From 9mm: Guide to America’s Most Popular Caliber, author Robert Sadowski shakes down a fine micro 9mm handgun in this Kahr CM9 review.
What the Kahr CM9 offers:
The Kahr CM9 is a simplified PM9, making it functional and affordable.
Micro-compact 9mms can be a handful to shoot, but the CM9 is surprisingly controllable.
New and female shooters will like the CM9’s easy-to-rack slide.
The Kahr CM9 — ultra compact and easily concealable.
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention and that is exactly how Kahr Arms started.
Justin Moon was an avid shooter but wanted a truly ultra-compact 9mm pistol that was totally reliable and easily concealable. In 1996, the Kahr K9 debuted and completely changed the way shooters and those who carry concealed define a compact handgun.
Small pistols can be difficult to operate due to their size, but the Kahr CM9 is easy. The trigger is smooth and consistent.
Moon designed his first compact semi-auto with a stainless-steel frame. Chambering it in 9mm gave it teeth. It was all good, but it was a bit heavy. The next evolution of the design was the PM9, which incorporated a lightweight polymer frame. What more could concealed carriers want? A less expensive pistol maybe? Enter the CM9, a 9mm subcompact pistol that won’t take a large bite out of your wallet but performs flawlessly.
The CM9 is everything the PM9 is except for a few modifications that make it much more affordable. Think of the CM9 as a PM9 stripped of all unnecessary adornment. The CM9 has less machining of the slide, and the roll marks on the slide aren’t as refined. The front sight is pinned in place instead of the PM9’s dovetailed blade.
The controls, namely the slide stop lever, are metal injection molded. Instead of polygonal rifling, the CM9 has conventional cut rifling. It is shipped with one magazine. The aesthetics are the shortcut to cost savings but there are no shortcuts when it comes to the internal mechanism. The CM9’s internal parts are the same as the PM9, as is the polymer frame.
On the outside, the CM9 is a bit of a plain-Jane but on the inside, it is a beauty that maintains Kahr’s reputation for sweet-shooting pistols. These cost-saving modifications may make the CM9 look slightly different from the PM9, but they lop off some $200 from the price tag. A great shooter at a really good price.
The CM9 uses a Browning-style locked-breech design with a striker-fire mechanism that operates with a passive firing pin safety. The Kahr design is notable for its smooth pull, which feels like a slicked-up DAO revolver. When the trigger is depressed a double-lobed cocking cam rotates and draws the striker to the rear, deactivating the firing pin block.
The system is very safe as well as smooth and consistent. Trigger pull averages about 6 pounds, 8 ounces. The smooth, wide trigger no doubt makes the pull feel less.
Performing a reload with a small pistol can be difficult and requires a slight change in technique.
Kahr pistols are known for their thin girth and lightweight heft and the CM9 is no different. Many times, as the size of the pistol shrinks, the ability to operate and shoot it accurately diminish, too.
Some compact 9mm pistols have hard-to-rack slides and some have small controls. The CM9’s slide is easy to work. The angled serrations at the rear give good purchase. The sights are made of polymer and are a dot and bar setup. The front sight has a white dot while the rear sports a white vertical bar so when the sights are aligned they form a lowercase “i.” It is a fast sighting system to use.
The rear sight is dovetailed in place and can be adjusted left or right using a brass punch and hammer or a sight pusher. The external extractor acts as a loaded chamber indicator, slightly protruding when a round or empty case is chambered. The pistol uses a solid recoil rod that no doubt aids accuracy.
The frame of the CM9 offers plenty of texture where it is needed, like the front and rear grip straps and the sides of the grip. The coarsely checkered pattern on the front and rear grip straps make the small gun easier to control when firing hot 9mm rounds in rapid fire.
The grip sides have a stippled texture that works even when firing with sweaty hands. The oval mag release button is serrated and easily manipulated with the thumb of a right-handed shooter. It protrudes just enough and works consistently, allowing empty magazines to fall free. The grip is short, so most shooters will need to curl their small finger under the magazine.
The CM9 has very good accuracy for a small value-priced handgun.
The slide stop is full size, unlike many subcompact pistols that have smaller controls. After the last round is fired the slide locks back giving you a visual clue that it’s time to reload. The slide stop — with its serrated surface — is easily manipulated to close the slide on a fresh magazine; or, the slide can be pulled rearward, so it flies forward into battery.
The 6-round magazine is all metal save for the polymer follower. It fits flush with the butt. Witness holes in the magazine body let you know how many cartridges are loaded. Speaking of loading, stuffing the magazine even to full capacity is easy on your thumb. The lips of the magazine are rounded. No cut thumbs.
According to the manual, Kahr recommends you fire at least 200 rounds to ensure it will perform reliably. Not many manufacturers state that in their literature but we all know that any mechanism needs to be broken in.
With that in mind, I had an assortment of reloads and factory ammo to run through the CM9. The reloads were — to be honest — not the best-looking cartridges. They were plenty tarnished and had been through the reloading press a few times. The Kahr chewed through them all. It just fired and ejected the brass with no questions asked. I have used these reloads on other 9mms and found other guns choked on them.
The concealed carry holster the author used with the Kahr CM9 is a Crossbreed MiniTuck IWB (inside-the-waistband) with a forward cant.
For factory ammunition, I had hot Hornady Critical Duty 9mm +P with a 135-grain FlexLock on hand. The FlexLock bullets fill the hollowpoint with a soft rubber that expands the bullet in a variety of media.
For standard pressure ammo, I tried Hornady Steel Match with a 115-grain HAP (Hornady Action Pistol) bullet, and some new manufacture Black Hills loaded with a 115-grain FMJ. The Black Hills stuff was the fastest out of the CM9 averaging about 1,030 fps; the Hornady loads ranged from 909 fps (Critical Duty) to 922 fps (Steel Match).
Shooting for accuracy at 15 yards, I used a rest and squeezed off each round slowly and deliberately. Five-shot groups averaged about 2.5 inches, which was great performance out of such a small-barreled handgun, especially one with a double-action trigger.
For rapid-fire testing, I placed a D-1 tombstone-style target at 15 yards. The drill involved me picking up the Kahr from the shooting bench and placing three rounds as fast as I could into the 8-inch ring of the target. By the time the ammo boxes were empty I was quickly tapping the targets consistently in the right spot.
The CM9 feels thin, none of that chunky grip you get with other double-stack polymer-framed models. Even with the +P loads, there is little muzzle flip. It is easy to control.
As a concealed carry handgun, the CM9 is easy to hide and a pleasure to carry. It is a quality compact 9mm at an affordable price that makes sense for armed citizens.
As a concealed carry handgun, the CM9 is easy to hide and a pleasure to carry. It is a quality compact 9mm at an affordable price that makes sense for armed citizens.
SPECIFICATIONS MODEL: Kahr CM9 CALIBER: 9mm ACTION: Short Recoil, Locked Breech TRIGGER: Double-Action Only BARREL LENGTH: 3.0 in. OVERALL LENGTH: 5.42 in. WEIGHT: 15.9 oz. (unloaded) GRIPS: Textured Polymer SIGHTS: White Bar-Dot Combat FINISH: Black Frame/Stainless Slide CAPACITY: 6+1, Single-Stack Magazine
The 1911 continues to soldier on more than 100 years after its design. That’s fairly impressive, given there are few other guns or, for that matter, machines in general that have shown such longevity. What made the John M. Browning design so resilient? After all, new and proficient twists to semi-automatic pistols have hit the market over the years, not to mention breakthroughs in the materials used to make them.
Like all successes, the 1911 has thrived for multiple reasons. From a top-notch design to excellent manufacturing and outstanding performance, the pistol just plain delivers — from an Armscor economy model all the way up to a Gold Cup Trophy model Colt 1911. Regardless of make or price point, however, every iteration of the iconic pistol holds certain aspects in common, and that’s what we’re looking at today. So, without further ado, here are the top four reasons why the 1911 endures.
Trigger
Among its greatest assets, the 1911 trigger is one of the best in the pistol world. Designed to travel straight backward, the trigger helps keeps the sights in line during this critical stage of breaking a shot. There is no play or pivot to it, just smooth, linear travel. Furthermore, as a single-action semi-automatic, it is light, short, crisp and predictable. Combine these elements and you’ve got the recipe for superior accuracy.
This isn’t to say there aren’t fine triggers found in other corners of the handgun world. Yes, there are double-actions and striker-fired out there smooth as glass that will get you on target. But the 1911 trigger’s assets are part and parcel of its design. From a bargain basement entry-level model all the way through a match-grade STI or Colt 1911, the trigger far outperforms nearly everything else.
Frame
In contemporary handguns, polymer frames are king. Concealed carry calls most of the tunes nowadays, so it’s of little surprise the lightweight material has gained preference. Yet, there are advantages to sticking with cold, hard steel. Chief among them is the material’s heft.
Yes, getting used to carrying a heavier pistol such as the 1911 requires adjustment, but doing so arms you with a more shootable pistol. A gun’s weight plays a large role in how much recoil it produces. In turn, shooters generally contend with less muzzle flip with a 1911, especially the heavier Commander and Government models. Even an aluminum-framed Lightweight Commander tips the scales considerably more than most comparable polymers.
There is also the durability issue. Put away your knives polymer-frame fans, we’re not talking in the short run. Polymer pistols aren’t pushovers when it comes to rough-and-tumble use; they’ll stand up to pretty much anything. Yet, the jury is still out if a century from now they’ll remain functional. Yes, they’ll still exist, there’s no debating that, but will they resist degrading or becoming dangerous? Time will tell.
John Browning’s pistol has already passed this test. There are original M1911s that still shoot today. Certainly, they too, can break down, especially the slide. However, there’s no arguing they’ve proven a legacy firearm.
Accuracy
There’s a reason why the 100-plus-year-old design continues to dominate competitive pistol shooting, and it’s not its striking good looks. Among the most accurate pistols available, a match-grade Kimber, Dan Wesson or Colt 1911 easily print 2.5-inch, five-shot groups at 25 yards from the box, if not better. Tuned by a competent gunsmith, the margin is further reduced.
Furthermore, it’s possible to make a run-of-the-mill 1911 run like a Gold-Cup type pistol. Obviously, it takes money and a craftsman who knows his trade to bring it up to this level, but the possibility is inherent in the design.
Tangential to this, the gun’s ergonomics are superb. Its grip design makes the pistol almost a part of your body, making target acquisition second nature and building a sight picture intuitive. Additionally, the controls are right where they need to be. A testament to how well the 1911 is laid out is how many modern guns have copied it.
History
By now, we’re all familiar with the 1911’s story. A John M. Browning design, nearly flawless in field trials, a history of honorable service in two World Wars and countless conflicts, and the pistol is still running hard today. Few guns in production are more intertwined with American history than this handgun. When you holster the 1911, you’re truly carrying a piece of your history around with you.
Many might write this off as a case of nostalgia and little more. But there is a practical argument as to why the pistol’s past means something today. Again and again, the 1911 has proved itself, and rarely, if ever, been found wanting – from Cantigny to the Mekong Delta. If that doesn’t provide peace of mind in the pistol you holster, little else will.
The venerable Model 1911A1 was manufactured by Colt (and others during World War II) until 1971. Shortly after the war, Colt introduced a new gun, the Commander, which was based on the Colt 1911 Government design. This gun was essentially a shortened version of the A1 and was manufactured with a 4.25-inch barrel. Formerly, a 5-inch barrel had been the standard for full size semi-autos. The new gun was the first to feature an aluminum frame. It was a startling innovation at the time because the handgun mindset was mostly limited to steel. Nevertheless, the shooting public readily accepted the Commander.
Subsequently, Colt produced the same pistol with a steel frame and named this more traditional model a “Combat Commander.” Ever since, the term “Commander” has been used to designate 1911s that have 4.25-inch barrels. (The aluminum-framed gun was eventually, but not immediately, dubbed the “Lightweight Commander.”)
Not long afterward, Colt introduced a pistol with a 3.5-inch barrel, looking to develop a firearm that would satisfy the concealed carry market. Colt called this gun the “Officer’s Model.” It had a shorter length overall frame and used lightweight six-round magazines. This model name is used today to denote the smallest versions of particular models, versions with shorter barrels and frames.
