Dan Shideler was the fifth editor of Gun Digest, "The World's Greatest Gun Book."
We at F+W Media and Gun Digest are saddened to announce that our friend and colleague, Dan Shideler, a senior editor in the Firearms/Knives Group, passed away Sunday, April 3.
Dan joined the Company in 2004 as an editor in the books division in Iola, Wisconsin. He quickly gained respect throughout the company and the industry as an expert in firearms history, trends and pricing. Within a few years Dan took over as editor of Standard Catalog of Firearms. In 2010 he realized his childhood dream of becoming the editor of Gun Digest. It was the pinnacle of his career. In the introduction to the 64th edition, Dan wrote:
“I was raised on Gun Digest. Once a year, in the long-gone Indiana of the 1960s and 1970s, my father brought home the new edition, which my brother Dave and I eagerly devoured. I mean we read it literally from cover to cover, absorbing whatever wisdom and insight that could be found in its pages. I still have some of those 40-year-old volumes, nearly all of them showing pencil marks in their catalog sections where we, with boyish enthusiasm, checked guns that we would surely buy someday …
“And now, forty-some years later, I am the editor of that same book. Karma? The inscrutable workings of Fate? Call it what you will, I will say simply that it is an honor — for me, it’s the stuff that dreams are made of.”
Dan never called himself an expert, preferring to be known as “just an old-fashioned gun guy.” By the time he came to work at F+W, Dan had compiled a collection of every Gun Digest annual, starting with the inaugural 1944 edition. Wanting to share the legacy of “The World’s Greatest Gun Book,” in 2008 Dan hauled his entire collection from his home in Indiana to our office in Iola, Wisconsin, so it could be digitized and made available to everyone who shared his appreciation for firearms history.
Another, lesser-known aspect of Dan’s persona was his gift for music, both performing and composing. Dan was active in numerous community bands and composed several marches over the years. With that in mind, his family has established a memorial fund in his name:
Daniel Shideler Memorial Fund John Philip Sousa Foundation Project c/o Indiana Members Credit Union 7110 West 10th Street Indianapolis, IN 46214
A Few Words from Dan's Colleagues
Dan Shideler, Fall 2010. Photo by Corey Graff
Several of Dan’s colleagues have paid their respects below. You may do the same in the comments section of this page. Click here to jump to the comments section to pay your own respects.
Jim Schlender, Publisher, Gun Digest Books
I met Dan in 1997 while interviewing him for the position of “technical copywriter” at a previous company. It was certainly the most memorable interview I’ve ever been involved in. Five minutes into our discussion, his gift for communication was obvious. He was wildly overqualified to be a copywriter, but we hired him on the spot. To no one’s surprise, within months Dan was running an entire division of our marketing department.
We soon became fast friends, and Dan made it his mission to further my education on firearms of all types. I confess that Dan and I spent too much time discussing guns and hunting, both on the job and off, so it seemed only natural that years later we ended up right where we both wanted to be – working for Gun Digest. Partnering with Dan to produce some of the greatest titles in the industry has been an honor, and I’m better for having known him.
Kevin Michalowski, Senior Editor, Gun Digest the Magazine
Dan Shideler arrived at Gun Digest just about the time I was preparing to move out of the book division into the magazine division. We worked side-by-side for nearly a year here in the Iola office and Dan brought to work each day a great sense of wonder about firearms of all types and all ages. He was particularly fond of obscure pieces and I remember well the day he posed for a photo with that anti-garroting contraption. It was basically a cap-lock blackpowder barrel mounted to a metal plate. It was worn on your back and fired by means of pulling a string to drop the hammer. Apparently the idea was to blast anyone who would sneak up behind you intent on doing harm. You wouldn’t have gotten me to wear that thing on a bet, but Dan loaded it up, strapped it on and, on the photographer’s cue, yanked the cord. The flame and smoke was impressive and we came away with a good laugh and a pretty good photo. Dan’s vibrant mirth and sarcastic sense of humor will be missed. We will also miss being able to pick up the phone and ask him about guns we’ve never heard of … And get a history lesson from his nearly limitless knowledge of all things obscure and interesting.
Corrina Peterson, Gun Digest Books Editor
For the past few years I have had the privilege of working with Dan publishing books for Gun Digest. Watching him in action was awe-inspiring. Dan knew everything there was to know about firearms and their history. People call our office all the time with questions about guns they found in their father’s attic or behind the bathtub in the cabin they just bought. No matter how sketchy the description, Dan could always ask a few pointed questions and identify the gun. The real kicker is that the information was all in his head – he never had to look up anything.
Dan was one of a kind – a genius, a gentleman and a true friend. It has been a blessing and an honor to know him, and I will miss him terribly.
Dan Shideler became editor of the Gun Digest annual starting with the 2010 edition.
