Rossi has recently announced three new .357 Magnum revolvers, including the RP63, the RM66 and the RM64.
Rossi is a Brazilian firearm manufacturer best known in the U.S. for its lever-action rifles and revolvers. It’s been a hot minute since any of the latter were imported, but the company recently announced three new .357 Magnum Rossi revolver models for 2023.
The Rossi RP63 is the concealed carry option of the lineup, sporting a 3-inch barrel, round-butt rubber grips and fixed rear/ramped front sights for a snag-free draw. The steel frame, full underlug barrel and 6-shot cylinder contribute to the revolver’s hefty weight of 27.3 ounces (unloaded) but should also make it a pleasant shooter even when loaded with .357 Magnum. Further aiding the RP63’s viability as a concealed carry gun is that Rossi claims it is compatible with existing holsters and speedloaders designed for similar medium-frame revolvers.
The RM66 was designed with target shooting and competition in mind instead of concealed carry, but is otherwise very similar to the RP63. It features a 6-inch barrel, adjustable sights and a larger rubber grip to help absorb recoil. It weighs 34.4 ounces unloaded, and like the RP63, should be compatible with accessories designed for similar revolvers.
There have been no images released of the upcoming RM64 yet, but from the description, it sounds like it will be very similar to the other two models but with a 4-inch barrel instead.
All of the new Rossi revolver models are made of stainless steel with a satin stainless finish, have a hammer-mounted firing pin for improved reliability and feature Rossi’s crisp DA/SA trigger. The RP63 (MSRP: $460.99) and RM66 (MSRP: $620.99) are available now and the RM64 will be released later in 2023.
If you don’t want to be caught with an empty gun, it’s time to master the administrative, tactical and speed reloads.
The reloading of a defensive handgun is generally considered a baseline skill. It’s something that every defensive handgun training course I’ve taken spends a good bit of time teaching. This makes sense because an empty gun is mostly useless. Most doctrine separates reloading into three techniques. These include the administrative reload, the tactical reload and the speed reload. Although all three serve the same purpose of keeping your handgun full of ammunition, they have different application.
It’s suggested that when reloading the handgun that it be conducted within your workspace and between your eyes and the threat. It’s better to handle an empty handgun when you’re either moving or utilizing cover.
Administrative Reloads
Administrative reloading is something that has no tactical value. It’s nothing but the administrative steps you take when you’re readying your pistol for carry, or when you get to the range and are readying your pistol for training … though you do often see it used during handgun training courses when students step off the line to load magazines and take a break. Often, shooters will remove the magazine from a holstered handgun and top it off and reinsert it. Or, they’ll be standing on the line and adjusting ammunition within magazines and the magazine within the pistol to prepare for a specific exercise or drill.
With the understanding that sometimes, for specific drills, you need a certain round count in one or more magazines, I’m not a fan of the administrative reload. When you complete an exercise or drill on the range and are going to take a break to rest or load magazines, you should first conduct a tactical reload so that the handgun in your holster is fully loaded. The conduct of an administrative reload should only be done to establish some drill, training or safety requirement.
The primary objective when conducting a reload is to fill the pistol with as much ammunition as possible.
Tactical Reloads
This reloading technique is one that’s conducted when you have time. Often, it’s suggested that you conduct a tactical reload during a lull in the action. I’m not sure how to precisely define “a lull in the action,” but I am sure of two things: 1) the more ammunition you have in your gun, the better off you are; and 2) you should never holster a handgun that’s not fully loaded, because if you need it—really need it—it needs to be fully loaded.
With the tactical reload, you retain the magazine you eject from your handgun because you haven’t fully expended the ammunition that’s in it, and you understand that you might need to use that ammunition latter on.
When is a tactical reload applicable? It’s nearly impossible to offer any hard and fast rules because the chaos that surrounds a self-defense shooting doesn’t lend itself to absolutes. So, look at it this way: If you need to conduct a reload because you’ve depleted your ammunition supply, and you have time to retain the magazine that is in the gun, then do so. Otherwise, a speed reload is more appropriate.
More practically and most assuredly, the tactical reload should be conducted after an engagement, but before holstering. You’ve solved the immediate problem and have the time to retain any unexpended ammo in the current magazine—while at the same time making sure that you holster a fully loaded pistol.
Empty guns are mostly worthless; learn how to efficiently keep them topped off.
Speed Reloads
This reloading technique is used when you need to get more ammunition in your gun as swiftly as possible. It could be that you’ve expended a large portion of your on-board ammunition and want to be fully loaded for the impending doom that’s quickly approaching you. It could be conducted because you’ve expended all the ammunition in your gun and need more ammo immediately. And the speed reload could also be conducted because your handgun has stopped working, either because it’s out of ammo or has maybe experienced a stoppage.
With the speed reload, the magazine in your gun is ejected and allowed to drop free without concern of where it lands or if you’ll ever see it again. It’s often taught that when conducting a speed reload, you should pull the handgun back into your workspace, hold it up high where you can look through it and still see the threat, and peripherally see the insertion of the new magazine. This makes sense if you’re standing in front of a threat while trying to reload—but standing in front of a threat while trying to reload makes no sense.
Conducting a speed reload while moving or utilizing cover does make sense.
Regardless of the particulars associated with the speed reload, the primary directive is to get the gun reloaded as fast as possible.
Reloading can be practiced with dummy rounds at times when you can’t go to the range and utilize live ammo.
Additional Considerations
Ideally, when you utilize any method to reload a pistol, you should take the time to verify that the reload was conducted properly. This means you should conduct a press check and either visually or tactilely confirm a cartridge was inserted into the chamber … and that the magazine is fully seated. Granted, if you’re conducting a speed reload, there might not be time to do this, but it’s something that there should always be time for if you’re conducting an administrative or tactical reload.
If you’ve conducted an administrative or tactical reload, the placement of the partially loaded magazine that was removed from the handgun is important. It shouldn’t be placed in your primary ammunition pouch or storage location unless it’s the only remaining magazine that you have. Otherwise, you might be reaching for what you think is a full magazine, only to grasp the partially expended magazine. The partially expensed magazine should be placed in an alternate location that can be easily accessed by your support hand in case you need it.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
There’s a fine line between secure storage and quick retrieval, but a biometric gun safe can offer the best of both worlds.
When it comes to electronic firearm safes, there are two major types. The first is RFID, and these are usually unlocked via some sort of keycard. The second type is the biometric gun safe, and these ostensibly offer an even higher level of security as they require the correct fingerprints to be unlocked. While someone can steal or spoof an RFID card, it’s much harder for them to acquire your fingerprints.
We're going to discuss what they are, how they work, their strengths and weaknesses compared to other types of gun safes and a few biometric gun safe models that we consider to be the best.
So, let's get started.
What Is A Biometric Gun Safe?
Biometric gun safes use a digital—usually battery-powered—lock that takes a reading of your fingerprints, usually the thumb and index finger, and stores them in onboard memory. The pads on the safe read fingerprint impressions, and if they match, unlock the safe.
Typically, the lock mechanism is controlled via a small electric motor that operates the locking mechanism. In some cases, the door of the safe may be assisted with a pneumatic arm.
Early biometric safes were great in theory, but poor in practice. The print reader would either take forever to get a clean pull or took several attempts to get one and had horrendous lag time. As the years have gone on (Moore's Law is a thing) the technology has gotten better, faster and more reliable.
Types Of Biometric Gun Safes
Biometric safes come in a few different styles.
There are some cabinet-style safes for long guns, but pistol safes are far more common. Since biometric safes are electronic, they require power. Some have a battery pack (which you’ll have to remember to periodically change) and others can be plugged into a wall outlet.
One of the most common is the top-loading style, with the door opening vertically.
Vault/lockbox-style safes, with the door opening outwards, are also common. These typically have the combination/reader pad on the door or the top of the safe.
There are also a few wall-mounted pistol safes that you must mount to the studs in your wall. When opened, they drop down and release a pistol or two.
You'll also find a number of portable biometric gun safes, similar to any other portable safe only with a more advanced locking system.
A portable biometric gun safe with carry handle from OSPON.
Drop-style safes are also out there, though a little less common. They have a hinged floor that drops down when the lock is activated.
Obviously, the benefit to a biometric safe is that you can—ostensibly—keep anyone out of it that isn't you or a person whose fingerprints you also programmed into the safe.
Each design has some advantages and disadvantages. Top-loader safes are perfect for hiding in a drawer but don't work very well elsewhere. Vault-style safes, depending on the dimensions, may be too large or heavy for more discrete locations (such as atop a closet shelf) and wall-mount safes are a no-go if you're a renter and you want to keep your deposit.
Vehicle safes are a Gordian Knot. They either have to be conspicuously mounted in the vehicle (such as those that mount next to a car seat) or they're the small portable variety that anchors to the seat frame. The former is easily seen and can therefore be targeted for theft. The latter is easily stolen if discovered.
Almost all biometric safes have a backup, typically a barrel lock with a key that is supplied to you. Some also include an RFID tag or dongle if they have both systems onboard.
The backup lock on a Viking VS-12BL.
Features, of course, all depend on the safe, but what you must determine is how any gun safe fits your lifestyle.
Is A Biometric Safe Worth It? What Are Their Weaknesses?
Every type of gun safe has a weakness, the question is whether it can be used in a manner that renders them moot or mitigates them to a point of acceptable risk. The most secure safes of any kind are vault-style safes with mechanical combination locks, but they are heavy, expensive and slow to open.
Some biometric gun safes are glorified lock boxes. Thin sheet metal walls can be broken into and the door possibly pried open with a crowbar if it were to be taken in the event of a burglary.
Further, many of them also have cheap barrel locks little better than a common bicycle lock. Easily picked with as little as a paperclip, or simply opened if an unauthorized person gets a hold of the key.
These are all failings common to many different kinds of gun safes. These issues are by no means endemic to biometric gun safes only. Therefore, it's imperative that you select one that has a pry-proof or heavily pry-resistant door design, and a strong mechanical key lock.
Another potential downside is the biometric technology itself.
How often does the fingerprint scanner fail on your phone? Can you guarantee a perfect print if you need to get the safe open in a hurry?
Granted, modern biometric safes are leaps and bounds more reliable than they were a decade or two ago. As software and the reader hardware have improved, error rates have dropped and the quality models have gotten less touchy.
RFID safes can lack those issues and so can digital combination safes, but even those have lag time.
Then we come to the issue of hacking. Biometrics can be easily hacked, and an RFID system can be easily hacked as well. Any electronic system has a way to exploit it.
A poorly designed biometric gun safe being broken into with nothing but a fork. Source: LockPickingLawyer on YouTube.
You need to consider what kind of safe best fits your needs. Biometric safes are just one option. Even affordable models of today can work well, but they have weaknesses like any mechanical or electrical system. Understand them and make your choice accordingly.
What To Look For?
The ability to quickly retrieve a firearm is paramount for many interested in a biometric gun safe. For fast access, the top-loader style is best and it can be easily concealed. The wall-mount pistol safe and drop-down styles are also a good fit, so long as you can install one (again, renters may not be able to) or you can have a safe that drops open, meaning you need to mount it under something.
Also, look for the read time. You'll usually find the time to unlock advertised by the manufacturer. Less than 3 seconds is good, less than 2 is better.
Look for safes that have at least one backup access type. A simple barrel lock is not the most secure thing in the world, but it's better than having to rely on human memory.
Look for the strongest possible locking mechanism. Vault-style safes with solid steel locking bars are more secure than lockboxes with simply barrel locks or hook locks, as they are far harder to break.
Interior illumination is a good feature to look for too, and for obvious reasons! So is the ability to run on a power supply rather than batteries.
What you want to find is a safe that offers the greatest amount of security that you can get, balanced with the potential speed of access.
So, what are some good biometric safes to look at?
The 5 Best Biometric Gun Safes
Barska Biometric Security Safe
This safe is a compact front-facing safe with dual steel locking bars, 2mm steel walls and a 5mm steel door. Interior dimensions are 16.4 inches wide, 12.25 inches deep and 6.8 inches tall, which is enough to accommodate up to two pistols.
The time to open is 2.5 seconds, and the lock is powered by 4 AAA batteries with an anticipated runtime of 1 year. The secondary lock is a hexagonal key, of which two are included. The safe has additional holes if you wish to mount it to a shelf or nightstand.
