This online AR-15 builder takes window shopping to a whole new level with interactive controls and the ability to accessorize your dream AR with top-of-the-line real-world accessories.
Online gun building applications certainly aren’t new—Brownell’s AR-15 Builder is but one excellent example—and AR15.com’s version, called Gunstruction, is yet another really good choice. Gunstruction is simple to use and makes it easier to envision your next AR build before dishing out your money.
I recently gave it a spin and found it to be intuitive (with a couple minor hang-ups, noted below) and at least as much fun as watching reruns of Route 66 on the local retro channel.
First you need to install free software in order to view and use the tool. Next, you can either choose to build an AR from scratch—literally part by part—or start with a pre-built platform from Troy, ArmaLite, Stag Arms, LaRue Tactical, Doublestar Corp. or VLTOR, which you can trick out to your heart’s content.
You can swap out uppers and lowers, barrels, trigger assemblies, stocks and operating systems—gas piston kits!
As you make changes, the retail price of parts is displayed and the total gun cost is updated. You can name your gun project and save it in your account. You can come back later and make changes, and add additional gun projects.
There is a ton of cool name brand accessories from which to choose, from bipods and stocks to optics and flash suppressors.
The camera feature allows you to save images of your gun in varying aspect ratios, and you can literally spin, rotate and flip your gun any which way on the screen to see how she looks.
There is quite the selection of custom paint jobs you can apply, too, including all the popular commercial camo schemes. You can also detail with Duracoat or spray paint in every possible “tactical” coloration imaginable.
The only issue I had using Gunstruction was figuring out how to add accessories to the gun after choosing them.
The trick with scopes and flashlights is to add a mount. AR15.com clearly put some thought into making this part realistic, requiring you to get matching mounts for the mounting system and optic you’ve chosen. This is a very handy aspect of the tool simply for getting the right mounts for your scope.
The video tutorial below explains this well.
Conclusion
The AR-15 is like the Jeep of guns. You can swap and customize pretty much everything to build your dream rig. AR15.com’s Gunstruction is a powerful online tool that allows you to do just that—so you know what you’re getting into … well before you hit the trail.
The Walther PPQ M2 bridges the gap between subcompact pistols and full-sized handguns with no loss in accuracy or reliability.
Smooth shooting and beautifully engineered, the German-made Walther PPQ M2 handgun strikes the perfect balance between form and function.
If gun manufacturers produced commercials to appear on any of the major networks, Walther’s ad for their PPQ M2 would look like a Lexus commercial. A trusting, deep baritone voice would speak of classic lines, ergonomics, performance, form, function, beauty and even art. Indeed this gun to a true firearm enthusiast is a piece of modern engineering art, for how it balances in the hand and shoots as much as for its appearance.
Walther PPQ M2 Ergonomics Defined
It is said by most shooting instructors that for effective use, the handgun must become an extension of the hand. The PPQ M2 does.
I know from a concealable standpoint, there’s no shortage of shooters who like a single-stack semi because it’s more slender. However, after shooting a number of both single-stack and double-stack guns, I simply find I shoot a double-stack better.
The grip fills my palm and leaves me with less indecision on where to precisely place my hand. I’m able to control the gun better, both when aiming and during recoil, which improves follow-up shot placement considerably.
The grip on the PPQ M2 curves comfortably in the rear to form a swell that naturally fills the palm for a surer hold. The handgun comes with three easily interchangeable back strap panels that can be removed and attached by simply removing a single pin with a small punch.
The medium strap installed on my test gun fit my hand perfectly, though there is a smaller one for shooters who prefer less swell or have smaller hands and a larger one for shooters who want even more to hold.
The polymer grip has mild finger grooves in the front and gentle contours along the side and is textured with a nonslip cross-directional surface. The texture enhances the shooter’s hold on the gun while firing without chewing bare hands up during high-volume target sessions.
Design didn’t end at the grip. Edges are rounded to prevent snagging when holstering or unholstering, while the trigger guard indents where it attaches to the front of the grip for additional finger comfort.
The machined slide is Tenifer coated for corrosion resistance and sports vertically angled lines notched along its length to create visual appeal, as well as shave a little weight from the gun.
The result is a handgun that looks remarkably stylish and distances itself visually from many of the clunkier, albeit excellently shooting models available from Walther’s major competitors and even, to some degree, within its own lines.
But beauty is meaningless without functionality and there, the PPQ M2’s features deliver as well with an integrated rail beneath the barrel for the mounting of a laser or light and low-profile three-dot polymer combat sights that provide for quick target acquisition.
The sight dots are bright white, which imprinted on the black posts provides for easy sight alignment against both light or dark targets and backgrounds. An extended ambidextrous slide stop provides for easy lock-open from either side of the gun, even when wearing gloves.
The PPQ also has a trigger safety and internal safeties as well as a loaded chamber indicator, an oversize magazine release that can be reversed for left-handed operation and of particular interest where performance is concerned, Walther’s Quick Defense Trigger, a super smooth squeezing trigger with a light 5.6-pound trigger pull (mine actually fired at just under that), less than a half-inch (.4 inch to be precise) trigger pull and a .1-inch reset for lightning fast follow-up shots.
