in 1911s that have not been throated for the use of hollowpoints.

Finally, Black Hills has updated its .32 H&R Magnum load by increasing its velocity. This load uses an 85-grain Hornady XTP bullet. The updated .32 H&R left the short barrel of my S&W 632 at an average velocity of 975 fps. and produced 175 ft. pds. of muzzle energy. It expanded reliably to .34 caliber and penetrated 18 inches of water. Users of the .32 Mag. and .327 Federal now have two new lower-recoiling defense loads to choose from!

FINAL NOTES Despite the current high demand, America’s ammunition manufacturers are continuing to develop new products that better meet the personal protection needs of their customers, and you can

expect that they will do everything they can to get their new lines out to the customers who depend on them. GW

CONTACTS BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION www.black-hills.com FEDERAL AMMUNITION www.federalpremium.com HORNADY AMMUNITION www.hornady.com NOSLER AMMUNITION www.nosler.com REMINGTON AMMUNITION www.remington.com

Hornady’s .45 ACP +P Critical Duty load for law enforcement agencies expands to .73-inch and penetrates 14 inches in water. It has a 220-grain FlexLock bullet helps prevent jacket/core separation when barriers like automobile glass are encountered. www.gunworld.com

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www.gunworld.com

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A One-Man Jury Cross-Examines Tanfoglio’s Witness Elite 1 Story & Photos by Todd Burgreen

dds are slim that a professional competition shooter will show up at my front door to teach me how to run a handgun more efficiently in CQB environments, so I had to get creative.

O

My next thought was to get a handgun configured to perform in competition, and that led me to the Tanfoglio Witness Elite Stock 1 chambered in .38 Super, imported by European American Armory (EAA).

Design-wise, the Elite 1 owes a good deal to the CZ 75, and it represents a good balance of features for daily use as a duty or competition weapon. Although the .38 Super was designed specifically as a fighting cartridge, it was later adopted by the competition shooting community. The 38 Super chambering in the EAA Witness Elite Stock 1 is a sound combination while still allowing a user to indulge oneself by having something not so typical.

Tanfoglio has advanced the Witness model to the point where it’s no longer an exact copy of the CZ design, with modifications made to the frame, trigger, and chambering.

www.gunworld.com

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The higher grade Tanfoglio Witness handgun series now offers a degree of detail, fit and finish that resembles weapons costing much more.

EAA imports numerous versions of the Tanfoglio Witness series, including steel and polymer models chambered in calibers ranging from 9mm, 38 Super, .40 S&W, 10mm, 45ACP, and others.

While some of the earliest EAA Witness imports received skeptical reviews—especially the base models—this seems has been rectified over time. The higher grade Tanfoglio Witness handgun series now offers a degree of detail, fit and finish that resembles weapons costing much more.

In general terms, the EAA/Tanfoglio is a more innovative gun compared to the original CZ 75. In fact, many contend that most of the design advances in the

basic CZ 75 design have come in response to Tanfoglio modifiations. The Witness is slightly, almost imperceptibly, larger than the original CZ design. Tanfoglio made the change to accommodate cartridges other than 9mm by only having to change out the “upper” slide area. Another modification is to the firing pin function. The firing pin block is kept in the “upwards” position, thus blocking the firing pin until the trigger is pulled.

This causes the pin to fall, allowing the firing pin to move. As a result, the overall trigger operation is improved over original CZ 75.

A Browning style safety allows operation with hammer cocked or down com-

SPECIFICATIONS EAA WITNESS ELITE STOCK 1 TANFOGLIO CALIBER: .38 Super tested (available in 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm, 45 ACP) MAG. CAPACITY: 17 rounds .38 Super BARREL LENGTH: 4.5 inches OVERALL LENGTH: 8 inches WEIGHT (EMPTY): 39 ounces SIGHTS: Adjustable FINISH: Brushed Stainless Steel MSRP: $1,013

The workmanship on the EAA Witness Elite Stock 1 elevates it past the standard production handguns originally imported from Tanfoglio. The fit and finish is more typical of a fully customized handgun.

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GW 1401-Witness 11/4/13 10:38 PM Page 66

The EAA Witness Elite Stock 1 proved a solid performing weapon—a credit to its design lineage. pared to the CZ safety, and the Tanfoglio frame is simplified by omitting the magazine brake, thus reducing complexity as well as simplifying machining. EAA/Tanfoglio offers a wider variety of accessories and options such as ambidextrous safeties, finishes, sights, and grips.

The .38 Super was derived from the .38 ACP and shares its dimensions, though it is loaded to higher pressures for a boost in velocity. The round was

designed to fire a 130 grain bullet at the 1300 fps threshold while the 38 ACP was in the 1100fps range. Due to similar case dimensions between the .38 Super and the .38 ACP, in 1974 SAAMI added a +P headstamp to the .38 Super to help distinguish it from the lower powered .38 ACP. The .38 Super is a featured chambering in Europe, Central and South America due to gun laws limiting access to

THE HISTORICAL .38 SUPER It may surprise many to learn that the .38 Super cartridge has a lineage dating back to the late 1920’s, and it was not that uncommon of a chambering during the heyday of organized crime fostered by the Depression, along with the lawmen assigned to stop them. Colt designed the .38 Super with its Government 1911 platform in mind. Colt’s intent was a cartridge capable of penetrating the body armor and automobile sheet metal of the 1920s-30s. From its inception, the .38 Super cartridge attracted savvy aficionados to it, a characteristic that continues to this day. The .38 Super experienced resurgence in the 1970s through to its “discovery” by IPSC competitors because of its high velocity and mild recoil, especially when combined with a muzzle brake.

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military calibers such as 45ACP and 9mm, and this, combined with its popularity in competitions, is quite possibly the main reason why Tanfoglio chambers the Witness series in .38 Super.

Here in the United States, the .38 Super has more of a cult following with limited sales numbers, although ammunition is still carried by multiple manufacturers with reloading a popular option. The .38 Super’s performance benefits greatly by the increased sophistication of bullets and powders that wring the most out of its capability compared to when it first appeared in 1929.

The Witness Elite Stock 1 is a steelframed short recoil operated locked breech pistol ala Browning’s system, with camming cut below the barrel. This serves to unlock and lower the barrel during the recoil cycle. The barrel locks into the slide via lugs in front of the ejection port. The slide moves along internal rails machined inside the frame. Proponents of this frame to slide interface point to benefits such as smoother cycling and finer tolerances translating into better accuracy potential.

The Elite Witness 1 has an exposed www.gunworld.com

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heart shaped hammer and extended manual safety on its left side that is configured to allow for Condition One carry even though it is Double/Single action semi-automatic. It has 4.5-inch barrel contributing an overall length of eight inches, weighs 39 ounces, and comes equipped with adjustable sights. The Witness series of handguns has a grip design that seems to fit everyone’s hand. Combined with a manageable double action trigger and light, short reset, single action pull with minimal creep, this creates a handgun that is easy to shoot well. Double action trigger pull measured over 10 pounds with the single action showing four pounds on the gauge.

The Witness Elite’s extended frame safety is placed where anyone familiar with the 1911 will find familiar. The Elite features a safety that is more substantial than a standard type of frame safety, and it enables you to press check the chamber without taking off the thumb safety.

