The SHOT Show always has some surprises in store for the shooting world at large. This year, it’s Kimber who has pulled one of the big shockers out of the bag at the Jan. 19-22 exposition in Las Vegas.
The New York gun maker has taken a marked break from its bread-and-butter 1911 pistol and bolt-action rifle lines to introduce its first revolver. But, as would be expected from Kimber, the K6s isn’t r carbon-copy of all the other .357 Magnums on the market.
The company has designed the handgun for concealed carry, obvious, given it is a 2-inch barreled snubby. In doing so, it has endowed the 6-shot revolver with plenty of head-turning features not to mention aesthetics.
Most of the Kimber K6s’ desirable aspects are documented in the above video by The Firearms Blog, but there are some that are worth dwelling upon. Perhaps the features that jumps out the most is the hammerless revolver’s trigger pull and weight.
Between 9.5 and 10.5 pounds, it’s scant when compared to other double-action only handguns. This should be a boon for first-time wheelgun shooters and those who are looking for a snappier pull weight on a carry revolver. And tipping the scales at 23 ounces, the K6s is among the lightest carry wheelguns available.
Concerning looks, the Kimber K6s’ design is eye catching, boasting smooth lines, a full lug and flat-sided cylinder. Much of the revolver’s streamlining is meant to avoid snags upon drawing. But, they also give the gun unique and appealing look, which is too bad, given it will most likely be under wraps most of the time.
American Eagle Syntech TSJ takes target ammunition to new heights and changes the landscape on target ammunition. Here's how synthetic-tip ammo works.
It’s one of the biggest ironies in shooting. We generally put the least amount of thought and consideration into the handgun ammunition we shoot the most: Target rounds. Shooters might research and test several different loads for personal defense, hunting or competition, but when it comes to a day at the range, most are content to shoot whatever’s available and affordable.
Consciously or not, we rationalize that we’re “only” shooting at paper or steel from relatively close range, and that the practical differences between full metal jacket target rounds have traditionally been subtle at most.
But that’s all changed. New American Eagle Syntech™ shows what target ammunition can really be. Smooth. Consistent. Clean. Easier on your gun. And more fun to shoot.
New Tech, New Shooters
Senior Product Line Manager Mike Holm said Syntech, a product that’s been years in the making, was created for two important reasons.
“We’re proud of the consistency and performance our target loads have always offered, but we didn’t just want to follow the industry, hit a certain plateau, and stop striving for something more. So we stepped up and asked ourselves what we could do to make the shooting experience better.”
The changing demographic of today’s shooter was another important motivator.
“We know that someone who started shooting a handgun in the past few years generally has different wants and needs than established shooters,” Holm said. “In a lot of ways, they’re more critical and do more research. They ask questions that push us to do more too, especially for those who might not be quite as comfortable with guns or do most of their shooting at indoor ranges.”
Engineers tackled these varied challenges head-on while developing Syntech, and in the process created something extraordinary—not only the ammunition itself but also the technologies that define it.
It all centers on the exclusive Syntech Total Synthetic Jacket, a complete polymer coating that takes the place of the copper jacket in conventional FMJ target ammunition. The technology rewrites the book on what shooters should expect and demand from range ammunition.
Smooth And Cool
Syntech is cool—literally. Unlike conventional lead or copper-jacketed rounds, the slick, red polymer coating eliminates metal-on-metal contact in the barrel. The result is not only softer, smoother shooting you can feel, but less friction, heat and barrel wear. Shooters—especially those who burn through a lot of rounds at the range—will get more longevity out of their hard-earned handgun investment.
In fact, the Syntech coating produced an average of 12 percent less friction in the barrel than a standard copper jacket, when tested by Federal Premium engineers using standard testing methods and American Eagle pistol ammunition (AE45A, 45 Auto, 230-grain FMJ). Another Syntech test revealed an average of 14 percent less heat. The heat test was conducted using American Eagle pistol ammunition (AE9DP, 9mm Luger, 115-grain FMJ) and a common, conventional, full-size handgun.
Shoot Clean, Shoot Better
The next thing a shooter will likely notice after putting a few magazines of Syntech through their gun is actually what they’re not seeing—copper or lead fouling.
“We don’t like to admit it, but nobody likes to clean their gun, and Syntech eliminates a big part of what makes a firearm dirty in the first place,” said Senior Product Development Engineer John Swenson. “Not only does the Syntech jacket encapsulate the lead core, but that coating maintains its integrity at ignition, down the barrel and in flight.”
With no exposed lead or copper, there’s no contact between these materials and the barrel, so there’s no metal fouling. Period. You’ll have to service your gun less frequently and you’ll shoot better in the meantime.
The need to clean is further reduced by the loads’ special clean-burning propellant paired with all-new lead-free Catalyst™ primer technology.
“The new primer is hot, consistent, and provides extremely reliable ignition,” said Chief Chemist Joel Sandstrom. This results in a more complete and efficient burn of the propellant, which significantly reduces residue with each shot.
Safety Matters
Range shooters often take for granted the physics involved in shooting a jacketed bullet into a hard target mere paces away. The reality is that pieces of the copper jacket and larger fragments of the lead core travel far from a target on impact—sometimes more than 15 yards. But with no hard copper jacket and a soft lead core, Syntech produces less of this splash back, and what it does produce travels shorter distances when fired into steel targets. Testing done by Federal Premium engineers proves this point.
“We set up a test where a shooter fired 100 rounds each of common, commercial, 115-grain FMJ, TMJ and Syntech from a distance of 23 feet into a steel target,” Swenson said. For the test, Swenson and his team covered a 15-plus-yard radius in front of the target with a giant tarp, on which they’d marked 5-, 10- and 15-yard circles. After shooting each type of ammunition, they collected bullet fragments in the 10- and 15-yard marked areas, and weighed and analyzed what was there.
“What we found says it all,” he said. “Not only did Syntech put out less overall weight in recoverable fragments than typical FMJs, but most of those fragments were smaller and traveled shorter distances after hitting the steel.”
The test data was clear. Syntech produced 51 percent less total recoverable fragment weight than FMJs between 5 and 15 yards of the target. It also resulted in 91 percent less weight in fragments traveling more than 15 yards from the target, and at least 77 percent less in fragments weighing more than 10 grains.
Experience The Difference
There will always be practical applications for conventional copper jacketed target rounds like those you’ll find from American Eagle. This ammunition remains an affordable choice for accurate, reliable practice and training. But with range time so precious to us, it only makes sense to choose ammunition that makes that time more fun and more productive, with less hassle and cleanup afterward.
“It’s all about having a better shooting experience,” said Holm. “With Syntech, you have it—more of what all shooters want, and less of what you don’t.”
American Eagle Syntech TSJ Q&A
To help serious shooters fully appreciate everything Syntech brings to the table, we fired the following questions at Mike Holm, Senior Product Line Manager for Federal® American Eagle Ammunition.
