Self-Defense Law: Castle Doctrine Vs. Stand Your Ground

April 11, 2024

The author explains the difference between Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground and how they can affect you if you’re confronted with a deadly threat.

Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground (SYG) laws can be confusing, especially when misinformation in the self-defense community is spread by well-meaning people who simply want to abide by the law.

Before we can jump into SYG with both feet, let’s first discuss Duty to Retreat and how this important legal concept applies.

Duty To Retreat

All states have some form of Duty to Retreat statute. Most have no duty to retreat if certain conditions are met, while others have a duty to retreat prior to using deadly force, as long as it’s safe to do so.

For example, in my home state of Michigan, there’s no duty to retreat as long as you meet these four conditions:

1) You are not in the commission of a crime;
2) You are in a place you have a legal right to be;
3) You have an honest and reasonable belief that deadly is necessary; and
4) That deadly force is only to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm and/or sexual assault.

According to the most recent update from the National Association of State Legislatures, 28 states plus Puerto Rico have no duty to retreat from a deadly force attack as long as you are in a place you have a legal right to be lawfully present. A few states require you at least make an attempt to retreat to safety, as long as retreating doesn’t increase your risk of death or great bodily injury.

Skewed Public Perception

Stand Your Ground laws have found their way into the lexicon of the general public through what seems are weekly shootings across the United States. Although the news media try to define SYG, they usually make a poor attempt at explaining these laws, which further leads to the confusion and spread of misinformation.

So, essentially, SYG simply means you don’t have to retreat to safety, or try to escape the deadly force situation, as long as you meet the conditions laid out in your jurisdiction.

However, SYG isn’t quite that simple. If you can retreat, or avoid any fight, why wouldn’t you at least make an attempt to retreat to safety to avoid using deadly force? That said, sometimes using deadly force, or any level of force, requires that you act in the moment because there’s no time to retreat, or retreat alternative.

In Brown v. United States, 256 U.S. 335 (1921), an often-quoted U.S. Supreme Court decision even today, the Court held “that if a man reasonably believes that he is in immediate danger of death or grievous bodily harm from his assailant he may stand his ground, and that if he kills him he has not exceeded the bounds of lawful self-defense.”

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, in writing the Court’s opinion stated, “Detached reflection is not required in the face of an uplifted knife.” Therefore, back as far as 1921 (and even farther), we see SYG in the common law and held by the Supreme Court.

Certainly, other case law has developed in the previous 100 years; however, the legal concept has always been there. For the most part, states have codified common law into statutes for their jurisdictions; some make it easier to understand and others have confused the issue. Know the rules and conditions in all jurisdictions you live, work and travel.

How it All Applies to Your Castle

Castle Doctrine is considered an exception to Duty to Retreat. This doctrine, in its most simple form, means that one doesn’t have to retreat from their own home (castle) before using deadly force. Even though you may have a back door exit or could climb out of a window to relative safety, there’s no need to do so.

In 1753, English jurist Sir William Blackstone published his four-volume set titled Commentaries on the Laws of England. England owned many colonies around the world, and the English laws sometimes didn’t make it to these outlying colonies and territories. Therefore, judges were left to make their own law as cases were presented to them. Blackstone’s purpose was to bring consistency of English law to all subjects of the Crown throughout the world.

In so many words, Blackstone opined that a man’s house is sacred and should be the last stronghold of immunity to attack. If someone attacks you in your home, you may defend against their attack with deadly force. That was Blackstone’s belief.

But you must be careful, because you can’t just shoot someone who breaks in to you castle. In most jurisdictions, you still can only defend against deadly force when deadly force is presented to you.

Outlying Factors

There are a few exceptions to the Castle Doctrine that need mentioning.

One exception is if your attacker lives in the same household, or in the house you own but you don’t live there. Think domestic situations. Some jurisdictions require you to retreat, in your own home, if your attacker lives with you, before using deadly force.

Even if you own the home but your ex-spouse has a court order keeping you out, you cannot use Castle Doctrine. What about a guest living in your home with you? Retreat may be required. If a person has a legal right to enter your home (police with warrant, child protective services or spouse), then Castle Doctrine is off the table.

The curtilage of your home is important as well. Some states include the curtilage as part of your home. The curtilage is defined as that area immediately surrounding your domicile. Some states will extend curtilage to the sidewalk or steps that are just beyond your porch, and a few states are very restrictive by only including the porch.

In Michigan, curtilage has expanded in recent years to include the flower bed area, as long as it’s in near proximity to the dwelling. How’s that for confusion? Some states might consider the detached garage as part of the curtilage, while others consider an attached garage as part of the home.

The pole barn or structure on the back forty? Not a part of your home as far as Castle Doctrine is concerned. Some jurisdictions have extended Castle Doctrine to your vehicle and your place of business.

But, you must keep this in mind: You can’t just shoot someone you find in your home. You must still have an honest and reasonable belief deadly force is necessary.

When I give legal lectures in educational environments, people still believe if someone breaks into my house, I can simply shoot them. No, not exactly. Again, in Michigan, people confuse this with our Rebuttable Presumption. Other states have it as well.

A rebuttable presumption means that it’s presumed that you have a legal right to use deadly force, with an honest and reasonable belief, simply because a person is in your home unlawfully, but that presumption can be rebutted by the prosecution if there’s any evidence that shows otherwise.

Such evidence could include a witness, a video camera, security camera or other information that can clearly show you didn’t have an honest and reasonable belief that you need to use deadly force. Video might show the criminal’s hands in the air giving up in the face of your gun. You shoot them anyway. Your self-defense claim just went out the window.

Learn Your Local Laws

So, Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine, although similar in some respects, are very different. You must still meet the conditions set forth in your jurisdiction, you must still have an honest and reasonable belief that deadly force is a necessity, the attack must be imminent (no opportunity to retreat), and you can’t claim self-defense if you are in the commission of a crime.

If you can retreat safely, without using deadly force, it’s best to do so. But if your attacker pursues you or doesn’t give you an opportunity to retreat, then you may have to resort to deadly force.

Check your jurisdiction and all those places you work, travel and reside. It’s a lot to consider if you choose to carry a firearm.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

More Knowledge For The Armed Citizen:

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Concealed Carry and the Right to Remain Silent
Tips For Communicating With Police After Shootings
Concealed Carry: After the Shooting
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Why Drum Magazines Couldn’t Keep The Beat

Sam Hoober

April 10, 2024

A look back at drum magazines, their pros and cons and why they’ve fallen out of favor for professional and military use.

Drum magazines, those big, round mags that store cartridges in a spiral rather than in a flat stack, have been around for longer than you might realize. While once a relatively common sight in the hands of soldiers around the world, the drum magazine has since largely fallen out of favor with militaries and armed professionals.

There are a few that remain popular on the civilian market for several different platforms (because more bullets is always better when fun is the priority), but drum magazines are now rare compared to box magazines and belt-fed weapons in professional and military settings.

Soviet-WWII-PPSh-41-Degtyaryov — Drum magazines were relatively common during WWII. Here, three Soviet soldiers are holding two PPSh-41 SMGs and a Degtyaryov LMG, all equipped with drum mags.

So, let's talk about drum magazine history, how they work and what you should know before trying to assemble a full kit based around several Magpul D-60s.

A Brief History Of Drum Magazines

The first device that could be considered a drum magazine was designed in the 1850s (patented in 1853 by Charles N. Tyler) as a loading mechanism for revolvers, with the ramrod pushing a paper cartridge from a drum into the cylinder., While noteworthy, and an interesting invention, it’s not quite what we think of when people refer to drum magazines today.

Tyler-revolver-drum-magazine-patent — The original Tyler patent, the predecessor to modern drum magazines. Photo: Google Patents.

The first truly modern drum magazine emerged in the early 1900s with the 32-round “snail magazine” (Schneckenmagazine) for the Luger P08. Typically issued with the longer-barreled, shoulder stock-equipped Artillery Luger, these saw combat during WWI.

Officially called the LP08 (Lange Pistole, for the 7.9-inch barrel), it saw some service with artillery crews, the Luftwaffe and occasionally with some infantry units, but these primordial pistol-caliber carbines otherwise saw limited use. However, the drum magazine itself was also used by the MP 18 submachine gun at the end of World War I and again in World War II.

Artillery-Luger-drum-magazine-RIAC — An Artillery Luger equipped with its stock and 32-round drum magazine. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

The most common use of drum magazines from that point forward was with submachine guns, although they’d be developed for rifles and machine guns as well.

The Soviet PPSh-41, the Finnish Suomi and the Thompson are some prominent SMG examples. The Thompson was originally designed to use either a 20-round box magazine or a 50-round drum magazine, though 100-round drums would eventually be made as well.

Outside of submachine guns, even historically, the use of drum magazines has been more limited. Some early machine gun designs such as the Lewis Gun and the Degtyaryov used a variation of the concept known as pan magazines. In the 1960s, drums got another boost of life when the Soviets developed and started widely issuing them with the RPK (the light machine gun version of the AK).

Lewis-Gun-RIAC — A Lewis Gun with its pan magazine, a version of the drum magazine. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

Past the RPK, the development of new drum magazines became a rarer and rarer sight. The Soviets didn’t even issue a new version of it for the RPK-74 after switching to 5.45×39, opting for larger box magazines instead (although a new 5.45 drum mag was developed in 2016 for the RPK-16, it's yet to be widely issued). As it stands today, when it comes to the firearms used by modern militaries and armed professionals, box mags and belt-feds have firmly secured their place as the global standard.

How Does A Drum Magazine Work?

There are a few different designs of drum magazines, but in almost all cases the basic mechanical principles remain the same.

Rather than being stacked next to each other in rows of either one, two or more as what happens in traditional box magazines, in a drum magazine, ammunition is instead coiled in a spiral inside the mag’s body.

AR-Beta-C-mag — This rear view of a loaded Beta C-Mag with a transparent back gives a good idea of how bullets feed through a drum magazine. Photo: Wikipedia.

To load, the magazine is (usually, but not always) disassembled, and the ammunition can be individually placed into their proper positions. The magazine is then reassembled and the user winds the spring until set to the desired tension for proper feeding. Again, some of the more modern designs can be loaded like a normal magazine without disassembling or winding.

When firing, the spring tension pushes on the follower to feed ammunition towards where it can feed into the firearm, just like a normal magazine.

Some drum magazines have a feed tower like a conventional box magazine but others do not.

The aforementioned pan magazine variant essentially functions the same way except for the orientation of the bullets (the rounds face the center of a pan magazine rather than being parallel with the firearm’s action). This difference is why guns that use pan magazines can typically only use pan magazines, whereas most guns that use traditional drum magazines can also use box magazines since both designs feed rounds in the same direction.

Lewis-Gun-pan-magazine — A loaded Lewis Gun pan magazine. Photo: Wikipedia.

Why The Military Doesn't Use Drum Magazines

Militaries generally don't use drum magazines anymore for two main reasons:

They’ve historically proven to be less reliable than traditional box magazines or belt-feed systems
They actually decrease the total ammunition loadout that an individual soldier can carry.

Consider this for a moment.

The PMAG D-60 (Magpul’s 60-round 5.56 drum magazine for ARs) is 7.4 inches tall and about 4 inches wide at its thickest point. Fully loaded, it weighs roughly 46 ounces.

One Gen 3 PMAG, more or less the gold standard for AR-15 magazines, is 7.5 inches tall, 3.1 inches front to back and just under an inch wide. Fully loaded, they weigh about 16 ounces.

One D-60 occupies the space of three 30-round PMAGs and weighs about the same to boot. In terms of the total amount of ammunition compared to the space the mag takes up, the D-60 provides 60 rounds for the price of 90. That may not matter for plinking at the range, but if you have to carry your own supply of ammunition, that makes a huge difference. And that doesn’t even take into account the awkward shape of drum magazines that prevent them from easily being stored in pouches.

drum-magazine-size-comparison — The same size comparison made above but with a 75-round drum and three 30-round 7.62 AK mags. The point remains the same, the three box mags combined hold more rounds and are much easier to carry.

Even though Magpul’s drum magazine is relatively new in the grand scheme of things, this problem isn’t.

Thompson 50-round drum mags occupy more space than three 20-round box magazines. While Thompson drums were issued by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1920s and 30s (including some action in the Banana Wars, among other limited engagements of the period) they were not widely issued in World War II and only saw limited use in the early years. Instead, as the Thompson was refined into the M1 and M1A1 models, the Army removed the ability of the guns to accept drum mags at all.

Another common complaint regarding drum mags was the noise they made in the field. Unlike box magazines, where cartridges are mostly held tightly in place by the spring tension, cartridges are held much more loosely in a drum. When you walk, they rattle.

Further, while most of the commonly used drum magazines of the 20^th century were reliable enough, they were never as reliable as the tried-and-true box mag.

Mechanically speaking, pushing something in a straight line is easy. Pushing bullets in a spiral is not as easy. This simple principle will always prevent the best drum mags from being as reliable as the best box magazines.

