Of all the environmental factors facing a shooter one of the trickiest to master is the wind.
Stiff gusts wreak havoc with bullets at any distance, while a casual breeze is enough to blow the accuracy of a long-range shot. While there are all sort of tricks and tips shooters can use to tame blustery weather, one of the surest systems is the wind meter.
Caldwell aims to give shooters the ability to factor out the wind with its new CrossWind Professional. But the wind meter is more than just a digital version of sticking your finger in the air. The device has all the features someone serious about staying on target, no matter the conditions, is looking for in a wind meter.
The CrossWind offers a full range of measurement settings, giving shooters the option to gauge the wind in mph, km/h, m/s, f/s or knots. But it does more than give the prevailing currents, the meter actually pieces together a full profile of the wind conditions.
The wind meter records the maximum gusts and the average speed of the wind, in addition to current conditions. These extra variables are invaluable, giving shooters the edge in adjusting their scope and in anticipating the perfect moment to break their shot. This would be enough for most shooters, but Caldwell’s device also calculates a number of other environmental conditions that can affect a bullet's trajectory. With temperature, station pressure, barometric pressure, altitude and wind chill – among other data points – the CrossWind offer every bit of information pertinent to dialing in a shot.
The meter also features a rotating anemometer, making it easier to calculate the crosswind without having to factor in wind angle. It has a data hold function, allowing shooters to save data from one shot to the next. And the CrossWind also boasts a LCD backlight, making the meter useful no matter the lightning conditions.
Most retail sites have the CrossWind priced in the $80 to $100 range. This is quite a bit more than most entry-level wind meters, but puts the Caldwell product at the low end of comparable devices.
The author recommends a leather holster with thumb break retention strap, like this model from Blackhawk.
A Gun Digest reader asks, “I’m taking my first concealed weapons class with a small frame 9mm pistol. Can you recommend a specific holster to get started?”
Great question. I can point you in a general direction but holster selection is like dating success: highly subjective and dependent on many factors. So don’t be surprised if you end up shopping around some.
To start with, focus on four things: (1) leather, (2) belt mount, (3) high ride, and (4) thumb snap. Several excellent manufacturers (Bianchi, Galco, De Santis) offer models with all four of these features.
And here are the reasons. When you start carrying concealed regularly—and you should carry more days than not if you are truly serious—don’t be surprised if you feel awkward, uncomfortable and self-conscious. These are common and perfectly contextual reactions. Flow with them. They will pass with experience, but do take them into consideration in first holster (and gun) choice.
I recommend leather because it conforms over time to your use.
I suggest an integral security strap that releases with a thumb snap, because it is common for new shooters to worry about the gun somehow coughing itself up and out of the holster. The strap is mostly psychological but it is comforting for most new users I chat with.
“High ride” means that the gun should ride with half of its weight even with or above the belt loops. This tucks the mass of the gun just below the ribs and for many people is a much more comfortable carry position when seated.
Women may find lower carry more comfortable. Because females tend to have shorter torsos, and broader hips than men (pelvic arch) they are often advised to choose a low ride holster to keep the handgun from poking into their rib cage. But with a small frame revolver—my recommendation for most women—the curved grip still rides well in a high ride design because of the shorter barrel. Low ride favors standing, high ride favors sitting.
Choosing between outside-the-waistband (OWB) and inside-the-waistband (IWB) is also highly subjective. After many years of leather OWB I went “minimal” and used a soft neoprene IWB with my Model 60 or my SIG 239, .40. This was so comfortable a carry method I would actually forget I had the gun on. The tactical problem is that if you have to pull your gun to deter an attack, it is near impossible to re-holster it easily because the neoprene collapses. With gun out, if you’re a cop and have a badge to “windmill” when the police come you’re in good shape, if you don’t you will probably get proned-out and be subject to some rather dramatic language.
I really like the OWB Kydex-type holsters except that I can’t find one that fits my Ruger SR9C (my current “little buddy”) with laser designator. Generally speaking, IWB seems more comfortable and OWB seems more tactical. If you carry every day in a “high risk” environment then I would say go OWB. However, if you carry “just in case,” try IWB.
One additional tip: Be sure to check out the articles and blogs at gundigest.com and feel free to post questions there. I’m sure many of our readers will have other good opinions.