Patrick Sweeney, Gun Digest Author
I only knew Dan for a few years, but we quickly became co-conspirators. Together we schemed to find the best possible titles and content, for the benefit of ourselves, the publisher and the readers. He never complained about my complaining, and the only time he was upset was when I mis-remembered the details of a manuscript, and sent in twice as much text as needed. “I was crying as I was cutting stuff” he said.
He always had an idea, a plan, a funny line, and encouragement for the next project. Wise to the world, and the ways of publishing, he didn't let that knowledge discourage him. He always had fun. I'm going to miss him.
Dan Shideler was taken from us far too soon. He was a joy to work with, an advocate for the authors he brought into the fold, and likewise to those he inherited from his predecessors. His deep understanding of the book business would have earned him big bucks as an executive on Publisher's Row in New York City, but he chose instead to apply his talents to his avocation. The result is the many enduring books he did so much to craft, by so many authors…books balanced not just with well-edited writing, but with masterful application of illustration. Dan understood the “art of the gun” — the form-follows-function sculpture of the things, and the way in which the sight of certain iconic firearms trip the pleasure centers in the enthusiast reader's brain, the way a '57 Chevy does for someone who grew up during the Eisenhower years, the way a distinctive Ansel Adams image does for a connoisseur of fine photography.
With his encyclopedic knowledge of firearms, Dan blended scholarship into art. Working with the author on one end and the art director on the other, he shaped books that will be on the shelves of gun collectors and shooters for many decades to come. His warm personality will be missed by all who knew him, and the world of the gun is diminished by his loss.
Corey Graff, Online Editor, GunDigest.com
I wasn't quite sure what to think about Dan Shideler at first. Maybe it was the bright-pink sport jacket he liked to wear around the office! But over time, I grew to understand why he became the editor of Gun Digest. He had a knowledge of firearms that seemed almost super-human. He drew from that well when writing, but also had the ability to entertain. Like when he called the Remington 673 the “Batmobile of rifles,” he always had a different way of looking at things that left me smiling.
It was a personal and professional highlight for me to facilitate an interview between Dan and author Massad Ayoob about the release of Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. I also will forever remember the video interview Dan and I did at SHOT Show 2011 with another hero of mine, Patrick Sweeney. I'd often e-mail Dan asking him to do this or that for the gundigest.com website and he'd always reply the same way: “No.” But then he'd come through with twice as much material as I needed. That, I came to understand, was classic Dan.
Phillip Peterson, Editor, Standard Catalog of Military Firearms
When Publisher Jim Schlender called me Monday afternoon to inform me of Dan Shideler's passing, I was deeply saddened. Dan Shideler was a friend and mentor to me. He was the one who suggested I submit columns about collectible guns to Gun Digest the Magazine, back when it was called Gun List — when that publication expanded to include magazine content. And as his career with Krause expanded he was the one who suggested my name to the pub board to do the 4th edition of Standard Catalog of Military Firearms.
As I look at the images of Dan that appear on this Memorian page, I realized that I sold or traded from Dan every single firearm he is shown with. He certainly did have a wide area of knowledge about obscure firearms and related historical topics. I happen to still have one firearm that came from Dan: A Winchester M1911 self-loading shotgun known as the infamous “Widowmaker.” He gave it to me in February as part of a multi-gun swap. I had intended to sell it but I think I will now keep it. It was the subject of one of my favorite columns by Dan. I will always miss his sense of humor and funny way of describing things.
Click above to watch a video review of the Rossi/Taurus Circuit Judge, with Dan Shideler.
Some of Our Favorite Articles By Dan Shideler
Collecting Gun Digest: The Greatest Gun Annual In terms of firearms annuals, Gun Digest is unique. It has consistently attracted the biggest names in the business, and it’s more fun to collect than guns. Read more
673 Guide Rifle: The Batmobile of Remington? Remington’s big-bore guide rifle is one collectors will love. And you don’t even have to be a guide. Read more
Jeepers Creepers, Where’d You Get That Pieper? – Part 1 Never heard of the Pieper Volley Gun, have you? Neither had I until I stumbled across it in the LaPorte museum. If the LaPorte museum’s W. A. Jones Collection of Antique Firearms contains the damndest stuff you’ve ever seen, then their Pieper Volley Gun has got to be the double-damndest. Read more
Jeepers Creepers, Where’d You Get That Pieper? – Part 2 So what’s a volley gun? Believe it or not, it’s a gun that’s intentionally designed to fire multiple barrels at once. Read more
A Must Read: “Firearm Curiosa” by Lewis Winant If you’ve ever read my columns, you’re aware that I’m fascinated by oddball firearms. Perhaps you are, too. If so, Winant’s Firearms Curiosa is a must-have. Read more
Updated Classics: The NEW Ithaca Model 37s The Gun Digest staff took a trio of Ithaca shotguns to the range to put them through their paces and see what we liked and didn’t like. There wasn’t much of the latter to be found. Read more
Feeling Squishy for S&W 317 AirLite When Dan Shideler first saw the Smith & Wesson Model 317 AirLite .22 Snubbie, his reaction was, “You gotta be kidding.” Read more
A little known fact about the Gun Digest 65-year 3-DVD Digital Set is that the books digitized for this product were from Dan Shideler's personal collection.