Failures to feed have classically been the biggest issue plaguing drum magazines, along with the additional requirements for maintenance, loading and so on. It's just easier to deal with box magazines, and they tend to work a heck of a lot better, especially on the scale that militaries operate on.

So, while some very good drum mags have been designed and used to great effect over the past century of warfare, the lesson learned seems to be that their downsides outweigh their benefits enough for the concept to be mostly abandoned. If sustained fire is your goal, belt-feds are a much better solution.

Pros And Cons Of Drum Mags

While the pros and cons of drum mags are the same for both militaries and individual recreational shooters on the surface, the context for their use completely changes things. When your life isn’t on the line, a minor hit to potential reliability is acceptable. When you don’t need to haul your own gear for miles, weight and bulk are irrelevant. When shooting is your hobby, cleaning and maintaining a more complicated device isn’t the end of the world. Point being, a drum mag can still be an excellent thing to have on hand for today’s modern shooter.

For plinking at the range or participating in the appropriate competitions, there are some well-made modern drum mags available for ARs of various calibers, 10/22s and PCCs. Most of these are generally considered to be reliable, and when working properly they could definitely save you a reload and some seconds when on the clock.

Magpul-Scorpion-PCC-drum-magazine — A CZ Scorpion EVO in 9mm equipped with a Magpul PMAG D-50 drum magazine.

For AKs, military surplus drums are considered the best quality, especially top-loaders from Russia or Romania. The commercial reproductions from China are usually more finicky, but even they can run well enough for range fun.

If you have an old-school AR-15, a Beta C-Mag can also be an excellent complement to enhance its retro vibes. Most other relatively common guns in question that can accept a drum mag are either original historical firearms or reproductions, such as the Thompson. If you own something like that, you might as well pick up a drum mag too just to complete the package.

AK-drum-magazine — A Romanian top-loading drum magazine for 7.62 AKs. A fun toy, but not very useful.

Historically, a common trend of civilian firearms is that they take inspiration from what the military is using. In the case of drum mags, it’s generally a good idea to follow suit. Given the number of guns equipped with drum mags that were developed and used in the past 100 years, nobody can say that the concept didn’t get a fair shake. They were tried, saw some success, but ultimately didn’t offer any benefit great enough for them to live on in a world of box mags and belt-feds. If you’re considering buying one for practical purposes, especially relating to defense, you’ll be better off with a box mag. Even extended models will be more reliable than a drum.

If plinking, LARPing, collecting or competing is your aim, however, drum mags can still be very fun. Plus, if nothing else, their existence helps to ensure that 30 rounds is the definition of standard capacity.

More On Mags & Clips:

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First Look: Vortex Banshee And Jackal Shooting Glasses

Adam Borisenko

April 9, 2024

Vortex Optics has just launched its first eyewear, featuring two styles of glasses that offer protection from both the sun and the dangers of the range.

When you’re around gunfire, you need to be wearing ballistic eye protection. Everyone who shoots steel targets with handguns has felt some shrapnel come back at them before. When it’s in the leg, no problem, but you don’t want that hitting your eye. When it comes to shooting safety glasses, however, not all offer protection against the sun as well, and even fewer look good while doing it. Vortex Optics has decided to try and tackle all three at the same time with its new line of Jackal and Banshee eyewear.

The Vortex Eyewear line currently features two styles of glasses, each available with your choice of lens color. The Jackal is more of a sport or wraparound style, and the Banshee is more of a classic wayfarer style. Whichever model suits you better, both offer the same benefits. Primarily, that includes shatter-resistant lenses and construction featuring ballistic-rated materials to protect your eyes at the range. For comfortable use while shooting, they also have anti-reflective properties, a non-slip bridge and temples and they’re designed to be worn with earmuffs. And, of course, the scratch- and smudge-resistant lenses are polarized and offer 100% UV protection.

Both styles of Vortex Eyewear are available now and share an MSRP of $179.99. Each pair will also ship with a protective case and a microfiber cloth and are backed by Vortex’s lifetime VIP warranty.

For more information, visit vortexoptics.com.

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Hardware Talk: Midwest Industries Receiver Block

Patrick Sweeney

April 8, 2024

For anyone who enjoys working on their AR-15s without marring the finish, the Midwest Industries Lower Receiver Block is a great tool to have.

Handling an AR-15 lower—while also assembling it, tightening something or just making it behave—can be a hassle. Midwest Industries (MI) has a solution, and their lower receiver block serves you in two ways.

First, you can simply slap the block down on your workbench and fit the receiver into it, nestled in place. It’ll stay put while you install the hammer and trigger pins and the trigger guard, even making it stay put while you hand-screw the buffer tube in place. (You’ll need more than the MI block to do the torquing and staking.)

While you’re doing this, the smaller section of the MI block has a recessed tray, where you can put the small parts you’ll need. No worries about them rolling off the bench or getting bumped by an inadvertent sleeve or put-down screwdriver. Nope, they’re safe in the recess.

If you want to view the interior as you install the fire control parts, you can. Simply take the block and slide the narrower part up into the magazine well. Yes, it’s shaped like a magazine for a reason. Now, clamp the bigger part of the MI block in your vise. You can now work on the lower, install and inspect as they function, or the fire control parts, without having to juggle the receiver in one hand while working with the other.

Midwest-Industries-receiver-block — The Midwest Industries receiver block handles a lot of tasks and does so without risking marring your receiver.

Being bright blue, it won’t glare in your shop lights, but it also won’t let parts hide, as a black or dark material might. Also, as a relatively soft polymer, it won’t ding your lower or mar the finish. I know some of you want to keep your build as pristine as possible. (Some of us use our rifles.)

As if all this wasn’t enough, MI added one more function: a gas block gas tube installation recess. The hard part of getting a gas system assembled can be getting the blasted tiny roll pin driven into the gas block, with the gas tube in place.

I dare you to find a non-marring position in your bench vise to clamp the block in, with an orientation of the gas block that allows you to drive the pin in. I’ve been wrestling with AR-15s for 35 years now, and that’s the part I hate the most.

The block is designed to work with forged receivers, so if you have a milled one, it might not be as nice a fit as MI intended it to be. They offer it in AR-15 and AR-10 sizes in one color: blue. Now, I’ve been wrestling with AR-15s for so long that I have some bad habits. I’ve found workarounds to get things done … doing them without fixtures. But I’m going to have to add this to the AR-15 toolbox, because it’s so useful for the things it does that it earned space in the kit.

Forty bucks may seem like a bit much for “a simple piece of plastic,” as one person I showed it to commented, but don’t be fooled: Not 5 minutes later he was asking to borrow it.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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Walther P38: Father Of The Modern Service Pistol

Robert Sadowski

April 5, 2024

If you’re a fan of double-action/single-action 9mm service pistols, you owe a lot to the Walther P38.

The Walther P38 was the Wehrmacht’s less expensive replacement for the iconic P08 Luger pistol. The P08 was reliable and well-liked by the German Army, so you might assume that a cheaper gun would suffer from lower reliability or generally worse construction. Of course, this wasn’t the case.

While Walther may have primarily set out to design a pistol that would be cheap and efficient to mass-produce, the company ended up developing what would become one of the most influential handguns of the 20^th century.

Not only did the Walther P38’s construction utilize manufacturing techniques that were then considered nontraditional, like a stamped steel slide cover and polymer grips, but also innovative features like a double-action/single-action trigger, a decocking safety lever, a loaded chambered indicator and large combat sights. These would soon become incredibly common features on pistols following WWII. Between that period and the advent of polymer-framed striker-fired pistols, DA/SA hammer-fired guns reigned supreme, and the Walther P38 was the first of that description to be adopted as a standard military sidearm.

walther-p38-1 — An early Walther P38. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

Even today, plenty of Walther P38s are still in use, and all things considered they remain quite an effective choice compared to many other surplus military pistols of its era. There are obviously more modern options available now, but the P38 continues to see use around the world along with more modern pistols that were heavily inspired by it.

Walther PP On Steroids

Development of the Walther P38 took about six years and started in 1932 when the German Army began looking for a replacement for the P08. The Luger is a machinist’s nightmare, featuring metal parts that need to be hand-fitted. This results in more time spent producing the pistols, making each one more costly in terms of both money and time efficiency.

Walther introduced the PP (Police Pistol) in 1929 and it almost immediately became one of the most popular handgun choices for European law enforcement, both inside and outside of Germany. The PP itself was an influential design and was the first truly commercially successful double-action pistol produced. The PP used a simple straight blowback action, a double-action/single-action trigger and a decocking safety lever located on the slide. The German Army liked the 9x19mm cartridge, so Walther figured it would just scale the PP up to 9mm and everything would be wunderbar for the Wehrmacht.

The PP is chambered for .32 Auto or 7.65mm Browning as it is called in Europe. Walther super-sized the PP and called it the MP/PP, a gun that was nearly identical to the PP but chambered for the larger 9x19mm cartridge. While the idea sounded good on paper, in practice, the 9mm cartridge was too powerful for a simple blowback mechanism.

walther-mp — The Walther MP/PP. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

More P38 Prototypes, More Changes

The next design was also called the MP or Military Pistol, but it used an entirely different mechanism in the form of a locked breech, a system that was much better suited for the powerful 9mm cartridge. Features included a shrouded hammer, an open bridge slide design and an extractor located on its top. Only a handful were built because the slide tended to jump off the frame when fired. Not a desirable trait.

It was back to the drawing board for Walther, and by about 1935 the design had evolved and now featured a bridge on the front of the slide to keep it from jumping out of the rails. This model was called the Armee-Pistole or Army Pistol, but collectors refer to it as the AP following the naming convention Walther used previously. The AP used a similar mechanism to the previous MP. Some features of both the MP and the AP eventually made their way into the P38 design such as the slide stop and take down lever. Since the AP was again more of a research and development gun, very few were produced. The AP still didn’t cut the mustard as far as the German Army was concerned, so work on the design continued.

walther-ap — The Walther Armee-Pistole. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

The next revision reverted to the MP nomenclature and changed the shrouded, enclosed hammer to an exposed, round hammer. The extractor was moved to the left side of the slide giving the new and improved MP that characteristic flat-sided slide found on the final Walther P38. At this point, the design was almost completed.

Commercially Known As The HP

The HP or Heerespistole was the next and final iteration. This model incorporated a spur hammer instead of a rounded hammer, and the extractor on the HP was now exposed instead of hidden under the slide like on the second model MP. The polymer grips fit together to form the rear backstrap which saved on the steel for the frame. The HP was the first pistol of this line to become available for commercial sales and military markets, and it would soon be tested by the German Army and quickly adopted and formally renamed the P38 in 1938. Sweden adopted the HP as the M39 pistol in 1939 as well. Some 24,000 to 30,000 HP pistols were sold on the commercial market before World War II broke out and Walther shifted all production to military needs.

Walther-Model-HP — The Walther Model HP with its wooden grips. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

The mechanisms of the HP and P38 pistols are identical. They are virtually the same gun aside from their roll marks and a few minor differences like grip material. That said, the P38 would feature multiple different grip styles over its production life.

How Does The Walther P38 Work?

When the P38 is fired, a wedge-shaped falling block keeps the slide and barrel locked together until enough pressure has dissipated to allow the slide to reciprocate safely rearward. The locking block stops barrel movement and allows the slide to continue rearward to eject the empty case and cock back the hammer. Dual recoil springs return the slide forward to chamber a round. This system is different than most other pistol designs today which typically use a Browning tilting barrel action.

P38-stripped — A field-stripped P38 and its holster.

The 9mm P38 feeds from an 8-round single-stack magazine. Unique to the P38 at the time was a loaded chamber indicator. A metal pin protrudes from the rear of the slide when a round is chambered, providing both visible and tactile indications. The decocker safety located on the slide allows the user to decock the hammer and safely carry it with a round in the chamber.

Another important feature of the Walther P38 is of course its double-action/single-action trigger. While this became an incredibly common attribute of military handguns post-WWII, it was the first widely issued service pistol to include it. The pistol’s sights were very ahead of their time as well. Larger than average and offering a good sight picture, they’re definitely faster to use than most tiny military handgun irons of the era. The magazine release is located on the butt of the grip and the left grip has a metal loop to attach a lanyard.

Wartime P38 Production

By the end of WWII, over one million P38 pistols had been manufactured. While Walther had the highest output, it was not the only factory to make them as Mauser and Spreewerk were contracted to do so as well.

walther-p38-factory-code — This P38's factory code “ac 42” means that it was made at the Walther factory in 1942. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

During the war, manufacturers were assigned codes to confuse the Allies where production was located. Walther produced the initial run of pistols using the Walther logo from 1937 to about mid-1940, at which time Walther switched to its military “480” identification marking during production from mid-1940 through October of 1942. After, Walther used the code “ac” until the end of the war. Mauser used the code “byf” and Spreewerk used the code “cyq”, although there were some other codes used near the end of the war as well. The codes are roll marked on the left side of the slide, and on Walthers and Mausers this was usually followed by the year of production. This means that a pistol marked with “byf 43” is a Mauser made in 1943. If trying to identify a P38 yourself, there are more detailed guides available in books and online that will cover the nuances and caveats not mentioned here.

