With the ability to be loaded with many projectiles or just one, there are few other rounds with as much versatility as the 12-gauge shotshell.
Find out why there may be no more versatile round in all the world of firearms than the venerable 12-gauge shotshell.
Perhaps the most versatile and popular cartridge on the face of the earth is the 12 gauge shotshell.
The only cartridge that I can think of that might equal it in popularity is the .22 rimfire, if there is any ammo for them left. Judging from the availability of ammo for them around my neck of the woods, feeding that popularity with ammo might be difficult. But, I digress.
Practically every hunter owns at least one 12 bore shotgun. Sport shooters shooting trap, skeet or sporting clays for entertainment or competition, likewise own one or more scattergun so chambered, usually more.
Even among non-hunters and sport shooters, at least in my part of Kentucky during my growing up years, practically every farmhouse had a shotgun handy, usually a 12 bore. Among hunting families of that era, it was a right of passage to manhood for a young lad to graduate from the .410 or 20 bore single-shot scattergun that he started with, to a grown up 12 bore.
At some point in our history, some bright fellow figured out that it would be much easier to hit their intended target when unleashing numerous projectiles rather than just a single one. The 12-gauge gun could be used for single projectiles, originally round lead balls, graduating to the plethora of shaped shotgun slugs available on the market today, to an array of multiple projectile loads. From buckshot to birdshot, the scattergun uses had a large choice available to match the load to the intended target.
In addition to the ample choice of projectile loadings, the user also has a choice when it comes to the length of the 12-gauge shell. Ammunition for the 12 bore has been loaded with shell lengths of 2”, 2-1/2”, 2-5/8th”, 2-3/4 inch (most common), 3”, and 3-1/2 inch that I know of. It could be that a few others were loaded that I’m not aware of. Naturally, the longer the shell case, the more powder and shot it will hold, creating a more powerful round.
The military also learned early on that a short barreled, smooth bore scatter gun was just the ticket for military use at close quarters. The same thinking applied to civilian police and security guard use. There were a number of Winchester Model 97 “riot” guns in use in Vietnam. One scattergun was even used in the tussle at the OK Corral in Tombstone, wielded by none other than Doc Holliday. Practically every police cruiser has a tactical shotgun available, often carried in the trunk of the vehicle.
Wilhelm Brenneke invented the shotgun slug in 1898, which greatly improved shotgun performance for big game hunting over the round lead ball.
Quite a number of our states, usually located in densely populated areas, require a shotgun loaded with slugs for deer hunting. Wilhelm Brenneke invented the shotgun slug in 1898, which greatly improved shotgun performance for big game hunting over the round lead ball. The shotgun has evolved into quite a potent and accurate big game load.
Many shotguns designed specifically for big game hunting are equipped with rifled bore barrels and when loaded with slugs intended for use with rifled bore guns, are very accurate. They also greatly improve the effective ranges from around 40 yards or so for a hollow-base Foster type “punkin ball” slug to 100 yards and more for saboted slugs in rifled bore guns.
A pretty good argument could be made that an individual armed with a .22 RF and a good 12 bore shotgun, is pretty much ready for most anything requiring a firearm, from defending his pea patch, to keeping food on the table.
Bond Arms offers a unique accessory holster that gives their pistol a significant added versatility of riding shotgun while you drive your vehicle.
Are these small but powerful firearms — call them hand cannons or pocket shotguns — just market hype or true mighty midgets for concealed carry?
Winchester 410 Defender velocity is about 750 fps, roughly 200 fps shy of .45 Colt loads. Though recoil was uncomfortable, there was surprisingly little muzzle flip. Author photo
The newest modern derringers are now essentially the same caliber as Henry Deringer’s first pocket pistol of 1852. Back then, the muzzleloading single-shot Philadelphia Deringer used 15 to 25 grains of black powder to drive a .41 caliber round ball. Since those days, derringers have been chambered for many handgun cartridges, but only fairly recently have they been made to shoot the .410 shotshell.
Are these modern pocket shotguns and hand cannons just gimmicks or are they really viable for self-defense? To answer that, we need to know if .410 ammunition can stop an attacker. Also we need to know if the derringer has the physical characteristics suitable for concealed or pocket carry, and if the derringer is controllable in pointing and in recoil.
Hand Cannon Ammo
One selling point for these handguns is the happy coincidence that chambers can be made to fit both .45 Colt cartridges and .410 shotgun shells (though rim diameter and thickness is not identical), providing a “twofer” benefit. However, because .45 Colt bullet diameters vary from .452 to .454 inches, and factory loads can measure as small as .440 inches, you must be sure that yours properly fits the groove diameter of your pistol, otherwise you could suffer unacceptable accuracy and reduced penetration.
The specific derringers examined here have rifling groove diameters of .450 inches (Bond Arms) and .452 inches (Heizer Defense PS1), so you should use bullets of not less than those diameters and not more than about .0005 inches over.
While small shot like No. 9 through No. 1 may stop an attacker up close, it may be less likely to instantly incapacitate than the buckshot sizes 00 and 000, especially as distance increases. Three to five 00 balls will fit in a .410 shell, depending on whether it is 2 inches or 3 inches long. Stepping up to 000, three or four fit in a 2-inch shell and five can get into a 3-inch shell; it varies with the maker.
Winchester’s PDX 410 Defender ammo, used for testing and now marketed as just Defender, goes a slightly different route, being loaded with three full-caliber, plated lead discs on top of 12 pellets of plated BB shot (larger than #1, but smaller than buckshot). While not an exhaustive evaluation, it’s a starting point for testing defense-specific ammo.
Unfortunately, there is just about zero data from real-life shootings using .410 pistols because they are so new to the world of defensive handguns. Still, it seems likely that striking an attacker a few feet away with multiple .35 to .41-caliber bullets would be effective.
The Guns
Because of its top hinge, the Bond Arms derringer should be held sideways or slightly inverted to prevent cartridges from sliding out when closing the action. The lever is the barrel release, the auto/manual extractor is mounted on the barrel, and the circular object under the hammer is the cross bolt safety.
Life is full of tradeoffs. We chose a derringer for its size, knowing we must forego fine sights, full-size grips, backup shots and the effective range of other carry guns. We tested two .410 derringers, the Bond Arms double barrel and the single-barrel Heizer Defense PS1.
Each maker approaches the derringer concept differently, and it’s up to the individual shooter to decide which features are most desirable. Both pistols here chamber only the 2-inch shotshell. Trigger pull weights, by design, are intentionally heavy and exceeded the capacity of spring-type gauges. Bond Arms
The Bond Arms derringer is a hefty 19.9-ounce chunk of stainless steel and has a very short bird’s-head grip with a smooth backstrap.
Couple that with expected sharp recoil, and the first inclination is to settle the gun too low in the hand and grip the trigger at the first knuckle of the index finger. But allowing the web of your hand to press against the cocked hammer can increase trigger pull weight. So hold the derringer as you would your other pistols, with an imaginary straight line running from the front sight to your elbow and only the pad of your finger in the trigger face.