Combat Commander, blued finish
In the 1970s, the MK IV Series 70 Government Model superseded the standard Government Model. The main modifications in the new model were a slightly heavier slide and a slotted collet barrel bushing.
In 1983 Colt introduced its MK IV Series 80 models, which had an additional passive firing pin safety lock that did not allow the pistol to fire if the trigger was not pulled to the end of its travel. Although some people feel that the change had a negative effect on trigger pull, it is probably a necessary evil in a highly litigious world. Still, it has not been completely accepted by higher level competition shooters who want a “decent trigger pull” on their firearms. (An identical firing pin safety mechanism is also used by the way in high-capacity pistols from Para Ordnance.) At this time, the half-cock notch was also redesigned.
Mk IV Series 80 Officer’s ACP
In the 1990s, Colt developed an “Enhanced Series” of 1911s. These were of course modified Series 80 pistols, with several factory alterations that many serious shooters would previously have performed by a custom gunsmith. The alterations included a beavertail grip safety, beveled magazine well, flared ejection port and a notch underneath the rear of the trigger guard, which allowed the pistol to sit lower in the shooter’s hand.
At the beginning of 1992 another change was made and the resulting model was designated the 1991A1. Colt then recommended this pistol, with its flat mainspring housing, as an updated version of their classic 1911. Included in the series were the Government models, the Commander, the Officer’s model, the Gold Cup and the Combat Elite.
Colt Model O Series 90 Defender
All of these enhancements — along with caliber choices — were the result of Colt’s desire to meet shooters’ demand for a more customized pistol. Colt selected several of the most popular modifications to incorporate in their new and enhanced models. The changes included a beavertail safety grip, a slotted Commander style hammer, a relief cut under the trigger guard, a beveled magazine well, a slightly longer trigger, a flat top rib and angled slide serrations. Consequently, from its earliest incarnation – which the casual observer would with difficulty distinguish from the latest – the Model 1911A1 may be the most modified handgun in the world.
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from the Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms, 2nd Edition.
Early FBI sniper rifles were surprisingly basic. Today’s FBI HRT (Hostage Rescue Team) models are the tip of the spear in long-range shooting accuracy and features.
Advancements in FBI sniper rifles:
Early FBI sniper rifles were crude tools, but still performed when called upon.
The Bureau modified many Model 700s and Model 70s at the USMC Armorer at Quantico.
Today’s FBI H-S Precision .308 rifle is state-of-the-art. And it’s available for civilian purchase.
The author behind one of the earlier sniper rifles at the FBI’s Ballistic Research Facility range. Photo: Boone
On Friday, July 23, 1971, Special Agent Ken Lovin of the FBI’s New York Field Office found himself at Kennedy Airport, carrying a Remington Model 760 rifle in .308 caliber. About 125 to 150 yards away was Richard Oberfall, who had hijacked an airliner out of La Guardia and then allowed it to return after the pilot advised he couldn’t fly that aircraft to Italy.
After landing at La Guardia, Oberfall forced an airline mechanic to drive him to Kennedy with a stewardess as a hostage. There he threatened her life, keeping a revolver pointed at her head as he stood next to a plane bound for Italy. With a reputation of being “one hell of a shot,” Agent Lovin was given the “green light” to take down the hijacker.
The sniper tower and target building facade was a very basic system but fun to shoot. The facade is gone and the tower is being used by the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team for other purposes.
When Oberfell, clearly agitated, shifted his gun away from his hostage, Agent Lovin took the shot, hitting the gunman center chest. Lovin shifted his position slightly and took a second shot, not knowing Oberfell was already dead or dying from the full metal jacketed round.
The striking thing about this sniper incident is that Special Agent Lovin was not a Bureau sniper (the FBI had no SWAT teams in 1971). Nor was he an FBI firearms instructor at that time. And the rifle he used was a basic pump-action hunting rifle, fitted with a Bausch and Lomb 4x scope that he had never fired before! There was no legitimate sniper rifle in the Bureau’s inventory. That was the status of the FBI’s sniper program in 1971. But things would soon change.
Colonel Walter R. Walsh, USMC Retired, was in the first FBI new agent class to be officially armed after Federal legislation, in 1934. “We had Winchester Model 07s in .351 caliber and a few, beautiful Springfield sporters with micrometer sights, he said. “None of these rifles had scopes.”
In 1965, Special Agent Terry Anderson was killed in a shootout with two “mountain men” near Shade Gap, Pennsylvania. In the manhunt that followed, Special Agent Jack Kirsch, then the Pittsburg Division’s Training Coordinator, issued four scoped Winchesters from inventory.
The Remington Model 760 rifle was equipped with a Baush & Lomb 4x scope with external mounts. Its accuracy was not adequate for sniper rifle use.
As Kirsch relates, “They were pre-war Model 70s, in .30-06 with wood stocks and standard barrels. All four had four-digit serial numbers. Two were scoped with 2 ½ power Lyman Alaskans and two with 4-power Weavers. I also borrowed four similar rifles from agencies in the area and a couple agents used their personal hunting rifles.”
After being transferred to the FBI Academy at Quantico, Kirsch found the Bureau had adopted Remington Model 760s in .308 caliber. The reason given was that they had a similar action as the 870 pump-action shotguns then in use.
The original order was for 800 carbines with “iron sights” but the order was changed to include 400 of the rifles with Baush and Lomb 4x scopes with external adjustments. Unfortunately, it was found the rifles’ accuracy was no better than the carbines.
These carbines and rifles were issued to the field but they were, by no means, adequate sniper rifles. Many were kept at Quantico for training purposes. Special Agent John Cox, assigned to the Firearms Training Unit at the academy, used the 760s in training and demonstrations but in 1971 at the standoff at Wounded Knee he and other agents there used M16s borrowed from the military.
These 760s saw very little use in the field. Instead, they were used at the Academy for new agent and initial sniper training when that started. A two story “sniper tower” was erected at the range complex, with a steel fronted target area about 50 yards out with reactive military bobber targets in the windows. Ammunition used was .308 plastic short range training rounds by Dynamit Nobel. This ammunition was also used by new agents on the standard 50-yard ranges for familiarization firing.
About this time, the FBI purchased its first precision rifle, the Remington Model 700 with heavy barrels in .223 caliber. The rifles were extremely accurate in spite of not being tuned or glass bedded. They had standard Redfield 3-9x hunting scopes. Ultimately it was learned that the scopes and light caliber would be limiting factors in a sniper application.
The Remington Model 700 in .223 caliber was an accurate rifle in spite of its lack of glass bedding and a very basic scope.
However, it is known that a number were used for sniper practice in the Western U.S. in populated prairie dog town areas. I personally know of one Special Agent in Charge who kept one in his Bucar [Special vehicle for FBI agents – Ed.] in case he was attacked by the rodents while traveling throughout his territory.
Although issued to the field, some were kept at Quantico for the initial SWAT training then being conducted for police officers. Agents Cal Ford, Ken Lovin, Tase Bailey and others ran these one-week classes even before the FBI had its own official snipers.
In the early 1970s, attempts were made to acquire adequate rifles from other sources. Lou Padula, Principal Firearms Instructor at the Washington Field Office acquired several pre-64 Winchester Model 70s in .30-06 from the Bureau of Prisons.
The Remington M1903A4 with an M84 scope was an early SWAT-issue sniper rifle.
In addition, he obtained a number of Springfield 03A3s from the military. These rifles were in almost new condition and were scoped with either the Lyman Alaskan 2½-power or the Weaver in 4x. Many were shipped to the field as stop gap weapons and some were used at Quantico for training. In addition, Special Agent Padula acquired some match-grade M14s with ART (Automatic Ranging and Trajectory) scopes that were distributed to the field offices.
I entered the FBI in 1973. My second assignment was at the Washington Field Office where I became a firearms instructor in addition to duties on the fugitive squad. In December, 1978, I attended a three-week police sniper school at Fort Meade, Maryland, taught by the Army’s Advanced Marksmanship Unit there. Shortly thereafter, I was assigned as a sniper on one of our field office’s SWAT teams.
My issue rifle was an old Winchester Model 70, pre-64, in .30-06 with a Redfield 3-9x hunting scope. The rifle had a wood stock, standard barrel and was not glass bedded. The only match-grade ammunition available for it was military M72 in full metal jacket.
The first FBI sniper rifles in .308 were built on existing pre-64 Model 70 actions.
Concerned with using FMJ rounds, I converted a batch of M72 to “Mexican Match” by replacing the original projectiles with Sierra 168-grain MatchKings. It was unofficial but effective.
In early 1979, I went to Larry Schmidle, then the FTU Unit Chief, and told him that I believed the FBI’s sniper rifle program was seriously lacking. I mentioned that the Bureau-issued Remington Model 700 heavy barrels in .223 and 760s in .308 were inadequate. “What’s your point?” he asked. I then asked his permission to buy a personal 700 heavy barrel in .308 for official use as a sniper. He thought a few moments and then said, “Do it.” No paperwork was required then, just Larry’s OK.
I bought the rifle and mounted one of those wonderful Weaver T10s on it, then used on the Secret Service’s rifles. FBI gunsmith Joe Kiesel glass bedded it for me and added a rubber butt pad. I scrounged Federal .308 Match ammunition from the Marines and was in business. That rifle shot to less than a half minute and I kept it for years, finally letting it go to a local police sniper who had to supply his own. I was transferred to the FTU late in 1979 and never had to use that rifle in a SWAT operation.
In the meantime, it was finally recognized that the FBI needed better rifles. Tase Bailey, Lon Lacey and others had to go no farther than next door to find out what they needed. The Marine’s Weapons Training Battalion and Scout Sniper School’s gunsmiths and instructors lent their expertise.
Remington Model 700s with Unertl scopes were used by the Hostage Rescue Team. John Unertl vis-ited the FBI Academy at one point.
One was a Gunnery Sergeant named Carlos Hathcock. They examined the FBI rifles then in use and advised “take them to Lunga (the reservoir near the academy) as anchors.” Their minimum requirements included a heavy, match-grade barrel, glass bedding and better scopes. The Marines also recommended fiberglass stocks but that would have to wait.
FBI gunsmiths Joe Kiesel and former Marine Corps armorer Ray Sweet built prototypes, using pre-64 Model 70 actions and stocks and Douglas heavy barrels. The first couple of rifles utilized Redfield scopes. The Marines used the Unertl fixed 10-power but the Bureau wanted a variable scope for the much shorter ranges anticipated in domestic law enforcement.
They settled on the Leupold 3.5-10x with a matte finish, the first with this finish the now infamous optics company ever built. These rifles were chambered in .308 caliber and the ammunition of choice was Federal .308 Match, using the Sierra 168-grain hollowpoint boat-tail bullet. It remained the primary sniper round for the Bureau until recently.
Early in 1980, I was part of a committee establishing the specifications for the new sniper rifles. Selected was the Winchester Model 70, pre-64 action (the FBI had a large inventory of these), heavy Douglas barrels in .308 caliber, and the 3.5-10x Leupold scope.
This Russian Dragunov sniper rifle tested at FBI FTU. The author fires it on the Rifle Deck.
The committee also wanted McMillan fiberglass stocks but were overruled, at least at that time, and the original wood stocks with glass bedding were used. Rifle building commenced and the guns were instant hits, quickly accepted in the field. As the pre-64 actions were used up, a switch was made to post-64 Model 70s but shortly thereafter the FBI started buying Remington Model 700 actions.
Actually, they purchased barreled actions as Remington would not sell the actions without barrels, even to the FBI, until recently. There were a lot of standard-weight Remington .308 barrels stacked around the Gun Vault. Douglas barrels were used for field SWAT use, but Hart stainless steel barrels were installed on the rifles used by the Hostage Rescue Team.
Later, all rifles were fitted with Hart barrels. The fiberglass McMillan stocks were finally adopted and used on all FBI-built rifles from then on. The field SWAT teams continued to use the 3.5-10x Leupold but HRT started using the same Unertl 10x as fielded by the Marines.