CZ 75 CLONES The story—possibly apocryphal—goes that when the CZ 75 was introduced, the design was deemed “secret” by the Soviet Union, so the designers were unable to secure a patent on the design. This opened the door for replicas to be made by a numerous companies across Europe. One of those replicas was the Tanfoglio Force, which quickly gained a solid reputation, which spurred Tanfoglio on to produce numerous variants. In 1999, the Tanfoglio product line was imported to the United States by EAA and marketed under the model name “Witness.”

Many thumb safety style guns require you to take the safety off if you want to pull the slide slightly back and check to be sure that a round is chambered. The Witness Elite can also chamber or unload a round while leaving the thumb safety on making for a safer process.

Many will find the EAA Witness Elite’s all metal construction preferable to the multitude of polymer-framed handguns on the market. One concern with any handgun with levers and manual safeties

is that shooters will need more training time to familiarize themselves, but the Witness Elite offers the best of both worlds with its ability to be carried hammer down, safety off, employing the double action trigger when engaging a target. Do not underestimate the ability to configure the Witness Elite into Condition One carry.

For this test, .38 Super ammunition was sourced from Winchester, Federal, Wilson Combat and Corbon. Modern

The Witness Elite’s slide moves along internal rails machined inside the frame. Overall workmanship found on the EAA Witness Elite 1 far exceeded its price point rivaling handguns many times its cost. www.gunworld.com

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Recoil was minimal in the Witness Elite Stock 1 handgun, making it a good choice for even smaller shooters. This is due to its balance, ergonomics, and overall design.

CONTACTS EAA P.O. Box 560746 Rockledge, FL 32956-0746 (321) 639-4842 www.eaacorp.com ATK/FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY 900 Ehlen Drive Anoka, MN 55303 800-322-2342 www.federalpremium.com ECHO VALLEY TRAINING CENTER www.echovalleytrainingcenter.com STONEWALL ARMS 2438 Valley Ave Winchester, VA 22601 1-540-535-2190 www.stonewallarms.com WINCHESTER AMMUNITION 427 N. Shamrock St East Alton, IL 62024 www.winchester.com 68

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loads for the 38 Super list velocities at near 1450 fps with 115-grain bullet out of five-inch barrels. Chronoing of all loads took place to verify if the .38 Super lives up to its hype as the original 40 S&W/.357 SIG cartridge for semi-automatic handguns. It does, with the Corbon loads being the “hottest,” as the Corbon 100-grain Pow’RBall clocked just over 1500fps with the 115-grain JHP at 1435fps and 125-grain DPX chronoing 1320fps.

nition at three inches or better at 25 yards, and it was amazingly tame in the recoil department, even when firing the hottest loads.

All told, I fired more than 650 total rounds thru the Witness Elite without issue during multiple range visits and attendance in a Graham Combat course.

The inclusion of the EAA Witness Elite Stock 1 in the Graham course was a new experience for me. I normally use Glocks on a tactical course, but felt it was im-

The Witness Elite Stock 1 is a steel-framed short recoil operated locked breech pistol ala Browning’s system…

The EAA Witness Elite .38 Super was tested at the range first by verifying sight zero, and then firing several magazines rapidly at various steel man targets. This quickly shows if any reliability issues exist. Further testing consisted of strings of fire against steel plate racks and steel popper targets at 7, 15, and 25 yards. An informal accuracy test was conducted from a rudimentary bench position. The Witness Elite delivered by constantly keeping a full magazine worth of ammu-

portant to use the Witness Elite 1 to verify the viability of a competition weapon in tactical realm. The biggest plus about competition is that it requires you to react quickly while running around shooting.

On the range and throughout the combat course, The EAA Witness Elite Stock 1 revealed itself as a performer.

And now, if a professional competition shooter ever does show up at my door, I’ll be ready. GW www.gunworld.com

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RELOAD

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Alliant recently introduced ARComp specifically for AR rifles and others of similar caliber.

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Testing Alliant AR-Comp, a Powder Formulated for Rifles in MSR Calibers Story & Photos by James E. House

here is currently a boom (no pun intended) in the variety of new powders being introduced, providing a boon for those of us who love to experiment with various loads. Some of these propellants are designed for rather specific uses or they possess other unique properties. One of the most recently introduced powders is Alliant AR-Comp. Produced in Sweden, the powder is designed for use in calibers currently popular in modern sporting rifles.

T

AR-Comp is advertised as being essentially unaffected by large variations in temperature. That would make it interesting for some applications, but it is also described as being clean burning and metering uniformly. These are also commendable properties for a propellant with broad applications.

www.gunworld.com

Since it is a recently introduced powder, there is not a wealth of loading data available for ARComp. However, a comparison of the data that are available in the 2013 Reloader’s Guide from Alliant with data from other sources indicates that charges of AR-Comp are very close to those recommended for IMR 3031 for a given bullet weight in a specific caliber. It is well known that IMR 3031 is a versatile powder that works best in rather small cases with bullets of relatively light weight. For example, it is an efficient

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RELOAD powder for use in calibers such as .223 Remington, .30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester and numerous others. It is also a good choice for use in the .243 Winchester with bullets weighing less than about 70-80 grains.

NEVER ASSUME Never make the assumption that just because the burning rates of two calibers are similar that loading data are identical and can be interchanged. Numerous other factors dictate the appropriate charges, so always use published data from powder and bullet manufacturers as a guide.

AR-Comp consists of extruded or cylindrical grains. However, the grains are quite short so that the diameter and length of the particles are approximately the same. This configuration contributes to the excellent metering properties of the propellant.

Although AR-Comp is touted for its use in AR-style rifles, it is equally appropriate for use in any rifle in a similar caliber. I own no rifles of the AR type so my testing was done in rifles of classical design. My .223 Remington is a Savage Axis, my .243 Winchester is a Remington Model 700, and my .308 Winchester is a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight. The last of these now is fitted with a Hogue pillar bedded stock rather than the beautiful wood version standard on the featherweight.

Loading ammunition using AR-Comp was carried out in a conventional manner. Remington cases trimmed to 1.748 inches and primed with Winchester small rifle primers were utilized in the .223 loads. Winchester cases trimmed to 2.035 inches were used for the .243 loads. The .308 loads were assembled using Winchester cases measuring 2.010 inches in length. In both the .243 and .308 loads Winchester large rifle primers were used. In all instances, powder charges were weighed to the nearest 0.1 grains. For each load, five cartridges were assembled, and veloci-

Rifles used in testing loads using AR-Comp were a Savage Axis in .223 Remington, a Remington 700 in .243 Winchester, and a .308 Winchester Model 70 Featherweight. ties were measured at 10 feet from the muzzle using a Competition Electrons ProChrono chronograph. The results obtained are summarized in the accompanying table.

The loads tested are not of maximum

AR-Comp consists of extruded or cylindrical grains.

Particles of AR-Comp are cylindrical.