Video: Massad Ayoob Interview – Greatest Handguns Part I Dan Shideler, editor for Gun Digest Books, interviews Massad Ayoob about the release of a new book, Massad Ayoob’s Greatest Handguns of the World. Watch Now
Video: Massad Ayoob Interview – Greatest Handguns Part II Dan Shideler, editor for Gun Digest Books, interviews Massad Ayoob about the release of a new book, Massad Ayoob’s Greatest Handguns of the World. In this installment, Shideler and Ayoob discuss some of lesser known models found in Ayoob’s new book. Watch Now
Video: Massad Ayoob Interview – Greatest Handguns Part III Dan Shideler, editor for Gun Digest Books, interviews Massad Ayoob about the release of a new book, Massad Ayoob’s Greatest Handguns of the World. In this installment, Shideler asks Ayoob whether the 1911 is the greatest handgun of all time. Watch Now
From Mexico, With Love Obviously, there could be no practical use for a BB gun that used a .22 blank cartridge as a propellant; which meant, of course, Dan Shideler just had to have one. Read more
The Black Sheep of the Family? AR-15s as Collectibles Is the AR-15 somehow beyond the pale of legitimate, serious gun collecting? I used to think so, but I’ve changed my mind. Let’s examine why some otherwise well-balanced gun collectors don’t pursue the AR-15. Read more
The S&W .38 Single Action Smith & Wesson marketed a perfectly good line of self-defense revolvers as early as 1876 and produced nearly 160,000 of them before dropping the design in 1911. Read more
Guns to Love: Shideler Reveals His Top Picks The able Contributing Editors of Gun Digest will perhaps forgive me if I take a moment and comment on just a few guns and gadgets that tripped my personal trigger during the past year. Some of these are doubtless discussed elsewhere in this volume, but what can I say? I was here first. Read more
Video Gun Review: Rossi Circuit Judge Gun Digest editor Dan Shideler reviews the Rossi/Taurus Circuit Judge – a revolving carbine/shotgun that’s a hoot to shoot. Watch Now
“The Department’s internal policy to withhold documents from what it labels pending criminal investigations may not deprive Congress from obtaining those same documents if they are pertinent to a congressional investigation – particularly in a matter involving allegations that reckless and inappropriate decisions by top Justice Department officials may have contributed to the deaths of both U.S. and Mexican citizens,” Chairman Issa wrote in citing Supreme Court precedents and previous Congressional investigations. “Let me be clear … we are not conducting a concurrent investigation with the Department of Justice, but rather an independent investigation of the Department of Justice – specifically, of allegations that the reckless and inappropriate decisions of Department officials have created a serious public safety hazard. We are asking for documents that relate to decisions such officials made. Congress is legally entitled to all of these documents.”
ArmaLite, Inc. has announced that a small batch of its AR-10(T) chambered in .338 Federal is ready for the 2011 hunting season. The limited run of the .338 comes after repeated customer requests, the company says. Designed to be provide shooters with both a powerful cartridge and match-grade accuracy, the ArmaLite .338 Federal is capable of taking any North American big game, including moose and bear.
The AR-10 in .338 features a match grade stainless steel barrel and a finely tuned National Match two stage trigger.The rugged one piece aluminum handguard allows custom mounting of bi-pods, sights and optional MIL-std 1913 rails. Go to https://www.armalite.com/ItemForm.aspx?item=10TBNF338for further details and specifications.
About Armalite: ArmaLite has one of the broadest product lines in the firearms industry, manufacturing 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. Visit: www.armalite.com
A trio of Mec-Gar magazines. Under McCarthy’s legislation, the one on the left will be legal, the one on the right will not.
High Cap Mag Ban
Reading through all of the vitriolic editorials published since the attempted assassination of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a pro-gun Democrat, one might get the impression that this incident was the handiwork of a pistol magazine, various gun rights organizations and conservative talk radio.
Naturally, gun prohibitionists quickly capitalized on the incident to push their agenda. However, the proposed ban on extended capacity ammunition magazines has not surprisingly resulted in a buyers’ rush.
Several companies manufacture after-market magazines, and when anti-gun New York Democrat Rep. Carolyn McCarthy introduced her ironically numbered HR 308, her timing could hardly have been worse.
The entire firearms industry was gathered in Las Vegas for the 50th annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show at the Sands Convention Center. The reaction from industry could easily be summed up in four words: “The hell you say?”
Under McCarthy’s proposed ban, existing magazines would not be transferable; that is, you could not buy, sell, swap or even give them away, and your heirs could not take possession. That would be a nuisance to folks who take the time and buy with a discerning eye, because many of today’s aftermarket products are built for the very long haul.
