The city has until June 7 to respond to a complaint filed by a city man who claims his constitutional rights were violated when two police officers ordered him to the ground outside a Walgreens and seized two guns he was carrying.
Matthew Butcher's complaint names as defendants the city of Cuyahoga Falls, Mayor Don L. Robart, the city of Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, former Cuyahoga Falls Police Chief John Conley, Officer/Patrolman James McGowan, Officer/Patrolman Brian Anders and three other officers whose names were not in the complaint.
In the complaint, Butcher claims his rights were violated under the First, Second and Fourth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Ohio Constitution, Ohio Revised Code and common law.
He alleges he was the victim of “false imprisonment,” “assault” and “battery;” and he was in “fear of being subjected to deadly force, by having a loaded firearm pointed at him” by a police officer. He is seeking $25,000 in damages. Read more
Since the 1920s, the little beige house that sits alongside Interstate 57 in Markham has served as the headquarters of the Blue Park Gun Club, a small group of recreational shooters started by World War I veterans that's now in its third generation of families.
Most weekends, dozens of members — more if the weather is nice, fewer if it's not — gathered at the clubhouse to take aim at clay pigeons, 25 shots a turn. One of the enthusiasts, a restaurant chef, has been known to whip up escargot in the home's bucolic kitchen; others pestered their 80-year-old president to take his pills. Old photos and Christmas cards hang on the walls.
This year, the shooting range is silent. The trap throwers, ready to spit out the circular, orange clay pigeons, are turned off. In the windows, signs warn: “No Shooting Allowed.”
The gun club finds itself caught in the gears of government. For decades, its longtime landlord, the Cook County Board, was OK with letting the hobbyists fire away. But now that the landlord is wearing a different hat, as the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the club's use of the land is in jeopardy.
The group owns the land the clubhouse sits on, as well as the turf where the shooters stand. But since the 1960s, the club has had to lease the land that makes up the firing range from the Cook County Board. Back then, members were forced to move the house a few yards after the state took two-thirds of their small parcel as part of the interstate's construction.
Last year, however, the County Board transferred the land to the County Forest Preserve District to make good on an old deal — an easy swap to make because county commissioners double as forest preserve commissioners. Suddenly, the shooting range, where members long ago planted trees and brush to muffle the echo of gunshots, was not a welcome amenity on forest preserve land. Read more
Gun Digest Firearm Assembly-Disassembly for Home Gun Repair and Firearm Maintenance
Format: PDF Download
Price: $3.99
Pistol disassembly/reassembly has never been easier! Clean and maintain your Colt Woodsman Sport (First Issue). This Automatic Pistols Assembly/Disassembly download makes it simple, thanks to author J.B. Wood's expertise, step-by-step instructions and crisp photography.
Detailed photos show field-stripping and disassembly steps in proper order clearly illustrating the parts involved and the simple tools used
Easy-to-understand text describes each step of disassembly and reassembly for the Colt Woodsman Sport (First Issue)
Ideal for all skill levels—novice to expert
Note: These instructions also apply to the Colt Challenger, Colt Woodsman, Colt Huntsman, Colt Match Target, Colt Targetsman, Colt Woodsman (First Issue), Colt Woodsman (Second Issue), Colt Woodsman (Third Issue), Colt Woodsman Sport (First Issue), Colt Woodsman Sport (Second Issue), Colt Woodsman Target.
Solid on performance and reasonably priced, the Ruger P345 is not new but it is an autoloader any serious handgunner should check out.
Through my decades-long involvement with the shooting sports I have noted a trend. A new centerfire autoloading pistol is introduced with a lot of fanfare, and it appears on the covers of magazines. The articles inside tout its function, accuracy, durability, and ergonomics. The cycle is repeated with a new model, and the previously praised pistol passes into oblivion. I guess that is progress, and seems to stand as one of the rules of American marketing, but some models should not be forgotten.
Introduced almost exactly six years ago, the Ruger P345 is just such a pistol. Ruger’s first .45 auto, the P97 was introduced in 1997 and was praised as a durable, compact lightweight piece that featured a polymer frame. One published test even claimed that 5,000 rounds were fired in one without a failure of any kind. But the P97 was thought by some to be ugly, and it was not considered to be the equal of a SIG, Glock, Kimber, or a 1911 clone.
I have had mine for about seven years and have never had a misfire or stoppage of any kind. The good news is that it cost me exactly $350 at the time I bought it new. No, it is not the most elegant autoloader I have. That title belongs to a Smith & Wesson 4506.
But time marches on and Ruger replaced the P97 with the P345 in 2004. Although there are similarities between the two, there are also many differences. The P345 has three features that make it in compliance with restrictions in states that are unfriendly to handguns. First, it has a loaded chamber indicator. When a cartridge is in the chamber, a small bar pivoted at the rear is forced upward so the leading end rises out of a recess in the top of the slide, and two red dots and the word “loaded” become visible. Second, the P345 has a magazine disconnect so it will not fire with the magazine removed. Third, there is a key-activated lock that is accessed through a hole in the right hand safety lever when the safety lever is in the on position. These safety features bring praise from some and disdain from others. Many shooters will ignore the first two and never activate the third.
The exterior appearance of the P345 shows significant improvement over that of the P97, which does look somewhat like a blob. The P345 is slightly thinner and weighs 1.5 ounces less than the P97. The grip of the P345 has a better configuration than that of the P97, and has molded in sharp checkering rather than a slick surface. My P97 has worn a Hogue Handall® sleeve for years, but that won’t be necessary for the P345.
Some years ago, I had admired the P345 from a distance, but when I held one I knew it was just a matter of time. Did I need the P345? Absolutely not, but since I interact well with most firearms, it seemed necessary. When I talked to my favorite dealer who also owns and runs the range where I shoot, the price he quoted made me realize that I had made the right decision.
