Jerry Miculek never ceases to amaze. But even those well versed in the master marksman's shooting resume will be left slack jawed by his latest trick. Miculek uses his competition pistol — a tricked out Smith & Wesson M&P9 Pro Series C.O.R.E. 9mm — to nail a steel target from 435-yards out. And, holy cow, hits the target on his first try! Watch the whole thing, he gives a rundown on how he's had his pistol customized after he makes the shot.
Luger P08 ParabellumNewman Chittenden — NorthEast Gun Shows, New England States
At their 18 annual gun shows throughout New England, the trend in collectible firearms and accoutrements is that nearly everything from the World War II period is quickly snapped up.
Meanwhile, interest in Civil War era items, including Sharp’s rifles, is in steady decline, says show promoter Newman Chittenden.
It’s a trend he’s seen develop over the last two to three years. The show season started in September, and sales of AR-style rifles, handguns and ammunition were all strong, though not what they were during what Chittenden terms the winter and spring’s “panic buying.”
New Connecticut gun control laws now mandate a Certificate of Eligibility to buy firearms or ammunition at guns shows; to get that certificate, applicants must complete an approved safety course and pass a NICS background check.
“We dropped out of Connecticut because of that mess,” Chittenden said, whose popular East Coast Fine Arms Show, previously held in Stamford, Conn., was moved to Matamoras, Pa., January 4 and 5, 2014.
There is no shortage of outlets decrying the Second Amendment and those who hold civil rights dear. And in a couple corners of the map, some distasteful state-level legislation has been passed. But these should not be enough to bring the Eyeore out in firearms enthusiasts.
In fact, overall, gun owners should be heartened with recent times. On a number of fronts gun owers are winning, legally and culturally. The above GIF documents one such battle gun owners have been wildly victorious.
What it documents is the steady march of the right to carry — literally the “right to bear arms” — in America. As recently as 25 years ago, concealed and open carry were civil rights only a few citizens could fully exercise. But now it is a liberty that has and is being affirmed and reaffirmed coast to coast.
Dave Kopel perhaps detailed it best in a recent post at the Volk Conspiracy. The law professor at the University of Denver and Second Amendment advocate points out that in 1986 only 10 percent of Americans lived in states where “there were objective and fair procedures for the issuance of concealed handgun carry permits.” That trend has been completely reversed, now with 2/3rds of Americans living in “Shall Issue” states.
And, as Kopel reported in another post, the right to carry continues to move forward:
The Ninth Circuit’s decision in Peruta v. San Diego, released minutes ago [February 13, 2014], affirms the right of law-abiding citizens to carry handguns for lawful protection in public.
California law has a process for applying for a permit to carry a handgun for protection in public, with requirements for safety training, a background check, and so on. These requirements were not challenged. The statute also requires that the applicant have “good cause,” which was interpreted by San Diego County to mean that the applicant is faced with current specific threats. (Not all California counties have this narrow interpretation.) The Ninth Circuit, in a 2-1 opinion written by Judge O’Scannlain, ruled that Peruta was entitled to Summary Judgement, because the “good cause” provision violates the Second Amendment.
The Court ruled that a government may specify what mode of carrying to allow (open or concealed), but a government may not make it impossible for the vast majority of Californians to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Subjective and arbitrary statutes that stand in the way of bearing arms are quickly and rightfully going the way of poll taxes and literacy tests. But it's not just in the realm of law gun ownership and carry rights have enjoyed success. There has been a shift on a societal level, as well.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig advocates an armed citizenry as a crime deterrent for his city — a metropolis that is among the nation's most dangerous. Gunownership is at its highest level in more than 20 years and has seen across-the-board increases in every demographic. And even those who were dubious about what full-realized Second Amendment rights would mean to the country have changed their tunes.
Columnist Michael Barone admits, he believed liberalized carry laws would lead to blood in the streets when they began being passed in 1987. But far from shootouts erupting from every minor traffic altercation — a favorite scenario conjectured by those who opposed carry laws — something quite different occurred.
In a recent column, Barone points out citizens fully exercising their Second Amendment rights have not elicited blood lust. In fact, expanded ownership and recognition of civil rights have correlated with of a precipitous drop in the nation's violent crime rate. He believes a couple things can be gleaned from this:
One lesson, I think, is that responsible citizens tend to behave like responsible citizens, even if — or perhaps especially if — they’re armed. Another lesson is that the national political dialogue can be totally irrelevant to what really happens in American life.
Certainly, there are worrisome fights for the Second Amendment rights (such as this and this). But there are also skirmishes in the fight of which gun owners should be pleased. We have made important and lasting changes to our country with carry rights and will continue to do so on other fronts.
A recent article in the Manchester (Conn.) Journal Inquirer confirms many of Connecticut’s gun owners are indeed set to receive a letter from the state.
A letter will be sent to many gun owners who missed the Jan. 1, 2014 deadline to register their “assault weapons” and “high-capacity magazines”, according to the article:
The state now holds signed and notarized letters saying those late applicants own rifles and magazines illegally.
