Back in August of this year, Remington introduced a new model to its R1 line of 1911 pistols. This new gun, chambered in the potent 10mm Auto and featuring a 6-inch stainless steel match grade barrel, was dubbed the Remington R1 10mm Hunter LS (Long Slide).
According to the company, this new long slide 1911 was purpose built primarily for hunters to use afield. And given its powerful chambering and its long, accurate barrel, it would seem well suited to that task.
This fall, during Remington's annual New Product Seminar in West Virginia, I was able to spend a little time with the new R1 10mm Hunter LS at The Summit, a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) shooting facility. Although I wasn't able to put the gun through a typical accuracy test with a variety of ammunition, I did put close to 50 rounds of Remington's UMC 180-grain FMJ through it, and that was in addition to the untold number of rounds fired through it by other members of the media before I picked it up. As such, I can't provide a full review of the gun, but I can offer some first impressions.
Firs off, the R1 10mm Hunter LS feels great in the hand. The gun wears VZ Operator II G10 grips and sports a checkered mainspring housing, as well as an extended beavertail grip safety with a checkered bump. These features, combined with the gun's heft, courtesy of a weight of 41 ounces, results in a comfortable yet solid feel in the hands. And the weight and extended barrel length obviously help with recoil, which, although clearly present, wasn't unbearable by any means.
The sights on the Remington R1 10mm Hunter LS are also tailored for accuracy, being adjustable at the front and rear. The rear is a fully adjustable LPA match sight, while the front is a drift adjustable fiber optic. I didn't bother with adjustments at the event, however, because I had no problem hitting the steel targets that had been set out at around 20 yards or so.
A lot of 1911s are known for having very good triggers, and the Remington R1 10mm Hunter LS does not disappoint. The gun has a skeletonized adjustable trigger that can be set between 3.5 and 5.5 pounds, depending on the shooter's preference. I'm not sure what the pull was set at when I shot the gun, but it felt pretty consistent, clean and smooth every time.
There are several other nice features on the gun, including wide front and rear cocking serrations for manipulating the slide, ambidextrous safety levers, a PVD DLC finish on both slide and frame for added durability, and a beveled, oversized ejection port to help with smooth ejection of spent cases. Another important element on the gun is a Picatinny accessory rail for lights and lasers, which the R1 10mm Hunter LS should have plenty of room for given its extended length.
The new Remington R1 10mm Hunter LS is available at an MSRP of $1,310 and ships with two 8-round stainless steel, flush-fit magazines. For dedicated handgun hunters, or fans of the 10mm Auto looking for a 1911 chambered in that cartridge, this gun should definitely be a consideration.
Specifications for the new Remington R1 10mm Hunter LS can be found below. For more information on the gun, visit Remington's website.
Specifications:
Remington R1 10mm Hunter LS Type: Semi-auto, single action Caliber: 10mm Auto Barrel: 6-in., match grade, stainless Twist: 1:16 in. Overall Length: 9.5 in. Overall Height: 5.75 in. Weight: 41 oz. Frame: Stainless steel Slide: Stainless steel Finish: PVD DLC Trigger: 3.5-5.5 lbs., adjustable Grip: VZ Operator II G10 MSRP: $1,310 Manufacturer: Remington
I am by no means a fan of cleaning firearms. I absolutely love the smell of Hoppe’s No. 9 (I’ve been known to use it as cologne) but cleaning guns is a chore and I avoid it like the plague, especially semi-automatic pistols. You know the routine: Take ‘em apart, clean ‘em, reassemble, rinse and repeat. It’s much more fun to shoot.
While at the SHOT Show’s Industry Day at the Range, the fine gents from Federal Premium told me about the company’s new American Eagle Syntech ammunition, and I was immediately intrigued.
“Phil it burns cleaner, keeps the barrel cooler due to our synthetic jacket on the bullet severely reducing friction, and will actually reduce muzzle jump. It even features a lead-free primer, perfect for use in an indoor range,” said J.J. Reich, the Public Relations Manager for Federal.
Burns cleaner? That translates to less cleaning, right? I had to try this stuff, and see if it lived up to those claims. I figured a decent test would be to compare the Syntech stuff to the American Eagle FMJ ammo, a common choice for range work, and see if there was any observable difference. So, I grabbed up a few boxes of each type of ammo, in 9mm Luger—147-grain FMJ stuff, and the 115-grain Syntech load—as well as the Hoppe’s cleaning kit and my trusty Lyman cleaning rod and headed to the range.
I started out by thoroughly cleaning the test gun, a Tangfolio 9mm, and proceeded to fire 50 rounds of the FMJ load, checking the barrel heat in 10-shot intervals, and then cleaned the pistol again. I then repeated the process using the Syntech ammo, noting any differences between the two types of ammunition. The results were rather interesting, if not exactly scientific; but they do relate to real-world scenarios. Comparing the solvent-soaked patches, it was very clear that the Syntech ammo left much less of a mess. Not that the FMJ ammo was exactly a filthy affair, but there was much less fouling and residue left behind from the Syntech ammunition.
And as far as the cooler burning claim, I must report that there was a definite, appreciable difference in barrel heat, and the Syntech stuff did in fact run cooler than the FMJ ammo. After about 30 rounds of FMJ ammunition, the barrel was absolutely too hot to touch—not really good for the pistol, but hey, this is science after all—but not so with the Syntech ammo. Using a 10-round magazine, and only allowing enough time to reload between firings, the Syntech ammo still allowed the barrel to be touched after 50 rounds. The Syntech ammunition produced less muzzle jump than did the FMJ variant, though a part of that equation may have been the difference in bullet weight—147 grains for the FMJ and 115 grains for the Syntech—but all in all I was able to get back on target faster with the lighter load. So far, I had quickly become a fan of the new design, and could easily see the benefits of the engineering efforts. I had no means of testing the chemical composition of the new Catalyst lead-free primer, other than to report the fact that it gave reliable ignition, so I’ll have to take Federal’s word for it, but I can easily see where a lead-free primer would be welcomed in any of the indoor shooting ranges that have become so popular. The less lead vapor in the air, whether from a projectile or the primer, the better.
Now that I had a better feel for the ammo, and that those claims that J.J. Reich had made were actually validated, it was time to assess the accuracy and function of the ammunition.
Firstly, this Tangfolio pistol has a rather stiff set of springs and has been known to stovepipe lesser, more feeble types of ammo, so I was concerned about the light-for-caliber 115-grain stuff. I wasn’t too awfully concerned about the 147-grain flat point FMJ stuff, as this gun usually likes that weight of bullet. I also knew that in my hands, this gun usually hits high at the 10-yard mark, so as long as point of impact was consistent, I would be happy.
Both types of ammunition worked very well over the course of 100 rounds of each type with only two jams, one stovepipe with each type, and I’d attribute that to the rapid fire testing methods I had employed. There were no firing malfunctions, and the Syntech stuff proved to be rather accurate; I am a fair pistol shot, at best, and I could keep the groups to minute-of-softball, offhand, at ten paces. As expected, the groups were a bit on the high side, but that’s the way this gun handles when I’m behind the trigger. The Syntech ammo actually performed better than the 147-grain flat point FMJ stuff, in the accuracy department, to the point that I’d definitely prefer practicing with Syntech.
Running it through the Oehler 35P chronograph, the Syntech ammo ran at an average of 1,115 fps—just 15 fps below the advertised 1,130 fps—and gave rather uniform velocities, with the standard deviation on velocity being no more than 12 fps.
All in all, I feel the Syntech ammunition is worthwhile. The polymer coating, which completely encapsulates the lead projectile, definitely reduces the amount of lead being vaporized when firing your gun, as it doesn’t allow the burning gases or the rifling to touch the lead itself. The Total Synthetic Jacket, or TSJ as Federal calls it, is designed to stay intact during ignition as well as during flight. Federal also indicates that due to a lack of a copper jacket, the amount of lead splatter is reduced when shooting at steel plates, and while I had no means of measuring that, it does make logical sense.
