If You Had To Pick Just One Cartridge, What Would It Be?

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November 21, 2018

Slight, light and effective, the incredibly simple Ripcord Speedloader represents the next step in defensive revolver technology.

How the Ripcord Speedloader give you an edge:

Reloads take a split second.
Lightweight compared to other speedloaders.
Smaller circumference and height.
Intuitive grip and rip action.
Extremely economical.

Revolvers are reassuring. Yes, contrary to popular belief, they can malfunction. But, more times than not a trigger pull results in a bang, not a click – particularly if properly maintained. This clockwork reliability, more than anything, is what keeps the good ol’ wheelgun a top choice for a conceal carry, especially for those who desire a simpler manual of arms.

Well, almost. One area where revolvers lag behind in the simplicity department, at least compared to their semi-automatic cousins, is reloading. Heaven forbid five or six shots don’t do the job, because getting one back into the fight is a molasses affair in contrast to pistols. Certainly, speedloaders simplify the process and, as their name promises, hustles up reloading. Yet, another problem crops up with most of these options in their unwieldiness.

To a degree, CK Tactical has lessened these issues with the introduction of the Ripcord Speedloader. Slight, light and effective, the incredibly simple system represents the next step in defensive revolver technology. I’d hasten to say, the only drawback of the Ripcord Speedloader is someone didn’t cook up the concept years ago.

Essentially the Ripcord is a strip of molded plastic, with retention clips for five or six rounds of .357 Mag. or .38 Spc. ammunition, that locks in on itself to form a ring. This makes it fairly reminiscent of traditional HKS and Safariland speedloaders, but this is also where the similarities end. Operation of CK Tactical’s device is much simpler, only requiring a pull of the locking tab to release the rounds. And it only takes a split second to achieve, in a much more intuitive fashion. There’s no button to search for or dial to crank. Furthermore, the motion of emptying the Ripcord also clears it from the cylinder, thus makes it quicker to close and get back to its job.

Video: The Guns That Made It Through 9/11

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November 21, 2018

Beaten and battered, these 9/11 survivors serve as a tribute to the heroism of first responders that day.

As expected from a renowned institution such as the NRA Museum, there is an arsenal’s worth of world-class and pristine guns. Yet, among the most cherished firearms in the collection are two that break that mold. They are beat-up, scorched and bearly met what would most consider the definition of a gun any longer. Yet, their history and what they survived make them as unique as the men who carried them.

New York Police Officers Walter Weaver and John D’Allara each rushed into the World Trade Center after the terror attacks of 9/11. Working to save trapped victims, like many first responders that day, ended up costing both them their lives when the towers collapsed. Recovered from the ashes, Weaver’s Model 640 backup revolver and D’Allara’s 5906 service pistol now hold places of honor in the Museum’s law enforcement display.

Small But Mighty SAINT Edge Pistol

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November 20, 2018

Optimized for CQB, Springfield Armory's SAINT Edge Pistol offers big performance in a small package.

What are the SAINT Edge Pistol's features:

24.6- to 28.5-inch length
Around 6-pound weight
10.3-inch barrel
Adjustable flip-up sights
Maxim Defense CQB 4-positions brace
SA single-stage match trigger
Carbine-length gas system
Full-length M-LOK compatible handguard

One of the more dynamic gun designs to gain traction in recent years is the AR pistol. Certainly, it occupies strange territory — too big to efficiently conceal, too small to get everything out of a rifle cartridge. Yet, despite this awkward position, the AR pistol is vastly useful. Outside of short-barreled rifle, no other gun provides a more overwhelming advantage in CQB — where nimbleness and mobility can win the day.

Springfield Armory is taking another crack at this configuration with what amounts to a rather intriguing addition. A shrunk down version of its top-line AR, the SAINT Edge Pistol aims at the premium end of the market and shoots for the same level of performance. Does it? That’s for time to tell, but it certainly boasts a heck of brace system.

That’s the eye-catcher of the rig, a Maxim Defense CQB brace with plenty of play in adjustment. Shooters have a full 2 inches of length at their disposal, all but ensuring they have a solid handle on the 5.56 NATO pistol, whether they shoot two handed or one. Furthermore, it’s anything except flimsy, with twin steel struts making up the heart of the system.

Aussie-Style Accuracy With The Lithgow LA102

By

Jon R. Sundra

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November 20, 2018

The Lithgow LA102 has no problem dishing out sub-MOA pills, one after another.

What the Lithgow LA102 offers:

Cold-forged, military-grade steel barrel.
High-tensile steel receiver.
Three lug bolt.
Adjustable length of pull.
Available in .223 Rem., .243 Win., .308 Win and 6.5 Creedmoor.
2.9-pound trigger pull.
Picatiny rail for optics addition.
Threaded Muzzle.
Three-postion thumb safety.
Walnut Stock.

One of the more dynamic gun companies of the past decade has been Legacy Sports of Reno, Nevada. Once known primarily as the importer of the Howa line of centerfire rifles and barreled actions, the company has gradually diversified to where in addition to Howa, it now represents Lithgow Arms, Webley & Scott, Escort, Pointer and Citadel, which together have virtually every firearm type covered — from semi-auto, slide action, O/U and break-open single-shot shotguns, to bolt-action rimfire and centerfire rifles and M1911 handguns. And with their NikkoStirling line, Legacy has riflescopes and other electronic sighting devices as well.

The Lithgow LA102 Laminate in .308 Win. as tested with a Bushnell Elite Tactical 4.5-18x44mm scope in Warne QD lever rings weighed 10½ pounds.

Legacy’s latest acquisition is the Lithgow line of bolt-action rimfire and centerfire rifles from Australia. That this company would introduce a line of sporting rifles was pretty much an inevitable no-brainer, because Lithgow has been Australia’s national armory since 1912. From Gallipoli to Afghanistan, Australian Defense Forces have carried Lithgow small arms into battle.

The country’s current martial arm is the F90, a selective-fire assault rifle in 5.56×45 NATO that has gained quite a reputation among various armed forces and law enforcement agencies around the world. Lithgow, incidentally, is also the name of the town in New South Wales where the factory is located that employs 130 people.