Magazine capacity would be limited to 10 rounds, same as during the Clinton-era ban. Proponents argue that this limit is now in effect in California, but opponents quickly rebut that it’s been a poor deterrent to gang violence.
While McCarthy’s legislation may not stand much chance of making it into law depending upon whom one listens to, it is turning into one heck of a free advertising effort for builders of big magazines. Understanding that a lot of panicked consumers may rush to stock up on large-capacity magazines, regardless of the bill’s chances, Gun Digest did some timely research to offer some tips on what to look for and what to avoid when purchasing after-market magazines. Veteran gun owners will recall that some of the hastily manufactured magazines that were churned out back in 1994 before the original ban took effect simply turned out to be junk.
Where to Find Quality High Capacity Mags
As Mike Kurvink, technical director for ProMag Industries, which produces some of the top synthetic magazines on the market, observed with perhaps only half of his tongue-in-cheek, “They should outlast the gun!”
ProMag manufactures magazines for about 200 different firearms, and one thing that Kurvink and his colleague, Mike Ballard, director for research and development, stressed is that good magazines will not deform. If one is shopping around for magazines, they cautioned against purchasing what they called generic, non-branded “gun show specials.” These are magazines that might be on sale for a “real bargain” and for good reason. They’re likely to be junk.
Spend a few additional dollars and buy magazines that bear the manufacturer’s brand.
To underscore that advice, a visit to the Washington Arms Collectors’ monthly gun show in Puyallup, WA one day after the SHOT Show concluded found a variety of both types of large-capacity magazines for sale. One vendor had various synthetic Tapco magazines for sale; no doubt a good purchase since Tapco magazines are backed by a lifetime warranty.
However, a couple of aisles away, one fellow was offering for sale an assortment of metal magazines that appeared to be military surplus. They had seen some use, the finish had worn here and there on all of them, and they were not marked; probably not a good idea to purchase any of these.
Polymer magazines have very strong and rigid lips that will not bend or dent.
David Kochol at Mec-Gar confirmed that used magazines, and occasionally some cheaper new ones, may have imperfections including dents or bent lips. At Mec-Gar, they run all magazines through a polishing process that involves tumbling the bodies in a ceramic powder, and before they leave the factory, they are gauged to make certain the bodies are smooth and flat on the sides. Lips and followers are examined to see that they function properly.
Springs are the heart of any magazine. At Mec-Gar, Kochol and colleague Monika DeMagistris noted that they use Type D spring wire, which resists memory; that is, they do not weaken if left depressed over long periods. Such springs can deliver a longer service life. They also recommend that shooters, and particularly law enforcement officers, rotate their magazines every 90 days. Next Page
Unable to push a gun ban through the current Congress, the anti-gun Obama administration is seeking to ban many guns through executive fiat.
In January, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) proposed that the importation of many shotguns be prohibited. In a report titled a Study on the Importability of Certain Shotguns, the BATFE found that “certain shotgun features are not particularly suitable or readily adapted for sporting purposes,” including:
Folding, telescoping or collapsible stocks
Bayonet lugs
Flash suppressors
Magazines over five rounds, or a drum magazine
Grenade-launcher mounts
Integrated rail systems
Light-enhancing devices
Excessive weight
Excessive bulk
Forward pistol grip
Shotguns containing any of these features are classified by the BATFE as “military shotguns, or shotguns with common military features that are unsuitable for traditional shotgun sports.”
So where does the government find the authority to ban any firearms without the consent of Congress? The 1968 Gun Control Act states that the Attorney General must approve the importation of any firearm “generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.”
This unconstitutional so-called “sporting purposes” test has been used by presidents of both parties to ban the importation of millions of firearms and is reminiscent of the 1994 Clinton gun ban, which banned many semi-automatic firearms that contained certain cosmetic features. Read more
Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America exposes the ATF's fumbled Project Gun Runner, the undercover operation to allow guns to “walk” into Mexico – firearms that were later used to murder a U.S. Border Patrol Agent. But now an internal memo from ATF reveals the agency may be ramping up their assault on mom and pop gun stores as part of a veiled PR campaign in the wake of the scandal.
The Connecticut Legislature was considering a bill that would have outlawed larger-capacity magazines holding ten rounds or better. That bill recently died in committee, and gun owners were a big reason why.
As the Hartford Courant reported, “A handful of states limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds, but the Connecticut bill would have gone further. It would have banned the future sale of large-capacity magazines and required anyone in possession of one or more to turn them over to local or state police within 90 days of the law's taking effect. Failure to do so could have resulted in a felony charge.”
The controversial proposal brought out state gun owners—in force. “Over 200 people from all walks of life came and testified against it, and I think they made their case,” said Sen. John Kissel, the ranking Republican on the judiciary committee. “Several gun owners said such provisions would constitute an illegal taking of their property and likely would have been ruled unconstitutional by the courts,” the Courant noted. “The proposal, they added, would have hurt law-abiding gun owners while doing nothing to deter crime.”
