Colt Pro Shooters Maggie Reese and Mark Redl engage in some friendly handgun shooting competition, proving there's a lot to gain from introducing a lighthearted and fun aspect to your handgun training.
The two pros shoot three stages, taking turns behind the gun and then as impromptu range safety officers.
On the first stage, maximum points are earned by making holes in the A Zone of standard IDPA cardboard targets. Two rounds are fired at each of the near targets, followed by a mandatory reload, and then two rounds fired at each of the far targets.
Shots are timed with after-shot explanation from Redl and Reese as they call their shots and reflect on what worked and what didn't.
Stage two is also shot under the stress of the timer, and is comprised of six steel plates engaged in a row, followed by a reload and six more shots.
The Modern Shooter crew then takes a break and goes behind the scenes at Colt to see how their legendary 1911s are CNC machined, blued and heat treated — and then onto final assembly and quality control.
Get a look at the new Colt Competition Pistol, which is made ready to run and compete right out of the box.
Then it's back to the range with Maggie and Mark for stage 3, a run-and-gun challenge, two-shot minimum per target with the added fun of shooting around a wall at targets covered with a “no shoot” sign that poses points reductions. A real nerve rattler.
Who will pull ahead and be declared the official winner of this unofficial competition? Watch the full episode of Modern Shooter TV above and find out.
New episodes of Modern Shooter air 8 p.m. ET Monday nights on Sportsman Channel, with an encore showing at 11 p.m. Replays can be viewed 12 p.m. on Thursday and 5 a.m. on Sunday. Clips of Modern Shooter are also available at Gun Digest’s YouTube channel.
Modern Shooter Winter 2016 Modern Shooter is your source for the modern firearms giving you the inside edge on tactics and accessories for the newest ARs, shotguns and handguns. In the Winter 2016 edition we focus on Colt! Instant download
Modern Shooter TV continues to provide high-caliber entertainment in its second season on the Sportsman Channel. From training with the military's elite forces to chasing the world's most dangerous game the program explores some of the most intriguing facets of the gun and shooting world.
This week, Modern Shooter TV looks at the fastest growing group of shooters in America – women. Following Babes with Bullets, a women-focused firearms training program, the program takes an in-depth look at how ladies are going armed. But the show focuses on more than just the firearms, training and trend lines associated with lady shooters. Modern Shooter TV also explores the connection Babes with Bullets has with former Navy SEAL and American hero Marcus Luttrell.
New episodes of Modern Shooter air 8 p.m. ET Monday nights on Sportsman Channel, with an encore showing at 11 p.m. Replays can be viewed 12 p.m. on Thursday and 5 a.m. on Sunday. Clips of Modern Shooter are also available at Gun Digest’s You Tube channel.
Modern Shooter is produced for gun enthusiasts who look for the best in firearms programming and is sponsored by the top names in the firearms industry. Those sponsors include: Colt Manufacturing, FNH USA, Aguila Ammunition and H&H Precision Manufacturing.
About Gun Digest
Gun Digest is the world's foremost authority on guns in print and online. In addition to Gun Digest the Magazine, the brand's portfolio includes the Gun Digest Books line, Standard Catalog of Firearms, the GunDigest.com online community, and ecommerce specialty store, www.gundigeststore.com. For more information, visit gundigest.com, the Gun Digest Facebook page or follow on Twitter @gundigest. Gun Digest is an imprint of Gun Digest Media.
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Modern Shooter Winter 2016 Modern Shooter is your source for the modern firearms giving you the inside edge on tactics and accessories for the newest ARs, shotguns and handguns. In the Winter 2016 edition we focus on Colt! Instant download
Cooper speaking at the 1979 World Practical Pistol Shooting Championships (IPSC) in South Africa.
Although you may have never considered it, the use of the defensive handgun is a martial art. Martial arts are the codified systems and traditions of combat practices. The term is derived from Latin and means “arts of Mars,” the Roman god of war. The handgun evolved into a true fighting tool about the time of the American Civil War, but it would be another hundred years before anyone truly elevated its application to true martial art status. That man was Jeff Cooper.
Jeff Cooper was a Stanford graduate and a Marine Corps officer who served in WWII and in the Korean War. Between 1957 and 1976, Cooper began writing for Guns & Ammo magazine and started handgun competitions at Big Bear Lake in California. An intellectual and studious man, Cooper began to study the methods of shooting a handgun. He eventually codified its combat application in what is known as the Modern Technique of the Pistol.
Cooper’s observations were very pragmatic and at the time revolutionary. He was soon invited to teach his techniques all over the world. It started in Guatemala for the bodyguards of the newly elected president and continued in El Salvador, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, South Africa and Rhodesia. Cooper became the professor of the art of weaponry, and his contributions are many.
Jeff Cooper passing out graduation certificates at Gunsite Academy, the firearms training center he founded.
His book, “The Principles of Personal Defense,” was the forerunner to the Cooper Color Code, a system that has become the standard for teaching mental conditioning as it relates to individual combat. He established the four basic rules of firearm safety, which are taught worldwide. And, he coined the acronym DVC. In Latin, this stands for diligentia, vis, celeritas. Translated it means, accuracy, power and speed—a triangular relationship that must be balanced by every pistol shooter.
This triangular concept was the foundation of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), which was established in 1976. Cooper was the first president of IPSC, and it became the governing body of practical pistol competition all over the world. IPSC was also the forerunner and guiding light for all of the modern, dynamic combat-type shooting competitions like IDPA and 3 Gun. Without Cooper, it’s questionable if any of these would exist.
But Cooper did not stop there. In 1976, he also established the American Pistol Institute (API) at what he called his Gunsite Ranch in Paulden Arizona. Instituted to allow students to travel to Cooper as opposed to him traveling to them, API was created on the principle of another Cooper triangle: the Combat Triad. The Combat Triad is the equilibrium of mindset, gun handling and marksmanship needed to employ a handgun effectively in a defensive situation.
You might say that Cooper was the prophet of shooting, a sensei of the martial art of firearm combatives, the guru of guns. A very important element of all Cooper’s work related to firearms training was that his school was intended to educate the citizen. Sure, soldiers, sailors and police officers were welcome to attend, but Cooper strongly believed that, as Robert Heinlein put it, “An armed society is a polite society.”
Cooper continued to live on the ranch at API, which became Gunsite, until his death in 2006. His contributions to the application of the firearm are legion and were brought about by observing, learning, experimenting and then codifying what worked. Every year, Gunsite Academy continues to expose thousands of students of good character to the Cooper doctrine. Those interested in perfecting the martial art of the pistol should attend what many consider to be the preeminent introductory course to the defensive handgun: the Gunsite Academy 250 Pistol Class.
