The Real Avid AR15 tool, with all the scrapers and tools opened. Notice that the sight adjustment tool comes off, so track it down if you lend it out.
The Real Avid Gun Tool Core: something you need, will want … and must acquire.
If you work on firearms, you need tools. If you work on ARs, you need specific tools. And, despite your best efforts, a lot of those tools get separated from the pack, left behind, lost, “borrowed” or otherwise enter the shooter’s “Bermuda Triangle.”
Real Avid has found a way to keep the most-used AR cleaning and maintenance tools in one spot: Make them into a carabiner.
Compact Carabiner—A Shooter’s ‘Duct Tape’
Carabiners are the oval clips that rock climbers use to wrestle with ropes. Those of us who don’t climb rocks use them to hold our keys or clip gear to packs or belts. Think of them as the aluminum equivalent of duct tape. Real Avid made the Gun Tool Core for the AR-15 into a carabiner shape. This makes it both compact and affords you a convenient way to attach it to your gun bag.
Let’s start with the cleaning stuff. A scraper is built into the Gun Tool Core on one part or another that can scrape the carbon buildup off every important space on your AR-15. The bolt, carrier and firing pin can all be scraped clean at all the locations where carbon builds up. Also included is a front sight adjustment tool—a tool that always seems to get lost or left behind. And, if you run optics, there’s a turret adjustment tool that saves you from having to dig change out of your pocket to zero your optics.
But Wait, There’s More
The included cord cutter lets you cleanly lop off a length of 550 cord for when you’re building a sling, attaching a dummy cord to an important piece of gear or have woven an extra 550 for your carbine. The takedown punch helps you push those really stubborn pins across to take your rifle apart and clean it. There’s even a bottle opener (a device I don’t think I’ve had to use for years, but if you ever need one, here it is).
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All this can be found in a single, compact tool that can be clipped to your range bag, web gear or any other place you might want it to be—and have it stay there. The Gun Tool Core also uses liner locks to keep the various attachments locked in place, rather than flopping around on you.
The Real Avid tool closed up. You can close it over a MOLLE strap on your range bag or lash it to the back with 550 cord.
I’m not entirely sure that it’s possible to pack more features or tools into a unit that’s so compact, but if anyone can do it, Real Avid can.
What I like about the Gun Tool Core is that in addition to being so compact, the only part that actually detaches from the tool is the front sight adjuster. And, if it’s off, you’ll definitely miss it: Having noticed that your Real Avid carabine/tool can’t be closed and locked onto your range bag, you’ll be reminded to get the front sight adjustment tool back from whoever … “borrowed” it.
Great Price
The only lack I can see is a flat space large enough to have your name or initials engraved on it (I have some ideas about that!).
The best part? The price. With a list price of $39.99, I’m not sure you could purchase all the individual tools included on the Gun Tool Core for that. They would have to cost more; and then, they would be individual tools, prone to the problems we’ve all experienced with single tools.
The Gun Tool Core for AR-15s is something you need, will want … and must acquire. And, once you have it, you can clip it to your range bag or the AR carry case you take to the range.
I’ve got mine; go get one of your own.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Traditional good looks and excellent field performance, the TriStar Bristol side-by-side aims at being a bird-season classic.
The beat of wings on autumn air. Few things are better. Well, maybe one thing. Taking advantage of this special time of year with a side-by-side shotgun.
Generally, the classic scatter gun is cost-prohibitive for many given the expenses tied to tuning both barrels to hit the same spot. However, hunt around and you can find some gems. This certainly seems the case with the TriStar Bristol side-by-side line. Recently introduced, the Turkish-made smooth bore combines excellent lines with top-notch function for what looks to be a bird season classic. And while its MSRP is at the higher end of entry-level side-by-side shotguns—starting at $1,000—TriStar provides plenty of value for your money.
Available in two models—a color case-hardened action and silver—the Bristol side-by-side is engineered for fast action in the field. This is especially apparent in the shallow action, facilitating fast reloading, and a wide fore-end that lays nicely in the palm for quick pointing. Adding to the gun’s dashing looks regardless of action finish is a stick of select Turkish walnut, oil finished to bring out the richness of the wood. The stock styles vary depending on model, with the color case hardened Bristol sporting a straight English-style grip and the silver a more modern pistol grip. In either case, ample checkering aids in fast and intuitive handling, even in inclement conditions.
The TriStar Bristol is available in four bores—12-, 20-, 28- and .410—likely increasing its appeal to gauge-snobs. Regardless of bore, the gun boasts 28-inch, chrome-lined barrels, complete with auto ejectors and compatible with Beretta style choke tubes. Though, the importer outfits you well to start, including Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Improved Modified and Full chokes. Up top, the gun is equipped with a single, highly-visible brass bead to get you on target. As far as the trigger, TriStar opted for a single-select, with the barrel selector a thumb affair situated on the tang.
As to the gun’s looks, both iterations of the TriStar Bristol are striking, but the Silver model offers a bit more flare. Laser engraved with elaborate scrollwork and featuring 24K gold inlay on the underside of the action, the shotgun is certainly eye-catching. Even more so for the money you’ll pay.
For more information on the TriStar Bristol, please visit tristararms.com.
If we’re honest with ourselves, this piece is dated at time of writing. Settle your horses. The insinuation isn’t the 300 Blackout is a thing of the past or some flash in the pan. At this point, arguably the second-most popular AR-15 chambering is common as Kentucky bluegrass. Thus, much of the rigmarole over who makes the “best” 300 Blackout upper, or rifle for that matter, is as moot a point as continental drift.
That said, for the unanointed tinkering with dipping their toes into the .30-caliber cartridge guidance is warranted. Especially given 300 Blackout uppers—the top-shelf variety—can flirt with bank-busting price tags.
Granted, these premium options are well worth the money for those squared away on their wants and needs. For those just delving into the caliber, it might prove a costly exercise in trial and error.
Count yourself among these ranks, perusing affordable 300 Blackout uppers that don’t shook on quality is a worthy endeavor. One that not only saves you money, but gives you a solid base to evaluate if the .30-caliber has a place in your arsenal.
What Is The 300 Blackout?
We won’t spill much digital ink on boring to the quick of the cartridge. We’ve previously written about the 300 Blackout’s genesis and how the cartridge compares with the ubiquitous 5.56 (300 Blackout vs 5.56). However, a brief capsule of the cartridge and its capabilities merits mention.
Without going too deep, the cartridge came into its own as an answer to a special operations issues. In particular, how to level-up their suppressed short barrel rifles (SBR) and carbines’ performance, given most were chambered 9mm. The pistol cartridge was quiet, but left a heap of performance on the table for the platform.
Advanced Armaments Corporation’s answer was the 300 Blackout, an intermediate cartridge mimicking the legendary 7.62×39mm’s ballistics. Given this was the entry point of the cartridge going mainstream, the effort lead to two of the cartridge's most notable traits—suppressibility (obviously) and flexibility in varied gun configurations. Also, it packed more punch than running pistol cartridges through a long gun—definitely a plus.
The latter factor makes the 300 Blackout upper and rifle options pretty widespread. Given it only needs 9-inches of barrel for a complete powder burn, it’s found in nearly every shape and size of rifle, pistol and SBR. This isn't to imply the cartridge performs the same through all barrel lengths. More bore improves velocity. Though even with this improvement, the Blackout remains a close mid- and short-range option, thus 16-inch barrel lengths are generally the ceiling.
Concerning suppressibility, the 300 Blackout is among the best rifle cartridges and has made its bones in this facet alone. Ammo companies have helped the cause. Heavy subsonic loads are nearly as abundant as lighter supersonic ones and are generally comparable in price. If you run a can or are thinking about doing do so, investing in a 300 Blackout upper means you're fully supported.
Thoughts On Usage
Honestly, sometimes shooters get too hung up on practicality. Yes, firearms are tools, but perhaps the most enjoyable ones you’ll own. If you want a 300 Blackout for no other reason than the pleasure of perforating paper, don’t talk yourself out of one. But if you need reasons for your rhyme, there are two very good cases for investing in a 300 Blackout.
Given its excellent close-range performance, aptitude in nimble (read small) firearms and its suppressibility, the cartridge is a viable home-defense option. Don’t forget about magazine capacity out of an AR, which in a word is “superb”. But what about overpenetration? Spoiler alert, when you’re talking drywall and lithe interior building material in close quarters, that’s any cartridge, even the pistol variety.
Deer season is also a top-notch reason to invest in a 300 Blackout upper. Similar to a .30-30 Winchester, the cartridge is lights out to around150 yards on deer and theoretically qualifies as an elk and moose option by many state division of wildlife standards. Invest in a tough bullet and get close with the latter game. However, it’s hamstrung by milder velocities, thus trajectory is anything but flat. Try to go long with the 300 Blackout, expect bullet drop akin to a lead zeppelin.
Best Affordable 300 Blackout Upper Options
Palmetto State Armory
Nearly cornering the market on affordable AR parts and rifles that don’t suck, PSA makes an excellent entry point for 300 Blackout uppers. None more than its 16-inch lightweight package. It’s kind of a do-all build for the caliber, as long as you’re shooting lighter bullets. With 1:8 or 1:10 twist rates across the board at PSA, this is par for course. This could leave suppressor owners cold. Sub-sonic runs heavy, thus stabilized better out of a barrel with a 1:7 twist.
Nevertheless, this is a quality build, from its carpenter steel bolt to chrome-moly barrel. The lightweight aluminum handguard (M-Lok compatible) is a nice touch, lightening the load if you’re thinking about stalking deer. And its pistol-length gas system ensures reliable cycling with whatever it's fed. MSRP: $449
Diamondback Firearms
Again, this is a jack-of-all-trades carbine option, with exceptional build quality. The one drawback to Diamondback’s 300 Blackout upper, no bolt-carrier group (BCG) or charging handle. No big shakes. Do your shopping and, with Diamondback’s prices, likely you’ll come out ahead of what you’d spend on a complete upper. A 1:8 twist rate, this is another option tailored to lighter bullets and not so much for suppressors.
On the plus side, it comes with a pretty nice handguard, with ample M-Lok real estate at the 3-, 6- and 9-o’clock positions, as well as plenty of rail space for an optic and front sight. A pistol-length gas system makes certain the upper chews through what it’s fed and a forged receiver is up to rough duty. MSRP: $255
Aero Precision
Shooting for a nimble close-quarters configuration, it’s difficult to do better than Aero’s 10-inch M4E1 with ATLAS S-One Handguard. Certainly, it won’t make for the smallest AR pistol—or SBR if you have your paperwork in order. However, the length ensures you get the full ballistic potential of the cartridge—which is worth an inch or two. As a side note, you can go larger or smaller with this 300 Blackout upper with 16- and 8-inch options available.
No matter the barrel length, they all boast a 1:7 twist rate, which as we established, is more conducive to stabilizing a vast majority of heavy sub-sonic ammunition. Also, there’s ATLAS S-One Handguard. Functionally, it is slimmer and lighter than most you’ll find on the market today. Furthermore, the free-floating handguard also is a snap to install or upgrade given the ATLAS attachment system. MSRP: $455
The 557 Eclipse keeps the heart of the popular rifle, but cuts its price.
