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World War I Weapons: Allied Rifles

By
Gun Digest Editors
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1

A conflict fueled by old tactics and new weapons, the “Great War” was brutality incarnate. Here's a look at the rifles that eventually helped the Allies win World War I.

WWI Weapons By Country:

The-Illustrated-History-of-Firearms-Second-Edition
This article is an excerpt from The Illustrated History of Firearms, 2nd Edition. From the earliest hand cannons dating back to 1350, to the finest sporting rifles of the 21st Century, this 2nd edition of The Illustrated History of Firearms covers them all. Get Your Copy

The Great War, now commonly referred to as World War I, began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in June 1914. By mid-August 1914 most of the major European powers were at war. The United States entered on the side of the British and French in April 1917.

WWI signaled the end of the age in which conflicts were settled with some semblance of chivalry. It was a war of rapidly changing technology, fought using tactics of the Napoleonic era. Companies, even battalions of soldiers, were thrown against squads of men, each squad manning a single machine gun capable of firing 800 rounds a minute. One General responded to the rapid destruction of his entire Division by telling his men to “dig, dig, dig, until you are safe.”

By Christmas 1914 a trench system wound its way from the Belgian coast on the North Sea to the Swiss border some 1500 kilometers away! For four years, until November 1918, the trenches remained in place, virtually unchanged. The word stalemate entered the dictionary to describe a useless situation with no foreseeable conclusion. The result was 8.5 million dead and 21 million maimed and disabled, plus 12.5 million civilian casualties.

The bolt-action rifle was standard armament among the 30 nations involved in this global conflict, with some members of the Allies – countries at war with Germany – paying licensing fees for their rifles to the German firm of Waffenfabrik Mauser. The dominating firearm of the war was the machine gun. Once thought wasteful and expensive, its use ensured that neither side could advance on the other without incurring horrifying losses. The war was brought to an end on November 11, 1918, by the combination of overwhelming Allied offensive action and the spread of revolution throughout Germany that forced the Kaiser's abdication and the replacement of the monarchy with a civilian government willing to surrender.

WWI Allied Rifles

A variety of bolt-action arms were used by the Allied nations in WWI to equip their infantry units. Some countries found that demand for rifles could not keep pace with production so other models for which tooling and machinery already existed were put into service production. Canadian soldiers, for example, were armed with either homegrown Ross rifles the Models 1905 or 1910, the British Enfield SMLE #1 Mk III, or American-made Pattern 14 Enfields!

United States World War I Rifles

U.S. Springfield Model 1903 Bolt-Action Rifle

World War I Rifle U.S. Springfi eld Model 1903

Bolt-Action-.30-06-circa 1903-1930: The Springfield ‘03 was the American standard service rifle from 1903 to 1936. It first saw service in the Philippines in 1903. Issued in WWI and WWII, it was still in service as a sniper rifle in Korea and Vietnam.

Pedersen Device Mounted On U.S. Springfield Model 1903 Mk I Bolt-Action Rifle

World War I Gun_Pedersen device mounted on U.S. Springfi eld Model 1903

Semi-Automatic-.30 caliber-circa 1918-1920: The top-secret Pedersen device, also known as the “Automatic Pistol Caliber .30 Model of 1918,” was a semi-automatic conversion for the bolt-action Springfield rifle. The 1903 Mk I rifles intended to use the Pedersen device had a small port milled into the left receiver to allow spent cases to be ejected. Approximately 65,000 Pedersen devices were manufactured and were intended to be used in the Spring Offensive of 1919. When World War I came to a close with the Armistice on November 11, 1918, no future need was foreseen for the Pedersen devices and they were destroyed.

U.S. Remington Model 1917

WWI Weapon_ U.S. Remington Model 1917 Bolt-Action Rifle

Bolt-Action-.30-06-circa 1917-1919: Over two million M1917s were manufactured by Eddystone, Remington, and Winchester.

U.S. Winchester Prototype Model 1917

WWI Weapon_U.S. Winchester Prototype Model 1917

Bolt-Action Magazine Rifle-.30-06-circa 1917: U.S. Winchester Prototype Model 1917 Bolt-Action Magazine Rifle – .30-06 – circa 1917 – This unmarked tool room example of a Winchester Model 1917 bolt-action rifle was part of a collection assembled by a former production line superintendent at Winchester.

U.S. Springfield Model 1903

World War I Weapon_U.S. Springfield Model 1903

Bolt-Action (relic condition)-.30-06-circa 1903-1907: Buried in a French field, this relic M1903 rifle was recovered in 1963.

U.S. Springfield Model 1903 Sniper Rifle

WWI Sniper Rifle_U.S. Springfield Model 1903 Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle
Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle-.30-06-circa 1907-1919: The U.S. Warner-Swazey-scoped sniper was the first .30-06 bolt-action sniper rifle. Note extended “Air Service” 20-round magazine.

Arm Yourself With More Military Firearms Knowlege:

British World War I Rifles

British Enfield No. 3 Mk I

WWI Guns_British Enfield No. 3 Mk I

Bolt-Action Rifle-.303 British-circa 1914.

British SMLE Mk III

World War I Guns_British SMLE Mk III

Bolt-Action Rifle-.303 British-circa 1942-1943: The fast-firing SMLE could empty its ten-shot magazine in less than 20 seconds with an adept shooter.

British BSA Sparkbrook Model 1893 Mk II Magazine Lee-Metford

WWI Guns_British BSA Sparkbrook Model 1893 Mk II

Bolt-Action Rifle-.303 British-circa 1893: In WWI, British forces employed earlier Lee-Enfield models that were updated for issue.

British Farquhar-Hill Model 1909

WWI Weapons_British Farquhar-Hill Model 1909

Experimental Semi-Automatic Rifle-.303 British-circa 1909: The long recoil-operated Farquhar-Hill was intended as a squad automatic rifle and was tested by British Ordnance’s Small Arms Committee in 1908. A 20-round drum magazine was intended as the standard configuration although other magazine capacities were also tested. This example is one of the rarer semi-automatic-only versions.

Russian World War I Rifles

Russian Mosin Nagant Model 1891

World War I Rifle_Russian Mosin Nagant Model 1891

Bolt-Action Rifle-7.62mm x 54 Russian-circa 1911: Russia’s standard service rifle in World War I held five cartridges.

Remington Mosin Nagant Model 1891

WWI Rifle_Remington Mosin Nagant Model 1891

Bolt-Action Rifle-7.62mm x 54 Russian-circa 1917: This Mosin Nagant rifle was tested by NRA during the WWI period.

Russian Contract Winchester Model 1895

World War I Rifle_Russian Contract Winchester Model 1895

Lever-Action Rifle-7.62×54 Russian-circa 1915-1916: Winchester made M1895 rifles for Russia that used military stripper clips.

Canadian World World I

Canadian Ross Rifle Co. Model 1910

WWI Rifle_Canadian Ross Rifle Co. Model 1910 Straight-Pull Rifle

Straight-Pull Rifle-.280 Ross-circa 1910: Found to have a potentially dangerous bolt design, Ross rifles were sidelined from active service.

Canadian Ross Rifle Co. Model 1905

World War I Weapons_Canadian Ross Rifle Co. Model 1910 Straight-Pull Rifle

Straight-Pull Rifle-.303 British-circa 1906: The straight-pull line of Ross rifles had a reputation for being unsafe firearms due to a complicated bolt that could be incorrectly reassembled and would fail to lock the action correctly during firing. During the interwar period and during World War II, the Ross rifles still in inventory were utilized for non-firing training duties.

French World War I Rifles

French Tulle Model 1886/93 Lebel
WWI Weapons_French Tulle Model 188693 Lebel

Bolt-Action Rifle-8mm Lebel-circa 1900-1918: The French Lebel was one of the first rifles to employ both jacketed bullets and smokeless powder.

French Berthier Model 1916/27

World War I Wespons_French Berthier Model 191627

Bolt-Action Carbine-8mm Lebel-circa 1892-1920: Shorter carbines were used for cavalry and artillery units.

French St. Etienne French Model 1917

WWI Weapons_French St. Etienne French Model 1917

Semi-Automatic Rifle-8mm Lebel-circa 1917-1925: French semi-auto rifle designs did not come into use until late in WWI.

French Lebel Model 1907-15

World War I Weapons_French Lebel Model 1907-15

Bolt-Action Rifle (sectionalized)-8mm Lebel-circa 1907: This cutaway of a military firearm illustrates many of its otherwise hidden internal mechanisms.

French Berthier Model 1907/15

WWI Weapons_French Berthier Model 190715
Bolt-Action Rifle-8mm Lebel-circa 1917.

Belgian World War I Rifles

Belgian Hopkins & Allen Contract Mauser Model 1889

World War I Weapons_Belgian Hopkins & Allen Contract Mauser Model 1889

Bolt-Action Rifle-7.65mm Mauser-circa 1889-1915: H&A’s contract with Belgian authorities resulted in 180,000 M1889 rifles for WWI.

Editor's Note: The article is an excerpt from The Illustrated History of Firearms, 2nd Edition.

First Look: FN 509 Compact Tactical

By
Elwood Shelton
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0

FN 509 Compact Tactical

So, you want to run suppressed, but not full-sized? Meet the FN 509 Compact Tactical.

What The 509 Compact Brings To The Table:

  • Threaded 4.32-inch barrel
  • Optics-ready slide
  • Compatibility with more than 10 reflex sights
  • Suppressor-height night sights

Generally speaking, suppressor fun is something relegated to full-sized pistols. Plenty of gun already in hand, what difference does 5-inches of hush tube make dangling off the muzzle? Not much. Still and all, there’s no reason why big boys should have all the fun. They won’t any longer.

FN America has taken the suppressor-ready pistol small with the introduction of the 509 Compact Tactical. Flirting with dead-ringer territory with the recently release Compact model of the striker-fired 9mm, the pistol boasts an extended barrel with a 1/2×28 thread pattern just begging to host your favorite can. Yes, it comes with a factory thread protector with a hold-tight O-ring, so you won’t bang it up if you aren’t running quiet.

Pretty slick, particularly given, sans suppressor, it still retains its concealed-carry friendly dimensions. Overall, the 509 Compact Tactical weighs in at 26 ounces, boasts a 4.32-inch barrel and measures in at right around 7.5 inches. The barrel is a bit longer than the 509 Compact by just over .5 inch, but that's far from bust its ability from going undercover.

As to the other notables on the pistol, it’s optics-ready with FN’s MRD slide cut and is compatible with more than 10 miniature red-dots. Furthermore, suppressor-height night sights that can co-witness with a reflex come standard on the 509 Compact Tactical. The other goodies common to 509s are there too: respectable trigger, dual recoil spring system, MIL-STD 1913 accessory rail, enlarged trigger guard, fairly positive grip texturing and replaceable backstrap system. Sweetening the pot, FN throws in a soft case with the 509 Compact Tactical and 12-, 15-, or 24-rounds magazines. If you need more, you have your choice between matte black and FDE finishes.

As to cost, that’s one point that hasn’t shrunk with the pistol’s size. The MSRP on the 509 Compact Tactical is $1,049, around $300 over what a plain, old Compact Tactical runs. No breaks if you want to shoot suppressed.

FN 509 Compact Tactical Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Operation: Double-action
Mag Capacity: 10 or 12/15/24 Rd.
Weight: 26.2 oz.
Barrel Length: 4.32″
Overall Length: 7.4″
Twist Rate: 1:10″ RH
Height: 5.3″
Width: 1.35″
Trigger Pull: 5.5 – 7.5 lb.
Sight Radius: 5.6″
MSRP: $1,049

For more information on the FN 509 Compact Tactical, please visit fnamerica.com.

Bone Up On FN Guns:

.300 Blackout Vs .300 Whisper: Is There A Difference?

By
Patrick Sweeney
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1

300 blackout 5

Both kick out .30-caliber bullets, are pleasant shooters and can be kept quiet as a church mouse, so is there really any difference between the .300 Blackout and its predecessor the .300 Whisper?

Development Of The .300 Whisper

The beginning of the subsonic revolution in ARs came to us from J.D. Jones. To call him a prolific inventor is to use “prolific” lightly.

He has always endeavored to expand the borders of firearms performance, from the smallest to the largest. The .300 Whisper was his AR-15 cartridge for quiet shooting. The idea was simple: take a .223 case, expand the neck to hold a .30-caliber bullet, shorten it so the neck would hold the bullet at the proper place, and fit it all into an AR-15 magazine. A shortcut would be to take the .221 Fireball case, and neck it out to .30. The Fireball itself was essentially just a shortened .223, meant for use in single-shot bolt-action pistols, primarily the Remington XP100. It was the varminting answer to “How do I use a handgun to shoot varmints?”