So now that I have both a P97 and a P345, my impression is that they get no respect, but they certainly deserve it. The P345 feels as good in my hand as does any other autoloading pistol. At 29 ounces, it rides easily and points quickly. Being only 7.5 inches in length, it is a compact pistol but still features a 4.2 inch barrel. My old Ruger is the P97DC with the decocking levers, but the P345 has dual safety levers that also function as decocking levers.
The P345 features dual safety levers that also function as decockers.
Sights on the P345 are low and they can be moved laterally for windage adjustment. White dots on either side of the notch in the rear sight can be aligned quickly with one on the rear face of the front sight. The P345 is currently available with either a blue or stainless steel slide mated to the black polymer frame. To me, it has the most eye appeal of any Ruger autoloader yet. The grooves on the slide are sharp and give a good grip, and the conventional styled hammer is much more comfortable to the thumb than the style found on the P97 that had a sharp edge at the top.
Disassembly of the P345 is simple. After removing the magazine, draw the slide and lock it. Rotate the ejector pin downward in the magazine well. This unlocks the slide which is moved forward until the index mark on the slide is aligned with one on the frame. With the slide held firmly in that position, push the slide lock lever to the left and remove it from the frame. Move the slide forward to remove it and the barrel assembly from the frame. With the slide inverted, the recoil spring and guide rod can be separated from the barrel by lifting upward at the rear to separate the assembly from the barrel. The barrel can then be lifted at the rear and slid backward out of the slide. World history has included the Stone, Bronze, and Iron ages, we are now in the Polymer Age. We now have plastic bumpers for cars, plastic joints for knee replacement, and plastic frames for handguns. Advanced composites are so versatile that most manufacturers of handguns produce models with polymer frames. Ruger has done this quite successfully with the P97, P345, and other models. The result is a durable, lightweight pistol that has excellent ergonomics and durability.
At the range, the P345 proved to be utterly reliable and handled very well.
Why is the P345 not more highly regarded and in greater demand? I do not believe it lacks durability, reliability, looks, or accuracy because it has all of these in large measure. Perhaps it is because the Ruger name was so closely identified with .22s, single-shot and bolt-action rifles, and single-action revolvers for so long. Entering the highly competitive centerfire autoloader market rather late made Ruger the new kid on the block and shooters who had used other brands for so long simply turned noses upward and yawned. Moreover, some of the Ruger models, quite frankly, lacked the refinement of some competitors, and there is a plethora of models from which to choose.
For many of us, the question of how a pistol performs is paramount. Having always been pleased with my P97, I am pleased to say that the newer P345 performs at least as well and possibly better. However, with a handgun held in quivering hands and sights aligned by imperfect eyes, accuracy is more an aspect of the shooter than of the handgun. However, the accompanying photo shows a couple of the three-shot groups made by my P345 that measure less than 2 inches at 25 yards.
The Ruger has sufficient accuracy for any application that is appropriate for a pistol of this type. The assessment of durability will have to wait until I do a lot more shooting, but function has been perfect with both factory ammunition and my handloads. To date, the best accuracy has been with a 230-grain Rainier Ballistics bullet pushed by 6.1 grains of Alliant Unique.
Is my Ruger P345 the equal of my S&W 4506? Absolutely not, but I am not sure what .45 autoloader is. But with the MSRP of $577 and $617 for the blue and stainless versions, the P345 should be considered as a competent, relatively inexpensive autoloader for defensive uses.
The usual retail prices are about $100 below the MSRP, and I consider the P345 a very good value. It comes with two magazines, a magazine loader, a large external lock, and a hard case. Centerfire autoloaders are the hot handguns so I just hope that the Ruger P345 gets the respect it deserves before it becomes one of those highly praised pistols that passes quietly into oblivion.
This article appeared in the December 6, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
I had the great fortune to have them send me three version of the new, .308 rifle, one in each barrel length. Well, in each barrel length they could send me: 16, 18 and 20 inches. (No SBRs for your favorite scribe, alas.)
The REPR is a scaled-up AR-15 (which was itself a scaled-down AR-10) but there are parts in common, and accessories galore meant for your 5.56 will fit the 7.62 REPR. The controls and exterior features are all instantly recognizable and familiar to the 5.56 shooter. Well, most. Where the 5.56 has a charging handle on the rear of the upper receiver, the REPR has a charging handle on the left side.
It is non-reciprocating, so it won’t move when you shoot. It has a large knob, and if you press in (towards the rifle interior) on the knob, it engages the charging handle, and you can then use it as a forward assist. When you let go, the spring-loaded knob pops back out, ending its short tenure as an assistant.
Also, there are extra levers on the exterior. There are two bolts release levers, one on each side, so you can use either hand to press the button. Of course, those accustomed to slapping the left-side lever with their left hand will never notice the one on the right. Which is a shame, as you can use your trigger finger to drop the bolt. Especially when shooting from the bench, I found it a lot easier to just angle my trigger finger up and press the tab, than to press with the left hand, and then have to re-settle the rifle in the bags.
With a scope, the LWRCI REPRs deliver the goods a lot more easily.
For my testing, I did most of my range work with the 20-inch version and my class work with the 16-inch version.
Inside, the 20-inch version has an adjustable Geissele trigger. The other models have either a non-adjustable Geissele, or tuned mil-spec triggers. Geissele has not only designed a fabulous trigger, but they have figured a way for our military to have a match, select-fire trigger. This one, alas, comes semi-only, courtesy the Hughes Amendment to FOPA ’86. Still, the Geissele trigger is clean, crisp, and a joy to use.
On the back end is a Magpul PRS, their sniper stock with adjustments for length of pull, comb height and a special rail on the bottom to attach a monopod.
The handguard is the LWRCI ARM-R™ forearm, a low-profile free-float tube, with regularly spaced drilled and tapped holes on the bottom and sides. If you want a bit or more of rail in some section, you simply bolt on the length rail you need (rails and screws provided) at the location you need.