For the shooter who turns large amounts of ammunition into piles of spent brass over the course of a weekend, American Eagle’s Syntech is an excellent blend of affordability, reliability and results. The cooler temperature will allow your pistol to cycle smoother, and the fact that the gun will run cleaner is a huge benefit to all of us. As sweet as Hoppe’s No. 9 smells, the less I have to use it, the happier I am. Here’s to cleaning less!
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the September 2016 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Ever since its introduction back in 2008, Ruger's LCP pistol has been an immensely popular choice for concealed carriers. Chambered in .380 ACP, the original LCP found great success because of its slight build, its ability to be easily concealed, and its excellent reliability.
Despite its popularity, however, there were several aspects of the pistol that some shooters were critical of, such as the trigger and the iron sights. Ruger attempted to address some of these when it released the LCP Custom, which featured a slightly improved double-action trigger and better iron sights, a little while back.
Now, Ruger is upgrading the LCP again, this time to a larger degree. The new gun, dubbed the Ruger LCP II incorporates several improvements over previous LCP models, namely a short and crisp single-action trigger that features an inner trigger safety; improved visibility iron sights; a larger, textured grip surface; and a slide that's easier to rack and holds open after the last round.
The stippled grip surface should help with control and recoil distribution, while the new single-action trigger and larger, more visible iron sights should help improve accuracy. The enhanced slide stop mechanism, which allows for a last round hold-open, should also be a nice addition.
The new Ruger LCP II is slightly larger than its predecessor – 5.17 inches in length and 3.71 inches in height versus 5.16 inches in length and 3.60 inches in height on the original – but this might help with control and accuracy. Smaller after all, isn't always better. The LCP II weighs a svelte 10.6 ounces and holds 6+1 rounds of .380 ACP, and for this reason represents an excellent back-up gun (BUG) option.
“With modern styling, improved features and a modest price, the LCP II promises to raise the bar on what people have come to expect in a compact .380 Auto pistol,” said Ruger President and COO Chris Killoy. “The LCP II is another fine example of Ruger's product innovation and dedication to continuous improvement of a popular product line.”
The American manufacturer builds the LCP II on a one-piece, precision-machined anodized aluminum chassis that includes integral frame rails and a fire control housing. The gun features a through-hardened alloy steel slide and the company's classic glass-filled nylon grip frame. A finger grip extension floorplate is also available, which can be added to magazines for increased comfort and a more stable grip.
The new Ruger LCP II is available at an MSRP of $349. It ships with one 6-round magazine and a pocket holster. It is backwards compatible with original 6-round LCP magazines; however, when using those, the last round hold-open feature will not activate. It is not compatible with original 7-round LCP magazines.
For more information on the Ruger LCP II, check out the specifications below or visit the Ruger website.
Specifications:
Ruger LCP II Type: Semi-auto, single action Caliber: .380 ACP Barrel: 2.75 in., blued, alloy steel Twist: 1:16-in. Overall Length: 5.17 in. Overall Height: 3.71 in. Overall Width: 0.91 in. Weight: 10.6 oz. Sights: Integral, iron sights Grip: Black, glass-filled nylon Price: $349 Manufacturer: Ruger
You are not going to attach your expensive new suppressor to the firearm of your choice with hose clamps and duct tape. You need something more permanent, rigid, aligned and reliable.
The mounting methods to attach a suppressor to a firearm fall into a few categories: direct thread, quick-attach, booster, integral, and exotic and rare.
Here, we'll examine quick-attach mounts.
Quick-attach is a development that comes to us for a particular reason – cost. Direct thread is a secure, rigid and easy method by which to attach a suppressor. But, once a suppressor is torqued in place, you need a wrench to remove it, and you need that wrench to install it on the next firearm. If you have a suppressor and two or three or more rifles you want to use it on, the wrench-and-direct-thread method gets old fast.
So, the makers came up with a mount called a “muzzle device”: one that threads onto the muzzle and stays there for the service life of the barrel. The muzzle device has a cylindrical or coned bearing surface, and fast-pitch threads and a ratchet or locking system. You can install the suppressor by hand in a few seconds and, assuming it isn’t too hot to handle, swap it from one rifle to another as quickly. No wrench needed.
A few details need explaining. “Fast-pitch” in this context does not describe a softball league, but the number of turns it takes to tighten a suppressor, or any threaded fastener. Let’s take the common 1⁄2-28 thread for a 5.56 mount. If the threaded portion, the shank, is half an inch long, then it will take fourteen complete rotations to get it all the way tight. A fast-pitch thread will be so coarse that it takes maybe two full rotations to tighten the suppressor, maybe one-and-a-half. Also, the threads on the muzzle device will often not be the common “V” threads you are familiar with, but have a profile known as Acme threads, which are flat-topped pyramids, not a pointy V.
This is a fast-pitch thread. The Acme thread on this AAC mount has a grand total of one and a quarter turns to lock. That's fast. Also note the ratchet teeth on the mount itself.
The ratchet is there to lock the suppressor in place. A fast-pitch thread lacks the torque to stay tight, especially since it is wrenched on by hand and not with a tool. If you had only the fast-pitch threads, your suppressor would vibrate loose once per magazine. The ratchet locks the suppressor on, once you have bottomed out the fast-pitch threads.
Muzzle devices can be, and usually are, more than just mounts. At the very least, they are also flash hiders. So, if you have the rifle with the mount but for some reason are shooting it without the suppressor, you still have a barrel with a flash hider on it. Some are made as muzzle brakes. When the suppressor is on, the muzzle brake feature doesn’t happen. When the suppressor is off, the muzzle device works just like a brake or comp on a competition rifle. The shooter next to you will not be as enthused about that as he or she was when you were using your suppressor.
The drawbacks are not inconsequential, even if they are not deal-killers. First of all, a muzzle device is manufacturer-specific as well as caliber-specific. If you have a suppressor from manufacturer “A” you cannot attach it on a muzzle device from manufacturer “B” or vice-versa. Also, each muzzle device costs as much as $125, and you need one on each rifle that you want to put the suppressor on. That can add up. No, you cannot move the muzzle device from rifle to rifle, as if it were simply a direct-thread rear cap-equipped suppressor. Well, you can, but why would you? You’ve paid extra for the muzzle device, and for the specific model that requires it. Why treat it as a direct-thread suppressor, one of which you could have purchased for as much as $300 less, the muzzle device being half that? Last, the suppressor itself will cost a bit more than a comparable direct-thread model, because it takes extra metal and machining to create the quick-attach rear cap that is welded or threaded or machined into the suppressor.
The ratchet for this Yankee Hill muzzle device is spring-loaded, and inside the cylindrical collar.
Finally, all this adds weight. Yes, it is only a few ounces, but it still adds weight. If you went with, for example, a titanium suppressor because you wanted it to be light, and then you go and add a steel muzzle device for mounting it, you just took away some of the lightweight advantage you paid a lot of money for.
A QC/QA suppressor and three muzzle devices (to mount on three different rifles) can end up costing as much as two direct-thread suppressors from the same manufacturer. Not to pick on them, but since I’ve got their catalog open on my desk at the moment, let’s look at a pair of SIG silencers (that’s the term they prefer), the SRD556 and the SRD556-QD. The QD version costs $100 more and weighs 3.5 ounces more. It does come with the muzzle device, but if you wanted to mount your SIG silencer on another rifle, you’d have to buy another QD mount, at $69. Which, by the way, is half what other muzzle devices cost for comparable suppressors. So SIG is giving you a real break here.