As one Glock fan joining me during test firing observed, “This trigger is smoother than my Glock. It feels almost like a competition trigger.”
The width of the PPQ M2 is 1.3 inches, again, wide enough to enhance in-the-hand comfort without making the gun so bulky as to preclude it from serious carry consideration. This is certainly no subcompact-sized gun for those seeking today’s ultra-slim designs, but in my experience, particularly with newer shooters (and even some not so new), shooting smaller guns can also be more difficult.
While its great to have a gun that slips in a pocket or won’t imprint from beneath a shirt, it’s useless if you can’t hit what you’re shooting at in an emergency. The PPQ M2 bridges that concern.
Despite generally spending more time behind a shotgun or rifle, the author shot some of the best groups of his life with the 9mm PPQ M2.
Walther PPQ M2 Out-of-the-Case Accuracy
At the range, we pulled the PPQ M2 (PPQ by the way stands for Police Pistol Quick Defense) from the case, gave it a thorough visual inspection and function check, loaded a mag and went to work on the target.
Shooting without a rest, using a standard two-handed grip and standing, we shot the target as you would in a defensive scenario. While nobody achieved any 1-inch groups, it was easy to rapidly fire an entire grouping within the torso or head of a silhouette target.
We tested a mix of American Eagle and Winchester ammo. Everyone who held the gun agreed it shot nice, was accurate and would be a great gun to own. I left that gun at the studio back at the office to be photographed when we were done.
The following week, I broke out a separate PPQ M2 wondering if it would yield the same results during a more serious testing session. My goal was to replicate the accuracy achieved on the Walther target that came with the gun.
A tester at the factory fires each gun before it ships and is sent out with the target enclosed in the case. The target with my gun indicated a nice, center-of-target group that measured just outside of an inch. It was shot at 15 meters (approximately 16½ yards).
I test fired 150 rounds through the PPQ, shooting both five-shot groups and full mag strings. Some were done rapid fire and standing—a typical defensive scenario—and others were shot measured and from bags.
Unloading the full magazine as quickly as I could at targets hanging at both 7 and 15 yards away, I averaged 14-15 shots inside the ring of a 10-inch target at 7 yards and 12-13 inside the ring at 15. I’m clearly no threat to any speed shooting competitors out there, but I was more than happy with how I was shooting with the PPQ.
Using a rest and trying to shoot completely for accuracy, I didn’t always achieve the 1-inch groups my Walther tester had with the gun, but I was able to easily deliver routine groups inside a 2-inch circle at 15 yards using American Eagle 124-grain FMJ ammo (with the occasional inexplicable flyer that generally went no more than an inch wide).
To my own amazement, I delivered one group that fell completely inside an inch with the holes all touching. It’s quite honestly the best group I’ve ever shot with a handgun as I tend to spend more time behind the stock of a rifle or shotgun.
Ultimately, I left the range that day not only as impressed with the Walther PPQ M2’s performance, but also with my eyes open to the new found shooting ability I knew I was capable of with the right gun in my hand. The PPQ M2 is definitely that gun.
Walther PPQ M2 Caliber: 9mm & .40 S&W Capacity: 15+1 (9mm), 11+1 (.40) Magazines: Two 15 round or 11 round mags Barrel: 4” Tenifer coated, matte black Sights: Low profile, three-dot polymer combat sights Frame: Polymer, matte black Slide: Tenifer coated, matte finish Length: 7.1” Height: 5.3” Weight: 1.5 lbs. Options: Mag loader, adjustable back strap panels, gun lock, also available in 9mm and .40 S&W 5” versions as well as a 4.6” 9mm Navy version. Metal self-illumination or metal Tritium night sights also available. SRP: $599-$699 Website: waltherarms.com
Deluxe Winchester Model 1894 takedown with No. 2 factory engraving, gold inlays, and in spectacular condition sold for $172,500. Photos Courtesy Rock Island Auction Company.
Rock Island Auction Company quietly accomplished a remarkable feat in December, with sales totaling more than $12 million dollars, an accomplishment outdone only by the company's 2013 grand total, a staggering $48 million in gun auction sales for the year.
A gorgeous, factory engraved, silver & gold plated Colt SAA with pearl grips also sold for $69,000. Photos courtesy Rock Island Auction Company.
“This auction is another indisputable sign that high condition guns will continue to sell big,” said Director of Auction Services, Kevin Hogan. “People might get tired of hearing us tout condition so frequently, but we see the evidence at every auction: condition sells,” continued Hogan.
“That considered, we also saw several other pieces achieve exciting prices that helped us to finish 2013 on this record setting note.”
Indeed, there were many pieces that received attention from more than a handful of bidders, making for some happy consignors and several exciting moments during the auction.
Perhaps most exciting was the new world record set by an extraordinary Winchester Third Model 1866 carbine, that sold for $74,750. The condition on this gun was so immaculate, that it still exhibited the original polish marks from the factory and some lucky collector just had to add it to their collection.
