Suppressor Effects

October 15, 2014

Subsonic ammunition is a key factor in gettting the most “quiet” out of your suppressor. Author Photo

Many perceptions surrounding suppressor effects come from marketing, blogs or the media making them suspect at best. Here's the reality of how suppressors are used and what they can do.

Suppressors Are Not Silent

Long suppressors are fantastic for precision rifles—the larger the caliber, the longer the suppressor. Author Photo

Perpetuated most often by movies, there is the idea that suppressors eliminate sound. This, however, is not entirely true, as they only suppress it. How much depends on many factors: the length of the suppressor, its construction, and the type of weapon and ammunition used. Pistol-caliber firearms are pretty quiet, as are rimfires with low-velocity ammunition. Centerfire rifles with subsonic rounds are similarly quiet, but are never completely silent. Most supersonic ammunition makes noise that is louder than you think. Suppressors may reduce the report to safe levels, but they still make noise and often require hearing protection.

Affects on the Action

Suppressors trap, redirect or alter gas expended from a discharged cartridge, both in front of and behind the expended bullet. This will effect your weapon’s operation, and to which extent depends on the weapon and ammunition used, as well as the suppressor’s design. Suppressors cause back pressure, although newer designs cause much less than what they once did. How and when it occurs is critical.

Most have little effect on bolt guns beyond heat transfer and a sticky bolt that is hard to lift. Gas guns are a different story. Increased back pressure causes increased bolt speed and can wreak havoc on function. Piston-driven systems are less susceptible, but can still be problematic. As a general rule, the shorter the barrel, the greater the effect on the gun’s performance. Adjustable gas blocks help but remain an issue. Excess gas in the action can also affect reliability as the action can get fouled quickly. Rapid fire produces significant heat transfer to the weapon and can have an adverse effect on operation.

Pistols suffer the opposite effect. Suppressors lessen the recoil impulse required to make your pistol cycle. Some require recoil boosters to ensure proper operation. Low-powered ammunition can turn your semi-auto into a single shot. Suppressors can be attached to revolvers, but much of the trapped gas just goes out the cylinder gap, lessening efficiency. I have not seen one mounted to a revolver, other than in old movies.

Subguns are the perfect firearms for suppressors. A can seldom affects the subgun’s reliability, is quiet and has little adverse effect on overall operation. Rifles specifically tuned for subsonic ammunition (such as the 300 Blackout) are similar. Excess gas is minimal with recoil, all but nonexistent. There is very little downside to suppressing a subgun.

Suppressors Enhance Accuracy

Unless improperly installed or attached, suppressors do make shooting more accurate. Velocity change is low to nonexistent and generally increases. Modern designs have no adverse affect on the bullet. Standard deviation decreases, as a rule, providing consistency, and significant recoil reduction allows you to be more accurate.

Less muzzle rise, less sound and less concussive effect also help a shooter improve accuracy. As long as they do not come loose and are installed properly, modern suppressors will do nothing less than enhance a shooter’s accuracy.

Carbines under sustained fully automatic fire, or rapid fire, can be more problematic. Significant heat transfer may show a decrease in accuracy while hot. Shooting a suppressor until it is red- or white-hot is going to definitely cause issues.

Since most people do not shoot this way, accuracy is seldom an issue. With tens of thousands of rounds through suppressed subguns, a quality suppressor has no effect on accuracy even when hot. Pistol ammunition just does not provide enough excess gas or heat to cause a problem. You are not going to see any real increase in accuracy, but neither will it degrade.

More Suppressor Effects

Suppressors should neither be revered, nor feared. They are simply useful tools. Author Photo

Suppressors can cause impact shift when attached to the barrel of a gun. How much again depends on suppressor design, ammunition and weapon choice. Heavy suppressors have a greater effect, especially on precision rifles. Suppressors constructed with titanium and high-quality designs minimize change. True of both precision rifles and carbines, several recent designs have almost no detectable impact shift. Match-grade rifles and ammunition see the least changes.

Weight and length of a suppressor can certainly affect the balance of the firearm. Long suppressors are quiet and heavy, while short ones are lighter and louder. Short suppressors affect balance and weigh less. You have to decide what is most important, as it is a trade-off. Thread-on suppressors typically weigh less since attachment systems add weight. Short and fat suppressors are fantastic for defensive tactics where handling is important and sound suppression is secondary. Long suppressors are fantastic for precision rifles—the larger the caliber, the longer the suppressor.

Suppressors will lessen flash, some almost as well as a flash suppressor, and quality low-flash ammunition also helps a great deal. Rimfire suppressors get really dirty compared to other designs; fortunately, most can be disassembled for cleaning. The same can be true for pistol and some subgun suppressors. Modern rifle suppressors seldom require maintenance, or even cleaning, and most cannot be disassembled.

Bottom Line

Modern-day suppressors clearly have more advantages to them than disadvantages. Above all, they enhance the shooting experience and usability of your firearm. Given proper choices, they make your weapon better at its job, make the firearm easier to use and ultimately more fun to shoot. However, they are not magical mystical devices, nor are they for everyone.

The cost remains substantial, and the BATF and state laws still control availability. They should never be purchased without considerable forethought based on your planned use and firearms you want to use one. Suppressors should neither be revered, nor feared. They are what they are, and used properly, they are fantastic tools. Take the time to get the right one, and you will get years of enjoyment. Trust me, once you go suppressed, it is really hard to go back.

Semi-Auto Calibers for Handgun Hunting

Max Prasac

October 14, 2014

The Semi-Auto Solution

In my opinion, the most viable, off-the shelf calibers today for hunting are the very popular .45 ACP, and the 10mm, and to a lesser extent (despite popularity), the .40 Smith & Wesson.

