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Richard A. Mann

Defensive Handgun Fads & Facts

The author discusses fads and facts regarding defensive handguns, accessories and concealed carry methods.

Over the years, we’ve seen many products designed to make a defensive handgun a “better” tool for saving your life. But most offer advantages but come with risks. How many gadgets should you attach to your defensive handgun? Are they truly helpful, passing fads or crutches to circumvent training and practice? Should you turn your defensive pistol into a multi-tool, or should you just learn how to effectively use it in its basic form?

I can’t decide for you, but I can offer some insight that might help make up your mind.

Laser Sights

I used to be a strong supporter of laser sights—particularly laser grips—on defensive pistols. This was mostly because they’re great in low light and when shooting from unconventional positions, but also because they allow target focus shooting. I still believe laser sights can be useful tools. They’re great for helping you develop a good trigger press and for fine tuning your draw stroke. But my position on them as a must have carry tool has somewhat changed. I might’ve been so caught up in how they allowed me to do some things better that I overlooked one of the basic premises of practical self-defense, which is to keep things stupid-simple.

Crimson-Trace-laser-sight
Like with reflex sights, lasers come with advantages, and maybe fewer disadvantages. However, for optimum proficiency, there’s a lot of training to be done.

Pistol-Mounted Lights

At first blush, a light mounted to your carry gun seems like a great idea, but I’m not so sure it’s better than a handheld light. The primary problem with a pistol-mounted light is that to use it, you must point your handgun at what you want to look at. This isn’t a good idea and violates the second rule of firearms safety. A handheld light still gives you that search tool, and you can also use it to momentarily blind or disorient an attacker while you draw your pistol. And then there’s the more critical question of why you’re somewhere with a potential for danger that’s so dark you’ll need a light to identify or engage a threat? Never underestimate the logic of avoidance.

Suppressed Handguns

Adding a suppressor to a defensive pistol makes it more pleasurable to shoot. The muzzle blast and flash go away, and recoil is diminished. But you cannot effectively conceal a suppressed handgun. You’re also not a member of a tactical team conducting hostage rescue or terrorist elimination raids. A suppressor could be a valid accessory on a home-defense handgun, but it drastically changes the handling qualities of a pistol. Suppressors can add great enjoyment to shooting, but unless your job description has a multi-letter acronym, it might be best to use a pistol suppressor for recreational shooting.

Reflex Sights

The hottest thing right now are reflex sights. New, lighter and more rugged and compact versions are introduced monthly, and everyone wants a handgun with an optics cut in the slide. But are they better than standard sights? Well, when the battery isn’t dead or there’s not some electrical malfunction, they’re faster and easier to shoot more accurately at distances beyond about 10 yards. And, like lasers, they allow target focus shooting. However, sunlight can reflect onto the backside of the glass and render them useless. Dust and debris can block the emitter, and there’ll be no dot to aim with. A reflex sight is undoubtedly a great training aid for a new shooter … but will it always—every time and all the time—work when you most need it to?

defensive-handgun-reflex-sight
The predominant trend right now with defensive handguns is reflex sights. They come with some advantages, but there are also critical disadvantages.

Appendix Carry

Right now, the debate rages on whether you should carry on your strong-side hip or in the appendix position. All the cool kids like how fast you can draw from the appendix position. They like it so much that they overlook the second rule of firearms safety. In case you’ve forgotten, it’s the most important rule: Never let the muzzle cover anything you’re not willing to destroy. Ken Hackathorn has been one of the most respected firearms trainers for more than 30 years. He was recently chastised on the internet for his comments on appendix carry. Hackathorn said that any pistol you carry in that position is a potential “decocker.” It was a play on words—a damned good one—and he was right, mostly because humans tend to do stupid things. Several folks are now walking around with a diminished manhood because of appendix carry.

CCW-appendix-carry
A lot of shooters like to carry in the appendix position. But, the number of dismembered folks who wish they’d never tried it is growing.

The .40 S&W

The .40 S&W cartridge came about because the FBI determined a downloaded 10mm cartridge offered the best terminal performance for law enforcement. When the FBI adopted the .40 S&W, most every law enforcement agency followed suit. But after a little more than 2 decades, the FBI changed their mind: They now feel the minimal terminal performance advantage the .40 S&W offered didn’t outweigh the better shootability and capacity of the 9mm. The fad of the .40 is over.

40-Smith-Wesson-hollowpoints
For nearly 2 decades, the .40 Smith & Wesson was the darling cartridge of law enforcement. Now, almost fad-like, it’s disappearing.

Facts

It takes a great deal of training and practice to become extremely proficient with a self-defense handgun. It’s a perishable skill that needs constant reinforcement. Every gadget or technique you add to your toolbox comes with the need for thousands of rounds and repetitions to make it viable. If you only train and practice a couple times each year, or even just monthly, you’re working right on the edge of just maintaining basic skills with a standard pistol. Without the necessary initial and sustainment training, every gadget you add to your pistol will reduce your proficiency. Don’t screw crap to your gun, or transition to a new technique, without the necessary training and practice to learn to use it effectively and safely. Otherwise, avoid the gadgets.

Would you be better off with a suppressed .40 S&W carry gun outfitted with a laser sight, a reflex sight and a weapon light that’s stuck down your pants keeping your jewels company? Or might a 9mm pistol you can shoot well combined with a compact handheld flashlight be a better option? It’s your life and you must decide.

Just remember that tools you’re untrained with are dangerous to you, and there’s only one letter difference in fool and cool. And, sometimes, those words can be interchangeable.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Suppressor Special 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


More On Defensive Handguns:

Should You Suppress Your Hunting Rifle?

Suppressed hunting rifles can be great, but they’re not ideal for every situation.

Not all that long ago, it was only gun geeks and the wealthiest among us who had suppressors. However, the .300 Blackout cartridge, which Remington introduced just over a decade ago, started something.

But it’s not just the Blackout that’s being silenced nowadays; everyone—including hunters—seems to want everything quieter. This is no doubt also partly due to how Silencer Central has made buying a suppressor so easy.

But I’m going to be straight up with you on suppressors for hunting: I don’t think every hunter should use a suppressor every time they hunt. What I will say is that, in most cases—for most hunters—a suppressor can be a wise choice.

When Hunters Shouldn’t Suppress

Suppressors offer advantages for hunters. They reduce noise and recoil, make rifles easier to shoot and spook game less. But a suppressor isn’t always ideal. Last year, my daughter used a Kimber .308 Win. with a 22-inch barrel while hunting in Africa (it was just the way things worked out at the last minute).

suppressed-hunting-rifle-recoil
A 5.5-pound .308 Winchester with full-power Buffalo Bore loads can kick a 100-pound girl. The Banish 30 suppressor on this rifle made the recoil more manageable.

Though an athlete, at 19, she’s only 100 pounds and 5 feet—60 inches—tall. The rifle with the suppressor was only 10 inches shorter than she was. Suppression was a good idea for her; it helped with recoil, but a bad idea for that rifle and her. It was practically unmanageable. I used that same rifle in Africa, and by safari end, I was even ready to cut the barrel off shorter. And that’s exactly what I did when I got home.

Africa is conducive to suppressor use because most of the shooting is outside in the wide open and from sticks. But some hunters hunt from compact blinds or shoot houses or spend a lot of time hunting from a vehicle, ATV or side by side. Here, weight is of no concern, but adding 8 or more inches to the rifle’s length can make them unwieldly in close quarters. This extra length and weight on the end of the barrel also destroys the handling qualities of a rifle. Again, from a shoot house, it’s a non-issue. But if you like to stalk hardwood ridges or grown-up thickets where snap shooting is the norm, a suppressor can be a disadvantage.

disassembled-suppressor-1
You can easily disassemble some suppressors for cleaning—though with high-velocity rifle cartridges, it’s not that important.

When Hunters Should Suppress

Suppressors are great for the young or inexperienced, especially those who are recoil sensitive. But as already mentioned, you can do to them what I did to my daughter and saddle them with a rifle they struggle to manage. I’d strongly recommend a suppressor for any new shooter—just pair it with the right rifle. And keep in mind that a suppressor can add from between a half to a full pound of weight to the end of the muzzle.

stag-arms-suppressed-hunting-rifle-weight
This Stag Arms Pursuit rifle weighs more than 8.5 pounds, without the scope. Adding a suppressor to an already heavy rifle, especially one as light at the Banish Backcountry isn’t a big deal.

I’ve also noticed that animals often respond differently when shot at with suppressed rifles. It’s not always true, but sometimes they’ll allow a second shot if you miss. Or, in the case of feral hog hunting, you might get more opportunities at more hogs that are all running together. And if you’re already hearing impaired, use a suppressor and maybe ear protection, too. For most who routinely apply ear protection before taking a shot at game, the suppressor can eliminate that step and still be hearing safe.

Right now, I’m packing for a 38-day safari in Africa. I’ll be using several rifles to hunt three different provinces. Two are Wilson Combat NULA model 20s. These rifles, which weigh right at 5 pounds and are available with barrels as short as 16 inches, are practically screaming for a suppressor. Especially a lightweight model like the Banish Backcountry.

That’s the beauty of lightweight rifles—the added weight of a suppressor doesn’t make them too heavy. Keep weight in mind when putting together a suppressed hunting rifle.

This And That

You’re going to need some accessories. In just a few shots, suppressors get hot enough to burn you, and the heat waves will distort your view through a riflescope. A suppressor cover should be a mandatory accessory. These fabric covers strap around your suppressor, protect your skin and help to eliminate heat waves during strings of fire.

suppressor-baffle-dissasembly-tool
This odd-looking device is to remove the baffles from a Silencer Central suppressor that you can disassemble. If you’re going to shoot a rimfire through your suppressors, it’s better if it’s serviceable … and you’ll likely need one of these.

Thread pitch matters. The standard is 5/8×24, but some rifles have a different thread pitch. I just tested the Colt CBX TAC Hunter rifle, and its muzzle is threaded at 9/16×24. Kimber also uses a weird thread pitch of 7/16×28 on their rifles. Depending on your rifle’s muzzle thread pitch, you might need to purchase an adapter. You can purchase some suppressors with different thread patterns, but keep in mind how many rifles you might want to use the suppressor on when deciding on thread pitch and/or adapters.

hunting-rifle-suppressor-adaptor
This Banish Backcountry suppressor has a 5/8×24 thread pitch. An adapter was required to attach it to the Colt CBX TAC Hunter, which has a muzzle threaded at 9/16×24.

What many shooters don’t realize about suppressors is that, if it’s in your name, only you can use it. For others to use it, you must be with them. This is a pain in the ass if you have family members who might want to hunt with the suppressor when you’re not with them. You get around this with a trust. Then, anyone on your trust can use your suppressor just like you. The best suppressor companies will establish a trust for you. You’ll just need to advise them of who you want to trust with your suppressors.

You may also want to use a muzzle brake with your suppressors. A suppressor will not only reduce sound, but it will also reduce recoil. But if you have a very light rifle chambered for a very powerful cartridge, you might still want that muzzle brake. It’s something else to consider—along with thread pitch—when buying a suppressor. And finally, your rifle will shoot to a different point of impact with a suppressor, but that point is predictable and repeatable.

suppressor-end-cap-thread-pitch
With some suppressors, the cap at the end can be interchanged so the suppressor can work with a specific muzzle thread pattern.

Practical Application

Most of the hunting I do in West Virginia is without a suppressor … because I do a lot of still hunting. I’ll slip through the timber looking for deer or bears. In those situations, a snapshot might be necessary, and the length and weight a suppressor adds isn’t conducive to fast and accurate snap shooting. But when I’m calling predators, I plant my backside in one spot … and a suppressor makes sense.

OutKast-Arms-suppressed-hunting-rifle
OutKast Arms restocked this rifle to make it lighter, and they shortened the barrel to make it more compatible—when suppressed—to the size of its owner.

Last fall, I hunted with my oldest daughter again, and we used a prototype suppressor I was testing. Remember that Kimber rifle she hunted with in Africa? I’d sent it to OutKast Arms and had them shorten the barrel to 18 inches and restock the rifle with much lighter and fully bedded carbon-fiber/Kevlar stock that fit her better. The weight dropped to less than 5 pounds, and the overall length was shortened by 6 inches. My daughter used it when we were stand hunting, and the combination was perfect for her small size. The rifle also worked well out of the compact blind we sometimes use.

As mentioned, the type of hunting you’d do in Africa is very compatible with a suppressor. So is much of the hunting that’s done out West, where the spot-and-stalk technique is most often used. That’s exactly the kind of hunting I did in West Texas for aoudad, where I used a suppressed .308 Winchester. That rifle also had a 20-inch barrel, so even with the suppressor it wasn’t overly long.

suppressed-hunting-rifle-africa
The type of hunting most often done in Africa is well suited to a suppressor, and your professional hunter will really appreciate it.

Suppressors can add enjoyment to the hunt because of the noise and recoil reduction they offer. But for optimum results, pair a suppressor with a rifle and a hunting style where the suppressor will increase, instead of decrease, your chances for success.

But I’m going to warn you: Once you start shooting suppressed, it’s hard not to want to do it all the time. You might end up with more suppressors than you bargained for.

Silencer Central Hunting Suppressor Options

There are a lot of suppressor companies, but I’ve pretty much settled on Silencer Central because I think they’re manufacturing some of the best suppressors, and because they’ve simplified the purchasing process. Silencer Central offers seven good suppressors for hunting that should cover most any need those hunting with a centerfire rifle might have.

Silencer-Central-Hunting-suppressor-options

1. Banish 223

This suppressor is for small-caliber rifles like the .223 Remington and .224 Valkyrie, and if used on an AR style rifle, there’s minimal blowback. It’s also 100 percent titanium, full-auto rated, and you can disassemble it for cleaning.

2. Banish 30

Without question, this is the most versatile of all Banish suppressors. It’s a multi-caliber design that’ll work with everything from a .17 Remington up to a .300 Weatherby. It’s 100 percent titanium, can be disassembled for cleaning and is modular. You can use it at a 7- or 9-inch length.

3. Banish 30 Gold

This is a suppressor kit that includes a titanium alloy suppressor suitable for everything up to a .300 Remington Ultra Mag. It ships with two 100 percent titanium muzzle brakes (1/2×28 and 5/8×24), a Devour suppressor cover, suppressor pouch and a baffle removal tool.

4. Banish 338

This is a very quiet and compact suppressor designed for rifles of 0.338-caliber or smaller. It’s made of titanium and Inconel—a nickel-chromium-based super-alloy—construction and is user-serviceable.