Another highlight of the auction was a deluxe Winchester Model 1894 takedown with No. 2 factory engraving, gold inlays, and in spectacular condition, that sold for $172,500.
Extending back to their days on the American plains, Gatling guns command attention wherever they go and our Premiere Auction was no exception. A ten-barreled, 1874 Colt Gatling gun was proudly displayed in our Preview Hall before selling for $92,000 to an undoubtedly excited history enthusiast.
Colt Highlights
A stunning first year production Colt 1911, serial #1172, with its mirror-like blue commercial high-polish finish and vivid nitre blue components achieved $69,000. Photo courtesy Rock Island Auction Company.
It was no secret that this auction contained over 600 Colt firearms. This mainstay of the collecting community attracted collectors from across the country and made for some very exciting results.
– A supremely high condition 1851 Colt Navy revolver was acquired for $37,375 – A documented Colt SAA revolver from the Red Skelton Estate attributed to outlaws Bill Doolin and Emmett Dalton sold for $74,750 – An 1837 “Baby” Paterson crossed the block for $69,000 – Highest known serial number Colt SAA with factory engraving and carved ivory grips went home with a collector for $69,000 – A gorgeous, factory engraved, silver & gold plated Colt SAA with pearl grips also sold for $69,000
Sporting Guns Still Strong
The selection of sporting arms in this sale was also phenomenal, featuring high end rifles, luxurious shotguns, beautiful big bores, safari grades hunting pieces, and more. – A rare, special order engraved Purdey O/U shotgun with handsome case hardening sold for $51,750 – An absolutely beautiful engraved and Damascus barreled John Dickson & Son single shot, flintlock fowling piece exceeded its auction estimate by over 100% and achieved $18,400 – A stately and historic WWII J.P. Sauer & Son Luftwaffe Model 30 survival Drilling with its case and accessories brought $43,125 – An stunning engraved Purdey & Sons hammerless double rifle in 400 Express with its case and accessories realized $40,250 – As rare as it is beautiful, an engraved George Gibbs Farquharson’s patent dropping block rifle also blew past its high auction estimate and hammered for $21,850
Winchester Highlights
The 450 Winchesters in this sale also resulted in a bounty for collectors. Besides the aforementioned rifles, several Winchester and Henry rifles also reached some very noteworthy prices. – An exhibition quality, factory engraved, silver plated Henry rifle with touches of a plum-colored patina brought an exciting $149,500 – A rare “digital” 1 of 1,000 Model 1873 Winchester loaded with factory extras went out the door for $86,250 – An extremely rare special order factory engraved, silver plated Winchester Model 1892 takedown with numerous features and a 1934 factory letter earned $80,500 – A mint condition, documented, crisp, factory exhibition engraved Winchester Model 1873 deluxe short rifle featured in “The Winchester Engraving Book” left our doors for $74,750
Notable Sales of Military Guns
An extremely rare early production gas-trap M1 Garand rifle with a scarce theater made blast deflector and authentication letter brought $37,375. Photos Courtesy Rock Island Auction Company.
– A stunning first year production Colt 1911, serial #1172, with its mirror-like blue commercial high-polish finish and vivid nitre blue components achieved $69,000 – A likely “one-of-a-kind” prototype Walther Model KPK pistol found a new home for $54,625 – An extremely rare early production gas-trap M1 Garand rifle with a scarce theater made blast deflector and authentication letter brought $37,375 – An ever-popular LeMat revolver with its daunting shotgun underbarrel commanded a respectable $28,750 – A rare Springfield Type II officer’s model 1875 Trapdoor rifle from the Collection of Richard Branum was happily snatched up for $23,000 – A scarce, early post WWI Weimar era DWM Navy rework Luger crushed its high auction estimate and sold for $13,800
Rock Island Auction Company is the world’s #1 auction company for firearms, bladed weapons and militaria. Founded in 1993 by Owner and President Patrick Hogan, RIAC continues to set records for sales and to lead the industry with its extensive and beautiful marketing efforts. Their 86,000 square foot facility hosts 8 auctions each year. They actively seek consignments, be it a single item or a collection of hundreds, a thousand dollar item or one million. For more information, please visit www.rockislandauction.com or call 1-800-238-8022.
The inventor of the Kalashnikov AK-47 rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, has died at age 94, Russian officials say.
Mikhail Kalashnikov: “I created a weapon to defend the fatherland's borders”
Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1949.
The automatic rifle he designed became one of the world's most familiar and widely used weapons.
Its comparative simplicity made it cheap to manufacture, as well as reliable and easy to maintain.
Although honoured by the state, Kalashnikov made little money from his gun. He once said he would have been better off designing a lawn mower.
Kalashnikov was admitted to hospital with internal bleeding in November.
Matching the Germans
Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov was born on 10 November 1919 in western Siberia, one of 18 children.
In 1938, he was called up by the Red Army and his design skills were used to improve the effectiveness of weapons and equipment used by Soviet tank regiments.
