I’ll be politically correct and call an AR or black rifle an MSR. MSR might stand for Modern Sporting Rifle, but these rifles are everywhere. This year, black rifles have come out of the shadows, and I think MSR should stand for Main Stream Rifle seeing as nearly every rifle manufacturer produces its own version of the MSR. To use a term, they are ubiquitous. Sure, there are MSRs that prefer the shadows, ready to defend, but there are those that compete, punch steel at distance and hunt, too. Here are a few rifles worth noting.
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Editor’s Note: This article is from the 2017 Shooters Guide issue of Gun Digest the Magazine
Designed to bring a little more stopping power to the AR platform, the 6.8 Remington SPC serves both tactical and hunting purposes.
Anecdotal reports from U.S. forces involved in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years indicate the six decade-old 7.62×39 cartridge and AK47 rifle may be more effective in combat than the U.S. M4 carbines firing the 5.56×45 cartridge. In 2003, Steve Holland and Cris Murray, individuals associated with special forces and marksmanship units, developed a special-purpose cartridge to improve combat effectiveness in short-barreled (16.5-inch) M4 carbines used for special operations.
The resulting 6.8 Remington SPC (Special Purpose Cartridge) achieved favorable results in actual usage, but had not been officially adopted by the U.S. Army, as of 2005. The cartridge is under review by the U.S. Marine Corps and FBI.
Intended to launch heavier bullets than the standard U.S. 5.56 round, the 6.8 Remington SPC uses the 1906-vintage .30 Remington cartridge shortened and necked down to accept a .270-caliber (6.8mm) bullet. Holland and Murray selected the .30 Remington as a parent case for two reasons. First, bolts for the M-16 family of rifles and carbines can readily be manufactured to accept the .30 Remington’s case head diameter (.420). Second, standard 20-round and 30-round M-16 magazines can accept the 6.8 SPC without change.
After extensive test firings into ordnance gel blocks, and on military firing ranges with the .30 Remington cases sized for .30, 7mm, .270, 6.5mm, and 6mm bullets, .270-caliber bullets delivered the best balance of velocity, accuracy and terminal performance. Hornady and Remington offer loaded 6.8 SPC ammunition.
The cartridge is chambered by Barrett, DPMS, PRI and YHM in AR-15 rifles; by both SSK Industries and Thompson/Center in Contender, G2, and Encore single-shot actions; by Remington in bolt-action rifles; and by custom gunsmiths on CZ-527 bolt-actions. It is a good whitetail deer cartridge.
With an increased field of view and superior light transmission capabilities, Nikon’s new Monarch HG Binoculars are set to search for targets.
It’s been preached before: You need a solid set of binoculars. After all, you can’t hit a target if you can’t find it.
With this in mind, a bit of recent news from Nikon should get shooters and hunters alike giving the Japanese company a look. The 100-year-old firm recently released an upgrade to one of its most popular lines, and it appears to have all the qualities to help shooter nail down their targets.
The Monarch HG Binoculars are the successors to Nikon’s EDG line and boast some impressive improvements. Aside from more manageable dimensions, always a plus for gear bound for the field, the binos offer one of the best fields of view without having to make the jump to extra-wide angle optics. At 1,000 yards, the 8x42mm Monarch has an extensive 435-foot FOV, and the 10x42mm model has a 362-foot FOV. This arms hunters with binoculars that can glass more landscape in a shorter period of time.
Much of the improved field of view is accomplished by Nikon’s use of a field flattener lens system, sharpening the view all the way to the periphery. Previously, this was technology nearly exclusive to photographic lenses, but given the company’s presence in that market, it is no surprise it has bled over to its sporting optics division.
Images should be crisper and clearer with the Monarch HG Binoculars than previous models, with Nikon building the optics around extra-low dispersion glass. The material delivers a sharper, more precise image, vastly reducing the fuzziness of chromatic aberration common to ordinary lenses.
Adding to the crispness of the Monarch’s view is the extensive coating process Nikon has employed. All transmitting surfaces receive a multi coating — a dielectric high-reflective multilayer coating is applied to the roof prisms and an anti-reflection coating on air-to-glass surfaces to top it all off. According to Nikon’s resources, this — combined with generous 42mm objective lenses — is supposed to boost light transmission up to 92 percent. What this means in the field is not only precise images, but also the ability to function in even the lowest-light situations.
The 8x42mm model of the Monarch HG Binoculars has an MSRP of $979, while the 10x42mm model is priced at $999.99. Not bad for a quality mid-range optic that’s built to last a lifetime.
Learn to Run Your AR 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. Get Your Copy Now
Off-the-shelf ammunition is top notch nowadays, but for guaranteed long-range accuracy, nothing beats handloading your own ammo.
Except for shooting a factory .223 Remington, for which you can find ammo almost anyplace nowadays, most long-range cartridges are going to require you to handload, if for no other reason than to be able to shoot more often for less money. But, just so you know, when you begin handloading, you will find yourself plummeted into an endless learning curve (or so it at least seems that way).
Building your own loads will produce an understanding of basic ballistics: bullet drop, velocity loss at different ranges, what powders will produce the best loads in your individual rifle, etc. But it’s worth getting it down, because handloaders always have an edge in the field. Yes, new factory loads today are indeed a far cry from what was available in my early days of rifle shooting, but you can always tinker with a handload and pull a few hundredths of an inch off that group size.
Certainly you can save some hard-earned money over those factory loads. Just by having the spent brass to work with you’re saving, and you can surely shoot for half or one-third the price of factory-rolled ammo, when it comes to the bigger, more expensive cartridges.
When I buy a new rifle, I run a series of handloads through it after a break-in period with factory ammo. What I’m searching for is that special sweet spot in powder charge, bullet weight and design, and even, in some cases, primer brand.
When that hotly accurate load is created, my new rifle will shave off a quarter-inch or more from its group size discovered during the break-in round. Truly, you should be able to cut groups to under a half-inch at 100 yards by handloading.
If your rifle sends a bullet to exactly one-half of an inch at 100 yards, that same group will be 1½ inches at 300 yards, two inches at 400 yards, and 2½ inches at 500 yards. That 500-yard shot can easily be a miss on a fat prairie dog, even without factoring in wind, temperature, altitude and about a dozen other elements that can make you miss the shot.
The key to reloading for long-range accuracy is to not go wild. Start by deciding on a few well-tested and well-researched loads. With a press, scale, powder measure and a set of dies, you’re in business to begin your experimentation. (Load tables appear in Chapter 2.)
I shop around for used dies that are in good shape; at gun shows I often find rifle presses at bargain prices. How long will all that loading equipment last? My Redding powder measure has been kicking out powder charges for better than 47 years to date, and my RCBS “C” frame press isn’t far behind.
From the days of the buffalo rifles in .45-70 (our first long-range tools), to the heyday of the .30-06 Springfield, one thing is for sure, and that is that rifle cartridges do fall by the side of the trail in favor of newer and better products.
Take, for instance, the newer Winchester WSM series of wide-bodied short cartridges in .270 and .300 calibers, both of which quickly usurped the WSSM line of cartridges from Winchester. Overall, today’s newer cartridges tend to burn powder more efficiently, reduce recoil levels even in lightweight rifles, and have been developing a good track record among big-game and varmint hunters in the field.
Bullet designs are also always being researched and improved upon. I worked on several new bullet types and charges for magazine articles in 2005. During that time, I found that VLD (Very Low Drag) bullets did improve group size and reduce drop figures. When VLD-classified bullets are designed, they are manufactured to make maximum use of boat-tail bases, long, smooth nose cones and a good ballistic coefficient (BC).
As most of you know (or should know), BC is the factored number assigned to a bullet that will demonstrates how efficient it will be as it flies. The higher the BC, the better that bullet will perform, at least most of the time.
There are problems with this system in that, at very low velocity, the BC calculation dies a quick death. Also, as the same bullet is fired in different rifles and cartridges and at various velocities, its BC number will change. Add high altitude and other atmospheric conditions and, again the BC numbers all roll out differently. That said, the best way to determine a bullet’s performance profile in real time, of course, is to shoot it.
Sure, you’ll smile and act politely happy over that grotesque olive and paisley tie or discount aisle “World’s No. 1 Dad” coffee mug come Father’s Day. But down deep we know you were hoping for more. Something to satiate your always-itchy trigger finger and calm the twitch in your dominant shooting eye.
Well, this is the year to finally break that string of forgettable Father’s Day gifts and get what you really want and will always use. Of course we mean the ultimate salute to all your dadly duties, a brand-spanking-new gun. We’re here to help.
Here are 10 ammo-eating, made-for-dad firearms you should be asking for this Father’s Day. And these, we promise, will not end up in the back of your bedroom closet or in a garage sale, next to that dang ugly tie.
The .475 Turnbull lever gun from Doug Turnbull and his talented staff is a jaw-dropping and highly functional piece of art.
No firearm stands out quite like a Turnbull. In a world of synthetic stocks and sub-$500 rifles, the company bearing Doug Turnbull’s name is well known for making what he calls functional art, replete with top-shelf wood stocks and the classic look of color case hardening. It’s the one firearm that, without fail, produces prolonged stares and jaw-dropping admiration at the gun store and on the range.