5. Banish 46

Sometimes you need to suppress big bores, like the .375 H&H and the .45-70. That’s what the Banish 46 is for. It’s available with a variety of mounting options, is user-serviceable and modular.

6. Banish Backcountry

For the hunter, this might be the best suppressor offered. It’s incredibly compact and light, and it’s capable of working with everything from a .17 Remington to the .300 Remington Ultra Mag. This is a fixed length suppressor, and it’s available with a muzzle brake.

7. Banish Buck 30

Created in conjunction with Buck Commander, the Buck 30 is the least expensive of all Banish suppressors. It’s made of stainless steel, and if you’re on a budget, a better suppressor for hunting will be hard to find.

silencer-central-suppressor-table

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Suppressor Special 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


More On Suppressors:

Practice Or Panic: Team Tactic Basics For Couples And Families

If you and your loved ones expect to keep cool in an emergency, you need to practice team tactics.

When most think of team tactics, they envision highly trained Delta Force operatives—or a SWAT team—breaching a door and conducting a dynamic entry. That’s a good example of team tactics in action … but few of us will ever participate in an activity like that.

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t develop your team tactics. Well, unless you’re a hermit who has no friends and has moved to the mountains to live alone and write a manifesto. Most normal humans have other humans they often hang with, whether they’re their good friend, a spouse or children.

I’ve had some team tactics training. As a soldier, and back in my badge-wearing days, it was part of the curriculum. I’ve also attended a team tactics course at Gunsite Academy that focused on civilian teams, like a husband and a wife. Recently, I also did some work helping Benghazi survivor and master firearms instructor David “Boon” Benton, who was portrayed in the movie 13 Hours, train our local SWAT team.

Gunsite-course
You’ll learn tactical theory at a team tactics class, but most learning occurs during after action reviews following tactical simulations.

Regardless of the group or situation, there are two things that team operations—whether they involve a six- or two-man team—have in common: A tactically proficient and successful team must have a plan, and they must have good communication.

Determine Your Team

If you’re a loner, you’re your own team (and hopefully someday you’ll find another human who finds you moderately tolerable). For the rest of us who are at least semi-normal, we’ll have a good friend and/or a significant other with whom we’re commonly around. This is your team, and it might also include children.

training-vehicle-truck
A good civilian team tactics course will address common situations like you might experience around vehicles and in parking lots.

Each team member should also have a job. These jobs could be as simple as following your mother, calling 911 or holding on to the hands of your siblings. A job for a team member could be as simple as being armed and making sure an emergency first aid kit is present and accessible, and all team members should be responsible for not forgetting to have their cell phone with them.

This doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s best when kept simple and generic, and don’t put excessive responsibility on the backs of untrained or juvenile team members. However, every team member should know what the job of the other team members are. At a minimum, this tells them who to look to for guidance, and if capable, others know what each team member is responsible for and then they can assume that role if necessary.

training-home-house
A team tactics course isn’t a shooting course. It’s primarily a course to teach you and your partner how to work—stay alive—together.

In fact, establishing a team chain of command is important. If you’re identified as the team leader, but your wife and kids are out without you, generally your wife would assume that role. This means one of the kids—if capable and of a responsible age—can assume the duties of your wife. This goes a long way toward answering the question, “Dad’s not here. What now?”

Have A Plan

It’s impossible to develop a comprehensive plan for every situation that might develop. However, you can institute operating guidelines for common tasks that might occur. These are established tactical responses, predetermined to deal with things that have a high probability of happening.

Dealing with doors is a perfect example.

During one team tactics course, my partner and I were presented with various reality-based scenarios we had to react to. This was during force-on-force exercises where all the participants were armed with handguns that fired Simunitions. During the prior day while under the guidance of an instructor, my partner and I were given an opportunity to establish some operating guidelines: make a plan.

Gunsite-training
Don’t go to team tactics course planning to learn how to shoot or to run your gun. You need to know that before you get there.

One of our plans was how we’d deal with opening closed doors that led into the unknown. Just before the Simunition training began, I told my partner we should deal with every door just as we had decided during the previous day. This worked well and eliminated unnecessary communication and possible confusion. When we approached a closed door that we had to go through, each of us knew—without a word—what we were supposed to do.

This same concept can apply to a lot of situations.

Let’s say you want to establish a plan to tactically exit a location by vehicle. In this instance, you could identify the person who will drive, where each team member shall sit and how to access the vehicle depending on the direction of approach and even the direction of the potential threat. Sure, when the time comes to implement the plan there may be extenuating circumstances—the pre-identified driver might be injured—but you can plan for that as well: If team member A is injured, then team member C will drive.

injured-partner-training
What do you do if your partner gets hurt? You should have a plan for that.

If you have children, it’s very important to include them in these plans. It’s also important to dry run the plan to make sure everyone is on the same page. If you have an infant, who is going to carry him or her? It could be your wife or an older sibling. If you’re planning a response to a home invasion or burglar, the kids need to know what to do when the alarm sounds.

You should also always have at least one contingency; if you cannot do plan A, execute plan B. Similarly, you should also have a rendezvous point established outside the home, and you should also do the same for commonly trafficked locations such as malls or shopping centers.

team-tactics-instructor-critique
Instructors at a team tactics course not only evaluate your tactics, but they also critique and help you learn to communicate with your partner.

Communication

More than anything else, communication is the most important aspect of team tactics.

Let’s say, for example, you and your wife are engaged in a gunfight and you either need to reload, have a stoppage or maybe you dropped your gun. Your wife needs to know about this while it’s happening; she needs to know why you aren’t shooting or why you’re hiding behind the car. And she needs to be made aware of this without having to watch you or look to see what you’re doing.

team-tactics-corner
How will you and your partner handle a corner like this? You need to know beforehand, and that’s part of planning.

Screaming, “I’m reloading!” or “I’ve lost my gun!” takes too many words and might not be a good idea. Establish simple and direct communications for potential issues ahead of time. You could simply yell out, “Working!” and your wife would know you’re temporarily unavailable. To let her know the problem has been solved, your communication could be as simple as “Up!”

team-tactics-minimal-communication
You and your partner should know how to solve simple tactical problems with minimal communication.

Talking while shooting or while responding to a lethal encounter doesn’t come naturally. It’s something that needs to be practiced. Also, if you’re in a face-to-face encounter with a potential threat, having an action word that’ll key your partner in on an action you’re about to take is a good idea—kind of the opposite of a “safe” word, if you know what I mean. But in some situations, your communication can and should be non-verbal.

You should have hand signals that help convey actions or actives like to cover or watch, to move or maybe even run. Similarly, you should be able to convey the direction you want to move or the location of a potential threat. Think these communications through, keep them as simple as possible and limit them to the obvious. This isn’t a time to establish a new and comprehensive sign language; you simply want to be able to convey highly probable observations or instructions without words, as clearly and quickly as possible.

AR-15-training
Team tactics should be developed with your partner and include the weapon systems you’ll be using.

Go To School

The best way (of course) to learn team tactics is to take a class from a reputable school. But keep in mind that most team tactics courses aren’t shooting courses: Don’t expect to attend a team tactics class to learn how to shoot. In fact, many schools offering team tactics training have a training prerequisite so that they know you can shoot and handle a firearm safely before they’ll let you in the class. Yeah, you’ll do some shooting in a team tactics class, but you won’t learn to shoot in a team tactics class.

training-reload
Gun-handling skills should be learned before attending a team tactics course.

This might seem overly stringent, but it makes perfect sense. It takes about five, 8-hour days of training to go from a non-shooter to someone who is safe and reasonably competent with a defensive handgun. A basic team tactics course should be, at a minimum, 2 to 3 days long … and ideally 5 days. To learn to shoot and to learn team tactics could consume 2 weeks, and most of us can’t take 2 weeks off from life to do that. It’s just like with any other firearms discipline—you learn to shoot and then you learn the tactics.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


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Finding The Perfect Concealed Carry Holster

When balancing concealability, accessibility and comfort, how do you find the best concealed carry holster for your needs?

When outfitting for carry concealed, your handgun, cartridge and ammunition are three very important considerations. But holster selection is just as important, partly because it makes carrying concealed easier, and partly because if your holster is uncomfortable, you won’t be carrying when you should be.

Many gun stores have ranges where you can try different handguns, but to try a holster you most often have to buy it. So, some holster advice is a good thing. I’ve been carrying concealed for more than half my life, but I thought hearing from a true holster specialist might be more beneficial.

Mike Barham has worked for Galco Gunleather for 21 years. He grew up around guns and took courses from esteemed trainers like Chuck Taylor and Massad Ayoob. In addition to 11 years in the Army—to include a tour in Afghanistan—Barham is also a graduate of Gunsite, Tactical Response and Front Sight firearms academies. Barham has been carrying concealed handguns for as long as I have, so I asked him to share some of his expertise.

Richard-Mann-and-Mike-Barham
The author (standing) has trained with Mike Barham (kneeling) and considers him a subject matter expert when it comes to holsters.

Finding Balance

The first tidbit of wisdom Barham offered was, “Every concealment holster must balance three competing factors: concealability, accessibility and comfort. With almost all holster designs, as one factor increases, the others decrease. A highly concealable holster is often less comfortable and accessible, and a holster that offers fast access, or one that’s comfortable, is almost always less concealable.”

Galco-holsters
Galco prides themselves in offering custom-made, high-quality holsters … without the wait.

Of course, regardless of the holster you choose, gun size plays into the equation, too. But, with gun size, there’s balance that must be found as well. Select a gun that’s large enough that you can shoot and manage it effectively, but also small enough to practically conceal. This seemingly never-ending search to find the right holster is similar to trying to find the right life partner. We date to see how compatible we are, and in truth, that’s the best way to find a gun/holster combination. The problem is—just like with dating—trying different guns and holsters gets expensive.

OWB Vs. IWB

A big decision is whether to carry inside the waistband (IWB) or outside the waistband (OWB). I do both as weather and need dictates—and that’s not a bad approach, especially if you don’t change carry location. As for IWB carry, Barham said, “An IWB holster is generally easier to conceal since half the gun is inside your pants. However, many find IWB carry uncomfortable. This discomfort can be greatly ameliorated with a belt and pants that are 2 inches larger than your normal American vanity size. Also, IWB holsters can be slightly slower to draw from than OWBs because they press the handgun against the body.”

IWB-1911-holster
Because IWB holsters keep the handgun’s grip closer to your body, they’re usually a bit slower to draw from.

As for OWB, Barham said, “OWB carry is more comfortable than IWB carry because a lot of people aren’t willing to adapt their wardrobes to IWB carry. OWB holsters are also slightly faster—we’re talking fractions of a second—on the draw. But, depending on the belt attachment method, IWB holsters with belt clips or straps are usually quicker to take on and off than OWB holsters with conventional belt slots. However, a paddle-type OWB is usually very comfortable and very convenient; it’s very fast and easy to put on or take off.”

OWB-Yaqui-holster
OWB holsters don’t have to be large and bulky. This Yaqui Slide holster from Galco isn’t very big at all.

Cant And Rake

Although it’s often overlooked, you need to think about cant and rake: Both refer to the angular deviation from a zero-degree vertical line. Barham said, “A mild butt-rear rake is sometimes preferable for appendix carry, but it’s detrimental to concealment with a holster worn on or behind the hip. With a holster worn on or behind the hip, a mild butt-forward cant often helps with concealment. However, the added movement of “breaking” the wrist to draw from an angled holster can be slightly slower and less natural than when drawing from a neutral cant/vertical holster worn on or very close to the hip.”

Galco-holster-fitting
Many of Galco’s holsters are form-fitted by master leather craftsmen to give them that custom look and feel.

Extreme rake is absolutely required for crossdraw carry, and though very practical when riding in a vehicle, it’s largely fallen out of favor. In every case, you must balance the need for concealment versus efficiency of draw.

Leather Or Polymer

Maybe the biggest question is whether a holster should be polymer or leather. Barham said this argument is a can of worms but offered that, “Leather is traditional, warm to the touch and often beautiful. More importantly, leather holsters form themselves to the contours of the wearer’s body over time. This often results in greater comfort. Polymer holsters—generally Kydex—are nearly maintenance free, withstand moisture well and require no break-in. Some also think they’re faster, but that’s largely dependent on the shooter.”

OWB-Kydex-holster-Glock
Some believe polymer holsters are faster to draw from, but this is more opinion than fact.

Factory Or Custom?

Barham suggested, “There’s really very little a boutique holster can do that can’t be done just as well by a production holster. At Galco we take pride in our premium holsters being essentially ‘custom made without the wait.’ We have a small army of master craftsmen whose hands touch every professional-grade holster we make. Galco has 50-plus years of experience designing and executing practical holsters.” But Barham added, “Custom holsters certainly have their place, and very experienced and knowledgeable shooters can often take advantage of custom subtleties. However, I believe most custom touches will elude the overwhelming majority of gun carriers.”

Custom-leather-holster
Depending on the handgun, a custom holster could be the only viable option. This Barranti IWB holster was made for the Sig P365 when it was first introduced.

Barham went on to say, “What’s most important is how well designed and fitted a given holster is. This is critical, most especially when it comes to consistent positioning for speed of draw and proper retention.” I agree with Barham but would add that, in some cases, a custom holster might be the only or the best option, particularly with unpopular or brand-new handguns for which there are few factory-made holsters. I’d also add that you should be careful; “custom” doesn’t always mean exquisite or best.

It’s A Process

The last bit of advice Barham offered was “Every holster design and position is a compromise. You have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages, and then decide where your priorities lie. Only then can you decide on the right holster.” And even then, you’ll probably end up experimenting with a half-dozen holsters. Like I said, it’s a bit like dating: You’re going to have to try multiple holsters and guns in order to find lifelong satisfaction.

pistol-variety
Not only might you have to try several holsters to find what you like, you’ll also likely try different handgun and holster combinations while looking for concealed carry nirvana.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


More On Holsters:

On The Range With The Finks GSP 1911

The author reviews the Finks GSP 1911, a hand-tuned 1911 known as the Gunsite Service Pistol.

How is it possible that a handgun design that’s more than a century old is still one of the most popular? The answer is simple: The 1911 is still with us because it still works. Of course, modern 1911s are a bit different from the original, and over the years a collection of custom modifications are now mostly standard. Some might wonder which of these modifications are important. Well, the oldest and largest civilian firearms training academy in the world has answered that question with the return of the Gunsite Service Pistol (GSP).

Origin And History

In 1976, Jeff Cooper, Marine, international firearms trainer and founding president of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), took a ranch in Arizona and turned it into a shooting school. The American Pistol Institute (API) is where Cooper taught upstanding Americans to defend themselves with a handgun. Now known as Gunsite Academy, which also trains military and law enforcement, it’s the world’s oldest and largest civilian firearms training school.

