The shooting hand’s thumb is often ignored, but where it’s placed is as important as the trigger finger.
Where should your strong hand’s thumb go?
Often forgotten, the shooting hand’s thumb placement is as important as the trigger finger’s indexing.
On guns with thumb safeties, it should rest on top of the safety to reduce risk of engagement.
Upon holstering, you should reverse the thumb’s position to engage the safety.
To prevent a striker-fired handgun from coming out of battery when holstering, the thumb should be on the rear of the slide.
Rightly so, there’s a lot of discussion about what you should do with your trigger finger when you’re shooting or not shooting. However, we rarely hear talk about what you should do with your thumb — the one on your shooting hand. Its positioning is just as important.
When firing a handgun with a manual thumb safety, rest your thumb on top of the safety.
If you’re shooting a handgun with a thumb safety, your thumb should be resting on top of the safety while you’re shooting. This circumvents the possibility of the safety being inadvertently engaged. I say resting because pressure can interfere with shot placement.
When you holster a handgun with a thumb safety that locks the slide — like on a 1911 or Browning Hi Power — your thumb should be under the safety, applying pressure up. This will most likely prevent you from negligently shooting yourself, should you be stupid enough to leave your finger on the trigger while holstering.
For striker-fired handguns without a slide locking safety, place it — with pressure — on the rear of the slide as you holster. This prevents the slide from coming out of battery as the gun meets holster resistance. I’ve seen striker-fired handguns that can become jammed up due to slide movement when holstering, and I’ve also seen some that can be pushed out of batter … and remain that way even after they’ve been drawn.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The .22 LR is among the most popular rounds ever devised. But is the rimfire a wise choice for self-defense?
Consideration concerning a self-defense .22 LR:
To stop an attack, an assailant must change their mind or involuntarily surrender.
Involuntary surrender is elicited in four ways: nervous system damage, structural damage, involuntary collapse and death.
The .22 will most certainly cause pain, which can be decisive in stopping an attack.
Given .22s are easier to shoot, they can deliver this pain multiple times.
Most concealable guns, regardless of caliber, do not cause involuntary surrender.
While it might not be the top choice, a .22 is better for self defense than no gun at all.
The gun you carry is really only a small part of an overall self-defense plan. It’s the gun guys who obsess over the type of gun you carry the most. Truth is, if you go about your life in the proper readiness condition, and exercise due caution when necessary, the chances of actually employing a gun in a self-defense situation are small. Even smaller is the need to actually shoot that gun once you introduce it into a situation. Still, when you really need a gun, nothing else will do … and a .22 LR is certainly better than no gun at all.
Ballistically, these three .22 LR loads performed well, even out of this sub-compact semi-auto. However, from a terminal ballistics standpoint, the internal damage they are capable of causing is minimal.
What we are concerned with here is if a gun chambered for the .22 Long Rifle is advisable or sufficient for life-saving duties. Most will immediately tell you it’s not. Some will allow its use for the elderly, poorly trained or those weak of arm and hand.
I’ve often thought this odd. If a .22 is good for those folks, how is it not good for everyone else? It’s kind of like the old deer rifle cliché where a lesser cartridge is considered allowable for kids or those of a small stature. Um … if a kid can use a rifle to kill a deer, shouldn’t a big ol’ boy be able to kill a deer with the same gun?
Let’s cut through all the preconceived notions and expert opinions and take an objective look at the .22 LR for personal protection from a pure ballistics standpoint. But first, let’s acknowledge the fact that just having a gun is sometimes enough. As a police officer, I responded to many calls where a citizen had pointed a gun at a bad guy, and that was all it took to thwart the attack. This proves that just having a gun might be more important than what type of gun it is, or even if it’s loaded.
This segmented .22 LR bullet only penetrated about 6 inches. While it might be great for rodents and such, it’s not so much for self-defense.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting you use an unloaded gun to protect yourself; I’m just stating facts. Nobody likes to have a gun pointed at them, and fewer folks are willing to risk getting shot.
Thing is, however, you might have to shoot. Sometimes a shot fired — even if it hits nothing — is all that’s needed to stop an assault. Sometimes, when a bad guy gets hit — anywhere, with any bullet — that’s also enough to end hostilities. When we get down to whether your gun can instantly incapacitate a felon, we’re dealing with a last case and least likely, worst-case scenario.
The Four Fight Stoppers
Let’s consider the ways a bullet from a handgun can bring about instant incapacitation. Wounds that hurt can bring about voluntary surrender or, most often, a change of mind. But, what I’m talking about are wounds that bring about an involuntary physiological response. This can happen in one of four ways.
When it comes to the .22 LR, penetration is more important than expansion. Even fully expanded, a .22 LR bullet is not as big as a bullet from a 9mm.
1. Damage to the central nervous system — a bullet to the brain — generally brings about instant collapse, and often death. No, not just a head shot; sometimes a headshot can lead to only superficial wounds.
2. Support structure damage will likely put a human on the ground. A bullet that breaks the pelvic support or severs the spine can put a fiend down either due to bone or nerve damage. But, just because they’re down doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous, especially if they have a gun, too.
3. Involuntary collapse might be the most hopeful outcome of a shot you place on an attacker. The problem is we don’t completely understand why involuntary collapse occurs. It could just be the body’s reaction to pain, a subconscious or neurological reaction. Either way, it’s unpredictable and not something to rely on.
4. Death. Death has a way of making bad guys permanently not bad anymore. Death from a bullet wound takes time. It has to cause hemorrhaging, and the body has to lose enough blood to deprive the brain of activity. On the short side, this could take maybe 10 to 20 seconds, on the long side, 10 to 20 minutes.
Getting The Job Done
This MP5 clone, chambered for the .22 LR, offers high reliability and a high rate of fire. It’s also compact and light enough that anyone in your home can handle it.
So the ballistic question is: How effective can a .22 LR be at causing one of these four reactions and ultimately saving your life? The FBI, in its infinite wisdom, specifies a bullet from a handgun should deliver at least 12 inches of penetration to be considered suitable for use by their field agents.
Can a .22 LR deliver 12 inches of penetration from a handgun or a rifle? I tested four different loads to find out. One of those four loads, the CCI 40-grain Velocitor hollow-point achieved that benchmark out of a rifle with a 16-inch barrel, and out of handguns with a 2.4- and a 5-inch barrel. Penetration depths were 14.5, 15 and 12 inches, respectively.
Another higher velocity load — the CCI Stinger — penetrated between 8 and 10 inches from the same firearms. CCI’s 32- and 40-grain segmented hollow-point loads only penetrated between 5 and 10 inches. However, the segmented hollow-point splits into three projectiles during penetration, so the wound cavity — though shallow — is three-pronged in its approach.
(Above) A .22 shot shell is not very powerful and will likely not cycle the action of a semi-auto firearm. However, at 6 feet it will deliver a potentially fight-stopping — painful, if not permanent — wound.
Essentially, if penetration is your goal, you’ll want to select medium- to high-velocity 40-grain bullets for the .22 Long Rifle. But, that might not be your best option, and/or you might have an aversion to potentially killing another human. After all, when you use a handgun to stop a violent attack, your goal is to stop the attack. Your desire to do anything beyond that would be considered with malice, and that has a way of sending folks to the big house — for a long time. That’s why devices such as pepper spray and stun guns are so popular, and they’re effective because they cause pain.
