After a several-year gap, Century Arms has just resumed importation of the Cugir WASR 3 5.56x45mm AK from Romania.
Many Kalashnikov enthusiasts believe that Romanian AKs from the Cugir factory, such as the WASR-10, have consistently been some of the best-value options in the U.S. since Century Arms first began importing them in the 1990s. The guns are often derided for their lackluster finishes, and people are quick to bring up the risk of getting one with canted sights. The reality is that the finish is made for utility rather than aesthetics, and the issue of canted sights was never as severe as it was made out to be (not to mention mostly limited to rifles produced around 2008).
Today, Cugir’s QC appears to be as good as ever, and the company is still cranking out supremely reliable AKs built to the old Soviet spec. For many years now, however, Cugir’s AKs have been limited to 7.62x39mm, but Century Arms has just resumed importation of the WASR 3 in 5.56x45mm.
Since the first semi-auto Romanian AK rifles hit U.S. shores, there has been a 7.62x39mm option. The rifle has had a few different names over the years, from SAR-1 to CUR-1 to WUM-1 to WASR-10, but it’s always been available. What’s been less consistent, however, is the availability of this gun’s differently-chambered brothers. Namely, the WASR 2 in 5.45x39mm and the WASR 3 in 5.56x45mm NATO. For several years now, both have only been available on the secondhand market. That’s why it came as a shock to see new-production WASR 3 rifles being sold recently without any sort of official announcement from Century. As of this writing, it doesn’t even have a listing on the company’s website.
Despite this, WASR 3 rifles are currently available from various online retailers. As for details on the gun itself, there isn’t much to say besides that it’s essentially a WASR-10 chambered for 5.56x45mm. In other words, it takes standard AKM-pattern furniture, comes with a side rail for optics and has a 16-inch barrel that’s threaded 14×1 LH. Whether the barrel is chrome-lined like the original import’s was is yet to be known. The WASR 3 will ship with one 30-round magazine, but hopefully the rifle has been tweaked to have better compatibility with 5.56 AK mags as the original was known to be finicky.
As for price, the WASR 3 is currently being sold for around $1,200, but that is likely to drop over time as it did with the recent WASR underfolder models. At $1,200, the value is questionable in comparison to other available 5.56 AK imports like the WBP Jack or Zastava M90. For the WASR 3 to be competitive, its cost will have to drop below that of the other two options.
These two classic Winchester cartridges excel in different areas, but when it comes to .300 Win. Mag. vs. .308, which will serve you best?
Is there a reason to get a .300 Winchester Magnum instead of a .308? While it's more powerful and has longer legs, it also kicks more, costs more, and doesn’t have as many semi-auto firearms chambered for it.
On paper, the magnum has plenty of advantages, but the question is whether those advantages will outweigh its disadvantages for your particular shooting needs.
.308 Winchester (left) and .300 Winchester Magnum (right). Photo: Wikipedia.
.300 Winchester Magnum: History, Development And Use
The .300 Winchester Magnum was developed in the early 1960s as part of the Magnum craze in hunting rifles and cartridges. Since projectile technology back then wasn’t what it is today, putting more powder behind a crappy bullet produced better results.
Early .30-caliber magnums emerged in the first part of the 20th century (such as .30 Newton in 1913 and .300 H&H Magnum in 1925) so the idea wasn't new. However, what Winchester wanted to create was a medium-bore magnum that fit in a standard-length action to compete with the .300 Weatherby Magnum.
The recipe was trimming back and necking down a .375 H&H Magnum case to seat a .308-caliber bullet. Winchester released the cartridge in 1963 to modest fanfare as a new magnum cartridge for the Model 70 rifle.
A spread of .375 H&H Mangum rounds. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
However, Winchester’s top brass infamously decided to change the Model 70 two years later and suffered for their hubris. It also had a slow start thanks to the 7mm Remington Magnum.
The .300 Win. Mag. took some time to catch on, but it won over big game hunters (on multiple continents) for being highly accurate, excellent for long-range applications, deadly effective on game of nearly any size (everything short of the African Big Five) and for being tolerable in terms of recoil.
Eventually, long-range competition shooters noticed its excellent performance in 1,000-yard matches as well. Many of the world's military and police forces did too, and some adopted it as a medium- to long-range sniper cartridge. It's considered to be combat effective to 1,400 yards depending on load and conditions.
From left to right: .375 H&H Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester and .22-250 Remington. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
.30-06's Little Brother: .308 Winchester
The origin of .308 Winchester is that the US military was trying to replicate the M2 ball load of God's Cartridge, aka .30-06 Springfield (a 150-grain projectile with a minimum muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps). The trick of it was that they also wanted it all to fit inside a shorter case, an idea inspired by the .300 Savage. Work on the experimental new cartridge eventually succeeded when they developed a load that could send a 147-grain bullet at 2,800 fps at the muzzle. Shortly after in 1952, Winchester dubbed it as .308 Winchester and released it on the commercial market. Two years later, essentially the same cartridge (with a few minor changes) was adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as 7.62x51mm NATO.
Wasting no time to capitalize on the new round, Winchester released the new short-action Model 70 rifle to go with it at about the same time.
The civilian .308 Winchester has slightly more powder, velocity and pressure, which is why it's advised not to fire these loads through military rifles that are specifically chambered for 7.62mm NATO.
A spread of .308 Winchester ammunition. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
It didn’t take long for .308 Winchester to become known as a very accurate cartridge that was effective to 1,000 yards with a proficient shooter, and one that could take most species save for the great bears and some other large, dangerous game.
With that all said, how does its performance stack up against .300 Winchester Magnum?
.300 Win. Mag. Vs. .308 Ballistics
Bear in mind that on-paper figures may not match your real-world results, and there are many loads of both cartridges, so these tables should be taken as illustrative rather than gospel.
All 500-yard trajectory tables were made using ShootersCalculator and were calculated presuming a 100-yard zero, a 1.5-inch sight height, a 10 mph 90-degree crosswind and no corrections for atmosphere.
The .308 Winchester bullet used for calculations was a typical 150-grain FMJ with a G1 BC of .398 and a muzzle velocity of 2,800 fps:
The .300 Win. Mag. bullet used for this table was a typical 180-grain boat tail round with a G1 BC of .453 and a muzzle velocity of 2,950 fps:
As you can see, the additional velocity gives the classic .300 Win. Mag. load less drop over distance compared to .308 Winchester, and it doesn't get pushed around as much by the wind.
However, modern high-BC bullets can make a drastic difference, especially when it comes to long-range performance.
This is .300 Win. Mag. with the 190-grain Nosler AccuBond Long Range load, with a G1 BC of 0.64 and a muzzle velocity of 2,870 fps:
The bullet doesn't go transonic until 1,625 yards and maintains the 1,000-foot-pound minimum that some states have for big game cartridges until almost 1,100 yards. At 1,400 yards, it still has more energy than a .357 Magnum at the muzzle.
However, .308 Winchester with the right load is no slouch. Here's a 1,000-yard table for Hornady 168-grain ELD Match, which has a G1 BC .53 and a muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps:
This .308 Winchester load goes transonic at just past 1,200 yards, and still has more energy at 1,000 yards than a .357 Magnum does at the muzzle. However, compared to the high-BC .300 Win. Mag. load, it still loses more velocity, more elevation and is more susceptible to the wind.
While .300 Win. Mag. still takes the lead in long-range performance that should rarely be the only consideration when selecting a cartridge. One should also keep in mind cost, recoil, weight and rifle selection.
An average 8.5-pound .300 Win. Mag rifle firing typical 190-grain ammo will produce 25.9 foot-pounds of recoil energy, and according to AmmoSeek, the least expensive ammo available online at the time of writing is about $1.30 per round.
Compare this to an average 8-pound .308 Winchester rifle firing 165-grain ammunition which produces only 17.5 foot-pounds of recoil energy. As for cost, the cheapest .308 available online is about 60 cents per round. Even when comparing the least expensive loads of each caliber from the same manufacturer such as Hornady, .300 Win. Mag. costs about 80 cents per round more.
These details make .300 Win. Mag. much more painful to shoot than .308, both on the shoulder and on the wallet.
With all that in mind, what you're hopefully gathering is that both are completely capable of putting down most game at reasonable ranges. It's you that's the question mark. In a match rifle, both are capable of putting hits on targets at 1,000 yards. It's whether or not you are capable of pulling it off. Snipers are said to be capable of effective hits out to 1,500 meters with the Win. Mag., but only to about 1,000 meters with .308. Both are used in Palma and F-Class matches.
There's no question that .300 Win. Mag. is better for shooting things at much longer distances, but the real question is whether that will benefit you in the real world. For most people…probably not.
.300 Win. Mag. Vs. .308 Winchester
What .308 brings to the table is less recoil, less cost, inarguable efficacy at killing game at reasonable distances, inarguable efficacy at disposing of hostile personnel at reasonable ranges and a staggering selection of rifles to boot.
The drawbacks are that the heavier-for-caliber/highest-BC bullets aren't offered for .308; there's just not enough case to seat the bullet and have enough room for propellant.
Lapua .308 Winchester brass. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The semi-auto rifles, however awesome, can introduce some other problems. The SCAR consumes optics like a Jeep consumes man hours at shop rates. The FAL is not as accurate as many would like, the standard G3 is an ergonomic nightmare (the HK slap is cool but running that charging handle SUCKS) and M14/M1A rifles can lose their zero sitting in a climate-controlled vacuum in an underground bunker in an area that has never had an earthquake. While these are not the best options for achieving maximum accuracy, .308 Winchester at least has a plethora of semi-autos chambered for it.
The .300 Win. Mag. gives you higher velocity, far more muzzle energy, and the arguable perfect middle ground for getting the best of modern, high-BC projectiles. But it kicks—23 to 27 foot-pounds of recoil depending on the load and rifle—essentially existing at the edge of what most shooters can tolerate.
Besides recoil, the downsides of Win. Mag. are its cost and the available rifles. If you want to get into this cartridge, hopefully, you’re okay with bolt-actions, because that's pretty much all there is. The only semi-auto rifles for this cartridge are the Browning BAR and some very expensive AR-10s.
The Browning BAR Mark II Safari, a variant of one of the few semi-auto rifles available for .300 Win. Mag.
.300 Win. Mag. rifles also tend to be heavy, typically over 8.5 pounds. Hauling one around can get old quickly, and any attempts to lighten the setup will only result in a bruised shoulder without the assistance of a muzzle brake.
Is .300 Win. Mag. Still Worth It?
There's no question .300 Win. Mag. is a great cartridge. It has and does put game on the table from Texas to Denali to the Transvaal. It has put some very evil men in the grave. It has rung steel and poked paper at long ranges all over the world. It will do its job if you do yours.
But so will .308, which begs the question of whether .300 Win. Mag. is so good that you can't get any or all of those things from another caliber, much less one that kicks less and/or costs less.
A Winchester Model 70 Classic Stainless chambered in .300 Win. Mag.
The thing is, you can. .308 is every bit as capable for hunting when used with quality ammunition and good shot placement. You can easily plink at 1,000 yards with it or even shoot in matches.
If you just can't stand the shorter case, modern high-BC loads of .30-06 nip at the Win. Mag.'s heels in every measurable way, all while kicking less and costing less.
.338 Lapua has longer legs, and .338 Win. Mag. will flatten everything short of the African Big Five including the large bruins.