Jeff-Cooper-1911-1
This ivory-stocked 1911 Government Model belonged to Jeff Cooper.

As participation there grew, students would often get their handguns tweaked to Cooper standards by the Gunsite Smithy, and it wasn’t long until Gunsite began offering custom pistols. Up until about 2002, you could order a custom 1911 from Gunsite, but over the years the particulars of these pistols varied. However, Gunsite smithy Robbie Barrkman of ROBAR fame did offer a hand-tuned 1911, which was referred to as the Gunsite Service Pistol (GSP).

When Buz Mills purchased Gunsite in 1999, he decided it shouldn’t be in the gun-building business but did offer Gunsite “approved” 1911s through their Pro Shop, which were manufactured exclusively—to Gunsite standards—by Colt. The idea was that these pistols—now known as the Colt Gunsite Service Pistol (GSP)—would be an embodiment of what Cooper felt 1911 perfection to be. Unfortunately, through the years, the Colt GSP has been only sporadically available.

Jeff-Cooper-1911-2-1
This early staghorn-stocked 1911 Government Model belonged to Jeff Cooper.

When Mike Moore retired as the Gunsite Smithy a few years back, Finks Gunsmithing of Chino Valley, Arizona, and Tyler Gunworks of Friona, Texas, began filling in. They completely renovated the shop to best service Gunsite clientele, and since then the talented smiths at Finks have repaired the guns that break during training classes while also offering full custom work. With a master class smithy once again on-site, retired Sheriff Ken Campbell, Gunsite’s CEO, decided it was time for the GSP to ride again. The result is the latest version of the GSP, and it’s 100-percent hand-built by Fink’s Gunsmithing at Gunsite.

The allure of this pistol should be clear: It continues a legacy that’s integral to Gunsite’s history. More importantly, it should be looked at as what’s arguably the best example of a fighting 1911. Its origins date back to when the Gunsite Ranch and API were founded, when Cooper codified the Modern Technique of the Pistol, laid the foundation for defensive handgun training as we know it, and once wrote, “The great 1911 .45 was a very nearly perfect artifact from the day of its birth.” The new GSP from Finks is an expertly crafted amalgamation of nearly 50 years of lessons learned at Gunsite Academy. No other pistol on Earth can claim that.

Springfield-Armory-Gunsite-1
A decade-old 1911 crafted for Gunsite by Springfield Armory.

The Details

Finks starts with a 70 series, forged steel frame and slide sourced through Tyler Gun Works. It’s fitted with a hammer-forged match barrel with a recessed target crown, duty weight springs, extended grip safety, Wilson Combat thumb safety, long skeletonized match trigger, scalloped EGW main spring housing, and the trigger guard is undercut. The entire pistol then receives a carry bevel/de-horning treatment to do away with its sharp edges, front strap serrations, wide-cut cocking serrations on the front and rear of the slide, reliability and trigger job, lowered and flared ejection port, and the magwell is beveled too. A U-notch Wilson Combat battlesight is installed to mate with a Novak yellow outlined tritium front sight that stands out like a ready-to-bust pimple on a fashion model’s nose. The pistol then receives a satin blue finish, and G10 Super Scoop grips are installed with chromed hex head screws.

Finks-GSP-1911-1
The Finks GSP is a 1911, optimally configured for training and fighting.

Other features include a most unique Commander-style hammer with a cutout in the shape of the Gunsite raven. Also, on the right slide of the slide just behind the rear cocking serrations is an engraved Gunsite raven. Just under the ejection port, “GSP Government” is engraved and “Gunsite Service Pistol” is engraved on the left side of the slide. Additional customization is optional, but limited if you want the pistol to retain its GSP identity.

GSP-1911-muzzle-1
There’s a lot to look at in this picture, but notice the keen carry bevel on the bottom edge of the slide.

I consider myself somewhat of a 1911 snob: I’ve been carrying 1911s for protection, training and competition, for more than a quarter century. The only thing I would change on this pistol is for the slide stop to receive just a touch more de-horning along its forward edge to keep it from eating into the holster. And I’d also moderately smooth the texturing on the front edge of the left grip scale where your fingers rest. Yeah, as 1911s go, this pistol is that perfect.

GSP-1911-magwell-1
The magazine well on the Finks GSP is expertly beveled to assist with magazine insertion.

Range Time With The Finks GSP 1911

This is a pretty pistol to look at; it checks all the boxes most often associated with a custom 1911, but there are a lot of modernized 1911s that are very similar. For a pistol like this to be worth the money or suitable for carry or training, the thing has to shoot where it’s pointed, and it needs to go bang every time the trigger is pulled. Time on the range is the only way to sort this out, and I put 300 rounds through the new GSP. After some familiarization fire, I ran an 8-inch plate rack at 25 yards, which quickly established that the pistol shot better than I’m capable of. The next thing I did was expose the pistol to the two shooting drills that I use with every pistol I test.

Gunsite-1911-shooting-1

The first is the Forty-Five Drill, and the goal is to draw from concealment and put five rounds into a 5-inch circle, at 5 yards in 5 seconds. Using Black Hills 200-grain SWC load, I ran this drill five times and cleaned it on all but the first run, where I hammered the first shot and hit a bit low. My average time for this drill was 3.88 seconds, which is about a half-second slower than I can run the drill with my Wilson Combat, commander-sized EDC X9 in 9mm.

forty-five-1

The second drill is the Step Back Drill, which I think is one of the best drills to establish shooter proficiency with a pistol. For this drill, you draw and engage an 8-inch steel plate with two shots at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 yards, but each two-shot string is timed separately. To pass, you must get all 10 hits in less than 20 seconds. I ran this drill with standard velocity 230-grain ball five times. On the first run, I missed a shot at 20 yards and both shots at 25. On the second run, I missed one shot at 20 and one at 25. Realizing I needed to hold near the bottom of the plate at 20 and 25 yards, I cleaned the drill on the last three attempts with an average time of 18.68 seconds.

step-back-drill-2

Of course, this isn’t intended as a pistol to just be used on the range; it’s a fighting handgun, and fighting handguns need to be reliable with hollow-point ammunition. Mostly playing with the plate rack and running a quasi-El Prez Drill on life-size steel silhouette targets, I put a good mix of hollow-point ammo through the pistol. Every time I pulled the trigger, with every load tried, the pistol went bang, ejected the empty, and loaded the next round until the magazine was empty and the slide locked back.

Clearly capable of delivering more precision than I can extract from a pistol, four loads were tested at 10 yards from a sandbag rest. The average for 12, five-shot groups—three each, with each load—was an impressive 1.03 inches. The pistol really liked the standard pressure 185-grain Buffalo Bore flat nose FMJ load. It averaged right at a half-inch for three five-shot groups. There are some other good-looking 1911s out there that are reliable and cost less, but they won’t shoot that good.

GSP-1911-test-table-1

Deserving

In 2003, Cooper wrote, “People who write about the ‘comeback of the 1911’ do not seem to be aware that it has never been away.” Two decades later, those words are still true. Countless manufacturers are turning out all manner of 1911s, priced from less than $500 to more than 10 times that much. Kimber and Springfield Armory 1911s are a great example of what the modern 1911 has become, and both offer several versions approaching or near the price point of the Finks GSP. I’ve shot most of those pistols a good bit, and I can confidently tell you, they’re not in the same class as the GSP. Though I cannot speak to its longevity, the GSP does come with a warranty for the lifetime of the original owner, and I think it’s worth the asking price if not more.

Gunsite-1911-with-mag-1
Tested as a fighting handgun, the Finks GSP is accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

This pistol is deserving of the Gunsite and GSP name it carries. As a multi-course Gunsite Academy graduate, where the only diploma on my wall—of the many I’ve earned at many schools—is the one from my first Gunsite 250 Pistol Course, I can proudly say this pistol carries the Gunsite and GSP names. But you don’t have to be a Gunsite alumni to appreciate a 1911 this good, you just need to understand what a trusted and reliable 1911 designed to train and fight with should be. How can you get yours? Call the Gunsite Academy Pro Shop. They have them in stock just waiting for an American patriot like you.

Finks-GSP-1911-specs-1

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


More Handgun Reviews:

The Dangerous Ambiguity Of Qualification Drills

The author debunks some dangerous assumptions that surround qualification drills and what they really mean.

The military and law enforcement have long used qualification courses to validate a soldier’s or cop’s shooting skill. Qualification is also a part of most defensive handgun training courses and, in some cases, it’s a requirement to obtain a concealed carry permit. The difficulty of these shooting evaluations varies; there’s no universal standard, and a passing score is subjectively set by the responsible administrating body.

So, what specifically does the successful completion of a qualification course really mean?

I’m not exactly sure. This is partly because of the varying requirements, but it’s also because of the tendency to rank performance—based on score—with identifiers such as marksman, sharpshooter, expert or master. It’s hard to divine any real meaning from these scores or ranks, which are mostly used to incentivize shooters to strive to perform at a higher level. If you’re qualified, you’re qualified, right?

Beyond that, what else matters?

I’m not exactly sure about that, either.

On my first day of work as a police officer 32 years ago, the range officer took me to qualify with my service revolver, and I shot expert on the department’s qualification course. But, in no one’s imagination should I have been considered an expert—or maybe even qualified—with a handgun in a law enforcement setting. I didn’t receive any law enforcement specific training; all I’d managed to do was hit the required area of the target 90 percent of the time.

This is one of the two things that troubles me the most about qualification courses.

Qualification-Drill
Firearms qualification is partly a measure of skill, but more than anything it serves as an administrative protection from liability.

Troubling Parameters

The object of shooting is hitting, and a failure to hit what you’re shooting at is, by any measure, a failure. Had I only achieved 70 percent of my hits on that course of fire I would’ve still qualified. How could that be? How could a police officer fire 60 rounds, miss 18 times and still be considered “qualified” to carry, and, more importantly, shoot a handgun in a public setting where real, live, innocent human beings might be walking around Googling their smartphone?

When I went to work as a special agent for the railroad police, I was shocked to discover that, to qualify with my duty handgun, I had to shoot 100 percent—no misses were allowed. This made perfect sense because you’re responsible for every bullet you fire. The other surprise was what the qualification course amounted to. Though my memory is now a bit cloudy on the exact details, it went something like this:

You started walking toward the target with your pistol in the holster. At about 5 yards from the target—on the start signal from the instructor—you drew your pistol and had to place multiple shots inside an 8-inch circle in just a couple seconds. Simple, right?

In theory, maybe, but not so much in practice. As a law enforcement firearms instructor, what I ultimately learned was that the shooters who could pass this simple qualification course also had the ability to pass most any other qualification course in use by other law enforcement agencies.

Interestingly, a few years ago I asked retired Sergeant Major John “The Sheriff of Baghdad” McPhee of SOB Tactical if he could require a shooter to perform a single drill to establish proficiency, what it would be? McPhee said, “That’s one of the most common-sense questions I’ve had in a long time,” and he went on to say he’d use a drill he calls the Placement Test.

The Placement Test

In McPhee’s Placement Test, which is about as minimalist as it gets, you’re required to draw from the holster and put three shots inside a 3-inch circle, at 3 yards, in less than 3 seconds. According to McPhee, if you can do this, you can shoot—meaning, you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals. It’s also a very real-world, because as John’s research in self-defense shootings has shown, in a generic way this drill closely replicates real-life situations. Ironically, the drill is very similar to my often used Forty-Five Drill, which mandates drawing from a concealed holster and putting five shots, into a 5-inch circle, at 5 yards in less than 5 seconds.

Our tests are very similar to the qualification course the railroad police used. What’s most important is that they’re 100 percent pass or fail. Though you could classify performance based on the actual time to successfully complete the drill, it’s unnecessary. These are no-B.S. drills that plainly illustrate whether you can shoot a defensive pistol … or not.

I know some of you are screaming, “That’s not enough shooting and does nothing to document that you can hit at greater distances, shoot from behind cover or from other positions!” You’d be correct. But, if you can pass either of these drills, you’re very likely skilled enough with a handgun to do all of those things, especially with a bit of training. And let me repeat that last word with emphasis: training!

FBI-Qualification-Drills

What Really Matters?

When we showed up for qualification day with the railroad police, qualifying was the first thing we did. It took about an hour for a bunch of us to do it—one at a time with an audience watching—and then we spent the rest of the day learning and practicing with our pistols to the point where we were challenged with scenarios and drills of ever-increasing difficulty. We did the single most important thing that too many police departments, military units and civilian gun owners fail to do. We trained!

And that’s the second thing that bothers me about qualification courses—especially those that turn out marksmen, experts and masters—which is also the main point of all this pontificating: You should not put too much credence on your ability to qualify on any course. Sure, you might need to shoot a passing score to go to war, work the street or carry a concealed handgun, but qualifications tend to bring with them the illusion that you’re actually qualified. And that tends to develop the notion or mindset that no other work, training or practice is necessary.

Being qualified by the government, a school, or some other organization is one thing, but it has no real bearing on the ultimate goal—which is actually being capable of winning a fight with a pistol. The only way to come even close to that is through frequent and continual efforts to learn, train and improve your skill set that challenge you to get better so that you can always hit what you shoot at and never miss. One hundred percent!

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


More On Shooting Drills & Training:

Back In Black: Marlin 1895 Dark Series Review

The author tests out the Marlin 1895 Dark Series, a .45-70 Gov’t lever-action with a tactical twist.

If you want to get opinions on rifles, go to a deer hunting camp. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a deer camp at the Lowrance Ranch in Truscott, Texas. This is mostly flat, open country, and you’d expect those who live, work and hunt this ground to be partial to a bolt-action rifle chambered for a flat-shooting cartridge. Given that, you might be surprised what the ranch hands there said about the Marlin Dark Series 1895 when I showed them a picture of it.

I limited these deer hunting cowboys to a one-word description of the Dark Series 1895. One old timer, who’d just showed me a photo of his pride and joy lever gun—a Winchester Model 71 chambered in 348 Winchester—described it as the “terminator.” Another ranch hand/hunter in a cowboy hat rambled something about a modern take on the lever gun, but when I pinned him down to one word, he called it “awesome.” Two other fellers agreed that “rugged” was the best description for this rifle. These were experienced deer hunters, right?

First, Some History

There’s no question that the new Dark Series rifle from Marlin is a modernization of the traditional lever action rifle, but what exactly does that mean, and whether you call it “modernized” or not, is all this modernization a good thing? To answer that, we have to go back in time a few years to 2019 when “Green” Marlin first introduced the Dark Series of traditional lever-action rifles.

1895-Dark-Series
New (post 2020) Marlin lever action rifles are made in Mayodan, North Carolina.