J.D. was aided in this work by the continuing efforts of rifle target shooters. When I began shooting in the early 1970s, the bullets available for .30 rifles for target shooting were not many. You could find a 168-grain match boat tail. You could, if you were lucky and persistent, score a supply of 175-grain FMJ-BT bullets, which were used for decades before by the military.

Heavier than that, there were only hunting bullets. There were 180-grain soft points, and 220 FMJ or soft-point bullets, but they were round-nosed, and meant for use on large game. You’d have the 220s loaded in your .30-06 or .300 H&H, for use on bear, moose or elk on a hunt in Alaska or Canada.

But long-range target shooters wanted more. For long-distance shooting, the competitor has two problems: distance and wind. Distance is easy, as the targets are a known distance away, and that distance does not change. Wind, however, does.

The range of bullets the .300 Blackout and Whisper can digest is impressive. From a 110-grain soft point to a 240-grain match boat tail, you can load anything that will fit the chamber and throat.
The range of bullets the .300 Blackout and Whisper can digest is impressive. From a 110-grain soft point to a 240-grain match boat tail, you can load anything that will fit the chamber and throat.

If we assume a bullet design has the same ogive, and boat tail, then the only way to change weight is to make it longer. This is good, because a longer and heavier bullet will have a larger ballistic coefficient, or BC. BC is a measure of a bullet’s drag, compared to a theoretical object that is a standard. The higher the BC, the more efficiently a bullet passes through the air.

We’re getting a bit involved here, so stick with me. For any given cartridge, operating at a certain pressure, adding weight to a bullet means you have less velocity. You simply cannot push a (to use as an example) 168-grain .30 bullet and a 240-grain .30 bullet at the same speed. The 240, in any given cartridge, has to be going slower, simply because the pressure limit of the cartridge determines the maximum amount of energy you can use to push the bullet.

Target shooters don’t care. A bullet with a higher BC loses less velocity as it goes downrange, so the net is not to lose as much when it reaches to the target. The real boon for target shooters is that a higher-BC bullet is less affected by wind.

Get On Target With The AR:

  • A high-BC bullet is said to have less wind drift. So even with a lower starting velocity, the 240-grain .30 bullet will drift less than a 168-grain bullet in the same wind. In target shooting, riflemen must estimate the effect of wind drift in real time and adjust for it. The smaller the amount they have to adjust, the less effect an error, or change in wind, will have on their scores. They don’t care about trajectory differences, because the targets are always the same distances. Well, they were for NRA High Power. All that changed with the development of the Precision Rifle Series, where targets are at odd and differing distances. But we risk wandering, so back to it.

    OK, so from the early 1970s, to the late 1980s, the heaviest .30 bullets that could be had went from 168 grains to 220 grains. And those were pointed, match bullets.

    J.D. Jones was first, and he got his invention type-certified by CIP.
    J.D. Jones was first, and he got his invention type-certified by CIP.

    So, J.D. designed the cartridge, modified brass, trademarked it as the .300 Whisper, and began offering rifles and ammo. His work on modifying brass was a continual headache. The internal thickness of .223 and 5.56 brass is not a rigid specification once you get down past the case neck. So, he found that he had to ream some lots and brands of brass more than others. The reaming was required because the new neck was formed in the middle of the body of the original case. Differing wall thicknesses meant some rounds would not chamber unless the formed case was reamed.

    When the volume of ammunition produced required by customer orders got to be great enough, he simply went to an ammo maker, had the company get his ammunition type-certified by CIP, and then could have brass made.

    The ammo maker was Hornady, and I had the opportunity to be one of the first testers of factory ammo in a J.D. Jones-built upper for the AR-15. This was in 2011, and life was good.

    .300 Blackout Hits The Scene

    Then, controversy erupted. A new ammo maker burst onto the scene, in the form of the .300 Blackout. Developed by Advanced Armament Company, or AAC, the Blackout was brought into being because of AAC’s military customers. Those customers (or a certain subgroup of them) wanted a subsonic, heavy bullet, autoloading cartridge that would work with in their platform. That platform was the M4, so the new cartridge had to fit into AR-15 magazines, and work with AR-15 bolts.

    Remember earlier, when we discussed pressure testing, and certification agencies? AAC could not use CIP loading and certification, because the parent company of AAC, Remington, is a SAAMI member. So, the engineers at AAC had to start essentially from scratch, to design, refine, test and offer for certification, a new .30 cartridge to fit the bill.

    AAC makes rifles to go along with the cartridge it developed. And they are clearly marked, which is a very good thing.
    AAC makes rifles to go along with the cartridge it developed. And they are clearly marked, which is a very good thing.

    The end result was that the .300 Blackout and the .300 Whisper, for almost all concerned, were interchangeable.

    The .300 Blackout was type-certified by SAAMI, and Remington and everyone else began making ammo. The controversy? Some people think the design team at AAC just made a few minor changes in the dimensions to the .300 Whisper, and then handed it off to the acceptance committee. Well, they didn’t. I’ve talked to people involved, and they did their due diligence, and worked it up properly.

    The problem is, the design specifications are so narrowly defined, it is hard to be different. As an exercise in cartridge design, I dare you to design a cartridge that does what the Whisper and Blackout do, and doesn’t come so close to either that it would seem to be a duplication.

    Or, assuming you could find someone who didn’t already know about either, and who knew enough about cartridges, pose them this problem: a .30 bullet, as heavy as possible, in a parent .223 or .221 Fireball case, that has to fit an AR magazine, feed reliably and use an unmodified bolt. They will, just as you had, come up with a clone of the Whisper and Blackout.

    The positives of the .300 Blackout and Whisper are obvious.

    The .300 Blackout and Whisper can be loaded with many different bullets, but you have to be careful with overall length. They have to fit the magazine, regardless of bullet weight.
    The .300 Blackout and Whisper can be loaded with many different bullets, but you have to be careful with overall length. They have to fit the magazine, regardless of bullet weight.

    What They Have To Offer

    You can shoot subsonic ammo, and that makes the rifle or pistol very quiet. A subsonic 240-grain bullet is going to be going, at most, at 1,050 fps. That puts it squarely in the realm of a .45 ACP+P load. However, it does it with a carbine or pistol that holds 30-round magazines, and can be teamed with a red-dot or magnifying optic. There are even .300 Blackout and Whisper loads that offer expanding bullets. If you do not have one of the expanding bullets in your .300, do not fear. I tested the Hornady subsonic .300 Whisper load when this was all new. They use a 208-grain A-Max bullet for that load. It clocks in from just under supersonic out of a carbine-length barrel, to just over 1,000 fps from a stubby eight-inch pistol or SBR tube.

    Testing in ballistic gelatin uncovered some very interesting results. Each shot would travel about 10 inches into a gel block, and then the yawing bullet would veer to the top, bottom or sides of the block, and exit. In order to recover bullets, I had to wrap the block on all sides with Kevlar vests. You might not like that, and want deeper penetration, but I have to think that a 208-grain, .308 bullet, going sideways, is going to get a lot of the job done, if not all of it.

    There are now expanding bullets for the .300s, but for many applications a non-expanding one works just fine.
    There are now expanding bullets for the .300s, but for many applications a non-expanding one works just fine.

    All the heavyweights, fired at subsonic velocities, will do much the same. I’m not sure you can make a barrel with a twist rate fast enough to keep them point-on in ballistic gel. Or living targets.

    When fed subsonic ammo, the .300 Blackout and Whisper can use a compact and lightweight suppressor, to make them even quieter. Jumping up to supersonic loads is too much stress for the lighter, more-compact suppressors, so do be careful.

    Here you can see the difference bullet weight makes. These two dummy cartridges show the distance a heavy bullet protrudes back into the case. This takes up case capacity, but since we are looking for subsonic performance with heavyweight bullets, reduced case capacity is a good thing.
    Here you can see the difference bullet weight makes. These two dummy cartridges show the distance a heavy bullet protrudes back into the case. This takes up case capacity, but since we are looking for subsonic performance with heavyweight bullets, reduced case capacity is a good thing.

    If you want a different performance envelope, you can switch to .300 Blackout and Whisper loads using 110- to 125-grain bullets, which will be delivered as much as 2,300 fps out of a 16-inch barrel. For deer hunters, this is perfect. A modern, expanding, .30 bullet of 110 to 125 grains, out of one of the .300s is soft in recoil, not overly noisy, and more than enough to bring down a whitetail. If your DNR permits deer hunting with suppressors, then you have your answer: A lightweight AR, in .300 Blackout or Whisper, with a suppressor is just the ticket for getting new shooters introduced to hunting.

    It won’t hurt their shoulders, it won’t hurt their ears, and it will certainly bring down a whitetail.

    In either loading, the .300 Blackout and Whisper do not use much powder per shot, so if you reload, powder costs are about as small as they get. This is offset by the greater cost of the bullets, as a 240-grain .308 jacketed bullet is going to cost you more than a 230-grain lead bullet for a .45 ACP. (The ballistic performance similarity.)

    Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Cartridges of the AR-15, available at GunDigestStore.com.

Accurizing The Venerable M1 Carbine

By
Robert Campbell
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0
The commercial Plainfield, above, is shown with a 30-round magazine. The WWII Inland, below, is shown with ammunition and accessories.
The commercial Plainfield, above, is shown with a 30-round magazine. The WWII Inland, below, is shown with ammunition and accessories.

Often dismal as issued, there are a host of options to accurized the M1 Carbine and get the little rifle to sing.

Areas Of the M1 Carbine To Work On:

Among the most popular of all World War II firearms is the U.S. MI Carbine. In my opinion, there is no more enjoyable recreational shooter. Light, handy, light kicking, and very reliable, the Carbine has much to recommend.

M1 Carbine Goes To War

The Carbine was not designed as a battle weapon, but rather as a PDW, or personal defense weapon. Of course, in 1940, that term hadn’t yet been coined, but it was the gun’s purpose, intended to give soldiers behind the lines a weapon light enough to be with them at all times. Tank crewmen, truck drivers, ammo bearers, and officers had previously been armed with a handgun. The idea was to give the troops a service weapon superior to the handgun, but not as heavy and difficult to manage as the M1 Garand. Winchester succeeded admirably, with the introduction of its .30 Carbine.

The M1 Carbine was a traditionally designed rifle in some ways. It featured the typical short stock, with much of the barrel exposed, same as the Springfield and Krag carbines. But the M1 Carbine featured a modern gas-operated action, and, as it featured a 15-round magazine, soldiers were provided a considerable reserve.

.30 Carbine Ammo

Even at 70 years of age, US GI magazines are often reliable. Cheap commercial magazines are another matter.
Even at 70 years of age, US GI magazines are often reliable. Cheap commercial magazines are another matter.

The cartridge was often the subject of discussion. The new round was not a full-power rifle round, but a unique, straight-walled cartridge that has sometimes been compared to magnum-class handgun rounds; it jolts a 110-grain jacketed bullet to a little over 1900 feet per second. The view of this by some was that it did not generate sufficient velocity for effective use past 200 yards—and some say the limit is just 100. Too, the bullet did not break at the cannelure as some bullets will, which means it basically pushed a .30 hole through the target. While criticisms as to the knockdown power of the Carbine are valid and it proved to be a somewhat ineffective battle rifle, in the end, the Carbine, was a wonderful PDW weapon.

Rough Around The Edges

This brings me to another shortcoming of the M1 Carbine, right behind the power deficit of its ammunition. Truthfully, the Carbine is a bit rough around the edges when it comes to accuracy. Another well-known military rifle, the AK 47, suffers from much the same problem, but while the AK is what it is, the Carbine may be helped, and the advantage gained is often worth the effort.

The Inland carbine, above, and the Plainfield, below, differ in detail, but each is a reliable plinker with fair accuracy for tasks inside 100 yards.
The Inland carbine, above, and the Plainfield, below, differ in detail, but each is a reliable plinker with fair accuracy for tasks inside 100 yards.

I have fired my Carbines with South Korean military ammunition, jacketed loads from the major makers, and the newer CorBon DPX loading. While the custom-grade CorBon loading is the most accurate, it is so only by a small margin. A pretty decent M1 Carbine will give you a five-shot group measuring about five inches at 100 yards. An exceptional rifle will go three inches or a little more. For hitting a coyote at 35 yards, the Carbine excels. For long-range work, well, let’s hope your aspirations are recreational. As for ammunition, I am certain there are handloaded combinations that must be more accurate than factory ammunition, but I handload primarily for economy, not for precision. I have tried the proven combinations, and while they are often more accurate than factory loads, it is not by any great margin.

Recently, I elected to tighten up my Carbines as best I could. I have become interested in the Carbines, due to the introduction of the exceptional new CorBon DPX load. Locating the Plainfield at a fair price at a pawn shop was a prompting to me, too, so there we go. The work was straightforward and produced good results, all we can ask.