If you’re handy with tools, you can even measure and cut a longer rail to a shorter length, for just the gear you want on, and no more. It’s not only adaptable and customizable but lighter, too. The smaller-diameter tube that results from not having permanent rails makes the rifle very handy. Had LWRCI not made the forearm this way, the result might well have been something so bulky you’d need NBA-sized hands to grab it.
Inside the forearm is a 20-inch heavy contour, cold rotary-forged, Nicorr treated barrel, chambered in 7.62 NATO. The twist is 1:10, and on the end is a .308-sized A2 flash hider. Backing it all up is an LWRCI-upgraded bolt, and what drives it is the LWRCI short-stroke piston system, proportioned for, and beefed up to withstand, .308 power. The LWRCI piston system has a four-position gas adjustment bolt with which you can set the gas for normal, more (adverse conditions), less (using a suppressor), or none (no-cycle suppressor work) at your discretion.
The LWRCI REPR comes with a Magpul 7.62 magazine, which is one of the competing “AR-10” magazine designs. Derived from, and compatible with, the original AR-10 and the M-110 rifle currently used in some branches of the armed forces, the Magpul holds 20 rounds of big-bore goodness. More, you ask? Let’s get real. I have 30-round .308/7.62NATO magazines for some other rifles. Trust me, you do not want to be schlepping something that big around, unless you’re feeding something select-fire. Twenty is plenty. However, if you must have more, POF makes a 25-round all-steel magazine that also fits the SR-25 pattern.
The LWRCI REPRS, in the three barrel lengths I could obtain. The shortest would be an SBR, and that requires an NFA Tax Stamp.
The top rail of the receiver and forearm are co-planar and continuous to the end of the forearm. You can mount lots of gear there, perhaps more than you really should. The REPR comes with folding sights, front and rear, marked with LWRCI and their logo.
To test the performance of the 20-inch REPR on drills, I mounted an EOTech EXP on top, zeroed it, and proceeded to thrash some close-range targets with some drills. What I found out pretty quickly is that I couldn’t choke the REPR, and doing fast drills through a lot of big-bore ammo is something you should be in very good shape to do well. It got tiring, even with the big rifle to soak up recoil. So keep that in mind, the next time you feel that a 5.56 is just too “wimpy” and that life would be better with a .308. It will cost you, in ammo, recoil and weapon weight.
A brief aside, to those looking at the REPR spec chart on their web page, who will no-doubt snort something to the effect “An M14 weighs two pounds less.” Yes it does. And it has no provision for mounting lights, lasers or scopes in a rational manner. And, it is longer, less accurate, and hardly user-customizable at all.
As for accuracy, I grabbed a LaRue 30mm mount and decided to test out a relatively new scope here at Gun Abuse Central, a Famous Maker 4-14X44 with a 30mm tube tactical scope. With a large-diameter tube and mil-dot reticle, it works just fine in daylight. (I haven’t yet had a chance to test it at night, but that will be coming soon.) If my job description included riding in helicopters to places where I’d be kicking down doors, I’m not so sure I’d be depending on a scope that retails for $150. But, as a scope to get started on learning and using mil-dots and for getting a hang for precision or long-range shooting, it will teach you a lot. And I haven’t broken this one yet.
Also, to see how it would hold up (as if I had any doubts) I mounted an Insight ATPIAL, a laser targeting designator that is half the size of the older mil-spec laser, the PEQ-2/A. It had no problems with recoil, and I’m not sure I could harm it short of attacking it with a ball-peen hammer.
I had a pretty decent selection of .308 ammo to run through the REPR, and I managed to get some impressive accuracy results for my efforts. As with any rifle, I’m sure this one will show preferences for one load over another, but that will take someone with a little more trigger time on precision rifles than I have. As it was, the rifle shoots well enough to make me look like a brilliant rifleman, and as I said earlier, that makes it very attractive.
For class use, I hauled the 16-inch barreled one off to one of our patrol rifle classes. It worked as expected, flawlessly, and I continued my passing/perfect qual scores string. It also was easy to dump the 300-meter pop-ups, even with iron sights.
You want a semi-auto sniper rifle, this one will do the job, easy.
The SIG DMR variant of their 556, introducing itself to the long-range steel.
SIG Blaser Tactical 2
Now, don’t get me wrong. Bolt-action rifles have strengths that can’t be easily discounted. Let’s take, for example, accuracy. We all know what accuracy is, right? All the shots through one hole at absurd distances. Well, partly right. How would you feel about a rifle that put all its shots not just through a ragged group, but through the same hole, time after time? Great, right? What if, each morning, when you pulled it out of the rack, that point of impact was several inches in some random direction? They’ll all go through the same hole, but you don’t know where the hole will be. That is an accurate rifle, but not a repeatable one.
Bolt-action rifles, especially ones with free-floated barrels, have not just accuracy, but repeatability. Given the same ammo lot, they will have the same point of impact, day or night, hot or cold, wet or dry.
One such rifle that I’ve had a chance to test is the SIG Blaser Tactical 2. It is a bolt-action rifle, plopped into a high-tech polymer stock that free-floats the barrel, and offers cheekpiece, buttplate length of pull and pitch adjustments. If you can’t make this one fit you, you’re harder to fit than an NBA player. And in case you need fast follow-up shots, while it has a bolt handle on the side, you don’t turn and pull, you just pull. It is a straight-pull bolt action, where the bolt head is an expanding collet that locks securely to the barrel extension.
As if that weren’t enough, you can have it in four different calibers; .223, .308, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .338 Lapua. Now, at the extreme, with the .338 Lapua and its 27-inch barrel, you have a rifle that starts out at just over 12-1/2 pounds. But, even with the muzzle brake, when you touch off a Lapua round, you’ll be glad it is that heavy.