The 250 Pistol Class is designed to take a student who’s never fired a handgun and prepare them to defend themselves with it while engaged in a violent encounter. Students are grounded in Cooper’s Modern Technique of the Pistol, which is based on the Weaver stance, proper handgun presentation, the flash sight picture and the compressed surprised break, all with a heavy-duty pistol. They will also be conditioned to the elements of the Combat Triad and DVC.
This is a five-day course during which you will fire in excess of 1,000 rounds from your handgun. You will learn how to shoot a pistol. You will learn if your pistol works. You will learn to perform under stress, how to manipulate your pistol, how to move with a pistol, how to utilize cover and concealment, how to shoot in low light and how to use a flashlight. And, how you think about defensive handguns and street survival will change.
When you walk through the Gunsite gate, leaving as a graduate of the 250 Pistol class, you will have a renewed peace of mind. You will be stronger, more alert and conditioned to respond instantly to any threat. You will believe you can prevail in any encounter, and you will have the skills to do so.
Ladies-only courses are becoming popular at Jeff Cooper’s Gunsite Academy. As more women become interested in personal protection, they are wisely seeking training.
You can read all of the books you like, watch all the DVDs and YouTube videos you want and even attend other handgun training courses. You’ll learn something, but will it be the something that saves your life?
I’ve often said, “The farther you get from Gunsite, the less faith you can have in your training.” This is not meant to defame or degrade other schools; there are lots of talented instructors out there, and many worked under Cooper or trained at Gunsite. What I mean by this statement is that if you want to get the message, the unpolluted sermon, the time proven truth, go to the source. Cooper’s Gunsite Academy is the oldest civilian firearms training school in the world. They’ve been at it for 40 years. You don’t do that by doing something wrong.
Now you know who Cooper was, but to really appreciate his contributions and to understand their importance, you must make the trek to Gunsite Academy. The staff there still teaches as though Cooper is watching over their shoulders, and the message is clearly Cooper.
Jeff Cooper was the founding father of the martial art of the firearm.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
While Nebraska Gun offers a full selection of new long guns and handguns, owner Jeff McIntyre says his establishment caters to what he terms the “experienced hobbyist” interested in more vintage firearms, often with an eye to using these older guns afield.
“I sell quite a few rifles, like pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 Featherweights, where the buyer tells me he thinks the rifle deserves a little time out in the field on a hunt,” says McIntyre. “They may not use the rifle for the entire deer season, for example. But they think it would be a neat experience to take a deer with the rifle.”
A recent Featherweight in 30-06, for example, sold here for $780.
Similarly, McIntyre recently sold a Belgian Browning A5 Magnum in 12 gauge to a man whose whole goal in buying the shotgun was to use it on Nebraska upland game.
McIntyre has seen a shift in interest in World War Two firearms. M1’s are still quite popular. But whereas German firearms from the war were in strong demand, the collectors he sees today are more interested in Japanese and even Italian military weapons of the period.
Editor's Note: This brief originally appeared in the Winter 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Those who have gone armed most likely all have something in common — a bunch of holsters sitting around that just didn’t work out. They didn’t hold the handgun correctly, didn’t conceal well or just plain didn’t feel comfortable. While there are certain holsters that aren’t the right match for certain shooters, the gun leather might not have been the problem. Instead, the fly in the ointment might have been the belt leather. Finding the right strap to wrap around your waste and tote your sidearm is the topic of the above video from LuckyGunner.com. The online ammunition retailer does a dynamite job showing the importance of a solid, purpose-built gun belt. While this implement is often overlooked when planning to carry, it shouldn't be. Truly, a good gun belt is a key element to cinch a carry rig together.
The new Blackhawk! TecGrip holster provides rock-solid carry in pockets or inside the waistband.
The new Blackhawk TecGrip holster is designed for civilian and law enforcement concealed carriers, and it can be used as either a pocket or inside-the-waistband scabbard.
What makes the holster unique is its TecGrip outer layer, which holds tightly to almost any material — keeping your firearm holstered snugly in place. The design is said to promote comfort, thanks to high-density closed cell foam that protects the firearm and conforms easily to your body.
“This is one of the most adaptable holsters I’ve ever carried,” said BLACKHAWK! Product Director for Tactical Accessories Chuck Buis. “It stays in place wherever you put it. It’s the ideal holster for every day carry, and it’s affordable.”
According to Blackhawk!, the TecGrip's material features microscopic gripping fingers that hold so securely no clip is needed for rock-solid inside-the-waistband carry. Both IWB and pocket models are completely ambidextrous and offered in multiple sizes to fit an array of firearms. The thermal-bonded three-layer laminate construction is hand- or machine washable and maintains its gripping properties through years of use.
TecGrip IWB and Pocket holsters promise to offer premium concealment at an affordable price.
The STAR rifle takes customization to a whole new level, offering a platform that adjusts to fit any shooter.
The first time I saw the new Sisk Tactical Adaptive Rifle or STAR up close, my initial thought was, “Another tactical bolt gun—Why?” And then I picked it up. My second thought: “This darn thing’s way heavy!”
Okay, I was not impressed. But then I spent a day shooting the rifle with inventor and gun maker Charlie Sisk himself, followed by a two-day session with the rifle at the Gunsite Academy, one of the country’s premier firearms training facilities. And with those two experiences, I now know that the STAR is actually a very accurate and flexible rifle, has many tactical applications, and can be an effective hunter, too.
Even though, yes, it is still heavy.
Charlie Sisk, of Dayton, Texas, made an impressive name for himself over the years with the custom hunting rifles he built at Sisk Rifles, LLC (SiskGuns.com). But as that market started to peter out several years ago, Sisk turned his attention to more tactical platforms. As he told me, one thing always bothered him about rifles in general.
“You have to fit yourself around the rifle,” Sisk said. “But we all have different builds and different ways we hold rifles. Did you ever get a rifle you couldn’t hit a thing with, but someone else got it to shoot just fine? I’d bet a lot of money it simply didn’t fit that first shooter—and never will.”
Sisk continues, “So, when I was designing the STAR, the big thing I wanted to do was make a rifle you could make fit to you. And re-adjust quickly in different scenarios, if needed.”
Sisk builds his STARs on either a Remington 700 action or one of the Savage long- and short-action receivers. (The STARs I used were all made with Remington 700 actions.) For my intro, Sisk went over the various features with me and—once he was sure I knew how to manipulate the adjustment controls—gave me a simple order.