The rifles were found to be extremely accurate and very reliable. The “Quarter Inch Club” was founded and any Bureau sniper who shot a three round, quarter-inch group at 200 yards was eligible. With minor variations, this rifle was in use throughout the 1980s and 90s.
The H-S Precision sniper rifle has served the FBI, as well as other federal agencies and some foreign governments, for more than a decade. Photo: H-S Precision
Manufacture and maintenance was handled by a group of FBI gunsmiths and former USMC armorers then working at the FBI Gun Vault, including Ted Hollabaugh, who helped with some of the design work and set up the original Quarter Inch Club. Many of these rifles were still in use until recently.
Originally, the Firearms Training Unit was tasked with teaching rifle marksmanship and sniper tactics. (FBIHQ prefers to call us countersnipers, a less harsh nomenclature.) Course outlines were prepared and modified and sniper courses were taught at Quantico and around the United States. Classes were also taught overseas.
Supervisory Special Agent Urey Patrick, later to become Assistant Unit Chief at FTU, wrote a manual entitled, Advanced Rifle Training for the Observer/Sniper. In addition to sniper tactics, the excellent manual included ballistics tables based on the Federal Gold Medal .308 Match, using the Sierra 168-grain match hollowpoint, our sole sniper round at that time.
Improvements were constantly being made to the rifles assembled at Quantico. The original McMillan black stocks were replaced with the three color urban variation and these were then replaced with the A3 with adjustable length of pull and cheek piece.
A limited number of rifles were issued with Aquila (Litton) P/N MWS2500 night sights in 4-power but this required a separate rifle dedicated to this scope. In 2002, the FBI announced a procurement for a new sniper rifle.
Strick specifications were set for accuracy, reliability and use. Thousands of dollars and man hours were spent to wring out the offerings and when the smoke cleared, a dual award was made to H-S Precision and FN. Virtually all the rifles purchased have been H-S Precision and there are no FN rifles in the field. The rifles are a complete package, including case, cleaning gear and required tools.
Today’s H-S Precision FBI sniper rifle.
More important, all repairs were to be made by the manufacturer, releasing the Gun Vault from this requirement. Deliveries have been made and, to date, show outstanding performance. These rifles are scoped with the Leupold Mark 4, 3.5-10x Long Range with the 30mm tube and side focus. The scopes are mounted on McCann rails. Now a decade has passed and the H-S guns have proved to give excellent performance.
Also issued with these rifles is the Universal Night Sight by Optical Systems Technology of Freeport, Pennsylvania. These devices can be mounted in front of the existing scope, allowing the same rifle to be used day and night. The sale of these night vision devices is limited to law enforcement and military.
By the way, the H-S package as selected by the FBI can be purchased by other agencies and even civilians. You just can’t get the “FBI” serial number prefix.
This package has also been adopted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Israel Defense Forces, among others. Indeed, when it comes to sniper rifles, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has come a long way from the days of old wood-stocked .351s and pump-action 760s.
Few names are as intertwined with the 1911 as Colt. Manufacturing the single-action semi-automatic pistol since John M. Browning came up with the design, the company has continued to innovate and evolve the handgun for more than 100 years. And they’ve struck a fairly elegant balance, remaining true to Browning’s original vision, while improving the pistol in small yet notable ways — caliber, size, etc.
A century under its belt, it’s fair to say Colt turns out a dandy 1911 – ready for action, whatever action is thrown at it – straight from the box. If you thought little improvement was necessary or needed on the user’s part, you’re pretty much correct.
That said, as a mass-produced firearm, not even Colt’s long-running familiarity with the pistol hits all the right notes with every shooter. Luckily, there are minuscule upgrades and accessories that go an exceedingly long way in making the pistol perfect for even the most finicky shooter.
Colt 1911 Holsters
There’s good news and there's bad news about a holster for a Colt 1911. On the bright side, you can carry the legendary pistol nearly any way you see fit and that will enhance your particular application. Covering nearly every style of carry and type of holster, the market offers an incredible selection tailored to the handgun. Material, body position, concealment – there really isn’t a gap in Colt 1911 holster selection.
The difficult aspect, it’s still shopping for a holster. Anyone who’s gone through the process knows it’s arduous and frustrating, typically resulting in a closet shelf full of rejects. It’s the nature of the game. Even if you were looking to carry any pistol other than the 1911 you’d face the same ordeal. Patients and a willingness to hunt for what works for you are really the only keys to success.
Galco Combat Master
As mentioned, holster options abound, but that doesn’t mean that every model made for a 1911 – Colt or otherwise – makes sense. In turn, a few thoughts on the pistol itself might go a ways in winnowing what will most likely get the job done and what will end up on the also-ran pile.
Compared to a majority of other modern handguns, the 1911 generally has two defining aspects – heft and size. Of course, the weighty metal frame and long sight radius of a full-sized model is what attracts shooters to the pistol in the first place. Yet, these aspects also present certain challenges carrying the pistol comfortably.
With those facets in mind, inside- and outside-the-waistband holsters tend to win the most favor with shooters. With a solid gun belt, the possibility exists to carry a 2-plus pound full-sized 1911 without throwing your hip out of place. Though, concealability tends to present an issue when talking about choosing between the two styles, especially with a large-frame model.
Outside of a Colt Defender (3-inch barrel) or Commander (4.25-inch barrel), OWB can pose concealment problems with a 1911. Can it be done? Absolutely. However, unless you plan to wear a long coat all the time, it typically means carrying in the small of the back or a cross-draw setup.
Crossbreed Super Tuck
Good examples of holster that work well in these OWB positions are Galeco’s Combat Master and Craft Holsters’ Leather Pancake. Both systems cant the pistol, cutting it profile and keeping it well within reach. Additionally, each is well made and won’t go limp over the long haul.
Concealing the barrel no longer is a concern, IWB holsters tend to free you up your options. And given the inherent slimness of the 1911’s design, its less of a hassle than it initially appears. Cant, again, is again a priority with this style of carry. Thankfully, a majority of holster makers design their wares with this key adjustment.
The CrossBreed SuperTuck goes a long way in hitting all these points and does a fairly good job of protecting your prized Colt from body moisture. Though, in certain circumstances, something as simple as the Bianchi 100 Professional is the perfect deep-carry option.
Somewhat of a sermon preached on the belt line carry, don’t let it hold you back from trying other systems. Possibly a belly band will deliver for your particular circumstances or even the resurgent shoulder holster could be the best bet. The latter is a definitely great way to carry a 1911 on the hunt.
No matter what direction you go, always remember there are bound to be limitations with any system no matter the promises on the box.
In general, Colt 1911 sights are much better now than in the past, but that claim could apply to nearly any manufacturer of the pistol. With an eye toward a more accurate and user-friendly handgun, a better part of Colt’s current stock comes outfitted with some version of Novack sights.
Furthermore, Colt has tailored specific sight styles to models, enhancing their anticipated application – Low-Mount Carry rear sight on the Denfender, Adjustable Bomar Style on Gold-Cup Trophy competition model, and so on. They’ve come a long way since the Series 70 guns.
Inevitably, the Novack sights won’t work for every shooter, thus an upgrade is required. Though not exclusively confined to carry guns, these models tend to get the once-over in the sights department, particularly with shooters who insist on night sights. Whatever the case, on modern Colts, the process is fairly painless and there are plenty of models available.
Most modern Colt 1911 sights dovetail into the slide, therefore tools requirements are minimal. Generally, brass punches, a brass or nylon hammer and a vice will get the job done. Though, if you’re tool fanatic and foresee handgun sight replacement as part of your rigmarole, then you might want to invest in a sight pusher. You can spend top-dollar on something like an MGW Range Master, but a less-than-a-hundred bucks options will get the job done, even if they look a little rough around the edges. However, be forewarned, the new sights' dovetails are intentionally made larger than the slide slots and require filing to fit properly. Don't be ashamed if you turn to a gunsmith to do the job poperly.
Either way, sight options are nearly boundless. At the time of writing, Brownell’s listed 117 rear sight options – a selection wide enough to accommodate even the most persnickety shooter. Generally, trusted names in sight manufacturing win the highest marks with shooters – Trijicon, XS, Meprolight. Trijicon HD has long been a fan favorite for night sights and XS Big Dots for a true high-visibility option. But honestly, the sky is the limit.
Colt 1911 Grips
In choosing a new set of Colt 1911 grips, there is an urge to express yourself. However, dolling up a pistol should never come at the cost of performance. Grips that do not properly support the plunger tube, break under stress or do not provide a positive grip should be like bargain whiskey – avoided.
Generally, wood, G10 and aluminum all make superior grips. Each of the materials is durable, holds a texturing well and are attractive (for the most part).
Rubber isn’t out of bound. Hogue OverModled Rubber Grips offer an ergonomic option with finger grooves and are quite durable. Though, VZ Operator II or one of Chip McCormick’s wood options give a gun a more traditional look.
VZ Operator II
If you need to express yourself, better than simply picking someone else’s design, companies such as AlumaGrips give you the ability to place your own twist on your grips. Through an online process, you can upload your preferred designs and have the aluminum grips cut to your specific specifications for a truly custom look. To boot, they’re surprisingly affordable.
The new F8 sight from XS Sights puts you dead on target.
What the XS Sights F8 offers:
F8 stands for “figure eight” — a term used to describe a two-dot sight.
Each has a tritium vials, the rear under the notch.
Orange paint sourrounds the vial on the front sight.
The front post measures 0.160-inch wide.
The rear notch in the rear sight that measures 0.190-inch wide.
After more than a hundred years, we’re finally seeing real advancements in iron sights for the defensive handgun. While the rest of the world has been focused on long-range optical sights that estimate distances and correct for bullet drop, XS Sights has been quietly working on engineering affordable sights to help citizens fight bad things. The new F8 sight from XS Sights might be the best thing you can put between you and a threat.
The handgun sight has evolved a great deal from its origin. On what might be the most iconic fighting pistol of all time — the Colt Single Action Army or Peacemaker — the front sight is nothing more than a thin blade. On the original 1911, another classic fighting iron, the front sight is barely a bump. Somewhere along the line, folks began to realize, to hit what you’re shooting at, you need to be able to see your sights.
The evolution began with the notch and post sight. It became a staple on Smith & Wesson revolvers, and it was liked so well that gunsmiths began fitting it to 1911s. For a long time, practical pistol competitions were the driving force behind better handgun sights, but eventually those who carried handguns in harm’s way began to realize that, sometimes — in certain conditions — target sights could be hard to see. Not only that, but sometimes when faced with a villain, just about any sight was hard to see because focus shifted to the threat.
With the inclusion of Tritium vials in handgun sights, the night sight was born. Eventually, this morphed into the three-dot night sight, with three tritium vials, one in the front sight and one on each side of the rear sight notch.
When you shoot a handgun properly, you focus on the front sight (F8-2). With traditional sights — especially combined with bad eyes — this can make the rear sight a near-oblivious blur. With the F8 sight, the front and rear sight stand out, regardless which one you focus on.
Tritium made sights easy to see in low light but helped little or none at all in normal conditions. One problem was the front sight was still small, and the notch you had to fit it into was small, too. The popular wedge-type sight pioneered by Wayne Novak was possibly the ultimate expression of — and most copied — three-dot sight.
The Big Dot Sight
A smart sheriff’s deputy from Texas created a better mousetrap. He realized those who hunt dangerous game face threats similar to those who might have to fight off an attacker with a handgun. The sights commonly used by dangerous game hunters had a large front sight that stood out like a pimple on the butt of a porn star, and a V-type rear blade.
Ashley Emerson designed the Big Dot sight to emulate the same sight a man on safari might use on a charging buffalo or lion. Working with an enterprising entrepreneur by the name of Ed Pastusek, they formed the company that’s now known as XS Sights.
The Big Dot sight has been my go-to sight for a long, long time. When I was hired as a special agent with the Railroad Police, I secretly installed them on my duty gun. This was more than 20 years ago, and I’ve been using them on defensive handguns ever since. Why? It was all because of a force-on-force training course. During the course, I was shoved in a semi-dark room with a pistol wearing traditional sights. I struggled to see the sights, missed the bad guy, and suffered an imaginary death.