Bullet diameter is important when discussing handgun hunting. Handguns don’t have the luxury of high velocities and the subsequent hydraulic pressure this creates (not saying it doesn’t exist, only that it is minimal compared to various high-powered rifle cartridges).

There are two things that the handgun hunter can fall back on and that is diameter and bullet weight. I like the 10mm as a diameter minimum for use on big game. Smaller will work, but smaller leaves little margin for error.

Another of my favorite auto-pistol rounds is the old warhorse .45 ACP. Synonymous with the 1911 pistol, the .45 ACP is more than 100 years old and still going strong and is available in more striker-fired models such as the new Glock 41.

Due to the velocity limitations of the round, I prefer stepping up in bullet weight with an eye toward penetration than going with a lighter and subsequently faster expanding bullet, particularly for large game. The heavier load, with a large meplat (flat nose of the bullet) should prove more reliable from a terminal standpoint, which in my mind cannot be over emphasized.

Handgun Hunting with the 10mm

The 10mm offers a wide selection of rather serious hunting loads like those offered by Federal, Double Tap and Buffalo Bore Ammunition. Author Photo

The 10mm met with huge popularity when initially introduced with the FBI going so far as adopting this cartridge as their official caliber. It was loaded hot at its inception, as hot as it was intended to be loaded.

Soon enough it was discovered that some FBI agents were incapable of handling the 10mm’s recoil and before you knew it, the potent 10mm was being downloaded to the point of emasculation where it hardly resembled its original self. Eventually the .40 Smith & Wesson was introduced as the 10mm’s successor.

The actions of the FBI so inspired Mike McNett, owner and proprietor of Double Tap Ammunition (doubletapammo.net), that he went into business producing 10mm ammunition that restored the honor of this fine round. Double Tap still offers those four original loads and a slew of others for every and any occasion the 10mm owner may encounter, from lightweight fast-moving expanding bullets, all the way up to 230-grain WFN hardcast loads for big-game.

Double Tap supplies four of Alaska’s state parks with ammunition for their rangers to carry in their 10mm and .40 Smith & Wesson pistols. The park services specify the use of heavy, minimally expanding, flat-nosed 200-grain bullets for dispatching bear, moose and other large animals they may encounter. These rounds will easily handle game such as white-tailed deer.

Another development worth noting is the line of .450 SMC (Short Magnum Cartridge) ammo offered by Double Tap. The .450 SMC is in essence a higher pressure .45 ACP (much like the .45 Super), featuring a number of loads to include a 255-grain semi-wadcutter hardcast bullet that runs over 1,000 fps. There are other semi-auto offerings in the Double Tap lineup that should prove more than effective for the semi-auto handgun hunter.

Federal (federalpremium.com) also introduced a new Vital-Shok Trophy Bonded 10mm Auto this year that is a full-power 10mm load, allowing hunters to once again reclaim full advantage of the caliber’s capabilities on large game. The jacketed soft point bullet is launched at 1,275 fps and boasts a heavy jacket with a formed inner profile that controls expansion as it penetrates deeper into tissue and vitals.

Conclusion

So if you regularly carry something like a Glock in your day-to-day life, loading it a bit differently can make it a capable piece to carry in the field as well. Like any firearm you choose to arm yourself with you must practice. You owe it to yourself and the animals you hunt to be able to accurately place your shots. So get out there and up the challenge, and your hunting satisfaction, by pursuing game with a semi-auto.

This article is an excerpt from the Summer 2014 issue of Modern Shooter magazine, presented by Gun Digest.

The Dangerous Myth of Hierarchy of Lethality

Massad Ayoob

October 14, 2014

We live in a world where the entertainment media and the news media alike have demonized the firearm as a frightening, high-efficiency killing machine. A myth has arisen that I call “hierarchy of lethality.” It is the false belief that the firearm represents the nuclear level of hand-held weaponry, and is somehow more lethal than other deadly weapons.

The general public sees the knife as something less: after all, they’ll open their mail in the morning with something very much like your opponent’s knife, and will slice the roast at dinner tonight with something virtually identical to the blade your opponent wields.

Because it’s an accoutrement of everyday life, they just don’t see the knife as a weapon, even though they know cognitively that it can be turned from culinary aid to murder weapon in a heartbeat. An impact weapon, a “club”? Well, they may see that as even less deadly.

Now, the night comes when you are attacked by a homicidal perpetrator wielding bludgeon or blade. You are forced to shoot him in self-defense. I can almost guarantee where the subsequent attack on you is going to come from:

“He only had a knife!”

“He only had a baseball bat!”

Opposing counsel may attempt to paint you as the bully and coward who used a deadlier weapon than your assailant, and will attempt to convince the jury that your shooting of a man with “a less than lethal weapon” is unfair and therefore improper.

Of course, this flies in the face of the legality of the matter, which is that within their range, the club and the knife are every bit as deadly as the gun…and, in some situations, can be deadlier.

Knife Lethality

A knife never jams. A knife never runs out of ammunition; you rarely see a gunshot murder victim who has been shot more than a few times, but any homicide investigator can tell you how common it is for the victim of a knife murder to bear twenty, thirty, or more stab and/or slash wounds. “A knife comes with a built-in silencer.” Knives are cheap, and can be bought anywhere; there used to be a cutlery store at LaGuardia Airport, not far outside the security gates. There is no prohibition at law against a knife being sold to a convicted felon. Knives can be small and flat and amazingly easy to conceal.