“Set it up so it feels right—for you.”
I’ve used a rifle with adjustable stocks. But this was quite a different experience. First, I adjusted the buttstock laterally, tilting it from side to side via an adjustable joint at the stock’s wrist. This joint spins and locks into place, allowing a shooter to dial in a custom fit for maximum cheek weld and fit to your upper body structure.
Next, I worked the buttstock adjustment, adding and subtracting length until it felt correct. I also found that—on Sisk’s advice—the butt pad fit my shoulder best when spun around 180 degrees, technically upside down.
I made the comb fit my cheek. Last, I went back over the initial adjustments to make sure it all still fit right. It did.
True, the now-adjusted buttstock had a bent and twisted look to it—like it had been dropped down the side of a cliff and bounced off several boulders! Yet, it fit me like no rifle ever has; I lined up behind the scope at just the right height and distance without having to adjust myself to the rifle.
The handguard of the STAR is also extremely adjustable, spinning around 360 degrees, and locking into place at nearly any position. With a bi-pod attached, the handguard allows for all kinds of different braced shooting possibilities—more on that later.
This particular STAR was going to be picked up by a local police officer (Texas police SWAT Teams have bought a good number of STARs already). It was a Remington 700 in .223. This rifle had a #2 contour Lilja barrel, 18-inches long, detachable magazine, outfitted with a SureFire SOCOM 762-RC suppressor and a Nightforce 3.5-15×50 NXS scope with a MOAR reticle. It also had a very smooth and creep-free Timney Trigger, model 517.
Video: Sisk STAR Rifle Review
I first fired several shots at 30 yards on Sisk’s enclosed range to make sure I was on paper, made adjustments and moved to the 100-yard target. My first shot hit the bullseye on the top and left, about 11 o’clock. The second shot touched the first on the edge towards the bullseye. Third shot?
“Damn!” I exclaimed having pulled the shot, blowing my chances for that picture-perfect three-shots-touching group. “I screwed up,” I said to Sisk, who stood several feet next to me, his eye to a spotting scope. “It wasn’t the rifle.”
“Well, you know, that’s not so bad,” Sisk said. “That third shot is less than a half inch from the first two.”
I put my eye back onto the Nightforce. So, that made this grouping slightly over one-half inch, then? Huh!
I then spent several hours shooting the STAR outside at a variety of targets, at ranges out to 280 yards. At Gunsite in Paulden, Arizona, a month later, I put 100 rounds through another STAR, this one also built on a Remington 700 action but chambered in .308 Win.
Our targets at Gunsite were steel pop ups and 4- to 6-inch disks, made by MGM Targets, a co-sponsor of the event. I fired from various positions—prone, standing and standing with forearm and bi-pod turned to one side and using the bipod as a brace against a pole. I also shot from hillsides, one bi-pod leg extended farther than the other. That position worked surprisingly well because, by rotating the barrel within the handguard, I essentially removed cant.
I didn’t miss more than a handful of times, and while I’d like to take all the credit for that shooting, the truth is the rifle was a pleasure to shoot and put me on target with a comfortable and very steady rifle platform that can shoot sub-MOA all day long.
I’d always assumed that a tactical rifle for law enforcement would need to be light as movement was key to shooting scenarios. This can certainly be the case. But a couple of officers I talked to also told me that most SWAT-type calls had them setting up in position and waiting—sometimes for hours in a hostage situation or with a barricaded shooter.
In such cases, the officer has to have the rifle on target and ready—again, potentially for hours at a time. Here, the STAR excels. With bi-pod legs extended, handguard turned and locked into place, you can brace the bi-pod legs against a pole or wall, lean into the STAR and keep your rifle on target, essentially hands free if needed.
The ability to offset the stock to one side also has another big advantage: Officers can use the STAR while wearing gas masks.
The STAR has solid hunting applications, but with this large caveat: The STAR I used at Gunsite weighed a good 11.5 pounds without scope, bi-pod and ammunition. This is not the kind of rifle you are taking out West on a hunt that has you climbing up steep slopes. Run-and-gun hunting? Forget it.
The author with the versatile STAR Rifle.
But in a fixed position, like a shooting house, a stand or prone on a hilltop? The rifle will do a hunter just fine.
Sisk tells me he is looking to incorporate some lighter laminate into the construction of future STAR models and is examining ways to carve some weight out of the receiver. Customers can also order the STAR with a lower profile Lilja barrel, further reducing the weight to less than 10 pounds.
At over $5,000, the cost, of course, is substantial. But take a scan of the current custom-made tactical bolt rifle offerings, and you might be surprised to discover that the STAR is actually about middle of the pack price-wise.
Standard Model STAR Actions: Remington 700 right hand short-action or Savage long- or short-action Caliber: Nearly any centerfire caliber a customer wants. Stock: STAR Tactical stock in black Barrel: #7 Lilja contour barrel, 22 inches long Muzzle: Threaded 5/8×24 with protector Trigger Guard: STAR Trigger Guard with one AICS type mag Trigger: Timney Model 517 Finish: Black matte Cera-Kote on barrel Also, custom STAR Rifles can be made to customer specs. Cost: Prices start at $5,600. SiskGuns.com
Modern Shooter TV keeps scoring a bull’s eye in its second season on Sportsman Channel with a host of new, high-caliber episodes. The show continues to explore some of the most intriguing corners of the shooting world with looks at everything from professional competitive shooting to the tactical training our service members and law enforcement utilize.
This latter area is Modern Shooter TV’s focus in its upcoming episode with an operator’s eye view of the modern shoot house. But, as viewers quickly discover, following military and law enforcement into one of their primary training tools is a heck of a lot more about mindset than trigger pull.
The episode goes in depth into the psychology and the tactical mentality professional operators hone in this intense training arena. The physical and mental fatigue the shoot house demands, however, is well worth it for the military, law enforcement and civilians who step up to the challenge. As Modern Shooter documents, the pint of sweat shed in the shoot house saves a gallon of blood in the real world.
New episodes of Modern Shooter air 8 p.m. ET Monday nights on Sportsman Channel, with an encore showing at 11 p.m. Replays can be viewed 12 p.m. on Thursday and 5 a.m. on Sunday. Clips of Modern Shooter are also available at Gun Digest’s You Tube channel.
Modern Shooter is produced for gun enthusiasts who look for the best in firearms programming and is sponsored by the top names in the firearms industry. Those sponsors include: Colt Manufacturing, FNH USA, Aguila Ammunition and H&H Precision Manufacturing.