First, and for clarification, “Green” Marlin describes the period when Marlin was owned by Remington. The new Ruger owned Marlins are “Red” Marlins, because when Ruger took over Marlin in 2020, they turned the Marlin logo Ruger red. And finally, the original North Haven, Connecticut, Marlins, are “Blue” Marlins to match the color of the logo when they were manufactured there. The 2019 Green Marlin Dark Series rifles were nothing more than an all-black version of the 336, 1894 and 1895 models, with an XS Sights lever rail installed.

These guns were well received, but they were not enough to save Marlin—or Remington—from bankruptcy.

Dark-Series-1895-2

The Details

The first rifle in the new Green Marlin Dark Series is the Model 1895, but Marlin says a Dark Series Model 336 and 1894 should be out sometime in 2024. The only similarity these new rifles have to the originals are the name, base model numbers, a half-cock hammer, the now common cross-bolt safety and their color. Marlin has substantially changed just about everything else, and these changes have altered the look, but more importantly the user interface.

Probably the most notable modernization is the absence of a wood forend. In its place, there’s a 135/8-inch anodized aluminum handguard with M-Lok slots around its circumference. In addition to the multitude of M-Lok slots, on the front end of the handguard, there’s two QD sling swivel sockets. The rifle is also fitted with a nicely contoured midsize finger lever, and the lever and bolt are finished in black nitride. The other important metal parts have a graphite black Cerakote finish.

1895-tripod-mount
The lever rail, as it’s often called, substantially enhances the versatility of the Marlin Dark Series 1895.

The buttstock has also been modernized and is made of nylon-reinforced polymer, and it reattains the traditional shape. However, at the wrist, there are textured, removable grip inserts and a thick rubber recoil pad. The buttstock is dished out in the center where you’ll find three M-Lok slots. At the top rear of the buttstock, there’s a steel QD sling stud on each side, but this stud is also there to allow for the attachment of a polymer comb riser that comes with the rifle.

Dark-Series-stock
This snap-on riser for the comb on the butt stock of the 1895 Dark Series rifle raises the comb to allow for a good cheek weld when shooting with an optical sight.

The rifle’s muzzle is threaded at 11/16×24, and it comes with a radial port break. But if you’re like me and despise these noisy abominations, you can unscrew it and replace it with the thread protector that comes with the rifle. Just behind the muzzle break is a high-profile fiber-optic front sight that’s encased inside a circle of Tritium for optimum visibility in low light. Further back on the barrel you run into the front of a 23-slot, 11¼-inch rail that extends all the way back to the receiver where you’ll find a fully adjustable ghost ring sight.

Dark-Series-muzzle
The rifle ships with a radial port muzzle break, but it can be easily removed, and a thread protector or suppressor can be attached.

Interface Maximized

Because user interface is so important to a rifle, let’s delve into it. The buttstocks on traditional lever-action rifles and this new Dark Series are configured to best allow you to maintain a good cheek weld while using open sights. The problem comes when you mount a riflescope. This requires you to raise your cheek from the stock, and this complicates fast action and accurate shooting.

To solve this problem with the Dark Series, Marlin has configured a snap-on polymer cheek piece that’s held in place by the two QD sling swivel studs and the detent in the dished-out portion of the stock. This riser will allow you to get a good cheek weld when shooting a low-mounted optic.

Marlin-1895-Dark-Series-tripod
When was the last time you saw a factory stock traditional lever gun that could be so easily adapted to a tripod?

The sight/optics rail also improves user interface. The integral ghost ring that’s paired with the high-visibility front sight is ideal for snap shooting at close range. And the rail will allow for the mounting of a traditional riflescope, a scout scope or a variety of red-dot sights. I tested the rifle with a Leupold VX-Freedom intermediate eye relief scope mounted just so the ocular bell was forward of the ghost ring sight. With QD rings, this allowed for easy on and off and near immediate access to the open sights.

1895-scope-and-ghost-ring

The handguard also helps with user interface. It helps cut total rifle weight somewhat but more importantly its M-Lok compatibility allows for the attachment of a light or laser, which would be ideal for hunting feral hogs. I mounted a Spartan Precision bipod attachment to the bottom of the rail, which allows for interface with their excellent tripod or their super lightweight bipod.

Up until now, this has been something that was very difficult to do with a traditional lever gun. I also liked the ability to attach a QD sling swivel to the handguard, and the fact that I could sling up tightly with a shooting sling without the point of impact shifting. This shift in point of impact is something that’s common with traditional lever guns when you snug up tightly with a shooting sling.

Marlin-Dark-Series-45-70-govt
Marlin’s new Dark Series 1895 lever-action rifle in .45-70 Government.

Nothing’s Perfect

It’s rare that I test a new rifle and like everything about it. This is partly due to my taste in rifles, but also partly because some rifles are just not made all that well. I’ve tested every new Marlin rifle that’s been produced since Ruger took ownership. Personal taste aside, I’m confident in saying these Red Marlins are the best Marlins ever made. Still, I had two complaints with the new Dark Series rifle.

The first was with the trigger. The triggers on all of the other Red Marlins have been somewhere between good and excellent, but the trigger on this rifle had just a little hitch right at the beginning of the press. From the bench, it was easy enough to manage but it did interfere a bit with off-hand shooting. It also broke right at 5 pounds. In my experience, this is the exception as opposed to the rule with these new Red Marlins. If it was my rifle—and it just might soon be—I’d send it to Jerry Dove at Dove Guns for some trigger work. With just a bit of TLC, this trigger would be just fine.

The other issue was with the snap-on polymer comb. First, it was a bit tedious to get the comb to snap in place. On the other hand, when installed it locked on solidly with no movement or shifting at all. However, while messing with it—possibly a bit rougher than I should have been—I broke off one of the flanges that holds the comb in place. Surprisingly, this didn’t interfere with a solid fit, and Marlin had me another comb in the mail the next day.

Dark-Series-1895-1

Traditional Versus Modern

Through the years, Marlin and even Winchester have tried to modernize the lever gun, usually with the introduction of new, flatter-shooting and harder-hitting cartridges, like the .307 Winchester or .308 Marlin Express. Though initially these cartridges created some buzz, they were by most measures, commercial failures.

1895-shooting-results-table
Notes: Reported muzzle velocity (VEL), standard velocity deviation (SD) and muzzle energy (ENG) were established by firing 10 shots over a chronograph with the screens 10 feet from the muzzle, and the average accuracy was established by firing three, five-shot groups with each load from a solid rest at 100 yards. *Tested at 50 yards and excluded from average

Admittedly, I’m a lover of the traditional lever-action rifle and traditional lever-action cartridges. Also, admittedly, I don’t think this rifle looks very traditional. However, I do think it’s very well configured to appeal to the modern shooter or to any serious big-game hunter.

The way Marlin has designed the new Dark Series rifle, it’s ideally adapted to do anything a hunter could think about doing with a lever-action rifle in .45-70. In fact, it will allow a hunter to do things with a traditional lever action rifle that were nearly impossible before. I think the Texas cowboys I’ve been sharing camp with are mostly right.

This is an awesome looking and ruggedly built lever-action rifle, that in .45-70 is suitable for hunting and terminating anything on Earth. Now let us patiently wait for the Model 336 and 1894 Dark Series rifles. With apologies to AC/DC, you could say these new rifles are “back in black.”

Marlin-1895-Dark-Series-specs

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


Raise Your Lever-Action IQ:

  • The Henry .45-70 Gov't
  • Evolution Of The Legendary Lever-Action
  • Cowboy 101: How To Run A Lever-Action Rifle
  • The Rossi Rio Bravo .22 Lever-Gun
  • The Past, Present And Future Of Lever-Action Shotguns
  • Bullet Technology And Ballistic Innovation With Lehigh Defense

    A look at Lehigh Defense and its attempts to perfect the art of bullet technology and ballistic innovation.

    Sometimes, it’s necessary to have the backstory to appreciate a product. I think that’s especially true with Lehigh Defense … where bullet evolution seems to be happing faster than anywhere else. Under the watchful eye of Bill Wilson—yes, the Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat—Lehigh Defense is taking the mono-metal bullet to places it’s never been.

    But I’m getting ahead of myself. For me, this story starts in West Virginia, with two hillbillies trying to create a bullet for a .50-caliber short-action rifle cartridge.

    France To West Virginia

    In 2006, I was approached by fellow West Virginian, Mike Cyrus. Cyrus had designed a short-action .50-caliber rifle cartridge capable of launching a 345-grain bullet at 2,700 fps. His problem was that there were no .50-caliber bullets capable of withstanding impact velocities that high. I showed Cyrus the French designed GPA bullet and detailed my experiences with it. I felt that if Cyrus could create a similar bullet, it would be ideal for his cartridge.

    Cyrus-50-cal
    Cyrus’ short action .50-caliber rifle cartridge that he and Lehigh Defense developed a bullet for. (Shown next to a .22 LR cartridge.)

    The GPA bullet is a mono-metal bullet with a broached hollow point. When it impacts animals, fluids are forced into the hollow point. This causes the bullet to fracture, and the result is the separation of four petals. Sometimes the petals will break from a Barnes Triple Shock mono-metal bullet, but when this happens, much like they did with the old Winchester Fail Safe bullet, the petals just fall away and are left in the bullet’s path. Because the fracturing on the GPA bullet occurs almost immediately, the petals retain velocity and drive forward and outward from the path of the bullet shank. This creates massive tissue destruction and hemorrhaging.

    Cyrus liked the idea, and, working with Lehigh Defense, they created a bullet. It wasn’t long until Cyrus was back at my range to test it … and the results were amazing. The bullet delivered a controlled dispersion of shrapnel that left a wound cavity of immense proportions. The break-away petals created their own wound tracks and the base of the bullet drove incredibly deep. Cyrus worked with Lehigh to tweak the design and I took Cyrus’ .50-caliber cartridge and those bullets to Africa, where they impressed the hell out of a professional hunter.

    Cyrus soon went to work for Lehigh Defense to develop other bullets, conduct testing and to produce load data. He became an integral part of company and moved to South Dakota in 2017 when the company relocated. That year Cyrus also came to Africa with me, and we tested multiple Lehigh bullets on a variety of critters. My son even used a 270-grain .375-caliber version of the Controlled Fracturing bullet that had evolved from Cyrus’ early work to take an African buffalo.

    buffalo-hunt-375-Ruger
    This African buffalo was taken at 100 yards with a .375 Ruger using a 270-grain Controlled Fracturing bullet from Lehigh Defense.

    Enter Wilson Combat

    Lehigh Defense makes a lot of unique mono-metal bullets, and we’ll get to them shortly. But it was Lehigh Defense’s Controlled Chaos bullet that caught Bill Wilson’s attention.

    In late 2021, Wilson Combat purchased Lehigh Defense. Wilson felt solid copper bullets would be the future and that Lehigh Defense was on the forefront of that technology. An avid hunter, he has probably killed more feral hogs than anyone I know, and he was impressed with the Controlled Chaos’ radical terminal performance. He also felt that the Lehigh’s Xtreme Defense bullet was changing how many people think about self-defense handgun projectiles. Wilson relocated Lehigh Defense to Clarksville, Texas, not too far from his home.

    Lehigh-Defense-rifle-ammo

    And this is where the circle completes. Cyrus was lost in this shuffle, but it wasn’t long until he and Wilson connected, and Wilson learned the value that Cyrus had brought to Lehigh Defense before the sale. Wilson brought Cyrus back to Lehigh Defense to assist with bullet testing, load development and, just as importantly, to handle customer questions and technical support. But what’s also interesting is how bullet development at Lehigh Defense works.

    Responsive Engineering

    Because of how Lehigh Defense bullets are machined, they can do very small runs and test them; a bullet can be tweaked and tested multiple times in a day. Wilson can take a new design and shoot some feral hogs in the morning, report his findings and the bullet can be modified before the day is over. The final product is not just a result of just testing in various mediums, it’s thoroughly vetted on wild game.

    bear-hunt-375-Ruger
    A 270-grain Lehigh Defense Controlled Fracturing bullet out of a .375 Ruger was used to take this massive black bear on Vancouver Island.

    Cyrus is embedded in this process. He shadows Wilson’s work and is in constant contact with the factory to make suggestions based on what he sees on paper, on the chronograph and during terminal performance testing. Cyrus was recently on my range showing me the subsonic and supersonic bullets they’ve been developing for the new 8.6 Blackout cartridge. Before he left, he was on the phone with Clarksville, tweaking things.

    During that visit, Cyrus also showed me their new Tipped Controlled Chaos bullet. With its better ballistic coefficient, it retains energy better and delivers flatter trajectories. Like the 8.6 Blackout bullets, it’s still under development but should be available in 2024.

    Smart Bullets Getting Smarter

    This story is slanted a bit to highlight the work and contributions of a fellow hillbilly and friend, but Cyrus and his work with Lehigh Defense has been my main window into the company. Today, Wilson is adding to the Lehigh Defense story and, according to Cyrus, since acquisition, Wilson has substantially enhanced the performance of several of the bullets Lehigh Defense offers.

    30-cal-Maximum-Expansion-bullet-Lehigh-Defense
    A 125-grain, .30-caliber Maximum Expansion bullet fired from the .300 HAMR cartridge.

    Of course, I cannot just end it here. You need to have an idea of the totality of Lehigh Defense’s smart-bullet product line. So, here’s a rundown of some of their best bullets, available as components or in loaded ammunition from Lehigh Defense, Wilson Combat and several other ammunition manufacturers. I’d suggest you give some of them a try.

    Controlled & Xtreme Controlled Chaos Bullet

    This is an all-copper mono-metal bullet designed to fracture during penetration. The fractured copper shrapnel is then propelled outward and forward from the bullet path. The base or shank of the bullet remains at bullet diameter and penetrates extremely deep, most often exiting. A version of this bullet built with softer copper is called the Xtreme Chaos and it works the same, but the nose of the bullet shank slightly deforms to create a larger diameter penetrating hole.

    controlled-chaos-bullet-LD
    The Controlled Chaos bullet and the wound-enhancing shrapnel it creates almost instantly after impact.

    Tipped Chaos Bullet

    This is nothing more than an all-copper mono-metal bullet designed to fracture during penetration, just like the Controlled Chaos. The difference, however, is the polymer tip that’s inserted into the bullet’s hollow point cavity. This tip increases the bullet’s BC, helps with retained energy down range and flattens trajectory.

    tipped-controlled-chaos-bullet-LD
    Tipped Controlled Chaos bullet. Notice the shrapnel that breaks away to form additional wound tracks, leaving the base/shank of the bullet to penetrate.