Over the years, when shooters thought CZ rifles they thought controlled feed. Who could blame them? The 550, with its oversized claw extractor, definitely qualified as a classic, especially among hunters or those pining after a Winchester Model 70—the pre-1964variety. So, color the world shocked in 2018 when CZ announced a new rifle and, lo and behold, it was a push feed. Sacrilege!
Except, the CZ 557 had plenty to endear it to shooters, including the No. 1 feature any marksman with a half a brain desires above everything else—accuracy. Flash forward to this winter and things have gotten a whole lot sweeter with the popular fledgling line. The new 557 Eclipse rifle is proof of that.
An entry-level option, the neat little rifle is just the ticket for those looking to flush CZ performance, not price. How cheap are we talking? With a MSRP of $649, it’s not at the basement of economical bolt-actions. In the same breath, it offers a load more than most irons in its class.
First and foremost, it’s a true-to-life CZ 557. Cold-hammer forged and factory lapped barrel (20-inches), rugged push-feed action, fully adjustable trigger … the whole nine yards. In turn, the foundation of a solid rifle is there. What’s different are the gun’s accouterments. As CZ puts it, the 557 Eclipse is a “no non-sense” rifle; translate that to fewer frills.
Where this is most evident is the stick of polymer instead of hardwood stocking the rifle. The 557 Eclipse retains the original 557’s American-pattern stock with a strong pistol grip, a slight palm swell and high, flat comb. This should make it familiar to those who have experience with the rifle. But once at the shoulder, the gun has a much different feel, given the glass-reinforced polymer stockhas what CZ calls its soft-touch finish.
Though, not all the changes on the 557 Eclipse are to cut costs. One that should delight those with a more modern bent is the inclusion of a threaded barrel (5/8×24), making it ready to accept a suppressor or brake out of the box. This feature should also attract those in the market for a penny-pinching long-range option. As to chambering, three are presently available: .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and 6.5 Creedmoor.
Use the tripod as a rear support when you have a front rest. The spotter or binoculars can still be in position on the tripod if necessary.
It's not 1978 any longer. Long-range hunting is a viable and ethical tactic if you're schooled in the fundamentals of precision shooting.
I lament that in each class I teach, I point out that from the turn of the last century to just before 9-11, precision rifle technology and techniques moved at a snail’s pace. What our grandfathers passed on to our fathers was passed on to us; and, from there, we passed the same thoughts down to our children.
After 9-11, everything changed; it became the new “space race.” Each week, we read about a new way of addressing old problems. As a result, it can be hard to keep up.
I’ve found that there are three types of students that attend long-range shooting school:
Those looking to compete in NRL- and/or PRS-type competitions
Those looking to be well-rounded marksmen for personal reasons
Those who want to be a better, more effective hunter
Addressing the hunters out there: It’s still 1978 for most people. The .30-06 hunting rifle with a low-power scope still works well enough to put meat on the table—so, why change? It’s great to stalk game at close range and feel the rush when you’re surprised by the appearance of a worthy target. The cycle repeats over and over every hunting season.
But, as with the changes to the military sniping program, hunters can learn a thing or two from the current competition and military shooters. We’ve improved our equipment and combined this with a better understanding of what it takes to hit a target from alternative positions. We’ve become increasingly effective engaging targets at extended hunting ranges. No more do you have to rush taking that 70-yard shot; you can sit back and relax while ethically engaging in a 300-, 400- and even a 700-yard shot on living targets. Long-range hunting is a reality.
New Calibers
The new PRC calibers are well-suited for the level of precision and accuracy for long-range hunting. The 6.5 PRC is great for North American game; and, if you want to venture farther north to places such as Alaska, with bigger animals, the 300 PRC can also provide the energy on target to get the job done.
A great way to use a vehicle as a shooting rest is by working with a shooter off the 4-wheeler, taking a Game Changer-style bag and dropping it between the handlebars. It can become a long-range hunting necessity.
When you combine these calibers with carbon-fiber barrel technology, you keep the weight low. It allows you to shoot more when practicing, as opposed to traditional, pencil-thin barrels.
Alternative Positions
Alternative positions are the keys to success. No more do we want to take an offhand shot at something. Instead, we can build better positions that take advantage of the terrain in a given area.
Using bags such as the Game Changer on 4-wheelers, logs, branches and rocks can be a lesson in rock-steady shooting. These bags come in a variety of fill weights—starting at 7 pounds (if you’re traveling by horse or 4-wheeler), or, if you’re walking it in, in ounces, because they contain ultralight fills.
We practice these techniques with our students, and the results speak for themselves.
Doping and Prep
Many a hunter returns the following year with tales from afar. Instead of missing that elk at 175 yards, they’re taking them with one shot at 525 yards. I receive e-mail after e-mail relating these success stories.
The fact that a student can, and will, actually dope the rifle to distance (versus using a random hold-off over the target) is one area of focus. Regardless of the setup, you can establish a good, solid, 100-yard zero. Then, after actually doping the rifle, you apply the proper elevation to the shot, thereby guaranteeing a successful long-range hunting engagement.
It sounds simple. Even so, a lot of traditional hunters skip these steps. They’d rather wing it by guessing the inches of drop over the back of the animal.
Bench Shooting
Don’t let physical limitations get in your way either. I don’t force older students or students with physical disabilities in the prone. Rather, I instruct them on better bench shooting and how to properly replicate the other positions using a bench.
Using bags to bridge obstacles: Instead of hard-to-hard surface contact, you can use the bags for hard-to-soft surfaces. The rifles will settle in nicely.
It’s really easy to square up behind the bench if you treat it as a better-supported position. I don’t follow the “bladed” approach to bench shooting. It keeps your body squared to the support, your head and eyes in line with the target, and works within the fundamentals of marksmanship by using your natural point of aim to your advantage.
Tripods
Lastly, never overlook the versatility of the tripod. If I only had one choice—bipod or tripod—I’d always choose a tripod. Correctly employed, along with a system designed to shoot a rifle, a tripod is your single greatest tool when it comes to long-range hunting and field shooting. You can shoot in a standing position with little to no effort.
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You can set up a tripod over and around obstacles in your path without having to hold the rifle up yourself. A tripod can serve as an observation platform, hosting your binoculars or spotting scope, and then quickly transition to a firing platform. The more we race down the “rabbit hole” of tripods, the more impressive they become.
Bottom line? To be effective, it takes practice—not only shooting—but actual practice. Doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for a better outcome, only happens when you try new things and work to improve yourself. For instance, I can swing a golf club the wrong way a whole lot and, through repetition, I get closer to the hole each time. However, taking a class from a professional instructor would increase my skill level much faster.
Once we educate ourselves on the possibilities, our skill sets will grow through practice and proper execution of the techniques. In other words, we can work smarter, not harder.
Back in the day, the answer was always, “Take a case of ammo and go shoot.” Today, we understand that this is always sound advice—if you have the foundation to work from right from the start. Build a solid foundation with the fundamentals. You can build up your skills from there.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2020 Long-Range Shooting issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Designed to push velocity limits, the .250 Savage ushered in a new era of high-velocity cartridges.
Historical Notes
Designed by Charles Newton, the .250 Savage was introduced by the Savage Arms Company as a high-velocity round for the Model 99 lever-action rifle. The original loading used an 87-grain bullet at 3,000 fps muzzle velocity, and Savage named it the .250-3000. One suspects the 87-grain bullet was chosen because it could be safely driven at 3,000 fps with the powders then available. This allowed Savage to introduce it with the ever-so-sexy name, “.250-3000.” Remember, in 1915, when this cartridge was introduced, riflemen were still marveling at cartridges achieving 2,000 fps.
About 1932, the 100-grain bullet load was marketed by Peters Cartridge Company; and later, the velocity of the 87-grain bullet was slightly increased. Now, it’s simply called the .250 Savage. The Savage Model 20 and Model 40 bolt-action rifles also chambered the round, as did the Winchester Model 54 and Model 70 bolt-actions. Late in 1971, Savage announced that the Model 99 would again be available in this cartridge. Others, such as Ruger and Remington, have also made rifles in this cartridge.
General Comments
Flat trajectory, outstanding accuracy, and good killing power on anything up to, and including, deer are established characteristics of the .250 Savage. It was—and still is—excellent on varmints through deer. In the past few years, it’s been edged out by the .257 Roberts and the new 6mm cartridges. It’s far superior as a deer cartridge to the .30-30 or anything in that class—regardless of what some .30-30 “addicts” claim.
Because of its light recoil, it’s an excellent choice for youth and women. The .250-3000 is the basis of one of Ackley’s best wildcats, the .250 Ackley Improved. Winchester continues to load a 100-grain round (X2503), but the 87- and 120-grain bullets are no longer factory loaded.
Giving you instant feedback, the G-Sight ELMS app turns your smart device into a personal firearms instructor.
Acting like a personal firearms instructor, the G-Sight ELMS app helps you get the most out of your dryfire training.
In the era of Coronavirus house arrest, gun mags have spilled countless words on the importance of dryfire training. Ranges shutdown and folks shut-in, what better way to burn through mundane hours and improve your marksmanship than dropping the hammer on an empty chamber? What else are you going to do, binge watch another horrible series on your streaming service?
Anyhow, the great benefit to dryfiring in the modern day is it’s no longer a guessing game. Catching up with training methods, technology enhances what a shooter gets out of pulling the trigger without sending a bullet downrange. We’re talking feedback here, as instantaneous as a perforation in a silhouette. Few do it better than G-Sight Expert Laser Marksmanship System (ELMS).
Previously, we’ve reviewed and broken down the laser diode and how it functions in your handgun. But the hardware is only one part of the equation. The other is the real high-tech part of the system, ELMS’ marksmanship app.
What It Does
The ELMS laser interfaces with your gun, projecting it on the target when you pull the trigger. Think of it as your personal shooting range. The smart-device app, on the other hand, records your actual hits, allowing you to diagnose your accuracy in real-time. Slapping the trigger, breaking your wrists, pushing forward at the break, you’ll see it plain as day on the digital screen. Which, in essence, makes the app a one-on-one firearms coach.
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There are two parts to the program’s accuracy diagnostics. In order, audio and visual—each playing an important role in helping you train.
The latter first. As you can guess, the visual aspect allows you to see exactly where you’re hitting on a target and assess your performance. On the free basic app—available for both iPhone and Android devices—you get a 10 shot record. At first blush, it might sound limited, but the running tab should prove more than enough to gauge your groupings. Think of it this way, it’s three failure drills with complete feedback. Unless you're hiring out as a Congolese mercenary that should prove ample.
Working in conjunction with your smart device, G-Sight ELMS app gives you instant feedback on how your shots are grouping.
Auditorily, the app is a bit more nuanced, but no less important. When you make hits on the target the app lets out a ping! very similar to striking a sheet of AR500—those who shoot steel understand. Why does this prove key? Because, you can keep your focus where it needs to be—the front sight and downrange. While at the same time, still gain a rough idea if you’re placing shots where you should.
Advanced Training
Among the most difficult aspects to train is performance under pressure. Adrenaline pumping, a situation unfolding in real-time, effectively getting a gun into a fight, these are nigh impossible to replicate. Even competition is a pale facsimile. This should give you an idea of where dryfire training stands.