Turnbull Restoration & Manufacturing, Co., as the name implies, was started several decades ago with the restoration of fine firearms in mind but has since grown in the production of original works of fine art. Doug now produces everything from .470 and .475 lever guns to the new and stunning Ruger Mark IV and a host of 1911s, all with iconic looks and impressive functionality. While some carry price tags in the thousands, others, like the Mark IV, bear incredible value at less than $600.
What’s even more impressive, perhaps, is that Turnbull’s guns function and shoot as well as any I’ve ever handled. The .475 Turnbull, which is built off the Winchester 1886 lever-gun platform, is no exception.
Featuring a high-quality wood stock, color-case-hardened receiver and octagonal barrel, side load and top ejection ports, the .475 produced highly impressive accuracy results and ran like a champ when we recently reviewed it. Pretty to look at and even better to shoot—that’s my kind of rifle.
Form Meets Function Winchester’s original 1886 was designed by none other than John Moses Browning and built to withstand large calibers of the time like the .45-70, .45-90 WCF and .40-82 WCF. Since then it’s been adapted to take on other big bores, like the .45-90 Sharps and, in the slightly modified Model 71, the .348 Winchester.
Over a century after its introduction, Turnbull modified the 1886 to accept his new cartridge, the .475 Turnbull. The .475 relies upon a blown-out and necked-up .348 Win. case with a .475-caliber bullet, a caliber that is widely available for reloading purposes. It’s a great round for reloaders, as dies are available from Hornady and RCBS, as well as a host of bullets from Barnes and Nosler. Turnbull also sells many of these components on its website.
Turnbull also produces and sells ammunition for the .475, which is what I utilized for this review. Accuracy testing was conducted with 425-grain lead bullets leaving the muzzle at 1,700 fps, though bullet options are available from 350-500 grains, with load velocities varying from 1,900-2,500 fps.
I also utilized the 350-grain Barnes TSX loads, which hit like a freight train and are supremely accurate, especially given how poorly I typically shoot iron-sighted rifles. Shooting freehand at 50 yards to simulate an actual field hunting experience, the 350-grain bullets came in right around an inch, and from a bench rest and Caldwell lead sled were much better even at 100 yards.
The 350-grain TSX load produces a muzzle velocity of around 2,300 fps with a whopping 4,110 ft.-lbs. of energy, which is why the .475 is considered a major player in the big and dangerous game category. Of course more energy and larger bullets mean serious increases in recoil, which is why I appreciate the plush rubber recoil pad rather than the standard brass butt plate.
The .475 Turnbull features side loading and top ejection ports, which is why the rifle comes standard with iron sights. The 26-inch octagonal barrel bears the resemblance of the original 1886, though newer steel advancements allow the rifle to handle the increased pressures of the .475 cartridge (generally between 40,000-42,000 psi).
The original 1886 action can handle the newer load, but the old barrels could not, which is why a restored and converted 1886 gets a new barrel. To put things in perspective, a 350-grain bullet in the .475 Turnbull produces velocities roughly 900 fps faster than the .45-70 Government with a 300-grain bullet, with about 2,800 ft.-lbs. of additional energy. Again, recoil is greater, but so is your “stopping power.” With the right bullet, you can do some serious big and dangerous game hunting with the .475 Turnbull.
Doug also makes a .470 Turnbull, which offers very similar ballistics: The 350-grain Barnes TSX leaves the muzzle at 2,300 fps with a shoulder-pounding and beast-stopping 4,110 ft.-lbs. of energy. The main difference is that the .470 is slightly shorter and fits in the Marlin Model 1895 action. The parent case of the .470 is still the .348 Win., though the .470 case measures 2.55 inches instead of 2.78 for the .475. The .470 features a shoulder angle of 10 degrees, while the .475 has an angle of roughly 17 degrees. For the sake of comparison, the .470 is more or less ballistically equivalent to the .450 Marlin.
Parting Shots The .475 from Turnbull is hardly inexpensive, carrying a price of $5,650, and depending on your reloading skills, the ammunition isn’t exactly what I’d call cheap, either. The rifle is a hog to carry in the field, hardly like your grandfather’s old .30-30 that you’d carry into the deer woods. That being said, it’s still relatively affordable as far as large-caliber dangerous game rifles go, and it’s stunning to behold.
Doug builds an extremely accurate rifle, too, and from our testing, the lever-action ran smoothly and without issue. Most freehand groups at 50 yards were around an inch, and just above that at 100 from the bench. Realistically I’m not going to be shooting buffalo at 500 yards with an open-sighted lever gun, so as long as you keep your own limitations and application in mind, this is a fantastic rifle.
Recoil obviously increases depending on bullet selection and load, but a good shooting bench and lead sled will mitigate a lot of discomfort, at least when you’re getting dialed in. With 350-grain and 425-grain loads, I was actually surprised by the recoil — it really wasn’t that bad.
Many of the fast magnums I’ve shot in the past left me feeling much worse, and as others have pointed out, the big bores are more of a heavy push than a snappy punch to the upper torso. Once you move to a standing position or from sticks, recoil becomes even less worrisome.
Fine and functional art, the .475 Turnbull is among the best the company has ever produced. And that’s saying a lot.
Specifications:
Turnbull Model 1886 – Turnbull 475 Caliber: .475 Turnbull Action: Lever Barrel Length: 26 in. Barrel Type: Octagonal Butt Plate: Rubber Recoil Pad Finish: Turnbull color case hardened finish Price: $5,650
With concealed carry and tactical operation in mind, Blackhawk has released a comprehensive clothing line perfect for going armed efficiently.
When experts talk about concealed carry, they often modify it with the word “lifestyle.” This isn’t just some catchy phrase to make people feel good about going armed. Instead, it’s shorthand for what happens when a citizen chooses to carry a firearm for personal defense.
This decision affects every facet of an individual’s life, from mindset to routine, and even clothing. That last point is often overlooked, but, thankfully, the days of just buying a size larger in pants and calling it good are on their way out. More and more companies are coming up with clothing literally tailored for concealed carry.
Among their ranks is Blackhawk, which recently released its new Fall Apparel line at the 2017 National Rifle Association Annual Meetings and Exhibits. The line features eight clothing styles, including pants, shirts and jackets, each configured to more comfortably and effectively carry concealed.
“We are excited about the extensions to the apparel line for Fall 2017 season,” said Jamie Lindberg, Blackhawk Senior Manager of Apparel Merchandising. “We feel confident we have a comprehensive line that really aligns with our consumer expectations of performance and quality, as well as brings a modern design aesthetic to the market.”
Blackhawk’s Perfect Shirt collection might be the most practical additions of the lot. The three new tops — Purpose Shirt, Precision Shirt and Cool React Polo — are each constructed from fabrics that resist printing. On top of that, they are breathable, making carrying on hot days that much more comfortable.
The company is also offering three new styles of pants — Shield, Pursuit and Tac Life — as well as Pursuit shorts. Each has double front belt loops, providing greater support and less chance of a carry rig sagging. And each is constructed from tear and stain-resistant fabric. To boot, the pants all come with a number of clandestine pockets for easy carry of other gear, and including model specific knife pocket, mag pouch in the cargo pocket and hidden waistband pocket.
The Field, Tac Life and Tactical Softshell jackets are equally as handy. While the Field Jacket is bit more of a traditional style, Blackhawk has outfitted the Tac Life and Tactical Softshell with a number of hidden pockets, to keep vital gear under wraps.
Blackhawk’s clothing line runs from $49.99 to $209.99 depending on the article and features.
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Reloading the 7mm STW is not an overly complex process, but it’s often necessary given the cartridge’s lack of widespread popularity and availability. Here are a few tips for those looking to load their own.
Cartridge trends come and go, as each year we see a new cartridge released that is guaranteed to be the best thing since toilet paper. As time has proven, some are totally valid designs, and some go the way of the dodo. While I’m not about to speculate as to why some major companies release or back a particular cartridge, only to abandon the prospect of producing ammunition for those customers who have purchased rifles in that chambering, it happens. One example is the 7mm Shooting Times Westerner (STW). It was touted as the baddest 7mm Magnum available, and Layne Simpson, who had a huge part in its design, wasn’t wrong in that assessment.
But development of cartridges like the Remington Ultra Magnum series, coupled with the huge marketing capabilities that the big players possess, can push the perfectly viable cartridges, perhaps of a lesser pedigree, off the stage. Does that mean that the 7mm STW is any less of a cartridge than it once was? Certainly not.
Just as the .300 Holland & Holland has been pushed into “specialty-affair” status by the .300 Winchester Magnum, it doesn’t mean that the Super .30 is any less super, it just means ammunition is more difficult to come by. There are a few 7mm STW loads still available, but they’re few and far between.
What to do if you’re a fan and love your STW rifle? Well, friends, that’s where the reloaders come into their own. Here are a few tips to get you started in reloading the 7mm STW.
Get the Right Dies & Brass The 7mm STW is a relatively straightforward affair, being a belted cartridge maintaining the 2.850-inch case length of the .375 Holland & Holland, as does its parent cartridge, the 8mm Remington Magnum. You’ll obviously need a set of dies — I happen to have a set of Redding dies for the 7mm STW — but you’ll need to procure some brass.
Unfortunately for the STW fans, sources of new component brass are drying up. Fortunately for the STW fans, Nosler has some foresight, and offers its excellent component brass for reloading the 7mm STW. One thing you need to know about Nosler brass: Right out of the box, it’s ready to load; it’s all nicely chamfered and deburred. I can’t say that about too many other brands.
