Over-penetration is a concern with home defense ammo no matter what the caliber. Here are some loads up to the task.
When using the .223 for home defense, leave the FMJs for range work. These bullets are designed to punch holes in flesh, steel, wood or nearly any material that is in its trajectory.
Bullet technology has evolved in recent years. Now there are bullets that break apart when they strike drywall or wood, and when they hit flesh, they do no over-penetrate, instead transferring most of the energy into the home invader.
HPR Ammunition’s Black Ops OTF is designed for law enforcement and home defense. Using a 62-grain Open Tip Frangible bullet, it is designed to create massive force trauma in soft targets, while breaking on impact on hard targets.
Other loads suitable for home defense include Hornady TAP FDP Personal Defense Ammunition and Winchester PDX1 Defender Self Defense ammo. The Hornady TAP FDP is deigned to cause dramatic wound cavities while reducing the risk of over penetration. The cases are also nickel plated for optimal reliability.
The Winchester PDX1 60-grain bullet uses Split Core Technology (SCT) that features a quick-expanding front lead core and deep-driving bonded rear lead core.
The bolt-action hunting rifle that inspired a million copies is back in production and better than ever. Check out Rigby's Magnum Mauser in .416 Rigby.
Considered the perfect repeating bolt-action dangerous game rifle, Rigby's Magnum Mauser in .416 Rigby delivers 5,100 foot-pounds of energy and 52 foot-pounds of recoil.
An excellent compromise between full-sized and sub-compact, the Glock 19 remains a top choice in double-stack 9mm pistols.
Why you should consider the Glock 19 for concealed carry:
Outstanding middle ground between full-sized and sub-compact pistols.
Handles and shoots much like a full-sized pistol.
Magazines are and will always be plentiful.
Variety of magazine capacities available.
Very trim compared to other 15+1 capacity pistols.
Relatively easy to conceal.
Widely used in law enforcement.
Glock 19 Gen 4 and Glock 19 Gen 5 offer removable backstrap systems.
The Glock 19 was the second Glock pistol released to the civilian market, with production beginning in March,1988 (It beat the G17L by one month). The Glock 19 is one of the two pistols that have been around for all five generations, though first-generation G19 Glocks were only prototype, so they are extremely rare. After all these years the Glock 19 is still the second most popular Glock model, after the Glock 17.
Glock 19 Vs Glock 17
This compact 9mm Glock is just a G17 that has been made 0.67 inches shorter in length and 0.56 inches shorter in the grip. It’s about 1.4 ounces lighter. It is an excellent compromise between the full size and the sub-compact. The definition of a “compact” pistol can sometimes get a little murky because if you look at the Glock 19, it looks like a full-size handgun. The designation is relative and differs from company to company. What one company calls a full-size, another calls a compact. This is especially true for companies like Glock, which manufactures combat/duty pistols that are often larger than other pistols.
A field stripped G19.
The Glock pistol sizes can be summarized by how they are used within police departments—the full-size pistols (Glock 17, Glock 22, etc.) are generally issued to uniformed police officers who open carry. The compact pistols (Glock 19, Glock 23, etc.) are generally issued to plainclothes officers, where concealment is not necessary, but being discreet is.
The sub-compact pistols (Glock 26, Glock 27, etc.) are generally issued to undercover officers, where concealment is needed. Of course, this is a generalization and not always the case; some departments just issue the compact pistol to everyone.
If I could only own one handgun, which is thankfully not the case—God bless America—it would be this one. It’s big enough that it handles and shoots much like a full-size handgun, yet compact enough that it can be concealed with a jacket, vest, or even a properly designed shirt. It’s roughly the size of a 1911 Commander, though a little bit smaller and lighter. It makes for an excellent “go to” handgun.
The 9×19 cartridge is the most common cartridge in America, and aside from the popularity among civilians, it is the US military standard cartridge, the NATO standard cartridge, and the choice of many police departments. Plus, since it also uses Glock 17 magazines, with the sheer number of G19s and G17s in America, magazines will always be plentiful.
Glock 19 Capacity
Whether real or perceived—and I’m going to refrain from entering into politics here—the threat to “high capacity” magazines (or what we in the gun community call standard capacity) has led to a boom in sales of these magazines, with boom being an understatement. So there are a lot of them out there.
A Glock 19 barrel and spring (the top barrel and the top spring) compared to a Glock 17 barrel and spring.
Glock engineers have always been excellent at stuffing the maximum number of rounds into their magazines. Evidence of this is found when you compare the same-class offerings of other manufacturers. Compare the Ruger SR9c, Smith & Wesson M&P9c, and Springfield Armory XD(M) 3.8 Compact. To compare magazine capacity, one must consider height, which is determined primarily by grip height, and this, along with grip width, is one of the biggest determinants of magazine capacity.
Of the compact models, the Glock 19 has a 15-round capacity, with a 4.9-inch height and 1.18-inch width. It has a slightly longer grip than the other three, but that extra grip gives you the highest magazine round count at 15. The XD(M) 3.8 Compact is 4.75 inches in height with a magazine capacity of 13 rounds, so it’s only .15 inches shorter than the Glock 19, but loses two rounds. The Smith & Wesson is 4.3 inches in height with a 12-round capacity. It’s 0.6 inches shorter than the Glock 19, and it loses three rounds. It’s not a terrible trade-off, three rounds for just over half an inch—better than losing two rounds for only a .15-inch shorter grip.
The Ruger falls somewhere in the middle, with a 4.61-inch grip height, but loses out in capacity with a 10-round magazine—five rounds less than the Glock 19. That’s only two-thirds the capacity. I’m a fan of Ruger, but in this case it looks like they chose lawyers and economics over consumer desire for higher magazine capacity.
The popularity of the 9mm is at an all-time high in the US. So when advancements are made in handgun cartridge design, it’s going to hit the 9mm first.
Everyone has to make a 10-round magazine for states like California, but Ruger chose to make all of its SR9c magazines 10-round capacity. I guess that saves money because they only have to have one type of magazine made for them, and only half the models in inventory (other companies have two of each model, one regular-capacity model, and one 10-round magazine model for states that have magazine maximum capacity laws—effectively making two models for what would only be one model).
I don’t like it when lawyers drive design, and I also don’t like it when companies go strictly off the bottom line. I realize that a company needs to be profitable, and it’s their choice to only offer a 10-round magazine, but I think in the long run it hurts their market share.
Glock 19 Specs:
Caliber: 9mm Capacity: 15+1 Weight (unloaded): 21.16 ounces (Gen 3 & 4); 21.52 ounces (Gen 5) Barrel Length: 4.02 inch Overall Length: 7.36 inch Slide Length: 6.85 inch Overall Width: 1.26 inch Slide Width: 1.0 inch Height (including mag): 5.04 inch Sight Radius: 6.02 inch (polymer); 5.98 inch (steel), 5.94 inch (GNS) Trigger Distance: 2.80 inch (Gen 3); 2.76 inch (Gen 4 & 5)
The author takes a look at a world-class AR pistol well-suited for home defense in this SIG P516 review.
The P516 features SIG’s proprietary grip.