So, if you have two SRD556s that comes to $1,090 (MSRP). A single SRD556-QD and two muzzle devices comes to $780. Yes, it will take you a while to get to the point where it is cheaper to buy the direct-thread version in volume, but I hope you get the point. At some point, it is cheaper, and with other manufacturers, it will happen sooner.
Quick-attach muzzle devices are brand-specific, each accepting its own brand suppressor (and caliber) and no other.
QA Variants
You can make a fast-pitch thread on a mount and put a ratchet on it to lock it in place, but there are still many ways to do that. One is to make the ratchet spring-loaded and have it engage teeth on the back end of the muzzle device. Once you screw the suppressor down enough to reach the teeth, the ratchet starts engaging. When it bottoms out, you’re locked onto the last tooth it could reach.
Another way to do it is to spring-load the latch, but instead of grabbing onto teeth, it overlaps the rear shelf of the muzzle device. Here, when the latch gets past the rear shelf, the spring pops it back down, and it prevents rotation to unlock. Here we have the advantage of directional forces. That is, the suppressor wants to rotate to unlock. But the latch pivots in and out from the bore axis, not in the direction of the bore itself. The rotational forces can’t overcome the latch.
Another way to do this is one Surefire uses, a collar with an eccentric opening. The off-center hole of the collar means that when you rotate the collar it pivots to catch the rear shoulder of the muzzle device. Again, the rotational forces act in a different direction than the one the collar moves in.
This article is excerpted from the Gun Digest Book of Suppressors.
Throughout the years, Nikon has been a steady innovator in the optics market, producing quality optics that continue to push the bounds with new technology. One such example is the company's newly introduced Monarch 7i VR Laser Rangefinder, which Nikon states is the world's first laser rangefinder to feature vibration reduction (VR) technology.
Using Nikon's optical VR technology, the new Monarch 7i VR reduces the effect of external vibrations, such as a hand shaking or moving when ranging distant objects. This makes it easier, particularly for hunters or long-range shooters, to keep the target mark on the rangefinder steady, even when unable to keep the body of the rangefinder itself still. In addition to stabilizing the image, this technology also helps steady the laser for increased measurement performance.
As anyone who's tried to range targets in the field or at the range without a stable position can attest, hand shake can be a real problem, especially when the buck of a lifetime happens to come into view. With the VR technology in the Nikon Monarch 7i VR, vibrations of the image in the rangefinder's 6-power viewfinder are reduced, while simultaneously aligning the image with the irradiated beam for quicker and more precise ranging.
The VR technology activates as soon as the rangefinder is on and requires no toggling or manual activation. The Monarch 7i VR Laser Rangefinder can continuously scan for 8 seconds and has an effective measurement range of 8 to 1,000 yards, displaying measurements in .1-yard increments. It features Nikon's HYPER READ technology, providing precise measurements in approximately half a second, irrespective of distance.
The new Nikon Monarch 7i VR also incorporates the manufacturer's ID (Incline/Decline) technology to compensate for angled shots uphill or downhill and comes in a compact, lightweight, and waterproof body for rugged field use. The rangefinder also has the ability to toggle between First Target Priority Mode, which provides a reading of the closest target within a group, or Distant Target Priority Mode, which offers a reading of the farthest target among a group.
“The MONARCH 7i VR is one of the most exciting new products of Nikon's recent releases. Not only does this make it easier for hunters and shooters to range objects at long distances, we are able to offer it at a price point that doesn't break the bank. We strive to make practical advances in hunting optics, and this is just the beginning of some exciting new things hunters can expect from Nikon,” said Randy Garrison, Associate General Manager at Nikon Sport Optics.
The brand new Nikon Monarch 7i VR Laser Rangefinder is currently available for $399.95.
Get the most recent advances in guns and gear to extend your range for hunting, informal target shooting, and formal competition. Discover new tools for long-range shooters both in the field and on the firing range, with coverage of new developments from advances in military applied combat theory. Learn more
In the couple years since Savage Arms introduced its groundbreaking A17, a semi-auto rimfire rifle chambered in the speedy .17 HMR, the company has been building on that design. This past year, the manufacturer added two new Target models of the A17, as well as a .22 Magnum version, dubbed the A22 Magnum.
Something that has been missing in the A Series line, as some might have noticed, is a model chambered in the ubiquitous .22 LR. Savage has now officially addressed that vacancy with the addition of its new A22 rifle chambered in .22 LR.
The new Savage A22 shares the same modern and functional aesthetic as its predecessor but comes in a caliber that is more widely available and affordable to a broader range of shooters. The rifle use a smooth, straight blowback action that feeds a diverse array of .22 LR ammo reliably, and its receiver is machined using a single billet of case-hardened steel instead of the traditional die-cast construction found on many rimfires.
Like previous A Series rifles, the Savage A22 utilizes the same thread-in headspace system as the company's excellent centerfire rifles. It also uses a similar, flush-fit, 10-round rotary magazine that is one of the brand's proprietary designs. A 25-round extended magazine will also be available as an aftermarket option, courtesy of a partnership between Savage and accessories manufacturer Butler Creek.
The new A22 features Savage's excellent, user-adjustable AccuTrigger and a button-rifled, 22-inch carbon steel barrel, so accuracy on the gun should be quite good. The rifle ships with adjustable open steel sights, but it also comes drilled and tapped for those who wish to add an optic.
With its sturdy, yet lightweight synthetic stock, the new Savage A22 weighs in at about 5.63 pounds, which makes it a perfect option for carrying afield after small game. It has an overall length of 41.5 inches.
The MSRP on the new Savage A22 in .22 LR is currently listed at just $281, a bargain for rimfire fans or shooters in the market for a new semi-auto .22 LR rifle. For more information, visit the Savage Arms website.
There are many great optics choices designed to give you the edge in close-quarters engagements where seconds count.
Sometimes, speed matters. Whether your life is on the line or you simply like finding your target quickly and efficiently, you need a sight that finds the mark in an instant, every time. The good news is that you have lots of options. The bad news? There isn’t any.
Reflex sights and red dots alike are ideal choices for personal protection and competitive shooting, as well as military and law enforcement applications. They range in size and price, but make no mistake: They’ll all do what you ask them to when you need them most.
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the August 2016 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Recently, Colt has made an effort to bolster its brand by increasing its presence in the competitive sector. It has done this, in part, by establishing a dedicated competitive unit under the banner of Team Colt, which includes well-known shooters Maggie Reese and Mark Redl.
During the recent IPSC Nationals, which took place September 17-18 in Frostproof, Florida, both Team Colt shooters had solid performances. Reese and Redl both placed in the elite competition, with Reese leaving with a win.
“We couldn't be more honored by this performance,” said Paul Spitale, VP at Colt. “Team Colt is on the front lines of competitive shooting, championing the excellence that we strive for every day here at the Colt factory.”
Maggie Reese excelled during the event, placing first in the Ladies Class within the Classic Division. “I shot my 9mm Colt Government Model which is perfect for this division,” said Reese. “Shooting a minor caliber (such as 9mm) requires more focus on accuracy because of the scoring structure; consistent shot-placement is critical.”
Meanwhile, Mark Redl placed third in the Senior Class in Classic Division. “I used my off-the-shelf Colt Competition Pistol in 9mm for this match,” said Mark Redl, Team Colt Shooter and Product Manager at Colt. “This was the type of match I had in mind when we were in the design process for this pistol, and the performance I get from it is excellent.”
The competition was demanding, with plenty of Florida heat and a tough course of fire. Featuring shots on both paper and steel targets at distances over 20 yards, including penalty and moving targets, as well as awkward shooting positions and strong-hand/weak-hand scenarios, competitors faced many challenges during the course of competition.