First things first, you need to know what you’re looking at to begin with. The rifle fieldstrips easily; the locking rat-tail tang at the rear of the receiver and the barrel band are all that hold the rifle together. (Such straightforward assembly works without complaint, but this system isn’t a solid base for accuracy.) Take a look at the rear receiver tang, which engages the recoil plate that is in the stock. If the fit is good when assembled and there is a need to depress the barrel into the stock when fitting the barrel band, then you may have a more accurate rifle. If, on the other hand, the recoil plate fit is loose, the rifle is likely inaccurate.

Rise Your Military Firearms IQ:

Recoil Plate

This is the receiver setting in the stock, showing the relationship to the recoil plate. The recoil plate has been removed for this illustration.
This is the receiver setting in the stock, showing the relationship to the recoil plate. The recoil plate has been removed for this illustration.

The are several means of tightening up the M1 Carbine that are worth a look. First and simplest is to simply tighten the screw holding the recoil plate to the stock. Admittedly, if this is loose, poor accuracy may not be noticeable at close range, but the looser groupings will be noticeable at 100 yards. It is easier to tighten the recoil plate effectively if the recoil plate is fully fitted into the stock. A method I am familiar with from the by-God-and-by-gosh school is to take the recoil plate out and peen it, a tooling maneuver that involves hitting the part until it is longer and therefore produces a tighter friction fit.

Stock

The carbine stock is pretty fat for such a little rifle. The stock lip seems to make little difference. These are typical stocks.
The carbine stock is pretty fat for such a little rifle. The stock lip seems to make little difference. These are typical stocks.

Next, you should examine the stock itself. Remember, the M1 Carbine is primarily a triumph of mass production. It has been produced by the millions and always works, but accuracy was always second to its reliability. (Yeah, the more we look at it, the M1 can almost be called the “American AK!”) Take a look at the stock and be certain it fits the Carbine well. Route out the mortise in the stock that holds the recoil plate if necessary until the barrel, with the rifle assembled, floats about a half inch above the channel in the stock. A few shavings off the back of the stock usually results in a greater effect at the barrel end. Take care and frequently drop the barreled action back into the stock to check your progress.

Barrel Bands

This barrel band has been on the rifle a long time. But the barrel has some upward spring when the band is removed, usually a good sign for potential accuracy.
This barrel band has been on the rifle a long time. But the barrel has some upward spring when the band is removed, usually a good sign for potential accuracy.

Barrel bands are a fertile field for accuracy experiments. There are several types, and I will not pretend to be an expert, but the narrow half-inch bands seem to be the worst for accuracy. They often mismatch the stock and simply do not get the job done. The alternate types that are an inch thick are much betting at snugging up. The best type of barrel band by all reports seems to be the bayonet lug type, but this design is a bit difficult to find. If this band design interests you, check with Fulton Armory first, then the pages of Shotgun News. You will probably be able to obtain decent accuracy with the standard barrel band if you check the recoil plate mortise, but the superior wide bands do help. So, after working with the recoil plate and the recoil plate mortise, then making certain the barrel is flee floating as much as possible, you should be able to observe a difference in accuracy.

Barrel

This is our simple barrel wear gauge. This barrel is good to go and should provide good accuracy.
This is our simple barrel wear gauge. This barrel is good to go and should provide good accuracy.

At this point, barrel wear is a question. The use of noncorrosive ammunition in the M1 Carbine is a great aid in barrel life. In fact, few Carbines will be found with rusty bores. But overaggressive cleaning has shortened the life of many Carbine bores. There are gauges available to test the muzzle to see just how much damage the GI bore cleaner has done, but a more simple test with a centerfire rifle cartridge is adequate for evaluation. Now, the .30 Carbine cartridge is too short to use as a gauge, so use a .308 Winchester or, better still, a .30-06 Springfield cartridge. With the Carbine checked to be certain it is unloaded and with the action locked back, attempt to fit the ball portion of the cartridge into the Carbine muzzle. If the bullet goes in up to the cartridge case mouth, your muzzle is pretty much shot out. If the bullet stops at insertion at about an eighth of an inch, you have a shooter—and in between these two will probably exhibit in-between accuracy. I admit the mechanical gauge is more scientific, but this simple test works well enough to get a preliminary grip on the potential your M1 Carbine might have.

Trigger

Clean the trigger group, and you may improve the action. The author ran his finger across the action of this carbine and came up with considerable congealed oil.
Clean the trigger group, and you may improve the action. The author ran his finger across the action of this carbine and came up with considerable congealed oil.

There is little point in addressing the trigger action. The military two-stage trigger usually breaks at 4.5 to 6 pounds. I would never attempt to file hardened parts to produce a clean break. In any case, those few competitions that specify the M1 Carbine also demand a 4.5 pound or heavier trigger action. What is beneficial is to carefully clean and lubricate the trigger action.

The .30-caliber M1 Carbine is a versatile little rifle. It is usually completely reliable, accurate enough for personal defense and pest popping, and, above all, it is user friendly. While not as inexpensive as it once was, the Carbine still remains an excellent addition to anyone’s tactical repertoire. This is a design with no flies on it.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Gun Digest 2013.

First Look: Leupold Freedom RDS Black Ring

By
Elwood Shelton
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Leupold Freedom RDS 1

Redesigned for a sleeker, more tactical look, the Leupold Freedom RDS Black Ring still boasts the top-notch functionality of the original.

If you’re familiar with the Leupold Freedom RDS Gold Ring, then the company’s new red dot sight shouldn’t throw you any curveballs. The Freedom RDS Black Ring model is essentially the same optic, except with a black ring. Explains the name, eh?

The aesthetic change, according to Leupold, was a customer demand for something a bit sleeker and more in tune with the rifle on which most will be used—the AR-15. Sensible request, especially for those with a truly tactical bent. Iconic as Leupold’s gold ring is it’s an eye-catcher akin to a struck match in the dead of night.

Outside of coming back in black, the Freedom RDS Black Ring boasts all the features that won it accolades when released around a year ago. These include exceptionally clear and scratch-resistant glass, true 1x magnification, highly-visible Twilight red-dot system, motion control activation and shutdown, and 1,000-hours operation time between battery changes.

The eye-catching—quite literally—aspect of the Freedom RDS is its fine 1 MOA red-dot, a break from the bulky 3 MOA dots that make up most of the market. While certainly, the lion’s share of the work the optic is meant for is of the close- to medium-range kind, the finer dot opens up its downrange potential. Leupold bills it as a 500-yard aiming solution, most certainly when talking about any target that’s not shy a dinner plate in diameter.

Leupold Freedom RDS 2

Two Freedom RDS options are available: a capped turret model and exposed BDC model. The capped version is aimed at more precision work, with ¼-MOA per click adjustments. The BDC iteration is optimized for 55-grain .223 Rem. ammo, giving a rifle the ability to quickly adjust to targets at various ranges. In either case, the Freedom RDS comes with a mount height-optimal for the AR and both have versions have 80-MOA of adjustment for elevation and windage. Also, the red dot is well-sized, less than 5.5 inches length and under 7 ounces in weight.

As to price, Leupold has hung a reasonable MSRP on the Freedom RDS Black Ring, with a starting MSRP of $365.

For more information on the Leupold Freedom RDS Black Ring, please visit https://www.leupold.com/.

Scope Out More Optics Info:

  • 8 Revolutionary Reticles For Long-Range Accuracy
  • Buying the Perfect Precision Scope
  • The Best Tactical Red-Dot Performance-to-Price Option?
  • Shifting Winds: SIG BDX Changing Shooting For The Better

10mm Defensive Ammo: Making The 10 More Perfect Than Ever

By
Patrick Sweeney
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10MM defensive loads have come a long way in a short amount of time.

The 10mm pistol cartridge has been a lot of things over its nearly four decades of existence. Evolving out of the .40 G&A, a cartridge developed with the impetus of Jeff Cooper back in the 1970s, it sprang onto the scene in 1983 in the Bren Ten and with ammo from Norma. The idea was a “better than .45 ACP” cartridge that held more rounds in a pistol that was just as, if not more, ergonomic than the 1911. In addition, it could be a short magnum if needed.

What we got was “Holy Cow!” in a pistol. Somewhere in my archives, my earliest chrono log has the numbers; but simply put, the Norma specs of a 200-grain bullet at 1,200 fps were modest … compared to real life. The load delivered more like 1,300 fps, which made it an honest .44 Magnum in a pistol. We won’t speak of the velocities of the 180-grain JHPs, except to say that I turned down the opportunity to shoot a second magazine of them (this, from a 1911, because Bren Tens were exceedingly rare).

Then, after the 1986 Miami FBI shooting, the FBI declared that the 10mm was the pistol cartridge of the future. Alas, the FBI quickly found out that its offices full of accountants, lawyers and other white-collar types held few who could shoot passing scores with 10mm pistols and then-factory ammo.

.40 S&W: 10mm Goes Soft

So, the FBI kept going back to the ammo companies, asking for softer and softer ammo, until it hit on the “magic” formula: a 180-grain bullet at 950 fps. That left a lot of empty space in the 10mm case, and the Winchester ballisticians did a clever thing: They shortened it. Voilà! The .40 S&W was born, delivering a 180-grain bullet and 950 fps in a 9mm-sized pistol.

Para used to make the Longslide Hunter, but this brand is no more. Colt came out with the Delta, and that jump-started the 10mm.
Para used to make the Longslide Hunter, but this brand is no more. Colt came out with the Delta, and that jump-started the 10mm.

At that point, the 10mm became a “Jekyll and Hyde” caliber—one end was the soft, defensive ammo, basically a .40 S&W in a long case. At the other extreme, it was loaded to the gills (back then, handloaded) with a heavy bullet to full 10mm velocity. (There were some in-between loads, but not many.)

The .40 S&W, overpromising and under-delivering, has now fallen out of favor. The 10mm loads that duplicate it still exist, but they are legacy loadings and will only be around as long as sales warrant it.

In the place of the .40-equivalent loads, the 10mm defensive loads have stepped up a bit, in part due to the FBI test protocols. The 10mm was always a large-framed pistol caliber, not something you could shoehorn into a 9mm platform (that was what the .40 did), so users weren’t, and still aren’t, too put off by full-FBI-compliant loadings.

Get An Edge On The 10MM:

Because we’re looking at the bear-busters—the hunting loads here—I’ll leave the defensive ammo subject with one simple suggestion: Hornady 175-grain Flexlock Critical Duty. This is a 175-grain bullet at a listed 1,160 fps (testing usually puts it lower than that … not a bad thing), and that load will max out the scores on the FBI barrier tests. Buy it, test it, make sure your pistol is zeroed, and you’re golden.

The Bear-Busters 10s

But for hunting, you want more.

With the Rock Island high-capacity 10mm, loaded with Buffalo Bore 220-grain thumpers, hunting camp is a safer place.
With the Rock Island high-capacity 10mm, loaded with Buffalo Bore 220-grain thumpers, hunting camp is a safer place.

So, the hunting loads for the 10mm are often full-weight bullets or even more. You can get 10mm bullets up to 220 grains in weight. You can, if you can stand the recoil, boost them up to supersonic velocities. Even so, that’s reloading, and we’re talking factory ammo for right now.

I gathered up an array of suitable-for-hunting and suitable-for-practice hunting loads to see what numbers they would produce.

The results were as expected—and impressive. The “soft” 10mm loads were the Speer 200-grain Gold Dots, which came in at a bit above .45 ACP+P power levels. Depending on how much power you feel the need for or which particular load is most accurate in your pistol, the array of available soft- and hollow-points makes it easy to gather a selection. Then, it’s just a matter of finding which is most accurate in your gun. If it came down to a choice between two loads, I would tend to go for accuracy over sheer horsepower. I’d stick with the most accurate, even if the second-most-accurate load is 100 fps faster. (But that’s me.)

And if I were either hunting, or using ammo for protection from, bears, there would be one load of these that I’d select: the Buffalo Bore .220 hard-cast. There, you need penetration more than you need expansion, and when it comes to penetration, a hard-cast, truncated-nosed bullet is going to drill like a laser.

Springfield offers a pair of 10mms with red-dot sights already installed. Your choice: 5 inches or 6 inches of barrel.
Springfield offers a pair of 10mms with red-dot sights already installed. Your choice: 5 inches or 6 inches of barrel.

I have a few 10mm pistols. The first one is a prize gun from the old Second Chance Combat Pin Shoot (now back up and running as “The Pin Shoot”), and it is a stainless Colt Delta. It is my workhorse gun. I have fitted barrels chambered in .40 S&W and .357 Sig to it, besides the original 10mm barrel, and it has worked like a champ for the quarter-century I’ve had it.

Next in my lineup is a Para Ordnance longslide, built for hunting. With its 6-inch barrel, it can be expected to wring out every fps to be had from any given load. It is a single-stack, and I’d have to seriously de-horn it before taking it hunting or use it as a bear gun.