Use a Slower-Burning Powder The STW has a large case capacity for its bore diameter, so to get a good balance of uniformity and velocity, you’ll have to look at powders on the slower side of the spectrum. For a cartridge of these proportions, I like any powder with a burn rate equal to or slower than that of IMR4350, as it will fill the case well and provide the pressures needed to move bullets at the velocities they were intended to move.
Another interesting point I’ve observed over the years is that these higher velocity cartridges seem to show the best accuracy with bullets in the middle to heavy end of the weight spectrum for that particular caliber. For reloading the 7mm STW and addressing its larger case capacity, you’ll need a large rifle magnum primer, in order to consistently ignite that powder column.
Choose the Right Bullet for the Job A friend of mine needed to fuel his STW, and none of the factory offerings were really doing what he knew this rifle was capable of doing, so he called me to handload some ammo for him. He didn’t really have much of a preference as to bullet type, so I suggested we try and keep it simple and find a bullet that will both reach out well for the longer shots that the 7mm STW handles so well, yet is strong enough to maintain integrity on the closer shots with higher impact velocities.
My suggestion was easy: the 150-grain Swift Scirocco II. This is a bonded-core bullet with a black polymer tip, a thick, tapering jacket and a good boat tail for a higher ballistic coefficient.
My experiences with this bullet have been nothing but positive, especially in those cartridges that can really throw a fastball, like the .300 Winchester Magnum and both the 7mm and .300 Remington Ultra Magnums. They are very accurate, often shooting less than ¾ MOA in a well-tuned rifle, and their high ballistic coefficient will help to retain as much energy as possible, as well as give good trajectory and resist wind deflection.
Perusing the Swift reloading manual, they indicated that the powder that gave the lowest deviation on velocity in the 7mm STW is Hodgdon’s H4350, and that makes perfect sense in a case like this. Spark this powder with a good large rifle magnum primer — my own personal choice is the Federal Gold Medal GM215M — and you’ve got a recipe for success.
The 150-grain Scirocco has a total length of 1.385 inches, and due to the maximum overall length of the 7mm STW at 3.600 inches, that fact translates into seating the bullet deep into the case, almost to the point where the beginning of the ogive meets the case mouth, but not quite. Mating it with Hodgdon’s H4350 gave good velocities and a decent amount of room for seating the long, boat tail bullet. Velocities with this powder will run just over 3,100 fps and will do very well across a canyon or out on the prairie flats.
Were I asked to provide ammunition for this cartridge for use against animals larger than moose, I’d probably opt for a heavy-for-caliber 175-grain bonded core bullet, but for most of the work the 7mm STW is asked to do, the 150-grain Scirocco will suffice very well.
Parting Thoughts The 7mm STW is one of the many children of the .375 H&H that has its father’s belt of brass, but headspaces off the shoulder, rendering that belt useless. It does retain the same 25-degree shoulder of its big brother, the 8mm Remington Magnum, so headspacing is not an issue at all.
If you want to try and tighten groups up even further, the Redding Deluxe Die set comes with a neck-sizing die, so you can make some custom ammunition for your own particular STW rifle, and I’ve had good results going down that road in similar cartridges, especially for long-range work. Just remember, neck sizing restricts the ammunition you create to the rifle in which it was fired, as the body of the cartridge will be a mirror image of that one particular chamber.
The 7mm STW is just one of the many victims of the sad saga of cartridge obsolescence, but we, the reloaders, can keep the fire burning brightly. Hoard that brass, and shoot on!
SKS upgrades? It almost sounds like an oxymoron. But here’s what can be accomplished by a truly determined fan of the rugged Cold War relic.
When I last visited Bob Cogan, he was in St. Petersburg, Fla., right near where my grandmother used to live. When he set up shop there (and when I was visiting Grams on vacation), St. Pete was not so big. It grew to the point that there were too many retirees and yuppies willing to spend inordinate amounts of money for crappy little condos, and Bob packed up and left.
He’s now in rural Alabama, with no neighbor hassles, lower taxes and a bigger shop. He sent me a raft of SKS rifles he’d worked on, to show just what you can do with a basic rifle.
Now, be aware that the full-out efforts to make an SKS rifle into something interesting can result in spending several times the amount of dollars on custom work that you spent on the rifle, though nothing like a 1911, where you can buy a $500 pistol and spend $3,000 getting custom work done on it.
He sent a camo-painted synthetic stock SKS that had been brought in with the AK mag modification. Up front he’d added his own muzzle brake to make the already cushy SKS a softer shooter. To make it as soft as possible, he’d installed a recoil pad on the buttstock.
The pistol grip had been sculpted to provide finger grooves. A lot of people like finger grooves, but my hands must be abnormal. I’ve never found a grip yet with finger grooves where the grooves fell correctly for my hands. But if it works for you, it’s golden.
Shooting this one was about as soft an experience as you can get, launching 123-grain bullets at 2,300 fps. If you rustled up some 5-shot magazines for it, you could have a super-soft hunting gun for kids or the little lady. Or, you manly types who are recoil-sensitive.
He sent another SKS rifle that had the rear sight replaced with a base for red-dot scopes, to which he had bolted on an early model Aimpoint. To get someone hooked on shooting, there’s nothing better than a red-dot scope. The ease of aiming with a red-dot makes hitting a cinch, and once new shooters start hitting, they really start liking shooting.
Another rifle had a different muzzle brake on it, and fiber-optic sights front and rear. Again, soft in recoil, and for those who are going to use iron sights, fiber optics create a glowing set of dots that you can’t fail to see.
You can have your SKS hard-chromed, as Bob has done to several of those he sent me. Or you can apply paint in whatever scheme appeals to you. Another option is to send your SKS off to Bob for the heavy-duty work that requires metalwork and the like, and once it returns, do the extra modifications that appeal to you and can be done on your workbench.
One aspect of the SKS that has never enthused me is the sights. Open sights are just not that great. Yes, you can hit what you’re aiming at, but it is a lot easier and faster to do so with aperture sights.
One company that is offering aperture sights for the SKS and AK is Tech-Sights. This aperture sight attaches to the rear of the top cover, where it offers several benefits.
First, it increases the sight radius. Here, more is definitely better. Second, it’s the proper distance from the eye. Third, it can be installed and removed, depending on if you find it useful or not. There are a lot of shooters who don’t like aperture sights, and they can be removed.
Despite the limitations on the mechanism, the appeal of the SKS is multiple: It’s so incredibly cheap, both to buy and feed, that it’s hard to resist. If you break something on it, you can buy a new part, or a new rifle. And as long as it is running, and ammo is cheap, shooting it is fun and won’t break the bank.
This is an excerpt from the Gun Digest Book of the AK & SKS, Volume 2.
Swagger Bipods has re-envisioned how bipods are used, engineering a highly versatile shooting system designed to tackle real-life situations in the field.
A bipod certainly is a handy accessory to have on your hunting rifle. Few other bits of shooting gear do more to shore up a shot. But let’s face it, for the most part, when it comes to fast action in the field, a bipod is an advantage shooters only get to utilize every now and again.
Swagger Bipods has set out to remedy this, re-engineering the accessory into a highly versatile system flexible enough to handle nearly any circumstance … or shooting position in the field … a hunt can throw at you. Gun Digest Digital Editor Luke Hartle learns exactly how adaptable the Swagger Bipod is in the above video, and how Swagger has designed their hunting bipods to outperform nearly any other support system out there. As Swagger’s Josh Kinser demonstrates, there isn’t an angle the accessory can’t adjust to on the fly, all the while providing a rock-solid rest to improve your shooting skills.
The most intriguing part of the overall design is simply how easy and convenient Swagger Bipods are to use. The unit simply attaches to a swivel stud on your firearm’s forearm, requiring no modification to the gun. And being made from high-impact polymer and rugged aluminum, the Swagger adds little overall weight to a firearm, making it a practical upgrade, even for those who trek deep into the backcountry.
Fired from snappy revolvers and with velocity to spare, the .327 Federal Magnum is redefining the often-maligned caliber for the better.
Handgun design and usage have been strongly influenced by .32-caliber cartridges for well over a century. The majority of the .32-caliber cartridges of the past were pretty anemic, but still, most of them were quite popular for personal defense. Nowadays, if you go out armed with a .32, folks think you’re demented.
Bad guys seem to have gotten a lot tougher in the past few decades, too. Back in the 1920s and 1930s, folks thought it was perfectly logical to arm themselves with a slim, hammerless automatic pistol or a small revolver chambered for one of the many .32-caliber cartridges available.
Back then, good guys didn’t worry too much about shooting a bad guy, and if you shot a crook, they’d probably give you a medal rather than throw you in the juzgado. There were no powerful antibiotics then, so anyone whacked in the gizzard with a .32 (or any) slug, was probably going to get an infection, and be headed to the last roundup.
Evolution works with cartridges, too, and today we have what is perhaps the quintessential expression of the .32-caliber in the .327 Federal Magnum. Introduced in 2008, the new .327 is one of the most powerful .32-caliber rounds to ever be chambered in a handgun. Federal currently offers three factory loads for the .327 and their performance is impressive. This ammo includes tough, jacketed hollowpoint and soft-point bullets at velocities unheard of only a few years ago.
