Hogs beware! Federal Premium Vital-Shok High Density Buckshot is now available to consumers.
Anyone who has chased the pesky porcine plaguing much of the country knows one thing — those dang hogs are tough critters.
Too light a round or one without a properly constructed projectile doesn’t bring home the bacon. But Federal Premium is shooting to solve this dilemma with its latest release.
The subsidiary of Minnesota-based Vista Outdoor has introduced Vital-Shok High Density buckshot purely with pigs in mind. And while the shells will be new fodder for most smoothbore hunters, they have already proved their worth in the field.
The nine-pellet 00 shot has been utilized by a number of government contractors in hog culling operations. And if the tungsten-alloy pellets live up to Federal Premium’s specs, it is understandable why they have gained favor with this crowd.
The company lists a blistering 1,600 fps muzzle velocity on the buckshot, which should provide enough hitting power to persuade even the most determined hog to give up the ghost. The Vital-Shok rounds also feature Federal Premium’s Flightcontrol wads, meant to produce tighter, more consistent patterns.
The new buckshot seems to be a solid option for those who hunt where lead ammo is restricted. Presently, the company is only offering the ammunition for 12-gauge, in 2 3/4 shells. Vital-Shok High Density buckshot doesn’t come cheap, the MSRP on a box of five is currently $16.95.
Can something as minute as bullet bearing surface — how of it much comes in contact with the barrel’s rifling — make a difference? You bet.
Bullet bearing surface can often be an afterthought for many ammo reloaders. This shouldn’t be the case, given it can play an important role in an accurate load.
With the plethora of different shapes and construction available today, we handloaders need to pay attention to the amount of bullet bearing surface for each projectile.
Just to explain, the bullet bearing surface is that portion of the bullet which comes into contact with the rifling of the barrel, to give the bullet the necessary spin to stabilize it. The amount of bearing surface has a direct correlation to the amount of pressure generated within your barrel, be it a pistol or a rifle.
As a quick example, a .308 caliber 180-grain cup-and-core boat tail spitzer bullet will have less bearing surface than a monometal 180-grain flat base bullet with a smooth shank. The cup-and-core bullet features a lead core, which is a denser metal than copper, and therefore will be shorter than its all-copper counterpart.
Conversely, the copper bullets, being lighter, will be longer than a lead-core bullet, as the weight differential between copper and lead must be made up in length (the bullet diameter must remain a constant).
The load data for these different bullets is as different as the bullets themselves. You must do the proper homework to find safe data for the particular bullet you are using, as the old adage that “weight is weight” doesn’t work when the bearing surfaces change so radically.
When doing load development for my Savage Model 116 in 6.5-284 Norma, I found an interesting pattern, based on what I believe to be the difference in bearing surfaces. I’ve gone on record as saying that Savage is producing one of the best barrels on the market today, and I stand by that, but this one is a little more ‘particular’ than others.
I used several different bullets, some of my usual favorites: North Fork 140-grain hollowpoints, Swift A-Frame 140-grain pills, a 130-grain Swift Scirocco II (a polymer tipped boat tail), a 140-grain Berger VLD and the 160-grain Hornady Interlock round-nose bullet.
While all of them gave excellent accuracy – I seriously couldn’t get the rifle to choke – the velocities of the boat tail bullets were 150 to 200 fps lower than what I would have expected, while the flat base bullets gave velocities much more along the lines of what the test data in the manuals had indicated.
My opinion: This barrel likes bullets with a longer bearing surface. I had buddies tell me the crown might be playing a part in the equation, but I disagree, because my experiences have shown me that a crown that is far enough out of whack to affect velocities to that degree wouldn’t print boat tail bullets into those tight little groups that this rifle does. I’m going with the bearing surface theory.
There’s no easy cure in dealing with bullet bearing surface and accuracy. The only answer is doing your homework.