The timer beeps, the adrenalin rushes, and the rounds find their mark. With thrills like that it’s no wonder pistol competitions are among the fastest growing facets of the firearm’s world. And Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to Competitive Pistol Shooting arms shooters with the knowledge to get into the game. The comprehensive resource breaks down the most popular pistol events — IDPA, IPSC, Steel Challenge, GSSF, Bull’s Eye, Cowboy Action, Bianchi Cup and 3-Gun — to their bare essentials, giving shooters a solid grasp of what it takes to set their sights on gold. Get Your Copy
When it was released in late 2015 ahead of the annual SHOT Show, it was readily apparent that the American Pistol would be a big ticket item for Ruger. The full-size, striker-fired, polymer-framed pistol offered a lot in terms of features and performance, and it came in an ergonomic design, all for an MSRP south of $600. It was designed based on law enforcement and military input and was built to be both incredibly rugged and unquestionably reliable.
It's probably safe to say that many in the industry were confident this wasn't a standalone design, but rather the first in a new family of pistols. As it turns out, Ruger did not disappoint.
The American manufacturer has announced the addition of a brand new Compact model of the Ruger American Pistol. Chambered in 9mm Luger and available in both Manual Safety and Pro model configurations without a manual safety, the new Ruger American Compact pistol has been built with a more concealable profile tailored for those who carry.
This new American Pistol utilizes a slightly shorter, 3.55-inch barrel as opposed to the standard, duty-sized 4.20-inch barrel, and it shaves off 1.25 ounces of weight, going from 30 ounces down to 28.75 ounces with an empty magazine. Overall dimensions on the new Ruger American Compact pistol are 6.65 inches in length, 1.40 inches in width, and 4.48 inches in height. That takes about 0.85 inches off the overall length and 1.12 inches off the height, while leaving the width unchanged when compared to the standard American Pistol.
Much of the rest of the pistol is similar to its older, larger sibling, including the recoil-reducing barrel cam that disperses recoil over time, the low-mass slide, and a naturally low bore axis for better balance and recoil management. The Ruger American Compact also features the same pre-tensioned striker-fire system and wrap-around modular grip system. As with the American, it is also constructed on a rigid, one-piece, precision-machined, black nitrided, stainless steel chassis incorporating integral frame rails and the fire control housing.
The new Ruger American Compact comes with Novak LoMount Carry three-dot iron sights and a mil-spec 1913 Picatinny accessory rail. The gun ships in a durable hard case along with small, medium, and large replaceable grips, as well as two nickel-teflon plated steel magazines – one, a 17-round extended magazine and the other, a 12-round compact magazine. Versions with 10-round magazines are also available.
The Ruger American Compact pistol carries the same MSRP as the duty-sized American: $579. It is currently only available in 9mm Luger.
Specifications:
Ruger American Compact Pistol Type: Striker-fired semi-auto Caliber: 9mm Barrel: 3.55 in. Overall Length: 6.65 in. Overall Height: 4.48 in. Overall Width: 1.40 in. Weight: 28.75 oz. Slide: Stainless steel, black nitride finish Frame: Glass-filled nylon, black Trigger: Pre-tensioned, striker-fired Sights: Novak LoMount Carry three-dot Magazine Capacity: 17+1 rounds (10 and 12 rounds) MSRP: $579 Manufacturer: Ruger; Ruger.com
Here’s a look at some of the top hunting gear this year.
As any experienced hunter can attest, there’s a lot the deer and elk woods can throw at you. From inclement weather and nefarious insects to long-distance meat hauls and the exploration of vast and unfamiliar terrain, there’s a lot to prepare for before you head out after your meat. If you hold as dearly to the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared,” as I do, then it’s worth considering as many needs as possible that you’ll face off grid and in chase of game. Fortunately, there’s more gear solutions than ever; the only challenge is sifting through them all to find the true winners.
They say necessity is the mother of invention, which certainly holds true when it comes to outdoor and hunting gear. Based on decades of time spent afield, and with plenty of real-world experience testing the best and worst gear, I’ve compiled a list of hunting gear that’s both essential and the best in class for you this fall. So read up, gear up, and get after it!
OnXMaps Hunt Of all the gear I can’t live without, my Garmin 64ST with the OnXMaps Hunt chip is at the very top of the list. The same goes for the iPhone Hunt App, which now syncs with OnXMaps’ new online platform and overlays satellite imagery with public and private land sections (also available on iPad). OnXMaps gives you the confidence to negotiate tracts of land you’d otherwise ignore for fear of trespassing, and it enables you to scout new and unfamiliar territory. The program also displays the names of private landowners, state wildlife areas and BLM roads. The Hunt App runs $29.99 annually, syncs with the online platform, and allows you to map out routes, drop waypoints and save maps to your phone for offline viewing (even when you don’t have service, the GPS in your phone will show your location on the offline maps). The hunt chip for a GPS unit runs $99, with a $30 fee for an annual update (purchased separately). OnXMaps is quite simply the most useful tool in my hunting toolbox. (HuntingGPSMaps.com; GPS chip $99; App $29).
SPOT Gen3 As Outdoor Life’s annual survival issue makes clear, getting stuck out in the wilderness by yourself in an emergency situation is thrilling to read about but something we’d never want to experience personally. Because I often hunt or scout remote locations by myself, I don’t leave home without my SPOT Gen3 device, which allows me to send messages to friends or alert emergency personnel via satellite if things go south. I can even set the device to track my progress in different time intervals, and my wife can follow my route via the SPOT app on her smartphone. The device also allows you to send a couple of different pre-programmed messages along with your current location—you can let a friend know everything is OK, request non-emergency help, or let your wife know you’ll be late packing out elk quarters. (FindMeSpot.com; Gen3 $170, service charges vary)
Sitka Big Game Gear Serious hunting calls for serious clothing, and no one has mastered hardcore adventure hunt wear like Sitka. The company has mastered the concept of a clothing system, each of which is built for every season and the continually changing climate you might experience in a single day in the elements. Two of its best pieces of gear are the Dewpoint jacket and pant, incredibly packable Gortex rainwear that weigh right around 20 ounces. For day hunts, the Ascent 12 pack is remarkably lightweight and sturdy. It has a bow tie-down system and side straps, plus a hydration sleeve and 1,200 cubic inches of storage. When the late season hits and you need waterproofing with extreme insulation, the Coldfront GTX glove is almost impossible to beat. High-grip leather palms ensure you won’t lose your hold on the mountain. (SitkaGear.com; Dewpoint Jacket $399, pant $369; Ascent 12 Pack $169; Coldfront glove $149).