This is a single action (SA) pistol requiring thumb cocking of the hammer before firing. With practice it doesn’t have to add any time to present the pistol to the target, but the handgun’s ergonomics and the considerable effort needed for thumb cocking must suit your hand size and strength.
If too large or too hard for you to cock, you may find yourself unintentionally squeezing the trigger while cocking. The wide, serrated hammer spur aids in cocking but it can snag on clothing during the draw unless you cover the hammer with your thumb upon drawing from a holster or pocket.
The pistol’s cross-bolt safety is not readily disengaged with one hand, especially if you’re in a hurry. For carry, turning a screw locks the safety in the off position. The Bond Arms loads safely with the hammer down. Because the 3-inch barrel assembly is hinged at the top, shells and cartridges will slide out when closing the action, unless you tip the pistol on its side or slightly invert it.
The Heizer Defense PS1
The PS1’s hollow grip holds two spare cartridges, but they may rattle when walking or trotting. Author Photo
The most immediately notable feature of the PS1 is its 1/2-inch wide, flat profile, totally lacking any protrusions other than the low front sight. Clearly, the snag-proof, melted-edge design is intended specifically for pocket carry, though the maker includes a list of holsters that fit the PS1. Barrel length for the .410 is 3 inches and the weight is 21.4 ounces. The only operating control other than the trigger is the ambidextrous recessed barrel release. A spring-loaded extractor pushes cases from the chamber far enough to grasp with the fingers.
The trigger pull is long and stacks at the end as the striker spring compresses. The trigger is adequate for the pistol’s purpose. The .45 Colt rim diameter is slightly smaller than the .410. Several times during loading with the barrel pointed down, .45 Colt cartridge rims slipped past the extractor; when this happens it’s impossible to close the action.
These are truly diminutive guns, and even the smallest hands won’t get a pinky finger on either grip. The PS1 has the edge for shooters with weaker hands who may find the Bond Arms pistol difficult to thumb cock. If gripping with both hands Weaver style, placing your offhand index finger on the front of the trigger guard of either pistol puts it a fraction of an inch from the muzzle, so extra caution or changing your grip is in order.
Shooting Results
The PS1’s grip is hardly wider than a cell phone, which does nothing good for perceived recoil but helps make it concealable. Author Photo
Both guns patterned well at 7 feet, placing multiple hits close to center mass. As expected; however, at 21 feet the shot from the short barrels spread so much as to render hits iffy though several still landed at center mass.
The rifling in each barrel apparently caused shot to favor to the left. These are utilitarian self-defense handguns, not something you’ll shoot often for pleasure. And frankly, in .410 they are not a pleasure to shoot; the PS1’s slim grip made recoil particularly uncomfortable. A few rounds for regular practice and familiarity are necessary but anything more than that would be punishing.
Bottom Line
Derringers are intended for convenient carry and up-close defensive situations. An across-the-room shot is fairly long, with accuracy and instant incapacitation decreasing rapidly with distance. There are better choices for home defense. Protracted gunfights are obviously not an option with derringers. If firepower is your priority then Bond Arms gets the nod with two immediate shots; if non-snag pocket carry concealment is number one, then the PS1 has a clear design advantage.
M7A1 PDW Stock Kit allows any AR to quickly shrink its size.
The slick collapsible stock found on Troy’s M7A1 line is now available for all AR rifles.
A quick scan of Troy Defense’s M7A1 line and its easy to pick out the petite rifles’ most distinguishing feature.
The collapsible stock on the firearms are downright diminutive and when fully compress nearly become part of the receiver. But to reap the benefits of the nifty system meant shooters had specifically shop that line of carbines.
That is until now. The Massachusetts manufacturer recently unleashed the accessory to the black rifle world with the release of the M7A1 PDW Stock Kit.
M7A1 PDW Stock has a number of proprietary elements, such as its recoil spring, buffer tube and bolt carrier.
The six-position stock is compatible with any Mil-Spec AR-15 and allows for nearly 3 inches of adjustment. For a quick example, the stock makes Troy’s 14.5-inch barreled M7A1 Carbine overall length between 30.5 inches and 33 inches.
The system, however, is a bit more involved than most stocks when it comes to instillation. The recoil spring, buffer system, latch assembly and bolt carrier are proprietary and come as part of the kit.
Given the specialization of parts, the stock costs quite a bit more than many on the market. Currently, Troy has the M7A1 PDW Stock Kit listed with an MSRP of $499. Presently, the stock is available in black and flat dark earth.
Both of the author’s 20-gauge Brownings have the round grip, a feature preferred by many shooters and collectors.
When a gun manufacturer introduces a new shotgun, it is almost a foregone conclusion that it will first be offered in 12 gauge. Only after the market has been tested for a while does the maker come out with other gauges. Browning is no different, but the wait was worth it for the company’s first 20-gauge models.
The Hammering Humpback
The venerable old Browning humpbacked A-5 first came off the production line at the Fabrique Nationale factory in Belgium in 1903. The first shipment to the U.S. arrived in 1905, all in 12 gauge. Four years later, in 1909, the first 16 gauges came off the assembly line, but the 20 gauge didn’t see the light of day until 1958, more than a half century after the first 12 was made.
There are many reasons why it took Browning so long to come up with a 20-gauge A-5. For one thing, the 16 was a more popular bore size than the 20 during the first half of the 20th century. Another reason was that the 16-gauge A-5, which was lightened considerably in 1936 as the “Sweet Sixteen,” was a great seller for Browning. Anyone wanting a smaller gauge, lighter gun, bought the Sweet Sixteen.
Then, of course, World War II had an impact. It put a hold on many Browning projects when the Nazis occupied Belgium. But before the war, there just weren’t any other autoloading shotguns that could compete with Browning’s quality and reputation.
At the end of the war, Remington vastly modified and modernized their autoloader and in 1949 came out with the Model 11-48. The 11-48 was made in 12, 16 and 20 gauge. The 20 weighed less than Browning’s Sweet Sixteen, and it also cost less. Additionally, new imports from Italy – the Franchi 48AL and the Breda, two modernized versions of the Browning autoloader – appeared on the market in the 1950s. They were both lighter than the A-5 and available in 20. The Franchi in particular was exceptionally lightweight, and caught the attention many of upland gunners.
Many years ago I shot ducks with an old gentleman who called his Sweet Sixteen “Widgeon.” He said the 12 gauge I was shooting should be called “Mallard” because it was bigger, thicker. He said an A-5 20 would be a “Teal” because it was smaller and more slender.
Not long after the end of World War II shotgun ammunition was improved considerably and the newer 20-gauge rounds became as effective as the old 16 gauge of the prewar era. The popularity of the 20 gauge soared while the 16, although still popular and number two in sales, began to sag a bit.
It was time for Browning to do something about the situation, so Val Browning, son of the great John M. Browning, redesigned the old A-5 and scaled it down for a 20 gauge. Val had done this before, back in 1936 when he redesigned and lightened the 16 gauge and came up with the highly successful Sweet Sixteen model.