If I’m looking to have capacity on hand, my Rock Island Armory hi-cap longslide is just the ticket. It has a 15-round magazine, so I have plenty of capacity for hogs or bears; and a quick reload gets me 15 more.

Really, my idea of a suitable bear caliber starts at .338 Winchester Magnum and goes up from there, but you can wear a 10mm pistol all day long when hunting or in camp, and you can’t do the same with a rifle in .338 Win. Mag.

Revolver fans haven’t been left out: S&W has had the 10mm as a wheelgun in and out of its catalog. You can find them, and reloading a full-moon-clipped 10mm is lots faster than a .44 Magnum.
Revolver fans haven’t been left out: S&W has had the 10mm as a wheelgun in and out of its catalog. You can find them, and reloading a full-moon-clipped 10mm is lots faster than a .44 Magnum.

Now, if I’m feeling “modern” and want to be fully into the 21st century, Springfield Armory offers a pair of 10mm pistols in the 1911, one with a 5-inch barrel and one with a 6-inch. Both have factory-installed red-dot sights on the slide. They’re singe-stack guns as well … but not all problems are solved by sheer volume or capacity.

Glock? Nope. I checked, just to make sure, and the only big-framed Glocks I have are in .45 ACP. The Glock chambers I’ve measured are just a bit too generous for my taste, and 10mm hunting loads expand more than I like. The combination tends to be hard on brass. I’m sure there are lots of satisfied Glock 10mm owners out there, but what I have serves me well, so I’ll stick with the other Glocks I have.

There is another potential 10mm for hunting and bear defense that I don’t have, and that is the S&W 610. I have the identical revolver in .45 ACP, but not the 10mm version.

Why go with a 10mm revolver, you ask, when the same-size wheelgun could be had in .44 Magnum? Moon clips. The only faster reload for a revolver than moonclips is a second, loaded revolver. If you need a reload or you want to change what ammo you have in the gun and not lose any of it, moon clips rule.

If you’re using a handgun for hunting (as opposed to camp wear), a red-dot sight allows for more-precise aim from the hunting stand. In camp, it will be wicked fast.
If you’re using a handgun for hunting (as opposed to camp wear), a red-dot sight allows for more-precise aim from the hunting stand. In camp, it will be wicked fast.

The 610 has been in and out of the S&W catalog (currently in) and with barrel lengths of 4 and 6 inches. If you’re a fan of the DA revolver rather than pistols, the 610 is a first-class choice.

10mm Territory

The popularity of the 10mm waned a bit after the introduction of the .40 S&W, but it recovered and has been growing for a number of years now. One reason is the ever-larger number of state DNRs that permit handgun hunting in formerly shotgun-only areas. The one consistent rule for that has been the requirement for the handgun to be chambered for a straight-walled cartridge. The 10mm is the most powerful of those in a self-loading pistol that isn’t a big, bulky package. Pistols chambered in .44 Magnum tend to be much larger than the 1911 and, therefore, not as convenient.

When you venture into 10mm hunting load territory, be aware that you are working in the low-to-middle portion of .44 Magnum recoil. For instance, the Buffalo Bore .220 hard-cast lead, at a listed 1,200 fps, produces a power factor of 264.

Out of the Rock Island, it did better than that. Despite the listed ballistics, a .44 Magnum is going to be pushing a 240-grain lead bullet at 1,200 fps, so you’re neck and neck with the revolver. And because pistols—1911s, in particular—don’t roll up in your hand under recoil as revolvers do, you’ll take every bit of that recoil on each shot.

Left to right: Sig Sauer 180-grain FMJ, Federal Bonded Trophy 180-grain, Sig V-Crown 180-grain, Buffalo Bore 180-grain JHP, Buffalo Bore 220-grain L-TC.
Left to right: Sig Sauer 180-grain FMJ, Federal Bonded Trophy 180-grain, Sig V-Crown 180-grain, Buffalo Bore 180-grain JHP, Buffalo Bore 220-grain L-TC.

Don’t expect to spend an afternoon plinking session shooting off a couple of hundred rounds of 10mm. You will have developed a flinch long before you get that much ammo downrange.

I chronographed the loads first in my Delta, with its 5-inch barrel, and then did them all again in the Rock Island longslide and its 6-inch barrel. You’ll have to decide for yourself if the extra length of the pistol is worth the extra velocity of the barrel. One thing you will benefit from with a longslide pistol is the extra sight radius: Tagging the 1-foot-square gong on the club’s 100-yard rifle range was pretty easy, even with the hardest-kicking loads.

To get some not-so-much-recoil practice in, 10mm empties are easy to reload. You’ll find that the hot factory ammo will have expanded the cases enough so that resizing is work—but not as much as the “T-Rex”-level .44 Magnum loads some shoot, which practically require you to stand on the loading press handle. But you’ll notice more work resizing with hot 10mm empties than with regular 10mm or standard .45, 9mm, .40, etc.

10mm 9

The 10mm uses a standard large-pistol primer—there’s no need for magnum primers—and, due to the popularity of the .40 for so long, there’s no lack of 10mm bullets. For lead, you’ll want .401 inch; for jacketed, you’ll want .400 inch. Easy to find.

Dive Into These 10mm Ammo Tips

 

The article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

WIN THIS: American Made- Leupold Optics Mark 5HD

By
Gun Digest Editors
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0
Sponsored Content

Leopold Optics MUSA

64-MUSA-Blogpost-leopold-angle-954×639

Designed Machined and assembled in Leupold Optic's Oregon factory, the Mark 5HD scope keeps the company roots firmly planted in its home.

Crafted to redefine accuracy, precision, and optical performance for long-range shooters, Leupold’s award-winning Mark 5HD is a testament to domestic manufacturing. It’s proudly designed, machined, and assembled in the company’s Beaverton, Oregon factory, where Leupold employs over 650 hardworking Americans.

In designing the Mark 5HD line, Leupold’s product specialists asked elite shooters what they needed to put accurate fire downrange faster, and used that input to design a riflescope that provides all the tools necessary — in both quality and features — without the unnecessary extras that add weight and cost for consumers. Combining relentless optical performance, rugged reliability, and user-friendly features in a package that could only be produced by leveraging the 70-plus years of optics manufacturing Leupold possesses, the Mark 5HD has wowed end-users throughout the industry.

Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.

Pick up a Mark 5HD and you’ll feel the difference; it’s up to 20 ounces lighter than other scopes in its class. Get behind one and you’ll see the difference, from its superior edge-to-edge clarity to its extreme low-light performance. With three revolutions of elevation adjustment, the Mark 5HD was built to max out the performance of the latest long-range rifles and ammo.

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The heart of the Mark 5HD is in its ZeroLock adjustments, which provide precise, repeatable tracking with a dead-on return to zero. The M5C3 elevation dial delivers over 30-mils of adjustment in three turns. Visual and tactile revolution indicators are in place to ensure you don’t get lost in the travel, and the auto-lock at zero eliminates the risk of accidentally moving the dial. The windage adjustment is capped and the zero indicator mark has been relocated on the riflescope’s main tube so you can see it without moving your head off the stock of the rifle.

In short, it’s the most dominant long-range, precision riflescope on the market. Best yet, it’s backed by Leupold’s legendary lifetime guarantee, which guarantees performance where other companies warranty failure.

For more information on Leupold Optics, please visit leupold.com.

More American Made Guns And Gear:

Precision Rifle Training: The Edge You Need For Hunting Season

By
Frank Galli
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When you can’t get close or you have to shoot over or around obstacles, a tripod is the most important tool in your toolbox.
When you can’t get close or you have to shoot over or around obstacles, a tripod is the most important tool in your toolbox.

Precision rifle shooting is the fastest-growing segment of the hunting industry, training should go hand-in-hand with it.

Hunting and sniping have a lot in common. It’s why back in the old days, Marines and hunters who were adept at hunting were often chosen to fill the military’s ranks.

Today, it’s not quite the same. For example, I graduated from sniper school, having come from a reasonably large city and with no hunting background. As Brad Pitt noted in Spy Games, we had a Safeway back home to put food on the table.

The main difference I see after years of being involved in the precision rifle world is the education side of things. Snipers have chased technology and seek out a lot of training, whereas hunters are happy to do things as they always have. In other words, if it was good enough for grandpa, it’s good enough for me.

I have story after story of students who attended classes because they missed a trophy elk inside 200 yards. Once fall hits, I get e-mail after e-mail about animals being taken at twice this range. I see everyone, from guides to professional hunters, in the classes I teach.

World-class hunts are expensive, so why risk a failed shot because of a lack of training?

Precision-Rifle-Marksmanship-2

Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals

Breaking down the fundamentals of marksmanship with easy-to-understand methodology, author Frank Galli draws on his background as a Marine sniper to offer a logical order of instruction from shooter to target. Buy Now!

Hunters are not solely to blame; the industry has not helped their cause. The firearms industry has been slow to address the recent changes we see on the military side, as well as with competition shooting. It has gotten better, and there are pockets of excellence out there in the hunting world. Sure, you might have to spend a premium to find it, but what are your efforts worth?

Get the Best Precision Rifle Training

The first place I would start to look is at a company such as Gunwerks, because I believe it’s providing training correctly. To begin with, it hired former USMC scout sniper instructor and competition shooter Philip Velayo. He is a rising star in the precision rifle community. Gunwerks is bringing a modern take to hunter education. Deep in theory and practical in its application, Gunwerks has a great hunter training program. I highly recommend it.

It’s no longer about the minute-of-pie-plate standard most hunters use. Well, if 99 percent of your engagements falls inside 100 yards, does it matter? The answer is yes; it should always matter. We are talking life and death here.

Offer Training and They Will Come

Even in my precision rifle marksmanship classes, we see a lot more hunters coming out to get educated. On my first few trips to Alaska in order to teach precision rifle courses, it was all about hunting rifles on the line. In Alaska, nearly everyone hunts to put food on the table or to protect themselves from the angry “dinosaurs” roaming the woods.

Pairing an older hunting rifle with a modern scope will increase its capability immediately.
Pairing an older hunting rifle with a modern scope will increase its capability immediately.

I had to adapt my training for the shooters who showed up with hunting rifles in magnum calibers designed for no more than three shots. It’s a tricky way to teach a class and includes a lots of downtime so the barrels can cool. (Gunwerks’ rifles have moved from pencil-thin barrels that cannot handle more than three shots at a time to carbon-fiber variants that keep the weight down.)

Combine this with scopes that can’t reach out past 600 yards, and the result is some students making hits on target at 1,000 yards, while the others are barely able to take advantage of the ballistic power their rifles possess. Today, all our shooters are able to distance within that three-shot limit.

Advancing Technology

Precision rifle shooting is the fastest-growing side of the firearms industry, so it makes sense that we’re seeing hunting technology move forward. Better still is the current group of shooters who have adapted the competition tools and techniques to their hunts.

Competition shooters generally engage multiple targets at multiple distances in fewer than 90 seconds—as many as 10 shots on a variety of targets from 300 yards to 1,000 yards. And, they are doing it from alternate positions.

Let’s break down the facets of precision rifle shooting:

  1. Sub-MOA targets
  2. Compressed time standards
  3. Alternate positions
  4. Tripods and game-changer bags for obstacles
  5. “Find it, range it, engage it” approach
  6. Precision rifle shooters act as their own spotters

In fact, everything on this list applies to hunting throughout North America.

Best Practices

First, optics. Step up to a modern piece of glass with target or tactical-style turrets you can actually adjust. You have a fast-moving caliber that can effectively reach 1,000 yards in training. Dialing the scope is not going to slow you down; it will help you establish your verified drops to distance. These drops can be translated to the reticle for holds when time is on the line. Every student with a hunting scope is given two ways to attack this issue: a table of drops and a diagram of holds.

Change your zero. Get away from the 200-plus-yard zero and stick to 100 yards. With a 100-yard zero, everything is up, including shots, inside this distance. Zeroing at 200 yards or longer does not afford you any advantage at all. In fact, it costs you more than you realize, because atmospheric effects will begin to work on the bullet. If you are traveling, this is going to cause a lot of headaches.

Precision Rifle Hunting 1

Once you have a 100-yard zero on your scope, you can dial any point-blank range you want. You can put 200 yards on the turrets; you can put 300 yards on the turrets; you can use a battle sight zero the same way grandpa did—but with an actual value in range. Dialing for your point of impact to intersect your point of aim is critical. It doesn’t have to be a guess as to how much to hold over the animal’s back.

Next, when it comes to the rifle, don’t be afraid of a little weight. A carbon-fiber stock and thicker C.F. barrel will help balance the weight with the ability to shoot the rifle.

Get On Target With Precision Shooting:

In addition, consider a MagnetoSpeed Riflekühl for your training. This device will cool off your barrel and chamber in between shots so you can take advantage of some real training.