The .327 fires 85-grain bullets at 1,500 fps and 100-grain bullets at about 1,450 fps. Muzzle energy of the latter round is about 467 ft-lbs. By comparison, the .357 Magnum generates 540 ft-lbs and the .44 Magnum, 860 ft-lbs.
The early .32s were low powered and designed to fit in small semi-autos or revolvers. The first attempt at a high-powered .32 was in 1984 with the introduction of the .32 H&R Magnum. This was a joint development of the Harrington & Richardson Company and Federal Cartridge. While a big improvement over the old-timers, it was still of modest power.
Like the .357 and .44 Magnums before it, the .32 H&R followed the example of lengthening an existing case and upping the pressure for more velocity. The .32 H&R case is .155 inch longer than the .32 Long, and the .327 is .128 inch longer than the .32 H&R. Plus, the .327 operates at much higher pressures than other .32s.
Although the .32 H&R languished, the .327 built on the example, and after a slow start, sixgunners have recognized the ballistic virtue of the .327 and the trim guns that shoot it. It finally seems to have caught on, but interestingly, with two distinct groups of shooters. This is reflected in the types of firearms the gun companies have built for it, aimed at two sometimes disparate groups.
The sturdy SP101 holds six rounds and has ample steel around the high-pressure .327 Federal Magnum rounds.
In one camp are the traditional outdoorsmen who would no sooner go out of the ranch house without their sixgun than without their pants and boots. It’s just a part of getting dressed. The .327 is eminently suitable for hunting a variety of small game and medium-size varmints, protection from venomous snakes, or tacking up wanted posters, so it’s right at home on the trail.
Everyone would agree that in the field a rifle is better in almost all instances, but a long gun is most unhandy to tote around. A compact yet powerful revolver, however, rides nicely in a belt holster, barely noticed until it’s needed. Then, with one quick hand motion, it’s ready for service.
For these folks, Ruger and others have brought out revolvers that are about perfect field guns. Many of these new guns have medium-length barrels and adjustable sights that allow the shooter to fit the gun to the load, rather than the other way around with fixed sights.
Many in the other group of .327 aficionados could care less about roaming the backcountry. For them, it’s the urban jungle that presents their challenges, as the members of some tribes are not always friendly. For these urban road warriors, the powerful .327 in a trim, lightweight revolver is a godsend, since it can be carried unobtrusively until needed for protection.
A .327 revolver offers a lot of power in a small package, and this translates into a fight-stopping combination for the armed citizen and has subtly changed the perception and reality of armed carry. Faced with the realities of today, many citizens have chosen to arm themselves with a .327.
The new .327 Federal Magnum is the latest in a line of popular .32-caliber cartridges dating from the turn of the last century. From left: .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum and .327 Federal Magnum.
Both groups are right. The .327 Federal Magnum is perfectly comfortable in either situation and offers the best of all worlds. Not only is it sufficiently powerful to be a self-defense round in its own right, it will handily dispatch game as large as coyotes, and light loads make for a delightful afternoon of good ol’ plinking fun.
The revolvers in .327 available at this writing include the Ruger Single Seven in 4.62-, 5.5- and 7.5-inch barrels; the compact LCR; and the midsize SP101 with a 4.2-inch barrel. Taurus offers a couple of snubnose guns – one with a 2-inch barrel and the other with a 3-inch ported tube. The bottom line is that a diverse selection of quality .327 guns is available to the urban shooter or outdoorsman.
I was unable to resist the tug of the .327 (OK, I admit it, I’m a weak person), so I purchased a new Ruger SP101. It is a beautiful little gun with a brushed stainless finish, and the action is as smooth as silk. The trigger pull was a little heavy, but a set of Wolff springs fixed that in about 10 minutes. The only thing I don’t like about it is the fiber-optic front sight. As soon as I can find a plain black blade, it’s getting replaced.
I checked .327 and .32 H&R factory loads in the SP101, then brewed up some representative handloads to see what the round would do. The results are shown in the accompanying load table. Basically, the groups at 20 yards were quite good, especially considering that I had a hard time holding that green blob of a front sight the same for each shot.
I also tried some .32 S&W factory loads from Federal and Winchester, and the results were also excellent. They would be perfect for bunny busting, potting fool hens or dispatching rattlers. I didn’t shoot any .32 ACP loads, but the SP101 chambers and ejects them A-OK. Those results are also shown in the load table.
Factory fodder for the .327 is good ammo, but it isn’t cheap, so the economical answer is handloading. This, fortunately, is a snap, and the same dies and shell holders used for the .32 Long and .32 H&R will work just fine for the .327, too.
Federal uses their No. 200 small pistol magnum primers, and I did likewise in my .327 handloads, though I used Federal No. 100s for the other two cartridges. I lucked into a good quantity of Federal nickel-plated .327 cases, so I used them for my test loads. I used Starline cases for the .32 H&R and Winchester for the .32 Long.
Suitable powders for the .327 really fall into two categories. For the highest velocities with 100- to 115-grain bullets, Winchester 296 (aka Hodgdon 110) and Lil’Gun are good choices. For medium-power loads, you just can’t beat Hodgdon’s new CFE Pistol, although HS-6, Universal and AutoComp are also good. For what used to be called “gallery loads,” Bullseye, Winchester 231 and TiteGroup with cast bullets are the ticket to low recoil, a mild report and small groups.
When it’s all said and done, my solution to loading the .327 was very simple. I just kept the charges a bit under maximum. Accuracy and velocity were fine, and I had not a single case failure or any trouble ejecting a case. However, if you find yourself with a lot of .32 H&R cases and few .327s, it’s no problem, as the H&R brass makes up into accurate and powerful ammo for use in a .327 wheelgun.
The .32s offer considerable versatility, as shown by the variety of bullets suitable for them. From left: 78-grain cast roundnose, Hornady 90-grain hollow-base wadcutter, 115-grain cast semiwadcutter, Sierra 90-grain Jacketed Hollow Cavity and Hornady 100-grain XTP (eXtreme Terminal Performance) hollowpoint.
The .327 Federal is a great little cartridge, but it is not without its foibles. It offers a lot of performance, but at a price. Yes, factory ammo is expensive, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Chamber pressure and noise are the costs.
The Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) allowed for the .327 by SAAMI is 45,000 psi. By contrast, MAP of the .357 Magnum is 35,000 psi and 36,000 psi for the .44 Magnum. So, reloaders should not use powder charges heavier than those in the loading manuals. Actually, handloads a bit below maximum offer plenty of power and trouble-free functioning.
Another cost of the .327 is a very loud muzzle blast. Unless a grizzly is chewing on your leg or a bad guy is closing fast, the .327 should never be fired without hearing protection.
However, this is not an insurmountable problem for the industrious .327 shooter. A tremendously useful attribute of a .327 revolver is its ability to shoot a variety of shorter rounds. The .32 H&R, .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, and even the .32 ACP (because it’s actually a semi-rimmed case) can be safely fired in a .327. Hornady makes a .32 H&R round with an 85-grain XTP bullet at 1,150 fps that is a terrific load for the .327. Federal also makes .32 H&R ammunition.
But, the real solution is to handload the .327 to match the shooter’s need. Cases, bullets and powders are readily available, so a load for just about any purpose can be tailor-made. Plus, handloads are extremely inexpensive compared to factory fodder.
After considerable experimentation, the author found that great loads for the .327 Federal Magnum could be built with Federal No. 200 primers, Hodgdon’s CFE Pistol powder and the Hornady 100-grain eXtreme Terminal Performance hollowpoint bullet.
So, in the .327 Federal Magnum we have the most versatile and powerful modern-day .32-caliber cartridge to achieve broad-based popularity. Modern ammunition and new firearms are available for it, and it can be handloaded to suit the shooter’s needs and pocketbook. While the .32 ACP and .32 S&W Long in classic pistols like the M-1903 Colt and S&W M-31 are fun to shoot, the .327 can be easily loaded to the power levels of most of those earlier rounds, in addition to power levels unheard of for those older rounds.
The .327 offers a broad spectrum of performance, is economical to handload and shoot, and at the same time is a powerful round for personal protection. The shooter looking for a small or mid-size handgun with pizzazz would do well to consider the versatile .327 Federal Magnum.
Manufacturers of concealed carry guns and gear are continuing to outdo themselves each and every year, and this year’s new products are clear evidence of that drive to innovate.
It’s never a good time to be a bad guy, but with so many innovative products designed for personal protection, it’s really the worst possible time to be a bad guy. Reliable, effective guns; hard-hitting, threat-stopping ammo; and a wealth of accessories give you all the confidence you want when you need it the most.
Check out the gallery below to see some of the hottest new concealed carry guns and gear available in 2017.