The new “Twenty” was introduced in 1958 and became an immediate success. Although Browning advertised it as weighing less than 6¼ pounds, to reach that weight you had to get a gun with a short, plain barrel, and hope the wood was not very dense. It did weigh less than 6½ pounds with a ribless barrel, sometimes dipping down to 6¼, but rarely below that weight unless you went for a 24-inch barrel. Nevertheless, it was a great success and the Twenty remained unchanged, except for the shape of its grip in 1968, until it was discontinued in 1997.
The Sleek Superposed
The Browning Superposed over/under made its first appearance in America in 1928 as a 12-gauge gun. It was made only in 12 through all the pre-World War II years, although Val Browning had developed a scaled-down 20-gauge version and there may have been some very rare 20-gauge Superposeds in Europe before the war. However, it wasn’t until after the war, in 1949, that the first 20-gauge models arrived in America.
Initially they were available in just one grade, the so-called Grade I with minimal engraving. They were delightful little guns and immediately caught the fancy of upland gunners. Unlike the A-5 20 gauge, which remained the same throughout its life except for a change in grip shape and the change of manufacture to Japan in 1976, the Superposed 20 underwent some changes almost immediately.
First, the engraving pattern was increased only two years after its introduction. Then in 1955, the Lightning grade was introduced. The Lightning had been available in 12 gauge before the war, but production was stopped after the war. In 1955, both the 12 and the 20 were available in the Lightning grade.
The Lightning was a lightened version of the Superposed. In 12 gauge, there was sometimes as much as a pound difference in weight between the Standard and the Lightning. This was especially true of the prewar 12-gauge Lightnings, which were available without a rib and could weigh as little as 6¾ pounds. In 20 gauge the difference was not that great, although the Lightning 20s tended to be lighter by anywhere from ¼ to ½ pound than the Standard 20s.
The 20-gauge Superposed later appeared in an even lighter version called the Super Light, with not just slimmer wood but also metal shaved and thinner barrels. However, there were some so-called “Super Light” A-5s made by FN that were never imported by Browning. These were alloy-framed A-5s that weighed much less and were made in Belgium at the FN factory in the 1970s, just about the time Browning switched the manufacture of A-5s to Japan. But, they were only sold in Europe.
The 20-gauge Superposed made its first appearance in the 1950 issue of Gun Digest. For the first year or so, Browning tagged the 20-gauge model the “Blue Streak.” However, that name was unceremoniously dropped a short time later. Note the issue prices!
The first-year 20 Superposed was a very simple affair. The engraving pattern was sparse, but deeper cut and of very good quality. The wood, although not fancy, tended to be much better, showing some attractive grain, unlike the later “blonde” wood that showed up in the 1960s. For some reason many seem to think that this very plain, light colored wood is somehow superior, and actually seek out the guns with blonde wood.
The main difference appears to be in the finishing of both metal and wood. The early guns seem to show much more care in metal polishing and fitting. The wood was oil finished before the war but finished with lacquer after the war. It had a nice subdued finish, not the glossy finish found on later guns when polyurethane replaced the traditional lacquer finish. The checkering was also finer and of better quality, or so it seems.
Collecting Browning’s 20s
Are these guns all that rare and collectible? Well, that depends.
Perhaps the Superposed 20 is more collectible since fewer were made and it is older than the A-5 20 by some 10 years. Normally, when you do find a Superposed 20 that was made in 1949, it is usually pretty worn or has had some changes made to it, most of the time it has been re-blued.
The same thing applies to the 20-gauge A-5, perhaps even more so, since A-5s were less expensive and were considered to be working guns and used heavily, sometimes carelessly. A die-hard Browning collector would consider them as collector’s pieces.
Belgian Brownings are still quite common on the used gun market. The Superposed, in the opinion of many, is still not overpriced like some of the other classic shotguns. This applies primarily to the Grade I 20 gauge, which can still be found for anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 in good to excellent condition. Unfortunately, the Superposed higher grades have skyrocketed in price. The Pigeon Grade (Grade II) usually sells for between $3,500 to $7,500 in good to excellent condition, and the Diana Grade, probably the most desirable of the higher-grade Brownings, can go for anywhere from around $6,000 up to $10,000, and even more for mint condition.
These prices, as already stated, are for 20-gauge models. Values are much higher for the 28 gauge and .410 bore. The 12-gauge guns are much lower priced and more common, and therefore may be considered even better bargains.
This article is an excerpt from Gun Digest 2015, 69th Annual Edition.
The benefits of hunting with a suppressor can be soothing to your ears.
Joe Metzger and his hunting guide spotted the elk herd in a small canyon, just below a ridgeline, near Craig, Colo. There were about 15 bulls and cows milling around and feeding. Using boulders for cover, Metzger and his guide got to within 220 yards of the elk. Metzger had a cow tag. Selecting a yearling cow, he lined up the crosshairs on his custom .308 bolt-action rifle and squeezed off a shot.
Providing reduced recoil and a muffled report, suppressors are excellent on rifles for younger shooters. Author photo
The young elk reared up on her back legs for a moment and then fell over backwards, sliding down the snow-covered slope. The other elk were momentarily startled, jumped a bit, looked around but within a minute went back to feeding.
“If there’d been another hunter with me, he could’ve filled his tag, too,” says Metzger. “My guide said he’d never seen anything like that.”
This happened in October 2013 at the C-Punch Ranch, on a hunt for wounded veterans, and Metzger’s rifle was tipped with a Thunder Beast 30 PI suppressor. For Metzger, a former U.S. Army Ranger who suffered wounds while serving in Iraq, a suppressor was a natural way to hunt. He was introduced to suppressors while in the military, and instantly saw the many benefits to using them, including hearing protection and allowing better communications when multiple shooters/hunters were afield.
Another advantage Metzger sees as a hunter is that suppressors can actually make the hunting experience better for other sportsmen as well.
“I can see if you’re on BLM or Forest Service lands out West, and you’re walking into an area, and all of a sudden a guy starts cracking off shots up ahead of you,” Metzger says. “You might as well go back to your camp. Everything’s going to be scared off for a good square mile or better from that shooting.”
But with suppressed rifles, even if game animals are frightened, it will be in a much more localized area. To paraphrase the American poet Robert Frost, good suppressors make good hunter neighbors.
Suppressor Style
Using suppressed rifles on hunts where multiple shots may be required, sportsmen can really protect their hearing. Author photo
Jonathan Owen co-founded Special Hog Weapons and Tactics over two years ago, SHWAT.com, as a meeting place for people who like tactical hog hunting. He’s hunted and taken hogs with suppressed rifles. Along with AR-style rifles and night vision gear, suppressors top the list of equipment that tactical hog hunters gravitate toward—and for good reason.
“With a hearing safe suppressor, you can communicate much more easily with hunting partners,” Owen notes. “You can hear the pigs feeding and moving around when you don’t have foamies crammed in your ear canal. Additionally, suppressors tend to mitigate both recoil and muzzle rise, allowing you faster and more-accurately fired follow-up shots.” The latter, Owen notes, is big help when you suddenly come up on a group of wild hogs and it’s time to dump a full magazine.