Q: What is Syntech ammunition? A: American Eagle Syntech features an all-new Total Synthetic Jacket (TSJ) wrapped around a soft lead bullet, plus the high-performance, lead-free Catalyst™ primer and specialized clean-burning powder packed in a reloadable brass case. The combination reduces heat, friction and fouling to keep your gun cleaner, longer while providing the smoothest, most enjoyable shooting experience possible.
Q: How does it keep your gun cleaner? A: Unlike conventional jacketed ammunition that causes metal-on-metal contact between the bullet and bore—decreasing barrel life while producing hard-to-clean fouling—Syntech’s polymer coating lets the bullet glide through the barrel. As a result, barrel life is extended, while lead and copper fouling are a thing of the past.
Q: Metal residue is gone, but what about polymer fouling in the barrel and rifling? A: After firing many thousands of evaluation rounds during exhaustive testing, we’ve noticed no substantial residue from the polymer coating.
Q: Do you need special cleaning products when shooting Syntech? A: No. We’ve fired thousands of Syntech rounds during testing, and no specialized cleaning products have been necessary. Thanks to Syntech’s TSJ jacket, traditional cleaning products such as a brass brush and standard powder solvents should be all that is required to clean your barrel/firearm.
Q: How does the Syntech coating differ from the red moly used decades ago? A: The red molybdenum grease other companies coated their bullets with is completely different than Syntech’s strong and durable polymer, which is neither liquid nor grease.
Q: With less friction and heat, how does the Syntech coating affect bullet velocities versus standard full metal jacket ammunition? A: We designed Syntech to perform at velocities similar to current conventional range loads. However, because the coating reduces barrel friction, we are able to achieve this velocity with a slightly lower powder charge.
Q: Will the coating degrade when my barrel heats up from high-volume shooting? A: We did not experience that issue while firing thousands of rounds during development.
Q: Will there be any Syntech personal defense or rifle rounds available in the future? A: Although Syntech was initially designed as high-performance range ammunition, we will look to create, evaluate and test other products in years to come.
Q: How long has Syntech been in the works? A: It took approximately four years to release this product, including two years of just developing the sophisticated machinery required to reliably mass produce such high-quality bullets. However, Federal Premium® has decades of experience with coated bullets, and we relied on this expertise to develop Syntech and deliver its high-tech features and benefits at an affordable price point.
Q: What exactly is the polymer formula used in Syntech and how is it applied? A: Sorry, we can’t answer this question. It's a trade secret. However, we can say sophisticated machinery precisely applies the Syntech polymer to meet our rigid specifications—after which the coated bullets undergo an extensive series of quality assurance checks.
Q: What is the cost difference compared to standard FMJ range ammunition? A: While Syntech is competitively priced for the range ammunition market, you might find it retails a bit higher than standard target rounds. However, the benefits Syntech delivers more than offset the slightly increased cost.
Q: How does the Catalyst primer give this new ammunition an edge? A: The all-new, lead-free Catalyst primer used in Syntech rounds is hot, consistent, and provides extremely reliable ignition followed by efficient burning of the propellant. We believe Catalyst is the most state-of-art primer technology available.
Q: How does Syntech ammo appeal to new shooters? A: We know that someone who started shooting a handgun in the past few years generally has different wants and needs than established shooters. New shooters are typically more intimidated when it comes to cleaning their handgun or shooting at indoor ranges. They might also worry about protecting the barrel on their new investment, or be more concerned about safety issues such as splashback when shooting close-up steel targets.
Q: Explain how Syntech reduces splashback. A: Since Syntech lacks a conventional copper jacket and has a soft lead core, it produces significantly less splashback than standard full metal jacket ammunition when fired into steel targets. Testing by Federal Premium engineers revealed Syntech produced much less total recoverable fragment weight than FMJ rounds between 5 and 15 yards of the steel target. And significantly less beyond 15 yards.
Q: Is Federal’s Nyclad bullet similar to the new Syntech product? A: Polymer-based Syntech target ammunition is a totally different product than our nylon-based Nyclad, which was developed primarily for law enforcement purposes. That being said, engineers working on the Syntech project certainly benefited from the years of experience in coated-bullet technology we’ve gained while producing millions of rounds of proven Nyclad ammunition in the past.
Entering its second season on the Sportsman Channel, Modern Shooter has more high-caliber action than ever. From shooting like a Navy Seal to staring down some of the planet’s most dangerous game, the program explores unique and intriguing corners of the shooting world.
On the next episode, Modern Shooter is front and center as Colt unveils its new 2016 firearms lineup. Get a first, in-depth look at the new Colt Competition Pistol. The versatile handgun is loaded with features that make it a winner in competition and on the street.
But there is a more weighty aspect to the show, as it goes behind the scenes of the legendary gun maker’s effort to aid military families.
Colt has teamed up with Folds of Honor, an organization dedicated to providing children of injured or fallen servicemen money for school and college. Modern Shooter documents the manufacturer’s program to raise funds for the organization, donating a portion of each firearms sale to Folds of Honor. It will also look at how that money helps and has helped the loved ones of those who have given so much to their country.
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.
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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
As SIG Sauer fans well know, the scope of the company far exceeds just churning out firearms. From suppressors to firearms training to ammunition, it’s fairly safe to say the European-American company is much more than a gun maker at this point.
SIG’s ammunition line, in particular, has seemed to resonate with shooters and much of the gun world. Even Gun Digest has been impressed with the company’s wares, naming SIG’s Elite Performance Ammunition the best of 2015
The company’s cartridges have proven so popular it has even had SIG moving past what is generally considered its wheelhouse. The manufacturer best known for its semi-automatic pistols and AR-style rifles is again shooting at revolver shooters this year with its ammo expansion. Joining the .38 Special in the company’s wheelgun offerings are the .357 Magnum and .44 Rem Magnum.
While much of the Elite Performance Ammunition line is focused on self-defense and match shooting, SIG is not selling its new additions that way. The company pegs its .357 and .44 V-Crown hollow points as hunting cartridges, giving handgun hunters and lever-action aficionados what appear to be solid options. And with a 125-grain round for the .357 Magnum and 240 grains for the .44, SIG should have a wide spectrum of big- and medium-sized game covered. “The 357 Magnum and 44 Rem Mag calibers are quite popular with handgun hunters,” said Dan Powers, president of the SIG SAUER Ammunition Division in a press release. “These are accurate and powerful loads for hunting mid-sized animals such as hogs and deer, and they are also a top choice among hunters who carry a pistol for backup protection in the field.”
For fans of the .357 Magnum, there is also a full metal jacket option, which could help pinch pennies. The less expensive round is engineered to duplicate its hollow point compatriot’s ballistics. And according to SIG’s numbers, the two rounds appear extremely consistent, with only .2 inches difference in drop at 100 yards.