Postwar WWII P38 Production And Variants

After the war, West Germany’s Bundeswehr geared up again with the P38 after Walther retooled and rebuilt the factory out of the rubble of WWII. Postwar P38 production ran from 1957 to 1963.

In 1963, Walther launched the P1 model which replaced the steel frame with an aluminum one and introduced a few other small changes. Commercial P1 guns were produced in 9mm as well as .30 Luger and .22 Long Rifle, and they were also manufactured by Manurhin in France under license. Amazingly, Germany did not start replacing its P1s until the 1990s, a testament to the original design that let it remain in service as a viable military sidearm for nearly six decades.

walther-p4-and-p1 — A Walther P4 (top) and a Walther P1. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

A P4 variant was produced in the late 1970s with a shorter 4.5-inch barrel and several other minor improvements. This gun was issued to various German law enforcement agencies, but it was only created as a stopgap measure and produced in relatively small numbers as the more advanced Walther P5 was already in development.

One rare and unique variant of the P38 worth mentioning is the P38K, which features an abbreviated, snub-nose barrel with the front sight attached to the bridge of the slide. The “K” in the model names is an abbreviation of the German word “kurz” which translates to short. Walther used the same naming convention for the PPK, the smaller version of the PP.

walther-p38k — A Walther P38K. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

The P38 In Action

Not only did the Wehrmacht use the P38 on all fronts during WWII, but it was also issued to the Gestapo and many units of the SS. The P38 performed well and was extremely popular with troops. Not only was the P38 reliable and more rugged than the P08 it replaced, but it was much easier to disassemble and maintain. What the P38 lacked in sleek looks, it made up for in performance. American GIs were not familiar with a pistol like the P38, as the double-action/single-action trigger was odd and foreign compared to the revolvers and single-action 1911s they were accustomed to.

WWII-capture-P38 — An American soldier holding a German officer and his first sergeant prisoner with the officer's P38.

Dozens of different countries would go on to use the P38 after WWII, resulting in the pistol seeing action in several of the conflicts that followed. American soldiers in Vietnam would encounter the P38 as captured guns were given to the North by the Soviet Union as military aid, and the pistol showed up in many conflicts in the Middle East as well.

Collecting the P38

GIs returning home from WWII brought back battlefield pick-up P38s as souvenirs. These guns have no importation marks and have a higher value than guns that do have import marks. If you plan on collecting P38s from WWII, you’ll typically find pistols that are very well-worn or nicer examples that were refinished by the Soviet Union after being captured. That said, the few out there that still have their original finish in excellent condition can fetch a very pretty penny. The finish on wartime production guns is usually lower than the quality of pre- and post-war guns, and quality worsened as the war went on. P38s from 1940 will have been made with a lot more care than what Germany could afford by 1945.

walther-p38-1941 — A P38 made at the Walther factory in 1941. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

There are many very wealthy collectors out there with an interest in WWII German firearms, so original P38s naturally fetch incredibly high prices. Value depends on factors like the manufacturer, condition, rarity and provenance, but regardless, you should be prepared to pay over $1,000 if you’re interested in even an average example of WWII vintage. If you’re looking for a shooter rather than a safe queen, look for mismatched serial numbers or just consider buying one that was produced after the war.

Surplus P38s

After WWII, large quantities of P38s were captured by Soviet troops and shipped back to Soviet arsenals for refinishing. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many Soviet-captured P38s were dumped onto the U.S. commercial surplus market. Most of these pistols have been refinished and have mismatched serial numbers, and they often have “X” marks over the old serial number and other German markings like swastikas removed or stamped over. Beware if a WWII P38 looks too pristine at first glance because there’s a good chance it's a refurb and not in original condition. With that in mind, even a Soviet-captured refinished P38 will be more valuable to collectors than one produced after the war’s end.

Russian-capture-P38 — A Soviet captured and refurbished P38. Notice the large X mark on its side. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

By comparison, P1 variants are widely available on the surplus market. Many of these guns were used by European law enforcement before being imported into the U.S. These do not have nearly the value of wartime P38s, and you can still routinely find them for $500 to $800. Some even come with a surplus holster and extra magazines. I picked up a P1 for a song a few years back, but like all surplus, prices rise as supplies dry. If you want one, buying sooner is better than later.

The P38 Lives On

Many of the features of the Walther P38 would go on to influence successful pistols designed after it, but the gun most directly inspired by it is of course the Beretta 92, later adopted by the U.S. Army as the M9. Other guns would merely take inspiration from the P38 with features such as a DA/SA trigger and the use of stamped sheet metal and polymers in their construction. Its 9mm chambering has also obviously become the global standard for handgun cartridges. Frankly, the single-stack magazine is the pistol’s most dated design aspect. If a P38 was all you had access to, it still would be a very effective pistol for personal defense.

If you’ve never shot a P38, you should, as that’s the only way to truly understand just how modern it still feels for a design that’s over 80 years old.

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Browning Automatic Rifle: The Gun That Changed the Infantry

The Greener: There’s Nothing Quite Like A Double-Barrel Shotgun

Nick Hahn

April 5, 2024

A look back at the Greener, because nothing gets a young shotgunner’s attention like touching off both barrels—simultaneously!

The first shotgun I ever fired was a 20-gauge J. C. Higgins single-barrel single shot. It belonged to the wife of a close family friend, one of two hunting and shooting mentors I had as a kid. I believe Stevens made the gun, but back then, it was marketed under the J. C. Higgins label by Sears, Roebuck and Company.

Gun-Digest-2024-78t — This article is an excerpt of Gun Digest 2024, 78th edition.

As was typical of that type of single-barrel shotgun, it was very light and gave a healthy jolt with standard loads. So, to offset the recoil, my mentor loaded a few cartridges with about half an ounce of shot and reduced powder. In short, he made .410 loads in 20-gauge hulls. I shot at a tin can about 15 yards away; it was the first time I fired a shotgun. It was a good thing that it hardly kicked since, at age 12, I wasn’t a large kid. I was kind of scrawny, about 90 pounds soaking wet!

A few months after shooting the powder-puff 20 gauge, I shot a regular 12-gauge load at a live target. I was out with an uncle, my other childhood mentor, hunting. We had been after partridge and drove to one of his “secret” spots after an unsuccessful hunt in one area. While driving, my uncle suddenly stopped and pointed at a tree about 30 yards away. A crow sat on the top branch. We exited the car, and he assembled his shotgun from its case, a W. W. Greener 12 gauge with double triggers and side safety.

greener-shotgun-c — This FH25 is like the old Greener the author’s uncle owned. That gun had the original horn buttplate, and the wood showed just a bit more grain. Otherwise, this one is like that old gun.

He loaded both barrels with those wonderfully aromatic waxed green paper Remington Express loads with round yellow paper stickers on the crimp marked with the shot size. He checked to ensure the gun was on safe, then handed it to me and said to aim, take it off safe, and shoot. If I missed with the first barrel and the crow started to fly off, I was to pull the rear trigger for the second barrel. He reminded me to “lead” the crow if it was flying. Eagerly, I took the gun from his hands and attempted to do as I was told. I aligned the bead on the crow and took the safety off. Then I pulled the trigger, or at least I thought I had pulled the front trigger, but apparently, I did more than that.

The shot was thunderous and almost knocked me off my feet! I missed entirely, and the crow disappeared before I could shoot again. My uncle laughed as I stood there somewhat dazed, staring at the Greener that kicked like a mule. He took the gun from me, thumbed the top lever, and popped two empties. In my excitement, I pulled both triggers at the same time. It was quite a shock, and I never repeated that mistake.

greener-shotgun-4c — This Greener Model F35 has rather nice wood, nothing spectacular, but nicely grained.

I later shot that wonderful Greener more successfully, pulling one trigger at a time. I discovered that it did not have a vicious kick at all. I often shot those mild, maroon-colored, low-base Remington Shur-Shot loads, and the recoil was minimal. It was a game gun and weighed about 61/2 pounds, the same as my uncle’s other game guns. My uncle was a wealthy man and a hunting fanatic who owned many shotguns, all 12 gauges. As far as he was concerned, the 12 gauge was the only bore size worth shooting. He owned a successful company, and he concentrated on hunting for about four months each year during the hunting season. During that time, he rarely visited his office except in emergency cases, leaving the company business in the hands of his deputy.

He used to jokingly say that if Clark Gable, the reigning “King of Hollywood” at that time, could take off during hunting season, so could he. (Gable was famous for having a clause in his contract with MGM Studio that specified he would not make any movies during hunting season.) My uncle may not have been the “King of Hollywood,” but he had his priorities straight.

It was from this uncle that I learned about fine English and European doubles. He had a Purdey, a Holland & Holland, and some fine Belgian guns, including a Jules Bury, which he said was as good as any English Best Gun. However, despite all these guns, it was apparent that he preferred to shoot the Greener. The two guns he shot the most were the Greener and a Belgian boxlock “Guild Gun” with no name, which he told me Francotte made. He didn’t shoot his Best Guns with finer pedigrees as much.

Many years later, he surprised me with his generosity and presented me with one of his prized guns, the Holland & Holland. It was a beautiful Royal Model, and I was grateful for this unexpected and priceless gift, but to be honest, I secretly wished it had been the Greener instead. There was something about that old Greener that made it special. The Holland & Holland was a superb gun and felt like a magic wand in my hands, and it came in a fancy oak and leather trunk case. But I had never shot it before and hadn’t developed the connection and feeling I had for that old Greener. The Greener felt solid yet light and like magic, at least for me. That was many years ago, and much time had passed since that Greener gave me such a wallop.

I still remember that Greener very well. Its trigger guard tang, worn white, had the serial number followed by “Grade FH25” engraved. The bluing on the barrels was thin, especially in front of the forearm, where it was held by the forward hand. The color casehardening on the receiver was gone entirely, making the receiver appear to have a pickled gray finish. The barrel flats were stamped with Birmingham proof marks and 2¾ inches and 1¼ ounces. Both barrels were stamped “choke,” but my uncle told me that the left barrel was “half choke” while the right was “quarter choke.” I knew, from reading articles about shotguns, that “half choke” meant modified and “quarter choke” was improved cylinder. The stock, though not fancy, was attractive with lightly grained wood and had that distinctive Greener trademark rounded Prince of Wales grip, which was almost a straight grip, and it had a horn buttplate. The wood finish had numerous scratches and minor dents but was otherwise still in good shape.

greener-shotgun-3c — The Greener in two parts.

I cleaned the gun thoroughly each time after shooting and lightly oiled everything. I would then slip the barrels with its forearm and the receiver with its stock into their frayed, oil-stained red flannel cloth sleeves. Then, I would put the two parts into the much worn and scuffed old leather leg o’ mutton case in which it was kept. The top lid of the case was stamped “W. W. Greener, Ltd” with an image of an elephant, a Greener trademark. My uncle kept his other guns in the cabinet, but there was no space for all his firearms, so the Greener and several others stayed outside. Besides, he shot the Greener the most, so he kept it handy.

Through the years, I have owned a couple of Greeners. I once had a worn-out Empire-Grade Greener that had belonged to an old duck hunter who shot it every duck season for over half a century. I got the gun more for sentimental reasons than actual use, and it was pretty beaten up, badly off-face, and its side safety did not work. It had consumed its share of heavy loads, perhaps too many. I kept it for a while, never actually shooting it before trading it for something else. I also had a very early Damascus-barreled high-grade Greener that was a nice gun and proofed for 23/4-inch loads, but it was not quite to my liking, so it also left my house.

My current Greener is an FH35, a grade higher than that old one I shot as a kid. According to Greener records, it was made “between the wars” for sale in America with its factory single selective trigger and 26-inch barrels. It is a light upland gun, a few ounces lighter than my uncle’s old Greener, and being a grade higher, slightly finer with more engraving and better wood on the buttstock. It, too, has the shallow, rounded wisp of a Prince of Wales grip on a very nicely grained stock with dark streaks.

greener-shotgun-1c — This 12-bore Greener is light at 6 pounds, 4 ounces, as light or lighter than most modern 20 bores. It makes for an excellent upland gun with its 26-inch barrels and open boring.

I suspect it was initially purchased by a grouse and woodcock hunter or a bobwhite enthusiast. It came to me in an old, restored canvas and leather Brady case. I don’t know whether the case was initially purchased with the gun, but the shotgun is nicely fitted to the case, which has been relined with new fabric.

The Greener I own today is not a Best Gun. It is a Birmingham boxlock, albeit a very lovely graded model. But, just as my uncle of long ago seemed to prefer his old Greener over other, more costly and pedigreed guns, I too like this Greener a lot. It is choked cylinder in the right barrel and modified in the left, an excellent combination for upland gunning. I haven’t shot it much, not as much as I once shot my uncle’s old FH25. But I did take it out after quail and dove a few times, and it did its job perfectly, as long as I did my part.