.300 Win. Mag. is an all-time great, to be sure, but is the cost and the pain worth it? In the 1960s, it was for a lot of people. Today, most shooters will probably be better off looking elsewhere.
Here’s how to use micro adjustments to fine-tune your reloading and your accuracy.
Sometimes, an innovator will get a product right the first time—and I’d cite the .30-06 Springfield cartridge, the Fender Telecaster guitar and Mauser’s Model 98 bolt-action rifle. Other times, the tools and gear we use have evolved to the point that you might often look back and wonder how we used such archaic gear with any success at all.
Riflescopes are a great example of this: I looked through one of my father’s ¾-inch tube rimfire scopes the other day and felt like my vision was plagued by cataracts. I can only imagine the difficulty picking out a squirrel’s head in the top of an oak tree, especially in comparison to the 1-4x20mm that rides atop my Ruger 77/22 today.
I feel that reloading gear sits in between those two extremes. In some aspects, the gear of the 1970s and 1980s is completely unchanged and still in good working order. I have a RCBS single-stage press that might be as old as I am, and it still makes great ammo—though in all fairness it’s a simple machine.
But, when it comes to the fine-tuning, I think our reloading gear has evolved into a different set of tools altogether. I have die sets from 1960s that still work fine, but when I compare them to the modern dies, replete with micrometer adjustment dials and bushings to help preserve brass, it’s no wonder why today’s ammunition is so much more consistent.
A selection of micrometer-adjustable seating dies from Redding and RCBS; these allow for precise adjustment of bullet seating depth. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The modern dies are one facet of reloading where I feel that an upgrade might be warranted, for the ease and accuracy of adjustment alone. With the basic bullet seating die and the simple threaded rod held in place by a nut, adjustments to seating depth are made in a sort of trial-and-error manner. Set your approximate depth, seat a bullet, observe the variance from your target depth and raise or lower the seating cup by turning the adjustment. Rinse and repeat.
Now, it’s not that you couldn’t achieve a consistent seating depth—it’s that getting there was (and still is) a pain. Welcome the micrometer-adjustable seating dies, with much rejoicing from my reloading bench.
Baby Steps
I first experienced the micrometer adjustment when I ordered a set of Redding Competition dies; the difference was immediately evident. My ammunition became more consistent, and the time spent getting to the proper dimension—cartridge base to ogive—was drastically reduced. In addition, the seating cup seems to stay put, perhaps from the spring tension on the seating plug.
When I’m loading several different bullets for the same cartridge, which happens quite often, I make notes as to the micrometer setting for each different projectile and its correlative overall length. This allows for the speedy and accurate adjustment of my seating dies, with little or no adjustment needed.
Micrometer adjustable dies are available from most manufacturers, either as a part of one of their existing dies, or as an addition to a standard seating die. RCBS has their Gold Medal and Competition series, which have a neat window cut into the side of the die body so you can place the bullet to be loaded from the side instead of underneath.
Hornady offers their Microjust Seating Stem, which can be added to their existing seating dies and gives marked adjustments to 0.001 inch. Redding offers both, with some dies coming equipped with the micrometer adjustment, and another as a replacement for their conventional seating plug. I especially like the Redding micrometer, as it’s spring-loaded and seems to be the most consistent, in my opinion. Forster has their Bench Rest Ultra Micrometer Seater Die, graduated down to 0.0005-inch increments, and while it’d be difficult to say that level of precision is both observable and repeatable, I like the effort put forth by Forster to give the reloader the control we all desire.
Looking at the moving parts of a seating die, there isn’t really a whole lot going on; once the lock ring is set to the desired depth—generally speaking, to roll crimp or not to roll crimp—it’s just the seating plug that’s the variable. The more control the reloader has over the seating depth, the better his or her handloaded ammunition will be, and a good spring-loaded seating die will certainly check all the boxes.
Micro Diversification
But a seating die isn’t the only place you’ll find a worthy application for a micrometer; Redding has applied the technology to their taper crimp die. When using a taper crimp on those pistol cartridges that headspace off the case mouth—like the 9mm Luger, .40 S&W and the .45 ACP—it’s wonderfully convenient to adjust the amount of crimp applied via a micrometer, especially when using a progressive press and switching brands of brass. If the brass is a bit thicker, dial in a tad more taper crimp; if it turns out to be thinner, back it off. Either way the micrometer adjustment lends itself as a very useful tool.
The RCBS Universal Case Prep Station has a micrometer adjustment—located just below the case being trimmed—to dial in the final trimmed case length. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Trimming brass is another aspect of reloading where a micrometer adjustment isn’t only welcome, but might be considered necessary. I love my RCBS Universal Case Prep Center for its speed, its convenience and its accuracy, but most of all for its micrometer adjustment. When I have to trim cases to a particular length, it’s fantastic to be able to dial in the level of brass I need trimmed off and trust the machine to do exactly what I’ve asked of it, with the results turning out not only consistent but correct.
Looking at how consistent and reliable the micrometer-adjustable reloading tools are, does it warrant the abandonment of all the older designs? Well, it depends on the level of precision you’re looking for. If, like me, you pursue the utmost in accuracy, precision and consistency, then the micrometer-adjustable tools are assuredly a worthy investment.
I can confidently say this: If you’re looking to purchase any sort of new reloading tools, the micrometer-adjustable models are certainly the way to go—the additional investment will be recouped in a short amount of time.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The Desert Tech HTI, or Hard Target Interdiction, blurs the line between precision rifle and portable artillery.
For some shooters, long range just doesn’t cut it. There are simply never enough foot-pounds or feet-per-second to satisfy these people. It’s a uniquely American dilemma and we, for one, admire those esoteric shooters and savvy engineers, pushing the very ragged edge of handheld ballistics. But where do you turn when you want something that flies like a fighter jet and hits like a freight train? Two words: Desert Tech (DT).
The folks at DT are artisans of the bullpup rifle, particularly those who are intended to shoot far …very far. They’re a relatively young company, less than a decade old, but have excelled in their very narrow niche of extended-range bullpup bolt guns. Its product line is essentially three separate chassis systems available in a total of 13 calibers. That’s not a whole lot and, from a business viewpoint, there’s little margin for error. But DT is equal parts manufacturer and ballistic think tank. Its products offer innovative features and an über-long-range capability that few other gun makers can claim to match. To be perfectly blunt, DT’s weapons impress the hell out of us.
Living Out a Fantasy
The crown jewel in Desert Tech’s current lineup is its HTI—the Hard Target Interdiction rifle. It is a scaled-up version of its original rifle (the SRS) intended to push massive bullets to mile-plus ranges. It’s the biggest firearm that I’ve ever tested and, even though I’ve eschewed bullpup guns for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the HTI’s suite of features.
Any caliber shorter than .50 BMG uses a magazine that employs a spacer to shift the cases forward.
The HTI is available in four calibers: .375 CheyTac, .408 CheyTac, .416 Barrett and .50 BMG. In the latter, the HTI is entirely capable of being employed as an anti-materiel rifle without missing a beat, and we wouldn’t be surprised if someone somewhere has purchased a squad’s worth of them for that purpose. Unfortunately due to time and ammo constraints, and a lack of enemy light armor in our A.O., we weren’t able to evaluate this particular capability. What we offer you instead is a brief but poignant long-distance accuracy evaluation.
We had a total of 40 rounds to put through this rifle—generously provided by Desert Tech. (Yes, the folks there make their own long-range ammo, as well. We’ll get back to that in a moment.) As most of our T&E’s go, 40 rounds is barely a break-in period.
But, in the end, this turned out to be more than enough to give us a deep appreciation of this rifle’s potential. Once you purchase the HTI, chassis conversion kits are available through DT (and authorized dealers) and all that’s required is a bolt, barrel, and magazine change to go from one caliber to another. It’s not specifically billed by DT as a “quick change” system, but our experience was that it was pretty damn quick. We were able to do it in just a couple minutes—and that was while being hot, tired and not exactly in a rush under the midday sun. Our test gun showed up in .375 CheyTac with a conversion set for .50 BMG. We had 20 rounds in each caliber to make our case.
Bolts are swapped by swinging the buttpad to the side. The entire caliber change process can be achieved in a couple of minutes.
Sticking ’Em Up, Knocking ’Em Down
We took the HTI to Cowtown Range in Arizona. It was one of the few ranges we could find within driving distance that has steel set up all the way out to 1,600 meters—the perfect place to let Desert Tech’s big boy stretch his legs out. We started with the .375 CheyTac. The DT ammo that came with our test gun consisted of a 352-grain open-tip boat-tail slug that screams past the muzzle at 3,080 fps. A convenient DOPE (data on previous engagement) chart is included on the side of the box and this loading is listed as zero-drop out to 500 yards. Also, for those who are concerned, the 352-grain OTM projectile has a G1 coefficient of 0.89 and a G7 coefficient of 0.408.
In 20 rounds, we were able to achieve hits at 573, 707 and 1,100 meters. Unfortunately, we were DOPE’ing our gun on the fly against aggressive terrain with fish-tailing winds. As such, we were unable to reach out any further before running out of ammo. At the risk of sounding like a kiss-ass, I’m going to take a moment to say that our editor from the land of the Union Jack is an absolutely gifted spotter, and I would’ve been hard-pressed to get any of those hits without his wind calls.
Furthermore, said editor says he had previously made an 1,800-meter shot with an HTI in this caliber at a media demo day. After running the HTI myself, and shooting alongside Iain, I will vouch that both shooter and rifle are well capable of such a feat.
Having exhausted our supply of .375 CheyTac ammo, and gotten a satisfying hit past the one-click line, we swapped calibers and snuggled in behind the .50…
Big Gun Kick the Hell Out of You
Here’s the technical data for all you benchrest ballisticians out there. Desert Tech’s .50 BMG loading is a 750-grain tipped super-match boat- tail that’s heading for the horizon at 2,700 fps. The G1 coefficient is 1.050 and G7 is 0.581.
What’s that mean for the rest of us? The .50 BMG, or Browning Machine Gun, was originally designed for the machine guns (go figure!) of aircraft and armored vehicles. Despite its current employment in precision weapons, it was not built from the outset for that purpose. So, getting .50 BMG ammunition to turn out precision performance has been something of a process over the years. Desert Tech has worked its alchemy and assembled a cartridge they think can do it better. We think they may have cracked the code.
One round left. Any takers?
Three of us were on the platform that day. Yours truly, your editor-in-chief, and our shooting partner and close personal friend whom we’ll refer to as KJ. KJ is a retired federal corrections officer with an entire lifetime of shooting experience under his belt. However, this was his first opportunity to get behind a .50-cal., and we were happy to get his input about the experience.
I personally shot all 20 rounds of CheyTac and was 10 rounds into our supply of .50 BMG when my shoulder finally said enough is enough. Iain settled in behind the gun and shot eight rounds of his own and, once we both had hits at distance, we plucked the last two rounds out of the box for KJ, who had gotten shorted out of the .375 because of said DOPE’ing process.
As KJ settled in behind the HTI we coached him into position. I used the spotting scope to box him in on target, and Iain gave him the down-and-dirty on mils and holdovers. The very last thing Iain said to KJ before the shot was, “Make sure you get your head far back from that scope. This thing kicks and, if you’re too close, it’s a self-correcting mistake.”