But rather than turn that information over to prosecutors, state officials are giving the gun owners a chance to get rid of the weapons and magazines.
According to the article, there was a limited amnesty for some late filers due to extenuating circumstances (the entire article can be read here). The state accepted registrations postmarked Jan. 4, 2014, as long as it believed they had been signed by Jan. 1.
A letter was released earlier this week, purporting to be the one the Connecticut State Police will send to the tardy gun registrants.
The validity of the letter at one point was called into question when Gun Digest contacted the Connecticut’s Special Licensing and Firearms Unit. A spokesperson for the department said no such letter had been sent from their office.
Ed Jacvino, however, shines some light on what the letter might be that hit the Internet.
The Journal Inquirer reporter who wrote the article documenting the state’s plans couldn’t vouch for the authenticity of the letter. But he believes it might be an early draft of what gun owners will receive. And he is certain the language to sell, destroy or move out of state the firearms and magazines in question in the letter is accurate.
In an email to Gun Digest, Jacvino said:
I have a feeling that you're looking at a draft of the letter that was going to be released before they reached an administrative decision to extend the deadline.
I don't know if a letter has been finalized yet. I was told last week that it wasn't finished. But I imagine whatever they do send will be similar.
The sell, destroy or move out of state language is accurate, and I'm told that's what it will say.
The letter wouldn't be dated Jan. 2 though. And it might include some explanation of the changes they made (namely accepting applications after Jan. 1 if they were signed and notarized by Dec. 31 and postmarked by Jan. 4).
Feb. 26, 2014:
A letter apparently mailed from the Connecticut State Police to residents who attempted to register their “assault weapons” and “large capacity magazines” but missed the Jan. 1, 2014, deadline has gun owners across the Internet up in arms.
The validity of the letter, however, has been called into question.
A spokesperson contacted by Gun Digest for Connecticut's Special Licensing and Firearms Unit said the letter was not sent from their office. And there are a number of news accounts and government documents that also question the letter's authenticity.
According to an article on the New Haven Register website, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy had announced plans for amnesty for gun registrations that arrived in the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) office after the Jan. 1 deadline.
In a Feb. 13 letter from the governor's office to DESPP Commissioner Dora B. Schirro, Malloy advised clemency for firearms registrations received after the Jan. 1 deadline. The letter also stipulated the department's discretion to accept tardy applications.
“Consistent with the Act, DESPP may choose to accept applications received after January 1, 2014, if the department has reason to believe that an applicant complied with the terms of the Act by attempting to submit the application on or before January 1, 2014, even if the application was not received by DESPP due to circumstances beyond the applicant’s control,” the letter from Luke Bronin, the general counsel to the Office of the Governor, read.
The commissioner of the DESPP agreed. According to a Feb. 14 letter, Dr. Dora B. Schriro wrote her department would accept the applications if it was believed an applicant attempted to submit before Jan. 1 or that it was received late due to circumstances beyond the applicant's control.
The questionable letter set the online gun world on fire, with scores taking to social media to sound off. Given the controversial gun legislation that passed in Connecticut in 2013, the document touched a sensitive spot among firearms enthusiasts.
The letter also hit the Internet just weeks after many news outlets reported thousands of Connecticut residents had failed to register their firearms.
Many people prefer the AK-47 platform to the AR-15, while others view it on par with ARs. Others say it's outdated. Watch this video demonstration of an Arsenal SLR-107FR AK-47 in action and make up your own mind.
“It is probably my favorite overall AK rifle right now,” writes Kal Kidd, “even over my Pre-Ban Yugo M70B1.”
Rifle: Arsenal SLR-107FR 7,62x39mm Red Dot: Primary Arms Micro Dot Optic Mount: RS Regulate AK300 Rear Mount w/ Micro Dot Adaptor Mags: Russian/Soviet Izhmash Bakelite AK47 Mags Chestrig: StrikeHard AK Chestrig Head-wear: Soviet Naval Admiral Pilotka(side cap) type 1
Inteliscope reticles.Riflescopes have made a move into the digital world. And one of the first smartphone optics apps recently has put forth its first major expansion.
Inteliscope has launched a reticle pack for its its iOS version of its smartphone application. Shooters can download a pack of eight reticles for $3.99 or the entire database of 80 for $19.99. The company hopes the expansion of its nearly year-old product will continue to demonstrate its flexibility and usefulness, no matter what the shooting situation demands.
“Shooters have their favorite reticles. Now with Inteliscope, they are not limited to what comes in the optic,” Jason Giddings, president of Inteliscope said. “Rather, they can now choose from dozens of options and change out based on environmental conditions or interest.”
The purchase is made in-app. The shooter selects setup and reticles with the new release of the product. The Inteliscope app itself is a free download at the Apple Store.
The company made its first major update of the 5X-power digital scope this past fall, giving the app the ability to calculate bullet trajectory, even if the gun is not kept on an even plane. Inteliscope also has a number of other features, including: Zoom, video recording, flashlight, GPS positioning, compass and local prevailing winds.
The company sells a mounting system for smartphones, compatible with most rifles. The cost of the system is $99 an is available at the Inteliscopes' website.