In doing some research for Handloader’s Digest No. 19 (due out early in 2016!), Marty Groppi and I were developing loads for the .357 Magnum pistol using Barnes’ fantastic 140-grain all-copper XPB bullet. Load data used mostly Accurate and Ramshot powders, as opposed to the classic Alliant 2400 or Hodgdon 110 loads that have become a staple for this handgun.
The reason? The Barnes XPB has a bunch more bearing surface than does a standard 140-grain .357 bullet, say like a Hornady 140-grain XTP. And those powders from Accurate and Ramshot, particularly Ramshot’s Enforcer, respond best to the pressure curves that the XPB generates. We got some impressive performance from this bullet/powder combination, but Marty will tell you all about that in Handloader’s 19.
Speaking of Barnes bullets, the original X bullet, which gained a huge following, was revised to the current TSX — or Triple Shock X- featuring grooves cut in the bullet perpendicular to the axis of the bore. This reduces the bearing surface of the bullet, as well as reduces the pressures.
I’ve found that using a powder on the faster burning side of the spectrum will bring those pressures and velocities back up, and will optimize performance with these bullets. The same can be said for the North Fork bullets, with their little tiny grooves in the shank.
Using these different designs will take a bit of experimentation to get right, but once you do you’ll have a better understanding of how bullet bearing surface affects the equation.
Outfitted with a threaded barrel, the new Springfield XD(M) is suppressor ready.
Whether as a way to protect hearing or get a jump on game, suppressors have a firm toehold in the shooting world.
A day doesn’t seem to pass without another company adapting one of its firearms to accept the noise-reduction device. The latest among them is Springfield Armory, which has released one of its most popular handguns ready to be decked out with a can.
Earlier this month, the Illinois company introduced a threaded barreled version of its XD(M) pistol. While there are many applications for this model, perhaps more than anything the big plus it could get shooters more trigger time.
One of the great benefits of suppressors is the protection the devices allot, significantly reducing a firearm’s report. In turn, the new XD(M) could allow for longer, more comfortable and safer shooting sessions.
Springfield has done a pretty respectable job producing the threaded barrel model without veering away from the pistol’s original specs. The 9mm and .45 ACP both weigh the same as the non-threaded full-sized XD(M) and both have all the features of the original.
The pistols, however, are a bit larger than their forebear. Each pistol has a 5.28-inch barrel, topped with a ½”x28 TPI thread, which makes them ready to accept a majority of suppressors on the market today. The guns are also a bit taller than the original since their sights have been extended to compensate for the accessory.
Even with the modifications, the threaded barrel version of the XD(M) still looks like it could be a manageable carry gun — particularly for a full-sized piece. The 9mm is two-tone with a flat dark earth frame and black Melonite finished slide. The .45 is tactical black.
Presently, the 9mm XD(M) threaded barrel has an MSRP of $695, while the .45 is listed at $725.
Heckler & Koch is set to offer more caliber choices when it comes to striker fired pistols with the introduction of the VP40.
Apparently Heckler & Koch has struck a cord with striker fired pistols fans.
After decades away from the design the German manufacturer jumped back into this style of pistol around a year ago with the VP9. And it has not taken long for the company to follow up on the success of the 9mm.
Earlier this month, Heckler & Koch expanded the VP line, introducing the pistol in a new caliber. As its name implies the VP40 is chambered .40 S&W. And while the new pistol isn’t an exact carbon copy of the 9mm, it does have all the features that have built the line’s popularity.
The main changes H&K has made to its new pistol are to accommodate the larger round. In particular, the slide is slightly thicker to handle the higher pressures generated by the .40-caliber cartridge. This has made the VP40 a hair heavier and a bit taller, but not so much so as to make it unwieldily.
And perhaps one of the most important measurements to concealed carry practitioners has remained identical to the VP9 — width. At 1.32 inches wide, the double-stack pistol should be simple and comfortable to keep clandestine — in or outside the waistband.