The original XS Sights Big Dot Sight system. Notice the wide front sight and the shallow V-shaped rear.
Next, I was given a handgun outfitted with Big Dot sights. That big dot seemed to magically appear on the bad guy. When it did, multiple rounds of Simunition delivered to the same location immediately followed. In other words, I survived and painted the bad guy up rather nicely.
The beauty of the Big Dot sight is that you do not have to look for it: You see the big dot instantly, put it over the target and shoot. Their disadvantage — though mostly imagined — is that they do not allow precision shooting. I’ve never had this problem with Big Dot sights. In fact, when I took my first 250 Pistol Class at Gunsite Academy, I won the man-on-man shoot-off with a Para 1911 wearing Big Dot sights.
Others seem to have issues with the system, probably — mostly — because they simply do not practice enough. Regardless, XS Sights, which is now under the stewardship of Jon Pastusek, the late Ed Pastusek’s son, has created a new iron sight that’s sort of a hybrid cross between the company’s Big Dot sight and a traditional notch and post sight. If you threw a Big Dot Sight and a notch and post sight in a box, with a couple bottles of wine and some Sinatra music, the new XS Sights F8 sight is probably what would crawl out.
The F8 Sight
F8 stands for “figure eight,” which is a term used to describe a two-dot sight. A two-dot sight has a tritium vial in the front sight and another tritium vial centered under the notch in the rear sight. With three dot sights, you line the front dot up between the two rear dots. With a two-dot or figure eight sight, you simply place the front dot on top of the rear dot. It’s supposed to be faster and easier to align. Logically, this makes sense, but I have no idea how to definitively prove it.
For fast sight alignment, a wide rear notch is necessary. This is why the V-type rear sight on the XS Big Dot sight system is so fast.
Another feature of the F8 sight is its wide front post. Most commonly, defensive handgun front sights measure about 0.135-inch wide. The F8 front post measures 0.160-inch wide. The wide F8 front sight is paired with a notch in the rear sight that measures 0.190-inch wide. The result is a sight picture that’s fast to obtain because you have light, or space, between each side of the rear notch and each side of the front sight.
But, just like with a late-night infomercial, there’s more. The dot on the front sight contains a Tritium vial, but around that vial is a proprietary orange paint. The F8 front sight — orange dot — is only 0.020-inch smaller than the big white circle of a front sight on the XS Big Dot sight. The Tritium works great in low light, but the proprietary paint used for the orange dot seems to draw light like a railroad track draws winos. In daylight and in shade, this orange dot is like a beacon.
Testing The Theory
The goal of the F8 sight was to provide a multi-purpose defensive handgun sight that was easy to see in any light. It might be the easiest sight to see in any light and it is, unquestionably, a sight you don’t have to look for.
I mounted a set to a Glock 19 to see how well they worked. I ran that pistol and another Glock 19 with factory sights through my favorite defensive handgun drill, which is fired at 5 yards. I did this in daylight, evening and at night, five times with each pistol. For me, the F8 sight was 4 percent faster and more accurate. That might not sound like much, but in this business every little bit matters.
Another reason the F8 sights are faster and easier to see is because they’re taller than other sights. They’re not so tall they interfere with holster compatibility, but they’re tall enough they stand out. Have you ever noticed how the low front sight on a Glock can blend into the frame if your presentation is not spot-on? With the taller F8 sights, this is a non-issue. Your weapon presentation would have to be Hollywood-movie bad for you to not be able to instantly see the F8 front sight.
I’ve been a user of the XS Big Dot sights for a long time, and I never thought I’d want for anything different. Admittedly, I’m also a fan of the Wilson Combat Battlesight when it’s combined with a fiber optic front sight. The new F8 sight is, as far as I’m concerned, better than both. It’s the sight I’d much rather have between me and a bad guy, terrorist or even a werewolf.
Right now XS Sights is offering F8 sights for the Glock 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 30, 30S, 37, 41, 42 and 43. They’re also available for the Sig P320, P225, P226, P229; Springfield XD, XDm, XDs; and the FN 509. I’m sure that F8s for other handguns are soon to make their way to market. I’ll be patiently waiting for F8s to fit my 1911s and Browning Hi-Power.
The gritting of teeth is about to get deafening. Not only is the topic calibers, but 1911 calibers.
Yes, for many the only acceptable chambering of John M. Browning’s wonder pistol is .45 ACP. Hard to argue against it, the gun-cartridge combo has more than earned its due — be it in a Government, Commander, Officer or Defender model. There’s no scoffing at two World Wars and countless other conflicts, not to mention its role as a self-defense arm. Those are airtight resume bullet points. Yet, there’s no reason why the proven and potent pistol design shouldn’t stretch its legs. It certainly has over the years, successfully so.
One of the most intertwined names with the 1911 — Colt — and other gunmakers have taken the pistol far afield caliber-wise — .30 Luger, .357 Magnum, .38 Special, 10mm, .40 S&W, 9mm, 9x23mm, .22LR just to name a few. Certainly, not everyone a success, but plenty of solid variations off the original 1911 concept. So why not spread your wings, even if you’re a purist?
Colt especially has a respectable collection of 1911s in chambering other than .45 ACP, perfect for work, play and any conceivable task in between. Here are five of the best the company has to offer, breaking from the tried and true and worthy of consideration even by the most staunch 1911 absolutist. A quick gander and you too might find man does not live by Colt 1911 .45 ACP alone.
Colt Defender (9mm)
With dashing good looks, this Colt 1911 9mm is among the company’s top picks for concealed carry. It also marks quite a feat in the development of the iconic pistol. Before 2000, when the Defender hit the market, 3-inch barreled 1911s were typically a custom-made affair, at least the ones that worked without flaw.
Dolled up a bit recently, the aluminum-framed pistol comes with a genuine Novak tritium night sight up front and low-mount in the rear. The latter ensuring your draw stroke remains smooth. Additionally, the black-and-blue Cerakote finished 1911 boasts rugged and striking G10 black cherry grips, moderately textured to ensure a firm grip without discomfort — important on a micro nine.
An extended thumb safety and a 4.5- to 6-pound three-hole aluminum trigger, the pistol is easily manipulated and a sweet shooter. To boot, it’s outfitted with Colt’s Dual Spring Recoil System, reducing the 1911’s recoil and increasing spring life.
Sized for comfortable carry, the Colt 1911 9mm is a whisker over 1-inch in width and tips the scale at 24-ounces unloaded. Holding one more round than the .45 ACP version, the 9mm Defender has an 9+1 capacity. No double-stack, but more than enough ammo to handle most self-defense jobs. The hitch for some is the MSRP, at $899 it’s not a give-me. Then again, you’re getting a Colt for your money.
Delta Elite (10mm)
The 10mm pick is a bit like cheating, given the Colt Delta Elite stands alone in this caliber. Released shortly after the advent of the powerful cartridge, the 1911 continues to hit the right notes with shooters who have a taste for manageable power.
Stainless steel frame, slide and barrel, the pistol feels its 35 ounces (unloaded). Not necessarily a bad thing, given the full-sized Government Model’s heft does its part in making the recoil as bearable as most .45 ACPs. And the Colt Delta Elite’s manageability opens up the pistol’s potential. Most certainly, it has the chops as a carry or home-defense gun, but it certainly wouldn’t be out of place on the hunt.
Immediately noticeable, the large aluminum beavertail grip safety provides abundant protection from slide cuts. Additionally, the black composite grips (with Delta Medallions) give a solid purchase, along with enhancing its spartan good looks. Outfitted with Novak three-dot sights, low-mount carry on the rear, and rounded edges, the Colt Delta Elite is smooth out of the holster. With an extended thumb safety and deep cocking serrations, the 8+1 capacity pistol is a dream to operate. And traditional barrel bushing and recoil-spring guide make it equally simple to field strip. The 10mm most definitely runs Colt prices, though the $1,199 MSRP is worth it for its power and performance.
Government 1911 .22LR
There are plenty of plinkers, but few with the gravitas of Colt’s classic rimfire. Manufactured by Walther and imported by Umarex USA, the Colt Government 1911 .22LR is touted as the only “only genuine Colt tactical rimfire replica available in the world today.” Modeled after the 1911A1, it has the feel of the legendary and battle-tested U.S. Military handgun, but with the appeal of inexpensive and downright fun shooting.
Keeping things relatively true to form, the Colt 1911 22 weighs in at 36-ounces empty, which has to put it near the top in heft for rimfire pistols. As expected, this weight makes shooting the pistol seem nearly like firing an airgun, with the added benefit of improving its accuracy.
Interestingly, the gun does not get its heft from extensive use of steel, instead from a cast zinc-alloy frame. The material is steel backed for added resiliency and is matched with an aluminum slide. The 1911 features a fully functional slide lock and release, left-side thumb safety and grip safety. A similar design to the centerfire original, the beavertail is slightly elongated, ensuring the slide doesn’t sink its teeth into your hand. The hammer of the blow-back pistol is a traditional spur and incorporates a half-cock notch. Plenty of firepower, the 5-inch barreled pistol has a 12+1 capacity and really doesn’t break the bank. Competitively priced with other class rimfire pistols, the Colt Government 1911 .22LR has an MSRP of $399.
Mustang Pocketlite (.380 ACP)
A Colt 1911 .380 ACP in the truest sense? Not exactly. The Mustang breaks from the herd on a number of design points — polymer guide rod, no barrel bushing nor grip safety. Yet, the pocket pistol's heart is in the classic design, providing a dependable and familiar carry gun equally ideal as a primary or backup piece. The right holster, the pistol is nearly perfect in a pocket or positioned on the ankle, if you’re looking to veer away from traditional carry positions.
It’s a straight blowback operation, which would make you expect a sharp recoil. But the pistol is much tamer than similar .380s available today — most likely due to its short 2.75-inch barrel not giving a chance for all the powder to burn. Yes, this reduces the velocity (what did you expect with such a short barrel) but does wonders for the rate of fire. You can chew through 6+1 rounds as fast as you can pull the trigger, which may not be a quick as you think. The pistol has a near double-action pull weight, despite being a single-action semi-auto.
The aluminum-frame (electroless nickeled finished) is mated with a stainless steel slide and outfitted with a fixed front sight and dovetail rear. Definitely geared toward the affordable end of the carry market, the Mustang comes in a bit above what many would like to pay for a .380 with an MSRP of $599.
Competition SS (.38 Super)
At one time, it was among the world’s most powerful cartridge. Now, the .38 Super has nearly been forgotten. A shame, given it really is a spectacular round, especially in defensive use. The manageable and powerful cartridge was, after all, designed to defeat body armor and the sheet steel of car bodies.
Today, the cartridge continues to live on mainly with competitive shooters and Colt has a dynamite way of launching the souped-up .380 ACP — the Competition SS. Born to run, the Colt .38 Super has all the features you need to beat the clock out of the box. Chief among these, the gun’s 5-inch National Match barrel, Novak adjustable rear and fiber optic front sights and Colt’s Dual Recoil Spring System. The springs really do a number, noticeably tamping down the 36-ounce pistol’s recoil so you can reach your full accuracy potential in rapid fire. As does a crisp three-hole aluminum trigger, which breaks at 4.5 to 6 pounds.
Enough stainless steel to outfit an operating room and slick blue G10 grips, the Competition SS looks fast to boot. Checkered and scalloped, the grips also facilitate a rock-solid handle on the gun, giving you shot-to-shot confidence. Of course, it is priced like a Colt — a Competition Series Colt. But the sticker shock isn’t as great as you’d figure for what you get — $1,049.
A handloader’s recipes are usually the result of hours of toil, hard work and experimentation. Some are closely guarded, as if they were an alchemist’s formula, while others are freely shared — and some consider their recipes to be the final word on a particular cartridge/bullet combination. They are — more often than not — just a snapshot, being applicable to a particular rifle and/or barrel. Just as factory-loaded ammunition might give stellar performance in one rifle yet give the owner of another rifle fits of rage, a handload recipe is not universal to all rifles.
Brass cases and nickel-plated cases have shown to print to different points of impact. The author uses the different types for different loads within the same caliber.