Better record-keeping means better results. Accuracy and precision come from a couple of places. A shooter’s ability to gather and interpret data is one of them. You need rounds on target in order to gather data. Simply checking zero at 100 yards using a paper plate won’t do the trick. The record-keeping process has helped students land animals at longer ranges, making them more effective hunters. Without this critical data, there is no long-range hunting.

Consider support. Tripods are the quickest and easiest way to create a stable shooting platform. You can use your tripod for spotting, as well as shooting. In my opinion, the tripod is the most valuable tool in the practical shooter’s toolbox. Given a choice, I would leave the bipod at home and focus solely on shooting from a tripod. There is not a single scenario for which it does not apply. Zero from it, shoot it from it, embrace it.

My current Really Right Stuff tripod with an Anvil 30 head weighs 4.5 pounds and folds to fewer than 26 Inches. The Anvil 30 is the shooting tool for the modern shooter.

Combine lasers and binos. Laser rangefinding binoculars are going to be your best friend for spotting and ranging. You can do both in a single action. If you have doped out your rifle properly prior to the hunt, you have everything you need to hit any target, point of aim, point of impact. Sure, it takes practice and effort to learn.

Space-Age Materials

When it comes to bags and nylon accessories, the new lightweight fills are amazing. You don’t have to carry a 7-pound game-changer; you can now accomplish the same thing with a bag weighing just ounces. These bags cradle the rifle off hard surfaces so the recoil will not bounce you off the target. In other words, instead of placing the rifle directly on a log or stump, add a bag and see the results of your impact. (These bags also make a great pillow when you’re hanging out.)
I am certainly not putting anyone down; rather, I’m trying to elevate hunters to a more effective place.

Precision Rifle Hunting 6

During our fundamental evaluation at Gunwerks, we see a lot of students I wouldn’t want shooting an animal inside 100 yards—let alone 400 or 500 yards. We teach them to understand and dope the wind, gather dope and learn some basic external ballistics that put rounds on target. And finally, it’s all about the hammer-forged fundamentals.

After the class is finished, we see marksmen standing in front of us. Marksmen hit what they are aiming at … by using a combination of skills.

Just because you’re hunting something with a 3 MOA kill zone doesn’t give you license to wing it.

The article originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

First Look: .50-Caliber Remington R2Mi Bolt-Action Rifle

By
Elwood Shelton
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Remington R2Mi Bolt Action

Pitching the mighty .50 BMG, the Remington R2Mi takes your long-range game to the next zip code.

Have a passion for long-range that the average 6mm or 6.5mm isn’t satisfying? Perhaps it’s time for an upgrade. In that case, look no further than Remington Arms.

Newly minted, the R2Mi bolt-action in .50 BMG is engineered to dust your average precision rifle’s range by a country mile. One of the advantages of pitching 600-plus-grain projectiles. Pleasantly enough, Remington has tweaked the massive rifle in a few distinct ways to set it off from similar options on the market today. None stand out more than its bolt handle.

Situated on the left of the receiver, the handle allows the right-handed shooter to operate with his support hand, thus not break position when cycling the gun. A small design point, but a weighty one—especially when follow-up shots are at a premium. Interestingly, the R2Mi still spits out the empty cases to the right. The other major aspect worth noting is the simplicity of the .50-caliber. Two integral pins lock the upper and lower receivers, making its disassembly similar to AR-style rifles, which in a word is easy.

Get On Target With Precision Shooting:

As to the specifics of the R2Mi, it boasts a Lothar Walther free-floated match-grade barrel, an 8-groove bore with a 1:15 twist and ACC muzzle brake, which accepts a Cyclops suppressors. As to the receivers, they’re made of machined aircraft-grade aluminum and mated with a vented handguard. Mercifully, Remington includes a bipod in the package. To the rear of the gun, the R2Mi is outfitted with a Magpul PRS Gen3 buttstock, both adjustable for length of pull, cant and comb rise. The rifle feeds off a 10-round magazine and also has a full-length Picatinny rail to facilitate the quick addition of an optic.

Now, on to a little issue of price. Expected, the Remington R2Mi demands a princely sum—$4,599. Face long-range isn’t cheap, extreme long-range does nothing to temper the price tag. Although, if you need a few extras to pry your wallet open, “Big Green” throws in a Pelican Storm Case, hearing and eye protection, as well as a cable lock with the gun. All you have to figure out after that is how to pay to feed it.

For more information on the Remington R2Mi, please visit remington.com.

Fit For A King: Merkel K3 Stutzen

By
Richard A. Mann
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2

Merkel K3 3

Manufactured to exacting standards and as classy as come, the Merkel K3 is truly rifle royalty.

Why The Merkel K3 Is A Cut Above Other Hunting Rifles:

  • Single-shot with a Jeager tilting block action.
  • Generally sold in a kit with a Swarovski Z3 scope and compact case.
  • Comes chambered in 223 Remington, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 8X57IRS, 6.5X55SE, 7X57R, 7X65R and 6.5X57R.
  • Stock is high-grade walnut, with a hog-back comb and Bavarian cheekpiece.
  • Receiver is machined for a Suhl one-piece scope mount.
  • The rifle is also a takedown, disassembling in fewer than 10 seconds.

Real riflemen know many rifles, but in truth, love none. They’ll bear the sorrow of some, and with others, have fun. Eventually, they’ll always find and run home to one they truly trust. Rifleman are all different, skipping among rifles like a gypsy moves from place to place, looking for that perfection that always seems to be just past the next crossroads.

But, sometimes, that special rifle will fall into their hands. For many, it never happens. For most, it takes half a century or more.

Right and below right: Assembling the Merkel K3 requires no tools and can be completed in about 10 seconds.
Right and below right: Assembling the Merkel K3 requires no tools and can be completed in about 10 seconds.

My son was lucky: He found his at the tender age of 19.

The Merkel K3 is a single-shot rifle with a Jeager tilting block that’s manufactured by Merkel Jagd- und Sportwaffen GmbH, which is located in Suhl, Thuringia (in Germany). Merkel has been manufacturing weapons since 1905. They’re currently distributed in the United States by Steyr Arms of Bessemer, Alabama.

K3s are generally sold in kit form for about $5,000. The package includes a Swarovski Z3 3X10-42mm riflescope and a rugged compact case from Americase. The rifle, itself, retails for about $3,700. Yes, that’s pricy, and you’re probably wondering why I’m so excited about a single-shot rifle that expensive. Let me explain.

Merkel K3: All the Details

The standard chamberings available in the Merkel K3 are .223 Remington, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 8X57IRS, 6.5X55SE, 7X57R, 7X65R and 6.5X57R. Others are available on request. The rifle is equipped with an adjustable titanium-nitride trigger with a pull weight that can be set at 14, 21 or 28 ounces. Overall weight is a nominal 5.3 pounds. Overall length is 1 meter, and the barrel measures 20 inches. The stock is carved from a gorgeous piece of high-grade walnut, and it has that distinctive European hog-back comb and Bavarian cheekpiece. It’s also fitted with a rubber butt pad and can be had in the left-hand configuration.

Once the K3’s barrel is installed on the action, the forearm is snapped into place. The latch for forearm removal is located on the bottom of the forearm and can be depressed with just a finger.
Once the K3’s barrel is installed on the action, the forearm is snapped into place. The latch for forearm removal is located on the bottom of the forearm and can be depressed with just a finger.

There are four basic versions. The standard model, the Extreme and Lady DS all come with a short forend. The K3 Stutzen has a two-piece, full-length Mannlicher-style front stock. The standard and Stutzen offerings are fitted with high-profile, highly visible fiber-optic open sights, and the Lady DS and the Extreme come without sights. The receivers for all versions are machined to accept the unbelievably precise Suhl one-piece scope mount.

More On German Rifles:

The K3 is a takedown rifle and can be disassembled in fewer than 10 seconds. The rifle and scope fit inside a 28×9.5×3-inch Americase. The one-piece Suhl scope mount has two locking levers. Swing these levers 180 degrees, and the scope mount releases from the barrel. There’s a slide lock on the bottom of the forearm. Depress this lock, and the forearm comes off. Then, the last step is to push the action lever to the right, thereby unlocking the barrel from the action. For the traveling hunter, this is an ideal, compact, easy-to-carry and exceptionally secure setup. The combined weight of the cased rifle and scope is 16 pounds.

At the Range With the Merkel K3

I’m sure by now you’re wondering if the rifle will shoot. I wondered the same thing, because even though single-shot rifles can deliver excellent precision, takedown rifles are notorious for a wavering zero and often require re-zeroing every time they’re put back together. Full-stock—Mannlicher-style—rifles also have a reputation for poor accuracy. So, on my first trip to the range, I figured I’d best establish just how precisely the K3 would shoot.

This hartebeest was taken at almost 300 yards by the author’s son using the classy Merkel K3 Stutzen that he named “Sweet Melissa.”
This hartebeest was taken at almost 300 yards by the author’s son using the classy Merkel K3 Stutzen that he named “Sweet Melissa.”

After mounting a GPO Passion 3X 3-9x42mm riflescope in the Suhl mount, I fired three three-shot groups with three different loads from a sandbag rest at 100 yards. The average group size for all nine groups was an impressive 1.22 inches. The 165-grain AccuBond load from the newly established Federal Custom Shop averaged 1.04 inches.

Inspired, I went to the next step in the evaluation process to see how reliable the Suhl scope mounting system was.

I fired three more three-shot groups using the Federal Custom Shop load, and I removed and reinstalled the scope after every shot. The average group size was 1.39 inches! More importantly, there was no point-of-impact shift. In fact, the smallest group I fired (0.77 inch) was one of the three for which I removed and reinstalled the scope after every shot.

The Americase supplied with the Merkel K3 is robust, secure and lockable. You’ve got to admit that the disassembled and cased K3 Stutzen has a bit of royal flare. It’s like a rifle for a king!
The Americase supplied with the Merkel K3 is robust, secure and lockable. You’ve got to admit that the disassembled and cased K3 Stutzen has a bit of royal flare. It’s like a rifle for a king!

I still needed to establish if accuracy and precision would remain after the rifle was disassembled. I fired three-more three-shot groups; however, after every shot, I removed the riflescope and took the rifle apart. Unbelievably, the average for those three groups was 1.35 inches! Practically speaking, this was amazing; I’ve tested custom bolt-action rifles—rifles that aren’t takedowns—that won’t shoot this well.

A Must-Have for a Roan Hunt

Beyond the wonderful mechanics of this rifle, I must mention how well it handles. It’s a joy to carry and snaps to your shoulder quickly. With an upcoming month in Africa, I couldn’t resist taking it along. A roan hunt was on the agenda; I’ve wanted to hunt roan since my first African safari. As far as I was concerned, no rifle was more regal than the Merkel for hunting such a majestic animal. And, when I showed it to my son, Bat, who always accompanies me on these month-long African adventures, I saw a grin as big as I’ve ever seen on his face. He said, “Dad, you have to buy this rifle!”

While on safari, I had a lot to do, and the roan hunt got pushed to the last week. During that time, I never took the Merkel to the bush. However, it was brought out to the fire ring every time a new hunter arrived in camp. They wanted to see the rifle my son and I were so excited about. This exhibition was always accompanied by a demonstration of how the rifle could be so quickly taken down and reassembled (I mention this because during the course of about three weeks, the Merkel was taken apart and put back together well over a dozen times).

The sliding switch on the Merkel K3’s tang serves as the safety. It also cocks and uncocks the action.
The sliding switch on the Merkel K3’s tang serves as the safety. It also cocks and uncocks the action.

Why is this important? Well, when I arrived in Africa, I checked the zero on the Merkel; it was spot on. I was so confident of the rifle’s ability to retain zero that after three weeks of showing it off, I didn’t even bother to check it. We managed to close to about 110 yards on the day of the roan hunt, and the little Merkel placed the 165-grain AccuBond with perfection.

But that hunt was mostly a testament to my professional hunter’s ability to close the distance and get us close to an animal. Where the Merkel really shone—and earned its name—was during the last day of the safari.

My son hadn’t had the opportunity to do much hunting at all during the safari because he’d been busy running a camera and drone for the full month. The last day was devoted to him. Of course, he wanted to hunt with the Merkel. Over the years, he’s taken a wide array of plains game but had yet to secure a hartebeest, zebra or a nice representative impala ram. A least one of those was the goal for the day.

Bat’s Hunt Day

However, we got off to a rocky start.

The K3 does not have an extractor, but fired or unfired cases can be easily removed by hand.
The K3 does not have an extractor, but fired or unfired cases can be easily removed by hand.

We spotted some hartebeest as we slipped through a stand of acacia. I picked out a nice bull and ranged him at just shy of 230 yards. The bull dropped at the shot but got right back to his feet; it was apparent the bullet had stuck low in the leg. I ranged him again and got a distance of almost 300 yards (my first attempt at ranging was obviously flawed). I told Bat the correct distance and instructed him to hold on the bull’s back. He did, and when the Merkel roared, the hartebeest was down for good.

