As reported by the Rockford Star, “Women who log onto an Illinois State Police Web page will find they are advised to protect themselves [in case of sexual assault] with a ‘rat tail comb, keys, pens and pencils’ against an assailant armed with a gun or knife. As a last resort, women are told put their fingers into their throats and to make themselves vomit, apparently to make themselves less attractive.”
“I find that demeaning and insulting,” said Valinda Rowe, IllinoisCarry.com spokeswoman, at a recent meeting of gun rights advocates who wanted Illinois to legalize concealed carry for its citizens. “Illinois is the only state in the union not to have legislation permitting some form of concealed carry. Many advocates believe that may change as early as this spring.”
One large problem? “Gov. Pat Quinn (D) has consistently promised to veto concealed carry legislation if it were to reach his desk.”
“You have got to change the leadership in Springfield,” said U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who spoke in favor of carry at the meeting. “Those who protect your freedom, reward them. Those who don’t, kick them out of office.”
Of note, once the story got out about the Illinois State Police’s “advice” to potential victims of sexual assault? That particular webpage, referenced in a number of media stores, was apparently pulled out of circulation.
Before you get the idea that an article about sensitivity should be aired on Oprah, let me say two things:
Several environmental factors can affect the performance of handloads.
1) Ammunition can be sensitive to a lot of environmental factors.
2) No one I know cares in the least what Oprah and her friends think on this subject or any other.
We handloaders, especially those of us that use those handloads for hunting, expect a great deal from our ammunition. We expect our firearms to function with this ammunition in a wide variety of conditions, we expect it to be consistent in accuracy under widely different temperature and altitude situations and we expect it to hold up to the neglect of poor storage and handling.
It is easy to forget, in the warm and calm handloading room, that we may be depending on that cartridge on some wind- and snow-swept ridge, soaking wet or so cold the brass sticks to the fingers, or near the equator where day and night temperatures may vary by 50 degrees and condensation forms so fast gunmetal will rust right before your eyes.
For me, a round that doesn’t go bang when it is supposed to can define heartbreak and disappointment. There are enough duds in the world and we don't need to be making more of them.
When we handload we must start with quality components. This is not to say that surplus brass is to be ignored, or that bulk bullets are a bad thing (they most certainly are not) but whatever we start with, it must be in the best possible condition.
This means components must be clean and inspected and primers and powders must come from proper storage. My system is about as simple as it gets: if I have any doubt about a component, it gets cut from the roster.
For lead bullets, it's easy; they go back in the pot for the next casting. For cases, they must be segregated by brand and within brand by the number of times fired. For my hunting I do not use cases that have been loaded and fired more than three times; the older cases are used for practice rounds.
Powder and primers are usually not a problem; both are used up pretty quickly and not stored for long periods of time. The point is to start right and so you will be glad later.
Moisture is the big fish in the list of ammunition enemies. Any duck hunter can tell you of hunts gone to hell because he left his shells in a bucket stool overnight or allowed them to be splashed or sat on by a dripping retriever.
Rifle ammunition can be ruined just as quickly. Left in a hunting coat pocket after a foul-weather hunt, and then taken from a warm house into the frigid woods and then back again, these mistreated rounds can slurp up enough moisture in the form of condensation – even a tiny drop –to render them inert.
The area around the primer is most often the culprit but banded bullets can also create a space between bullet and case neck that will hold enough dampness to ruin your day. A hang fire can be worse than a misfire and either can come from moisture getting into your ammo.
Altitude is something most hunters ignore when it comes to ammo performance. We all know that changes in atmospheric pressure can change external ballistics, but to what degree is the question. When I lived in Gloucester, Virginia, elevation 12 feet above sea level, and loaded ammunition for hunting, then took that ammunition to Buck Mountain, nearly 5,000 feet higher, the bullets did some amazing things on the target range.
Suddenly my groups were significantly higher above zero with some calibers and loads. At the higher elevation, the decreased pressure and thinner atmosphere acted to reduce drag and change the trajectory. I attempted to determine if there were any velocity changes by taking chronograph readings at sea level and at the higher elevation using 10-shot strings of four different calibers both at the muzzle and at 200 yards.