I was on glass and gave KJ his final wind call. KJ touched off the shot and all we heard after the bang is, “Well … you’re right … that’s a self-correcting mistake.” I looked over just in time to see our poor comrade come off scope with his face, and half the buttstock, dripping blood. We immediately triaged the magnificent gouge just above his eyebrow. Our practice of keeping first-aid gear in our range bag quickly paid off. As soon as we staunched the bleeding and determined there was no concussive or ocular damage, the boss man went hot on the Nikon and snapped the awesome shots you see here.
KJ’s unwanted third eyebrow.
KJ was an excellent sport about the whole thing, and we spent the next five minutes laughing our collective asses off and congratulating him on a successful first-round hit at 1,240 meters. He tied Iain and me for longest shot of the day. It was KJ’s first (and, to date, only) shot from a .50 BMG precision gun ever, so we promised him we’d publish the exact distance for official record. We gave him two rounds but, after the first one, we called it cold and a single round of 750-grain .50 BMG is still rolling around in the HTI’s Pelican case as this goes to press.
Once we cleaned up the blood and dust, KJ provided a piece of input that we nearly overlooked: the trigger! The trigger on the HTI is absolutely fantastic. The gun weighs over 20 pounds, before mounting the US Optics 5-25x scope, and has a 29-inch barrel. Looking at this gun across a room, you’d expect the trigger to feel like a hand crank. But it consistently breaks on a Lyman gauge between 2 and 2¼ pounds. It’s a single-stage trigger that breaks softly with zero stacking and just a touch of over-travel. Kudos to Desert Tech for getting that pussycat trigger into that beastly rifle.
The HTI’s barrels swap out with a minimum of effort. That enormously long barrel tenon makes for impressive repeatability—after swapping the .375 CheyTac barrel for the .50 BMG, there was no detectable shift in windage at 1,000 yards.
Setting Off, Doing No Good
Desert Tech’s website features a rifle builder. Configuring a gun exactly like our test sample, including spare caliber conversion, scope base, torque wrench (for barrel changes), color preferences and bipod, the total came to $11,234 … sans scope. The glass on our gun was a US Optics ER-25, which will run you an additional $3,301. Also, for reference, the two boxes of .375 CheyTac are $99 each, plus $74.50 for each of the two boxes of .50 BMG match. That makes the total cost of this T&E just shy of $15,000 give or take the cost of food and gas. If you ask us, “Who the hell is buying these guns?” Our honest-to-God answer is, “We don’t know.”
Aside from organizational purchases (military and law enforcement customers), we’re not sure who has that kind of coin to drop on a rifle that will literally punch you in the face if you don’t shoot it the way it wants to be shot. But if you’re out there, reading this story, there’s an opportunity for you. But make sure you get proper eye relief. And bring Band-Aids. Just in case.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in RECOIL Issue 27.
ERGO has just released the O-Grip, a new zero-angle AR grip designed for precision and bench shooting.
ERGO manufactures a slew of different aftermarket accessories for AR-15s and other common rifles. As the company’s name implies, its products are designed to increase the ergonomics of your setup. Usually when you see an ERGO grip in the wild it’s one of the more traditionally shaped rubber models intended more for carbines, but the company’s new O-Grip is designed for precision and bench shooting instead.
The ERGO O-Grip is a zero-angle grip with a circular, rigid nylon handle. The company describes it as being similar to its TDX-0 grip, but the O-Grip appears to have the benefit of more modularity. While the TDX-0 is rubber and therefore should provide good purchase, some shooters may prefer a larger or smaller diameter. To solve this, the O-Grip is instead made of hard Nylon and features three channels for accepting replaceable rubber grip bands. It’s not exactly modular yet, however, as ERGO is yet to offer any other sizes of grip bands for purchase. The grip currently includes a set of three medium-sized bands, but presumably large and small sizes will be sold in the future as well.
The O-Grip is available now and is compatible with any firearm that accepts standard AR-pattern grips. MSRP is $62.99.
Whether you’ve just bought yourself a .50-cal. rifle or are considering getting one, here's the best .50 BMG ammo on the market.
For most, .50 BMG is a niche cartridge with little practical use. Regardless, many still enjoy shooting it, even if it’s for no other reason than to experience its awesome power. Others appreciate it for some of its lesser-known ballistic qualities.
We're going to go over what kind of loads are out there and what they're useful for, the cartridge’s general utility and a selection of .50 BMG ammo to fit several purposes and budgets.
A .50 BMG round next to a 1 euro coin. Photo: Wikipedia.
A Brief Guide To .50 BMG and .50 BMG History
.50 BMG, or .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun (aka 12.7x99mm NATO and .50 Browning), was developed for use in a heavy machine gun. The initial design work was done by John Moses Browning at the request of Gen. John “Blackjack” Pershing shortly after the end of World War I.
The idea was to have a heavier machine gun that fired ammunition heavy and powerful enough to penetrate the armor of the day, primarily tanks that entered common use in WWI. Pershing specified a caliber of 0.50 and a muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second based on the German 13.2mm TuF (Tank und Flieger, “tank and aircraft”) and 11mm Vickers rounds.
.303 British next to a 13.2mm TuF round. Photo: Wikipedia.
Browning worked on the gun while Winchester developed the ammunition. You might have heard that .50 BMG is a “scaled-up .30-06,” and in a lot of regards…it is. The reason why is the gun that Browning designed for it.
His idea was to scale up the M1917 .30-06 water-cooled machine gun— which he did—and the weapon was adopted as the M1921. The M1921 worked, but it was still a large, heavy, water-cooled belt-fed machine gun and as such was desperately impractical.
Winchester eventually was able to achieve 2,750 fps with a 660-grain FMJ bullet. The armor-piercing load was proven capable of penetrating 1 inch of rolled steel at 200 meters and 0.75 inches at 500 meters.
The US Army knew the M1921 wasn't sustainable, so it began the process of replacing it. Unfortunately, Browning died in 1926, and the design work was picked up by others, eventually culminating in the M2 Browning machine gun.
Further load development besides standard ball ammo includes multiple iterations of armor-piercing projectiles, incendiary, incendiary armor piercing, tracers, sabot light armor piercing and sniper rounds.
A spread of various linked .50 BMG cartridges behind some 5.56 and a .500 S&W Magnum. A .50-caliber SLAP round is third from the right. Photo: Wikipedia.
Stay Away From SLAP Rounds
Just like AR shooters have what we'll call a strange fondness for green-tip 62-grain ammunition (which is rarely very good, can cause feeding issues and can actually damage your rifle in some cases), some .50 BMG shooters are fascinated with SLAP tracers.
Sabot Light Armor Penetrating rounds are very hard to come by on the commercial market. Most lots of it are either very old (and therefore its condition and safety for use are unknown) or are counterfeits, and the problems that beset Bubba's Wicked Hot Handloads in other calibers are certainly present with .50 BMG ammunition as well.
There's nothing wrong with firing AP to blow up bowling balls or tracers because you just want to, but a look at Kentucky Ballistics’ throat may help you reconsider. The YouTuber had his Serbu RN-50 detonate on film thanks to a SLAP round.
Kentucky Ballistics' .50 BMG rifle exploded from a hot SLAP round, seriously injuring him. Image source and further info: Kentucky Ballistics.
The .50 BMG Blossoms Into A Long-Range Cartridge
One of the best-known early uses of the .50 BMG as a sniper round was in the Vietnam War when Sgt. Carlos Hathcock mounted a scope on an M2 and successfully made a shot at 1.3 miles.
In any event, the idea began to dawn on the world's militaries that .50 BMG was maybe good for more than just shooting planes and light armored vehicles. Over time, it was also adopted for long-range sniping and anti-materiel/anti-vehicle use where it has since excelled at the role.
In fact, almost all the records for long-range sniper kills at distances greater than a mile were accomplished with a rifle chambered in .50 BMG.
And it is so darned good at it because of an insane ballistic coefficient. The long bullet length (up to 2.27 inches) and ample mass give a .50 BMG load a G1 ballistic coefficient anywhere from 0.7 to over 1.0.
In other words, it slices through the air like a hot knife through butter, losing velocity at a slower rate than almost any other cartridge. It can even stay supersonic to 3,500 yards depending on the load, and at that distance still carries more energy than a 5.56mm M193 bullet does at the muzzle.
Here's a trajectory table for Hornady's A-Max load of .50 BMG ammo, which uses a 750-grain bullet at a nominal 2,910 fps and a G1 BC of 1.05:
(All calculations made using ShootersCalculator with a 1.5-inch sight height, a 10 mph 90-degree crosswind and no corrections for atmosphere)
As you can see, it drops at a rate not too dissimilar to other bullets…but loses less than 100 fps per 100 yards. There are few cartridges in the same league when it comes to long-range shooting, which is why it was used as a sniper round in the GWOT as well as its typical anti-material roles. If you want to reach way out and touch something, it's one of the best tools for the task.
Reasons To Own A .50 BMG Rifle
Is there a practical reason for owning one besides shooting bowling balls or shooting steel at a really, really, really, really long way out?
No, not really. It's one thing if you're the armorer of a SWAT team in an area where vehicle defeat is a potential concern, but that obviously doesn’t apply to most shooters.
While it would ostensibly be the dangerous game cartridge to end all dangerous game cartridges, the sheer size and weight of the rifles—the lightest probably being the Serbu RN-50 which comes in at 12.75-pounds—make it a non-starter as a weapon you'd fire free-hand or trek with for long distances.
Consider also that shooting an elk at 3,500 yards also means you have to walk 3,500 yards to start processing it and then start hauling it out. That would be awful.
That also presumes you'd even be able to make an ethical hit on an animal at that range. To break that down, rest assured buying a black Stratocaster will not make you sound like Dave Gilmour.
With that all said…who cares? Practicality isn't everything. If you want a .50 BMG rifle just because…by Jove, go ahead and do it and be happy. Besides, on the off chance that the country goes the way of Mad Max, it may prove itself incredibly useful against all those up-armored muscle cars.
5 Best Loads Of .50 BMG Ammo
Lake City M33 Ball
There is no such thing as cheap range ammo in .50 BMG. There is only less exorbitantly expensive .50 BMG ammo. One of the least costly is Lake City's M33 ball load, military surplus from the lots of ammunition that Lake City manufactures for the government.
M33 ball is a 660-grain FMJ bullet with a steel core and a flat lead base, nominally loaded to 2,910 feet per second. M33 ball is capable of barrier defeat, but the principle selling point is the cost. You can find it online for somewhere between $415 to $450 for 150 rounds, just under $3 per.
That's about as inexpensive as it gets.
Hornady Match Ammunition 750-Grain A-Max .50 BMG
Hornady's A-Max 750-grain load is one of the best long-range loads available, with a G1 BC of 1.05 (see above for the drop table). If you want to reach out and touch something, this is about as good as it gets.
The A-Max load is a ballistic-tipped hollow point boat tail, with a 750-grain projectile loaded to an advertised 2,820 feet per second and 13,241 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. If ringing steel a mile away is what you want to do, there aren't too many better choices.
It's gonna cost you, though! MSRP ranges from about $70 to $90 per box of 10.
PMC 660-Grain FMJBT
One of the most common types of ammunition in .50 BMG is ball ammunition, and PMC's 660-grain FMJBT (an M33 ball clone) is another common box and brand that won't leave your finances for dead.