A Growing Fat-Bolt Family

Not surprisingly, the Lithgow folks chose to go with the “fat bolt” tri-lug system for the 102. I say “not surprisingly” because most of the truly new bolt-action rifles introduced in the United States and in Europe during the past decade have adopted this design approach. When coupled with a tubular receiver and an injection-molded stock, a highly accurate, serviceable rifle can be produced more economically than can your typical Mauser-type design.

The rear of the receiver is machined to perfectly match the top line of the grip.

Two perfect examples are Winchester’s XPR and Ruger’s American, both of which are priced substantially lower than their flagship siblings — the Model 70 and M77 Hawkeye, respectively. That’s not to say that all rifles of this genre are “value priced” and selling in the $500 range. It’s just that if a manufacturer wants to produce a budget-class rifle, the fat-bolt tri-lug is the way to go.

In the case of the Lithgow 102, however, its suggested retail price of $1,499 has it competing with Weatherby‘s Mark V, Winchester’s Model 70 Super Grade and the pricier models in Browning’s X-Bolt line. You all know the defining characteristics: The bolt body is fatter than a Mauser-type bolt, allowing the locking lugs to be formed by relieving metal at the head.

The Bushnell Elite Tactical 4.5-18x44mm LRTS scope proved a handsome match and an enabler to the accuracy of the test gun.

However, inherent with the design is that the depth of the locking lugs is limited, so there has to be more of them. Normally there are three, but with the Austrian Roessler 6 there are two rows of three, and with the Weatherby Mark V Magnum, there are three rows of three for a total of nine locking lugs. The number of lugs notwithstanding, all are oriented on 120-degree centers, making for a shorter bolt rotation (handle lift). With there being no protruding lugs, only a round hole is needed for the raceway in the receiver, which allows closer tolerances between the two. The result is a much smoother and wobble-free bolt travel and faster-cycling action.

Under The Lithgow’s Hood

The 102’s receiver starts out as round bar stock, so it’s tubular. Lengthwise flutes are milled into the sides below the stock line to reduce weight, as are the facets milled into the upper sides of the receiver at the “10:30” and “1:30” positions to lend a hexagonal look. Like all other actions of this type, the ejection port is minimally sized to retain as much rigidity to the receiver as possible.

The bolt head of most tri-lug actions look exactly like that of the Lithgow 102.

The 15-slot Picatinny rail is so well machined that it can almost pass for being integral; in fact, the catalog states that it is integral, but it’s not. Unlike most tubular receivers, this one does not employ a separate washer-type recoil plate sandwiched between the barrel shank and receiver face like the Remington 700, Savage 100-series or Mossberg Patriot, among others. Rather, a simple transverse slot is milled into the underside of the receiver ring that engages a steel plate imbedded in the stock. It’s just another way of transferring recoil forces and it’s as effective as any.

The bolt stop/release is a simple pivoting lever at the left side of the receiver bridge that also serves as a bolt guide, without which the bolt would rotate freely once out of battery. This characteristic is shared by all fat-bolt systems. Like its 22-inch hammer forged barrel and bolt handle, the entire receiver is Cerakote finished in a matte silver that closely resembles raw stainless. It’s quite handsome.

The test gun proved to be exceptionally accurate. Shown here are the three best groups, but the other two averaged 0.76 for a five-group average under 0.60 inches!

Looking at the head of the bolt, you could be looking at one out of a Winchester XPR, Ruger American, T/C Venture, Merkel M16, Franchi Momentum, Sabatti Saphire, Sauer 100 or a Steyr SM12, for that’s how similar are the bolt heads of tri-lug fat bolt actions! All have recessed faces, employ plunger-type ejectors, and all have their extractors sliding radially within a T-slot in the face of the right-side locking lug.

Here’s the bottom line: Once you commit to this design, there’s not a lot of room for originality. But, then again, it all works so seamlessly there’s no incentive to do so. That’s why there are now 17 tri-lug rifles available in the United States marketplace manufactured here and overseas that share the exact same design and functional characteristics.

The action and magazine are long enough for standard (.30-06 length) cartridges, so the latter is baffled for the shorter .223 Rem., .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win. chamberings.

Anyway, at the rear of the bolt we find the fire-control system, and it’s fully contained within the cap or shroud, thus being similar to that of a Model 70 Winchester. When pulled rearward from its 3 o’clock “fire” position to an approximate 4:30 position, the firing pin is locked, and so is the action. This makes it different from all other three-position Model 70-type safeties because it’s normally the middle position that engages the safety — but does not lock the bolt. In this middle position, the bolt can be removed, and by depressing a small button on the shroud, the firing pin assembly can be pulled free of the bolt body for routine maintenance. Rotating the wing to the 6 o’clock position keeps the safety engaged and locks the bolt.

Because the fire control system is fully contained within the bolt shroud, the fully adjustable trigger mechanism, which is housed in a massive non-ferrous casting, houses nothing but the trigger system. The adjustment screws are of course set and sealed at the factory, so I assume tampering would void any warranty.

The 102 comes with a 5/8 x 24 threaded and capped muzzle, thus is brake/suppressor ready. The .223 Rem. version is threaded ½ x 28.

With this gun, the recoil plate also serves as a bedding surface for the receiver ring. That, and a small steel platform that engages the rear action screw are the only support points for the receiver. It’s similar to true pillar bedding in that the receiver is supported at only two small contact points. The hammer-forged barrel is fully floated from the receiver on out.

The one-piece single-stack polycarbonate magazine is among the very best of its type. It weighs nothing, it’s virtually indestructible, it has integral feed lips that can’t be bent and it’s easy to charge. Cartridges feed almost effortlessly, and the magazine itself is independent of the stock. In other words, when lifting the barreled action free of the stock, the magazine and its release button come with it. The stock, then, serves only to protect the magazine and provide a handle for the rifle.

The magazine is independent of the stock. Many drop mags, especially European rifles, are stock dependent.

The stock is comprised of 1/16-inch veneers of firearms-grade maple laminate, which makes it just about as inert as a synthetic — and a helluva lot more attractive! Of course, laminates are a bit on the heavy side compared to synthetics of the same geometry — in this case, 8.2 pounds for the laminate vs. 7.7 for the synthetic.

Lending a rather distinctive look to this rifle is the butt hook directly behind the grip cap. It does provide more room for the left hand to squeeze and slide the rear bag for minor elevation adjustments, but the area behind the cut-out is virtually parallel with the bench, so you don’t have near the adjustment latitude that an angled, conventional toe line provides. In addition, the stippled grip and forearm panels are attractive, functional and very well executed.