Since my introduction to shotguns with my uncle’s old Greener gave me such a violent jolt, I have always been partial to Greener shotguns. Some dislike the Greener cross-bolt, considering it an unnecessary appendage. Others don’t like the side safety. Yet others claim Greeners are nothing but Birmingham “working guns,” not as finely made as London guns. I find it to be quite the opposite. In my experience, Greeners are as well made as any London gun. Granted, their basic models, like the Empire Grade, are not as finely finished as the London “best guns,” but they don’t cost the price of a small house!

Like the Royal Grade, the top-grade Greener boxlocks are as finely made as any London Best sidelock. And Greener made very fine sidelocks that are as good as the London counterparts and cost as much. However, the boxlock gave Greener worldwide fame; the proprietary boxlock action called “Facile Princeps” with its famous Greener top lock and side safety.

greener-shotgun-2c — The Greener in its perfectly fitted “restored” Brady case. The author is unsure whether the case initially came with the gun or was a later addition.

A Greener will last as long as any London gun, maybe even outlast it. Not surprisingly, when Winchester held a torture test for its Model 21, shooting thousands of rounds of unreasonably heavy overloads, all other guns, including London Best Guns, broke down early on. Only the Greener hung on for a while longer, although it couldn’t keep up with the tank-like, overbuilt Model 21.

But my fondness for the Greener is not based on its strength. It is simply that it was a Greener that I shot first as a kid. So for me, a Greener will always hold a special place.

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt of Gun Digest 2024, 78th edition.

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Battle Of The Big-Bore AR-15s

Patrick Sweeney

April 4, 2024

When too much still isn’t enough, it may be time to consider a big-bore AR-15.

Just what is a big-bore AR-15?

Before we can determine that we must clearly define our task. To me, it first means it’s the AR-15 not the AR-10 or other amalgams, derivatives or evolutions. So, despite our esteemed editor’s suggestion, a rifle in .308 is not a big-bore AR-15.

The second variable one might think of would be that any cartridge hurling a bullet larger in diameter than 0.224 inch is a “big-bore” AR-15. I’m not buying that, either. Oh, I’ve bought such rifles, but I don’t consider a 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel or a .300 Blackout to be “big-bore” in an AR-15 … or any other rifle for that matter.

65-Grendel-556-68-RemSPC- — The various bottlenecked cartridges aren’t big-bores. The 6.5 Grendel, the 5.56 and the 6.8 Rem SPC are fine cartridges, but not big-bores.

No, for me, a big-bore AR-15 has to be pushing a bullet more than 0.308 inch in diameter. So, what are the choices these days?

.350 Legend

I’ve got one, and I am fond of it. For those who hunt where a bottlenecked cartridge is prohibited, it’s the next best thing to sliced bread or an already-dressed whitetail. It’s a Winchester cartridge, and it fires 0.357-inch bullets of 160 to 180 grains in weight. “Oh, a .350 Remington,” you’re thinking. Well, yes, but no one has ever complained about the effectiveness of the .350 Rem. on deer. In testing, I shot some Hornady American Whitetail 170-grain interlocks into clear ballistic gel and got 26 inches of penetration and a fully expanded bullet. Sounds like venison time to me.

The .350 case has the same rim diameter as that of the .223/5.56, so you can get an AR rebuilt to it by a simple-enough barrel swap, pulling out the worn .223/5.56 barrel and installing one in .350 Legend. Yours might be magazine-picky, and it might not—there’s an easy way to find out. The .350 is the smallest of the big-bore ARs, but it’s plenty enough for hunting, and as a bonus you could even use it in self-defense if you had to.

gel-test-350-legend — This is a test shot into clear ballistic gel, and 26 inches later, an expanded bullet.

.400 Legend

OK, you’re Winchester, and now that you’ve updated the .350 Rem to the 21st century, what’s next? Well, how about the .400 Legend? Winchester designed an entirely new case for this one, and on the front end, it uses bullets of 0.400 inch in diameter. As a straight-walled case, that means it doesn’t need a rebated rim, and the rim is 0.422 inch in diameter, the same as the 6.8 Remington SPC.

What this means, with a 215-grain bullet going a nominal 2,250 fps, is that the .400 Legend has less recoil than the .450 Bushmaster (but more than the .350 Legend, obviously) while delivering almost the same energy at 100 yards that the .450 does, and with less drop. As a big bonus for those considering a step up from using a shotgun with slugs, the .400 has half the recoil but twice the energy at 100 yards that a 1-ounce slug generates. I’ve fired enough slugs in my life that that alone makes the .400 very attractive.

So far, it’s loaded only with a 215-grain Power-Point bullet, but any jacketed bullet of 0.400-inch diameter will work for reloading. You’ll have to show some restraint, as your typical bullet made for the .40 S&W or 10mm pistol cartridge will not be as stoutly made as the 215 Power-Point, and shouldn’t be used for hunting—period, end of story. But if you want to load up some low-recoil practice/training ammunition using those bullets, the future looks rosy. Just be sure and use jacketed; the all-lead and the coated ones will be murder on your gas system.

.450 Bushmaster

The Bushmaster uses pistol-diameter .45 bullets, so jacketed .451-inch bullets are what you need to stock up on if you plan to reload your empties. The case calls for bullets heavier than those you’ll find for the .45 ACP, but the 450 has been out long enough (it was new in 2007) that you’ll have plenty of choices. The case was derived from the .284 Winchester and uses a rebated rim to fit into an AR bolt face, with a rim of 0.477 inch in diameter. Specifically, the diameter used for the 7.62×39 or 6.5 Grendel cases.

The .450 Bushmaster is plenty robust, hurling 250-grain Hornady FTX bullets (with a soft polymer tip) at 2,100 fps out of a carbine-sized AR-15. You’ll feel the recoil.

The .450 Bushmaster has the energy required by the DNR in states that permit straight-walled cartridges for hunting, but you’ll have to eat your Wheaties, as the recoil from a typical AR-15 (let’s say, under 8 pounds) is going to be stout. This made it not so attractive to new hunters, and those of small stature, which is how Winchester came to develop the .350 and then the .400 Legend.

.458 SOCOM

The SOCOM, as its name might give you a hint, was developed for use by the bearded gents who track down bad guys and deal with them in faraway places. They wanted something with more horsepower than the 5.56, and boy did they get what they wanted. The SOCOM uses rifle-diameter bullets, so you will be looking at relatively “lightweight” bullets starting at 300 grains and going on up.

The case is a lengthened .50 AE, necked down to hold 0.458-inch bullets, and it also has a rebated rim, as there is only so much space on an AR-15 bolt for a case rim. The .458 SOCOM rim is 0.473 inch in diameter, which is the absolute limit of what an AR-15 bolt can take.

In the 300-grain hunting load offerings, you’ll see velocities from 1,850 to just shy of 1,900 fps. If you are looking for lighter-weight bullets, the Inceptor 140-grain can be pushed up to 2,450 fps. If you prefer heavier bullets, then you can find offerings in the 400 to 500 and even up to 600 grains, and the latter ones can be had in subsonic loadings. A quiet sledgehammer, anyone?

The .458 SOCOM in those loads is essentially a 12-gauge slug equivalent, but with better bullets and out of an AR-15. One detail you’ll have to look out for is ejection. The .458 SOCOM tests the limits of the ejection port opening, and you may find ejection a bit laggard if you have built yours on a vanilla-plain upper. When I built mine, I used a flat-sided billet upper, and simply milled the ejection port larger so as to accommodate the cases. I didn’t bother with an ejection port cover door; I’m not going to be using a .458 SOCOM like I’d use a combat AR-15.

.458 Ham’r

I am fond of the .458 Ham’r, designed by Bill Wilson, but it falls outside of our definition. The Ham’r runs at higher pressures than those of the SOCOM, and as a result, it has to have an AR-10 sized bolt. That makes it a Chimera, an AR-15 lower with an AR-10-dimensioned upper, in order to take the pressures. I love it; it fires a 300-grain bullet at 2,100 fps, but it isn’t an AR-15 as we defined things here.

.50 Beowulf

Designed by Bill Alexander, the Beowulf is one of the first big-bore AR-15 cartridges. Coming out in 2001, it’s a rebated-rim straight-walled case holding bullets of 0.500 inch in diameter. The case is a stretched .50AE, with the overall length of the loaded cartridge just enough to fit into an AR magazine and still feed properly. It, like the .45s, feeds single-stack out of the magazine.

The 300-grain bullet loads run just under 1,900 fps and heavier 325- to 335-grain loads run from just under 1,800 fps to almost 1,900 fps. The Beowulf is a proprietary cartridge, so it is not SAAMI-approved, and thus not loaded by other ammunition makes. Ammunition comes solely from Alexander Arms, but they have plenty, and loaded with bullets from 200 to 400 grains in weight.

The .50 Beowulf I tested came with their “Tank” brake, and I was glad of it. Firing 12-gauge slug recoil-equivalent ammunition from a rifle that full-up tipped the scales at 8 pounds would be … interesting, were it not for the brake.

big-bore-ar-15-50-beowulf-brake — When I tested the .50 Beowulf, it came with their Tank brake, and I was glad for it.

The Little Things Matter, Too

All of the big-bores are accurate. When I was testing the Beowulf, I found that it hit so hard on the other end and hit so precisely to where I was aiming, that what I was plinking at simply disappeared when the bullet got there. They’re probably all more accurate than 99 percent of the shooters using them, so there’s no concern in that point. And if you reload, then the world will be your oyster.

With the exception of the .458 SOCOM, they are all straight-walled cases, and as a result, they will be relatively easy to resize. No need to worry about bumping back the shoulder just enough, and if you do not invest in carbide sizing dies (I heartily recommend that you spring for the extra few dollars it takes) then a little lube, cleaned off after resizing, will go a long way.

While the .400 Legend is really new, and thus bullets for it might be a bit tough to source, the others are in common diameters, and bullets for them have been being made for years, if not decades. And there’s also the economy.

big-bore-ar-15-target — The .350 Legend is plenty accurate, as you can see.

The .350 legend, for example, uses much the same weights in powder as does the .223/5.56 (although not the same powders, just to be clear) which is half that of what a .308 load requires. Yes, the .308 generates more velocity and thus more energy, but how much do you need for a whitetail? For a 180-grain bullet, 25 grains of powder gets you 2,200 fps in a .350, while it takes 39 to generate 2,375 fps in the .308. Do you think the whitetail would notice the difference? Perhaps not, but your shoulder and wallet will.

The best part? You can build or buy a new AR to handle these cartridges, or you can just invest in an upper and some magazines. The uppers of the big-bores will have been tuned to operate on regular AR-15 lowers, so if you buy an upper in .350 Legend, you can have range time with the .223/5.56 upper you usually park there, and then once you’re zeroed, go off and hunt with the Legend. The buckets of practice ammo you’ve burned in .223 will carry over to using the .350 Legend (or the others) and you will be a better shooter for that.

For hunters in the Midwest who have to deal with DNR straight-wall-case regulations, there are a lot more choices now than there had been just a few years ago. And for those looking for a new challenge, or a different range experience, big-bores can be a lot of fun.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Get On Target With More AR-15 Knowledge

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Buyer's Guide: Best AR Pistol Brace
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First Look: Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly Pistol

Adam Borisenko

April 3, 2024

A look at the new Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly pistol, the company’s first polymer handgun.

Bear Creek Arsenal is mostly known for its AR-15s and AR components, but the company broke into the handgun market a couple of years back with its Genes1s and Genes1s II pistols. Both of those are full-size 9mm Glock-style handguns, but their frames were entirely made of metal. Now Bear Creek Arsenal has announced the Grizzly pistol, a full-size 9mm with a traditional polymer frame. The company is advertising it as a handgun with out-of-the-box upgrades at an unbeatable price.

Bear-Creek-Arsenal-Grizzly-Pistol-racking

The Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly is described as a full-size duty pistol, meaning it will feature the same 4.49-inch barrel length as the Glock 17. For the barrel, customers will have a choice between 416R Stainless Steel or 4150 Chrome Moly with a black nitride finish. The pistols will also feature a 20-degree grip angle, a textured thumb rest and plenty of grip stippling with a texture inspired by bear fur.

Bear-Creek-Arsenal-Grizzly-Pistol-red-dot

Other out-of-the-box upgrades include an RMR-cut slide for optics, photo-luminescent night sights and a window cut in the slide. Naturally, it features a Picatinny rail for a light or laser as well. As for upgrading the Grizzly pistol further, they will be compatible with Gen 3 Glock components and accessories, including many made by Bear Creek itself.

Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly pistols will become available on April 10^th, and each handgun will ship with two 17-round magazines. MSRP is not yet available.

For more information, please visit bearcreekarsenal.com.

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Handheld Heft: Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk Bisley Review

Richard A. Mann

April 2, 2024

The author hits the range with a Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk Bisley, a .44 Magnum revolver with some serious heft.