It's advertised as being loaded to 3,080 feet per second and 13,688 foot pounds at the muzzle. Boxes of 10 to 200 are common, usually with a cost of somewhere between $3.25 to $3.75 per round. A little more expensive than Lake City surplus, but it has a little more oomph behind it too.
Freedom Munitions API 647 Grain FMJ
One of the benefits of .50 BMG is all the different kinds of projectiles that normally just aren't available in other calibers, especially the selection of .50 BMG armor piercing ammunition that's available to the civilian market.
Want to punch holes in stuff and set it on fire? Freedom Munitions API (Armor Piercing Incendiary) is made to do both, with a 647-grain bullet loaded to 2,750 fps. This would be the ideal for barrier defeat…just be careful of the environment you shoot it in.
Freedom Munitions sells a variety of .50 BMG AP (including armor-piercing tracers!) and the API load is fairly good value for money at $450 per box of 150. It's also available linked if you have a belt-fed to send it through.
Lake City M17 Tracer 643-Grain
Another variety of surplus .50 BMG ammo to look for if you want to get into the really cool stuff is Lake City M17 643-grain tracer. It will look like death warmed over, with obvious signs of annealing (required by military contract) and mixed tips (some painted, some not) so don't get your hopes up for picture-perfect.
What you can expect is a .50 BMG tracer round, with a typical cost of just under $3 per from most outlets. However, exercise extreme discretion while firing it as the pyrotechnic charge that creates the trace burns at very high temperatures and it has caused wildfires.
FN has just released the Rush 9Ti, the company’s first-ever commercial pistol suppressor.
The Rush 9Ti is a new 9mm suppressor from FN, and it’s the company’s first pistol suppressor available to the general public. The fact that FN distinguishes the Rush 9Ti as its first commercial pistol suppressor implies that the company has manufactured them for military contracts before, and given FN’s long history of selling to armed forces around the world that wouldn’t be surprising.
The Rush 9Ti was designed for optimal performance with FN 509 Tactical pistols, but they can be mounted to any 9mm with a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle. The “Ti” in the suppressor’s name stands for titanium, alluding to the tube’s titanium-hybrid construction. The internal baffles are made of both high-heat stainless steel and aircraft-grade aluminum. These materials help keep the Rush 9Ti both light and durable, weighing in at only 10.8 ounces (without piston).
FN claims that when paired with a 509 Tactical, users can expect supreme reliability, accuracy and longevity. The blast chamber, baffles and advanced booster assembly with a tight piston gas seal all help to keep back pressure low and blowback at a minimum. This not only provides a more pleasant shooting experience but also improves reliability and puts less wear on the suppressor and host gun. The cherry on top of the Rush is that it can be easily broken down by the user for cleaning and maintenance.
John Ryan, Director of Product Management for FN America, said this about the new can:
When selecting a suppressor, customers often have to choose between effective sound suppression, reduced blowback or felt recoil; you very rarely get all in one…Our team developed a suppressor that delivers an unmatched shooting experience straight from the box. You no longer have to settle for one or the other with the Rush 9Ti.
The FN Rush 9Ti is available now in either FDE or black, both with an MSRP of $849. Each suppressor will include a 1/2×28 TPI piston, a booster assembly, an end cap and front cap assembly tool, a storage case and FN’s limited lifetime warranty.
In this Swampfox Kraken review, the author analyzes the pros and cons of the company’s new closed emitter pistol red dot sight.
Released in 2022, the long-awaited Swampfox Kraken closed emitter pistol red dot sight is finally here. The optic is small, rugged and compatible with nearly any firearm. From pistols to rifles to shotguns and everything in between, the Swampfox Kraken is ready to perform regardless of the platform it’s mounted on.
Swampfox itself already conducted a rigorous torture test on the Kraken, and the company claims that it passed with flying colors. According to Swampfox’s test, the optic is capable of surviving being submerged for 24 hours, frozen, set on fire and racked off many objects including a dumpster. It would be difficult to top those tests at home, and since the optic’s ruggedness is already ostensibly proven, today we’ll be focusing more on the features and performance that the Kraken has to offer.
Overview And Features
The Kraken is Swampfox’s newest optic as of this writing, and the company clearly has its sights set on the closed emitter red dot market that is currently dominated by the Aimpoint ACRO, Holosun 509T and the Steiner MPS (Micro Pistol Sight).
In addition to its rugged 7075 aluminum construction and enclosed emitter design which helps shield it from the elements, the Kraken has some nice quality-of-life features as well. The tactile buttons, small adjustments (0.5-MOA per click) and use of common CR2032 batteries all enhance the optic’s functionality, and the Kraken logo emblazoned on the side gives it some visual flair too.
The included mounting plates allow it to fit on any RMR or Glock MOS footprint. While some pistols require custom milling to fit closed emitter optics, this is not the case for the Kraken. If you can run an RMR or Holosun 407/507 series, you can run this too. Admittedly, I’m not crazy about adaptor plates as they increase the height of the optic while also creating another failure point, but this is a versatile mounting option that allows users to mount the Kraken to any RMR-milled slide or Glock MOS.
Besides the two adaptor plates, all Swampfox Krakens ship with an adjustment wrench, a lens cloth, a battery, blue threadlocker and four sets of screws.
Fitment
The Kraken fit every gun that I tried to mount it to without issue. As an offset optic it can be a little bulky, but trading some height for a more reliable and rugged RDS with a closed emitter may be worth it. On top of a pistol, I don’t like the size, but I tend to prefer smaller red dots so that’s mostly my personal preference. The 16mm lens seems bigger than it reads on paper, and I had no problems picking up or tracking the crisp 3-MOA reticle. The battery compartment juts out a bit more than I’d like on the right side, I will note, but it does house a very common CR2032 battery that can be replaced without removing the optic.
Loadout
In all, I tried running the Kraken on top of a Shadow Systems MR920 Elite, on top of an AR Pistol and on my Ballistic Advantage AR-15 as an offset to my Primary Arms 3x Prism scope. Swampfox’s battery-saving “Shake N Wake” technology is welcome and appreciated on all platforms, but even more so if you’re going to run the optic on a home defense or duty weapon. The 3-MOA dot is available in either red or green, but both models feature 10 brightness settings including two levels that are compatible with night vision. The buttons used to adjust the brightness are also very tactile and easy to use.
One downside worth mentioning is that when mounted to an AR using Swampfox’s Rebel Riser, the Kraken does not co-witness with Magpul MBUS sights. Many similar red dots on the market do co-witness when mounted with their respective manufacturer’s standard AR mount, so take note that if you want co-witness capabilities with this optic you’ll have to find a different mount elsewhere.
When running the Kraken with Swampfox’s 45-degree Rebel Offset mount, it performed well. As mentioned, it is a bit bigger than a standard pistol RDS, but what you gain in bulk you make up for with dependability. Its IPX7 waterproof rating means if you find yourself fording rivers or shooting in the rain, you don’t have to worry about the water droplets interfering with your dot or inducing malfunctions. I ran the offset Kraken alongside a 3x prism optic, and I found the combo very easy to use when transitioning between targets inside 30 yards.
Likes And Dislikes
There are many things I like about this optic. It is completely capable of competing with other closed emitter red dots on the market, and I think that’s what Swampfox set out to do for a fraction of the price. Heck, it takes the same batteries as most all of them and even has similar aesthetics to the ACRO, 509T and MPS. I actually like some aspects of the Kraken a bit more, namely the tactile clicks of the buttons and the 0.5-MOA adjustments (as opposed to 1-MOA adjustments found on many other optics, lending the Kraken to use on rifles as well). The optic’s versatility is also appreciated, as it will be right at home on nearly any platform from handguns and rifles to shotguns and PCCs.
Throughout the Kraken’s evaluation, it didn’t lose zero or present any issues. The 3-MOA dot was crisp and easy to pick up regardless of what platform it was mounted on, and it was easy to re-zero when I moved the optic between firearms.
My dislikes are few—and this may be more of an indictment of enclosed emitters and my personal preference—but on a pistol, it just strikes me as too damn big. I found myself wondering if this mailbox has its own zip code when it was on top of my MR920. That’s not to say that it didn’t perform, because it did. It performed as well if not better than the RMRs and Holosun 407/507s that I’ve run for hundreds if not thousands of rounds. But I carry most of my guns with optics, and this just added another inch on top of a pistol that’s large enough that it would be hard for me to conceal the setup without dressing around it. It will likely end up living on top of a full-size duty gun like a DR920 or my competition CZ SP-01.
With concealability out of the question, all the Kraken’s other benefits would be still very useful. It’s Impact resistant, generally rugged, waterproof to 1 meter and most importantly it has a closed emitter that can’t be affected by the environment.
My final complaint is that it didn’t co-witness with my iron sights when mounted to my handgun. Almost every other optic I’ve run on a Shadow Systems MR920 provided at least a lower one-third if not absolute co-witness. I know this will not be a deal breaker for some.
However, on a rifle as a primary optic or on a 45-degree offset mount, I have zero complaints. In fact, I’m a big fan of the Kraken as an offset optic because it’s rugged, enclosed, and can take a beating. If your primary optic goes down, like an LPVO or 3x prism in my case, you can rest assured that you still have some type of optic to get the job done be it during a match or when defending your home.
Overall, if you’re looking for an enclosed emitter to put on your pistol, rifle, or shotgun, don’t sleep on the Swampfox Kraken. They have a solid warranty and I’ve experienced nothing but good things from their customer service and build quality.
Swampfox Kraken Specs:
Dot Size: 3-MOA
MOA Adjustment: 0.5-MOA per click
Magnification: 1x
Lens Diameter: 16mm
Waterproof: 1 Meter/ IPX7
Illumination Positions: 10
Brightness Adjustments: Up/Down Arrows
Shockproof G Forces: 1500Gs
Battery Type: CR 2032
Max Battery Life: Approximately 2-Year Real-World (Shake ‘N Wake)
Dimensions: 1.85 inches(length) x 1.38-inches (width) x 1.27 inches
Weight: 2.5 ounces without battery
Lens: “Multi-Coated Ruby Red – Red Dot or Multi-Coated Silver – Green Dot”
Self-defense involves much, much more than the act of in-the-moment survival, and the case of Kyle Rittenhouse can teach us some important lessons.
Kyle Rittenhouse. A name that many Americans—and most in the self-defense world—will recognize, has been the subject of discussions, blog posts, articles, news and videos around the country … and around the world.
On August 25, 2020, during a Kenosha, Wisconsin, protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Rittenhouse killed two men and wounded a third. Many in the media have called Rittenhouse a vigilante and immediately accused him of setting out to wantonly kill anyone in his path.
Photo: Adam Rogan/The Journal Times via AP.
This piece will attempt to parse the facts of what happened that night, and perhaps bring some clarity to a confusing situation. Opinions vary … and this one is mine.
Ultimately, my opinion, and the opinions of scores of writers and columnists, doesn’t matter. The final verdict is always determined by a group of citizens called the trier of fact, otherwise known as the jury.
Early Moments
Unrest and protests occurred in Kenosha over the police shooting of Blake, a black man. The officers were white. He was shot seven times by police as a neighbor caught much of the incident on video. Blake survived but is permanently paralyzed. Racially charged protests ensued.
Kyle Rittenhouse, then a 17-year-old, traveled from Illinois to Kenosha, in response to a call from local militia, with the goal of protecting area businesses and residences from looting and destruction during the riotous protests. It was during this riot that Rittenhouse shot and killed two men, Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and wounded a third, Gaige Grosskreutz.