The weapon you choose to defend your home must be maneuverable, compact, simple to use for you and your household members, and it must provide the necessary firepower to stop an intruder. AR pistols are just that type of weapon for home defense, and the SIG P516 pistol with the SB15 Pistol Stabilizing Brace is the type of weapon designed for close-range maneuvering. The SIG P516 has a hard earned reputation among military and law enforcement personnel in the U.S. and around the world as a reliable, capable firearm.
The P516 is based off the SIG 516 rifle, which is built on an AR-15-type platform with a refined operating system that is combat-reliable. Instead of the traditional direct-impingement gas system found on a standard AR-type platform, the 516 series—both the rifle and the pistol—use a short-stroke, gas-piston/pushrod operating system. This piston system ensures that carbon fouling and excess heat never reach the chamber or bolt carrier.
In turn, this significantly improves the weapon’s functionality. There is minimal heat to dry out oil or gunk from burning gases.
All About That Gas
P516 shown with Brownells magazine.
This operating system also uses a four-position gas valve that allows a user to adjust the gas in one of four positions. Position No. 1 provides normal gas flow to operate the P516. Position No. 2 allows extra gas flow for adverse situations, such as when the weapon is fouled and short stroking. Position No. 3 reduces gas flow to enhance suppressor use, and position No. 4 turns off the gas value for optimized suppression and makes the P516 function as a single-shot pistol. Most users will keep the gas value in position No. 1, but it is useful that SIG’s engineers allowed the value to be adjusted for numerous scenarios and circumstances. Practically useful, the valve can also be adjusted using the tip of a cartridge.
When it comes down to it, an AR pistol is a compromise that spans the gap between a typical 16-inch-barreled AR-type rifle and an AR-type Short Barreled Rifle (SBR). The difference between the 16-inch AR-type variant and the SBR, other than the barrel length, is the paperwork required to legally own an SBR. This includes an ATF Form 1, local law enforcement approval and the purchase of a $200 tax stamp. The “AR pistol” designation allows gun owners to avoid the additional paperwork while maintaining a shorter barrel. The compromise, of course, is the absence of a butt stock. The solution to that problem, if you can call it that, is the SB15 brace. The SIG P516 with the SB15 brace makes the pistol easier to control. It’s certainly not the rock-steady hold of a butt stock, but it’s steadier than the typical handgun hold.
The P516 is built with forged 7075-T6 aluminum upper and lower receivers with a hard coat anodized finish. The upper features a free-floated, military-grade, nitride-treated, 10-inch barrel with a twist rate of 1:7 inches with six grooves. At the muzzle is an A2-style flash hider. When decreasing the length of barrel in the AR-type platform, having adequate gas to operate the system is an engineering challenge. After speaking with a SIG spokesperson, they agreed it was a challenge, and that is why the short-stroke system is used.
The P516 sports an aluminum quad-rail handguard that offers plenty of options for accessories.
“The P516 requires a bit more gas than the SIG 516 to run reliably since there is less recoil mitigation when compared to a stocked rifle,” according to SIG. “So the gas port is larger on the P516, and since it enhances reliability on SBRs, the SIG 516 SBR also runs the same gas port.”
SIG’s short-stroke gas pushrod system also makes SBRs and P516s run more reliably than a direct-impingement gun. This becomes magnified once the barrels become 11 inches or shorter. So, if you’re looking for the most reliability out of a SBR or an AR pistol, you really should be looking at a short-stroke gas pushrod system.
The barrel and the short-stroke piston system are then sheathed in an aluminum quad-rail handguard. The quad rail allows a user to mount accessories, and in the case of a homeowner there is plenty of rail space for a tactical light. Ergo rubber rail covers are included with the pistol, so the unused quad rails are more comfortable to hold and less abrasive. The topside is a true 1913 Picatinny rail that runs from the very rear of the upper to the adjustable gas valve, giving the user plenty of mounting options for optics.
A red dot or reflex sight is a natural choice for close-up work in a room or down a hallway. Adjustable flip-up iron sights snap upright into position, then fold back away from the muzzle. They deploy in seconds. The rear sight offers two aperture sizes and is adjustable for windage, while the front post sight is protected by wings and is adjustable for elevation. I found the iron sights perfectly adjusted for 25 yards. I mounted a Mepro Tru-Dot RDS with a 1.8 MOA red dot reticle, which offers rapid target acquisition with both eyes open through a large viewing window. The RDS is a commercial version of similar sights used by Israeli Defense Forces.
The SIG Sauer P516 features ambidextrous controls and comes with factory-installed flip-up iron sights.
Constructed with an aluminum body and tough polymer frame, the RDS runs on a single AA battery, providing thousands of operating hours, plus it features an automatic shut off to conserve power. The reticle has four brightness settings: three for day/night use and one for use with night vision gear and magnifiers. The unit features an integral Picatinny rail mount with QD levers, and when mounted, it perfectly co-witnesses with the flip-up iron sights. At 10.5 ounces, it is lightweight and only takes up 4.5 inches of rail space.
The lowers on the SIG 516, SIG 516 SBR and P516 are identical. There is no difference other than the lack of stock on the pistol. The P516 features an ambidextrous selector and magazine release, making the P516 more versatile and faster to operate regardless of whether you are right- or left-handed. The Phase 5 extension tube is fitted with SIG’s SB15 pistol stabilizing brace. The brace is shaped like a clamp and made of a rigid yet flexible rubber similar to that used in swim fins and diving mask material. The operator’s shooting arm is inserted into the brace, and an attached hook-and-loop strap secures the weapon to the user’s forearm. A second strap can also be used to more securely attach the weapon to the shooter’s arm. The brace is easily removed or installed by pulling it off or sliding it onto the buffer tube. The SIG P516 can be used with or without the brace.
The pistol grip is SIG’s proprietary pistol grip with an ample texture and an arched backstrap. It is very comfortable to hold. The single-stage trigger pull measured on average 7.6 pounds but felt lighter. There was a slightly perceptible bit of creep but not enough to interfere. This is a defense weapon, after all, and not a target pistol.
At the range, my assumption was that the P516 would not be as accurate as a typical 16-inch barrel variant. I was wrong. Using a rest, I was able to average ½-inch groups or better at 25 yards with five shots using 55-, 62- and 77-grain ammo. The P516 is a shooter. It particularly liked the new Norma USA 77-grain Sierra MK HPBT ammo and the new Barnes VOR-TX all-copper 55-grain TSX FS bullet. Even the economical Fiocchi 55-grain FMJ BT performed well.
The pistol runs on a short-stroke gas system, which is more reliable and cleaner than the direct-impingement gas system found on many ARs.
The new HPR Black Ops OTF uses a 62-grain Open Tip Frangible bullet that is specifically designed for home defense and offers less over penetration. Going to off-hand shooting, I found the brace helped provide more stable shooting. Don’t get me wrong, this is a pistol with a 10-inch barrel that weighs 6.5 pounds, and holding at arms length gets tiring fast. Firing for speed from the hip, the SB15 brace kept the P516 steady.
Removing the SB15 brace, I also attached a Blackhawk one-point Storm Sling to the P516 via a Magpul QDM sling swivel. The P516 has a built-in sling-swivel mount on each side of the lower. With the sling over one shoulder and across my chest, I pushed the pistol out from my body, and the sling provided a more steady set up. Holding the P516 in two hands, the pistol was easy to manipulate and hold steady. I liked shooting the P516 with both the red dot and iron sights. With either the SB15 brace or a one-point sling, you give yourself an edge with a more solid hold. With no snags and excellent accuracy, the P516 offers everything you need when picking up a weapon in haste to defend your home.
