This schematic for a .327 Federal Magnum cartridge is just one of 1,500 featured in Cartridges of the World, 13th Edition. In addition to being a resource for cartridge drawings, the book is the perfect reloading manual and wildcatting guide.
Cartridges of the World: A Reloading Manual, A Wildcatting Guide
Now at 16 editions, Cartridges of the World continues to offer reloading data for ammunition from across the planet. The rich, in-depth information makes for an essential reloading manual. It's also the perfect reference for anyone interested in wildcatting their cartridges. With reloading data for more than 1,500 cartridges, Cartridges of the World is the world-wide standard all other reloading manuals are compared against.
Cartridges included in this must-have book include:
* Commercial ammunition * Proprietary cartridges * Wildcats * Military ammunition * Shotshells * Rimfires * Current and obsolete
* More than 50 new factory manufactured and wildcat cartridge listings, complete with illustrations * Updated reloading data and reloading recipes * Essays by three of the industry's leading writers with critical “state of the union” information on SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute), wildcatting and AR-15 ammunition
What Do People Say About the Cartridges of the World Series?
“I had read more than one incredible review about this book, so I grabbed a copy to see for myself. Excellent texts, detailing every aspect of the cartridges and hundreds of drawings and photos. A perfect book for the gun nut, reloader, or for a reference reader. You won't be disappointed!” – Richard A. Thomas, Jr., Amazon reviewer
“This book goes into such great depths when it comes to rifle, shotgun, and handgun cartridges. It contains virtually all of the information one would need to select a new caliber for purchase. It is a great place to start as it contains detailed ballistics and loading data for just about every cartridge ever made. This is the second edition of this book that I have now purchased. I recommend it wholeheartedly.” – Pat V. Bocchino, Amazon reviewer
“Updated and timely….I use this reference often in firearms business to help customers decide on purchases for specific hunting and target applications….it's the best !!!!” – Kenrick F. Crabtree, Amazon reviewer
Read an Excerpt: All About the .44 Colt
Historical Notes: The .44 Colt is yet another blackpowder cartridge of importance, primarily because it was once used by the U.S. Army. It was introduced about 1871 and used by the Army from then until 1873. It was used in the metallic cartridge conversion of the Colt 1860 percussion revolver, and it could also be fired in the Remington Model 1875 .44 Army revolver. Commercial ammunition was loaded in both blackpowder and smokeless powder types, up to about 1940.
General Comments: The .44 Colt uses an outside-lubricated bullet. It is similar to the .44 S&W American, but has a longer case of slightly larger diameter. Early ammunition used the inside Benet cup and Martin folded-type primers. Ammunition has become a collector’s item, and revolvers for this cartridge are very seldom encountered. Ballistically it is about the same as the .44 S&W American.
What is the average Joe supposed to do with a military survival manual? They're written for the men and women of the armed forces. Regular folks in North America don't need to know how to hang glide off a mountain top or make a booby trap. They need a practical survival manual for getting through power outages, natural disasters, mishaps in the outdoors and shortages.
That's what sets Stay Alive! Survival Skills You Need apart from other survival manuals. It's a survival guide for everyday people anticipating typical disaster scenarios. These topics are covered in this essential survival manual:
* Must-have items of a survival kit * Selecting essential tools: knives, saw, shovel * Techniques for starting and maintaining a fire * Creating or seeking smart shelters * Collecting water in the wild * Navigation in nature * Finding food and preparing it safely in the wild
As the video above shows, author John D. McCann is a “practice what you preach” kind of author. He spends a lot of time in the field, testing and tweaking his techniques. If they didn't work, he didn't put them in this survival manual.
McCann's strategy seems to be working. Interest in his insights remains high. He is also the author of Build the Perfect Survival Kit, which is the perfect complement to Stay Alive!.
What are People Saying About this Survival Manual?
“It is written so that everyone, from novice to experienced survivalist, can learn from it.” – Ellis M. Delahoy, Amazon reviewer
“John McCann writes this book in a very understandable way. He makes what he is teaching you seem like you already knew it. You just hadn't thought about it that way. It makes his lessons memorable. I have never written a book review before, but this book deserved it.” – Molon Labe, Amazon reviewer
“I like all of the color photos and every chapter is very complete in its content.” – Francisco Loaiza, Amazon reviewer
A Quick Survival Tip from the Author
McCann's survival manual is full of great tips. This one is from the Fire & Light chapter:
“I have been carrying a small pencil sharpener in my fire kit for years. It is my tinder maker. It works really well on small sticks found laying around. It is even effective when wood is wet, as you can scrape off the wet outside, then make plenty of shavings from the nice dry wood inside.”
From rolling blackouts to hurricanes, floods to tornadoes, power can go out at a moment's notice. If the grid fails, the PowerPot will keep you charging! The PowerPot thermoelectric generator converts any heat source directly into power that charges your USB handheld devices. Get Yours Now
If you are involved in a deadly force self-defense incident and can get to a phone CALL THE POLICE! Don't call your neighbors, your parents, your husband or your wife. Call the police.
Recently a 92-year-old Kentucky man used a .22 rifle to successfully defended his home from three intruders. His story of self-defense is not really about concealed carry, it is more about home defense. But there is an important element down near the bottom of which everyone needs to be aware.
The homeowner did two things wrong: After the incident he called his neighbors instead of calling the police and when police arrived and told him to put up his hands he told police, “I'm not putting my hands up.” He survived, but the situation could have been a disaster.
First off, if you are involved in a deadly force self-defense incident and can get to a phone CALL THE POLICE! Don't call your neighbors, your parents, your husband or your wife. Call the police and say clearly, “I have been attacked and I shot at the person who attacked me.” Then stay on the line and wait for instructions. Keep talking to that dispatcher until you see the officers arrive. Give your location, a description of what you are wearing and just to be clear, repeat, “I am the victim. Tell responding officers the victim is wearing…. and is waiting for them at…”
You don't have to say anything that will incriminate yourself, but you do want to clearly identify yourself so responding officers don't mistake you for a bad guy and shoot you.
Here's the deal, police officers responding to a “shots fired” call are on high alert and any reader who thinks cops should just “calm down” have never rolled up on such a call and begun walking toward the danger. At the same time, if you don't give ample information, police will arrive looking for “someone with a gun.” Remember, you have a gun. So when police arrive at the scene of a shooting, the first thing they are going to do is secure the scene. That means you will be ordered (perhaps loudly) to put your gun down. Do it. If the police tell you to raise your hands, raise them. You will likely get handcuffed. Deal with it. Realize that responding officers don't know who you are. They do know someone has been shot. They are looking for a person with a gun and they don't want to get shot. So they will take control of the gun and scene. Once that happens calmly explain your side of the story.