I had an afternoon with one at the SIG plant, and with it I was able (in the .308 version) to shoot a bragging-size target.
SIG DMR
If you have the opportunity as a team leader (LEO or military) to have a school-trained sniper along with you, you have a very useful asset. However, you won’t. The next-best thing is to get a really accurate rifle into the hands of the best shooter on your squad or platoon and have him do the medium-range sniping for you. In the military, that job description is Squad Designated Marksman.
A scope on an M16 or M4 is good, but the military has been building purpose-made rifles for the job. SIG makes their 556 Classic in a DMR configuration. It uses, instead of the 16-inch barrel, a 21-inch tube, and the stock is a Magpul PRS stock. The trigger is an enhanced single-stage trigger, which means it is built to be cleaner than the already nice SIG 556 trigger, and the forearm is instead of the polymer halves, a railed free-float setup. Well, as much as you can free-float a piston-driven barrel.
With it, I was able to commit wholesale slaughter among one-liter water bottles at 200 yards, and hitting a LaRue steel plate at 600 was so easy it almost became boring. I say “almost” because once I had figured the drop (a 5.56 round, depending on the load, drops 50 to 60 inches out there) I started doing head-shots only.
The rifle was so soft to shoot, and so accurate, that I almost gave in and asked what the special writer’s price would be on one.
This article is an excerpt from the Gun Digest Book of the Tactical Rifle.
CMP and Hornady have teamed up to bring a new match to the 2011 CMP Eastern and Western games, and Camp Perry. The Vintage Sniper Rifle Match was proposed several years ago by Dave Emary of Hornady Manufacturing, as a way to include many of the vintage sniper rifles that are in circulation, yet lack an official shooting format.
CMP and Hornady included it as a test match for the 2010 CMP Eastern and Western Games with great success, drawing large turnouts and positive comments.
The Vintage Sniper Rifle Match will feature a two-man team format, with each alternating as shooter and spotter, and firing 10 rounds at both 300 and 600 yards.
Match rifles will be original or replica sniper rifles issued through the Korean War. Allowable optics will be original scopes or replicas, along with a few commercial scopes giving essentially the same optical performance. Download a complete list of acceptable rifles and scopes as well as rules and regulations.
Short, 20-second target exposures, followed by maximum 20-seconds in the pits, differentiates this match, making it both challenging and fun. Teams must plan and communicate to do well, with the spotter tracking wind conditions, giving clear and concise wind calls to the shooter. Read more
FN 1949 rifle 7x57mm Venezuelan contract with the correct 15-inch bayonet. (Photo credit RIA auctions)
WWII Saw the first widespread use of semi-automatic battle rifles. The U.S. M-1 Garand, Soviet SVT 38 & 40, and the German G-43 all saw action. There were other designs in use as well but they were not mass-produced or issued for general military use. Added to this history is another design that could have ended up on either side of the conflict but instead spent the war on the design table. I am referring to the Fabrique National model 1949 rifle. It is also known as an SAFN (semi-automatic Fabrique National) model of 1949.
It was actually designed just before the outbreak of WWII. Dieudonne Saive, chief design engineer at FN in the 1930s came up with the design for a self-loading rifle that used a fixed magazine. Unfortunately for Saive and FN, Germany occupied Belgium in May, 1940. Mr. Saive vowed he would never work for the Nazis or allow his design to fall into their hands. He fled Belgium, taking the plans for the design and several other FN engineers with him.
He ended up in England and went to work in the Royal Ordnance Corp Small Arms Design Unit. During this time the SAFN-49 design was perfected. A few prototypes were made but wartime production demands did not allow for diversion of resources to an un-tested project.
In late 1944 the Allied forces liberated Belgium. Saive wasted little time before packing up his expatriate design team and moving back. The FN factories had been looted and stripped by the Germans and the next few years were spent getting FN back up and running. After the war FN was actually in better shape than much of the arms industry in other nations. Most arms production facilities had been bombed repeatedly and were nothing more than piles of rubble.
With a perfected SAFN design, they began marketing it to the post-war world. Of course, there were tons of surplus military weaponry in Europe at the time and it was difficult to find buyers for the new rifle. The Belgian Army was the first to buy the new rifle, adopting it in 1951 chambered for the .30-06 cartridge.
There were 125,072 FN-49 rifles made in .30-06. The Belgians used a majority of the .30-06 guns. Luxemborg and Columbia acquired them as well. In all, there were more than 176,000 FN-49s built. Venezuela purchased 8,003 in 7x57mm; Argentina bought 5,541 in 7.65mm; Egypt received 37,641 in 8x57mm. The Columbian, Argentine, Egyptian and Venezuelan rifles all bear their respective national crests on the top of the receiver. The Belgian FN-49s are marked “ABL” and the Luxemborg guns are marked “AL.”
There were small quantities of the rifle purchased by other nations as well. These were mostly samples and prototypes and were not adopted for military use. There was even a handful of the rifles imported to the U.S. by Browning Arms Co. for commercial sales.
These were chambered in .30-06 and had a flash hider similar to that found on the Venezuelan 7mm model. The only way to distinguish them from military contract pieces is by the lack of any national crest on the receiver. It is assumed these Browning rifles were assembled from left over SAFN parts since they were listed in the Browning catalogue in 1961, at least five years after production stopped. The FN 1949 was in production from 1949 to 1956.
There were some minor production variations in the rifle, including a sniper version. These have a dovetail rail on the left side of the receiver and the FN factory markings are on the right. The mounting system usually used was purchased in the U.S. from Echo Co. of Boise, Idaho. The scopes used were a variety of European-made models. There were many FN-49s made with the scope dovetail that were never issued as sniper rifles. In my own experience I would guess that about half of the FN-49s I see have the dovetail.