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CONTACT ALLIANT POWDER (800) 276-9337 www.alliantpowder.com

persuasion, but they represent my approach to testing a new powder. Accordingly, I always stay away from maximum charges as a first approximation. When reporting accuracy data, I have chosen to show the size of the five-shot group followed by the measurement of the four closest shots. In that way, one errant shot resulting from gusting wind does not detract from the precision of the majority of the shots.

Some published loading data show combinations for the .223 Remington that produce around 3600 ft/sec. However, I was more interested in accuracy and consistency than in velocity. The results shown in the table show that the Savage Axis gave very good accuracy with the three bullets chosen.

Neither my .243 Winchester nor my .308 Winchester set any accuracy records. They are hunting rifles and deliver a level of accuracy that is accept-

Cartridge lengths were kept within the ranges specified for each caliber. able for such uses. However, both rifles gave nice clusters of four shots with one outlying shot. I attribute part of this to the windy conditions on the range at the time when testing was conducted. Each of the rifles gave some four shot clusters that were under an inch. These results are typical of what I normally get with these rifles. It is interesting to note that the standard deviations in velocity for the four loads listed are 8, 9, 10, and 11

ft/sec. These values are the smallest that I have obtained for the 308 Winchester.

I did not have an opportunity to test AR-Comp under a wide range of temperature conditions, so the consistency under such conditions was not determined. However, I found it easy to get accurate, uniform loads, and I believe that AR-Comp is a versatile propellant. I am looking forward to experimenting with it in other cartridges. GW

VELOCITY DATA FOR LOADS UTILIZING ALLIANT AR-COMP. LOAD 1

LOAD 2

OL, IN.

GR.

VEL., F/S

GROUP, IN

GR.

VEL., F/S GROUP, IN

2.245

24.2

3052

0.69/0.56

25.2

3242

0.79/0.76

223 REMINGTON 40 gr Sierra BlitzKing 50 gr Hornady V-Max

2.243

23.5

2959

1.47/0.78

24.5

3122

1.10/0.65

52 gr Speer HPBT Match

2.233

23.0

2829

0.71/0.55

24.0

3012

0.62/0.54

243 WINCHESTER 55 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip

2.640

38.0

3521

1.45/1.25

39.0

3603

1.52/0.63

70 gr Sierra HPBT Match

2.620

35.4

3205

1.37/0.98

36.4

259

1.48/0.81

308 WINCHESTER 110 gr Sierra HP

2.595

46.0

3005

1.85/1.24

—

—

—

110 gr Hornady SP

2.680

46.0

2991

1.39/0.87

—

—

—

125 gr Nosler Ball. Tip

2.725

45.0

2951

1.52/1.30

—

—

—

150 gr Nosler Ball. Tip

2.727

41.0

2675

1.66/1.00

—

—

—

Rifles used were 223 Remington Savage Axis, 243 Winchester Remington 700, and 308 Winchester 70 Featherweight. Velocity values are averages for five shots. Group sizes are for five shots/best four.

These loads were safe and reliable in the author’s rifles, but neither the author nor the publisher accepts any responsibility for their preparation and use by others. www.gunworld.com

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DOUBLE TEAM

Story & Photos by John Raguso

here’s nothing like doubling up on defense‌especially when the dynamic duo is twin Mossberg home defense shotguns. With all of the wackiness and double-talk going on in Washington, DC, combined with a shaky economy and a bunch of people still out of work, making an investment in a re-

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DEFENSE

The Author Field-Tests Two Outstanding MOSSBERG Home-Defense Shotguns

Big Tony and Little Tony demonstrate a dynamic double team with the business end of a pair of enhanced M590A1 home defense shotguns.

liable home defense shotgun can potentially have a better return on assets than your 401K. This is especially true when you stop and think what this defense tool will “really” protect…your house, your family and loved ones. www.gunworld.com

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HOME ATTRIBUTES So what is a “home defense” shotgun, and what attributes distinguish this selfprotection tool from other sporting big bore scatterguns that are taken into the field to hunt upland birds, waterfowl, deer and other game?

When you consider the challenges of the typical home base interior landscape, like 30- to 36-inch wide doorways, long and narrow hallways, winding staircases and plenty of blind turns, trying to defend this turf with a 28” barrel duck gun is going to cause some extreme challenges. Considering these delimitations, attribute #1 for your home base protection detail should be a short barreled shotgun, with 18.5-inches being the ideal length. In my opinion, the next prerequisite should be a slightly shorter length of pull (the distance from the trigger to the end of the stock), which will enable you to keep the weapon tucked a little tighter to your body to better negotiate the twists and turns of your home’s interior. One neat solution to getting a better grip on my home-D shotguns and shortening the length of pull at the same time was upgrading to a Choate Mark V youth model pistol grip stock with heavy duty buttpad, but more on that later.

I prefer a 12-gauge Home-D shotgun compared to those chambered for 16gauge, 20-gauge or .410, simply because the shotshell ammo is cheaper, more readily available and is offered in more flavors (like low recoil) than any other type and is totally devastating. The type of finish on your home defense weapon is usually a personal thing, but I typically avoid blued shotguns (they rust and require more maintenance) and select either stainless steel, nickel-coated or parkerized finishes for the ultimate in long-term durability. With a shorter barrel shotgun comes a lessened magazine capacity, with the norm being 5+1 for

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The M590A1 Compact (left) sports a full upgrade kit, including a Choate Mark V shorty youth pistol grip stock, Choate +2 magazine extension tube, FAB tri-rail forend and PLS-1 tac light mount, CAA short vertical grip, Walther LED tactical light, Midwest Industries one-point sling mount and ATI stock-mounted shotshell holder. The M590A1 (right) is still morphing into its final state, but at this moment features a Mesa Tactical 5-Point LEO Telescoping Recoil Stock, shotshell holder and one-point sling mount, plus a Mossberg hi-vis fiber optic front sight.

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2¾-inch shotshells, although there are extended mag tubes usually available on the aftermarket for popular shotguns like the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 series.

Which brings us to my home defense shotgun of choice, the Mossberg 500.

10,000,000 AND COUNTING… Introduced in August of 1961 and the product of Mossberg’s lead design engineer Carl Benson, the model 500 and its offshoots are based on the same basic time-proven design. Originally employing a single action bar to work its pump mechanism, this was changed to dual action bars in 1970, following the expiration of Remington’s patent on the double action bar design. A single large locking lug secures the model 500 breech. The magazine tube is located below the barrel and is screwed into the receiver. The slide release is located to the left rear of the trigger guard and the ambidextrous tang safety is situated on the upper rear of the receiver on the centerline. Over the years, numerous configurations of the model 500 have been designed for law enforcement, military, conservation groups and other special purpose applications, including a youth model. As of April 30, 2013, Mossberg passed the 10,000,000 unit production landmark, which makes the model 500 the fastest selling shotgun of all time.

The primary difference between the Model 500 and Model 590 is in the magazine tube design. The Model 500 magazines are closed at the muzzle end, and the barrel is held in place by bolting into a threaded hole at the end of the magazine tube. Model 590 magazines are designed to be opened at the muzzle end and the barrels fit around the magazine tube and are held on by a nut at the end.

The Model 500 magazine facilitates easy barrel changes, as the barrel bolt serves no function other than holding the barrel in place. The Model 590 magazine facilitates easy cleaning and parts replacement, as removing the nut and spring retention clip allows the removal of the magazine spring and follower.