About Gun Digest Gun Digest is the world's foremost authority on guns in print and online. In addition to Gun Digest the Magazine, the brand's portfolio includes the Gun Digest Books line, Standard Catalog of Firearms, the GunDigest.com online community, and ecommerce specialty store, www.gundigeststore.com. For more information, visit gundigest.com, the Gun Digest Facebook page or follow on Twitter @gundigest. Gun Digest is an imprint Gun Digest Media.
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Modern Shooter Winter 2016 Modern Shooter is your source for the modern firearms giving you the inside edge on tactics and accessories for the newest ARs, shotguns and handguns. In the Winter 2016 edition we focus on Colt! Instant download
The Walther PPS M2 features a number of refinements to the line that should make it a more user-friendly carry option. Photo Walther
In the realm of concealed carry, one style of handgun has dominated headlines in recent years. To be sure, single-stack, striker-fired, polymer pistols have been all the rage in the shooting world. And why not? The design is a convenient and comfortable option for those who plan to carry everyday.
The slim style of handgun, however, is nothing new, despite the recent buzz – just ask Walther. For around a decade, the German gun maker has been churning out a single-stack polymer that has many of the qualities the market has demanded – the PPS. And this year, the company has worked to take the next step with the line by introducing the Walther PPS M2.
Walther has not reinvented the wheel with its new pistol, available in 9mm and .40S&W. Instead, it has refined the striker-fired pistol's original design, making it potentially a more familiar, comfortable and user-friendly concealed carry option.
Of the new features on the 1-inch wide pistol there is one that should go over big with American shooters – the button magazine release. Walther jettisoning the paddle release for a style more common to the U.S. market should make the pistol more intuitive for shooters new to Walther's wares. But opting for the ambidextrous button release does more than make the 21-ounce pistol easier to operate; it also facilitates one of its major ergonomic tweaks.
Doing away with the paddle release has allowed Walther to undercut the PPS M2's trigger guard. This simple bit of engineering facilitates a more solid purchase on the handgun, giving shooters more real estate on the grip.
This should make the gun more comfortable in the palm, helping to eliminate some of the overhang usually associated with compact pistols. And it should add more control over the gun by putting the bore axis more inline with a shooter's arm, thus helping mitigate more of its recoil. Given that the original PPS already had a reputation as a soft shooter, this new feature could make the M2 a real kitten.
Along with a number of new features to the grip, the new PPS M2 also has been outfitted with front cocking serrations and a snappy trigger. Photo Walther
Enhancing the PPS M2's manageability is the addition of Walther's cross-directional grip surface on a ergonomic grip taken from the company's PPQ line. However, Walther has bucked some trends with the M2, doing away with the interchangeable backstrap system found on the original PPS, as well as the accessory rail.
Aside from comfort and control, the company has also attempted to add a element of consistency to the PPS M2. In particular, shooters should find the pistol easier to keep on target with the addition of a much snappier trigger. Walther lists the M2's pull weight at 6.1 pounds and features a short, audible and tactile reset; before, the PPS had a pull anywhere from 6.1 to 10.5 pounds.
Walther did not have a MSRP available at time of writing, but it is being reported that the PPS M2 is retailing for around $469.
The AK is one of the most robust firearms designs ever conceived. Quite simply put, there are few things – elements, abuse, operator – that can put it out of action. But despite the hardiness of its design, not all AKs are created equal. As is apparent to anyone who has studied the rifle, its quality and performance can vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer and where its made in the world. But there are some basics rules of thumb that can be followed to help weed out the lemons from the vast selection of AKs available today. Jim Fuller of Rifle Dynamics (a company that specializes in custom AKs) gives a pretty fair rundown of how to evaluate the rifle in the above video from Tactical Life. And while Fuller touches upon a number of points in assessing an AK, one of the most important is making certain everything on the rifle is in line – literally.
The AK Enthusiast collection is as practical and utilitarian as the Kalashnikov itself. If you own or work on variants of the rifle, the DVDs and download will offer you expert guidance to disassemble, customize and assemble the AK. Then you can get swept into the story of the AK with former New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner C.J. Chivers who traces the tactical rifle from invention to present day. Best-selling author Patrick Sweeney provides tips on building an AK, choosing ammunition and accessories, keeping your AK perking for years to come and much more. Get Your Collection Now
Ruger has jumped into the suppressor game with the Silent-SR, designed to dampen the report of a number of rimfire guns.
As more and more states have moved to legalize suppressors, more and more companies have expanded their catalogs to include the noise-dampening devices. Ruger is among the latest.
The New Hampshire/Arizona manufacturer kicked off 2016 by releasing its very first suppressor and didn't turn a blind eye to where it would have the greatest impact in its roster of firearms. The Ruger Silent-SR is engineered to hush up every rimfire the company offers.
The 5.37-inch long device is compatible with all pistols and rifles chambered for .22LR, .22WMR and .17HMR. At present time, Ruger has 12 models chambered in those calibers, though, some are not suppressor ready, as they do not have threaded muzzles. But shooter favorites, such as the SR22 pistol and 10/22 rifle, offer versions that can accept the suppressor right out of the box.
Even if a shooter does not have a Ruger, the company has made it simple to utilize the Silent-SR. The suppressor's milled steel muzzle mount is outfitted with a 1/2”-28 thread pattern, which should make it compatible with most rimfires with threaded barrels. A nice twist to the mount itself is it is designed to lock into the tube, thus making the suppressor simple to remove in one piece without stranding the mount on the muzzle.
Ruger has engineered some ruggedness into its suppressor, using stainless steel for the front cap and opting for titanium for the tube material. Going for titanium for the tube, in particular, is ideal for such duty, given its inherent strength, reduced weight and heat and corrosion resistance.
The Ruger Silent-SR utilizes a six-baffle system, housed in a titanium tube.
The Silent-SR utilizes six baffles in total, including a conical blast baffle and five primary baffles with a push-cone design. This asymmetrical cone of the primary baffles, according to Ruger, provides the best arrangement for slowing down the speed of expanding gases, thus muffling a firearm's report. As to its primary job, the company lists its suppressor’s noise reduction at as much as 40 dB.
Ruger appears to have made the device as low-maintenance as possible, with the company recommending cleaning after 1,000 to 2,000 rounds. One of the ways the gun maker has mitigated house cleaning is by creating a tight fitting baffle stack that does not touch any of the tube's walls. This design keeps residue in the stack proper, instead of distributing it over the entirety of the suppressor.
Ruger has given its suppressor a corrosion-resistant, matte black Cerakote finish and has provided a polymer disassembly tool to ensure the Silent-SR doesn't end up with unwanted bumps and bruises.