SIG Sauer FMJ Ammo Practice makes perfect, but practicing with your carry ammo? Whew! That can get expensive. SIG’s new 9mm FMJ ammo allows you to shoot the same bullet weight, but in a much less expensive option. Available in weights that match the manufacturer’s popular and effective 9mm V-Crown personal protection ammo, the FMJ ammo will shoot and group the same. Options include 115 grain, 124 grain and 147 grain and prices are half the cost of the carry ammo. ($19 for 50 rounds; SIGSauer.com)
Photo: Clinger HolsterClinger IWB Holster What good is a concealed weapon if everyone knows you are carrying? With Clinger’s IWB Holster, you’ll never have to worry about that. It’s packed with features and is fully tuckable. The Kydex Sweat Shield keeps your holster dry. It’s available in hundreds of manufacturer, model and caliber combinations and is even offered in left-handed versions. You’ll never buy another holster again, thanks to Clinger’s unlimited lifetime warranty. ($73.99; ClingerHolsters.com) See Clinger IWB Holster availability on Amazon
DeSantis Raptor Holster Built for inside- or outside-the-waistband carry, the Raptor is made with a Kydex holster and is pre-formed with a curved back. It comes with 1 ½- and 1 ¾-inch belt loops for a perfect fit and soft polymer straps for IWB carry. The Raptor also features a Chek-Lok trigger guard lock and a rear sweat guard. Available for six Glock models. ($79.99; DeSantisHolster.com) Check DeSantis Raptor Holster on Amazon
Federal Premium HST .38 Special +P Federal adds to its growing line of ammo made specifically for micro-carry guns with the addition of a .38 Special +P load. It is the perfect ingredient for your micro revolver. It has a deep-seated 130-grain bullet for consistent powder burn and reliability. The HST bullet design is built for maximum expansion and weight retention for the ultimate threat-stopping performance. It doesn’t over-penetrate, making it a safe round for any situation. Also available in .380 Auto and 9mm. ($30.95; FederalPremium.com)
Galco Kingtuk IWB Holster Now you see it, now you don’t. Galco’s King Tuk IWB holster keeps your favorite carry gun out of view while allowing fast, easy access. It combines a Kydex holster with a steer hide-lined backing plate and a smooth leather front. It comes with removable metal belt clips that fit belts up to 1 ¾-inch and can be moved up or down to customize the carry height and angle. It’s available in dozens of different manufacturers and models. ($79.95; GalcoGunleather.com) See Galco Kingtuk IWB Holsters onAmazon
Kimber K6sRevolver There’s no telling how they did it, but Kimber managed to build a six-round .357 with the smallest cylinder on the market. It’s also got a compact, yet comfortable frame and a 2-inch barrel, making it the ideal carry gun for those who prefer revolvers. The match-grade trigger gives you a smooth, confident squeeze, and the ergonomic grip gives you the confidence you need when you need it most. Available in a number of new models this year. Weight is 23 ounces. ($899 and up; KimberAmerica.com)
LaserLyte Quick Tyme Trainer Carrying a firearm is pointless if you aren’t fast enough to use it or accurate enough to hit your target. There’s no better way to get fast and good than by practicing. LaserLyte’s Quick Tyme Trainer kit allows you to practice your draw and shoot anywhere, any time. The kit includes a target that times your draw and shot and a full-size practice pistol with a built-in laser. It can also be used without the stopwatch. ($307; LaserLyte.com) Find this and other LaserLyte products onAmazon
Ruger American Pistol Compact 9mm Ruger’s American line of firearms just got a little bigger with the addition of the Compact 9mm pistol. It’s packed with features, including a recoil-reducing barrel cam, a low center of gravity, a modular, wrap-around, interchangeable grip system and an ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release. The two, nickel Teflon-plated magazines hold 10 rounds. The American Compact also comes with Novak LoMount Carry three-dot sights. Weight is 29.2 ounces. ($579; Ruger.com)
Springfield 1911 EMP4 Concealed Carry Contour Compact and discreet, yet reliable and effective. Of course, you’d expect that with the Springfield name, right? The new EMP CC Contour weighs 30.5 ounces and has a 4-inch, stainless steel match-grade bull barrel. The overall length is just 7.5 inches, and the height is 5.5 inches. It comes with three, nine-round magazines, a dual spring recoil system and a snag-free contour for a fast, easy draw. ($1,220; Springfield-Armory.com)
Taurus Spectrum A sleek, rounded profile means you’ll never have to worry about a smooth, fast and sure draw, and the textured, ergonomic grip means you’ll never have to be concerned about a steady hold. The hard-hitting .380 holds six rounds in the extended magazine, which has a reversible release for left and right-handed shooters. The true double-action-only trigger offers the highest level of safety, plus a striker block for extra safety. The Spectrum is available in standard colors and a variety of custom finishes and colors. ($289; TaurusUSA.com)
Colt Cobra Revolver Simple, easy, fast. That’s what you expect from a revolver, and that’s exactly what you get from Colt’s new Cobra .38 Special +P. Well, that, and quality and reliability. The six-round, double-action revolver is built with a stainless steel frame. A 2-inch barrel is topped with a red fiber-optic sight, and the Hogue grip provides a sure, comfortable hold even in the most intense situations. It weighs 25 ounces. ($699; Colt.com)
Crimson Trace Laserguard Pro for M&P45 Shield Looking for the perfect laser and light combo for your Smith & Wesson M&P45 Shield? Crimson Trace has you covered. The manufacturer’s new Laserguard Pro series comes with either a red or a green laser and a 150-lumen LED light. Elevation and windage are fully adjustable, and the laser engagement system is located conveniently under the trigger guard. It also comes with a master on/off switch and runs in four modes: laser, light, laser and light and laser with light strobe. Even better, it comes with Crimson Trace’s free batteries for life program. ($279 for red and $379 for green; CrimsonTrace.com)
Crossbreed Crossover Belt Whether you carry inside your waistband or out, you need a high-quality belt to keep your gun where it belongs. Crossbreed’s new Crossover belt is 1.5 inches wide and is built with the highest-quality materials. It uses a slide, eliminating the need for holes and giving you the highest range of comfort. It’s not just a carry belt. Each one is hand-beveled, burnished, edge dyed and stitched. The Crossover belt is a stylish accessory you can wear even when you aren’t trying to hide anything. ($89.95; CrossbreedHolsters.com)
Blackhawk 1700 Shirt It’s not just a stylish and comfortable shirt, it’s made for concealed carry. The textured seersucker fabric reduces holster and firearm printing, allowing you the freedom to carry anywhere you want. It has a breakaway snap placket for quick access to your holstered firearm. A vented back gives you the ultimate in comfort in the hottest situations. Even better, it’s coated with Teflon Shield+ to help repel water and stains. It also has UPF 50+ protection from the sun’s harmful rays. ($59.99; Blackhawk.com) Find the Blackhawk 1700 onAmazon
Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the Shooter’s Guide 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Wading through the huge amount of AR-15 barrels on the market is daunting, but the selection process can be simplified if you boil it down to a few key factors.
Your AR-15 barrel is toast. How long does that take to happen? Good question. The mil-spec guys will tell you that the spec is 7,500 rounds. Well, okay. If you are willing to swap out your chrome-lined Colt barrel at 7,500 logged non-military-use rounds, and install another, I’d be happy to buy that supposed shot-out barrel from you. I’ll give you $20 for the thing, with the swap.
My Faux A2 began life with a no-name barrel. After a couple of fun-filled winters shooting in Mad Minute matches, and lots of practice competing in monthly 3-gun, it was starting to show a bit of wear. By then it had chugged through roughly 15,000 rounds and wasn’t holding minute-of-angle (MOA) groups. It was still well under the mil-spec acceptance accuracy level, which equates to about 3 MOA (roughly 3 inches at 100 yards).
The second barrel lasted a bit longer than that, but it too started to lose accuracy. The rifle is now on its third barrel (with the same bolt) and it is doing fine.
To illustrate, at a recent class one of the students was having trouble getting his rifle zeroed. The groups just wouldn’t settle down. He had no idea how many rounds he had put through it in the twenty years or so he’d owned it, so we stuffed an erosion gauge down the throat. Typically, the erosion gauge will show some wear past the “new” point, and once it shows an inch or two of wear you can count on the barrel being used up. The erosion gauge went more than halfway down his barrel — about two-thirds of the way to the muzzle! For a moment, I thought it was going to fall out of the muzzle end. And he’d only recently noticed a drop in accuracy.
Now, had an NRA High Power Master shot it, he or she would have noticed an accuracy problem years ago. But he was concerned about its potential use in his law enforcement job, where a gunfight might be conducted at the length of a Buick.
If you see this from your rifle, one of two things is going on. Either your barrel is worn out or you have a bullet that is too long for the twist rate of your bore.
So, how worn-out is too worn-out? That depends. The military 7,500-round figure takes into account a healthy routine of full-auto or burst-fire use, in harsh and unforgiving climates and with little or no maintenance. If that’s you, then yes, 7,500 rounds is a reasonable figure. At today’s ammo prices that represent a minimum of $2,000 to $2,500 in ammunition, so the price of a new barrel really isn’t a big deal. You should be able to put a good quality replacement in there for a tenth of the ammo cash you burned up practicing and competing.
Another possibility is that you haven’t worn out a barrel; instead, you’re perusing the pages of an AR maker’s catalog trying to decide which barrel to get.
Barrel length
There are three common lengths for AR-15 barrels. Two are specific and one is general. The two specific are rifle and carbine, 20 and 16 inches, respectively. The general one is “SBR” or short-barreled rifle. There’s also a single length found in 3-gun and multi-gun competition, which is 18 inches.
Rifle barrels are 20 inches long for one simple reason: that was what the original was made at, and what the government first bought. It delivers a very good velocity for its length and, unless you are a really short person, it is a handy size except in tight quarters or vehicles.