You have to remember a person holding a gun is an imminent threat, before any questioning or explanations can begin, police officers will and must remove that threat. If you are holding a gun and refuse to put it down, you may get shot. And the officer would be justified in doing so based on the totality of circumstances and the information that officer had at the time. So, in the unlikely event that you are involved in a shooting, please do what the officers tell you as they secure the scene.
The editors at Gun Digest regret to hear the sad news of the death of Robert Hillberg. He passed away on August 12, 2012. Over his many years of designing firearms, everything from machineguns to sporting pistols, shotguns and rifles, when asked of all his accomplishments, what he is most proud of; Bob replied “The Whitney pistol.” History will surely remember Robert L. Hillberg as one of the foremost firearms designers of the 20th century.
Portrait of Robert Hillberg courtesy of Don Findley
ROBERT L. HILLBERG: PROFILE OF A FIREARMS DESIGNER
by Don Findley
You may remember Robert L. Hillberg as the man who designed and manufactured the Whitney Wolverine 22 pistol in the mid-1950s. The Whitney's space-age profile “grabbed” the attention of firearms enthusiasts everywhere. Unless you are employed in the firearms industry and are actually involved in the production of firearms, you may never have heard of Robert L. Hillberg at all. Bob is one of the men who design and test the guns, working in the background, and often leaving others to receive the accolades for their achievements. Bob Hillberg is far from a one-dimensional gun designer and his career in the firearms industry spans over 60 years.
Bob was born in Anamosa, Iowa on August 27, 1917. As a young boy he accompanied his father, an avid outdoorsman, on hunting trips in Minnesota and South Dakota. Starting at a young age, he was interested in anything mechanical, especially guns. His first gun was a 12-gauge Browning Auto Five shotgun. He was intrigued by the number of mechanical events that had to occur in a semi-automatic firearm to fire, extract, eject, reload, re-cock and be ready to fire the next round in a split second. Bob was not formally trained in firearms design. His engineering skills were “picked up” from odd jobs, after school and summers, in machine shops. He read everything available on firearms. He did, however, attend the University of Minnesota.
Hillberg became an avid firearms collector. After several years of collecting guns and studying their design, he designed a 357 Magnum submachine gun in 1937, and built a working prototype at the U.S. Naval Air Base, Wold Chamberlin Field, where he was a reserve member of Squadron VN11 RD-9.
Hillberg took his prototype to Colt Firearms in Hartford, Connecticut in 1938 and demonstrated his gun, hoping to sell the design. Colt wasn't interested in the submachine gun, but they were interested in Bob and offered Hillberg a job, which he accepted. This was his first employment in the firearms industry. While at Colt, he worked in engineering, assembly, inspection and manufacturing. Hillberg also designed a short action for their revolver and developed a ⅞-scale 22 version of Colt's Frontier Single Action that went into production years later.
In 1940 Hillberg accepted employment at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, located in East Hartford, Connecticut and worked in the engineering department where he was involved with the design of engine components and experimental engine installations in test aircraft. While at Pratt & Whitney he began the development of a 30-caliber carbine, as well as a 20mm aircraft cannon
Hillberg moved to Burlington, Vermont in 1942 to take a position with the Ordnance Division of Bell Aircraft, where he worked as project engineer. He worked on numerous other projects including the B-17 turret, bomb racks and rocket releases. During his stay at Bell, Bob designed a 20mm continuous belt-fed mechanism for submarines and anti-aircraft. The 30-caliber carbine, started at Pratt & Whitney, was activated and prototypes were built at Bell. The design was completed late in the U.S. carbine competition, which was won by Winchester. Hillberg's carbine was radical in concept, in that it did not employ a moving breech block. The barrel moved forward with each shot. The rifle fed automatically, loading on the rearward stroke of the barrel. Since the magazine was located forward of the standing breech face, the cartridges fed forward in the magazine. This required a special crimp between the bullet and the cartridge case. The advantage in this unorthodox design was the rifle was two inches shorter than a conventional rifle with the same length barrel. It met the 5-pound criteria for carbines and was tested successfully at Bell and then sent to Canada for evaluation. World War II ended just as the carbine was finalized, and it never entered production.
After the war, 1947, Bob accepted a job with Republic Aviation, Armament Division, in Farmingdale, Long Island, NY. He worked on the F-84 gun deck and later was appointed F-91 armament unit leader and also worked in the “secret room” as an armament consultant for advanced fighter aircraft. He designed the gun mounts and feed systems for the F-84, as well as rocket systems and bomb racks for the F-84. While at Republic, Hillberg designed a series of semi-automatic weapons.
With each move Hillberg gained experience and knowledge. By 1951 he had left the aircraft industry and returned to designing firearms. He took a job with High Standard Manufacturing Company in 1951. After a few months, he accepted the position as head of research and development. Hillberg had gained a great deal of knowledge in the use of high strength aluminum alloy while working in the aircraft industry, and applied this expertise to firearms design. Hillberg should be given a great deal of credit for the commercial use of aluminum in firearms production. With Bob as head of R&D, High Standard was one of the first firearms manufacturers to make use of aluminum. High Standard's inventory included a complete line of sporting arms, shotguns, rifles and handguns.
High Standard was also involved in the manufacture of military weapons. Hillberg designed the T-152 tank machinegun for the Springfield Armory and the Detroit Tank Arsenal. This gun was later put into production as the M-37. He also designed the 9mm T-3 double-action pistol, a 22 semi-auto sporting rifle and the world's first commercial gas-operated semi-auto shotgun, originally called the Model 60. This shotgun was marketed by High Standard and was a huge commercial success.
Hillberg had an idea for a 22 sporting pistol, an all-new design that could be manufactured at a low cost without sacrificing quality, a pistol he believed could compete in a market dominated by Colt, High Standard and, more recently, Ruger. While at High Standard, he became acquainted with Howard “Howie” Johnson of the Bellmore Johnson Tool Company of Hamden, Connecticut. Bob was convinced, by his good friend (Johnson) to retire from High Standard and develop and manufacture the new pistol on his own.
Subsequently, Hillberg left High Standard and co-founded Whitney Firearms, Inc., of North Haven, Connecticut in 1954. Howard Johnson was president, Robert Hillberg, vice president and chief engineer. Employees included the top machinists and gunsmiths in the business and the two partners had high hopes for the new company.