It’s the time of year that firearms enthusiasts’ collective hearts get a thumping. That is because the SHOT Show is just around the corner.
The Jan. 19-23 convention gathers the better part of the firearms industry together to show off their wares. It is an absolute playground to those who love guns, ammo and accessories. In particular, because much of what is showcased are the new pistols, rifles and shotguns that will line the walls and display cases of gun stores around the country the coming year.
Fans of one of the nation’s oldest gun manufacturers have a reason to keep their eyes peeled on the 2016 SHOT Show, with Colt releasing three new firearms just before the event. The Connecticut manufacturer has expanded its catalog to include two new 1911 pistols and an M4 rifle. Each is purpose built and check a number of boxes for certain shooters.
Colt Competition Pistol
Shooters aiming to add a race-ready pistol to their safe might not have to look any further than the Colt Competition Pistol. Loaded with a number of performance enhancing features, the 1911 has the potential to have competitors banging steel and silhouettes in record times.
One of the more notable aspects of the semi-automatic, available in .45 ACP or 9mm, is Colt’s Dual Spring Recoil System. Originally developed for the M45A1 — the 1911 used by U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command — the system dampens the pistol’s recoil. This aids in the overall accuracy of the Competition Pistol, reducing muzzle flip and keeping it on target.
The pistol’s other features include a 5-inch National Match Barrel, Novak adjustable rear sight and fiber optic front, undercut trigger guard and upswept beavertail grip safety for improved ergonomics and blue Colt logo G10 grips.
The pistol’s price tag also has the potential to get shooters racing for it with its present MSRP $899.
Lightweight Commander
The Lightweight Commander has dotted the pages of Colt’s catalog before and is now back in production. The 4.25-inch barreled semi-automatic is available in .45 ACP and 9mm, and offers a number of refinements that should make it a choice concealed carry option.
Chief among these is the steel-framed pistol’s weight — 29.4 ounces. Relatively speaking, the pistol is at the heavy end of the scale of carry guns, especially compared to polymer options. But, it is more than a manageable heft for a 1911 destined to hang from a belt.
Like the Competition Pistol, the Lightweight Commander is outfitted with Colt’s Dual Spring Recoil System, to aid in accuracy and shootablity. The handgun’s other features include adjustable Novak rear sights, undercut trigger guard, upswept beavertail grip safety and black cherry Colt Logo G10 Grips.
Presently the company has placed the pistol's MSRP at $949.
The Expanse M4
Penny pinchers will be pleased to learn Colt has expanded its offering of economical AR-15 style rifles with the Expanse M4. With an MSRP of $699, it’s a good bet this rifle will be difficult for retailers to keep in stock.
The company has released precious few specs on this 5.56X45 NATO/.223 Rem. rifle, so it’s difficult to say exactly how — aside from price — it differs from other M4s. But the rifle has some obvious features, easily discernible from a quick perusal, such as: railed flattop reciver, GI-Style flash hider and adjustable buttstock.
The Expanse M4 has a16-inch barrel with a 1:7-inch twist rate, which should allow it to digest a heavier bullet selection. One aspect of the rifle, which could be a point of contention with some is its lack of a chrome lining in the barrel.
Simplify the process of storing a handgun in your car with Gum Creek’s Vehicle Handgun Mount – an innovative design that fits snugly under your steering wheel column while also providing quick and easy access to your handgun. The convenience of this mount allows you to avoid placing your handgun between or underneath seats, in a door or console, or any other location that is uncomfortable, unsafe, or non-secure. Learn More
Youth hunters and shooters are a growing part of the business done at Herb Bauer Sporting Goods, and the store itself facilitates much of that youth “traffic” by offering the state-mandated hunter education course on site.
“Our shop prides ourselves in educating many, many youths every year in our hunter education program,” says Gun Department Manager John Lewis. “Our hunter safety teacher is a second generation female instructor who has a real passion for recruiting more kids to hunt in our state! She works closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and coordinates many special youth hunts each year, including dove, quail and pheasant hunts.”
With these many young people coming through the store—with parents in tow—sales are very good on a number of youth model shotguns, especially single-shots made by Rossi and NEF. Top youth pump guns include Remington, Mossberg, Browning and Benelli Novas, and these young shooters prefer their new scatterguns in .20 gauge and .410.
For young rifleshooters, the Savage Rascal, a single-shot bolt-action with Savage’s AccuTrigger, is tops here.
“Air guns are popular, too, especially as we get into the holiday season where we will sell over 50 Daisy Red Ryders—after customers watch their holiday favorite video!” says Lewis. That movie, of course, is 1983’s A Christmas Story where young lead character Ralphie Parker pines for “an official” Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. The Red Ryder sells for just under $50.
Herb Bauer’s also sells a good selection of Crosman youth rifles, popular as they can shoot both BB's and lead pellets.
Editor's Note: This brief originally appeared in the Winter 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The 1911 is among the most recognizable pistol designs in the world, but the semiautomatic was not born overnight. In fact, the iconic firearm was a long, though worthwhile, effort to come up with a top-notch military sidearm.
Back in 1899 everyone sang Aud Lang Syne- and so the song goes. At the same time, the Mauser broomhandle pistol was gaining acceptance as a reliable and effective self-loading pistol. John Moses Browning developed the Colt 1900 .38 ACP pistol, and adventurers such as the up-and-coming T. E. Lawrence and western lawmen relied upon the single-action revolver. The United States Army was disappointed with the Colt .38 revolver and was actively looking to replace the Colt 1892 with a self-loading pistol. The Colt 1900 pistol was studied, and the German Luger was tested as well. John Browning and Colt were gaining much experience, as Browning designed small-caliber pistols and Colt manufactured them. The inertial firing pin, grip safety, enclosed slide, and tilting-link barrel were developed in these handguns. Browning also experimented with both internal and external extractors. Various hammerless designs were marketed, and while they were actually concealed-hammer pistols, the smooth slide design was popular.
Browning pioneered the locked-breech action as other makers struggled with adapting self-loading handguns to powerful cartridges. The Mauser 1896 used an oscillating wedge that worked well enough. This system was later used in the Walther P38 and today is in use with the Beretta 92 pistol. The Luger borrowed the Henry rifle’s toggle lock, or perhaps Hugo Borchardt was impressed by Maxim’s adaptation of the toggle for machine guns. Browning used the locked-breech operating principle. This design features a barrel and slide that remain locked as the pistol recoils. The barrel tilts at a certain point in its travel, and upon firing, the slide and the barrel recoil together. As the bullet exits the barrel and pressure abates, the slide and barrel separate, and the slide rushes forward to strip another round from the magazine and into the chamber. Practically every modern handgun now uses the Browning locked-breech design.