Presently, Ruger has a $449 MSRP on the Silent-SR. There is an additional tax stamp – $200 – since suppressors are NFA devices.
The battle-tested M45A1 gets an even more durable and wear-resistant Decobond Brown coating for 2016
The battle-tested M45A1 CQBP has received a new coat of armor for 2016.
The original 1911 and 1911A1 were the workhorses of the battlefield in their extensive service over much of the 20th century. The 1911 served U.S. soldiers in two World Wars and several other major conflicts, and all the while provided reliable stopping power that could be counted on in the time of need.
While the U.S. military largely moved away from the 1911 in the 1980s, many specialized units preferred—and still prefer—the more potent energy and stopping power of the .45 ACP to that of the NATO standard 9mm cartridge. For this reason, several of these special branches of the military have continued to field the 1911 or at least modernized versions of it.
One of these modern 1911s currently in service is Colt’s M45A1, a tan cerakoted and modified version of the company’s previous Rail Gun. In 2012, after a rigorous selection process, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) selected to adopt the M45A1 as one of its pistols under the Close Quarters Battle Pistol (CQBP) designation.
Today, the M45A1 is still in use with the Marine Corps, and it has also become popular on the civilian market. For 2016, Colt is making an improvement to the already stellar handgun: It is swapping out the tan cerakote coating on the M45A1 for an even more durable Decobond Brown coating that will reduce the signs of wear even more.
This new addition is a running change, and will not alter the price of the gun or its features. The same elements that made the M45A1 a great option for the battlefield or the home will continue to be found on the updated version.
The M1913 Mil Spec Picatinny rail will remain, allowing users to customize their handgun with laser sights, flashlights and other accessories for whatever tactical situations they might encounter or for whatever home defense needs they might have.
Likewise, the M45A1 retains its Novak Tritium Front sight and Novak Low Mount Carry three-dot night sights. The G-10 tan checkered grips are the same, and the frame and slide are still manufactured from stainless steel. The trigger remains set between 4.5 and 6 pounds, and the pistol keeps its ambidextrous thumb safety and upswept Beavertail grip safety.
Importantly, the newly upgraded version of the M45A1 pistol still utilizes the excellent Dual Recoil spring system. This system allows for reduced recoil impulse—an important consideration with the .45 ACP—while also extending recoil spring life dramatically. Recoil reduction with the Dual Recoil spring system is noticeable, and it allows shooters to quickly reacquire their sights and target after firing for improved follow-up accuracy, which is where many shooters may fail with larger caliber pistols.
The updated M45A1 CQBP features a 5-inch polished stainless steel barrel for an overall length of 8.5 inches, and its unloaded weight is 40 ounces. This durable, duty-oriented handgun comes with two magazines and is available for $1,699.
Colt M45A1 CQBP Specs: Type: Semi-auto Caliber: .45 ACP Barrel: 5-in., stainless steel, polished Overall Length: 8.5 in. Overall Height: 5.5 in. Overall Width: 1.25 in. Slide: Stainless steel Frame: Stainless steel Weight: 40 oz. (unloaded) Trigger: Solid aluminum, 4.5 to 6 lbs. Sights: Novak tritium front, Novak Low Mount Carry 3-dot night sights Finish: Brown Decobond Magazine Capacity: 7+1 MSRP: $1,699
FN launched its Military Collector Series in late 2015 to commemorate the manufacturer's legacy of producing firearms for the U.S military and other militaries around the world. The Military Collector Series, which includes three firearms, was also introduced to bring civilian-legal, semi-automatic versions of these iconic products to the commercial market.
One of the most notable firearms in the new Military Collector Series is the FN M249S, a semi-automatic, functioning replica of the fully automatic M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) that has been in use with U.S armed forces since the 1980s. The new FN M249S features the same steel frame and integral, mounted folding bipod as the original M249 SAW, but unlike its full-auto counterpart, the semi-auto version fires from a closed bolt instead of an open bolt and, in addition to accepting linked belts of ammunition, it also feeds from standard AR-15 style magazines.
The Gun Digest editorial staff was on hand at the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas to get an in-depth first look at the new FN M249S. Check out the video above to learn more about the FN M249S and see the firearm's technical specifications below.
Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to the AR-15 is a comprehensive look at today’s most popular modern sporting rifle. Among a wide variety of topics, the firearms expert and noted author provides helpful ammunition and accuracy tips, an explanation of the AR platform, a wide range of AR-15 applications, and much more, enhanced by 250 photos. Keep up with the increasing popularity of the versatile AR-15 with this indispensable shooter’s guide. Get your copy now.
The result of extensive testing with ultra-modern Doppler radar, the new Hornady ELD-X bullet takes long-range shooting to the next level.
The new ELD-X bullets will be available in some of the standard longer range cartridge options at first, with more becoming available over time.
It was mid-winter 2014 as I steadied my CZ American custom .300 Win. Mag. across the end gate of the pickup truck while my mind raced for the exact range, level of movement forward and downhill angle required to make a shot on a nice mule deer buck at just over 325 yards. In my rifle was a new cartridge featuring a prototype bullet Hornady Ammunition had been working on for several years.
Hornady had sent out teams of hunters across the country, even as far as Africa, to gain real-time information on just how effective this new 200-grain big-game bullet was downrange, and I was one of these testers. The new bullet had no name at the time save for the term “experimental,” and my job was to shoot a deer with it and to photograph and make notes of what the bullet did at the exact range it met meat and bone.
With a muzzle velocity of 2,800 feet per second (fps) and carrying a ballistic coefficient (BC) of .598, this heavy game cartridge retained plenty of velocity and energy, and as my rifle turned loose that big, heavyweight bullet, the mule deer lurched forward, covered about 5 yards in the knee deep snow, then dropped stone dead.
This had been the beginning of a major sojourn into the world of industry-directed long-range rifle ballistics. I had spent exactly two rounds of the research ammo, with one round put on my 200-yard zero prior to hunting and the second into that mule deer buck.
The following spring, I tested some of the new prototype ammunition on 1,000-yard steel with my Armalite M-30 A-1 and Savage 110 BA rifles. These long-range rifles sported Steiner military MILRAD optics and Weaver’s new military-grade sniper optic system. The ammo performed very well to say the least, and after several weeks of shooting at our club’s 1,000- to 1,500-yard steel plate range, I knew that Hornady was onto something big.
Sometime later, Hornady’s project came together in Grand Island, Nebraska, with a dozen writers and ballistics engineers getting together on a 1,500-yard range near the Hornady ammunition plant. The task was to take part in educational theory regarding Hornady’s newly named ELD-X bullets.