    Controlled Fracturing Bullet

    This is a more controlled version of the Controlled Chaos bullet. The difference is that the shrapnel is reduced to large petals that do not bend or break part. The petals separate soon after penetration and radiate outward from the main bullet path, creating havoc and destruction in their wake. Where this bullet is most applicable is with subsonic loads. No other bullet from any manufacture can match it in terms of subsonic terminal performance. It’s ideal for cartridges like the .300 and 8.6 Blackout.

    Controlled-Fracturing-bullet-LD
    This version of the Controlled Fracturing bullet is designed for subsonic application and will upset at extremely slow velocities.

    Maximum Expansion Bullet

    This is a deviation of the Controlled Fracturing bullet, and similar to the Extreme Chaos bullet it’s built from slightly softer copper. This allows the petals on the bullet to remain attached similar to the Barnes Triple Shock. This bullet creates massive tissue destruction but with less penetration than the Controlled Fracturing bullet. It’s suitable for handgun and subsonic applications, and Wilson is working to develop tipped versions for high velocity rifle cartridges.

    Lehigh-Defense-maximum-expansion-9mm
    This is a 118-grain 9mm version of the Lehigh Defense's Maximum Expansion bullet.

    Xtreme Defense Bullet

    This is an all-copper, non-deforming approach to a self-defense bullet designed to deliver penetration between the FBI’s optimum 12- and 18-inch range. A non-deforming/expanding bullet might seem counter to conventional wisdom, but the concept is valid. This is partly because the lack of bullet upset prevents the potential for penetration interference from intermediate barriers and partly because, due to the large flutes near the bullet’s nose, wounding is enhanced through high-velocity fluid transfer.

    Underwood-Ammo-45-GAP-Xtreme-Defender
    Underwood loads Xtreme Defense bullets for many handgun cartridges. Those deep flutes use hydraulic fluid transfer to damage tissue.

    Xtreme Penetrator Bullet

    An alteration of the Xtreme Defense bullet, these bullets are designed to drive deeper. They’re suitable for both handgun and rifle cartridges and are heavier than comparable Extreme Defense bullets in the same caliber. They also have smaller flutes to help maximize penetration, and the X-shaped nose design will punch through as opposed to skid on bone. These bullets create much more damage than conventional round nose bullets.

    underwood-ammo-400-cor-bon
    Underwood ammo offers ammunition loaded with Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator bullets for many cartridges. Notice the wide X flat point in the bullet’s nose.

    Wide Flat Nose

    Very similar to a hard cast bullet, the advantage of a solid copper flat nose solid is that the bullet’s nose will not deform, chip or break, and this contributes to the bullet’s ability to penetrate very deep and straight. Buffalo Bore loads these Wide Flat Nose bullets in their Dangerous Game line. I watched a hunter in Africa absolutely hammer a buffalo with one from a .45-70, and one was all it took.

    buffalo-bore-wide-flat-nose-45-70
    Buffalo Bore loads Lehigh Defense Wide Flat Nose bullets for a variety of dangerous game cartridges.

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


    Raise Your Ammo IQ:

    Gun Belt Review: The Black Beard Belts Ranger

    The author reviews the ratchet-style Black Beard Belts Ranger Gun Belt, an adjustable and comfortable concealed carry accessory.

    I have a new gun belt, and I really like it. But first, I want to talk a bit about this new world we’re currently living in.

    Back in 1993 when I was a young patrol officer, I was recruited to cover the firearms law portion of a concealed carry class that was frequently taught in the city where I worked. The lead instructor had graduated from Massad Ayoob’s Lethal Force Institute and was well versed in the application of a handgun for self-defense.

    Part of the course dealt with what I categorized as “not doing stupid things that could increase your exposure to situations where your life might be jeopardized,” or where you might have to use your handgun. This included not hanging around in dark alleys, parking in dim-lit areas or frequenting secluded stop-and-rob convenience stores, failing to look for suspicions characters and paying attention to the body language of others.

    Back then—30 years ago—if you did those things, the chance that you would need to use your gun to save your life while out in public were slim. That hardly seems like enough anymore.

    The times, as they say, have changed. Gun belts and holsters are no longer just made of leather, and bad guys with bad intent are likely to appear anywhere at any time. It seems that all that has to happen now is for someone to get off their meds or wake up with their panties in a wad, and they’re ready to load their guns and head out to some gun-free zone and start shooting folks.

    Black-Beard-Belts-Ranger-Gun-Belt-holster
    If it’s not comfortable to carry a gun, you won’t. And, in today’s world, not carrying is not good.

    This complicates self-defense because what we once thought were relatively safe spaces no longer exist. The world—this new world—has become a dangerous place, and it doesn’t matter if you live in a small town or a big city.

    The point of all this is to remind you that bad things can now happen anywhere, and your awareness needs to be properly tuned and functioning anytime you’re out in public. Also, no matter where you are, you should have a plan, and, if at all possible, a gun that’s handy and that you can shoot well.

    Just as important is the training of your family members to respond to a potential bad situation, whether it occurs in a mall, a church or a bowling alley. If you wait until something happens to make that plan, it’ll be too late. Be armed, be vigilant and just like it was 30 years ago, don’t do stupid stuff.

    Black Beard Belts

    Back in the day, gun belts were made of leather. They still are, and I’m kind of an old-school guy and like leather belts and holsters. However, I’m open to anything that makes carrying a gun more comfortable and, for the past three months, I’ve been wearing a new gun belt from Black Beard Belts. Black Beard Belts offers several styles of gun belts to include those with a conventional buckle and prong, to the more modern ratchet-style belt.

    Black-Beard-Belts-Ranger-Gun-Belt
    The quick adjust buckle on Black Beard Belt’s Ranger Gun Belt allows fast and easy adjustment, one half-inch at a time.

    The older I get the more I appreciate comfort when it comes to, well, everything … but especially as it relates to concealed carry. Lack of comfort is the number-one reason those with a concealed carry permit don’t carry a gun. This appreciation for comfort has led me to also be appreciative of ratchet-style belts because they’re not limited to 1-inch adjustments. If you’re feeling an extra bit trim, a ratchet belt will allow you to snug-up incrementally. Just the same: If you eat too much, a ratchet belt will allow you to loosen up a bit. Ratchet belts also allow you a bit more flexibility when carrying, particularly with inside the waistband holsters. I have Black Beard Belt’s ratchet-style Ranger Gun Belt.

    This belt is offered in black, coyote brown, OD green or with the M81 camo pattern, and in 2-inch incremental lengths from 32 to 52 inches. Regardless of length, it has 19 reinforced holes spaced in 0.5-inch increments, and there’s an option for steel grommet reinforcement. This 1.5-inch belt is made of high-strength polymer-coated nylon with a no-shine, non-slip coating.

    The buckle and pin are made of stainless steel, and it has a quick-release feature. When you adjust it, you get an audible click letting you know everything is locked in place. This is a good-looking belt to wear with jeans … and even dress pants. Black Beard Belts also offers a 1.75-inch version of this belt with double holes, but it’s a bit radical for everyday wear and is probably best suited to range or duty use.

    I’ve worn this belt a lot with inside the waistband and outside the waistband holsters, and it hasn’t shown any wear. Also, I’m not as lean and trim as I used to be, and it seems after every meal I need a bit more room, and with this belt, it’s a simple adjustment. It’s also easy to adjust this belt when sitting for long periods like on a drive or at a desk, and tightening back to normal is almost instantaneous when you stand up. It’s not uncommon for me to carry a steel-framed Colt Commander, and this belt has plenty of rigidity to hold the gun in place.

    Ranger-Gun-Belt-buckle
    Ratchet-style belts allow quick and easy precise adjustment for carry comfort.

    Don’t get me wrong, I still like leather. For me, guns—especially steel guns—and leather go together. But I also like to be comfortable and for inside or outside the waistband daily handgun carry, this is one of the most comfortable belts I’ve tired. Just like our world is evolving, this new millennium has brought with it new threats. But it’s also brought better gear that will allow us to be more comfortably armed, more often, and that’s a good thing.

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


    More CCW Gear:

    Reloading .223 Remington: Four Great Loads

    A look at four .223 Remington loads that cover four distinct applications, all using one primer and powder.

    The .223 Remington is one of my most used rifle cartridges, and I wanted to develop four loads for it that could be relied upon to do everything I need to do with that chambering. I wanted a load for varmints and small game, another for big game, one for tactical applications and one for precision on paper and steel. But—and here’s the kicker—I wanted to keep it as simple as possible by only using one powder and one primer, and I wanted to do it all with moderate to high velocity and sub-MOA precision.

    I began the project by looking over my .223 Remington load notes that go back more than three decades. I also talked with other handloaders, and then I compared reloading data from various manuals. Here’s a look at what I ended up with, and I believe that these four, one-primer/one-powder loads, might very well work for you and your rifles, too.

    Brass

    I had a lot of .223 Remington brass on hand, but not more than a hundred or so empty cases from the same manufacturer, and I wanted to build these loads with duplicate components. Over the years, I’ve had great success creating consistent loads with Nosler brass, so that’s where I started.

    four-223-remington-loads-powder-primer
    One case, one primer, one powder and four different bullets can deliver most of the loads anyone shooting a .223 Remington needs.

    I ordered 500 new cases, and when they arrived, I weighed 100 of them and found the standard deviation to be less than a half-grain. The only case preparation I performed was to slightly chamfer the inside and outside of the case necks. Remember: The goal was to keep it as simple as possible.

    Primers

    Primers can drastically impact pressure and velocity consistency, and precision. Years ago, working at a ballistic lab with pressure testing equipment, I witnessed the same primer deliver pressure variations of as much as 6,000 psi, while only altering velocity by about 30 fps. More importantly, this resulted in a point-of-impact variation at 100 yards of more than 2 inches.

    federal-small-rifle-primers
    Primers matter because they can deliver fluctuating results when paired with certain powders in certain cartridges. Federal’s small rifle primers provide very consistent ignition.

    Primers matter a lot more than many shooters think. My notes indicated some of the best loads I have assembled for cartridges that use small rifle primers were put together with Federal small rifle primers. Fortunately, I had 1,000 of those.

    Powder

    I like powders that meter consistently, especially when loading from a powder dispenser. This generally means ball/spherical powders. If you want to build loads with wide variance in bullet weight, it also means you need a versatile powder. You can consult load manuals, but it’s easier to just visit Hodgdon’s website to plug in the cartridge and the bullet weights you want to use and see what pops up. I did this for the .223 Remington, specifying 50-, 60-, 70- and 77-grain bullets, and eight powders were offered.

    223-remington-4-loads
    CFE 223, as the name suggests, is a great general-purpose powder for the .223 Remington.

    Over the years, I had used all but one of these powders in the .223 Remington. That one untested powder was CFE 223. I had heard lots of good things about CFE 223 in the .223 Remington, and though its burn rate is minutely slower than the other seven powders, I took a gamble. CFE stands for “copper fouling eraser” to highlight that the powder has been tweaked to deter copper fouling.

    I cannot comment with any supporting definitive proof on how well this works, but my impression is that it does limit copper fouling. During the development of these four loads, which consumed more than 100 rounds, I never once cleaned my rifle’s barrel, and precision only improved throughout the process.

    Bullets

    This is where diversity with a cartridge happens, and it’s especially true with the .223 Remington, which can be used successfully in so many different applications.

    I chose the 50-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, which is very volatile on small critters.

    Nosler-BT-ballistic-tip
    Nosler’s 50-grain Ballistic Tip bullet is ideal for predators or small game.

    I’ve probably killed more big game with Nosler AccuBonds than any other bullet, so the 70-grain 0.224-caliber version seemed perfect for deer, black bears and hogs.

    For tactical applications, many overlook the Nosler Partition, but these bullets do a great job against intermediate barriers.

    nosler-partition-1
    Though often thought of as antiquated, Nosler’s 60-grain Partition bullet is excellent at defeating intermediate barriers, penetrates well and creates massive wounding.

    And finally, for paper and steel, I chose the Nosler 77-grain Custom Competition.

    nosler-custom-competition
    For a load you’ll want to use on steel or paper, especially at distance, the Nosler 77-grain Custom Competition bullet is ideal. It does, however, require a 1:8 twist or faster.

    The Data

    With each load, I started 5 percent below maximum and worked up while watching for high pressure signs and keeping an eye on velocity. Because the chamber and magazine length of my New Ultra Light Arms rifle allows for it, I used a longer than normal overall cartridge length. I stopped when sub-MOA groups and practical velocities were consistent. Though velocity consistency was better with the lighter bullets—in some cases with single-digit standard velocity deviations—the combination of the Federal primer, Nosler Brass and CFE 223 powder was capable of producing excellent on-target precision with all four bullets.

    223rem-load-data-table-1
    NOTES: Reported velocity and standard velocity deviation (SD) is the average for 10 shots fired over a Caldwell G2 chronograph with the screens set 10 feet from the muzzle. Reported precision is the average of three, three-shot groups fired from a sandbag rest at 100 yards.

    A few things are worth noting. Out of my 22-inch barrel, the 50-grain load did not deliver near advertised velocities for a maximum charge. Also, many claim Nosler Partitions are incapable of extreme precision. However, if you kick up the throttle just a bit, they shoot better. This is especially true—and possible—in a modern bolt-action rifle, because .223 Remington load data is kept right at or below 55,000 psi. The Partition and the other three loads all delivered sub-MOA precision.

    223-target-1
    Sub half-MOA accuracy was easy to obtain with Nosler’s 50-grain Ballistic Tip and CFE 223 powder.

    The remaining question was this: Would these four loads also work well in my 5.56 NATO chambered AR-15? I dropped all the loads to slightly below the maximum listed powder charge and reduced their overall length to 2.248 across the board to work with AR-15 magazines. CFE 223 powder does not crowd the case, so seating bullets deeper was a non-issue. Out of that rifle’s 16-inch barrel, which also has a 1:8 twist, velocity consistently was similar, and based on all the AR-15s I have tested over the years, precision on target was better than average … with flawless reliability.

    223-target-3
    Some folks will tell you Nosler Partition bullets are not accurate. They’re wrong. With the right combination of powder, primer and twist rate, they’ll shoot with extreme precision.

    Goals Achieved

    Initial terminal performance confirmation was conducted by shooting into blocks of Clear Ballistics. (See table below.) Last spring, I used the Ballistic Tip load to take a turkey gobbler at 239 yards (rifles are legal for turkeys in West Virginia). I also put a doe in the freezer with the Partition load, and a 200-pound whitetail buck on the meat pole with the AccuBond load. Both the Partition and AccuBond bullets will penetrate more than 16 inches and upset to about 1.7 times their original diameter. They are much deadlier on big game than conventional wisdom and most hunters realize.