The Beginning When the Army wanted a .45-caliber pistol, Browning took a hard look at his 1900 design, which was already refined into the 1903. The .45 ACP cartridge was designed to be the same length as the .38 ACP, with a .900-inch-long cartridge case, which simplified some of the development. He eliminated the 1900’s dual links and used only one swinging link in the 1911, but the 1905 and 1907 Colt pistols still used not only dual links, but also the locking slot for the barrel used with the 1900. Just the same, the barrel bushing and trigger action later used in the 1911 were beginning to appear in the 1907 version of the Colt .45 automatic. In the style of the day, the Colt 1907 was offered with a shoulder stock slot (gangsters later modified the 1911 to shoulder stock status, along with extended magazines and even a full auto selector switch). The hammer style, lanyard loop, and ejection port received considerable attention. The somewhat square original grip angle was retained from the 1900 pistol.
The pistol was a good effort but Army testing found this Colt lacking. Safety was one concern, as the lack of a positive manual safety was a drawback for mounted use. The grip angle was rated uncomfortable. My research indicates that cavalry tests included carrying the Colt cocked and unlocked and ready to fire in the holster. Racking a slide was unacceptable for one-hand operation in a headlong battle from horseback and carrying the pistol loaded with the hammer down seemed unacceptable.
The pistol was further developed following a poor rating by the Army. Work on the Colt .45 automatic continued through the 1909 and 1910 models. The most noticeable change was the grip design. The dual links were finally eliminated. Seminal work on safety features included the addition of a grip safety, but the slide lock or thumb safety was last in development. The various mechanical improvements are important, but the improvements in the grip angle and handling are equally important. The proof of the 1911 Colt was an intensive firing test. The 1911 .45 was fired until too hot to handle, quenched in water for cooling, then fired until 6,000 rounds were exhausted without a malfunction. There were a couple of things the Army wanted they did not get, so a compromise was made. These wants included a loaded chamber indicator and a round counter. The brass round counter of the Savage 99 rifle may have made an impression upon the military but the practical application wasn’t, well, practical. The 1911 magazine has witness holes for counting rounds. Modern 1911s have slots in the barrel for checking the loaded state but the press check is the most foolproof method of checking for a round in the chamber.
Schematic of the 1911 pistol.
First Combat Action And The Rare “Black Army” Model The 1911 acquitted itself well in the Philippines action. Rushed to the war zone immediately after adoption, hard-pressed soldiers put the 1911 to task. The 1911 went with Pershing to Mexico and then to Europe during World War One. It was during World War One that a now uncommon variation was introduced. Colt was used to producing a few thousand guns a year, but now the Army needed 300,000. As a result, Colt cut corners in some production demands, and one of the cut corners resulted in less polish and a darker finish. This became known as the “Black Army” finish. These handguns became rare after the war for two reasons: First, Colt’s contract was canceled after the war ended. Second, most of the Black Army guns were refinished after World War One, and many were refinished in the new Parkerizing used during World War Two. The Army .45 did the business like no other, but as often happens at the end of a war, there was a list of complaints concerning the 1911. After World War one, Colt was asked to instigate a number of detail changes in the 1911 handgun. The 1911 was ushered off the stage, and the 1911A1 was developed.
This article is an excerpt of Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to the 1911, 2nd Edition by Robert K. Campbell.
In this installment, Philip Massaro completes cartridge assembly by demonstrating how to seat the bullet. He covers how to use a micrometer seating die for reloading, as well as various ways to crimp handgun bullets. Massaro demonstrates seating bullets for the .30-06, .458 Win. Mag, .357 mag. and .45 ACP cartridges, each of which presents its own idiosyncracies. Learn how to seat bullets with cannelure using a roll-crimp to hold the bullet in place, in addition to a taper crimp on the .45 ACP.
At just $899, the Colt Competition Pistol™ is perfect for those looking to get into competition without breaking the bank.
The new Colt Competition Pistol is a true, out-of-the-box 1911 for the competitor.
COMPETITIVE SHOOTING HAS BECOME A LARGE AREA of growth in the firearms industry in recent years, with more and more shooters taking part in various competitions. Plenty of these shooters prefer the venerable 1911, or at least modern renditions of it, to some of the other competition pistols on the market.
Ever since Colt introduced its first Gold Cup pistol in the late 1950s, it has served competitive shooters admirably with features designed to glean the most performance from the 1911 platform. Unfortunately, the price accompanying some of these features, and those found on high-end, competition-style 1911s made by other manufacturers, can push away some buyers with less disposable income.
One of newest Colt 1911s, set to be introduced at the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, aims to offer a solution. Dubbed the Colt Competition Pistol, the new pistol takes the 1911 Government model to another level with accuracy—and other performance enhancing features, and does so at a price that doesn’t break the bank for those with a limited budget or those new to competitive shooting.
With a National Match barrel, the new Colt Competition Pistol™ is available in .45 ACP and 9mm.
Available in .45 ACP or 9mm, depending on the shooter’s preference, the Colt Competition Pistol incorporates Colt’s renowned National Match Barrel and a 4.5- to 6-pound three-hole, aluminum single-action trigger. The pull is smooth and has a clean break, and the match barrel offers excellent accuracy. The 5-inch,1:16 LH twist barrel is made from stainless steel and has a polished finish.
As with many of Colt’s new pistols for 2016, the Colt Competition Pistol utilizes the Colt Dual Spring Recoil System™ found on the M45A1 Colt developed for the Marine Corps. What this system does is reduce recoil for faster follow-up shots and extend recoil spring life, translating into longer effective use.
The reduction of recoil and muzzle flip is noticeable with the Colt Dual Spring Recoil System™, especially in the 9mm model, which after a bit of shooting seems to almost instinctively set back on target after each shot. Another unique element on the new Colt Competition Pistol is its sights.
The pistol features a Novak adjustable rear sight that Colt says is a patent-pending design, and up front is a Novak Blue Fiber Optic sight. Blue initially sounds like a strange choice, given all the pistols with red or orange sights, but the blue actually stands out quite well, offering a clear reference point.
To match the blue fiber optic sight, the Colt Competition Pistol also comes fitted with a set of stylish blue checkered G10 grips. The grips are scalloped and offer secure purchase without becoming abrasive during extending shooting.
The pistol sports a carbon steel frame and slide with blued finishes. It also features an upswept beavertail grip safety and an undercut trigger guard to keep the pistol seated low in the hand for improved control. Redesigned wide rear slide serrations are also incorporated for the shooter’s competitive and defensive needs.
An easy-to-access, extended thumb safety rests on the left side of the frame, and the pistol also includes a Series 80 firing pin safety.
The new Colt Competition Pistol weighs 36 ounces empty. It has an overall length of 8.5 inches, an overall width of 1.25 inches and an overall height of 5.5 inches. These specifications are the same for both calibers.
What is not the same is magazine capacity. The .45 ACP model holds 8+1 rounds, while the 9mm version has a capacity of 9+1 rounds.