Impact Weapon Lethality

Common tools turn into remarkably efficient death weapons, some more readily than others. Police batons have rounded surfaces in hopes of reducing fractures to underlying bone and minimizing lacerations, while still delivering a stunning impact to stop the recipient’s physical assault. Many common tools and other objects have rough, irregular edges which are conducive to shattering bones and splitting flesh. The common claw hammer is a particularly deadly murder weapon. In blows to the head, it often punches completely through the skull wall and into the soft, vulnerable brain tissue beneath. Hammer murderers have told in their confessions how the hammer became stuck inside the victim’s skull so deeply that they had to step or even stomp on the head to break the hammer free for the next blow. Crowbars are also associated with particularly destructive blunt force injuries. The list goes on.

The “Unarmed Motorist”

Unarmed? A full-size automobile traveling fifty miles an hour generates approximately half a million foot-pounds of energy. Far from being unarmed, the violent man who turns his automobile into a guided missile has armed himself with the most crushingly powerful of bludgeons. Deliberately driving at a person on foot is a serious crime, delineated in some jurisdictions as “assault with a deadly weapon, to wit, a motor vehicle.” That angry spouse who runs over the significant other is culpable for murder in every jurisdiction.

Less Lethal Weapons

Over the years, the terminology changed from “non-lethal” to “less-lethal” or “less than lethal.” The reason was simple: in real world application, intermediate force weapons weren’t always non-lethal. A fight is generally a rapid swirl of movement involving at least two people. Sometimes, for example, a swing of the baton intended for a suspect’s shoulder or upper arm might hit the rounded deltoid muscle and skid off into the head as the suspect simultaneously tried to duck away from the stick. The result could be a blow to the temple with enough power to fracture the skull, and/or cause permanent or even fatal brain injury.

Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from Massad Ayoob's book Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense.

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Video: BAR Lives Again as the HCAR

Elwood Shelton

October 13, 2014

Most firearms history buffs and World War II film aficionados will agree, one of the most impressive guns to gain renown from that conflict was the Browning Automatic Rifle.

The unique report of the monstrous light machine gun alone was said to strike fear into the hearts of Axis soldiers. And, for all intents and purposes, the iconic firearm has been given a new lease on life.

Ohio Ordnance Works has come out with an interesting modern take on the nearly century-old M1918. The company introduced the H.C.A.R. (Heavy Counter-Assault Rifle) earlier this year, drawing upon its years of expertise in building semi-automatic versions of the BAR.

In the above video, FPS Russia puts the rifle through its paces with watermelons, old TVs and even a dilapidated washing machine. Beside its ability to wreak havoc, everybody's favorite faux-Russian points to a couple other attractive aspects of the rifle.

First, the weight of the H.C.A.R. is a vast improvement over the rifle it is based off. At first blush, its 11 pounds might not sound like the slimmest rifle to hit the market. But considering the BAR tipped the scales at 19 pounds, it’s light.

The other feature of the rifle talked up in the video is its polite recoil, despite throwing .30-06 rounds down range. Much of this is attributed to the rifle's Surfire Muzzle Break and hydraulic system housed in the buttstock.

Watch the entire video, if you love heavy firepower it’s sure to get you drooling. Then if you need to dry your mouth just take a gander at the present MSRP for the rifle on OOW’s website – a cool $4,699.99.

Gun Digest 2015, 69th Annual Edition

Reloading Ultimate Collection Offers Gateway to Rewarding Discipline

Gun Digest Editors

October 13, 2014

Reloading ammunition is rewarding on many levels, from practical to personal.

Similar to anything associated with shooting and firearms, there is no end to the gizmos and doodads that can be purchased for handloading.

From presses to micrometers to chamber gauges, a reloading bench can quickly overflow with instruments. But to be certain, there is one set of tools a reloader cannot be with out, whether novice or veteran – quality reloading manuals.

These scared tomes are what lay the foundation of a successful reloading operation. And, with time, helps a shooter move from just reloading ammunition to producing precision ordnance.

Gun Digest has made acquiring this vital knowledge much simpler with the introduction of the Reloading Ultimate Collection. The six-resource series is among the most comprehensive on the market, covering every angle of the rewarding discipline.

The series offers step-by-step instruction to handloading, exploring every conceivable topic. These lively and authoritative manuals walk you from the basics, such as purchasing you first press, to more advance concepts, like swaging your own bullets.

The series also boasts some of the top names in the world of firearms and reloading. Some of the authors include professional ballistician Philip Massaro, renowned gun writer Patrick Sweeney and many others.

The series includes the following resources: The ABCs of Reloading, Reloading for Handgunners, Reloading for Shotgunners, Handbook of Reloading Basics, How to Reload Ammo with Philip Massaro, Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Reloading.

A little time with this collection and it is easy to see how it will quickly reward a shooter.

First off, there are the practical aspects that shooters enjoy in reloading their own ammunition. In this regard, there are two chief advantages – more accurate ammunition and saving money.

On the former point, there is perhaps no quicker way to bring a firearm’s full potential out than by feeding it ammunition tailored to its idiosyncrasies. The latter point, however, is a bit debatable.

Sure, broken down to its components, reloading is cheaper. But as Sweeney points out in Reloading for Handgunners, this savings quickly evaporates with how much more shooting you’ll likely do once you start handloading.

Reloading ammunition also offers more than just applied rewards.

There is a certain level of gratification only known to those who have won a shooting match or harvested a trophy buck with ammunition they handloaded themselves.

Almost every shooter will gain a deeper appreciation of their passion by reloading. And every reloader will build a more solid knowledge base through the Reloading Ultimate Collection.