He designed the machine gun after being asked by a fellow soldier why the Russians could not come up with a gun that would match the ones used by the Germans.
Work on the AK47 was completed in 1947, and two years later the gun was adopted by the Soviet army. (Source: BBC News)
About the Avtomat Kalashnikov AK-47
Designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and first produced in 1947, the Russian AK-47 is chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge and operates on a closed bolt principal. Select fire.
The standard model is fitted with a 16-inch barrel and a fixed beech or birch stock. Early rifles have no bayonet fittings. Magazine capacity is 30 rounds. Rate of fire is 700 rounds per minute. Rear sight is graduated to 800 meters.
The bolt and carrier are bright steel. Weight is 9.5 lbs. Markings are located on top rear of receiver. This model was the first line rifle for Warsaw Pact. The most widely used assault rifle in the world and still in extensive use throughout the world. (Source: Standard Catalog of Military Firearms, 7th Edition.)
More guns, less crime.A new research study lends quantitative credence to what many firearms enthusiasts already take as common knowledge – more guns indeed equals less crime or at least murders.
According to the study’s abstract, Gius found states with bans on so called “assault weapons” did not have significantly lower gun-related murder rates than other states. Furthermore, he found states with restrictions on concealed carry weapons had higher gun-related murder rates than other states.
Gius’ conclusion: “These results suggest that restrictive concealed weapons laws may cause an increase in gun-related murders at the state level.”
For anyone paying attention to the national news, this should come as no surprise. Cities with some of the nation’s most restrictive gun laws also boast among the highest rates of gun-related murders. It is only natural those sorts of micro-level trends would carry over to the macro level.
Big-bore handguns aren’t for the faint of heart or the weak of wrist. The guns push the limits of what can be fired away from the shoulder. And they have become the objects of affection for hunters and target shooters alike. What is a big-bore? Well, it is a relative term. Max Prasac, author of Big-Bore Revolvers draws the line at the .41 Magnum. For this montage we're going a bit bigger — .44 Magnum and up. So enjoy your stroll through the wonderful world of big-bore handguns and take a gander at 10 of these hand cannons in action.
Editor's note: The heavy lifting concerning the history and specifications of these big-bore cartridges was done by Frank C. Barnes and Richard Mann in Cartridges of the World.
.454 Casull
NEXT The .454 Casull, originally called the .454 Magnum Revolver, was developed by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer in 1957. In essence, it is a larger .45 Colt and was designed primarily for hunting. As noted in Cartridges of the World, “Anyone who contemplates hunting dangerous game with a handgun should seriously consider the .454 Casull…” It also does a number on soda pop.
During testing, all of the four brands of ammo performed well with the ultra-accurate AR-30A1.
The company that brought us the first AR proves it still has tricks up its sleeve with the AR-30A1 — a refined bolt-action sniper rifle.
After a dozen years in production, ArmaLite engineers decided it was time to improve upon their already popular lineup of AR-30 sniper rifles. The culmination of their work is the company’s new AR-30A1. The AR-30A1 is offered in two calibers, .338 Lapua Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum. The previous AR-30 model lineup included a .308 Winchester variant as an option.
Features of the AR-30A1
After putting a couple of hundred rounds down range with the ArmaLite AR-30B, the predecessor to the A1, it’s easy to make comparisons.
Side by side, the differences in the guns are numerous. The new model tested is a “target” model in .338 Lapua, which includes improved accessory rails and a buttstock with an adjustable cheek height and length of pull. The AR-30B rifle came with a rather plain skeleton stock with no adjustment.
Two knobs on the A1’s stock easily adjust and lock with a pronounced click throughout their range of travel. The cheek piece moves approximately 1 inch, and the length of pull adjusts approximately 2 inches.
The rifle can also be purchased from ArmaLite with a folding buttstock allowing for easier transport and storage. I like the new stock configuration, and think the folding option is the way to go for shooters seeking the widest range of versatility.
The new accessory and scope rails are no less impressive. The top scope rail is 18 inches long and supports a wide array of accessories. It has ample room for even larger night vision optics forward of the scope.
Hidden assets add convenience: Under the cheek piece is a bore guide that makes aligning a cleaning rod precisely into the chamber and barrel a real cinch.
There are four additional Picatinny rails on the rifle—three of them located on each side and bottom of the forend with one on the buttstock to accommodate a sling swivel or other accessories. Several vacant holes on the forend will allow for easy sling or accessory changes.
The newly designed safety is another noticeably different change. It’s similar in design and function to the 98 Mauser but with only a “safe” and “fire” position. This was changed to lock the firing pin directly, not just the trigger mechanism. The ArmaLite Model B safety only locks the trigger, and the safety lever is similar to Remington’s 700-style rifles. This change in design offers a higher degree of safety.
The bolt handle is sleeker and more uniquely designed than its predecessor. It turns downward sharply, making the gun narrower overall and easier to store in a hard case. These changes do not affect the range of motion when charging the weapon.