Somewhat unbelievably, we managed to find a nice impala ram near dusk. Bat dropped him with a shot through the heart at 276 yards. And, just as that glorious African sun was beginning to turn the sky neon pink, a 300-yard shot from the little Merkel collected Bat his first zebra.

I’d watched this boy fall in and out of love with various sports and girls for years. But after 19 years, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him look at or hold anything the way he gazed and cradled the Merkel K3.

One of the most impressive features of the Merkel K3 is the Suhl quick-detach, one-piece scope mount. It’s easily affixed to grooves cut into the barrel.
One of the most impressive features of the Merkel K3 is the Suhl quick-detach, one-piece scope mount. It’s easily affixed to grooves cut into the barrel.

Throughout Bat’s life, I’ve strived to expose him to the finer things in life. He’s been hunting in Africa since he was 14, and I’ve introduced him to some fascinating folks and exposed him to some wonders of the world. These things are all just part of a father’s job. (So, too, is introducing a young man to good music. During our month-long adventure in Africa, the Allman Brothers had become a regular on his playlist.)

And, with every good rifle needing a good name, after his fantastic last day in Africa, Bat told me, “I’ve decided to name the Merkel ‘Sweet Melissa.’”

It might well be impossible to better describe a rifle such as this.

Merkel K3 Stutzen Specs:
Manufacturer: Merkel Jagd-und Sportwaffen GmbH (Merkel-die-jagd.de/en)
Importer/Distributor: Steyr Arms USA (Steyr-Arms.com/us)
Chamberings: .223 Remington, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 8X57IRS, 6.5X55SE, 7X57R, 7X65R, 6.5X57R (other chamberings are available on request)
Barrel: 20 in.
Sights: Fiber-optic open sights; Suhl quick-detach scope mount
Stock: Walnut (various grades and in right- or left-hand versions)
Finish: Matte black
Length: 35.82 in.
Weight: 5.29 lbs.
MSRP: $5,000 (includes a compact Americase and a Swarovski Z3 3X10-42mm riflescope)

For more information on the Merkel K3, please visit steyr-arms.com.

The article originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

First Look: CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer/SR

By
Elwood Shelton
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Cz 457 Varmint Precision Trainer Suppressor Ready

Full-sized and configured like a centerfire precision rifle, shake hands with the .22 LR CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer/SR.

If it hasn’t hit your radar, there’s a trend in long-guns shaping up this year as clear-cut as a trigger break—bolt-actions in .22 LR. Nothing new about the most popular cartridge in the world teaming up with the tried-and-true rifle, they’ve nearly been a pair since the dawn of metallic cartridges. Yet, the new generation of rimfire guns are a marketed break from the past. They’re full-sized, meticulously manufactured and would seem more at home in a precision rifle match than perforating tin cans. Welcome to the rise of the precision trainer.

The concept makes sense. Taxing your ammunition fund for pennies on the dollar, the tack-driving rimfires guarantee a boon of profitable trigger time on a rig meant to mirror its centerfire cousins. Bolt-throw to downrange results, it’s all there—albeit closer in. Newest to this game, CZ-USA.

Notables aplenty on the CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer/SR, one stands out in particular—a top-notch carbon-fiber stock. While the Manners’ platform isn’t adjustable, its internal structure is optimized for the utmost rigidity, thus consistent performance. Additionally, it’s got the little extras that help you keep the rifle on target—tall comb, butt hook, pistol grip, among others. Furthermore, CZ has trimmed back the action an inch in length and slab-sided it to make more room for your mitt.

Other notables on the CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer/SR include threaded muzzle (1/2×28 pattern), 60-degree bolt throw, detachable magazine system and an 11mm dovetail milled into the receiver to make adding an optic much easier. Moreover, the rifle is also outfitted with a user-adjustable trigger, however, the feature isn’t exclusive to the Precision Trainer/SR—all 457 boast one now. The rifle is available in two barrel lengths, 24 inch and 16.5 inch, both tapered varmint profile. On par with other recently-released rimfire trainers, CZ aims for crossover appeal in the rifle, not only in its very manageable 7.56-pound weight, but also its three-color camo pattern.

Even in .22, precision doesn’t come cheap and the CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer/SR is no different. Commanding $1,144, it's out of weekend plinkers’ range, but more than affordable for anyone obsessed with honing their precision rifle skills to a razor’s edge.

CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer Suppressor-Ready 24″ Specs:
Caliber: 22LR
Stock: Manners Composite
Mag. Type: Detachable
Mag. Cap: 5
Trigger: Adj
Sights: None
Barrel Length: 24.875 In.
Weight: 7.56 Lbs.
Barrel: Heavy Cold Hammer Forged
MSRP: $1,144.00

CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer Suppressor-Ready 16.5″ Specs:
Caliber: 22LR
Stock: Manners Composite
Mag. Type: Detachable
Mag. Cap: 5
Trigger: Adj
Sights: None
Barrel Length: 16.5 In.
Weight: 7.1 Lbs.
Barrel: Heavy Cold Hammer Forged
MSRP: $1,144.00

For more information on the CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer/SR, please visit cz-usa.com.

More Rimfire Info:

Smith & Wesson R8: Above And Beyond The Iconic Model 19

By
Dick Jones
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Smith & Wesson R8 1

As far as competition revolvers are concerned, the Smith & Wesson R8 is everything the legendary Model 19 was … and more.

How The R8 Outdoes The Model 19:

  • Boasts an 8-round cylinder compared to the 19's 6-round.
  • Its a few ounces lighter than the 19, thanks to a scandium frame.
  • The revolver's cylinder is cut to accomodate moon clips for faster loading.
  • Its rear adjustable sight is exellent and its front is an interchangable Patridge style.
  • Tapped and drilled, an optic is easily mounted.

Fifty years ago, I was an avid shooter, but I’d never shot in a match. I simply didn’t know how to get started. A close friend let me know there was going to be a police practical pistol match held within 10 miles of my home and that civilians were welcome. The match was being held by the local community college for its law enforcement program. I signed up the next morning.

There were four divisions for active and reserve officers, students and civilians. I won civilian and was in the top 25 percent in the overall results. My gun-of-choice was a Smith & Wesson Model 19, 4 inches. I used a Bianchi lined gun belt and a thumb break Bianchi Model 10 holster. The winner shot a 6-inch Colt Python that was original on the outside but with a smoothed-up trigger.

In those days, the revolver was “king,” and while Pythons were great guns, the Model 19 was the working man’s revolver. In fact, it was easy to buy a Python; they were in every gun shop. But Model 19 Smiths were hard to come by and often brought a price far above retail and often higher than a Python.

The S&W Model 19: All Business

Arguably the most influential law enforcement shooter of the time was Bill Jordan, who carried a Model 19. In fact, Jordan was instrumental in the development of the Model 19. One appears on the cover of his book, No Second Place Winner.

Probably the biggest flaw in the Model 19 was the Baughman Quick Draw front sight. In those days, few holsters had sight tracks, and a vertical front sight often scrubbed a bit of leather as it came out of the holster.
Probably the biggest flaw in the Model 19 was the Baughman Quick Draw front sight. In those days, few holsters had sight tracks, and a vertical front sight often scrubbed a bit of leather as it came out of the holster.

It was introduced in 1955 and, unlike the chrome-and-finned cars of the 1950s, it was all business. It was available with 2½-, 4- and 6-inch barrels and had quality adjustable sights with some options, oversized “Combat” checkered exotic wood grips (either rosewood or goncalo alves) and a shrouded ejector rod. It was based on the K-frame—small enough to be fast and strong enough to handle the powerful .357 Magnum round. To this day, no handgun feels better in my hand than a Model 19.

At the time of its inception, the Model 19 was a remarkable handgun and certainly one of the most iconic pistols of the 20th century. It was capable of serving the competitor, law enforcement officer and sportsman equally well. It won trophies and awards, put bad guys behind bars, defended citizens and protected sportsmen. It was the perfect combination of a reliable, powerful, accurate and easy-to-shoot revolver.

Raise Your Smith & Wesson IQ

Many years later, I was invited to cover the Bianchi Cup for Gun Digest the Magazine. I’ve always been a competitor and don’t shy from trying new things, so I wanted to shoot. I chose to shoot a revolver like the one I shot in my first pistol match. I began to think of what would make the best firearm.

I briefly considered shooting a Model 19. My original M19 was long gone (traded for some other pistol that’s also long gone), but I still had an old, nickel-plated, 4-inch Model 19. It wouldn’t be competitive—but then, neither would I, so the idea was appealing.

Then, I saw a Smith & Wesson R8 at the NRA Convention and knew that would be just the trick. I could shoot the cup with it and also write a review, thus killing two birds with one stone. It did really well, and a better shooter could have placed pretty high in the standings with it.

The Smith & Wesson R8: Deadly Accurate

As good as the Smith & Wesson Model 19 was (and still is), the R8 is better in every category. If law enforcement officers still carried revolvers, it would be the best service revolver available. Out of the box, it’s capable of winning local revolver matches. As a defensive pistol, it has eight rounds, and the opportunity for malfunctions is as close to zero as firearms get. It’s powerful, easy to shoot and deadly accurate. As a sportsman’s gun, it holds eight powerful .357 Magnum rounds and is light enough for daily carry in areas where animals that bite might be encountered. And with an optic, it’s a perfectly capable hunting instrument for deer-sized game.

Eight-round cylinder, almost zero chance of a malfunction and deadly accurate, the R8 is as good as it gets. If law eforcement still carried revolvers, it's a sure bet it'd be the R8.
Eight-round cylinder, almost zero chance of a malfunction and deadly accurate, the R8 is as good as it gets. If law enforcement still carried revolvers, it's a sure bet it'd be the R8.

The Smith & Wesson R8 is everything the iconic Model 19 was … and even more. It’s based on the N frame, larger and now with an eight-round cylinder instead of the six of the 19 and earlier N frames. Because of a scandium frame, it’s a couple of ounces lighter—slightly fewer than 36 ounces—than the all-steel Model 19.

The cylinders are cut to accommodate moon clips for faster loading and ejection. The R8 comes with a synthetic grip that closely resembles the Hogue Monogrip. I’ve never liked that grip and instantly replaced mine with a Pachmayr Presentation rubber grip. For several years now, all K-, L- and N-framed S&Ws feature a round butt frame. Even so, standard square butt grips fit.

The Smith & Wesson R8 is a Performance Center gun with features that relate to a broad range of use, but those features really work as a competition revolver. The rear sight is the excellent S&W adjustable, and the front sight is an interchangeable Patridge style that’s popular with competitive shooters. There’s a bottom rail in front of the shrouded ejector housing, and the top of the sleeved barrel housing is drilled and tapped for a supplied top rail for mounting optics.

In-Depth Testing

Even though I’ve shot thousands of rounds through both these guns, I decided I should go through the same testing procedure I’d use as if I had never fired them before. I ordered 500 rounds of Aguila 130-grain .38 Special and 158-grain .357 Magnum ammunition and set about a serious testing session.

Because both could be considered target guns, I bench-tested them at 25 yards and wasn’t disappointed. I could have easily put an optic on the R8, but I kept things fair and tested both with iron sights. Both guns easily delivered consistent groups of around 2 inches, with occasional groups close to 1 inch (with better eyes and some experimentation with loads, I’d bet you could get close to a 1-inch average). I had to use sight black on both guns to get a sharper sight picture, especially with the Model 19. It had the popular, but almost useless, red ramp front sight so popular in the 1970s.

The Baughman Quick Draw front sight was fast out of those old leather holsters without dragging a wad of leather, but it left a lot to be desired in getting a really good sight picture. The Patridge front of the Smith & Wesson R8 is much better, but I’d add a high-vis front if I were going to shoot it a lot.

State-of-the-art revolver rigs—50 years apart. Leather will always be more beautiful than plastic, but the Bladetech OWB holster makes that old Bianchi seem like a Model A. Notice that it’s been trimmed in the front for a bit more speed.
State-of-the-art revolver rigs—50 years apart. Leather will always be more beautiful than plastic, but the Bladetech OWB holster makes that old Bianchi seem like a Model A. Notice that it’s been trimmed in the front for a bit more speed.

In deliberate single-action shooting, both guns have remarkable triggers. The break gives the impression of being lighter than it actually is, and there seems to be zero movement. You line up the sights, begin pressure on the trigger, and the gun seems to shoot itself.

Recoil anticipation isn’t a problem, because the gun just seems to shoot when the sights line up. Maybe part of this comes from my youth being centered around revolvers, but it’s the most natural kind of shooting I can imagine.