“We're always open to listening to our constituents,” Kissel added. “When over 200 people are willing to spend 12 hours at a public hearing, it has a huge impact.”
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The PPSh-41 rifle, also known as a pa-pa-sha, has been introduced by TNW. The stock is an original Polish part. The barrel, barrel shroud, and receiver are all new.
Semi-automatic versions of sub-machine guns have been on the U.S. market since Auto-Ordnance brought out the Thompson 1927-a1 in the 1970s. Other notable makes include the Uzi Model A which began importation in 1980, and the numerous MAC-10 type guns that began to appear in the early 1980s.
The expiration of the assault weapon ban in 2004 has brought a new generation of semi-automatic versions of classic military weaponry of the world. Many are based on Soviet designs. There are a lot of former East Block guns on the world arms market that can be bought cheap.
Of course functional select-fire guns cannot be imported for the civilian market. So U.S. importers began destroying the receivers of original guns and imported the parts kits. Then gun designers and tinkerers sat down and figured out how to make these things work in semi-automatic.
These semi sub guns (SSG?) are designed to comply with current law. Select-fire open-bolt mechanisms were changed to closed bolt semi-automatic operation. The BATFE must approve any design that skates near the edge of automatic operation.
It must be impossible to readily convert any design to automatic function, either by modification of existing parts or substitution of “readily available” parts. In all truth, these SSG are really new designs that have cosmetic resemblance to the select-fire version. Original stocks, handles, sights, magazines or other parts may be used but significant manufacture of new parts is done.
In addition to semi-auto only function, the new guns must comply with other areas of federal law. A rifle must have a barrel at least 16.1 inches long and have a total length of 26 inches. With most of the existing designs this requires a longer barrel than the original model. Older SMG’s usually had barrels that were six to 14 inches long. The longer barrels on the SSG change the profile quite a bit. Some models, like the British Sten or U.S.M3a1 Grease Gun really look silly with the 16-inch tube.
Handgun versions of guns such as the MAC-10 series can fit the original profile but will lack the collapsible stock. Some of the new designs even have an original folding stock welded in the closed position. This is to give the gun the appearance of the real thing.
In the last few months I have had the opportunity to try out three of the semi-auto sub guns. A Suomi 9mm rifle, PPSh 41 rifle and PPS 43 pistol. The Suomi and PPSh are manufactured by TNW Firearms https://www.tnwfirearms.com. They were ordered for local customers, not to test for this column. That idea occurred to me later.
Finland manufactured about 80,000 Suomi Model 1931 sub-machine guns in 9mm. Production ended in 1944. They were fitted with a 12.25-inch barrel and fire from an open bolt. The TNW semi automatic version fires from a closed bolt. It has a 16-inch barrel and the original barrel shroud was lengthened to cover some of the extra length.
The new gun keeps the unusual operating handle, which is located below the receiver at the back of the action. Magazines were made that hold 30 or 50 rounds as well as a 71-round drum. The Suomi currently retails in the $450 to $550 range.
The TNW gun I tried was built using an as-new stock and other parts. It is finished with a gray Parkerizing.
I fired two 30-round magazines through it. The rifle worked OK using Winchester and Finnish SAKO-made surplus ball ammo. One stovepipe jam and a couple failures to fire old ammo were the only issues. I was just plinking and did not have formal targets beyond a few old cans. Accuracy was to area of aim at my 25-yard range. Both I and the new owner of this gun thought it a bit heavy.
Three weeks after I sold the Suomi, another customer ordered a PPSh-41 rifle, also made by TNW but purchased from another source. This was when I decided these guns might be a good topic for a column.
The Russians used the PPSh model 1941 submachine gun during WWII. More than five million were made from 1941 to 1947. It was chambered for the 7.62x25mm cartridge also used in the Tokarev TT-33 pistol. The Russians sometimes called their PPSh a pa-pa-sha. It fired from an open bolt, has a 10.3-inch barrel and uses 35-round stick or 71-round drum magazines.
The TNW version was built with a Polish marked stock and other original parts. The barrel, barrel shroud and receiver are all new manufacture. It is finished with gray Parkerizing. The gun was shipped with a single stick magazine. I had to find some of the drums. They are what make this model neat. I ordered the drum on line and when it arrived I took the gun out back to try. Yes, my customer had been informed I would be testing his gun. The PPSh-41 currently retails in the $900 to $1000 range.
First, I gotta say this gun is heavy. It weighed in at 12 pounds 7 ounces with a loaded 71-round drum on my shipping scale. I would not want to have to carry this one all day. I wonder if they could make the barrel shroud from thinner steel, to lighten it up a bit? Function was spotty but I will attribute most of it to the ammo I used.