Other than the AR pistol itself, considerations for home defense include choosing the right ammunition and, where legal, a suppressor. Suppressors can greatly reduce the noise from discharged rounds in confined spaces, thus protecting your hearing. As always, it’s important to check the laws in your state and make the best decision for you and your family.
SIG Sauer P516 Caliber 5.56x45mm NATO/.223 Rem. Barrel Length 10 in. Overall Length 26.5 in. (with SB15 brace) Weight Unloaded 6.5 lbs. Grip SIG textured grip Sights SIG adj. flip-up front/rear Action Short stoke gas piston Finish Matte black hard coat anodize Capacity 10+1 MSRP $1,754.00
This article appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
For those paying attention, .32-caliber handguns have been enjoying a bit of a renaissance as of late.
Much of this has been due to Ruger’s reintroduction of the .327 Federal Magnum into its revolver lineup. But another company has set its gaze upon what has perhaps been a historically more popular iteration of the caliber.
Starline Brass recently expanded its catalog to include .32 ACP cases, a move that fits right into the Missouri company’s wheelhouse. While the manufacturer offers a number of familiar cases, it has carved a niche in the reloading market by producing components for more oddball rounds.
The .32 ACP, presently, really doesn’t fit into either the familiar or oddball categories. There are a number of gun companies that produce firearms chambered for the semi-rimmed round; Starline pointed to seven, including Kel-Tec, North American Arms, Century Arms, Taurus, Beretta, Pardini and Bersa. However, the more than century-old round is definitely not as ubiquitous in modern-day gun making as, say, the 9mm, .40 S&W or .45 ACP.
There are still a slew of handguns that feed on the snappy little round, particularly for shooters that are fans of vintage European pistols. This is mainly due to a number of Continental law enforcement agencies adopting the .32 ACP, where it is known as the 7.65mm Browning.
Starline’s brass is 70-percent copper and 30-percent zinc, which is vertically drawn to keep wall thickness consistent. The company anneals its cases between each draw to ensure malleability and inspects each case between each step of the manufacturing process.
Starline is offering .32 ACP bass in boxes of 500 (MSRP $88) and 1,000 ($150).
Have a yen for handguns? Then we’ve got just the thing for you — The Handgun Cartridges poster. This attractive and informative poster features more than 320 life-sized images of nearly every shape and size of pistol and revolver ammo. This is the perfect, eye-catching addition to any den, gunroom or reloading room. Get Yours Now
One of the appeals of revolvers, especially for self-defense, is their reliability. To be sure, wheelguns can malfunction, but overall they are rare.
With that said, the platform does present its challenges, none more pressing than the reload. There is no two ways about it; revolvers require many more movements to get back in action than do semi-automatics once they've run dry. But take heart, if you aim to carry a revolver, replacing the five or six spent cartridges in an expedient fashion is more than doable.
In the above video, iconic gun instructor and Gun Digest author Massad Ayoob advocates and demonstrates a method he popularized—the stressfire reload. As Mas shows, this technique has some distinct advantages that help ensure a smooth and timely reload, while protecting the integrity of the revolver.
Like all systems, there are some cons to the stressfire reload. In particular, some may not like the gun switching hands in the course of the reload. But as the start of the clip shows, there are some distinct advantages to a system that does not strictly rely on the offhand holding the revolver.
As an added bonus, the video gives some key pointers on how to use a speed loader to maximum effect. It also shows how to execute a stressfire reload if you happen to be a southpaw.
The new Merkel R-15 offers shooters a lot of rifle for a respectable price.
Merkel is aiming to punch a toehold into the American market with a new rifle – the Merkel R-15 – that comes with everything but a hefty price tag.
Merkel has always had a knack at marrying elegance and performance in their firearms.
The German gun maker has been churning out truly unique and accurate specimens for more than a century. But whether it was one of its ornate double rifles or innovative Helix straight-pulls, shooters were going to pay to own a Merkel. But the times appear to be changing.
Recently, the Teutonic manufacturer expanded its gun library to include a model that should score a bull’s eye with the budget-minded. In the $700 range, the new Merkel R-15 has a price point that fits right into the American market. And if it preforms like the rest of the company’s offerings, then it could turn out to be among the best values out there.
The R-15 is a marked break from the company’s traditional fare, which focused on firearms that started at $5,000 and went up from there. Most likely, this change in course has been due to Steyr acquiring Merkel around 5 years ago. The Austrian gun maker has made a concerted push into America in recent years; the R-15 project appears to fit very much into this effort.
The Merkel R-15 is outfitted with a rock-solid three-lug bolt.
Merkel is offering two variations of the three-lug bolt action. There is a Grade-1 walnut stock model weighing in at 7 pounds 4.4 ounces. And there is a synthetic-stocked model that tips the scales at 6 pounds 9.8 ounces. There is also a price difference between the variations, with the wood-stocked R-15’s MSRP being $799 and the synthetic’s being $699.
Both models of the rifle share a number of common features, including the eight different calibers they're available in: 6.5x55mm, .243 Win., .270 Win, .308 Win., .30-06 Sprg., 9.3×62 Mauser, .300 Win. Mag and 7mm Rem. Mag.
The standard calibers are outfitted with 22-inch barrels, while the magnums have 24-inch barrels to help the rounds better achieve their ballistic potential. Standard calibers come with a three-round detachable box magazine, while the magnum’s holds two.
The R-15 comes without sights but is drilled and tapped for Savage-style mounts. The rifle has a direct trigger tuned to a snappy 2-pound 10-ounce pull weight.
At The Tradesmen, owner Edward Wilks sees a number of related trends that begin with more women than ever taking the establishment’s concealed carry certification class.
“It used to be, out of a class of 16, I’d have maybe two women,” says Wilks. “Now, at least half my students are women and sometimes more.”
The handguns these ladies favor? BUGS, or what are often called “back-up guns,” because of their smaller size—usually semi-automatic pistols chambered in .380 Auto. The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard semi in .380 is his top seller right now, and for just under $400 customers get one with a laser sight.
More than ever, self-defense handgun ammunition is moving off the shelves here, too. Again, .380 Auto leads the pack, this time in the form of the Civil Defense 50-grain loads made by Liberty Ammunition.
Across the board, long gun sales are way down. “Shotgun sales are dead,” says Wilks. “I’m selling a few rifles—but only a few.”
However, fully automatic firearms are moving surprisingly well here, despite the fact that they are very expensive. Wilks recently moved a pair of consecutively serial-numbered full-auto M-16s, for example, for over $20,000 apiece.
Optics are big movers, too, and the market here, Wilks notes, has shifted. “We used to sell a lot of $50 to $100 rifle scopes,” he says. “Now, people are spending $300 and up for a nice Leupold or Vortex model. Spotting scopes, rangefinders and binoculars are steady sellers, too.”
Interest in concealed carry is at an all time high. In this 2nd edition of the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, Massad Ayoob delivers the tips readers need to protect themselves in life threatening situations – without running afoul of the law. Learn from the best, and you’ll be prepared for the worst, with this industry standard concealed carry reference. Get Your Copy
Witnesses to a defensive gun use can work for or against you, which only strengthens the case for giving the proper information to responding authorities.