Testing For Accuracy

To ready the gun for a little range work, I mounted a Bushnell Elite Tactical 4.5-18x44mm scope using 30mm Warne QD lever rings. With the Bushnell aboard, the field-ready rig weighed exactly 10.5 pounds — so it’s not exactly a mountain rifle!

The .308 Win. is one of my favorite rifle calibers to test and evaluate; it’s very accurate, and with the many match loadings available, it can bring out the best in a rifle’s design. Also, it doesn’t dislodge your fillings when shooting off a bench, yet it’s enough gun for 90 percent of the world’s game.

As it turned out, this particular example of the Lithgow LA102 proved to be more than accurate. The star was Federal’s Matchking load, and the first three 3-shot groups measured 0.42, 0.40 and 0.64 inches! Even with a slightly warm barrel, the last two groups still measured an impressive 0.72 and 0.79 inches, for a 15-shot average of 0.59 inches!

And as is evident from the attached data table, the Black Hills load wasn’t far behind. Even the Browning BXR “deer load” averaged just over 1 MOA, with the “worst” load posting a 1.35-inch average. That, sports fans, is an accurate huntin’ rifle!

The Bottom Line

It’s hard to find fault with this rifle. It’s beautifully made, the bolt glides like it’s on ball bearings, it feeds and extracts flawlessly, the trigger breaks like a glass sliver at 2.9 pounds, and it’s accurate as hell. At $1,499, it’s the priciest of the various tri-lug fat bolt rifles out there, but given what the gun offers, it’s fairly priced. The synthetic version lists at $1399.

The only regret was that we couldn’t yet get the 6.5 Creedmoor version for a trial run, for based on past experiences with that cartridge — and especially with Hornady ammo — we can only imagine what kind of groups we could have gotten. That’s combination you should think hard about trying for yourself.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Kimber Tries Striker-Fired Again With EVO SP Line

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November 19, 2018

With the aluminum-framed EVO SP line, Kimber aims to tackle the striker-fired market.

Best known for its stylish and dead-accurate 1911s, Kimber has shifted its attention an entirely different direction with its newest defensive pistol line. Continuing to hitch its star to recent trends, the company has gone striker-fired again with the EVO SP.

As expected from Kimber, the 9mms have all the moves to make them top EDC options. Swimming against the tide of polymer-framed pistols, one of the most notable features of the 7-round EVOs is the use of aluminum. Adding a level of ruggedness and resiliency in the frame, it doesn’t bog the pistols down in the weight department, with the EVO SP options each tipping the scales at a nimble 19-ounces — 18 ounces on the Custom Shop model.

Kimber is releasing four models in all, three of which — TLE, Two-Tone and CDP — are essentially the same, except cosmetic differences. Very similar to the other variations, the Custom Shop version does have a few other notable differences. As previously mentioned, the top-of-the-line model is lighter. Furthermore it also has Stiplex-inspired grips, backstrap and cocking serrations.

Video: William Brophy’s .50-Caliber Sniper Rifle

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November 19, 2018

An early example, William Brophy's improvised .50-caliber sniper rifle nonetheless got the job done.

Like the dropping of Thor’s hammer, the .50 BMG packs a punch, especially from a sniper rifle. Old news to any dedicated gun hound, the massive cartridge has been a staple for military marksmen for the past few decades, delivering devastation from afar. Positively mind-boggling, some of the shots the .50-caliber has achieved makes one wonder how the shooters spotted their target in the first place, let alone deliver the payload. But, the cartridge as a precision bad guy eraser isn’t a recent development, even if it’s captured more interest as of late.

An early advocate of the military sniper, William Brophy scratched one together during the Korean War. Then a captain in the Army, he cobbled an extreme-range rifle with what he had on hand, which happened to be a captured Soviet PTRD 14.5mm antitank rifle and a Browning M2 barrel. Rounding things out, he outfitted it with a butt pad, bipod and a 20x Unertl scope. The results, well they speak for themselves; Brophy recorded hits from 1,000- to 2,000-yards out.

Video: .500 JRH — The Workhorse Half-Incher

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November 16, 2018

1

Terminally effective, the .500 JRH has what it takes to tackle nearly any game on Earth.

Hunting something that can hunt you is no time to get coy over calibers. Accordingly, you need to gun up to something that hits hard and gets the job done, no matter the circumstances. Generally, we think of this as the realm of classic sledgehammers: .375 H&H, .416 Rigby and .500 Nitro Express. Solid choices one and all, but there’s a newer class of gun that has muscled in on these legends’ territory in their ability to smash anything in their way.

Evolving to monstrous proportions in recent decades, modern big bore revolvers more than have the chops to tackle the globe’s most deadly critters. Not for the faint of heart, nor the weak of wrist, these brutes pack a serious punch and at their very upper end expectorate serious copper-jacketed fury. And in the land of giants, nothing quite compares to .500-caliber wheelguns.

Mossberg Expands 590 Shockwave Line

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November 16, 2018

Mossberg expands the 590 Shockwave with three new models.

How has the 590 Shockwave line expanded:

590 Nightstick
590 Shock ‘N’ Saw
590 Shockwave SPX

Mossberg captured smoothbore fans’ attention with the introduction of the 590 Shockwave a little over a year ago. Since then, the company has done it’s best to turn out models of the non-NFA firearm for every occasion. And continue to do so. If the previous iterations of the short scatterguns haven't earned your affection, perhaps one of these three new additions will do the trick.