But was Rittenhouse acting as a vigilante as many have claimed, or did he act in self-defense? Many naysayers have been quick to label Rittenhouse a murderer, without fully understanding the law and without the ability to apply it properly.
Jurisdictional Details
In Wisconsin, as in most jurisdictions, you may use deadly force against another when you reasonably believe that other person intends to do great bodily harm, or cause the death of you or another person. However, you may use only a level of force that’s proportionate to the force being used against you.
For example, if someone intends, or is attempting to use, an object against you that could cause your death or great bodily harm, you’re authorized, under law, to use any level of force, up to and including deadly force, to stop that threat.
Next, you cannot provoke or incite the attack in order to claim self-defense. In other words, if you’re the initial aggressor, or the one who starts the fight, your claim of self-defense will most likely fail. In many jurisdictions, if you’re the initial aggressor, you must make every reasonable attempt to avoid using deadly force by attempting to run, escape, avoid the attack or prevent the attack, before resorting to using deadly force, and even announce to the other party that you’re done fighting and don’t want to fight any more in order to regain your innocence.
Video retrieved from that night shows Rosenbaum chasing Rittenhouse into a used car lot in the midst of the riotous environment. Authorities say it shows Rosenbaum throwing an object (later determined to be some type of plastic bag) at Rittenhouse, and an attempt was made by Rosenbaum to take Rittenhouse’s rifle away from him. Rittenhouse fired his AR-15-style rifle at Rosenbaum, killing him.
When someone, other than law enforcement, attempts to disarm a loaded weapon from your person, can you assume they intend to use it against you? This can be a difficult question to answer, and it depends on several factors that might be in play.
In law enforcement training, when a subject attempts to disarm a police officer of their weapon, deadly force is authorized. It’s presumed that the subject’s only reason for disarming the officer is to use that weapon against him or her. Can we make the same presumption when a civilian attempts to disarm another civilian? Perhaps.
Perception Matters
However, it may come down to what you reasonably perceived, in the moment, in the totality of the circumstances and whether you’re able to articulate the reasonableness of a deadly force threat. Rittenhouse, and others in the self-defense world, contend that Rosenbaum threw the plastic bag at Rittenhouse in an attempt to distract him, with the goal of disarming him.
Following the first shooting, Rittenhouse appears to be running toward police, and away from an angry mob chasing after him, when he trips and falls in the street. The video clearly shows a mob of protesters—I counted at least 8 to 10—chasing him down the street. At one point, a protester appears to kick Rittenhouse in the head when he was down on the ground.
Tripping and falling to the ground, Rittenhouse was in a position of disadvantage, with what appears to be multiple attackers quickly gaining on him. Can Rittenhouse reasonably believe that he is about to be attacked by multiple people? One of them kicked him in the head; what would the others do? Taking a blow to the head, while in a position of disadvantage, with multiple people about to jump on you, can certainly cause a person to reasonably believe this attack can lead to death or great bodily harm.
At this point, Huber appears to stumble over Rittenhouse as he hits Rittenhouse with the end of a skateboard. Huber is shot as he grabs the barrel of Rittenhouse’s gun. A skateboard is a large, solid-wood object, with four hardened wheels, and isn’t intended to be used as a deadly weapon. However, using any object as a weapon that can cause death or great bodily harm is considered deadly force.
Was it reasonable for Rittenhouse to believe he would be struck again, or that the ensuing mob would overpower him, with each rioter taking turns raining blows down on him? Rittenhouse has at least four attackers within lunging distance of him and his rifle. Almost immediately, Grosskreutz approaches within about 2 feet of Rittenhouse with what appears to be a handgun. Rittenhouse shoots Grosskreutz, wounding him in the arm.
In the totality of the circumstances, would Rittenhouse’s actions stack up to the elements of self-defense?
The five elements of self-defense, which have been identified by Attorney Andrew Branca in his book, Law of Self Defense, are imminence, innocence, proportionality, avoidance and reasonableness.
These elements of self-defense can be found, for the State of Wisconsin, in Wisconsin Statute §939.48 (2014), Self-defense and defense of others.
It states, in part:
A person is privileged to threaten or intentionally use force against another for the purpose of preventing or terminating what the person reasonably (Reasonableness) believes to be an unlawful interference with his or her person by such other person (Avoidance, or no statutory duty to retreat. See State v. Wenger). The actor may intentionally use only such force or threat thereof as the actor reasonably (Reasonableness) believes is necessary (Proportionality) to prevent or terminate the interference. The actor may not intentionally use force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm unless the actor reasonably (Reasonableness) believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent (Imminence) death or great bodily harm to himself or herself.
• Imminence can be defined as, where in time does the threat fall? Imminent means it’s happening right now—it isn’t happening 5 minutes from now, and 2 minutes ago is too late. The threat must be happening right now, in the instant, and requires your immediate action.
• Innocence addresses who started the fight. You can’t start a fight, escalate it to the point the other party draws a weapon, and then innocently use deadly force claiming they drew first. It doesn’t work that way. Regaining innocence, in many jurisdictions, means you must announce to the adverse party your intention to stop fighting. Furthermore, additional action would be appropriate such as a retreat or moving to a position of safety. If, after regaining your innocence, your adversary pursues you, they may be considered the initial aggressor and you may use the appropriate level of force allowed under law.
• Proportionality means you can use only that level of force necessary to stop the force being used against you. Someone grabs your purse; you can generally grab it back. However, if force that can cause death or great bodily harm is used against you, you may use deadly force to stop that threat.
I want to insert a note here: In the Wisconsin statute, the term “unlawful interference” is used. Please don’t take this out of context: An unlawful interference could be unwanted touching. However, this would not be a deadly force threat. Read the next sentence of the statute. “The actor may intentionally use only such force or threat thereof as the actor reasonably believes is necessary to prevent or terminate the interference.” So perhaps using only enough force as to remove the hand of the person touching you would be warranted.
• Avoidance is the duty to retreat. In some jurisdictions, you must make an attempt to retreat to a position of safety before deadly force is allowed. Michigan, my home state, is more of a hybrid duty-to-retreat state. In other words, a person does not have to retreat as long as they meet certain elements of the law. However, Michigan has a jury instruction that allows the jury to use the fact an actor did not retreat, when they could have (or should have), in their verdict decision, if they determine the actor was culpable at some level. Typically, no duty to retreat hinges on two primary factors: the actor is not in the commission of a crime, and he or she is in a place they have the legal right to occupy.
• Reasonableness is simply looking at all elements, in the totality of the circumstances, and applying the standard of the average person, in the same set of circumstances, with similar general knowledge and life experiences, to the facts at-hand. Each element must be present; reasonableness is the umbrella that covers the other four. Keep in mind, in a true case of self-defense, you (your defense team) must prove all five elements to acquit; the government must disprove only one to convict.
The Acquittal
Before we get into the details of lessons learned, I want to clarify something: I alluded to the Rittenhouse defense team would need to prove their case by a reasonable doubt. Allow me to clarify.
The burden of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt; this burden falls on the prosecutor. They must prove the case by that standard. In a case of affirmative defense of self-defense, however, the defense has the burden of production and should produce some type of evidence, at some level above zero, to show self-defense.
The old standard was the defense must prove self-defense by a preponderance of the evidence. This is no longer the case as the last holdout state, Ohio, changed its statute. This went away March 19, 2019, and is now the standard in all 50 states. You might still see preponderance of the evidence used in a self-defense immunity hearing. If immunity is not granted, then the case can go to trial. If immunity is granted, case over.
Burden of proof is on the prosecution to prove the charges against the defendant at trial, beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond a reasonable doubt is a high standard. Although most legal scholars are hesitant to place a threshold number on the standard, many agree it’s somewhere north of 90 percent.
However, the defendant, in any criminal case, may sit mute and not offer any evidence or testimony, relying solely on the lack of ability of the prosecution to prove the charges against them (at least they hope so). Although the defense does not have to offer anything, typically the burden of production falls on the defense. In other words, the defense has the burden to produce some minimal amount of evidence, to the trier of fact, to dispute the prosecution’s charges.
We received plenty of emails and inquiries into the actual trial process of State of Wisconsin v. Kyle H. Rittenhouse. Many wanted to know why the defense team wasn’t objecting more often. It’s called trial tactics. I’ve watched plenty of trials where I sit and scream internally, “Objection!”
But let’s parse this a little more. If the defense counsel objects to everything they can, it can paint them as abusive, overly interruptive and generally in a negative light to the jury. Juries don’t like that. They want to hear the facts without interruption and make their decision.
However, the defense should object when the prosecution goes awry. Additionally, the defense must object at certain times to get their objection on the record in case they need to appeal; it preserves the issue. So, trial attorneys object when needed, object when required, but many times they won’t object if opposing counsel is making their case for them, as we saw multiple times in Rittenhouse.
What All This Means For You
The first lesson we learn from this case is to make sound decisions regarding events and situations in which we choose to involve ourselves.
I’ve been to protests and marches in both Detroit and Chicago. I chose to be there because of the historical aspect of the protest. I have attended these events as an observer, not an active participant.
When Tucker Carlson interviewed Rittenhouse, Rittenhouse stated he had permission to watch one of the auto stores to prevent looting. I’ve also worked in the armed security industry. Never was there a time I showed up with a team without proper pre-planning that was done a day or so before the security event. To show up to a racially charged protest that has national significance without proper planning, surveillance, experience and training is never a good thing. Stay away from people with a mob mentality.
Next, don’t bring a skateboard to a gunfight. I don’t say this sarcastically; I say it with all sincerity. Making a conscious decision to involve yourself in a deadly force situation, or really, in any level of force situation, be sure to have the adequate tools to defend yourself. This is one element in the mob mentality that happens when groups of people believe they are invincible and believe they can get their whacks in and then move out of the situation without suffering harm.
Please don’t be that person. Be a good witness. Call 911. Run away.
In our concealed carry classes, we should be taught to move to cover and avoid making ourselves a static target. If I see the other person has a gun, I don’t purposely move into the fray thinking I’ll hit him with my club and get away without being shot. That’s stupidity. I realize that, sometimes, we could be placed in a situation where we only have what we can use in our immediate environment to defend ourselves. In those situations, too, we need to be thinking about getting out of harm’s way—not running into it.
Third, I’ve read many comments in the gun forums (and one nationally recognized trainer) saying it’s a waste of time, or that it’s even silly, to focus on the lessons we can glean from the way the trial played out in Kenosha. I believe what we can learn is an important aspect of the entire event.
Realize that if you’re involved in a self-defense incident, you will be scrutinized to no end by family, media, outsiders, organized anti-gun groups, neighbors, etc. Perhaps you won’t be scrutinized at the national and international level Rittenhouse was, but you will suffer the damage emotionally, physically and mentally. It’s a proven fact in post self-defense incidents.
Many books have been written about how the body reacts to post-traumatic events. Once a person survives an attack and successfully defends themselves against their assailant, only then does the journey through the mire of emotional and physical stress play out. In the Tucker Carlson interview of Rittenhouse, Rittenhouse seemed very succinct in most of his answers. However, his journey has only begun. This is something he will never forget, and the aftermath of stressors will follow him the rest of his life.