John Rigby & Co. and Mauser are back at it again. And the European gunmakers' new creation — the Rigby Big Game — is certain to get hunters' hearts pumping.
Around a century ago, one of the most renowned partnerships in European firearms manufacturing came about.
John Rigby & Co. and Mauser teamed up to create some of the more iconic big-game firearms of the 19th and 20th centuries. And the British and German gunmakers are at it again.
The companies have partnered for the first time since before World War I, to create a rifle that should get globe-trotting hunters drooling. The Rigby Big Game was recently unveiled and while it is definitely a modern rifle, it is also a throwback to Rigby and Mauser’s earliest joint ventures.
Like their early partnership, Mauser will produce the actions of the rifle at its Isny, Germany factory. The gun will then be hand-finished at Rigby’s England operation and will carry the London proof mark. This is exactly how the companies operated in their earlier collaborations.
“This is a historic moment for both companies and an echo of times past,” Rigby & Co. posted on its Facebook page about the new rifle.
The bolt-action rifle is built on the Magnum Mauser action, which is based on the classic model 98 design. Many aspects of the original have been retained, including the extractor claw and its three position flag safety.
The Rigby Big game will be available in two models, Single or Double Square Bridge versions.
The Single Square Bridge model will be available in .416 and .450 Rigby calibers. This edition is designed for use with express sights only and has a quickly maneuverable 22″ barrel. The model's overall weight unloaded is 10 pounds 8 ounces and its stock length is 14.5 inches, including a rubber recoil pad. It comes with a three-position flag safety.
The Double Square Bridge model is produced in .375 H&H and .416 Rigby calibers. With its 24-inch lightweight barrel, this rifle is suited for use with a telescopic sight. The model’s Winchester style safety is in the horizontal position to facilitate the fitting of a variety of mounting systems on the machined bridges. Weight of the rifle unloaded is 10 pounds and its stock length is 14.5 inches, including red rubber recoil pad.
Both of these rifles boast classic Rigby design features. Each includes an ergonomic stock shape with higher comb for better fit and absorption of recoil. The metal surfaces have a plasma nitride finish resulting in a resilient, anti-glare and rust-resistant surface.
Rigby Big Game Single and Double Square Bridge models.
Rigby express sights dovetailed directly onto the rib with a single fixed V and two folding leaves zeroed at 65, 150 and 250 yards. The Rigby pattern magazine floor plate allows the .416 rifles to hold four rounds in the magazine and another in the chamber.
With hand engraved finishing touches, case hardened recoil bars and heat-blued extractor, the companies’ aim for this to be an exceptional rifle. In their press release, they went as far as saying the Rigby Big Game would be a “landmark in modern sporting firearms manufacturing.”
The Big Game aims at giving professional and recreational hunters a more moderately priced alternative to the brand's London Best custom rifles. But with Rigby and Mauser’s name on it the rifle still does not come cheap.
Suggested MSRP with Grade 5 wood begins at $13,558. But for those who can afford it, the Big Game has a potential to please as much as it forebears did 100 years ago.
Finding the right defensive shotgun ammunition can be a matter of life and death.
Equal parts knockdown power, intimidation factor and ease of use, the shotgun is the ultimate personal defense weapon. But to get everything out of a smooth bore when it matters most means feeding it the right loads. Here's are some top choices for defensive shotgun ammunition certain to come through in the most dire situations.
Federal Personal Defense Shotgun No. 4
Introduced in 2010 and finding plenty of fans since then, Federal’s Personal Defense Shotgun 2¾-inch No. 4 loads are available in both 12-gauge and 20-gauge versions. Tested extensively for home defense situations, these No. 4 loads are designed to generate optimal 15 yard patterns through an improved cylinder choke and are made to dissipate energy upon hitting walls to help you avoid pass-throughs on missed shots. (www.federalpremium.com)
Federal Personal Defense Shotgun 00 Buck
Federal’s Personal Defense 00 Buck loads are heavier hitting than No. 4s for improved lethality at slightly greater ranges, yet deliver tight patterning courtesy of Federal’s patented FLITECONTROL wad. This special shot cup holds shot tight until it has exited the muzzle and then separates from it to allow it to fly true toward the target at 1,145 fps. (www.federalpremium.com)
Hornady Critical Defense 410 Triple Defense
Smaller gauge guns can be more user friendly for smaller shooters, such as women, but there is no reason these guns shouldn’t be as lethal as larger gauges. The Hornady specialized load is packed with a triple projectile stack that consists of two 35-caliber round balls topped with a single nonjacketed FTX slug. (www.hornady.com)
Winchester PDX1 12 Defender
Winchester mixes a devastating defensive recipe with their PDX1 12 Defender loaded with three pellets of Grex buffered 00 plated buckshot set atop a 1-ounce rifled slug. This load provides the ultimate mix of well-aimed punch with scattergun forgiveness. (www.winchester.com)
Winchester PDX1 410 Defender
Like it’s 12-gauge big brother, the 410 Defender load packs plenty of punch launching three plated Defense Disc projectiles and 12 pellets of plated BB shot. While it was made for use in the famed Taurus Judge, this is also an ideal short-range engagement load made for a long gun that is more compact than larger shotguns and doesn’t generate as much recoil. (www.winchester.com)