Reloading Ultimate Collection

Whether you choose to reload because it's a more cost-effective alternative, or you're interested in creating custom ammunition, it's important to know what you're doing. Done incorrectly, handloading can be risky, but with the appropriate tools, equipment, and techniques, it can be a more than viable alternative to purchasing manufactured ammunition. With the Reloading Ultimate Collection, discover the best practices for reloading ammo for rifles, handguns, and shotguns.

Glock 42 Holsters: N82 for Your G42

Gun Digest Editors

October 10, 2014

If you're looking for Glock 42 holsters, one tactical holster maker is quick to welcome Glock’s most popular newcomer with a concealable carry option.

Building their reputation on creating comfortable concealed carry holsters N82 (Nate Squared) Tactical, was among the first to roll out a holster option for the super popular Glock G42, the Austrian gunmaker’s first .380-caliber handgun available in the United States. It was introduced at the beginning of 2014.

The new holster is part of N82’s IWB (inside-the-waistband) Professional Series that features an adjustable cant, positive retention with their Twist Release System and is tuckable for added comfort and concealment.

The holster is made of durable polycarbonate. The Twist Release System works by simply driving your thumb between the holster backing and the grip and slightly twisting the grip toward your body to release the trigger guard.

Professional Series holsters are available for hundreds of handgun models from 21 of the industry’s most popular gun manufacturers. ($70; n82tactical.com)

Are ARs So 2013?

Doug Howlett

October 10, 2014

Will the AR remain a popular firearms option or was it a flash in the pan?

One of the hottest trends in recent years has obviously been the dramatic uptick in the sale of AR rifles. A lot of reasons have been cited for this, chief among them the election of Barack Obama in 2008 (“We had people flooding the store to buy even as election results were still coming in,” said one Norfolk, Va. shop owner.) and of course his re-election in 2012. Both of these electoral victories put fear into gun owners that new restrictions similar to the so-called Clinton Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 would re-emerge and many sought to secure another gun or two as much for investment potential as they simply wanted to own one. Indeed a lot of first-time tactical rifle buyers rushed into the market at this time as did even a good number of first-time gun owners period.

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Other reasons cited for the increased sales were that after a decade of war where many of our citizen soldiers have returned home, the platform is one they are simply more comfortable with. At the same time, seeing them on the news (and in television shows) has made them more recognizable and quite simply, “cool.” With the expiration of the Clinton ban in 2004, the guns have also become more familiar to sportsmen—a number of whom initially resisted the AR in deference to their beloved bolt-action and other traditionally styled long guns—while the technology and performance of the tactical rifles have become more refined. As a result, many are making their way into more hunting camps. The guns are also easily customizable, which is another phenomenal attraction for many buyers.

Despite all of this seemingly good news for gun owners and those who deal in modern sporting rifles, talk to some shop owners and manufacturers now, and you would think the bottom has fallen out of the market.

“The firearms market seems to really be grinding to a halt all of the sudden,” said one California gun shop manager. Owners are starting to slash their prices in order to even move the guns suggested another in Oklahoma. If you read the news it has sounded as if nobody is buying guns—any guns for that matter. “Gun Sales Are Plunging” echoed one CNNMoney headline earlier this year. But are they really?

Numbers released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation based on adjusted FBI’ NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) numbers, which provide the best basis for how many firearms transfers have taken place over a given period, show that in the first seven months of 2014, firearms sales were still the highest they had ever been at 6.95 million transfers over any other year on record except for last year. Last year, was indeed remarkable with an astounding 8.81 million transfers over the same time period. The year before that, even at a time when things were seen as “hot,” there were 6.85 million transfers. Surely nobody expected things to stay that superheated forever. No industry or economy does. It all moves in cycles.

What has really happened is that we are returning to a “new normal” according to NSSF president and CEO Steve Sanetti. Companies and retailers ramped up operations and supply to meet the surging demand and when demand became more normal, it created a surplus supply. This is definitely a challenge for any business that suddenly finds itself with more supply than there is demand, but it can be GREAT for consumers. Product availability returns, choices increase and prices generally drop.

Trending among today’s tactical-style or modern sporting rifles is that higher-end models are still selling quite well and with more hunters coming into the fold, there is an effort by many companies to develop a wider variety of big-game friendly chamberings to make the guns more commonplace in hunting camps where whitetail deer are the most hunted species in North America. Now is an awesome time to be in the market for a tactical rifle.

So the question to gun owners now is “Are ARs so 2013? Or do you see them becoming even more commonplace than they already are? Will these guns eventually replace bolt-action and traditional rifles on the range and in hunting camps just as smokeless powder replaced blackpowder and lever-actions replaced the single shot back in the 1800s?

Greatest Cartridges: .338 Winchester Magnum, the Original Alaskan

Tom Turpin

October 10, 2014

The .338 Winchester Magnum (top) compared to the .375 H&H (bottom).

This cartridge is a very good medium-bore cartridge that was introduced by Winchester, along with the .264 Magnum and the .458 Magnum, in about 1958.

They named the Model 70 rifle chambered for the .338 “The Alaskan, a pretty good indication of the type of game the Winchester developers figured it would be most useful on. It was pretty much and immediate success among Alaskan guides and residents alike.

The cartridge most likely had its origins in the efforts of three men in the late 1940s, experimenting with a couple similar cartridges. The men were Charles O'Neil, Elmer Keith, and Don Hopkins, and the cartridges were the .333 OKH and the .334 OKH.

The .333 OKH was based upon a .30-06 case necked up to a .33 caliber bullet, and the .334 OKH used a shortened .375 H&H case necked down for the same bullet. The .338 Winchester Magnum also used a shortened and blown-out .375 H&H case, necked down to accept a .338 caliber bullet.