Additionally, be prepared for the government to come after you in ways you’ve never imagined. The role of the prosecution in any criminal case is not to get a conviction; it is to seek justice. Granted, getting a conviction against a serial sex offender may very well be justice. But attempting to try a case because of political motivations or pressure because you don’t agree with the defendant’s actions is certainly not silly. Expect the government to go after you with the vitriol with which they went after Rittenhouse.
Lifelong, Hard-Learned
Folks, some will miss the point here. I speak with people every day who truly think self-defense is the in-the-moment act of surviving. Imminent survival is only one part of the equation, although, granted, it is the most important. However, pre-survival is going to the range, training, role-playing, visualization and training in medical skills, to name a few.
Also consider post-survival skills and their role. The pre-survival training in medical skills might come in handy if you’re injured and need to apply those skills for yourself or a loved one. Post-survival skills may also be needed months—even years—after the incident. PTSD, emotional, psychological and physical issues may continue for years as well. They not only affect the survivor, but also their spouse, children, friendships and other relationships.
Learn from the Rittenhouse case. Prepare pre- and post-self-defense incident, because the effects of the 3-second self-defense incident will last a lifetime.
About The Author:
Art Joslin, J.D, D.M.A. is the director of Legal Services for the Armed Citizen’s Legal Defense Network. His background includes law enforcement, court officer, use-of-force expert witness, Level 4 Commando Krav Maga instructor, firearm instructor, and Massad Ayoob Group staff instructor. He holds a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Dan Wesson and CZ have come together to bring the DWX pistol, a 9mm competition-style handgun that blends the best of each company’s designs.
First teased at SHOT Show 2019, the DWX is finally here. A collaborative effort between Dan Wesson and CZ, the DWX takes the best elements of each respective company’s designs and combines them into one pistol. This means that the handgun is primarily derived from the CZ-75 but has 1911 elements sprinkled throughout as well.
The DWX is a 9mm competition-style handgun that feeds from 19-round CZ P-09/P-10 magazines. The frame is primarily CZ-75 inspired, lending it the same excellent ergonomics and compatibility with widely available CZ-75 grips. The included red aluminum grips are low-profile, however, so an upgrade may not even be necessary. For added grip stability, the front strap of the frame is textured too.
Other CZ-style features on the DWX include the takedown process and the bushing-less, locked-breech barrel system that’s similar to a CZ P-09/P-10.
As for the Dan Wesson 1911-style features, the most significant is the single-action trigger. The trigger is K-style and features a flat, textured face. The DWX also features an ambidextrous manual safety, a 1913 Picatinny rail and a match-grade 4.95-inch barrel.
The CZ and 1911 features combine the most when it comes to the DWX’s sights. It has a 1911-style dovetail front sight (it ships with a fiber optic front sight installed) and CZ Shadow 2-style rear sights (click-adjustable HAJO). Many aftermarket CZ and 1911 components, including sights, will fit the DWX as well.
The Dan Wesson DWX pistol is available now and has an MSRP of $2,099.
Springfield Armory’s new SA-35 is a high-honored nod to the Browning Hi-Power.
Springfield Armory’s rendition of the Browning Hi-Power has recently been the dominant topic on social media. It’s indeed big news, especially because a few years ago, Browning ceased distribution of the Belgium-made version of that same pistol. Ironically, that was not big news. It seemed most folks didn’t give a damn that an 82-year-old firearm design was being discontinued.
So, what’s the big deal with its reintroduction?
At only 31 ounces and with a 15+1 capacity, the SA-35 makes for an excellent everyday carry self-defense handgun.
Word on the Street
Springfield Armory says they reimagined the Hi-Power and to not call it a “classic.” I assume they’re afraid “classic” will be misconstrued to mean antiquated. But whether they’ll admit it or not, they’ve revived a classic.
They also say it’s made in the USA from a forged steel slide and frame. That’s true. What they don’t tell you is the frame and slide come—80 percent—from Tisas in Turkey (Springfield Armory wouldn’t confirm this but I have it on good authority). However, that’s not a bad thing, and given Springfield Armory sources other handguns and parts from outside the U.S., it shouldn’t be a surprise. Tisas is a very capable manufacture that turns out high-quality products, and this is one way Springfield Armory managed to keep the cost of the SA-35 manageable … and I applaud them for it.
Five-shot, off-hand groups at 10 yards averaged at around the one-inch mark.
Roy Huntington with American Handgunner compared the introduction of this new pistol to an earthquake, claiming, “Right now, John Browning is smiling.” Browning died in 1926. He might be metaphorically smiling, but the Hi-Power as we know it was introduced nine years later. Browning’s original design looked like something other than a Hi-Power; it was striker-fired and the patent wasn’t approved until after his death.
Dieudonné Saive of Fabrique Nationale deserves the lion’s share of the credit for the Hi-Power. Most importantly, featuring a pivoting trigger, double-stack magazine, and link-less barrel, it was the foundation for almost every modern semi-automatic handgun since. Had Saive incorporated Browning’s striker design, we would’ve had a steel-framed Glock more than 80 years ago.
Jeremy Stafford of Guns & Ammo offered the opinion that the SA-35 would reignite the old battle between Hi-Power and 1911 shooters. I thought this was settled in 1977 when Dave Westerhout and Peter Maunder took first and second in the IPSC World Shoot using Hi-Powers, allowing Rhodesia to edge out the United States and their 1911s for the top spot. That was a tremendous accomplishment considering they were shooting with the minor power factor handicap.
Funny thing: Since 1977, the 1911 design has undergone substantial revision, but the Hi-Power—even the new SA-35—is pretty much the same as it was then. Maybe those in the know knew it didn’t need much work, and all the efforts were directed at tweaking a major power 1911 to outperform it.
James Reeves with The Firearms Blog begins his SA-35 review commenting that, unlike the 1911, the Hi-Power remains relevant today. This should place everything else he says as suspect, such as his remark that original Hi-Powers could give some shooters “slide bite.” Slide bite has never been a problem with the Hi-Power. What has been, is the tendency for the hammer—when pushed to the rear by the recoiling slide—to pinch the web of the hand between the hammer and the tang of the frame. That’s hammer bite, not slide bite.
Hammer bite has always been an issue with the Hi-Power design. Springfield Armory’s commander-style hammer on their SA-35 does a good job of preventing this for most shooters. Those who use a high grip and have large hands may still get pricked.
Springfield Armory addressed this by installing a 1911 Commander-style hammer. It’s not a new approach, but it is one that does work for most shooters. If you have large hands and shoot with a very high grip (as you should), you might still get a little pinching with the SA-35. I did.
The best fix for this an extension to the tang of the grip frame. This is a custom and expensive solution. It’s exactly how Nighthawk crafts their Hi-Powers. However, a much less expensive alteration is the installment of a no-bite hammer from pistol guru Wayne Novak. It will eliminate hammer bite at much less expense. Maybe we’ll see either a tang extension or a no-bite hammer on later iterations of the SA-35. I’m sure Springfield Armory has other versions of this pistol on the drawing board.
If not, someone there needs firing.
Almost every review of the SA-35 highlights the pistol’s beveled magazine well. Generally, beveled magazine wells are always a good thing. However, I’ve been carrying and shooting Hi-Powers for half my life. Shoving a drastically truncated double-stack magazine into a large hole has never been a problem. Those reviewing the SA-35 treat this “modification” as monumental. Does it make the pistol easier to load? Yes, but maybe only immeasurably.
For those who appreciate steel framed fighting pistols, the Springfield Armory SA-35 is a lightweight, high-capacity, 9mm design, with a long record of reliable service.
By Which All Others Are Measured
All of this might come across as me dissing on the new SA-35. That is far from the point I’m trying to make. Before we get into more detail on the pistol, let me say I believe this to be maybe the most important handgun introduction since 1982.
Why? Because I also believe the Browning Hi-Power was and remains one of the top three fighting pistols ever created. Present any argument you like, but it’s still in military use all over the world and has been used by more militaries than any other handgun. In fact, the Hi-Power has likely killed more people than any other handgun; during World War II, it had the distinction of being used by opposing forces.
Additionally, with its double-stack magazine, pivoting trigger and link-less barrel, the Hi-Power laid the blueprint for all modern semi-automatic handguns. Hi-Powers are reliable, accurate, slim and not too heavy, easy to carry, and arguably have the most ergonomic grip of any duty-style pistol ever engineered.
I have three Hi-Powers and I liked the SA-35 enough to buy it. Hell, I might even buy two of them. Thousands of other Hi-Power aficionados will do the same. But, maybe more importantly, what Springfield Armory has really done is open the eyes of Gen X, Y and Z, as to what a truly proven and rock-solid fighting pistol really is. Now all of us can get one for less than $700.
Under The Hood
Enough pontificating; let’s look in detail at the SA-35.
The slide and frame are machined from forged carbon steel. The steel has a matte blued finish and is very well executed. The gun does have a few sharp edges, such as the forward edge of the dust cover, around the slide stop latch, at the end of the slide stop pin, and along the corners of the tang. Beyond that, I rate the look and feel of the gun as nearly exquisite.
The fully checkered walnut grips are much more handsome than any of the grips ever offered by Browning when the pistols were made by FN. In fact, being somewhat of a Hi-Power snob who has looked long and hard for good aftermarket grips, they’re as tasteful and well executed as any I’ve seen.
Springfield Armory chose very nice grips for their new SA-35. They should sell these separately because many Hi-Power owners will want them
The sights are possibly the best upgrade Springfield Armory applied to this pistol. The front sight is a 0.125-inch blade that stands just shy of 0.20-inch above the slide. It has a single white dot positioned at the top center. The rear sight is a ledge-type sight with a 0.14-inch U-notch. I would’ve liked a slightly wider notch, but those with good eyes should find this front and rear sight combination agreeable and very fast. The rear of the rear sight is serrated and is devoid of any of the ridiculous dots so common on modern defensive handguns. If you don’t like these sights, both the rear and front are dovetailed for easy replacement.
Other features include the already mentioned beveled magazine well and a single 15-round magazine. Original Hi-Power magazines held 13 rounds, and while many are giving Springfield Armory credit for the increasing capacity, 15-round Hi-Power magazines have been available from Mec-Gar for some time. And Mec-Gar appears to be the manufacturer of the magazine included with this pistol. The SA-35 also features an extended and comfortable to operate thumb safety, and as also discussed, the Commander-style hammer.
The manual thumb safety on the SA-35 is sized perfectly and better than previous options offered on Browning factory Hi-Powers.
As for the trigger, Hi-Powers have always had a magazine disconnect that would not allow the gun to fire if the magazine was removed. This system connected to the trigger and was the primary cause for bad triggers on Hi-Powers. Hi-Power owners have removed this linkage for years, and it’s not that hard to do. The SA-35 comes without the magazine disconnect and this makes the pull of the SA-35 trigger very nice, with just a bit of take-up and very minimal overtravel. My trigger scale said it broke at 4.75 pounds, but it felt more like 3 pounds. But, good Hi-Powers triggers always tend to feel like they break at less pressure than is measured.
Beyond all that, the SA-35 is just a Browning Hi-Power. I would not say the SA-35 is a reimagined Hi-Power, but I would say it is a damned fine example of one. I fired almost 800 rounds of mixed FMJ and hollow-point ammunition through the test pistol and it functioned flawlessly, just like you’d expect a Hi-Power to.