Remington Defensive Buckshot
To be effective at self-defense, a gunowner needs to practice shooting and that means time at the range. Remington made it more affordable for shotgun owners to do this in 2013 by packaging their top defensive load—the 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge load of Express 00 buckshot—in 25- or 100-round packages. Inside the shell, a Power Piston one-piece wad enhances consistent patterns, while polymer buffering around the shot limits pellet deformities for better flight. Suggested retail for the 25-round box is $22 and a 100-round box sells for just under $90. (www.remington.com)
Remington Ultimate Defense Combo Pack
We’ve covered it in the pages of Gun Digest before, but it’s worth another mention. Remington has met the needs of Judge and other combination revolver fans by creating a pack that combines 10 .45 Colt cartridges with 10 .410 shotshells. The .45s are loaded with Golden Saber High-Performance jacketed bullets while each .410 load is packed with four 000 buckshot. Suggested retail is $34. (www.remington.com)
Lightfield Home Defender Rubber Slug
Greatly reducing the risk of wall pass-throughs and even lethality, while ensuring an anchoring transfer of energy to an immediate threat, Lightfield’s Rubber Slug is a 12-gauge 130-grain projectile that leaves the muzzle at 600 fps. Designed to be nonlethal when fired at a distance, the load can penetrate a body at extremely close range and can be lethal in those situations. (www.litfld.com)
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the August 12, 2013 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Learn More About Shotguns, Ammunition and Performance
Tavor SAR Bullpup is still a relatively new rifle, but for a Texas-based retailer the spunky tactical tool has been flying off the shelves.
Tavor SAR Bullpup.
Virginia Solgot — Able Ammo, Conroe and Huntsville, Texas.
The hot new gun here is the Tavor SAR Bullpup, a semi-automatic rifle in .223 Rem/5.56 NATO made by Israeli Weapon Industries, a civilian version of the rifle used by Israeli Defense Forces.
The stubby little carbine is moving fast despite the rather hefty $1,999 price tag. It’s sought after for home defense and used by local hog hunters who patrol the thick brush, says Virginia Solgot, Able Ammo’s marketing director.
Long an Internet-only retailer, Able’s recently opened up two brick-and-mortar establishments. Both stores are moving good quantities of Bornaghi Star, Able's Exclusive Premium Italian made shotshells. Local dove hunters like the 12-gauge target loads, especially the #8 and #7.5 shot varieties in 2 ¾-inch shells. Boxes of 25 cost $8 to $8.40, with bulk savings on cases of ten.
The Sig P227 Pistol in .45 ACP is in strong demand, too. With a Nitron Finish and standard night sights, it sells for $949, approximately $140 below MSRP.
Editor’s Note: This brief originally appeared in the December 2, 2013 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Don't mess with mom… especially when she's armed with what appears to be a Hi-Point Carbine. Detroit's WXYZ reported this dramatic story earlier this week, where a home invasion was thwarted by a homeowner, who also happened to be a gunowner. Security cameras on the home caught the action as it unfolded. The homeowner and mother repels the initial assault with her semi-automatic rifle. She then foils a second attempt by the attackers to enter her home with another volley.
Also in the video is comment by Detroit Chief of Police James Craig. Craig made headlines earlier this year when he declared more armed citizens would drive down the crime rate of one of the nation's most dangerous cities. Those words seem prophetic, considering this news story. In the clip the Chief points out the homeowner did all the right things given the circumstances.
In some of the gun magazines I see references to the “color code”… what is that?
Hey Jack, the “color code” is a great awareness tool used by street-wise cops that can help you be alert to threats and match force with the threat appropriately. Giving credit where it is due, the color code of awareness was originally developed by USMC Colonel Jeff Cooper (a giant in the field of defensive pistolcraft and a fascinating worldly philosopher. Well worth an on-line search).
Concealed Carry Color Code
My paraphrase (and some modernization) of Cooper’s color code goes like this:
WHITE… Vacant. (No gun.) Not-a-clue. Oblivious to environmental cues. Eyes on electronic device. “I want to be a victim” printed on forehead.
YELLOW… Relaxed awareness. (Gun in holster or safe but accessible in the closet.) Where are the exits? Is anybody standing by my car? Any weird vibes? Occupied cars parked on the street?
ORANGE… Possible threat. (Hand on gun.) What are those guys in baggy pants up to? Why is that guy watching us? What was that noise in the garage?
RED… Specific threat. (Gun out… Verbal commands… “Stop or I will shoot!”… FIRE!) They are rushing us. That guy looks amped on drugs and has a knife. That noise was breaking glass.
BLACK… Total sensory overload causing paralysis. (You’re stomped or dead.) It is impossible to continually operate in orange because it is so stressful, but it’s risky to operate in white especially if you have dependent persons to protect. The warrior mind-set is the color yellow relaxed awareness. From yellow you can instantly skip a step and go to action if you have to. If you are a civilian (without a sworn duty to law enforcement) in orange and you can tactically employ the “Nike defense” (run like hell) do it!
Clearly, you want to avoid areas and situations that are prone to orange.
Listen to what your gut instincts are telling you. It’s especially important when you are in public to get your eyes up and off your gizmo. Smart phone thefts are at epidemic levels and if you resist the grab you are going to get hurt.
Most crime victims go directly from code white to black and offer no resistance at all (which is why the bad boys troll for people in white).
Stay sharp out there and thanks for the great question.
Remember, this is not legal advice (know your laws), every lethal encounter is different and everybody has different needs and capacities.
Defensive ammunition choice is about picking what works best to neutralize armed and dangerous human beings before they can maim or murder. Scientific testing of ammo in ballistic gelatin can help predict bullet performance in the field, but at the end of the day, it is the performance and not the prediction that will matter.
Sterile lab testing in ballistic gelatin is great, but the ultimate laboratory is the street, the author maintains. Here are the loads that seem to be doing best there, input written in blood from gunfights police departments have experienced with defensive ammunition.
The Dangers of Overpenetrating Bullets
One critical rule of firearms safety is that the bullet must stay in its intended backstop. No responsible shooter would go to one of the older indoor shooting ranges that have a warning poster saying “Lead Bullets Only, Jacketed Bullets Can Pierce Backstop” and then proceed to pump hard-jacketed bullets into that frail backing.
Learn more from Mas! Six indispensable resources from Massad Ayoob. Act now, limited availability.
On the street, the only safe backstop for the defensive handgun’s bullets is the body of the offender. Therefore, it is not exactly responsible to be firing bullets that are likely to shoot through the assailant. This is one of the main reasons law enforcement in its virtual entirety has gone to expanding bullet handgun ammunition in this country. It was a lesson written in blood.
Seven Cases Highlight the Reality
In 1999, New York City became almost the last major police department to adopt hollow-point ammunition. They did so in the face of huge, long-term opposition based on political correctness and the erroneous perception of hollow points as wicked “dum-dum bullets.”
One reason they were able to pass it was that the city fathers had been made to realize how much danger the supposedly “humane, Geneva Convention-approved” ammunition previously used presented to innocent bystanders and police officers when the duty weapons were fired in self-defense or defense of others.
From the early ’90s adoption of 16-shot 9mm pistols (Glock 19, SIG Sauer P226 DAO and Smith & Wesson Model 5946) through 1999, NYPD issued a full metal jacket “hardball” round, comprising a round-nose 115-grain bullet in the mid-1,100 fps velocity range. The New York Times exposed the following facts in its startling report on the matter:
“According to statistics released by the department, 15 innocent bystanders were struck by police officers using full metal jacket bullets during 1995 and 1996, the police said. Eight were hit directly, five were hit by bullets that had passed through other people and two were hit by bullets that had passed through objects,” stated the Times.
In other words, in rough numbers, 53 percent of these tragic occurrences were apparently missed shots, while 33 percent were “shoot-throughs” of violent felony suspects. Counting bullets that went through objects to hit presumably unseen innocent victims (13 percent), that tells us that roughly 46 percent of these innocent bystanders were shot by over-penetrating bullets that “pierced their backstops.” Let’s call those victims Cases One Through Seven.
17 Officers Shot Due to Over Penetration
The Times continued, “In that same period, 44 police officers were struck by gunfire using the old ammunition: 21 were hit directly, 2 were struck by bullets that ricocheted and 17 were struck by bullets that passed through other people.”
In round numbers, 52 percent of those “friendly fire” casualties were hit by bullets that apparently missed their intended targets. 42 percent passed through the bodies of the intended targets after the bullets struck the people they were aimed at. Let’s tally those victims of over-penetration as Cases Eight through Twenty-Four.
Why would officers hit more of their own brethren than “civilian” bystanders in this fashion? For the simple reason that while victims and potential innocent bystanders tend to flee danger scenes, the cops are conditioned to “ride to the sound of the guns.”
In a close-quarters situation where a violent criminal is attempting to harm or even murder another officer, cops try to grab him or stop him or even maneuver into a position from which to shoot him. All these actions can put them in the line of fire of brother officers.
Tunnel vision occurs in a majority of life-threatening encounters. This is the perceptual phenomenon of being able to see only the threat and being unable to cognitively recognize other people or objects that might be in the line of fire.
The full investigations that result from police-involved shootings also provide the most accurate and complete information on how various types of ammo performs in real-world situations.
Moreover, the body of the offender may simply block the shooter’s view of the brother officer who is trying to apprehend or restrain the attacker from behind. In these situations, a “shoot-through” is highly likely to kill or cripple one of the Good Guys and Gals.
What does this have to do with private citizens’ use of CCW handguns? Only this: Where the cops jump in to protect their fellow officers, brave citizens may step in to protect their actual brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, or fathers and mothers. Now it is your loved ones who are behind the offender — unseen by you — when you discharge your CCW weapon.
Those 115-grain jacketed ball 9mm rounds will pierce more than 2 feet of muscle tissue simulating ballistic gelatin. So will 230-grain full metal jacket 45 hardball.
By contrast, the depth of the average adult male thorax is probably no more than ten inches, from front of chest to back. Nor is it solid muscle: the spongy tissue and large air volume of the human lung offer little resistance to a bullet. It’s not just about New York City and 9mms.
In Arizona some years ago, a peace officer fired his 45 service automatic at a large male offender rushing him with a knife. He couldn’t see that a brother officer was running up behind the offender to grab and restrain him.
His gunfire dropped the offender…and passed through his body with enough force to deeply pierce the abdomen of the second cop, who had been trying to rescue the one who fired. That wounded officer almost died from those injuries, inflicted unintentionally by shoot-through with 230-grain full metal jacket 45 ACP. Call that incident Case Twenty-Five.
Many years ago in Los Angeles, an Aryan Brotherhood thug took several people hostage in an office. He demanded an escape vehicle and threatened to start shooting hostages if he didn’t get one. A vehicle was provided, and he got into the car with the victims.
At this point, the LAPD SWAT team launched smoke, and two members of the team whom I happened to know moved forward through the gray cloud, their issue Colt 45 automatics up and ready.
When the perpetrator reached for his pistol, the cops opened fire, using department-issue 230-grain hardball. They fired four shots between them, and killed the offender before he could launch a single bullet of his own.
Autopsy showed any of the four hits would have been quickly fatal. However, only one of those bullets stayed in the offender’s body. One of the three exiting slugs struck one of the hostages. Fortunately, the wound was not life-threatening. LAPD quickly switched to hollow points, which is what they use today. Lesson learned. Call it Case Twenty-Six.
Ball Stops Poorly
Particularly in the small calibers, ball ammunition is infamous for its poor stopping power. When the Illinois State Police issued ball for their 9mm S&W pistols from 1967 through the early 1970s, their Ordnance Section told me, they never had a single one-shot stop on an armed felon unless he was hit in the brain or spinal cord.
This led the ISP on an odyssey in search of more effective ammo, which culminated in the famously effective “Illinois State Police load,” a 115-grain jacketed 9mm hollow point at +P+ pressure and 1,300 fps velocity. Today, Illinois troopers carry 180-grain high-tech hollow point in 40 S&W.
In Case Twenty-Seven, NYPD’s last high-profile shooting incident with 9mm ball ammo, four plainclothes officers engaged a young man named Amadou Diallo when he turned on them pulling an object that appeared, in the poor light, to be a small automatic pistol. All four opened fire, and five seconds later they had fired some 41 shots.
Nineteen of those bullets struck Diallo before he went down and dropped the object he was holding, which turned out to be a black nylon wallet. Sixteen of the 19 bullets over-penetrated. Diallo died of his wounds.
After a long and arduous trial, all four officers were acquitted. Had these officers been issued the department’s new 124-grain Speer Gold Dot +P hollow points in time, there is a good chance that he would have gone down with as little as one gunshot wound, giving Diallo a better chance of survival. No such horror stories have happened on NYPD since the hollowpoint ammo has been general issue.
Forensic Concerns
When a bullet goes through a human body, it is not always possible to correctly determine entry from exit, particularly if the gunshot victim lives long enough for the healing process to begin.
Consider Case Twenty-Eight, in which the O.J. Simpson lawyers defending him against charges of murdering his wife and her young male acquaintance tried to impeach one of the state’s medical examiners by bringing up a previous case in which he had mistakenly diagnosed a through and through gunshot wound, confusing back-to-front and front-to-back.
In late 2007, I was involved in a murder case where it was alleged that the defendant had shot his opponent in the back of the neck, with the bullet exiting his face, implying that he was in no danger and therefore could not have acted in self-defense.
The weapon was a Beretta Model 96F pistol, and the bullet was a 180-grain round of full metal jacket UMC 40-caliber practice ammo. In fact, the bullet had entered the face of the attacking man, and coursed rearward and downward before exiting the neck. However, the assailant lived for a week before he succumbed.
During that time, he was lying supine in a hospital bed with his weight pressing the exit hole down against dressings and bed clothes as his body worked to heal the injury. This gave the wound a puckered appearance consistent with an entry wound.
At the same time, doctors and nurses were treating the open wound in the face, debriding it to prevent necrosis, so by the time he finally died, that wound had been cratered outward and mimicked an exit instead of an entry.
The medical examiner determined that entry was in the back and exit was in the front. Not until trial, did treating physicians familiar with gunshot wounds testify that when the “victim” came in, they diagnosed the wound as front entry/rear exit.
Defense experts concurred, and the jury acquitted, as they should have. But Case Twenty-Nine probably wouldn’t have gone to trial if the defendant had loaded his gun with proper hollow points, which almost certainly would have left the mushroomed bullet embedded inside the neck and shown that the attacker was shot from the front.