“People used to ask me, ‘Why would you want to hunt with a suppressor?’” says John Hollister. “I had a lot of very good reasons, like saving your hearing, and I would explain that. But, really, I’m to the point where I just switch it around and ask them back—‘Why would you not want to hunt with a suppressed firearm?’”
Hollister admits to a rather large pro-suppressor bias. He is, after all, the product manager for Advanced Armaments Corporation (AAC), one of the country’s top manufacturers of suppressors. But he’s also been using suppressors, at the range and in the field, for over a decade. He’s introduced friends, family and all sorts of complete strangers to suppressors, the latter at various shooting events around the country. And any time a newbie has tried out a suppressed firearm, he or she always has the same reaction: “I have to get one of these!”
“Saving your ears from muzzle blast, communicating with other hunters in the field—these are really important reasons to use suppressors,” says Hollister. “But one reason that doesn’t get a lot of attention for suppressor use in hunting is introducing young people and newcomers to our sport.”
A relatively quiet, suppressed deer rifle, for example, is going to be much less threatening to a fledgling hunter than a gun that sounds like a clap of thunder. And because of the way they disperse muzzle blast, suppressors often reduce recoil significantly. Young people, as well as smaller-framed female and male shooters, are much more likely to try and enjoy hunting with a rifle that doesn’t mule-kick their shoulders.
Ultimate Eradication Tool
If the hunters were wearing ear protection, they would not have heard this hog rooting around in the brush. Author photo
Buck Holly knows firsthand how suppressors can reduce felt recoil—and in the process, make hunting more enjoyable and successful.
Holly runs a custom rifle-making business, C&H Precision Weapons of City, LaBelle, Fla., which specializes in manufacturing authentic Marine Corps M-40 sniper rifles. For the last half-dozen years, he’s hunted game with suppressed rifles, including deer and elk—but most especially hogs.
That’s because Holly’s “part-time” job, when he’s not making custom rifles, is being contracted by the state and local governments to eradicate the wild and very destructive hogs on 20,000 acres of public lands in South Florida. Holly does this work with suppressed rifles and has excellent results.
Unlike Metzger’s experience, Holly says his use of suppressors really is not about relative quiet and not scaring off his prey. There’s a good deal of hunting pressure on the public lands where Holly does his eradication work, and the wild hogs here are generally what hunters consider “educated.” “They know the game,” says Holly. “They hear that sonic crack of the bullet and they’re running.”
In addition to the improved communication between hunters that suppressors provide, the big advantage of the AAC suppressors Holly uses is that they really tame the recoil of the big-bore rifles he uses on his hog work. Holly goes after hogs in really thick, southern Florida swamps. He also has to account for all hogs killed, which means actually having a carcass to show the people he works for.
“I used some smaller caliber rifles in the beginning, but they wouldn’t always drop the hog where he stood,” Holly explains. “Believe me, you don’t want to go far into some of this brush looking for a hog. So the rifles I settled on are all chambered in .300 Win. Mag. One good shot and they drop.” The recoil, though, can be pretty stout on a .300 Win. Mag. bolt action. Until, that is, Holly attaches an AAC Mark 13 suppressor. Even Holly’s teenaged sons can fire the rifle without getting their shoulders pounded and bruised.
“With the Mark 13, my .300 Winchester Magnums really don’t kick much more than a .243, and my boys love using the rifles,” Holly says. “And we don’t have to worry about trying to find a wounded hog in the snake-infested swamps!”
Maximizing Benefits of Suppressor Hunting
If you’re only going to use one suppressor on one firearm, Holly suggests you have the end of your barrel threaded, and buy a suppressor that directly screws onto that barrel. That way, you essentially have a complete unit, always at the ready.
However, let’s say you buy a suppressor to attach to a number of different rifles, depending on hunting conditions and game species you are going after. In that case, each of your rifles will need a special muzzle break or mount to accept the suppressor.
“Whichever way you go, you may well need to get your barrel threaded,” Holly notes. “My advice? Don’t do that yourself. It might look easy enough—all you need is a tap and a die, right?—but, guaranteed, most people are going to get it wrong. Even if your threading is ever so slightly off, you are going to have big problems. So have a professional gunsmith do the threading.”
For most rifles, adding a suppressor changes the bullet’s point of impact, too. The weight and balance of a rifle will be different with a suppressor, too, and may affect the shots you can and would want to take. For those reasons, SHWAT.com’s Owen says it is important that you practice and train with your suppressor on your firearm.
As Owen says, “Training makes us better at anything we do, but we should train with what we use. If you plan to hunt suppressed, train suppressed. In the field, in the middle of a hunt, is no place to find out what your suppressed rifle can and can’t do.”
The Swarovski STR 80 isn’t just another spotting scope. With an illuminated reticle and first focal plane subtensions, the optics is engineered to get shooters on target lightning fast.
In the realm of hunting and shooting, Swarovski Optik is best known for its riflescopes.
The Austrian-based company has earned a place in hunters’ hearts with high-end options to draw a bead on their game. But Swarovski has made a push in recent years to diversify into sport shooting.
The STR 80 spotting scope is an example of this move. The optic zeros in at F-Class and other long-range shooters offering Swarovski’s clarity, and a number of other features to get them on target.
Perhaps, the feature most likely to endear the STR 80 to long-distance shooters is its illuminated reticle. It is designed to aid in evaluating target distance, as well as correcting point of impact.
Presently, the optic is available with two version of the reticle, one with MRAD subtensions and one in MOA. The former version is adjustable in .10th MRAD increments, the latter in ¼ MOA increments.
In both cases, the reticles are adjustable to match nearly any light condition with 15 brightness levels – 10 for day levels and five for night.
The subtenions in the spotting scope operate on the first focal plane, meaning they are always in proportion to the target. This is makes the scope ideal for rapid ranging and holdover adjustment, particularly if there are multiple targets at various distances.
Swarovski’s STR 80 isn’t just for competitive shooters. It also functions as a traditional spotting scope and can work in conjunction with an iPhone and camera.
What appears to be an added bonus for tack tappers is STR 80’s HD optical system. Swarovski touts the rich contrast and color fidelity of the system as being ideal for identifying bullet holes in paper targets, no matter the distance.
The company has not completely pigeonholed the optic for the competitive range, however. The reticle can be shut off, to allowing the STR 80 to be used as a traditional spotting scope, as well.
The scope appears to have some versatility in magnification in it can be used with both Swarovski’s 20-60x and 25-50xW (wide angle) eyepieces. With the proper adapter, the STR 80 can also work in conjunction with an iPhone 5 or a camera.
The top-notch clarity and function of the STR 80 comes at a price. Presently, Swarovski lists the spotting scope for $3,689 on its website.