Slow-fire, off-hand groups at 10 yards were in the 1.25-inch range, and from the holster I could put five shots into a 5-inch circle, at 5 yards, in less than 4 seconds, consistently. Failure drills at 5 yards were easily completed in three seconds or less. For me, hammer-bite was still present, but it was diminished from previous factory Hi-Powers.
Failure drills conducted at five yards were easy to complete in 3 seconds or less with the SA-35.
Where Ya Been?
The Springfield Armory SA-35 should get the gun of the year award for 2022, and I’ll offer it as Springfield Armory’s best-ever contribution to the world of firearms.
My question to all the other firearms journalists who’ve been fawning over this new pistol like nude images of Salma Hayek is, “Where were the hell were you just a half-decade ago when you could buy one, though maybe not quite as nice as the SA-35, from Browning?”
The same folks who are now telling you what a wonderful and magnificent pistol the Hi-Power has always been, ignored it until Springfield Armory put their name on it. Had those journalists been doing their job, the SA-35 you should now most certainly be buying, would most likely not be your first Grande Puissance.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Savage Arms is continuing its expansion into the handgun market, this time with the introduction of Savage 1911 Government Model pistols.
Savage Arms released its first handgun in over 100 years in 2021 with the introduction of the Stance pistol, but the company is now expanding its catalog to include Savage 1911 Government Model pistols as well. There are 12 different model variations to choose from, with half chambered for .45 ACP and half chambered for 9mm.
Of the 12 Savage 1911 models, all feature a 5-inch machined stainless steel barrel with an 11-degree target crown. Externally, the pistols appear to be mostly traditional 1911s with forged stainless steel frames and slides, but Savage implemented a few nontraditional performance upgrades as well. Internally, Savage 1911s feature dual recoil springs and fully machined sears and hammers. The ejection ports have been lowered and flared, and the firing pins are titanium with a nitride finish. All models will feature an ambidextrous safety, VZ G10 grips and Novak rear sights, and the rail and two-tone models will also include a tritium front sight.
Speaking of the different models, this is how the Savage 1911 options break down. They can be ordered with any combination of finish, caliber and frame style, coming to a total of 12 models to choose from. Caliber options include 9mm and .45 ACP, finish options include black nitride, stainless and two-tone, and frame styles include rail or no rail. The .45 ACP models ship with two 8-round magazines and the 9mm models ship with two 10-round mags.
All 12 new Savage 1911 models are available now and MSRPs range from $1,350 to $1,500 depending on options.
8.6 Blackout from Q is the new cartridge on the block, but what does it really bring to the table?
The 8.6 Blackout, aka 8.6 BLK or 8.6mm Creedmoor, is a new cartridge developed by Q, the company that brought us the Honey Badger, The Fix bolt-action rifle and the company’s own line of suppressors.
The 8.6mm is .338 caliber, and while it's an absolute wimp compared to standard .338 cartridges (.338 Win. Mag. laughs at your weakness!) it's designed to make putting a whole lot of lead downrange much easier.
So, is 8.6 Blackout all tactical hat and no cattle? Well, that sort of depends on what you might use it for…
8.6 BLK on inside, .300 BLK on outside. Photo: Faxon Firearms.
8.6 Blackout Specifications
The 8.6 Blackout is actually a modern version of an old idea.
In broad strokes, 8.6 BLK is an intermediate medium-bore cartridge. Those aren't new. The .351 Winchester Self Loading and .35 Remington cartridges were the exact same thing and both pre-date World War I.
That isn't a bad thing, however, as .351 WSL and .35 Remington were very popular and for good reason. Within reasonable distances, they allowed you to smack something like a deer or hog with a heck of a lot of lead without beating up your shoulder too badly.
Left to right: .308 Win., .35 Remington and .223 Remington. Photo: Wikipedia.
However, 8.6 Blackout also has a particular angle in that it was created with suppressed shooting in mind, and indeed, is even optimized for it. That’s enough of a difference to essentially revitalize the old cartridge design ethos for the 21st Century.
The 8.6 BLK cartridge uses 6.5mm Creedmoor as a parent case, with the case trimmed to 1.685 inches (the 6.5mm Creedmoor's case, based on the .30 TC case, is 1.92 inches) and necking it to 0.338 inches so it can seat the same .338 caliber bullets as other cartridges of this caliber. Just like 6.5mm Creedmoor, the bullet is seated to a rather shallow depth in the case to preserve powder capacity.
While ostensibly almost any .338-caliber bullet could be seated in the case, few factory loads are currently available. What is available is entirely from one manufacturer, Gorilla Ammunition.
Gorilla currently offers a 300-grain self-defense and hunting load with a copper flat hollow point, a 300-grain Sierra MatchKing subsonic, a 210-gr Barnes TSX and a 285-grain fracturing subsonic load which appears to be similar to the 300-grain self-defense/hunting load.
Gorilla 300-grain Sierra MatchKing 8.6 Blackout ammo.
You can order your Gorilla ammunition optimized for a 16-inch, 12-inch, or 8- to 12-inch barrel. The lone supersonic loading is the 210-grain Barnes TSX load that the factory advertises at 1,970 fps from a 12-inch barrel.
However, Faxon Firearms and Q published some load data for a broader range of projectiles and loadings. According to their data, a 210-grain Barnes TSX would achieve 2,065 fps from a 16-inch barrel and 1,950 fps from a 12-inch barrel. Their 160-grain Hornady GMX load was advertised at 2,200 fps from a 16-inch barrel and 2,085 fps from a 12-inch barrel.
The max velocity Faxon gave was 2,400 fps, which was a 160-grain Barnes TTSX bullet on 35.8 grains of Accurate 1680 from a 16-inch barrel.
Q designed the chambering to have a blistering twist rate of 1-in-3 inches for maximum stabilization. The typical twist rate for .338 caliber rifles is 1-in-10.
But how do these numbers translate to reality?
8.6 Blackout Ballistics
Based on these velocities and bullets, we can get an idea of the trajectory. All the following tables were calculated with ShootersCalculator using a 100-yard zero, a 2-inch height over bore (common with AR-platform rifles), 10 mph of 90-degree crosswind and no corrections for atmosphere.
The 300-grain Sierra MatchKing bullet has a G1 ballistic coefficient of .750 below 1,800 fps. Calculated using a velocity of 1,030 fps, here's the 500-yard trajectory for this 8.6 BLK load:
In this case, the bullet rises to over 3 inches above the point of aim at 50 yards and drops to almost 5 inches below the point of aim at 125 yards, and it begins to sink like a stone past 200 yards. However, it retains momentum incredibly well, with almost 90-percent of velocity (and almost 75 percent of muzzle energy) retained at 500 yards.
That gives it excellent potential for penetration. While the trajectory makes .30-30 look almost flat-shooting, it still appears a very viable cartridge for hunting any game inside 200 yards—typical hunting distance for much of the country—with a short-barreled rifle or AR pistol whether suppressed or not.
But what about a supersonic load? Using Faxon's load data for 210-grain Barnes TSX (a velocity of 2,065 fps and G1 of .404), here's what the trajectory would look like with the same zero and height over bore:
The bullet goes transonic past 625 yards, but it retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy (the legal minimum in some states for big game) to 525 yards. The maximum point-blank range is short (less than 150 yards) and the big pill has dropped fully 5 feet at 400 yards…but it's still hauling almost 1,300 foot-pounds of energy, more than 55-grain M193 from the muzzle of a 20-inch barrel.
Recoil energy is less than 20 foot-pounds so it will shoot softly even compared to .338 Federal, which is a pussycat at less than 23 foot-pounds compared to .338 Win Mag or the more unhinged .338 magnums.
But what about its older yet smaller brother, .300 BLK?
Using Sierra load data, here's a trajectory table for 155-grain Sierra MatchKing HPBT (G1 of .443), at a typical trajectory (1,900 fps) for a 16-inch barrel.
Just like 8.6 Blackout, .300 Blackout supersonic loads will go transonic around 600 yards, and likewise begin to drop quickly after about 225 to 250 yards. However, .300 BLK drops below the 1,000-foot-pound mark just past 100 yards, and 8.6 BLK is carrying more energy at 400 yards than .300 BLK has at the muzzle.
And here's the subsonic trajectory using Hornady's 190-grain Sub-X load (G1 of .437) at a velocity of 1,050 fps.
The 8.6 BLK subsonic loads have more energy at 500 yards than .300 BLK subsonic loads do at the muzzle, though velocities are within 100 fps of each other. So, it drops about the same as .300 BLK does in subsonic loading, but its bullet having a much higher mass the 8.6 carries much more energy into the target.
But what does this ballistic profile portend?
It will poke deep holes in things and poke them good and hard with a lot of lead for a rather soft-shooting cartridge. However, long-range is not its forte unless you have the right scope (you'll need an awful lot of Christmas tree!) and you put in enough time behind the gun.
8.6 BLK versus .300 BLK from Gorilla Ammunition.
Available 8.6 Blackout Rifles
Currently, 8.6 BLK rifles are available from Faxon Firearms as well as from Gorilla Ammunition.
The Faxon Sentinel line includes an 8-inch AR-10 pistol, a 12-inch AR-10 pistol and a 16-inch carbine. Faxon's Overwatch bolt-action rifle line includes a 16-inch rifle with a traditional stock, a 16-inch rifle with a pistol grip and a 12-inch pistol with a pistol grip.
Faxon Sentinel 8.6 BLK pistols.
MSRP starts at just under $2,300 for the Faxon Sentinel, and starts at $3,299 for the Overwatch series.
Gorilla Ammunition offers their GF-10 8.6 Blackout carbine with an 8- or 12-inch barrel as well as their aptly named GF Bolt Action Rifle with a 16-inch barrel. These rifles start at $3,499 before options.
Gorilla GF bolt action rifle.
The cartridge was developed with bolt-action rifles and semi-autos in mind, so AR-10-pattern rifles and modern skeletonized/tactical bolt-action rifles are going to be the default offerings.
So…Is There Any Reason To Bother With 8.6 BLK?
New calibers are usually little more than the veneer of a blackguardly conspiracy to sell new rifles. Just because Q is a mainstay of Gun Culture 2.0 instead of Gun Culture 1.0 doesn't somehow mean that there's anything new under the sun in that regard.
If that's news to you, we have a pallet of 7mm Remington Express sitting on a bridge that we've got for sale.
However, it's not that 8.6 BLK is worthless. There's a niche for it. The question is whether you live in that niche.
The excellent velocity and energy retention would make it a serious brush gun. If you hunt in heavy timber or foliage and wanted a compact (and suppressed) rifle that will bash hogs or whitetails flat without kicking your head off…8.6 BLK looks like a perfect fit on paper.
If you want to hit deer, hogs or what have you really hard and make them go down, 8.6 Blackout would seem to be a dynamite selection.
At present, there isn't enough information to say it's an appropriate choice for personal defense. It would seem to have the potential for that role, but—again—it's a little early to say much more.
Given its excellent potential for barrier defeat, it could find a home with police departments and possibly even some military units as a better round for punching through vehicles, glass, or light structures.
And, of course, it will make one heck of a “dinnnnng!” if you shoot a steel silhouette with it. For some, that’s reason enough to give the new round a try.
While 8.6 Blackout may not be a game changer, it certainly has good potential and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.
XS Sights has just released Lever Rails for Henry Big Boy carbines, designed to allow users to more easily mount optics.