I’ve stumbled upon a few loads that have worked very well in a number of different rifles, but there are always one or two guns that simply don’t like that load. There’s nothing wrong with the load … it’s just that the combination of components don’t agree with a particular barrel. Hey, some folks love seafood, but it simply doesn’t agree with my digestive track — that doesn’t make seafood bad, it just makes for a disagreeable combination.
Even our reloading manuals are simply a report on the findings for a particular barrel used in the testing, which is why the data needs to be interpreted with a grain of salt and taken in context. Barrel length, land/groove dimensions and all those subtle little variations can play a big part in speed, accuracy and consistency, all of which make or break a recipe. And, should you change any of the components of the recipe, you might quickly find yourself back at the drawing board.
Variances In Bullet Profiles
Consistency in all your components is paramount to accurate shooting.
You might look at the load data for the .30-06 Springfield within one of the major manufacturer’s manuals and see all of the 180-grain bullets lumped into one category, with — what seems to be — definitive load data for them all. But, included in the mix, might be a 180-grain round-nose flat-base bullet and a sleek spitzer boat-tail. It’s easy to see that the two bullets have different bearing surfaces and will most definitely generate different pressures. So, when changing bullet profiles — not bullet weights — it makes perfect sense to expect a change in performance. It might require starting from the beginning, redeveloping the load for the new bullet.
Primer Particulars
The same can be said for primers. I clearly remember the hunt for components just 5 years ago, when factory ammo was virtually nonexistent and even reloading supplies were a rarity. You bought any suitable primers you could find and worried about the rest later. I found, while having to substitute one brand for another, that there were radical differences in the load performance even within the same designation. I’m not talking about using a magnum primer where my recipe called for a standard, just switching primer brands. I’m talking about a huge shift in velocity, enough to change the point of impact as much a 5-6 inches, or to put the muzzle velocity figures all over the map.
Different brands of primers can have a radical effect on ammunition performance. Once you’ve developed a load with a certain primer, stick with it.
So, keep in mind that the brand of primer can and will drastically alter your handload, and once you obtain the results you want, you’ll need to keep a fair amount of that particular primer on hand. If you’re forced to change primer brands, once again you’ll have to start the load development over.
Case Consistencies
Sorting cases by weight has shown tighter groups in some rifl es, making the task well worth the effort.
The brand and type of case can also have a big impact on your loads. I once decided to switch to nickel-plated cases in my .300 Win. Mag., and I thought I’d bumped the riflescope because the point of impact changed 4 inches up and to the right when I changed from traditional brass cases. I left my previous load in the brass cases and used the nickel cases for a different bullet.
Wall thickness can also play a major part in the consistency of your loads, and mixing brands can easily bring the issue to bear. It doesn’t seem to be nearly as bad in the lower pressure cartridges, but it will rear its ugly head in the magnums rather quickly. Again, I do my best to keep things consistent by separating the cases into lots if using fired cases, and by choosing one particular brand. I love Norma brass for its consistency, and Lapua brass is also excellent if you’re after the best results. I’ve had some stellar results from good old Remington, Winchester and Federal brass, as well as Hornady and Nosler, but I’ve had some hellish experiences trying to mix and match case brands. I know guys who will actually weigh out cases to get the most consistent results from their loads.
Powder Parallels
Four different .30-caliber bullets, all weighing 180 grains. You can see they all have different conformations and different bearing surfaces. They each require an individual load for the best performance.
Obviously, we weigh our powder charges, but even the same brand of powder can show variations in performance. I know the guys from Norma Precision, who handload all the ammunition for their African PH line, will test the lots of powder they use to verify that the performance is uber-consistent, and they will make variations in the load to ensure their velocities maintain the level required for proper regulation in the double rifles.
Sometimes, when you reach for a new pound of your favorite powder, you might find a slight change in the group size. This seems to have been minimized in the modern powder developments, but it’s a phenomenon that I’ve seen before. The variations may be slight, but it certainly can happen.
Bullet Balance
Bullets can also bring some variations into the mix. If you want to get really geeky, weigh out your bullets on a good scale and you’ll see how much they vary. When we’re loading for long-range precision, we’ll separate the bullets into lots to the nearest half-grain, and it has improved group sizes. Some brands are more consistent than others, and you might end up with more piles than you expected, but it will help in the accuracy department. It really doesn’t matter if the bullet varies from the advertised weight — a 179.0-grain bullet will work just as well as a 180.0 grainer— just so long as it’s consistent.
We put forth all sorts of effort in preparing our cases and in our loading techniques, and we should exercise the same caution when gathering components. Start with the best, keep it as consistent as you can, and you’ll have the success you’re after.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
By equipping your custom AR-15 .300 Blackout with night vision, you can shop for all the pork you could possibly want.
What you need in a hog-hunting AR-15:
Hogs are tough characters. Use the largest caliber AR you can still shoot quickly.
Nighttime is hog time, and night vision optics are more accessible and affordable than ever.
If pork is on your grocery list, consider a weapons light and suppressor for your custom AR-15.
This is a FLIR thermal optic on a .300 Blackout carbine. It offers an affordable thermal sight, with a cost under three grand, and ruggedness enough to last through a lot of nighttime hog-whacking.
The world is being over-run. On the seas, the water is filling with jellyfish. On land, hogs. Or so it seems, at times. Hogs are productive (at least when it comes to making more hogs), adaptable and smart. They are also quite destructive, at least from the perspective of farmers and ranchers.
A squadron of hogs can pretty much reduce a plot of crops to a muddy mess in the course of a weekend. Shooting them is not considered hunting in most locales, especially the ones that suffer from their presence. No, it is pest eradication.
The process is not sniping or whacking a single hog, the big, trophy hog. No, the idea is to get as many of them as possible at each opportunity.
The ATN Night Arrow is an integrated night vision and optic with a built-in reticle. You only need it, not an optic and an NVG.
Complicating this is the cleverness of the hogs. They are smart enough to know what is going on, and ornery enough to not like it. If you hunt hogs, they will adapt. Quickly. Ambush a new fleet of them on a nice sunny day, and they will move to dawn and dusk. Go after them then, and they will hole up in the light hours and come out only at night. This doesn’t take long if the ones you are hunting having been briefed by others, and they are already starting at night.
So, you’ll be using specialty optics. Before we get to that, there is the matter of caliber.
I’ve been told that the .223/5.56 is marginal, that the .300 Blackout is enough or marginal, and that everything up to a tactical nuke is “marginal.”
Yes, they are tough, but they are not all the size of Buicks. You can use whatever you want, like, have or are recommended. My suggestion on caliber is this: consider the biggest one with the stoutest load that you can shoot quickly and accurately. A .300 blackout that you can hit with at the rate of 3-4 shots per second is probably better than a .458 Socom that you can hit with at the rate of 3-4 shots in ten seconds.
A removable night vision scope is great for nighttime pest control. You can move it from one rifle to another and not change zero, since the zero is in the optic that this sits in front of.
Use the biggest caliber that you can hit fast with.
Then scope it up.
Since the hogs will be out at night, you will want to use night vision gear. Also known by the acronym NVG, or NODs, these are photomultipliers that let you see in dim light. Starlight, in fact. Even a hint of moon helps, but it helps the hogs, too. Overcast makes NVG useless, as it hasn’t anything to magnify.
NVG
Night vision comes in two types, add-ons and weaponsights. The add-ons are just night vision multipliers. They take in the ambient light, crank it up thousands of times, and pump it out as a video picture in a small TV screen on the back of the unit.
This is the ubiquitous “green screen” image we see in movies and TV shows. The image is not nearly as hi-res as your smartphone, in part because the expense of making it such would be hideous, and in part because the volume of production can’t support that cost.
Each pixel you see in the image on your NVG is a “pipe” of the multiplier. If you wanted to double the resolution, you would have to double the number of microscopic pipes that are used by the photomultiplier to produce that image.
The ATN in front of the magnifying optic.
You mount the NVG on your rifle with your regular aiming optic already mounted behind it. You look through your scope, at the image of the NVG, and as long as your scope was properly zeroed, you get hits.
The big advantage here is that you can install the scope, zero it, and know it is on. Then put the NVG on when you need it, and take it off when you don’t, and not change your zero.
The disadvantage is that you have two scopes, with their combined weight, on the rifle at night. When night shooting was sniping and single shots, this wasn’t a problem. When trying to whack a whole herd of hogs before they can flee, extra weight is a problem.
The setup is exemplified by my ATN NVG. This is a day/night system, where you mount it for night and take it off for the day. This is not to be confused with a Day-Night scope, which can be used at both times of day. Behind it, use the scope of your choice. I generally don’t use anything with more magnification than 10X. The reason is simple: you are not magnifying 10X on the NVG as you would be in the day.
The daytime “resolution” of the world is beyond the parameters of the 2K, 4K, 8K digital methodology. When you zoom up in your scope, you see 10X closer of an object that can be viewed microscopically if you had the gear.
Yes, it is not uncommon for there to be a bit of misalignment between the magnifying optic and the NVG. This can be corrected with a set of rings to adjust the optic to the axis of the NVG. A small problem in the scheme of things, and a slight mismatch isn’t an impediment to good shooting.
When you zoom up to 10X on an NVG display, you are zooming up on a screen that is 640×480 in resolution. If you go X enough, you simply see pixels you can’t turn into an image.
So, use as much as you want, but realize that you run into the law of diminishing returns really quickly.
Weaponmount
Here, the NVG device has an aiming reticle built in. The advantage is simple: you only have the one device to deal with, and no extra weight. (Assuming your weapon mount NVG is no heavier than the plain NVG.) The disadvantages are many, even if each is minor.
You are stuck with the reticle it came with, or the reticle choices you could order it in. If you don’t like what they offer, too bad. It only works at night. Oh, makers offer a front cap with a pinhole in it, for “use in the daylight,” but this is a pretty marginal compromise. And if the cap comes off in the daytime when you have the NVG turned on, you risk burning it out in short order. If you are only ever going to use it for night-time hog shooting, no problem. But if it is your one-and-only AR, problem.
There will be little, if any, magnification. You have what amounts to a night vision equivalent of a red-dot scope.
When you use NVG, you are magnifying existing light. To get more light, you need an illumination device that projects a beam in the infrared. Surefire can do that for you, with the Vampire, a white light or IR selectable light.
Generations
The technology used to produce an intensified image is rated by what “generation” it hails from. Basically, the lower the gen, the older the tech and the lower the results. The generations are 1, 2 and 3. There are other descriptors used by manufacturers, and there are some who are using a “Gen 4” description, but that isn’t an official government generation.
Basically, the newer the technology the more a unit costs, even if the housing and all the details are the same. In one instance, going from a Gen 2+ (some enhancements over a Gen 2, but not an official designation) up to a Gen 4 (again, not official) brings the cost from $1,700 up to $6,000.
There is also the matter of quality. The multipliers are made by bundling the microfibers together, processing them to create the core of the system, and then measuring them for performance. A core with a “dead” or inoperative tube will have a black spot in the image.
The manufacturing process is still art as much as science. The government has a standing order for the top-quality cores. If there are any left over after the government nabs all the ones they want/need, then the top-quality ones come down to use. Otherwise, we get the ones with the occasional black dot in the image.
This EOTech LWTS is a thermal sight that will let you rapidly depopulate the hog cohorts. The only problem is the price, currently $14,000. That’s a lot of hog-shooting expense, but at night, it rules.
NVG Boosters
You can see more at night with NVG if there is light to see by. The way to do that is with infra-red. NVG is somewhat sensitive to IR, and if you use an IR floodlight or laser, you can boost what you see. Also, if you are in a hunting party for hogs using NVG, if anyone has an IR flood then everyone has one, at least where the flood is pointed.
Heat
Then there are “thermal” sights. These are sensitive to the infra-red spectrum. Now, the NVG gear is, also, but it isn’t sensitive enough to “see” anything but an IR laser. (That’s the green beam, in the green screen, you see in action movies.)
Hogs are not easy to stop. The more horsepower you can bring to the party, the better. The Wilson Combat in .338 Federal has plenty.