This would be a good pick for a nightstand or shelf top safe for one or two handguns, with a good mix of speed and security. Street prices are just under $200.
SecuRam ScanLogic By Liberty Safes
One of the best, most trusted and most popular gun safe manufacturers in the US is Liberty Safes. Any one of their gun safes can be upgraded by adding the company’s SecuRam ScanLogic lock, which includes both a digital keypad and a top-mounted fingerprint scanner.
The SecuRam lock by ScanLogic processes prints in as little as 1 second, and can be added to any Liberty-brand safe that has an electronic lock system. You can either have a safe upgraded by Liberty when you order it, or have a factory dealer technician upgrade your existing Liberty safe.
The lock is an extra $275 and runs off of either a 9V battery or AC power.
OSPON Portable Gun Safe
The OSPON Portable Gun Safe is, as the name states, portable. It’s essentially a high-tech lockbox that can serve as a vehicle safe. It's compact, so it can slide under a car seat, and includes a steel tether cable.
It has an onboard thumbprint reader, powered by a rechargeable battery cell that charges via USB-C, and a mechanical combination lock as a backup. The shell is 16-gauge steel.
It can accommodate one full-size pistol, or possibly two micros, and will stow easily and can be tethered under a car seat. Prices are usually around $50.
Viking VS-12BL Biometric Wall-Mounted Safe
The VS-12BL is a good pick for a wall-mounted safe that will fit one to two pistols and some valuables. It has a solid feature set and a reasonable price tag. While not designed to be set in the wall, it could be.
The safe is 14.5 by 11.75 by 5 inches, with a recessed 5mm steel door and a removable interior shelf. The interior is carpeted and has an integrated LED light. The biometric lock uses an optical sensor rather than a semiconductor for more reliable reads, and a digital combination pad and key lock (with keys included) are also on the safe as backup access methods.
The VS-12BL is powered by four AAA batteries and registers prints in less than 1 second for fast access. Prices start around $200.
Vaultek RS
The Vaultek RS series are biometric rifle safes, with storage space for long guns and modular storage racks for storing magazines, ammunition and handguns.
The steel door (which is spring-assisted for fast opening) has four steel deadbolts, operated by the biometric scanner. A digital PIN pad is also included as is an emergency access key. Interior LED lighting and proximity-sensing lighting for the access pad are also included, as is WiFi connection for remote monitoring.
An RFID SmartKey can be added, as can other accessories. Power can come from an 18650 battery or the safe can be plugged into an outlet. The two-gun model starts at $1,299, but five- and eight-gun models are available as well.
The iconic Glock 17 transformed the modern handgun world and continues to exert its influence today.
Why the Glock 17 is among the most popular pistols made:
Developed for the Austrian Army to replace their P-38.
From 1986 capture around 70 percent of the US law enforcement market.
Used in an official military or government capacity in over 42 countries
The G17 is still Glock’s most popular model.
The low barrel sits above the shooter's hand resulting in less muzzle rise.
Due to its weight and balance it is known as a smooth-shooting pistol.
This is the first model Glock brought to market. The original. The one that started it all. The Glock 17 is the most innovative handgun design since John M Browning’s 1911, and when you add to that the way that Glock revolutionized handgun manufacture, the G17 is probably most innovative handgun ever.
Glock 17 Development
Some would argue that this is the best Glock ever made; the third generation G17.
The Glock 17 was developed by Glock for the Austrian Army to replace their P-38, a gun that had been in use since World War II. Word quickly got around about this new upstart that beat out established gunmakers. By 1985 Glock had a contract with the Norwegian Army and suitors by the dozen vying to import the G17 into the US.
Glock decided to go their own route, however, and Glock USA opened its doors in 1986. From there, Glock would capture around 70 percent of the US law enforcement market, and become one of the (if not the) most popular handguns in the US civilian market. No other handgun brand is as recognizable by shooters and non-shooters alike. Today Glock is used in an official military or government capacity in over 42 countries. This does not include non-national police forces.
Why The Glock 17?
In the early days there was confusion and incorrect information as to why the first model was called the 17. To this day some of the confusion still exists amongst new Glock owners. Some sources said the reason was that the Austrian army laid out 17 requirements that must be met by the potential service pistol to be considered for adoption. Other sources stated it was due to the 17-round capacity of the Glock magazine. Both make sense, but neither is correct. Popular fiction perpetuated these myths.
In the novel Killing Floor, by Lee Child, the protagonist, one Jack Reacher, is confronted with a Glock 17. In his mind he goes over everything he knows about the weapon, which he says he knows well, with one of those things being, “Seventeen rounds to a magazine, hence the name.” Reacher got a lot right about the Glock, but this wasn’t one of them. The true reason the first Glock is named the 17 is because it was the 17th patent filed by Gaston Glock.
A G17 first generation. Incidentally, the two clips on the web belt…those are made by Glock, too.
Still, it’s interesting to watch movies and read articles from that era and read the various theories as to the origin of the name. The other thing he got wrong was that Reacher recommended rejection of the Glock for the US Army, and instead recommended the Beretta 92F. In reality, the G17 was never entered into the official army trials. The US Department of Defense did receive from Glock four samples for unofficial testing and evaluation, but when they invited Glock for an official submission, Glock declined. It would have required extensive retooling of manufacturing equipment, which was something Glock wasn’t going to do at that time.
In another famous and hilarious Hollywood moment that was indicative of the perception of Glock pistols at the time, in Die Hard 2, John McClane (played by Bruce Willis) said of the Glock, “That punk pulled a Glock 7 on me. You know what that is? It’s a porcelain gun made in Germany. Doesn’t show up on your airport X-ray machines here, and it costs more than you make in a month.” Sure, this was before the age of the Internet and Wikipedia, but that is just lazy script writing.
Amazingly, after all these years, the G17 is still Glock’s most popular model. I’ve gone back and read books and magazine articles written at the time of the introduction of the .40 S&W G22 and the .45 ACP G21, and at the time some writers discussed the demise of the 9mm G17 and G19 because of the introduction of these other calibers, especially the .45 ACP — we are a .45 ACP nation, after all.
How often have you heard someone say, “if it doesn’t have a ‘4’ in front of it, it’s not big enough for self-defense.” But the G17 and the G19 didn’t become obsolete, and they weren’t replaced by the .40 S&W or .45 ACP. In fact, their popularity has only increased right along with the Glock itself.
A G17 is a great handgun for beginners, it’s soft on recoil, and the lack of a manual safety makes the shooter especially mindful of finger awareness.
There have been spikes in popularity of other models, especially when they are first introduced, but after the hoopla is over the Glock 17 9mm charges on. This is particularly amazing, given the popularity of the G22 among law enforcement agencies, and the numbers of those sold. It’s really quite remarkable how well the G17 still sells, and is a testament to the handgun.
I personally think the 9mm cartridge is just starting to come into its own in America. It’s kind of a curiosity that it took so long, but over a century after it was introduced, we’re just starting to appreciate it. I believe we’re in the Golden Age of the 9mm in America.
How The G17 Measures Up
A Gen4 G17 is 7.95 inches in length, 5.43 inches in height and 1.18 inches in width. It weighs 25.06 ounces unloaded and 32.13 ounces loaded. The barrel height is 1.26 inches, which is low, and has a lot to do with the minimal muzzle flip compared to other handguns. The lower a barrel sits above the shooter’s hand (bore axis), the less it will rise as a bullet is fired. The Gen3 is identical in dimension, with the exception that it is 8.03 inches in length, which is .08 inches longer.
All of the standard-frame, full-size Glocks (G17, G22, G31, and G37) are nearly identical in dimensions, with one minor exception; the G37 has a slightly wider slide, and the height is 5.51 inches, which is .08 inches higher. There is also a difference in weight, though not significant. Unloaded, the G22 weighs 25.59 ounces, the G31 weighs 26.12 ounces, and the G37 weighs 28.95 ounces.
Shooting The Glock 17
I’ve gotten to shoot a lot of Glocks in a lot of calibers and a lot of sizes. All of them, in fact. The very first two I fired for the book were the G17 Gen1 and Gen2. Then I shot everything else, with the very last two pistols I fired being the G17 Gen3 and Gen4. I’ve shot them before, but it’s been awhile.
Some would argue that this is the best Glock ever made; the third generation G17.
After shooting everything else, I forgot how nicely the G17 shoots. The recoil is handled very well — much more so than 9mm guns from competitors, and it shoots as smooth as butter. It’s just a great gun, one of the all-time classics. I got to fire some American Eagle 115-grain FJM, as well as American Eagle 124-grain non-toxic primer TMJ (Total Metal Jacket). Then I finished it off with some Federal Premium 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP.
Early Glock 17 Models
With Gen3 and Gen4 and Gen5 models, it’s simple to get them — they are all on the shelf of almost every gun store you walk into. The first two generations are not so easy to find — none of my friends or acquaintances had them, and it’s not like you can check them out on loan. I knew my only course of action would be to track them down and buy them. With a lot of research and a little work, I did just that.
A field-stripped third generation G17. The Flat Dark Earth frame is a special run that is made periodically.
Those two Glocks — which are both becoming very collectable — are still just as good as they were when they were released. They could be placed against any competitor’s guns on the market and still fare well. They are timeless designs, and built to be a workhorse. I have since decided to collect the G17 generations, since this is the only model that spans all four generations.
The AR-10 is many things, cheap isn't usually one of them. But we dig up the best AR-10 choices that won't put you in the poorhouse.
Nothing beats the AR-15. Well, almost nothing beats what’s become America’s favorite rifle. Talking long distance and large cartridges, the vastly popular rifle pales, not quite living up to its reputation for utmost versatility.
Sure enough, there are exceptions—there always are. The 6.5 Grendel reaches out and cartridges don’t get much larger than the .450 Bushmaster. Despite these allowances, there’s a more stalwart choice when it comes to hard-hitting, reach-out-and-get-them heavy metal.
In this arena, few long guns hold a candle to the AR-10.
How We Made Our Picks
AR-10s have made a bit of a comeback in recent years, so the market is currently awash with quality models at various price points. For this article, a few of us AR-10 enthusiasts on the Gun Digest team put our heads together, discussed our experiences behind the triggers of many different models and weighed each of their advantages and disadvantages. At the end, based on everything we know about the AR-10, these are the five rifles that we believe provide the best bang for their buck.
At the top of our list of AR-10s is the Ruger SFAR, a rifle that some purists would probably argue isn't technically an AR-10. That's because SFAR stands for Small-Frame Autoloading Rifle, and it's named that due to the rifle having a receiver that's the same size as a standard AR-15. While it may not use one of the legacy AR-10 receiver patterns, the gun is definitely worth your consideration if you're after an AR chambered for 7.62 NATO.
The main appeal of the SFAR is how light it is. The smaller receiver size allowed for the shedding of a lot of extra weight, and the result is a 7.62 NATO AR that comes in at only 6.8 pounds. That's almost an entire pound less than the next lightest rifle on our list. Whether you're looking to run-and-gun in a competition or stalk game in the mountains, your arms will thank you for choosing an SFAR.
Despite its light weight, the 7.62 Ruger manages to keep recoil light thanks to its Boomer 2-port muzzle brake and adjustable 4-position gas block. Be aware, however, that if the SFAR has one weak spot it's the gas block. The example we shot didn't have any issues, but we've heard of several users having to replace theirs. Besides that, it seems to be perfectly solid. To top it all off, the rifles ship with 15-inch railed M-LOK handguards, Magpul furniture and Ruger Elite 452 2-stage triggers, and all for a reasonable price.
Price alone makes the PA10 one of the best AR-10 choices on the market today. Yet, Palmetto State Armory doesn’t leave shooters out in the cold when it comes to a quality build. Long considered one of the best values in ARs, the gunmaker offers a litany of features plum rare for the price point. Forged receiver, stainless steel heavy barrel, and adjustable gas block (on certain models) are all standard fare on these economical shooters. So is choice.
Beyond simple trigger and handguard upgrades, the PA10 catalog serves up an impressive selection of specialized models. In addition to the stock .308 Winchester PA10, Palmetto State also fields the 6.5 Creedmoor PA65 and lightweight PX10. Up the scale, the rifles run a bit more, but not so much as to prove exclusionary.