Like the model 500, the 590-series shotguns feature a plastic trigger guard and safety, with a standard thickness barrel. The Model 590A1 takes an additional step up the evolutionary ladder with an aluminum trigger guard and safety, along with a heavier barrel, which is designed for rough handling and intended for military use under extreme conditions. Mossberg 500s are still in www.gunworld.com

One of the compelling reasons to purchase any Mossberg 500-series shotgun is the weapon design’s twin extractor setup, which enhances the reliability of a positive shell ejection. use with US military forces worldwide, and have also been adopted by some of our allies. The metal trigger guard was added in response to a US military requirement spec and the heavier barrel was added at the request of the US

Navy. The M590A1 is generally sold through military and law enforcement channels, although the 18.5-inch and 20inch models may be legally purchased by us civilians via the usual sources…thank goodness!

A RADICAL MAKEOVER Although both of these 590A1s were good to go right out of the box, I felt the compelling urge to give them both a radical makeover, to truly make them one-of-a-kind home defenders.

The model #51520 Compact was stripped to the bone and I added the following way-cool aftermarket accessories that truly did not break the bank: n Choate Mark V youth model pistol grip stock (+$75) n Choate +2 parkerized steel magazine tube extension & Wolff spring (+$45) n Midwest Industries (M/I) one-point sling mount (+$29) n FAB model PR-MO tri-rail forend (+$52) n Mako 1” tactical light synthetic rail mount (+$25) n Walter 140-lumens LED tactical light (+$25) n CCA short vertical grip (+$15) n ATI shotshell holder mount for stock (+$15) n Crimson Trace Railmaster red dot laser designator (+$125) The model #51273 Mariner was stripped of its stock the following accessories were added to its potent layout: n Mesa Tactical model 5-position pistol grip stock with Enidine hydraulic recoil reduction system & one-point sling mount (+$295) n Mesa Tactical +4 stock-mounted shotshell holder (+$50) n Mesa Tactical LimbSaver butt pad (+$25) n FAB model PR-MO tri-rail forend (+$52) n FAB PLS-1 tactical light side rail mount (+$25) n Walter 140-lumens LED tactical light (+$25) n CCA short vertical grip (+$15) n Mossberg red fiber-optic front sight (+$10) n Barska red dot laser designator (+$50)

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This is how the Mossberg M590A1 Compact (top) and Mariner (bottom) looked in their original form, right out of the box. Note that the Compact’s painted wood stock is approximately 1½ inches shorter than the Mariner’s synthetic stock.

A TOUGH PAIR OF DEFENDERS As mentioned in the previous section, the Mossberg M590A1 series of shotguns have evolved over time from the base 500 and 590 models to fit a certain specialized need for those who have to go into harm’s way on a regular basis.

There is a continuing ebb and flow of the 590A1 family to address the changing needs of the military and law enforcement community and the good news is that we citizens can typically get the same gear for our home defense needs.

The heavier, thicker barrel of the

Your home base protection detail should be a short barreled shotgun…

M590A1 (0.9313-inch in diameter vs. the 0.8375-inch on the 590SP, an 11.2% difference) gives these shotguns a heftier feel and also tends to reduce muzzle flip when conducting rapid fire drills. The ambidextrous tang safety is aluminum on the 590A1 shotguns, as is the trigger guard. Like all members of the 500-series of weapons, the dual action bars promote quick ejects and fast reloads from the spring-fed tubular magazine.

One of my fave features on the 500/590/590A1 models are the dual extractors located on either side of the bolt, with the obvious benefit of insuring positive shotshell extractions and ejec-

Mossberg’s M590A1 Compact model features ghost ring rear sights that are adjustable for both windage and elevation, plus an ambidextrous metal “tang” safety that is mounted on the centerline of the anodized aluminum receiver, making it equally as accessible for both right-handed and lefthanded shooters.

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Choate’s Mark V Youth stock reduces the length of pull to a very manageable 12ž inches, including the thick 1-inch cushioned buttpad and still leaves enough space to mount an ATI shotshell holder for five additional rounds of home defense ammo.

tions, especially if you are using inexpensive low rim, base metal ammo.

Most 590s and 590A1s also feature a drilled and tapped upper receiver for the addition of an optional Picatinny rail or ghost ring sights.

The two Mossberg M590A1s that I chose for this field test and to support my home defense needs were the model #51520 Compact, which features a parkerized finish, hi-vis ghost ring sights and a shorter 12.5-inch LOP stock, and the model #51273 Mariner, which offers added all-weather durability with Mossberg’s Marinecote finish, a standard brass bead front sight and a 5+1 capacity. Both feature short 18.5� heavy duty barrels for maximum functionality in the typical home-D environment. Before I took them out to the range, I had a great time giving each of them a radical makeover (see sidebar)

FEATURES IN ACTION After putting a total of 600 rounds downrange with both weapons over the course of a few weekends at the range, the most outstanding features of the M590A1 Compact model were the ghost ring sights, its shorty Choate pistol grip stock and the +2 added magazine capacity. The Mesa Tactical recoil reduction buffer installed on the M590A1 Mariner is one of the most outstanding 12-gauge accessories ever created and is worth every penny of its $295 asking price, especially if you do a lot of shooting. If you are tired of those black and blue welts that slugs and fullpower buckshot can dish out, this solution will cure the problem. Mesa’s five-position M4-style stock is ad-

CONTACTS O.F. MOSSBERG & SONS, INC. 7 Grasso Ave North Haven, CT 06473 Telephone: (203) 230-5300 (8 a.m. 4:30 p.m. EST) Fax: (203) 230-5420 For Service Inquiries: 800-363-3555 www.mossberg.com www.gunworld.com

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SPECIFICATIONS M590A1 COMPACT, MODEL #51520 LENGTH 37 inches WEIGHT 7¼ pounds CALIBER 12-gauge STOCK MATERIAL black painted hardwood LENGTH OF PULL 13 inches This is a portside view of FAB Arm’s tri-rail forend in full kit with tactical light, laser designator and short vertical foregrip, all of which add up to enhanced functionality for your home defense tool.

MAGAZINE CAPACITY 5+1 RECEIVER anodized aluminum alloy BARREL LENGTH 18.5 icnhes BARREL DIAMETER 0.9313-inch BARREL MATERIAL heavy duty steel with parkerized finish SIGHTS adjustable ghost ring rear; hi-vis front blade CHAMBER 2¾-inch & 3-inch shotshells

This M590A1 shows the ergonomic functionality of FAB Arm’s PR-MO tri-rail forend, kitted out with all the requisite home-D toys and ready for action. justable from a 12.5- to16-inch length of pull, so no matter what your size or body shape, you should be able to find a shooting position that is extremely comfortable. The LimbSaver pad that snaps onto the end of the synthetic stock furniture helps to attenuate felt recoil even more and the removable onepoint sling mount is a bonus. To summarize my experience with these

two next-gen M590A1s, they are the two best home defense shotguns that I have ever had the pleasure to shoot….they are compact, beefy, totally reliable and absolutely deadly.