What I found was that initial velocities were virtually the same but the 200-yard readings were statistically different, with the higher elevation numbers coming in faster than those shot at sea level. The larger caliber, heavier bullets seemed to suffer more than the lighter bullets of smaller diameter, but both (.35 Whelen, 250-grain Hornady and 6mm Remington 87-grain Hornady) showed percent velocity changes that could be measured. All tested ammunition retained more velocity at higher elevation than that which was measured at low elevation.
So, if you live at sea level or thereabouts and plan to hunt the Colorado high country above 10,000 feet you need to check your zero when you get to your hunting destination.
It’s common sense that ammunition is temperature-sensitive. Ammunition left to bake on the dashboard can reach temperatures approaching 120 degrees in a closed car or truck. Ammunition left in the car on a frigid night can assume air temperature. If that temperature is low enough it can surely cause changes to ignition and pressure.
Going back and forth between high and low temperature extremes will, as mentioned, cause condensation to occur within the cartridge case. Here you have to use your best judgment and care with your hard-earned handloads. If you store your ammo over long periods of time do your best to keep the temperature of storage constant.
And remember, if one round is bad, chances are others in that bunch are likewise affected. Be smart, care for your ammo and it will consistently get the job done.
Whether you choose to reload because it's a more cost-effective alternative, or you're interested in creating custom ammunition, it's important to know what you're doing. Done incorrectly, handloading can be risky, but with the appropriate tools, equipment, and techniques, it can be a more than viable alternative to purchasing manufactured ammunition. With the Reloading Ultimate Collection, discover the best practices for reloading ammo for rifles, handguns, and shotguns. Load up now
Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews and practical how-to instructions. With your subscription, you’ll also learn about threats to your Second Amendment rights. Click here to begin your subscription to Gun Digest.
With the best qualities of both leather and polymer the concealed carry holster is ready to work.
For those of you who can’t decide between leather or polymer for a concealed carry holster, Safariland has you covered with a hybrid that give you the best of both worlds.
The Bianchi Allusion series of concealment holsters combines the best of existing leather and synthetic holster technologies into a holster that offers both traditional good looks and long-lasting high-performance. The series consists of three initial models: the Model 125 Consent, Model 130 Classified, and the Model 135 Suppression. All are formed with premium high-grade, full-grain leather wrapped and laminated around a thermal-molded synthetic core. This synthetic liner promotes a very quick draw and effortless reholstering. Further, it resists wear during daily use. Each holster also houses a trigger guard detent for enhanced weapon retention. This is a feature that is not typically found on traditional leather holsters.
Here is the breakdown:
The Bianchi Model 125 Consent is an open-top holster with multi-carry capabilities. Dual snap belt loops offer a high-ride hip carry, and an extra set of belt loops allows the holster to be worn inside the waistband for more discreet carry. The triggerguard detent design helps to ensure secure carry during normal activity.
The Model 130 Classified features thumb break retention for those looking for an additional security measure in addition to the trigger guard detent. To maintain optimal flexibility in the thumb break, the strap is suede-lined, while the synthetic liner encompasses the rest of the holster.
The 135 Suppression features an inside-the-waistband design that is all about concealability and comfort. For enhanced concealability, the holster sits low enough that the thickest part of the weapon lies directly underneath the belt, helping to obscure its shape. Meanwhile, two shirt-tuckable C-clips grasp the belt and, taking as little real estate as possible, give the appearance of an empty belt. The gun cant is optimized to put the grip into the kidney area of the back, minimizing any visible printing. Comfort is enhanced with a body-facing holster liner composed of soft foam covered with an anti-microbial mesh coating to reduce bacteria growth and odor.
Each olster will retail for less than $75. They are available in black or tan. For more information about Bianchi holsters or other products, visit www.safariland.com/dutygear or www.bianchi-intl.com.