Primos Sonic Dome Calls & Trigger Sticks When it comes to speaking the language, nobody does it quite like Primos. From whitetail to elk, Primos calls have always been among the best in the business. For calling in elk, the Sonic Dome mouth calls are in a league of their own. The dome allows you to keep pressure on the diaphragm without collapsing the call on the roof of your mouth, and the sounds they produce for cow, calf, satellite bull and bugle are phenomenal. The Mini Dome three pack ($15) features three of Primos’ best mouth calls, and for bugling I utilize the Terminator System ($40) with the same diaphragm calls. When rifle season rolls around, my go-to set of shooting sticks is the Jim Shockey Trigger Stick Gen 2 tripod. With a squeeze of the “trigger” on the grip, the gravity-powered legs extend out to fit the contour of whatever ground you’re standing on. They are incredibly sturdy and feature a rubber-padded, V-shaped rest for the stock of your rifle. The sticks aren’t exactly cheap, but they are vital to my hunt. (Primos.com; Sonic Dome three pack $15; Terminator Elk System $40; Trigger Stick Gen 2 $195)
Lowa Bighorn Hunter G3 GTX It’s absolutely essential to protect your feet when you’re churning out mile after mile in rugged country, which is why I’ve always invested in the best boots I could afford. No company has earned my trust more than Lowa, which has a reputation for industry-leading construction and award-winning boot designs. The Bighorn Hunter G3 GTX is perfect for nasty country and late season hunts, giving you the kind of rigid foot bed and supportive upper that deliver superior performance on steep slopes and in cold weather. The boot features 200 grams of PrimaLoft insulation, a Gore-Tex lining and ultra-durable Nubuck leather upper with a rubber rand that adds optimal protection against rocks and debris. The Bighorn Hunter isn’t light (67 ounces), but it’s my go-to workhorse when chasing down and packing out meat in mountainous terrain. (LowaBoots.com; Bighorn Hunter G3 GTX $460)
Tenzing CF13 Carbon Fiber Frame Pack System A frame pack that weighs just 3 pounds and can carry more than 100 times its own weight? You’ve got my attention. Tenzing’s CF13 pack features a carbon fiber frame with detachable top fanny and main cargo bag with 11 compartments and pockets, making it a completely modular solution for hunters hauling out meat or hanging treestands in the whitetails woods. The pack accommodates a 3-liter water bladder and has a fully adjustable suspension system and waist belt for heavy loads and multi-day pack trips. It’s not a stretch to call the CF13 the ultimate in frame pack systems. (TenzingOutdoors.com; CF13 Pack $900)
Montana Decoy RMEF Cow Elk Decoy I’ve gotten my fair share of critical remarks for hauling around elk decoys, but I’ll gladly take the heat because they flat out work. Nobody builds a packable, life-like decoy quite like Montana Decoy, which is why I’ve been relying on them for years. One of the best new models is the RMEF Cow Elk, which folds down in about two seconds and fits on the back of my pack. Two lightweight poles stake into the ground and hold the decoy upright. Once the calling starts and that bull sees the decoy, it’s game over. (MontanaDecoy.com; RMEF Cow $110)
GSI Pinnacle Dualist Cookset & Microlite 500 Vacuum Bottle No companion sees more time in the truck with me scouting the early mornings and late nights than the Microlite 500 from GSI. A stainless constructed, vacuum-sealed bottle means you can throw it in a pack or on the ATV and not worry about spillage even on the bumpiest of roads, and your coffee is still hot hours later. At less than 8 ounces it’s amazingly light and features a locking, push-button lid. It’ll hold 500 ml of fluid, or roughly 16 ounces. When it comes time to fix a quick breakfast on the tailgate, heat up some quick road tea or lunch around the campfire, the Pinnacle Dualist two-person cookset is a nimble and packable game changer. A high-efficiency, 8,768-BTU burner boils water in no time, and all of it packs down into a miniscule single pouch that includes two bowls, Foons (fork spoon), two insulated cups and a windscreen. Throw in your go back, truck or backcountry pack and you’ve got meals in a hurry. (GSIOutdoors.com; Microlite 500 $25; Pinnacle Dualist $110)
Lander Cascade Power Bank When you’re perched on a mountain running OnXMaps on your smartphone, or sitting in a treestand conquering Candy Crush while that king of bucks keeps you waiting, you can never have enough backup juice for your electronic device. Enter Lander’s Cascade power bank, which provides 5,200 mAh of power and about two full charges and comes in a portable, rugged body with lanyard for easy stowing. The power bank features micro and full-size USB ports and LED power indicators with Smart Charge Technology so you get the most out of your charge for extended outdoor excursions. (Lander.com; $50)
Blackhawk YOMP Pack When you spend the entire fall chasing game through the woods, no item is more pivotal than your backpack. One of my favorite packs of all time is Blackhawk’s YOMP pack, which is available in black or camo and is constructed with 500 denier nylon for extreme durability. It comes with a water pouch that will accommodate a 100-ounce bladder, a main pocket with internal mesh pouches, and two sizeable side pouches for stowing field gear. My favorite part is the rigid mesh frame that provides stability and lumbar support for the days when your load is stout, as well as the ergonomically designed shoulder and waist straps that fit more like a full-size pack rather than a cheap day bag. This is a serious pack for serious hunters. (Blackhawk.com; Multi-Cam $255)
Editor's Note: A portion of this hunting gear guide was featured in the October 2016 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
With the election season just around the corner, gun rights are, or should be, on the minds of most shooters. Guns and gun control, among other issues, have been widely discussed in the years and months leading up to the 2016 presidential election, especially given some of the tragic events of recent years, such as the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut and Aurora, Colorado.
In the aftermath of these events, the discussion surrounding firearms in the U.S. reached a fever pitch, and the topic has remained in the forefront of public discussion since, with many opposed to guns calling for increased gun control. It was in the context of this politically charged public discourse that Jesse Winton decided to create a documentary to get to the heart of the gun control debate and why the right to bear arms is such a crucial aspect of a free society.
Winton's documentary, “Targeted: Exposing the Gun Control Agenda,” premiered in a special one-night event on September 29 at a host of theaters across the country. An encore theater showing will occur in 35+ locations on Wednesday, October 12, with a complete list becoming available soon on the film's website. The DVD and Digital HD release of the documentary will occur on November 1st.
Gun Digest was fortunate enough to chat with Winton, who was both the writer and director for “Targeted,” to ask about the film and what inspired him to undertake the project. Watch the film's official trailer above, and check out our Q&A with Winton below to learn more about this important look at gun rights and freedom in America.
Editor's Note: Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Gun Digest: Where did your interest in film and documentaries begin?
Jesse Winton: I got interested in film when I was about 12 years old. I really started to get involved and began studying filmmaking and the art and the process. Documentaries are a really great way to start in film. You learn how to piece the story together, how to find a story that you want to tell and how to tell it.
As far as “Targeted” specifically, I worked on a documentary when I was 18 or 19 years old that a friend of mine was producing. It was a political documentary on environmentalism, and around that time, I really wasn’t all that politically savvy or politically motivated. But as a result of working on this documentary, I really started to follow politics and the important issues of the day.
So when the time came to put together a project of my own, after seeing the headlines and following the news for quite a while, I was really seeing how important gun control was, how regularly it was discussed, how big of an issue it was to the political dialogue of the day. I figured there was a really great topic there in talking about this issue and how it relates to government and how it relates to what our country looks like right now.
GD: How did you get started with shooting?
JW: Interestingly enough, I’m not really an avid shooter. I own guns. I have them, and I know how to shoot. I shoot off and on. My cousin is big into shooting. My uncle’s big into shooting. My dad really enjoys shooting. So I go and shoot with them every once in a while.
But for me, this project was more motivated by the political side of it and in really studying the politics of gun control and seeing the continual slide that we've had toward more and more government control. I really wanted to look at this issue from the perspective of how it relates to government and how the politics of gun control affect who we are today. So for me, it was less about the guns themselves or about really being inspired because of a love for guns or shooting sports, and it was more about seeing how important this issue is to who we are as Americans and trying to get to the heart of that.
GD: Why did you decide to embark on this particular project? What made you decide this was necessary and something you had to do?
JW: You know, you look through the writings of America's founding fathers and you see—specifically, if you look at their writings on the importance of a free society being armed—how foundational the right to bear arms is to maintaining our freedom. Someone once said, “I was once asked, ‘if I had to choose between the first amendment and the second amendment, which one would I choose,' and I told them I’d pick the second amendment, carry a gun, and say whatever I want.” That’s obviously tongue and cheek. It’s meant to be somewhat satirical, but the idea that’s there I think is really important, that a free people maintain their freedoms.
Obviously, the ability to vote, the fact that we live in a democracy—those are big in maintaining freedom—but at the end of the day, the foundational freedom that holds up all the rest that we’re guaranteed in the bill of rights…they're all propped up by the second amendment and our ability to defend ourselves from tyranny. And if you look through the founders' writings, they were very clear on the purpose of the second amendment. The purpose of an armed populace was to keep from being put into the type of situation that they had just spent 10, 15 years of their lives fighting and dying and bleeding for, which was to free themselves from a tyrannical government.