But don’t just take my word for it…the half-dozen range rats that got some free trigger time on these two outstanding short-barreled scatterguns all felt the same way and I had a hard

The primary difference between the Model 500 and Model 590 is in the magazine tube design.

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TRIGGER GUARD aluminum SAFETY TANG aluminum MSRP- $670 time getting my weapons back. And the most interesting part of it was that the jury of six was equally split with their verdict…half liked the Mariner best with its hydraulic buffer stock and the other three just loved the Compact model with its hi-vis ghost ring sights and added magazine capacity…go figure.

As for me, I love them both and one has been drafted into long-term duty protecting the upstairs rooms of my house and the other relegated to lower level home protection. I’ll keep you guessing as to which one went where.

From a home-D ammo standpoint, my preferred 2¾-inch shotshells were narrowed down to two flavors…Hornady’s Law Enforcement low-recoil 8-pellet 00 www.gunworld.com

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buck with a VersaTite wad flying at 1,100 fps and Federal’s Personal Defense low recoil 9-pellet 00 buck with a FliteControl wad traveling at 1,145 fps. Both of these loads will cut down the usual 1-inch shot spread for every yard downrange by more than 50% and will produce extremely tight patterns all the way out to 25-yards, but are at their best in the typical home defense ranges of 3 to10 yards. I was getting super-tight 4-inch groups at 10-yards (vs. 10-inch groups for competitive 00 buck, #1 buck and #4 buck shotshells), which is just the ticket when trying to drop a bad guy with one trigger pull. The low-recoil aspect of these two 00 buck shotshells enables quick follow-up shots, but do not mis-

SPECIFICATIONS M590A1 MARINER, MODEL #51273

take that for low terminal effectiveness‌these rounds are totally devastating, since they focus their energy in a much smaller target area. You just need to do your part by aiming straight and let these potent shotshells do the rest.

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USA home defense shotgun at a fair and relatively affordable price, there is a model M590A1 out there with your name on it. A plethora of aftermarket accessories are available and allow operators to truly customize their protection detail. With 10-million plus 500-series shotguns made to date, the Mossberg folks have something very special here, so jump on the train and catch a ride. GW

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CONCEALED CARRY

One of author’s favorite carry guns is this Kimber Compact Custom, but long before he began packing this piece, he understood the laws of self-defense and attended a good shooting school. The ACLDN is the perfect “third leg” of any defense strategy.

BEYOND

SELF-DEFENSE Look to the Armed Citizens Legal DefenseNetwork (ACLDN) for Support Story & Photos by Dave Workman

hots are fired and somebody is down. Fortunately, it is not you.

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Unlike television and the movies, the armed private citizen doesn’t just walk away from a shooting to live happily ever after. There will be an investigation, you may face a criminal charge. In that event, do you want a pro on your side as legal counsel, or some overloaded public defender who doesn’t understand self-defense law, or perhaps doesn’t believe in it, or maybe just doesn’t give a damn? You don’t want the guy who did your will, or earns his living doing real estate or tax law. You need someone who understands criminal law and can represent you in a criminal court. www.gunworld.com

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Anyone who carries concealed for personal protection needs more than just an attorney. You need someone who believes in you, can analyze the evidence and provide a solid defense for what you were forced to do by circumstances. This individual needs to know how to navigate through the legal jungle where you may just be at the bottom of the food chain.

ENTER THE ACLDN A few years ago, veteran firearms instructor Marty Hayes, founder and CEO at the Firearms Academy of Seattle— one of the premier shooting schools on the map—launched the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network (ACLDN). He chatted recently with Gun World about the project, and it made sense.

The ACLDN is not a replacement for other programs, such as the National Rifle Association-endorsed self-defense insurance program administered by Lockton Affinity, LLC, or the Second Amendment Foundation’s long-standing attorney referral network. Nor is it in competition with those fine programs. Call it a responsible third leg to a well-supported self-defense strategy.

Like the SAF program, perhaps the most important benefit of ACLDN is a listing of network-affiliated attorneys who are available for the citizen who needs them. It is up to the individual to contact and select an attorney. But there is more. ACLDN also provides financial assistance.

Here is how it is explained in the ACLDN literature: “When a Network member is involved in a self-defense incident, your first call needs to go to your attorney…if you have an attorney, the attorney can call the Network on your behalf. When that happens the Network sends a $5,000 or $10,000 fee deposit to your attorney so he or she immediately has funding to represent you during any questioning and initiate an independent investigation of the incident for your protection.”

The lower amount covers situations where the attorney advises misdemeanor charges are most likely, while the higher sum covers situations where a felony charge is anticipated.

This is not—according to ACLDN—an insurance policy, nor are there claims, payout limits, liability coverage or other

www.gunworld.com

The ACLDN offers several videos on various self-defense subjects upon membership. Armed private citizens can find plenty of value in these programs.

things associated with insurance. As their literature explains, financial assistance does not require reimbursement by the member automatically.

knows his stuff. I’ve shot with him and on one occasion in a small competition against him, and he knows his way around a firearm. But self-defense in-

There are, by some estimates, about 8.5 million citizens who are licensed to carry.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I have known Hayes for some 20 years.

He’s a certified police firearms and defensive tactics instructor, and he is a staff instructor for the Massad Ayoob Group. His full credentials take up more space than I have available, but suffice to say he

volves much more than pressing a trigger. Hayes told me the idea for ACLDN came from his experiences at his training school.

“The students wanted to know more about what to do after a self-defense incident,” he said.

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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CONCEALED CARRY Before you draw, it’s a good idea to know and understand the ramifications of a self-defense shooting. Even if you are right, some over-zealous prosecutor may decide you are wrong.

the famous 21-foot rule. Ayoob is on the advisory board, as are John Farnam, Jim Fleming, Tom Givens, and Emanuel Kapelsohn. These guys have a world of experience in self-defense and the legal process.

Anyone who doubts that a legal nightmare could happen to them learned nothing from the ordeal suffered by George Zimmerman. Ayoob is doing a book on that case for which I have written the foreword. It is based on his columns on the Backwoods Home web-

Anyone who carries concealed for personal protection needs more than just an attorney.

CONTACTS: ARMED CITIZENS LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK (ACLDN) www.armedcitizensnetwork.org INTERNET DISCUSSION FORUMS: www.opencarry.com www.defensivecarry.com 84

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

ACLDN was his answer because the legal system can devour an honest citizen who has been forced fire in self-defense.

Hayes and his colleagues have produced a series of educational DVDs loaded with information about self-defense, and defending your actions afterwards. There is also an annual educational DVD with membership renewal plus a monthly online educational journal.

Ayoob appears in several of the programs, and one features Dennis Tueller, the retired Utah lawman who established

site that carried readers through Zimmerman’s troubling prosecution.

Hayes noted that many ACLDN members are practicing attorneys. Indeed, he has attorney members in 48 of the 50 states.

There are, by some estimates, about 8.5 million citizens who are licensed to carry. While the odds may be against any of them ever finding themselves in a life-or-death confrontation, if you’re the unfortunate person caught in the middle of such an incident, you’re going to want the good guys on your side.