Imagine shooting an attacker in the face with a load of .22 shot from a handgun. At a distance of about 6 feet, this load, when applied to the eyes and smile of a goblin, has a very small chance of being lethal, but a very high chance of delivering a high dose of pain and temporary if not permanent blindness. Any of the three outcomes should suffice to bring about that change of mind or the involuntary surrender you’re looking for.
For that matter, imagine shooting an attacker in the face with any .22 LR load. It might not be the same as a bullet from a .357 Mag., but it will hurt. By golly it will hurt worse than a sting from a ball-faced hornet! Could that potentially make the bad guy even “badder” or madder? Yep, for sure. But, there are things outside of ballistics to consider.
All four of these .22 LR loads were tested in ordnance gelatin. The results seem to suggest that standard or high-velocity 40-grain loads are the best option for personal protection.
Handguns or rifles chambered for the .22 LR have almost non-existent recoil, and most people find them easier to shoot more accurately and faster. You can fire 10 accurate shots from a semi-automatic .22 pistol or rifle in about the same time you can fire five or six shots from a centerfire handgun or rifle. In other words, you could shoot a bad guy nearly twice as many times, in the same amount of time, using a .22 LR as you could with a 9mm handgun or rifle.
Parting Shots
So where does all of this leave us? With regard to defensive handguns most often carried for personal protection, they’re mostly pain delivery devices. In other words, your best bet when shooting a handgun to save your life is that it will cause enough pain to make the attacker stop attacking. It’s just a matter of ballistic fact that concealable handguns that can be comfortably carried long term, are just not that effective at causing instant incapacitation. They do, however, perform rather well when it comes to convincing someone to cease and desist hostilities.
A .22 Long Rifle handgun would not be my first choice when it comes to an every day carry, personal protection handgun. Your ability to inflict pain increases with caliber and is improved with the modern high-tech bullets now available for cartridges such as the .380, 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 Auto.
If you do not feel comfortable with a .22 LR for self-defense, don’t overlook how a rimfire conversion kit, like this one from Sig, can help you practice with your defensive handgun at a much-reduced cost.
At the same time, I’d rather have a .22 LR handgun for personal protection than I would a stun gun — which requires you to be very close — or pepper spray — which is a bit dependent on the wind blowing the right direction. After all, there’s a good chance when I point that .22 LR handgun at the bad guy, he’s going to do what most bad guys do when a gun gets pointed at a human, and that’s — at least momentarily — stop whatever they’re doing. Few things are a better attention getter.
Let me leave you with this food for thought: The gun in my closet is an S&W M&P15-22. It’s loaded with a full magazine of CCI Velocitors, has a compact reflex sight and a Crimson Trace light/laser combination fore-grip. Everyone in my home, from the 10-year-old up, can operate this little carbine. And, with it they’re capable of delivering accurate fire, at a fast pace, across any room in my house, and even out to the fence that surrounds it. (It’s also great for rabid foxes — we’ve had two at my house — and the raccoons that seem to think my garbage cans are their own personal buffet.)
A .22 LR might not be the best choice for personal protection, but that does not mean it cannot be a good one.
The Cobalt Kinetics Twenty-Seven Series brings traditional rifle ergonomics to the world of the AR-15.
How the Twenty-Seven Series marries the old and the new:
Cobalt Kinetics Twenty-Seven series ARs are configured to mimic traditional semi-autos and bolt-action ergonomics.
The design also makes them California compliant, skirting many of the strict California gun regulations.
There are four sub-models in the Twenty-Seven series: Sentry, Ranger, Hunter and Expert.
The available calibers, depending on model, are: 5.56 NATO, .223 Wylde, .224 Valkyrie and 6.5 Grendel.
Cobalt Kinetics looks to expand the Twenty-Seven concept to its larger-caliber XL line.
Perhaps more so than any other rifle system ever conceived, the AR-15 is eminently configurable. And therein lies the appeal: Searching for a fast-handling tactical carbine or a heavy-barreled long-range shooter? The king of black rifles has it covered on both counts and everywhere between. But, Cobalt Kinetics has done something drastic with the Twenty-Seven Series.
Cobalt Kinetics 27 Sentry
That said, even for the protean design, Cobalt Kinetics’ new Twenty-Seven series rifles are a drastic departure from the norm. Drawing upon more traditional rifle designs, the semi-automatics shoulder and handle more like today’s bolt-action rifles, but they still cycle like an AR.
“We’ve been talking about this at Cobalt for a long time … to create a more traditional rifle that uses modern components to improve performance,” Vice President of Cobalt Kinetics Skylar Stewart said in a press release. “We have had a lot of requests for a semi-automatic rifle more suited for hunters and other sportsmen. I don’t like to compare it to other AR-15s. It does use many of the internal components of the AR-15, but we believe that it’s a step up from the old bolt-action rifle.”
Cobalt Kinetics 27 Ranger
The Twenty-Seven series may be a throwback with a modern twist, but perhaps, more importantly, it’s something else — California Compliant (at least for the time being). And while the company insists the rifles aren’t purely tailored for less enlightened corners of the country, it’s willing to custom configure one to meet local laws. Regardless of locale and legislation, draconian or otherwise, the Utah gunmaker’s Twenty-Seven series puts some interesting twists on the AR.
The grip is angled to avoid the dread definition “pistol,” yet its geometry remains slim enough to allow a comfortable purchase. This feature also streamlines the overall design of the Twenty-Seven series rifles, making, in theory, a rifle easier to transport, given it fits in any normal sized case or scabbard. And Cobalt Kinetics lowered the trigger by .150 inches from the typical AR, giving shooters the ability to naturally position their finger.
Cobalt Kinetics 27 Hunter
Presently, Cobalt Kinetics offers four sub-models in the Twenty-Seven Series: Sentry, Ranger, Hunter and Expert. The Sentry and Ranger are offered in 5.56 NATO; the Hunter in .223 Wylde, .224 Valkyrie and 6.5 Grendel; and the Expert in .223 Wylde. Each sub-model is also available in entry-level and improved configurations, essentially the option for upgraded triggers, controls, bolt-carrier groups and other parts.
Cobalt Kinetics appears ambitious about the Twenty-Seven series potential and it might not be the last traditionally configured AR to roll out of its factory. The company plans to adapt the design to its larger-framed and caliber XL line, opening up the possibilities for medium and big game hunters.
Cobalt Kinetics 27 Expert
Presently, the price for the Twenty-Seven series ranges from $1,765 for the entry-level Sentry to $3,760 decked out Expert.
For more information about the Cobalt Kinetics Twenty-Seven series, check out: www.cobaltkinetics.com
The iconic R. Lee “Gunny” Ermey passed on Sunday. Modern Shooter looks back on the affable and down-to-earth Marine, actor and gun-rights advocate.
The Marine Corps, gun world and movies lost a good friend in the passing of R. Lee Ermey Sunday morning. The Vietnam Veteran, former Marine Drill Instructor and actor died at the age of 74 from complications due to pneumonia.