Standard across all models is the choice of 18- or 20-inch barrel length and 6-position adjustable buttstock—both PSA and Magpul. Outside of the base PA10 mode, with a polymer handguard, the rifles come with either Keymod or M-LOK compatible free-floated handguards.
Palmetto State Armory Gen 3 PA10 Deals
Palmetto State Armory
$850
Diamondback DB10
Pros
Ships with upgraded furniture including M-LOK rail for accessories
Much like Palmetto State, Diamondback earns big marks not only for quality but also options. At the time of writing, the Florida gunmaker has 15 AR-10 rifles and four pistols in its catalog. This includes a choice of .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor chamberings, favoring the latter in selection. And like PSA, across the board the guns come in at a price nearly any shooter can afford.
Even with a wealth of choice, we think it’s difficult to go wrong with the company’s entry-level DB10CCMLB. A Spartan, if not tidy build, the gun runs reliably and proves agile in practical use. Much of this is thanks to the gun’s 16-inch chrome-moly barrel, a point that might turn off dedicated long-range shooters.
Lightening the .308 Winchester’s load considerably, hunters and others who require a fast-handling hard hitter will find it a boon. The one knock that keeps it from ‘best AR-10’ status, is the mil-spec trigger, which is exactly as it sounds—gritty and creepy.
Never fear, going up the ladder at Diamondback is a painless process and generally worth the extra money. Stainless steel barrels and CMC single-stage triggers are the reward for opening your wallet further.
Diamondback DB10 Deals
Sportsman's Warehouse
$960
Guns.com
Starts At $902
Smith & Wesson M&P10 Sport
Pros
Excellent build quality and performance from one of the most trusted AR manufacturers
Still relatively affordable
Cons
Ships with standard M4-style furniture, no provisions for attaching accessories
Savvy gun buyers have been wise to the M&P15 Sport for some time. The M&P10 Sport, not so much or at least it seems that way. Gun shows aren’t exactly bristling with them nor are the review sections of gun magazines. A loss on both counts.
Smith & Wesson knows AR-style rifles, and it shows in arguably one of the best AR-10 options on the market regardless of price. You heard that right. Built like a tank and capable of pin-point accuracy, the .308 Winchester has chops enough to hang with many of the big boys. Well, not the furniture or trigger—but you were going to upgrade those anyway, right?
At once the rifle is unassuming and impressive, more the latter once you see it print. A steady MOA-producing machine, the 16-inch barreled M&P10 is likely all most shooters would ever need out of the brutish end of ARs. If they did, S&W has them covered with a Performance Center 6.5 Creedmoor rendition. Suffice to say, the iteration drifts away from affordable. But for those who put a premium on long-range accuracy still proves a value.
Smith & Wesson M&P10 Sport Deals
Sportsman's Warehouse
$1,200
Palmetto State Armory
$1,230
Springfield Armory SAINT Victor
Pros
Ships with muzzle brake, upgraded furniture including M-LOK rail for accessories
Springfield Armory offers shooters a top-notch selection of AR-style rifles, but its SAINT Victor AR-10 really shines through.
Lightweight, great fit and finish and everything else that goes into making a quality rifle certainly places it among the best in this class of firearms. If there is any nit to pick over the rifle, it’s the price tag. It’s at the upper end of entry-level.
Available exclusively in .308 Winchester, the AR-10 does give shooters plenty of reasons to spend the extra money.
Boasting a 16-inch barrel, the carbine is highly maneuverable if you’re looking for a convenient hunter or a hard-hitting defensive option.
Springfield doesn’t skimp on the furniture, a M-LOK compatible handguard adds appeal. Not only does it free-float the barrel, but also gives you real estate for all your doodads.
However, the trigger is what turns heads. A nickel-boron-coated switch bests most out-of-the-box triggers in other guns. This, generally speaking, is worth the price of admission alone.
Springfield Armory SAINT Victor Deals
Sportsman's Warehouse
$1,400
Palmetto State Armory
$1,440
Why An AR-10?
The older and truly bigger brother to the AR-15 in many respects defines semi-automatic rifle power, precision and versatility. Found in some of the most renowned medium-bore cartridges—.308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem., and many more—the rifle is much more adept at precision and long-range applications. In nearly every chambering, the AR-10 is a legitimate 1,000-yard rifle, if quality built and manned by a shooter of steady nerves.
The AR-10 harkens back to the earliest days of the rifle system. Left side view of “Hollywood” AR-10 prototype. Note the gas tube situated on the left of the barrel. Photo: Imgur
Furthermore, the rifle can engage much more substantial targets. Whitetails are the ceiling for the AR-15, while the AR-10 more than happily tangles with the likes of elk and moose.
Range and muscle aside, the best part of the AR-10 is its made a roaring comeback in recent decades. Once an afterthought, the market now bristles with these brute, tailored for every application under the sun. From hunting to home defense and target shooting, there’s a rifle for you.
Helping you weed your way through the suddenly saturated market, we’ve gathered up what we consider five of the best AR-10 options you can actually afford.
Brief Note About Price
Forewarning is merited concerning the affordability of these rifles. It’s relative. AR-10s are much more expensive platforms than AR-15. Less in demand and more proprietary than its little brother, the beasts command top dollar in comparison.
That said, there are opportunities to get into a well-built AR-10.
The ceiling we’re setting for this buyer’s guide is $1,500, which opens the doors to a great many shooters and arms them with a quality rifle. Just keep in mind, power and range come at a premium.
Money to burn? Lucky you. We’ll delve into top-shelf AR-10 options in an upcoming post.
Know Thy AR-10
Despite both emanating from Eugene Stoner’s brain, in their present iterations, the AR-15 and AR-10 share few similarities. Many already know and understand this, but for those that don’t, it’s worth the effort to educate yourself on the particulars of the rifle.
Patterns matter with AR-10s. An upper made for the top lower receiver won't work with the bottom lower. Neither will many other components. You need to understand what's compatible with what.
We won’t bog you down here with the minutia, instead point you to several articles we have dealing with just these topics:
The AR-10 is not a mil-spec platform, which means it’s not as simple to modify as the AR-15. Heck, depending on its pattern, it doesn’t play nice with other AR-10s.
Even though we’re dealing with complete rifles here, you might look to upgrade someday or even replace a simple component. Building a knowledge base now saves you headaches later.
AR-10 FAQ
Is The AR-10 Better Than The AR-15?
That's like asking whether a pickup truck is better than a sports car, both are great for different reasons. The AR-10 with its 7.62 NATO cartridge excels at long-range shooting, delivering stopping power and defeating barriers, but it comes at the cost of a heavier rifle, heavier ammo and more recoil. The AR-15, chambered for 5.56 NATO, is much lighter, handier, easier to shoot quickly and uses very light ammo so you can carry a lot more of it, but it can't reach out as far or hit as hard as an AR-10.
What's The Point Of An AR-10?
In today's world, AR-15s chambered for 5.56 NATO is the standard, general-purpose rifle to own. That said, it can't do everything. Whether you find yourself needing to shoot farther in competition, in the field hunting or for any other reason, an AR-10 equipped with a good scope can do a lot that an AR-15 can't.
Why Did The AR-10 Fail?
It's not accurate to say that the AR-10 failed, it merely got overshadowed by the AR-15. While the AR-10 was a revolutionary rifle that incorporated space-age features for its time, the era of the full-power cartridge was waning and the time of the intermediate cartridge was rising. While the AR-10 only initially saw a handful of military contracts with countries like Cuba and Portugal, it eventually found great popularity in the civilian sport shooting/hunting world as well as with military users in the form of rifles like the SR-25.
There are a lot of Glock-like 9mm pistols out there, but among them, the all-metal Armscor STK100 stands out as something different.
The marketplace is full of 9mm pistols with capacious magazines. So, why Armscor? Why the STK100? Simple: no polymer. The STK100 not only looks like a Glock (let’s just get the “G word” right out there, shall we?), it uses Glock magazines and even has parts interchangeability with Glock pistols.
And why not?
On the subject of magazines alone, there are probably more Glock magazines extant, and made by a whole host of companies, than there are 1911 magazines. And that’s despite the 70-plus years and two World Wars head start the 1911 had.
The STK100 looks at first glance like a G17, but there are major differences. And good ones, at that.
Similar, But Different
So, the STK100 doesn’t use polymer. What does it use, then? Aluminum. And steel. The frame is a pair of aluminum shells. The shells are crafted by milling out 7075 alloy aluminum blocks, and then the two halves are bolted together with six strong fasteners. You can see the screws/bolts holding them. There are two in the grip frame, back where the backstrap would be. There are two across the accessory rail, on the dust cover. And the other two are on the front and rear of the trigger guard.
The interior is steel, a one-piece steel chassis, and you can see that by the serial number poking through the aluminum shell on the right side. This means that the STK100 runs on actual rails, not the four stamped tabs that a Glock uses as bearing surfaces.
The STK100 has all the same controls as on a Glock, so if you know how to run one of those, you’re all set here.
But Armscor didn’t simply clone the G17 in aluminum, because what’s the point? First, the grip is machined to be at the 1911 grip angle, not the Glock angle. Those who have spent time with 1911s will find that the Glock doesn’t point the same. Not that we should be indulging in point-shooting, but when you’re trying to groove in your index on the draw, different angles create problems in transitioning from one pistol to another.
Then, they aggressively machine in nonslip textures. The rear of the grip has diagonal and deep grooves to engage the fleshy part of your hand. The sides have checkerboard panels to give your fingertips purchase and the rest of your hand a grabby surface. The frontstrap has horizontal grooves, and the combination makes for an effective setup.
The backstrap has diagonal grooves to grip into the fleshy part of your hand and resist recoil movement. They work.
Additionally, when machining the frame halves, Armscor also went and added an extended tang. The stubby little nub of polymer on Glocks doesn’t always do a lot to prevent muzzle lift. There’s just no leverage there for your hand to resist the roll. Well, with the lengthened tang, the STK100 does a much better job. And the greater density of aluminum, compared to polymer, also helps here.
The G17 (which the STK100 is the clone of) is listed as weighing 22 ounces. The STK100 tips the scales (OK, it flexes the torsion bar in my electronic scale) at 28 ounces. Now, 6 ounces may not seem like much, but it’s not in the reciprocating mass of the system, and therefore acts as dead weight to resist inertia. It helps.
Also helping is the slide. The block Glock slide has been improved by Armscor. First, they rounded the edges and corners, so it isn’t so blocky, and that shaves off some weight. Then, they machined clearance slots in the slide, forward of the chamber area, to take more weight out. The top and sides get some cosmetic sculpting, and the front gets some cocking serrations on the widest part. The reduced weight means there’s less reciprocating mass and less to slam to a halt at the rear end of the cycle. With less bottoming-out weight, there’s less impulse to drive the muzzle rise component of recoil. This was noticeable in test-firing.
The sights also get upgrades. The front is the now-standard (for Glocks, anyway) blade set in an oval socket and fastened by a hex-headed screw from underneath. Anyone who has spent any time with Glocks knows that you check this first before shooting your new pistol. The tiny threads (I swear there are something like 60-70 tpi in there) can’t muster a lot of torque to tighten, so Loctite is definitely your friend here. No slam on Armscor, that’s just the design we all have to use.
The rear sight is also an optics mounting plate cover. Remove the screws, pry the plate off and you can put a Shield on the slide.
The rear sight is part of a removable plate that permits the installation of a red-dot optic. The plate, when removed, takes the rear sight with it, which to me is a small oversight, as there’s room to have the rear sight stay and still mount a red-dot. The footprint is set up for the Shield sights, and all the other red-dots that use the same screw pattern and base size and shape, which is a lot of them. I would’ve tested the STK100 with a red dot, but every single one of my red-dots of that pattern were already on something else being tested. But I did remove the plate and found the fit to be quite tight, which bodes well for having a red-dot fit and stay in place.
The sample STK100 came with a pair of KCI magazines, which are Glock clones made in Korea. I checked the fit with a fistful of Glock mags (they all fit) and Magpul and ETS mags as well. All fit, and all that were designed to drop free did so when required. I have some crusty old original Glock mags, back before American shooters made it clear they didn’t want “won’t drop” magazines. Those fit and functioned, but they wouldn’t drop free. They never were intended to, so I’m neither surprised nor disappointed.