They wanted people to be able to be free, they wanted people to be able to defend themselves from tyranny, and they wanted people to understand the purpose of being armed, which is maintaining freedom. So that was the motivation for me behind making “Targeted,” being able to talk about the slide that we’re seeing toward more government control and a more socialistic, totalitarian status shift and mindset, and talk about that issue and how it relates to our right to bear arms and our right to keep ourselves free.
GD: In the course of the film, you speak with a lot of big names in politics and within the gun industry. What was that like, and how important were those people to some of the insights you developed?
JW: Obviously, it was a really great experience being able to talk with people who have spent their lives in politics. People like Mike Huckabee. I have so much respect for Senator Rand Paul as well, Thomas Massie. It was an incredible opportunity being able to speak with them.
Aside from the obvious intellectual aspects of the issue we were discussing, I think what I walked away with was a real sense of hope for the fact that there are still good people in government. There are still good people trying to fight for America and the American legacy, to fight for freedom. Speaking with these people that are part of government, that work in government, and that have a very good mindset on it was really encouraging to me.
I think people can take hope in the fact that, while we are dealing with a lot of difficult issues we haven’t had to deal with before as a nation, we also have a lot of really strong, principled people in government that are working for the constitution, and they’re working for maintaining that freedom and maintaining civil liberty. So, in that regard, speaking with those people really gave me a sense of hope.
GD: It seems like a recurring them throughout the film relates to the underlying ideals of freedom and liberty being very much intertwined with gun rights. Could you talk a little more about that?
JW: Yeah, so if you think about the first battle in the American War for Independence at Lexington and Concord, the British army was coming to Lexington and Concord because the colonists had stockpiled guns and ammunition there. The British army was coming to confiscate those. So, you look at that situation, and what that proves is that the British army understood they had to be able to disarm those colonists. They could not subjugate the colonists if they were armed because they would be able to defend themselves.
The very first battle in the war for independence was fought, on a very basic level, over gun control. The founders really understood that, and obviously, the British army understood that. So, this aspect of being able to be free and being able to maintain freedom was something the founders really wanted to guarantee to us, which they did through the bill of rights.
There’s this prevailing idea that gets pumped out by people in the media and by people that are, I think, woefully misinformed, that the second amendment is only there to maintain either the right of a militia or the right of people to own guns to be able to hunt and participate in shooting sports. I think that’s absolutely ludicrous. When you look at the writings of the founders and how clear they were on one—the individual’s right to own a gun—and two—the people’s right as a whole to be able to defend themselves from tyranny—I think that completely blows the idea that the second amendment is there for something other than self defense and defense from government out of the water.
The way it relates to freedom is just, at its core, our ability as a free people to be able to keep ourselves free by keeping the government in check. It’s all part of the checks and balances that we have as part of our system of government.
GD: Have people become too detached or distant from the struggles that led to the freedoms and liberties that our country enjoys, and how does that relate to the movement for gun control?
JW: I think a lot of people have become very passive. We have taken our government for granted. We have taken our society, our culture for granted. There's an attitude of: “This is who we are. This is America. So we don’t really have to work to maintain it.” And I think that what we’re seeing is the result of that.
We’re seeing a lack of information, a lack of people that are really informed, and we’re seeing a lot of people that are very easily swayed by public opinion. They’re easily swayed by emotion. They’re easily swayed by media.
So we’ve lost that sense, fundamentally, of who we are and what America was created to be, which was a free society. I think there’s a lot of people that have forgotten the amount of sacrifice that has been made in the past in order to maintain the freedoms that we enjoy now, and we’ve taken that freedom for granted.
A lot of that is due to media, it’s due to education, and it’s due to the fact that we generally have become somewhat apathetic. We’ve failed to care about the things that we need to care about.
When the Kardashians are more important to a lot of people, or they know more about the Kardashians than they do about American history, that’s a problem. I sincerely believe that this obsession we have developed with pop culture that has taken people and put them into somewhat of a tabloid mindset has completely diminished our ability to think critically about important issues. And it causes us to slide toward this type of society that we’re dealing with, which is a one that’s forgotten the importance of freedom.
GD: In the film, one of the places you travel to is Switzerland, which is another country that has a large gun culture. What was that like, and how was their gun culture similar to or different than ours?
JW: Their gun culture is similar in that it is very ingrained in who they are as the Swiss people. It’s very much a part of the fabric of their history, which I think is the same in a lot of places in the United States.
The way it’s very different and the way that it’s very unique is there’s not a prevailing view that guns are just inherently bad, an attitude that many people in America have. Over in Switzerland, they’re not seen this way. They have an understanding of guns as tools. They have an understanding that guns have a very specific purpose, and they use them for that purpose. They use them very responsibly. But it’s also a very social thing for them.
I had an opportunity to shoot in two of their shooting festivals. It’s the equivalent of a county fair in the United States. There’s people, there’s beer, there’s good food, there’s music, and it’s like the community coming together for one passion, which is being able to shoot. Obviously, it’s a celebration of the sport of shooting, but it's a very different prevailing national attitude toward guns in Switzerland.
GD: What do you hope people take away from watching this documentary?
JW: I’m really hoping that what “Targeted” does is open up a dialogue on the issue in a different way. Obviously, it’s an issue that’s been talked about, and it’s regularly discussed, but I think one of the big problems that’s facing America is that we’ve lost our ability to have civil dialogue about important issues. We become so ingrained within our own mindset and our own ideas that we don’t engage with people with other ideas than ours.
I don’t think its deliberate that people only want to talk with people that have the same ideas. I think it’s just kind of a natural thing. We associate with people that think like us. But when there are discussions on these issues, I think they have a tendency to be uncivil. They have a tendency to slide away from just discussing the logic and discussing the facts and can turn into more emotional discussions, and we lose the civility.
So, I’m hoping that “Targeted” will:
Bring more attention to the agenda
Will be able to open a dialogue and start civil discussions on this issue
Will really inspire people to get involved and to really care
The conclusion that we draw in this film is that the issue of gun control is not only about guns. This whole thing is about freedom. That’s really what it comes down to.
Guns are a piece of that—a huge piece of that. But at the end of the day, this issue relates to freedom, and that’s what it needs to come back to fundamentally, our understanding that we are free, we were created to be free, and we need to maintain that.
Offering hunters a lightning-quick cycling motion and impressive accuracy, the Blaser Professional S is a no-frills, high-performance straight-pull rifle.
Ever since 1993 when Blaser introduced the world to its innovative R93 rifle, the company has been known for its finely crafted and highly functional straight-pull bolt-action rifles. Over the years, the German firearms manufacturer’s R93 and more recent R8 series of straight-pull rifles have become some of the most popular choices for European hunters. Although Blaser rifles have never been quite as popular here in the States, they are fantastic bolt guns that allow for incredibly rapid follow-ups, and more and more American hunters have taken notice.
Today, the original R93 design is more than 20 years old, and while Blaser still includes the R93 in its product offerings, most of the company’s recent efforts have been focused on the R8 line. The most recent R8 model, the R8 Professional S, comes with many of the same great features as other guns in the line but addresses one of the most common criticisms of Blaser rifles: price.
With most of Blaser’s rifles approaching or exceeding $4,000, many American hunters are simply unwilling to spend that much on a hunting rifle, especially one with an unfamiliar action and name. The new Professional S, while still relatively expensive for the average hunter at $2,895, offers a more affordable way to get into a quality Blaser straight-pull rifle.
Streamlined Straight-Pull
So, just how were the engineers at Blaser able to knock almost $1,000 off the final price of this new rifle? The answer is they simply eliminated one aspect common to other R8 models, the removable trigger/magazine housing. Previous rifles in the R8 line have incorporated this feature, which allows users to remove the trigger/magazine housing for safe storage or for traveling purposes.