Gun Digestthe Magazine is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. With a subscription to Gun Digest the Magazine, readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews, how-to instructions and Second Amendment issues.
When it comes to throwing large amounts of lead in a particular direction few firearms get the job done as well as the Automatic Assault 12.
Consider, the fully automatic shotgun can chew through 300 rounds per minute, slinging everything from slugs to shot of every size in what amounts to a wall of fire. And there is little that can slow down the AA 12 from its job. As pointed out in the above video by FPSRussia, the shotgun's stainless steel construction makes it fully capable of firing after being submerged in water or being battered by other environmental factors.
The AA 12 is a resilient, effective and futuristic system, but it is a design that has been around for some time. The firearm was originally known as the Atchisson Assault 12, named after Maxwell Atchisson, who designed the shotgun in 1972. The idea behind the firearm was to provide operators superior firepower in close quarter situations – room clearing, urban landscapes, thick jungle terrain. And while there have been tweaks to Atchisson's original design, the AA 12's objective has remained the same.
The shotgun accepts eight-round box magazines and 20- and 32-round drum magazines. While its effective range is similar to other shotguns, it can be stretched to 200 meters when firing the Frag 12 explosive round.
The AA 12's firepower alone is enough to raise eyebrows. But what is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the firearm is how easy it is to handle. The shotgun has an advance primer ignition blowback action, which has a robust recoil spring system housed in the stock. These springs absorb much of the gun's recoil, keeping the AA 12 accurate for follow up shots or – as shown in the video – when operated with one hand.
Despite all of aforementioned assets, the AA 12 has yet to be adopted by the military as a full-time service weapon – though it has been field tested. This does little, however, to diminish the impressiveness of this shotgun in action.
Warning: The video does have some coarse language.
Cincinnati, Ohio – Gun Digest the Magazine’s annual Shooter’s Guide issue hits newsstands everywhere April 22nd, offering firearms owners and enthusiasts an insider’s look at 2014’s most exciting product introductions from the world’s top firearms manufacturers.
Shooter’s Guide 2014 special issue is the go-to reference for everything new the firearms industry has to offer this year. Editors preview the latest from Colt, Glock, Smith & Wesson, Walther, SIG Sauer, Remington, Beretta, Benelli, Mossberg, Savage, Kimber and many more. The issue highlights semi-automatic handguns, revolvers, tactical rifles, centerfire rifles, rimfire rifles, sporting shotguns and tactical shotguns—guaranteeing that there’s something for every firearm fan.
In addition to brand new firearms to admire, the issue also takes care to note the additions that you might be seeing on ammunition and optics shelves. Gun Digest the Magazine covers the latest ammunition offerings, now featured with new loads for hunting, self-defense and target shooting. Plus, for those readers jumping on the popular reloading bandwagon due to rising costs in ammunition, the Shooter’s Guide covers the best and latest reloading equipment designed to make the task easier and more efficient.
For those looking for more in-depth information on shooting, self-defense and hunting, Gun Digest the Magazine editors serve up 10 of the top firearms books that every gun owner must own. This year, resolve to bring your shooting game to the next level with Gun Digest the Magazine’sShooter’s Guide and Gun Digest books.
About Gun Digest the Magazine The newly redesigned Gun Digest the Magazine is a bi-monthly publication that delivers the latest information on new guns, shooting gear and accessories, handloading, shooting tactics and training, as well as insight on vintage and collectible guns. It also delivers comprehensive information on new and used guns for sale in its extensive classifieds section, as well as a quarterly calendar of dates and times of gun shows across the country. Doug Howlett, a 20-year veteran in the outdoor and firearms publishing industry, edits GDTM. GDTM is now available as both print and digital subscriptions. For more information, please visit gundigest.com.
Media Contact: Alicia Capetillo, [email protected] 513.531.2690 ext. 11339
Older Ruger single-action revolvers are selling very well, said Scott Weber, owner of Gunrunner Online Auctions, the past winter. The handguns' popularity has been driven largely because they are affordable and came in so many interesting variations.
A collectible-grade Ruger Blackhawk can be had in the $450 range, as long as it is not converted (many were sent back to the factory to have a hammer block safety installed, a conversion frowned upon by collectors).