The same is true when shooting standing. I tested both guns with .38 Special for accuracy testing, and it was easy to hold the black on a 25-yard reduced pistol target. (In my youth, I could reliably hold that 5.32-inch circle in the classic “bullseye” shooting pose with one hand only.) I kept most shots inside the just-over-2-inch 8 ring. In that original PPC match mentioned above, you didn’t get to put the support hand on the gun until you reached the 25-yard line and finished up at 60 yards.

Match Fever

Because revolvers do really well at shooting in falling plate matches, I also did quite a bit of plate shooting. I was surprised at how easy it was to run the plates clean in the time limit with the old Bianchi holster and the stock Model 19 trigger. It was easier with the Smith & Wesson R8 and a trimmed BladeTech OWB holster without retention, but the Model 19 held its own remarkably well.

Of course, these guns are chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge, and it simply wouldn’t be right to try them out with some full-power loads.

After that initial PPC match, my appetite for competitive shooting had to find an outlet. Metallic silhouette shooting became the latest rage. I settled into NRA Hunters Pistol and shot my first couple of matches with that same Model 19. I won unclassified with that 4-inch Model 19, shooting standing and with the ram target a full 100 yards away. Later, I switched to a 6-inch Model 28 and won a lot of matches—becoming one of the first three AAA class shooters in the state.

For more information on the Smith & Wesson R8, please visit smith-wesson.com.

Raise Your Smith & Wesson IQ:

Greatest Springfield Armory Imports

By
Elwood Shelton
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A rare bird, the BM-59 "Nigerian" can demand five figures. Photo: <a href=

Back in the 1980s, Springfield Armory gave Americans access to some of the best guns the world had to offer. Here are four of the greatest.

What Were Springfield Armory's Best Imports:

A prolific gunmaker, Springfield Armory is also an inexhaustible importer. Most obvious to modern shooters are the XD pistols, the Croatian-made HS2000, which makes up the lion’s share of the company’s handgun catalog. Successful as the line has proven, it’s really just the Johnny-come-lately.

Early in Springfield Armory’s history, it raked in a number of imported guns, some of which are out-and-out classics. We look at four of them today. By no means do they account for every gun the company introduced to the U.S. market, but there’s a case they’re among the best they ever sold. Those shooting in the 1980s should more than catch the drift.

SAR-3

Springfield Armory SAR 3
There's little difference between this SAR-3 and H&K's G3. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company

Born in Spain, refined in Germany, made in Greece—this truly European rifle might be Springfield Armory’s greatest import. The SAR-3 was an out-and-out gem, putting a sporter Heckler & Koch G3 (read semi-auto Model 91) into your hands at a fraction of the Teutonic titan’s price. Thing is, you weren’t settling going Greek. Turned out by the thousands for the Hellenic Armed Forces, H&K kept tight reigns on how Greek arms maker EBO manufactured them. Under the watchful eye of German engineers and using H&K tooling, the SAR-3 almost doesn’t deserve the moniker clone. It’s dang near the original rifle made in a different country.

So, what do you get in the G3 … er, SAR-3? Aside from bruiser 7.62x51mm NATO chambering, the meat of the gun is its roller-delayed blowback action and modularity. The former gives the gun the utmost reliability—it will chew through .30-caliber clean, dirty or otherwise. If you shoot it a lot, plan on dirty, at least to the degree of an AR. The latter aspect isn’t so much a matter of upgrading, say like the AR again. Instead, the feature makes it a simple and intuitive rifle to get apart and access every nook and cranny of the rifle. No stretch to say, it’s a snap to troubleshoot in the field.

Springfield Armory SAR 8
Ugh! SAR-4800 with thumbhole stock. Photo: GunsAmerica.com

Springfield Armory had a brief run with the SAR-3, importing it from 1985-1989, offering both fixed and folding stock models—both with 17.5-inch barrels. Its market brevity was fueled by the early- to mid-1990s Federal Gun Legislation, culminating in the 1994 “Assault Weapons Ban”, which put the kibosh on the SAR-3 as a pure G3 Clone. Springfield continued to piece together a version of the rifle, the SAR-8. The ugly twin, was essentially the same rifle, however, in a thumbhole stock and shipped with a 10-round magazine.

SAR-48

Springfield Armory SAR 48
Everything you'd expect in the “Right Hand of the Free World”. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company

Dotting grainy photographs of fighting men in the African bush, the “Right Arm of the Free World” was captivating. Steeped in the romance of deadly conflict in faraway places, come the 1980s the FN FAL was next to impossible procure. Not that demand tapped out the market. FN Herstal cut off the supply of its semi-automatic version, leaving aspiring soldiers of fortune high and dry.

Door closed, Springfield Armory smelled the opportunity to open a window and did as much with the SAR-48. Brazilian made by FN-licensed Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil (IMBEL), the 7.61x51mm NATO rifle was as true to the original as if it rolled off a Belgian assembly line. Piston, grips, stock, the whole shebang was authentic, built to FN specs and overseen by the legendary gunmaker’s officials. In short—sans select-fire—it was a FAL.

Mystique aside, the attraction to the FAL—thus the SAR-48—was its tried-and-true design, born from the mind of John M. Browning protégé Dieudonné Saive. A staple of nearly all NATO countries outside of The United States for the better part of the mid-20th Century, the FAL proved itself in nearly every climate across the globe. It was temperamental in deserts, where it was reported to have jamming issues, otherwise, the design was rugged and reliable—the same traits endearing the SAR-48 to American shooters. Much of what made the rifle tick like a clock was its gas-operated short-stroke piston and tilting breechblock, which facilitated smooth and nearly unfailing cycling.

Springfield Armory HB SAR 48
SAR-48 Heavy Barrel Israeli Match Model ready to go long. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company

Variety the spice of life, Springfield Armory offered several variations of the SAR-48 between 1985 and 1989: 21-inch barreled Standard Model, 18.5-inch barreled Brush Rifle, 18- and 21-inch Paratrooper rifles and 19-inch Heavy Barrel “Israeli” Match model. A few notables on the variations. The Paratrooper rifle featured a folding stock, in turn, its recoil spring is mounted in the top cover of the receiver. The Heavy Barrel SAR-48 was hung with the moniker “Israeli” for obvious reasons, it was constructed with Israeli military parts mated to an IMBEL receiver.

The “Assault Weapons Ban” of 1994 also hit the SAR-48, but Springfield Armory responded in kind with the SAR-4800. Essentially the same rifle, it was clunked up with a thumbhole stock.

More On Springfield Armory:

Omega

Springfield Armory Omega
Springfield Armory's Omega Pistol, bulky but unique. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company

Part of its bag for the better part of its existence, Springfield Armory is synonymous with affordable and well-made 1911 pistols. This might lead some to question why an import—a German import at that—of the pistol would warrant attention. The simple fact of the matter, the Omega isn’t your everyday, ordinary 1911.

Cutting similar lines to the All-American design, West German pistol-smith Peters, Stahls GmbH’s Omega breaks from a typical 1911 in several ways. Predominantly, it’s link-less. Instead, it uses a Sig Sauer locking system, in which the ejection port and barrel chamber are used as the locking mechanisms. Unfamiliar with it? Look at nearly any modern, non-1911 pistol and likely you’ll have a first-hand example. Additionally, Peters, Stahls’ used dual extractors. Novel enough tinkering in and of itself, but not the defining feature that makes the pistol an utterly unique addition to a collection.

The Omega wasn’t just one pistol, it was many: .38 Super, .45 ACP and 10mm. Spurred by Germany’s onerous gun laws, the pistol is essentially a handgun switch-barrel and requires little more than swapping barrels, recoil spring and magazine to jump calibers. Pretty ingenious, but it required a lot of gun to get the job done—some 40-plus ounces of it. While the one-gun-to-rule-them-all idea is pretty slick, American shooters in the mid-1980s were only enamored with one—the perfect 10. Minted only a few years prior, the hot .40-caliber captivated the shooting public, but there were few options chamber thus that didn’t run a mint. In steps Springfield Armory.

Springfield Armory Box Omega
Dang near like it was when it came out of the box. Photo: GunsAmerica.com

In all, Springfield offered two barrel lengths in the 10mm Omega, 5 and 6 inch. In both cases, they boasted polygonal rifling and you could get either with porting. A little something to tame the snappy round, if 2 1/2-pounds of gun wasn’t enough. Omegas aren’t especially difficult to find still and dogged shopping can net you one for around $1,000. Buyer beware, threat yours with kid gloves, Peters, Stahls closing down means there are precious few replacement parts.

BM-59

Springfield Armory BM 59
Standard Model BM-59, one of the great offshoots of the M1 Garand, imported by Springfield Armory. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company

Did Italy get the evolution of the M1 Garand right? Not to invite jeers and gnashing of teeth from M14 faithful, but the Beretta BM-59 sure makes it a firm maybe. Particularly given the country didn’t drop eight figures making the Garand select-fire and adding a box magazine. Just saying.

Anyhow, this elegant offshoot of the “World Greatest Battle Implement” is even a whizbang in semi-auto and still among the most sought-after Springfield Armory imports. Maybe because the better part of most rifles are genuine Beretta. Springfield assembled and sold them in the late 1980s, many with original Beretta receivers. However, no stranger to Garand receivers themselves, when the real McCoy wasn’t available they used their in-house M1A parts. Either iteration, from a collectors standpoint, is considered correct.

Technically chambered .308, the Springfield BM-59 is fully capable of digesting military 7.62 ammo. Sugar to military arms fanatics, the semi-auto version is a dead ringer for the real thing, boasting all the bells and whistles. There are a lot of those on a BM-59. Flash hider/grenade launcher, flip-up grenade launcher sight, bayonet lug, 19-inch barrel and folding bipod, just to name a few. Of the more interesting facets is the rifle’s winter trigger. External the trigger guard, the implement folds down to behind the guard making it capable of firing in heavy winter gloves.

Springfield Armory BM 59 Alpine
Pistol grip and metal folding stock are the defining features of the Alpine model.
Photo: Rock Island Auction Company

True to the Beretta line, Springfield Armory imported several variations including the Alpine (19-inch barrel, pistol grip and folding stock), Paratrooper (18-inch barrel, pistol grip, QD compensator) and Nigerian (standard specs, but with pistol grip). Needless to say, interest in the BM-59 has accelerated over the years, and so has its price. Rarely found south of $2,000, some variations demand much, much more.

Tactical Revolver: Yes, There Really Is Such A Thing

By
Robert Campbell
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4

Ruger, Kimber and Smith & Wesson tactical revolvers.
Ruger, Kimber and Smith & Wesson tactical revolvers.

No, you didn't hear wrong, there is such a thing as a tactical revolver. And it might just be your best bet for EDC and home defense.

What Are Top Tactical Revolver Options:

The term, “tactical,” is defined as “gaining an advantage over an adversary or situation.” The revolver is a tactical tool with many advantages. A firearm that’s remained viable for so many years and has saved so many lives is worth your consideration as an EDC piece. Revolvers are far from outdated for personal defense and, in some situations, might be a better fit for you than a pistol.

If you choose a tactical revolver for personal defense, there are many good choices. As with any handgun, the weight or heft of the piece, its balance and the level of recoil you’re willing to master are important considerations.

Reliability is the baseline for performance. Only after reliability is confirmed are other features considered. The greater maintenance demands and complication of semi-automatic handguns might be daunting to the occasional shooter. However, the revolver is simple: Load, holster, draw, fire.

Ruger Adds More Power, More Rounds

Among the most interesting recent introductions is the Ruger Redhawk .357 Magnum. The Redhawk is proven and has long chambered the powerful .44 Magnum and .454 Casull cartridges. Chambering the Redhawk in .357 Magnum results in a revolver that’s massively overbuilt compared to lightweight revolvers that take a beating from the .357 Magnum cartridge. The .357 Mag. Redhawk is a large handgun (more than 45 ounces), even with its 2.75-inch barrel. In this configuration, the Redhawk is exceptionally well-balanced tactical revolver, and its weight helps absorb the recoil of the powerful .357 Magnum cartridge.

Ruger’s Redhawk is well-made of good material and is very strong--an excellent tactical revolver. A new .357 Magnum variant handles the hot cartridge with ease.
Ruger’s Redhawk revolver is well-made of good material and is very strong. A new .357 Magnum variant handles the hot cartridge with ease.

The Redhawk is on the large side for carry under covering garments but is well-suited for home defense. No handgun is too large to fight with. Subjectively speaking, recoil is light—no more than firing a .38 Special cartridge in a small-framed revolver. The Redhawk .357 Magnum can be fired with affordable, low-recoil .38 Special loads or powerful magnum ammunition.

Ruger introduced two new revolvers based on the GP100 frame. The first is a .44 Special version. This revolver features a non-fluted, five-round cylinder. The lockwork is adapted to manage the five rounds. The feel of the action is different than the six-shot revolver and perhaps a bit longer and smoother. The .44 Special features a 3-inch barrel; its front sight is a fiber-optic unit; and the rear is Ruger’s standard, fully adjustable sight. All this adds up to make the .44 Special GP100 an excellent personal-defense handgun.