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this concealed carry series, I explained the rationale behind giving responding police officers a very brief statement after a self-defense shooting, then waiting for your attorney before giving a formal statement. There may very well be others on the scene that can and will give responding officers an explanation of what they believe occurred.
If other witnesses hear and see the shooting, you may heave a sigh of relief and think, “I don’t have to risk telling the responding police anything, because others will tell the police what happened.”
This brings up two problems. The worst arises if the witnesses lie. Perhaps police interview witnesses who include the person you shot or his accomplices. They were committing a crime, most likely a violent felony, and if the one you shot dies, the others could be convicted of felony murder. Do you honestly think they are going to confess to the police that they were part of a robbery team? Not likely.
Instead, their lies will be long, loud and abundant, and at trial you must convince the jury that one, two or three other people who say that you just pulled your pistol and started blasting away are, in fact, lying.
The stories these witnesses tell will likely be the same, rehearsed many times, perhaps even with the aid of the prosecutor. Prosecutors don’t like to lose, and in fact, if they lose too many cases, they may also lose the prosecutor’s position. So, the prosecution will pull out all the stops to convict you, and if that means helping the witnesses communicate better with the jury, expect them to do so.
In the end, because you decided to follow the advice of lawyers, who defend real criminals, by remaining silent and demanding to talk to your attorney, you face a trial in which you desperately need to prove that the people the prosecution and their witnesses paint as poor suffering victims were actually committing a crime against you.
The witnesses extend well beyond those present at the scene. You can be sure the doctor that performed the surgery on the guy you shot will be at your trial to describe every excruciating detail of the injury you inflicted. If your assailant dies, the Medical Examiner or forensic pathologist will go to the witness stand to give the same testimony.
It can get even worse. Perhaps there were independent witnesses who saw what happened. “You’re saved!” your friends and family may cry. Not necessarily. What the witnesses saw or heard is not necessarily what actually happened. Witness dynamics is a fascinating subject in and of itself, and one you should study up on.
Witnesses’ observations and experiences will be filtered by many variables. Distance, lighting, ambient sound and even their own physical limitations in eyesight and hearing will come into play when they give their honest, independent account of what they saw or heard. And these simple physical limitations are nothing compared to the filter of social or political biases that also might be present.
An independent witness or two provides no guarantee that the truth will come out at trial. Those witnesses may be unavailable, may have moved away between the time of your arrest and trial or may for their own reasons make themselves inaccessible. It happens, especially if the witness might be related either through blood or social strata with the criminal suspects. In other words, when asked by the police what they saw, they told the truth, but by the time your trial gets underway, they are nowhere to be found. It happens all the time. Still, it can get even worse.
Evidence Overlooked
Because you never told the cops the dead guy attacked you first, they felt no driving concern to search out evidence at the shooting scene that might support that version of events. Lost is evidence, let’s say, of a knife or even another shiny object that could reasonably be mistaken for a knife that perhaps the assailant threw in the bushes after you shot him. Later, one of his buddies may sneak back and retrieve it before your attorney shows up bleary eyed at the jail to advise you while you tell the police what happened.
Do you think a jury will believe you when you say a guy threatened you with a knife when there is no knife to be found?
Wouldn’t it have been much better to tell the police succinctly that you were attacked, that the man lying on the ground placed your life in danger, and you were forced to shoot to save your life?
Or that others standing nearby saw what happened? And that after falling down, the assailant threw the knife in those bushes—just as you point to the clump of bushes 30 feet away? Maybe, just maybe, the police will consider the idea that you were justified in shooting, and they will investigate and document all the pertinent facts surrounding the incident. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2, if you haven't done so already.
Mrs. O'Connor's 7×57 Mauser, metalsmithing by Burgess, stock by Russ Leonard. Shown here with Buehler mount and Weaver K4, but it now carries a Leupold 3x.
“I think,” says the author, “I've seen more game killed with fewer shots from this modest little cartridge than any other.” Here's the why and how, all of which may well explain the current spate of interest in the 7X57 as chronicled in the Gun Digest 1974 annual edition.
Eleanor O'Connor with a 53-inch greater kudu shot with the 7×57 in Mozambique in 1962. Her professional hunter is Harry Manners.
For almost 40 years I've been having an off-and-on romance with a sweet little cartridge known as the 7×57, the 7mm Mauser, and the 7mm Spanish Mauser. There is nothing spectacular about the 7×57. It does not have a big case. Even when the charge is tightly compressed it is possible to get only about 53 grains of 4350 or 4831 powders into the Western 7×57 case, which is roomier than Remington's. This modest little cartridge does not have a belt. It isn't a magnum. It doesn't bellow like a 105mm howitzer and scramble the brains of the firer. It doesn't shoot through three elk, one moose, two grizzlies and a forest ranger and then mow down a grove of jack pines on the far side. The hole in the barrel is so little that even a small, thin, underprivileged mouse would have difficulty in entering, and the cartridge itself isn't as long as a maiden's arm.
Yet I think I have seen more game killed with fewer shots from this modest little cartridge than with any other. The explanation for its deadly efficiency does not lie in blinding velocity, in big bullets, in a frightening number of foot pounds of energy. It lies in the light recoil, coupled with the excellent hunting accuracy of so many 7×57s. Those who use it are not afraid of it and, as a consequence, they tend to shoot it well—and to place their shots well. In case no one has told you, the most important factor in killing power is putting that bullet in the right spot.
The 7×57 is so-called because the bullet has the number of millimeters which add up to a diameter of .284″ and the barrels a bore diameter of .276″. The bullets have a slightly greater diameter than those of the 270 WCF, which measure .277″. The 7×57 case holds about 10 grains less powder, as you can stuff 62–63 grains of 4831 into a Western 270 case. The cartridge gets the “57” tacked onto its name because the case is 57mm long. The head size is the same as that of the 30-06 and the 270. It is simply the 8×57J Mauser case necked down to 7mm.
As I write this, late in 1972, the cartridge is 80 years old. Developed in 1892 at the Mauser Werke in Germany, it was adopted the next year by Spain as a military cartridge. We Americans first got acquainted with it in 1898 when, in Cuba, the Spanish used it to shoot small, neat holes in a considerable number of gringos in such ructions as the American charge up San Juan hill. The American army came out of the war with a profound admiration for the 7×57 and for the Model 1893 Mausers the cartridge was used in. American Ordnance developed the 1903 Springfield rifle, which is a modified Mauser, and the 30-03 and 30-06 cartridges, which are enlarged 7×57s.
Early History
This 42-inch sable antelope was a one-shot kill with the 7×57 in Angola.
Until recent years, the 7×57 was enormously popular as a military cartridge. It was adopted by Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Uruguay, and Serbia, as well as by Spain. It became popular as a sporting cartridge in England, on the Continent, and in Africa. W.D.M. Bell, the famous elephant hunter and excellent writer (Bell of Africa, Tales of an Elephant Hunter, Karamojo Safari), used it with the full metal-jacketed 172-gr. military bullets (solids) to bump off over 1,000 elephants. Most of these were big, tough bulls with good ivory. Bell never bothered much with cows.