Technical Data Effective objective lens diameter (mm): 80 Shortest focusing distance (ft/m): 19 / 6 Diopter correction at ∞ (dpt): > 5 Diopter correction reticle: ± 5 dpt Objective filter thread: M 82 x 0.75 Functional temperature: -40 °F to +131 °F (-40 °C to +55 °C) Storage temperature: -40 °F to +158 °F (-40 °C to +70 °C) Submersion tightness: 13 ft (4m) water depth (inert gas filling)
Technical data STR 80 with eyepiece 25-50x Magnification: 25-50x Exit pupil diameter (mm): 3.2-1.6 Field of view (ft/1000 yds / m/1000m): 126-81 ft / 42-27 m Field of view (degrees): 2.4-1.55 Field of view for spectacle wearers (degrees): 2.4-1.55 Field of view. apparent (degrees): 60-70 Light transmission (%) total product: 75 Weight without battery (oz/g): 71.6 / 2030 Length (in / mm): 15.9 / 403
Technical data STR 80 with eyepiece 20-60x Magnification: 20-60x Exit pupil diameter (mm): 4.0-1.3 Field of view (ft/1000 yds / m/1000 m): 108-60 / 36-20 Field of view (degrees): 2.1-1.1 Field of view for spectacle wearers (degrees): 2.1-1.1 Field of view. apparent (degrees): 40-65 Light transmission (%) total product: 75 Weight without battery (oz/g): 70.4 / 1995 Length straight view (in/mm): 15.9 / 403
While the big, booming sales in AR-style rifles are over, Merrimack Firearms is selling a surprising number of pricier black rifles.
The typical fair the New England retailer reported earlier this year were AR-10s, chambered in .308 Win., including models from Windham Weaponry and Ruger’s then new SR 762.
“That Ruger retails for right around $2,000, and I have no trouble selling them,” Merrimack owner Steven Soucy said. “At the same time, I have .308 ARs at around $1,000, good quality, good names, and they just do not move. Kind of strange.”
Merrimack is getting good quantities of most ammunition, though the 9mm and .380 handgun ammo has increased 15 to 20 percent in price lately. The store is actually getting very decent amounts of hard-to-find .22LR but it is not the relatively inexpensive range and plinking .22 rimfire.
“Most of the .22LR we get in stock is the more expensive, match-grade types,” Soucy notes.
With a large segment of his customers practicing concealed carry, inside waist band holsters are very steady sellers, especially models made by Uncle Mike’s and Quest.
Get to know your AR-15 inside and out and outfit it with one of Hi-Lux’s CMR scopes with this exclusive collection. Familiarize yourself with the popular black gun with the six invaluable resources included, and put your newfound knowledge to work starting with the included scope. In addition to the CMR scope, you also get all four volumes of Gun Digest Book of the AR-15 by Patrick Sweeney, Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to the AR-15, and Gun Digest Guide to Customizing Your AR-15.
The author took this wild hog in Florida with the Glock 20. Author Photo
In this Glock 20 review, big bore revolver expert Max Prasac outfits a G20 with an RMR optic and optional charging handle and goes after some pork.
Points That Make The Glock 20 A Viable Hunting Pistol:
Powerful 10mm chambering
Exceptional reliability
Simple Glock design allows trouble-shooting in the field
Light enough not to encumber a hunt
This will not be an evaluation from a concealed-carry perspective. It’s a full-sized gun, in a full-sized chambering, and I am not interested in how well I can conceal it under a jacket. I am approaching this test as an evaluation from the perspective of a handgun hunter.
But first, let’s take a quick look at the Glock 20 itself. The G20 is built on the full-sized polymer frame so it is no delicate flower. Full-sized is also the manner in which I would describe the grip. The standard magazine capacity is 15 rounds and the standard barrel length is 4.6 inches and comes equipped with fixed front and rear sights. Fully loaded, the Glock 20 tips the scales at just less than 40 ounces. I will spare you the mechanical details as that is not why we are here.
First Impressions
We ordered this RMR mounting kit by Strike Industries from Brownell’s. We also added the optional charging handle to aid in cycling the slide with the RMR mounted. Author Photo
Okay, so I’ve shot more than a few Glocks in my lifetime and the thing that sticks with me the most is that they are dead reliable and seem to always run. However, I never really considered one as a serious hunting piece. For me, hunting handguns hold no more than six rounds, or five if chambered in a meaningful caliber. As I mentioned earlier, my daily carry guns are revolvers. Don’t roll your eyes, there is nothing more valuable than reliability, accuracy and familiarity with regards to your carry gun.
My first thoughts were that the grip is a bit on the thick side, but that’s okay if the shooter has big mitts. Also, the grip angle is wrong for me, glaringly evident when I shot the G20 off of the bench. However, the bench isn’t everything and only tells part of the story. I reserved judgment until I could flog the Glock in the field.
Since the plan was for me to evaluate the Glock 20 as a hunting handgun, I started by ordering what I felt were a number of 10mm loads obviously intended for more than personal protection. Federal’s new 10mm load featuring 180-grain Trophy Bonded jacketed soft points (see page 48) got the nod as did a couple of offerings by Double Tap Ammunition, the most serious being their 200-grain hard-cast load. It is important to note that I never once in my test regimen experienced anything even resembling a jam or a malfunction. Granted, my testing offers a small sample, but it is reassuring.
I shot the Glock initially for familiarization with a number of loads, and concluded that if I was going to stretch its usable range out a bit, it would be beneficial to add a Trijicom RMR reflexive sight. In order to use the RMR, the rear sight needs to be drifted out. I used a wooden dowel and a hammer, with the slide in a vise. There is a specific tool for the job available from Brownells, and the RMR requires a Strike Industries mounting kit that I also ordered from Brownells. We also installed the optional rear sight-charging handle to aid in cycling the slide with the mounted RMR.
I ordered my Glock 20 with the optional additional six-inch barrel. To be honest, I was unimpressed with the accuracy exhibited by the longer barrel and promptly returned the original piece to its rightful place and my accuracy improved dramatically.
Once bench testing for accuracy and sight-in were complete, I practiced in a variety of field positions, to include predominantly offhand shooting. Yeah, it’s the most difficult position to become proficient with, but it prepares you for nearly anything you may encounter in the field.
The Glock 20 is chambered in the powerful 10mm round. Author Photo
I booked a flight to Palm Beach, Fla. one long weekend with the G20 in tow. My good friend Jeff has a large hunting lease not far from Palm Beach, and like much of Florida, it is overrun with an abundance of big, feral hogs.
My brother-in-law Vincent and I headed to the property early Saturday morning to meet Jeff. The morning session was uneventful, so we took the hottest part of the day off until the late afternoon. In warm climes like Florida, hogs will lay up during the hottest part of the day, reemerging to forage when the temperatures drop in the late afternoon and early evening. We came up empty on the second session as well.
Driving back to camp, I was riding on the seat mounted on the back of Jeff’s truck—a genuine Florida swamp buggy—looking for dark shapes moving in the waning light. We drove by a road that forked to the left of the main road and as I looked down there I spotted movement—way down at the end of the road. I banged on the roof of the truck and Jeff stood on the brakes. I told him to back up and there they were, a good 1,000 yards away, black shapes moving in and out of the brush.