The Belgian-issue .30-06 rifles marked ABL actually had the option for select-fire operation. With the fixed 10-round magazine, I can’t see where that was worth the effort. You might get two short bursts. The receiver is slightly different to accept the select fire components. Because of this fact, there will never be any Belgian issue FN-49s on the U.S. market as the BATF would consider it a machine gun. Some might have been imported into Canada and carried into the states before they tightened border crossings.
Some of the trigger groups have been sold in the U.S. but a semi-auto receiver requires modification to install them. Of course possession of an FN-49 with such a modified receiver would be totally illegal unless it was registered as a machine gun prior to 1986.
The Venezuelan version is the only one that was issued with a flash hider. The other contracts use a simple threaded steel cap to cover the threads on the muzzle. There is even a bit of difference in these. The Egyptian 8mm rifles have a cap that covers the end of the barrel. The various .30-06 rifles have a cap that covers the threads but leaves about 1/8 inch of the barrel protruding out the front.
The Argentine FN-49s were originally made in 7.65mm.
The Argentine Navy received many of these. The navy rifles are marked “ARA”(Armada Republica Argentina) next to the Argentine crest on the receiver. In the early 1960s the Argentine Navy converted their FN-49s to 7.62mm Nato. This was done by installing a new barrel. At the same time they were modified to use a detachable magazine. This was a 20-round magazine that resembles a FN-FAL magazine but it is not interchangeable. This was the only official conversion of the SAFN to use a detachable magazine. Some Argentine Navy FN-49s were imported to the U.S. in the 1990s.
The 20-round magazines were shortened to hold 10 rounds to make them compliant with the Clinton-era high-capacity magazine ban. These guns also had the muzzle cap welded in place so an evil flash hider could not be installed. A few years after the magazines were shortened, the government changed the interpretation of the import rules to allow standard-capacity magazines to come in if they were made before 1994. There are now some 20-round magazines available. I do not think the 7.65mm rifles have yet been sold by Argentina. I have never seen one nor heard of any in the U.S.
There were two patterns of bayonet made for the FN-49. The more common version has a 9 ¼-inch double-edge blade. These are marked by the nations that used them. For example the Belgian-issued piece is marked “SA 30”, the Argentine is marked “ARA”, and the Egyptian version has Arabic numbers. The 9 ¼-inch bayonet was issued with all versions of the FN-49 except for the Venezuelan contract. The Venezuelans used a bayonet with a 15-inch single edge blade. This was actually a FN-produced M-1924 Mauser bayonet that had the barrel opening in the muzzle ring enlarged to fit the flash hider on the FN-49. These bayonets have no markings except for a serial number on the back of the handle. Both types of bayonet will fit any SAFN.
The FN-49 could be considered a “grandfather” of FN’s biggest success in post WWII military rifles, the FAL. Some of the FN 1949’s features were used in the FN FAL, including the bolt and gas system.
The FN-49 field stripped.
The FN 1949 uses a piston-type operating system in which a small amount of the breech pressure is bled off through an opening in the top of the barrel. That pressure drives back a steel piston that operates the action to eject the spent cartridge, re-cock and re-load the weapon. There is a collar (gas regulator) on the piston housing that allows the rifle to be tuned for best function. Turning the collar opens or closes a small hole that vents gas pressure from the piston tube.
Military ammunition can be found with significant variations in chamber pressure. Some might have been loaded “hot” for use in machine guns, while other arsenals might load it to a lower pressure to be safe in older weapons that remained in use. The front hand guard must be removed to adjust the regulator.
The FN-49 is fairly easy to field strip for cleaning. Make sure the rifle is not loaded. Start with the bolt in the forward, closed position. On the back of the receiver cover is a latch that needs to be turned a half turn so the flat piece is to the top. Now, push the cover forward until it stops, then lift up from the rear. The receiver cover along with the recoil springs can now be removed to the rear. Pull the operating handle back to the rear. Lift the bolt/carrier assembly out of the receiver when it reaches the cuts in the rail that permit removal.
After cleaning and oiling, the rifle can be re-assembled in reverse order. Watch the sliding dust cover that can move forward and block re-insertion of the bolt/carrier. When replacing the receiver cover and recoil springs be careful not to kink the springs. They can fold downward and the cover will still fit on, but the carrier cannot be retracted. Once this has happened the springs are bent and will be harder to get in line for proper assembly.
Shooting Impressions
I have fired a lot of rounds through several FN 1949s over the years. As long as consistently loaded ammunition is used there have been few failures to feed or misfires. I’ve only actually needed to adjust the gas regulator a couple of times. If one was to reload for the FN-49 it might be necessary to tune the regulator to a specific load. Ejection is quite violent and the brass is usually dented where it hits the top cover. The gun is fairly accurate, for a military rifle. The rear sight can be adjusted right or left by loosening or tightening the screws on both sides of the aperture.
One word of advice. Try to find charger clips that fit the loading slot in the top cover. Each caliber of SAFN uses a unique size clip and it is sometimes hard to find the right size. Stripper clips are almost never marked beyond a manufacturer’s letter or number code. Just try different types until one fits. Loading single rounds into the magazine is fine but be careful not to bump the bolt handle or hold open the piece while loading. If you think M-1 thumb hurts, FN-49 thumb is worse.
Big Demand
All versions of the FN 1949 are popular with American collectors. Many 7mm and .30-06 rifles were imported before 1968. The Egyptian 8mm rifles were imported in the late 1980s. These Egyptian-contract rifles are the most commonly seen SAFN in the U.S. today. Many of the Egyptian rifles came in with broken stocks and Century Arms sold them with a new stock. These stocks are made of a light colored wood that is stained dark walnut. They frequently have a black plastic butt plate.