After the 22 pistol was established as the company cornerstone, other models were to be introduced. Whitney Firearms had the necessary motivation and the right people in place — the possibilities seemed unlimited. After almost two years of designing and testing, production began in 1956. The new pistol, with its space-age profile, was called the Whitney Wolverine; “Tomorrow's Pistol Today.” Ten thousand pistols were produced and shipped the first year.
Whitney Firearms, Inc. was set up to design and produce firearms, and needed distribution and marketing savvy. A deal was struck with J. L. Galef, a firearms broker from New York, to market the guns. That exclusive marketing contract ultimately led to the demise and closing of Whitney Firearms in May of 1957.
From mid-1957 to 1980 Hillberg was employed as Chief Engineer for Bellmore Johnson Tool Company. From his office, located in Cheshire, Connecticut, he ran a firearm consultant and design service. Customers included about every major firearms company in the U.S., plus several Pentagon agencies (confidential firearms projects). His designs while at Bellmore Johnson ranged from shotguns — both combat and sporting — to rifles and handguns.
Hillberg designed double-action revolvers for Browning and Winchester. His work on the Winchester Liberator, Colt Defender and the Model J brought the combat shotgun to a new level of refinement. The Liberator was a four-barrel repeating combat shotgun with the firepower of a semi-automatic without the mechanical complexity.
The Defender is a 20-gauge 3-inch Magnum combat shotgun designed to appeal to law enforcement agencies. The Defender featured eight selective-fire 12-inch independent barrels — all arranged in a circular cluster around a hollow axis — and an investment cast aluminum alloy receiver. Two machinegun-type grips are employed to control and fire the gun, from the shoulder or the hip. During independent testing conducted by a police expert at Colt Firearms' request, the expert's post-evaluation report stated, in part: “In no instance did the gun fail to function, to be absolutely correct, the gun could not be made to malfunction.”
The Model J is a box-fed pump-action shotgun with an ejection port on both sides. A switch determines from which direction the spent shells are ejected for left or right-handed shooters. One of the first shotguns equipped with a folding stock, the Model J was tested in Vietnam by the U.S. military.
From 1980 to the present Hillberg has served as an independent expert witness — for both plaintiff and defendant — in court cases relating to firearms, with special interest in cases that involve design, testing, safety and prior art. Also, he is a retired deputy sheriff and a member of the following police organizations: New England Association of Chiefs of Police; International Association of Chiefs of Police; American Law Enforcement Officers Association; New Haven County Sheriff's Association National Sheriff's Association and the Connecticut Chiefs of Police Association (firearms committee).
Robert Hillberg has been granted over 36 patents — foreign and domestic — pertaining to firearms. The American National Standard, an industry performance standard established to provide the firearms designer and manufacturer with recommendations for test procedures to evaluate new designs as defined under the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968, lists Hillberg as an “independent expert.”
If you seek a career in the firearms industry, find a copy of the June 1966 American Rifleman magazine, and refer to page 95. You may take some advice from that article offered by a man who has “been there and done that.”Highlights from that article titled “Gun Designers,” by Robert L. Hillberg: “The golden era of firearms design was at the turn of the century. Men like von Mannlicher, Paul Mauser, Andreas Schwarzlose, John Browning, and others pioneered the art so thoroughly that virtually nothing new in basic firearms design has been developed since. The heritage of every modern design, both military and commercial, can be traced back to the creative genius of a small group of designers some 60 years ago.” The article concludes “Today's firearms industry needs top technical help in all other phases. If giving the public a better gun for the same money or the same gun for less money is your destiny, the gun industry will welcome you with open arms. If being a part of a team to produce this gun or to merchandise it is your aim, there is a place for you in the industry. If your burning ambition is to design a new gun and get rich & forget it.”
Over his many years of designing firearms, everything from machineguns to sporting pistols, shotguns and rifles, when asked of all his accomplishments, what he is most proud of Bob replied “The Whitney pistol.” History will surely remember Robert L. Hillberg as one of the foremost firearms designers of the 20th century.
The next time you reach for that favorite deer rifle or old reliable shotgun, or perhaps the 22 pistol your dad left you, take a minute to remember the people who designed and perfected those cherished pieces; the men and women who labor behind the scenes to guarantee a dependable and reliable product, a product that will withstand the test of time and man. Every great firearms design, from the early matchlock to today's newest military assault weapon, began with one man's idea.
Wanted: A modern polar bear gun for the Canadian military. (Image via sxc.hu)
According to the Canadian Press, the Canadian army is on the hunt for a new polar bear gun.
It's “on the lookout for an ‘anti-predator weapon' with which to equip both Arctic Rangers and regular-force units whenever they operate on their own in the North. In the meantime, it has issued First World War-vintage Lee-Enfield rifles to units based in southern Canada for use whenever those northern-response companies are dispatched to the Arctic.”
The predator in question? Polar bears. Which means polar bear guns.
“The roughly 4,700 Rangers-sprinkled in 178 communities across the North are the backbone of the military's presence in the region. They conduct patrols across the vast tundra and are equipped with Lee-Enfields, bolt-action, magazine-fed rifles that were standard issue during the first half of the 20th century.”
The army has been running out of spare parts for the Enfields, making their issue unreliable as polar bear guns. It has been trying to purchase new rifles for several years, but has yet to come across replacements for these polar bear guns. The Enfields, though, do have one advantage that future polar bear guns will need to match.
“The fact they don't freeze up or jam in the Arctic is part of [the Enfield's] charm, so the army made the decision last year to equip regular-force units conducting operations in the North with Lee-Enfields until replacement weapons arrive, possibly next year.”
What do you think would make for a good polar bear gun? Leave a comment below.
I count myself among the legions of knife enthusiasts who are fans of Ken Onion. His pieces are part of my EDC (everyday carry) rotation. I followed his career in the pages of BLADE Magazine. We even shook hands at the 2012 Blade Show this past June.
The design is perfect for hunting or outdoors work, but I wouldn't recommend beating these collectibles up. A genuine (i.e. not laser printed) Onion autograph on a CRKT Foresight will add a ton of value to your knife collection. You'll get your $99.99 back and then some.
Other than the form-function balances Onion finds, I like the accessibility of his knives. Not everyone is willing to plunk down a mortgage payment for a custom blade from a well-known knifemaker.
Onion must appreciate this, because he partners with knife companies to make his custom designs available to the average Joe. The Foresight is only the latest from an Onion-CRKT partnership full of wins. The official 2012 Blade Show knife was a CRKT Ripple crafted by Onion. As with his other designs, the Ripple started as a custom creation that became even more popular through a partnership.