Elmer used his .333 OKH as his second rifle on his first African Safari, and as I now recall it was a custom Mauser built by Montana rifle smith Iver Hendriksen. I vividly recall reading his descriptions of some of the difficulties he encountered using the cartridge.

He was using English made bullets and their performance on game was pretty dismal. The failures were in no way the fault of the cartridge, but rather the construction of the bullets. We are very fortunate these days to have plenty of really excellent bullets. Members of the Keith era were not so fortuitous.

I also recall reading in Keith's writings that the .333 OKH became the .338 Win magnum, and the .334 OKH, became the .340 Weatherby. I suspect that there is a lot of truth in those comments.

The .338 is an excellent cartridge for larger big game. It is a great elk rifle when hunting wapiti in heavy timber. It is as good as any cartridge on big moose (and eland in Africa), and it really shines on the big bears.

When a motivated bruin is bound and determined for a up-close meet and greet, it's nice to have the insurance the .338 Winchester Magnum allots.

One well-respected outfitter in Alaska used to require his bear guides to carry a .338 chambered rifle when chasing the bruins. Whether that is till the case or not, I can say.

Ammunition is available loaded with an assortment of good bullets, weighing from 200 grains to 300 grains. For normal use in the field doing anything other than backing clients on big bears, bullets in the 225-250 grain range are perhaps the most useful.

There isn't much that a 225 grain quality bullet cruising along at about 2,800 fps won't handily take care of. It is a relatively high pressure cartridge with the SAAMI recommended average pressure at 64,000 psi, and the CIP a bit less at 62,000 psi.

In my hunting career, I have had but one occurrence where an animal decided to test my mettle by taking me on. It was an Alaskan brown bear, and I was armed with a custom pre-64 Model 70 chambered for the .338 Win. Mag. loaded with handloaded ammo using 210 grain Nosler partition bullets.

I won't get into the details, but since I'm writing these lines, needless to say, it worked.

Kahr Arm Expands Value Series with CT380

Elwood Shelton

October 9, 2014

Kahr Arms has added the CT380, a .380 ACP, to its Value Series.

Concealed carry has been on the march in recent years. And the full realization of the right to bear arms has definitely created a trend in its wake.

Every year, there are more and more smaller, more concealable firearms filling gun shop display cases.

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Of course, this should warm the cockles of Justin Moon’s heart. After all, the founder of Kahr Arms originally designed his pistols for concealed carry and as backup guns.

And with the Massachusetts-based manufacturer's newest line of pistols, it appears Kahr Arms plans to continue to embrace the small-is-practical ethos.

The company’s CT line boasts some of the company’s most concealable pistols. And with the final edition to the line, Kahr looks to jump on a couple other concealed-carry trends.

The CT380 is the most recent .380 ACP to hit the market and it walks lockstep with gun companies offering affordable concealed carry options. The gun certainly appears priced to move, with Kahr’s MSRP on the pistol $399.

The new pistol – part of the Kahr Value Series – has the dimensions to make it a runner for being tucked in a waistband or a pocket. The handgun has a 3-inch barrel and measures in at 5.52 inches in overall length, 4.4 inches in height and .75 inches in width.

The polymer-framed pistol also shouldn’t be a burden to carry, weighting in at a manageable 11.44 ounces unloaded. Too boot, it boasts the clean lines that help it avoid getting snagged on clothing on the draw.

Of course, being part of the value line, the CT380 has some cost-saving engineered into it. Kahr, for its part, was very straightforward in its press release about the differences between the new CT380 line and its premium model– the P380:

[T]he CT series has a conventional rifled barrel instead of the match grade polygonal barrel found on Premium model; the CT slide stop lever is MIM (metal-injection-molded) instead of machined; the CT series slide has fewer machining operations, and uses simple engraved markings instead of roll markings; the P380 comes with three magazines and is shipped in a lockable plastic case. The CT Value series comes with one 7 rd. stainless steel magazine and ships in a cardboard box.

The CT380 has the dimensions that make it a grand candidate for a concealed carry pistol.

The pistol features drift adjustable white bar-dot combat rear sight and pinned-in polymer front sight. It has a 7+1 capacity. And it has aggressive, yet clean grip texturing.

The CT380 boasts Kahr’s trigger-cocking double-action-only system. Racking the slide partially cocks the striker. Pulling the trigger then rotates a double-lobed cocking cam that does two things: one lobe draws the firing-pin block back, while the other depresses the striker and spring, until it slips the lobe and fires.

The CT line is available in three other calibers – .45 ACP, .40 S&W and 9mm – all with $449 MSRPs.

There's no such thing as too much ammo, Snagmag Concealed Magazine Holster

Market Trends: Idaho Concealed Carry – Still a Driving Force for Retailers

Brian McCombie

October 8, 2014

Edward Santos — Center Target Sports, Inc., Post Falls, Idaho

Idaho Concealed Carry is tops with customers at Center Target Sports. And the gun shop/range's most popular handgun from earlier this year is among one of the newest on the market.

The Glock 42 has been moving like hotcakes, with the .380 Auto selling for $449.

Recently, the store got in 16 of the Glocks and sold all of them in under two days!

Owner Ed Santos also pointed to Crimson Trace laser grips as another hot item. Santos estimates that 40 percent of the new carry guns he sells leave the store with a laser grip. Night sights for carry handguns are moving well, too.

“CCW holders are buying higher-quality retention holsters,” Santos notes. “We are finally getting away from the cheaper, less-secure alternatives and people are now spending $75 to $100 on a CCW holster.”