Thermal is the new NVG, and the prices are coming down while the resolution is going up. By seeing the infra-red spectrum, thermal sees where image intensifiers don’t. Even a little bit of a brush screen can hide something from a NVG. But if it is giving off heat, the thermal will see right through the thin screen of brush. It takes a lot to hide thermal.
Thermals, like NVG, come in viewers and aiming optics. Being new, you can take the price of a regular NVG, multiply it by five or six, and you have the price of a similar thermal.
Sound
Suppressors don’t hide the sound of the shot well enough to keep hogs from knowing they’ve been shot at. And they certainly don’t hide the “thump” of the bullet hitting a hog in the group, which alerts the rest, even if the reaction of the one being hit hadn’t so-warned them.
But it can hide the location of the shot well enough that they don’t know which direction to run for safety. A group will scatter, and some may even run towards you, as well as some away and to the side.
If you are going to hunt hogs at night, you’ll need some sort of image improvement and aiming system and a suppressor. Otherwise you’re just wasting your time.
There's a reason why you need a fast-acquisition optic on your carbine.
There’s no relegating iron sights to the ash heap. Like a faithful guard dog, they’re ever vigilant, ready to serve and, in a pinch, save your life. It’s worth even going so far as to say that, outside your deer rifle or long-range wonder-gun, it’s plum foolish not to have a set of iron sights on your firearm – be it pistol, carbine or shotgun. At least, in a backup role.
Dependability and simplicity of iron sights duly noted, there’s nothing on the books that says they’re required to be your sole aiming solution. In fact, with the advancements in fast-acquisition optics, the failure to harness technology is as equally imprudent as jettisoning the tried and true. The advantage is there, might as well use it.
Running a barrier drill at Double Eagle Tactical Training, the potential of modern optics rings out as clear as a bullet striking a steel plate for Phil Massaro. The SIG ROMEO4H red dot makes marksmanship nearly a point-and-shoot affair, allowing the Gun Digest author to concentrate on precise tactical movements instead.
In the real world with a life in the balance, what shooter wouldn’t want to make aiming as intuitive as a trigger pull and focus instead on staying out of the line of fire? Imagine a jigger of adrenaline thrown in on top, then contemplate whether you want one illuminated red dot or a notch and blade to place a lifesaving shot.
Additionally, there’s a little matter of keeping both eyes open. Easier to accomplish – at least with a long gun – with an optic, the red dot enhances situational awareness.
In real life this is a decisive upper hand, allowing the identification and neutralization of multiple targets with greater ease. After all, it’s the one you don’t see that will most likely get you.
As another historic John M. Browning design, the first successful rimfire semi-auto pistol would later become the Colt Woodsman.
What makes the Colt Woodsman popular with gun collectors:
Designed by John M. Browning.
First successful rimfire semi-auto .22 pistol.
One of the most popular pistols of the early 20th century.
Was extensively hand fitted.
Now 40 years since they were in the Colt catalog.
Collectors categorize three groups, First (Pre-Woodsman), Second and Third series.
Some specimens can are valued at more than $4,000.
The classy Colt Woodsman .22 rimfire was one of the most popular pistols in America during the first half of the 20th century. In production from 1915 to 1977, the Colt factory in Hartford turned out more than 600,000 of the various Woodsman models. This total includes the Huntsman, Challenger and Targetsman — economy variations without features like adjustable sights, hold-open actions and thumb rests.
This is a Second Series Match Target manufactured in 1968.
Like most guns that were introduced in the early 1900s, the Colt Woodsman required a lot of hand fitting that would make it quite expensive today. Were it not for this, the guns of the Woodsman family probably would still be in production. It has now been more than 40 years since these models were in the Colt catalog, which adds to their popularity on the used gun and collector markets. “They aren’t making them anymore” is a frequent phrase heard when gun collectors get together.
The great gun designer John M. Browning came up with the original model of what later would become known as the Woodsman. His design was one of a significant historic nature; it was the first successful rimfire semi-auto pistol. Other gunmakers were plagued with functioning problems due to the rimmed cartridges hanging up in the magazine. Browning’s answer was a slanted magazine that positioned each cartridge slightly in front of the one below it, preventing the rims from catching on each other.
In 1911, Browning obtained a patent and then sold his design to Colt. Two of the company’s engineers, G.H. Tansley and F.C. Chadwick, made some minor changes and in 1915, the “Colt Caliber .22 Target Model” was introduced. That was the name of the pistol until 1927.
Made near the end of the Pre-War series, this Colt Woodsman Sport Model came out of the Colt Hartford factory in 1941.
Colt originally saw the Caliber .22 Target Model as a pistol for the target shooter, as the name implied. It was indeed popular for use on paper targets, but it also soon became a favorite of small-game hunters, trappers, hikers, fishermen, campers and other outdoorsmen. Hence, the new name “Woodsman” was chosen and that name appeared on the receiver starting at about serial number 54,000, in 1927.
The Pre-Woodsman and the first Woodsman Target models were designed to only be used with standard-velocity .22 Long Rifle ammunition. In 1932 changes were made in the mainspring housing to handle the higher pressures of high-velocity ammunition and all subsequent models were given this treatment. This change was phased in between serial numbers 81000 and 86000. The best way to tell which ammo should be used is to examine the mainspring housing. A checkered pattern in this location means it is one of the older guns and should only be used with standard-velocity ammunition. A pattern of grooved horizontal lines indicates it is a later model, designed for high-velocity ammo.
Recognized by its target logo and “elephant ear” walnut grips, this is a 1st Series Match Target Model, circa 1938.
Woodsman collectors categorize the different variations of the gun into three main groups:
Woodsman Match Target 1938-1942 (6 5/8-inch heavier barrel)
Military Woodsman Match Target 1942-1944 (6 5/8-inch barrel) U.S. Property or U.S. Military markings, extended plastic stocks
Second Series (1947-1955)
Woodsman Target (6-inch barrel)
Woodsman Sport (4½-inch barrel)
Woodsman Match Target (4½- or 6-inch barrel)
Challenger (6-inch barrel)
Third Series (1955-1977)
Woodsman Target (6-inch barrel)
Woodsman Sport (4½-inch barrel)
Woodsman Match Target (4½- or 6-inch barrel)
Huntsman (4½- or 6-inch barrel)
Targetsman (6-inch barrel)
Various changes in features and options were made from one series to the next. On the First Series, the magazine release was at the heel of the grip. On the Second Series, this feature was a round push-button located behind the left side of the trigger guard, the same location as on the Colt 1911/1911A1 pistols. With the Third Woodsman Series, the magazine release was moved back to the heel of the butt.
One of the most popular Colt Woodsman models is the Sport variation of the Third Series, manufactured from 1911 to 1977.
On the First Series, the rear sight was adjustable for windage and the front for elevation. Colt referred to these as “adjustable sights,” but a fully adjustable rear sight was only available on the Match Target model. With the Second Series, the fully adjustable rear became standard on all Colt Woodsman models. Other Second Series changes included an automatic slide stop to hold the action open after the last round was fired, a lanyard ring in the butt and a thumb rest on the left side of the wooden grip.
Economy models, such as the Challenger, Huntsman and Targetsman, lacked most of the features mentioned above. All had fixed sights except for a lower-priced adjustable rear on the Targetsman.
Estimated Colt Woodsman Values
Estimated values courtesy 2018 Standard Catalog of Firearms. FIRST SERIES Pre-Woodsman NIB Exc. V.G. Good Fair Poor $2,800 $2,200 $1,400 $850 $350 $200
Developed in 1970, the AK-74 in 5.45x39mm was the Soviets' answer to the U.S. Army’s M16 in 5.56mm NATO.
History of the AK-74:
In the early 1970s, the Soviets needed a smaller-caliber cartridge to answer the U.S. M16 in 5.56mm.
Following tests, the AK-74 was adopted in 1974. Based on the AKM, its production base was already established.
Variants included the AK-74 and AKS-74 (folder) Avtomats and the RPK-74/RPKS-74 (folder) light machine guns, plus a shortened AK-74U.
Compared to the 7.62 AK-47, the AK-74’s accuracy of automatic fire was improved by almost two times, the accuracy of single fire by approximately 50 percent.
A new family of AKs firing low-impulse 5.45X39mm ammunition was adopted for service in 1974.
Though the Russians may claim that they were working on the low-impulse, sub-caliber, ultimately it was an American designer that spurred the next and perhaps most dramatic stage of AK evolution.
The AK-74, Kalashnikov Avtomat, caliber 5.45mm (GRAU index 6P20) was developed in 1970 by Mikhail Kalashnikov himself and adopted by the Soviet armed forces in 1974. It is the further development of the AKM. The development of the AK-74 is associated with the transition to a new low-pulse cartridge, the 5.45x39mm.
The new guns were first used in Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan campaign, then in all conflicts in post-Soviet territory. Currently, the AK-74 Avtomat is in service with the Armed Forces of most countries of the former Soviet Union. It’s a legendary gun with an incredible history full of doubts and intrigues when even its creator was against it. That is its story.
Despite the fact that the AK had very good tactical and technical characteristics, there was a constant feeling of the need to reduce the caliber of the main combat weapons for the modern motorized infantry.
Replacing the automatic Stechking pistol that was in service with tank, APC and artillery crews, the AKS-74U shorty was a logical choice due its commonality with the main battle rifle, the AK-74, with coolness factor to boot.
There has been a tendency among Soviet firearms designers and engineers to search for an optimal caliber for modern small arms. By the mid–1950s, the advantages of sub-caliber ammunition were clearly evident. Reduction in powder positively impacted the recoil impulse, which in turn lead to better accuracy, especially in the full-auto rate of fire.
The overall positive test results laid the ground for creation and release of tactical/technical requirements for new types of automatic infantry weapons of smaller caliber. Soviet designers were faced with the task of designing and developing an Avtomat or automatic carbine for the new low-impulse cartridge.
The “bump” to accelerate work in this direction was the appearance of the 5.56mm-caliber M16 rifle in the U.S. Army. The positive experience of using a small caliber cartridge by the Americans in Vietnam forced the Soviets to begin work on development of a similar cartridge for their automatic infantry guns.
As soon as the new ammunition was available and accepted by the Soviet military, it was decided to develop a new family of small arms for the new cartridge.
The new low-impulse high-velocity 5.45X39mm 7N6 round (right) next to the standard AK 7.62X39mm M43.
In 1964, the engineers compiled a draft of tactical and technical requirements for a new Avtomat project. The official requirements for the new family of small arms were issued to all firearms designer’s bureaus and organizations in 1966.
Work began in earnest in 1967 to develop a weapon for the new low-impulse, sub-caliber cartridge. By early 1968, ten Avtomats were offered for competitive testing, from which two were selected for the final military tests: yet again, the Kalashnikov Avtomat and Konstantinov CA-006 rifle.
It must be noted that most rifles submitted for trials were of highly advanced designs. The main goal of the new weapon was to significantly improve performance of the existing 7.62mm AKM Avtomat, with emphasis placed on accuracy.
Most rifles that were submitted for evaluation featured so-called “balanced automatic action.” This meant additional weight would travel in the opposite direction to the bolt carrier to counterbalance the recoil and reduce its effect on the gun’s stability.
The N76 bullet construction was unconventional. The air pocket in the front caused this projectile to behave erratically on impact.
This type of counterbalance is very complicated, negatively affecting the reliability of the gun and making the gun more expensive to produce. The only weapon of the conventional design was the A-3 entry by Kalashnikov’s team. The sample they presented for testing was more or less the old AKM Avtomat, adapted for the new 5.45mm ammunition.
During testing, the main battle unfolded between the Konstantinov CA-006 and the Kalashnikov A-3 Avtomats. As I mentioned before, the product of Kalashnikov’s team A-3 was a deep modification of the AKM, the main battle rifle of the Soviet armed forces.
In the automatic system of the gun, a traditional scheme, only the bolt and barrel were re-designed to accommodate the new 5.45mm ammunition. The Izhevsk Avtomat did not demonstrate overwhelming superiority over its rival during the tests.