Ermey is perhaps best known for portraying Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket,” a role that earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Ermey’s personal background brought a level of authenticity and intensity to the Hartman character and helped catapult the movie to icon status. Ermey’s lines from the first half of the movie might very well be the most quoted from any war flick.
An honorary Gunnery Sergeant in real life, Ermey had a thriving acting career outside of “Full Metal Jacket,” playing parts in more than 70 films. Additionally, he was a mainstay on T.V., making more than 200 episodes of ‘GunnyTime’ for the Outdoor Channel, as well as a number of other programs and commercials over the years.
Ermey was also a plain and outspoken advocate for the U.S. Military, firearms and the Second Amendment, and he was a regular superstar as such venues as the SHOT Show. He rarely diced words when speaking about America’s right to keep and bare arms, and actively worked as an NRA board member to protect and advance these civil liberties.
While Ermey’s characters oftentimes came off as gruff even borderline hair-curling, the man himself was down-to-earth and downright affable in person. Modern Shooter was lucky enough to shoot the breeze with the Gunny about 3 years back and got a first-hand taste his friendliness, not to mention straight shooting on any topic that came up — getting into movies, hunting deer as a boy in Kansas, our American freedoms and his beloved (and never cleaned) .45 GAP.
Federal Premium’s new small-bore, long-range cartridge, the .224 Valkyrie, has received final approval by SAAMI and its specifications have been published.
The .224 Valkyrie received final approval by SAAMI as a standardize cartridge.
It is one of five new cartridges approved in the past year, all long-range specialists.
The others include: 6mm Creedmoor, 20 Nosler, 22 Nosler and 24 Nosler.
From SAAMI specs, the .224 Valkyrie can push a 60-gr bullet 3,300 fps.
It is official! Federal Premium’s hot-rock .224 Valkyrie is a cartridge. Or more precisely, it is a recognized cartridge by the powers that be within the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer’s Institute.
SAAMI, as it is better known, published the approved .224 Valkyrie specifications on its website at the end of March making it freely available to shooters and manufacturers alike. The small-bore cartridge designed for long-range work and optimized for use out of AR-style rifles was initially approved in January at the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
“It’s thrilling to have brought the world’s best MSR 15 cartridge to market. We’re proud and excited about our new cartridge, and we deeply appreciate SAAMI’s support with this launch,” said Federal Premium Ammunition President Jason Vanderbrink in a press release. “SAAMI’s approval of the cartridge was a crucial step in legitimizing it within the industry. Their work creates standards for the cartridge, increasing safety, interchangeability, reliability and quality for the dozens of firearm manufacturers currently building rifles in our 224 Valkyrie.”
The .224 Valkyrie headlines five new SAAMI approved cartridges in a little over a year, each a riff off a common theme — long-range shooting. In addition to Federal’s offering, newcomers to standardization include the 6mm Creedmoor, 20 Nosler, 22 Nosler and 24 Nosler. Each of these received approval in 2017, though in the case of the 20 and 24 Nosler cartridges do not yet exist — at least for public consumption.
For those curious about the .224 Valkyrie or any other standardized cartridge for that matter, SAAMI allows free access to its technical data and drawings. The .224 Valkyrie itself is listed with a Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) of 55,000 psi on the spec sheet (available here) and produced the following muzzle velocities during testing:
60-gr @ 3,300 fps
75-gr @ 3,000 fps
90-gr @ 2,700 fps
SAAMI was founded in 1926 at the request of the federal government and is tasked with creating and publishing industry standards for safety, interchangeability, reliability and quality, as well as coordinating technical data.
Federal Premium’s .224 Valkyrie is a based on the 6.8 SPC case necked down to 22 caliber. From the company’s literature, which has been free-flowing since fall 2017, the cartridge is capable of impressive performance, including maintaining supersonic flight past 1,300 yards. Federal touts it as being equal to the vaunted 6.5 Creedmoor, only with less recoil and more economical to shoot. Already, there are a number of gunmakers offering .224 Valkyrie rifles, including Savage and CMMG.
Presently, Federal offers four .224 Valkyrie loads: 90-grain Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing, 60-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint, 90-grain Fusion MSR and 75-grain American Eagle TMJ.
There’s something special about shooting recreations of classic AR designs, and acquiring one or devising your own isn’t as hard as it might seem.
How to get a classic AR in your hands:
Having been around now for over 50 years, shooters are becoming more interested in classic AR designs.
Counterintuitively, in the AR world, Reto means original, vintage means reproduction.
There are three routes into classic ARs: buying an original, buying a reproduction or building your own.
A number of online forums and books document AR developments and prove vital resources in a build.
It’s important not to get caught up in recreating every detail in a build.
First off it’s a semi-auto version of the original; secondly, original parts cost a pretty penny.
The proper balance is somewhere between authenticity and money spent.
It’s hard to believe the AR-15 has been around for over 50 years. Colt began selling the AR-15 — a semi auto version of the M16 was created for the civilian and law enforcement markets — in the mid sixties. Since that time, the AR has evolved, following suit with the different versions of the M16. The “Black Rifle” is now old enough that it qualifies for the terms vintage and retro, and these older versions of the AR have developed a large following.
These are three of my builds. They look like the originals, but are nowhere near exact. I put them together how I wanted, and I love to shoot them. They are lightweight, reliable and fun on the range.
In the art and design world, vintage means an original; retro means a reproduction made to resemble the original. In the AR world, these terms are flipped. This is due to forum listings on the website AR15.com. The forum had a “Retro” category, which mainly focused on Colt’s 600 series rifles and carbines — think Vietnam. For discussion on the 700 Colts — the type weapons fielded in Desert Storm — they formed a “Vintage” category to separate the two styles.
Then you have “Fantasy” rifles/carbines, which use military-type parts but are configured in a way that never came from the factory. But, this doesn’t mean these weren’t used in the field. My go-to AR guy is Matt Weathers, a law enforcement officer and instructor for Shootrite. His dad was 5th SFG (Special Forces Group) and a member of SOG, a special operations unit that served in Vietnam. They carried Colt XM177E2s, an issued carbine with an 11½-inch barrel and collapsible stock. In order to make the carbines more reliable, troops put their upper assembly on a “rifle” lower, which has a fixed stock and a rifle-length buffer and spring. This configuration was never produced by Colt or officially issued, and yet there’s Matt’s dad in the pictures carrying it in the field. (He also used det cord for a sling.)
Getting Into A Classic
There are three options to go old school with an AR. You can buy an original. The problem with this is that a lot of the ARs we want to have and shoot were never produced in semi-auto versions, so the offerings are a little slim. You can buy new ARs that look like originals. Colt, Troy and Brownells build great rifles and carbines based on the earlier models and at affordable prices. Or, you can build your own, using old and/or new parts. Today, if you want an older model AR, there’s no reason not to have one.
I’ve put together several ARs to mimic the old versions. Early on I learned that assembling the “perfect” reproduction is almost impossible, a matter of luck or just too expensive. In the early days, Colt was building a lot of weapons. Colt was improving the designs as they went; changes were being made rapidly and they were using a lot of different contractors to produce parts. Take the grip as an example. For early model Colts, there are dozens of different grips that vary in exact size, shape and markings. Knowing exactly what part goes with what AR can sometimes be difficult.