The other difference H&K’s new VP has from the earlier iteration is capacity. This is to be expected, given the .40 S&W is a larger round. But able to hold 13+1, few shooters are going to find the VP40 lacking on this front.
From those differences, the tale of the tape on the VP40 is pretty similar to the flagship of the line.
What should be one of the more popular aspects carried over is the trigger, which has a good share of the attributes shooters look for in a striker fired pistol. The pull weight on the trigger is a manageable 5.4 pounds. And it has a short, thus a fast, reset after firing. Heckler & Koch puts it at .12 of travel before the pistol is ready to fire again.
Similar to the 9mm, the VP40 comes with interchangeable side panels and back straps. These features give shooters the ability to tailor the pistol to their hand size.
Heckler & Koch has set out to make the VP line extremely manipulatable, cutting cocking serration both on the front and rear of the slide. But the company hasn’t stopped there, also outfitting the gun with its patented charging supports.
Basically these are struts that stick out wider at the rear of the gun allowing for a firmer grip when the slide is racked. The feature also has the potential to be dynamite if a shooter is in a fix, say having to rack the slide one handed.
The VP40 was designed with righties and lefties in mind. Both the slide and magazine releases are ambidextrous.
Heckler & Koch has decked out its VP40 with all the features that made the VP9 popular. Following trends in the self-defense firearms, Heckler & Koch has made its new pistol ready to accept accessories by including a Picatinny rail. The feature allows shooters to deck out the handgun with a flashlight or laser sight in a flash.
Like many striker fired pistols on the market today, the trigger is outfitted with a blade safety. This restricts firing of the gun, unless depressed completely.
The pistol also comes with a firing pin safety that helps guard against a discharge if the gun is dropped. And it features a frame-mounted disconnector that ensures the VP40 is completely in battery before it can be fired.
Presently, the MSRP on the Heckler & Koch VP40 is $719. The pistol is also available with a law enforcement configuration tritium night sights and three magazines for $819.
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Think you know everything about the AK-47? Well, find out as this short video hits some of the major points regarding this influential rifle.
When it comes to modern rifles, there are few that have gained the fame and infamy of the AK-47. During the latter half of the 20th Century, perhaps no other firearm has been used in more conflicts worldwide than the Soviet-designed rifle.
With a history as a long and intriguing as that, it should come as no surprise Mikhail Kalashnikov’s invention has an interesting tail to tell. And the Military.com does a pretty good job of touching upon some of the more interesting points of the 7.62x39mm rifle in this short video.
By no means is this an exhaustive exploration of the firearm. Truly, a multi-part series could be made about the AK-47 given its lengthy record. But in the span of 7 minutes, it does hit upon some of the rifle’s high points and intriguing trivia.
The Sauer 404 offers bolt-action fans plenty of flexibility.
From style of stock to caliber to trigger pull, nearly everything on the Sauer 404 can be modified.
Sauer has been making firearms for some time now. And in that span, Germany’s oldest gun manufacturer has always been innovating.
The company’s latest leap forward is in its rifle lineup with the introduction of a new bolt action. The Sauer 404 definitely is designed with European shooters in mind. That said, its features have the potential to have crossover appeal State side.
For Yankees hunting for a Teutonic gun, the biggest selling point of Sauer’s new creation is its eminent flexibly. The gun can be fully adjusted to fit a shooter and their preferences in the blink of an eye.
The new Sauer 404 can make the jump from medium to magnum calibers by swapping bolt heads.
Along these lines, perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the 404 is its ability to jump between calibers, a feature popular in Europe and known in some corners as a switch-barrel system.
While the concept is nothing new, the way Sauer executes it is rather forward looking. The 404’s appeal is it literally only takes minutes to convert calibers due to the rifle’s modular design.
For most caliber conversions only the barrel needs to be swapped and is quickly removed and replaced through loosening and tightening of three retention screws. But the 404 can also jump from medium to magnum calibers through a removable bolt head that can be taken off and replaced via a release switch.