Americans became acquainted with the 7×57 as a big game cartridge after the Spanish-American War, as many American soldiers brought rifles back with them and used them on deer, elk, moose, and bear. For a long time the only American factory cartridge available was one loaded with a 175-gr. soft point bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2,300 foot seconds. Later the velocity was stepped up to 2,490 fps. I do not know, but I suspect that this velocity was taken in a 30-inch barrel as, until recently anyway, it was the practice to take velocities in the barrel length for which the cartridge was developed. In the case of the 7mm, the early military rifles had 30-inch barrels.
The long 175-gr. bullets gave satisfactory penetration because of good sectional density, made a satisfactory wound channel because the bullets had plenty of lead and expanded easily. All in all, with that bullet, the 7mm was a good 175–225 yard cartridge for about any sort of game. Trajectory with the heavy bullet was about like that of the 30-06 with the 220-gr. bullet. Recoil was less. If you were smart enough to sight in to put the bullet 3 inches high at 100 yards, there was no necessity to hold high even at 200—and I'm sure I don't need to tell my gentle readers that more game is killed at under 200 yards than over.
Along in the middle 1920s, the Western Cartridge Company shot the old 7mm full of testosterone and vitamins Z, P, and X, by bringing out a load that gave a 139-gr. open point bullet an alleged velocity of 3,000 fps. If that velocity were the McCoy (and I doubt that like hell) it was achieved in a 30-inch barrel. Remington likewise introduced a load with a 139-gr. bullet but said it was stepping along at 2,900. Prior to World War II, Winchester loaded a 150-gr. bullet at 2,750, a velocity probably taken in a 24-inch barrel. Currently Norma loads a 110-gr. bullet at 3,068, a 150 at 2,756, and a 175 at 2,490.
7×57 Actions
The 1893 and 1895 Mauser actions are on the soft side, cock on the closing motion of the bolt, and do not have the auxiliary locking lug at the root of the bolt handle. Pressures, consequently, should be kept down to around 45,000 pounds per square inch. Some of the actions made in Spain are particularly soft. Beginning around 1908, the Mauser Werke at Oberndorf, Germany, began turning out 7×57 sporters in various styles on a slightly shortened Model 98 type action. I have heard this action called the Model 1908 and also the Model 1912. It is, I believe, ⅜-inch shorter than the standard Model 98. Actions of similar, if not identical, lengths were used by Mexico, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. Just before and after World War I hock shops in the Southwest and Southern California always had for sale 7mm Mauser carbines that had probably come across the line with fugitive Mexican soldiers. These could be bought for a song and were widely used for hunting deer and desert sheep in the Southwest.
In Germany, .the Mauser Werke and various custom gunsmiths built 7×57s. In England, Rigby made them on Mauser actions, calling the cartridge the 275 Rigby. In the United States, Remington turned out 7×57 rifles on the Rider Rolling Block actions for various foreign governments, and also chambered Lee sporting rifles for the cartridge.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Griffin & Howe made many handsome sporters on Mauser and Springfield actions for the cartridge. The first caliber that W.A. Sukalle, the famous Arizona gunsmith and barrelmaker, tooled up for was the 7mm.
Remington chambered the Model 30 bolt action for the cartridge, and Winchester produced 7×57s in the Models 54 and 70. But what had been a mild boom for this fine little cartridge petered out. Both Winchester and Remington dropped the load with the 139-gr. bullet. They also discontinued the caliber in their line of bolt action rifles about the time WW II began.
Winchester chambered the Model 54 and the Model 70 for the 7 ×57. A Super Grade pre- '64 Model 70 like this early one in 7 ×57 would bring a nice sum from a collector.
However, in the past 20 years or so in the United States, thousands of 7×57 military rifles have been sold, turned into sporters in one way or another, and used for hunting. The cartridge has always had its admirers and hundreds of expensive custom sporters have been built for it. In 1972 Ruger made a few thousand 7×57 rifles in the Model 77 (as well as a near number of 257 Roberts rifles) and all were spoken for before they could be produced. The cartridge is a long way from being dead yet. Besides the regular load with the 175-gr. bullet, Federal Cartridge now loads a 139-gr. bullet; Dominion, one of the same weight. Velocities are in the neighborhood of 2,800 fps. Pressures are O.K. for the older Mausers. With both of these loads pressure is kept down to around 45,000 psi, I am sure, because most of them will be used in older rifles of the Model 93 type. The cartridge makes new converts every day. People like it because of its light recoil, its good killing power, and its good accuracy — not that you can't get bum 7mm barrels!
My First Little Seven
I got my first 7×57 rifle in 1934. I saw it at Bill Sukalle's shop in Tucson. Bill had put a 7×57 barrel on a remodeled action from a World War I German Model 98 Mauser sniper's rifle. It had been magnificently stocked in handsome French walnut by Adolph G. Minar of Fountain, Colorado, one of the finest classic stackers that ever lived. The stock had a German trap buttplate and a trap grip cap. It had as iron sights a Lyman 1-A peep on the cocking piece and a ramp front sight with gold bead. With iron sights, the rifle weighed slightly less than 7 pounds. However, it was equipped with a big German Gerard scope on claw mounts, which outfit added about two pounds. The scope was good optically, but because of the soft mount, it would not hold a constant point of impact. I traded the scope off. However, the rifle with iron sights was an astounding bargain at $75. That's right-$75! I took off the Lyman 1-A and had a 4x Noske scope put on with the Noske mount. The outfit then weighed less than 8 pounds.
The 7×57 is loaded all over the world. Here is some of the good RWS (German) ammo.
I shot my first desert ram with that rifle, one of the best Rocky Mountain mule deer I have ever knocked off, and various other game — all with the Western factory 139-gr. open point bullet load. With one exception, everything I shot at with a 7×57 was a one-shot kill. That was a desert mule deer which I shot in one ham as he ran directly away and on which I used two cartridges. Then about 1952, I caught up. Hunting on Idaho's Snake River with another 7×57, I picked out a nice fat doe and took a crack at her. Down the hill she rolled — and also a forkhorn buck that had been standing behind her.
Sadly enough, I traded off that lovely little Sukalle-Minar 7×57, along about 1940, for an equally handsome 2-R Lovell on a Sharps-Borchardt action. Like the 7×57, it had been barreled by Sukalle and stocked by Minar. The O'Connors felt civilization crowding in on them, moved away from Tucson to Lewiston, Idaho in 1948. Not long after I had Tom Burgess, a crack metal man (who was then in Spokane, but who's now located in Kalispell, Montana), remodel a Czech VZ33 action and fit a 22-inch 7×57 barrel. The late Russ Leonard made the stock. Before long, my wife latched onto it. I had the stock shortened and a recoil pad installed. This 7×57 has been her favorite rifle ever since. I have no idea how many North American animals she has collected with it, but I believe I can name the species — mule deer, Rocky Mountain goat, black bear, caribou, elk, Stone sheep, Dall sheep, Corsican mouflon in Texas, and pronghorn antelope. She has also used it on the mountain sheep called urial in Iran and has collected most of the African antelope — including such large ones as eland, greater kudu, roan, and sable — with it on safaris in Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Botswana, South West Africa and Rhodesia. When she went after tiger in India, and elephant and lion in Zambia, she felt she needed a very powerful rifle, so she acquired a 30-06. In Mozambique, our professional hunter was the famous Harry Manners. He looked askance at her little rifle, told her she was undergunned. Before the trip was over, he was calling her One-Shot Eleanor, because — with the exception of a greater kudu, a handsome antelope about the size of a spike bull elk — everything she shot at was taken with one bullet. This kudu jumped into the air as she fired, and I called it a heart shot. My wife hit it again as it ran and yet again when it stopped. It fell at the third shot, but it had one bullet through the heart. From its actions, I am convinced it was the first one.