But if you have the same Ruger single action with the original box and paperwork? The auction price can jump another $300.
Weber’s also seeing growing interest in pre-1964 examples of the Winchester Model 88, a lever action introduced in 1955.
“The pre-’64 version was first seen on its introduction as an ‘ugly’ utility gun, but now we recognize its classic lines that are like no other,” says Weber. “They’re fun, affordable to collect, and were made in a variety of calibers, from .243 to the mighty—and mighty scarce—.358 Win.”
Gunrunner recently sold a Model 88 chambered in .358 Win for an impressive $3,500. More common calibers go from $450 to $600. A Model 88 with the original box? Tack on another $200.
Editor's note, this brief originally appeared in the December 30, 2013 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine
The Gun Digest Book of Ruger Revolvers by Max Prasac is the definitive historical guide to Ruger revolvers, covering details for several single-action and double-action models, technological innovations of the Ruger revolver, custom Rugers, and information on hunting with a Ruger. In The Gun Digest Book of Ruger Revolvers you’ll find:
300+ full-color photos of different Ruger revolvers and their components
The stories behind Ruger’s fast-step to fame
How Ruger’s technologies changed the modern revolver
ARES Defense’s new rifle is ingenious. At the same time, it’s hard to miss what the cleverness of the Sports Configurable Rifle aims to defeat.
In short, the Florida manufacturer expanded its product line in response to potential and actualized gun-control legislation. In fact, it has been reported ARES came up with the design when it was rumored the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban would be reestablished in 2013.
Inspiration such as that is tough to gut for those who cherish civil rights. But at the same time, one cannot help but be heartened with what ARES has accomplished.
The SCR is legal in all 50 states, giving those subjected to recently passed state-level legislation the ability to buy and own an AR-style rifle. Well, almost an AR-style rifle.
Unlike many of the conversion kits meant to strip the accessories that run afoul of the law – pistol grips, bayonet lugs, etc. – the SCR is a redesign of the AR platform.
Most obviously, the semi-automatic rifle has the lines of more traditional long guns. It features the choice of sporter, sporter short and Monte Carlo stocks and is outfitted with a cross-bolt safety. But it’s not the exterior that is the radical departure. The guts of the gun is where the leap away from the AR design is really found.
Given the stock, ARES has done away with the buffer tube on the SCR. Instead, the company opted for a system similar to many semi-auto shotguns, utilizing a carrier link and action spring system in the gun's stock. Due to this, the gun most likely will have a different feel compared to the AR when fired, with the recoil going downward as opposed to straight back into a buffer tube.
These tweaks certainly make the SCR a shift from most AR-style rifles, but the firearm does retain some important features from the popular platform. Perhaps the foremost is ARES preserving the same bolt as traditional ARs, in turn making the gun compatible with any AR-15 upper without any modification.
This is a big plus, given part of the allure of the AR is its versatility. The rifle has earned fans with its ability to quickly change calibers with a new upper, as well as its compatibility with a slew of aftermarket add-ons meant to optimize and customize. ARES also, wisely, made the SCR able to accept any AR/M-16 magazine.
Where there might be a potential bone to pick is the SCR's fire control. It has been reported by those who have handled the gun that it appears to have a proprietary trigger. If this is true and it is non-compatible with aftermarket upgrades, it could prove to be a strike against the SCR.
The SCR is a more than manageable 5.7 pounds and is presently – off the shelf – available in two calibers: .223/5.56x45mm and 7.62x39mm. Shooters can choose from a carbine-length barrel (16.25 inches) or rifle (18). Each has a 1:9 twist rate. The firearm comes with a black hardcoat anodized finish. There was no MSRP on the rifle available at writing.
Certainly, the SCR has the ability to stir mixed emotions, given its origin. But gun owners, overall, should be pleased with its appearance. ARES is keeping shooters shooting, even the ones stuck in un-enlightened corners of the country.
The .338 Lapua has become a renowned round for those aiming to stretch marksmanship to its limits. It has certainly done that since its development in 1980s, becoming a favorite of police and military snipers worldwide.
In fact, the .338 Lapua was the instrument used in the longest confirmed sniper kill to date. British Corporal of Horse Craig Harrison in 2009 came up with 2,707-yard kill shot in Afghanistan with his .338 Lapua. It's a shot that is hard to imagine – until you watch the above video.