From the company:

NORTH HAVEN, CT – O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., a leading American firearms manufacturer announced today the introduction of three (3) new 12-gauge 590® Shockwave variants for the 2019 model year. The new models include the 590 Nightstick, 590 Shock ‘N’ Saw and the 590 Shockwave SPX.
Built on Mossberg’s proven pump-action design, each 590 Shockwave features an overall length of 26.37 inches; 14-inch heavy-walled barrel; non-binding twin action bars; positive steel-to-steel lock-up; an anti-jam elevator; dual extractors; and an ambidextrous top-mounted safety. 590 Shockwaves also feature convenient magazine clean-out cap; drilled and tapped anodized aluminum receiver; cylinder bore barrel with a single brass bead sight; and sling swivel studs. Unique to the 590 Shockwave models are a “bird’s head” shaped-profile grip that allows for greater control while lessening felt recoil.
590 Nightstick Non-NFA Pump-Action Firearm Specifications:

A Talo Distributors exclusive, the 590 Nightstick is a 6-shot, 12-gauge firearm with a 14-inch barrel; black anodized receiver; matte black barrel and magazine tube; and is equipped with a hardwood bird’s head grip and corncob forend.
590 Shock ‘N’ Saw Non-NFA Pump-Action Firearm Specifications:

The 590 Shock ‘N’ Saw is a 6-shot, 12-gauge firearm with a 14-inch barrel featuring a breacher muzzle; black anodized receiver; matte black barrel and magazine tube; Shockwave Technologies Raptor polymer bird’s head grip; aluminum M-LOK-equipped forend; and signature Mossberg chainsaw foregrip.
590 Shockwave SPX Non-NFA Pump-Action Firearm Specifications:

The 590 Shockwave SPX is a 6-shot, 12-gauge firearm with a 14-inch barrel featuring a breacher muzzle; black anodized receiver; matte black barrel and magazine tube; Shockwave Technologies Raptor polymer bird’s head grip; heatshield; aluminum side saddle with 7 polymer shell-holder units, allowing for positioning of extra shells on either side of the receiver; and a top-mounted picatinny rail.
With an overall length of 26.37 inches, the BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) has classified the compact 590 Shockwave platform as a “Non-NFA Firearm,” requiring no tax stamp for transfers. It has been classified and is considered a “firearm” under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (“GCA”), but it is not a long gun under GCA, and therefore Federal Law requires the purchaser of a 590 Shockwave to be 21 years of age.
Mossberg was the first manufacturer to bring these 14-inch barreled, non-NFA firearms to the marketplace and now offers six 12-gauge models, a 20-gauge option and 410 bore from which to choose.

For more information on the 590 Shockwave series, please visit www.mossberg.com.

More Information On 590 Shockwave:

Gun Review: Mossberg 590 Shockwave
Video: Closer Look at the Mossberg 590 Shockwave
Mossberg 590 Shockwave Non-NFA Firearm
Crimson Trace’s Lasersaddle Lights Up Mossberg Shotguns

How Steel Shot Is Slicker Than Ever Before

By

Brian Lovett

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November 15, 2018

The technology going into steel shot designed for waterfowl has come a long way since it was ﬁrst mandated in the late ‘80s.

How Modern Steel Shot Has Improved:

Shells are loaded for higher velocities.
Playload deliver more energy.
Wad designs channel shot better.
More consistent downrange patterns.
Pellets are consistently round.
Annealing improvements maintain steels toughness.

If inanimate objects could suffer hurt feelings, steel shot might get pouty. After all, it’s endured many slights and insults in the past 30 years.

Manufacturers are changing the way shot is shaped to improve performance. Federal's Flitestopper pellets feature a cutting edge to increase tissue damage, and the pellets in Winchester's Blind Side are hex shaped in order to stack more into the shell.

Waterfowlers maligned steel shot — actually iron and carbon in composition — when it was mandated as a nontoxic shot alternative for waterfowl hunting in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Hunters maintained that steel was far inferior to traditional lead loads, and often reported that birds flew away or barely reacted when struck with steel pellets.

Then, as tungsten- or bismuth-based nontoxic alternatives arose, many hunters abandoned steel and opened their wallets for the latest, greatest materials, many of which performed similarly or better than lead, albeit at higher costs.

But nowadays, the pendulum has swung back in favor of steel, and most shooters accept and even celebrate modern steel loads. The reason is simple: Modern steel shotshells provide lethal performance on ducks and geese. In fact, they work so well that older generations of hunters have all but forgotten what it was like to use lead, and younger waterfowlers have only experienced positive results with the only nontoxic shot they’ve used.

Steel’s Coming Of Age

The new love affair with steel is easy to understand when you consider the modern nontoxic shot scene.

“I think there are a couple of reasons for the popularity and adoption of steel as the go-to for waterfowlers,” said Ben Frank, product manager for Winchester Ammunition, which makes Super X Xpert Steel, Drylok Super Steel and Blind Side shells under the Winchester name, and BXD shotshells under the Browning brand. “One reason is cost. There is no doubt that the heavier-than-lead options work great on birds. But as prices of materials like tungsten rose, so did the cost per box.

“Most folks can’t justify $4 per trigger pull,” added Frank. “The other reason that steel is here to stay is that manufacturers have made great strides in the performance of their steel shot loads. Wads, shot, powder and primers have all seen design advancements that have helped contribute to more lethality than the steel shot of yesteryear.”

Wad design is critical in producing steel loads that are effective and lethal on waterfowl. The wad should be engineered to deliver a consistent pattern downrange every time. Left to right: Browning BXD wad, Winchester Diamond Cut wad and Federal FliteControl Flex wad.

Dan Compton, product line manager for shotshells with Federal Premium Ammunition, which manufactures Black Cloud and Speed Shok steel shells, agreed. He said early steel offerings attempted to mimic similar lead shotshells in muzzle velocity. For example, a company might have produced a No. 4 steel load that fired pellets at about 1,300 feet per second, which was roughly the same muzzle velocity produced by a No. 4 lead shotshell with a similar payload. That steel load was far less effective, of course, because steel is about 70 percent as dense as lead, so it loses speed and downrange energy far faster.

But as manufacturers gained experience and technology improved, shotshell makers began loading faster steel loads, which gave pellets increased downrange energy and boosted lethality. Nowadays, Compton said, many companies produce 1 3/8-ounce loads with muzzle velocities of at least 1,400 fps. Many 1¼-ounce loads run about 1,450 fps, and lighter offerings can achieve speeds of 1,550 fps or faster.

“Ultimately, you have to deliver pellets to the bird with enough energy to get to the vitals,” Frank said. “Safely and consistently achieving higher velocity is key to generating effective downrange energy. Getting those pellets there in an evenly distributed pattern is almost equally as important.”

That’s where improved wad design comes in. Compton said shot gets pressured in all directions when fired from a cartridge — from behind by gases produced by powder deflagration, in front by friction from air, and from the sides by the shotgun barrel. Therefore, pellets will fly in all directions unless controlled by an efficient wad. Improved modern wads, such as Federal’s Flitecontrol Flex, control shot better, reduce muzzle pressure and channel shot in one direction, resulting in better and more consistent downrange patterns.