Recommended gun books for those who carry concealed handguns:
When it comes to rifles, it doesn't get bigger than the .950 JDJ. This 50-pound centerfire log of a gun uses a 2,400-grain load (240 grains powder) at a velocity of 2,100 feet per second. That's 25,400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy in all. The recoil, as described in this video, is equivalent to 10 .30-06s firing at once.
If this sounds like something better suited to a tank, you're right. Per an e-mail, it's similar to a World War I tank shell, although Gun Digest is not able to confirm this trivia.
The folks at Knight Arms head to the range to fire the behemoth in this video.
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Grand Island, NE – Hornady® Manufacturing announced the recall of seven lots of 500 S&W 300 gr. FTX® Custom™ pistol ammunition. Hornady ballisticians have determined that some cartridges from Lot numbers 3101327, 3110256, 3110683, 3110695, 3110945, 3111388, 3111885, may exhibit excessive chamber pressures. Use of this product may result in firearm damage and/or personal injury.
Product Recall Details: Item number 9249 500 S&W 300 grain FTX® Custom™ Pistol Ammunition. These lots were shipped between September 9, 2010, and October 17, 2011.
Included Lot Numbers:
3101327
3110256
3110683
3110695
3110945
3111388
3111885
The lot number can be found printed on the lower portion of the box label.
If you own any of these Lot numbers or have any questions regarding this recall, please call 800-338-1242. Hornady Manufacturing Company will make all arrangements associated with the return and replacement of this product.
Any other lot numbers or item numbers are not subject to this recall and require no action.
These look like they would work as athletic shorts, too. Ladies, you tell me.
I am not qualified to discuss many women's issues. I know that. I am also smart and polite enough to keep most of my opinions in those areas to myself.
So, when it comes to concealed carry holsters for women, I tend to pause and scratch my chin in an attempt to look knowledgeable. But in reality, I think people can see right through that. Perhaps I can offer a little advice, but ask for even more.
I'm asking any women reading this to look over the photos here and comment. We've got belly bands with shoulder straps, holsters that hook to the front or side of the bra, concealed carry shorts and undershirt with an integral holster. Ladies, what works for you? And why?
This is hooked to the bra strap. WIll it work?
Clint Smith will tell you that carrying a gun is not supposed to be comfortable, it is supposed to be comforting. But comfort is important because if carrying a gun is a pain in the ass, or anywhere else, you will often choose not to carry it. Then what good is it?
The reality is that you have to have your gun when you need it. You don't ever want to be ducking for cover wishing you had your gun with you. So, I'm asking you to add to this discussion.
When it comes to your concealed carry handgun, have you found a comfortable place to carry it and keep it concealed? Our readers want to know. Your CCW girlfriends want to know. Pass this note around and let's get the conversation started! Look at the rest of these photos and make constructive comments. What are you thinking? What are you looking for in a concealed carry holster?
The Remington 1100 also makes an excellent tactical platform. Author’s tactical team has a customized short barrel model as part of its SRT team equipment. This 1100 Tactical features a fixed pistol grip synthetic stock, 6-round extended mag tube, bead sights, an enlarged tactical charging handle and sling swivel mounts.
Semi-automatic tactical shotguns give you one big advantage over pumps: the ability for double-tap, rapid fire shots. But that's not all.
The 8-shot SPX version of the Mossberg 930 Tactical, in addition to the extended magazine tube, features a standard style stock, tall AR-15-style sights with a red light gathering front sight tube, fully adjustable rear sight and a section of picatinny rail on top of the receiver for mounting optical sights.
While I played around with my 870 pump while shooting clays for a period of time, I later switched to the M2 tactical.
I could run the pump pretty good, but not like I could the auto. For serious clays competitors, there is no question; they use a semi-auto or, even faster, an over/under double barrel.
A two shot limit for the double gun doesn’t matter here, since in sporting clays there are only two birds thrown at any given time.