The Kahr P45 has a stainless steel 6-round magazine with a thick polymer base pad.
Gun Digest reviews the Kahr P45 pistol and discovers it's perfect as a concealed carry handgun. Read this Kahr P45 review to find out why.
Chambered for the potent .45 ACP, the Kahr P45 and its variations, the PT45 and CW45, are very good striker-fired handguns. The Kahr P45 has a polymer frame that is textured all around the grip for a firm hold that grips well even in the damp Pacific Northwest, where my co-worker Thomas McKiddie makes his home. He has a Kahr P45 and he raves about it.
Despite having fired a fair number of Kahr semi-automatic pistols over the years, I have never owned one. This is no reflection on my high opinion of these pistols. After all, if I owned every neat pistol I’ve ever shot, there wouldn’t be enough room in my house for me.
This Kahr P45, owned by the author's friend, rides in a rugged IWB holster, virtually invisible.
Kahr P45: Built for Concealed Carry
Carried in a Shooting Systems rugged nylon holster, the Kahr P45 tucks away under his vest or sweater and is completely undetectable. With six rounds of JHP ammunition in the magazine and another round up the spout, this is a pistol that anybody could develop a serious affection for. Toss in a couple of spare magazines and a good holster, and you’ve got an emergency survival system that is ready to go.
To fit his larger hand, McKiddie added a Pachmayr Grip Glove to the pistol, and when I wrapped my palm around it, the gun felt fine. On the previous day, I sampled a PT45 just down the street from our office at a gun shop, and even without the added band, this pistol frame felt fine. Kahr .45-caliber pistols are very manageable, and I have yet to see one that doesn’t put bullets where they are aimed, provided you do your part.
The Kahr P45 Just Keeps Going and Going
If one wants to test the service life of a Kahr pistol, the best thing to do is visit the local indoor gun range where Kahr pistols are available to rent. In terms of a torture test, nothing else comes close to day after day of use by a variety of shooters. Some may shoot slow and deliberate, others might just empty a magazine to see how fast they can shoot. Under those conditions, magazines fail and pistols fail. I have seen Kahr pistols with thousands of rounds through them, and they keep on shooting. That’s a pretty good track record.
Kahr P45 Specs
The Kahr P45's polymer frame is steel reinforced and the rail-to-rail fit seems very snug. Slightly smaller than my Colt Commander, and noticeably lighter, the Kahr P45 has a 3.54-inch barrel that features polygonal rifling with a 1:16.38-inch right-hand twist. The OAL is 6.07 inches, and it has a locking breech and Browning-style recoil lug.
That polygonal rifling certainly contributes to the Kahr P45's accuracy. Of course, Kahr is not the only manufacturer to use this kind of rifling. It’s what made the H&K P7 a winner and it certainly delivers in Glock pistols.
Kahr’s pistol has a passive striker block, and there is no magazine disconnect, so the user, as with any pistol, must be sure to clear the chamber after pulling the magazine. This is common practice to insure there will not be a negligent discharge.
Easily field-stripped for cleaning, the Kahr P45 is a study in simplicity. It was designed by gun people for gun people.
Fitted with drift-adjustable, white bar-dot combat sights, the Kahr P45 is slightly over an inch wide at its widest point, and it weighs 18.5 ounces. The empty stainless steel magazine weighs two ounces—a comfortable weight for a carry piece. Having packed heavier guns for eight to nine hours at a time, had someone handed me a lightweight like the Kahr P45, I’d have been a happy camper.
Kahr P45 Popularity
Kahr pistols have gotten increasingly popular over the years for being compact and lightweight, as well as accurate. Because the Kahr P45 takes a single stack magazine, the grip frame can be narrowed (which accounts for McKiddie’s addition of the Pachmayr Grip Glove). They’re also a bit more affordable than some of the competition, and with a stainless steel slide and barrel, this half-polymer handgun is virtually impervious to changing weather conditions.
With more than 6.2 million Americans legally carrying concealed in all but one state, the demand for good pistols that have plenty of stopping power without the weight of an anchor is steadily increasing. Kahr is certainly helping to answer the demand, having started off with pistols in .380 ACP and 9mm, building a very good reputation along the way.
Now with models in .40 S&W and .45 ACP, Kahr has all the bases covered rather well, and the P45 is right at the top of that heap. It sends a big bullet with lots of frontal mass downrange at a threat-stopping velocity. If that doesn’t take care of business, I don’t know what will.
Dynamic Research Technologies hunting bullets are designed to disintegrate. This 79-grain tungsten bullet has turned to dust in gelatin.
Percentage of retained weight may appear the reigning measure of expanding bullet performance in game, but the last deer I’ve shot fell to thin-jacketed hunting bullets of ordinary construction. And in Missouri, Dynamic Research Technologies (DRT) is making big game hunting bullets designed to, well, disintegrate into tiny particles.
“We’ve found they kill better than deep-driving softpoints,” says Dustin Worrell, who runs DRT. “In fact, we’ve used them on nilgai.”
Though costly “controlled expansion” bullets nab headlines, traditional designs like this are still deadly.
Hunting the big, tenacious Indian antelope in Texas, the DRT crew clobbered 11 with 79-grain spitzers from their .223s. Locals, who recommend heavy bullets from .30 magnums, were astonished.
The DRT hunting bullets that put those nilgai on the skids had tungsten cores, Worrell concedes.
He said, “But the tungsten is sintered. It doesn’t stay in one piece. It turns to dust during penetration, just like bullets we make with cores of copper and tin alloys. The tungsten adds weight to bullets of ordinary dimensions. Its particles are heavier too, so drive a bit deeper. But we don’t expect exits. By the time a DRT bullet gets halfway through vitals, it’s pretty much the consistency of powder!”
Such bullets date to the 1990s, when Harold Beal explored frangible metal cores at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His goal: deadlier .45 ACP service ammunition.
In 2005, John and Dustin developed machinery to make hunting bullets using Beal’s patents under license. Dustin and company have focused recently on muzzle-loading bullets, which they test on deer on their Missouri whitetail ranch.
His records show deer don’t run as far when struck with DRT hunting bullets as when hit with polymer-tipped hollowpoints. The 170-grain 45-caliber DRT fits an ordinary sabot. A thin (.030) tin cap tops the sintered core at the base of a big nose cavity. Accuracy from a rifle I benched averaged an impressive 2 minutes of angle.
Norma’s new Kalahari loads use lead-free bullets designed for quick upset on plains game, deer.
We joined a hunting party headed to the woods with T/C muzzleloading rifles. In three days, we took nine deer with the DRT hunting bullets. I killed a “management buck” and a doe. Hit in the forward ribs, the buck dashed about 30 yards and piled up, dead in mid-stride. The doe lasted a couple of jumps.
“These bullets needn’t plow through the lungs, or even reach them,” said Dustin, as he autopsied a deer on the meat-pole one evening. “We’ve killed deer with .223 bullets that didn’t enter the chest. That burst of energy as the bullet disintegrates imparts shock that ruptures blood vessels in the liver and other vital organs.”
The high velocity of the lightweight .45 DRT bullet no doubt heightens that effect. Have thin-jacketed lead-core bullets of traditional design been too quickly abandoned for hunting bullets that weigh almost as much expended as at the muzzle? Could be.
One of the deadliest deer hunting bullets I’ve ever used is the 165-grain 30-caliber Sierra hollowpoint. It opens violently, but blasts through scapulas.
In elk, it’s better slipped through the ribs than driven to the point of the shoulder. Ditto for softnose classics like Winchester’s Power Point – an overlooked bullet that’s been around since I started hunting 45 years ago. I’ve taken elk with it, handily.
The same goes for Remington’s Core-Lokt. And Hornady and Speer softpoints that get less press than so-called “controlled expansion” bullets.
Explosive 170-grain DRT (left) and deep-driving 265-grain Swift A-Frame .45s each have advocates – and applications.
Honestly, all bullets are designed to expand predictably – that is, in a controlled manner. With materials and engineering, hunting bullet makers manipulate upset. Penetration comes at the expense of wound channel diameter and fast energy release.
Some hunters like exit wounds; I prefer hunting bullets than drives through vitals but balls up just under the off-side hide. For heavy game, I favor softpoints with the moxie to splinter the near shoulder but carry on through the lungs.
I don’t care much how hunting bullets look when I pluck them from an animal, because I’ll not use them again. I do care about the damage inside. Weight retention seems to me over-rated.
The famous Nosler Partition typically loses 40 percent of its weight as the nose breaks apart in tough going. But that shattered nose shreds the vitals as the bullet’s protected heel drives on, commonly exiting.
As the DRT people have found, violence between the ribs is the lethal agent.
Kudos to the Pinehurst Village Council in North Carolina for fixing a mistake it made over a month ago when it banned concealed carry from in public parks and on Village greenway trails.
At a recent meeting, councilors voted to repeal the original concealed carry ban ordinance and to allow the practice in these public places.
“The council is not afraid to say it made a mistake,” Mayor Nancy Fiorillo told The Pilot.
Admittedly, the council had a little help in realizing its mistake. Once the original regulation was made known, many residents voiced their opposition to the concealed carry ban.
“Our inboxes have been flooded,” Fiorillo said.
“Prior to the discussion with the public [on the recent vote], each council member said they erred when voting for the ordinance on July 24,” The Pilot reported.
“It is one of the few votes I wish I had back because it punishes citizens,” council member Mark Parson said.
“I wish I had thought about it and done a little better homework,” fellow council member Doug Lapins said. “I don't see where this (ordinance) does a thing for us as a village.”
Pinehurst resident Rich Foster pointed out there were, “areas on the greenway trails that are isolated and where someone might be accosted by ‘thugs,' and would be much safer if they were allowed to carry a concealed weapon.”
The Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed Carry Handguns is the perfect starting point for people ready to take responsibility for their security. Use its in-depth information to select an appropriate concealed carry pistol or revolver for any situation.
Paul Ryan deer hunting with a bow. He said he prefers the Mathews Z7 Xtreme compound.
Paul Ryan deer hunting should come as no surprise to anyone from his home state, Wisconsin. The area has a long tradition of hunting deer and other wild game. Growing up in a blue collar Wisconsin family just about guarantees some quality stand time.
“I’m just pretty typical for a Wisconsin guy. I love hunting and fishing,” Ryan said. “Bowhunting is my passion. Studying the strategy, preparing food plots, the strategy of where a dominant buck is living or will be moving and then being in position to get a shot, that’s really exciting. Half of it is getting ready for the shot.”
While none of this is Earth-shattering to the Wisconsinites here at Gun Digest, it's a big development across the major news outlets. They're jumping all over the Paul Ryan deer hunter interview. How this plays out in the polls is yet to be seen, but Gun Digest applauds Deer & Deer Hunting for showing how Paul Ryan hunting is in line with average folks.
In 2008, the Republican National Convention came to St. Paul, Minnesota, the capitol of my home state. Being both a current events junkie and a fan of the overtly political band Rage Against the Machine, I decided to see the group perform one town over in Minneapolis. A friend and I bought tickets ahead of time, ready for a fun night of music.
Then the riots hit.
I wasn't oblivious to the likelihood of energetic protestors. Major political events don't feel complete without a little noise in the street. What I hadn't anticipated was the violence. Smashed windows. Overturned cars. Looted storefronts. Fires. These things define the line between “protest” and “riot.”
By the time of the concert, things had made a full transition. Throw in that Rage Against the Machine is far from being a Republican apologist, and the proverbial tinderbox had been placed. Now it just needed a match. The safe bet was on this concert.
Things were feeling sparky when we hit the Minneapolis Convention Center that September night. A booth of communists (not a joke, these were the real deal) petitioned attendees for donations. Apparently, someone had been unjustly jailed. They let people know it. The booth had me on edge and making a note of the exits.
The crowd's attention turned to the music after things started. People were beyond excitable. This was an arena full of emotions ready to burst. After the last note, I wondered what they'd do with that energy.
But nothing happened. The band urged people to be calm. Coupled with the scores of riot police garrisoning the streets outside, the end of the show was about as eventful as an Easter ham sale.
The situation certainly could've went the other way. Had it done so, the big mistake I made would've been highlighted in full detail. Repeat after me…
1) The Golden Rule of Riots: Don't Go to Places You Know Are Going to Be Trouble
This officer has to make a decision about whether you're a rioter or just an average Joe. It's an easy call to make if you're not there. [Image via sxc.hu]If I know a stove is hot, should I touch it? Of course not. The same goes with political riots. Partisan events are announced well ahead of time. It's an unwritten rule that there will be problems on the street level. Unless you're planning on winning your party's nomination for president, stay the heck out of Dodge. The traffic alone is worth the vacation.
If you must be in the area of these events, avoid hotspots. Thankfully, there aren't many, since most protestors are peaceful. The few that do pop up are easy to spot. Just listen for the sirens.
I didn't heed this tip. I knew better. It could've cost me. Don't take the same gamble.
Other tips for surviving a riot include…
2) If You're Near a Riot, Blend In
No, that doesn't mean start breaking windows. It means don't draw attention to yourself. Not to the rioters. Not to police. Those two groups are already paying attention to each other. You need them looking the other way while you make a quick exit.
Remember, the vast majority of people have no interest in being violent. They'll want to get to safety just as much as you do. Sticking with those people should help you escape. There's safety in numbers, especially when they're non-violent.
3) If You're Completely Surrounded by a Riot…
If luck and Point 1 don't work out, this oft-cited article on WikiHow has some good tips should the guy next to you lose his cool. They include sticking to the perimeter of the action, getting a wall behind you and watching for crowd control chemicals (pepper spray, tear gas, etc.).
Those are good, general ideas. But my experience with unruly crowds tells me they don't go further than that. Average folks aren't going to look for a wall. They're going to want to get out of there.
Trust your gut. However you make an exit, do it promptly and without injuring anyone.
4) Don't Be a Hero
Leave the hero work to the people who are willing to take a punch on the job. Get yourself out of there.
Trying to intervene during a fight or looting is just asking for trouble. If the rioters, who are already willing to act violently, don't deal with you, the police will. It's hard to weed out who's who during a chaotic breakdown. That's why police use indiscriminate crowd control methods, such as gas. Takes care of everyone.
5) Be Careful with that Car
You know who doesn't like to be ran over by a car? Everyone. Keep that in mind if you're unfortunate enough to be stuck in a vehicle during a riot.
Driving toward a police line might prompt them to use force to make you stop. Rioters, on the other hand, can't seem to tolerate upright cars. What to do?
This is a judgement call. Don't drive in a way that irks anyone, but be stern enough to let people know “I want to get out of here.”
In any case, the car isn't worth your life. If you need to abandon it, do it without thinking twice.
Worst Case Scenario
A city-wide riot, a la Los Angeles 1992, would be considered the worst case scenario. Faced with nowhere to run and uninhibited violence, no survival tip can prepare you. How you survive is up to your best judgement.
It's not worth getting worked up about, though. As I wrote in this post about gas masks, determine the most likely disaster to hit your area. Adjust survival plans accordingly. Chances are Mother Nature is a greater threat than a city-leveling riot.
Conclusion
I allowed myself a few sprinkles of humor in this article. It's not to make light of riots. They're serious business. But most people reading this won't ever have to use these tips.
That's because most riots, at least in the United States, are predictable. Pay attention. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The best way to survive a riot is from miles away in front of a TV. Enjoy the fact you're not there.
From rolling blackouts to hurricanes, floods to tornadoes, power can go out at a moment's notice. If the grid fails, the PowerPot will keep you charging! The PowerPot thermoelectric generator converts any heat source directly into power that charges your USB handheld devices. Get Yours Now
This video shows how to start a fire using a bow drill. It's a difficult, time-consuming process. But in a pinch, a bow drill is the perfect way to start a fire without modern fire starting tools.
Andy Tran, the instructor, used these items in the video:
Bow Drill: Western Red Cedar Cordage: 550 Knife: Hawkes Hellion Elite
From rolling blackouts to hurricanes, floods to tornadoes, power can go out at a moment's notice. If the grid fails, the PowerPot will keep you charging! The PowerPot thermoelectric generator converts any heat source directly into power that charges your USB handheld devices. Get Yours Now
On Tuesday, the whole world watched as a strengthening tropical depression raced across the Gulf, picking up steam as it made landfall in Louisiana and other coastal states.
However, not so publicly known is the role played behind the scenes by amateur radio as a backup emergency communications system during such hurricanes.
When cell phone networks and the Internet go down, old-fashioned ham radio — facilitated by WX4NHC, the amatuer radio station at the National Hurricane Center — keeps emergency communication traffic humming as Hurricane Isaac zeroes in on the Gulf Coast.
As Tropical Storm Isaac moves over the Gulf of Mexico at a speed of about 14 miles per hour, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) say the storm “poses [a] significant storm surge threat to the Northern Gulf Coast.” As of 11 AM (EDT), Isaac is 250 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida, and about 310 miles from Pilottown, Louisiana, the mouth of the Mississippi River.
According to VoIP Hurricane Net Director of Operations Rob Macedo, KD1CY, both the VoIP Hurricane Net and WX4NHC — the Amateur Radio station at the NHC — secured operations at 6:30 PM (EDT) on Sunday, August 26 and will rest on Monday, August 27. “While Isaac is becoming better organized, it remains a tropical storm and is passing through the Florida Keys,” Macedo said. “The new track guidance brings most of Isaac’s effects out over the open Gulf of Mexico for Monday, with the exception of some minimal tropical storm effects along the immediate West Coast of Florida. Latest model guidance and NHC track guidance brings Isaac to the Northern Gulf Coast between Louisiana and Florida on Tuesday into Wednesday, when the next VoIP Hurricane Net and WX4NHC activation is likely to occur.”
To contact WX4NHC with emergency traffic or to listen to the station on High Frequency (HF):
Amateur Radio HF Frequencies – (single sideband mode)
20 meters : 14.325 MHz Hurricane Watch Net (Main frequency during Hurricanes) 40 meters : 7.268 MHz Water Way Net (secondary frequency) Maritime Mobiles Net 80 meters : 3.815 MHz Caribbean Net, (Alternates: 3.950 : North Florida / 3.940 South Florida)
From rolling blackouts to hurricanes, floods to tornadoes, power can go out at a moment's notice. If the grid fails, the PowerPot will keep you charging! The PowerPot thermoelectric generator converts any heat source directly into power that charges your USB handheld devices. Get Yours Now
Attached bipods, like this Harris, work best prone; some have extendable legs that work for sitting, too.
Wayne van Zwoll offers an enlightening article on how to use rifle bipods and tripods.
The animals you hunt live amid an abundance of rock, trees, hillocks and other rifle rests. Alas, there’s never a rock or a limb where you need it, when you have little time to fire.
That’s why Cro Magnon man invented a rest for his spear…Well, perhaps the bipod doesn’t go that far back. But it’s been in use a long time. Crossed sticks helped sharpshooters hit at distance before the advent of smokeless powder. Commercial hunters who swept the plains clean of bison used them to deadly effect. By the middle 1880s, the toll was so great that human scavengers would glean three million tons of bones from the prairie.
Even with a tripod, add bracing offhand. This rifleman has employed a tripod under his trigger arm.
Military as well as sporting rifles are commonly available with bipods attached. Widely hailed, the Harris bipod has been improved over the years with the addition of extendable legs. New versions also incorporate some latitude for tilt, so you can rotate the rifle slightly to square it up on sloping ground. That’s a useful feature, even if the device has adjustable legs. There may be no time to extend or retract a leg – or you can’t risk doing so for fear of drawing attention. If there’s a bit of “rock” to the bipod base, you can twist the rifle enough to get it reasonably level from the shoulder.
Most bipods for sporting rifles snap into the front QD swivel stud. Some rifles intended for bipod use have two studs, so you can attach a sling to the other. A bipod should be mounted so when flipped to a “carry” position, the legs point forward.
Setting a bipod for a shot, choose a firm but impressionable surface over a hard one. As you pad your rifle on a bench rest, you’ll get better results with bipod legs on soft ground or a jacket, which absorb vibration caused by your pulse and by the shock of firing and bullet travel down the bore. Vibration kicks bullets off course.
At a recent shooting event, I managed consistent hits on pie-plate targets at 500 yards with a Ruger .30-06. The rifle, and Hornady’s M1 Garand load, was partly responsible, as was the Zeiss scope.
But the Harris bipod surely helped. I was careful to plant the legs in gravel, not on nearby concrete or wood. The soft substrate acted like sandbags to suck high-frequency bounce from the rifle.
A rifle tripod trumps a bipod, offhand. Grasp the “neck,” finger and thumb alongside the rifle. Lean forward.
While long-legged bipods can be used from the sitting position, most are designed for prone shooting. I keep the legs as low as I can to shoot comfortably. A bipod shouldn’t put you in an uncomfortable position. If it forces your head up, or puts an acute angle in your elbows, it’s too high.
You’re smart, after planting bipod feet, to push into the rifle with your shoulder. Pressure on the bipod legs should seat them more firmly. Some lightweight bipods yield to that pressure. They’re not on my Christmas list.
To assist a bipod, make your left hand into a fist and place it under the stock’s toe, squeezing or relaxing your hand to make slight elevation changes. Another tip: buy or fashion a small sandbag – no larger than a baseball, but brick-shaped, with lightweight filler – to hold under the stock toe. It’s a boon if you must bring the stock a little higher than your fist alone can boost it comfortably.
Bog Pod makes a complete line of bipods and tripods, including hardware-specific, quick-release heads.
The long-legged version of the attached bipod is a pair of shooting sticks. Standard kit for every professional hunter in Africa’s long grass, shooting sticks can be as simple as shaved tree limbs bound by strips of inner tube. More sophisticated versions, with telescoping, quick-locking legs, have proliferated.
Stoney Point has some excellent sticks. I especially like those by Bog Pod, which offer pop-off heads to accommodate rifles, cameras, even binoculars. There’s a squeeze-grip to bring your hardware on target and lock it there with one hand.
As this is written, I’m bound shortly for Africa with a pair of Bog Pod tripods, which offer more stability than bipods and can be – perhaps counter-intuitively – faster to use. The extra leg adds little heft.
If using a bipod offhand or kneeling, keep the legs a bit longer than you think you’ll need. Swing them well forward when you plant them, so they lean toward you. Grasp the juncture, your fingers and thumb up alongside the rifle to steady it. Lean forward into the sticks. You’ll secure the feet in the ground while letting the legs carry your body weight.
Wayne’s Springfield sporter in .30-06 Improved has a 7-digit serial number, higher than the 800,000 that marked the end of low-carbon, case-hardened receivers in 1917.
When it comes to reloading ammunition, Wayne van Zwoll says handloading cartridges requires special attention.
Firearms come apart when gas pressures from burning powder can’t leave soon enough. Time matters. Pressures can’t build to dangerous levels if you don’t give them time.
On the other hand, you must give pressures time to build to useful levels. The bullet is an obstruction. Its resistance (friction and mass), plus barrel length and the relationship of bore to case capacity determine the appropriate powder and charge. A charge of fast-burning Bullseye powder behind a lightweight bullet in a .45 ACP pistol generates a sharp, quick thrust. It must, because that short bullet is easily dislodged.
Cowboy Action ammo loaded to mild pressure helps safeguard this pristine, valuable Winchester 53.
As it races through the short bore, a huge space opens instantly behind it. The powder has little time to work before its energy dissipates. Think of a ping-pong paddle in action.
A rifle powder such as 4350 in a bottleneck case like a .270 generates pressure more slowly as it burns. The bore is small, relative to case capacity, and the bullet long. An instant burst of energy from Bullseye wouldn’t give the sustained push needed to overcome bore friction and accelerate the long, slim .270 bullet through a long barrel.
Heavier charges of fast powder would lift pressures to dangerous levels. Bore space behind the bullet wouldn’t increase fast enough to relieve it. Think of that ping pong paddle meeting a baseball. The paddle (or your wrist) would yield before the momentum of the incoming ball could be reversed.
Like handgun ammunition, shotshells use faster powders than those in bottleneck rifle hulls. The heavier the shot load, the slower the powder. Short pressure curves don’t mate well with slow acceleration against high resistance. Also, shotgun barrels and/or actions weren’t designed to bottle stiff pressures. Big bores and straight cases flush pressure out fast.
Rifles of modern steel seldom come apart. Acceptable breech pressures of smokeless centerfire rounds as determined by SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) run from around 42,000 psi for the .30-30 to over 60,000 psi for high-velocity magnums.
Powders must match not only cartridges but bullet weights. Choose carefully; handload conservatively.
Several bolt rifles safely digest proof or “blue pill” loads of more than 100,000 psi. Famously, Springfield 1903 receivers to serial number 800,000 (in 1917) were of case-hardened, low-carbon steel, not as strong as subsequent double-heat-treated receivers. These acceded to even stronger nickel-steel receivers at serial number 1,275,767 (in 1927).
Proper charges of proper powders help keep your rifle intact. But careless mixing of cartridges can make even safe loads hazardous. Once a pal inadvertently loaded a .308 round in his .270. The .308 cartridge is shorter, so the bolt closed before the bullet met the smaller neck of the .270 chamber.
When he fired, pressures vaulted as the .308 bullet squirted through the .277 bore. The bolt froze shut. Gas from the ruptured case blew the extractor off and jetted through the magazine well, splitting the stock into three pieces. Fortunately, the Mauser lugs did not fail, and my friend was wearing glasses.