The video poster gives the best setup of what can only be considered an incredible piece of shooting:
A few days ago I took out the .338 Lapua [Savage Arms 110 BA] and attempted the 2500 yard shot. So I placed the target at 2530 yards or 1.43 miles away, at that distance the bullet flight time is almost 4.5 seconds! …
I went out early in the morning to beat the mirage, luckly there was very little wind around 3-4 mph coming from the left, I dialed 2.6 mils Left. I had to dialed the maximum elevation my scope (Nightforce NXS 5.5-22×56 MIL/MIL) had at 27.4 mils then held over 2.5 mils on the reticle to get me to 29.9 mils.
Given the price of the rifle's ammunition – around $5 per round – this guy certainly made every shot count. Be sure to watch the entire video, at the end the shooter shows off the recovered slugs and boy does the rifle do a job on them.
When it comes to concealing a handgun there is an often overlooked option for clandestine carry – the pocket.
With the right fitting clothing, what could be a better spot to keep a pistol or revolver under wraps? Pockets are, after all, part of the garment, in turn they have a natural level of comfort built in and tend not to draw attention. Not to mention, they don’t require a ton of gear to make them suitable to tote along a gun.
Count Galati Gear among those who have seen the benefits of pocket carry. The Missouri-based tactical gear manufacturer has just introduced a line of holsters tailored for pocket carry.
Galati’s Grip-It Pocket Holsters have the potential to appeal to wide spectrum of shooters seeking a versatile and simple carry solution.
Constructed of a single of piece tricot material with fabric edging and featuring a non-slip granular outside, the holsters are lightweight and unassuming. But they are designed to do more than just provide a comfortable place to carry. The holsters also protect firearms with the exterior providing a moisture barrier.
The exterior also gives the holster its name, with the material facilitating a strong grip to the pocket. This grip is key in the holster providing a smooth draw. The exterior is enhanced by the overall design of the holster, which is cut to snugly fit into nearly any pocket.
The Grip-It’s minimalism makes the holster extremely adaptable, as well. The holster is ambidextrous, fitting comfortably in either right- or left-hand pockets. The Grip-It can also be used as an inside the waistband holster, one that does not require a belt to properly function.
There are three models of the holster that work in conjunction with 10 different kinds of handguns and are compatible with laser sights. But the Grip-It, and pocket carry for that matter, has its limitations.
It is definitely an option for those who carry more diminutive firearms, those who favor the .45 ACP might look elsewhere. And pocket carry, like all styles of carry, require wardrobe considerations. It might not be the best option for the skinny jeans crowd.
Galati’s Grip-It has the potential to win over the cost conscious with a light price tag. The holster’s MSRP is $19.95, putting it at the low end of the holster market.
Are you considering getting your concealed carry permit? Then you need this download. Author, gunsmith and firearms instructor Grant Cunningham takes you through the basics of CCW in the 12 Essentials of Concealed Carry. Cunningham cuts through the fog of concealed carry, giving you the fundamentals of what it takes to carry effectively and responsibly. This book is perfect for you if:
You are considering acquiring your concealed carry permit
You want a better idea of concealed carry accessories
You are looking to get a better idea about concealed carry handguns
The Glock and Kahr Arms pistols are popular striker fired semi-auto pistols for concealed carry.
From Concealed Carry for Women, author Gila Hayes explores some of the many semi-automatic pistols sold, summarizing their various options and how they operate.
As with revolvers, selecting a semi-automatic handgun from a prominent manufacturer who has a proven track record of a decade or two in business is a good idea.
Walther’s P99 with the striker cocked, as indicated by the protruding red dot at the back of the slide.
While everyone likes to have something that is unique, the more mainstream your defense handgun, the easier it will be for you to find a wide variety of accessories like holsters, sights, replacement magazines and grips, to say nothing of repair parts in the event of breakage.
Among semi-automatic handguns there are several discrete operating systems: single action, double action, double action only, striker fired, and some hybridization between those types.
Much of the separation focuses on how the firing pin or striker is put into motion to discharge the firearm. For handguns, discharging a cartridge of ammunition is still, at present, a mechanical process by which a striker or firing pin must be released to impact the primer in the ammunition cartridge. To do so, handguns need a mechanism by which a hammer or a striker is released so it can spring or fall forward to do its work.
The single-action semi-automatic’s hammer must be cocked for the gun to fire, and this is generally accomplished through cycling the slide, either manually during the initial loading sequence, or as part of the slide’s cycle during firing.
If practicing dryfire, the hammer can also be pulled back with a thumb. Generally, the only way to lower a single-action semi-automatic pistol’s hammer (called decocking) is to press the trigger with the chamber empty.
Example of a cocked Smith & Wesson Model 3913.
Most single-action handguns have quite a short trigger pull, often as little as 1/8 inch, and not much pressure is required to discharge the gun. For defensive use, it is best if the trigger pull requires at least five if not six pounds to discharge the gun; extremely light trigger pulls of three to four pounds belong only on handguns used for sporting purposes, if at all.
The 1911 variant is the most common representative of the single-action semi-automatic type of handgun. These are produced by a wide variety of manufacturers, including Kimber, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, Taurus, Para Ordnance, Springfield Armory, Colt, Ruger and many, many more.
Less common today, but still a very attractive option, is the Hi-Power style pistol, usually sold by the Browning company. In fact, it is common to hear this type of handgun identified as the Browning Hi-Power, when actually a number of other manufacturers over the years have also produced pistols on good old John Moses Browning’s Hi-Power single-action design.
Double-action semi-automatics start their firing cycle with the hammer lowered, but like the double-action revolver, pressure on the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer to fire the gun.
This can require from six to 15 pounds of pressure on the trigger distributed over trigger pulls of ¾ to one inch long depending on the gun’s design. When the slide cycles during firing, it leaves the gun cocked so that it subsequently fires in single action, with a shorter trigger pull and pull weights of five to six pounds and lower.
The better quality examples of this gun type have additional mechanisms for safely lowering the hammer without using the trigger. These mechanisms are called decockers.
Today, the most prominent manufacturer of this pistol type is Sig Sauer, though Smith & Wesson and Ruger, who once ruled this part of the market, still make a few traditional double-action semi-automatic pistols.
Still, much of their product line has moved on to striker-fired pistols. Heckler & Koch, Beretta, Bersa, CZ, and Walther are other common sources for double-action autoloaders equipped with decockers.
Glock’s in-trigger safety prevents the pistol from firing unless the center spar on the trigger is pressed. Thus, inadvertent contact with the side of the trigger is insufficient to discharge the pistol, but anything that presses against the center of the trigger face can make the gun fire.
Double-action-only guns have no single-action mode at all. Trigger pull weights and length are similar to the double-action mode of a traditional double-action pistol, and differ from traditional double-action semi-automatic operation in that every trigger pull is the same, long and often heavy, just like on a revolver.
These days, most manufacturers of traditional double-action semi-autos also offer variations in double-action only, usually in response to specifications required for police or military purchase bids.
One unusual example is Para Ordnance’s Light Double Action (LDA) model on which the length of the trigger pull is fully an inch, but the trigger pull is accomplished by applying under six pounds of pressure to the trigger, about half that of most double-action-only pistols.
Striker-fired handguns are quite similar to double-action-only semi-autos, in that every trigger pull is of the same length and weight, but the striker-fired mechanism generally requires in the neighborhood of five pounds pull weight, give or take a pound or so.
Striker-fired pistols have been around for decades, but they really rose to prominence in the United States with the adoption of the Glock auto pistol by law enforcement agencies, a trend which private gun owners eagerly copied.
Soon thereafter, a dozen manufacturers were offering striker-fired semi-auto pistols, including Smith & Wesson, Steyr, Kahr Arms, Walther, Heckler & Koch, Kimber, Springfield Armory, Taurus and many, many more.
How a do-it-yourself project on a Colt Python turned into a career path as a revolver gunsmith, firearms instructor and book author.
Author of Defensive Revolver Fundamentals, the Gun Digest Book of the Revolver and the Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to Handguns, Grant Cunningham has spent a lifetime with firearms as a hunter, a longtime action pistol competitor and gunsmith. These days as a Combat Focus Shooting instructor, he teaches a progressive, practical approach to the revolver as a legitimate choice for a self-defense sidearm.
When were you introduced to guns? I grew up on a farm [in Oregon] and firearms were part of our toolset. Like most kids I started off with a single-shot .22 Winchester. Of course, we had a .30-30 deer rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun. I remember these things from the time I was very little. As kids, we were introduced to them at a young age, and they were looked upon as just another tool.
What career path led you to where you are now? I spent many years in the photographic industry in various management positions. Some years ago, about 2000, I left my management job and was bumming around for a few years. From the mid-1990s, I had been shooting, competing and teaching a lot. At one point, I worked on a Colt Python I owned because I couldn’t find anyone to work on it. They all said it was too complicated. Massad Ayoob and I had known each other for a number of years, and one day I said, “Hey Mas, tell me what you think about the work I did here.” “Well this is really pretty good,” he said. He wrote an article about me and before I knew it I was known, and people were calling me from all over the United States wanting me to work on their guns.
You are primarily known for your work with revolvers. Why the affinity towards them? It was really a case of nobody else [gunsmithing] them. I found that I liked revolvers from the standpoint of their efficiency. They don’t require anything beyond grasping the gun to get them ready to fire. That’s as opposed to other auto pistols that require you to deal with safeties, de-cockers or trigger pulls that change from shot to shot. Most of it, quite frankly, was that I bought my first revolver as an adult and I couldn’t hit anything with it, shooting it double action. That really annoyed me, so I put down my autoloading pistols and worked exclusively with my revolvers for a couple of years to get to the point where I could shoot them quite well.
For years you competed in numerous action pistol matches. What are your shooting hobbies today? It would be small-game hunting with a .22 rifle. I have a serious fetish for Mossberg bolt-action .22s. I love taking them to the field and hunting with them, usually squirrels. One of my favorite things to do is to take some golf tees and put paint balls on top of the tees. I then get back 25 or 50 yards, and shoot them with the .22 and watch them splat once they get hit with the bullet.
What’s a tip for beginners starting with double-action revolvers? My advice is to force yourself never to cock the gun to single action because that defeats the entire purpose in shooting a double action firearm. You’re giving up. Understanding how the double-action trigger works and how your finger has to move along the face of the double-action trigger is incredibly important.
Photo courtesy Massaro Media Group and JNJphotographics
From powder tricklers to bullet pullers, there are a slew of tools handloaders need. Check out what a professional ballistician has to say about picking the right press for your bench.
As a reloader, the first and foremost piece of gear you’ll need is a reloading press. They come in many different shapes, sizes, colors and styles, and your style of reloading should dictate which one will best serve your needs. Are you a high volume reloader? Do you primarily reload for pistols or rifles? Or maybe both?
Let’s take a look at the different options and get you set up properly. Reloading presses generally fall into three categories: single stage, turret and progressive.
The single stage presses are designed to hold one reloading die at a time, and to perform one function at a time. Many are shaped like an “O”, such as the classic RCBS Rock Chucker or the Lyman Orange Crusher, and these are the strongest designs. They offer the rigidity that produces the most uniform ammunition, which is the key to accuracy. Others are shaped like the letter “C”, like the Lee Single Stage reloading press. These are generally more affordable, although they have more flexure, and therefore more room for variation.
For most of my reloading work, I prefer the single stage “O” style press, even though the process takes a little longer than the other styles. It lets me give the attention to detail that is required for ammunition destined for benchrest or long-range rifle work. This style of press is what I would recommend for the beginner, as it will best help you to learn the individual processes involved in safely reloading your own cartridges.
The turret press is a modified version of the single stage press, in that it still only performs one function per pull of the handle, yet it has a rotating ‘turret’ head which holds between three and seven reloading dies at once. If you need to switch between resizing, flaring or seating dies, you simply rotate the turret head to that particular die and proceed with the operation.
They do have a bit more play in them than do the “O” style single stage, but they can be very useful for reloading pistol ammunition. The Lee Turret press is a classic example of this style, and although it does have a bit of play in the rotating aluminum head, I have used one to produce thousands of accurate rounds of ammunition.
Redding’s T7 turret press is a different animal altogether, the steel construction gives it the capability of doubling as an anchor for a cruise ship (this is a good thing, you want your press to be very stable). As is the case with most Redding products, the tolerances are held very tight. The seven threaded die holes allow you to keep two or three calibers on the press at once, which can save you time and maybe prevent carpal tunnel syndrome from screwing dies in and out. I own and use a T7, and will happily report that it is a great press, and well worth the investment.
Progressive presses are the answer to providing large amounts of ammunition quickly, and are a worthwhile choice for those who participate in gun games. They generally feature four or five “stations”, and multiple functions are performed each time the press handle is pulled. A powder measure is part of the operation, which is activated when the empty case is pressed against the dispenser’s mouth.
Photo courtesy Massaro Media Group and JNJphotographics
So, once you have the machine properly adjusted, five cases are worked at once, and a case gets resized, re-primed, flared, charged, and a new bullet seated with one pull of the handle. The downside? As with any system that has moving parts, it is not difficult for things to come out of adjustment. A pistol case that is not properly resized, or even worse overcharged, can result in a jam or personal injury.
I recommend that you become thoroughly experienced with loading ammunition on a single stage press before you delve into the progressive presses, so you can adjust and observe all the functions with confidence. Should a primer be misaligned and go off due to being crushed in the process, the presence of a dispenser full of powder can pose a dangerous threat.
Now, I’m not trying to scare you, but please realize that the danger does exist, and that is why I recommend the progressives be left for a more experienced reloader. Once you do get them set up right, you can quickly and effectively crank out hundreds of rounds per hour. I like the RCBS Pro2000 Auto-Index and the Dillon RL550B. I’ve used both of these machines with good results.
Whichever style fits your needs and reloading experience level best, be sure and do your homework, read customer reviews, and buy the best press you can afford. The results at the range and in the field will be well worth the expense.
In its short history the .460 Smith & Wesson Magnum has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the baddest handguns on the market. But exactly what does that mean? Well, Cartridges of the Word perhaps spells out the finer points of the .460's bad-ass credential the most succinctly:
Announced, in 2005, as a joint Hornady-Smith & Wesson development, the .460 Smith and Wesson (S&W) is the fastest revolver cartridge ever produced, reaching velocities of about 2200 fps with 200-grain bullets. It is chambered in the S&W M460 Extreme Velocity Revolver for long-range handgun hunting. Used by a skilled pistol shooter, the .460 S&W cartridge can achieve MOA accuracy at 100 yards.
A handgun throwing 200-grain bullets 2200 feet per second with MOA accuracy from 100 yards out, that sounds pretty wicked. But there is only one way to truly appreciate what the .460 has to offer in the way of power and sheer nastiness – shoot a red cabbage with it! Luckily enough, one of modern day's top shots has obliged us. The above video of Jerry Miculek thumbing off a couple rounds in a Smith & Wesson Performance Center 12-inch .460 Magnum is pretty amazing on a couple of levels. The violence of the slug's impact is the most obvious aspect – it downright mistifies the cabbage. But what is also astounding is how casually Miculek handles the hand cannon. Really, he makes that monster look like a .38 with the ease in which he shoots it. Guess that's what a lifetime of daily shooting gets ya.
Are you a cartridge collector? Do you want complete specs of 1,500+ cartridges? Reference this fully updated, expansive cartridge comparison guide. You’ll love Cartridges of the World, 13th Edition if:
You’re looking for current and updated manufactured & wildcat cartridge listings
You want specs and information on those obsolete & hard-to-find cartridges
You’re a firearms owner, enthusiast, or cartridge collector
Have the most trusted gun values resource at the tips of your fingers with our NEW Find Guns app. The app is powered by the Standard Catalog of Firearms and is available for Android and Apple devices, as well as on standard web browsers. The app also makes finding gun shows a snap with updated listings of events around the county. Get yours now by CLICKING HERE!
The new Modern Shooter TV promises to deliver plenty of shooting action. Yamil Sued Photo
Get ready for lights…cameras…and some serious action as Modern Shooter comes to a television near you.
If you’re like millions of shooting enthusiasts across the country who love the smell of gunpowder in the morning (and afternoon and night) and can’t get enough time behind the stock or grip of a gun, get ready as Modern Shooter promises to become your virtual fix.
Whether it’s learning how to choose the best gun for home defense, customize your AR, make a long-distance shot or empty a magazine of ammo all while staying on target, Modern Shooter promises something for everybody—from the longtime firearms aficionado to someone just coming into the fold and looking to buy and safely use their first gun.
Look for Modern Shooter television to begin airing each week beginning in January 2015 during the primetime shooting block on the Sportsman Channel.
The half-hour program will mirror much of the instructional and entertaining information found in the pages of the new quarterly Modern Shooter magazine. The program will be produced by the F+W Outdoors Group, the publishers of Gun Digest and producers of award-winning television programs Destination Whitetailand Deer & Deer Hunting TV.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to showcase the best firearms available along with the companies and people who make and shoot them,” says Jamie Wilkinson, group publisher of the F+W Outdoors Group.
Modern Shooter television will be unlike any other shooting program on television as it seeks to gather some of the most knowledgeable personalities in the firearms world, such as famed instructor and gun writer Masaad Ayoob, to teach you each week how to become a better shooter.
It is also well on its way to attracting some of the biggest manufacturers in the firearms industry to support the program as well with the signing of Colt as the program’s very first sponsor and the chief sponsor of this inaugural issue of Modern Shooter magazine.
Just some of the great topics you’ll see covered on Modern Shooter television include:
Concealed Carry: Choose the Right Handgun
Long-Range Shooting Secrets
Master Crossing Shots on Clays
Improve Your Shooting With 3-Gun
Drills to Improve Handgun Shooting Speed
Keep Your AR Running Smoothly
Improve Your Grip for Better Aim
Best Ways to Carry Concealed
Today’s Best Optic Options
Best Defensive Calibers
And much, much more.
It’s going to be an exciting year when Modern Shooter appears, and until it’s airing weekly on the Sportsman Channel, be sure to check your newsstand for future issues of Modern Shooter magazine.
Stowing firearms in inconspicuous luggage is an idea old as Tommy Guns and violin cases.
Repurposing overnight bags and old suitcases as discreet gun cases has, however, become a thing of the past. Manufacturers have gotten the hint shooters want their privacy and now offer clandestine gun totes in every shape and size.
Comp-Tac Victory Gear is bound and determined to grab a slice of this market, introducing the Heavy Rated Trojan Horse Long Gun Case. But the non-traditional gun bag is not actually a brand new product, instead it is an overhaul of the company's original gun case.
There were apparently some issues with the first iteration of the discreet gun case that led Comp-Tac to discontinue the line. The original Trojan Horse is still available on the company’s website as the “Light” version of the case and is on clearance.
Based off customer feedback, the company has beefed up the new Trojan Horse case, making it a more durable option. One of the more notable changes in this area is the use of heavy-duty stitching to give the bag more overall strength. The case is now rated to carry up to 35 pounds of firearms and gear.
Another new feature to the case is the addition of handles, giving a second carry option. Before, the case was only outfitted with a shoulder strap.
While Comp-Tac has made some tweaks, it has kept many of the features that made the Trojan Horse popular in the first place.
The new version still offers firearms substantial protection while being transported, with rigid side panels. But the panels serve a dual purpose, also keeping the bag's contents under wraps by eliminating printing.
The Trojan Horse is 36-inches in length, making it perfect for most modern guns with 20-inch barrels and adjustable stocks. And outfitted with a dividing panel, the case is designed to carry more than one firearm at a time.
The interior of the case also has a number of features that have the potential to keep shooters organized. The case has two inside zipper pockets, Molle Straps and female Velcro to keep gear in place during transportation.
The case’s shape is ambiguous, while it definitely does not appear to be a gun case it also does not look like many other pieces of luggage out there. Perhaps it most closely resembles a tennis racquet bag. This might be good and bad.
Overall, the shape looks like it will keep the bag’s contents under wraps. But the Trojan Horse’s overall abstractness could pique the interest by someone just plain curious about what one carries in such a bag. Despite this potential, the Trojan Horse and other discreet gun cases like it are certain to gain popularity. The bags give urban and suburban shooters the ability to make it to the range without eliciting panic from the pearl clutchers of the world.
The Trojan Horse has an MSRP of $100, the middle price range of many similar cases. Still, it's not a bad price for shooters to keep their privacy when in public.
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.
Of all the environmental factors facing a shooter one of the trickiest to master is the wind.