Combine this capability with an extended magazine tube in a tactical shotgun and you can send a lot of lead (in California, copper) down range in a short amount of time, and in the case of a gas gun, keep reasonable control of the recoil generated by those rounds to boot.
Here’s what may be the biggest advantage of a semi-auto shotgun. For those who have trouble remembering to work the action of a pump each time they want to fire it, there is no such issue with the semi-auto shotgun.
Even if under stress, all that needs to be done is cycle the bolt of the semi-auto to chamber a round and cock the firing system. Then, make sure the safety is off and begin launching rounds downrange. Nothing much else to worry about.
What do you think? Do you prefer a pump-action, double-barrel or autoloader for a tactical shotgun and why? Leave your comments below.
Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews and practical how-to instructions. With your Subscription, you’ll also learn about threats to your Second Amendment rights. Click here to begin your subscription to Gun Digest.
The VersaCarry concealed carry holster is perfect for summer use under light clothing.
As the weather warms across the country, and we are hoping that will be very soon here in Wisconsin, concealment garments tend to get small and lighter. That means hiding your concealed carry handgun can be more of a challenge. A new product on the market called VersaCarry can help keep your gun hidden and secure, yet this little concealed carry holster also provided easy access.
The VersaCarry is basically a J-hook of polymer that hangs over your belt and places the pistol inside the waistband. What holds the pistol in place is a polymer rod anchored to a flat platform. You push the muzzle down over the rod and the waist band and belt hold the pistol in place. The latest version offers a bit of an upgrade from the original, which I first saw about six months ago. The new version includes a plastic shield covering the trigger area of the pistol. What the shield does is insure that you can't get your finger inside the trigger guard until the polymer rod has cleared the muzzle.
This is where some folks might have and issue with the VersaCarry. All our lives we have been told to never plug the muzzle of the firearm for fear of catastrophic failure. now this holster puts a 2-inch plastic dowel right in the path of your bullet. For their part, the VersaCarry folks have plastered warnings all over the packaging telling buyers: Warning. Do not use this product to carry any handgun with a live round in the chamber. I assume product liability laws require that you make rules to protect the idiots of the world. You judge for yourself.
The VersaCarry proved to be easy to set up, ambidextrous and very easy and comfortable to carry. The model I have is designed for a .380 with a 2.75-inch barrel. The upside is this little clip removes 75 percent of the weight and bulk from a holster. The downside is there is no easy way to reholster the pistol. You have to start with the VersaCarry in one hand and the pistol in the other. Fit the pistol to the clip and insert it into your waistband as a unit. But really, if you have to draw your pistol you won't be in a hurry to reholster until you are sure the threat is gone. When the threat is gone, you can lift the clip off your belt, put your pistol back in place and return it.
VersaCarry holds your concealed carry handgun tightly on your belt to be covered by even a light shirt.
I think the VersaCarry will be great for anyone with a small auto, carried IWB with summer clothes.
A depressed Army reservist who made a phone call for help says dozens of police responded by surrounding his home and arresting him, vandalizing and searching his place without a warrant, seizing his dog and killing his tropical fish.
Matthew Corrigan, who lives alone with his dog, sued the District of Columbia in D.C. Federal Court.
Confronted with a massive police presence after his plea for help, Corrigan says, he denied officers permission to enter his house, but they entered and trashed it anyway, saying, “I don't have time to play this constitutional bullshit!” Corrigan says the debacle started on Feb. 2, 2010.
“Corrigan telephoned what he believed to be the ‘Military's Emotional Support Hotline' because he was depressed and had not slept for several days,” the complaint states.
“The number Corrigan called was in fact the National Suicide Hotline. When he stated that he was a veteran, he was asked if he had firearms, to which he said yes. He said nothing about being suicidal or using a firearm or threatening anyone. After a short conversation, Corrigan hung up, turned off the phone, took prescribed sleeping medication, and went to bed.
“At approximately 4 a.m. in the morning of Feb. 3, 2010, Corrigan awoke because he heard his name being called over a bullhorn. There were floodlights outside his front and back doors and an estimated 8 police officers in the back yard and 20 in the front yard.