In the summer of 1972 my wife, our son Bradford (who is the outdoor editor of The Seattle Times ) and I decided to make modest safaris in South West Africa and Rhodesia. Bradford took a Ruger Model 77 in 30-06 and a restocked Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H. My wife and I did all of our shooting with two 7×57 rifles — her Mauser and my Model 70 Winchester.
Last Model 70 in 7×57
About that Model 70 in 7×57 there is a tale. It was the last 7×57 ever turned out at the Winchester factory. When I felt myself coming down with another 7×57 in 1955,1 asked friends at Winchester if they could put a Model 70 in that caliber together for me. I was told this was possible as they still had exactly one (1) 7×57 barrel left. When the rifle came I sent it to Al Biesen, the Spokane, Washington, gunsmith and stockmaker. He turned down the barrel, shortened it to 22-inches, put a release button for the hinged floorplate in the trigger guard, checkered the bolt knob, made a stock of good French walnut, mounted a Weaver K4 scope on a two-piece Redfield mount. Complete with scope, this rifle weighs 7¾ pounds and will keep good bullets into less than an inch. Partly because of the light recoil, I shoot this rifle quite well. I would be hard put to imagine a much better mountain rifle. For the record, the serial number of this little dream is 361582. Prince Abdorreza Pahlavi of Iran has the next to the last Model 70 in 7×57 turned out at Winchester. He has used it extensively in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Likewise put together on special order, its number is 222222!
When my wife and I arrived in South West Africa in the summer of 1972, the professional hunters there told us we were undergunned — an opinion I had heard before. There, and in Rhodesia, we shot greater kudu, sable (in size midway between mule deer and elk), mountain zebra, gemsbok, and various other antelope. Most of the animals were anchored with the first shot.
I used the 140-gr. Nosler bullet in front of 45 grains of 4320. Velocity in my Model 70 with 22-inch barrel is 2,825. This is the velocity I get in the same rifle with the Dominion 139-gr. bullet load. The Federal load, with the 139-gr. bullet, produces somewhat less velocity.
For years my wife has used various 160-gr. bullets pushed by 52 grains of 4831. Velocity in the 22-inch barrel of her rifle is 2,660. As far as I can tell, this load shoots just as flat as the 180-gr. bullet in the 30-06 and kills just as well.
In South West Africa the only animal she did not kill with one shot was an enormous kudu bull with 60-inch horns. The bull was about 300 yards away and moving. She shot twice, paunched it, broke a hip. He went about 100 yards and fell. A good bull sable she shot in Rhodesia was quartering away. The 160-gr. Nosler bullet angled through and came to rest under the hide behind the right shoulder. It ran about 150 yards. Only one lung had been hit.
Tough African Antelope
I have heard many a fanciful tale about the incredible toughness of African antelope. After much prayer and meditation and ten African safaris I cannot for the life of me see that African game is any tougher than North American game. I have used as “light” rifles on safari the following calibers: 300 Weatherby, 30-06, 270, 7mm Remington Magnum, 338 Winchester Magnum and the 7×57. I have also used on heavier animals a 416 Rigby, a 450/400 Jeffery double rifle, a 450 Watts (the predecessor of the 458 Winchester) and various 375 magnums.
As far as I can tell the little 7×57 kills African antelope from the largest to the smallest just as well as any of the cartridges I have used. I have, for instance, shot greater kudu with a 300 Weatherby, a 30-06, a 375, a 7mm Remington Magnum, a 270 and a 7×57. All kill well if the bullet is well placed, but the hunter who paunches his animal or breaks a leg is generally in trouble with any of them.
Just before writing this I read a piece by a writer who dotes on the magnums more than I do. He uses the 7×57 as a dreadful example of the non-magnum. He says that “200 yards is close to the practical killing limit of the 7×57.”-He adds that this is because the energy has then fallen off to about 1,400 ft. pounds.
Jack O' Connor and friend with a 38½″ gemsbok, the kill made in Southwest Africa in 1972, Jack's rifle a 7×57.
Well, I've got news for the lad. Two hundred yards is not only the practical killing range of the 7×57, but also the practical killing range of the 30-06, the 7mm Magnum, the 300 Weatherby Magnum, and what have you. The reason for this is that very few hunters can lay the bullets into the vital area of a game animal at any greater distance, even under the most favorable conditions. In fact, I'd bet a sugar cookie that most hunters could kill stuff farther away with the 7×57 than they could with the 7mm Magnum. It would not kick them so hard. They wouldn't be afraid of it, and they would shoot it better. I have some more news: game is not killed by foot pounds of energy. In fact, the energy has little to do with killing power. Animals are killed by putting in the right place a bullet that penetrates deep enough and opens up adequately.
Some of the most spectacular kills I have ever seen have been made with the 7×57. A very large mule deer, standing on a frosty hillside at about 8,000 feet above sea level in northern Arizona, was hit behind the shoulder and went over like a paper deer in a puff of wind. He was literally killed in his tracks. A greater kudu bull in South West Africa was hit through the upper leg bone and heart at about 150 yards. He fell as if he had been electrocuted. A Hartmann mountain zebra, that may have weighed 700 on the hoof, went down as if poleaxed when hit through the shoulder blade at about 275–300 yards. A sable in Rhodesia was hit too far back when trotting at about 250. It ran about 50 yards and stopped. I held slightly high (6–9 inches probably) and squeezed one off. The bull sable hit the deck.
I haven't made any very long shots with the 7×57, but I try to avoid long shots with any rifle. Most game is killed at 200 yards or less, but many of these kills get stretched out when they are processed through a typewriter.
I have never used a 7×57 to kill a bear of any sort — black, blue, brown, or grizzly. However, I saw the Storm & Strife knock off a nice black with one shot. I have never shot an elk with the 7×57, but I have seen her lay two good bulls low, each with one 7mm bullet, not to mention zebra, greater kudu, sable, roan, eland, four different kinds of sheep, and what-not.
Many very fine hunters have sworn by the 7×57.1 have mentioned W.D.M. Bell. That hunter of man-eating tigers, the late Capt. Jim Corbett, used a 7×57 (which he called a 275 Rigby) and a 450/400 Jeffery on these 400–500 pound cats. Prince Abdorreza Pahlavi has shot all sorts of Asiatic sheep and goats, all species of North American sheep, and most African antelope, with the Little Seven. One of the greatest sheep hunters who ever lived, the late Charlie Ren, used to shoot antelope and desert sheep with the 7×57 and the 300 Savage. He considered the 30-06 and the 270 too noisy, too violent, and too destructive, of meat. If a dude had ever shown up with a magnum I think old Charlie would have busted a gasket.
Shooting the 7×57
This 32½-inch Mozambique waterbuck rolled over with one shot from the 7×57.
The 7×57 is a sweet little number to shoot. Recoil is about one-third less than that of the 270, about half that of the 7mm Remington Magnum. This is going to be a hard one for a lot of people to swallow: I have shot about the same amount of game with the 7×57 and the 7mm Magnum, and if, with the same shot placement, the magnum kills any better than the 7×57, I have been unable to see it.
The handloader will rejoice to learn that the 7×57 owner has his pick among a great variety of .284″ bullets. Speer alone makes bullets weighing 115, 130, 145, 160 and 175 grains. Nosler has three weights — 140, 160 and 175. Hornady can supply bullets in weights of 120, 139, 154 and 175 grains. The last can be had in either round nose or spire point styles. Anyone with a yen to shoot an elephant can usually scrounge up some old 175-gr. military “solids.”
Such lighter weight bullets as the 120-gr. Hornady and the 130-gr. Speer, which can be pushed along at velocities ranging from 2,900 to above 3,000, should be excellent for ante lope and open country deer. I have shot around 35–40 head of game ranging in size from Thompson gazelles (30 pounds) to greater kudu (600 pounds) and mountain zebra (700 pounds) with 140–145 grain bullets. No complaint. My wife has always stuck with one bullet weight — 160 grains. In her rifle this bullet leaves the muzzle at 2,660. She sights in for 200. The bullet drops 9 inches at 300. At 400, it would probably drop about two feet, but she doesn't believe in shooting at things that far away. She says doing so is silly. I'm inclined to agree with her.
Gun Safety in the Home by Massad Ayoob is your guide to replacing your child’s natural curiosity and ignorance with a basic understanding and respect for firearms, wherever, and in whatever situations they may encounter them. Not only will you find gun safety information from the experienced author, but you will also benefit from valuable advice from many other experts who Massad Ayoob resources. Learn more
Turnbull 1911 Heritage Edition Commander. Photo by Alex Landeen
The Turnbull 1911 Heritage Edition Commander is a masterpiece that weds restoration-grade artisanship with new gun production.
Photo by Alex Landeen
For decades, Doug Turnbull has built a lasting reputation as the premiere gun restoration master. His New York-based company, Turnbull Restoration & Manufacturing Co., has turned thousands of worn and tattered relics into gallery-worthy works of art, many christened with the color case-hardening, exquisite engraving and charcoal bluing that’s become synonymous with the company name. He didn’t invent these techniques—he just perfected them.
Turnbull’s newest introduction, the Model 1911 Heritage Edition Commander, demonstrates what can be accomplished when the mindset of the restoration process is applied to the production of a new firearm. The Commander, which will be featured at the 2016 SHOT Show, is a follow up to the original Heritage full-size 1911, introduced in 2014. As Turnbull himself said, it’s all about attention to detail.
“The idea with the [Model 1911] Heritage Edition was to take the heritage of the old guns, with the historical finishes, the color case-hardening and the charcoal bluing, and bring that into new manufacturing,” Turnbull said. “The result is a work of art.” Gallery worthy it is, but range weary it is not.
“That’s probably one of the things we hear most, ‘That gun is too pretty to shoot,’” Turnbull said. “But we always tell people, ‘These guns are works of art, yes, but they’re meant to be shot. Shoot it. Enjoy it. They’re meant to be used.’ Once people do shoot the gun, they’re impressed. It’s not just for looks.”
The Heritage Commander ships with twin two-tone magazines and features American black walnut double diamond checkered grips. By Alex Landeen
Built for Looks, Built to Last
As good as it looks—and yes, it looks damn fine—the Heritage Edition Commander is, as Turnbull said, made to shoot. The gun features a forged frame and slide and is CNC machined to meet the strictest specifications and tolerances. All parts are fit by hand, tested, hand polished and feature roll marking, charcoal bluing and color case-hardening. With an expert engraver on staff, Turnbull also offers customized engraving for those so desiring.
The Heritage Commander features Novak sights. By Alex Landeen
The Commander also features Novak dovetail-style, white three-dot sights and double diamond American black walnut checkered grips. The solid one-piece trigger is set between 4 and 5 pounds and, as range testing verified, makes for a highly accurate and enjoyable handgun to shoot.
In hand, the Heritage Commander has the smooth, ergonomic feel of a custom gun, matching the elegant look of a masterpiece. The thumb safety is easily engaged or disengaged without the need for multiple fingers and a hernia-grade effort, and the slide functions like an already broken-in gun. Disassembly is a cinch thanks to the hand-fit parts. The gun ships with a nice Turnbull case and a pair of two-tone magazines.
At the range, the Commander was tested with three different loads from HPR: the 230-grain jacketed hollow point (JHP), 185-grain JHP, and the 150-grain Black Ops open tip frangible (OTF). Testing was conducted at 25 yards from sandbags.
Group averages were taken from five-shot groups. There were no functionality issues with the handgun, which has a price tag of $2,850. The best overall test group was 1.74 inches from the 185-grain JHP, which also averaged 3.33-inch groups overall. The 230-grain JHP had a best group of 2.5 inches and an average of 3.17 inches. The lighter 150-grain OTF produced a best group of 3.28 inches and an average of 4.06 inches.
Photo By Alex Landeen
Parting Shots
The first handgun I fell in love with as a kid was my dad’s Colt Combat Commander that he’d bought off an old retired sheriff. Since then, I’ve had a thing for the 1911. Turnbull’s Heritage Edition Commander is the epitome of everything good about the 1911. It’s elegantly designed, artistically crafted and functionally flawless. It’s as accurate as it is beautiful, and it embraces the rich tradition of the old while putting forth something breathtakingly new. Simply put, it’s the kind of gun you can’t stop staring at…and can’t stop shooting.
This article appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The Model 3T, one of six Stag models now available in .300 Blackout. Photo Stag
Aside from 5.56/.223, AR-15 calibers come and go. But as times goes on, one particular round appears to be building some staying power.
The .300 Blackout has become more and more commonplace in gun makers’ catalogs. And recently, the eminently suppressible round got a big boost from one company, who has blacked out a good selection of its lineup.
Stag Arms recently announced it’s offering its 16-inch-barreled ARs chambered in the relatively new round. In all, this will include the Connecticut company’s Model 1, 2, 2T, 3, 3T and 3T-M series of rifles.
Choosing one of the carbines in the .30-caliber round won’t blow apart your pocket book; it only costs an additional $50 over the asking price of each model. Presently, that means the prices of the .300 Blackout range from $1,015-$1,205.
Each of the models have a number of different features, especially when it comes to the handguard they are outfitted with. But they also include a number of characteristics that are common to all the new .300 Blackouts.
Along these lines, the most notable is all the chrome-lined 4140 steel barrels have a 1/7-inch twist rate. This faster twist helps the barrels stabilize the large 220-grain bullets often found in subsonic .300 Blackout rounds. All of the barrels also have 5/8×24 muzzle threads, making them compatible with most rifle suppressors available today.
This is the second move Stag has made toward the .300 Blackout, with the company offering complete upper receivers earlier this year.
Weatherby’s new hot shot, the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum.
Busy days in Paso Robles Calif. Well, at least for one of the town’s most famous residents.
In addition to Weatherby redesigning its flagship rifle — the Mark V — the manufacturer also released a new round in recent weeks. This is big news, in one respect, due to how long it’s been since the company expanded its ammunition catalog. For the record, it’s been around two decades.
There is, however, much more to the freshly unveiled 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum than just its place in the company’s history. There is also a little issue of where the cartridge sits in regards to other red-hot rifle ammunition.