I did not happen to have much of the cheap surplus 7.62×25 on hand to try. My first drum was filled with 25 rounds of 1950s-era Czech surplus and 45 rounds of Norinco 1980s vintage steel-cased commercial ammo. The Czech ammo had hard primers and there were more than a dozen failures to fire in the first 25 rounds, as well as a few jams and failures to eject. Subsequent sessions used other mixed 7.62x25mm surplus I found in my stash. Bulgarian, Selior & Belot, and unknown manufacture.
Several more failures to fire. The most shots I got in one string was about 25 with the Norinco ammo. I am thinking this gun is a bit ammo sensitive. Some surplus ammo will have primers too hard for reliable operation. The factory manual suggests using new production ammo and warns of the poor reliability of surplus ammunition.
The final model I tried was the PPS-43 pistol. I bought this one at a gun show last weekend. The PPS 1943 was adopted in Russia in 1943. It was a re-design of the PPSh-41 made from sheet steel stampings. It used the same 35-round stick magazines. The drums will not fit the stamped magazine housing.
The new pistol is imported to the U.S. by Inter Ordnance https://www.ioinc.us. These currently retail for $450 to $550. It is made in Radom, Poland by Pioneer. This is an all-new gun. The folding metal stock is welded in the closed position. It has a 10-inch barrel and the weight is about 7.5 pounds. Finally, a sub-machine gun look-alike that looks like the real thing. I can grip the magazine and spray from the hip, just like the war movies! My initial range session was satisfactory. It fired 35 rounds of the Norinco commercial ammunition with only two stove pipe stoppages. Now, I’m out of 7.62×25 ammo, so I really need to find some more.
Whether you are a military history buff or just enjoy the look and feel of old submachine guns, these three are fine examples of what’s available for you.
This article appeared in the January 3, 2011 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The U.S. Army, among others, has been using ammunition made from tungsten alloy metals in an attempt to find a “green,” non-lead ammunition.
It looks like the search may just have to continue, based on research recently published in the scientific journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.
Scientists had thought tungsten was relatively non-toxic, and that, once in the environment (as in an expended bullet) the metal stayed intact and didn’t leach into the surrounding soil. Yet, several years ago researchers found tungsten in groundwater at Camp Edwards, a Massachusetts National Guard base that switched over to tungsten-nylon training ammunition in the 1990s.
In this latest research, as reported by United Press International, “Laboratory mice given drinking water containing small amounts of a tungsten compound were examined to see where in their bodies the tungsten ended up. Researchers found the highest concentrations of tungsten were found in the spleen, one of the main components of the immune system, and in bone marrow, the initial source of all the cells of the immune system.”
The next step was to determine if tungsten may in fact harm a mammal’s immune system. If that was found to be the case? You can remove the word “green” from any discussion of tungsten ammo!
Rock River Arms serves up an AR in .308, and it doesn't disappoint.
The first thing you notice about the Rock River Arms LAR-8 Elite Operator is that you have a stout yet maneuverable rifle in your hands. True it is heavier than a .223 version, but it is well-balanced and easy to handle.
When people start splitting hairs as to what really constitutes a “battle rifle” often times the discussion comes back around to caliber. Was the AR-15 really designed as a battle rifle? Or, by virtue of its smaller cartridge, was the AR-15 some other sort of weapon? Is the AR-15 designed for uses similar to the M-1 Carbine or the German STG-43 than to the M-14 or M-1 Garand?
This is the debate. Sure the AR-15 functions, but with its little bullet, it can’t really be called a battle rifle, can it?
Well, there are lots of rifle makers these days taking caliber out of the debate by building AR-style rifles in .308. This, of course, starts another debate. The .308 AR-rifle is what Eugene Stoner envisioned from the start. So, are we moving ahead with a .308 AR or are we going back to the starting point?
Perhaps these are questions too big for this article, but luckily we don’t have to answer them. Rock River Arms stepped up and gave the world a .308 caliber AR rifle that hits with the power of a battle rifle, but carries like an AR-15. The LAR-8 Elite Operator won’t stop the debate, but will certainly provide the power, accuracy and versatility modern shooters really want.
Rock River Arms LAR 308 Elite Operator.
Out of the Box
The first thing you notice upon assembly is that you have a stout yet maneuverable rifle in your hands. True it is heavier than a .223 version, but it is well balanced and easy to handle. Adjust the buttstock to your liking and the rifle comes up naturally and easily. An especially nice touch is the “half-quad” handguard. Sure, when you say “half-quad” you might think of just two rails, but don’t worry, it has all four.
But the rails simply run half the length of the handguard; from the gas block back. From the magazine well forward the handguard is just that, a handguard… with a knurled aluminum free-float tube that is both comfortable and easy to grip. You don’t often mount accessories that close to the magazine well anyway. That’s where you want to hold when you fire so this half-quad only makes sense.
The flip-up front sight is a well-built unit with stout ears protecting the adjustable front post. Designed and built by RRA, this sight is an example of the great ideas and sound execution in the manufacturing processes. The gas block front sight also serves as the anchor for three different sling attachment points. There is one on each side of the barrel and one below allowing you to mount any sort of sling system you would like.