How’s it Shoot?
Test-firing was … interesting. First up, the weight and its distribution, combined with the grip tang, does a great job of keeping muzzle rise under control. Even with the +P ammo, it wasn’t any big deal to just hammer the various steel plates, falling or otherwise.
Armscor sculpted the slide to remove weight, make it less bulky and look good. Points on all of those to Armscor. The sample gun came with two KCI made in Korea magazines, holding 17 rounds each. Standard Glock mags work because that was the plan from the start.
The STK100 right out of the box hit to the sights, and the white dot front with plain black rear worked just fine. The grip angle fit me well, but then I’ve done a lot of shooting of 1911s, so we’d expect that. In recoil, the front sight dropped right back down into the notch of the rear, so the nonslip grip texture is doing a good job of combating recoil squirm.
The one drawback, and this is something that may or may not be a problem for you, was the cold. My range days with the STK100 coincided with a cold snap (like 7 degrees overnight) and grabbing an all-aluminum grip when the temps moved up to 20 was … interesting. After a bit of handling and shooting, it warned up, but the first magazine out of the STK100 was informative.
My usual process is to do the chronograph work first, to get velocities and check basic function. Had I done the accuracy work first, the first few groups would’ve been pretty shabby. But by the time I was ready to shoot groups, the STK100 had warmed some, the sun was out and I knew what to expect. Accuracy? Really good.
Accuracy results from four, five-shot groups fired at 25 yards with sandbags as a rest. Velocity derived with a Labradar chronograph, programmed to read velocity 15 feet from the muzzle. Velocity is an average of 10 shots, fired at 20 degrees F.
So, what’s the STK100 for? If you’re looking for a lightweight carry gun, it’s not the one. The extra weight puts it in second place to other pistols. If you want a heavier-than-polymer pistol for competition, again, not the one. You can easily get an all-steel competition pistol for USPSA or IDPA that runs 40 ounces or more.
The frame is machined into a nonslip pattern, and how the pattern runs depends on where on the frame it is.
However, if you use competition as a means of staying in practice with your everyday carry gun, and you’re not necessarily a slave to “it has to be the lightest,” then the STK100 will fill the bill. A great trigger (a function of the stiffer frame assembly) and soft in recoil (weight and the tang) makes it fun to shoot in a match. And the extra ounces, while combating recoil, aren’t going to be noticed in a proper holster. And might I add, once again, if you’re not using a proper holster, you’re doing it wrong.
Disassembly? If you know how to do it to a Glock, you know how to do it to an STK100. If not, the process is easy to find.
Armscor has hit a home run with this one.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2022 CCW special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Owners of suppressed 5.7 firearms can rejoice, as Fiocchi has just announced new 5.7x28mm subsonic ammo for the company’s Range Dynamics line.
A lot of shooters are starting to get interested in 5.7x28mm. With all the new guns coming on the market chambered for the hot little round, it only makes sense. Plenty of these firearms are being offered with threaded muzzles as well, making suppressors an obvious accessory pairing, but what about the ammunition? Thankfully, Fiocchi has just announced the addition of 5.7x28mm subsonic ammo to its Range Dynamics line.
Packaged in 50-round boxes, Fiocchi’s 5.7x28mm subsonic ammo features 62-grain FMJ projectiles with an advertised muzzle velocity of 1,050 FPS. This is compared to the cartridge’s average bullet weight of 40 grains. Fiocchi does not specify the length of the test barrel used to determine the 1,050 FPS muzzle velocity, but hopefully it wasn’t a handgun. If a rifle-length barrel will raise this ammo’s velocity by only about 75 fps more, it will cease to be subsonic. Fiocchi’s press release also mentions the ammo’s use in carbines, however, so this should be a non-issue.
The Range Dynamics 5.7x28mm subsonic ammo is Fiocchi’s third load offered in this caliber, with 35-grain Hyperformance jacketed frangible ammo and Hyperformance 40-grain hollow points being the other two.
The new Fiocchi subsonic 5.7 load is available now, and although an official MSRP is not listed, it appears to currently be retailing for about $55 per box.
For those who only trust their lives to the best, here’s a closer look at the 2.75-inch Korth Carry Special.
I was raised on revolvers. As a habit from his moonshining days, Grandpa kept a Smith & Wesson Model 10 close by most of the time; it was the first handgun I ever fired. My cousin either had a Ruger Single Six or Colt Frontier with us on all our adventures. We used them to shoot pop cans and to kill rats and snakes.
Of course, I found autoloaders soon enough, and my hands found a 1911 or a Browning Hi Power more to their liking. Still, when I became a police officer, I was issued a Smith & Wesson Model 686. I used it at the Academy to take top gun, while the rest of my class was shooting Glocks. However, in all my years of handgunning, I’ve never seen a revolver like the Korth Carry Special.
The Korth Story
The Korth revolver is made in Lollar, Hesse, Germany. The company was founded in 1954 by former railroad engineer Willi Korth, who had a singular goal: to produce the finest revolver in the world.
Every part of a Korth revolver is machined from billet steel, and they’re fitted with a cold-hammer-forged barrel. The machine work is exquisite; you’ll find no milling marks. The fit is superb; tolerances are held to a minimum, and the cylinder locks up like a bank vault.
The ability to quickly and easily convert the Korth from a .38 Special/.357 Magnum revolver to a 9mm Luger revolver is unique … and practical.
The trigger feels unlike any trigger you’ve every pulled on any gun. Yes, it’s a double-action trigger, but as the trigger progresses through its movement, it sort of feels like you’re dragging your finger through pudding. And in the single-action mode, the trigger is so good it’s like all you need to do is think when you want the gun to go bang.
There are some design elements that are a bit different from conventional revolvers you might be familiar with. The 416R stainless-steel barrel is shrouded with a steel jacket that also forms the extractor-rod shroud. The cylinder gap is so minimal you’ll struggle to slide a piece of paper between it and the barrel. And though the cylinder release is in the usual spot, you push it forward with your thumb as opposed to pulling it to the rear. The revolver isn’t blued; it’s expertly finished in DLC (diamond-like carbon coating), which gives it a business-like appearance.
When I first picked up a Korth, I thought, If Batman carried a revolver, this is the one.
However, what might be the most unique feature of the Korth is how easy is it to change from a .38 Special/.357 Magnum cylinder to a 9mm Luger cylinder. You can switch these cylinders in about 10 seconds without the aid of any tools. Simply open the cylinder and press a button on the right side of the revolver’s frame. This allows the cylinder and crane to slide out. Once one cylinder is removed, you just reverse the process and install the other. With the Korth, you have one revolver that’ll fire three different cartridges.
A revolver that can fire multiple cartridges is very practical and very versatile.
Korth revolvers are imported into America by Nighthawk Custom out of Berryville, Arkansas. I was first exposed to them during Gunsite Academy’s 40th Anniversary Alumni Shoot, where I helped Nighthawk run one of the shooting stages. The stage required competitors to step up to a table, and on the go signal they had to pick up a Korth revolver and engage some targets.
It was kind of thrilling to watch each shooter’s expression after they fired their six shots. Almost every competitor would turn and remark how amazing the Korth’s trigger was. That was in 2016, and Nighthawk has been importing these amazing German-made revolvers ever since.
Currently, Nighthawk Custom offers 10 models, with prices ranging from $3,699 to $8,999. The new Carry Special is the least expensive version offered.
The Carry Special
The Korth Carry Special is a short-barreled revolver, intended as the name suggests, for personal protection. It has a 2.75-inch barrel and weighs 33.6 ounces. It comes with a .38 Special/.357 Magnum cylinder and a clipless 9mm Luger cylinder—full moon clips aren’t required. It’s also fitted with a slimmed down and contoured rubber Hogue grip.
During the testing of the Korth Carry Special, more than 400 rounds of .38 Special, .357 Magnum and 9mm Luger were fired through it.
The rear sight is shaped more like a rear sight you’d find on a semi-automatic self-defense handgun, but it’s fully adjustable. The front sight is supposed to be a square black blade with a gold bead that’s pinned to a rib that’s integral to the barrel shroud, but more on that later.
One concern with any imported firearm, especially a revolver, is holster availability and compatibility with speed loaders. Though you can for sure find holsters for Korth handguns, or you can have a guy like Rob Leahy at Simply Rugged make you a custom holster.
Holsters that fit the S&W 686 revolver, such as these two from Galco, work well with the Korth.
I found that the 2.75-inch Korth Carry Special worked well enough from a Galco Combat Master (Model #CM102B) designed for a 2.5-inch Smith & Wesson 686. If you prefer a thumb snap, the Korth also fits the Galco Silhouette High Ride (Model #SIL104B). As for speed loaders, Korth manufactures their own for the .38 Special/.357 Magnum and 9mm Luger. They, too, are available from Nighthawk Custom ($50).
Range Time
Though I don’t get wrapped around the axle when it comes to testing a defensive handgun from the bench, when you’re dealing with a handgun that costs this much, you want to know what it’ll do. The three-cartridge uniqueness of the Korth Carry Special necessitated the shooting of three different loads: one in 9mm, one in .38 Special and one in .357 Magnum. Obviously, the gun is hindered a bit by its short barrel, but after firing three, five-shot groups with each load from a sandbag rest at 10 yards, the average for all nine groups was only 1.64 inches.
Short-barrel handguns don’t lend themselves to precision shooting, but sub-inch groups at 10 yards were common with the Korth Carry Special.
How does that stack up against other common defensive handguns? Well, based on the defensive handguns I’ve tested, that’s better than average for that barrel length. As a comparison, I tested a 3-inch Colt Python with the same .38 Special and .357 Magnum loads, and it averaged 1.75 inches. It’s also more than sufficient for self-defense and should allow you to deliver a shot inside a 4-inch circle out to around 12 or 13 yards—and that’s if you shoot twice as bad off-hand and under stress as you do from a bench rest.
What I think is more important is how well a handgun allows you to perform practical defensive drills. After all, during an encounter where you must shoot to save your life, you’ll not have a bench rest and sandbags. I typically find my best performance on tactical drills with my Wilson Combat EDC X9. I ran both against the Korth Carry Special on three drills fired at distances of 5 and 10 yards. Using the same 9mm ammunition, on average I scored 10 percent better with the semi-auto.
I also had two other shooters run the same drills with both pistols, and the results were similar. On average, they performed 12 percent better with the Wilson Combat pistol. One obvious reason is that single-action semi-auto pistols can be fired faster than double-action revolvers. The other reason was that the plain black sight on the Korth Carry Special slowed down engagement times on the 10-yard drill. The low-profile matte black sight was just slower to pick up.
Wait a minute. What sight am I talking about? Yeah, good question. As previously mentioned, the Carry Special comes with a bladed front sight that has a gold bead. However, the revolver I was provided for evaluation was one of the early imports, and it was fitted with a plain black, ramped front sight. It worked just fine during accuracy testing, but during fast-paced drills at 10 yards, it was very hard to quickly pick up that plain black sight on the target.
On the other hand, on a three-shot speed drill fired at 5 yards, where we had to make two torso hits and then hit a swinging head plate as fast as possible, there was only a 5 percent difference in scores. The thing is, at this distance, we were just indexing the gun and not using the sights. On that drill where the sights weren’t that important, the only real difference in performance—speed—was working with the double-action revolver trigger as opposed to the single-action trigger on the Wilson Combat semi-automatic.
Rugged, beautiful and reliable, the Korth Carry Special is a revolver you can trust your life with.
Is It Worth The Money?
Well, $3,699 is a lot of money to pay for a handgun—any handgun. However, if you look at the prices of high-end 1911 handguns, there’s not a lot of difference. Most of the custom 1911s sold by Nighthawk retail for more than $4,000. Also, when you compare the Korth Carry Special to other revolvers from Colt or Smith & Wesson, their actions aren’t as smooth, and the triggers aren’t even in the same league. A 3-inch Colt Python will set you back $1,500 … and a comparable 3-inch Smith & Wesson will run you between $900 and $1,300. Is the Korth Carry Special worth more than twice these other revolvers?