Each pistol comes with two magazines, a cable lock and an instruction manual. The Colt Competition Pistol in either model will be available for $899, a remarkable price given its features and performance capabilities. It is priced to be a truly more affordable option for newer or first-time competitive shooters as well as those who are more advanced.
After a day at Gunsite Academy in Arizona, the Colt Competition Pistol lives up to its billing.
COLT COMPETITION PISTOL™ Type Semi-auto Caliber .45 ACP or 9mm Barrel 5-in., stainless steel, National Match grade Overall Length 8.5 in. Overall Height 5.5 in. Overall Width 1.25 in. Slide Carbon Steel Frame Carbon Steel Weight 36 oz. (unloaded) Trigger 3-hole aluminum, 4.5 to 6 pounds Sights Novak Blue Fiber Optic front, Novak adjustable rear Finish Blued Magazine Capacity 8+1 (.45 ACP), 9+1 (9mm) MSRP $899 Manufacturer Colt.com
The new Tikka T3 CTR is a sleek rifle for any situation.
My introduction to Tikka rifles came by way of a buddy needing to make a truck payment. He had a Tikka Model 658 chambered in .270 Winchester with an inexpensive factory-mounted scope. A Tikka was just an inexpensive version of a Sako, right?
So I figured I would do him a favor, when in fact it was my buddy who did me the favor. At 100 yards, I thought my second and third shots were off the paper. I was in the midst of making plans to sell it off fast as I walked down range and discovered the one hole in the target was actually three holes. Since then, I have used the Tikka on numerous deer hunts.
As I write, I’m looking at the horns from a nice 8-pointer, which was the first deer I harvested with the Tikka. So, as you can see, I am little soft on the Tikka brand, but I am also a little jaded toward newer rifles touting their tactical prowess.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good, accurate rifles being manufactured these days at prices that can make a frugal Yankee like me blush, but we all know it takes more than a hunting-rifle action bolted into a black synthetic stock and matte finish to make a good tactical rifle. So when I unpackaged the Tikka T3 CTR I was hoping the T3 CTR not only talked the talk but also walked the walk.
Tikka is located in Finland and has been in the firearms business since 1918. Tikka is the Finnish word for woodpecker. The reason the company originally chose the name Tikka was because a woodpecker pecks the same hole in a tree every time, an analogy to the way a bullet hits the same spot when fired out of a Tikka rifle. In 1983, Tikka and Sako merged, and now they are both currently part of the Beretta Holding Group—as is Benelli, Sako, Stiener optics and a few other brands.
According to Kari Cook, Associate Product Manager of Rifles at Beretta U.S.A., the T3 series of rifles is Tikka’s latest generation of rifle manufactured by Sako in Finland and imported into the U.S. since 2002.
“The T3 CTR (Compact Tactical Rifle) features the rigid T3 action, which is made from one piece of steel,” says Cook.
It has extra metal on the right and top of the receiver, so it remains more rigid when a round is fired. The receiver is also broached not drilled.
“The broaching method gives the bolt a smooth-as-glass action,” Cook explains. “The receiver has a keyhole design, and the two lugs are tapered at the front. When you operate the bolt, only the lugs make contact with the receiver, so the bolt moves easily and smoothly.”
Working the bolt is an exercise in ease, a common trait of a Tikka. The bolt lift is 70 degrees—no fear the knob will interfere with the eyepiece of an optic. A Mil-STD-1913 Picatinny rail is bolted onto the receiver and will work with any type of scope ring compatible with a Picatinny rail. No need for rifle-specific scope rings. The receiver is machined with flats, so it has an angular look. On the left side is the bolt release stop. Press the rear of the stop, and the bolt assembly can be removed from the receiver.
The T3 CTR features a cocking indicator that is both visual and tactile as it protrudes from under the rear of the bolt to tell the operator the rifle is cocked. The rifle cocks when the bolt handle is lifted. The two-position safety falls under the thumb of a right-handed shooter and, when pressed rearward, locks both the trigger and bolt. The bolt knob is large and made of polymer. It is slick and easily palmed, which is a feature I like on a bolt-action rifle. The bolt handle can also be removed. The bolt uses a spring-loaded plunger ejector similar to a Sako extractor.
The trigger is another stellar feature on the CTR. The pulled weight averaged 2.9 pounds—a crisp 2.9 pounds with no creep. If that does not suit you, then you can adjust the trigger by removing the barreled action from the stock. The adjustment range is two to four pounds. I found the factory-set pull weight pleasant and left well enough alone. It is a single stage that is wide with serrations, so your finger can easily grip it bare handed or gloved.
The CTR uses a steel, center-feed detachable box magazine with a 10-round steel capacity. It drops free when the ambidextrous safety is pressed forward. The magazine release is located just forward of the trigger and can be operated by the shooter’s trigger finger without having to break your grip. The magazine fits flush with the bottom of the trigger guard, so it’s easier to manipulate during a reload, especially in the prone position. The bottom metal is constructed of lightweight aluminum with an oversized trigger guard for use with gloved hands. There is a slight bevel in the magazine well to aid magazine insertion.
The 20-inch barrel is cold-hammer forged with semi-heavy contour. The muzzle is threaded with 5/8×24-inch threads, so it is compatible with U.S. standard unit components—suppressors, flash hiders, muzzle brakes, etc. The threads are protected with a threaded cap, and the muzzle has an 11-degree crown. All metal work sports a non-reflective, matte black finish that is well executed.
“The CTR and all Tikka rifles come from the factory with a 3-shot MOA precision guarantee; Sako rifles have a 5-shot MOA precision guarantee,” says Cook. “All Tikka rifles go through a 3-shot accuracy test in the stock it is shipped with,” she adds. “There are no differences between Sako and Tikka barrels. During the barrel manufacturing process, all barrels are made the same way.”
The .308 Winchester model tested has an 11:1 inch twist rate and four grooves. The stock is made of fiberglass-reinforced copolymer polypropylene. Without having a chemist’s degree, I can only attest that the stock is lightweight.
The stock free floats the barrel all the way to the action. Length of pull is adjustable by adding or removing spacers using a screwdriver. Slots in the spacers make it easy to add or remove spacers without completely removing the butt pad screws. The butt pad is solid rubber. A polymer cheek rest gives the user a higher cheek weld. The gripping areas on the forend and pistol grip have textured areas that provide plenty of adhesion. Two hex screws hold the barreled action to the stock.
I mounted a Steiner Military 3-15x50mm MSR scope on the CTR. More scope than the CTR actually needs but nonetheless a good combination. Built with an oversized 34mm one-piece tube that allows a wider range of adjustment, the Steiner Military scope features large elevation, windage, parallax and illumination knobs with positive clicks. Each click equals 0.1 mrad. The MSR (Multiple-purpose Sniper Reticle) reticle is located in the first focal plane, so the reticle increases in size as the magnification is increased.