The carbine is 16 inches for a very simple reason — that is the shortest allowed under federal law. It is a handy length, but it isn’t the handiest in the situations that require the handiest, so the category of SBR fills that need. Anything shorter than 16 inches is what is called a “short-barreled rifle” in regulatory parlance and is controlled by the National Firearms Act of 1934. NFA/34 means you have to ask permission to buy one (if allowed in your state) and pay a one-time tax of $200. SBRs can be as short as 7 inches, but those also can be very persnickety to run reliably, they have shorter service lives and you lose lots of velocity. You gain noise as well.
What length, weight, twist and material barrel you decide to install is between you, your aspirations and your wallet. Just one suggestion, though. It is a whole lot easier to buy too heavy, than it is to buy too light. Heavy barrels are hard to carry, light AR-15 barrels are hard to shoot. At least a light barrel can be carried — and thus shot.
And in case you ever wondered, why a 14.5-inch barrel?Colt had spent a lot of time and money making the various “Commando” models work properly (this was before the M4). They had 11.5-inch barrels on the guns, which sold well for Colt. Then, an overseas customer wanted compact rifles, but had an odd request. Could Colt make them take a bayonet?
Colt no doubt scratched their heads over this, but if the customer was willing to pay, then why not? So, the carbine-length gas system, with a barrel extended just long enough to mount a bayonet, was developed. It came out to 14.5 inches in length, which also happens to provide pretty much the same gas dwell time as the regular rifle.
When Colt settled in to develop what later became the M4, they used the 14.5-inch barrel as the standard, because, well, if you’re going to have a more-or-less general issue rifle or carbine, it had to have the means to mount a bayonet. And in the convoluted logic of the military, it was easier to have a carbine with a non-standard AR-15 barrel length and use any of the warehouses full of normal bayonets than it was to make a rational barrel length and special bayonets for them.
If you want to use a USGI M4 14.5-inch length barrel on a non-SBR build, you have to find some way to extend the barrel past 16 inches. This you do with an extra-long flash hider, which is pinned and welded to permanently secure it on the barrel.
Most of us take a different path. We either just build it as a 16-inch-plus barreled carbine, or we SBR it and go with an 11.5-inch tube. Me, I don’t see the attraction of a 14.5-inch pinned and welded barrel.
Twist rates
When it comes to AR-15 barrel twist rates, how fast is fast enough? The original Armalite AR-15 had a barrel with a twist of 1/14. That is, the rifling took 14 inches to complete one full rotation. While Arctic testing in extreme conditions, the government found that the 1/14 rate was marginal. If the air was as dense as it can be on a high-pressure day at 20 below zero, bullets become unstable.
The old canard about bullets tumbling in flight is wrong. I don’t care what someone tells you, or the basis of their experience, or where they were when it supposedly happened. It is wrong. So consider this your first lesson in avoiding bad advice; some people who should know better are wrong.
The government sped the twist rate up to 1/12, and there it remained until the A2 came along.
The next change happened when it came time to adopt the M16A2. The testing that had been done prior to adoption had utilized a barrel with a 1/7 twist. Not because it was best, but because it was fast enough to stabilize all the bullets the military was going to consider. You see, the longer a bullet is, the faster you have to spin it to generate sufficient gyroscopic stability.
With the adoption of the M16A2 and its 1/7 twist rate, things got complicated. Let’s get a few things out of the way first.
A longer bullet needs a faster twist to stabilize. The 55-grain bullet (left end) is happy with a 1/12-inch twist rate. The 100-grain (right) will sulk with anything slower than 1/6.5-inch twist.
1/7 too fast?
Yes, a 1/7 twist rate is too quick for some bullets. If you shoot ammo with the lighter hollowpoints, such as the varmint bullets, they may spin apart on their way to the target. This will likely not be a problem with 52-grain and heavier hollowpoints and is not an issue at all with 55 FMJ.
The twist, while fast, will not harm accuracy. An accurate bullet will shoot to the level of its accuracy in a 1/7-twist barrel.
1/12 too slow?
Is 1/12 too pokey? Yes, for the military standard M855 bullet and anything longer or heavier. A 1/12 twist will throw a 62-grain M855 bullet sideways through a target at 25 yards. However, I have shot the Winchester 63-grain softpoint very accurately in 1/12-twist rate barrels. How? Simple. The M855 has a steel tip inside the core. This makes it longer than the blunt, round-nose, 63-grain softpoint from Winchester. The Winchester bullet is short enough that it can be stabilized (probably just barely) in a 1/12 barrel. I had a 1/12 pencil-barrel-equipped upper that shot those bullets into one hole at 100 yards. Well, at least until I wore it out.
So that means you use 55 FMJ and similarly weighted bullets in a 1/12 barrel, and anything heavier in a 1/7 barrel. That leaves the compromise, the 1/9. What’s up with that?
1/9 the middle bear
The slam against the 1/9 barrel is that it isn’t mil-spec. But it can be accurate.
Mathematically, a 1/9 barrel, firing the now-standard heavyweight bullet of 75 or 77 grains, has the same stability as a 55-grain FMJ in a 1/12 barrel. Most of the shooters who pony up the money for the premium ammo (the 75- & 77-grain loads do not come cheap) would not go slumming with a 1/9 barrel. Their loss.
Faster twist rates
You’ll see barrels listed as 1/8. Those are usually premium match barrels, meant for a steady diet of nothing but 75-, 77- and even 80-grain bullets. Match shooters want X-ring accuracy out to 600 yards or more and will pay for a hand-lapped barrel. Those who are hurling even heavier bullets — 90 and 100 grains in the .223/5.56 — will opt for a 1/6.5 barrel.
The catch here is case capacity. Heavy bullets like that are so long that if you loaded them so they would fit into the magazine they would crowd out the powder, you need to make velocity. So match shooters load them long — as long as they can and still have the case neck hold the bullet properly. That requires them to load rounds one at a time, directly into the chamber.
This is not a problem, because of the shooting times in matches. You see, while the timed and rapid-fire segments of High Power competition call for 10 shots in 60 seconds, the long-range portion calls for a maximum rate of one shot per minute.
For each shot, the target is pulled down, the location marked and the target raised. The shooter notes the location of the hit, the target is pulled down, the hole pasted and then sent back up again. Repeat for the number of shots the scoring string calls for.
Unless you are heading off to shoot in NRA High Power or off to Camp Perry, your choices are simple: a 1/12 for vanilla-plain 55 FMJ blasting, a 1/9 if you want to use heavier hunting bullets and a 1/7 for the heaviest bullets that will feed from a magazine. Beyond that, consult with the winning shooters in your club for advice on long-range target shooting.
The 3.3-inch Springfield XD-S 9 in Flat Dark Earth might just be the unsung hero of concealed carry handguns.
Springfield’s XD series of pistols has been around since 2001, but the latest iteration, a 3.3-inch XD-S 9mm in Flat Dark Earth (FDE), is perhaps the X-factor when it comes to compact carry handguns. Right out of the box, the XD-S is loaded with value, featuring a highly functional design and quality barrel that delivers supreme accuracy in a carry-friendly package.
My confidence in the XD-S has only grown over the years, especially with the number of defense contractors or personal protection professionals who’ve told me it’s their go-to firearm when duty calls. To me it says a lot when someone who puts their life on the line everyday, and who could quite frankly choose any gun they wanted, opts for a gem out of the Springfield Armory.
Design And Features The goal with the design of the XD-S was to provide the feel and control of a full-size handgun in a compact package, a shootable carry gun. With that purpose in mind, the XD-S is a polymer-framed pistol of the single-stack variety, giving you seven rounds, plus one in the chamber, with the flush-fitting magazine and 8+1 with the Mid-Mag X-Tension mag. The trigger is what you’d expect to find on a carry gun, which means relatively heavy, and has a crisp, audible reset and a grip safety for added security.
The heavily textured grip helps in controlling what is a power-packed handgun, fully capable of leaving those same grip marks indented into your palms after a few boxes of ammo at the range. The rear portion of the grip comes with an interchangeable grip panel to accommodate different sized hands, while grip width itself is .9 inches—small enough to promote concealability but big enough to give you a solid purchase on the firearm. Extremely important for carry, the height is 4.4 inches with the flush magazine and 5 inches with the extended mag.
While other manufacturers leave you with a set of standard front and rear white-dot sights, Springfield provides a fiber optic front sight right out of the box that provides easier target acquisition. The other nice feature is an ambidextrous magazine release that protrudes just enough to make no-look mag swaps easier. As opposed to the XD 3-inch sub-compact, which holds 13+1, the XD-S holds, as mentioned earlier, either 7+1 or 8+1, which means you’re trading a bit of concealability and width for a few extra rounds.
Carry Friendly I’m of small to medium stature, so handgun height is the critical dimension when it comes to avoiding major printing under clothing—it’s always the longer grip that sticks out. The extended magazine is a nice addition, however, since it serves as a backup for carry or as your best choice when emptying cases at the range. The extra .6 inches allows you to get that pinky finger on the grip, giving you substantially better control.
Even in 9mm, the XD-S packs quite a punch without that added grip extension. A fairly short barrel (3.3 inches) and light weight (23 ounces, unloaded) mean you’re hands are eventually going to feel it at the range, but for the purpose of carry it’s an easy trade off to make. It’s still an enjoyable little gun to shoot, especially with the Mid-Mag X-Tension and a 9mm chambering. Unlike some of the smaller “micro nines,” the XD-S still has a full enough frame and grip to provide impressive accuracy and control. Dimensionally it’s similar to the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield or Glock 43.