What made these pills so special in relation to previous projectiles, you ask? Well, hang on because the answer to that question gets a bit involved.
The first thing to note regarding these new bullets is that development stops at or about 6.5mm.
That’s because the 6.5 Creedmoor is the development baby of Dave Emery, Hornady’s top ballistics engineer. In effect, the 6.5mm is at about the bottom of lightweights in ELD-X design because the jacket design requires a bullet of enough material substance so as to allow the jacket to be formed and function correctly. This bullet retains a consistent mushrooming system that works at 100 yards but also expands under control at 800 yards.
In the past, we have seen bullets that are great at 200 or 300 yards but fail at 500 yards when designs don’t allow the jacket and core material to flow back and drive killing kinetic energy in mass. In other cases, some bullet designs are great against steel or paper targets, but lack expansion capabilities when warm target tissue is involved at any range.
Doppler Radar
The new Hornady ELD-X long range bullets feature a redesigned poly-blended cone tip that will not burn away at sustained high temperatures.
The second element of note came to Hornady engineers largely through the use of Doppler radar. I was introduced to Doppler about nine years ago during the research and development of some new shotshell designs.
At that time we tracked payloads of shot about 200 yards downrange and, in the process, learned a lot about what pellets were doing as shot strings fell apart. Whereas a pattern board and chronograph gave a few measures of performance, the Doppler system fed back hundreds.
Now I was back using Doppler, but this time observing the performance of a rifle bullet over a couple of miles, with thousands of data entries flowing into the system for future bullet design and development review.
What we could see by actual, hands-on, real-time Doppler test firing with a rifle in .300 Win. Mag. and the ELD-X bullets was that well downrange, as the bullet started to run out of velocity, the actual path of the projectile started to wobble and both rise and fall along the Doppler’s projected ballistic curve. In other words, it was becoming less accurate, and some major energy decay became evident.
While this is expected with the radar tracing (painting) the bullet up to 2 miles downrange, what was a real eye-opener for Hornady engineers was that, when standard hollow point, and even V-Max type bullets were fired, some very different prints were coming back to the radar operator.
Now, small jumps and flight changes were common at what is considered working ranges for the .300 Win. Mag. at 300-plus yards and more. However, when searching for the exact causes for this projectile behavior, Hornady assessed that, as the bullet in a V-Max or any brand of plastic tip pill develops a heat range up to 1,000 degrees F for enough time, the plastic tip actually deforms or melts away in part. Solid jacket bullets with even a slight blemish will also display a similar reaction.
Therefore, the bullet tip and overall projectile condition needed to be further considered in the design of a more accurate and energy saving projectile. This doesn’t mean you’re now required to stop using V-Max, A-Max and related cartridges and bullets. The fast, lightweight varmint bullets are not affected to such an extent because they don’t hang in the necessary heat range very long as they dump velocity and energy very quickly.
During hands-on testing of Hornady’s prototype bullet, I had always thought that everything was being directed toward the actual physical bullet body design, I had never figured the plastic or poly tip needed some major attention as well. The new ELD-X carries a very special poly-blended cone tip that will not burn away, become soft and bend, thus, preventing a deviation in bullet trajectory.
Downrange Performance
While I can give you 5,000 words of theory here, the real world comes together when bullets meet steel or paper downrange. When we tested the new ELD-X bullets on the rifle range near Grand Island, there was a damp, heavy fog, and the wind had started generating a 100-percent crossing left to right value. Luckily, the engineers were first up on the firing line.
The Doppler-based research that went into the ELD-X’s design is set to change the way manufacturers develop bullets. The ELD-X will be a great option for anyone shooting or hunting at long ranges.
Two cartridges had been loaded with the new bullets. First was the 7mm Ultra Mag., and second was my go-to cartridge, the .300 Win. Mag. Both were great long-range cartridges and had proven themselves in previous testing with the prototype bullet.
Doppler produces a trace line indicating exactly what the bullet is doing over its total fight time. Shooting V-Max, A-Max and competitive brands downrange, we observed each wobble and variation in the trajectory line to line, with results saved in the mother computer system built into the Doppler unit.
With these 3,000 or so performance points measured over a mile downrange, it was obvious the study of bullet performance has come a long way over the years.
When it was the writers’ time to get on the rifles, I selected a very nicely built Surgeon action .300 Win. Mag. The rifle featured a NightForce optic with MOA settings and a long-range, oversized turret with MOA adjustments to 1,000 without rolling past the first zero.
My spotter was Dave Emery, and with the ranged targets previously doped for the new cartridge/bullet, we dialed for a 500-yard steel plate as Dave called wind corrections. I hit steel plates at 500 and 600 yards a few times to get a feel for the rifle’s trigger before moving on to the 800-yard targets.
At 800 yards, headshots were the norm with the Surgeon rifle and high-grade optics. I was able to hit a large steel gong at 1,000 yards with ease; a cluster of bullets started forming a group of sorts. The accuracy of the new bullet was obvious as I shot 8-inch steel plates at 1,000 yards, and it continued to impress when I pushed the bullet to 1,200 yards against yet another steel target. While I didn’t head-shoot my iron enemy, I did center mass him consistently.
Dave Emery indicated that this ELD-X bullet paired with a quality rifle will group within ¾ MOA at 1,000 all day long. That is elk, deer and coyote accuracy in spades my friends.
Cartridges for the new bullet will be offered in current standard options at first and move into some of the exotics a bit later. Without question the new 6.5 Creedmoor is high on the manufacturing list, as is the .300 Win. Mag. and heavy 7mm cartridges.
There is little doubt that the advanced development design of the ELD-X is going to be a game changer, and this change in the bullet-manufacturing segment is already taking shape.
This article appeared in the January 2016 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The CZ455 .22LR is a tack driver right out of the box. With the addition of the Leatherwood USMC 8x Sniper Scope, it becomes a real beauty that's reminiscent of the target rifles of the 1950s and ‘60s. Photos by Kris Kandler.
A modestly priced .22 with exceptional out-of-the-box accuracy is topped with the Leatherwood USMC 8x Sniper scope, making for one classy rimfire.
The flat, wide base of the CZ 455 Varmint’s stock is well-proportioned to its heavy bull barrel, and it is handy for benchrest-style shooting.
It was one of those mornings. The sun was beaming through a canopy of yellow, orange and red leaves, October colors peaking, air hanging motionless, the last warm day. Not a creature was stirring, not even a squirrel.