The cylinder latch/release on the Korth revolver must be pushed forward to allow the cylinder to swing out from the frame.
From a save-your-life standpoint, probably not. But the same could be said for most full-custom 1911s. On the other hand, guns aren’t just about self-defense; if they were, everyone would probably just carry a damned old Glock. No, sometimes shooters, just as those who enjoy other sporting endeavors, want the best their money can buy. If that’s you, and if you want what’s arguably the best self-defense revolver available, and if you have $3,699 plus tax lying around, now you know where to spend it.
Nobody needs a Korth revolver. But, then again, nobody needs an $1,800 Honma golf club, a $1,500 Seigler fly reel or a BMW M8 either. If you can afford the BMW, you can damned sure afford the Korth. And, if you show up at the shooting range with both, you’ll be well armed and most likely the coolest guy there, maybe for a long time to come.
I’m not sure how long the BMW will last you, but the Korth comes with a lifetime warranty.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Henry recently unveiled the Henry Homesteader, a 9mm semi-auto carbine that seamlessly blends classic looks with modern utility.
Pistol caliber carbines, or PCCs, have become incredibly popular in recent years. However, the designs have tended to be more tactical in nature. Henry Repefating Arms’ newest PCC, the 9mm Henry Homesteader, gives the concept a fresh look by going back in time instead.
The Henry Homesteader features a blued steel barrel, an anodized aluminum receiver and an American walnut stock and handguard. Despite its classic style, it functions like any other modern PCC. Semi-automatic, mag-fed and both optics- and suppressor-ready, the Homesteader appears to be capable of keeping up with anything else currently on the market. The receiver is drilled and tapped to accept a Weaver 63B base, and the muzzle is threaded 1/2×28.
There are three variants of the Henry Homesteader available based on which style of magazine the prospective purchaser would like to use. The base model uses proprietary Henry magazines, and each carbine will ship with one 5-rounder and one 10-rounder. The other two models additionally ship with a magwell adaptor that enables the use of other magazine patterns, either Glock or Sig Sauer/Smith & Wesson M&P. The versions that include a magwell are the same as the base model when the adaptor is not installed, allowing them to use the proprietary Henry mags as well.
Henry Homesteader with a Glock magazine well adaptor installed.
The standard Henry Homesteader has an MSRP of $928 and the magwell variants have an MSRP of $958.
Whether you're looking for a 12-gauge shotgun for hunting or home defense , Mossberg has you covered with the 940 Pro Turkey and 940 Pro Tactical.
One of my favorite quotes from classic American literature references shotguns: “… but if there is a law at all, it should be to keep people from the use of smooth-bores. A body never knows where his lead will fly, when he pulls the trigger of one of them uncertain firearms.” These words were spoken by James Fenimore Cooper’s fictional character Natty Bumppo, aka Hawkeye, from the Leatherstocking Tales.
For those who do not completely understand the shotgun, let me educate you: Shotguns throw a pattern of bullets—pellets—and those individual pellets never land in the same place. This causes shotgun shooters to spend hours doing something called “patterning.” This is arguably a waste of time because all they’re really doing is trying to predict the unpredictable.
I learned this at about age 5 when my father first took me squirrel hunting. He gave me a break-action shotgun, and one morning I fired a box of shells at squirrels. On the way back to camp, I asked if I could borrow Grandpa’s pump .22 LR rifle for our next squirrel hunt. I did, and I’ve hardly looked at a shotgun seriously since.
Twins—not identical—but twins nonetheless: Mossberg’s 18.5-inch, 940 Pro Tactical and Turkey, 12-gauge shotguns.
It’s not so much that I don’t like shotguns; I just don’t have a real need for a shotgun. Ironically, during my law enforcement days, I received a lot of tactical shotgun training. And while I think there are some excellent applications for a shotgun in law enforcement and in combat, those days are long behind me. I don’t wing shoot. If I turkey hunt, I do it in West Virginia where I can use anything I want—and for home defense, I feel the carbine is a better option. Moreover, until now, I’ve never seen a shotgun that I really liked.
With all that in mind, maybe you’ll take what I’m about to tell you with more than a grain of salt. I’ve found two shotguns I really like. They just happen to be the same shotgun wearing a different uniform. Now, before I go any further, let me say that this isn’t the common “they sent me a shotgun to test, it’s wonderful, and you should go buy it” kind of article.
This is more of a story of discovery.
A father and son with different affections and opinions about shotguns, well-armed with Mossberg’s 940 Pro Tactical (left) and 940 Pro Turkey (right).
How it Happened
It started when my son became afflicted with the disease of turkey hunting. He’s an accomplished videographer, and he and a friend decided they were going to record their passion with a camera and share their exploits on social media. Like with many endeavors, life and work get in the way of grandiose ideas, and my son ended up with so many clients he could barely carve out enough time to just go turkey hunting, much less film it.
At any rate, for their endeavor to have added appeal, they reached out to Mossberg and requested the loan of one of their new 940 Pro Turkey shotguns. When it came in, my son brought it by and unboxed it. I was immediately smitten with its light heft and compactness. Not only that but this shotgun came from the factory with a neat little space carved out of the top of the receiver where a reflex sight could be mounted. This, of course, is a fantastic idea and makes you wonder why it took so long to happen.
Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey 18.5-inch.
Shortly after opening day, a friend was visiting from New York. (Yes, I’m friends with some Yankees, if they don’t intend to stay when they come to visit.) My son and his buddy took him turkey hunting, and he used the new Mossberg to whack a big gobbler at about 35 yards. (My son did get that on film.) A few days later, my boy convinced me to go turkey hunting with him, and after way more walking than I thought was necessary, he snuck up on a big 3-year-old tom and shot him in the face with the Mossberg.
Though I had little interest in turkey hunting with this shotgun, I began to lust for it as a home defense—tactical—weapon. It was, after all, a short, light, semi-automatic that came out of the box ready to go for a reflex sight. Then, I discovered that Mossberg offers a 940 Pro Tactical version of this shotgun. And, unusual for tactical shotguns, it accepts interchangeable choke tubes. I reached out to the media relations representative at Mossberg who knew my disdain for scatterguns and, to their astonishment, requested one to give it a try.
Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical.
The Details
Both shotguns feature the unique Mossberg self-draining stock that comes with inserts that’ll allow you to adjust the stock’s length of pull, drop and cast. Both also have the receiver machined to accept any compact reflex sight that matches the J-point footprint. The receivers are also drilled and tapped, and a fiber-optic front sight is standard. The “Pro” designation means both shotguns have an updated, clean-running gas system with corrosion-resistant internal parts. An enlarged and beveled loading port, a quick-empty magazine release button, a cocked indicator, interchangeable chokes, and an oversized operating handle are all standard as well.
The factory machined receiver on the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical and Turkey shotguns is precut to fit the Crimson Trace CTS-1550 and CT RAD Pro mini reflex sights.
Now for the differences. Just like the 940 Pro Tactical, the 940 Pro Turkey comes with an 18.5-inch barrel, but a 24-inch barreled version is also available. The 940 Pro Tactical comes in flat black and both 940 Pro Turkey shotguns have a Mossy Oak Greenleaf camo finish. The Turkey models also have a ventilated rib on the barrel and a 4+1 capacity. The 940 Pro Tactical has a 7+1 capacity and a barrel/magazine tube clamp that’s M-Lok compatible.
Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey 24-inch.
Both have a rear sling swivel stud, and on the Tactical version, the front stud is integral to the barrel clamp. With the Turkey version, the front stud is part of the magazine tube cap. The Tactical version has a larger action release button and weighs 7.5 pounds. The 24-inch Turkey version weighs the same, but the 18.5-inch 940 Pro Turkey is noticeably lighter than both.
Shots Fired
In addition to the turkey slaying my son orchestrated with the 940 Pro Turkey, over the course of several months we’ve shot both shotguns a lot, with a lot of different loads. Everything we’ve fed both shotguns they digested without fail. In addition to testing a wide range of 2¾ and 3-inch loads, we did a lot of that “patterning” with five different choke tubes.
Both the 940 Pro Tactical and 18.5-inch 940 Pro Turkey shotguns were tested with four Mossberg Accu-Chokes and a Carlson Turkey choke. (Left to right: X-Factor XX Full, Full, Modified, Improved Cylinder and Cylinder Bore. Front: Carlson Long Beard XR choke.)
Since both shotguns had the same length barrel, their performance on target was as identical as two shotguns could be. I’m not one to count pellets; it’s relatively easy to just look at the patterns and make a reasonable conclusion about in the field performance. At 25 yards, Federal’s excellent Home Defense 00-buck load printed a pattern out of the 940 Pro Tactical with the cylinder bore choke that was about fist size. Off-hand, rifled slugs grouped similarly. At that same distance, Federal’s Force X2 00-buck load patterned at about 12 inches.
(Left) Federal’s Home Defense buckshot load delivered a fantastic pattern from the cylinder bore choke tube in the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical. (Middle) Because of a different wad, the Federal Force X2 buckshot load doesn’t pattern as tightly as the home defense load. But Force X2 pellets break in half creating twice the damage and limit over penetration. (Right) This three-shot group was fired—offhand—with Federal rifled slugs at a distance of 25 yards out of the 940 Pro Tactical with a cylinder bore choke.
Using a Federal #5 shot load, I tested the Mossberg full, modified and improved cylinder Accu-Choke tubes in the 940 Pro Tactical. At 25 yards, the full choke pattern was about 10 inches in diameter, the modified choke pattern was about 14 inches, and the improved cylinder choke patterned at about 16 inches. Keep in mind, this is all out of an 18.5-inch barrel.
(Left) A 2 ¾-inch load of #5 shot fired out of the 940 Pro Tactical with a full choke at 25 yards. (Middle) The Carlson Long Beard XR choke delivered a very dense pattern at 25 yards. This choke also delivered two spring gobblers at around 35 yards. (Right) Mossberg’s X-Factor XX Full choke performed well with Federal’s #7-9 TSS load.
The Mossberg X-Factor XX full-choke tube and a Carlson Long Beard XR choke tube were tested at 25 yards using the 940 Pro Turkey shotgun and #7-9 Federal TSS loads. Both patterns were about 8 inches with good coverage … but with the Carlson choke, the pattern was a bit denser in the center.
The One Shotgun For Everything
Shotguns, just like rifles, can be very specialized. True shotgunners will have a different shotgun for every need they can imagine. I’m not a true shotgunner. My interest in shotguns is much more from the general-purpose angle. If I’m going to have a shotgun, I’m going to have one shotgun that I can use to effectively do the most things with.
I’ve been at this shooting thing for a long time, and to date, I’ve not seen a better general-purpose shotgun option than the 940 Pro Tactical. It’s best configured for self-defense, but with the interchangeable choke system, you can use it for damn near anything you want. If, on the other hand, you’re interested in what might be the ultimate, lightweight, compact and most versatile turkey shotgun available, the 940 Pro Turkey is the way to go. It seems to be doing its job nicely for my son, and soon you should be able to order the longer barrel and switch between them as needed.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the January 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Offering up the tools to make nearly any reasonable shot come in, the Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm upgrades the modern hunter's game.
Hunters—particularly those from the wide-open Western lands—have gone through an evolution over the past decade or so. Optics and rifles, as affordable as they are accurate, are to thank for some pretty amazing things happening at the fringes of game-getting. The margins, where hunters once reluctantly dared to go, are now commonplace and ethical.
One of the players who has quietly made a name for itself in the rarefied air of precision hunting is Maven Outdoors. Hitting the scene nearly a decade ago, the Lander, Wyo., optics firm has punched a strong and lasting toehold in the specialized niche. Once in your hands and on a rifle, there’s little wonder why. For low- to mid-priced hunting glass, Maven is on target.
Applied to an economical, yet accurate Interarms MarkX the Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm proved a capable hunting optic.
At least that’s how I walked away from my first hunt with Maven this past fall. On the range and in the sage of Western Colorado, the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm SHR-W scope proved an absolute ace on an old deer iron.
Maven Difference
For those unfamiliar with Maven, a slight introduction might be due.
The company is the purveyor of fairly over-engineered optics with a hunting bent. It’s solid glass at a good price—not cheap at the top end, but not out of reach for most hunters.