Whether it’s an insurance policy endorsed by NRA, a phone call to SAF or a membership in ALCDN—or all of the above—one needn’t feel abandoned in the aftermath of a self-defense shooting.

You have a lot of friends.

www.gunworld.com

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ACLDN Founder Marty Hayes

ON THE INTERNET One thing about firearms activists is that they have learned to take full advantage of the Internet, with several forums that discuss a broad range of interests and activities. There’s the OpenCarry.org for open carry practitioners, and one that I stumbled across more than a year ago, DefensiveCarry.com. I like this one so much I’m a contributing member and regularly post links to my gun rights column at Examiner.com.

There are plenty of discussion groups on this forum, and two that especially get my attention are about defensive carry guns and holsters for carrying them. The guns forum typically draws huge traffic, and the discussions can get lively.

www.gunworld.com

The downside to any such forum is that occasionally they attract people whose only knowledge about firearms and personal protection comes from— you guessed it—reading Internet forums and popular gun magazines like this one.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other people on these forums who can cool their jets, and you will find solid advice from veteran writers in these pages.

Take a solid training course from an established instructor. Study discussions on these Internet forums before getting involved. Learn from the experience of others, and learn to tell who has bonafide experience and who is a wellread mall ninja.

Carry confidently and do it discreetly.

GW

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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TODAY’S HUNTER

SWEET Seventeen Three Top .17 HMRs for Today’s Varmint Hunter

Story & Photos by Thomas C. Tabor

bet against the success of the .17 HMR when it was first introduced. Like many others, I simply couldn’t envision a significant need for another rimfire cartridge. The .22 LR seemed to be everything that shooters desired along those lines, and the ammo for the then-new .17 HMR was high priced compared to the .22 LR.

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Besides, Remington tried a similar concept when they brought their rimfire .5mm Remington Magnum to market in the 1970s, and it resulted in a crushing failure for the company. So, I reasoned, how could the .17 HMR be much different?

But while there are some obvious similarities between these two cartridges, there are some noteworthy differences as well. First, Hornady did their homework beforehand, laying the groundwork for several firearms manufacturers to start chambering for the new round.

Another thing favoring the .17 HMR is the fact that during the three-or-more decades separating these two cartridges, the interest in varmint shooting increased substantially. So I’ll admit it. I was wrong about the .17 HMR. GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

Once I got over my skepticism, I joined the masses and I found that the .17 HMR is a great cartridge for small game and varmint shooting. Today, you can choose from a good selection of rifles chambered in .17 HMR, but I’ve developed my own short list of favorites for a variety of reasons.

Here are my choices of three really sweet .17s:

SAVAGE ARMS’ MODEL 93R17 BTV If you’re looking for a high degree of accuracy in a .17 HMR rifle but don’t want to spend a great deal of your hard-earned cash, I’d recommend that you take a very close look at the Savage Arms’ Model 93R17 BTV. This is an exceptionally well-built rifle that shoots as accurately as others carrying much higher price tags. Like Savage’s other rimfire models, the 93R17 BTV is built at their Canadian factory and then shipped to the states. A few of the noteworthy characteristics of this rifle include an attractive and comfortable thumbhole lamiwww.gunworld.com

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The Savage Model 93R17 BTV possesses a high degree of elegance and comes with a price tag that won’t break the bank.

Tom enhanced the abilities of the Savage by installing a Weaver Grand Slam 6-20x40mm AO/DLPV scope on the rifle. www.gunworld.com

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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TODAY’S HUNTER

For shooters that prefer a stainless version, Savage Arms makes a rifle similar to the blued Model 93R17 BTV: the Model 93 BTVS.

nated stock, a target/varmint-style 21inch 1:9 twist rate button-rifled barrel that has been free-floated, gloss blued metal work, 5-shot magazine, a modest weight of 6 pounds, dual-pillar-bedded action and a Savage’s AccuTrigger. I prefer the blued look of this rifle, but if your preference leans toward stainless,

the firing pin to be released. The basic idea of this design is to provide the option of setting the trigger pull to as low as about 1 1/2 pounds but still be able to maintain a high degree of safety from accidental firings. To be totally honest, I initially feared that this would mimic a trigger that possessed creep in its move-

The .17 HMR is a great cartridge for small game and varmint shooting. the Savage Model 93 BTVS would likely tickle your fancy.

I found the AccuTrigger of this rifle to be a great attribute. Inherent in its design is a small, lever-like projection in front of the trigger that Savage calls an AccuRelease, which must be depressed before the gun is permitted to fire. As the shooter squeezes the trigger, the AccuRelease automatically becomes disengaged, unblocking the sear and allowing 88

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

ments, but I quickly discovered that wasn’t the case. The AccuRelease is so easily compressed that, after a couple of shots, most shooters become oblivious to its presence.

My initial testing of this rifle took place on my private rifle range firing a broad array of different ammo at 50 yards. Two types of CCI cartridges were shot that possessed heavier-than-normal, 20-grain bullets. One was loaded with full metal

jacket bullets and the other with CCI’s GamePoint jacketed soft-points. From there, I progressed to a variety of the more traditional 17-grain bullets, consisting of Remington-brand ammo loaded with AccuTip-V BT bullets, Federal Premium with Speer TNT HP and Hornady shells possessing V-Max bullets. In each case, the accuracy of this rifle could only be described as superb, with 50-yard groups frequently falling in the ¼-inch to ½-inch category. Even though most rifles demonstrate a preference toward a specific type of ammunition, in this case, the Savage Model 93R17 BTV seemed to be very accepting of all the ammo I put down its barrel. And when I moved from the paper targets to live ones, I found the Savage provided devastating results on ground squirrels and prairie dogs and did equally well on small game, like cottontails.

Unlike rimfires that possess an almost petite appearance, I’d characterize the Savage Model 93R17 BTV as being similar in size and feel to a centerfire rifle. A modest weight of only 6 pounds makes it comfortable for field use, and an MSRP of only $415 helps assure that this particular rifle makes my list of the best three .17 HMRs. www.gunworld.com

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Savage’s AccuTrigger is easily adjustable to very light trigger pull weights but maintains a margin of safety for field use.

COOPER ARMS OF MONTANA’S JACKSON SQUIRREL RIFLE Cooper Firearms of Montana builds some of the most accurate production firearms available anywhere. Cooper complements that ability with an elegance often lacking in many other comparable rifles. One of my personal favorite Cooper designs is the 4-shot clip-fed rimfire repeater Model 57M Jackson Squirrel Rifle. The particular rifle discussed here is essentially a standard

rifle with one exception: Rather than possessing a standard AA grade Carlo walnut stock, I had it fitted with an elegant piece of AAA select grade French. I topped it off with a scope of equally great quality, a Swarovski Optik R310x42 L-Plex, and mounted it using Warne Maxima Series steel bases and Quick Detach steel rings.