For shooters who have grown accustom to the fast caliber switches of AR-style rifles, this could strike a cord.
Sauer has also put a lot of engineering into the 404’s Quattro trigger, making it among the most tunable in the world of bolt-action rifles. In addition a pull weight that can be modified from 1.7 to 2.7 pounds, its position can also be changed.
The trigger has .3 inches of adjustment on the length of pull and can swivel left and right 5 degrees. The latter feature is meant to give shooters more solid finger placement.
The 404 breaks down into an extremely compact package with the fore and butt stock both removable with a few turns of some screws. This has the potential to go over big with hunters who tramp deep into the backcountry, given the firearm can be reduced to fit into a rucksack.
A handy aspect of the rifle’s disassembly is Sauer has integrated the breakdown tool into the rifle. The front swivel pulls out and doubles as an Alan wrench that can be used nearly everywhere on the gun. The only feature it is not compatible with is the trigger’s length of pull and side-to-side adjustment.
With a modular design, the Sauer 404 can be tailored to nearly any shooter.
The one aspect of Sauer’s new rifle that some American shooters might find a bit out of the ordinary is how the rifle is cocked. Instead of cocking upon the bolt opening or closing, the 404 features a manual system.
The rifle is cocked by a slide at the rear of the gun, similar to systems found on other European bolt actions. The rifle then can be un-cocked moving the slide down again, making for an incredibly safe system.
The rifle’s furniture is interchangeable. It has a new universal scope mount. And it also features a magazine lock, which prevents losing its detachable box magazine in the field
The Sauer 404 is available in four different models and 13 calibers. Presently, the rifle’s MSRP is $3,800.
Pat Hogan — Rock Island Auction Co., Rock Island, Ill. At its most recent 2015 auction for firearms and related items, Rock Island Auctions (RIA) sold over 7,000 items, on over 20,000 sealed bids plus another 3,700 phone bids, for an auction total of $5.6 million in sales, noted owner Pat Hogan.
One of the auction’s surprises was the intense back-and-forth bidding for a gold — finished Auto Ordnance Corp Thompson Model 1927 A1 semi-automatic rifle that came with its own drum mag and “violin” case.
A phone bidder and an Internet bidder duked it out, with the Internet bidder taking the Thompson for $5,175.
Colt “snake guns” — those high-quality Colt revolvers with names like Python and Boa — continued to shine, with a pair of popular Colt Diamondbacks easily exceeding its high estimate and selling for $4,025.
Classic collectibles did well, too, at this RIA auction, including a Civil War Henry rifle, which sold for $25,875, and a scarce Smith & Wesson model 320 Revolving Rifle, with a 16-inch barrel, that pulled in $12,650.
Also, an Ulrich engraved, silver-plated Winchester 1866 rifle accompanied by its factory letter crossed the auction block at $25,875.
Ruger gears up the Redhawk Revolver to graze off two popular .45 cartridges — Colt and Auto.
The Ruger Redhawk revolver is now geared up to graze off two popular .45-caliber cartridges — the .45 Colt and .45 Auto. For personal defense or as a hunting revolver, it’s a formidable comb.
Few cartridges can suck the air out of the room like the .45 Colt.
From history to hunting to hot loads, the round has sent wheelgun fans’ hearts soaring for generations. And recently, one company has teamed up the fabled cartridge with perhaps one of the few rounds that can share its stage.
Ruger has unveiled an intriguing expansion of its Redhawk Revolver series with a model chambered for both the .45 Colt and .45 ACP. This is an interesting move by the New Hampshire/Arizona manufacturer, given it has the potential to increase the usefulness of the handgun.
The .45 Auto should prove to be a soft shooter in the 44-ounce Redhawk, thus opening up the revolver to more casual shooting. As pointed out in the video below by Ruger, the rimless cartridge is also a popular competition round and could make the revolver a top choice among that particular crowd.