While this is a nice feature, it’s also something many shooters can certainly live without. In place of the removable housing, the new R8 Professional S has a fixed magazine/trigger unit. This forces shooters to feed the rifle from the top, but other than that it has no appreciable effect on the gun. Most American shooters are used to a fixed unit anyway.
Like prior R8 rifles, at the heart of the Professional S is Blaser’s revolutionary radial locking system. The straight-pull bolt-action rifle has been around since just before the turn of the 20th century in the form of rifles like Ferdinand Mannlicher’s M1895, the Swiss Schmidt-Rubin and the Canadian Ross rifle, but this groundbreaking locking system is what truly separates Blaser’s straight pulls from all the rest.
It works as a set of splines, each of which incorporate a slight bulge at their forward end, form a radial locking lug that interlocks with the barrel. The barrel itself has a groove inside that facilitates this, and the result is a 360-degree lock-up. The bolt slides forward and backward (into and out of lock-up) along rails machined into the stock; there is no rotation in this process at all.
This system permits a very modular design that is a cinch to assemble and disassemble in the field or at home, and obviously an action that is quite smooth and fast cycling.
All parts are more or less self-contained on the R8 Professional S. The barrel drops easily into the stock; two threaded studs, which engage with two captive Allen-head nuts in the stock, hold the barrel in place. Meanwhile, the stock and fixed magazine/trigger housing are completely separate from the bolt and barrel. The bolt itself is essentially a single unit that slides off the stock in seconds with the push of a button.
This allows for rapid caliber interchangeability. If a shooter has another barrel and a bolt with a correctly sized bolt head, the rifle can be quickly reconfigured. The R8 Professional S is available from .222 Remington up to .375 H&H (a .300 Win. Mag. was reviewed), which affords the hunter plenty of options for taking game both large and small.
Another useful feature on the rifle is its manual cocking lever, which rests atop the bolt assembly and also serves as a decocker. When pushed forward, a red indicator shows the rifle is ready to fire and the action is unlocked. In the rearward position, the rifle is decocked and safe; the action is closed and can only be opened again by applying slight forward pressure to the cocking lever before sliding open the action. This is helpful for field use as the hunter can lock the action to prevent it from being accidentally opened while retaining the ability to fire quickly if needed.
The rifle’s stock is a rugged synthetic design with elastomer inlays around the grip and forend for added comfort and control. A rubber buttpad is also included, an added benefit for magnum calibers, especially given the relatively light weight of the rifle at 7 pounds 4 ounces.
Like other R8 models, the Professional S also comes with notches cut into the barrel, which permits the use of Blaser’s unique and highly effective quick-detach optics mount. This combination is a brilliant system that allows for confident removal and reattachment of the scope without losing zero, a plus for traveling hunters.
Range Performance
Testing of the R8 Professional S was conducted with Meopta’s MeoStar R2 1-6×24 RD scope and four different loads: Winchester’s 180-grain Ballistic Silvertip and 150-grain Deer Season XP, and Hornady’s 180-grain American Whitetail and the new 200-grain Precision Hunter ELD-X. Data was acquired from three, three-shot groups for each load taken at 100 yards using a Caldwell Matrix rest from Brownells. Velocities were taken with a ProChrono chronograph, also from Brownells.
I was able to achieve the best group overall with Winchester’s Deer Season XP at .90 inches; however, the best average group went to Hornady’s ELD-X at 1.4 inches. The ELD-X bullet was impressive, with two of three holes touching in each of the groups. I suspect a steadier hand could’ve punched a few ragged three-hole groups. That being said, the rifle was fairly accurate with all tested loads, with best groups for most hovering around MOA.
As with any Blaser, the barrel is a quality one capable of excellent accuracy, so long as the shooter can deliver. The trigger is equally impressive with a light, sharp and clean break at 2½ pounds, and the stock is comfortable and won’t beat you up, even with a magnum caliber such as the .300 Win. Mag.
Parting Shots
Blaser has been a major player in straight-pulls since its R93, and the R8 Professional S is no less spectacular in design or performance. Every feature elevates the abilities and comfort of hunters in the field. The Professional S retains most of the R8 line’s modularity and interchangeability, with the exception of the removable trigger/magazine assembly. Because of its straight-pull action, cycling is smooth, fast and a joy to those accustomed to traditional bolt guns. The Blaser name and action may be unfamiliar to many American hunters, but its performance should not be overlooked, and now that the company has a more affordable version, it may be a bit more accessible.
Specifications:
Blaser Professional S Type: Straight-pull bolt action Caliber: .300 Win. Mag. (as tested) Barrel: 25.7 in. Twist: 1:10 in. Trigger: 2.5 lbs. Magazine: Internal, 3+1 capacity Stock: Black Synthetic, elastomer inlays Overall Length: 43.3 in. Weight: 7 lbs., 4 oz. Price: $2,895 Manufacturer: Blaser USA
Ruger is well known and well respected for its vast and diverse line of rimfire guns. The manufacturer's 10/22 is without question one of the most ubiquitous .22 rimfire rifles in the shooting world, and Ruger has a ton of of other impressive rimfire options.
One of these is the classic Mark series of .22 LR rimfire pistols, which have been more or less in production since the company's Standard pistol was introduced in 1949. Since that time there have been many additions and enhancements to the traditional design, as can be seen with the Mark I, Mark II and Mark III pistols that have followed.
Now, the U.S. manufacturer has announced the release of its brand new Ruger Mark IV pistol, which features several improvements over the previous Mark III, including a one-button takedown for simple field stripping and cleaning. The gun has a recessed button in the back of the frame, which permits the upper receiver to tilt up and off the grip frame without using tools. Then the bolt can slide freely out of the receiver.
Takedown on the new Ruger Mark IV pistol occurs, literally, with a simple push of a button, allowing the shooter to separate the upper from the grip frame.
“We are thrilled to be introducing what we consider to be a monumental improvement to this iconic pistol that has been with Ruger from the start,” said Ruger President and COO Chris Killoy. “This one-button takedown alleviates the headache that our Mark III owners are all too familiar with, and we anticipate the Mark IV pistols being some of the cleanest rimfires at the range.”
The new Ruger Mark IV pistol also features an improved one-piece grip frame precision CNC-machined from solid stainless steel or aluminum, depending on the model. Ergonomic improvements include an ambidextrous manual safety and a redesigned bolt stop.
Each new Ruger Mark IV is built with Ruger's excellent one-piece barreled receiver and internal cylindrical bolt construction. The Mark IV drops magazines freely when they are released, and the guns utilize a newly designed magazine disconnect safety to prevent firing when the magazine is removed. Other internal improvements consist of changes to the hammer, sear, bolt and firing pin for more reliable feeding and smoother operation.
Initially, there will be three different models of the new Ruger Mark IV available to shooters: Mark IV Target Blued, Mark IV Target Stainless, and Mark IV Hunter. Pricing on these new Ruger Mark IV pistols ranges from $529 to $769, depending on the model.
For more information, check out the specifications for each pistol below, or visit Ruger's website to learn more.
Specifications:
Ruger Mark IV Target Blued Caliber: .22 LR Barrel: 5.5 in., bull Twist: 1:16 in. Overall Length: 9.75 in. Height: 5.5 in. Width: 1.2 in. Weight: 35.6 oz. Grip Frame: Aluminum Grips: Checkered synthetic Finish: Blued Front Sight: Fixed iron Rear Sight: Adjustable Capacity: 10 MSRP: $529
Ruger Mark IV Target Stainless Caliber: .22 LR Barrel: 5.5 in., bull Twist: 1:16 in. Overall Length: 9.75 in. Height: 5.5 in. Width: 1.2 in. Weight: 42.8 oz. Grip Frame: Stainless Steel Grips: Checkered synthetic Finish: Satin Stainless Front Sight: Fixed iron Rear Sight: Adjustable Capacity: 10 MSRP: $689
Ruger Mark IV Hunter Caliber: .22 LR Barrel: 6.88 in., fluted bull Twist: 1:16 in. Overall Length: 11.12 in. Height: 5.5 in. Width: 1.2 in. Weight: 44 oz. Grip Frame: Stainless Steel Grips: Checkered synthetic Finish: Satin Stainless Front Sight: Fiber optic Rear Sight: Adjustable Capacity: 10 MSRP: $769
Thompson/Center Arms has issued a recall on all T/C Compass bolt-action rifles manufactured prior to September 16, 2016. According to a safety recall notice distributed by the manufacturer, it has identified a condition that may exist in some Compass rifles, which might result in unsafe conditions.