Ruger’s compact seven-round version of the GP100 is the author’s favorite new introduction.
Ruger’s compact seven-round version of the GP100 is the author’s favorite new introduction.

While the .357 Magnum enjoys an excellent reputation against motivated adversaries, some prefer the surety of a big-bore cartridge. The .44 Special offers that advantage, and the Ruger GP100 is an excellent vehicle for it.

The Ruger GP100 .44 Special dropped one round in capacity in return for a big-bore cartridge, but Ruger was also working on increasing the capacity of the Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum. The result is the GP100 7-shooter. It feels and handles like a smaller revolver. While it’s only slightly smaller than the 3-inch-barreled .44 Special version, the overall impression is of a smaller handgun. I’ve fired the GP100 7-shooter extensively and adopted it as one of my most important personal-defense handguns.

Take A Spin With More Revolver Content:

The versatility of this wheelgun is unequaled by semi-autos. For example, with mild .38 loads, the GP100 is a pleasant plinker. With .38 Special +P loads, anyone in the family can use it as a tactical revolver for home defense. When I deploy the piece concealed with .357 Magnum defense loads, I’ve got a handgun with proven wound ballistics. In my experience, the only revolver that’s consistently as accurate as the GP100 is the Colt Python (it’s only slightly so), and it takes a good hand to prove it. The GP100’s lockwork in the seven-shot version cycles more quickly than the six-shot variant. This is an estimable revolver and my favorite among the new introductions.

Kimber Ups the Game

A development that’s quickly gained a good reputation is the Kimber K6S .357 Magnum, a light wheelgun that gives those carrying a J-frame revolver an option to move up in both caliber and capacity. The K6S’s cylinder accepts six cartridges, yet this stainless, double-action-only revolver is only fractionally wider than the archetypical five-shot.

Kimber’s addition of high-profile sights to the small-framed K6S revolver is a welcome modification.
Kimber’s addition of high-profile sights to the small-framed K6S revolver is a welcome modification.

The internals are no surprise: The revolver is based on proven lockwork. Kimber took the J-frame action, moved the hammer spring about 5 degrees and changed the hammer’s pivot. The result is a shorter throw than other revolvers, along with a smoother feel. This action allows accurate work well past what is assumed to be snub-nose ranges. While the Kimber has a short sight radius, its excellent trigger action and modern sights make for a superior shooter.

New Smith & Wessons for the Tactician

A few years ago, Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 69 .44 Magnum revolver. Its L frame has been offered in a seven-shot .357 Magnum version for some time. In turn, S&W recently introduced an even lighter version of the Model 69: the Combat Magnum Model 69 in .44 Magnum, which features a 2.75-inch barrel and round butt grip (all S&W revolvers in modern production feature a round butt frame, but the grips are offered in either round or square butt configuration).

Smith & Wesson has reintroduced the Combat Magnum .44 Magnum with a shorter barrel—a praiseworthy decision. It’s a great tactical revolver for those willing to master its heavy recoil.
Smith & Wesson has reintroduced the Combat Magnum .44 Magnum with a shorter barrel—a praiseworthy decision. It’s a great tactical revolver for those willing to master its heavy recoil.

This tactical revolver is more suited to concealed carry than the 4-inch version. With an excellent set of sights and the smooth S&W action, it has much to recommend it. I think most of us will carry it with .44 Special ammunition; but there are .44 Magnum loads that aren’t full power that can be controlled in the Model 69. While I’m a fan of classic S&W revolvers, the newer guns are more durable and more accurate. The frames are strengthened in critical places, and the steel is stronger than ever. Modern CNC machinery ensures the throat and barrel dimensions are a good match and provide excellent practical accuracy.

Revolver Ammo Evolution

There’ve been interesting developments in self-defense ammunition, much of it directed toward revolvers. Among the most interesting is the Black Hills Honey Badger, whose advantage is an all-copper bullet with sharp cutting flutes. This projectile doesn’t depend on expansion for wound potential. The bullet rips and tears tissue immediately—not after the bullet has begun to expand—and cuts tissue.

Federal’s Hydra-Shok .38 Special load offers good ballistic efficiency and excellent expansion.
Federal’s Hydra-Shok .38 Special load offers good ballistic efficiency and excellent expansion.

When it comes to short-barreled revolvers that might not generate enough velocity for reliable hollow-point expansion, the Honey Badger makes a lot of sense. For an all-around defense load, it’s a viable alternative (the 100-grain .38 Special has proven accurate in the new Kimber). The newest addition to the Honey Badger line is a .44 Magnum version. I’ve fired this loading in the S&W Model 69 and found it accurate, clean-burning and not too difficult to control in double-action pairs.

Hornady offers its Critical Defense in popular revolver calibers, including .32 Magnum, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special and .45 Colt. I’ve had the most experience with the .38, .357 and .44 loads. The .357 Magnum is sensibly downloaded from the 1,450 fps, 125-grain standard. At 1,380 fps from a 4-inch-barreled and 1,220 fps from the 2.75-inch-barreled GP100, this load offers excellent expansion and wound potential. The .44 Special and .45 Colt loads breathe new life into older cartridges.

One of the most interesting additions is sure to be a popular choice for snub-nose .38 Special revolvers: Federal’s .38 Special 130-grain Hydra-Shok loading. This bullet is loaded deep into the case to maintain a clean powder burn and limit muzzle flash. The Hydra-Shok features modest recoil, good accuracy and excellent expansion. It’s an outstanding loading for light revolvers.

Packing A Tactical Revolver

Among the most important choices you’ll make is how you’ll carry your tactical revolver. There are holsters that are too soft, inaccessible under clothing and that collapse after the handgun is drawn, making it impossible to holster the piece without loosening the belt. Revolver holsters differ considerably from semi-auto holsters in both design and balance. A revolver holster must keep the cylinder off the beltline. A high-riding holster will keep the revolver close to the body and angled into the draw for real speed. For retention, the holster should be tightly fitted to the revolver along the cylinder and barrel.

Lobo Gun Leather offers a first-class IWB holster that’s well-suited to revolvers.
Lobo Gun Leather offers a first-class IWB holster that’s well-suited to revolvers.

A strong-side holster should always be the first choice. If a covering garment is worn, the strong-side scabbard affords good access and speed. A good choice is the Nelson Holsters Avenger, which keeps the handgun cinched in close to the body by use of a proven belt loop design. The butt is angled into the draw, and a strong holstering welt is designed to allow ease of holstering.

The DM Bullard Combat is a well-designed strong-side holster. Its supple construction keeps the handgun comfortably against the body and is well-suited to heavy, short-barreled handguns such as the Ruger GP100 .44 Special.

Another good choice is the cross-draw. Cross-draw holsters offer access while you’re seated or driving and afford real speed for those who understand how to properly execute the draw. Among the best cross-draw designs is the Galco Hornet. It’s stitched of quality steer hide and has excellent fit.

The default design for concealed carry is the IWB holster, which allows the use of a larger handgun: The main part of it is buried in the pants. Dual belt loops or a strong belt clip is needed. The holstering welt must allow holstering the handgun after it’s drawn—without removing the holster from the inside-the-pants position.

Lobo Gunleather offers IWB designs ideal for revolvers. I especially like Lobo’s rear-clip IWB, which keeps the handgun tight against the body and offers a sharp draw.

The Revo Rig, a new design from Urban Carry, is among the most interesting to come along in decades. This holster system comprises a backing that allows the attachment of different holsters. The same backing can be used for a number of handgun shells. The Revo is available for popular revolvers, including one of my favorites—the S&W Model 442 .38 Special. The backing features dual snaps that lock into the back of the holster, which, itself, is secured by hook-and-loop fasteners. It can be adjusted for forward or backward cant.

Revolvers are more advanced and more suited for everyday carry than ever. With proper training and modern accessories, the tactical revolver is not only a viable choice; it’s the right choice for many.

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Tactical Gun Digest.

American Made: FN

By
Gun Digest Editors
-
0
Sponsored Content

64-MUSA-Blogpost-FN-954×639

Born out of a bid for the U.S. Army's Modular Handgun System contract, each FN American 509 proudly made in the company's South Carolina factory.

The FN 509® Tactical is a 9mm striker-fired pistol based on the FN 509 series of handguns introduced by FN in 2017. It features FN’s patented Low-Profile Optics Mounting System™, which enables the platform to accept more than 10 commercially available miniature red dot (MRD) optics that co-witness with the suppressor-height night sights, while remaining adaptable to future optics releases with no need for direct milling of the slide.

Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.

The slide cap, for use when not shooting with an optic, has raised sight wings that protect iron sight alignment if the pistol is dropped or jostled, and provides a textured ramp for racking the slide against a belt loop, pants pocket, or boot. An FN-signature 4.5-inch, cold hammer-forged, stainless-steel barrel with target crown, ½x28-inch threads that accept the bulk of 9mm suppressors available, and threaded cap with integrated O-ring to prevent loosening during use complete the top end.

Lastly, the 24-round magazines, nearly identical in length to the pistol’s slide, maximize ammunition capacity without impacting carry convenience.

For more information on FN America, please visit fnamerica.com.

More American Made Guns And Gear:

MUSA FN Giveaway

First Look: Riton Optics X3 Tactix MPRD

By
Elwood Shelton
-
0

Riton X3-Tactix-MPRD

Sized right for concealed carry and ruggedly built, the Riton X3 Tactix MPRD makes your defensive pistol deadly accurate.

In the bad old days, a mild spring breeze was enough to knock a reflex sight off zero. This less than desirable trait made them a pretty sketchy addition to any gun meant to defend your life, thus kept them fairly cornered in the competitive shooting world. IDPA silhouettes don’t shoot back, so you had time to re-adjust. Now the aiming solutions are rugged as steel-belted tires and more than up to the role as a defensive-gun enhancement.

Riton Optics aimed for exactly this niche when it jumped into the reflex optics game a few years back with the X3 Tactix PRD and now looks to improve on the original design with the X3 Tactix MPRD. The MPRD stands for “Micro Pistol Red Dot”, essentially a scaled-down version of Riton’s previous reflex sight, making it more conducive to concealed carry guns. At the same tick, it’s just as rugged as the PRD.

Much of this is thanks to the optics maker favoring aircraft-grade aluminum over polymer for the housing, imparting greater impact resistance into the unit. From Riton’s literature, the Tactix MPRD is shockproof up 1,500 Gs, which doesn’t mean it’s impervious to a beating with a brick, but will stand up to most everyday hard knocks. Other notables of the red dot include multi-coated HD glass lenses, Shield RMSc footprint, 3 MOA dot, 10 levels of red illumination,and an auto shut off after twelve hours. It burns off a single CR2032 battery, with around 50,000 hours of run time between changes. As to price, Riton has kept X3 Tactix MPRD fairly affordable at $299.

More from Riton Optics:

Tucson, AZ – Veteran owned optics company, Riton Optics, is proud to announce the release of their new pistol red dot optic, the X3 Tactix MPRD.

As a variation from their 2019 released X3 Tactix PRD, this smaller frame micro pistol dot was engineered and tested at the Riton headquarters in Tucson, AZ. True to their core values, Riton’s X3 Tactix MPRD was created as a high-quality product that can withstand the most rugged applications, while also providing the highest level of functionality and absolute best value.

In contrast to many pistol red dots on the market that are made from polymers, the X3 Tactix MPRD is made from 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum and has fully multi-coated, HD glass lenses for optimal clarity and long-lasting performance. It is also waterproof fog proof and shockproof up to 1500Gs.

Riton X3-Tactix-MPRD

With a Shield RMS-c footprint, the X3 Tactix MPRD features an ultra-precise 3 MOA dot, 10 levels of red illumination, and an auto shut off after twelve hours. Utilizing one CR2032 battery, this red dot has an approximate battery life of 50,000 hours.

Riton’s Director of Sales, Todd Neice explained, “The new X3 Tactix MPRD is a great addition to our current line of high-quality, best value optics. The addition further diversifies the Riton line and provides our customers with more options to suit their needs.”

The X3 Tactix MPRD retails at an industry’s best value of $299.99 and is backed by the company’s unbeatable, unlimited lifetime warranty: The Riton Promise Warranty, which includes no proof of purchase, no registration and rapid new product replacement. The new red dot is available now on preorder for shipment in June.

For more information on the Riton X3 Tactix MPRD, please visit ritonoptics.com.

Scope Out More Optics Info:

  • 8 Revolutionary Reticles For Long-Range Accuracy
  • Buying the Perfect Precision Scope
  • The Best Tactical Red-Dot Performance-to-Price Option?
  • Shifting Winds: SIG BDX Changing Shooting For The Better
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