While no home-training system can provide a true reproduction of a lethal-force encounter, G-Sight offers an upgrade to hone your response in the face of stress. For a $5 in-app purchase, you arm the app with a shot timer. Don’t underestimate its usefulness. The second hand exerts an enormous pressure, enough to leave seasoned pros fumbling on their retrieval. Moreover, this dimension not only adds a sense of urgency to training, but lays bare how efficiently and effectively you respond to it. The stopwatch and bullseye don’t lie.
Getting the ELMS laser diode up and running is as easy as sticking it in your gun’s chamber.
The shot timer is especially adept at dialing in a draw, but don’t stop there. Anything from emergency reloads to clearing stoppages is enhanced under the relentless tick of the clock.
Parting Shot
Even in times where the nation isn’t being forced to stick close to home base, tools such as G-Sight’s ELMS are indispensable. The name of the game is improvement and you only do that through practice. The cutting-edge piece of tech ensures you get plenty, executed the proper way.
For more information on the G-Sight ELMS app and system, please visit g-sight.com.
This is a space gun. Well, it’s a movie space gun—one used in a movie in space: Serenity. It’s Jayne Cobb’s personal 1911.
Hollywood 1911 pistols run the complete gamit, from specimens you find at your local gun store to renditions that are out of this world.
For a supposedly obsolete, old firearm, the 1911 is well-represented on the silver screen. It always has been. However, what you see on the screen may or may not be a 1911 or 1911A1. It may also not be a .45 ACP. There are several reasons for that.
OK, let’s set the stage. (See what I did there?) Our hero needs to prevail, and he needs to be properly armed for the climactic shoot-out. But that shoot-out—the part you see on the screen for a minute or even a few seconds—takes months of planning and practice. The director must lay it all out on what are called “storyboards,” which are drawn representations of how they want the camera to see the scene. Then, the producer plans the distances, timing and locations with the location scout and the cinematographer. The producer schedules the practice time, equipment and budget with the prop master.
And that’s where the guns come in. The guns on screen that you see today come in four types: rubber, Airsoft, blank-firing and live. And blank-firing firearms come in four types: quarter, half, three-quarter and full power. Why all these types? Because they need them . It’s just that simple.
OK, start the debate: Was Rick Deckard (Blade Runner), himself, a replicant or human? And, if one or the other, what evidence do you have to prove it? This is a real firearm, in that the receiver on top is a Sauer bolt-action rifle receiver. How does it work? Who cares? The only real question is, Would you run off with Rachael and bet that Gaff wouldn’t chase you?
The rubber guns are for extras who will never use them and to protect the actors (and the guns) from the day-to-day wear and tear of being worn. If you see a squad room scene in a police procedural where everyone is armed, they are all rubber guns. A squad of soldiers who are not actually firing their weapons? All rubber or plastic. In fact, most of the guns you’ll see on the screen and on TV are rubber, plastic or composite dummies, because they are inexpensive; and, compared to real firearms, there is no real paperwork involved.
The molding and casting processes are so high quality that you can read the original serial number of the model used to create the mold. They come in soft rubber (more comfortable, but less durable) and harder compositions. The Airsoft guns allow film crews to work in locations where the noise of blank-firing handguns might be disturbing, such as indoors. The slides cycle, and the computer wizards add in the muzzle flash and flying brass later. There may not even be the little plastic pellets of Airsoft being used. (The sounds are all added in after, regardless of the type of firearm or rubber gun used.) That’s done with CGI.
Blank guns are modified to run with blanks. Despite being so modified and often irreversibly so, they are still firearms and, as such, strictly controlled. Generally, this involves grinding off the locking lugs and putting a plug in the barrel to allow enough gas pressure to cycle the action. The power level represents the power the blanks are loaded to and the power the firearm is built to properly cycle with. A full-power blank gun, being fed quarter-blanks, won’t cycle. A quarter-blank gun being fed full-power blanks can be damaged.
It isn’t a 1911, and it may not even be chambered in .45 ACP, but the author just had to include this in the photo lineup. Yes, this is Mal Reynolds’ sidearm—the Moses Brothers Self-Defense Engine Frontier Model B—from the movie Serenity.
There is also the safety aspect. Blanks can still cause injury or even death. A scene for which the director wants the actors close to each other cannot use full-power blanks. The distance must be calculated and maintained. That’s a big reason for Airsoft and CGI.
Live guns? Sometimes you need live guns for certain scenes, which means you have to acquaint some actors with how they work. Some won’t want to touch these “icky “guns, but some like learning and having fun. And there are those interested in “verisimilitude”—a fancy word meaning “the appearance or semblance of truth.” In other words, it means it’s like the real thing. Also, the sound guys might want to capture the exact report of the firearm being used, just in case. A perfect example of this is in the movie Saving Private Ryan, when the GIs have beaten the German MG42 crew. We hear the machine gun cooling off and the clicks and pops as it settles back down to air temperature. You only get that from the real thing.
And that leads us to another aspect of the prop house: historical accuracy. The prop house is the expert (except for some directors, such as Michael Mann) and makes sure the gear is correct. A Korean War movie with M16s in it is a no-go. A modern police procedural with World War II-era firearms being used better have a good explanation for the viewers, or else they will change channels in disgust. This means prop houses maintain a huge inventory, keep track of the firearms and know what is appropriate, where and when.
Not what a lot of competition or EDC owners would carry, but it is Hollywood, right? And nothing is actually wrong with it; it would serve you well for many uses, as it did for Charlie Hunnam’s character in Sons of Anarchy.
Now, if the director insists on something that is not period-correct, you shake your head, make sure you fulfill the contract and keep that in mind the next time his people call you for the next movie.
Oh, one other part of the firearms experience are the impacts. Called “squibs” in the industry, they are small powder charges that are detonated electrically to show the bullet impact on walls, cars, etc. This can be an incredibly expensive part of a production. You’ve got the actors who will be handed the blank-firing firearms just before the scene starts filming. Then there’s the camera crew, cinematographer, sound man and lighting crew. You can even have two, three or four cameras going at once. You have the prop master and the triggerman for the squibs.
After “lights, camera, action,” the actors start shooting, the squib triggerman sets off the squibs and, if it all goes right, you have a “take.” Then, you set it up and do it again, because the director and editor always want options.
The 1911A1 that Thomas Magnum, aka “Magnum P.I.,” carried and used in the show. Be jealous!
What if the blank gun jams or a blank or squib fail to go off? There are dozens of things that can ruin a take, and when something fails, you set it up and do it all over again.
And finally, there is the legal aspect of things. Not only must the production company keep track of the laws where it is filming — usually the responsibility of the prop master — but it also must know the backgrounds of the actors. (Hmm, how shall I put this? Some actors have lived less-than-stellar lives. In fact, some of them have been convicted of crimes such that they cannot own, or even handle, real firearms. They get rubber guns and CGI.)
Production companies have gotten themselves into trouble by trying to ship firearms into a country or state in which they’re not permitted or for which they simply haven’t completed the required paperwork. The people involved must know the laws and regulations, have the proper licenses and paperwork, and make sure it is all filled out correctly. I found this out when I visited Independent Studio Services, one of the biggest prop houses. It deals not just with firearms (in fact, firearms are a small part of what it does), and it was head-spinning.
A period-correct LAPD SWAT pistol from the early 2000s. Before that, no Kimber. After that, a different Surefire light.
First, anytime there’s going to be a specific firearm on the set of any production, the prop house brings at least two. So, that police procedural with 12 officers walking around? Two dozen rubber guns, at least. Filming an action scene requires at least two blank-firing guns plus rubber clones—for the setup, walk-through and camera framing—and, if the prop master is at all paying attention, other spares of the blank guns of different power levels. Huh?
What if the director suddenly decides that a scene needs to be changed? Instead of a shoot-out in the house of the serial killer, he wants it outside next to the pool, which means you’ll need to switch from quarter-power to full-power blanks, maybe even with extra flash blanks. You’d better have the guns and the ammo on hand, because a production company costs like you wouldn’t believe. Depending on the talents involved, it could be $10,000 an hour, and if the prop master holds things up while a courier drives back to the warehouse to pick stuff up, he will not get hired next time.
And the paperwork? Again, you wouldn’t believe it. OK, let’s say you stage an epic shoot-out with multiple machine guns, squibs for the walls and cars, breaking windows, explosions and more on set somewhere in California. First, the company has to be licensed by both the feds and the state. This includes a standard FFL, an 07 Manufacturers FFL and an ammo manufacturing license (for the blanks). Then, California insists on more licensing for dangerous weapons such as the machine guns, and if explosives are used, that triggers the need for another federal license—plus certification for the training before the licenses will be issued. Then, depending on the firearms that are involved, you might even need to have a transport permit … and dear God, if the local municipality also requires more licensing or paperwork.
Sometimes, a movie would have something such as this 1903 pocket hammer model Colt standing in as a .45, because it would work with blanks.
The pistols used might not have been 1911s in the past and often were not .45s. Making 9mm blanks that worked reliably and consistently was a lot easier than doing the same for .45 ACP. As a result, you can see in some movies in the past (if you look closely or use freeze-frame) that the “1911” someone is using is actually a 1903 hammer model or a 1905 or other early Colt pistol.
Later, 1911s that started out as 9mm or .38 Super pistols that had been built as blank-firing guns were used in the movies as .45s. Now, they can be blank-adapted as actual .45s. When I visited Independent Studio Services, I had the opportunity to handle and photograph some famous guns and even shoot some of them. Fun? You have no idea.
Serenity In the movie Serenity, set in the indeterminate future (supposedly 500 years from now—but, hey, it is a story), the crew of the ship Serenity is working to make a living, shlepping cargo from one plant to another. Despite it being the future, there are a lot of old guns still in use, with some of them upgraded.
Jayne Cobb, the muscle played by Adam Baldwin (no relation to the Baldwin brothers), is very knowledgeable about firearms. His personal 1911 has been worked on and upgraded. What are the upgrades? No idea, but figuring out what would be useful and tactical centuries from now is not the point. I mean, how would you explain a comp on an Open gun to a doughboy?
Rambo “Rambo” has moved from a movie title reference to a word used in common life as a reference and touchstone. Rambo comes back from Vietnam and, of course, he’d be using a Vietnam-era pistol, which would be a box-stock 1911A1. Except, this one isn’t entirely stock. But, hey, things happen. When Rambo came out in 1982, IPSC was still mostly unknown to Hollywood. The Michael Mann-directed movie, Thief, had just come out the year before.
Sons of Anarchy “Shakespeare on motorcycles” might describe the TV series Sons of Anarchy. In it, Jax, the son of the club founder, has to take over the reins of power, find his way and stay alive. You would imagine that a series about a motorcycle club would have plenty of opportunities for violence … and you’d be right. Charlie Hunnam (“Jax” ) carries a “blingy” customized 1911A1. The comp on it is a standard stick-a-threaded-barrel-into-a-1911-pistol modification, and the extended slide stop is something that hasn’t been common for almost two decades now. But the rest of it shows attention to proper tools of the trade. And, hey, if the leader of a motorcycle gang wants to carry something, who is going to tell him “no?”
You could see this in the holster of a SWAT officer or a Special Operations team member, because it is so current and correct.