The notice states that “there may be some instances, depending on the height and position of the rifle and other factors, where a chambered round may fire if the firearm is dropped with the safety in the fire position.” As a result of this, Thompson/Center Arms is instituting this recall in order to address the issue.
The company advises owners of Compass rifles to immediately “Stop using your rifle and return it to Thompson/Center at once.”
In order to facilitate the inspection and repair of rifles, Thompson/Center Arms is asking owners to contact the manufacturer at 855-512-5935. There, owners will receive instructions and a pre-paid shipping label for returning the rifle. Thompson/Center Arms states it will repair the rifle at no cost to the owner and will return it as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The manufacturer has created a website (https://compassrecalltcarms.com) where owners can find additional information regarding the recall. However, if there are any questions about the recall, Thompson/Center Arms encourages owners to call the number listed above.
The new FN 15 Tactical .300 BLK rifle represents FN America's first foray into a factory-produced rifle chambered in the popular .300 BLK.
FN America released several new products for 2016, particularly in terms of AR-style rifles. The manufacturer introduced its Military Collector series, which consisted of semi-auto versions of classic military designs like the M16, M4 Carbine and M249 SAW, and its new FN 15 Competition rifle, a race-ready rifle purpose built for the competitor.
In addition to these, the company also introduced a new version of its FN 15 Tactical rifle, this one chambered in the increasingly popular .300 Blackout (.300 BLK) cartridge. Initially developed at the request of the military to offer performance akin to the Soviet 7.62x39mm out of an AR-platform rifle, the .300 BLK has become much more widespread in recent years, especially with those using heavier, subsonic loads paired with an effective suppressor.
The new FN 15 Tactical .300 BLK rifle represents the first FN produced rifle to be chambered in .300 BLK straight from the factory and comes with the same great features that shooters have come to expect from FN's AR-style rifles. The rifle ships with FN's quality 16-inch, alloy-steel, cold-hammer forged barrel, which features a 1:7 inch twist. The barrel is also chrome lined and free floated and comes with a Surefire ProComp 762 muzzle brake.
The gun utilizes a carbine-length gas system with a low-profile gas block. Receivers are hard anodized aluminum, and the upper is a flat-top design with a Picatinny rail along the 12 o'clock position for mounting optics and accessories. The handguard is a Midwest Industries LWM 12-inch, which features a slim profile with M-LOK attachment points.
The FN 15 Tactical .300 BLK is also loaded up with Magpul furniture and accessories. The rifle is equipped with an MOE SL stock and an MOE grip, and the gun ships with Magpul MBUS flip-up sights.
The new FN 15 Tactical .300 BLK is available for $1,479 and comes with a 30-round Magpul PMAG magazine. For more information, visit FN America's website.
Colt has a long and respected history with the U.S. military. It produced hundreds of thousands of M1911A1 pistols for the military during World War II, an equally impressive amount of M16 rifles during the Vietnam War, and produced the M4 Carbine for the military exclusively for a number of years.
Given this background, it's no surprise that the manufacturer would turn to advisors with military and training experience when it comes to the development and production of new firearms. This is why Colt has sought out some of the most accomplished professionals in the industry to form what it calls the Colt Combat Unit.
Take a look below for more information on the individuals comprising the Colt Combat Unit:
Ken Hackathorn Ken Hackathorn has served as a US Army Special Forces Small Arms Instructor, Gunsite Instructor, and NRA Police Firearms Instructor. He is currently an FBI Certified Firearms Instructor, Certified Deputy Sheriff with Washington County SO, Ohio, and a SRT member and Special Response Team trainer. Ken has trained US Military Special Operations forces, Marine FAST and SOTG units and is a contract small arms trainer to FBI SWAT and HRT.
Ken has provided training to Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and been active in small arms training for the past 25 years. He has written firearms related material for Guns & Ammo, Combat Handguns, Soldier Of Fortune, and currently American Handgunner and contributed to at least six other gun/shooting journals. Ken was also a founding member of IPSC and IDPA.
Daryl Holland Daryl Holland is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major with over 20 years of active duty experience, 17 of those years in Special Operations. Five years with the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) and 12 years in the 1st SFOD-Delta serving as an Assaulter, Sniper, Team Leader, and OTC Instructor.
He has conducted several hundred combat missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Philippines, and the Mexican Border. He has conducted combat missions in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush Mountains as a Sniper and experienced Mountaineer to the streets of Baghdad as an Assault Team Leader.
He has a strong instructor background, started as an OTC instructor and since retiring training law abiding civilians, Law Enforcement, U.S. Military, and foreign U.S. allied Special Operations personnel from around the world.
Mike Pannone Mike Pannone is a former operational member of U.S. Marine Reconnaissance, Army Special Forces (Green Beret) and 1st SFOD-D (Delta) as well as a competition USPSA pistol shooter holding a Master class ranking in Limited, Limited-10 and Production divisions. He has participated in stabilization, combat and high-risk protection operations in support of U.S. policies throughout the world as both an active duty military member, and a civilian contractor.
Mike retired from 1st SFOD-D and worked as a Primary Firearms Instructor for the Federal Air Marshal Program in Atlantic City and the head in-service instructor for the Seattle field office of the FAMS. He also worked as an independent contractor and advisor for various consulting companies to include SAIC (PSD Iraq), Triple Canopy (PSD Iraq), and The Wexford Group (Counter IED ground combat advisor Iraq and pre-deployment rifle/pistol/tactics instructor for the Asymmetric Warfare Group). Mike was also the Senior Instructor for Viking Tactics (VTAC), and Blackheart International.
Mike is a certified FLETC Firearms Instructor, Federal Air Marshal Instructor, NRA Certified L/E Patrol Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun Instructor, Glock and Colt (AR15/M16/M4) armorer, and Simunition FX Scenario and safety Instructor. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Washington.
Mike trains vetted civilians, military, State, Federal and local Law Enforcement agencies, the result of which made CTT-Solutions a Small Business Achievement Awardee in 2010, the first year the company did business as a stand-alone entity. He has published 3 books and written numerous articles in magazines to include Shooters Magazine.com, Defense Review, and Recoil.
Self defense can be a matter of life and death for your family. Keeping your shooting skills sharp is important to using the best home defense weapon possible when the unexpected occurs. Turn your handgun into the best handgun for home defense with the drills outlined in Handgun Training – Practice Drills for Defensive Shooting. Nothing will give you more peace and security in your own home than the confidence you will hit your target. Learn More
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
Back in August of this year, Remington introduced a new model to its R1 line of 1911 pistols. This new gun, chambered in the potent 10mm Auto and featuring a 6-inch stainless steel match grade barrel, was dubbed the Remington R1 10mm Hunter LS (Long Slide).
Firs off, the R1 10mm Hunter LS feels great in the hand. The gun wears VZ Operator II G10 grips and sports a checkered mainspring housing, as well as an extended beavertail grip safety with a checkered bump. These features, combined with the gun's heft, courtesy of a weight of 41 ounces, results in a comfortable yet solid feel in the hands. And the weight and extended barrel length obviously help with recoil, which, although clearly present, wasn't unbearable by any means.