Normally, these rifles are set at the factory with a trigger pull weight of about 2 pounds, but I asked that mine be

set at a minimum, which turned out to be about 1 1/2 pounds. I really liked the inherent features of this rifle. The rollover-style Jackson Squirrel stock was oil finished and possessed a fluted forearm. Obviously, there is hardly reason to worry about the near non-existent recoil of the little .17 HMR cartridge, but still, Cooper installs a Pachmayr pad as standard. This is likely to discourage the rifle from slipping when stored in an upright manner. The stock came with the stan-

The Savage .17 HMR shot some amazingly tight groups at 50-yards. The target on the left was shot using CCI GamePoint 20-grain jacketed softpoints, and the one on the right was produced with CCI full metal-jacketed 20-grain ammo. www.gunworld.com

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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TODAY’S HUNTER

A characteristic common of many of Cooper Firearms of Montana’s rifles is a stainless matte-finished barrel accompanied by a matte blued action. This unique blend of finishes is both attractive and functional on this Jackson Squirrel Rifle.

dard 2-panel, 20-lines per inch hand checkering on the grip only. These characteristics—and a weight of only 6 1/2 pounds—make this rifle near perfect as a walk-about firearm.

The accuracy of the Cooper Jackson Squirrel Rifle certainly didn’t disappoint. I found its tack-driving accuracy to be exceptional both on the range and in the field for shooting prairie dogs, ground squirrels and marmots.

For the range shooting as well as the varmint blasting, I primarily used Federal Premium V-Shok cartridges loaded with Speer TNT 17-grain hollow point bullets and found them to be extremely effective.

CONTACTS SAVAGE ARMS www.savagearms.com (413) 568-7001 ext. 4399 COOPER FIREARMS OF MONTANA www.cooperfirearms.com (406) 777-3073 Tabor mounted a Swarovski Optik R3-10x42 L-Plex scope on the Cooper Jackson Squirrel Rifle and shot primarily Federal Premium V-Shok ammo loaded with 17-grain TNT for his marmot hunting.

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VOLQUARTSEN CUSTOM www.volquartsen.com (712) 792-4238 www.gunworld.com

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The unique and impressive elegance of the Volquartsen Custom is certainly eye-catching.

The MSRP for a Cooper Model 57M Jackson Squirrel Rifle runs $2,125 with the standard AA Claro walnut stock. The AAA French upgrade ran an additional $800.

VOLQUARTSEN CUSTOM’S SEMI-AUTO .17 HMR Volquartsen Custom is one of the few manufacturers to chamber their semi-automatic rifles in .17 HMR. This company offers blowback-designed rifles fully capable of handling the increased pressures associated with the .17 HMR. Currently, the company offers far too many optional firearm choices to be adequately covered here, but on a special-order basis, you have the ability to design a firearm specifically around your own needs, and that includes both rifles and even a few .17 HMR chambered handguns. A few of the options available include: a McMillan thumbhole composite stock, a laminated wood stock in a wide variety of colors and design choices, a barrel that is either fluted or non-fluted in a number of different patterns,

Cooper Firearms of Montana builds some of the most accurate production firearms available anywhere. metal finishes—including brushed stainless, blue/black and even camouflage—and a wide variety of other choices.

I had a recent opportunity to test one of these rifles on the range and in the field. In this particular case, the tested rifle came with a brown/gray laminated thumbhole stock, snakefluted barrel and a snake compensator. The barrel was a little less than 20 inches overall (including the compensator) and possessed the standard twist rate used for most .17 HMR rifles of 1:9. Because the compensator is not rifled, the actual rifled portion of the barrel was about 17.5 inches in length. The trigger group was a TG2000, which came from the factory with a trigger pull (10-pull average) measuring 2.57 pounds and a 0.6pound spread between those pulls. It featured a stainless steel CNC machined receiver, a round titanium firing pin and heavyduty extractor. These rifles utilize a Ruger JMX-1 rotary-style clip capable of holding nine .17 HMR cartridges.

After mounting a Leupold FireDot Duplex reticle VX-R 39x50mm on the rifle using the built-in scope base, I headed out to the range for my initial testing before taking it to the field for some ground squirrel shooting. In virtually every case, the rifle performed its duties flawlessly. Accuracy was exceptional no matter what type of ammo I shot, the trigger pull was good and its unique style of attractiveness is sure to get any shooter’s heart pumping. For pricing options, contact Volquartsen Custom. GW www.gunworld.com

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NEW PRODUCTS

REST ASSURED Champion’s New Shooting Rests Keep You on Target Story & Photos by Mike Dickerson hoosing a shooting rest for rifles is a bit like shopping for the perfect pair of hunting boots. Even when you know what you’re looking for in advance, it’s easy to make an imperfect choice. That’s why I have a more than a few old rifle rests (and hunting boots) gathering dust in the garage.

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You’re unlikely to have that problem with a new line of rifle rests from Champion Shooting Gear. I’ve been testing these rests for several weeks and can assure you that the models I tested won’t end up gathering dust in the garage. They’re going to be quite busy.

Champion’s Premium Shooting Rest works fine with bolt-action rifles, but it has become the author’s go-to rest for shooting AR-style rifled thanks to its ability to accommodate rifles with detachable magazines

CHAMPION PREMIUM One that will see a lot of action is the flagship model, the Champion Premium Shooting Rest. This rugged, cast-aluminum and steel-tube-construction rest has a lot going for it, including the fact that it’s designed with modern sporting rifles in mind. While it works wonderfully with bolt-action rifles, it is now my go-to rest for shooting AR-type rifles from the bench due to its ability to accommodate magazine-fed rifles. The rest 92

GUN WORLD | JANUARY 2014

has three inches of length adjustment and a rapid-adjust elevation wheel provides 2.25 inches of quick vertical adjustment.

Additional elevation adjustment is built into the three steel feet, which have removable polymer covers. A vinyl-coated T-handle locks in your adjustments in rock-solid fashion.

The rest comes with a padded rear butt rest to stabilize rifle stocks and cushion them from a solid metal backstop. There’s also a tough, pre-filled, leather-and-polyester front shooting www.gunworld.com

GW_1401-Products 11/1/13 5:26 AM Page 93

CONTACTS CHAMPION AN ATK SPORTING BRAND (800) 635-7656 www.championtarget.com

Champion’s Premier Shooting Rest includes a fine windage adjustment.

bag. Just below it is a knurled knob that provides fine windage adjustments. This rest also comes with a removable steel weight tray which you can add sand bags or bags of lead shot to in order to tame recoil. MSRP is $171.95.

THE REST OF THE RESTS If you don’t need all the advanced features, lower-priced versions include the Performance Shooting Rest, which is

identical to the Premium rest, but has no fine windage adjustment, and the Enhanced Shooting Rest, which is the most basic model. It has no fine windage adjustment or steel weight tray, and the rear polymer bag is of a more open design.

In addition to these, Champion’s new Tri-Stance Rest quickly became a personal favorite. Out of the box, I found the overall height to be perfect, between the adjustable front three-legged rest

and rear bag, for shooting scoped, boltaction rifles. The front stand is built of cast aluminum and steel. The quick-adjust wheel provides 2.25 inches of elevation adjustment, and additional adjustment is available from the steel feet with removable polymer covers.

The pre-filled front shooting bag is the same tough, leather-and-polyester bag used on the Premium rest, and the prefilled polyester rear bag has a leather bottom to enhance longevity. You can attach an optional stock stop to the front of the rest, if you wish. I don’t use it because I position stocks somewhat forward on the front rest to avoid placing upward pressure on the stock. A vinylcoated T-handle locks your elevation adjustment in place.