Using a rest, I was able to get my dope quickly then proceed to feed the T3 CTR a variety of different types of ammo I had on hand—everything from hunting rounds to match ammo to inexpensive import cartridges. Even with the heat hitting 93 degrees, I was able to put the CTR through its paces and allowed the barrel to cool during strings.
Most three-shot groups were 1 MOA or smaller depending on how well I coped with the heat and sweat. The bolt operated smoothly, scraping rounds out of the magazine and flicking empties out of the ejection port with ease. You can easily load one round at a time through the ejection port.
In two words, I found it accurate and capable. It balanced well with the heavy contour barrel and was light enough to be used for deer hunting or setting up for coyotes. I also don’t see why it couldn’t be used in precision rifle shooting events. For more information, visit tikka.fi.
Long-range shooting is increasingly popular in north-eastern Oklahoma, and at Bill’s Sporting Goods, that trend has made quality, high-magnification riflescopes a top seller.
“We are moving a lot more target-style scopes verses hunting scopes,” said General Manager Abbie Starkey. “Vortex, Zeiss, Leupold and Nikon are our top sellers right now for optics. In the last year, we’ve seen a large push for 6-24x50mm-style scopes. As shooters start reaching out for longer distances, they want these longer-range optics.”
The new 9mm single-stack Glock 43 “is flying out the door as quickly as we can get them in,” Starkey notes. “The subcompact field is a growing market for us right now and we love it. As the concealed carry market grows in the Midwest, the smaller style handguns are becoming increasingly popular.”
Also selling well here are M&P Shields from Smith and Wesson and Springfield XDS's.
Ruger American rifles are selling briskly, and there’s very strong interest in the new Ruger Precision Rifle. But there have been no sales because Bill’s is having trouble just getting one of the Ruger Precisions in store. Top scattergun? The Stoeger 3500 semi-auto, a mid-priced shotgun.
Editor's Note: This brief originally appeared in the Winter 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Ruger’s American Pistol was designed with the input of both the military and law enforcement.
The Ruger American Pistol was designed with the input of both the military and law enforcement. It appears to have plenty to offer shooters in and out of uniform.
There are all sorts of factors and trends that influence gun designs. Presently, one point of gravity — at least when it comes to handguns — is the Modular Handgun System.
The MHS is the set of design specifications put forth to find the U.S. Army’s next sidearm. And the program has prompted a number of new designs and modifications to be unveiled in the past few years. Ruger is the most recent gun maker to whip out a pistol that ticks off the boxes for the project.
The company has not stated that it plans to submit its new American Pistol in the race to replace the U.S. Military’s venerable Beretta M9. It could happen; the deadline for MHS submissions is Jan. 28. But the New Hampshire/Arizona manufacturer makes no bones that the stipulations laid forth for the MHS were the inspiration for its new line.
The slick-looking American Pistol is presently available in two calibers, 9mm and .45 ACP.
Ruger quite simply states the polymer striker-fired pistol’s genesis was the goal of exceeding the specifications set forth by the military. But the company also was advised by law-enforcement agencies around the country on desirable design points for a duty sidearm.
The company is initially offering the full-sized semi-automatic in 9mm and .45 ACP — +P rated in both calibers. And at first blush, the new pistol has plenty to appeal to shooters in or out of uniform.
Perhaps the most practical aspect is the shootability Ruger has engineered into the American Pistol. In particular, the handgun features a low bore axis and patented barrel cam, each meant to make the firearm easier to handle and keep on target.
Placing the bore axis closer to a shooter’s hands gives them more control over the pistol, reducing muzzle flip and helping to disperse recoil reward into the arms. The barrel cam on the Browning-type, locked-breech action, on the other hand, is all about recoil reduction, dispersing the force over a longer period of time, thus blunting the gun's kick.
Additionally, the new cam design helps to trim the overall weight of the pistol. It does so by requiring a lighter slide than many other pistols in its class, which has it tipping the scales right around 30 ounces in 9mm and 31 in .45 ACP.
For some, this might be a hair too heavy for a concealed carry piece, but it definitely doesn’t rule the American Pistol out — particularly since it is full sized. And its other vital stats — especially its 1.4-inch width— definitely keeps it in the running.
Like most new polymer, striker-fired pistols to come out in recent years, the American Pistol features interchangeable grips. The three grip choices (small, medium and large) not only adjust for palm swell, but also help shooters achieve a comfortable trigger reach.
Ruger is touting a number of features on its new American Pistol, including ambidextrous slide and magazine releases, and crisp trigger pull.
The trigger, more specifically its pull, is another feature Ruger touts on its new pistol. With ¼-inch travel to break a shot and positive reset, the handgun should have a light, clean and fast pull. This is in part due to the pistol’s ignition system, which fully cocks the striker upon chambering a round. This means the only work the trigger pull does is to release the sear.
The 4.20-inch barreled pistol also has a number of other features that should catch shooters’ eyes, including: Novak LoMount Carry 3-dot sights, nickel-teflon-plated magazines, sear block and trigger safety, and ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release. The double-stack pistol has solid capacity. The .45 ACP has a 10+1 capacity, and the 9mm is available in 10+1 and 17+1 models.
Presently, the MSRP of all three models of the American Pistol is $579. All models ship with two magazines, grip modules and a hard case.
When it comes to collectable firearms there are definitely gold-standard names. Given its place in history, Winchester is definitely one of them.
The company’s legendary lever-action rifles stir the imagination and nostalgia of firearms aficionados of every stripe. Which is why there is a good chance Morphy’s upcoming gun auction has a shot at grabbing a fair share of collectors' eyes, not to mention cold, hard cash.
The auction house has a slew of slick and historic Winchesters set to cross the block at its Jan. 23 firearms auction, held in conjunction with the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. And while there is a goodly allocation of some of the better known models to roll out of the company’s plant more than a century ago, there are some unique versions that have the potential to ring up some impressive bids.
Some of these desirable and unique Winchesters are in the gallery below. But the lever-action rifles aren’t the only reasons to take a gander at what will be crossing the block. There are plenty of other rifles, shotguns and pistols that have the chops to get collectors drooling.
The Beretta 1301 Tactical cycles incredibly fast due to its BLINK gas operating system, which allows for easy rapid firing. Photo by Robert Sadowski
The Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun is a fast shooting, surgical brawler perfect for home defense and law enforcement applications.
The Beretta 1301 Tactical features an oversized safety, bolt handle and bolt release for easy operation with gloves. Photo by Robert Sadowski
“Shotguns are brutal, hungry weapons,” explained Steve Fisher at Beretta’s first Tactical Summit held at Academi in Moyock, North Carolina. He then proceeded to quickly stuff a Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun with Federal 00 Buck faster than a snake crossing hot asphalt in July. At 25 yards, you can predict the hits as Fisher unloads, creating a pile of empty shells and fist-size splashes on the painted steel target. “Let’s move back a bit,” he said, reloading.