Beneath the sight is a one-inch section of picatinny rail in case you need it. We mounted a Command Arms bipod on the lower portion of the quad rail and that worked slick. That bipod can stow with the legs pointing forward or aft for even more versatility. I would have liked to see a rear sight on this rifle, but that’s an option, not factory standard. I guess the folks at RRA want to let you choose your own rear sight, but I would prefer to see this rifle ready to rock right out of the box.
And speaking of which… the Rock River hard case is solid, well built and easily identifiable as the container of an RRA product. It is also specifically not what I would like in a hard case. You must disassemble the rifle to place it in the case and you can’t put an upper with optics into the blue box. The good news is that’s the only part of this rifle I could complain about. Meaning this is an outstanding rifle.
The first thing you notice about the Rock River Arms LAR-8 Elite Operator is that you have a stout yet maneuverable rifle in your hands. True it is heavier than a .223 version, but it is well balanced and easy to handle.
Just How Good?
I think it was Ben Franklin who said “The proof of the pudding is determined by how many 165-grain bullets you’re able to put into a bad guy in five seconds.” In this case, let’s say five would be the minimum.
If you have ever handled an AR-style rifle, the controls on the LAR 8 will be almost second nature. I say almost, because there are two small changes on this rifle. The magazine release button is now ambidextrous and can be activated from either side of the rifle and the bolt release is located at the bottom rear of the magazine well. It is an ambidextrous lever you push straight down, with your trigger finger if you like. Gone are the days of slamming a magazine home and slapping the left side of the receiver with your left hand to run the bolt forward. While we are on the topic of magazines, the Elite Operator used FAL metric and L1A1 inch magazines. So there should be no trouble finding 20-round boxes for your reloads.
The Rock River Arms-designed gasblock incorporates a pop-up front sight, sling attachment points on three sides and a short Picatinny rail making the rifle ready for anything.
Now, on to the shooting. For the day’s festivities I quickly mounted a Trijicon Reflex on top of the Elite Operator. Quickly, as in, I set the sight on the top rail, flipped the ARMS locks and started shooting. It was dead on. I started plinking at 25 yards. Then still shooting offhand, I engaged the targets at 50 and 75 yards. Finally, I braced the rifle on the post and started dropping rounds on the 100-yard target. Combat accuracy was outstanding, scoring minute-of-bad guy hits on everything I pointed at.
This prompted me to drop a few sandbags on the bench and drop some rounds downrange in an effort to see where they would fall if I was really trying to shoot a nice group. With the zero-power magnification Reflex sight aligned on the dead of the Dirty Bird target I rolled through the trigger press, firing as quickly as I could get the dot back on the group. On a grid target, accuracy lives up to the Rock River Arms’ claim of 1.5 MOA at 100 yards. The two-stage trigger allows for perfect control and a clean break.
The Smith flash hider worked very well and the 1:10 twist ratio seemed perfect for the 165-grain Hornady TAP ammo. Another feature I really liked was the sealed battery storage area behind the rubber buttplate. Push the button on the left side of the buttplate and it slides down exposing a storage area for several of the CR123 batteries. Each battery tube is also spring-loaded to make sure your batteries come out as easy as they go in.
If there is one thing to note about the .308 caliber AR-style rifles on the market, it is that parts are not universally interchangeable. Where as most AR-15 rifle parts from most makers will drop in and function, the same is not true of the bigger guns. Each maker has apparently come up with what they consider to be the best idea for some part or another. As stated on the RRA website, the LAR-8 uses a unique receiver thread and barrel nut.
No barrel nut (either separate or as part of a tubular handguard or quad rail handguard) except those made specifically for the RRA LAR-8 should ever be used on an RRA LAR-8 or upper half. Although some other barrel nuts may thread onto the LAR-8 upper receiver, the depth of thread is incorrect. Use of incorrect parts may cause injury or death. So, now you know that. The parts don’t interchange with other .308 AR parts out there. Don’t try it.
The Rock River Arms LAR-8 Elite Operator gives you a rifle and a platform that offers power and versatility. In a law enforcement capacity you will get greater range if you need it and more penetration around buildings and vehicles. If you want to use this as a Modern Sporting Rifle, the Elite Operator will have no trouble taking deer-sized game at any range you feel comfortable shooting. With the Elite Operator you can hit hard and fast with no debate.
This article appeared in the January 3, 2011 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Gun Digest the Magazine has reported, more than once, on warnings from firearms optics manufacturers that consumers needed to watch out for faked copies of their products. Recently, U.S. Customers snagged a shipment of these fakes, in this case counterfeit holographic sights, with a potential retail value of nearly a half million dollars.
State law enforcement in California, according to the Los Angeles Times, filed criminal charges against three men for allegedly selling the fake optics on the Internet via a company called Field Sport, Inc.