The company took a different tack to achieve the latter point. Instead of relying on big box stores to peddle their goods, Maven took consumer sales into its own hands with a relatively savvy media blitz and direct sales through its website. With the middlemen cut out, savings ensued.
Built in Japan with Japanese components, including glass, the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm is a high-end option at a relatively affordable price.
For the most part, the company’s wares range from $470 for its fairly new second-focal plane CRS line, up to $1,800 for its premium RS lines of scopes. This hits the mark for a wide swath of shooters and hunters and is sweetened by the ability to customize your scope.
Admittedly, most of the customization features are superficial—adjustment ring color, turret color, etc. But for someone who wants a scope to feel like their own atop an absolute favorite rifle, it’s a nice touch—in many cases free. Along with this, the company offers a wider range of reticles (in your preferred angular measurement) than are typically found.
RS.1 Glass
At the heart of any scope worth its weight in venison is top-end glass. The Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm’s Japanese-manufactured glass does not disappoint in this end.
A large concern in any hunting scope is its light-gathering ability, given most shots are taken in the dim hours of dawn and dusk. A critter made to blend in with its environment becomes a dicey shot without something to ensure a sharp image in a scope. With a 44mm objective and a very generous 43.6mm eyepiece, the scope had the physical dimensions to make images pop when light was scarce. Furthermore, its extra-low dispersion (ED) glass—fully coated—further enhanced the overall quality of the image delivered.
At 44mm, the Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm's objective is at once large enough to present a wide field of vision and gather plenty of light, but not prove burdensome on a hunting rifle.
We could parse the nitty-gritty of chromatic aberration and how ED glass defeats the distortion common to low-quality lenses. Instead, we’ll just point out that to 500 yards—tested at the range—the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm served up an image as crisp and clear as if the target was at 50 yards. This, to boot, in the flat light of a cloudy day.
SHR-W Reticle
Not that duplex reticles have gone the way of the dodo, but hunters have wised-up to the advantage of more elaborate crosshairs. Technology what it is today, why play the holdover guessing game?
In the case of the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm, it comes with two MOA reticle options—the MOA-2 and SHR-W, both etched on the first focal plane. I chose the latter. In addition to 1-MOA hashes for wind adjustment, the reticle also features bullet-drop compensation hashes at 5-, 10- and 20-MOA increments.
Offering the best of both worlds, the SHR-W offers an MOA BDC and windage hashes, but at the same click is very uncluttered.
Overall, this matched up well with the hand-loaded 165-grain Hornady Interlock bullets I shoot out of an old .30-06 Springfield Interarms Mark X, on which I mounted the scope. The load has a muzzle velocity of 2,600 fps, which gave me near-dead-nuts holds at 300, 450 and 700 yards with the BDC.
There are two additional points worth mentioning about the reticle. First, it’s clean as a whistle, presenting an unencumbered view most hunters appreciate. Second, being an FFP reticle, its measurements were functional no matter the magnification. Both made the scope fast and intuitive to use—assets hunters should look for in any equipment.
Turrets
On the pro side of things, the RS.1’s turrets are extremely responsive and control a very precise erector system. Once zeroed, I tested and retested the turret’s tracking out to 500 yards and back again. The scope was right on in adjusting elevation to match the range, which was proof enough it could be dialed in for what I would consider my limit.
The 1/4-MOA per click adjustments were also very tactile and audible, making dialing—at least from the comfort of a benchrest—a piece of cake. In the field, that’s a bit of a different story.
The turrets control an excellent erector set with dead-nuts tracking. However, capped–like most hunting scopes–and a bit on the small side, it's a stretch to employ them in more harried hunting circumstances
Presenting an issue—one common to all hunting scopes—are the turret caps.
I’ll dial all day long, given the opportunity, but getting to the turrets in a practical fashion when there is a limited window for a shot is a tall task to say the least. Moreover, the turrets are small enough that with gloved hands they might prove a bit precarious to deal with.
A deal breaker? No. But something to be aware of if you’re absolutely wed to dialing your shots.
Scope Construction
Tube size, particularly when it comes to image production and adjustment range, proves important. At 30mm, the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm offers more than enough for any hunter.
Composed of nicely machined aircraft-grade aluminum, Maven’s scope has a solid feel to match an impeccable finish. Little things, such as very aggressive knurling on the turret caps and magnification ring are also appreciated, making them much easier to manage in the often wet and harried conditions of the field.
Luckily, I didn’t test the scope’s overall wherewithal by banging it off a Poderosa or chunk of granite on my hunt. Had I, I suspect the scope would have shaken it off and continued hunting.
Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm In The Field
This is a scope review, not a hunting story, so I’ll turn my ego aside and keep this brief.
The second mule deer buck I saw in Western Colorado was the one I took. A high-desert hillside over, the loner was pestered by a coyote and while not at a trot, he wanted done with the impertinent canine. Suffice to say, the window was narrow between setting the RS.1’s crosshairs and watching the buck disappear over the knoll.
Nice touches, such as aggressive knurling on the magnification ring and a tough exterior finish bumps the Maven scope up a peg verses other options at its price point.
By the reading on my rangefinder, when he settled and the shot came it was just a hair over 300 yards. This was the first BDC hash, which I placed just behind his scapula and struck the sweet spot. There’s little more to say than the scope functioned just as it had at the range—which was on the money.
To confess, I was a bit dissatisfied to start, because I desperately desired to dial in the shot. However, this wore off with time and an appreciation of the entire system Maven presents in the RS.1 took its place.
Hunting is full of wild cards, no two shots the same. A quiet morning might allow a hunter the chance to get to the turrets, make the right number of clicks and put a bullet in the vitals. Other days, with a coyote at a buck’s heels, putting meat in the freezer requires a hold over.
Either way, I walked away with supreme confidence that no matter the opportunity, Maven allows you to take advantage of it.
Parting Shot
Most hunters, even in big country, take their game close in—the average deer, regardless of species, is harvested at no further than 100 yards. In turn, the Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm might be overkill for most hunters. Then again…
I saw a ton of West Colorado deer on my hunt, only two were bucks. I might have come home empty handed had my rifle not had a scope I could rely on. Conversely, there’s the case of trophies—mine decidedly was not this. But when one happens around, you want the tools to take him.
With a Maven on top of your rifle, it seems you can be assured you certainly have one.
Looking to zero a firearm without expending too much time or ammo? Here are the five best bore sight models to get you on target.
Laser bore sights are a must for getting and maintaining an accurate zero. They enable you to adjust your optic's point of aim to be a lot closer to your gun's point of impact, all without firing a single shot.
You don't want to rely on guesswork, and eschewing the use of a bore sight often results in zeroing one’s pistol, rifle or shotgun to their rotten trigger press. Yes, that's why you're shooting low left.
So, let's talk about laser bore sights, how to use them, and a few of the best models on the market.
An EZshoot in-muzzle style Bore Sight installed on a rifle.
How Do Bore Sighters Work?
A bore sighter is a laser that goes in the barrel. This projects a red dot out to whatever the maximum range is for the laser, which is typically 25 yards at the most.
Generally, they come in two varieties: those you put in the chamber, and those you put in the muzzle.
The chamber variety have a housing that's machined to the shape and dimensions of a specific cartridge, be it 9mm, .45 ACP, .30-06, .223 or anything else. You turn the device on and load it as you would a standard cartridge.
A 7.62×39 bore sight laser partially inserted into the chamber of an AK.
The muzzled variety are basically a laser on a stick. It goes in the barrel, you turn it on, and it projects the dot. The stick will have a threaded end which accepts an adapter for the bore diameter, so after inserting it into the muzzle it will be held securely.
With either style of bore sight, the laser gives you a projection of the supposed point of impact. You can then calibrate your optic or iron sights to it.
A Wheeler Professional Bore Sighter installed on a rifle's muzzle.
How To Zero With A Bore Sight
So, we know that some go in the chamber and other types of bore sights are affixed to the muzzle. What do you do from there?
That depends, partially on what kind of distance you have to work with, what kind of gun you have and your specific load and caliber.
You can bore sight outdoors or indoors. Indoors is better so you can get the best visibility, but you may find yourself having to do it outside to achieve greater distance.
Most people have at least one 10-yard linear distance inside their home. Some people may have up to 25 yards of linear distance in their yard. You have to figure out what you have access to.
It’s a good idea to use a bullseye target of some kind, with a way to hang it and a rest for your gun to hold it as stable as possible.
Bore sighting a pistol red dot is the easiest, especially for a 10-yard zero. You set up a target at 10 yards, turn on the bore sight and zero the optic to the laser.
For long guns, it can get a little trickier.
Ideally, you'd have a 25-yard linear distance available. What you'd do is get a trajectory table with your load, optic height and zero calculated—say a .223 with a 100-yard zero and a 1.93-inch height over bore—and find what the point of impact should be at 25 yards.
What you want to do is zero your optic to whatever the point of impact should be relative to the point of aim at that known distance. For that load, it would be about 1 inch low. If you don't, then make sure to recalculate the trajectory table for 10-yard increments. That gives you a point of impact about 1.5 inches below point of aim.
Put a piece of tape or a target pasty at the point of impact for the distance you're zeroing at. Turn on the bore sight and put the dot on the target pasty or piece of tape. Then adjust your reticle until it's in the bullseye above the laser.
Relatively simple, right? You just calibrate the reticle—or iron sights—at a known distance in reference to a laser, without ammo and without needing to pull a trigger. But does that mean you're good to go?
No. It does not.
How Close Does Bore Sighting Get You?
Bore sighting will get you in the ballpark, but it will never get you 100-percent perfectly zeroed. You will still have to fine-tune your zero with live ammo at the range.
Here's why.
Any amount of misalignment is an error of calibration. In shooting, one way we measure deviation from the desired point of impact is in minutes of angle or MOA.
A 2-MOA error of alignment at 10 yards is 0.2 inches. At 25 yards, the maximum visible range for most bore sights, it’s 0.5 inches. How are you going to be able to tell if you haven't achieved a proper zero at those distances?
This graphic helps visualize how a constant MOA value gets larger the farther the muzzle is from the target. This is why a small misalignment at close range can result in major deviations at distance.
How can you tell if it's the optic not being completely zeroed instead of the ammunition or you pushing the shot? You literally can't. There are too many potential variables to account for, not even including a shooter’s marksmanship skills.
At the distances most people will use and indeed even can use a boresight, you literally cannot tell whether or not you have precisely calibrated your gun and your sighting system. Because the only way to confirm just how close or far your laser zero is to the true point of impact, zeroing must be completed at the range with the ammunition you're going to use in the gun. That said, they can still save you a lot of headache by easily getting your shots on paper before even going to the range.
Which Bore Sight Is Best?
Which style or brand of bore sight is best depends on your use-case. The average person can get a lot of use out of an inexpensive one, but the professional gunsmith or armorer will likely need to invest a little more.
Additionally, there's the question of whether you should get the cartridge-style or the in-muzzle kind.
If you have multiple firearms of just one or two calibers, it would be smart to get the cartridge bore sights for those chamberings. For example, if your guns are only 9mm and .223/5.56mm, that means you only need two devices to service all your guns.
If you have guns chambered for multiple calibers, a multi-caliber bore sight is your best bet.
For most people, a bore sight is only going to be an occasional use item. A professional-grade set is not strictly necessary. While there's certainly something to be said for buy-once-cry-once, you don't need to buy Snap-On tools to change your oil a few times per year.
So…what are the best bore sights to buy? Let's have a look.
The Top Five Bore Sights
EZShoot Bore Sight Kit
The EZShoot Bore Sight Kit is a muzzle-end bore sight laser kit. It comes with multiple muzzle attachments for different calibers, from .17 all the way up to .54 caliber. It's powered by a single CR2 battery and has up to 2.5 hours of battery life and a range of 15 to 100 yards.
It's low cost (the red version is often found online for about $20, and the green version a little more) and versatile enough for most casual users to keep a battery of guns properly calibrated.
Wheeler Professional Boresighter
Some would rather buy once and cry once. The Wheeler Professional uses a rare-earth magnet to securely attach to the muzzle, and a simple switch (on or off) to engage the laser. The aluminum housing is about 1-inch in diameter, large enough for any firearm.