Luckily, you don’t have to be an expert. Trying to figure out what type part you need for a build, or have questions about parts you have? Forums like AR15.com and RetroBlackRifle.com are full of people who have spent years researching and documenting the AR’s history and the various parts used. The AR community is full of good people who will be willing and eager to help in your quest.
Another great source of info are the Black Rifle series of books published by Collector Grade Publications. These two volumes get into the gritty details of the rifle’s history and development. Volume I, by Stevens and Ezell, was published in 1987 and covers the beginning and early years of development. Black Rifle II, by Bartocci, picks up there, covering later versions of the weapon like the M-4. The Vickers Guide: AR-15 Volume I is another good read. While it’s not as technical as the Black Rifle books, it’s just as interesting, and contains outstanding photographs. There’s even one section entirely devoted to reproductions, with clones of significant and historical rifles and carbines.
Cost vs. Authenticity
Searching for parts is part of the fun of a build, especially with vintage/retro projects. Both of these reproductions — a rifle and carbine — are built exactly as the real ones would have been. With a mix of original parts and new parts machined to the old specs, you can assemble any type AR.
One word of caution on starting a build: Don’t get too caught up in all the details. Yes, I want an authentic AR, but it ain’t gonna be perfect. First off, it’s a semi-auto version of the real thing. Next, I’m not paying some of the prices that original parts are bringing. A pristine set of factory, original green furniture for an AR is going to cost you a few thousand dollars. Reproductions from Brownells will only be about eighty dollars. There are also outstanding shops like Retro Arms Works and NoDak Spud that recreate hard-to-find parts that match the factory, original specs.
With hot rods, speed is a question of money. How fast you go depends on how much you spend. The same can be said of authenticity and ARs. I’m all for authentic, but I’m not going to let that stand in the way of me having the type of AR I want. The retro/vintage thing is learning about the older weapons and having fun. You’re looking for the proper balance between “authentic” and the money you spend. It’s hard to have fun if you have to break the bank. Plus, all of my ARs end up seeing hard use. I don’t want to worry about scratching or breaking something costly and collectible.
Modern Sporting Rifles are cool. They are the pinnacle of design and function. But — given the choice — when it comes time to head to the range, I’m going to take one of my old school reproduction ARs. These are lightweight, simple and reliable weapons, the same type used in Vietnam, Desert Storm and Mogadishu. They feel good in the hand, are fun to shoot and help me connect to an earlier time and the heroic deeds of the brave soldiers who carried them.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
With all the modern handgun choices available today it might seem counterintuitive, but single-action revolvers are still a viable concealed carry option.
For those competent with one, a single-action revolver can be a legitimate carry option.
Barranti Leather offers an IWB option for single-action revolvers.
For short-term carry, you can open the loading gate of the revolver and secure it IWB.
It can be quickly closed, with a little practice, when the gun is drawn.
The Barranti Leather Summer Classic is an ideal way to carry a single-action revolver concealed.
Though few modern trainers will admit it, a single-action revolver can be suitable for personal protection. But, this is only true if you’re competent with that revolver and if you have it with you when you need it. (Incidentally, this applies to any handgun you might carry for protection.) Historically, single-action revolvers are carried outside the belt in some sort of cowboy-like holster. While this might make access fast and easy, it is almost impossible to cover up.
On occasion, I’ll carry a single-action revolver for personal protection, particularly when I’ve been in the field hunting and carrying it for another purpose. I stumbled upon a very unique holster to help me do this called the Summer Classic; it’s hand made by Mike Barranti of Barranti Leather.
This holster resembles several frequently used for the inside-the-waist-band (IWB) carry of semi-autos or double-action revolvers. It’s also magically comfortable and as secure and easy to access as any IWB-style holster I’ve worn. For those of you who can handle a single-action Colt or Ruger, I’d suggest you try one out. Additionally, Barranti will custom make just about any gun-leather product you can imagine, and his work is magnificently extraordinary.
Oh, and by the way, for the incidental short-term and secure concealed carry of a single-action revolver, you can always open the loading gate and it will catch on your belt when you shove the revolver in your waistband. I’d not carry a revolver like this long term, but in a pinch, it’ll do just fine. When you draw the revolver, just click the loading gate closed with your trigger finger. I learned this carry technique from a real cowboy.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Some might have reservations about carrying a gun to church. But a self-defense scenario can play out anywhere, even a house of worship.
Going armed should mean going armed, even at Sunday services.
As to what sort of gun to carry it’s simple, the one you carry everyday.
Churches, like any other venue open to the public, should have a security policy in place.
Church Security
As of late, there’s been a lot of talk about whether someone should go to church armed. The question perplexes me a bit because I’m thinking, “Why would you go anywhere unarmed?” Regardless, there now seems to be a rush to establish church security policies and training for church security teams. For what it’s worth, Gunsite Academy was doing this before that cretin in Texas had his temper tantrum. Folks are also wondering what gun they should carry to church.
Taking responsibility for your own safety means accepting that responsibility everywhere, even at church, where the focus should be on saving souls and lives.
Let me see if I can sort this out, simple like. The last question is the easiest to answer: You carry the same gun to church you carry anywhere else. Now, for the more complex problem: Yes, a church absolutely needs a security policy. So does a convenience store, lumberyard or sporting event. And, yes, when devising this policy or training a team, an expert should be consulted.
But here’s another solution that might seem over simplified. Let me first explain the answer with a story. I was on a recent hunt and a guide was in the back seat of the truck when we spotted animals 1,000 yards away. He wanted to put the spotting scope on them, but he was seated on the wrong side of the truck to mount the scope on the window. His solution was to throw all the gear piled beside him up front with the other guide and me. This was a cluster because hunters take way too much gear with them; it took almost 5 minutes to sort it all out. About midway through the process, I suggested it might have been easier if we’d just turned the truck around.
The same logic applies to church security and, unsurprisingly, some churches have already figured it out. Just post a sign out front that clearly states the church supports concealed carry. Or, if you like a little alliteration in your announcement it could read, “This Christian congregation carries concealed.” Regardless of how it’s handled, churches need to be just as concerned with saving lives as they are with saving souls.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
In addition to being a capable cartridge in its own right, the .30-06 Springfield has spawned a talented brood of offspring.
Perhaps only the .375 H&H Magnum is the parent case of more cartridges than the .30-06 Springfield.
The .30-06 has been modified to pitch everything from .25-caliber bullets all the way to .358 caliber.
Add in the .308 to the .30-06 family tree and really there’s something for everyone.
All parents are proud of their children — with good cause — but few cartridges have the brood of offspring that the .30-06 does, save perhaps the .375 H&H Magnum. Just think about the immediate children of the Springfield: the .270 Winchester, the .25-06 Remington, the .280 Remington, the .35 Whelen and the .338-06 A-Square, just to mention the commercially produced lineup.
There are those other children who’ve stayed out of the limelight (commercially, that is), which include the 6.5-06 and the twins, the .375 and .400 Whelen. I’ve read of wildcats as small as .22 caliber based on the ’06 case; well, I believe you get the point. Hell, even the .308 Winchester can trace its lineage back to the .30-06, so you’d call them cousins, but the .243 Winchester, .260 Remington, 7mm-08, .338 Federal and .358 Winchester all get the invite to the family reunion.
Like the .375 H&H, the .404 Jeffery, the 8mm Mauser and the .308 Winchester, you can see that the ’06 case is an excellent platform to begin with; can we deny the successes of the .25-06, .270 and .280? And if you truly believe that more bullet weight or frontal diameter than .30 caliber has to offer is warranted, the .338-06 might be one of the sweetest shooting means of delivering a 250-grain bullet I’ve ever fired, save my pet .318 Westley Richards of course.
If that 61mm case length appeals to you more than the short-action .308 family, or the belted magnum of H&H lineage, there really is something for everyone within the .30-06 family tree.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Chambered in potent .375 Ruger and .338 Win. Mag., Savage Arms’ Brush Hunter takes aim at the world’s biggest game.
What the Brush Hunter brings to the table:
The Brush Hunter has a fast-handling 20-inch medium contour barrel.
Its oversized bolt handle helps operation of the Model 110 action.
The rifle is light, at just over 7 pounds.
And at $784, the Brush Hunter is highly affordable.
Savage Arms in its present form has come to mean bolt-actions.
Few other American gunmakers have been more dedicated to the age-old and highly accurate style of rifle than the Massachusetts manufacturer. Even fewer gun companies win the kudos Savage does for balancing price and performance in nearly everything it rolls off the factory floor. While it has recently expanded into producing more contemporary semi-automatic rifles, its bolt-actions still, by and large, take center stage. And Savage continues expanding and evolving to fill every niche in the turn-bolt world.
Recently, Savage addressed one of the gaping holes in the modern iteration of its catalog with the introduction of the Model 110 Brush Hunter. With one of the chambering options .375 Ruger (the other is .338 Win. Mag.), the company now offers a legitimate dangerous game rifle and in a package well suited to excel in the heat of the most testing hunts.
The barrel, all 20-inches of it, is perhaps the most eye-catching aspect of Savage’s stainless steel beauty. In addition to making for an overall lighter rifle, a hair over 7 pounds, the medium contour barrel also endows the Brush Hunter with another highly desirable quality — fast handling. With more weight situated around its time-tested 110 action, the rifle has the ability to transition targets quickly and stop on a dime. For good measure, Savage has also included an oversized bolt handle, ensuring hunters can run the action even when drunk on adrenaline. These attributes are desirable for any hunter potentially facing down critters armed with deadly teeth, claws or horns.
The Brush Hunter comes outfitted with adjustable iron sights, commonplace in safari rifles and aiding in the rifle’s fast handling. Savage’s heavyweight also boasts the company’s vaunted AccuTrigger, which can be tuned between 1.5 and 6 pounds, and a synthetic stock with 1 inch of play in length of pull.
The Brush Hunter utilizes a detachable box magazine with a 3-round capacity in .375 Ruger and 4 rounds in .338 Win. Mag. Additionally, it has a threaded muzzle for the easy addition of a muzzle device for hunters further looking to tame the rifle’s recoil. But of all the features the Brush Hunter touts, it’s its price tag that may be the most appealing. At $784 for both calibers, Savage makes available to nearly every shooter a rifle that literally can tackle any game on the face of the planet.
For more information on the Brush Hunter please check out: www.savagearms.com
Decked out to perform, CMMG’s new MkW ANVIL XLR2 looks to milk the most out of the 6.5 Grendel.
How the new MkW ANVIL XLR2 is decked out:
The MkW ANVIL XLR2 comes outfitted with a 22-inch barrel with a rifle-length gas system.
It has a 1:8 twist to stabilize bullets between 90 and 130 grains.
A Geissele Automatics SSA 2-stage trigger comes standard in the 6.5 Grendel.
The MkW ANVIL XLR2 also boasts a fully adjustable Magpul PRS stock.
Currently, CMMG lists the MkW ANVIL XLR2 at $3,000.
As has happened to everything with a trigger and a rifled bore in recent years, the 6.5 Creedmoor craze has swept the AR world. But for a knowledgeable subsection of black rifle shooters, the 6.5 is nothing new to the platform. The 6.5 Grendel predates the Creedmoor by three years and unlike the newer cartridge, it was designed with the semi-automatic rifle in mind.
Pickings for the Bill Alexander and Janne Pohjoispää designe have been slim in recent years, a maker here and there, But CMMG changed this in a big way in recent months. The Missouri gunmaker unleashed a slew of 6.5 options in its beefy ANVIL line of rifles near the end of 2017. And it has continued to fill the Grendel niche, recently releasing a top-shelf model — the MkW ANVIL XLR2.
Designed to milk the most out of the ballistically-talented intermediate cartridge, the rifle is configured to help the 6.5 reach is full potential. In addition to a 22-inch medium taper barrel with a rifle-length gas system and 1:8 twist (ideal for bullets 90 to 130 grains), the MkW ANVIL XLR2 boasts the features that should get precision shooters looking semi-auto’s direction. In particular, with a Geissele Automatics SSA 2-stage Trigger and a fully adjustable Magpul PRS stock, the rifle should provide plenty of punch, perhaps even beyond 800 yards.
“The 6.5 Grendel is a great round. It has very minimal recoil. It is also flat shooting out to 500 yards and beyond,” said Chris Reinkemeyer, CEO of CMMG. “It’s great for hunting medium-sized game such as deer and pigs, and best of all, you can find ammo for it that is relatively inexpensive. In building the ANVIL XLR2 with a 22-inch barrel, along with some of our other finest components, we designed this rifle to help shooters achieve the best possible results with this caliber.”
The ANVIL system itself should help the 6.5 Grendel excel. Originally chambered for the mammoth .458 SOCOM, the midsized AR platform is built around a modified AR-10-sized frame with a shortened upper receiver. Additionally, ANVILs have a much sturdier bolt design, what CMMG calls a Powerbolt, which negates the need to mill out, thus weaken a standard AR-15 bolt.
Some other notables of the MkW ANVIL XLR2 include a Magpul Moe Pistol grip, ambidextrous CMMG charging handle and safety selector, CMMG’s SV Muzzle Brake and the company’s KeyMod RKM15 hand guard. CMMG currently has the MkW ANVIL XLR2 listed at $3,000.
For more information on the MkW ANVIL XLR2 please visit: www.cmmginc.com
Run Your Are Like A Pro Master the versatile and potent AR-15 under the tutelage of one of the nation’s foremost tactical trainers with the help of AR-15 Skills & Drills. The 272-page guide introduces shooters to Tiger McKee’s methods for developing and honing the skills necessary to manipulate the AR efficiently and shoot it accurately. This unique and fully illustrated reference details the essential physical and mental skills needed to effectively operate the tactical rifle and provides specific drills to cultivate and master those skills. Get Your Copy Now
It is imperative that a firearm be safe to carry and use, and the same is true of a concealed carry system, i.e., the holster. Check out this list of gear to avoid.