In terms of everyday carry, the XD-S hits the sweet spot. I carried it around for a few weeks with a CrossBreed Mini Tuck, which is the scaled down version of the SuperTuck Deluxe, and it quickly became one of my two favorite carry rigs. I’ve also found it works great for appendix carry, in either the CrossBreed Appendix Carry holster or a Blade-Tech holster with Laserguard green laser from Crimson Trace. I carried it primarily on the hip at the 3 o’clock position with a CrossBreed magazine holster at 6 o’clock, and it was both comfortable and remained easily concealed.
Range Performance Anytime you opt for a compact handgun, you’re generally sacrificing some measure of accuracy and/or controllability. But after firing at least 80 rounds at the range with no issues, the XD-S proved that it’s more than capable of delivering supreme accuracy in a carry platform. All range data was collected from a distance of 20 yards from sandbags and was based on multiple three-shot groups.
The XD-S handled a wide variety of ammunition, from HPR’s 85-grain Black Ops OTF to SIG Sauer’s Elite Performance 147-grain V-Crown JHP, and had no malfunctions whatsoever. The 147-grain bullets performed the best, with Winchester’s Train & Defend JHP producing a best group of 1.24 inches and SIG’s V-Crown coming in at an equally impressive 1.31 inches.
Considering most defensive shooting scenarios will occur far closer than 20 yards, the XD-S is more than capable of delivering adequate accuracy and beyond. Likewise, the extended magazine serves as a range-friendly option to give you greater accuracy and control when your main goal is not concealability. There is some loss in velocity with a 3.3-inch versus 3.8-inch barrel, but in the 9mm it’s somewhere between 20 and 50 fps—not enough to lose sleep over.
Parting Shots With an MSRP just south of $500, the 3.3-inch XD-S 9 mm in FDE is a tremendous buy. It’s a fantastic carry gun and offers impressive accuracy and control for a compact, single-stack 9mm. Reliable, good looking and highly accurate—what’s not to love about that? Springfield has proven itself to be a leader in innovation and delivering what the consumer wants, and the XD-S 9 in FDE represents another homerun.
Specifications:
Springfield XD-S 9 FDE Type: Semi-auto, striker-fired Caliber: 9mm Barrel: 3.3 in., hammer forged steel, Melonite finish, 1:10 twist Overall Length: 6.3 in. Weight: 23 oz. (unloaded) Height: 4.4 in. (compact mag); 5 in. (Mid-Mag X-Tension) Grip Width: .9 in. Slide: Forged steel, Melonite finish Sights: Fiber optic front, dovetail rear Magazines: 7-round flush fitting; 8-round with Mid-Mag X-Tension, stainless steel MSRP: $499 Manufacturer: Springfield Armory
Heckler & Koch didn’t shoot from the hip with the HK P30SK, producing a well-balanced, high-performing subcompact, engineered to deliver when it matters most.
In the late 2000s, Heckler & Koch of Germany introduced the U.S. to its P30 semi-automatic pistol, a double-action, polymer-framed pistol with a high-capacity magazine and a revolutionary polygonal barrel. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and the P30 became a hit with American shooters who appreciated its high level of engineering and fastidious attention to detail. After all, HK’s catchphrase is Keine Kompromisse!, or “No Compromise!” for those not fluent in German.
Because the slick German semi-auto was so successful stateside, it seemed only natural that HK would target the burgeoning American concealed carry market. And it did, just not right away.
The HK P30SK (SubKompact) is a scaled-down 9mm version of the popular P30 semi-auto. Even though the P30SK simply looks like a shrunken P30, it took HK three full years of engineering and development to translate the full-sized semi-auto into a compact carry version.
The mechanics remain much the same between the two guns, but the ergonomics of the P30SK were redesigned to make this a stand-alone handgun instead of a cropped-and-chopped version of another model. The SK shares the same basic DNA as its alterer bruder, including a single-action/double-action design with large ambidextrous slide stop levers, luminescent three-dot sights and a polymer frame with a nitro-carburized steel slide with a corrosion-resistant blued finish, but with a much more compact design that makes it a great choice for concealed carry.
While striker-fired guns are all the rage, including HK’s own VP9 and VP40, double-action semi-autos such as the P30SK still have a loyal following and still make perfect sense as a concealed carry gun. The double-action trigger pull is heavy — about 12 pounds — but it’s smooth, and it’s easy to pull this gun from a concealed holster and fire the first shot quickly and accurately. Subsequent shots feature a much lighter 5.5-pound single-action trigger pull with modest take-up and a crisp, clean break.
Most shooters don’t really appreciate how good or bad a trigger pull really is until they begin firing shots from a sandbag on the range. Bad triggers make this a real chore because they are heavy and creepy, never offering a clean snap. The team at HK did a great job on the trigger with this gun, and after a few shots off the bags I could predictably take up the slack in the trigger, press evenly and count on being surprised at the shot. The trigger pad is also very wide and comfortable.
The P30SK grip geometry is excellent. It features a textured side and rear panels that are neither slick nor so aggressive they hurt the shooter’s hand. The cross-directional texturing keeps the gun firmly planted in your paw, and the P30SK, like the P30 before it, features interchangeable rear and side panels.
Each new gun comes with three different backstraps and three different sets of side panels, so when HK claims this gun offers a perfect fit, it means it. Removing the rear and side inserts requires the use of a punch and a hammer, but once the pin is free you can mix and match component parts until you find the perfect combination.
The P30SK is available with or without a manual safety, which is understandable. Some shooters vehemently support carrying guns with no manual safety, while the other camp is equally dedicated to manual-safety-only guns.
No matter which doctrine you follow, there’s a P30SK for you. Both versions come with hammer and firing pin safeties but no magazine disconnect, so you can fire the gun without the mag in place. There’s also a special Law Enforcement Modification (LEM) model that comes with a bobbed hammer and a double-action-only (DAO) trigger with a crisp 5.4-pound pull.
If you haven’t shot the HK P30 line of pistols, you will have to familiarize yourself with the location of some of the controls. The extended ambidextrous slide release is mounted along the top of the frame just below the chamber.
Notably absent is the standard magazine release button that is traditionally situated just behind the trigger guard. Like other German guns, including the first-generation Walther PPQ, the HK P30 line has a paddle-style magazine release lever located on either side of the trigger guard.
It’s not a traditional American styling, but it serves a very important function — when the gun is holstered, it’s impossible for an assailant to drop the magazine from your firearm. And once you become familiar and comfortable with the system, you’re probably going to like it. When the mag runs dry, simply press down on the paddle with your trigger finger, drop the magazine and reload. The system is fast and intuitive.
The P30SK has a decocker, but just like the magazine release, it isn’t in the traditional position. Instead, it is located just to the left of the hammer. This too serves a very important function.
When you are clearing the gun in the middle of a gunfight, you won’t accidentally hit the decocker since it’s tucked out of the way. Simply press the button and the hammer drops, and, as with the magazine release lever, it becomes second nature once you do it a few times.
Some pistols look and feel cheap. Others feel like they are well-built and robust, and there are a handful of pistols that feel like they are so solidly constructed you could wither away on the range trying to get them to fail. The P30SK is that third kind of pistol. It is made of quality parts that are well machined and so tightly fitted that it feels like a custom gun. The interior parts are polished free from machine marks. The slide is tight and smooth, and the slide/frame fit is precise.
On the range, the P30SK performed very well. This is likely due in part to the barrel’s polygonal rifling, which substitutes the standard lands and grooves for a bore that has been octagonally reamed for a better gas seal. The P30SK comes with front and rear adjustable three-dot luminescent sights that are dovetailed into the slide, ideal for close-range work.
For the 15-yard accuracy test, I mounted a Crimson Trace Rail Master green laser on the P30SK accessory rail. The green laser offers a more precise aiming point, giving a clear picture of a handgun’s overall accuracy potential without variations due to sight design. With the laser in place, the P30SK was extremely accurate. At 15 yards, groups hovered just above an inch.
Normally, during these range tests you have one brand of ammo that is a clear favorite, but after testing three different loads — Hornady’s 100-grain Critical Defense Lite, SIG Sauer’s 124-grain Performance Elite and Nosler’s new 124-grain Defense — I realized I would have to measure the groups to have an idea which ammo was the most accurate in the P30SK. As it turned out, the SIG won the day, but both the Nosler and Hornady ammunition were nipping right at its heels.
The oversized extractor worked perfectly, and the only ammunition with which the P30SK took issue was the light Hornady load, which resulted in a couple stovepipe jams. This is likely due to the fact that the Hornady ammo is loaded to produce less recoil, and the P30SK hadn’t been properly broken in.
I set the Hornady ammo aside, test-fired the heavier stuff, and then went back to the Hornady ammo. After that, there was only one stovepipe, which seems to be a sign that once the HK is broken in it will work with lighter loads.
The accuracy results from the test can be found above, showing the outcomes of the test with all three ammo types. As you can see, the accuracy was very good, especially for a gun with a 3.27-inch barrel. Chances are you’ll never need to shoot a 1-inch group at 15 yards with your P30SK, but if the need arises, this gun will do it.