Another way to blow a rifle is to not use any powder at all. Once, having heard only the hammer fall as I triggered a borrowed rifle, I opened the action and ejected a fired case. “Must have forgotten to cycle the lever,” thought I, and chambered another round. But just before I fired, another possibility came to mind. Action open, I looked into the bore. Dark.
The rifle’s owner had failed to add powder to that first case. The primer had driven the bullet inches into the bore. Had I launched another 200-grain softpoint, pressure would have spiked as it collided with the stuck bullet. The Model 71 Winchester would almost certainly have been ruined, with injuries likely.
Don’t use someone else’s handloads! Pull the bullets; use the components.
You’ve read caveats about firing smokeless loads in Damascus shotgun barrels – those made by wrapping heated bars around a bore mandrel. The rule makes sense, as does the use of black-powder or “smokeless for black” (not full-power smokeless) loads in old double rifles. In truth, some early rifles and Damascus shotguns thrive on modern ammo.
I have it on good report that the actions and barrel thickness of Parker shotguns dating to the early 20th century are such that Parker proofed to higher pressures than generated by modern target loads, even some duck loads!
Still, barrel steels of a century ago don’t match ours today. Breeching that has become loose, or weak cases or oversize or damaged chambers add risk. When in doubt, have the gun examined by people with appropriate equipment and expertise, or stick to mild loads.
Hewing to conservative loads in old guns, and taking care to use the right powders and ammo can keep stock and steel in one functional piece, and you, too.
M1 Garand bayonet, not a bad idea for a survival gun.
Why would someone attach an M1 Garand bayonet to their rifle today? One good reason is covered in this article about survival guns.
History of the M1 Garand Bayonet
For civilian use, little thought has been given to the M1 Garand bayonet, other than interest as collectors’ curiosity. With preparation for civil disaster, the bayonet should no longer be considered a collector piece, but as an essential item in the survival toolbox.
Starting in late WWII, the bayonet changed in form and function. Prior to that time, most military bayonets were almost a type of short sword, with a blade roughly from 10-17 inches in length.
This length gave the soldier maximum reach for thrusting through their opponent when battle was close or ammo was low.
However, this bayonet length, or the spike-style bayonet on the SKS was really not good for a whole lot of other purposes, and it spent most of its time adding weight to a soldier’s belt without maximum utility.
As WWII progressed, and the M1 carbine was in front-line combat service, there arose a cry for a bayonet that would fit it. Due to the short length of the carbine, the old school full-length sword bayonets would unbalance the gun severely.
The M4 bayonet was introduced along with the barrel band bayonet lug. The M4 was much like the Ka-Bar fighting knife that was made for the U.S. Marines.
With a 6.5-inch blade length which could be sharpened on both sides, the bayonet was no longer a little-used burden for a soldier to carry, but a piece of equipment that could be used as a bayonet, fighting knife or tool for prying or opening rations.
Eventually the M5 knife/bayonet was introduced for the M1 Garand, which replaced the “sword blade” bayonets that were previously issued. The M5 used the same blade as the M4 and was equipped with a plastic handle.
The Switch to Knife Bayonets
The advantages of the knife bayonet were not lost on the rest of the armies in the world and many followed suit by switching to knife-style bayonets.
An M1 Garand bayonet works well against someone trying to grab your survival gun.
Use of the bayonet on today’s survival rifles is not for last-ditch bayonet charges. Where the bayonet shines is for use as the ultimate weapon retention device.
There are a many long gun retention techniques taught to law enforcement officers in order for them to safeguard and control their guns (although my method of defense is a pull of the trigger to discourage the attempt) but affixing a bayonet is most likely the best method of retaining control. Even though some long-range accuracy may be degraded, any close-quarter gun grab would be stopped immediately.
In addition, the modern bayonet is of course, a knife and a tough one at that.
If you have a rifle that can accept a bayonet, find a good used one or a new reproduction model, and make it your survival knife to maximize its usefulness. Anything you are carrying for emergency evacuation use should have as many uses as possible for it to earn a space on your body.
Today's Bayonet Legacy
Looking forward from the M1 Garand Bayonet is the newest M-16 bayonet, the M9. There are a number of manufacturers who make the M9, which has more focus as fixed-blade survival knife, since that is the most likely use for this tool in today’s army.
The M9 is an upgraded version of the previous M-16 bayonet, the M7 in that a wire cutter attachment has been added to the scabbard tip in a fashion similar to the design on the AK-47 knife/bayonet, and the handle is hollow for storage of a small amount of survival items.
The M9 makes a very fine stand-alone survival and camping knife even without the rifle to go with it.
Note that the M9 can be added to properly equipped Mossberg 500/590 shotguns as well, which helps address their lower magazine capacity issue.
Any rifle that can mount a bayonet should have one available for it. If you have one of the Auto-Ordnance M1 carbines, a barrel band bayonet lug can be added to it with little effort.
All in all, the M1 Garand bayonet should be considered a serious option for today's survival guns.
M1 Garand Bayonet Update
U.S. military bayonets of World War II. Shown are the M1905 Bayonet (blued version), M1 Bayonet, M1905E1 Bowie Point Bayonet (cut down version of the M1905), and the M4 Bayonet with leather handle for the M1 Carbine. Photo: Curiosandrelics
M1 Garand Bayonet Identification
The M1 Garand bayonet’s history is as varied as the gun itself and identifying a Garand bayonet would require an entire dissertation unto itself.
The main bayonets used on the big M1 were the M1905, M1, M5 and M5A1. M1905 Bayonets Type I-III sport walnut grips, while the Type IVs have plastic grips. M1s and M5s also carry plastic slabs.
Early M1905 bayonets had blued 16-inch blades, later models were Parkerized. Manufacturers included Wilde Drop Forge & Tool (WT)Utica Cutlery (UC)Union Fork & Hoe (UFH)Pal Blade & Tool (PAL)Oneida (OL)American Fork & Hoe (AFH).
The M1 was similar in appearance to the M1905, only with a shorter 10-inch blade. The M5 variants were 6-inchers.
M1 Garand Bayonet Reproduction
While there are lots of samples of original M1 Garand Bayonets on the used market, there are some companies making reproductions.
For example, Atlanta Cutlery sells a reproduction M1 bayonet, complete with 1942 markings and the flaming bomb cartouche.
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.
Now at 16 editions, Cartridges of the World continues to offer reloading data for ammunition from across the planet. The rich, in-depth information makes for an essential reloading manual. It's also the perfect reference for anyone interested in wildcatting their cartridges. With reloading data for more than 1,500 cartridges, Cartridges of the World is the world-wide standard all other reloading manuals are compared against.