If you are criminally charged or civilly sued over something involving your use of a firearm, you may find that your gun becomes a focal point of the opposing side’s case against you. Unscrupulous lawyers with a case to make are very likely to take advantage of the fact that the media and certain politicians and activists have for generations demonized firearms and the people who own them.
This trick sun visor holster has Velcro straps over back of grip, blocking effective draw of the J-frame it holds, and in practice, holster separated from visor strap without yielding the gun. Not on the author’s recommended list.
Some guns are more easily demonized than others. I’ve never seen it become a cornerstone issue in a case that the Colt revolver in question was a Cobra instead of the virtually identical Agent, or that the small 1911-style .45 caliber semiautomatic involved was an Auto Ordnance Pit Bull instead of a Colt Defender. What I have seen is attorneys who use that sort of thing to become a red herring that they stick up the jury’s nose to get that pack of twelve bloodhounds off the trail of the truth. Enough of those red herrings, and the jury just might lose the scent of the real issues. Thus, the more of these trivial issues that can be kept out of the case, the better off the honest defendant will be.
We’ll go into more detail on that sort of thing momentarily.
Before anything gets to court, the defendant has to survive things on the street. It is imperative that the firearm be safe to carry and use, and that the same be true of the concealed carry system, i.e., the holster. That needs to be examined as well.
Carry Gear to Avoid
I would strongly urge you to avoid the following:
Holsters which fit the gun poorly. If the gun is in too tight, the user may not be able to draw swiftly enough to win a fast-breaking life-or-death encounter. If it is too loose, the gun may fall out during fights, falls, other stressful activities, or something as simple as lying down on a couch.
Holsters that do not protectively cover the trigger guard. Why that Italicized word? There are some holsters made of thin fabric that cover the trigger guard, but do not protect it. I recently bought a $40 ankle holster my significant other thought she’d like for her new LCP-II. Trying it on with the unloaded .380, she discovered that the elastic fabric was too tight and too deep, preventing a good drawing grasp, and was so shaped that the finger “wanted to slip into the trigger guard” prematurely. That one quickly went into the reject bin. Another that didn’t make it even that far was a frilly lace concoction that resembled an Ace bandage with a gun in it, made of material so thin and sheer it was almost translucent. Trying it just on the display mannequin, she realized it could be fired while still in the holster.
Once the national standard, holsters with exposed trigger guards are now banned from many ranges for safety reasons. This is S&W Model 12 Airweight .38 in Safariland thumb-break.
Bear in mind that if you are ever in a struggle for your holstered gun, you don’t want the person attempting to disarm and shoot you to be able to do it while the gun is in your holster, its muzzle perhaps in line with some part of your own body.
Holsters with safety straps that pass over the back of the grip. It is highly likely that when you attempt to make an emergency draw under desperate circumstances, your own hand will trap the strap against the grip, thus trapping the gun in the holster.
Holsters with safety straps that go over the back of the trigger guard. This design, found primarily on revolver holsters, can have the same “trap your own gun in the holster” effect, this time with the middle finger of the drawing hand creating the trapping effect instead of the palm or web of hand.
Worn, cracked safety strap is a sign the holster is ready to be discarded from use.
Holsters which cover part of the grip. These will prevent you from getting a proper drawing grasp. The draw itself will be slowed, perhaps fatally, and when the gun does come up you will have a less than optimal firing grasp.
It gets worse. There are a handful of concealed carry holsters out there that cover the entire grip. This may be the very definition of “designers unclear on the concept.”
Holsters with safety straps narrow enough to get caught in the trigger guard. As the gun is inserted into the scabbard, the strap gets in front of the trigger. The trigger stops there. The rest of the gun keeps going. BANG!
Holsters with thin, floppy bodies. Leather worn down enough to become too pliable, or cheap fabric holsters, can fold. In the same sense that a rolled-up magazine can jab as hard as a club, the fold of leather or fabric can work its way into the trigger guard with enough rigidity to hold the trigger while the rest of the gun completes its insertion, and we have another BANG!
Velcro notwithstanding, thin and floppy fabric does not a good holster make, in author’s opinion.
Holsters whose belt slots don’t fit the belt they ride upon. If the slots were too small, obviously you wouldn’t have gotten it onto the belt at all. If they’re too large, however, the whole holster starts moving up with the gun before it can come to a halt and allow the sidearm to clear. This can make the draw slow and awkward. Often, a holster that doesn’t fit the belt will also tend to tilt outward. This compromises concealment, and keeps the gun from being exactly where the hand is reaching for it. Poor holster-to-belt fit can also allow the holster to slip forward or back on the belt, again moving it away from the reaching hand.
Belts without backbone. Any of us who teach the gun can tell you stories about crappy holsters students bring to class. It’s never a surprise to see a cheap junk gun in a cheap junk holster. What does surprise you, at least the first few times, is the top-quality gun carried in a cheap, unsuitable holster. And then you get the student who brings a fine gun and a top-quality holster on a belt made out of soft fabric, or leather so thin and pliable that you wonder whether its manufacturer managed to peel a chicken, tan its skin, and somehow make a belt out of it.
The gun, holster, and belt are symbiotic. They’re part of a system. I’d rather have a good, economy-priced handgun in a good holster on a good belt than quality in one or two of those components but not all three.
Lightweight and accurate, Wilson Combat’s Ranger line is configured to bring precision shooting to the field.
The new line marries a lightweight billet receiver with Wilson’s match-grade Ranger Barrel.
The Standard Ranger weighs 8 pounds, while the ultralight model comes in a tick above 7.5.
The carbines are available in eight calibers and come in AR-15 and AR-10 configurations.
The Ranger line demands a premium, running from $2,350 to $3,195.
For shooters hunting for more than a bench-anchored tack driver, weight is the important consideration in a carbine. The lighter a rifle the less trouble it is to hump into the backcountry or operate on the fly.
In the past, this has meant material removal, shaving ounces to save pounds. And being one of the largest parts of a gun, the barrel has always been a prime location to cut away at in efforts to make a firearm featherweight. As any precision shooter knows, this is a deal with the devil. Sure, it reduces weight, but at the cost of barrel rigidity and in turn accuracy.
The new Wilson Combat Ranger line of ARs goes a long way in finding a happy medium between ballistic performance and manageability. Designed for tactical, defensive and hunting applications, the line combines a lightweight billet receiver with Wilson’s Ranger match-grade, tapered barrel for some impressive results. The standard model Ranger tips the scales at 8 pounds, while the ultralight comes in at a hair over 7.5 pounds. Either configuration should prove to be fast handling and on target.
Both Ranger models come outfitted with a SLR Rifleworks adjustable gas block, Wilson’s Tactical Trigger Unit, a 10-inch M-LOK rail, the company’s Q-Comp muzzle break and a Mil-Spec NP3-coated bolt and carrier.
Where the models differ is furniture. The Ranger standard has a Rogers/Wilson Super-Stoc buttstock and Wilson/BCM Starburst Gunfighter grip. The ultralight, on the other hand, has a Smoke Composite carbon fiber buttstock and Mission First pistol grip. The variation also leads to slightly different overall dimensions, given the standard’s buttstock is adjustable, with 3 inches of play, while the ultralight’s is fixed.