Also, manufacturers have improved the process of making steel shot itself, Compton said. Modern pellets are consistently round, and the process of annealing shot — heating it and letting it cool slowly to remove internal stress and toughen it — is also better.

For more shotgun posts check out:

What’s the Deal with TSS Shotgun Shells?
Does This Mossberg 590 Tactical Shotgun Blow The Rest Away?
Top Four Remington 870 Tactical Shotgun Options
Practical Guide To The Tactical Shotgun
Ammunition: Shotgun Slugs 101

“I think overall tolerances have gotten better in the industry, and the steel shot you can buy today is better than what you could buy 20 to 30 years ago,” Compton said.

Proof In The Field

Technical talk from shotshell makers sounds good, but it doesn’t get to the heart of the matter — specifically, what type of performance waterfowl hunters can expect from modern steel shotshells.

Compton said modern steel loads fired through an appropriate choke — probably no tighter than modified — will deliver consistently lethal performance to about 40 yards, although claims of longer shots are common.
“Ethically, I think we should always stick to shooting out to 40 yards,” Compton added. “Your pattern really starts to open up then.”

Also shell manufacturers have imbued premium shells with special qualities to enhance performance. Black Cloud FS Steel shells, for example, use Flitestopper pellets, which have a cutting edge designed to devastate tissue on impact and create massive wound channels.

Frank said waterfowlers should consider the conditions and circumstances in which they’ll hunt before selecting a steel shotshell and load. For example, Super X Xpert Steel loads provide high-velocity payloads at affordable price points. Drylok shotshells use premium plated steel shot coupled with a wad-and-primer system designed to keep the powder and priming mix dry in harsh conditions. Blind Side uses Hex Steel for better packing density — that is, more pellets in the shell — and more trauma on impact, plus a diamond-cut wad for ideal patterns, a wad-and-primer system for water resistance, and high velocities (1,300 to 1,400 fps) for downrange energy transfer.

“I think waterfowlers should look at how they think their hunt will play out,” Frank said. “For instance, if you’re hunting in a blind with a lot of passing shots, I’d look for something with a lot of velocity that can deliver tight patterns downrange. I might not be as worried about water resistance because I am in the blind not really getting wet. However, if I am going to be standing in water for hours, (with the) shells possibly getting wet, too, water resistance becomes a real factor and decision-making attribute. If I plan on the ducks decoying or I just plan on shooting decoying ducks, I want something that I can swarm them with pellets.

“I’d also like some choke response,” Frank added. “I still want to be able to reach the end of my spread, so I’m going to try to get that swarm with something with as much velocity as I can get. Velocity and total pellet count is often a bit of a trade-off due to safe allowable pressure specifications. With Winchester and Browning products, we attempt to get the velocity as high as we can for a given payload. Finally, I’d say do a little research on the product you are thinking about purchasing and go pattern your gun.”

The Future Of Steel

As technology advances, steel shotshells will likely continue to evolve and might someday provide even greater hunting performance.

Today’s steel loads are a far cry from those introduced when the use of nontoxic shot on waterfowl became mandated. Browning’s recently developed BXD Steel is a good example of one of today’s standard steel loads with its high velocity, aerodynamically stabilized wad and premium plated round steel shot.

“Folks are always innovating and looking for new and better ways to improve the performance of what is on the market today,” Frank said. “I foresee folks continuing to look at new and existing materials in an effort to solve the cost equation. We haven’t hung up our thinking caps just yet, so we will continue to work to improve upon the great products we already offer. A lot of the innovative products you see today came about due to the competition in the industry. I foresee this competition continuing to help benefit today’s waterfowl hunters.”

Compton said new materials — specifically polymers — might hold the key to tomorrow’s shells. Designers might be able to use advanced polymers to produce new hulls or wads that could create tighter patterns and less recoil.

“Plastics are better than they have ever been, and people are smarter with polymers nowadays,” he said.

Whatever happens, today’s hunters can take satisfaction in knowing their steel shotshells provide in-the-field performance that lead-shooting waterfowlers of yesteryear couldn’t have imagined. It might have taken a couple of decades to get there, but for duck and goose hunters, the wait has been worthwhile.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Video: Development Of The Lever-Action Rifle

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November 14, 2018

Developed by some of the most legendary names in firearms, the lever-action rifle was destined to be a classic from the start.

What’s the most quintessential American Firearm? The Colt Single Action Army? The M1 Garand? Or even the AR-15? All definitely fit the bill, but for many one particular style of gun rules the roost — the lever-action rifle.

From the 1860 Henry Rifle to the Winchester Model 1873 and the Model 1894, the guns earned their place in American history, one puff of smoke at a time. In addition, to taming the frontier, the guns also revolutionized warfare and still had time to put meat on the table. Though, given the lever-action’s pedigree, anything less than iconic would have been a disappointment. Perhaps no other style of firearm had more legendary names and know-how associated with its development than these repeating rifles.

Browning A5 Shotgun: The First Autoloader

By

Jerry Lee

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November 14, 2018

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The ol' Browning A5 has the elevated distinction of being recognized as the first self-loading scattergun.

Why the Browning A5 is a classic:

Long-recoil operation system.
Originally manufactured by FN in Belgium.
Later Miroku Corp. in Japan.
Remington made a licensed version, the Model 11.
Browning's new A5 is only cosmetically similar to the Auto-Five.
Produced from 1902 to 1998.
More than 3 million manufactured.
12-, 16-, and 20-gauges were made.

John Browning was very proud of the Auto 5 semi-automatic shotgun. In fact, he called it his best achievement. It was patented in 1900 and went into production for the first time in 1902 by Fabrique Nationale in Liege, Belgium.

Most readers of this magazine probably know the history of the Browning A5, which has the distinction of being the first successful self-loading shotgun.

John Browning had previously sold his many gun designs to Winchester for a lump-sum payment. When he offered the Auto-5 to Winchester, this time he wanted a royalty based on sales but this was refused.

Browning decided to present the design to Remington and, so the story goes, was waiting in the lobby to see the company president Marcellus Hartley when Hartley died in his office of a heart attack.