While XS Sights is primarily known for its handgun sights, especially of the tritium variety, the company makes some aiming solutions for long guns as well. The newest additions to the catalog include two models of XS Sights Lever Rails for Henry Big Bore carbines chambered for .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum.
The Lever Rails are designed to be an easy-to-install solution for adding a Picatinny rail to a Henry Big Boy lever-action. The rails are made from aircraft-grade, hard-coat anodized aluminum, so they should be both durable and lightweight.
The XS Lever Rails can be simply bolted to the barrel of a .357 Mag. or .44 Mag. Henry Big Boy carbine, and once installed allow the user to mount an optic of their choice as they would on any other Picatinny rail. The rail extends from the rear of the receiver to the front sight dovetail cut, giving plenty of real estate for larger scopes. There are two models of rail, however, and they must be specifically ordered for the caliber of Henry you have due to differences between the barrels. They are also only compatible with carbines with round barrels and steel receivers. Those who have a brass receiver or octagonal barrel are out of luck.
The XS Lever Rails have an MSRP of $72 and are available now. XS Sights also has an installation video guide embedded in the store page.
The reintroduced Marlin 1895 Trapper is a fast-handling thumper.
I’ve always been a history buff with interest in military firearms and especially armored vehicles. I’m sure that’s partly why I joined the Army and became an armored crewman and eventually a tank commander. But, as cool as those modern tanks I crewed were, there was a German tank from World War II that always captivated my imagination. That tank was the sleek and very fearsome Jagdpanther—hunting panther. It was an agile tank destroyer equipped with the legendary German 88mm gun.
Marlin’s new—reintroduced—1895 Trapper reminds me of that tank.
There are several reasons for this. Though heavier than the American-built Sherman tank, the Jagdpanther was just as fast. With its powerful main gun that could fire a variety of munitions, it could defeat every armored vehicle on the battlefield. The Jagdpanther offered a great balance of mobility, firepower and armor. Similarly, the Marlin 1895 Trapper is a heavy-duty lever gun chambered for the .45-70 Government, for which there are a variety of munitions that make it suitable for any game animal on Earth. It’s compact and handy—maneuverable—and like the Jagdpanther, it’s a hunter.
Marlin first offered the 1895 Trapper in 2018 while under the control of Remington. It was well received, but like a lot of the Marlin firearms produced then, reports of problems were common. Ruger acquired Marlin in 2020 and, though it took some time, their first lever gun was released before the end of 2021.
It was the 1895 SBL, and I detailed it here not all that long ago (Gun Digest May 2022 issue). I wrote that I felt the rifle was, “The best shooting lever-action rifle of any brand, style or design I have ever fired.” I felt that way because the quality of construction on that rifle was superb, and because two of the four loads tested delivered sub-MOA precision. As much as I liked that rifle, I like the new 1895 Trapper even better.
The Details
The new 1895 Trapper is built on the same stainless-steel action and has the same big loop lever as the 1895 SBL. And, like the 1895 SBL, it’s also chambered for the .45-70 Government. The primary difference is in barrel length; where the SBL has a 19.1-inch barrel, the Trapper’s barrel is 3 inches shorter. But just as with the SBL, the Trapper’s muzzle is also threaded at an 11/16-24 pitch for brake or suppressor attachment.
The muzzle of the 16.1-inch barrel on the new 1895 Marlin Trapper is threaded at a 11/16×24 pitch. A protective cap is standard issue.
Another obvious difference is the stock: The SBL had a gray laminated hardwood stock, and the Trapper’s stock is much darker. Aside from that, the stocks are identical, even down to the checkering, thick recoil pad and stainless-steel sling swivel attachments.
However, when you look closer, you’ll see the other differences. The SBL is fitted with a Picatinny sight rail that stretches from the rear of the receiver partially out the barrel. An adjustable aperture sight is incorporated in the rear of this rail and is paired with a Tritium fiber-optic front sight. Also, the rail allows for a variety of optical sights to be attached.
Instead of a rail, the Trapper utilizes a Skinner Sights rear aperture sight paired with a white-striped Skinner, Bear Buster front sight. The rear sight is screw-adjustable for elevation, and the rear screw slot is elongated to allow for windage adjustment. The other difference between these two rifles isn’t so obvious until you see them side by side. All the stainless-steel metal surfaces on the Trapper have a muted satin finish, which is perfect for a hunting rifle.
The combination of a satin stainless finish and the blackened laminated hardwood stock give the new Marlin 1895 Trapper a serious “I’m here for business” look.
A Little Customization
Unboxing this rifle, I was immediately smitten. It’s so compact and handy; it almost feels like it could fit in your pocket. Even if you’re on the short side, you can grasp it at the wrist of the stock and let it dangle, and the muzzle will still not reach the ground. When shouldering the Trapper, it seems like it wants to jump up and onto target. The action is smooth, the trigger is good and this rifle gives you the impression it was made for fighting it out with a pissed-off grizzly.
As much as I liked the look and feel of this rifle, I’m not a fan of the rear sight that comes on it. It’s a great sight, but for a .45-70 that might be used as I would use one—for a wide range of applications—it’s not what I want. This is mostly because with so many varied .45-70 loads available, I would have to constantly re-zero the rear sight. At 100 yards, the point of impact between power level one and power level two .45-70 loads can be more than a foot.
The 1895 Trapper comes with this adjustable Skinner aperture sight and white-striped Bear Buster front sight. To add versatility to the rifle, they were replaced with a scope-mount version of the same Skinner sight and a shorter Bear Buster front sight.
I called Skinner Sights and explained I wanted an aperture sight I could zero for the heaviest .45-70 loads, but which would also permit scope mounting, allowing me to easily zero for whatever .45-70 load I might want to use. Skinner suggested I replace the sight on the Trapper with another version they offer that has an integral groove for Talley scope rings. This way I could zero the aperture sight and mount the scope right over top of it. And, too, the excellent Talley rings would permit the scope to be removed and installed without loss of zero.
By swapping out the standard Skinner rear sight for a version with integral grooves for Talley rings, the versatility of the 1895 Trapper was vastly enhanced.
This is an ideal approach, and Leupold’s FX-II Ultralight 2.5x20mm riflescope seemed to be the perfect match. However, to keep the riflescope low enough to see through it with a good cheek weld, I had to screw the aperture sight all the way in. This resulted in a front sight that was too high to provide a zero with the heavy-hitting .45-70 loads I wanted the open sights zeroed for. I reached out to Skinner again, and they sent me a shorter version of the Bear Buster front sight, and then everything fell into place.
I mention all this, not to say that the sights that come on the Trapper are bad—they’re not—but unlike with a .30-30 Winchester lever gun, where all the available loads will have a similar point of impact, that’s not the case with the .45-70 Government. If you only plan to shoot one load in your Marlin Trapper, pay no attention to any of this. However, if you want the Trapper to be able to exploit everything the .45-70 has to offer, this is a fantastic solution.
Shots Fired
There are lots of ways to classify rifles, and I’d put the Marlin Trapper in the “man’s rifle” category. With power level 1 ammunition, the free recoil energy is only at about 17 pounds, which is like a .308 Winchester. However, when you step up to power level 2 loads, things change. The recoil increases by 25 percent, taking you to .300 Winchester Magnum levels. With power level 3 loads, you’ll feel the force because recoil energy almost doubles. You cannot ignore more than 40 foot-pounds of energy impacting your shoulder.
The 1895 Trapper uses the same and very smooth Ruger/Marlin-influenced action as does the new 1895 SBL that was released last year.
But it’s not so much the push: Because of its light weight and short barrel, this rifle bucks like a wild mustang. Also, .45-70 loads, like Federal’s 300-grain Power-Shok, will generate a fireball larger than a beach ball. Others, like the Federal 300-grain HammerDown load, create no fireball at all.
From the bench, the Trapper can be intimidating. However, with the 2.5X Leupold, at 50 yards most of the loads tested put three shots into a cluster measuring less than an inch and a half. Open-sighted benchrest groups were only slightly larger. At 100 yards, groups were about twice as large, but I still managed a couple smaller than 2 inches while using the low-powered optic.
The .45-70 is unique in that there are three power levels of factory ammunition available for it. Buffalo Bore is the best source for factory .45-70 loads of all power levels.
Of course, this isn’t a bench rest rifle. This is a rifle you carry, and it’s a rifle you shoot while standing on your hind legs. Conducting snap shots from the high ready at 50 yards, most of the time I was able to keep all my shots inside a 6-inch circle, and I was able to do it—on average—in less than 2 seconds, both with the scope and the open sights. Yeah, the rifle bucks a bit, but you soon get used to it. I found that I could get good hits with follow-up shots in about 1.5 seconds with power level 2 loads.
There’s little a hunter couldn’t handle with an 1895 Trapper outfitted like this one.
Already a Favorite
I’ve yet to do any hunting with the new Marlin Trapper, though having taken a variety of critters, to include two African Buffalo, I’m fully aware of what the .45-70 Government is capable of. And, after several hundred rounds down range with the Trapper, I know what it and I together can do. I have an African buffalo hunt planned for next spring, and the Trapper is the rifle I plan to use. I’m sure it will also see some time in the West Virginia hills looking for bear and deer.
Marlin’s new Trapper, outfitted with a scope-mount rear-sight base and Bear Buster front sight from Skinner Sights, a Leupold fixed-power riflescope in Talley rings, a Galco Quick Adjust Hasty Sling and a Versacarry Ammocaddy.
I still believe that the newest version of the Marlin’s 1895 SBL is best-shooting lever gun I’ve ever fired. But, as of now, the new Marlin 1895 Trapper might be the favorite Marlin lever gun I’ve ever fired. It’s well made, and it handles like a short sword. It shoots plenty good to extract all the reach .45-70 ammo can provide, and with it in hand you get the feeling you and this rifle could tackle anything.
Marlin’s new Trapper is an agile beast—you could say it’s a hunting panther.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
MDT has just released its newest precision rifle chassis system in the form of the ACC Elite, compatible with rifles that utilize a Remington 700 SA.
Based on MDT’s renowned ACC precision rifle chassis system, the company’s newest performance-enhancing product is called the MDT ACC Elite. Developed using the input of top-tier shooters from around the world, it’s packed full of improvements and features and may just be MDT’s best chassis to date.
The ACC Elite is designed for competition, and it strives to deliver a perfect interface between firearm and shooter. Made from CNC-machined 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum, it was designed to be more rigid, balanced and adjustable than its predecessor. The weight is 6.1 pounds—heavy enough to help absorb recoil while keeping the overall package maneuverable—but the forend and buttstock also allow for the addition of weights for those who prefer a heavier rifle.
The weight attachment points are not the only modular aspect of the ACC Elite, as the chassis can be very finely tuned and customized to match a shooter’s wants and needs. The SRS-X Elite buttstock can be rapidly adjusted without the use of tools, and the MDT Vertical Grip Elite features an adjustable M-LOK thumb rest. The forend is also ready to accept M-LOK accessories as well as MDT’s Night Vision Hood or Control Bridge.
There’s plenty more to love about this futuristic hunk of aluminum, but the major features alone should be enough to get many serious shooters excited. The MDT ACC Elite chassis has an MSRP of $1,599.95, is available now and can be bought with either a black, FDE or Titanium Blue finish. It is currently only compatible with rifles that use a Remington 700 short action.
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.