The P30SK performs as well on the line as it does on the bench. It is balanced well and comfortable to shoot, and with an overall length of just 6.42 inches and a height of 4.57 inches, it is indeed compact.
It’s a bit wider than many competing carry 9mms at 1.37 inches, but that third of an inch of width helps keep this gun planted during shooting, and it’s still an easy gun to conceal. The abbreviated grip leaves the average shooter’s last finger without a home, but the P30SK is still manageable.
Semi-autos have gotten easier to disassemble for routine maintenance and cleaning, and HK is not the type of company to allow itself to be out-engineered. As a result, takedown of the P30SK is extremely simple.
You drop the magazine and clear the gun, pull the slide back far enough that the rectangular cutout in the metal slide is aligned with a matching piece on the slide stop, press a pin from the opposite side until the rectangular metal piece slips through the gap in the slide and then turn the gun upside down and pull the slide forward. With the slide removed, the guide spring and barrel simply fall into your hand.
It’s about as simple a takedown regiment as you’ll find on a compact semi-auto, and once you’ve practiced, it will take you far less time to actually break down your gun than it has taken me to explain the process. There goes your last excuse for having a dirty pistol.
HK resisted the urge to cut down their P30 pistol to grab a share of the compact pistol market because that meant cutting corners. Instead, the company has taken the time to produce a well-engineered, well-designed carry gun that is built to last.
Will the newer VP9 and VP40 spawn similar compact carry variations? (Editor’s Note: Indeed they have, as is evident with HK’s recent introduction of the new VP9SK). I’d venture to say it’s likely, but it’s not absolutely necessary, because the P30SK is a fine carry gun that lives up to the HK name and commitment: Never compromise.
Editor’s Note: This article appeared in the August 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Boasting a patented short-stroke gas-piston operation, the LWRCI M6IC-A5 is a rugged-built rifle ready to answer the call of duty.
They say competition breeds innovation, which couldn’t be more true than it is for LWRC International (LWRCI). The company was founded to pursue the development of a short-stroke, gas-piston-operated firearm that would replace the M4 as the main service weapon for the U.S. Army.
Although the Individual Carbine competition was cancelled in 2013, that original research and development led to a whole family of LWRCI rifles that are produced under the Individual Carbine (IC) nomenclature and sold to everyone from warfighters and law enforcement to hardcore civilian shooters.
One of the latest rifles from the manufacturer is the LWRCI M6IC-A5 chambered in 5.56 NATO and available in OD Green, which, like the Incredible Hulk, is a highly evolved and technologically advanced version of a Bruce-Banner-like classic, Eugene Stoner’s AR-15/M16. As with the original Individual Carbine design, the hallmark of the A5 is LWRCI’s patented short-stroke, gas-piston operation, which is designed to improve upon the original direct gas impingement system developed by Stoner in the 1950s.
The short-stroke, gas-piston system is constructed with aerospace-grade superalloys that can withstand extremely high temperatures without losing their strength or becoming fatigued. This makes the LWRCI M6IC-A5 highly reliable even in the worst conditions. Because the A5 is duty built for tip-of-the-spear military personnel around the world, durability and functionality are non-negotiable.
Piston Driven One of the known issues with the direct gas-impingement system developed by Stoner is that hot gases and carbon from the discharged cartridge are dumped into the action of the rifle where they strike the gas key, pushing the bolt carrier rearward against the buffer spring and thus cycling the action. This causes carbon buildup in the action and eventually contributes to functionality issues. If nothing else, this necessitates more regular weapon cleaning.
The beauty of the short-stroke, gas-piston operating system, however, is that gases from the spent cartridge move through the gas block where they strike a piston—the piston then drives the bolt carrier rearward while the dirty gases exit the firearm clear of the action itself. Combined with LWRCI’s nickel-boron coating and the superalloy components used in the piston system, this means the action stays cleaner, longer, thus reducing carbon buildup that leads to malfunction.
The tradeoff, of course, is that piston-operated platforms typically cost more than their direct gas-impingement counterparts. Some have pointed out that the piston system increases felt recoil, but the difference is negligible, especially with the 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem. cartridge.
For some people the increase in cost is worth it, particularly when the mission profile includes the discharge of high volumes of ammunition and minimal time for cleaning. For the warfighter, reliability is obviously paramount, and the cost is often negligible in comparison to the value gained. For the weekend shooter, the cost may not be necessary but could nonetheless be desirable.
Historically, the other problem has been the way in which the piston operating system has been applied to the AR platform. Early on, several manufacturers tried to take Stoner’s design and modify it for use with a piston system, but without considering the effects this would have on components that weren’t designed for that purpose. Ultimately this led to issues like carrier tilt and damage to the lower receiver.
What LWRCI and others have done, however, is engineer the AR concept and components specifically for use with a short-stroke, gas-piston operating system. Rather than being an afterthought, the short-stroke piston operation is foundational to the LWRCI M6IC-A5.
The AR Evolved Among the standout features on the new A5 is a machined Monoforge upper receiver with an integrated rail base that is lighter and stronger than previous two-piece designs. The rail comes pre-drilled for a host of rail segment configurations to meet the user’s needs and preferences, including the option to install a quad rail via the retaining screw holes.
The upper also eliminates the need for a standard barrel nut, and instead is secured by a proprietary non-indexing torque ring. This ring system provides even pressure around the barrel for optimal fit. Not only is the upper and rail design functional, it’s also visually appealing. Available Cerakote finishes include Flat Dark Earth (FDE), Olive Drab Green (ODG) and Patriot Brown (PBC), and then of course as Henry Ford always said, there’s black.
LWRCI prides itself on providing the customer with top-tier quality parts in its firearms, according to Jeff Clemmer, vice president of product development, which is why it manufactures its cold hammer-forged barrels in house. The barrels are forged from 41V45 steel alloy and are treated with NiCorr surface conversion technology, which the company claims is more resistant to wear, heat and corrosion than hard chrome.
The LWRCI M6IC-A5 features eye-catching spiral fluting to provide a barrel that’s 20 percent lighter than those of similar diameter. The barrel is pretty damn sleek to look at, but the spiral fluting also allows the barrel to cool faster and, according to LWRCI, provides greater accuracy. Featuring a scallop-cut design on the front of the handguard, the A5 also has an easy-to-access, two-position gas block for use with or without a suppressor and includes a standard A2-style flash hider.
As a duty-built rifle, the LWRCI M6IC-A5 is fully ambidextrous, allowing the shooter to manipulate the firearm from a number of different positions and/or around, over or under barriers. This includes ambidextrous safety selector, charging handle and mag release.
The bolt and carrier group feature LWRCI’s patented nickel-alloy coating, as does the trigger unit. The nickel-alloy coating, according to the company, provides a permanently lubricated surface that never rubs off or attracts debris. Two barrel length options are available, either a 14.7- or 16.1-inch configuration, with not even half a pound of weight difference between the two. The rifle tested was the 16-inch version.
Range Tested Accuracy testing was conducted at 100 yards from a bench with a Steiner M5Xi 3-15x50mm Military optic, while close-range target work was performed with EOTech’s HHS II EXPS2-2 with G33.STS magnifier. Velocity was measured with a Competition Electronics ProChrono chronograph from Brownells.
The first load tested was the Nosler Custom 69-grain Match Grade, which posted an average velocity of 2,507 feet per second (fps), a standard deviation of 15 fps and an extreme spread of 27 fps. The best group of the accuracy testing came with the Nosler Custom, which produced an uber-impressive group of just .254 inch. The average group was 1.28 inches.
The second load tested was Hornady’s 55-grain V-MAX, which is quite typically a top performer. The 55-grain V-MAX posted a miniscule best group of .361 inch and an average group of .80 inch. The average velocity was 2,793 fps, with a standard deviation of 27 fps and an extreme spread of 49 fps.
Third and finally, HPR’s 62-grain Black Ops was tested. Packaged to perfection, the Black Ops load produced a best group of 1.38 inches and an average of 1.67 inches. The average velocity was 2,694 fps, with an extreme spread of 32 fps and a standard deviation of 21 fps.
Parting Shots One of the main advantages with the LWRCI M6IC-A5 is that you get a highly-advanced, highly-functional, short-stroke, gas-piston operated AR right out of the box for $2,749 (MSRP). Sure, you could make similar upgrades yourself, but let’s face it — not everybody wants a do-it-yourself AR build. Even then, very few DIY builds would rival the A5.
The A5 also comes fully loaded with Magpul pistol grip and magazines, as well as a nickel-boron coating on the trigger, bolt carrier and group, and barrel. Flip-up sights come standard, while a continuous top rail provides a great number of day and night optic configurations. The rifle is also fully ambidextrous, incredibly ergonomic in design and functional to operate. Color options match an already sleek design, and you know you’re getting an aerospace-grade gun with unsurpassed longevity.
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.
Designed to bring a little more stopping power to the AR platform, the 6.8 Remington SPC serves both tactical and hunting purposes.
After extensive test firings into ordnance gel blocks, and on military firing ranges with the .30 Remington cases sized for .30, 7mm, .270, 6.5mm, and 6mm bullets, .270-caliber bullets delivered the best balance of velocity, accuracy and terminal performance. Hornady and Remington offer loaded 6.8 SPC ammunition.