“Corrigan turned on his phone and found that Officer Fischer of the 5th District was calling him, asking him to come out, which he did at about 4:50 a.m., locking the door behind him. He was handcuffed and put in the back of a SWAT truck. Read more
The Woolrich Elite Tactical Concealed Carry Shirt offers easy access to your concealed handgun.
While I am a fan of the concealed carry handgun philosophy that reads: Same gun. Same Place. Every day. I know that honest citizens can't always strap on a traditional concealed carry holster and head off to do the day's business. While you should always be discreet with your concealed handgun, sometimes you need to be VERY discreet. For those times, the 5.11 Tactical Holster Shirt (product #40011) is just the ticket. This athletic-cut shirt is 80 percent polyester and 20 percent spandex with padded holsters on the right and left flanks.
My little Kel-Tec drops in there very nicely and goes completely unnoticed. But to make this Holster Shirt really live up to its billing, I wore it underneath a Woolrich Elite Tactical Concealed Carry Shirt (product #44916). These Woolrich shirts incorporate all the quality of traditional Woolrich clothing, but with added features for the concealed carry handgun crowd. Chief among these features, and what makes the Woolrich shirt a perfect
The 5.11 Holster Shirt comes in black or white and hides your concealed carry handgun completely.
partner for the 5.11 Holster shirt, is the fact that the front closure incorporated magnets where buttons #3 and #4 should be. The magnetic closures provide quick access to the concealed carry handgun in the 5.11 Holster shirt. I've been wearing this combination regularly and have found I can hide anything from my Kel-Tec PF9 to my Glock 22. The full-sized gun adds a bit more weight, but it is not totally uncomfortable. The Kel-Tec is a dream to carry. Neither got a second look under the Woolrich shirt.
I would consider the 5.11 Holster shirt a three-season garment: Fall, Winter and Spring. While I haven't worn it in summer heat, I did don the shirt after leaving the gym and found the mixture of polyester and spandex did little to help me cool off after a 3-mile run on the treadmill. Perhaps I need more research or maybe I should just man-up and deal with it. Either way, Woolrich and 5.11 make a great tag-team combination for your concealed carry holster and handgun needs.
The Wilson Combat 6.8 SPC Recon challenges conventional thinking on rifles and calibers for law enforcement snipers or other tactical marksman.
I love to challenge rules and conventional notions — all cops should. Sometimes, I find that the rules in question are there for a reason, and under closer scrutiny are proven to exist for our benefit. Other times, I find that the rules have no grounding in practical purpose, and are actually there to our detriment.
All of us have been told at one time or another in our respective agencies when we dared to challenge or examine a particular rule such brilliant reasons for their existence like “because we’ve always done it that way” or even a more paternal/maternal “because”. Don’t you love a response like that, especially when the rule doesn’t make sense?
Well, I’m here to challenge some of the rules when it comes to the choice of a police precision marksman (hereafter referred to as “sniper”) rifle, and hopefully change the paradigm for at least some of you when it comes to them. So here goes:
Rule #1-A police sniper rifle needs to be a bolt gun. Who said that? Up until a few years ago, the bolt gun was the only choice. Today, with the advent of the modern accurized AR15 platform, that is no longer true.
Rule #2-The sniper rifle caliber must be the .308 Winchester. What advantages does the .308 bring? The round brings excellent accuracy, and a great deal of power. How much power? Probably more than we need in most civilian law enforcement situations.
Think about this; the average U.S. urban police sniper shooting distance is about 64 yards or less. How much of that power is wasted exiting the suspect’s head? Can we still take care of business with a milder recoiling caliber out of a standard AR platform gun? Yes, I think we can.
Rule #3- The police sniper rifle needs to weigh 12 or more pounds for best accuracy and to fit the conventional standards. Look again at the standard engagement distance: 64 yards. This is a distance that we can select and control because we select our hide and shooting point. Why not start with a rifle like the 6.8 Recon that weighs 7.5 pounds sans scope, and just maybe maxes out around 10 pounds including a 21-round magazine?