At the same tick, shooters still get all the advantages of the hard-hitting .45 Colt — including the litany of handloading recipes.
Ruger has set its double-action revolver grazing on the rimless cartridge though a simple and elegant modification. The company has recessed the cylinder, allowing .45 Auto rounds to be loaded via a moon clip. Colt cartridges headspace off the cylinder, Autos off the moon clip.
The new convertible Redhawk Revolver is a bit different than the established .45 Colt model in other ways. One of the most obvious is the new handgun is a hair lighter — 2 ounces — than the earlier model of .45.
This, in part, is due to a redesigned grip. The laser-cut hardwood grips not only trim material, but also should facilitate a positive purchase on the handgun.
The new kid in the Redhawk lineup, however, appears to be built as tough as the rest of the Ruger revolvers. The six-shooter features a heavy stainless steel frame and barrel that boasts the line’s satin finish.
The revolver has fully adjustable sights, for both elevation and windage. It has a 4.2-inch barrel. It also has Ruger’s patented transfer bar mechanism, a safety feature that guards against negligent discharge.
Presently, the revolver has an MSRP of $1,029. Ruger is also selling moon clip 3-packs for $14.95 on its online store.
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Wilson Combat’s Protector 2015 gives shooters an updated version of the popular pistol.
The Protector has been a bread-and-butter design for Wilson Combat for some time now. But recently, the workhorse pistol received what looks like a pretty slick makeover.
The legendary Arkansas manufacturer has released the Protector 2015 series, a lineup of three semi-customizable pistols that are an update of the original. And for those who are hunting after a 1911 with all the bells and whistles — along with the name to back it up — these might be right down your alley.
Comprising the Protector 2015 line are Full-Sized (5-inch barrel), Professional (4-inch barrel) and Compact (4-inch barrel) models. The pistols are all available in either 9mm or .45 ACP and feature a number of refinements to the original design.
One of the more notable tweaks is the inclusion of a light rail, which should make the pistols a bit more operationally flexible. And given the proliferation of accessories nowadays, it also has the potential to make the line more appealing to a wider swath of the market.
Wilson has outfitted the line with bull barrels, a move that could likely make the guns a bit more pleasant to shoot. The heftier barrels’ added weight should help reduce recoil. This feature also has the potential to mitigate muzzle flip, placing more material toward the front of the guns.
The barrels have aesthetic appeal as well, featuring attractive fluting, an attribute that extends back to the chamber. Finally, they have been topped off with a flush cut reverse crown muzzle.
One of the major customizable features of the Protectors — at least in their Full-Sized and Professional iterations — is frame material. Shooters can choose either steel or aluminum, depending on if they are after a range or a carry gun.
Wilson Combat’s Protector 2015 line from left to right: Compact, Professional and Full-Sized.
The Compact version, on the other hand, is more tilted to carry and is only available with an aluminum frame. But like its compatriots, it has a steel slide that features cocking serrations fore and aft.
The whole Protector 2015 line is outfitted with Wilson’s Battlesights, with fiber-optics front sight. They boast countersunk slide stops, extended Bullet Proof magwells and G10 Starburst Grips, among other features.
The pistols have a 3 ½- to 3 ¾-pound trigger pull and weigh in at between 28.22 (Compact) and 37.54 (Full-Sized steel frame) ounces. The Full-Size and Profession models have 10+1 capaticity in 9mm and 8+1 in .45. The compact has 8+1 in 9mm and 6+1 in .45.
The base price of the protector series is $3,875 for the .45 models and $3,985 for the 9mm.
A test session recently reiterated to the author exactly how much the devil is in the detail when it comes to handload accuracy.
The author relays a recent incident that drives home the need for consistency when it comes to producing top-shelf handload accuracy.
I had an accidental lesson in handload accuracy shown to me today, in the form of the effects of different brass cases.