While some might view this two-piece arrangement as a bit old-fashioned, take a clue from old-school shooters, like me, who use them a lot. This type of rest, with a three-legged front stand and a well-designed shooting bag at the rear,

RANGE BAGS here you find shooting rests, you’ll find shooting

stocks between two leather strips. The bag unzips and trans-

bags, and Champion offers two very useful ones.

forms into seven different configurations, and comes with a

The small Monkey Range Bag consists of three

handy carrying strap. MSRP is $61.49.

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connected, pre-filled cylinders. It was primarily designed, with leather over the middle cylinder, as a portable field rest for draping over such things as fence posts, logs and deer blind windowsills. By tugging on a simple Velcro strap, you can open it and arrange the three cylinders as you please. I even use it as an elbow rest at the rifle bench. Unrolled, it sits at the perfect height to lock you into a steady shooting position while protecting your elbow getting torn up by the bench upon heavy recoil.

MSRP is $25.49.

A larger cousin, the Mini Gorilla Range Bag, was designed as a stand-alone rifle rest. Half the size and weight of the original Gorilla Bag, these four connected, pre-filled cylinders are employed in an X-shaped fashion to grip and contain rifle

www.gunworld.com

Champion’s Mini Gorilla Range Bag, designed as a stand-alone rifle rest, unzips and transforms into seven different configurations. It’s shown here (in some photos) with Champion’s handy smaller Monkey Range Bag.

JANUARY 2014 | GUN WORLD

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NEW PRODUCTS

The author found Champion’s Tri-Stance Rest to be the perfect height, out of the box, for shooting scoped bolt-action rifles. He was impressed with the quality of the components and the rock-solid foundation the rest provides for accurate shooting.

The front, three-legged rest of the Tri-Stance rest is ruggedly constructed of cast aluminum and steel. The front shooting bag is made of leather and tough polyester.

The Champion Premium is now my go-to rest for shooting AR-type rifles from the bench…

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

is the fastest to set up, the easiest to use and, in the right hands, superbly accurate. Most of my one-hole rifle test groups have been fired over similar rests. That’s because I like to use my non-trigger hand to squeeze the rear bag to make ultra-fine adjustments in aim. In the right hands, it’s a tough combination to beat. MSRP is $95.95.

Another new introduction is the Champion Varminter Shooting Rest, a minimalist design for those who like to snipe at varmints from portable benches. This rest works well in that role

In addition to its regular job of helping to target varmints in the field, the author likes to use the Champion Varminter Rest as a handy cleaning platform set apart from the range shooting bench.

David Beckler 972-448-9173 dbeckler@beckett.com

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and does double duty at a range bench, but I also take it along as a handy cleaning platform set apart from the shooting bench. You can easily adjust it to ensure cleaning solvents flow out the end of the barrel rather than into the action.

Designed for quick deployment in the field, the rest provides complete 360-degree rotation and 7.5 inches of elevation adjustment. It has durable steel construction, rubber feet and adjustable, non-marring, vinyl-coated front and rear firearm yokes. MSRP is $66.95. GW www.gunworld.com

GW_1401_95 11/4/13 10:59 PM Page 95

Save 70% Get 12 issues for only $17.95 Save $41.93 off the cover price!

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GW_1401-Back 11/1/13 5:28 AM Page 96

BACK PAGES

A STACK OF COLUMNS

By Craig Hodgkins

ou may recognize him as Elliot Ness from The Untouchables, or as the host of Unsolved Mysteries, but here at Gun World headquarters, we remember Robert Stack—who was born 95 years ago this month—as the man whose byline appeared above our monthly Shotgunning column for more than three decades, from January 1965 through May of 1999.

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Despite his matinee idol looks (which graced our cover as often as we could get away with it), Stack was no Hollywood cowboy. He earned his credentials the old fashioned way, first in skeet shooting (as a teen, he was runner-up in the 1935 National Skeet Shooting Championship, and was 1937’s National 20-gauge Champion) and then as a decorated U.S. Navy Gunnery Officer in WWII. Bob’s career hearkened back to an era when many

Robert Stack appeared on the Gun World cover for the first time in February 1965.

Robert Stack and professional hunter Tony Archer alongside the lion taken during the filming of the initial episode of ABC’s American Sportsman program.

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prominent celebrities were unabashed shooters. Although he never fully transitioned from shooting at clay birds to the feathered kind (he was an active skeet competitor into the 1990s), duck hunting became a favorite pursuit.

“I think hunting is like most anything you spend a lot of time looking forward to,” he wrote in an early column, “a fair share of the enjoyment is in the anticipation of adventure and in all of the ammunition reloading, equipment gathering, gun care and sighting-in or patterning that go before.”

As with many hunters, a good deal of his satisfaction also derived from the company he kept, and those companions included many of Hollywood’s elite, including Gary Cooper and Clark Gable.

He’d first met Gable in the 1930s—when Stack was a teen— shooting skeet at the now defunct Los Angeles-Santa Monica Gun Club. They stayed in contact, but really began to join forces when Stack turned his shotgun to live birds. By then,

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.458 Winchester.

Despite the challenging conditions exacerbated by the constant presence of a full television crew along for the stalk, results were excellent.

Stack, guided by professional hunter Tony Archer, bagged several animals for the cameras in the first two days, including a Cape buffalo, a topi, a zebra, a Thompson’s gazelle and a Grant’s gazelle…all one-shot kills. On the final days of the filming, Stack went after—and took—a rogue elephant and a killer lion.

Stack with pal Clark Gable following a successful NorthOver the years, Bob’s ern California duck hunt. columns addressed a variety of topics, from product reviews Gable had started his own gun club at and competition announcements to perVenice Island in the Stockton River in sonality profiles and legal opinions on Northern California. gun control and other pressing issues.

“It was there that one could find Gable No wonder he titled his 1980 autobiogra-

Stack was no Hollywood cowboy.

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whenever he wasn’t working,” recalled phy, Straight Shooting.

Stack, “He’s the only actor I know who Stack kept working in front of the had a clause written into his contract alcameras for the remainder of his life. He lowing him duck season free.” passed away from a heart attack on May A star in his own right, as well as a 14, 2003, less than a year after concludpitchman for Mossberg and other compaing his hosting duties on the final season nies, Stack was invited to Africa to appear of Unsolved Mysteries. GW in the first segment of the American Sportsman television series. Even though he had decades of experience with a shotgun, it was his firstever safari, and he trained for it like a method actor. In a February 1966 article, Gun World’s Jack Lewis detailed the process.

Since Stack had not shot a rifle in years, he trained at a local range with a .257 to “reacquaint himself with the rudiments of trigger squeeze, sighting and holding.”

“From this,” Lewis wrote, “he graduated to a .30/06, and after firing a few groups with this standard, advanced to the Winchester .300 Magnum which he planned on taking into Kenya with him.” But when a professional hunter in Africa commented that his rifle choice was “cute,” Stack knew he would have to trade up again, and began to practice in earnest with what Stack appeared in several print advertisements for became his on-screen safari gun, a Mossberg and other companies.

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