Precision shooting at close range is definitely more than a point-and-shoot affair. Understanding how your optic's offset (its distance off the bore line) affects shot placement will help you adjust your aim and place your shots where you want them. Adam Painchaud of the SIG-Sauer Academy explores how to holdover for offset in this NSSF video, giving you some solid tips and drills to stay on target no matter the distance.
The Browning 725 with a pair of hen pheasants taken at Arrowhead Preserve, in Ohio. The Citori line of shotguns are popular among wingshooters, and the 725’s narrowed receiver is a step forward for these shotguns.
In this Browning Citori 725 review, Brad Fitzpatrick shows how America's favorite over/under shotgun gets a much-welcomed overhaul.
It’s not easy to improve on a classic, and any change to an iconic product is bound to bring with it some level of criticism.
There certainly have been changes in Browning’s line of over/unders during the past 82 years, but the overall appearance and function of the guns has remained largely unchanged.
Browning’s new FireLite mechanical triggers are among the best found on any shotgun. Breaking at just under four pounds, FireLite triggers make it easy to shoot the 725 well.
Sure, they’ve gone through a series of aesthetic and nomenclature changes—the Model 325 gave way to the 425, the 425 begat the 525, then the 625, and so forth. There were upgrades and tweaks along the way, both cosmetic and mechanical, but the formula remained much the same.
Then came the 725.
The 725 doesn’t represent a radical revolution in either form or function, and many shooters would have a hard time telling the current 725 apart from its varied predecessors.
Browning realized long ago that the Superposed/Citori line appealed to the purist, and it is unlikely we’ll see any dramatic changes or avant garde styling details on any new version of the company’s storied stack-barrel in the near future. But there are changes to this latest model, some of which are minor—and some of which are significant.
The most striking change can’t be seen while examining the smooth lines of the new 725. The most telling difference between it and all the Browning over/unders that came before lies within, specifically within the trigger assembly.
Browning has always relied on inertia triggers for its Citoris, which means the recoil energy generated by the first shot cocks the firing pin for the second barrel.
On the 725, the traditional inertia trigger has been replaced by a mechanical trigger, which does not rely on the first barrel firing to fire the second.
Family ties. The gun in front is a 1930s Superposed with double triggers. The 725 bears many similar features. The main aesthetic differences are the depth of the action, the shape of the toplever, and the finish. Browning has produced quality over/unders for 80 years, so there’s no need to make dramatic changes.
In addition, Browning incorporated its new FireLite trigger into the design of the 725. This is truly an evolutionary step forward for the Citori line. The quality of triggers in centerfire rifles has improved vastly over the last decade, but very few companies boast that they offer light, crisp, clean triggers in their shotguns.
The new FireLite system breaks at under four pounds, for both trigger pulls, without any creep, and the new Browning trigger is as good or better than anything short of high-end competition shotguns. It may go unnoticed by the casual shooter, but experienced shotgunners will appreciate the new trigger.
The other major alteration to the 725 has to do with the depth of the action. Since John Browning’s original Superposed version, Browning guns have had deep actions, due in part to large, full-length hinge pins.
The fore-end of the 725 might be called a semi-schnabel style. It’s comfortable and allows the shooter to point the gun well. This pointing ability is aided by gun’s excellent balance.
The design was robust and durable, but many shooters preferred the sleeker, thinner, Italian guns like those of Beretta and Fausti, with their low-profile boxlock actions.
The 725 was Browning’s first attempt to narrow the storied action, and even though the company shaved less than 3/16-inch from the vertical depth of the 725 by reducing the size of the hinge pin, it looks much sleeker.
The pistol grip contour has changed slightly, too, and is now canted rearward. The result is a gun that feels livelier and more connected to the shooter. The overall look of the gun is less paunchy than with previous models.
Other styling changes are far more subtle, but, to the Citori purist, these changes will immediately stand out. First, the action release lever on the top of the gun is radically different that the model that has been standard on Browning Citori guns since production began.
Citoris have traditionally had a more rounded knob on their top levers than other shotguns, but the new 725 has a longer knob that stretches farther along the tang and is vertically shorter than traditional lever knobs. It’s a minor detail, yes, but the Browning fans I shot with recognized it immediately.
Browning has never tried to make its Citori guns look gaudy or radical. You won’t find any faux-gold game birds on the action, and scrolling has been kept to an austere but classy minimum.
The new 725 Field bears traditional game scene engravings on each side of the receiver; a duck adorns the right side and a pheasant can be seen on the left. The engraving is very good quality. Likewise, the oil-finished grade II/III walnut stock is nicely figured, and the dark wood stands in sharp contrast to the silver nitride receiver.
The 725’s steel receiver has a silver nitride finish and high-relief engraving. A duck adorns the right side of the field model, and a pheasant appears on the left. The receiver is narrower than older models, thanks to a smaller diameter full-length hinge pin.
As it is with its predecessors, the 725’s receiver is steel and not aluminum. The overall weight of my test gun with 28-inch barrels was 71/3 pounds.
The fore-end appears to be a hybridization of the style found on the company’s classic Lightning, and the schnabel style preferred by the sport shooting crowd. Regardless, the hands falls naturally in place and the grip is secure.