Black Panther Anyone who does not envy the Marvel crew is not paying attention. Having spent more than half a century building a universe populated with a huge number of characters, it now gets to see it all up on the big screen. In Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan plays Erik Killmonger. That character packs a current-day tool for shooting, a railed and threaded-for-suppressor Springfield Operator, which reflects the character’s Special Operations background. It is hard to argue with it as a choice, either for real-world trials or in the movie setting where it is placed.
Magnum, P.I. In 1980, Tom Selleck was a tall, handsome guy who had been knocking around Hollywood for a decade, getting parts in TV shows and movies. Nothing big, but he was working. Then came the Hawaiian shirts, Ferraris, helicopters and the 1911A1.
Playing a Navy SEAL (before every wannabe was a SEAL) Vietnam veteran, he was the TV draw for most of its eight seasons and 158 episodes. Men wanted to be him. Women wanted to date him. Everyone dreamt of Hawaii and high-speed car chases.
The 1911A1 used in Rambo, with some additions that probably came later. The magazine funnel was not available in 1982, but the extended thumb safety and slide stop could have been (it was close enough for movie work).
And the 1911 that Mr. Magnum carried? It was a Colt Series 70 chambered in 9mm. It had no changes made to it other than being adapted to blanks. And it fired full-power blanks, which I can attest to, having fired it when I visited. Let me tell you: Full-power blanks, even the 9mm ones, are ferocious. The slide cycle felt like live fire, and the blast and heat from the blanks were everything a live round would be—and more.
I’d have worn a suitable shirt for the test-firing, but the patterns are licensed, and you have to pony up $70 each for the shirts he wore. Maybe I will someday.
SWAT The first SWAT TV show appeared in 1975. In the time since, the gear carried by SWAT officers has changed. So, if you are doing a movie or TV show and there are SWAT cops involved, the time period represented in its firearms and gear needs to be spot-on.
It is a situation such as this that adds to the inventory of a prop house. You can’t have a realistic show set in the present day if the main characters are using flip phones, driving cars from the muscle-car era and shooting it out with gangster-era firearms. Viewers are going to notice.
So, prop houses and producers work hard to make things period correct. That leads to multiple generations of SWAT gear, among other props, to ensure viewers can keep track of when it aired.
Available in both .22 LR and .22 WMR, the Taurus Model 942 revolver exceeds expectations and should have shooters looking differently at the Brazilian gunmaker.
SHOT Show is a funny experience. You walk the 12.5 miles of exhibitors at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas over that third week in January. You handle, dry-fire and chat with product managers about dozens of new firearms.
When you get back home, your jealous buddies ask, “What’s new?”
You just shrug and say, “Uh, not much.”
A week or two away from that virus-infested casino air, memories of the better guns handled and guns discussed always percolate up. For me, I couldn’t shake that feeling of palming the new rimfire revolver from Taurus: the Model 942. Here was an all-steel snubnose that had weight—a real gravitas in the hand—plus a great trigger, great grip, interchangeability with aftermarket sights and grips, and a deep bench of available holsters—all this for a real-world price well under $400.
Snob that I am, I was surprised it was a Taurus.
To put it bluntly, Taurus suffers a reputation problem. For many years, its made-in-Brazil firearms hit the American market in sub-standard shape.
There were recalls. Class-action lawsuits. Settlements.
A lot of looks, fit and finish … for not a lot of money. This burnished stainless is the best-looking model.
But, it wasn’t all bad. The .410/.45 Colt Judge revolver that was released in 2006 invented a category. Yet other innovations didn’t go over so well (remember the Curve?). Despite it all, many value-minded shooters stayed loyal throughout the rough spots—and for good reason: Where else can a broke shooter find a $300 .357 that goes bang! every time you pull the trigger?
Reading the news, focused always on the negative—and with zero Taurus trigger time—I was like so many keyboard warriors who’ve come to dominate our modern gun culture (I never publicly expressed distaste for Taurus, but I wasn’t going to buy one, either). But then I’d talk to buddies who had a Taurus and loved it, such as Gun Digest Editor Luke Hartle.
Luke bought a Model 44 when he was 18, because “it was the only .44 Magnum I could afford.”
It’s been running strong for almost 20 years. Topped with a red-dot, it’s still his go-to bait barrel bear gun. Another friend, an editor on a popular firearms website, bought a PT845 in 2010—a now-discontinued 12+1 SA/DA .45 ACP that had an MSRP of $260! Over the years, he’s put thousands of rounds down the barrel without a single hiccup.
With its short sight radius, the 2-inch snubbie—like all 2-inch pistols—is hard to shoot well, making it an excellent training gun.
“The hate on Taurus is mostly bullshit,” he told me. “It had some slip-ups, but overall, it makes great guns, especially now.”
The Old and the … Now
Forjas Taurus (Taurus Forge) opened shop in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1939 as a tool-and-die maker. Then, in 1941, it released its first revolver—the Model 38101SO, which drew on proven designs from Colt and Smith & Wesson.
In 1968, Taurus started exporting revolvers to the United States. In 1970, a controlling interest in Taurus was purchased by Bangor Punta Corp., then the owners of Smith & Wesson. In 1974, Beretta won a contract to make 92s for the Brazilian Army, which required in-country manufacturing. When that contract expired in 1980, Beretta sold its facility, along with everything within it—including the schematics, tooling and a skilled workforce that would soon churn out the well-received Taurus PT92 and PT99.
By that time, Bangor Punta had sold Forjas Taurus back to Brazilian ownership. The company now had facilities, designs and talent with Beretta and Smith & Wesson experience. In 1982, Taurus set up an affiliate company, Taurus U.S.A., in Miami to import its firearms and eventually design guns stateside.
Eight rounds are loaded and ready to party. If you must carry a rimfire for self-defense, a revolver is the way to go. If a shot doesn’t go off, pull again to drop the hammer on a fresh round.
Over the next 20 years, Taurus grew to one of the largest small arms shops in the world. It had a reputation for experimenting with alloys and Space Age materials such as titanium while offering standard features such as barrel fluting and interchangeable cylinders that the big American manufacturers only provided as high-dollar custom shop options. Young shooters on a college budget now had an option if, say, they wanted a .44 Magnum to take bear hunting.
There were stumbles along the way. After a few high-profile models didn’t cut the mustard, Taurus got a new CEO, and all firearms imported to Miami “got a 100 percent inspection,” says Oliver Coulombier, director of engineering for Taurus U.S.A. “We rejected a lot of product at that time, and soon, the lights went on for the folks in Brazil.”
Last year, Taurus U.S.A. opened a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing center and corporate headquarters on a 75-acre campus in Bainbridge, Georgia. Compared to Miami, there’s surely a big tax advantage in that move; however, it’s also allowed the company to expand stateside engineering and production capability. Currently, the TX22, PT22 and Spectrum are manufactured in the United States, and new models are in development.
If you still think there’s a quality issue with Taurus, I dare you to run anyone of those pistols or the new 942 rimfire revolvers.
A Wheelie Done Right
The eight-round DA/SA Model 942 is chambered in .22 LR or .22 WMR. It comes in 2- and 3-inch barrel lengths and in matte black or stainless steel. There’s also a 2-inch, hard-anodized, black, ultra-light model that comes in at slightly fewer than 18 ounces. The steel guns in 2-and 3-inch weigh 23.6 and 25 ounces, respectively, giving them a real command in-hand—as I first discovered on the floor at SHOT and later, while testing the 2-inch snubbies in .22 LR and .22 WMR.
After several hundred rounds through each, the author decided a 2-inch .22 LR is the ideal trainer, while a 3-inch Model 942 in .22 WMR would make a better trail gun.
Beyond the weight, part of that in-hand appeal is the ergonomic rubber grip, which seats well in my large, glove-sized hands. The grips are interchangeable with aftermarket options made for Taurus 85, 856, 605, 380 and 905 revolvers, including the red-laser option from Viridian. The weight and the grip make it a sound-handling iron.
Dimensionally, the 942 compares to the 605—a J-frame-comparable subcompact. The cylinder rotates counterclockwise, and the release and hammer have a nice burring. The drift rear sight, held in place with a small flat-head screw, can be adjusted for windage,. The replaceable front serrated ramp sight is pinned. It’s black, but that can be cured with a little nail polish or by swapping in a fiber-optic, if so inclined.
The 942 shares some DNA with Taurus’ previous rimfire revolver, the Model 94. The main criticism of the 94 was its overly stiff trigger. Taurus engineers corrected that with the 942 by improving the trigger leverage and tweaking the return spring design. In single-action, the trigger breaks at 4 pounds on my test .22 LR and 4 pounds, 6 ounces on the .22 WMR, as tested with a mechanical Timney gauge. There’s very little creep. In double-action, the trigger stages beautifully.
The overall package is accurate, laying down 3-inch groups with every .22 LR and .22 WMR load on my shelf … when I did my part. A 2-inch rimfire revolver will separate the crack handgun shots from the rest of us, which is the main reason I can see for adding this little gun to the arsenal. With its short sight radius, it forces good sight and trigger discipline—or shots run away quickly.
Available in .22 LR and .22 WMR, the Model 942s are identical—without the cylinder and barrel. Both make excellent plinkers, trainers, backup carry guns or pack pistols.
These pistols are safe to dry-fire, unlike most rimfires. Add the Viridian laser grip, and you have a first-rate, indoor dry-fire training tool. Ensure the gun is empty, point the laser at the wall, and then squeeze the trigger without the laser jumping all over the place. With no slide to rack, you can practice on easy repeat until your finger starts to blister.
In .22 LR, the 942 makes an excellent trainer, plinker, kit gun or hiking trip sidearm. In .22 WMR, all the same applies, but it’s also a self-defense tool for those unable to command a .380 or 9mm. (For self-defense applications, look at the Speer Gold Dot 40-grain GDHP-SB.) And, it’s a great backup firearm in an ankle holster A revolver is easily the best format for a rimfire self-defense handgun. If the shot doesn’t go off, squeeze again; the cylinder will still rotate, and the firing pin will still drop on a fresh round.
To try to replicate a malfunction—and as something of a backyard torture test—I put 600 rounds through the .22 LR in a single afternoon. At about the 400-round mark, the gun was so dirty that bullets started to tumble, leaving holes in my paper targets like little sideways rectangles. It takes 12 to 16 inches of barrel to burn up a .22 LR powder charge—depending on whether it’s subsonic or hypersonic ammo—so, in a 2-inch barrel, there’s inevitably a lot of fouling. Two hundred rounds later, I pulled the trigger, and there was no bang!—a light strike on the Aguila .22 target.
I switched over to CCI, Federal and Winchester bulk-pack ammo, and every round went off again. When I switched back to Aguila, there were two more light strikes, but the cylinder kept turning, and the remaining shots went off. Was it the ammo? The filthy revolver? Well, it was probably a combination of the two. In the real world, this is a moot point: If you put 600 rounds through a rimfire handgun and don’t clean it, you don’t deserve to own a rimfire handgun.
Compact and highly concealable, the 942 in .22 WMR makes an excellent backup iron.
The Model 942 from Taurus is a compact, quality, rimfire revolver at a price that can’t be beat. It could play a role in a self-defense kit or as a kit gun in the mountains or on the water. But, more than anything, it’s simply a fun and accurate plinker—ideal for training shooters, both new and old.