But there was one defiant tree, left alone in the chainsaw desert. It was Fortress Squirrel—a knotty old Oak with ingress and egress escape hatches, and all sorts of gnarly twists and turns—the compound, the last brave holdout.
We stopped our stalk. Without warning, agitated by crunching leaves underfoot falling silent, the little barker made a break for it. With bushy tail fluttering mid-air like a plane’s rudder, Head Honcho Squirrel bounded with superhero strength onto a branch. He was eye level some 50 yards out and none too happy.
Wood obscured his location somewhat, but the 8x magnification cleared the way as the fine crosshairs of the Leatherwood Sniper Scope locked on—it was a chip shot. The 40-grain Remington ELEY match bullet drilled the gray squirrel mid-ship and launched him like a fur cannonball to the leaf-covered ground below. We carved the first notch in the walnut stock of the CZ 455 Varmint and fired up the rotisserie.
A 1903 style military leather sling was added to practice field sling shooting positions.
CZ 455 Varmint Review
The CZ455’s bolt was a little tight out of the box for rapid shots, but then again, most new stock guns are. There were no feeding issues from the rifle’s five-shot mag.
Among .22LR rimfires, few have as good a reputation as the CZ Model 455, which is the latest incarnation of what used to be CZ’s 452 line. The model’s pedigree is one of modularity, above par craftsmanship and good value.
For those so inclined, the CZ 455’s interchangeable barrel system makes it easy as pie to swap tubes from lightweight and medium to the model I tested, the heavy varmint. Since my only intention was to test the Varmint version, I didn’t take advantage of the modularity, but it is nice to know the option is there.
What you do notice straight away is that this is a stout, well-built little bolt gun. It has a surprising price tag of only $469 MSRP (street price is around $380-$400). The heavy, non-tapering barrel is cold hammer-forged, mics at .863 and is 20.5 inches in length. The 1:16 inch twist rate is friendly with 40-grain match bullets, sending them along with accuracy like a surgeon’s laser.
The rifle’s Turkish walnut stock is good looking, too, and gives the rimfire a classy, vintage feel. The stock’s fore-end is wide and flat, measuring 1.70 inches—making it ideal for benchrest-style shooting off of sandbags and field shooting positions resting on the hand. The weight of the gun naked is about 7 pounds, and it makes one hell of a fine training rifle, particularly now that .22 ammo has been released from secret underground vaults (or wherever they were keeping the stuff).
The only complaint I’ve heard about the gun is its trigger, which some say is a little heavy and a tad rough. However, that wasn’t my experience. Out of the box the test rifle's trigger measured 2 pounds 8 ounces on the RCBS trigger gauge, and I had no trouble shooting little ragged holes at 50 yards.
Could it use a little smoothing out? Sure, but while I believe a great trigger will help a good rifleman, it won’t overcome a lousy one. That said, the CZ 455 trigger is adjustable even though I couldn’t see any compelling need to tinker with it.
The receiver is milled for CZ’s 11mm dovetail scope mounts built in—so you’ll need CZ scope rings—but I opted to make things interesting by installing a long-tube reproduction scope from Leatherwood Hi-Lux.
Parallax is adjusted via the Leatherwood’s objective lens. Simply loosen the locking ring and turn the sunshade while checking for parallax.
Leatherwood USMC 8x Sniper Scope
1903-style spring-loaded turrets are included with the Leatherwood USMC, and need to be installed by a gunsmith. Adjustment is ¼ MOA elevation and windage.
Patterned after the early Unertl Target Competition long tube scopes of the 1940s, which were employed by the Marines from WWII through Korea and Vietnam, the Leatherwood Wm. Malcolm USMC 8x Sniper Scope reproduction is every bit as stunning and useful as the old Unertls, only it is built with modern tolerances, really good glass and is something a person can afford, with an MSRP of $549. By comparison, a genuine Unertl—if you can find one—will set you back a grand or more. And most originals are in tough shape.
The optic needs to be installed by a gunsmith, as it requires the barrel to be drilled and tapped. Unertl-style mounts, included, are specified at 7.20 inches center to center. My gunsmith placed the rear one just forward of the receiver on the barrel. It turned out wonderful and garnered many nice words from everyone who saw and handled it.
As an aside, this “old-fashioned telescope” happens to be very popular these days in the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Vintage Sniper Competition (mounted primarily on 1903 Springfields).
The scope’s .750-inch tube slides in the mount upon recoil—the idea back in the day was to keep the scope away from the shooter’s eye and to buffer its delicate internals during recoil—and Leatherwood provides a spring to return the scope to battery.
Since recoil isn’t much of an issue on a heavy-barreled .22LR, I opted to keep the return spring in place (in the CMP Vintage Sniper match, that spring is disallowed in keeping with the historical accuracy). Shot to shot, the scope kept its zero.
The reticle is a simple fine crosshair. Turret adjustments come out to be about ¼ minute of angle (MOA) per click, and there is a setscrew on the rear mount to lock the turrets into place once sighted in. One full turn of the elevation micrometer turret equals 50 clicks or 12.5 MOA. Note that on this style of optic, the reticle inside the tube is stationary; the tube itself, centered in the three spring-loaded prongs, does the moving.
I found the glass, fully multi-coated lenses to be excellent; there was no discernible aberration out to the edges; its gas-filled tube keeps things clear of fog and condensation in all nasty conditions. Parallax adjustment is via the 31mm objective lens, which is marked with distant gradients you can use as a starting point. I found them to be very close.
Accuracy with CCI’s 22 LR HP 40-grain Varmint and Velocitor Small Game were very good for 50-yard plus distance shooting.
Shooting the CZ 455 Varmint
Remington Club Xtra and ELEY Match 40-grain ammo provided the tightest groups, precision that truly lives up to the bolt gun’s claim as a “varmint” rifle.
Best 50-yard groups were attained with Remington’s ELEY and CLUB Xtra Match ammo—no surprise there. The ELEY gave a best 5-shot grouping of .465 and averaged .527.
I also shot CCI’s Velocitor copper-plated 40-grain hollow points that truck along at 1,435 fps; Segmented HP 32-grain at 1,640 fps and the company’s new Quiet-22 Segmented HP, the slowest of the bunch at 710 fps. All of the CCI stuff landed in around .750-1.000 inch groups, very good accuracy for plinking and field shooting work. Winchester’s Wildcat 22—a lead round nose 40-grainer going 1,255 fps—yielded about the same accuracy as the CCI, also very good. The bottom line is that the CZ 455 is an out-of-the-box accurate rifle.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a dead nuts squirrel gun, or one for field shooting practice, you can’t go wrong with the CZ 455. Do one better by topping it off with a Leatherwood USMC 8x Sniper Scope. You’ll get a real head-turner—one that shoots as good as it looks.