In short, it is perched at the top. In fact, the new round — built on a necked-down .300 Weatherby Magnum cartridge — is the fastest commercial 6.5mm round on the market.
How fast, you might ask? Well, the company is introducing three cartridges, each with a muzzle velocity well north of 3,300 fps:
127-grain Barnes LRX — 3,531 fps
130-grain Swift Scirocco — 3,475 fps
140-grain Swift A-Frame — 3,395 fps
To give some perspective, the 127-grain round has a maximum point blank range (MPBR) of 0-305 yards on a 5-inch target with the rifle scoped in at 200 yards. And the bullet has more velocity at this particular MPBR than the .260 Remington produces at the muzzle.
This ballistic chart, created on the Ballistics App, shows the velocity and energy potentials of 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum with it’s hottest commercial round.
Weatherby offering a sizzling 6.5mm cartridge is of little surprise, given many companies have recently turned their attention to the ballistically gifted caliber.
But, in all actuality, this isn’t the California company’s first rodeo with a 6.5-300. The company’s founder and iconic wildcatter Roy Weatherby produced at least two rifles for the round, but never took the next step to making it a commercial endeavor.
Obviously, the blistering round has the potential to eat barrels more quickly than most ammunition. But that’s not the only point that could potentially leave interested parties howling. Presently, Weatherby has a fairly steep price on the 6.5-300’s ammunition — $95 for a box of 20 or $4.75 per round.
Weatherby is chambering three of its rifles for the round — Accumark (MSRP $2,300), Accumark RC ($2,700) and Mark V Ultra Lightweight ($2,300).
The Weatherby Mark V has received its first redesign since its introduction in 1958.
The Weatherby Mark V has gone though its first redesign since the rifle was introduced in 1958.
While Weatherby produces a wide line of firearms and ammunition, there is one product that tends to reign supreme — the Mark V.
Since its introduction in 1958, the rifle has been the apple of both hunters’ and marksmen’s eyes. Of course, it’s the firearm’s high functionality — along with Weatherby’s peppy cartridges — that have won it accolades.
With a design that has won renown for more than half a century, it seems like there’s little to improve on the Mark V. But don’t tell that to the designers and engineers at Weatherby, who recently endeavored to make the rifle a bit more perfect.
Firearms purists need not panic, however. Weatherby has not gone the way of New Coke with the Mark V. Instead, it’s refined a few of the rifle’s curves and manufacturing processes; and it’s tacked on one new feature that is certain to enhance the overall function of the gun.
To that final point, Weatherby has developed and added a new adjustable trigger for the line of rifles. The company doesn’t list the top end of the LXX trigger’s pull weight, but lists the basement at a curt 2.5 pounds.
And the ability to dial the pull weight isn’t the only refinement with Weatherby precision grinding the contact surfaces for a smooth pull. The company also widened the trigger itself to create more contact surface with the finger, thus giving shooters more control over the shot.
The most noticeable refinements on the new Mark V, though, are those made to the stock. The rifle has a slimmer, more graspable forend, which gives the gun a more streamlined appearance. Its grip has also had material removed to reduce its diameter and has a slight right-hand palm swell. These stock modifications make the rifle lighter, no matter what version of the Mark V.
A couple of other notes on the new the Weatherby Mark V, it has a hand-lapped barrel, and the company guarantees it of sub-MOA accuracy. The line of Mark Vs start at $1,700 (the Weathermark) and have MSRPs that go up from there.
Not a lot of revolvers make what I consider great nightstand or full-blown, apocalyptic-scenario sidearms. Those that do are double-actions in .357 Magnum caliber, with 4- to 6-inch barrels. Much as I love the bigger .44 and .41 magnums, they are just too hard for the average shooter to shoot well and shoot quickly. Good medium-size, steel-frame revolvers in .357 Magnum are powerful, easy enough to shoot even with full-house loads, accurate, and reliable. Here are a few of the best.
Ruger GP100
Overbuilt for pure durability, the GP100 will take as many full-pressure magnum loads as you care to feed it without issue. One of the heavier mid-size double-action revolvers, it’s easy to shoot because that weight tames recoil. Triggers can be heavy and sometimes a bit rough—if you purchase one and the trigger doesn’t smooth up within 500 rounds or so, you may want to consider having a professional trigger job done.
Capacity is six rounds, and weight is a hefty 40 ounces. Like most revolvers, GP100s don’t have a light rail, so pair it with a good tactical flashlight. Though suggested retail for the blued model is nearly $700, and the stainless model tops $750, street price is usually much lower. It’s a lot of gun for the money.
Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus
There are those who would disagree, but I consider the S&W 686 Plus to be arguably the single most versatile, ergonomic .357 Magnum revolver available. The dead-reliable actions are smooth, trigger pull is crisp and clean, and they are typically very accurate. Add to that the “plus” feature—an additional round in the cylinder, making it a seven-shooter—and you’ve got a fantastic all-around double-action revolver.
All 686 models are constructed of stainless steel, and are robust and durable enough to pound nails with and then go outshoot your buddies at the local bowling pin revolver match. Weight of the 4-inch model is just over 38 ounces. Paired with a good tactical flashlight, it will serve yeoman’s duty on your nightstand. They aren’t cheap: suggested retail price is $849. The only double-action revolver that could possibly be better is its suped-up, combat-configured sibling, the S&W M&P R8.
Smith & Wesson Model M&P R8
This is a state-of-the-art fighting revolver, and much as I love the slightly smaller L-framed model 686, the N-frame, eight-shot double-action M&P R8 is a better personal-protection gun. The “R8” designation indicates characteristics vital to its superiority: a light rail machined into the barrel shroud, and eight-round capacity.
Designed from the ground up for duty carry and combat, the eight-shot cylinder is cut for moon clips (which allow shooters to reload very quickly), but functions just fine with loose rounds too, courtesy of the rimmed design of the .357 cartridge. Built on a scandium alloy frame with a stainless cylinder, the M&P R8 is light—only 36 ounces— and is completely finished in matte-black.
I once ran a series of rather challenging tests on an M&P R8, and it performed impressively in every department. One of the most memorable was the series of 100-yard groups I fired with a handgun scope mounted; they measured between 3.5 and 5.0 inches with a variety of ammo—very good accuracy indeed.
Pushing the high $1,200s, it’s not cheap, but it will be accurate, smooth, and tough. Get a handful of moon clips for it, learn to use them, pair it with a good light such as SureFire’s X400, and you’ll have one of the most unstoppable nightstand and SHTF guns anywhere.
Colt Python
Known for extraordinary shootability and ultra-smooth actions, the Colt Python is a fighting revolver with history and panache. Built like a Swiss watch, Pythons are a pure joy to shoot, and typically prove both reliable and accurate.
The Python has two Achilles’ heels. The first is the flat mainspring, which gives it its legendary smooth action but is more prone to breakage than the coil springs in competing designs. The second is an unfortunate byproduct of time: Pythons haven’t been made for many years; most are coveted and protected to the point where they are not shot much any more, and as a result, gunsmiths adept at tuning, timing, and repairing them are becoming few in number.
If you drive a classic convertible, carry a pocket watch, and smoke a pipe, your only real choice (aside from a vintage Colt 1911 semi-auto) is a Colt Python. They cost, but they bring refinement and charisma to the defensive revolver world.
Part 1 covered the best semi-auto choices for the nightstand.
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.