Wilson offers a bevy of caliber choices for both Ranger models, including: 5.56 NATO, 6.8 SPC, .300 Blackout, .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win., .338 Win., and 7.62×40 WT. Depending on caliber choice the carbine boasts either a 14.7 or 16-inch barrel.
Wilson Combat firearms tend to demand a premium and the Ranger line is no different. The base price of the standard, which is an AR-15 configuration, is $2,350; it jumps to $3,095 for an AR-10. The ultralight Ranger is base is $2,450 as an AR-15 and $3,195 as an AR-10.
For more information on Wilson Combat’s Ranger line, please check out: www.wilsoncombat.com.
Richard Mann gets you on target with these shooting drills tailored for concealed carry.
The old saying goes, “A pint of sweat, saves a gallon of blood.” Nowhere is this truer than pertaining to training with a defensive firearm.
The hours of trigger time with a self-defense pistol, rifle or shotgun might never be called into play — if lucky. But it’s far from a waste. Because with it, if lethal force is ever required, as armed citizens we can be certain we’ll respond precisely and effectively.
Richard Mann dusts off his SIG Sauer P226 RX Compact, complete with ROMEO1 Red Dog sight, and runs over five popular gun drills for self-defense shooting. The Gun Digest writer’s drills move from breaking a single precise head shot, all the way through a 15-shot, three target series, complete with reload. To say the least, there is something for everyone in this video, even the most seasoned armed citizen.
It’s also important to note, the former law enforcement officer and military man does not begin each drill with the handgun at the ready. Mann draws his P226 from concealment, under relatively bulky clothing. This aspect is imperative to competent concealed carry. Not only does it build vital muscle memory, it also gives a feel for how a particular pistol draws.
The P226 provides a good example why this should be a consideration. The double-action/single-action pistol is hammer fired, which presents the challenge of a spur. While SIG has done its utmost to eliminate any potential snag points, rounding it completely, it might require an adjustment for a shooter more familiar with a striker-fired. Realizing this may come too late without incorporating every potential movement into a gun drill.
With this in mind, it is advisable to find facilities that allow you to train the way you’ll fight. Otherwise, you’ll just be going through the motions.
The new technology going into mass-produced ammunition is making factory ammo as good — or better — than handloads.
How has factory-loaded ammunition improved over the years:
The quality of today’s factory ammunition, in general, is on par or better than handloads.
Even cost wise, factory loaded ammo doesn’t run much more than reloads.
Much of the improvement in quality is do to better tooling and manufacturing practices.
Many manufactures also engage in cutting-edged ballistic research and development.
And they are able to make significant quality jumps through testing at state-of-the-art facilities.
They also have raised standards to the point a dud is are a rarity.
A pal of mine, who knows his way around a rifle and reloading press, spent hours assembling handloads for the 6.5 Creedmoor. He was trying to wring out the best accuracy, the best consistency. He tried all bullet weights and styles, different powders and primers, and cases from a variety of manufacturers. I listened about the detailed data he collected — temperature, humidity levels, wind speed, the trigger time, the time handloading hundreds of rounds.
Federal’s new Edge TLR is built with the manufacturer’s new Slipstream tip and is designed to offer consistent expansion and penetration at both close and long ranges.
“Have you tried Hornady’s 140s?” I asked. “They shoot sub-½-inch out of my Savage all day long.” He looked at me and conceded that he couldn’t reload better ammo despite his best efforts.
That’s the situation today. Call it an embarrassment of riches. Today’s factory ammo is good. Really good.
If you reload today, it’s not because you want stellar accuracy and consistency from your ammo. Sure, there are benchrest shooters who weigh and measure exactly to achieve phenomenal results, but for the most of us, reloading is an excuse to get away from the significant other and spend alone time in the man cave. Face it: You won’t be saving a wad of money by reloading if that’s your motivation. I’ve only seen a decrease in per-round cost when I purchased in bulk, and then I never did figure in my time pulling the press handle.
But I completely understand the desire to reload. I’ll still reload for the enjoyment of the process, but I have confidence that the ammo sitting on my dealer’s shelf will consistently group at distance and go bang every time I pull the trigger. And here’s the kicker: Good factory ammo isn’t just coming out of small boutique ammo factories. The big companies are producing jaw-dropping results, too.
Prime’s ammunition is manufactured by the excellent Swiss RUAG Ammotec, which operates a high-tech facility that produces stunningly accurate loads. Prime also offers its unique Shootscription Service, which allows shooters to schedule out regular orders of the ammunition they use most often at specified intervals, with guaranteed automatic delivery and a stable price point.
From factory rimfire and shotshells to centerfire pistol and rifle ammo — all of it is good — or at least better than it was in the past. Today’s shooters are typical of shooters of yore in that they don’t want to pay a lot for their ammo, and they want it to go bang every time they press the trigger. What is different about today’s shooters is they also want to order ammo online and expect free shipping, too.
Ammunition At Your Doorstep
Prime Ammunition is an excellent example of innovation in not only the quality of ammo being produced, but also in distribution methods. Prime is a new player in the ammo market and has been selling ammo for the past 4 years, mostly online. It doesn’t actually manufacture its ammo but rather specs it out and has it manufactured by RUAG, which is a large Swiss ammunition manufacturer.
RUAG has a state of the art ammunition factory, which is one reason why factory ammo is so much better these days, and Prime’s reputation is building rapidly because of it. Better tooling and manufacturing equipment means the final product can be held to tighter specifications, and ammo that might have passed muster in older facilities might not pass in these newer ammo factories.
The newer factories churning out round after consistent round is part of the reason. The other elements that separate your ammunition from your granddad’s ammo are the proprietary bullet designs and powders tailored to the requirements of the shot, and all these elements offer cartridges that are consistent round after round, across every single lot. This is a consistency that is found year after year.
At one time in the not too distant past, ammunition was part of the accuracy equation. What ammo manufacturers are trying to do is eliminate ammunition from the accuracy equation. In short: If you have an accuracy problem, it likely isn’t because of your factory ammo.
Aguila Ammunition is another company that’s been updating its manufacturing process to produce improved ammo. The manufacturer is most known for its rimfire production, which includes a number of specialty rounds.
Prime’s specifications are not the vanilla offerings that you might expect. You know — same bullet weights and basically the same cartridge but packaged in a different brand’s box. What Prime does and what other ammo makers are doing is listening to shooters’ needs and requirements.
Specifically, Prime listened to long-range shooters, and the testimonials on Prime’s website tell the story. Long-range competition shooters use Prime ammo because it’s so consistent that there’s no need to spend time reloading. Is Prime ammo more expensive? Yes, it’s slightly more than you could pay elsewhere, but those few extra dollars buy incredible peace of mind.
Learning New Tricks
When I contacted one of the “pillar” ammo manufacturers, Federal Premium, I asked them this: What has Federal Ammunition done to push the envelope on ammo design and production to get it to today’s top-notch performance levels?