Back in the early ’80s, a friend showed up at the farm with a .44 Magnum revolver. I think he’d traded a set of chrome wheels off his Chevy Nova for it. Like most used .44 Magnums, this one came with a half-box of ammo, and we did our best to try and shoot it all up. I think we gave up after we’d both fired about two cylinders full. If my memory serves, he soon traded it for some other now forgotten gun. That was my first introduction to the .44 Magnum, and though I’ve messed with several since, I’ve never had an inkling to own one. Until now.

I was recently browsing the Lipsey’s website to see what was new. Lipsey’s is a Louisiana-based firearms dealer known for offering unique limited edition guns, especially from Ruger. For example, they’re currently offering a Ruger 77/22 chambered for the .22 Hornet, but it’s configured like an Africa Express rifle. The gun that really caught my attention, however, was a Ruger Super Blackhawk in all stainless-steel with a Bisley grip and a 4.625-inch barrel. It was a .44 Magnum, but inexplicably it seemed to scratch an inch I didn’t know I had.

Ruger-New-Model-Super-Blackhawk-Bisley-shooting — Even though the barrel is short and the recoil intense, hits on a 10-inch 50-yard steel plate were possible while shooting off-hand. The revolver’s good trigger helped immensely.

It Keeps On Giving

This is a beautiful revolver. The brushed stainless finish contrasts nicely with the dark laminated wood stocks. And while I’ve never really liked the Bisley grip, it seems to fit this revolver—both esthetically and ergonomically—perfectly. More importantly, with the Bisley grip it seems to balance in hand better than a Super Blackhawk with the standard grip.

Ruger-blackhawk-hammer — The Bisley hammer on this compact big-bore revolver is easier to manipulate than the standard hammer.

Also, the Bisley grip is known for being much more comfortable on a revolver that has stiff recoil—but more on that in a moment. The revolver’s 4.625-inch barrel keeps it compact and not too heavy. It’s only slightly heavier than a 5-inch 1911. The shorter barrel also makes it easier to wear in a hip holster. The adjustable rear sight and black, ramped front are standard for a Ruger Blackhawk, and the trigger was light to the touch and exceptionally crisp.

I needed serious ammo for a serious handgun, so I turned to Buffalo Bore because they make the most serious .44 Special and .44 Magnum ammunition you can buy. And if you’re gonna shoot a .44 Magnum, you might as well get serious about it. I chose four loads. The first was their .44 Special Anti-Personnel load intended for self-defense. It uses a 200-grain hardcast wadcutter bullet at an advertised 1,000 fps.

Ruger-blackhawk-rear-sight — The rear sight on the Lipsey’s Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum is the standard sight Ruger uses on their single-action revolvers.

The second was their .44 Special Outdoorsman load, which I think might be the best all-round load for this revolver. It pushes a 255-grain hardcast SWC Keith bullet to an advertised 1,000 fps. The other loads were heavy-hitting .44 Magnum loads. One pushes a 300-grain jacketed flat nose to 1,300 fps, and the other a 305-grain hard cast SWC Keith bullet at 1,325 fps.

Ruger-Blackhawk-front-sight — The front sight on the Lipsey’s Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum is the standard sight Ruger uses on their single-action revolvers.

From the bench, both the .44 Special loads were pleasurable to shoot, and out of the 4.625-inch barrel, they both delivered better than advertised velocity. The two .44 Magnum loads were a handful and maybe more, and they too exceeded advertised velocities. I had no trouble shooting sub-inch three-shot groups with the .44 Special loads from the bench at 15 yards, but due to recoil, I really had to concentrate and grit my teeth with the .44 Magnum loads. When it was all said and done, after firing three, three-shot groups with each load, the overall average group size was only 0.97 inch.

Ruger-New-Model-Super-Blackhawk-target — Though this Heavy .44 Magnum load for Buffalo Bore is a handful, it shot very well out of the Lipsey’s Super Blackhawk, delivering more than 1,200 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.

Almost All Roses

If there’s a downside to this hand cannon, it’s that the ejector rod is a bit short to fully push fired cases from the cylinder. You can pop the rod and usually force them out, but with some of the hotter loads this will not work. While this might seem like a major detractor, in reality it’s not. This isn’t a revolver designed for house clearing or another application like mass zombie eradication, where you’ll need to shoot a lot a reload in a hurry. If a couple shots from this thing does not solve the problem, your problem is unimaginably bad or you just can’t shoot.

I do not need a .44 Magnum revolver. There’s nothing big and bad enough in West Virginia that requires that much nastiness to stop it. But there’s something about this hand cannon that I can’t shake. Johnny Walker, my best friend who lives in Kodiak, Alaska, has been begging me to come up and visit. If I go, I can think of no better revolver to have on my side; Walker has already had to shoot one Kodiak bear who thought he looked like an appetizer. The thing is, my friend frequently comes back home to West Virginia to visit, and other than him, there’s nothing on that bear-infested rock of an island I care about.

Ruger-New-Model-Super-Blackhawk-Bisley — Lipsey’s Ruger Super Blackhawk in all stainless-steel with a Bisley grip and a 4.625-inch barrel.

Nope, I just don’t need a lightweight, compact, easy to carry .44 Magnum revolver. But then again, my house and gun safe are full of guns I don’t really need. The thing is, sometimes—when it comes to guns—“need” has absolutely nothing to do with it. I like this gun, and I get a feeling it likes me. And who knows, with all the talk about aliens, this might be just exactly the gun we’ll all need one day. We just don’t have enough information right now to know for sure, and I like being prepared.

Epilogue: Recoil

So, let’s talk a bit about the .44 Magnum. In general, it kicks—everybody knows that.

Federal lists a 280-grain Swift A-Frame load at 1,170 fps. If you plug that into a recoil calculator with a 46-ounce handgun like this one, it’ll tell you you’re going to experience about 16 foot-pounds of recoil energy. That’ll get your attention. To put it in perspective, Federal’s 230-grain HST load for the .45 Auto will recoil with about 8.5 foot-pounds of kinetic energy out of a 5-inch 1911, and a very hot 10mm load will generate about 13 foot-pounds.

Ruger-44-magnum-loading — While shoving a Buffalo Bore heavy loaded .44 Magnum cartridge in the cylinder of the Lipsey’s Super Blackhawk, you feel there’s nothing you can’t take on, and you’d be right.

Out of the Ruger, the Buffalo Bore 305-grain Heavy load for the .44 Magnum recoils with 25 wrist-twisting foot-pounds! It doesn’t feel anything like a hot 10mm load. In fact, it doesn’t feel like you’re shooting a handgun. It feels more like you’re trying to hold on to a mule’s leg to try to keep the mule’s leg from kicking you in the face. I might’ve peed myself a little the first time I fired one of those 305-grain loads. It’s not that it was painful—it was a bit painful—it was just, well, a bit scary.

Ruger-blackhawk-44-magnum-shooting-results — NOTES: Reported average muzzle velocity (VEL), standard velocity deviation (SD) and average muzzle energy (ENG) were established by firing 10 rounds over a Caldwell G2 chronograph with the screens positioned 10 feet from the muzzle. The precision (PRC) of each load represents the average of three, three-shot groups fired from a sandbag rest at 15 yards. Recoil (REC) was calculated using an online recoil calculation source. Temperature: 58 degrees, Humidity: 48 percent, Pressure: 29.90 in-Hg, Elevation: 2,200 feet.

I shared my impression with Tim Sundles who owns Buffalo Bore. He said—in a nonchalant, matter of fact way—and I quote, “Yeah, it’s hard to write a letter after shooting the hard kickers.” Ya think?! Hell, it’s hard to pick your nose or scratch your ass with any efficiency after a cylinder full of these dinosaur killers.

I know this is a review about a revolver and not intended to be a dissertation on the .44 Magnum, but give me some leeway, precision testing those heavy .44 Magnum loads from the bench while trying to shoot the best groups I could was daunting. This would have been quite different with Ruger’s 7.5-inch Super Redhawk Bisley Hunter at 52 ounces, which would recoil about 14 percent less and have a lot less muzzle flip. You’re more than welcome to call me a wuss. I could care less. I think with this revolver reminded me of the lesson I learned on the farm about 40 years ago, and that’s that I’m pretty much a .44 Special kind of guy.

Ruger-New-Model-Super-Blackhawk-in-holster — The 4.625-inch barreled Super Blackhawk from Lipsey’s fit perfectly and carried comfortably in Galco’s SAO holster.

Two Final Comments And I’ll Let It Go

First, after all the shooting, I sat down at the computer to draft this report. I couldn’t. My fingers didn’t want to respond efficiently to what my brain was trying to tell them to do. And finally, if you own a .44 Magnum, you owe it to yourself to get at least one box of Buffalo Bore’s 305-grain Heavy load. It’s expensive; Buffalo Bore is proud of this stuff, and they should be because it’s near the pinnacle of practical handgun power. A box of 20 retails for $53.68. But it’s worth the price to at least, just once, feel all that power in one hand.

I let my 24-year-old son, who’s a Gunsite graduate, shoot it. I cannot write what he said. Just don’t shoot this stuff in a revolver with a scandium or aluminum frame, or any revolver of questionable strength. If you do, you might experience something worse than a little bit of metacarpal numbness.

Sturm, Ruger & Co. New Model Super Blackhawk Bisley SPECS:

Catalog No.: 0876
Action: Single
Trigger Pull: 2.75 Pounds
Chambering: .44 Special/.44 Magnum
Frame: Stainless-steel
Barrel: Stainless-steel, 4.625 Inches, 1:20 RH twist with 6 grooves
Capacity: 6
Length: 10.5 Inches
Weight: 48 Ounces (advertised), 46.4 Ounces (actual)
Sights: Adjustable rear, black ramped front
Grips: Bisley black laminate
Price: $1,089.99

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

More On Big-Bore Revolvers:

The 11 Best Hunting Revolver Options
Serious Big Bores: Beyond the .44 Magnum
Video: Choosing A Big-Bore Revolver Holster
Hunting: The Hard-Hitting .45-Caliber Revolver Cartridges
Is A .50-Caliber Handgun Actually Good For Anything?

New Guns And Gear April 2024

Gun Digest Editors

April 1, 2024

Looking for a new iron or piece of kit to enhance the one you already own? Check out these 7 new bits of guns and gear to grow your firearms wish list.

The New Guns And Gear:

Staccato C
Walther Arms PDP Compact Steel Frame
Taurus TH10 10mm
CCI Uppercut Defense .22 LR
Daniel Defense Daniel H9
Ruger PC Carbine in .45 ACP
Diamondback SDR (Self-Defense Revolver)

Staccato C

Tailored for all-purpose use, the Staccato C strikes a balance between carry convenience and duty/home defense effectiveness. The slim and short design of the pistol offers a confident grip across various hand sizes. Whereas its wide frame, flush with the slide, enhances durability and reduces felt recoil, delivering a more controllable shooting experience. Being a Staccato, the C is a 2011, giving shooters ample firepower in a 1911-style gun—in this case, 16 rounds of 9mm. As expected, the company has outfitted the gun with a lights-out trigger, breaking at right around 4 pounds.
MSRP: $2,600

Walther Arms PDP Compact Steel Frame

Kicking 2024 off in style, Walther Arms upped the level of its popular PDP line of pistols with the release of a Compact Steel Frame model. As its name suggests, the 9mm boasts an all-steel frame, prioritizing both durability and performance in the 4-inch barreled gun. The nice part is that the added weight considerably enhances recoil absorption, making the PDP much quicker and more accurate shot-to-shot. As a bonus, Walther maintains its hallmark ergonomic design in the grip frame, ensuring a comfortable yet robust feel.
MSRP: $1,700

Taurus TH10 10mm

In the market for a robust full-sized DA/SA handgun chambered in potent 10mm Auto? Taurus has you covered with the TH10. Boasting a 4.25-inch stainless-steel barrel and a 15-round magazine capacity, the pistol doesn’t want for firepower. And, the TH10’s 28.5 ounces weight strikes a nice balance—light enough to carry, but hefty enough to soak up the 10mm stout recoil. Notable attributes include drift-adjustable front and rear sights, an accessory rail and an ambidextrous safety/de-cocker—making it righty and lefty friendly.
MSRP: $530

CCI Uppercut Defense .22 LR

The gun industry has gotten more serious about the .22 LR as a self-defense caliber. Case in point: CCI Uppercut Defense. This purpose-driven round is tailored for small handguns and topped with a 32-grain hollow-point designed for appropriate penetration and consistent expansion in its terminal destination. The bullet, for the most part, resembles the iconic Stinger line and boasts a thicker copper jacket, similar to those found on .22 WMR. What you end up with is a round that ups the defensive potential of .22 handguns.
MSRP: $13, box of 50