The toplever shape, like the action, has a lower profile. The safety is still located on the tang and it still incorporates a barrel selector.
The Inflex recoil pad is the same version found on other Browning guns like the Maxus and does a fine job minimizing recoil.
When the 725 Citori that I was to test for this article arrived, I pieced it together and was immediately impressed by its sleek lines and obvious build quality.
The changes aren’t radical, but I will say that I believe that those in action contour were indeed needed and well executed on the new gun.
Even a 3/16-inch reduction in action depth brings the shooter’s hands noticeably closer to the center of the gun, and the overall feel and handling of the 725 is better than with previous models. It isn’t enough of a change to send purists into fits of rage, but it is effective and noticeable.
Browning guns are favorites in competitive skeet and sporting clays circles, and I believe the new 725 won’t miss a step in the competition world; though the version I tested was a field gun, the DNA is there for a quality competition gun.
The balance point is just ahead of the receiver, meaning the weight is evenly distributed between the hands.
The field gun wears white front and mid-beads and includes the company’s new Invector DS thin-walled choke tubes, which are designed to seal out gases and residue that gum up other tubes and make them difficult to remove after excessive shooting.
The 725 seemed to pattern consistently, which helps the shooter break more clays and drop more birds.
The combination of a lower-profile receiver, superb trigger, and better recoil pad complement the already robust and reliable design of the 725. It isn’t cheap, but it is a well-built American shotgun that will last for many, many years.
Shooting the Browning Citori 725
I took the Model 725 afield and spent a day hunting ringnecks in Ohio, and it performed as expected. I’d shot several rounds of trap with the gun not long before and found the gun to be responsive, easy to shoulder, swing, and shoot.
There was no difference when I hunted pheasants and, when a bird rose up in front of me, I shouldered the 725, swung the large white bead ahead of the rooster’s beak, and pressed the trigger as I passed the bird.
The trigger broke cleanly, and the pheasant cupped its wings, falling just ahead of the English setter hot in pursuit. Over the course of the day, I had a couple of more chances at birds, and the 725 worked its magic each time.
It’s always dangerous to mess with a successful recipe, but Browning made the wise decision to address the issues that hunters and shooters carped about, with regards to their world-beating over/under. The result is an even better Citori, which is saying a lot, because the previous version wasn’t too shabby.
A red-dot sight, like this EOTech, can also be teamed up with a magnifying adapter, and thus get you the best of both worlds.
Not taking into account A1 and A2 iron sights, your AR can have one of two types of optics – red-dot sights or magnified scopes. Here's a look at both.
AR-15 Red-Dot Sights
The USMC bought truckloads of the Acog, and did good work with them over in the various sandy places of the world.
The red-dot sight began with the Aimpoint back in the very late 1980s. It appeared in the U.S. in competition at the 1990 USPSA Nationals, on the pistol used by Jerry Barnhart. The first reaction was, “No way will that work.” After Jerry cleaned everyone’s clocks, Doug Koenig had one on his pistol a few months later at the IPSC World Shoot, where he became world champion.
As soon as national-level 3-gun competition began, rifles had red-dots on them. They were derided as “impractical” and “not real combat gear.” In the beginning, yes. But the reliability imperative of practical shooting competition (your gear is your problem, once the clock starts, and if it fails you do not get a do-over) meant all competitors using them were always looking for more reliability, durability and utility.
By the second Iraq war, red-dot sights had been adopted and proved their usefulness. It was mildly amusing, seeing photos of M4s in Iraq, rifles that were equipped to have made decent but not match-winning Open class 3-gun rifles back in the 1990s.
Optics need not be expensive. This Millet DMS-1 is plenty good enough, and won’t break the bank.
Red-dot sights work by projecting a red dot, reticle or other pattern onto a screen inside of a tube or housing. The miracle of optical physics presents the dot to you as if it were on the same optical plane as the target.
That is, it appears to be “out there” and not a dot a few inches from your face. This means your eye has only the one focus job, dot and target together. Your brain has only two things to deal with, dot and target.
You place the dot on the target and press the trigger.
But wait, there’s more goodness: the dot is, essentially, parallax-free. That is, if the dot appears to be at the edge of the field of view, the bullet will still strike at the dot. Moving the dot does not change the agreement of dot with bullet.
The bad news is simple, most dots need batteries.
Magnified AR-15 Scopes
Magnifying optics were not new when they began to be adopted on rifles in the trenches in WWI.
Since then, they have increased in durability, light-gathering, clarity and reticle designs. What they do is let you see better, but not necessarily shoot better.
The choice of magnifying optics comes down to a matter of balance. That is, size and weight against increased magnification and fragility.
Increased performance increases cost, where a top-grade scope can cost more than the rifle it is mounted on. And with variable scopes, there is a need to shift from one power to another, as any extreme is useful only for a specific purpose.
A 3-9X scope is great, at 9X, if you are shooting at something at extreme range. Let a target of opportunity pop up ten yards away, and 9X is very much the wrong power to be on.
This is an excerpt from Gunsmithing the AR-15 Vol. II.
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.