Federal’s response was that ongoing testing and development is the key to continuous ammo improvement. While some developments are breakthroughs, the vast majority of ammo improvements are subtle in nature — a tweak to powder type, a tweak to bullet weight and/or bullet ogive. Engineers are creative people, and oftentimes small adjustments to production tolerances and testing practices yield very tangible results in the final product. Federal’s engineering teams, like teams at other cutting-edge ammo factories, strive to improve every step of the process, from the intake of raw materials to the final testing in test alleys. What’s the expression? The devil is in the details.
Concerned About Cleanliness
Not all ammunition is used for the same purpose — meaning that rimfire, handgun, rifle and shotgun shooters have different needs — which pose a different set of challenges for ammo manufacturers to overcome. For a high-volume action pistol shooter, reliability and cleanliness might be the biggest concerns. In its American Eagle Syntech line, Federal uses Syntech polymer coatings on bullets and Catalyst Primers, which allow shooters to go longer between cleanings without sacrificing reliability. The Syntech Total Synthetic Jacket is a polymer coating that takes the place of the copper jacket in conventional FMJ target ammunition.
Federal Premium’s innovative Syntech line is designed to run cleaner and be more reliable over extended use. It achieves this with a polymer coating on bullets and Catalyst lead-free primers. This is also good for folks who shoot at indoor ranges.
Promoting Long-Range Expansion
In the old days, some hunting rounds performed flawlessly, expanding as advertised. However, push the distance on those bullets and the performance dropped like a rock with minimal expansion at best because the bullet was designed to expand at a certain muzzle velocity. Newer bullet designs offer match-grade long-range accuracy and reliable expansion at low velocities. The quest is for more uniformity and to have an ever-increasing ballistic coefficient while balancing stability in conventional rifle configurations. Sounds like a lot to ask? Maybe … but it’s been done.
The new Federal Edge TLR bullet features a Slipstream Tip, which has a small cavity that runs the length of the shank all the way up to just below the point itself. That point breaks free upon impact, allowing fluid to enter the hollow core, where it generates pressure and easy expansion, even at low velocities. The large hollow cavity in the bullet nose, combined with exterior jacket skiving, further aid expansion and penetration. Serrations allow the petals to peel back on contact at velocities as low as 1,350 fps — speeds typically seen 1,200 yards downrange in the 200-grain .30-caliber loads.
Redefining Reliability
There was a time when I competed in small-bore pistol bulls-eye matches, and I was on a quest for the best ammo to run through my S&W Model 41. I was angry when I’d get a dud round in a case. Back then, it was almost a guarantee to have a dud in a case. I had three duds in one case and changed from that old-school rimfire ammo brand to another. With the new brand there were no duds, but the dry lubricant on the bullets bogged down my pistol fast, requiring me to clean it after each match or else run the chance of it jamming during a match, requiring me to shoot an alibi.
Aguila is an example of an ammunition company that makes us rethink the 40-grain .22 LR round. Aguila has totally rebuilt its rimfire manufacturing capabilities. Previously, the company’s manufacturing equipment was like that of most rimfire manufacturers: They used equipment dating back to World War II. The investment in new equipment means that Aguila produces reliable, consistent rimfire ammunition, and not just typical rimfire rounds that we buy by the brick: Subsonic, high velocity and other specialty rounds make Aguila one of the most impressive suppliers of rimfire ammunition in the world.
Superb Shot Strings
I once bought shotgun shell wads by the 500-count bag. Who would think that such an insignificant component could play such a critical role in shot density? Now that ducks are consistently on my end-of-the-year hunt list, I’m paying more attention to factory loads like Federal’s Black Cloud. The FliteControl Flex wad in Black Cloud shotshells features rear-deploying brake fins and side-mounted vents that prompt the shot payload to separate from the wad at precisely the right moment. Dense and consistent shot patterns are the result.
Rejuvenating Old Cartridges
The resurgence of the 9mm pistol cartridge in law enforcement is a perfect example of factory ammo stepping up its game. In the early 1980s, law enforcement geared up with the 9mm cartridge, then, due to the round’s lackluster performance, it was bumped by the .40 S&W. More power equals better was the thought, but now, in the past 10 years, ammunition manufacturers have developed better bullets and use better powder, and the pendulum has swung back. Most law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have reverted back to the 9mm. The Speer Gold Dot G2 with elastomer filler in the shallow hollow point ensures the bullet expands.
Factory ammo these days is good. Real good. And there are more choices than ever from new and established manufacturers. Hornady has even tweaked the bullet weight in my favorite 6.5 Creedmoor load and now offers a 147-grain ELD bullet, which uses a heat shield tip. There’s so much great new factory ammo, I’m going to need more range time. Don’t you just love the science being infused in new ammunition?
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the Winter 2017 issue ofGun Digest the Magazine.
Optimized to break clays without mercy, the A300 Outlander Sporting has the stuff to own the range.
Where’s the new shotgun’s competitive edge?
A gas valve system reduces even the hottest loads pressure for manageable recoil.
Shim system ensures the A300 Outlander Sporting always has a proper fit.
Its heavier stock reduces kick and helps it swing more intuitively.
Wider rib and two beads help the shotgun get on target.
The gun’s MSRP is $1,100.
If you generally dress in tweed when you shoot and rarely touch your fowling piece before the Glorious Twelfth, then versatility in a shotgun isn’t likely a concern. For the rest of the shotgun world it’s a different story. For most, a scattergun is a workhorse, ready teakettle a Canada honker on the pass, knock a pheasant head over spurs and vaporize clays the instant “PULL” is uttered.
Beretta succeeded in ticking these boxes a few years back with the introduction of its yeoman semi-automatic the A300 Outlander. The American-made replacement of the 3901, the 12-gauge offers reliability and performance in a relatively affordable package. And now the Italian-based company looks offer the same for those who live and die at the trap range.
Introduced at the SHOT Show 2018, Beretta has tailored the line’s newest addition — the A300 Outlander Sport — to the clays game. And while the new semi-auto runs at a premium compared to the original, at $1,100 it’s not so prohibitive as to knock it out of the running as an entry-level gun for the budding clays enthusiast.
Among the more attractive aspects, particularly for those newer to the marathon shooting discipline, is a feature common to most Berettas — forgiving recoil. The company’s autoloaders have typically won praise for their mildness, and the A300 Outlander Sporting’s self-cleaning cylinder and piston design go a ways to enhancing this facet. Optimized to run lighter loads, the gas system also includes a valve system that decreases the pressure of more powerful shells, thus doles out less punishment. Additionally, the A300 Sporting’s larger, heavier stock plays its part in dampening kick, as do shims to adjust the length of pull, ensuring proper fit.
For the money, Beretta makes certain the A300 Outlander Sporting comes with the little extras clay shooters look for on their guns. These include a 30-inch barrel, widened rib, front and mid beads, a palm swell on the grip and extended chokes. The 12-gauge comes with three MobilChoke Victory tubes (IC, M and F).
While not performance enhancing, the gun also comes in a stick of attractive walnut. And who can complain about wood on a shotgun?
For more information on the Beretta A300 Outlander Sporting please visit: www.beretta.com
A300 Outlander Sporting Specs: Barrel length (in): 30 Chamber (in): 3” Choke: MC Gauge: 12 Lylium: Y Rib: 6×6
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