FN Gets The Browning Auto Five

This led Browning to go overseas with his new shotgun design. Having previously worked with FN in Belgium to produce some of his pistol designs, he went to FN and reached an agreement for production of the Auto-Five.

Browning later licensed Remington the right to use the basic design. Their version was known as the Model 11 and was in production from 1905 to 1947.

This made the Remington the first semi-auto shotgun to be made in the United States. Browning also licensed the design to Savage for its Model 720.

The FN-made Auto-Five (also known as the A-Five) was imported into the United States from 1903 until the start of WWII, and after the war from 1947 to 1975, when production moved to Miroku in Japan.

The importer has always been Browning Arms Co., which had been established in Morgan, Utah, by Browning and his brothers in 1878.

(It should be noted that none of the FN Auto-Fives should be used with steel shot, only the Japanese models.)

The Original Auto-Five Gets Discontinued

The Browning Auto 5 finally left the shotgun scene in 1998. More than 3 million were manufactured and many are still in use around the world.

The Auto-Five should not be confused with the recent Browning A5 model, which came along in 2012. Cosmetically, it is similar to the Auto-Five with a modified square-back silhouette, but with a short-recoil system.

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Browning's Basic A5 Operation

The Auto 5 was affectionately known as the “hump-back” because of the square shape of the rear of the action. It operates with what is known as the long-recoil system, which has been adopted and modified by many other manufacturers over the years.

When a shell is fired, both the bolt and the barrel recoil together. The barrel returns forward first, ejecting the empty shell. Then the bolt returns forward, loading another shell into the chamber. This self-loading system is very reliable and seldom gives problems.

The Auto-Five was made in several variants, with different barrel lengths and stock styles. From the top, a 12-gauge, 20 gauge and Sweet Sixteen with ventilated rib.

Browning at one time advertised that the long recoil system spread the recoil over a longer period of time, and that the “felt” recoil was less than that of a pump or double gun.

There is a system of friction rings that can be adjusted to retard the recoil effect, based on the specific shotshell load being used. Another feature that is unique to the Browning A5 is a magazine cutoff lever on the left side of the receiver, handy to have available if the shooter needs to quickly change loads.

A5 Variants and Models

Auto-Fives were originally offered only in 12 gauge. The 16 gauge was added in 1909 for Europe, but it was not available in the United States until 1923. It was based on the same frame size as the 12.

The 20-gauge A-Fives first appeared during WWII when the Germans had taken over Belgium and FN had reached an agreement with Remington to produce the model in 12, 16 and 20 gauges.

It’s interesting to note that from 1940 to 1947, Remington Model 1911s and Browning A5s were made side by side in the Remington factory in Ilion, New York. These models are often referred to as “American Brownings.”

The Light 20 and Light 12 came along after WWII, as did the Magnum 12 and Magnum 20 — and one that has almost a cult following, the Sweet 16.

Modern gas-operated auto-loading shotguns have replaced most of the recoil-system guns. But the fine old Browning is truly a classic that’s deeply loved, respected and collected by many shotgunners around the world.

I recall one writer — I believe it was the great Jack O’Connor, actually — writing that in the quail-hunting plantations of the South, where quail hunting is somewhat of a religion, in the old days a hunter was expected to show up for the hunt with a classic side-by-side or over/under.

A single-barrel gun would most definitely be frowned upon, unless it was a Browning A5.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Bone Up On Browning:

Browning Firearms: The 9 Best Gun Designs Ever (2020)
Browning Hi Power: Eulogy and Final Farewell
Browning Buckmark Review: Timeless .22 Rimfire Pistol
Browning Automatic Rifle: The Gun That Changed the Infantry
Browning Citori: The World’s Most Popular Over/Under Shotgun
Is There A Better Browning BLR Than The Lightweight ’81 Takedown?
Browning Shotguns: The Top 10 Greatest Ever!

Find real-time Gun Values Online at Gun Digest Gun Values.

Corey Graff contributed to this article.

The .22 LR And Its .22 Rimfire Cousins

By

Wayne van Zwoll

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November 13, 2018

In its second century of use, the .22 LR proved to have the staying power many of its close relatives lacked.

What Were Some Of The Early .22 Rimfire Cartridges:

.22 Short (1857)
.22 Long (1871)
.22 Extra Long (1880)
.22 Long Rifle (1887)
.22 WRF (1890)
.22 Remington Special (1890?)
.22 Winchester Automatic (1903)
.22 Remington Automatic (1914)
.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (1959)

Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson developed the first successful .22 round in 1857, after trying to adopt Flobert’s cartridge to the petulant Hunt-Jennings lever-action rifle that would sire the Henry. Smith & Wesson’s rimfire, essentially the .22 Short, was made then much as it is now. A thin sheet-metal disc was drawn into a tube with a closed end, a rim “bumped” onto that end and the fold filled with fulminate of mercury. The fulminate exploded when hammer or striker crushed the rim against the barrel. Smith & Wesson fueled their .22 cartridge with 4 grains of black powder and chambered a revolver for it.

Savage-B-Series-Hardwood-2 — The .22 Long Rifle came in 1887, after the Short and Long. New subsonic hollowpoints are accurate and lethal.

Flobert’s round became the BB (Bullet Breech) Cap, its 16-grain bullet at 750 fps ideal for indoor target fun. The CB (Conical Bullet) Cap, circa 1888, was a BB Cap with a pinch of blackpowder and the Short’s 29-grain bullet. The .22 Long Rifle preceded the CB Cap by a year. Introduced by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company, it comprised 5 grains of blackpowder behind a 40-grain bullet. The Long Rifle post-dated the .22 Long, which arrived in 1871, with the Short’s bullet on a case later adopted by the LR.

In the late 1880s, these rimfires evolved to use semi-smokeless powder. Smokeless loads came on its heels. Remington announced “Kleanbore” priming for the .22 Short in 1927, years after the Germans developed “Rostfrei” non-corrosive priming. A high-speed LR load emerged at Remington in 1930. From 1880 to around 1935, a few companies loaded the .22 Extra Long, first with 6 grains of blackpowder in a hull a tad longer than the LR’s. Its 40-grain bullet loafed out the muzzle at 1,050 fps.

Savage-B-Series-Hardwood-4 — The .22 WMR arrived in 1959, and expanded options in bullets improve both accuracy and terminal performance.