    223rem-table-2
    NOTES: Reported velocity is the average for 10 shots fired over a Caldwell G2 chronograph with the screens set 10 feet from the muzzle. Reported penetration and recovered bullet frontal diameter and weight are the average of three shots fired into blocks of Clear Ballistics at a distance of 50 yards.

    I do think there is some tweaking to do with the AR-15 loads; I might have left a little velocity in the powder can. But, as they are, and for both of my most-used .223 rifles, this collection of handloads is capable of handling any task I need to tackle with a .223 Remington, and all I need is one powder, one primer and four bullets to do it.

    223-target-2
    Though from a velocity consistency standpoint it might seem that CFE 223 is not a good match for heavy bullets in the .223 Rem., this target would beg to differ.

    Handloading is an enjoyable pastime that will allow you to create loads not commercially available, while possibly saving a little money. And it’s all much easier to do if you can use a single powder and primer. If you’re looking for a stable of .223 Remington loads that will allow you to extract the most of what the cartridge can offer, these four bullets are a good start, and I suggest you give CFE 223 a shot.

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the January 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


    More On Reloading:

    Compact 1911 Review: Kimber Aegis Elite Ultra Vs. Springfield Armory Ronin

    The author pits the Kimber Aegis Elite Ultra against the Springfield Armory Ronin to find the superior 3-inch 1911.

    The 1911 pistol has been around for 112 years, and it seems like it becomes more popular all the time. Shooters cannot get enough of this ageless design, but the 1911—with its 5-inch barrel—is a big handgun that’s about 8.5 inches long and weighs almost 40 ounces.

    If you like a 1911, there’s no denying the appeal of the more compact 3-inch versions for concealed carry, but I wanted to see just how well these modern, miniature 1911s would perform, and if they could be trusted. After all, a 6.75-inch pistol that only weighs about 26 ounces is a hell of a lot easier to carry than a full-size 1911.

    I requested 3-inch barreled 1911s from Kimber and Springfield Armory so that I could test them for reliability and to get an idea of how much harder the lighter and more compact 1911s would be to shoot than a full-size 1911. That meant I also needed a full-size gun, so I also asked Springfield to send me a 5-inch 1911.

    Kimber provided their Aegis Elite Ultra pistol with a 3-inch barrel, and Springfield Armory provided two of their Ronin pistols, one with a 3-inch barrel and one with a 5-inch barrel. All three were chambered for the 9mm Luger.

    Kimber-Aegis-Elite-Ultra-Vs-Springfield-Armory-Ronin

    Fast Action Shooting

    The first shooting test I conducted was a modified version of the famous El Prez Drill. For this drill, I placed three MGM full-size steel torso targets at 10 yards and spaced them about 15 feet apart. Starting with the pistol in a Galco Yaqui Slide holster, at the sound of the shot timer I drew and fired two shots at each target as fast as I could get hits. I ran this drill six times with each pistol to get an average time.

    Admittedly, hitting a torso-sized target at 10 yards isn’t hard, but my focus here wasn’t on precision shooting, it was to see how hard these little guns were to control, how fast I could shoot them, and to see if they would run reliably. The drill would also highlight the difference between fast action shooting with a 3-inch, 25-ounce pistol, and one with a 5-inch barrel that weighed 39 ounces.

    Between the two 3-inch pistols, I shot the best with the Kimber Aegis Ultra. My average time for six runs through the drill was 3.08 seconds. My average time with the 3-inch Springfield Armory Ronin was 3.21 seconds. Granted, the difference was small, but I think the thicker grips on the Kimber helped me hold onto the pistol a bit better and it’s why it performed 4 percent better. The average for all the runs with the two 3-inch guns was 3.14 seconds.

    Kimber-Aegis-Elite-Ultra-1911
    Both modern ultra-compact 1911s from Kimber and Springfield Armory performed flawlessly during testing.

    After alternating these two pistols through the drill, I then fired the drill three times with the 5-inch Ronin for an average time of 2.83 seconds. Based on this test, when conducting multi-shot/multi-target drills at about 10 yards, the 3-inch 1911s were about 10 percent slower than a 5-inch 1911.

    Precision Shooting

    The second shooting test was a reduced version of what I call the Step Back Drill. In this drill, you fire two shots at an 8-inch target from 5, 10 and 15 yards, timing each two-shot string separately. After completing all six shots in the drill, you add up your times at each distance for a total. A good par time for all six shots is something less than 9 seconds.

    I ran this drill six times with each of the three pistols to establish an average. My thinking was that this drill would show how good, or bad, a 3-inch 1911 might perform at various distances given the handicap of its shorter sight radius. The 8-inch target required more precise shot placement than the full-size torso targets.

    Between the 3-inch guns, I shot minutely better on this drill with the Kimber Aegis Ultra, but only out to 10 yards. At 15 yards, I shot better with the Springfield Ronin. Both pistols had very similar sights, and both triggers broke right at 4 pounds.

    kimber-aegis-vs-springfield-ronin-test

    Again, I think the difference at the closer distances was the thicker grip on the Kimber because I was running the gun faster. At 15 yards, I had to slow down a bit, and the thinner grip on the 3-inch Springfield wasn’t a handicap … but why it averaged better at 15 yards I have no idea. (This is, of course, one reason tests like this can be important; you can discover how you interact with different guns differently in different situations.) As expected, I shot a bit better with the 5-inch Ronin because of its longer sight radius and less recoil. On average, the 5-inch pistol was about 11 percent faster.

    Kimber-Aegis-Vs-Springfield-Ronin-backstraps
    The Kimber and the Springfield 3-inch 1911s were essentially the same size, but the thicker G-10 grips on the Kimber made it a bit wider and it filled the hand better.

    Advantages/Disadvantages

    Clearly, the more compact and lighter 3-inch 1911s are easier to carry—and that’s important. The more comfortable a pistol is to carry, the more likely you are to have it with you when you need it. Arguably, that might very well offset any shooting advantage the 5-inch 1911 offers. The 3-inch Kimber only had a seven-round magazine, but the Springfield Ronin had a nine-round magazine, which was the same capacity as the 5-inch Springfield, and it was surprisingly extremely easy to load. The magazines for the Kimber and the Springfield 3-inch guns weren’t interchangeable.

    Before I ran the drills for record, I fired 100 rounds of Federal’s 124-grain Tactical Hydra-Shok load through each of the three pistols, just so I was familiar with them. The good news is that I didn’t experience any reliability issues with either of the 3-inch guns, which is something they are commonly accused of having. I did have one stoppage, and ironically, it was with the 5-inch gun. At round 97, one cartridge failed to go fully into battery, and a slight tap on the back of the slide solved the problem.

    5-inch-vs-3-inch-springfield-armory-1911
    Here you can see the size difference in a 3-inch and 5-inch 1911. What you cannot see is that the 5-inch gun weighs 50 percent more.

    You can expect to shoot better with the full-size 1911, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. One thing I’ve heard over the years is that the shorter-barreled 1911s are quicker to get out of the holster. That makes sense, but getting a gun out of the holster a few milliseconds faster must also be measured with the speed at which you can get it on target. Considering all the drills at all distances, on average I was able to get a first hit from the holster with the 3-inch guns in 1.90 seconds. With the 5-inch 1911, I was able to secure a first-round hit from the holster in 1.71 seconds. Again, that’s about a 10 percent advantage for the larger 1911. The little guns might escape the holster faster, but the longer sight radius of the longer-barreled 1911 allows the sights to find the target sooner.

    I think both the Kimber Aegis Elite Ultra and the Springfield Ronin are nice pistols, and they are a joy to carry. The Kimber costs a bit more, but I shot it a bit better and it’s probably the gun I would go with. You must decide if a 10 percent advantage in shootability is worth the added discomfort of carrying a pistol that’s 50 percent heavier and 25 percent larger.

    frontsraps
    The 3-inch Kimber costs a bit more than the 3-inch Springfield, but it has some features the Springfield does not, like the checkered front strap that some shooters really like.

    And, at the risk of kicking a dead horse: I’ll say again that the ease of carry of these 3-inch 1911s might make all the difference in the end. Self-defense handguns are worthless when they’re left at home.

    Though he didn’t sing a thing about guns, it appears that as Alan Jackson so eloquently put it, “It’s alright to be little bitty.”

    springfield-armory-1911-specs
    kimber-aegis-elite-ultra-specs

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2023 Buyer's Guide special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


    More Handgun Reviews:

    Handgun Training: Steel Vs. Paper Targets

    Which is better for sharpening your handgun skills, steel or paper targets?

    When shooting a handgun, steel targets are the most fun to shoot. This is because they provide immediate audible feedback. And, depending on the target, they can also provide immediate visual feedback when the target moves. Another appealing feature of steel targets is that you don’t have to go downrange and paste up your bullet holes. Sure, you might want to paint them every now and again, but even that’s not mandatory. Steel targets are just easy to use and fun to shoot at. But are they the best target for training with a defensive handgun?

    Yes and no. To conduct the best defensive handgun training, you need a variety of targets, some made of steel and some made of paper, and there are several reasons for this.

    steel-vs-paper-targets-1
    When you need to make precise shots in certain areas of the target, paper is often better than steel.

    Basic Marksmanship Training

    When you’re first learning to shoot a handgun, you’re primarily working to master sight alignment and trigger control. To do this, you need to know exactly where every bullet you shoot lands so that you can evaluate the influence your sight picture, trigger press, grip and every other element of marksmanship had on every shot. This is how you learn if you’re doing the right and the wrong things when you’re shooting.

    For this type training, ideally, you’ll want a paper or cardboard target large enough that none of your shots miss the target and are lost. If you’re shooting at a small steel target, you’ll get that satisfaction of a hit. But if you miss the target, you won’t know where your miss went, and this makes determining your mistake difficult. Sure, you could use a large steel target but when shooting steel, it’s not as easy to see the exact points of impact.

    steel-vs-paper-targets-2
    Four hits and a miss. If this had been a 10-inch steel target you wouldn’t have known where your miss landed.

    Dynamic Drills

    There are all sorts of dynamic drills that can be conducted with a defensive handgun. With dynamic drills, I’m talking about drills where you’re incorporating things like drawing from the holster, movement, reloading and multiple targets into the drill. For these types of drills, marksmanship matters, but in many cases, your focus is on gun handling—drawing the handgun, safely handling the handgun while moving, reloading and transitioning between targets.

    I consider this type of shooting as advanced shooting, and it should only be conducted once you have a decent mastery of the basic marksmanship skills. In other words, you should be able to reliably hit what you’re shooting at before you embark on this type of training. For this type of work, pinpoint precision is not as important, and steel targets work exceptionally well. This is partly because of their immediate feedback, but also partly because you don’t have to stop your shooting, lose focus and paste your targets.

    steel-vs-paper-targets-3
    When first starting dynamic shooting, a steel torso target like this is great. It will let you know you’re getting your hits and allow more concentration on the other aspects of the drill.

    Tactical Drills

    Tactically focused shooting is the logical next step once you’ve developed proficiency with basic marksmanship and dynamic shooting. Tactical drills should incorporate decision making, the use of cover and concealment and situational management. Tactical drills should also sometimes incorporate specific shot placement, because knowing where to shoot an attacker is a tactical consideration. For this type of training, I think both steel and paper can be effectively used for targets.

    In fact, it might be best to start tactical training with steel targets so that you can focus more on what you’re doing than on how well you’re shooting. This is where a torso-shaped steel target can be beneficial. As your working through the problems, you know you’re getting your hits because of the audible feedback. The hits might not be great, but they’re hits. Once you become comfortable with the tactical elements of the drill, it’s a good idea to replace the steel targets with lifelike paper targets so that you can now concentrate on the tactics and on putting your bullets where they need to go.

    Advanced Marksmanship Drills

    As your shooting skills develop even more, you’ll begin to be able to call your shots. I’m talking about when the trigger breaks you should be able to reliably predict where the shot will land. Experience teaches this with evaluation of the sight picture and the trigger press when the shot was fired. Once your shooting is at this level, having a paper target to evaluate your shooting is not as important anymore, and using steel speeds up the training process with less time looking at the target and pasting holes.

    steel-vs-paper-targets-4
    A steel plate rack can be a good training tool, but only after you have developed your basic marksmanship skills.

    For example, I often shoot at an 8-inch steel plate from extended distances. Because of experience, when I miss, I most often know that I pulled the shot low, high, right or left. If I was shooting at paper, the holes would provide the same information, but I’d have to walk down range too see if I hit or missed, and this would interrupt my training and focus. The problem with shooting at steel in instances like this is when you’re missing more than you’re hitting, and you don’t know where your misses are going.

    Another example of an advanced marksmanship drill is one that includes dynamic action, like when shooting at a plate rack. Sure, you could line up six paper targets and shoot them very fast just as you would a steel plate rack. The problem is you’ll not know if you hit every paper plate until the drill is over and you go down range to score. With a steel plate rack, you get the feedback as you go so that you can make up missed shots.

    Which Is Best?

    I believe steel and paper targets are great for defensive handgun training. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. If you’re running a drill and you want to know whether steel or paper is the best target to use, here’s one way to decide. Run the drill two or three times on either steel or paper. If you’re not getting your hits in the desired area at least 80 to 85 percent of the time, you should probably be using a paper target so that you can see where your misses are going and potentially evaluate what you’re doing wrong. Also, and this is good to know, with most steel targets, you do not want to shoot at them closer than about 10 yards.

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


    More On Steel And Paper Targets:

    A Practical Variation Of The Tactical Reload

    Reloading a handgun is a basic skill, but there’s more than one way to do it. Here, the author discusses a practical variation of the tactical reload.

    Reloading a defensive handgun is a basic skill. It’s something every defensive handgun training course should spend a good bit of time teaching and something everyone who carries a defensive handgun should spend time practicing. Most doctrine separates reloading into three techniques: the administrative reload, the tactical reload and the speed reload. Although all three serve the same purpose of keeping your pistol full of ammunition, they all have different applications.

    I’ve detailed these techniques here before, but to refresh, the administrative reload is a range reload that’s conducted at leisure, and the speed reload is done when your handgun is out of ammo and you need more ammo in it immediately. The tactical reload is something between an administrative and speed reload, and its conduct and proper application is one of the most misunderstood concepts of defensive handgun management.

    Hurry, Just A Little Bit

    A tactical reload should be conducted when you have time … but when there are also tactical considerations remaining. It’s suggested that you conduct a tactical reload during a lull in the gun fight or action. I’m not sure how to precisely define “a lull in the action,” but I am sure that the more ammunition you have in your gun the better off you are, and that you should never holster a handgun that’s not fully loaded. Those two considerations are what drives the conduct and need of a tactical reload.