Daniel Defense Daniel H9

Daniel Defense has resurrected the innovative Hudson H9, unveiling the Daniel H9 at SHOT Show 2024. Acquiring Hudson’s patents after the company’s unfortunate closure, Daniel Defense meticulously redesigned the 9mm handgun. While externally similar, the Daniel H9 only shares one component with its predecessor due to Daniel Defense’s commitment to elevated manufacturing standards. Retaining the 1911’s beloved features but incorporating modern elements like a striker-fire mechanism and an optics-ready slide, the Daniel H9 boasts the lowest bore axis in its class.
MSRP: $1,300

Ruger PC Carbine in .45 ACP

The PC Carbine has proven it’s a viable and potent option in PCCs. Now, Ruger is kicking the little fireball’s game up a notch with the introduction of the gun in .45 ACP. With a 16-inch threaded barrel, the carbine utilizes a blowback operating system and features an AR-style folding buttstock for enhanced portability. Adding utility to the platform, the company outfits the gun with an M-Lok handguard allowing for accessory attachments. And perhaps best of all, the design is Glock magazine compatible. In turn, magazine options are highly available and very economical. Overall, it’s not a bad package for those who prefer to shoot fat and slow.
MSRP: $1,010

Diamondback SDR (Self-Defense Revolver)

Diamondback Firearms unveiled its Self-Defense Revolver (SDR) at the 2024 SHOT Show, marking its entry into centerfire wheel guns. Chambered in .357 Magnum, the SDR has the chops for both home and personal defense, and at a mere 21 ounces, it makes for a more than acceptable CCW option. A good looker, the 2-inch barreled revolver is machined from premium stainless steel and has six rounds on board. Furthermore, its low-profile fiber-optic sights, concealed hardware and rounded edges prevent snags and optimizes the gun for carry. And, the DA/SA pistol has a top-notch trigger, making for a smooth, non-stacking break in double action and a very sensitive trip in single.
MSRP: $777

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Get More Guns And Gear:

New Guns And Gear March 2024
New Guns And Gear February 2024
New Guns And Gear January 2024
New Guns And Gear December 2023
New Guns And Gear November 2023

Everything You Need To Know About .408 CheyTac

Sam Hoober

March 29, 2024

The author takes a look at the ultra-powerful .408 CheyTac and compares it against other anti-materiel cartridges like .50 BMG.

The .408 CheyTac is an odd cartridge, in that it has almost no practical civilian use and doesn't fit any military need well enough to result in widespread adoption.

Like many niche calibers, there's a certain mystique that the .408 has attained thanks to firearms culture and, of course, the movie Shooter. Almost everyone who longs to own a CheyTac M200 Intervention rifle in this caliber does so because it was prominently featured in that film.

CheyTac-M200-RIA — A CheyTac M200 Intervention in .408 CheyTac. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

Pop-culture references aside, let's take a peek behind the curtain and discuss what the cartridge was made to do, what it does and what anyone would stand to gain from using it.

What's An Anti-Materiel Rifle?

Anti-materiel rifles are specialized firearms designed to destroy or otherwise disable equipment, hardware, vehicles and similar targets that are resistant to conventional small arms fire.

The concept was born out of the anti-tank rifles of WWI. These were used even more widely in the Second World War, but as tank armor grew more effective the job of the rifles gradually shifted to be more anti-materiel in nature. By the end of the war, tanks had generally become robust enough to render the anti-tank rifle obsolete, despite this they stayed relevant thanks to their continued effectiveness against other, lighter targets. Some WWII anti-tank rifles like the Soviet PTRS-41 are still actively used in an anti-materiel role around the world today.

PTRS-41-RIA — A Soviet PTRS-41 in 14.5×114mm. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

Rifles of this description are traditionally chambered for very large centerfire cartridges, typically .50-caliber or bigger. Some popular anti-materiel rifle cartridges over the years include .50 BMG, 14.5×114mm Russian, 12.7x108mm Russian and 20mm.

The .408 CheyTac cartridge, however, was built differently. It was devised to deliver .50 BMG-like terminal performance or better with a smaller-diameter projectile, giving it a lower total weight and enabling soldiers in the field to either lighten their pack or carry more ammo without making other concessions to their loadout. Equal performance at a lower weight certainly sounds promising.

What Is .408 CheyTac?

The .408 CheyTac, or more accurately .408 Cheyenne Tactical, started as a wildcat cartridge combining a dangerous game case with a high-BC bullet to achieve maximum effective range and multi-role capability.

The inventors are Dr. John Taylor and William Wordman. The latter was a machinist who was seeking to improve on Taylor's earlier wildcat, the .400 Taylor Magnum. The .400 Taylor is more or less a .505 Gibbs (a dangerous game cartridge) necked down to 0.375 inches.

To create the .408 CheyTac, the case is trimmed to 3.04 inches in length from 3.15 inches and necked down to .408 inches. To solve the issue of case pressures, some different metallurgy had to be used to create stronger brass capable of handling the nearly 64,000 psi of chamber pressure that the .408 produces.

The result is a cartridge that will propel a 419-grain solid projectile at 3,000 feet per second with 8,373 foot-pounds of energy.

To stabilize the bullet, solid projectiles must be used rather than jacketed. This gives the bullet more stable flight, which is partly why (along with the bullet’s aerodynamic profile) it has such a ridiculously high ballistic coefficient. Various ammunition manufacturers have claimed that their .408 CheyTac projectiles have BCs of 0.949 and higher. While these figures have been disputed, it seems apparent that the bullets perform very efficiently in flight regardless of what the exact numbers are.

But what does this all actually mean?

The .408 CheyTac puts a lot of powder behind a large, heavy and very aerodynamic bullet. As a result, it stays supersonic a lot longer (potentially to over 2,300 yards) and can penetrate things better at greater distances. It does so more efficiently than .50 BMG and with a longer effective range than .338 Lapua Magnum.

Ergo, it has the capabilities of a long-range sniper rifle round and an anti-materiel rifle round all rolled into one.

.408 CheyTac Ballistics

The .408 CheyTac is incredibly impressive.

The original load is a 419-grain solid projectile, such as CheyTac Ammo's load with the company’s patented Balanced Flight Projectile. This has an advertised G1 ballistic coefficient of 0.949, which is astounding. Here's a 3,000-yard trajectory table for that load using Shooter's Calculator. All tables were calculated presuming a 1.5-inch sight height, a 10 mph 90-degree crosswind, zero corrections for atmosphere and a 100-yard zero.

As you can see, it stays supersonic past 2,500 yards. At 3,000 yards, it still has more velocity (and almost double the energy) of a .357 Magnum at the muzzle.

Another “common” commercial load is a 400-grain solid projectile by SBR Ammo, with an advertised 0.983 G1 ballistic coefficient.

The table shows that it doesn't go transonic until more than 2,700 yards. At 3,000 yards, it still has more energy than a .44 Magnum at the muzzle!

.408 CheyTac Vs .50 BMG

This is the same trajectory table for Hornady's A-Max Match .50 BMG load, with a 750-grain bullet and a G1 BC of 1.05.

Comparing the results with those of .408 CheyTac shows that .408 is every bit .50 BMG's equal in terms of velocity and range, only trailing behind in terms of energy.

This is incredibly impressive, given that .408 CheyTac is half the size of .50 BMG.

The .50 BMG is an enormous cartridge. The case length is 3.91 inches, with a COL of 5.45 inches, a capacity of 292.8 grains of water and a base diameter of 0.8 inches. One loaded cartridge weighs just over 4 ounces.

By contrast, .408 CheyTac has a case length of 3.028 inches, a COL of 4.465 inches and a capacity of 159 grains of water. It weighs nearly half that of .50 BMG.

50-BMG-vs-408-CheyTac — .50 BMG versus .408 CheyTac. Photo: Wikipedia.

But what you have to remember about ballistic tables is that they only give you a very dry, on-paper sense of what a bullet does. How the bullet actually performs in the real world is something entirely different. What is .50 BMG known to do that the .408 CheyTac doesn't?

Well, at this point…almost everything. The .50 BMG has proven itself as an anti-materiel, anti-aircraft and anti-…basically everything short of tanks cartridge. The armor-piercing ammunition works. The incendiary and standard tracers work too.

We know they work because they’ve been heavily used to great effect in two-way firing ranges all over the world since the .50 BMG was invented. If .408 CheyTac has been used in a theater of war, knowledge of it is either hidden or so small in scale that it's never been disclosed.

And that is ultimately why it hasn't caught on to the extent that it would seem it should. It doesn't do anything so much better than .50 BMG that it justifies the expense of replacing it with new rifles and ammunition.

You can get a basic .50 BMG rifle for around $1,500. A Barrett M99, the company’s single-shot bolt-action, will run you about $5,000, and that's for an actual Barrett rifle. Feeding a .50 BMG is also insanely expensive, but cheap ammo is at least somewhat attainable.

In contrast, getting into the .408 CheyTac is a much taller order. About the “cheapest” rifle you're likely to find is the DesertTech HTI which has an MSRP of $7,600 for the basic model. Most others will run you well north of $10,000.

Then you have the cost of feeding it. You can get .50 BMG ammo for less than $40 for 10 rounds, which is stupidly expensive for 10 rounds but not awful when accounting for the size and specialty of the ammo. You can find it in some stores, and it's certainly available online.

While .408 CheyTac ammo theoretically exists…it’s like hen's teeth to find. AmmoSeek has over 5 pages of .50 BMG ammo, but only a single result for .408 CheyTac at the time of writing. That listing was from Optics Planet…for about $15 per round. That said, if you can afford a .408 rifle, you can probably afford the ammo too. Your bigger problem will likely be just finding any for sale. It’s also worth mentioning that .408 projectiles and reloading tools are available, so loading your own is theoretically possible too.

Does The Military Use .408 CheyTac? What Could I Use One For?

There are some reports of the M200 Intervention and the .408 CheyTac cartridge being purchased by various militaries, but nothing on a serious scale.

Look up the list of the world's longest sniper shots, and you'll notice it is not on it. A .408 CheyTac was used to set a world record long-distance rifle shot…in 2018. It's since been not only broken, but shattered with a .416 Barrett.

In other words, while you technically can do things with it, mass adoption has not occurred.

Why not?

Mostly because whatever increase in capability the cartridge gives you isn't so much of an improvement that it justifies the monetary and logistical cost of a caliber change.

You Really Just Want A CheyTac M200 Intervention, Don’t You?

If you look at what the on-paper benefits are compared to the cost and availability of ammunition, the only reason to even consider this cartridge is because you want an M200 Intervention rifle from the movie Shooter.

Shooter-M200-Intervention-IMFDB — Marky Mark firing his M200 Intervention in Shooter (2007). Image: IMFDB.

It's an amazing rifle, and Shooter is a darn good flick. Like so many other boutique guns, the movies make us want stuff that is insanely expensive and desperately impractical. Smith & Wesson could barely give Model 29 revolvers away before Dirty Harry, and Wind River sold a lot of guide guns.

There's nothing wrong with that, but it is what it is.

The reality is that there are plenty of other long-range cartridges that can do everything you'd want to use .408 CheyTac for, but for a lot less money. It's an amazing cartridge with a lot of potential. Maybe someday it will be worth getting into…but it is not this day.

Raise Your Ammo IQ:

Beyond The 6.5 Creedmoor: The Other 6.5 Cartridges
Ammo Brief: The Versatile .243 Winchester
.22-250 Ammo: Top 7 Loads For Any Purpose
The Lonesome Story Of The Long-Lost 8mm
Why The .300 H&H Magnum Still Endures
.350 Legend Vs .450 Bushmaster: Does One Win Out For Hunting?

Ammo Brief: .30-378 Weatherby Magnum

Gun Digest Editors

March 29, 2024

A quick look at the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum, a lightweight long-ranger.

The .30-378 Weatherby Magnum is the .378 Weatherby Magnum case necked to .30 caliber. It was created by Roy Weatherby in the 1950s, upon request by the U.S. government, which wanted to determine how well various types of armor plating stood up to penetration by high-speed projectiles.

Cartridges-of-the-World-16th-edition-550×725 (2) — This is an excerpt from Cartridge's Of The World, available now at GunDigestStore.com.

Using special lightweight bullets made by Speer Bullet Company, Weatherby managed to exceed a muzzle velocity of 6,000 fps during his tests. Years later, while still a wildcat, the .30-378 became popular among members of the Original 1,000-Yard Rifle Club in Pennsylvania, where it was used to shoot the world record group at that distance. After several years of coaxing by firearms writer Layne Simpson, Roy’s son, Ed Weatherby, decided to add the cartridge to the Weatherby lineup in 1996.

During that year, Norma started loading the ammunition for Weatherby, and Weatherby began to offer its Mark V rifle in that chambering. The first rifle was auctioned off with the proceeds going to Ed Weatherby’s favorite charity. The .30-378 went on to become the best-selling cartridge in the Mark V rifle for several years and continues to sell at a steady pace.

General Comments

The .30-378 case can hold more than 120 grains of powder, compared to about 90 grains for the .300 Weatherby. With the advent of slower-burning powders, increased capacity promises a useful advantage to the handloader. Availability of 250-grain match-grade bullets served to increase potential benefit and demand for a chambering with increased powder capacity. The .30-378 Weatherby certainly delivers on this promise.