Other early rimfires with about the same pep include the .22 Remington Automatic, developed in 1914 for that firm’s Model 16 self-loading rifle and dropped in 1928. Like the .22 Winchester Automatic, made until 1932 for Winchesters’ 1903 auto, it fired a 45-grain, inside-lubricated bullet .222-inch in diameter. Cases would not enter S, L or LR chambers. Friskier by half was the .22 WRF. It sent inside-lubricated 45-grain missiles at 1,450 fps, and interchanged with the .22 Remington Special that followed.

By far the most popular, useful and efficient .22 rimfire cartridge is the Long Rifle. Hunters know high-speed loads have twice the punch of the Short, and 60 percent more than the Long. But at 100 yards, the 40-grain LR bullets land 3½ inches below a 75-yard zero, courtesy a miserable .115 ballistic coefficient. Subsonic solids in .22 LR Match ammo have dominated rimfire bullseye games since I began competing decades ago. New subsonic hollow-points give small-game hunters match accuracy and a mild report for close shooting in settled environs.

In 1959, the .22 LR got a big brother. The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire sent 40-grain bullets at an advertised 2,000 fps. That claim proved optimistic, and 40s are now listed nearer 1,900. But frisky loads with 30-grain bullets clock 2,250! Pointed polymer tips have flattened the arcs and tightened groups for shooters sweet on the .22 WMR — and I’m one of them!

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

More On Rimfires:

The .22 LR: Mini, Mighty And Many
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Collector’s Corner: The Browning SA-22
The .22 LR For Self Defense: Good, Bad Or Crazy?

Video: The Ingenious Pedersen Device

By

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November 12, 2018

In a matter of seconds, the Pedersen device made the bolt-action Springfield M1903 a semi-automatic rifle.

There’s an old adage about military firearms: You enter a war with the gun perfect for the last conflict you fought. This was absolutely the predicament the U.S. found itself when if headed overseas to fight the Great War.

Though a legend, the military’s main battle rifle of World War I – the Springfield M1903 – was ill-suited to the type of fighting in the war. As you should remember from high school history, up-close and dirty trench warfare defined the conflict, with soldiers scrapping it out close enough to smell each other’s breath. Not exactly the type of fighting where a long, 5-round, bolt-action rifle built for accuracy excels. Yet, there was a somewhat unheralded firearms genius that cooked up a solution that, in a matter of seconds, helped the Springfield overcome its shortcomings.

7 Best 9mm Pistol Designs Of All Time

By

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November 12, 2018

11

These are the seven 9mm pistol designs that propelled the demure German cartridge's popularity worldwide.

What are the most influential 9mm pistol designs?

Luger P08
Walther P38
Browning Hi Power
Heckler & Koch VP70
Beretta 92
CZ 75
Glock 17

There’s no escaping the 9mm. Like the air we breathe, in the shooting world the potent little German cartridge is everywhere at once — pistols, revolvers, carbines. Not that this is a bad thing.

Yes, it’s as common as road dirt nowadays, but there’s a reason why the “Nine” has risen to become not only America’s favorite centerfire cartridge, but a world phenomenon. It plain gets the job done. A rarity in the semi-automatic pistol world, the 9mm presents shooters with few tradeoffs. It’s small enough to enhance capacity. It’s powerful enough to excel in military, law-enforcement and self-defense roles. It’s mild enough that nearly anyone who desires to shoot a handgun can master it. It’s economical enough you can keep a pistol well fed. And it’s flexible enough it’s reinvented itself numerous times over its life, always remaining relevant.

Certainly, the 9mm isn’t an absolute do-all. If you have a yen for handgun hunting anything more substantial than a woodchuck the cartridge will come up short. But for the main applications of a handgun — defense, competition, plinking — it occupies an amazingly large middle ground. A ground no other cartridge really comes close to encroaching upon.

Load Up On 9mm Ammo Knowledge:

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Though, for the sake of fairness, the cartridge doesn’t get to steal the laurels all by its lonesome. Over the years, gun designers have hatched truly classic shooting irons to launch the 9x19mm, pistols that — in some cases — are equal of any other legendary handgun to come down the pike. From armor-plate tough military sidearms to space-aged innovation, the 9mm pistol has evolved more than perhaps any other caliber of handgun in the past 100-plus years. That is especially true of the pistols we’ll look at now.

When it comes to the 9mm pistol, these are the best of the best. They represent not only watershed moments in gun design, but also in handgun application as well as shooters tastes. And if you love the Luger, Parabellum or whatever you might call it, these are must-haves for your collection — if you have a wallet thick enough to afford them.

Luger P08

The gun for which the 9mm was developed, the wicked toggle-lock pistol is among the most sought-after and iconic handguns of the 20th Century. Routinely, choice Lugers can flirt with six figures, such as a prototype “Baby” Luger that sold at Rock Island Auction Company for $92,000 in 2017. Yet, the 8-round pistol generally doesn’t occupy the mind as a moldy dust gatherer. Adopted by the German military in 1904, debatably the first successful semi-automatic pistol served in World War I and II and is remembered as the dynamic sidearm of the enemy and coveted war booty for Allied soldiers.

Soldier or not, who wouldn’t want this extraordinary 9mm pistol? The action alone is worth the price of entry. It was plenty effective too boot, capable of expectorating hot 9mm rounds quicker than you can yell, “Achtung!” And, given its fix barrel, the handgun was inherently accurate — considered by some to be among the most natural pointing pistols ever conceived. The design suffered from some issues. The Luger is ammunition sensitive, struggling to cycle low-pressure rounds. Tightly fitted, it also was expensive to manufacture and it could get testy if not kept clean as a whistle. The last is not a great trait of a service pistol.

Nevertheless, the Luger held its own in two of the greatest conflicts the world’s ever known and continues to stir the imagination today.

Walther P38

Overshadowed by the Luger, the P38 doesn’t quite rouse the soul in the same way. Yet, it’s fair to say the semi-automatic 9mm pistol held a more significant position in the world of gun design than the P08, at least in the modern era. Marking a trend in service pistols from the midpoint of the 20th Century on, it was the first to mate the locking breech with a DA/SA trigger. Furthermore, it was also the first handgun with a loaded-chamber indicator — nearly an industry standard now.