Rule #4-A scope with 15- to 20-power magnification is required. In the real-world sniper mission do you use all that magnification power, or do you want to be able to see some things out of the periphery, such as other suspects?
Ok, consider the rules challenged. Now let’s look at the alternate possibility for what the standard police urban sniper rifle-the 6.8 SPC Wilson Combat Recon. Recon is an excellent name for the gun in my way of thinking. The word “recon” is defined by Webster’s Online Dictionary as a “military activity in which soldiers, airplanes, etc., are sent to find out information about an enemy”
My 6.8 Recon is set up with an 18-inch stainless steel, medium contour match-grade barrel with M4 chamber, what I consider to be the best quad rail on the market from Wilson Combat, an unloaded weight of only 7.7 pounds, a mid-length direct impingement low-profile gas block, full length upper rail, NP3 Coated LMT enhanced bolt and carrier, Wilson Combat’s Accu-Tac flash hider, and Wilson’s single-stage TTU (Tactical Trigger Unit) adjusted to a crisp 4-pound pull, Magpuls excellent CTR buttstock and MOE pistol grip with Tactical Trigger Guard.
The whole thing is finished out with Wilson Combat’s excellent Armor-Tuff polymer finish, which I selected in OD. This color allows the weapon to be used in my rural terrain without much worry of additional camouflage being added. The receiver and full length of the barrel are coated, but not the forend (which would be a nice additional touch).
There are short rail segments on the side of the forend setup that may be moved to different locations along the sides or bottoms of the rail based upon your needs. I like the fact that the forend isn’t covered with rail. How much of the stuff do we need, really? I bet most of the rail on your M4’s sit unused. One 15-round magazine (about perfect for a recon weapon-good capacity, yet not likely to dig into the dirt when fired from the prone position) from C-Products is included.
When I received the 6.8 Recon, I was taken with the hand-built precision that goes into any Wilson Combat firearm and decided to set it up as a precision gun by mounting a bipod from Shooter’s Ridge and a 2.5x 10 Nightforce Variable Scope with an illuminated reticle. After a bit, I thought I might be ignoring some of the great multi-mission capabilities of the Recon. I was not thinking outside the box with it. This became especially apparent as I did the questioning of what comprised a good police sniper rifle. The 6.8 Recon is perfect in this role, but it is capable of much more than just that.
Reconnaissance implies that those conducting it are going to be getting in close. It also implies that the folks conducting said reconnaissance may have to fight their way out of their observation position. For this purpose, the 6.8 Recon is also a fine choice. It is lightweight, with a barrel that is 2 inches shorter than the M16A1 or A2 main battle rifle. The overall length is even shorter if the Magpul stock is collapsed.
In order to make it more mission capable for in-close work, I dumped the Nightforce scope, and went with a Trijicon 4×32 ACOG battle sight with dual illuminated reticle, coupled with a Trijicon RMR with Amber Dot dot as a CQB backup. This fantastic combination seemed purpose built for the Wilson Combat Recon mission.
The 6.8 fits well ballistically between the 7.62mm NATO (shown with 110 gr. Hornady TAP) on left, and 77gr. Wilson Combat 5.55mm BTHP on right. The 6.8 has a 110 Gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet from Silver State Armory. The ammo is shown with the 6.8 Recon Rifle and Wilson Combat COP Tool.
The ACOG is mounted on a Bobro quick-release mount and its 4-power magnification is plenty for the 64-yard law enforcement sniper/recon/observation mission. If things turn ugly, and the fight is on top of you, all you have to do is to raise your head and use the RMR sight for that really intimate moment.
Just to make sure all bases are covered, I mounted a set of Diamond Heads backup iron sights. Before I had actually gotten my hands on them, I considered the Diamondhead diamond shaped front and rear apertures to be a gimmick. I mean, how much could you improve on the concept of the basic iron sight these days beyond throwing some tritium on them? Well, like the old saying goes, there is always room for improvement, and the Diamondhead sights do just that!