It’s a simple matter to load 250-grain Sierra MatchKing bullets to produce almost 3,000-fps muzzle velocity, without exceeding .30-06 pressure level—from a 26-inch barrel. Lighter bullets can be driven faster, but with those this chambering offers less advantage over standard .300 Magnum chamberings. When bullets lighter than 200 grains are fired from a 26-inch barrel, this cartridge is only marginally superior to the .300 Weatherby.

Tests have demonstrated that 150- to 180-grain bullet ballistics are markedly improved by use of slower rifling twist (1:13 to 1:15 works well), compared to the factory 1:10 twist. However, with 30-inch barrels installed, ballistic difference is significant with all bullet weights.

Those looking for the ultimate long-range hunting rifle for smaller species might give this chambering a hard look. A single-shot rifle equipped with a 30-inch tube offers reasonable handling ease and, if chambered for this cartridge, would deliver huge doses of energy to a distant target with the flattest trajectory available. Accurate Arms data shows the 250-grain MatchKing generating the same muzzle energy as the .458 Winchester Magnum, when loaded to about the same pressure! So long as a good barrel is properly cleaned and not subjected to excessive rapid-fire shooting, its accuracy can remain good enough up to 2,000 rounds for long-range target shooting, and perhaps 2,500 to 3,000 rounds for big-game hunting.

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt of Gun Digest's Cartridge's Of The World.

Raise Your Ammo IQ:

Beyond The 6.5 Creedmoor: The Other 6.5 Cartridges
The Lonesome Story Of The Long-Lost 8mm
Why The .300 H&H Magnum Still Endures
.350 Legend Vs .450 Bushmaster: Does One Win Out For Hunting?

The Mann Load: A New Meaning To Having A Bullet With Your Name On It

Richard A. Mann

March 29, 2024

A look at the Doubletap Ammunition Mann load, an excellent defensive .45 Auto load bearing the author’s name.

On a typically beautiful high desert morning in October of 2010, I was riding from Prescott, Arizona, to Gunsite Academy with Mike McNett of Doubletap Ammunition. We were discussing the terminal performance of defensive handgun ammunition. I was telling McNett about a test I’d conducted with the Barnes TAC-XP 160-grain bullet in 0.45-caliber. The conversation resulted in McNett offering a new load for the .45 auto that he calls the Mann Load.

What I explained to McNett during that drive was that I’d evaluated nine 160-grain TAC-XP bullets using a 5-inch 1911 in .45 Auto by shooting them into 10 percent ordnance gelatin. By handloading, I’d varied the impact velocities from as slow as 809 fps to as fast as 1,263 fps. What I found was quite amazing in a number of ways.

Regardless of the impact velocity, that bullet would upset consistently and always penetrate more than 12 inches. If you know anything about the FBI’s bullet testing protocol and scoring procedure, this is what they’re looking for. The thing to remember is that these results were for a single bullet with an impact velocity variation of 454 fps, or 56 percent.

mann-load-gel-test — This is typical performance for the Doubletap Mann Load for the .45 Auto.

McNett told me he currently offered this bullet in a +P loading, which should reach 1,200 fps out of a 5-inch barrel. What I explained to McNett was that, as consistent as this bullet is at almost any velocity, the added recoil from the +P load is unnecessary. In fact, you could argue that at that velocity the bullet might over-penetrate. I suggested he offer the load in a non +P version at about 1,050 fps from a 5-inch barrel or around 1,000 fps from a 4.25-inch 1911 Commander-length barrel.

As a comparison, Doubletap’s +P load will generate about 7.5 foot-pounds of recoil from a 30-ounce handgun. My suggested load, at around 1,000 fps from a 4.25-inch barrel, would generate only about 5.5 foot-pounds of recoil. That’s 25 percent less. However, from a terminal performance standpoint, at the slower velocity the 160-grain TAC-XP bullet actually creates a larger crush cavity.

hollow-point-expansion-mann-load-45-auto — Here you can see the bullet upset consistency of the 160-grain Barnes TAC-XP bullet at impact velocities from 809 to 1,263 fps.

At the +P velocity, the bullet will penetrate around 17 inches and have a recovered diameter of around 0.62 inch. This works out to a crush cavity of about 6.2 cubic inches. But at the slower velocity the bullet’s petals don’t peel back as far, so it has a larger recovered diameter. This combined with the slower velocity limits penetration to around 15.25 inches, but the crush cavity increases by about 8 percent.

You could argue this isn’t enough difference in terminal performance to matter, and you might be right. But if that’s the case, then the slower moving bullet is clearly as good as—if not a better—because it recoils so much less. McNett agreed this was a very valid load for self-defense, especially when fired from lightweight .45 Auto pistols. We spent the day at Gunsite Academy training and conducting terminal performance testing on several other Doubletap handgun loads.

hollow-point-expansion-denim — Intermediate barriers, like clothing or denim, have no negative effect on the Mann Load’s 160-grain Barnes TAC-XP bullet’s ability to deform and penetrate as designed.

On the way back to the hotel in Prescott, McNett said he’d decided to offer the standard velocity 160-grain TAC-XP bullet load for the .45 Auto. I was excited because, at that time, the only similar offerings were from Wilson Combat and Buffalo Bore.

The Wilson Combat load was close to the velocity I wanted but about 50- to 75-fps faster. The Buffalo Bore load was a screamer; I’ve seen it reach 1,275 fps from a 5-inch barrel. If using a full-size duty pistol and maximum penetration is desired, the Buffalo Bore makes sense. But for everyday carry where human adversaries are your worst worry, I feel the 160-grain bullet at about 1,000 fps from a 4.25-inch barrel made more sense.

A few weeks after we got home from the Gunsite event, McNett called and told me he had the load ready and was going to send me a few boxes. He added that, instead of calling it a standard pressure load —which sounds weak and uninviting to the average shooter—he was going to call it the MANN Load, and that’s the way it’s been listed on the Doubletap website, along their +P version and the other eleven .45 Auto loads they offer, ever since.

doubletap mann load 45 ACP — With the +P 160-grain Barnes TAC-XP .45 Auto load from Doubletap, the bullet deforms a bit more, but still offers a wide frontal diameter and deep penetration.

I’m not so sure I deserve any recognition for convincing an ammo maker to slightly slow down a load they were currently offering. But I appreciated McNett’s gesture, and when I carry a .45 Auto, the Mann Load is what I most often have in the chamber and magazine.

Wilson Combat recently discontinued their 160-grain Barnes TAC-XP load for the .45 Auto. Bill Wilson prefers a new load from Lehigh Defense that launches a non-deforming 135-grain XD bullet at about 1,250 fps. We’ll look at that load in depth in a later column. Buffalo Bore still catalogs their +P load, and if recoil does not bother you, just like the +P offering from Doubletap, it’s a great option.

One of the struggles bullet engineers have with low velocity handgun self-defense ammunition is creating a bullet that is—for lack of a better term—velocity blind. A bullet that works out of handguns regardless of barrel length and out to any reasonable shot distance you might take—that’s what you can expect from the 160-grain Barnes TAC-XP bullet. It’ll work whether you’re shooting a handgun with a 3- or 5-inch barrel, and it’ll work out to at least 50 yards. Regardless of the 160-grain TAC-XP load you choose, I cannot think of a better option for a .45 Auto carry gun.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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Self-Defense Law: From Victim To Defendant

Alex Ooley

March 28, 2024

The author analyzes the thin line between justified self-defense and criminal recklessness.

On April 21, 2014, 32-year-old David McLaughlin, a dedicated letter carrier for the United States Postal Service in Indiana, found himself in a harrowing situation. McLaughlin discovered a man attempting to burglarize his home. Acting out of fear and a primal instinct to protect his home and loved ones, McLaughlin discharged his firearm, firing three shots and injuring the burglar in the process.

What initially seemed like a justifiable act of self-defense soon escalated into a legal quagmire, as McLaughlin found himself facing charges of criminal recklessness resulting in serious bodily injury. How could McLaughlin, initially the victim, be charged as a criminal?

In Indiana, the “Castle Doctrine” is codified by statute in Indiana Code 35-41-3-2(d) as follows:

A person is justified in using reasonable force, including deadly force, against any other person; and does not have a duty to retreat; if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to prevent or terminate the other person’s unlawful entry of or attack on the person’s dwelling, curtilage, or occupied motor vehicle.

As you can see, Indiana’s castle doctrine, eliminates the duty to retreat inside of one’s home and provides for the use of force to terminate the unlawful entry of or attack on one’s dwelling, curtilage or occupied motor vehicle. So far, so good for McLaughlin. So, where did McLaughlin go wrong?

McLaughlin’s case took a dark turn as it became apparent that his use of force extended beyond the immediate threat and beyond the scope of the castle doctrine protection. While his actions might have been initially justified, the investigation revealed that McLaughlin fired three shots. The first shot was apparently justified, but the next two were fired as the burglar fled down an alley, with the third shot hitting the burglar in the arm.

Even so, Indiana’s castle doctrine is not limited to the dwelling itself; it also extends to curtilage, which includes land, not necessarily fenced or enclosed, adjoining the dwelling house including buildings used in the conduct of family affairs and domestic purposes. As you can see, this is not a precise term and not one you want to rely on when you are facing the possibility of time in prison. The problem is that the alley would almost certainly not be included in the definition of curtilage because it would have been a public place and not a place for “family affairs and domestic purposes.”

Details Matter

Even though we all have the right to self-defense, the line between justifiable action and criminal behavior became blurred in the chaos of the moment. McLaughlin’s decision to continue shooting as the burglar fled from his property crossed a critical threshold, transforming what could have been a legitimate act of self-defense into a criminal act of recklessness, with the possibility of years in prison. The pivotal moments between the first shot and the second and third shot in the confrontation served as the catalyst for legal proceedings that ultimately held McLaughlin criminally liable for his actions, highlighting the fine line between lawful self-defense and unlawful use of force.

In the trial, McLaughlin maintained his innocence, asserting that he acted solely out of fear for his safety and that of his family. His defense argued that McLaughlin’s actions were a natural response to the perceived threat posed by the burglar. However, the prosecution painted a different picture, emphasizing the reckless nature of McLaughlin’s actions and the harm inflicted on the burglar and the danger posed to the community at large.

Despite McLaughlin’s spotless record and testimonials to his character, the jury returned a guilty verdict, and McLaughlin was sentenced to 60 days in jail, 4 months of home detention, and a year of probation. The burglar ultimately plead guilty and received a 6-year sentence, all suspended to probation.

McLaughlin’s story serves as a cautionary tale of the delicate balance between justifiable self-defense and criminal recklessness, or worse. McLaughlin’s case serves as an example to us all that even though you are initially the victim, you can face legal jeopardy if you do not defend yourself within the bounds of justifiable use of force, and his case underscores the importance of understanding self-defense laws and the legal implications of using firearms in self-defense.

As debates continue around the rights of individuals to defend themselves, it remains crucial for gun owners to be aware of their rights and responsibilities when faced with potential threats. If we aren’t responsible with our rights, everyone loses.

To pour salt on the wound, the burglar later sued McLaughlin civilly for monetary damages, a topic I’ll save for a later column—civil liability after self-defense. Luckily, the case was dismissed because the burglar failed to prosecute the case. Nevertheless, this situation demonstrates how a good guy with a gun can become a criminal defendant if there is any defect in his self-defense claim.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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Hardware Talk: Alps OutdoorZ Waterproof Rifle Case

Patrick Sweeney

March 27, 2024

The author takes a look at a serious waterproof rifle case from Alps OutdoorZ.

We’ve all got gun cases. Some of us have plenty: the tacti-cool one with 17 pockets and Molle straps all over, one black, one green, one tan, one camo (heck, five camo), the hard one with wheels for flying—I’ve got five or six of those in various sizes—the Cordura one just to go to the range, and I’ve got a whole closet full of those, too, for some reason.

But what do you do when it’s wet? Raining? Pouring? None of those help much, and some are worse than help.

The solution: get Alps. The Alps OutdoorZ Waterproof rifle case, that is. It’s not just some tough cloth, but a 500D PVC shell, with welded seams and inside padding. The opening is a folding roll-top closure like that found on drybags. I’ve used drybags to keep my camera gear dry when wading ashore on beaches a thousand miles from human habitation. The Alps OutdoorZ can handle a rifle or shotgun up to 53 inches long and not quite 11 inches tall, so that means pretty much any hunting rifle.

Even a bunch of MSRs will fit.

It seals well enough to float … well, float if it doesn’t have 10 pounds of rifle and however much you weigh dragging it down. By my rough calculations, it will provide 50 pounds of buoyancy or so—more than enough to keep your rifle on the surface while you solve your personal flotation problem. It will, like the Volkswagen, definitely float … but not float indefinitely.

Alps-OutdoorZ-Waterproof-Rifle-Case-1 — There’s a carry handle on top, so you can transport it like luggage.

There are three compression straps on the side: a shoulder strap on the top, a carry handle and a D-ring on one end—plus an over-strap on the other. This allows you to compress the contents or strap it to a conveyance. You can even secure it to something that floats even better, if you’re on board a boat or ship and want to make sure it doesn’t sink if there’s a problem.

If that’s not your worry, use the D-ring to hang it up to dry out after all the wetness has subsided, or you’ve found a dry place to stay.

You’re probably thinking, “All this goodness is going to cost me, right?”

Yes, if you consider a hundred bucks to be costly. I had the occasion to have duck and goose hunters as customers who would have gladly spent a hundred bucks back when that was a lot more money to protect their shotguns … or offer them a way to keep from drowning, should the duck boat have capsized.

Alps-OutdoorZ-Waterproof-Rifle-Case-2 — The D-ring on the end lets you hang it up to dry or attach more flotation to it just in case.

Yep, puff it up once the shotgun is out, seal it closed, and it’s a flotation device, and probably a better one than the airline seat they encourage you to consider, should your plane go down over water. (Wow, that took a weird turn, didn’t it?)

So far, your choices are limited—one size, one color, one cost—but then again, how many cases like this does one shooter need?

No, it isn’t Molle-strap covered. So, not tacti-cool. No, it’s not airline approved, so you can’t use it on a big hunt, unless it goes into the airline-approved case. But if you have to make sure your rifle, shotgun, whatever, gets where you are going and stays dry in the transit, this is the bag for you.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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So, You Want A .50-Caliber Rifle?

Philip Massaro

March 26, 2024

Some shooters love lots of recoil and big slugs, if that’s you, it may be time to get a .50-caliber rifle.

Big-bore hunting rifles have a unique allure, as more often than not they’re associated with hunting dangerous game, especially African dangerous game. And where I’ve been quoted as saying—from the perspective of the visiting client—that I prefer my cartridges to start with a “4,” a good number of African Professional Hunters cock an eyebrow at me, and tell me they want their cartridges to start with a “5.”

Those rifle cartridges in the .50-caliber range are serious stopping cartridges, launching heavy bullets and generating heavy recoil. For ending a conflict with the largest animals on Earth, the .500s are great tools … if the shooter can handle the bone-crushing recoil.

Now, not all .50-caliber rifles are created equal—technically a .50-caliber Hawken muzzleloader fits the bill—and there are some of the smaller rifle cases that do launch .50-caliber projectiles, but are light-for-caliber. The .500 Linebaugh is available in the Big Horn Armory Model 89 lever-action, and the .50 Beowulf surely shines in the AR-platform, but both of these use lighter bullets than are needed for truly dangerous game. I feel that for this caliber of cartridge, a bullet of 500 grains minimum is needed to provide the proper Sectional Density for deep penetration on an animal that can stomp you into jelly.

The .500 Nitro Express

Starting with the oldest of the lot, the .500 Nitro Express dates back to the late 19th century. Based on the .500 Blackpowder Express, the British firm of Westley Richards was responsible for converting the cartridge to smokeless powder in 1890. The .500 Nitro Express is a rimmed cartridge, designed for use in the single-shot and double rifles, using a bullet of 0.510-inch diameter, in a straight-walled case measuring exactly 3 inches, with an overall length of 3.75 inches.

500-nitro-express-african — Among African Professional Hunters, the .500 Nitro Express 3-inch remains a favorite choice for a stopping cartridge in a double rifle. *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

The large rim of the .500 Nitro Express—measuring 0.655 inch—allows for proper headspacing and positive extraction, even in the heat of the tropics. This was a very important design feature when the .500 Nitro Express made the transition from blackpowder to smokeless powder, as the vast majority of the rifles of this caliber were destined for India and Tropical Africa, and the Cordite used to fuel the cartridge was very sensitive to temperature fluctuations. A voluminous cartridge with a good, strong rim made a world of difference in the late 1800s.

The .500 Nitro Express is offered with one bullet weight—570 grains—as that’s the weight used to regulate the double rifles. At the standard muzzle velocity of 2,150 fps, that bullet will generate 5,850 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle; couple that with the frontal diameter of the .500 NE and you’ve got a great stopping rifle. In a double rifle weighing between 11 and 12 pounds, the recoil of the .500 Nitro Express is surprisingly manageable.

John-Hunter-Boswell-500-NE — This author had an opportunity to touch history and shoot John A. Hunter’s Boswell .500 NE at the Dallas Safari Club’s Historic Rifle Society Event. *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

In fact, owning and hunting with a .470 NE, I actually find the recoil speed and overall level of the .500 NE to be more pleasant than my .470. Where the .470 generated just over 69 foot-pounds of recoil energy, the .500 generates 75½ foot-pounds, but I’ve always found the speed of the .500s recoil to be slower, and therefore the perceived recoil to be less. While the .470 Nitro Express remains the most popular choice, with the widest variety of factory ammunition, many professional hunters still prefer the .500 NE for its heavier bullet weight and stopping power.

Historically, folks like John A. Hunter, Sten Cedergren, Gordon Cundill and Glen Cottar put the .500 NE to good use. (Hunter’s .500 Boswell rifle did serious work along the Lunatic Line, taking a huge number of rhino for the Uganda Railway Company—I’ve had the privilege of shooting this rifle.) In modern times, Professional Hunters (and personal friends) Brian van Blerk, Peter Dafner and Jofie Lamprecht all rely on a .500 Nitro Express in a Heym double rifle. Good ammunition is available from Hornady, Federal and Norma, and component bullets are readily available to those who handload their ammunition.

500-nitro-express-rifle — J.A. Hunter used a Boswell double rifle chambered in .500 Nitro Express for animal control along the Uganda Railway in Kenya, better known as the Lunatic Line. *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

The .505 Gibbs

“Macomber did not know how the lion had felt before he started his rush, nor during it when the unbelievable smash of the .505 had hit him.” -Ernest Hemingway, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.

505-gibbs-magnum — The .505 Gibbs Magnum, shown here with Swift A-Frame softpoints and Swift Breakaway solids. *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

George Gibbs of Bristol designed the .505 Gibbs in 1911, using a bullet of nominal diameter, housed in a case measuring 3.150 inches long, with an overall cartridge length of 3.850 inches. The .505 is a rimless design, using a 37-degree, 40-minute shoulder for headspacing purposes, making the cartridge a perfect candidate for the bolt-action repeating rifles. Where the double rifles of the era were certainly very fast for a second shot, a bolt-action repeater is faster for the third shot. The .505 was released among some of our most revered safari cartridges, what with the .416 Rigby coming on the scene the same year, and the .375 H&H Magnum just a year later, and made a serious choice for those pursuing the big game species of Africa and India.

The initial load for the .505 Gibbs used a 525-grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2,300 fps, generating over 6,100 foot-pounds of energy at the business end of the barrel. Again, we have a cartridge originally fueled by the rather-volatile Cordite, and the sheer size of the Gibbs case shows the efforts to keep pressures low, in order to guarantee extraction in the heat of the tropics. Recoil isn’t for the faint of heart, as the .505 Gibbs will generate over 85 foot-pounds of recoil energy, depending upon the weight of the rifle. Projectiles as heavy as 600 grains are loaded in factory ammunition for the .505 Gibbs, and while these big slugs are quite effective on buffalo, elephant, hippo and the like, they do require both training and practice to shoot effectively.

nosler-505-gibbs — Nosler offers their excellent monometal solids in factory-loaded ammunition for the .505 Gibbs. While the recoil level is certainly not for the faint of heart, the cartridge is well suited for any game on earth. *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

My good friend and hunting partner Mike McNulty has the first of the new Heym Express rifles in .505 Gibbs to roll out of the shop, and we’ve done some extensive load development for it. Using Reloder 15 (which develops the same velocities with a lighter powder charge) and a Kynoch foam wad to keep the powder column in place, we can mitigate some of that recoil without losing performance. McNulty has taken buffalo and elephant, plus a number of plains game species, in Zimbabwe over the course of a few safaris, and that rifle is as sound a choice for dangerous game as you could make, providing you can handle that level of recoil.

Heym-505-Gibbs — The author’s hunting partner, Dr. Michael McNulty, with the first modern Heym Express by Martini rifle chambered in .505 Gibbs. *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

Historically, the .505 Gibbs has seen considerable field action in the hands of PHs Barry Duckworth, Kevin “Doctari” Robertson and John Oosthuizen, as well as serving as the fictional Robert Wilson in Hemingway’s Macomber. Ammunition is available from Norma (though some sites indicate it has been discontinued) and from Nosler, though if you are serious about a Gibbs, I highly recommend you learn to handload your ammunition.

Woodleigh-Hydro-Solid-in-the-505-Gibbs — The Woodleigh Hydro Solid in the .505 Gibbs makes one of the most potent combinations for dangerous game there is. *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

The .500 Jeffery

Here’s the youngest of the half-bores designed for safari work, born in Germany around 1920, and originally known as the 12.7×70 Schuler, or in some instances, the .500 Schuler. It was picked up—and anglicized—by the prestigious firm of W. J. Jeffery and offered as a true big bore cartridge designed to fit in a standard 98 Mauser action.

To do this, the .500 Jeffery has a rebated rim, measuring 0.575 inch in diameter and a case measuring 2.75 inches long; the cartridge overall length measures 3.46 inches. The slight 12-degree, 37-minute shoulder handles the headspacing duties and is a big factor in the way a .500 Jeffery feeds, but more about that in just a second. The .500 Jeffery uses the same .510-inch diameter projectiles as the .500 Nitro Express, with the original load using a 535-grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2,400 fps, to give 6,800 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. This was the most powerful shoulder-fired cartridge until the .460 Weatherby Magnum came along to take that title.

500-jeffrey — The .500 Jeffery may look like a fire hydrant, but it sure packs a wallop. Just beware of that rebated rim! *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

Using well over 100 grains of powder, the .500 Jeffery is assuredly a dangerous game cartridge if ever there was one. And as modern loads exceed those of the .505 Gibbs, in a 10- to 11-pound rifle, the recoil energy can approach or exceed 90 to 100 foot-pounds, so you’re really going to want to make sure the stock fits you well. Though the 535-grain bullets were originally loaded, many companies have offered the 570-grain bullets usually produced for the .500 NE at a muzzle velocity of 2,150 fps, the same as the .500 Nitro Express. For the handloader, component bullets are available from Barnes, Cutting Edge Bullets, Swift and Hornady.

Though discontinued, a number of CZ550 rifles are still on the market, chambered in .500 Jeffery. Factory loaded ammunition is becoming a problem though, as Norma has apparently discontinued both ammunition and component brass, and they were a big supplier. Buffalo Bore lists loaded ammunition, loaded with solid (non-expanding) projectiles.

Oh, that feeding issue I alluded to earlier? A common issue with many .500 Jeffery bolt-action rifles is a magazine follower that doesn’t stay parallel with the barrel, as cartridges are loaded into the chamber. If that follower develops a nose-up attitude, the bottom edge of the bolt can ride over the cartridge’s rebated rim, causing a failure-to-feed situation, resulting in a hairy predicament if a wounded or charging game animal is on the other end of the line.

If you plan on taking your .500 Jeffery in pursuit of dangerous game, I highly recommend you spend considerable time making sure your rifle will reliably feed in all sorts of situations; it’s often the last cartridge in the magazine that shows the most potential for this phenomenon.

500-jeffrey-rifle — John “Pondoro” Taylor wrote of his friend C. Fletcher Jamison in African Rifle and Cartridges. Jamison owned one of very few original Jeffery rifles in .500 Jeffery, and this author had the opportunity to shoot that famous rifle. *Photo: Massaro Media Group.*

In the heyday of safari, the most popular user of the .500 Jeffery was Crawford Fletcher Jamison, who had one of only 23 Jeffery’s rifles. Equipped with a 26-inch barrel and a very long length of pull, I had the honor of shooting that rifle, which seems to deliver less perceived recoil than do modern rifles. In modern times, my friends Jay Leyendecker, Mike Fell and the late Dudley Rogers have all relied on the .500 Jeffery to keep their clients on one piece while on safari.

The .50 BMG

I’m often asked by prospective hunters of dangerous game exactly why, if these beasts are so tough, hunters don’t ever use the .50 BMG for that purpose. The short answer is that the rifles chambered for the Big .50 simply aren’t designed for stalking, and that’s the preferred method of hunting Cape buffalo, elephant and the few rhino that are still sport hunted each year.

Toting a 30-pound rifle in the African bushveld simply isn’t practical—I know just carrying my 12-pound .470 NE Heym double or 10-pound .404 Jeffery bolt gun on a sweltering day under the African sun is tough enough, let alone almost three times that weight. The ballistics are certainly sound, with the Browning design launching a 650- to 750-grain bullet of 0.510-inch diameter to a muzzle velocity of somewhere between 2,800 to 3,000 fps, generating over 13,000 foot-pounds of energy.

However, I think that no matter how many gunbearers one employed, carrying a .50 BMG on safari just doesn’t make practical sense.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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