I was doing an evaluation of a Legendary Arms Works rifle this weekend, using many different types of ammunition; both factory stuff and some of my handloads. The rifle was LAW’s The Professional, a sweet bolt-action in .308 Winchester, with a good Cerakoted barrel and action, set in a Bansner synthetic stock.
I had four different types of factory loads that I knew had shot well in other .308s. I was recording velocities and group size, and when it came time for the handload portion, I stumbled upon my old supply of .308 hunting ammo.
When I had loaded this ammo, the .308 Winchester was my main hunting rifle, and I used the fantastic Sierra 165-grain Game King hollowpoint boat tail bullet. The load consists of 44.9 grains of IMR4064, ignited by a CCI200 Large Rifle primer. This load has given me MOA accuracy from my old standby Ruger Model 77, with a sporter weight barrel and a terrible factory trigger, topped with an old school Leupold Vari-X IIc 3-9; a decent hunting combination for a young hunter of modest means, and a gift to me from my father.
Back in those days, I scavenged every single piece of .308 brass I could get my hands on, and used them until they cracked. I’m glad times have changed, but I remember how precious the components were to me when I had no money.
Within this plastic box of hunting handloads were about 80 rounds, all carefully handloaded (to the best of my abilities in those days) to the same specifications, except for the fact that they were loaded into different brands of brass. R-P, WW Super, FC (two variations), Super Speed and Win headstamps were all present within my melting pot of ammunition. All the brass was carefully trimmed to the same length, as well as the bullets seated to a uniform dimension.
This LAW rifle is a shooter, showing sub-MOA accuracy with three of the factory rounds. Grabbing the box of handloads and heading to the range, it wasn’t until I had the Oehler Chronograph fail to give me a reading that I realized that this was the hodge-podge collection that I have described.
Looking through the box, I separated them into lots of the same headstamp, and started observing the difference, allowing the barrel to cool properly between groups. The velocities all hung pretty close to 2,650 fps, within 30 fps or so, but the accuracy changed quite radically.
My notes indicated that I developed the load with R-P cases, and they showed the best accuracy from the Legendary rifle, but the accuracy told a different tale. The R-P stuff printed ¾” groups at the 100-yard mark, but the FC headstamp brass opened up to over 2”. I thought it was me; I just wasn’t shooting well today or something.
Something as minute as a brand’s cartridge capacity for the same caliber can make a huge difference in handload accuracy.
I gave three of the same FC headstamp cases to another shooter, and the bullets printed the same size group. I grabbed three more R-P cases, and shot a group measuring 7/8”, while the WW Super stuff shot 1 ½”. A pattern was developing here. The Super Speed cases gave exactly one MOA, and a third attempt with the FC cases showed that at least The Professional rifle didn’t like them.
What’s the lesson here? Sometimes the slight variations in case capacity between brands, or even lots of the same brand, can cause a pretty radical change in accuracy.
Don’t get me wrong, any of those loads would have sufficed for the normal deer hunting shots here in the Northeast, but change that scenario to a Pronghorn antelope hunt or other long range affair and the shooter may start to doubt things.
This lot of ammo represents what I had to do in a pinch, when premium brass was unaffordable and I needed to make do with what was on hand. But when hair-splitting accuracy is required, consistency matters.
There were many odd and ambitious projects during World War II, but none more so than the Arisaka anti-aircraft sights as found on early Arisaka Type 99 rifles.
When talking about early Arisaka Type 99 rifles, you’re talking about high expectations.
What made the main battle rifle of the Japanese Empire during World War II such an ambitious project early on was one feature in particular, the sights. In short, the crazy-winged contraption was meant to tackle the impossible — engaging aircraft.
The idea of knocking an American F6F Hellcat or a B-29 Superfortress out of the sky with a bolt-action seems downright crazy. Of course, when thinking along these lines we’re reflecting on the venerable 7.7x58mm rifle in perfect modern hindsight.
As the above video by You Tube channel C&Rsenal shows — with awesome sound effects, mind you — the Japanese weren’t completely off their rocker with this idea. More than anything, the Empire was guilty of fighting the last war when it conceived the Arisaka anti-aircraft sights.
Even with this in mind, it’s hard to argue the Japanese truly had some soaring aspirations for their riflemen.
What is the likelihood of a so-called righteous shooting—one in which self-defense appears warranted by all known reasonable standards—still ending up in trial? It’s a great question and one that every armed citizen should consider.
Let’s say you are involved in a self-defense shooting where there is no chance of retreat and the case meets the ‘reasonable man’ standard—that is, you could articulate fear of death or serious bodily harm. Furthermore, you are a citizen in good standing and the incident meets the standards of Ability, Opportunity and Jeopardy. Plus, you give the appropriate information to responding police and then contact your attorney. In other words, you think you did everything right.
What are the chances that the District Attorney (DA) will charge you with a crime even though it appears to be a clear-cut case of self-defense? Can your attorney, who knows something about you and your training, interact with the DA at this point and suggest there is little chance of a successful prosecution and argue for dismissal?
The answer depends where you happen to live: in a grand jury state, or one in which the prosecutor makes the decision to charge. If, in your jurisdiction, all shootings automatically go in front of a grand jury, then it is up to a them to decide if you will be charged.
Depending on the local court rules and customs, you may or may not get to testify for the grand jury, and you likely will not have an attorney by your side if you do testify.
If you do testify, you decide how much you want to tell the grand jury. Others will testify and then the grand jury will decide if there is a preponderance of evidence to believe that you committed a crime or acted in genuine self-defense. On the other hand, if it is up to only the prosecutor, then what you say, coupled with your attorney’s efforts, certainly can affect whether or not you are charged.
The problem lies in who decides whether or not the shooting was righteous. Sure, you know all the facts, and you know what you perceived, and you know how you felt. But, assuming you live in a state where the prosecutor makes the charging decisions, how can he or she come to understand what you knew, felt and perceived?
In a perfect world, smart, sober and uninvolved witnesses will tell the police detectives that you were reacting to a deadly threat and that you had no other choice but to shoot. Unfortunately, our world is anything but perfect, a fact we will explore in Part II as we take a look at two very revealing case studies. And we’ll show why it’s a very good idea to activate your membership in the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network right away if you haven’t done so already.
CTK’s AR Buttstock Rail adapts LUTH-AR stocks for a monopod or other accessories.
LUTH-AR managed a pretty impressive feat. It made one of the world’s most versatile firearms even more so.
The company’s line of fully adjustable buttstocks give shooters the ability to tweak their ARs to fit every nook and cranny of their physiques. As fate would have it, another company has made the extremely flexible stock even more adaptable.
CTK Precision‘s AR Buttstock Rail allows LUTH-AR’s MBA-1 and MBA-2 stocks to be outfitted with CTK’s monopod. This appears to be a solid move, given the design of the buttstocks.
Both the MBA-1 and 2 are popular accessories for those shooting to turn an AR-15 or AR-10 into a precision platform. In part, this is due to the accessory’s adjustable cheek rest and the ability to modify a rifle’s length of pull.
CTK’s AR Buttstock Rail and Ultimate Rail-Pod give LUTH-AR stocks an extra element of stability.
The addition of CTK Precision’s Ultimate Rail-Pod adds another dimension to the system. The accessory gives shooters an added element stability and allows for long holds on a target without strain.
The 2.5-inch AR Buttstock Rail quickly attaches to the LUTH-AR stocks and does little to increase the overall bulk of a firearm. And the .7 once 6061 aluminum Picatinny rail is manufacture to Mil-Spec, increasing its handiness by making it compatible with other accessories. As an added bonus, it also includes sling swivel mount points.
CTK’s AR Buttstock rail presently has an MSRP of $35. The Wisconsin company’s Ultimate Rail-Pod is listed at $160 and is compatible with any Picatinny rail system.
The .22 rimfire reigns supreme when it comes to American shooters. But just exactly what are these nifty little rounds capable of at the extreme end of their range? You’d be surprised.
The extreme range of the .22 LR from a rifle is listed by SAAMI as 1,800 yards. This is achieved at an angle of departure of about 30 degrees. Army Ordnance publications cited in Julian Hatcher’s writings give a figure of 1,500 yards with the standard-velocity ammunition at a velocity of 1,145 f.s.
This raises the question of the difference between a standard velocity vs. a high-velocity LR at 1335 fps. States Hatcher regarding the HV LR:
Ballistic tables show us that its muzzle velocity is reduced to 1,145 f.s. after 65 yards flight, so obviously if the higher-velocity bullet were fired from 65 yards behind the firing line of the standard velocity .22 Long Rifle bullet, it would pass that firing point with the same velocity and would go to the same spot, so that we may merely add 65 yards to the figure for the standard velocity cartridge.
While serving as a U.S. Army Ordnance officer, during and after the First World War, Hatcher established a “Ballistic Station” in Florida, which used beach areas to study bullet behavior, utilizing shallow water and sand beaches to recover fired bullets.
One of Hatcher’s assistants was E.C. Crossman who, like Hatcher, later became a firearms writer. Crossman cites a 1,400 yard figure, and in his small-bore rifle book offers a photograph of a Long Rifle bullet beside the crater it made in the sand at a measured 1,325 yards.
This is the nearest I have come to any empirical evidence of such testing.
While the range statements from SAAMI of 1,800 yards for the LR., 1,950 for the .22 WMR, 2,225 for the .17HMR and 1,900 for the .17 Mach2, don’t jibe with empirical testing, they are worthy of consideration in terms of caution.
A mile is 1,760 yards, so those range-warnings on the boxes of 1 to 1 1/2 miles are in the ballpark.
Beretta has been in the semi-automatic pistol game for 100 years now and it’s celebrating with the 92 Centennial.
It was 100 years ago this year that one of the world’s most renowned firearms makers began manufacturing what would become one of its best known products.
The Beretta Model 1915 marked the world’s oldest gun maker’s entry into the semi-auto pistol market. And the Italian manufacturer isn’t allowing this milestone to pass without a little bit fanfare.
Beretta has issued a commemorative handgun to mark the occasion, however, it is not a replica of the historic blowback pistol that kicked it all off. Instead, the company has decked out a model better known to contemporary shooters — particularly those with a military background.
The Beretta 92 Centennial is a collector’s edition of well-known 9mm pistol, a variation of which has served as the U.S. Military’s sidearm since 1985. And for enthusiasts of the company, the firearm should have plenty of collecting potential.
Perhaps the handgun’s greatest asset in this regard is its scarcity, Beretta has only produced 500 Centennials. But the special-edition 92 has other qualities almost certain to catch some eyes.
The pistol has a high brush steel frame safety and a single-action only configuration. The years 1915 and 2015 are engraved in Roman numerals on either side of the Brigadier-style slide. The same numerals appear on a medallion logo placed in the center of premium-grade wood grip panels.
As a neat twist, Beretta is packaging the 92 Centennial in a custom ammo box.
The 92 Centennial comes with a certificate of authenticity and is presented in an ammunition can bearing the pistol’s logo. There was no price available for the collector-edition pistol, though given it is a limited edition it’s a safe bet it will cost a pretty penny.
While the pistol of which the company is commemorating was the inspiration for the Centennial, it was quite a different animal than the rather largish modern military arm.
The Italian Army adopted the Model 1915 shortly after its entry into World War I, due to a lack of sidearms. By today’s standards, the pistol would have been consider very underpowered especially for military service, chambered in both .32 ACP and 9mm Glisenti Short.
The Model 1915 was a single-action pistol with an 8+1 capacity. While the Italian army used the handgun during the war, the military force still relied on an older military sidearm — the Bodeo Model 1889 revolver.
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