The charges stem from an investigation that began in early March after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were conducting a routine mail inspection at an Alaska sorting center and found 700 counterfeit rifle sights and 200 magnifier systems in a shipment sent from China to Field Sports headquarters, the Times noted.
According to the criminal complaint, the three men advertised for sale online about 700 counterfeit EOTech gun sights and 200 magnifier systems. They said the equipment had a retail value of about $475,000. Based in Michigan, EOTech has a copyright on the manufacture and sale of the holographic rifle sights sold by the defendants. The brand is popular with law enforcement and the military.
“Your request is granted in part.” Photo: ATF Disclosure Division
“This is in reference to your Freedom of Information Act request for access to information maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,” the response letter from Marilyn R. LaBrie, Team Leader, Disclosure Division begins.
“Your request is granted in part,” LaBrie continues. “We are releasing the disclosable portions of the documents and withholding portions for the reasons shown on the cover sheet that accompanies the documents.”
And no, I don’t expect anything earth-shaking, but I do expect anything I get will be telling in terms of what it doesn’t say.
What it doesn’t say is anything at all having to do with the primary request for “all documents, to include agendas, presentations and handouts containing information” related to the briefing itself. None were included in the response, nor was any acknowledgment even made that these were omitted.
Nor was there any apparent attempt to comply with the secondary request for “any memorandum, report, summary or other communication that describes what happened at the meeting, including a description of any oral briefing and what was said by both sides, and…copies of any such documents filed or stored, or designated for filing and storage, at the Office of Public and Government Affairs.” Read more
Starting this April 1, Pennsylvania shooters who want to use a public shooting range on State Game Lands must have a $30 range use permit, unless they already hold a Pennsylvania hunting or trapping license.
Previously, “hunting license fees were used to keep these ranges open to the public, even for those shooters who did not have licenses,” the Centre Daily Times reported. “This new permit ends the fee-free method of operation.”
“Over the past few years, the Game Commission has made large investments into its 29 State Game Land shooting ranges across this Commonwealth,” said Carl Roe, Game Commission executive director. “These investments have taken the form of lead remediation, safety barrier reconstruction, shooting range redesign and other related projects. These investments came at a high cost, but kept many shooting ranges open and available to the public.”
Now, it was time for the public to also ante up. The new permit requirement helped the Game Commission accomplish two goals: “having unlicensed persons contribute toward the cost of maintaining the ranges, and better quantifying and controlling the use of shooting ranges,” the Centre Daily noted. “The regulation also prohibits all other target shooting from taking place on State Game Lands, except at designated ranges.”
According to the Game Commission’s website, there are currently 29 shooting ranges operating on state game lands.
Sen. Patrick Leahy and other "Pro-Gun Democrats" are stonewalling efforts to uncover facts about ATF Project Gunwalker.
“[T]his is not a political issue, but a corrupt bureaucracy issue,” the ATF employee posting under the screen name “Zorro” wrote in the CleanUpATF forum on Mar. 27. “There were problems throughout administrations and political party rule. This monster was fostered by both parties and multiple presidential administrations through lack of oversight and accountability.”
True enough.
Just like it’s not an issue of being pro- or anti-gun. It’s an issue of out-of-control government corruption resulting in murder, which all Americans should want to get to the bottom of.
Not that the Brady Campaign and their camp followers can be bothered with such distinctions. Rather than concern themselves with stopping “gun deaths” caused by the criminal actions of those helping promote the meme that it’s all the fault of weak U.S. laws and greedy gun shops, their primary focus has been to call for even more restrictions on American gun owners and even more power for an agency and administration that resorts to stonewalling and deception in the face of congressional inquiries.
Where the hell are the Democrats?
In fact, Sen. Grassley is hamstrung by the fact he is only the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Democrat Patrick Leahy chairs the committee, and he has shown zero interest in uncovering the truth. None of the “gun control” Democrats are interested in doing anything other than circling the wagons, protecting the administration, and seeing if advancing more restrictions might distract attention from the whole sordid mess.
So then where the hell are the supposedly “pro-gun Democrats”?
Why has not one stepped forward and demanded full and open investigative hearings in both the House and Senate?
Where the hell are all those NRA-endorsed Democrats? Max Baucus and Jon Tester would sure be nice allies to have, as the Senate is really where pressure on Leahy needs to come from. Where the hell are they? And while he wasn’t “endorsed” last time out due to gun owner outrage (only financed), where the hell is that “true champion of the Second Amendment” Harry Reid? Read more
“Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today announced the issuance of a subpoena to the Department of Justices' Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) for documents related to the highly controversial ‘Project Gunrunner,’” the Committee announced in an April 1 press release.
The unwillingness of this Administration – most specifically the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms – to answer questions about this deadly serious matter is deeply troubling,” said Chairman Issa. “Allegations surrounding this program are serious and the ability of the Justice Department to conduct an impartial investigation is in question. Congressional oversight is necessary to get the truth about what is really happening.
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.