The metal parts of these rifles were usually re-blued. The re-stocked 8mm rifles run $400 to $550 on the U.S. market. Original 8mm rifles will usually be in well-used condition and can run $350 to $800 depending on condition. The 7mm and .30-06 versions will currently bring $800 to $1200. Many of the 7mm guns are in un-issued condition. The Argentine Navy rifles in 7.62mm will run $800 to $1200.
This article appeared in the January 31, 2011 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Amanda Collins had a permit to carry a concealed firearm on the night she was brutally raped on the University of Nevada's Reno campus in October of 2007.
She had just left a 10:00 pm class and was headed to her car on the ground floor of a parking garage—not 100 feet from the campus police building. She was careful to check around as she approached her car when she was grabbed by a 6’2” 200 pound man. He held her down and told her not to open her eyes. He held a gun to her temple, and she heard him click off the safety.
But even though Amanda had a CCW permit that night, she wasn't carrying a firearm because the university is a “gun free zone.” Gun free, that is, for those who respect the law. It was not so for the attacker, who turned out to be a serial rapist and murderer and who now occupies a place on death row.
A week after the attack on Amanda, another woman was raped on campus. Then came the abduction of Brianna Denison, who was raped and murdered. Her body was found in a field days after the attack.
Amanda is confident she could have defended herself that night. “I would have at some point during my rape been able to stop James Biela,” she said. “I know, having been the first victim, that Brianna Dennison would still be alive, had I been able to defend myself that night.” Read more
Walter Reddy, ambushed at home and in court by the State of Connecticut, needs your help to defend our Second Amendment rights.
In this day and age, it seems that just believing in the Constitution can make you an enemy of the state and a target of the government. A friend of the Second Amendment, and Founder of Committees of Safety in Connecticut, Walter Reddy, just learned this truth the hard way.
In late January, 2011, Walter had a conversation with a man he believed to be his friend. A few days later, this man reported to the local police a list of inflammatory statements Walter had supposedly made to him, but his friend refused to sign a statement for the police verifying he heard these statements.
Walter's home was raided by a SWAT team on Valentine's Day, and his tiny collection of firearms seized.
What horrific thing is Walter to have said? Allegedly, he said intemperate things about a bank claiming to hold his mortgage and the police. Even if true, these days who among us hasn't said derogatory, even intemperate things — particularly about banks? But the police report doesn't stop there.
It next claims that Walter “might do something violent,” does not believe in federal taxation, and the FBI stated he was a “person of interest” regarding domestic terrorism. Read more
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Red dots for ARs
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Gun Review: Browning T-Bolt
Reloading the .38/40
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A Gunbroker auction of nine Ruger collectibles, firearms that netted $18,250, was then donated by Ruger to the USA Shooting Team. Ruger executives presented a check to the team during the recent NRA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.
“Some of the firearms were consecutively numbered pairs leftover from government contracts and stored in foil wrap for more than 30 years,” said Buddy DuVall, executive director of the USA Shooting Team Foundation. “Others were low serial number guns from popular Ruger lines. All were rare enough to generate considerable interest from buyers. We're very grateful to Ruger for thinking of us as the recipient from these online sales.”
The firearms were auctioned at GunBroker.com.
Highlighted items included:
• Consecutively numbered pair of U.S. Service-Six revolvers—sold for $1,525.
• Consecutively numbered pair of U.S. Service-Six revolvers—sold for $3,050.
• New Model Single Six with serial number 69-00000—sold for $1,676.
• Mark I pistol, serial number 19-79751—sold for $2,126.
DuVall noted that Ruger has been a longtime and generous supporter of the USA Shooting Team. Contributions like this one will help the team prepare for international competitions, including the Olympics.
The gun-dealing thing started for me in the early 1980s. I see a lot of guns. It is a rare day when something crosses my path that I have not encountered before. Well, this is not one of them. I did see two Sjogren shotguns in my life before I bought the one shown here.
One was on the shelf at a Ft. Worth, Texas, gun shop in the early 90s, the other I can’t remember where. I recognized the one in Ft. Worth as something I had seen before, somewhere. Probably a pawn shop I stopped at on one of my gun-buying trips. Of course I had no idea what I was seeing; just a funny looking 12-gauge semi-auto shotgun. So, when I see some guy trolling this thing around at a Ft. Wayne, Indiana, gun show in November, 2008, I had to chase him down.
He had no idea what it was. Just a 12-gauge that he said shot OK but he wanted a newer pump shotgun. He wouldn’t set a price, wanted to trade. I rarely have current production shotguns in stock so he moved on. A couple hours later I see he is still carrying the gun. He told me nobody knew what it was nor would they make an offer. I did. And I was the new owner of a Sjogren 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun. (Don’t ask me how that is pronounced: sho-gren is what I have been calling it. Never heard anybody else say it. Could also be so-gren or jo-gren.)
The Sjogren shotgun is a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun made in the first decade of the 20th century. It was actually on the market before the Browning Auto-5, making this the first self-loading shotgun commercially offered. (At least I can’t find any indication of an earlier model). The Sjogren is not listed in Standard Catalog of Firearms, yet. Nor is it included in the Blue Book of Gun Values.
My research on this gun found very little information besides a booklet I am using as reference for this column. “The Weapons series No. 6 The Sjogren Shogren Shotgun and Sjogren Military Rifle” by Roger Marsh, copyright 1947. This seven-page booklet appears to be self-published. I also found reference to an article in a Danish gun collector’s magazine called Vapentidningen no. 7- 2000 by Jens E. Perto. I was not able to find that article, just a few quotes from an Internet message board.
Swedish inventor Carl Axel Theodor Sjögren had three Swedish patents from 1900, 1903 and 1905 linked to the gun. A Swedish businessman called A. Karlsson ordered 5,000 guns from Töjhusafdelningen och Haandvaabenverksäderna in Copenhagen, Denmark in August, 1907. Only 12-bore guns with 70-centimeter 3/4 choke barrels were made, but an extra 500 60-centimeter-long barrels with cylinder choke were also made.