Though quite a ways off, I jumped down, Glock in hand, and made the long stalk. Jeff and Vincent got out of the truck and watched in amusement while I picked my way down that road towards the wild hogs. I managed to get within 20 yards of the edge of a field, where I could see the tops of the tall grass moving and hear grunting. One hog exited and I could make him out clearly. I centered the dot on his shoulder and let one 180-grain Trophy Bonded bullet fly.
My aim was true and the hog went down, while hogs exploded en masse out of the field in all directions. As I moved in a little closer, my downed hog made an attempt to get up, but I shot him in the neck and any notion of escape was immediately abandoned. Meanwhile I centered on another that was in high gear and squeezed the next two shots on him while he retreated into the stand of trees and brush just to my right. The smoke cleared, and silence ensued.
By now it was nearly dark. We recovered hog number one but couldn’t locate hog number two in the thick palmetto until the morning. Success. I’m really beginning to like the G20 about now. I clearly found the G20’s strengths on multiple, fleeing porcine targets. The red dot aids in rapid target acquisition in low light. I have been using red dot-type sights on hunting revolvers for years. I don’t feel the G20 is limited to the role I pressed it to serve, but it sure was the right tool for the job. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it on much larger game animals at reasonable distances.
I never shot the G20 past the 50-yard mark and I felt most comfortable with it under 40 yards. I feel that in stock configuration, this is close to the limit in respect to range, at least in my hands, but there are a number of aftermarket parts available that will considerably improve upon the stock platform. This is not an indictment of the G20, as I felt that within my self-imposed limits, this is one very effective hunting sidearm, one that I look forward to hunting with more in the future.
Some like to call the 10mm the .41 Magnum of the auto pistol world. Not quite, but the 10mm does boast a large diameter (.40 caliber), and when loaded to spec offers quite impressive ballistics.
I don’t hunt with a handgun to take long shots. That is not why I am in it. I like practicing fieldcraft, stalking and getting close by stealth. This is the challenge to me as a hunter. If you are looking for a sidearm, at a reasonable price, that can pull double duty as a personal defense piece and a primary hunting piece, the Glock 20 will serve you well.
Built somewhat on the company’s famed A-Bolt rifle design, first introduced in 1985, the new AB3 seeks to incorporate that same precision and quality that A-Bolt fans celebrate, while eliminating some of the more costly bells and whistles.
There’s nothing fancy about this rifle, but then, for a price-conscious hunter looking for a gun that can put a shot where aimed there doesn’t need to be anything fancy about it. The metal finish is matte blue paired with a matte black synthetic stock that conceals well and can take a beating with little consequence.
The AB3 boasts a new bolt design with a mere 60-degree lift for fast, easy shot cycling that doesn’t force the shooter to lift his cheek from the stock. The bolt is plated with matte electroless nickel for smoother operation and added resistance to corrosion.
The AB3 also copies some features from Browning’s popular X-Bolt line, chiefly, the way the barrel is made. The rifle’s free-floating barrel, like the X-Bolt, is made from cold-rolled steel that is then button-rifled, a process that greatly aids accuracy in modern rifle design.
A target-type crown allows for the uniform release of gasses as the bullet exits the muzzle to prevent potential shift in trajectory.
The receiver is drilled and tapped for scope mounts, and Browning even makes mounts for the rifle. The standard length steel action is also designed to allow for close mounting of the scope to the receiver for a better sight line when aiming.
Other features include a top-tang safety, a bolt unlock button that allows the chamber to be unloaded with the safety in the on-safe position, a detachable 4- or 3-round box magazine depending on caliber, an Inflex Technology recoil pad designed to direct recoil away from the face and shoulder, textured gripping surfaces and steel swing swivels for ready attachment of a sling and/or bipod.
The AB3 Composite Stalker is available in four chamberings—.300 Win. Mag., .270 Win., .30-06 and 7mm Rem. Mag. The rifle retails for just under $600.
Field Performance
It doesn’t take an expensive rifle to tag a prized whitetail buck, but it does take one that shoots accurately.
As for the performance in testing of the .300 Win. Mag. AB3 model, it shot precisely as I expected a rifle of this blend of value and features would.
If you’re looking to shoot competitively, you may have to settle for second or third place. If you’re looking to punch a hole into the vitals of a heavy-racked buck without draining your bank account on a firearm, game on.
I tested three different loads in the AB3 including a 180-grain Winchester Accubond CT, a 150-grain PHP Winchester Power Max Bonded load and a specially handloaded round from Massaro Ballistic Laboratories pushing a 180-grain Scirocco.
The rifle was settled in on a Champion Premium Shooting Rest and tested on Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C targets set at 100 yards. The the initial groups with each load were decent, the Power Max Bonded and Massaro loads both producing groups inside 1.5 and 2 inches, while the Accubond CT strayed a bit more with groups at 2.5 inches.
But then, between the 91-degree day (and I was shooting in direct sunlight) and the scorching heat generated by the magnum cartridges, the barrel turned sizzling hot and the accuracy eroded, placing flyers sometimes an inch or two outside the rest of the group.
Heat can have that impact on any barrel, and when allowed to cool before shooting, the groups tightened right back up. Fortunately, when taking that all-important shot at a trophy animal, one shot is all you will typically need. For that, the Browning AB3 Composite Stalker is certainly up to the task.
Browning AB3 Composite Stalker
Caliber: .300 Win. Mag. (tested), .270 Win. Mag., .30-06, 7mm Rem. Mag. Action Type: Bolt-action Receiver: Matte blued steel Barrel: 22-inch button-rifled matte blue steel with 1:10-inch rifling Magazine: 3-round detachable box (magnums), 4-round detachable box (standard calibers) Trigger: 3.5-lb. pull integrated trigger with oversized guard Sights: None, receiver drilled and tapped for scope mounts Stock: Matte black synthetic Weight: 6 lbs., 13 oz. Overall Length: 42 ¾ in. Accessories: Inflex Recoil Pad, swing swivels SRP: $599 Website: browning.com
This article is excerpted from the October 9, 2014 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Ruger has expanded its LCRx line, now offering the revolver in a model with a 3-inch barrel in .38 Special +P.
The popular Ruger LCRx has gotten a bit bigger with the introduction of a 3-inch barreled model.
The Ruger LCR line has earned a dedicated following for some pretty good reasons. In short, the revolvers are highly concealable and offer the reliability inherent to the platform.
But the New Hampshire/Arizona manufacturer is taking a bit of a departure in the most recent addition to the line. Ruger recently announced it is introducing a 3-inch barreled model of the LCRx, giving shooters all the virtues of a longer barrel on the innovative revolver.
For all intents and purposes, the extended barrel should add up to a more controllable handgun. The longer barrel means the gun has a bit more weight where it counts, the muzzle. In turn, the felt recoil should be reduced on the new .38 Special +P.