Editor's Note: This brief originally appeared in the May 15, 2014 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Make Ready with Matt Jacques: Fundamentals of Everyday Carry

When you make the decision to carry a firearm for self-defense it's a good idea to have a solid foundation in the fundamentals. In this video Matt Jacques walks you through all the fundamentals of everyday carry in a step by step approach. Matt is a retired police officer and a Marine Corps veteran. He served with two Virginia law enforcement agencies as well as a Special Deputy of the U. S. Marshal Capital Area Fugitive Task Force for the Washington D.C area. Today Matt trains both law enforcement personnel and civilians under his company, Victory First.

SilencerCo Salvo 12 Suppressor Review

Brian McCombie

October 7, 2014

The Salvo 12 suppressor review: a look at a game-changing tool in the world of shotgunning.

I heard the thwack-thwack-thwack! as I approached the firing line, and for all the world it sounded like a loud pellet rifle. But when I got to the line I realized the “thwacks” were from 12-gauge shotguns equipped with SilencerCo’s new Salvo 12 shotgun suppressor.

Shotguns outfitted with the four different sizes of the Salvo 12.

And these weren’t subsonic 12-gauge loads being shot, either, but Federal Top Gun 2¾-inch field loads with 11⁄8 ounce loads of 71⁄2 shot.

Amazing, I thought to myself.

I was at the new product introduction of the Salvo 12 in July this year, held just outside of Salt Lake City and hosted by SilencerCo. The suppressor manufacturer had invited about three dozen people to the event—media, retailers and distributors—to observe and use their newest product. And my early impression was: it works and could be a game changer, especially for shotgun hunters.

The Salvo 12 has a different look to it. Most suppressors I’ve used are round and slim. Not the Salvo 12, which is long and rectangular. I assumed it would be really awkward to use, especially at the end of a swinging shotgun barrel.

Instead I found the balance point pretty quickly on the Salvo-equipped Benelli Model M2 12-gauge. I missed my first three clay pigeons, but began making hits as I got used to this rig.

What took me more time was figuring out how to truly aim a shotgun with a Salvo 12 attached to the end of the barrel.

The Salvo 12 comes in four lengths, from 6.42 inches long to just a bit over 12 inches, and weighs from 21 ounces at the smallest size up to 34.5 ounces. I used the 12-inch model on two different shotguns, the Benelli and, later, a Mossberg. But something about that extra 12 inches protruding from the end of the barrel had me aiming and looking above and beyond my targets.

“You’re shooting over,” said Darren Jones, of SilencerCo’s marketing department and the range officer at my shooting position. “Bring it down, man!”

Once I did that and got used to dropping my aim point, the pigeons started breaking with some regularity. Other shooters, I noticed, knocked down more clays as they went through the firing line multiple times, many dusting off six and seven pigeons in a row by their third session.

The Salvo 12 connects to a shotgun via the choke tube device, which threads into the end of the barrel. Screw in the connector, and then attach the Salvo 12 to the end of that connector. Connecters will be offered in a variety of choke tube sizes, including an extra tight choke for turkey hunters.

The suppressor is is a modular design of rods and baffles and can be taken apart. So a lot of people are simply going to buy the 12-inch model, along with a kit that has different sized rods, and will adjust the size to fit their particular shotgun or hunting or shooting situation. The rod kit will likely sell in the ballpark of $50 to $70.

The Salvo 12 attaches to the barrel with a choke tube connector. Author Photos

Recoil was greatly reduced with the Salvo 12, too, by about 25 percent was my estimate with the 12-inch model. Of the four sizes, the largest three models of the Salvo 12 muffle the sound, measured at the ear, to below 140 decibels—over 140 decibels and the human ear can sustain damage.

The smallest Salvo 12, though, the 6-inch model, is rated at 149.2 decibels at the muzzle, 140.6 decibels at the ear. So shooters using this version will still want to use hearing protection.

The Salvo 12 is designed for use with shotgun slugs, as well as all wadded shotshell loads, and has been tested extensively on a wide variety of slugs. However, not all new slug gun barrels have choke tube-style threading. SilencerCo is working with shotgun makers and its own design crew to come up with various options for attaching the Salvo 12 to slug barrels, smoothbore and rifled.

While at the new product intro, I didn’t get a chance to use the Salvo 12 with shotgun slugs, but I will this fall on a slug gun hunt for deer and wild hogs.

For hunters, the Salvo 12 promises to let us shoot without ear plugs or bulky muffs, communicate with other hunters and hear the game as it is approaching. For volume shotgun shooters, the reduced recoil can only help our shoulders.

All of this does come with a cost, however. The current price is $1,400, though actual in-store prices remain to be seen when the Salvo 12 gets to stores in fall 2014.

Salvo 12 Shotgun Suppressor
All models
Width   2.21 in.
Height   2.96 in.
Attaches via threaded connector, included.
Weight (with connector)
6-inch   21 oz.
8-inch   25.5 oz.
10-inch   30 oz.
12-inch   34.5 oz.
Decibel (dB) level, at ear
6-inch   140.6 dB
8-inch   137 dB
10-inch   134.1 dB
12-inch   132 dB
MSRP   $1,400
Website   silencerco.com

ArmaLite Offers Affordable Option with Defensive Sporting Rifle Line

Elwood Shelton

October 7, 2014

ArmaLite's new family of AR rifles, the affordable Defensive Sporting Rifle series.

Looking for a AR-style rifle with all the bells and whistles? ArmaLite might have what you're after with its Defensive Sporting Rifle line.

ArmaLite has always seemed to price its rifles competitively. And it’s a trait the company doesn’t appear ready to jettison anytime soon.

The Illinois manufacturer (subsidiary of Strategic Armory Corps) has introduced a new line of AR-style rifles that has made affordability one of its top features. ArmaLite’s new Defensive Sporting Rifle series adds three new firearms to the company’s catalog, all coming in below the $1,000 mark.

The DSR series includes two AR-15 variants, the DEF15 and DEF 15F, both chambered 5.56 NATO/.223 Remington. And it includes a new AR-10, the DEF10, chambered 7.62 NATO/.308 Winchester.

The new AR-15 models have MSRPs of $699, while the AR-10 comes in at $999. Given a few more bucks will be shaved off by the time these rifles hit the shelves, they should move like hotcakes.

This might especially hold true for the DEF10, considering AR-10s, for the most part, well exceed the $1,000 mark brand new.

Overall, ArmaLite doesn’t appear to have skimped on most features to save money on its new line. All three rifles, however, are flattops, which means shooters will have to outfit them with their own sights or optics.

On the DEF 15F, however, this only means the addition of a rear sight, as the rifle comes outfitted with a standard height fixed front sight. This is, incidentally, the only difference between it and the DEF15.

Tacking on sights and optics should be a snap, given each rifle has a MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny Rail on its upper receiver. The DEF15 and DEF10 also have Picatinny Rails integral with their gas blocks.

The direct-impingement rifles each have 16-inch barrels, double lapped and chrome lined to extend their lifespans. The DEF15 and 15F each have 1:7-inch twist rates, which ArmaLite pegs as ideal for 69- to 80-grain ammunition; the DEF10 has a 1:11.25-inch twist rate, which the company said works well with 150- to 175-grain ammo – 168-grain being the best.

ArmaLite's Defensive Sporting Rifle series includes an larger-caliber AR-10 option – the DEF10.

The receivers are made of 7075-T6 forged aluminum, helping to keep each rifle a manageable weight. The DEF15 and 15F each come in at 6.35 pounds, while the DEF10 weighs 7.9.

Each of the Defensive Sporting Rifles boast a M4-style collapsible buttstock. This feature gives the DEF15 and 15F variable overall lengths of 32 to 35.25 inches and the DEF10 35 to 38.3.

The line of rifles have a number of features typically left off other affordable lines, including a forward assist, dust cover and brass deflector.

Each of the rifles is sold with a Magpul PMAG, a 20-round version on the DEF10 and a 30-round one on the 15 and 15F. The firearms all, also, are outfitted with flash suppressors and single-stage triggers.

Video: Colt CSR-1516 Review

Elwood Shelton

October 6, 2014

When you’re competitive, it’s easy to let equipment empty your wallet. Shooting sports are no different.

When it comes to 3-gun competitions and the like, however, it appears Colt has a rifle that performs and pinches pennies in the same breath. Or at least that’s Anette Wachter’s (30CalGal) verdict on the CSR-1516 in the above video.

Wachter should know a thing or two about competitive-grade firearms, given she is part of U.S. National Rifle Team, in addition to being a tactical-rifle and 3-gun competitor.

Right off, Wachter admits she had her doubts about the rifle that is until she got it out of the box. From there, the competitive shooter found the CRS-1516 exceeded all expectations – right down to shooting MOA on her first three shots.

One of the big pluses Wachter touts in the video is the price of a rifle. At less than $1,000 (it's listed with a MSRP of $990 on Colt’s website) the rifle is within the range of most shooters and seems to be a value.

Some of the savings is achieved by the 1516 being fairly spartan when it comes to features. It does not have a dust cover or forward assist, which might cost it a fan here or there. But what it lacks in a few of the perks, it appears to make up for in performance.

Watcher's take, the lightness, managable recoil and snappy trigger make it a fine choice – pegging it as a workhorse AR-style rifle. For someone aiming to protect their home and loved ones or is interested in jumping into competitive shooting the CSR-1516 might be an option.

Ultimate AR-15 Collection

Armed Citizens in Action, September 2014

Brian McCombie

October 3, 2014

True stories of everyday armed citizens taking action to defend themselves and others.

A 63-year-old grandmother from Prichard, Ala., used her 9mm handgun to protect herself and her granddaughter during a home invasion. Phyllis Law’s home had been broken into previously so she was ready when she recently heard a door being broken apart. She gave the burglar a chance to retreat, but the man kept coming closer and Prichard fired several times, killing the home invader. Police arrested a second suspect, too, according to FOX10News.

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Hearing a commotion downstairs, a New London, Conn., homeowner grabbed his handgun and discovered a teenaged burglar armed with a knife and loaded handgun. But at the sight of the armed homeowner, the Hartford Courant reported, “The juvenile immediately dropped his gun and complied with the resident’s orders to remain still until police arrived.” Police charged the young burglar with a number of offenses, including assault with a firearm and first-degree threatening with a weapon.

A homeowner in Jackson, Miss., recently opened fire on two intruders, killing one and wounding the other, after the pair staged a 2 a.m. break-in. “You’re entitled to have a weapon in your home and certainly you’re entitled to defend yourself and your home,” Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance told WAPT.com. “The deceased suffered the consequences that come sometimes when you break into somebody’s house.”

Lisa Atkin, of Junction City, Ore., was home sick from work when she heard the noise of an apparent break-in. She retrieved her handgun from the nightstand and found that a young man had forced his way into her home. She held the burglar at gun point until police arrived. “We’ve been through the Oregon Firearms Academy courses, so we were trained to deal with these kinds of situations,” Atkin told KEZI.com News.

Citizens in Action appeared in the September 18, 2014 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Recommended Resources for Concealed Carry:

The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry 2nd Edition

The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery

Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Handguns

Find more resources at gundigeststore.com/tactical

New Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact Launched

Elwood Shelton

October 3, 2014

Smith & Wesson M&P 22 Compact has all the features of the popular line, squeezed into a petite package. — Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact has all the features of the popular line, squeezed into a petite package.

The new Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact looks to have all the features of the popular line, but in .22LR – an ideal training pistol or small game getter.

Yeah, .22-caliber ammunition has been in short supply. But a guy can dream can’t he?

If he did have such flights of fancy, his mind just might wander off and trip over Smith & Wesson’s newest rimfire pistol. The Massachusetts manufacturer recently expanded its flagship line of semiautomatics to include what looks to be a sweet little .22.

The M&P22 Compact boasts the features that have made the tactical/sporting line one of the most popular in the world of polymer pistols. Only, it comes in a package Smith & Wesson pegs at 15-percent smaller than its M&P 9 and 40.

Much of this size reduction is seen in the .22 long-rifle pistol’s weight. Tipping the scales at just under one pound (15.3 ounces), it is nearly 10-ounces lighter than its larger-caliber cousins.

A good deal of the extra weight looks to have been trimmed by the incorporation of an aluminum slide. While the metal wouldn’t be the top choice for a larger caliber, it should function soundly with the lighter recoil of a .22.

The dimensions of the new pistol are very similar to the M&P 9 and 40 Compacts, just a hair smaller in overall length. Some of the idea behind keeping the .22 and its big sibling in the same ballpark in measurements is to give shooters a cheaper firearm to practice with – when there’s ammo to be had – and a larger one to carry for self defense.

Smith & Wesson has also aimed at giving shooters a leg up on the slim picking when it comes to rimfire ammunition. The company is offering 222 rounds of Winchester .22LR ammunition until December 2014 with each purchase of the M&P22 Compact.

The .22 pistol comes with two 10-round magazines and has a 10+1 capacity. It has the potential to win the hearts of lefties and righties, being fully ambidextrous. In this regard, it has a reversible magazine catch and ambidextrous thumb safety.

The pistol is a straight blow-back action with an internal hammer, and has a fixed barrel – which should help it shoot tight groups. And Smith & Wesson has followed the silencer trend by cutting the 3.56-inch, carbon-steel barrel with a 3/8-inchx24 thread, making the pistol suppressor ready.

The handgun is outfitted with a white-dot front sight and two-dot rear. The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation.

The pistol has a front Picatinny rail under the barrel for swift accessory attachment. It has the same aggressive rear cocking serrations as the rest of the M&P line, as well as similar grip ergonomics and texture.

The pistol appears to be a fairly affordable option with its MSRP $389.

Greatest Cartridges: Sizzling Varmint Medicine, the .22-250

Tom Turpin

October 3, 2014

Whether as a wildcat or factory cartridge, there has always been something mystifying about the high-velocity .22-250.

There is some considerable confusion as to when this popular varmint cartridge was developed, and who developed it.

Its name comes from the fact that it uses a .22 caliber bullet, and the parent case is the .250 Savage. The parent case came out in about 1915, so it was sometime after that.

The names associated with the cartridges development most often include Harvey Donaldson, Grosvenor Wotkyns, J.E. Gebby and J. B. Smith. Considerable development work went on in the mid-1930s.

At least one version was called the .22 Varminter, and others, the .22-250. Wotkyns is generally credited with developing the forerunner to the .220 Swift, although Winchester chose to use the 6mm Lee Navy case, rather than the .250 Savage. Author, gunsmith and consummate handloader, Phil Sharpe, was an early fan of the .22-250.

For many years the cartridge languished as a popular wildcat, until Browning announced in 1963 that they were adding the chambering to their rifle line.

My old pal, mentor, and good friend, John T. Amber, wrote in the 1964 issue of Gun Digest, the following: “Browning did an unprecedented thing this year—they added a caliber to their High Power rifle line, the Wildcat 22-250, for which no commercial ammunition is available! As far as I know, this is the first time a first line arms maker has offered a rifle chambered for a cartridge which he—or some other production ammunition maker—cannot supply.”

Ever since the .22-250 has gone from wildcat to factory cartridge, varmints have been shaking in their boots.

The cartridge also has, in a way, a powder named for it. H-380 was an unnamed spherical rife propellent when the late Bruce Hodgdon first used it. When a 38.0 grain charge behind a 52 grain bullet gave one hole groups from his 22 caliber wildcat (now called the .22-250), he appropriately named the powder H380.

I've also heard that the velocity delivered with that load, around 3800 fps, played a role in the decision though that may also be just so much fluff.

I have owned at least a couple rifles so chambered for many years now. When I tire of one and get rid of it for something, at the time anyway, that's more spectacular, I end up down the road always picking up another.

I currently have two, a heavy varminter from Savage that has had a few custom touches added to it (another stock for one thing) and a Mark VII medium weight varminter from E.R. Shaw. Both are superbly accurate.

I don't do a lot of varmint shooting here in southeastern Arizona, but when I do go out, one or the other of these two rifles goes with me.

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GUN DIGESTWE KNOW GUNS SO YOU KNOW GUNS

Many perceptions surrounding suppressor effects come from marketing, blogs or the media making them suspect at best. Here's the reality of how suppressors are used and what they can do.

Suppressors Are Not Silent

Affects on the Action

Suppressors Enhance Accuracy

More Suppressor Effects

Bottom Line

The Semi-Auto Solution

Handgun Hunting with the 10mm

Conclusion

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The Salvo 12 suppressor review: a look at a game-changing tool in the world of shotgunning.

Looking for a AR-style rifle with all the bells and whistles? ArmaLite might have what you're after with its Defensive Sporting Rifle line.

True stories of everyday armed citizens taking action to defend themselves and others.

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The new Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact looks to have all the features of the popular line, but in .22LR – an ideal training pistol or small game getter.

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