The last gun was manufactured in 1909. Serial numbers range from 1001 to 6000. My Sjogren has pre-WW I German commercial proof marks. It is probably a vet bring-back from WW I or WW II. The gun shown in the Marsh book has English proofs from the same era. Additionally, US patent 954,546 was issued to Carl Axel Theodore Sjogren on April 12, 1910, but I found no record of commercial importation or sale in the U.S.
The Sjogren system has a fixed barrel and a fully locked breechblock. It utilizes what is called inertia driven operation to extract and eject the fired shell, then reload the next shot. The recoil (or rearward inertia) of the whole gun operates an internal locking block that stays forward at the moment of rearward recoil, this allows the bolt to open as breech pressure drops and extract the fired shell. A similar system is currently in use in the Benelli M-1 shotgun.
I have an idea how this works but I’m having a hard time putting a description of this operation in words. Normally, I will just take an unfamiliar gun apart so I can see how it works. However, the disassembly instructions in the Marsh booklet convince me that this is one gun on which I will forego my usual exploration. There are too many odd shaped springs and parts that appear somewhat fragile. Breaking a part on a rare gun can really reduce its value. So I will simply quote Mr. Marsh’s description of the gun’s operation:
“With the bolt fully forward and locked, the gunner presses the trigger, drawing down the connector and with it the sear, which is mounted in the inertia block. The firing pin drives forward to strike the primer. As it does so, it jams the locking block into the locked position by interposing the firing pin between a ledge on the locking block and the bolt body.
“As the gun fires, we find that the inertia block, true to its name tries to “stay put” when the gun recoils. Initial recoil of the gun exceeds initial recoil of the inertia block by about 1/16th inch, thus compressing the accumulator spring between the recoiling gun and the nearly non-recoiling block. In effect, the block moves forward in relation to the gun during initial recoil. The accumulator spring then asserts itself and throws back the inertia block. The sear carries the firing pin back so that it no longer jams the locking block. As the inertia block continues to the rear, the fingers of the assembly key strike the levers of the locking block rotating it to the unlocked position and carrying the whole assembly to the rear, extracting and ejecting the fired shell.”
Still can’t figure this one out? Sorry, I can’t help you. Not much more I can say about how the Sjogren functions.
I usually try to test fire unusual guns when I write columns about them but as with the disassembly, I just don’t feel comfortable shooting this thing. When firing, the whole bolt assembly slides to the rear towards the shooter’s face. There is a large steel block at the back but…no. Even though the person I bought it from said he used it I’m not going to try.
Sjogren also made some prototype military rifles in a 7.6mm cartridge that utilized the same mechanism but they never got beyond that. One was reportedly tested at Bisley, England, but did not perform well in those trials.
The Sjogren was not manufactured after 1909. Apparently the sportsmen of the world were not ready for this interesting design. The Browning A-5 of the same era was a success so we must conclude that the Sjogren did not fail due to its semi-automatic function. It probably did not hold up with heavy use.
Several have made their way to the U.S. in the last century, despite there being no commercial importation when new. Some were undoubtedly “war trophies” brought home by U.S. serviceman from WW I or WW II. In the last decade numerous used sporting guns have been imported from Sweden due to increased gun control laws there. Mixed in with these have been a few Sjogrens. The Simpson Ltd. gun collector’s website listed two of them for sale at the time I wrote this column.
The asking prices were $1295 for a 90 percent piece with a cracked buttplate and $500 for 60 percent gun with a repaired buttstock. They have been up there a while with no takers.
This article appeared in the December 6, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Setting up new reloading dies, Workman raises his shell plate and then screws down all three dies to gently touch the plate.
Admittedly, my cluttered loading bench has always been the haven for top-notch dies from Lyman, RCBS and Hornady, for both rifle and handgun cartridges.
That’s not a confession; it’s a statement of fact as well as confidence. My reloading dies from all three outfits have provided thousands of rounds for practice, competition and serious hunting in a variety of calibers. Most of my deer have been killed with reloads, and back in the days when I regularly participated in pistol matches at a local gun club, the only ammunition I ever used came off of my progressive RCBS press.
Redding sets a ring of incredibly smooth titanium carbide into each of its carbide sizing dies.
For straight-wall handgun cartridges, I strongly recommend carbide dies, as they cut down on reloading time and that makes for less work at the bench and more time at the range or out in the hills. The need for case lube is eliminated, and when a reloader really gets cranked up with a progressive press, it is possible to turn out scores of cartridges in an hour.
At the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, I encountered long-time pal Robin Sharpless, now with Redding Reloading Dies in Courtland, NY. A veteran in the firearms industry, Sharpless wasted no time in getting me to visit the Redding exhibit, where we engaged in a chat about reloading. And that’s when he introduced me to Redding’s titanium carbide dies.
“It’s a lot harder and slicker,” he commented, “and if you look at it under a super high power microscope, you would see (a surface) that looks like rolled river stones.”
Slick is great, and hard is even better when it comes to reloading dies through which thousands of cases will be resized. This was particularly intriguing to me since my younger son had recently acquired his own .45 ACP Sig Sauer P220, and while I love him dearly, I’ll be damned if I’m going to slave over a bench reloading ammunition for him to shoot up! (That said, he got the full course about how to set up new dies by raising the shell holder or plate to the top of its stroke, then running the new die bodies down through the press frame to “just meet” the shell plate, assuring full-length sizing, precise crimping and expansion of the neck.)
Redding, Sharpless explained, had come up with a nifty improvement in lock rings that features a tiny piece of soft lead between the front end of the retaining/tightening screw and the threads of the steel die body. This lead acts as a buffer to prevent damage to the threads, and one needs to give the ring a good rap where the tightening screw is located to free up the lock ring. Once it is tightened down again, the lead is right there doing its job.