Model 942 Specs: Chambering: .22 LR or .22 WMR Frame size: Small Capacity: 8 rounds Height: 4.64 in. Width: 1.34 in. Weight: 23.60 oz. Barrel length: 2.00 in. Overall length: 6.60 in. Front sight: Serrated ramp Rear sight: Drift adjustable Safety: Transfer bar MSRP: $369.52 (matte black); $384.97 (matte stainless)
For more information on the Taurus Model 942, please visit taurususa.com.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Nimble and powerful, Savage has cooked up the nearly perfect big-game semi-automatic with the MSR 10 Hunter.
By now, the hunting credentials of the AR-10 and its little brother, the AR-15, are well established. A rare combination of firepower, speed and manageability, the popular rifles have earned their stripes downing everything from lowly rock chucks to towering bull elk. Yet, there are still issues with finding the best black iron to shoulder next time you shoot to fill a tag.
Offering the traditional Savage Arms performance in a modern package.
While the AR-15 is light and nimble as they come, big-game appropriate chamberings aren’t standard fare. On the flip side, the AR-10 has power to spare—particularly when talking most North American large game—but generally has the agility of Peterbilt truck. If there was only some way to combine the endearing attributes of Eugene Stoner’s brainchildren, then you’d have one heck of a hunting rifle. A regular whack-and-stack ‘em shooter fit for everything from tree-blind whitetails to third-ridge-back mulies.
Thing is, there is—Savage Arms’ MSR 10 Hunter.
Power And Grace
By now, a few years down the road from their introduction, Savage’s MSR (Modern Savage Rifle) line has proven its mettle. Funny, given it wasn’t long ago the company focused almost exclusively on one thing and one thing only—affordable and deadly accurate bolt-action rifles. They still turn those out, but have stormed the semi-auto market by taking a unique angle.
Savage’s game isn’t one mil-spec AR-15 or a single meat-and-potatoes AR-10, instead, each model is purpose-built. Need a long-range option? Look at the MSR 10 Precision. Require a tactical Jack-of-all-trades carbine? The MRS 15 Recon fits the bill And hunting? Few options beat the MSR 10 Hunter.
Part of the vanguard of a line that now stands at 11 models, the Hunter more than lives up to its name. Is it any surprise? From the Model 99 to the Model 110, the gunmaker has turned out some of the most trusted and accomplished hunting rifles of the past century.
Recently, Savage introducted a new model MSR 10 Hunter, the Hunter Overwatch, boasting Mossy Oak's Overwatch camo.
Where Savage’s game getter and its Mossy Oak Overwatch camo-clad sibling, the MSR 10 Hunter Overwatch, excel is striking a nearly perfect balance between power and grace. Its chambering options (.308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor) are fit to tackle nearly any American game animal. At the same time, it’s a slight package that’s quick to the shoulder and intuitive to the eye. That quite a combination, and rare.
Though, words don’t truly do the MSR 10 Hunter justice. To understand its advantages you have to get one in your hands. Only then can you appreciate its mountain rifle heft (7.8 pounds) and surprisingly compact size. Just the things that make it ideal for long treks to a stand and ready at a moment’s notice.
Yet at the same time, the rifle doesn’t suffer the manageability issues—thus shot-to-shot accuracy decay—common to many featherweight hunters. Yes, there’s a bit more buck in the Hunter than, say, a comparably chambered AR-10 creeping up on 10 pounds. But, Savage didn’t skimp in putting together the MSR 10, thus the rifle isn’t something you have to manage to the hilt. Quite the opposite—it shoots and operates as smooth as greased skids.
Top-End Build
If you hunt with an AR-10 you know the routine: find one with a good barrel and receivers, then strip and renovate the rest. It’s accepted that time, money and upgrades are part and parcel of the platform. Except they aren’t with the MSR 10 Hunter.
Savage jettisoned the idea the AR is something you aftermarket to perfection with the Hunter, giving shooters a finely tuned rifle from the box. While it might not suit some who can’t live without a SuperDuper Black X Roundabout Stalker Handguard on their rifle, for the rest it’s a huge energy-saver.
The muzzle brake is a nice addition on the Hunter, aiding fast follow-up shots.
Even if you have a pet upgrade, before swapping out it’s well worth looking at what Savage brings to the game with the MSR 10 Hunter:
Magpul MOE Stock
Free-float M-LOK handguard
Two-stage trigger
Proprietary Savage muzzle brake
Adjustable gas block
Melonite QPQ coated, 5R rifled barrel
Full-length Picatinny rail
It would take weeks to tinker a rifle to the level the MSR 10 Hunter comes off the rack. A huge advantage when you think about it. After all, wouldn’t you rather spend time looking for sign and mapping out potential bedding areas, not scrabble through parts sites hunting for the right pistol grip?
Accuracy Enhancement
It’s lingering on a few facets of Savage’s build and what they bring to the table. Chief among these is accuracy. If you didn’t mind a lighter rifle at the range, the MSR 10 Hunter is a more than capable target rifle—which spells big things in the field. To this end, there are two aspects that really milk precision out of the platform.
The first is the barrel. Certainly on the compact side (16-inches in .308, 18 in 6.5 CM), Savage ensures excellent ballistic potential through 5R rifling. Those not familiar with the relatively new rifling design, it’s fairly straight forward. The lands are tapered, causing less deformation as the bullet travels down the bore, thus the integrity of the projectile’s ballistic coefficient is maintained in flight. Basically, you’ll get a bullet drop and wind drift performance closer to what’s on the side of an ammo box—excellent news, especially for those who opt for the long-range specialist 6.5 Creedmoor. A side benefit, no matter the caliber, a 5R rifled barrel is easier to clean.
Snappy two-stage trigger and svelte receivers are just the ticket in taking the AR-10 on the hunt.
Equally important, the MSR 10 Hunter boasts a lights-out trigger. Unfair as it may be, that one little motion in your finger has more to say about if you hit the mark than nearly anything else. With no creep, the proverbial “like-glass” break and minuscule reset, the trigger is everything you want on a semi-auto hunting rifle. A bit more, considering it’s nickel-boron impregnated, leading to less wear and better lubricity (that is, the 1,000th trigger pull will be as smooth as the first).
Recoil Management
Magpul’s furniture contribution also plays a role in the MSR 10 Hunter’s field performance. Combine with Savage’s solid-bottom brake, the MOE buttstock goes a long way in taming the rifle’s recoil. An important factor in this case. Remember this is a light AR-10, which means snappy hunting loads aren’t only going to have bite downrange.
Aside from the adjustable length of pull, where the MOE cuts some of the kick is the addition of a rubberized recoil pad. Absorbing some of the rifle’s kick, it allows for lightning-fast follow-up shots—an impossibility if you’re rattled to the bone after your first trigger pull.
Furthermore, Magpul originally designed the MOE for use with body armor. While this sounds off base when talking hunting rifles, it is an important factor. Bulked up in winter gear, you never have to worry about getting the MSR 10 Hunter properly shouldered or having to hunt for your cheek weld.
Parting Shot
The AR-10 is here to stay in the hunting field. The rifle has just too much going for it, whether you’re talking its pinpoint accuracy or breezy heft. This leaves only one question up in the air: which is the right rifle for your next hunt. With the MSR 10 Hunter, Savage Arms has made the answer simple.
Constructed from precision machined aluminum, the Rival Arms R-22 Precision Chassis gets 10/22 barreled actions to reach out.
The long-range game requires a lot of turf to play. Enough that in some corners of the country urban sprawl and population density make it all but prohibitive. (Rhode Island, we’re looking at you.) Hence, the growing appeal of National Rifle League .22-caliber matches (NRL22) is understandable. Requiring the same set of skills as the centerfire competition, it’s scaled-down so as the most modest venues can host an event.
Hand in hand with the rise of Lilliputian precision competitions comes the ascension of irons and upgrades up to the job. A recent entry in this niche, Rival Arms with its R-22 Precision Chassis System for rifles with Ruger 10/22 barreled actions. While bolt-actions make up a hefty segment of NRL22 competitions, the precision components manufacturer pick of the iconic semi-auto makes sense. The plinker is as common as dead leaves in autumn, and no slouch in the accuracy department. Also, the 10/22 is the AR of rimfire, easily modified and upgraded with a minimum of tools.
With the R-22 Precision Chassis System, would be small-bore snipers get a billet aluminum rig, precision CNC-machined for a flawless fit up. The fore has room enough to free-float a 1-inch diameter barrel, and includes scalloped texturing aft for grip enhancement. Additionally, there are ample M-Lok slots upfront at the 3- and 9-o’clock positions for accessory attachment, and it is tapped to accept a sling swivel stud or bipod.
Taking advantage of the thriving AR-parts market, the R-22 Precision Chassis is compatible with AR-15 buffer tubes (1 3/16-16 inch Mil-Spec), stocks and pistol grips. The chassis comes in fairly light, at 1 pound, and is available in three finishes—hard black anodized, as well as KG GunKote Flat Dark Earth and Satin Gray.
As to cost, like anything precision the R-22 Precision Chassis is on the spendy side. Yet, for those shooting to dominate their next match, its $254.99 MSRP shouldn’t prove prohibitive.
For more information on the R-22 Precision Chassis, please visit rival-arms.com.
Constructed of a cutting-edge polymer, Kick-Eez Grind-To-Fit recoil pads take a bite out of your gun's kick.
If you’re like most marksman, the buttstock of your gun rarely crosses your mind. Hey, that rifle or shotgun shoulders “well enough”. Why burn the glucose fretting over such a paltry feature? Then funny things happen at the range. Clays go unbroken and bullseyes remain unperforated.
Troubleshooting these issues generally orbit around the obvious—swing, breath control, trigger squeeze … the fundamentals. However, it might not be as simple as all that. Difficulties sometimes creep around where shooters least expect—the meet-up point between body and firearm. We’re talking the gun’s butt here.
No two shooters are created identical. In turn, the 13.5-inch average length of pull of most long guns makes them awkward in some hands. Additionally, what a shooter can endure while maintaining accuracy also varies wildly. Some take a lot of kick and hit the mark, others not so much.
In either case, a quality recoil pad can make a world of difference in performance behind the trigger. Say, like the Kick-Eez Grind-To-Fit models.
Cutting-Edge Construction
Kick-Eez customizable Grind-To Fit pads aren’t a new player to the game. The Kentucky concern has developed a solid standing over the years with a system that works. That’s saying a lot, given most recoil solutions are more placebo than actual cure. They just hope you don’t notice the difference.
In the proverbial bad eggs’ cases, issues reside in their engineering. Most are hard rubber, perforated in some form to create more give against the shoulder. The problem is they still push all the recoil energy in one direction—and you’re in the way. Plus, they’re constructed out of material that over time and use provides diminishing returns.
Kick-Eez’s difference is a single word—Sorbothane. No, it’s not some made-up marketing term. Instead, it’s a special polymer specifically designed for, well, taking and absorbing a blow so you don’t have to. No joke.
In fancy talk, Sorbothane is what is known as a viscoelastic urethane, which means it’s a urethane polymer with both liquid and solid properties.
Its liquid aspect allows it to disperse force in all directions (think a rock hitting water), thus greatly reducing a blow in a short matter of time and not necessarily into what’s behind it. The solid end of things, basically it keeps its shape, thus can be formed into all sorts of useful things—running shoe insoles and recoil pads to name two. Additionally, it doesn’t lose its properties with use, which is mighty impressive.
So, how exactly does Sorbothane measure up to more traditional recoil pad materials? In the hand it’s obvious. Kick-Eez pads are squishy and supple, almost akin to the meat of the heel of your hand and just as resilient. By the numbers, the company's testing is impressive. Compared to traditional rubber recoil pads, Kick-Eez reduces felt recoil by half. Substantial, enough so even those who aren’t recoil shy will notice a difference.
Pleasant as reducing a gun’s recoil by 50 percent is, there’s more to the Kick-Eez system. Material can only go so far in creating a long-gun that’s comfortable to shoot. Fit also plays a role.
Too small a gun, you run the risk of excessive recoil. Too large, you’ll struggle with finger placement on the trigger, thus accuracy issues. There are more to each, sufficed to say none of them good.
Length of pull addresses each and is exactly what Grind-To-Fit pads address. Available in1/2-, ¾-, 15/16- and 1 1/8-inch thickness, the pads lengthen a firearm for a perfect. Need to cajole it further, Kick-Eez also offers a complete line of spacers pads (also made of Sorbothane)—1/8, ¼ and ½ inch in length.
Conceivably, the pad and spacer systems could be used similarly as a fully-adjustable stock, allowing more than one shooter the perfect fit on the same gun. Given Kick-Eez recently expanded this line with colored options, a quick-fit color-coding system for adjustment on the fly isn’t out of the question. Just a thought.
Parting Shot
For most shooters, recoil pads aren’t the belle of the gun accessories ball. This should change.
Recoil isn’t something that should be endured as some sort of badge of honor. It should be tamed, eliminated, thrown on the ash heap of history. The name of the game is hit the bullseye, not bite the bullet.
Furthermore, in this day and age shooters shouldn’t abide ill-fitting guns. It’s the 21st Century for crying out loud! Even your old irons should fit like a well-worn sweater.
Kick-Eez Grind-To-Fit pads solve both dilemmas in one felled swoop. And they do so for less than you’ll pay for a couple boxes of ammo anymore. Honestly, with a solution like that, there’s no reason why you should boot recoil mitigation down the road.
For more information on Kick-Eez Grind-To-Fit pads and spacers, please visit kickeezproducts.com.
The Czech CZ 52 is the only “un-Tokarev” of the communist Eastern European semiautomatic pistol designs in the Soviet caliber of 7.62x25mm. Perhaps a more contemporary design, the CZ 52’s greatest drawback is the lack of a slide latch, and it depends upon an empty magazine to lock the slide to the rear. The Bakelite grips are fastened by a U clamp. At the range, the author feels it handles somewhat better than pistols of the Tokarev pattern.
Among the best known Combloc pistols, true-to-life Russian Tokarev pistol specimens are few and far between stateside. But its clones abound.
Ironically, Russia never released the surplus Tokarev TT-33 semiautomatic pistols after the fall of communism. Chambered for the powerful, high-velocity bottlenecked 7.62x25mm cartridge, the Tokarev was well known, but not readily available in the West for over five decades. In reality, it used a round that was an almost identical, but hopped-up version of the old 7.63mm Mauser “Broomhandle” cartridge. Adopted by the USSR in 1933, those very few that have come into the United States were either wartime bring-backs, including a limited quantity of imports from the Ukraine. In years gone by, Service Armament (later Navy Arms Company) offered a handful in the 1960s, all of which were Spanish military surplus and were leftover Soviet “gifts” from the Spanish Civil War in 1936, however, most of those ‘60s imports came from Finland.
Manufactured at the Tula Arsenal, this eight-shot, short-recoil-operated semiautomatic pistol that takes much of its mechanics from both John Browning’s Colt Model 1903 and Model 1911, is probably one of the most widespread military handguns used throughout the world. Furthermore, it was licensed by the Soviet Union to at least three European countries behind the Iron Curtain, as we shall later see. Currently, aside from those 1990s arrivals from the Ukraine, the author has yet to observe any Russian-made Tokarev TT-33 in this country that came to our shore directly from its Motherland. Thus, the specimens most commonly available in this country are once again, more often than not, bring-backs from the Vietnam War, Korea or other former combat zones. For that short period of time in the mid- to late-1990s, the limited numbers of Russian-made TT-33 pistols imported by Century International from the Ukraine were equipped with a mandatory aftermarket manual trigger safety required by federal law. This unwanted addition was demanded by the BATFE on all pistols of Tokarev design. Nevertheless, though former Ukraine state property, all are marked “Russia” along with the importer’s address.
Shown here is the Romanian TTC and the Yugoslavian M-57 copy of the Russian Tokarev. It can be seen that physically the two differ primarily with the longer grip of the latter, which accepts a nine-round magazine in lieu of the standard Tokarev’s eight. Romanian TTC pistols were for the most part refinished prior to export, and the majority of the M-57 variety were imported in “as is” condition. Note the added thumb safety on the Romanian example – a feature demanded by the BATFE prior to import of any pistol of the Tokarev design. The M-57 is equipped with a far more cosmetically pleasing sliding safety adjacent to the left frame.
In the beginning, it appears that one of the earliest semiautomatic pistols in 7.62mm Tokarev caliber introduced to U.S. shores was the indigenously designed Czechoslovakian CZ-52. Between 1993 and 1996, Century Arms International was among the first to offer the CZ 52 on the American surplus market. Its arrival was certainly a welcome one as practically no American shooters or collectors had ever had the opportunity to examine, let alone own, one of these unique semiautomatic pistols. From 1952 to 1954, the Czech government manufactured a total of 200,000 CZ 52 pistols, which bear no resemblance to the Tokarev physically, nor internally, whatsoever. Its original Czech nomenclature was the Vzor or VZ 52 (Vzor translated to “Model” in Czech) is more commonly known to Americans with the prefix “CZ”, and was the brainchild of engineers, Jaroslav Kratochvil and Frantisek Myska who were fairly prominent in Czech ordnance circles.
The entire mechanical concept of their design was unlike any other semiautomatic military pistol manufactured to date. The action of this unique eight-shot, single-action pistol utilizes a roller-locked, short-recoil system equipped with a cam block that is quite efficient at allowing the use of both standard velocity or high-pressure submachine gun ammunition. Similar to that of the German MG 42 machine gun, the CZ 52’s beefy lock-up system has never been applied to another semiautomatic pistol. Czech military’s reasoning behind this was to allow the use of one cartridge for both pistol and submachine gun, a logistically clever move precluding the requirement to maintain and identify two varieties of cartridges for two different firearms. Design-wise, no screws are used in its construction and its multiposition, manually operated safety system allows it to be de-cocked and locked with a round in the chamber as the firing pin has a sear block system allowing safe carry. The red-lined Bakelite grips are retained by a “U” clip and unless reworked, most pistols have a phosphate-like finish similar to Parkerization. The CZ 52 remained in uninterrupted service until it was replaced in 1982 by the CZ 82 in 9mm Makarov caliber.
At the range, the Romanian TTC performs superbly at ranges up to 50 yards. This tight group was fired at 15 yards using surplus Romanian 7.62x25mm ammunition. Much of it is surefire, 1980s manufacture, and is still readily available.
A word of caution on the CZ 52 drop safety is that many of these are well known for worn safety disconnectors, and may inadvertently fire when using the de-cock feature on a loaded chamber if such parts are not replaced. The best advice is not to use the de-cock feature at all on a loaded CZ 52 chamber. Replacement parts for the CZ 52 may be found at harringtonproducts.com.
Three post-World War II Soviet satellites opted to build copies of the Russian TT-33 Tokarev in their own factories, and examples of these were seen for the first time in the 1990s when these countries began selling off their Soviet-era hardware. Among the first licensees to manufacture a clone of the Russian Tokarev service pistol was Poland. Since 1922, Poland’s Fabrika Broni, located in Radom and known also as Lucznik Arms Factory Number 11, had a reputation for producing high-quality military arms, and were temporarily taken by Germany during the Nazi occupation. FB continued to remain active following the end of World War II when Soviet domination dictated Poland’s governmental affairs. In late 1946 the Polish military adopted the Russian Tokarev as their standard military sidearm and received licensing rights to manufacture the pistol domestically. Earlier that year, tooling and gauges were shipped to Poland from Russia’s Tula Arsenal with production of the PW wz.33 copy of the Tokarev commencing soon after.
The surplus M-57 pistols made prior to the early 1980s have “29 November 1943 Yugoslavian Republic” crest representing the date of the council at Jajce, located on the rear of the slide. Highly detailed when seen magnified, its presence will increase prices on pistols.
The Polish variant is practically identical to its Russian counterpart – with the physical exception of its grips. The Soviet version has a five-point star with CCCP in between the star points (USSR in the Cyrillic alphabet), whereas the hard rubber grips on the Polish copy have vertical striated lines from top to bottom minus the circle and star logo. Serial numbers are located on the left frame and upper slide along with the year of manufacture and Factory’s Circle 11 logo. In regression, as the original Tokarev’s sole safety feature is a half-cock position on the hammer, the BATFE-added trigger safety is located beneath the slide catch. The most commonly encountered type of supplementary safety found on Tokarev imports is a rotating thumb-type affair. Though noble in concept, the unsightly addition simply detracts from the Tokarev’s original cosmetics. Having long since sold out from import surplus distributors, they are regularly encountered on Internet websites.
A peculiar note is appropriate regarding the Tokarev copies. Along with the former Soviet Union, the one Eastern European nation that did not export their Tokarev copies is Hungary. Receiving their license rights to build the Tokarev at the Budapest Fegyvar factory in 1948, their variant is known as the Pistoly M48. From the end of the Cold War to the present, Hungary has not released any domestically produced Tokarev copies and the reasons are yet unknown. Hungary did export their 9mm Makarov caliber surplus handguns as shall be seen later. With very limited numbers of the M48 pistols in the United States, it should be considered the rarest of Eastern European Tokarev copies. Currently, most are found ranging in price from $1,600 to $2,500 on the surplus firearms circuit.
From left is 1980s Romanian surplus ammo, of which is presently the most plentiful and packed at 72 rounds per box. The center is the Czech M-48 submachine gun ammo, 40 rounds per box in stripper clips. This is no longer as common as it was 15 years ago and is the most expensive.
Following Poland, it appears that both Romania and Yugoslavia began exporting their surplus licensed Tokarev pistols with the former appearing about 1997 up until 2013, when supposedly the final lots were received. Romania’s licensing rights to manufacture the Tokarev began about 1952 and ceased production in 1959. Known as the TTC or Tulskiye Tokarev Cugir, they were produced at the Romanian military arms factory at Cugir and remained in regular service until the Romanian revolution of 1989. Practically identical to the Polish version, its major differences are the narrow, rear slide grip serrations, whereas the Polish copy had the spaced oval serrations, similar to those found on the original Russian TT-33. Also, the Romanian TTC has the hard rubber grips with a circled five-point star. The lettering located between the star points is “RPR,” an abbreviation for Republica Socialistica Romania. The Romanian TTC has its serial number and year of manufacture on the rear left frame with import markings and country of origin usually on the center of the left slide flat. The identical, and non-original, swiveling thumb safety is located similar to that of the Polish variant. Incidentally, some gunsmiths have removed these, filling the space with a dummy pin. However, this can be a tricky procedure and are perhaps best left alone.