The new LCRx could also be a more versatile handgun than its predecessors. Like the other guns in the line, the new LCRx is light and small enough to be a concealed carry option. It weights in at 15.7 ounces and has an overall length of 7.5 inches. But with the potential added accuracy from the extended barrel, the handgun could have the ability to be a nifty recreational revolver in an affordable caliber.
Helping the LCRx’s cred as a potential lights-out plinker is its exposed hammer, allowing the revolver to fire as a double- or single-action. Unfortunately, there was no data available for the trigger-pull weight for each mode at the time of writing.
While the new LCRx has a single-action option, Ruger highly touts the double-action for the line. The company’s friction-reducing cam fire control system aims to be a smooth double-action trigger pull. It is suppose to build gradually and peak later in the trigger stroke, resulting in what the company says is better control and a trigger pull that feels much lighter than it actually is.
While the new Ruger LCRx has a elongated barrel, it maintains all the popular feature of earlier models in the line.
The revolver has a fully adjustable rear sight for both windage and elevation. It features a full-length Hogue Tamer Grip without finger grooves to make for more comfortable shooting. The new LCRx also comes outfitted with a grip peg, making switching grips a snap.
Like the older iterations of the LCR, the new version is made of a number of different materials, to keep it rugged, yet light. The handgun has polymer fire control housing, an aerospace grade aluminum monolithic frame, and an extensively fluted stainless steel cylinder.
The new LCRx is priced similar to the rest of the line, presently listed on the Ruger website with an MSRP of $529.
Finding gifts for gun owners can be a bit challenging if the recipients already “have everything.”
Gift for Gun Owners #1: Snagmag
Great concealed carry gift idea
A “wish I’d thought of that” product
The Snagmag concealed carry magazine holster makes pocketing spare ammunition a breeze.
Gun Digest Tip: Make sure you know the model number of the pistol the recipient uses for concealed carry. Each Snagmag is model specific.
Gift for Gun Owners #2: Gun Safe Lights
Perfect for anyone with a gun safe
Come in packs of two
Small enough to fit inside a stocking
These universal, easy-to-install Gun Digest gun safe lights turn on and off automatically with long-lasting LEDs. The lights solve one of the most common problems to storing a gun: dark gun safes. Pick up four lights (that’s two two-packs) for medium to large safes.
Gun Digest Tip: Best gifted with a pack of AAA batteries.
Gift for Gun Owners #3: Great Guns Daily Calendar
It’s still 2014 – they don’t have this yet!
A Gun Digest exclusive
You can’t go wrong with this page-a-day calendar, which offers photos and information across the spectrum of firearms.
Gift for Gun Owners #4: Firearm Patent Print Posters
Cool and interesting art
Popular models available
Did we already say they’re cool?
The most popular firearms of today started as sketches yesterday. Display a piece of gun history with a firearm patent print posters. Four models are available, and any one of them will look terrific on the wall.
Gun Digest Tip: These posters don’t come with frames, so you may want to pick one up.
Gift for Gun Owners #5: 2015 Standard Catalog of Firearms
Lists of firearm prices
On its 25th edition, so you know it’s good
Wide appeal
Recently released, so the gun owner on your list probably doesn’t have it
The 2015 Standard Catalog of Firearms contains pricing and condition information for thousands and thousands of guns. If the pricing information isn’t enough, it contains tons of trivia. You can’t go wrong with this book.
Gun Digest Tip: This book is similar but not quite the same as The Official Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices and the Blue Book of Gun Values. Completing the trifecta will ensure your favorite gun owner is covered. This is one area where there’s no such thing as too much information.
The adoption of the .223/5.56 NATO was accepted by the U.S. Military in 1963 and was then adopted by NATO as the standard caliber in 1977.
At the time this cartridge was adopted for military use in the United States, we were in the middle of a great state of change.
WWII was over with the US forces and it’s allies finally rolling over the Nazi powers in Germany, and then ending the conflict in Asia by dropping two newly developed and terrifying bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The ink was hardly dry on the surrender documents when we found ourselves embroiled on the Korean peninsula. We were in the process of changing from piston driven aircraft to the new fangled jet technology.
The military also went through the throes of developing a new cartridge and a new rifle to handle it, and then replaced the M1 Garand chambered for the .30-06 with the M-14 rifle chambered for the 7.62×51 NATO cartridge. About the only thing this change did that was positive, was to finally achieve a NATO standard cartridge. The other issues, those of weight, power, and rate of fire, were essentially very little different from its predecessor.
In the late 50s, the ArmaLite Company along with some others were working on a much smaller high velocity cartridge/assault rifle combination to address the shortfalls in the 7.62×51 cartridge and the M-14 rifle. Initially they considered using the commercially available .222 Remington cartridge, but it was apparent that the cartridge was too small to meet army established requirements.
After considerable experimentation, Remington came out with a similar but larger round, calling it the .223 Remington. This cartridge, named the 5.56×45 by the military, along with ArmaLite’s M16 rifle, were adopted by the U.S. Military in 1963, and Remington introduced the civilianized version of the cartridge to the public a year later in 1964.
The military determined that an 8-man team armed with the M16/5.56×45 combo would have the same firepower as an 11-man team armed with the M14/7.62×51. The difference was due to the size and weight differential between the two armaments. NATO agreed in 1977 to accept the 5.56×45 round as a NATO standard, with some minor variations in loading and bullet design.
The acceptance of the M16 and its 5.56×45 cartridge was not without controversy. Initially, the rifle was criticized frequently after its introduction to the battlefield in RVN. It had a habit of jamming at most inopportune times. Some changes were made and most of those criticisms went away.
There has been a continuing debate among the military as to the wisdom of eliminating much of the marksmanship training received by the military recruits, relying much more on firepower than on marksmanship, particularly at longer ranges.
The light .223/5.56 NATO cartridge allowed soldiers more ammunition, thus allowed for an advantage in firepower.
This debate continues, but the arguments are not against the 5.56×45 cartridge per se, but more against the training and employment doctrines. Those arguments will, most likely, continue until us old timers have all died off and no one remembers long range marksmanship training as it used to be.
As a matter of interest, the 5.56×45 and the .223 Remington, while very similar, are not precisely identical. The military version is loaded to somewhat higher pressures than is the civilian version. There are some slight variations in some commercial chamber dimensions, and if the military 5.56×45 ammunition is fired in a .223 Remington chamber, SAAMI established pressure maximums can sometimes be exceeded.
While I personally have never heard of any real problems from this situation, firing military ammo in commercial .223 chambered rifles is not a good idea.
IMR is shooting to help guns stay clean with every trigger pull with its Enduron propellents.
Come 2015, IMR Legendary Powders’ extensive catalog is set to grow. And the latest propellants to join the lineup do more than just send bullets down range.
The three powders that make up IMR’s new Enduron line also help to tidy up a gun each time the trigger is pulled. The powders achieve this by the addition of copper fouling eliminator that interacts with the barrel upon firing.
The Kansas-based brand – part of Hodgdon – also touted other aspects of its three new propellants – IMR 4166, IMR 4451 and IMR 7977. Among the extruded powders’ favorable attributes include insensitivity to temperature extremes and small grain size for easy measuring.