However, the Kalashnikov gun had one important advantage: it had an established and proven production base. The design of the AKM was simple and completely integrated into the production cycle of not one but two arsenals (Izhevsk and Tula).
It was familiar to the troops. The cost of development and the ability to quickly establish mass production at the height of the Cold War played a decisive role in choosing an A-3 Avtomat. In addition, the new Kalashnikov sub-caliber gun was lighter than its competitor.
Based on the results of the competition, once again it was decided to adopt the rifle of Kalashnikov design. By decree of the Council of Ministers of January 19, 1974, and the Order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR, the Soviet Army adopted a unified automatic caliber firearm complex of 5.45mm caliber, which received the AK-74 designation for the year of its acceptance.
AK-74 upgrades included a switch from Bakelite material to glass-filled polyamide plum-color plastic in production of the magazines. Here are Bakelite (left) and plum plastic (right) AK-74 magazines.
Ultimately, apart from the 5.45mm Kalashnikov Avtomat (with designation AK-74 and GRAU index of 6P20), the entire family of infantry weapons was adopted for service with the Soviet armed forces. The new armament complex included the AK-74 and AKS-74 (folder) Avtomats and the RPK-74/RPKS-74 (folder) light machine guns. A little later, in 1979, a shortened AK-74U (Avtomat Kalashnikov sample 1974 Shortened) was also adopted.
The two main versions that began to be supplied to the troops were the AK-74 with fixed laminate wood stock, and the AKS-74 with stamped-steel skeletonized folding stock.
It is worth mentioning that the new folding stock on the AKS-74 folded to the left side instead of under the gun. This allowed the stock to be shortened to fall in line with the fixed-stock dimensions. This was impossible with underfolders, which had to clear the magazine and nestle around the lower handguard.
The AK-74 design, just as with its AK predecessors, was subject to tweaking and small alterations, even during mass production. In a way, the AK-74 was going through an evolution of its own. When first released in 1974, the new gun was “dressed” in a slightly modified set of AKM laminate wood furniture.
By the late 1970s, the original AK-74 Avtomat laminate furniture was very different from the first models. The handguards were “scalloped” and the “skinnier” buttstock had a more defined cone and two lightning grooves.
At the same time, to keep up with modern times, the Soviets were working on a plastic substitute. In the early 1980s, the first models appeared dressed in plum-color composite furniture. Attempts were made early on to replace expensive and technologically heavy laminate components with composite.
The Bulgarian AKK-74 is the closest copy of the Soviet AK-74, often distinguished by the solid wood furniture that was at one point in time painted. Later models even came in the Soviet plum-color composite furniture.
Bakelite was rejected due to poor heat diffusion in the handguards and for being too brittle. The only Bakelite component that survived was the iconic AK pistol grip. In 1986, the new plum set of furniture was made of an impact-resistant glass-filled thermoset AG-4B polyamide composite.
The gun’s furniture is not the only component that went through the mini-evolution. The 45-degree gas block inherited from the AKM Avtomat was replaced with the 90-degree one on later models. The infamous AK-74 muzzle brake’s construction changed to make it cheaper to produce.
Instead of one-piece construction with laser-cut zigzag front gas ports, the newer model was constructed of two pieces where the baffle was welded into the main body of the brake to block the expansion chamber, leaving two radial slits on both sides.
To reduce the probability of mechanical damage to the top cover of the receiver, its mounting was reinforced. The design of the return spring guide rod was changed with the addition of the locking “lip.” This would allow users to retain the top cover on the gun when shooting grenades from the GP-25 or GP-30 under-barrel grenade launchers.
The AK-74’s orange Bakelite 30-round magazines were replaced by the plum-colored polyamide ones. Here I want to add that there was a wide color spectrum of magazines, from milky brown to outright dark red.
Though very different from the AK-74, the Bulgarian AR rifles, with a milled receiver and underfolding stock, employed many AK-74 internal components. Top to bottom: Arsenal AR (5.56x45mm), Arsenal AR-F (7.62x39mm) and Arsenal AR-F (5.56x45mm).
One more important component that evolved was the AK-74 bayonet. Although, I’m not sure if I would call what happened to the bayonet an evolution. In my opinion, it was changed for the worse. The original AK-74 bayonet was issued with later models of AKM rifles, especially the ones that were made by the Tula arsenal.
The new model had a rigid Bakelite scabbard that was lighter and did not require a rubber insulation sleeve. The bayonet’s Bakelite handle was redesigned and had two additional features.
Besides being a wire cutter, the bayonet could now also be used as a hammer and a pick. To do so, one needed to press the muzzle ring/handguard into the opening of the scabbard; the steel butt of the bayonet’s handle became a hammer and the blade a pick, with the scabbard being the handle.
Final bayonet design modification was made when the plum-colored AK-74 was adopted for service. The new bayonet had a spear-type double-edged dagger-like blade, with the handle and scabbard made from the same dark plum-color glass-filled polyamide as the new rifle’s furniture. This version of the AK bayonet lost its hammer and saw functions but retained wire-cutting ability.
The Polish 5.45mm Kalashnikov Avtomat, Kbk wz.88 Tantal, is a true AK-74, with several unique features. The elongated muzzle device adapted for launching rifle grenades is still a very effective muzzle brake.
The design of the new Avtomat included the following components and assemblies:
Barreled action (receiver, front trunnion and barrel)
Top receiver cover
Front and rear sights
Bolt and bolt carrier
Muzzle brake
Gas tube with upper handguard
Trigger group
Lower handguard and buttstock
Magazine
[H3]Main Differences in Design and Innovation[/H3] The main difference between the new Avtomat and its predecessor is the long and massive muzzle brake. This innovation, together with the reduction in caliber, allowed engineers to significantly reduce the recoil and improve the gun’s accuracy, especially when shooting in full-auto.
The Polish 5.56mm shortened carbine KbS wz.96 Mini-Beryl is simply the Onyks Avtomat chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO caliber with modern handguards and stock.
Although the compensator contributed to a significant decrease in recoil and thus increased accuracy, at the same time it significantly worsened the sound characteristics of the rifle. The powder gas now escaped not straight out of the muzzle, but out the sides, amplifying the sound of the shot.
The AK-74 design has basic components, assemblies and mechanisms identical to those of the original Kalashnikov design. The new rifle has nine assemblies unified with the AKM. Throughout the AK-74, 52 parts are identical to those on the AKM. The total volume of parts unification of the new Avtomat with the AKM was more than 70 percent.
This is clearly evident during the assembly and disassembly of the AK-74. All metal parts are protected from corrosion with a special paint-like coating. The main design changes were more external, with some minor inner-working elements. The fire controls of the new Kalashnikov remained unchanged. Many components of the AK-74 are made from casting blanks.
The barrel of the Avtomat is manufactured by means of rotary forging, during which the barrel and chamber are formed to a smaller caliber. All production was aimed at adapting a new model of the AK-74 to the production facilities of arsenals that had previously produced AKs and RPK machine guns of older modifications.
Apart from its fixed-stock version, the PM Md.86 was also configured as a folder. It retained the front grip typical for a Romanian AK.
The new gun inherited the front and rear sighting system, consisting of the front post sight that can be adjusted for elevation and windage for sighting purposes, and the range-adjustable rear sight. Some models of the Avtomat are equipped with side rails for use with optical and night sights. The GP-25 or GP-30 underbarrel grenade launcher can be installed on all versions of the AK-74. As before, the AK-74 is issued with the standard bayonet.
The AK-74’s accuracy of automatic fire was improved in comparison with the AKM by almost two times; the accuracy of single fire by approximately 50 percent.
Ranges of fire are:
At single ground and air targets — 500 meters (~547 yards)
At group ground targets — 1,000 meters (~1,094 yards)
Range of direct (flat) shot:
At chest size target — 440 meters (~481 yards)
At full size humanoid silhouette — 625 meters (~684 yards)
Accuracy requirements for the AK-74:
All four bullet impacts must fit into a circle with a diameter of 15cm (~6 inches) at a distance of 100 meters (~110 yards).
The average POI (Point of Impact) must deviate from the POA (Point of Aim) by no more than 5cm (~2 inches) in any direction.
Note, again, that these were the parameters for accuracy for automatic rate of fire.
Later models of the AK-74 sported glass-filled polyamide composite furniture of dark plum color.
AK accuracy is checked by firing a single shot at a test target or a black rectangle 35cm (~18 inches) high and 25cm (~10 inches) wide affixed on a 0.5×1-meter (20×24-inch) white board. The accuracy check is done at the range of 100m, from the prone position with a rest, with no bayonet and with regular bulk 7N6 cartridges. The rear sight is set at “3.”
The method used takes into account the average deviation of impacts from the centerline of grouping and must consist of at least 50 percent of all impacts. The total includes the deviations of the bullets and the average impact points.
In general, there was a significant improvement in the accuracy relative to the AKM and even more so in comparison with the AK-47. As an example, here are the AK-74 accuracy results when looking at the total median deviation at a distance of 800m (vertical and horizontal respectively) compared to other rifles:
When it comes to the Mossberg 590 tactical options, this adjustable stock model might be the cream of the crop.
What does the Tactical Tri-Rail Adjustable offer:
Nine-round capacity.
3-inch chamber.
Heavy-walled barrel.
6-position adjustable stock.
20-inch barrel.
Cylinder bore.
M16A2 pistol grip.
Of all Mossberg 590 tactical shotguns this is the one fits me perfectly, and the only pistol grip shotgun that I like: the 590 A1 tactical pump. This is an outstanding example of a traditional pump, based on the original and long-serving Mossberg 500 series. It was previously only available in law enforcement and military models and is part of Mossberg’s extensive Special Purpose line of shotguns.
What makes this gun, formally called Tactical Tri-Rail Adjustable, work so well is the use of the M4 carbine six-position buttstock complete with M16A2 pistol grip. With the M4 grip collapsed to its smallest length, it is a perfect fit. In addition to the stock configuration, the 590 A1 I tested came equipped with three-dot (ghost ring sights are also available), non-adjustable, non-luminous front and rear sights. Very solid. The only complaint I have is that the rear notch is a tad too wide for the front, and I would prefer the ability to regulate the sights for full power or 3-inch magnum loads. The magazine capacity of this particular version is nine rounds. It'd be nice to see an 11-round Mag-Fed version come down the line.
I had never worked with Mossbergs prior to writing this, so I don’t profess to have as much familiarity with them as I do the Remington 870, but I can tell you I really liked this gun. Like I mentioned earlier, the handling of this gun is quick, and it feels more like a 20 gauge pump than a 12.
What I also noticed about it was the recoil, or lack thereof. I had it at the range, along with a Mossberg gas operated semi-automatic 930, a bigger, heavier gun with a standard stock. As I got buckshot out to test both guns, Federal full power 9-pellet 00 Tactical, I expected a bigger, gas operated gun with an actual recoil pad to shoot with less perceived recoil than a smaller, lighter pump shotgun. I was surprised to find that the perceived recoil of the 590 A1 was less than that of the 930! Actually, I was shocked how I got thumped by the 930 over the 590 using the same exact loads.
The stock on this Mossberg 590 tactical shotgun is angled sharply downward away from the receiver, and not straight back like it would be on an AR-15 M4 due to the design of the receiver. Remember, a sporting design had to be adapted to a military part that was originally never designed to be on a shotgun. So I’m speculating that some of the free recoil energy is being dispersed straight back into nothing, with a lesser part of it being sent downward through the stock. We’ve all heard that straight stocks on guns cause it to “kick more,” right? That’s the only way I can explain it. I hope that’s plausible, but even if it’s not, I’m sticking with it.
Mossbergs have a sliding safety on the rear of the receiver. It took just a little bit of familiarization to be comfortable with it as compared to the pushbutton trigger-guard safety on the 870. The main reason is that I have always worked my law enforcement shotguns out of Condition Three, and almost never actually engaged the safety during training or use in the field. I just plan on leaving the safety off during all usage. I also had been taught at an early age and in Boy Scout shooting programs that safeties, particularly crossbolt type safeties on long guns, were unreliable and should never be trusted or counted on, so I always kept an empty chamber unless actually shooting. In police work, the safety position shouldn’t be a big issue. I worry more about where the slide release is than the safety, and on the Mossberg, the slide release button is on the left rear of the trigger guard, rather than the left front. The A2 pistol grip on this particular model slightly obstructs (very slightly) the release button and it took a little while to get used to it, but it was also no big problem. The entire weapon has a parkerized finish, including the sights.