Research has found that PW Arms of Washington state possibly imported the most recent, and perhaps final batches. Many of the TTC pistols included an original military-style brown flap holster and a cleaning rod, and the majority were refinished and in crisp mechanical condition. The author has fired this pistol with hundreds of rounds of fresh, but corrosive, Romanian surplus 7.62x25mm ammunition loaded with 86-grain copper jacketed bullets; and it is a superb performer at the range. At 50 yards, 3- to 4-inch groups were commonplace on a half-size silhouette target. Overall, it’s a great combination for the shooter searching for economy, satisfactory accuracy and a piece of Iron Curtain history, to boot.
At right is the Polish-made 7.62 Tokarev ammunition that is still for sale at various times. The string-tied, blue-paper wrapped Bulgarian surplus ammo is presently available in large quantities. It is sold in either the 16-round pack as shown, or in sealed zinc cans of 440 or 600 rounds.
The last of the licensed Tokarev copies imported into the United States are those from the former Yugoslavia, a former communist country that broke off relations with the USSR in 1948. The Yugoslav M-57 is believed to have first appeared on the U.S. surplus market sometime around 2000 to 2004. We must remember that the Balkan wars in Bosnia and Kosovo ended just a short time earlier and most of the old Yugoslav republics hung on to much of their obsolete surplus firearms. Licensed to Yugoslavia during Premier Tito’s reign in 1957, manufacture of the M-57 was produced at the Crvena Zastava arms factory in Serbia.
There are a few twists to this particular pistol that differs from the standard Tokarev design. First off, the grip of the M-57 is some 15 millimeters longer than the standard Tokarev and was purposely lengthened to accept a nine-round magazine. The eight-round standard Tokarev magazine, however, is not interchangeable – nor vice versa. Furthermore, the M-57 has a magazine disconnector, which will not allow it to fire without a magazine inserted. In addition, the forward portion of the upper slide flat is serrated to reduce glare and it has a dovetailed front sight base to adjust windage. Also, the firing-pin retaining system differs by way of a three-piece “U” clamp assembly rather than the simple crosspin retainer of the standard Tokarev. Apparently, the engineers at Yugoslavia’s former state factory at Zastava sought to improve building a better Tokarev using reverse engineering. Perhaps the most cosmetically appealing, but non-original, feature is the sliding frame safety, which is installed along the left frame panel above the inner grip. This was by far a better approach to satisfy the BATFE demands for the added safety. For this reason the M-57 is advertised in the United States as an M-57A, the A indicating alteration for installation of the required safety. Be that as it may, the left slide flat remains stamped with M-57 as most military surplus variants were manufactured up to the late 1980s.
The author has found that the Yugoslav imports are in varying grades of condition from good to near excellent. It serves to be noted that the values of the M-57 for the collector have increased, especially those with the presence of the old Yugoslavian republic crest on the upper rear of the slide. Most of these pistols were produced before 1989, prior to separation of the six republics of Bosnia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia and Serbia. This crest has a typical communist wreath with six flames, a star, and 25 November in Roman numerals and the year 1943. Prior to 1964, another crest with five flames was stamped in the same location and represented the five ethnic groups of Yugoslavia. Several U.S. importers have handled the M-57/57A with import marks of various countries of origin from within the former Yugoslav republics.
In addition to the availability of these pistols for the past two-plus decades, American shooters can also consider themselves quite fortunate to have been able to obtain substantial quantities of 7.62x25mm surplus ammunition. Prior to the end of the Cold War, this cartridge was practically impossible to obtain in the West, and what was available at the time was prohibitively expensive. Military surplus ammunition from Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Poland are where the majority of 7.62x25mm fodder has originated and it is all corrosive. Quality of the ammunition varies with some showing chronic evidence of case splitting after firing, particularly in some lots of the Polish and Bulgarian varieties. Being Berdan primed, none of it was intended to be reloaded. The occurrence of minor case neck splitting after firing is not dangerous to the shooter, but can raise eyebrows. However any loaded ammunition with any such visible deficiencies should not be fired. Examine before you purchase. Perhaps the smallest quantities of imported 7.62×25 surplus ammunition is from Czechoslovakia. The majority that has been available is of the M 48 submachine gun variety, which are packed with five, eight-round stripper clips, 40 rounds to a box. As previously noted, the action of the Czech CZ 52 pistol was purposely built to be able to handle both standard and high-pressure submachine gun ammunition.
The M48 cartridge is loaded with an 85-grain steel jacketed, or copper-cased bullet, which is the average weight for most 7.62 Tokarev ammunition manufactured in former communist arsenals. The heaviest bullet weight loaded were some Russian-made varieties with a 90-grain projectile. In addition to surplus fodder, there are ample numbers of commercial ammunition makers in Europe and the United States that offer the 7.62x25mm cartridge. For those bent on reloading this number, Boxer-primed Winchester 7.62x25mm ammunition is available in their Metric Cartridge Line. Actually manufactured in the Czech Republic, nonetheless, they are of the highest quality, adhering to the typical Winchester standard. Average muzzle velocity for the 7.62 x25 mm is in the 1,230 to 1,350 feet per second range, however, the surplus Czech M 48 submachine gun cartridge attains a whopping 1,730 fps on average.
Whether it’s a top-of-the-line scope to make a long shot a sure bet or a minuscule red dot for hitting center mass every time, you need a solid aiming solution. Optics, laser sights and red dots are better than ever and, in many cases, won’t break the bank. We’ve gathered up seven of the best new optics to hit the market recently. All you’ve got to decide is, which will get you on target?
Aimpoint CompM5b
It’s no secret that Aimpoint delivers the goods. But the respected optics maker might’ve outdone itself with the CompM5b. The red dot offers a truly tactical system, not only delivering outstanding accuracy, but also quick calibration. This, in part, is thanks to an interchangeable turret system adapted for different calibers at different target ranges. It’s also compatible with an array of Aimpoint magnifiers, including the 3XMag-1 and 6XMag-1 magnifiers, as well as all generations of Night Vision Devices. Its 2-MOA dot is excellent for precise close-quarters engagements, but fine enough to handle midrange work. And, as expected from Aimpoint, the 6.3 unit is tough. MSRP: $1,124
Viridian HS1 Laser-Sight Hand Stop
Simple concepts oftentimes prove the most useful. That perfectly pegs Viridian’s new additions. Pulling double duty, the HS1 is the first and only hand stop laser sighting device on the market. Hard to believe it’s taken this long for someone to cook up this concept, given the AR-15 is more than a half-century old. As to the particulars of the Viridian HS1, it uses a highly visible green laser, which extends its use to some daylight applications. M-Lok mounts make it compatible with a wide spectrum of handguards. And, it has a simple operating system, powering on via a pressure pad on the stop. There might not a more practical addition for a close-quarters AR. MSRP: $179
Maven CS.1 15-45x65mm
Compromise isn’t part of the game with once-in-a-lifetime hunts. From rifle to boots, you’ve got to have equipment up to the job. Maven gets this, which is why they’ve designed the CS.1 spotting scope. At once, the precision optic is lightweight and unimposing, while delivering pristine details at ranges most other scopes only dream of. Boasting the same extra-low dispersion, multi-coated glass found in Maven’s C Series binos, the CS.1 has impeccable light-gathering capabilities, producing bright, high-contrast images. And with an aluminum/magnesium frame, the 40-ounce optic is next to nothing in a rucksack with the durability to stand up to the toughest hunt. MSRP: $650
Lack of light is no excuse to head home from the field. Not with the Wraith HD 2-16x28mm digital riflescope on your rifle. Boasting a 1920×1080 CMOS sensor that delivers pristine images on a 1280×720 FLCOS display, the day/night optic is the perfect option to fill your bag, no matter the hour. The dandy optic is easy to use, too. Switching from full-color daytime mode to green or black-and-white night IR is push-button simple. Additionally, the Wraith comes with a removable 850nm IR illuminator to enhance nighttime images for accurate target acquisition out to 200 yards. If that’s not enough, the scope’s built-in video recording system comes with seven hours of memory. MSRP: $600
Bushnell AR Optics 4.5-18x40mm Multi-Turret Riflescope
Next to surgical-like precision, long-range shooting pursuits are known for one thing—a hefty price tag. However, Bushnell has done a dynamite job moderating the expense of adding a quality optic and continues the trend with the AR Optics 4.5-18x40mm Multi-Turret. The scope’s defining feature is its quick-swap elevation caps. Simply choose from four popular calibers—6.5 CM, .224 Valkyrie, .308 Win. and .223 Rem—and you’re ready to dial in at any range. Large controls, from magnification ring lever to turrets, make this tactical marvel easy to adjust on the fly. And with a large 40mm objective and magnification to spare, it’s certain to get you on target no matter the distance. MSRP: $270
Meprolight R4E Tru-Dot
While suppressors have taken the shooting world by storm, it takes more than just a threaded muzzle to make one compatible with most handguns. Given the diameter of some cans, sights are a concern. Meprolight solves this dilemma with the introduction of the R4E Tru-Dot day/night sights. Tailored for Glock and H&K VP9 pistols, the upgraded sights stand taller, allowing for a clear sight picture over a suppressor. The sights also boast three vertical and two horizontal lines that produce a reticle-type sight picture that improves target acquisition time. Furthermore, the lines are tritium enhanced on the rear sight to help improve target acquisition in low-light conditions. Available in orange, yellow or green, the sights are ideal to get on target with your suppressed handgun. MSRP: $129
Swampfox Liberty and Justice Red-Dot Sights
What? You aren’t shooting with a red dot yet? As far as modern accessories go, there are few that do more for your accuracy behind a handgun. Swampfox makes red dots an easy, not to mention effective, addition to your target or defensive pistol with the introduction of the Liberty and Justice red-dots. The next-generation optics are optimized for concealed carry, robust enough to take everyday knocks, and adequately low-profile to keep under wraps. Liberty is Swampfox’s standard-window model, measuring 22mm wide, while the Justice is the big-window 27mm variant. Whichever you choose, you’ll get a 3 MOA dot, shake-and-wake power system and incredibly long battery life. MSRP: Liberty: $249 / Justice: $259
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
…a very worrying piece of legislation was introduced by Irving State Representative Terry Meza. HB 196 seeks to repeal the Castle Doctrine, preventing a homeowner from using firearms to defend their property.
Yes and no. The bill does strike “robbery, or aggravated robbery” from the list of things one can use deadly force against in Sections 9.32(a)(3)(B). But the use of deadly force — and not just with a firearm — to prevent the loss of “tangible, movable property” is left intact in Section 9.41.
Now, in my own state one cannot use deadly force to prevent a theft, but nonlethal force is permissible. And if a criminal is stupid enough to escalate the situation by assaulting you in order to complete the theft, deadly force would then be on the table. That's also the case in Texas under Section 9.31. So I don't think that would be too great a problem in of of itself, other than the precedent of restricting rights.
The problem is that HB 196 would also do something else, something problematic. Texas has no duty for victims to retreat. This bill would require a victim to attempt to retreat in the face of an attacker before using deadly force, except when you are in your own home (Section 9.31(c)). This eliminates so-called stand your ground protection.