Below are the product descriptions for each propellent from IMR’s website.
IMR 4166
This fine, extruded propellant is the first in the series of Enduron Technology powders. The main features of the Enduron series are copper fouling eliminator, insensitivity to temperature changes, ideal loading density and being environmentally friendly. IMR 4166 is the perfect burn speed for cartridges like the 308 Win/7.62mm NATO, 22-250 Remington, 257 Roberts and dozens more. Positively, a versatile, match grade propellant.
IMR 4451
Another new Enduron extruded powder, IMR 4451, gives top performance in the venerable 30-06, 270 Winchester and 300 Winchester Short Magnum, to name just a few. This propellant is ideally suited for many, many mid-range burn speed cartridges. Simply scroll through the list of cartridges on the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center, and see how many of your favorite cartridges are covered with this fine powder. Once the shooter tries this one in that favorite cartridge, his search is over!
IMR 7977
The slowest burn rate Enduron Technology extruded powder is IMR 7977, and is a true magnum cartridge propellant. It yields outstanding performance in such cartridges as the 300 Winchester Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum, 338 Lapua and a host of others. Loading density is perfect for magnums, nicely filling the case at maximum charges, contributing to superb uniformity and accuracy. The 7mm Remington Magnum “never had it so good”!
As Massad Ayoob points out in the above video from Personal Defense World, the utterance of Bill Wilson’s name typically brings one gun to mind – the venerable 1911 pistol.
Wilson could make one sing in competition and now his company – Wilson Combat – produces one of the world’s most sought after lines of the handgun. Which makes the latest pistol to bear Wilson’s name so unusual.
Few would have ever imagined an iteration of the Beretta 92 rolling out of Wilson’s Arkansas factory. But that is exactly what is happening with the introduction of the Beretta/Wilson Combat 92G Brigadier Tactical.
In essence, the 9mm pistol is the revival of the Beretta 92G-SD Brigadier, a Cadillac version of the Italian company’s 92 line. Though, there has been some tweaks made to the original design in the new 92G Brigadier to give it higher functionality and more aesthetic appeal.
Alas, you’ll have to watch the video to find out what Beretta and Wilson have in store for shooters. But as Ayoob shows, the well-respected companies have packed plenty into the $1,195 pistol.
As a side note, and briefly touched upon in the video, the MSRP on the pistol is actually not bad. The original Beretta 92G-SD had only a 3-year run (2002-2005), in turn specimens can be rare and spendy.
When it comes to holographic sights, EOTech has its share of fans. And with a recent announcement, the company is certain to a get a few of them to update the holiday gift wish list – in a hurry.
The subsidiary of Level 3 Communications, revealed it will release two new sights before the end of the year. And both the Model 558 and 518 should be on store shelves soon enough to make it under a Christmas Tree or a Festivus Pole.
The twist on the new sights by the Michigan manufacturer is how each is powered. Both the 558 and 518 get their juice from ubiquitous AA batteries, among the most commonly found in the world.
The rub is, however, the units get different lifespans depending on the grade of AA used. Lithium batteries last up to 1,000 hours of continual use at a nominal setting in each unit, while alkaline batteries yield 600 hours of continual use.
This is not the first product EOTech has aimed to make more user friendly with an easier-to-find power source. Recently, the company introduced its Laser Battery Cap, which retrofits its sights to run off AAs.
For the most part, the two new sights have many of the same features and are nearly identical in size and weight. Both the 558 and 518 boast side-button functionality, are compatible with magnifiers and tip the scales at a manageable 13.3 ounces.
The big difference between the units is the 558 is set up to run with Generation I-III night-vision optics. It is also waterproof to 33 feet, compared to 10 feet for the 518. And the unit has 30 brightness setting, opposed to the other sight’s 20.
The EOTech Model 558 holographic sight is compatible with Generation I-III night-vision optics.
Both sights are 5.5-inches long, 2.2-inches in width and 2.8-inches in height. Each is outfitted one dot, red reticles, designed for quick target acquisition. The red dot measures in at 1 MOA, while the surrounding ring is 65 MOA.
The sights are easily added and removed via a quick detach mount that is compatible with Weaver or Mil-Spec Picatinny rails. Like most other EOTech sights with the quick detach mount, the units have been designed to be within 1 MOA upon remounting after removal.
Like most high-end holographic sights, the new EOTech units cost a bit of coin. The Model 518 is listed with an MSRP of $539 on the company’s website, the Model 558 has a $629 price tag.
Famed designer Marc Newson has given a new take on the age-old side-by-side shotgun with the newly introduced Beretta 486.
For the more technology-centered readers out there, Marc Newson’s name might be readily identifiable.
Most know the famed industrial designer from the headlines he made when he joined Apple earlier this fall. But the Austrian has also made a splash in an unexpected circle as of late – the firearms world.
Newson has taken a crack at firearms design, teaming up with the world’s oldest gun manufacturer. And the results of his partnership with Beretta have been spectacular.
Your eye can’t help but be caught by the Newson designed Beretta 486. The firearm retains the integrity of the age-old side-by-side shotgun, while incorporating clean modern lines.
This was the ultimate goal Beretta said in a press release, and it plays itself out in a number of features of the gun.
One of the most eye-catching aspects of the Beretta 486 is the Asian-inspired engraving on the receiver – an homage to the homelands of the pheasant.
Perhaps the area the company has most heavily touted is the refinement of the safety catch. Newson has refined the tang safety by removing the tang, and breaching the gap with the burled walnut stock.
The way Beretta put it is the feature is a “bridge of wood” that spans the space between receiver and the safety.
“The main focus for my design of the 486 was to simplify and rationalize all the surfaces,” Newson said, on Beretta’s website. “Specifically streamlining the area of the action.”
Newson also left his mark on the receiver, rounding all its edges to give it an elegant and smooth look. He removed the screws from the trigger guard, instead attaching it via a milled guide to refine the gun’s lines yet more. And he slimmed down the forend of the shotgun, to give it a sleeker look.
Newson topped off the 486 with an intricate laser engraving on all exposed metal of the receiver. It is an Asian motif, including Japanese cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums and Chinese dragons. The engraving might sound a bit out the ordinary for a shotgun from an Italian company, until Newson explains how it ties into some of the game likely to be taken by the firearm.
Marc Newson provided the lines to the Beretta 486, while the Italian gun maker chipped in such features as its cold-forged hammered Optima Bore Barrels.
“My initial source of inspiration came from the idea that pheasants originate and are native to Asia, before being widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird,” he said. “For me it was important to somehow pay homage to this and incorporate a subtle Asian influence into the design.”
Beretta doesn’t appear to have skimped on their end of the project. The company has outfitted the 486 with cold-hammer forged Optima Bore Barrels, which boasts Beretta’s Triblock technology, eliminating welding lines.
No prices were given for the Beretta 486, however, a comparable Beretta side-by-side (the 486 Parallelo) has an MSRP of $5,350. Given the names behind the new Model 486, expect the new Beretta shotgun to also fetch top dollar.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