These sights are the fastest to pick up on that I have ever tried. The diamond-shaped rear aperture just seems to lock onto the diamond-shaped front sight housing and bingo! There is the front post right where it is supposed to be. Don’t just think of them as backups, they would make a great primary setup if you want to keep your M4 as lightweight as possible. They flip up easily and lock right into place.
Note that with the ACOG setup, in order to take full advantage of the optical field of view, I had to mount the ACOG back to the point on the rail where you can’t flip up the rear Diamondhead. No biggie as you can’t co-witness them through the ACOG anyway. If things get bad and the mission changes or the ACOG setup goes down, just remove it, ditch it and then flip up the irons. That should take about all of two seconds or so. This is why any optic on a CQB rifle needs to be attached with a QD mount, and not screws.
I can tell you that the ACOG package with the Diamondhead sight is one of the best optics/CQB sighting combos available.
For Recon carry, I mounted a Tactical Link quick detachable/adjustable single point sling. I only had the black version on hand. If I was going to deploy this rifle in the field, I would use the OD green version. I moved the right side rail segment to the left side of the forend, directly aft of the rail segment that was holding the sling swivel and mounted a BLACKHAWK! Xiphos™ 90 Lumen strobing LED weapons light.
Here it can be operated in a hasty situation by the thumb of the left hand. Yes, you can actually operate an M4 type weapon and a combat light WITHOUT a vertical foregrip! I wanted to leave the foregrip off so as not to interfere with a “down in the dirt” operational position. With these additions, I now felt that I had completed the recon picture, and the Wilson Combat 6.8 was multi-mission capable and ready to rock.
Firing yielded no surprises, there really is no noticeable difference in recoil between a heavyweight 5.56 launching 75 grains and a 6.8 SPC launching 110. With the Hornady 110-grain BTHP version, the 6.8 has a 100-yard velocity of 2332 fps with a muzzle energy of 1328 ft./lbs. If you want to compare apples to apples, contrast the 110-grain 6.8 with the 110-grain .308 TAP URBAN round. Here you have a 100-yard velocity and muzzle energy of 2380 fps and 1956 fps respectively, with a penetration of only 9.25 inches (not enough in my book), and a maximum cavity of only 5.5 inches. Looks to me like the 6.8, thanks to the longer projectile and the better ballistic co-efficient, outperforms the 110 gr. .308 TAP URBAN round.
With the recon configuration, the Wilson SPC swings easily, and the 18-inch barrel length is really not a hindrance over a 16-inch barrel. I love the small diameter Wilson forend rail system. It is a huge improvement over the massive rails available on most M4 weapons systems.
The trigger is excellent, but not so light as to be dangerous for use in dynamic entry situations. The RMR sight on the Trijicon ACOG is easily accessed with just a slight raise of the head, and allows you to keep a good peripheral watch on the rest of the threat area, while maintaining a good sight picture. If you wanted to use this weapon as a strict entry weapon, I would recommend the substitution of the Crimson Trace MVF (Modular Vertical Foregrip) system for the BLACKHAWK! Xiphos light. The MVF gives you not only a bright LED light, but also the addition of a laser sight.
The Wilson Combat 6.8 SPC Recon-the multi-mission capable AR at its finest. Use it with the utmost confidence.
This article appeared in the December 5, 2011 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
I know competitions like this are not perfectly suited to the use of your concealed carry handgun, but any time you can get some practice under the pressure of a clock and other competitors you should do it. Check out your local 3-Gun matches and see if you can use your gun and concealed carry holster for the competition. Such activities encourage you to think on your feet and focus on your front sight. Those are good habits to get into.
This Iron Man competition is top notch; likely the toughest match you will ever shoot. Consider signing up for the event this summer.
Recommended gun books for those who carry concealed handguns:
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.
Women, don't rely on this atrocious advice to protect yourself. Get educated about using firearms and arm yourself with the book, Personal Defense for Women: Practical Advice for Self Protection. You'll learn:
