While the 8-gauge shotgun is obsolete and illegal for hunting, it still serves a purpose today.
The 8-gauge shotgun was, emphasis on was, a specialized fowling piece dating back to 19th-century waterfowl hunters. At that time, 8-gauge shotguns were loaded with a handful of black powder and threw up to two ounces of lead shot at a time. The barrels on these shotguns were long, often 30 inches or more, and that extra barrel length allowed the black powder to achieve maximum velocity. The 8 gauge could reach out to 80 and even up to 100 yards. I can only imagine that the recoil was incredibly stout.
Barrels on older 8-gauge shotguns made before 1900 were made of Damascus, iron and steel layers that were hammered and twisted into a tube. A typical black powder load with Damascus barrels meant 1.5 to 2 ounces of lead shot. These barrels work as intended with blackpowder loads but will peel back like a banana if smokeless shells are used due to the higher pressure. Early 8-gauge shotguns were flintlock and percussion guns, some with a single barrel and others with double barrels. These shotguns were specialized tools intended for use on waterfowl.
19th Century Heyday
Market hunters, those hunters that harvested birds to sell commercially, used 8-gauge shotguns to kill multiple birds with one shot, similar to a punt gun. Punt guns were too large to shoot from the shoulder and were typically mounted to the bow of a small boat. These were obviously far less maneuverable than an 8-gauge shotgun designed to be fired from the shoulder. This type of hunting pre-dated hunting and fishing regulations and waterfowl like the Labrador duck were hunted to extinction by 1878. Market hunters not only sold the meat but also the feathers of certain birds for use in ladies’ hats which made quite the fashion statement at the time.
The 8-gauge made the transition to cartridge shells, as did 10- and 12-gauge shotguns, but it was never as popular as those two smaller gauges. By the late 19th century, the barrels on 8-gauge shotguns were made of fluid steel and able to take the pressure of smokeless powder. That meant the 8 gauge could deliver a load of lead shot in the range of 2 to 2.5 ounces. These 8-gauge shotguns ranged from inexpensive scatterguns perfect for a family settling in the West to lavishly engraved side-by-sides suited for royalty. European double gun maker Greener was one of the more famous builders of 8-gauge guns.
The largest manufacturer of 8-gauge shotguns in the U.S. was Parker Brothers, though the company only built 246 guns in total. Colt was well known in the late 19th century for the Model 1883 side-by-side shotgun. These doubles were typically only available in 10- and 12-gauge, but Colt did produce one 8-gauge model as a custom build for President Grover Cleveland, an avid hunter and two-term president.
A painting of President Cleveland on the hunt with one of his shotguns. Image: The Saturday Evening Post.
Dangerous Game Loads For 8-Gauge Shotguns
Blackpowder 8-gauge cartridges found another use in Africa when loaded with a large lead bullet like an 862-grain spherical ball or 1,257-grain conical bullet. These loads produced muzzle velocities of 1,645 fps and 1,500 fps, respectively. The 8 gauge was considered the standard caliber on all dangerous game besides elephants (the 4 gauge was reserved for pachyderms). These side-by-side guns typically weighed about 15 pounds, but I am sure the weight was welcomed when touching off a shell.
An illustration comparing a solid 8-bore projectile with others that were common in its day.
Obsolete And Illegal By The 20th Century
By the time 8-gauge cartridges became available, the writing was already on the wall—it was simply too cumbersome compared to 10- and 12-gauge shotguns. Sure, the 8-gauge held more shot than the smaller two did, but that proved to be what market hunters wanted. While 8-gauge shells came in lengths ranging from 3 to 4 inches, the maximum length for 10- and 12-gauge shells was only 3.5 inches.
If user preference for the more manageable sizes wasn’t enough to kill the 8-gauge shotgun, the 1918 ban on using anything larger than 10-gauge for hunting migratory birds was the final nail in the coffin, at least in the U.S.
The 8-Gauge Today: Masterblasters And Ringblasters
While the 8 gauge is as extinct as the Labrador duck in the traditional sense, it is still used for industrial purposes today. From the mid-20th century throughout today, the 8 gauge has found another role, just not in duck blinds or on African plains.
The 8 gauge is used for tough industrial jobs found in power plants, incinerators, kilns, silos and other work environments for certain tasks. In silos, for example, an 8-gauge shell can be used to clear out excess build-up. In places like power plants, these loads are designed to be deployed as part of the maintenance process to prevent excessive ash accumulation while the plant is online.
To fire these shells, massive single-shot industrial 8-gauge shotguns are used. They’re mounted to an assembly with large elevation and traverse wheels for aiming and have a lever or lanyard for the operator to pull as a firing mechanism. There are two major versions of these in use, one from Remington Industrial called the Masterblaster and one from Winchester Industrial Products called the Ringblaster.
Other models are designed for use in smaller spaces that are more portable, but these still require a tripod that suspends the shotgun from a chain. These smaller models are Remington’s Boiler Gun and Winchester’s Western Industrial Tool, and they’re specifically used in large power plant boilers for blasting off gunk that would take too long to remove by hand. While 8 gauge is no longer used in a traditional sense, the existence of these tools is enough to keep it from truly being considered extinct.
Expensive Wall Hangers
If you want an 8-gauge shotgun today, expect to pay a premium. Even the most basic models in less-than-stellar condition typically sell for between $1,000 and $2,500, and guns from desirable manufacturers like Greener can go for over $10,000.
A John Dickson & Son 8-gauge duck gun. This one sold for over $8,000 in 2023. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.
You’ll find them in many forms, ranging from single-barrel guns with a flint or percussion side lock to double-barrels with or without hammers. The rarity of these guns is what drives their price, and since you can’t find ammo to shoot them with anymore, they’ll be some very expensive wall hangers. Hunting one down definitely isn’t recommended for most people, but if you feel like you must add an 8-gauge shotgun to your collection, best of luck on finding a good deal.
Carry a Glock? Want to upgrade your iron sights? One of XS Sights’ Glock sight tools will help you do it.
Installing aftermarket sights on a pistol can be problematic. Back when I first began working in law enforcement, I ordered a set of night sights for my duty handgun and tried to install them. I ended up breaking the front sight off its base and had to order another one. The funny thing is that I took it to a gunsmith, and he did the same thing I did, but at least he paid for the third front sight. That’s one of the reasons I’ve always suggested enlisting the services of a gunsmith for sight installation.
But now, particularly for Glock pistols, I’ve changed my mind: XS Sights has simplified the process of sight removal and installation with their excellent array of sight installation tools.
XS Sights has revolutionized the removal and installation of sights on Glock pistols.
Several months ago, XS Sights sent me one of their sight installation tools. I wanted a set of the new XS Sights’ suppressor height R3D 2.0 Night sights for my recently acquired Glock G43X MOS. (My G43X MOS project/experiment is detailed in this issue.) These new-and-improved second-generation R3D notch and post tritium sights are engineered to provide a brighter, stronger set of self-defense sights that are even easier to install than the original models, and they’re built to withstand years of EDC use. I liked them so much that I ordered a set for my G17, too, and it was the perfect opportunity to try out this installation tool.
For Your Needs
XS Sights offers six variations of the Glock sight installation tool. The least expensive version is the Inline Sight Pusher Kit ECO Series that retails for $80. It’s a one-time use, frame specific tool. The $150 Inline Sight Pusher Kit DIY Series isn’t frame specific and should be good for 50 to 100 installs. The Gunsmith Series costs another $50, should last for 200 installs, and the front sight tool that comes with this unit has a magnet to hold the front sight screw in place. All three of these units are also available in a bundle that includes a set of R3D Night Sights. If you purchase the bundle, you’ll save around 10 percent on the cost of the sights.
With the XS Sights Glock Sight Tool, sight removal is easy and can be done without damaging your pistol.
A good gunsmith will charge you between $75 and $125 to install a set of sights on your Glock. And more than likely, over the lifetime of your pistol, you’ll either want to try a different type of sights or you’ll need to replace your pistols sights due to tritium depletion and their loss of brightness. So, while you might not think you need a Glock sight installation tool, in the long run you’ll be better off, and you also might even make a few bucks by charging your buddies to install sights on their Glocks.
It’s also important to note that these aren’t just sight installation tools. The rear sight on a Glock pistol is drift adjustable for windage, and you can use these tools to also fine-tune sight adjustment so that your point of impact matches your point of aim. Because these tools are so lightweight and compact, you can keep one in your range bag. This means that if you discover your sights aren’t adjusted perfectly, you can correct—and check—the problem while at the range. This is a much better process than using a hammer and a brass punch.
With this innovative tool from XS Sights, Glock pistol sight installation is just as easy and fast as sight removal.
Of course, to find success, the tool has to work. Based on my experience with the DIY Series, it works exceptionally well. XS Sights has plenty of videos on their website (XSsights.com) to explain how to use these tools, and very wisely, XS Sights has engraved a QR code right on the sight tool that you can scan with your smartphone for instructions.
Less Is Way More
XS Sights took the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) approach. The tool cradles your pistol’s slide and when you get it lined up correctly with the brass pusher, you slide in a polymer wedge that locks the slide in place. Then, all you need to do is use the supplied hex head wrench to tighten the screw that drives the brass pusher. This will easily push your factory sight out of the dovetail. Also, because of the way the tool is designed, you can use it on a slide that already has an optic installed. This is very handy because you don’t have to remove the optic to install new sights, which means the optic doesn’t need to be re-zeroed.
Glock front sights are screwed in place, and XS provides a wrench sized just to fit the screw that holds them in place.
As for the front sight, it’s held in place on the Glock slide by a screw. This makes front sight removal and installation very easy, but only if you have the correct 3/16 socket that fits the screw head. Each XS Sights’ installation tool comes with a front sight tool, and there are three versions depending on which model you select. One is made of aluminum, one is made of steel, and the third version is also made of steel, but it has a magnet to hold the front sight screw in place during installation.
In less than 10 minutes, you can remove your factory Glock sights and install new ones with the XS Sights Sight tool.
Having never used this tool before, it only took me about 10 minutes to remove the factory sights and install the new XS Sights’ FR8 2.0 suppressor height sights on the slide of my G43X MOS. In another 10 minutes, I had a set installed on my G17 as well. Not only has XS Sights made Glock sight removal and installation simple, I’m living proof that a West Virginia hillbilly can also figure it out and manage this machine without too much head scratching.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
A question that all good Samaritans should consider is whether they would intervene if a threat were to arise.
By now, most people who follow popular news channels have learned about the indictment of 24-year-old Daniel Penny, for second-degree manslaughter by a Manhattan grand jury. The case centers around Penny, who asserts he was coming to the aid of fellow subway passengers when an allegedly homeless man, 30-year-old Jordan Neely, started acting erratically and threatening passengers.
Daniel Penny subduing Jordan Neely. Photo: Juan Alberto Vazquez/Reuters.
Penny determined Neely was indeed a threat to himself and passengers in the car, and as he was not carrying a weapon, tackled and physically restrained him. Unfortunately, in order to restrain Neely, Penny wrapped his left arm around Neely’s chin and neck, while other passengers on the train tried to restrain his legs and arms.
The struggle took several minutes, eventually ending when Neely stopped struggling while being restrained. Neely then stopped breathing and subsequently died. Video clips of the struggle are online, but it’s challenging to find the entire video … most are just a few seconds of Penny with his arm around Neely’s neck and chin.
Mainstream media news outlets all say Neely died from a choke hold, but from what I saw when I watched the video, it looked like neither Neely’s air flow was being cut off nor the blood flow to the brain. The autopsy report hasn’t been released, so we don’t know the medical reason for Neely’s death yet.
Paramount to Penny’s defense will be the training he received in the Marine Corp and any other training he received in hand-to-hand combat. If he can show that he had training in controlling combative subjects by controlling the head, and knew the difference between a nonlethal control hold and a lethal choke hold, then he’ll be well on his way to convincing the jury he didn’t use deadly force.
It’ll also be extremely important to his defense to determine what exactly the mechanism of Neely’s death was. A phenomenon called excited delirium is a medical condition that results in death after an individual fights or struggles for an extended period of time. If drugs are also in the bloodstream, it can result in immediate shutdown of the individual’s life. This could’ve been involved in this event, but we will have to wait to see. I certainly hope the defense researches this issue, and if necessary, hires experts to fully explore the issue and testify in court.
Was Prevention Possible?
How could this situation have been prevented?
First, of course, is if Penny hadn’t involved himself he wouldn’t be in jail awaiting trial. But many witnesses report feeling relieved when Penny acted, and these people should be willing to come to court and testify as to Neely’s actions. They won’t be able to state the acts of Penny were justified, but the jury will be able to connect the dots. On the flip side, Penny was the only one who believed the threat was sufficient enough to act, or had the guts to act, so that fact might work against him.
But, having said all the above, the trial will likely be resolved on the question of whether or not the jury believes Penny only used sufficient force to control Neely, and not excessive force. When I saw the video, I didn’t see that level of force. One cannot usually use deadly force against an unarmed person unless there’s substantial evidence that such a use of deadly force was warranted. But Penny has indicated in pre-indictment comments to the press that he never intended to kill Neely, nor did he think his use of force would do so.
Clouded Circumstances
If you’re thoroughly confused by now, that would be normal. There are many factors to consider, and I will attempt to summarize. Penny used force against Neely in an attempt to subdue him, because Neely was threatening passengers in the subway car. When Penny had Neely on the ground with his arm around the neck and head of Neely, others joined in to try to control his limbs. It was clear that Neely was out of control and struggling until he lost consciousness.
At the time of this writing, no clear indication of the cause of death has been released, only the statement that the cause of death was a “choke hold.” But a choke hold by itself isn’t necessarily fatal—it’s the strength and duration that matters.
Experts in the use of force and the use of the “lateral vascular neck restraint” should, and likely will, be used by the defense to convince the jury that Neely’s death was a tragic accident, perhaps caused by drugs and the phenomenon called excited delirium. It’ll be interesting to watch this one play out.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The author takes a closer look at .257 Weatherby Magnum, a darling of long-range hunters everywhere and the favorite cartridge of the man who invented it.
Mention the .257 Weatherby Magnum and I think of a hunting cartridge that has plenty of reach and power. A caliber that shoots so flat you can hold dead-on at target out to 300 yards. It is an easy cartridge to shoot long range and it is just as suited for shooting gophers and coyotes, as it is for white-tails, speed goats, and muleys. Larger game, too, if you are a dead-eye.
The Weatherby Vanguard MOA rifle chambered for .257 Weatherby Magnum.
The bonus with this cartridge is that the recoil won’t jolt your shoulder out of the socket. It is an older cartridge, first introduced in 1944 while World War II was still going on. Yet the .257 Weatherby Magnum has endured with hunters because it does all the right things. I’ve even heard that it was Roy Weatherby’s favorite caliber. There is a lot to like about the .257 Weatherby.
From Gophers To Cape Buffalos
Roy Weatherby was a wildcatter at heart and developed a range of proprietary hunting calibers suitable to use on everything from prairie dogs to elephants. While most hunters keep the .257 Weatherby Magnum between the guard rails by using it on varmints up to medium-size game, Roy and other hunters have and still use the caliber on bigger game like moose and elk.
This nice 10-point Coues deer was taken by Bob Robb at 350 yards in January 2012 in Chihuahua, Mexico with the .257 Weatherby Magnum.
Roy even used the .257 Weatherby Magnum on one of his many African hunting trips to bag a cape buffalo. Roy used a .25-caliber 100-grain Nosler Partition bullet (I’ve been told this was his favorite load) on the beast when most hunters use larger calibers and much heavier bullets. That was how confident Roy was with the .257 Weatherby Magnum and his shooting ability, and that helped give the .257 Weatherby Magnum a reputation and appeal that continues to this day. In my mind, the .257 Weatherby Magnum is one of those few calibers that has an aura about it.
Speed Kills
Twenty-five calibers, or “quarters bores,” have been around since the late 19th century. Winchester’s .25-35 was one of the first smokeless powder sporting cartridges. The .25-36 Marlin was another along with the .25-20 Single Shot, .25-21 Stevens, and others. These were anemic cartridges that were short on power and punch and most are now obsolete.
The .25-35 Winchester is still around and it pushes a 117-grain bullet at about 2,200 fps, which elicits a yawn from me. It wasn’t until 1915 when quarter bores started to sizzle when the 250-3000 Savage or .250 Savage was introduced. This was the first commercial cartridge to break 3,000 fps. Now that has my attention.
A few years later a wildcatter named Ned Roberts developed the .257 Roberts which spit out most bullets in the 60- to 100-grain range from 3,800 to 3,100 fps. The .257 Roberts is another one of those calibers that has an aura, and for decades the .257 Roberts was at the top of the quarter bore heap since it was excellent for both varmints and deer.
There are magnums, and there are magnums (left to right): .256 Winchester, .257 Weatherby, 6.5 Rem., .264 Win., .350 Rem. and .358 Norma.
Then in 1944 another wildcatter by the name of Roy Weatherby completely rewrote the recipe on .25-caliber cartridges when he introduced the .257 Weatherby Magnum. The .257 Weatherby Magnum left all the other quarter bores choking on its dust by pushing 87-grain bullets to velocities over 3,800 fps, and heavier 100- and 120-grain bullets at 3,600 and 3,300 fps. Translate those bullets and speeds into energy and that’s 2,827 foot-pounds for the 87-grain soft point, 2,882 foot-pounds for the 100-grain soft point and 2,911 foot-pounds with the 120-grain soft point. These factory loads offer a powerful punch.
.257 Weatherby Magnum Parent Case
Weatherby designed the .257 Weatherby Magnum by shortening a .300 H&H Magnum case to 2.5 inches and necking it down to .25 caliber. The .300 H&H is a belted magnum because it uses a belted case which has a pronounced belt around the base of the case used for headspacing.
Two other Weatherby cartridges, the .270 Weatherby Magnum developed in 1943 and the 7mm Weatherby Magnum in 1940, share the same parent case. At the time when the calibers were introduced, Roy Weatherby used the slowest burning powder available which was IMR-4350. All these cartridges have a sexy-looking, double-radius shoulder which is iconic to nearly all Weatherby cartridges. The marketing myth with the double-radius shoulder was the energy from the burning propellant flowed more efficiently, but the truth is Roy Weatherby didn’t want his calibers to be easily reloaded by handloaders. That’s all since changed.
Weatherby’s outgrew its space, and, in 1951, relocated to Firestone Boulevard just around the corner from the original store. It housed the store, gun shops, offices and even a 100-yard underground rifle range. Sportsmen and women came from far and near to visit Weatherby’s. (Photo credit: Weatherby).
.257 Weatherby Magnum Versus Old And New Calibers
Perhaps the biggest long-time competitor to the .257 Weatherby Magnum is the .25-06 Remington. The .25-06 Remington also started out as a wildcat cartridge dating back to the 1920s. A.O. Niedner necked down a .30-06 case for a .25 caliber bullet. For years it was a wildcatter’s load until Remington started to produce it under the name .25-06 Remington in 1969. This caliber has been and continues to be popular with varmint hunters and those chasing medium game. It offers a good apples-to-apples to the .257 Weatherby Magnum. The 6.5 Creedmoor is not a quarter bore caliber but is a very popular modern caliber and it can help to provide context.
In the Shooter’s Calculator chart below, I used factory data to compare a 100-grain bullet from the .257 Weatherby Magnum with a 110-grain .25-06 Remington bullet and a 120-grain bullet from the 6.5 Creedmoor; all are zeroed at 300 yards. All three calibers perform similarly out to 400 yards, and the interesting thing is the .257 Weatherby Magnum shows it shoots flatter and drops less than either the .25-06 Remington and the 6.5 Creedmoor starting at 500 yards and farther.
Data in the trajectory chart uses a Drag Function of G1 and a zero of 300 yards.
Range And Power
At 300 yards, the .257 Weatherby delivers 1,650 foot-pounds of energy compared to the .25-06 Remington at 1,572 foot-pounds and the 6.5 Creedmoor at 1,549 foot-pounds. The .257 Weatherby Magnum is a speed demon at the muzzle taking off at 3,570 fps. The .25-06 Remington generates 3,140 fps and the 6.5 Creedmoor clocks in at 3,050 fps. This all means that downrange the .257 Weatherby Magnum has more punch than either of these two calibers.
This also translates to more felt recoil in the .257 Weatherby Magnum. In my opinion, the recoil from the .257 Weatherby Magnum is similar to a .270 Winchester. Is there a downside to the .257 Weatherby Magnum? Barrel life can be shortened if you do not allow the barrel to cool down. I typically fire three rounds and let the barrel chill out. You could easily burn out a barrel shooting up a prairie dog town. I zero two inches high at 100 yards, and the .257 Weatherby is dead on at 300 yards. No guesswork involved.
Is The .257 Weatherby Magnum Useful?
As you can see with the ballistic chart comparison, a more modern caliber like 6.5 Creedmoor can do just about anything the Is the .257 Weatherby Magnum can do. So why hasn’t the .257 Weatherby Magnum been moved to the obsolete cartridges chapter in the latest edition of the Cartridges Of The World? In my opinion, it comes down to two reasons.
The Weatherby Vanguard MOA on the hunt.
One reason is the .257 Weatherby Magnum offers excellent performance even if it was designed when tail fins were standard equipment on automobiles. The second reason is the .257 Weatherby Magnum is easy and forgiving because it shoots so flat. When zeroed in at 300 yards there is no need to compensate. Sure, the bullet is 3 inches high at 200 yards, but that still means the shot will be in the kill zone on deer and antelope. It shoots flatter than flat with no guesswork. The .257 Weatherby Magnum is simple like that. No trajectory cheat sheets taped to the stock because most of my hunting is under 400 yards. Could I push the .257 Weatherby farther? Sure, and that’s when I’ll need to compensate.
Reloading The .257 Weatherby Magnum
Knowing the twist rate on your Weatherby rifle is important. Early Weatherbys built in Germany before 1972 have a 1:12-inch twist. Don’t expect to shoot bullets larger than 100 grains with these rifles since the rifling will not stabilize heavier bullets. Newer rifles chambered in .257 Weatherby Magnum have a 1:10-inch twist rate and can stabilize 115- and 120-grain bullets.
One of the quirks with the .257 Weatherby is the amount of freebore in the chamber. A characteristic of the .257 Weatherby is the longer throat which means it is not possible to seat the bullet close to or in contact with the lands of the rifling. The best solution is to seat bullets as long as the rifle’s magazine allows, up to a 3.25-inch overall case length, and make sure they have a good crimp.
The large capacity cases and small bore size of the .257 Weatherby make it a great candidate for an overbore cartridge and as such dictates a slow burning propellent, especially for rifles with a 26-inch barrel. Alliant Reloader 25 or RL-25 is an excellent overall choice of powder for a wide range of bullet weights. If you are loading light 85-grain bullets for varmints, RL-19 and H4350 are good choices. For heavier 110-grain bullets, Hodgen IMR 4350, RL22, and H1000 are good medium- to slow-burn propellant choices.
There is a wide range of bullet choices for the .257 Weatherby. For varmints there is Barnes’ excellent TTSX 80-grain bullet, Hornady’s 75-grain V-Max and Nosler’s 85-grain Spitzer Ballistic Tip Varmint. If deer is your quarry, then there are several good 100-, 110-, 115- and 120-grain bullet options. While the .257 Weatherby is used on elk, I’d reload with a bullet that offers good penetration like Nosler’s 115-grain Partition or 100-grain lead-free E-Tip. Hornady’s 117-grain Boat Tail Spire Point is also a good choice for penetration.
.257 Weatherby Rifles
At times I think the .257 Weatherby is a well-kept secret among those of us who think reading reloading data is exciting. It gets overlooked with all the shiny new calibers available. Weatherby originally chambered the caliber in the Mark V action that features nine locking lugs. As a young hunter who could only afford bargain-brand rifles, I lusted after the Mark V Deluxe with a glossy walnut stock and steel blued so bright it almost sparkled. The Mark V Deluxe is retro-cool. The Mark V is also available in Accumark, Weathermark, Carbonmark and other models with lightweight carbon stocks with stainless steel metal and Cerakote finishes.
The Vanguard line of rifles from Weatherby offers all the quality Weatherby is noted for but with a two-lug action at a more modest price. I’m a fan of the Synthetic series. So is my wallet.
The newest Weatherby, the Model 307, is also a two-lug bolt with a cylindrical action that’s designed to accommodate old-school calibers as well as newer calibers in short and long actions. You can also build your own rifle, as Weatherby is offering just the action for custom builds.
Weatherby Model 307 rifles and the standalone builder's action.
High-end European rifle maker, Blaser, offers the R8 and R93 models that are as expensive as they are elegant. Over the years, Remington chambered the .257 Weatherby in the Model 700 and custom gunmakers like Cooper Firearms have offered the .257 Weatherby as well. Custom builds with Winchester Model 70 and Ruger No.1 actions have also been mated with new barrels for the caliber.
.257 Weatherby Ammo Availability
For years, you could only buy .257 Weatherby Magnum cartridges or any of Weatherby’s calibers only from Weatherby itself. Weatherby had his cartridges produced by Norma in the early days, but today RWS does the commercial loading for Weatherby. Other ammunition manufacturers like HSM, Hornady, Nosler, and Double Tap also produce ammo. Ammo is available, but like many magnum calibers, it often causes a bit of sticker shock with a 20-round box going for about $5 to $6 per round.
Should You Invest In A .257 Weatherby Magnum?
The .257 Weatherby is superb as a medium-game cartridge. White-tail and mule deer, sheep and antelope are its sweet spot. With lighter bullets, it’s good on varmints too. Are there any good reasons to invest in the .257 Weatherby? If you crave a flat shooting, high-velocity cartridge with mild recoil, then the .257 Weatherby should be on your shortlist, especially if you like old-school hot-rod calibers that perform.
The M4 carbine is arguably the best all-around fighting rifle ever made, so here we’re looking at exactly how it came to be.
Officially adopted in 1994, the M4 carbine has only been gaining steam on the global stage ever since. Designated as Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4, the weapon has since been adopted by dozens of different nations and armed groups around the world.
From militaries and police organizations to non-state actors and armed citizens, the M4-pattern of AR-15 has become enormously popular. Even with more modern offerings now commonly available, many Americans still choose a close facsimile of the M4 when selecting a semi-auto AR-15 to purchase.
Despite plans in place to officially replace the M4 with the new Sig Sauer MCX Spear rifle, most believe that the M4 will see frontline service for many years to come. Some of that is due to the logistical difficulties of completely reequipping the U.S. Army, but some of it is due to the belief that the compact, lightweight and battle-proven carbine will still serve a practical role in the military’s diverse toolbox. Regardless of how superior the ballistics of Sig’s newfangled cartridge are when compared to 5.56 NATO, there will still be some missions where smaller is better.
So, let’s talk about exactly what made the M4 carbine so great as well as a few of the best civilian-legal approximations on the market.
Why Is The M4 Called A Carbine?
Military use of carbines—shorter, lighter, handier and (often) smaller-caliber rifles—dates back centuries. Historically, these were typically issued to cavalry troops who needed less cumbersome versions of infantry rifles for use on horseback.
An M16A2 rifle next to an M4 carbine. Photo: Wikipedia.
Based on the success of the M1 Carbine in WWII, the U.S. Military requested a carbine variant of the M16 almost immediately after its adoption in 1964.
The first attempts to miniaturize the M16 were the Colt 607 and the Colt 605 (the “Dissipator,” though it was never actually called that). The 605 was identical to the standard M16 in most aspects besides its cut-down 15-inch barrel, but the 607 was more radically modified. It featured a cut-down 10-inch barrel with a shortened handguard to match, an early-generation collapsing buttstock (again made from a modified standard M16 stock) and a moderator on the muzzle. Looking at the changes made to the 607, it starts to become clear just how the M16 evolved into the M4 carbine.
The Colt 607. Notice the different grips, as these experimental carbines were not standardized and some features changed. Photo: Retro Black Rifle.
The Colt 607 and 605 saw use in the early years of the war in Vietnam, but both experienced several problems as well, mostly related to reliability in full-auto fire. This is because the shorter barrel decreases the dwell time, leading to cycling issues.
To solve those problems, Colt started work on the XM177, aka the Colt Commando series.
The first versions were the Colt 609/XM177E1 and the Colt 610/XM177 (the only notable difference being the inclusion of a forward-assist on the 609), and they featured 10-inch barrels, a new design of adjustable two-position stock, new purpose-built handguards and a redesigned moderator muzzle device. The moderator, now 4.5 inches rather than 3.5 inches as on the 607, accomplished two important things. Firstly, it increased back pressure to enhance reliability, and secondly, it reduced the report of the rifle to that of about a standard, full-length M16.
The first batch of XM177E1 carbines was reportedly delivered to U.S. Special Forces in 1967 (although some experimental designs like the 607 were sent to be tested in-country beforehand). Presumably due to continued reliability issues, the XM177E2 was developed shortly after this. This version was essentially the same as its predecessor but was now sporting an 11.5-inch barrel for improved reliability.
While the term was originally coined by Colt, CAR-15 has become the generic and collective designation for this whole family of early carbine-length AR-15s. They quickly became a mainstay of Vietnam-era special forces such as MACV-SOG, likely contributing to their early-formed reputation as “cool guy” guns. While very effective, and certainly an improvement in many respects over the standard M16, the XM177E2 still wasn’t perfect. The moderator was easily fouled and near impossible to clean, the guns had trouble stabilizing tracer rounds and they obviously had shorter effective ranges and worse ballistics than their 20-inch counterparts.
Regardless, these were the guns that would eventually lead to the M4 carbine.
XM4 To M4
After the adoption of the M16A2, the military requested a new CAR-15 for special forces and units that would benefit from a more compact weapon.
An early-production M4 with fixed carry handle A2-pattern upper. Photo: User SLN583 on Reddit.
Initially designated as the XM4 during its development, the carbine used the two-position adjustable stock of the XM177 series with an A2-profile barrel and a 1:7 twist for the newly adopted M855 ammunition. The barrel was lengthened to 14.5 inches (with a carbine-length gas system) and given an A2 birdcage flash hider. The very first M4s delivered even still had fixed M16A2 carry handle uppers, but these were quickly replaced by the flat-top Picatinny upper that the M4 would become known for. These would be issued with both detachable carry handle rear iron sights as well as optics like the ACOG.
An M4 carbine equipped with an M203 grenade launcher and an Aimpoint CompM2 red dot sight.
After development of the XM4 was considered to be completed in 1987, the Marine Corps was the first to approve and adopt the carbine’s use (although in limited numbers). This was also the first time the experimental XM4 was officially designated as the M4.
Despite this, 1994 is generally accepted as the year that the M4 carbine was officially adopted by the Department of Defense.
The M4 Carbine Is Born
While the Marines were early to the party, the Army didn’t request any M4 carbines until 1993. This decision is typically attributed to experience gained during Operation Desert Storm where many infantrymen complained about the M16A2 being cumbersome in urban environments. This was reinforced during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu where Delta Force members seemed far happier with their CAR-15s than others did with full-length rifles. All this contributed to the increased use of the M4 across all U.S. Armed Forces until it eventually replaced the M16 as the standard infantry weapon for most branches. This replacement began happening in practice long before the decision to do so was made official, which for the Army was in 2010.
An accessorized M4 carbine being carried by an American soldier in Iraq. Photo: Wikipedia.
By the time it was adopted, the M4 had undergone a few more changes to its design since the XM4 was deemed completed. Most significantly, the fixed carry handle upper was replaced with the now-standard flat-top model that features a Picatinny rail for optics.
Additionally, the stock detent channel was milled for two additional stock positions, allowing for more adjustability of the length of pull. This was likely inspired by what some Delta Force operators had done with their Colt 723s. The 1:7 twist was retained, as was the three-round burst capability (standard for the M16A2) instead of full auto. A heavier buffer was also developed for improved reliability and the polymer furniture was minorly altered from the older CAR-15 style.
An M4A1 (Photo: Wikipedia) vs. an XM177E2 (Photo: Retro Black Rifle). Notice how the stock, grip and handguard have all been changed. The thicker M4 handguard features two heat shields instead of one.
Finally, the barrel profile was changed to the M4/HBAR profile, with a ring machined into the barrel to mount the M203 grenade launcher.
The last iteration of the M4 we’ll cover here is the M4A1, developed for USSOCOM. Besides an optional new barrel profile that would better tolerate heat stress from full-auto fire, the only significant change was the replacement of three-round burst with true full-auto functionality. Further development on the M4 platform mostly took place through accessory programs such as SOPMOD (Special Operations Peculiar Modification) kits.
The M4 Carbine Enters Service
After the DoD officially adopted the M4 and M4A1 in 1994, their use quickly started to eclipse that of the M16A2. With the exception of the Marines, the M4 became America’s de facto service rifle for most of the Global War on Terrorism.
Besides the United States, dozens of other countries have purchased M4 or M4A1 Carbines either for specialist roles (such as special forces, national police and counter-terrorism units) or wholesale for use as their primary service rifle.
Serbian anti-terrorism police marching with M4 carbines. Photo: Wikipedia.
Police units and militaries around the world have found the M4 carbine to live up to its billing as a light, handy, versatile rifle that can fit multiple roles with aplomb.
The early international adopters took their first shipments in the late 1990s, with new international contracts being signed and completed even in the past few years as of this writing. Almost every NATO country has had them in their armories, and most U.S. allies have been outfitted with some amount of M4 carbines at various points.
FN Takes Over: The M4 Goes Open Source
By 2009, the US military had acquired the patents and copyrights to everything related to the M4 carbine, so it opened bidding to find a new supplier.
Colt has had a long history of troubled finances, having gone through bankruptcies and reorganizations several times. The military knew this, of course, as it was hardly a secret that military contracts were essentially the only thing propping up Colt's mortal remains.
A genuine M4A1 made by FN Herstal, select-fire and available for military purchase only.
They put out requests for proposals to find other suppliers. While a number of companies were awarded contracts to build M4 carbines after 2009 (Colt and Remington included), the bulk of production would be awarded to Fabrique Nationale Herstal of Belgium.
FN would manufacture the bulk of M4 and M4A1 carbines from 2013 to 2018, as well as parts for converting M4s to M4A1s.
The Legacy Of The M4 Carbine
As mentioned, U.S. Army brass has already decided to formally replace the M4 with what is currently being referred to as the XM7. This, however, does not mean that the M4 will disappear overnight.
With so many carbines and so much ammo already in inventory, it’s a safe bet to say that the M4 will continue to see at least rear-echelon service by various U.S. Armed Forces for many years to come. Outside of the U.S., almost certainly even longer. The AR-15 platform has now established itself on the world stage almost as solidly as the Kalashnikov, and the M4 seems to be the most preferred version by users around the globe. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
The Top 5 M4 Carbine Clones
FN 15 Military Collector M4 Carbine
It's an FN M4 Carbine made for the civilian market, so this is as clone-correct as it gets. The 14.7-inch barrel has a pinned and welded A2 birdcage, and the rifle includes an ambidextrous selector switch, a folding rear sight and a Knight's Armament RIS quad rail.
MSRP is $1,929, which is stiff to be sure…but it's as close as you can get to the real thing without being a Class III dealer.
Palmetto State Armory Nitride M4 Carbine
Say what you want about PSA, but lately it seems that the company has been churning out lots of decent firearms for affordable prices. Sure, PSA's Nitride M4 won't be as nice or as clone-correct as some others on this list, but it will get you pretty damn close for not much money. This rifle features a nitrided, 16-inch M4-profile barrel, a mil-spec bolt carrier group and standard polymer M4 furniture.
To complete the classic, standard M4 look, it even comes with a detachable carry handle rear sight. MSRP is technically $899.99, but it's frequently on sale for $499.99.
Colt M4A1 SOCOM Carbine
Much like the FN 15, Colt offers a version of the M4 for the civilian market. Everything is the same spec, save for a pinned and welded 14.5-inch barrel and a semi-auto trigger pack. A Knight's Armament RIS rail and flip-up rear sight (along with fixed front sight base) are included, along with one magazine.
MSRP is $1,499. However, you can also get into a genuine Colt for less by opting for the standard M4 Carbine model, which has a ribbed handguard, Magpul BUI rear sight and a 16-inch barrel for about $400 less.
Smith & Wesson M&P Sport II
The M&P Sport II is not quite clone-correct, but it's close enough for someone looking for a decent M4-like rifle that won't completely break the bank. The M&P Sport II comes with a straight-profile 16-inch 4140 chrome-moly barrel with an A2 birdcage flash hider, a flat-top receiver (with Magpul BUI rear sight), polymer furniture and a fixed front sight base. While the stock and pistol grip are the same pattern as the real M4 carbine, the handguard is interestingly skinnier and more reminiscent of the old CAR-15 style.
It is one of the most popular AR-15s on the market, is available just about everywhere (except for ban states) and has a very attainable MSRP of $812 with street prices typically being even lower.
Bravo Company M4 Carbine Mod 2
The Bravo Company M4 Carbine Mod 2 is a clone of the SOPMOD Block 2 package, with a 16-inch M4/HBAR profile barrel (phosphate finish and chrome lined) and fixed front sight base with a BCM A2-style compensator and free-float BCM Gunfighter quad rail handguard. The receiver is a flat-top with no backup sight, and BCM gunfighter furniture is included.
Street prices are around $1,500. However, the Mod 1 is available for a little less (usually about $200 less) with a BCM Gunfighter KeyMod handguard. All other parts are the same.
More Military Firearms:
Why The Mauser C96 “Broomhandle” Still Looms Large
The Self Defense Company has just released the Peacemaker CCW Jacket, designed to be both a perfect cover garment and armor carrier.
For those who feel that they need a bit of extra protection while walking around, body armor can be a nice additional piece of kit to have. The problem is that many traditional soft armor vests can be uncomfortable to wear and difficult to conceal without some sort of extra cover garment. The Peacemaker CCW Jacket from the Self Defense Company fixes that.
The Peacemaker CCW Jacket features a front and back slot for inserting 10×12 soft armor panels, and it can be purchased either with or without two level IIIA panels. By fitting the armor inside of a jacket, the Self Defense Company says that this is the most discreet and practical way of wearing concealed armor in day-to-day life. The jacket itself appears to be good quality too, as it’s advertised as being made of a waterproof and wind-resistant blend of nylon and spandex.
The final trick up the Peacemaker CCW Jacket’s sleeve is what the company is calling the Hidden Draw System or HDS. The system allows for its wearer to discreetly access, and even draw and point, a firearm from a belt holster, all while still being concealed by the closed jacket. This would be ideal for a situation where you need to rely on the element of surprise or are unsure if it’s an appropriate time to draw your firearm but feel the need to be ready to do so quickly. To an observer, you’d appear to merely have your hand in your jacket pocket, leaving them unaware that you may already have a gun in your hand.
The Self Defense Company Peacemaker CCW Jacket is available now, it comes in black and is offered in multiple sizes. MSRP for the standalone jacket is $259 and MSRP for the package that includes armor is $467.
If you want to support the expansion of suppressor rights, the ASA Silent Night Fundraiser event could use your support.
Many Americans believe that suppressors shouldn’t be as hard to buy or own as they are, and so does the American Suppressor Association Foundation. If you want to help in the ASA’s fight to make suppressors legal in all 50 states, the upcoming Silent Night Fundraiser has a ticket with your name on it. That is, if you can make it to Austin, Texas on November 30th and can afford the price of admission.
Yes, tickets are expensive, but the proceeds will go to a good cause. If just supporting the expansion of suppressor rights isn’t enough incentive for you, buying a ticket will also entitle you to dinner, drinks and an item off of the giveaway list if you purchase a high enough tier of ticket. Giveaway items include things like premium guns and suppressors, so we’re not just talking about stickers and shirts.
Here’s what the ASA has to say about the Silent Night Fundraiser:
The American Suppressor Association Foundation (ASA-F) is thrilled to announce the inaugural Silent Night Banquet. Taking place at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas on Thursday, November 30th, the Silent Night Banquet will include an open bar, a delicious dinner, a silent auction, a live auction, a raffle, and a keynote address from Captain Chad Fleming from Team Never Quit. In addition, every table package sold will come with the buyer's choice of amazing products, including the best suppressors, rifles, pistols, shotguns, and optics.
As the 501c3 wing of the American Suppressor Association, the ASA Foundation is leading the charge through active litigation to make suppressors legal in all 50 states. ASA-F has already filed Anderson v. Raoul in partnership with Silencer Shop, challenging the constitutionality of the suppressor ban in Illinois. The Silent Night Banquet will help ASA-F raise essential funds to continue the litigation in Illinois and file lawsuits in other states like California and New Jersey. If successful, suppressors will become legal in all 50 states for the first time in over 100 years
“Help us reach our goal of raising $250,000 for the ASA Foundation by buying a ticket or a table today,” said Knox Williams, Executive Director of ASA. “Not only will your purchase help fund our pro-suppressor lawsuits and educational initiatives, at the Banquet you’ll have access to an open bar, a delicious dinner, a silent auction, a live auction, and a raffle filled with products and experiences you simply can’t buy.”
For more information on the event and the different levels of tickets available for purchase, please visit ASAbanquet.com.
More Suppressor Info:
The Suppressor: How They're Made, How They Work, And How To Buy One
SDS Imports has just announced the 1911A1 Aviator pistol from Tisas, available in both 9mm and .45 ACP.
Tisas of Turkey is known for its affordable 1911 pistols, and SDS Imports has just announced two new models that will soon be available in the U.S. Called the 1911A1 Aviator, they feature lightweight aluminum frames and will be available chambered for both 9mm and .45 ACP.
Regardless of the caliber selected, Tisas 1911A1 Aviator pistols come with an H-151 Satin Aluminum Cerakote finish on their frames while the slides and smaller components sport an H-146 Black Cerakote finish. Both models also feature 4140 hammer-forged slides and hammer-forged steel barrels that are 4.25 inches long. For some extra flair, the pistols also have the Army Aviation badge engraved on their slides.
Other notable features of the 1911A1 Aviator pistols include their GI sights with brass bead inserts, round hammers and 4.5- to 5-pound trigger pulls. The guns ship with overmolded black rubber grips installed, but a set of dark brown plastic grips are included as well. Further, both the .45 ACP and 9mm models will ship with a water-tight lockable hard case, a bushing wrench, a cleaning kit, a trigger lock and two 7-round magazines. The pistols share an MSRP of $529.99.
The author reviews the reintroduced Marlin 1894 Classic, the return of a lever-gun legend.
In 2008, Remington purchased Marlin. Shooters and hunters were not all that happy with the acquisition, and it took a long time for the new Marlin to start making rifles. When they did, there were a lot of complaints. Then, in 2020, Remington went bankrupt, and Ruger purchased Marlin. Given Ruger’s history of turning out fine firearms, Marlin fans were excited, and it didn’t take long for Ruger to get it together either.
The Marlin 1894 in .44 Remington Magnum.
By 2022, they’d reintroduced the 1895 SBL and since then have introduced two other 1895 models and the 336 Classic. In mid-June, Marlin reintroduced the Model 1894 in .44 Magnum, which is one of the Marlin rifles those of us who, at least sometimes, identify as a cowboy have been impatiently waiting for.
The Rifle
The Marlin 1894 lever action rifle has been with us as long as its name suggests, and it has been offered in a variety of configurations to include stainless steel and with 16- and even 24-inch barrels. The 1894 has also been chambered for a dozen different cartridges to include the .22 Magnum. Primarily it’s thought of as a revolver cartridge rifle because of the chamberings that have been the most popular in it like the .32-20 Winchester, .357 Magnum, .44-40 Winchester, .44 Magnum and .45 Colt. Marlin’s newest version is the most traditional version of the 1894, and it’s outfitted with a 20-inch round barrel, straight grip stock and the common barrel mounted semi-buckhorn sight.
Like all the new rifles from the Ruger-owned Marlin, they’re distinguishable with a red dot in the center of a white circle on the belly of the buttstock.
The American black walnut stock has a 13.63-inch length of pull and the butt of the stock is fitted with a thin brown recoil pad. Though not really needed for a 6.29-pound .44 Magnum rifle, it looks good, and if you stand the rifle up in the corner, it won’t slide away like those with the hard plastic butt pad. Even though the rifle has a 20-inch barrel, overall, it’s less than 38 inches long. A traditional sling swivel stud is fitted on the belly of the buttstock, and another is attached at the barrel band near the end of the forend.
Cartridges were easy to load in the Marlin 1894, even up to its six-round capacity.
Some thought the new Marlin company might do away with the crossbolt safety, but they’ve not, and, in reality, it’s not a big deal. If you don’t like it and don’t want to use it, don’t—just leave it on fire. However, it does offer an added bit of safety when unloading because you unload this rifle by cycling the six rounds in the magazine tube through the action. Finally, an extended hammer spur is included with the rifle, and it makes accessing the hammer much easier if you mount a riflescope.
An optional hammer spur to make hammer access easier when a scope is mounted comes in the box with the new Marlin 1894.
On The Range
I shot this rifle a lot, and I didn’t treat it like fine china—I ran it hard like you’d expect a working rifle like this to get used. Shooting the rifle with the factory sights and the XS sights I ended up installing, I fired about 100 rounds from the bench. Shooting a lever action rifle from the bench is about as much fun as fixing a leaky sink, so once I was done with what you might call “the work,” I stepped away from the bench and began whacking steel from 25 yards out to 100. Standing on my hind legs, I did a lot of snap shooting and fast-action lever work, firing multiple shots at multiple targets and even shooting at a moving target. This is where this rifle shined.
Historically, .44 Magnum lever-action rifles can be a bit finicky with certain loads. This is because .44 Magnum ammunition is designed to be fired in a revolver and in a revolver bullet profile, and to some extent overall cartridge length does not matter. I’ve yet to see a .44 Magnum lever action rifle that would feed every factory load offered.
Most of the loads tested in Marlin’s reintroduced 1894 shot like this or better at 50 yards using XS sights.
Some are very ammunition sensitive, but this rifle was not. The only load that gave it any trouble was the 305-grain .44 Magnum Buffalo Bore load with its large flat meplat. SAAMI specifies a maximum overall length for .44 Remington Magnum cartridges at 1.610 inches. This load had an overall length of 1.618 inches. If you ran the lever with force, this load would hang up—but if you worked it gingerly, it fed fine.
NOTES: Reported muzzle velocity (VEL), standard velocity deviation (SD) and muzzle energy (ENG) were established by firing 10 shots over a chronograph with the screens positioned 10 feet from the muzzle. Reported Accuracy/Precision was determined by firing five, three-shot groups with each load from a sandbag rest at 50 yards, using an XS aperture rear sight and an XS white striped post front sight.
Thumbs Up
The bluing on this rifle was impeccable. It reminds me of the bluing you used to see on early Winchester rifles, where it seemed as dark as the eyes of a sullen Irish maiden. You might like more of a matte finish on a hunting rifle but as good as the bluing on this rifle looks, I expect you might just learn to not mind the shine.
The walnut stock had a nice figure, and the machine checkering on the wrist of the butt stock and the forend was well executed and felt good in my hands. Wood-to-metal fit was also very good, probably a bit better than what you might’ve seen on some of the Marlins produced when Remington was at the helm.
The wood-to-metal fit on the new 1894 was very well executed, and the nicely figured walnut buttstock sports a good-looking machine checkering pattern.
Balance is important with a rifle that you expect to possibly handle during quick action situations and with its 20-inch barrel, this rifle balanced right at the juncture of the action and the forend, meaning the weight is evenly distributed between your hands. Some prefer a shorter 18- or 16-inch barrel on a .44 Magnum lever gun, and they’re a bit handier. However, that handiness makes the rifle a bit butt heavy and harder to hold on target. You might say this rifle has a great “balance of balance” for off-hand shooting.
Thumbs Down
There were three things about this rifle I didn’t like. Let’s start with the first one since it’s probably not really a valid complaint. Marlin supplies this rifle with a hooded brass bead front sight and a leaf/drift adjustable folding barrel sight. I don’t like either and much prefer the aperture ghost ring sights from XS Sights. They’re faster to get on target and more accurate when you get them there. My groups at 50 yards with the XS sights were half what they were with the factory sights. But since this rifle is the “Classic” model, classic sights probably belong on it. If you like XS Sights, Skinner Sights, or a riflescope, the receiver is drilled and tapped, and you can install what you want.
The barrel-mounted rear sight on the new 1894 is drift adjustable for windage and step adjustable for elevation.
The trigger was a bit of an issue. It broke crisply, but inconsistently. Sometimes it would trip at about 4 pounds and sometimes at about 4.75 pounds. It’s not the worst trigger I’ve felt on a Marlin lever-action rifle, but the triggers on all the other new Marlin rifles I’ve tested have been better than this one, and I’ve tested all three new 1895s and the new 336.
The new 1894 is outfitted with a ramped front sight that has a brass bead and hood.
And finally, with the hottest loads—like the Buffalo Bore 305-grain .44 Magnum load—ejection could be a bit stiff. This seemed to lessen a bit with use and a bit more so after a thorough cleaning. But the 305-grain Buffalo Bore and 270-grain HammerDown loads could slightly stiffen action operation.
Marlin’s new 1894 in .44 Magnum functioned very well with .44 Magnum and .44 Special ammunition. However, for optimum reliability with the 305-grain Buffalo Bore load (right), the lever had to be worked with moderate force.
Last Word
I think Marlin has done a great job with the rifles they’ve reintroduced in the last two years. Though not perfect, they did a good job on this rifle too. Even though I’d not rate the trigger as great, it was better than most of the triggers I’ve had the chance to pull on Remington-made Marlins, and the good thing about a trigger is that it’s something you can test in the store. If you get home with a rifle that has a bad trigger, it’s your own damn fault.
The 1894 Classic would make a great rifle for sitting over a feeder waiting for a group of feral hogs, it would be ideal for stalking a brushy ridge for whitetail deer or for sitting at a bait pile waiting on a black bear. It would also make a great saddle or camp gun in grizzly country, and I’d not hesitate to put one behind the kitchen door to deal with anything that came around the house that wasn’t supposed to.
Maybe the most exciting thing about this new Marlin is that it means the 1894 is back. And that means we can soon expect to see 1894s in other configurations and other chamberings like .357 Magnum. Maybe we’ll get lucky and soon see one in .41 Magnum and maybe even .327 Federal Magnum. Part of the appeal of the 1894 is that it allows a revolver and rifle to share the same ammunition and that’s cowboying up at a high level.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The author takes a look at Smith & Wesson’s X-Frame revolver line, including the new .350 Legend model.
Twenty years ago, Smith & Wesson regained its place as the proprietor of the most powerful commercial revolver cartridge on earth. I say regained to note that Dirty Harry’s famous words detailing the .44 Magnum as the most powerful had been overshadowed by the .454 Casull in the Freedom Arms Model 83 single-action revolver a few years after Mr. Callahan’s classic line. Stating the .500 S&W cartridge is powerful is akin to mentioning King Kong was just an ape.
The 460 XVR 14-inch with bipod mount. XVR stands for “X-Treme Velocity Revolver,” and this wheelgun offers plenty of it while remaining very manageable.
In a revolver, the .500 S&W is an awesome handful of force capable of pushing 500-grain bullets well over 1,400 fps. This mention of bullet weight and velocity is merely one example of the cartridge’s strength: There are several factory offerings of lighter bullets at even higher velocities. I currently have a half-dozen different loads from Buffalo Bore Ammunition (375 to 500 grains) sitting on my shelf, each capable of cleanly dispatching the toughest of the tough, and Hornady’s good 300-grain FTX load is no cream puff.
The S&W 500 4-inch is truly a big-bore packing gun, ideal for protection in big-bear country.
Smith & Wesson’s engineers and gunsmiths developed a new, larger revolver frame to harness all of this pressure, velocity and recoil in a wheelgun. Following the company’s tradition of categorizing their revolver frames with letters (small to large), like J-, K-, L- and N-frames, the behemoth engineered to house the 1.625-inch case of the .500 S&W cartridge was christened the “X-frame.”
.460 S&W And The Model 460
A couple years after the .500 S&W saw light, S&W teamed up with Hornady to add the smoking .460 S&W cartridge to the X-frame line. The .460 became the fastest production revolver cartridge, pushing a 200-grain bullet to 2,200 fps. This powerhouse, contrived of lengthening the .454 Casull case to 1.8 inches, opened the distance door to handgun hunters looking to extend their horizons with a powerful revolver.
The 460 XVR can print exceptional groups, but the gun can be picky with ammo. Try a couple different brands to determine what your particular gun prefers to eat.
A buddy of mine bought one of the .460 revolvers right after they came out, and we couldn’t wait to try it. We were surprised to find the recoil of the super-fast cartridge in the big X-frame, with its muzzle brake and 8.38-inch barrel, was quite manageable. I have a photo of my wife from that time period shooting the big revolver with a two-handed hold while she casually busted small boulders. I won a turkey at the annual turkey shoot in Sanderson, Texas, one year shooting the .460 for a round of Border Patrol Polo.
For those unfamiliar with it, BP Polo entails each contestant being assigned an empty tin can at a distance, say 20 yards. You get six shots at your can, and the shooter whose can travels farthest wins the bird. Placing a .45-caliber slug at a blistering 1,500 mph at the base of the can will send it flying, I can assure you. There was no worry of ricochets at this particular range, as it sits at the base of a huge limestone bluff.
The PC 460 XVR 3.5-inch—perhaps one of the most ultimate and powerful short-barreled revolvers.
Multiple Variations Of The Big X
At the appropriate distance, with the correct bullet, there’s nothing that cannot be taken with the .500 S&W and .460 S&W. These are hard-hitting, powerful rounds. The full-sized hunting configurations of these revolvers add a bit of a challenge to carrying them in the field.
Sitting in a blind or a brush pile at the edge of a clearing is one thing … spot-and-stalk hunting, hiking through rugged mountains, sliding down steep-sided arroyos or maybe even standing knee deep in a stream teaming with salmon in the land of the great bears is altogether different. Whatever the handgun necessity of the day is, S&W has tailored the X-frames to fit your various needs.
The Performance Center 460 XVR is a sight to behold, and perhaps surprisingly, an easy gun to hold and shoot as well.
Along with standard models, Smith & Wesson also offer Performance Center Models. Their handy, 3.5-inch barreled 460XVR, and the similar 500 HI VIZ, are good-looking five-shooters that weigh 58.8 and 56.8 ounces in easier-to-carry sizes compared to their full-grown siblings, which range from 71 to 99.1 ounces in weight. That’s 4.4 to 6 pounds of wheelgun for the big boys.
I see these short guns as perfect for the outdoorsman wanting a super powerful double-action revolver in an easy-to-carry configuration. The same goes for the 4-inch gun. For those who don’t bat an eye at packing the biggest of the big into the woods—some so large they have sling swivels—they have you covered as well. With additional barrel lengths ranging from 7.5 to 14 inches, and added features like optic rails, muzzle brakes, various barrel contours and heck, you can even mount a bipod on one of them—options abound for the discerning shooter.
The 350 Legend And The 350
In 2019, S&W brought out their Model 350 in the new 350 Legend, aimed specifically at the deer hunting market in straight-walled-only cartridge country. The cartridge is compiled of a 1.71-inch rimless case, launching .357-caliber bullets generally weighing from 124 to 180 grains around 2,000 fps, give or take. Phil Massaro expertly likens the .350 Legend to the proven .35 Remington for a ballpark cartridge comparison.
S&W’s 350 and Hornady’s 350 Legend ammunition make a great team for medium-sized game.
Unlike the big-bore clan of the X-frames that chamber five cartridges, the 350 has room to chamber seven in the beefy cylinder. For this rimless case, you either clip it or pick it, meaning you load your rounds via the moon clips provided with the gun … or pick them out of the chambers after firing, as there’s no rim for extraction. The moon clips are easy enough to load, and I found giving the case a slight turn when pressing the cartridge into the clip enabled pretty simple loading.
Ease of unloading is offered by using a moon clip for the 350 Legend.
Removing the empties from the moon clip can be a bit of a pain. I used a pocket screwdriver to flip the empties out from the “rim” side. On the topic of a small screwdriver, it’d be wise to keep something similar, or maybe a dowel rod, handy in case you need to tap out a case when not using a moon clip. I didn’t experience a case sticking in a chamber, but it could happen.
Gun Specs
No two ways about it: This is a big revolver. It weighs in at 71.5 ounces, is 1.92 inches wide, 6.37 inches tall and has a 7.5-inch barrel. Fit and finish of this stainless-steel revolver are excellent, and the single-action trigger breaks crisp at just over 4 pounds. Plus, the double-action pull is very smooth. The front sight is a red ramp, and the rear adjustable has a white outline. The long barrel on this hefty handgun lends itself to being well balanced for handling and off-hand shooting.
A size comparison of S&W’s N-frame .44 Magnum and X-frame 350 Legend.
Sending ’Em Downrange
Recoil is marginal in the 350, and two of the three different loadings tested were plenty accurate. While waiting on Hornady test ammo to arrive, I picked up a couple boxes of ammo because I couldn’t wait to shoot this revolver. Shooting from my Ransom Steady Rest at 25 yards, Winchester’s “Target and Practice” 145-grain FMJ load clustered seven rounds into a 1.99-inch group.
This particular gun didn’t care for Browning’s 124-grain FMJ load, printing a cylinder full of them in a group the size of my hand. When Hornady’s 165-grain FTX load recently came in, I returned to the range and fired seven rounds in a 2.3-inch group from a seated, tripod-supported rest.
The only problem I experienced firing this gun, and it’s really more of a mention on my part, was occasional stinging of something hitting my face during firing. I assume it was from the port at the end of the barrel. Always wear protective glasses when shooting—an occasional sting to the cheek really drives that point home.
The PC Model S&W 500 with a 7.5-inch barrel. Sorry, Harry: This is the most powerful handgun in the world.
The big X-frames are hunting guns, plain and simple, and I tip my hat to the folks at S&W for remembering us handgun hunters—there are many. For hunters interested in taking up the sport of handgun hunting and are smitten with the big-framed Smith, the 350 is a good place to start. This model offers a heavy-duty double-action revolver platform in a cartridge that’s flat-shooting and fully cable of taking medium-sized game.
This combo of the X-framed 350 Legend would be great for deer, pronghorn, feral hogs and maybe even an aoudad ram at the proper range. The axis stags are in roar this time of year (May) in the Texas Hill Country, and this revolver and round would be a good candidate to slip up on one of those big, beautiful spotted deer. They not only make a great trophy, but axis meat is delicious as well.
It’s easy for me to say that the 350 Legend will do most any reasonable job it’s asked, and it’s plenty accurate. I still prefer my revolvers with open sights, but I’m certain one could tighten groups and increase some distance with a good scope or red-dot, if so inclined.
The muzzle is ported, which greatly reduces recoil and provides a pleasant shooting experience.
Truthfully, I’m not a group shooter. I think they’re fine for choosing a load, showing what a particular brand or load of ammunition will do. But for all practical purposes, an appropriately powerful load with the proper bullet that will hit nearest the intended mark on the first shot is what I’m looking for. If an open-sight revolver will produce consistent fist-sized groups at 25 yards and will more often than not keep a cylinder full of ammo in a normal-sized paper plate or, better yet, a dessert plate at 50 long steps from field positions, I’m ready to go hunting.
Most guns today with good ammo will group well enough for this prerequisite. The bigger requirement lies with the shooter. We have to practice, both dry and live fire, to ensure we don’t let our handgun or, most importantly, the game animal down with poor shooting on our part.
Having said all this, the S&W 350 and Hornady’s 165-grain FTX load are ready for the field.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Winchester Ammunition has just announced the XPERT line of rimfire ammo, starting with a 42-gr .22 LR load.
Designed to be the perfect match for the Winchester XPERT bolt-action rimfire of the same name, Winchester Ammunition has just announced XPERT .22 LR. The XPERT rimfire ammo line will likely be expanded in the future, but when launched it will initially feature a 42-grain .22 LR load that the company promises will be both extremely accurate and consistent.
This load of XPERT .22 LR features a 42-grain copper-plated hollow point projectile with an advertised muzzle velocity of 1,320 FPS. The impressive velocity should keep it relatively flat-shooting, making it easier to get good hits at increased distances, and it also helps the hollow point bullets achieve maximum expansion. That’s another selling point of XPERT .22 LR, as Winchester says that the ammo would be an excellent choice for both target shooting and hunting.
Here’s what Winchester Ammunition had to say about the new load:
Whether plinking targets at the range or pursuing cottontail rabbits along an oak covered ridge, XPERT .22LR is an excellent choice. Find XPERT, and the full line of quality Winchester products at an outdoor retailer near you and shoot with confidence this fall.
The new XPERT rimfire ammo will be sold in 100-round boxes, but an MSRP has not been published. Winchester says that it is shipping now and will be available soon.
Performance-wise, .257 Roberts can keep up with the best of them, so why is this cartridge so overlooked?
A lot of people think .257 Roberts is a total Fudd cartridge. An anachronism, destined for the brass pile of history. It's a shame, too, because it has nearly all the virtues modern rifle shooters look for in any cartridge bigger than .223 and lighter than .308.
Unfortunately, .257 Roberts has long suffered from a botched release (more on that soon) and never got quite the same development as other more popular cartridges.
This raises the question, what should you know about .257 Roberts? Does it deserve to get dusted off for a reappraisal in the modern era? Or is it time to just let Bob die?
The caliber marking of a Ruger Hawkeye in .257 Roberts.
History Of .257 Roberts
The .257 Roberts started life as a wildcat, devised by gunwriter and tinkerer Ned Roberts in the 1920s who tried his hand at necking down a case to shoot a smaller bullet. The idea, as always, was to decrease recoil and gain ballistic advantage through sheer velocity.
The parent case is 7x57mm Mauser. Roberts necked it down to .25 caliber (6.35mm) while changing the neck angle to 15 degrees for a long neck while keeping the original powder charge.
Initially dubbed .25 Roberts, it was eventually stumbled upon by Remington and the company decided to make a few changes and introduce it commercially. Remington increased the projectile size to .257 (6.53mm) and named it Roberts after its creator.
Ned Roberts (right).
As a result, the projectile could potentially gain anywhere from 200 to 400 feet per second (depending on the bullet, powder charge, barrel length, etc.) over .250-3000 Savage, the other popular cartridge of that caliber from this era.
Remington's idea was to put out a new caliber that was equally adept at blasting woodchucks, prairie dogs and other varmints but would also make a fantastic medium-game hunting round—a combination of attributes prized at the time.
The .257 Roberts In Action
When Remington released the .257 Roberts in 1934, it was initially praised as a dual-purpose cartridge. It was praised for its light recoil and excellent accuracy, but it was hampered by the rotten factory ammunition of the era in two key respects.
A spread of .257 Roberts cartridges.
First, .257 Roberts was loaded lighter than necessary. The ammunition makers of the day did not want to take chances with chamber pressure, so it was generally only loaded to about 51,000 psi—much lighter than most rifle calibers today. There's a good reason for that. If someone rebarreled a surplus rifle (Spanish Mausers and Type 38 Arisaka rifles were commonly rebarreled to .257 Roberts), there’s a good chance it wouldn’t withstand the pressure.
A U.S. Springfield Armory Model 1903 rifle that was rebarreled to .257 Roberts. Photo: Rockislandauction.com.
Second, Remington elected to use a 117-grain round-nose soft point as the hunting load. Factory velocity for the 117-grain bullet was a lackluster 2,650 fps, the literal equivalent of the .250-3000 Savage. That won it few fans overseas and severely hampered its trajectory, limiting its useful range.
Handloaders were quick to realize that a bit more powder and a more aerodynamic projectile would propel a 117-grain spitzer to 2,800 fps or more. However, just like today, most people back then relied on available factory ammo rather than handloads.
A spread of different bullets used for reloading .257 Roberts.
PO Ackley also created an improved version—the aptly named .257 Ackley Improved—which is quietly considered an absolute Goldilocks rifle cartridge. However, given ammunition is (and always has been) very hard to come by, the improved round never really caught on either.
Making matters worse, Remington decided to squeeze the cartridge into short-action rifles (7x57mm Mauser is halfway between .308 and .30-06) which hampered accuracy as there was less leade for the longer, heavy-for-caliber bullets. Worse still, when Winchester released the .243 Winchester in 1955, just about everyone quickly discovered it did everything .257 Roberts did, arguably did them better, and did so for less money.
The .257 Roberts has been dying a slow death ever since. Modern loads exist for it, but few people buy them.
.257 Roberts Vs. .243 Winchester
To give you an idea of what the classic .257 Roberts load is capable of, here's a 1,000-yard trajectory table for Remington's 117-grain soft point load with a G1 BC of .240. All tables were built using Shooter's Calculator with a 100-yard zero, a 1.5-inch height-over-bore, a 90-degree 10 mph crosswind and no corrections for atmosphere.
As you can see, it drops quickly, goes transonic just after 550 yards and in general, is not much to write home about.
By contrast, here's a trajectory table for Hornady's American Whitetail load in .243 Winchester using a 100-grain soft point bullet and a G1 BC of .405:
The .243 Winchester drops dramatically less, is still supersonic at 1,000 yards and still has more energy at 650 yards than the average .357 Magnum has at the muzzle. Given that this load of .243 has about the same recoil energy…there's no reason to even think about ol' Bob…
…unless you picked up a more contemporary load for it, as modern .257 Roberts +P is a different animal. This is what the trajectory looks like for Nosler's 110-grain AccuBond +P Trophy Grade load with a G1 BC of .418:
With additional velocity and a modern high-BC bullet, .257 Roberts remains supersonic past 1,000 yards and has more energy at 800 yards than a .357 Magnum has at the muzzle. Not too shabby.
Modern .257 Roberts +P satisfies the 1,000-foot-pound minimum for big game out to 500 yards, and when zeroed for maximum point-blank range it can hit within 3.5 inches of point of aim to 300 yards.
If that is, you could ever find any ammo to buy.
What Is .257 Roberts Good For?
As the ballistic tables demonstrate, .257 Roberts in its classic factory loading is underpowered and drops more than .243 Winchester, all while costing more than it should for the dearth of benefits.
Sure, you could use it to shoot varmints or hunt, but there’s no good reason to when .243 Winchester exists.
In modern +P loadings, however, .257 Roberts is capable of everything .243 Winchester is. It could be effectively used on medium game and varmints at some fairly impressive ranges, and it would make a sheep, mountain goat and pronghorn cartridge par excellence. With the right rifle and right load, it would even make a capable precision rifle cartridge as well given its recoil energy of less than 11 foot-pounds.
In short, .257 Roberts can still be an absolutely viable cartridge when it comes to performance, but what about ammo availability?
Is .257 Roberts Ammo Still Made?
Yes, manufacturers do still make .257 Roberts, but not in any significant volume. Most ammo shops you visit likely won’t even have any in stock.
Browsing online retailers tells a similar story. At the time of writing, sites like MidwayUSA and GrabAGun only have a handful of loads listed, none of which are currently available. Further, AmmoSeek didn’t return a single in-stock result. Finding factory .257 ammo for sale is difficult, to say the least.
Rifles chambered for .257 Roberts are also hard to come by these days. The online retailers we perused had zero new-production rifles for sale, and only secondhand outlets like GunBroker had a few used options.
The point is that despite modern bullets making this venerable old cartridge vastly more capable, you can't get the ammo, you can barely get a rifle and the truth is other cartridges perform pretty much the same while having ammo and guns available for them.
A deer and the 6.5mm Creedmoor rifle that harvested it.
.257 Roberts Is Dead Or Dying, There Are Other Options
The only reason to fool with .257 Roberts anymore is because you inherited a rifle from a relative, and even then you're going to have a hard time feeding it. Frankly, rebarreling the gun would pay for itself if you shot it enough. The fact of the matter is this cartridge is dead or dying, and there's almost no reason to resuscitate it.
Light-recoiling, multi-purpose rifle cartridges exist outside of .257 Roberts.
For example, .243 Winchester is ridiculously available, affordable and can be found in bolt-action and modern semi-auto rifle platforms.
The same is true of 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Creedmoor and .260 Remington, all of which are highly capable light-to-medium game-getters even at long range, are excellent for varmints and have been used to win a bevy of precision rifle matches. The same is also true for 7mm-08 Remington.
Every single one of the mentioned calibers is light enough for youth hunters and is a fantastic varmint, predator and light game (even some heavier game; 6.5mm Creedmoor and 7mm-08 are more than viable for elk, moose and black bear) cartridge, not to mention, are available in a variety of different platforms.
While more than capable on paper, the availability of guns and ammo is simply the final nail in the coffin for .257 Roberts.
As fond as some people might have been of it at one point, it's time to let it go. The cartridge had its day, but now it's over.
Editor's Note: The section on bullet diameter was modified to provide more clarity.
A lightweight and accurate bolt-action rifle, the author takes a closer look at the Kimber Mountain Ascent Caza.
None of us are getting any younger, and if you were to ask my legs, hips and lower back, the hills I choose to hunt seem to be getting steeper. Despite having crossed the half-century mark, I refuse to allow my native Catskills and Adirondacks to intimidate me to the point where I avoid hunting them. Though the terrain may be rugged, here in New York we have oxygen in our mountains—as opposed to the Rockies, where oxygen comes at a premium—and while the game might be sparse, it’s an iconic experience.
The controlled round feed 84L action of the Mountain Ascent Caza has a miniaturized Mauser-style bolt, in this case, a fluted bolt body and skeletonized bolt handle and extractor. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Rifle weight has often been a factor for those who hunt the rugged terrain, whether it be sheep hunters on the scree slides of Alaskan mountains or anyone who hauls their gear on their back when venturing into the few remaining wild places left on Earth. If I’m on relatively flat ground—say, in the Hudson Valley of New York, the Great Plains of the Dakotas or eastern Wyoming and Colorado or even the vast majority of Africa—I don’t mind a bit of weight to my rifle. But once things start to get steep and rugged, I want the least amount of weight on my back and shoulders as possible.
Kimber—a rifle company originally based entirely in my home state of New York—has long prided itself on their lightweight rifles. Yes, the Kimber Talkeetna and Caprivi big-bore rifles are both built in the common weight ranges, but there are many models that swung in the welterweight division.
The Kimber Montana, and especially the Kimber Adirondack with its short barrel, felt like a helium balloon on the shoulder, yet was still manageable when shooting. Scaled-down actions, replete with the features required to be considered controlled-round-feed, mated to slim barrels and lightweight synthetic stocks add up to an accurate combination that will not be felt during the process of packing out a deer from those remote and rugged locations.
Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The Adirondack model produces a ton of muzzle blast from its short barrel—though if used as a hunting rifle wouldn’t be unmanageable—and even the Montana felt a bit like a willow wand when it came to settling down for the shot. Looking at the various Kimber rifle models through the years, I feel they’ve come to their best balance of weight and portability with their Mountain Ascent Caza rifle.
The Reign Of The Caza
With the naked rifle coming in at just over 5 pounds, depending on chambering, Kimber offers a sensible mountain rifle here, with all the features I’ve come to appreciate. Despite the light weight, the Mountain Ascent Caza balances well. And where most companies will rely on a short-action receiver to help reduce weight, my test rifle featured Kimber’s 84L long action and was chambered in the universal .30-06 Springfield.
With a 24-inch featherweight stainless-steel barrel, fluted for 8 inches just ahead of the chamber and with a 2-inch muzzle brake (thread protector included), the Mountain Ascent will give full house velocities. While my ears are certainly damaged from years of gun fire and loud drummers, a muzzle break on a rifle this light makes sense. I often wear a combination of earplugs and shooting muffs at the backyard range—especially while testing a rifle with a brake—but in the field I’m not comfortable with hearing protection. I’m not a fan of brakes, but physics are physics, and on a lightweight mountain rifle like the Mountain Ascent, it’ll help you place a shot better than if you’re dealing with snappy recoil.
With a handsome profile, the Mountain Ascent Caza is a pleasure to carry, and the open pistol grip offers a very natural feel to the rifle. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The 84L action is what I’ve often referred to as a mini-Mauser; it’s a controlled-round-feed design with the non-rotating claw extractor, just in a scaled-down configuration. I measured the bolt body at 0.585 inch in diameter—a typical Mauser 98 bolt body will measure right around 0.700 inch—so there’s a significant reduction in action diameter. And to further reduce weight, Kimber has fluted the bolt body. It uses a two-lug bolt face (the Mauser 98 has a third lug on the bottom rear of the bolt body) and a 90-degree bolt throw.
The 84L action features a wing-style three-position safety highly reminiscent of the Winchester 70 design, with forward to fire, middle position being safe but able to work the bolt for safe loading and unloading, and rearward being safe as well as preventing the bolt from moving. When the safety is moved forward, putting the rifle into battery, there’s a small red dot visible where the safety wing meets the bolt body, indicating the rifle is hot. The 84L action is pillar bedded into the stock, and the action and barrel are coated in Kimber’s proprietary non-reflective KimPro II black finish.
The Mountain Ascent comes with an adjustable trigger, which Kimber indicates comes set at a weight of 3.5 pounds. Using my Lyman Trigger Pull Gauge, my test rifle’s trigger broke consistently at 2 pounds, 8 ounces. The shoe is wider than that of most rifles, measuring ⅜-inch wide and offering a nice feel during the squeeze—and breaking crisply without creep or overtravel. I really liked the way this trigger performed during accuracy testing, as well as from field positions.
The Pnuma Caza camo pattern is both attractive and effective, and the KimPro II metal coating eliminates glare. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The Mountain Ascent has a blind magazine, holding four rounds down, and a small polymer trigger guard with one action screw rounds out the union of action and stock. And speaking of stocks, the Mountain Ascent has an ergonomic, ambidextrous reinforced composite stock, wrapped in the Pnuma Caza camo finish. The Caza is, to my eyes, a nice blend of the digital camouflage color scheme, blended into smoothed patterns that are appealing to the eye.
Without cheekpiece, or any sort of checkering or distressed area to offer a better grip, the Mountain Ascent Caza stock feels very good in the hands. With a sloping pistol grip, which keeps the fingers of the trigger hand more parallel than perpendicular to the barrel, the Kimber stock is (apparently) symmetrical, giving the shooter everything he or she needs, with nothing they don’t.
The stock features one rear sling swivel stud and two at the forend, giving the ability to attach a bipod to the rifle. A 1-inch Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad takes the thunder out of the .30-06, even from the heaviest of loads, and I measured the length of pull for this rifle at 13⅝ inches.
Kimber cut weight on the Mountain Ascent Caza where it could—note the skeletonized bolt handle, extractor band and fluted bolt body—but with a good rest, it was a pleasure to shoot. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The Tale Of The Targets
Kimber offers a sub-MOA guarantee with the Mountain Ascent and provided two test targets to prove the fact that the rifle left the shop meeting those parameters. And while the targets were printed with 168-grain match-style ammunition, I also feel the beauty and versatility of the .30-06 Springfield is the variety of bullet weights offered to the hunter.
So, for this test, I grabbed five different bullet weights across the .30-caliber spectrum to see how the Mountain Ascent would handle them. Because of the extremely thin barrel contour, combined with the fact that this is definitely a hunting rifle, I limited group size to three shots.
From light to heavy, I tested Federal’s 150-grain Fusion load, Federal’s 165-grain Nosler AccuBond load, their 175-grain Terminal Ascent ammo, Norma’s 180-grain BondStrike ammo, and Federal’s 200-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, giving a range of projectiles suitable for deer and similar-sized game, all the way up to grizzly bears.
The Mountain Ascent Caza really liked Federal’s 175-grain Terminal Ascent ammo, printing ½-MOA groups. Kimber offers their sub-MOA guarantee with this rifle. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The Kimber muzzle brake tamed even the 200-grain load’s recoil, and though there was considerable muzzle rise—again, physics is physics—shooting the Mountain Ascent at the bench wasn’t an issue.
The rifle showed a definite preference for 165- to 180-grain bullets, delivering excellent accuracy with the 175-grain Terminal Ascent load and keeping all loads in this bullet range inside of ¾ MOA. The 200-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws averaged 1 MOA, with the 150-grain Federal Fusion load coming in last with an average group size of 1.12 MOA. Even the worst group is more than accurate enough for any hunting scenario.
There were no issues at all with feeding, extraction or ejection, and in spite of the diminutive action, I found the 84L action to be completely satisfactory. The Mountain Ascent trigger gave a very natural feel, and the Maven RS.2/Talley ring combo allowed good cheek weld.
Tinkering with some offhand shots, the lighter weight of the Kimber rifle did require additional time to steady the crosshair, but when using a natural rest or a set of shooting sticks, it posed no real issue.
Final Thoughts
If a lightweight rifle is in your future, and the carbon-fiber-wrapped barrels aren’t your cup of tea, then I’d take a good look at Kimber’s Mountain Ascent. Among lightweight guns, I like the features they’ve packed into this rifle. I’ve always been a fan of controlled-round-feed actions, and I’m a sucker for a good trigger.
The three-position Model 70-style safety on the Kimber Mountain Ascent Caza; note the red dot visible when the rifle is switched to the fire position. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
If I had to pinpoint any issues with the rifle, the safety felt a bit snug out of the box—though it did smooth out by the time I was done with my testing—and the length of pull is a bit too short for yours truly. The latter comment, however, is common to almost all American rifles: I find them all collectively short at the standard 13½- to 13¾-inch length-of-pull. Extend that dimension to 14¼ inches, and I immediately take a different posture when behind the trigger and I shoot better.
So, Kimber, if you’re listening: Maybe you could offer an extended length-of-pull on your stocks?
Overall, I’d have no problem dragging a Kimber Mountain Ascent into the mountains, across a prairie or into a deer blind. Speaking candidly, there might be instances where the rifle’s weight might influence me to take a different approach to getting steady for the shot, but that fact is mitigated by the gun being an absolute joy to carry.
Congratulations, Kimber, you’ve done a good job with this one.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
A brief discussion on handgun recoil and how it impacts your shooting.
Handgun recoil can be measured objectively. The free recoil energy in foot-pounds can be calculated with a mathematical formula. According to SAAMI (Small Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) the formula looks like this:
FRE = (WF/64.34) × (WEVE + WPCVPG)/7,000WF)²
FRE = Free Recoil Energy in foot-pounds
WF = Weight of the firearm in pounds
WE = Weight of the bullet in grains
VE = Velocity of the bullet in feet per second
WPC = Weight of the propellant charge in grains
VPG = Velocity of the propellant gases in feet per second
There’s also a modifier that’s applied to the velocity of the propellant gases (VPG) based on whether you’re calculating for rifles (VPG x 1.75), or shotguns and handguns (VPG × 1.50). You can use this formula if you like, but it’s quite silly. There are numerous online recoil calculators where you just input the required data and an answer is magically given. While I’ve found the results of various calculators/websites to disagree, it’s all relative and you’ll get a good idea of how hard a handgun might kick.
Recoil is something that must be managed. The harder a handgun recoils, the harder it is to shoot fast and accurately.
The problem with all of this is that recoil is a very subjective thing. Some associates and I were recently shooting a rifle that I found to have overly offensive recoil for a .308 Winchester. The other three shooters thought it was on par with .308 Winchester rifles of the same style and weight. These variations in perceived recoil apply to handguns as well. Because our hands are different, because we all have varying levels of strengths and because the grips of some handguns are shaped differently, there can be staunch disagreements on how hard this or that handgun feels to different individuals.
For a shooter, it’s important that a handgun is comfortable to shoot. The reasons should be obvious: The more comfortable a handgun is to shoot, the more you’ll shoot it. And the less a handgun recoils, the more accurate your shots will likely be, and the faster you should be able to make them.
I know, that’s a lot of math and gibberish to go through just to simply state that the more perceived recoil you feel from a handgun, the harder it is to shoot. However, now you have the math.
The real question is this: How much does handgun recoil impact your shooting?
In other words, if you’re shooting multiple shots, fast—which is something often required with a defensive handgun—how much does more recoil increase your split times? (Split times being the time between your shots.) Just as felt recoil might be different for everyone, it’s also possible that its impact on individual shooting performance will be different as well.
This 230-grain .45 Auto load from Nosler generated 7.52 foot-pounds of recoil out of the Tisas pistol.
The Handgun Recoil Test
To get an idea of how recoil can negatively impact shooting, a friend and I conducted a test. We fired a variety of multi-shot defensive drills using a lightweight .45 Auto pistol loaded with standard and +P ammunition. We recorded the time between every shot, so that in the end we could analyze the data scientifically to see how much the harder recoiling load was to shoot compared to the lighter recoiling load. We only counted the runs where we had no misses. Our goal wasn’t to see how fast we could miss, but to see how fast we could hit.
Before sharing the results, you should know that when the standard pressure load was subjected to the recoil formula supplied in this article, it registered a Free Recoil Energy of 7.52 foot-pounds. When the +P load data was put into the formula, it was calculated to have 9.42 foot-pounds of Free Recoil Energy.
For what it’s worth, one online recoil calculator agreed with these results and another listed recoil energies of 8.77 and 10.72 foot-pounds, respectively. The results were different but proportionally mostly the same. Maybe more important was the fact that my friend and I both felt that out of the lightweight handgun, the +P load kicked like an SOB compared to the standard pressure load.
Though loaded with the same weight bullet, this Federal .45 Auto load generated about 25 percent more recoil than the Nosler load. This additional recoil resulted in split times that were, on average, 21.5 percent slower.
The results were interesting and provided at right for each load and each shooter. Going from the standard pressure to the +P load, I experienced an increase in my split times—the time between shots on multi-shot drills—of 0.06 second. That’s an increase of 20 percent. Interestingly, my assistant experienced an increase of the exact same amount of time.
One of the reasons I think this is interesting is that my assistant shot a little faster than I did; his split times were 0.04-second faster with both loads, but the +P load had more of a detrimental impact on his shooting than it did with me. Yes, he shot the +P load almost as fast as I shot the standard pressure load, but the +P load increased his split times by 23 percent … as opposed to 20 percent.
Split Times
So, what does all this shooting and all this math mean. For us, it meant that, on average, our split times increased very similarly to the increase in recoil. From a practical standpoint, this makes perfect sense. If your handgun generates 25 percent more recoil with one load, you can expect your split times to increase by a similar percentage.
This is for sure something to keep in mind when selecting ammunition. You might get better terminal performance with one load, but the increase in recoil might not be worth the reduction in the shootability of your handgun.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
If a semi-automatic is your defensive handgun of choice, you need to learn the press check.
A press check with a semi-automatic handgun is the slight retraction of the slide so that verification can be made that there’s a cartridge in the chamber. Put another way, a press check is a way to confirm your pistol is loaded. I’ve found that many shooters do not fully understand when a press check should be conducted or how it should be done. As with many things firearms related, there’s not a single specified or correct way to do a press check … if it’s done safely.
A press check on a pistol is the act of slightly pressing or moving the slide to the rear to see if there is a round in the chamber.
When To Press Check
The correct time to conduct a press check is when you’re unsure a cartridge is in the chamber of a semi-automatic pistol. If you’re conducting a press check for any other reason, you’re just trying to look cool. Just as with how some shooters rapidly scan from side to side—without really looking—after an engagement, a press check that fails to offer a true 100 percent confirmation of pistol status is a waste of time. A press check is no different than conducting a reload or performing immediate action; it’s a process that should be driven by need—a specific need—as opposed to an action you perform out of habit.
For example, when you need to make sure a handgun is unloaded, such as you would before cleaning it, that verification process should be absolute. This absolute certainty is just as necessary when you’re checking to make sure your self-defense pistol is loaded. A press check is less of a tactical practice than it is a practical one. It’s like looking both ways before you cross the street.
So, what are some examples of when a press check is necessary or suggested? Well, let’s say you’re shooting in an action pistol match and have been given the command to load your gun. After inserting the magazine and racking the slide, it might be a good idea to conduct a press check to make sure a round went into the chamber. If it did not, you’ll lose valuable seconds once the shooting stage starts as you load your handgun. This same logic applies when loading your carry gun to carry it. If you hope to use it to save your life, it better damn sure be loaded.
With many modern pistols, you can feel the protrusion of the external extractor to see if there’s a round in the chamber.
But should you always, in either of these instances, conduct a press check? Well, no, not really. If you’re loading your handgun in the daylight, you can probably watch as a cartridge is loaded into the chamber. You can also check your magazine to see if it is one round down after you cycle the slide. Also, some modern semi-automatic pistols are equipped with a loaded chamber indicator, with some you can feel the external extractor to discover the same, and others have visual windows where you can see the brass of the case in the chamber.
I prefer all these methods to partially cycling the slide. This is partly because you can maybe cycle it too far and jam the gun or fully eject the loaded cartridge. Or, after opening the action, the pistol does not want to go fully back into battery. Some pistols need slide velocity to fully chamber, especially on top of a fully loaded magazine. And, most importantly, monkeying around with guns is how accidents occur.
How To Press Check
But let’s say that you want to be sure your handgun is loaded, and let’s assume your handgun doesn’t have a feature that allows you to see if there’s a cartridge in the chamber. How are you supposed to safely conduct a press check? First and most importantly, and as with any other thing you do with a handgun, you need to be safe. Being safe starts with treating the pistol like it is loaded, pointing it in a safe direction and keeping your finger off the trigger. If you can’t work within these guidelines, you have no business conducting a press check.
Many modern pistols, like this P320, have a window that’ll allow you to see the brass case of the cartridge in the chamber.
Next, you must grasp the slide and gently move it rearward on the frame until you’ve extracted the cartridge in the chamber enough to see it and, ideally, feel it with one of your fingers. Why is feeling important? When you clear a firearm, you feel in the chamber to make sure it’s unloaded because sometimes our eyes play tricks on us. And you might feel the need to conduct a press check in the dark where you won’t be able to see. For this reason, your default press check activity should include looking and feeling. Do it the same way every time.
There are a couple ways you can do this. You can reach under the slide with your support hand and grasp the forward grooves to push it to the rear. Then, once the slide is slightly retracted, you can look and feel with your trigger finger to see if there is a cartridge in the chamber. Another method is to grasp the slide over the top with your support hand, and as you slightly retract it, feel for the chambered cartridge with one of the fingers of your support hand or your trigger finger.
When feeling for a round in the chamber while conducting a press check, you can use your trigger finger or a finger on your support hand.
I prefer the over-the-top method because I like to keep my fingers away from the muzzle of pistols. Why? I’m human, and humans tend to make mistakes … and sometimes do dumb stuff. Anything I can do to prevent me from making a mistake is better than the alternative. I also don’t do a lot of press checks unless I’m on the range. Even then it’s rare, because I pay attention to my pistol when I’m loading it, and I load my carry guns and keep them loaded.
Being able to conduct a press check safely (and answer the question of whether your pistol is loaded) is a good skill to have. But do it for purpose instead of out of habit or to look cool.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Some low-round-count drills and training tips for when ammo supplies get tight.
We’re in another round of dealing with scarce and expensive ammunition. A combination of new gun owners, political instability and COVID-19 has created our worst ammo shortage at a time when shooting sports and gun ownership are growing at an unprecedented rate. As an instructor, I’m swamped with new gun owners wanting to build their skills while ammo is scarce and expensive.
Shooting skill, like all other skills, requires repetition. New gun owners need to learn the proper fundamentals and repeat them until they become second nature. A new shooter with a lesson in basic safety and marksmanship is at the same level as a driving student after his first experience on the road.
And like driving, repetition develops unconscious competence and allows adjusting strategy while performing at a high level. Meaning, even experienced shooters need to pull the trigger regularly to keep the skills sharp.
To be an effective shooter, as with an effective driver, skills must be developed through repetition. As a driver, you’re constantly situationally aware. If there’s an indication of danger, the experienced driver thinks only of the best tactic to avoid the danger without conscious thought of how he’s going to accomplish it using the controls of the vehicle.
Real skill with a firearm requires the same level of competence.
3 Low-Round-Count Drills:
One Shot, Two Sight Pictures
Since repetition is the mother of skill, this drill renders the maximum amount for skill-building reps with a minimum expenditure of ammunition.
For accurate shooting within the constraints of time, the presentation of the gun must be safe, consistent and fast. The sight picture should be acquired during presentation, and there when presentation is complete. At the time of full acquisition of the sight picture, the trigger finger should be on the pressure wall of the trigger; if the sight picture is there, the trigger pressure should be increased until the gun fires. With practice, this should be accomplished within about 2 seconds from concealment and 1.5 seconds from a belt holster. Once the trigger breaks, the shooter should re-acquire the pressure wall during recoil, resume the sight picture and assess whether another shot is required.
The biggest impediment to accuracy with a pistol, either in shooting slowly or rapidly, is trigger management. Everyone I train can see the sights and hold the gun well enough for reasonable accuracy. Poor accuracy is almost always due to poor trigger management due to anticipation or flinch. Flinch is an involuntary response and as such can’t be avoided if the affected shooter knows the exact instance the gun will fire. The answer to accuracy is the surprise break. If the sight picture is there, the shooter increases pressure until the gun fires. Anticipation can’t occur because the exact time of the shot can’t be predicted.
If you can find it and afford it, shooting until you’re standing knee deep in brass works.
Many of my clients are new shooters, and anticipation is a huge problem. When I explain the surprise break, I see skepticism because they can’t imagine shooting fast and not knowing the exact instance the gun will fire, but the surprise break can be compressed with repetition until multiple shots can be fired from the pressure wall with a fast but smoothly increased pressure to the trigger. Accuracy has to come first, and speed can then be acquired through repetition.
Sweet 16 Qualification
Using a full-sized silhouette, USPSA or half-scale silhouette at half distance, this drill develops an awareness of time versus accuracy, covering almost all aspects of action or defensive shooting. If desired, two targets can be used to include transitioning to another target.
The object is to strive for accuracy while developing awareness of needing more time to get accurate shot placement. I use the BLEA-1-R half-scale target with a 2×3-inch 10-ring. If full-sized targets are used, double the distance.
This drill emphasizes the management of time/distance. To achieve a similar level of accuracy, longer shots require more time. While practice drills build skills through repetition, they also educate the shooter as to his skill level. People who don’t shoot structured practices normally greatly overestimate their skills and in a deadly force event, this could have disastrous consequences.
It truly is about the fundamentals, but once the fundamentals are learned, it’s about repetition.
While the use of the support hand in a defensive encounter is relatively low, this part of the drill generally surprises shooters when they shoot almost as fast and—sometimes—more accurately with their support hand.
When I wrote the Gun Digest Guide to Concealed Carry Handguns book, I searched the web for instances where defensive shooters had to accomplish a magazine change. I never found one. Still, gear manipulation is important and changing magazines builds skill in that area. An interesting addition would be to add a surprise dummy round in the magazine to reinforce the tap/rack mindset.
The 5-yard stage where four shots are fired enforces proper grip and recoil management. If you must adjust your grip after a few shots, you need work in that area.
The Sweet 16 Qualification requires speed in the close stages and accuracy in the longer stages. Hitting a 2×3-inch 10-ring at 2 to 5 yards is pretty simple, but under time constraints even above-average shooters drop points at 7 and 10 yards because they fail to slow down to match the accuracy requirements of the longer distances.
I’ll Be Back
No, this drill doesn’t involve driving a car into a police station like in the Terminator. It does, however, reinforce getting to cover whenever possible. Having watched many videos with citizens involved in defensive encounters, I’m amazed at how people simply stand out in the open when cover is readily available.
The drill starts at 5 yards with the gun holstered or placed on a table at 10 yards. Two USPSA targets are spaced 6 feet apart and cover at 10, 7 and 5 yards. On the timer’s beep, run back to cover behind the table and fire one shot at each target from right and left of the 10-yard cover. Then, move up to the 7-yard barrel for one shot left and right and repeat at the 5-yard cover. Another party loads his magazine with one dummy round at a random point.
The idea is to reinforce the need to use cover if available. I allow shooters to shoot on the way to cover if they’re moving. But the second shot should be from behind cover. Having a dummy round pop up at some point in the high-intensity drill instills the conditioned reaction to tap/rack the gun as soon as they get a click/nothing as opposed to a shot.
Training from a stationary location is valuable, but the ability to move and shoot increases your chances in a deadly force event.
While many shooters simply cycle the slide when nothing happens, this isn’t the best option. Concealed-carry guns are carried close to the body, and the magazine release is compressed to the body, sometimes getting pressure from ordinary movements. Most concealed-carry guns will hold the magazine in place when it’s dropped slightly. If the magazine has dropped below engagement level, racking the slide gets nothing and consumes considerable time because the gun must be re-grasped and another sight picture acquired. Tapping the magazine before racking adds much less time.
These three low-round-count drills consume very small amounts of ammunition while providing a very high value in acquiring skills. They’re valuable to new shooters as well as those who have extended shooting skills. They’re easy enough to not intimidate a new shooter yet challenging to higher skilled shooters when trying to beat previous times.
The adage is to shoot until you’re standing in a pile of brass. Unfortunately, this is currently both difficult to accomplish and expensive. There’s no substitution for repetition, but every session should be concentrated on exceeding previous performance. That’s how real skills are acquired.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