    At the basic level, with a tactical reload you retain the magazine you’re ejecting from the pistol because it’s not empty and you might need it later, or because you’re in a situation where you might need the ejected empty magazine later on so that you can load it with more ammunition.

    Most trainers teach the conduct of a tactical reload as follows:

    • Bring your pistol into your workspace while retrieving a fully loaded magazine with your support hand, holding it in your palm and between your index and middle finger.
    • As you eject the partially expended or empty magazine, grab it between the thumb and index finger of your support hand.
    • While holding both magazines, insert the fresh magazine into the pistol.
    • Store the ejected magazine in a pocket, or if it’s the only extra magazine you have, put it your magazine pouch.
    tactical-reload-steps-common

    This is not a timed activity, but it’s one you should be able to conduct smoothly and with minimal focus, while keeping at least some of your attention on your surroundings. Those talented at conducting a tactical reload can accomplish the task with graceful fluidity in about 5 seconds.

    My main problem with the above method is that you must manage two magazines with one hand at the same time. Granted, you’re not supposed to be doing this with blistering speed or while you’re being shot at, but there’s still a reasonable possibility that you’ll drop one—or both—of the magazines. That’s not a good thing, and I think it makes just as much sense to conduct a tactical reload as follows:

    • Bring the pistol into your workspace.
    • Eject the partially expended or empty magazine into your support hand and store it in your pocket.
    • Retrieve a fully loaded magazine and insert it into your pistol.
    • If you still have time and the partially expended magazine is your only other magazine, move it to your magazine pouch.

    Though speed is not a principal concern, this second method can be conducted just as swiftly, and it limits the possibility of dropping the partially expended magazine, or more importantly, the fully loaded magazine. Admittedly, the second method leaves your pistol unloaded for a second or so longer. But remember, you should only be conducting a tactical reload when time is not a priority, such as when there’s no immediate threat or when you’ve solved the problem and are holstering your handgun.

    If time is of any concern, conduct a speed reload.

    Don’t Drop It!

    Outside of tactical considerations, the tactical reload can and should be frequently used on the range during practice or training sessions, too. Why? Well, the worst thing you can do with a pistol magazine is drop it on the ground where the feed lips might become bent, or where it can be gobbed off with dirt, debris or mud. Yes, when practicing a speed reload, your ejected magazine goes to the ground, but the most common reason for stoppages in pistols is magazine related. There’s no reason to risk damage unnecessarily.

    I’m not suggesting you replace the practice of a speed reload with a tactical reload. What I am suggesting is that if you’ve finished a drill and have depleted your magazine to the point you cannot run the next drill, if you conduct a tactical reload—especially if you use the second method described above—you’ll circumvent the possibility of a magazine being damaged or fouled because it was dropped either intentionally or accidentally.

    Hopefully, you’ll never be in a dangerous situation where you need to conduct a reload of any type. And, hopefully, if you do need to reload your pistol in conjunction with some sort of dangerous situation, you’ll have the time and cover necessary to allow for you to do it tactically. Pick either tactical reload method described here, the one you like the best and feel is the most practical, and practice it. It might save you from fumbling when you can’t afford to drop the ball.

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the January 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


    More On Handgun Training:

    How To Start A CCW Training Regimen

    Looking to start a CCW training regimen? Have a plan and take one bite at a time.

    In 2019, Jack Wilson used his concealed handgun to stop a bad guy in a church. Reportedly, the head shot that saved the congregation was taken at about 50 feet. More recently, Elisjsha Dicken saved more citizens when he took out a shooter in a mall at a reported 40 yards. As a result of instances like these, many have taken a page out of Jeff Cooper’s book and created training drills to replicate these real-world scenarios.

    There’s nothing wrong with this, especially since the shots taken in both instances were a bit farther than what’s commonly associated with civilian shootings. However, conducting these drills aren’t the best way to train with your defensive handgun.

    It’s About The Basics

    Yeah, I guess it’s cool to say you “did the drill” and maybe even shot as well or better than the “Good Samaritan” the drill has been named after. However, the only way you’re going to be good enough to perform the drill to standard is by executing the basics of shooting. And, as boring as it might sound, the basics are what you should be practicing.

    range-tools
    Proper training with the defensive handgun requires more than just a gun and ammo. The right tools allow you to get more from your training.

    What are the basics of the defensive handgun? Well, it always starts with safety, and it always ends with proper maintenance and care of your firearm. If you can’t handle a firearm safely, and if your firearm isn’t in good working order, it might not matter how well you can shoot.

    Next, you have gun handling and marksmanship. These are the skills you need to practice and master to be successful in a gun fight. Tactics matter, too, but they should only be addressed once you have a solid shooting foundation to work from.

    Make A Plan

    Haphazardness isn’t a plan. Just going to the range and banging away, while it might be fun, is not how you get better. The best way to get better is to start with a notebook or logbook that allows you to schedule your CCW training and keep track of your progress. A logbook like this could also be handy if you’re ever taken to court; it’ll show your methodical dedication to safe gun handling and self-defense.

    ccw-training-revolver
    Just as with sight alignment, trigger control is a foundational element of marksmanship. It should always be a part of your sustainment training.

    The next thing you need to do is establish a CCW training program. The program you select will vary a great deal based on your skill level, and you might need to attend a training school—or at least shoot with a qualified instructor—to determine the areas you’re good at … and the areas you need to work on.

    The training plan should be two pronged: It should include sustainment training for what you already do well, and it should include the additional skills you want to develop. As you progress in skill, your training plan should progress, too. You need to set goals, continually strive to meet them … and then set new goals.

    Dry Practice And Live Fire

    Don’t make the mistake of thinking that live fire is the only way you can practice or train. Dry practice—as boring as it might seem and is—is one of the most important aspects of firearms training. And, you can dry practice almost every skill you need to work on. You can dry practice drawing your handgun, reloading your handgun, manipulating your handgun and shooting your handgun. A training plan without dry practice can be effective, but what it will most assuredly be is a waste of money; ammunition is expensive.

    handgun-sight-alignment
    Sight alignment is foundational when it comes to marksmanship training.

    Just as important is incorporating dry practice with live fire. When you’re at the range conducting live fire, intermingle dry practice. Let’s say, for example, you’re working on single shots from the holster. You’ll probably want to do this at least 25 times with live ammo. However, before you start with the live ammo, dry practice the process five to 10 times. Also, after every five to seven live-fire repetitions, again insert several dry practice runs. These dry practice repetitions intermingled with live fire are a great opportunity to slow down the process and look at each step.

    One Bite At A Time

    Regardless of whether you’re conducting a dry practice or live-fire training session, you must approach defensive handgun weaponcraft like you’re eating an apple—one bite at a time. If you need to work on your draw from concealment, then work on that.

    ccw-training-drawing
    For the best results when training with your defensive handgun, make a plan and then follow it.

    Don’t confuse the training by trying to improve that skill while also working to get better at reloading or firing multiple shots fast. You master the basics of the defensive handgun one bite at a time, which is the same way you get to the core of the apple.

    Measure Your Performance

    Another good aspect of any CCW training plan is to have a benchmark of performance that you at first strive to meet, and then later try to exceed. This is where the logbook comes in handy; it allows you to keep track of how well you’re doing. If the logbook indicates you’re not progressing, it might be time to seek professional help. This benchmark should be a self-defense-style drill you conduct at the beginning and at the end of each training session, regardless of what you train on in between.

    training-logbook
    A logbook is an important tool when it comes to firearms training. It’s not just for long-range shooters.

    This is where the life-like scenario drills—such as the El Prez, Mozambique or Dozier—come into play. The same is true for the Jack Wilson or Dicken Drill. These drills aren’t so much CCW training drills; they’re evaluation drills to determine your capabilities, and identify the basic marksmanship skills you need to work on.

    A benchmark drill is also a great time to test fire carry ammunition. By conducting it before and after a training session, you’ll test your handgun’s clean and dirty reliability with the ammo you expect to use to save your life. A box of 20 carry rounds should last you through four or five training sessions. The more training sessions you complete with the carry ammo without a stoppage increases your trust in that load and proves its compatibility with your carry gun.

    Don’t Overdo It

    One mistake that many shooters make is trying to shoot too much at one time. While taking a week-long self-defense handgun class at Gunsite Academy, you’ll probably shoot about 1,000 rounds or a bit more. During a five-day class, that works out to about 200 rounds per day. It’s set up that way because most shooters began to lose focus and get tired after about 200 to 250 rounds. And that’s under the tutelage of, and pace provided by, a competent instructor.

    loading-magazine
    When conducting defensive handgun training, don’t overdo it. About 150 to 250 rounds per session is generally ideal.

    By incorporating dry-fire practice with your live-fire practice, you get the advantage of more trigger pulls and/or repetitions without excessive stress, and the added expense of more ammunition. At first, limit your live-fire sessions to about 100 to 150 rounds and make a concentrated effort to make every trigger pull count. In other words, don’t do mag dumps or ring steel just for the hell of it.

    Rest is also important. Don’t step up to the line and fire all the rounds you’ve set aside for live fire at one time. After every 15 to 25 rounds, take a break, hydrate and think about your performance. This is a good time to make notes in your logbook and consider why you might be performing well … or poorly.

    Tools Of The Trade

    There are some tools that can help make your training sessions more enjoyable and rewarding, and this is especially true if you’re conducting all your training by yourself.

    smartphone-filming
    You can video your practice sessions with your smartphone, even in slow motion. This can show you where you’re making mistakes, particularly with gun handling.

    Smartphones can be a great tool when trying to master any physical activity. I coached high school soccer for five years and frequently used the video feature on my smartphone to illustrate to players things they were doing wrong. When my son was learning to long jump, we slow-motion videoed his jumps to critique his performance. Not only did he win several meets, but in his senior year, he set the school record. Set your smartphone up on a tripod and slow-motion video yourself while training. Then, watch the video to look for the mistakes you’re making.

    A shot timer is also a great training tool. Though some trainers don’t like shot timers because they tend to make shooters go too fast to learn, I believe they’re fantastic if used correctly. In training, a shot timer should be used to measure how long it takes you to conduct a skill or drill correctly. Your goal is then to work to decrease that time. You’re already using a target to evaluate your accuracy; the shot timer is just a tool that’ll allow you to evaluate how you’re spending your time.

    shot-timer-9
    Don’t discount how much a shot timer can help with your defensive handgun training.

    Laser trainers have become popular for dry practice. Though I don’t believe they’re necessary for successful dry practice, I’m sure they add some spice to the process. Some laser trainers are very simple and just flash a dot on the target. Others can be combined with targets or your smartphone to record each shot. Since most laser trainers are inserted into the barrel of your handgun, they do have the potential to make dry practice safer.

    laser-trainer-app
    Laser training devices aren’t necessary, but they can make dry practice more fun.

    For dry practice and even for live fire, dummy rounds are a must. During dry practice, they help you maintain safety, and during live fire, they help you replicate stoppages. Dummy rounds are very affordable and well worth the money when you consider the safety and training value they can provide. You can tell how serious a shooter is about training by asking how many dummy rounds they have.

    Also, targets matter. From a self-defense training standpoint, the targets can be very rudimentary. In some cases, a full sheet of copy paper works. In other instances, a sheet of copy paper folded once or twice will work, too. At other times, a simple dot on a sheet of paper is sufficient.

    However, there’s a mindset element at play here. The adage to “train the way you intend to fight” has merit and applies to the conduct of your training as well as to the targets you shoot at. Life-like torso targets add realism.

    ccw-training-drawing-2
    Gun handling, especially handgun presentation, is a critical defensive handgun skill. It can be practiced dry—without ammunition—as well as when conducting live fire.

    Build A Foundation

    The most important part of training with a defensive handgun—or any firearm, for that matter—is to build a solid foundation. This is extremely hard to do on your own because the unexperienced don’t understand what that foundation needs to support.

    Without question, the best way to build this foundation is by attending a reputable training course, and there are none better than the Gunsite Academy 250 Pistol Class. The good news is that now Gunsite offers CCW training in multiple locations across the United States. I’d suggest anyone serious about the defensive handgun start there before you end up building a structure on a foundation that won’t reliably support what it needs to.

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2022 EDC special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


    More On CCW Training:

    A Can In Hand: The Bad And Very Good Of Owning A Suppressor

    The ugly, the bad, and the very good of owning and shooting a suppressor.

    Next to the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge, the other firearm-related item that’s exploded in popularity this century has been the suppressor. In recent years, suppressor sales have increased as much as 40 percent annually. They have become so popular that almost all new rifles and many pistols now come with threaded barrels. In fact, currently, one of the most popular gunsmithing services is barrel threading.

    But, like with just about everything in life, all the good that comes with suppressors also comes with some not so good. If you’re thinking about purchasing one, here’s a look at the ugly, the bad and the good, with some really good news at the end.

    The Ugly

    Because a suppressor is considered an NFA item, and is also apparently detested by half the politicians in America and by the ATF, in order to purchase one, you must complete some paperwork, undergo a background check, submit your fingerprints and photograph and then pay a $200 tax. This seemingly Rubik’s Cube-like process surrounding suppressor acquisition turns a lot of buyers off. Also, and unfortunately, this tax you pay isn’t treated like other Pittman-Robertson firearms and ammunition taxes that help fund hunter education and target ranges. The $200 tax goes directly into the federal government’s general fund that can be used for anything they want, like sending money to Ukraine.

    Silencer-Central-Banish
    A quality suppressor like the Banish 30, which is a 0.30-caliber suppressor, can also be used with other firearms that shoot a bullet smaller in diameter than 0.30 caliber.

    Fortunately, there’s a bill that’s just been written, and that should be introduced by the time you read this, that could correct some of this silliness. It allows for 85 percent of every $200 tax collected from the sale of suppressors to be allocated to the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund to support wildlife conservation, law enforcement, hunter recruitment and other related activities. Additionally, 15 of that 85 percent would be earmarked for the development, maintenance and operation of recreational shooting ranges. For 2023 alone, the expected tax collected would approach $200 million, and 85 percent of that is $170 million.

    Bench-Shooting-silencer-central
    The author testing a Silencer Central Backcountry suppressor on the new suppressor-ready Springfield Armory Redline rifle.

    While suppressors continue to become more popular, the extensive registration and processing paperwork can have applicants waiting as long as a year for approval by the ATF. This is despite the Bureau’s recent implementation of an electronic form portal for processing applications. To address that, the same bill would direct the remaining 15 percent to the ATF’s NFA division and be strategically allocated to expedite the process of suppressor applications within a 90-day time frame. Today, the average wait time from application to suppressor delivery exceeds six months.