The 590 A1 also worked well for smaller statured females in my academy. They found it easier to work with and/or better for them than the 870 Express magnums we use. They also felt there was less recoil than with the Remington 870.
The construction and setup of the Mossberg feels solid, and it is the only brand to have passed military spec requirements to become part of our defense inventory, so there has to be something going for it. If anything, it is priced reasonably, and it is a U.S.-made piece, which is remarkable for a price range that competes with Turkish-made guns.
There's more to using cover and concealment than just getting behind one or the other.
Duck and cover, right? If properly utilizing cover and concealment were only that simple. Like all things self-defense, correctly using a barrier and even returning fire from behind it is as nuanced as the perfect holster.
Lek Nazi, owner-operator of New York’s Double Eagle Tactical Training, goes over some of the finer points of shooting from behind a wall, car or what have you. Simple as it might sound, what the former law enforcement professional’s advice boils down to is giving yourself room to operate. Given human nature and the direness of the likely situation, it’s tougher than you might think.
Imagine you were in a lethal-force encounter and you made it to solid cover, what would your instincts compel you to do? Odds are you'd hug it like you were graffiti. An understandable reaction, but one that puts you at a distinct disadvantage if you have to return fire or do much else. Take extending your arms in full to shoot your handgun, it's near impossible in this position. In turn, you’d end up exposing more of your body to get your pistol into the fight. Not a prime proposition.
A little breathing room between you and your barrier does wonders, giving you observation and operating room, while keeping you out of a direct line of fire. Not to mention, if things go south you’re in a better position to bug out.
Mild consideration, giving yourself space behind cover or concealment makes a world of sense. But don’t expect it to be intuitive. Like all things self-defense, much of the challenge is overcoming natural reactions to fast and stressful situations. And as we all know, there’s only one way to achieve that – training and plenty of it.
Contrary to public opinion, the Thompson submachine gun was not only used by Prohibition-era gangsters. In fact, the “Tommy Gun” was a favorite among early FBI agents as well.
The Thompson can be fired from 20-round box mags, or 50- and 100-round drum magazines.
Rate of fire of the Tommy Gun is 1,500 rounds per minute.
The Thompson was used in the FBI until the early 1970s.
Of all the weapons identified with the FBI, the Thompson submachine gun tops the list.
The Thompson submachine gun was created by retired General John T. Thompson, who founded the Auto Ordnance Corporation to develop the design. The original gun had no stock or sights and fired at a rate of 1,500 rounds per minute. The design was modified and, in 1920, Auto Ordnance signed a contract with Colt Firearms to build 15,000, which were designated the Model 1921AC.
This model was equipped with a removable shoulder stock and an elaborate rear sight. It could be fired with 20-round box magazines or 50- (L) or 100- (C) drum magazines that required disassembly to load and featured a spring that had to be “wound up” like an alarm clock.
FBI handout of the schematic of the Thompson submachine gun.
The military version had a horizontal forearm, but the FBI purchased theirs with a vertical foregrip. Most versions originally had a finned 10.5-inch barrel and a Cutts compensator to help control the recoil in full-auto mode.
The gun weighed about 10 pounds and with stock attached was just over 31 inches long. The design was based on a bronze lug that retarded unlocking the action, called the Blish Principle.
However, experiments years later showed that this didn’t have much effect and the weight of the bolt assembly controlled the pressure. The rate of fire of the Model 1921 was about 800 rounds per minute and this was thought to be too fast for military use. So most of the guns built by Colt were modified with a heavier bolt and stiffer recoil spring. This brought the rate of fire down to about 600 rounds per minute.
To identify these modified guns, the Model number was overstamped with number 8 over the last digit. These were then identified as Model 1928 Navy Model and often called “Overstamps.” This is the model most purchased by the Bureau. The gun was made in .45 ACP caliber. However, a few were made in a more powerful .45 Thompson caliber and even in .30 Carbine, but neither were used by the FBI.
Thompson submachine gun in FBI case with all accessories. Photo: Tracie Hill
The Thompson, also known as the Tommy Gun and the Chicago Typewriter, particularly in the press, was used extensively in the FBI until the late 1960s or early 1970s. When John Cox went through new agent training in 1961, his class shot Thompsons.
Back in the 1930s when the Thompsons were in heavy use, a carrying case was designed and built to FBI specifications. The black case, made by the Kansas City Trunk Company, held the gun with stock stored separately, a cleaning rod, and had room for four 20-round magazines and one 50-round drum mag.
They are now, of course, prime collector’s items, as is the spare parts kit in the shape of a 20-round magazine. During World War II, the Thompson was simplified to a straight, blowback design known as the M1. The bronze lug of the Blish system was dropped but the rear of the receiver had to be reinforced for reliability. The FBI never issued the newer M1 Thompsons.
Several courses were designed for the Thompsons. One was the “FBI Machine Gun Course.” (The Bureau continued to call them machine guns even though technically they were submachine guns, firing handgun rounds instead of rifle rounds.)
Author fires the Tommy Gun during demonstrations at the FBI Tour, FBIHQ.
The course consisted of 50 rounds fired from 15 to 50 yards, both single fire and full-auto in bursts. The one-page sheet on the course erroneously called the magazines “clips.” The agents fired on a pair of Army E bobber targets, side by side.
Of course, the Bureau wasn’t the only agency that acquired Thompsons. Many police agencies, large and small, bought them. Unfortunately, this became a prime source of Tommy guns for gangsters. Many crooks, including Dillinger, stole them from police departments. (As were National Guard armories that were targeted for Browning Automatic Rifles.)
Around 1970 or ’71, FBIHQ ordered the destruction of most Thompson submachine guns in the field. The various field offices could keep a small number for tours and shooting demonstrations, and a few were kept at Quantico for use on the popular FBI tour in Washington, DC. In total there were 749 guns destroyed.
A few more were retained at Quantico. This destruction order was found to be premature, as there was no official replacement designated. The Bureau was then without operational submachine guns. The shortage caused a scramble for temporary replacements and several substitutes were acquired.
Lou Padula, the Principal Firearms Instructor at Washington Field Office, picked up many M3 and M3A1 “grease guns” from the military and many were retrofitted at the Quantico Gun Vault with thumb safeties. They were, of course, in .45 Auto but one arrived in 9mm Luger, probably a fugitive from British Lend Lease. The Gun Vault already had a grease gun in .45 caliber in its reference collection with a curved barrel for use by tankers. Several MAC 10s were also acquired.
Former Agent, Tom Riley, who also happened to be my firearms instructor, told me that he arranged with his contacts in the Marine Corps to obtain surplus firearms from the Navy depot at Crane, Indiana. He and other FTU instructors drove a Bureau car there, rented a trailer and hauled it back full of M3 “grease guns” and M1 Garands.
Later, he borrowed sample weapons from the Marines to evaluate for possible replacements for the Thompsons. They were particularly impressed with the H&K MP5 but FBIHQ didn’t want to purchase foreign weapons, at least at first.
The Bureau didn’t lack any spare parts for those Thompsons. Prior to their being phased out, the Academy Gun Vault received an interesting phone call from a supply unit of the U.S. Marine Corps. They asked if the FBI still used Thompsons and if the agency needed any spare parts, free of charge and transportation included. The Gun Vault replied yes and soon forgot about the offer.
In this posed photo, a special agent holds a Thompson with a 100-round drum magazine in the Justice Department range. The photo is dated February, 1935.
Some months later, a phone call from Mainside, Quantico, advised the shipment of parts had arrived. Lester Limerick, then head gunsmith, told them he would have a pickup truck sent to the depot to pick them up. The reply: ‘Better send something bigger than a pickup. There are most of two boxcars full of parts for you!’
The Marine Corps had found a way to clear all its old inventory off the books with one call. The Gun Vault had to sort through thousands of parts, many still wrapped for long-term storage, to pull what they needed. A rumor is still going around that most of the parts were buried somewhere on the academy grounds. Indeed, the FBI could probably buy a new range complex for what those parts would be worth today.
“Jerry” Campbell, another alumnus of OKCPD, participated in both the Dillinger and Ma Barker shootouts.
The FBI finally adopted, in my opinion, what was at that time the finest submachine gun in the world, the Heckler & Koch MP5. We had already had experience with the short version of this gun, the Kurtz, and the SD, the suppressed model. The Bureau acquired the single-fire model, the SFA2, for field agents and the select-fire version for SWAT.
The gun was accurate, reliable and easy to fire. Its one drawback was that it didn’t lock back on the last round. To help overcome this, 9mm tracer ammunition was made available to some SWAT and HRT members who wished to add them to the bottom of their magazines as an advanced warning that they were about to go dry, a trick used by fighter pilots during WWII.
I recently discovered one of the most unusual Thompsons the FBI ever owned. Tracie Hill, President of the Thompson Submachine Gun Collectors Club told me about it and even sent me a photo. It was of a Thompson in 10mm! I couldn’t believe him. What on earth would the FBI want to convert one to that caliber? But my latest trip to Quantico confirmed that one was in inventory, assembled at the Academy Gun Vault, but no one still there could tell me why it was made.
The H&K MP 5 SFA2, which replaced the Tommy Gun. This was the semi-auto-only version with a solid stock for use by non-SWAT agents. It was chambered in 9mm.
When the Smith & Wesson Model 1076 was being adopted by the FBI, at least for a short time, it was decided to purchase MP5s in 10mm caliber. It took Heckler & Koch a lot of research and design work to make the conversion.
By the time they had the project completed, the 1076 was being dropped but they were so far along the FBI decided to still purchase the guns. It turned out that 10mm ammunition cost over twice as much as service 9mm but FTU thought it too late in the procurement process to change them to .40 S&W caliber, to match the new Glocks. There are still MP5s in the field, in both 9mm and 10mm, but they are seldom used.
Easier to field strip, the CCP M2 makes routine maintenance a snap.
What the CCP M2 offers:
Tool-less takedown.
Gas-piston delayed blowback operation.
Cocking indicator.
3.54-inch barrel.
5.5-pound trigger pull.
1.18-inch width.
8+1 capacity (9mm).
22.33-ounce weight.
Smooth shooting and svelte aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when talking blowback 9mm pistols. Yet, it’s what Walther achieved in 2014 with the release of the CCP. Innovative, the pistol utilized a piston system (in Walther argot, SoftCoil Gas Technology) that delayed the blowback, deadening the recoil along the way. Quite a feat, the CCP was a kitten to operate and shoot, all without boat-anchor heft. All ideal for concealed carry.
So much going for it, you’d think the spry little single-stack nine would have few nits to pick. Overall, it didn’t, save one — takedown. Almost an afterthought with most handguns, field stripping was a bit more arduous with the CCP, requiring something dreaded among all handgunners — tools. Not a deal breaker, but certainly less convenient than a takedown lever. Though now it appears the days of the pistol’s special disassembly tool (or at a bare minimum a screwdriver) are numbered.
Eagerly anticipated by Walther fans, the newly released CCP M2 requires little more than a functional finger break down. Now, a simple flick of a lever at the aft of the pistol springs the slide from the frame, making routine maintenance much less sigh-inducing. Maybe not an out-and-out gamechanger, but unquestionably tool-less takedown does make the pistol more appealing.
Outside of easier takedown and a blaze-red striker indicator, there isn’t a ton of difference between the CCP M2 and the original. Not necessarily a bad thing. Walther improved where it needed to and left what worked with the striker-fired, including its slim 1.18-inch width, 22-ounce weight, 8-round capacity and, of course, utmost shootability. Also, price; the CCP M2 has an MSRP of $469, same as the first generation pistol.
Other notables on the CCP M2 include a 3.34-inch barrel, 5.5-pound trigger pull, .27-inch trigger travel, Picatinny rail on the frame, manual thumb safety, three-dot polymer sights and ambidextrous magazine release.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