Sharpless told me that Redding’s titanium carbide dies have been around for the better part of two decades, and that several commercial ammunition manufacturers use them in their operations. After setting up and running some rounds through them, I can understand why.
Alluding to my kid’s handgun purchase above, detailed in this space recently, was a subliminal reminder that good shooting, and especially good handgunning, comes from practice, and reloading cuts down on the cost of that endeavor considerably. Sure, there is the initial outlay for a press, dies, and components, but in the long run — and believe me, I’ve made that run along with countless other shooters — the reward is worth it, in money saved, in time afield and at the bench (all enjoyable), in accuracy and accomplishment, and in many cases, meat in the cooler. You simply cannot put a price tag on all of that; it’s a personal thing.
Dies are set up to allow finger-tightening, rather than require tightening with a screwdriver or small wrench.
Redding’s dies are all hand-polished, and the titanium carbide rings are set into the steel dies just so. It’s hard to explain it in precise terms, but run a thousand rounds through a sizing die, and you’ll know the importance of that.
One thing I discovered upon opening the three boxes of sample dies Sharpless supplied for this review is that the gang in Courtland thinks of little details. All three boxes included a spare decapping pin, and if you’ve ever busted one of these off during a reloading session, you know just how important that might be.
Now, decapping pins — which ride down through the center of a cartridge case at the end of the steel rod inside the sizing die — are darned tough. Made from tempered steel, they are built to last, but they can break. I’ve broken one or two over the years (which says plenty about the amount of ammunition I’ve reloaded, not to mention my present age!) and it was a pain in the butt because I didn’t have an immediate replacement.
Another thing is the die box. Made from tough plastic, there are shell holders molded into the outer top and bottom that fit a variety of cartridge case heads. In my humble estimation, that is just plain darned clever. Who’da thunk it?
Now, with the addition of Reddings to my reloading dies, does that mean my other loading dies are going to be retired? Oh, not a chance! Something I learned from personal experience in loading .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridges is that one really ought to have two (or more) seating dies for every cartridge, one for seating bullets with crimping cannelures, and the other for taper-crimping non-cannelure projectiles.
For handgun cartridges, one seating die ought to be set up for seating nothing but ball or roundnose lead bullets, and another for seating jacketed bullets or semi-wadcutters, both with cannelures. Indeed, if one has three seating dies, each should be set up for different handgun projectiles.
What about my other carbide sizing dies? Are they now to gather dust? Ha! Fat chance of that. I’ve spent too many good years with them to simply set them aside. Nope, they got a good bath in Hoppe’s No. 9, a nice rub down with a soft cloth, a complete wash with degreaser, and they went right back to work.
I’m a tyrant…with a son’s pistol to feed.
This article appeared in the July 19, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Click here to learn more.
Recently, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed suit in U.S. District Court in Virginia challenging the constitutionality of federal and Virginia provisions that bar handgun sales to non-residents.
As an SAF press release explained, “SAF is joined in the lawsuit by Michelle Lane, a District of Columbia resident who cannot legally purchase handguns because there are no retail firearms dealers inside the District.
The Supreme Court's 2008 Heller ruling struck down the District's handgun ban, confirming that individuals have a constitutional right to possess handguns.”
Yet, as a resident of the District, she can’t legally purchase a handgun in neighboring Virginia. SAF and Lane are represented by attorney Alan Gura of Gura & Possessky, PLLC, who won both the Heller ruling and last year's Supreme Court victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago.
“Americans don't check their constitutional rights at the state line,” said Gura. “And since Michelle Lane is legally entitled to possess firearms, forcing her to seek a non-existing D.C. dealer to buy a handgun is pointless when perfectly legitimate options exist minutes across the Potomac River.”
“This is an important issue in the era of the national instant background check,” added SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “The NICS check should allow law-abiding citizens like Miss Lane to exercise their Second Amendment rights regardless their place of residence.”
Recently introduced federal gun legislation would codify and greatly expand the definition of those barred from owning a gun because they suffer from broad, umbrella-like definitions of mental health problems. Mental health advocates, however, say legislators reacting to “deranged” people going on shooting sprees are “completely missing the point.”
Last week, New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy introduced the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011, a nearly-identical resolution to that introduced in the Senate in March by her New York colleague, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer. Both bills include a section dedicated to further codifying in federal law what it means to be “adjudicated as a mental defective.” The proposed change would label any person a “mental health defective” who appears to “lack the mental capacity to contract or manage his own affairs,” or is “compelled” to receive counseling or medication.
Other, seemingly more obvious, definitions of a “mental health defective” include anyone who has been found criminally insane, found incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of mental deficiencies. Read more
ArmaLite has announced that it is now accepting orders for its M-15A4 Carbine chambered in 6.8 SPC II. A very limited production run of this extraordinary firearm will begin in June, and will not be repeated in 2011. Interested shooters are encouraged to submit orders immediately as this run is expected to be completely pre-sold.
ArmaLite’s 6.8mm carbine is especially well-suited to hunting, the company says, and is powerful enough to meet the minimum energy requirements of many states for taking medium sized game such as deer. At the same time, the 6.8mm is lighter than the 7.62, reducing the weight of ammunition carried into the field. As part of the AR-platform family, this carbine is also more versatile and ergonomic than traditional hunting models. The 6.8 is built with our mid-length handguard and gas system to provide the best in form and function.
About: ArmaLite has one of the broadest product lines in the firearms industry. We manufacture and sell semiautomatic rifles in a variety of calibers including 5.56mm and 7.62mm, long range super-accurate bolt action rifles in calibers including .308 Winchester, 300 Winchester Magnum, 338 Lapua, and 50 BMG, and classic 9mm pistols.
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.
The city has until June 7 to respond to a complaint filed by a city man who claims his constitutional rights were violated when two police officers ordered him to the ground outside a Walgreens and seized two guns he was carrying.