The magazine release has also been changed to allow ambidextrous use, as well as one-hand removal of the magazine. The release is now located on the front lower corner of the trigger guard, which is aesthetically pleasing and easy to manipulate with the trigger finger. The previous design was modeled after the AR-15-style magazine release and sometimes proved awkward,. It sometimes felt like I needed three hands to drop the magazine.
The A1’s weight is distributed more centrally than the previous model making operation and reloading easier, too. This also makes a difference when carrying the rifle one handed. Differences between the old and new model are seen muzzle to buttpad.
At the muzzle, the most critical component, the muzzle brake even got a face lift. The overall design and shape remains the same, but the construction couldn’t be more different. Previously, the muzzle break was made up of six individual parts held together by eight Allen head screws. The break on the new A1 is cast as one piece of steel, making it much stronger. Fewer parts allow for fewer malfunctions.
The bolt handle drops almost straight down, creating a sleeker and more narrow profile and making it less prone to snags as well as easier to store in hard rifle cases. The range of motion when charging the rifle stays the same, however.
Range Time With the AR-30A1
During testing, I noticed no difference in recoil between the new and old rifles. Both muzzle breaks do a great job reducing recoil to a manageable level for most shooters. The barrel of each is free floating, all the way to the action. This design element is critical for both weapons’ sub-MOA accuracy.
Other improvements include a bore guide built into the cheek rest, placed to guide a cleaning rod directly into the center of the chamber and barrel. These guide holes are located beneath the cheek piece, hidden from plain view and accessed by raising the cheek rest to the appropriate height.
Six hours on the range did nothing but build my confidence in the rifle. Not only did it perform seamlessly, it was impressively accurate. Once adjusted to my build, the cheek piece delivered tight shot placement with ease and allowed me to put impressive groups on paper. A Nightforce 5.5-22X Zero Stop optic mounted in high Trijicon 30mm rings provided and excellent match for the long-range rig.
The author suggests Black Hills ammo as a good choice that matches accuracy with affordability as the .338 can be a rather pricey caliber.
Four brands of ammunition were tested by firing several 5-shot groups at 100 yards. An Oehler 35P recorded velocity data. I selected Federal, Barnes, Remington and Black Hills to wring out the 100-yard accuracy from this new rifle.
The 250-grain Federal Premium Match was the most accurate; the smallest group measuring .691 of an inch. Black Hills 250-grain loads were the second best performing, with the best group measuring .838. Military-grade Barnes 300-grain OTM was the heaviest bullet tested and produced groups as small as .845 inch.
The Remington match loads groups were the largest, but not by a significant margin. The best Remington group recorded measured .878 of an inch, which is still impressive. All brands of ammunition tested performed well, but Federal was the most consistent.
The Black Hills would be a great economy option; anyone familiar with the ravenous Lapua knows you must pay to play. If tenths of an inch are not a primary concern, go the economy route.
ArmaLite inhabits a special place in firearms history as the company that first delivered the AR-style rifle to both military and civilian shooters, and with their latest offering, the re-engineered company looks to build on that legacy and keep serious shooters coming back for more.
ArmaLite AR-30A1 Caliber: .338 Lapua Magnum (tested), .300 Win. Mag. Action Type:: Bolt-action Receiver: Through hardened Barrel: 26-in. chrome moly with 1:10 twist, muzzle brake Magazine: Five-round detachable Trigger: Single-stage Sights: None, Picatinny rail for ready optics mounting Stock: Adjustable cheek piece (height) & buttstock (length) Weight: 15.3 lbs. Overall Length: 48.1 in. to 50.1 in. Accessories: Detachable sight and accessory rails, hard case, sling SRP: $3,599 Website: armalite.com
This article appeared in the July 15, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
You’ve thought about it long enough and now you’re ready to make the plunge into reloading. Good for you, it’s a rewarding discipline and adds depth to your shooting experience. Luckily, there is no better time to get involved with reloading then now with most manufacturers offering fully-loaded starter kits.
Well stocked as these kits might be, almost all typically require supplemental purchases. Here are five of the most common tools you must plan on buying after you’ve bought your reloading kit to start cranking out the ammo.
Caliper Next to your press and scale, a caliper is perhaps your most important reloading tool. The instrument is used to measure case length, inside and outside case diameter, primer pocket depth and other case dimensions. There are two styles available – dial and digital. Both are accurate, with most measuring within one one-thousandth of an inch.
Dies Dies are where the rubber meets the road in reloading. They are the tools you use to size cases and seat bullets to finish your cartridges. The simple reason why dies are not included with your kit is manufacturers have no idea what calibers you plan to reload. The good news, dies are universally compatible with presses, so you needn't confine yourself to buying from one manufacturer.
Shellholder A Shellhoder is the intermediary between your case and a number of reloading tools. Like its name implies, a shellholder holds your shells – in a press, on a hand priming tool and in a case trimmer. Similar to dies, they are not included with your kit because manufacturers don’t know what you’re reloading. The nice thing about a shellholder, it will typically work for more than one caliber.
Case Trimmer You won’t need one of these right off the bat, but fire the same brass a few times and it’s a different story. Case trimmers become a must once brass reaches a certain length. Without trimming your cases you'll either need to buy more brass or run the risk of a hefty gunsmith bill to get your action unstuck.
Bench Really, you might not have to buy this, just get a little inventive. There are many fine reloading benches on the market and designs available for free and purchase. But if you have an old sturdy desk or table you don’t mind drilling holes into then you're set. Now you just need to find that quite out of the way spot to put it and get reloading.
In general, the least magnification that gives you a clear target image is the best scope magnification.
Too much magnification handicaps you in several ways. It shrinks the field of view, so you won’t find the target as quickly as with less. On a hunt, you may not see the huge buck in the shadows to the side of the most obvious animal.
High power reduces exit pupil diameter, so, in dim light, the target image won’t be as bright. The magnification that makes that target bigger also bumps up the amplitude of reticle movements due to muscle tremors and heartbeat.
Reticle quivers you might not even notice at 2½x become violent dips and hops at 10x. At 20x, you’ll see so much chaos in the tighter field, the target may bounce in and out of view as you try to tame that reticle. A scope helps you when it shows movement you can control.
Too much magnification can be a liability. For big game, 6x may be all you need—ever!
It’s a liability as it amplifies movement you can’t completely control. Instead of applying gradual pressure to the trigger, you wear yourself out fighting the jitterbug image in your sight. As eyes and muscles tire, an accurate shot becomes impossible.
Magnification also shows you mirage, a good thing on days when mirage is light and the target is in reasonable range. But, on hot days, when you’re aiming over great distance, the target may appear as a dim, shapeless object stuck below the surface of a raging river.
In general, the least magnification that gives you a clear target image is the best magnification. I use 4x rifle scopes for most big-game hunting and think it adequate to 300 yards. A 6x works fine for me at 400.
Of course, you’ll want more magnification for small animals like prairie dogs. Deliberate shooting at paper bull’s-eyes and steel gongs brings out powerful glass.
I’ve used 16x, even 20x, scopes to advantage in good light, when there’s time for a solid position and precision trumps all else. In smallbore matches, a 20x Redfield served me well.
I needed that much power to hold on a .22 bullet hole at 50 meters, or shade to the bottom-right quadrant of an X-ring the size of a bottle cap at 100. I’ve used 25x to good effect on bull’s-eyes, but am inclined to think 20x would have served, too. Higher power is very hard to use.
These days, variable scopes offer wide four-, five-, and now six-times power ranges; that is, the highest magnification is four, five, or six times that of the lowest.
So, instead of the 3-9x that once awed sportsmen with its versatility, you can get a 3-12x, a 3-15x, or a 3-18x. Or bump up to 4x on the bottom to get 20x or 24x on the top. Such scopes feature 30mm tubes.
These may or may not have a bigger erector assembly (the tube with lenses and magnification cams held inside the main tube). Those with erector assemblies of standard size for one-inch scopes give you more windage and elevation adjustment. That’s an advantage at long range, though a scope performs best with its optical axis close to its mechanical axis.
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.
After a popular reception in Europe, Steyr's L-A1 is hitting the American Market.Steyr Arms L-A1 has been making the rounds in Europe for around a year. Now, the full-sized version of the company's popular striker-fired pistol is hitting the American market.
The Austrian firearms manufacturer introduced the latest model of its service pistol at the 2012 IWA Outdoor Classics Show in Nuremburg, Germany. And it began shipping limited numbers of the handgun to America this year.
For those familiar with Steyr’s A1s, the latest version of the pistol won’t hold many surprises – it is nearly a carbon copy of the line's original model, the M-A1. The main variance between the models is barrel length. The M-A1 has a 4-inch barrel, compared to the L-A1’s 4.53-inch barrel.
The increased barrel length makes the full-sized pistol ideal for target shooting or competition. But it is still reasonably enough sized for concealed carry, though its length and double-stack magazine make it more practical for an outside the waistband holster.
The L-A1 has a few new design tweaks, as well. The pistol boasts a loaded-chamber indicator that rises on the rear of the slide when a round is chambered. It also has an ambidextrous magazine release.
Like its predecessors, the L-A1 is available in 9mm Luger, .40 S&W and .357 SIG. It also has a number of design features common to the line.
The A1 has the unique trapezoidal sight configuration and a Picatinny rail on the front of the frame. It has an integrated trigger safety, keyed safety lock and aggressive cocking serrations. And it has a low-bore axis and steep grip angle of the previous models.
The A1 design has been around for more than a decade, the brainchild of Steyr designer Wilhelm Bubits. Bubits had no formal training as a gun designer, instead formulated his ideas on handguns as an Austrian customs official. He then applied his practical knowledge at Glock, before moving to Steyr in 1997.
The L-A1 comes at a reasonable price, with an MSRP of $560. Affordable and incorporating the notable features of the line puts the pistol in consideration with the other full-sized polymers on the market.
The SIG M400 is a popular direct impingement AR-style rifle.
When it comes to AR-15s for survival, there is a strong case to be made for standard direct impingement over newer piston-driven AR designs.
Why a Direct Impingement AR-15?
The gas piston does one main thing to enhance the AR-15 system: it keeps hot powder gases from fouling out the action of the weapon.
In the original direct impingement system, gas is vented from the barrel through a small tube into the receiver, and it is that gas that blows into the bolt carrier to force it back against the buttstock buffer and spring.
When these are compressed, the weapon cycles and forces the carrier back forward, stripping a fresh round from the magazine follower and into the chamber, where the bolt locks up, awaiting the next pull of the trigger.
The action of a direct impingement gun will, of course, eventually be fouled by carbon. With the short-stroke piston action, the gas is vented from the same area from the fore-end, but instead of being directed into the action, is directed against a piston and rod, which in turn cycles the action.
This keeps the action very clean and, in theory, operating more reliably. This is all well and good, but there are several other things a gas piston system does that make it less desirable for the type of survival weapons we’re talking about.
First, piston-actions cost more than direct impingement ARs.
Second, the design of the piston action generally adds up to an additional pound of weight for the weapon (actually for the weapon carrier). This is weight that could be traded for an equal amount of ounces in water, food, ammunition or medical supplies.
Piston actions also tend to cause a given weapon to be somewhat less accurate than a direct impingement gun, due to a sliding assembly of metal moving across the top of the barrel that interferes with harmonics. Every precision AR out there that I’m aware of, especially those set up for sniper use, runs off direct gas for just that reason.
Just like mid-range direct gas systems, no Mil-Spec standard exists for AR piston guns produced for the civilian market. In fact, there are a bunch of different types and setups out there.
It is not something that can be easily repaired if it fails, since there are no standard parts. Even without the survival factor thrown in, it’s entirely possible that the manufacturer that produced your weapon won’t be around to make good on that “lifetime guarantee” they provided to help you.
This article is an expert from the Gun Digest Book of Survival Guns.
Jerry Miculek shows us the proper way to decorate for Christmas using his new toy—the .50 AE Desert Eagle! (Optic on the Desert Eagle is a Vortex Razor red dot sight. Ammo is Hornady XTP 50 AE 300 gr.).
One of the most useful rifle shooting aids is also one of the most neglected. That is the use of the loop sling. The support and steadiness it provides, when properly used, is enormous.
The hasty sling in offhand. Note rear strap across chest.
Contrary to what you may have read before, the loop sling does not “tie the rifle to your shoulder,” or to your arm for that matter.
What it does is to replace your support arm bicep muscle in holding up the weight of the rifle, not only taking one more trembling muscle out of the picture, but also preventing the support arm elbow joint angle from opening up and lowering the rifle, and even helping support the weight of the upper body in certain positions.
While proper use of the shooting loop sling was long a staple of military training and was well known amongst hunters, the military started getting away from teaching it in the years after the Korean War.
As a result, the knowledge of how to use this handy technique has all but disappeared from both the military and civilian worlds of riflery.
This is a shame, as a properly set-up sling is a major aid to gaining a steady position. Col. Cooper’s observations, if I recall correctly, were that the shooting loop sling is useful in perhaps 60% of rifle hunting situations, and increases your steadiness by about 30%. I personally think he was being conservative.
The best use of the shooting loop sling requires the support arm elbow (left elbow if you shoot righty) to be rested on a support. This can be a log, car hood (if legal for hunting in your state – it’s not in mine!), the ground (in prone), or your own leg (kneeling, squatting, or sitting).
Sliding the loop all the way up your support upper arm can be done quickly with practice so when you get into position your rifle is steadied.
When your elbow is hanging in the air you still have to use your support-side shoulder (front deltoid) muscle to hold everything up, so much of the steadiness a loop sling affords is wasted, since the only muscle it replaces is the bicep. If your elbow is not supported you can’t truly relax your support arm from shoulder to fingertips.
If the situation calls for – and allows – the taking of any position or rest where the support arm elbow is planted on something solid, the shooting sling is the quickest, simplest, and least cumbersome steadiness aid there is.
Got a bipod? Fine. How much weight does it add to your rifle, and how long does it take to deploy it and adjust its length properly?
Carrying shooting sticks? Okay, how do you like carrying them all day? How much movement do you make setting them up properly?
Granted, if your hunting style is to sit down, set up, and not move all day, the aforementioned shooting aids will work quite well. But if handiness and speed of deployment count, it’s hard to beat the right kind of shooting sling. With the modern fast-acquisition loop sling you can loop up in it while moving into position.
A proper shooting loop sling (as distinct from just a carry strap), used in the right situation, supports the weight of the rifle and allows you to relax into your position, thus freeing your muscles of the strain of holding up the rifle and recovering it on target after every shot. The rested elbow relieves your shoulder muscles of the task of holding up both arm and rifle.
Once your shoulder is no longer doing the work, the task of holding up the rifle is left to your support arm bicep, which has to keep tense to keep the weight of the rifle from sagging downwards. Now, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to substitute yet another stable support for a muscle that can tire and tremble?
4 loop sling types. From top: Ching, M1907, GI web, 2-piece target sling & cuff.
The shooting sling performs this task very nicely by forming a loop, which wraps around the back of your upper support arm (the higher the better) and the front of your wrist.
This loop captures and surrounds your entire arm, from the armpit to wrist, preventing the elbow joint from moving in a more open direction. Viewed from the side, you have a point-downwards rigid triangle formed by the sling horizontal across the top, and your forearm and upper arm forming the other two sides.
Gravity, attempting to pull the rifle downwards, has a tendency to work against your bicep muscle, making your support arm want to open up its angle through movement of the elbow joint (if your support elbow is positioned directly under the rifle).
But the sling, by wrapping around both your support wrist and support upper arm, will start to tighten up if this happens.
Forward and downward motion of that wrist against the sling pulls the sling against the back of your upper arm, and once it tightens up it will prevent your support wrist from moving any further downward (where the weight of the rifle wants to push it). Your bones and the sling do all the work.
If you carry concealed, eventually you'll be tempted to compromise one of these four things. Don't give in—avoid them at all costs.
We make hundreds of decisions every day. Be sure the decisions you make enhance your safety.
This includes avoiding dangers, and it means having a way to defend against that which you cannot avoid. Playing a guessing game that tries to predict when trouble may strike is foolhardy.
Habitually and regularly carrying a gun for personal defense whenever and wherever legal is a sensible decision.
You must persevere even when carrying a gun for personal defense is inconvenient, uncomfortable or when doing so opens you up to criticism. Falling prey to a predator is considerably worse than any of those discomforts.
It is ironic that much of the advice about carrying a handgun for personal protection includes compromises.
Here are four compromises you must avoid.
1. Compromises between the size of the gun and the clothing required to conceal it;
2. Compromises in choices of activities to allow legal concealed carry for better personal safety;
3. Compromises in physical comfort for the mental comfort of having a gun quickly at hand to fend off danger.
4. Compromise that is sometimes urged upon us as women to let others take responsibility for our safety. This “offer” is a lie because it simply is not reasonable to believe that another person can be continually present to provide your protection.
If you understand and accept that your safety is your own responsibility, and have chosen to carry a concealed handgun as part of your personal safety provisions, make the commitment to yourself to carry your gun consistently.
The idea that we can predict when danger may strike is ridiculous and demonstrates how very foolish it is to carry your gun only when you find it convenient. Personal safety is a serious, no-compromise responsibility.
Carrying a gun is most successful when practiced consistently. Not only does this mean carrying regularly, it means working to carry in the same holster and body location as much as is possible.
Learning through observation and listening to others is useful, yet know that in the end you have to make your own decisions about what you are safe and comfortable carrying for personal protection.
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Concealed Carry for Women, a new book by Gila Hayes. It takes a comprehensive approach for women who have decided to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense.Click Here to Get Your Copy
Redfield is offering its Battlezone riflescope in a more powerful 6-18x42mm model.There was a time and place there was no finer scope you could mount on your hunting rifle than a Redfield. As of late, the optics brand has been making a name for itself on a new platform.
Redfield has made a solid push as the choice of many AR shooters with its Battlezone line of riflescopes. Proof of the line’s popularity is how quickly it has expanded. Redfield recently introduced a more powerful option in the scope, a little less than a year after Battlezone initially hit the market.
Redfield now offers its Battlezone riflescope in a 6-18x44mm model, giving shooters twice the magnification than was available before in the line. The new scope also offers a crisper sight picture – even in low light – with an enlarged objective lens. The more powerful option has all the features a long-range shooter or a varmint hunter would find desirable.
Before, Battlezone scopes were available in a 3-9x42mm version and a 2-7x34mm, the latter designed to be mounted on tactical .22 rifles. Similar to the original scopes in the Battlefield line, the newest has been tweaked for modern sporting rifles.
One of the more ingenious features is the scope’s bullet drop compensation system.
The system comes with adjustment dials calibrated in two of the most popular AR calibers. The .223/5.56mm NATO dial is set up for 55gr bullets at 3,100 feet per second. The second dial is calibrated for 168gr .308/7.62mm NATO bullets at 2,650 fps. Each dial is marked in 50-yard increments.
The scope’s reticle is also tactically optimized with stadia lines on the horizontal and vertical crosshairs, set at one-minute-of-angle increments. The configuration is meant to give shooters quick holdover for wind and elevation.
Like all Redfield riflescopes, the Battlezone has a waterproof nitrogen-filled main tube to prevent fogging and freezing. But what ends up being one of the big selling points of this scope is not any of its intrinsic features.
Battlezone scopes tend to be easy on the pocketbook, with most major shooting and outdoor retailers pricing them around $200.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
First you need to install free software in order to view and use the tool. Next, you can either choose to build an AR from scratch—literally part by part—or start with a pre-built platform from Troy, ArmaLite, Stag Arms, LaRue Tactical, Doublestar Corp. or VLTOR, which you can trick out to your heart’s content.