A simple tool, but ruggedly made for a lifetime of service. The red laser version has an MSRP of about $120, and the green laser’s is about $180.
MidTen Bore Sight
There are several brands that these made-in-China bore sight laser cartridges are whitelabeled as, but MidTen just happens to be one of the most common. These are cartridge-style bore sights, made specifically for the most popular pistol, rifle and shotgun calibers.
They're powered by onboard batteries (typically AG13) and the laser turns on as soon as you tighten the battery compartment. The red laser is typically visible to 100 yards. You can easily find them online for about $20 per.
StrongTools BoreSighter
The StrongTools BoreSighter is similar to the EZShoot kit, but has two principle differences. First, the barrel adapters go up to 12-gauge instead of merely .54-caliber (12-gauge is .85-caliber) and it's powered by CR2 3-volt batteries, which are far easier to deal with than watch batteries.
Generally you'll find them (or the same product whitelabeled as a different brand) for about $30 to $40, depending on whether you want the red or green laser.
SiteLite SL-100 Mag Laser
SiteLite is one of the common brands trusted by professionals for frequent use, and they're found in police and military armories all over the world. The Mag Laser inserts into the muzzle, with adapters and sleeves to fit .17-caliber all the way up to 12-gauge,
SiteLite lasers connect to software, which you can download from SiteLite's website, to create a unique trajectory table and zero for you. This takes all the guesswork out of the equation and provides the most precise calibration possible.
The SL-100 is their entry level model and they can generally be found for about $100.
Rock Island Armory has recently unveiled the RIA 5.0 pistol, a new American-made 9mm with an interesting combination of features.
Rock Island Armory has mostly been known for its imported handguns, but that may be about to change. At SHOT Show 2023, the company announced its first entirely American-made firearm, the RIA 5.0. It’s a full-size 9mm pistol that combines a few interesting elements from other handgun designs into a single pistol.
Made at Rock Island’s brand-new facility in Cedar City, Utah, the most promising feature of the RIA 5.0 is its soft recoil impulse, and this is achieved through a combination of a few different design choices. Firstly, the pistol features what RIA is calling its patented RVS Recoil System. The company claims it helps reduce recoil by maximizing barrel mass and linear movement. Additionally, the slide rides inside the frame like on a CZ-75, lowering the bore axis and reducing muzzle flip. Finally, the frame is made out of aluminum rather than polymer, providing extra weight to help keep the pistol flat during firing (with a total weight of 2.47 pounds, the RIA 5.0 is pretty beefy).
The pistol’s shootability is further improved by a smooth, 4-pound trigger, a two-piece modular grip for increased control with differently-sized hands and good sights out of the box. The RIA 5.0 ships with a Dawson Precision fiber optic front sight and an LPA adjustable rear sight, and it can also be purchased with a pre-installed C-More RTS II red dot sight. Other notable details worth mentioning include its 17+1 magazine capacity, accessory rail and barrel length of 4.91 inches.
Martin Tuason, President and CEO of parent company Armscor/Rock Island Armory, said this about the new handgun:
The RIA 5.0 is really an engineering marvel…It’s an extremely shootable sporting pistol with a meticulously engineered trigger system. Best of all, we’re proud to say it’s made entirely in the U.S.A.
The standard RIA 5.0 has an MSRP of $998 and the Special Edition that includes a red dot has an MSRP of $1,298.
When it comes to 7.62×39 vs. .308 , which of the popular .30-cals has more to offer the average shooter?
Some may wonder, why even bother discussing 7.62×39 vs. .308 Winchester? The former is an intermediate cartridge, the latter a full-powered one. Even an amateur ballistician should understand these two cartridges have wildly different properties. What they do have in common, however, is still enough to warrant a comparison.
First, despite small differences between actual projectile diameters, both are .30-calibers. And second, their histories somewhat mirror each other, each rising to feed Soviet and NATO (in the guise of the 7.62x51mm) small arms during the Cold War.
Today, while neither NATO nor Russia uses infantry rifles chambered for these cartridges, both see military service worldwide. And luckily for the American shooter, both are still common, affordable and have a slew of firearm options available for them.
So, if you’re interested in diving into a new .30-caliber rifle, which of these cold warriors will serve you the best? Like so many guns and ammo questions, that depends on your ultimate aims.
7.62×39 Development
Developed by the Soviet Union at the tail-end of WWII, 7.62×39 can be described as the world’s first truly refined intermediate cartridge. The Germans got the ball rolling with 8mm Kurz, but the concept wasn’t fully realized until the Russian M43 cartridge entered full-scale production and adoption in the late 1940s. It was planned for used in an entirely new family of weapons including the SKS, the RPD and the AK-47.
The fact the Soviets opted to retain the older, full-powered 7.62x54r for sniping and general-purpose machinegun roles should already tell a lot about 7.62×39's capabilities. While nearly perfectly suited for infantry rifles, light machineguns and “submachine guns” (as the AK was originally classified under Soviet doctrine), 7.62×39 just didn’t have the range or power necessary for the other two roles.
While officially replaced in Soviet service by the 5.45×39 cartridge in 1974, 7.62×39 is still in military use around the world, both by state and non-state actors.
In the U.S., the cartridge enjoyed a brief period of popularity for hunting use when SKSs, AKs and the ammo itself were being sold dirt-cheap in the 1990s. Today, it’s no longer commonly used in this capacity, however, the recent revival of interest in Kalashnikovs has ensured that 7.62×39 isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
.308 Winchester/7.62×51 NATO
Because .308 Winchester and 7.62×51 NATO are so ballistically similar, for the purposes of this article we’ll be treating them as the same. Be aware, however, that the two cartridges are technically different.
Both completed development in the 1950s, making them slightly newer than 7.62×39. It’s hard to argue the West wasn’t behind the curve on this one. Squarely falling under the definition of a full-power cartridge for a standard infantry rifle, .308 and 7.62 NATO simply had more bite than was necessary.
This is partially why the U.S. was so quick to replace the M14 with the M16. Chambered for the intermediate .223 Remington/5.56×45 NATO cartridge, its adoption was undoubtedly inspired in concept by 7.62×39.
However, it’s also why 7.62×51 is still in NATO service today, just typically not in infantry rifles. Today, nearly 70 years after its initial adoption, 7.62 NATO is still a popular chambering for machine guns, sniper rifles and designated marksman rifles.
With this in mind, the best uses for both 7.62×39 and .308 start to become more apparent. While the former clearly has some close-contact advantages, the latter has much longer legs and barrier penetration capabilities. The only real questions then are how big is the gap in long-distance performance and how should that impact your choice in a cartridge?
7.62×39 Vs. .308 Winchester Ballistics
We’ll start with 7.62×39, as it's easier to discuss given its limited ammo options.
Virtually every load you find for this cartridge commercially in the U.S. features an FMJ projectile between 122 and 124 grains. These specs are almost identical to the Soviet M43 load, except for the original's steel core. Modern commercial ammo imports only have lead.
The original M43 bullet also featured a boat tail, something found on only some commercially available 7.62×39 today. While a historically accurate representation, opinions vary on just how much impact the inclusion of a boat tail has on this cartridge’s accuracy, given its … well … intermediate range. You also occasionally find hollow point, subsonic and soft point loads for this cartridge. Only the soft points, however, have any relevance to our present discussion.
Here’s a ballistic table for a standard Russian M43 122-grain 7.62x39mm FMJBT round (G1 BC of .304), calculated using a muzzle velocity of 2,411 fps (average for the SKS, a bit higher than the AKM due to a longer barrel).
All tables were made using ShootersCalculator with a 100-yard zero, 1.5-inch sight height, a 10 mph 90-degree crosswind and zero corrections for atmosphere.
Next is a table for a fairly standard M80 load of 7.62×51 NATO made by Winchester, featuring a 149-grain bullet (G1 BC of .456) and an advertised muzzle velocity of 2,790 fps.
The tables make the differences between these two cartridges much more obvious. Not only does the standard 7.62 NATO round start its life with about 400 fps more muzzle velocity than 7.62×39, but it also has almost 1,000 foot-pounds more energy. The 7.62 NATO also doesn’t go subsonic until after 1,000 yards compared to 7.62×39 doing so just before 600 yards. At 1,000 yards, 7.62 NATO is still traveling at over 1,000 fps and has dropped nearly 400 inches less than 7.62×39 at the same distance.
Verdict? If you want any sort of long-range capability, the larger 7.62 is the clear winner. This is reinforced when comparing 7.62×39 to any sort of capable commercial .308 Winchester load rather than the mass-produced military M80 load of 7.62×51.
Here’s a table for Hornady’s 168-grain ELD Match load of .308 Winchester (G1 BC of .523) calculated using a muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps.
This load better demonstrates the true potential of .308 Winchester as a long-range cartridge, as all the areas where 7.62×51 outperforms 7.62×39 are further exaggerated. Namely, compared to the M80 load, the Hornady .308 Winchester has retained even more velocity and energy at 1,000 yards and has dropped about 10 fewer inches.
There is some 7.62×39 ammunition advertised as match-grade as well, but its performance still doesn’t rival .308 Winchester. For instance, GECO Target VM in 7.62×39 has a G1 BC of .355 which allows it to stay supersonic until just beyond 700 yards. For pushing the limits of this cartridge’s maximum range, loads like this are far superior to the standard spec but still fall short of even the most basic 7.62×51 ammo.
This difference in results stems from a few physical distinctions between the cartridges. The larger case of .308 Winchester allows for greater powder capacity, perhaps the defining feature in its longer legs. No matter the cartridge you’re discussing, more propellant equates to greater velocity and typically longer ranges among like calibers. Additionally, the .308’s projectiles are generally longer and heavier, giving them an overall superior ballistic profile.
Hitting targets at a country mile, however, isn’t the only factor to base a decision. So how do the .30-cals match up in what some might consider more practical applications?
7.62×39 Vs. .308 Winchester: Applications
Hunting
Given that both have been popular hunting cartridges in the U.S., perhaps a better comparison would be between their effects on targets within 400 yards. This leads us to another advantage of the .308 Winchester’s more common projectile: bullet variety.
Because SKSs aren’t $95 dollars any longer, the popularity of the 7.62×39 as a hunting option has dwindled in recent years. Ammunition manufacturers have responded to the lack of demand with fewer hunting-style soft-point and ballistic-tip bullets. There are some hangers-on, Sellier & Bellot and PPU still offer up hunting loads.
This is opposed to the nearly endless variety of loads available for .308 Winchester, both as factory ammo and reloading components. Whatever you’re trying to hunt, at least in North America, there is almost certainly a more efficient projectile for it in .308 as opposed to 7.62×39.
Defensive
Hunting is not the only use for ammunition, however, especially when military cartridges are in question.
You may debate between these two cartridges for a more tactical application such as home defense or a SHTF scenario. For that, 7.62×39 does have a clear advantage in most aspects.
Chief among these is the cartridge’s generally milder recoil. This factor facilitates faster and more accurate follow-up shots and is one of the reasons most major militaries eventually made the switch from full-power to intermediate cartridges.
Capacity is another ace up the 7.62×39's sleeve, both of the weapons chambered for it and in an individual’s kit. When it comes to self-loading rifles, those chambered for .308 Winchester have a standard magazine capacity of 20 rounds. Those chambered for 7.62×39 are typically 30. Furthermore, the lighter ammo also enables one to carry much more on their person.
This is something to keep in mind if your intended application requires you to carry anything more than a single magazine.
7.62×39 Vs. .308 Winchester: Firearm Choices
On that note, your intended application should also be informed by the rifles available for each respective cartridge. Regardless of how you plan on using it, however, the .308 Winchester still wins in terms of firearm choice.
If hunting is your game, there are far more bolt-action rifles chambered for .308 than 7.62×39. There are still good options for the latter from companies like Ruger and CZ, but not nearly as many as there are for .308. That said, many deer have been taken with nothing more than a humble iron-sighted SKS. Not all hunting requires top-of-the-line gear.
A Howa 1500 in .308 Winchester versus an SKS in 7.62×39. Both will take most medium American game just fine, but the .308 can do it with greater accuracy and at longer ranges.