I call duty to retreat Faster Than A Speeding Bullet, because if your attacker is armed with a firearm, that's how fast you would have to be for a retreat to work.
Texans should read LGSR's entire alert for a list of other bad Dem-sponsored 2A infringements.
Have you ever seen a NASCAR driver roll up his sleeves and dive, elbow-deep, under the hood of his machine? Yeah, me neither. Now, I’m confident that every driver has an intricate understanding of what goes on under all those logos while he’s chewing up asphalt at 200 mph, but when parts need swapping and tweaks need tweaking, there’s a guy on the team for that. The driver drives, and the mechanics wrench.
For the most part, gun owners work like this too. The majority of riflemen I know—and I’m referring to people who have multiple gun safes to house all their firearms—do little more to their firearms than pull the bolt to clean the gun. The thought of checking the torque on the action’s screws or pulling the trigger assembly for a clean-and-lube darned near paralyzes them. In their minds, they do the “driving,” and a qualified gunsmith does the “wrenching.”
Now, don’t misunderstand me one bit here: If you’re uncomfortable opening that hood, don’t do it. Tinkering with a firearm is always best left to the trained hand.
A Different ‘Racecar’
But, with that said, the AR is a completely different type of “racecar”—the type that can make even the newest of shooters (or those hardcore shooters who are completely new to the platform)—look like a master mechanic. While I don’t agree with those who refer to the platform as “Legos for gun guys,” the modularity advantage of this statement certainly stands up. And, as a result, it’s possible to change up the body and the handling of the rig without messing around with the “drivetrain.”
Here’s my point: Customizing something to fit your needs and personality is, simply put, fun … whether we’re talking about outfitting a truck or tweaking a firearm. I know a lot of hardcore gun guys—people who own a dozen bolt-action rifles, a half-dozen revolvers, a bunch of 1911s and even a few poly guns—who avoid the AR platform entirely, simply because it’s so different from what they know.
And none of them is wrong: The AR is quite radical by old-school standards. But, in this case, radical equals intuitive, and intuitive equals easy customization.
To prove my point in an effort to inspire you to find that special “this one is mine” Zen, I detailed a part-by-part breakdown of my most recent AR-15 upgrade project. And, to further prove my point about this being so simple that even an AR amateur can do it, I timed a good friend (who owns a bunch of rifles and pistols but has only shot one 20-round mag through an AR) during each phase. He knows guns, but he’s new to ARs.
For the install of each piece, I silently observed while the included instructions were referenced. YouTube was consulted for additional instruction, as needed.
For this article, I’m not going to crawl down the torque-spec rabbit hole. You don’t have to be the head cashier at Bass Pro to know that managed torque is extremely important in every firearm, regardless of platform. For torque specs, hit up the instructions or the website of the manufacturer that made your specific part(s).
All right; enough of that. Let’s get on with it.
Gun
Make: Rock River Arms Model: RRAge AR-15 in 5.56 NATO MSRP: $760 Time: N/A Notes: N/A When ARs first entered the consumer market, ground-level guns were quickly replaced by the manufacturers with, “Let’s see what unique features we can slap on this gun to make our black gun different from the rest.” With that came a substantial jump in pricing, and that movement essentially created a forest of niche-based ARs with price tags that alienated many potential new-to-platform shooters.
Today, “budget-friendly” is a market phrase that’s re-infiltrated the lineups from most manufacturers. Finding a sub-$500 AR is very possible: There are some diamonds in the rough, but a cheap car isn’t really “cheap” if you have to replace the transmission within a few thousand miles. Get me?
I chose the Rock River RRAge as the chassis for this AR-15 upgrade project, largely due to the company’s outstanding reputation. As with others in this class (for example, Sig Sauer’s Tread or Springfield’s Saint), the reliability comes stamped with a company name that’s proven its competence.
The RRAge’s furniture wares are as expected from a budget-friendly rifle: an M4-style stock, six-position receiver extension, very basic, A2-style pistol grip and an ejection port cover. A 16-inch barrel with a carbine-length gas system and an RRA single-stage, mil-spec trigger are also included. Absent are a forward assist and a case deflector, but I honestly couldn’t care less (apologies in advance to any traditionalists out there).
Bolt Carrier Group
Make: Velocity Triggers Model: Recoil-less Bolt Carrier MSRP: $299.95 Time: 12 minutes Notes: Synchronized removal of the bolt carrier group and the charging handle can be a delicate dance. It’s easy, but it’s gotta be just right. The same goes for the re-install of each.
I consider this AR-15 upgrade the biggest novelty buy of this build … but it was so damned easy! Although the low-mass bolt carrier can be purchased separately, this beauty (yes, the nano-diamond nickel coating visually matches my comp and trigger quite well) performs best with the fine-tuning capabilities offered with an adjustable gas block.
In case it isn’t clear, the entire premise behind the low-mass, Recoil-less bolt carrier is designed to do exactly as its name indicates: minimize recoil. Sure, the 5.56 NATO doesn’t produce much to begin with, but with recoil reduction comes a reduction in muzzle rise—which means faster follow-up shots, one after another.
Trigger
Make: Rise Armament Model: RA-434 High-Performance Trigger MSRP: $169 Time: 14 minutes Notes: Two pins remove the two-piece mil-spec trigger. Two pins secure the one-piece drop-in.
If you retain a single sentence from this entire article, let it be this one: Replace your mil-spec trigger immediately. Take money out of your child’s college fund to pay for its replacement if you have to, but get it done! It is, without question, the most impactful AR-15 upgrade equation … and, it’s not that expensive. While brand options are many, I elected to go with Rise Armament’s RA-434 because it operates in a sweet spot between speed (not a priority concern for my shooting disciplines) and smoothness (which should be everyone’s priority) from a single-stage function.
Remember what your grandfather told you? “The gun should surprise you when it goes off.” Um, no. I want a trigger that breaks cleanly and consistently so I know exactly when it’s going to release during each and every shot cycle. I got that—at a 3.5-pound break—with the Rise 434. Plus, it comes packaged with anti-walk pins. And, in the name of true vanity, the trigger’s silver color closely matches the bolt carrier and the comp. (Hey, looks matter!)
Get On Target With The AR:
Go Small With These 8 Economical AR Pistol Options
Make: Hogue Grips Model: Rubber Overmolded Collapsible Buttstock MSRP: $69.95 Time: Under 1 minute Notes: It’ll take you longer to open the new stock’s packaging than it will for you to make the swap!
Pop the pin, slide the old stock off the rear of the tube. Push the pin on the new stock and slide it on. Don’t even waste your time YouTube-ing this step … you’ll have it done before you find a suitable instructional video.
I chose the Hogue for the AR-15 upgrade project because it markets its stock as being a “beard-safe design,” and anyone that creative and honest can have my money. However, more important than that was the rubber overmolding for a hard and comfortable cheekweld. There’s a bit of a recoil pad, but it’s semi-unnecessary with the light tickle of 5.56 NATO fire.
It’s also worth noting here that not all buffer tubes are created equal (yes, I learned the hard way during my first stock swap a few years back); thus, your stock must fit accordingly. In the sometimes convoluted world of the AR, there’s a “commercial tube” and a “mil-spec” tube. My RRAge has the commercial variant. Simply: The commercial buffer tube has a slightly larger diameter—about 3/100 inch. Whatever genius thought we needed two buffer tube sizes should be kicked. Hard.
Grips
Make: VZ Weapon Solutions Model: Recon M-Lok Bundle MSRP: $129 Time: 5 minutes Notes: Remove the original grip slowly, and don’t take your eyes off that selector spring. It’s Houdini-like!
Remember when I said that looks matter? A good-looking AR had better have a grip and rail panels that match, and they’d better tie in with the rest of the build as well. But, alas, the form must have a function if I’m spending the money and the time to affix it to my AR.
Like AR manufacturers, the companies that offer AR accessories are thick these days. And, honestly, VZ Grips came out of left field. Like a bee to honey, I was attracted to the availability of a blue pistol grip to match my handguard. However, after a wee bit of digging, I also realized I’d be adding an increased palm swell for better control, as well as textured rail panels for grip indexing and control up front. It’s an excellent upgrade. I also swapped the grips on my 1911 Executive carry gun to match.
I have two words of warning here: First, clear your afternoon schedule before jumping onto the VZ Grips website. It’s like a grown man’s candy store. Second, keep an eye on that darned nomadic selector spring when you pop off the factory grip. It’ll wander off on ya.
Trigger Guard
Make: Velocity Triggers Model: Sentinel Trigger Guard MSRP: $14.95 Time: Less than 5 minutes Notes: Pop a roll pin and a detent pin to remove the old guard. Three screws secure the new one.
For me, this AR-15 upgrade is a complete vanity item—for no other reason than to get some more beautiful blue onto this build. It’s very much true that the Sentinel does allow for a bit more finger room inside the guard; and, for some shooting styles, that little bit of room makes a big difference. Me? I just like the color!
Mag Catch Release
Make: Velocity Triggers Model: VMR Magazine Release MSRP: $21.95 Time: 6 minutes Notes: Remove the original by pushing the mag release button in with a punch and unscrewing the mag release on the opposing side. The new one goes on just as easily.
The award for “tiny, but mighty” goes to Velocity’s “extended” mag release button. My mom always said that habits are just cobwebs that become cables. Still, even after countless rounds through an AR, I occasionally struggle to quickly and efficiently find the mag release button on a tactical reload. This little AR-15 upgrade not only matches in color (Velocity’s website lists 10 color options), it also adds just enough real estate for my index finger to find easily.
Handguard
Make: Rise Armament Model: RA-905 M-Lok MSRP: $229 Time: 22 minutes Notes: Most handguards will come with a replacement barrel nut, which means that removal of the gas system is mandatory. This isn’t as daunting as it sounds! YouTube is your friend here.
How does one not select a handguard with the color name, “Patriot Blue”? To make sure the function fits the form, the RA-905 is free-floating (as it should be), loaded with M-Lok slots and complete with Picatinny rail mounting options at both the muzzle and breech of the handguard. What I really like about this handguard is the slim profile through the center, which allows my fat mitts great control over the muzzle end of the gun.
Muzzle Device
Make: Rise Armament Model: RA-701 Compensator MSRP: $109 Time: 3 minutes Notes: Keep an eye on how the washer references the barrel to avoid putting it on backward. I know that a stainless steel comp is going to show shooting debris 10 times more than a black one, but when it’s clean … man, does it look sharp! Plus, top porting is designed to mitigate muzzle rise. Most importantly, I wanted the flash hider off my gun.
Unless you’re trying to do something with the rifle that you really shouldn’t be doing anyway, a flash hider does little more than protect the threads (and they make thread caps for that).
The Sum of All Parts
A handful of years ago, there was a movement within the shooting industry to try to relabel the AR as an “MSR” (an acronym for “modern sporting rifle”). The motives were a pure attempt to distance the platform from the “dark shadow” cast by the mainstream media’s interpretation of the tool. The efforts never really took root, and I’m good with that. After all, a rose by any other name is still a rose.
Regardless of its moniker, the AR-15 is, and always has been, “America’s rifle.” And, with a little creativity and about an hour’s worth of very enjoyable work, this one is mine.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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