At 30, 40 and 50 yards, Fisher fired, keeping all nine pellets on the 18×1-inch steel target. At 75 yards, not all pellets hit steel, but the demonstration proved the surgical accuracy of Beretta’s 1301 Tactical shotgun.
Shotguns are not weapons to be pointed, as some may think, in the general direction of the target and fired in the expectation the target will be perforated with a swath of 00 pellets. The Beretta 1301, paired with a modern tactical load like the Federal Personal Defense shell, needs to be aimed—and wants to be aimed—so those nine pellets hit the target precisely where you want them to go.
A shotgun is “brutal” in the sense that, when well deployed, it can ravage a target with the intensity of nine 9mm bullets hitting at the same time; also a 12-gauge shotgun has noticeable recoil. It’s “hungry” in the sense that a shotgun is loaded one round at a time. Unlike an AR, which can be quickly topped off with a fresh 30-round magazine, or a pistol, which may get 15 to 17 rounds with each reload, a shotgun always needs to be reloaded with the operator feeding the machine.
The Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun uses Beretta’s BLINK gas operating system with a cross tube gas piston. According to John Tamborino, tactical product manager at Beretta, “The 1301 Tactical cycles 36 percent faster than other semi-automatic shotguns,” which means you can get off four rounds in one second. Don’t blink or you’ll miss the show. “The BLINK system has been around for a few years and is the same proven system found in Beretta’s A400 hunting and competition semi-automatic shotguns,” Tamborino added.
The 1301 Tactical is lightweight and highly manueverable, a great combo for home defense and law enforcement uses.
Using the 1301 in Moyock as well as back home, I ran it hard and had no issues with the shotgun performing even when feeding it a mixed diet of light reloads and factory ammunition. The Beretta was completely reliable.
“The BLINK gas system,” explained Tamborino, “was designed to cycle most shotgun loads, from light birdshot all the way to slugs, and the gas system also has a self-cleaning design,” which means the piston’s seal is designed to scrape powder residue as it cycles. Even after extensive shooting, the gun had little fouling.
The 1301 Tactical chambers both 2¾-inch and 3-inch shells. The receiver is lightweight aluminum. The triangular safety button located just forward of the trigger, the bolt handle and the bolt release are all oversized for fast manipulation even with gloved hands. The butt stock is synthetic with a grippy texture.
Knowing the 1301 might be used by kitted up law enforcement or petite home defenders, the length of pull (LOP) on the 1301 is only 13 inches. Spacers are shipped with the 1301 so you can customize the LOP to your stature. A soft rubber recoil pad eases any felt recoil. The forend is thin and textured, offering users with small or large hands a good grasp, which is especially important in a fast shooting 12-gauge.
The shotgun weighs a lithe 6.3 pounds unloaded. It is fast handling. Lightweight in a 12-gauge tactical shotgun is not necessarily a good thing: That sense of brutal force can be felt in the shoulder, but I found the 1301 Tactical quite a sweet shotgun to shoot. The action was smooth and, along with the gas piston operating system, helped to alleviate any felt recoil.
“Proper shooting technique” as Fisher said, “can also reduce felt recoil from the equation. In the firing position, use your hands to slightly pull in opposite directions, as if you were trying to pull the shotgun apart. Not enough to cause you to go off target but just enough so that when the weapon fires the recoil force will feel even less on your shoulder and cheek weld.”
Lined up at 25 yards, we were drilled to load increasingly more rounds into the 1301 and fire. As the person to your left fired, it was your turn to load and start firing. On it went down the line until the pace was frenetic and the 1301s were fully loaded and fully emptied. We were firing light target loads, and the push-pull technique Fisher demonstrated helped remove any bite of recoil users might feel, though I thought the 1301 had little felt recoil to begin with. Smaller stature shooters and those unfamiliar with shotguns might disagree, but I heard no complaints from the other shooters on the line.
“The barrels on the 1301 are cold hammer forged, back bored and vacuum distended, which does reduce recoil,” said Tamborino. An adjustable ghost ring rear sight is paired up with a front blade with a white dot protected by wings. A Picatinny rail is mounted should a user want to add a red dot or reflex sight. A fixed cylinder choke is optimized for a variety of defense loads. The barrel is 18.5 inches in length, giving the shotgun an overall length of 37.8 inches. This length makes the 1301 quite maneuverable in a home defense situation, and it makes pie-ing corners easier in cramped environments.
The 1301 comes apart simply. Lock the breech bolt back; then unscrew the forend cap. Pull the forend off and pull the barrel from the receiver. To remove the breech bolt, place your finger on the bolt face and press the bolt-release button. Remember to control the breech bolt. Then pull the bolt handle from the breech bolt. The breech bolt and operating rods with the sleeve can then be removed from the front of the receiver and off the magazine tube. To access the trigger group, punch out the trigger-guard retaining pin, then press the bolt-release button and pull down on the trigger group assembly. It will pivot out the bottom of the receiver. This takes longer to explain than to actually do. Suffice it to say the process is user friendly.
Loading a semi-auto shotgun can be hard on fingers and thumbs, but the 1301 made it fast, enjoyable work since the edges of the loading port are smooth with no sharp edges. Shells slid easily into the magazine tube with no hitches.
Back home at the range, I warmed up the 1301 with some light handloads and fired them for speed. I doubt I fired four rounds in one second, but I did have a stream of empties flowing from the ejection port. Even running the shotgun full bore, the Beretta was easy to control and recoil was manageable. Moving on to military grade 00 Buck, I found patterns measured about 10 inches at 25 yards.
The Federal Personal Defense loads, however, gave me fist-size groups at 25 yards. It was accurate and surgical on center of mass and headshots. At 50 yards, I shouldered some slugs, shooting three-shot groups. Surgical again. The Federal Tactical slugs gave me 3-inch groups when I used a rest and did my part with the trigger. The trigger’s pull weight was about 5 pounds with a slight bit of creep but was well suited for a tactical/defense weapon.
Though Beretta is more known for competition and hunting models, Tamborino said, “the inspiration with the 1301 tactical was to offer LE and home defenders a lightweight semi-auto tactical shotgun capable of cycling shotgun loads ranging from light to heavy.” From my experience running all types of tactical shotguns, the Beretta 1301 Tactical is the kind of shotgun I want close at hand when things turn bad. Reliability and ease of use make this brutal beast an asset.
Beretta 1301 Tactical CALIBER 12-ga., 2.75-3 in. chamber BARREL 18.5 in. CHOKE Fixed cylinder OVERALL LENGTH 37.8 in. WEIGHT 6.3 lbs. STOCK Black synthetic SIGHTS Adjustable ghost ring/ Picatinny rail ACTION Semi-automatic FINISH Matte black CAPACITY 4 + 1 MSRP $1,059 Beretta.com
Philip Massaro tackles primer installation, the first process of assembly in reloading as well as case charging. Learn the differences between large and small primers, and how to use a primer cup accessory on a single stage press. Plus how to dispense the correct powder charge.
In the segment, Massaro shows how to prime a .30-06 rifle and a .45 ACP pistol case. He explains special precautions with .45 ACP brass, which can have either small or large primer pockets, a variance that needs to be watched closely when sorting brass and choosing primers. Basic cartridge case charging is covered, too, with a RCBS digital powder demonstrated. The process of using a static-busting powder funnel is an important tool that will enable you to keep all your powder in the case in a safe manner.
Loaded with race-ready features, the Armalite M-15 3-Gun rifle is born and bred for the winner’s circle.
The new kid on the block of shooting sports, 3-gun competition requires specialized equipment that is already evolving at run-and-gun speed.
Keeping a close eye on the booming popularity of the sport, gun and gear manufacturers who once tiptoed around 3-gun specific products are now running into the ring with their gloves off. As a result, those manufacturers are making it easier than ever to get involved in the sport. Getting started in 3-gun demands so much equipment that one might need to buy a bigger truck to haul it around with.
Now, shooters can purchase race-ready gear that’s factory designed for the user to simply pull out of the box and get going.
When it comes to Armalite’s new M-15 3-gun rifle, every inch of this compact carbine is custom-tailored for optimal performance in competition. From its single-stage Timney trigger to its tunable muzzle brake and gas block, this rifle means business.
While Armalite may be new to the 3-gun game, anyone who knows that the “AR” in AR-15 stands for Armalite rather than “assault rifle” should know that the Illinois-based company has more than 60 years of firearm innovations under its belt. Now it’s packing that experience into a rifle with a 13.5-inch stainless steel barrel that’s easily capable of shooting sub-MOA groups or plinking steel at 400 plus yards.
The Lion’s Mane
Take a closer look at each component of this rifle and it’s obvious how Armalite’s innovative instinct is influencing a transformation in the specialized equipment used for 3-gun competition.
With an overall length of just 34.5 inches, the M-15 3-gun is about 4 inches shorter than typical run-and-gun rifles. Its shorter profile allows shooters to wield the rifle faster around obstacles or through tight courses of fire. So how does Armalite stay at the 16-inch NFA threshold but still remain short? The answer lies in a 13.5-inch barrel that has a 2.5-inch long pinned and welded Armalite tunable muzzle brake, bringing the barrel exactly to the 16-inch “street legal” mark.
The rifle incorporates a largely fixed LUTH MBA-1 precision stock. Photo by Dusty Gibson
Saving 4 inches might not sound like much, but the size and weight reduction is a huge advantage when a course of fire requires quick movements and smooth transitions between left- and right-handed target engagements.
As far as ambidexterity, the M-15 3-Gun was designed with righties and lefties in mind, though it does favor righties. Left-handers still deal with right-handed case ejection and standard bolt and magazine releases. However, an ambidextrous safety selector and Raptor charging handle play no favorites, and an over molded Hogue grip invites all shooters.
Armalite has also engineered and manufactured an innovative handguard that’s easy on the hands without sacrificing the ability to attach accessories. The 12-inch free-floating aluminum KeyMod handguard is lightweight and rugged, but its main feature is what it doesn’t have: Picatinny rails all along the 12 o’clock position. By machining it without cheese grater rails across the top, Armalite has created a forend that’s friendly to the popular C-clamp grip used by most 3-gunners.
Though very robust, the LUTH MBA-1 precision buttstock is one feature some shooters may consider replacing. The stock is mostly a fixed length, though minor adjustments for comb height and length of pull are possible. Shooters with a shorter length of pull, or who like a collapsible stock, will likely not enjoy this stock. While the sport of 3-gun demands accuracy, it also doesn’t require the bench-rest level precision a fixed stock offers. Most target engagements don’t stretch past a couple hundred yards, and at those distances, the targets are usually large steel plates. Overall, the stock is desirable, but it’s not the answer for every 3-gun shooter.
Armalite has assembled an exceptional collection of parts into a well-engineered rifle with quality craftsmanship. Each component on the M-15 was carefully considered based on its merits for winning 3-gun competitions.
Race-Ready Performance
When Armalite designed a 3-gun rifle around a 13.5-inch barrel, they took two major risks: First, the barrel would be too short to stabilize heavier bullets; second, the shorter length would go against the grain and be frowned upon by 3-gun shooters.
Based on performance during range testing, Armalite’s risks seem worth the reward. After testing using ammo with three different bullet weights, the shorty stainless steel barrel achieved exceptional accuracy and functioned flawlessly. Even the heavier 62- and 75-grain bullets were accurate through the barrel.
How does Armalite’s 13.5-inch 3-gun rifle achieve accuracy despite its shortened length? The answer is mostly rooted in its superb stainless steel barrel. Designed with a 1:8-inch twist rate, bullets are able to achieve significant spin before leaving the barrel, giving heavier bullets the stabilization needed to achieve exceptional accuracy.
Most importantly, this barrel configuration gives shooters the flexibility to use different types of ammo based on the objective of each particular 3-gun stage. Want to reach out for a long-range shot on a windy day? Load up with a 75-grain Hornady Superformance Match. Or maybe you’re shooting cardboard silhouettes in close quarters? Run the cheap and dirty 55-grain imported stuff.
This flexibility doesn’t stop with the barrel. Equipped with an adjustable gas block and muzzle brake, the M-15 might as well come with its own set of tuning forks. Adjusting the gas block allows shooters to tame the recoil of each particular load by controlling the amount of gas used to cycle the bolt carrier. Less gas means a lower reciprocating force to your shoulder on each shot, and therefore less muzzle rise, which keeps your sights on target.
Armalite’s adjustable muzzle brake also allows shooters to custom tune their rifle with any type of ammo. Removable tuning screws on each side of the brake allow gas flow to be controlled similar to a valve. Allowing more or less gas through the tuning screws adjusts the amount of muzzle rise.
Both the muzzle brake and gas blocks require some trial and error with your preferred ammo. Making precise adjustments or messing around with these components during a match would be difficult unless the shooter is very experienced in their effects on performance.
A 2.5-inch pinned and welded tunable muzzle brake allows Armalite to offer a 13.5-inch barrel on the rifle. Photo by Dusty Gibson
Armalite’s M-15 also uses a single-stage Timney trigger that breaks like a candy cane. As tested at 3.78 pounds, the trigger leaves nothing to be desired. In fact, during our testing, we blew through a lot of ammo because double and triple tapping was too much fun.
Overall, this compact carbine makes it crystal clear that Armalite set out to innovate the market of 3-gun rifles. From its ergonomic features to a fully adjustable operating system, this race-ready workhorse was built to win. It’s also turning heads and changing what competitors expect from a factory-built, match-grade rifle.
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.