Introduced in 1938 and mass produced in 1940, the 8-round pistol’s ruggedness and reliability endeared it to soldiers. That, and of course, its accuracy. This aspect was hastened by a barrel that always remained horizontally aligned to the target when cycling, instead of tilting like the 1911.

Born out of the need for an easy-to-manufacture and economical pistol, the P38 still contained some downright clever engineering. In particular, the wedge-shaped falling block that kept the slide and barrel locked until chamber pressure dissipated to enough to allow the slide to travel fully backward. The design proved resilient, with the pistol not only seeing action in World War II, but also as the German military sidearm from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s.

Sadly, Walther ceased production of the P38 in 2000. Though, there are plenty of affordable specimens floating around for the shooter who must have one in their collection.

Browning Hi Power

A melancholy addition to the list, given the pistol’s inauspicious end earlier this year. After more than 80-years of production, Browning (but manufactured by Fabrique Nationale) quietly added to the Hi Power’s webpage “No Longer In Production.” Not exactly the adieu one of the 20th Century’s most important and prolific pistols deserved, to say the least. Though, understandable, given so many modern striker-fired pistols offer the advantages of the Hi Power, at a fraction of the weight and price.

Therein lies one of the great contributions of the John M. Browning started, Dieudonné Saive finished design — it laid the groundwork for much of what today makes up the modern pistol market. In particular, capacity and linkless cam locking system. The latter was all Browning, who had to find a way to work around the 1911’s toggle link, which Colt held the patent on. The former was a Saive’s contribution, originally a 15-round magazine in the staggered configuration so familiar today.

Heckler & Koch VP70

An ugly duckling to be sure, the VP70 arguably is among the most important pistols of the late 20th Century. The first (of many) handguns to utilize a polymer frame, the German 9mm, in essence, launched the materials revolution that defines the pistol market today. Innovative as it was, the pistol proved somewhat ahead of its time, as it took until the 1980s and the rise of Glock for the concept to really catch fire.

Introduced in 1970, the 9mm pistol’s design was as simple as kindergarten arithmetic. A blow-back operation, the striker-fired had a relatively clunky slide encasing a fixed barrel, which should have made it accurate, though this was thwarted somewhat by a less-than-smooth trigger. Downright stiff, the double-action-only trigger made it feel more like shooting a 9mm revolver than a 9mm pistol. Though, if you knew the gun, you could stage the trigger like a wheelgun, thus break an aimed shot without all the travel.

On the plus side and similar to most blowback pistols, the VP70 digested nearly anything it was fed and was dependable as daybreak. Additionally, it boasted an ample 18-round capacity, which at the time must have seemed like you could shoot the thing all day off a single magazine.

In addition to its polymer frame, the pistol had a few other interesting facets, especially for its day. Originally, the VP70 was a machine pistol (not the civilian model VP70Z) designed for the military that, with the addition of a stock, would shoot 3-round bursts. Furthermore, it had a unique front sight. Instead of a traditional blade, a notched ramp provided the front post, casting a shadow over where it had been slotted.

The VP70 isn’t the first pistol shooters would pick in a beauty contest, nevertheless, its cutting-edge use of material more than proved an attractive concept that gunmakers swarmed to as the years wore on.

Beretta 92

To say the least, this unique DA/SA draws mixed reactions. Partly due to replacing the M1911 as the U.S. military service pistol, partly due early design flaws (a whole other article), the 92 tends to raise some shooters’ dander. But, overall the first 9mm pistol to the serve the country had a fairly solid track record over its recently-ended 23-year career.

While many remember the M9 (its military designation) taking the place of John M. Browning’s masterwork, it actually cut a wider swath across the armed services. In all, it replaced some 25 pistols and revolvers — not to mention all the ammunition to feed them – that had wormed their way into service by 1985. Given 9mm was the NATO standard, it was logical as a member of the treaty the U.S. would follow suit with its new pistol. This, more than the fact it replaced the 1911, probably got most folks upset. The 9mm is smashing when shooting defensive rounds, but many felt it left a lot to desire spitting ball.

CZ 75

The term “Wonder Nine” has lost some of its luster over the years, but in the 1970s, when law enforcement by and large still carried .38 Special revolvers, the title had meaning. And few optimized it more than the CZ 75. The little wonder from behind the Iron Curtain had nearly everything shooters were looking for out of a modern 9mm pistol at the time and even now.

Well, the DA/SA trigger is up for debate, it’s never gained the level of popularity akin to striker-fired options or single-action only semi-autos. That said, it was and is one of the best examples of this style of trigger, smooth on the first squeeze and curt every one that followed. Additionally, it was fully capable of being carried in condition 1 (cocked and locked), which made the 9mm pistol a favorite among the competitors. Nice as its trigger is, hands down the showstopper was its 15-round capacity, which in its early days made it the Henry Rifle of handguns — “Loaded on Sunday and shot all week.”

Glock 17

The Glock 17 wasn’t the first polymer-framed pistol to amble on the market (see the VP70), but no bones about it, it was the first successful one. Though truth be told, success misses the mark. The 9mm pistol, initially designed for the Austrian military, went way beyond that redefining the handgun market from the early 1980s on.

The Glock 17’s impact is undeniable, sparking today’s incredible selection of polymer-framed pistols. Nearly every major manufacturer offers at least one line of the style of handgun and, by and large, they are the choice of most armed citizens, particularly those who carry concealed.

The Glock 17’s lightweight, simple design and intuitive shootability made it a global sensation and a near instant classic. And it took what amounts to a wink to accomplish. Gaston Glock assembled a team of European shooting and firearms experts to propose design points. From there, it was a matter of months before the company cranked out a prototype to submit to the military trials. Impressive, given beforehand Glock and his company had no background in firearms.

In addition to materials, the Glock 17’s other revolutionary design point is its trigger. Double-action-only (know as a ‘Safe-Action by Glock) achieved one of the most consistent pulls up to that point. Squeeze in and out, the striker-fired’s trigger broke at a predictable 5.5 pounds — an absolute boon for a shooter’s accuracy potential.

Certainly, there are shooters who bemoan the rise of the plastic fantastics sparked by the G17. They might have a point, the blocky black pistols have all the charm of an indecent proposal. But when your life is on the line, Glock’s unsightly lines are absolutely beautiful.

More 9mm Info

Modern Shooter: The Double Eagle Training Method

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November 9, 2018