For more tactical applications, there are still more options for .308. From military-pattern rifles like the HK G3 and FN SCAR to commercial AR-10 builds, you won’t be starved for choice. Of course, there are still many good 7.62×39 options as well. From the slew of different AK flavors on the market to 7.62×39 AR-15s, it isn’t hard to configure a modern fighting carbine for this cartridge either.
As mentioned, however, the milder recoil and lighter weight of 7.62×39 make it better suited for tactical and defensive use.
Parting Shot
So, which .30-caliber cold warrior will serve you best? The breakdown is about the same as it would be when pitting any full- and intermediate-power cartridges against each other. The full-power one provides better performance at range, has more varied projectile styles (generally) and delivers more energy with better penetration. The intermediate-power one offers milder recoil, is generally faster shooting and enables one to carry more ammunition.
At the end of the day, this makes the former better suited for most hunting applications and the latter better for most tactical uses. Accurate bolt-action hunting rifles and modern fighting carbines are available for both cartridges, however, so ultimately the choice is yours.
Bergara has recently announced the B-14 Squared Crest Rifle, a new ultralight bolt-action hunting rifle available in four chambering options.
Anyone who’s carried a traditional hunting rifle on a backcountry hunt should understand, and appreciate, the current trend of ultralight rifles. One of the newest models to come out is from Bergara in the form of the B-14 Squared Crest Rifle. With a weight starting at only 6.9 pounds and available chambered in four popular hunting cartridges, it will likely prove very popular with those who like to harvest game off the beaten path.
The biggest contributor to the B-14 Squared Crest Rifle’s light weight is the 100-percent carbon fiber stock. It features a carbon spine down the middle to improve rigidity and durability, and its length-of-pull can be adjusted using spacers. The included 4140 CrMo steel Bergara Precision Barrel helps as well, as it’s fluted to further reduce weight. The barrel is also threaded 5/8×24 and comes with a Bergara Omni Muzzle Brake to help mitigate recoil, and the barrel is guaranteed to be sub-MOA accurate.
The rifle is available chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .308 Winchester and .300 Win. Mag. All barrels are 20 inches in length besides the .300 Win. Mag. model which has a 22-inch barrel. Other features of the B-14 Squared Crest include AICS-pattern detachable magazine compatibility, a 90-degree bolt throw, an adjustable Bergara Performance Trigger and a Sniper Grey Cerakote finish. It also has a two-position safety that allows the rifle to be unloaded while the safety is engaged.
All four models of the Bergara B-14 Squared Crest Rifle are available now and share an MSRP of $1,999.
If you have money to burn, there are some fine quality heaters out there you can spend it on. Here we take a look at a few models from Bergara, Manurhin and more.
Here’s a statement that should shock absolutely no one: l like affordable guns. Earthshattering, I know. But the great thing about making that statement is it pretty much means I celebrate the greater swath of the American gun market. If you have, say, $1,000 burning a hole in your pocket, then chances are good that you can ferret out a pretty solid pistol, rifle or shotgun—even a double barrel—to fit your need and serve you well.
All that said, this doesn’t mean I or any other red-blooded American shooter doesn’t wipe away a bit of drool when eyeing high-end heaters. For most of us, the better part of the top shelf will remain prohibitive. Perhaps we’ll have enough wherewithal to squirrel away enough nickels and dimes to put one—maybe two—absolute gems in the ol’ gun locker. Or, maybe, slim as the chance is, your lottery numbers will come up and you can collect the whole lot. Whatever the case might be, even if your bank account gasps at the irons you eye, there’s no reason to stop looking and hoping.
Making A List
Honestly, if you have the money, the sky is the limit for what you can spend on a firearm. The best guns of the Purdey and Holland & Holland stripe push into the six-figure range, and you can dump a load of money on a custom job to make it one of a kind.
Here, we’re not so concerned with turning a run-of-the-mill Kalashnikov into a unique shooter via a Saddam Hussein gold plate special. Instead, we’re going to delve into the world of excellent production and semi-custom guns that cost a mint but are worth every penny. These guns, in many cases, are best in class and, while not utterly unique to the user’s specification, are rarefied in price and performance.
Bergara Premier Competition Rifle
Bergara’s Premier Competition rifle is an absolute tack-driving gem, but it does wear an MSRP of $2,750.
I’ve long been impressed by what Bergara brings to the table in nearly all of their rifles. This was further fortified with its recent venture into dedicated long-rang competition rigs. Honestly, at $2,750, the Premier Competition Rifle (PCR) would fall into the Production Class of PRC competition, but it vastly over-delivers as far as off-the shelf rifles are concerned. Once dialed in, I had a 6mm Creedmoor iteration of the rifle poking cloverleaves at 100 yards, with few groups pushing over ½ MOA at that range.
Bergara’s barrel-making expertise is on full display with the chassis rifle, a 26-inch heavy (No. 7 profile) stainless and button-rifled affair with an absolutely flawless bore. As its name suggests, the fire tube is mated to the company’s excellent Premier action, a nearly enclosed unit that’s still wide enough to breech feed. The bolt is spiral fluted with an oversized tactical handle and has one of the smoothest throws I’ve felt on a production rifle. Thank the floating head and tapered lug for this and the absolutely flawless feed.
As nice as Bergara’s end of the build is, what sets the rifle apart from many in its class is its Masterpiece Arms (MPA) Short Action Chassis. Particularly pleasing is the 90-degree grip, which positions the finger dead nuts on the TriggerTech Remington 700 Primary fire control’s straight shoe, making repeatable breaks natural. By the way, that baby broke consistently at 1.6 pounds, according to my Wheeler scale when I dialed it all the way down. But also worth mention is the chassis’ ARCA Swiss rail, which allows a bipod much more leeway in positioning—even on the fly. This is just the tip of the iceberg on the PCR, but let it be said: Even at its fairly hefty price, it still comes in at a value.
Christensen Arms Modern Precision Pistol
Bolt-action pistols are gracing the lineups of many manufacturers these days. Most are great; Christensen’s Precision Pistol is exceptional.
I will fully admit that this is the oddball of the roster because, well, who the heck wants a bolt-action pistol? The same thought went through my mind when I unboxed the Christensen Arm’s shorty. Then, I got behind the brace and … wow!
Fully deserving of the moniker “tack driver,” the Modern Precision Pistol (MPP) might be the ultimate truck/ranch gun. I pulled the trigger on the 10.5-inch-barreled .223 Remington variation, and after turning out group 1 MOA or below at 100 yards, I walked away impressed. Yeah, the barrel length might make it dicey as a dedicated predator gun, but for the quick shot at uneducated coyotes when driving the back forty, it’s dead on. Plus, at an outright svelte 4.4 pounds—thanks to its carbon-fiber-wrapped stainless steel barrel—the pistol has all the makings of backcountry insurance (in its heavier calibers) that’s guaranteed to hit the target.
Interestingly, the little chassis rig runs fast if you’re not afraid to get aggressive on the bolt. A straight handle that comes off the chassis allows for the hand to find it quickly, but the 60-degree throw allows you to run an optic with a larger ocular bell. An enlarged ejection port clears bass quickly yet allows a fast top-off from the breech if the situation calls for it. And a straight-shoed, adjustable TriggerTech trigger has as crisp a break as you could desire, helping hits come through.
Now, the .223 isn’t a mauler in the recoil department. That said, the adjustable side-baffle brake included kept the MPP nearly dead still shot to shot—though, it made the gun a bit barky. It’s truly a fun gun and, for the right shooter, very practical … for $2,400.
Manurhin Gendarmerie
Durability meets history and beauty in Manurhin’s $3,600 Gendarmerie wheelgun.
Honestly, some of the appeal of this revolver is due to its colorful history. But the Beretta import isn’t purely living off its résumé as the sidearm of choice for the French Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale.
Specially designed for the elite counter-terrorism unit, the gun is at once match accurate and tough as nails. Some of the .357 Magnums have survived past the quarter-million round mark, which even with its $3,600 price tag works out to around $0.01 per trigger pull. Money well spent.
There’s plenty to like in the Manurhin’s durability, but more so in its performance. The trigger especially merits comment. The revolver’s triple adjustable trigger not only features a built-in overtravel screw but also a hammer force adjustment screw and a hammer spring weight adjustment screw. The latter features are built into the frame and offer a shooter more control over the performance of the trigger than most revolvers on the market.
Furthermore, aspects I enjoy include the Jacques Trausch-designed grips. Ruger fans might recognize them, given he produced a model for the SP101, and they do the same sort of number on the Manurhin, cutting the felt recoil and improving the control over the revolver. The unique design also makes a fundamental high grip very natural and is deftly shaped to the shooter’s hand, providing plenty of comfort.
Of course, the revolver comes with all the little extras expected in this class of firearm, such as fully adjustable rear sights and stunning aesthetics. It’s also available in a 5.25-inch-barreled Sport model and 4-inch Gendarmerie version. I prefer the latter, simply because it’s slightly more “Mama Bear”—the potential for concealed carry is there. Overall, shooters should walk away pleased with either model.
Merkel Helix
If you like engraving, you’ve gotta pay for it. Merkel’s straight-pull Helix is a stunning shooter if you’re not scared off by the $3,300 MSRP.
Full confession up front: I’ve always had a thing about straight-pull rifles, and feel it’s a shame these innovative irons haven’t had greater popularity stateside. I blame the lever action.
Yet, if I was squirreling away money for a top-flight hunting rifle, a straight-pull would top the list. There’s no two ways about it; there’s just something about the Helix. Perhaps it’s because Merkel figured out how to endow the unique style of rifle with an action that’s nearly as strong as a traditional bolt-action, while keeping the action as fast as ever. And boy, is it fast.
The bolt travel is a mere 2.5 inches, yet the carrier moves a full 4 inches, thanks to the innovative Teutonic engineering under the hood. And it’s completely linear, unlike some designs that slightly cant upon closing to lock the lugs. As to holding up to hot rounds, the six-lug head—similar to the Weatherby Mark V system—holds tight.
Another feature of the Helix, generally not popular in America, is it’s a switch barrel (takedown, too). While not a must-have for me in an exclusive rifle, I like the concept. What’s wrong with having a do-all hunting gun, one you can take a deer in the morning with a .30-06 Springfield barrel and coyotes in the evening with a .243 Winchester tube? It’s more sensible, in some respects, than having two calibers of the same model rifle—plus, the benefit of the same consistent fit and performance trigger pull to trigger pull.
As far as finishing touches, at least with the more exclusive deluxe model Helix, it offers a bit of soul to the hunter. Sticked in Grade 7 Turkish walnut and better, it looks like it’s meant for the woods. Plus, you get to pick three animals to have engraved on the receiver, an almost unheard-of option in what still classifies as a production gun. All that said, the rifle will set you back about $3,300.
Browning Citori White Lightning O/U SHOTGUN
The Citori’s receiver gets a silver-nitride coating instead of bluing, which offers a stunning contrast among the blued barrels and walnut stock
The pride of my father’s gun collection were his Belgian-made Browning Superimposed Broadway and Lightning. A predilection for hunting, I was always fonder of the latter. Thankfully, the field gun soldiers on—now under the banner of Citori—and while churned out in a different corner of the world might be better than ever. B.C. Miroku of Japan has turned out the time-tested design since the early 1970s, more than enough time to work out any bugs. And it shows with the White Lightning.
Admittedly, this iteration is a pretty standard-fare Citori, only the receiver undergoes Browning’s silver nitride coating process instead of bluing. The results speak, I believe, for themselves, giving the over-under a beautiful contrast among the receiver, barrels and walnut stock.
The shotgun is very intuitive to the shoulder, with a ¼-inch-wide straight-side vented rib drawing the eye to the front sliver bead. I prefer the 26-inch-barreled model (in 12-gauge), compared to the 28-inch model, for easy carry and moving the fulcrum of the gun back slightly. The stock is nicely shaped, with a round knob pistol grip and ample forend, each well checkered.
And the gun boasts a dynamite trigger, breaking a bit over 4.5 pounds on each barrel. On this point, like all Citoris, the White Lightning the trigger is inertia driving, using the recoil of the first shot to set the hammer for the second. Though, a barrel selector on the tang allows you to quickly switch tubes, thus chokes—if you set them up separately. The Citori is the well-worn path of this list; it’s very familiar and comfortable. It’ll set ya back about $2,800, but do you want anything else out of a field gun?
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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