    The rest of the ugliness surrounding suppressors is that they’re not legal to own in California, Delaware, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. And there are only 40 states where it’s legal to hunt with a suppressor.

    The Bad

    The purchase of a suppressor and the distribution of the tax dollars you pay are the worst of it, but there are some other detractors. For starters, they’re not cheap. A good centerfire rifle suppressor starts at about $700, and the better ones can cost twice that much. Additionally, if you purchase a suppressor and decide you don’t want it anymore, selling it can be complicated, and of course whomever buys it will have to pay the same $200 tax you already paid, on the same damn suppressor.

    suppressor-cover
    A fabric heat shield is a wise accessory for your can. It protects you from being burned when it heats up and reduces heat waves between you and the target.

    A suppressor also adds a good bit of weight to your firearm. Rimfire suppressors can be as light as 5 ounces, but some centerfire rifle suppressors can weigh nearly a pound. This makes your gun heavier, and it adds all the weight at the muzzle, which dramatically changes the firearm’s balance. If you only shoot from the bench, this isn’t a big deal. For offhand shooting, the added muzzle weight can make a rifle seem to hang on target better, but it also destroys a rifle’s handling qualities.

    In addition to the weight, a can adds length. Adding 6 inches to a pistol’s barrel makes it unwieldly. The same is true when you add 7 to 9 inches to a rifle’s barrel, especially if the rifle already has a 22- or 24-inch barrel. Because of this, many new rifles are now being offered with suppressor-ready barrels that are as short as 16 inches.

    modular-Banish-suppressor
    Silencer Central’s Banish 30 suppressor is modular and can be shortened if desired.

    For gas-operated semi-automatic firearms, like the AR-10 and AR-15, a suppressor forces more pressured gas into the action. With this comes more carbon fouling, and more carbon fouling makes your gun dirtier. You might find that your AR will have some cycling issues with a suppressor installed unless it has an adjustable gas block. Heavier bolt carriers and different buffer springs and buffer weights can also be used to tune an AR for optimum performance with a suppressor.

    The Good

    The primary goodness of a suppressor is that it reduces the noise or acoustic intensity of a gunshot. However, a suppressor doesn’t “silence” a gunshot. The “silencer” term comes from the patent for the first firearm suppressor, which was invented in 1902 by Hiram P. Maxim, son of Hiram S. Maxim of machine gun fame. Ironically, the muffler for internal combustion engines was developed in parallel by Maxim. A muffler doesn’t silence an engine and a suppressor doesn’t silence a gun, but here in America you can purchase a muffler at any auto shop and walk out the door with it the same day you buy it. You cannot do that with a suppressor.

    suppressed-AR
    In addition to making a firearm hearing safe and being a great tool for hunters, suppressors also have tactical application.

    The primary goal of modern firearm suppressors is to reduce gun shots to below 140 decibels, which is considered to be hearing safe. This means that suppressors actually advance public health because they protect the hearing of those who are shooting and of others who are nearby. This makes communication on shooting ranges better, and better communication on shooting ranges makes them safer. But suppressors also reduce the noise around shooting ranges, and this makes shooting ranges less disturbing to local residents and businesses.

    Bench-shooting
    The reduction in recoil and noise a suppressor provides helps shooters shoot better.

    Suppressors also reduce recoil by slowing down escaping gases and reducing the reward thrust of the firearm. The added weight of the suppressor also helps reduce recoil and the tendency for the muzzle to rise after each shot. A perfect example of how you can benefit from this noise and recoil reduction is my 19-year-old daughter’s first African safari. She hunted with a 5-pound Kimber rifle in .308 Winchester using full-power ammunition from Buffalo Bore, and she only weighs 100 pounds. The reduced sound and push from the rifle allowed her to deliver accurate shots on several animals out to nearly 300 yards.

    Mann-daughter-safari
    A Silencer Central Banish 30 suppressor was an integral part of this author’s daughter’s shooting success on her first African safari.

    Part of her ability to deliver those good shots at distance comes from being less intimated by the noise and recoil, but it also partly comes from the fact that the recoil reduction and added weight helps to prevent movement of the rifle as the bullet is exiting the barrel. For all of these reasons, most shooters shoot more accurately when shooting with a suppressor.

    There are additional benefits for hunters, because when hunting you use all your senses and with a suppressor, you don’t have to put on hearing protection before you take your shot. Plus, after the shot, your ears aren’t ringing so they’re still a usable sense. (Professional hunting guides love suppressors just as much as they hate muzzle brakes.) This reduction in muzzle blast also has tactical application with regard to noise but also in shot signature, because it eliminates the ball of fire at the muzzle and greatly reduces dust and vegetation movement that can give away a concealed position.

    disassembled-suppressor
    There are two types of suppressors. Some come apart for service and maintenance and others are captive and sealed.

    The Latest And Bestest News

    As indicated in the ugly section, purchasing a suppressor can be an intimidating affair because of all the paperwork, because you’re dealing with the government and because of the wait and unfamiliarity of the process. Fortunately, a wise man who was working as a pharmacist in South Dakota has essentially solved all this.

    Brandon Maddox was a shooter who liked shooting suppressed, and he felt that if he could legally distribute prescription medications all across the United States, he could do the same with suppressors. Maddox created Silencer Central. By establishing dealers in every suppressor legal state and by working with the ATF, Silencer Central can now sell you a suppressor using the telephone and the internet, and they can then ship the suppressor right to your doorstep. You never have to leave the house!

    silencer-central-safari

    The process is 100 percent legal and extremely easy. I know because working with Zach Ely, a Silencer Central sales rep, I just went through it. Not only did Ely make everything as simple as singing up for cell phone service, but he was also extremely knowledgeable about the process and suppressors in general—he provided detailed answers to every legal and technical question I had.

    And, get this: As part of purchasing from Silencer Central, they’ll create a trust for you for free. The trust actually owns the suppressor, and this means you can share it—legally—with other members of the trust. It also means that when you go to that great gun range in the sky, the transfer of the suppressor to your designee is easier.

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


    More Suppressor Info:

    Gun Cleaning: How Much Is Too Much?

    Gun cleaning is important, but there’s no need to waste your time cleaning them too much.

    My father served in the Army during the Korean War. He’d been a shooter and hunter prior to that, but it was the military that taught him about firearms preventive maintenance checks and service (PMCS). The Army’s modus operandi of cleaning your gun every time you use it originated much earlier than with my father’s military career in the 1950s, and it’s persisted to this day. Dad passed that lesson to me, and it took a long time for me to outgrow it. If you have the custom of cleaning your gun every time you shoot it, you might consider kicking that habit like I did.

    Gun Cleaning History

    Our first guns were fueled with ammunition loaded with black powder. Black powder is made of sulfur, carbon and potassium nitrate. When black powder is burned, it’ll leave a layer of soot inside the action and barrel of a gun. The more the gun is shot, the worse this fouling gets, and it can impede the operation of the gun’s action.

    Also, this soot or residue is hygroscopic, and with the addition of moisture in the atmosphere, it forms a corrosive substance. The soot or oxide turns into potassium or sodium hydroxide, which is corrosive to steel. If a gun fueled with black powder isn’t cleaned very soon after it’s fired, it can begin to corrode … and even be ruined.

    Because of this, the military realized the importance of cleaning guns immediately after they had been used. Otherwise, their reliability and accuracy would degrade. Military armorers remain obsessive about this. When the world transitioned to noncorrosive smokeless powder, made from nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin and additives to reduce flash, fouling and for stabilization, this practice of cleaning a gun every time it was fired persisted, and veterans like my father shared this with friends and family.

    Is it necessary?

    gun-cleaning-ballistol
    It’s not necessary to field strip and fully clean a gun just because you’ve fired it.

    The companies that manufacture gun cleaning gear would love for you to follow this guidance because you’ll need more cleaning gear. But, if the carbon fouling in the action must be cleaned after every use, then why would it not need to be cleaned after every shot? The same could be said of barrels. If you must clean the carbon, copper and lead fouling out of your barrel after every use, then why would you not need to clean it after every shot?

    Understandably, we spend a lot of money on our guns, and we want them to last as long as possible. If you enjoy cleaning a gun, then by all means have at it: Make it your nightly ritual, clean it before you use it, while you’re using it and after you use it. Hell, you can even get it out of the safe every month and clean it again. The truth is, with modern smokeless powders, gun cleaning really only needs to occur under certain circumstances.

    Hellcat-w-CLP
    Lubricating a gun isn’t the same as cleaning it. Lubrication should occur often; complete cleaning, not so much. However, in addition to lubrication, some gun oils help with cleaning and metal protection.

    When To Clean

    You learn as you go, and with more than a half-century of gun handling behind me, I’ve learned a bit about cleaning guns. I don’t clean my car every time I drive it, don’t clean my oven every time I use it, and I damn sure don’t clean my guns every time I shoot them.

    I’ve developed a very simple cleaning guide and suggest you do the same. You see, one of the things that’s changed in this world, is time: A day is still 24 hours long, but 24 hours don’t go as far as they used to. Knowing when your gun needs to be cleaned—and when it doesn’t—allows you to better manage time and keeps you from wasting expensive gun-cleaning gear.

    stripped-gun-parts
    There are a lot of ways to thoroughly clean a gun but thoroughly cleaning a gun is something that’s rarely needed.

    #1: Clean your gun when/before it stops working.

    When you fire a gun, it gets dirty. If you shoot enough, there’s the possibility these deposits can negatively impact the operation of the gun. Maybe not so much with a single-shot, break-action shotgun, but it’s definitely the case with gas-impingement-driven, semi-automatic guns like the AR-15. Carbon, copper, lead and plastic deposits can be left in the bore. In some cases, this can degrade accuracy. Also, magazine-fed guns can become less reliable if magazines get dirty. Not so much because of fouling, bit it’s usually because magazines get dropped on the ground and attract dirt and debris.

    If you start seeing reliability or accuracy issues, it could mean your gun needs to be cleaned. Just as importantly, there might be something else wrong that’s causing the issue. Regardless, it’s time to begin the PMCS process. But, ideally, you should know your gun well enough so that you never get to the point where a dirty gun is the problem.

    I once had a Cooper rifle chambered for .257 Roberts that was a tack driver. But after about 25 rounds, accuracy was substantially compromised, and I had to clean the rifle’s bore. That’s an example of how copper fouling can impact accuracy. I sold that rifle because I had better things to do than clean it after every box of ammunition I fired.

    When I was shooting police pistol competitions, I used handloaded lead bullets and, after about 150 rounds, my 1911 would begin to cycle a bit sluggishly. So, I’d field strip it between matches and give it a good cleaning. With both of these guns, I’d learned their fouling point and conducted PMCS before it became a problem.

    gun-cleaning-kit
    Most gun cleaning kits should be looked at as PMCS kits, because PMCS should be done much more frequently than thorough cleaning.

    #2: Clean your gun when it gets wet.

    It’s true that most modern firearms come with high-tech coatings that are very resistant to corrosion. But no matter how well a wood stock might be sealed and no matter how space age some coating might be, there’s always a weak spot. A spot that didn’t get sealed, that didn’t get coated or that has been worn.

    Moisture has a way of finding these points, and this moisture doesn’t have to be in the form of rain or snow. Humidity is the invisible corrosive. After any exposure to moisture or extreme humidity, you should take your gun apart, wipe it down and apply a light coat of gun oil to all metal surfaces, regardless of if they’re stainless-steel or coated.

    Gun-Cleaning-dirty-patch
    The blue tint on this patch indicates there’s copper fouling in the barrel. But unless the rifle is shooting poorly, it does not have to be removed after every use. The black on this patch is from carbon fouling after a single shot. It’s not necessary to remove carbon fouling after every shot or even after every range session.

    #3: Clean your gun when it gets dirty.

    I’m not talking about the dirt of carbon or copper fouling: I’m talking about dirt and debris from outside the gun that might get on or inside it. With guns, dry and dusty environments are devilish. Guns are machines that need lubrication, but gun oil attracts dust, and guns aren’t designed to work when they’re gobbed off with dust-induced oily mud. Just as you must remain vigilant in wet conditions, you must also stay on top of your PMCS in dry climates. Compressed air is your friend, as is the frequent but limited application of lubrication.

    #4: Clean your gun for long-term storage.

    If you’re wise, you have a gun safe with humidity control for long periods of storage. This doesn’t circumvent the need for some corrosion-resistant gun oil, but it helps. Because of the nature of my profession, I shoot a lot of different guns often. Most of my guns rarely go a month without being fired.

    However, I do own some guns that rarely get handled or fired because they’re either intended for very specific applications or because they’re heirloom firearms. When the guns I rarely shoot are fired, I give them a thorough cleaning before they’re stored, partly for their protection, but also partly so I know their condition the next time I take them out.

    1911-barrel-lube
    A little lubrication goes a long way, but lubricating isn’t cleaning.

    Perfecting PMCS

    The care, service and/or maintenance of most mechanical devices is generally dictated by a schedule. If you were in the military, you’re familiar with PMCS that’s regulated by a time or usage table. For example, after so many days or a certain amount of usage, there are things you should check/clean. The operative word within preventative maintenance checks and service is preventative. PMCS is done to prevent failures as opposed to correct them.

    For example, if you’re a long-range precision shooter, there are checks you should make before, during and after every match or range session. Similarly, some services need to be performed at certain times. You might have a rifle like my old .257 Roberts that needs to have its bore cleaned after a certain number of shots. You should check the tightness of action screws, scope mount screws and scope lens cleanliness before every match. The list of checks and services will vary, not only from gun to gun, but in frequency.

    AR-BCG-maintenence
    Carbon fouling can be difficult to remove but it’s not necessary to remove it after every use.

    But what PMCS is not is a mandate that your gun must be completely disassembled and cleaned after every use.

    The point I’m trying to make is that punching the tube or completely disassembling and cleaning your gun after every use isn’t necessary. This doesn’t mean that, after you’ve handled a gun, wiping it down with an oily rag is bad idea. It doesn’t mean that, during a high-round-count range session, it’s a waste of time to field strip a pistol and give it a quick check and wipe down. And it doesn’t mean that after a day hunting you should just throw your rifle in the rack without checking it out and maybe applying some oil or lube.

    At some level, PMCS should be performed after every use and periodically, but this notion that you must fully clean a gun every time you shoot it is a superstitious belief. If it’s something you think must happen, then I’d suggest you don’t walk under ladders, stay home on Friday the 13th … and never open an umbrella inside the house.

    Just sit in your easy chair cleaning your guns. All the time.

    Won’t that be fun?

    Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


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