CZ 455 Product Name: CZ 455 Varmint, .22 LR SKU: 02140 Firearm Type: Rifle Purpose: Hunting MSRP: $469.00 Chambering: .22 LR Rate Of Twist: 1:16 in Magazine Capacity: 5 Magazine Type: Detachable Stock: Turkish Walnut, Varmint-Style Length Of Pull: 13.75 in Sights: No Sights, Integrated 11mm Dovetail Barrel: Cold Hammer-Forged Barrel Length: 20.5 in Overall Length: 38.75 in Weight: 7.1 lbs Trigger: Mech Adjustable Safety: Two-Position https://cz-usa.com/
This is what it’s all about—a rimfire rifle and telescope combination capable of drilling long-distance shots on small game using real-world field shooting positions.
Paired with Eddie Bauer’s amazingly well made Mabton Flats vest ($199), the Benelli Ethos is artwork afield.
Benelli’s new 20-gauge Ethos proves it’s got the moxie for one of the South’s greatest game birds.
“Easy Gal! Whoa! Gal! Easy Gal!”
With Gal, the frenetically paced and bird savvy English pointer, locked on a covey of quail and creeping closer, our guide, Cody, kept her at bay with a few gentle voice commands. One other hunter and I crept up a few yards on either side of the guide but behind Gal and another pointer, and Cody gave the green light to Deke, a Boykin spaniel whose sole job it was to jump the already located birds: “Get ‘em up Deke!”
Half the excitement with quail hunting like this is that you never know how many birds are going to flush out of that point or where they’ll go. Sometimes it’s three; sometimes it’s 10 or 12. Not only is the number unknown, their trajectory is completely unpredictable and can change multiple times in flight. There’s that split second when the covey rises and the birds seem almost frozen in time, only to dart off at breakneck speed and leave you feeling like an uncoordinated buffoon.
This time five birds got up, three to the left and two straight ahead and slightly to the right of us. George, a product manager at Benelli, killed three birds with ease on the left side, while I managed to knock down one bird with two shots. Once those birds get up it’s all about pure reaction; thinking and aiming only slows you down and cripples your shooting.
What didn’t slow us down was the Benelli Ethos 20 gauge, a new introduction in 2015 and an addition to the original Ethos 12-gauge lineup. More than that, the Ethos is a sweet-swinging beauty, as graceful in motion as it is to look at. From the first time you throw it to your shoulder it’s got a natural, graceful feel. The AA-grade satin walnut stock is nimble and lightweight, perfect for a full day afield and perfect for fast moving birds and quail-appropriate loads. With a nickel plated and engraved receiver, the Ethos 20 gauge was an ideal complement to an old-world-style hunting experience at SouthWind Plantation near Attapulgus, Georgia.
Benelli’s Ethos 20 gauge, at home on a rainy day in Georgia at SoutWind Plantation.
An Old World Hunt
If you’ve ever hunted Europe, you’d get a good feel for the type of experience created at SouthWind Plantation. The property is located on 3,000 acres of picturesque Georgia pine country, with rolling hills, lakes and tall grasses that provide ideal cover for quail. The plantation also teems with duck, geese, turkey and deer, and the main lodge sits on a massive lake that’s stocked with 10-pound and greater largemouth bass.
There are several smaller lodges around the backside of the lake and a trap and skeet tower in one corner. When you get back to the lodge at night, you’ll eat and drink like a king: prime rib, fried gator tail and bacon-wrapped quail legs with a glass of The Macallan 12, a high-end single malt scotch whiskey, or an ice cold Yuengling from America’s oldest brewery.
SouthWind does offer hunting from Jeeps, but there’s also the opportunity to hunt from horseback while a team of guides pulls the dogs, ammo and water along in a mule-drawn wagon. It’s a slower paced hunt but allows you to take in the scenery at the rhythm of a horse’s trot. When the dogs get on a covey, a quick dismount and a short walk is all that separates you from the birds.
Benelli Ethos 20 Gauge Review
Benelli’s Progressive Comfort Recoil System makes a full day of shooting a breeze.
Except for size and weight, Benelli’s 20-gauge Ethos looks identical to its older 12-gauge brother and is built on the same tried and proven Inertia Driven System. The guns functioned flawlessly all week for us, including quite a bit of time blasting clay pigeons over the lake. The Progressive Comfort Recoil System, which incorporates three sets of interlocking buffers at the rear of the gun, makes a full day of shooting—especially with the 20-gauge—as painless as can be.
A pair of us would typically kill 40-50 quail in the morning and about the same in the evening, so there was plenty of shooting going on. I’d like to say it was a one shot, one bird kind of experience, but quail are a hard target, after all, and we couldn’t keep the ratio even. We didn’t run out of ammo, but we eventually ran out of excuses.
One of the standout features on the Ethos is the ergonomically designed trigger guard, which carries aesthetic appeal and also makes operation with gloved hands a bit easier. The safety is easy to activate with gloves as well. The optic system comes with three interchangeable colors (red, green, yellow) that can be swapped out without a tool and are efficient in all light conditions.
One of the challenges of the 20-gauge platform is making a softer-recoiling gun work efficiently with the Inertia Driven System. Benelli really put in the research and development time with this one, however, which means the gun will function flawlessly with 7/8-ounce to 3-inch loads.
Parting Shots
Just like the original 12-gauge Ethos, the new 20-gauge is a winner. In a world of bargain basement guns that come with no frills, it’s nice to see there’s a company still dedicated to the highest standards of quality, even if that means you pay a little more at the counter.
At $2,199 the Ethos 20-gauge isn’t cheap, but it’s certainly worth the price. It used to amaze me when I’d travel across the country, either for duck or other game birds, and see so many Benellis in the hands of poor college students and working class folks. Here’s the reality, though: When you’re as passionate as many of us are about game birds, a Benelli is an investment worth making.
BENELLI ETHOS 20 GAUGE Type: Semi-automatic, Inertia Driven Stock: AA-grade satin walnut Barrel: 26 or 28 in., Crio System treated Receiver: Nickel plated Weight: 5.6 pounds Overall length: 47.5 or 49.5 in. Buttstock: Progressive Comfort recoil reduction system Sights: Interchangeable, fiber optic (red, green, yellow) MSRP: $2,199 BenelliUSA.com; 301-283-6981
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.
The Modern Shooter crew then takes a break and goes behind the scenes at Colt to see how their legendary 1911s are CNC machined, blued and heat treated — and then onto final assembly and quality control.
